Valkyrie

The Valkyrie is a player role. They are based upon the valkyries of norse legend, who would carry the spirits of fallen warriors to the afterlife.

All valkyries are female, except when polymorph or an amulet of change becomes involved. Females can lay eggs when polymorphed into another creature. Other than that they have no advantages or disadvantages over males.

Starting inventory

A valkyrie starts with the following:

• a +1 long sword
• a +0 dagger
• a +3 small shield
• an uncursed food ration
• an uncursed oil lamp (16.7% chance)

Strategy

• Valkyries are powerful melee fighters and have substantially high HP growth; they are also able to #twoweapon. Under normal circumstances, the only strategy needed is to attack enemies directly.
• Because valkyries start with long swords, if one is Lawful, it is exceptionally easy to get Excalibur from a fountain once the character is level 5.
• Sacrificing is more beneficial to valkyries than for other classes, because their first sacrifice gift is guaranteed to be Mjollnir if it has not already been generated in the game. This is a useful weapon against major demons, but some consider it nearly useless in the end-game.
• Valkyries with strength 25 can throw Mjollnir, and have a 99% chance of it returning to them immediately. The thrown Mjollnir is one of the most powerful projectile attacks, except against shock-resistant monsters. Because of this, gauntlets of power are a high-priority item for wishing, perhaps even above SDSM.
  • There are some downsides to throwing Mjollnir, however, as when returning from being thrown it has a 0.5% chance of striking the thrower. (This increases to 50% if the thrower is stunned, confused, hallucinating, fumbling, or blind) Since Mjollnir strikes with lightning and lightning explodes rings and wands, it is an extremely dangerous weapon. Even if you don't have anything that can be destroyed, and you have shock resistance, valuable monster equipment may be still be destroyed.
• Valkyries can also become expert at daggers. This fact should not be neglected. Enhancing daggers before long sword is recommended by many experienced players. Daggers become extremely powerful because you can throw up to 3 at once at expert level, doing double the base damage on average per turn. Throwing daggers with expert skill is better than two weaponing, unless one has a double damage artifact.
• The Valkyrie's Quest is fairly easy, with one exception: the first level is mostly ice, and has randomly-placed fire traps. As a result, do NOT walk on the ice. You may trigger a fire trap, which will melt the ice, and you will fall in the water. If you're burdened or surrounded, you'll drown; either way, scrolls and spellbooks not in a bag will be blanked. You'll likely see several quest friendlies die to this.

Skills

Valkyrie skills
Max	Skills
Basic	Weapons: scimitar, saber, quarterstaff, trident, sling Spells: attack, escape
Skilled	Weapons: pick-axe, short sword, broadsword, polearms, spear, lance Combat: two weapon combat, riding
Expert	Weapons: dagger, axe, long sword, two-handed sword, hammer Combat: bare hands

Encyclopedia entry

The Valkyries were the thirteen choosers of the slain, the
beautiful warrior-maids of Odin who rode through the air and
over the sea.  They watched the progress of the battle and
selected the heroes who were to fall fighting.  After they
were dead, the maidens rewarded the heroes by kissing them
and then led their souls to Valhalla, where the warriors
lived happily in an ideal existence, drinking and eating
without restraint and fighting over again the battles in
which they died and in which they had won their deathless
fame.
        [ The Encyclopaedia of Myths and Legends of All
                Nations, by Herbert Robinson and Knox

Wilson ]