http://crawl.chaosforge.org/api.php?action=feedcontributions&feedformat=atom&user=HordesCrawlWiki - User contributions [en]2026-08-15T18:46:16ZUser contributionsMediaWiki 1.30.0http://crawl.chaosforge.org/index.php?title=Frozen_Ramparts&diff=86843Frozen Ramparts2026-07-20T03:55:54Z<p>Hordes: /* Strategy */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{version034}}<br />
{{spell info}}<br />
<br />
'''Frozen Ramparts''' is a Level 3 [[Ice Magic]] spell that temporarily covers all [[wall]]s within 2 tiles of the caster with ice. These ice-covered walls will inflict <code>1d(1 + 0.3 * power)</code> [[cold]] damage<ref>{{source ref|0.31.0|spl-damage.cc|4418}}</ref> on any enemy that stands next to them. It does not check [[ev]]asion, and may slow down [[cold-blooded]] creatures. The caster and their allies are immune to the spell's effects. If the caster moves, voluntary or not, this spell will end prematurely. While the spell is active, this spell cannot be recast.<br />
<br />
[[Vehumet]]'s range boost will allow it to affect walls within 3 tiles.<br />
<br />
[[Ice Elementalist]]s begin with this spell in their libraries.<br />
<br />
==Strategy==<br />
Frozen Ramparts deals significant damage (for its level) over its duration to all enemies. However, it requires you to remain still and keep your enemies next to walls. It is most effective in corridors, but can perform adequately in semi-open areas so long as you can still position your foe(s) next to a wall.<br />
<br />
In the early game, it is a strong spell that never misses. It is especially useful for fighting [[ev]]asive enemies like [[killer bee]]s. It's also good against [[cold-blooded]] enemies, like [[adder]]s, [[water moccasin]]s, and even [[hydra]]s, as it can slow them from a short distance. From the mid-game onward, the damage is too low to bother casting beyond slowing down cold-blooded creatures, so it should be forgotten.<br />
<br />
Do note that intelligent enemies may attempt to avoid ice-covered walls if (and only if) their health is low enough; if you need to reactivate the spell, you may need to wait until your foes are in position in order to catch them in the area. Unlike [[cloud]]s, weaker monsters with full HP will charge into the Ramparts without care.<br />
<br />
===Tips & Tricks===<br />
*[[Ozocubu's Armour]] shares its spell school, movement restrictions, and even spell level with Frozen Ramparts. The two spells possess impressive natural synergy.<br />
*Despite their similarity to walls, [[tree]]s are not affected by Frozen Ramparts, making the spell of little use in forested areas like the [[Swamp]].<br />
*''Any'' change in position will break the ramparts, be it voluntary (movement, [[blink]]ing) or not ([[Force Lance]], being [[trample]]d). Take care to position yourself to maximize the spell's effectiveness, and consider using a different spell against creatures that can force you to move.<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
*Prior to [[0.32]], [[Vehumet]] did not boost the range of this spell.<br />
*Prior to [[0.29]], Frozen Ramparts ignored [[AC]], but did less damage: <code>1d(2 + 0.2 * power)</code>.<br />
*Prior to [[0.27]], certain involuntary movements, such as an [[elephant]]'s [[trample]], did not disrupt the Ramparts.<br />
*Prior to [[0.26]], you could move without ending the spell.<br />
*Frozen Ramparts was added in [[0.25]].<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
<references/></div>Hordeshttp://crawl.chaosforge.org/index.php?title=Fedhas_Madash&diff=86747Fedhas Madash2026-07-15T18:34:35Z<p>Hordes: /* Given abilities */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{version033}}<br />
[[File:Fedhas altar.png]] ''"Spread life and death."''<br />
{{flavour|Fedhas is the god of plant and fungal life. Followers are forbidden from harming any species under Fedhas' protection. In return Fedhas grants a number of abilities that promote the growth of plant and fungi. These abilities may incidentally prove useful to adventurers.<br />
<br />
Plants and fungi will not attack Fedhas' worshippers without provocation. Fedhas' worshippers may walk through plants or fungi, and even fire missiles or spells through them without causing harm. Fedhas grants powers to temporarily grow a menagerie of plant allies whose strength and duration increase with Invocations skill. Worshipers may grow a protective wall of briar patches as well as ballistomycetes that fire damaging spores whose explosions confuse living creatures. Devout followers can overgrow a stretch of solid terrain with a cluster of plant allies or even summon a mighty oklob plant.<br />
<br />
Fedhas likes it when you kill living beings, you destroy the undead, you kill demons, you kill holy beings and you destroy nonliving beings.}}<br />
<br />
==Racial restrictions==<br />
[[Demigod]]s are unable to worship Fedhas (or any other god). Also, characters who sacrificed love under [[Ru]] cannot join Fedhas.<br />
<br />
==Appreciates==<br />
*Killing [[natural]], [[undead]], [[demonic]], [[holy]], or [[nonliving]] creatures.<br />
<br />
==Deprecates==<br />
*Inactivity: You lose 1 piety per 700 turns, on average (1/35 chance every 20 turns).<br />
<br />
==Given abilities==<br />
'''[[Piety|Piety level -]]''': "Fungal"<br />
*All plants are [[peaceful]] towards you. In addition to stationary plants, [[sleepcap]]s, [[shambling mangrove]]s, and [[thorn hunter]]s will be peaceful. (Passive)<br />
*You can walk through plants (but not [[tree]]s, which are walls). It takes 50% longer than normal to do so. (Passive)<br />
*Plants and trees are protected from harm. You can fire through all allied plant-type creatures as if they were a [[bush]], and no attack or spell will harm a plant/tree, even with spells like [[Fireball]]. (Passive) <br />
**Conjured entities like [[orbs of destruction]], [[battlesphere]]s (including its beams) are unable to pass through plants.<br />
**Divine allies can also fire through plants, although [[ballistomycete spore]]s are unable to pass through.<br />
<br />
'''[[Piety|Piety level *]]''': "Green [Species]"<br />
*No new abilities.<br />
<br />
'''[[Piety|Piety level **]]''': "Cultivator"<br />
*'''Wall of Briars''': Summons [[briar patch]]es on every open adjacent tile, which hurt any enemy that attacks them in melee. Enemies can fire [[Ranged Weapons]] and other projectiles past the briars, though [[Hexes]] like [[Confuse]] can't pass through. It won't summon patches for enemies already next to you. (3 MP, 2-3 Piety)<br />
<br />
'''[[Piety|Piety level ***]]''': "Fruitful"<br />
*'''Grow Ballistomycete''': Summons a [[ballistomycete]], at a chosen square up to 2 tiles away. Ballistomycetes create exploding spores, which deal <code>3d(6 + [[Invocations]])</code> damage<ref>{{source ref|0.33.0|mon-explode.cc|109}}</ref><ref>{{source ref|0.33.0|spl-summoning.cc|2800}}<br>Note that the spore's HD is adjusted by +1 in {{source ref|0.33.0|mon-cast.cc|8086}}.</ref> and [[confusion|confuses]] creatures that are [[unbreathing|breathing]]. Spores can hit the player. (4 MP, 4-6 Piety)<br />
<br />
'''[[Piety|Piety level ****]]''': "Photosynthesist"<br />
*'''Overgrow''': Transforms dungeon [[wall]]s and trees into plant allies by using the Overgrow ability, as per the distribution below. Once the plants despawn, the wall will be permanently gone. This can override stone and metal walls. The plants' HD is increased by an amount equal to your [[Invocations]] skill.<ref>{{source ref|0.33.0|spl-summoning.cc|2729}}</ref> (8 MP, 12-18 Piety)<br />
{| class="prettytable" style="border:none; margin:0; padding:0;"<br />
! Plant monster !! Chance per wall<br />
|-<br />
| {{monsterlink|Oklob sapling}} || 29% <br />
|-<br />
| {{monsterlink|Scrub nettle}} || 29%<br />
|-<br />
| {{monsterlink|Wandering mushroom}} || 29%<br />
|-<br />
| {{monsterlink|Ballistomycete}} || 7% <br />
|-<br />
| {{monsterlink|Oklob plant}} || 7% <br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''[[Piety|Piety level *****]]''': "Green Death"<br />
* '''Grow Oklob''': Grows an [[oklob plant]], at a chosen square up to 2 tiles away. These are strong, long lasting, and [[corrosion|corrosive]] allies. (6 MP, 6-9 Piety)<br />
:Higher [[Invocations]] increases the oklob's HP and firerate, but not damage. Oklob plants have a <code>25% + (2.5% * [[Invocations]])</code> chance to use Spit Acid each turn, if a target is in range.<ref>{{source ref|0.33.0|monster.cc|2598}}<br>Cast frequency is (X)/200, so 200 frequency means a spell is cast 100% of the time.</ref><ref>{{source ref|0.33.0|spl-summoning.cc|2849}}</ref><br />
<br />
'''[[Piety|Piety level ******]]''': "Force of Nature"<br />
*No new abilities.<br />
<br />
==Punishments==<br />
{{flavour|Fedhas does not appreciate abandonment, and will call down fearful punishments on disloyal followers!<br />
<br />
Those who offend Fedhas will have forces of nature invoked against them in the form of pure elemental destruction. Waves of ballistomycete spores will rise from nearby corpses, and the worst offenders will be surrounded by animate mushrooms and acid-spitting oklob plants.<br />
<br />
Fedhas's wrath lasts for a relatively short duration.}}<br />
<br />
During penance, Fedhas will occasionally punish you with one of the following forms of [[divine retribution]]:<br />
<br />
*The forces of nature will be invoked against you. This equates to a random [[Corrosive Bolt]], [[Primal Wave]], or [[Volley of Thorns]].<br />
*[[Corpse]]s in line of sight will produce hostile spores.<br />
*Hostile plants (biased towards oklobs) will grow around you.<br />
<br />
All previously neutral or allied plants will also turn hostile upon abandonment.<br />
<br />
==Strategy==<br />
Fedhas offers a strong variety of summons that you can fire through. The plants themselves are quite strong, remaining useful throughout a 3-rune game (at the least):<br />
*Briar patches will prevent enemies from getting into melee range, but they can't block ranged attacks or most damaging spells. Still, Wall of Briars can make it easier to escape, break [[attacks of opportunity]], and deal a fair bit of [[spiny]] damage to melee attackers. Also, being surrounded by briars makes it harder for enemies to surround you. Just beware that it takes 1.5 [[decaAut]] to pass through each plant.<br />
**Among other things, Wall of Briars can block [[trample]] and [[Harpoon Shot]] (you can't be pushed/pulled past the briars).<br />
**Briars ''can'' block [[Hexes]], and hex-like spells such as [[malmutate]]. Great for preventing [[paralysis]]!<br />
*Ballistomycetes produce explosive spores that are likely to inflict [[confusion]] on any breathing enemy, regardless their [[willpower]], [[HD]], or [[poison resistance]] - it will even confuse [[Tiamat]] and the [[Hell]] lords. Since confusion prevents nearly all abilities and debuffs melee, it's a very powerful ability provided the ballisomycete can survive. Their damage is also strong enough to kill many early-/mid- game enemies on their own. However, it doesn't do much against [[unbreathing]] ([[nonliving]] or [[undead]]) foes. Also beware that the spores can harm you.<br />
*Oklobs deal moderately high damage (which few monsters resist) and [[corrode]]s enemies, severely lowering their [[AC]]. The corrosion effect is strong in practice, and even stronger when considering that your plant allies also benefit.<br />
<br />
As all invocable plants are both stationary and long lasting, try to place them where you can easily sustain fighting. Make sure you aren't blocking your plants! The end of a hallway is often a good location for oklobs. Meanwhile, ballistomycetes don't work well in cramped corridors; they produce spores that explode in a 3x3 radius, potentially harming you. In that case, you may want to [[kite]] a monster around a wall while your plants fire.<br />
<br />
===Tips & Tricks===<br />
*Spores will tend to track towards enemies, but are not perfect. The plant can be '''t'''old to '''a'''ttack a specific target, but spores are unable to listen.<br />
*Any plants you summon are considered to worship Fedhas, so your oklobs can fire through other plants. (Spores can't pass through, however.)<br />
** Because spores can't pass through plants, using Wall of Briars is an easy way to prevent yourself from being harmed by spores.<br />
*Overgrowth is very expensive compared to Fedhas' other abilities. Its main use is to break through stone and metal [[wall]]s, such the [[Slime Pits|Slime]]:5 loot chambers or the lungs in [[Zot]]:5.<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
{{CBA|0.34|Fedhas wrath will replace the spells and spores with a chance to transform the player into [[Fungus Form]] or [[Tree Form]].}}<br />
*Prior to [[0.32]], in some circumstances Fedhas did not prevent you from harming plants, which would cause piety loss.<br />
*Prior to [[0.30]], Fedhas did not protect trees. You would receive [[penance]] for destroying trees.<br />
*Prior to [[0.28]], oklob plant's Spit Acid dealt less damage (<code>3d7 + 2d4</code>) to monsters, but oklobs fired faster.<br />
*Prior to [[0.27]], many spells, like [[Fulminant Prism]] and [[Fire Storm]], would harm plants in the process.<br />
*Prior to [[0.24]], Fedhas did not allow the undead to worship it. Fedhas' abilities were greatly reworked in this version: the previous version revolved around permanent plants, terrain changes, and a direct [[ration]] cost. For more details, see [http://crawl.chaosforge.org/index.php?title=Fedhas_Madash&direction=prev&oldid=51535 this revision].<br />
*Prior to [[0.22]], Evolution was granted at *, and Sunlight was granted at **.<br />
*Prior to [[0.21]], Fedhas abilities used [[fruit]]s rather than rations.<br />
*Prior to [[0.19]], Fedhas didn't have [[piety]] decay.<br />
*Prior to [[0.15]], worshipers of Fedhas could not cast [[Sublimation of Blood]] without incurring piety loss and/or penance.<br />
*Prior to [[0.8]], Decomposition was accomplished as an ability, not through prayer.<br />
*Fedhas was added in [[0.6]].<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
<references/><br />
<br />
{{gods}}</div>Hordeshttp://crawl.chaosforge.org/index.php?title=Fedhas_Madash&diff=86746Fedhas Madash2026-07-15T18:34:04Z<p>Hordes: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{version033}}<br />
[[File:Fedhas altar.png]] ''"Spread life and death."''<br />
{{flavour|Fedhas is the god of plant and fungal life. Followers are forbidden from harming any species under Fedhas' protection. In return Fedhas grants a number of abilities that promote the growth of plant and fungi. These abilities may incidentally prove useful to adventurers.<br />
<br />
Plants and fungi will not attack Fedhas' worshippers without provocation. Fedhas' worshippers may walk through plants or fungi, and even fire missiles or spells through them without causing harm. Fedhas grants powers to temporarily grow a menagerie of plant allies whose strength and duration increase with Invocations skill. Worshipers may grow a protective wall of briar patches as well as ballistomycetes that fire damaging spores whose explosions confuse living creatures. Devout followers can overgrow a stretch of solid terrain with a cluster of plant allies or even summon a mighty oklob plant.<br />
<br />
Fedhas likes it when you kill living beings, you destroy the undead, you kill demons, you kill holy beings and you destroy nonliving beings.}}<br />
<br />
==Racial restrictions==<br />
[[Demigod]]s are unable to worship Fedhas (or any other god). Also, characters who sacrificed love under [[Ru]] cannot join Fedhas.<br />
<br />
==Appreciates==<br />
*Killing [[natural]], [[undead]], [[demonic]], [[holy]], or [[nonliving]] creatures.<br />
<br />
==Deprecates==<br />
*Inactivity: You lose 1 piety per 700 turns, on average (1/35 chance every 20 turns).<br />
<br />
==Given abilities==<br />
'''[[Piety|Piety level -]]''': "Fungal"<br />
*All plants are [[peaceful]] towards you. In addition to stationary plants, [[sleepcap]]s, [[shambling mangrove]]s, and [[thorn hunter]]s will be peaceful. (Passive)<br />
*You can walk through plants (but not [[tree]]s, which are walls). It takes 50% longer than normal to do so. (Passive)<br />
*Plants and trees are protected from harm. You can fire through all allied plant-type creatures as if they were a [[bush]], and no attack or spell will harm a plant/tree, even with spells like [[Fireball]]. (Passive) <br />
**Conjured entities like [[orbs of destruction]], [[battlesphere]]s (including its beams) are unable to pass through plants.<br />
**Divine allies can also fire through plants, although [[ballistomycete spore]]s are unable to pass through.<br />
<br />
'''[[Piety|Piety level *]]''': "Green [Species]"<br />
*No new abilities.<br />
<br />
'''[[Piety|Piety level **]]''': "Cultivator"<br />
*'''Wall of Briars''': Summons [[briar patch]]es on every open adjacent tile, which hurt any enemy that attacks them. Enemies can fire [[Ranged Weapons]] and other projectiles past the briars, though [[Hexes]] like [[Confuse]] can't pass through. It won't summon patches for enemies already next to you. (3 MP, 2-3 Piety)<br />
<br />
'''[[Piety|Piety level ***]]''': "Fruitful"<br />
*'''Grow Ballistomycete''': Summons a [[ballistomycete]], at a chosen square up to 2 tiles away. Ballistomycetes create exploding spores, which deal <code>3d(6 + [[Invocations]])</code> damage<ref>{{source ref|0.33.0|mon-explode.cc|109}}</ref><ref>{{source ref|0.33.0|spl-summoning.cc|2800}}<br>Note that the spore's HD is adjusted by +1 in {{source ref|0.33.0|mon-cast.cc|8086}}.</ref> and [[confusion|confuses]] creatures that are [[unbreathing|breathing]]. Spores can hit the player. (4 MP, 4-6 Piety)<br />
<br />
'''[[Piety|Piety level ****]]''': "Photosynthesist"<br />
*'''Overgrow''': Transforms dungeon [[wall]]s and trees into plant allies by using the Overgrow ability, as per the distribution below. Once the plants despawn, the wall will be permanently gone. This can override stone and metal walls. The plants' HD is increased by an amount equal to your [[Invocations]] skill.<ref>{{source ref|0.33.0|spl-summoning.cc|2729}}</ref> (8 MP, 12-18 Piety)<br />
{| class="prettytable" style="border:none; margin:0; padding:0;"<br />
! Plant monster !! Chance per wall<br />
|-<br />
| {{monsterlink|Oklob sapling}} || 29% <br />
|-<br />
| {{monsterlink|Scrub nettle}} || 29%<br />
|-<br />
| {{monsterlink|Wandering mushroom}} || 29%<br />
|-<br />
| {{monsterlink|Ballistomycete}} || 7% <br />
|-<br />
| {{monsterlink|Oklob plant}} || 7% <br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''[[Piety|Piety level *****]]''': "Green Death"<br />
* '''Grow Oklob''': Grows an [[oklob plant]], at a chosen square up to 2 tiles away. These are strong, long lasting, and [[corrosion|corrosive]] allies. (6 MP, 6-9 Piety)<br />
:Higher [[Invocations]] increases the oklob's HP and firerate, but not damage. Oklob plants have a <code>25% + (2.5% * [[Invocations]])</code> chance to use Spit Acid each turn, if a target is in range.<ref>{{source ref|0.33.0|monster.cc|2598}}<br>Cast frequency is (X)/200, so 200 frequency means a spell is cast 100% of the time.</ref><ref>{{source ref|0.33.0|spl-summoning.cc|2849}}</ref><br />
<br />
'''[[Piety|Piety level ******]]''': "Force of Nature"<br />
*No new abilities.<br />
<br />
==Punishments==<br />
{{flavour|Fedhas does not appreciate abandonment, and will call down fearful punishments on disloyal followers!<br />
<br />
Those who offend Fedhas will have forces of nature invoked against them in the form of pure elemental destruction. Waves of ballistomycete spores will rise from nearby corpses, and the worst offenders will be surrounded by animate mushrooms and acid-spitting oklob plants.<br />
<br />
Fedhas's wrath lasts for a relatively short duration.}}<br />
<br />
During penance, Fedhas will occasionally punish you with one of the following forms of [[divine retribution]]:<br />
<br />
*The forces of nature will be invoked against you. This equates to a random [[Corrosive Bolt]], [[Primal Wave]], or [[Volley of Thorns]].<br />
*[[Corpse]]s in line of sight will produce hostile spores.<br />
*Hostile plants (biased towards oklobs) will grow around you.<br />
<br />
All previously neutral or allied plants will also turn hostile upon abandonment.<br />
<br />
==Strategy==<br />
Fedhas offers a strong variety of summons that you can fire through. The plants themselves are quite strong, remaining useful throughout a 3-rune game (at the least):<br />
*Briar patches will prevent enemies from getting into melee range, but they can't block ranged attacks or most damaging spells. Still, Wall of Briars can make it easier to escape, break [[attacks of opportunity]], and deal a fair bit of [[spiny]] damage to melee attackers. Also, being surrounded by briars makes it harder for enemies to surround you. Just beware that it takes 1.5 [[decaAut]] to pass through each plant.<br />
**Among other things, Wall of Briars can block [[trample]] and [[Harpoon Shot]] (you can't be pushed/pulled past the briars).<br />
**Briars ''can'' block [[Hexes]], and hex-like spells such as [[malmutate]]. Great for preventing [[paralysis]]!<br />
*Ballistomycetes produce explosive spores that are likely to inflict [[confusion]] on any breathing enemy, regardless their [[willpower]], [[HD]], or [[poison resistance]] - it will even confuse [[Tiamat]] and the [[Hell]] lords. Since confusion prevents nearly all abilities and debuffs melee, it's a very powerful ability provided the ballisomycete can survive. Their damage is also strong enough to kill many early-/mid- game enemies on their own. However, it doesn't do much against [[unbreathing]] ([[nonliving]] or [[undead]]) foes. Also beware that the spores can harm you.<br />
*Oklobs deal moderately high damage (which few monsters resist) and [[corrode]]s enemies, severely lowering their [[AC]]. The corrosion effect is strong in practice, and even stronger when considering that your plant allies also benefit.<br />
<br />
As all invocable plants are both stationary and long lasting, try to place them where you can easily sustain fighting. Make sure you aren't blocking your plants! The end of a hallway is often a good location for oklobs. Meanwhile, ballistomycetes don't work well in cramped corridors; they produce spores that explode in a 3x3 radius, potentially harming you. In that case, you may want to [[kite]] a monster around a wall while your plants fire.<br />
<br />
===Tips & Tricks===<br />
*Spores will tend to track towards enemies, but are not perfect. The plant can be '''t'''old to '''a'''ttack a specific target, but spores are unable to listen.<br />
*Any plants you summon are considered to worship Fedhas, so your oklobs can fire through other plants. (Spores can't pass through, however.)<br />
** Because spores can't pass through plants, using Wall of Briars is an easy way to prevent yourself from being harmed by spores.<br />
*Overgrowth is very expensive compared to Fedhas' other abilities. Its main use is to break through stone and metal [[wall]]s, such the [[Slime Pits|Slime]]:5 loot chambers or the lungs in [[Zot]]:5.<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
{{CBA|0.34|Fedhas wrath will replace the spells and spores with a chance to transform the player into [[Fungus Form]] or [[Tree Form]].}}<br />
*Prior to [[0.32]], in some circumstances Fedhas did not prevent you from harming plants, which would cause piety loss.<br />
*Prior to [[0.30]], Fedhas did not protect trees. You would receive [[penance]] for destroying trees.<br />
*Prior to [[0.28]], oklob plant's Spit Acid dealt less damage (<code>3d7 + 2d4</code>) to monsters, but oklobs fired faster.<br />
*Prior to [[0.27]], many spells, like [[Fulminant Prism]] and [[Fire Storm]], would harm plants in the process.<br />
*Prior to [[0.24]], Fedhas did not allow the undead to worship it. Fedhas' abilities were greatly reworked in this version: the previous version revolved around permanent plants, terrain changes, and a direct [[ration]] cost. For more details, see [http://crawl.chaosforge.org/index.php?title=Fedhas_Madash&direction=prev&oldid=51535 this revision].<br />
*Prior to [[0.22]], Evolution was granted at *, and Sunlight was granted at **.<br />
*Prior to [[0.21]], Fedhas abilities used [[fruit]]s rather than rations.<br />
*Prior to [[0.19]], Fedhas didn't have [[piety]] decay.<br />
*Prior to [[0.15]], worshipers of Fedhas could not cast [[Sublimation of Blood]] without incurring piety loss and/or penance.<br />
*Prior to [[0.8]], Decomposition was accomplished as an ability, not through prayer.<br />
*Fedhas was added in [[0.6]].<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
<references/><br />
<br />
{{gods}}</div>Hordeshttp://crawl.chaosforge.org/index.php?title=Fedhas_Madash&diff=86745Fedhas Madash2026-07-15T18:26:40Z<p>Hordes: /* Strategy */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{version033}}<br />
[[File:Fedhas altar.png]] ''"Spread life and death."''<br />
{{flavour|Fedhas is the god of plant and fungal life. Followers are forbidden from harming any species under Fedhas' protection. In return Fedhas grants a number of abilities that promote the growth of plant and fungi. These abilities may incidentally prove useful to adventurers.<br />
<br />
Plants and fungi will not attack Fedhas' worshippers without provocation. Fedhas' worshippers may walk through plants or fungi, and even fire missiles or spells through them without causing harm. Fedhas grants powers to temporarily grow a menagerie of plant allies whose strength and duration increase with Invocations skill. Worshipers may grow a protective wall of briar patches as well as ballistomycetes that fire damaging spores whose explosions confuse living creatures. Devout followers can overgrow a stretch of solid terrain with a cluster of plant allies or even summon a mighty oklob plant.<br />
<br />
Fedhas likes it when you kill living beings, you destroy the undead, you kill demons, you kill holy beings and you destroy nonliving beings.}}<br />
<br />
==Racial restrictions==<br />
[[Demigod]]s are unable to worship Fedhas (or any other god). Also, characters who sacrificed love under [[Ru]] cannot join Fedhas.<br />
<br />
==Appreciates==<br />
*Killing [[natural]], [[undead]], [[demonic]], [[holy]], or [[nonliving]] creatures.<br />
<br />
==Deprecates==<br />
*Inactivity: You lose 1 piety per 700 turns, on average (1/35 chance every 20 turns).<br />
<br />
==Given abilities==<br />
'''[[Piety|Piety level -]]''': "Fungal"<br />
*All plants are [[peaceful]] towards you. In addition to stationary plants, [[sleepcap]]s, [[shambling mangrove]]s, and [[thorn hunter]]s will be peaceful. (Passive)<br />
*You can walk through plants (but not [[tree]]s, which are walls). It takes 50% longer than normal to do so. (Passive)<br />
*Plants and trees are protected from harm. You can fire through all allied plant-type creatures as if they were a [[bush]], and no attack or spell will harm a plant/tree, even with spells like [[Fireball]]. (Passive) <br />
**Entities created by spells, like [[orbs of destruction]] and [[battlesphere]]s (including its beams), are unable to pass through plants.<br />
<br />
'''[[Piety|Piety level *]]''': "Green [Species]"<br />
*No new abilities.<br />
<br />
'''[[Piety|Piety level **]]''': "Cultivator"<br />
*'''Wall of Briars''': Encircles yourself with summoned [[briar patch]]es, which hurt any enemy that attacks them. Enemies can fire [[Ranged Weapons]] and other projectiles past the briars, though [[Hexes]] like [[Confuse]] can't pass through. It won't summon patches for enemies already next to you. (3 MP, 2-3 Piety)<br />
<br />
'''[[Piety|Piety level ***]]''': "Fruitful"<br />
*'''Grow Ballistomycete''': Summons a [[ballistomycete]], at a chosen square up to 2 tiles away. Ballistomycetes create exploding spores, which deal <code>3d(6 + [[Invocations]])</code> damage<ref>{{source ref|0.33.0|mon-explode.cc|109}}</ref><ref>{{source ref|0.33.0|spl-summoning.cc|2800}}<br>Note that the spore's HD is adjusted by +1 in {{source ref|0.33.0|mon-cast.cc|8086}}.</ref> and [[confusion|confuses]] creatures that are [[unbreathing|breathing]]. Spores can hit the player. (4 MP, 4-6 Piety)<br />
<br />
'''[[Piety|Piety level ****]]''': "Photosynthesist"<br />
*'''Overgrow''': Transforms dungeon [[wall]]s and trees into plant allies by using the Overgrow ability, as per the distribution below. Once the plants despawn, the wall will be permanently gone. This can override stone and metal walls. The plants' HD is increased by an amount equal to your [[Invocations]] skill.<ref>{{source ref|0.33.0|spl-summoning.cc|2729}}</ref> (8 MP, 12-18 Piety)<br />
{| class="prettytable" style="border:none; margin:0; padding:0;"<br />
! Plant monster !! Chance per wall<br />
|-<br />
| {{monsterlink|Oklob sapling}} || 29% <br />
|-<br />
| {{monsterlink|Scrub nettle}} || 29%<br />
|-<br />
| {{monsterlink|Wandering mushroom}} || 29%<br />
|-<br />
| {{monsterlink|Ballistomycete}} || 7% <br />
|-<br />
| {{monsterlink|Oklob plant}} || 7% <br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''[[Piety|Piety level *****]]''': "Green Death"<br />
* '''Grow Oklob''': Grows an [[oklob plant]], at a chosen square up to 2 tiles away. These are strong, long lasting, and [[corrosion|corrosive]] allies. (6 MP, 6-9 Piety)<br />
:Higher [[Invocations]] increases the oklob's HP and firerate, but not damage. Oklob plants have a <code>25% + (2.5% * [[Invocations]])</code> chance to use Spit Acid each turn, if a target is in range.<ref>{{source ref|0.33.0|monster.cc|2598}}<br>Cast frequency is (X)/200, so 200 frequency means a spell is cast 100% of the time.</ref><ref>{{source ref|0.33.0|spl-summoning.cc|2849}}</ref><br />
<br />
'''[[Piety|Piety level ******]]''': "Force of Nature"<br />
*No new abilities.<br />
<br />
==Punishments==<br />
{{flavour|Fedhas does not appreciate abandonment, and will call down fearful punishments on disloyal followers!<br />
<br />
Those who offend Fedhas will have forces of nature invoked against them in the form of pure elemental destruction. Waves of ballistomycete spores will rise from nearby corpses, and the worst offenders will be surrounded by animate mushrooms and acid-spitting oklob plants.<br />
<br />
Fedhas's wrath lasts for a relatively short duration.}}<br />
<br />
During penance, Fedhas will occasionally punish you with one of the following forms of [[divine retribution]]:<br />
<br />
*The forces of nature will be invoked against you. This equates to a random [[Corrosive Bolt]], [[Primal Wave]], or [[Volley of Thorns]].<br />
*[[Corpse]]s in line of sight will produce hostile spores.<br />
*Hostile plants (biased towards oklobs) will grow around you.<br />
<br />
All previously neutral or allied plants will also turn hostile upon abandonment.<br />
<br />
==Strategy==<br />
Fedhas offers a strong variety of summons that you can fire through. The plants themselves are quite strong, remaining useful throughout a 3-rune game (at the least):<br />
*Briar patches will prevent enemies from getting into melee range, but they can't block ranged attacks or most damaging spells. Still, Wall of Briars can make it easier to escape, break [[attacks of opportunity]], and deal a fair bit of [[spiny]] damage to melee attackers. Also, being surrounded by briars makes it harder for enemies to surround you. Just beware that it takes 1.5 [[decaAut]] to pass through each plant.<br />
**Among other things, Wall of Briars can block [[trample]] and [[Harpoon Shot]] (you can't be pushed/pulled past the briars).<br />
**Briars ''can'' block [[Hexes]], and hex-like spells such as [[malmutate]]. Great for preventing [[paralysis]]!<br />
*Ballistomycetes produce explosive spores that are likely to inflict [[confusion]] on any breathing enemy, regardless their [[willpower]], [[HD]], or [[poison resistance]] - it will even confuse [[Tiamat]] and the [[Hell]] lords. Since confusion prevents nearly all abilities and debuffs melee, it's a very powerful ability provided the ballisomycete can survive. Their damage is also strong enough to kill many early-/mid- game enemies on their own. However, it doesn't do much against [[unbreathing]] ([[nonliving]] or [[undead]]) foes. Also beware that the spores can harm you.<br />
*Oklobs deal moderately high damage (which few monsters resist) and [[corrode]]s enemies, severely lowering their [[AC]]. The corrosion effect is strong in practice, and even stronger when considering that your plant allies also benefit.<br />
<br />
As all invocable plants are both stationary and long lasting, try to place them where you can easily sustain fighting. Make sure you aren't blocking your plants! The end of a hallway is often a good location for oklobs. Meanwhile, ballistomycetes don't work well in cramped corridors; they produce spores that explode in a 3x3 radius, potentially harming you. In that case, you may want to [[kite]] a monster around a wall while your plants fire.<br />
<br />
===Tips & Tricks===<br />
*Spores will tend to track towards enemies, but are not perfect. The plant can be '''t'''old to '''a'''ttack a specific target, but spores are unable to listen.<br />
*Any plants you summon are considered to worship Fedhas, so your oklobs can fire through other plants. (Spores can't pass through, however.)<br />
** Because spores can't pass through plants, using Wall of Briars is an easy way to prevent yourself from being harmed by spores.<br />
*Overgrowth is very expensive compared to Fedhas' other abilities. Its main use is to break through stone and metal [[wall]]s, such the [[Slime Pits|Slime]]:5 loot chambers or the lungs in [[Zot]]:5.<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
{{CBA|0.34|Fedhas wrath will replace the spells and spores with a chance to transform the player into [[Fungus Form]] or [[Tree Form]].}}<br />
*Prior to [[0.32]], in some circumstances Fedhas did not prevent you from harming plants, which would cause piety loss.<br />
*Prior to [[0.30]], Fedhas did not protect trees. You would receive [[penance]] for destroying trees.<br />
*Prior to [[0.28]], oklob plant's Spit Acid dealt less damage (<code>3d7 + 2d4</code>) to monsters, but oklobs fired faster.<br />
*Prior to [[0.27]], many spells, like [[Fulminant Prism]] and [[Fire Storm]], would harm plants in the process.<br />
*Prior to [[0.24]], Fedhas did not allow the undead to worship it. Fedhas' abilities were greatly reworked in this version: the previous version revolved around permanent plants, terrain changes, and a direct [[ration]] cost. For more details, see [http://crawl.chaosforge.org/index.php?title=Fedhas_Madash&direction=prev&oldid=51535 this revision].<br />
*Prior to [[0.22]], Evolution was granted at *, and Sunlight was granted at **.<br />
*Prior to [[0.21]], Fedhas abilities used [[fruit]]s rather than rations.<br />
*Prior to [[0.19]], Fedhas didn't have [[piety]] decay.<br />
*Prior to [[0.15]], worshipers of Fedhas could not cast [[Sublimation of Blood]] without incurring piety loss and/or penance.<br />
*Prior to [[0.8]], Decomposition was accomplished as an ability, not through prayer.<br />
*Fedhas was added in [[0.6]].<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
<references/><br />
<br />
{{gods}}</div>Hordeshttp://crawl.chaosforge.org/index.php?title=Fedhas_Madash&diff=86744Fedhas Madash2026-07-15T18:24:15Z<p>Hordes: /* Strategy */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{version033}}<br />
[[File:Fedhas altar.png]] ''"Spread life and death."''<br />
{{flavour|Fedhas is the god of plant and fungal life. Followers are forbidden from harming any species under Fedhas' protection. In return Fedhas grants a number of abilities that promote the growth of plant and fungi. These abilities may incidentally prove useful to adventurers.<br />
<br />
Plants and fungi will not attack Fedhas' worshippers without provocation. Fedhas' worshippers may walk through plants or fungi, and even fire missiles or spells through them without causing harm. Fedhas grants powers to temporarily grow a menagerie of plant allies whose strength and duration increase with Invocations skill. Worshipers may grow a protective wall of briar patches as well as ballistomycetes that fire damaging spores whose explosions confuse living creatures. Devout followers can overgrow a stretch of solid terrain with a cluster of plant allies or even summon a mighty oklob plant.<br />
<br />
Fedhas likes it when you kill living beings, you destroy the undead, you kill demons, you kill holy beings and you destroy nonliving beings.}}<br />
<br />
==Racial restrictions==<br />
[[Demigod]]s are unable to worship Fedhas (or any other god). Also, characters who sacrificed love under [[Ru]] cannot join Fedhas.<br />
<br />
==Appreciates==<br />
*Killing [[natural]], [[undead]], [[demonic]], [[holy]], or [[nonliving]] creatures.<br />
<br />
==Deprecates==<br />
*Inactivity: You lose 1 piety per 700 turns, on average (1/35 chance every 20 turns).<br />
<br />
==Given abilities==<br />
'''[[Piety|Piety level -]]''': "Fungal"<br />
*All plants are [[peaceful]] towards you. In addition to stationary plants, [[sleepcap]]s, [[shambling mangrove]]s, and [[thorn hunter]]s will be peaceful. (Passive)<br />
*You can walk through plants (but not [[tree]]s, which are walls). It takes 50% longer than normal to do so. (Passive)<br />
*Plants and trees are protected from harm. You can fire through all allied plant-type creatures as if they were a [[bush]], and no attack or spell will harm a plant/tree, even with spells like [[Fireball]]. (Passive) <br />
**Entities created by spells, like [[orbs of destruction]] and [[battlesphere]]s (including its beams), are unable to pass through plants.<br />
<br />
'''[[Piety|Piety level *]]''': "Green [Species]"<br />
*No new abilities.<br />
<br />
'''[[Piety|Piety level **]]''': "Cultivator"<br />
*'''Wall of Briars''': Encircles yourself with summoned [[briar patch]]es, which hurt any enemy that attacks them. Enemies can fire [[Ranged Weapons]] and other projectiles past the briars, though [[Hexes]] like [[Confuse]] can't pass through. It won't summon patches for enemies already next to you. (3 MP, 2-3 Piety)<br />
<br />
'''[[Piety|Piety level ***]]''': "Fruitful"<br />
*'''Grow Ballistomycete''': Summons a [[ballistomycete]], at a chosen square up to 2 tiles away. Ballistomycetes create exploding spores, which deal <code>3d(6 + [[Invocations]])</code> damage<ref>{{source ref|0.33.0|mon-explode.cc|109}}</ref><ref>{{source ref|0.33.0|spl-summoning.cc|2800}}<br>Note that the spore's HD is adjusted by +1 in {{source ref|0.33.0|mon-cast.cc|8086}}.</ref> and [[confusion|confuses]] creatures that are [[unbreathing|breathing]]. Spores can hit the player. (4 MP, 4-6 Piety)<br />
<br />
'''[[Piety|Piety level ****]]''': "Photosynthesist"<br />
*'''Overgrow''': Transforms dungeon [[wall]]s and trees into plant allies by using the Overgrow ability, as per the distribution below. Once the plants despawn, the wall will be permanently gone. This can override stone and metal walls. The plants' HD is increased by an amount equal to your [[Invocations]] skill.<ref>{{source ref|0.33.0|spl-summoning.cc|2729}}</ref> (8 MP, 12-18 Piety)<br />
{| class="prettytable" style="border:none; margin:0; padding:0;"<br />
! Plant monster !! Chance per wall<br />
|-<br />
| {{monsterlink|Oklob sapling}} || 29% <br />
|-<br />
| {{monsterlink|Scrub nettle}} || 29%<br />
|-<br />
| {{monsterlink|Wandering mushroom}} || 29%<br />
|-<br />
| {{monsterlink|Ballistomycete}} || 7% <br />
|-<br />
| {{monsterlink|Oklob plant}} || 7% <br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
'''[[Piety|Piety level *****]]''': "Green Death"<br />
* '''Grow Oklob''': Grows an [[oklob plant]], at a chosen square up to 2 tiles away. These are strong, long lasting, and [[corrosion|corrosive]] allies. (6 MP, 6-9 Piety)<br />
:Higher [[Invocations]] increases the oklob's HP and firerate, but not damage. Oklob plants have a <code>25% + (2.5% * [[Invocations]])</code> chance to use Spit Acid each turn, if a target is in range.<ref>{{source ref|0.33.0|monster.cc|2598}}<br>Cast frequency is (X)/200, so 200 frequency means a spell is cast 100% of the time.</ref><ref>{{source ref|0.33.0|spl-summoning.cc|2849}}</ref><br />
<br />
'''[[Piety|Piety level ******]]''': "Force of Nature"<br />
*No new abilities.<br />
<br />
==Punishments==<br />
{{flavour|Fedhas does not appreciate abandonment, and will call down fearful punishments on disloyal followers!<br />
<br />
Those who offend Fedhas will have forces of nature invoked against them in the form of pure elemental destruction. Waves of ballistomycete spores will rise from nearby corpses, and the worst offenders will be surrounded by animate mushrooms and acid-spitting oklob plants.<br />
<br />
Fedhas's wrath lasts for a relatively short duration.}}<br />
<br />
During penance, Fedhas will occasionally punish you with one of the following forms of [[divine retribution]]:<br />
<br />
*The forces of nature will be invoked against you. This equates to a random [[Corrosive Bolt]], [[Primal Wave]], or [[Volley of Thorns]].<br />
*[[Corpse]]s in line of sight will produce hostile spores.<br />
*Hostile plants (biased towards oklobs) will grow around you.<br />
<br />
All previously neutral or allied plants will also turn hostile upon abandonment.<br />
<br />
==Strategy==<br />
Fedhas offers a strong variety of summons that you can fire through. The plants themselves are quite strong, remaining useful throughout a 3-rune game (at the least):<br />
*Briar patches will prevent enemies from getting into melee range, but they can't block ranged attacks or most damaging spells. Still, Wall of Briars can make it easier to escape, break [[attacks of opportunity]], and deal a fair bit of [[spiny]] damage to melee attackers. Also, being surrounded by briars makes it harder for enemies to surround you. Just beware that it takes 1.5 [[decaAut]] to pass through each plant.<br />
**Among other things, Wall of Briars can block [[trample]] and [[Harpoon Shot]] (you can't be pushed/pulled past the briars).<br />
**Briars ''can'' block [[Hexes]], and hex-like spells such as [[malmutate]]. Great for preventing [[paralysis]]!<br />
*Ballistomycetes are likely to inflict [[confusion]] on any breathing enemy, regardless their [[willpower]], [[HD]], or [[poison resistance]] - it will even confuse [[Tiamat]] and the [[Hell]] lords. Since confusion prevents nearly all abilities and debuffs melee, it's a very powerful ability. Their damage is also strong enough to kill many early-/mid- game enemies on their own. However, it doesn't do much against [[unbreathing]] ([[nonliving]] or [[undead]]) foes.<br />
*Oklobs deal moderately high damage (which few monsters resist) and [[corrode]]s enemies, severely lowering their [[AC]]. The corrosion effect is strong in practice, and even stronger when considering that your plant allies also benefit.<br />
<br />
As all invocable plants are both stationary and long lasting, try to place them where you can easily sustain fighting. Make sure you aren't blocking your plants! The end of a hallway is often a good location for oklobs. Meanwhile, ballistomycetes don't work well in cramped corridors; they produce spores that explode in a 3x3 radius, potentially harming you. In that case, you may want to [[kite]] a monster around a wall while your plants fire.<br />
<br />
===Tips & Tricks===<br />
*Spores will tend to track towards enemies, but are not perfect. The plant can be '''t'''old to '''a'''ttack a specific target, but spores are unable to listen.<br />
*Any plants you summon are considered to worship Fedhas, so your oklobs can fire through other plants. (Spores can't pass through, however.)<br />
*Overgrowth is very expensive compared to Fedhas' other abilities. Its main use is to break through stone and metal [[wall]]s, such the [[Slime Pits|Slime]]:5 loot chambers or the lungs in [[Zot]]:5.<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
{{CBA|0.34|Fedhas wrath will replace the spells and spores with a chance to transform the player into [[Fungus Form]] or [[Tree Form]].}}<br />
*Prior to [[0.32]], in some circumstances Fedhas did not prevent you from harming plants, which would cause piety loss.<br />
*Prior to [[0.30]], Fedhas did not protect trees. You would receive [[penance]] for destroying trees.<br />
*Prior to [[0.28]], oklob plant's Spit Acid dealt less damage (<code>3d7 + 2d4</code>) to monsters, but oklobs fired faster.<br />
*Prior to [[0.27]], many spells, like [[Fulminant Prism]] and [[Fire Storm]], would harm plants in the process.<br />
*Prior to [[0.24]], Fedhas did not allow the undead to worship it. Fedhas' abilities were greatly reworked in this version: the previous version revolved around permanent plants, terrain changes, and a direct [[ration]] cost. For more details, see [http://crawl.chaosforge.org/index.php?title=Fedhas_Madash&direction=prev&oldid=51535 this revision].<br />
*Prior to [[0.22]], Evolution was granted at *, and Sunlight was granted at **.<br />
*Prior to [[0.21]], Fedhas abilities used [[fruit]]s rather than rations.<br />
*Prior to [[0.19]], Fedhas didn't have [[piety]] decay.<br />
*Prior to [[0.15]], worshipers of Fedhas could not cast [[Sublimation of Blood]] without incurring piety loss and/or penance.<br />
*Prior to [[0.8]], Decomposition was accomplished as an ability, not through prayer.<br />
*Fedhas was added in [[0.6]].<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
<references/><br />
<br />
{{gods}}</div>Hordeshttp://crawl.chaosforge.org/index.php?title=Ru&diff=86743Ru2026-07-15T18:21:15Z<p>Hordes: staves aren't two handed for small species. I assume ru was updated</p>
<hr />
<div>{{version033}}<br />
<br />
[[File:Ru altar.png]] ''"Cut away your false body!"''<br />
<br />
{{flavour|Of all the gods, only Ru opposed creation. Not as folly, but as distraction. Initiates of Ru can open channels to the powers underlying the visible world by renouncing the fetters that bind them here. These sacrifices are not made to Ru, but rather given up freely and permanently. Initiates can redirect would-be attackers and retaliate against their enemies, replenish their health and magic, perform a mighty leap, and unleash a massive wave of power against foes.<br />
<br />
Ru leads you to gain immense power which initially will cause foes to falter and become stricken with maladies if they harm you. As you make further sacrifices, you will be able to draw on this power to restore your health and magic and make a lightning-fast explosive leap. Exceptional sacrificiants can unleash their power in a massive strike against all their foes.<br />
<br />
Once you begin worship, Ru will monitor your progress as you explore the dungeon and defeat its inhabitants. Ru will, on judging you ready, offer you three sacrifices which you can make in order to achieve greater power.<br />
<br />
Ru likes it when you make personal sacrifices.}}<br />
<br />
==Racial Restrictions==<br />
[[Demigod]]s are prohibited from worshiping Ru (or any other god).<br />
<br />
==Appreciates==<br />
*Making sacrifices. The amount of piety granted per sacrifice varies depending on the significance of the sacrifice (sacrificing a hand grants much more piety than sacrificing purity by gaining dopiness).<br />
**As Ru's piety system is unusual, [[monk]]s and [[faded altar]] worshippers are offered a near immediate choice of sacrifices upon converting.<br />
<br />
==Deprecates==<br />
*Nothing. You can't offend Ru, Ru has no penance, and inflicts no wrath for leaving. However, you lose the benefits of worshiping Ru while retaining all the drawbacks of your sacrifices (they are not undone).<br />
<br />
*Piety with Ru does not decrease.<br />
<br />
==Given Abilities==<br />
'''[[Piety|Piety level -]]''': "Questioner"<br />
*'''Make Sacrifice''' - As you explore and kill, Ru will periodically offer you a batch of 3 sacrifice options, available as in the Abilities menu. Sacrifices will ''permanently'' handicap your character, but grant you piety. The exact amount of piety received varies depending on how serious the effect is on your character. See the '''[[#Sacrifices|Sacrifices]]''' section below for more details. <br />
**New sacrifices will be offered periodically, and will refresh faster after you accept one than if you simply let a set of three sit unused. You can reject offered sacrifices, which will result in a new set being offered after a similar delay to accepting one. <br />
<br />
'''[[Piety|Piety level *]]''': "Initiate"<br />
*'''Aura of Power''' - Any enemy that attacks you may instead falter or redirect its attack to itself or another target. The chance of this rises linearly with piety, reaching a 10% chance of faltering and 5% chance of redirecting at max piety. (Passive)<br />
<br />
'''[[Piety|Piety level **]]''': "Seeker of Truth"<br />
*Your Aura of Power is strengthened. Enemies that inflict damage upon you receive various detrimental [[status effect]]s. The chance of this rises linearly with piety, reaching 20% at max piety. The specific status effect applied is randomly chosen from the following list: [[Corona]], [[Silence]], [[Blind]], [[Slow]], or [[Paralysis]]. The chance of inflicting a more severe status effect rises with damage sustained and falls based on the attacker's [[HD]].<br />
<br />
'''[[Piety|Piety level ***]]''': "Walker of the Path"<br />
*'''Draw Out Power''' - When used, you regain [[HP]] and [[MP]], free yourself from nets, webs and constriction, and cure petrification, slow, and confusion. HP = <code>piety/16 + (piety/20)d6)</code>, MP = <code>piety/48 + (piety/40)d4</code>; that's (10 + 8d6) HP and (3 + 4d4) MP at max piety.<ref>{{source ref|0.32.1|god-abil.cc|5514}}</ref> ([[Exhaustion]] for 12-16 turns, moderate [[draining]]: roughly 4% max HP)<br />
<br />
'''[[Piety|Piety level ****]]''': "Lifter of the Veil"<br />
*'''Power Leap''' - Allows you to leap three tiles and creates a damaging 3x3 explosion wherever you land. Explosion damage scales with piety and experience level.<ref>{{source ref|0.32.1|god-abil.cc|5523}}</ref> (5 [[MP]], [[exhaustion]] for 18-25 turns)<br />
<br />
'''[[Piety|Piety level *****]]''': "Transcendent"<br />
*'''Apocalypse''' - Deals heavy damage and random status effects to every enemy within your [[line of sight]]. (8 [[MP]], [[exhaustion]] for 30-49 turns, heavy [[draining]]: roughly 13.3% max HP)<br />
:Damage equals <code><X>d(piety * (XL + 54) / 584)</code> (Xd22 at XL27 & max piety),<ref>{{source ref|0.32.1|god-abil.cc|5696}}</ref> where X = (4 to 8), depending on the status inflicted.<ref>{{source ref|0.32.1|god-abil.cc|5720}}<br>Paralysis: X = 4; Antimagic: X = 4; Slow: X = 6; No Effect: X = 8</ref> There is 75% to inflict a status: 25% [[antimagic]], 25% [[paralysis]], and 25% [[slow]] if an enemy can be affected by anti-magic, otherwise 50% paralysis and 25% slow. If no status is inflicted, X = 8 instead.<br />
<br />
'''[[Piety|Piety level ******]]''': "Drop of Water"<br />
*No new abilities. Unlike other gods, Ru's piety caps at 160. That means that as soon as you reach ****** piety, you are maxed out. Ru will stop offering sacrifices, though if you leave and rejoin, you'll have to sacrifice again.<br />
<br />
==Punishments==<br />
{{flavour|Ru does not punish followers who leave Ru's service; however, their piety will be lost even upon rejoining, and their sacrifices remain forever.}}<br />
Ru cannot be offended in any way, and will never deliver punishments upon your character. However, all sacrifices made while worshiping Ru are permanent, and the abilities Ru grants are lost upon abandonment.<br />
<br />
==Strategy==<br />
Ru rewards 2 types of sacrifice:<br />
* The "sacrifice" of anything that lies outside a character's build. For instance, heavy melee characters won't mind losing Arcana or Stealth.<br />
* Large sacrifices, which ramp up your piety from the beginning. Losing a hand will impact just about every character, but gives ** - *** immediately.<br />
<br />
Your sacrifice strategy should be adjusted according to your character, your previous sacrifices, and the amount of runes you're going for. Sacrifice Drink is a much bigger penalty when [[torment]] and [[damnation]], common in the extended game, are bound to activate it. Meanwhile, you can afford to take some smaller sacs if you already have some of Ru's important abilities. Regardless, it's best to not lose your main killing skill, regardless of how much piety you'd gain.<br />
<br />
Though it may not feel substantial, Aura of Power will give you a decent edge in fights. It also has the added benefit of aiding in [[kiting]] enemies, as the chance for the Aura to distract an enemy occurs on ''any'' action taken by that enemy (including walking towards you). Draw Out Power is straightforward - instantly regain HP and MP and cure certain debilitating statuses, at the cost of slight draining. Power Leap is a highly versatile tool for both positioning yourself and damaging enemies. Finally, Apocalypse will incapacitate all foes within your line of sight while dealing considerable damage; it can wipe out most ordinary monsters, while the more dangerous ones will be significantly weakened.<br />
<br />
===Tips and Tricks===<br />
*Wearing an [[amulet of faith]] does not increase the piety gained per sacrifice. Wearing one hastens the rate at which new sacrifices are offered, while removing one slows down that rate. A max piety Ru worshipper gains nothing from wearing an amulet of faith and loses nothing for removing it.<br />
*All of Ru's abilities [[exhausted|exhaust]] the user for a short while. Choose when to use your abilities wisely.<br />
*Any sacrifices you take up are permanent. You will never get back that hand, or your dodging skill. Thus, it is rarely a good idea to switch to another god from Ru.<br />
**Leaving Ru carries no penalty if you have yet to sacrifice anything. If you are not a [[monk]], you can worship an early Ru altar until the first set of sacrifices show up (or until you find a desirable god).<br />
<br />
==Sacrifices==<br />
Ru will offer you a randomly selected batch of three sacrifices every so often. Choosing a sacrifice will permanently handicap your character as described, and you will not be able to make a new sacrifice until a new batch is offered. Unlike other gods, Ru's piety maxes at 160 rather than 200, so as soon as you hit ******, you have maximum piety and Ru will no longer offer sacrifices. Note that you start with 15 piety on first worshipping Ru, like most other gods.<br />
<br />
Where a given sacrifice (eg Essence) has more than one row in the table, you will be told before making the sacrifice which specific effect you will receive. Each row in this table can only be taken once, except where indicated otherwise. The list of sacrifices are as follows<ref>{{source ref|0.32.1|sacrifice-data.h|1}}</ref><ref>{{source ref|0.32.1|god-abil.cc|4678}}</ref>:<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable" style="width: 100%;"<br />
! style="width: 6em" | Sacrifice <br />
! Mutation(s) <br />
! Description <br />
! style="width: 22em;" | Piety*<br />
|-<br />
| '''Arcana'''<br />
| 3 x No [magic school] magic<br />
| Permanently lose three randomly selected magic skills and access to all spells in those schools. One school is chosen from each of the following groups:<br />
*[[Conjurations]]/[[Summonings]]/[[Translocations]]<br />
*[[Alchemy]]/[[Necromancy]]/[[Hexes]]<br />
*[[Air Magic]]/[[Earth Magic]]/[[Fire Magic]]/[[Ice Magic]]<br />
| 25 <br> + piety from skill in affected magic schools <br />
|-<br />
| '''Artifice''' <br />
| Inability to use devices<br />
| Permanently lose the [[Evocations]] skill. Your character can no longer activate any [[wand]]s or other [[evocable items]], except the [[figurine of a ziggurat]]. This includes evocable invisibility and blink from scarves or artefacts.<br />
| 55 <br> + piety from Evocations skill <br> - [10 if sacrificed Love]<br />
|-<br />
| '''Courage'''<br />
| Cowardly<br />
| Suffer a [[slaying]] and [[spellpower]] penalty which scales with the number and strength of opponents in your [[line of sight]]. The severity of this penalty is indicated on the status bar by the '''Horr(-X)''' status, where X is the slaying penalty. Penalties begin when more than one tough monster or a single nasty monster is visible, and becomes more pronounced as more opponents appear.<br />
| 25 <br>+ [12 per level of Sacrifice Experience]<br />
|-<br />
|'''Drink'''<br />
| Inability to drink after injury<br />
| Gain [[No Unsafe Potions]] 2. Every time you take damage, you have a 3% chance to lose the ability to [[potion]]s for 1d(damage) turns (maximum 30 turns).<br />
| 30 <br>+ [10 if sacrificed Words]<br />
|-<br />
| '''Durability'''<br />
| Inability to train armour<br />
| Permanently lose the [[Armour skill]].<br />
| 30 <br> + piety from Armour skill <br> + [20 if sacrificed Nimbleness]<br />
|-<br />
| '''Essence'''<br>(50% chance) <br />
| Weak-willed<br />
| Permanently reduce your [[willpower]] by 40 (equivalent to Will-).<br />
| 35<br />
|-<br />
| '''Essence'''<br>(25% chance)<br />
| Low MP<br />
| Permanently lose 10% of your maximum MP. Repeatable.<br />
| 10 <br>+ half the value of maximum skill out of [[Spellcasting]] and [[Invocations]]/2<br />
|-<br />
| '''Essence'''<br>(25% chance)<br />
| Disrupted magic<br />
| Permanently suffer a penalty to spellcasting success chance. This adds roughly +4% to spell failure (e.g. 10% fail -> 14% fail). It is somewhat less than +4% if your original failure is below 8%, and somewhat more than +4% if it's above 8%. Repeatable.<br />
| 20 <br> - 6 * number of stats greater than your [[Intelligence]]<br>+[[Spellcasting]]/2<br />
|-<br />
|'''Experience'''<br />
| Inexperienced<br />
| Immediately reduces your level by 1, also reducing your max level. This is applied as an offset, meaning you level up as quickly as if you were at your pre-sacrifice level. (This sacrifice can be taken up to 3 times).<br />
| 35 <br> + 7 per rank of the mutation you already have <br> + [12 if sacrificed Courage] <br> + [16 if you are a [[Demonspawn]] or [[Djinni]]]<br />
|-<br />
|'''Eye'''<br />
| Missing an eye<br />
| Reduces your [[to-hit]] of melee, ranged weapons, and spells by 5.<br />
| 25<br />
|-<br />
|'''Forms'''<br />
| No forms<br />
| Permanently lose the ability to voluntarily change form. This affects all [[talisman]]s, [[potion of lignification|potions of lignification]], [[Dithmenos]]' shadow form, and bloodless [[vampire]]s' innate [[bat form]]. It does not affect the bad forms inflicted by enemies' wands of polymorph, or chaos effects.<br />
<br />
You will lose access to the [[Shapeshifting]] skill.<br />
|7 <br> + piety from Shapeshifting skill<br />
|-<br />
|'''Hand'''<br />
| Missing a hand<br />
| Permanently lose one hand (or set of hands in the case of [[formicid]]s) and all associated benefits of two-handedness. You can only wield weapons which are one-handed for your [[species]], lose the ability to deliver [[auxiliary attack|offhand punches]], can never wear [[shields]], and lose one [[ring]] slot. <br />
<br />
You'll lose access to the [[Shields skill]].<br />
| 65 <br> + piety from Shields skill<br />
|-<br />
|'''Health'''<br>(33% chance)<br />
| Frail<br />
| Permanently lose 10% of your maximum HP.<br />
| 35<br />
|-<br />
|'''Health'''<br>(33% chance)<br />
| Reduced AC<br />
| Permanently lose 5 AC.<br />
| 30<br />
|-<br />
|'''Health'''<br>(33% chance)<br />
| Reduced EV<br />
| Permanently lose 5 EV.<br />
| 25<br />
|-<br />
|'''Love'''<br />
| Hated by all<br />
| Permanently make (almost) all [[neutral]], [[peaceful]] or [[allied]] monsters hostile to you. Entities that are proxies for purely magical effects are unaffected: [[orbs of destruction]], [[ball lightning]], [[battlesphere]]s, [[spectral weapon]]s, [[foxfire]]s, and [[fulminant prism]]s.<br />
<br />
All [[Summonings]] spells, as well as [[Animate Dead]], [[Sculpt Simulacrum]], [[Death Channel]] and [[Infestation]] can no longer be cast after this sacrifice. [[Necrotise]] and reactive abilities (like the [[ratskin cloak]]) won't create anything. [[Fire Storm]] will create hostile [[fire vortex|fire vortices]]. [[Wands of charming]] and other ally-creating [[evocable]]s will no longer function.<br />
<br />
You will lose the Summonings skill, and won't be able to worship [[Beogh]], [[Fedhas]], [[Jiyva]], [[Hepliaklqana]], or [[Yredelemnul]] after this sacrifice.<br />
| 40 <br> + piety from Summonings skill, <br> half as much if sacrificed Summonings magic or Artifice, <br> 1 if sacrificed both Summonings and Artifice<br />
|-<br />
| '''Nimbleness'''<br />
| Inability to train dodging<br />
| Permanently lose the [[Dodging]] skill.<br />
| 30 <br> + piety from Dodging skill <br> + [20 if sacrificed Durability] <br> + [28 if your species cannot train Armour]<br />
|-<br />
| '''Purity'''<br>(50% chance)<br />
| Reduced Attributes<br />
| Permanently reduce your [[strength]], [[intelligence]] or [[dexterity]] by 2. (This sacrifice can be taken up to 2 times per stat.)<br />
| 16 <br> - 4 * number of stats greater than the chosen stat<br />
|-<br />
|'''Purity'''<br>(17% chance)<br />
| Scream<br />
| Gain one rank of the [[Scream]] mutation, causing you to occasionally [[shout]] when meeting monsters. (This sacrifice can be taken up to 3 times.)<br />
| 7, <br> 10 if you already have Scream 1, <br> 14 if you already have Scream 2<br />
|-<br />
|'''Purity'''<br>(17% chance)<br />
| No potion heal<br />
| Gain one rank of the [[No Potion Heal]] mutation, reducing the benefit of healing potions. (This sacrifice can be taken up to 2 times.)<br />
| 14 <br> + 7 per rank of the mutation you already have<br />
|-<br />
|'''Purity'''<br>(17% chance)<br />
| Inhibited regeneration<br />
| Gain the [[Inhibited Regeneration]] mutation, stopping you from regenerating when in line of sight of enemies.<br />
| 14<br />
|-<br />
|'''Resistance'''<br />
| Temperature sensitive<br />
| Permanently acquire fire and cold vulnerability (rF- rC-).<br />
| 50<br />
|-<br />
|'''Skill'''<br />
| Unskilled<br />
| Reduce all skill aptitudes by 1, retroactively decreasing your skill level in all skills you have already trained. (This sacrifice can be taken up to 3 times.)<br />
| 30 <br> + 7 per rank of the mutation you already have<br />
|-<br />
|'''Stealth'''<br />
| No stealth<br />
| Permanently lose the [[Stealth (skill)|Stealth skill]], and set your [[stealth]] score to 0. This makes all monsters notice you on the first turn they spend in your line of sight. This does not mean you produce additional [[noise]], however, so you will not be waking up things beyond your line of sight any more than normal.<br />
| 15 <bR> + piety from Stealth skill<br />
|-<br />
|'''Words'''<br />
| Inability to read after injury<br />
| Gain [[No Unsafe Scrolls]] 2. Every time you take damage, you have a 3% chance to lose the ability to [[scroll]]s for 1d(damage) turns (maximum 30 turns).<br />
| 30 <br> + [10 if sacrificed Drink] <br>+ [15 if you are a [[Mummy]]]<br />
|}<br />
<br />
<nowiki>*</nowiki>The piety count contains square brackets [] where a preset amount of piety is added (or subtracted) when a condition is true.<br />
<br />
The piety granted by sacrifice in this table is the raw piety. This is then fuzzed by a random amount up to the smaller value of plus or minus 10% of the piety value and plus or minus 5 piety, to prevent players from accurately counting piety.<br />
<br />
Some sacrifices are worth additional piety based on the amount of skill levels you have in the skill being lost; this accounts for fractional skill levels. The amount of additional piety is <code>(raw experience points to reach your skill level)/500</code>. For reference, 500 [[skill point]]s (1 additional piety) equals 4 ranks in a skill with an aptitude of 0; see the [[Skill]] article for more details on skill points in regards to skill level. <br />
<br />
[[Gnoll]]s don't get any piety bonus from skill, and if you sacrifice a skill, your other skills won't get an increased share of XP. [[Djinn]] who sacrifice a magic skill won't get more XP for other magic skills (though Dj still get the piety bonus).<br />
<br />
Some sacrifices may conflict with your current mutation set (e.g. Sacrifice Health [HP] gives [[Frail]], which is incompatible with [[Robust]]) or species ([[Vine Stalker]]s already have maximum [[No Potion Heal]]), and will not be given.<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
*In [[0.29]], Sacrifice Experience was reduced to 1 XL, from 2. Some other sacrifices were rebalanced (see [http://crawl.chaosforge.org/index.php?title=Ru&oldid=64204#Sacrifices this revision] for previous values).<br />
*Prior to [[0.28]], Ru's Aura of Power triggered statuses more often (25% at max piety).<br />
*In [[0.27]], Ru's sacrifices were rebalanced. (See [http://crawl.chaosforge.org/index.php?title=Ru&oldid=56863#Sacrifices this revision] for previous values.)<br />
*Prior to [[0.26]], the [[drain]] status lowered skill XP instead of max HP.<br />
*Prior to [[0.19]], Ru's Aura of Power triggered statuses more often (33% at max piety).<br />
*Ru was added in [[0.16]].<br />
*For a time during development, Ru was named Iashol.<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
<references /><br />
<br />
{{gods}}</div>Hordeshttp://crawl.chaosforge.org/index.php?title=Stone&diff=86742Stone2026-07-15T15:25:25Z<p>Hordes: v. bump</p>
<hr />
<div>{{version034}}<br />
{{ThrowingMissile<br />
|name = Stone<br />
|cost = 1<br />
|weight = 0.6<br />
|launcher = Throwing<br />
|damage = 2<br />
|basedelay = 11 (110%)<br />
|mindelay = 7 (at [[Throwing]] skill 8)<br />
}}<br />
{{flavour|A small chunk of dense but otherwise unremarkable natural mineral. It can be thrown to cause minor damage.<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
"How happy is the little Stone<br>That rambles in the Road alone,<br>And doesn't care about Careers<br>And Exigencies never fears -<br>Whose Coat of elemental Brown<br>A passing Universe put on,<br>And independent as the Sun<br>Associates or glows alone,<br>Fulfilling absolute Decree<br>In casual simplicity -"<br />
<br />
-Emily Dickinson, "How happy is the little Stone". ca. 1865.}}<br />
<br />
'''Stones''' are a somewhat common form of ammo which can [[throwing|thrown]] by hand for minimal damage. While unimpressive, they let early characters deal some extra damage at a distance. Stones get half the damage bonus from [[Throwing]] skill that other weapons do.<br />
<br />
Stones are always [[mulch]]ed (destroyed) after being thrown. <br />
<br />
==Strategy==<br />
Stones are useful for a couple of reasons:<br />
* If you can't attack from range, you might as well throw a stone. Stones let you deal some extra damage against [[adder]]s and other melee enemies.<br />
* Stones create a soft [[noise]] where they land. If you throw a stone at the edge of [[line of sight]], you can quietly attract enemies that were just out of sight.<br />
** This can be used to split up packs. Many monsters will [[shout]] after hearing a noise, waking up the whole pack. However, when a monster shouts, the [[noise]] is projected on ''their'' tile, not yours. Because some monsters only hear that shout, they won't know your actual location. Some monsters will wander towards the shout (then a random direction), others towards the direction of the stone. Therefore, some monsters will be split from the pack. This doesn't work on [[:Category:Herd flag|herd]] animals like [[yak]]s.<br />
* If you hit an enemy, it will always notice you. If you want a monster to notice you, it's better to throw a stone than to wait around or shout yourself.<br />
* Even stones can deal very respectable damage in the early game if you happen to find some slaying bonuses.<br />
<br />
You can largely disregard stones the moment you find a better ranged option.<br />
<br />
Note that stones used by monsters will use the monster's base damage. For example, an [[orc warlord]] will deal up to 29 damage with a stone.<br />
<br />
{| class="prettytable" style="border:none; margin:auto; padding:0; text-align: center"<br />
! Stone<br />
|-<br />
| [[File:Stone.png]]<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
*Prior to [[0.29]], stones could be used for [[hunting sling]]s, [[fustibali]], and [[Sandblast]]. They were significantly more common, and only [[mulch]]ed 12.5% of the time.<br />
*Prior to [[0.20]], Sandblast did not require stones to function.<br />
*Prior to [[0.17]], stones were particularly useful as an anti-[[jelly]] weapon, as jellies would eat most other projectiles and heal by doing so.<br />
*Prior to [[0.11]], [[mulch]]ing a [[large rock]] would create a stack of stones. <br />
<br />
{{weapons}}<br />
[[Category:Slings]][[Category:Throwing]]</div>Hordeshttp://crawl.chaosforge.org/index.php?title=Dimensional_Bullseye&diff=86741Dimensional Bullseye2026-07-15T15:17:49Z<p>Hordes: /* Strategy */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{version034}}<br />
{{spell info}}<br />
'''Dimensional Bullseye''' is a level 4 [[Hexes]]/[[Translocation]] spell which allows you to mark any monster in your line of sight. Each time you fire at a non-marked enemy, the marked enemy is hit by an identical shot.<br />
<br />
[[Hexslinger]]s start with this spell in their libraries.<br />
<br />
==Useful Info==<br />
Dimensional Bullseye is a [[smite-targeted]] spell which ''marks'' a given monster. Whenever you attack (hit or miss) with a [[ranged weapon]] or [[Throwing]] implement at ''another'' enemy, the marked target is also attacked. Projectiles land on the marked target's tile.<br />
<br />
This effect occurs at the end of the projectiles' normal trajectory:<br />
*When using a non-penetrating weapon, it occurs after you hit any non-marked target, or after you miss every target in your path. For example, you can miss target #1, hit target #2 behind it, then attack the marked target. If you miss target #1 and target #2, you still get to attack the marked target.<br />
*When using a [[penetration|penetrating]] weapon, the attack will hit all original targets and the marked target together. <br />
<br />
In addition, Ranged Weapon / Throwing attacks against the marked target gain a [[to-hit]] bonus of <code>power/12</code> (even if the above effect does not trigger).<br />
<br />
==Strategy==<br />
Dimensional Bullseye is useful if you rely on [[Ranged Weapons]]. It boosts your accuracy, lets you hit an additional target in combat, and allows you to snipe monsters in the backlines.<br />
<br />
While this spell does work with [[Throwing]] weapons, it's usually redundant. [[Javelin]]s have innate penetration, so they can already hit monsters in the back (and everything in the way, too). Furthermore, throwing ammo is limited and cannot be relied upon as the main source of damage, so the XP investment is questionable.<br />
<br />
Because this spell relies entirely on your ranged attack, Hexslingers should not rush to get this spell castable. Instead, train [[Ranged Weapons]] skill to competency, then train this spell as a support option.<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
*Dimensional Bullseye was introduced in [[0.31]], replacing [[Portal Projectile]].</div>Hordeshttp://crawl.chaosforge.org/index.php?title=Harm&diff=86739Harm2026-07-14T16:18:20Z<p>Hordes: /* Strategy */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{version031}}<br />
{{flavour|It increases damage dealt and taken.}}<br />
'''Harm''' is an ego that can appear on [[scarves]] and [[artefact]]s. It amplifies the damage dealt by the player by 30%, but also amplifies the damage received by 20%. This effect applies to all forms of damage, including [[torment]]. The damage is increased after [[AC]] and resistances are applied. Note that if a monster wears an item of Harm, it gets the benefit.<br />
<br />
Up to 2 sources of Harm can stack. With 2 sources, you'll deal 45% extra damage, but take 30% more damage.<br />
==Sources==<br />
* [[Scarves]]<br />
* [[Leech]]<br />
* [[Robe of Misfortune]]<br />
* [[Randart]] armor<br />
<br />
==Strategy==<br />
Harm is an extreme double-edged sword. It does let you deal more damage than you take... assuming you're dealing damage. When the going gets rough, you'll often want to reposition, use items, try to [[teleport]], or otherwise escape. When doing these actions, Harm is purely a negative. Additionally, when fighting multiple enemies, Harm can be especially dangerous as you can only make one action at a time, but multiple enemies can hit you at once.<br />
<br />
It also introduces a ''player''-side risk. Since you'll take more damage, Harm demands you start thinking earlier. You'll need to use emergency items earlier than you otherwise would. If you mindlessly [[tab]] without taking this into account, you can end up in danger real fast. You might kill thousands of monsters, but it only takes one [[shaft|particularly]] [[teleport trap|bad]] situation in order to kill you - or, at least, force item usage. <br />
<br />
With all that being said, the damage boost can not be denied. If your character if weak or middling (has trouble with standard monsters), Harm can be valuable. For example, Harm can let a caster take out [[cane toad]]s before the toad gets into melee. When used in the right circumstance, Harm can enable a character to beat more situations and thus not have to use as many consumables. For characters that are already strong, Harm introduces more risks than its worth. <br />
<br />
Harm is arguably strongest for blaster casters, as it increases damage per [[MP]]. It can also be useful to ranged fighters. It isn't recommended for melee characters: time spent approaching ranged enemies is time getting hit. Also, [[Summoning]]s and [[Hexes]] spells do not directly benefit from Harm, so users relying on these schools should stray away.<br />
<br />
Although Harm doesn't affect your summons' damage, it ''does'' increase damage done by conjured entities. This includes [[ball lightning]]s, [[battlesphere]]s, and [[fulminant prism]]s. Harm has no effect on your [[Dithmenos|shadow mimic]], though.<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
*Prior to [[0.30]], Harm couldn't stack.<br />
*Prior to [[0.25]], Harm appeared only on amulets of harm, which would [[drain]] the wearer upon removal.<br />
*In [[0.18]], [[amulets of harm]] were added.</div>Hordeshttp://crawl.chaosforge.org/index.php?title=Harm&diff=86738Harm2026-07-14T16:15:16Z<p>Hordes: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{version031}}<br />
{{flavour|It increases damage dealt and taken.}}<br />
'''Harm''' is an ego that can appear on [[scarves]] and [[artefact]]s. It amplifies the damage dealt by the player by 30%, but also amplifies the damage received by 20%. This effect applies to all forms of damage, including [[torment]]. The damage is increased after [[AC]] and resistances are applied. Note that if a monster wears an item of Harm, it gets the benefit.<br />
<br />
Up to 2 sources of Harm can stack. With 2 sources, you'll deal 45% extra damage, but take 30% more damage.<br />
==Sources==<br />
* [[Scarves]]<br />
* [[Leech]]<br />
* [[Robe of Misfortune]]<br />
* [[Randart]] armor<br />
<br />
==Strategy==<br />
Harm is an extreme double-edged sword. It does let you deal more damage than you take... assuming you're dealing damage. When the going gets rough, you'll often want to reposition, use items, try to [[teleport]], or otherwise escape. When doing these actions, Harm is purely a negative. Additionally, when fighting multiple enemies, Harm can be especially dangerous as you can only make one action at a time, but multiple enemies can hit you at once.<br />
<br />
It also introduces a ''player''-side risk. Since you'll take more damage, Harm demands you start thinking earlier. You'll need to use emergency items earlier than you otherwise would. If you mindlessly [[tab]] without taking this into account, you can end up in danger real fast. You might kill thousands of monsters, but it only takes one [[shaft|particularly]] [[teleport trap|bad]] situation in order to kill you - or, at least, force item usage. <br />
<br />
With all that being said, the damage boost can not be denied. If your character if weak or middling (has trouble with standard monsters), Harm can be valuable. For example, Harm can let a caster take out [[cane toad]]s before the toad gets into melee. For characters that are already strong, Harm introduces more risks than its worth. <br />
<br />
Harm is arguably strongest for blaster casters, as it increases damage per [[MP]]. It can also be useful to ranged fighters. It isn't recommended for melee characters: time spent approaching ranged enemies is time getting hit. Also, [[Summoning]]s and [[Hexes]] spells do not directly benefit from Harm, so users relying on these schools should stray away.<br />
<br />
Although Harm doesn't affect your summons' damage, it ''does'' increase damage done by conjured entities. This includes [[ball lightning]]s, [[battlesphere]]s, and [[fulminant prism]]s. Harm has no effect on your [[Dithmenos|shadow mimic]], though.<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
*Prior to [[0.30]], Harm couldn't stack.<br />
*Prior to [[0.25]], Harm appeared only on amulets of harm, which would [[drain]] the wearer upon removal.<br />
*In [[0.18]], [[amulets of harm]] were added.</div>Hordeshttp://crawl.chaosforge.org/index.php?title=Mayhem&diff=86737Mayhem2026-07-14T16:10:19Z<p>Hordes: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{version030}}<br />
{{flavour|It causes witnesses of the wearer's kills to go into a frenzy, attacking everything nearby with great strength and speed.}}<br />
<br />
'''Mayhem''' is an [[ego]] found only on [[orb]]s. Characters wielding an orb of mayhem have a 50% chance of inflicting [[frenzy]] on another monster whenever they kill a foe. Frenzied monsters are [[neutral]], attack the closest thing (friend or foe), and gain immense power and speed ([[might]] and [[haste]]).<br />
<br />
==Strategy==<br />
Mayhem offers no benefit unless fighting multiple enemies, and even then it'll only trigger after an enemy is killed. Furthermore, it can backfire - for example, it can frenzy your own [[summon]]s, or enrage the only enemy left alive. In addition, it only has a 50% chance to activate per kill and prevents use of a [[shield]]. Therefore, for the majority of a 3-rune game, it is not a general purpose item.<br />
<br />
Mayhem can be useful to equip when tackling areas you know will be filled with monsters, such as [[Vaults]]:5 or a [[Ziggurat]]. It can be potentially useful in the late-game, once the character can safely handle lone enemies but need help against group fights (which are common in the late-game). Blaster casters and other ranged characters are better suited for mayhem, since they are least exposed to the downsides of frenzy.<br />
<br />
It is especially strong when doing [[Mega-Zig]]s, since frenzied enemies are unable to cast deadly spells like [[Silence]] and can distract other enemies in the process.<br />
<br />
=== Tips & Tricks ===<br />
*There are a few ways to deal with dangerous frenzied monsters that target you. [[Spriggan]]s can easily outrun even hasted monsters, other characters can [[teleport]] away, and you can dispel frenzy with [[Yara's Violent Unravelling]] or a [[wand of quicksilver]].<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
The mayhem ego, along with orbs themselves, was introduced in [[0.28]].<br />
<br />
{{orb}}</div>Hordeshttp://crawl.chaosforge.org/index.php?title=Mayhem&diff=86736Mayhem2026-07-14T16:09:50Z<p>Hordes: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{version030}}<br />
{{flavour|It causes witnesses of the wearer's kills to go into a frenzy, attacking everything nearby with great strength and speed.}}<br />
<br />
'''Mayhem''' is an [[ego]] found only on [[orb]]s. Characters wielding an orb of mayhem have a 50% chance of inflicting [[frenzy]] on another monster whenever they kill a foe. Frenzied monsters are [[neutral]], attack the closest thing (friend or foe), and gain immense power and speed ([[might]] and [[haste]]).<br />
<br />
==Strategy==<br />
Mayhem offers no benefit unless fighting multiple enemies, and even then it'll only trigger after an enemy is killed. Furthermore, it can backfire - for example, it can frenzy your own [[summon]]s, or enrage the only enemy left alive. In addition, it only has a 50% chance to activate per kill and prevents use of a [[shield]]. Therefore, for the majority of a 3-rune game, it is not a general purpose item.<br />
<br />
Mayhem can be useful to equip when tackling areas you know will be filled with monsters, such as [[Vaults:5]] or a [[Ziggurat]]. It can be potentially useful in the late-game, once the character can safely handle lone enemies but need help against group fights (which are common in the late-game). Blaster casters and other ranged characters are better suited for mayhem, since they are least exposed to the downsides of frenzy.<br />
<br />
It is especially strong when doing [[Mega-Zig]]s, since frenzied enemies are unable to cast deadly spells like [[Silence]] and can distract other enemies in the process.<br />
<br />
=== Tips & Tricks ===<br />
*There are a few ways to deal with dangerous frenzied monsters that target you. [[Spriggan]]s can easily outrun even hasted monsters, other characters can [[teleport]] away, and you can dispel frenzy with [[Yara's Violent Unravelling]] or a [[wand of quicksilver]].<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
The mayhem ego, along with orbs themselves, was introduced in [[0.28]].<br />
<br />
{{orb}}</div>Hordeshttp://crawl.chaosforge.org/index.php?title=Vine_Stalker&diff=86735Vine Stalker2026-07-14T15:49:58Z<p>Hordes: /* Strategy */ attacking isn't 100%, but ru/ely healing can be 100%.</p>
<hr />
<div>{{version034}}<br />
''This page refers to the player [[species]]. For the monster, see [[Vine stalker (monster)]].''<br />
{{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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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.}}<br />
<br />
==Innate Abilities==<br />
*'''[[Fangs]] 2:''' Vine Stalkers possess a [[auxiliary attack|bite]] attack.<br />
**'''[[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. <br />
{{crawlquote|'''Damage done''': Fangs_level×2 + XL/3<br>'''Drained MP''': 1dDamage_done × (1.25 - MP/MaxMP)}}<br />
*'''[[No Potion Heal]] 2:''' Vine Stalkers cannot restore HP with [[potion]]s. <br />
**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]].<br />
*'''[[Regeneration (mutation)|Regeneration]] 1:''' Vine Stalkers regenerate HP quickly (+0.8 HP/turn).<br />
*'''[[Spirit shield]]:''' Vine Stalkers share incoming damage between their HP and MP.<br />
<br />
Vine Stalkers have a base [[Strength]] of 10, [[Intelligence]] of 8 and [[Dexterity]] of 9 (before Background modifiers). They have +1 base [[magic points]].<br />
<br />
==Preferred Backgrounds==<br />
*'''Warriors:''' [[Fighter]], [[Brigand]]<br />
*'''Zealots:''' [[Berserker]]<br />
*'''Warrior-mages:''' [[Enchanter]]<br />
*'''Mages:''' [[Conjurer]], [[Necromancer]], [[Ice Elementalist]]<br />
<br />
==Level Bonuses==<br />
*+1 [[strength]] or [[dexterity]] every 4th level.<br />
*30% less [[HP]] than average.<br />
*+5 [[willpower]] per level.<br />
*Upgrade to [[Fangs]] 3 at level 8.<br />
<br />
==Starting Skills and Equipment==<br />
Vine Stalkers receive the skills and equipment listed for their background.<br />
<br />
==Difficulty of Play==<br />
{{Hard}}<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
{{species_aptitudes|Vine Stalker}}<br />
<br />
==Strategy==<br />
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:<br />
*[[God]] choice - [[Elyvilon]] and [[Ru]] offer immediate ways to heal. Healing effects from [[Gozag]]'s Potion Petition can restore Vine Stalkers' health too. However, if you can attack faster, thus getting more bite attacks that restore your mana, outside healing is less necessary. For this reason, attack speed gods such as [[Okawaru]] or [[Wu Jian Council]] will make the most of this high damage, rapid "healing" species. <br />
*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.<br />
<br />
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:<br />
*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]].<br />
*Melee + caster hybrid: Their bite can be used to recover lost MP.<br />
<br />
===Tips and Tricks===<br />
*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.<br />
*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+).<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
*Prior to [[0.31]], Vine Stalkers only gained the Regeneration mutation at level 4.<br />
*Prior to [[0.28]], Vine Stalkers' Regeneration 1 would provide +1 HP/turn.<br />
*Prior to [[0.27]], Vine Stalkers would reach Regeneration 2 at level 12. However, each level of Regeneration provided +0.4 HP/turn.<br />
*Prior to [[0.26]], Vine Stalkers had [[rotting]] immunity.<br />
*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.<br />
*Vine Stalkers were added in [[0.14]].<br />
<br />
{{species}}</div>Hordeshttp://crawl.chaosforge.org/index.php?title=Swiftness&diff=86685Swiftness2026-07-07T17:22:53Z<p>Hordes: /* Useful Info */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{version031}}<br />
{{spell info}}<br />
<br />
'''Swiftness''' is a level 3 [[Air Magic|Air]] spell which temporarily reduces your [[movement]] delay, then slows you after.<br />
__NOTOC__<br />
==Useful Info==<br />
Grants the '''Swift''' status, reducing movement delay by 25%, thus increasing move speed by +33%. However, after the speed boost ends, the spell grants '''-Swift''' for the same duration, which prevents recasting Swiftness and increases movement delay by 50% (i.e. -33% slower). A regular move speed character will take 0.7 to 0.8 [[decaAut]] (avg. 0.75) to move under Swift, and 1.5 decaAut to move under -Swift.<br />
<br />
Swiftness can not reduce [[movement delay]] below 0.6 without [[haste]]. Therefore, [[Spriggan]]s receive no benefit (unless under a [[transformation]] with slower movement speed). If a character happens to have a movement delay of 0.7, the speed fluctuation is smaller: the increase only reduces delay to 0.6, a 16.7% bonus, while the -Swift penalty is 20% slower.<ref>{{source ref|0.30.0|player.cc|1853}}</ref><br />
<br />
The Swift status lasts for <code>11 + 1d(power) / 2</code> decaAut (max. 30).<ref>{{source ref|0.30.0|spl-selfench.cc|126}}</ref> You cannot recast the spell to increase the duration.<br />
<br />
===Limitations===<br />
*This spell does stack with other sources of speed, such as [[Haste]] and the [[lightning scales]].<br />
*Due to their [[stasis]], [[Formicid]]s cannot cast Swiftness.<br />
*[[Cheibriados]] dislikes the use of Swiftness -- using it will incur penance.<br />
<br />
==Monster Version==<br />
While monsters can't cast Swiftness, they instead get the functionally similar [[Sprint]]. Sprint boosts the movement speed of the caster, but has no penalty or cooldown afterwards. [[Player ghost]]s with Swiftness will have their spells replaced.<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
*Prior to [[0.31]], standing in water would negate this spell's effects (positive and negative).<br />
*Prior to [[0.27]], this spell was a level 2 Air spell.<br />
*Prior to [[0.26]], Swiftness was a dual-school, level 2 [[Air Magic|Air]]/[[Charms]] spell.<br />
*Prior to [[0.25]], Formicids could use Swiftness.<br />
*Prior to [[0.14]], there was no slowdown after the spell ended, but it penalized [[stealth]] and [[trap]] detection while active. It also reduced move delay by a flat 0.2 instead of by a percentage.<br />
*Prior to [[0.13]] this spell couldn't be cast while standing in shallow water.<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
<references/><br />
<br />
[[Category:Movement]]<br />
[[Category:Status effects]]</div>Hordeshttp://crawl.chaosforge.org/index.php?title=Swiftness&diff=86684Swiftness2026-07-07T17:21:35Z<p>Hordes: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{version031}}<br />
{{spell info}}<br />
<br />
'''Swiftness''' is a level 3 [[Air Magic|Air]] spell which temporarily reduces your [[movement]] delay, then slows you after.<br />
__NOTOC__<br />
==Useful Info==<br />
Grants the '''Swift''' status, reducing movement delay by 25%, thus increasing move speed by +33%. However, after the speed boost ends, the spell grants '''-Swift''' for the same duration, which prevents recasting Swiftness and makes your movement speed 50% slower. A regular move speed character will take 0.7 to 0.8 [[decaAut]] (avg. 0.75) to move under Swift, and 1.5 decaAut to move under -Swift.<br />
<br />
Swiftness can not reduce [[movement delay]] below 0.6 without [[haste]]. Therefore, [[Spriggan]]s receive no benefit (unless under a [[transformation]] with slower movement speed). If a character happens to have a movement delay of 0.7, the speed fluctuation is smaller: the increase only reduces delay to 0.6, a 16.7% bonus, while the -Swift penalty is 20% slower.<ref>{{source ref|0.30.0|player.cc|1853}}</ref><br />
<br />
The Swift status lasts for <code>11 + 1d(power) / 2</code> decaAut (max. 30).<ref>{{source ref|0.30.0|spl-selfench.cc|126}}</ref> You cannot recast the spell to increase the duration.<br />
<br />
===Limitations===<br />
*This spell does stack with other sources of speed, such as [[Haste]] and the [[lightning scales]].<br />
*Due to their [[stasis]], [[Formicid]]s cannot cast Swiftness.<br />
*[[Cheibriados]] dislikes the use of Swiftness -- using it will incur penance.<br />
<br />
==Monster Version==<br />
While monsters can't cast Swiftness, they instead get the functionally similar [[Sprint]]. Sprint boosts the movement speed of the caster, but has no penalty or cooldown afterwards. [[Player ghost]]s with Swiftness will have their spells replaced.<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
*Prior to [[0.31]], standing in water would negate this spell's effects (positive and negative).<br />
*Prior to [[0.27]], this spell was a level 2 Air spell.<br />
*Prior to [[0.26]], Swiftness was a dual-school, level 2 [[Air Magic|Air]]/[[Charms]] spell.<br />
*Prior to [[0.25]], Formicids could use Swiftness.<br />
*Prior to [[0.14]], there was no slowdown after the spell ended, but it penalized [[stealth]] and [[trap]] detection while active. It also reduced move delay by a flat 0.2 instead of by a percentage.<br />
*Prior to [[0.13]] this spell couldn't be cast while standing in shallow water.<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
<references/><br />
<br />
[[Category:Movement]]<br />
[[Category:Status effects]]</div>Hordeshttp://crawl.chaosforge.org/index.php?title=Attacks_of_opportunity&diff=86683Attacks of opportunity2026-07-07T17:19:10Z<p>Hordes: /* Strategy */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{version031}}<br />
{{crawlquote|When you move away from an enemy, they have a small (1/3) chance of taking advantage and launching a free attack. Repositioning and retreating is often still good, but keep an eye out for those extra attacks.}}<br />
<br />
'''Attacks of opportunity''' ('''AOO''', '''AOOp''') can trigger whenever you move away from an enemy in melee.<br />
<br />
==Useful Info==<br />
Whenever you move away from an enemy's melee attack range, and the monster would pursue, it has a 33% chance to trigger an attack of opportunity. This allows it to move and attack simultaneously. They can only occur if a monster would choose to pursue. Enemies with [[reaching]] attacks can make attacks of opportunity from 2 tiles away.<br />
<br />
The time spent to do both actions is a single monster turn, but with a 50% chance for it to lose an extra 10% of a turn. If a monster attacks slower than it moves, or moves slower than the attacks, it takes time equal to the slower of the two actions.<br />
<br />
Note that [[random energy]] does not apply whenever an attack of opportunity happens. However, if a monster would be eligible for an attack, but doesn't actually get one, random energy will apply.<br />
<br />
===Avoiding===<br />
The following conditions will prevent attacks of opportunity entirely:<br />
*If a monster would choose not to move or melee attack, it won't make attacks of opportunity. For example, a [[centaur (monster)|centaur]] will prefer to use its bow over a weak melee attack. <br />
*Monsters who cannot move or melee attack will not perform attacks of opportunity, so the following statuses stop them entirely:<br />
**Incapacitation: [[Asleep]], [[paralysed]], [[petrified]], or [[confused]]<br />
**Cannot move: [[Constrict]]ed, caught in a [[web]]/[[net]]<br />
**Cannot attack: [[Fear|Fleeing]]<br />
*If an enemy cannot see you - that is, you are [[invisible]] to the attacker or the attacker is [[blind]]ed, you avoid attacks of oppotunity.<br />
*If you swap places with an [[ally]], so that the ally blocks the monster's movement, you avoid that attack of opportunity. However, if the ally is killed during the turn when you switched, and another monster could step into its place and make an attack of opportunity, it may do so.<br />
*[[Zin]]'s Sanctuary prevents all attacks. This protection is retroactive - if you were previously outside the area and moved inside, the Sanctuary still protects you.<br />
*You become immune to attacks of opportunity while performing [[Wu Jian|martial attacks]], [[rampaging]], or Serpent's Lash.<br />
*[[Translocation]]s don't count as movement, so you can use them safely.<br />
<br />
Being faster than the monster can help you escape from a melee monster, but attacks of opportunity can still occur. For example, against a 100% speed monster, a [[haste]]d player can take at most 2 attacks of opportunity before escaping melee range.<br />
<br />
==Strategy==<br />
Watch out! When retreating, a 100% speed enemy with AOO gets more attacks than an [[adder]] would without AOO. Always try to reposition (say, to a [[stair dancing|upstairs]]) ''before'' you get adjacent to them. Once you're adjacent to a melee enemy, you should only move if you have a good reason to.<br />
<br />
Should you need to retreat from a bad fight, your options are limited. Common ways to escape include:<br />
*Swapping places with a [[summon]] or another type of [[ally]]<br />
*Prevent the monster from moving: [[Throwing net]], [[Grave Claw]], [[BVC]], [[wand of roots]]<br />
*Translocating yourself away: [[Translocation]]s magic, [[scroll of teleport]], [[scroll of blinking]]<br />
*Sending the monster away: [[Iskenderun's Mystic Blast]], [[Dispersal]] ([[Dispersal|spell]] and [[dispersal (brand)|darts]]), [[scroll of butterflies]], [[scroll of fear]], [[phial of floods]] / [[Gell's gravitambourine]]<br />
*Inflicting a status on the enemy (not as reliable): [[Hexes]], [[Mephitic Cloud]]<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
*In [[0.31]], attacks of opportunity were reworked. Prior to this version:<br />
**Monsters didn't have a 50% chance to lose 0.1 of a turn after making an opportunity attack.<br />
**Monsters only made attacks of opportunity if you were ''adjacent'', not in ''melee range''. Therefore, monsters with [[reaching]] attacks couldn't make attacks of opportunity. Their AI would let you get 2 tiles away before chasing, thus invalidating opportunity attacks.<br />
**You were immune to attacks of opportunity if you moved faster than the monster.<br />
**Certain [[attack flavour]]s, such as [[engulf]], [[constrict]], and any effect that moved the player or monster, were disabled during attacks of opportunity.<br />
:Also, [[random energy]] was re-introduced in this version.<br />
*Attacks of opportunity were introduced in [[0.29]], as a replacement for [[energy randomisation]].<br />
<br />
[[Category:Game mechanics]]</div>Hordeshttp://crawl.chaosforge.org/index.php?title=Attacks_of_opportunity&diff=86682Attacks of opportunity2026-07-07T17:15:54Z<p>Hordes: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{version031}}<br />
{{crawlquote|When you move away from an enemy, they have a small (1/3) chance of taking advantage and launching a free attack. Repositioning and retreating is often still good, but keep an eye out for those extra attacks.}}<br />
<br />
'''Attacks of opportunity''' ('''AOO''', '''AOOp''') can trigger whenever you move away from an enemy in melee.<br />
<br />
==Useful Info==<br />
Whenever you move away from an enemy's melee attack range, and the monster would pursue, it has a 33% chance to trigger an attack of opportunity. This allows it to move and attack simultaneously. They can only occur if a monster would choose to pursue. Enemies with [[reaching]] attacks can make attacks of opportunity from 2 tiles away.<br />
<br />
The time spent to do both actions is a single monster turn, but with a 50% chance for it to lose an extra 10% of a turn. If a monster attacks slower than it moves, or moves slower than the attacks, it takes time equal to the slower of the two actions.<br />
<br />
Note that [[random energy]] does not apply whenever an attack of opportunity happens. However, if a monster would be eligible for an attack, but doesn't actually get one, random energy will apply.<br />
<br />
===Avoiding===<br />
The following conditions will prevent attacks of opportunity entirely:<br />
*If a monster would choose not to move or melee attack, it won't make attacks of opportunity. For example, a [[centaur (monster)|centaur]] will prefer to use its bow over a weak melee attack. <br />
*Monsters who cannot move or melee attack will not perform attacks of opportunity, so the following statuses stop them entirely:<br />
**Incapacitation: [[Asleep]], [[paralysed]], [[petrified]], or [[confused]]<br />
**Cannot move: [[Constrict]]ed, caught in a [[web]]/[[net]]<br />
**Cannot attack: [[Fear|Fleeing]]<br />
*If an enemy cannot see you - that is, you are [[invisible]] to the attacker or the attacker is [[blind]]ed, you avoid attacks of oppotunity.<br />
*If you swap places with an [[ally]], so that the ally blocks the monster's movement, you avoid that attack of opportunity. However, if the ally is killed during the turn when you switched, and another monster could step into its place and make an attack of opportunity, it may do so.<br />
*[[Zin]]'s Sanctuary prevents all attacks. This protection is retroactive - if you were previously outside the area and moved inside, the Sanctuary still protects you.<br />
*You become immune to attacks of opportunity while performing [[Wu Jian|martial attacks]], [[rampaging]], or Serpent's Lash.<br />
*[[Translocation]]s don't count as movement, so you can use them safely.<br />
<br />
Being faster than the monster can help you escape from a melee monster, but attacks of opportunity can still occur. For example, against a 100% speed monster, a [[haste]]d player can take at most 2 attacks of opportunity before escaping melee range.<br />
<br />
==Strategy==<br />
Watch out! When retreating, a 100% speed enemy with AOO gets more attacks than an [[adder]] would without AOO. Always try to reposition (say, to a [[stair dancing|upstairs]]) ''before'' you get adjacent to them. Once you're adjacent to a melee enemy, you should only move if you have a good reason to.<br />
<br />
Should you need to retreat from a bad fight, your options are limited. Common ways to escape include:<br />
*Swapping places with a [[summon]] or other type of [[ally]]<br />
*Prevent the monster from moving: [[Throwing net]], [[BVC]], [[wand of roots]]<br />
*Translocating yourself away: [[Translocation]]s, [[scroll of teleport]], [[scroll of blinking]]<br />
*Sending the monster away: [[Iskenderun's Mystic Blast]], [[Dispersal]] ([[Dispersal|spell]] and [[dispersal (brand)|darts]]), [[scroll of butterflies]], [[scroll of fear]], [[phial of floods]] / [[Gell's gravitambourine]]<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
*In [[0.31]], attacks of opportunity were reworked. Prior to this version:<br />
**Monsters didn't have a 50% chance to lose 0.1 of a turn after making an opportunity attack.<br />
**Monsters only made attacks of opportunity if you were ''adjacent'', not in ''melee range''. Therefore, monsters with [[reaching]] attacks couldn't make attacks of opportunity. Their AI would let you get 2 tiles away before chasing, thus invalidating opportunity attacks.<br />
**You were immune to attacks of opportunity if you moved faster than the monster.<br />
**Certain [[attack flavour]]s, such as [[engulf]], [[constrict]], and any effect that moved the player or monster, were disabled during attacks of opportunity.<br />
:Also, [[random energy]] was re-introduced in this version.<br />
*Attacks of opportunity were introduced in [[0.29]], as a replacement for [[energy randomisation]].<br />
<br />
[[Category:Game mechanics]]</div>Hordeshttp://crawl.chaosforge.org/index.php?title=Alchemist&diff=86614Alchemist2026-07-06T12:27:56Z<p>Hordes: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{version034}}<br />
{{flavour|Alchemists start with knowledge of poison-based magic, which is extremely useful in the shallower levels of the Dungeon where few creatures are immune to it.}}<br />
'''Alchemists''' are mages who focus on [[Alchemy]]. Their starting set is based on [[poison]] except for [[Sticky Flame]].<br />
<br />
==Preferred Species==<br />
[[Deep Elf]], [[Demonspawn]], [[Djinni]], [[Merfolk]], [[Naga]], [[Octopode]], and [[Spriggan]] are the recommended species if you pick an Alchemist background.<br />
<br />
==Starting Equipment==<br />
Some [[species]] may receive different items based on their unique restrictions.<br />
*+0 [[robe]]<br />
*[[Potion of magic]]<br />
<br />
'''Available Spells:'''<br />
*[[Poisonous Vapours]]<br />
*[[Mercury Arrow]]<br />
*[[Mephitic Cloud]]<br />
*[[Olgreb's Toxic Radiance]]<br />
*[[Sticky Flame]]<br />
<br />
Alchemists start with the [[Poisonous Vapours]] spell memorised.<br />
<br />
==Starting Skills and Stats==<br />
These are adjusted by your species' [[aptitude]]s.<br />
*[[Dodging]]: 2<br />
*[[Stealth]]: 2<br />
*[[Spellcasting]]: 2<br />
*[[Conjurations]]: 1<br />
*[[Alchemy]]: 3<br />
<br />
Choosing Alchemist adds 7 to your starting [[Intelligence]] and 5 to your starting [[Dexterity]].<br />
<br />
==Strategy==<br />
In the early game, Alchemists can struggle against enemies with [[poison resistance]]. Mercury Arrow can deal with most resistant enemies in the very early game, but anything tougher will require [[Sticky Flame]]. So until you can cast Sticky Flame, try to avoid foes with rPois if possible.<br />
<br />
===Spell Details===<br />
[[Poisonous Vapours]] is a great level 1 spell. It never misses, allowing you to reliably deal with early game enemies.<br />
<br />
[[Mercury Arrow]] is a nice utility spell as it has a chance make enemies surrounding the target [[weak]], reducing their attack damage, and part of it's damage bypasses resistances. Perfect for early orc packs.<br />
<br />
Learn [[Mephitic Cloud]] the instant you hit level 3. [[Confusion]] is a very strong status, preventing victims from using any type of spell or ability, and monsters only have a 1/3 chance to successfully move towards you. However, this spell is quite loud, attracting other enemies to you. It also doesn't work against enemies with rPois. The clouds will affect you if used too close; either have poison resistance, or aim behind an enemy. Having 2-3 points into both Air Magic and Conjurations is helpful; it's a little tough to cast by training Alchemy alone.<br />
<br />
[[Olgreb's Toxic Radiance]] is a powerful crowd-controlling tool. It inflicts poison slowly, but it affects all vulnerable monsters in your line of sight. While Vapours is better against single targets, OTR excels against groups, especially in the mid-dungeon and [[Orcish Mines]]. A frisky Alchemist may want to clear Orc before Lair (though watch out for many threats: [[warg]]s have rPois, while [[paralysis]], [[stone giant]]s, and many melee threats are still scary).<br />
<br />
[[Sticky Flame]] sets an adjacent target on fire, dealing damage over time in addition to the initial impact. If the enemy moves, the fire will get put out, making this spell often feel clunky as you stand in melee as a caster.<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
*Starting spells changed in [[0.33]]. [[Poisonous Vapours]] changed from Mercury Vapours, and [[Mercury Arrow]] replaced [[Sting]].<br />
*Alchemist was introduced in [[0.31]], replacing [[Venom Mage]].<br />
<br />
{{backgrounds}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Backgrounds]]</div>Hordeshttp://crawl.chaosforge.org/index.php?title=Alchemist&diff=86613Alchemist2026-07-06T12:22:17Z<p>Hordes: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{version034}}<br />
{{flavour|Alchemists start with knowledge of poison-based magic, which is extremely useful in the shallower levels of the Dungeon where few creatures are immune to it.}}<br />
'''Alchemists''' are mages who focus on [[Alchemy]]. Their starting set is based on [[poison]] except for [[Sticky Flame]].<br />
<br />
==Preferred Species==<br />
[[Deep Elf]], [[Demonspawn]], [[Djinni]], [[Merfolk]], [[Naga]], [[Octopode]], and [[Spriggan]] are the recommended species if you pick an Alchemist background.<br />
<br />
==Starting Equipment==<br />
Some [[species]] may receive different items based on their unique restrictions.<br />
*+0 [[robe]]<br />
*[[Potion of magic]]<br />
<br />
'''Available Spells:'''<br />
*[[Poisonous Vapours]]<br />
*[[Mercury Arrow]]<br />
*[[Mephitic Cloud]]<br />
*[[Olgreb's Toxic Radiance]]<br />
*[[Sticky Flame]]<br />
<br />
Alchemists start with the [[Poisonous Vapours]] spell memorised.<br />
<br />
==Starting Skills and Stats==<br />
These are adjusted by your species' [[aptitude]]s.<br />
*[[Dodging]]: 2<br />
*[[Stealth]]: 2<br />
*[[Spellcasting]]: 2<br />
*[[Conjurations]]: 1<br />
*[[Alchemy]]: 3<br />
<br />
Choosing Alchemist adds 7 to your starting [[Intelligence]] and 5 to your starting [[Dexterity]].<br />
<br />
==Strategy==<br />
In the early game, Alchemists can struggle against enemies with [[poison resistance]]. Mercury Arrow can deal with most resistant enemies in the very early game, but anything tougher will require [[Sticky Flame]]. So until you can cast Sticky Flame, try to avoid foes with rPois if possible.<br />
<br />
===Spell Details===<br />
[[Poisonous Vapours]] is a great levle 1 spell. It never misses, allowing you to reliably deal with early game enemies.<br />
<br />
[[Mercury Arrow]] is a nice utility spell as it has a chance make enemies surrounding the target [[weak]], reducing their attack damage, and part of it's damage bypasses resistances. Perfect for early orc packs.<br />
<br />
Learn [[Mephitic Cloud]] the instant you hit level 3. [[Confusion]] is a very strong status, preventing victims from using any type of spell or ability, and monsters only have a 1/3 chance to successfully move towards you. However, this spell is quite loud, attracting other enemies to you. It also doesn't work against enemies with rPois. The clouds will affect you if used too close; either have poison resistance, or aim behind an enemy. Having 2-3 points into both Air Magic and Conjurations is helpful; it's a little tough to cast by training Alchemy alone.<br />
<br />
[[Olgreb's Toxic Radiance]] is a powerful crowd-controlling tool. It inflicts poison slowly, but it affects all vulnerable monsters in your line of sight. While Vapours is better against single targets, OTR excels against groups, especially in the mid-dungeon and [[Orcish Mines]]. A frisky Alchemist may want to clear Orc before Lair (though watch out for many threats: [[warg]]s have rPois, while [[paralysis]], [[stone giant]]s, and many melee threats are still scary).<br />
<br />
[[Sticky Flame]] sets an adjacent target on fire, dealing damage over time in addition to the initial impact. If the enemy moves, the fire will get put out, making this spell often feel clunky as you stand in melee as a caster.<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
*Starting spells changed in [[0.33]]. [[Poisonous Vapours]] changed from Mercury Vapours, and [[Mercury Arrow]] replaced [[Sting]].<br />
*Alchemist was introduced in [[0.31]], replacing [[Venom Mage]].<br />
<br />
{{backgrounds}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Backgrounds]]</div>Hordeshttp://crawl.chaosforge.org/index.php?title=Fortress_talisman&diff=86605Fortress talisman2026-07-05T12:04:20Z<p>Hordes: /* Strategy */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{version034}}<br />
{{flavour|A miniature battlement, carved from a piece of shell. Transforms the user into a heavily armoured crab, fusing whatever body armour they are wearing into the shell in the process. In this form, they are slow-moving, but well-defended and even capable of wielding a weapon in their large main claw. They can also breathe clouds of rust at the cost of their own HP, which corrode and weaken enemies.}}<br />
<br />
[[File:fortress talisman.png]] A '''fortress talisman''' is a [[talisman]] that changes you into a heavily-armoured crab.<br />
<br />
==Useful Info==<br />
When e'''V'''oked, a fortress talisman turns you into Fortress Crab Form, which lasts until you end the form. Entering or exiting a form takes 5 turns.<br />
<br />
Fortress Crab Form has the following effects:<br />
<br />
'''Offensive traits'''<br />
*'''[[Unarmed Combat]]:''' 8-13 base damage, depending on your Shapeshifting skill.<br />
*You can breath [[clouds]] of rust, which [[corrode]] and [[weak]]en enemies. The cost is <code>12 HP + 12% max HP</code>. The size of the cloud is 9-25 tiles, depending on your Shapeshifing skill. Note that there is no breath timer for this ability.<br />
<br />
'''Defensive traits'''<br />
*Body armour base AC increased by 70%-135%, depending on your Shapeshifting skill.<br />
*Doubles the effect of body armor [[ego]]s.<br />
*Poison vulnerability<br />
*Corrosion resistance (rCorr)<br />
*'''Innate AC:''' 3 AC<br />
<br />
'''Restrictions'''<br />
*'''[[Transformation#Useful Info|Melded Gear]]:''' Offhand, helmet, gloves, boots, barding, cloak<br />
*'''Suppressed [[mutations]]:''' Anatomy, bones<br />
*You are slow (-30% move speed).<br />
*You can't use a shield, but you can equip any 2 handed weapon your base form can use.<br />
<br />
Fortress Crab Form has a minimum [[Shapeshifting]] skill of 12, and the maximum skill is 20.<br />
<br />
==Strategy==<br />
Fortress Crab Form has many downsides, making it niche at best:<br />
*The loss of aux slots reduces the effective AC given by this form and prevents you from gaining [[ego]]s/[[artefact]] properties from those slots. The loss of a [[shield]] lowers defenses further.<br />
*It has slow movement speed.<br />
*It requires significant investment into Shapeshifting, as well as Armour and other melee skills. In addition, most other talisman forms meld the body armour slot, making this investment spread awkward to go for.<br />
<br />
It is seemingly best on a heavy armour character in the mid-game, who hasn't filled many of the aux armour slots yet, and preferably has prior investment in Shapeshifting. It does double body armour egos, but body armour egos either 1. give resistances, which have diminishing returns (rF+, rC+, rN+) or do not stack (rP+), or 2. boost a different unrelated skill like [[Summonings]], which splits your XP between three unsynergistic skils: that skill, Shapeshifting, and Armour.<br />
<br />
Note that there is no synergy with [[Awaken Armour]]; that spell uses the base AC from the armour type without accounting for the form bonus.<br />
<br />
{| class="prettytable" style="border:none; margin:auto; padding:0; text-align: center"<br />
! Fortress Crab Form || Gargoyle<br />
|-<br />
| [[File:Fortress crab form.png]] || [[File:Fortress crab form gargoyle.png]]<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
*Fortress talismans were added in [[0.33]].<br />
<br />
{{Forms}}</div>Hordeshttp://crawl.chaosforge.org/index.php?title=Fortress_talisman&diff=86604Fortress talisman2026-07-05T11:59:33Z<p>Hordes: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{version034}}<br />
{{flavour|A miniature battlement, carved from a piece of shell. Transforms the user into a heavily armoured crab, fusing whatever body armour they are wearing into the shell in the process. In this form, they are slow-moving, but well-defended and even capable of wielding a weapon in their large main claw. They can also breathe clouds of rust at the cost of their own HP, which corrode and weaken enemies.}}<br />
<br />
[[File:fortress talisman.png]] A '''fortress talisman''' is a [[talisman]] that changes you into a heavily-armoured crab.<br />
<br />
==Useful Info==<br />
When e'''V'''oked, a fortress talisman turns you into Fortress Crab Form, which lasts until you end the form. Entering or exiting a form takes 5 turns.<br />
<br />
Fortress Crab Form has the following effects:<br />
<br />
'''Offensive traits'''<br />
*'''[[Unarmed Combat]]:''' 8-13 base damage, depending on your Shapeshifting skill.<br />
*You can breath [[clouds]] of rust, which [[corrode]] and [[weak]]en enemies. The cost is <code>12 HP + 12% max HP</code>. The size of the cloud is 9-25 tiles, depending on your Shapeshifing skill. Note that there is no breath timer for this ability.<br />
<br />
'''Defensive traits'''<br />
*Body armour base AC increased by 70%-135%, depending on your Shapeshifting skill.<br />
*Doubles the effect of body armor [[ego]]s.<br />
*Poison vulnerability<br />
*Corrosion resistance (rCorr)<br />
*'''Innate AC:''' 3 AC<br />
<br />
'''Restrictions'''<br />
*'''[[Transformation#Useful Info|Melded Gear]]:''' Offhand, helmet, gloves, boots, barding, cloak<br />
*'''Suppressed [[mutations]]:''' Anatomy, bones<br />
*You are slow (-30% move speed).<br />
*You can't use a shield, but you can equip any 2 handed weapon your base form can use.<br />
<br />
Fortress Crab Form has a minimum [[Shapeshifting]] skill of 12, and the maximum skill is 20.<br />
<br />
==Strategy==<br />
Fortress Crab Form has many downsides, making it niche at best:<br />
*The loss of aux slots reduces the effective AC given by this form and prevents you from gaining [[ego]]s/[[artefact]] properties from those slots. The loss of a [[shield]] lowers defenses further.<br />
*It has slow movement speed.<br />
*It requires significant investment into Shapeshifting, as well as Armour and other melee skills. In addition, most other talisman forms meld the body armour slot, making this investment spread awkward to go for.<br />
<br />
It is seemingly best on a heavy armour character in the mid-game, who hasn't filled many of the aux armour slots yet, and preferably has prior investment in Shapeshifting. It does double body armour egos, but body armour egos either 1. give resistances, which have diminishing returns (rF+, rC+, rN+) or do not stack (rP+, rCorr), or 2. boost a different unrelated skill like [[Summonings]], which splits your XP between three unsynergistic skils: that skill, Shapeshifting, and Armour.<br />
<br />
Note that there is no synergy with [[Awaken Armour]]; that spell uses the base AC from the armour type without accounting for the form bonus.<br />
<br />
{| class="prettytable" style="border:none; margin:auto; padding:0; text-align: center"<br />
! Fortress Crab Form || Gargoyle<br />
|-<br />
| [[File:Fortress crab form.png]] || [[File:Fortress crab form gargoyle.png]]<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
*Fortress talismans were added in [[0.33]].<br />
<br />
{{Forms}}</div>Hordeshttp://crawl.chaosforge.org/index.php?title=Fortress_talisman&diff=86603Fortress talisman2026-07-05T11:53:50Z<p>Hordes: /* Strategy */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{version034}}<br />
{{flavour|A miniature battlement, carved from a piece of shell. Transforms the user into a heavily armoured crab, fusing whatever body armour they are wearing into the shell in the process. In this form, they are slow-moving, but well-defended and even capable of wielding a weapon in their large main claw. They can also breathe clouds of rust at the cost of their own HP, which corrode and weaken enemies.}}<br />
<br />
[[File:fortress talisman.png]] A '''fortress talisman''' is a [[talisman]] that changes you into a heavily-armoured crab.<br />
<br />
==Useful Info==<br />
When e'''V'''oked, a fortress talisman turns you into Fortress Crab Form, which lasts until you end the form. Entering or exiting a form takes 5 turns.<br />
<br />
Fortress Crab Form has the following effects:<br />
<br />
'''Offensive traits'''<br />
*'''[[Unarmed Combat]]:''' 8-13 base damage, depending on your Shapeshifting skill.<br />
*You can breath [[clouds]] of rust, which [[corrode]] and [[weak]]en enemies. The cost is <code>12 HP + 12% max HP</code>. The size of the cloud is 9-25 tiles, depending on your Shapeshifing skill. Note that there is no breath timer for this ability.<br />
<br />
'''Defensive traits'''<br />
*Body armour base AC increased by 70%-135%, depending on your Shapeshifting skill.<br />
*Doubles the effect of body armor [[ego]]s.<br />
*Poison vulnerability<br />
*Corrosion resistance (rCorr)<br />
*'''Innate AC:''' 3 AC<br />
<br />
'''Restrictions'''<br />
*'''[[Transformation#Useful Info|Melded Gear]]:''' Offhand, helmet, gloves, boots, barding, cloak<br />
*'''Suppressed [[mutations]]:''' Anatomy, bones<br />
*You are slow (-30% move speed).<br />
*You can't use a shield, but you can equip any 2 handed weapon your base form can use.<br />
<br />
Fortress Crab Form has a minimum [[Shapeshifting]] skill of 12, and the maximum skill is 20.<br />
<br />
==Strategy==<br />
Fortress Crab Form has many downsides, making it niche at best:<br />
*The loss of aux slots reduces the effective AC given by this form and prevents you from gaining [[ego]]s/[[artefact]] properties from those slots. The loss of a [[shield]] lowers defenses further.<br />
*It has slow movement speed.<br />
*It requires significant investment into Shapeshifting, as well as Armour and other melee skills. In addition, most other talisman forms meld the body armour slot, making this investment spread awkward to go for.<br />
<br />
It is seemingly best on a heavy armour character in the mid-game, who hasn't filled many of the aux armour slots yet, and preferably has prior investment in Shapeshifting. It does double body armour egos, but most body armour egos are 1. resistance giving, which has diminishing returns (rF+, rC+, rN+) or does not stack (rP+, rCorr), or 2. boost a different unrelated skill like [[Summonings]], which splits your XP between two or three skills.<br />
<br />
Note that there is no synergy with [[Awaken Armour]]; that spell uses the base AC from the armour type without accounting for the form bonus.<br />
<br />
{| class="prettytable" style="border:none; margin:auto; padding:0; text-align: center"<br />
! Fortress Crab Form || Gargoyle<br />
|-<br />
| [[File:Fortress crab form.png]] || [[File:Fortress crab form gargoyle.png]]<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
*Fortress talismans were added in [[0.33]].<br />
<br />
{{Forms}}</div>Hordeshttp://crawl.chaosforge.org/index.php?title=Fortress_talisman&diff=86602Fortress talisman2026-07-05T11:53:04Z<p>Hordes: rP+ doesn't stack even if you have rP-</p>
<hr />
<div>{{version034}}<br />
{{flavour|A miniature battlement, carved from a piece of shell. Transforms the user into a heavily armoured crab, fusing whatever body armour they are wearing into the shell in the process. In this form, they are slow-moving, but well-defended and even capable of wielding a weapon in their large main claw. They can also breathe clouds of rust at the cost of their own HP, which corrode and weaken enemies.}}<br />
<br />
[[File:fortress talisman.png]] A '''fortress talisman''' is a [[talisman]] that changes you into a heavily-armoured crab.<br />
<br />
==Useful Info==<br />
When e'''V'''oked, a fortress talisman turns you into Fortress Crab Form, which lasts until you end the form. Entering or exiting a form takes 5 turns.<br />
<br />
Fortress Crab Form has the following effects:<br />
<br />
'''Offensive traits'''<br />
*'''[[Unarmed Combat]]:''' 8-13 base damage, depending on your Shapeshifting skill.<br />
*You can breath [[clouds]] of rust, which [[corrode]] and [[weak]]en enemies. The cost is <code>12 HP + 12% max HP</code>. The size of the cloud is 9-25 tiles, depending on your Shapeshifing skill. Note that there is no breath timer for this ability.<br />
<br />
'''Defensive traits'''<br />
*Body armour base AC increased by 70%-135%, depending on your Shapeshifting skill.<br />
*Doubles the effect of body armor [[ego]]s.<br />
*Poison vulnerability<br />
*Corrosion resistance (rCorr)<br />
*'''Innate AC:''' 3 AC<br />
<br />
'''Restrictions'''<br />
*'''[[Transformation#Useful Info|Melded Gear]]:''' Offhand, helmet, gloves, boots, barding, cloak<br />
*'''Suppressed [[mutations]]:''' Anatomy, bones<br />
*You are slow (-30% move speed).<br />
*You can't use a shield, but you can equip any 2 handed weapon your base form can use.<br />
<br />
Fortress Crab Form has a minimum [[Shapeshifting]] skill of 12, and the maximum skill is 20.<br />
<br />
==Strategy==<br />
Fortress Crab Form has many downsides, making it niche at best:<br />
*The loss of aux slots reduces the effective AC given by this form and prevents you from gaining [[ego]]s/[[artefact]] properties from those slots. The loss of a [[shield]] lowers defenses further.<br />
*It has slow movement speed.<br />
*It requires significant investment into Shapeshifting, as well as Armour and other melee skills. In addition, most other talisman forms meld the body armour slot, making this investment spread awkward to go for.<br />
<br />
It is seemingly best on a heavy armour character in the mid-game, who hasn't filled many of the aux armour slots yet, and preferably has prior investment in Shapeshifting. It does double body armour egos, but most body armour egos are 1. resistance giving, which has diminishing returns (rF+, rC+, rN+) or do not stack (rP+, rCorr), or 2. boost a different unrelated skill like [[Summonings]], which splits your XP investment three ways round.<br />
<br />
Note that there is no synergy with [[Awaken Armour]]; that spell uses the base AC from the armour type without accounting for the form bonus.<br />
<br />
{| class="prettytable" style="border:none; margin:auto; padding:0; text-align: center"<br />
! Fortress Crab Form || Gargoyle<br />
|-<br />
| [[File:Fortress crab form.png]] || [[File:Fortress crab form gargoyle.png]]<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
*Fortress talismans were added in [[0.33]].<br />
<br />
{{Forms}}</div>Hordeshttp://crawl.chaosforge.org/index.php?title=Constriction&diff=86598Constriction2026-07-04T19:21:22Z<p>Hordes: invis requirement for spells removed in 0.31</p>
<hr />
<div>{{version034}}<br />
'''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.<br />
<br />
==List of constrictors==<br />
===Monsters===<br />
*{{Green|N}} [[File:Naga (monster).png]] '''[[Naga (monster)|Naga]]'''<br />
*{{monsterlink|Naga mage}}<br />
*{{monsterlink|Naga sharpshooter}}<br />
*{{monsterlink|Naga ritualist}}<br />
*{{monsterlink|Naga warrior}}<br />
*{{monsterlink|Nagaraja}}<br />
*{{monsterlink|Snaplasher vine}}<br />
*{{monsterlink|Ball python}}<br />
*{{monsterlink|Anaconda}}<br />
*{{monsterlink|Tentacled monstrosity}}<br />
*{{monsterlink|Starspawn tentacle}}<br />
*{{monsterlink|Formless jellyfish}}<br />
*{{LightCyan|x}} [[File:Octopode (monster).png]] '''[[Octopode (monster)|Octopode]]'''<br />
*{{monsterlink|Vashnia}}<br />
*{{monsterlink|Erica}}<br />
*'''[[Grasping Roots]]'''<br />
**{{monsterlink|Jorgrun}}<br />
**{{monsterlink|Shambling mangrove}}<br />
<br />
===Playable species===<br />
*'''[[Octopode]]''' <br />
*'''[[Naga]]''' - gains the ability at [[experience level]] 13.<br />
<br />
===Forms===<br />
*'''[[Serpent talisman]]'''<br />
<br />
===Other Constriction Effects===<br />
*[[Borgnjor's Vile Clutch]]<br />
*[[Wand of roots]]<br />
*[[Entangling]] brand<br />
<br />
==Initiating Constriction==<br />
<br />
===Melee Constriction===<br />
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><br />
*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).<br />
*The defender is not constricted or engulfed by another creature.<br />
*The attacker must be able to see the victim.<br />
*The attacker is not confused.<br />
*The size of the attacker is greater than or equal to the size of the defender.<br />
*The defender is not immune to constriction attacks (see below).<br />
*The defender must be next to the attacker (weapons of reaching don't allow you to constrict non-adjacent targets).<br />
<br />
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:<br />
to_hit = 13 + 0.75 * DEX + 0.3 * Fighting + Slaying bonus + Other bonuses<ref>{{source ref|0.32.1|fight.cc|73}}</ref><br />
<br />
For the monsters, it's:<br />
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)<br />
If the attack hits, the constriction starts, though monsters only have a 2/3 chance to apply constriction in melee.<br />
<br />
===Spell Constriction===<br />
For [[Borgnjor's Vile Clutch]], [[wand of roots]], or [[Grasping Roots]], the following apply:<br />
*The defender is not constricted or engulfed by another creature.<br />
*The defender is not immune to constriction attacks.<br />
*The defender is not over [[deep water]] or [[lava]].<br />
<br />
These forms of constriction always hit.<br />
<br />
===Entangling===<br />
The [[Entangling]] brand gives a 50% chance per hit to constrict any enemy that is not immune to constriction and not already constricted/engulfed. It can only constrict one enemy at a time.<br />
<br />
===Constriction Immunity===<br />
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><br />
*[[Amorphous]]: includes [[list of jellies|jellies and slimes]] as well as [[water elemental]]s and players in [[Aqua Form]]<br />
*[[Insubstantial]]: [[Poltergeist]], [[Storm Form]], [[Wisp Form]]<br />
*[[Spiny]]: [[Quill Form]] and [[Demonspawn]]-exclusive [[Spiny (mutation)|Spiny]] mutation<br />
*The [[slick slippers]] unrand.<br />
<br />
==Maintaining Constriction==<br />
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%.<br />
<br />
<!-- TODO: monster escape chance formula --><br />
===Damage Calculations===<br />
The amount of damage inflicted every 10 [[aut]]s is:<br />
(Base damage) * (0.33 + 0.67 * (XL / 27))<br />
<br />
*'''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.<br />
*'''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.<br />
<br />
This damage is then modified as follows:<br />
<br />
*'''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.<br />
*'''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).<br />
<br />
==Escaping Constriction==<br />
Along with simply succeeding at an escape attempt, there are a number of other methods for breaking free:<br />
*Killing the constrictor.<br />
*If the constrictor moves from its current tile, melee constriction ends (even if the destination is still adjacent to the constricted target).<br />
**[[Entangling]] constriction can be maintained even after movement, but ends if the target is outside of weapon range.<br />
**Using [[Translocations]] magic like [[Teleport Other]], [[Dispersal]], [[Disjunction]], or [[Iskenderun's Mystic Blast]] can achieve this goal, as will items like [[Dispersal (brand)|dispersal dart]]s, [[distortion]] branded weapons, and [[Gell's gravitambourine]].<br />
*Disabling the constrictor with [[confusion]], [[Paralyze|paralysis]], [[Petrify|petrification]], [[fear]], [[Sleep|unconsciousness]], or [[polymorph]] immediately breaks constriction. <br />
*[[Wand of charming|Charming]] or pacifying through [[Elyvilon]] will immediately stop contriction.<br />
*Becoming immune to constriction will immediately end the status.<br />
**[[Storm Form]], [[Aqua Form]], and [[Quill Form]] are immune to constriction.<br />
**[[Dragon Form]] is giant-sized, so it can only be constricted by tentacled monstrosities.<br />
*Any source of [[blink]]ing or [[teleport]] can get you free.<br />
*[[Barachi]]m can hop away, which will always escape constriction.<br />
*[[Formicid]]'s shaft ability will always escape constriction.<br />
*[[Zin]]'s Sanctuary ability breaks constriction.<br />
*[[Ru]]'s Draw Out Power and Power Leap will always escape construction.<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
*In [[0.32]], constriction was reworked. Prior to this version:<br />
**All player sources of constriction dealt less base damage, but monsters would take increased constriction damage over time (from any source, not just players).<br />
**Escape chance for players used a more complex formula, and blinking and related effects did not guarantee escape.<br />
**Escape chance for monsters did not care about HD.<br />
**Constriction applied a -3 EV penalty to players and divided monster EV depending on size.<br />
**Player melee constriction cared about Str.<br />
*Prior to [[0.31]], constriction could not be inflicted via spell/wand if the attacker could not see the target.<br />
*Since [[0.18]], to-hit only depends on [[Dexterity]].<br />
*Prior to [[0.12]], the duration modifier to damage was applied to players.<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
<references/><br />
[[Category:Status effects]]</div>Hordeshttp://crawl.chaosforge.org/index.php?title=Orbs_of_winter&diff=86597Orbs of winter2026-07-04T11:27:44Z<p>Hordes: Redirected page to Orb of winter</p>
<hr />
<div>#REDIRECT[[Orb of winter]]</div>Hordeshttp://crawl.chaosforge.org/index.php?title=Orbs_of_entropy&diff=86596Orbs of entropy2026-07-04T11:27:30Z<p>Hordes: Redirected page to Orb of entropy</p>
<hr />
<div>#REDIRECT[[Orb of entropy]]</div>Hordeshttp://crawl.chaosforge.org/index.php?title=Hellfire_Mortar&diff=86595Hellfire Mortar2026-07-04T11:05:43Z<p>Hordes: /* Strategy */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{version034}}<br />
{{spell info}} <br />
<br />
'''Hellfire Mortar''' is a level 7 [[Fire Magic|Fire]]/[[Earth]]/[[Forgecraft]] spell that creates a creates a line of temporary [[lava]] in a chosen direction. Afterwards, it immediately spawns a [[hellfire mortar (monster)|hellfire mortar]] that moves along that line of lava, firing autonomously at nearby targets while it does so.<br />
<br />
==Useful Info==<br />
Creates a beam of lava in any specified path and a [[hellfire mortar (monster)|hellfire mortar]] adjacent to the caster. In order to cast the spell, the space where the mortar would spawn must be clear of any monster. Also, the spell cannot be cast if there is still lava generated from a previous cast of this spell.<br />
<br />
The lava river can temporarily replace rock walls and liquids, and can be placed through monsters that can occupy a lava tile, but stops if there's a monster in the way that can't do so. Every 10 aut after the mortar dies, the temporary lava river will recede back 2 tiles from its end back to its start, bringing back whatever terrain it temporarily replaced with lava.<br />
<br />
The mortar fires [[Bolt of Magma|Bolts of Magma]] at up to 2 different random enemy targets each turn, then moves 1 tile further along the path that was carved out for it. It will attempt to push monsters in its path 1 tile backward, and fail if that tile is occupied. When it reaches the end of this path, or if a monster blocking its path cannot be pushed, it will disappear. <br />
<br />
The mortar's [[HD]] is <code>3 + pow / 28</code>. The mortar itself is fairly sturdy and has rF+++, so other fire spells can be cast alongside it. As with nearly all allies, it can only fire when in sight of the caster.<br />
<br />
==Strategy==<br />
Hellfire Mortar is a hefty XP investment, due to being a level 7 triple school spell, but it offers a number of strong perks. <br />
*It is significantly more MP efficient than comparable Fire/Earth options.<br />
*It is very effective at blocking attacks. The lava can prevent landbound enemies from approaching ''entirely''. Flying enemies are knocked back. The mortar itself can block line of fire if an enemy is in a straight line from you; this is easy to set up, although monsters will move out of the way if the lava blocks their movement path.<br />
*It is versatile. It deals with single targets and groups well. It functions in corridors (as the mortar blocks the way, although mind the cooldown) or out in the open (for max. damage).<br />
<br />
Fire Magic users can benefit from partially-irresistable damage, Earth Magic users benefit from AOE, and Forgecraft users benefit from having range and AOE. <br />
<br />
This spell is enough to win a 3-rune game (when combined with mid-level spells for when Hellfire Mortar cannot be cast) and remains useful for longer. They fare well against [[orbs of appropriateness]], even against [[orbs of fire]] - while the mortar won't do much damage, it's also completely immune to anything an orb of fire can dish out.<br />
<br />
===Tips & Tricks===<br />
*When fighting monsters in corridors, a possible tactic is to place the lava river adjacent to the corridor - this can give the lava river some more space. This often requires you to be in a corner or in front of the corridor's entrance.<br />
*If the player is [[Mark]]ed and is far away from stairs to escape to, or needs to escape monsters who can't cross lava, they can dig out a safe closet by using Hellfire Mortar, flight, and a wand of digging to create and seal up a corridor to hide in. This will need teleport or more flight to escape, however.<br />
*It can be used to peek into closed rooms by aiming the Mortar through a wall or door. This let's you see and attack enemies without them being able to reach you.<br />
*Can be used to push flying allies, such as [[Spellforged Servitor]] into enemies while they continue to attack. Especially good with Servitors who cast [[Irradiate]].<br />
<br />
==Monster Version==<br />
Monster Hellfire Mortar casts will always be to the side of the character and only be cast if you'll be in the range of multiple points of the beam. Like player mortars, they can be prematurely sunk if an unpushable creature gets in its path. Unlike player mortars, it can fire out of sight of the caster.<br />
<br />
{{monsters with spell}}<br />
* {{White|o}} [[File:Orc_apostle_wizard.png]] '''[[Beogh|Orc wizard apostles]]''' (varies)<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
*Prior to [[0.34]], the spell could be cast even if there was still lava remaining from a previous cast (but not if a previous mortar was alive), and the lava lasted longer.<br />
*Prior to [[0.33]] and the introduction of [[Forgecraft]], Hellfire Mortar was a Fire/Earth spell. Also, it could not push monsters out of the way, disappearing if it hit a monster.<br />
*Added in [[0.32]].</div>Hordeshttp://crawl.chaosforge.org/index.php?title=Hellfire_Mortar&diff=86594Hellfire Mortar2026-07-04T11:04:49Z<p>Hordes: /* Strategy */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{version034}}<br />
{{spell info}} <br />
<br />
'''Hellfire Mortar''' is a level 7 [[Fire Magic|Fire]]/[[Earth]]/[[Forgecraft]] spell that creates a creates a line of temporary [[lava]] in a chosen direction. Afterwards, it immediately spawns a [[hellfire mortar (monster)|hellfire mortar]] that moves along that line of lava, firing autonomously at nearby targets while it does so.<br />
<br />
==Useful Info==<br />
Creates a beam of lava in any specified path and a [[hellfire mortar (monster)|hellfire mortar]] adjacent to the caster. In order to cast the spell, the space where the mortar would spawn must be clear of any monster. Also, the spell cannot be cast if there is still lava generated from a previous cast of this spell.<br />
<br />
The lava river can temporarily replace rock walls and liquids, and can be placed through monsters that can occupy a lava tile, but stops if there's a monster in the way that can't do so. Every 10 aut after the mortar dies, the temporary lava river will recede back 2 tiles from its end back to its start, bringing back whatever terrain it temporarily replaced with lava.<br />
<br />
The mortar fires [[Bolt of Magma|Bolts of Magma]] at up to 2 different random enemy targets each turn, then moves 1 tile further along the path that was carved out for it. It will attempt to push monsters in its path 1 tile backward, and fail if that tile is occupied. When it reaches the end of this path, or if a monster blocking its path cannot be pushed, it will disappear. <br />
<br />
The mortar's [[HD]] is <code>3 + pow / 28</code>. The mortar itself is fairly sturdy and has rF+++, so other fire spells can be cast alongside it. As with nearly all allies, it can only fire when in sight of the caster.<br />
<br />
==Strategy==<br />
Hellfire Mortar is a hefty XP investment, due to being a level 7 triple school spell, but it offers a number of strong perks. <br />
*It is significantly more MP efficient than comparable Fire/Earth options.<br />
*It is very effective at blocking attacks. The lava can prevent landbound enemies from approaching ''entirely''. Flying enemies are knocked back. The mortar itself can block line of fire if an enemy is in a straight line from you; this is easy to set up, although monsters will move out of the way if the lava blocks their movement path.<br />
*It is versatile. It deals with single targets and groups well. It functions in corridors (as the mortar blocks the way, although mind the cooldown) or out in the open (for max. damage).<br />
<br />
Fire Magic users can benefit from partially-irresistable damage, Earth Magic users benefit from AOE, and Forgecraft users benefit from having range and AOE. <br />
<br />
This spell is enough to win a 3-rune game and remains useful for longer. They fare well against the [[orbs of appropriateness]], even against [[orbs of fire]] - while the mortar won't do much damage, it's also completely immune to anything an orb of fire can dish out.<br />
<br />
===Tips & Tricks===<br />
*When fighting monsters in corridors, a possible tactic is to place the lava river adjacent to the corridor - this can give the lava river some more space. This often requires you to be in a corner or in front of the corridor's entrance.<br />
*If the player is [[Mark]]ed and is far away from stairs to escape to, or needs to escape monsters who can't cross lava, they can dig out a safe closet by using Hellfire Mortar, flight, and a wand of digging to create and seal up a corridor to hide in. This will need teleport or more flight to escape, however.<br />
*It can be used to peek into closed rooms by aiming the Mortar through a wall or door. This let's you see and attack enemies without them being able to reach you.<br />
*Can be used to push flying allies, such as [[Spellforged Servitor]] into enemies while they continue to attack. Especially good with Servitors who cast [[Irradiate]].<br />
<br />
==Monster Version==<br />
Monster Hellfire Mortar casts will always be to the side of the character and only be cast if you'll be in the range of multiple points of the beam. Like player mortars, they can be prematurely sunk if an unpushable creature gets in its path. Unlike player mortars, it can fire out of sight of the caster.<br />
<br />
{{monsters with spell}}<br />
* {{White|o}} [[File:Orc_apostle_wizard.png]] '''[[Beogh|Orc wizard apostles]]''' (varies)<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
*Prior to [[0.34]], the spell could be cast even if there was still lava remaining from a previous cast (but not if a previous mortar was alive), and the lava lasted longer.<br />
*Prior to [[0.33]] and the introduction of [[Forgecraft]], Hellfire Mortar was a Fire/Earth spell. Also, it could not push monsters out of the way, disappearing if it hit a monster.<br />
*Added in [[0.32]].</div>Hordeshttp://crawl.chaosforge.org/index.php?title=Orbs_of_appropriateness&diff=86593Orbs of appropriateness2026-07-04T11:04:16Z<p>Hordes: Redirected page to Orb of appropriateness</p>
<hr />
<div>#REDIRECT[[Orb of appropriateness]]</div>Hordeshttp://crawl.chaosforge.org/index.php?title=Elyvilon&diff=86592Elyvilon2026-07-04T10:54:19Z<p>Hordes: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{version032}}<br />
<br />
[[File:Elyvilon altar.png]] ''"Go forth and aid the weak!"''<br />
<br />
{{flavour|Elyvilon the Healer welcomes all kind souls prepared to help others. Those individuals can expect to gain powerful healing abilities, by which they can avoid bloodshed. Elyvilon appreciates exploration of the dungeon. Elyvilon's followers can convert to the Shining One or Zin while keeping some piety.<br />
<br />
The Healer offers followers a number of means to heal themselves from damage and other ill effects. Followers may also attempt to pacify hostile monsters and turn them neutral. Elyvilon may directly intervene to save a follower's life, and if there has been no such intervention recently, is sure to prevent a killing blow against especially pious followers. Elyvilon may also occasionally protect the follower's allies from death.<br />
<br />
Elyvilon likes it when you explore the world.<br />
<br />
Elyvilon strongly dislikes it when you use evil magic or items, you attack non-hostile holy beings, you attack neutral beings, you attack allies or you kill non-hostile holy beings.}}<br />
<br />
==Racial Restrictions==<br />
*Like the other [[good god]]s, Elyvilon does not accept [[Demonspawn]] or undead species ([[Ghoul]]s, [[Vampire]]s, or [[Mummies]]) as followers.<br />
*[[Demigod]]s may not worship Elyvilon (or any other god).<br />
<br />
==Appreciates==<br />
*Exploring the world.<br />
<br />
==Deprecates==<br />
*Inactivity: You lose 1 piety per 700 turns, on average (1/35 chance every 20 turns).<br />
*Casting any [[Necromancy]] or [[List of spells by flag#Unholy|unholy]] spell. (Penance)<br />
*Knowingly using an [[evil item]]. (Penance)<br />
*Attacking allies or neutral beings. (Penance)<br />
*Attacking or killing non-hostile [[holy]] beings. (Penance)<br />
*Using a [[talisman of death]]. (Excommunication)<br />
<br />
==Given Abilities==<br />
'''[[Piety|Piety level -]]''': "Practitioner"<br />
*'''Protection from Harm''' - Elyvilon may negate an attack that would otherwise kill you. This can activate even if you're under penance. The chance is piety-dependent and significantly higher than the other good gods, starting from 10% at 0 piety and becoming guaranteed at 6* piety. This will usually trigger a piety-gated timeout, and the lifesaving chance is dramatically reduced during this timeout. See below for more details. (Passive, no cost)<br />
'''[[Piety|Piety level *]]''': "Comforter"<br />
*'''Purification''' - The following conditions are removed: [[sick]]ness, [[drain]]ing, [[poison]], [[confusion]], [[slow]], and [[petrify]]ing. Restores all [[stats]] to their maximum. This ability can be used while confused. (3 MP, 2-4 Piety)<br />
'''[[Piety|Piety level **]]''': "Caregiver"<br />
*'''Heal Other''' - The target monster gains <code>2d(10 + Invocations/3) + (Invocations/3) + 8</code> HP. (2 MP, 2-4 Piety)<br />
<br />
: Using this ability on a hostile monster may pacify it, earning you the [[XP]] you'd gain for killing it. Every time you attempt this, the game compares your "healing factor" against the creature's max HP. If you beat this test, the creature is pacified and leaves via the nearest staircase up. Note that not all monsters can be pacified.<br />
<br />
: Healing factor is a random number between 0 and <code>(Invocations + 1)×(HP_healed)/3</code>. HP_healed considers what you ''would have'' healed, even if the monster currently has full HP. I.e., monsters at full HP have the same chance to be pacified as a monster at 1% HP. Healing factor is then multiplied by a number depending on the monster's type.<br />
<br />
:{| class="prettytable" style="border:none; margin:0; padding:0;"<br />
! Monster || Factor Multiplier<br />
|-<br />
| Animals || ×3<br />
|-<br />
| Holy || ×1.5<br />
|-<br />
| Other Humanoids || ×1<br />
|-<br />
| Undead || ×0.75<br />
|-<br />
| Demon || ×0.6<br />
|-<br />
| Mindless || ×0 (Impossible)<br />
|}<br />
<br />
:The following chart shows the max HP of monsters you can conceivably pacify, based on your Invocations skill:<br />
<br />
:{| class="wikitable" border="1"<br />
|-<br />
|'''Invocations'''<br />
|'''Max HP: Human Intelligence'''<br />
|'''Max HP: Animal Intelligence'''<br />
|-<br />
|0||3||9<br />
|-<br />
|6||27||81<br />
|-<br />
|12||58||175<br />
|-<br />
|18||98||294<br />
|-<br />
|27||173||518<br />
|}<br />
<br />
<br />
'''[[Piety|Piety level ***]]''': "Mender"<br />
*'''Heal Self''' - You gain <code>2d(10 + Invocations/3) + (Invocations/3) + 8</code> HP. (2 MP, 3-5 Piety)<br />
:The following table shows the HP gained, based on your Invocations skill:<br />
<br />
:{| class="wikitable" border="1"<br />
|-<br />
|'''Invocations'''<br />
|colspan="2"|'''Healing'''<br />
|-<br />
| 0||2d10 + 8||10-28<br />
|-<br />
| 6||2d12 + 10||12-34<br />
|-<br />
|12||2d14 + 12||14-40<br />
|-<br />
|18||2d16 + 14||16-46<br />
|-<br />
|27||2d19 + 17||19-55<br />
|}<br />
'''[[Piety|Piety level ****]]''': "Pacifist"<br />
* No new abilities.<br />
'''[[Piety|Piety level *****]]''': "Purifying [Species]"<br />
*'''Divine Vigour''' - Increases your max HP and MP by <code>5×(1 + (Invocations/3))</code> percent for <code>40 + (2.5×Invocations)</code> turns. Your current HP/MP are also increased by this percent. This ability can be used while confused. (Costs 6-9 Piety)<br />
'''[[Piety|Piety level ******]]''': "Bringer of Life"<br />
* Lifesaving becomes guaranteed while not on timeout.<br />
<br />
==Punishments==<br />
{{flavour|Elyvilon forgives followers for abandonment; however, those who later take up the worship of an evil god will be punished. (Kikubaaqudgha, Yredelemnul, Makhleb, Lugonu, Beogh and Dithmenos are evil gods.)<br />
<br />
Elyvilon is not a god known for wrath. Still, those earning Elyvilon's ire will find the Healer occasionally protecting their foes from death.<br />
<br />
Elyvilon's wrath lasts for a relatively long duration.}}<br />
<br />
Elyvilon will only [[divine retribution|punish]] you if you convert to an evil god (Beogh, Dithmenos, Yredelemnul, Lugonu, Kikubaaqugdgha, or Makhleb). Switching to other gods or breaking Elyvilon's conduct will not result in any wrath, and converting to [[Zin]] or [[The Shining One]] will transfer half of your [[piety]] to them.<br />
<br />
Elyvilon will punish you by sometimes healing hostile monsters about to be killed by you or your allies, though [[List of tentacles|tentacles]] and other hostiles weaker than you will usually not be healed.<br />
<br />
==Strategy==<br />
Elyvilon is a relatively simple god. Both Heal Other and Heal Self are valuable "panic buttons" - they can bail you out of many bad situations. While Ely's abilities can be considered bland (there's no ability like [[Ru]]'s Apocalypse or [[Lugonu]]'s Corruption), they are still strong in their own right.<br />
<br />
Elyvilon inflicts no [[divine retribution|wrath]] unless you switch to an [[evil]] god. So if you haven't found a desired god yet, you can worship Ely in the meantime.<br />
<br />
===Ability Strategy===<br />
*Purification can save you from a variety of status effects. For example, [[basilisk]]s are countered by this ability. It will also restore all your [[stats]] to their maximum, negating the effect of a [[Potion of degeneration]] or saving you from [[Stat zero]].<br />
<br />
*Heal Other is basically an instant-kill attack - if it works against an enemy monster, the monster will stop attacking you (unless you are in the monster's way). You can pacify threats before they even notice you. Due to the healing factor, Heal Other is most effective against animals, such as [[hydra]]s, [[dragon]]s, and [[thorn hunter]]s.<br />
**Note that pacified monsters are ''not'' friendly. If you are in a monster's way, you'll be attacked. Pacified monsters will walk towards a random staircase, so try and get out of the way of stairs if you can.<br />
**It ''is'' possible to use Heal Other to restore [[allies]]' HP, but this is generally inefficient. [[Summoner]]s and [[Forgecraft]] users are better off creating a new summon.<br />
<br />
*Heal Self is a reusable [[potion of heal wounds]]. Very useful - it can save you from dying on the next turn.<br />
<br />
*Divine Vigour is a stat buff. Use it pro-actively before fighting dangerous monsters. It can also be used to restore some HP and MP in a pinch.<br />
<br />
===Lifesaving===<br />
Elyvilon's protection from harm has two methods of lifesaving, which function differently. Whenever your health would be reduced to 0, Elyvilon will try to save your life as follows:<ref>{{source ref|0.31.0|religion.cc|4137}}</ref><br />
*Firstly, the usual good god lifesaving chance is rolled. This chance is the same as the other good gods, and increases linearly from 10% at 0 piety to 26% at 6*. If this chance succeeds, your life is saved with no timeout.<br />
*Otherwise, if you are not already on a timeout, Elyvilon will save your life with a <code>piety/160</code> chance, triggering a timeout. The timeout lasts until you gain 20-30 piety from exploration.<br />
Which one of these choices is chosen is not revealed to the player at any point. The first, general good god lifesaving chance, can still trigger when on timeout. If your life is saved, only the final fatal blow is prevented, and other sources of damage may result in death on the same turn. Thus, this cannot be relied upon when facing multiple instances of damage per turn.<br />
<br />
The effect of all of this is that Elyvilon's lifesaving chance steps down significantly with every recent intervention. Some chances are given in the table below, for the piety breakpoints, depending on the number of recent lifesaving interventions. The last row is the absolute minimum the lifesaving chance can ever be, and is the same as the lifesaving chance for the other good gods.<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable" border="1"<br />
|-<br />
!Recent Interventions \ Piety !!15 (worship)!!30 (*.....)!!50 (**....)!!75 (***...)!!100 (****..)!!120 (*****.)!!160 (******)<br />
|-<br />
|0||19.8%||29.3%||41.6%||56.2%||70%||80.5%||100%<br />
|-<br />
|1||16.3%||20.2%||24.6%||29.5%||34.3%||38.0%||45.2%<br />
|-<br />
|2||14.3%||16.2%||18.5%||21.3%||24.1%||26.4%||31.0%<br />
|-<br />
|3||13.1%||14.4%||16.2%||18.7%||21.2%||23.2%||27.3%<br />
|-<br />
|∞||11.5%||13%||15%||17.5%||20%||22%||26%<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
*In [[0.32]], the formula for lifesaving chances was tweaked. For the old formula, see [http://crawl.chaosforge.org/index.php?title=Elyvilon&oldid=80532#Lifesaving this revision].<br />
*Prior to [[0.28]]:<br />
**Elyvilon' Heal Self was named Greater Healing and unlocked at 4*, with a complementary 1* ability Lesser Healing.<br />
**Pacifying creatures with Heal Other gave 50% XP compared to a kill. <br />
**Purification was 3* and slightly more expensive. <br />
**Worshippers had to call for active Divine Protection to have a greater chance to save their life. The ability forbade attacking, and reduced piety by 20+1d20 if you had a 100% to life save (at 5* piety). <br />
**[[Frenzied]] monsters were considered "neutral" and caused penance if harmed.<br />
*Prior to [[0.26]], the three good gods forbid [[cannibalism]].<br />
*Prior to [[0.25]], Divine protection always worked at 130 piety, instead of 120 piety (or 5*).<br />
*Prior to [[0.23]], followers of Elyvilon could pacify [[pandemonium lord]]s and [[player ghost]]s.<br />
*Prior to [[0.20]], Elyvilon's wrath could [[confusion|confuse]] players, inflict random [[Miscast#Poison_Magic|Poison Magic miscasts]], and reduce the enchantments of any non-artifact weapon in a player's inventory. <br />
*Prior to [[0.19]], followers of Elyvilon lost piety for letting their allies die.<br />
*Prior to [[0.18]], Elyvilon was unable to pacify insects. Also, it was easier to pacify creatures of the player's genus.<br />
*Prior to [[0.16]], players could select the [[Healer]] class to begin the game worshiping Elyvilon. Also, Elyvilon offered two pacification abilities, and piety grew through pacifying foes and destroying weapons.<br />
*Prior to [[0.13]], Elyvilon could also pacify insects.<br />
*Prior to [[0.10]], Elyvilon offered an ability called Restoration, which only restored [[rot]] damage. This was merged into Purification.<br />
*Prior to [[0.9]], used to grant piety over time (+1 every 240 turns, up to 150), and switching to [[Zin]] or [[TSO]] incurred no wrath.<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
<references /><br />
<br />
{{gods}}<br />
[[Category:Good Gods]]</div>Hordeshttp://crawl.chaosforge.org/index.php?title=Nemelex_Xobeh&diff=86591Nemelex Xobeh2026-07-04T10:38:18Z<p>Hordes: /* Strategy */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{version034}}<br />
[[File:Nemelex altar.png]] ''"It's all in the cards!"''<br />
<br />
{{flavour|Nemelex is a strange and unpredictable trickster god, whose powers are invoked through magical packs of cards painted in the ichor of demons. Followers will be granted decks of cards as they traverse the dungeon, and are encouraged to trust in the cards to provide them with divine assistance. However, the Trickster can also ensure that fortune favours the bold.<br />
<br />
The Trickster's followers gain various ways to influence fate when playing their cards. The effects of the cards will be more powerful with higher piety<br />
and with greater Invocations skill. Later, followers will gain powerful abilities to manipulate the cards, allowing them to choose one of three drawn cards, to gain the effects of multiple cards at once, and finally to stack decks and re-order their contents.<br />
<br />
Nemelex Xobeh likes it when you explore the world.<br />
<br />
The power of Nemelex Xobeh's abilities and of the cards' effects is governed by Invocations.}}<br />
<br />
'''Nemelex Xobeh''' is the [[chaotic]] god of [[deck]]s of cards. <br />
<br />
==Racial restrictions==<br />
*[[Demigod]]s cannot worship Nemelex Xobeh (or any other [[god]]).<br />
<br />
==Appreciates==<br />
*Exploring the world.<br />
<br />
==Deprecates==<br />
*Inactivity: You lose 1 piety per 700 turns, on average (1/35 chance every 20 turns).<br />
*Abandonment.<br />
<br />
==Gifts==<br />
Starting from 1* piety, Nemelex will frequently gift access to cards, which have powerful effects. These cards are given as you gain piety. The cards belong to the [[deck of destruction]], [[deck of escape]], and the [[deck of summoning]].<br />
<br />
Probability of types of cards to receive as gifts:<ref>{{source ref|0.30.1|decks.cc|300}}</ref><br />
*[[Deck of destruction|Destruction]]: 60% (max 26)<br />
*[[Deck of escape|Escape]]: 20% (max 13)<br />
*[[Deck of summoning|Summoning]]: 20% (max 13)<br />
<br />
Between 4 and 13 cards will be gifted at once,<ref>{{source ref|0.30.1|decks.h|22}}</ref> and any cards exceeding a deck's capacity are lost.<br />
<br />
Nemelex has a [[gift timeout]] of <code>4 + (2d9)/2</code>.<ref>{{source ref|0.30.1|religion.cc|1222}}</ref> This represents how much piety you need to get before considering a gift. After gift timeout = 0, there is a <code>(piety - 29) / 600</code> chance to be gifted a card when gaining piety.<ref>{{source ref|0.30.1|religion.cc|1209}}</ref> The first gift is 12x faster.<br />
<br />
===Card mechanics===<br />
Player cards use your [[Invocations]] skill and [[piety]] for their power, calculated by <code>power = (piety × (Invocations + 25) / 27) + (9 × Invocations) + (1.5 × piety)</code>.<ref>{{source ref|0.30.1|decks.cc|1608}}</ref> This power is converted into "power level", which starts at 0 and increases up to twice. There are two separate chances to increase power level by +1, equal to <code>power / 900</code> and <code>power / 2700</code> out of 1, respectively.<ref>{{source ref|0.30.1|decks.cc|1006}}</ref><br />
<br />
Power determines the strength of the card, while power level determines the tier of effect. For example, the [[orb card]] increases in damage/orb with ''power'' and increases orb quantity with ''power level''.<br />
<br />
==Given Abilities==<br />
All of Nemelex's abilities deal with manipulating or controlling cards. Nemelex will gift you additional cards as you gain more piety.<br />
<br />
'''[[Piety|Piety level -]]''': "Pannier"<br />
*'''Pick a card, any card''': You can draw from decks of power. The card effect is selected at random based on the deck type. Drawing a card takes one turn, removes that card from the deck, and has no other cost.<br />
'''[[Piety|Piety level *]]''': "Jester"<br />
*No new abilities.<br />
'''[[Piety|Piety level **]]''': "Fortune-Teller"<br />
*No new abilities.<br />
'''[[Piety|Piety level ***]]''': "Soothsayer"<br />
*'''Triple Draw''': Draw three cards from any deck, look at them, and decide which one to use, discarding the other two. If only two cards remain in a deck, then only the remaining two cards will be displayed. If only one card is left, then it will be played as normal while still incurring the regular ability cost. (2 MP, 6-9 Piety)<br />
**Note that even if all viewed cards are undesirable, you ''must'' draw one of them; there is no way to back out once you have seen them. <br />
'''[[Piety|Piety level ****]]''': "Magus"<br />
*'''Deal Four''': Select a deck and draw four cards from it in a single turn. (8 MP, 4-6 Piety)<br />
'''[[Piety|Piety level *****]]''': "Cardsharp"<br />
*'''Stack Five''': Draw any five cards from the available decks and order them however you like. These cards will be kept in a separate deck which can be drawn from as normal. You can only have one stacked deck at a time. (5 MP, 10-15 Piety)<br />
'''[[Piety|Piety level ******]]''': "Hand of Fortune"<br />
*No new abilities.<br />
<br />
==Cards==<br />
{{Cards}}<br />
==Punishments==<br />
{{flavour|Nemelex Xobeh does not appreciate abandonment, and will call down fearful punishments on disloyal followers!<br />
<br />
Those who abandon Nemelex Xobeh have all of their gifted decks revoked immediately. They are also regularly forced to draw from the deck of Punishment, inflicting a range of unpleasant effects including draining, torment and polymorphing, as well as calling upon other gods to assist in inflicting wrath.<br />
<br />
Nemelex Xobeh's wrath lasts for a relatively long duration.}}<br />
<br />
If you leave Nemelex Xobeh, your penance counter will be set to 50 and you immediately lose access to all decks. If you later return, the decks will be empty again.<br />
<br />
While you are under penance, Nemelex Xobeh will occasionally punish you by drawing a card from the [[deck of punishments]], which can include one of the following (equal chances):<br />
*'''[[Swine card|Swine]]''': You are temporarily [[Polymorph|polymorphed]] into a [[hog]].<br />
*'''[[Torment card|Torment]]''': [[Symbol of Torment]] is cast at your location.<br />
*'''[[Wraith card|Wraith]]''': Inflicts heavy drain on you. This is reduced by negative energy resistance and negated by full resistance ('''rN+++''').<br />
*'''[[Wrath card|Wrath]]''': You suffer the [[divine retribution]] from a random god other than Nemelex.<br />
<br />
==Strategy==<br />
Nemelex provides a wide selection of powerful abilities. Compared to the abilities of other gods, Nemelex's cards are plentiful: they are gifted frequently, can be stored (up to 52), and do not use piety. Summoning in particular is particularly strong in ''Crawl'', and Summoning cards are cheaper than comparable abilities from [[Trog]], [[Makhleb]], etc. <br />
<br />
Don't be too stingy with cards, as any gifted cards over each deck's limit are wasted. Because of how many cards are received, Nemelex benefits a lot from [[Invocations]] training. A high aptitude helps, but Nemelex remains useful even if you don't have the best Invocations.<br />
<br />
While the randomness of the decks may be off-putting, realize that ''you'' are the dealer, and can stack the deck in your favor. Nemelex's abilities, including the 5* ability literally called Stack Five, can all control outcomes, and even when using cards manually, you can decide which deck to pull and when to pull it.<br />
<br />
Nemelex's cards can harm their user, so be cautious before using them (especially in the early game, where there's few options if, say, a hostile summon spawns). This makes Nemelex somewhat worse when aiming for 100% winrate.<br />
<br />
===Ability Strategy===<br />
*Draw Four is your main "emergency" button, drawing 4 cards in one turn with no cost other than piety (and 4 cards, and 8 MP). Drawing summoning is bound to surround you with allies, drawing destruction is great against threats and crowds, and drawing escape is likely to get ''something'' that you need (watch out for the [[Tomb card]]).<br />
*Triple Draw is useful for getting a card that is best suited for a specific situation. A poorly timed [[Degeneration card]] from the deck of destruction can polymorph a moderately dangerous group of monsters into something much, much worse. Remember that you must choose one of the three cards if using this ability; you ''cannot'' cancel a Triple Draw.<br />
**However, you can still cancel the effect of a targeted spell, such as one from the deck of destruction, though this still consumes piety and the card.<br />
*Stack Five costs a fair amount of piety, but it is very valuable to go into situations knowing exactly what to expect. <br />
**It can also be used to 'consume' five cards when all your decks are full - stacked decks go beyond the usual 52 card limit.<br />
<br />
Decks have some amount of danger, but not a lot. Escape has the [[Tomb card]], which can block every tile around you ''except'' the one where monsters are. Destruction has the [[Degeneration card]], which, while usually creating weaker monsters, will heal them. It can also create nasty low-HD monsters like [[floating eye]]s. Summoning has the [[Pentagram card]], which has a small chance to summon hostile demons. Most other cards are entirely safe.<br />
<br />
===Tips and Tricks===<br />
*You can press '''?''' while using Triple Draw or Stack Five to quickly view each potential card's effect.<br />
*Some of the summons that may appear in the deck of summoning may spawn hostile, though most are friendly. The chance of this decreases as your skill in Invocations increases. Even then, the friendly summons are usually more than capable of dealing with the hostiles.<br />
*Try to use destruction cards before summoning -- drawing any of the area-of-effect cards will hurt and thus despawn your summons.<br />
<br />
==See Also==<br />
*[[Nemelex guide]] (pre 0.15)<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
*Prior to [[0.32]], Nemelex was not considered a [[chaotic]] god.<br />
*Prior to [[0.26]], Nemelex's deck gifting began at lower piety. From 0.26 on the [[Shaft card]] is removed, and the [[Exile card]] no longer has a chance to self banish.<br />
*Prior to [[0.25]], Nemelex card abilities could be used when [[silence]]d.<br />
*Prior to [[0.23]], decks were evocable items rather than an exclusive god ability.<br />
*Prior to [[0.19]], there were many more types of decks and cards. Nemelex's powers used [[Evocations]] instead of [[Invocations]]. You could also identify decks via identify scrolls.<br />
*Prior to [[0.16]], Nemelex granted two additional abilities: Draw One and Peek at Two.<br />
*Prior to [[0.15]], piety was gained by sacrificing different kinds of items, which would cause Nemelex to gift you specific types of decks based on the number of items gifted of a certain type.<br />
*Prior to [[0.14]], the type of decks provided were dependent on the type of items you were sacrificing. Also, [[deck of dungeons]] was available as a possible gift type. <br />
*Prior to [[0.11]], Deal Four was known as Mark Four, which allowed you to peek at a few cards in a deck and identify them.<br />
*Prior to [[0.10]], letting time pass would reduce the gift timeout.<br />
*Prior to [[0.3]], followers of Nemelex could use a portable [[altar]] for sacrificing items. The altar was given to them as the first gift.<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
<references /><br />
<br />
{{gods}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Chaotic Gods]]<br />
[[Category:Featured Article]]</div>Hordeshttp://crawl.chaosforge.org/index.php?title=Concussion&diff=86589Concussion2026-07-04T10:24:45Z<p>Hordes: /* Strategy */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{version034}}<br />
{{flavour|It pushes those it hits backwards, briefly stunning them in the process. If it pushes them into a solid feature, they will instead take an additional one-third of any damage that pierces their armour.}}<br />
<br />
The '''concussion''' [[brand]], exclusive to [[Maces & Flails]], does the following:<br />
*Pushes monsters backwards and stuns them, with duration proportional to weapon delay to prevent stunlocks.<br />
**If a monster is the primary target,<ref>E.g., any normal attack, but not [[Wu Jian]]'s whirlwind or [[Oni]]'s potion cleave.</ref> the player will follow.<br />
**If the monster is knocked into a solid feature,<ref>Solid features are any non-traversable terrain parts, including statues, walls, and trees, but not monsters.</ref> it'll take an extra 0-75% damage (avg. 37.5%) instead of being stunned.<br />
**No effect if there is another creature behind your target.<br />
<br />
==Sources==<br />
Concussion can only generate and exist on [[Maces & Flails]]. It is available through both random generation and through a [[scroll of brand weapon]].<br />
<br />
==Strategy==<br />
Concussion has a heavy player-side risk. Since it causes the player to move forward for every attack, it can cause positioning errors, e.g., moving too far forward and attracting new enemies, or moving yourself so you exit a chokepoint. However, in most cases, it is easy to swap to a different weapon if concussion's push is inappropriate. Alternatively, it is possible to lure enemies in a cleared location so these errors are less likely to be punished.<br />
<br />
Other than that, concussion is unique as it allows the player to move and attack at the same time whilst slowing attacks, which can be useful in its own right. For example, if an enemy blocks the stairs or an important tile, concussion can push it off. If attacked from enemies at different angles, the other enemies will have you chase you as you push a target away. If the enemy is in front of a wall, the collision damage is excellent, outdamaging [[freezing]] and [[flaming]] while dealing physical damage.<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
*Concussion was introduced, along with the other weapon type specific brands, in [[0.34]].<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
<references/><br />
<br />
{{brands}}<br />
[[Category:Brands]]</div>Hordeshttp://crawl.chaosforge.org/index.php?title=Devious&diff=86586Devious2026-07-04T10:18:01Z<p>Hordes: /* Strategy */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{version034}}<br />
{{flavour|It has an increased chance to perform stab attacks against vulnerable targets, and temporarily increases the wielder's EV and slaying each time they do so.}}<br />
<br />
The '''devious''' [[brand]], exclusive to [[Short Blades]], does the following:<br />
*Gives +10% chance to perform low-tier [[stab]]s against valid targets.<br />
*When stabbing, temporarily provides +4 EV and +3 slaying, stacking up to 3 times. This boost will be maintained so long as the wielder continues to attack (though is otherwise short-lived).<br />
<br />
When wielded by monsters, it instead gives a flat +8 EV and +6 slaying at all times.<br />
<br />
==Sources==<br />
Devious can only exist on [[Short Blades]]. It is available through both random generation and through a [[scroll of brand weapon]].<br />
<br />
==Strategy==<br />
Devious relies heavily on having a way to inflict low-tier stabs - unlike other brands like [[electrocution]] or [[chaos]], it does not help if no enemy at all can be stabbed. Provided there is a reliable way to stab at least one enemy in a group, devious offers a strong buff to both offense and defense.<br />
<br />
[[Hexes]] and certain other spells like [[Mephitic Cloud]] can reliably stab enemies for free, but check either [[willpower]] or [[HD]]. Certain gods like [[Uskayaw]], [[Dithmenos]], and [[Gozag]] offer ways to stab any enemy but require worshipping that god and with specific conditions (Uskayaw and Gozag require damage and kills respectively, Dithmenos an active ability)<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
*Devious was introduced, along with the other weapon type exclusive brands, in [[0.34]].<br />
<br />
{{brands}}<br />
[[Category:Brands]]</div>Hordeshttp://crawl.chaosforge.org/index.php?title=Devious&diff=86581Devious2026-07-04T00:00:44Z<p>Hordes: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{version034}}<br />
{{flavour|It has an increased chance to perform stab attacks against vulnerable targets, and temporarily increases the wielder's EV and slaying each time they do so.}}<br />
<br />
The '''devious''' [[brand]], exclusive to [[Short Blades]], does the following:<br />
*Gives +10% chance to perform low-tier [[stab]]s against valid targets.<br />
*When stabbing, temporarily provides +4 EV and +3 slaying, stacking up to 3 times. This boost will be maintained so long as the wielder continues to attack (though is otherwise short-lived).<br />
<br />
When wielded by monsters, it instead gives a flat +8 EV and +6 slaying at all times.<br />
<br />
==Sources==<br />
Devious can only exist on [[Short Blades]]. It is available through both random generation and through a [[scroll of brand weapon]].<br />
<br />
==Strategy==<br />
Devious relies heavily on having a way to inflict low-tier stabs - unlike other brands like [[electrocution]] or [[chaos]], it does not help if no enemy at all can be stabbed. Provided there is a reliable way to stab at least one enemy, devious offers a strong buff to both offense and defense.<br />
<br />
[[Hexes]] and certain other spells like [[Mephitic Cloud]] can reliably stab enemies for free, but check either [[willpower]] or [[HD]]. Certain gods like [[Uskayaw]], [[Dithmenos]], and [[Gozag]] offer ways to stab any enemy but require worshipping that god and with specific conditions (Uskayaw and Gozag require damage and kills respectively, Dithmenos an active ability)<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
*Devious was introduced, along with the other weapon type exclusive brands, in [[0.34]].<br />
<br />
{{brands}}<br />
[[Category:Brands]]</div>Hordeshttp://crawl.chaosforge.org/index.php?title=Sundering&diff=86580Sundering2026-07-03T23:32:35Z<p>Hordes: overkill damage is not really a "risk"</p>
<hr />
<div>{{version034}}<br />
{{flavour|After you perform multiple consecutive attacks, its next attack will deal greatly increased damage and also cleave into targets an extra space away.}}<br />
<br />
The '''sundering''' [[brand]], exclusive to [[Axes]], does the following:<br />
*Every consecutive attack will store up power, releasing it on the 7th attack, dealing triple damage at higher accuracy, and with 1 more tile of cleaving reach. <br />
*Attacking with something else, or doing anything else but attacking on your turn will cause the count to reset.<br />
<br />
==Sources==<br />
Sundering can only generate and exist on [[axes]]. It is available through both random generation and through a [[scroll of brand weapon]].<br />
<br />
==Strategy==<br />
Assuming at least one triple damage attack is made, sundering's damage boost ranges from +15.8% to +28.57% - before considering the accuracy boost or extra reach. It also has the benefit of dealing physical damage, which no enemy resists. However, it requires attacking for 7 turns in a row, which has several downsides:<br />
* The bonus gets reset after any non-melee attack, meaning that [[evocable]]s, [[god]] abilities, escape items, [[ring]] swapping, etc. are penalized.<br />
* It introduces a psycological risk, as sundering discourages the player from making other actions even if said actions are the "correct" choice.<br />
* It is prone to overkill damage, e.g., if an enemy is almost dead after 6 hits.<br />
<br />
It is particularly strong in corridor combat, as it is possible to continue attacking even after an enemy dies and the reach will hit an enemy in the back.<br />
<br />
Sundering is ''very'' dangerous in enemy hands, since monster base damage gets tripled too. For example, a [[naga warrior]] with a [[war axe]] of sundering can deal up to 105 damage, and even more if [[might]]ed. Using a spell or item that affects positioning, such as [[Blink]] or [[Gell's gravitambourine]], is an easy way to reset sundering. Preventing the enemy from attacking will work too.<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
*Sundering was introduced, along with the other weapon-type-specific brands, in [[0.34]].<br />
<br />
{{brands}}<br />
[[Category:Brands]]</div>Hordeshttp://crawl.chaosforge.org/index.php?title=Entangling&diff=86577Entangling2026-07-03T20:57:34Z<p>Hordes: /* Strategy */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{version034}}<br />
{{stub}}<!--Can it constrict over water/lava? Can it constrict multiple enemies at once? What if you swap weapons? Move away?--><br />
{{flavour|It sometimes constricts those it attacks with vines. (1/2 chance, 2-4 damage).}}<br />
<br />
The '''entangling''' [[brand]], exclusive to [[Polearms]], does the following:<br />
*50% chance to [[constrict]] the enemy with 2d2 base damage.<br />
<br />
==Sources==<br />
Entangling can only generate and exist on [[polearm]]s. It is available through both random generation and through a [[scroll of brand weapon]].<br />
<br />
==Strategy==<br />
Constriction reduces the target's [[EV]] by 10 and restricts movement, so entangling is more than 2-4 damage per turn.<br />
<br />
Entangling synergizes with [[allies]], since they'll also get to benefit from constriction's -10 EV penalty. It can also be strong on casters or hybrid characters, as constriction can be maintained even when casting spells or doing other actions - it's essentially [[Borgnjor's Vile Clutch]] on a melee weapon.<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
*Entangling was introduced, along with the other weapon type specific brands, in [[0.34]].<br />
<br />
{{brands}}<br />
[[Category:Brands]]</div>Hordeshttp://crawl.chaosforge.org/index.php?title=Entangling&diff=86576Entangling2026-07-03T20:56:11Z<p>Hordes: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{version034}}<br />
{{stub}}<!--Can it constrict over water/lava? Can it constrict multiple enemies at once? What if you swap weapons? Move away?--><br />
{{flavour|It sometimes constricts those it attacks with vines. (1/2 chance, 2-4 damage).}}<br />
<br />
The '''entangling''' [[brand]], exclusive to [[Polearms]], does the following:<br />
*50% chance to [[constrict]] the enemy with 2d2 base damage.<br />
<br />
==Sources==<br />
Entangling can only generate and exist on [[polearm]]s. It is available through both random generation and through a [[scroll of brand weapon]].<br />
<br />
==Strategy==<br />
Constriction reduces the target's [[EV]] by 10 and restricts movement, so entangling is more than 2-4 damage per turn.<br />
<br />
Entangling synergizes with [[allies]], since they'll also get to benefit from constriction's -10 EV penalty. It can also be strong on hybrid characters, as constriction can be maintained even when casting spells or doing other actions - it's essentially [[Borgnjor's Vile Clutch]] on a melee weapon.<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
*Entangling was introduced, along with the other weapon type specific brands, in [[0.34]].<br />
<br />
{{brands}}<br />
[[Category:Brands]]</div>Hordeshttp://crawl.chaosforge.org/index.php?title=Rebuke&diff=86575Rebuke2026-07-03T20:49:14Z<p>Hordes: /* Strategy */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{version034}}<br />
{{flavour|It shields the wearer if their last action was a melee attack (+10 SH) and redirects blocked melee attacks to other nearby enemies.}}<br />
<br />
The '''rebuke''' [[brand]], exclusive to [[Staves]], does the following:<br />
*After attacking, grants +10 [[SH]] for 1 turn.<br />
*When blocking melee attacks, the attack will be redirected towards the lowest HP enemy that is adjacent to the original attacker. <br />
**It cannot redirect attacks to the original attacker.<br />
**[[Cleaving]] is disabled on redirected attacks.<br />
<br />
Monsters get +10 SH regardless of whether they attack or not.<br />
<br />
==Sources==<br />
Rebuke can only generate and exist on [[Staves]]. It is available through both random generation and through a [[scroll of brand weapon]].<br />
<br />
==Strategy==<br />
Rebuke is a somewhat stronger [[protection]] that can also reflect melee attacks in the right circumstances. A staff of rebuke can be a good option in the early game. Otherwise, it is not a spectacular brand, and it is further limited due to the Staves weapon type - [[quarterstaves]] are ultimately early game weapons, while [[lajatang]]s are rare, and both are two-handed.<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
*Rebuke was introduced, along with the other weapon type specific brands, in [[0.34]].<br />
<br />
{{brands}}<br />
[[Category:Brands]]</div>Hordeshttp://crawl.chaosforge.org/index.php?title=Rebuke&diff=86574Rebuke2026-07-03T20:46:44Z<p>Hordes: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{version034}}<br />
{{flavour|It shields the wearer if their last action was a melee attack (+10 SH) and redirects blocked melee attacks to other nearby enemies.}}<br />
<br />
The '''rebuke''' [[brand]], exclusive to [[Staves]], does the following:<br />
*After attacking, grants +10 [[SH]] for 1 turn.<br />
*When blocking melee attacks, the attack will be redirected towards the lowest HP enemy that is adjacent to the original attacker. <br />
**It cannot redirect attacks to the original attacker.<br />
**[[Cleaving]] is disabled on redirected attacks.<br />
<br />
Monsters get +10 SH regardless of whether they attack or not.<br />
<br />
==Sources==<br />
Rebuke can only generate and exist on [[Staves]]. It is available through both random generation and through a [[scroll of brand weapon]].<br />
<br />
==Strategy==<br />
Rebuke is a somewhat stronger [[protection]] that can also reflect melee attacks in the right circumstances. A staff of rebuke can be a good option in the early game. It is not a spectacular brand on its own, and it is further limited due to the Staves weapon type - [[quarterstaves]] are ultimatley early game weapons, while [[lajatang]]s are rare, and both are two-handed.<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
*Rebuke was introduced, along with the other weapon type specific brands, in [[0.34]].<br />
<br />
{{brands}}<br />
[[Category:Brands]]</div>Hordeshttp://crawl.chaosforge.org/index.php?title=Sundering&diff=86573Sundering2026-07-03T07:17:23Z<p>Hordes: /* Strategy */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{version034}}<br />
{{flavour|After you perform multiple consecutive attacks, its next attack will deal greatly increased damage and also cleave into targets an extra space away.}}<br />
<br />
The '''sundering''' [[brand]], exclusive to [[Axes]], does the following:<br />
*Every consecutive attack will store up power, releasing it on the 7th attack, dealing triple damage at higher accuracy, and with 1 more tile of cleaving reach. <br />
*Attacking with something else, or doing anything else but attacking on your turn will cause the count to reset.<br />
<br />
==Sources==<br />
Sundering can only generate and exist on [[axes]]. It is available through both random generation and through a [[scroll of brand weapon]].<br />
<br />
==Strategy==<br />
Assuming at least one triple damage attack is made, sundering's damage boost ranges from +15.8% to +28.57% -- before considering the accuracy boost or extra reach. It also has the benefit of dealing physical damage, which no enemy resists. However, it requires attacking for 7 turns in a row, which has several flaws:<br />
* The bonus gets reset after any non-melee attack, meaning that [[evocable]]s, [[god]] abilities, escape items, [[ring]] swapping, etc. is penalized.<br />
* It introduces a psycological risk, as sundering discourages the player from making other actions even if said actions are the "correct" choice.<br />
* It is prone to overkill damage, e.g., if an enemy is almost dead after 6 hits.<br />
<br />
It is particularly strong in corridor combat, as it is possible to continue attacking even after an enemy dies and the reach will hit an enemy in the back.<br />
<br />
Sundering is ''very'' dangerous in enemy hands, since monster base damage gets tripled too. For example, a [[naga warrior]] with a [[war axe]] of sundering can deal up to 105 damage, and even more if [[might]]ed. Using a spell or item that affect positioning, such as [[Blink]] or [[Gell's gravitambourine]], is an easy way to reset sundering. Outright preventing the enemy from attacking will work too.<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
*Sundering was introduced, along with the other weapon type specific brands, in [[0.34]].<br />
<br />
{{brands}}<br />
[[Category:Brands]]</div>Hordeshttp://crawl.chaosforge.org/index.php?title=Sundering&diff=86572Sundering2026-07-03T07:16:20Z<p>Hordes: /* Strategy */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{version034}}<br />
{{flavour|After you perform multiple consecutive attacks, its next attack will deal greatly increased damage and also cleave into targets an extra space away.}}<br />
<br />
The '''sundering''' [[brand]], exclusive to [[Axes]], does the following:<br />
*Every consecutive attack will store up power, releasing it on the 7th attack, dealing triple damage at higher accuracy, and with 1 more tile of cleaving reach. <br />
*Attacking with something else, or doing anything else but attacking on your turn will cause the count to reset.<br />
<br />
==Sources==<br />
Sundering can only generate and exist on [[axes]]. It is available through both random generation and through a [[scroll of brand weapon]].<br />
<br />
==Strategy==<br />
Assuming at least one triple damage attack is made, sundering's damage boost ranges from +15.8% to +28.57% -- before considering the accuracy boost or extra reach. It also has the benefit of dealing physical damage, which no enemy resists. However, it requires attacking for 7 turns in a row, which has several flaws:<br />
* The bonus gets reset after any non-melee attack, meaning that [[evocable]]s, [[god]] abilities, escape items, [[ring]] swapping, etc. is penalized.<br />
* It introduces a psycological risk, as sundering discourages the player from making other actions even if said actions are the "correct" choice.<br />
* It is prone to overkill damage, e.g., if an enemy is almost dead after 6 hits.<br />
<br />
It is particularly strong in corridor combat, as it is possible to continue attacking even after an enemy dies and the reach will hit an enemy in the back.<br />
<br />
Sundering is ''very'' dangerous in enemy hands, since monster base damage gets tripled too. For example, a [[naga warrior]] with a [[war axe]] of sundering can deal up to 105 damage, and even more if [[might]]ed. Using a spell or item that affect positioning, such as [[Blink]] or [[Gell's gravitamborine]], is an easy way to reset sundering. Outright preventing the enemy from attacking will work too.<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
*Sundering was introduced, along with the other weapon type specific brands, in [[0.34]].<br />
<br />
{{brands}}<br />
[[Category:Brands]]</div>Hordeshttp://crawl.chaosforge.org/index.php?title=Sundering&diff=86571Sundering2026-07-03T07:11:02Z<p>Hordes: /* Strategy */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{version034}}<br />
{{flavour|After you perform multiple consecutive attacks, its next attack will deal greatly increased damage and also cleave into targets an extra space away.}}<br />
<br />
The '''sundering''' [[brand]], exclusive to [[Axes]], does the following:<br />
*Every consecutive attack will store up power, releasing it on the 7th attack, dealing triple damage at higher accuracy, and with 1 more tile of cleaving reach. <br />
*Attacking with something else, or doing anything else but attacking on your turn will cause the count to reset.<br />
<br />
==Sources==<br />
Sundering can only generate and exist on [[axes]]. It is available through both random generation and through a [[scroll of brand weapon]].<br />
<br />
==Strategy==<br />
Assuming at least one triple damage attack is made, sundering's damage boost ranges from +15.8% to +28.57% -- before considering the accuracy boost or extra reach. It also has the benefit of dealing physical damage, which no enemy resists. However, it requires attacking for 7 turns in a row, which has several flaws:<br />
* The bonus gets reset after any non-melee attack, meaning that [[evocable]]s, [[god]] abilities, escape items, [[ring]] swapping, etc. is penalized.<br />
* It introduces a psycological risk, as sundering discourages the player from making other actions even if said actions are the "correct" choice.<br />
* It is prone to overkill damage, e.g., if an enemy is almost dead after 6 hits.<br />
<br />
It is particularly strong in corridor combat, as it is possible to continue attacking even after an enemy dies and the reach will hit an enemy in the back.<br />
<br />
Sundering is ''very'' dangerous in enemy hands, since monster base damage gets tripled too. For example, a [[naga warrior]] with a [[war axe]] of sundering can deal up to 105 damage, and even more if [[might]]ed.<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
*Sundering was introduced, along with the other weapon type specific brands, in [[0.34]].<br />
<br />
{{brands}}<br />
[[Category:Brands]]</div>Hordeshttp://crawl.chaosforge.org/index.php?title=Sundering&diff=86570Sundering2026-07-03T07:08:19Z<p>Hordes: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{version034}}<br />
{{flavour|After you perform multiple consecutive attacks, its next attack will deal greatly increased damage and also cleave into targets an extra space away.}}<br />
<br />
The '''sundering''' [[brand]], exclusive to [[Axes]], does the following:<br />
*Every consecutive attack will store up power, releasing it on the 7th attack, dealing triple damage at higher accuracy, and with 1 more tile of cleaving reach. <br />
*Attacking with something else, or doing anything else but attacking on your turn will cause the count to reset.<br />
<br />
==Sources==<br />
Sundering can only generate and exist on [[axes]]. It is available through both random generation and through a [[scroll of brand weapon]].<br />
<br />
==Strategy==<br />
Assuming at least one triple damage attack is made, sundering's damage boost ranges from +15.8% to +28.57% -- before considering the accuracy boost or extra reach. It also has the benefit of dealing physical damage, which no enemy resists. However, it requires attacking for 7 turns in a row, which has several flaws:<br />
* The bonus gets reset after any non-melee attack, meaning that [[evocable]]s, [[god]] abilities, escape items, etc. will reset the bonus and thus become more difficult to use. Even switching [[ring]]s to gain a resistance will trigger a reset.<br />
* It introduces a psycological risk, as sundering discourages the player from making other actions even if said actions are the "correct" choice.<br />
* It is prone to overkill damage, e.g., if an enemy is almost dead after 6 hits.<br />
<br />
It is particularly strong in corridor combat, as it is possible to continue attacking even after an enemy dies and the reach will hit an enemy in the back.<br />
<br />
Sundering is ''very'' dangerous in enemy hands, since monster base damage gets tripled too. For example, a [[naga warrior]] with a [[war axe]] of sundering can deal up to 105 damage, and even more if [[might]]ed.<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
*Sundering was introduced, along with the other weapon type specific brands, in [[0.34]].<br />
<br />
{{brands}}<br />
[[Category:Brands]]</div>Hordeshttp://crawl.chaosforge.org/index.php?title=Constriction&diff=86521Constriction2026-07-01T06:14:23Z<p>Hordes: /* Constriction Immunity */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{version032}}<br />
'''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.<br />
<br />
==List of constrictors==<br />
===Monsters===<br />
*{{Green|N}} [[File:Naga (monster).png]] '''[[Naga (monster)|Naga]]'''<br />
*{{monsterlink|Naga mage}}<br />
*{{monsterlink|Naga sharpshooter}}<br />
*{{monsterlink|Naga ritualist}}<br />
*{{monsterlink|Naga warrior}}<br />
*{{monsterlink|Nagaraja}}<br />
*{{monsterlink|Snaplasher vine}}<br />
*{{monsterlink|Ball python}}<br />
*{{monsterlink|Anaconda}}<br />
*{{monsterlink|Tentacled monstrosity}}<br />
*{{monsterlink|Starspawn tentacle}}<br />
*{{monsterlink|Formless jellyfish}}<br />
*{{LightCyan|x}} [[File:Octopode (monster).png]] '''[[Octopode (monster)|Octopode]]'''<br />
*{{monsterlink|Vashnia}}<br />
*{{monsterlink|Erica}}<br />
*'''[[Grasping Roots]]'''<br />
**{{monsterlink|Jorgrun}}<br />
**{{monsterlink|Shambling mangrove}}<br />
<br />
===Playable species===<br />
*'''[[Octopode]]''' <br />
*'''[[Naga]]''' - gains the ability at [[experience level]] 13.<br />
<br />
===Forms===<br />
*'''[[Serpent talisman]]'''<br />
<br />
===Other Constriction Effects===<br />
*[[Borgnjor's Vile Clutch]]<br />
*[[Wand of roots]]<br />
<br />
==Initiating Constriction==<br />
<br />
===Melee Constriction===<br />
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><br />
*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).<br />
*The defender is not constricted or engulfed by another creature.<br />
*The attacker must be able to see the victim.<br />
*The attacker is not confused.<br />
*The size of the attacker is greater than or equal to the size of the defender.<br />
*The defender is not immune to constriction attacks (see below).<br />
*The defender must be next to the attacker (weapons of reaching don't allow you to constrict non-adjacent targets).<br />
<br />
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:<br />
to_hit = 13 + 0.75 * DEX + 0.3 * Fighting + Slaying bonus + Other bonuses<ref>{{source ref|0.32.1|fight.cc|73}}</ref><br />
<br />
For the monsters, it's:<br />
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)<br />
If the attack hits, the constriction starts, though monsters only have a 2/3 chance to apply constriction in melee.<br />
<br />
===Spell Constriction===<br />
For [[Borgnjor's Vile Clutch]], [[wand of roots]], or [[Grasping Roots]], the following apply:<br />
*The defender is not constricted or engulfed by another creature.<br />
*The attacker must be able to see the victim.<br />
*The defender is not immune to constriction attacks.<br />
*The defender is not over [[deep water]] or [[lava]].<br />
<br />
These forms of constriction always hit.<br />
<br />
===Constriction Immunity===<br />
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><br />
*[[Amorphous]]: includes [[list of jellies|jellies and slimes]] as well as [[water elemental]]s and players in [[Aqua Form]]<br />
*[[Insubstantial]]: [[Poltergeist]], [[Storm Form]], [[Wisp Form]]<br />
*[[Spiny]]: [[Quill Form]] and [[Demonspawn]]-exclusive [[Spiny (mutation)|Spiny]] mutation<br />
*The [[slick slippers]] unrand.<br />
<br />
==Maintaining Constriction==<br />
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%.<br />
<br />
<!-- TODO: monster escape chance formula --><br />
===Damage Calculations===<br />
The amount of damage inflicted every 10 [[aut]]s is:<br />
(Base damage) * (0.33 + 0.67 * (XL / 27))<br />
<br />
*'''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.<br />
*'''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.<br />
<br />
This damage is then modified as follows:<br />
<br />
*'''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.<br />
*'''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).<br />
<br />
==Escaping Constriction==<br />
Along with simply succeeding at an escape attempt, there are a number of other methods for breaking free:<br />
*Killing the constrictor.<br />
*If the constrictor moves from its current tile, constriction ends (even if the destination is still adjacent to the constricted target).<br />
**The [[dispersal (brand)|dispersal]] and [[distortion]] brands can force the constrictor to blink away (or be banished to [[the Abyss]]).<br />
**Casting [[Teleport Other]], [[Dispersal]] or [[Disjunction]] has a similar effect.<br />
**Forcing the constrictor back with [[Iskenderun's Mystic Blast]] may also work but may not be as effective against larger monsters.<br />
**Casting [[Polar Vortex]] will force the enemy away from you much more aggressively.<br />
**[[Gell's gravitambourine]] can move a constrictor.<br />
*Disabling the constrictor with [[confusion]], [[Paralyze|paralysis]], [[Petrify|petrification]], [[fear]], [[Sleep|unconsciousness]], or [[polymorph]] immediately breaks constriction. <br />
*[[Wand of charming|Charming]] or pacifying through [[Elyvilon]] will immediately stop contriction.<br />
*Becoming immune to constriction will immediately end the status.<br />
**[[Storm Form]] and [[Quill Form]] are immune to constriction.<br />
**[[Dragon Form]] is giant size, so it can only be constricted by tentacled monstrosities.<br />
*Any source of [[blink]]ing or [[teleport]] can get you free.<br />
*[[Barachi]]m can hop away, which will always escape constriction.<br />
*[[Formicid]]'s shaft ability will always escape constriction.<br />
*[[Zin]]'s Sanctuary ability breaks constriction.<br />
*[[Ru]]'s Draw Out Power and Power Leap will always escape construction.<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
*In [[0.32]], constriction was reworked. Prior to this version:<br />
**All player sources of constrict dealt less base damage, but monsters would take increased constriction damage over time (from any source, not just players).<br />
**Escape chance for players used a more complex formula, and blinking and related effects did not guarantee escape.<br />
**Escape chance for monsters did not care about HD.<br />
**Constriction applied a -3 EV penalty to players and divided monster EV depending on size.<br />
**Player melee constriction cared about Str.<br />
*Since [[0.18]], to-hit only depends on [[Dexterity]].<br />
*Prior to [[0.12]], the duration modifier to damage was applied to players.<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
<references/><br />
[[Category:Status effects]]</div>Hordeshttp://crawl.chaosforge.org/index.php?title=Vine_Stalker&diff=86502Vine Stalker2026-06-30T14:45:56Z<p>Hordes: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{version032}}<br />
''This page refers to the player [[species]]. For the monster, see [[Vine stalker (monster)]].''<br />
{{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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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.}}<br />
<br />
==Innate Abilities==<br />
*'''[[Fangs]] 2:''' Vine Stalkers possess a [[auxiliary attack|bite]] attack.<br />
**'''[[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. <br />
{{crawlquote|'''Damage done''': Fangs_level×2 + XL/3<br>'''Drained MP''': 1dDamage_done × (1.25 - MP/MaxMP)}}<br />
*'''[[No Potion Heal]] 2:''' Vine Stalkers cannot restore HP with [[potion]]s. <br />
**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]].<br />
*'''[[Regeneration (mutation)|Regeneration]] 1:''' Vine Stalkers regenerate HP quickly (+0.8 HP/turn).<br />
*'''[[Spirit shield]]:''' Vine Stalkers share incoming damage between their HP and MP.<br />
<br />
Vine Stalkers have a base [[Strength]] of 10, [[Intelligence]] of 8 and [[Dexterity]] of 9 (before Background modifiers). They have +1 base [[magic points]].<br />
<br />
==Preferred Backgrounds==<br />
*'''Warriors:''' [[Fighter]], [[Brigand]]<br />
*'''Zealots:''' [[Berserker]]<br />
*'''Warrior-mages:''' [[Enchanter]]<br />
*'''Mages:''' [[Conjurer]], [[Necromancer]], [[Ice Elementalist]]<br />
<br />
==Level Bonuses==<br />
*+1 [[strength]] or [[dexterity]] every 4th level.<br />
*30% less [[HP]] than average.<br />
*+5 [[willpower]] per level.<br />
*Upgrade to [[Fangs]] 3 at level 8.<br />
<br />
==Starting Skills and Equipment==<br />
Vine Stalkers receive the skills and equipment listed for their background.<br />
<br />
==Difficulty of Play==<br />
{{Hard}}<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
{{species_aptitudes|Vine Stalker}}<br />
<br />
==Strategy==<br />
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:<br />
*[[God]] choice - [[Elyvilon]] and [[Ru]] offer immediate ways to heal. Healing effects from [[Gozag]]'s Potion Petition can restore Vine Stalkers' health too.<br />
*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.<br />
<br />
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:<br />
*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]].<br />
*Melee + caster hybrid: Their bite can be used to recover lost MP.<br />
<br />
===Tips and Tricks===<br />
*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.<br />
*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+).<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
*Prior to [[0.31]], Vine Stalkers only gained the Regeneration mutation at level 4.<br />
*Prior to [[0.28]], Vine Stalkers' Regeneration 1 would provide +1 HP/turn.<br />
*Prior to [[0.27]], Vine Stalkers would reach Regeneration 2 at level 12. However, each level of Regeneration provided +0.4 HP/turn.<br />
*Prior to [[0.26]], Vine Stalkers had [[rotting]] immunity.<br />
*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.<br />
*Vine Stalkers were added in [[0.14]].<br />
<br />
{{species}}</div>Hordeshttp://crawl.chaosforge.org/index.php?title=Background_and_race_combinations_for_beginners&diff=86501Background and race combinations for beginners2026-06-30T14:34:12Z<p>Hordes: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{version034}}{{Advice}}<br />
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.<br />
<br />
===Melee Brute===<br />
<br />
*'''[[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. <br />
**'''[[Berserker]]''' is another melee character, worshipping Trog from the start.<br />
**'''[[Mountain Dwarf]], [[Gargoyle]], and [[Troll]]''' are similarly strong melee species.<br />
<br />
*'''[[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]].<br />
**'''[[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.<br />
<br />
===Ranged===<br />
<br />
*'''[[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.<br />
<br />
*'''[[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. <br />
<br />
===Hybrid===<br />
<br />
*'''[[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.<br />
<br />
===Caster===<br />
<br />
*'''[[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.<br />
<br />
*'''[[Gargoyle]] [[Earth Elementalist]]''' ([[Majang's Caster Walk-Through|strategy guide]]): A durable, more standard caster with powerful destructive spells. Typically worships [[Vehumet]].<br />
<br />
===Stabber===<br />
<br />
*'''[[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.<br />
<br />
*'''[[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.<br />
<br />
*'''[[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.<br />
<br />
These are just a few examples, there are lots of other combinations that are reasonably easy to play. Feel free to experiment.<br />
<br />
{{Guides}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Strategy Guides]]</div>Hordeshttp://crawl.chaosforge.org/index.php?title=Tips_and_tricks&diff=86500Tips and tricks2026-06-30T14:31:50Z<p>Hordes: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{version034}}<br />
This is a collection of random tips and tricks for those who are starting to play ''Dungeon Crawl''.<br />
<br />
==General==<br />
*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! <br />
**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 ']'.<br />
*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.<br />
*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. <br />
**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.<br />
**Spellcasters will want to invest some XP into [[Fighting]], [[Dodging]], and perhaps [[Armour]] and/or [[Shields]]. <br />
**Don't forget about [[Invocations]] and [[Evocations]] either, depending on your god choice or equipment.<br />
*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).<br />
*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.<br />
*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.<br />
*If you haven't won yet, stick with the basic 3 rune game. As you gain skill, start exploring the optional endgame branches.<br />
<br />
==Monsters==<br />
*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].<br />
*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.<br />
*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.<br />
*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.<br />
*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.<br />
*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.<br />
<br />
==Items==<br />
*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:<br />
;{{DarkGrey|Dark Grey}}: Item is currently unusable<br />
;{{LightGrey|Light Grey}}: Item is unidentified, or is a standard identified item<br />
;{{Blue|Blue}}: Item is unidentified and magical<br />
;{{LightGreen|Bright Green}}: Item is equipped<br />
;{{White|White}}: Item is a [[randart|random]] [[artefact]]<br />
;{{LightRed|Bright Red}}: Item is generally harmful to use<br />
;{{Red|Red}}: Item is hated by your [[god]]<br />
;{{LightMagenta|Purple}}: Item is potentially dangerous to use (will warn you if you try to use it)<br />
;{{Yellow|Yellow}}: Item is beneficial<br />
;{{LightCyan|Light Blue}}: Item is highly beneficial, or an [[unrand]] artefact<br />
*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.<br />
*A [[scroll of blinking]] is the most reliable means of escape for characters early on. Use them wisely to avoid death.<br />
*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.<br />
<br />
==Spellcasting==<br />
*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.<br />
*Getting spells castable (sub 10% fail chance) is the first major concern, spell power is a distant second.<br />
*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.<br />
*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.<br />
**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.<br />
*[[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. <br />
** 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.<br />
* [[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.<br />
*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.<br />
*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.<br />
<br />
===Spell Tips:===<br />
*[[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!<br />
*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.<br />
*[[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.<br />
*[[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.<br />
<br />
==Miscellaneous==<br />
*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.<br />
*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.<br />
*[[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.<br />
<br />
==Fighting Strategies==<br />
Whether your character is a melee fighter or a spellcaster, you can use the tactics described below.<br />
<br />
===If There is a Monster in View===<br />
*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.<br />
*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]].<br />
*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!'''<br />
*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:<br />
**Paralyzing monsters, such as [[floating eye]]s<br />
**Monsters who can summon [[fiend]]s, such as [[dread lich]]es and [[Pandemonium lord]]s<br />
**[[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.<br />
**Monsters who can cast [[Lehudib's Crystal Spear]], such as [[deep elf annihilator|deep elf]]/[[draconian annihilator]]s, [[wizard]]s, and [[ancient lich]]es.<br />
**Mutating monsters: [[neqoxec]]s, [[shining eye]]s, [[orb of fire|orbs of fire]], and [[Mnoleg]].<br />
**Monsters who attack you using an element you aren't resistant to<br />
**Smiting monsters, such as [[orc priest]]s and [[smoke demon]]s<br />
**[[Unique]] monsters<br />
*If there are several monsters, retreat to a chokepoint.<br />
*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.<br />
*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. <br />
*If your character's life is at risk, read [[Escaping from (and avoiding) trouble]].<br />
*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.<br />
<br />
=== If There is no Monster in View===<br />
*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.<br />
*If you are not on a special level, press 'o' to auto-explore.<br />
*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).<br />
*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).<br />
<br />
{{Guides}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Strategy Guides]]<br />
[[Category:Tips]]</div>Hordeshttp://crawl.chaosforge.org/index.php?title=Tips_and_tricks&diff=86499Tips and tricks2026-06-30T12:45:20Z<p>Hordes: /* Spellcasting */ stair dance</p>
<hr />
<div>{{version034}}<br />
This is a collection of random tips and tricks for those who are starting to play ''Dungeon Crawl''.<br />
<br />
==General==<br />
*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! <br />
**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 ']'.<br />
*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.<br />
*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. <br />
**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.<br />
**Spellcasters will want to invest some XP into [[Fighting]], [[Dodging]], and perhaps [[Armour]] and/or [[Shields]]. <br />
**Don't forget about [[Invocations]] and [[Evocations]] either, depending on your god choice or equipment.<br />
*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).<br />
*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.<br />
*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.<br />
*If you haven't won yet, stick with the basic 3 rune game. As you gain skill, start exploring the optional endgame branches.<br />
<br />
==Monsters==<br />
*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].<br />
*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.<br />
*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.<br />
*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.<br />
*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.<br />
*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.<br />
<br />
==Items==<br />
*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:<br />
;{{DarkGrey|Dark Grey}}: Item is currently unusable<br />
;{{LightGrey|Light Grey}}: Item is unidentified, or is a standard identified item<br />
;{{Blue|Blue}}: Item is unidentified and magical<br />
;{{LightGreen|Bright Green}}: Item is equipped<br />
;{{White|White}}: Item is a [[randart|random]] [[artefact]]<br />
;{{LightRed|Bright Red}}: Item is generally harmful to use<br />
;{{Red|Red}}: Item is hated by your [[god]]<br />
;{{LightMagenta|Purple}}: Item is potentially dangerous to use (will warn you if you try to use it)<br />
;{{Yellow|Yellow}}: Item is beneficial<br />
;{{LightCyan|Light Blue}}: Item is highly beneficial, or an [[unrand]] artefact<br />
*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.<br />
*A [[scroll of blinking]] is the most reliable means of escape for characters early on. Use them wisely to avoid death.<br />
*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.<br />
<br />
==Spellcasting==<br />
*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.<br />
*Getting spells castable (sub 10% fail chance) is the first major concern, spell power is a distant second.<br />
*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.<br />
*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.<br />
**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.<br />
*[[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. <br />
** 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.<br />
* [[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.<br />
*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.<br />
*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.<br />
<br />
===Spell Tips:===<br />
*[[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!<br />
*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.<br />
*[[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.<br />
*[[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.<br />
<br />
==Miscellaneous==<br />
*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.<br />
*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.<br />
*[[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.<br />
<br />
==Fighting Strategies==<br />
Whether your character is a melee fighter or a spellcaster, you can use the tactics described below.<br />
<br />
===If There is a Monster in View===<br />
*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.<br />
*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]].<br />
*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!'''<br />
*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:<br />
**Paralyzing monsters, such as [[floating eye]]s<br />
**Monsters who can summon [[fiend]]s, such as [[dread lich]]es and [[Pandemonium lord]]s<br />
**[[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.<br />
**Monsters who can cast [[Lehudib's Crystal Spear]], such as [[deep elf annihilator|deep elf]]/[[draconian annihilator]]s, [[wizard]]s, and [[ancient lich]]es.<br />
**Mutating monsters: [[neqoxec]]s, [[shining eye]]s, [[orb of fire|orbs of fire]], and [[Mnoleg]].<br />
**Monsters who attack you using an element you aren't resistant to<br />
**Smiting monsters, such as [[orc priest]]s and [[smoke demon]]s<br />
**[[Unique]] monsters<br />
*If there are several monsters, retreat to a chokepoint.<br />
*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.<br />
*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. <br />
*If your character's life is at risk, read [[Escaping from (and avoiding) trouble]].<br />
*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.<br />
<br />
=== If There is no Monster in View===<br />
*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.<br />
*If you are not on a special level, press 'o' to auto-explore.<br />
*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).<br />
*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).<br />
<br />
{{Guides}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Strategy Guides]]<br />
[[Category:Tips]]</div>Hordeshttp://crawl.chaosforge.org/index.php?title=Websites&diff=86498Websites2026-06-30T12:41:25Z<p>Hordes: archive of tavern 1, which was a wealth of resources</p>
<hr />
<div>This is a list of ''Crawl''-related '''websites'''.<br />
<br />
==Official (Stone Soup)==<br />
<br />
* [http://crawl.develz.org/ Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup] - Official homepage, home of the latest Stone Soup development news, development wiki and bug tracker<br />
<br />
* [https://tavern.dcss.io/ Tavern 2] - Official forum<br />
<br />
* [https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/crawl-ref-discuss Crawl-ref-discuss (CRD)] - Mailing list<br />
<br />
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20240323011759/https://crawl.develz.org/tavern/ Tavern 1 (archived, no longer up)]<br />
<br />
===(Pre-Stone-Soup)===<br />
<br />
* [http://www.dungeoncrawl.org/ Linley's Dungeon Crawl] - Official homepage of Linley's Dungeon Crawl 4.0<br />
<br />
==Discussion==<br />
* [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)<br />
<br />
* [https://tavern.dcss.io/ Tavern 2] - Official forum (Active in 0.34)<br />
<br />
* [http://www.reddit.com/r/dcss/ r/dcss on Reddit] - Subreddit focused on DCSS in particular (Active in 0.34)<br />
<br />
* [http://roguelikes.reddit.com/ r/Roguelikes on Reddit] - Subreddit focused on all roguelikes (Active in 0.34)<br />
<br />
* [https://web.libera.chat/#crawl #crawl] - LiberaChat IRC channel. Replaces the old Freenode irc channel<br />
<br />
* [http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3750248 Something Awful forums thread] - Formerly active Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup discussion<br />
<br />
* [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=28410.0 Bay 12 Games Forum thread] - Formerly active Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup discussion<br />
<br />
==Variants==<br />
<br />
* [[Variants]] - List of variants for Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup.<br />
<br />
* [http://mbays.freeshell.org/hexcrawl/ hexcrawl] - A Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup variant with a hexagonal grid<br />
<br />
* [http://sourceforge.net/projects/axcrawl.berlios/ Ax-Crawl] - A variant of Linley's Dungeon Crawl<br />
<br />
* [http://www.interq.or.jp/libra/oohara/crawl-alternative/ Dungeon Crawl Alternative] - A variant of Linley's Dungeon Crawl<br />
<br />
* [http://wiibrew.org/wiki/DungeonCrawlStoneSoup Wii port] - Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup for the Nintendo Wii<br />
<br />
* [http://errabes.free.fr/pogo2/ DSCrawl] - Dungeon Crawl for the Nintendo DS<br />
<br />
==Articles==<br />
*[https://github.com/crawl/crawl/tree/master/crawl-ref/docs Crawl docs] - online versions of all documents distributed with Crawl<br />
<br />
* [http://www.digital-eel.com/13steps/ 13 Steps To Crawl] - Introductory article<br />
<br />
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20191011231759/http://crawl.dessgeega.com/ Crawling Backwards, Dungeon Crawltrough] - Tile-based tutorial [archive]<br />
<br />
* [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]<br />
<br />
* [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]<br />
<br />
* [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]<br />
<br />
* [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]<br />
<br />
* [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]<br />
<br />
* [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]<br />
<br />
* [http://nethackwiki.com/wiki/Linley%27s_Dungeon_Crawl NethackWiki entry] - NetHack wiki article on Dungeon Crawl, including a comparison with NetHack<br />
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* [http://roguebasin.roguelikedevelopment.org/index.php?title=Linley%27s_Dungeon_Crawl RogueBasin] - Roguelike development wiki article, including a comparison with other roguelikes<br />
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* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linley%27s_Dungeon_Crawl Wikipedia entry] - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, on Linley's Dungeon Crawl<br />
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* [http://www.everything2.net/index.pl?node_id=452853&lastnode_id=14640 Everything2 entry] - Linley's Dungeon Crawl at Everything2.com<br />
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* [http://www.homeoftheunderdogs.net/game.php?id=4475 Home of the Underdogs review] - Review of Linley's Dungeon Crawl at Home of the Underdogs<br />
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* [http://www.reloaded.org/game.php?GameID=66 Abandonia Reloaded review] - Review of Linley's Dungeon Crawl at Abandonia Reloaded<br />
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* [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DungeonCrawl TvTropes article] - TvTropes article on Dungeon Crawl<br />
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* [http://spielendprogrammieren.wordpress.com/2010/10/17/stonesoup/ spielendprogrammieren review] - Review of stone soup in the spielend-programmieren Blog (in German language)<br />
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* [http://wiki.ubuntuusers.de/Spiele/StoneSoup Ubuntuusers.de] - detailed installation and compile instruction for Ubuntu Linux (in German language)<br />
<br />
* [https://sites.google.com/site/cherrypickedbadideas/ Cherrypicked bad_ideas] - A condensed version of the infamous bad_ideas learndb entry from the ##crawl IRC channel.<br />
<br />
==Spoilers==<br />
<br />
* [http://crawl.develz.org/info/ The Knowledge Bot] - Information based on the [https://github.com/crawl/crawl/blob/master master branch] and LearnDB<br />
<br />
===Outdated Spoilers===<br />
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* [http://r1gm.free.fr/Crawl/ E. Grasland's Spoilers] - Spoilers for most gameplay mechanics (DCSS 0.5.2)<br />
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* [http://www.swallowtail.org/crawl/hints.shtml Association for the Advancement of Dungeon Crawling] - Tutorial, hints and spoilers (LDC 4.0.0b26)<br />
<br />
* [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)<br />
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* [http://techlorebyigor.blogspot.com/search/label/dungeon%20crawl igor's dungeon crawl guides] - reviews of various aspects of DCSS.<br />
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==Related==<br />
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* [https://web.archive.org/web/20031011073013/http://users.olis.net.au/zel/ Captain Pork] - Some of Linley Henzell's other games [archive]<br />
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* [http://www.roguetemple.com/ Temple of the Roguelike] - A roguelike news site and blog<br />
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* [http://roguebasin.roguelikedevelopment.org/ The RogueBasin Wiki] - A roguelike development wiki<br />
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* [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<br />
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* [http://anydice.com/ AnyDice] - Online calculator for various dice rolls<br />
[[Category:Community]]</div>Hordeshttp://crawl.chaosforge.org/index.php?title=Tips_and_tricks&diff=86489Tips and tricks2026-06-30T04:37:59Z<p>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</p>
<hr />
<div>{{version034}}<br />
This is a collection of random tips and tricks for those who are starting to play ''Dungeon Crawl''.<br />
<br />
==General==<br />
*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! <br />
**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 ']'.<br />
*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.<br />
*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. <br />
**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.<br />
**Spellcasters will want to invest some XP into [[Fighting]], [[Dodging]], and perhaps [[Armour]] and/or [[Shields]]. <br />
**Don't forget about [[Invocations]] and [[Evocations]] either, depending on your god choice or equipment.<br />
*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).<br />
*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.<br />
*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.<br />
*If you haven't won yet, stick with the basic 3 rune game. As you gain skill, start exploring the optional endgame branches.<br />
<br />
==Monsters==<br />
*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].<br />
*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.<br />
*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.<br />
*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.<br />
*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.<br />
*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.<br />
<br />
==Items==<br />
*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:<br />
;{{DarkGrey|Dark Grey}}: Item is currently unusable<br />
;{{LightGrey|Light Grey}}: Item is unidentified, or is a standard identified item<br />
;{{Blue|Blue}}: Item is unidentified and magical<br />
;{{LightGreen|Bright Green}}: Item is equipped<br />
;{{White|White}}: Item is a [[randart|random]] [[artefact]]<br />
;{{LightRed|Bright Red}}: Item is generally harmful to use<br />
;{{Red|Red}}: Item is hated by your [[god]]<br />
;{{LightMagenta|Purple}}: Item is potentially dangerous to use (will warn you if you try to use it)<br />
;{{Yellow|Yellow}}: Item is beneficial<br />
;{{LightCyan|Light Blue}}: Item is highly beneficial, or an [[unrand]] artefact<br />
*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.<br />
*A [[scroll of blinking]] is the most reliable means of escape for characters early on. Use them wisely to avoid death.<br />
*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.<br />
<br />
==Spellcasting==<br />
*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.<br />
*Getting spells castable (sub 10% fail chance) is the first major concern, spell power is a distant second.<br />
*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.<br />
*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.<br />
**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.<br />
*[[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. <br />
** 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.<br />
* [[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.<br />
*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.<br />
*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.<br />
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===Spell Tips:===<br />
*[[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!<br />
*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.<br />
*[[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.<br />
<br />
==Miscellaneous==<br />
*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.<br />
*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.<br />
*[[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.<br />
<br />
==Fighting Strategies==<br />
Whether your character is a melee fighter or a spellcaster, you can use the tactics described below.<br />
<br />
===If There is a Monster in View===<br />
*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.<br />
*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]].<br />
*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!'''<br />
*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:<br />
**Paralyzing monsters, such as [[floating eye]]s<br />
**Monsters who can summon [[fiend]]s, such as [[dread lich]]es and [[Pandemonium lord]]s<br />
**[[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.<br />
**Monsters who can cast [[Lehudib's Crystal Spear]], such as [[deep elf annihilator|deep elf]]/[[draconian annihilator]]s, [[wizard]]s, and [[ancient lich]]es.<br />
**Mutating monsters: [[neqoxec]]s, [[shining eye]]s, [[orb of fire|orbs of fire]], and [[Mnoleg]].<br />
**Monsters who attack you using an element you aren't resistant to<br />
**Smiting monsters, such as [[orc priest]]s and [[smoke demon]]s<br />
**[[Unique]] monsters<br />
*If there are several monsters, retreat to a chokepoint.<br />
*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.<br />
*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. <br />
*If your character's life is at risk, read [[Escaping from (and avoiding) trouble]].<br />
*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.<br />
<br />
=== If There is no Monster in View===<br />
*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.<br />
*If you are not on a special level, press 'o' to auto-explore.<br />
*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).<br />
*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).<br />
<br />
{{Guides}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Strategy Guides]]<br />
[[Category:Tips]]</div>Hordes