Difference between revisions of "Flail"

From NetHackWiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search
(Added section on generation and edited origin section)
(Encyclopedia entry: breaks, add evil entry)
 
(16 intermediate revisions by 4 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
 +
{{languages}}
 
{{weapon
 
{{weapon
 
   |color=metal color
 
   |color=metal color
Line 9: Line 10:
 
   |material=iron
 
   |material=iron
 
}}
 
}}
A '''flail''' is a kind of [[weapon]]. A [[samurai]] will know it as a '''nunchaku'''
+
A '''flail''' is a type of [[weapon]] that appears in ''[[NetHack]]''. For [[Samurai]], the flail will appear as a '''nunchaku'''.
A flail does decent damage and is relatively light, but the lack of any [[artifact]] flails makes it fairly worthless to invest [[skill]] points in. [[Priest]]s are perhaps the only [[role]] that would benefit from training in flail.
 
  
== Flail skill ==
+
==Generation==
 +
Flails make up about {{frac|25}} of weapons randomly generated on the floor, as [[death drop]]s or in [[shop]]s.
 +
 
 +
[[Yeenoghu]] is [[Monster starting inventory|always generated with]] a flail, and [[sergeant]]s in the [[Yendorian army]] are generated with either a flail or a [[mace]].{{refsrc|src/makemon.c|200|version=NetHack 3.6.7}}{{refsrc|src/makemon.c|503|version=NetHack 3.6.7}}
 +
 
 +
==Flail skill==
 
{{flail skill table}}
 
{{flail skill table}}
Flails and [[grappling hook]]s use the flail skill. There are no [[artifact weapon|artifact]] flails.
+
Flails and [[grappling hook]]s use the flail skill. There are no [[artifact weapon]]s that use the flail skill.
 +
 
 +
Your skill level in flails determines how far you can reach with an [[applied]] grappling hook.
  
Your skill in flails determines how far you can reach with an applied grappling hook.
+
==Strategy==
 +
A flail does decent damage and is relatively light, but is not particularly remarkable. Flails can be of use to certain roles such as [[Cavemen]] and [[Priest]]s.
  
== Generation ==
+
==History==
Flails make up about 4% of randomly generated weapons (on the floor, as [[death drop]]s, or in [[shop]]s).
+
The flail has been present in the game since [[hack121]], a port of [[Jay Fenlason's Hack]].
  
[[Sergeant]]s in the [[Yendorian army]] have a 50% chance of getting a flail.{{refsrc|src/makemon.c|202|version=NetHack 3.6.0}}
+
==Origin==
 +
{{wikipedia|Flail (weapon)}}
 +
{{wikipedia|Nunchaku}}
 +
A flail is a weapon with a striking "head" attached to a handle by a flexible rope, strap, or chain; there are two primary types, though the word has been used somewhat loosely to describe any similarly-structured blunt weapon. Flails were generally employed to strike around a defender's shield or parry, but were imprecise and difficult to use in close combat or closely-ranked formations.
  
[[Yeenoghu]] wields a flail.{{refsrc|src/makemon.c|454|version=NetHack 3.6.0}}
+
Cylindrical-headed flails are two-handed weapons adapted from European agricultural tools used to remove the husks from grain by beating; they were considered a peasant's weapon, commonly used by infantry. One-handed "military" flails - sometimes called a "mace-and-chain" - had spiked metal heads on chains and appeared in late medieval art; however, the scarcity of artifacts suggests they were very rarely used, and varieties with long chains and short handles in particular would have been hazards to their wielder. Regardless, the latter are usually the depiction of choice for fantasy media such as ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'' (which ''NetHack'' takes the flail's traits and hit dice from).
  
== Origin ==
+
The ''nunchaku'' (sometimes known as "nunchuks" in English) is an Asian weapon consisting of two usually-wooden six-inch sticks connected at their ends by a 1-inch metal chain or a rope, and was popularized by martial artists Bruce Lee and Dan Inosanto. Nunchaku are traditionally held to have also been adapted from short flails originally employed in threshing rice, as were similar weapons such as the the three-section staff. The nunchaku is most widely used in martial arts such as Okinawan kobudō and karate - it is intended for training, since practicing with it enables the development of quick hand movements and improves posture. Modern nunchaku may be made of metal, plastic or fiberglass instead of the traditional wood; while toys and replicas may be made of polystyrene foam or plastic.
{{wikipedia|Flail (weapon)}}
+
 
The word flail has been used somewhat loosely to describe any blunt weapon with one or more heads that are flexibly attached to a handle by a chain, rope, hinge, et cetera. While it may seem jarring to players familiar with [[Dungeons & Dragons]] weaponry to group nunchaku with the spherical-headed flails seen in media, the term has historically been used for both cylindrical- and spherical-headed weapons.
+
==Variants==
 +
In some variants that integrate the [[Convict]] Patch, a wielded [[heavy iron ball]] functions as a [[melee]] weapon that uses the flail skill and may even train it when swung.
 +
 
 +
===dNetHack===
 +
In [[dNetHack]], [[player monster]] [[Convict (player monster)|convicts]] have a {{frac|3|4}} chance of generating with a flail as their weapon.
 +
 
 +
dNetHack also adds several artifact flails:
 +
 
 +
* Quicksilver is an unaligned [[silver]] flail that grants +1d4 to hit and +1d8 damage, and grants an extra attack at [[experience level]] 16 (made with a -15 to-hit penalty); it can be [[invoked]] to toggle extrinsic [[speed]], as with [[speed boots]].
 +
* [[The Tentacle Rod]] is a [[Drow (starting race)|drow]]-favoring intelligent flail that grants +1d7 to-hit and +1 to damage, and is the primary [[quest artifact]] for renegade drow Priests, Rangers, Rogues, and [[Wizard]]s. It only receives half the normal damage bonus from strength, and receives no damage bonus from your skill or its enhancement; however, to-hit bonuses are applied as normal, and it has various effects when wielded or used to attack.
 +
* The Three-Headed Flail is a chaotic and intelligent large flail wielded by [[Yeenoghu]]; if it hits a target, it makes two bonus attacks that each deal the standard weapon damage, and will [[confuse]] and [[stun]] the target if both of them land.
 +
* The Sting of the Poison Queen is a chaotic and intelligent large flail wielded by [[Shaktari]]; it grants +1d4 to-hit and +1d12 damage, is permanently [[poison]]ed, and grants [[magic resistance]] when wielded.
 +
 
 +
===SpliceHack===
 +
In [[SpliceHack]], two flails can be combined at a [[furnace]] to create a [[triple flail]].
  
Cylindrical-headed flails were two-handed weapons adapted from agricultural tools (used to remove the husks from grain by beating) and commonly used by infantry (perhaps including farmers who had to supply their own weapons).  Compare the origins of many [[polearms]].  The Japanese nunchaku possibly had a similar origin.  
+
===EvilHack===
 +
[[EvilHack]] includes the Convict role and gives iron balls the flail skill. EvilHack also adds the [[triple-headed flail]], a two-handed weapon which serves as the base item for the artifact flail [[Butcher]]; Butcher is Yeenoghu's trademark flail, and he will always generate with it.
  
One-handed flails with spiked metal heads on chains (sometimes called a "[[mace]]-and-chain"), as seen in fantasy media, appeared in late medieval art, but it is unclear how common they actually were as weapons.  The chain would have made the head(s) difficult to control, but might have allowed the wielder to hit targets behind shields.
+
[[Gnoll]]s have a {{frac|2}} chance of generating with a flail.
  
== Variants ==
+
A flail can be created at a [[Forge (dungeon feature)|forge]] by combining a mace and a [[morning star]]; a flail and a mace can be combined to create a [[war hammer]], and a flail and a [[club]] can be combined to create an [[aklys]].
In the [[Convict|Convict Patch]] and [[variant]]s that include the Convict role, a wielded [[Punishment|heavy iron ball]] functions as a [[melee]] weapon that uses the flail skill.  In some versions of the role, using the ball in combat even trains the skill.
 
  
== See also ==
+
==See also==
 +
* [[Morning star]]
  
*[[Morning star]]
+
==Encyclopedia entry==
 +
===Nunchaku===
 +
{{encyclopedia|
 +
A nunchaku is two sections of wood (or metal in modern
 +
incarnations) connected by a cord or chain.  There is much
 +
controversy over its origins; some say it was originally a
 +
Chinese weapon, others say it evolved from a threshing flail;
 +
one theory purports that it was developed from a horse's bit.
 +
Chinese nunchaku tend to be rounded, whereas Japanese are
 +
octagonal, and they were originally linked by horse hair.
 +
There are many variations on the nunchaku, ranging from the
 +
three sectional staff (san-setsu-kon nunchaku), to smaller
 +
multi-section nunchaku.  The nunchaku was popularized by
 +
Bruce Lee in a number of films, made in both Hollywood and
 +
Hong Kong.
 +
|[ Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ]
 +
}}
 +
===EvilHack===
 +
{{encyclopedia|
 +
When you are swinging a spiky ball on a chain, the only
 +
realistic option is to keep moving.  Standing still is an
 +
interesting but brief demonstration of a spiral in action.
 +
|[ Men at Arms, by Terry Pratchett ]
 +
}}
  
== References ==
+
==References==
 
<references/>
 
<references/>
 
+
{{nethack-366}}
 
[[Category:Weapons]]
 
[[Category:Weapons]]
{{nethack-360}}
 

Latest revision as of 01:35, 4 May 2024

) Flail.png
Name flail
Appearance flail
Damage vs. small 1d6+1
Damage vs. large 2d4
To-hit bonus +0
Weapon skill flail
Size one-handed
Base price 4 zm
(+10/positive
enchant)
Weight 15
Material iron

A flail is a type of weapon that appears in NetHack. For Samurai, the flail will appear as a nunchaku.

Generation

Flails make up about 125 of weapons randomly generated on the floor, as death drops or in shops.

Yeenoghu is always generated with a flail, and sergeants in the Yendorian army are generated with either a flail or a mace.[1][2]

Flail skill

Flail
Max Role
Basic
Skilled
Expert

Flails and grappling hooks use the flail skill. There are no artifact weapons that use the flail skill.

Your skill level in flails determines how far you can reach with an applied grappling hook.

Strategy

A flail does decent damage and is relatively light, but is not particularly remarkable. Flails can be of use to certain roles such as Cavemen and Priests.

History

The flail has been present in the game since hack121, a port of Jay Fenlason's Hack.

Origin

A flail is a weapon with a striking "head" attached to a handle by a flexible rope, strap, or chain; there are two primary types, though the word has been used somewhat loosely to describe any similarly-structured blunt weapon. Flails were generally employed to strike around a defender's shield or parry, but were imprecise and difficult to use in close combat or closely-ranked formations.

Cylindrical-headed flails are two-handed weapons adapted from European agricultural tools used to remove the husks from grain by beating; they were considered a peasant's weapon, commonly used by infantry. One-handed "military" flails - sometimes called a "mace-and-chain" - had spiked metal heads on chains and appeared in late medieval art; however, the scarcity of artifacts suggests they were very rarely used, and varieties with long chains and short handles in particular would have been hazards to their wielder. Regardless, the latter are usually the depiction of choice for fantasy media such as Dungeons & Dragons (which NetHack takes the flail's traits and hit dice from).

The nunchaku (sometimes known as "nunchuks" in English) is an Asian weapon consisting of two usually-wooden six-inch sticks connected at their ends by a 1-inch metal chain or a rope, and was popularized by martial artists Bruce Lee and Dan Inosanto. Nunchaku are traditionally held to have also been adapted from short flails originally employed in threshing rice, as were similar weapons such as the the three-section staff. The nunchaku is most widely used in martial arts such as Okinawan kobudō and karate - it is intended for training, since practicing with it enables the development of quick hand movements and improves posture. Modern nunchaku may be made of metal, plastic or fiberglass instead of the traditional wood; while toys and replicas may be made of polystyrene foam or plastic.

Variants

In some variants that integrate the Convict Patch, a wielded heavy iron ball functions as a melee weapon that uses the flail skill and may even train it when swung.

dNetHack

In dNetHack, player monster convicts have a 34 chance of generating with a flail as their weapon.

dNetHack also adds several artifact flails:

  • Quicksilver is an unaligned silver flail that grants +1d4 to hit and +1d8 damage, and grants an extra attack at experience level 16 (made with a -15 to-hit penalty); it can be invoked to toggle extrinsic speed, as with speed boots.
  • The Tentacle Rod is a drow-favoring intelligent flail that grants +1d7 to-hit and +1 to damage, and is the primary quest artifact for renegade drow Priests, Rangers, Rogues, and Wizards. It only receives half the normal damage bonus from strength, and receives no damage bonus from your skill or its enhancement; however, to-hit bonuses are applied as normal, and it has various effects when wielded or used to attack.
  • The Three-Headed Flail is a chaotic and intelligent large flail wielded by Yeenoghu; if it hits a target, it makes two bonus attacks that each deal the standard weapon damage, and will confuse and stun the target if both of them land.
  • The Sting of the Poison Queen is a chaotic and intelligent large flail wielded by Shaktari; it grants +1d4 to-hit and +1d12 damage, is permanently poisoned, and grants magic resistance when wielded.

SpliceHack

In SpliceHack, two flails can be combined at a furnace to create a triple flail.

EvilHack

EvilHack includes the Convict role and gives iron balls the flail skill. EvilHack also adds the triple-headed flail, a two-handed weapon which serves as the base item for the artifact flail Butcher; Butcher is Yeenoghu's trademark flail, and he will always generate with it.

Gnolls have a 12 chance of generating with a flail.

A flail can be created at a forge by combining a mace and a morning star; a flail and a mace can be combined to create a war hammer, and a flail and a club can be combined to create an aklys.

See also

Encyclopedia entry

Nunchaku

A nunchaku is two sections of wood (or metal in modern
incarnations) connected by a cord or chain. There is much
controversy over its origins; some say it was originally a
Chinese weapon, others say it evolved from a threshing flail;
one theory purports that it was developed from a horse's bit.
Chinese nunchaku tend to be rounded, whereas Japanese are
octagonal, and they were originally linked by horse hair.
There are many variations on the nunchaku, ranging from the
three sectional staff (san-setsu-kon nunchaku), to smaller
multi-section nunchaku. The nunchaku was popularized by
Bruce Lee in a number of films, made in both Hollywood and
Hong Kong.

[ Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ]

EvilHack

When you are swinging a spiky ball on a chain, the only
realistic option is to keep moving. Standing still is an
interesting but brief demonstration of a spiral in action.

[ Men at Arms, by Terry Pratchett ]

References