Editing Trident

{{Wikipedia|Trident}}
{{weapon
  |color=metal color
  |name=trident
  |tile=[[image:trident.png]]
  |smalldmg=1d6+1
  |largedmg=3d4
  |skill=trident
  |cost=5
  |weight=25
  |material=iron
}}

A '''trident''' is a kind of [[weapon]]. It has a special +4 [[to-hit]] bonus against [[swimmer|swimming monsters]] that are in [[water]]. If the monster is not in water, there is still a +2 to-hit bonus if it is one of the [[snake]]s or the [[sea monster]]s.<ref>[[weapon.c#line151]]</ref>

The trident averages 7.5 damage versus large monsters, one point more than a [[katana]], making it the most damaging one-handed non-artifact weapon versus large monsters. Along with the [[silver saber]], [[crysknife]] and [[katana]], the trident is one of the best choices for [[twoweapon]]ing.
==History==
The trident goes as far back as the first public release of Hack, [[Hack 1.0.3]].
==Generation==
In addition to normal random generation methods, such as [[death drop]]s and [[shops]], the following monsters have a unique chance of being spawned with a trident in their [[monster starting inventory]]:
*'''[[Salamander]]. 2 in 21, or about 9.52%.'''
**Sadly, they are also very rare to even spawn, making this largely ineffective for obtaining a trident. While they appear in large numbers on the [[Plane of Fire]], by that time a player has already completed their [[ascension kit]] and likely ignoring all drops.
*'''[[Horned devil]]. 3 in 4, or exactly 75%.'''
**If looking for a trident, it may be beneficial to avoid killing one without such in [[Gehennom]] to encourage the odds of one spawning with a trident. To be 95% certain to obtain one, the player need only kill ~2.16 <!-- 2.160964047 -->, and 99% certainty at only ~3.32 <!-- 3.321928095 -->. With [[polymorph control]], should one turn into a Horned devil, there is a 1 in 13 chance of another being spawned in battle; attacking in bare-handed combat, so as not to actually kill a combatant, as few as ~50.41 <!--50.41332609 --> strikes is enough to be 95% certain, and ~77.5 <!-- 77.497561559 --> for 99% certainty (provided you have a means to safely kill your [[pets]], such as [[conflict]], of course).

==Average damage calculation==
We assume the player has [[expert skill]] in [[trident]], which gives a +2 damage bonus. This is assumed despite the fact that no class can actually have expert skill (so as to be on a level playing field with other weapon tables). A blessed weapon deals 1d4 extra damage against [[demon]]s and [[undead]]. The worst case scenario is against a small, non-undead, non-demon. The best case scenario is against a large undead/demon monster.

{|class="wikitable"
! Weapon
! Against regular small monsters
! Against regular large monsters
! Worst case scenario
! Best case scenario
|-
|Blessed trident +0 || <math>\frac{1+6}{2}+1+2=\bold{6.5}</math> || <math>\frac{3+12}{2}+2=\bold{9.5}</math> || <math>\frac{1+6}{2}+1+2=\bold{6.5}</math> || <math>\frac{3+12}{2}+\frac{1+4}{2}+2=\bold{12}</math>
|-
|Blessed trident +7 || <math>\frac{1+6}{2}+1+2+7=\bold{13.5}</math> || <math>\frac{3+12}{2}+2+7=\bold{16.5}</math> || <math>\frac{1+6}{2}+1+2+7=\bold{13.5}</math> || <math>\frac{3+12}{2}+\frac{1+4}{2}+2+7=\bold{19}</math>
|-
|Blessed trident +9 || <math>\frac{1+6}{2}+1+2+9=\bold{15.5}</math> || <math>\frac{3+12}{2}+2+9=\bold{18.5}</math> || <math>\frac{1+6}{2}+1+2+9=\bold{15.5}</math> || <math>\frac{3+12}{2}+\frac{1+4}{2}+2+9=\bold{21}</math>
|}
Despite the inclusion in the above table, attempting to [[Scroll of enchant weapon#Enchanting Beyond +7|enchant a trident to +9]] is generally a very bad idea, as they're quite rare.

==Trivia==
[[Image:Trident, Burmese, 18th century.JPG|thumb|A real world trident]]
Tridents and [[wikipedia:Military fork|military forks]] were seen in real-life warfare, with the trident's tines often being affixed with barbs to as to help it in it's primary peacetime use: fishing. In NetHack, this is referenced with the fact that it has a bonus when facing water creatures (though this point is mostly academic, as coming into melee range is generally a [[drowning|bad idea]]).

In warfare, tridents were favored for their long reach and ability to disarm and dismount a horse-riding combatant. In the world of NetHack, tridents have no particular benefit against the [[Riders]], nor is it possible to disarm an opponent with them. Oddly, it ''is'' possible to disarm them with the [[battle-axe|axe]], instead, as per sundering the monster's weapon, or with a [[grappling hook]]. Military forks furthermore had abilities as a tool, such as raising siege ladders, and would work in a pinch for most things a pitchfork would.

The fact that it deals much more damage than the spear, or the literally named "forked polearm" ([[spetum]]), is rather curious, historically speaking. As is the fact that it does not use the [[polearm]] skill, and moreover, that the description "forked polearm" doesn't belong to it, as it would far more accurately describe a military fork.

[http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/SRD:Trident Tridents] exist in canonical [[D&D]], where they dealt 1d8 base damage versus opponents, but have a lower critical hit multiplier, meaning it was, in fact, worse than the similar 1d8 [http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/SRD:Spear long spear], insofar as raw damage. As in NetHack, ''however'', they were a one-handed weapon; this meant that a trident user could still have the added benefit of a shield, or the versatility of an off-hand weapon. The trident's 1d8, for a one-handed weapon, was still better than the 1d6 of the [http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/Shortspear short spear].

== Trident skill ==

{{trident skill table}}

The trident is the only weapon to use the trident skill. There are no [[artifact weapon|artifact]] tridents.

== References ==

<references />
[[Category:Weapons]]