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Elemental Staff

2015-01-14T21:47:41Z

Ensis: I actually checked the source code "art-func.h". The probability was unexpectedly low. The previous statement that the damage is determined by evo was wrong for 0.15, maybe that was the case in previous versions.

{{version015}}

{{flavour|This powerful staff used to belong to the leader of the Guild of Five Elements.}}
[[File:Elemental_staff.png]] '''''A black staff''''' 

+3 [[staff]]

Inflicts bonus damage as though it were a randomly selected elemental staff with each hit. 
+5 [[AC]] 
rF++ 
rC++ 
rElec 
+80 [[magic resistance]] 

Damage type is selected randomly with an equal probability from fire, cold, electricity and earth. The actual chances of dealing extra damage are evoc/27² + (1- evoc/27²)*evoc/27² which results in only 7.2 percent at skill level 27. The actual damage doesn't depend on evocations skill at all and is 10-24 which is irresistible for earth.

==Desirability==
The '''elemental staff''' offers an unbelievable array of defensive bonuses, giving the wielder significantly more freedom when it comes to armour and jewellery slots. With a modest skill investment in [[Staves]] (12 for min speed) and significant training in [[Evocations]], it also serves as a fairly powerful, moderately fast one-handed melee weapon, though not having control over the element you evoke is unfortunate.

For casters, coupling this with a robe of the [[Archmagi]] and possibly other spellpower enhancers can leave you with a well-rounded defense and an overwhelming offense. For melee characters, particularly ones who can fill their suddenly-available equipment slots with [[slaying]] bonuses, it's an excellent way to gain exceptional amounts of durability while still being a force to reckon with. Don't expect it to be of much use in melee with monsters resistant to all elemental damage, however.

Even at very high levels of evocations the staff is activated very seldom so you shouldn't count on its extra damage and thus shouldn't be used in important fights.

==History==
Prior to [[0.14]], the elemental staff was a +3, +1 [[quarterstaff]] making it a marginally better source of physical damage. However, it lacked any elemental brand effects, offered no rElec, made [[noise]] while wielded, and significantly increased your [[hunger]].

[[Category:Unrands]]
[[Category:Staves]]

Necromutation

2015-01-13T00:03:38Z

Ensis: removed reference to usefulness of royal jellies since the've been nerfed in 0.15

{{version014}}
{{Spell
|name=Necromutation
|level=8
|school1={{Transmutations}}
|school2={{Necromancy}}
|school3=
|sources=<div>
* [[Necronomicon]]
</div>
|castingnoise=6
|spellnoise=0
}}

{{Flavour|This spell first transforms the caster into a lich - a powerful skeletal figure. The caster gains some powers of death, and becomes more resistant to cold and hostile enchantments and completely immune to poison, rotting, and negative energy, and requires no food at all for the duration of the spell. 
The caster also gains some of the more dubious benefits of having an undead body, such as a vulnerability to holy weapons and an inability to consume potions. 
Contrary to what one would expect, this spell works on octopodes, although what foul necromantic tissue serves as an analogue for bones remains a mystery.}}

'''Necromutation''' is a level 8 [[Transmutations]]/[[Necromancy]] spell which transforms the caster into a [[lich]]. This state is often referred to by Crawl players as '''lichform'''. For the duration of this spell the caster gains the following:

===Pros===
*[[Undead]] status
*1 rank of [[cold resistance]]
*Complete [[negative energy]] immunity
*+50 [[MR]]
*+6 [[AC]]
*[[Draining]] [[brand]]ed unarmed attacks
*A spell enhancer for Necromancy
*Immunity to [[poison]]
*Immunity to [[rotting]]
*Immunity to [[sickness]]
*Immunity to [[torment]]
*Mutation immunity
*No hunger clock

===Cons===
*Cannot quaff potions
*Vulnerability to [[Dispel Undead]], [[scroll of holy word]], and [[holy wrath]] weapons
*Cannot cast spells that require you to be alive (many Necromancy and Transmutations spells)
*Unwields/prevents wielding of [[Holy wrath|holy]] weapons
*[[Mutation]]s cause [[rot]] instead

Higher spell power boosts the duration of the spell.

==Strategy==
Having this spell is a game-changer. No hunger means that you can play like a [[mummy]] (but with the aptitudes and stats of your race), as long as you recast the spell once in awhile. Spam your big spells, wear rings of regeneration and abuse [[Sif Muna]]'s channeling; the hunger won't affect your living form as long as you do it all as a lich. Unlike a real mummy, you can just stop recasting this spell and heal your stats and rot as a living person. You can also go back to the world of the living to kill pesky creatures that use [[Dispel Undead]].

If your power with Necromutation is somewhat marginal, recasting it before it has expired is preferable, since the spell will take advantage of its own Necromancy enhancer and last longer. Casting it at a low success rate is usually a bad idea however, as the miscast effects from Transmutations and Necromancy are both fairly nasty, including [[rotting]], large amounts of [[magic contamination]], direct malmutation, and massive stat drain.

One major issue is that becoming undead through Necromutation restricts the use of many useful spells. [[Borgnjor's Revivification]] and [[Death's Door]], among others, are both uncastable in lich form, so take care when facing powerful enemies. Additionally, confusion is '''extremely''' dangerous: the regular cure, quaffing a potion of curing, is not available, and leaving lich form is impossible during confusion. This makes a source of [[clarity]] invaluable for would-be liches.

Furthermore, this spell makes you vulnerable to the devastating effects of [[Dispel Undead]]. See that article for a list of opponents to watch out for.

Finally, note that casting this spell while worshiping a [[good god]] or [[Fedhas Madash]] will cause you to be immediately excommunicated.

==Settings==
Users of this spell may want to add this to their runrest_messages.txt (in settings directory) file:

stop = Your transformation is almost over.

This will stop autotravel if the spell is nearly over and allow you to recast it before it runs out, preserving nutrition.

{| class="prettytable" style="border:none; margin:auto; padding:0; text-align: center"
! Humanoid || Centaur || Naga || Octopode || Felid
|-
| [[File:Lichform.png]] || [[File:Lichform centaur.png]] || [[File:Lichform naga.png]] || [[File:Lichform octopode.png]] || [[File:Lichform felid.png]]
|}

==History==
Prior to [[0.13]], the caster also received +3 [[strength]] and a bonus to [[stealth]].

[[Category:Status effects]]
[[Category:Transformation]]

Crystal ball of energy

2015-01-10T20:59:46Z

Ensis: /* Strategy */

{{version015}}
''"Crystal ball" redirects here. For the obsolete items, see [[crystal ball of fixation]] or [[crystal ball of seeing]].''
{{item
| itemtype = Miscellaneous item
| name = crystal ball of energy
| cost =
| weight = 15
}}
{{flavour|A magical device which can be used to restore one's reserves of magical energy, but the use of which carries the risk of draining all of those energies completely. This risk varies inversely with the proportion of their maximum energy which the user possesses; a user near his or her full potential will find this item most beneficial.}}

A '''crystal ball of energy''' is an evocable item which, when used successfully, restores a large amount of your [[MP]] (5 + 1d[[Evocations]]). It has no cost to use, but does have a high failure rate and may cause [[Divinations]] [[miscast effect#Divinations|miscast effect]]s when used incorrectly. This can result in [[confusion]], loss of MP, and/or 1-5 points of temporary [[intelligence]] damage.

The odds of success increase with both your Evocations skill and the percentage of your max MP you still have. Regardless of your Evocations, trying to use this item when nearly out of MP is almost guaranteed to fail, and attempting it while confused will always fail. However, the higher your Evocations, the greater the amount of MP you can spend before using this item becomes unlikely to pay off. See the table below for details:

{| class="prettytable" style="text-align: center; border:none; margin:auto; padding:0;"
! Evocations !! Min. MP% for max. success rate !! Max. success rate !! MP restored (average)
|-
! 2
| 72% || 8% || 6
|-
! 5
| 66% || 61% || 7.5
|-
! 10
| 56% || 78% || 10
|-
! 15
| 46% || 84% || 12.5
|-
! 20
| 36% || 87% || 15
|-
! 25
| 26% || 89% || 17.5
|}

==Strategy==
With Evocations training, the crystal ball of energy is the most powerful MP restoration item in the game, outperforming even a [[potion of magic]]. However, the results of failure are potentially catastrophic, and even at maximum Evocations there is always a significant failure rate. Pay close attention to your current MP if you're considering using this, and have escape methods lined up that don't rely on MP. Use [[clarity]] to negate the possible confusion effects; a [[ring of sustain abilities]] can cut the temporary Int loss in half. Zin's vitalisation prevents both confusion and int loss, but does not prevent the mp drain. Consider having a [[staff of energy]] regain mp for the next try if you were drained by this item.

Staff of energy

2015-01-10T20:57:42Z

Ensis:

{{version015}}
{{item
|itemtype=Magical staves
|name=staff of energy
|cost=
|weight=13
}}
{{flavour|This staff greatly reduces the hunger cost of the wielder's magical spells.}}

A '''staff of energy''' is a [[magical staff]] which eliminates [[spell hunger]] caused by casting spells and provides some minor channeling ability. Equipping it will cause it to auto-identify. This affects all spells except for those cast through a [[rod]], as you cannot wield both items at once.

Successfully [[Evocations|evoking]] the staff restores 1-3 [[MP]] at a cost of 50 [[nutrition]]. While this is much less efficient than waiting for your MP to regenerate naturally, it is also much faster, allowing you to regain access to spells in the middle of combat. A failed attempt does not incur the hunger cost. Your chances for the staff's success improve with [[Evocations]] training:
{| class="prettytable" style="text-align: center; border:none; margin:auto; padding:0;"
! Evocations || Success Rate (%)
|-
| 0 || 28
|-
| 2 || 33
|-
| 5 || 40
|-
| 10 || 53
|-
| 15 || 65
|-
| 20 || 78
|-
| 25 || 90
|-
| 27 || 95
|}

The staff can also be used in combat, functioning as a +0, +0 [[staff]]. Unlike some other magical staves, it provides no magical combat effects, but you can still improve your damage output, accuracy, and attack speed through training [[Fighting]] and [[Staves]]. Even so, this is one of the least effective melee weapons available, and should be used solely for its spellcasting benefits.

==Strategy==
Although this staff doesn't make magic any more powerful or easy to use, it allows casters to spam high-level spells without fear of starving themselves to death every battle. Wielding this staff is a much easier option for most characters than gaining access to [[Necromutation]]. Any caster should keep one on hand simply to reduce the amount of downtime spent recovering after combat, especially when traveling through edible [[corpse]]-rich branches.

For some characters the [[crystal ball of energy]] might be a better alternative.

==History==
Prior to [[0.13]], the channeling feature was on a separate staff.

In [[0.11]], the staff was temporarily nerfed, reducing food costs by two-thirds. It was restored to zero spell hunger in [[0.13]].

Prior to [[0.8]], the chance of a staff of energy auto-identifying when wielded depended on the [[Spellcasting]] skill of the wielder.

Dragonskin cloak

2014-12-30T08:27:35Z

Ensis:

{{version015}}
{{flavour|This opalescent cloak gleams with all dragon colours. It protects its wearer from elemental attacks of all kinds, although somewhat unreliably.}}
[[File:Dragonskin_cloak.png]] '''''A opalescent scaly cloak'''''

+4 [[cloak]]

The [[fixedart]] cloak [[Tiamat]] leaves upon her demise. When worn by the player, it has a 50% chance of granting one level of resistance to any of the following elements (rolled at the time of the attack): [[Fire]], [[Steam]], [[Cold]], [[Electricity]], [[Poison]], [[Sticky Flame]], [[Negative energy]], and [[Acid]].

==Desirability==
Beyond the bragging rights involved in killing Tiamat for the '''dragonskin cloak''', it can be useful to have a single item that can give you a bit of extra resistance to any sort of attack.

==History==
The dragonskin cloak was added in [[0.10]].

[[Category:Unrands]]
[[Category:Cloaks]]