Dart
) 
| |
|---|---|
| Name | dart |
| Appearance | dart |
| Damage vs. small | 1d3 |
| Damage vs. large | 1d2 |
| To-hit bonus | +0 |
| Weapon skill | dart |
| Size | one-handed |
| Base price | 2 zm (+10/positive enchant) |
| Weight | 1 |
| Material | iron |
A dart is a type of weapon that appears in NetHack. Darts are hand-thrown projectiles that are the most common type of ranged weapon, and are made of iron.
Contents
Generation
Tourists start with a stack of 21–40 +2 darts.[1][2]
In addition to random generation, general shops and antique weapon outlets can sell darts. Randomly generated darts can be generated as poisoned.[3]
Kobolds have a 1⁄4 chance of generating with a stack of 3–14 darts.[4] Ninja have a 1⁄4 chance of generating with 6–11 darts.[5]
A humanoid monster with a weapon attack, the ability to wield weapons and no other ruleset governing its monster starting inventory has a chance of generating with a stack of 3-14 darts, unless they are being generated on the Rogue level: the base odds are 1⁄14 for normal monsters, 1⁄12 for a monster that is a lord or nasty, 1⁄10 for a monster that is an overlord or both a lord and nasty, and 1⁄8 for a monster that is both nasty and an overlord.[6]
Dart traps will shoot a dart at a monster or character that steps on their square, and untrapping them produces 50−rnl(50) darts.[7]
Dart skill
| Dart | |
|---|---|
| Max | Role |
| Basic | |
| Expert | |
Darts are the only weapons to use the dart skill, and there are no artifact darts. The skill can only be trained by throwing the darts.
The dart is the only projectile class that gives Tourists a multishot bonus at Skilled level.[8]
Description
Darts are ineffective in melee, and must be used by throwing or firing them. Like other missile weapons, they can misfire if cursed, gain bonuses from a character's strength, and have a chance to mulch upon hitting a monster, based on enchantment, beatitude and Luck.[9] Dipping darts in a potion of sickness will poison them, adding +d6 damage and a 1⁄10 chance of instadeath per hit against monsters without poison resistance.
Strategy
Because of their initial low damage and high chance of breakage, daggers or an aklys are generally preferable over darts as the primary ranged weapon in the early game. However, darts are also incredibly common and light compared to daggers, and do not require a launcher unlike arrows or crossbow bolts; they can also be made more damaging through various methods, and most characters can make use of darts as secondary or disposable projectiles, particularly against sessile monsters. With high Luck and enchantment, a stack of darts can last through a significant portion of the game.
Tourists in particular should manage their starting darts carefully as they work their way to a viable weapon and set of armor, and can then use the darts as a supplement - Tourists are unrestricted in every skill except clubs, though they can still make some use of an early aklys. A stack of enchanted and poisoned darts thrown at Skilled or better is also enough to bring down their quest nemesis, the Master of Thieves, with relative ease.
History
Darts first appear in Hack 1.21 and Hack for PDP-11, which are based on Jay Fenlason's Hack, and are included in the initial weapon list for Hack 1.0.
Variants
SLASH'EM
SLASH'EM adds the spoon, a weapon-tool that uses the dart skill and is only generated as the base item for Houchou - obtaining Houchou as a sacrifice gift will unrestrict the dart skill.
dNetHack
dNetHack and notdNetHack add the spike as a weapon that uses the dart skill. Darts are added to the expanded list of Japanese item names, and appear as bo-shuriken.
Enki is a spirit that grants skill in darts while bound.
Maids have a 1⁄2 chance of generating with a stack of darts.
The November NetHack Tournament
In The November NetHack Tournament, the deathmatch opponent will always generate with a blessed and erodeproof stack of 20-29 +4 or +5 darts if they represent a character that is a healer, priest, tourist, or wizard.
EvilHack
In EvilHack, dart traps can produce darts with different materials and properties each time they activate.
Player monster tourists always generate with a stack of darts.
Darts can be used to create some other items at a forge:
- 2 darts can be combined with a dagger to create 3-4 shuriken.
- 2 darts can be combined with 2 arrows to create a knife.
- A dart can be combined with 3 rocks to create 3-4 sling bullets.
SlashTHEM
In SlashTHEM, in addition to SLASH'EM details, kobold characters can always reach at least Basic in darts.
Hack'EM
In Hack'EM, darts can be used in the following forge recipes in addition to those from EvilHack:
- 2 darts can be combined with 2 orcish arrows or elven arrows to create a knife.
- 2 darts can be combined with an iron chain to create 10-15 bullets.
External links
References
- ↑ src/u_init.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 143
- ↑ src/u_init.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 768
- ↑ src/mkobj.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 803
- ↑ src/makemon.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 456
- ↑ src/makemon.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 266
- ↑ src/makemon.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 523: Case for darts in "default" monster weapon generation
- ↑ src/trap.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 4241
- ↑ src/dothrow.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 118
- ↑ src/uhitm.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 1101: damage bonus from strength
