Difference between revisions of "Knight"

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{{Wikipedia|Knight}}
 
{{Wikipedia|Knight}}
  
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The '''Knight''' is one of the player [[role]]s in NetHack. Knights are always [[lawful]] [[human (starting race)|humans]]. According to the [[guidebook]]:
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The '''Knight''' is one of the player [[role]]s in NetHack. Knights are always [[lawful]] [[human (starting race)|humans]].
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The [[guidebook]] has relatively little to say about Knights:
  
 
{{guidebook|Knights  are  distinguished  from  the  common skirmisher by their devotion to the ideals of chivalry and  by  the  surpassing excellence of their armor.}}
 
{{guidebook|Knights  are  distinguished  from  the  common skirmisher by their devotion to the ideals of chivalry and  by  the  surpassing excellence of their armor.}}
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The starting pet is always a [[pony]] with a [[saddle]].
 
The starting pet is always a [[pony]] with a [[saddle]].
  
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==Abilities==
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==Intrinsics==
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At experience level 7, Knights gain intrinsic [[speed]].
  
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Knights can identify all weapons and non-magical armor from the beginning. They also have a special intrinsic ability to #[[jump]] like the knight piece in chess. They are able to #[[Turn undead|turn]] undead, and their special spell is {{spell of|turn undead}}.
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==Skills==
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{{Knight skill table}}
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Knights start with ''Basic'' skill in ''longsword'', ''lance'', and ''riding'', and their special spell is {{spell of|turn undead}}. Knights begin with knowledge of all weapons and non-magical armor.
  
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*At experience level 7, Knights gain intrinsic [[speed]].
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==Special Rules==
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Knights have a special intrinsic ability to #[[jump]] like the knight piece in chess, and are also able to #[[Turn undead|turn]] undead. Knights can also safely mount any steed without reducing their tameness.
  
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==Skills==
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In addition, there are special rules of conduct for a Knight:
  
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{{Knight skill table}}
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===Honor in combat===
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Knights start with ''Basic'' skill in ''Longsword'', ''Lance'', and ''Riding''.
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Knights take a −1 alignment penalty for each turn that they attack sleeping, paralyzed, or fleeing monsters in melee ("You caitiff!"), even if the monster continues to attack while fleeing. The only exceptions to this rule are monsters that just stole something. Monsters getting dressed (e.g., "the soldier puts on a crested helmet") are considered paralyzed for this purpose. Spells are not counted towards this penalty.
  
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==Quest==
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Knights also suffer this alignment penalty for using a poisoned weapon (e.g. a poisoned dart or arrow) in combat.
  
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{{main|Knight quest}}
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===Frugality in food===
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There is a −1 alignment penalty for eating while satiated. ("You feel like a glutton!")
  
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The [[quest monster]] is a [[quasit]]. The [[quest nemesis]] is a dragon called [[Ixoth]]. He is a rather tough opponent, although he can be dealt with by using [[Elbereth]] or paralysis. Knights receive [[the Magic Mirror of Merlin]] after the quest, which allows them to become powerful spellcasters.
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===Honorable shopping===
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There is a −1 alignment penalty for digging down in a shop. This does not apply if the shopkeeper has been killed. ("You feel like a common thief.")
  
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== Rank titles ==
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==Quest==
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{{main|Knight quest}}
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The Knight quest sees you fighting [[Ixoth]] for [[The Magic Mirror of Merlin]].
  
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==Rank titles==
 
The [[status line]] shows you to be one of the following ranks when you reach the specified experience level:
 
The [[status line]] shows you to be one of the following ranks when you reach the specified experience level:
  
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*XL 26–29: Seignieur/Dame
 
*XL 26–29: Seignieur/Dame
 
*XL 30: Paladin
 
*XL 30: Paladin
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==Code of conduct==
 
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There are special rules of conduct for a Knight:
 
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====Honor in combat====
 
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"You caitiff!"
 
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Knights take a −1 alignment penalty for attacking sleeping, paralyzed, or fleeing monsters (even if the monster continues to attack while fleeing) except when the monster just stole something. Monsters getting dressed (e.g., "the soldier puts on a crested helmet") are considered paralyzed.
 
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The alignment penalty occurs each turn you attack when the monster is still sleeping, paralyzed, or fleeing.
 
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If the monster is a weak one then it is a good idea to dismount and let your horse finish it; your horse will get an additional HP.
 
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Knights also suffer this alignment penalty for using a poisoned weapon (e.g. a poisoned dart or arrow) in combat.
 
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If you use spells, your alignment record will be unaffected.
 
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====Frugality in food====
 
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"You feel like a glutton!"
 
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There is a −1 alignment penalty for eating while satiated.
 
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====Honorable shopping====
 
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"You feel like a common thief."
 
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There is a −1 alignment penalty for digging down in a shop. This does not apply if the shopkeeper has been killed.
 
  
 
==Strategy==
 
==Strategy==
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===Early game===
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====Weapons====
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Since they start with a +1 long sword and can attain Expert skill with them, [[Excalibur]] is a natural goal for most early-game Knights, and should be sought out once they hit [[experience level]] 5; more cautious Knights may choose to wait until they train up their STR and CON and/or hit XL 7 for intrinsic speed. The Knight's starting lance is a useful means of ranged attack, but is also very heavy - Knights will not start with high STR and/or CON as consistently as other roles like [[Valkyrie]] and [[Samurai]], and as such may struggle with easily becoming encumbered early on. Stashing the lance may be a good idea, especially if you find a [[wand]] or other reliable ranged option.
  
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===Jumping===
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Those committed to using the lance will want to rustproof it or cover it with grease and avoid wielding it in places likely to have rust traps (e.g. most levels of the [[Gnomish Mines]]). In addition to using it at a range like most [[polearms]], attacking in melee with the lance can joust opponents, stunning them and pushing them one square away (which is the perfect range for another round of pounding). At starting [[skill]] levels, though, you will rarely succeed in jousting, so it is usually preferable to switch to your sword for melee.
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Knights can [[jump]] to get out of trouble. It costs some nutrition, but can provide an extra opportunity to engrave [[Elbereth]], or to find some stairs. Many Knights perish when they forget about this ability.
 
  
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===The horse===
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====Armor====
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One good strategy is to feed your horse 9 of your starting apples as soon as it drops an item. This will increase its tameness to the point where you will be able to mount it without slipping. Feeding it after it drops an item will also increase its [[apport]]. As the game progresses, keep in mind that many things can cause a mount attempt to fail causing you to lose 10–14 HP. Thus it is a bad idea to attempt a mount with fewer than 15 HP. You want your pony to kill some things to build more hit points and grow into a faster mount, and it is less likely to kill a monster while you are riding it. If you find a harmless monster like a yellow mold or a lichen, then dismount and let your pony dispatch it. If the sum of your mount's tameness and your XL is greater than or equal to 20, you will not slip when you remount unless there is something else causing a problem (e.g., rusted body armor).
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The Knight starts with a fuller set of armor than most - most notably including [[leather gloves]] - and their primary concern should be quickly finding better-AC armor, particularly [[boots]] and a replacement for their [[ring mail]]. Unless they are concerned about early [[#Spellcasting|spellcasting]], rustproof armor like [[mithril-coat]]s will be sufficient. [[Silver dragon scale mail]] is the preferable choice for early [[wish]]es from [[magic lamp]]s or a lucky [[fountain]] [[dip]].
  
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If your horse has been repeatedly hit and you are mounted, flee. If you aren't mounted but you have a [[magic whistle]], use it to get your horse out of danger. Obtain a [[stethoscope]] as soon as possible. If your horse is low on hit points then look for a safe place (telepathy is great for checking if there are no monsters around), remove your armor and cast healing spells on it (direction is ">" if you are riding it). If you are riding, your mount will not attack peaceful monsters such as watch captains or shopkeepers that might out-match your steed.
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====Spellcasting====
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Knights looking to start casting early will have to play more carefully than usual - [[studded leather armor]] is the most practical spellcasting-friendly armor, but has the same base AC as ring mail.
  
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As you descend below Mine Town or below DL 7, [[polymorph traps]] become a concern. If you have magic resistance, it will protect both you and your pet from transformation. A [[ring of polymorph control]] will protect you, but will not protect your pet from being changed into a random monster that will likely not take a saddle.
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====Objectives====
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The Knight's special jump can be a handy escape tool early in the game - it can provide an extra opportunity to engrave [[Elbereth]] or find some stairs, but it does cost [[nutrition]] for each jump. Between this and the starting supply consisting of low-nutrition items (whose uses are explained [[#Your Steed]] below), the first priority should be stocking up on permafood in general.
  
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===Keeping the horse fed===
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Your starting pony is likely your best asset for getting around quickly, and can finish off fleeing monsters for you in order to avoid early [[alignment record]] penalties. It is also a powerful pet in its own right and worth training until it grows up into a horse; remember that riding sets your movement speed to that of your mount, and riding a horse is equivalent to having very fast speed while unencumbered. The starting pony can also be used to liberate items from early shops with no penalty.
  
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Because pets feed mostly on the corpses of fallen monsters and few of them are vegetable, horses are harder to keep fed than other pets. One of the two primary sources of food for a horse is the food the knight gets in his initial equipment. Any vegetarian food will keep a horse fed for 4–5 times as long as it would keep you fed,{{reffunc|dogmove.c|dog_nutrition}} with exceptions for starving pets.{{reffunc|dogmove.c|dog_eat}} For that reason, do ''not'' eat carrots and apples except in an emergency; for example, being blinded in a dangerous situation, which can be remedied by eating a carrot. Lack of people food is usually not an emergency. Find other sources of food or wait until you become weak and then [[pray]]. Carrots and apples can be used to reward a horse who has stolen an item from a shop, encouraging it to steal more items, with no [[alignment record]] penalty.
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=====Training your steed=====
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:Main article: [[Riding]]
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For Knights planning to make extensive use of their steed, keep in mind that failed mounting attempts will deal 10–14 HP of damage - this is enough to finish off a sufficiently weak and/or beginning character that attempts riding too early. [[Do not pass go. Do not collect 200 zorkmids.|(Sometimes instantly!)]]. In addition, ponies are [[vegetarian]], and thus gain more nutrition from your starting food unless starving.{{reffunc|dogmove.c|dog_nutrition}}{{reffunc|dogmove.c|dog_eat}}
  
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The other primary source of food for horses is corpses from creatures like [[lichen]]s and [[mold]]s (except yellow molds).
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The tradeoff is that finding food for your steed will be somewhat more difficult; #[[chat]]ting to it regularly (using {{kbd|>}}) is ideal to monitor its status. If it ever comes close to starvation, it will also accept "people food" such as food rations. Be sure to heal a starving horse as soon as possible after feeding it; pets' maximum HP are reduced while starving, leaving them at low remaining HP once fed. If short on such food, one unorthodox method of dealing with this is to leave the level just before the horse is confused from hunger, let it go feral, and then return after the point where it would normally starve - taming the now-feral horse will reset its hunger level to satiated.
  
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Monitor your horse's hunger status by [[chat]]ting to it regularly. It is not necessary to dismount to chat with your horse, just chat in the down direction (">"). If it "whickers," it is fine, but if it "whinnies," it is hungry. If it ever comes close to starvation ("you feel worried about your horse" or "your horse is confused from hunger"), it will also accept "people food" such as food rations. You should [[healing|heal]] a starving horse as soon as possible after feeding it; a starving horse has its maximum HP reduced to one third of its original. While feeding it restores its maximum HP, the horse will still have to heal its current HP from the one-third level.
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One good early strategy is to feed your pony 9 apples as soon as it drops an item. This will increase its tameness to the point where you will be able to mount it without slipping, and also increases its [[apport]] - if the sum of your mount's tameness and your XL is greater than or equal to 20, you will not slip when you mount unless there is another problem (e.g., rusted body armor). Another is to avoid mounting your pony until it has gained a significant amount of HP, usually enough to [[grow up]] into a horse - steeds are less likely to kill monsters while being ridden, and only counterattack if a monster attack targeting you falls upon them instead. When in combat with your steed, it is best to dismount and let your horse handle weaker monsters such as [[lichen]]s and [[mold]]s (which they will gladly snack on after).
  
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If you're short on people food, one way to restore your horse's nutrition is to let it go feral.  Once a horse whinnies, you have fewer than 500 turns before it becomes confused, and 750 turns before it starves. Ideally, you want to leave the level shortly before it becomes confused and loses its max hit points, and then not return until after it would have starved. If your horse would have starved while not on the same level as you, it will become feral and hostile. Throwing appropriate food at the hostile horse will turn it into a satiated new pet. NetHack doesn't keep track of your former pet's nutrition.
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Remember that the [[saddle]] is what allows you to mount your horse and is usually very difficult to replace; be sure to bless it as soon as possible with spare potions of holy water, and see the [[riding]] and saddle articles for more detailed strategies regarding caring for your saddle. Upon descending below Mine Town or below DL 7, be especially carefuly of [[polymorph traps]]; if you have magic resistance, it will protect both you and your pet from transformation.
  
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Taming another horse by throwing it an apple is tempting but the food problem will become even more acute. Taming a third horse is definitely unwise.  Pacifying a hostile horse by throwing it food they will not eat (such as a food ration) will stop the horse from fighting you and give you an opportunity to come back later to pacify it.
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===Mid game===
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====Weapons====
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An enchanted Excalibur is more than enough to carry most Knights throughout the entire game. Some mid-level knights may decide to joust long-term after training the skill sufficiently - by this time, they will likely have found a [[luckstone]] to maintain postivie [[Luck]]. Keep in mind that due to its weight, you will want to improve your carrying capacity in some way ahead of time. Knights with Expert skill in lances will want to use their main weapon on weaker monsters to further lower the chances of the lance breaking; [[invisibility]] is a good way to keep foes off-balance and wandering aimlessly, ideally into pounding range. soldiers are sometimes generated with lances, making [[Fort Ludios]] and the [[Castle]] a perfect place to look for a replacement or spare lance.
  
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===The saddle===
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====Objectives====
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At this point, you will want to begin stashing treasure and other excess items regardless of whether or not you utilize your lance–being encumbered slows you down and bars you from jumping, and more pertinently makes difficult to evade foes or run them down before they can deal too much damage. Maximizing your speed is extremely important for combat from this point, and a [[bag of holding]] can easily do most of the work in that regard. If you make the choice to press on while encumbered, be prepared to drop excess items (e.g. stashing them in a sack) at a moment's notice when dealing with particularly troublesome enemies.
  
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The Knight's pony starts with a [[saddle]]. If your saddle becomes cursed and you aren't riding you will be unable to mount your horse, and if you are riding then you can't dismount. Reading a spell of remove curse or zapping a wand of cancellation downwards doesn't work. If it is safe to do so, praying to your god may dismount you. Zapping a wand of opening or casting knock downward will throw you from your mount and remove the saddle. Nymphs and foocubi can steal a cursed saddle from your mount, even while you are riding it. Wearing a ring of conflict may also cause your mount to throw you from the saddle, though this leaves the saddle attached to your mount.
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The [[quest nemesis]] [[Ixoth]] is a rather tough opponent—although he can be dealt with by using [[Elbereth]] or paralysis, his [[spellcasting]] ability is annoying to deal with unless you have magic resistance, and may warrant postponing the [[quest]] until after you clear the [[Castle]]. Repeatedly jousting Ixoth on a fast warhorse with expert skill is also a viable strategy for dealing with him.
  
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Once you have potions of holy water to spare it is a good idea to use one of them to bless your saddle. It is best to use your lance and speed to keep monsters that curse from ever coming in contact with you. Your saddle's worst nemesis is black dragons. By the time you meet one of them you will probably be immune to disintegration, but your mount won't be (unless it has reflection), and the saddle will suffer its fate. Saddles are nearly as difficult to replace as lances. It is usually a good idea to quickly close with black dragons while avoiding being directly in line with them, joust them and then finish them before they recover.
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====Riding====
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Black dragons are likely the worst threat any committed rider can encounter; even if you are immune to [[disintegration]], your mount won't be unless it has [[reflection]] somehow, and the saddle will end up disintegrated if hit by the dragon's breath. Your best tactic is to use your speed to close in while avoiding the dragon's line of fire and defeat them up close (e.g. with jousting or [[Excalibur]]).
  
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===The lance===
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===Late game===
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====Weapons====
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Knights with expert in lances using a very fast mount can potentially deal severe damage to minotaurs, dragons and high-level demons through jousting and pouding without losing a single hit point.
  
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The Knight requires special tactics to be successful. If it is a [[full moon]], Knights can start using the lance from the start. Otherwise, Knights should wait until they have positive luck to start [[lance|jousting]]. With positive Luck, Knights should apply the lance at range, and then attempt to joust when the monster closes to melee range. Using this tactic with expert lance skill on a very fast mount, it is possible to deal with Minotaurs, dragons and high-level demons without losing a single hit point.
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====Riding====
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By the time a player approaches [[Gehennom]], maintaining a steed (like any other pet) is likely to be more trouble than it's worth. For those still committed to riding, [[ki-rin]] are perhaps the only steeds that can be truly useful throughout Gehennom, and Knights can mount them without decreasing their tameness. However, they are unlikely to be worth the trouble for most - a [[wish]] for a blessed [[figurine]] gives an 80% chance of obtaining a ki-rin at best, and they are not immune to [[Wand of death|death]] and [[disintegration]] rays, nor will any [[reflection]] you possess save them.
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Since in the weapon charts the lance seems to do less damage than the [[long sword]] and there is no lance [[artifact weapon]], people playing Knights tend to discard the lance and rely on the long sword. However, when you account for the effects of jousting the lance causes considerably more damage than a regular long sword, and even compares favorably with Excalibur.
 
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Against a normal-sized opponent the long sword does 1d8 damage (average 4.5), while the lance causes 1d6 damage (3.5 on average) plus an additional 2d10 damage when jousting (11 on average). Thus, including [[skill]] bonuses, at Unskilled level the average damage is 3.5 + 11 × 0.2 − 2 = 3.7, at Basic 7.9, at Skilled 11.1 and at Expert it is 14.3. By comparison, [[Excalibur]] at Expert skill does 1d8+1d10+2 HP of damage for an average of 12. Against a large opponent, after factoring in jousting and skill bonuses the lance inflicts on average 4.7 HP damage at Unskilled level of expertise, 8.9 at Basic, 12.1 at Skilled and 15.3 at Expert. Excalibur does on average only 14 HP (at expert skill) against large opponents. It is true that Excalibur gets a +5 to hit bonus, but this is irrelevant for high level characters with enchanted weapons and Expert level of expertise, since they hit every round anyway.
 
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In addition, the lance allows attacking non-adjacent opponents ([[pounding]]), and a successful joust pushes the opponent one square away (possibly for another round of pounding) and stuns it. In fact, an unencumbered Knight on a fast mount with a lance is possibly the only character who can kill Demogorgon in melee combat without resorting to tricks like [[Elbereth]] or [[polymorph]]ing; on a successful joust he will not be able to attack a second time or teleport before the Knight finishes him. At high [[skill]] levels the [[lance]] is ideal for dealing with situations where you find yourself surrounded by one layer of monsters: every joust (and you will be getting a lot of them) will push a monster one [[square]] away, meaning there is one less monster who will attack you this round and possibly allowing you to slip away. At base [[skill]] levels you will rarely succeed in jousting, so if foes get next to you, [[jump]] away. As an aside: you don't get paralyzed when you apply your lance on a floating eye.
 
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Even if you use the lance as your primary weapon, it is still worth keeping [[Excalibur]]. Lances occasionally break, and Excalibur confers incidental attributes such as level drain resistance. In addition, Excalibur exhibits less variance in damage compared to the highly variable damage inflicted by jousting. Excalibur [[twoweapon]]ed with another highly enchanted weapon can also do more damage than a lance.
 
  
 
To make full use of your lance you need two things: light and speed. You will be unable to apply your lance if you cannot see your foe. Detecting it by telepathy doesn't work, so having a [[light sources|light source]] is important.
 
To make full use of your lance you need two things: light and speed. You will be unable to apply your lance if you cannot see your foe. Detecting it by telepathy doesn't work, so having a [[light sources|light source]] is important.
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====Caring for your lance====
 
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Lances can break and are difficult to replace. If your luck is positive, the probability of it breaking is very low. If it is not a full moon, you should use the lance only for [[pounding]] (not for close combat) until you can increase your luck. Once you get to Expert [[skill]] level with the lance there is no point in using it on weak monsters; shift to the sword to avoid breaking your lance. Until you can get it rustproofed (or at least covered with grease) don't wield it in places likely to have rust traps (e.g. most levels of the Gnomish Mines), unless you have a supply of [[potion of oil|potions of oil]]. Soldiers are sometimes generated with lances in their inventory, making [[Fort Ludios]] and the [[Castle]] a perfect place to look for a replacement or spare lance.
 
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===Speed===
 
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Your mount's speed is very important for a Knight. If you are faster than your opponent and you joust it, it will be unable to hit back. In this way, you can attack a monster without it ever being able to attack. Being encumbered slows you down and bars you from jumping. Fight while encumbered is a significant disadvantage; drop everything you don't need to have on hand for a combat as soon as you see a monster. At 7th level ''you'' will become fast, but this makes little difference if you are riding. Your pony will get faster when it grows into a horse, and your horse will get faster still when it grows into a warhorse.
 
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===Become invisible===
 
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Monsters will detect you only if they move adjacent, but if you stay at a distance of two squares you will remain undetected (even if carrying a light!) and they will move aimlessly while you apply your lance on them again and again until they are killed.
 
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===Riding and other steeds===
 
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:Main article: [[Riding]]
 
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When riding a non-flying monster, you cannot make use of a dust-engraved [[Elbereth]], as your steed will smudge the engraving; escaping dangerous battles with such steeds is best done by [[jumping]] and by outrunning. Allowing your pony to [[grow up]] fighting weak monsters can allow you to outrun [[soldier ants]] and [[fire ants]] later; it's more useful for your pet to get 1 MHP from killing a kobold zombie than it is for you to get 1 XP from the kill.   
 
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A mid-level knight might decide to joust after finding a [[luckstone]]; e.g. repeatedly jousting Ixoth on a fast warhorse with expert skill is a viable strategy for dealing with him. By the time a player approaches [[Gehennom]], however, maintaining a steed (like any other pet) is likely to be more trouble than it's worth, and dropping the lance can make it easier to avoid becoming encumbered.
 
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[[Ki-rin]] are perhaps the only steeds that can be truly useful throughout Gehennom, and knights are able to use them without fear of them going wild from mounting and unmounting. However, it usually costs a wish for an 80% chance at obtaining one, and ki-rin are not invincible. [[Wand of death|Death]] and [[disintegration]] rays will attempt to hit your steed instead of you 1/3 of the time, and your [[reflection]] will not save your steed. With careful play, you can often get a ki-rin to the [[Plane of Fire]] - here it is likely to succumb to the poison gas and [[fire elementals]], so make sure to have a way to survive any [[lava]] or [[moat|water]] underneath you if your steed dies while you're riding it!
 
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In [[NetHack 3.4.3]] and variants based on it, a ki-rin can wear an enchanted [[shield of reflection]] and [[amulet of life saving]], allowing it to survive the entire end game.  
 
  
 
==Variants==
 
==Variants==
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<references/>
 
<references/>
  
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{{featured}}
 
{{featured}}
 
[[Category:Roles]]
 
[[Category:Roles]]

Revision as of 23:39, 14 March 2021

Wikipedia
Wikipedia has an article about:

The Knight is one of the player roles in NetHack. Knights are always lawful humans.

The guidebook has relatively little to say about Knights:


Knights are distinguished from the common skirmisher by their devotion to the ideals of chivalry and by the surpassing excellence of their armor.


Starting equipment

The starting pet is always a pony with a saddle.

Intrinsics

At experience level 7, Knights gain intrinsic speed.

Skills

Knight skills
Max Skills
Basic
Skilled
Expert

Knights start with Basic skill in longsword, lance, and riding, and their special spell is turn undead. Knights begin with knowledge of all weapons and non-magical armor.

Special Rules

Knights have a special intrinsic ability to #jump like the knight piece in chess, and are also able to #turn undead. Knights can also safely mount any steed without reducing their tameness.

In addition, there are special rules of conduct for a Knight:

Honor in combat

Knights take a −1 alignment penalty for each turn that they attack sleeping, paralyzed, or fleeing monsters in melee ("You caitiff!"), even if the monster continues to attack while fleeing. The only exceptions to this rule are monsters that just stole something. Monsters getting dressed (e.g., "the soldier puts on a crested helmet") are considered paralyzed for this purpose. Spells are not counted towards this penalty.

Knights also suffer this alignment penalty for using a poisoned weapon (e.g. a poisoned dart or arrow) in combat.

Frugality in food

There is a −1 alignment penalty for eating while satiated. ("You feel like a glutton!")

Honorable shopping

There is a −1 alignment penalty for digging down in a shop. This does not apply if the shopkeeper has been killed. ("You feel like a common thief.")

Quest

Main article: Knight quest

The Knight quest sees you fighting Ixoth for The Magic Mirror of Merlin.

Rank titles

The status line shows you to be one of the following ranks when you reach the specified experience level:

  • XL 1–2: Gallant
  • XL 3–5: Esquire
  • XL 6–9: Bachelor
  • XL 10–13: Sergeant
  • XL 14–17: Knight
  • XL 18–21: Banneret
  • XL 22–25: Chevalier/Chevaliere
  • XL 26–29: Seignieur/Dame
  • XL 30: Paladin

Strategy

Early game

Weapons

Since they start with a +1 long sword and can attain Expert skill with them, Excalibur is a natural goal for most early-game Knights, and should be sought out once they hit experience level 5; more cautious Knights may choose to wait until they train up their STR and CON and/or hit XL 7 for intrinsic speed. The Knight's starting lance is a useful means of ranged attack, but is also very heavy - Knights will not start with high STR and/or CON as consistently as other roles like Valkyrie and Samurai, and as such may struggle with easily becoming encumbered early on. Stashing the lance may be a good idea, especially if you find a wand or other reliable ranged option.

Those committed to using the lance will want to rustproof it or cover it with grease and avoid wielding it in places likely to have rust traps (e.g. most levels of the Gnomish Mines). In addition to using it at a range like most polearms, attacking in melee with the lance can joust opponents, stunning them and pushing them one square away (which is the perfect range for another round of pounding). At starting skill levels, though, you will rarely succeed in jousting, so it is usually preferable to switch to your sword for melee.

Armor

The Knight starts with a fuller set of armor than most - most notably including leather gloves - and their primary concern should be quickly finding better-AC armor, particularly boots and a replacement for their ring mail. Unless they are concerned about early spellcasting, rustproof armor like mithril-coats will be sufficient. Silver dragon scale mail is the preferable choice for early wishes from magic lamps or a lucky fountain dip.

Spellcasting

Knights looking to start casting early will have to play more carefully than usual - studded leather armor is the most practical spellcasting-friendly armor, but has the same base AC as ring mail.

Objectives

The Knight's special jump can be a handy escape tool early in the game - it can provide an extra opportunity to engrave Elbereth or find some stairs, but it does cost nutrition for each jump. Between this and the starting supply consisting of low-nutrition items (whose uses are explained #Your Steed below), the first priority should be stocking up on permafood in general.

Your starting pony is likely your best asset for getting around quickly, and can finish off fleeing monsters for you in order to avoid early alignment record penalties. It is also a powerful pet in its own right and worth training until it grows up into a horse; remember that riding sets your movement speed to that of your mount, and riding a horse is equivalent to having very fast speed while unencumbered. The starting pony can also be used to liberate items from early shops with no penalty.

Training your steed
Main article: Riding

For Knights planning to make extensive use of their steed, keep in mind that failed mounting attempts will deal 10–14 HP of damage - this is enough to finish off a sufficiently weak and/or beginning character that attempts riding too early. (Sometimes instantly!). In addition, ponies are vegetarian, and thus gain more nutrition from your starting food unless starving.[1][2]

The tradeoff is that finding food for your steed will be somewhat more difficult; #chatting to it regularly (using >) is ideal to monitor its status. If it ever comes close to starvation, it will also accept "people food" such as food rations. Be sure to heal a starving horse as soon as possible after feeding it; pets' maximum HP are reduced while starving, leaving them at low remaining HP once fed. If short on such food, one unorthodox method of dealing with this is to leave the level just before the horse is confused from hunger, let it go feral, and then return after the point where it would normally starve - taming the now-feral horse will reset its hunger level to satiated.

One good early strategy is to feed your pony 9 apples as soon as it drops an item. This will increase its tameness to the point where you will be able to mount it without slipping, and also increases its apport - if the sum of your mount's tameness and your XL is greater than or equal to 20, you will not slip when you mount unless there is another problem (e.g., rusted body armor). Another is to avoid mounting your pony until it has gained a significant amount of HP, usually enough to grow up into a horse - steeds are less likely to kill monsters while being ridden, and only counterattack if a monster attack targeting you falls upon them instead. When in combat with your steed, it is best to dismount and let your horse handle weaker monsters such as lichens and molds (which they will gladly snack on after).

Remember that the saddle is what allows you to mount your horse and is usually very difficult to replace; be sure to bless it as soon as possible with spare potions of holy water, and see the riding and saddle articles for more detailed strategies regarding caring for your saddle. Upon descending below Mine Town or below DL 7, be especially carefuly of polymorph traps; if you have magic resistance, it will protect both you and your pet from transformation.

Mid game

Weapons

An enchanted Excalibur is more than enough to carry most Knights throughout the entire game. Some mid-level knights may decide to joust long-term after training the skill sufficiently - by this time, they will likely have found a luckstone to maintain postivie Luck. Keep in mind that due to its weight, you will want to improve your carrying capacity in some way ahead of time. Knights with Expert skill in lances will want to use their main weapon on weaker monsters to further lower the chances of the lance breaking; invisibility is a good way to keep foes off-balance and wandering aimlessly, ideally into pounding range. soldiers are sometimes generated with lances, making Fort Ludios and the Castle a perfect place to look for a replacement or spare lance.

Objectives

At this point, you will want to begin stashing treasure and other excess items regardless of whether or not you utilize your lance–being encumbered slows you down and bars you from jumping, and more pertinently makes difficult to evade foes or run them down before they can deal too much damage. Maximizing your speed is extremely important for combat from this point, and a bag of holding can easily do most of the work in that regard. If you make the choice to press on while encumbered, be prepared to drop excess items (e.g. stashing them in a sack) at a moment's notice when dealing with particularly troublesome enemies.

The quest nemesis Ixoth is a rather tough opponent—although he can be dealt with by using Elbereth or paralysis, his spellcasting ability is annoying to deal with unless you have magic resistance, and may warrant postponing the quest until after you clear the Castle. Repeatedly jousting Ixoth on a fast warhorse with expert skill is also a viable strategy for dealing with him.

Riding

Black dragons are likely the worst threat any committed rider can encounter; even if you are immune to disintegration, your mount won't be unless it has reflection somehow, and the saddle will end up disintegrated if hit by the dragon's breath. Your best tactic is to use your speed to close in while avoiding the dragon's line of fire and defeat them up close (e.g. with jousting or Excalibur).

Late game

Weapons

Knights with expert in lances using a very fast mount can potentially deal severe damage to minotaurs, dragons and high-level demons through jousting and pouding without losing a single hit point.

Riding

By the time a player approaches Gehennom, maintaining a steed (like any other pet) is likely to be more trouble than it's worth. For those still committed to riding, ki-rin are perhaps the only steeds that can be truly useful throughout Gehennom, and Knights can mount them without decreasing their tameness. However, they are unlikely to be worth the trouble for most - a wish for a blessed figurine gives an 80% chance of obtaining a ki-rin at best, and they are not immune to death and disintegration rays, nor will any reflection you possess save them.

To make full use of your lance you need two things: light and speed. You will be unable to apply your lance if you cannot see your foe. Detecting it by telepathy doesn't work, so having a light source is important.

Variants

UnNetHack

In UnNetHack, a Knight can also be a lawful dwarf. Knights carrying any body armor heavier than studded leather armor receive a weight reduction for it equal to half the difference;[3] this allows them to carry more while wearing heavy armor before becoming burdened.

SLASH'EM

See Knight/SLASH'EM.

Encyclopedia entry

Here lies the noble fearless knight,
Whose valour rose to such a height;
When Death at last had struck him down,
His was the victory and renown.
He reck'd the world of little prize,
And was a bugbear in men's eyes;
But had the fortune in his age
To live a fool and die a sage.

[ Don Quixote of La Mancha by Miquel de Cervantes Saavedra ]

References

  1. ↑ dog_nutrition in dogmove.c
  2. ↑ dog_eat in dogmove.c
  3. ↑ src/hack.c in UnNetHack revision 1465, line 3124


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