King Arthur
@ King Arthur 
| |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | 23 |
| Attacks |
Weapon 1d6, weapon 1d6 |
| Base level | 20 |
| Base experience | 588 |
| Speed | 12 |
| Base AC | 0 |
| Base MR | 40 |
| Alignment | 20 (lawful) |
| Frequency (by normal means) | Unique |
| Genocidable | No |
| Weight | 1450 |
| Nutritional value | 400 |
| Size | Medium |
| Resistances | None |
| Resistances conveyed | None |
|
King Arthur:
| |
| Reference | monst.c#line3101 |
King Arthur, @, is the Knight quest leader. He is a strong, omnivorous human that can be seen via infravision.
King Arthur has two weapon attacks.
The following information pertains to an upcoming version (NetHack 3.7.0). If this version is now released, please verify that the information below is still accurate, then update the page to incorporate it.
Per commit 20cbadcf, killing quest leaders no longer makes the game unwinnable, and King Arthur and other quest leaders are given stat buffs and additional equipment to compensate. King Arthur's speed is increased to 15, his MR score becomes 90, and he has two 4d10 weapon attacks.Contents
Generation
King Arthur resides within Camelot Castle, the Knight quest's home level, occupying the throne in the central-west room of the castle itself.
The following information pertains to an upcoming version (NetHack 3.7.0). If this version is now released, please verify that the information below is still accurate, then update the page to incorporate it.
As part of commit 20cbadcf, King Arthur always generates with +4 plate mail and a blessed +4 long sword, which will always be made into Excalibur if it has not yet generated.History
King Arthur is introduced with most other quest leaders in NetHack 3.1.0.
Origin
King Arthur (Welsh: Brenin Arthur, Cornish: Arthur Gernow, Breton: Roue Arzhur, French: Roi Arthur), also known as Arthur Pendragon, is a legendary king of Britain and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain. In Welsh sources, Arthur is portrayed as a leader of the post-Roman Britons in battles against Anglo-Saxon invaders of Britain in the late 5th and early 6th centuries. He first appears in two early medieval historical sources, the Annales Cambriae and the Historia Brittonum, but these date to 300 years after he supposedly lived, and historians who study the period do not consider him a historical figure.
The character of King Arthur developed through Welsh mythology, appearing either as a great warrior defending Britain from human and supernatural enemies or as a magical figure of folklore, sometimes associated with the Welsh otherworld of Annwn. He further developed as a figure of international interest largely through the popularity of the pseudohistorical 12th-century Historia Regum Britanniae (History of the Kings of Britain). The author Geoffrey of Monmouth depicted Arthur as a king of Britain who defeated the Saxons and established a vast empire, and is the source for many elements and incidents that are now an integral part of the Arthurian story: Arthur's father Uther Pendragon, the magician Merlin (for whom the quest artifact is named), Arthur's wife Guinevere, the sword Excalibur, Arthur's conception at Tintagel, his final battle against Mordred at Camlann, and his final rest in Avalon.
12th-century French writer Chrétien de Troyes added Lancelot and the Holy Grail to the story, and began the genre of Arthurian romance that became a significant strand of medieval literature. The themes, events and characters of the Arthurian legend vary widely from text to text, and there is no singular canon. The legend and the literature rooted in it thrived during the Middle Ages, but waned in popularity in the centuries that followed; it experienced a major resurgence in the 19th century. In the 21st century, the legend continues to have prominence in literature and adaptations for theatre, film, television, comics and other media.
Variants
Some variants make King Arthur and other quest leaders stronger to accommodate changes to the Quest and its entry mechanics, and these changes may be incorporated into upcoming versions of NetHack or else be borrowed from them - such changes may also give him the artifact Excalibur.
SporkHack
In SporkHack, King Arthur has his difficulty increased to 24. King Arthur's speed is increased to 15, his MR score becomes 90, and he has two 4d10 weapon attacks. He also gains flight, sleep resistance, poison resistance, and stoning resistance.
dNetHack
In dNetHack, 3 of King Arthur's 10 points of effective base AC are from dodge AC, and the rest are from protection.
King Arthur always generates with a blessed +7 silver axiomatic long sword, a blessed +3 kite shield, blessed +3 plate mail, a blessed +3 gold helm with the "circlet" randomized appearance, blessed +3 iron gauntlets, and blessed +3 iron armored boots. Of his 10 points of effective base 0 AC, 3 are from dodge AC and the rest are from protection.
King Arthur's long sword is a tempting Excalibur base, but cannot be obtained normally unless you are willing to attack and possibly kill him - if so, be sure to unlock the quest before attacking.
xNetHack
In xNetHack, King Arthur's stats and difficulty are improved as in SporkHack minus the flight and resistances.
King Arthur always generates with +4 plate mail and a blessed +4 long sword, which will always be made into Excalibur if it has not yet generated.
SpliceHack
In SpliceHack, King Arthur's stats are improved as in SporkHack minus the difficulty increase, flight and resistances.
EvilHack
In EvilHack, King Arthur's stats and resistances are improved as in SporkHack minus the difficulty increase and flight.
King Arthur is always generated with a large shield and a blessed long sword with an enchantment ranging from +2 to +5 - the sword will always be made into Excalibur if it has not yet generated. If The Magic Mirror of Merlin is successfully wished for by a non-Knight, there is a x⁄x+1 chance (where x is the amount of previous artifact wishes) of a hostile King Arthur generating adjacent to the character with the artifact in his possession.
All of the above information also applies to Hack'EM.
Encyclopedia entry
Ector took both his sons to the church before which the
anvil had been placed. There, standing before the anvil, he
commanded Kay: "Put the sword back into the steel if you
really think the throne is yours!" But the sword glanced
off the steel. "Now it is your turn", Ector said facing
Arthur.
The young man lifted the sword and thrust with both arms; the
blade whizzed through the air with a flash and drilled the
metal as if it were mere butter. Ector and Kay dropped to
their knees before Arthur.
"Why, father and brother, do you bow before me?", Arthur asked
with wonder in his voice.
"Because now I know for sure that you are the king, not only
by birth but also by law", Ector said. "You are no son of
mine nor are you Kay's brother. Immediately after your birth,
Merlin the Wise brought you to me to be raised safely. And
though it was me that named you Arthur when you were baptized,
you are really the son of brave king Uther Pendragon and queen
Igraine..."
And after these words, the lord rose and went to see the arch-
bishop to impart to him what had passed.
Emanuel Frynta, and Vackav Cibula ]
