Silent spectre

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Version 0.30: This article may not be up to date for the latest stable release of Crawl.
silent spectre WSilent spectre.png
HP 29-59
HD 8
XP 314
Speed 10
AC 5
EV 15
Will 40
Attack1 15 (hit: plain)


Resistances rC+++
rPois+++
rDrown
rMiasma
rN+++
rTorm
rSticky
Vulnerabilities Holy
Habitat Land
Intelligence Human
Uses Open doors
Holiness Undead
Size Medium
Type wraith, silent spectre
Flags Evil
See invisible
Flying
Unbreathing
Speaks
Insubstantial
No stairs
The bane of wizards, these terrible spirits bring an unearthly silence to the area around them, making it impossible to recite the magical incantations involved with casting spells or reading scrolls.

“There is a silence where hath been no sound,
There is a silence where no sound may be,—
In the cold grave, under the deep, deep sea,
Or in the wide desert where no life is found.”
-Thomas Hood, “Silence”. Early 19th cent.

Useful Info

Silent spectres are weak, insubstantial undead that permanently radiate a 12-tile aura of Silence. This prevents use of spells, god abilities, and scrolls. They can be found in Tartarus, rarely inside the Abyss, in Tartarus-themed Ziggurat floors, and in various themed vaults.

Silent spectres cannot use stairs.

Tips & Tricks

  • Silent spectres aren't a threat by themselves, but they make other monsters a lot more threatening. Most demons are unaffected by silence, and are free to torment or cast other spells. Even if you aren't a caster, you'll lose access to many emergency tools, which makes everything more dangerous.
  • Remember that silence doesn't prevent use of weapons, evocables, potions, or natural abilities.
  • Their presence is never a surprise - their aura extends well past your LOS. At the same time, this makes it nearly impossible to kill using spells. You'll need a 'lasting' effect (e.g. Summoning spells) or some other means of dealing damage to kill a spectre.
  • The silence can be used to your advantage - proper spellcasters, including all liches, are affected by silence.
  • For Mega-Zig characters, Tartarus floors are one of the most deadly floors, almost entirely due to silent spectres. By the 10th Zig, you'll often be silenced on entry, putting you on a time limit before Necromutation runs out. It's important to buff yourself before entering each floor. Depending on the situation, you can use javelins, evocables, enter Tree Form, or unwield distortion to try and not die.

History

  • Silent spectres were introduced in 0.8.