Knight - Revision history

Umbire the Phantom: /* Knightly conduct */ clarify caitiff rule

2026-06-07T21:31:11Z

‎Knightly conduct: clarify caitiff rule

Umbire the Phantom: /* Knightly conduct */ word choice

2026-04-27T04:17:40Z

‎Knightly conduct: word choice

Umbire the Phantom: /* Knightly conduct */ clarify...

2026-04-27T03:28:27Z

‎Knightly conduct: clarify...

Umbire the Phantom: /* Late game */ some detailing here

2026-04-26T22:36:00Z

‎Late game: some detailing here

Umbire the Phantom: /* Mid game */ dropped word, also notes about black dragon avoidance

2026-04-26T22:32:46Z

‎Mid game: dropped word, also notes about black dragon avoidance

Umbire the Phantom: /* Knightly conduct */ cite theft exception

2026-04-26T22:23:53Z

‎Knightly conduct: cite theft exception

Umbire the Phantom: word choice

2026-04-23T13:12:51Z

word choice

Umbire the Phantom: per my talk page

2026-01-14T22:29:39Z

per my talk page

Umbire the Phantom: Undo revision 197619 by Umbire the Phantom (talk) wrong article...

2026-01-13T15:34:48Z

Undo revision 197619 by Umbire the Phantom (talk) wrong article...

Umbire the Phantom: /* Attributes */ table-ify

2026-01-13T15:27:20Z

‎Attributes: table-ify

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 Knights follow a code of conduct that incurs a -1 penalty to [[alignment record]] for the following actions, with the accompanying messages being printed:
-* Attacking a [[sleeping]], [[paralyzed]] or [[fleeing]] monster in melee, even if the monster continues to attack while fleeing&mdash;a fleeing monster that stole an item(s) from the hero is not counted for this purpose unless they stole the item under [[conflict]], started fleeing after charming the hero into handing over their armor, or else started fleeing after ending the hero's punishment by stealing a heavy iron ball from them.{{refsrc|src/steal.c|165-L170|nethack=3.6.7}}{{refsrc|src/steal.c|458-L461|nethack=3.6.7}} Monsters putting on armor or items (e.g., "the soldier puts on a crested helmet") are considered to be paralyzed. Projectiles, wands and spells do not incur a penalty.{{message|You caitiff!}}
+* Attacking a [[sleeping]], [[paralyzed]] or [[fleeing]] monster, either in melee or by [[pounding]] at them&mdash;this applies even if the monster continues to attack while fleeing. A fleeing monster that stole an item(s) from the hero is not counted for this purpose unless they stole the item under [[conflict]], started fleeing after charming the hero into handing over their armor, or else started fleeing after ending the hero's punishment by stealing a heavy iron ball from them.{{refsrc|src/steal.c|165-L170|nethack=3.6.7}}{{refsrc|src/steal.c|458-L461|nethack=3.6.7}} Monsters putting on armor or items (e.g., "the soldier puts on a crested helmet") are considered to be paralyzed. Projectiles, wands and spells do not incur a penalty.{{message|You caitiff!}}
 * [[Eating]] while [[satiated]].{{message|You feel like a glutton!}}
 * [[Digging]] down in a [[shop]], if the [[shopkeeper]] is alive.{{message|You feel like a common thief.}}

@@ Line 68: / Line 68: @@
 Knights follow a code of conduct that incurs a -1 penalty to [[alignment record]] for the following actions, with the accompanying messages being printed:
-* Attacking a [[sleeping]], [[paralyzed]] or [[fleeing]] monster in melee, even if the monster continues to attack while fleeing&mdash;a fleeing monster that stole an item(s) from the hero is not counted for this purpose unless they were under [[conflict]], started fleeing after charming the hero into handing over their armor, or else started fleeing after ending the hero's punishment by stealing a heavy iron ball from them.{{refsrc|src/steal.c|165-L170|nethack=3.6.7}}{{refsrc|src/steal.c|458-L461|nethack=3.6.7}} Monsters putting on armor or items (e.g., "the soldier puts on a crested helmet") are considered to be paralyzed. Projectiles, wands and spells do not incur a penalty.{{message|You caitiff!}}
+* Attacking a [[sleeping]], [[paralyzed]] or [[fleeing]] monster in melee, even if the monster continues to attack while fleeing&mdash;a fleeing monster that stole an item(s) from the hero is not counted for this purpose unless they stole the item under [[conflict]], started fleeing after charming the hero into handing over their armor, or else started fleeing after ending the hero's punishment by stealing a heavy iron ball from them.{{refsrc|src/steal.c|165-L170|nethack=3.6.7}}{{refsrc|src/steal.c|458-L461|nethack=3.6.7}} Monsters putting on armor or items (e.g., "the soldier puts on a crested helmet") are considered to be paralyzed. Projectiles, wands and spells do not incur a penalty.{{message|You caitiff!}}
 * [[Eating]] while [[satiated]].{{message|You feel like a glutton!}}
 * [[Digging]] down in a [[shop]], if the [[shopkeeper]] is alive.{{message|You feel like a common thief.}}

@@ Line 68: / Line 68: @@
 Knights follow a code of conduct that incurs a -1 penalty to [[alignment record]] for the following actions, with the accompanying messages being printed:
-* Attacking a [[sleeping]], [[paralyzed]] or [[fleeing]] monster in melee, even if the monster continues to attack while fleeing&mdash;a fleeing monster that stole an item(s) from the hero is not counted for this purpose, provided that they were not under [[conflict]] and are not fleeing after ending the hero's punishment by stealing a heavy iron ball.{{refsrc|src/steal.c|458-L461|nethack=3.6.7}} Monsters putting on armor or items (e.g., "the soldier puts on a crested helmet") are considered to be paralyzed. Projectiles, wands and spells do not incur a penalty.{{message|You caitiff!}}
+* Attacking a [[sleeping]], [[paralyzed]] or [[fleeing]] monster in melee, even if the monster continues to attack while fleeing&mdash;a fleeing monster that stole an item(s) from the hero is not counted for this purpose unless they were under [[conflict]], started fleeing after charming the hero into handing over their armor, or else started fleeing after ending the hero's punishment by stealing a heavy iron ball from them.{{refsrc|src/steal.c|165-L170|nethack=3.6.7}}{{refsrc|src/steal.c|458-L461|nethack=3.6.7}} Monsters putting on armor or items (e.g., "the soldier puts on a crested helmet") are considered to be paralyzed. Projectiles, wands and spells do not incur a penalty.{{message|You caitiff!}}
 * [[Eating]] while [[satiated]].{{message|You feel like a glutton!}}
 * [[Digging]] down in a [[shop]], if the [[shopkeeper]] is alive.{{message|You feel like a common thief.}}

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 There are many routes for offense that a late game Knight can take, some of which can overlap with enough savvy or foresight from the player:
-* Excalibur remains a stellar weapon as ever, only potentially being outperformed by [[Frost Brand]] and [[Grayswandir]], and as mentioned earlier can be twoweaponed with weapons such as a lance, a [[silver saber]] or a [[silver spear]]. Knights planning to bribe their way past [[Asmodeus]] and/or [[Baalzebub]] should unwield them before potentially entering their lairs&mdash;a demon prince that is generated or warps to demand a bribe while the hero wields Excalibur will immediately turn hostile.
+* Excalibur remains as stellar of a weapon as ever, with it only potentially being outperformed by [[Frost Brand]] and [[Grayswandir]]&mdash;as mentioned earlier, it can also be paired for two-weapon combat with weapons such as a lance, a [[silver saber]] or a [[silver spear]]. Knights planning to bribe their way past [[Asmodeus]] and/or [[Baalzebub]] should unwield them before potentially entering their lairs&mdash;a demon prince that is generated or warps to demand a bribe while the hero wields Excalibur will immediately turn hostile.
-* Knights with Expert in lances and a very fast mount can deal severe damage to monsters such as minotaurs, dragons and high-level demons through jousting and pounding, potentially without losing a single hit point.
+* Knights with Expert in lances and a very fast mount can deal severe damage to monsters such as minotaurs, dragons and high-level demons through jousting and pounding, possibly without losing a single hit point in the process.
 * Knights seeking to maintain steeds throughout the entire game will find [[Gehennom]] to be the most difficult challenge in that regard. [[Ki-rin]] are among the most likely candidates to last through Gehennom, and may perhaps be the only ones that can survive the branch consistently: they do not require feeding, have stellar AC, can haste and heal themselves, and Knights will not lower their tameness by mounting one. Unfortunately, they are very hard to obtain, with the best option to do so being a [[wish]] for a blessed ki-rin [[figurine]] that has a {{frac|4|5}} chance of turning into a tamed ki-rin&mdash;they are also not immune to [[death ray]]s and [[disintegration]], and their lack of poison resistance will likely spell their doom on levels such as the [[Plane of Fire]] (where the hero must avoid [[poison cloud]] plumes).
-* Knights that begin investing in spellcasting in the mid-game can amass a formidable array of spells, and their high wisdom naturally lends itself to a large [[energy]] pool. The Magic Mirror allows a knight with a well-trained {{+ of|magic missile}} to deal massive damage at a distance. However, their energy regeneration is as slow as most other heroes (with the exception of [[Priest]]s and [[Wizard]]s that have obtained their quest artifacts)&mdash;spellcasting Knights should conserve their spells for the moments when they are most effective. Additionally, the [[Wizard of Yendor]] can steal quest artifacts and will gain magic resistance from the Mirror, so stashing it may usually be the safer option. One potential means to alleviate this is obtaining [[The Mitre of Holiness]], the Priest quest artifact, though this often requires an artifact wish.
+* Knights that begin investing in spellcasting in the mid-game can amass a formidable array of spells, and their high wisdom means that most late-game knights will have a large [[energy]] pool. The Magic Mirror allows a Knight with a well-trained {{+ of|magic missile}} to deal massive damage at a distance. However, their energy regeneration is on the slower side compared to [[Priest]]s and [[Wizard]]s (especially those that have obtained their quest artifacts)&mdash;spellcasting Knights should conserve their spells for the moments when they are most effective. Additionally, the [[Wizard of Yendor]] can steal quest artifacts and will gain magic resistance from the Mirror, so stashing it may usually be the safer option when fighting him. One potential means to alleviate this is obtaining [[The Mitre of Holiness]], the Priest quest artifact, though this often requires an artifact wish.
-{{upcoming|NetHack 3.7.0|Ki-rins have poison resistance, and are not considered [[animal]]s&mdash;they can also cure status ailments for themselves by using their horns, similar to [[unicorn]]s and [[Unicorn horn|their horns]].}}
+{{upcoming|NetHack 3.7.0|Ki-rins have poison resistance, and are not considered [[animal]]s&mdash;they can also cure status ailments for themselves by using their horns, similar to [[unicorn]]s and [[Unicorn horn|their horns]].
 ==History==

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 ===Mid game===
-Excalibur is more than sufficient to carry most Knights throughout the entire game once the artifact decently enchanted. Some Knights may also decide to joust long-term with their lance after gaining sufficient skill and [[luck]], obtaining a [[luckstone]] if they haven't already, and may even [[twoweapon]] their lance in the offhand with Excalibur; improving [[carrying capacity]] is also highly recommended due to the lance's weight. Alignment record is more easily recovered by this point, so violations of conduct are often considered an annoyance at worst&mdash;taking fewer penalties (or even none) is still ideal, but there is much more room for error. Similarly, Knights that seek to start spellcasting at this juncture should be able to build up a cache of holy water for use on spellbooks, and may be more capable of adjusting their worn armor without sacrificing as much AC (provided item generation is in their favor).
+Excalibur is more than sufficient to carry most Knights throughout the entire game once the artifact is decently enchanted. Some Knights may also decide to joust long-term with their lance after gaining sufficient skill and [[luck]], obtaining a [[luckstone]] if they haven't already, and may even [[twoweapon]] their lance in the offhand with Excalibur; improving [[carrying capacity]] is also highly recommended due to the lance's weight. Alignment record is more easily recovered by this point, so violations of conduct are often considered an annoyance at worst&mdash;taking fewer penalties (or even none) is still ideal, but there is much more room for error. Similarly, Knights that seek to start spellcasting at this juncture should be able to build up a cache of holy water for use on spellbooks, and may be more capable of adjusting their worn armor without sacrificing as much AC (provided item generation is in their favor).
 The stun inflicted from a joust can keep monsters off-balance as well, usually knocking them into pounding range; [[invisibility]] or displacement can aid in keeping hostile monsters wandering aimlessly and staying (or straying) into range of further pounds. Even once a Knight has secured enough luck, they may want to reserve their lance for stronger opponents in order to further minimize the odds of it breaking, while using their primary weapon to handle weaker hostiles. [[Soldier]]s are sometimes generated with lances, making [[barracks]] such as those in [[Fort Ludios]] and the [[Castle]] good places to look for a replacement or spare lance.
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 Whether or not the hero commits to using a lance or even riding a steed, stashing any treasure and other excess items is an especially good idea for Knights in particular: maximizing speed is extremely important for combat from this point forward, both to keep jumping available as an option and to either evade foes or run them down before they can deal too much damage. A [[bag of holding]] can easily do most of the work in that regard. If you opt to press on while encumbered, be prepared to shed excess items (e.g. stashing them in a [[sack]] that can be dropped at a moment's notice) when dealing with particularly troublesome enemies. The quest nemesis [[Ixoth]] is easily among the tougher hostiles a Knight will face in general&mdash;although he can be dealt with using [[Elbereth]], paralysis or jousting, his [[Monster spell|spellcasting]] ability is annoying to handle without magic resistance, and may warrant heading to the Castle first.
-For dedicated Knight riders, [[black dragon]]s are likely the worst threat they can encounter&mdash;even if a hero has [[disintegration resistance]] or [[reflection]] for their [[disintegration]] [[breath]] weapons, the vast majority of mounts cannot, and losing a steed to disintegration usually means losing the saddle as well. One of the better tactics to avoid this is to have a means of detecting the dragon beforehand (e.g. via [[Dragonbane]] or [[monster detection]]), use your mount's speed to close in while avoiding their line of fire, and then defeat them in melee using jousting, Excalibur or your other main weapon of choice. This can also be used to deal with Ixoth by drawing him to your position (typically via the cursed [[potion of invisibility]]) and then repeatedly jousting him, which is most effective on a warhorse or faster steed with Expert in lances.
+For dedicated Knight riders, [[black dragon]]s are likely the worst threat they can encounter&mdash;even if a hero has [[disintegration resistance]] or [[reflection]] for the dragons' [[disintegration]] [[breath]] weapons, the vast majority of mounts cannot obtain either property, and losing a steed to disintegration often means losing the saddle as well. Among the very few exceptions, [[Centaur (monster class)|centaurs]] can be given an [[amulet of reflection]] or [[shield of reflection]], while [[silver dragon]]s are naturally reflective owing to their scales. Depending on the circumstances, it may be most prudent to dismount your steed temporarily in order to get ahead of such threats to their well being.
 {{upcoming|NetHack 3.7.0|As mentioned earlier in commit f057ef5, clerical spells for Knights do not apply any spellcasting penalties from body armor, allowing them to more flexibly cast the {{+ of|protection}}, {{+ of|create monster}} and {{+ of|remove curse}} spells.
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 Per {{commit|da859c5eb88e17d04ec2bb37e2c12842e9f4c4a9}}, soldiers will not generate with lances.
-Per {{commit|a1d5464fa7daf58bc5067a720b21747cae6d0782}}, the Knight quest's home level will often generate one or more peaceful saddled warhoses, which can serve as backup steeds should something happen to the hero's steed.}}
+Per {{commit|a1d5464fa7daf58bc5067a720b21747cae6d0782}}, the Knight quest's home level will often generate one or more peaceful saddled warhoses, which can serve as backup steeds should something happen to the hero's steed.
 ===Late game===

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 |}
-The following table summarizes the starting [[HP]] and [[energy]] values for Knights, as well as their bonuses upon gaining an experience level:
+Knights start with 16 [[HP]] and 3-6 [[Pw]].
 ==Skills==

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 ! class="unsortable" | HP (d8 + ''x'')
 ! class="unsortable" | Energy (minimum)
-! class="unsortable" | HP (''x'' + 0)
+! class="unsortable" | HP (''x'' + 2)
 ! class="unsortable" | Energy (minimum)
 |-
 | 14
-| 8
+| 2-5
 | [[Human (starting race)|human]]
 | 2