Spectral (brand)

Version 0.29: This article may not be up to date for the latest stable release of Crawl.

When its wielder attacks, the weapon's spirit leaps out and strikes again. The spirit shares a part of any damage it takes with its wielder.

When striking an enemy, the spectral brand creates a spiritual copy of your weapon in a nearby tile. The copy will follow you and attack each time you do, but lacks enchantment or any other brands. The copy will vanish if you take an action besides making a melee attack. Half of any damage dealt to the spectral weapon will additionally be dealt to you, regardless of your defences and resistances. Spectral weapons have one level of resistance each to fire, cold, and electricity, and are immune to poison, negative energy, torment, blinding, and asphyxiation.

While limited to clubs and Staves normally, scrolls of brand weapon have a chance to give the spectral brand to any melee weapon. Any artefact melee weapon may have the spectral brand, and the brand is a feature of the unrandart Glaive of the Guard.

Monsters don't get a copy of their weapon when using spectral-branded weapons.

Strategy

• Be careful when using spectral weapons around monsters with area-of-effect attacks like axes or Fireball. You'll take extra damage from your weapon on top of the damage from the attack itself.
• Spectral weapons must form within reach of both their wielder and their target. The inherent reaching of spectral polearms makes them effective in most situations, but most other weapons will have no additional effect in areas with no empty space around your target.

History

• Prior to 0.27, this brand was boosted by Evocations. It was native to clubs, staves, and two-handed artefacts, though it could still be applied to any melee weapon with a scroll of brand weapon. Also, monsters could create a copy of their weapon when using this brand.
• This brand was introduced in 0.26, replacing the spell Spectral Weapon.

Axe	Long Blade	Mace	Polearm	Short Blade	Staff	Whip