CrawlWiki - User contributions [en]

Constriction

2026-07-01T06:14:23Z

Hordes: /* Constriction Immunity */

{{version032}}
'''Constriction''' is the act of grabbing a target, preventing it from moving away, and crushing it to death over several turns. This lowers the [[ev]]asion of the target, and prevents them from moving away.

==List of constrictors==
===Monsters===
*{{Green|N}} [[File:Naga (monster).png]] '''[[Naga (monster)|Naga]]'''
*{{monsterlink|Naga mage}}
*{{monsterlink|Naga sharpshooter}}
*{{monsterlink|Naga ritualist}}
*{{monsterlink|Naga warrior}}
*{{monsterlink|Nagaraja}}
*{{monsterlink|Snaplasher vine}}
*{{monsterlink|Ball python}}
*{{monsterlink|Anaconda}}
*{{monsterlink|Tentacled monstrosity}}
*{{monsterlink|Starspawn tentacle}}
*{{monsterlink|Formless jellyfish}}
*{{LightCyan|x}} [[File:Octopode (monster).png]] '''[[Octopode (monster)|Octopode]]'''
*{{monsterlink|Vashnia}}
*{{monsterlink|Erica}}
*'''[[Grasping Roots]]'''
**{{monsterlink|Jorgrun}}
**{{monsterlink|Shambling mangrove}}

===Playable species===
*'''[[Octopode]]'''
*'''[[Naga]]''' - gains the ability at [[experience level]] 13.

===Forms===
*'''[[Serpent talisman]]'''

===Other Constriction Effects===
*[[Borgnjor's Vile Clutch]]
*[[Wand of roots]]

==Initiating Constriction==

===Melee Constriction===
Constriction can occur whenever a constriction-capable character or monster makes a melee attack (not necessarily [[Unarmed Combat]]). All the following conditions apply:<ref>{{source ref|0.32.1|actor.cc|740}}</ref>
*The attacker is not constricting another creature, unless the attacker is an Octopode. Octopodes are capable of maintaining up to eight at once, but the number is reduced by two per traditional hand occupied (i.e., -2 per one-handed weapon/offhand item, -4 per two-handed weapon).
*The defender is not constricted or engulfed by another creature.
*The attacker must be able to see the victim.
*The attacker is not confused.
*The size of the attacker is greater than or equal to the size of the defender.
*The defender is not immune to constriction attacks (see below).
*The defender must be next to the attacker (weapons of reaching don't allow you to constrict non-adjacent targets).

If all the previous requisites are met, the game rolls the to_hit of the attacker and the evasion/SH of the defender. For the player this is the standard [[auxiliary attack]] to_hit. It's calculated as follows:
to_hit = 13 + 0.75 * DEX + 0.3 * Fighting + Slaying bonus + Other bonuses<ref>{{source ref|0.32.1|fight.cc|73}}</ref>

For the monsters, it's:
to_hit = 18 + 1.5 * HD + Other bonuses (replace 1.5 with 2.5 if the monster is a [[:Category:Fighter|fighter]] i.e. naga warriors)
If the attack hits, the constriction starts, though monsters only have a 2/3 chance to apply constriction in melee.

===Spell Constriction===
For [[Borgnjor's Vile Clutch]], [[wand of roots]], or [[Grasping Roots]], the following apply:
*The defender is not constricted or engulfed by another creature.
*The attacker must be able to see the victim.
*The defender is not immune to constriction attacks.
*The defender is not over [[deep water]] or [[lava]].

These forms of constriction always hit.

===Constriction Immunity===
The following grant immunity to constriction:<ref>{{source ref|0.32.1|monster.cc|3920}}</ref><ref>{{source ref|0.32.1|player.cc|6974}}</ref>
*[[Amorphous]]: includes [[list of jellies|jellies and slimes]] as well as [[water elemental]]s and players in [[Aqua Form]]
*[[Insubstantial]]: [[Poltergeist]], [[Storm Form]], [[Wisp Form]]
*[[Spiny]]: [[Quill Form]] and [[Demonspawn]]-exclusive [[Spiny (mutation)|Spiny]] mutation
*The [[slick slippers]] unrand.

==Maintaining Constriction==
While the target is constricted, it will take damage each turn, will be unable to move in any direction, and will suffer a -10 [[ev]]asion penalty. Attempting to move away will constitute an escape attempt, which for players has a 40% chance to succeed the first time. Subsequent escape attempts increase the chance to 75%, then 100%.


===Damage Calculations===
The amount of damage inflicted every 10 [[aut]]s is:
(Base damage) * (0.33 + 0.67 * (XL / 27))

*'''Base damage''': For players constricting in melee, this is equal to <code>2d[(110 + (25 * XL)) / 81]</code>. When using [[Borgnjor's Vile Clutch]] or a [[wand of roots]], it depends of the [[spellpower|power]] of the cast. For monsters, it is the base damage of that particular attack.
*'''Experience level modifier''': The third factor means that your damage increases linearly with your [[experience level]]. A level 27 character will do thrice as much damage as one at level 1.

This damage is then modified as follows:

*'''AC reduction''': Unlike most melee attacks, constriction is not reduced by a random number between 0 and [[AC]]; the damage reduction is a random number between 0 and <code>1 + AC / 2</code>. This means that constriction bypasses half of the AC.
*'''Time scale''': The previous formula calculates how much damage you do every 10 [[aut]]s. That amount needs to be scaled depending on how many auts you have spent in this turn. For example: if you are attacking with a [[dagger]] at minimum delay (5 aut), the previous amount will be multiplied by <code>5/10</code> (after AC reduction).

==Escaping Constriction==
Along with simply succeeding at an escape attempt, there are a number of other methods for breaking free:
*Killing the constrictor.
*If the constrictor moves from its current tile, constriction ends (even if the destination is still adjacent to the constricted target).
**The [[dispersal (brand)|dispersal]] and [[distortion]] brands can force the constrictor to blink away (or be banished to [[the Abyss]]).
**Casting [[Teleport Other]], [[Dispersal]] or [[Disjunction]] has a similar effect.
**Forcing the constrictor back with [[Iskenderun's Mystic Blast]] may also work but may not be as effective against larger monsters.
**Casting [[Polar Vortex]] will force the enemy away from you much more aggressively.
**[[Gell's gravitambourine]] can move a constrictor.
*Disabling the constrictor with [[confusion]], [[Paralyze|paralysis]], [[Petrify|petrification]], [[fear]], [[Sleep|unconsciousness]], or [[polymorph]] immediately breaks constriction.
*[[Wand of charming|Charming]] or pacifying through [[Elyvilon]] will immediately stop contriction.
*Becoming immune to constriction will immediately end the status.
**[[Storm Form]] and [[Quill Form]] are immune to constriction.
**[[Dragon Form]] is giant size, so it can only be constricted by tentacled monstrosities.
*Any source of [[blink]]ing or [[teleport]] can get you free.
*[[Barachi]]m can hop away, which will always escape constriction.
*[[Formicid]]'s shaft ability will always escape constriction.
*[[Zin]]'s Sanctuary ability breaks constriction.
*[[Ru]]'s Draw Out Power and Power Leap will always escape construction.

==History==
*In [[0.32]], constriction was reworked. Prior to this version:
**All player sources of constrict dealt less base damage, but monsters would take increased constriction damage over time (from any source, not just players).
**Escape chance for players used a more complex formula, and blinking and related effects did not guarantee escape.
**Escape chance for monsters did not care about HD.
**Constriction applied a -3 EV penalty to players and divided monster EV depending on size.
**Player melee constriction cared about Str.
*Since [[0.18]], to-hit only depends on [[Dexterity]].
*Prior to [[0.12]], the duration modifier to damage was applied to players.

==References==
<references/>
[[Category:Status effects]]

Vine Stalker

2026-06-30T14:45:56Z

Hordes:

{{version032}}
''This page refers to the player [[species]]. For the monster, see [[Vine stalker (monster)]].''
{{flavour|Limber in shape, Vine Stalkers are anthropomorphic masses of thick vines. They possess a once-humanoid core, parasitised moments before death by the magical vines. Lacking any other discernible features, their faces are dominated by the disproportionate, vicious maw with which they disrupt and devour the magical energies of their foes.

Magic courses freely through their bodies, and any damage they take is split between their health and magical reserves. They also physically regenerate at an alarming rate. However these traits come at a price: the dual nature of their bodies makes them extremely frail, and they cannot benefit from potions to heal their wounds.

Living examples of adaptation, Vine Stalkers level up quickly and lend well to an all-out offensive style; trusting their stealth to choose their prey and then their regenerating capabilities to power through the wounds they may sustain in battle. Many members of the species however, are seen wielding magic quite competently and then switching to a hybrid style when their reserves start to run low, thus replenishing their shroud of magic and their spells' fuel with each voracious bite.}}

==Innate Abilities==
*'''[[Fangs]] 2:''' Vine Stalkers possess a [[auxiliary attack|bite]] attack.
**'''[[Antimagic]] Bite''': Vine Stalkers' bite is 2.5x more likely to activate, deals more damage, and inflicts [[antimagic]] on enemies (which makes their spells less likely to be cast). Each bite also has a chance to restore MP, depending on damage inflicted and your current MP percentage. You don't need to inflict the antimagic status to restore MP, so even if a target has no spells, you can recover MP. Unlike antimagic weapons, there is no penalty to your maximum MP.
{{crawlquote|'''Damage done''': Fangs_level×2 + XL/3 '''Drained MP''': 1dDamage_done × (1.25 - MP/MaxMP)}}
*'''[[No Potion Heal]] 2:''' Vine Stalkers cannot restore HP with [[potion]]s.
**This includes the health effects of [[potions of ambrosia]], but does not prevent ambrosia's MP regen or the [[status effect]] removal provided by [[potions of curing]].
*'''[[Regeneration (mutation)|Regeneration]] 1:''' Vine Stalkers regenerate HP quickly (+0.8 HP/turn).
*'''[[Spirit shield]]:''' Vine Stalkers share incoming damage between their HP and MP.

Vine Stalkers have a base [[Strength]] of 10, [[Intelligence]] of 8 and [[Dexterity]] of 9 (before Background modifiers). They have +1 base [[magic points]].

==Preferred Backgrounds==
*'''Warriors:''' [[Fighter]], [[Brigand]]
*'''Zealots:''' [[Berserker]]
*'''Warrior-mages:''' [[Enchanter]]
*'''Mages:''' [[Conjurer]], [[Necromancer]], [[Ice Elementalist]]

==Level Bonuses==
*+1 [[strength]] or [[dexterity]] every 4th level.
*30% less [[HP]] than average.
*+5 [[willpower]] per level.
*Upgrade to [[Fangs]] 3 at level 8.

==Starting Skills and Equipment==
Vine Stalkers receive the skills and equipment listed for their background.

==Difficulty of Play==
{{Hard}}

In spite of their [[Spriggan]]-sized [[HP]] pools, lack of healing potions, and unimpressive defensive aptitudes, Vine Stalkers are actually quite durable on average. With innate [[spirit shield]], an MP-stealing bite, the regeneration of a [[Troll]], and no armour limitation, they can sustain combat for a fair bit of time. They are still vulnerable to sudden spikes of damage. Otherwise, their aptitudes are decent across the board (except for Armour/Dodging), so they can do well in most roles.

{{species_aptitudes|Vine Stalker}}

==Strategy==
The lack of healing potions is a great hindrance (especially early on, though it remains significant for the entire game), as it removes one of your main emergency options. There are a few ways to compensate:
*[[God]] choice - [[Elyvilon]] and [[Ru]] offer immediate ways to heal. Healing effects from [[Gozag]]'s Potion Petition can restore Vine Stalkers' health too.
*High [[stealth]] - Vine Stalkers have great stealth aptitudes, allowing them to escape from encounters both early and late game. This allows you to find a safe place to recover.

Vine Stalkers are fairly versatile. Apart from a knack for [[Stealth]] and a general weakness in defensive skills, Vine Stalkers have no real aptitude issues. The following builds ''are not the only way to play'', but have a few specific synergies with Vine Stalkers:
*Stabber / [[Short Blades]] user: High stealth makes it easier to stab and avoid foes. Even against foes you can't stab, Short Blades are much more effective than usual, due to the added damage from your bite. The faster you attack, the more bite attacks you make per turn, and Short Blades are fast weapons. [[Uskayaw]] is a strong god choice, giving you many opportunities to stab via irresistible [[confusion]] and [[paralysis]].
*Melee + caster hybrid: Their bite can be used to recover lost MP.

===Tips and Tricks===
*Be ready for the appearance of [[ghost moth]]s and other threats to your MP -- they will chew through your supernatural defenses with lightning speed, leaving you significantly less hardy than normal.
*Due to their powerful auxiliary bite attack, Vine Stalkers often prefer fast weapons, such as [[Short Blades]] and [[demon whip]]s. The faster you swing, the more you can bite. Thanks to the antimagic, a [[quickblade]]-wielding Vine Stalker can handle even [[orbs of fire]] (assuming you have enough rF+).

==History==
*Prior to [[0.31]], Vine Stalkers only gained the Regeneration mutation at level 4.
*Prior to [[0.28]], Vine Stalkers' Regeneration 1 would provide +1 HP/turn.
*Prior to [[0.27]], Vine Stalkers would reach Regeneration 2 at level 12. However, each level of Regeneration provided +0.4 HP/turn.
*Prior to [[0.26]], Vine Stalkers had [[rotting]] immunity.
*Prior to [[0.16]], Vine Stalkers started with Regeneration 1 and would eventually reach Regeneration 3 as they gained experience, but each level of Regeneration gave +0.2 HP/turn.
*Vine Stalkers were added in [[0.14]].

{{species}}

Background and race combinations for beginners

2026-06-30T14:34:12Z

Hordes:

{{version034}}{{Advice}}
Crawl allows you to play using widely different play styles, depending on your character and god choice. The wide variety of choices offered might intimidate or even overwhelm new players. These are a selection of strong combos from the main character archetypes in the game. Please keep in mind that accompanying strategy guides may be outdated.

===Melee Brute===

*'''[[Minotaur]] [[Fighter]] ''' ([[H%27s_Minotaur_Fighter_Guide|strategy guide]]): Melee character (but Throwing is useful). Find a big weapon and the heaviest armour, worship [[Okawaru]] or [[Trog]] and beat things to death.
**'''[[Berserker]]''' is another melee character, worshipping Trog from the start.
**'''[[Mountain Dwarf]], [[Gargoyle]], and [[Troll]]''' are similarly strong melee species.

*'''[[Troll]] [[Gladiator]]''': Strong melee + ranged character; able to hurl a fearsome [[large rock]] from a distance (gaining more rocks later), and using deadly [[claws]] up close. [[Okawaru]] gives you more ammo to throw and a strong buff to [[unarmed combat]].
**'''[[Fighter]]''' ([[Repo_Troll_Guide,_TrFi%5EWu_Jian|strategy guide]]) of [[Wu Jian]] is another good choice for Troll, using martial attacks to move and attack at the same time. Later can use [[granite talisman|Statue Form]] to improve defences.

===Ranged===

*'''[[Minotaur]] [[Hunter]]''': Minotaurs are really strong at all things physical, including ranged. Use a bow to kill things at range, while still being effective up close similarly to a melee brute.

*'''[[Coglin]] [[Hunter]]''' ([[Coglin Hunter Guide|strategy guide]]): Dual-wielding masters of gunslinging (or sling-slinging, as the RNG determines). Worship [[Okawaru]] to improve your chances for better guns.

===Hybrid===

*'''[[Gnoll]] (Any Class)''' ([[Draconius’ Gnoll of Ashenzari: Win Consistency through Tactical Maximalism|strategy guide]]): Gnolls are the ultimate hybrids, able to use just about anything in the dungeon, albeit without a great proficiency in any one thing. Two things make gnolls shine for new players: 1. You don't get bogged down by skilling decisions, the gnoll trains everything at once, and 2. Gnolls start out as the best species for every background, given that starting skill levels are boosted by Gnolls' astronomically high aptitudes (making the early game a breeze). Worshipping [[Ashenzari]] will negate any downside of the distributed training and make any gnoll a powerhouse capable of casting the best spells from every school while also using all other forms of damage as well.

===Caster===

*'''[[Djinni]] [[Fire Elementalist]]''': Removes much magical complexity; you train all magic schools equally, and you don't need to choose spells at all. [[Scorch]] carries its weight all the way to the Lair, at which point new random spells will be naturally granted. Worships [[Ashenzari]] for additional bonuses. A good choice for a first attempt as a caster.

*'''[[Gargoyle]] [[Earth Elementalist]]''' ([[Majang's Caster Walk-Through|strategy guide]]): A durable, more standard caster with powerful destructive spells. Typically worships [[Vehumet]].

===Stabber===

*'''[[Spriggan]] [[Enchanter]]''': The classic stealth and stab character. Spriggans are a great stealth species for new players since their high speed lets them flee when stealth fails. [[Confusing Touch]] is a strong option for a surprisingly large chunk of the game, since you can keep attempting to confuse until it's successful. However, it's worth remembering that not every opponent is vulnerable to hexes.

*'''[[Kobold]] [[Enchanter]]''': The other classic stealth and stab character. Kobolds are able to sneak more effectively due to having reduced LoS, making it easier to evade enemies or stab them. Kobolds also have good broad aptitudes to use other things when stabbing doesn't work. [[Wu Jian Council]] will allow for 'free' stabs against any enemy who doesn't wake up the moment they come into view.

*'''[[Vine Stalker]] (Any Melee or Stabber Class)''': This character starts off a bit squishy, but by training strength, the anti-magic bite can carry the game on its own and the innate [[guardian spirit]] mutation will make you tankier than your HP bar would suggest. You can choose any melee or stabber class to get started, but worshipping [[Wu Jian Council]] or [[Okawaru]] will give you the most auxiliary bite attacks per turn (bites), thus restoring your magic and keeping you alive. It also transitions out of stabbing very well easily if you're having trouble keeping the ball rolling.

These are just a few examples, there are lots of other combinations that are reasonably easy to play. Feel free to experiment.

{{Guides}}

[[Category:Strategy Guides]]

Tips and tricks

2026-06-30T14:31:50Z

Hordes:

{{version034}}
This is a collection of random tips and tricks for those who are starting to play ''Dungeon Crawl''.

==General==
*Don't forget that ''Dungeon Crawl'' is a turn-based game; monsters won't act until after you do. If the situation grows dire, stop and think about every aspect before picking a solution and making your move. Indeed, you can even save your game and leave the computer to do something else, then come back later -- some time to calm down and think can often let you salvage a situation that originally looked hopeless. You may have a brilliant idea that you wouldn't have had in the heat of the moment!
**Note that "remembering stuff" costs no game time; this includes looking through your inventory ('i' command), your spells ('z' command followed by '?'), your abilities ('a' command), your maps of the dungeon ('X' command), and using 'ctrl+f' to search for (but not travel to) known items in the dungeon. Note that within the 'X' command, you can use '[' and ']' to switch levels -- to descend into a branch, put the cursor on its entry stair before using ']'.
*You do not have to fight and kill all monsters ''now'' (or ever). In roguelike games such as ''Dungeon Crawl'', there is no guarantee that you'll be able to overcome all the challenges you meet, and escaping or ignoring some monsters or branches for the moment is a perfectly valid strategy. Remember, your goal is to survive.
*While it's best to [[Specialization|specialize]] early on and invest all your XP into a couple of skills to ensure you've got some reliable means of surviving, as the game progresses you should diversify your skills to ensure you can meet any challenge.
**Melee fighters can take advantage of [[Throwing]], [[Evocations]], and [[Shapeshifting]], all of which do not care about Armour skill or Intelligence. Proper spells are also an option.
**Spellcasters will want to invest some XP into [[Fighting]], [[Dodging]], and perhaps [[Armour]] and/or [[Shields]].
**Don't forget about [[Invocations]] and [[Evocations]] either, depending on your god choice or equipment.
*Early game [[potion]] and [[scroll]] identification is straightforward for a couple of common items; [[potions of curing]] and [[scrolls of identify]] are the most common of their type. However, the next most common scroll, the [[scroll of teleportation]], could be troublesome in an uncleared level. You can view item rarity with the '''\''' key (- to see unidentified items).
*Knowing which dungeon branches you should tackle, and in what order, will make your game smooth and your progress quick. See the [[Walkthrough]] for more information.
*With [[attacks of opportunity]], you may not be able to disengage if a fight goes poorly. Having planned outs, or any kind of disengagement will greatly improve your survivability.
*If you haven't won yet, stick with the basic 3 rune game. As you gain skill, start exploring the optional endgame branches.

==Monsters==
*Do your best to learn every monster's strengths and weaknesses, behaviour, and pattern of attack. All such information can be found right here on this [[Main Page|wiki]]! Another resource are the Knowledge Bots available in Crawl servers, IRC or the official ''Crawl'' [http://crawl.develz.org/info/index.php website].
*Whenever possible, fight in corridors that are one tile wide to avoid being surrounded by monsters. If there isn't a convenient corridor, you can use a [[wand of digging]] to create one. If you use ranged abilities or spells and miss your first target, you even have a chance of hitting the monsters lined up behind it! Doorways are another option, although intelligent monsters will move past you to give their companions a shot at mauling you.
*If neither are available, you can fight on a staircase leading to the previous level. When a monster moves next to you, it will follow you if you go upstairs: you can break up groups of monsters and kill them one by one this way.
*To "pull" single monsters while avoiding their neighbours, shoot them with missiles (such as [[stone]]s) or with a single target spell like [[Magic Dart]]. Yelling (tt) should only be used when you want to wake all nearby creatures, including nearby ones out of sight. Keep in mind that many monsters may make noise if they either get hit or spot you, possibly waking up other monsters nearby.
*Some monsters avoid known [[trap]]s; you can therefore take shelter behind a trap and kill these creatures with missiles or spells. Likewise, many monsters avoid damaging areas such as [[cloud]]s of miasma or noxious fumes created by spells like [[Cigotuvi's Dreadful Rot]] and [[Mephitic Cloud]]. On the other hand, mindless and high [[HD|level]] monsters will walk into traps and clouds to get to you; you can exploit this advantage by standing next to a [[condenser vane|cloud of flame]], for example, and letting a zombie toast itself trying to get to you.
*Known teleport [[trap]]s and [[shaft]]s can become an emergency means of escape. Step on them to escape a horde of enemies, or trick a tough monster into stepping on them to get rid of them for a while.

==Items==
*Many items can be identified by trying them out. You can read tips about identifying items this way [[Identification|here]]. Also, when looking at inventory or stack lists, notice the color items are displayed in, as this can tell you things your character knows but the player might not:
;{{DarkGrey|Dark Grey}}: Item is currently unusable
;{{LightGrey|Light Grey}}: Item is unidentified, or is a standard identified item
;{{Blue|Blue}}: Item is unidentified and magical
;{{LightGreen|Bright Green}}: Item is equipped
;{{White|White}}: Item is a [[randart|random]] [[artefact]]
;{{LightRed|Bright Red}}: Item is generally harmful to use
;{{Red|Red}}: Item is hated by your [[god]]
;{{LightMagenta|Purple}}: Item is potentially dangerous to use (will warn you if you try to use it)
;{{Yellow|Yellow}}: Item is beneficial
;{{LightCyan|Light Blue}}: Item is highly beneficial, or an [[unrand]] artefact
*You won't be able to carry every worthwhile item you come across, since you're limited to 52 types of items in your inventory. Keep in mind that you can use (ctrl+f) to look for items if you're not sure exactly where you left them. Some players might want to create a centralized [[stash]] at a known location.
*A [[scroll of blinking]] is the most reliable means of escape for characters early on. Use them wisely to avoid death.
*A [[scroll of teleportation]] can also be used to escape, but is riskier - especially if you're on a level you haven't fully explored. It beats a guaranteed chance of death; but as it takes some time to activate, make sure its not guaranteed next turn.

==Spellcasting==
*In general, when starting as a caster, level your spell school until the first spells in your starting book are online. At that point, balance between the priorities of [[Fighting]] and [[Stealth (skill)]] vs getting the next spell online. Stealth helps casters more than most, and 3-4 early levels make a major difference in survivability. Likewise, an early 1-2 levels of Fighting will make sure you have enough HP to survive an early [[Orc priest]]. Low HP species may even choose to take those first levels in Fighting before their spell training.
*Getting spells castable (sub 10% fail chance) is the first major concern, spell power is a distant second.
*Not all spells in your starting book are required, some books even have spells which should only be taken when no other options are found first.
*Seriously consider learning spells of different schools. It is often cheaper to 'go wide' with spell schools than to go higher in skill levels; watch the 'cost' category while training. Plus, since [[intelligence]] and [[Spellcasting]] skill improve the failure rate of all schools, it is naturally easier to branch into a magic skill than a non-magic skill.
**However, branching into other schools should be done only once your current game plan can secure the next few floors. In other words, consider branching out to help with future floors only when the XP isn't immediately needed elsewhere.
*[[Spellcasting]] gives max MP and spell levels, while also giving spell power and reducing spell failure by 1/4 the amount that levelling a single school provides. Consider all these benefits when deciding whether to level Spellcasting or the school for a spell.
** If the sole purpose of training Spellcasting is to get a spell castable, and aiming for a single-school spell, train Spellcasting when its cost is 4x cheaper than the spell school. For dual- and triple- school spells, train Spellcasting when it is 2x cheaper and 1.33x cheaper than the cheapest school, respectively.
* [[Shield]]s penalizing casting success until Shields 27, but casters should not shy away from them. For reference, an average strength character with 0 skill wearing a [[buckler]] will have a casting penalty equal to 1 level in each skill. It's cheap to get a few levels in Shields to lower the penalty further. A rough rule of thumb to follow is to have: 4 skill for Bucklers, 12 skill for Kite Shields, and 20 skill for Tower shields, assuming average strength.
*Spells that allow movement of monsters or the player are a massive survivability increase. With [[attacks of opportunity]], all characters should have some way to disengage.
*Almost all characters also benefit from some form of ally. Allies allow you to disengage without suffering attacks of opportunity, and can take hits for the player. They can also be cast ''before'' engaging with an enemy, thus improving turn economy, and many summons are quite [[MP]]-efficient too.

===Spell Tips:===
*[[Mephitic Cloud]] is one of the best tools at your disposal. Any monster not resistant to poison can be confused via this spell. While in their confused state, monsters will move and attack randomly, and may even damage themselves or their friends!
*In emergencies, you can use the [[Sublimation of Blood]] spell to restore MP if you have a high [[Necromancy]] skill and enough HP to spare.
*[[Blink]] can be a lifesaver if you get into a jam and need to run away, especially if you're a slow species. Keep in mind that, unlike with a scroll of blinking, you don't get to pick your destination, so you could blink ''towards'' trouble.
*[[Stair dancing]] - i.e., staying on an upstair and attacking, going up to retreat or isolate enemies - is a powerful tactic for casters of all types. Being able to retreat upstairs allows a player to regen MP in a safe area. Furthermore, many spells such as [[Plasma Beam]] and [[Permafrost Eruption]] have restrictive targeting mechanics, and stairs make it easy to retreat if a given enemy can't be hit by such spells.

==Miscellaneous==
*Each regular level has 3 non-hatch staircases down and 3 staircases up, barring the top and bottom of a branch (which may contain an entrance to another branch). When you see fewer staircases, you know the level is not fully explored yet. The opposite may not be true: just because you see 6 staircases does not mean the level is fully explored. Missing stairs might only be accessible by going through an adjacent level -- some levels are split into multiple disconnected sections, and those sections need not be connected.
*If you're going to stand in one spot for an extremely long period of time -- say, while recovering HP or waiting for a status to time out -- do so on a stairway so you can escape if something dangerous approaches.
*[[Escape hatch]]es are special one-way staircases that lead you either up or down a floor. They always go to the same spot, but there's no guarantee that a staircase leading back will be anywhere near a hatch's landing point. There's almost never any risk in taking an escape hatch that leads upwards, and can create shortcuts now, or when you've got the [[Orb of Zot]]. But taking an escape hatch downwards can be risky, ''especially'' if it leads to the bottom floor of a branch.

==Fighting Strategies==
Whether your character is a melee fighter or a spellcaster, you can use the tactics described below.

===If There is a Monster in View===
*If the monster cannot move (like a [[statue]] or an [[oklob plant]]), leave it be and return to kill it once you have cleared the level, assuming you have the tools to do so. If you're not equipped to fight it, just leave.
*If it is a [[hydra]], switch to a [[flaming]], ranged, or non-edged weapon, then proceed as usual (this does not apply to [[undead]] hydras -- you may safely use edged weapons on them). If it is a [[shapeshifter (monster)|shapeshifter]] pretending to be a hydra, you may want to wait until it changes form or force it to change form with a [[wand of polymorph]].
*If it is attacking you with an element you don't currently resist but can with appropriate randart weapons or rings, wield/put on that item. '''Do not switch other equipment (especially body armour), since this will take many turns during which the monster can attack you freely!'''
*If there is an extremely dangerous monster in view, you may want to kill it as soon as possible, even if it is part of a larger group. If that would be too dangerous, run, teleport or blink away. Dangerous monsters include:
**Paralyzing monsters, such as [[floating eye]]s
**Monsters who can summon [[fiend]]s, such as [[dread lich]]es and [[Pandemonium lord]]s
**[[Torment]]ing monsters (which remove 35-50% of your HP with a single hit unless you are immune to torment) such as [[fiend]]s, [[curse skull]]s, [[curse toe]]s, [[mummy priest]]s, [[royal mummy|royal mummies]], and [[tormentor]]s.
**Monsters who can cast [[Lehudib's Crystal Spear]], such as [[deep elf annihilator|deep elf]]/[[draconian annihilator]]s, [[wizard]]s, and [[ancient lich]]es.
**Mutating monsters: [[neqoxec]]s, [[shining eye]]s, [[orb of fire|orbs of fire]], and [[Mnoleg]].
**Monsters who attack you using an element you aren't resistant to
**Smiting monsters, such as [[orc priest]]s and [[smoke demon]]s
**[[Unique]] monsters
*If there are several monsters, retreat to a chokepoint.
*If you get swamped by summoned monsters, go up the stairs. Failing that, try to kill the summoner first, since that will get rid of all their summons.
*If it has a ranged attack, either run up to it to force it into melee or run for cover behind a corner, whichever is faster.
*If your character's life is at risk, read [[Escaping from (and avoiding) trouble]].
*Once all monsters are dead, check any equipment they dropped. ctrl+F will show all items of a type; inputting '.' will show all items on the floor.

=== If There is no Monster in View===
*If you are hurt, rest by holding Shift and pressing '5' on the NumPad until your HP or MP is full. Consumables should generally be saved for emergencies.
*If you are not on a special level, press 'o' to auto-explore.
*If you are on a special level, carefully explore manually in circles from the upstairs until fully cleared and explored. Consider using a [[scroll of magic mapping]] if you know there's a dangerous vault somewhere (like in the bottom floor of a branch).
*If you are done exploring the current level, follow the [[walkthrough]] for the next steps (which will often be to just continue down, but be careful not to enter branch ends earlier than you should).

{{Guides}}

[[Category:Strategy Guides]]
[[Category:Tips]]

Tips and tricks

2026-06-30T12:45:20Z

Hordes: /* Spellcasting */ stair dance

{{version034}}
This is a collection of random tips and tricks for those who are starting to play ''Dungeon Crawl''.

==General==
*Don't forget that ''Dungeon Crawl'' is a turn-based game; monsters won't act until after you do. If the situation grows dire, stop and think about every aspect before picking a solution and making your move. Indeed, you can even save your game and leave the computer to do something else, then come back later -- some time to calm down and think can often let you salvage a situation that originally looked hopeless. You may have a brilliant idea that you wouldn't have had in the heat of the moment!
**Note that "remembering stuff" costs no game time; this includes looking through your inventory ('i' command), your spells ('z' command followed by '?'), your abilities ('a' command), your maps of the dungeon ('X' command), and using 'ctrl+f' to search for (but not travel to) known items in the dungeon. Note that within the 'X' command, you can use '[' and ']' to switch levels -- to descend into a branch, put the cursor on its entry stair before using ']'.
*You do not have to fight and kill all monsters ''now'' (or ever). In roguelike games such as ''Dungeon Crawl'', there is no guarantee that you'll be able to overcome all the challenges you meet, and escaping or ignoring some monsters or branches for the moment is a perfectly valid strategy. Remember, your goal is to survive.
*While it's best to [[Specialization|specialize]] early on and invest all your XP into a couple of skills to ensure you've got some reliable means of surviving, as the game progresses you should diversify your skills to ensure you can meet any challenge.
**Melee fighters can take advantage of [[Throwing]], [[Evocations]], and [[Shapeshifting]], all of which do not care about Armour skill or Intelligence. Proper spells are also an option.
**Spellcasters will want to invest some XP into [[Fighting]], [[Dodging]], and perhaps [[Armour]] and/or [[Shields]].
**Don't forget about [[Invocations]] and [[Evocations]] either, depending on your god choice or equipment.
*Early game [[potion]] and [[scroll]] identification is straightforward for a couple of common items; [[potions of curing]] and [[scrolls of identify]] are the most common of their type. However, the next most common scroll, the [[scroll of teleportation]], could be troublesome in an uncleared level. You can view item rarity with the '''\''' key (- to see unidentified items).
*Knowing which dungeon branches you should tackle, and in what order, will make your game smooth and your progress quick. See the [[Walkthrough]] for more information.
*With [[attacks of opportunity]], you may not be able to disengage if a fight goes poorly. Having planned outs, or any kind of disengagement will greatly improve your survivability.
*If you haven't won yet, stick with the basic 3 rune game. As you gain skill, start exploring the optional endgame branches.

==Monsters==
*Do your best to learn every monster's strengths and weaknesses, behaviour, and pattern of attack. All such information can be found right here on this [[Main Page|wiki]]! Another resource are the Knowledge Bots available in Crawl servers, IRC or the official ''Crawl'' [http://crawl.develz.org/info/index.php website].
*Whenever possible, fight in corridors that are one tile wide to avoid being surrounded by monsters. If there isn't a convenient corridor, you can use a [[wand of digging]] to create one. If you use ranged abilities or spells and miss your first target, you even have a chance of hitting the monsters lined up behind it! Doorways are another option, although intelligent monsters will move past you to give their companions a shot at mauling you.
*If neither are available, you can fight on a staircase leading to the previous level. When a monster moves next to you, it will follow you if you go upstairs: you can break up groups of monsters and kill them one by one this way.
*To "pull" single monsters while avoiding their neighbours, shoot them with missiles (such as [[stone]]s) or with a single target spell like [[Magic Dart]]. Yelling (tt) should only be used when you want to wake all nearby creatures, including nearby ones out of sight. Keep in mind that many monsters may make noise if they either get hit or spot you, possibly waking up other monsters nearby.
*Some monsters avoid known [[trap]]s; you can therefore take shelter behind a trap and kill these creatures with missiles or spells. Likewise, many monsters avoid damaging areas such as [[cloud]]s of miasma or noxious fumes created by spells like [[Cigotuvi's Dreadful Rot]] and [[Mephitic Cloud]]. On the other hand, mindless and high [[HD|level]] monsters will walk into traps and clouds to get to you; you can exploit this advantage by standing next to a [[condenser vane|cloud of flame]], for example, and letting a zombie toast itself trying to get to you.
*Known teleport [[trap]]s and [[shaft]]s can become an emergency means of escape. Step on them to escape a horde of enemies, or trick a tough monster into stepping on them to get rid of them for a while.

==Items==
*Many items can be identified by trying them out. You can read tips about identifying items this way [[Identification|here]]. Also, when looking at inventory or stack lists, notice the color items are displayed in, as this can tell you things your character knows but the player might not:
;{{DarkGrey|Dark Grey}}: Item is currently unusable
;{{LightGrey|Light Grey}}: Item is unidentified, or is a standard identified item
;{{Blue|Blue}}: Item is unidentified and magical
;{{LightGreen|Bright Green}}: Item is equipped
;{{White|White}}: Item is a [[randart|random]] [[artefact]]
;{{LightRed|Bright Red}}: Item is generally harmful to use
;{{Red|Red}}: Item is hated by your [[god]]
;{{LightMagenta|Purple}}: Item is potentially dangerous to use (will warn you if you try to use it)
;{{Yellow|Yellow}}: Item is beneficial
;{{LightCyan|Light Blue}}: Item is highly beneficial, or an [[unrand]] artefact
*You won't be able to carry every worthwhile item you come across, since you're limited to 52 types of items in your inventory. Keep in mind that you can use (ctrl+f) to look for items if you're not sure exactly where you left them. Some players might want to create a centralized [[stash]] at a known location.
*A [[scroll of blinking]] is the most reliable means of escape for characters early on. Use them wisely to avoid death.
*A [[scroll of teleportation]] can also be used to escape, but is riskier - especially if you're on a level you haven't fully explored. It beats a guaranteed chance of death; but as it takes some time to activate, make sure its not guaranteed next turn.

==Spellcasting==
*In general, when starting as a caster, level your spell school until the first spells in your starting book are online. At that point, balance between the priorities of [[Fighting]] and [[Stealth (skill)]] vs getting the next spell online. Stealth helps casters more than most, and 3-4 early levels make a major difference in survivability. Likewise, an early 1-2 levels of Fighting will make sure you have enough HP to survive an early [[Orc priest]]. Low HP species may even choose to take those first levels in Fighting before their spell training.
*Getting spells castable (sub 10% fail chance) is the first major concern, spell power is a distant second.
*Not all spells in your starting book are required, some books even have spells which should only be taken when no other options are found first.
*Seriously consider learning spells of different schools. It is often cheaper to 'go wide' with spell schools than to go higher in skill levels; watch the 'cost' category while training. Plus, since casters will level up [[Spellcasting]], which improves the failure rate of all schools, it is easier to branch into a magic skill than a non-magic skill.
**However, branching into other schools should be done only once your current game plan can secure the next few floors. In other words, consider branching out to help with future floors only when the XP isn't immediately needed elsewhere.
*[[Spellcasting]] gives max MP and spell levels, while also giving spell power and reducing spell failure by 1/4 the amount that levelling a single school provides. Consider all these benefits when deciding whether to level Spellcasting or the school for a spell.
** If the sole purpose of training Spellcasting is to get a spell castable, and aiming for a single-school spell, train Spellcasting when its cost is 4x cheaper than the spell school. For dual- and triple- school spells, train Spellcasting when it is 2x cheaper and 1.33x cheaper than the cheapest school, respectively.
* [[Shield]]s penalizing casting success until Shields 27, but casters should not shy away from them. For reference, an average strength character with 0 skill wearing a [[buckler]] will have a casting penalty equal to 1 level in each skill. It's cheap to get a few levels in Shields to lower the penalty further. A rough rule of thumb to follow is to have: 4 skill for Bucklers, 12 skill for Kite Shields, and 20 skill for Tower shields, assuming average strength.
*Spells that allow movement of monsters or the player are a massive survivability increase. With [[attacks of opportunity]], all characters should have some way to disengage.
*Almost all characters also benefit from some form of ally. Allies allow you to disengage without suffering attacks of opportunity, and can take hits for the player. They can also be cast ''before'' engaging with an enemy, thus improving turn economy, and many summons are quite [[MP]]-efficient too.

===Spell Tips:===
*[[Mephitic Cloud]] is one of the best tools at your disposal. Any monster not resistant to poison can be confused via this spell. While in their confused state, monsters will move and attack randomly, and may even damage themselves or their friends!
*In emergencies, you can use the [[Sublimation of Blood]] spell to restore MP if you have a high [[Necromancy]] skill and enough HP to spare.
*[[Blink]] can be a lifesaver if you get into a jam and need to run away, especially if you're a slow species. Keep in mind that, unlike with a scroll of blinking, you don't get to pick your destination, so you could blink ''towards'' trouble.
*[[Stair dancing]] - i.e., staying on an upstair and attacking, going up to retreat or isolate enemies - is a powerful tactic for casters of all types. Being able to retreat upstairs allows a player to regen MP in a safe area. Furthermore, many spells such as [[Plasma Beam]] and [[Permafrost Eruption]] have restrictive targeting mechanics, and stairs make it easy to retreat if a given enemy can't be hit by such spells.

==Miscellaneous==
*Each regular level has 3 non-hatch staircases down and 3 staircases up, barring the top and bottom of a branch (which may contain an entrance to another branch). When you see fewer staircases, you know the level is not fully explored yet. The opposite may not be true: just because you see 6 staircases does not mean the level is fully explored. Missing stairs might only be accessible by going through an adjacent level -- some levels are split into multiple disconnected sections, and those sections need not be connected.
*If you're going to stand in one spot for an extremely long period of time -- say, while recovering HP or waiting for a status to time out -- do so on a stairway so you can escape if something dangerous approaches.
*[[Escape hatch]]es are special one-way staircases that lead you either up or down a floor. They always go to the same spot, but there's no guarantee that a staircase leading back will be anywhere near a hatch's landing point. There's almost never any risk in taking an escape hatch that leads upwards, and can create shortcuts now, or when you've got the [[Orb of Zot]]. But taking an escape hatch downwards can be risky, ''especially'' if it leads to the bottom floor of a branch.

==Fighting Strategies==
Whether your character is a melee fighter or a spellcaster, you can use the tactics described below.

===If There is a Monster in View===
*If the monster cannot move (like a [[statue]] or an [[oklob plant]]), leave it be and return to kill it once you have cleared the level, assuming you have the tools to do so. If you're not equipped to fight it, just leave.
*If it is a [[hydra]], switch to a [[flaming]], ranged, or non-edged weapon, then proceed as usual (this does not apply to [[undead]] hydras -- you may safely use edged weapons on them). If it is a [[shapeshifter (monster)|shapeshifter]] pretending to be a hydra, you may want to wait until it changes form or force it to change form with a [[wand of polymorph]].
*If it is attacking you with an element you don't currently resist but can with appropriate randart weapons or rings, wield/put on that item. '''Do not switch other equipment (especially body armour), since this will take many turns during which the monster can attack you freely!'''
*If there is an extremely dangerous monster in view, you may want to kill it as soon as possible, even if it is part of a larger group. If that would be too dangerous, run, teleport or blink away. Dangerous monsters include:
**Paralyzing monsters, such as [[floating eye]]s
**Monsters who can summon [[fiend]]s, such as [[dread lich]]es and [[Pandemonium lord]]s
**[[Torment]]ing monsters (which remove 35-50% of your HP with a single hit unless you are immune to torment) such as [[fiend]]s, [[curse skull]]s, [[curse toe]]s, [[mummy priest]]s, [[royal mummy|royal mummies]], and [[tormentor]]s.
**Monsters who can cast [[Lehudib's Crystal Spear]], such as [[deep elf annihilator|deep elf]]/[[draconian annihilator]]s, [[wizard]]s, and [[ancient lich]]es.
**Mutating monsters: [[neqoxec]]s, [[shining eye]]s, [[orb of fire|orbs of fire]], and [[Mnoleg]].
**Monsters who attack you using an element you aren't resistant to
**Smiting monsters, such as [[orc priest]]s and [[smoke demon]]s
**[[Unique]] monsters
*If there are several monsters, retreat to a chokepoint.
*If you get swamped by summoned monsters, go up the stairs. Failing that, try to kill the summoner first, since that will get rid of all their summons.
*If it has a ranged attack, either run up to it to force it into melee or run for cover behind a corner, whichever is faster.
*If your character's life is at risk, read [[Escaping from (and avoiding) trouble]].
*Once all monsters are dead, check any equipment they dropped. ctrl+F will show all items of a type; inputting '.' will show all items on the floor.

=== If There is no Monster in View===
*If you are hurt, rest by holding Shift and pressing '5' on the NumPad until your HP or MP is full. Consumables should generally be saved for emergencies.
*If you are not on a special level, press 'o' to auto-explore.
*If you are on a special level, carefully explore manually in circles from the upstairs until fully cleared and explored. Consider using a [[scroll of magic mapping]] if you know there's a dangerous vault somewhere (like in the bottom floor of a branch).
*If you are done exploring the current level, follow the [[walkthrough]] for the next steps (which will often be to just continue down, but be careful not to enter branch ends earlier than you should).

{{Guides}}

[[Category:Strategy Guides]]
[[Category:Tips]]

Websites

2026-06-30T12:41:25Z

Hordes: archive of tavern 1, which was a wealth of resources

This is a list of ''Crawl''-related '''websites'''.

==Official (Stone Soup)==

* [http://crawl.develz.org/ Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup] - Official homepage, home of the latest Stone Soup development news, development wiki and bug tracker

* [https://tavern.dcss.io/ Tavern 2] - Official forum

* [https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/crawl-ref-discuss Crawl-ref-discuss (CRD)] - Mailing list

* [https://web.archive.org/web/20240323011759/https://crawl.develz.org/tavern/ Tavern 1 (archived, no longer up)]

===(Pre-Stone-Soup)===

* [http://www.dungeoncrawl.org/ Linley's Dungeon Crawl] - Official homepage of Linley's Dungeon Crawl 4.0

==Discussion==
* [https://discord.gg/9pmFGKx Roguelikes Discord Channel] - The place to discuss Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup and other Rougelikes in real-time (Active in 0.34)

* [https://tavern.dcss.io/ Tavern 2] - Official forum (Active in 0.34)

* [http://www.reddit.com/r/dcss/ r/dcss on Reddit] - Subreddit focused on DCSS in particular (Active in 0.34)

* [http://roguelikes.reddit.com/ r/Roguelikes on Reddit] - Subreddit focused on all roguelikes (Active in 0.34)

* [https://web.libera.chat/#crawl #crawl] - LiberaChat IRC channel. Replaces the old Freenode irc channel

* [http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3750248 Something Awful forums thread] - Formerly active Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup discussion

* [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=28410.0 Bay 12 Games Forum thread] - Formerly active Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup discussion

==Variants==

* [[Variants]] - List of variants for Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup.

* [http://mbays.freeshell.org/hexcrawl/ hexcrawl] - A Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup variant with a hexagonal grid

* [http://sourceforge.net/projects/axcrawl.berlios/ Ax-Crawl] - A variant of Linley's Dungeon Crawl

* [http://www.interq.or.jp/libra/oohara/crawl-alternative/ Dungeon Crawl Alternative] - A variant of Linley's Dungeon Crawl

* [http://wiibrew.org/wiki/DungeonCrawlStoneSoup Wii port] - Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup for the Nintendo Wii

* [http://errabes.free.fr/pogo2/ DSCrawl] - Dungeon Crawl for the Nintendo DS

==Articles==
*[https://github.com/crawl/crawl/tree/master/crawl-ref/docs Crawl docs] - online versions of all documents distributed with Crawl

* [http://www.digital-eel.com/13steps/ 13 Steps To Crawl] - Introductory article

* [https://web.archive.org/web/20191011231759/http://crawl.dessgeega.com/ Crawling Backwards, Dungeon Crawltrough] - Tile-based tutorial [archive]

* [https://web.archive.org/web/20210731054452/https://www.gamesetwatch.com/2007/03/_play_before_learning_to_walk.php Before Learning to Walk, One Must First Crawl] - Roguelike column @Play on Dungeon Crawl [archive]

* [https://web.archive.org/web/20180310141148/http://www.gamesetwatch.com/2010/01/column_play_crawlapalooza_part.php Crawlapalooza Part 1, Skills and Advancement] - Roguelike column @Play on Crawl's experience and skill system [archive]

* [https://web.archive.org/web/20171207132810/http://www.gamesetwatch.com/2010/02/column_play_crawlapalooza_part_1.php Crawlapalooza Part 2: What's With All These Skills, Anyway?] - Roguelike column @Play on individual Crawl skills [archive]

* [https://web.archive.org/web/20171206141038/http://www.gamesetwatch.com/2010/02/column_play_crawlapalooza_part_2.php Crawlapalooza, Part 3: Beogh Liturgical School For Orcs] - Roguelike column @Play on some recommended species and job combinations [archive]

* [https://web.archive.org/web/20171206140736/http://www.gamesetwatch.com/2010/03/column_play_crawlapalooza_part_3.php Crawlapalooza, Part 4: Travel Functions & Play Aids] - Roguelike column @Play on Crawl's interface [archive]

* [https://web.archive.org/web/20180224034120/http://www.gamesetwatch.com/2010/10/column_play_sprinting_rapidly.php Sprinting Rapidly Through The Dungeon] - Roguelike column @Play on the Crawl variant, Dungeon Sprint [archive]

* [http://nethackwiki.com/wiki/Linley%27s_Dungeon_Crawl NethackWiki entry] - NetHack wiki article on Dungeon Crawl, including a comparison with NetHack

* [http://roguebasin.roguelikedevelopment.org/index.php?title=Linley%27s_Dungeon_Crawl RogueBasin] - Roguelike development wiki article, including a comparison with other roguelikes

* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linley%27s_Dungeon_Crawl Wikipedia entry] - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, on Linley's Dungeon Crawl

* [http://www.everything2.net/index.pl?node_id=452853&lastnode_id=14640 Everything2 entry] - Linley's Dungeon Crawl at Everything2.com

* [http://www.homeoftheunderdogs.net/game.php?id=4475 Home of the Underdogs review] - Review of Linley's Dungeon Crawl at Home of the Underdogs

* [http://www.reloaded.org/game.php?GameID=66 Abandonia Reloaded review] - Review of Linley's Dungeon Crawl at Abandonia Reloaded

* [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DungeonCrawl TvTropes article] - TvTropes article on Dungeon Crawl

* [http://spielendprogrammieren.wordpress.com/2010/10/17/stonesoup/ spielendprogrammieren review] - Review of stone soup in the spielend-programmieren Blog (in German language)

* [http://wiki.ubuntuusers.de/Spiele/StoneSoup Ubuntuusers.de] - detailed installation and compile instruction for Ubuntu Linux (in German language)

* [https://sites.google.com/site/cherrypickedbadideas/ Cherrypicked bad_ideas] - A condensed version of the infamous bad_ideas learndb entry from the ##crawl IRC channel.

==Spoilers==

* [http://crawl.develz.org/info/ The Knowledge Bot] - Information based on the [https://github.com/crawl/crawl/blob/master master branch] and LearnDB

===Outdated Spoilers===

* [http://r1gm.free.fr/Crawl/ E. Grasland's Spoilers] - Spoilers for most gameplay mechanics (DCSS 0.5.2)

* [http://www.swallowtail.org/crawl/hints.shtml Association for the Advancement of Dungeon Crawling] - Tutorial, hints and spoilers (LDC 4.0.0b26)

* [http://www.mediafire.com/?0ymz1ajyjjz ledtim's Crawl calculator] - Calculates spell power, damage from racial abilities, spell hunger, healing pacification, god abilities, wands, cards, and rods; also has an enchantment probability calculator; and probability for some HitDice-based resistances. Instructions: Red borders/letters are where you input stuff, and green border/letters are where relevant outputs are. (DCSS 0.9.2)

* [http://techlorebyigor.blogspot.com/search/label/dungeon%20crawl igor's dungeon crawl guides] - reviews of various aspects of DCSS.

==Related==

* [https://web.archive.org/web/20031011073013/http://users.olis.net.au/zel/ Captain Pork] - Some of Linley Henzell's other games [archive]

* [http://www.roguetemple.com/ Temple of the Roguelike] - A roguelike news site and blog

* [http://roguebasin.roguelikedevelopment.org/ The RogueBasin Wiki] - A roguelike development wiki

* [http://roguelikedeveloper.blogspot.com/ Ascii Dreams] - Unangband development blog, including polls for the roguelike of the year which Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup managed to win in 2008

* [http://anydice.com/ AnyDice] - Online calculator for various dice rolls
[[Category:Community]]

Tips and tricks

2026-06-30T04:37:59Z

Hordes: be less absolute with multi-school stuff. I'm stilll part of the old guard "train killdudes until you can kill things", and the most efficient way is one path

{{version034}}
This is a collection of random tips and tricks for those who are starting to play ''Dungeon Crawl''.

==General==
*Don't forget that ''Dungeon Crawl'' is a turn-based game; monsters won't act until after you do. If the situation grows dire, stop and think about every aspect before picking a solution and making your move. Indeed, you can even save your game and leave the computer to do something else, then come back later -- some time to calm down and think can often let you salvage a situation that originally looked hopeless. You may have a brilliant idea that you wouldn't have had in the heat of the moment!
**Note that "remembering stuff" costs no game time; this includes looking through your inventory ('i' command), your spells ('z' command followed by '?'), your abilities ('a' command), your maps of the dungeon ('X' command), and using 'ctrl+f' to search for (but not travel to) known items in the dungeon. Note that within the 'X' command, you can use '[' and ']' to switch levels -- to descend into a branch, put the cursor on its entry stair before using ']'.
*You do not have to fight and kill all monsters ''now'' (or ever). In roguelike games such as ''Dungeon Crawl'', there is no guarantee that you'll be able to overcome all the challenges you meet, and escaping or ignoring some monsters or branches for the moment is a perfectly valid strategy. Remember, your goal is to survive.
*While it's best to [[Specialization|specialize]] early on and invest all your XP into a couple of skills to ensure you've got some reliable means of surviving, as the game progresses you should diversify your skills to ensure you can meet any challenge.
**Melee fighters can take advantage of [[Throwing]], [[Evocations]], and [[Shapeshifting]], all of which do not care about Armour skill or Intelligence. Proper spells are also an option.
**Spellcasters will want to invest some XP into [[Fighting]], [[Dodging]], and perhaps [[Armour]] and/or [[Shields]].
**Don't forget about [[Invocations]] and [[Evocations]] either, depending on your god choice or equipment.
*Early game [[potion]] and [[scroll]] identification is straightforward for a couple of common items; [[potions of curing]] and [[scrolls of identify]] are the most common of their type. However, the next most common scroll, the [[scroll of teleportation]], could be troublesome in an uncleared level. You can view item rarity with the '''\''' key (- to see unidentified items).
*Knowing which dungeon branches you should tackle, and in what order, will make your game smooth and your progress quick. See the [[Walkthrough]] for more information.
*With [[attacks of opportunity]], you may not be able to disengage if a fight goes poorly. Having planned outs, or any kind of disengagement will greatly improve your survivability.
*If you haven't won yet, stick with the basic 3 rune game. As you gain skill, start exploring the optional endgame branches.

==Monsters==
*Do your best to learn every monster's strengths and weaknesses, behaviour, and pattern of attack. All such information can be found right here on this [[Main Page|wiki]]! Another resource are the Knowledge Bots available in Crawl servers, IRC or the official ''Crawl'' [http://crawl.develz.org/info/index.php website].
*Whenever possible, fight in corridors that are one tile wide to avoid being surrounded by monsters. If there isn't a convenient corridor, you can use a [[wand of digging]] to create one. If you use ranged abilities or spells and miss your first target, you even have a chance of hitting the monsters lined up behind it! Doorways are another option, although intelligent monsters will move past you to give their companions a shot at mauling you.
*If neither are available, you can fight on a staircase leading to the previous level. When a monster moves next to you, it will follow you if you go upstairs: you can break up groups of monsters and kill them one by one this way.
*To "pull" single monsters while avoiding their neighbours, shoot them with missiles (such as [[stone]]s) or with a single target spell like [[Magic Dart]]. Yelling (tt) should only be used when you want to wake all nearby creatures, including nearby ones out of sight. Keep in mind that many monsters may make noise if they either get hit or spot you, possibly waking up other monsters nearby.
*Some monsters avoid known [[trap]]s; you can therefore take shelter behind a trap and kill these creatures with missiles or spells. Likewise, many monsters avoid damaging areas such as [[cloud]]s of miasma or noxious fumes created by spells like [[Cigotuvi's Dreadful Rot]] and [[Mephitic Cloud]]. On the other hand, mindless and high [[HD|level]] monsters will walk into traps and clouds to get to you; you can exploit this advantage by standing next to a [[condenser vane|cloud of flame]], for example, and letting a zombie toast itself trying to get to you.
*Known teleport [[trap]]s and [[shaft]]s can become an emergency means of escape. Step on them to escape a horde of enemies, or trick a tough monster into stepping on them to get rid of them for a while.

==Items==
*Many items can be identified by trying them out. You can read tips about identifying items this way [[Identification|here]]. Also, when looking at inventory or stack lists, notice the color items are displayed in, as this can tell you things your character knows but the player might not:
;{{DarkGrey|Dark Grey}}: Item is currently unusable
;{{LightGrey|Light Grey}}: Item is unidentified, or is a standard identified item
;{{Blue|Blue}}: Item is unidentified and magical
;{{LightGreen|Bright Green}}: Item is equipped
;{{White|White}}: Item is a [[randart|random]] [[artefact]]
;{{LightRed|Bright Red}}: Item is generally harmful to use
;{{Red|Red}}: Item is hated by your [[god]]
;{{LightMagenta|Purple}}: Item is potentially dangerous to use (will warn you if you try to use it)
;{{Yellow|Yellow}}: Item is beneficial
;{{LightCyan|Light Blue}}: Item is highly beneficial, or an [[unrand]] artefact
*You won't be able to carry every worthwhile item you come across, since you're limited to 52 types of items in your inventory. Keep in mind that you can use (ctrl+f) to look for items if you're not sure exactly where you left them. Some players might want to create a centralized [[stash]] at a known location.
*A [[scroll of blinking]] is the most reliable means of escape for characters early on. Use them wisely to avoid death.
*A [[scroll of teleportation]] can also be used to escape, but is riskier - especially if you're on a level you haven't fully explored. It beats a guaranteed chance of death; but as it takes some time to activate, make sure its not guaranteed next turn.

==Spellcasting==
*In general, when starting as a caster, level your spell school until the first spells in your starting book are online. At that point, balance between the priorities of [[Fighting]] and [[Stealth (skill)]] vs getting the next spell online. Stealth helps casters more than most, and 3-4 early levels make a major difference in survivability. Likewise, an early 1-2 levels of Fighting will make sure you have enough HP to survive an early [[Orc priest]]. Low HP species may even choose to take those first levels in Fighting before their spell training.
*Getting spells castable (sub 10% fail chance) is the first major concern, spell power is a distant second.
*Not all spells in your starting book are required, some books even have spells which should only be taken when no other options are found first.
*Seriously consider learning spells of different schools. It is often cheaper to 'go wide' with spell schools than to go higher in skill levels; watch the 'cost' category while training. Plus, since casters will level up [[Spellcasting]], which improves the failure rate of all schools, it is easier to branch into a magic skill than a non-magic skill.
**However, branching into other schools should be done only once your current game plan can secure the next few floors. In other words, consider branching out to help with future floors only when the XP isn't immediately needed elsewhere.
*[[Spellcasting]] gives max MP and spell levels, while also giving spell power and reducing spell failure by 1/4 the amount that levelling a single school provides. Consider all these benefits when deciding whether to level Spellcasting or the school for a spell.
** If the sole purpose of training Spellcasting is to get a spell castable, and aiming for a single-school spell, train Spellcasting when its cost is 4x cheaper than the spell school. For dual- and triple- school spells, train Spellcasting when it is 2x cheaper and 1.33x cheaper than the cheapest school, respectively.
* [[Shield]]s penalizing casting success until Shields 27, but casters should not shy away from them. For reference, an average strength character with 0 skill wearing a [[buckler]] will have a casting penalty equal to 1 level in each skill. It's cheap to get a few levels in Shields to lower the penalty further. A rough rule of thumb to follow is to have: 4 skill for Bucklers, 12 skill for Kite Shields, and 20 skill for Tower shields, assuming average strength.
*Spells that allow movement of monsters or the player are a massive survivability increase. With [[attacks of opportunity]], all characters should have some way to disengage.
*Almost all characters also benefit from some form of ally. Allies allow you to disengage without suffering attacks of opportunity, and can take hits for the player. They can also be cast ''before'' engaging with an enemy, thus improving turn economy, and many summons are quite [[MP]]-efficient too.

===Spell Tips:===
*[[Mephitic Cloud]] is one of the best tools at your disposal. Any monster not resistant to poison can be confused via this spell. While in their confused state, monsters will move and attack randomly, and may even damage themselves or their friends!
*In emergencies, you can use the [[Sublimation of Blood]] spell to restore MP if you have a high [[Necromancy]] skill and enough HP to spare.
*[[Blink]] can be a lifesaver if you get into a jam and need to run away, especially if you're a slow species. Keep in mind that, unlike with a scroll of blinking, you don't get to pick your destination, so you could blink ''towards'' trouble.

==Miscellaneous==
*Each regular level has 3 non-hatch staircases down and 3 staircases up, barring the top and bottom of a branch (which may contain an entrance to another branch). When you see fewer staircases, you know the level is not fully explored yet. The opposite may not be true: just because you see 6 staircases does not mean the level is fully explored. Missing stairs might only be accessible by going through an adjacent level -- some levels are split into multiple disconnected sections, and those sections need not be connected.
*If you're going to stand in one spot for an extremely long period of time -- say, while recovering HP or waiting for a status to time out -- do so on a stairway so you can escape if something dangerous approaches.
*[[Escape hatch]]es are special one-way staircases that lead you either up or down a floor. They always go to the same spot, but there's no guarantee that a staircase leading back will be anywhere near a hatch's landing point. There's almost never any risk in taking an escape hatch that leads upwards, and can create shortcuts now, or when you've got the [[Orb of Zot]]. But taking an escape hatch downwards can be risky, ''especially'' if it leads to the bottom floor of a branch.

==Fighting Strategies==
Whether your character is a melee fighter or a spellcaster, you can use the tactics described below.

===If There is a Monster in View===
*If the monster cannot move (like a [[statue]] or an [[oklob plant]]), leave it be and return to kill it once you have cleared the level, assuming you have the tools to do so. If you're not equipped to fight it, just leave.
*If it is a [[hydra]], switch to a [[flaming]], ranged, or non-edged weapon, then proceed as usual (this does not apply to [[undead]] hydras -- you may safely use edged weapons on them). If it is a [[shapeshifter (monster)|shapeshifter]] pretending to be a hydra, you may want to wait until it changes form or force it to change form with a [[wand of polymorph]].
*If it is attacking you with an element you don't currently resist but can with appropriate randart weapons or rings, wield/put on that item. '''Do not switch other equipment (especially body armour), since this will take many turns during which the monster can attack you freely!'''
*If there is an extremely dangerous monster in view, you may want to kill it as soon as possible, even if it is part of a larger group. If that would be too dangerous, run, teleport or blink away. Dangerous monsters include:
**Paralyzing monsters, such as [[floating eye]]s
**Monsters who can summon [[fiend]]s, such as [[dread lich]]es and [[Pandemonium lord]]s
**[[Torment]]ing monsters (which remove 35-50% of your HP with a single hit unless you are immune to torment) such as [[fiend]]s, [[curse skull]]s, [[curse toe]]s, [[mummy priest]]s, [[royal mummy|royal mummies]], and [[tormentor]]s.
**Monsters who can cast [[Lehudib's Crystal Spear]], such as [[deep elf annihilator|deep elf]]/[[draconian annihilator]]s, [[wizard]]s, and [[ancient lich]]es.
**Mutating monsters: [[neqoxec]]s, [[shining eye]]s, [[orb of fire|orbs of fire]], and [[Mnoleg]].
**Monsters who attack you using an element you aren't resistant to
**Smiting monsters, such as [[orc priest]]s and [[smoke demon]]s
**[[Unique]] monsters
*If there are several monsters, retreat to a chokepoint.
*If you get swamped by summoned monsters, go up the stairs. Failing that, try to kill the summoner first, since that will get rid of all their summons.
*If it has a ranged attack, either run up to it to force it into melee or run for cover behind a corner, whichever is faster.
*If your character's life is at risk, read [[Escaping from (and avoiding) trouble]].
*Once all monsters are dead, check any equipment they dropped. ctrl+F will show all items of a type; inputting '.' will show all items on the floor.

=== If There is no Monster in View===
*If you are hurt (and not a [[Meteoran]]), rest by holding Shift and pressing '5' on the NumPad until your HP or MP is full. Consumables should generally be saved for emergencies.
*If you are not on a special level, press 'o' to auto-explore.
*If you are on a special level, carefully explore manually in circles from the upstairs until fully cleared and explored. Consider using a [[scroll of magic mapping]] if you know there's a dangerous vault somewhere (like in the bottom floor of a branch).
*If you are done exploring the current level, follow the [[walkthrough]] for the next steps (which will often be to just continue down, but be careful not to enter branch ends earlier than you should).

{{Guides}}

[[Category:Strategy Guides]]
[[Category:Tips]]

Strategy guides

2026-06-29T04:34:06Z

Hordes: UV4's guide is still quality even if it's old

This is a list of in-depth guides on various aspects of Dungeon Crawl.

* General Guides:
** [[Character guides]] - A collection of gameplans for specific race/class combos.
** [[Background and race combinations for beginners]] - Focusing on easier combos.
** [[Walkthrough]] - A general Crawl walkthrough (updated for [[0.29]]).
** [[:Category:Species]] - General advice for specific species.
** [[Specialization]] - Why it's important and how to manage it.
** [[Weapon Choice]] - Which one is best for your character?
*** [[Crosstrain]]ing - What it is and why it's important.
** [[Choosing a god]] - Religious choices.
** [[Early Game Character Building]]
** [[Mid Game Character Building]]
** [[Late Game Character Building]]

* More specific topics:
** [[Sprint guide]] - A brief guide to [[Dungeon Sprint]].
** The [[Mega-Zig]] - How to survive mega-zigs
** [[Zot:5]] - Various strategies for getting the [[Orb of Zot]].
* Tactical Tricks and other info:
** [[Tips and tricks]] - A general guide.
** [[Identification]] -- All those items!
** [[Kiting]] - How to tease monsters to death ...
** [[Pillar dancing]] - ... or just keep out of reach until you can recover (severely nerfed in [[0.29]]).
** [[Multizap]] page - Bouncing for [[Shock]] and a few other spells
** [[Escaping from (and avoiding) trouble]] -- When victory is not an option.

* Tips From Experienced Players
** [[Berder's Tips]] (0.16)
** [https://web.archive.org/web/20200620014718/http://www.ultraviolent4.com/Guide.html A Guide to Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup by Ultraviolent4 (archive, ~0.20) ]
** [http://www.youtube.com/@particleface Particleface's Video Guides/Playthroughs] (0.34)
** [https://www.youtube.com/@DraconiusHCs Draconius' Video Guides/Playthroughs] (0.34)

[[Category:Strategy Guides]][[Category:Guides]]

Spellspark Servitor

2026-06-29T04:31:21Z

Hordes: CBL moment

{{version034}}
''This page covers the spell. For the summoned construct, see [[Spellspark servitor (monster)]].''
{{spell info}}

'''Spellspark Servitor''' is a level 7 [[Conjurations]]/[[Forgecraft]] spell which constructs a [[spellspark servitor (monster)|spellspark servitor]]. This is a fairly durable, omni-resistant construct which knows one destructive spell from your own list of known spells.

==Useful Info==
One spellspark servitor is constructed.

It is able to cast any of the following spells (only one at a time), if you memorized the spell and the failure rate is less than 20%:<ref>{{source ref|0.32.1|spl-summoning.cc|1485}}</ref>
*[[Lehudib's Crystal Spear]]
*[[Orb of Destruction]]
*[[Bombard]]
*[[Plasma Beam]]
*[[Permafrost Eruption]]
*[[Fireball]]
*[[Arcjolt]]
*[[Stone Arrow]]
*[[Lee's Rapid Deconstruction]]
*[[Airstrike]]
*[[Irradiate]]
*[[Conjure Ball Lightning]]
*[[Freezing Cloud]]
*[[Mephitic Cloud]]

The current spell choice is displayed in the full spell description for Spellspark Servitor. By default, it will know the topmost eligible spell. You can use the '''Imbue Servitor''' ability to change the spell choice to any other valid listed spell. This takes 5 turns and dismisses your servitor if you already summoned one.

If you worship [[Vehumet]] and have at least 4* piety, your servitor will get +1 range for supported spells, just like you do.

[[Spell power]] determines how strong the spellspark servitor's spells are. It does not influence servitor HP or its duration.
*Servitors have a [[hit dice]] of <code>7 + pow/14</code>; this determines the strength of a servitor's spells.<ref>{{source ref|0.32.1|spl-summoning.cc|1550}}</ref>
*Servitors have HP equal to <code>60 + 7d5</code> (67 - 95).
*Duration of the summons is around 36 turns, it does not depend on the spell power.

There is a summon limit of 1; casting the spell again will cause the old summon to very quickly time out.

Unlike most other summons, spellspark servitors won't vanish or become hostile if you attack them.

==Strategy==
An excellent, MP-efficient spell for an otherwise [[Conjurations]]-focused caster. Spellspark Servitor offers all the benefits of a summon (MP efficiency, blocks enemy line of fire, takes hits for you), and it's a great spell for combat too. It can cast [[Bombard]] or [[Lehudib's Crystal Spear]] multiple times for only 7 MP. Forgecraft-focused casters won't benefit ''as'' much, as the Servitor can't copy any Forgecraft spells, but it's easy to pick up [[Stone Arrow]] for a 3d20 or so attack from the get go. Plus, it's nice to have a ranged attacker who does not need to be close to the player.

As a summon, servitors have moderate durability and great resistances. A lucky servitor with a solid spell can beat [[orbs of fire]] in a straight fight (while blocking [[malmutate]]s).

A servitor will never use a direct damage spell if it could damage you or your allies. This means spells like [[Irradiate]] and [[Fireball]] can be hard for it to cast as often as you'd like. The notable exceptions to this rule are [[Orb of Destruction]] and [[Conjure Ball Lightning]], which can hurt anything they hit (including you).

===Spells===
Spells that are good with Spellspark Servitor:
*[[Earth Magic]]: Bombard and LCS both work well, simple and strong spells. Even [[Stone Arrow]] is a good option, since monsters will cast Stone Arrow ''much'' stronger than you can.
*[[Plasma Beam]]: Like Earth Magic, with better range, though it can be resisted.

Spells that you should avoid with Spellspark Servitor:
*[[Conjure Ball Lightning]]: It's even more dangerous in a servitor's hands than in yours.
*[[Orb of Destruction]]: Monster AI isn't the best at firing OODs; it often misses. Worst-case scenario, orbs can end up hitting you.
*[[Irradiate]]: While not actively dangerous to have, Irradiate is clunky due to its limited range and AOE (the servitor won't hit you, so it just won't cast if you're adjacent).

The servitor's stats depends on your abilities at time of cast.

===Tips & Tricks===
*Servitors cast slowly (75% to decide to cast, each cast takes 1.8 [[decaAut]]), so don't rely on the servitor casting a spell to survive a sketchy situation.
*Your servitor won't disappear or become hostile you if you harm it. So feel free to sling a Fireball or Fire Storm right on top of your servitor. At worst, you kill it.
*Servitors can't see [[invisible]]. A friendly servitor can hit you if you're invisible and there's a monster in the path. It won't work against invisible monsters.

==Monster Version==
Spellspark Servitors summoned by monsters will know all of the caster's destructive spells.

{{monsters with spell}}

Frederick's spellspark servitor will know [[Plasma Beam]] and [[Bombard]].

==History==
*Prior to [[0.33]], this spell was called '''Spellforged Servitor''' and was level 7 [[Conjuration]]/[[Summoning]].
*Prior to [[0.32]], the Imbue Servitor ability did not exist, and servitors did not benefit from [[Vehumet]]'s range increase.
*Prior to [[0.31]], servitors could cast spells that had a 50% failure rate or lower. Also, they couldn't cast [[Irradiate]], but could cast [[Sticky Flame]]. In addition, they had 2 more HD.
*Prior to around [[0.29]], allies weren't smart enough to stop their attacks before they'd hit you. So in this kind of position:
.....
.@y9.
.....
:The servitor could miss monster 'y' with a projectile, hitting you in the process.
*In [[0.27]], many low level and (now) monster-only spells were pruned from the eligible spell list, in order to accommodate [[Djinn]].
*Prior to [[0.25]], your servitor gained a random selection of up to 5 of your destructive spells.
*Spellforged Servitor was added in [[0.14]].

==References==
<references />

Wu Jian

2026-06-28T18:10:04Z

Hordes: /* Strategy */

{{version034}}
[[File:wu_jian_altar.png]] ''"Follow the Path!"''
{{flavour|The Wu Jian Council is a congregation of martial monks, ascended to divinity after battling their way out of the afterlife. Disciples of the Council are able to execute acrobatic martial maneuvers, such as wall jumps, spinning attacks and punishing lunges. They will eventually become able to request help in the form of a storm of heavenly clouds. Followers unlock these abilities through practice, so they do not benefit from training Invocations.

The god revolves around three "martial attacks" and the interactions between them. The player is incentivized to use these special attacks in difficult fights, and they're designed to prevent any of the three from being overcentralizing or optimal for any particular build.}}

==Racial restrictions==
[[Demigod]]s cannot worship the Wu Jian Council (or any other god).

==Appreciates==
Wu Jian likes it when you kill living beings, you destroy the undead, you kill demons, you kill holy beings and you destroy nonliving beings.

==Deprecates==
*Inactivity: You lose 1 piety per 340 turns, on average (1/17 chance every 20 turns).
*Abandonment.

==Martial Attacks==
Wu Jian's first three abilities rely on [[movement]], and attack with your [[weapon]] (or [[UC|fists]]). There isn't a 1-to-1 relation between moving and attacking. Instead, movement takes the usual amount of time, and you'll swing a # of times based on how fast you attack and how much time you spend moving. If your attack delay is longer than your move delay, you will attack once for reduced damage proportional to delay.<ref>{{source ref|0.34.1|god-passive.cc|1929}}</ref>

'''Example 1:''' If your move delay = 1.0 [[decaAut]], and attack delay = 0.7 decaAut, you'll always perform 1 attack (using 0.7 / 1.0 of the time), and have a 3/7 (0.3 remaining / 0.7) chance for a 2nd attack.

'''Example 2:''' If your move delay = 0.6 decaAut, and attack delay = 0.7 decaAut, you'll always perform 1 attack for 6/7 of the normal damage.

While performing a martial attack, or if under Serpent's Lash, you are immune to [[attacks of opportunity]]. [[Axes]] do not cleave when used in martial attacks.

==Given Abilities==
'''Piety level (-):''' "Young Dog"
*'''Lunge:''' Triggered by moving directly towards an enemy, dealing 120% the damage of a normal attack. Only the 8 normal movement directions count (ie. does not trigger on enemies a chess knight's move away).

'''Piety level (*):''' "Young Crane"
*'''Whirlwind:''' Triggered by moving from a tile adjacent to an enemy to another tile adjacent to it, dealing 80% the damage of a normal attack. If a movement has multiple targets for whirlwinds and lunges, all of them are struck.

'''Piety level (**):''' "Young Tiger"
*'''Wall Jump:''' Triggered by using the active ability while standing against a wall. If there is a clear landing site two squares in the opposite direction, you will vault over, attacking all enemies adjacent to the landing site. This movement takes twice as much time as a normal move, and inflicts twice as many attacks.

'''Piety level (***):''' "Young Dragon"
*'''Serpent's Lash:''' Instant ability. Causes your next two movement actions (or one wall jump) to be instant, and boosts your martial attacks by 40% (stacks multiplicatively) during them. In addition, martial attacks can never miss. You are considered to be moving at 10 [[aut]] for the purposes of martial attacks. [[Stairs]] don't count as movement, so you will go up/down at normal speed and not use a charge. (2-3 piety, [[exhaust]]ion)

'''Piety level (****):''' "Red Sash"
*No new abilities.

'''Piety level (*****):''' "Golden Sash"
*'''Heavenly Storm:''' Grants the player a two-tile [[halo]] (revealing you if [[invisible]]) and summons a storm of opaque golden [[cloud]]s that follow you around, creating loud [[noise]]s in the process. During the effect, you get a hefty [[slaying]] and [[EV]] bonus: it starts at 5, and increases by 1 for every target struck by a martial attack (to a maximum of 15). It decays by 1 every 2-3 turns. Once it reaches 0, the ability ends. (20-30 Piety)
:*Heavenly Storm ignores how many actual attacks you did per move, just your movement and targets hit per movement.

'''Piety level (******):''' "Sifu"
*No new abilities.

==Penance==
{{flavour|Those who turn against the Council must be prepared to endure death by a thousand cuts. No hiding place is secure, no disguise perfect enough to avoid the sudden spring of traps, the flying daggers and the armies of animated weapons that will ambush the betrayer.}}
Being under penance while worshipping Wu Jian results in the title "Wooden Rat".
Upon abandoning Wu Jian the penance counter is set at 25.
Punishments include summoning various branded dancing weapons & applying a debuff (barbs, slow, silence or stat drain & corrosion). Barbs debuff is accompanied by a dagger of electrocution, slow is accompanied by a quarterstaff of speed, & silence is accompanied by a dire flail of flaming.

==Strategy==
Wu Jian is a positioning heavy, mostly melee god. When compared to gods like [[Okawaru]] or [[Trog]], the Council offers relatively few benefits to raw combat. Instead, the martial attacks and Serpent's Lash increase the effectiveness of movement, and it helps you avoid [[attacks of opportunity]]. Serpent's Lash should be your main go-to, as it has a cheap piety cost. You can use it as a combat tool (2 free attacks at 140%+ power and perfect accuracy), a way to reposition, or as a simple escape ability.

If you want to fight multiple enemies, find ways to create gaps in their formation. [[Status effects]], [[Translocations]], [[summonings|summons]], or just killing monsters will give you spaces to perform martial attacks in. Heavy armoured characters who can use martial tactics and those abilities in conjunction will appreciate the presence of WJC.

Heavenly Storm is a great crowd-control tool. When used correctly, it makes floors like [[Vaults]]:5 and [[Zot]]:5 ''much'' easier to deal with. The fog prevents crowds from getting too out of control, while the combat bonuses do mean a lot. Even though it costs a lot of piety, don't shy away from this ability. If you drop to 4*, you'll still have access to Serpent's Lash.

Stabbers may find the Council an interesting choice of god; martial attacks allow a character to stab multiple enemies while moving. Lunge lets you use paralysis or [[Ensorcelled Hibernation]] from a distance and guarantee you can stab them before they wake up. Serpent's Lash combined with Lunge lets you sleep stab enemies from up to 4 tiles away.

===Tips & Tricks===
*Despite resembling a [[cleaving]] attack, Wall Jump will not target invisible enemies.
*You do not have to perform the two instant movements of Serpent's Lash one after another; if you don't move from your spot, the game will progress as normal, and your Lash will be maintained.
*Using Serpent's Lash during Heavenly Storm will let you build up your slaying bonus without letting it decay.
*Heavenly Storm also makes for a great escape/ninjaing ability; the perpetual fog provides fantastic cover, while martial attacks and Serpent's Lash let you weave through enemy crowds with great agility.

==History==
*Prior to [[0.34]], if your attack delay was slower than your move delay, there was a chance to make 0 attacks.
*Prior to [[0.31]], you couldn't make martial attacks if [[rampaging]] would activate.
*Prior to [[0.27]], Heavenly Storm did not grant bonus EV, and was a bit louder.
*Prior to [[0.25]], Whirlwind pinned enemies in place for one turn. Heavenly storm had no cap, but decayed faster (much faster at higher bonuses), and the bonus increased by 2 per martial attack and 1 per normal attack.
*The Wu Jian Council was added in [[0.21]].

==References==
<references/>

{{gods}}

Plasma Beam

2026-06-28T17:59:03Z

Hordes: /* Strategy */

{{version032}}
{{spell info}}
{{AttackSpell
|name=Plasma Beam
|formula = 2 x 1d(11+(3*Power)/5)
|maxdmg = 2 x 1d131 [[electricity]] + [[fire]]
|maxsp = 200
|range = LOS
|target = Bolt
|tohit = 7+Power/40
|special = Two bolts Elec ignores 1/2 AC
|hit_type = normal
|hit_adder = 7
|hit_num = 1
|hit_denom = 40
|dam_calculator = calcdice
|dam_numdice = 1
|dam_adder = 11
|dam_num = 3
|dam_denom = 5}}
'''Plasma Beam''' is a level 6 [[Fire Magic]]/[[Air Magic]] spell. This spell fires two inaccurate bolts - a [[fire]] bolt, and an [[electricity]] bolt - directed at the furthest enemy in range.

==Useful Info==
Fires two penetrating bolts at the furthest enemy in [[line of sight]]. If there are multiple enemies at the same distance, the target is randomly chosen. Both bolts will always be aimed at the same target.

Bolts follow the same trajectory as any regular projectile. It's treated as if you aimed directly at the intended target, so there will always be one (and only one) possible path per target. You can view possible paths by targeting this spell.

The electric bolt will ignore 1/2 of the target's [[AC]], as a property of <code>BEAM_ELEC</code> damage. The fire bolt is fully affected by AC. This means that Plasma Beam, as a whole, is impacted x1.5 by AC than usual.

==Strategy==
Plasma Beam has awkward schooling and cannot be manually aimed, but it is a high damage spell. At 50 [[spellpower]], this spell deals 2 x 1d41 damage (avg. 42). [[Bombard]], another level 6 spell, would deal 9d5 (avg. 27) to a single target. While Bombard has multiple advantages (more [[to-hit|accurate]], quieter, can be aimed, irresistible damage, checks AC only once), this spell isn't weak by any means. As this spell is [[noise|loud]], beware of enemies you'll attract.

This spell's quirk of aiming at the furthest enemy is a downside, but it can be mitigated. If fighting enemies one at a time - which is already ideal - the quirk is irrelevant. With clever maneuvering to funnel enemies through hallways and bottlenecks, it is possible to take full advantage of this spell's piercing, zapping entire groups at once.

[[Magical staff|Staves]] of fire and air greatly enhance the spell's destructive power. The [[Elemental Staff]], because it enhances ''both'' schools, has twice the beneficial effect and should be highly prized.

==Gallery==
<gallery widths="400px" heights="400px" class="left" mode="nolines">
Plasma beam targeting.png|thumb|left|Plasma Beam will always take the '''leftmost''' path. (It is always aimed directly at the target)
</gallery>

==History==
*Prior to [[0.31]], Plasma Beam's range depended on your [[spell power]] (3 at 0 power, 10 at 200 power).
*Plasma Beam was added in [[0.30]].

Early Game Character Building

2026-06-27T21:20:41Z

Hordes: /* Beginning */

{{version031}}
This guide gives general character building advice for the early game. Early game generally ends when you've reached the latest [[Ecumenical Temple]] spawn level, Dungeon level 7. However, many of these points still apply when taking on the later Dungeon and [[Lair]].

==Build a Basic Plan==
This guide assumes that you are using manual [[skill]] training. Life gets much easier for characters who focus on just a few skills while getting started. You can press '''m''' to view your skills menu, and then use the '''/''' key to swap between automatic and manual.

===Beginning===
At the very start, focus on your primary killing skills. If you can't reliably kill things, a few extra turns of survival don't mean much. Melee [[to hit|accuracy]] and magic success rates are naturally low, and thus, important to raise.

For melee and ranged weapon characters, this involves raising your weapon skill until it can kills your foes at a 'comfortable' rate. How much is comfortable?
* There is an important threshold at <code>(base delay - 1.0) * 20</code> skill. This is the skill required to consistently swing at 1.0 turn (as opposed to 1.1 or 1.5 turn) before penalties from [[shield]] or [[armour]]. For example, this is 6 skill for [[hand axe]]s, 10 skill for [[war axe]]s, etc.
* Your ultimate goal is to hit a weapon's minimum delay, i.e., i.e. where no more training can increase your swing speed. However, it is not a wise choice to solely train weapon skill until mindelay, due to skills getting exponentially more expensive per level (e.g. 10 -> 14 Axes could mean 0 -> 10 Fighting.)

For magic-based characters, this is getting the useful spells in your starting book to acceptably low - at least less than 10% - failure rates by training their respective spell schools. Depending on your class, it may require training towards a level 2 spell (like [[Scorch]]) or level 3 (such as [[Frozen Ramparts]]). More details below.

How much you want to micromanage it is up to you. You may want to keep your weapon skill as your ''only'' skill until you hit 1.0 delay.

===Defenses===
The most logical step after training offense, is to train your defense. Again, you'll want to reach 'comfortable' numbers in that field. But if your offense starts to become lacking again, remember to start training that again. If you aren't into micromanagement, you can just train both at the same time at this point.

First comes your HP. The [[Fighting]] skill is a must for any character; not only is the bonus to physical combat useful, but the extra HP is precious, ''especially'' for squishier caster types. After all, you don't want your [[Felid]] to get one-shot by an [[orc priest]]'s [[Smiting]]. A regular character doesn't want to risk a two-shot, either. You probably don't want to risk melting to any other monster, really.

For those wearing light armour like [[robe]]s or [[leather armour]], your (next) primary defense is likely going to be [[Dodging]], which contributes towards [[EV]]. For those in heavier armour like [[chain mail]] or [[plate mail]], the [[Armour]] skill, which boosts your equipment's [[AC]] bonus, is more helpful. Read more below on which sets of body armour you should wear in the first place.

[[Shield]]s provide an EV-like boost to your defenses, allowing you a chance to block some incoming attacks. Shields are especially useful for species with body armour issues like [[Troll]]s and [[Octopode]]s. For as long as you can still attack at a sane delay (< 1.0 deca-aut) or cast your spells at a reasonable rate (< 10% failure), you should be fine on all things shield related.

===A note on hybrids===
Even if you are aiming to be a "hybrid", don't try training both your magic and your melee at the same time. Having a single highly effective method of killing enemies is better than having two mediocre ones.

===Auxiliary Skills===
During the ''very'' early game, skills like [[Evocations]] won't be very useful. A strong wand, like a [[wand of paralysis]], works well enough on D:3 with 0 Evocations. However, they are eventually worth investing into. Characters a bit deeper in the Dungeon can afford to train it a little. Five (5) Evocations is enough for now -- save further investment for when you get your main offensive skill up and running.

Don't worry about [[Invocations]] early on. Most gods have 1* abilities that don't require much training to be reliably invoked.

A small amount of [[Throwing]] (~2 points) is perfectly fine at this stage to boost the accuracy of [[dart]]s or the damage of blunt weapons. However, their relative scarcity makes them unable to pull weight on their own.

A little bit of [[Stealth]] (about 5-8 at first) is useful for any character currently wearing light armour, assuming you have a great aptitude for it. Species with low HP, like [[Vine Stalker]]s, [[Deep Elves]], and [[Spriggan]]s will especially benefit from being able to avoid fights with dangerous foes. Species with plain aptitudes can instead get 2-3 points, more so to avoid enemies than to take them down.

==Stats==
In addition to occasionally gaining stats as you level up, your character gets two stat points of your choice every 6 levels. Where you put these in the early game depends on your character and often your plans for their future. [[Stat zero]] will eventually be a valid concern for some starting character combinations, but you don't need to worry about it yet.

===[[Strength]]===
Strength increases most physical damage (everything not boosted by Dex) and alleviates some of the penalties of wearing armour. A ''strong'' choice for any physical attacker, especially those who (will) wear heavy armour.

===[[Intelligence]]===
Intelligence improves your [[spell success]] rate and [[spellpower]]. Spellcasters should almost always use their stat points to get more intelligence.

===[[Dexterity]]===
Dexterity improves a variety of defensive stats, like evasion, shields, and stealth. It also boosts the power of swords ([[Short Blades]] and [[Long Blades]]) and [[ranged weapons]]. For stabbers in particular, it'll improve your chances of landing a "stab" while unseen/unnoticed.

==Gods==
''Main article: [[Choosing a god]]''

Some backgrounds begin worshiping a god, but characters without one should consider who to initially worship.

Gods found on the earliest floors on the Dungeon -- D:2 and D:3 -- automatically deserve some merit. Worshipping an early god means you'll get more piety, which means you'll get a helpful ability earlier, which means you'll be more likely to survive.

But for simple choices, [[Okawaru]] is great for melee-focused characters, while [[Vehumet]] boosts the destructive potential of casters. The choosing a god article has much more detail on everyone else.

==Skills by background==
In the early game, preferred skills are directly based on the character's [[background]], with a few variations due to [[species]].

===Warriors===
Whether ranged or hand to hand, Warriors kill by using weapons or [[unarmed combat]].

In order to deal as much damage as quickly as possible, all warriors should focus on training their primary weapon skill. As a rule of thumb, they should improve the weapon skill to at least 1.0 delay. After that, begin to branch out into Fighting, Throwing, Armour, or Shields depending on class and character design, but always leave weapon skill turned on during the early game.

It can be argued that you should delay your weapon training, in case you find a good weapon of another type. However, you want said skill threshold at a minimum, so you aren't stuck hitting monsters with a 0 skill weapon.

===Zealots===
Like the warrior classes, by far the main focus is to improve weapon skill. [[Cinder Acolyte]]s can also invest a little in magic, but [[Scorch]] alone can only go so far.

===Hybrids===
[[Shapeshifter]]s have more complex initial skilling than usual. They should start by training [[Unarmed Combat]] and later train [[Shapeshifting]] to gain access to [[Flux Form]]. However, with a great early weapon, it may be advisable to start training that weapon's skill instead.

[[Enchanter]]s should train Hexes and a little Ice Magic to increase the effectiveness of [[Ensorcelled Hibernation]] and [[Confusing Touch]]. Once your Hexes have enough power to reliably mess up your enemies, you should pour some XP into Stealth and Short Blades.

[[Warper]]s and [[Hexslinger]]s should focus on improving their weapon skill. The former can then invest in getting [[Blink]] reliably castable, while the latter can boost the spellpower of [[Slow]] and later [[Cause Fear]] with Hexes training.

[[Reaver]]s should start by training their weapon skill, as they are essentially melee warriors with a few situational spells. However, if you find an early book with useful [[Conjurations]] spells (e.g. [[Book of Conjurations]]), it may be worthwhile to train for those spells.

===Mages===
For almost all mages, the actual [[Spellcasting]] skill is not particularly important in the early game. It is much more important to get your offensive spells running, so casters should turn off all skills other than the necessary magic schools. Use 'I' often to check how easily you can cast your important spells. After failure rates for your critical combat spells are less than 10%, branching out into spellcasting, defenses, and other magic schools becomes appropriate.

A small exception to this are [[spriggan]] spellcasters. Spriggans can use their considerable speed to escape almost anything in the early dungeon, so mere survival is not the necessarily first objective - consider [[Fighting]] to raise your measly HP.

*[[Hedge Wizard]]s and [[Alchemist]]s should focus on getting their low level attack spell(s) and [[Mephitic Cloud]] to <10% failure rates. Two or three points into out-of-the-way schools (Conjuration for Al, Alchemy for HW, Air for both) are useful. These classes, particularly Alchemists, may wish to branch into a weapon so they can kill confused low-level enemies more effectively.
**Alchemist: [[Alchemy]]'s early spells and skill levels are quite cheap, and are often worth it for their boost for survival and early game offense. [[Sting]] conserves more MP early on, but [[Mercury Vapours]]' smite-targeted [[weak]]ening effect becomes more useful as you gain more MP.
*[[Conjurer]]s can focus almost entirely on Conjurations. [[Searing Ray]] gives you good killing power in the early game and works wonders in corridors; packs of jackals, gnolls or orcs will succumb to it quickly. The [[Alchemy]] skill is also used for [[Fulminant Prism]], which deals great damage to nearby monsters after 20 [[aut]]s.
*[[Fire Elementalist]]s want to get [[Scorch]] up very quickly -- [[Foxfire]] lacks effectiveness in the many, many hallways of the dungeon. Then, your next (and lesser) priority should be to get to [[Flame Wave]].
*[[Earth Elementalist]]s should, in a similar vein, get [[Stone Arrow]] for a quick-casting attack spell. [[Sandblast]] deals good damage, but its slow attack speed is an issue with stronger monsters.
*[[Ice Elementalist]]s should try and get [[Frozen Ramparts]], which deals high and 100% accurate passive damage, as soon as possible.
*[[Summoner]]s hit another key level 3 spell with [[Call Canine Familiar]].
*[[Air Elementalist]]s are fine with their level 1 and 2 spells, offensively. However, both [[Swiftness]] and [[Airstrike]] will be useful to have later down the road.
*[[Necromancer]]s can focus on their spells, though they have a shorter shelf life than most. If the character wants to dabble in melee, branch out to a weapon skill. If you (plan to) worship [[Kiku]], Short Blades are good option, recieving the most benefit from the [[pain (brand)|pain]] brand. Otherwise, Polearms can reach through your undead slaves, while a [[staff of death]] can justify investing into Staves.

===Adventurer===
[[Artificer]]s should focus on a weapon they find (a [[club]] is not worth training for), as their wands will have respectable power against early Dungeon monsters even at their starting Evocations skill.

[[Wanderer]]s should wing it. Take a look at your early possessions and try to make a plan based on what you've got available.

[[Delver]]s can either focus on Stealth, until they make it up to D:2, or just start by focusing on a weapon.

==Weapons==
In the early dungeon, most characters will find wielding a one-handed weapon with good accuracy to be more effective than trying to hit anything with a large, but slow weapon. [[Dagger]]s and [[whip]]s often have good [[brands]] on them, while [[sling]]s are universally effective in the hands of any character that can find them.

Once you have started training a particular weapon skill, you should usually favour weapons of that skill unless you find something incredible that makes the switch pay off.

==Armour==
Spell-using characters should avoid wearing anything heavier than leather in the early game. Ring mail and bucklers may seem dandy, but in the early game, the greatest defense is killing your foe reliably and fast. Once you can cast your spells more reliably, you can consider upgrading to somewhat heavier armour.

Melee builds are typically spell-less right now, and should equip the heaviest armour and shield they can wear without seriously affecting their damage output.

{{Guides}}

[[Category:Strategy Guides]]

Plasma Beam

2026-06-27T21:05:16Z

Hordes: /* Strategy */ aiming at the furthest enemy is a strict negative when compared to a "double bolt" spell that you can aim freely

{{version032}}
{{spell info}}
{{AttackSpell
|name=Plasma Beam
|formula = 2 x 1d(11+(3*Power)/5)
|maxdmg = 2 x 1d131 [[electricity]] + [[fire]]
|maxsp = 200
|range = LOS
|target = Bolt
|tohit = 7+Power/40
|special = Two bolts Elec ignores 1/2 AC
|hit_type = normal
|hit_adder = 7
|hit_num = 1
|hit_denom = 40
|dam_calculator = calcdice
|dam_numdice = 1
|dam_adder = 11
|dam_num = 3
|dam_denom = 5}}
'''Plasma Beam''' is a level 6 [[Fire Magic]]/[[Air Magic]] spell. This spell fires two inaccurate bolts - a [[fire]] bolt, and an [[electricity]] bolt - directed at the furthest enemy in range.

==Useful Info==
Fires two penetrating bolts at the furthest enemy in [[line of sight]]. If there are multiple enemies at the same distance, the target is randomly chosen. Both bolts will always be aimed at the same target.

Bolts follow the same trajectory as any regular projectile. It's treated as if you aimed directly at the intended target, so there will always be one (and only one) possible path per target. You can view possible paths by targeting this spell.

The electric bolt will ignore 1/2 of the target's [[AC]], as a property of <code>BEAM_ELEC</code> damage. The fire bolt is fully affected by AC. This means that Plasma Beam, as a whole, is impacted x1.5 by AC than usual.

==Strategy==
Plasma Beam has awkward schooling and cannot be manually aimed, but it is a high damage spell. At 50 [[spellpower]], this spell deals 2 x 1d41 damage (avg. 42). [[Bombard]], another level 6 spell, would deal 9d5 (avg. 27) to a single target. While Bombard has multiple advantages (more [[to-hit|accurate]], quieter, can be aimed, irresistible damage, checks AC only once), this spell isn't weak by any means. As this spell is [[noise|loud]], beware of enemies you'll attract.

This spell's quirk of aiming at the furthest enemy is a downside, but it can be mitigated. If fighting enemies one at a time - which is already ideal - the quirk is irrelevant. With clever maneuvering to funnel enemies through hallways and bottlenecks, it is possible to zap entire groups at once for high damage.

[[Magical staff|Staves]] of fire and air greatly enhance the spell's destructive power. The [[Elemental Staff]], because it enhances ''both'' schools, has twice the beneficial effect and should be highly prized.

==Gallery==
<gallery widths="400px" heights="400px" class="left" mode="nolines">
Plasma beam targeting.png|thumb|left|Plasma Beam will always take the '''leftmost''' path. (It is always aimed directly at the target)
</gallery>

==History==
*Prior to [[0.31]], Plasma Beam's range depended on your [[spell power]] (3 at 0 power, 10 at 200 power).
*Plasma Beam was added in [[0.30]].

Permafrost Eruption

2026-06-27T20:57:54Z

Hordes:

{{version033}}
{{spell info}}
{{AttackSpell
|name=Permafrost Eruption
|formula = 2 x 4d(1.75+Power/10)
|maxdmg = 2 x 4d21
|maxsp = 200
|range = 6
|target = Smite
|tohit = Never miss
|special = cold explosion ignores AC}}
'''Permafrost Eruption''' is a level 6 [[Ice Magic|Ice]]/[[Earth]] spell which targets the largest clump of enemies in your [[line of sight]]. It deals physical damage to the targeted square, and cold damage in a 3x3 area.

==Useful Info==
Targets the largest clump of enemies in [[line of sight]]. It deals physical damage to the enemy at the center targeted tile. Then, it deals a cold hit, ignoring [[AC]], to that enemy and every adjacent enemy. The cold explosion can damage enemies outside line of sight.

The explosion can never be centered adjacent to the caster, meaning this spell cannot be cast when the only monsters in sight are in melee range, and it is impossible to take self-damage.

Permafrost Eruption is considered a destructive spell and is supported by [[Vehumet]]. Without [[Vehumet]]'s range extension, this spell cannot be cast when all monsters are at range 7 or 8 from the player.

==Strategy==
Permafrost Eruption is useful against both single targets and groups. It has a longer range than [[Bombard]] and deals more damage to the primary target if it has no [[cold resistance]], making it a good choice for [[Earth Magic]] users. [[Ice Magic]] specialists will appreciate having a way around cold resistance and clumping, covering two major weaknesses of [[Ozocubu's Refrigeration]] at the cost of some points in Earth Magic.

===Tips & Tricks===
*It's a good [[stair dancing]] spell. It is loud and high range, thus naturually luring enemies towards your position, and being on an upstair helps with many of this spell's downsides (high MP cost, can't be used on adjacent targets).

==History==
*Permafrost Eruption did more damage prior to [[0.33]].
*Added in [[0.32]].

Gell's Gavotte

2026-06-27T20:54:05Z

Hordes:

{{version034}}
{{spell info}}
{{AttackSpell
|name=Gell's Gavotte
|formula = 2d[(pow * 3 / 4 + 35) * (dist + 5) / 20 + 1)]
|maxdmg = 2d(56-84)
|maxsp = 200
|range = 4 tile shift
|tohit = Never miss
|target = Octodirectional
|special = Collision}}

'''Gell's Gavotte''' is a level 6 [[Translocations]] spell that lets the caster temporarily reorient gravity in a chosen linear direction, moving everything that isn't tied down 4 tiles in that direction, potentially falling into walls and each other. This includes the caster, so the spell can be used for repositioning in some situations. Note that players in [[Tree Form]] and players with [[stasis]] cannot be moved by the spell.

Casting this spell gives a short {{Yellow|-Gavotte}} cooldown, which lasts from <code>5 - power/50</code> to <code>9 - power/50</code> turns. This prevents the spell being used as a repeatable controlled [[blink]].

==Useful Info==
This spell is cast in a given direction by targeting the tile one space in that direction.

The targeter of this spell highlights monsters that will be damaged by casting the spell in a particular direction according to your knowledge of terrain and other monsters. Terrain the player has not seen yet, the presence of [[invisible]] monsters and those outside your line of sight may result in the spell having unexpected effects when cast.

Monsters will take collision damage if they impact something and move at least one space from this effect, and take more damage for each space moved up to 4.

==Strategy==

Gell's is one of the best ways to manipulate position in the game, and on top of that, the damage output can be considerable. Like Blink, any characters who can afford the XP investment will find this spell useful.

Keeping yourself in place while shifting the enemies away can often be a strong play for making space. This can be done by placing yourself next to impassable tiles such as deep water (such as from [[Summon Forest]]), forgecraft allies which are themselves immobile, lava (such as from [[Hellfire Mortar]]), or standard walls. Alternatively, it can be used to move yourself away from enemies if they would be stopped by impassable tiles - this can be particularly useful during the orb run.

Summoned allies will be dismissed if they take damage from hitting a wall and [[Malign Gateay]] will turn hostile, but Forgecraft and Necromancy allies will only take damage and remain friendly.

==History==
*Added in [[0.32]] as a thematic replacement for [[Gell's Gravitas]].

Speed (brand)

2026-06-23T17:39:15Z

Hordes:

{{version033}}
{{flavour|Attacks with this weapon are significantly faster.}}
__NOTOC__
The '''speed''' [[brand]] does the following:
*Reduces [[attack delay|time to attack]] by -33.3% (for an extra +50% damage/turn).
**The bonus to attack speed happens after skill, but before [[shield]] or [[armour encumbrance]]. Therefore, encumbrance has a somewhat greater impact on speed weapons: going from 0.5 -> 0.6 delay is a bigger difference than 0.75 -> 0.85 delay.
**Non-integer [[aut]] delays are rounded in a weighted manner, after speed is accounted for. If attacking at 0.7 [[decaAut]] delay before speed, the average delay after the brand is 0.467. This equates to a 67% chance to attack at 0.5 decaAut, and a 33% chance to attack at 0.4 decaAut.

===AC Note===
Note that speed is ''not'' particularly worse against high [[AC]] or [[EV]] enemies. Speed increases the weapon's post-AC damage/turn by +50% against any enemy. Brands like [[flaming]] and [[freezing]] also increase post-AC damage and are equally affected by AC. For example, if an attack would deal 10 damage, and enemy AC would reduce it by 5:
*Speed: <code>(10 - 5) damage * 1 multiplier * 1.5 attacks</code> = 7.5 damage/turn
*Flaming: <code>(10 - 5) damage * 1.25 multiplier * 1 attack</code> = 6.25 damage per turn

[[Heavy]] is particularly good against AC, and 'flat damage' brands like [[electrocution]] ignore AC entirely. This is because these brands are good against AC, not that speed is bad against high AC enemies.

==Sources==
The speed [[brand]] cannot be obtained via a [[scroll of brand weapon]]. It can normally be found on [[Short Blades]], [[quarterstaves]], and [[lajatang]]s. However, [[quick blade]]s cannot have the speed brand. Various [[artefact]] weapons may also come with this brand:
*The [[captain's cutlass]]
*[[Arga]]
*[[Finisher]]
*[[Skullcrusher]]
*[[Zephyr]]

==Strategy==
Speed is one of the best 'percentage' brands in the game - it's irresistible and provides a large, consistent increase to damage output independent of enemy AC. It's objectively better than [[flaming]] or [[freezing]], which are already good enough for a 3-rune game. A [[hand axe]] of speed isn't an endgame weapon, but [[Arga]] is one of the strongest one-handed weapons almost purely because of this brand.
*[[Holy wrath]] is usually better for [[extended]], but does nothing if the target isn't undead/demonic.
*[[Spectral]] offers a stronger (+70%) damage boost, but the spectral weapon needs an empty tile to spawn, and it can cause the wielder to take extra damage from AOE attacks.

Also, on low base damage weapons like [[dagger]]s and [[short sword]]s, 'flat' brands (e.g. [[venom]], [[electrocution]]) can end up being stronger, particularly in the early-game.

Unlike every other weapon brand in the game, speed improves [[auxiliary attack]]s, since aux attacks are performed faster.

==History==
*Prior to [[0.14]], melee weapons with the speed brand dealt only 90% damage, but their attack speed was 50% of normal.
*Prior to [[0.9]], melee weapons of speed dealt full damage. Also, ranged weapons attack speed was 50% of normal.
*Prior to [[0.8]], all weapons of speed reduced attack speed to 50% of normal (though this calculation was then rounded up, leaving some weapons attacking slightly slower).

{{brands}}
[[Category:Brands]]

Speed (brand)

2026-06-23T17:38:18Z

Hordes:

{{version033}}
{{flavour|Attacks with this weapon are significantly faster.}}
__NOTOC__
The '''speed''' [[brand]] does the following:
*Reduces [[attack delay|time to attack]] by -33.3% (for an extra +50% damage/turn).
**The bonus to attack speed happens after skill, but before [[shield]] or [[armour encumbrance]]. Therefore, encumbrance has a somewhat greater impact on speed weapons: going from 0.5 -> 0.6 delay is a bigger difference than 0.75 -> 0.85 delay.
**Non-integer [[aut]] delays are rounded in a weighted manner, after speed is accounted for. If attacking at 0.7 [[decaAut]] delay before speed, the average delay after the brand is 0.467. This equates to a 67% chance to attack at 0.5 decaAut, and a 33% chance to attack at 0.4 decaAut.

===AC Note===
Note that speed is ''not'' particularly worse against high [[AC]] or [[EV]] enemies. Speed increases the weapon's post-AC damage/turn by +50% against any enemy. Brands like [[flaming]] and [[freezing]] also increase post-AC damage and are equally affected by AC. For example, if an attack would deal 10 damage, and enemy AC would reduce it by 5:
*Speed: <code>(10 - 5) damage * 1 multiplier * 1.5 attacks</code> = 7.5 damage/turn
*Flaming: <code>(10 - 5) damage * 1.25 multiplier * 1 attack</code> = 6.25 damage per turn

[[Heavy]] is particularly good against AC, and 'flat damage' brands like [[electrocution]] ignore AC entirely. This is because these brands are good against AC, not that speed is bad against high AC enemies.

==Sources==
The speed [[brand]] cannot be obtained via a [[scroll of brand weapon]]. It can normally be found on [[Short Blades]], [[quarterstaves]], and [[lajatang]]s. However, [[quick blade]]s cannot have the speed brand. Various [[artefact]] weapons may also come with this brand:
*The [[captain's cutlass]]
*[[Arga]]
*[[Finisher]]
*[[Skullcrusher]]
*[[Zephyr]]

==Strategy==
Speed is one of the best 'percentage' brands in the game - it's irresistible and provides a large, consistent increase to damage output independent of enemy AC. It's objectively better than [[flaming]] or [[freezing]], which are already good enough for a 3-rune game. A [[hand axe]] of speed isn't an endgame weapon, but [[Arga]] is one of the strongest one-handed weapons almost purely because of this brand.
*[[Holy wrath]] is usually better for [[extended]], but does nothing if the target isn't undead/demonic.
*[[Spectral]] offers a stronger (+70%) damage boost, but the spectral weapon needs an empty tile to spawn, and it can cause the wielder to take extra damage from AOE attacks.

Also, since low base damage weapons like [[dagger]]s and [[short sword]]s are weak, 'flat' brands (e.g. [[venom]], [[electrocution]]) can end up being stronger, particularly in the early-game.

Unlike every other weapon brand in the game, speed improves [[auxiliary attack]]s, since aux attacks are performed faster.

==History==
*Prior to [[0.14]], melee weapons with the speed brand dealt only 90% damage, but their attack speed was 50% of normal.
*Prior to [[0.9]], melee weapons of speed dealt full damage. Also, ranged weapons attack speed was 50% of normal.
*Prior to [[0.8]], all weapons of speed reduced attack speed to 50% of normal (though this calculation was then rounded up, leaving some weapons attacking slightly slower).

{{brands}}
[[Category:Brands]]

Robe

2026-06-21T21:22:51Z

Hordes: /* Desirability */

{{version032}}
{{armour
|name = Robe
|cost = 18
|AC = 2
|EV = 0
|maxenc = +2
|size = All
}}
{{flavour|A large, loose-fitting, wide-sleeved outer garment made of light cloth. It offers little protection against physical harm, but does not hinder evasion or spellcasting.

----

"CLEOPATRA: Give me my robe; put on my crown; I have Immortal longings in me"

-William Shakespeare, _Anthony & Cleopatra_, V, ii, ca. 1605.}}

'''Robes''' are the lightest and least protective body armour in the game. Many classes, including most spellcasters, start with one. They are one of the [[animal skin|few]] [[troll leather armour|body]] [[dragon scales|armours]] that [[Spriggan]]s, [[Oni]], and [[Troll]]s can wear.

==Egos==
*[[Fire resistance]]
*[[Cold resistance]]
*[[Willpower]]
*[[Resistance (ego)|Resistance]]

Also, [[randart]] robes can generate with the [[Archmagi]] ego.

==Desirability==
A robe is passible for any character whose primary means of defense is going to be their [[EV]], but for many such characters, there are superior armour types. [[Steam dragon scales]] are just as light, but provides better armour. [[Leather armour]], [[troll leather armour]], and other light dragon scales all provide greater AC for a relatively small encumbrance. However, there are a few reasons why a robe may be viable.
*Many [[background]]s start with them, before it is possible to find other sets of armour.
**Species that can't fit into standard kinds of armour will likely be stuck with a robe for a while.
**A +1 robe is better than a +0 leather armour.
*Robes can spawn with good [[ego]]s. A robe of resistance is a very convenient way to gain resistances, particularly for slot-restricted races who otherwise have trouble getting them.
 
{| class="prettytable" style="border:none; margin:auto; padding:0; text-align: center"
! || Image
|-
| '''Mundane''' || [[File:Robe1.png]] or [[File:Robe2.png]]
|-
| '''Magical''' || [[File:Robe_ego1.png]] or [[File:Robe_ego2.png]]
|-
| '''Artifact''' || [[File:Robe_art1.png]] or [[File:Robe_art2.png]]
|-
! || [[Unrandart]] Robes
|-
| '''[[Robe of Augmentation]]''' || [[File:Robe of augmentation.png]]
|-
| '''[[Robe of Clouds]]''' || [[File:Robe of clouds.png]]
|-
| '''[[Robe of Night]]''' || [[File:Robe of night.png]]
|-
| '''[[Robe of Folly]]''' || [[File:Robe of folly.png]]
|-
| '''[[Robe of Misfortune]]''' || [[File:Robe of misfortune.png]]
|-
| '''[[Robe of Vines]]''' || [[File:Robe of vines.png]]
|-
| '''toga "[[Victory]]" || [[File:Victory.png]]
|}

{{armours}}

==History==
*Prior to [[0.31]], non-artefact robes could spawn with Archmagi.
*Prior to [[0.27]], randart robes could not spawn with Archmagi.

[[Category:Body armour]]

Potion of resistance

2026-06-13T22:26:15Z

Hordes:

{{version029}}
{{item
|itemtype = Potion
|name = Potion of resistance
|cost = ?
|weight = 4.0
}}

{{flavour|A potion which grants temporary resistance to a variety of harmful effects: fire, cold, electricity, poison, and acid.}}

Quaffing a '''potion of resistance''' temporarily grants 1 rank in [[fire]], [[cold]], [[poison]], [[corrosion]] and [[electricity]] resistance for 10 to 29 turns. Be aware that gaining poison resistance will not have any effect on poison already in your system - for that, you'll need a [[potion of curing]]. Also note that this potion conveys no resistance to [[negative energy]].

==Strategy==
All the resistances these potions provide can be lifesaving when against dangerous elemental enemies. It is particularly valuable for electricity resistance, as rElec is rare due to the lack of associated [[ring]], and many electric threats are nasty without it ([[Nikola]], [[electric golem]]s, early [[storm dragon]]s). Like most buff consumables they are best used early on in an encounter.

Potions of resistance are rare. You may be lucky to find more than 10 by Zot.

==History==
*Prior to [[0.15]], a potion of resistance didn't grant corrosion resistance.
*Prior to [[0.12]], quaffing a potion of resistance gave the player a point of [[Contamination]].
*Prior to [[0.11]], the duration of each resistance granted by this potion was determined separately (i.e. your cold resistance might wear off in 11 turns while your fire resistance would wear off in 28 turns).

{{potions}}

Spell book

2026-05-23T20:25:05Z

Hordes: /* Strategy */

{{version034}}
{{flavour|An arcane textbook containing magical spells of unknown origin.}}
'''Spell books''' are [[item]]s that allow player to [[Spell memorisation|memorise]] [[spell]]s. They work similarly to [[parchment]]s, but spell books contain multiple spells.

There are two types of spell books: standard ones with a set name and list of spells, and randomly generated ([[randart]]) books that contain multiple random, but often thematically linked, spells.

==Useful Info==
Spell books are identified automatically on sight. Reading a spell book destroys the book and adds new spells to your spell library. [[Djinn]] are unable to learn spells from spellbooks but destroy the book anyway.

Spell books can be obtained from [[shop]]s, by using [[acquirement]], or as [[gift]]s from [[Sif Muna]].

Standard spellbooks contain 3-4 spells. [[Sif Muna]] can grant randart books containing 6-8 spells. Other randarts range from 2-4 spells.

==Strategy==
While not the main source of obtaining spells, a caster will definitely appreciate a relevant spell book. When acquiring or buying a spell book, it may be worth obtaining even if only planning to cast one or two of its spells.

==Standard books==
:''See also: [[List of spells by book]]''
{{spell book list}}

==History==
*[[0.34]]
**Spellbooks are far rarer than before. Previously they were the main way of getting spells; they are functionally replaced by [[parchment]]s that contain a single spell.
*[[0.27]]
**Fixed books now only have 2-4 spells each (down from 4-6 each). Randomly generated spellbooks also have fewer spells.
**Spellbooks generate more frequently and are always identified.
**30 new types of fixed book are added.
**Mage and Warrior-Mage classes start with spells already in their library, rather than a specific spellbook.
*[[0.22]]
**Spell library was introduced.
***Spells from books are automatically added to a global library upon pickup.
***Library spells can be memorized from anywhere through the '''M''' screen.
***Spellbooks are destroyed after their spells are added to the library.
**Followers of [[Trog]] lost the ability to burn spell books on the floor to produce [[cloud]]s of flame.

=== Book history ===
*[[0.29]]
**Removed [[Book of Pain]].
*[[0.28]]
**Removed [[Book of Stone]].
*[[0.25]]
**Reworked [[Book of Enchantments]] into [[Book of Hexes]].
*[[0.19]]
**Removed books: [[Akashic Record]], [[Book of Envenomations]]
**Books no longer have to be picked up to be identified
**Removed the ability to forget a spell by destroying a spell book
*[[0.17]]
**Removed book: [[Book of Control]]
**High level spell books no longer restrict learning from them based on skill levels
*[[0.16]]
**Added books: [[Akashic Record]], [[Fen Folio]]
**Removed book: [[Book of Wizardry]]
*[[0.15]]
**Removed book: [[Book of War Chants]]
*[[0.13]]
**Added books: [[Book of Battle]]
*[[0.12]]
**Removed books: [[Book of Morphology]], [[Book of Stalking]]
*Earlier:
**Removed books: [[Book of Tukima]], [[Book of Conjurations (fire+earth)]], [[Book of Conjurations (ice+air)]], [[Book of Charms]], [[Book of Minor Magic (flame)]], [[Book of Minor Magic (frost)]], [[Book of Minor Magic (summ)]], [[Monster Manual]], [[Book of Brands]], [[Book of Divinations]], [[Book of Surveyances]], [[Book of Practical Magic]]

[[Category:Book|*]]

Spell book

2026-05-23T20:22:40Z

Hordes:

{{version034}}
{{flavour|An arcane textbook containing magical spells of unknown origin.}}
'''Spell books''' are [[item]]s that allow player to [[Spell memorisation|memorise]] [[spell]]s. They work similarly to [[parchment]]s, but spell books contain multiple spells.

There are two types of spell books: standard ones with a set name and list of spells, and randomly generated ([[randart]]) books that contain multiple random, but often thematically linked, spells.

==Useful Info==
Spell books are identified automatically on sight. Reading a spell book destroys the book and adds new spells to your spell library. [[Djinn]] are unable to learn spells from spellbooks but destroy the book anyway.

Spell books can be obtained from [[shop]]s, by using [[acquirement]], or as [[gift]]s from [[Sif Muna]].

Standard spellbooks contain 3-4 spells. [[Sif Muna]] can grant randart books containing 6-8 spells. Other randarts range from 2-4 spells.

==Strategy==
A caster will definitely appreciate a relevant spell book. When acquiring or buying a spell book, it may be worth obtaining even if only planning to cast one or two of its spells.

==Standard books==
:''See also: [[List of spells by book]]''
{{spell book list}}

==History==
*[[0.34]]
**Spellbooks are far rarer than before. Previously they were the main way of getting spells; they are functionally replaced by [[parchment]]s that contain a single spell.
*[[0.27]]
**Fixed books now only have 2-4 spells each (down from 4-6 each). Randomly generated spellbooks also have fewer spells.
**Spellbooks generate more frequently and are always identified.
**30 new types of fixed book are added.
**Mage and Warrior-Mage classes start with spells already in their library, rather than a specific spellbook.
*[[0.22]]
**Spell library was introduced.
***Spells from books are automatically added to a global library upon pickup.
***Library spells can be memorized from anywhere through the '''M''' screen.
***Spellbooks are destroyed after their spells are added to the library.
**Followers of [[Trog]] lost the ability to burn spell books on the floor to produce [[cloud]]s of flame.

=== Book history ===
*[[0.29]]
**Removed [[Book of Pain]].
*[[0.28]]
**Removed [[Book of Stone]].
*[[0.25]]
**Reworked [[Book of Enchantments]] into [[Book of Hexes]].
*[[0.19]]
**Removed books: [[Akashic Record]], [[Book of Envenomations]]
**Books no longer have to be picked up to be identified
**Removed the ability to forget a spell by destroying a spell book
*[[0.17]]
**Removed book: [[Book of Control]]
**High level spell books no longer restrict learning from them based on skill levels
*[[0.16]]
**Added books: [[Akashic Record]], [[Fen Folio]]
**Removed book: [[Book of Wizardry]]
*[[0.15]]
**Removed book: [[Book of War Chants]]
*[[0.13]]
**Added books: [[Book of Battle]]
*[[0.12]]
**Removed books: [[Book of Morphology]], [[Book of Stalking]]
*Earlier:
**Removed books: [[Book of Tukima]], [[Book of Conjurations (fire+earth)]], [[Book of Conjurations (ice+air)]], [[Book of Charms]], [[Book of Minor Magic (flame)]], [[Book of Minor Magic (frost)]], [[Book of Minor Magic (summ)]], [[Monster Manual]], [[Book of Brands]], [[Book of Divinations]], [[Book of Surveyances]], [[Book of Practical Magic]]

[[Category:Book|*]]

Spell book

2026-05-23T20:21:38Z

Hordes:

{{version034}}
{{flavour|An arcane textbook containing magical spells of unknown origin.}}
'''Spell books''' are [[item]]s that allow player to [[Spell memorisation|memorise]] [[spell]]s. They work similarly to [[parchment]]s, but spell books contain multiple spells.

There are two types of spell books: standard ones with a set name and list of spells, and randomly generated ([[randart]]) books that contain multiple random, but often thematically linked, spells.

==Useful Info==
Spell books are identified automatically on sight. Reading a spell book destroys the book and adds new spells to your spell library. [[Djinn]] are unable to learn spells from spellbooks but destroy the book anyway.

Spell books can be obtained from [[shop]]s, by using [[acquirement]], or as [[gift]]s from [[Sif Muna]].

Standard spellbooks contain 3-4 spells. [[Sif Muna]] can grant randart books containing 6-8 spells. Other randarts range from 2-4 spells

==Strategy==
A caster will definitely appreciate a relevant spell book. When acquiring or buying a spell book, it may be worth obtaining even if only planning to cast one or two of its spells.

==Standard books==
:''See also: [[List of spells by book]]''
{{spell book list}}

==History==
*[[0.34]]
**Spellbooks are far rarer than before. Previously they were the main way of getting spells; they are functionally replaced by [[parchment]]s that contain a single spell.
*[[0.27]]
**Fixed books now only have 2-4 spells each (down from 4-6 each). Randomly generated spellbooks also have fewer spells.
**Spellbooks generate more frequently and are always identified.
**30 new types of fixed book are added.
**Mage and Warrior-Mage classes start with spells already in their library, rather than a specific spellbook.
*[[0.22]]
**Spell library was introduced.
***Spells from books are automatically added to a global library upon pickup.
***Library spells can be memorized from anywhere through the '''M''' screen.
***Spellbooks are destroyed after their spells are added to the library.
**Followers of [[Trog]] lost the ability to burn spell books on the floor to produce [[cloud]]s of flame.

=== Book history ===
*[[0.29]]
**Removed [[Book of Pain]].
*[[0.28]]
**Removed [[Book of Stone]].
*[[0.25]]
**Reworked [[Book of Enchantments]] into [[Book of Hexes]].
*[[0.19]]
**Removed books: [[Akashic Record]], [[Book of Envenomations]]
**Books no longer have to be picked up to be identified
**Removed the ability to forget a spell by destroying a spell book
*[[0.17]]
**Removed book: [[Book of Control]]
**High level spell books no longer restrict learning from them based on skill levels
*[[0.16]]
**Added books: [[Akashic Record]], [[Fen Folio]]
**Removed book: [[Book of Wizardry]]
*[[0.15]]
**Removed book: [[Book of War Chants]]
*[[0.13]]
**Added books: [[Book of Battle]]
*[[0.12]]
**Removed books: [[Book of Morphology]], [[Book of Stalking]]
*Earlier:
**Removed books: [[Book of Tukima]], [[Book of Conjurations (fire+earth)]], [[Book of Conjurations (ice+air)]], [[Book of Charms]], [[Book of Minor Magic (flame)]], [[Book of Minor Magic (frost)]], [[Book of Minor Magic (summ)]], [[Monster Manual]], [[Book of Brands]], [[Book of Divinations]], [[Book of Surveyances]], [[Book of Practical Magic]]

[[Category:Book|*]]

Borgnjor's Vile Clutch

2026-05-18T15:00:25Z

Hordes: mention grasping roots here

{{version034}}{{spell info}}{{AttackSpell
|name=Borgnjor's Vile Clutch
|formula = 2d(4 + power/20) per turn
|maxdmg = 2d(14) per turn
|maxsp = 200
|tohit = Infinite
|range = 6
|target = Beam
|special = [[Constrict]]}}
'''Borgnjor's Vile Clutch''', also known as '''BVC''' and '''zombie hands''', is a level 5 Necromancy/Earth spell that affects all enemies in a beam-targeted line with the [[constriction]] status (displayed as "constricted by zombie hands").

Constriction deals damage over time until the affected monster(s) die, escape constriction (which they must waste turns to do), or the effect runs out. In most cases, the monster will die or escape before the status runs out. If you leave [[line of sight]] of any affected enemies, they are immediately released.

==Resistant Enemies==
Only a small number of monsters are not affected by BVC, all of which are also immune to regular types of constriction. They include:
*[[Amorphous]] creatures, such as [[List of jellies|slimes and jellies]].
*[[:Category:insubstantial monsters|Insubstantial]] enemies, including [[wraith]]-type [[undead]], many monsters in [[the Abyss]], and [[orbs of fire]].
*[[Spiny]] enemies

In addition, enemies over [[deep water]] or [[lava]] are unaffected.

==Strategy==
BVC is a very versatile spell: You basically now have access to an unlimited [[wand of roots]] that can pin enemies while dealing significant damage. It has the following benefits:
*BVC itself cannot be dodged, and few enemies are immune to it.
*It greatly lowers EV, increasing the accuracy of both you and your allies. This combos well with other [[Earth Magic]] spells, like [[Bombard]] or [[Lehudib's Crystal Spear]], which have poor accuracy, as well as your undead allies.
*It pins the target in place, allowing the player to move away from enemies (even fast ones) without [[attacks of opportunity]].
*It is especially effective in corridors since it affects the whole beam path. Other piercing attacks, like [[javelin]]s, work well in conjunction.

Note that BVC does not allow [[stab]]s, nor does it prevent enemies from making melee attacks. Also, unlike the wand of roots, BVC isn't [[noise|loud]].

===Tips & Tricks===
*Most monsters will not attempt to escape constriction if they can melee attack you (exceptions: [[batty]] enemies, enemies with movement abilities like [[Blink]]). So by staying adjacent to an enemy, you'll get the most out of the damage and EV penalty.

==Monster Version==
The monster version is functionally identical to the player version.

{{monsters with spell}}

[[Grasping Roots]] is a functionally similar spell used by more monsters.

==History==
*Prior to [[0.32]], [[constriction]] as a whole worked differently:
**BVC's base damage was <code>2d(2 + pow/25)</code> per turn, but damage increased over time.
**The EV penalty was a multiplier that depended on monster size (instead of a flat penalty). It halved EV at the absolute minimum - overall, it was more effective against high EV foes.
**Escape chance for monsters did not care about HD.
*Prior to [[0.31]], BVC's base damage was <code>2d(3.5 + pow/20)</code> per turn. Also, you couldn't constrict [[invisible]] enemies if you didn't have [[see invisible]].
*Prior to [[0.26]], a few more monsters were spiny - [[porcupine]]s, [[torturous demonspawn]], and [[hell sentinel]]s - and thus immune to constriction.
*Prior to [[0.25]], BVC affected a smite-targeted 3x3 area instead of a beam path.
*Prior to [[0.22]], [[Necromancer]]s started with BVC, and it did 33% more damage.
*The spell was added in [[0.21]].

Alistair's Intoxication

2026-05-17T08:39:46Z

Hordes: /* Strategy */

{{version031}}
{{spell info}}

'''Alistair's Intoxication''' is a level 5 [[Alchemy]] spell which attempts to [[confusion|confuse]] all monsters in your line of sight.

==Useful Info==
Alistair's Intoxication attempts to [[confusion|confuse]] every monster in sight. It can only affect monsters that are all of the following:
*[[Natural]], [[demonic]], or [[holy]].
*Of human [[monster intelligence|intelligence]] ("it is intelligent").
*Do not have poison immunity or [[clarity]].

It has a <code>40 + [[spell power|power]]/3</code>% chance (max. 90%) to confuse each valid monster without [[poison resistance]]. Monsters with rPois are only x33% as likely to be confused (i.e., a 66% chance to resist).

If this spell has confused at least one monster, you have a <code>60 - power/3</code>% chance (min. 10%) to gain the [[Vertigo]] status. Poison resistance offers no benefit to players when casting this spell.

==Strategy==
This spell faces competition from [[Mephitic Cloud]], a level 3 spell which confuses monsters. Since Mephitic Cloud has multiple chances to confuse an enemy, it is often more MP and turn-efficient despite Intoxication having a higher confusion chance. Still, this spell has multiple benefits over Mephitic Cloud:
*It affects everything in [[LOS]]. Intoxication has better range, and can affect multiple enemies that are spread out.
*It has a chance to affect monsters with poison resistance.
*It does not check [[willpower]] or [[HD]]. Unlike [[Hexes]] like [[Cause Fear]], Intoxication has the same chance to affect any vulnerable monster, whether it be a [[goblin]] or [[Antaeus]].

This spell can be useful in branches like [[Shoals]], [[the Vaults]], or [[Depths]], which have a high number of intelligent ranged enemies. Being able to confuse a squad of [[yaktaur]]s from full range is a notable advantage. In [[Zot]], it can help manage [[list of draconians|draconian]] packs and [[Killer Klown]]s. Can be used to tackle [[Vaults]]:5 in particular, since the [[vault guard]]s surrounding you can all be confused by this spell.

If you want to get later Alchemy spells like [[Eringya's Noxious Bog]] or [[Irradiate]], Alistair's Intoxication practically costs no XP. If you got the spell levels, you might as well use it.

==History==
*Prior to [[0.31]], Alistair's Intoxication was a dual-school, level 5 [[Poison Magic]] / [[Transmutations]] spell.
*Prior to [[0.28]], Alistair's Intoxication could not affect demonic or holy monsters.
*Prior to [[0.26]], Alistair's Intoxication had a power cap of 100.
*Prior to [[0.18]], Alistair's Intoxication was level 4 Poison/Transmutations spell, could never affect rPois monsters, and could confuse or int-drain the player instead of causing vertigo. Also, mummies and [[lichform]] characters were unable to cast this spell.
*In versions [[0.9.2]] and earlier, susceptible monsters would be affected 100% of the time.

Barbs

2026-05-17T08:29:58Z

Hordes:

{{version034}}
{{flavour|There are barbs embedded in your skin, and moving around will cause you to take damage. Remaining in place for a short time will allow you to remove the barbs without taking damage.}}

'''Barbs''' is a [[status effect]]. Each time a barbed creature moves, it takes damage equal to <code>2d(2 + times_barbs_inflicted)</code> damage (max. 2d6).<ref>{{source ref|0.30.1|movement.cc|141}}</ref> When [[rampaging]], each tile moved will inflict damage.

The barbs remain in their target for 4-8 turns, adding 2-4 turns per infliction of barbs (max. 12 turns at time).<ref>{{source ref|0.30.1|beam.cc|4000}}</ref> Remaining in place (no matter what is done) has 100% chance of decreasing the duration. While moving, there is only a 33% chance to decrease the barbs duration. It is possible to rid yourself of barbs by moving, but doing so will incur significant damage.

Inflicted by:
*[[:Category:Barbs flavour|Barbs attack flavour]]
*[[Throw Barbs]] spell
*[[Wu Jian]]'s wrath (lasting 5-10 turns)

[[Insubstantial]] players are immune to the barbs status, but damage from the Throw Barbs spell itself is not ignored.

==History==
*The barbs attack flavour was added in [[0.28]].
*Prior to [[0.22]], you had to specifically [[wait]] (with ''''5''', '''s''', or '''.''') in order to have a 100% chance to decrement the duration. Also, the base duration was a bit shorter: 3-6 turns instead of 4-8 turns.
*Barbs was added in [[0.14]].

==References==
<references/>

Explore mode

2026-05-16T20:29:40Z

Hordes:

{{version034}}
'''Explore mode''' is a mode that allows the player to come back to life without limit. Explore mode games are not [[score]]d and do not count as 'proper' games. Explore mode can be entered by using the '''+''' key, then confirming by typing "explore", unless it has been disabled.

By default, explore mode is available on both offline games and online servers. The [[rcfile|configuration option]] ''explore_mode'' can be used to start new games in explore mode, or disallow entering the mode at all.

==See Also==
*[[Wizard mode]], a more robust cheating/debug mode.

==History==
*Prior to a version between 0.30-0.34, the confirmation to enter explore mode was 'yes' instead of 'explore'.
*Prior to [[0.30]], players couldn't use explore mode on online servers without admin access.
*Explore mode was added to Crawl in [[0.16]].
*Explore mode is also included in a few other roguelikes, most notably NetHack. Its purpose was to give players some form of cheating mode without having to use wizmode. Wizmode requires admin access on certain UNIX systems, and in Crawl, proper wizmode could be used to crash online servers.

Wizard mode

2026-05-16T20:28:45Z

Hordes: /* Strategy */

{{version034}}
'''Wizard mode''' ('''wizmode''') is ''Crawl<nowiki>'</nowiki>''s debug mode. It allows the player to create a character, modify it freely, avoid [[death]], and test all sorts of situations.

Wizmode is invaluable for researching [[item]]s, [[monsters]], [[species]], [[background]]s, [[god]]s, [[branch]]es, [[vault]]s, and general [[:Category:Game mechanics|game mechanics]]. Performing experiments in wizmode is an excellent way to contribute to [[Crawl Wiki|this wiki]] – please edit our pages with what you have learned!

==Entering Wizmode==
You can enter wizmode by pressing '&' after creating a character. When you attempt to enter, the game warns you:

'''WARNING: ABOUT TO ENTER WIZARD MODE!'''
'''If you continue, your game will not be scored!'''
Do you really want to enter wizard mode?

Type 'wiz' to confirm.

Wizard mode is disabled in [[playing online|online servers]], not only for the [[cheating]] aspect, but also because it could be used to easily crash the server. In order to get access to wizmode, download an offline version of Crawl.

==Command list==

To list commands, hit '''&''', then '''?'''.

To perform commands, type '''&''' and then the respective command key from the list below.
===Player stats===

'''A''' : set all skills to level
'''Ctrl-D''' : change enchantments/durations
'''g''' : exercise a skill
'''k''' : change experience level and skills
'''l''' : change experience level
'''Ctrl-P''' : list props
'''r''' : change character's species
'''s''' : set skill to level
'''x''' : gain an experience level
'''$''' : set gold to a specified value
''']''' : get a mutation by name or category
'''_''' : gain religion
'''^''' : set piety to a value
'''@''' : set Str Int Dex
'''#''' : load character from a dump file
'''&''' : list all divine followers
'''=''' : show info about skill points
'''n''' : set Zot clock to a value
'''N''' : get current [[tension]] value

===Create dungeon features===

'''L''' : place a vault by name
'''T''' : make a trap
''',''' / '''.''' : create up/down staircase
'''(''' : turn cell into feature
'''\''' : make a shop
'''Ctrl-K''' : mark all vaults as unused

===Other level related commands===

'''Ctrl-A''' : generate new Abyss area
'''b''' : controlled blink
'''B''' : controlled teleport
'''Ctrl-B''' : banish yourself to the Abyss
'''R''' / '''ctrl-R''' : regenerate current level
'''Ctrl-S''' : change Abyss speed
'''u''' / '''d''' : shift player up/down one level
'''~''' : go to a specific branch and level
''':''' : find branches and overflow temples in the dungeon
''';''' : list known levels and counters
'''{''' : magic mapping
'''}''' : detect all traps on level
'''Ctrl-W''' : change Shoals' tide speed
'''Ctrl-E''' : dump level builder information
'''P''' : create a level based on a vault

===Other player related effects===

'''c''' : card effect
'''h''' / '''H''' : heal yourself (super-Heal)
'''X''' : make Xom do something now
'''z''' : cast spell by number/name
'''!''' : memorise spell
'''W''' : god wrath
'''w''' : god mollification
'''p''' : polymorph into a form
'''V''' : toggle xray vision
'''E''' : (un)freeze time

===Monster related commands===

'''m''' / '''M''' : create specified monster by number/name
'''D''' : detect all monsters
'''G''' : dismiss all monsters
'''"''' : list monsters

===Item related commands===

'''a''' : acquirement
'''i''' / '''I''' : identify/unidentify inventory
'''y''' / '''Y''' : identify/unidentify item types and properties
'''o''' / '''%''' : create an object
'''t''' : tweak object properties
'''v''' : recharge all XP evokers
'''Ctrl-V''' : show gold value of an item
'''-''' : get a god gift
'''|''' : create all [[unrand]] artefacts
'''Ctrl-\''' : create all [[unrand]]s / fallbacks
'''+''' : make randart from item
' : list items (current floor)
'''J''' : Jiyva off-level sacrifice
'''Z''' : unobtain runes and Orb of Zot

===Debugging commands===

'''f''' : quick fight simulation (fsim)
'''F''' : single scale fsim
'''Ctrl-F''' : double scale fsim
'''Ctrl-I''' : item generation stats
'''O''' : measure exploration time
'''Ctrl-T''' : enter in-game dungeon (d)Lua interpreter
'''Ctrl-U''' : enter in-game client (c)Lua interpreter
'''Ctrl-Y''' : temporarialy suppress wizmode
'''Ctrl-X''' : Xom effect status
'''Ctrl-C''' : force a crash
''' ' ''' : list unassigned command keys

===Other wizard commands===

(not prefixed with '''&''')
'''x?''' : list targeted commands
'''X?''' : list map-mode commands

====Wizard targeting commands====

After hitting '''x'''.

'''Ctrl-C''' : cycle through beam paths
'''D''' : get debugging information about the monster
'''o''' : give item to monster
'''F''' : cycle monster friendly/peaceful/neutral/hostile
'''G''' : make monster gain XP
'''Ctrl-H''' : heal the monster to full hit points
'''P''' : apply divine blessing to monster
'''m''' : move monster or player
'''M''' : cause spell miscast for monster or player
'''s''' : force monster to shout or speak
'''S''' : make monster a summoned monster
'''w''' : calculate shortest path to any point on the map
'''"''' : get debugging information about a portal
'''~''' : polymorph monster to specific type
''',''' : bring down the monster to 1 HP
'''(''' : place a mimic
'''Ctrl-B''' : banish monster
'''Ctrl-K''' : kill monster

====Wizard (map-mode) commands====

After hitting '''X'''.

'''T''' : Teleport to cursor.

==Strategy==
You obviously can't go into wizmode if you want your game to be [[scoring|scored]]. However, ''Crawl'' is an offline game, meaning you're free to do what you want. There's nothing stopping you from, say, generating the [[Axe of Woe]], setting [[Death's Door]] duration to infinity, and crushing the game.

Players can use wizmode to test a number of things useful in regular games, not limited to the list below:
*'''f/F''' has a fight simulator, allowing you to test your weapon DPS and damage taken against any given monster (spawn enemies with '''M''').
*The level of skill / intelligence required to cast a spell. Use '''A''' and '''s''' to set skills to desired points, '''@''' to set Str/Int/Dex, and '''o''' to create any desired armour.
*Create a [[vault]], to see it in-game.
*Details on how a given mechanic works.

[[Category:Crawl]]

Cheating

2026-05-16T20:27:18Z

Hordes:

'''Cheating''' is the act of doing things not intended by [[developers]] or considered to be against the "spirit" of the game.

==Wizard Mode==
[[Wizard mode]] is a debug mode included in most offline builds of DCSS, giving you immense power over every aspect of the game. It is the de-facto "cheating" option, though the game recognizes it as such, so it's fair game. Wizmode games are never [[score]]d, and the feature is disabled in online servers.

==Playing offline vs playing online==
Because of the methods of cheating described below, games played offline are generally not counted by the community for the purposes of statistics and records. Online games very rarely experience abusable cheats and exploits, and are protected from save file scumming and to a large extent crash scumming (through forced updates) by making these items unavailable to the player. This means online games are very difficult to cheat on, and are therefore the only form of games counted by statistics.

The ##crawl learndb eludes to this, with the entry describing "offline" reading simply "It doesn't count".

==Not cheating==

* Using wizard mode to test things out, before trying it in a legitimate game.
* Reading spoilers
* Playing on the same [[seed]] repeatedly

==Degenerate behavior==

* All forms of [[scumming]]
* Deleting level files
* Selectively deleting ghost files (note: as of [[0.22]], player ghosts no longer roam freely, making them trivial to avoid)

==Cheating==

===Save scumming===
'''Save scumming''' is creating a back-up save file in case your character dies. Thus, eliminating the permanency of death. [[Explore mode]] may also be used to remove death, but like wizmode, is properly recognized and left un[[score]]d.

===Intentionally crashing the game===
Crawl only autosaves every level, so when a crash occurs, you will be dropped at the last time you entered the current level. On a local system, this is easily done by force-quitting the program. However, it is also possible even on public servers, if you know of a bug that allows you to produce a crash on demand. The devteam fixes these bugs whenever they find them, and furthermore (historically) keeps reports of such bugs private until they are resolved. The secrecy is necessary because intentional crashing could conceivably be used to gain an unfair advantage in a tournament.

Obviously, restoring a game after an accidental crash, even on a public server, is not cheating. Also note that losing your connection to a server in the middle of a game will not cause a crash - you will restore exactly where you left off.

===Looking Ahead with Seeds===
[[Seed]]s are normally perfectly fine to use. However, offline games display their seed in their [[morgue]], even if the character isn't already dead. This means that a player could feasibly look ahead during another instance of their game. This is only considered cheating if used to assist an explicitly non-seeded game, and then claim otherwise; as mentioned, playing on the same seed is perfectly fine. Note that RNG isn't seeded, and that differences in play/RNG can cause a cascade of changes to ''Crawl'''s generation algoritim.

Obviously, online games do not display their seed. If it [https://web.archive.org/web/20090306103017/http://taeb-nethack.blogspot.com/2009/03/predicting-and-controlling-nethacks.html were possible] to manipulate, then it'd be cheating.

[[Category:Crawl]]

Electrocution

2026-05-16T20:20:15Z

Hordes:

{{version034}}
{{flavour|It sometimes electrocutes victims (1/4 chance, 8-20 damage).}}
The '''electrocution''' [[brand]] does the following:
*Has a 25% chance per hit to inflict <code>7 + 1d13</code> [[electricity]] damage per hit, regardless of damage from the weapon itself. Electricity resistant monsters do not take any extra damage. (Average 3.5 damage per swing)

==Strategy==
Electrocution deals flat damage, independent of actual weapon damage, meaning it is most effective on fast weapons like [[Short Blades]], [[whip]]s, and [[spear]]s (triggering elec every 0.5 turn > elec every 0.7 turn). However, it is still a decent brand on "heavy" weapons. For reference, a +9 [[broad axe]] of elec is slightly weaker than [[flaming]] or [[freezing]]. As a bonus, few enemies resist electricity until reaching [[Zot]] and [[extended]].

Electrocution's damage ignores [[AC]] entirely, so elec becomes ''stronger'' relative to flaming/freezing against high AC opponents.

===Comparisons===
*[[Distortion]] is a flat effect which deals more damage (on average) and has no resistance. However, unless you worship [[Lugonu]], unwielding a distortion weapon isn't safe. Minor negatives: you can [[banish]] monsters with desirable gear, or [[blink]] them away from you.
*The [[pain brand]] starts to outdamage electrocution when you have more than 7 [[Necromancy]] skill. However, pain is resisted by more monsters than electrocution.

==History==
*Prior to [[0.28]], electrocution had a 33% chance of activating.
*Prior to [[0.15]], this brand did 10-24 damage instead of 8-20.
*Prior to [[0.14]], discharges of electricity would occur when hitting monsters in water, damaging multiple targets nearby (including the player character).
*Prior to [[0.13]], this brand had no effect on flying monsters, considerably limiting its utility in certain branches.

{{brands}}
[[Category:Brands]]

Protection

2026-05-16T20:15:01Z

Hordes: /* Desirability */

{{version030}}
{{flavour|Weapon: It grants its wielder temporary protection when it strikes (+7 to AC). 
Shield: It protects its wearer from harm (+3 to AC).}}

The '''protection''' [[brand]]/[[ego]] does the following:
*On [[weapon]]s, whenever an enemy is hit, the wielder gains +7 AC for 3-4 turns.<ref>{{source ref|0.30.1|player.cc|8402}}</ref> Further attacks will increase the duration, to a max. of 5 turns at a time.
*On [[shield]]s, grants a permanent +3 AC bonus.

==Desirability==
As a weapon brand, protection's extra AC can be useful in the early/mid game. However, since the AC boost never increases, it's likely worth replacing later on.

Shields of protection are objectively stronger than plain shields. A resistance may be more desirable, but since shield [[ego]]s are rare, a shield of protection might be the best option available for a long time.

==History==
*Prior to [[0.19]], weapons of protection provided a passive bonus (+5 AC) instead of a temporary +7 AC on hit.
*Prior to [[0.6]], ranged weapons would generate with the protection brand instead of [[Evasion (brand)|evasion]].

==References==
<references/>

{{brands}}

[[Category:Brands]]
[[Category:Egos]]

Protection

2026-05-16T20:14:48Z

Hordes: /* Desirability */

{{version030}}
{{flavour|Weapon: It grants its wielder temporary protection when it strikes (+7 to AC). 
Shield: It protects its wearer from harm (+3 to AC).}}

The '''protection''' [[brand]]/[[ego]] does the following:
*On [[weapon]]s, whenever an enemy is hit, the wielder gains +7 AC for 3-4 turns.<ref>{{source ref|0.30.1|player.cc|8402}}</ref> Further attacks will increase the duration, to a max. of 5 turns at a time.
*On [[shield]]s, grants a permanent +3 AC bonus.

==Desirability==
As a weapon brand, protection's extra AC can be useful in the early/mid game. However, since the AC boost never increases, it's likely worth replacing later on.

Shields of protection are objectively stronger than plain shields. A resistance may be more desirable, but since shield [[ego]]s are rare, a shield of protection can be the best option available for a long time.

==History==
*Prior to [[0.19]], weapons of protection provided a passive bonus (+5 AC) instead of a temporary +7 AC on hit.
*Prior to [[0.6]], ranged weapons would generate with the protection brand instead of [[Evasion (brand)|evasion]].

==References==
<references/>

{{brands}}

[[Category:Brands]]
[[Category:Egos]]

Armour (skill)

2026-05-16T20:13:42Z

Hordes:

{{version034}}

The '''Armour''' skill improves the effectiveness of your armour and reduces most of the penalties associated with the more cumbersome varieties of body [[armour]].

{{skill aptitudes|Armour}}

[[Felid]]s, [[Draconian]]s, [[Octopodes]], and [[Poltergeist]]s cannot train Armour due to their body restrictions.

==Useful Info==
Each level in Armour skill will:
* Give bonus [[AC]], equal to ~4.5% Base AC per level. ("Base AC" is the combined AC of all your armour, after considering multipliers like [[Deformed]], excluding AC from their [[enchant]]ment)
* Reduce body armour [[encumbrance]] by ~2.22% per level.
: This reduces the penalties to [[evasion]], [[spellcasting]], and [[Ranged Weapons]]. Note that body armour also penalizes the [[Dodging]] skill directly; this penalty is ''not'' impacted by Armour skill. Armour skill won't reduce the [[stealth]] penalty, either.

==Strategy==
Armour skill provides a percent boost to AC and a percent reduction to encumbrance. Therefore, there is no specific threshold of Armour skill "required" to wear a given body armour. If you're playing a [[Fighter]], for instance, you'll want something heavy like [[chain mail]] or [[plate armour]] - whether you have 3 Armour skill or 15 Armour skill.

[[Strength]] has a big impact when determining what body armour you should wear, arguably more so than Armour skill. As an arbitrary example, say a player has 10 strength and are considering [[swamp dragon scales]]. For this specific character, gaining +2 strength would have a ''greater'' impact than ~6.92 levels of Armour skill (the exact value also depends on [[Dodging]] skill).

In the [[Early Game Character Building|early game]], the impact of the Armour skill is relatively small, so it is better to train offensive skills first.

==History==
*Prior to [[0.33]], the AC bonus from Armour skill did not take into account [[Deformed]]-type multipliers.
*Prior to [[0.32]], AC was not tracked to 2 decimal places; only whole points of AC mattered.

{{skills}}

[[Category:Skills]]

Armour

2026-05-16T20:10:51Z

Hordes: /* Armour skill */ clarify that armor skill is all armor

{{version033}}
''For the skill, see [[Armour (skill)]].''
{{flavour|Nought can Deform the Human race Like to the Armours iron brace"

-William Blake, "Auguries of Innocence", 99-100. 1803.}}

'''Armour''' encompasses all equipment worn to protect against attacks. Armour increases your [[armour class]] (AC), which defends against melee, ranged, and most magical attacks. It can also have [[ego]]s, which provide further benefit.

However, [[body armour]] is [[encumbrance|encumbering]]. Wearing heavier body armour will lower your [[EV]] and [[stealth]], increase chance of [[spell failure]], and slow down [[Ranged Weapons]]. These penalties are reduced, but not eliminated, by [[strength]] and [[Armour skill]]. Only body armour and [[shield]]s have encumbrance penalties; all other armour can be worn at no cost.

[[Shield]]s increase [[SH]] instead of AC, but are usually considered a piece of "armour" as well.

==Armour Locations==
There are six armour locations in ''Crawl'', also known as '''armour slots'''. Some [[species]] have restrictions on the kinds of armour they can wear, while many [[transformation]]s will render pieces unusable.

*'''[[Body armour]]''' is worn on a character's torso, and is the primary source of AC. Its AC bonus is penalized by the [[Deformed]] mutation. Heavier body armour imposes greater penalties.
*'''[[Gloves]]''' are worn on the hands, and are unusable with rank 3 of the [[Claws]] mutation.
*'''[[Boots]]''' are worn on the feet, and are unusable with rank 3 of either the [[Talons]] or [[Hooves]] mutations.
**In place of boots, [[Armataur]]s and [[Naga]]s can wear '''[[barding]]s''' on the rear portions of their bodies. They provide more AC and higher potential enchantment, but slightly reduce your [[EV]].
*'''[[Helmet]]s''' and '''[[hat]]s''' are worn on the head. The [[Beak]], [[Antennae]], and [[Horns]] mutations all restrict the player's headgear options.
*'''[[Cloak]]s''' and '''[[Scarf|scarves]]''' are worn around the shoulders, which are unusable with demonspawn's [[Weakening Stinger]].
*'''[[Shields]]''' and '''[[orb]]s''' are held on character's arm. They prevent the use of [[Handedness|two-handed]] weapons. Shields provide [[SH]], but impede spellcasting and EV without sufficient skill.

All armour types, including shields, take 5 turns to remove and 5 turns to put on. If you swap from one piece of armour to another, it takes 10 turns total. If you are hurt when (un)equpping armour, the game will ask if you want to abort the action.

==Encumbrance Rating==
Most [[body armour]] has an [[encumbrance rating]] proportional to its AC. [[Robe]]s and [[leather armour]], being lightweight, have little or no EV penalty; at the other end of the spectrum you can find [[plate armour]] and [[crystal plate armour]], which are cumbersome but incredibly protective.

A higher [[encumbrance rating]]:
*Lowers your [[ev]]asion
*Makes you less [[stealth]]y
*Reduces your spellcasting success rate
*Make [[Ranged Weapons]] attack slower (not including [[Throwing]] weapons)

Increasing your Armour skill decreases the effect of the encumbrance rating (-2.2% per level, or -60% at Armour 27) and boosts the total AC granted by those pieces. High [[strength]] will also help. Stealth is always penalized the same. See the [[encumbrance rating]] page for more details.

[[Shield]]s have an encumbrance rating, but it works differently from body armour. See [[Shields]] for more details.

Only body armour and shields have an encumbrance rating. [[Barding]]s have an EV penalty, but this is unrelated to ER.

==Calculating AC Value==
In order of operation:
===Base AC ===
Your total "base AC" is equal to the ''sum'' of the base AC values from every worn armour. This excludes any armour [[enchant]]ments you may have.

===Multipliers===
These multipliers affect the base AC from body armour only.
*If you have the [[Deformed]] or the [[Pseudopods]] mutation, you lose 50% AC from body armour. These mutations do not stack with each other.
*Certain [[form]]s can multiply body armour base AC:
**[[Maw Form]]: -75% body armour AC
**[[Blade Form]]: -60% body armour AC at 12 skill, scaling to -0% at 20 skill
**[[Fortress Crab Form]]: +75% body armour AC at 12 skill, scaling to +130% at 20 skill

These modifiers stack multiplicatively (up to -100% body armour base AC).

===Armour skill===
[[Armour skill]] provides a bonus to AC after the above multipliers:<ref>{{source ref|0.28.0|player.cc|5691}}</ref>

(base AC) * (1 + Armour_skill / 22)

This is roughly equivalent to +4.5% base AC per level of Armour skill. This boost considers all armour pieces, not just body armour.

AC is calculated to 2 decimal places internally. In most places, AC is displayed rounded down to a whole number. Item descriptions will show your AC rounded to 1 decimal place, together with the change in AC from equipping or removing that item.

===Bonuses===
All other sources of AC are flat, additive bonuses to your AC score, which are not impacted by armour or Armour skill:<ref>{{source ref|0.28.0|player.cc|5914}}</ref>
*Value from armour [[enchant]]ment, [[rings of protection]], and [[artefact]] bonuses
*[[Ozocubu's Armour]]
*[[Protection]] brand
*[[Mutation]]s
*Innate AC from [[transformation]]s, like [[Dragon Form]] and [[Statue Form]]

==Tables of Armours==
===Body Armour===
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:100%" border=1
!scope = "col" | Armour
!scope = "col" | Base AC
!scope = "col" | Encumbrance rating
!scope = "col" | Wearable
|-
|[[Robe]]
|align="right" | 2
|align="right" | 0
|align="right" | All
|-
|[[Leather armour]]
|align="right" | 3
|align="right" | 4
|align="right" | Small–Medium
|-
|[[Ring mail]]
|align="right" | 5
|align="right" | 7
|align="right" | Small–Medium
|-
|[[Scale mail]]
|align="right" | 6
|align="right" | 10
|align="right" | Small–Medium
|-
|[[Chain mail]]
|align="right" | 8
|align="right" | 14
|align="right" | Small–Medium
|-
|[[Plate armour]]
|align="right" | 10
|align="right" | 18
|align="right" | Small–Medium
|-
|[[Crystal plate armour]]
|align="right" | 14
|align="right" | 23
|align="right" | Small–Medium
|-
|[[Animal skin]]
|align="right" | 2
|align="right" | 0
|align="right" | All
|-
|[[Troll leather armour]]
|align="right" | 3
|align="right" | 4
|align="right" | All
|-
|[[Steam dragon scales]]
|align="right" | 5
|align="right" | 0
|align="right" | All
|-
|[[Acid dragon scales]]
|align="right" | 6
|align="right" | 5
|align="right" | All
|-
|[[Swamp dragon scales]]
|align="right" | 7
|align="right" | 7
|align="right" | All
|-
|[[Quicksilver dragon scales]]
|align="right" | 9
|align="right" | 7
|align="right" | All
|-
|[[Fire dragon scales]]
|align="right" | 8
|align="right" | 9
|align="right" | All
|-
|[[Ice dragon scales]]
|align="right" | 9
|align="right" | 11
|align="right" | All
|-
|[[Pearl dragon scales]]
|align="right" | 10
|align="right" | 11
|align="right" | All
|-
|[[Storm dragon scales]]
|align="right" | 10
|align="right" | 15
|align="right" | All
|-
|[[Shadow dragon scales]]
|align="right" | 11
|align="right" | 15
|align="right" | All
|-
|[[Golden dragon scales]]
|align="right" | 12
|align="right" | 23
|align="right" | All
|}

===Shields===
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:100%" border=1
!scope = "col" | Shield
!scope = "col" | SH
!scope = "col" | Encumbrance
!scope = "col" | Wearable
|-
|[[Buckler]]
|align="right" | 3
|align="right" | 5
|align="right" | Little–Medium
|-
|[[Kite shield]]
|align="right" | 8
|align="right" | 10
|align="right" | Small–Big
|-
|[[Orb]]
|align="right" | 0
|align="right" | 0
|align="right" | All
|-
|[[Tower shield]]
|align="right" | 13
|align="right" | 15
|align="right" | Medium–Giant
|}

===Headgear===
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:100%" border=1
!scope = "col" | Headgear
!scope = "col" | AC
!scope = "col" | Encumbrance rating
!scope = "col" | Wearable
|-
|[[Helmet]]
|align="right" | 1
|align="right" | 0
|align="right" | Small–Medium
|-
|[[Hat]]
|align="right" | 0
|align="right" | 0
|align="right" | All
|}

===Miscellaneous===
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:100%" border=1
!scope = "col" | Armour
!scope = "col" | AC
!scope = "col" | Encumbrance rating
!scope = "col" | Wearable
|-
|[[Boots]]
|align="right" | 1
|align="right" | 0
|align="right" | Small–Medium
|-
|[[Cloak]]
|align="right" | 1
|align="right" | 0
|align="right" | All
|-
|[[Scarf]]
|align="right" | 0
|align="right" | 0
|align="right" | All
|-
|[[Gloves]]
|align="right" | 1
|align="right" | 0
|align="right" | Small–Medium
|-
|[[Barding]]
|align="right" | 4
|align="right" | -6
|align="right" | Naga/Armataur
|}

==Egos==
Enchanted armour may have an [[ego]], which gives it additional properties.

==Restrictions and Mutations==
*Beaks, horns, and antennae are incompatible with helmets. Hats are allowed.
**Horns 3 and Antennae 3 disallow all headgear, however.
*Hooves 3 and talons 3 are incompatible with boots.
*Claws 3 is incompatible with gloves.
*Weakening stinger is incompatible with cloaks.

[[Transformation]]s can affect which items are compatible - refer to that page for more details.

==History==
*Prior to [[0.33]], Armour skill ignored any multipliers to body armour base AC.
*Prior to [[0.32]], AC was always rounded down to an integer, meaning AC would increase at specific breakpoints in Armour skill, rather than increasing smoothly.
*Prior to [[0.29]], body armour encumbrance did ''not'' slow down [[Ranged Weapons]].
*Prior to [[0.28]], armour and shields would penalize your [[to-hit]].
*Prior to [[0.27]], [[GDR]] was determined based on your body armour, not from total [[AC]].
*Prior to [[0.17]], heavy armour slowed [[throwing]] and [[unarmed combat]] attacks.
*Prior to [[0.16]], light armour had no small spellcasting success penalty.
*Prior to [[0.15]], armour took <code>AC + 1</code> turns to unequip or equip (instead of a flat 5 turns).
*Prior to [[0.14]], [[Racial equipment|racial armour types]] existed. Elven armour impeded spellcasting less, dwarven armour had more AC but impeded casting more, and orcish armour was better for [[Hill Orc]]s only.
*In [[0.13]], the evasion penalty system was changed. "Base Evasion Penalty" (BEVP) was changed into [[encumbrance rating]], and rescaled for all armours (see [https://crawl.develz.org/wiki/doku.php?id=dcss:brainstorm:mutation:stats&#effect_of_strength_on_armour_evp dev wiki]).
*Prior to [[0.11]], you could only train Armour while wearing equipment with an EV penalty of at least -1.
*Prior to [[0.6]], body armour was divided into "Light Armour" and "Heavy Armour". The former would allow you to train Dodging, while the latter trained Armour.

===Changes to armour types===
*In [[0.30]], [[chain mail]] had encumbrance reduced (from 15 -> 14).
*In [[0.29]], [[shadow dragon scales]] had its AC increased (10 -> 11).
*Orbs were introduced in [[0.28]].
*Prior to [[0.26]], bardings were split into [[naga barding]]s and [[centaur barding]]s.
*Scarves were added in [[0.20]].
*Prior to [[0.19]], dragon scales were named dragon armours. Also, trolls/dragons only dropped hides; you had to use a [[scroll of enchant armour]] on the hide to get the armour.
*In [[0.16]], [[scale mail]] had encumbrance reduced (11 -> 10).
*In [[0.14]], gold dragon armour, crystal plate armour, and plate armour have had their encumbrance ratings reduced (27 -> 25, 24 -> 23, and 19 -> 18 respectively). Mottled dragon armour increased ER from 4 to 5.
*In [[0.13]], [[splint mail]] was removed.

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Armours]]
{{Skills}}

Armour class

2026-05-16T20:09:32Z

Hordes: /* Useful Info */

{{version034}}
When something injures you, your '''armour class''' (often abbreviated to '''AC''') reduces the amount of damage you suffer. The higher the value, the better.

The most common way to improve your AC is by wearing [[armour]]. Wearing heavier [[body armour]] provides more AC, but comes at the cost of [[encumbrance]] - reducing [[EV]], [[spell failure|spell success]] rates, and [[stealth]]. Other types of armour, like [[helmet]]s and [[boots]], provide AC with no penalty.

==Useful Info==
AC reduces the damage of attacks by an absolute value between 0 and your current AC value. An AC of 10 will reduce damage by a random number between 0 and 10. This applies to damage that would traditionally ignore armour in other games, such as [[spell]] magic.

The game tracks AC internally using two decimal places. If AC is not a whole number, this internal number will be rounded in a weighted manner each time damage is taken. For example, with an AC of 10.60, there is a 60% chance of AC being treated as 11 and 40% chance of AC being treated as 10.

<code>BEAM_ELEC</code> damage (such as from [[Shock]] or [[Lightning Bolt]]) ignores half of the target's AC. <code>BEAM_FRAG</code> damage (such as from [[Sandblast]] or a [[tin of tremorstones]]) is affected three times as much by AC.

For details on how AC is calculated, see [[AC calculations]].

===Guaranteed Damage Reduction===
''Main Article: [[GDR]]''

When taking physical damage from a melee, ranged weapon, or throwing attack, guaranteed damage reduction will improve AC rolls. GDR% is equal to <code>16*(AC)^1/4</code>. If GDR is applied, the minimum possible AC roll will equal (damage*GDR%) or (AC/2), whichever is lower. Spells and abilities, including 'physical' spells like [[Harpoon Shot]] or [[Stone Arrow]], do not use GDR. Only the player benefits from GDR.

==List of Damage that ignores AC==
*[[Torment]] and [[Holy Word]].
*[[Smite]].
*[[Damnation]].
*'''Shared damage''' from [[Anguish]], [[Injury Mirror]], [[Injury Bond]], [[Uskayaw#Given Abilities|Pain Bond]], or [[spectral weapon]]s (uses the original target's AC instead).
*'''Status effects''': [[poison]], [[sticky flame]], [[flay]].
*'''Hex effects''': [[Pain]] / [[Necrotise]], [[Wand of mindburst|Mindburst]], [[Anguish]], [[Agony]]
*'''Weapon [[brand]] damage''' and '''monster [[attack flavour]]s'''.
** Note that weapon brand damage is often a percentage of AC-reduced damage in the first place.
** Some monster attack flavours require a physical, AC-checking attack to deal damage to apply, though the attack flavour itself is not influenced by AC.
*'''Specific spells''': [[Freeze]], [[Vampiric Draining]], [[Static Discharge]], [[Ignite Poison]], [[Dispel Undead]] / [[Dispel Undead Range]], [[Lee's Rapid Deconstruction]] (directly on a monster).
**The chilling blast [[draconian breath attack|breath attack]] of a [[Draconian_(monster)|white draconian]].

==History==
*Prior to [[0.32]], AC was not tracked to two decimal places.
*Prior to [[0.29]], [[Frozen Ramparts]] and [[Ozocubu's Refrigeration]] ignored AC.
*Prior to [[0.26]], [[Irradiate]] ignored AC.

[[Category:Stats]]
[[Category:Game mechanics]]
[[Category:Defence]]

Sphinx Sisters

2026-05-16T19:55:46Z

Hordes: /* Strategy */

{{version033}}
{{spell info}}

'''Sphinx Sisters''' is a level 7 [[Summonings]] / [[Hexes]] spell that summons a [[guardian sphinx]] and a [[sphinx marauder]]. Recasting this spell will dismiss the old summons.

==Strategy==
Sphinx Sisters can considered the "basic" level 7 Summonings spell: it doesn't have the short duration of [[Summon Hydra]], nor does it have the special mechanics of [[Haunt]] or [[Malign Gateway]]. It has the benefit of summoning 2 monsters at a time, and both monsters have ranged abilities, making them useful as part of a general Summoner's repertoire.

This spell is also great for stabbers and [[Hexes]] specialists, as both sphinxes can disable enemies and enable [[stab]] attacks.

==History==
*This spell was added in [[0.33]], replacing [[Monstrous Menagerie]] for players.

Summon Horrible Things

2026-05-16T19:47:38Z

Hordes: /* Strategy */

{{version034}}
{{spell info}}

'''Summon Horrible Things''' is a level 8 [[Summonings|Summoning]] spell that summons a horde of [[large abomination]]s and [[tentacled monstrosities]].

Players colloquially refer to this spell as '''XXX'''.

==Useful Info==
When cast, 2 to 6 [[large abomination]]s and 0 to 2 [[tentacled monstrosities]] are summoned. On cast, this spell inflicts 2-5% [[Doom]] upon the player, with a 25% chance of an extra 6-10%.<ref>{{source ref|0.34.0|spl-summoning.cc|1405}}</ref>

Higher [[spell power]] may increase the number of the creatures.
*The number of large abominations summoned is <code>1 + 1d3</code>, plus a <code>power / 200</code> chance for an extra one.
*There is a <code>1 - (121 / power)</code> chance for two tentacled monstrosities, and if that fails an independent <code>1 - (51 / power)</code> chance for one monstrosity. If no monstrosities were created, one extra abomination is created instead.

There is a summon limit of 8 horrible things; additional summons will cause the oldest to very quickly time out.

Duration of the summons is around 27 turns ([[duration class]] 3), which does not depend on the spell power.

==Strategy==
This is one of the most powerful Summonings spells in the game. It has a high summon cap and summons multiple, relatively powerful, monsters at a time. Large abominations hit fairly hard, dealing up to 40 damage per hit. Tentacled monstrosities deal more damage, are resistant to many elements, and [[constriction|constrict]] foes, drastically reducing their [[ev]]asion.

The Doom penalty discourages this spell from constantly being used. Note that sources of Doom are relatively rare in [[Vaults]], [[Depths]], and [[Zot]] (unless [[orb of entropy|orbs of entropy]] are present) - the places where this spell is most likely to be castable - so the chance of actually receiving a bane is low with careful management.

==Monster Version==
The monster version of Summon Horrible Things creates 3 to 5 monsters, each one has 75% chance of being a large abomination and 25% chance of being a tentacled monstrosity.<ref>{{source ref|0.32.0|mon-cast.cc|6921}}</ref>

The duration class of the summons ranges from 2 (around 18 turns) to 6 (around 171 turns), based on the strength of the caster. Monsters do not suffer any ill effects from casting the spell.

{{monsters with spell}}

==History==
*Prior to [[0.34]], casting this spell could give a [[Weak-Willed]] temporary mutation instead of giving [[Doom]].
*Prior to [[0.33]], casting this spell could inflict 1 point of intelligence drain. In addition, [[Xom]] casting the spell would not affect the player.
*Prior to [[0.28]], all summons would take a share of XP whenever they did damage. This made it somewhat harder to recover intelligence drain by only using this spell.
*Prior to [[0.19]], casting this spell could inflict 1-2 points of intelligence drain.
*Prior to [[0.15]], casting this spell could inflict 1-3 points of intelligence drain.
*Prior to [[0.2]], the summons created were permanent.

==References==
<references/>

Summon Horrible Things

2026-05-16T19:43:53Z

Hordes:

{{version034}}
{{spell info}}

'''Summon Horrible Things''' is a level 8 [[Summonings|Summoning]] spell that summons a horde of [[large abomination]]s and [[tentacled monstrosities]].

Players colloquially refer to this spell as '''XXX'''.

==Useful Info==
When cast, 2 to 6 [[large abomination]]s and 0 to 2 [[tentacled monstrosities]] are summoned. On cast, this spell inflicts 2-5% [[Doom]] upon the player, with a 25% chance of an extra 6-10%.<ref>{{source ref|0.34.0|spl-summoning.cc|1405}}</ref>

Higher [[spell power]] may increase the number of the creatures.
*The number of large abominations summoned is <code>1 + 1d3</code>, plus a <code>power / 200</code> chance for an extra one.
*There is a <code>1 - (121 / power)</code> chance for two tentacled monstrosities, and if that fails an independent <code>1 - (51 / power)</code> chance for one monstrosity. If no monstrosities were created, one extra abomination is created instead.

There is a summon limit of 8 horrible things; additional summons will cause the oldest to very quickly time out.

Duration of the summons is around 27 turns ([[duration class]] 3), which does not depend on the spell power.

==Strategy==
This is one of the most powerful Summonings spells in the game. It has a high summon cap and summons multiple, relatively powerful, monsters at a time. Large abominations hit fairly hard, dealing up to 40 damage per hit. Tentacled monstrosities deal more damage, are resistant to many elements, and [[constriction|constrict]] foes, drastically reducing their [[ev]]asion.

The Doom penalty discourages this spell from constantly being used. Since sources of Doom are fairly rare in [[Vaults]], [[Depths]], and [[Zot]] (unless [[orb of entropy|orbs of entropy]] are chosen), the chance of actually receiving a bane is low unless the player choses to.

==Monster Version==
The monster version of Summon Horrible Things creates 3 to 5 monsters, each one has 75% chance of being a large abomination and 25% chance of being a tentacled monstrosity.<ref>{{source ref|0.32.0|mon-cast.cc|6921}}</ref>

The duration class of the summons ranges from 2 (around 18 turns) to 6 (around 171 turns), based on the strength of the caster. Monsters do not suffer any ill effects from casting the spell.

{{monsters with spell}}

==History==
*Prior to [[0.34]], casting this spell could give a [[Weak-Willed]] temporary mutation instead of giving [[Doom]].
*Prior to [[0.33]], casting this spell could inflict 1 point of intelligence drain. In addition, [[Xom]] casting the spell would not affect the player.
*Prior to [[0.28]], all summons would take a share of XP whenever they did damage. This made it somewhat harder to recover intelligence drain by only using this spell.
*Prior to [[0.19]], casting this spell could inflict 1-2 points of intelligence drain.
*Prior to [[0.15]], casting this spell could inflict 1-3 points of intelligence drain.
*Prior to [[0.2]], the summons created were permanent.

==References==
<references/>

Summon Horrible Things

2026-05-16T19:35:51Z

Hordes: /* Strategy */ DOOM

{{version034}}
{{spell info}}

'''Summon Horrible Things''' is a level 8 [[Summonings|Summoning]] spell that summons a horde of [[large abomination]]s and [[tentacled monstrosities]].

Players colloquially refer to this spell as '''XXX'''.

==Useful Info==
When cast, 2 to 6 [[large abomination]]s and 0 to 2 [[tentacled monstrosities]] are summoned. On cast, this spell inflicts 2-5% [[Doom]] upon the player, with a 25% chance of an extra 6-10%.<ref>{{source ref|0.34.0|spl-summoning.cc|1405}}</ref>

Higher [[spell power]] may increase the number of the creatures.
*The number of large abominations summoned is <code>1 + 1d3</code>, plus a <code>power / 200</code> chance for an extra one.
*There is a <code>1 - (121 / power)</code> chance for two tentacled monstrosities, and if that fails an independent <code>1 - (51 / power)</code> chance for one monstrosity. If no monstrosities were created, one extra abomination is created instead.

There is a summon limit of 8 horrible things; additional summons will cause the oldest to very quickly time out.

Duration of the summons is around 27 turns ([[duration class]] 3), which does not depend on the spell power.

==Strategy==
This is one of the most powerful Summonings spells in the game. It has a high summon cap and summons multiple, relatively powerful, monsters at a time. Large abominations hit fairly hard, dealing up to 40 damage per hit. Tentacled monstrosities deal more damage, are resistant to many elements, and [[constriction|constrict]] foes, drastically reducing their [[ev]]asion.

==Monster Version==
The monster version of Summon Horrible Things creates 3 to 5 monsters, each one has 75% chance of being a large abomination and 25% chance of being a tentacled monstrosity.<ref>{{source ref|0.32.0|mon-cast.cc|6921}}</ref>

The duration class of the summons ranges from 2 (around 18 turns) to 6 (around 171 turns), based on the strength of the caster. Monsters do not suffer any ill effects from casting the spell.

{{monsters with spell}}

==History==
*Prior to [[0.34]], casting this spell could give a [[Weak-Willed]] temporary mutation instead of giving [[Doom]].
*Prior to [[0.33]], casting this spell could inflict 1 point of intelligence drain. In addition, [[Xom]] casting the spell would not affect the player.
*Prior to [[0.28]], all summons would take a share of XP whenever they did damage. This made it somewhat harder to recover intelligence drain by only using this spell.
*Prior to [[0.19]], casting this spell could inflict 1-2 points of intelligence drain.
*Prior to [[0.15]], casting this spell could inflict 1-3 points of intelligence drain.
*Prior to [[0.2]], the summons created were permanent.

==References==
<references/>

Ill Omen

2026-05-13T18:33:48Z

Hordes:

{{version034}}
{{stub}}

'''Ill Omen''' is a monster-only spell that inflicts [[doom]], potentially causing [[bane]]s if too much doom is obtained. It requires line of fire.

{{monsters with spell}}

== History ==
* This spell was added in [[0.34]], along with the doom mechanic.

Ill Omen

2026-05-12T18:16:53Z

Hordes:

{{version034}}
{{stub}}

'''Ill Omen''' is a monster-only spell that inflicts [[doom]], potentially causing [[bane]]s if too much doom is obtained. It requires line of fire.

{{monsters with spell}}

== History ==
* This spell was added in [[0.34]], along with the doom mechanic.

Ill Omen

2026-05-12T18:06:54Z

Hordes: Created page with "{{version034}} {{stub}} '''Ill Omen''' is a monster-only spell that inflicts doom, potentially causing banes if too much doom is obtained. {{monsters with spell}} =..."

{{version034}}
{{stub}}

'''Ill Omen''' is a monster-only spell that inflicts [[doom]], potentially causing [[bane]]s if too much doom is obtained.

{{monsters with spell}}

== History ==
* This spell was added in [[0.34]], along with the doom mechanic.

Help:Style guide

2026-05-12T17:56:00Z

Hordes: /* Section names */

{{Community}}

CrawlWiki has no formal style guide as of yet, but there are a few conventions in use. The following is a list of them. Changes should be discussed on the [[Help_talk:Style_guide|talk page.]]

==Tone==
CrawlWiki is not just an encyclopedia of [[Dungeon Crawl]], but articles should be written in a largely encyclopedic tone. That means clearly separating facts from comments, by putting strategy tips in their own section, and comments on the talk page.

Terms used in the game should use Dungeon Crawl's spelling ([[artefact]], [[armour]]...), which is generally in [https://australian-dictionary.com.au Australian English]. However, the rest of the wiki should use Americanized spelling and grammar. Example:
*When discussing the brand, [[valour]], use Australian English for "valour".
*When using the phrase, "discretion is the better part of valor", use American English for "valor".

Articles about removed features should continue to use present tense, as many previous versions of Crawl are still readily available.

==Article names==
Try to be consistent with existing articles:

*Name most pages with lowercase letters, like scroll of identify, but use uppercase for proper nouns, like the Royal Jelly. Note that MediaWiki does not allow for the first letter of a page to be lowercase.
*Prefer singular to plural (e.g. Hydra instead of Hydras)
*Redirect acronyms like YASD to pages like Yet Another Stupid Death.

The first time the article name appears in the main text, it should be '''bolded'''. This includes the titles of any redirects redirecting to the article.

==Version Templates==
Factual articles should have a version template attached to it. Let's say the latest stable version was [[0.16]]. Then, these articles should have one of three headers:
*[[Template:Version016]]: For articles that are up to date for the current version.
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There may be articles with other version tags, such as:
*[[Template:Version013]], [[Template:Version012]] and so forth:
*[[Template:Versionunknown]]

These articles should be updated to one of the three templates above.

===Information on future releases===
Articles that completely new for the next version of the game receive the [[Template:version-trunk]] tag (<code><nowiki>{{version|trunk}}</nowiki></code>) or the respective next version tag. However, if adding information to a article that also pertains to the current version, the future information should go in the History subsection of the article, with the [[:Category:Crystal Ball Articles]] tag (<code><nowiki>[[Category:Crystal Ball Articles]]</nowiki></code>) as well.

==Redirects==
When creating a new article, redirect variations on that name to it to avoid someone duplicating the article under a slightly different title.

The syntax for a redirect is like this:

<code><nowiki>#REDIRECT [[insert article]]</nowiki></code>

See the MediaWiki [[mw:Help:Redirects|redirects help page]] for further help with redirects.

==New articles==
Do not create empty new articles or new articles that contain nothing but the <code><nowiki>{{stub}}</nowiki></code> message just in hopes of seeing someone add more content to them. Add the content yourself! If you don't know about the subject, learn about it or ask politely at [[Talk:Crawl_Wiki|CrawlWiki's talk page]] for someone to create the article.

==Categories==
Categories are not articles. Do not link an article directly to a category page. Category pages are simply to organize lists of related pages in one place. Each new article should have at least one category assigned to it. The naming convention should be: singular for article pages, and plural for categories, so you have Skill to describe skills, and Category:Skills to list the skills.

==Capitalization==
Capitalizing should be done on proper nouns only. Capitalizing is reserved for uniques and artefacts. The ring of the Nine Firedrakes does get capitals, because that's its name. Notice how the word 'ring' isn't even capitalized, as being a ring isn't special. An amulet of faith is not in title case, either; it is a regular amulet with the faith ego. You don't call a long sword 'the Long Sword', after all.

[[Species]] names should generally be in uppercase, as formatted in the [https://github.com/crawl/crawl/blob/master/crawl-ref/docs/crawl_manual.rst#list-of-character-species manual].

==Headers==
The highest header level that should be used is <code><nowiki>==This==</nowiki></code>. Do not use <code><nowiki>=These=</nowiki></code>, they are reserved for the article main title only. In each article, there should be a brief introduction before going into specifics. This introduction should not have a header, like <code><nowiki>==Introduction==</nowiki></code>, because it is obvious and because when omitting it, the introduction appears before the table of contents as it is supposed to.

===Section names===
Some sections are common to many articles. Try to use one of these for the section header rather than a variant like "Source" or "Previous versions". Known standard sections are:

*Useful Info
*Strategy
*Tips & Tricks
*Trivia
*External links
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The following headers should be used for specific types of articles:

*Desirability - for items, specifically [[artefact]]s
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*Layout - for [[branch]]es
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*Appreciates / Depreciates - for [[god]]s

==References==
References to the source code can be created by adding ref tags: <code><nowiki><ref>{{source ref|0.30.0|mon-util.cc|851}}</ref></nowiki></code>. All ref tags should immediately follow the text to which the footnote applies, with no intervening space. Refs are placed after adjacent punctuation, not before (apart from the exceptions below).

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To display references on the page, use the <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code> tag.

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Each item page should also list the effects of the item, and any messages that item can generate. Tips and strategy relating to that item should go next.

==Templates==
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When writing on articles/users' talk-pages sign your posts with four tildes, <code><nowiki>~~~~</nowiki></code>. That will automatically expand to your signature with time-stamp.

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Consider consulting [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Manual_of_Style Wikipedia's Manual of Style] on the matter; some editors think that it's pretty good.

[[Category:Help]]

Yredelemnul

2026-05-12T17:46:56Z

Hordes: mention abyss in the summary

{{version032}}
[[File:Yredelemnul altar.png]] "Carry the black torch! Rouse the idle dead!"''

{{flavour|Cast down by the good gods eons ago, Yredelemnul seeks to despoil their creations and chain all living souls within their inexorable grip. Followers who would conquer in their name are granted the power to reap an army of the dead and bind powerful souls into eternal service - provided they can sweep across the land in a tide as inexorable as the god themself.

Followers of Yredelemnul carry the Black Torch, allowing them to gather souls and surround themselves in darkness. They can raise foes who die in the light of the torch as mindless servants, hurl torchlight to scour the living and empower the dead, and bind especially noteworthy souls to fight for them in death with the full capacities they held in life. Especially devout worshippers can even call down the inescapable grip of the Fallen directly, binding foes helplessly in place as the very life is sucked from them. Yredelemnul will also dispatch undead servants to aid their followers at the start of each new conquest.

Yredelemnul likes it when you kill living or demonic beings while their torch is lit. Yredelemnul especially likes it when you kill holy or unique beings while their torch is lit.

Yredelemnul strongly dislikes it when you use holy magic or items.}}

==Racial Restrictions==
*Demigods cannot worship Yredelemnul (or any other [[god]]). Also, characters who sacrificed love under [[Ru]] cannot join Yredelemnul.

==Appreciates==
*Killing [[living]] or [[demonic]] beings on a floor while the '''Torch''' status is active.
**Especially appreciates killing [[holy]] beings or [[uniques]] while the '''Torch''' status is active.

==Deprecates==
*Abandonment. (Penance)
*Attacking with a weapon of [[holy wrath]]. (Penance)

==Given Abilities==
'''[[Piety|Piety level -]]''': "Torchbearer"
*'''Umbra''' - You are surrounded by an umbra, increasing stealth and reducing the accuracy of your enemies. The radius starts at 2, increasing to 4 by 5*.
*'''Reaping''' - When [[Natural|living]] and [[demon]]ic creatures die inside your umbra, there is a chance that their souls will rise as [[derived undead]]: in most cases, you'll get [[zombie]]s, but corpseless monsters or monsters who had their bodies destroyed will rise as [[spectral thing]]s instead. Reaped monsters will drop whatever items they were carrying, but not [[corpse]]s or their associated [[death drop]]s. The chance to reap increases with piety and decreases with the total [[HD]] of derived undead you already have.
**Note that killing monsters ''outside'' of your umbra will generate [[corpse]]s and appropriate [[death drop]]s.
*'''Light the Black Torch''' - Activates piety gain for the current floor, and usable once per floor. Also blocks [[Shaft#Exploration Shafts|exploration shafts]]. The effect ends when you leave the floor for the first time after using this ability. This is indicated by the '''Torch''' status:
**Dark grey (inactive) when you have not yet used Light the Black Torch on the current floor
**Magenta (active)
**Not present (inactive) once you have left the floor having already activated the black torch.
:This ability cannot be used in [[the Abyss]].<ref>{{source ref|0.34.0|god-abil.cc|1432}}</ref>
*'''Recall Undead Harvest''' - Instantly [[teleport]]s your undead servants to your current location. (2 MP)
*In addition, Yredelemnul makes you immune to [[Spectral Cloud]]s so allied revenants won't impede you.
'''[[Piety|Piety level *]]''': "Despoiler"
*'''Gain temporary allies with Light the Black Torch''' - Yredelemnul will gift you summoned undead allies when you use Light the Black Torch. The allies gain in strength with your piety and XL, from [[wight]]s and [[necrophage]]s initially, up to [[profane servitor]]s and [[bone dragon]]s at [[experience level]] 27.
**In order of ascending power, eligible servants include:
{| class="prettytable" style="border:none; margin:0; padding:0;"
| {{monsterlink|Necrophage}}
| {{monsterlink|Phantom}}
| {{monsterlink|Marrowcuda}}
| {{monsterlink|Wight}}
|-
| {{monsterlink|Shadowghast}}
| {{monsterlink|Wraith}}
| {{Red|V}} [[File:Vampire (monster).png]] '''[[Vampire (monster)|Vampire]]'''
| {{monsterlink|Freezing wraith}}
|-
| {{monsterlink|Skeletal warrior}}
| {{monsterlink|Shadow wraith}}
| {{monsterlink|Phantasmal warrior}}
| {{monsterlink|Flayed ghost}}
|-
| {{monsterlink|Laughing skull}}
| {{monsterlink|Bog body}}
| {{monsterlink|Jiangshi}}
| {{monsterlink|Eidolon}}
|-
| {{monsterlink|Vampire knight}}
| {{Red|n}} [[File:Ghoul (monster).png]] '''[[Ghoul (monster)|Ghoul]]'''
| {{monsterlink|Revenant}}
| {{monsterlink|Death cob}}
|-
| {{monsterlink|Ancient champion}}
| {{monsterlink|Searing wretch}}
| {{monsterlink|Profane servitor}}
| {{monsterlink|Bone dragon}}
|}
'''[[Piety|Piety level **]]''': "Black Crusader"
*'''Hurl Torchlight''' - Hurl a 3x3 blast of torchlight, dealing damage to living, holy and demonic creatures. You and your undead allies are immune. (4 MP, 2-3 piety, 1 Torch charge)
**The power of the explosion scales with Invocations: <code>12 + Invocations * 4</code>.<ref>{{source ref|0.32.0|ability.cc|1439}}</ref>
**Uses are limited, from 2 per floor at 2* up to 5 per floor at 5*, indicated by the number next to the '''Torch''' status. Killing a [[unique]] gains one charge of Hurl Torchlight for the current floor.
'''[[Piety|Piety level ***]]''': "Fallen Foo"
*No new abilities.
'''[[Piety|Piety level ****]]''': "Harbinger of Doom"
*'''Bind Soul''' - You can convert a single enemy into a permanent undead ally upon its death. Eligible monsters include [[:Category:Natural_holiness|Natural]], [[:Category:Demonic_holiness|Demonic]], or [[:Category:Holy_holiness|Holy]] enemies of at least normal (animal) intelligence, which must have more than 80% of their health remaining. Using this ability immediately costs you a third of your current HP, which will be restored upon killing the victim. If the victim is killed without leaving your sight, it becomes a permanent soul version of its former self, allied to you and still capable of casting its spells and equipped with all of its gear. You may only have one bound soul at a time; successfully binding a new one will destroy the old. (6 MP, 8-12 piety)
'''[[Piety|Piety level *****]]''': "Inexorable Tide"
*'''Fathomless Shackles''' - A corrupted version of [[Zin]]'s sanctuary, which binds in place all enemies within a 4x4 radius (decreasing over time). All living monsters caught in the shackles will take damage over time, and you are healed for a portion of this damage. The damage scales with Invocations, and isolated monsters - monsters not adjacent to any ally - take 50% more damage.<ref>{{source ref|0.32.0|god-abil.cc|1635}}</ref> (8 MP, 20-30 piety)
'''[[Piety|Piety level ******]]''': "Bringer of Blasphemy"
*No new abilities.

==Punishments==
{{flavour|Yredelemnul strongly dislikes it when you use holy magic or items.

Yredelemnul does not appreciate abandonment, and will call down fearful punishments on disloyal followers!

Those who anger Yredelemnul find themselves beset by legions of the dead. Sometimes, the god will also intervene directly, binding the unfaithful in inescapable chains as their dark army demonstrates the price of betrayal.

Yredelemnul's wrath lasts for a relatively short duration.}}

If you leave or are excommunicated from Yredelemnul's service, all your undead allies immediately vanish.

While under penance, Yredelemnul will sometimes punish you (about once every 2000 turns). Possible punishments include:
*[[Bolt of Draining]] (100% if your experience level is <= 4, less likely as your experience level increases)
*Hostile branch- and XL-dependent [[zombie]]s are summoned against you.
*Hostile undead are summoned against you from the following list: [[mummy]], [[wight]], [[flying skull]], [[wraith]], [[freezing wraith]], [[phantasmal warrior]], [[flayed ghost]], [[skeletal warrior]], [[ghoul]], [[death cob]], [[bone dragon]], or [[profane servitor]].

On average, it will take 25 such punishments to burn through the 50 penance you have incurred.

==Strategy==
Yredelemnul is the god of choice for melee characters who want backup, and a powerful emergency option in Fathomless Shackles. This applies most to "monstrous" species, who lack the magical aptitudes to easily learn Necromancy. Yred tends to snowball; once you have a few zombies, the rest of the floor tends to succumb to your swarm (all the while, creating more zombies). Eventually you can bind souls -- getting a single, permanent, extremely powerful bound version of a single living monster. This requires a fairly high [[Invocations]] skill, but it can even bind [[Tiamat]]! Then, the process begins anew on another floor.

You can be selective with when you use Light the Black Torch, to make sure you are confident you are ready to remain on the floor until completion, and to gain Yredelemnul's powerful temporary allies at a convenient time, from 1*. Remember, once you leave the floor after lighting the torch, you can no longer gain piety or use Hurl Torchlight on that floor.

Note that, unlike [[Hepliaklqana]]'s ancestor, your bound soul won't respawn. If you have to [[teleport]] away, your bound soul might die, forcing you to start from scratch.

Regardless of the drawbacks, many characters can appreciate and use the roused undead to their advantage. At the very worst, Yred is equivalent to being atheist with a permanent (slightly weaker) [[Animate Dead]] buff. You can swap places with your zombies to avoid [[attacks of opportunity]], and you get that buff as soon as you worship Yred.

===Tips & Tricks===
*In the early game, most zombified monsters will be weak. The best use for weak zombies is to help you retreat. Zombies can block the way from monsters, and if you swap places with a zombie, you can prevent [[attacks of opportunity]].
*Note that bound souls will keep their old gear.
*Monsters that summon allies, like [[Mlioglotl]], [[Mara]], and [[Zenata]], tend to be strong as bound souls.
*[[Troll]]s and other oddly [[size]]d species might not want to worship Yred; you can't skin zombies, reducing your access to various [[dragon scales]].
*A [[scroll of immolation]] can turn even the weakest zombies into ticking time bombs. When something dies, it explodes. Of course, don't let yourself be hit by the explosions.
**Also, don't let your bound soul get hit. If the bound soul is currently on your level, strongly consider ''not'' using immolation.
*Your allies can be attacked in fights you don't know about. Consider Recalling them from time to time.
*Black torch cannot be lit in the [[Abyss]] at all, which significantly lowers Yred's usefulness there.

==History==
*Prior to [[0.32]], Yredelemnul's piety depended entirely on the number of derived undead you had in your line of sight. Yredelemnul did not give an umbra, and the chance to reap did not depend on HD of current undead. The 2* ability Dark Bargain allowed trading in derived undead for one of Yredelemnul's stronger allies (which are now given by Light the Black Torch), 4* ability Drain Life allowed regaining HP by dealing damage to all living, holy and demonic creatures in sight, and Bind Soul was available at 5*. Bind Soul was a timed effect rather than requiring remaining in sight of the monster, and did not temporarily cost a third of your max HP.
*Prior to [[0.29]], Yredelemnul zombies could attack from outside [[line of sight]]. Also, reading the now removed [[scroll of holy word]] would incur penance.
*In [[0.28]], Yredelemnul was overhauled. Prior to this change:
**Yred had a regular piety system, which increased when you killed natural, holy, and nonliving (not demonic!) monsters.
**You had to invoke necromancy; available at 1* and acting like [[Animate Dead]] at 3*. (This means that Yred did not limit [[death drop]]s).
**As you gained piety, you got permanent ally gifts, maxing out at [[profane servitor]]s and [[bone dragon]]s. Gifts, along with [[umbra]] immunity, came at 3*.
**Bind Soul was called Enslave Soul, which only worked on intelligent monsters, and souls were generally weaker.
**Injury Mirror, unlocked at 2*, mirrored damage to attackers in exchange for piety. Replaced by Dark Bargain.
*Prior to [[0.27]], Yredelemnul forbid [[Gargoyle]]s and the use of [[Statue Form]].
*Prior to [[0.25]], Yredelemnul would inflict [[Necromancy]] [[miscast effect|miscasts]] instead of [[Bolts of Draining]] as a punishment.
*In [[0.22]], Enslave Soul became smite-targeted.
*Prior to [[0.18]], Yredelemnul's Enslave Soul could not affect demons & holy beings. Abandoning Yredelemnul now destroys your zombie minions.
*Prior to [[0.16]], players could start the game worshipping Yredelemnul as a [[Death Knight (background)|death knight]].
*Prior to [[0.14]], there was no cap on the number of bone dragons and profane servitors you could have at once. Also, you would receive [[freezing wraith]]s in place of vampires, and desecrating [[:Category:Holy holiness|holy]] remains gave piety. Also, read-IDing a [[scroll of holy word]] would have angered Yredelemnul's servants.
*Prior to [[0.13]], you could be gifted [[rotting hulk]]s and [[plague shambler]]s.
*Prior to [[0.12]], recalling undead slaves did not have any delay, but it was not able to recall any undead servants from other levels.
*Prior to [[0.10]], the undead servant gift roll's results were based on piety.
*Prior to [[0.6.0]], Yredelemnul's random undead gifts could not follow you between floors.

==References==
<references />

{{gods}}

[[Category:Evil Gods]]

Attack speed

2026-05-12T17:39:13Z

Hordes:

{{version032}}
''See [[Weapon Speed]] for tables summarising this information.''

'''Attack speed''' is how fast a player can attack with [[melee weapon]]s, [[ranged weapon]]s, or [[Unarmed Combat]].

Your attack speed is usually measured in the form of "'''attack delay'''". A normal action takes 1.0 [[decaAut]], or 10 [[aut]], of time. The more aut you take, the slower you act. So if you have a smaller attack delay, you will attack faster.

==Weapon Attack Delay==
The following conditions are applied in order:
===Base delay===
All weapons, including [[ranged weapons]] and [[Throwing]] implements, have a base attack delay. When looking at the weapon in the ''''i''''nventory, you'll get the base attack delay (in decaAut). For example, a [[dagger]] has a base delay of 1.0 decaAut (10 aut).

The [[Weapon Speed]] page has a complete table of every weapon, in aut.

===Skill===
For every 2 levels in the corresponding weapon [[skill]], your attack delay is reduced by 0.1 decaAut. There is a limit - every weapon has a '''minimum delay''', where skill cannot reduce attack speed any further.

A weapon's mindelay is usually the ''smaller'' of <code>base delay / 2</code> or 0.7 decaAut. For example, a [[dagger]] has a base delay of 1.0, so it has a mindelay of 0.5. A [[large rock]] has a base delay of 2.0, but its mindelay is still 0.7 decaAut. There are a few exceptions to this rule, such as [[rapier]]s and [[triple crossbow]]s.

Unarmed Combat works differently. For every 5.4 [[Unarmed Combat]] skill, attack delay is reduced by 0.1 decaAut.<ref>{{source ref|0.32.0|player-act.cc|333}}</ref> It otherwise works similarly to weapons.

===Brands===
Weapon [[brand]]s can modify speed, applied after accounting for skills.
*The [[speed brand]] reduces your weapon delay by x66%.
*The [[heavy]] brand increases your weapon's delay by +50%.

===Body Armour===
If you are using a "[[Ranged Weapons|Ranged Weapon]]" (which does ''not'' include [[Throwing]] weapons), then [[body armour]] will slow down your attack speed (after brand). Body armour slows down attacks based on its [[encumbrance rating]].

The formula is <code>(encumbrance^2 / 2250) * (90 - 2 * [[Armour (skill)|armor_skill]]) / (3 + str)</code> decaAut.

Values for armour encumbrance can be found on the [[Armour]] page. Unlike shields, the penalty cannot be fully eliminated with skill.

===Shields===
[[Shield]]s encumber their wielder, slowing down weapon speed (after brands are applied).

For EV penalty = <code>0.4 * encumbrance^2 / (5 + [[str]]) * (27 - [[Shields (skill)|sh_skill]]) / 27</code>, shields slow down attacks by <code>EV Penalty / 10</code> decaAut.<ref>{{source ref|0.32.0|player.cc|6163}}</ref><ref>{{source ref|0.32.0|player-act.cc|361}}</ref> If EV Penalty is not an integer, it is rounded in a weighted fashion before the dice function is rolled.

The values for shield encumbrance can be found on the [[Shields]] page. The shield penalty can be reduced to zero with a maxed out shield skill of 27.

===Statuses===
*[[Haste]] (including from [[berserk]]) reduces all action delays by a factor of 2/3
*[[Okawaru]]'s Finesse ability reduces weapon delay by half. This does ''not'' stack with haste.
*[[Statue Form]], [[Petrify]]ing, and [[Slow]]ness increase all delays by a factor of 3/2. These conditions do stack with haste and with each other.

Finally, there is a hard limit of 0.1 decaAut, which no action can go under unless the action is defined as instant (e.g., [[Wu Jian|Serpent's Lash]] movmeent).

==Spells==
Spells can be used for attacking, and are thus included on this page. The vast majority of spells have a base delay of 1.0 decaAut. It can be modified by statuses (Haste, Statue Form, Slow...).

A few spells attack with your weapon:
*[[Manifold Assault]] uses your weapon attack delay exactly (following the above formulae).
*[[Vhi's Electric Charge]] uses the larger of your weapon attack delay and your [[movement speed|movement delay]].

Also, [[Sandblast]] is cast at 1.5 delay, instead of 1.0.

==Movement Based Attacks==
Some attacks are combined with movement. Even if the actual attack delay is not changed, they are mentioned here for completeness.

===Martial Arts Attacks===
The [[Wu Jian Council]] allows the player to make attacks based on movement.

If attack delay >= movement delay, then one attack will be made per move, with slower attacks damage having their damage proportionally lowered. For example, if moving at 1.0 decaAut but attacking at 1.2 decaAut, one attack will be made at (1.0/1.2) = 83.3% damage.

If movement delay > attack delay, then there is a chance to make extra attacks relative to attack delay. If moving at 1.0 decaAut but attacking at 0.7 decaAut, one attack will always be made (taking 0.7 / 1.0 of the time), with a 3/7 (0.3 / 0.7) chance for a 2nd attack. As an extreme example, a [[Naga]] (1.4 move delay) with a [[rapier]] (0.5 attack delay) would attack 2 times per move, with an 80% chance of a 3rd attack.

While under Serpent's Lash, movement delay is always treated as 1.0 decaAut, regardless of your actual movement delay. Wall Jump counts as 2 actions, so it doubles your movement delay.

===Rampaging===
The [[rampaging]] ego lets you take a free step before attacking. If you are 1 space from an enemy, you'll move instantly and then attack at your movement delay.

==Detailed Calculations==
The formulas above give you a very close approximation to the average attack delay. However, due to rounding, each individual attack can be subject to multiple sources of randomness:

*If your weapon delay (post-skill, post-brand) is in fractional [[aut]], then it is rounded in a weighted fashion. For example, if you "average" attack is at 5.1 aut (0.51 decaAut), then you have a 10% chance to attack at 6 aut, and 90% chance to attack at 5 aut.

*If you wear a [[shield]], the shield's penalty is also rounded in a weighted fashion. The EV penalty (<code>2/5 * encumbrance^2 / (5 + [[str]]) * (27 - [[Shields (skill)|sh_skill]]) / 27</code>) is calculated, then rounded.

*If you are using a [[ranged weapon]], then the penalty from [[body armour]] is also rounded in a weighted fashion, then added to delay.

This can result in a wider range of attack delays than the averaging of fractional delays would imply.

===Example===
Take a human wielding a short sword and buckler. The human has a [[Short Blades]] skill of 7.5, [[Shields (skill)|Shields]] skill of 5.4, and [[strength]] of 15. The [[buckler]]'s encumbrance is 5.

*The short sword has a base delay of 11 aut, which is reduced to 7.25 aut from skill. -> (75% for 7 aut, 25% for 8 aut)
*The shield gives a penalty of 1d(0.40) -> (40% chance of +1, 60% for +0).

{| class="wikitable"
|- align="center"
!
!colspan="3"|Delays
|-
! Source !! 7 !! 8 !! 9
|-
|Post-skill delay
| 75% || 25% ||
|-
|Shield penalty
| (75% * 60%) || (75% * 40%) (25% * 60%) || (25% * 40%)
|-
|Final
| 45% || 45% || 10%
|}

Average delay = 7.6 aut. Looking at the average alone, you may think that you can only swing at 7 (40%) or 8 (60%) aut. However, there are 3 possible delays - 7, 8, and 9 aut - as shown above.

==History==
*Prior to [[0.31]], there was a hard minimum attack delay of 0.2 decaAut.
*Prior to [[0.29]], body armour did not penalize [[Ranged Weapons]].
*Prior to [[0.28]], the [[shield]] penalty formula was different. Certain skill thresholds (4 skill for buckler, 15 for kite shield, 25 for tower shield) negated it.
*Prior to [[0.27]], the shield attack penalty was smaller (equal to the smaller of {1d(EV_penalty), 1d(EV_penalty)}).
*Prior to [[0.16]], the amount of skill required to negate penalties for wearing a shield was more complex.

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Game mechanics]]

Armour class

2026-05-12T17:23:35Z

Hordes: rounding

{{version034}}
When something injures you, your '''armour class''' (often abbreviated to '''AC''') reduces the amount of damage you suffer. The higher the value, the better.

The most common way to improve your AC is by wearing [[armour]]. Wearing heavier [[body armour]] provides more AC, but comes at the cost of [[encumbrance]] - reducing [[EV]], [[spell failure|spell success]] rates, and [[stealth]]. Other types of armour, like [[helmet]]s and [[boots]], provide AC with no penalty.

==Useful Info==
AC reduces the damage of attacks by an absolute value between 0 and your current AC value. An AC of 10 will reduce damage by a random number between 0 and 10. This applies to damage that would traditionally ignore armour in other games, such as [[spell]] magic.

The game tracks your AC internally using two decimal places. If AC is not a whole number, this internal number will be rounded in a weighted manner when taking damage. For example, with an AC of 10.60, there is a 60% chance of having 11 AC and 40% chance of having 10 AC.

<code>BEAM_ELEC</code> damage (such as from [[Shock]] or [[Lightning Bolt]]) ignores half of the target's AC. <code>BEAM_FRAG</code> damage (such as from [[Sandblast]] or a [[tin of tremorstones]]) is affected three times as much by AC.

For details on how AC is calculated, see [[AC calculations]].

===Guaranteed Damage Reduction===
''Main Article: [[GDR]]''

When taking physical damage from a melee, ranged weapon, or throwing attack, guaranteed damage reduction will improve AC rolls. GDR% is equal to <code>16*(AC)^1/4</code>. If GDR is applied, the minimum possible AC roll will equal (damage*GDR%) or (AC/2), whichever is lower. Spells and abilities, including 'physical' spells like [[Harpoon Shot]] or [[Stone Arrow]], do not use GDR. Only the player benefits from GDR.

==List of Damage that ignores AC==
*[[Torment]] and [[Holy Word]].
*[[Smite]].
*[[Damnation]].
*'''Shared damage''' from [[Anguish]], [[Injury Mirror]], [[Injury Bond]], [[Uskayaw#Given Abilities|Pain Bond]], or [[spectral weapon]]s (uses the original target's AC instead).
*'''Status effects''': [[poison]], [[sticky flame]], [[flay]].
*'''Hex effects''': [[Pain]] / [[Necrotise]], [[Wand of mindburst|Mindburst]], [[Anguish]], [[Agony]]
*'''Weapon [[brand]] damage''' and '''monster [[attack flavour]]s'''.
** Note that weapon brand damage is often a percentage of AC-reduced damage in the first place.
** Some monster attack flavours require a physical, AC-checking attack to deal damage to apply, though the attack flavour itself is not influenced by AC.
*'''Specific spells''': [[Freeze]], [[Vampiric Draining]], [[Static Discharge]], [[Ignite Poison]], [[Dispel Undead]] / [[Dispel Undead Range]], [[Lee's Rapid Deconstruction]] (directly on a monster).
**The chilling blast [[draconian breath attack|breath attack]] of a [[Draconian_(monster)|white draconian]].

==History==
*Prior to [[0.32]], AC was not tracked to two decimal places.
*Prior to [[0.29]], [[Frozen Ramparts]] and [[Ozocubu's Refrigeration]] ignored AC.
*Prior to [[0.26]], [[Irradiate]] ignored AC.

[[Category:Stats]]
[[Category:Game mechanics]]
[[Category:Defence]]

Armour

2026-05-12T17:15:30Z

Hordes: /* Armour skill */

{{version033}}
''For the skill, see [[Armour (skill)]].''
{{flavour|Nought can Deform the Human race Like to the Armours iron brace"

-William Blake, "Auguries of Innocence", 99-100. 1803.}}

'''Armour''' encompasses all equipment worn to protect against attacks. Armour increases your [[armour class]] (AC), which defends against melee, ranged, and most magical attacks. It can also have [[ego]]s, which provide further benefit.

However, [[body armour]] is [[encumbrance|encumbering]]. Wearing heavier body armour will lower your [[EV]] and [[stealth]], increase chance of [[spell failure]], and slow down [[Ranged Weapons]]. These penalties are reduced, but not eliminated, by [[strength]] and [[Armour skill]]. Only body armour and [[shield]]s have encumbrance penalties; all other armour can be worn at no cost.

[[Shield]]s increase [[SH]] instead of AC, but are usually considered a piece of "armour" as well.

==Armour Locations==
There are six armour locations in ''Crawl'', also known as '''armour slots'''. Some [[species]] have restrictions on the kinds of armour they can wear, while many [[transformation]]s will render pieces unusable.

*'''[[Body armour]]''' is worn on a character's torso, and is the primary source of AC. Its AC bonus is penalized by the [[Deformed]] mutation. Heavier body armour imposes greater penalties.
*'''[[Gloves]]''' are worn on the hands, and are unusable with rank 3 of the [[Claws]] mutation.
*'''[[Boots]]''' are worn on the feet, and are unusable with rank 3 of either the [[Talons]] or [[Hooves]] mutations.
**In place of boots, [[Armataur]]s and [[Naga]]s can wear '''[[barding]]s''' on the rear portions of their bodies. They provide more AC and higher potential enchantment, but slightly reduce your [[EV]].
*'''[[Helmet]]s''' and '''[[hat]]s''' are worn on the head. The [[Beak]], [[Antennae]], and [[Horns]] mutations all restrict the player's headgear options.
*'''[[Cloak]]s''' and '''[[Scarf|scarves]]''' are worn around the shoulders, which are unusable with demonspawn's [[Weakening Stinger]].
*'''[[Shields]]''' and '''[[orb]]s''' are held on character's arm. They prevent the use of [[Handedness|two-handed]] weapons. Shields provide [[SH]], but impede spellcasting and EV without sufficient skill.

All armour types, including shields, take 5 turns to remove and 5 turns to put on. If you swap from one piece of armour to another, it takes 10 turns total. If you are hurt when (un)equpping armour, the game will ask if you want to abort the action.

==Encumbrance Rating==
Most [[body armour]] has an [[encumbrance rating]] proportional to its AC. [[Robe]]s and [[leather armour]], being lightweight, have little or no EV penalty; at the other end of the spectrum you can find [[plate armour]] and [[crystal plate armour]], which are cumbersome but incredibly protective.

A higher [[encumbrance rating]]:
*Lowers your [[ev]]asion
*Makes you less [[stealth]]y
*Reduces your spellcasting success rate
*Make [[Ranged Weapons]] attack slower (not including [[Throwing]] weapons)

Increasing your Armour skill decreases the effect of the encumbrance rating (-2.2% per level, or -60% at Armour 27) and boosts the total AC granted by those pieces. High [[strength]] will also help. Stealth is always penalized the same. See the [[encumbrance rating]] page for more details.

[[Shield]]s have an encumbrance rating, but it works differently from body armour. See [[Shields]] for more details.

Only body armour and shields have an encumbrance rating. [[Barding]]s have an EV penalty, but this is unrelated to ER.

==Calculating AC Value==
In order of operation:
===Base AC ===
Your total "base AC" is equal to the ''sum'' of the base AC values from every worn armour. This excludes any armour [[enchant]]ments you may have.

===Multipliers===
These multipliers affect the base AC from body armour only.
*If you have the [[Deformed]] or the [[Pseudopods]] mutation, you lose 50% AC from body armour. These mutations do not stack with each other.
*Certain [[form]]s can multiply body armour base AC:
**[[Maw Form]]: -75% body armour AC
**[[Blade Form]]: -60% body armour AC at 12 skill, scaling to -0% at 20 skill
**[[Fortress Crab Form]]: +75% body armour AC at 12 skill, scaling to +130% at 20 skill

These modifiers stack multiplicatively (up to -100% body armour base AC).

===Armour skill===
[[Armour skill]] provides a bonus to AC after the above multipliers:<ref>{{source ref|0.28.0|player.cc|5691}}</ref>

(base AC) * (1 + Armour_skill / 22)

This is roughly equivalent to +4.5% base AC per level of Armour skill. AC is calculated to 2 decimal places internally. In most places, AC is displayed rounded down to a whole number. Item descriptions will show your AC rounded to 1 decimal place, together with the change in AC from equipping or removing that item.

===Bonuses===
All other sources of AC are flat, additive bonuses to your AC score, which are not impacted by armour or Armour skill:<ref>{{source ref|0.28.0|player.cc|5914}}</ref>
*Value from armour [[enchant]]ment, [[rings of protection]], and [[artefact]] bonuses
*[[Ozocubu's Armour]]
*[[Protection]] brand
*[[Mutation]]s
*Innate AC from [[transformation]]s, like [[Dragon Form]] and [[Statue Form]]

==Tables of Armours==
===Body Armour===
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:100%" border=1
!scope = "col" | Armour
!scope = "col" | Base AC
!scope = "col" | Encumbrance rating
!scope = "col" | Wearable
|-
|[[Robe]]
|align="right" | 2
|align="right" | 0
|align="right" | All
|-
|[[Leather armour]]
|align="right" | 3
|align="right" | 4
|align="right" | Small–Medium
|-
|[[Ring mail]]
|align="right" | 5
|align="right" | 7
|align="right" | Small–Medium
|-
|[[Scale mail]]
|align="right" | 6
|align="right" | 10
|align="right" | Small–Medium
|-
|[[Chain mail]]
|align="right" | 8
|align="right" | 14
|align="right" | Small–Medium
|-
|[[Plate armour]]
|align="right" | 10
|align="right" | 18
|align="right" | Small–Medium
|-
|[[Crystal plate armour]]
|align="right" | 14
|align="right" | 23
|align="right" | Small–Medium
|-
|[[Animal skin]]
|align="right" | 2
|align="right" | 0
|align="right" | All
|-
|[[Troll leather armour]]
|align="right" | 3
|align="right" | 4
|align="right" | All
|-
|[[Steam dragon scales]]
|align="right" | 5
|align="right" | 0
|align="right" | All
|-
|[[Acid dragon scales]]
|align="right" | 6
|align="right" | 5
|align="right" | All
|-
|[[Swamp dragon scales]]
|align="right" | 7
|align="right" | 7
|align="right" | All
|-
|[[Quicksilver dragon scales]]
|align="right" | 9
|align="right" | 7
|align="right" | All
|-
|[[Fire dragon scales]]
|align="right" | 8
|align="right" | 9
|align="right" | All
|-
|[[Ice dragon scales]]
|align="right" | 9
|align="right" | 11
|align="right" | All
|-
|[[Pearl dragon scales]]
|align="right" | 10
|align="right" | 11
|align="right" | All
|-
|[[Storm dragon scales]]
|align="right" | 10
|align="right" | 15
|align="right" | All
|-
|[[Shadow dragon scales]]
|align="right" | 11
|align="right" | 15
|align="right" | All
|-
|[[Golden dragon scales]]
|align="right" | 12
|align="right" | 23
|align="right" | All
|}

===Shields===
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:100%" border=1
!scope = "col" | Shield
!scope = "col" | SH
!scope = "col" | Encumbrance
!scope = "col" | Wearable
|-
|[[Buckler]]
|align="right" | 3
|align="right" | 5
|align="right" | Little–Medium
|-
|[[Kite shield]]
|align="right" | 8
|align="right" | 10
|align="right" | Small–Big
|-
|[[Orb]]
|align="right" | 0
|align="right" | 0
|align="right" | All
|-
|[[Tower shield]]
|align="right" | 13
|align="right" | 15
|align="right" | Medium–Giant
|}

===Headgear===
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:100%" border=1
!scope = "col" | Headgear
!scope = "col" | AC
!scope = "col" | Encumbrance rating
!scope = "col" | Wearable
|-
|[[Helmet]]
|align="right" | 1
|align="right" | 0
|align="right" | Small–Medium
|-
|[[Hat]]
|align="right" | 0
|align="right" | 0
|align="right" | All
|}

===Miscellaneous===
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:100%" border=1
!scope = "col" | Armour
!scope = "col" | AC
!scope = "col" | Encumbrance rating
!scope = "col" | Wearable
|-
|[[Boots]]
|align="right" | 1
|align="right" | 0
|align="right" | Small–Medium
|-
|[[Cloak]]
|align="right" | 1
|align="right" | 0
|align="right" | All
|-
|[[Scarf]]
|align="right" | 0
|align="right" | 0
|align="right" | All
|-
|[[Gloves]]
|align="right" | 1
|align="right" | 0
|align="right" | Small–Medium
|-
|[[Barding]]
|align="right" | 4
|align="right" | -6
|align="right" | Naga/Armataur
|}

==Egos==
Enchanted armour may have an [[ego]], which gives it additional properties.

==Restrictions and Mutations==
*Beaks, horns, and antennae are incompatible with helmets. Hats are allowed.
**Horns 3 and Antennae 3 disallow all headgear, however.
*Hooves 3 and talons 3 are incompatible with boots.
*Claws 3 is incompatible with gloves.
*Weakening stinger is incompatible with cloaks.

[[Transformation]]s can affect which items are compatible - refer to that page for more details.

==History==
*Prior to [[0.33]], Armour skill ignored any multipliers to body armour base AC.
*Prior to [[0.32]], AC was always rounded down to an integer, meaning AC would increase at specific breakpoints in Armour skill, rather than increasing smoothly.
*Prior to [[0.29]], body armour encumbrance did ''not'' slow down [[Ranged Weapons]].
*Prior to [[0.28]], armour and shields would penalize your [[to-hit]].
*Prior to [[0.27]], [[GDR]] was determined based on your body armour, not from total [[AC]].
*Prior to [[0.17]], heavy armour slowed [[throwing]] and [[unarmed combat]] attacks.
*Prior to [[0.16]], light armour had no small spellcasting success penalty.
*Prior to [[0.15]], armour took <code>AC + 1</code> turns to unequip or equip (instead of a flat 5 turns).
*Prior to [[0.14]], [[Racial equipment|racial armour types]] existed. Elven armour impeded spellcasting less, dwarven armour had more AC but impeded casting more, and orcish armour was better for [[Hill Orc]]s only.
*In [[0.13]], the evasion penalty system was changed. "Base Evasion Penalty" (BEVP) was changed into [[encumbrance rating]], and rescaled for all armours (see [https://crawl.develz.org/wiki/doku.php?id=dcss:brainstorm:mutation:stats&#effect_of_strength_on_armour_evp dev wiki]).
*Prior to [[0.11]], you could only train Armour while wearing equipment with an EV penalty of at least -1.
*Prior to [[0.6]], body armour was divided into "Light Armour" and "Heavy Armour". The former would allow you to train Dodging, while the latter trained Armour.

===Changes to armour types===
*In [[0.30]], [[chain mail]] had encumbrance reduced (from 15 -> 14).
*In [[0.29]], [[shadow dragon scales]] had its AC increased (10 -> 11).
*Orbs were introduced in [[0.28]].
*Prior to [[0.26]], bardings were split into [[naga barding]]s and [[centaur barding]]s.
*Scarves were added in [[0.20]].
*Prior to [[0.19]], dragon scales were named dragon armours. Also, trolls/dragons only dropped hides; you had to use a [[scroll of enchant armour]] on the hide to get the armour.
*In [[0.16]], [[scale mail]] had encumbrance reduced (11 -> 10).
*In [[0.14]], gold dragon armour, crystal plate armour, and plate armour have had their encumbrance ratings reduced (27 -> 25, 24 -> 23, and 19 -> 18 respectively). Mottled dragon armour increased ER from 4 to 5.
*In [[0.13]], [[splint mail]] was removed.

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Armours]]
{{Skills}}

Faded altar

2026-05-10T19:56:38Z

Hordes:

{{version032}}
{{flavour|An ancient altar, stripped of all identifying characteristics by the passage of aeons. Praying at it will convert you to an unknown god, and the altar's deity will greatly appreciate conversion at so ancient a site of worship.}}

[[File:Faded altar.png]] [[Pray]]ing at a '''faded altar''' allows the player to convert to one of 3 displayed [[god]]s, chosen randomly between them. You will see the 3 possible gods when inspecting the altar ('''<''' or '''>'''). If there are multiple faded altars in a game, each one will have a separate list of gods. Any god that your [[species]] can worship can be a possibility for the faded altar.

When worshipping at a faded altar, you will gain a bonus of +20 [[piety]]. Gods that don't use the usual piety system will get a special effect (see below). If you're already worshipping a god, you will convert to the new god. If you're worshipping a god, and the god from the altar is the same as the current god, then nothing happens. Your god won't become [[wrath|angry]] and your piety will stay the same.

Faded altars have a 25% to spawn on each floor, from [[Dungeon|D]]:1 to D:3. After use, the altar will become a normal altar of the given god.

==Special==
The following gods have unique behaviors with the faded altar bonus:<ref>{{source ref|0.30.0|god-prayer.cc|89}}</ref>
*[[Ashenzari]]: The first set of curses are provided much sooner.
*[[Gozag]]: Worshippers skip the entry fee.
*[[Ru]]: A set of sacrifice options is immediately given upon conversion.
*[[Xom]]: Xom finds this hilarious (and [[Xom#Amusement|amusement]] is set to 200).

[[Monk]]s get both the bonus from a faded altar and their initial piety bonus.

==Strategy==
Faded altars can be incredibly powerful: not only do you get +20 piety from the faded altar, but you get all the piety from D:1, D:2, etc. By the time you reach the [[Temple]], a faded altar worshipper can be at 2* or even 3*, which is an amazing early game boon.

Of course, some gods will be better than others. If you have 3 great gods, such as {[[Makhleb]], [[Okawaru]], [[Trog]]} on a [[Minotaur]] [[Fighter]], then it's a no brainer. But there are at least a few gods that will hurt your prospects of winning - that same Minotaur won't get nearly as much benefit from [[Sif Muna]], for instance. Most characters will suffer with [[Cheibriados]] and [[Xom]]. In these cases, its up to you if you want to take the risk.

Most gods are beneficial. Even "bad" or "suboptimal" gods will help you survive the early game when you reach 2* or 3* by the time you reach the temple. For streak play, the first few floors is considered the hardest part of DCSS. In this case, faded altars are often the optimal choice so long as a terrible god (e.g., Chei / Xom) isn't an option.

==History==
*Prior to [[0.30]], faded altars would pick from every possible [[god]] that your species could worship, instead of being limited to 3 per altar. Also, faded altars had a 1/2 chance to spawn per floor (on D:1 - D:3).
*Prior to [[0.27]], faded altars had a 1/6 chance to spawn per floor (on D:1 - D:3).
*Faded altars were added in [[0.17]]. They were called "ecumenical" altars during development.

==References==
<references />

H's Minotaur Fighter Guide

2026-05-10T19:50:54Z

Hordes: /* Notable Threats */

{{version033}}
{{Advice}}
So you want to win at Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup for the first time? This guide is for you, covering a great beginner combo: [[Minotaur]] [[Fighter]] (MiFi). This isn't going to be trivial optimal, there are some things in the guide that should not be followed all the time. But I will aim to guide you through a simple combo with a simple and consistent path to success.

'''This guide is updated to [[0.33]] (Nov. 2025).''' Note that it was originally written for an earlier version of the game ([[0.28]]), so there may be an inaccuracy here or there.

I'll assume that you know the very basics of the game. If not, view the [[Tutorial]], whenever ingame or via the wiki. For a very brief description: Use lowercase i to view your items, you'll get a lot of them soon. Use the numpad or click around to move. Move into monsters to attack them, and hopefully you won't die. There's a lot of shortcuts and a lot of things that you may or may not use. Use '''?''' then '''?''' to view all commands. All commands in the game are case sensitive. Also check out the table of contents on the right for each subsection of this guide.
{| style="float: right;"
| __TOC__
|}

===Main Menu===
The absolute first thing you'll see is the character select screen. This is a Minotaur Fighter guide. So pick Minotaur, then click Fighter. Both should be just about the first options in the class selection screen. Then, pick the War Axe. Finally, if you're playing offline, you can choose your name. I'll cover these choices (except name) in the section below; feel free to skip it if you wanna head right in to the Dungeon.

== Specs ==
* [[File:Minotaur_(monster).png]] [[Minotaur]] - Minotaurs are 7/10 on the "monstrousness" scale, an ancient classification that's only really surpassed by the Troll and the occasional Demonspawn. And it's true: they are absolutely monstrous at physical combat and absolute dumbasses at magic. Minotaurs have high HP and are incredibly proficient at anything resembling a blunt stick, with the best skill set in the entire game.

: Minotaurs might be monstrous, but they aren't **that** special, they aren't a wacky species like [[Octopode]]. Their main sticking point is... their horns. So powerful are these horns that you can go through [https://old.reddit.com/r/dcss/comments/lsjet8/is_it_possible_to_win_the_game_by_repeatedly ''an entire game''] with ''just'' the headbutt (on an older version). Minotaurs uniquely make horn ''counterattacks'' - regular species can mutate horns, and make headbutts when attacking, but only Minotaurs can counter. The counter starts at 20% and increases as you level; the effect really is strong.

: Horns prevent the use of certain forms of headgear. This was a massive contention point 10 years ago, where the unfortunate removal of [[Mountain Dwarf]] left the helmetless Minotaur in their stead. Minos can still wear Hats, which have a better enchantment pool, anyway. Just beware that if your horns ever grow larger (via [[mutation]]), then you won't even have that. That's about it in terms of gimmicks: just horns and stats.

* [[File:buckler_1.png]] [[Fighter]] - Fighter is a very generic class, most similar to a "Warrior" (or the [https://nethackwiki.com/wiki/Valkyrie Valkyrie] of NetHack). It's the first class on the menu, and for good reason. Fighters start with a 'good' weapon (we're picking [[war axe]], more on that in a bit), [[scale mail]] for armor (easily the heaviest armor within starting kits, but becomes trash not even 10 floors in), and a [[buckler]] (actually quite good, but you'll want a heavier shield eventually).

:The main selling point really is the buckler. Like all shields, bucklers restrict two-handed weapons, and - being a small shield- only slightly decreases weapon speed. But SH secretly comprises a large amount of your defense. I say secret, but the devs caught on, and nerfed them twice in a row... but shields are still a great choice. Fighter serves to give you a headstart in combat potential, guaranteeing that you won't be stuck in a robe and handaxe for a hot second.

: Fighters also start with a [[potion of might]]. This single-use item gives an extra 1d10 damage per melee hit (including horns!) for a fairly long, but limited, time. Use it against tough enemies. Use it early against tough enemies.

* [[File:war_axe1.png]] [[Axes]] - "I suggest an axe (axes are fun)" - Linley Herzell, ''quickstart.md''.

: Axes have the unique ability to [[cleave]]: every time you swing, you'll hit every adjacent enemy for 70% damage (and the main target for full damage). Why this has never been touched upon in cleaving's 8 year existence is simply unknown to me. Over the years, there has been a [https://github.com/crawl/crawl/commit/2393aa775744b497af0f2cf47ec8ddc002a0511e single nerf to a single axe that was reverted in the following update]. Perhaps the main reason is that you shouldn't be fighting multiple enemies at once in the first place! A player with full control will fight enemies one at a time, Axe or not. "Full control" is the keyword here, though. There's many times where the game will yoink you straight out of nowhere with a teleport or shaft trap, or a [[guardian serpent]] instantly teleports 4 allies surrounding you. Axes are insurance against these types of situations. In short: fighting 4 surrounding enemies at once isn't optimal, but an axe is great when you have to do so.

: Notes: Axes are useful against invisible opponents; you can attack with '''ctrl-direction''' and still attack pesky [[unseen horror]]s. Axes also cut [[hydra]] heads, a single enemy which this guide will plan for later.

All these traits make MiFi^Axes quite the meme throughout the DCSS community, only surpassed by MiBe ([[Minotaur]] [[Berserker]]). The reason we aren't playing MiBe? Because I said so. MiBe is more consistent and ''much'' stronger in the early game, but MiFi opens up god choice for a more relaxed mid-/late-game.

=Dungeon:1=
[[File:Dungeon exit.png]]

Alright, we're actually in the game! Or so you think. Before you even start moving, hit '''m''' to access the skill menu. Switch from automatic to manual (if it isn't so already). You can still win the game with automatic skilling, but we can do better. Plus, this won't take much micromanagement.

Fighting, Axes, Armor, and Shields should be the skills trained right now. Keep ''everything'' else off. Press the Axes button again to focus it (shows as * instead of +). Now press '''=''' in the skill menu in order to turn on skill target. Select Axes and put a target of 18. Don't touch any of these skills for the rest of the game, don't turn on any skill unless explicitly mentioned otherwise, and you should be golden.

This is, again, not the truly optimal way to spread skill XP. But it works - Minotaur strength should easily compensate.

==Dungeon:1 (for real)==
Alright, you're actually in the game! You'll start in one of many carefully crafted entrance [[vault]]s. Which specific room you get is random, but they were all manually created by some person. Take note of any suspiciously structured structures: they might get dangerous later.

Then, you want to start exploring. To ''optimally'' explore, don't do it in any ol' direction. Explore a bit, then go back and explore tiles that are closer to your starting position. You don't want to leave unknown territory "behind" on your retreat path, since there could be monsters there. When you're desperately running away, a monster could appear from unknown territory any moment, cut off your retreat, and end your Minotaurish dreams. (''This type of exploration is not required to win the game.'')

Take items. [[Potion]]s and [[Scroll]]s are your main consumables, and almost always have ''some'' use. Conveniently, these items will automatically be picked up if you walk on their tile (signified by the green border around them). Their names ('dark blue' potion, scroll of 'README'...) are always randomized, but consistent per item type per game. We'll get to [[H's_Minotaur_Fighter_Guide#Identification|Identification]] in about two floors' worth of writing. Every other item will be covered in the [[H's_Minotaur_Fighter_Guide#Items_and_Gear|Items and Gear]] section, about three floors from now.

And fight monsters. But before you do so, make sure to press '''x''' to enter examination mode, then press '''v''' on the monster in order to examine. If you're playing on Tiles, you can right click the monster instead of using xv. You'll want to make that a habit for any new monster you find, though this guide will point out the many especially scary threats.

Once you're done, ''don't charge at monsters right away''. You'll want to instead wait (with the s or . or numpad-5 keys) for the monster to go to you. This reveals less unexplored territory, which makes it less likely for a then-unrevealed monster to ambush or surround you. If you are especially careful, you should retreat towards known areas, preferably in a hallway, before waiting for the monster.

===Notable Threats===
* [[File:Gnoll_(monster).png]] [[Gnoll (monster)|Gnoll]]s are incredibly scary for D:1, even for a Minotaur. They are also an important lesson on weapons! On the wiki, it says that gnolls deal up to 6 damage - but this doesn't include weapon damage. On the examination screen, you'll see how much damage they do when including their weapon. A [[spear]] turns their 6 damage per hit into 12 damage, which is enough to 2-shot an XL 1 Minotaur.

: Keep in mind that monsters can use any special weapon properties that the player can. Monsters with axes can cleave, but more importantly, monsters with [[Polearms]] (spears, tridents, halberds) *can attack from 2 tiles away*. If you run at a spear gnoll, you can get attacked twice and immediately die. Thankfully, they can no longer spawn with halberds, on D:1 (but can spawn with 'em from D:2 onwards).

: Notice how I always say ''up to''. Monster damage distribution is not uniform; [[AC]] reduces damage, and you can always block or evade an attack. Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup, in true roguelike fashion, is a game centered about managing luck. While you may be willing to take a 1% risk now, taking a 1% risk 100 times should *not* end well for you.

: Regardless, gnolls are moderately tough monsters, they can easily take out non-Minotaur players. If you fight them at XL1, don't be afraid to drink that potion of might after 1 nasty hit. If you're a XL3 MiFi, a lone gnoll should be a fair fight. A note that gnolls on D:1 are using kiddie gloves! We'll get to that on the D:2 overview. And like a lot of threats in the future, gnolls are quite the rare enemy to find on D:1; the chances of actually having to deal with one are quite low.

* [[File:Quokka.png]] [[Quokka]]s are another lesson - this time in monster speed. Quokkas are fast (i.e. over 100% speed), meaning that they occasionally get 2 rounds for every 1 you have. This means that you can't run away, repositioning is harder. A quokka can deal up to 10 damage per turn (twice reduced by AC). But while they are annoyingly evasive, outside of some pretty bad luck rolls, quokkas aren't especially strong monsters. Assuming you're at full health, they are complete pushovers at XL 3 and still very manageable at XL 1.

: A trick with fast enemies is that, when they are two spaces away from you (1 tile gap), start walking away. With normal enemies, you can just wait and they'll use their turn to move, meaning you get the first strike. Fast enemies can double turn, so they can move -> hit if you just stay still. So by walking away, eventually they'll double turn in order to move twice, allowing you to get the first hit again.

* [[File:Jackal.png]] [[Jackal]]s are another fast enemy which often come in packs. A mob of jackals isn't a pretty fight, even with your axe. Their speed also makes it harder to get a good position. So if you see even one jackal, let it come to you, instead of you charging straight in. Jackal packs are brutal for mage type characters, but lone jackals should not be a threat to MiFi even at XL 1. A pack is easily fought if you can back up into a hallway, so that 4 jackals aren't biting you per turn.

==Tactics==
Tactics - that is, what you actually do when you encounter monsters - are extremely hard to describe in a text based format. What's said in quickstart.md is all pretty good advice:

* Never fight more than one monster if you can help it. Always back into a corridor so that they must fight you one-on-one.
* Remember to use projectiles before engaging monsters in close combat.
* Rest between encounters. The `s`, `.`, or delete commands make you rest for one turn, while pressing `5` or Shift-and-keypad-5 make you rest for a longer time (you will stop resting when fully healed or if you see a monster).
* Learn when to run away from things you can't handle - this is important! It is often wise to skip a dangerous level. But don't overdo this.

Other than that:

1. Don't approach melee enemies. If there is a 1-tile gap between you and a (not-fast) monster, wait so that you can get the first strike. As mentioned in the quokka entry, if the monster is fast, then you should be backing up, instead of just waiting.

Even from 7 tiles away, you technically shouldn't ever approach enemies, at least you shouldn't approach those without ranged attacks. You simply don't know what's in the darkness of fog - by moving forward, you could be revealing an extremely dangerous monster. It is best to wait and/or throw items at the monsters. The more studious might want to back up into completely known territory before getting a monster close. This also, ideally, will let you back into a hallway and fight enemies one at a time.

1B. If you are adjacent to an enemy, don't move unless you have a good reason. Every move you make when adjacent is a chance for an attack of opportunity.

2. For enemies with ranged attacks, you'll want to hide behind a corner or wall, if possiblem so that they have to approach you. Take this example:

..@.. --.-- .|.|. .|.|. .|M|.

In a situation like this, where a hallway opens up into a room, the @ symbol (the player) needs to move 2 tiles left or right in order to not be seen. That's "two tiles, aka 1 tile away from the diagonal, route" - this should work with most corners. A good portion of ranged monsters ([[centaur (monster)|centaurs]] in particular) won't fire their ranged weapons in melee.

[[File:Exclusion_zone_LOS.png|thumb|right|X's mark where you can see in a position (and conversely, where the enemy can see you)]]
You can visualize line of sight (monsters never attack outside LOS) by using exclusions. Use '''X''' to enter map mode, and then '''e''' to create an exclusion zone; the exclusions cover every tile that can see the selected tile, so you can see where line of sight is. You can use the exclusion command on the same tile again to clear the exclusions. You can also use '''X''' to enter map mode (if you've left it), then '''ctrl-e''' to clear all exclusions.

===Attacks of opportunity===
[[Attacks of opportunity]] are a very recent mechanic that you must be aware of, especially in the first few dungeon floors.

A 100% speed ("normal speed") monster can make 1 action per turn at base. If you look at the the monster description, and there's no <code>Speed: <X>%</code>, then it's 100% speed. But: if you move and there is an adjacent monster next to you, the monster can get a "free", instant attack and then proceed to move, breaking the 1 action per turn "rule". Any monster that is as fast or faster than you (players are 100% speed by default) can get a free attack.

This makes positioning pre-battle '''very''' important. Against melee enemies, it's often best to reposition to a hallway and/or staircase before being adjacent to the foe. Even if you only see a single enemy, more enemies could show up.

This discourages running in circles forever in order to regenerate health. If you heard about [[pillar dancing]] (running in circles forever in order to regenerate health), then forget about it. For our intents it does not exist. It still exists, but you gotta use [[summon]]s or play [[Spriggan]] to take advantage of it.

===Random Energy===
From [[0.31]] onward both attacks of opportunity and "[[random energy]]" exist at the same time. Random energy works a bit different from the past so I'll keep it short.

If you are moving away from a monster, ''and'' the monster would move towards you, sometimes the monster may get an extra turn, or lose a turn. If it loses a turn, it's likely for it to gain an extra turn later, and vice versa. Remember that as of the latest version, in order for random energy to apply, 1. you must move and 2. the enemy must move.

As mentioned before, if a monster is fast, then it can get extra turns even if you aren't moving.

===Note on Learning===
I won't go over many 'tactics' beyond this little subsection. However, tactics are a fundamental part of DCSS. If you only read this guide, I fear you'll be missing out on something.

It's pretty hard to learn tactics, in general... so I ''highly'' recommend watching videos of other players playing DCSS (there are many, many videos around). In many playthroughs, the commentator will explain their thought processes, allowing you to apply them to your own games. If all else, you can imprint their 'good player habits' by watching them play. You can search "Minotaur Berserker" on YouTube (there aren't many series for MiFi) and pick any of the top search results.

If you prefer a text guide, UV4 has a great website ([http://www.ultraviolent4.com/guide.html#General_Tactics link 1]) ([http://www.ultraviolent4.com/patashutactics.html#Fleeing_and_Rule_0 link 2]). It's a bit old, but they're good ''so long as you remember that you shouldn't move if an enemy is adjacent to you'' (i.e. no pillar dancing).

This is also the point where I mention autoexplore, pressed with the '''o''' key. The entire rest of the guide will assume that autoexplore does not exist because manual exploration is safer. However, in realistic terms, autoexplore saves a lot of time, and >50% of this game really is chaff. The game is nice enough that you can autoexplore and be mostly fine.

==Dungeon:2==
Dungeon 2 is generally safer than D:1 for one reason: it has [[stairs|upstairs]]. Three, in fact! The vast majority of floors in DCSS have 3 up- and down- stairs, excluding [[branch]] entrances (D:10 -> Lair:1 doesn't count as a stair). Anyways, going up to a cleared floor is a fairly safe and very powerful tool. While it takes 2.5 turns to do, only monsters that are directly adjacent to you can follow you up the stairs. And as descending down an "unknown" stair is fast, you have a one time out against bad spawn RNG.

As an extension of the previous floor's advice, try to explore near staircases; always have a fully explored route to them, visit each 'side' of every unexplored split. It'd be optimal to explore in a circle around each staircase. Don't be afraid to turn around and explore another direction completely, assuming you haven't found any monsters yet. Visiting all three staircases to optimize staircase tile distance is possible, but not risk free - it puts you at danger of encountering some incredibly dangerous monsters, and is also just unnecessary (except for really bad floor layouts).

If you see multiple monsters, you can use staircases to your advantage. When you go through a staircase, only monsters who ''start adjacent to you'' will follow you up. So, by going up a staircase with only a few monsters adjacent to you, you can split monsters up. Make sure the above floor is safe. Remember that going through a staircase ''takes 2.5 turns'', which makes this dangerous against powerful monsters. This is called [[stair dancing]].

Do NOT try and drag monsters into a staircase once you are in melee range. Monsters next to you will have a chance to get a free attack on every movement. Instead, drag enemies near staircases ''before'' they are adjacent to you. '''''Move before a monster is adjacent to you.'''''

Also, the rise of staircases now 'allow' us to start the identification minigame! That will be covered in the [[H's Minotaur Fighter Guide#Identification|Identification section]] below. But first, the notable threats:

===Notable Threats===

* [[File:adder.png]] [[Adder]]s are beefed up quokkas, with faster speed, better defenses, a stronger bite, but most notably, the ability to poison you. Poison stacks up really really quickly in this game, and weaker characters will soon find themselves with half their health gone just from the poison. A reminder that adders are fast: once they are right next to you, there is no option but to fight. If you see one right as you descend into D:2 for the first time, don't bother, just go back up. In truth, an XL 3 or even XL 2 Minotaur can probably take one down, but you never want to take a probability in a game like Crawl. And this is because Minotaurs are overpowered and have overpowered horns, not because adders are easy.

: If you are forced to fight one of these dudes at a low level, you'll probably want to drink that potion of might very early into the fight. I'm talking when you are poisoned to be below 70%ish HP (shown as yellow damage in the health bar, use % to check exact poison amount). If you still happen to be fighting an adder and are at critical health (<10 HP, not including poison), you should start blindly drinking potions. The most common potion is Curing, followed by Heal Wounds, so drink larger potion stacks first. But by the end of D:2 (XL5), adders should be no threat, barring extreme bouts of luck (We sometimes have to take the tiny chance. If we compensated for those, then we'd have no consumables to use.)

* [[File:Gnoll_(monster).png]] Gnolls unsheath their swords(? clubs? halberds.) from this floor onwards. While you can most likely handle one gnoll at this point, four polearm wielding gnolls striking you at once, when you can't even cleave, is not a fun time. Fight them one at a time, and if they have polearms, it'll take more than a simple hallway to deal with them.

: What worse is that they (on this floor onwards) can spawn with the incredibly fearsome [[throwing net]]. I'm not joking. Nets pin you in place, preventing you from moving or melee attacking, and reduce your EV to near zero until you break or teleport out. It's a risk to run away when a net-wielding gnoll is on screen - watch out for any gnolls with a purple outline. Even if you can fight a gnoll pack (you can win the fight at the end of D:2), you will not want to face a big meaty ogre while trapped in a net.

* [[File:Ribbon worm.png]] [[Ribbon worm]]s spit webs, which is equivalent to an ''infinite'' amount of throwing nets. This makes them extreme threats if you are near any other monsters. Even by themselves, these monsters aren't pushovers. Thankfully, they are slow, so you can run away.
:If the worm is 7 tiles away, the edge of your [[line of sight]], retreat is 100% safe. Yoor line of sight is 7 tiles long, and monsters can't attack outside *your* line of sight. So if the worm is 7 tiles away, and you step back, it is now 8 tiles away, and needs its turn to step back. Since it's slow, you'll gain distance over time.

* [[File:Orc_priest.png]] Run away. [[Orc priest|They]] aren't supposed to spawn here. You aren't ready. Regular orcs are fine enough, but multiple orcs might be a signal that a priest is nearby. Go down into D:3 if you have to. You aren't ready. They'll be covered in the next floor's threat list. If you happen to be next to one unscathed, they aren't that bad though? Might and swing away. Good luck getting past the orc horde first; orc priests are likely to be around other orcs.

* [[File:Sigmund.png]] [[Sigmund]] is one of the first possible [[unique]]s you can encounter (unique monsters, named monsters, guys-with-a-humany-name). While most of the other D:2 uniques (Jessica, Natasha, Robin, Terrence) are alright-ish as a MiFi, Sigmund's 1 damage hit (+13 from [[scythe]], a polearm) really adds up. What's worse is the ''funny'', which is Confusing you over and over so that you get pelted by Throw Flames while unable to do anything meaningful until you die. Do everything I said in the Orc Priest section and more. Unlike priests, Sigmund intentionally spawns this early.

:As mentioned in the ribbon worm section, if you encounter Sigmund and/or orc priests at the edge of LOS, retreat is generally safe. Unlike worms, Sigmund/orc priests move at the same speed as you. So they could get a [[random energy]] double-move and kill you. Still, keeping a monster at edge-of-LOS is ''generally'' safe; at least, much safer than fighting them.

===Stat Points===
On XP level 3 (XL3) and every 6 levels afterwards, you have a choice of stat points. Pick strength. Damage is good, and it helps with armour.

If you reach [[stat zero|0 in a stat]] you'll be [[slow]]ed (66% speed) until it's above 0 again. The only way for stats to be lowered as of [[0.33]] is through [[mutation]]s (the chance of muts dropping you from 5 -> 0 int is very low, plus you should avoid mutation anyway) or equipment items (voluntary), so you don't have to worry about raising INT. If you want peace of mind, you can raise INT 1 time in the mid/late game to avoid stat zero. I mention this because in previous versions INT drain was more common.

==Identification==
[[file:scroll_of_identify.png]]

Identification is one of the core gameplay elements of NetHack, but here in Stone Soup territory, it is greatly simplified. Recent versions will automatically ID all equipment (weapons, armour, rings) that you can wear, meaning the only things you actually need to find are [[potion]]s and [[scroll]]s.

The first way to identify items is to just use them. Both potions and scrolls are identified on use; it doesn't matter if the item actually did anything, it is still revealed. The other main way to ID is to use a [[scroll of identify|scroll of identification]]. But the scroll of identify is not itself identified, meaning blind consumption is required. Finally, certain rare locations may come with pre-identified items; [[potions of degeneration]] from an [[Ossuary]], as an example. This isn't reliable in the slightest.

Basically, you're gonna have to 'waste' items sooner or later. In order for your blind-use ID to actually be useful at the moment, try to read/quaff items that you have at least 2 of. This isn't required, but very helpful. It is also convenient, as the two most common potions (curing, heal wounds) and scrolls (identify, teleportation) are very useful items to have. Of these, read scrolls first. But don't do it immediately!

'''''Read scrolls (that you have 2+ of) on the upstairs leading to a cleared floor, when you can't see any enemies, preferably on an unexplored floor.'''''

'''''Addendum: If you read a [[scroll of butterflies]] or [[scroll of summoning|summoning]], followed by a [[scroll of immolation]], stop reading. Go up and down to clear the summons, then continue reading.'''''

The upstairs part is essential because of the teleport scroll; it teleports you just about anywhere on the floor, which could end up with you in dangerous situation without the safety of an upstairs. It's also helpful to have a retreat upward for the [[scroll of noise]], which might attract enemies. It is necessary for the above floor to be cleared, as teleporting next to the thing you've skipped an entire floor for isn't fun. The unexplored floor is not required, but gets the most benefit out of the [[scroll of revelation]].

In general, reading scrolls over potions is preferred. The [[scroll of blinking]] is the best escape item, first off. Many scrolls grant lasting boosts ([[scroll of brand weapon|brand weapon]], [[scroll of enchant armour|enchant armour]]...), none of them can permanently harm you, and the sheer fact that identify is in fact a scroll makes blind *reading* required. This is in contrast with potions, where only the rare [[potion of experience]] gives a permanent boost, the [[potion of mutation]] can give semi-permanent changes that can either help/hurt '''[Note 1]''', and the [[potion of degeneration]] requires XP in order to cure. Some players like to never blind quaff potions, but I will personally tell you to also drink potions that you have >=2 of. There's no stair requirement - just make sure that you are safe before doing so. If you are in a desperate situation, you don't even need that. '''Potions lean towards powerful temporary effects, and should be blind quaffed in dire need'''.

Once you have [[scrolls of identify]] available to use, use them to identify potions. This is for the same reasons said above; they are more likely to give powerful-but-temporary effects. The scroll of blinking is the only scroll really designed around emergencies that you won't have a ton of (like teleport or fog), so identifying other scrolls isn't as valuable.

It's also worth noting that some players like save their scrolls to read (either with the above identifying process, or reading every single scroll) on D:4 in hopes of getting revelation and finding the [[Temple]] fast. The Temple is very likely an important branch because it houses the many gods. But I'm putting this advice as a footnote for a reason, it's best to have items identified ASAP.

Finally, make sure to visit '''[[User:Hordes/Guide_Appendix#Appendix_1:_Potions_.26_Scrolls|Appendix 1: Potions & Scrolls]]''' ''not updated to latest version'' to see what these items actually do. It's not updated, though.

'''<nowiki>*</nowiki> [Note 1]''' The [[potion of mutation]] can give potentially ''game-ending'' [[bad mutations|terrible terrible mutation]]s (teleportitis, berserkitis, no unsafe scrolls). These three mutations far outweigh any possible good mutations you might get (which can actually be good), even though the potion favors good mutations. Thankfully, the likelihood of receiving one of those three mutations on a blind quaff, then the 2nd potion not removing one, is actually kinda low. More importantly, potions of mutation are our only source of curing mutations, so you really shouldn't gamble. If you still have one of the aforementioned badmuts, you might as well restart the game'''[Note 2]'''.

'''<nowiki>**</nowiki> [Note 2]''' Note that the game's still fairly playable, or at least that's what the devs think.

==Dungeon:3==

Dungeon:3 is a lot like Dungeon:2 in that you have stairs, the dungeon itself is generated similarly, and that there's a bunch of monsters. The same strategies above don't suddenly get worse.

===Notable Threats===

* [[file:orc_priest.png]] [[Orc priest]]s are still really scary. This is thanks to their AC-ignoring, never missing, 7-17 Smiting attack from ''anywhere from the screen''. Many monsters, like their fellow orc wizard, require a direct line of fire in order to hit you. Priests just need line of sight. While the Smiting attack won't happen every turn, and definitely won't max roll every turn, there's no explicit cooldown for it. You could get smitten multiple times if you try to charge in, or get smitten in the middle of an orc fight. Speaking of orcs: priests tend to spawn with a pack of other orcs. If you see other orcs, start backing up immediately and lure the minions away.

* [[file:orc_wizard.png]] [[Orc wizard]]s have the same spellset as Sigmund. Without the scythe, power, or durability, they are easier to manage. However, they can still confuse you, and if you get confused multiple times in a row, you're dead. It's best if you have a potion of curing on hand and identified before fighting one. It's kinda risky to fight hand to hand, but it's riski''er'' to run away unless you are already 7 tiles away. Like priests, they are also often found with other orcs.

* [[file:grinder.png]] Most [[unique]]s are extra powerful "boss" monsters. There is way too many to list, and most of them are designed to be challenging for your level. But you could always right click or '''x''' '''v''' to see what they do. [[Grinder]] is easily the scariest unique in D:3 due to the [[Paralyse]] spell, which reduces EV and SH to zero and makes you unable to do anything. This lasts for up to 5 turns (7 in earlier versions). Most uniques from this point forward are going to be omitted for brevity's sake.

==Items and Gear==
We (you) are a Minotaur Fighter, an axe wielding, shield using, heavy armor dude. There's really no need to stray away from that. [[Wyrmbane]]? Garbage. The big ass [[Frostbite]] axe? It's probably viable, but keep your shield on. [[Arga]]? That's the best one-handed axe in the entire game.

In all actuality, all of those mentioned items ''are'' good - and really unlikely to be found. But for the purposes for this guide, I'll ignore them. E.g., Wyrmbane is a good enough weapon to be worth switching to... but describing so many different cases in a guide is impossible. The main point is that a relatively luckless Minotaur can win with axes, so just stick to the axes for now.

===Equipment===
The [[broad axe]] is the only one-handed axe type that's bigger (and therefore better) than your starting war axe. All [[brand]]s (hand axe of [[venom]], war axe of [[freezing]]...) except [[chaos]] are better than none; brands are better than an unbranded-but-enchanted weapon. Pick up any [[flaming]] axes you find; flaming 2-handers are the one exception to the "wear a shield!" rule, but not yet.

Of hand axes, if you find one with a [[brand]] or a high enchant, it'll be better than a plain war axe. It's safe to swap to broad axe when you have at least 14 Axes skill, barring an amazing aretfact axe. In practice, you may want to switch at 10-12 Axes skill. Do not use enchant weapon/brand weapon scrolls on a war axe unless you are forced to (blind reading these scrolls forces you to, so you might as well). You shouldn't need it.

Wear the heaviest piece of armour you can. Minotaurs have enough Strength to wear anything comfortably. [[Plate armour]] is the heaviest of the "common" armours and are sometimes worn by monsters. Higher AC is better (you can check the '''i'''nventory for AC change), though avoid the ponderousness brand. Slow movement is not worth it, even with attacks of opportunity. Every piece of armour that is not body armour has absolutely no cost to wearing them: hats, gloves, cloaks, and boots are free AC. If you happen to get enchant armour scrolls, I would enchant in the order of boots -> gloves -> hats -> cloaks -> body, (this is in order of least-likely-to-be-replaced). Hats of willpower and cloaks of any resistance are pretty much best in slot, so don't be afraid to enchant those first. Shields are more arbitrary. I personally like to upgrade to a [[kite shield]] as soon as I see one, and swap to a [[tower shield]] at 15+ skill.

Please note that [[curse]]s, i.e. items that stick to you, have been removed. Equip items as much as you want, the game will warn you about the few things that are punishing to take off.

Keep in mind that weapons and rings take 0.5 turns to take off, but armour and amulets take 5 turns to take off.

===Artefacts===
[[Artefact]]s (or artifacts, which the game accepts as a spelling) are in white text. Cyan text artefacts are special artefacts with unique, predetermined properties. They aren't always ''better'', but they are special.

<nowiki>*</nowiki>Slow, *Rage, and *Silence are always a no go. Try to avoid having a vulnerability to an element; resistances from another item will cancel it out. Weapons that are not axes, and non-broad axes past like Lair/Orc are not worth considering. Body armour / weapons should have a decent +X too; equal or better than your current non-artefact gear. Keep stuff for resistances you might need, but take the things with the most power / best weapon brand otherwise. Armour with resistances and no terrible downsides (- Str/ - Slay, element vulnerability, *Rage...). are good. You don't need artefacts to win.

Also, don't take the [[obsidian axe]]. It's not my fault if you lose!

===Useables===
But there's more items than equipment slots! Let's go over a couple of great items that you can encounter. If you've missed an item anywhere in the dungeon, you can use '''ctrl-f''' to search for them. Potions and scrolls are in '''[[User:Hordes/Guide_Appendix#Appendix_1:_Potions_.26_Scrolls|Appendix 1: Potions & Scrolls]]''', as a reminder.

* [[file:stone.png]] [[file:boomerang_1.png]] Throwable items ('''[[stone]]s, [[boomerang]]s, [[javelin]]s''', in ascending order of strength) are easily obtainable ranged attacks. We're going to invest in throwing later (not yet!), but throwing stones at 0 skill is still better than nothing. Boomerangs and onwards are quite powerful items. Javelins are particularly busted because they have [[penetration]], and can pierce multiple enemies per throw. Axes might hit 8 enemies at once but you are also taking 8 monster's worth of damage. Javelins in a hallway can hit 7 enemies while you take only 1 monster's worth of damage. This is ridiculously strong, but you are limited in the amount of javelins you have.

: Keep in mind that throwing the two larger weapons unskilled takes over a single turn to fire, so don't throw if an enemy is 1 tile away. Pick up all throwables you might find. Except for stones, all throwables persist when thrown, but have a chance to [[mulch]] (disappear) for ever throw.

* [[file:poisoned_dart.png]] '''[[Darts|Poison dart]]s''' are suprisingly powerful for this stage of the game, assuming the enemy is not poison resistant. Being as accurate and more powerful than a stone, you might as well drop stones if you have a fair supply of darts. Poison darts remain useful up until Lair, and still useful against poison vulnerable enemies (like bees and spiders).

* [[file:curare-tipped_dart.png]] '''[[Curare|Curare darts]]''' are an order of magnitude stronger than poison. That's because of the Slow, reducing all action speed by 33%. You'll take 33% less damage from a slowed enemy, plus you can actually run away from them. In addition to slow, Curare deals a good chunk of damage at this stage of the game. Like normal poison darts, enemies with poison resistance are immune to all effects (watch out for enemies with rPois armour!).
: Even late game, many [[unique]]s and nasty threats are not resistant to poison (thus, vulnerable to curare). Unlike the other special darts (atropa, datura), curare will ''always'' apply its effect, as long as it hits and the target isn't rPois.

* [[file:Throwing_net.png]] Gnolls had them, but now you can use the power of '''[[throwing net]]s''' to your advantage. A netted enemy can't move from their tile, will often use their turn to break the next, have reduced EV, and are vulnerable to stabs (slightly more damage for you). They are actually quite rare, but very powerful (and quite accurate).

All of the above items are still throwables. But there's definitely other items available:

* [[file:wand_wood.png]] [[Wand]]s are quite strong and charges are somewhat common. I personally like to train a small amount of [[Evocations]] for them. But for the purposes of this guide, I don't think you need it.
**Wands of flame create a [[steam]] clouds when the shot passes over water. Perfect against [[electric eel]]s.
**Wands of iceblast / roots / warping (only one type spawns per game) each damage a 3x3 area and never miss. Iceblast deals raw damage. Roots pins enemies in place ''and'' lowers their EV to pitiful amounts for a time (though this doesn't last long as low Evo). Warping causes enemies to [[blink]] further away.
**Wands of charming / paralysis (again, only one type per game) can be used to hex an enemy. If their willpower check succeeds, it can solve a ton of situations. E.g. if you paralyse a [[unique]], it's basically dead. With charming, you can charm a monster, then '''t'''ell it to '''r'''etreat away, to escape from an encounter.
**Wands of acid / light / quicksilver (also only one type per game) deal high damage, pierce though enemies, and inflict strong debuffs, or remove buffs, for quicksilver.
**Wands of polymorph turn an enemy into one of three enemies, if the will check succeeds. Best used on weapon-wielding enemies, e.g. [[centaur (monster)|centaurs]].
**Wands of digging let you create corridors anywhere with ''rock'' (not stone/metal/crystal) walls. They can also create new paths if you really needed one. Super handy to fight enemies one-by-one, but also rare.

Yeah, those are the only other consumables left. How about jewellery?

* [[file:amulet_copper.png]] [[Amulet]]s are all pretty much beneficial with little/no downsides. The order for me is: reflection >= regeneration > faith > guardian spirit > acrobat. Regeneration and reflection are both great combat amulets. Faith ''punishes you if you take if off'' but increases godly favor while its on, so it's pretty good. Guardian spirit, acrobat, and magic regen are all minor buffs for our build but you might as well wear them.

* [[file:ring_copper.png]] [[Ring]]s are also universally beneficial, except for the [[ring of fire]] and [[ring of ice|ice]], which provide vulnerability to the other element. As rings are quick to swap, you can change them when you find a relevant enemy or enter a relevant branch. Rings of willpower, slaying, protection, and evasion are always useful and should be worn in that order, should you find more than two. Note that if you have Will++++ elsewhere, you don't need extra.

Note that artefacts (bright white text) may have negative properties.

==Dungeon:4 (& the Temple)==
Dungeon:4 is the same as Dungeon:3. The same stairs, a similar floor layout, and the same bunches of monsters. The one difference is the possibility for the Temple to spawn.

The [[Temple]] is a completely safe branch (unless you drag monsters into it) that is incredibly likely to spawn Temple Gods. Temple Gods are guaranteed to spawn once and only once either in the Temple, or between D:3 and D:10. It can hold nearly all the gods, or, very rarely, none. The point remains: the god that we want is likely to spawn there. The Temple itself can spawn in between D:4 and D:7, so some players like to read scrolls when entering D:4 in hopes of [[scroll of revelation|revelation]].

===Notable Threats===

* [[file:ogre_(monster).png]] [[Ogre_(monster)|Ogres]] wield [[giant club]]. That's up to 37 damage per turn, or 39 if it's spiked. Fortunately, they swing slowly. They can only get 1-2 attacks of opportunity before they lag behind. But if you can get 2-shot by an ogre, don't take that risk. They are also 10-speed enemies (same speed as you), so you can often run away.

* [[file:sleepcap.png]] [[Sleepcap]]s cause the [[sleep]] status on hit. This ''prevents you from moving'', lowers [[EV]] to near-0, and causes monsters to deal bonus melee damage. With the sleepcap alone, that's up to 32 dmg/round. (You wake up from sleep the turn after being hit). And imagine being slept next to an ogre! These are high tier threats, especially when around other monsters.

* [[file:phantom.png]] [[Phantom]]s have a load of resistances... resistance to weapon isn't one of them. But they are the sole monsters with the ''blink with'' attack flavour: when a phantom attacks you, you and the phantom will teleport to a random spot in the phantom's [[line of sight]]. One hit from a phantom could prevent you from moving up stairs, trap you between enemies, and/or send you to unexplored territory. Super dangerous in the wrong area! Outside of the blink effect, phantoms are moderately durable enemies.

* [[file:Bombardier beetle.png]] [[Bombardier beetle]]s aren't the biggest threat, but they are worth explaining. They have a ranged attack that sets you on Fire; the Fire wears off faster by moving around. However, they are slow enemies, so you can kite them with poison darts or run away if you have the space to retreat.

==Temple, Gods, and Okawaru==
[[file:Okawaru_altar.png]]

The god we will be picking is [[Okawaru]]. No other options here. Forget "pick gods that appear early", Minotaurs are technically strong enough to not need any help until D:10.

In all actuality, when you're good enough to consistently win the game, it's often more optimal to pick a ''competent'' god that appears early on than Okawaru that appear late. [[Faded altar]]s in particular can be a big power boost. But for the sake of the guide and new-player consistency, I will have to recommend Okawaru. Don't worry; Oka is a very simple, very powerful, and very synergistic god.

Okawaru is the god of honorable, physical combat. It rewards you with piety for killing enemies of high [[HD]] (monster level) compared to you. Piety is godly favor. You spend piety to use abilities which help you survive. Because of Okawaru's gimmick, your piety will rise somewhat faster than other "kill things for piety" gods(though easy monsters will scarcely provide any piety). Minotaurs have a -1 XP level aptitude, so there's a ''very'' slight synergy beyond meleelol. It's also convenient because tough enemies that you'd want to use abilities (which cost piety) for, will likely just give you the piety back.

Okawaru might demand honor, but has no grievance against stabbing, poison, or any evil robo-tricks. Oka instead demands that you fight without any allies. All summoning spells, some Necromancy, and certain items simply won't function. You won't ever be casting spells as a Minotaur!Heavy Armour, so the worst losses are various item options. In exchange, it will grant some powerful abilities, and gifts (throwing ammo. and later weapons and armour).

For now, all Okawaru does is limit your options. You can't even abandon it, as most gods are jealous and godly wrath is way too deadly to consider. Abilities will be covered as I unlock them, in the sections below. I obviously can't control for when you get enough piety, so scroll down or check Okawaru's page for more details. [[H%27s_Minotaur_Fighter_Guide#Heroism|Click for the next ability]].

==Dungeon:5 - Dungeon:7==

Alright, you get the drill.

===Notable Threats===
Note that depths are estimates (as usual) using their base depth, and can appear earlier or later.

* [[file:centaur_(monster).png]] [[Centaur_(monster)|Centaurs]] [D:5] are fast and shoot arrows from a distance. Fortunately, most monsters will not use a ranged weapon in melee, and centaurs don't usually have melee weapons. Hide behind a corner, charge the centaur, or use a scroll of fog (or scroll of butterflies) to close the gap.

* [[file:water_moccasin.png]] [[Water moccasin]]s [D:5] are beefier and slightly faster adders. You should hopefully have a potion of curing. And even without, a lone snake should not be a threat to a D:7 Minotaur.

* [[file:steam_dragon.png]] [[Steam dragon]]s [D:6] are the first dragons you'll come across. Their steam breath is actually quite painful, and they can attack from a distance. While it may not seem like it, the steam clouds will hurt you every turn. Thankfully, all dragons must catch their breath (-Breath) after a breath attack. Also, having [[fire resistance]] (rF+) will great reduces their breath damage (and make you immune to the steam clouds).

:You might as well include [[acid dragon]]s here, which are the same type of threat. Acid dragons are beefier and have a max-42 damage breath, and are resisted by rCorr instead of rF+.

* [[file:hornet.png]] [[Hornet]]s [D:7] are stupidly stupidly scary, fast, poisonous monsters. It's bad enough to fight hornets in an "average" battle, but what's worse is that they can paralyse - ''even with poison resistance''. Only poison immunity makes you fully immune to para. They can paralyse for 3 turns, and a hornet *alone* can deal up to 80 damage (+ poison) during that time.
:Thankfully they don't spawn up here very often... If you are forced to fight one, then use wands or curare (if possible) to take them out.

* [[file:killer_bee.png]] [[Killer bee]]s [D:7?], as well as hornets, really make me regret using all my super scary warning points on adders and quokkas. Killer bees move twice as fast as the player, come in large packs (not this early??), and are ''relentless'' in their poison.
:If you're in a hallway, they're alright''ish''. But they are fast, so it's hard to run to a hallway.
:Things that work great vs bees & hornets: [[wand]]s (charming in particular is great vs bees), [[potion of lignification]] (gives rPois and high AC)

==Heroism==
From my experience, you'll get Heroism 1-2 floors after gaining Okawaru. It's that quick.

Heroism is Okawaru's 1* ability. Using it gives +5 to all physical skills. Considering that you're likely at the 10's at this point, that's a 50% skill increase. Now, damage doesn't work like that, but Heroism is still quite strong. Your skills will be 4-5 ''levels'' ahead, which should (in theory) let you take on out of depth enemies 4-5 levels ahead of you.

''Use abilities early and often''. This is quite a difficult lesson to learn, but you need need ''need'' to respect it.

Recent changes in [[0.30]] have made Heroism around 300% more expensive, so you can't spam Heroism as nearly as you used to. But piety is a renewable resource, while potions and scrolls aren't.

===Skill Training===
When you get to 1* of piety, '''start training Invocations and set a skill target of 5'''. Heroism doesn't really require Invo training for a reasonable failure rate (~ 7% failure at 1* and 0 Invo), but it's very convenient because the next ability does warrant training. The skill also increases Heroism's duration to a more comfortable level.

After you get Invo to 5, '''start training Throwing and set a skill target of 5'''. It'll be important later.

[[H%27s_Minotaur_Fighter_Guide#Finesse|Click for the next ability, Finesse]].

==Dungeon:8 - Dungeon:11==
With Heroism (hopefully) in-tow, you've officially reached the midgame! With a fair supply of identified consumables, you growing stronger in a relative level, a godly ability, and the choice between Dungeon, Lair, and Orc, and you should be a lot more comfortable from this point forward. The famous quote is, "Once you've entered Lair, you've won the game", or something like that. Simply put, there's a lot more options to prevent bullshit from happening.

===Notable Threats===

* [[file:killer_bee.png]] [[file:hornet.png]] All the advice for these guys still applies, being perhaps more relevant here, where they are realistic to try and fight. Also killer bee packs.

* [[file:unseen_horror.png]] If you are attacked by an [[invisible]] monster out of nowhere (they usually have to cast the Invisibility spell first), it is most likely an [[unseen horror]]. They are incredibly fast (3 turns for your 1) but are batty, meaning they retreat after going in. Best to get in a hallway if you're fighting, and swing in place with ctrl-direction. They can't open doors and their battyness will cause them to retreat from stair-adjacency if you wait a turn or so.

* [[file:two-headed_ogre.png]] [[Two-headed ogre]]s [D:10] are ogres but double. They have two giant clubs and hit twice as hard. You can get two rounded. Otherwise, they are 10-speed (average speed) monsters with no special abilities or resistances.

==Finesse==
Okawaru's second ability, unlocked at 4*, is Finesse. It ''doubles'' your attack speed. It is absolutely nuts in theory. The only caveats are that it doesn't stack with [[haste]], and that its somewhat high piety cost. There isn't too much to say; use this early on dangerous monsters!

Once you've done training Throwing, '''train Invocations and set a skill target to 8'''.

[[H%27s_Minotaur_Fighter_Guide#Duel|Click for the next ability, Duel]].

==Why You Go to The Lair==
Or why to skip the late Dungeon! Or threat list (D:12 - D:13).

The [[Lair]]'s entrance spawns from D:8 to D:11. While the [[hydra]]s and [[cane toad]]s aren't that fun, it is often the safer option of the three (Lair, Orc, Dungeon). In Dungeon, there's a few very dangerous monsters that could appear. So you'll often want to ignore D:12 (and even D:11, if possible) until completing Lair.

* [[File:Occultist.png]] [[Occultist]]s know the [[Banish]] spell, which sends you to the deep dark [[Abyss]], where monsters way out of your league will continuously spawn, with no time to regen. You can use all your consumables there and still die. They are quite frail (as to be expected), but you never want to take this risk until you have to. Preferably you find Willpower+++ before fighting one, and throw your way to victory anyhow.

*[[File:Ogre_mage.png]] [[Ogre magi]] (singular: [[ogre mage]]) know the [[Paralyse]] spell. If you've read the hornet section, you know paralysis can be instant death. Since ogre magi often come with (two-headed) ogre brethren, it's even more likely to be fatal.

* [[File:Ugly_thing.png]] [[Ugly thing]]s are not that easy to face when first entering D:11, unless you have silver javelins already. It is the combination of damage and their slightly faster movement speed that makes them dangerous. If found in a pack, note that they'll waste turns mutating into different colours, meaning you can run away (though that does mean that there's a pack of ugly things you could re-encounter in an unfortunate situation).

* [[File:death_knight.png]] [[Death knight]]s come with [[freezing wraith]]s and [[wraith]]s (which [[Slow]] you), and the former actually hits really hard if you are not resistant to cold. Death knights themselves also have [[Agony]] to halve HP. They also come with [[phantasmal warrior]]s which make you more vulnerable to Agony in the first place (''and'' hit hard).

* [[File:skeletal_warrior.png]] [[Skeletal warrior]]s are just big stat sticks. They are melee only 10-speed tough guys, but even with Heroism + Finesse, they are tough to beat for a D:11 character. However if you complete Lair first, they aren't ''that'' difficult.

If you find Lair on D:8 or so, you still may want to clear the Dungeon up to D:10 (as an arbitrary stopping point).

==Lair of Beasts==
[[File:Lair entry.png]]

The [[Lair]] is a pretty homely place. Branch overviews are going to get a lot shorter, as branches themselves are shorter than the Dungeon proper, and you can fight the "hardest" enemies on the first level. You are getting more and more powerful compared to the game (not just because of MiFi being OP, but because of the general level curve, and because you have more scrolls/potions/god abilities). It's a 5 level branch (6 in earlier versions). Don't go into any of the Lair's sub-branches right now.

The Lair itself is much more open, with few of the distinctive hallways of the Dungeon. There are plenty of walls, though, and they are quite jagged. You can take advantage of diagonals in order to create faux hallways, and the animals are often too dumb to go around.

Lair has 3 sub-branches. There will be a poison-themed branch ([[Spider's Nest|Spider]] OR [[Snake]]) and a water-themed branch ([[Shoals]] OR [[Swamp]]), along with [[Slime Pits|Slime]]. Don't go to any of these yet, but keep note of where they are. Once you find them, you can autotravel with '''G'''.

Recommended: Poison resistance is helpful. Willpower, too.

===Notable Threats===
*[[File:hydra.png]] '''[[Hydra]]s''' are the big bad of any Axe playthrough, if a bit overhyped. Axes cleave, which also cleave hydra heads, which causes the hydra to grow two more in its place. They are ''actually very powerful against any melee player'' at this stage of the game, but with some luck you'll have a few tools for them:
**Run away: Unless they are camping the only staircase, you can simply not fight them. Hydras are 10-speed enemies while on land. If you aren't already in melee range you can come up and come down a different staircase.
**[[Throwing]]: Even with 0 natural Throwing skill, Heroism boomerangs can take half or more of a Hydra's HP before it enters melee range. Javelins hit 1.0 delay at 10 skill, so you should aim for 5 skill before Heroism. With 10 (post-Heroism) skill, even boomerangs will severely weaken hydras before they get to you. You can still throw at melee range, but if the hydra's not at red HP then don't take the risk of going in melee with a hydra. Make sure to always always have an escape route planned early!! If you are forced to take that risk, make sure to have Finesse up, as well. Reminder to train Throwing to 5.0 if you got javelins.
**[[Flaming]] weapon: Flaming cauterizes the wounds, meaning the hydra will lose heads and won't grow them back. Hydras with 6+ heads are still scary to fight so... I wouldn't, not until you've done a few floors of Lair. Reminder to use Heroism.
**[[Potion of lignification]]: Drink the potion, take off your axe or use throwing weapons, and fight. This potion prevents you from moving or even teleporting, but with just Heroism, tree form can take out a lone hydra. Be extra careful of other monsters coming in!
You also want to keep note of their heads; hydras naturally spawn with 4-8 of them. An 8-headed hydra hits twice as much as a 4-headed one!

*[[File:Basilisk.png]] [[Basilisk]]s will [[Petrify]] you, which will lower EV and SH to zero and leave you helpless to monsters attacks. It takes a hot second to actually petrify, but you're slowed for the petrification process. Not too scary on their own, though imagine for a second, being helpless next to a hydra. A [[potion of cancellation]] will end Petrifying. [[Willpower]], if you have it, makes it less likely.

*[[File:dream_sheep.png]] [[file:torpor_snail.png]] [[Dream sheep]] and [[torpor snail]]s both have irresistible debuffs. Dream sheep put you to [[sleep]], which gives monsters a free turn on you. Torpor snails slow you.
** Dream Sheep have more chances to sleep you the more of them are in sight, and they are pack animals. Use a [[scroll of fog]] and walls to make absolutely sure to avoid sleep, and keep to the hallways so that you don't take too many hits.
** You can charm torpor snails to slow enemies, though they have very high willpower. [[Scroll of vulnerability]] helps. If you don't have charm, both polymorph and paralysis wands stop them from slowing.

*[[File:Cane_toad.png]] [[File:black_mamba.png]] [[Cane toad]]s are another fast, poisonous enemy. If you fight them right on hitting Lair:1, I would Heroism to make sure that you can actually fight one on one. Otherwise they aren't so much of a threat on their own. Same with [[black mamba]]s, though they aren't as likely to appear on the upper floors. Much easier to fight with rPois, but it is not ''required'' per-se.

*[[File:Death_yak.png]] [[Death yak]]s are mostly a humbleness check to people mindlessly tabbing. They are standard melee threats, though with high willpower. Weak to curare and/or throwing blunt weapons, and please don't fight more than one at a time (use the stairs!).

*[[File:Skyshark.png]] [[Skyshark]]s are fast death yaks by default, which can get even stronger if they hit you in a blood-filled form. If they attack a living creature, they taste blood and will gain [[might]], and then [[berserk]]. You really don't want to fight a berserk skyshark. If they haven't gone might/berserk yet, you can use a [[potion of lignification]] to counter them (trees don't have blood). Skysharks have somewhat low willpower, and not resistant to [[curare]].

*[[file:Catoblepas.png]] [[Catoblepas]] fire a piercing line of petrifying clouds. If you're standing on one and use your first turn moving away, then you will not get petrified. Beware of hallways! Animals will also walk into the petrifying clouds, making them easy pickings (the catoblepas itself is a fairly strong enemy).

On a final note, you might want to skip the last floor of the Lair. Every branch has a "[[vault]]" on the final floor which is usually more difficult than the proceeding floors. Vaults are nonrandomized structures, though which one(s) you get is random. This is not to be confused with [[the Vaults]] branch.

==Duel==
Duel is the last Okawaru ability, unlocked at 5*. It teleports you and 1 other monster, of sufficient threat, to Okawaru's special arena. There will be no other monsters, though your opponent can still [[summon]] allies.

As of the most recent version:
* It restores 1/2 missing HP and MP (so if you had 50/100 HP, Duel restored to 75/100 HP), but resets your HP/MP after you kill the enemy.
* After you kill the enemy, it instantly exits you from the arena. ''Any monsters you left behind will then get a turn to hit you.''
* It does ''not'' reset status conditions like Heroism, Finesse, potion buffs, or teleport.

Duel is relatively overpriced if you just use it in order to take out troublesome enemies - we already have javelins for that!

Instead, one of the best uses of Duel is to "pause" a dangerous situation for a few turns. Target a weaker enemy, spend a few "free" turns in the arena getting Hero + Finesse + Haste + Might up, then exit super powered. In addition, you can prepare a Teleport just before killing the enemy if needed.

Overall, Duel is very good for the extra time it gives you, just be careful of being hit on the way out.

[[H's Minotaur Fighter Guide#6* Weapon / Armour Gift|Click for the 6* "ability".]]

=Midgame Lull=
Once you have completed Lair, the game relaxes in difficulty for a while. The reason is that it ''used'' to be reasonable to complete Lair / D:15 / Orc in any order without issues. While the latter two have become harder since then, even now, the difference isn't that big. This means the other two branches will feel easy. You'll likely rack up 5* or even 6* of piety with Okawaru, which means you can use HeroFinesse more often, which means you are going to stock up on non-renewable consumables, in addition to Minotaur growths and the 6* equipment gifts.

You can do Dungeon or Orc in either order without it mattering too much. I'll recommend doing Dungeon first, simply because most things in the Dungeon are less scary than an orc sorcerer's Paralyse. (Note that Orc also has more loot.)

Recent updates were aimed at stopping the "entire-lategame-until-Zot-lull" (which experienced players did feel). Basically, don't get too comfortable with the ease of the next few branches. The [[rune]]-containing S-branches won't be as easy.

==Late Dungeon==
Beware of paralysis threats like ogre magi!

Recommended: [[Willpower]]+++ (if you have it), various resistance swapouts

===Notable Threats===
See [[H%27s_Minotaur_Fighter_Guide#Why You Go to The Lair|Why You Go to The Lair first]]. Other than that...
*[[File:Slime_creature.png]] [[Slime creature]]s are very weak on their own, if you've completed Lair. However, they are unique in that they merge in closed spaces, such as a hallway. A fully merged slime can deal over a hundred damage per hit. As Axes cleave, just get them in an open area, and maybe stair dance them up.

*[[File:Vaults_entry.png]] On D:13-D:14, you'll find the entrance to [[the Vaults]]. There's normally a bunch of scarier-than-normal enemies there, which are mostly deadly because they're so concentrated. With proper luring and awareness of escape routes/options, it shouldn't be too difficult. You can't enter the Vaults until you have at least one [[rune]], which by then you should be ready to go in.

*[[File:Depths_entry.png]] On D:15, you'll find the entrance to [[the Depths]]. There's one or multiple out of ''depth'' enemies, like a [[fire giant]]. No need to clear if its too frightening. Don't enter Depths yet - it is one of the last branches you should be entering, unless you're doing the ''Lord of Darkness'' challenge.

==Orcish Mines==
[[File:Orc entry.png]]

[[Orc]] spawns from D:9 to D:12. Even though there'll be a lot of plain [[orc]]s, very easy at this point, you'll want to do Lair first. Many of the threats (in the usual place, below) are tougher than what the Lair has in store, and also have ranged attacks.

Orc is incredibly open (less walls than Lair), leaving you vulnerable to the [[orc priest]]s and other ranged attacks in stow. If you haven't found/recieved a [[broad axe]] yet, orcs are likely to be holding one.

The Mines also house a ton of gold and four separate [[shop]]s to spend it on.

Recommended: [[Willpower]]+++

===Notable Threats===
* [[File:orc_sorcerer.png]] [[Orc sorcerer]]s are the main reason you do not want to do Orc before Lair. Orc Sorcs inflict Paralsze, much worse than Petrify (being instant and not giving damage reduction). Also their magic attacks hurt - at least if you don't have resistances to both Fire and Negative Energy. In addition, they can summon the 104 damage/turn [[sixfirhy]], *another* huge threat. Remember to throw javelins, if you got them, though you can get away without Heroism.

* [[File:Stone_giant.png]] [[File:ettin.png]] These are the "out of depth" spawns for Orc, and they are the other reason why to do Lair first. [[Stone giant]]s hit really hard from their [[large rock]]s (max. 65 damage; 45 base damage, +20 from the large rock). [[Ettin]]s are suped up two-headed ogres that can deal 90 damage per round before weapons, or 130 damage per round after them. For comparison, an 8-headed hydra deals up to 144 damage, but that number is reduced 8 times by AC, has to high roll 8 times in a row, and you'll normally face hydras with less than 8 heads.

* [[File:orc_high_priest.png]] [[Orc high priest]]s still have smiting but also summon demons. This includes the [[Neqoxec]], which can inflict ''permanent'' [[Malmutate]]s on you, along with other physically tough monsters. Smiting alone sucks when you are getting swamped by orcs/demons. The ultra-fast [[Sixfirhy]] and the fact that the priest needs to actually spawn demons in the first place means that you should take them on as quickly as possible, instead of running away.

* [[File:Kobold_blastminer.png]] I don't think [[kobold blastminer]]s are ''that'' much of a threat, but they're worth explaining. They are ranged enemies, but hit hard in close range with the [[Bombard]] spell (not silenceable). Plus, Bombard knocks them back a tile, making them hard to chase. Try to use throwing or a wand of polymorph to take 'em out if you can afford to.

Also, I would be careful of being pelted by a bunch of ranged enemies all at once, especially if there's an [[orc knight]] or [[orc warlord]] in play.

==Rune Branch Prep==
With the 2nd floor of Orc completed, you'll have free reign over its four shops. You might want to use '''ctrl-F''' on everything: plate armour, dragon scales, axes, scroll, potion, gold... Who knows, you might've missed a [[ghost vault]] or a pile of items lying from your orcish massacre. It's also a good time

===Shopping Trip===
Hopefully, there's things that you can buy/ctrl-f:
* '''Emergency items''': Includes [[Scrolls of blinking]], [[scroll of teleport]], [[potion of haste]], [[potion of heal wounds]], [[potion of cancellation]]. These should be your first priority, never a bad idea. You want [[potions of curing]] for [[Spider's Nest|Spider]].
* '''Poison resistance''': This is most often found on the [[ring of poison resistance]]; don't take any body armour lighter than [[swamp dragon scales]]. rPois is useful in [[Spider's Nest|Spider]] and [[Snake]], and useful against swamp dragons/swamp drakes in [[Swamp]].
* '''Willpower''': So that you don't instantly die. Will+++ is practical, Will++++ is enough. Don't use the body armour slot unless its [[plate armour]], and don't use any weird weapons or negative artefacts. Otherwise prioritize getting enough willpower quickly. While there aren't many Will-related threats in the S-Branches, is is recommended for just about every branch afterwards.
* '''Equipment''': If you haven't found one already, [[broad axe]], [[kite shield]]/tower, amulet (see [[H%27s_Minotaur_Fighter_Guide#Items_.26_Gear|Items & Gear]] for what to prioritize).
* '''Flight''': A permanent source of it, namely the [[ring of flight]]. Useful in the watery [[Swamp]] and [[Shoals]]; while you still can't outrun most aquatic creatures, at least you'll be avoiding the attack penalty of water.
* '''Electricity resistance''': Quite the rare resistance, as there's no ring dedicated to it. Take artefacts without too much bad qualities on them (no handaxes or rF--) or the not-common [[storm dragon scales]]. There are a few dangerous elec enemies throughout the game and you'll want a source of it.
* '''Other resistances''': rCold is good for Spider. rFire decent for Snake and Swamp, rCorrosion useful for Spider and Swamp. A [[scarf]] of [[repel missiles]] is good for Shoals and Elf.
* '''Strategic items''': [[scrolls of enchant armour]] / [[scroll of enchant weapon | weapon]] and a [[scroll of brand weapon]].
* '''Artefacts''': Artefacts of equipment you'd use anyway with high enchantments, no vulnerabilities, and no *Slow / -Tele are good to grab eventually. They are usually expensive, though.
* '''Overpriced garbage''': [[Scrolls of acquirement]] are pretty much gambling; the worst you can get is a smaller pile of gold than you started with, though there are very good items too. [[Manual]]s are often too expensive even with Orcish gold under your belt. XP-based [[evocable]]s (box of beasts, lightning rod...) are also very expensive but can be useful.

===Skill Training===
By now, you should've reached the skill target for Axes, 18.0. This opens up skill training into a few side skills that you may or may not need:
*'''Throwing''' to 10.0. Getting natural 1.0 delay javelins is pretty good, and extra damage is always useful.
*'''Invocations''' to 12.0 - 13.0. This gets the '''Duel''' ability up and running.
*'''Evocations''' to 8.0. While I said to ignore this skill earlier, specific skill training doesn't really matter as much anymore. As monsters have stupid high will, wands become less and less useful even with this amount of training. However, many monsters ([[moth of wrath]], [[death cob]], most animals) are still vulnerable to hex effects, and a [[scroll of vulnerability]] boosted wand can even take out quite a few uniques. Just beware of uniques with paralysis themselves.

There's really no rush for any of these skills. You'll want Throwing 10.0 by ''some'' point in the game, but the others can be forgone completely.

== Evocables ==
By now you may have found some [[evocable]]s, items with special effects that recharge with XP. You may even find some in the shops. Now here's my section on explaining them. Like wands not all of them appear in any one game.

In the current version (0.33) you can find multiple copies, and each copy found increases the enchantment (decreasing recharge time).

*[[File:Lightning rod.png]] [[Lightning rod]]: Fires a bolt of electricity; evoking it in successive turns strengthens the bolt and lets you sweep it over an area

*[[File:Phial of floods.png]] [[Phial of floods]]: Deals damage, then, even if it misses, creates water in a small area. Any enemy in the area (even if there was already ater) that isn't immune to drowning will be silenced, preventing them from using spells. Pro tip: aim the phial and press '''.''' to fire, so that the phial always has the silence effect.
*[[File:Gell's gravitambourine.png]] [[Gell's gravitambourine]] pulls enemies into a selected point and deals slight collosion damage. Useful for creating space, retreating, and gret with a [[scroll of immolation]].

*[[File:Tin of tremorstones.png]] [[Tin of tremorstones]]: Creates multiple 5x5 explosions of shrapnel, centered 2-4 tiles from the player, trying to center itself around the biggest mass of enemies. Very accurate, it's great at killing swarms of low AC / high EV enemies, like bees, spiders, and deep elves.
*[[File:Condenser vane.png]] [[Condenser vane]]: Attempts to create harmful [[cloud]]s in a 3x3 area around each enemy, often poison at low levels. Not guaranteed to make a cloud, and never creates clouds on your tile. It always creates a minimum of 1 cloud. Therefore, at low Evocations, it's best used in killhole scenarios (when you can only see 1 enemy, and the 3x3 area is blocked off except for the enemy's tile and your tile). At high Evocations, it can work as a crowd control tool.

*[[File:Phantom mirror.png]] [[File:Sack of spiders.png]] [[File:Box of beasts.png]] The [[phantom mirror]], [[sack of spiders]], and [[box of beasts]] each create allies, which is useless for Okawaru followers, but very useful otherwise.

==6* Weapon / Armour Gift==
By now you may or may not be at 6*, and have access to the Okawaru gifts. Previously, Okawaru would gift armour and weapons over time. As of [[0.31]] these have been replaced with a one time gift, though this gift if usually of good quality. You'll likely get [[artefact]]s, so here's what I find is most important:

'''Weapon''':
*The most important thing is to have no ''terrible'' properties. *Rage, *Slow, and *Silence are terrible.
*The second most important thing is base type, enchantment, and brand - things that are actually important to weapons. You want a [[broad axe]] with high enchantment. A +3 non-artefact broad axe is better than a +3 artefact broad axe {venom, Str+2}, since you can enchant the former to +9.
*The third most important thing are the side properties. Small strength/dexterity bonuses are not that important.
*If you already have an endgame broad axe, you might want an item with good resistances, even if it's useless as a weapon. E.g. if you already have [[Arga]], a +1 hand axe {rElec} is good because having rElec as an option is useful if you want to retreat.

'''Armour''':
*As above, the first most important thing is to not have terrible properties like *Rage.
*If there's a body armour with high defense, and you don't already have good body armour, pick the thing with the highest AC. Usually, the heavier. the better: highly enchanted plate armour, gold dragon scales, etc. are the dream. A +12 chain mail is better than a +1 gold dragon scales, though.
*If there's no body armour that offers a ''big'' improvement from what you have, pick:
**An auxiliary armour slot (boots, hat, shield etc.) with useful resistances and/or high enchantment. +1 boots {Will++} > +2 cloak of willpower > +4 boots {Str+1} > +2 plate armour. (If you don't have at least will+++ yet.)
**A highly enchanted [[tower shield]]. If there's a tower shield & aux slot, and both have useful resistances, prefer the shield (shields are harder to come by).

=S-Branches=
With Lair, Orc, and Dungeon done, the only place left to go is the Lair branches. They all start with the letter S, hence the name "S-Branch". Three of them will spawn in any particular game; use '''ctrl-o''' to see all of them.

To be honest, I'm not terribly sure about the order nowadays. It ''used'' to be Swamp first -> Snake/Spider -> Shoals last but then Swamp got buffed and Spider got buffed and Shoals is still hard as ever...

The order I'll suggest as of the current version is: Snake/Spider -> Swamp/Shoals, from first to last. This is completely arbitrary order, but this the order I'll list 'em in. '''Don't do Slime.'''

===Notes===
* An option you can do is to do the first 3 floors of a branch, then go to the other S-Branch branch. This isn't required, but the last floor of each branch contains a "rune [[vault]]", often harder than the rest of the branch.
* Don't underestimate the branch ''entrances'', either - entering can (potentially) be more difficult than the next 3 floors. You can enter with enemies on all sides of you, making the situation tricky. Not even the stairs up are always safe, since each branch has a way to pull you off stairs:
**'''Snake''' - [[List of nagas|Nagas]] and [[anaconda]]s in melee can [[constrict]] you, you need to escape constriction to move or climb back up. A [[scroll of blinking]] won't always get you out; it only counts as 2 escape attempts, and if one fails, the scroll is wasted. [[Teleport]] works as normal.
**'''Spider''' - [[Jumping spider]]s in melee can [[web]] you; you need to break out in order to move or attack. (Blink always gets you out, though.)
**'''Swamp''' - [[Swamp worm]]s can pull you off stairs, straight into unexplored territory.
**'''Shoals''' - [[Merfolk siren]]s can [[Mesmerise]], preventing you from moving away from it. Also, [[wind drake]]s can blow you off, and common merfolk can have [[net]]s (which work like webs).

==Snake==
[[Snake Pit|Snake]] is ''mostly'' generated like the Dungeon, though lacking in a few layouts. This means its the only Lair branch with ''hallways''. Savour that, because the rest of the game is lacking. Snake is filled with human-snakes (nagas, slower than average) and snake-snakes (faster). You can run away from the former but not the latter. Most nagas constrict you in melee, which prevents movement, reduces EV, and even has a chance to stop blink.

Recommended: rPois Rec. Swapouts: rF+, scarf of [[repulsion]], rElec

===Notable Threats===
*[[File:Guardian_serpent.png]] [[Guardian serpent]]s are easily the scariest enemy in the entire branch. Blinks enemies in ''its'' sight to surround you, which could suddenly teleport 6 monsters right next to you (they don't get to attack the turn they are teleported though). Even with Axes in your possesion, go all out with Throwing and Oka buffs, and all out with '''everything''' if you get surrounded.
*[[File:Nagaraja.png]] [[Nagaraja]] are the biggest naga. That's about it. Not terribly hard when you are buffed, though they can Haste and actually outrun you.
*[[File:Shock serpent.png]] [[Shock serpent]]s have fairly high electric damage, and hurt you if you attack when you are close enough. Attacking from >= 4 tiles away means you won't take discharge damage. Vulnerable to hex wands.
*[[File:Naga sharpshooter.png]] [[Naga sharpshooter]]s hit hard from afar. ~50 damage from full screen range, they can also shoot through monsters thanks to Portal Projectile. A single sharpshooter isn't tough once in melee (though, unlike centaurs, they can fire bows in melee), and you can also walk away. But a squad of sharpshooters can deal big damage if you aren't careful.
*[[File:Anaconda.png]] [[Anaconda]] are fast, and the only snake-snake with constriction. Not that tough for a well-armed Minotaur (different story for casters!) but can be annoying.

==Spider==
[[Spider's Nest|Spider]]'s layout generates much like the Lair proper; quite open, but not nearly as much as the watery branches, with many faux hallways around. Which you'll likely need to use, considering the massive swarm of spiders. Many (but not all) threats are weak to poison, and very few are immune to [[curare]] - this is the best place for those [[dart]]s and I would use them over boomerangs. Also most spiders can't see [[invisible]], so it's a good anti-swarm "emergency" button.

'''Recommended:''' rPois
 Rec. Swapouts: rC+(+), rCorr, rN+

===Notable Threats===
*[[File:Jorogumo.png]] [[Jorogumo]] are an uber-threat, an upgraded [[hornet]]. They have the same paralysis poison melee as hornets, but can trap you in [[web]]s and deal high damage (3d20) at range. These are not fair enemies!
*[[File:Ghost moth.png]] If you find an invisible thing in Spider, it's most likely a [[ghost moth]]. These things are ''nasty'' in melee combat and inflict [[stat drain]], which can cause the extremely detrimental [[stat zero]] if intelligence (or another stat) hits 0. They'll also drain your [[MP]] which prevents you from using god abilities. They also can't see invisible, for what it's worth.
*[[File:Entropy weaver.png]] Even with rCorr, an [[entropy weaver]]'s Corrosion stacks up very quickly. Not terrible to face in melee if you haven't been corroded much, but watch the status bar!
*[[File:Spark wasp.png]] [[Spark wasp]]s hit like a truck, especially without rElec, and can zap to go in front of/behind you instantly. They don't appear often outside of Spider:4's rune vault, though. Use [[wand]]s if you have the training for them.
*[[File:Moth of wrath.png]] [[Moths of wrath]] inflict the incredibly strong [[berserk]] status... on other monsters. Don't underestimate ''anything'' with it, even the weakest spiders can wreck house. Target moths of wrath with javelins, [[scroll of fear|fear]] them, or just get the hell away. Don't go in melee unless you are sure that no monsters will come in. They can also berserk you, and berserk prevents almost all item usage.
*[[File:Pharaoh ant.png]] [[Pharaoh ant]]s deal high melee damage without rN+, but are very frail. But if you kill the ant before other spiders, you'll create spider [[simulacrum]]. Simulacrum are extremely nasty without rC+.
*[[File:Radroach.png]] [[Radroach]]es' Irradiate hits hard and contaminates you. Mutations bad! Thankfully they won't Irradiate if another monster is next to them.
*[[File:Jumping spider.png]] [[Jumping spider]]s are not really threats on their own, but their melee attacks can trap you in a [[web]], preventing you from moving or going up stairs.
*[[File:Broodmother.png]] [[Broodmother]]s summon spiders constantly (inc. jumping spiders), so it's pretty easy to get swarmed. Not ''too'' difficult in a choke, but be prepared to teleport if things get hairy.

Finally, make sure you don't get swarmed! Getting swamped by the 'common' spiders is how you'll most often die here. A scroll of fear is effective against everything but pharaoh ants, simulacrum, and ghost moths. A scroll of poison is also effective against everything but pharaoh ants, simulacrum, ghost moths, and emperor scorpions.

==Swamp==
One of the scariest places in [[Swamp]], for me, is the entrance. [[Swamp worm]]s can yank you out of the entrance, immediately towards a swarm of monsters. Since there's only one entrance, if you go back up, you'll have to go down to said swarm of monsters. From Swamp:2, you'll have access to a long sought tool: 3 different downstairs.

Other than that, it's a very open branch. It has extremely few hallways, so open Axe combat and stair dancing are nice tools to have.

'''Recommended:''' Willpower+++, Flight
 Rec. Swapouts: rF+, rPois, rCorr

===Notable Threats===
*[[File:Fenstrider witch.png]] [[Fenstrider witch]]es inflict [[paralyse]]. What else is to say? (This paralysis checks [[willpower]])
*[[File:Shambling mangrove.png]] [[Shambling mangrove]]s constrict you from afar, which prevents movement. They also release hornets, which inflict paralyse. What else is to say?
*[[File:Swamp worm.png]] [[Swamp worm]]s pull you closer to them, which can also pull you next to a lot of other monsters. [[Tree Form]] prevents the pull (but also prevents you from moving at all). If you're pulled into a dangerous situation, ''treat that situation with respect''.
*[[File:Will-o-the-wisp.png]] [[File:Swamp dragon.png]] [[Will-o-the-wisp]]s fall easily to javelins/boomerangs, however, they hit fairly hard if you don't have rF+, though. [[Swamp dragon]]s hurt without rPois.
*[[File:Bunyip.png]] [[Bunyip]]s deal up to 120 damage in melee, before AC. Ouch, that really hurt! Their damage is done through 3 attacks.
*[[File:Hydra.png]] [[Hydra]]s still regrow heads, but now you should be noticeably stronger than in Lair. If this is your 2nd rune branch, you can easily plow them with Heroism even without Flaming (just not in a large group, and maybe with Finesse). With flaming, you shouldn't worry about them, except for their fast swim speed.

*[[File:the Lernaean hydra.png]] [[The Lernaean hydra]] is a 27-headed hydra that sometimes appears on Swamp:4. It can't see invisible and is frail enough to die to the holy HeroFinesse Javelin (so long as you start attacking when it's at full-screen range. The hydra's fast swim speed means that you can't run away - you gotta be ''prepared'' to take it on. Note that invisibility doesn't work if you are in water while not [[flying]].

==Shoals==
[[Shoals]] is even more open than the Swamp. There's no walls and not even trees, just deep water - as you should expect, most enemies can swim just fine in it. The challenge comes from a pelt of bullets, tridents, and [[net]]s with enemies that swim much faster than you.

'''Recommended:''' Will+++, Flight, [[repulsion]]

===Notable Threats===
*[[File:Merfolk javelineer.png]] [[Merfolk javelineer]]s fire javelins. Javelins ignore shields completely, so they'll hurt a lot.
*[[File:Water nymph.png]] [[Water nymph]]s have Waterstrike, which is basically the equivalent of 3 Smites, but it can only hit if you're in/on/above a water tile. They ''also'' have a 1-tile aura of water around them, which will cover up stairs if the nymph is adjacent. In addition, for some ungodly reason, they can teleport to any water tile in its sight.
*[[File:Wind drake.png]] [[Wind drake]]s can push you off the stairs and have Airstrike, which is almost as strong as Waterstrike, but can be used anywhere. Airstrike becomes weaker when you are adjacent to "filled" tiles (wall, monster, etc.), but that's very hard to take advantage of in Shoals.
*[[File:Merfolk aquamancer.png]] [[Merfolk aquamancer]]s have a 3d20 Primal Wave; ouch, that's even stronger than Waterstrike.
*[[File:Formless jellyfish.png]] [[Formless jellyfish]] have paralysis... you know the drill. It's only for 1 turn, but one turn paralysed next to a crowd of enemies can mean death. Oh, they also constrict.
*[[File:Satyr.png]] [[Satyr]]s have the [[Sleep]] spell; losing a turn to sleep isn't great when an army of [[faun]]s are shooting at you. They also hit moderately hard with their bow, roughly the same as naga marksmen, and they'll often come with a group of fauns.
*[[File:Alligator snapping turtle.png]] [[Alligator snapping turtle]]s are mostly tab checks; simple reaching dudes with high stats.
*[[File:Water elemental.png]] [[Water elemental]] can inflict Engulf, which prevents god abilities and scrolls. Not terrible by themselves - you can move a tile to end engulf.

A lot of the threat comes from the fast-swimming swarms of ranged foes (in an extremely open branch), not any one specific enemy. Multiple [[merfolk]] with tridents, with ranged [[faun]]s/javelineers and [[merfolk impaler]]s in the back, all suck to fight. They'll all hit you at once, while your axe can't because tridents can attack from behind enemies. Also [[merfolk siren]]s inflict [[Mesmerise]], which you need to teleport or break line of sight to end. This isn't to say that Shoals isn't hard, but its not complicated.

=The Lategame=
We're close. "Lategame" in this guide comprises of Vaults, Elf, Depths, and Slime, and getting the third or even fourth rune.

It's the midgame lull, but again. There's an increase in difficulty, but not as high as the S-branches. At this point, many characters will be decked out with equipment, piety is plentiful, and most characters end up being ahead of the "curve", in comparison to the earlier parts of the game. There's things that can kill you, but this happens more because of not paying attention rather than unfair RNG or monsters being tough. Descriptions from this section onwards are gonna get even more terse, at least until we get to Slime. Just watch if you health gets too low.

[[Elven Halls|Elf]] won't be covered here, mostly out of laziness than anything. Watch out for max damage roll elves, and use hallways.

==Vaults: 1-4==
Not much prose here. Don't enter Vaults:5 yet, which is surrounded by heaps of guards and endgame level monsters, especially as vault wardens can lock out the stairs up.

'''Recommended:''' Will+++, rC+, scarf of repulsion
 Rec. Swapouts: rElec, rF+

===Notable Threats===
*[[File:Vault warden.png]] [[Vault warden]]s lock staircases and doors, meaning you can't travel through them. They can die to javelins but aren't *that* frail. Mostly dangerous on the aforementioned Vaults:5, as teleport still works just fine (though might send you to unexplored floor, as usual).
*[[File:Ironbound frostheart.png]] [[Ironbound frostheart]]s hurt quite a lot; they target any tile adjacent (remember diagonals) to walls. Manageable with rC+/rC++, and manageable (on its own) without. A frostheart's presence makes corridors more dangerous, though.
*[[File:Ironbound thunderhulk.png]] [[Ironbound thunderhulk]] are similar to frosthearts, but with rElec, which is rarer to find a resistance for. Their special gimmick is that they can't hit you if you are 2 or fewer tiles away; it's otherwise a stronger version of smite/Waterstrike.
*[[File:Ironbound convoker.png]] [[Ironbound convoker]]s take 3 turns in order to bring in a pack of allies from another area. ''Warning'' - these monsters can attack immediately after being teleported. It can be stopped with a [[phial of floods]] or a [[scroll of silence]] or a wand of paralysis/polymorph. Alternatively, if the monsters are confined to a hallway, is mostly fine (just beware of frosthearts).
*[[File:Vault sentinel.png]] [[Vault sentinel]]s inflict [[Mark]], just like an [[alarm trap]] without the noise. Vaults is big enough where ''all'' monsters aren't likely to wake up and chase you, but it might get a bunch of them. Even Will+++ won't drop it to 1%.
* [[File:Crystal guardian.png]] [[Crystal guardian]]s inflict Fragile (+50% damage taken) and often come with dangerous enemies (namely [[peacekeeper]]s, which are not easy for a fresh V:1 character).
*[[File:Yaktaur captain.png]] [[Yaktaur]]s (and even [[centaur warrior]]s) aren't fun to approach. They are simply stronger centaurs, but without two of: a good shield / repulsion / reflection, they actually hurt quite a bit. Do what you would centaur.

==Depths==
Depths is the Dungeon, 2 (not to be confused with D:2). There's a lot of enemy variety, though many are just popcorn at this point. There's still things that can kill you

'''Recommended:''' Will+++, rF+, rC+
 Rec. Swapouts: rElec, rCorr

===Notable Threats===
*[[File:Alderking.png]] [[Alderking]]s can [[constrict]] you, then if you're in range 2, inflicts [[torment]] while healing themselves. Both abilities are big threats on their own, and together they make for a very threatening enemy. Lignification can make yourself immune to torment.
*[[File:Wyrmhole.png]] [[Wyrmhole]]s are strong enemies that inflict the hostile Tele status that teleports you near hostile monsters. This is very dangerous if it goes through; reading a [[scroll of teleport]] clears their Tele status.
*[[File:Caustic shrike.png]] [[Caustic shrike]]s are the killer bees (hornets, water mocassins) of Depths, coming in fast in swarms and just having really high stats. Bring rCorr as it stacks up really quickly, and hopefully fight them one at a time. As of 0.28, they can't see invisible, so use a potion of invisibility if need be. They also aren't resistant to poison, so a scroll of poison will work well.
*[[File:Juggernaut.png]] [[Juggernaut]]s move incredibly quickly, and hit (slowly) for a ton of damage per strike. Thankfully, they are still weak to [[curare]]. Curare + Heroism should be fine with heavy armour. Heroism + Finesse can also take them out.
*[[File:Walking crystal tome.png]] [[Walking crystal tome]]s summon spells that deal 3d40 ''each'', and it casts 2 spells at once. Block the spells with some mob or something and rush it down ASAP.
*[[File:Fire giant.png]] [[File:Frost giant.png]] [[File:Spark wasp.png]] These guys are mostly just resistance checks (rF for [[fire giant]], rC for [[frost giant]], rElec for [[spark wasp]]s). If you don't have 'em, they are still manageable if they are alone, even without Oka buffs, just surprisingly dangerous more than anything.

==Third (and Fourth?) Rune==
You need 3 runes to enter the [[Realm of Zot]]. We've already got two, so one more is required for entry. There are three realistic options for the third rune:

*[[Slime Pits|Slime]] is the ''most consistent'' of the 3 branches. It's reliant on one of a few "tricks" to beat [[the Royal Jelly]]. While TRJ is tough, most of Slime's challenge comes from the single TRJ encounter, which is much easier to prepare for than the other options.
*[[Vaults]]:5 is the ''most simple'' of the 3. It starts out hectic, but as soon as you can "stabilize" (i.e. get to a safe spot in the corner to regenerate safely in), then it becomes fine. Raw strength is rewarded here more, I feel. It's also the only third rune that happens to avoid any [[mutation]] risk.
*[[Abyss]] is the ''most RNG'' of the 3. Monsters spawn randomly, the rune spawns randomly. In recent versions, you'll know where the rune location is. On the plus side, it can often be one of the fastest runes, and once you're in the rune chamber, its fairly easy with spare scrolls of blinking and a few buff potions.

The other big factor is that both Slime and Vaults are loaded with treasure, while the Abyss has nothing. Treasure is often good, so this guide will cover both non-Abyss runes in greater detail. You may want to get both Slime and Vaults if you are confident you can do them both.

==Slime:1-4==
[[Slime Pits|Slime]]:1-4 is mostly set dressing. Slimes aren't worth much XP, and no items ever spawns. So when considering the large [[mutation]] threat, what most people do is dive floors 1-3 as soon as they kill all monsters in sight. Floor 4 is more important to clear; you'll want safe escape routes against the boss on Slime:5, so clear Slime:4 to make escaping from Slime:5 safer.

One of the most useful things to do is '''stay on the up stairs'''. Stairdancing works well, as the main threats are the masses of slimes and stacking corrosion. Both which won't matter if you can go up, kill 8 slimes, rest, and repeat. Watch out for the notable threats even more than usual, as they are specifically designed to make stairdancing not perfectly safe. Most aren't very common, though.

Slime is covered in acidic walls which will inflict [[corrosion]] if you stand on them. Note that the corrosion wears off the moment you step away from the wall. The branch also has plenty of separated areas, which can often be annoying (esp. on Slime:4).

'''Recommended:''' rCorr, Will+++(+), rC+

===Notable Threats===
*[[File:Shining eye.png]] [[Shining eye]]s inflict bad mutations on you. Kill them as quickly as humanly possible. Use silver javelins. Shining eyes can't inflict you if monsters are in the way, but javelins pierce just fine. You don't want bad mutations.
*[[File:Quicksilver ooze.png]] [[Quicksilver ooze]]s engulf you, preventing you from using scrolls and godly abilities if you don't move. Not a threat on your own, but losing blink scrolls as an option is incredibly scary if you're already close to dying.
*[[File:Rockslime.png]] [[Rockslime]]s trample you, just like [[elephant]]s and their ilk. They are also fast and not ''complete'' pushovers in melee (mostly a threat in groups). One of the higher priority to javelin before they get in melee. Keep in mind that you can't be moved if the rockslime would push you to a space already occupied by a monster.
*[[File:Glass eye.png]] [[Glass eye]]s inflict Fragile, which causes you to take +50% damage from everything (rounded down). Please watch out!
*[[File:Formless jellyfish.png]] I mentioned them in the Shoals section, but as [[formless jellyfish]] are an enemy that inflicts paralysis, be careful.

If you don't have Will+++(+) yet, watch out for [[golden eye]]s and their potentially permanent-[[confuse]].

These guys don't exist anymore, but since I forgot to mention them for about a year, they get their own section:
*[[File:Floating eye.png]] [[Floating eye]]s are a '''huge''' threat. Their gaze, in as little as 2 turns, can inflict [[paralysis]] regardless of willpower (ignoring line of fire). Thankfully, they have almost no HP, so javelins or wands of iceblast can take 'em out. I can't believe I didn't mention them until now.

==Slime:5==
The first thing you do in Slime:5 is go down the stairs - all three, if possible. Go around and kill everything at the outside, circle around said outside, and don't go in the building. If any stairs are unexplored, go up and clear them out. Avoid alarm traps if possible. Monsters can trigger them, but traps can't be sprung if you can't see them. If you do get marked, either run to the stairs or quaff a potion of cancellation, then teleport.

If you see the Royal Jelly, run to the stairs or teleport. Most 'dangerous' slimes and TRJ are fast, with the bossman being as quick as a hasted player. Clear the entire outside safely, then we'll go on to the boss.

===Notable Threat===
[[File:The Royal Jelly.png]] [[The Royal Jelly]] (TRJ) is the boss of this infernal place. TRJ is fast, quite tanky, but most importantly, spawns high level jellies, worth no XP, whenever it gets hit. This is quickly overwhelming if you just tab into TRJ... so don't do that. TRJ itself won't go up the stairs, but any spawned slimes will. Killing the big slime is practically required to get the rune and everything else inside the central chambers. TRJ is vulnerable to silver.

===Immolation Torment Javelins===
This is a strategy that most characters can do (javelins can be replaced by other types of ranged attack).

'''Required:''' Potion of haste, potion of lignification, scroll of immolation, scroll of torment, a piercing/AOE ranged attack

# Have TRJ at the edge of your LOS, and you stay on the stairs. You can shout to do this
# Quaff a [[potion of haste]].
# Quaff a [[potion of lignification]] to make yourself immune to torment.
# Read a [[scroll of torment]], halving TRJ's HP and spawning slimes.
# Read a [[scroll of immolation]].
# Use torment and piercing or AOE ranged attacks ([[javelin]]s, [[lightning rod]], etc.) to finish
# Quaff a [[potion of cancellation]], then escape the scene of the crime.

===Corridor fighting===
Corridor fighting was the classic way for melee characters to beat TRJ. In modern versions ([[0.31]]+) the layout may not have suitable corridors available, so it's not dependable, but it could help.

#Stay near a corridor and have TRJ come.
#Quaff a [[potion of haste]], [[potion of might]], and use Oka buffs.
#Lure TRJ to a spot where you won't be surrounded too badly.
#FIGHT. Teleport out once TRJ dies, then clean up the mess.

You could previously use [[throwing net]]s to make this easier, but you can't any more

See [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJEG5Y2EEck&t=10800s here] (3:00:00) for an (old) video demonstration.

==Vaults:5==
Immediately upon entering Vaults:5, you will be attacked by two dozen [[vault guard]]s. Resist the urge to immolate them to bits, because they aren't the real threat. However, don't forget to buff up before entering; Heroism+Finesse should be enough, and you'll want Might and maybe Haste during your first entry in case scary things appear.

===Notable Threats===
*[[File:Vault warden.png]] [[Vault warden]]s are the main deterrent torwads mindlessly stairdancing; they lock the stairs. A primary target to javelin out. Note that wardens won't retroactively lock the stairs; if you already hit the command to go up, it can't interrupt.
*[[File:Tentacled monstrosity.png]] The same can't be said for a [[tentacled monstrosity]], who will constrict you if it gets into melee range (even as you are going up the stairs).
*[[File:Ancient lich.png]] [[Ancient lich]]es are the biggest "raw" threat in the Vaults. While they normally aren't too threatening once you get into melee, you always have to beware of sudden 100+ damage spikes. Hasted liches should be treated with the utmost caution. A [[scroll of silence]] is the strongest button against them, but that limits your own options too.
*[[File:Quicksilver dragon.png]] [[Quicksilver dragon]]s end buffs, including Tele(port), but not including Heroism or Finesse. Super dangerous if you rely on said buffs.

===The Strategy===
One strategy: every time there are a few monsters next to you, go up the stairs, which brings up to 8 guards at a time. Do this over and over to stairdance them. There is a major threat that ''prevents'' this from working (hint: [[vault warden]]s), which you should have javelins for, but this is the basic strategy involved. Rebuff yourself with Okawaru abilities the first few times you go down, at least until the initial entrance party (guards + first set of monsters that wander in) ends. If you can't go up the stair use the other strategy.

The alternate strategy relies on getting to a random location, either with a [[scroll of teleport]] or [[escape hatch]], then continuously teleport until you can reach one of the corners, after which you can plow through enemies. Highly recommended to buff up before entering. You'll want to start teleports way early, when things are getting too crowded. Once you can rest safely in a corner, Vaults:5 becomes much easier.

Thanks to the random placement and types of monsters, there isn't as strict of a process like there is for TRJ.

=The Final Stretch: Zot & the Orb Run=
With 3-4 runes in tow, the final challenge awaits. As long as you're in [[Realm of Zot]], teleports from the scroll will take longer to kick in (minimum 8 turns).

Recommended: rF++(+), rElec, Will+++(+)

===Notable Threats===
*[[File:Quicksilver dragon.png]] [[File:Purple draconian.png]] [[Quicksilver dragon]]s still have quicksilver bolt! And now [[purple draconian]]s do, too.
*[[File:Draconian shifter.png]] [[Draconian shifter]]s have Blink Allies Encircling, which will ''immediately'' surround you with up to 8 allies in its sight, which ranges from scary to a two-turn death. On the plus side, draconians can't see invisible, so if you're surrounded by just mostly them then just drink a potion. Just remember that they are also purple draconians.
*[[File:Moth of wrath.png]] A [[Moth of wrath]] can inflict [[berserk]]. You don't want berserk [[gold dragon]]s.
*[[File:Death cob.png]] Death cobs are extremely fast and will slow you. They aren't strong at all for a Zot enemy, but the slow can be extremely annoying. Thankfully, they also can't see invisible.
*[[File:Curse toe.png]] [[Curse toe]]s inflict torment. [[Potion of lignification]] will make you immune to torment, but at this stage, will likely lower your raw defenses. Another "make situations dangerous if other things are nearby". Having some torment-vulnerable enemies in sight makes it less likely for the toe to use torment.

*[[File:Orb of fire.png]] The infamous [[orb of fire]] deserves its reputation. Will be covered in Zot:5.

==Zot:5==
The final stretch of the final challenge. Zot:5 contains the "lungs", which can easily be identified by the surrounding stone walls. Explore everything outside the lungs first. Before charging the lungs, if you have spare digging wands, you can create hallways near the lungs.

There are two lungs, and two, tight hallways in each lung, Clear the middle out first, and make sure that nothing is on the "edge" of each side. You may want to stand just outside the lungs and use a scroll of noise.

Not advised: You may want to set off an alarm trap (if available), use a haste potion, run to a pre-set hallway, buff up, then javelin your way to victory. This might be required if both lungs are "trapped". As orbs of fire can pierce each other, you are going to need rF+++ (after using potion of resistance) for this to be remotely sane, instead of absolutely insane. Best to have an escape plan here!

===Notable Threats===
*[[File:Orb of fire.png]] The [[orb of fire]] is the final enemy. Go all out on them, have rF++(+), Okawaru buffs, Heroism+Finesse+Might. They have tons of health, deal tons of fire damage, and mutate you. Watch out for berserkitis and -Scroll while mid combat. Vulnerable to silver.
*[[File:Ancient lich.png]] An [[ancient lich]] can deal 140+ damage per turn on a max roll. Antimagic (only antimagic broad axes should be considered) and silence work well on them, and they aren't too too bad on an "average" combat roll, but don't fight one with another enemy without Okawaru buffs + Haste. Don't silence unless you are 1. sure that you are alone, having lured the lich out or 2. have Hero+Finesse already up and a potion of cancellation ready.
*[[File:Dread lich.png]] Don't let anything that torments you on the screen. Use fog, silence, potentially throwing to kill dread liches ASAP (but after OOFs). Also watch out for paralysis - Will++++ is required to fully resist it. Duel if it gets too scary.
*[[File:Killer Klown.png]] [[Killer Klown]]s Throw Klown Pie can be brutal; it can inflict both Silence and -Potion, limiting your escape options. But they aren't too scary on their own. Use Duel, scroll of blinking, or at least Fog if there's an orb or lich nearby. Vulnerable to silver.
*[[File:Orb guardian.png]] Not much of a threat on their own, [[orb guardian]]s are standard fast melee enemies that become a threat due to their high numbers, and extremely powerful when berserked.

See the [[Zot:5]] page for more info.

===What to do if teleported inside the lungs===
Assuming you're in danger (''any'' monster in sight):

*Haste. Okawaru buffs if there's only a few monsters (1-3 monsters, no orbs of fire).
*If there is a teleport trap in vicinity, you're probably gonna want to use a blink scroll (or just walk to it).
*Get to an edge as quickly as you can.
*If there's only a few monsters, you can start throwing.
*Use Duel if you need to regenerate.
*Use Haste (if not already up) -> Teleport -> Fog when you have no other option. When teleporting, go all out on buffs, then either fight or spam Curing/Heal Wounds (as appropriate).
Prevent monsters from stepping on [[dispersal trap]]s and [[Zot trap]]s as much as possible. Even if the monster steps on the trap, you get hurt. If the trap isn't in your LOS then monsters can't activate it.

===What to do if the lungs are trapped===
'''Not relevant as of [[0.33]] as one lung will always be clear of traps, but worth keeping for historic purposes'''

Lungs are considered trapped if you can't get through them without going over a trap. This covers traps, going in order of "least worst trap to worst trap".

If both lungs are trapped, and one lung just has an alarm trap, you should: activate the trap -> potion of cancellation -> haste -> run. Or you can do what I outlined above; activate the trap -> haste -> run to/dig out a hallway -> buff -> fight.

If both lungs are trapped, and one lung has dispersal/net traps, it's probably best to: 1. lure out monsters with multiple uses of scroll of noise, kill them and then 2. run over the trap. Dispersal should send you to the other side eventually, while you can break out of the net trap. You're gonna need a scroll of blinking to get out reliably.

If both lungs have teleport/Zot traps, then you're out of luck. Teleport doesn't hurt you when monsters step on it. Lure monsters in and hope for the best; just don't let monsters step on Zot traps. It may be wise to use scrolls of blinking to get in.

It's ''definitely'' better to use the alarm trap trick than to go in on a double-trapped Zot, assuming you have access to one. It may be necessary to go to the [[Crypt]] or grind the [[Abyss]] for XP at this point. To be truly optimal in this situation, aim for casting [[Blink]] and/or [[Passage of Golubria]] in whatever armour you're wearing, so train Translocations + Armour + Shields.

==Orb Run==
[[File:Orb of Zot.png]]

Once you've cleared Zot:5, get the orb and get out of here! Enemies of midgame to endgame quality will spawn everywhere throughout the Dungeon. Use '''G D 0''' for autotravel to find the fastest route up. This doesn't take into account places that you can dig to. If you need to leave the floor immediately (as a monster spawns), use '''x <''' to locate the closest upstairs.

Don't fight anything that you can outrun (without items). Scrolls of blinking and haste are your best friends. Use throwing nets. This works well on most of the demonic enemies you fight, prioritize demons that can torment you. If you need to regenerate, do it on an upstairs (before going up), and use a [[potion of ambrosia]].

Once you've reached the exit on D:1, go up and win the game. If you were planning on getting more runes, then you should've thought about that before grabbing the Orb!

==Conclusion==
So that's it, for now. Hopefully this is enough to learn the fundamentals and get past the early-game of DCSS.

The rest of this article will be me rambling about various things related to this guide.

===Scope of the guide===
This guide covers the following:
*Basic advice on game systems, such as identification and the value of stairs
*Broad strategy: what skills you should train, what equipment you should use, which god to go for
*What places to go to, and in which order
*What enemies are likely to be "threats" - i.e., what enemies you should be especially careful around

This guide does ''not'' cover the following:
*How to treat combat encounters
*Identifying when you're in danger
*What to do in an emergency situation / what to do when you need to escape

99% of the game is combat, so learning "how to treat combat encounters" and "how to escape from a combat gone wrong" is really important. Unfortunately, I'm not a great guide writer, so I don't really have much to say about those things. So it's entirely ok if you read this guide, then fail to win over and over - I didn't teach you anything about how to fight! I'll leave learning that up to you - or you can learn it through DCSS playthrough videos, or through other guides.

===MiFi vs MiBe===
[[Berserker]]s starts the game worshipping [[Trog]], though their starting gear is a bit worse than Fighter (note: you'll often equalize in gear within the first 10 floors). Minotaur Berserker is nearly as popular as Minotaur Fighter, last I checked.

When I wrote this guide, I felt that Minotaur Fighter was easier than Minotaur Berserker as a whole. Since then, Okawaru has been nerfed twice. First, all the abilities became more expensive in piety. Second, the amount of Throwing gifts has been lowered severely. Therefore, the comparison isn't as clear.

At my current skill level, I prefer MiBe over MiFi for two main reasons:

#[[Willpower]]. The ability, 'Trog's Hand' gives Will++. Willpower is super super absurdly important to avoid [[paralysis]], since paralysis can instantly kill you from any amount of HP.
#MiBe is stronger in the early Dungeon. Berserkers start with the Berserk ability from turn 1, which is very important since the early Dungeon is the most RNG-heavy portion of the game. Even a MiFi can lose to the first enemy you see, if you get sufficiently unlucky. Berserkers are much less likely to die like that, since Berserk gives you so much power.

However, new players shouldn't really worry about these things. As a new player, you're more likely to die by making a mistake than by particularly bad RNG. If you want my opinion: MiBe is stronger in the early game, MiFi^Oka is stronger in the mid game onwards.

===Playing Non-Minotaurs===
If you feel 'burnt out' on MiFi playthroughs, you might want to try something else. Obviously, this guide is focused on Minotaur playthroughs, but much of the info is useful to any character. Minotaur or not, Sigmund is still a huge threat. Minotaur or not, the identification game is the same, the order you should go through branches is (generally) the same, and so on.

===Other Gods===
Other gods are fine with MiFi if you don't wanna do Oka.

For optimal play, tend to prefer earlier altars and [[faded altar]]s unless there's a chance to get a god that actively harms you (Chei, Xom, Jiyva, Beogh, Qazlal), or if the early game benefits aren't good; the three magic gods aren't good for Minotaurs either. If you want raw variety you can just pick the first god you see.

Here's a bunch of gods that I personally like:
* [[Gozag]] = god of gold. Lots of Potion Petition, a random but strong and cheap ability. Bribe Branch also clears Zot:5.
* "Generically strong for most characters" group: Consisting of [[Ash]], [[Hep]], [[Ru]], and Gozag, they're all very good, I like Gozag the most.
* [[Fedhas]] focuses on summoning stationary plants. Early game is weak. Has a strong mid-Dungeon onward game due to the 3* Ballistomycete having a very high confuse chance, and confuse stops all abilities, also the 2* ability can block the Paralysis/Banish spells, and stop you from being push/pulled.
* [[Zin]] is a "winmore" defensive god. MiFi is great in the power curve all game, and Zin provides defensive abilities to defend against the worst of situations.
* [[Trog]] is good for melee of all types, although you'll be better off starting as a Berserker than using an altar.

[[Category:Character_guides]]

H's Minotaur Fighter Guide

2026-05-10T19:47:16Z

Hordes: /* Notable Threats */

{{version033}}
{{Advice}}
So you want to win at Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup for the first time? This guide is for you, covering a great beginner combo: [[Minotaur]] [[Fighter]] (MiFi). This isn't going to be trivial optimal, there are some things in the guide that should not be followed all the time. But I will aim to guide you through a simple combo with a simple and consistent path to success.

'''This guide is updated to [[0.33]] (Nov. 2025).''' Note that it was originally written for an earlier version of the game ([[0.28]]), so there may be an inaccuracy here or there.

I'll assume that you know the very basics of the game. If not, view the [[Tutorial]], whenever ingame or via the wiki. For a very brief description: Use lowercase i to view your items, you'll get a lot of them soon. Use the numpad or click around to move. Move into monsters to attack them, and hopefully you won't die. There's a lot of shortcuts and a lot of things that you may or may not use. Use '''?''' then '''?''' to view all commands. All commands in the game are case sensitive. Also check out the table of contents on the right for each subsection of this guide.
{| style="float: right;"
| __TOC__
|}

===Main Menu===
The absolute first thing you'll see is the character select screen. This is a Minotaur Fighter guide. So pick Minotaur, then click Fighter. Both should be just about the first options in the class selection screen. Then, pick the War Axe. Finally, if you're playing offline, you can choose your name. I'll cover these choices (except name) in the section below; feel free to skip it if you wanna head right in to the Dungeon.

== Specs ==
* [[File:Minotaur_(monster).png]] [[Minotaur]] - Minotaurs are 7/10 on the "monstrousness" scale, an ancient classification that's only really surpassed by the Troll and the occasional Demonspawn. And it's true: they are absolutely monstrous at physical combat and absolute dumbasses at magic. Minotaurs have high HP and are incredibly proficient at anything resembling a blunt stick, with the best skill set in the entire game.

: Minotaurs might be monstrous, but they aren't **that** special, they aren't a wacky species like [[Octopode]]. Their main sticking point is... their horns. So powerful are these horns that you can go through [https://old.reddit.com/r/dcss/comments/lsjet8/is_it_possible_to_win_the_game_by_repeatedly ''an entire game''] with ''just'' the headbutt (on an older version). Minotaurs uniquely make horn ''counterattacks'' - regular species can mutate horns, and make headbutts when attacking, but only Minotaurs can counter. The counter starts at 20% and increases as you level; the effect really is strong.

: Horns prevent the use of certain forms of headgear. This was a massive contention point 10 years ago, where the unfortunate removal of [[Mountain Dwarf]] left the helmetless Minotaur in their stead. Minos can still wear Hats, which have a better enchantment pool, anyway. Just beware that if your horns ever grow larger (via [[mutation]]), then you won't even have that. That's about it in terms of gimmicks: just horns and stats.

* [[File:buckler_1.png]] [[Fighter]] - Fighter is a very generic class, most similar to a "Warrior" (or the [https://nethackwiki.com/wiki/Valkyrie Valkyrie] of NetHack). It's the first class on the menu, and for good reason. Fighters start with a 'good' weapon (we're picking [[war axe]], more on that in a bit), [[scale mail]] for armor (easily the heaviest armor within starting kits, but becomes trash not even 10 floors in), and a [[buckler]] (actually quite good, but you'll want a heavier shield eventually).

:The main selling point really is the buckler. Like all shields, bucklers restrict two-handed weapons, and - being a small shield- only slightly decreases weapon speed. But SH secretly comprises a large amount of your defense. I say secret, but the devs caught on, and nerfed them twice in a row... but shields are still a great choice. Fighter serves to give you a headstart in combat potential, guaranteeing that you won't be stuck in a robe and handaxe for a hot second.

: Fighters also start with a [[potion of might]]. This single-use item gives an extra 1d10 damage per melee hit (including horns!) for a fairly long, but limited, time. Use it against tough enemies. Use it early against tough enemies.

* [[File:war_axe1.png]] [[Axes]] - "I suggest an axe (axes are fun)" - Linley Herzell, ''quickstart.md''.

: Axes have the unique ability to [[cleave]]: every time you swing, you'll hit every adjacent enemy for 70% damage (and the main target for full damage). Why this has never been touched upon in cleaving's 8 year existence is simply unknown to me. Over the years, there has been a [https://github.com/crawl/crawl/commit/2393aa775744b497af0f2cf47ec8ddc002a0511e single nerf to a single axe that was reverted in the following update]. Perhaps the main reason is that you shouldn't be fighting multiple enemies at once in the first place! A player with full control will fight enemies one at a time, Axe or not. "Full control" is the keyword here, though. There's many times where the game will yoink you straight out of nowhere with a teleport or shaft trap, or a [[guardian serpent]] instantly teleports 4 allies surrounding you. Axes are insurance against these types of situations. In short: fighting 4 surrounding enemies at once isn't optimal, but an axe is great when you have to do so.

: Notes: Axes are useful against invisible opponents; you can attack with '''ctrl-direction''' and still attack pesky [[unseen horror]]s. Axes also cut [[hydra]] heads, a single enemy which this guide will plan for later.

All these traits make MiFi^Axes quite the meme throughout the DCSS community, only surpassed by MiBe ([[Minotaur]] [[Berserker]]). The reason we aren't playing MiBe? Because I said so. MiBe is more consistent and ''much'' stronger in the early game, but MiFi opens up god choice for a more relaxed mid-/late-game.

=Dungeon:1=
[[File:Dungeon exit.png]]

Alright, we're actually in the game! Or so you think. Before you even start moving, hit '''m''' to access the skill menu. Switch from automatic to manual (if it isn't so already). You can still win the game with automatic skilling, but we can do better. Plus, this won't take much micromanagement.

Fighting, Axes, Armor, and Shields should be the skills trained right now. Keep ''everything'' else off. Press the Axes button again to focus it (shows as * instead of +). Now press '''=''' in the skill menu in order to turn on skill target. Select Axes and put a target of 18. Don't touch any of these skills for the rest of the game, don't turn on any skill unless explicitly mentioned otherwise, and you should be golden.

This is, again, not the truly optimal way to spread skill XP. But it works - Minotaur strength should easily compensate.

==Dungeon:1 (for real)==
Alright, you're actually in the game! You'll start in one of many carefully crafted entrance [[vault]]s. Which specific room you get is random, but they were all manually created by some person. Take note of any suspiciously structured structures: they might get dangerous later.

Then, you want to start exploring. To ''optimally'' explore, don't do it in any ol' direction. Explore a bit, then go back and explore tiles that are closer to your starting position. You don't want to leave unknown territory "behind" on your retreat path, since there could be monsters there. When you're desperately running away, a monster could appear from unknown territory any moment, cut off your retreat, and end your Minotaurish dreams. (''This type of exploration is not required to win the game.'')

Take items. [[Potion]]s and [[Scroll]]s are your main consumables, and almost always have ''some'' use. Conveniently, these items will automatically be picked up if you walk on their tile (signified by the green border around them). Their names ('dark blue' potion, scroll of 'README'...) are always randomized, but consistent per item type per game. We'll get to [[H's_Minotaur_Fighter_Guide#Identification|Identification]] in about two floors' worth of writing. Every other item will be covered in the [[H's_Minotaur_Fighter_Guide#Items_and_Gear|Items and Gear]] section, about three floors from now.

And fight monsters. But before you do so, make sure to press '''x''' to enter examination mode, then press '''v''' on the monster in order to examine. If you're playing on Tiles, you can right click the monster instead of using xv. You'll want to make that a habit for any new monster you find, though this guide will point out the many especially scary threats.

Once you're done, ''don't charge at monsters right away''. You'll want to instead wait (with the s or . or numpad-5 keys) for the monster to go to you. This reveals less unexplored territory, which makes it less likely for a then-unrevealed monster to ambush or surround you. If you are especially careful, you should retreat towards known areas, preferably in a hallway, before waiting for the monster.

===Notable Threats===
* [[File:Gnoll_(monster).png]] [[Gnoll (monster)|Gnoll]]s are incredibly scary for D:1, even for a Minotaur. They are also an important lesson on weapons! On the wiki, it says that gnolls deal up to 6 damage - but this doesn't include weapon damage. On the examination screen, you'll see how much damage they do when including their weapon. A [[spear]] turns their 6 damage per hit into 12 damage, which is enough to 2-shot an XL 1 Minotaur.

: Keep in mind that monsters can use any special weapon properties that the player can. Monsters with axes can cleave, but more importantly, monsters with [[Polearms]] (spears, tridents, halberds) *can attack from 2 tiles away*. If you run at a spear gnoll, you can get attacked twice and immediately die. Thankfully, they can no longer spawn with halberds, on D:1 (but can spawn with 'em from D:2 onwards).

: Notice how I always say ''up to''. Monster damage distribution is not uniform; [[AC]] reduces damage, and you can always block or evade an attack. Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup, in true roguelike fashion, is a game centered about managing luck. While you may be willing to take a 1% risk now, taking a 1% risk 100 times should *not* end well for you.

: Regardless, gnolls are moderately tough monsters, they can easily take out non-Minotaur players. If you fight them at XL1, don't be afraid to drink that potion of might after 1 nasty hit. If you're a XL3 MiFi, a lone gnoll should be a fair fight. A note that gnolls on D:1 are using kiddie gloves! We'll get to that on the D:2 overview. And like a lot of threats in the future, gnolls are quite the rare enemy to find on D:1; the chances of actually having to deal with one are quite low.

* [[File:Quokka.png]] [[Quokka]]s are another lesson - this time in monster speed. Quokkas are fast (i.e. over 100% speed), meaning that they occasionally get 2 rounds for every 1 you have. This means that you can't run away, repositioning is harder. A quokka can deal up to 10 damage per turn (twice reduced by AC). But while they are annoyingly evasive, outside of some pretty bad luck rolls, quokkas aren't especially strong monsters. Assuming you're at full health, they are complete pushovers at XL 3 and still very manageable at XL 1.

: A trick with fast enemies is that, when they are two spaces away from you (1 tile gap), start walking away. With normal enemies, you can just wait and they'll use their turn to move, meaning you get the first strike. Fast enemies can double turn, so they can move -> hit if you just stay still. So by walking away, eventually they'll double turn in order to move twice, allowing you to get the first hit again.

* [[File:Jackal.png]] [[Jackal]]s are another fast enemy which often come in packs. A mob of jackals isn't a pretty fight, even with your axe. Their speed also makes it harder to get a good position. So if you see even one jackal, let it come to you, instead of you charging straight in. Jackal packs are brutal for mage type characters, but lone jackals should not be a threat to MiFi even at XL 1. A pack is easily fought if you can back up into a hallway, so that 4 jackals aren't biting you per turn.

==Tactics==
Tactics - that is, what you actually do when you encounter monsters - are extremely hard to describe in a text based format. What's said in quickstart.md is all pretty good advice:

* Never fight more than one monster if you can help it. Always back into a corridor so that they must fight you one-on-one.
* Remember to use projectiles before engaging monsters in close combat.
* Rest between encounters. The `s`, `.`, or delete commands make you rest for one turn, while pressing `5` or Shift-and-keypad-5 make you rest for a longer time (you will stop resting when fully healed or if you see a monster).
* Learn when to run away from things you can't handle - this is important! It is often wise to skip a dangerous level. But don't overdo this.

Other than that:

1. Don't approach melee enemies. If there is a 1-tile gap between you and a (not-fast) monster, wait so that you can get the first strike. As mentioned in the quokka entry, if the monster is fast, then you should be backing up, instead of just waiting.

Even from 7 tiles away, you technically shouldn't ever approach enemies, at least you shouldn't approach those without ranged attacks. You simply don't know what's in the darkness of fog - by moving forward, you could be revealing an extremely dangerous monster. It is best to wait and/or throw items at the monsters. The more studious might want to back up into completely known territory before getting a monster close. This also, ideally, will let you back into a hallway and fight enemies one at a time.

1B. If you are adjacent to an enemy, don't move unless you have a good reason. Every move you make when adjacent is a chance for an attack of opportunity.

2. For enemies with ranged attacks, you'll want to hide behind a corner or wall, if possiblem so that they have to approach you. Take this example:

..@.. --.-- .|.|. .|.|. .|M|.

In a situation like this, where a hallway opens up into a room, the @ symbol (the player) needs to move 2 tiles left or right in order to not be seen. That's "two tiles, aka 1 tile away from the diagonal, route" - this should work with most corners. A good portion of ranged monsters ([[centaur (monster)|centaurs]] in particular) won't fire their ranged weapons in melee.

[[File:Exclusion_zone_LOS.png|thumb|right|X's mark where you can see in a position (and conversely, where the enemy can see you)]]
You can visualize line of sight (monsters never attack outside LOS) by using exclusions. Use '''X''' to enter map mode, and then '''e''' to create an exclusion zone; the exclusions cover every tile that can see the selected tile, so you can see where line of sight is. You can use the exclusion command on the same tile again to clear the exclusions. You can also use '''X''' to enter map mode (if you've left it), then '''ctrl-e''' to clear all exclusions.

===Attacks of opportunity===
[[Attacks of opportunity]] are a very recent mechanic that you must be aware of, especially in the first few dungeon floors.

A 100% speed ("normal speed") monster can make 1 action per turn at base. If you look at the the monster description, and there's no <code>Speed: <X>%</code>, then it's 100% speed. But: if you move and there is an adjacent monster next to you, the monster can get a "free", instant attack and then proceed to move, breaking the 1 action per turn "rule". Any monster that is as fast or faster than you (players are 100% speed by default) can get a free attack.

This makes positioning pre-battle '''very''' important. Against melee enemies, it's often best to reposition to a hallway and/or staircase before being adjacent to the foe. Even if you only see a single enemy, more enemies could show up.

This discourages running in circles forever in order to regenerate health. If you heard about [[pillar dancing]] (running in circles forever in order to regenerate health), then forget about it. For our intents it does not exist. It still exists, but you gotta use [[summon]]s or play [[Spriggan]] to take advantage of it.

===Random Energy===
From [[0.31]] onward both attacks of opportunity and "[[random energy]]" exist at the same time. Random energy works a bit different from the past so I'll keep it short.

If you are moving away from a monster, ''and'' the monster would move towards you, sometimes the monster may get an extra turn, or lose a turn. If it loses a turn, it's likely for it to gain an extra turn later, and vice versa. Remember that as of the latest version, in order for random energy to apply, 1. you must move and 2. the enemy must move.

As mentioned before, if a monster is fast, then it can get extra turns even if you aren't moving.

===Note on Learning===
I won't go over many 'tactics' beyond this little subsection. However, tactics are a fundamental part of DCSS. If you only read this guide, I fear you'll be missing out on something.

It's pretty hard to learn tactics, in general... so I ''highly'' recommend watching videos of other players playing DCSS (there are many, many videos around). In many playthroughs, the commentator will explain their thought processes, allowing you to apply them to your own games. If all else, you can imprint their 'good player habits' by watching them play. You can search "Minotaur Berserker" on YouTube (there aren't many series for MiFi) and pick any of the top search results.

If you prefer a text guide, UV4 has a great website ([http://www.ultraviolent4.com/guide.html#General_Tactics link 1]) ([http://www.ultraviolent4.com/patashutactics.html#Fleeing_and_Rule_0 link 2]). It's a bit old, but they're good ''so long as you remember that you shouldn't move if an enemy is adjacent to you'' (i.e. no pillar dancing).

This is also the point where I mention autoexplore, pressed with the '''o''' key. The entire rest of the guide will assume that autoexplore does not exist because manual exploration is safer. However, in realistic terms, autoexplore saves a lot of time, and >50% of this game really is chaff. The game is nice enough that you can autoexplore and be mostly fine.

==Dungeon:2==
Dungeon 2 is generally safer than D:1 for one reason: it has [[stairs|upstairs]]. Three, in fact! The vast majority of floors in DCSS have 3 up- and down- stairs, excluding [[branch]] entrances (D:10 -> Lair:1 doesn't count as a stair). Anyways, going up to a cleared floor is a fairly safe and very powerful tool. While it takes 2.5 turns to do, only monsters that are directly adjacent to you can follow you up the stairs. And as descending down an "unknown" stair is fast, you have a one time out against bad spawn RNG.

As an extension of the previous floor's advice, try to explore near staircases; always have a fully explored route to them, visit each 'side' of every unexplored split. It'd be optimal to explore in a circle around each staircase. Don't be afraid to turn around and explore another direction completely, assuming you haven't found any monsters yet. Visiting all three staircases to optimize staircase tile distance is possible, but not risk free - it puts you at danger of encountering some incredibly dangerous monsters, and is also just unnecessary (except for really bad floor layouts).

If you see multiple monsters, you can use staircases to your advantage. When you go through a staircase, only monsters who ''start adjacent to you'' will follow you up. So, by going up a staircase with only a few monsters adjacent to you, you can split monsters up. Make sure the above floor is safe. Remember that going through a staircase ''takes 2.5 turns'', which makes this dangerous against powerful monsters. This is called [[stair dancing]].

Do NOT try and drag monsters into a staircase once you are in melee range. Monsters next to you will have a chance to get a free attack on every movement. Instead, drag enemies near staircases ''before'' they are adjacent to you. '''''Move before a monster is adjacent to you.'''''

Also, the rise of staircases now 'allow' us to start the identification minigame! That will be covered in the [[H's Minotaur Fighter Guide#Identification|Identification section]] below. But first, the notable threats:

===Notable Threats===

* [[File:adder.png]] [[Adder]]s are beefed up quokkas, with faster speed, better defenses, a stronger bite, but most notably, the ability to poison you. Poison stacks up really really quickly in this game, and weaker characters will soon find themselves with half their health gone just from the poison. A reminder that adders are fast: once they are right next to you, there is no option but to fight. If you see one right as you descend into D:2 for the first time, don't bother, just go back up. In truth, an XL 3 or even XL 2 Minotaur can probably take one down, but you never want to take a probability in a game like Crawl. And this is because Minotaurs are overpowered and have overpowered horns, not because adders are easy.

: If you are forced to fight one of these dudes at a low level, you'll probably want to drink that potion of might very early into the fight. I'm talking when you are poisoned to be below 70%ish HP (shown as yellow damage in the health bar, use % to check exact poison amount). If you still happen to be fighting an adder and are at critical health (<10 HP, not including poison), you should start blindly drinking potions. The most common potion is Curing, followed by Heal Wounds, so drink larger potion stacks first. But by the end of D:2 (XL5), adders should be no threat, barring extreme bouts of luck (We sometimes have to take the tiny chance. If we compensated for those, then we'd have no consumables to use.)

* [[File:Gnoll_(monster).png]] Gnolls unsheath their swords(? clubs? halberds.) from this floor onwards. While you can most likely handle one gnoll at this point, four polearm wielding gnolls striking you at once, when you can't even cleave, is not a fun time. Fight them one at a time, and if they have polearms, it'll take more than a simple hallway to deal with them.

: What worse is that they (on this floor onwards) can spawn with the incredibly fearsome [[throwing net]]. I'm not joking. Nets pin you in place, preventing you from moving or melee attacking, and reduce your EV to near zero until you break or teleport out. It's a risk to run away when a net-wielding gnoll is on screen - watch out for any gnolls with a purple outline. Even if you can fight a gnoll pack (you can win the fight at the end of D:2), you will not want to face a big meaty ogre while trapped in a net.

* [[File:Ribbon worm.png]] [[Ribbon worm]]s spit webs, which is equivalent to an ''infinite'' amount of throwing nets. This makes them extreme threats if you are near any other monsters. Even by themselves, these monsters aren't pushovers. Thankfully, they are slow, so you can run away.
:If the worm is 7 tiles away, the edge of your [[line of sight]], retreat is 100% safe. Yoor line of sight is 7 tiles long, and monsters can't attack outside *your* line of sight. So if the worm is 7 tiles away, and you step back, it is now 8 tiles away, and needs its turn to step back. Since it's slow, you'll gain distance over time.

* [[File:Orc_priest.png]] Run away. [[Orc priest|They]] aren't supposed to spawn here. You aren't ready. Regular orcs are fine enough, but multiple orcs might be a signal that a priest is nearby. Go down into D:3 if you have to. You aren't ready. They'll be covered in the next floor's threat list. If you happen to be next to one unscathed, they aren't that bad though? Might and swing away. Good luck getting past the orc horde first; orc priests are likely to be around other orcs.

* [[File:Sigmund.png]] [[Sigmund]] is one of the first possible [[unique]]s you can encounter (unique monsters, named monsters, guys-with-a-humany-name). While most of the other D:2 uniques (Jessica, Natasha, Robin, Terrence) are alright-ish as a MiFi, Sigmund's 1 damage hit (+13 from [[scythe]], a polearm) really adds up. What's worse is the ''funny'', which is Confusing you over and over so that you get pelted by Throw Flames while unable to do anything meaningful until you die. Do everything I said in the Orc Priest section and more. Unlike priests, Sigmund intentionally spawns this early.

:As mentioned in the ribbon worm section, if you encounter Sigmund and/or orc priests at the edge of LOS, retreat is generally safe. Unlike worms, Sigmund/orc priests move at the same speed as you. So they could get a [[random energy]] double-move and kill you. Still, keeping a monster at edge-of-LOS is ''generally'' safe; at least, much safer than fighting them.

===Stat Points===
On XP level 3 (XL3) and every 6 levels afterwards, you have a choice of stat points. Pick strength. Damage is good, and it helps with armour.

If you reach [[stat zero|0 in a stat]] you'll be [[slow]]ed (66% speed) until it's above 0 again. The only way for stats to be lowered as of [[0.33]] is through [[mutation]]s (the chance of muts dropping you from 5 -> 0 int is very low, plus you should avoid mutation anyway) or equipment items (voluntary), so you don't have to worry about raising INT. If you want peace of mind, you can raise INT 1 time in the mid/late game to avoid stat zero. I mention this because in previous versions INT drain was more common.

==Identification==
[[file:scroll_of_identify.png]]

Identification is one of the core gameplay elements of NetHack, but here in Stone Soup territory, it is greatly simplified. Recent versions will automatically ID all equipment (weapons, armour, rings) that you can wear, meaning the only things you actually need to find are [[potion]]s and [[scroll]]s.

The first way to identify items is to just use them. Both potions and scrolls are identified on use; it doesn't matter if the item actually did anything, it is still revealed. The other main way to ID is to use a [[scroll of identify|scroll of identification]]. But the scroll of identify is not itself identified, meaning blind consumption is required. Finally, certain rare locations may come with pre-identified items; [[potions of degeneration]] from an [[Ossuary]], as an example. This isn't reliable in the slightest.

Basically, you're gonna have to 'waste' items sooner or later. In order for your blind-use ID to actually be useful at the moment, try to read/quaff items that you have at least 2 of. This isn't required, but very helpful. It is also convenient, as the two most common potions (curing, heal wounds) and scrolls (identify, teleportation) are very useful items to have. Of these, read scrolls first. But don't do it immediately!

'''''Read scrolls (that you have 2+ of) on the upstairs leading to a cleared floor, when you can't see any enemies, preferably on an unexplored floor.'''''

'''''Addendum: If you read a [[scroll of butterflies]] or [[scroll of summoning|summoning]], followed by a [[scroll of immolation]], stop reading. Go up and down to clear the summons, then continue reading.'''''

The upstairs part is essential because of the teleport scroll; it teleports you just about anywhere on the floor, which could end up with you in dangerous situation without the safety of an upstairs. It's also helpful to have a retreat upward for the [[scroll of noise]], which might attract enemies. It is necessary for the above floor to be cleared, as teleporting next to the thing you've skipped an entire floor for isn't fun. The unexplored floor is not required, but gets the most benefit out of the [[scroll of revelation]].

In general, reading scrolls over potions is preferred. The [[scroll of blinking]] is the best escape item, first off. Many scrolls grant lasting boosts ([[scroll of brand weapon|brand weapon]], [[scroll of enchant armour|enchant armour]]...), none of them can permanently harm you, and the sheer fact that identify is in fact a scroll makes blind *reading* required. This is in contrast with potions, where only the rare [[potion of experience]] gives a permanent boost, the [[potion of mutation]] can give semi-permanent changes that can either help/hurt '''[Note 1]''', and the [[potion of degeneration]] requires XP in order to cure. Some players like to never blind quaff potions, but I will personally tell you to also drink potions that you have >=2 of. There's no stair requirement - just make sure that you are safe before doing so. If you are in a desperate situation, you don't even need that. '''Potions lean towards powerful temporary effects, and should be blind quaffed in dire need'''.

Once you have [[scrolls of identify]] available to use, use them to identify potions. This is for the same reasons said above; they are more likely to give powerful-but-temporary effects. The scroll of blinking is the only scroll really designed around emergencies that you won't have a ton of (like teleport or fog), so identifying other scrolls isn't as valuable.

It's also worth noting that some players like save their scrolls to read (either with the above identifying process, or reading every single scroll) on D:4 in hopes of getting revelation and finding the [[Temple]] fast. The Temple is very likely an important branch because it houses the many gods. But I'm putting this advice as a footnote for a reason, it's best to have items identified ASAP.

Finally, make sure to visit '''[[User:Hordes/Guide_Appendix#Appendix_1:_Potions_.26_Scrolls|Appendix 1: Potions & Scrolls]]''' ''not updated to latest version'' to see what these items actually do. It's not updated, though.

'''<nowiki>*</nowiki> [Note 1]''' The [[potion of mutation]] can give potentially ''game-ending'' [[bad mutations|terrible terrible mutation]]s (teleportitis, berserkitis, no unsafe scrolls). These three mutations far outweigh any possible good mutations you might get (which can actually be good), even though the potion favors good mutations. Thankfully, the likelihood of receiving one of those three mutations on a blind quaff, then the 2nd potion not removing one, is actually kinda low. More importantly, potions of mutation are our only source of curing mutations, so you really shouldn't gamble. If you still have one of the aforementioned badmuts, you might as well restart the game'''[Note 2]'''.

'''<nowiki>**</nowiki> [Note 2]''' Note that the game's still fairly playable, or at least that's what the devs think.

==Dungeon:3==

Dungeon:3 is a lot like Dungeon:2 in that you have stairs, the dungeon itself is generated similarly, and that there's a bunch of monsters. The same strategies above don't suddenly get worse.

===Notable Threats===

* [[file:orc_priest.png]] [[Orc priest]]s are still really scary. This is thanks to their AC-ignoring, never missing, 7-17 Smiting attack from ''anywhere from the screen''. Many monsters, like their fellow orc wizard, require a direct line of fire in order to hit you. Priests just need line of sight. While the Smiting attack won't happen every turn, and definitely won't max roll every turn, there's no explicit cooldown for it. You could get smitten multiple times if you try to charge in, or get smitten in the middle of an orc fight. Speaking of orcs: priests tend to spawn with a pack of other orcs. If you see other orcs, start backing up immediately and lure the minions away.

* [[file:orc_wizard.png]] [[Orc wizard]]s have the same spellset as Sigmund. Without the scythe, power, or durability, they are easier to manage. However, they can still confuse you, and if you get confused multiple times in a row, you're dead. It's best if you have a potion of curing on hand and identified before fighting one. It's kinda risky to fight hand to hand, but it's riski''er'' to run away unless you are already 7 tiles away. Like priests, they are also often found with other orcs.

* [[file:grinder.png]] Most [[unique]]s are extra powerful "boss" monsters. There is way too many to list, and most of them are designed to be challenging for your level. But you could always right click or '''x''' '''v''' to see what they do. [[Grinder]] is easily the scariest unique in D:3 due to the [[Paralyse]] spell, which reduces EV and SH to zero and makes you unable to do anything. This lasts for up to 5 turns (7 in earlier versions). Most uniques from this point forward are going to be omitted for brevity's sake.

==Items and Gear==
We (you) are a Minotaur Fighter, an axe wielding, shield using, heavy armor dude. There's really no need to stray away from that. [[Wyrmbane]]? Garbage. The big ass [[Frostbite]] axe? It's probably viable, but keep your shield on. [[Arga]]? That's the best one-handed axe in the entire game.

In all actuality, all of those mentioned items ''are'' good - and really unlikely to be found. But for the purposes for this guide, I'll ignore them. E.g., Wyrmbane is a good enough weapon to be worth switching to... but describing so many different cases in a guide is impossible. The main point is that a relatively luckless Minotaur can win with axes, so just stick to the axes for now.

===Equipment===
The [[broad axe]] is the only one-handed axe type that's bigger (and therefore better) than your starting war axe. All [[brand]]s (hand axe of [[venom]], war axe of [[freezing]]...) except [[chaos]] are better than none; brands are better than an unbranded-but-enchanted weapon. Pick up any [[flaming]] axes you find; flaming 2-handers are the one exception to the "wear a shield!" rule, but not yet.

Of hand axes, if you find one with a [[brand]] or a high enchant, it'll be better than a plain war axe. It's safe to swap to broad axe when you have at least 14 Axes skill, barring an amazing aretfact axe. In practice, you may want to switch at 10-12 Axes skill. Do not use enchant weapon/brand weapon scrolls on a war axe unless you are forced to (blind reading these scrolls forces you to, so you might as well). You shouldn't need it.

Wear the heaviest piece of armour you can. Minotaurs have enough Strength to wear anything comfortably. [[Plate armour]] is the heaviest of the "common" armours and are sometimes worn by monsters. Higher AC is better (you can check the '''i'''nventory for AC change), though avoid the ponderousness brand. Slow movement is not worth it, even with attacks of opportunity. Every piece of armour that is not body armour has absolutely no cost to wearing them: hats, gloves, cloaks, and boots are free AC. If you happen to get enchant armour scrolls, I would enchant in the order of boots -> gloves -> hats -> cloaks -> body, (this is in order of least-likely-to-be-replaced). Hats of willpower and cloaks of any resistance are pretty much best in slot, so don't be afraid to enchant those first. Shields are more arbitrary. I personally like to upgrade to a [[kite shield]] as soon as I see one, and swap to a [[tower shield]] at 15+ skill.

Please note that [[curse]]s, i.e. items that stick to you, have been removed. Equip items as much as you want, the game will warn you about the few things that are punishing to take off.

Keep in mind that weapons and rings take 0.5 turns to take off, but armour and amulets take 5 turns to take off.

===Artefacts===
[[Artefact]]s (or artifacts, which the game accepts as a spelling) are in white text. Cyan text artefacts are special artefacts with unique, predetermined properties. They aren't always ''better'', but they are special.

<nowiki>*</nowiki>Slow, *Rage, and *Silence are always a no go. Try to avoid having a vulnerability to an element; resistances from another item will cancel it out. Weapons that are not axes, and non-broad axes past like Lair/Orc are not worth considering. Body armour / weapons should have a decent +X too; equal or better than your current non-artefact gear. Keep stuff for resistances you might need, but take the things with the most power / best weapon brand otherwise. Armour with resistances and no terrible downsides (- Str/ - Slay, element vulnerability, *Rage...). are good. You don't need artefacts to win.

Also, don't take the [[obsidian axe]]. It's not my fault if you lose!

===Useables===
But there's more items than equipment slots! Let's go over a couple of great items that you can encounter. If you've missed an item anywhere in the dungeon, you can use '''ctrl-f''' to search for them. Potions and scrolls are in '''[[User:Hordes/Guide_Appendix#Appendix_1:_Potions_.26_Scrolls|Appendix 1: Potions & Scrolls]]''', as a reminder.

* [[file:stone.png]] [[file:boomerang_1.png]] Throwable items ('''[[stone]]s, [[boomerang]]s, [[javelin]]s''', in ascending order of strength) are easily obtainable ranged attacks. We're going to invest in throwing later (not yet!), but throwing stones at 0 skill is still better than nothing. Boomerangs and onwards are quite powerful items. Javelins are particularly busted because they have [[penetration]], and can pierce multiple enemies per throw. Axes might hit 8 enemies at once but you are also taking 8 monster's worth of damage. Javelins in a hallway can hit 7 enemies while you take only 1 monster's worth of damage. This is ridiculously strong, but you are limited in the amount of javelins you have.

: Keep in mind that throwing the two larger weapons unskilled takes over a single turn to fire, so don't throw if an enemy is 1 tile away. Pick up all throwables you might find. Except for stones, all throwables persist when thrown, but have a chance to [[mulch]] (disappear) for ever throw.

* [[file:poisoned_dart.png]] '''[[Darts|Poison dart]]s''' are suprisingly powerful for this stage of the game, assuming the enemy is not poison resistant. Being as accurate and more powerful than a stone, you might as well drop stones if you have a fair supply of darts. Poison darts remain useful up until Lair, and still useful against poison vulnerable enemies (like bees and spiders).

* [[file:curare-tipped_dart.png]] '''[[Curare|Curare darts]]''' are an order of magnitude stronger than poison. That's because of the Slow, reducing all action speed by 33%. You'll take 33% less damage from a slowed enemy, plus you can actually run away from them. In addition to slow, Curare deals a good chunk of damage at this stage of the game. Like normal poison darts, enemies with poison resistance are immune to all effects (watch out for enemies with rPois armour!).
: Even late game, many [[unique]]s and nasty threats are not resistant to poison (thus, vulnerable to curare). Unlike the other special darts (atropa, datura), curare will ''always'' apply its effect, as long as it hits and the target isn't rPois.

* [[file:Throwing_net.png]] Gnolls had them, but now you can use the power of '''[[throwing net]]s''' to your advantage. A netted enemy can't move from their tile, will often use their turn to break the next, have reduced EV, and are vulnerable to stabs (slightly more damage for you). They are actually quite rare, but very powerful (and quite accurate).

All of the above items are still throwables. But there's definitely other items available:

* [[file:wand_wood.png]] [[Wand]]s are quite strong and charges are somewhat common. I personally like to train a small amount of [[Evocations]] for them. But for the purposes of this guide, I don't think you need it.
**Wands of flame create a [[steam]] clouds when the shot passes over water. Perfect against [[electric eel]]s.
**Wands of iceblast / roots / warping (only one type spawns per game) each damage a 3x3 area and never miss. Iceblast deals raw damage. Roots pins enemies in place ''and'' lowers their EV to pitiful amounts for a time (though this doesn't last long as low Evo). Warping causes enemies to [[blink]] further away.
**Wands of charming / paralysis (again, only one type per game) can be used to hex an enemy. If their willpower check succeeds, it can solve a ton of situations. E.g. if you paralyse a [[unique]], it's basically dead. With charming, you can charm a monster, then '''t'''ell it to '''r'''etreat away, to escape from an encounter.
**Wands of acid / light / quicksilver (also only one type per game) deal high damage, pierce though enemies, and inflict strong debuffs, or remove buffs, for quicksilver.
**Wands of polymorph turn an enemy into one of three enemies, if the will check succeeds. Best used on weapon-wielding enemies, e.g. [[centaur (monster)|centaurs]].
**Wands of digging let you create corridors anywhere with ''rock'' (not stone/metal/crystal) walls. They can also create new paths if you really needed one. Super handy to fight enemies one-by-one, but also rare.

Yeah, those are the only other consumables left. How about jewellery?

* [[file:amulet_copper.png]] [[Amulet]]s are all pretty much beneficial with little/no downsides. The order for me is: reflection >= regeneration > faith > guardian spirit > acrobat. Regeneration and reflection are both great combat amulets. Faith ''punishes you if you take if off'' but increases godly favor while its on, so it's pretty good. Guardian spirit, acrobat, and magic regen are all minor buffs for our build but you might as well wear them.

* [[file:ring_copper.png]] [[Ring]]s are also universally beneficial, except for the [[ring of fire]] and [[ring of ice|ice]], which provide vulnerability to the other element. As rings are quick to swap, you can change them when you find a relevant enemy or enter a relevant branch. Rings of willpower, slaying, protection, and evasion are always useful and should be worn in that order, should you find more than two. Note that if you have Will++++ elsewhere, you don't need extra.

Note that artefacts (bright white text) may have negative properties.

==Dungeon:4 (& the Temple)==
Dungeon:4 is the same as Dungeon:3. The same stairs, a similar floor layout, and the same bunches of monsters. The one difference is the possibility for the Temple to spawn.

The [[Temple]] is a completely safe branch (unless you drag monsters into it) that is incredibly likely to spawn Temple Gods. Temple Gods are guaranteed to spawn once and only once either in the Temple, or between D:3 and D:10. It can hold nearly all the gods, or, very rarely, none. The point remains: the god that we want is likely to spawn there. The Temple itself can spawn in between D:4 and D:7, so some players like to read scrolls when entering D:4 in hopes of [[scroll of revelation|revelation]].

===Notable Threats===

* [[file:ogre_(monster).png]] [[Ogre_(monster)|Ogres]] wield [[giant club]]. That's up to 37 damage per turn, or 39 if it's spiked. Fortunately, they swing slowly. They can only get 1-2 attacks of opportunity before they lag behind. But if you can get 2-shot by an ogre, don't take that risk. They are also 10-speed enemies (same speed as you), so you can often run away.

* [[file:sleepcap.png]] [[Sleepcap]]s cause the [[sleep]] status on hit. This ''prevents you from moving'', lowers [[EV]] to near-0, and causes monsters to deal bonus melee damage. With the sleepcap alone, that's up to 32 dmg/round. (You wake up from sleep the turn after being hit). And imagine being slept next to an ogre! These are high tier threats, especially when around other monsters.

* [[file:phantom.png]] [[Phantom]]s have a load of resistances... resistance to weapon isn't one of them. But they are the sole monsters with the ''blink with'' attack flavour: when a phantom attacks you, you and the phantom will teleport to a random spot in the phantom's [[line of sight]]. One hit from a phantom could prevent you from moving up stairs, trap you between enemies, and/or send you to unexplored territory. Super dangerous in the wrong area! Outside of the blink effect, phantoms are moderately durable enemies.

* [[file:Bombardier beetle.png]] [[Bombardier beetle]]s aren't the biggest threat, but they are worth explaining. They have a ranged attack that sets you on Fire; the Fire wears off faster by moving around. However, they are slow enemies, so you can kite them with poison darts or run away if you have the space to retreat.

==Temple, Gods, and Okawaru==
[[file:Okawaru_altar.png]]

The god we will be picking is [[Okawaru]]. No other options here. Forget "pick gods that appear early", Minotaurs are technically strong enough to not need any help until D:10.

In all actuality, when you're good enough to consistently win the game, it's often more optimal to pick a ''competent'' god that appears early on than Okawaru that appear late. [[Faded altar]]s in particular can be a big power boost. But for the sake of the guide and new-player consistency, I will have to recommend Okawaru. Don't worry; Oka is a very simple, very powerful, and very synergistic god.

Okawaru is the god of honorable, physical combat. It rewards you with piety for killing enemies of high [[HD]] (monster level) compared to you. Piety is godly favor. You spend piety to use abilities which help you survive. Because of Okawaru's gimmick, your piety will rise somewhat faster than other "kill things for piety" gods(though easy monsters will scarcely provide any piety). Minotaurs have a -1 XP level aptitude, so there's a ''very'' slight synergy beyond meleelol. It's also convenient because tough enemies that you'd want to use abilities (which cost piety) for, will likely just give you the piety back.

Okawaru might demand honor, but has no grievance against stabbing, poison, or any evil robo-tricks. Oka instead demands that you fight without any allies. All summoning spells, some Necromancy, and certain items simply won't function. You won't ever be casting spells as a Minotaur!Heavy Armour, so the worst losses are various item options. In exchange, it will grant some powerful abilities, and gifts (throwing ammo. and later weapons and armour).

For now, all Okawaru does is limit your options. You can't even abandon it, as most gods are jealous and godly wrath is way too deadly to consider. Abilities will be covered as I unlock them, in the sections below. I obviously can't control for when you get enough piety, so scroll down or check Okawaru's page for more details. [[H%27s_Minotaur_Fighter_Guide#Heroism|Click for the next ability]].

==Dungeon:5 - Dungeon:7==

Alright, you get the drill.

===Notable Threats===
Note that depths are estimates (as usual) using their base depth, and can appear earlier or later.

* [[file:centaur_(monster).png]] [[Centaur_(monster)|Centaurs]] [D:5] are fast and shoot arrows from a distance. Fortunately, most monsters will not use a ranged weapon in melee, and centaurs don't usually have melee weapons. Hide behind a corner, charge the centaur, or use a scroll of fog (or scroll of butterflies) to close the gap.

* [[file:water_moccasin.png]] [[Water moccasin]]s [D:5] are beefier and slightly faster adders. You should hopefully have a potion of curing. And even without, a lone snake should not be a threat to a D:7 Minotaur.

* [[file:steam_dragon.png]] [[Steam dragon]]s [D:6] are the first dragons you'll come across. Their steam breath is actually quite painful, and they can attack from a distance. While it may not seem like it, the steam clouds will hurt you every turn. Thankfully, all dragons must catch their breath (-Breath) after a breath attack. Also, having [[fire resistance]] (rF+) will great reduces their breath damage (and make you immune to the steam clouds).

:You might as well include [[acid dragon]]s here, which are the same type of threat. Acid dragons are beefier and have a max-42 damage breath, and are resisted by rCorr instead of rF+.

* [[file:hornet.png]] [[Hornet]]s [D:7] are stupidly stupidly scary, fast, poisonous monsters. It's bad enough to fight hornets in an "average" battle, but what's worse is that they can paralyse - ''even with poison resistance''. Only poison immunity makes you fully immune to para. They can paralyse for 3 turns, and a hornet *alone* can deal up to 80 damage (+ poison) during that time.
:Thankfully they don't spawn up here very often... If you are forced to fight one, then use wands or curare (if possible) to take them out.

* [[file:killer_bee.png]] [[Killer bee]]s [D:7?], as well as hornets, really make me regret using all my super scary warning points on adders and quokkas. Killer bees move twice as fast as the player, come in large packs (not this early??), and are ''relentless'' in their poison.
:If you're in a hallway, they're alright''ish''. But they are fast, so it's hard to run to a hallway.
:Things that work great vs bees & hornets: [[wand]]s (charming in particular is great vs bees), [[potion of lignification]] (gives rPois and high AC)

==Heroism==
From my experience, you'll get Heroism 1-2 floors after gaining Okawaru. It's that quick.

Heroism is Okawaru's 1* ability. Using it gives +5 to all physical skills. Considering that you're likely at the 10's at this point, that's a 50% skill increase. Now, damage doesn't work like that, but Heroism is still quite strong. Your skills will be 4-5 ''levels'' ahead, which should (in theory) let you take on out of depth enemies 4-5 levels ahead of you.

''Use abilities early and often''. This is quite a difficult lesson to learn, but you need need ''need'' to respect it.

Recent changes in [[0.30]] have made Heroism around 300% more expensive, so you can't spam Heroism as nearly as you used to. But piety is a renewable resource, while potions and scrolls aren't.

===Skill Training===
When you get to 1* of piety, '''start training Invocations and set a skill target of 5'''. Heroism doesn't really require Invo training for a reasonable failure rate (~ 7% failure at 1* and 0 Invo), but it's very convenient because the next ability does warrant training. The skill also increases Heroism's duration to a more comfortable level.

After you get Invo to 5, '''start training Throwing and set a skill target of 5'''. It'll be important later.

[[H%27s_Minotaur_Fighter_Guide#Finesse|Click for the next ability, Finesse]].

==Dungeon:8 - Dungeon:11==
With Heroism (hopefully) in-tow, you've officially reached the midgame! With a fair supply of identified consumables, you growing stronger in a relative level, a godly ability, and the choice between Dungeon, Lair, and Orc, and you should be a lot more comfortable from this point forward. The famous quote is, "Once you've entered Lair, you've won the game", or something like that. Simply put, there's a lot more options to prevent bullshit from happening.

===Notable Threats===

* [[file:killer_bee.png]] [[file:hornet.png]] All the advice for these guys still applies, being perhaps more relevant here, where they are realistic to try and fight. Also killer bee packs.

* [[file:unseen_horror.png]] If you are attacked by an [[invisible]] monster out of nowhere (they usually have to cast the Invisibility spell first), it is most likely an [[unseen horror]]. They are incredibly fast (3 turns for your 1) but are batty, meaning they retreat after going in. Best to get in a hallway if you're fighting, and swing in place with ctrl-direction. They can't open doors and their battyness will cause them to retreat from stair-adjacency if you wait a turn or so.

* [[file:two-headed_ogre.png]] [[Two-headed ogre]]s [D:10] are ogres but double. They have two giant clubs and hit twice as hard. You can get two rounded. Otherwise, they are 10-speed (average speed) monsters with no special abilities or resistances.

==Finesse==
Okawaru's second ability, unlocked at 4*, is Finesse. It ''doubles'' your attack speed. It is absolutely nuts in theory. The only caveats are that it doesn't stack with [[haste]], and that its somewhat high piety cost. There isn't too much to say; use this early on dangerous monsters!

Once you've done training Throwing, '''train Invocations and set a skill target to 8'''.

[[H%27s_Minotaur_Fighter_Guide#Duel|Click for the next ability, Duel]].

==Why You Go to The Lair==
Or why to skip the late Dungeon! Or threat list (D:12 - D:13).

The [[Lair]]'s entrance spawns from D:8 to D:11. While the [[hydra]]s and [[cane toad]]s aren't that fun, it is often the safer option of the three (Lair, Orc, Dungeon). In Dungeon, there's a few very dangerous monsters that could appear. So you'll often want to ignore D:12 (and even D:11, if possible) until completing Lair.

* [[File:Occultist.png]] [[Occultist]]s know the [[Banish]] spell, which sends you to the deep dark [[Abyss]], where monsters way out of your league will continuously spawn, with no time to regen. You can use all your consumables there and still die. They are quite frail (as to be expected), but you never want to take this risk until you have to. Preferably you find Willpower+++ before fighting one, and throw your way to victory anyhow.

*[[File:Ogre_mage.png]] [[Ogre magi]] (singular: [[ogre mage]]) know the [[Paralyse]] spell. If you've read the hornet section, you know paralysis can be instant death. Since ogre magi often come with (two-headed) ogre brethren, it's even more likely to be fatal.

* [[File:Ugly_thing.png]] [[Ugly thing]]s are not that easy to face when first entering D:11, unless you have silver javelins already. It is the combination of damage and their slightly faster movement speed that makes them dangerous. If found in a pack, note that they'll waste turns mutating into different colours, meaning you can run away (though that does mean that there's a pack of ugly things you could re-encounter in an unfortunate situation).

* [[File:death_knight.png]] [[Death knight]]s come with [[freezing wraith]]s and [[wraith]]s (which [[Slow]] you), and the former actually hits really hard if you are not resistant to cold. Death knights themselves also have [[Agony]] to halve HP. They also come with [[phantasmal warrior]]s which make you more vulnerable to Agony in the first place (''and'' hit hard).

* [[File:skeletal_warrior.png]] [[Skeletal warrior]]s are just big stat sticks. They are melee only 10-speed tough guys, but even with Heroism + Finesse, they are tough to beat for a D:11 character. However if you complete Lair first, they aren't ''that'' difficult.

If you find Lair on D:8 or so, you still may want to clear the Dungeon up to D:10 (as an arbitrary stopping point).

==Lair of Beasts==
[[File:Lair entry.png]]

The [[Lair]] is a pretty homely place. Branch overviews are going to get a lot shorter, as branches themselves are shorter than the Dungeon proper, and you can fight the "hardest" enemies on the first level. You are getting more and more powerful compared to the game (not just because of MiFi being OP, but because of the general level curve, and because you have more scrolls/potions/god abilities). It's a 5 level branch (6 in earlier versions). Don't go into any of the Lair's sub-branches right now.

The Lair itself is much more open, with few of the distinctive hallways of the Dungeon. There are plenty of walls, though, and they are quite jagged. You can take advantage of diagonals in order to create faux hallways, and the animals are often too dumb to go around.

Lair has 3 sub-branches. There will be a poison-themed branch ([[Spider's Nest|Spider]] OR [[Snake]]) and a water-themed branch ([[Shoals]] OR [[Swamp]]), along with [[Slime Pits|Slime]]. Don't go to any of these yet, but keep note of where they are. Once you find them, you can autotravel with '''G'''.

Recommended: Poison resistance is helpful. Willpower, too.

===Notable Threats===
*[[File:hydra.png]] '''[[Hydra]]s''' are the big bad of any Axe playthrough, if a bit overhyped. Axes cleave, which also cleave hydra heads, which causes the hydra to grow two more in its place. They are ''actually very powerful against any melee player'' at this stage of the game, but with some luck you'll have a few tools for them:
**Run away: Unless they are camping the only staircase, you can simply not fight them. Hydras are 10-speed enemies while on land.
**[[Throwing]]: Even with 0 natural Throwing skill, Heroism boomerangs can take half or more of a Hydra's HP. Javelins hit 1.0 delay at 10 skill, so you should aim for 5 skill before Heroism. With 10 (post-Heroism) skill, even boomerangs will severely weaken hydras before they get to you. You can still throw at melee range, but if the hydra's not at red HP then don't take the risk of going in melee with a hydra. Make sure to always always have an escape route planned early!! If you are forced to take that risk, make sure to have Finesse up, as well. Reminder to train Throwing to 5.0 if you got javelins.
**[[Flaming]] weapon: Flaming cauterizes the wounds, meaning the hydra will lose heads and won't grow them back. Hydras with 6+ heads are still scary to fight so... I wouldn't, not until you've done a few floors of Lair. Reminder to use Heroism.
**[[Potion of lignification]]: Drink the potion, take off your weapon, and fight. This potion prevents you from moving or even teleporting, but with just Heroism, tree form can take out a lone hydra. Be extra careful of other monsters coming in!
You also want to keep note of their heads; hydras naturally spawn with 4-8 of them. An 8-headed hydra hits twice as much as a 4-headed one!

*[[File:Basilisk.png]] [[Basilisk]]s will [[Petrify]] you, which will lower EV and SH to zero and leave you helpless to monsters attacks. It takes a hot second to actually petrify, but you're slowed for the petrification process. Not too scary on their own, though imagine for a second, being helpless next to a hydra. A [[potion of cancellation]] will end Petrifying. [[Willpower]], if you have it, makes it less likely.

*[[File:dream_sheep.png]] [[file:torpor_snail.png]] [[Dream sheep]] and [[torpor snail]]s both have irresistible debuffs. Dream sheep put you to [[sleep]], which gives monsters a free turn on you. Torpor snails slow you.
** Dream Sheep have more chances to sleep you the more of them are in sight, and they are pack animals. Use a [[scroll of fog]] and walls to make absolutely sure to avoid sleep, and keep to the hallways so that you don't take too many hits.
** You can charm torpor snails to slow enemies, though they have very high willpower. [[Scroll of vulnerability]] helps. If you don't have charm, both polymorph and paralysis wands stop them from slowing.

*[[File:Cane_toad.png]] [[File:black_mamba.png]] [[Cane toad]]s are another fast, poisonous enemy. If you fight them right on hitting Lair:1, I would Heroism to make sure that you can actually fight one on one. Otherwise they aren't so much of a threat on their own. Same with [[black mamba]]s, though you usually fight them a bit later (and still use Heroism a little later). Much easier to fight with rPois, but it is not ''required'' per-se.

*[[File:Death_yak.png]] [[Death yak]]s are mostly a humbleness check to people mindlessly tabbing. They are standard melee threats, though with high willpower. Weak to curare and/or throwing blunt weapons, and please don't fight more than one at a time (use the stairs!).

*[[File:Skyshark.png]] [[Skyshark]]s are fast death yaks, which can get even stronger. If they hit you in a blood-filled form, they will gain [[might]], and then [[berserk]]. You really don't want to fight a berserk skyshark. If they haven't gone might/berserk yet, you can use a [[potion of lignification]] to counter them (trees don't have blood). Skysharks have somewhat low willpower, and not resistant to [[curare]].

*[[file:Catoblepas.png]] [[Catoblepas]] fire a piercing line of petrifying clouds. If you're standing on one and use your first turn moving away, then you will not get petrified. Beware of hallways! Animals will also walk into the petrifying clouds, making them easy pickings (the catoblepas itself is a fairly strong enemy).

On a final note, you might want to skip the last floor of the Lair. Every branch has a "[[vault]]" on the final floor which is usually more difficult than the proceeding floors. Vaults are nonrandomized structures, though which one(s) you get is random. This is not to be confused with [[the Vaults]] branch.

==Duel==
Duel is the last Okawaru ability, unlocked at 5*. It teleports you and 1 other monster, of sufficient threat, to Okawaru's special arena. There will be no other monsters, though your opponent can still [[summon]] allies.

As of the most recent version:
* It restores 1/2 missing HP and MP (so if you had 50/100 HP, Duel restored to 75/100 HP), but resets your HP/MP after you kill the enemy.
* After you kill the enemy, it instantly exits you from the arena. ''Any monsters you left behind will then get a turn to hit you.''
* It does ''not'' reset status conditions like Heroism, Finesse, potion buffs, or teleport.

Duel is relatively overpriced if you just use it in order to take out troublesome enemies - we already have javelins for that!

Instead, one of the best uses of Duel is to "pause" a dangerous situation for a few turns. Target a weaker enemy, spend a few "free" turns in the arena getting Hero + Finesse + Haste + Might up, then exit super powered. In addition, you can prepare a Teleport just before killing the enemy if needed.

Overall, Duel is very good for the extra time it gives you, just be careful of being hit on the way out.

[[H's Minotaur Fighter Guide#6* Weapon / Armour Gift|Click for the 6* "ability".]]

=Midgame Lull=
Once you have completed Lair, the game relaxes in difficulty for a while. The reason is that it ''used'' to be reasonable to complete Lair / D:15 / Orc in any order without issues. While the latter two have become harder since then, even now, the difference isn't that big. This means the other two branches will feel easy. You'll likely rack up 5* or even 6* of piety with Okawaru, which means you can use HeroFinesse more often, which means you are going to stock up on non-renewable consumables, in addition to Minotaur growths and the 6* equipment gifts.

You can do Dungeon or Orc in either order without it mattering too much. I'll recommend doing Dungeon first, simply because most things in the Dungeon are less scary than an orc sorcerer's Paralyse. (Note that Orc also has more loot.)

Recent updates were aimed at stopping the "entire-lategame-until-Zot-lull" (which experienced players did feel). Basically, don't get too comfortable with the ease of the next few branches. The [[rune]]-containing S-branches won't be as easy.

==Late Dungeon==
Beware of paralysis threats like ogre magi!

Recommended: [[Willpower]]+++ (if you have it), various resistance swapouts

===Notable Threats===
See [[H%27s_Minotaur_Fighter_Guide#Why You Go to The Lair|Why You Go to The Lair first]]. Other than that...
*[[File:Slime_creature.png]] [[Slime creature]]s are very weak on their own, if you've completed Lair. However, they are unique in that they merge in closed spaces, such as a hallway. A fully merged slime can deal over a hundred damage per hit. As Axes cleave, just get them in an open area, and maybe stair dance them up.

*[[File:Vaults_entry.png]] On D:13-D:14, you'll find the entrance to [[the Vaults]]. There's normally a bunch of scarier-than-normal enemies there, which are mostly deadly because they're so concentrated. With proper luring and awareness of escape routes/options, it shouldn't be too difficult. You can't enter the Vaults until you have at least one [[rune]], which by then you should be ready to go in.

*[[File:Depths_entry.png]] On D:15, you'll find the entrance to [[the Depths]]. There's one or multiple out of ''depth'' enemies, like a [[fire giant]]. No need to clear if its too frightening. Don't enter Depths yet - it is one of the last branches you should be entering, unless you're doing the ''Lord of Darkness'' challenge.

==Orcish Mines==
[[File:Orc entry.png]]

[[Orc]] spawns from D:9 to D:12. Even though there'll be a lot of plain [[orc]]s, very easy at this point, you'll want to do Lair first. Many of the threats (in the usual place, below) are tougher than what the Lair has in store, and also have ranged attacks.

Orc is incredibly open (less walls than Lair), leaving you vulnerable to the [[orc priest]]s and other ranged attacks in stow. If you haven't found/recieved a [[broad axe]] yet, orcs are likely to be holding one.

The Mines also house a ton of gold and four separate [[shop]]s to spend it on.

Recommended: [[Willpower]]+++

===Notable Threats===
* [[File:orc_sorcerer.png]] [[Orc sorcerer]]s are the main reason you do not want to do Orc before Lair. Orc Sorcs inflict Paralsze, much worse than Petrify (being instant and not giving damage reduction). Also their magic attacks hurt - at least if you don't have resistances to both Fire and Negative Energy. In addition, they can summon the 104 damage/turn [[sixfirhy]], *another* huge threat. Remember to throw javelins, if you got them, though you can get away without Heroism.

* [[File:Stone_giant.png]] [[File:ettin.png]] These are the "out of depth" spawns for Orc, and they are the other reason why to do Lair first. [[Stone giant]]s hit really hard from their [[large rock]]s (max. 65 damage; 45 base damage, +20 from the large rock). [[Ettin]]s are suped up two-headed ogres that can deal 90 damage per round before weapons, or 130 damage per round after them. For comparison, an 8-headed hydra deals up to 144 damage, but that number is reduced 8 times by AC, has to high roll 8 times in a row, and you'll normally face hydras with less than 8 heads.

* [[File:orc_high_priest.png]] [[Orc high priest]]s still have smiting but also summon demons. This includes the [[Neqoxec]], which can inflict ''permanent'' [[Malmutate]]s on you, along with other physically tough monsters. Smiting alone sucks when you are getting swamped by orcs/demons. The ultra-fast [[Sixfirhy]] and the fact that the priest needs to actually spawn demons in the first place means that you should take them on as quickly as possible, instead of running away.

* [[File:Kobold_blastminer.png]] I don't think [[kobold blastminer]]s are ''that'' much of a threat, but they're worth explaining. They are ranged enemies, but hit hard in close range with the [[Bombard]] spell (not silenceable). Plus, Bombard knocks them back a tile, making them hard to chase. Try to use throwing or a wand of polymorph to take 'em out if you can afford to.

Also, I would be careful of being pelted by a bunch of ranged enemies all at once, especially if there's an [[orc knight]] or [[orc warlord]] in play.

==Rune Branch Prep==
With the 2nd floor of Orc completed, you'll have free reign over its four shops. You might want to use '''ctrl-F''' on everything: plate armour, dragon scales, axes, scroll, potion, gold... Who knows, you might've missed a [[ghost vault]] or a pile of items lying from your orcish massacre. It's also a good time

===Shopping Trip===
Hopefully, there's things that you can buy/ctrl-f:
* '''Emergency items''': Includes [[Scrolls of blinking]], [[scroll of teleport]], [[potion of haste]], [[potion of heal wounds]], [[potion of cancellation]]. These should be your first priority, never a bad idea. You want [[potions of curing]] for [[Spider's Nest|Spider]].
* '''Poison resistance''': This is most often found on the [[ring of poison resistance]]; don't take any body armour lighter than [[swamp dragon scales]]. rPois is useful in [[Spider's Nest|Spider]] and [[Snake]], and useful against swamp dragons/swamp drakes in [[Swamp]].
* '''Willpower''': So that you don't instantly die. Will+++ is practical, Will++++ is enough. Don't use the body armour slot unless its [[plate armour]], and don't use any weird weapons or negative artefacts. Otherwise prioritize getting enough willpower quickly. While there aren't many Will-related threats in the S-Branches, is is recommended for just about every branch afterwards.
* '''Equipment''': If you haven't found one already, [[broad axe]], [[kite shield]]/tower, amulet (see [[H%27s_Minotaur_Fighter_Guide#Items_.26_Gear|Items & Gear]] for what to prioritize).
* '''Flight''': A permanent source of it, namely the [[ring of flight]]. Useful in the watery [[Swamp]] and [[Shoals]]; while you still can't outrun most aquatic creatures, at least you'll be avoiding the attack penalty of water.
* '''Electricity resistance''': Quite the rare resistance, as there's no ring dedicated to it. Take artefacts without too much bad qualities on them (no handaxes or rF--) or the not-common [[storm dragon scales]]. There are a few dangerous elec enemies throughout the game and you'll want a source of it.
* '''Other resistances''': rCold is good for Spider. rFire decent for Snake and Swamp, rCorrosion useful for Spider and Swamp. A [[scarf]] of [[repel missiles]] is good for Shoals and Elf.
* '''Strategic items''': [[scrolls of enchant armour]] / [[scroll of enchant weapon | weapon]] and a [[scroll of brand weapon]].
* '''Artefacts''': Artefacts of equipment you'd use anyway with high enchantments, no vulnerabilities, and no *Slow / -Tele are good to grab eventually. They are usually expensive, though.
* '''Overpriced garbage''': [[Scrolls of acquirement]] are pretty much gambling; the worst you can get is a smaller pile of gold than you started with, though there are very good items too. [[Manual]]s are often too expensive even with Orcish gold under your belt. XP-based [[evocable]]s (box of beasts, lightning rod...) are also very expensive but can be useful.

===Skill Training===
By now, you should've reached the skill target for Axes, 18.0. This opens up skill training into a few side skills that you may or may not need:
*'''Throwing''' to 10.0. Getting natural 1.0 delay javelins is pretty good, and extra damage is always useful.
*'''Invocations''' to 12.0 - 13.0. This gets the '''Duel''' ability up and running.
*'''Evocations''' to 8.0. While I said to ignore this skill earlier, specific skill training doesn't really matter as much anymore. As monsters have stupid high will, wands become less and less useful even with this amount of training. However, many monsters ([[moth of wrath]], [[death cob]], most animals) are still vulnerable to hex effects, and a [[scroll of vulnerability]] boosted wand can even take out quite a few uniques. Just beware of uniques with paralysis themselves.

There's really no rush for any of these skills. You'll want Throwing 10.0 by ''some'' point in the game, but the others can be forgone completely.

== Evocables ==
By now you may have found some [[evocable]]s, items with special effects that recharge with XP. You may even find some in the shops. Now here's my section on explaining them. Like wands not all of them appear in any one game.

In the current version (0.33) you can find multiple copies, and each copy found increases the enchantment (decreasing recharge time).

*[[File:Lightning rod.png]] [[Lightning rod]]: Fires a bolt of electricity; evoking it in successive turns strengthens the bolt and lets you sweep it over an area

*[[File:Phial of floods.png]] [[Phial of floods]]: Deals damage, then, even if it misses, creates water in a small area. Any enemy in the area (even if there was already ater) that isn't immune to drowning will be silenced, preventing them from using spells. Pro tip: aim the phial and press '''.''' to fire, so that the phial always has the silence effect.
*[[File:Gell's gravitambourine.png]] [[Gell's gravitambourine]] pulls enemies into a selected point and deals slight collosion damage. Useful for creating space, retreating, and gret with a [[scroll of immolation]].

*[[File:Tin of tremorstones.png]] [[Tin of tremorstones]]: Creates multiple 5x5 explosions of shrapnel, centered 2-4 tiles from the player, trying to center itself around the biggest mass of enemies. Very accurate, it's great at killing swarms of low AC / high EV enemies, like bees, spiders, and deep elves.
*[[File:Condenser vane.png]] [[Condenser vane]]: Attempts to create harmful [[cloud]]s in a 3x3 area around each enemy, often poison at low levels. Not guaranteed to make a cloud, and never creates clouds on your tile. It always creates a minimum of 1 cloud. Therefore, at low Evocations, it's best used in killhole scenarios (when you can only see 1 enemy, and the 3x3 area is blocked off except for the enemy's tile and your tile). At high Evocations, it can work as a crowd control tool.

*[[File:Phantom mirror.png]] [[File:Sack of spiders.png]] [[File:Box of beasts.png]] The [[phantom mirror]], [[sack of spiders]], and [[box of beasts]] each create allies, which is useless for Okawaru followers, but very useful otherwise.

==6* Weapon / Armour Gift==
By now you may or may not be at 6*, and have access to the Okawaru gifts. Previously, Okawaru would gift armour and weapons over time. As of [[0.31]] these have been replaced with a one time gift, though this gift if usually of good quality. You'll likely get [[artefact]]s, so here's what I find is most important:

'''Weapon''':
*The most important thing is to have no ''terrible'' properties. *Rage, *Slow, and *Silence are terrible.
*The second most important thing is base type, enchantment, and brand - things that are actually important to weapons. You want a [[broad axe]] with high enchantment. A +3 non-artefact broad axe is better than a +3 artefact broad axe {venom, Str+2}, since you can enchant the former to +9.
*The third most important thing are the side properties. Small strength/dexterity bonuses are not that important.
*If you already have an endgame broad axe, you might want an item with good resistances, even if it's useless as a weapon. E.g. if you already have [[Arga]], a +1 hand axe {rElec} is good because having rElec as an option is useful if you want to retreat.

'''Armour''':
*As above, the first most important thing is to not have terrible properties like *Rage.
*If there's a body armour with high defense, and you don't already have good body armour, pick the thing with the highest AC. Usually, the heavier. the better: highly enchanted plate armour, gold dragon scales, etc. are the dream. A +12 chain mail is better than a +1 gold dragon scales, though.
*If there's no body armour that offers a ''big'' improvement from what you have, pick:
**An auxiliary armour slot (boots, hat, shield etc.) with useful resistances and/or high enchantment. +1 boots {Will++} > +2 cloak of willpower > +4 boots {Str+1} > +2 plate armour. (If you don't have at least will+++ yet.)
**A highly enchanted [[tower shield]]. If there's a tower shield & aux slot, and both have useful resistances, prefer the shield (shields are harder to come by).

=S-Branches=
With Lair, Orc, and Dungeon done, the only place left to go is the Lair branches. They all start with the letter S, hence the name "S-Branch". Three of them will spawn in any particular game; use '''ctrl-o''' to see all of them.

To be honest, I'm not terribly sure about the order nowadays. It ''used'' to be Swamp first -> Snake/Spider -> Shoals last but then Swamp got buffed and Spider got buffed and Shoals is still hard as ever...

The order I'll suggest as of the current version is: Snake/Spider -> Swamp/Shoals, from first to last. This is completely arbitrary order, but this the order I'll list 'em in. '''Don't do Slime.'''

===Notes===
* An option you can do is to do the first 3 floors of a branch, then go to the other S-Branch branch. This isn't required, but the last floor of each branch contains a "rune [[vault]]", often harder than the rest of the branch.
* Don't underestimate the branch ''entrances'', either - entering can (potentially) be more difficult than the next 3 floors. You can enter with enemies on all sides of you, making the situation tricky. Not even the stairs up are always safe, since each branch has a way to pull you off stairs:
**'''Snake''' - [[List of nagas|Nagas]] and [[anaconda]]s in melee can [[constrict]] you, you need to escape constriction to move or climb back up. A [[scroll of blinking]] won't always get you out; it only counts as 2 escape attempts, and if one fails, the scroll is wasted. [[Teleport]] works as normal.
**'''Spider''' - [[Jumping spider]]s in melee can [[web]] you; you need to break out in order to move or attack. (Blink always gets you out, though.)
**'''Swamp''' - [[Swamp worm]]s can pull you off stairs, straight into unexplored territory.
**'''Shoals''' - [[Merfolk siren]]s can [[Mesmerise]], preventing you from moving away from it. Also, [[wind drake]]s can blow you off, and common merfolk can have [[net]]s (which work like webs).

==Snake==
[[Snake Pit|Snake]] is ''mostly'' generated like the Dungeon, though lacking in a few layouts. This means its the only Lair branch with ''hallways''. Savour that, because the rest of the game is lacking. Snake is filled with human-snakes (nagas, slower than average) and snake-snakes (faster). You can run away from the former but not the latter. Most nagas constrict you in melee, which prevents movement, reduces EV, and even has a chance to stop blink.

Recommended: rPois Rec. Swapouts: rF+, scarf of [[repulsion]], rElec

===Notable Threats===
*[[File:Guardian_serpent.png]] [[Guardian serpent]]s are easily the scariest enemy in the entire branch. Blinks enemies in ''its'' sight to surround you, which could suddenly teleport 6 monsters right next to you (they don't get to attack the turn they are teleported though). Even with Axes in your possesion, go all out with Throwing and Oka buffs, and all out with '''everything''' if you get surrounded.
*[[File:Nagaraja.png]] [[Nagaraja]] are the biggest naga. That's about it. Not terribly hard when you are buffed, though they can Haste and actually outrun you.
*[[File:Shock serpent.png]] [[Shock serpent]]s have fairly high electric damage, and hurt you if you attack when you are close enough. Attacking from >= 4 tiles away means you won't take discharge damage. Vulnerable to hex wands.
*[[File:Naga sharpshooter.png]] [[Naga sharpshooter]]s hit hard from afar. ~50 damage from full screen range, they can also shoot through monsters thanks to Portal Projectile. A single sharpshooter isn't tough once in melee (though, unlike centaurs, they can fire bows in melee), and you can also walk away. But a squad of sharpshooters can deal big damage if you aren't careful.
*[[File:Anaconda.png]] [[Anaconda]] are fast, and the only snake-snake with constriction. Not that tough for a well-armed Minotaur (different story for casters!) but can be annoying.

==Spider==
[[Spider's Nest|Spider]]'s layout generates much like the Lair proper; quite open, but not nearly as much as the watery branches, with many faux hallways around. Which you'll likely need to use, considering the massive swarm of spiders. Many (but not all) threats are weak to poison, and very few are immune to [[curare]] - this is the best place for those [[dart]]s and I would use them over boomerangs. Also most spiders can't see [[invisible]], so it's a good anti-swarm "emergency" button.

'''Recommended:''' rPois
 Rec. Swapouts: rC+(+), rCorr, rN+

===Notable Threats===
*[[File:Jorogumo.png]] [[Jorogumo]] are an uber-threat, an upgraded [[hornet]]. They have the same paralysis poison melee as hornets, but can trap you in [[web]]s and deal high damage (3d20) at range. These are not fair enemies!
*[[File:Ghost moth.png]] If you find an invisible thing in Spider, it's most likely a [[ghost moth]]. These things are ''nasty'' in melee combat and inflict [[stat drain]], which can cause the extremely detrimental [[stat zero]] if intelligence (or another stat) hits 0. They'll also drain your [[MP]] which prevents you from using god abilities. They also can't see invisible, for what it's worth.
*[[File:Entropy weaver.png]] Even with rCorr, an [[entropy weaver]]'s Corrosion stacks up very quickly. Not terrible to face in melee if you haven't been corroded much, but watch the status bar!
*[[File:Spark wasp.png]] [[Spark wasp]]s hit like a truck, especially without rElec, and can zap to go in front of/behind you instantly. They don't appear often outside of Spider:4's rune vault, though. Use [[wand]]s if you have the training for them.
*[[File:Moth of wrath.png]] [[Moths of wrath]] inflict the incredibly strong [[berserk]] status... on other monsters. Don't underestimate ''anything'' with it, even the weakest spiders can wreck house. Target moths of wrath with javelins, [[scroll of fear|fear]] them, or just get the hell away. Don't go in melee unless you are sure that no monsters will come in. They can also berserk you, and berserk prevents almost all item usage.
*[[File:Pharaoh ant.png]] [[Pharaoh ant]]s deal high melee damage without rN+, but are very frail. But if you kill the ant before other spiders, you'll create spider [[simulacrum]]. Simulacrum are extremely nasty without rC+.
*[[File:Radroach.png]] [[Radroach]]es' Irradiate hits hard and contaminates you. Mutations bad! Thankfully they won't Irradiate if another monster is next to them.
*[[File:Jumping spider.png]] [[Jumping spider]]s are not really threats on their own, but their melee attacks can trap you in a [[web]], preventing you from moving or going up stairs.
*[[File:Broodmother.png]] [[Broodmother]]s summon spiders constantly (inc. jumping spiders), so it's pretty easy to get swarmed. Not ''too'' difficult in a choke, but be prepared to teleport if things get hairy.

Finally, make sure you don't get swarmed! Getting swamped by the 'common' spiders is how you'll most often die here. A scroll of fear is effective against everything but pharaoh ants, simulacrum, and ghost moths. A scroll of poison is also effective against everything but pharaoh ants, simulacrum, ghost moths, and emperor scorpions.

==Swamp==
One of the scariest places in [[Swamp]], for me, is the entrance. [[Swamp worm]]s can yank you out of the entrance, immediately towards a swarm of monsters. Since there's only one entrance, if you go back up, you'll have to go down to said swarm of monsters. From Swamp:2, you'll have access to a long sought tool: 3 different downstairs.

Other than that, it's a very open branch. It has extremely few hallways, so open Axe combat and stair dancing are nice tools to have.

'''Recommended:''' Willpower+++, Flight
 Rec. Swapouts: rF+, rPois, rCorr

===Notable Threats===
*[[File:Fenstrider witch.png]] [[Fenstrider witch]]es inflict [[paralyse]]. What else is to say? (This paralysis checks [[willpower]])
*[[File:Shambling mangrove.png]] [[Shambling mangrove]]s constrict you from afar, which prevents movement. They also release hornets, which inflict paralyse. What else is to say?
*[[File:Swamp worm.png]] [[Swamp worm]]s pull you closer to them, which can also pull you next to a lot of other monsters. [[Tree Form]] prevents the pull (but also prevents you from moving at all). If you're pulled into a dangerous situation, ''treat that situation with respect''.
*[[File:Will-o-the-wisp.png]] [[File:Swamp dragon.png]] [[Will-o-the-wisp]]s fall easily to javelins/boomerangs, however, they hit fairly hard if you don't have rF+, though. [[Swamp dragon]]s hurt without rPois.
*[[File:Bunyip.png]] [[Bunyip]]s deal up to 120 damage in melee, before AC. Ouch, that really hurt! Their damage is done through 3 attacks.
*[[File:Hydra.png]] [[Hydra]]s still regrow heads, but now you should be noticeably stronger than in Lair. If this is your 2nd rune branch, you can easily plow them with Heroism even without Flaming (just not in a large group, and maybe with Finesse). With flaming, you shouldn't worry about them, except for their fast swim speed.

*[[File:the Lernaean hydra.png]] [[The Lernaean hydra]] is a 27-headed hydra that sometimes appears on Swamp:4. It can't see invisible and is frail enough to die to the holy HeroFinesse Javelin (so long as you start attacking when it's at full-screen range. The hydra's fast swim speed means that you can't run away - you gotta be ''prepared'' to take it on. Note that invisibility doesn't work if you are in water while not [[flying]].

==Shoals==
[[Shoals]] is even more open than the Swamp. There's no walls and not even trees, just deep water - as you should expect, most enemies can swim just fine in it. The challenge comes from a pelt of bullets, tridents, and [[net]]s with enemies that swim much faster than you.

'''Recommended:''' Will+++, Flight, [[repulsion]]

===Notable Threats===
*[[File:Merfolk javelineer.png]] [[Merfolk javelineer]]s fire javelins. Javelins ignore shields completely, so they'll hurt a lot.
*[[File:Water nymph.png]] [[Water nymph]]s have Waterstrike, which is basically the equivalent of 3 Smites, but it can only hit if you're in/on/above a water tile. They ''also'' have a 1-tile aura of water around them, which will cover up stairs if the nymph is adjacent. In addition, for some ungodly reason, they can teleport to any water tile in its sight.
*[[File:Wind drake.png]] [[Wind drake]]s can push you off the stairs and have Airstrike, which is almost as strong as Waterstrike, but can be used anywhere. Airstrike becomes weaker when you are adjacent to "filled" tiles (wall, monster, etc.), but that's very hard to take advantage of in Shoals.
*[[File:Merfolk aquamancer.png]] [[Merfolk aquamancer]]s have a 3d20 Primal Wave; ouch, that's even stronger than Waterstrike.
*[[File:Formless jellyfish.png]] [[Formless jellyfish]] have paralysis... you know the drill. It's only for 1 turn, but one turn paralysed next to a crowd of enemies can mean death. Oh, they also constrict.
*[[File:Satyr.png]] [[Satyr]]s have the [[Sleep]] spell; losing a turn to sleep isn't great when an army of [[faun]]s are shooting at you. They also hit moderately hard with their bow, roughly the same as naga marksmen, and they'll often come with a group of fauns.
*[[File:Alligator snapping turtle.png]] [[Alligator snapping turtle]]s are mostly tab checks; simple reaching dudes with high stats.
*[[File:Water elemental.png]] [[Water elemental]] can inflict Engulf, which prevents god abilities and scrolls. Not terrible by themselves - you can move a tile to end engulf.

A lot of the threat comes from the fast-swimming swarms of ranged foes (in an extremely open branch), not any one specific enemy. Multiple [[merfolk]] with tridents, with ranged [[faun]]s/javelineers and [[merfolk impaler]]s in the back, all suck to fight. They'll all hit you at once, while your axe can't because tridents can attack from behind enemies. Also [[merfolk siren]]s inflict [[Mesmerise]], which you need to teleport or break line of sight to end. This isn't to say that Shoals isn't hard, but its not complicated.

=The Lategame=
We're close. "Lategame" in this guide comprises of Vaults, Elf, Depths, and Slime, and getting the third or even fourth rune.

It's the midgame lull, but again. There's an increase in difficulty, but not as high as the S-branches. At this point, many characters will be decked out with equipment, piety is plentiful, and most characters end up being ahead of the "curve", in comparison to the earlier parts of the game. There's things that can kill you, but this happens more because of not paying attention rather than unfair RNG or monsters being tough. Descriptions from this section onwards are gonna get even more terse, at least until we get to Slime. Just watch if you health gets too low.

[[Elven Halls|Elf]] won't be covered here, mostly out of laziness than anything. Watch out for max damage roll elves, and use hallways.

==Vaults: 1-4==
Not much prose here. Don't enter Vaults:5 yet, which is surrounded by heaps of guards and endgame level monsters, especially as vault wardens can lock out the stairs up.

'''Recommended:''' Will+++, rC+, scarf of repulsion
 Rec. Swapouts: rElec, rF+

===Notable Threats===
*[[File:Vault warden.png]] [[Vault warden]]s lock staircases and doors, meaning you can't travel through them. They can die to javelins but aren't *that* frail. Mostly dangerous on the aforementioned Vaults:5, as teleport still works just fine (though might send you to unexplored floor, as usual).
*[[File:Ironbound frostheart.png]] [[Ironbound frostheart]]s hurt quite a lot; they target any tile adjacent (remember diagonals) to walls. Manageable with rC+/rC++, and manageable (on its own) without. A frostheart's presence makes corridors more dangerous, though.
*[[File:Ironbound thunderhulk.png]] [[Ironbound thunderhulk]] are similar to frosthearts, but with rElec, which is rarer to find a resistance for. Their special gimmick is that they can't hit you if you are 2 or fewer tiles away; it's otherwise a stronger version of smite/Waterstrike.
*[[File:Ironbound convoker.png]] [[Ironbound convoker]]s take 3 turns in order to bring in a pack of allies from another area. ''Warning'' - these monsters can attack immediately after being teleported. It can be stopped with a [[phial of floods]] or a [[scroll of silence]] or a wand of paralysis/polymorph. Alternatively, if the monsters are confined to a hallway, is mostly fine (just beware of frosthearts).
*[[File:Vault sentinel.png]] [[Vault sentinel]]s inflict [[Mark]], just like an [[alarm trap]] without the noise. Vaults is big enough where ''all'' monsters aren't likely to wake up and chase you, but it might get a bunch of them. Even Will+++ won't drop it to 1%.
* [[File:Crystal guardian.png]] [[Crystal guardian]]s inflict Fragile (+50% damage taken) and often come with dangerous enemies (namely [[peacekeeper]]s, which are not easy for a fresh V:1 character).
*[[File:Yaktaur captain.png]] [[Yaktaur]]s (and even [[centaur warrior]]s) aren't fun to approach. They are simply stronger centaurs, but without two of: a good shield / repulsion / reflection, they actually hurt quite a bit. Do what you would centaur.

==Depths==
Depths is the Dungeon, 2 (not to be confused with D:2). There's a lot of enemy variety, though many are just popcorn at this point. There's still things that can kill you

'''Recommended:''' Will+++, rF+, rC+
 Rec. Swapouts: rElec, rCorr

===Notable Threats===
*[[File:Alderking.png]] [[Alderking]]s can [[constrict]] you, then if you're in range 2, inflicts [[torment]] while healing themselves. Both abilities are big threats on their own, and together they make for a very threatening enemy. Lignification can make yourself immune to torment.
*[[File:Wyrmhole.png]] [[Wyrmhole]]s are strong enemies that inflict the hostile Tele status that teleports you near hostile monsters. This is very dangerous if it goes through; reading a [[scroll of teleport]] clears their Tele status.
*[[File:Caustic shrike.png]] [[Caustic shrike]]s are the killer bees (hornets, water mocassins) of Depths, coming in fast in swarms and just having really high stats. Bring rCorr as it stacks up really quickly, and hopefully fight them one at a time. As of 0.28, they can't see invisible, so use a potion of invisibility if need be. They also aren't resistant to poison, so a scroll of poison will work well.
*[[File:Juggernaut.png]] [[Juggernaut]]s move incredibly quickly, and hit (slowly) for a ton of damage per strike. Thankfully, they are still weak to [[curare]]. Curare + Heroism should be fine with heavy armour. Heroism + Finesse can also take them out.
*[[File:Walking crystal tome.png]] [[Walking crystal tome]]s summon spells that deal 3d40 ''each'', and it casts 2 spells at once. Block the spells with some mob or something and rush it down ASAP.
*[[File:Fire giant.png]] [[File:Frost giant.png]] [[File:Spark wasp.png]] These guys are mostly just resistance checks (rF for [[fire giant]], rC for [[frost giant]], rElec for [[spark wasp]]s). If you don't have 'em, they are still manageable if they are alone, even without Oka buffs, just surprisingly dangerous more than anything.

==Third (and Fourth?) Rune==
You need 3 runes to enter the [[Realm of Zot]]. We've already got two, so one more is required for entry. There are three realistic options for the third rune:

*[[Slime Pits|Slime]] is the ''most consistent'' of the 3 branches. It's reliant on one of a few "tricks" to beat [[the Royal Jelly]]. While TRJ is tough, most of Slime's challenge comes from the single TRJ encounter, which is much easier to prepare for than the other options.
*[[Vaults]]:5 is the ''most simple'' of the 3. It starts out hectic, but as soon as you can "stabilize" (i.e. get to a safe spot in the corner to regenerate safely in), then it becomes fine. Raw strength is rewarded here more, I feel. It's also the only third rune that happens to avoid any [[mutation]] risk.
*[[Abyss]] is the ''most RNG'' of the 3. Monsters spawn randomly, the rune spawns randomly. In recent versions, you'll know where the rune location is. On the plus side, it can often be one of the fastest runes, and once you're in the rune chamber, its fairly easy with spare scrolls of blinking and a few buff potions.

The other big factor is that both Slime and Vaults are loaded with treasure, while the Abyss has nothing. Treasure is often good, so this guide will cover both non-Abyss runes in greater detail. You may want to get both Slime and Vaults if you are confident you can do them both.

==Slime:1-4==
[[Slime Pits|Slime]]:1-4 is mostly set dressing. Slimes aren't worth much XP, and no items ever spawns. So when considering the large [[mutation]] threat, what most people do is dive floors 1-3 as soon as they kill all monsters in sight. Floor 4 is more important to clear; you'll want safe escape routes against the boss on Slime:5, so clear Slime:4 to make escaping from Slime:5 safer.

One of the most useful things to do is '''stay on the up stairs'''. Stairdancing works well, as the main threats are the masses of slimes and stacking corrosion. Both which won't matter if you can go up, kill 8 slimes, rest, and repeat. Watch out for the notable threats even more than usual, as they are specifically designed to make stairdancing not perfectly safe. Most aren't very common, though.

Slime is covered in acidic walls which will inflict [[corrosion]] if you stand on them. Note that the corrosion wears off the moment you step away from the wall. The branch also has plenty of separated areas, which can often be annoying (esp. on Slime:4).

'''Recommended:''' rCorr, Will+++(+), rC+

===Notable Threats===
*[[File:Shining eye.png]] [[Shining eye]]s inflict bad mutations on you. Kill them as quickly as humanly possible. Use silver javelins. Shining eyes can't inflict you if monsters are in the way, but javelins pierce just fine. You don't want bad mutations.
*[[File:Quicksilver ooze.png]] [[Quicksilver ooze]]s engulf you, preventing you from using scrolls and godly abilities if you don't move. Not a threat on your own, but losing blink scrolls as an option is incredibly scary if you're already close to dying.
*[[File:Rockslime.png]] [[Rockslime]]s trample you, just like [[elephant]]s and their ilk. They are also fast and not ''complete'' pushovers in melee (mostly a threat in groups). One of the higher priority to javelin before they get in melee. Keep in mind that you can't be moved if the rockslime would push you to a space already occupied by a monster.
*[[File:Glass eye.png]] [[Glass eye]]s inflict Fragile, which causes you to take +50% damage from everything (rounded down). Please watch out!
*[[File:Formless jellyfish.png]] I mentioned them in the Shoals section, but as [[formless jellyfish]] are an enemy that inflicts paralysis, be careful.

If you don't have Will+++(+) yet, watch out for [[golden eye]]s and their potentially permanent-[[confuse]].

These guys don't exist anymore, but since I forgot to mention them for about a year, they get their own section:
*[[File:Floating eye.png]] [[Floating eye]]s are a '''huge''' threat. Their gaze, in as little as 2 turns, can inflict [[paralysis]] regardless of willpower (ignoring line of fire). Thankfully, they have almost no HP, so javelins or wands of iceblast can take 'em out. I can't believe I didn't mention them until now.

==Slime:5==
The first thing you do in Slime:5 is go down the stairs - all three, if possible. Go around and kill everything at the outside, circle around said outside, and don't go in the building. If any stairs are unexplored, go up and clear them out. Avoid alarm traps if possible. Monsters can trigger them, but traps can't be sprung if you can't see them. If you do get marked, either run to the stairs or quaff a potion of cancellation, then teleport.

If you see the Royal Jelly, run to the stairs or teleport. Most 'dangerous' slimes and TRJ are fast, with the bossman being as quick as a hasted player. Clear the entire outside safely, then we'll go on to the boss.

===Notable Threat===
[[File:The Royal Jelly.png]] [[The Royal Jelly]] (TRJ) is the boss of this infernal place. TRJ is fast, quite tanky, but most importantly, spawns high level jellies, worth no XP, whenever it gets hit. This is quickly overwhelming if you just tab into TRJ... so don't do that. TRJ itself won't go up the stairs, but any spawned slimes will. Killing the big slime is practically required to get the rune and everything else inside the central chambers. TRJ is vulnerable to silver.

===Immolation Torment Javelins===
This is a strategy that most characters can do (javelins can be replaced by other types of ranged attack).

'''Required:''' Potion of haste, potion of lignification, scroll of immolation, scroll of torment, a piercing/AOE ranged attack

# Have TRJ at the edge of your LOS, and you stay on the stairs. You can shout to do this
# Quaff a [[potion of haste]].
# Quaff a [[potion of lignification]] to make yourself immune to torment.
# Read a [[scroll of torment]], halving TRJ's HP and spawning slimes.
# Read a [[scroll of immolation]].
# Use torment and piercing or AOE ranged attacks ([[javelin]]s, [[lightning rod]], etc.) to finish
# Quaff a [[potion of cancellation]], then escape the scene of the crime.

===Corridor fighting===
Corridor fighting was the classic way for melee characters to beat TRJ. In modern versions ([[0.31]]+) the layout may not have suitable corridors available, so it's not dependable, but it could help.

#Stay near a corridor and have TRJ come.
#Quaff a [[potion of haste]], [[potion of might]], and use Oka buffs.
#Lure TRJ to a spot where you won't be surrounded too badly.
#FIGHT. Teleport out once TRJ dies, then clean up the mess.

You could previously use [[throwing net]]s to make this easier, but you can't any more

See [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJEG5Y2EEck&t=10800s here] (3:00:00) for an (old) video demonstration.

==Vaults:5==
Immediately upon entering Vaults:5, you will be attacked by two dozen [[vault guard]]s. Resist the urge to immolate them to bits, because they aren't the real threat. However, don't forget to buff up before entering; Heroism+Finesse should be enough, and you'll want Might and maybe Haste during your first entry in case scary things appear.

===Notable Threats===
*[[File:Vault warden.png]] [[Vault warden]]s are the main deterrent torwads mindlessly stairdancing; they lock the stairs. A primary target to javelin out. Note that wardens won't retroactively lock the stairs; if you already hit the command to go up, it can't interrupt.
*[[File:Tentacled monstrosity.png]] The same can't be said for a [[tentacled monstrosity]], who will constrict you if it gets into melee range (even as you are going up the stairs).
*[[File:Ancient lich.png]] [[Ancient lich]]es are the biggest "raw" threat in the Vaults. While they normally aren't too threatening once you get into melee, you always have to beware of sudden 100+ damage spikes. Hasted liches should be treated with the utmost caution. A [[scroll of silence]] is the strongest button against them, but that limits your own options too.
*[[File:Quicksilver dragon.png]] [[Quicksilver dragon]]s end buffs, including Tele(port), but not including Heroism or Finesse. Super dangerous if you rely on said buffs.

===The Strategy===
One strategy: every time there are a few monsters next to you, go up the stairs, which brings up to 8 guards at a time. Do this over and over to stairdance them. There is a major threat that ''prevents'' this from working (hint: [[vault warden]]s), which you should have javelins for, but this is the basic strategy involved. Rebuff yourself with Okawaru abilities the first few times you go down, at least until the initial entrance party (guards + first set of monsters that wander in) ends. If you can't go up the stair use the other strategy.

The alternate strategy relies on getting to a random location, either with a [[scroll of teleport]] or [[escape hatch]], then continuously teleport until you can reach one of the corners, after which you can plow through enemies. Highly recommended to buff up before entering. You'll want to start teleports way early, when things are getting too crowded. Once you can rest safely in a corner, Vaults:5 becomes much easier.

Thanks to the random placement and types of monsters, there isn't as strict of a process like there is for TRJ.

=The Final Stretch: Zot & the Orb Run=
With 3-4 runes in tow, the final challenge awaits. As long as you're in [[Realm of Zot]], teleports from the scroll will take longer to kick in (minimum 8 turns).

Recommended: rF++(+), rElec, Will+++(+)

===Notable Threats===
*[[File:Quicksilver dragon.png]] [[File:Purple draconian.png]] [[Quicksilver dragon]]s still have quicksilver bolt! And now [[purple draconian]]s do, too.
*[[File:Draconian shifter.png]] [[Draconian shifter]]s have Blink Allies Encircling, which will ''immediately'' surround you with up to 8 allies in its sight, which ranges from scary to a two-turn death. On the plus side, draconians can't see invisible, so if you're surrounded by just mostly them then just drink a potion. Just remember that they are also purple draconians.
*[[File:Moth of wrath.png]] A [[Moth of wrath]] can inflict [[berserk]]. You don't want berserk [[gold dragon]]s.
*[[File:Death cob.png]] Death cobs are extremely fast and will slow you. They aren't strong at all for a Zot enemy, but the slow can be extremely annoying. Thankfully, they also can't see invisible.
*[[File:Curse toe.png]] [[Curse toe]]s inflict torment. [[Potion of lignification]] will make you immune to torment, but at this stage, will likely lower your raw defenses. Another "make situations dangerous if other things are nearby". Having some torment-vulnerable enemies in sight makes it less likely for the toe to use torment.

*[[File:Orb of fire.png]] The infamous [[orb of fire]] deserves its reputation. Will be covered in Zot:5.

==Zot:5==
The final stretch of the final challenge. Zot:5 contains the "lungs", which can easily be identified by the surrounding stone walls. Explore everything outside the lungs first. Before charging the lungs, if you have spare digging wands, you can create hallways near the lungs.

There are two lungs, and two, tight hallways in each lung, Clear the middle out first, and make sure that nothing is on the "edge" of each side. You may want to stand just outside the lungs and use a scroll of noise.

Not advised: You may want to set off an alarm trap (if available), use a haste potion, run to a pre-set hallway, buff up, then javelin your way to victory. This might be required if both lungs are "trapped". As orbs of fire can pierce each other, you are going to need rF+++ (after using potion of resistance) for this to be remotely sane, instead of absolutely insane. Best to have an escape plan here!

===Notable Threats===
*[[File:Orb of fire.png]] The [[orb of fire]] is the final enemy. Go all out on them, have rF++(+), Okawaru buffs, Heroism+Finesse+Might. They have tons of health, deal tons of fire damage, and mutate you. Watch out for berserkitis and -Scroll while mid combat. Vulnerable to silver.
*[[File:Ancient lich.png]] An [[ancient lich]] can deal 140+ damage per turn on a max roll. Antimagic (only antimagic broad axes should be considered) and silence work well on them, and they aren't too too bad on an "average" combat roll, but don't fight one with another enemy without Okawaru buffs + Haste. Don't silence unless you are 1. sure that you are alone, having lured the lich out or 2. have Hero+Finesse already up and a potion of cancellation ready.
*[[File:Dread lich.png]] Don't let anything that torments you on the screen. Use fog, silence, potentially throwing to kill dread liches ASAP (but after OOFs). Also watch out for paralysis - Will++++ is required to fully resist it. Duel if it gets too scary.
*[[File:Killer Klown.png]] [[Killer Klown]]s Throw Klown Pie can be brutal; it can inflict both Silence and -Potion, limiting your escape options. But they aren't too scary on their own. Use Duel, scroll of blinking, or at least Fog if there's an orb or lich nearby. Vulnerable to silver.
*[[File:Orb guardian.png]] Not much of a threat on their own, [[orb guardian]]s are standard fast melee enemies that become a threat due to their high numbers, and extremely powerful when berserked.

See the [[Zot:5]] page for more info.

===What to do if teleported inside the lungs===
Assuming you're in danger (''any'' monster in sight):

*Haste. Okawaru buffs if there's only a few monsters (1-3 monsters, no orbs of fire).
*If there is a teleport trap in vicinity, you're probably gonna want to use a blink scroll (or just walk to it).
*Get to an edge as quickly as you can.
*If there's only a few monsters, you can start throwing.
*Use Duel if you need to regenerate.
*Use Haste (if not already up) -> Teleport -> Fog when you have no other option. When teleporting, go all out on buffs, then either fight or spam Curing/Heal Wounds (as appropriate).
Prevent monsters from stepping on [[dispersal trap]]s and [[Zot trap]]s as much as possible. Even if the monster steps on the trap, you get hurt. If the trap isn't in your LOS then monsters can't activate it.

===What to do if the lungs are trapped===
'''Not relevant as of [[0.33]] as one lung will always be clear of traps, but worth keeping for historic purposes'''

Lungs are considered trapped if you can't get through them without going over a trap. This covers traps, going in order of "least worst trap to worst trap".

If both lungs are trapped, and one lung just has an alarm trap, you should: activate the trap -> potion of cancellation -> haste -> run. Or you can do what I outlined above; activate the trap -> haste -> run to/dig out a hallway -> buff -> fight.

If both lungs are trapped, and one lung has dispersal/net traps, it's probably best to: 1. lure out monsters with multiple uses of scroll of noise, kill them and then 2. run over the trap. Dispersal should send you to the other side eventually, while you can break out of the net trap. You're gonna need a scroll of blinking to get out reliably.

If both lungs have teleport/Zot traps, then you're out of luck. Teleport doesn't hurt you when monsters step on it. Lure monsters in and hope for the best; just don't let monsters step on Zot traps. It may be wise to use scrolls of blinking to get in.

It's ''definitely'' better to use the alarm trap trick than to go in on a double-trapped Zot, assuming you have access to one. It may be necessary to go to the [[Crypt]] or grind the [[Abyss]] for XP at this point. To be truly optimal in this situation, aim for casting [[Blink]] and/or [[Passage of Golubria]] in whatever armour you're wearing, so train Translocations + Armour + Shields.

==Orb Run==
[[File:Orb of Zot.png]]

Once you've cleared Zot:5, get the orb and get out of here! Enemies of midgame to endgame quality will spawn everywhere throughout the Dungeon. Use '''G D 0''' for autotravel to find the fastest route up. This doesn't take into account places that you can dig to. If you need to leave the floor immediately (as a monster spawns), use '''x <''' to locate the closest upstairs.

Don't fight anything that you can outrun (without items). Scrolls of blinking and haste are your best friends. Use throwing nets. This works well on most of the demonic enemies you fight, prioritize demons that can torment you. If you need to regenerate, do it on an upstairs (before going up), and use a [[potion of ambrosia]].

Once you've reached the exit on D:1, go up and win the game. If you were planning on getting more runes, then you should've thought about that before grabbing the Orb!

==Conclusion==
So that's it, for now. Hopefully this is enough to learn the fundamentals and get past the early-game of DCSS.

The rest of this article will be me rambling about various things related to this guide.

===Scope of the guide===
This guide covers the following:
*Basic advice on game systems, such as identification and the value of stairs
*Broad strategy: what skills you should train, what equipment you should use, which god to go for
*What places to go to, and in which order
*What enemies are likely to be "threats" - i.e., what enemies you should be especially careful around

This guide does ''not'' cover the following:
*How to treat combat encounters
*Identifying when you're in danger
*What to do in an emergency situation / what to do when you need to escape

99% of the game is combat, so learning "how to treat combat encounters" and "how to escape from a combat gone wrong" is really important. Unfortunately, I'm not a great guide writer, so I don't really have much to say about those things. So it's entirely ok if you read this guide, then fail to win over and over - I didn't teach you anything about how to fight! I'll leave learning that up to you - or you can learn it through DCSS playthrough videos, or through other guides.

===MiFi vs MiBe===
[[Berserker]]s starts the game worshipping [[Trog]], though their starting gear is a bit worse than Fighter (note: you'll often equalize in gear within the first 10 floors). Minotaur Berserker is nearly as popular as Minotaur Fighter, last I checked.

When I wrote this guide, I felt that Minotaur Fighter was easier than Minotaur Berserker as a whole. Since then, Okawaru has been nerfed twice. First, all the abilities became more expensive in piety. Second, the amount of Throwing gifts has been lowered severely. Therefore, the comparison isn't as clear.

At my current skill level, I prefer MiBe over MiFi for two main reasons:

#[[Willpower]]. The ability, 'Trog's Hand' gives Will++. Willpower is super super absurdly important to avoid [[paralysis]], since paralysis can instantly kill you from any amount of HP.
#MiBe is stronger in the early Dungeon. Berserkers start with the Berserk ability from turn 1, which is very important since the early Dungeon is the most RNG-heavy portion of the game. Even a MiFi can lose to the first enemy you see, if you get sufficiently unlucky. Berserkers are much less likely to die like that, since Berserk gives you so much power.

However, new players shouldn't really worry about these things. As a new player, you're more likely to die by making a mistake than by particularly bad RNG. If you want my opinion: MiBe is stronger in the early game, MiFi^Oka is stronger in the mid game onwards.

===Playing Non-Minotaurs===
If you feel 'burnt out' on MiFi playthroughs, you might want to try something else. Obviously, this guide is focused on Minotaur playthroughs, but much of the info is useful to any character. Minotaur or not, Sigmund is still a huge threat. Minotaur or not, the identification game is the same, the order you should go through branches is (generally) the same, and so on.

===Other Gods===
Other gods are fine with MiFi if you don't wanna do Oka.

For optimal play, tend to prefer earlier altars and [[faded altar]]s unless there's a chance to get a god that actively harms you (Chei, Xom, Jiyva, Beogh, Qazlal), or if the early game benefits aren't good; the three magic gods aren't good for Minotaurs either. If you want raw variety you can just pick the first god you see.

Here's a bunch of gods that I personally like:
* [[Gozag]] = god of gold. Lots of Potion Petition, a random but strong and cheap ability. Bribe Branch also clears Zot:5.
* "Generically strong for most characters" group: Consisting of [[Ash]], [[Hep]], [[Ru]], and Gozag, they're all very good, I like Gozag the most.
* [[Fedhas]] focuses on summoning stationary plants. Early game is weak. Has a strong mid-Dungeon onward game due to the 3* Ballistomycete having a very high confuse chance, and confuse stops all abilities, also the 2* ability can block the Paralysis/Banish spells, and stop you from being push/pulled.
* [[Zin]] is a "winmore" defensive god. MiFi is great in the power curve all game, and Zin provides defensive abilities to defend against the worst of situations.
* [[Trog]] is good for melee of all types, although you'll be better off starting as a Berserker than using an altar.

[[Category:Character_guides]]

Ice Elementalist

2026-05-09T23:10:49Z

Hordes: /* Spell Details */

{{version031}}
{{flavour|Ice Elementalists begin with the Freeze spell. The spells in their starting library are quite versatile.}}

==Preferred Species==
[[Merfolk]], [[Gargoyle]], [[Draconian]], [[Djinni]], [[Demigod]], and [[Barachi]] are the recommended species if you pick an Ice Elementalist Background.

==Starting Equipment==
Some [[species]] may receive different items based on their unique restrictions.
*+0 [[robe]]
*[[Potion of magic]]

===Available Spells===
*[[Freeze]]
*[[Frozen Ramparts]]
*[[Ozocubu's Armour]]
*[[Summon Ice Beast]]

Ice Elementalists start with the [[Freeze]] spell memorised.

==Starting Skills and Stats==
These are adjusted by your species' [[aptitude]]s.
*[[Dodging]]: 2
*[[Stealth]]: 2
*[[Spellcasting]]: 2
*[[Ice Magic]]: 4

Choosing Ice Elementalist adds 7 to your starting [[Intelligence]] and 5 to your starting [[Dexterity]].

==Strategy==
Ice Elementalists are a fairly consistent choice, with offensive spells that simply can't miss. Ice spells don't slouch for damage, and they will freeze [[cold-blooded]] monsters like [[list of reptiles and amphibians|reptiles]] in the process. However, several kinds of enemies resist cold - early examples include the [[undead]] and [[ice beast]]s. Their starting spells also have poor range, though Ice Magic's power easily makes up for it.

===Spell Details===
[[Freeze]] is a powerful level 1 attack spell. It deals average damage, but ignores both [[AC]] and [[EV]] to always hit. Fast and evasive monsters, such as [[jackal]]s and [[adder]]s, are some of the scariest monsters in the upper Dungeon -- monsters which Freeze works well against. You can use whatever [[Throwing|throwables]] or [[Slings]] you find in order to compensate for its 1-tile range.

[[Frozen Ramparts]] is a very strong spell, especially in hallways. It deals strong and guaranteed AOE damage, as long as you can survive a few hits without moving. The spell requires walls to function, but those are in abundance throughout the Dungeon (and even Lair). [[Ozocubu's Armour]] may give you just the defense you need in such a situation. They both are level 3 and pure Ice Magic, meaning its trivial to cast them both at the same time. If your character doesn't have enough spell levels to memorize both immediately, Frozen Ramparts is generally the better option to memorize first -- it simply and reliably kills things.

[[Summon Ice Beast]] summons... an [[ice beast]]. Summons in general are useful since they are cost efficient, make it easier to retreat from enemies, and can take damage for you. You can have up to 1 summoned ice beast at a time. Ice beasts also deal a small amount of physical damage, making them an option for taking out opposing cold-resistant enemies.

==History==
*Prior to [[0.30]], Ice Elementalists started with [[Hailstorm]] rather than [[Summon Ice Beast]].
*In [[0.29]], most backgrounds were buffed; all Mage backgrounds gained a [[potion of magic]].
*Prior to [[0.27]], Ice Elementalists started with the [[Book of Frost]], and had [[Summon Ice Beast]].
*Prior to [[0.25]], Ice Elementalists started with [[Throw Frost]] and [[Throw Icicle]] instead of [[Frozen Ramparts]] and [[Hailstorm]]. They also had 1 skill in [[Conjurations]], but only 3 skill in Ice Magic.
*Prior to [[0.14]], Ice Elementalists only started with 1 level of Spellcasting.

{{backgrounds}}

[[Category:Backgrounds]]