Athame
) 
| |
|---|---|
| Name | athame |
| Appearance | athame |
| Damage vs. small | 1d4 |
| Damage vs. large | 1d3 |
| To-hit bonus | +2 |
| Weapon skill | dagger |
| Size | one-handed |
| Base price | 4 zm (+10/positive enchant) |
| Weight | 10 |
| Material | iron |
An athame is a type of weapon that appears in NetHack. It is a one-handed, non-stackable weapon that uses the dagger skill, and is made of iron.
The athame is the base item for the artifact Magicbane.
Contents
Generation
Athames are not randomly generated.
A master lich has an effective 6⁄91 chance of being generated with an athame.[1] An arch-lich has an effective 2⁄9 chance of being generated with an athame, which has a 1⁄4 chance of being erosion-proofed and will have its enchantment raised by 1-3 points if it is below +2[2] - there is a 1⁄13 chance to call the function for making the weapon into an artifact if possible, meaning an arch-lich has a 1⁄1170 chance (less than ~0.086%) of generating with Magicbane, the only artifact that can be generated in this manner.[3]
Player monster wizards, including Newt from the Wizard quest and those on the Astral Plane, have a 3⁄8 chance to force an athame as their initial weapon.[4][5]
Description
Engraving with a non-cursed athame will not dull the weapon - an athame can engrave up to 19 letters per turn, with up to 9 letters possible in one action. As with other weapons, an athame cannot engrave if its enchantment is -3 or lower.
Strategy
Athames are very weak as weapons, but are exceptionally suited for engraving Elbereth; Magicbane is considered valuable for this as well as its curse resistance and other valuable effects. The item's rarity typically means that a mass majority of characters, especially non-atheist Wizards, will encounter Magicbane long before they ever see a regular athame - an athame found in a bones file is usually one that would be Magicbane if the character that found it had not already obtained Magicbane themselves; it is also likely to be cursed. Be sure to mind the beatitude of any athame you attempt to engrave with in order to avoid being occupied (and helpless) for more turns than intended.
History
The athame first appears in NetHack 3.0.3. From this version to NetHack 3.2.3, Wizards start each game with a +1 athame.[6] The influential Wizard Patch changes the starting weapon to the stronger-but-less-utilitarian quarterstaff, and may have been done to compensate for the Wizard's increased power from the redesigned spellcasting system, which allowed virtually unlimited casting of spells - the patch is merged completely into the mainline in NetHack 3.3.0.[7]
Origin
An athame (or athamé) is a ceremonial blade with a generally-black handle that is the main ritual implement or magical tool among several used in ceremonial magic traditions, including neo-pagan and Satanic traditions as well as modern witchcraft. A black-handled knife called an arthame appears in certain versions of the Key of Solomon, a grimoire dating back to the Renaissance.
The contemporary use of the athame as a ceremonial tool was started by the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn in the early 20th century, for the use of banishing rituals, and was later adopted by Wiccans, Thelemites and Satanists. The athame is also mentioned in the writings of Gerald Gardner in the 1950s, who claimed it to be the most important ritual tool of the New Forest Coven - it is speculated that his interest and expertise in antique swords and knives may have contributed to the tool's central importance in modern Wicca. Modern occultism regards the athame as one of the four elemental tools, traditionally standing for fire for witches and air for ceremonial magicians.
Contrary to popular belief, athames are not required to have double-edged blades or specially-coloured handles, though contemporary magical practitioners often choose a double-edged blade for symbolic meaning - the athame is also not used for any form of cutting or weaponry, and in fact may have blunted tips to prevent accidental wounds. Its primary function is to trace pentagrams and circles in preparation for rituals: in NetHack, this translates into a blade suitable for making engravings. For open rituals in public places, a ritual wand or staff is used in place of an athame, since there may be legal complications involved with public use of swords and daggers even when the edges have been dulled.
Variants
SLASH'EM
In SLASH'EM, Firewall and Deep Freeze are artifact athames that act as the first sacrifice gift for the Flame Mage and Ice Mage, respectively.
Player monster flame mages, ice mages, and necromancers have a 3⁄8 chance of forcing an athame as their initial weapon.[8]
The Guild of Disgruntled Adventurers generates two each of player monster flame mages, ice mages, necromancers, and wizards, making it very likely that a character will find at least one athame there.
dNetHack
In dNetHack, Wizards start the game with a -1 athame. Athames are the most useful weapons for inscribing wards.
The Pen of the Void is an artifact athame that acts as the first sacrifice gift and quest artifact of the Binder, and is quite useful in engraving the seals required to bind spirits of the Void. The Pen deals double damage after the Quest is completed, and has additional effects if spirits are bound into the weapon itself.
Encyclopedia entry
The consecrated ritual knife of a Wiccan initiate (one of
four basic tools, together with the wand, chalice and
pentacle). Traditionally, the athame is a double-edged,
black-handled, cross-hilted dagger of between six and
eighteen inches length.
References
- ↑ src/makemon.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 728
- ↑ src/makemon.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 730
- ↑ src/makemon.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 732
- ↑ src/mplayer.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 188
- ↑ src/mplayer.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 245
- ↑ u_init.c in NetHack 3.2.0, line 156: no source for 3.2.3 on the wiki
- ↑ u_init.c in NetHack 3.3.0, line 161
- ↑ mplayer.c in SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2, line 220
