Axe
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| |
|---|---|
| Name | axe |
| Appearance | axe |
| Damage vs. small | 1d6 |
| Damage vs. large | 1d4 |
| To-hit bonus | +0 |
| Weapon skill | axe |
| Size | one-handed |
| Base price | 8 zm (+10/positive enchant) |
| Weight | 60 |
| Material | iron |
An axe is a type of weapon that appears in NetHack. It is a one-handed melee weapon that can also be thrown, and uses the axe skill. It is made of iron.
Generation
Barbarians have a 1⁄2 chance of starting the game with a +0 axe as their secondary weapon.[1][3]
Axes make up 1⁄25 (4%) of all weapons that are randomly generated on the floor, in general shops or as death drops. Used armor dealerships and antique weapon outlets can also stock axes.
Some monsters can be generated with axes:
- Ninja have a 1⁄4 chance of being generated with an axe.[4]
- Dwarven monsters that are not undead and are generated with a dwarvish short sword have a 1⁄4 chance of being given an axe.[5]
- Player monsters that are not monks and are created on the Astral Plane have an effective 20⁄291 chance (~6.87%) of generating with an axe as their initial weapon before role-based replacements are applied.[7][8]
Description
An axe deals 1d6 damage versus small monsters and 1d4 versus large monsters, and it can be thrown without a to-hit penalty.[9] Axes deal +d4 damage versus wood golems.[10]
A hero eating a non-blessed tin while wielding an axe will use the weapon to open it in six turns at most.[11]
In terms of monster weapon preference, monsters will prefer an axe to a dwarvish spear, and will prefer a mace or better to the axe.[12]
Chopping
A hero can apply an to chop down adjacent trees and break through doors.[13][14]
A tunneling monster with an axe will chop through trees and doors that they move into, though they will favor using a battle-axe or pick-axe weapon for this purpose if they also have one.[15][16][17][18][19]
Strategy
An axe is an unremarkable weapon in terms of damage, but is very useful for heroes without unlocking tools as a means of breaking through locked doors.
History
The axe first appears in Hack121 and Hack for PDP-11, which are both based on Jay Fenlason's Hack, and it is included in the initial item list for Hack 1.0.
Messages
Variants
SLASH'EM
In SLASH'EM, upgrading an axe successfully will produce a battle-axe and vice versa.[20][21]
Giantkiller is an artifact axe that replaces Giantslayer from NetHack.
An axe is placed in the left center courtyard of the Yeoman quest locate level during level creation.
UnNetHack
In UnNetHack, the peaceful iron golem generated in the forest within the Ruins of Moria is always generated with an axe.
dNetHack
In dNetHack, notdNetHack and notnotdNetHack, axes deal +d4 damage to plants and wooden enemies.
dNetHack, notdNetHack and notnotdNetHack have some additional artifacts that use the axe skill:
- The base item of Giantslayer is changed to an axe from NetHack 3.4.3.
- The Rod of Lordly Might is an artifact that can be invoked to shift its form to an axe.
SpliceHack
In SpliceHack, two axes can be combined at a furnace to create a battle-axe, and an axe can be combined with a pick-axe to create a dwarvish mattock.
EvilHack
In EvilHack, an axe is always generated on the first floor of the Ice Queen's Realm and the third floor of Vecna's Domain at level creation.
An axe can be created at a forge by combining a dagger and a spear. Axes can be used to create a few items:
- An axe can be combined with a dwarvish short sword to create a dwarvish bearded axe.
- An axe can be combined with a broadsword to create a battle-axe.
- An axe can be combined with a ranseur to create a halberd.
- An axe can be combined with a spear to create a voulge.
Hack'EM
In Hack'EM, upgrading an axe successfully will create a throwing axe and vice versa.
In addition to EvilHack forging recipes, axes can be used in two other recipes:
- An axe can be combined with a dagger to create a throwing axe.
- Two axes can be combined to create a battle-axe.
Encyclopedia entry
"For ev'ry silver ringing blow,
Cities and palaces shall grow!"
"Bite deep and wide, O Axe, the tree,
Tell wider prophecies to me."
"When rust hath gnaw'd me deep and red,
A nation strong shall lift his head.
"His crown the very Heav'ns shall smite,
Aeons shall build him in his might."
"Bite deep and wide, O Axe, the tree;
Bright Seer, help on thy prophecy!"
References
- ↑ src/u_init.c in NetHack 5.0.0, line 56: first starting inventory for Barbarian
- ↑ src/u_init.c in NetHack 5.0.0, line 648-L651
- ↑ src/u_init.c in NetHack 5.0.0, line 665-L670: odds of a starting inventory being chosen; uses if (rn2(100) >= 50) rather than rn2(2)[2]
- ↑ src/makemon.c in NetHack 5.0.0, line 272
- ↑ src/makemon.c in NetHack 5.0.0, line 385-L391
- ↑ include/objects.h in NetHack 5.0.0, line 174-L392
- ↑ src/mplayer.c in NetHack 5.0.0, line 150: 1⁄2 to get a random weapon—the designated range of objects covers weapons from the spear to the bullwhip inclusively in objects.h, and uses normal generation odds[6]
- ↑ src/mplayer.c in NetHack 5.0.0, line 199: monks will always have no melee weapon
- ↑ src/dothrow.c in NetHack 5.0.0, line 1428-L1438: throwing_weapon() function; axe weapons fall within qualifying range of non-sword blade weapons
- ↑ src/weapon.c in NetHack 5.0.0, line 329-L330
- ↑ src/eat.c in NetHack 5.0.0, line 1763-L1765
- ↑ src/weapon.c in NetHack 5.0.0, line 696-L697
- ↑ src/dig.c in NetHack 5.0.0, line 177-L180
- ↑ src/dig.c in NetHack 5.0.0, line 1229-L1230
- ↑ src/weapon.c in NetHack 5.0.0, line 817-L823
- ↑ src/weapon.c in NetHack 5.0.0, line 831-L842
- ↑ src/dig.c in NetHack 5.0.0, line 1420-L1422
- ↑ src/dig.c in NetHack 5.0.0, line 1424-L1455
- ↑ src/dig.c in NetHack 5.0.0, line 1482-L1485
- ↑ potion.c in SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2, line 2214
- ↑ potion.c in SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2, line 2217
