Axe
) 
| |
|---|---|
| Name | axe |
| Appearance | axe |
| Damage vs. small | 1d6 |
| Damage vs. large | 1d4 |
| To-hit bonus | +0 |
| Weapon skill | axe |
| Size | one-handed |
| Base price | 8 zm (+10/positive enchant) |
| Weight | 60 |
| Material | iron |
An axe is a type of weapon that appears in NetHack. It is a one-handed melee weapon that is made of iron, and can be applied to chop doors and trees - axes can also be thrown without a to-hit penalty.
Eating a non-blessed tin while wielding an axe will use the weapon to open it in six turns at most.[1]
Contents
Generation
Barbarians have a 1⁄2 chance of starting the game with an axe as their secondary weapon.[2]
Axes make up about 4% of randomly generated weapons (on the floor, as death drops, or in shops). In addition to random generation, weapon shops and general stores can stock axes.
Ninja have a 1⁄4 chance of being generated with an axe. [3] Live dwarves that are generated with a dwarvish short sword have a 1⁄4 chance of generating with an axe.[4]
Axe skill
| Axe | |
|---|---|
| Max | Role |
| Basic | |
| Skilled | |
| Expert | |
Both the axe and the battle-axe use the axe skill. Cleaver is an artifact weapon battle-axe.
Axe-type weapons deal +d4 damage versus wood golems.[5] Any axe-type weapon can be applied to chop in a specified direction, attacking a monster in that direction or chopping through a door or a tree - the process of chopping with an axe is similar to digging with a pick-axe or dwarvish mattock, and shop doors cannot be destroyed by chopping. Felling a tree this way has a 1⁄5 chance of generating a fruit comestible, independent of the odds of kicking fruit from a tree.
Chopping down a tree has a 1⁄5 chance of generating a random fruit item, even if you already got fruit from the tree by kicking it.[6]
Strategy
An axe is an unremarkable weapon in terms of damage, but is very useful as a means of breaking through locked doors if you lack an unlocking tool. Applying an axe to a door is a safer way to break one than kicking, since it cannot accidentally destroy shop doors and incur a 400-zorkmid bill for damages. Do not attempt to chop through doors and trees in view of a Minetown watchman, or you will instantly anger them.
Messages
- This door seems too hard to chop through.
- You attempted to apply an axe to a shop door.
- Halt, vandal! You're under arrest!
- A watchman saw you chop into a tree with an axe.
Variants
SLASH'EM
In SLASH'EM, Giantkiller is an artifact axe that replaces Giantslayer from NetHack.
Encyclopedia entry
"For ev'ry silver ringing blow,
Cities and palaces shall grow!"
"Bite deep and wide, O Axe, the tree,
Tell wider prophecies to me."
"When rust hath gnaw'd me deep and red,
A nation strong shall lift his head.
"His crown the very Heav'ns shall smite,
Aeons shall build him in his might."
"Bite deep and wide, O Axe, the tree;
Bright Seer, help on thy prophecy!"
