Puddingbane

Puddingbane was a nickname for a -3 small iron weapon (normally a dagger, orcish dagger, or knife) that was used for pudding farming prior to NetHack 3.6.0. Its damage is always just 1.

Today, the primary use of a weapon like this, is to help maintain pacifist conduct. You can also use it to kill Vlad the Impaler (as a makeshift Vladbane), if you are so inclined.

History

Historically, it was used to split black and brown puddings for pudding farming (hence its name) while doing the minimum possible damage; it could kill them, but it would split them a lot first.

Other possible uses were to help maintain pacifist conduct. You could also use it to kill Vlad(Vladbane).

Creation

A puddingbane can be created by engraving with it to reduce enchantment to -3. An enchantment of less than -3 is not needed for a dagger or knife, but a stronger or blunt weapon would have needed some cursed scrolls of enchant weapon.

Mechanics

Any damage roll of 1 after enchantment will not add strength, so with a -3 (or more) dagger or knife, it doesn't matter how high strength is, the damage will still always be 1. Corroding is optional.

Any non-weapon iron item, such as a key, will do d2 damage (if corroded min of 1) plus any bonus to damage from strength of 16 or more or rings of increase damage.

Note that, for pacifism, this is not as good as a -3 dagger or knife that will always do 1 point of damage no matter what your damage bonus. However, it will preserve weaponless conduct.

SLASH'EM

In slashem, a puddingbane can still be used for some very limited pudding farming.

See also

• The Banes, a group of artifact weapons
• pacifist
• black pudding
• brown pudding

• pudding farming
• expert pudding farming