Weapon

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

Press w to wield a weapon. Press x to exchange between your primary and secondary weapons. Use #twoweapon to wield both at once, if you possess that skill. Attack monsters by trying to move to their square, or with the Fight command.

w- is the command to not wield a weapon, i.e. fight empty-handed. This is the default and ethical preference (see conduct) of monks. It is also a preferred way to attack weapon-hazardous monsters such as acid blobs, rust monsters, etc. before you have a resistant weapon (e.g. silver weapons or a unicorn horn).

A weapon can be made erodeproof by wielding it as one's 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. Note that 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 Name	Cost	Weight	Prob (‰)	Damage (S/L)		Material	Appearance	Tile	Glyph
daggers
orcish dagger	4 zm	10	12†	d3	d3	iron	crude dagger		)
dagger	4 zm	10	30	d4	d3	iron			)
silver dagger	40 zm	12	3	d4	d3	silver			)
athame	4 zm	10	N/A	d4	d3	iron			)
elven dagger	4 zm	10	10†	d5	d3	wood	runed dagger		)
knives
worm tooth	2 zm	20	N/A	d2	d2	enamel			)
knife	4 zm	5	20	d3	d2	iron			)
stiletto	4 zm	5	5	d3	d2	iron			)
scalpel	4 zm	5	N/A	d3	d3	metal			)
crysknife	100 zm	20	N/A	d10	d10	mineral			)
axes
axe	8 zm	60	40	d6	d4	iron			)
battle-axe	40 zm	120	10	d8+d4	d6+2d4	iron	double-headed axe		)
pick-axes
pick-axe	50 zm	100	tool	d6	d3	iron			(
dwarvish mattock	50 zm	120	13†	d12	d8+2d6	iron	broad pick		)
short swords
orcish short sword	10 zm	30	3†	d5	d8	iron	crude short sword		)
short sword	10 zm	30	8	d6	d8	iron			)
dwarvish short sword	10 zm	30	2†	d7	d8	iron	broad short sword		)
elven short sword	10 zm	30	2†	d8	d8	wood	runed short sword		)
broadswords
broadsword	10 zm	70	8	2d4	d6+1	iron			)
runesword	300 zm	40	N/A	2d4	d6+1	iron	runed broadsword		)
elven broadsword	10 zm	70	4†	d6+d4	d6+1	wood	runed broadsword		)
long swords
long sword	15 zm	40	50†	d8	d12	iron			)
katana	80 zm	40	4	d10	d12	iron	samurai sword		)
two-handed swords
two-handed sword	50 zm	150	22	d12	3d6	iron			)
tsurugi	500 zm	60	N/A	d16	d8+2d6	metal	long samurai sword		)
scimitars
scimitar	15 zm	40	15†	d8	d8	iron	curved sword		)
sabers
silver saber	75 zm	40	6	d8	d8	silver			)
clubs
club	3 zm	30	12	d6	d3	wood			)
aklys	4 zm	15	8	d6	d3	iron	thonged club		)
maces
mace	5 zm	30	40	d6+1	d6	iron			)
morning stars
morning star	10 zm	120	12	2d4	d6+1	iron			)
flails
flail	4 zm	15	40	d6+1	2d4	iron			)
grappling hook	50 zm	30	tool	d2	d6	iron	iron hook		(
hammers
war hammer	5 zm	50	15	d4+1	d4	iron			)
quarterstaves
quarterstaff	5 zm	40	11†	d6	d6	wood	staff		)
polearms
partisan	10 zm	80	5	d6	d6+1	iron	vulgar polearm		)
fauchard	5 zm	60	6	d6	d8	iron	pole sickle		)
glaive	6 zm	75	8	d6	d10	iron	single-edged polearm		)
bec-de-corbin	8 zm	100	4	d8	d6	iron	beaked polearm		)
spetum	5 zm	50	5	d6+1	2d6	iron	forked polearm		)
lucern hammer	7 zm	150	5	2d4	d6	iron	pronged polearm		)
guisarme	5 zm	80	6	2d4	d8	iron	pruning hook		)
ranseur	6 zm	50	5	2d4	2d4	iron	hilted polearm		)
voulge	5 zm	125	4	2d4	2d4	iron	pole cleaver		)
bill-guisarme	7 zm	120	4	2d4	d10	iron	hooked polearm		)
bardiche	7 zm	120	4	2d4	3d4	iron	long poleaxe		)
halberd	10 zm	150	8	d10	2d6	iron	angled poleaxe		)
spears
orcish spear	3 zm	30	13†	d5	d8	iron	crude spear		)
spear	3 zm	30	50†	d6	d8	iron			)
silver spear	40 zm	36	2	d6	d8	silver			)
elven spear	3 zm	30	10†	d7	d8	wood	runed spear		)
dwarvish spear	3 zm	35	12†	d8	d8	iron	stout spear		)
javelins
javelin	3 zm	20	10	d6	d6	iron	throwing spear		)
tridents
trident	5 zm	25	8	d6+1	3d4	iron			)
lances
lance (1)	10 zm	180	4	d6	d8	iron			)
bows
orcish bow	60 zm	30	12†	d2	d2	wood	crude bow		)
orcish arrow	2 zm	1	20†	d5	d6	iron	crude arrow		)
bow	60 zm	30	24	d2	d2	wood			)
arrow	2 zm	1	55†	d6	d6	iron			)
elven bow	60 zm	30	12†	2	d2	wood	runed bow		)
elven arrow	2 zm	1	20†	d7	d6	wood	runed arrow		)
yumi	60 zm	30	0	d2	d2	wood	long bow		)
ya	4 zm	1	15	d7	d7	metal	bamboo arrow		)
silver arrow	5 zm	1	12	d6	d6	silver			)
slings
sling	20 zm	3	40	d2	d2	leather			)
flintstone	1 zm	10	gem	d6	d6	mineral	gray stone		*
crossbows
crossbow	40 zm	50	45†	d2	d2	wood			)
crossbow bolt	2 zm	1	55†	d4+1	d6+1	iron			)
darts
dart	2 zm	1	60†	d3	d2	iron			)
shurikens
shuriken	5 zm	1	35	d8	d6	iron	throwing star		)
boomerangs
boomerang	20 zm	5	15	d9	d9	wood			)
whips
bullwhip	4 zm	20	2	d2	1	leather			)
rubber hose	3 zm	20	N/A	d4	d3	plastic			)
unicorn horns
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 then the lance gets an additional 2d10 in case of a successful joust, 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, as well as both Rodney and the High priest of Moloch. Of note, 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.

See also

• Artifact weapon
• two-handed

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