Holy
Holy is one of the least common elemental forces within the Dungeon, but one of the strongest in the late game. Players who do not worship the Shining One or Zin will have almost no access to holy powers, and there are only a handful of rare monsters with innate holy abilities.
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Holy Damage
Holy damage is the manifestation of the wrath of the Shining One or other good beings. Holy damage is usually only inflicted against targets that offend good beings: This includes all undead and demonic monsters. Demonspawn or undead (including lichform) players are also affected. Players don't have a special resistance to holy, though AC still applies as usual.
Holy Wrath
The holy wrath brand, while associated with The Shining One and considered holy (demonspawn and undead cannot wield them), does not in fact deal holy damage. Rather, it offers a large physical bonus against undead and demonic foes.
Holy Sources
There are two good gods you can worship to gain access to holy damage abilities:
- Followers of Zin can use Recite to target all those vulnerable to holy, potentially causing a damaging holy word. It also targets non-unholy monsters to a lesser, non-damaging degree.
- Followers of the Shining One can attack with Cleansing Flames.
Although monsters may occasionally wield holy wrath weapons themselves, most monsters have no access to holy damage. However, there are several holy monsters that can be found in the Abyss, Pandemonium, and certain Ziggurat floors which have very powerful holy attacks and special abilities. These monsters are a major threat to any holy vulnerable characters, so be extremely careful when facing them.
Holy Resistance
Only holy monsters and the formerly holy profane servitor have holy resistance. This renders them completely immune to Cleansing Flame, the only (player) source of holy damage which can hurt non-evil creatures.
Holy Vulnerability
Holy vulnerability renders you susceptible to many holy attacks you would otherwise be immune to. You take 150% from beams, and 75% from holy flavored melee. Holy wrath will deal random extra damage, from +1 damage to +150% (average +75%). You can acquire it by:
- Playing an undead or demonspawn character.
- Being under the effect of the Necromutation spell.
Holy Spells
Way back in the days of yore (namely, pre-DCSS), holy spells existed and were player-castable. These included such now verboten effects as Minor/Major Healing, Restore Strength, and Purify. The last one, Cure Poison, was removed in 0.17 (long after it lost Holy). Interestingly, the holy spell school had no miscasts, so unlike with Divinations they did not last as vestiges.
The school survived for monsters considerably longer, although its spells were gradually migrated away from it (as spells such as Healing needed to be used by evil monsters as well as good). The remains of the school were ultimately completely removed around 0.10. While some monsters have spells that are themselves considered to be holy, there no longer exists a defined school of holy spells.
See Also
History
- Prior to 0.29, the scroll of holy word gave all players access to holy damage.
- Prior to 0.27, Zin's Sancturary dealt Holy Word inside it.
- Prior to 0.20, monsters spellcasters and priests using "evil" magic would receive full damage from Cleansing Flame, while others would receive half. Followers of an evil god (players included) also took full.
- Prior to 0.15, worshipping a good god would give bonus holy word damage.
