Monster

Version 0.30: This article may not be up to date for the latest stable release of Crawl.

Monster refers to all the inhabitants of the Dungeon and it's branches. Usually, they will be trying to kill the player character.

Types

There is a vast array of different kinds of monster. To get information about a specific creature, you can find its page using the search feature.

There are various ways to browse different monsters:

Lists of monsters include monsters that fall into one of several categories. Note that not all monsters are part of one of these groups.
The List of unique monsters lists the various "minibosses" that may appear in Crawl.
Branch and portal pages list monsters commonly found in those areas.
Monster spell pages each have a list of monsters capable of using that spell.
Various categories exist based on monster attributes. Check the bottom of a monster page for links to lists of what other monsters possess a similar ability (such as resistance to electricity).
Finally, List of monsters has links to all monster pages.

There are few ways monsters end up in the game. The main sources are:

Creation of the level:
- Randomly placed, based on branch and depth.
- Placed by special vaults.
When on the level:
- Summoned by various sources.
- Raised or created using Necromancy.
- Monster gifts by various gods.
- Monsters will randomly spawn while in the Abyss, Pandemonium, or if holding the Orb of Zot

Prior to 0.21, monsters could spawn over time in all branches except for the Temple. Out-of-depth monsters were generated if the player stayed on the level for a long time.