Lightsaber Forms (dNetHack)

Lightsaber forms are a set of fighting styles that grant special skills only available with certain weapons in dNetHack. There are 8 forms in total, and each has different effects when used combined with a lit lightsaber.

All roles aside from Anachrononauts are restricted in all lightsaber forms, and all Anachrononauts can get expert in every lightsaber form. Android anachrononauts are an exception, and are intentionally restricted in all forms as well. You can change forms with #style while wielding a lightsaber, though unskilled forms can't be activated. If no forms are available for any reason, Shii-Cho is used at whatever your current skill in it is. All forms are only active when wielding a lit lightsaber of any kind - unlit lightsabers get no effects.

You gain the bonuses of the lesser of your base weapon skill and the activated lightsaber form, so advancing a form to skilled has no effect if you are only basic in the weapon skill. However, since you cannot advance each form past your current weapon skill anyway, this rarely actually matters. Forms can only be trained while using the corresponding form, or while using the Shii-Cho (the 'default' form). The to-hit and damage bonuses for these forms stack additively with the actual lightsaber skill, whether it's saber, broadsword, quarterstaff, or two-handed sword.

Additionally, some forms cannot be used if you are wearing restrictive armor:

Form	Armor Restrictions
Form I: Shii-Cho	None
Form II: Makashi	No heavy armor
Form III: Soresu	No heavy armor
Form IV: Ataru	No heavy armor
Form V: Shien	No medium or heavy armor
Form V: Djem So	No medium or heavy armor
Form VI: Niman	Non-metallic
Form VII: Juyo	No medium or heavy armor

Heavy armor is armor that fully removes DEX bonus to AC (eg. plate mail, chain mail), and medium armor is armor that halves your DEX bonus to AC (eg. dragon scale mail, ring mail). Any armor with a metallic base material will fully block Niman, but unusual non-metallic materials on normally-metallic armors (i.e. bone orcish ring mail) will work fine. Metallic armor that would not block spellcasting, like armor with the brilliance object property, still blocks Niman. If your currently selected form is blocked, the active form defaults to Shii-Cho.

Form I: Shii-Cho

• Shii-Cho is the default lightsaber form, and will be used automatically if you are unskilled or restricted in all forms (including itself).
• Shii-Cho is trained by making normal melee attacks with a lightsaber.
• While using Shii-Cho, you take an additional -5 to-hit penalty against other lightsaber-wielding targets, regardless of skill.

Restricted	Unskilled	Basic	Skilled	Expert
-5 to-hit penalty	-2 to-hit penalty	no to-hit bonus or penalty	+2 to-hit bonus	+5 to-hit bonus

Form II: Makashi

• Makashi is a form specializing in single-bladed lightsaber combat, so some abilities are disabled if you are using a beamsword, double lightsaber (regardless of blades lit), or don't have a free offhand due to either wearing a shield or actively two-weaponing. An item equipped in your offhand while not two-weaponing does not count against this.
• Makashi is trained by using a single bladed lightsaber with a free offhand.
• Using Makashi with a beamsword or double-bladed lightsaber incurs a -20 to-hit penalty. This does not care about your offhand.
• Grants increased dexterity based bonus to hit and damage with skill level, but only when using a single-bladed saber. The to-hit does not care about your offhand, but the damage bonus does, otherwise no form-based bonus damage. The modifier used for these calculations is a dueling modifier equal to (((DEX + 3) / 3) - 4) with floor division. At 12 dexterity, this is +1, up to +5 at 25 dexterity.
• Attacking a monster studies it, placing study stacks dependent on skill on the target. This is a personal study effect, so monster vs. monster combat is not affected by it.
• As a form based around single combat, your to-hit and armor class are reduced for each adjacent monster after the first. This scales with skill level.

Basic	Skilled	Expert
dueling modifier to-hit bonus	2 * dueling modifier to-hit bonus	3 * dueling modifier to-hit bonus
2 + dueling modifier bonus damage	5 + dueling modifier bonus damage	10 + dueling modifier bonus damage
-5 to-hit penalty and -10 to AC for each additional adjacent monster	-2 to-hit penalty and -5 to AC for each additional adjacent monster	-1 to-hit penalty and -2 to AC for each additional adjacent monster
1 stack of study per hit, capped at 5	2 stacks of study per hit, capped at 10	4 stacks of study per hit, capped at 20

Form III: Soresu

• Soresu is a defensive form focused around counterattacks and dodging, but slows you down as a result.
• To train Soresu, be attacked in melee while wielding a lit lightsaber. These attacks do not have to hit. Successful counterattacks will also train Soresu.
• Grants improved reflection (including dragon breath).
• While in use, if you have negative AC you roll twice for effective AC and use the lower result.
• Grants a chance of counterattack after being hit in melee, with no limit on how many counterattacks can be made per round (unlike Shien). The to-hit bonuses granted depend if you're counterattacking or not.
• Grants a chance of burning incoming physical projectiles out of the air, completely destroying them and preventing all damage. This chance is per object with no limit per round.
• Instead of any damage bonuses, grants an AC bonus scaling with dexterity and intelligence. This is a dodge effect, so if you are flat-footed (cannot move or grabbed) you get no bonus.
• This form also slows you down when used, subtracting a flat number of movement points from your speed per round (not per hit).

Basic	Skilled	Expert
-10 to-hit penalty for regular attacks, +1 to-hit bonus for counterattacks	-5 to-hit penalty for regular attacks, +2 to-hit bonus for counterattacks	-2to-hit penalty for regular attacks, +3 to-hit bonus for counterattacks
(DEX + INT - 20) / 5 bonus to dodge AC	(DEX + INT - 20) / 3 bonus to dodge AC	(DEX + INT - 20) / 2 bonus to dodge AC
10% chance of counterattack for each incoming melee attack	15% chance of counterattack for each incoming melee attack	25% chance of counterattack for each incoming melee attack
33% chance of burning incoming projectiles out of the air	66% chance of burning incoming projectiles out of the air	100% chance of burning incoming projectiles out of the air
Speed is reduced by 6 points	Speed is reduced by 4 points	Speed is reduced by 3 points

Form IV: Ataru

• Ataru is an offensive form focused around mobility and chaining attacks.
• To train Ataru, attack using a lightsaber after having moved since your last attack (including the somersault on a successful hit).
• Successful attacks somersault you to a square adjacent to your target, if squares are available. If all adjacent squares are full, nothing happens.
• Due to being too focused on jumping around, this form grants a major penalty to armor class and a minor to-hit penalty.
• However, it trades these for a moderate damage bonus if you have moved since your last attack. The somersault on a successful hit counts for this purpose, and if you have not moved, then no damage bonus is given. The damage bonus is based on the die size of your currently wielded saber, and a little extra damage is given if using a lightsaber with two blades lit.

Basic	Skilled	Expert
-2 to-hit penalty	-1 to-hit penalty	no to-hit bonus or penalty
+20 penalty to AC	+10 penalty to AC	+5 penalty to AC
+2d(die size) bonus damage, +2d3 extra with two blades	+4d(die size) bonus damage, +4d3 extra with two blades	+6d(die size) bonus damage, +6d3 extra with two blades

Form V: Shien

• Shien is an offensive form focused around dealing with crowds.
• To train Shien, be attacked at range while wielding a lit lightsaber.
• Grants improved reflection (including dragon breath), but also the ability to redirect reflected attacks in a direction of your choice. This does not change the person responsible for the zap, and behaves exactly like normally reflected beams with regard to friendly fire or kill credit. The reflection is guaranteed, but the chance of redirecting attacks scales with skill.
• Grants a chance of counterattacking after being hit in melee, limited to 1 counterattack per attack round (unlike Soresu or Djem So). The to-hit bonuses granted depend if you're counterattacking or not.
• Grants a chance of burning incoming physical projectiles out of the air, completely destroying them and preventing all damage. This chance is per object with no limit per round.
• Grants bonus damage if multiple monsters are adjacent to you, in the form of a crowding modifier that scales with strength and number of adjacent monsters. This uses floor division and ignores percentile strength - 18/xx is 18, and 19 is 19.
• Each level of training in Shien past basic also applies to Djem So, stacking with your normally-trained Djem So skill. This does not go past expert, and you will be unable to spend more skill slots on Djem So or Shien if you are already expert. At Expert Shien without any direct investment in Djem So, you will be Skilled in Djem So.
  • This means the most efficient way to get expert in both skills at expert is to enhance both to Skilled, which will make both Expert, though both have different means of training. However, this is the same price as leveling Shien or Djem So to expert normally, so this isn't necessary if you don't plan on switching between the two skills.

Basic	Skilled	Expert
-5 to-hit penalty for regular attacks, no to-hit bonus or penalty for counterattacks	-2 to-hit penalty for regular attacks, +1 to-hit bonus for counterattacks	-1 to-hit penalty for regular attacks, +2 to-hit bonus for counterattacks
1d((STR+2)/3 + adjacent count) bonus damage	1d((STR+2)/3 + 2*adjacent count) bonus damage	1d((STR+2)/3 + 3*adjacent count) bonus damage
5% chance of counterattack after an attack round	10% chance of counterattack after an attack round	20% chance of counterattack each an attack round
33% chance of redirecting reflected attacks	66% chance of redirecting reflected attacks	100% chance of redirecting reflected attacks
33% chance of burning incoming projectiles out of the air	66% chance of burning incoming projectiles out of the air	100% chance of burning incoming projectiles out of the air
No bonus to Djem So skill	Grants +1 Djem So skill	Grants +2 Djem So skill

Form V: Djem So

• Djem So is an offensive form focusing on brutal strength for both accuracy and damage.
• To train Djem So, attack monsters that have recently attacked you, while wielding a lit lightsaber. Successful counterattacks will also train Djem So.
• Grants a chance of counterattack after being hit in melee, with no limit on how many counterattacks can be made per round (unlike Shien). The to-hit bonuses granted, unlike both Shien and Soresu, do not depend on whether you're counterattacking or not.
• Grants a chance of performing a staggering blow. The chance scales with skill, but is reduced by 80% if the target did not attack you on its last turn - a counterattack is strictly necessary, but always fulfills this requirement.
• Grants a to-hit bonus in the form of a strength-based accuracy modifier with very minor scaling. Strength of 5 or below is -2, 7 or below is -1, 18 or below is +0. Between 18/01 and 18/50 inclusive is +1, between 18/51 and 18/99 is +2, and 19 or above is +3.
• Grants bonus damage based on strength, similar to Shien but without the scaling. The brutal strength damage modifier is always ((STR+2)/3). This ignores percentile strength - 18/xx is 18, and 19 is 19.
• Each level of training in Djem So past basic also applies to Shien, stacking with your normally-trained Shien skill. This does not go past expert, and you will be unable to spend more skill slots on Djem So or Shien if you are already expert. At Expert Djem So without any direct investment in Shien, you will be Skilled in Shien.
  • This means the most efficient way to get expert in both skills at expert is to enhance both to Skilled, which will make both Expert, though both have different means of training. However, this is the same price as leveling Shien or Djem So to expert normally, so this isn't necessary if you don't plan on switching between the two skills.

Basic	Skilled	Expert
1 + strength accuracy modifier to-hit bonus	2 + strength accuracy modifier to-hit bonus	5 + strength accuracy modifier to-hit bonus
1d(brutal strength modifier) bonus damage	2d(brutal strength modifier) bonus damage	3d(brutal strength modifier) bonus damage
5% chance of counterattack for each incoming melee attack	10% chance of counterattack for each incoming melee attack	20% chance of counterattack for each incoming melee attack
10% chance for a staggering blow (2% without recent attacks from target)	15% chance for a staggering blow (3% without recent attacks from target)	20% chance for a staggering blow (4% without recent attacks from target)
No bonus to Shien skill	Grants +1 Shien skill	Grants +2 Shien skill

Form VI: Niman

• Niman is an offensive form focusing on mixing lightsaber attacks and spellcasting together fluidly.
• A turn difference is calculated based on how long it's been since you last cast a spell and how long it's been since the monster got a turn. The formula for this recency modifier is turns since monster moved: the last turn you cast a spell on - the last turn the monster moved on + 1.
• To train Niman, attack monsters with a lit lightsaber after casting spells recently, where your recency modifier is 1 or higher.
• Niman grants no to-hit bonuses or penalties, and minor flat damage penalties to compensate for large damage bonuses with high recency modifiers. The recency-based damage is doubled for double-bladed lightsabers, and only applies if your recency modifier is positive.

Basic	Skilled	Expert
-2 damage penalty	-1 damage penalty	no damage penalty
3d(recency modifier) bonus damage, doubled to 6d(recency modifier) with two blades active	6d(recency modifier) bonus damage, doubled to 12d(recency modifier) with two blades active	18d(recency modifier) bonus damage, doubled to 9d(recency modifier) with two blades active

Form VII: Juyo

• Juyo is an offensive form focused around attacking disadvantaged targets.
• To train Juyo, attack disadvantaged targets. What counts as disadvantaged is the same thing that counts for sneak attacks - helplessness, blinded, trapped, running away, unaware, or suicidal.
• Grants a sneak die, allowing you to make sneak attacks like a Rogue if you previously could not, or stacking additively with existing sneak dice.
• On successful sneak attacks, grants movement points back per attack (no limit per round), scaling with skill.
• On any target, has a chance for a staggering blow, but the odds are reduced by 60% when not sneak attacking.
• Juyo has a minor to-hit penalty, and no bonus damage aside from the sneak attacks.

Basic	Skilled	Expert
-2 to-hit penalty	-1 to-hit penalty	no to-hit penalty or bonus
10% chance for a staggering blow (4% without recent attacks from target)	15% chance for a staggering blow (6% without recent attacks from target)	20% chance for a staggering blow (8% without recent attacks from target)
3 movement points refunded on hit	4 movement points refunded on hit	6 movement points refunded on hit