Runesword
) 
| |
|---|---|
| Name | runesword |
| Appearance | runed broadsword |
| Damage vs. small | 2d4 |
| Damage vs. large | 1d6+1 |
| To-hit bonus | +0 |
| Weapon skill | broadsword |
| Size | one-handed |
| Base price | 300 zm (+10/positive enchant) |
| Weight | 40 |
| Material | iron |
A runesword is a type of weapon that appears in NetHack. It is a one-handed melee weapon that uses the broadsword skill, and appears as a runed broadsword when unidentified. It is made of iron.
The runesword is the base item for the artifact Stormbringer.
Contents
Generation
Runeswords are not randomly generated, though they can be wished for or found in bones. If a bones level containing Stormbringer is loaded in a game where the artifact is already generated the artifact, it will be replaced with an ordinary runesword.
Pelias, the quest leader for the Barbarian quest, is always generated with a +5 runesword.[1]
Description
A runesword has the same base damage dice as a broadsword, dealing 2d4 damage to small monsters and 1d6+1 damage to large monsters—it is also lighter than the broadsword at 40 aum compared to its 70, and has a much higher base cost at 300 zm versus the broadsword's 10.
In terms of monster weapon preference, monsters that are not balrogs will prefer the runesword to a dwarvish mattock, and will prefer a tsurugi or a footrice corpse to the runesword.[2][3]
Strategy
Despite its rarity and higher base cost, the runesword's only advantage over a regular broadsword is being less cumbersome. A hero with Stormbringer that finds a runesword in bones and uncurses it may be able to use it as a passable off-hand weapon for two-weapon combat.
History
The runesword first appears in NetHack 3.1.0, which changes Stormbringer's base item from a broadsword to a runesword.
The runesword used by Pelias is added in NetHack 5.0.0 as part of commit 20cbadcf, which makes it so that a hero killing their quest leader no longer makes the game unwinnable and strengthens all quest leaders accordingly.
Variants
Some NetHack variants may further differentiate runeswords from broadswords, and may also place runeswords in certain levels to make them somewhat more available.
SLASH'EM
In SLASH'EM, a cursed +0 runesword is always generated in a hidden room within the Boulder Path of the Lawful Quest during level creation, and has the standard 1⁄5 chance of being made into an artifact (i.e., Stormbringer).
dNetHack
In dNetHack, notdNetHack and notnotdNetHack, the runesword is changed from NetHack and further distinguished from the broadsword.
The runesword is a large melee weapon that appears as a runed black blade while unidentified, or a runed blade if the hero is currently blind. Runeswords inflict slashing damage, dealing 1d10+1d4 damage against small monsters and 1d10+1 against large monsters. A hero wielding a runesword while they are at Skilled or better in broadswords gains the "graze" expert trait. In terms of monster weapon preference, monsters will prefer the runesword to a battle-axe, and they will prefer a church blade, a silverknight scythe (if they can use polearms) or better to the runesword.
The runesword is one of the few invalid weapon types for the generation or reshaping of Fire Brand and Frost Brand.
A cursed +3 runesword is generated in the Chaos Temple Quest, where it is placed within a chest in the Ruined Temple area during level creation.
Player monsters generated on the Astral Plane have a 1⁄20 chance of their melee weapon being made into a runesword.
dNetHack and its related variants also add two other artifact runeswords:
- Malice is a chaotic firmament runesword that is the first sacrifice gift for chaotic human Kensei, and has +1d10 to-hit and +1d12 damage bonuses against monsters without magic resistance.
- Aryfaern Kerym is a neutral, elf-favoring intelligent mineral runesword that acts as the crowning gift for neutral elven Nobles, Priests, Rangers, and Wizards. Aryfaern Kerym has +1d5 to-hit and +1d10 shock damage bonuses against non-resistant monsters, grants shock resistance and behaves as a light source while wielded, and grants doubled damage to certain beam- and ray-based spells cast by an elven hero similar to the Magic Mirror of Merlin.
EvilHack
In EvilHack, Pelias is always generated with a +5 runesword, and Saint Michael is always generated with a blessed and erosion-proofed silver runesword that has the fire object property and an enchantment ranging from +5 to +7 (with an equal probability of each).
A runesword can be created at a forge by combining a broadsword and a dagger.
Dichotomy is an artifact runesword that can only be created by combining Fire Brand and Frost Brand at a forge.
SlashTHEM
In SlashTHEM, the runesword appears as a runic broadsword when unidentified, and can be randomly generated: they are quite rare and make up 1⁄500 (0.2%) of all weapons randomly generated on the ground, in general shops or as death drops. Used armor dealerships and antique weapon outlets can also stock runeswords.
In addition to the Lawful Quest, runeswords are generated in the following areas:
- There is a 3⁄20 chance of a cursed -9 runesword named Excalipoor generating in a chest within the thieves' stronghold on the village of the Town branch during level creation. Excalipoor is a recurring weapon in the Final Fantasy series of games, where it is a very weak knockoff of Excalibur known to fool treasure hunters.
- The Undertaker quest goal level is a copy of the Lawful Quest and places a cursed runesword in the same hidden room within the Boulder Path during level creation, but this runesword's enchantment will be -8 rather than +0.
- A cursed +3 runesword is generated in one of the chests within a possible filler level map in Gehennom that resembles the one used for the Ruined Temple level of dNetHack's Chaos Temple Quest.
Hack'EM
In Hack'EM, a cursed +0 runesword is always generated in a hidden room within the Boulder Path of the Lawful Quest during level creation as it is in SLASH'EM.
As in SlashTHEM, there is a 3⁄20 chance of a cursed -9 runesword named Excalipoor generating in a chest within the thieves' stronghold on the village level of the Town branch during level creation.
Pelias is always generated with a +5 runesword, as in EvilHack.
The runesword has the same forging recipe as it does in EvilHack.
