Are there secrets related to 'call' in Brogue?

Question

You can c ('call') on most items to rename them which doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me. Most items automatically reveal certain features when used (i.e. applying or throwing a potion to discover its use) or are completely revealed when identified. In these cases, their names and descriptions are rewritten to describe them so you don't have to remember what they do.

Is there another reason for wanting to call something by a different name? As an example, can I elbereth my swords for more power?

Answer 1

As a general rule, Brogue eschews design elements that privilege secret knowledge - you get better at Brogue by acting smarter, not by learning more of a spreadsheet. Accordingly there's no secret-club-handshakey-crap like calling your dagger Sting to make it better.

The usual reason to use call is that you've managed to identify an item without using it. For example, if you've used a potion of Detect Magic to reveal that a particular scroll is cursed, you can call that scroll "bad" and drop it and never have to pick up any scroll of that type accidentally again. Or if you've identified Aggravate Monsters you can call the unknown cursed one Summon Monsters because that's what it must be.

Answer 2

Not everything in brogue identifies via use. Wands of teleportation and invisibility both make monsters vanish, and an invisible monster won't necessarily try to eat you right away. You could c 'call' the wand "might be teleportation?" (or something similar) in the mean time.

Also, once you 'call' a type of item, all future types are labeled that. So if detect magic reveals a certain scroll is cursed (and not fully identified), you coul call it "cursed" and you'll be good to go.

Brogue doesn't have any easter eggy stuff like labeling an ordinary weapon and turning it into a magic one.