# Spellbook of detect food

spellbook of  +   detect food   

Appearance

random

Abundance

3.05%

Base price

200 zm

Weight

50

Turns to read

3

Ink to write

10–19

Spell type

divination

Level

2

Power cost

10 Pw

Direction

non-directional  

Equivalent

scroll of food detection

In NetHack, the spellbook of detect food allows you to learn the detect food spell.

Effects
Casting this spell has the same effect as the scroll of food detection, revealing the location of all comestibles on the level, on the ground and even in monster inventories. If cast at Skilled or Expert, you will also acquire the food appraisal intrinsic. This spell is the only one in NetHack that does not cause spell hunger at all, which is especially important given its function.

Strategy
The obvious use is finding food on the level if you are short on permafood, and can be used to train other divination spells. This can be a real lifesaver in a fix, but beware - it will also display tainted and poisoned corpses, as well as corpses that can cause petrification or other harmful effects.
As you go deeper into the dungeons, food becomes more abundant, and this spell loses much of its base value. However, once you become Skilled or Expert in divination, you can use it as a faux-permanent food appraisal intrinsic by recasting every time you get a warning, as it drains very little energy.

Messages
Replace 

<nose> in the messages with the appropriate equivalent based on your current form.

Your <nose> starts to tingle.
You cast the spell at skilled or expert level and gained the food appraisal intrinsic. This is printed following any of the other messages when casting the spell at skilled level or higher, with exceptions noted below.
Your <nose> starts to tingle and you smell food.
You cast the spell at skilled or expert level, there are comestibles on the level, and you gain the food appraisal intrinsic.
Your <nose> continues to tingle and you smell food.
As above, but you already have the food appraisal intrinsic.
Your <nose> twitches then starts to tingle.
You cast the spell at skilled level or higher, but there were no comestibles on the level, and you gain the food appraisal intrinsic.
Your <nose> twitches.
You cast the spell at any level, and there were no comestibles on the level; additionally, you cast the spell at skilled level or higher, and already have the food appraisal intrinsic.
You smell food nearby.
You cast the spell, and the only comestibles on the level are on your square.
You sense a lack of food nearby.
You cast the spell after previously detecting comestibles on the level, but they are gone now. The additional message for gaining the food appraisal intrinsic at skilled level or higher is not included.
You have a strange feeling for a moment, then it passes.
You cast the spell as a beginner, and there are no comestibles on the level.
You have a normal feeling for a moment, then it passes.
As above while hallucinating.

This page is based on a spoiler by Dylan O'Donnell. The original license is:
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