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. They start as melee fighters with an affinity for [[riding]], and have the potential to become powerful [[spellcasting|spellcasters]] later in the game. 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 inherent ability to [[jump]], which is restricted to destinations two squares horizontally and one square vertically away, or vice versa, like the [[wikipedia:Knight (chess)|knight piece in chess]]. A knight wearing [[jumping boots]] or casting the {{spell of|jumping}} spell is not bound by these restrictions.
  
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==Skills==
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Knights may use the [[turn undead]] [[command]].
  
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{{Knight skill table}}
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Knights do not reduce the [[tameness]] of a steed when mounting it.
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Knights start with ''Basic'' skill in ''Longsword'', ''Lance'', and ''Riding''.
 
  
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==Quest==
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{{upcoming|NetHack 3.7.0|Knights now take no penalties for casting [[clerical spells]] while wearing metal body armor, similarly to [[SporkHack]].}}
  
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{{main|Knight quest}}
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Knights follow a code of conduct, and take a -1 penalty to [[alignment record]] for the following actions:
  
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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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* Attacking a sleeping, paralyzed, or fleeing monster in melee, even if the monster continues to attack while fleeing. This penalty doesn't apply if the monster has stolen from you. Monsters getting dressed (e.g., "the soldier puts on a crested helmet") are considered paralyzed for this purpose. Projectiles, wands, and spells don't apply this penalty.{{message|You caitiff!}}
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* Eating while satiated.{{message|You feel like a glutton!}}
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* Digging down in a shop, if the shopkeeper is alive.{{message|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 is typically sought out once they hit [[experience level]] 5; more cautious Knights may choose to wait until they train up their [[Attribute#Strength|STR]] and [[Attribute#Constitution|CON]] and/or gain intrinsic speed at XL 7.
  
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===Jumping===
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The Knight's starting lance is a useful means of ranged attack, but is also very heavy - Knights do not start with high STR and/or CON as consistently as other roles like [[Valkyrie]] and [[Samurai]], and can easily become [[Encumbrance|encumbered]] early on. [[Stash]]ing the lance may be a good idea, especially if you find a [[wand]] or other reliable and lighter ranged option.
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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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Attacking from range with the lance works like most [[polearms]], in that the player character must be able to see the target square; see the article on [[pounding]] for details. In addition, 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 - and it risks your hard-to-replace lance breaking - so it is usually preferable to switch to your sword for melee.
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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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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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====Armor====
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The Knight starts with a fuller set of armor than most - most notably including [[leather gloves]] - but it's not very high quality, adding up to only 7 [[AC]] total. Plumbing the [[Gnomish Mines]] for a [[mithril-coat]] and [[dwarvish iron helm]] is risky; without [[infravision]], a dark level blunts your advantages of being able to jump away from threats and pound with your lance from a distance. Upgrade when you can, using a pet to curse-test items in case they're positively enchanted, and find some sort of [[cloak]] to protect your body armor from [[rust monster]]s and [[rust trap]]s.
  
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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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====Spellcasting====
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An early-game Knight will have difficulty casting spells. You don't start the game with any, your low [[intelligence]] makes reading non-blessed [[spellbook]]s dangerous, and your starting helmet and body armor aren't conducive to spellcasting.
  
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===Keeping the horse fed===
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Knights looking to start casting early will have to play more carefully than usual. Outside of an early wish for SDSM, the next best option - [[crystal plate mail]] - is both rare and incredibly heavy. [[Studded leather armor]] is the most practical spellcasting-friendly armor, though it has the same base AC as ring mail.
  
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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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====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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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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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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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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=====Your steed=====
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:{{Main|Riding|Saddle}}
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For Knights planning to make extensive use of their steed, be sure to bless your [[saddle]] as soon as possible with spare potions of holy water, and read its article (as well as the [[riding]] article) for more detailed strategies regarding caring for your saddle.
  
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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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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!)]]
  
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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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Ponies are [[vegetarian]], and thus gain more nutrition from vegetables and fruit such as your starting food unless starving.{{reffunc|dogmove.c|dog_nutrition}}{{reffunc|dogmove.c|dog_eat}} The tradeoff is that finding more food for your steed will be somewhat more difficult; #[[chat]]ting to it regularly (using {{kbd|>}}) is ideal to monitor its status.
  
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===The saddle===
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If your pony 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 food in general, 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 have starved - taming the now-feral horse resets its hunger level to satiated.
  
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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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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).
  
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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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Another strategy is to avoid mounting your pony until it has gained a significant amount of HP, usually enough to [[grow up]] into a horse; by that point, you will likely have gained a few levels yourself. 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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===The lance===
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Upon descending past Mine Town or below DL 7, be especially careful of [[polymorph traps]]. If you have [[magic resistance]], it will protect both you and your steed from transformation. In addition, be wary of wearing an unknown [[ring of conflict]], as putting one on will cause your steed to buck you off immediately!
  
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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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===Mid game===
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====Weapons====
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A decently-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—they should find a [[luckstone]] to maintain positive [[Luck]] if they haven't already. Due to the lance's weight, improving your carrying capacity in some way ahead of time is also recommended.
  
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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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Knights with Expert skill in lances will want to use their main weapon on weaker monsters to further lower the chances of it 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 [[barracks]] such as those in [[Fort Ludios]] and the [[Castle]] good places to look for a replacement or spare lance.
  
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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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====Objectives====
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At this point, you may 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 it 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, especially if mounted—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 shed excess items (e.g. stashing them in a sack that can be dropped at a moment's notice) when dealing with particularly troublesome enemies.
  
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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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The [[quest nemesis]] [[Ixoth]] is a rather tough opponent—although he can be dealt with by using [[Elbereth]] or paralysis, his [[Monster spell|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 warhorse with expert skill is also a viable strategy for dealing with him.
  
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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.
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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, then defeat them up close (e.g., with jousting or [[Excalibur]]).
  
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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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===Late game===
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====Weapons====
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Knights with Expert skill 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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====Caring for your lance====
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If you wish to bribe [[Asmodeus]] and/or [[Baalzebub]] in [[Gehennom]], be sure to unwield Excalibur before entering their lairs - if Excalibur is wielded when a demon prince is generated or warps to demand a bribe from you, they will become hostile.
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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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====Riding====
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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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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 consistently last throughout Gehennom, and Knights can mount them without decreasing their tameness. However, players will have to decide if they are worth the risks—a [[wish]] for a blessed [[figurine]] gives an 80% chance of obtaining a tamed ki-rin at best, and despite their good natural AC they are not immune to [[Wand of death|death]] and disintegration rays, which player reflection will not save them from. In addition, their lack of poison resistance will likely spell their doom on the [[Plane of Fire]] unless the player can successfully avoid the [[poison cloud]] plumes.
  
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===Become invisible===
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{{upcoming|NetHack 3.7.0|Ki-rin now have poison resistance, and are no longer considered [[animal]]s. They also now have the ability to cure themselves using their horns, like [[unicorn horn]]s. As they do not leave corpses, they do not drop their horns either.}}
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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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===Dragons===
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====Spellcasting====
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A late-game Knight can amass a formidable array of spells and large [[energy]] pool. However, unlike a [[Priest]] or [[Wizard]], your quest artifact doesn't grant any form of energy recovery, and your natural energy regeneration is as slow as anyone else's, so conserve spells for when they'll be most effective.
  
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Because they don't have carnivorous pets eating any egg they can find, Knights have a higher chance than other roles to get dragon eggs and, once they hatch, a tame dragon as a pet. Dragons can be saddled and ridden and thus are more useful to Knights than to most other classes.
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With the Magic Mirror, a high-level Knight casting magic missile can deal over 100 damage, or more if they can arrange for their spell to rebound off a wall. This makes magic missile a potential alternative to the traditional [[wand of death]] for dispatching the [[Wizard of Yendor]] and [[high priest]] of Moloch. However, if the Wizard steals the Mirror, he gains magic resistance and complete immunity to magic missile and death rays, so keeping the Mirror in your bag is a safer option. As with all roles, don't count on a quest artifact as your only source of magic resistance.
  
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Once acquired a dragon must be grown. It will gain 1d(victim level + 1) HP every time it kills a monster. It will increase its level by one for every 8 HP gained. Therefore once the egg is hatched you should go to lower dungeon levels and avoid killing monsters but let the dragon do it (dismount if you are riding it).
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==Variants==
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===SLASH'EM===
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When growing your dragon, you should note:
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See [[Knight/SLASH'EM]].
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*A mounted pet will attack any monster whatever his level when the monster's attack goes astray and falls on the pet instead of you
 
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*An unmounted pet will attack any monster on its own initiative, provided that the monster's level is not two or more above that of the pet. Also, monsters don't attack unmounted pets unless attacked first.
 
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*When riding you get better control of your pet's whereabouts, what it is engaging and when. Nothing is more frustrating than having a dragon get killed because it engaged the Oracle or the watch captain at a moment when it was low on HP.
 
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*Because your mount is only targeted by "stray attacks", the danger of it getting killed is less when mounted than when dismounted where it will have to fight monsters alone without your assistance and getting the full share of their blows.
 
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*If you are riding there will be almost no chance of you becoming separated (e.g. due to a trap door or a level teleport trap) from your mount.
 
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You have to decide if you will change mounts from horse to dragon.
 
  
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Pros:
 
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*Dragons can reach level 22 and 176 HP
 
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*They have the same immunities (poison, disintegration, electricity) as other dragons of the same species.
 
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*Dragons can fly, allowing the Knight to cross obstacles impassable to horses. Also, burdened Knights no longer need to dismount before going downstairs.
 
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*They are carnivorous and thus easier to keep fed. (This also means that they will gladly eat up any safe fleshy corpse you ride over unless they're already eating).
 
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Cons:
 
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*Dragons are quite slow compared to horses (and especially warhorses), so when mounted you will travel at its speed. Indeed it is faster to walk while being intrinsically fast. Make sure to [[zap]] it with a [[wand of speed monster]] to improve this somewhat.
 
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*You will also have to decide what to do with your horse. It may steal kills from your much slower dragon, preventing its growth.
 
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An excellent option for a Knight is a [[ki-rin]], giving you the best of both worlds; ki-rin are fast, fly, don't eat, and will heal themselves. As Knights do not decrease tameness when they mount something, they do not have the problem other classes have of keeping the ki-rin tame. Furthermore, ki-rin will resist [[conflict]] (unless level drained), so they will not buck you while you are riding. The hard part is to get a tame ki-rin; they're rare and have a high magic resistance; that makes them hard to tame even if you do find one, and your best bet of getting a tame ki-rin is to spend a wish on a blessed figurine of one. Beware of letting your ki-rin attack fire elementals on the Plane of Fire. You will probably need to find a way to let it heal on the Astral Plane.
 
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==Variants==
 
 
===UnNetHack===
 
===UnNetHack===
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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;{{refsrc|src/hack.c|3124|unnethack=1465}} this allows them to carry more while wearing heavy armor before becoming burdened.
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In [[UnNetHack]], a Knight can also be a lawful [[Dwarf (starting race)|dwarf]]. Knights wearing any body armor heavier than [[studded leather armor]] receive a weight reduction for it equal to half the difference;{{refsrc|src/hack.c|3124|unnethack=1465}} this allows them to carry more while wearing heavy armor before becoming burdened.
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===SLASH'EM===
 
  
−
See [[Knight/SLASH'EM]].
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===FIQHack===
 +
In [[FIQHack]], Knights can be dwarves as well as humans. Knights are always warned before violating their honor code, and [[Dragonbane]] is the guaranteed first sacrifice gift for them.
  
 
==Encyclopedia entry==
 
==Encyclopedia entry==
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{{encyclopedia|
 
{{encyclopedia|
 
Here lies the noble fearless knight,
 
Here lies the noble fearless knight,
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==References==
 
==References==
 
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[[Category:Roles]]
 
[[Category:Roles]]

Latest revision as of 18:16, 20 January 2024

Wikipedia
Wikipedia has an article about:

The Knight is one of the player roles in NetHack. They start as melee fighters with an affinity for riding, and have the potential to become powerful spellcasters later in the game. 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 inherent ability to jump, which is restricted to destinations two squares horizontally and one square vertically away, or vice versa, like the knight piece in chess. A knight wearing jumping boots or casting the jumping spell is not bound by these restrictions.

Knights may use the turn undead command.

Knights do not reduce the tameness of a steed when mounting it.

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.

Knights now take no penalties for casting clerical spells while wearing metal body armor, similarly to SporkHack.

Knights follow a code of conduct, and take a -1 penalty to alignment record for the following actions:

  • Attacking a sleeping, paralyzed, or fleeing monster in melee, even if the monster continues to attack while fleeing. This penalty doesn't apply if the monster has stolen from you. Monsters getting dressed (e.g., "the soldier puts on a crested helmet") are considered paralyzed for this purpose. Projectiles, wands, and spells don't apply this penalty.
You caitiff!
  • Eating while satiated.
You feel like a glutton!
  • Digging down in a shop, if the shopkeeper is alive.
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 is typically 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 gain intrinsic speed at XL 7.

The Knight's starting lance is a useful means of ranged attack, but is also very heavy - Knights do not start with high STR and/or CON as consistently as other roles like Valkyrie and Samurai, and can easily become encumbered early on. Stashing the lance may be a good idea, especially if you find a wand or other reliable and lighter ranged option.

Attacking from range with the lance works like most polearms, in that the player character must be able to see the target square; see the article on pounding for details. In addition, 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 - and it risks your hard-to-replace lance breaking - 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 - but it's not very high quality, adding up to only 7 AC total. Plumbing the Gnomish Mines for a mithril-coat and dwarvish iron helm is risky; without infravision, a dark level blunts your advantages of being able to jump away from threats and pound with your lance from a distance. Upgrade when you can, using a pet to curse-test items in case they're positively enchanted, and find some sort of cloak to protect your body armor from rust monsters and rust traps.

Spellcasting

An early-game Knight will have difficulty casting spells. You don't start the game with any, your low intelligence makes reading non-blessed spellbooks dangerous, and your starting helmet and body armor aren't conducive to spellcasting.

Knights looking to start casting early will have to play more carefully than usual. Outside of an early wish for SDSM, the next best option - crystal plate mail - is both rare and incredibly heavy. Studded leather armor is the most practical spellcasting-friendly armor, though it 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 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.

Your steed
Main articles: Riding and Saddle

For Knights planning to make extensive use of their steed, be sure to bless your saddle as soon as possible with spare potions of holy water, and read its article (as well as the riding article) for more detailed strategies regarding caring for your saddle.

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!)

Ponies are vegetarian, and thus gain more nutrition from vegetables and fruit such as your starting food unless starving.[1][2] The tradeoff is that finding more food for your steed will be somewhat more difficult; #chatting to it regularly (using >) is ideal to monitor its status.

If your pony 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 food in general, 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 have starved - taming the now-feral horse resets 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 strategy is to avoid mounting your pony until it has gained a significant amount of HP, usually enough to grow up into a horse; by that point, you will likely have gained a few levels yourself. 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).

Upon descending past Mine Town or below DL 7, be especially careful of polymorph traps. If you have magic resistance, it will protect both you and your steed from transformation. In addition, be wary of wearing an unknown ring of conflict, as putting one on will cause your steed to buck you off immediately!

Mid game

Weapons

A decently-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—they should find a luckstone to maintain positive Luck if they haven't already. Due to the lance's weight, improving your carrying capacity in some way ahead of time is also recommended.

Knights with Expert skill in lances will want to use their main weapon on weaker monsters to further lower the chances of it 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 barracks such as those in Fort Ludios and the Castle good places to look for a replacement or spare lance.

Objectives

At this point, you may 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 it 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, especially if mounted—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 shed excess items (e.g. stashing them in a sack that can be dropped 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 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, then defeat them up close (e.g., with jousting or Excalibur).

Late game

Weapons

Knights with Expert skill 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.

If you wish to bribe Asmodeus and/or Baalzebub in Gehennom, be sure to unwield Excalibur before entering their lairs - if Excalibur is wielded when a demon prince is generated or warps to demand a bribe from you, they will become hostile.

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 consistently last throughout Gehennom, and Knights can mount them without decreasing their tameness. However, players will have to decide if they are worth the risks—a wish for a blessed figurine gives an 80% chance of obtaining a tamed ki-rin at best, and despite their good natural AC they are not immune to death and disintegration rays, which player reflection will not save them from. In addition, their lack of poison resistance will likely spell their doom on the Plane of Fire unless the player can successfully avoid the poison cloud plumes.

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.

Ki-rin now have poison resistance, and are no longer considered animals. They also now have the ability to cure themselves using their horns, like unicorn horns. As they do not leave corpses, they do not drop their horns either.

Spellcasting

A late-game Knight can amass a formidable array of spells and large energy pool. However, unlike a Priest or Wizard, your quest artifact doesn't grant any form of energy recovery, and your natural energy regeneration is as slow as anyone else's, so conserve spells for when they'll be most effective.

With the Magic Mirror, a high-level Knight casting magic missile can deal over 100 damage, or more if they can arrange for their spell to rebound off a wall. This makes magic missile a potential alternative to the traditional wand of death for dispatching the Wizard of Yendor and high priest of Moloch. However, if the Wizard steals the Mirror, he gains magic resistance and complete immunity to magic missile and death rays, so keeping the Mirror in your bag is a safer option. As with all roles, don't count on a quest artifact as your only source of magic resistance.

Variants

SLASH'EM

See Knight/SLASH'EM.

UnNetHack

In UnNetHack, a Knight can also be a lawful dwarf. Knights wearing 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.

FIQHack

In FIQHack, Knights can be dwarves as well as humans. Knights are always warned before violating their honor code, and Dragonbane is the guaranteed first sacrifice gift for them.

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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