track the handedness of the hero

Don't make either LEFT_HANDED or RIGHT_HANDED be an advantage
or a disadvantage.

use suggested macros

include/you.h

@@ -421,6 +421,11 @@ struct you {
     Bitfield(uburied, 1);       /* you're buried */
     Bitfield(uedibility, 1);    /* blessed food detect; sense unsafe food */
     Bitfield(usaving_grace, 1); /* prevents death once */
+    Bitfield(uhandedness, 1); /* There is no advantage for either handedness.
+                                 The distinction is only for flavor variation
+                                 and for use in messages. */
+#define RIGHT_HANDED 0x00
+#define LEFT_HANDED  0x01
 
     unsigned udg_cnt;           /* how long you have been demigod */
     struct u_event uevent;      /* certain events have happened */
@@ -538,4 +543,9 @@ struct _hitmon_data {
 /* hero at (x,y)? */
 #define u_at(x,y) ((x) == u.ux && (y) == u.uy)
 
+#define URIGHTY (u.uhandedness == RIGHT_HANDED)
+#define ULEFTY (u.uhandedness == LEFT_HANDED)
+#define RING_ON_PRIMARY (ULEFTY ? uleft : uright)
+#define RING_ON_SECONDARY (ULEFTY ? uright : uleft)
+
 #endif /* YOU_H */

src/do_wear.c

@@ -2159,7 +2159,9 @@ accessory_or_armor_on(struct obj *obj)
             }
             if (uwep) {
                 res = !uwep->bknown; /* check this before calling welded() */
-                if ((mask == RIGHT_RING || bimanual(uwep)) && welded(uwep)) {
+                if (((mask == RIGHT_RING && URIGHTY)
+                     || (mask == LEFT_RING  && ULEFTY)
+                     || bimanual(uwep)) && welded(uwep)) {
                     const char *hand = body_part(HAND);
 
                     /* welded will set bknown */
@@ -2387,9 +2389,18 @@ glibr(void)
     boolean leftfall, rightfall, wastwoweap = FALSE;
     const char *otherwep = 0, *thiswep, *which, *hand;
 
+    leftfall = (uleft && !uleft->cursed
+                && (!uwep || !(welded(uwep) && ULEFTY)
+                    || !bimanual(uwep)));
+    rightfall = (uright && !uright->cursed
+                && (!uwep || !(welded(uwep) && URIGHTY)
+                    || !bimanual(uwep)));
+/*
     leftfall = (uleft && !uleft->cursed
                 && (!uwep || !welded(uwep) || !bimanual(uwep)));
     rightfall = (uright && !uright->cursed && (!welded(uwep)));
+*/
+
     if (!uarmg && (leftfall || rightfall) && !nolimbs(gy.youmonst.data)) {
         /* changed so cursed rings don't fall off, GAN 10/30/86 */
         Your("%s off your %s.",
@@ -2422,7 +2433,7 @@ glibr(void)
         if (otmp->quan > 1L)
             otherwep = makeplural(otherwep);
         hand = body_part(HAND);
-        which = "left ";
+        which = URIGHTY ? "left " : "right ";  /* text for the off hand */
         Your("%s %s%s from your %s%s.", otherwep, xfl ? "also " : "",
              otense(otmp, "slip"), which, hand);
         xfl++;
@@ -2453,10 +2464,12 @@ glibr(void)
         }
         hand = body_part(HAND);
         which = "";
-        if (bimanual(otmp))
+        if (bimanual(otmp)) {
             hand = makeplural(hand);
-        else if (wastwoweap)
+        } else if (wastwoweap) {
-            which = "right "; /* preceding msg was about left */
+            /* preceding msg was about non-dominant hand */
+            which = URIGHTY ? "right " : "left ";
+	}
         pline("%s %s%s %s%s from your %s%s.",
               !strncmp(thiswep, "corpse", 6) ? "The" : "Your",
               otherwep ? "other " : "", thiswep, xfl ? "also " : "",
@@ -2511,7 +2524,7 @@ stuck_ring(struct obj *ring, int otyp)
         if (nolimbs(gy.youmonst.data) && uamul
             && uamul->otyp == AMULET_OF_UNCHANGING && uamul->cursed)
             return uamul;
-        if (welded(uwep) && (ring == uright || bimanual(uwep)))
+        if (welded(uwep) && ((ring == RING_ON_PRIMARY) || bimanual(uwep)))
             return uwep;
         if (uarmg && uarmg->cursed)
             return uarmg;
@@ -2556,7 +2569,7 @@ select_off(register struct obj *otmp)
         }
         glibdummy = cg.zeroobj;
         why = 0; /* the item which prevents ring removal */
-        if (welded(uwep) && (otmp == uright || bimanual(uwep))) {
+        if (welded(uwep) && ((otmp == RING_ON_PRIMARY) || bimanual(uwep))) {
             Sprintf(buf, "free a weapon %s", body_part(HAND));
             why = uwep;
         } else if (uarmg && (uarmg->cursed || Glib)) {

src/objnam.c

@@ -1406,7 +1406,15 @@ doname_base(
                     tethered ? "tethered " : "", /* aklys */
                     /* avoid "tethered wielded in right hand" for twoweapon */
                     (twoweap_primary && !tethered) ? "wielded" : "weapon",
-                    twoweap_primary ? "right " : "", hand_s);
+                    URIGHTY ? "right " : "left ",
+/*
+                    (twoweap_primary && URIGHTY)
+                        ? "right "
+                        : (twoweap_primary && ULEFTY)
+                            ? "left "
+                            :  "",
+*/
+                    hand_s);
             if (!Blind) {
                 if (gw.warn_obj_cnt && obj == uwep
                     && (EWarn_of_mon & W_WEP) != 0L)
@@ -1423,7 +1431,8 @@ doname_base(
     }
     if (obj->owornmask & W_SWAPWEP) {
         if (u.twoweap)
-            Sprintf(eos(bp), " (wielded in left %s)", body_part(HAND));
+            Sprintf(eos(bp), " (wielded in %s %s)",
+                    URIGHTY ? "left" : "right", body_part(HAND));
         else
             /* TODO: rephrase this when obj isn't a weapon or weptool */
             Sprintf(eos(bp), " (alternate weapon%s; not wielded)",

src/u_init.c

@@ -602,7 +602,7 @@ knows_class(char sym)
 void
 u_init(void)
 {
-    register int i;
+    int i;
     struct u_roleplay tmpuroleplay = u.uroleplay; /* set by rcfile options */
 
     flags.female = flags.initgend;
@@ -903,6 +903,9 @@ u_init(void)
         break;
     }
 
+    /* roughly based on distribution in human population */
+    u.uhandedness = rn2(10) ? RIGHT_HANDED : LEFT_HANDED;
+
     if (discover)
         ini_inv(Wishing);
 

src/uhitm.c

@@ -5384,12 +5384,12 @@ hmonas(struct monst *mon)
                     verb = (mattk->aatyp == AT_TUCH) ? "touch" : "claws";
                     /* decide if silver-hater will be hit by silver ring(s);
                        for 'multi_claw' where attacks alternate right/left,
-                       assume 'even' claw or touch attacks use right hand
+                       assume 'even' claw or touch attacks use dominant hand
-                       or paw, 'odd' ones use left for ring interaction;
+                       or paw, 'odd' ones use non-dominant hand for ring
-                       even vs odd is based on actual attacks rather
+                       interaction; even vs odd is based on actual attacks
-                       than on index into mon->dat->mattk[] so that {bite,
+                       rather than on index into mon->dat->mattk[] so that
-                       claw,claw} instead of {claw,claw,bite} doesn't
+                       {bite,claw,claw} instead of {claw,claw,bite} doesn't
-                       make poly'd hero mysteriously become left-handed */
+                       make poly'd hero mysteriously switch handedness */
                     odd_claw = !odd_claw;
                     specialdmg = special_dmgval(&gy.youmonst, mon,
                                                 W_ARMG

src/wield.c

@@ -194,8 +194,10 @@ ready_weapon(struct obj *wep)
                 tmp = thestr;
             else
                 tmp = "";
-            pline("%s%s %s to your %s!", tmp, aobjnam(wep, "weld"),
+            pline("%s%s %s to your %s%s!", tmp, aobjnam(wep, "weld"),
                   (wep->quan == 1L) ? "itself" : "themselves", /* a3 */
+                  bimanual(wep) ? "" :
+                      (URIGHTY ? "dominant right " : "dominant left "),
                   bimanual(wep) ? (const char *) makeplural(body_part(HAND))
                                 : body_part(HAND));
             set_bknown(wep, 1);