Dirge (dNetHack) - Revision history

Umbire the Phantom: /* Description */ oop

2026-01-20T11:31:36Z

‎Description: oop

Umbire the Phantom: copyedit

2026-01-20T11:29:53Z

copyedit

Umbire the Phantom: follow-up

2025-09-01T09:46:38Z

follow-up

Klepto: Need fact checking on mutation effects. I haven't ever like, actually used dirge, but like, in commit messages we trust I guess.

2025-09-01T03:29:25Z

Need fact checking on mutation effects. I haven't ever like, actually used dirge, but like, in commit messages we trust I guess.

Umbire the Phantom: fix up template

2025-08-31T23:54:09Z

fix up template

Umbire the Phantom: establish

2025-08-31T23:51:59Z

establish

New page

{{artifact weapon
|color=metal color
|name=Dirge
|base=long sword
|smalldmg=1d8 '''x2'''
|largedmg=1d12 '''x2'''
|tohit='''+1d5'''
|bonusversus=monsters without [[poison resistance]]
|affiliation=<ul><li>[[chaotic]]</li><li>[[Knight/dNetHack|Knight]]</li><li>[[intelligent artifact]]s</li></ul>
|whenwielded=<ul><li>[[drain resistance]]</li></ul>
|cost=3000
|weight=40
|material=iron
}}
{{for|the artifact in other variants|Dirge}}
'''Dirge''' is an [[artifact]] that appears in [[dNetHack]], [[notdNetHack]] and [[notnotdNetHack]]. It is [[chaotic]]-aligned, and its [[base item]] is a '''half-melted''' [[long sword]].

==Generation==
Dirge cannot be randomly generated or [[wish]]ed for, though it can be found in [[bones]] and is a valid artifact for [[inheritance]].

A [[Knight/dNetHack|Knight]] that has permanently converted their alignment to chaotic can create Dirge by performing [[same-race sacrifice]] on a chaotic [[altar]] while their [[alignment record]] is positive, their [[god]] is not [[angry]], and they are [[wielding]] a non-artifact long sword of any size or [[Object materials (dNetHack)|material]]: the sword will be transformed into Dirge, which removes any [[erosion]] and erosion-proofing, and sets its [[enchantment]] to +0 if it was negative.

==Description==
While wielded, Dirge grants [[acid resistance]] and is permanently coated in [[acid]]: it has +1d5 [[to-hit]] and +1d10 damage bonuses against monsters without acid resistance. Dirge is also unholy, and has a separate flat bonus of +6 damage against unholy-hating monsters.
{{stub}}
{{variant-343}}
[[Category:dNetHack artifacts]]
[[Category:notdNetHack artifacts]]
[[Category:notnotdNetHack artifacts]]

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 * "Pointed claws" make Dirge deal +1x base damage against all monsters that don't resist slashing. It also makes it deal slashing and piercing damage, if it didn't previously.
 * "Mind-stealing tongue" gives Dirge the "mind-stealing blade" object property, with effects similar to a [[blade of mercy]]: a monster that is hit has a chance of lashing out at a random adjacent monster that is allied with them, subject to a resistance check versus their [[Magic resistance (monster)|MR score]]. Hostile monsters will only lash out at other hostile monsters, and peaceful or tame monsters will only lash out at other peaceful or tame monsters&mdash;a monster that lashes out will do so even if the hit from the blade of mercy/grace/pity that triggered their lashing out would kill them, with the lashing occurring just before the monster dies.
-** The monster will perform their entire attack routine when lashing out, with each attack ignoring any discouragement or buffs to encouragement and being given a damage bonus equal to {{sfrac|[[Monster level|ML]] + 5}}. If the attacking monster is alive and their lashing out kills a monster that is not a [[grudge]] target or part of an opposing faction, the attacker must also pass a check against their MR score or else they will become crazed and berserk, with a {{frac|5}} chance of becoming [[confused]] and a {{frac|10}} chance of laughing for up to 5 turns. Monsters that are [[mindless]] or negatively impact the hero's own [[sanity]] are immune to becoming insane from this effect.
+** The monster will perform their entire attack routine when lashing out, and if the attacking monster is alive and their lashing out kills a monster that is not a [[grudge]] target or part of an opposing faction, the attacker must also pass a check against their MR score or else they will become crazed and berserk, with a {{frac|5}} chance of becoming [[confused]] and a {{frac|10}} chance of laughing for up to 5 turns. Monsters that are [[mindless]] or negatively impact the hero's own [[sanity]] are immune to becoming insane from this effect.
 * Tentacle valves turns Dirge into a living weapon, making it attack on its own {{frac|insanity|100}} of the time while wielded, rolled once per turn.

@@ Line 26: / Line 26: @@
 Dirge always counts as cursed for the purposes of unholy damage vulnerability, even if it is blessed. It gains half your [[impurity]] as bonus damage and half your impurity murder score, specifically, again. It interferes with holy being's special abilities &ndash; defined here as beings that are vulnerable to unholy damage &ndash; adding 6 turns to their ability timeout on hit and has a {{frac|20}} of [[cancel]]ing the monster altogether.
-[[The Black Mother]]'s mutations have special additional effects that interact with Dirge:
+Several of [[The Black Mother]]'s mutations have additional effects that interact with Dirge:
 * Abhorrent spore grants Dirge passive tentacle attacks &ndash; the same as the goat-ridden madness &ndash; that trigger {{frac|insanity|100}} of the time while it is wielded in the main or offhand, once per turn.
-* Crawling flesh heals you by 1 hp on hit.
+* "Abhorrent spore" grants Dirge passive tentacle attacks &ndash; the same as the goat-ridden madness &ndash; that trigger {{frac|insanity|100}} of the time while it is wielded in the main or offhand, once per turn.
-* Illumination of Shub-Nugganoth increases Dirge's unholy damage from being cursed to 4d9. If Dirge is blessed, also increases holy damage to 3d7.
+* "Crawling flesh" heals you by 1 hp on hit.
-* Hairlike tendrils protects against disarming attacks from [[whip]]s. Does not protect against other effects that would leave you weaponless.
+* "Illumination of Shub-Nugganoth" increases Dirge's unholy damage from being cursed to 4d9. If Dirge is blessed, also increases holy damage to 3d7.
-* Pointed claws make Dirge deal +1x base damage against all monsters that don't resist slashing. It also makes it deal slashing and piercing damage, if it didn't previously.
+* "Hairlike tendrils" protects against disarming attacks from [[whip]]s. Does not protect against other effects that would leave you weaponless.
-* Mind-stealing tongue gives Dirge the mind-stealing blade object property, with effects similar to the conflict inducing attack of the [[Blade of Mercy]]: on hit, a monster is forced to make an attack against another monster adjacent to it that is hostile to you. If this attack was lethal, it will go insane on a failed MR save; the blade will puppet the monster's corpse to perform this attack if it had died before it could.
+* "Pointed claws" make Dirge deal +1x base damage against all monsters that don't resist slashing. It also makes it deal slashing and piercing damage, if it didn't previously.
 * Tentacle valves turns Dirge into a living weapon, making it attack on its own {{frac|insanity|100}} of the time while wielded, rolled once per turn.

@@ Line 19: / Line 19: @@
 Dirge cannot be randomly generated or [[wish]]ed for, though it can be found in [[bones]] and is a valid artifact for [[inheritance]].
-A [[Knight/dNetHack|Knight]] that has permanently converted their alignment to chaotic and isn't wearing a [[helm of opposite alignment]] can create Dirge by performing [[same-race sacrifice]] on a chaotic [[altar]] while their [[alignment record]] is positive, their [[god]] is not [[angry]] and [[wielding]] a valid weapon. As a [[malleable]] artifact, it can be made from any non-artifact weapon or [[weapon-tool]], excluding [[lightsaber]]s, with no restriction on [[Item size (dNetHack)|size]] or [[Object materials (dNetHack)|material]]. The weapon will be transformed into Dirge, repairing any [[erosion]] it had and making it [[Erosion#Erosion-proofing and repair|fix]]ed and sets its [[enchantment]] to +0 if it was negative.
+A [[Knight/dNetHack|Knight]] that has permanently converted their alignment to chaotic and isn't wearing a [[helm of opposite alignment]] can create Dirge by performing [[same-race sacrifice]] on a chaotic [[altar]] while their [[alignment record]] is positive, their [[god]] is not [[angry]] and that hero is [[wielding]] a valid weapon: as Dirge is a [[malleable]] artifact, any non-artifact weapon or [[weapon-tool]] other than a [[lightsaber]] is eligible, with no restriction on [[Item size (dNetHack)|size]] or [[Object materials (dNetHack)|material]]. If done successfully, the weapon will be transformed into Dirge, repairing any [[erosion]] it had and making it [[Erosion#Erosion-proofing and repair|fix]]ed and sets its [[enchantment]] to +0 if it was negative.
 ==Description==
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 The shifting mind mutation does not affect Dirge.
 {{variant-343}}
 [[Category:dNetHack artifacts]]
 [[Category:notdNetHack artifacts]]
 [[Category:notnotdNetHack artifacts]]

@@ Line 3: / Line 3: @@
    |name=Dirge
    |base=long sword
-   |smalldmg=1d8 '''x2'''
+   |smalldmg=1d8 '''+1d10''' '''+6'''
-   |largedmg=1d12 '''x2'''
+   |largedmg=1d12 '''+1d10''' '''+6'''
    |tohit='''+1d5'''
-   |bonusversus=monsters without [[poison resistance]]
+   |bonusversus=monsters without [[acid resistance]]
    |affiliation=<ul><li>[[chaotic]]</li><li>[[Knight/dNetHack|Knight]]</li><li>[[intelligent artifact]]s</li></ul>
-   |whenwielded=<ul><li>[[drain resistance]]</li></ul>
+   |whenwielded=<ul><li>[[acid resistance]]</li></ul>
-   |cost=3000
+   |cost=4000
    |weight=40
    |material=iron