Hellfire Mortar - Revision history

Hordes at 21:55, 4 February 2026

2026-02-04T21:55:33Z

Hordes: 0.34

2026-02-04T21:54:39Z

0.34

Hordes: /* Strategy */

2025-11-15T09:01:47Z

‎Strategy

Hordes: /* Strategy */

2025-11-15T08:53:30Z

‎Strategy

Hordes at 06:15, 13 November 2025

2025-11-13T06:15:03Z

Hordes at 09:37, 26 October 2025

2025-10-26T09:37:36Z

Hordes at 09:36, 26 October 2025

2025-10-26T09:36:03Z

Qqqqwe2: bump (maybe need to update info with the forgecraft changes)

2025-08-23T18:48:25Z

bump (maybe need to update info with the forgecraft changes)

Patrick2011b: remove stub tag

2024-10-31T05:57:21Z

remove stub tag

Regret-index: Destubify: provide a ton more strategy specifics and digging specifications.

2024-10-31T01:03:50Z

Destubify: provide a ton more strategy specifics and digging specifications.

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 ==History==
-*Prior to [[0.34]], the spell could be cast even if there was still lava remaining (although it could not be cast if the mortar was alive), but the lava lasted longer.
+*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.
 *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.
 *Added in [[0.32]].

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 {{spell info}}
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 ==Useful Info==
-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 a mortar is alive, though the lava doesn't have to recede all the way to recast.
+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.
 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 a tile from its end back to its start, bringing back whatever terrain it temporarily replaced with lava.
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 *It is significantly more MP efficient than comparable Fire/Earth options.
 *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.
-*It is versatile. It deals with single targets and groups well. It functions in corridors (as the mortar blocks the way) or out in the open (for max. damage).
+*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).
 Fire Magic users can benefit from partially-irresistable damage, Earth Magic users benefit from AOE, and Forgecraft users benefit from having range and AOE.
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 ==History==
 *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.
 *Added in [[0.32]].

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 Hellfire Mortar is an expensive triple school spell, but it offers a number of strong perks.
 *It is significantly more MP efficient than comparable Fire/Earth options.
-*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, which is very easy to set up due to the monster AI; back up until the monster is orthogonal to you.
+*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.
 *It is versatile. It deals with single targets and groups well. It functions in corridors (as the mortar blocks the way) or out in the open (for max. damage).

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 ==Strategy==
-Hellfire Mortar is an expensive triple school spell, but it offers a number of strong perks. It is significantly more MP efficient than comparable Fire/Earth options, enables [[kiting]], and can block landbound enemies from approaching ''entirely''. Fire Magic users can benefit from partially-irresistable damage, Earth Magic users benefit from AOE, and Forgecraft users benefit from having range and AOE. It's useful whether out in the open or in corridors.
+Hellfire Mortar is an expensive triple school spell, but it offers a number of strong perks.
 ===Tips & Tricks===

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 ==Strategy==
-Hellfire Mortar is an expensive triple school spell, but it offers a number of strong perks. It is significantly more MP efficient than comparable Fire/Earth options, enables [[kiting]], and can block landbound enemies from approaching entirely. Fire Magic users can benefit from partially-irresistable damage, Earth Magic users benefit from AOE, and Forgecraft users benefit from having range and AOE.
+Hellfire Mortar is an expensive triple school spell, but it offers a number of strong perks. It is significantly more MP efficient than comparable Fire/Earth options, enables [[kiting]], and can block landbound enemies from approaching ''entirely''. Fire Magic users can benefit from partially-irresistable damage, Earth Magic users benefit from AOE, and Forgecraft users benefit from having range and AOE. It's useful whether out in the open or in corridors.
 ===Tips & Tricks===

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 {{spell info}}
-'''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. The mortar's [[HD]] is <code>3 + pow / 28</code>.
+'''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.
 ==Useful Info==
-The initial lava river digs through rock walls, replacing all other walkable features and water, and overlapping normally with other lava. Every 10 aut after the mortar dies, the temporary lava river will recede back a tile from its end back to its start, bringing back whatever terrain it temporarily replaced with lava.
+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.
-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. When it reaches the end of this path, or if a monster blocks its attempt to move, it will disappear. 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.
+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.
 ==Strategy==
-* The lava river can block off a lot of monsters from following through doorways and chokepoints, leaving them sitting ducks for both you (via e.g. [[Fireball]], [[Lee's Rapid Deconstruction]], and [[Starburst]]) and the mortar. The capacity for the spell to do this differs per branch- salamanders in the [[Snake Pit]], dragons and shrikes in [[the Depths]], demons and elemental beasts in [[Pandemonium]] and the [[Hell]]s, plus all sorts of foes in [[Zot]] will be capable of blocking its path if it's between the caster and said monsters- when monsters who can travel through or over lava are likely to block it off, one should fire off to the side of them instead.
+Hellfire Mortar is an expensive triple school spell, but it offers a number of strong perks. It is significantly more MP efficient than comparable Fire/Earth options, enables [[kiting]], and can block landbound enemies from approaching entirely. Fire Magic users can benefit from partially-irresistable damage, Earth Magic users benefit from AOE, and Forgecraft users benefit from having range and AOE.
-* In straight corridors, it's fairly less useful for dealing damage unless it's used near a corner or entrance to widen the corridor, but it's even more likely to hold back monsters that can't fly from approaching.
-* Player allies can also block off the path of the mortar and cause it to sink without getting to fire for its full duration, so be cautious of planning to cast it alongside flying allies like [[Animate Armour]], [[Animate Dead]], [[Martyr's Knell]], [[Death Channel]], [[Haunt]], and [[Dragon's Call]].
+It's useful whether out in the open or in corridors.
-* While it does fairly less upfront damage than most comparable high-level Fire or Earth spells, it saves a large amount of MP when used alongside kiting, provides a distinct defense against landbound melee-centric foes, and gives partially-irresistable damage to Fire Magic as well as AOE to Earth Magic.
-* 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.
+===Tips & Tricks===
 ==Monster Version==
-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 a flying player or ally gets in its path. Unlike player mortars, it can fire out of sight of the caster.
+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.
 {{monsters with spell}}
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 ==History==
-*Prior to [[0.33]] and the introduction of [[Forgecraft]], Hellfire Mortar was a Fire/Earth spell.
+*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.
 *Added in [[0.32]].

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