Saber (skill)
The saber is a weapon skill that appears in NetHack.[1][2]
Available roles
The following roles can reach the listed skill levels in sabers:
| Saber | |
|---|---|
| Max | Role |
| Basic | |
| Skilled | |
| Expert | |
List of weapons
The silver saber and scimitar both use the saber skill. There are two artifacts that use the saber skill: Grayswandir and Werebane, which are both artifact silver sabers.
History
The saber skill is introduced with many other weapon skills in NetHack 3.2.0. From this version to NetHack 3.6.7, including some variants based on those versions, the silver saber is the only saber weapon, and the scimitar has a separate weapon skill—Barbarians can only reach Basic in sabers. NetHack 5.0.0 merges the scimitar skill into the saber skill via commit 296a3ac2, which also allows Barbarians to reach Skilled in saber in order to maintain consistency with the former scimitar skill.
Variants
NetHack variants based on versions up to NetHack 3.6.7 may or may not merge the scimitar and its skill into the saber skill like later versions do.
SLASH'EM
SLASH'EM retains the silver saber as the sole saber weapon from NetHack 3.4.3 and previous contemporary versions, and adds the rapier as a weapon that uses the saber skill.
dNetHack
dNetHack, notdNetHack and notnotdNetHack retains the silver saber (here known simply as the saber) as the sole saber weapon from NetHack 3.4.3 and previous contemporary versions, and add several weapons that use the saber skill:
- rapier
- crow-quill
- soldier's rapier, which can transform into the "soldier's saber" (a firearm weapon, despite the name)
- rakuyo, which can be detached into a rakuyo-saber form for the main hand, and a rakuyo-dagger for the off-hand that uses a different weapon skill
- lightsaber, the only lightsaber weapon to use the saber skill
The Air Crystal boosts the hero's skill in sabers by one level while carried.
Berith is a spirit that grants skill in sabers while bound.
Several artifacts use the saber skill in some form:
- Demonbane has its base item changed to a silver saber from vanilla NetHack.
- Fire Brand and Frost Brand can be generated, wished for or gifted in saber form, and can be reshaped into a saber.
- The Blade Singer's Saber is an artifact rakuyo that unlocks the saber skill if it is gifted to a hero.
- The Crescent Blade is an artifact silver saber that favors drow.
- The Annulus is the Anachrononaut quest artifact and can be invoked to change between a variety of forms at will, including a lightsaber.
- The Iconoclast is an artifact silver saber wielded by Daemon.
- The Saber of Sabaoth is a large artifact silver saber that Throne Archons can generate with.
EvilHack
In EvilHack, the scimitar skill is merged into the saber skill as in NetHack 5.0.0. EvilHack also adds the orcish scimitar, which uses the saber skill and replaces the standard scimitar in the inventory of orcish monsters that are not undead.
Werebane has its base item changed to a scimitar made of silver.
SlashTHEM
In SlashTHEM, in addition to SLASH'EM details, the Mouser's Scalpel and Queen's Guard are artifacts that use the saber skill.
Hack'EM
Hack'EM adds the rapier from SLASH'EM and the falchion from SpliceHack alongside the orcish scimitar from EvilHack as weapons that use the saber skill, and it also merges the scimitar skill (which SpliceHack falchions use) into the saber skill as is done in NetHack 5.0.0.
