Sunsword
| ) Sunsword (No tile) | |
|---|---|
| Base item | long sword |
| Damage vs. small | 1d8 x2 |
| Damage vs. large | 1d12 x2 |
| To-hit bonus | +1d5 |
| Bonus versus | undead |
| Weapon skill | long sword |
| Size | one-handed |
| Affiliation | |
| When carried |
(none) |
| When wielded | |
| When invoked |
(none) |
| Base price | 1500 zm |
| Weight | 40 |
| Material | iron |
Sunsword is an artifact that appears in NetHack. It is lawful, and its base item is a long sword.
Contents
Generation
A long sword randomly generated on the ground or as a death drop has a base 1⁄20 chance of being made into an artifact, which has a 1⁄6 chance of being made into Sunsword, assuming no artifact long swords have been generated. Lawful heroes may be given Sunsword as a sacrifice gift.
Angelic beings that are randomly generated will always be generated with an erosion-proofed long sword that will always be made into an artifact if the monster is a lord to their kind (i.e. an Archon) and otherwise has a 1⁄20 chance, and there is a further 1⁄2 chance of being made into specifically Sunsword if that artifact does not already exist (and will otherwise be made into Demonbane).[1]
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.
The starting inventory for angelic beings is adjusted via commit c4a1f298 and commit 1d0b8dfc so that angelic beings have a 2⁄3 chance of generating with a long sword which can be turned into Sunsword with the same odds as above, and those maces will have an enchantment ranging from +0 to +3. This adjustment is done to accommodate Demonbane's base item changes, first to a mace via commit b1a5a9c3, then to a silver mace via commit 67d58202.
Per commit d87cadaf and commit c2c797fa, artifact balance is substantially reworked: artifacts have 2 additional internal stats—the minimum sacrifice value required to obtain them by sacrificing (which is usually just the difficulty rating of the monster sacrificed), and a flat number added to the weapon's enchantment when it is either randomly generated or gifted.
Sunsword requires a sacrifice of at least 6 value, and will not have anything added to its enchantment when randomly generated or given as a sacrifice gift.Description
While wielded, Sunsword protects the wielder from light-based blinding and acts as a light source that emits light within a radius centered on the wielder, with its range dependent on the artifact's beatitude:[2] 3 squares if blessed, 2 squares if uncursed, and 1 square if cursed.
Blessed ........... |
Uncursed ........... |
Cursed ........... |
As a weapon, Sunsword has +1d5 to-hit and double damage bonuses against undead, and also scares gremlins that are in the radius of its light while dealing +1d8 damage against them.[3]
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 c71e8ec8, Sunsword can be invoked to create a blinding beam similar to that of an expensive camera—if the beam is shot up or down, this will permanently light up the area around the square the hero is standing on.
Per commit 758528f0, if the cooldown for the invoke effect of Sunsword has not yet expired, the hero can expend 25 energy to use the effect again.Strategy
Sunsword's use as a light source is generally considered as important as its damage bonus, though it is a viable choice in the absence of a better artifact weapon. Sunsword does hit a far wider range of monsters than most Bane-style artifacts: liches, shades and vampires are among the strongest (and most relevant) targets, and become much more common when passing through the Valley of the Dead and into Gehennom. Priests face many undead on their quest, making the double damage especially useful for them in theory.
However, since obtaining it as a sacrifice gift unrestricts the long sword skill, Excalibur becomes available and will almost always supersede Sunsword as the primary weapon. Heroes attempting genocideless conduct may still find Sunsword especially useful against liches.
History
Sunsword first appears in NetHack 3.0.0. From this version to NetHack 3.4.3, including some variants based on these versions, the light range does not depend on beatitude and always has a radius of 2; a magic lamp is often preferred as a light source in these versions. Sunsword is also ineffective against shades, who are undead but heavily resist damage from non-silver weapons.
In NetHack 3.6.0, the effects of beatitude on the light radius is introduced, and Sunsword is adjusted so that its bonus damage against undead overrides shades' resistance to non-silver damage. The light's additional effects on gremlins are added in NetHack 3.6.2.
Messages
- Sunsword begins to shine [dimly/brightly/brilliantly]!
- You wielded Sunsword, and it is now giving off light.
- Sunsword stops shining.
- You unwielded Sunsword.
- Sunsword shines [brighter/less brightly].
- The beatitude status of Sunsword changed while it was wielded.
- Light begins shining [nearby
- in the distance].
- Suddenly, the only light left comes from Sunsword!
- You were wielding Sunsword while either reading a scroll of light that was cursed, or reading any scroll of light while confused.
Variants
NetHack: The Next Generation
In NetHack: The Next Generation, Sunsword can be requested from Duri at The Forge for 7000zm.
SLASH'EM
In SLASH'EM, Sunsword is easier to obtain, since lawful heroes can receive minions that are likely to be generated carrying the artifact as sacrifice gifts. The odds of an angelic being minion being gifted and an artifact being created in their inventory are not affected by previous artifact gifts—once a minion with Sunsword generates, it can be easily disarmed with a bullwhip.
Furthermore, Sunsword has a much wider use case due to the addition of far more dangerous undead, such as the spellcasting vampire mages and ghoul mages, the fast and hard-hitting gugs, and the regenerating and reviving troll mummies. Sunsword competes for its niche with the Holy Spear of Light, an artifact silver spear that also acts as a light source: The Holy Spear has a smaller bonus against undead, but its silver material grants bonus damage against major demons, and rather than being wielded as a light source, it can be invoked to permanently illuminate a portion of the level and damage undead caught in the light burst.
SLASH'EM also makes it possible for the hero to twoweapon artifacts, so Sunsword is a good candidate for either weapon, though it will only provide light if wielded in the primary hand.
dNetHack
In dNetHack, notdNetHack and notnotdNetHack, Sunsword is a silvered long sword made of gold that uses (and trains) the higher of the two between the hero's short sword and long sword skills, which makes it effective even for roles that are restricted in long swords.
Sunsword has +1 to-hit and double damage against demons as well as undead, and grants automatic searching and blindness resistance while wielded on top of acting as a light source. Attacks with Sunsword ignore the target's equipped armor when calculating accuracy and DR, and deal full damage to insubstantial monsters such as shades and Sharab Kamerel—they also have a chance of stoning trolls and instantly killing gremlins.
FIQHack
In FIQHack, Sunsword blocks blindness much like The Eyes of the Overworld, and has a +1d20 damage bonus against undead instead of a double damage bonus.
SpliceHack
In SpliceHack, Sunsword is made of crystal gemstone, and its base item is chosen at random from all one-handed sword weapons, including the long sword.
EvilHack
In EvilHack, Sunsword is made of crystal gemstone and warns of undead monsters, and any undead monsters that see it will become hostile. Draugr and vampire heroes cannot wield Sunsword, and it will blast them and evade their grasp. Sunsword has a chance of completely destroying any undead that it hits (including an undead hero), and killing zombies while wielding Sunsword causes their corpses to evaporate, preventing their revival.
Sunsword can be combined with Demonbane at a forge to create the Hammer of the Gods, an artifact silver heavy war hammer that retains Sunsword's bonuses and warning versus undead along with its ability to emit light while wielded.
SlashTHEM
In addition to SLASH'EM details, SlashTHEM adds The Forge from NetHack: The Next Generation, where Sunsword can be requested from Duri for 7000zm as before.
Encyclopedia entry
What you seek is a blade of light, a weapon for vengeance.
References
- ↑ src/makemon.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 334: long swords are always made into artifacts for angelic being lords
- ↑ src/light.c in NetHack 3.4.3, line 750
- ↑ src/weapon.c in NetHack 3.6.7, line 328
