Boomerang
) 
| |
|---|---|
| Name | boomerang |
| Appearance | boomerang |
| Damage vs. small | 1d9 |
| Damage vs. large | 1d9 |
| To-hit bonus | +0 |
| Weapon skill | boomerang |
| Size | one-handed |
| Base price | 20 zm (+10/positive enchant) |
| Weight | 5 |
| Material | wood |
A boomerang is a type of weapon that appears in NetHack. It is a one-handed stackable projectile designed to be thrown, and that is made of wood.
Generation
Boomerangs make up 3⁄200 (1.5%) of all weapons that are randomly generated on the ground, in general shops, or as death drops. Used armor dealerships and antique weapon outlets can also stock boomerangs.
Wood golems may leave behind wooden objects as a special death drop instead of a corpse that each have a roughly 1⁄54 chance of being a club.[1]
Boomerang skill
| Boomerang | |
|---|---|
| Max | Role |
| Basic | |
| Expert | |
Boomerangs are the only weapons to use the boomerang skill. There are no artifact boomerangs.
Description
A boomerang deals 1d9 damage to all monsters that it hits when thrown. Wielding a boomerang (or stack of boomerangs) and using it as a melee weapon will only inflict d2 damage as with other objects that are not designed for melee, and each attack has a luck-dependent chance of the boomerang (or one from the wielded stack) breaking into splinters on contact.[2] This splintering occurs even if the target is a shade, who takes no damage.[3]
When thrown, a boomerang will travel in a circular path from the direction it was thrown and hit anything in its path, alternating between left and right parenthesis glyphs (( ) () as it flies to simulate spinning:[4] the exact trajectory of the boomerang depends on whether the hero is right- or left-handed—a right-handed hero will throw the boomerang counter-clockwise, while a left-handed one will throw it clockwise.[5]
Boomerangs do not mulch upon hitting a monster unlike most projectiles, nor will their flight stop when hitting monsters, and their flight path can pass through iron bars.[6] A boomerang's flight continues until they hit a wall, a closed door, a sink (which causes noise that can wake sleeping monsters[7]), or else until they reach the hero's square.[8] If a boomerang thrown by the hero makes its way back to them, they have a DEX20 chance of catching the boomerang safely unless they are fumbling (i.e. a hero with 20 dexterity or more will always catch it)[9]—otherwise, the thrown boomerang may hit the hero for physical damage upon returning, with its enchantment accounted for as it is when hitting monsters.[10]
Boomerangs can be "multishot" by throwing them multiple times in one action, which will be aborted if a returning boomerang hits the hero.[11]
Flight patterns
The path of a boomerang thrown by a right-handed hero is shown below, where @ is the player's position; |, /, -, and \ show the direction the boomerang was thrown; and ( and ) show the path of the boomerang.
.(..\.. .)..(. ..(..).
.)...@. .(..|. .)...(.
..(..). .)..@. .(../..
...)(.. ..().. ..)@...
..(-@.. ..)()..
.)...). .(...(.
.(...(. .)...).
..)().. ..@-(..
...@).. ..)(.. ..()...
../..(. .@..). .)..(..
.(...). .|..(. .@...).
.)..(.. .(..). ..\..(.
..()... ..)(.. ...()..
The trajectory for a left-handed hero throwing a boomerang is similarly depicted here:
.(..\.. .)..@. ..(..).
.)...(. .(..|. .)...@.
..(..). .)..(. .(../..
...)(.. ..().. ..)(...
..@-(.. ..)()..
.)...). .(...(.
.(...(. .)...).
..)().. ..(-@..
...().. ..)(.. ..()...
../..(. .(..). .)..(..
.@...). .|..(. .(...).
.)..(.. .@..). ..\..(.
..()... ..)(.. ...@)..
Strategy
Though the boomerang has better damage than many other projectile weapons and its wooden material makes erosion somewhat less of a danger, the unusual flight path can be tricky to recall, making it a rarely-used weapon; for heroes that are not dwarves (who can naturally reach 20 dexterity), enchanted gauntlets of dexterity are likely necessary to ensure completely safe operation. However, players more interested in doing damage than having the weapon return can still use this weapon effectively over a range up to four spaces:
- For these scenarios, assume a monster is approaching you from a cardinal direction (N,S,E,W). Refer to the diagrams above as a visual aid.
- If it approaches from the N, it can be hit at a distance of four spaces by throwing to the NW (45 degrees counter-clockwise) if the hero is left-handed, provided that there are at least two open tiles in the west. A right-handed hero must instead throw to the NE (45 degrees clockwise) with at least two open tiles in the east.
- A monster at a distance of three spaces to the N can be hit by a left-handed hero throwing to the W (90 degrees counter-clockwise) if there are three open tiles in that direction, while a right-handed hero can throw to the E (90 degrees clockwise) if there are three open tiles in that direction.
- Any monster can be hit at two spaces by throwing directly at it, which is the only available option in hallways.
- Monsters approaching from an ordinal direction (NE,NW,SE,SW) can also only be hit at two spaces.
Boomerangs can be particularly effective against monsters such as unicorns that try to avoid any direct line of ranged attack, as well as dragons and other monsters that are hazardous to face in such direct lines. It can also be especially effective in large open spaces with crowds of monsters like the Big Room. As with other projectiles, avoid throwing boomerangs while levitating.
History
The boomerang first appears in Hack 1.0.
In versions up to NetHack 3.4.3, including some variants based on those versions, boomerangs always fly clockwise when thrown, cannot be multishot and will stop flying upon hitting a monster. NetHack 3.6.0 changes the boomerang's flight pattern to counterclockwise via commit 21262396, commit 5ce14e99 and commit fb07e9d0, the latter of which also makes it trivial to adjust the code for adding the choice of the hero's dominant hand. NetHack 3.6.0 also comments the code and provides a visual aid, and adds feedback for the boomerang hitting a sink as well via commit cf714309. The boomerang continues to function this way in versions up to NetHack 3.6.7, including some variants based on those versions.
NetHack 5.0.0 makes several changes to the boomerang:
- The boomerang's current behavior when thrown is established via commit 7d22a2c7, using the groundwork laid in NetHack 3.6.0.
- A regression in boomerang behavior that causes thrown boomerangs to mulch is fixed via commit d746060d.
- The in-game noise created from a boomerang hitting a sink is added via commit 242a7ba7.
- Boomerangs are added to the wood golem's death drop items via commit e5c73d01.
Origin
A boomerang is a thrown tool, typically constructed as a flat airfoil and designed to spin about an axis perpendicular to the direction of its flight. Boomerangs and paintings depicting them have been found that date back to more than 10,000 years ago: they have been historically used for hunting, as well as sport and entertainment, and are primarily restricted to the latter in modern times. Though commonly thought of as an Aborigine/Indigenous Australian icon, boomerangs come in various shapes and sizes and have also been found in ancient Europe, Egypt, and North America.
The standard boomerang and associated flight arc used in most fictional media is actually closer to a specific type of "returning" boomerang—those designed for hunting are typically "straight-flying", and there are others used for hand-to-hand combat. It is speculated that "returning" boomerangs were developed from flattened throwing sticks still used by the Australian Aborigines, American Navajo and other indigenous peoples around the world, and that hunting boomerangs are more delicately balanced and difficult to make in comparison.
Messages
- Klonk!
- A boomerang's flight path was disrupted by a sink.
- As you hit <the monster>, <one of> <the boomerang(s)> breaks into splinters.
- You attacked in melee with a boomerang or a stack of boomerangs, and the attack broke one.
Variants
NetHack variants based on NetHack 3.4.3 and earlier versions may not adapt the behavioral changes to the boomerang introduced by later versions.
SLASH'EM
In SLASH'EM, Undead Slayers can reach basic in boomerangs.
dNetHack
dNetHack adds the chakram as a weapon that uses the boomerang skill.
The skill distribution among roles for boomerangs is changed significantly from NetHack:
| Boomerang | |
|---|---|
| Max | Role |
| Basic |
|
| Skilled | |
| Expert | |
Two artifacts use the boomerang skill:
- Windrider (boomerang)
- The Annulus (in chakram form)
NetHack Fourk
In NetHack Fourk, Tourists can reach Skilled in boomerangs.
FIQHack
In FIQHack, boomerangs will always return to their thrower.
xNetHack
In xNetHack, wood golems can drop various items with an object material of wood upon death—any invalid objects generated this way can be replaced with boomerangs or other items.
notdNetHack
In notdNetHack and notnotdNetHack, in addition to dNetHack details, Illithanachronounbinders can reach Basic skill in boomerangs.
EvilHack
In EvilHack, wood golems can drop various items with an object material of wood upon death—any invalid objects generated this way can be replaced with boomerangs or other items.
SlashTHEM
In addition to SLASH'EM details, some of the new roles for SlashTHEM can train skill in boomerangs:
| Boomerang | |
|---|---|
| Max | Role |
| Basic | |
| Skilled | |
| Expert | |
Hack'EM
Hack'EM adds the chakram from dNetHack as a weapon that uses the boomerang skill. Upgrading a boomerang successfully will produce a chakram, and vice versa.
The skill distribution among roles for boomerangs is changed from SLASH'EM:
| Boomerang | |
|---|---|
| Max | Role |
| Basic | |
| Expert | |
Weapons that use the boomerang skill will stop upon hitting a monster, but have a chance of "slicing" through enemies in their path that is rolled per monster and increases with the thrower's skill level:
- At Unskilled, the projectile will always stop on the first monster it hits.
- At Basic, there is a 101⁄150 chance of the projectile stopping upon hitting a monster.
- At Skilled, there is a 26⁄75 chance of the projectile stopping upon hitting a monster.
- At Expert, there is a 1⁄50 chance of the projectile stopping upon hitting a monster.
Wood golems can drop various items with an object material of wood upon death—any invalid objects generated this way can be replaced with boomerangs or other items.
Hack'EM also adds the artifact Windrider from dNetHack.
Encyclopedia entry
Rincewind pulled himself up and thought about reaching for his stick. And then he thought again. The man had a couple of spears stuck in the ground, and people here were good at spears, because if you didn't get efficient at hitting the things that moved fast you had to eat the things that moved slowly. He was also holding a boomerang, and it wasn't one of those toy ones that came back. This was one of the big, heavy, gently curved sort that didn't come back because it was sticking in something's ribcage. You could laugh at the idea of wooden weapons until you saw the kind of wood that grew here.
References
- ↑ src/mon.c in NetHack 5.0.0, line 674-L685
- ↑ src/uhitm.c in NetHack 5.0.0, line 901-L916: formula is rnl(4) == 3
- ↑ src/uhitm.c in NetHack 5.0.0, line 914-L915
- ↑ src/zap.c in NetHack 5.0.0, line 4141-L4233
- ↑ src/zap.c in NetHack 5.0.0, line 4153-L4171
- ↑ src/mthrowu.c in NetHack 5.0.0, line 1497-L1559: hits_bars() function; does not include boomerang weapons
- ↑ src/zap.c in NetHack 5.0.0, line 4219-L4225
- ↑ src/mthrowu.c in NetHack 5.0.0, line 552-L569: define for MT_FLIGHTCHECK
- ↑ src/zap.c in NetHack 5.0.0, line 4202-L4216
- ↑ src/zap.c in NetHack 5.0.0, line 4206-L4208
- ↑ src/zap.c in NetHack 5.0.0, line 4209
