Missile
Missiles, otherwise known as ranged weapons, are weapons that are able to strike from afar. They can be thrown, fired, and launched at targets not adjacent to the attacker and are reliably lethal in skilled hands. Most missiles can break ("mulching") when used; this probability depends on the missile type, and various brands can also affect the chance of mulching. Note that missiles recovered from traps are never branded (except poison needles) or enchanted.
Contents
Launchers and Skills
Most missiles require launchers. The type of launcher determines which skill governs each shot.
- No launcher: darts, stones, large rocks, javelins, spears, hand axes. Trains Throwing
- Slings: stones, sling bullets. Trains Slings.
- Blowguns: needles. Trains Throwing.
- Bows or longbows: Arrows. Trains Bows.
- Crossbows: bolts. Trains crossbows.
Stones
Stones are relatively weak as thrown missiles (and moderately heavy to boot), but they are common! A number of lower-level enemies can carry and use them. Earth Magic users commonly collect stones as a form of ammunition in some of their spells, but throwers may also collect them to use them as weapons. While they're not very effective when thrown by hand, they become much deadlier when launched from a sling. They are also unique in that Jellies cannot eat them -- many characters will carry some solely for this reason. Stones are never branded.
Sling bullets
These are much more damaging than stones, and with several brands and materials possible. Unlike stones, they must be fired from a sling for effective use.
Darts
Darts are one of the most common missiles encountered in the game, especially early in the dungeon. Lower-level enemies are commonly armed with them, and dart traps are one of the most common varieties of trap in the game.
Exploding and Dispersal darts always mulch, and can never be recovered.
Needles
Needles, like darts, are a very common ranged weapon found most commonly early in the dungeon. While they do not do any damage on their own, needles are always branded, whether with poison, sickness, sleeping, paralysis, confusion, or frenzy, making them effective in various situations. Rarely, crawlers will find needles tipped with curare as well, which deals initial damage, slows, and poisons targets simultaneously. Beware monsters with curare needles.
Arrows
Arrows are another common type of missile found in the game, usually after a couple of levels into the dungeon. Enemies equipped with bows such as elves in the Elven Halls commonly carry them, and arrow traps can be found throughout the game.
Their possible brands are: venom, flame, frost, and dispersal.
Bolts
Bolts are the ammunition for crossbows. Bolts can be found in a steel version, which deals 130% damage and mulches at just 10% of the normal rate.
Their possible brands are: flame, frost, steel, venom, penetration, and silver
Javelins
Javelins are throwing spears. They do quite good damage, and are less likely to break on impact than most missiles.
Their possible brands are: penetration, venom, returning, silver, and steel.
Large Rocks
Trolls and ogres are the only playable races which can throw these, but many of the gigantic humanoids found in the dungeon will use them as well. Large rocks are never generated branded (except in branded ammunition shops), but they do a lot of damage and rarely break. They are very heavy.
See Also
History
Prior to 0.14, daggers, spears, hand axes and clubs could also be thrown.
