Obsidian axe
| This axe has had a curse placed upon it by one of the lords of Pandemonium so that unsuspecting adventurers like you would unleash demons into this world. Beware, for this axe has ways of taking its wielder under its command... |
the +12,+15 obsidian axe
+12, +15 broad axe
Vorpal brand
Cursed, recurses itself on equip
Allow flight
See Invisible
+3 Str
Evil
Mesmerizes user if any hostile monster present
10% chance of summoning a friendly common demon (60% chance of Tier-4; 40%, Tier-3) per attack.
Desirability
Using the obsidian axe can be more than a little irritating, but its excellent stats may make up for it. If you are wielding this broad axe and a monster is visible, you will be mesmerized and restricted from moving any farther away from the monster: "Visions of slaying the [monster] flood into your mind." If there are multiple monsters, you will fixate on the closest one. When mesmerized by the axe, you lose any current confusion and gain temporary clarity (suggesting a possible emergency use, if you lack potions of curing). Unwielding the axe (by scroll or Tukima's Dance, although using the latter on a cursed weapon is highly dangerous) dispels all forms of mesmerization, even if mermaids/sirens are involved.
The mesmerization property of this weapon can potentially be very dangerous, for instance if it forces you to run headlong into a group of strong melee monsters instead of retreating into a corridor to fight them. For this reason, if you are going to use this weapon, you should always keep some escape option open and ready to use: a scroll of teleportation or remove curse is highly advisable. Be aware that in the more dangerous areas of the dungeon, this may cause you rapidly burn through such items. Many players may simply choose to go for a good two-handed axe anyway, which will provide superior damage output with none of the downsides of this weapon.
History
The obsidian axe was added in 0.8.
