diff --git a/game/save.go b/game/save.go
index e69b065..038bd43 100644
--- a/game/save.go
+++ b/game/save.go
@@ -177,8 +177,48 @@ func (g *RogueGame) packIdx(obj *Object) int {
 
 // snapshot captures the complete game state.
 func (g *RogueGame) snapshot() *SaveState {
-	p := &g.Player
-	st := &SaveState{
+	st := g.snapshotHeader()
+
+	// the map, sans monster pointers (rebuilt on load)
+	st.Places = make([]savedPlace, len(g.Level.Places))
+	for i := range g.Level.Places {
+		st.Places[i] = savedPlace{
+			Ch:    g.Level.Places[i].Ch,
+			Flags: g.Level.Places[i].Flags,
+		}
+	}
+
+	// level objects by value; remember their pointers for dest encoding
+	objAt := make(map[*Object]int, len(g.Level.Objects))
+	for i, o := range g.Level.Objects {
+		st.Objects = append(st.Objects, *o)
+		objAt[o] = i
+	}
+
+	st.Player = g.snapshotPlayer()
+
+	// monsters, with chase targets as (kind, index) references
+	for _, m := range g.Level.Monsters {
+		sc := savedCreature{
+			Pos: m.Pos, Turn: m.Turn, Type: m.Type, Disguise: m.Disguise,
+			OldCh: m.OldCh, Flags: m.Flags, Stats: m.Stats,
+			RoomIdx: g.roomIdx(m.Room),
+		}
+		for _, o := range m.Pack {
+			sc.Pack = append(sc.Pack, *o)
+		}
+
+		st.Monsters = append(st.Monsters, sc)
+		st.Dests = append(st.Dests, g.destRefFor(m, objAt))
+	}
+
+	return st
+}
+
+// snapshotHeader captures the scalar game state (the field list of
+// state.c rs_save_file).
+func (g *RogueGame) snapshotHeader() *SaveState {
+	return &SaveState{
 		Version:    saveFormatVersion,
 		Seed:       g.Rng.Seed,
 		Dnum:       g.Dnum,
@@ -226,25 +266,14 @@ func (g *RogueGame) snapshot() *SaveState {
 		AllScore:   g.AllScore,
 		Screen:     g.scr.Std.Contents(),
 	}
+}
 
-	// the map, sans monster pointers (rebuilt on load)
-	st.Places = make([]savedPlace, len(g.Level.Places))
-	for i := range g.Level.Places {
-		st.Places[i] = savedPlace{
-			Ch:    g.Level.Places[i].Ch,
-			Flags: g.Level.Places[i].Flags,
-		}
-	}
+// snapshotPlayer captures the player, equipment as pack indices (the
+// player half of snapshot).
+func (g *RogueGame) snapshotPlayer() savedPlayer {
+	p := &g.Player
 
-	// level objects by value; remember their pointers for dest encoding
-	objAt := make(map[*Object]int, len(g.Level.Objects))
-	for i, o := range g.Level.Objects {
-		st.Objects = append(st.Objects, *o)
-		objAt[o] = i
-	}
-
-	// the player
-	st.Player = savedPlayer{
+	sp := savedPlayer{
 		Body: savedCreature{
 			Pos: p.Pos, Turn: p.Turn, Type: p.Type, Disguise: p.Disguise,
 			OldCh: p.OldCh, Flags: p.Flags, Stats: p.Stats,
@@ -260,25 +289,10 @@ func (g *RogueGame) snapshot() *SaveState {
 		MaxStats: p.MaxStats, VfHit: p.VfHit,
 	}
 	for _, o := range p.Pack {
-		st.Player.Body.Pack = append(st.Player.Body.Pack, *o)
+		sp.Body.Pack = append(sp.Body.Pack, *o)
 	}
 
-	// monsters, with chase targets as (kind, index) references
-	for _, m := range g.Level.Monsters {
-		sc := savedCreature{
-			Pos: m.Pos, Turn: m.Turn, Type: m.Type, Disguise: m.Disguise,
-			OldCh: m.OldCh, Flags: m.Flags, Stats: m.Stats,
-			RoomIdx: g.roomIdx(m.Room),
-		}
-		for _, o := range m.Pack {
-			sc.Pack = append(sc.Pack, *o)
-		}
-
-		st.Monsters = append(st.Monsters, sc)
-		st.Dests = append(st.Dests, g.destRefFor(m, objAt))
-	}
-
-	return st
+	return sp
 }
 
 // destRefFor encodes a monster's chase target as a (kind, index)
@@ -315,7 +329,32 @@ func (g *RogueGame) destRefFor(m *Monster, objAt map[*Object]int) destRef {
 
 // applySnapshot rebuilds live game state from a snapshot.
 func (g *RogueGame) applySnapshot(st *SaveState) {
-	p := &g.Player
+	g.applyHeader(st)
+
+	for i := range g.Level.Places {
+		g.Level.Places[i] = Place{
+			Ch:    st.Places[i].Ch,
+			Flags: st.Places[i].Flags,
+		}
+	}
+
+	// level objects
+	g.Level.Objects = nil
+	for i := range st.Objects {
+		o := st.Objects[i]
+		g.Level.Objects = append(g.Level.Objects, &o)
+	}
+
+	g.applyPlayer(st)
+	g.applyMonsters(st)
+	g.applyDests(st)
+
+	g.scr.Std.SetContents(st.Screen)
+}
+
+// applyHeader restores the scalar game state (the field list of
+// applySnapshot).
+func (g *RogueGame) applyHeader(st *SaveState) {
 	g.Rng.Seed = st.Seed
 	g.Dnum = st.Dnum
 	g.Whoami = st.Whoami
@@ -360,22 +399,12 @@ func (g *RogueGame) applySnapshot(st *SaveState) {
 	g.LastScore = st.LastScore
 	g.AllScore = st.AllScore
 	g.Playing = true
+}
 
-	for i := range g.Level.Places {
-		g.Level.Places[i] = Place{
-			Ch:    st.Places[i].Ch,
-			Flags: st.Places[i].Flags,
-		}
-	}
-
-	// level objects
-	g.Level.Objects = nil
-	for i := range st.Objects {
-		o := st.Objects[i]
-		g.Level.Objects = append(g.Level.Objects, &o)
-	}
-
-	// the player
+// applyPlayer restores the player, resolving equipment pack indices
+// (the player half of applySnapshot).
+func (g *RogueGame) applyPlayer(st *SaveState) {
+	p := &g.Player
 	sp := &st.Player
 	p.Pos = sp.Body.Pos
 	p.Turn = sp.Body.Turn
@@ -412,11 +441,6 @@ func (g *RogueGame) applySnapshot(st *SaveState) {
 	p.NoFood = sp.NoFood
 	p.MaxStats = sp.MaxStats
 	p.VfHit = sp.VfHit
-
-	g.applyMonsters(st)
-	g.applyDests(st)
-
-	g.scr.Std.SetContents(st.Screen)
 }
 
 // applyMonsters rebuilds the monster list and its map index from a
@@ -507,7 +531,8 @@ prompt:
 
 			g.FileName = buf
 
-			if err := g.saveFile(g.FileName); err != nil {
+			err := g.saveFile(g.FileName)
+			if err != nil {
 				g.msg("%s", err.Error())
 
 				continue