Boomerang
) | |
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Name | boomerang |
Appearance | boomerang |
Damage vs. small | 1d9 |
Damage vs. large | 1d9 |
To-hit bonus | +0 |
Weapon skill | boomerang |
Size | one-handed |
Base price | 20 zm (+10/positive enchant) |
Weight | 5 |
Material | wood |
A boomerang is a ranged weapon, designed for throwing.
When thrown, it will travel in a circular path clockwise from the direction thrown, hitting anything in its path: in most versions it will alternate with ( as it flies to show spinning. If it makes its way back to you there is a (dexterity in 20) chance of catching the boomerang; otherwise it hits you. A boomerang that is cursed or thrown while fumbling will always hit you. Boomerangs will not return if their path is blocked by a wall, or if they move over a sink. [1]
Boomerangs cannot be multishot.
When used as a melee weapon rather than thrown, a boomerang has a luck-dependent chance of breaking into splinters.[2]
Flight Patterns
When thrown, the boomerang will travel in a path represented by this chart, with a starting point represented by @.
Fire NW Fire N. Fire NE ..45... ..34... ...23.. .3..6.. .2..5.. ..1..4. .2...7. .1..6.. .@...5. ..1..8. .@..7.. .9..6.. ...@9.. ..98... ..87... ....... ....... ....... Fire W. Fire E. ..567.. ..@12.. .4...8. .9...3. .3...9. .8...4. ..21@.. ..765.. ....... ....... Fire SW Fire S. Fire SE ...78.. ..89... ..9@... ..6..9. .7..@.. .8..1.. .5...@. .6..1.. .7...2. .4..1.. .5..2.. ..6..3. ..32... ..43... ...54.. ....... ....... .......
Strategy
The exact path of the thrown boomerang is shown below in order 1-9 for each direction. Despite some redeeming features the unusual throwing mechanics make this a rarely used weapon.
However, if you are more interested in doing damage than having the weapon return, a boomerang can be effectively used over a range up to four spaces. Assume a monster is approaching you from a cardinal direction (N,S,E,W). If it approaches from the N, it can be hit at a distance of four spaces by throwing to the NW (45 degrees counter-clockwise) if there are at least two open tiles to the W. A monster at a distance of three spaces to the N can be hit by throwing to the W (90 degrees counter-clockwise) if there are three open files in that direction. Any monster can be hit at two spaces by throwing directly at it (the only available option in hallways). Monsters approaching from an ordinal direction (NE,NW,SE,SW) can also only be hit at two spaces.
Boomerangs can be effective against unicorns who will always attempt to avoid any direct line of ranged attack.
Boomerangs can be especially effective in large open spaces with crowds of monsters like the Big Room, registering multiple hits with a single toss.
Boomerang skill
Boomerang | |
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Max | Role |
Basic | |
Expert |
Boomerangs are the only weapons to use boomerang skill, and there are no artifact boomerangs.