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Turns and movement

The game is turn based. You act, and then time passes while the creatures around you act, each at its own pace, until it is your turn again.

What actions cost

What you do decides how long it takes. Every action has a cost. A normal action costs 1000 and takes 6 seconds at a normal pace, which is your pace. An action that costs more takes longer in proportion, and one that costs less is quicker: an action of cost 1400 takes 8.4 seconds.

ActionCostTakes at a normal pace
A step onto normal ground (other ground: see Terrain)10006 seconds
A creature waiting, or a turn of resting10006 seconds
Opening a door10006 seconds
Closing a door10006 seconds
Opening a chest10006 seconds
Unlocking a door or chest with a key (on top of opening it)10006 seconds
A try at picking a lock (once it gives, opening the door comes on top)200012 seconds
Kicking (a door, or a creature)10006 seconds
Lighting or dousing a lantern ready in the Tool slot (u)10006 seconds
Lowering a lit lantern’s hood (u)5003 seconds
Taking stairs, entering a place from the overworld, or walking off an area’s edge10006 seconds
Picking up (however many stacks)10006 seconds
Dropping (however many stacks)10006 seconds
Attacking up close10006 seconds
Shooting with a missile weapon10006 seconds
Throwing10006 seconds
Reloading a crossbow (after every shot, on top of shooting)10006 seconds
Casting a spell (creatures)10006 seconds
Wielding something, or putting it away: Main hand, off hand10006 seconds
Putting something on, or taking it off: Head, neck, cloak, hands, left ring, right ring, extra ring 1, extra ring 2, extra ring 3, feet10006 seconds
Putting something on, or taking it off: Body300018 seconds
Readying something, or putting it away: Missile weapon, missiles, tool10006 seconds
A turn of eating (a meal takes several: see Food and corpses)10006 seconds
Reading a scroll10006 seconds
A turn of reading a grimoire to learn its spell (a reading takes many, by the spell’s level)10006 seconds
A turn of writing a scroll (the wizard’s Scribe: as many as reading its spell’s grimoire)10006 seconds
A turn of calling a familiar (the witch’s Call familiar: an hour’s sitting takes many)10006 seconds
A turn of digging (digging through a wall takes many)10006 seconds
Waiting, which is a turn of searching (searching for a while takes several)10006 seconds
A turn of making out a scroll without reading it (a try takes ten minutes)10006 seconds
A turn of praying at a forgotten altar (a prayer takes a minute)10006 seconds
A turn of drinking at a healing spring (a drink takes ten seconds)10006 seconds
A turn of foraging in the wild (a forage takes ten minutes)10006 seconds
A turn of gathering herbs from the glowing fungus (a gather takes five minutes)10006 seconds
A turn of tempering an item at a forge’s anvil (tempering takes ten minutes)10006 seconds
A turn of whittling a wooden item with a knife (whittling takes ten minutes)10006 seconds
A turn of making a recipe (the recipe says how long it takes)10006 seconds
A turn of salvaging an item for its materials (salvaging takes ten minutes)10006 seconds
Trying to disarm a trap (whatever comes of it)200012 seconds
Treating yourself with the Heal skill (whatever comes of it)250015 seconds
Chatting with someone (asking about a topic takes no time)5003 seconds
Singing a song (a bard’s inspire)5003 seconds
Trying to steal from someone, whatever comes of it10006 seconds
Feinting at a foe, whatever comes of it10006 seconds
One turn of taming a beast (a try takes several)10006 seconds
Intimidating a foe, whatever comes of it10006 seconds
Throwing your voice10006 seconds
Climbing out of the water onto ice (on top of the step onto the ice)200012 seconds

The balor’s attacks cost 700 each.

The drow blademaster’s attacks cost 600 each.

The marilith’s attacks cost 500 each.

The two-headed troll’s attacks cost 700 each.

Every action takes the same time wherever you are, the overworld included. Waiting there takes 6 seconds, and so do entering a place with > and walking off the edge of an outdoor area back to the overworld. Only steps on the overworld are different: each is a journey (below).

Picking up or dropping takes one action, however many stacks you take. Putting on or taking off equipment takes its slot’s time for each thing that moves, so a swap takes both times. Looking at your pack (I) or your equipment (i) takes no time, and neither does anything that is refused, such as walking into a wall.

The clock counts whole seconds, so an action of 8.4 seconds shows as 8 or 9 seconds on it. A run of actions still adds up to their exact time: five such actions take exactly 42 seconds.

A heavy load slows every action you take, journeys included. Each takes a quarter longer when you are burdened (a normal action takes 7.5 seconds) and half again as long when you are strained (9 seconds). Overloaded, you cannot move at all. See Burden.

Steps

On a dungeon or outdoor level, how long a step takes depends on the terrain you step onto. A normal step takes 6 seconds. Wading through water or pushing through a bush takes twice as long (12 seconds). Moving through reeds, marsh, or rubble takes one and a half times as long (9 seconds). The full table is on the Terrain page.

On the overworld a step is a journey. It takes the time given for the terrain you step onto, from 20 minutes along a road to two and a half hours through a swamp. See The overworld.

You can move in eight directions, diagonals included. You cannot step into a wall or other solid terrain; trying takes no time. Walking into a closed door opens it, at the same cost as opening it. Moving into a creature that is hostile to you attacks it (see Creatures). Moving into any other creature swaps places with it, for your step’s time (“You swap places with the deer.”). If it will not make way, that takes no time (“The sentry doesn’t budge.”); see People and talk.

Running

Running moves you step after step in one direction, so you need not press a key for every step. Hold Alt (Option on a Mac) and press a movement key (Controls). Each step takes a step’s time, as if you had walked it, and you can stop only where the run stops.

In the open, you keep going the same way until the next step cannot be made: a wall or other solid terrain, a closed door, a creature, deep water, a trap you know of, or a cell you have never seen.

In a corridor (your first step lands in one), you follow it around its bends. You stop where it branches (a side passage, or a closed door in its wall: a door counts as a way on), where it ends, and where it opens into a room.

A run also stops for everything that stops a rest. A hostile creature that comes within 5 steps in view stops it (“The kobold comes close; you stop running.”), and one farther off does not. So does an attack on you, or a message on the message line, such as finding stairs or something lying where you step.

If your first step is not one a run can take, you take a plain step instead: into a door, it opens the door, and into a hostile creature, it attacks.

Creatures act at their own pace

Every creature has its own pace, its speed (below). The game does not show it. A faster creature takes less time over the same action, so it acts more often; a slower one acts less often. A creature’s actions have costs too: a step, a wait, or an attack takes it as long as the cost and its pace say. A creature’s load slows it as yours slows you.

After your action, the creatures on the level act in the order their turns come up, until it is your turn again:

  • A creature as quick as you acts once for each normal action of yours, right after you.
  • A quicker creature may act twice or more before your next turn, and a slower one now and then lets one of your turns pass.
  • The longer your action takes, the more the creatures do meanwhile. Wading through water takes you twice as long as a normal step, so creatures get about twice as many actions during it.
  • When a creature’s turn comes up at the same moment as yours, you go first.

Creatures on other levels do not act at all while you are away. See Creatures.

Speed

Here is the exact rule. Everyone gains their speed in energy every second of game time. An action costs its cost times its base time in seconds (6, or a journey’s time on the overworld). Whoever has paid off their last action acts next. So an action takes cost / 1000 × 1000 / speed × 6 seconds: a normal action takes 6 seconds at speed 1000 and 3 seconds at speed 2000. Leftover energy carries over, so a run of actions takes exactly their total time.

Your speed is the same whatever your race (see the table below). Some things make you quicker:

After that, a load multiplies the time of everything you do (see Burden), and so does being bloated (Hunger). Everyone’s speed:

WhoSpeedA normal action takes
You, whatever your race10006 seconds
Cave bat20003 seconds
Quickling20003 seconds
Welkin wind20003 seconds
Wælcyrge the Chooser19003.2 seconds
Elder air elemental18503.2 seconds
Greater air elemental17003.5 seconds
Hound of the hunt17003.5 seconds
Thunderhead17003.5 seconds
Dust devil16503.6 seconds
Air elemental16003.8 seconds
Elder lightning elemental16003.8 seconds
Hare16003.8 seconds
Nightwing16003.8 seconds
Sluagh16003.8 seconds
Eldest vampire15503.9 seconds
Spark mote15503.9 seconds
Elder vampire15004 seconds
Greater lightning elemental15004 seconds
Invisible stalker15004 seconds
Lesser air elemental15004 seconds
Wild huntsman15004 seconds
Lightning elemental14504.1 seconds
Balor14004.3 seconds
Banshee14004.3 seconds
Barbed devil14004.3 seconds
Blink dog14004.3 seconds
Chasme14004.3 seconds
Church grim14004.3 seconds
Cockatrice14004.3 seconds
Darkling14004.3 seconds
Deathshade14004.3 seconds
Dread wraith14004.3 seconds
Drow assassin14004.3 seconds
Ghost lord14004.3 seconds
Ghoul king14004.3 seconds
Gibbering shade14004.3 seconds
Greater shadow14004.3 seconds
Incubus14004.3 seconds
Lesser lightning elemental14004.3 seconds
Night mare14004.3 seconds
Nihtscinna the Hollow14004.3 seconds
Nosferatu14004.3 seconds
Nymph14004.3 seconds
Panther14004.3 seconds
Pit fiend14004.3 seconds
Pixie14004.3 seconds
Rakshasa14004.3 seconds
Rust monster14004.3 seconds
Shadow14004.3 seconds
Spectre14004.3 seconds
Succubus14004.3 seconds
Ultroloth14004.3 seconds
Vampire14004.3 seconds
Vampire lord14004.3 seconds
Vampire spawn14004.3 seconds
Washer at the ford14004.3 seconds
White lady14004.3 seconds
Will-o’-wisp14004.3 seconds
Wraith14004.3 seconds
Wraith lord14004.3 seconds
Black shuck13504.4 seconds
Ghoul lord13504.4 seconds
Yeth hound13504.4 seconds
Barrow ghoul13004.6 seconds
Cat13004.6 seconds
Clatter of cutlery13004.6 seconds
Deer13004.6 seconds
Ember mote13004.6 seconds
Lynx13004.6 seconds
Polecat13004.6 seconds
Raven13004.6 seconds
Water mote13004.6 seconds
Āttorcoppe the Spinner13004.6 seconds
Ankou12504.8 seconds
Barghest12504.8 seconds
Barrow spider12504.8 seconds
Black hound12504.8 seconds
Canoloth12504.8 seconds
Dire warg12504.8 seconds
Drow blademaster12504.8 seconds
Drow stalker12504.8 seconds
Duergar spider rider12504.8 seconds
Fen ghoul12504.8 seconds
Forest troll12504.8 seconds
Ghast12504.8 seconds
Ghost dragon12504.8 seconds
Giant frog12504.8 seconds
Grave hound12504.8 seconds
Headless knight12504.8 seconds
Hell hound12504.8 seconds
Nightmare12504.8 seconds
Poltergeist12504.8 seconds
Screaming skull12504.8 seconds
Warg12504.8 seconds
Wolf12504.8 seconds
Animated blade12254.9 seconds
Animated broom12005 seconds
Balefire12005 seconds
Balgura12005 seconds
Bone wyvern12005 seconds
Cave beetle12005 seconds
Deathless king12005 seconds
Demilich12005 seconds
Fetch12005 seconds
Giant centipede12005 seconds
Giant rat12005 seconds
Hound12005 seconds
Orc berserker12005 seconds
Quasit12005 seconds
Redcap12005 seconds
Shopkeeper12005 seconds
Skeletal rat12005 seconds
Skeletal wolf12005 seconds
Boggle11505.2 seconds
Brimwolf11505.2 seconds
Burning skull11505.2 seconds
Deep-gnome trader11505.2 seconds
Dread lord11505.2 seconds
Gnægan the Rat King11505.2 seconds
Hand of glory11505.2 seconds
Imp11505.2 seconds
Knocker11505.2 seconds
Mummy king11505.2 seconds
Animated ladle11005.5 seconds
Arcanaloth11005.5 seconds
Ash wraith11005.5 seconds
Barrow king11005.5 seconds
Bheur hag11005.5 seconds
Boar11005.5 seconds
Cambion11005.5 seconds
Chain devil11005.5 seconds
Charnel titan11005.5 seconds
Corpse candle11005.5 seconds
Crawling hand11005.5 seconds
Death knight11005.5 seconds
Dread wyrm11005.5 seconds
Drow archmage11005.5 seconds
Drow high priestess11005.5 seconds
Drow matron11005.5 seconds
Duergar trader11005.5 seconds
Elder fire elemental11005.5 seconds
Elder water elemental11005.5 seconds
Fire salamander11005.5 seconds
Frost mote11005.5 seconds
Great boar11005.5 seconds
Grundwyrgen the Mere-Wife11005.5 seconds
Ice devil11005.5 seconds
Large spider11005.5 seconds
Lich-drake11005.5 seconds
Līgetdrȳ the Storm-Wright11005.5 seconds
Marilith11005.5 seconds
Mother Sallow11005.5 seconds
Nīðdraca the Hate-Wyrm11005.5 seconds
Orc raider11005.5 seconds
Sprite11005.5 seconds
Vrock11005.5 seconds
Bone devil10505.7 seconds
Bone dragon10505.7 seconds
Cultist10505.7 seconds
Drow arbalester10505.7 seconds
Drow captain10505.7 seconds
Elder troll10505.7 seconds
Erinyes10505.7 seconds
Fire elemental10505.7 seconds
Fire troll10505.7 seconds
Footpad10505.7 seconds
Giant jarl10505.7 seconds
Glabrezu10505.7 seconds
Goblin10505.7 seconds
Goblin firebomber10505.7 seconds
Greater fire elemental10505.7 seconds
Hobgoblin warlord10505.7 seconds
Horned devil10505.7 seconds
Mummy lord10505.7 seconds
Nalfeshnee10505.7 seconds
Night hag10505.7 seconds
Nightganger10505.7 seconds
Storm giant10505.7 seconds
Troll chieftain10505.7 seconds
Warden of the gate10505.7 seconds
Wēalāf the Unburied10505.7 seconds
Abyssal gate10006 seconds
Animated bellows10006 seconds
Animated book10006 seconds
Animated lantern10006 seconds
Animated panoply10006 seconds
Animated rug10006 seconds
Animated warming pan10006 seconds
Annis hag10006 seconds
Arch-gate10006 seconds
Barrow wight10006 seconds
Bear10006 seconds
Bearded devil10006 seconds
Black gate10006 seconds
Black Wystan10006 seconds
Bodach10006 seconds
Bog hag10006 seconds
Bone colossus10006 seconds
Bone drake10006 seconds
Brother Osrick10006 seconds
Business partner10006 seconds
Cave lizard10006 seconds
Chambermaid10006 seconds
Chicken10006 seconds
Cinder elemental10006 seconds
Cloud giant10006 seconds
Cottar10006 seconds
Crocodile10006 seconds
Cult chymist10006 seconds
Cult priest10006 seconds
Dark wizard10006 seconds
Deep gnome10006 seconds
Deep-gnome binder10006 seconds
Deep-gnome headman10006 seconds
Deep-gnome jeweller10006 seconds
Deep-gnome priest10006 seconds
Dire gate10006 seconds
Draugr lord10006 seconds
Drow crossbowman10006 seconds
Drow mage10006 seconds
Drow priestess10006 seconds
Drow warrior10006 seconds
Dryad10006 seconds
Duergar crossbowman10006 seconds
Duergar king10006 seconds
Duergar mindbreaker10006 seconds
Duergar miner10006 seconds
Duergar priest10006 seconds
Duergar skeleton10006 seconds
Duergar slinger10006 seconds
Duergar smith10006 seconds
Duergar thane10006 seconds
Duergar veteran10006 seconds
Duergar warrior10006 seconds
Dwarven miser10006 seconds
Ember beetle10006 seconds
Fire drake10006 seconds
Fire giant10006 seconds
Footpad archer10006 seconds
Frost giant10006 seconds
Gallows dead10006 seconds
Gate of gloom10006 seconds
Ghost10006 seconds
Giant shaman10006 seconds
Goblin archer10006 seconds
Goblin chief10006 seconds
Goblin wizard10006 seconds
Grave knight10006 seconds
Greater water elemental10006 seconds
Green hag10006 seconds
Guildmaster10006 seconds
Hellmouth10006 seconds
Hobgoblin10006 seconds
Hobgoblin archer10006 seconds
Hobgoblin captain10006 seconds
Hobgoblin legionnaire10006 seconds
Hobgoblin sergeant10006 seconds
Hobgoblin warcaster10006 seconds
Hrīmwyrm the White10006 seconds
Innkeeper10006 seconds
Iron gate10006 seconds
Kobold archer10006 seconds
Korred10006 seconds
Lesser fire elemental10006 seconds
Lesser water elemental10006 seconds
Lords’ gate10006 seconds
Marsh troll10006 seconds
Meenlock10006 seconds
Mezzoloth10006 seconds
Mine factor10006 seconds
Mummy priest10006 seconds
Necromancer10006 seconds
Nycaloth10006 seconds
Ogre mage10006 seconds
Orc archer10006 seconds
Orc bowman10006 seconds
Orc high shaman10006 seconds
Orc runt10006 seconds
Orc shaman10006 seconds
Orc veteran10006 seconds
Orc war chief10006 seconds
Orc warlord10006 seconds
Orc warrior10006 seconds
Pale drinker10006 seconds
Patron10006 seconds
Pedlar10006 seconds
Reeve10006 seconds
Revenant10006 seconds
Rift10006 seconds
Rimethurse10006 seconds
Satyr10006 seconds
Sergeant Herrick10006 seconds
Servant10006 seconds
Sexton10006 seconds
Sister10006 seconds
Skeleton10006 seconds
Skeleton archer10006 seconds
Skeleton warrior10006 seconds
Squire10006 seconds
Stone haunt10006 seconds
Stone mote10006 seconds
Strange spirit10006 seconds
Stānēoten the Hurler10006 seconds
Training dummy10006 seconds
Troll10006 seconds
Troll shaman10006 seconds
Two-headed troll10006 seconds
Villager10006 seconds
Water elemental10006 seconds
Wight lord10006 seconds
Wise-woman10006 seconds
Draugr9506.3 seconds
Duergar hulk9506.3 seconds
Elder ice elemental9506.3 seconds
Hill giant9506.3 seconds
Hill troll9506.3 seconds
Ice troll9506.3 seconds
Stone giant9506.3 seconds
Animated armour9366.4 seconds
Animated bucket9006.7 seconds
Animated candlestick9006.7 seconds
Animated chair9006.7 seconds
Animated kettle9006.7 seconds
Animated stool9006.7 seconds
Animated teapot9006.7 seconds
Badger9006.7 seconds
Dretch9006.7 seconds
Greater ice elemental9006.7 seconds
Hoarstone9006.7 seconds
Kobold9006.7 seconds
Kobold alchemist9006.7 seconds
Rotting dragon9006.7 seconds
Stone troll9006.7 seconds
Toad9006.7 seconds
Crystal guardian8507.1 seconds
Ice elemental8507.1 seconds
Lesser ice elemental8507.1 seconds
Ogre mauler8507.1 seconds
Animated coat stand8007.5 seconds
Animated cooking pot8007.5 seconds
Bog body8007.5 seconds
Charred dead8007.5 seconds
Drowned8007.5 seconds
Drowned king8007.5 seconds
Earth elemental8007.5 seconds
Elder earth elemental8007.5 seconds
Giant leech8007.5 seconds
Grave worm8007.5 seconds
Greater earth elemental8007.5 seconds
Hydra head8007.5 seconds
Kobold shaman8007.5 seconds
Kobold zombie8007.5 seconds
Lemure8007.5 seconds
Lesser earth elemental8007.5 seconds
Magma crawler8007.5 seconds
Mimicling8007.5 seconds
Mud golem8007.5 seconds
Mummy8007.5 seconds
Ogre8007.5 seconds
Ogre zombie8007.5 seconds
Rotting drake8007.5 seconds
Rotting troll8007.5 seconds
Zombie8007.5 seconds
Archlich7008.6 seconds
Black pudding7008.6 seconds
Charnel heap7008.6 seconds
Gorgon7008.6 seconds
Hezrou7008.6 seconds
Hydra7008.6 seconds
Lich7008.6 seconds
Nightworm7008.6 seconds
Sea hag7008.6 seconds
Wormhost7008.6 seconds
Wormlord7008.6 seconds
Basilisk60010 seconds

See also: Time and the calendar, Terrain, and How creatures behave.