Freezing

Version 0.30: This article is up to date for the latest stable release of Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup.

It freezes victims, dealing an additional one-quarter of any damage that pierces defenders' armour. It may also slow down cold-blooded creatures.

The freezing brand does the following:

• Deals an average of +25% cold damage (0% - 50%), applied after AC and all damage factors (including slaying).
• Slows down cold-blooded monsters that are not resistant to cold.

Sources

Along with finding freezing weapons as random loot, or using a scroll of brand weapon, freezing can be found on a few monsters:

• Wights frequently carry weapons of freezing.
• Frost giants usually generate with freezing battleaxes.
• Fannar always comes with a staff of cold or a quarterstaff of freezing

Strategy

Freezing is one of a couple percentage-based brands that's good enough to beat a 3-rune game. It's especially good against cold-blooded creatures, including the reptiles in the Lair and draconians in Zot. Unlike flaming, freezing works against orbs of fire, so its somewhat better for Zot:5.

As freezing applies its percentage boost after AC reduction, it is no better or worse when considering strength, weapon type, slaying, or AC. An executioner's axe of freezing receives the same +25% boost to final damage as a quickblade of freezing. It's just that a quickblade's base damage is weak, so a brand like electrocution or pain will be stronger overall.

History

• Prior to 0.15, unbranded weapons could be temporarily given this brand with the level 2 spell Freezing Aura. This temporary brand could be made permanent by reading a scroll of vorpalise weapon.