User:Ion frigate/Need +x weapon to hit

SLASH'EM introduces two new properties derived from D&D, the Need +x weapon to hit and Hits monsters as a +x weapon, where x is an integer from 1 to 4. Essentially, monsters with the first property cannot be damaged with weapons with less than the required enchantment. it is effectively enchantment resistance. The second property is mainly of relevance to those who keep pets, in particular, pacifists, as an otherwise strong pet may be unable to damage a particular monster. Note that these two properties are given to both new monsters and monsters from vanilla.

Mechanics

What exactly the game checks for is dependent on what you are attacking with. If you can hit the monster, your weapon does normal damage. If you cannot, it does no damage, but will still count towards advancing your skill.

Wielded weapon

The game checks the enchantment of the wielded weapon. For artifact weapons, it adds two to the enchantment check, and Magicbane always counts as a +4 weapon<ref>SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2/uhitm.c#line885. If the thus derived enchantment is greater than or equal to the monster's resistance, it can hit. For example, a +0 artifact weapon will hit a statue gargoyle (whose enchantment resistance is +1), but not Vecna (whose enchantment resistance is +4), since it is a +0 artifact, having for the purposes of this check +2 enchantment. As always, there are exceptions:

• A silver weapon will do normal and silver damage against a silver-hating monster
• A poisoned weapon will always be able to hit (although it may become unpoisoned as usual)

Ranged weapons

For ranged weapons, only the enchantment of the projectile matters, not the enchantment of the launcher. Otherwise, it works as for wielded weapons.

Other items

If you are wielding an item that can be enchanted, even if it is armor or a tool, the game still checks the enchantment of that item. Thus, if you have a highly enchanted piece of armor, it can be used as a backup weapon against monsters with enchantment resistance.

Kicking

If you are kicking a monster, the relevant enchantment is the enchantment of your boots. Note that kicking boots do not help towards this, as one might expect, and that Whisperfeet, the artifact speed boots, do not provide a +2 bonus for this check.

Bare-handed combat

Bare-handed attacks count as a +0 weapon irrespective of your skill, with two exceptions:

• You are polymorphed into a monster with the hits creatures as a +x weapon property, in which case you can hit if x is high enough.
• You are a monk: Monks fighting bare-handed hit creatures as a +XL/4 weapon, meaning that a level 4 monk hits as +1, level 8 as +2, level 12 as +3, and level 16 as +4. Note that this does not apply for wielded weapons, i.e. a level 4 monk wielding a +0 weapon will not be able to hit a statue gargoyle.

Magic attacks

Magic attacks, from spells, scrolls, and wands, will function as normal.