Snakebite

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

A double-ended whip made from the cured hides of black mambas, and enchanted with toxins ranging from ordinary venoms to asphyxiating curare.

the +8 whip "Snakebite"

+8 whip

Curare (upgraded venom brand; 40% chance of inflicting curare effect instead)
rPois

Desirability

Snakebite is a strong weapon for a good chunk of the game: it offers somewhat powerful, fast attacks which have a 40% chance to slow enemies. In specific, curare poisons as normal, inflicts slow, and deals 2d6 extra damage.

However, Snakebite's base damage is fairly low. Curare does nothing against poison resistant enemies, making Snakebite little more than a +8 whip. Even against vulnerable enemies, you may prefer a branded demon whip or eveningstar by the late-game.

A rare vault in the early Lair is guaranteed to contain Snakebite; it consists of a long, winding corridor filled with adders, water moccasins, and black mambas, with Snakebite sitting at the very end.

History

• Prior to 0.19, Snakebite merely poisoned opponents instead of inflicting curare.
• Prior to 0.15, Snakebite had an enchantment of +5.
• Prior to 0.14, Snakebite had an enchantment of +5, +10.