# Potion of gain ability

! 

Name

gain ability

Appearance

random

Base price

300 zm

Weight

20

Monster use

Will not be used by monsters.

The potion of gain ability is a potion in NetHack that can increase your attributes.

Contents

1 Generation
2 Effects
3 Messages
4 Variants

4.1 UnNetHack
4.2 xNetHack

Generation
Dipping a potion of gain energy or potion of gain level into a potion of full healing will produce a diluted potion of gain ability.

Effects
Quaffing an uncursed potion increases a random attribute by one point; quaffing a blessed potion will increase all attributes by one point. Quaffing a cursed potion, or else quaffing a noncursed one while wearing a ring of sustain ability, has no effect, and the potion will not be identified.
Note that the uncursed potion will try only 6 times to find an attribute that isn't already at its maximum. If all six fail, it will just try and fail to raise the maxed stat, with no further effect.

Messages
You feel [strong/smart/wise/agile/tough/charismatic]!
You gained an attribute point.
You're already as [strong/smart/wise/agile/tough/charismatic] as you can get.
You would have gained an attribute point, but it is already at its maximum.
Ulch! That potion tasted foul!
You quaffed a cursed potion.
Ulch! That potion smells terrible!
You smelled the vapors from a cursed potion.
You have a peculiar feeling for a moment, then it passes.
You quaffed a non-cursed potion while having sustain ability. This may help identify a ring of sustain ability.
Variants
UnNetHack
In UnNetHack, uncursed will attempt to raise an ability one point a few times and might fail. Blessed will always raise one stat, if possible.

xNetHack
In xNetHack, a blessed potion of gain ability prompts the player to choose an attribute to increase, and the chosen attribute increases it by 1–2 points. An uncursed potion will not randomly choose an attribute that's already at its innate maximum.