Sunsword

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)   Sunsword   (No tile)
Base item long sword
Damage vs. small 1d8 x2
Damage vs. large 1d12 x2
To-hit bonus +1d5
Bonus versus undead
Weapon skill long sword
Size one-handed
Affiliation
When carried

(none)

When wielded
When invoked

(none)

Base price 1500 zm
Weight 40
Material iron

Sunsword is an artifact long sword. It is lawful and does +1d5 to hit and double damage to undead monsters; L, M, V, W, Z, ghosts and shades, and prevents blinding from lights. It also acts as a light source with a radius based on beautitude: 3 if blessed, 2 if uncursed, 1 if cursed. It becomes lit when wielded, and unlit when unwielded. It also repels gremlins and deals extra 1d8 damage to them when lit.[1]

Generation

It has a 50% chance of being generated in the initial inventory of an Archon, and a 5% chance of being generated with an Angel or Aleax.

Light radius

Sunsword provides light around the character (or monster) it's being wielded by. The radius depends on BUC; it is 3 if blessed, 2 if uncursed, and 1 if cursed.[2]

...........
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....xxx....
...xxxxx...
..xxxxxxx..
..xxx@xxx..
..xxxxxxx..
...xxxxx...
....xxx....
...........
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...........
...........
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....xxx....
...xxxxx...
...xx@xx...
...xxxxx...
....xxx....
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...........
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....xxx....
....x@x....
....xxx....
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x represents the squares lit by Sunsword.

Messages

Sunsword begins to shine [dimly/brightly/brilliantly]!
You wielded Sunsword, and it is now giving off light.
Sunsword stops shining.
You unwielded Sunsword.
Sunsword shines [brighter/less brightly].
The BUC status of Sunsword changed while being wielded.

Strategy

Sunsword's use as a light source is generally more important than its damage bonus (although players attempting the genocideless conduct may find it useful against L). By virtue of being a longsword, its base damage numbers are good, making it a reasonable weapon choice in the absence of a better artifact, provided you can get skill in longsword. The double damage versus undead may be of interest to Priests, who face many undead on their quest, and anyone passing through the Valley of the Dead.

History

The effects on gremlins were added in 3.6.2.

SLASH'EM

In SLASH'EM, the light radius is always 2, and will not change if blessed or cursed. The weapon is otherwise identical, but it becomes a much better option for lawfuls in SLASH'EM. There are two reasons for this. The first is that it is quite easy for most lawfuls to obtain. A high-level lawful who sacrifices at an altar will eventually obtain a minion carrying it, and the chances of obtaining minions do not decrease, as they do for sacrifice gifts. Said minion can be easily and safely disarmed with a bullwhip. Secondly, undead are far more dangerous in SLASH'EM. Spellcasting vampire and ghoul mages, fast and hard-hitting gugs, regenerating troll mummies, and other new undead monsters make Sunsword's comparatively limited range of double damage more useful than in vanilla nethack.

Note that if you twoweapon this sword, it will not provide light if wielded in your off-hand.

SLASH'EM also adds the Holy Spear of Light, which functions similarly, but also has the ability to permanently illuminate an area around the player, damaging undead in the process.

Encyclopedia entry

What you seek is a blade of light,
a weapon for vengeance.

[ Expedition to Castle Ravenloft,
by Bruce Cordell and James Wyatt ]

References

This page may need to be updated for the current version of NetHack.

It may contain text specific to NetHack 3.6.1. Information on this page may be out of date.

Editors: After reviewing this page and making necessary edits, please change the {{nethack-361}} tag to the current version's tag or {{noversion}} as appropriate.