Doomblade

)   Doomblade   (No tile)
Base item	orcish short sword
Damage vs. small	1d5 +10 +(1d4 * 5) (25% chance)
Damage vs. large	1d8 +10 +(1d4 * 5) (25% chance)
To-hit bonus	+0
Bonus versus	(any)
Weapon skill	short sword
Size	one-handed
Affiliation	chaotic
When carried	(none)
When wielded	(none)
When invoked	(none)
Base price	1000 zm
Weight	30
Material	iron

Doomblade is an artifact weapon that appears in SLASH'EM, SlashTHEM and SpliceHack. It is chaotic, and its base item is an orcish short sword.

Doomblade deals +10 damage versus all monsters, with a ¹⁄₄ chance of dealing an extra (1d4 * 5) damage every attack; this bonus damage is accompanied by a message when it triggers. The bonus chance still occurs even if you are twoweaponing with Doomblade in the off-hand, which is allowed in SLASH'EM.

Generation

In SlashTHEM, Doomblade acts as the first guaranteed sacrifice gift for Lunatics.

Strategy

Though not seen or sought out as often as other artifacts in SLASH'EM, Doomblade is actually one of the better weapons in the game - its extra damage averages out to +13, which is comparable with Skullcrusher as well as Excalibur and Snickersnee (though to a lesser degree). While the average damage of +5d4 vs +1d4 * 5 is the same (12.5 per proc, or 3.125 per attack), the damage output distribution of the latter is much "swingier": where a roll of 5d4 will cluster around 12.5, a roll of 1d4 * 5 will take a value of 5, 10, 15 or 20, all with equal probability. The bonus damage rolls are fairly frequent, allowing Doomblade to finish off difficult or well-armored monsters, and it remains more than viable well into the SLASH'EM end game even if you do not get the bonus damage as often.

Unlike most artifacts, Doomblade lacks a to-hit, making using it while unskilled and/or at a low experience level somewhat more difficult; for high-level characters, the difference is negligible. Players who cannot effectively use the Bat from Hell due to being restricted in club skill may find this a worthwhile artifact weapon wish, as might those who want a suitably powerful offhand weapon.

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.

Bonus Damage Proc
$\frac{5+10+15+20}{4}*25%=\bold{3.125}$

Weapon	Small monsters	Large monsters
+0 Doomblade	$\frac{1+5}{2}+10+3.125=\bold{16.125}$	$\frac{1+8}{2}+10+3.125=\bold{17.625}$
+7 Doomblade	$\frac{1+5}{2}+10+3.125+7=\bold{23.125}$	$\frac{1+8}{2}+10+3.125+7=\bold{24.625}$

History

In SLASH 6 and other predecessors to SLASH'EM, Doomblade is the guaranteed first sacrifice gift for the Lycanthrope role before SLASH'EM changed it to a starting race.

Messages

You plunge the Doomblade deeply into <monster>!

Doomblade's extra damage effect has triggered.

A user has suggested improving this page or section as follows:

"Update to reflect Hack'EM"