Weapon

Item classes
" Amulets	[ Armor
% Comestibles	$ Coins
* Gems	! Potions
= Rings	? Scrolls
+ Spellbooks	` Statues
( Tools	` Boulders
) Weapons	/ Wands

A weapon is an item used to attack opponents. Most weapons are wielded with w and used to hit enemies; to attack with a wielded weapon, simply try to move into a monster's space, or use Shift + F to attack in any direction. Launchers are wielded to shoot missiles, and some weapons are simply thrown.

The player can ready a second weapon for use; press x to exchange between your primary and secondary weapons. Some roles can wield both weapons at once using the #twoweapon command.

w- is the command to wield nothing and fight empty-handed. This is the default and ethical preference of Monks. It is also a preferred way to attack weapon-hazardous monsters such as acid blobs or rust monsters before you have a resistant weapon (e.g. a silver weapon or unicorn horn).

You cannot wield a weapon if you are handless or tiny.

A weapon can be made erodeproof by wielding it as a primary weapon and reading a scroll of enchant weapon while confused. Erosion can be repaired by using a scroll to make the weapon erodeproof, or in some cases by dipping the weapon in a potion of oil. There is little reason to erodeproof wooden weapons, because weapons can only be made to burn in very unusual circumstances.

Table of weapons and their properties

Weapon	Skill	Cost	Weight	Prob (‰)	Damage (S/L)		Material	Appearance	Tile	Glyph
orcish dagger	dagger	4 zm	10	12†	d3	d3	iron	crude dagger		)
dagger	dagger	4 zm	10	30	d4	d3	iron			)
silver dagger	dagger	40 zm	12	3	d4	d3	silver			)
athame	dagger	4 zm	10	N/A	d4	d3	iron			)
elven dagger	dagger	4 zm	10	10†	d5	d3	wood	runed dagger		)
worm tooth	knife	2 zm	20	N/A	d2	d2	undefined			)
knife (shito)	knife	4 zm	5	20	d3	d2	iron			)
stiletto	knife	4 zm	5	5	d3	d2	iron			)
scalpel	knife	4 zm	5	N/A	d3	d3	metal			)
crysknife	knife	100 zm	20	N/A	d10	d10	mineral			)
axe	axe	8 zm	60	40	d6	d4	iron			)
battle-axe	axe	40 zm	120	10	d8+d4	d6+2d4	iron	double-headed axe		)
pick-axe	pick-axe	50 zm	100	tool	d6	d3	iron			(
dwarvish mattock	pick-axe	50 zm	120	13†	d12	d8+2d6	iron	broad pick		)
orcish short sword	short sword	10 zm	30	3†	d5	d8	iron	crude short sword		)
short sword (wakizashi)	short sword	10 zm	30	8	d6	d8	iron			)
dwarvish short sword	short sword	10 zm	30	2†	d7	d8	iron	broad short sword		)
elven short sword	short sword	10 zm	30	2†	d8	d8	wood	runed short sword		)
broadsword (ninja-to)	broadsword	10 zm	70	8	2d4	d6+1	iron			)
runesword	broadsword	300 zm	40	N/A	2d4	d6+1	iron	runed broadsword		)
elven broadsword	broadsword	10 zm	70	4†	d6+d4	d6+1	wood	runed broadsword		)
long sword	long sword	15 zm	40	50†	d8	d12	iron			)
katana	long sword	80 zm	40	4	d10	d12	iron	samurai sword		)
two-handed sword	two-handed sword	50 zm	150	22	d12	3d6	iron			)
tsurugi	two-handed sword	500 zm	60	N/A	d16	d8+2d6	metal	long samurai sword		)
scimitar	scimitar	15 zm	40	15†	d8	d8	iron	curved sword		)
silver saber	saber	75 zm	40	6	d8	d8	silver			)
club	club	3 zm	30	12	d6	d3	wood			)
aklys	club	4 zm	15	8	d6	d3	iron	thonged club		)
mace	mace	5 zm	30	40	d6+1	d6	iron			)
morning star	morning star	10 zm	120	12	2d4	d6+1	iron			)
flail (nunchaku)	flail	4 zm	15	40	d6+1	2d4	iron			)
grappling hook	flail	50 zm	30	tool	d2	d6	iron	iron hook		(
war hammer	hammer	5 zm	50	15	d4+1	d4	iron			)
quarterstaff	quarterstaff	5 zm	40	11†	d6	d6	wood	staff		)
partisan	polearms	10 zm	80	5	d6	d6+1	iron	vulgar polearm		)
fauchard	polearms	5 zm	60	6	d6	d8	iron	pole sickle		)
glaive (naginata)	polearms	6 zm	75	8	d6	d10	iron	single-edged polearm		)
bec-de-corbin	polearms	8 zm	100	4	d8	d6	iron	beaked polearm		)
spetum	polearms	5 zm	50	5	d6+1	2d6	iron	forked polearm		)
lucern hammer	polearms	7 zm	150	5	2d4	d6	iron	pronged polearm		)
guisarme	polearms	5 zm	80	6	2d4	d8	iron	pruning hook		)
ranseur	polearms	6 zm	50	5	2d4	2d4	iron	hilted polearm		)
voulge	polearms	5 zm	125	4	2d4	2d4	iron	pole cleaver		)
bill-guisarme	polearms	7 zm	120	4	2d4	d10	iron	hooked polearm		)
bardiche	polearms	7 zm	120	4	2d4	3d4	iron	long poleaxe		)
halberd	polearms	10 zm	150	8	d10	2d6	iron	angled poleaxe		)
orcish spear	spear	3 zm	30	13†	d5	d8	iron	crude spear		)
spear	spear	3 zm	30	50†	d6	d8	iron			)
silver spear	spear	40 zm	36	2	d6	d8	silver			)
elven spear	spear	3 zm	30	10†	d7	d8	wood	runed spear		)
dwarvish spear	spear	3 zm	35	12†	d8	d8	iron	stout spear		)
javelin	spear	3 zm	20	10	d6	d6	iron	throwing spear		)
trident	trident	5 zm	25	8	d6+1	3d4	iron			)
lance (1)	lance	10 zm	180	4	d6	d8	iron			)
orcish bow	bow	60 zm	30	12†	d2	d2	wood	crude bow		)
orcish arrow	bow	2 zm	1	20†	d5	d6	iron	crude arrow		)
bow	bow	60 zm	30	24	d2	d2	wood			)
arrow	bow	2 zm	1	55†	d6	d6	iron			)
elven bow	bow	60 zm	30	12†	d2	d2	wood	runed bow		)
elven arrow	bow	2 zm	1	20†	d7	d6	wood	runed arrow		)
yumi	bow	60 zm	30	0	d2	d2	wood	long bow		)
ya	bow	4 zm	1	15	d7	d7	metal	bamboo arrow		)
silver arrow	bow	5 zm	1	12	d6	d6	silver			)
sling	sling	20 zm	3	40	d2	d2	leather			)
flint stone	sling	1 zm	10	gem	d6	d6	mineral	gray stone		*
crossbow	crossbow	40 zm	50	45†	d2	d2	wood			)
crossbow bolt	crossbow	2 zm	1	55†	d4+1	d6+1	iron			)
dart	dart	2 zm	1	60†	d3	d2	iron			)
shuriken	shuriken	5 zm	1	35	d8	d6	iron	throwing star		)
boomerang	boomerang	20 zm	5	15	d9	d9	wood			)
bullwhip	whip	4 zm	20	2	d2	1	leather			)
rubber hose	whip	3 zm	20	N/A	d4	d3	plastic			)
unicorn horn	unicorn horn	100 zm	20	tool	d12	d12	bone			(

(‰) Relative probability. Figures are given as probability in a thousand, or permille.

(^†) Objects are significantly more common in play than their probability would otherwise imply due to monster starting inventory or certain traps.

(1) When user is riding, the lance gets an additional 2d10 in case of a successful joust. The victim is also automatically stunned and thrown back a square.

Strategy

Monsters by size

The majority of monsters in the game are classified as small on the table. However, many of the harder monsters in the game are classified as large. In the early game, large monsters tend to be incredibly dangerous. In the later game, many of the most difficult monsters are "medium" size, which take damage as per small in the table.

Some medium monsters include the four Riders, the majority of monsters on the Astral Plane, the Wizard of Yendor, and the high priest of Moloch. However, the demon princes in Gehennom may pose a serious threat to the player, and are all classed as large, with the exception of the dangerous but rarely-seen Dispater.

Encyclopedia entry

A weapon is a device for making your enemy change his mind.

[ The Vor Game, by Lois McMaster Bujold ]

See also

• Artifact weapon
• Two-handed

References

This page is a stub. Should you wish to do so, you can contribute by expanding this page.

This page may need to be updated for the current version of NetHack.

It may contain text specific to NetHack 3.4.3. Information on this page may be out of date.

Editors: After reviewing this page and making necessary edits, please change the {{nethack-343}} tag to the current version's tag or {{noversion}} as appropriate.