Big Stick

)   Big Stick   (No tile)
Base item	club
Damage vs. small	1d6 +1d12 (2–18)
Damage vs. large	1d3 +1d12 (2–15)
To-hit bonus	+1d5
Bonus versus	(any)
Weapon skill	club
Size	one-handed
Affiliation	chaotic Caveman intelligent
When carried	stealth
When wielded	magic resistance
When invoked	toggles conflict
Base price	2500 zm
Weight	30
Material	wood

Big Stick is an artifact that appears in NetHack Fourk and xNetHack. It replaces the Sceptre of Might as the quest artifact for Cavepeople and the prize for completing the Caveman quest (or Cave Dweller quest in xNetHack). Its default alignment is chaotic, and its base item is a club.

Description

The Big Stick confers stealth when carried, and it provides +d5 to-hit and +d12 damage against all monsters. Like The Sceptre of Might, Big Stick provides magic resistance while wielded, and invoking the artifact toggles conflict on or off - conflict caused by Big Stick does not cause nutrition drain, and ends if the artifact leaves the hero's inventory.

Strategy

Big Stick is the only chaotic artifact that provides magic resistance in xNetHack, which may mark it as a potential wish target for chaotic players that can gain skill in clubs. Most other artifact weapons deal more damage than Big Stick when their bonuses apply, but significantly less when they do not - Big Stick has the advantage of applying its bonus against all monsters.

Average damage calculation

The average damage calculations in the following table do not include bonuses from weapon skills, strength, or from using a blessed weapon against undead or demons.

Weapon	Small monster	Large monster
+0 Big Stick	$\frac{1+6}{2}+\frac{1+12}{2}=\bold{10}$	$\frac{1+3}{2}+\frac{1+12}{2}=\bold{8.5}$
+7 Big Stick	$\frac{1+6}{2}+\frac{1+12}{2}+7=\bold{17}$	$\frac{1+3}{2}+\frac{1+12}{2}+7=\bold{15.5}$

Origin

Big Stick's name and its property of providing stealth when carried are a reference to the phrase "Speak softly and carry a big stick". The saying is commonly attributed to US President Theodore Roosevelt, who used it to summarize his view of foreign policy.

See also

• The Sceptre of Might (Fourk)
• The Sceptre of Might (xNetHack)