Weapon

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Item classes
" Amulets	[ Armor
% Comestibles	$ Coins
* Gems	! Potions
= Rings	? Scrolls
+ Spellbooks	` Statues
( Tools	` Boulders
) Weapons	/ Wands

In NetHack, a weapon is an item used to attack opponents.

Description

Most weapons are wielded with w and used to hit enemies; you cannot wield a weapon if you are handless or tiny. To attack with a wielded weapon, simply try to move into a monster's space, or use Shift + F to attack in any direction.

Some weapons are missiles that are designed to be thrown with t (or f to fire quivered weapons), and others require a launcher to be wielded in order to shoot them as ammo - still other items are not designed as weaponry, but can be improvised to serve as one, such as a cream pie. Hitting monsters properly with weapons can increase your training in that weapon.

You can ready a second weapon for use, and use x to exchange between your primary and secondary weapons. Some roles can wield both weapons at once using the #twoweapon command. Pressing w, then - will unwield your current weapon and have you fight empty-handed; this is the default for Monks, who excel in fighting without a weapon, and Tourists that start the game without a tin opener.

Weapon generation

Randomly generated weapons have the following total probability of beatitude and enchantment:

	+0	+1	+2	+3	+4	>+4
Blessed	4.09%	3.03%	1.01%	0.34%	0.11%	0.06%
Uncursed	73.64%	3.03%	1.01%	0.34%	0.11%	0.06%
	+0	-1	-2	-3	-4	<-4
Cursed	4.09%	6.06%	2.02%	0.67%	0.22%	0.11%

Given the BUC status, the chance of enchantment is:

	+0	+1	+2	+3	+4	>+4
Blessed	47.37%	35.09%	11.70%	3.90%	1.30%	0.65%
Uncursed	94.19%	3.88%	1.29%	0.43%	0.14%	0.07%
	+0	-1	-2	-3	-4	<-4
Cursed	31.03%	45.98%	15.33%	5.11%	1.70%	0.85%

After the type of weapon is chosen, if an artifact matching the base type exists, there is a 5% chance that the weapon is converted into an artifact.

Poisonable weapons are generated as poisoned 1% of the time.

Weapons and erosion

Many weapons are subject to possible erosion from various sources, such as rust traps and monsters with eroding attacks (typically in the form of a passive attack); erosion can significantly reduce a weapon's effectiveness. Most metallic weapons can rust or corrode, while wooden weapons can be burnt.

A weapon can be made erodeproof by wielding it as a primary weapon and reading a scroll of enchant weapon while confused; this also repairs any current erosion on the weapon in question. Some weapons can also have their erosion repaired by dipping the weapon in a potion of oil.

Weapon use by monsters

A monster wielding a weapon will have the damage from a wielded weapon added to the base attack damage. For example, a hill orc has a 1d6 weapon attack (as detailed in its infobox); if it attacks you or a monster with an uncursed +0 scimitar, which deals 1d8 damage to small and large monsters, the weapon attack serves as the base damage that is further modified by the weapon damage. In this case, the hill orc deals 1-6 damage, plus 1-8 damage from the scimitar.

Table of weapons and their properties

Weapon	Skill	Cost	Hands	Weight	Prob (‰)	Dam. (S)	Dam. (L)	Material	Appearance	Tile	Glyph
orcish dagger	dagger	4 zm	1	10	12†	2	2	iron	crude dagger		)
dagger	dagger	4 zm	1	10	30	2.5	2	iron			)
silver dagger	dagger	40 zm	1	12	3	2.5	2	silver			)
athame	dagger	4 zm	1	10	N/A	2.5	2	iron			)
elven dagger	dagger	4 zm	1	10	10†	3	2	wood	runed dagger		)
worm tooth	knife	2 zm	1	20	N/A	1.5	1.5	undefined			)
knife (shito)	knife	4 zm	1	5	20	2	1.5	iron			)
stiletto	knife	4 zm	1	5	5	2	1.5	iron			)
scalpel	knife	4 zm	1	5	N/A	2	2	metal			)
crysknife	knife	100 zm	1	20	N/A	5.5	5.5	mineral			)
axe	axe	8 zm	1	60	40	3.5	2.5	iron			)
battle-axe	axe	40 zm	2	120	10	7	8.5	iron	double-headed axe		)
pick-axe	pick-axe	50 zm	1	100	tool	3.5	2	iron			(
dwarvish mattock	pick-axe	50 zm	2	120	13†	6.5	11.5	iron	broad pick		)
orcish short sword	short sword	10 zm	1	30	3†	3	4.5	iron	crude short sword		)
short sword (wakizashi)	short sword	10 zm	1	30	8	3.5	4.5	iron			)
dwarvish short sword	short sword	10 zm	1	30	2†	4	4.5	iron	broad short sword		)
elven short sword	short sword	10 zm	1	30	2†	4.5	4.5	wood	runed short sword		)
broadsword (ninja-to)	broadsword	10 zm	1	70	8	5	4.5	iron			)
runesword	broadsword	300 zm	1	40	N/A	5	4.5	iron	runed broadsword		)
elven broadsword	broadsword	10 zm	1	70	4†	6	4.5	wood	runed broadsword		)
long sword	long sword	15 zm	1	40	50†	4.5	6.5	iron			)
katana	long sword	80 zm	1	40	4	5.5	6.5	iron	samurai sword		)
two-handed sword	two-handed sword	50 zm	2	150	22	6.5	10.5	iron			)
tsurugi	two-handed sword	500 zm	2	60	N/A	8.5	11.5	metal	long samurai sword		)
scimitar	scimitar	15 zm	1	40	15†	4.5	4.5	iron	curved sword		)
silver saber	saber	75 zm	1	40	6	4.5	4.5	silver			)
club	club	3 zm	1	30	12	3.5	2	wood			)
aklys	club	4 zm	1	15	8	3.5	2	iron	thonged club		)
mace	mace	5 zm	1	30	40	4.5	3.5	iron			)
morning star	morning star	10 zm	1	120	12	5	4.5	iron			)
flail (nunchaku)	flail	4 zm	1	15	40	4.5	5	iron			)
grappling hook	flail	50 zm	1	30	tool	1.5	3.5	iron	iron hook		(
war hammer	hammer	5 zm	1	50	15	3.5	2.5	iron			)
quarterstaff	quarterstaff	5 zm	2	40	11†	3.5	3.5	wood	staff		)
partisan	polearms	10 zm	2	80	5	3.5	4.5	iron	vulgar polearm		)
fauchard	polearms	5 zm	2	60	6	3.5	4.5	iron	pole sickle		)
glaive (naginata)	polearms	6 zm	2	75	8	3.5	5.5	iron	single-edged polearm		)
bec de corbin	polearms	8 zm	2	100	4	4.5	3.5	iron	beaked polearm		)
spetum	polearms	5 zm	2	50	5	4.5	7	iron	forked polearm		)
lucern hammer	polearms	7 zm	2	150	5	5	3.5	iron	pronged polearm		)
guisarme	polearms	5 zm	2	80	6	5	4.5	iron	pruning hook		)
ranseur	polearms	6 zm	2	50	5	5	5	iron	hilted polearm		)
voulge	polearms	5 zm	2	125	4	5	5	iron	pole cleaver		)
bill-guisarme	polearms	7 zm	2	120	4	5	5.5	iron	hooked polearm		)
bardiche	polearms	7 zm	2	120	4	5	7.5	iron	long poleaxe		)
halberd	polearms	10 zm	2	150	8	5.5	7	iron	angled poleaxe		)
orcish spear	spear	3 zm	1	30	13†	3	4.5	iron	crude spear		)
spear	spear	3 zm	1	30	50†	3.5	4.5	iron			)
silver spear	spear	40 zm	1	36	2	3.5	4.5	silver			)
elven spear	spear	3 zm	1	30	10†	4	4.5	wood	runed spear		)
dwarvish spear	spear	3 zm	1	35	12†	4.5	4.5	iron	stout spear		)
javelin	spear	3 zm	1	20	10	3.5	3.5	iron	throwing spear		)
trident	trident	5 zm	1	25	8	4.5	7.5	iron			)
lance1	lance	10 zm	1	180	4	3.5	4.5	iron			)
orcish bow	bow	60 zm	1	30	12†	1.5	1.5	wood	crude bow		)
orcish arrow2	bow	2 zm	1	1	20†	3	3.5	iron	crude arrow		)
bow	bow	60 zm	1	30	24	1.5	1.5	wood			)
arrow2	bow	2 zm	1	1	55†	3.5	3.5	iron			)
elven bow	bow	60 zm	1	30	12†	1.5	1.5	wood	runed bow		)
elven arrow2	bow	2 zm	1	1	20†	4	3.5	wood	runed arrow		)
yumi	bow	60 zm	1	30	0	1.5	1.5	wood	long bow		)
ya2	bow	4 zm	1	1	15	4	4	metal	bamboo arrow		)
silver arrow2	bow	5 zm	1	1	12	3.5	3.5	silver			)
sling	sling	20 zm	1	3	40	1.5	1.5	leather			)
flint stone2	sling	1 zm	1	10	gem	3.5	3.5	mineral	gray stone		*
crossbow	crossbow	40 zm	1	50	45†	1.5	1.5	wood			)
crossbow bolt2	crossbow	2 zm	1	1	55†	3.5	4.5	iron			)
dart2	dart	2 zm	1	1	60†	2	1.5	iron			)
shuriken2	shuriken	5 zm	1	1	35	4.5	3.5	iron	throwing star		)
boomerang2	boomerang	20 zm	1	5	15	5	5	wood			)
bullwhip	whip	4 zm	1	20	2	1.5	1	leather			)
rubber hose	whip	3 zm	1	20	N/A	2.5	2	plastic			)
unicorn horn	unicorn horn	100 zm	2	20	tool	6.5	6.5	bone			(

(‰) Relative probability. Figures are given as probability in a thousand, or permille.

(^†) Objects are significantly more common in play than their probability would otherwise imply due to monster starting inventory or certain traps.

(1) When the user is riding, the lance gets an additional 2d10 in case of a successful joust. The victim is also automatically stunned and thrown back a square.

(2) This is a projectile weapon that is meant to be thrown or fired, not wielded, in order to deal damage.

Strategy

A significant part of NetHack strategy comes down to weapon selection. On a basic level, curse-testing any weapons you find before wielding them is ideal, whether it be via a starting pet or an altar.

Erodeproofing

Once you have settled on your main weapon(s), erodeproof them as soon as you can in order to preserve their damage output. The urgency of this varies with your role and weapon(s) of choice: for instance, while most wooden and organic weapons risk being burnt, this is only a risk against monsters with fiery passive attacks (i.e. the fire elemental, fire vortex, and red mold), and fire traps also do not affect weapons. Therefore, you can save scrolls of enchant weapon by switching to a metallic weapon or other burn-proof alternative against those monsters.

Weapons and monster size

Monsters by size

Another aspect of weapon selection is accounting for the physical size of hostile monsters that you will face in the various stages of the game. As shown in the table above, various weapons have different hit dice against monsters depending on whether they are small (medium-sized or smaller) or large (large-sized or bigger).

The majority of monsters in the game are classified as small; this includes most of the monsters you encounter early on, with large monsters being intermittent and often more difficult in comparison. In contrast, the mid-game tends towards a mix of medium-sized monsters and larger; during the late game and end game, a majority of the most threatening monsters you will face - the Wizard of Yendor, the high priest of Moloch, and many of the Astral Plane denizens - are at least medium-sized, and most of the demon princes in Gehennom are large minus the dangerous but rarely-seen Dispater.

Fighting weaponless

In addition to being the preferred combat style of Monks, unwielding a weapon is viable if you must take on weapon-hazardous monsters such as acid blobs or rust monsters in melee, provided you lack a resistant weapon (e.g. a silver weapon or unicorn horn).

Encyclopedia entry

A weapon is a device for making your enemy change his mind.

[ The Vor Game, by Lois McMaster Bujold ]

See also

• Artifact weapon
• Two-handed
• Weapon Skills

References

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