nethack spoiler site http://www.nethack.de/ Maintainer: Sascha Wostmann (sascha@nethack.de) ----------------------------------------------------------------- As there have been several questions about weapon skills recently, I'm reposting my weapon skills spoilers. ----------------------------------------------------------- Weapon Skills in NH 3.2.1 by David Robertson(djr98665@egr.uh.edu) Note: Throughout this document, I am using the DOS syntax for extended commands. If you are on a different system, you should try # wherever you see alt-. For example, you would use #e instead of alt-e. Weapon skills were added to Nethack in version 3.2.0. The idea represented by weapon skills is that one improves ones ability with practice. This is translated in NH as several skill rankings in the various weapon types. As you use your weapon you improve in it, and are eventually able to increase your skill ranking. You recieve combat penalties if you use a weapon you are unskilled in. If your rank is higher than the Basic level in a weapon, you recieve combat bonuses (+ to hit, +to damage) when using that weapon. The alt-e command will display all weapon groups in which you are able to train. This command also allows you to increase your skill in a weapon group if you have met the requirements for increasing your rank there. When you become able to increase your rank in a weapon type, you recieve a message ("You feel more confident in your fighting skills"). There are three prerequisites for advancing a skill level in a weapon group: having sufficient practice in a weapon type, having sufficient skill slots for advancement, and having a skill level in that group that is less than a class based maximum skill for that weapon type. The amount of practice in a weapon group is the number of times you have hit monsters while wielding a weapon from that group (classes able to use martial arts are also able to practice this skill by kicking monsters). The hit will not be counted as practice if it does only 1 point of damage to the monster. The only sources of damage used for this calculation are those directly associated with the weapon: base weapon damage type, enchantment level, rust/fire damage, and special bonuses (like being blessed vs undead, or silver used against a susceptible creature). Other bonuses/penalties to damage such as strength modifiers, rings of increase damage, artifact bonuses, weapon skill bonuses, etc are ignored for this calculation. The number of practice points needed to advance to the next skill level depends on your current skill level in that group. Minimum number of practice points needed to raise your skill level: ----------------------------------------------------------------- Unskilled-> Basic requires 20 total points. Basic -> Skilled " 80 total points. ( 60 more) Skilled -> Expert " 180 total points. (100 more) Expert -> Master " 320 total points. (140 more) Master -> Grand Master " 500 total points. (180 more) Master and Grand Master ranks are only available in Barehanded fighting and Martial arts skills. The second requirement for advancing your skill level in a weapon group is a sufficient number of "skill slots". You receive one skill slot every time you advance a level. You start off with no slots, so by the time you reach level 30 you will have 29 available. If you lose an experience level, you lose one of your skill slots. If you have spent all your slots, then your most recently advanced weapon skill is reduced by one level; its cost in skill slots is refunded to you, less one. The number of skill slots needed to advance a skill level increases at higher skill levels. Cost in skill slots for raising a skill level ---------------------------------------------- Unskilled -> Basic requires 1 slot Basic -> Skilled requires 2 slots Skilled -> Expert requires 3 slots For Barehanded/Martial arts skill levels, each rank costs 1 skill slot. The third requirement for advancing a weapon group is the maximum skill level allowed in that group. Each character class has maximum skill levels allowed in each weapon group. Some weapons are not usable at all by some classes, and they will not show up in your weapon list (alt-e). These groups are restricted for that class. If a weapon group is restricted, you will never be able to improve that group, unless you are granted an artifact of that type (see below). When a character is created, he/she will be at a Basic skill level with all the weapons in his/her starting inventory. If a character is able to reach Master level or higher in Barehanded/Martial combat, that character will start off at the Basic skill level for unarmed combat. If a character is granted an artifact that he/she is restricted in, that weapon group will become unrestricted with a maximum skill of Basic. This only applies when the artifact is granted by the gods (through sacrificing, or by being crowned). The other methods of acquiring artifacts such as dipping for Excalibur, naming, wishing or just finding an artifact on the ground do not affect the restricted status of that weapon type. A list of class maximums for each weapon group is included towards the end of this document. Bonuses/Penalties for Weapon Skills ------------------------------------ Skill level + to hit + to dam -------------------------------------- Restricted -4 -2 Unskilled -4 -2 Basic +0 +0 Skilled +2 +1 Expert +3 +2 With barehanded/martial arts skill, the maximum skill level is Grand Master. If you have martial arts skill, you won't have bare-handed combat, and vice-versa. The base damage for barehanded combat is 1d2, for martial arts it is 1d4. + to hit + to damage ---------------------------- Barehanded : (skill +1)/2 (skill)/2 Martial arts : (skill +1) (skill) Where skill is your rank in unarmed combat (Basic == 2 Skilled == 3 ... Grand Master == 6) Weapon group maximum skill levels by character class ----------------------------------------------------- Legend ------- B-Basic S-Skilled E-Expert M-Master G-Grand Master -A blank indicates a restricted group. Classes /--------------------------------------------------------------\ |Weapon Group | A | B | C | E | H | K | P | R | S | T | V | W | |--------------------------------------------------------------- |Dagger | B | B | B | E | S | B | | E | B | E | E | E | |Knife | B | | S | S | E | B | | E | S | S | | S | |Axe | | E | S | | | S | | | | B | E | S | |Pick-axe | E | E | B | | | B | | | | B | S | | |Short Sword | B | B | | E | S | S | | E | E | E | S | B | |Broadsword | | S | | E | | S | | S | S | B | S | | |Long sword | | S | | S | | E | | S | E | B | E | | |2-handed sword| | E | | B | | S | | B | E | B | E | | |Scimitar | S | S | | S | B | B | | S | B | S | B | | |Saber | E | B | | S | B | S | | S | B | S | B | | |Club | S | S | E | | S | B | E | S | | | | S | |Mace | | S | E | | B | S | E | S | | B | | B | |Morning star | | S | B | | | S | E | B | | B | | | |Flail | | B | S | | | B | E | B | S | B | | | |Hammer | | E | S | | | B | E | B | | B | E | | |Quarterstaff | S | B | E | | E | | E | B | B | B | B | E | |Polearm | | | S | | B | S | S | | S | B | S | S | |Spear | | S | E | E | B | S | S | B | B | B | S | B | |Javelin | | | S | B | B | S | S | | B | B | B | B | |Trident | | S | S | | B | B | S | | | B | B | B | |Lance | | | | | | E | B | | S | B | S | | |Bow | | B | E | E | | B | B | | E | B | | | |Sling | S | | S | B | S | S | B | | | B | B | S | |Crossbow | | | | B | | | B | E | | B | | | |Dart | B | | | | E | | B | E | | E | | E | |Shuriken | | | | B | S | | B | S | E | B | | B | |Boomerang | E | | E | | | | B | | | B | | | |Whip | E | | | | | | | | | B | | | |Unicorn horn | S | | B | | E | | S | | | S | | | |Bare-handed | E | G | G | S | B | E | | E | | S | E | B | |Martial Arts | | | | | | | B | | G | | | | \--------------------------------------------------------------/ Weapon group classification --------------------------- Weapon group | Weapons in that group ---------------------------------------------------------------- Dagger | [Elven/Orcish/ ] dagger, athame Knife | knife, stiletto, worm tooth, crysknife, scalpel Axe | axe, battle axe Pick-axe | pick-axe, Dwarvish mattock Short Sword | [Elven/Dwarvish/Orcish/ ] short sword Broadsword | [Elven/ ] broadsword, runesword Long sword | long sword, katana 2-handed sword | two handed sword, Tsurugi Scimitar | scimitar Saber | silver saber Club | club, aklys Mace | mace Morning star | morning star Flail | flail Hammer | war hammer Quarterstaff | quarterstaff Polearm | partisan, ranseur, glaive, spetum, halberd, | bardiche, voulge, fauchard, guisarme, | bill-guisarme, lucern hammer, bec-de-corbin Spear | [Elven/Orcish/Dwarvish/ ] spear Javelin | javelin Trident | trident Lance | lance Bow | [Elven/Orcish/ ] bow, yumi Sling | sling Crossbow | crossbow Dart | dart Shuriken | shuriken Boomerang | boomerang Whip | whip, rubber hose Unicorn horn | unicorn horn -- David Robertson please reply to:djr98665@egr.uh.edu, otherwise mail will bounce) ------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Artifacts and Weapons Skill Max Date: 25 Apr 1996 19:46:08 GMT From: Peter Snelling I've mapped that list of maximums onto a list of artifacts. This shows you the maximum skill level for your class at a given artifact. I think restricted becomes basic for Artifacts, but this list might help you choose between artifacts with similar basic damages. It's especically improtant for classes who are basic or restricted with long swords and broadswords (ACHPTW). For some classes (HTW) Magicbane becomes a pretty good alternative... Artifact Name Expert Skilled Basic Restricted -------------------------------------------------------- Orcrist E BKRSV T ACHPW Stormbringer E BKRSV T ACHPW Dragonbane KSV BER T ACHPW Demonbane KSV BER T ACHPW Excalibur KSV BER T ACHPW Fire Brand KSV BER T ACHPW Frost Brand KSV BER T ACHPW Giantslayer KSV BER T ACHPW Vorpal Blade KSV BER T ACHPW Snickersnee KSV BER T ACHPW Sunsword KSV BER T ACHPW Werebane A EKRT BHSV CPW Grayswandir A EKRT BHSV CPW Cleaver BV CKW T AEHPRS Mjollnir BPV C KRT AEHSW Ogresmasher BPV C KRT AEHSW Grimtooth ERTVW H ABCKS P Magicbane ERTVW H ABCKS P Sting ERTVW H ABCKS P Trollsbane P BK CRT AEHSVW -- Peter Snelling, P.Eng. (snelling@nortel.ca) My views only, not my employer's "The organization formerly known as Bell-Northern Research", Ottawa Canada