Hits creatures as +x weapon
In SLASH'EM and SlashTHEM, monsters can have the "hits creatures as a +x weapon" property, where x is an integer from 1 to 4 - monsters with the property will hit other monsters as weapon of the described enchantment. This is derived from Dungeons & Dragons alongside the "Need +x weapon to hit" property.
Note that these two properties are given to both new monsters and monsters from vanilla. It is possible to gain the "hits monsters as a +x weapon" property through polymorph, but not the "needs +x weapon to hit" property.
Description
The "hits creatures as +x weapon" property treats the monster's attacks as coming from a weapon of a certain enchantment, with the exact level of enchantment governed using a set of flags describing that enchantment (e.g., MR_HITASONE, MR_HITASTWO and so on). A monster with a MR_HITASFOUR flag, for instance, will hit other monsters as a +3 weapon.
In combat, this property is checked against a target's enchantment resistance if the attacker is not wielding a weapon. It is also intrinsic to monsters with enchantment resistance: a monster that is not given a specific "hits as" flag 'implicitly' hit as the same enchantment of weapon that they resist[1] - e.g., the Aleax has the MR_PLUSTWO flag but no MR_HITASFOO, so Aleaxes require a +2 weapon or better to hit and hit as +2 weapons themselves.
You can gain this property by polymorphing into an appropriate monster, though this does not confer the equivalent enchantment resistance. Note that your level of this property will supersede the enchantment of any wielded weapon. Thus, a player polymorphed into an orc-captain (hits as +1) cannot hit an Aleax (needs +2 to hit) with any mundane weapon. The +2 bonus for wielding an artifact weapon still applies, though.
Weapons
Monsters can gain the ability to hit other monsters with the "needs +x weapon to hit" property by having an appropriate weapon. However, this works somewhat differently than for players:
- For non-artifact weapons, the relevant enchantment is simply the weapon's enchantment, set to 0 if it is below 0.
- For artifact weapons:
- A +0 or lower artifact weapon hits as a +1 weapon.
- A +1 or higher artifact weapon hits as a +2 weapon.
- Finally, if the monster possesses the "hits creatures as a +x weapon" property - either implicitly or explicitly - that overrides the enchantment of any weapon it is carrying, even if it is lower. Unlike for polymorphed players, the artifact bonus does not apply in this case.[2]
Note that this means artifacts are actually worse than ordinary weapons for the purposes of helping pets get through enchantment resistance: they can never help a monster hit better than a +2 weapon. Additionally, there is no point to giving a monster that possesses a non-zero "hits as +x" property an enchanted weapon to help it hit more foes, as its natural property will override that of the weapon.
To sum up with a few examples:
- A pet Archon or Solar (implicitly possesses "hit as +4") can hit anything, no matter what it's wielding.
- A pet Elvenking (possesses neither property) with a +4 dagger can hit anything.
- That same Elvenking, with the +7 Sunsword, would not be able to hit a ki-rin (has "needs +3 to hit")
- An orc-captain (explicitly possesses "hit as +1") wielding the +7 Doomblade would not even be able to hit a lich (has "needs +2 to hit")
- Similarly, a pet vampire mage (implicitly has "hit as +3") with a +7 Doomblade would not be able to hit an Archon (has "needs +4 to hit")
This fairly counterintuitive behavior may be a bug.
Strategy
The ability to hit creatures as a +x weapon is of particular relevance to pet-keepers, especially pacifists who rely on their pets being able to reliably damage and kill monsters. Doppelganger characters can also use this to gain an edge against otherwise difficult-to-hit monsters in place of weapons they are unable to enchant to the required level, or even as a possible supplement to better-enchanted weapons.
