Difference between revisions of "Pick-axe"

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{{weapon|name=pick-axe|glyph=(|tile=[[image:pick-axe.png]]|smalldmg=1d6|largedmg=1d3|skill=pick-axe|cost=50|weight=100|material=iron}}
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{{languages}}
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{{weapon
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  |name=pick-axe
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  |glyph=(
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  |tile=[[image:pick-axe.png]]
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  |smalldmg=1d6
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  |largedmg=1d3
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  |skill=pick-axe
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  |cost=50
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  |weight=100
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  |material=iron}}
  
A '''pick-axe''' is a very useful [[tool]] that can be used as a [[weapon]].  A similar item is the [[dwarvish mattock]].
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A '''pick-axe''' is a type of [[tool]] that appears in ''[[NetHack]]''. It is a tool designed for [[digging]] that can also be used as a [[weapon]], and is made of [[iron]].
  
The pick-axe is classified as a tool in the [[inventory]], while the dwarvish mattock is classified as a weapon.
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[[Eating]] a non-blessed [[tin]] while wielding a pick-axe will use the weapon to open it in six turns at most.{{refsrc|src/eat.c|1497|version=NetHack 3.6.7}}
  
==Digging==
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==Generation==
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Pick-axes make up about 0.5% of randomly generated tools (on the floor, as [[death drop]]s and in [[shop]]s). With the exception of [[bones]] files, they always generate [[uncursed]].
 +
 
 +
All [[Archeologist]]s start the game with a +0 pick-axe.{{refsrc|src/u_init.c|35|version=NetHack 3.6.7}}
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Live [[Dwarf (monster attribute)|dwarves]] have a {{frac|4}} chance of [[monster starting inventory|being generated with]] a pick-axe.{{refsrc|src/makemon.c|384|version=NetHack 3.6.7|comment=a pick-axe is given {{frac|3}} of {{frac|3|4}} of the time, and a mattock is given {{frac|2}} of {{frac|4}} of the time}} [[Elvenking]]s have a {{frac|2|3}} chance of generating with a pick-axe, and the guaranteed Elvenking on the [[Plane of Earth]] will always generate with one.{{refsrc|src/makemon.c|254|version=NetHack 3.6.7}}
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==Pick-axe skill==
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{{pick-axe skill table}}
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The pick-axe and the [[dwarvish mattock]] use the '''pick-axe''' [[skill]]. The mattock is considered a [[weapon-tool]] and primarily classified as a weapon.
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Attacking with a pick-axe weapon gives a +2 to-hit bonus against [[xorn]]s.
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==Description==
 
{{main|Digging}}
 
{{main|Digging}}
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You can [[apply]] a pick-axe to tunnel through [[solid rock]] [[wall]]s or the [[floor]], dig through [[doors]] and smash [[boulder]]s and [[statue]]s. If you apply it upward, a [[rock]] will fall from the ceiling and bonk you on the head; if you apply it downward, you will dig a [[pit]] in the ground, and digging down while in a pit will create a hole. If you have the ''autodig'' [[option]] enabled and are currently wielding a pick-axe, you can dig into walls or the ground by simply walking into them (or pressing {{kbd|>}}); this does not work for boulders, statues, or doors. You can dig faster by [[Enchantment|enchanting]] the pick-axe, playing as a [[Dwarf (starting race)|dwarf]] and/or using [[Digging#Digging speed|other available methods]] - somewhat unusually, your skill level in pick-axe has no bearing on your digging speed.
 +
 +
Applying a pick-axe down onto a [[sink]] will turn it into a [[fountain]].
 +
 +
If digging using a pick-axe on the Plane of Earth, there is a {{frac|3}} chance of creating either an [[earth elemental]] or [[xorn]] on each adjacent square.{{refsrc|src/dig.c|444|version=NetHack 3.6.7}} Digging through the Plane of Earth with a non-blessed pick-axe has an independent {{frac|6}} chance of causing a 3x3 area around you to cave in, which is increased to {{frac|4}} for a cursed pick - conversely, a blessed has a {{frac|3}} chance of immediately clearing the same area of rock around you.
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 +
Certain [[tunnel]]ing monsters such as dwarves can dig through a level if they have a pick-axe on hand.
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===Shopkeepers and pick-axes===
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[[Shopkeeper]]s will attempt to block off the entrance of their [[shop]]s if you have a pick-axe in your inventory. Trying to throw a pick-axe in past the shopkeeper will cause them to swiftly catch it and keep it in their inventory. Pulling out a pick-axe from a container you are carrying while already in the shop will cause the shopkeeper to yell at you; there is no other effect, however, and you can continue to shop as normal.
 +
 +
Digging a pit in the floor will have them warn you about falling through; digging a hole while in a pit may cause adjacent items to fall through with you, and the shopkeeper will run to try and grab your pack if this occurs and/or you still have unpaid items in your inventory. Attempting to dig through a shop wall or door will print a message and cause you to abort the attempt, though by constantly resuming you will eventually succeed and potentially anger the shopkeeper.{{refsrc|src/dig.c|475|version=NetHack 3.6.7|comment=This code is called after the digging energy has been applied to the door or wall}}{{refsrc|src/dig.c|407|version=NetHack 3.6.7|comment=This code is called if enough digging energy has been applied to break the wall; notably, it comes before the previously referenced line that aborts the attempt}}
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 +
===Pick-axes and the watch===
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[[Watchmen]] do not appreciate you digging up the level on their watch, and will warn you if they see you trying to dig through doors or walls with a pick-axe. Continuing immediately after being warned will cause the watch to become hostile.
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 +
==Strategy==
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Pick-axes are generally the long-term digging tool of choice after a wand of digging. One of the more common early uses for a pick-axe is finding and looting [[vault]]s for gold to use in shops and/or at [[temple]]s. You may also unearth [[gem]]s and [[gold]] embedded in the walls - while finding vaults will suffice most times, searching for random gold and gems with the aid of [[object detection]] (usually via a [[potion of object detection|potion]]) is a viable option for those attempting a [[protection racket]], particularly Archeologists.
 +
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Another general use is to cut a cleaner and/or shorter path between staircases on a dungeon level, as well as smashing boulders blocking your path; this is particularly worthwhile with [[Gehennom]] [[maze]]s, especially for navigating your way through later on during the [[ascension run]]. A pick-axe can be used to break stuck and/or obstructive boulders in [[Sokoban]] - note that breaking boulders here causes a -1 [[Luck]] penalty, unless you are on a level you have already solved. Still another use is to break statues and get at [[Statue#Statue contents|their potential contents]]. Smashed boulders and statues will also crumble into [[rock]]s, which you can [[throw]] or [[sling]] as projectiles or turn into meatballs via [[stone to flesh]].
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Pick-axes are fairly heavy at 100 [[aum]], which can prove inconvenient - especially if you start with a low carry cap due to weak [[strength]] and/or [[constitution]]. A non-cursed [[bag of holding]] makes them far more tolerable to keep with you long-term; the wand of digging and wand of striking may be preferred over a pick-axe in certain instances, such as digging through non-Gehennom mazes, though they have limited charges.
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===As a weapon===
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Pick-axes generally have low damage output and are usually not sought out as a primary weapon by most characters. Archaeologists start with a pick-axe and Basic skill, and can use their pick-axe effectively against [[thick-skinned]] monsters such as [[mimic]]s that their otherwise-better +2 [[bullwhip]] cannot damage.
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Unlike attacking with a non-weapon tool such as a [[magic lamp]], attacking monsters with a pick-axe does not produce a "You begin bashing monsters with your..." warning message. If monsters seem to be taking longer than expected to die after digging, check to make sure you remembered to un-wield your pick-axe and or re-wield your primary weapon.
  
A pick-axe can be (a)pplied to [[digging|dig]] into [[wall]]s or through the [[floor]], or to smash [[doors]], [[boulder]]s and [[statue]]s. If you apply it upward, a [[rock]] will fall from the ceiling and bonk you on the head. If you have the ''autodig'' [[option]] enabled and are currently wielding a pick-axe or mattock, you can dig into walls or the ground by simply walking into them (or pressing >). This does not work for boulders, statues, or doors.
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===Finding a pick-axe===
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Pick-axes are fairly common within the dungeon despite their low generation rate - as dwarves are [[tunneling monster]]s and very common in the [[Gnomish Mines]], you will usually hear them digging before you see them. Dwarven players, [[Gnome (starting race)|gnomish]] players and lawful-aligned characters unwilling to risk [[alignment record|early alignment penalties]] can have a [[pet]] attack a peaceful dwarf and kill them to obtain one. Other alignments and races instead must contend with fighting off dwarves digging towards their positions, as their digging can disrupt use of chokepoints; pets are still more than useful in this scenario, though dwarves are somewhat tougher for them to kill.
  
==Pick-axe skill==
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===Shopping with pick-axes===
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If you have a pick-axe and want to enter a shop, you can drop it at the entrance to the shop (not counting the doorway), place it into a [[container]], or try to force your way in by moving behind another [[monster]]. Once inside, shopkeepers do not mind you have a pick-axe out, as long as you do not dig through their walls - additionally, if you dig a hole in the floor, objects on that square and adjacent squares can fall through, which counts as [[shoplifting]] and will anger the shopkeeper.
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Pick-axes can be used to [[Stealing from shops|steal from shops]] by picking up all of the shop's merchandise and digging out of the shop, then through the floor - this will only work if the shop is big enough for you to get enough distance from the shopkeeper, and you may need to place additional obstructions between you and them (e.g., a [[scroll of earth]]); a [[wand of digging]] may be more ideal. You can also dig straight through the floor, but obstructing the shopkeeper is far more necessary, or they will otherwise steal every non-worn and non-wielded item in your inventory as you fall. Stealing will naturally anger the shopkeeper, and [[Keystone Kop (monster class)|Keystone Kops]] will begin to generate when you return to that dungeon level, so plan accordingly.
  
{{pick-axe skill table}}
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===Conduct===
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Players who are aiming for the [[weaponless]] [[conduct]] must be very careful when using pick-axes: bumping into a monster while digging or forgetting to unwield the pickaxe before (re-)entering combat will break the conduct. This is so easy to do that some players recommend not using a pick-axe at all if attempting the conduct.
  
In the #enhance screen, the pick-axe [[skill]] applies to both the pick-axe and the two-handed [[dwarvish mattock]] (unidentified appearance of which is "broad pick"). There are no artifact pick-axes.
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===Digging for victory===
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{{main|Digging for victory}}
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Finding a pick-axe is one of the primary goals in attempts to "dig for victory". Of note is that the [[mountain centaur]] is the fastest form that can wield weapons and thus operate a pick-axe, making it a goal for characters that manage to find a source of [[polymorph]] and [[polymorph control]] along their route.
  
== Generation ==
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==History==
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The pick-axe first appears in [[Hack 1.0.2]].
  
[[dwarf|Dwarves]] are often generated with pick-axes (or dwarvish mattocks) in their inventory.  The probability is about 33% for a pick-axe and 12.5% for a mattock.{{refsrc|src/makemon.c|336|version=NetHack 3.6.0}}  A dwarf with a pick-axe will automatically [[Digging|dig]] through the walls of its [[dungeon level]] and will pick up any gems it happens across.  If you spend a lot of time on this level, the dwarf will eventually tear up a good portion of it.
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Pick-axes are subject to [[Bugs in NetHack 3.4.3|a few bugs]] in [[NetHack 3.4.3]], a couple of which are listed here:
  
Killing dwarves is an easy way to find a pick-axe. (If your character is dwarven, make sure not to [[Cannibalism|eat]] or [[sacrifice]] their corpses!)  Players often head towards the [[Gnomish mines]], where many dwarves are auto-generated, with the specific purpose of obtaining a pick-axe. Like most tools, pick-axes are always generated [[uncursed]], so it is safe to wield one that you find as long as you are not on a bones level. (This does not extend to mattocks, which are considered weapons and not tools.)
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* The shopkeeper does not charge the hero for an unsold boulder that is destroyed with a pick-axe. This is bug C343-396, and is fixed as of September 2009.
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* A badly formed message may be produced if a monster removes a boulder while a pick-axe is being applied to that boulder. This iss bug C343-397, and is fixed as of September 2009 via [https://sourceforge.net/p/nethack/NetHack/ci/e450ca626d91b6fb56048e2ca8cb5e358d938587 commit e450ca].
  
In addition, the guaranteed [[Elvenking]] on the [[Plane of Earth]] has a 66% chance of carrying a pick-axe.{{refsrc|src/makemon.c|257|version=NetHack 3.6.0}}
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==Messages==
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{{message|The debris from your digging comes to life!|Earth elementals and/or xorns were generated from digging using a pick-axe or dwarvish mattock.}}
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{{message|A mysterious force <creates a/extends the> cave around you!|An opening was created by digging with a blessed pick.}}
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{{message|Crash! The ceiling collapses around you!|Walls were generated from digging with a non-blessed pick.}}
  
[[Archeologist]]s start with a [[Enchantment|+0]] pick-axe.{{refsrc|src/u_init.c|34|version=NetHack 3.6.0}}
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==Variants==
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Some variants lower the weight of pick-axes, while others ensure that player dwarves can attain skill in pick-axe.
  
Pick-axes are also found as randomly generated tools (on the floor, as [[death drop]]s and in [[shop]]s).  They make up about 0.5% of such items.
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===SLASH'EM===
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In [[SLASH'EM]], pick-axes have their weight lowered to 75 [[aum]]. The [[Necromancer]] role starts the game with a +0 pick-axe as their alternate weapon.
  
== Strategy ==
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[[Upgrading]] a pick-axe will produce a dwarvish mattock, and vice versa. This results in a [[Bug Hall of Fame|ludicrously game-breaking]] [[bug]]: You can enchant a weapon to +127 by polymorphing it into a dwarvish mattock, upgrading it to a pick-axe, then further polymorphing it into a [[tinning kit]] or an [[expensive camera]], charging that tool until it has 127 charges, and finally waiting for it to revert. A +127 [[long sword]] can be turned into a super-powerful [[Excalibur]], while a +127 [[bow]] or other [[launcher]] can fire 40 or more [[projectile]]s at once.
  
Pick-axes (and mattocks) have many uses that make them valuable tools to carry around:
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A pick-axe is always generated in the [[mine king level]]. This is intended to prevent the player being trapped if they entered the level from the Gnome King's Wine Cellar variant of [[Mines' End]] - this can occur if a character is [[level teleport]]ed or else falls through a hole or [[trap door]] and lands in the gem cache. It may also double as a homage to SLASH'EM predecessor variant [[SLASH 6]]: the [[Gnome (role)|Gnome]] role's [[quest artifact]] was a pick-axe called [[The Pick of Flandal Steelskin]], and the mine king level is based on the [[Gnome quest]] home level.
  
* You can smash boulders. This is useful if they are in your way, or if you want to create some [[rock]]s to throw or sling. (Breaking boulders in [[Sokoban]] causes a -1 [[Luck]] penalty, unless you are on a level you have already solved in version [[NetHack 3.6.0|3.6.0]].)
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===UnNetHack===
* You can smash [[statues]] to find the [[Statue#Statue contents|spellbooks that might be inside]].
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[[UnNetHack]] adds the [[crystal pick]] as a tool that uses the pick-axe skill and can be used to dig through [[crystal ice wall]]s.
* You can search for [[vault]]s and loot them.
 
* If a particular dungeon level has a very long or circuitous path between staircases, you can cut a shorter path to ease your future travels through the level. This is particularly useful in [[maze]] levels in [[Gehennom]].
 
* Most [[dungeon level|level]]s have [[gem]]s and gold embedded in the walls, and you can mine for them. This is generally a waste of time, but it might be useful if you're an [[archeologist]] attempting the [[protection racket]].
 
* You can [[shoplifting|steal from a shop]] with the help of a pick-axe: Pick up all the shop's merchandise, then escape from the shop by digging downward through the floor. Be cautious when using this technique, however, as shopkeepers are capable of stealing everything you are not wearing or wielding as you fall through the floor. (You can help to prevent this by digging a series of pits around the shopkeeper to prevent him from reaching you.) This will also result in an angry [[shopkeeper]] and a horde of [[Keystone Kop]]s on the level of the shop, so be careful when you come back through.  Shopkeepers will preempt this theft by blocking you from entering their shop with a pick-axe or mattock in your main inventory, although you may still sneak it inside in a [[container]] or throw it through the door diagonally.
 
  
The main issue with pick-axes is that they are quite heavy (100 units, or 1/10 of [[encumbrance#Carrying capacity|maximum carrying capacity]]); players at the beginning of the game may not be able to carry one in addition to their other items and remain unburdened. This problem is reduced somewhat once you have a [[bag of holding]], although players who are digging frequently (for instance, to move around in mazes in [[Gehennom]] more easily) will probably not want to put their pick-axe in a bag and necessitate removing it every few turns. If you choose not to carry a pick-axe, [[wand of digging|wands of digging]] and [[wand of striking|wands of striking]] together will accomplish everything a pick-axe does, although they have limited charges, which makes some uses like mining impractical.
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===dNetHack===
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[[dNetHack]] and [[notdNetHack]] lower the pick-axe's weight to 80 aum, and add the [[Hook (dNetHack)|hook]] as a weapon that uses the pick-axe skill.
  
It is possible to increase the speed at which you dig with a pick-axe by [[Digging#Digging speed|various means]].
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[[Spirits (dNetHack)#Fafnir, Jotunn Dragon|Fafnir]] is a spirit that grants skill in pick-axes while bound.
  
=== Conduct ===
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There are two artifacts that use the pick-axe skill:
  
Players who are aiming for the [[weaponless]] [[conduct]] must be very careful when using pick-axes: bumping into a monster while digging or forgetting to unwield the pickaxe before fighting again will break the conduct. This is so easy to do that some players recommend not using a pick-axe at all if attempting weaponless.
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* [[The Rogue Gear-spirits]], an artifact [[crossbow]] that acts as a double damage pick-axe when used as a melee weapon, and can also be used to dig like one.
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* [[dNetHack artifacts#Slave to Armok|Slave to Armok]], an artifact dwarvish mattock.
  
=== Shops ===
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===xNetHack===
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In [[xNetHack]], dwarven characters can always reach a minimum of skilled in pick-axes.
  
Shopkeepers will not allow you into their shops if you have a pick-axe in your inventory. You can either drop it at the entrance to the shop (the doorway will not work) or place it into a container.
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===SpliceHack===
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In [[SpliceHack]], a pick-axe can be combined with an [[axe]] at a [[furnace]] to create a dwarvish mattock.
  
==SLASH'EM==
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===EvilHack===
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In [[EvilHack]], a pick-axe can be combined with a [[dwarvish short sword]] at a [[Forge (dungeon feature)|forge]] to create a dwarvish mattock.
  
In [[SLASH'EM]], pick-axes weigh just 75 units.
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===SlashTHEM===
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In [[SlashTHEM]], in addition to SLASH'EM details, the [[Undertaker]] role starts each game with a pick-axe as their alternate weapon. Dwarven characters can reach a minimum of Skilled in pick-axes.
  
 
==Encyclopedia==
 
==Encyclopedia==
Line 61: Line 128:
 
There, there is gold everywhere.
 
There, there is gold everywhere.
 
|[ Divan-i Kebir Meter 2, by Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi ]}}
 
|[ Divan-i Kebir Meter 2, by Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi ]}}
 
==See also==
 
* [[Crystal pick]] - a new tool that uses the pick-axe skill in [[UnNetHack]]
 
  
 
==References==
 
==References==
 
<references/>
 
<references/>
 
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{{nethack-367}}
 
[[Category:Tools]]
 
[[Category:Tools]]
 
[[Category:Weapons]]
 
[[Category:Weapons]]
{{nethack-360}}
 

Latest revision as of 22:23, 24 April 2024

( Pick-axe.png
Name pick-axe
Appearance pick-axe
Damage vs. small 1d6
Damage vs. large 1d3
To-hit bonus +0
Weapon skill pick-axe
Size one-handed
Base price 50 zm
(+10/positive
enchant)
Weight 100
Material iron

A pick-axe is a type of tool that appears in NetHack. It is a tool designed for digging that can also be used as a weapon, and is made of iron.

Eating a non-blessed tin while wielding a pick-axe will use the weapon to open it in six turns at most.[1]

Generation

Pick-axes make up about 0.5% of randomly generated tools (on the floor, as death drops and in shops). With the exception of bones files, they always generate uncursed.

All Archeologists start the game with a +0 pick-axe.[2]

Live dwarves have a 14 chance of being generated with a pick-axe.[3] Elvenkings have a 23 chance of generating with a pick-axe, and the guaranteed Elvenking on the Plane of Earth will always generate with one.[4]

Pick-axe skill

Pick-axe
Max Role
Basic
Skilled
Expert

The pick-axe and the dwarvish mattock use the pick-axe skill. The mattock is considered a weapon-tool and primarily classified as a weapon.

Attacking with a pick-axe weapon gives a +2 to-hit bonus against xorns.

Description

Main article: Digging

You can apply a pick-axe to tunnel through solid rock walls or the floor, dig through doors and smash boulders and statues. If you apply it upward, a rock will fall from the ceiling and bonk you on the head; if you apply it downward, you will dig a pit in the ground, and digging down while in a pit will create a hole. If you have the autodig option enabled and are currently wielding a pick-axe, you can dig into walls or the ground by simply walking into them (or pressing >); this does not work for boulders, statues, or doors. You can dig faster by enchanting the pick-axe, playing as a dwarf and/or using other available methods - somewhat unusually, your skill level in pick-axe has no bearing on your digging speed.

Applying a pick-axe down onto a sink will turn it into a fountain.

If digging using a pick-axe on the Plane of Earth, there is a 13 chance of creating either an earth elemental or xorn on each adjacent square.[5] Digging through the Plane of Earth with a non-blessed pick-axe has an independent 16 chance of causing a 3x3 area around you to cave in, which is increased to 14 for a cursed pick - conversely, a blessed has a 13 chance of immediately clearing the same area of rock around you.

Certain tunneling monsters such as dwarves can dig through a level if they have a pick-axe on hand.

Shopkeepers and pick-axes

Shopkeepers will attempt to block off the entrance of their shops if you have a pick-axe in your inventory. Trying to throw a pick-axe in past the shopkeeper will cause them to swiftly catch it and keep it in their inventory. Pulling out a pick-axe from a container you are carrying while already in the shop will cause the shopkeeper to yell at you; there is no other effect, however, and you can continue to shop as normal.

Digging a pit in the floor will have them warn you about falling through; digging a hole while in a pit may cause adjacent items to fall through with you, and the shopkeeper will run to try and grab your pack if this occurs and/or you still have unpaid items in your inventory. Attempting to dig through a shop wall or door will print a message and cause you to abort the attempt, though by constantly resuming you will eventually succeed and potentially anger the shopkeeper.[6][7]

Pick-axes and the watch

Watchmen do not appreciate you digging up the level on their watch, and will warn you if they see you trying to dig through doors or walls with a pick-axe. Continuing immediately after being warned will cause the watch to become hostile.

Strategy

Pick-axes are generally the long-term digging tool of choice after a wand of digging. One of the more common early uses for a pick-axe is finding and looting vaults for gold to use in shops and/or at temples. You may also unearth gems and gold embedded in the walls - while finding vaults will suffice most times, searching for random gold and gems with the aid of object detection (usually via a potion) is a viable option for those attempting a protection racket, particularly Archeologists.

Another general use is to cut a cleaner and/or shorter path between staircases on a dungeon level, as well as smashing boulders blocking your path; this is particularly worthwhile with Gehennom mazes, especially for navigating your way through later on during the ascension run. A pick-axe can be used to break stuck and/or obstructive boulders in Sokoban - note that breaking boulders here causes a -1 Luck penalty, unless you are on a level you have already solved. Still another use is to break statues and get at their potential contents. Smashed boulders and statues will also crumble into rocks, which you can throw or sling as projectiles or turn into meatballs via stone to flesh.

Pick-axes are fairly heavy at 100 aum, which can prove inconvenient - especially if you start with a low carry cap due to weak strength and/or constitution. A non-cursed bag of holding makes them far more tolerable to keep with you long-term; the wand of digging and wand of striking may be preferred over a pick-axe in certain instances, such as digging through non-Gehennom mazes, though they have limited charges.

As a weapon

Pick-axes generally have low damage output and are usually not sought out as a primary weapon by most characters. Archaeologists start with a pick-axe and Basic skill, and can use their pick-axe effectively against thick-skinned monsters such as mimics that their otherwise-better +2 bullwhip cannot damage.

Unlike attacking with a non-weapon tool such as a magic lamp, attacking monsters with a pick-axe does not produce a "You begin bashing monsters with your..." warning message. If monsters seem to be taking longer than expected to die after digging, check to make sure you remembered to un-wield your pick-axe and or re-wield your primary weapon.

Finding a pick-axe

Pick-axes are fairly common within the dungeon despite their low generation rate - as dwarves are tunneling monsters and very common in the Gnomish Mines, you will usually hear them digging before you see them. Dwarven players, gnomish players and lawful-aligned characters unwilling to risk early alignment penalties can have a pet attack a peaceful dwarf and kill them to obtain one. Other alignments and races instead must contend with fighting off dwarves digging towards their positions, as their digging can disrupt use of chokepoints; pets are still more than useful in this scenario, though dwarves are somewhat tougher for them to kill.

Shopping with pick-axes

If you have a pick-axe and want to enter a shop, you can drop it at the entrance to the shop (not counting the doorway), place it into a container, or try to force your way in by moving behind another monster. Once inside, shopkeepers do not mind you have a pick-axe out, as long as you do not dig through their walls - additionally, if you dig a hole in the floor, objects on that square and adjacent squares can fall through, which counts as shoplifting and will anger the shopkeeper.

Pick-axes can be used to steal from shops by picking up all of the shop's merchandise and digging out of the shop, then through the floor - this will only work if the shop is big enough for you to get enough distance from the shopkeeper, and you may need to place additional obstructions between you and them (e.g., a scroll of earth); a wand of digging may be more ideal. You can also dig straight through the floor, but obstructing the shopkeeper is far more necessary, or they will otherwise steal every non-worn and non-wielded item in your inventory as you fall. Stealing will naturally anger the shopkeeper, and Keystone Kops will begin to generate when you return to that dungeon level, so plan accordingly.

Conduct

Players who are aiming for the weaponless conduct must be very careful when using pick-axes: bumping into a monster while digging or forgetting to unwield the pickaxe before (re-)entering combat will break the conduct. This is so easy to do that some players recommend not using a pick-axe at all if attempting the conduct.

Digging for victory

Main article: Digging for victory

Finding a pick-axe is one of the primary goals in attempts to "dig for victory". Of note is that the mountain centaur is the fastest form that can wield weapons and thus operate a pick-axe, making it a goal for characters that manage to find a source of polymorph and polymorph control along their route.

History

The pick-axe first appears in Hack 1.0.2.

Pick-axes are subject to a few bugs in NetHack 3.4.3, a couple of which are listed here:

  • The shopkeeper does not charge the hero for an unsold boulder that is destroyed with a pick-axe. This is bug C343-396, and is fixed as of September 2009.
  • A badly formed message may be produced if a monster removes a boulder while a pick-axe is being applied to that boulder. This iss bug C343-397, and is fixed as of September 2009 via commit e450ca.

Messages

The debris from your digging comes to life!
Earth elementals and/or xorns were generated from digging using a pick-axe or dwarvish mattock.
A mysterious force <creates a/extends the> cave around you!
An opening was created by digging with a blessed pick.
Crash! The ceiling collapses around you!
Walls were generated from digging with a non-blessed pick.

Variants

Some variants lower the weight of pick-axes, while others ensure that player dwarves can attain skill in pick-axe.

SLASH'EM

In SLASH'EM, pick-axes have their weight lowered to 75 aum. The Necromancer role starts the game with a +0 pick-axe as their alternate weapon.

Upgrading a pick-axe will produce a dwarvish mattock, and vice versa. This results in a ludicrously game-breaking bug: You can enchant a weapon to +127 by polymorphing it into a dwarvish mattock, upgrading it to a pick-axe, then further polymorphing it into a tinning kit or an expensive camera, charging that tool until it has 127 charges, and finally waiting for it to revert. A +127 long sword can be turned into a super-powerful Excalibur, while a +127 bow or other launcher can fire 40 or more projectiles at once.

A pick-axe is always generated in the mine king level. This is intended to prevent the player being trapped if they entered the level from the Gnome King's Wine Cellar variant of Mines' End - this can occur if a character is level teleported or else falls through a hole or trap door and lands in the gem cache. It may also double as a homage to SLASH'EM predecessor variant SLASH 6: the Gnome role's quest artifact was a pick-axe called The Pick of Flandal Steelskin, and the mine king level is based on the Gnome quest home level.

UnNetHack

UnNetHack adds the crystal pick as a tool that uses the pick-axe skill and can be used to dig through crystal ice walls.

dNetHack

dNetHack and notdNetHack lower the pick-axe's weight to 80 aum, and add the hook as a weapon that uses the pick-axe skill.

Fafnir is a spirit that grants skill in pick-axes while bound.

There are two artifacts that use the pick-axe skill:

xNetHack

In xNetHack, dwarven characters can always reach a minimum of skilled in pick-axes.

SpliceHack

In SpliceHack, a pick-axe can be combined with an axe at a furnace to create a dwarvish mattock.

EvilHack

In EvilHack, a pick-axe can be combined with a dwarvish short sword at a forge to create a dwarvish mattock.

SlashTHEM

In SlashTHEM, in addition to SLASH'EM details, the Undertaker role starts each game with a pick-axe as their alternate weapon. Dwarven characters can reach a minimum of Skilled in pick-axes.

Encyclopedia

The mine is full of holes;
With the wound of pickaxes.
But look at the goldsmith's store.
There, there is gold everywhere.

[ Divan-i Kebir Meter 2, by Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi ]

References

  1. src/eat.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1497
  2. src/u_init.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 35
  3. src/makemon.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 384: a pick-axe is given 13 of 34 of the time, and a mattock is given 12 of 14 of the time
  4. src/makemon.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 254
  5. src/dig.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 444
  6. src/dig.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 475: This code is called after the digging energy has been applied to the door or wall
  7. src/dig.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 407: This code is called if enough digging energy has been applied to break the wall; notably, it comes before the previously referenced line that aborts the attempt