Dwarvish mattock
) 
| |
|---|---|
| Name | dwarvish mattock |
| Appearance | broad pick |
| Damage vs. small | 1d12 (1-12) |
| Damage vs. large | 1d8+2d6 (3-20) |
| To-hit bonus | −1 |
| Weapon skill | pick-axe |
| Size | two-handed |
| Base price | 50 zm (+10/positive enchant) |
| Weight | 120 |
| Material | iron |
A dwarvish mattock is a type of weapon that appears in NetHack. It is a two-handed weapon-tool that is made of iron and uses the pick-axe skill, and appears as a broad pick when unidentified.
Contents
Generation
Dwarvish mattocks make up about 1.3% of all randomly generated weapons.
In addition to random generation, weapon shops and general stores can stock dwarvish mattocks.
Live dwarves have an effective 1⁄8 chance of being generated with a dwarvish mattock.[1] Watchmen and soldiers can also generate with dwarvish mattocks.[2][3]
The following information pertains to an upcoming version (NetHack 3.7.0). If this version is now released, please verify that it is still accurate, then update the page to incorporate this information.
Mattocks no longer generate as starting weapons on watchmen and soldiers.[4]Description
As with a pick-axe, a dwarvish mattock can be applied or wielded to dig through walls or floors, as well as break boulders and statues; shopkeepers will also prevent you from entering a shop with a mattock in your inventory. Buying or selling a dwarvish mattock will auto-identify it, as will attempting to enter a shop with one, or else removing it from a container in your inventory while inside.
Strategy
A dwarvish mattock can be an effective weapon, as it deals far more damage than a pick-axe, especially against larger monsters - it is also much heavier and requires both hands free to wield, and their -1 to-hit penalty can make hitting with one difficult early in the game until you boost your Luck Archeologists planning to utilize a mattock as their primary weapon can use their starting pick-axe and train to Skilled to offset the penalty.
As with a pick-axe, applying a mattock to wield it does not use up a turn, which can be advantageous when combined with other wielded items: as an example, you can apply a bullwhip at a monster to disarm it, then immediately attack on your next turn by applying a mattock, without having to take a turn to wield it.
Enchanted mattocks are among the best naturally-occurring weapons that can be given to a strong pet with a weapon attack.
Average damage calculation
The average damage calculations in the following table do not include bonuses from weapon skills, strength, or from using a blessed weapon against undead or demons.
| Weapon | Small monster | Large monster |
|---|---|---|
| +0 dwarvish mattock |  |
|
| +7 dwarvish mattock |  |
|
Encyclopedia entry
A mattock is an agricultural tool similar to a mining pick.
It is distinguished by the head terminating in a broader blade
rather than a narrow spike, which makes it particularly suitable
for breaking up moderately hard ground. ... During the Middle
Ages of Europe, the mattock served as an improvised shafted
weapon for the poorer classes.
References
- ↑ src/makemon.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 367: a dwarf must be given a dwarvish short sword and dwarvish iron helm (1⁄4 chance) in order to have a 1⁄2 chance of a mattock
- ↑ src/makemon.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 191: eligible weapons include those from partisan to bec-de-corbin in the objects list
- ↑ src/objects.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 249: mattocks are in this range
- ↑ fix github issue #623 - soldiers and mattocks
