Weapons, weapon skills, and combat modifiers in NetHack 3.4

weap-340.html Last edited 2002-11-17 for NetHack 3.4.0
Compiled for 3.2.2 by Kevin Hugo.
Updated for 3.4.0 by Dylan O'Donnell <psmith@spod-central.org>.
HTML Conversion by Kate Nepveu <knepveu@steelypips.org>.

Contents

• Weapons table 1: types of weapons
• Weapons table 2: skills and average damage
• Weapon skills
• Calculating the chance to hit
• Calculating damage
• Relationship between launcher and missile modifiers
• Choosing an early weapon
• Weapon enchantment and erosion

Weapons are listed above first by skill class, then by increasing damage. Alternative Japanese names are listed in parentheses (). The COST field denotes the base price of each weapon. WGT specifies the weight (100 zorkmids weighs 1).

Weapons comprise 10% of all randomly-generated items in the main dungeon, 0% in containers, 12% on the Rogue level, and 20% in hell. PROB is the relative probability of each subtype. If an object is mergable, then 6d6 (6 to 36) quantity is generated. Weapons have a roughly 10% chance of being blessed, roughly 10% of being cursed, and roughly 10% chance of a non-zero enchantment (exponentially distributed). Pick axes, unicorn horns, grappling hooks, gems, glass, rocks, two-weapon combat, riding, bare-handed combat, and martial arts are also listed here for their weapon skills and damage, even though they are not technically weapons.

The MATL column describes the material of the weapon. This affects whether the weapon can be damaged (eroded); see the section below to find out how to repair and prevent damage.

Some character classes know the true identity of some or all weapons at the start of the game. Weapons whose identity has not yet been established will have the APPEARANCE listed.

Each character class has a limit to the amount of skill that can be obtained in each weapon class. The maximum skill level is noted under the ABCH KMPRaRoSTVW columns: - for restricted (cannot advance beyond unskilled), b for basic skill, s for skilled, E for expert, M for master, and G for grand master. Weapon skills are explained further below.

Finally, information about each weapon's ability to hit and cause damage is listed. A few weapons have an additional bonus to hit, listed in the +HIT column. The base amount of damage to small ("tiny", "small", and "medium") and large ("large", "huge", and "gigantic") monsters is given in the SDAM and LDAM fields, and is expressed in terms of die rolls. For example, 2d6 means 2 dice which can each range from 1 to 6, for a total from 2 to 12. The average amount of damage (useful for comparing weapons) against small and large monsters is given under SAVG and LAVG.

Weapon skills

"First lesson," Jon said. "Stick them with the pointy end."
-- George R.R. Martin, "A Game of Thrones"

The table of weapons above is organized by "skill classes". Continued use of a weapon gives you practice in its skill class. With enough practice in a skill class and experience levels, you may have the opportunity to advance your skill level in that skill class. This will in turn lead to an improvement in your chance to hit and the damage produced by weapons in that class.

There are specifically two requirements needed to advance a skill class: a number of successful hits by any weapon in the skill class and a number of experience levels. A hit is considered successful if it causes more than one point of damage to a monster, regardless if the weapon is wielded or thrown. The particular damage value used for this determination is described in "Calculating damage" below.

The number of HITS needed to advance to a particular SKILL LEVEL is shown in the tables above; this is cumulative from the beginning of the game (although if you start at basic level in a skill you will be pre-credited with the 20 hits needed to achieve it). For advancing riding skill, 100 turns spent moving is equivalent to one hit.

The other criterion used to advance skill levels is experience levels. Each time you gain an experience level, you earn a "skill slot" that is used up when you an advance a skill. Thus you can earn a maximum of 29 skill slots, by advancing from level 1 to level 30. If you lose an experience level, you lose the associated skill slot; if that skill slot was used to enhance a skill, you will lose the most recently earned skill and are refunded the remaining skill slots from that skill level.

The tables above also lists the number of additional EXPerience levels (skill slots) needed to advance to that skill level (note the difference between the two tables). Unlike the number of hits, this number is not cumulative. Thus, it takes 2 skill slots to advance a weapon from basic to skilled, no matter if you started with it as basic or unskilled. Note that these slots are shared with spell skills.

When you start the game, you will have basic skill for the weapons and weapon-tools in your initial inventory, have basic skill in bare-handed combat if you can advance it beyond expert, basic skill in riding if a Knight, and will be unskilled in all other weapon categories. When you reach the point when you can advance a skill category, you will see the message, "You feel more confident in your (weapon/fighting) skills." You can then advance the skill using the #enhance command (alt-e on some systems). You may choose to not advance a skill level if you want to reserve the skill slots for a different skill. After advancing a skill, if you are ready to advance another skill (possibly the same one), you will get the message "You feel you could be more dangerous!" The #enhance command can also be used at any time to check your current skill levels.

Of course, there are limits to how much you can advance a particular skill category. Each character class has different maximum levels for each skill category, as can be seen in weapons table 2 above. These differences help to distinguish the various character classes late in the game. For example, note that many of the fighter classes have skill with swords, whereas priests are restricted from edged weapons but are good with bludgeons and missiles. Note that you can usually advance your starting weapons and your Quest Artifact (if it is a weapon) to expert skill.

The term "restricted" is used to describe skill categories that are permanently unskilled. They do not appear in the #enhance menu, although you will see skills that are unskilled and can be advanced. If you receive an artifact weapon from crowning or sacrificing, and the artifact's skill category is restricted, then the restriction will be removed and you will be able to advance that skill to basic level; only hits made after the unrestriction count towards this advancement.

Note that only character classes who are unrestricted in two-weapon skill are able to use the #twoweapon command in their unpolymorphed form.

Weapon skills affect your game by adding a bonus to your chance to hit and your damage. The WEAPON +HIT and +DAM columns in the table above shows the amount of this bonus for each skill level.

If you attack a monster while not wielding any weapon, you will cause either bare-handed damage (d2) or martial arts (d4) damage. You only cause one or the other, depending on your character class. These skills can be enhanced just like weapon skills -- even to levels beyond those of weapons (master and grand master) and have their own bonuses to-hit (+HIT) and +DAMage. The martial arts bonus also applies when attacking a monster by kicking it.

Calculating the chance to hit

(Adapted from the spoiler "weapons", by Robert DeLoura and Boudewijn Waijers.)

There are four ways to attack a monster with a weapon. You can hit the monster directly by wielding the weapon and stepping into that monster's square. If no weapon is wielded, you use your bare-handed or martial arts skill. Second, you can use the throw command to throw a weapon or any other object (just type the object's inventory letter), or the fire command to throw the object currently in your quiver. Missiles (such as arrows) are fired from launchers (such as bows) by wielding the launcher and throwing the missile. Third, you can kick an object at a monster, or just kick a monster in an adjacent square. Finally, you can apply a wielded polearm (lances are, for combat purposes, considered polearms) at a monster at a distance: if your skill in that weapon is basic or worse, the monster must be exactly two squares away orthogonally; if skilled, it may also be a knight's-move away; if expert (can only apply to lances), anywhere at two moves' distance.

It is possible that you may hit with more than one weapon in a turn. If you are using two-weapon combat, then if your main weapon hits, your secondary weapon also automatically hits. When firing any arrows from any bow, bolts from a crossbow, stones from a sling, or throwing daggers, darts or shuriken, there may be a chance that several get shot in one turn. The maximum number starts at 1, and receives the following additions:

• 1 if you are skilled in the weapon.
• 2 if you are expert in the weapon.
• 1 if you are a Ranger, a Rogue throwing daggers, or a Samurai firing ya from a yumi.
• 1 if you are an elf firing elven arrows from an elven bow.
• 1 if you are an orc firing orcish arrows from an orcish bow.
• If this results in a maximum higher than the number of missiles you have, the maximum is reduced to that number.

The number actually fired on any given turn is d(maximum). This can be capped by giving a numerical prefix to the fire or throw command; doing so will only decrease, never increase the number you fire.

Your chance to hit is based on the sum of the following items. The larger the number, the better your chance to hit.

The following are added to all attacks:

• The target monster's armor class.
• Your experience level, or your hit dice if you are polymorphed.
• Your total numerical luck, which can range from -13 to +13.
• 1 if you are in elven form and are attacking an orc (any o or orcish undead).
• 2 if the target monster was asleep. It will awaken, whether you hit or miss it.
• 4 if the target monster was paralyzed. There is a 10% chance that the monster will be unfrozen.

The following are added only when attacking a monster directly, with a wielded weapon or bare-handed (melee attacks):

• 1 bonus for attacking directly.
• A bonus based on your strength (see STRENGTH +HIT in the table below).
• A bonus based on your dexterity (see DEXT +HIT in the table below).
• 1 if you are XL 1 or 2 (game-balancing beginner's luck).
• -1 if you are burdened, -3 if stressed, -5 if strained. You cannot attack in any way if you are overtaxed or overloaded.
• -3 if you are trapped.
• 2 if the target monster was stunned.
• 2 if the target monster was fleeing.
• -20 if you are a Monk wearing body armour.
• If you are a barehanded Monk not wearing body armour, 2 plus your experience level divided by three.

The following are added only when attacking by throwing, firing or kicking a weapon, or applying a polearm (long- and medium-range attacks):

• -1 penalty for attacking from a distance.
• +2 to -4, depending on your distance to the target monster.
• -2 to +5, depending on the size of the target monster.
• 2 with a heavy iron ball.
• 4 with a boomerang.
• 2 with throwing weapons (daggers, knives (except scalpels), spears, war hammers, aklys, darts, shuriken)
• -2 with non-throwing weapons.
• 6 with a boulder.
• 1 if you are an elf or Samurai wielding any bow and shooting any arrow. This bonus is 2 when an elf uses an elven bow or a Samurai uses a yumi.
• Some gloves are a hindrance if you wield any bow class. Gauntlets of power are -2, and gauntlets of fumbling are -3.
• -4 if you throw or kick a missile without wielding a matching launcher:

  LAUNCHER(S)	MISSILE(S)
  orcish bow, bow, elven bow, yumi	orcish arrow, arrow, silver arrow, elven arrow, ya
  sling	gems and stones
  crossbow	crossbow bolt

• Enchantment of the launcher you are wielding, if you threw or kicked a matching missile.
• -1 if your launcher is damaged, -2 if it is very damaged, or -3 if it is thoroughly damaged. This only applies when you kick or throw a matching missile.
• An artifact launcher +HIT bonus, if any applies.

If the target monster is being attacked with a weapon or weapon-tool -- your (primary) wielded one when attacking directly or with a polearm, or the missile if thrown or kicked -- there are additional bonuses based on that object:

• The object's enchantment.
• The object type's to-hit bonus. See +HIT in weapons table 2.
• A weapon skill +HIT bonus if not using two weapons; see WEAPON +HIT in the weapon skills table above, for the current skill level of that weapon.
• A penalty if using two weapons and/or riding while poorly skilled; see 2-WEAP +HIT and RIDING +HIT in the weapon skills table above. (For the former purpose, your skill is considered to be the lower of your actual two-weapon skill and your skill in your primary weapon.)
• An additional -2 if using two weapons while riding, regardless of skill.
• 2 for blessed weapon(-tool) against a demon or undead monster.
• 2 for weapons in spear class against X, D, J, N, or H.
• 2 for a trident against snakes or sea monsters out of water.
• 4 for a trident against any swimmer in water.
• 2 for weapons in pick-axe class against xorns and earth elementals.
• An artifact +HIT bonus, if any applies.

A die from 1 to 20 is rolled and compared to the to-hit total. If the die roll is less than the to-hit total (or equal when throwing or kicking), you hit the monster and inflict damage as described below; otherwise, you miss the monster. The die roll is also used in determining if certain "chance" artifact effects occur (e.g., beheading or Magicbane's special attacks).

There are also some special cases. If you are swallowed or engulfed by a monster, then direct or thrown attacks always succeed, although you will be unable to kick or apply polearms. Unicorns will always catch gems and glass that is thrown or kicked at them, causing no damage. Your Quest Leader will always catch your Quest Artifact, and return it to you if peaceful.

Here is the table of attribute adjustments:

Calculating damage

(Adapted from the spoiler "weapons", by Robert DeLoura and Boudewijn Waijers.)

If you hit directly without wielding anything, you inflict either bare- handed base damage (d2) or martial arts base damage (d4). No base damage occurs against shades. If the base damage is more than one point, you exercise that weapon skill. Added to this is a d4 bonus if wearing blessed gloves while fighting undead or demons, or d20 if wearing a silver ring(s) and no gloves while fighting a silver-hating monster. There is also a small chance of stunning your opponent.

Damage from weapons, weapon-tools, gems, stones, ball, or chain is the total of the following:

Hitting directly with a launcher, hitting directly with a missile, using the wrong missile with a launcher, or using a polearm at close range (unless mounted) causes only d2 damage (zero against shades) and does not exercise your weapon skill.

Damage from other objects are as follows. No weapon skills are exercised.

Additional damage can occur to all of the above attacks (even against shades):

• Your increase damage bonus (such as from rings), unless if noted above.
• The STRENGTH +DAM bonus from the attributes adjustment table above. This won't occur if you aren't allowed the increase damage bonus, or if you're firing a missile from a launcher.
• If you scored a hit that exercises a weapon skill, the +DAM bonus for that weapon skill or for two-weapon combat skill (and for riding skill if applicable, unless using two weapons). If fighting with two weapons, your skill for this purpose is considered to be the lower of your actual two-weapon skill and your skill in the single weapon scoring the hit.
• If you attack a non-poison-resistant monster with a poisoned missile, there's a 10% chance of an instant kill, else you inflict d6 more damage.

Your total damage is limited from being negative. If you are allowed an increase damage bonus, you will score at least 1 point of damage.

When you attack a monster and are polymorphed into a creature, you usually use the attacks of your polymorphed form. However, if you are in a form that can use a weapon, are wielding something, and attempt a weapon, claw, kick, bite, sting, touch, butt, or tentacle attack, then you will attack with the wielded object instead.

You may sometimes shatter your opponent's weapon if you are wielding a two-handed weapon, or are a Samurai wielding a katana with nothing in your off-hand. Your skill with your weapon must be skilled or better. The chance depends upon your weapon's erosion and the ability of your opponent's weapon to resist; it is about 2.5% under the best circumstances. This attack also causes the monster to flee for 2d3 (more) turns.

If using a lance as a melee weapon while riding, you "joust" your opponent; the monster will be stunned for a turn and thrown back a square, or two squares if dual-wielding two lances.

Some monsters fight back passively when attacked. Also, when black or brown puddings are hit directly with an iron weapon, it will be cloned after taking damage.

What's the relationship between launcher and missile modifiers?

A very brief summary (for the full details, see the above two sections) of which effects enchantments, erosions and artifact combat bonuses will have when using a launcher and missile in the correct combination:

Choosing an early weapon

Most players know that the best weapons in NetHack are artifacts (see art1-340.html and art2-340.html). However, you usually won't find a good artifact weapon until you are well into a game. Which weapons should you use until then?

The best general advice is to use the same weapon preferences that monsters use. Their choices of wielded weapons for hand-to-hand combat, from most to least preferred, are as follows:

cockatrice/chickatrice corpse, tsurugi, runesword, dwarvish mattock, two-handed sword, battle-axe, katana, unicorn horn, crysknife, trident, long sword, elven broadsword, broadsword, scimitar, silver saber, morning star, elven short sword, dwarvish short sword, short sword, orcish short sword, mace, axe, dwarvish spear, silver spear, elven spear, spear, orcish spear, flail, bullwhip, quarterstaff, javelin, aklys, club, pick-axe, rubber hose, war hammer, silver dagger, elven dagger, dagger, orcish dagger, athame, scalpel, knife, worm tooth.

If monsters can attack you from a distance with a ranged weapon or polearm, they will use them in the following order:

halberd, bardiche, spetum, bill-guisarme, voulge, ranseur, guisarme, glaive, lucern hammer, bec-de-corbin, fauchard, partisan, lance, dwarvish spear, silver spear, elven spear, spear, orcish spear, javelin, shuriken, ya, silver arrow, elven arrow, arrow, orcish arrow, crossbow bolt, silver dagger, elven dagger, dagger, orcish dagger, knife, flint stone, rock, loadstone, luckstone, dart, boomerang (not yet implemented), cream pie.

Classes that are good fighters usually start with good weapons (for example, BKRaSV), but other classes may want to switch to a different type of weapon as soon as possible. During the first few levels of the game, you can #untrap dart and arrow traps to get some ranged weapons to throw. Daggers (especially elven) are often left by monsters in the first few levels and in the mines, and have a +2 to-hit bonus. Pick-axes (good to practice skill for dwarvish mattock), unicorn horns, and quarterstaffs (from wood golems) appear somewhat later in the game and are good choices for certain classes.

Note that you will start out unskilled in weapon categories other than your starting weapons, which makes fighting with other weapons difficult until you can advance them to basic. Using petrifying corpses requires gloves and has other risks. Naturally, there are other ways to fight and defend yourself as well.

Weapon enchantment and erosion

(Adapted from the spoiler "enchant.lim" by Peter Snelling and Boudewijn Waijers.)

Your weapon's enchantment (e.g., -1, +0, +2) affects both your chance to hit monsters and the amount of damage produced. However, damage is reduced if your weapon has been eroded by rust/fire or corrosion/rotting.

Some weapons are made of materials that do not erode (see weapons table 1), but others must be specially protected to prevent erosion. This section explains how to enchant your weapon and protect it from erosion.

All of the weapons and tools listed above can only be enchanted by reading scrolls of enchant weapon. You must wield the weapon first. The effect is dependent upon the blessed status of the scroll and the weapon's enchantment before reading the scroll. A blessed scroll adds 1 or more enchantments, based on the current enchantment (see table below). An uncursed scroll adds only one enchantment. Cursed scrolls remove one enchantment; however, artifacts other than Sting or Orcrist are not affected by cursed scrolls of enchant weapon.

A blessed or uncursed scroll will further make a cursed weapon uncursed, and will convert a worm tooth into a crysknife. Cursed scrolls will convert a crysknife into a worm tooth. There is also a 2/3 chance of your weapon being destroyed if it was more than +5 (less than -5) before reading a non-cursed (cursed) scroll.

Thus, the maximum safe enchantment for a weapon is +7. This is obtained by reading uncursed or blessed scrolls until +5 is reached, and then reading a blessed scroll. If by chance this results in +6, you should bring the enchantment back down to +5 -- by engraving one letter with the weapon or by reading a cursed scroll of enchant weapon -- before trying again. Note: Engraving works only for weapons with edges, and for athames only when they are cursed. Weapons may also lose enchantments when zapped with a spell of drain life or used to hit a disenchanter, but may resists; artifacts will resist more than ordinary weapons.

The artifact Magicbane has special attack effects that decrease in frequency as the enchantment is increased. See art2-340.html for a discussion on why it works best when enchanted at +2.

A special case occurs if you are confused while reading a scroll of enchant weapon. Blessed or uncursed scrolls of enchant weapon while confused will remove any rust, fire, corrosion or rot damage and erodeproof your weapon. The weapon's current enchantment does not matter. In the special case of crysknives, they become "fixed"; unfixed crysknives have a 100% chance of reverting to a worm tooth when they no longer held by you or a monster, fixed only 10%.

Reading a cursed scroll of enchant weapon while confused removes any erodeproofing but will not otherwise damage your weapon. You can also choose a weapon that doesn't damage (such as one made of silver), temporarily protect your weapon by applying a layer of grease from a can of grease, or #dip a damaged metallic weapon into a non-cursed potion of oil to remove one level of each type of damage.

Acknowledgements

Corrections and clarifications provided by Aaron Bell, Mark Bever, Kieron Dunbar, David Grabiner, Troy Holly, Ivan, nyra, Pat Rankin, David Richerby, and Shaman.

Up to the 3.4.0 Page