Dart

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Version 0.25: This article may not be up to date for the latest stable release of Crawl.
Name Dart
Launcher Throwing
Base damage 0
Base delay (%) 10 (100%)
Min delay 7 at skill 6
A thin piece of metal, typically coated in some harmful substance. When thrown with skill it can deliver its toxins into the bloodstream of a living or demonic being. In addition to throwing skill, stealth skill improves the chance for a dart to affect its target.

Darts are throwing weapons designed to incapacitate foes rather than kill them outright. They may be found on the Dungeon floor or in the possession of some monsters (kobolds and spriggan riders).

Darts come with the following brands:

Undead and nonliving creatures are immune to darts, but all others can still be affected. Poisoned and Curare darts work on any susceptible creature that does not resist poison, but the effectiveness of the other two varieties is determined by the player's skill in Throwing and Stealth, and resisted by the target's hit dice:

  • there is a fixed 3% chance to affect a monster with HD < 15;
  • otherwise, the chance is 100 - 100 * (HD - 2) / (4 + pow), where pow = (Throwing + Stealth) * 2 / 3[1].

Strategy

Darts can be useful for many different characters, particularly in the early game where monsters have low HD (and therefore low resistance to darts). Many tough creatures like ogres or orc warriors can be rendered much more manageable by poisoning them, blinding/confusing them, or poisoning, damaging, and slowing them. Datura works well on groups of monsters, as you can force one of them to go berserk and fight the rest -- just be sure to keep your distance lest you have to fight a berserk monster yourself.

As the game progresses, most characters that aren't focused on Stealth and/or Throwing will probably find that darts become less useful than just killing monsters using a different method (though having some darts on hand for especially dangerous monsters can still prove helpful). Sneaky stabbers, though, may well continue to rely on darts to soften up monsters or give themselves stabbing opportunities.

Poisoned Atropa-tipped Curare-tipped Datura-tipped
Poisoned dart.png Atropa-tipped dart.png Curare-tipped dart.png Datura-tipped dart.png

History

  • In 0.24, blowguns were removed and needles were replaced with the new version of darts.
  • Prior to 0.15, darts were a thrown weapon that did damage comparable to stones but could be branded. They were removed in 0.15.
  • Prior to 0.6, darts could be fired from a hand crossbow.
Weapons
Axes BattleaxeBroad axeExecutioner's axeHand axeWar axe
Maces & Flails ClubDemon whipDire flailEveningstarFlailGiant clubGiant spiked clubGreat maceMace (Hammer) • MorningstarSacred scourgeWhip
Long Blades Demon bladeDouble swordEudemon bladeFalchionGreat swordLong swordScimitarTriple sword
Polearms BardicheDemon tridentGlaiveHalberd (Scythe) • SpearTridentTrishula
Ranged Weapons ArbalestHand cannonLongbowOrcbowShortbowSlingTriple crossbow
Short Blades DaggerQuick bladeRapierShort sword
Staves LajatangMagical staffQuarterstaff
Throwing BoomerangDartJavelinLarge rockStoneThrowing net
  1. throw.cc:320 (0.24.0)