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Profane servitor

2018-01-20T23:15:59Z

Krovax:

{{version017}}
{{monster info}}

==Useful Info==
Profane servitors are angels of [[the Shining One]] who have been corrupted by [[Yredelemnul]]. They have a number of potent abilities including resistances to most damage types (including holy) and vampiric/draining attacks. Their most powerful ability is their umbra, a shadow [[aura]] which conceals their allies, making it harder for affected characters to land hits. Demons, undead, and Yredelemnul worshipers are immune to its negative effects. Profane servitors are mercifully rare, only occasionally encountered while wandering [[the Abyss]], [[Pandemonium]], in some Yredelemnul Vault in [[the Depths]], certain [[Crypt]]:3 layouts, and a few [[Ziggurat]] floors.

==Tips & Tricks==
*Monsters that worship Dith or Yred (including allies of the player) are immune to the umbra accuracy reduction.
*You may occasionally acquire your own profane servitor ally as a tier one god gift from [[Yredelemnul]]. These allies are very powerful, and are of particular use to [[stealth]]y [[stabbing]] specialists. So long as you are within the servitor's umbra, your stealth is doubled, vastly increasing your likelihood to reach opponents unnoticed.
*If you worship [[the Shining One]], the area where your halo/umbra overlap is cancelled out.
*Although profane servitors are resistant to holy attacks like [[Cleansing Flame]], they are still vulnerable to weapons of [[holy wrath]].

==History==
Profane servitors were added in [[0.10]].

Sin beast

2017-07-01T18:18:00Z

Krovax:

{{version016}}
{{no-bot-monster
|name=hell beast
|glyph={{Brown|2}}
|tile=[[File:Hell Beast.png]]
|flags={{Evil flag}}<br>{{Fighter flag}}
|resistances={{Negative energy resistance}}, {{Torment resistance}}, {{Rot resistance}}
|vulnerabilities={{Holy vulnerability}}
|max_chunks=0
|meat={{No corpse}}
|xp=444
|holiness={{Demonic}}
|magic_resistance=24
|hp_range=40 - 97
|avg_hp=69
|armour_class=2 - 6
|evasion=7 - 11
|habitat=land
|speed=10 - 17
|size={{Large}}
|item_use={{Open doors}}
|attack1=28 ({{Bite type}}: {{Plain flavour}})
|attack2=20 ({{Trample type}}: {{Plain flavour}})
|attack3=
|attack4=
|hit_dice=4 - 7
|base_hp=?
|extra_hp=?
|fixed_hp=0
|intelligence={{Normal intelligence}}
|genus=beast
|species=beast
}}
{{Flavour|An abominable crossbreed between beast and human that makes horrible barking noises.}}

==Useful Info==
'''Hell beasts''' are bestial [[tier-2 demon]]s with randomized attributes. While their attacks are always fairly powerful and can [[trample]] you back a square, their [[HP]] and speed vary greatly. Fortunately their [[AC]] and [[EV]] are always pretty terrible, their [[HD]] are low, and they have few resistances. As demons, they can be encountered in [[the Abyss]], [[Pandemonium]], or the [[Hell]]s, one [[The Lair]]'s ending and other monsters may summon them against you (most notably [[Geryon]]).

==Tips & Tricks==
*Evoking the [[horn of Geryon]] will summon 1-4 hell beasts at no cost. Their friendliness depends on your [[Evocations]] skill. Unlike most summons, these allies will even follow you up and down stairs.
*Unlike most demons, they lack [[poison resistance]]. [[Mephitic Cloud]] and [[Poison Arrow]] affect them very well.
*Be very aware of their trampling ability if you expect to stair dance away. They may push you off the stairs and leave you extremely vulnerable, a common way to die in the [[Vestibule of Hell]].

==History==
Prior to [[0.14]], the Horn of Geryon only summoned a single hell beast, and it was always hostile.

Prior to [[0.9]], they were simply called "beasts."

Prior to [[0.8]], they could not trample.

[[Category:Demon]]

Lightning rod

2017-05-22T13:04:13Z

Krovax:

{{version019}}
{{item
|itemtype = Rod
|name = Lightning rod
|cost = ?
|weight = 13
|noise = quiet
}}
{{flavour|A rod that allows its wielder to fire blasts of lightning. By evoking the rod in consecutive turns, the discharge will be sustained and can be redirected to new targets. It takes a moment to warm up, making short bursts rather ineffective.}}

The '''lightning rod''' is a powerful source of area-of-effect [[electricity]] damage, though it requires multiple turns to use properly. The first time you evoke it, it fires a weak, medium-range [[Lightning Bolt]], almost as though you'd just evoked a less-powerful [[wand of lightning]]. However, if your next action is to evoke it a second time, the effect is different: targeting the same tile you initially attacked will create a more powerful bolt, while targeting a different tile will create a wide spray of unavoidable lightning, damaging everything in between the two lines of fire. Doing anything except for evoking the rod again will reset the rod, causing the next bolt you fire to be another low-power bolt.

The [[MP]] cost of firing this rod is 2 for the initial zap, and 5 for any consecutive zap (although you may evoke it with less than 5 charges remaining, creating a proportionally weaker effect). The damage of this rod depends on three parameters: your Evocations skill, how many charges are being consumed by the current use, and the length of the current arc. The damage of this rod is inversely proportional to the area covered; the larger the area you spray, the less damage dealt to each target.

{{crawlquote|'''Damage:''' NdM, where N is the mana cost of this zap, and M is (30 + Rod_power/6)/(2+arc_length)<br>
'''To-hit:''' 10 + Rod_power/20, for the initial use; 1000, after that.<br>
'''Note:''' Rod_power <nowiki>=</nowiki> 5 + 3 × Evocations; Arc_length is the aperture of the beam in tiles at the given radius. Its value is always at least 1.}}

==Strategy==
*Lightning rods can deal heavy damage to single targets, but are also excellent for wiping out large packs of enemies, such as [[ugly thing]]s and [[slime creature]]s. To maximize damage, try to minimize the area you affect. Ignoring one monster that's several tiles away from the body of the pack may leave it unharmed, but you'll do much more damage to all the other monsters.

==History==
Lightning rods were added to ''Crawl'' in [[0.11]].

Kikubaaqudgha

2017-04-18T23:06:54Z

Krovax:

{{version|018}}
[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] ''"Spread unending torment and darkness!"''

{{flavour|Kikubaaqudgha is a terrible Demon-God, served by those who wish to indulge in the powers of death. An evil god, Kikubaaqudgha requires the deaths of living creatures and demons as often as possible. In exchange, Kikubaaqudgha offers great assistance to the aspiring necromancer: spellbooks filled with dark magic, protection against necromantic backlash, and an endless supply of bodies taken from Kikubaaqudgha's vast mausoleum.

Kikubaaqudgha will send corpses to followers, and enhance servants' necromantic prowess with gifts of spellbooks. Kikubaaqudgha will protect followers from the effects of necromantic miscasts, and may even shield them from unholy torment. Especially fervent followers may invoke torment themselves by sacrificing a cadaver, and Kikubaaqudgha will eventually allow followers to either receive the Necronomicon, or to have their weapon imbued with pain.

Kikubaaqudgha likes it when you or your undead slaves kill living beings, you or your undead slaves kill demons and you or your undead slaves kill holy beings.

The power of Kikubaaqudgha's abilities is governed by Necromancy skill instead of Invocations.}}

==Appreciates==
*You or your undead slaves killing living, holy, or demonic creatures. (Chance of +1 [[Piety]], chance increases with the victim's [[HD]], but decreases with your level.)
**Kiku is unimpressed by the killing of undead foes.
**Note that the "Kikubaaqudgha accepts your kill" message does not mean your Piety has risen, just that it could have.

==Deprecates==
*Forgetting him. (1 Piety lost every 340 turns on average, and you are excommunicated if it falls to 0.)
*Abandoning him. (Penance)

==Given Abilities==
'''[[Piety|Piety level -]]''': "Purveyor of Pain"
*No abilities.
'''[[Piety|Piety level *]]''': "Scholar of Death"
*'''Receive Corpses''': Creates 1-9 reanimatable, branch-appropriate corpses near yourself. A high [[Necromancy]] skill gives more and better corpses, with freshness depending on your piety. These corpses can't trigger the [[Demonspawn_mutations#Powered_by_Death|Powered by Death mutation]]. (costs 3 MP, 50-100 food, and 2-3 piety)
'''[[Piety|Piety level **]]''': "Merchant of Misery"
*You may resist Necromancy [[miscast effect#Necromancy|miscast effects]] from spell miscasts or [[mummy (monster)|mummy]] [[death curse]]s. Your resist chance rises with piety. Spells that qualify for protection will have, "Kikubaaqudgha supports the use of this spell," in the description.
'''[[Piety|Piety level ***]]''': "Artisan of Death"
*No new abilities.
'''[[Piety|Piety level ****]]''': "Dealer of Despair"
*'''Protection From Torment''': You take reduced damage from [[torment]], as follows:
{| class="prettytable" cellpadding="3" border="1"
|- align="center"
! '''Piety'''
! '''Unprotected'''
! '''HP lost w/ Kiku Protection'''
! '''HP lost w/ Kiku Protection & rN+++'''
|-
| 80
| 50%
| 36.4%
| 34.3%
|-
| 100
| 50%
| 33.35%
| 30.85%
|-
| 120
| 50%
| 30.4%
| 27.5%
|-
| 150
| 50%
| 26.25%
| 23.9%
|-
| 200
| 50%
| 20%
| 16%
|-
|}
'''[[Piety|Piety level *****]]''': "Black Sun"
*'''Invoke [[Torment]]''' - Pray over a corpse to torment everything in your [[LOS]], even if you're undead. (Costs 4 MP, and 8-12 piety)

'''[[Piety|Piety level ******]]''': "Lord of Darkness"
*Once per game, you may pray at an altar of Kikubaaqudgha to receive either the [[Necronomicon]] or a permanent [[Pain (brand)|Pain brand]] and increase of the enchantment level by 2 of your currently wielded weapon. This splatters blood over the area and invokes torment, as well as overwriting the current brand on the weapon, unless it is an artifact weapon.

In addition, Kikubaaqudgha does the following:
*If you cast [[Death's Door]], Kikubaaqudgha adds a piety-dependent bonus to your final HP.

==Gifts==
Kikubaaqudgha grants [[randart]] spellbooks upon reaching 1* and 3* piety.

The first spellbook will contain four randomly selected [[Necromancy]] spells from levels 1 to 3, and [[Control Undead]]:
*[[Pain]] or [[Animate Skeleton]]
*[[Corpse Rot]]
*Either [[Sublimation of Blood]] (if the player is not a [[Gargoyle]], [[Ghoul]], or [[Mummy]]), or the other spell of [[Pain]] and [[Animate Skeleton]] (if they are).
*[[Regeneration]] or [[Vampiric Draining]] (always the latter if the player is a [[Deep Dwarf]] or [[Mummy]])
*[[Control Undead]]

The second spellbook will contain four randomly selected Necromancy spells from levels 4 to 6, and [[Dispel Undead]]:
*[[Animate Dead]] or [[Cigotuvi's Embrace]].
*[[Agony]] or [[Excruciating Wounds]] (always the former if the player is a [[Felid]])
*[[Bolt of Draining]], [[Simulacrum]] or [[Death Channel]]
*A random spell which can be any of the 7 previous spells.
*[[Dispel Undead]]

==Punishments==
{{flavour|Kikubaaqudgha does not appreciate abandonment, and will call down fearful punishments on disloyal followers!

Kikubaaqudgha's wrath brings forth all the dread powers of necromancy. Victims are wracked with torment, assailed by the undead, smothered in miasma, and afflicted with a host of other necromantic ailments. Further, Kikubaaqudgha's gifts become tainted; those that attempt to use necromantic magic to fend off wrath will find it backfiring on them when least expected.}}

When you abandon Kikubaaqudgha, all currently existing corpses will decay into skeletons in a few turns. While under penance for leaving him, Kikubaaqudgha will occasionally inflict you with [[Torment]], as well perform other forms of [[divine retribution]]. Kikubaaqudgha will often combine these punishments:
*Receive Corpses is cast (using your [[XL]] in place of Necromancy skill), followed by a hostile [[Animate Dead]]. All corpses and skeletons in the vicinity will be affected.
*[[Cloud]]s of [[Miasma]] at your location and around you.
*Necromancy [[miscast]]s.

He may also punish you for casting Necromancy spells.

==Strategy==
Kikubaaqudgha offers three main features: protection from torment and mummy death curses, Necromancy spellbooks, and a massive supply of corpses.

The latter, coupled with Kikubaaqudgha's approval of demon-slaying, makes him particularly useful in [[Pandemonium]]; he lets you flood levels with cheap minions by animating the received corpses. The corpse delivery is particularly nice for [[Ghoul]]s and [[Vampire]]s, who are dependent on corpses for sustenance. Note that the corpses won't produce hides when butchered.

Necromantic tomes are granted very quickly and roughly in order of spell level. This makes Kiku great for characters who want to learn Necromancy from scratch, but less useful for characters who are already Necromancers. He's also great for melee/hybrid characters, as Necromancy offers a lot of utility and support spells useful for melee fighters, like [[Regeneration]]. A bodyguard of meatshields is never more than two turns away with corpse delivery and Animate Dead, and you can get that tactic online very quickly as long as the second spellbook gift has Animate Dead in it.

Kiku's torment invocation is great for the midgame, but becomes all but useless in the late game, when most enemies are torment-immune. Even if you're not undead, Kiku's torment protection can making invoking torment worthwhile; you'll only lose 20-25% of your health depending on your piety, and everything else on the screen will lose 50%. A second invocation will drop you from 75-80% to 56-64%, but everything else will be cut to 25%. Invoking torment and letting your torment-immune undead minions mop up can be a very good way to clear out large amounts of monsters in the midgame. Just watch your piety and have ways to escape and regain that health; torment is expensive and risky.

At 6*, you get the choice between a pain-branded weapon and the Necronomicon. This typically happens around the midgame (if you converted at the [[Temple]]), and it can be a tricky decision.

Since you've been training Necromancy all along, a pain brand will be absolutely devastating in your hands - but only to living enemies. (Since you get to pick which weapon to brand, a fast weapon like a quickblade or demon whip works best, but remember to not waste scrolls of enchant weapon above +7 because Kiku cant raise the enchantment level by 2 if its already maxed out at +9.) As with the torment invocation, this is great in the midgame, but useless in the extended endgame, where pain-resisting demons and undead are everywhere. The Necronomicon, on the other hand, is the other way around. Its spells are great for the endgame, but they won't help you one bit in the midgame (when your skills are too low to cast them). In the end, the decision comes down to "Would I rather have something that will help me much later, or something that will help me survive ''right now''?"

The Necronomicon may be found in other places, but it is far less likely that you will find a pain-branded weapon that is both the type you're using and the best weapon of that type. Pain-branded quickblades, for example, are very rare.

In the case you decide to pick the Necronomicon, the Excruciating Wounds spell can substitute for a permanent pain weapon in a pinch. That has its cost as well, though - Excruciating Wounds is a noisy spell, you'll have to commit the levels to memorizing it, and brand spells are kind of tedious. It's not guaranteed that you'll ever actually find the spell, either, so if you choose the Necronomicon you may not ever get a pain-branded weapon at all.

Finally, worshiping Kiku makes it ''much'' easier to conquer the Tomb. The Tomb is one of the deadliest branches of the whole game, but with protection from mummy death curses, torment protection, and a far greater chance of access to Dispel Undead, Kiku players have an easier time than anyone else.

==Tips & Tricks==
*If absolutely necessary, you can use Kiku's final gift to overwrite a dangerous [[Distortion]] branded non-artifact weapon with a harmless [[Pain]] brand without the risk of unwielding it. Using a [[scroll of brand weapon]] is much cheaper, however.
*Here are some neat uses for Kiku's corpse delivery:
**Eat them. This is particularly useful for [[vampire]]s, [[ghoul]]s, and [[troll]]s, especially in corpseless branches. However, not all corpses are edible.
**Make undead out of them (skeletons, zombies) for meat shields.
**[[Corpse Rot]] can turn a field of corpses into a lot of miasma and skeletons very quickly. Let enemies wander in and then confuse them to make them stay inside, use Animate Dead to raise an army of skeletons to attack them.
**Even in Hell you can get powerful corpses. One or two of them combined with [[Simulacrum]] are often enough to build an army capable of taking down the Hell Lords.
*Kiku has no objection to you [[wield]]ing weapons of [[holy wrath]].
*In spite of his punishments, Kiku's divine retribution is one of the easiest to survive. Stair-scumming lets you run from the monsters he sends. Expect to receive Torment every time his wrath occurs, however.
**You cannot just use Receive Corpses and Animate Dead to surround yourself with a wall of minions before abandoning him. Kiku turns your undead minions hostile when you leave him.

==History==
Prior to [[0.17]], Kiku helped at [[Piety]] level **** to resist the [[Haunt]] inflicted [[sickness]] on the caster (resist rate rose with piety).

{{gods}}
[[Category:Evil Gods]]

Death's Door

2017-04-18T21:36:22Z

Krovax:

{{version|0.19}}
{{spell info}}

'''Death's Door''' is a level 8 [[Charms]]/[[Necromancy]] spell which protects the caster from almost all harm for a while, at the cost of being left with very little [[HP]].

==Effect==

Once Death's Door has been cast the caster is protected from all HP loss for duration of around 16-[[27]] turns. The duration depends on spell power and is randomized.

Caster's health is immediately reduced to power/10 HP (up to 20). Death's Door blocks any form of healing, except [[Borgnjor's Revivification]]; casting that will affect you as normal, but will also [[paralyze]] and [[confuse]] you (though [[stasis]] and [[clarity]] can prevent those side effects). Also, you will be unable to fuel [[Sublimation of Blood]] with your own life as long as the invulnerability lasts.

Death's Door will not prevent death by starvation, as the spell only protects against HP loss.

Casting Death's Door renders you [[exhausted]] for the duration of the invulnerability plus 1-3 turns, preventing you from casting the spell again immediately after it wears off.

==Strategy==
This spell makes you invincible, but you should be very careful when it ends, since it cannot be re-cast immediately. In particular, one should be careful if there are [[smite]]rs around, since your HP will be low enough for them to finish you off in one shot. Sources of [[damnation]] are even worse. Characters fighting multiple tormenting monsters may prefer [[Necromutation]] instead, since that at least allows the use of a [[wand of healing]] and leaves you at full health afterwards.

The cooldown for this spell is fairly short at 1d3 turns. While you should never rely on being able to recast it quickly, if you find yourself still alive but in a dangerous situation when the cooldown expires, simply casting it again can often be a good option.

Furthermore, since being under the effect of Death's Door prevents a character from using Sublimation of Blood, make sure that Death's Door's 8 MP cost will leave you with sufficient magical reserves to finish the job or that you have some other way of regaining MP. Otherwise, Death's Door may simply be delaying the inevitable.

==History==

Prior to [[0.19]], [[Kikubaaqudgha]] worshippers were left with piety/15 extra HP and some monsters were able to cast it.

Prior to [[0.7]], being healed in any way while using Death's Door caused [[confusion]].

The Lernaean hydra

2017-04-10T12:03:24Z

Krovax:

{{version|018}}

{{monster
|name=the Lernaean hydra
|glyph={{Yellow|D}}
|tile=[[File:The Lernaean hydra.png]]
|flags={{Cold blood flag}}<br>{{Regenerates flag}}<br>{{Unique flag}}
|resistances={{Poison resistance}}, {{Drown resistance}}, <br>{{Water resistance}}
|vulnerabilities=None
|max_chunks=8
|meat={{Poisonous corpse}}
|xp=5233
|holiness={{Natural}}
|magic_resistance=120
|hp_range=150
|avg_hp=150
|armour_class=0
|evasion=5
|habitat=Amphibious
|speed= 10 (swim: 60%)
|size={{Giant}}
|item_use={{Uses nothing}}
|attack1=18 ({{Bite type}}: {{Plain flavour}}) per head
|attack2=
|attack3=
|attack4=
|hit_dice=30
|base_hp=0
|extra_hp=0
|fixed_hp=150
|intelligence={{Reptile intelligence}}
|genus=hydra
|species=hydra
}}
{{Flavour|A huge beast, mightiest of hydras, infamous in myth and legend. It flows through the water faster than a human can run, swatting aside trees as though they were matchsticks. Its many heads slaver and gnash constantly as it hunts for prey to slake its bottomless appetite.
----
“The second Labour which he undertook was the slaying of the Lernaian Hydra,<br>
springing from whose single body were fashioned a hundred necks, each bearing<br>
the head of a serpent. And when one head was cut off, the place where it was<br>
severed put forth two others; for this reason it was considered to be<br>
invincible, and with good reason, since the part of it which was subdued sent<br>
forth a two-fold assistance in its place. Against a thing so difficult to<br>
manage as this Herakles devised an ingenious scheme and commanded Iolaos to<br>
sear with a burning brand the part which had been severed, in order to check<br>
the flow of the blood.”<br>
-Diodorus Siculus, _Bibliotheca Historica_. [4. 11. 5.]. c. 100.}}

''For a list of all dragon-like creatures, see [[list of dragons#Dragon-like creatures|list of dragons]].''

==Useful Info==
'''The Lernaean hydra''' (abbreviated as '''Lerny''') is a unique [[hydra]] with [[27]] heads (each head does up to 18 dmg - total: 486, but very strongly biased around the average of 260 or so) that appears in an alternate branch end of [[the Swamp]]. It has about twice the HP of a regular hydra, has 30 [[HD]], can knock down [[Wall#Mangrove|trees]] by simply moving through them, swims as fast as any hydra, and regenerates quickly.

==Tips & Tricks==
This monster ''is'' a threat, and perhaps ranks among the more dangerous monsters in the game, but to a careful, reasonably well-prepared player, it is much less dangerous than it first appears:
*It presents only a very modest threat to characters with very high AC. AC functions best against many small attacks, and the Lerneaen Hydra is just that. A character with high [[Armour skill]] wearing [[gold dragon armour]] or [[crystal plate armour]] can expect to take at most 20-30 damage/turn from this monster. Not trivial, but considering that most characters with high AC will likely also have high HP, this makes Lerny manageable.
*To an EV-based character, it presents a threat, but still less of one than might initially appear. A character with an AC of 18 and an EV of 35 can expect to evade half its attacks, and reduce the damage from the rest by about 1/2. This translates to an average of about 60-65 damage/turn. This is definitely more of a threat than against an AC character, but still unlikely to be an instadeath. Such characters will likely want to avoid engaging Lerny in melee, or at the very least soften it up with wands and spells before [[Haste|hasting]]/[[quaff]]ing a [[potion of might]] or [[berserk]]ing to attack it.
*It presents the greatest threat to low-HP spellcasters who have chosen not to train much in the way of defensive skills. These characters will absolutely want to avoid engaging Lerny in melee, but luckily, they are also the ones best equipped to do so. Use [[Haste]] and (careful use of) [[Swiftness]] to maintain distance, activating [[Flight]] to deal with the water, and repeatedly pelt it with your most powerful attack spells. Note that summons work rather poorly against it as it is able to redirect its remaining attacks once it kills one monster, chewing through your armies with alacrity.
*It also presents a threat to characters that are simply low-level. However, there is generally little reason to explore Swamp:5 before you've found [[the Vaults]] and need to pass the [[rune lock]]. It's not a horribly dangerous area, but it provides little in the way of loot and only modest XP for such a large branch. If you don't have a good suite of escape spells or good AC, you may want to delay going for the Swamp rune until you're more experienced, although Lerny doesn't actually show up that often.
*Lerny has several crucial weaknesses that are easily overlooked:
**It has no resistances other than poison. Conjurers and elementalists of all stripes will easily be able to inflict damage on it.
**It actually has fairly low HP for such a powerful unique. Unlike nasties such as [[Cerebov]] or [[Antaeus]], spellcasters are unlikely to need a source of channeling to kill it in one go.
**Its defenses are terrible. It literally has no AC, and its EV is negligible for all but the most inaccurate spells. As with the other weaknesses mentioned, this means that it generally doesn't take long to kill.
**It has no ranged abilities. Thus, it is technically possible to kite it to death, or at the very least take off much of its health before it gets in melee range. Just be sure not to forget that it can plow through the Swamp's many trees, making them useless for kiting around.
** It cannot see invisible beings.
*Flaming edged weapons will still burn off heads like normal, but given that Lerny has 27 heads the impact is less noticeable. It will let you take it out slowly however; if you can't stand up to it for more than a few turns, you can escape, and the next time you fight it it'll have fewer heads to start with. Just make sure you have sufficient means of escaping that you won't be wasting too many critical resources ([[scrolls of blinking]], [[potions of haste]]) doing so.
*Considering it is already maxed out at 27 heads, even edged freezing brand weapons may be a good idea since Lerny is coold blooded and will be slowed down.
*A [[phantom mirror]] could help vanquish Lerny or greatly reduce its health but considering it is worth the equivalent of about 5 hydras, it might be wiser to just let it survive if you can still find a way to capture the rune.

==Trivia==
The [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lernaean_Hydra Lernaean Hydra] was a monster in Greek mythology that was killed by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hercules Hercules] as one of his Twelve Labors.

Distortion

2017-03-27T13:44:52Z

Krovax:

{{version|018}}

{{flavour|It warps and distorts space around it. Unwielding it can cause banishment or high damage.}}

'''Distortion''' is a [[brand]] that any melee [[weapon]] may have. Distortion weapons bend and tear the fabric of space-time, and generate a variety of effects when they hit:

{| class="prettytable" style="border:none; margin:0; padding:0;"
|-
! Chance
! Effect
|-
| 33%
| The target takes an additional 1-7 damage
|-
| 22%
| The target takes an additional 3-26 damage (14.5 on average, low variation)
|-
| 15%
| The target [[blink]]s
|-
| 10%
| The target [[teleport]]s instantly
|-
| 10%
| The target teleports (effective 2-3 turns after being hit)
|-
| 5%
| The target is [[banish]]ed to [[the Abyss]]
|-
| 5%
| Nothing happens
|}

The exception to this is the [[blink frog]] (including the unique blink frog [[Prince Ribbit]]), which likes distortion energy; it is immune to all distortion effects, and has a 20% chance of being healed by them instead.

Unwielding a weapon branded with distortion or casting [[Excruciating Wounds]] or [[Warp Weapon]] on it causes '''severe [[Miscast_effect#Translocations|translocation miscast effects]]''', including up to 43 damage or even banishment to the [[Abyss]] (25% chance). This is a very good reason to avoid wield-IDing random magic and [[artifact]] weapons. Note that followers of [[Lugonu]] are protected from this effect.

A weapon given the temporary distortion brand by the [[Warp Weapon]] spell does not suffer this limitation.

==Strategy==
*Since the brand's effect is not dependent on the damage your weapon does, it works best on a fast weapon with low base delay. But remember that the nature of the brand prolongs fights by blinking enemies away from you, disperses enemies over the whole floor, and ultimately banishes many stronger foes for decreased experience gains. That being said, if you intend to switch weapons occasionally as a non Lugonu worshipper, you almost certainly don't want to deal with a distortion weapon's guaranteed miscast effects.

*Be careful about the blinking effect. It gives you no message when it occurs, suddenly leaving you with empty space where that monster used to be. If you're attacking by attempting to move into the monster, your next swing will move you instead, and that can be bad when you move out of a choke-point or into unfavorable terrain. Attacking using '''Tab''' lets you avoid this, but you may still move unintentionally if other monsters are within your [[line of sight]].

*Certain [[uniques]] often drop distortion weapons, notably [[Psyche]] and [[Sonja]]. They can also be found as [[dancing weapon]]s the [[Elven Halls]] branch, particularly in the [[Hall of Blades]] on the second floor.

*Pious followers of [[Lugonu]] can have a weapon branded with distortion once per game, while the [[Warp Weapon]] spell can apply a temporary distortion brand.

*Unwielding a distortion weapon can serve as a last resort to teleport you while confused, but be aware that the consequences of this can be lethal.

*Replacing the brand via a [[scroll of brand weapon]], or [[the Shining One]] or [[Kikubaaqudgha]]'s final abilities lets you to safely unwield it, though it may not be worth the cost of such a valuable resource.

==History==
Prior to [[0.15]] any rebranding a distortion weapon (e.g. by a [[Scroll of brand weapon]]) caused a distortion effect.

Prior to [[0.14]], followers of Lugonu were not protected from the effects of unwielding a distortion weapon.

Prior to [[0.12]], this brand was safer when found on sharp weapons, since blunt weapons didn't allow to butcher corpses.

{{brands}}

[[Category:Brands]]

Wind drake

2016-11-11T15:03:20Z

Krovax:

{{version|018}}
''For a list of all lesser dragons, see [[list of dragons#Lesser Dragons|list of dragons]].''
{{monster info}}

==Useful Info==
'''Wind drakes''' are one of the least deadly [[list of dragons#Lesser Dragons|lesser dragons]], but they are still capable of irritating and injuring adventurers. Their [[Air Magic]] can pummel you with [[smite]]-targeted wind damage or push you around the battlefield, and they have a naturally-occurring [[Deflect Missiles]] effect at all times. They can be encountered in the [[Shoals]], some [[The Lair]] endings, and can be summoned by enemies with the [[Summon Drakes]] spell.

{{monster spells}}

==Tips & Tricks==
*Airstrike deals significantly more damage to [[fly]]ing targets, so consider getting earthbound fast when they show up (assuming you aren't flying over [[deep water]] at the time).

*When a wind drake is in a horde of monsters on attack, do not attempt to [[stair dancing|stair dance]] nor rely on stairs as your primary mode of escape; at any time, you can be blasted back by the wind drake.

==History==
Wind drakes were added in [[0.14]].

Confusing Touch

2016-10-02T21:14:46Z

Krovax:

{{version014}}
{{Spell
|name=Confusing Touch
|level=2
|school1={{Hexes}}
|school2=
|school3=
|sources=<div>
*[[Book of Hinderance]]
*[[Book of Misfortune]]
</div>
|castingnoise=1
|spellnoise=0
}}

{{Flavour|This spell enchants the caster's hands with magical energy. This energy is released when the caster touches a monster with their bare hands, and may induce a state of confusion in the monster.}}

'''Confusing Touch''' is a level 2 [[Hexes]] spell which causes your [[Unarmed Combat]] attacks to inflict [[confusion]] along with damage. Because you are more concerned with making contact with the enemy than injuring it, your base damage is reduced by 3 while your [[to-hit]] is increased by 1d([[Dexterity]]). Wearing [[gloves]] has no impact on the spell's effects.

The save against this spell is based on the victim's [[HD]] instead of its [[MR]], making Confusing Touch surprisingly useful in the late game. Its chance of success is:

{{crawlquote|'''Vs. Natural Monsters''': (30-HD) / 30<br>'''Vs. Demons and the Undead''': (22-HD) / 22<br>'''Vs. Plants, Non-Living, or Magic Immune Monsters''': No effect}}

You can cast the spell multiple times to increase its duration (duration is maxed once the status indicator is bright red). Each time you attack while under the effect of this spell, its duration is reduced by a random amount; while this makes it hard to gauge how many attacks you have left, having a greater duration makes it more likely to last.

==Tips & Tricks==
*This spell stacks with most [[Transmutations]] spells. Mix it with [[Spider Form]] to leave your opponents both confused ''and'' poisoned!
*Although [[troll]]s are normally hopeless with magic, this level 2 spell may work for them. It's simple enough that they can master it with relative ease, allowing them to quickly disable dangerous opponents (so long as they can close to melee). Their spell power with it will usually be dismally low; while this results in a very short window in which to attack the enemy, it also means the spell wears off faster, allowing you to resume dealing full damage to the now-confused and semi-helpless opponent.

==History==
Prior to [[0.10]], Confusing Touch had a higher success rate.

As of [[0.17]], it is a level 2 spell.

The Shoals

2016-09-20T22:03:54Z

Krovax: /* Shoals:4 */

{{version016}}
{{flavour|From afar you hear the steady sounds of waves and smell the salty spray. Upon reaching the Shoals, you are impressed by exotic underground beaches, making up a few islands in a vast sea. All of a sudden, a bloodcurdling scream fills the air, followed by a gurgle. Anxiously, you look around and wonder: Who is the predator? And who is the prey?

The Shoals are five levels deep and contain the barnacled rune. A dungeon features only two of the Snake Pit, Swamp, Shoals and Spider Nest branches. If the Shoals are present, the entrance is located between Lair:3 and Lair:6.
}}
{{flavour|Here be the Shoals: exotic underground beaches, salty spray and creatures that bite, stab and maul.}}

[[File:Shoals entry.png]] '''The Shoals''' branch is an archipelago of islands surrounded by deep waters, and home to many aquatic creatures and [[merfolk]]. Although dangerous, their lowest floor contains several treasure vaults and the barnacled [[rune of Zot]].

==Useful Info==
If you find the Shoals, you will not find [[the Swamp]] in your current game. The Shoals entrance is located between [[Lair]]:3 and Lair:6.

The Shoals are 4 floors deep and set at sea, in a little archipelago of islands with beaches, tides, mangroves, and monsters. Unless you're amphibious or [[fly]]ing, it will take some time to fully explore each floor.

The tides in the Shoals will shift between shallow water and land fairly quickly, but this effect will never create any [[deep water]] blockades. As such, each island on a Shoals floor is accessible, although it may be hindered by shallow water.

The Shoals are somewhat more difficult than the Swamp. There are few places to hide and you will be attacked from all directions by polearm-wielding [[merfolk (monster)|merfolks]], [[Merfolk javelineer|javelineers]], and the occasional [[cyclops]]. There are also [[merfolk aquamancer]]s who take advantage of the terrain with their water magic, fast-moving [[harpies]] that can deal rapid amounts of damage, seductive [[siren]]s that can [[mesmerize]] you, vicious [[alligator snapping turtle]]s that can use reach attacks, and devastating [[kraken]]s. In exchange for this added difficulty, [[shop]]s will occasionally generate here.

===Shoals:4===
The last floor is significantly more difficult than the earlier four. Shoals:4 is often heavily populated with several uniques (the sea witch [[Ilsuiw]] almost always makes an appearance) and legions of merfolk. Expect to face elemental damage in the form of [[brand]]ed polearms, and make sure to have at least rC+ before engaging Ilsuiw, as she can deal tremendous amounts of damage with [[Throw Icicle]]. Proceed carefully, explore the various chambers cautiously, try not to engage too large a band of merfolk at once, and fight on staircases when possible so you can retreat if overwhelmed.

==Tips & Tricks==
*High [[EV]] and [[magic resistance]] are recommended for this branch. This means spellcasters and [[dodge]]rs are generally better suited for this place, while armour-dependent melee characters will struggle to survive. [[Repel Missiles]] and [[Deflect Missiles]] are almost mandatory for spellcasters to protect against javelin-throwing merfolk.
*[[Flight]] and possibly [[Swiftness]] will make exploration a lot easier.
*Unless you're amphibious or flying, stay out of the water when fighting to avoid combat penalties. It is also helpful to lure merfolk onto dry land when possible, so that they lose their [[Merfolk#Innate Abilities|innate abilities]] while in water.
*You can take cover behind rock walls, but try not to do this unless you are certain that there aren't even worse things behind them.
*It's easy to wake up entire hordes of merfolk if you aren't careful. [[Stealth]] pays off here, as does luring enemies to you instead of charging into combat.
*[[Merfolk avatar]]s and sirens have dangerous abilities that can cut off your ability to escape. They should be a high priority when encountered in any group. [[Clarity]] can deal with [[Mesmerise|mesmerization]], should you have it.
*Most of the enemies in this branch do not see invisible, so invisibility can trivialize even the most difficult of encounters.

==Monsters==
{| class="prettytable" style="border:none; margin:0; padding:0;"
|-
| {{monsterlink|Merfolk (monster)}} || {{monsterlink|Siren}} || {{monsterlink|Merfolk avatar}} ||
|-
| {{monsterlink|Merfolk javelineer}} || {{monsterlink|Merfolk impaler}} || {{monsterlink|Merfolk aquamancer}} ||
|-
| {{monsterlink|Centaur (monster)}} || {{monsterlink|Cyclops}} || {{monsterlink|Water nymph}} ||
|-
| {{monsterlink|Sheep}} || {{monsterlink|Yak}} || {{monsterlink|Death yak}} || {{monsterlink|Catoblepas}}
|-
| {{monsterlink|Bat}} || {{monsterlink|Hippogriff}} || {{monsterlink|Manticore}} || {{monsterlink|Harpy}}
|-
| {{monsterlink|Snapping turtle}} || {{monsterlink|Alligator snapping turtle}} || {{monsterlink|Sea snake}} ||
|-
| {{monsterlink|Plant}} || {{monsterlink|Oklob plant}} || ||
|-
| {{monsterlink|Kraken}} || || ||
|}

===Uniques===
{| class="prettytable" style="border:none; margin:0; padding:0;"
|-
| {{monsterlink|Polyphemus}} || {{monsterlink|Ilsuiw}}
|}

==History==
Prior to [[0.17]], Shoals was 5 levels deep.

Prior to [[0.16]], the tides of the Shoals could create and destroy deep water tiles. These would never drown the player, but could trap them temporarily on a stair-free island.

The Shoals were added in the ''[[Stone Soup]]'' version of ''Crawl''.

[[Category:Dungeon_Branches]]
[[Category:Merfolk]]

Simulacrum (monster)

2016-09-20T16:08:07Z

Krovax:

{{version016}}
''For the spell, see [[Simulacrum]].''
{{Flavour|An ice replica of a monster that is animated by the powers of necromancy.

----

"The simulacrum now hides, not the truth, but the fact that there is none, that is to say, the continuation of Nothingness."

-Jean Baudrillard, _La Pensée Radicale_. 1994.}}
'''Simulacra''' are replicas of other monsters constructed out of ice. They are a type of [[derived undead]], and are referred to in game as either small or large simulacra. They are slower, clumsier, stupider, and weaker than their living counterparts. Also, they are vulnerable to [[fire]], and only suffer damage to their maximum HP, making it impossible for them to recover from injuries. However, simulacra float on water, come with the standard undead resistances ([[poison]], [[negative energy]], [[torment]], and complete immunity to [[cold]] due to their composition) as well as attacks that do additional HD to 3*HD-1 cold damage. This extra damage can be quite lethal with high HD or multiple attacks. When killed, simulacra leave behind temporary freezing [[cloud]]s.

Simulacra may rarely appear as random monsters, but they are more commonly found in certain vaults, [[ice cave]]s, or as the result of the [[Simulacrum]] spell, which converts a wielded [[corpse]], [[chunk]], or meaty [[food]] item (e.g. sausage, meat ration, etc.) into a version of the monster it was taken from.

Simulacra are some of the more powerful minions [[Necromancer]]s can have at their disposal. While they are rather fragile, the extra cold damage they deal can quickly overwhelm stronger foes that lack cold resistance. Simulacra made from high-HD monsters like [[titan]]s or [[dragon]]s, as well as those with multiple attacks, like [[hydra]]s, are especially effective. Followers of [[Kikubaaqudgha]] are especially fortunate, as they can use their god's Corpse Delivery ability to quickly build up an army of high-end simulacra.

Simulacra are not without their drawbacks. They are the most fragile variety of undead servants, and player-created ones are strictly temporary -- even if nothing kills them, they will eventually sublimate into a freezing cloud. Their additional damage is far less effective against foes that have cold resistance. Finally, [[Simulacrum]] is a difficult spell to cast, as it requires significant investment in both [[Ice Magic]] and [[Necromancy]] to be effective.

Should you find yourself facing down a simulacrum or three, protect yourself with cold resistance. Any of the standard anti-undead strategies like weapons of [[holy wrath]] or [[Dispel Undead]] will work; [[flaming]] weapons and [[Fire Magic]] are also quite effective.

==Identifying Simulacra==
Though simulacra of different monsters have different stats, ''Crawl'' tends to lump them together, making identification at a glance difficult. In console mode, simulacra will be separated into '''z'''s and '''Z'''s, representing large or small simulacra. Tiles mode is more specific, providing unique tiles for several categories of monster, but there is still considerable variation within those categories. In either mode, you can always press '''x''' and highlight the simulacrum in question to determine exactly what type of monster you are dealing with.

Below are all the categories of simulacra in tiles mode:

[[Image:Simulacrum bat.png]] - Bat

[[Image:Simulacrum bee.png]] - Bee

[[Image:Simulacrum centaur.png]] - [[List of centaurs|Centaur]]

[[Image:Simulacrum dragon.png]] - [[List of dragons|Dragon]]

[[Image:Simulacrum drake.png]] - Drake

[[Image:Simulacrum fish.png]] - Fish

[[Image:Simulacrum small humanoid.png]] - Humanoid (small)

[[Image:Simulacrum large humanoid.png]] - Humanoid (large)

[[Image:Simulacrum hydra 1.png]] - [[Hydra]] with one head...

[[Image:Simulacrum hydra 2.png]] ...two heads...

[[Image:Simulacrum hydra 3.png]] ...three heads...

[[Image:Simulacrum hydra 4.png]] ...four heads...

[[Image:Simulacrum hydra 5.png]] ...or five or more heads

[[Image:Simulacrum ant.png]] - [[List of insects|Insect]]

[[Image:Simulacrum kraken.png]] - [[Kraken]]

[[Image:Simulacrum lizard.png]] - Lizard

[[Image:Simulacrum naga.png]] - [[List of nagas|Naga]]

[[Image:Simulacrum small quadruped.png]] - Quadruped (small)

[[Image:Simulacrum large quadruped.png]] - Quadruped (large)

[[Image:Simulacrum snake.png]] - [[List of snakes|Snake]]

[[Image:Simulacrum spider.png]] - [[List of spiders|Spider]]

[[Category:Monsters]]
[[Category:Undead holiness]]

Ghost moth

2016-09-20T13:59:23Z

Krovax:

{{version|018}}
{{list of | arthropods}}
{{monster info}}

==Useful Info==
'''Ghost moths''' are speedy, [[invisible]] monsters with an [[MP]]-draining gaze and a [[stat]]-draining, strongly [[poison]]ous bite. As with an [[eye of draining]], a ghost moth's stare causes you to irresistibly lose 5-17 MP. If you cannot [[see invisible]], you will instead "feel you are being watched by something" (you lose the MP either way). They can be found in the [[Spider's Nest]] (particularly in Spider:4), [[the Realm of Zot]], and on spider floors in [[Ziggurat]]s.

{{monster spells}}

==Tips & Tricks==
*Ghost moths lack [[see invisible]]. If you are invisible yourself, ghost moths can't drain your MP.
*Ghost moths are an excellent reason to always have the see invisible intrinsic available. If you receive the message "You feel you are being watched by something," activate see invisible immediately. Keep in mind they fly faster than most characters run, so escaping without buffs is not an option. Should you choose to engage, [[poison resistance]] and a [[ring of sustain attributes]] will come in handy.

Lightning Bolt

2016-09-19T18:06:35Z

Krovax:

{{version017}}

{{Spell
|name=Lightning Bolt
|level=5
|school1={{Conjurations}}
|school2={{Air Magic}}
|school3=
|sources=<div>
*[[Book of Air]]
*[[Book of the Tempests]]
</div>
|castingnoise=25
|spellnoise=25
}}

{{Flavour|This spell hurls a mighty bolt of lightning. Although this spell inflicts less damage than similar fire and ice spells, it can at once rip through whole rows of creatures.}}

{{AttackSpell
|name=Lightning Bolt
|formula = 1d(11+(Power*3)/5)
|maxdmg = 1d131 [[electricity]]
|maxsp = 200
|range = 5 to 12
|target = Bolt
|special = [[Multizap]]
|hit_type = normal
|hit_adder = 7
|hit_num = 1
|hit_denom = 40
|dam_calculator = calcdice
|dam_numdice = 1
|dam_adder = 11
|dam_num = 3
|dam_denom = 5}}

'''Lightning Bolt''' is a level 5 [[Conjurations]]/[[Air Magic]] spell which fires a bolt of lightning, dealing less reliable damage than other [[Bolt spells]], but at longer range and with the potential to strike targets twice through [[multizap]]ping. By firing your bolt into a rock or stone [[wall]], it will bounce back at an angle, dealing damage to everything it strikes along the way. Unfortunately, the spell creates a lot of noise. Unlike other bolt-type spells, Lightning Bolt doesn't lose any squares of range when it hits monsters.

==Strategy==
*Much like some of the more powerful [[Fire Magic]] spells, Lightning Bolt can be used to set [[tree]]s ablaze. Followers of [[Dithmenos]] should avoid this, as he dislikes any creation of fire or light.

{{clear}}
==Monster Version==
The monster version is similar to the player version.

{{monsters with spell}}

[[Category:Monster spells]]

Blizzard demon

2016-08-23T18:55:37Z

Krovax:

{{version017}}
{{monster info}}

==Useful Info==
'''Blizzard demons''' are cold- and air-themed [[tier-2 demon]]s. Although less dangerous than [[hellion]]s or [[cacodemon]]s, they can still deal significant [[cold]] and [[electricity]] damage to characters without the proper resistances, or heavy damage to [[fly]]ing characters. They can be found in the [[Ice cave]], [[the Abyss]], [[Cocytus]],
and [[Pandemonium]] (particularly in [[Lom Lobon]]'s domain).

{{monster spells}}

==Tips & Tricks==
*Blizzard demons aren't too terrifying on their own - by the time they start appearing naturally, you'll likely have the proper resistances and high enough [[AC]] to mitigate the damage output of their spells. Even so, allowing them to hang out around in the background while you deal with other opponents is dangerous; repeated [[Airstrike]]s can rack up heavy damage over time. Try to keep them out of your line of sight if you can't deal with them immediately, particularly if you're at risk of getting [[torment]]ed as well.
*Flight magnifies the damage output of their Airstrikes. Don't fly around them if you can help it.

==History==
Blizzard demons were added in [[0.10]], replacing [[Blue Death]]s.

Centaur barding

2016-08-22T18:40:26Z

Krovax:

{{version018}}
{{armour
|name = Centaur barding
|cost =
|weight = 10
|skill =
|skill2 =
|AC = 4
|EV = -6
|SV =
|maxenc = +4
|size = Special
|acquirement =
|weartime = 5
|GDR = 0%
}}

{{flavour|An armour made for centaurs, to wear over their equine half.}}

'''Centaur [[barding]]s''' are a type of armor intended for [[centaur]]s to wear in place of [[boots]], which do not fit on their horse-shaped lower halves. Although significantly less common than boots, they provide double the AC and can be enchanted twice as heavily. In exchange, they do have a slight [[encumbrance rating]], but this has no effect on your spellcasting, [[stealth]], [[unarmed combat]] speed, or melee accuracy. The only negative impact is a loss of 2 points to your [[ev]]asion, which can not be reduced by a high armor skill. Possible brands include:
*[[Fire resistance]]
*[[Cold resistance]]
*[[Flying]]
*[[Stealth]]

AC from centaur barding is not penalized by a centaur's [[Bad mutations#Deformed Body|oddly-shaped body]]. Non-centaurs cannot wear centaur barding, though [[naga]]s have [[naga barding]], a type of barding intended for them.

==History==
Version 0.12 replaced bardings of levitation with bardings of flying.

{| class="prettytable" style="border:none; margin:auto; padding:0; text-align: center"
! || Image
|-
| '''Mundane''' || [[Image:Centaur barding 1.png]]
|-
| '''Magical''' || [[Image:Centaur barding 2.png]] or [[Image:Centaur barding 3.png]]
|-
| '''Artifact''' || [[Image:Centaur barding 4.png]]
|-
! || [[Unrandart]] barding
|-
| '''[[Black Knight's horse barding]]''' || [[File:Black knight barding.png]]
|}

{{armours}}
[[Category:Barding]]

Spider's Nest

2016-08-18T16:00:13Z

Krovax:

{{version|018}}
{{Flavour|On the surface a spider could be despatched with the swing of a shoe. Down here it is different. If you don't have arachnophobia already, this place, with its crumbling, web-choked caverns, poisonous arthropods and assorted creepy-crawlies, will give it to you.

The Spider Nest is five levels deep and contains the gossamer rune. A dungeon features only two of the Snake Pit, Swamp, Shoals and Spider Nest branches. If the Spider Nest is present, the entrance is located between Lair:3 and Lair:6.
}}

{{Flavour|This is more of a natural sloped shaft than a stairway, but it will do. If you want to die from most potent venoms of this world, that is.
}}

[[File:Spider entry.png]] The '''Spider's Nest''' [[branch]] is a crumbling 4-floor [[branch]] filled with all manner of [[poison]]ous [[list of arachnids|arachnids]] and [[list of insects|insects]]. Adventurers willing to brave it are rewarded with the gossamer [[rune of Zot]] on its lowest floor. Stairs to the Spider's Nest can be found somewhere on [[Lair]]: 3-6, assuming your game doesn't generate the [[Snake Pit]] instead.

==Layout==
The Spider's Nest's floor plan is generally very chaotic and haphazard; with the exception of a few [[vault]]s and the large area in which the rune lies, you will mostly be exploring narrow tunnels choked with rock or larger caverns with no real sense of order. Choke points are uncommon, and the swift monsters found here will often have opportunities to surround you. No matter where you go, you will constantly be running into [[web]] [[trap]]s and pools of [[shallow water]], slowing your exploration and making combat much riskier.

==Useful Info==
Melee characters shouldn't even think about venturing in without poison resistance; most of the enemies here move quickly and have poisonous bites or stings, and unless you're extremely cautious you'll always be attracting the attention of multiple opponents at once. If you insist on entering anyway, expect to use a lot of [[potions of curing]] or the [[Cure Poison]] spell. Also, you may wish to limit your use of '''[[Tab]]''' to automate combat, as your character will not take web traps into consideration when charging into combat. That being said, with solid physical defenses (30+ AC and double-digits EV or a nice shield should be sufficient) and poison resistance, very little here will be able to really challenge you.

Although stealthy characters will have a fairly easy time sneaking up on individual spiders, the sheer number of opponents you'll be sneaking around makes it very difficult to maintain secrecy for long. Expect to engage in some actual combat before you finish up here.

Ranged fighters and casters have a fairly easy time of things, as most spiders are fragile, resistance-free, and can be safely taken out from a distance. As almost everything here is vulnerable to poison and contains poison, spells like [[Poisonous Cloud]] and especially [[Ignite Poison]] will clear the Nest with ease. [[Mephitic Cloud]] will also be effective, but expect the noise to awaken many off-screen opponents. Just beware of [[trapdoor spider]]s, as they won't become visible until you're standing next to them. Be aware that most enemies in the Spider's Nest hit about as hard as [[yak]]s and tend to be quite fast -- lightly armored characters should pick their fights carefully.

The biggest threats you can expect to encounter are [[emperor scorpion]]s (very high damage output and durability), packs of [[wolf spider]]s (somewhat less powerful but capable of appearing in swarms), [[ghost moth]]s (invisible predators with far too many unpleasant abilities), and [[orb spider]]s (ranged snipers that blast you with [[Orbs of Destruction]] while fleeing melee combat). More than ever, avoid drawing crowds and prioritize disabling the most dangerous opponents first; it's very difficult to prevent enemies from surrounding you here. It might be slow, but allowing opponents to come to you instead of charging in to meet them will greatly reduce your chance of getting swarmed. Also be aware that many powerful [[unique]]s can generate here, potentially complicating an otherwise-straightforward branch.

Almost everything found in the Spider's Nest has lousy [[magic resistance]], so bringing a [[scroll of fear]] or two may save you from otherwise unmanageable hordes.

Because most of the monsters in the Nest leave poisonous, contaminated corpses, bringing your own food supply is a good idea. Of course, if you are a poison-immune ghoul you can simply feast on the endless tide of spiders.

===Useful Traits===
*Strong physical defenses
*Poison resistance
*[[See invisible]]

==Monsters==
{| class="prettytable" style="border:none; margin:0; padding:0;"
|-
| {{monsterlink|Spider}} || {{monsterlink|Trapdoor spider}} || {{monsterlink|Wolf spider}} || {{monsterlink|Redback}} || {{monsterlink|Tarantella}} || {{monsterlink|Jumping spider}}
|-
| {{monsterlink|Orb spider}} || {{monsterlink|Scorpion}} || {{monsterlink|Emperor scorpion}} || {{monsterlink|Demonic crawler}} || {{monsterlink|Giant cockroach}}
|-
| {{monsterlink|Boulder beetle}} || {{monsterlink|Torpor snail}} || {{monsterlink|Entropy weaver}} || ||
|-
| {{monsterlink|Worm}} || {{monsterlink|Brain worm}} || || || ||
|-
| {{monsterlink|Wasp}} || {{monsterlink|Hornet}} || {{monsterlink|Spark wasp}} || {{monsterlink|Moth of wrath}} || {{monsterlink|Ghost moth}} || ||
|}

===Uniques===
{| class="prettytable" style="border:none; margin:0; padding:0;"
|-
| {{monsterlink|Arachne}}
|}

==History==
Prior to [[0.11]], the Spider's Nest was a simple 1-floor sub-branch with similar monsters and some treasure (occasionally including ambrosia), but no rune.

In [[0.17]], Spider's Nest is shortened to 4 floors. [[Goliath beetle]]s, [[Boring beetle]]s and [[Giant mite]]s are obsolete, [[Entropy weaver]]s and [[Torpor snail]]s are new inhabitants.

[[Category:Dungeon Branches]]

Hell hound

2016-08-17T22:22:28Z

Krovax:

{{version|018}}
{{list of | canines}}
{{monster info}}

==Useful Info==
'''Hell hounds''' are dangerous [[demonic]] canines, flaming beasts that arrive in packs and breathe [[fire]] (3d10). Fortunately they are almost unheard of outside of [[the Abyss]], [[Pandemonium]], and the [[Hell]]s, and by the time you get there, they're nearly harmless. However, if you see them outside of those places and they're not guarding the entrance of the [[Lair]], part of the [[Lair]]:8 vault, or some [[Volcano]] Layout, that's almost always a sign that [[Azrael]] is near.

{{monster spells}}

==Tips & Tricks==
Fire resistance helps. As with many fire-themed monsters, hitting them with [[cold]] damage works particularly well.

Negative energy

2016-08-17T21:28:19Z

Krovax:

{{version016}}

'''Negative energy''' is one of the most common elemental forces you will encounter as you explore the [[Dungeon]]. Both players and monsters can take advantage of negative energy through spells or specially [[brand]]ed weapons, though some monsters also possess innate negative energy abilities.

==Negative Energy Damage==
The effects of negative energy damage are far more complicated than most other elemental types, simply because each source functions in a very different way. For instance, the [[Pain (brand)|pain]] [[brand]] and [[Pain]] spell simply deal damage to the target. [[Agony]] cuts the target's current [[HP]] in half. [[Bolt of Draining]], the [[Draining (brand)|draining]] brand, and other [[draining]] attacks deal damage and also inflict the drained [[status effect]], temporarily lowering your skills until more experience is acquired. Weapons of [[vampiricism]] utilize negative energy to steal HP, even if they don't deal any extra damage. Even defenses against these abilities varies from source to source: some can be negated with high [[magic resistance]], some by a single rank of [[negative energy resistance]], and some require three to be fully stopped.

[[Torment]] is similar in some ways to negative energy, but is much harder to protect against and is capable of wreaking havoc on unprepared characters. See its own article for more details.

==Negative Energy Sources==
It is relatively easy for characters to gain access to sources of negative energy damage. Most character types can benefit from common [[Draining (brand)|Draining]]-branded weapons, which deal additional negative energy damage on top of their normal physical damage and also temporarily weaken the target. Other less common negative energy weapon brands include [[Pain (brand)|pain]] (deals flat negative energy damage based on your [[Necromancy]] skill) and [[vampiricism]] (gives half the damage you deal back to you as healing).

The [[Necromancy]] school is also available to [[necromancer]]s or any character with [[spellcasting]] capabilities and an appropriate [[book]]. This school offers an extremely diverse variety of uses, such as healing, direct damage, and [[undead]] creation/destruction.

Any character that worships a [[good god]] should avoid using negative energy, as these gods are offended by it.

==Negative Energy Resistance==
The negative energy resistance [[intrinsic]] (also known as life protection, rN+, or rNeg+) reduces or completely negates the effects of negative energy attacks you receive. Those attacks and effects which aren't fully negated with a single rank are reduced by 50% at rN+, 75% at rN++, and 100% at rN+++. All sources of negative energy resistance stack, and there are a number of sources:
*[[Negative Energy Resistance (mutation)|Negative Energy Resistance]] [[demonspawn mutation]]: rN+/rank
*[[Pearl dragon armour]]: rN+
*[[Amulet of warding]]: rN+
*Armour of [[positive energy (ego)|positive energy]]: rN+
*[[Staff of death]]: rN+
*[[Ring of positive energy]]: rN+
*[[Tiamat]]'s [[dragonskin cloak]] (50% chance per attack of rN+)
*[[Randart]]s: rN+, rN++, or rN+++ (very rarely)
*[[Statue Form]]: rN+
*[[Necromutation]]: rN+++
*Playing a [[Gargoyle]]: rN+
*Playing a [[ghoul]] or [[mummy]]: rN+++
*Playing a vampire (depends on [[hunger]] level): rN+ to rN+++
*Worshiping [[the Shining One]] (depends on [[piety]]): rN+ to rN+++
*MONSTERS ONLY: All monsters that are not [[natural]] are immune to negative energy. None naturally possess partial negative energy resistance, although they may gain it by wearing items that grant it.

==History==
Prior to [[0.13]], draining attacks had no effect on your skills. Instead, they would permanently reduce your experience, potentially forcing you to lose levels. Also, ranks of negative energy resistance were somewhat less effective at reducing damage (33%/66%/100%). Finally, several bugs related to the implementation of rN+ for monsters were fixed.

==See Also==
[[:Category:Negative energy resistance|List of negative energy resistant monsters]]

Phantom mirror

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Krovax:

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{{item
|itemtype=Miscellaneous item
|name=Phantom mirror
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{{flavour|A hand mirror which can create a reflection of a nearby creature, shattering in the process. The reflection's duration increases with Evocations skill and decreases with the magic resistance of the target. It is, invariably, slightly weaker than the creature it mirrors.}}

Evoking a '''phantom mirror''' allows you to summon into existence an exact duplicate of a single non-player, non-magic-immune target. It is a one-use item, and will be destroyed upon a successful use.

As a wizard hating god Trog forbids duplicating any target with a [[Spell slot flags|Wizard flag]] Spell, but he is fine with those with magical-, demonic- and priest flag spells

You can use it on some very powerful creatures, such as [[Cerebov]] or [[The Lernaean hydra|Lernie]].

==History==
Phantom mirrors were added in [[0.16]].