# Quarterstaff

) 

Name

quarterstaff

Appearance

staff

Damage vs. small

1d6

Damage vs. large

1d6

To-hit bonus

+0

Weapon skill

quarterstaff

Size

two-handed

Base price

5 zm(+10/positive enchant)

Weight

40

Material

wood

A quarterstaff is a kind of two-handed weapon that appears in NetHack. When unidentified, it simply appears as a staff. Quarterstaves are made of wood, and thus susceptible to burning and rotting.

Contents

1 Generation
2 Quarterstaff skill
3 Strategy
4 History
5 Variants

5.1 SLASH'EM
5.2 UnNetHack
5.3 dNetHack
5.4 NetHack Fourk
5.5 FIQHack
5.6 xNetHack
5.7 SpliceHack
5.8 EvilHack
5.9 SlashTHEM

6 Encyclopedia entry
7 References

Generation
All Wizards start with a blessed +1 quarterstaff.[1]
Quarterstaves make up about 1.1% of randomly generated weapons (on the floor, as death drops, or in shops). Arch-liches have a 2⁄9 chance to be generated with a quarterstaff, but lack any weapon attacks and so will not use it in combat.[2][3]
Player monsters, including those on the Astral Plane, have a slightly lower than 1% chance of generating with a quarterstaff as their initial weapon before role-based replacements: Healers have a 3⁄4 chance of their initial weapon being made into a quarterstaff for a total, while wizards, including Newt from the Wizard quest, have a 3⁄8 chance for their weapon to be a quarterstaff.[4] [5]
Wood golems leave behind a pile of 2-8 quarterstaves as a special death drop instead of a corpse.[6]

Quarterstaff skill

Quarterstaff

Max
Role

Basic

Barbarian, Monk, Ranger, Samurai, Tourist, Valkyrie

Skilled

Archeologist

Expert

Caveman, Healer, Priest, Wizard

In NetHack, only quarterstaves themselves use the quarterstaff skill. The Staff of Aesculapius is an artifact quarterstaff.

Strategy
The quarterstaff is a more than adequate starting weapon for a Wizard, but is much less effective than other two-handed weapons for general combat (e.g., a battle-axe or two-handed sword); a Wizard in the early game may still consider enchanting theirs to survive.

History
The quarterstaff is introduced in NetHack 3.0.0.
The Wizard's starting weapon was changed to a quarterstaff in NetHack 3.3.0, as part of the process of merging the influential Wizard Patch against 3.2.X versions into the mainline game[7] - in NetHack 3.2.3 and previous versions, their starting weapon is instead a +1 athame.[8] This was likely intended to compensate for increased power from the redesigned spellcasting system, which allows virtually unlimited casting of spells; it also indirectly nerfed their ability to make a reliably-engraved Elbereth (which could still be done, but required starting with an appropriate wand and was limited by its charges).

Variants
In variants the incorporate the Noble role, the adventuring wizard always generates with a quarterstaff.

SLASH'EM
In SLASH'EM, Flame Mages, Ice Mages and Necromancers also start with a blessed +1 quarterstaff.
The double lightsaber is a new weapon that uses the quarterstaff skill. SLASH'EM's version of the Lethe patch, SLethe, also adds a silver-capped staff that deals additional damage against silver-hating monsters.

UnNetHack
In UnNetHack, cutting down a tree will leave behind 1-3 quarterstaves and/or clubs.
A very burnt quarterstaff can be found along with the corpse of a wizard and a burnt robe on the second level of the Ruins of Moria (clearly intended to be a reference to Gandalf).

dNetHack
In dNetHack, the khakkhara and iron bar also use the quarterstaff skill. The khakkhara does less base damage against large monsters, but is made of silver; the iron bar does more base damage to small monsters, but is not randomly generated and only appears upon destroying a set of iron bars.  Khakkharas additionally deal more damage to holy- and unholy-haters (depending on BUC): the bonus damage is rolled 1d3 times.  The double lightsaber also appears, where it is known as a double force-blade.
Naberius is a spirit for Binders that grants skill in quarterstaff.

NetHack Fourk
In NetHack Fourk, a wielded quarterstaff increases the success rate of spellcasting, similar to a robe.

FIQHack
In FIQHack, in addition to improving spellcasting, a cursed quarterstaff that is welded to your hands does not block spellcasting.

xNetHack
In xNetHack, the quarterstaff provides the same benefits as in FIQHack, improving spellcasting success rates and not blocking casting if wielded while cursed. This effect does not stack with other items that provide the same benefit, i.e., the robe and the wand of nothing.

SpliceHack
In the original SpliceHack, The Power Pole is an artifact quarterstaff that acts as the Dancer quest artifact.

EvilHack
In EvilHack, there are now different spell-enhancing quarterstaves for every school of magic except enchantment spells. These staves boost the cast rates of spells for their respective spell schools, and are designed to make magic more viable for the various casting playstyles that would have had difficulty using  them otherwise. The bonus given is a flat +50% spell success chance, applied after all other checks besides the check for body armor.

Staves of divination are made of wood, and aid in the casting of divination spells while wielded.
Staves of escape are made of wood, and aid in the casting of escape spells while wielded.
Staves of healing are made of wood, and aid in the casting of healing spells while wielded.
Staves of holiness are made of bone, and aid in the casting of clerical spells while wielded.
Staves of matter are made of mithril, making them lighter compared to the other staves, and aid in the casting of matter spells while wielded.
Staves of war are made of iron, and aid in the casting of attack spells while wielded. This makes it heavier than its counterparts, but also grants it an extra +d2 to-hit.
In addition, the base item of Magicbane is changed to a quarterstaff; all its other properties are unchanged.

SlashTHEM
In SlashTHEM, in addition to SLASH'EM changes, the Acid Mage and Electric Mage also start with a blessed +1 quarterstaff. SlashTHEM introduces artifact weapon staves as well:

Shimmerstaff is an artifact silver-capped staff, and the first sacrifice gift for the Bard.
The Cudgel of Cuthbert is an artifact quarterstaff and the Chevalier quest artifact.
The Staff of Withering is an artifact quarterstaff and the Lunatic quest artifact.
Encyclopedia entry

So they stood, each in his place, neither moving a finger's
breadth back, for one good hour, and many blows were given
and received by each in that time, till here and there were
sore bones and bumps, yet neither thought of crying "Enough,"
or seemed likely to fall from off the bridge.  Now and then
they stopped to rest, and each thought that he never had seen
in all his life before such a hand at quarterstaff.  At last
Robin gave the stranger a blow upon the ribs that made his
jacket smoke like a damp straw thatch in the sun.  So shrewd
was the stroke that the stranger came within a hair's breadth
of falling off the bridge; but he regained himself right
quickly, and, by a dexterous blow, gave Robin a crack on the
crown that caused the blood to flow.  Then Robin grew mad
with anger, and smote with all his might at the other; but
the stranger warded the blow, and once again thwacked Robin,
and this time so fairly that he fell heels over head into the
water, as the queen pin falls in a game of bowls.

[ The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood, by Howard Pyle ] 

References

↑ src/u_init.c in NetHack 3.6.6, line 162

↑ src/makemon.c in NetHack 3.6.6, line 727

↑ src/monst.c in NetHack 3.6.6, line 1538

↑ src/mplayer.c in NetHack 3.6.6, line 188

↑ src/mplayer.c in NetHack 3.6.6, line 245

↑ src/mon.c in NetHack 3.6.6, line 400

↑ u_init.c in NetHack 3.3.0, line 161

↑ u_init.c in NetHack 3.2.0, line 156: no source for 3.2.3 on the wiki