Quarterstaff (skill)
The quarterstaff is a weapon skill that appears in NetHack.[1]
Available roles
The following roles can reach the listed skill levels in quarterstaves:
| Quarterstaff | |
|---|---|
| Max | Role |
| Basic | |
| Skilled | |
| Expert | |
List of weapons
Only quarterstaves use the quarterstaff skill.
There is one artifact that uses the quarterstaff skill: The Staff of Aesculapius, the Healer quest artifact.
History
The quarterstaff skill is introduced with many other weapon skills in NetHack 3.2.0.
Variants
SLASH'EM
SLASH'EM adds the double lightsaber as a weapon that uses the quarterstaff skill. SLASH'EM's version of the Lethe patch, SLethe, also adds a silver-capped staff that deals additional damage against silver-hating monsters.
SporkHack
In SporkHack, there are spell staves for every school of magic except enchantment spells. These staves are all made of wood, use the quarterstaff skill and boost the cast rates of spells for their respective spell schools—this is done to make certain types of magic more viable for various casting playstyles that would have difficulty using them otherwise.
dNetHack
dNetHack adds three weapons that use the quarterstaff skill:
- The khakkhara does less base damage against large monsters than a quarterstaff, but is made of silver—khakkharas additionally deal more damage to holy- and unholy-haters (depending on the weapons beatitude), with the bonus damage rolled 1d3 times.
- The iron bar does more base damage to small monsters, but is not randomly generated and only appears upon destroying a set of iron bars.
- The double lightsaber is somewhat similar to its appearance in SLASH'EM, and is also known as a double force-blade.
Naberius is a spirit that grants skill in quarterstaff while bound.
SpliceHack
In pre-Rewrite SpliceHack, The Power Pole is an artifact quarterstaff that acts as the Dancer quest artifact.
notdNetHack
In addition to dNetHack details, notdNetHack and notnotdNetHack add The Poplar Punisher, an artifact quarterstaff that has +1d4 to-hit and +2d6 damage.
EvilHack
EvilHack incorporates the spell staves from SporkHack with several changes made, including giving each spell staff a different non-randomized appearance, a set object material and sometimes a different glyph color.
EvilHack also changes the base item of Magicbane to a quarterstaff, and adds The Staff of the Archmagi, an artifact ashwood staff that uses the staff skill and is created by combining Magicbane and Secespita at a forge. The ashwood staff as a base item deals more damage in melee than a standard quarterstaff.
SlashTHEM
In addition to SLASH'EM details, SlashTHEM adds some artifacts that use the quarterstaff skill:
- Shimmerstaff is an artifact silver-capped staff and the first guaranteed sacrifice gift for the Bard.
- The Cudgel of Cuthbert is an artifact quarterstaff and the Chevalier quest artifact.
- The Staff of Withering is an artifact quarterstaff and the Lunatic quest artifact.
Hack'EM
Hack'EM incorporates spell staves from older versions of EvilHack. Hack'EM also adds some artifacts that use the quarterstaff skill, including one that has their base item changed from its original appearance:
- The Staff of Rot is a staff of necromancy that deals withering damage actively and passively.
- Firewall is changed from SLASH'EM to be a staff of divination that grants fire resistance and deals fire damage, and is the first sacrifice gift for Flame Mages.
- Circe's Witchstaff is a staff of matter that can turn enemies into pigs.
- The Drowsing Rod is a staff of healing that can put enemies to sleep with its sleeping gas attack, and is the first sacrifice gift for Healers.
- Origin is a staff of escape that confers teleport control and spellcasting bonuses while wielded.
