Shield
A shield is a form of armor that appears in NetHack. It is carried in the off-hand.
Wearing any shield increases spellcasting failure rates, although the penalty is lower for a small shield.[1] When using a shield, you are unable to wield two-handed weapons or use the #twoweapon skill.
Generation and usage
Valkyries start with a +3 small shield, and Priests and Knights start with a +0 small shield.
Many humanoid monsters are generated with shields, and will pick up and use them; of specific note are Archons, Angels and Aleaxes. All Archons are generated with a shield of reflection, whereas Angels and Aleaxes have a 25% chance of having one.
List of shields
| Shield | Unidentified Description |
Cost | Weight | AC | Material | Special properties |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uruk-hai shield | white-handed shield | 7 | 50 | 1 | iron | |
| Orcish shield | red-eyed shield | 7 | 50 | 1 | iron | |
| Large shield | large shield | 10 | 100 | 2 | iron | |
| Dwarvish roundshield | large round shield | 10 | 100 | 2 | iron | |
| Elven shield | blue and green shield | 7 | 40 | 2 | wood | can be enchanted to +7 |
| Small shield | small shield | 3 | 30 | 1 | wood | |
| Shield of reflection | polished silver shield | 50 | 50 | 2 | silver | provides reflection |
Strategy
Shields get in the way of two-weaponing and spellcasting, making them a poor choice for some late game characters. However, in the early and middle game a few extra points of armor class can be very beneficial. Even in the late game, there are some characters that only need to spellcast in situations where they can take off their shield. There are some roles that cannot two-weapon such as Cavemen and Rangers. Additionally, some conducts may make it difficult to find good armor. In these cases, there are three shields that are worth the weight.
The shield of reflection is often a candidate for ascension kits, and is paired with a source of magic resistance. Reflection is a crucial property, but other sources of reflection would be preferable for most characters. The shield of reflection is also a good choice for pets that can equip a shield.
The small shield is a good choice for spellcasters and characters with low carrying capacity. It doesn't offer much protection, though.
The elven shield can be enchanted to +7 and is still lighter than most other shields.
The various other shields in the game are heavy and vulnerable to rusting. They should be replaced as soon as possible.
References
- ↑ spell.c#line1216 (extra shield penalty doesn't apply for small shields)
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