Demonbane - Revision history

Umbire the Phantom: /* Strategy */ more

2026-06-01T13:52:56Z

‎Strategy: more

Umbire the Phantom: /* Strategy */ word choice

2026-06-01T13:52:39Z

‎Strategy: word choice

Umbire the Phantom: /* Variants */ lede

2026-06-01T13:47:16Z

‎Variants: lede

Umbire the Phantom: still more citations and touch-ups

2026-05-31T23:14:47Z

still more citations and touch-ups

Umbire the Phantom: more citation tailoring and some messages

2026-05-31T22:54:18Z

more citation tailoring and some messages

Umbire the Phantom: /* Strategy */ detail

2026-05-31T22:18:33Z

‎Strategy: detail

Umbire the Phantom: word choice

2026-05-31T22:16:14Z

word choice

Umbire the Phantom: cite and tailor banishing stuff...

2026-05-31T21:29:51Z

cite and tailor banishing stuff...

Umbire the Phantom: /* History */ word choice

2026-05-31T21:18:46Z

‎History: word choice

Umbire the Phantom: /* Strategy */ punc

2026-05-31T21:17:09Z

‎Strategy: punc

@@ Line 33: / Line 33: @@
 Demonbane's [[silver]] base item and gating-blocking ability makes it especially powerful as a [[Bane]] against major demons, particularly from the [[Valley of the Dead]] onward, and being silver gives it some further applicability against [[Vampire (monster class)|vampires]] and [[werecreature]]s as well. The artifact will also have a minimum enchantment of +3 if it is generated in the possession of an angelic being.{{refsrc|src/makemon.c|345-L350|nethack=5.0.0}} However, demons are also vulnerable to several other weapons, ranging from a well-enchanted [[silver spear]] or [[silver saber]] to artifacts such as [[Grayswandir]] and [[Frost Brand]]&mdash;Demonbane is still a solid option against demons for roles that lack access to the skills for other artifacts or certain silver weapons, though unlike many of those weapons it has a higher chance of falling off in damage during the [[ascension run]] once the hero escapes Gehennom.
-Clerics will appreciate Demonbane as a damage option for [[Priest quest|their quest]] and in Gehennom, whether to use it as their primary anti-demon weapon or to supplement offensive [[spellcasting]] with it. [[Grayswandir]] and [[Frost Brand]] may also prove more attractive options than Demonbane, however&mdash;the artifact silver mace is similarly not likely to be as useful for other lawful roles that can train maces, since [[Knight]]s will prefer their [[Excalibur]] access while [[Cave Dweller]]s will prefer [[the Sceptre of Might]].
+Clerics will appreciate Demonbane as a damage option for [[Priest quest|their quest]] and in Gehennom, whether they use it as their primary anti-demon weapon or supplement offensive [[spellcasting]] with it. [[Grayswandir]] and [[Frost Brand]] may also prove more attractive options than Demonbane, however&mdash;the artifact silver mace is similarly not likely to be as useful for other lawful roles that can train maces, since [[Knight]]s will prefer their [[Excalibur]] access while [[Cave Dweller]]s will prefer [[the Sceptre of Might]].
 [[Elf (starting race)|Elven]] Clerics are incapable of forcing [[Stormbringer]] as a result of Demonbane being their first gift, and will have to rely on [[crowning]] if they want Stormbringer as early as possible.

@@ Line 33: / Line 33: @@
 Demonbane's [[silver]] base item and gating-blocking ability makes it especially powerful as a [[Bane]] against major demons, particularly from the [[Valley of the Dead]] onward, and being silver gives it some further applicability against [[Vampire (monster class)|vampires]] and [[werecreature]]s as well. The artifact will also have a minimum enchantment of +3 if it is generated in the possession of an angelic being.{{refsrc|src/makemon.c|345-L350|nethack=5.0.0}} However, demons are also vulnerable to several other weapons, ranging from a well-enchanted [[silver spear]] or [[silver saber]] to artifacts such as [[Grayswandir]] and [[Frost Brand]]&mdash;Demonbane is still a solid option against demons for roles that lack access to the skills for other artifacts or certain silver weapons, though unlike many of those weapons it has a higher chance of falling off in damage during the [[ascension run]] once the hero escapes Gehennom.
-Clerics will appreciate Demonbane as a damage option for [[Priest quest|their quest]] and in Gehennom, whether to use it as their primary anti-demon weapon or to supplement offensive [[spellcasting]] with it. [[Grayswandir]] and [[Frost Brand]] may also prove more attractive options for them, however&mdash;it is similarly not likely to be as useful for other lawful roles that can train maces, since [[Knight]]s will prefer their [[Excalibur]] access while [[Cave Dweller]]s will prefer [[the Sceptre of Might]].
+Clerics will appreciate Demonbane as a damage option for [[Priest quest|their quest]] and in Gehennom, whether to use it as their primary anti-demon weapon or to supplement offensive [[spellcasting]] with it. [[Grayswandir]] and [[Frost Brand]] may also prove more attractive options than Demonbane, however&mdash;the artifact silver mace is similarly not likely to be as useful for other lawful roles that can train maces, since [[Knight]]s will prefer their [[Excalibur]] access while [[Cave Dweller]]s will prefer [[the Sceptre of Might]].
 [[Elf (starting race)|Elven]] Clerics are incapable of forcing [[Stormbringer]] as a result of Demonbane being their first gift, and will have to rely on [[crowning]] if they want Stormbringer as early as possible.

@@ Line 54: / Line 54: @@
 ==Variants==
-''NetHack'' [[variant]]s created prior to NetHack 5.0.0 often change Demonbane's abilities, and may either retain its long sword base item or change the base item type.
+''NetHack'' [[variant]]s created prior to NetHack 5.0.0 often change Demonbane's abilities, and may either retain its long sword base item from previous versions of ''NetHack'' or else change the base item type (whether to a mace weapon or something different altogether).
 ===NetHack: The Next Generation===

@@ Line 18: / Line 18: @@
 ==Generation==
-A silver mace randomly generated on the ground or as a [[death drop]] has a base {{frac|20}} chance of being made into Demonbane. It is the guaranteed first sacrifice gift for [[Cleric]]s, and lawful [[hero]]es may receive Demonbane as a [[sacrifice gift]] for a with a sacrifice value of 3 or higher{{refsrc|include/artilist.h|163-L164|nethack=5.0.0}}&mdash;Demonbane will always have +1 added to its enchantment when randomly generated or given as a sacrifice gift.
+A silver mace randomly generated on the ground or as a [[death drop]] has a base {{frac|20}} chance of being made into Demonbane. Demonbane is the guaranteed first sacrifice gift for [[Cleric]]s, and lawful [[hero]]es may receive it as a [[sacrifice gift]] for a with a sacrifice value of 3 or higher{{refsrc|include/artilist.h|163-L164|nethack=5.0.0}}&mdash;Demonbane will always have +1 added to its enchantment when randomly generated or given as a sacrifice gift.
 [[Angelic being]]s that are generated by [[normal monster creation]] and [[generated with]] a silver mace will always have the mace be turned into Demonbane if the monster is [[Lord (monster attribute)|a lord to their kind]] (i.e. an [[Archon]]), and will otherwise have a {{frac|20}} chance of the mace being turned into Demonbane.{{refsrc|src/makemon.c|331-L341|nethack=5.0.0}}
@@ Line 31: / Line 31: @@
 ==Strategy==
 {{recent|NetHack 5.0.0|Changes to base type, Cleric association and invoke ability alter the strategy entirely.}}
-Demonbane's [[silver]] base item and gating-blocking ability makes it especially powerful as a [[Bane]] against major demons, particularly from the [[Valley of the Dead]] onward, and being silver gives it some further applicability against [[Vampire (monster class)|vampires]] and [[werecreature]]s as well. The artifact will also have a minimum enchantment of +3 if it is generated in the possession of an angelic being. However, demons are also vulnerable to several other weapons, ranging from a well-enchanted [[silver saber]] to artifacts such as [[Grayswandir]] and [[Frost Brand]]&mdash;Demonbane is still a solid option against them for roles that lack access to other artifacts or certain silver weapons, though unlike many of those weapons it has a higher chance of falling off in damage during the [[ascension run]] once the hero escapes Gehennom.
+Demonbane's [[silver]] base item and gating-blocking ability makes it especially powerful as a [[Bane]] against major demons, particularly from the [[Valley of the Dead]] onward, and being silver gives it some further applicability against [[Vampire (monster class)|vampires]] and [[werecreature]]s as well. The artifact will also have a minimum enchantment of +3 if it is generated in the possession of an angelic being.{{refsrc|src/makemon.c|345-L350|nethack=5.0.0}} However, demons are also vulnerable to several other weapons, ranging from a well-enchanted [[silver spear]] or [[silver saber]] to artifacts such as [[Grayswandir]] and [[Frost Brand]]&mdash;Demonbane is still a solid option against demons for roles that lack access to the skills for other artifacts or certain silver weapons, though unlike many of those weapons it has a higher chance of falling off in damage during the [[ascension run]] once the hero escapes Gehennom.
-Clerics will appreciate Demonbane as a damage option for [[Priest quest|their quest]] and in Gehennom, whether to use it as their primary anti-demon weapon or to supplement offensive [[spellcasting]] with it, though [[Grayswandir]] and [[Frost Brand]] may also prove more attractive options for them&mdash;it is not likely to be as useful for other lawful roles that can train maces, since [[Knight]]s will prefer their [[Excalibur]] access while [[Cave Dweller]]s will prefer [[the Sceptre of Might]].
+Clerics will appreciate Demonbane as a damage option for [[Priest quest|their quest]] and in Gehennom, whether to use it as their primary anti-demon weapon or to supplement offensive [[spellcasting]] with it. [[Grayswandir]] and [[Frost Brand]] may also prove more attractive options for them, however&mdash;it is similarly not likely to be as useful for other lawful roles that can train maces, since [[Knight]]s will prefer their [[Excalibur]] access while [[Cave Dweller]]s will prefer [[the Sceptre of Might]].
-[[Elf (starting race)|Elven]] Clerics are incapable of forcing [[Stormbringer]] as a result of Demonbane being their first gift, and will have to rely on [[crowning]] if they want an early Stormbringer.
+[[Elf (starting race)|Elven]] Clerics are incapable of forcing [[Stormbringer]] as a result of Demonbane being their first gift, and will have to rely on [[crowning]] if they want Stormbringer as early as possible.
 ==History==
@@ Line 44: / Line 44: @@
 Demonbane's ability to block demon gating is introduced in [[NetHack 3.6.1]], and is imported from [[SporkHack]].
-From NetHack 3.0.0 to NetHack 3.6.7, including some variants based on those versions, a lawful hero in a role without a first gift can benefit from receiving Demonbane as their first artifact gift, as it will unrestrict the long sword skill to enable [[dipping]] for [[Excalibur]]. The artifact is also a fairly common choice for equipping [[pet]]s with if the hero has better artifacts to use for themselves, provided that pet is lawful, [[Intelligent monster|intelligent]] and can use weapons.
+From NetHack 3.0.0 to NetHack 3.6.7, including some variants based on those versions, a lawful hero in a role without a first gift can benefit from receiving Demonbane as their first artifact gift, as it will unrestrict the long sword skill if they do not have it and thus enable [[dipping]] for [[Excalibur]]. The artifact is also a fairly common choice for equipping [[pet]]s with if the hero has better artifacts to use for themselves, provided that pet is lawful, [[Intelligent monster|intelligent]] and can use weapons.
 [[NetHack 5.0.0]] changes Demonbane's base item type, first to a [[mace]] via {{commit|b1a5a9c3903a0282f82787d20fd70f13196e2465}}, then to a [[silver mace]] via {{commit|67d58202ad84dd04ccfd6079fc2665e87ef80fc3}}&mdash;NetHack 5.0.0 also gives the artifact its invoke ability to banish demons.
@@ Line 69: / Line 69: @@
 ===UnNetHack===
-In [[UnNetHack]], Demonbane grants [[Warned of monster type|warning versus demons]] while wielded.
+In [[UnNetHack]], Demonbane's base item type is a long sword, and the artifact grants [[Warned of monster type|warning versus demons]] while wielded.
 ===dNetHack===
@@ Line 77: / Line 77: @@
 ===FIQHack===
-In [[FIQHack]], Demonbane's base item type  is changed to a silver saber. It prevents demon gating while wielded as in ''NetHack'' and some other variants, and deals +1d20 bonus damage against demons.
+In [[FIQHack]], Demonbane's base item type is changed to a silver saber. It prevents demon gating while wielded as in ''NetHack'' and some other variants, and deals +1d20 bonus damage against demons.
 ===xNetHack===

@@ Line 18: / Line 18: @@
 ==Generation==
-A silver mace randomly generated on the ground or as a [[death drop]] has a {{frac|20}} chance of being made into Demonbane. It is the guaranteed first sacrifice gift for [[Cleric]]s, and lawful [[hero]]es may receive Demonbane as a [[sacrifice gift]] for a with a sacrifice value of 3 or higher&mdash; and will always have +1 added to its enchantment when randomly generated or given as a sacrifice gift. Demonbane will have +1 added to its enchantment when randomly generated or gifted to a hero.
+A silver mace randomly generated on the ground or as a [[death drop]] has a base {{frac|20}} chance of being made into Demonbane. It is the guaranteed first sacrifice gift for [[Cleric]]s, and lawful [[hero]]es may receive Demonbane as a [[sacrifice gift]] for a with a sacrifice value of 3 or higher{{refsrc|include/artilist.h|163-L164|nethack=5.0.0}}&mdash;Demonbane will always have +1 added to its enchantment when randomly generated or given as a sacrifice gift.
-[[Angelic being]]s that are generated by [[normal monster creation]] and [[generated with]] a silver mace will always have the mace be turned into Demonbane if the monster is [[Lord (monster attribute)|a lord to their kind]] (i.e. an [[Archon]]), and will otherwise have a {{frac|20}} chance of the mace being turned into Demonbane.
+[[Angelic being]]s that are generated by [[normal monster creation]] and [[generated with]] a silver mace will always have the mace be turned into Demonbane if the monster is [[Lord (monster attribute)|a lord to their kind]] (i.e. an [[Archon]]), and will otherwise have a {{frac|20}} chance of the mace being turned into Demonbane.{{refsrc|src/makemon.c|331-L341|nethack=5.0.0}}
 ==Description==
@@ Line 27: / Line 27: @@
 Demonbane can be [[invoked]] to banish an [[Imp or minor demon|imp monster]] or a major demon within the hero's line of sight:{{refsrc|src/artifact.c|1962-L2019|nethack=5.0.0}} this will awaken the demon from [[sleep]] and render them hostile, and banishing a demon while on a [[dungeon level]] outside of Gehennom will [[level teleport]] them to Gehennom, while invoking Demonbane ''within'' Gehennom instead [[teleport]]s them elsewhere on the current level.{{refsrc|src/artifact.c|1991-L2003|nethack=5.0.0}} This ability does not work on a [[quest nemesis]], while [[demon lords and princes]] have a chance of resisting the effect, and demons encountered in the hero's quest branch have a much greater chance of resisting if the hero's nemesis is alive.{{refsrc|src/artifact.c|1981-L1989|nethack=5.0.0}} Demonbane also has no effect on the monster summoning that occurs when sitting on the [[throne]] in [[Vlad's Tower]], which behaves similarly to the summon nasties spell.
-Lawful demon princes will be generated as [[hostile]] if the hero is wielding Demonbane during level creation, preventing the hero from [[Bribe#Bribing in Gehennom|bribing]] them&mdash;a lawful demon prince that is generated peaceful will become hostile instead of asking for a bribe if they approach a hero wielding Demonbane.
+Lawful demon princes will be generated as [[hostile]] if the hero is wielding Demonbane during level creation, preventing the hero from [[Bribe#Bribing in Gehennom|bribing]] them{{refsrc|src/makemon.c|1397-L1402|nethack=5.0.0}}&mdash;a lawful demon prince that is generated peaceful will become hostile instead of asking for a bribe if they approach a hero wielding Demonbane.{{refsrc|src/minion.c|267-L276|nethack=5.0.0}}
 ==Strategy==
 {{recent|NetHack 5.0.0|Changes to base type, Cleric association and invoke ability alter the strategy entirely.}}
-Demonbane's [[silver]] base item and gating-blocking ability makes it especially powerful as a [[Bane]] against major demons, particularly from the [[Valley of the Dead]] onward, and being silver gives it some further applicability against [[Vampire (monster class)|vampires]] and [[werecreature]]s as well. The artifact will also have a minimum enchantment of +3 if it is generated in the possession of an angelic being. However, demons are also vulnerable to several other weapons, ranging from a well-enchanted [[silver saber]] to artifacts such as [[Grayswandir]] and [[Frost Brand]]&mdash;Demonbane is still a solid option against them for roles that lack access to other artifacts or certain silver weapons, though unlike many of those weapons it is likelier to fall off in damage during the [[ascension run]] once the hero escapes Gehennom.
+Demonbane's [[silver]] base item and gating-blocking ability makes it especially powerful as a [[Bane]] against major demons, particularly from the [[Valley of the Dead]] onward, and being silver gives it some further applicability against [[Vampire (monster class)|vampires]] and [[werecreature]]s as well. The artifact will also have a minimum enchantment of +3 if it is generated in the possession of an angelic being. However, demons are also vulnerable to several other weapons, ranging from a well-enchanted [[silver saber]] to artifacts such as [[Grayswandir]] and [[Frost Brand]]&mdash;Demonbane is still a solid option against them for roles that lack access to other artifacts or certain silver weapons, though unlike many of those weapons it has a higher chance of falling off in damage during the [[ascension run]] once the hero escapes Gehennom.
 Clerics will appreciate Demonbane as a damage option for [[Priest quest|their quest]] and in Gehennom, whether to use it as their primary anti-demon weapon or to supplement offensive [[spellcasting]] with it, though [[Grayswandir]] and [[Frost Brand]] may also prove more attractive options for them&mdash;it is not likely to be as useful for other lawful roles that can train maces, since [[Knight]]s will prefer their [[Excalibur]] access while [[Cave Dweller]]s will prefer [[the Sceptre of Might]].
@@ Line 50: / Line 50: @@
 ==Messages==
 {{message|<The demon> looks puzzled for a moment.|A demon would have gated in other demons when attacking the hero, but the hero was wielding Demonbane.}}
 ==Variants==

@@ Line 38: / Line 38: @@
 ==History==
-Demonbane first appears in [[NetHack 3.0.0]] as a [[long sword]], where its only special property is its to-hit and bonus damage against demons.
+Demonbane first appears in [[NetHack 3.0.0]] as an artifact [[long sword]], where its only special property is its to-hit and bonus damage against demons.
 From this version to [[NetHack 3.4.3]], including some variants based on these versions, it is somewhat common to wish for a [[figurine]] of an Archon to have a chance at obtaining Demonbane: monsters created from figurines in these versions generate with their starting inventory. [[NetHack 3.6.0]] sets figurines to generate a monster without its usual starting inventory.

@@ Line 25: / Line 25: @@
 Demonbane has [[d notation|+1d5]] [[to-hit]] and [[double damage]] bonuses against [[major demon]]s, and also blocks [[demon gating]] while [[wielded]]{{refsrc|src/minion.c|70-L74|nethack=5.0.0}}&mdash;this does ''not'' include generating demons via the [[summon nasties]] [[monster spell]], which can occur if the spell is cast by the [[Wizard of Yendor]] or used in [[Gehennom]].{{refsrc|src/minion.c|80-L89|nethack=5.0.0}}
-Demonbane can be [[invoked]] to banish an [[Imp or minor demon|imp monster]] or a major demon within the hero's line of sight, [[level teleport]]ing them to Gehennom{{refsrc|src/artifact.c|1962-L2019|nethack=5.0.0}}&mdash;invoking Demonbane while in Gehennom instead [[teleport]]s them elsewhere on the level. This ability does not work on a [[quest nemesis]], while [[demon lords and princes]] have a chance of resisting the effect, and demons encountered in the hero's quest branch have a much greater chance of resisting if the nemesis is alive. Demonbane also has no effect on the monster summoning that occurs when sitting on the [[throne]] in [[Vlad's Tower]], which behaves similarly to the summon nasties spell.
+Demonbane can be [[invoked]] to banish an [[Imp or minor demon|imp monster]] or a major demon within the hero's line of sight:{{refsrc|src/artifact.c|1962-L2019|nethack=5.0.0}} this will awaken the demon from [[sleep]] and render them hostile, and banishing a demon while on a [[dungeon level]] outside of Gehennom will [[level teleport]] them to Gehennom, while invoking Demonbane ''within'' Gehennom instead [[teleport]]s them elsewhere on the current level.{{refsrc|src/artifact.c|1991-L2003|nethack=5.0.0}} This ability does not work on a [[quest nemesis]], while [[demon lords and princes]] have a chance of resisting the effect, and demons encountered in the hero's quest branch have a much greater chance of resisting if the hero's nemesis is alive.{{refsrc|src/artifact.c|1981-L1989|nethack=5.0.0}} Demonbane also has no effect on the monster summoning that occurs when sitting on the [[throne]] in [[Vlad's Tower]], which behaves similarly to the summon nasties spell.
 Lawful demon princes will be generated as [[hostile]] if the hero is wielding Demonbane during level creation, preventing the hero from [[Bribe#Bribing in Gehennom|bribing]] them&mdash;a lawful demon prince that is generated peaceful will become hostile instead of asking for a bribe if they approach a hero wielding Demonbane.

@@ Line 30: / Line 30: @@
 ==Strategy==
-{{recent|NetHack 5.0.0|Changes to base type, Cleric association and invoke ability alter the strategy entirely}}
+{{recent|NetHack 5.0.0|Changes to base type, Cleric association and invoke ability alter the strategy entirely.}}
 Demonbane's [[silver]] base item and gating-blocking ability makes it especially powerful as a [[Bane]] against major demons, particularly from the [[Valley of the Dead]] onward, and being silver gives it some further applicability against [[Vampire (monster class)|vampires]] and [[werecreature]]s as well. The artifact will also have a minimum enchantment of +3 if it is generated in the possession of an angelic being. However, demons are also vulnerable to several other weapons, ranging from a well-enchanted [[silver saber]] to artifacts such as [[Grayswandir]] and [[Frost Brand]]&mdash;Demonbane is still a solid option against them for roles that lack access to other artifacts or certain silver weapons.