Difference between revisions of "Choosing a god"

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In Crawl, one's choice of [[god]] has a significant impact your game. Along with [[species]] and [[background]], god choice is considered a defining feature of your character.
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In Crawl, one's choice of [[gods|god]] has the most significant impact on the progress of the game other than choice of [[race]] and [[class]].
 
  
 
==How Do I Choose a God?==
 
==How Do I Choose a God?==
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There are two ways to choose a god. The quickest is to begin the game with a background that worships one by default: [[Berserker]]s, [[Chaos Knight]]s, [[Healer]]s, [[Abyssal Knight]]s, [[Death Knight]]s, and [[Priest]]s all begin the game serving a particular god and receive a small head start on [[piety]] gain.
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In game, there are two ways to choose a god. The quickest is to begin the game with a background that worships one by default: [[Berserker]]s, [[Chaos Knight]]s, and [[Cinder Acolyte]]s all begin the game serving a particular god.
  
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Alternatively, you can find an [[altar]] dedicated to a god along the way, stand on it, and '''p'''ray. When asked if you want to join its religion, press '''y''' to accept. They can be found as follows:
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Alternatively, you can find an [[altar]] dedicated to a god along the way, stand on it, and pray (with either '<' or '>' keys). When asked if you want to join its religion, press '''y''' to accept. They can be found as follows:
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*Most gods will have an altar in the [[Ecumenical Temple]], a harmless branch located between Dungeon floors 4 and 7.
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*Most gods will have an altar in the [[Ecumenical Temple]], a peaceful branch located between Dungeon floors 4 and 7.
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*If the temple lacks a particular altar, it is guaranteed to be located between floors 2 and 9, with the following exceptions:
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*A [[faded altar]] can spawn between floors 1 and 3, giving you access to a random god (chosen from 3).
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*If the temple lacks a particular altar, it is guaranteed to be located between floors 2 and 10, with the following exceptions:
 
**[[Beogh]]'s altar can be found in the [[Orcish Mines]], but having a conscious (i.e. not asleep, paralyzed, etc.) [[orc priest]] or [[orc high priest]] in view grants [[hill orc]]s the ability to convert to Beogh on the spot.
 
**[[Beogh]]'s altar can be found in the [[Orcish Mines]], but having a conscious (i.e. not asleep, paralyzed, etc.) [[orc priest]] or [[orc high priest]] in view grants [[hill orc]]s the ability to convert to Beogh on the spot.
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**[[Lugonu]]'s altar can be found in [[the Abyss]] or occasionally in a corrupted version of the Ecumenical Temple.
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**[[Ignis]]'s altar very rarely appears in the Ecumenical Temple or as the result of converting at a faded altar, but most often you'll need to start as a Cinder Acolyte.
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**[[Jiyva]]'s altar can be found on the sixth floor of the [[Slime Pits]], occasionally in [[the Lair]] and the lower dungeon floors, and very rarely in an early [[jelly]] vault.
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**[[Jiyva]]'s altar can be found on the 5th floor of the [[Slime Pits]], often in [[the Lair]] (just in front of Slime's entrance), and very rarely in the Temple, Dungeon, or [[Sewer]] as an early [[jelly]] vault.
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**[[Lugonu]]'s altar can be found in [[the Abyss]] or occasionally in Abyss-themed vaults or a corrupted version of the Ecumenical Temple.
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==What if my desired god hasn't shown up yet?==
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Going in with a mindset of picking "the absolute best" god for your character may not always be the best idea. Sometimes it may be better to worship any god early on rather than wait for the perfect god to show up.
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For example, let's say you decide to start with [[Okawaru]]. D:3 provides an altar to [[Nemelex Xobeh]], an unconventional, yet perfectly usable god. Meanwhile, [[Okawaru]]'s altar may not spawn until D:9. By the time you find Okawaru's altar, you could have ** to **** piety with Nemelex, along with abilities that could've easily saved your life - or your items - several times over.
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That said, it's still perfectly possible to wait until you find your preferred god's altar if you have your heart set on a particular strategy (after all, [[Demigod]]s have to get through the entire game without worshipping a god). Assess your character's equipment and capabilities, and make your decision based on how well you're progressing through the early Dungeon.
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==When should I switch gods?==
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In general? You shouldn't, unless you really know what you're doing.
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You can only follow one god at a time; if you abandon your god, you will generally incur [[divine retribution]] ("wrath"). With a few exceptions, wrath is quite dangerous ''at best''.
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* The [[good gods]] ([[Elyvilon]], [[The Shining One]], and [[Zin]]) will not punish you unless you swap to an [[evil]] god (as well as [[chaotic]] gods for Zin). Following one for a while before switching to a neutral god can be a perfectly valid strategy.
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* [[Ignis]] is designed to be switched away from as its powers run out, so its wrath is weaker than normal.
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* Abandoning [[Ru]] incurs no overt punishment (but you also won't get back anything you sacrificed)
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* [[Xom]]'s wrath is not much worse than dealing with a particularly bored Xom. If you can survive following Xom at its worst, you can probably manage switching away from it.
  
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You can only worship one god at a time. If you abandon a god's religion or switch to another god, you'll incur [[Divine retribution|penance]] (unless you worship one of the three [[good gods]], [[Zin]], [[Elyvilon]], or [[The Shining One]]: they only react if your new god is [[evil]], or [[chaotic]] if your god is Zin). Note that if you do switch from a [[good god]] to a non-evil one, and ''later'' switch to an evil god, you will face penance from ''both'' abandoned gods.
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In addition, ''every'' god (possibly barring Ignis and Xom) can be a viable choice if all you plan to do is get three [[rune]]s, get the [[Orb of Zot|Orb]], and get out. It's only when you start getting to post-game areas like the [[Hell]]s or [[Pandemonium]] that certain gods start falling off in power. Characters that wish to switch gods should do so only when they are confident they can survive their former god's wrath and when the benefits of a different god will outweigh the punishment.
  
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===What do all the *** mean?===
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==God overview==
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The asterisks are an indication of your [[piety]], or your current standing with your god. Higher piety generally means more and stronger god-granted powers. See the [[piety]] article for more details.
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*[[Ashenzari]]: Gain skill boosts by [[curse|cursing]] your equipment, along with divine knowledge of the Dungeon.
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*[[Beogh]]: God exclusive to [[Hill Orc]]s; get permanent orcish allies that promote with exp.
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*[[Cheibriados]]: Slows your movement (no running away), compensating with great stats & powerful escape tools.
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*[[Dithmenos]]: Increases [[stealth]], providing abilities useful for both combat and escaping it.
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*[[Elyvilon]]: Heal yourself, or heal enemies to try and pacify them.
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*[[Fedhas]]: Creates deadly, debilitating (and stationary) [[list of plants|plant]] allies.
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*[[Gozag]]: A Midas touch; spend all the [[gold]] you'll be getting on potions, shops, or bribes.
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*[[Ignis]]: A powerful starting god, designed to be abandoned once its powers burn out.
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*[[Hepliaklqana]]: Grants an everpresent ancestor that fights alongside you.
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*[[Jiyva]]: Tons of ('good') mutations, regeneration, and the slimy rune -- but 'leftover' items get eaten.
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*[[Kikubaaqudgha]]: For (future) [[necromancer]]s; summon undead-rising fodder, gifts knowledge of necromantic spells.
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*[[Lugonu]]: God of the [[Abyss]]; banish monsters in, get yourself out (and back in, again).
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*[[Makhleb]]: Heal on kills, with ranged attacks and summons.
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*[[Nemelex Xobeh]]: Stack decks of [[card]]s, with many strong, varied effects.
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*[[Okawaru]]: "Generic" god for physical combat; forbids allies, making your prowess strong enough to live without.
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*[[Qazlal Stormbringer]]: Provides an array of calamitous abilities, followed by a very loud storm.
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*[[Ru]]: Sacrifice aspects of your being (like one of your hands) for overwhelming power.
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*[[Sif Muna]]: "Generic" magic god; channel MP, and eventually get access to (and cast) every spell in the game.
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*[[Trog]]: Go [[berserk]] at will and summon incredibly strong allies - but no spells allowed!
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*[[Uskayaw]]: Grants increasing power as fights go on, quickly fading outside of combat.
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*[[Vehumet]]: A god of [[Conjurations|destructive]] magic; gives and buffs offensive spells, including MP gain on kill.
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*The [[Wu Jian|Wu Jian Council]]: Provide martial arts that allow you to attack while moving around.
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*[[Xom]]: Randomness incarnate. Somewhat more likely to be helpful if you're being entertaining (Note: Xom has a terrible sense of humour). Good luck!
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*[[Yredelemnul]]: Allows you to raise a horde of undead, which can be converted into powerful effects. No magic necessary!
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*[[Zin]]: Defensive priest, with many strong abilities to save your skin.
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*[[The Shining One]]: God of [[halo|light]] and [[holy wrath]]. Particularly excels against the forces of evil common in the later game.
  
 
==Primary Melee Fighters==
 
==Primary Melee Fighters==
 
These gods work best for characters who primarily kill monsters with weapons rather than with spells.
 
These gods work best for characters who primarily kill monsters with weapons rather than with spells.
  
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===[[Okawaru]] the Warmaster===  
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===[[Trog]] the Furious===  
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Okawaru is the "default" god for melee characters.
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Trog is the most offensive-minded melee fighter's god. [[Piety]] is gained by killing living monsters, demons, holies and especially spellcasters. Their abilities are tremendously useful throughout all stages of the game. These abilities are based off of piety, not [[Invocation]]s, giving you leeway to invest into other skills. Trog is one of the few gods who can be worshipped from the beginning of the game, and one of the fewer gods that also gives you a strong early ability. Trog is a great god for a player new to Crawl, or for any melee character who plans for a three- or four-rune run.
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As a [[Berserker]]'s god, Trog allows you to [[Berserk]] -- which temporarily provides massive boosts to damage, speed, and HP. However, the status prevents you from using many kinds of items (including throwables, [[potion]]s, and [[scroll]]s). Doing anything but attack will also cause berserk to quickly wane. Once it ends, you'll be slowed down. Before activating Berserk, try to avoid attracting more monsters, or otherwise have a means of escape (most often, a staircase). Berserkers start with the 1* of piety required to berserk immediately.
  
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His simple, straightforward effectiveness has made him one of the most popular yet criticized gods in the Crawl pantheon. He provides only two activated abilities to the player: [[Okawaru#Given_abilities|Heroism]] (gives bonus to combat skills), which can be invoked at *, and [[Okawaru#Given_abilities|Finesse]] (increased attack speed) at *****. Used in conjunction, this will allow three or four extra attacks per turn, making any non-magical enemy trivial. These enhancements come with no downsides but [[glow]], so one can also use magic and abilities if they wish.
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Berserk is best in the early game, where there's few other options to save your skin. However, Trog's kit remains useful for the entire 3-rune game:
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* Trog's Hand gives temporary regeneration and [[willpower]], even during [[Inhibited Regeneration|-Regen]]. Less exciting than the other two abilities, but lets you recover quickly and is useful against monsters who would otherwise [[banish]] or [[paralyse]] you.
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* Brothers in Arms summons always-friendly, always-berserk ogres, trolls, bears, and giants. Berserk gives monsters an even stronger buff to damage; in small numbers, they are more than a match for nearly every enemy in the game, including [[orbs of fire]]! Summon brothers early, and summon often; losing piety is much less dangerous than your life.
  
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After the activated abilities come the gifts of weapons, armour, shields, and ammo. Since these behave like a slightly nerfed [[scroll of acquirement]], many of these will be of little permanent use, but by the end game you will likely find yourself using mostly god given equipment. While [[#Trog_the_Furious|Trog]] will also provide ammo and weapons, Okawaru is the only god who bestows armour and shields as gifts.
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Learning, training, or casting magic of any kind will offend Trog. Note that Trog doesn't mind use of "magical" scrolls, potions, or wands.
  
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Players going for an all-rune win can often benefit from abandoning him in favor of [[The Shining One]] before [[Crypt]].
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'''Recommended Race and Class Combinations''': Any character with zero short term interest in magic. [[Troll]]s, [[Minotaur]]s, and [[Hill Orc]]s will have the easiest time due to their excellent melee aptitudes. Berserk and Brothers in Arms are both such strong abilities for a starting god that even [[Deep Elf]] [[Berserker]] is a strong (albeit not recommended) choice.
  
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'''Recommended Race and Class Combinations''': Melee characters who rely or plan to rely on magic, such as [[High Elf]] [[Skald]]s, [[Merfolk]] [[Transmuter]]s, and [[Naga]] [[Warper]]s. Any character who needs rare equipment ([[quick blade]]s, rare [[needle]]s), as like Trog, he also gifts ammunition.
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===[[Okawaru]] the Warmaster===
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Okawaru is the "default" god for melee characters. You gain piety by killing; high-HD (strong) monsters are more rewarding. Okawaru's main quirk is that it forbids allies.
  
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===[[Trog]] the Furious===
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Oka's simple, straightforward effectiveness has made it one of the most popular, yet criticized, gods in the Crawl pantheon. It provides two active buffs and one ability to its worshippers:
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Trog is the most offensive-minded melee fighter's god. [[Piety]] is gained by killing living monsters, demons, holies and spellcasters; sacrificing their corpses, and burning books.
 
  
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His abilities are tremendously useful early on - Berserk, which temporarily boosts damage, speed, and HP. At high piety it is extended for every kill, though its end brings an exhaustion effect which slows and hungers the user and prevents them from berserking for a while, so make sure that you've either killed every monster in that short time or have some means of escaping the survivors. Trog's Hand adds temporary regeneration and magic resistance, and is one of the few ways for a [[Deep Dwarf]] or bloodless [[Vampire]] to heal.
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*[[Okawaru#Given_abilities|Heroism]], obtained at 1*, gives a +5 bonus to every non-magic skill. Somewhat expensive. But don't hesitate to use this in a fight you'd have trouble in.
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*[[Okawaru#Given_abilities|Finesse]], obtained at 4*, doubles your attack speed. Approximately 8 Invocations is required to get a decent success rate; but failing costs nothing but MP and a turn. Double attack speed is ''very'' strong, potentially stronger than even a [[Berserk]], with none of the immediate downsides. This can turn many otherwise dangerous fights into a cakewalk.
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*[[Okawaru#Given_abilities|Duel]], gained at 5* piety, can force a single strong-enough enemy into a single combat arena with you. This is most useful as an  ''escape tool''. You will only have to fight 1 monster in a duel. After you defeat your opponent, you'll have ~15 turns to rest, buff up, and prepare for what's outside.
  
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Brothers in Arms summons always friendly, always berserk ogres, trolls, bears, and giants, which in numbers are more than a match for nearly every enemy in the game, and are a great way to take down tough but stationary enemies like [[oklob plant]]s. None of these require training of the [[Invocations]] skill, just piety and food, so experience can be focused elsewhere, usually [[Fighting]], weapon skill of choice, missile skill of choice, and [[Armour]]/[[Evasion]]. At highest piety he will gift weapons weighted toward brute damage and the [[antimagic]] brand, and also branded [[javelin]]s, [[sling bullet]]s, [[arrow]]s, and [[bolt]]s if you have at least 8 levels in a ranged combat skill, and the respective launcher on hand. If your best ranged skill isn't throwing, you can drop your [[crossbow]], [[bow]], [[longbow]], or [[sling]] if you want melee weapon gifts.
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Okawaru also provides gifts of weapons, armour, shields, and throwing ammountion. Many individual items will be of little permanent use, but by the endgame you will likely find yourself using plenty of god-given equipment. While [[#Trog_the_Furious|Trog]] will also provide weapons, Okawaru is the only god who bestows armour, ammo, and shields as gifts. These gifts are one of the few ways to get a decent supply of [[Throwing]] implements; most Okawaru followers should take advantage of this fact.
  
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However, learning, training, or casting magic of any kind will offend Trog, so you must specialize only in physical combat. Note that he doesn't mind use of magic scrolls, potions, staves, wands, or rods. In addition, his non-training of Invocations can be a mixed blessing, since if you plan to switch to another god, you'll have to spend time working on that as well.
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'''Recommended Race and Class Combinations''': Most melee and ranged characters not already worshipping another god. Any character who desires rare equipment, such as [[quick blade]]s or specialized [[dart]]s. Hybrid magic knight builds who would be discouraged by Trog, such as [[Gnoll]]s, [[Transmuter]]s, and [[Warper]]s.
  
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Trog is a great god for a player new to Crawl, or for any melee character who plans only for a three or four rune run.
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===[[The Shining One]]===
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The Shining One (TSO) is a slightly more defensive-minded god who crusades against evil. It will protect you from negative energy and may intervene to save your life. You'll gain piety from destroying evil, undead, and demonic monsters. Consequently, undead and [[demonspawn|demonic]] players are unable to worship TSO.
  
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'''Recommended Race and Class Combinations''': Any character with zero short term interest in magic. [[Troll]]s, [[Ogre]]s, [[Minotaur]]s, [[Merfolk]], and [[Hill Orc]]s will have the easiest time due to their excellent melee aptitudes. [[Kobold]]s are also an excellent choice, since they have few food issues early on and so can berserk rather freely. He also works well for sturdier ranged fighters such as [[Halfling]] and [[Centaur]] [[Hunter]]s due to his ammo gifts.
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Immediately, you'll be surrounded by a halo that increases in size as you gain piety. It increases accuracy, reduces stealth, and prevents anything from going invisible within its radius. TSO also prevents followers from [[stab]]bing unaware or helpless enemies.
  
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===[[The Shining One]] the Righteous===
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What shines about TSO is that he restores your [[HP]] and [[MP]] when killing unholy monsters. Along with (eventual) rN+++ and holy attacks, TSO ends up being tremendously useful for the [[Hells]], [[Pandemonium]], and [[Tomb]]. But in addition, The Shining One provides a plethora of useful active abilities:
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The Shining One is a more defensive-minded god who crusades against evil. He will protect you from negative energy and may intervene to save your life. You'll gain piety gradually from discovering monters, and also when you destroy evil or unholy monsters such as the undead, demons, or priests of other religions.
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* [[Divine Shield]] is obtained from 1* piety, which grants temporary [[SH]]. It's low-investment and cheap, but not as cheap as many other gods.
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* [[Cleansing Flame]] is provided at 3* piety, which hits every enemy in a 2 tile radius around you. It only becomes effective at high [[Invocation]]s, and only really against evil casters, demons and undead, but it is a ridiculously strong AOE tool once you get there. Even if you get constantly tormented, TSO's HP and MP on kills means you can keep spamming Cleansing Flames until enemies around you are dead.
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* You gain the ability to Summon [[Angel]]s and [[Daeva]]s at 5*, and they are strong summons. Angels are fast, use holy-branded weapons, and have late-game stats; able to compete in [[Zot]] and the extended game easily.
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Because of the aformentioned abundance of unholy monsters, TSO piety is gained extremely rapidly in the extended game.
  
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[[The Shining One]] is tremendously useful for the [[Hells]], [[Pandemonium]], and [[Tomb]] because he allows you to add the holy wrath brand to a weapon (the best for those areas), grants you [[HP]] and [[MP]] for demon/undead kills (often allowing you to avoid having to rest in those areas), gives you rN+++, and gives you [[Angel]] and [[Daeva]] summons that are extremely effective for killing the lords of [[Pandemonium]] and [[Hells]] and killing everything in [[Tomb]] (allowing you to avoid curses).
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At 6* of piety, you gain the ability to bless a weapon, increasing its enchantment and giving it the [[holy wrath]] brand; use it on the best non-artifact weapon you've got. Blessing [[Demon whip]]s, [[Demon trident]]s, and [[Demon blade]]s will turn them into their respective holy variants, making them acceptable for the good gods.
  
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You will also be surrounded by a halo that, within its range, increases your to-hit roll and reveals all invisible enemies around you. His [[Divine Shield]] ability grants you a floating shield (and stacks with your existing one), and you can eventually conjure [[Cleansing Flame]] to destroy undead and demons around you. Finally, holy beings you encounter will be peaceful at high piety.
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Although a great choice for undead and demon-infested late-game, gaining piety with [[The Shining One]] is slow early on. Many players start off with a different god to get up to [[Zot]], then switch to [[The Shining One]] when they are about to enter the branches where their holy powers are most useful. Once you are ready to take on the [[Hell]]s or [[Pandemonium]], switch to [[The Shining One]] and head for the [[Crypt]], where you can quickly gain large amounts of piety. You will likely suffer wrath of your former god, but you should be able to survive at this point ([[Blink]]ing and running away are always useful).
  
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Worshipping him has some downsides. You will not be able to use necromancy or poison related items and spells (including the [[Regeneration]] spell, usually the biggest downside), have much less stealth due to the halo, and are unable to stab anyone sentient natural beings due to the paladin code (but demons, undead, and animals are valid targets).
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The Shining One also enforces a few 'knightly' conducts. Your halo will prevent you from going invisible, you will be unable to stab your opponents, and you will not be able to use [[Necromancy]] - including ever-useful spells like [[Borgnjor's Vile Clutch]] and [[Necromutation]].
  
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Although a great choice for late-game because of the prevalence of undead and demons, gaining piety with [[The Shining One]] is painstakingly slow outside of the demonic branches, and his abilities only shine when your Invocations skill is high. Many experienced players start off with a different god with which they train their [[Invocations]] skill, then switch to [[The Shining One]] when they are about to enter some of the later branches where holy powers are most useful. [[Elyvilon]] is the best choice if you want to switch to [[The Shining One]] early, because you won't suffer her wrath and you can quickly gain piety by pacifying monsters.
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'''Recommended Race and Class Combinations''': Characters, especially melee, with dreams of obtaining the [[rune]]s that lie in undead/demon heavy branches, such as [[Tomb]], [[Pandemonium]], and the [[Hell]]s. Those with good Invocations aptitudes, such as Hill Orcs and Merfolk, are particularly well-suited. Summoners also like TSO's halo accuracy and summon boosts.
  
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Starting with [[Okawaru]] is also a great choice, because he is helpful in the early game and offers great armor gifts. Once you have all the artifact armor you feel you'll need and get your Invocations skill up to at least 10, switch to [[The Shining One]] and head for the Crypt (where you'll probably reach maximum piety with TSO). You will suffer Okawaru's wrath, but you should be able to survive at this point (just cast Blink and run away when he summons giants around you).
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===[[Makhleb]] the Destroyer ===
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Makhleb is the god of violent death. Followers earn piety by killing enemies for the Destroyer.  
  
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Make sure you bless a weapon before taking on the Hells or Pandemonium: the best choice is usually one of a [[claymore]], an [[executioner's axe]], a [[bardiche]], a [[demon whip]], a [[demon trident]], or a [[demon blade]]. Blessed demon whips ([[holy scourge]]s) and blessed demon blades are the best one-handed weapons in the game against demons (except for weapons of speed). For [[ogre]]s or [[troll]]s, bless a [[giant spiked club]] instead.
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Doing so will soon grant you a chance to heal some HP when killing your foes. This creates synergy with anything that can kill, and kill fast - [[Axes]] come to mind. Makhleb also comes with some strong invocations:
  
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Undead and Demonspawn characters may not follow him, and casting Necromutation will result in excommunication.
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*Minor (2*) and Major Destruction (4*) are decently strong ranged attacks. The former only costs 1 HP, while the latter costs 6 HP and occasionally 1 piety. Greater Destruction is particularly notable for its piercing [[bolt]]s, many of which are exclusive to Makhleb.
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*Summon Lesser (3*) and Greater Demon (5*) are both strong summons, if you can afford to invest in Invocations. Lesser demons can take out mid-game threats like [[hydra]]s, while Greater demons remain respectable for the rest of the game. Allies in general are strong, with these demons being no exception.
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However, it takes quite a bit of Invocations skill to use all these abilities, especially to keep the summoned demons from spawning hostile.
  
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'''Recommended Race and Class Combinations''': Melee characters with dreams of the fifteen [[rune]]s that lie in undead/demon heavy branches, such as the Abyss, [[the Crypt]], [[the Tomb]], [[Pandemonium]], and the [[Hell]]s. Those with good Invocations aptitudes, such as Hill Orcs, High Elves, Merfolk, and Deep Dwarves, are particularly well-suited.
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'''Recommended Race and Class Combinations''': Most melee characters. Special synergy with those with hampered regeneration: [[Vampire]]s and [[Ghoul]]s. Makhleb's invocations are often redundant with actual spells, and casters rely on MP mid-combat like they do HP... except for [[Djinn]], who like Makhleb if they desire to cast as much as (in)humanly possible.
  
 
==Primary Spellcasters==
 
==Primary Spellcasters==
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On the other hand, if magic is your character's planned forte, you'll find [[Sif Muna]], [[Vehumet]], or [[Kikubaaqudgha]] more to your liking.
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On the other hand, if magic is your character's planned forte, you'll find [[Sif Muna]], [[Vehumet]], or [[Kikubaaqudgha]] more to your liking. All three gods will make certain spells available, no matter how the dungeon RNG feels about you.
  
 
===[[Sif Muna]] the Loreminder===
 
===[[Sif Muna]] the Loreminder===
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Sif Muna is the "default" for spellcasters. Of the three, she is the least demanding, and the most predictable. Her primary ability is spellbook acquirement: as you gain piety, she will gift you spellbooks, each guaranteed to have at least one spell you haven't yet found, weighted toward your magic skills. You will eventually have access to every spell in the game.
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Sif Muna is the "default" god for spellcasters. Of the three, Sif is the most conventional. Piety gain is straightforward: kill most monsters, gain piety.
  
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Also central is the * ability that gives you MP at the cost of a turn and some hunger (only of a turn if in [[Necromutation|lich form]], or using a race not on a food clock i.e. bloodless Vampires, [[Mummy|Mummies]]). This allows easy correction of mistakes if you get cornered with no MP left. It is more powerful than the staff of channeling, and is reliable unlike the [[Crystal ball of energy]]. At *****, you can forget spells similar to the [[scroll of amnesia]] and you will acquire protection from all miscasts.
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Sif's major appeal comes from spellbook acquirement: as you gain piety (from 5* on), it will gift you spellbooks; each book is guaranteed to have at least one spell you haven't yet found, and weighted toward your current magic skills. Eventually, you will have access to every spell in the game.
  
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Piety gain is straightforward: train magic-related skills ([[Invocations]] and [[Evocations]] don't count) and it will rise. Although you'll need to train Invocations to improve the MP channel, all other benefits are passive. Note that the only ways to lose piety are to "forget her," which is difficult to do as your piety decays extremely slowly (about one point every 2000 turns), or destroy spellbooks (which you won't need to do since she gives you the ability to forget spells).
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* Sif's other main feature is Channeling; a 1* ability that grants greatly increased MP regeneration for several turns. Don't worry about running out of mana in rough situations -- or do, since it still costs time and piety.
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* At 3* piety, you may forget any spell you know, similar to a [[scroll of amnesia]]. If you have any such scrolls, use them first (since scrolls cost no piety), but this ability is handy if you run out.
 +
* Divine Exegesis, acquired at 4*, allows you to cast ''any'' spell in your library using your Invocations skill instead of the associated spell schools. Spells like [[Malign Gateway]] and [[Dragon's Call]] are amazingly strong for large portions of the game, and [[Shatter]] can break through walls. Exegesis is a ''very'' expensive ability, but if you don't need any more spells, then you can afford to be at low piety.
  
−
'''Recommended Race and Class Combinations''': Any and all magic users, though pure casters will gain piety (and usefulls spellbooks) much faster. If your primary target is to just gain destructive spells consider Vehumet. If you want to focus on Necromancy Kikubaaqudgha is a more straightforward choice. Over an infinite time Sif Muna will give you all spells, but that won`t help you if you need these [[Conjuration|Conjurations]] or [[Necromancy]] now.
+
Sif Muna starts off slow, but the power of MP channeling remains consistent throughout the entire game. And you still retain access to your wide spell library, even if you leave.
 +
 
 +
'''Recommended Race and Class Combinations''': Many sorts of magically inclined characters, though those with strong proficiency in many schools (such as Deep Elves) benefit most from the variety of spellbooks. Vehumet and Kiku give more direct bonuses to their specific schools, giving more predictable spells quicker than Sif.
  
 
===[[Vehumet]] the Battlemage===
 
===[[Vehumet]] the Battlemage===
−
Vehumet is the god for offensive mages, for whom piety is gained through the bringing of death, which his rewards further supplement.
+
Vehumet is the god for purely offensive mages; piety is awarded by killing monsters (via magic or otherwise).
 +
 
 +
Vehumet provides solely passive abilities, making it a strong, low-management god that requires no investment in [[Invocations]]. However, the lack of passive abilities means you must rely entirely on your own (bolstered) skills in combat -- casters that have run out of MP will have to retreat or resort to alternate ways of killing enemies.
 +
 
 +
Fortunately, from 1* of piety onwards, Vehumet may restore your MP every time you kill a monster. This allows you to keep blasting away, or possibly recover your magic by attacking with a weapon (like a [[magical staff]]). In addition, Vehumet will provide direct boosts to your '[[Vehumet#Destructive spells|destructive spells]]', which includes all [[conjurations]] and a number of non-conjuration spells:
 +
* At 3* piety, your chance of miscasting destructive spells is significantly reduced, allowing you to make use of powerful spells much earlier than usual, or in heavier armor than usual.
 +
* At 4* piety, the ranges of your destructive spells are extended by 1 tile (with a few exceptions).
 +
 
 +
Like Sif Muna, Vehumet will gift you with destructive spells. Unlike Sif, you "only" get 15 spells; but they start as soon as you hit 1* of piety, and scale in power with divine favor. Like Sif, these spells are inclined to what you've already trained. The last 3 spells will always be 3 level 8 or 9, available as long as you still worship Vehumet.
  
−
Killing monsters will grant you piety and may restore some MP. Later, [[Vehumet]] will reduce the chance of conjuration miscasts and increase your conjurations' range. He'll also gift you with Destructive spells after you reach *..... piety. All of [[Vehumet]]'s benefits are passive, making him a great, low-management god if you're new at playing a spellcaster. Also, you can ignore Invocations!
+
'''Recommended Race and Class Combinations''': [[Conjurer]]s and dedicated nukers of all kinds. Focused species like Earth [[Gargoyle]]s and [[Demonspawn]]. [[Tengu]], with good aptitude for Conjurations, are especially well-suited for Vehumet. For backgrounds, [[Hedge Wizard]]s and [[Venom Mage]]s like the immediate focus into other spell schools, though any mage background benefits.
  
−
'''Recommended Race and Class Combinations''': [[Conjurer]]s and dedicated nukers of all kinds. Common ones include [[Demonspawn]] Wizards, [[Deep Elf]] [[Fire Elementalist]]s, and [[Spriggan]] [[Venom Mage]]s. [[Tengu]], with good aptitudes for [[Conjurations]] but a poor aptitude for [[Invocations]], are especially suited for Vehumet.
+
===[[Kikubaaqudgha]]===
 +
[[Kikubaaqudgha]] is the god of the necromantic arts. Spellcasters who dabble in darker domains can opt to worship Kiku. This demon-god appreciates the slaying of most things. Unlike other gods, the [[Necromancy]] skill determines Kiku's strength.
  
−
===[[Kikubaaqudgha]] the Soulstealer===
+
Kiku provides two unconditional spell gifts to followers: at 1* and 3* piety, Kiku will grant assortments of Necromancy spells. These are slightly randomized, including powerful crowd spells in [[Animate Dead]] and [[Death Channel]]. Other spells to watch out for are [[Borgnjor's Vile Clutch]], a great utility and damage spell alike, and [[Simulacrum]] for extremely powerful, but frail and single-target, undead.
−
[[Kikubaaqudgha]] is the god of the necromantic arts.
+
* At 1* piety, followers of Kiku can Unearth Wretches scaling in quality Necromancy. Wretches will die in a few turns (activating all undead spells), giving you a chance to quickly create a legion of undead. This ability is cheap for how much undead you can create.
 +
* At 5* piety, you may invoke Torment yourself against everything within line-of-sight.
  
−
Spellcasters who dabble in darker domains can opt to worship [[Kikubaaqudgha]]. This demon-god appreciates the slaying of living things and demons. You'll learn how to summon multiple corpses for your own nefarious uses (requires [[Necromancy]] instead of Invocations); later on, she will reduce [[torment]] damage, and protect you from Necromancy miscasts, grant you the ability to invoke torment using a corpse, and finally, gift you either the [[Necronomicon]] (the most powerful necromantic spellbook in the game) or the [[Pain]] brand on a weapon of your choice. The torment resistance and the spells you'll learn from the [[Necronomicon]] will make any spellcaster extremely powerful in the late-game. Anyone who uses melee should opt for the pain weapon, as it virtually kills everything in a three-rune game, bar undead, which you can easily [[Dispel Undead|dispel]]. (Watch out fot the occasional demon and golem though.)
+
Kiku will protect its followers from [[Torment]], starting from 2* piety. Torment is rather common in late-game areas like the [[Hell]]s, [[Pandemonium]], and especially [[Tomb]]. This protection stacks with the protection granted by having [[negative energy resistance]], allowing Kikubaaqudghites to far more easily endure Torment.
  
−
'''Recommended Race and Class Combinations''': Any character with a need for corpses aka Trolls, Ogres, Vampires, Ghouls and Necromancers. Also any character aspiring to become well versed in Necromancy for differing reasons. The undead races especially profit from an easy way to [[torment]] your enemies, without hurting themselves. Any character build that must have [[pain]] or the [[Necronomicon]].
+
And at 6*, Kiku offers a choice between another assortment of the rarest and most powerful Necromancy spells ([[Infestation]], [[Haunt]], [[Necromutation]], [[Borgnjor's Revivification]], [[Death's Door]], and [[Haunt]]) or the ability to bless a weapon, increasing its enchantment and applying the [[pain]] brand (which grows more powerful as you increase your skill with Necromancy).
 +
 
 +
'''Recommended Race and Class Combinations''': Any character aspiring to become well versed in Necromancy, for differing reasons, and any magic user who wants a reliable mass of undead. [[Undead]] species especially profit from an easy way to [[torment]] your enemies without hurting themselves.
  
 
=="General" Gods==
 
=="General" Gods==
−
Instead of choosing a god who will simply enhance your character's specialization, you can also go with a god who shores up your weaknesses or who'll provide some emergency help.
+
Instead of choosing a god who will simply enhance your character's specialization, you can also go with a god that shores up your weaknesses, one that provides some emergency help, or one that is just plain powerful.
  
−
===[[Makhleb]] the Destroyer ===
+
===[[Dithmenos]] the Shadowed===
−
Makhleb is the god of violent death. Followers earn piety by killing enemies and sacrificing their corpses to the Destroyer. Doing so will eventually grant you a chance to heal some HP when dealing a killing blow, the ability to hurl minor/greater destruction, and finally the power to summon minor/major demons. This makes [[Makhleb]] a solid choice for characters with healing issues (Deep Dwarves and Vampires, among others) or those who want to have access to an easy-to-train ranged ability. The demons summoned are perfect fodder to cover your escape but can also overwhelm weaker enemies.
+
Dithmenos' most obvious perk is improving your stealth, but this isn't all this god is good for!
 +
 
 +
Specifically, Dithmenos immediately gives you an [[umbra]], decreasing enemy [[to hit|accuracy]] and eventually doubling your stealth. This umbra will eventually grow to cover your entire [[LOS]].
 +
 
 +
Shadow Step, given at 3*, will blink you within one space near an enemy within your umbra. This can be used to nail a [[stab]] within as few turns as possible... or you can use it to escape, or get into a hallway with only one monster near it.
 +
 
 +
Dith's other abilities continue to help both the intentionally stealthy and a more conventional character:
 +
*Shadow Mimic will copy your attacks up to 50% of the time at maximum piety -- great for spamming [[Hexes]], [[Conjurations]], or even just melee attacks. An effective 25% damage increase, this passive alone should give Dithmenos some respect for any character.
 +
*Bleed Fog at 4* will provide sight-prohibiting fog clouds any time you take sufficient damage. Useful for enemies with any sort of ranged attack, particularly the manifold sources of [[torment]].
 +
*The 5* Shadow Form halves damage taken (and dealt), giving any character an escape. Using the ability, as well as taking damage while a shadow, gives temporary HP [[drain]], but it's an ability that lets you be fairly secure in your escape.
 +
 
 +
'''Recommended race and class combinations''': Characters looking for some unique escape tools and power; that preferably benefit from extra stealth. Ultra stealthy, ultra low level [[Spriggan]] challenge runs looking to sneak runes like in the [[Lair]] rune branches and the [[Abyss]] deserve a special mention.
 +
 
 +
Note that classically stealthy characters - [[Spriggan]]s, [[Vampire]]s, etc., don't particularly need Dith's help to do what they do. If playing by the normal XP curve, they will have all the stealth they'll need without the help of a god.
  
−
'''Recommended Race and Class Combinations''': Anybody who can't heal naturally, or heals slowly. Besides the obvious [[Deep Dwarves]] and [[Vampires]], [[Ghouls]] can do well with Makhleb.
+
===[[Gozag Ym Sagoz]] the Greedy===
 +
Gozag Ym Sagoz is the god of money. In order to join Gozag, you have to spend a service fee. Followers gain no piety. Instead, they turn corpses into gold -- including corpse drops like [[dancing weapon]]s -- and spend it on Gozag's invocations. This gold can often distract enemies, bedazzling them with riches (an easy passive to underrate).
  
−
===[[Yredelemnul]] the Reaper===
+
If you have 400 gold, you are able to call in a Potion Petition. Each petition calls in 3 random sets of potions; but the potential to pop [[potion of heal wounds|heal wounds]], [[haste]], and [[potion of resistance|resistance]] ''at the same time'' is a rather strong panic button. Use it when you have to, preferably before you are one turn away from dying, as potions are still random. Note that this ability's costs are based on the potion set itself, and works even if you can't normally drink potions.
−
Yredelemnul is the dark god of death. By following him, your character can learn various necromancy-related powers without having to train spellcasting or necromancy. Like [[Makhleb]], [[Yredelemnul]] grants you a way to heal (by sucking the life force out of every monster around you!), but he also brings some unique tools to the table, such as the power to reflect damage inflicted to you. [[Yredelemnul]] will regularly send his undead minions to help you (an early [[bone dragon]] buddy is great fun!). Somewhat redundant for spellcasters already versed in necromancy, but still far from useless. Be aware, however, that in the extended endgame (i.e. Tomb, Pan, Hell), gaining piety with Yred is very difficult, and his servants will usually be outclassed, rendering him considerably less useful in those places.  Luckily, his wrath is relatively light, making a switch easy.
 
  
−
'''Recommended Race and Class Combinations''': Any sort of character who wants some free, powerful allies and some potent panic buttons. Some, but decidedly not all, of his abilities are redundant to [[Necromancy]] or [[Summoning]], meaning it is more often melee characters who favor Yred.
+
With at least 800 gold, you can call in a shop directly at your location. Shops can give you a great [[spellbook]], [[weapon]] to train in, or [[armour]] and [[jewellery]] to prop up your resistances. However, nothing is guaranteed, and the cost of each successive shop is increased.
  
−
===[[Beogh]] the Brigand===
+
With 3000 gold, you can Bribe Branch - turning enemies neutral, or even into your allies! Difficult levels, such as the [[Tomb]] or [[Zot:5]], are made into jokes by bribing once or twice.
−
Beogh can only be worshipped if your character is a [[Hill Orc]], but grants many useful passive powers and bonuses. You'll get more mileage from using orcish gear (i.e. better offensive and defensive bonuses), and the orcs you encounter in the dungeon may become allies (who may follow you between floors) upon meeting you! Worshipping [[Beogh]] also gives you access to a powerful Smite spell that uses Piety but is well worth it. The [[Orcish Mines]] will never get easier than this... although by late-game your orcish followers probably won't be up to the task of taking over [[Hell]] or [[Pandemonium]] by themselves.
 
  
−
'''Recommended Race and Class Combinations''': If you're planning on playing Beogh as a melee character, there is virtually no reason not to start as a Hill Orc Priest, given that altars to Beogh can be difficult to find, setting your character way behind on piety. However, a player who wants to use magic to support their orcs (i.e. [[haste|hasting]] them and making them [[invisibility|invisible]]) might consider a casting or hybrid class, but even that is likely to be suboptimal: a better option would just be to train Int on a HOPr.
+
'''Recommended Race and Class Combinations''': Gozag is a strong god choice for any character, but especially those who want the ability to ignore some of the most difficult floors in the game, or who have limited access to potion effects like [[mummy]]s and [[vine stalker]]s. Finding an early shop with a powerful but expensive [[artefact]] is also a good reason to worship Gozag, as you will be able to afford it much sooner. Characters looking to dive through multiple [[Ziggurat]]s may want to worship Gozag; where the mass of gold will always keep enemies distracted while allowing you to gain permanent [[haste]] through Potion Petition. Gozag is somewhat less desirable on species like [[troll]]s that want to wear dragon scales (which Gozag will turn into gold), but shops can make up for this.
  
 
===[[Elyvilon]] the Healer===  
 
===[[Elyvilon]] the Healer===  
−
Elyvilon provides healing, rot curing/stat fixing and divine vigour. As one of the "good gods", she does not accept undead or demonspawn worshippers.
+
Elyvilon the Healer... what else do you need but healing? Ely piety is gained by exploration, and partially retained if you switch to or from [[TSO]] or [[Zin]]. A particularly spectacular feature is Ely's lifesaving; while the other good gods may save your life, Elyvilon is guaranteed to at 5* of piety, with a piety-based cooldown. And like the other good gods, Ely will forgive abandonment, unless you then worship an evil god.
  
−
Elyvilon followers play similarly to fighters, except they can heal themselves virtually anytime and can avoid fighting some difficult enemies, such as hydras, by pacifying them and turning them into neutral monsters. Pacifying demons and undead this way is less effective, but the ability to heal yourself in the middle of a fight can add tremendous lasting power to any tank. On top of that, as a last resort you can activate Divine Protection, letting you survive fatal blows for a time in exchange for piety.
+
As you would expect, Elyvilon provides a plethora of healing and buffing abilities:
 +
*At 1* of piety, you gain the ability to Purify yourself from various status conditions. Many poisonous creatures exist in the [[Lair]] and before, and confusion is a pervasive threat throughout the game. [[Petrification]] is another noteworthy status. One of the few ways to cure draining and restore lowered stats.
 +
*At 2* piety, you can Heal Others, potentially pacifying them. Keep in mind who it targets; animals, such as [[Hydra]]s, are the most likely to be pacified, and mindless creatures, such as [[slime creature|slimes]], can't be pacified at all. In spite of the name, this is effectively a smite targeted instant death ability, and is very powerful with high Invocations.
 +
*At 3* piety, can you Heal Self. It's as strong as you'd expect healing to be, and no more or less.
 +
*And at 5*, you gain access to Divine Vigour, which increases your max [[HP]] and [[MP]] by respectable amounts.
  
−
Formerly, Elyvilon was popular for training invocations before switching to another non-evil god. As Invocations training no longer requires spending much piety, she is now significantly less popular.
+
Elyvilon's tools are plain, but powerful. Healing can turn the tides of battle, give you enough healing to escape, and save your life. Almost nothing can outdamage 50+ hp per turn.
  
−
'''Recommended race and class combinations''': Any character with trouble surviving in combat can make use of her healing abilities. Good candidates include Deep Dwarves and Felids (who have the added bonus of not requiring weapons of any sort).
+
'''Recommended race and class combinations''': Elyvilon rewards high [[Invocations]] and is best on characters who can afford it, but heal self is useful even with minimal investment. Heal Other is particularly good for characters that lack a strong ranged option and have a high Invocations aptitude.
  
 
===[[Lugonu]] the Unformed===
 
===[[Lugonu]] the Unformed===
−
Lugonu allows you to instantly banish yourself and depart to/from the abyss. This can instantly save your life, but will permanently reduce your maximum HP. In addition, the corruption ability makes Zot:5 and many branch final levels much easier since you it allows you to create walls in areas that would otherwise be open. Getting the orb is much easier, since you can corrupt the walls and then immediately banish yourself to the Abyss once you pick up the Orb.
+
Lugonu is the god of the [[Abyss]], with every ability revolving around its dominion over the eldritch plane.
 +
 
 +
When banished to the Abyss, Lugonu will provide an immediate way out. This costs a decent amount of piety, but is definitely worth your safety. If you've abandoned another god to escape, then Lugonu will partially protect you. Whenever godly wrath triggers, Lugonu will banish random monsters.
 +
 
 +
But what's generally more useful than getting out of the Abyss, is getting things in:
 +
*A 2* worshipper gains the ability to banish any enemy. If it succeeds against enemy [[willpower]], the target will be banished -  essentially killed. If it fails, it inflicts [[malmutate]], which significantly lowers [[AC]] and also lowers willpower.
 +
: Dangerous uniques are no more - and with the help of a [[scroll of vulnerability]], even [[the Royal Jelly]] can be sent to the Abyss! Keep your distance and watch your piety. Banish, like other hexes, doesn't have the greatest success rate, and is somewhat redundant with spell magic.
 +
*You can banish '''yourself''' too. This is an incredibly costly ability: ten MP, a large chunk of your HP, a huge piety cost, and the Abyss still isn't exactly safe. But the Abyss may well be less dangerous than the middle of the Orb Chamber on [[Zot:5]] or a [[Ziggurat]], so it can give you a relatively safe space to recover from a hectic late-game battle.
 +
 
 +
Despite its relatively high piety cost, worshippers should never be too stingy with banishing monsters. Lugonu's other invocations are quite useful, though never a staple of your kit:
 +
*The Corruption ability, given at ****, makes many levels, including [[Zot:5]], easier. Not only do you break otherwise impassible stone walls, but the swarms of neutral, high level monsters will duke it out with natural inhabitants. You can only corrupt once per level, but that's all you (should) need.
 +
*Finally, you can bless a weapon at 6*, increasing its enchantment and giving it the [[distortion]] brand. Distortion is a somewhat risky brand as it may [[blink]] your enemies away from you. However, it provides bonus damage, regardless of base damage, making it particularly good on small and fast weapons.
 +
 
 +
'''Recommended race and class combinations''': Characters seeking alternative means for dealing with particularly meddlesome monsters and levels, particularly those focused on melee. Characters already banished to the [[Abyss]] who desperately need a way out. Notably, Lugonu is difficult to find outside the Abyss itself or starting as an [[Abyssal Knight]].
 +
 
 +
===[[Zin]] the Law-Giver===
 +
Zin is the god of order.  Piety is largely gained from gold donation, which hurts on your shopping supply. However, gaining piety with a late-game character with enough gold is a quick task. Piety can also be obtained by killing the chaotic, demonic, and undead (thus, demonspawn and undead players are unable to worship Zin).
 +
 
 +
Zin hates [[chaotic]] actions, and therefore any form of [[mutation]]. Therefore, the law-giver provides resilliance from mutation; at 6* of piety, you get complete immunity, so [[potions of mutation]] now rinse you free of them. Late-game characters looking for a way out of deadly malmutations might desire Zin for this purpose. Zin also blocks 50% of [[Hell]]'s mystical effects (as well as all mutations).
 +
 
 +
The main draw of Zin, however, ithe plethora of largely defensive active abilities:
 +
*Recite is a free 1* piety ability. It is particularly helpful in dealing with particularly dangerous demons, undead, or priests, but can affect a wide array of intelligent monsters. Recite triggers three times over the course of three turns; anything that requires the use of your mouth (such as reading a scroll or drinking a potion) will interrupt Recite, but can still be performed if necessary.
 +
*Another buff, though not free, comes from Vitalize (2*). This ability isn't as powerful as a dedicated combat god like Okawaru, but it protects you from many status effects, such as [[poison]] and [[petrification]].
 +
*Zin also provides ability to Imprison dangerous monsters (3*). Use it on the many uniques you have to run from; many mid and late-game uniques are still very threatening to your character.
 +
 
 +
However, Zin's most notable ability is Sanctuary; obtained at 5*, it scares monsters within a 9-tile radius and prevents almost all attacks. It is nigh-absolute. Almost every situation, every mistake, can be solved by using Sanctuary and a few items, especially near a staircase. If you don't have stairs, at least you can heal or teleport away! Just be mindful of [[Silence]] and the 9 MP cost.
 +
 
 +
'''Recommended Race and Class Combinations''': Zin works well for any strong character looking for safety against incredibly dangerous situations and mutations. Zin is a decent swap for already well-developed characters due to its money-reliant piety gain.
 +
 
 +
===[[Hepliaklqana]] the Forgotten===
 +
Hepliaklqana is the god of memory. You will gain piety when exploring.
 +
 
 +
Reaching 1* of piety will give you access to your (customizable) ancestor -- and a loss of 10% maximum [[HP]] used to manifest it. Soon comes the ability to give them a class: knight, battlemage, or hexer.
 +
*Knights are well armoured, and well suited for tanking damage for a vulnerable mage or [[Felid|cat]]. From XL15, they start to get a branded [[broad axe]] and [[tower shield]] of [[reflection]].
 +
*Battlemages are offensive. They will fire various offensive spells, though their staff will still provide good damage in melee.
 +
*Hexers, well, hex. For zero-cost, they'll spam [[Slow]], [[Confuse]], and more as you level up. They also come with a [[draining (brand)|draining]] brand melee, upgraded to [[antimagic]] at XL24.
 +
The ancestor will gain power and even some new equipment as you level up. They are strong enough to fight many battles on its own, though fighting together is always stronger! Even if its just you firing behind your ancestor (or vice versa), as neither being will block the other's projectiles. Remember that enemies benefit from corridors as much as you; try and find areas where you can 2v1 enemies without allowing them to swarm you. Or, you can use your ally as a distraction to run away (without [[attacks of opportunity]]), which includes igniting them with an [[Inner Flame]] first.
 +
 
 +
Transference comes at 3*, giving you various clever repositioning techniques. You can '''t'''ell your ancestor to '''r'''etreat, then swap yourself for an easy escape tool. You can swap a monster with the ancestor in order to get a stab off. From 5* of piety onwards, using this ability will [[drain]] enemies affected. But Idealize (4*) is really the star of the show: For a medium piety cost, you will instantly heal and strengthen your ancestor; allowing it to win dangerous fights all by itself.
 +
 
 +
'''Recommended race and class combinations''': Hepliaklqana might not be ''the best'' for naturally strong characters - [[Minotaur]]s, [[Troll]], etc. But for those who struggle with combat, and want a god that can explicitly ''carry'' them through fights later in the game - think [[Octopode]], [[Mummy]], or challenge runs - benefit most with Hep. However, any character can greatly appreciate Hep's ancestor.
 +
 
 +
===[[Fedhas Madash]]===
 +
Fedhas Madash is the god of plants, allowing you summon plant allies to aid you in battle. Fedhas appreciates your contributions to the ecosystem (i.e., killing non-plant monsters).
 +
 
 +
From 0*, you gain the ability to pass and shoot through plants; even a [[Fireball]] won't hurt them. Plus, all plant enemies (such as [[oklob plant]]s and [[thorn hunter]]s) will turn neutral. Enemies will struggle getting through plants. More specifically, you can create a wall of thorny [[briar patch]]es with your 2* ability. Use this to get away, or to do some safe chip damage. Briars do not block projectiles, however.
 +
 
 +
Fedhas' strongest invocations are the rapid-fire [[ballistomycete]]s and [[oklob plant]]s, obtained at 3* and 5* respectively. Ballistomycetes need care; they will summon explosive spores, which will confuse and damage anything in caught in its blast (including you!). Oklob plants are stronger, shooting [[acid]] (inflicts the ever-useful [[corrosion]]) at your opponents. Both are stronger than their enemy counterparts, and like any summon, will support a Fedhas worshipper through and through.
 +
 
 +
In addition, you gain the ability to create overgrowths in walls (4*). This ability will overwrite even stone walls with various flora; allowing you to bypass stone-locked areas such as Slime:5 and Zot:5.
 +
 
 +
Your plant abilities will become truly impressive at high Invocations. But, even at low-medium Invocations, they can inflict devastating status effects.
 +
 
 +
'''Recommended Race and Class Combinations''': Characters who can afford to invest heavily into [[Invocation]]s; especially [[Hill Orc]] and [[Demonspawn]], who have a high aptitude. Characters with a good ranged option will be able to use briars most effectively (and will have less trouble avoiding ballistomycete spores), but even pure melee characters work well with Fedhas.
 +
 
 +
===[[Nemelex Xobeh]] the Trickster===
 +
Nemelex Xobeh is the god of the draw. As you explore, not only do you get piety, but Nemelex also provides you with a set of three decks (Destruction, Escape, and Summoning) and cards to fill them up.
 +
 
 +
Destructive cards do what's on the tin; they destroy. These cards often replicate conjuration spells, like corrosive [[bolt spells|bolts]] and [[orb of destruction]]. Escape cards can give you space; from sight-blocking fog to solid walls to conventional healing over time. Summoning cards let you create a mass of allies, of decent to [[pandemonium lord]] quality. All three sets of cards scale strongly with Invocations skill; their combat effects are improved by it.
 +
 
 +
Cards are drawn randomly, and you can store a maximum of 52. But as the dealer, you get the ability to stack the deck. Literally - as a 5* power, you can stack a deck of 5 cards to use separately. Nemelex also provides a few other manipulative abilities:
 +
*You can Triple Draw at 3* - allowing you to pick one of three cards -- the other two are discarded. Great when you need that ''one specific'' card, or when drawing cards like [[Degeneration card|Degeneration]] would be harming.
 +
*You can instead play 4 cards, all at once, at 4* of piety. You'll most likely be in a ''much'' safer spot when you do 4 escaping effects at once -- or even just 4 cards of pure damage. Of course, this is heavy on your card count.
  
−
'''Recommended race and class combinations''': Any character seeking alternative means for dealing with particularly meddlesome monsters and levels. Outside of the abyss, an altar to Lugonu can only be found on a corrupted temple layout, often making Lugnou more of a situational and opportunistic choice, rather than a pre-planned one. This situationalism extends to the Abyss as well, where conversion can offer rare means for reliable and relatively quick escape.
+
'''Recommended race and class combinations''': Characters with good Invocations aptitude can make the best use of Nemelex, but most any character will appreciate the variety of powerful effects that cards can offer.
  
 
==Exotic/Challenging Gods==
 
==Exotic/Challenging Gods==
−
The following gods grant unreliable benefits or are simply more challenging to worship than others.
+
The following gods either:
 +
*Have unique [[piety]] systems that you must take into account,
 +
*Have quirks that make them potentially dangerous to follow,
 +
*Are simply weaker than average,
 +
*Or just provide a different playstyle, unique from any heathens.
 +
 
 +
===[[Ignis]] the Dying Flame===
 +
Ignis, as the name suggests, is a god of fire. And, just like a lit fuse, it'll soon burn out entirely. Ignis worshippers, namely [[Cinder Acolyte]]s, start with 5* of piety, but can not ever gain piety. On the plus side, you won't lose piety over time -- though it'll be depleted through ability use.
 +
 
 +
Ignis comes with the proactive Fiery Armour, and the overall powerful Foxfire Swarm. The former gives you some AC and retaliatory damage, useful for fairly tough (but not too tough) early enemies -- think [[adder]]s and [[bullfrog]]s. The latter creates a ton of [[foxfire]]s, which are incredibly powerful early, but do not scale. Both powers are lost once you get below 1* of piety.
 +
 
 +
Rising Flame is a 'capstone' ability; available for free at any piety level, but only once. You will rise up to the floor above in 2-4 turns; effectively a better, always safe teleport. It is incredibly strong no matter when or where you use it (except the [[Abyss]]), but make sure you consider the other two invocations first!
 +
 
 +
Even with piety fully depleted, Ignis will always provide rF+. However, it is desirable to switch to another god sooner or later -- Ignis' unusually weak wrath encourages this.  Gods like [[Yred]] or [[Zin]] both have piety systems that let you catch up without prior worship, though any god will work. Consider switching after finishing the [[Lair]] or the [[Dungeon]] branch, though when exactly to leave is ultimately up to you. Just beware of [[fire elemental]]s and [[shaft]]ing!
 +
 
 +
'''Recommended race and class combinations''': [[Cinder Acolyte]]s are the only class that can use Ignis at best time in the game, or the very first few floors of the dungeon.
 +
 
 +
Any species who has trouble with the early game - aka, any character - benefits from Ignis. Species that would really like a consistent early game, like [[Barachim]] and maybe [[Mummy]] (who also likes rF), benefit the most. Species like [[Hill Orc]] and [[Minotaur]], that can handle the 'weak spot' before you get another god, like the incredible consistency provided by Ignis.
 +
 
 +
===[[Beogh]] the Brigand===
 +
Beogh can only be worshipped by [[Hill Orc]] characters. In exchange, it grants the ability to convert fellow orcs into allies!
  
−
===[[Zin]] the Law-Giver===
+
Orcs will join you when they see you, when you nearly kill them, or when you would have killed them. You get a better conversion chance with higher piety and experience level, so waiting to complete the (now extremely easy) [[Orcish Mines]] is recommended. Your Orcs can take out even [[Zot]], if by your help and sheer numbers, but struggle in the extended game. Beogh's orcs, being one of the few permanent allies in the game, can take up to half your [[XP]] for killing a monster -- the god will also distrbute bonus XP for free. In turn, they will eventually level up into [[Orc warlord]]s, and can be gifted equipment. [[Polearm]]s are very useful for your army, able to hit behind you and other orcs for extra damage.
−
Zin provides followers with the ability to boost their stats and resist various physical effects, such as sickness, rot, poison, and mutation. His Recite ability, though it takes three turns to pull off, can be greatly helpful in dealing with particularly dangerous demons, undead, or priests. At higher levels of piety, he provides the powerful defensive abilities Imprison and Sanctuary, and especially pious followers may receive a one-time cure for all of their mutations. Zin's piety gain requires donating gold, so expect to have considerably less money than usual. His dietary restrictions are also the most stringent of any god, as he forbids the consumption of sentient creatures. A great "ninja" god.
+
 
 +
[[Beogh]] also gives you access to a powerful Smite. It is quite expensive in piety - but there's nothing else quite like it. It is a guaranteed hit on any enemy within LOS. Take out threatening uniques in just a few turns, or an an annoying [[boggart]], opposing [[orc high priest]], or [[vault warden]].
 +
 
 +
Beogh's other active, Resurrection (6*), is really if you care about a specific orc. Normally, it's better to use all your piety on Smiting -- there's nothing else to use it on! To complete the Abrahamic connections, Beogh allows passive water walking at 5*, which is a small consideration for [[Swamp]] or [[Shoals]].
 +
 
 +
'''Recommended Race and Class Combinations''': As stated, only Hill Orcs may worship Beogh - Hill Orc Monk is a decent combination. HO is a fairly strong species, but Beogh gives a chance of salvation if you're about to die from an [[orc priest]]. Beogh's ally play is redundant with [[Summonings]] and [[Necromancy]], and orcs may get in the way of some destructive [[Conjurations]].
 +
 
 +
===[[Ru]] the Awakened===
 +
Ru is the god of sacrifice... not of corpses or items, but yourself.
 +
 
 +
When you explore, Ru will occasionally grant the option of 3 different sacrifices. This can be as extreme as cutting your hand (removing two-handed weapons, [[shield]]s, and a single [[ring]]), to as simple as losing a little [[Strength]]. Stronger sacrifices will be justly rewarded, and during the dangerous early game, you might want Ru's extreme power. Your sacrifices suffice; there is no need for Invocations skill.
 +
 
 +
Ru's powerful aura will soon come and protect you - dissuading attacks, stunning your enemies, or even reflecting attacks back. While even at max piety, there's "only" a 15% chance to do something, your aura still gives a noticeable combat buff for any character.
  
−
'''Recommended Race and Class Combinations''': Zin works well for any characters that highly benefit from increased stats, be it spellcasters who want to improve their spells or stealthy characters who can benefit from increased dexterity.  
+
Ru's actives all come with a theme. They cost no piety; instead, they have a cooldown ([[exhaustion]] status), and potentially [[drain]] you of temporary max hit points:
 +
*Draw Out Power will immediately replenish [[HP]] and [[MP]], while curing a plethora of status effects. A (nearly) free healing potion isn't to be scoffed at.
 +
*Power Leap, similar to a [[barachim]]'s hop, lets you accurately pick a nearby tile to land near. Great when surrounded, or just about any situation you need to bail on (but beware of noise!). It deals quite a bit of damage, and doesn't even drain you!
  
−
===[[Fedhas Madash]] the Natural===
+
But Ru's most impressive ability comes from Apocalypse. Given at 5* of piety, it will brutalize every enemy in [[line of sight]]. Anything that somehow survives is given a debilitating status. From taking out [[hydra]]e to nuking an [[alarm trap|alarmed]] floor full of monsters, this ability is incessantly powerful, and should be used in dangerous situations often. While it does heavily drain you, killing packs of enemies will give you the experience needed to mitigate, or even fully negate, the draining.
−
Fedhas Madash allows you to alter the terrain around you and create plant allies to aid you in battle. This god isn't well suited for a 15-rune game, due to the rarity of corpses in the extended end-game. Fedhas can significantly help you in Zot:5 by allowing you to create a large Oklob farm, which can be quite effective in clearing the Orb chamber, by luring monsters into it.
 
  
−
'''Recommended Race and Class Combinations''': Merfolk and tengu are well-suited to Fedhas, as they are least hindered by his rain invocation. Other good candidates include grey or black draconians and octopodes.
+
'''Recommended race and class combinations''': Melee characters naturally face more attacks for your aura to negate, benefit from more "sacrifices" you wouldn't use (such as magic schools, Love, and stealth), and appreciate an MP-expensive, full LOS attack the most. However, any character who is willing to give in to the sacrifices is a good pick for Ru -- and if you don't like any of them, you can leave Ru with no penalty (other than sacrifices you've already made).
  
 
===[[Jiyva]] the Shapeless===  
 
===[[Jiyva]] the Shapeless===  
−
Jiyva constantly alters your body with (usually) good mutations and stat shuffling. In exchange, worshipers have to frantically run around grabbing items, before jellies devour them. Typically, you'll have very few items to use in the end-game. Jiyva is best for brawny unarmed fighters.  
+
Jiyva is the slime god - fittingly, only guaranteed to spawn in the [[Slime Pits]]. Assuming you can find them in the [[Temple]] or [[Lair]], they are respectably strong. Exploring (outside of Slime) will rapidly give you piety. As the slime god, Jiyva will make jellies and slimes (and eyeballs) neutral to you, provide resistance to [[corrosive]] effects, and immunity to slime-covered walls.
  
−
'''Recommended race and class combinations''': Ogres, trolls, felids, and octopodes can't wear boots, gloves, or helmets, so the Unarmed Combat mutations and potential resistances offered by Jiyva are exceptionally useful for them.
+
The most notable thing about Jiyva are it's constantly summoned jellies. Jellies will constantly devour items, and Jiyva itself will slowly consume items on already explored floors. To compensate, a 1* Jiyva will provide massive regeneration: starting at 0.8 HP and 0.25 MP / turn, ramping up to double that at maximum piety.
 +
 
 +
Your body will constantly be changing with bursts of (usually) good mutations, while naturally clearing bad ones. These "good" mutations might prevent you from wearing equipment or lower your AC, but come about as quickly as they go.
 +
 
 +
Slimify (5*) is Jiyva's most impressive ability. Thanks to Jiyva's fast piety gain, it is spammable, and Slimify turns ''any'' threatening enemy into a neutral within 2 turns. (barring already [[insubstantial]]s, including  the [[orb of fire]]). Oozemancy (3*) is another, cheaper invocation, turning the walls into corroding acid walls. Use this to inflict the ever-deadly [[corrode]] debuff.
 +
 
 +
Finally, at 6* piety Jiyva will unlock the Slimy Rune for free (though the slimes will devour most of the loot in the rune vault). If you chose to kill [[the Royal Jelly]] for that rune earlier, Jiyva will die. But embrace the Royal Jelly (5*), and you'll reflexively create high-level slimes on a sufficiently damaging hit.
 +
 
 +
Jiyva is hard to recommend, if only because Jiyva altars are often found so late. [[Elyvilon]] or [[Ignis]] are potential gods to chew on before you find Jiyva's altar. Later on, you'll have had plenty of chances to spawn and save consumables.
 +
 
 +
'''Recommended race and class combinations''': Going into a game expecting to use any god is a bad mindset, and this couldn't be more true for Jiyva. However, characters who struggle with strong monsters and all three of the 3rd runes, such as [[Felid]]s or [[Spriggan]]s, benefit most. [[Troll]]s, [[Vine Stalker]]s, and [[Vampire]]s all have faster regeneration - aka, less time wasted before jellies eat your items. [[Cinder Acolyte]]s can afford the time to wait until Lair or Slime, and (should) waste less consumables during the early game.
 +
 
 +
===[[Uskayaw]] the Reveller===
 +
Uskayaw is the god of the (combat) dance; like a ritual, piety comes and goes extremely quickly. Expect to get your piety to 6* in a long fight - but after a couple of calm turns, it'll fall down to 1* again.
 +
 
 +
*Stomp (1*) allows worshippers to deal guaranteed, percentile damage to your opponents, while Line Pass (2*) gives extra mobility by crossing through and confusing a line of monsters.
 +
*This is before Uskayaw will paralyse your enemies, giving you the chance to [[stab]] or otherwise obliterate your foes.
 +
*If the fight lasts long enough, Uskayaw will put your enemies in a pain bond (4*); attacks that hurt one enemy will hurt others nearby. Axes will hit multiple times to hit multiple times again; that is, if you or the monsters can last that long.
 +
*You can end if off with a Grand Finale, instantly killing any foe in the game (success determined on piety and [[Invocations]]). It uses up all your piety, but it's both a teleport and a way to eliminate a particularly tough enemy.
 +
 
 +
'''Recommended race and class combinations''': Characters who can afford to invest well into [[Invocations]], more specifically [[axe]] fighters (more damage) and [[stab]]bers (so many distractions!). Mages (other than Enchanters) might want to stay away, as magic simply isn't as good at sustaining Uskayaw's dance.
  
 
===[[Xom]] the Unpredictable===
 
===[[Xom]] the Unpredictable===
−
Xom is an interesting god that'll likely cause you to die in a hilarious way. Most of his actions are either harmful, flavourful, or somewhat helpful. Xom rewards high risk play-styles.
+
Xom is an interesting god that'll likely cause you to die in a hilarious way. Most of his actions are either harmful, flavourful, or somewhat helpful. Eventually, Chaos Knights will end up with a large amount of beneficial mutations, but a god that'll still kill them on a whim.
  
−
'''Recommended Race and Class Combinations''':  [[Chaos Knight]]s start off worshiping Xom.  This is considered a "challenge class", and the game does not recommend it for any race.
+
'''Recommended Race and Class Combinations''':  [[Chaos Knight]]s start off worshipping Xom.  This is considered a "challenge class", and the game does not recommend it for any race.
  
 
===[[Cheibriados]] the Contemplative===
 
===[[Cheibriados]] the Contemplative===
−
Cheibriados is a deity who rewards you for moving slowly and killing fast creatures, but detests seeing you haste yourself. Being slow is a big disadvantage, but possibly worth it in exchange for massive stat boosts, multiple resistances, and the ability to deal huge amounts of damage with the Slouch ability.  
+
Cheibriados is the slow god; eventually, worshippers will accrue up to a 10 [[aut]] penalty to movement speed (movement takes twice as long for most species). Being slow is a huge disadvantage; repositioning yourself risks taking multiple attacks, and running away is generally flat-out impossible without using consumables. But Cheibriados happens to be a god who provides said resources; and might even help you stop those situations all together.
 +
 
 +
As piety rises (by killing faster creatures), you will gain increased stats. At 6* piety, this equates to +15 Str, Int, and Dex. Chei worshipers can wear heavier armour while casting stronger spells and dodging more. For example, they can easily cast [[Translocation]]s to supplant Chei's slowness. But these stats start as slow as Chei itself; the slowness you vulnerable to many normal speed threats in the early dungeon without much compensation. It starts out small: Chei will immediately slow down the effects of [[poison]], giving you more time to regenerate off it. Useful for [[killer bee]]s and [[Lair]].
 +
 
 +
From 1* of piety, you gain the ability to Bend Time, [[Slow]]ing creatures down. This ability requires a fair bit of [[Invocations]] investment, though reducing an enemy's combat and chase potential is still quite useful.
 +
 
 +
Slouch is a powerful, 4* invocation that always hits every enemy within [[LOS]]. Threatening screens can just be completely negated, if expensive. Slouch is particularly effective against faster enemies, and particularly effective against packs of enemies such as [[killer bee]]s, [[list of arthropods#Arachnids|spiders]], and [[caustic shrike]]s. Those same enemies will give you piety back, though Slouch too expensive to be net-even. Damage is based off movement speed and XL, not Invocations.
 +
 
 +
Step from Time is a potentially stronger ability - but one that's entirely defensive. Unlocked at 5* piety, it allows you to hide for hundreds or thousands of turns; by then, your foes would have scattered, looking for you. This benefits from large spaces; monsters will wander away in due time, giving you at least the space to escape.
 +
 
 +
Cheibriados worshipers are punished for making a mistake. A single move can give every enemy 2-3 turns. While Chei's later invocations help mitigate mistakes, you would rather not spend tons of piety to fix a common error. Being slow changes how you play Crawl in its entirety. Being flexible by playing slow - literally and figuratively - is a must.
 +
 
 +
'''Recommended race and class combinations''': Characters and players who can play around the move speed penalty; preferably ones that can use every stat Chei offers. Slow move speed is usually most dangerous when you first join Chei, so characters that can gain piety quickly like [[monk]]s, slow species (like [[Naga]]s and [[Barachim]], or anyone with [[ponderous]]), and characters with an [[amulet of faith]] will have an easier time worshipping Chei. Even with faster piety gain, its important to keep in mind that by worshipping Chei, you are giving up near term strength for future strength.
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 +
===[[Yredelemnul]] the Dark===
 +
Yredelemnul is the dark god of undeath. Followers gain the power to rouse the dead by channeling Yred's power (not through Necromancy magic). The resulting undead horde is both a useful aid in combat and the fuel for Yred's powers.
 +
 
 +
By worshipping Yred, you will automatically create zombies and spectres whenever you kill. Useful in their own right, though they will dissipate if you leave the level at all. As long as you can see them, you can exchange zombies for various perks. (And you can recall them if you ''don't'' see them). They can be converted to various powers:
 +
*For 2 souls, and at 2* piety, you can summon a stronger, temporary ally. Respectable allies such as [[Profane servitor]]s and [[Bone dragon]]s may spawn at high piety and invocations.
 +
*For 3 souls and 3* piety, you can drain the life from living creatures. Healing is always great for emergencies, even if the damage isn't all that great.
 +
*And at 5* piety, you can bind a creature's soul to eternal service. It'll retain the same abilities and equipment it had in life, while having similar (noticeably stronger earlier on) stats and now-[[draining]] attacks. Unlike the rest of the zombies, these souls can travel between levels.
  
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'''Recommended race and class combinations''': Nagas are slower than most everything else in the dungeon, letting them gain piety at lightning speed with Chei and enhancing the damage output of Slouch even further. Transmuters of all stripes are best suited for worshiping Chei, due to the odd fact that he doesn't seem to mind you transforming into a fast creature and that his stat boosts give tremendous bonuses to the [[Blade Hands]] spell.
+
Notably, Yred's wrath is relatively light (especially after 3 runes), making a switch rather easy.
  
−
===[[Nemelex Xobeh]] the Trickster===
+
'''Recommended Race and Class Combinations''': Characters who can afford to 'get the ball rolling' each floor with a heaping of undead. Important abilities are redundant to [[Necromancy]] or [[Summoning]], and get in the way of [[Conjuration]]s, meaning it is more often melee characters who favor Yred.
−
Nemelex Xobeh allows you to use powerfully magical decks more safely. Playing with cards is time consuming and risky, but offers great utility and even more power than spells. Decks of summoning provide powerful allies, legendary decks of dungeon have the Trowel card (makes portals to bazaars and ziggurats), and decks of escape provide life-saving effects more powerful than anything else in the game (Tomb, Portal, and Warp). Notably, her powers depend on Evocations rather than Invocations.
 
  
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'''Recommended race and class combinations''': As the only Evocations god, and one who provides a wide variety of magical effects, Nemelex is well-suited for spriggans, felids, kobolds, and trolls as a quick way to access powerful magic that their mediocre-to-bad magic aptitudes would have difficulty matching. They also benefit from their high Evocations aptitudes (well, trolls don't, but that's not unusual for them).
+
Note that Yred's corpse raising removes the ability to obtain [[troll leather armour]] or [[dragon scales]] from slaying their respective monster. [[Troll]]s, [[Ogre]]s, and [[Spriggan]]s are discouraged from rousing the black torch.
  
 
===[[Ashenzari]] the Shackled===
 
===[[Ashenzari]] the Shackled===
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Ashenzari is the bound god of Divination, and lets players identify items, see through walls, and gain knowledge of their equipment as you gain piety. Piety gain is easy; simply explore new areas and collect runes to access his powers. However, in order to access these gifts you must be as bound as he is, allowing your equipment to be cursed. How dangerous this trade-off is depends on your character and play style. Fortunately, Ashenzari doesn't mind if you uncurse yourself on occasion to switch gear.
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Ashenzari is the bound god of Divination, and gives players the ability to curse your items. In fact, this is the ''only'' way to gain piety; and once they're cursed, you can't remove them without losing the item forever, or even enchant them. In exchange, each curse will grant a selection of skill point buffs.
 +
 
 +
As you curse more and more, each individual buff only gets stronger - and Ashzenzari starts giving multiple passives. First comes more knowledge - instant identification of every item (1*), detection of items and monsters, and even the detection of [[portal]]s. [[See invisible]], [[Clarity]], and the ability to scry through walls follow. Passives are the key word here - Ashenzari followers have to avoid deadly situations with their enhanced skills and knowledge.
 +
 
 +
Ash also makes the [[Abyss]] much easier. You can see gateways in and out of the hellish landscape from far away, you can see walls and flooring that signifies a rune vault, and you can see the monsters coming in advance. This helps for characters that would otherwise struggle with getting a 3rd rune.
 +
 
 +
'''Recommended race and class combinations''': Ashenzari works well for characters that could use a boost in their abilities. From casting high level spells, to getting that [[executioner's axe]] reasonably fast, to just dealing with [[out of depth]] enemies. [[Mummies]] like both clarity and some bolstered skill levels.
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 +
===[[Qazlal Stormbringer]]===
 +
Qazlal is the bringer of storms - it expects you to be loud, be proud, and decimate your competition.
 +
 
 +
Qazalal will slowly improve your storm shield. This increases your [[SH]] and surrounds you with damaging [[cloud]]s. However, this comes at the extreme cost of being loud, attracting a huge swath of monsters at high piety. The storm shield will continue to improve (and continue to get loud) - granting you the otherwise rare [[Repel Missiles]], and giving you extra resistances as you get hit.  
 +
 
 +
To compensate for the sheer amount of monsters you'll face, Qazlal gives you some devastating Invocations. Upheaval (2*) will call in a [[smite]]-targetted blast that easily kills early threats like [[two-headed ogre]]s and [[hydra]]s. Disaster Area (5*) will clear a huge portion of the screen (but will never hit you, and tiles adjacent to you are discouraged). Elemental Force (3*) summons powerful but short lived [[list of elementals|elementals]], including [[air elemental]]s that are capable of paralyzing most enemies in the game. Requires significant Invocations investment to truly show their power.
 +
 
 +
'''Recommended race and class combinations''': High [[Invocations]] is very important, and Qazlal is best on characters that can start investing in it early. Being able to face large encounters brought on by the noise is also important, but luring and Qazlal's own abilities usually do a good job of handling this. Qazlal's passive SH and repel missiles help to mitigate the drawbacks of not having a shield, and a high damage two handed weapon helps kill the enemies drawn by noise before they overwhelm you, so Qazlal may be particularly desirable for characters that plan to use a two handed weapon. Qazlal's abilities are practically [[Conjuration]]s of their own - so casters will find the god's abilities a bit redundant.
 +
 
 +
===The [[Wu Jian]] Council===
 +
The Wu Jian Council are ascended martial artists; worshipping and killing in their name will give you some strong techniques.
 +
 
 +
You'll get 3 movement based attacks early on, which avoid [[attacks of opportunity]]. Lunge deals extra for approaching an opponent, Whirlwind will damage adjacent enemies when moving sideways, and Wall Jump will give extra mobility with a wall. It's up to you to make the most of these abilities, even if they aren't that strong to begin with. All three skills will activate at the same rate as your movement speed (Wall Jump takes 2 moves), though your weapon speed determines how many attacks you actually do.
 +
 
 +
In addition, the council will provide two active abilities. Serpent's Lash (3*) will give you two instant movements. While the ability does boost martial attacks, it isn't limited to them -- for example, you can dash straight towards the stairs. Heavenly Storm (5*) will create obscuring clouds and massively boost damage and [[EV]], as long as you keep move-attacking.
  
−
However, Ashenzari is a great god for Pandemonium scumming/Ziggurat raiding. At that point you will likely have the best gear you can find, so you're fine to curse yourself permanently. Piety gain is extremely quick in the Abyss, so you can transfer XP constantly while there (as you will be frequently, between Pan trips.) Instant Ziggurat portal detection upon entering Pandemonium levels and free IDing for everything you find in there reduce the headaches involved tremendously.
+
'''Recommended race and class combinations''': Obviously, only those comfortable in melee benefit from most of Wu Jian's abilities. From those, fighters who can afford to stay out in the open can decide to pick Wu Jian. Characters reliant on [[stab]]s, especially [[Kobold]]s (where lunge takes half of their [[LOS]]), appreciate the effective [[rampaging]] that Lunge provides.
  
−
'''Recommended race and class combinations''': Ashenzari works well for characters that could use a boost in their abilities. He can help mediocre spellcasters cast things they would normally have trouble with, and average melee fighters can perform considerably better than average with his help.
+
===Atheist===
 +
Of course, you can choose to just not to worship a god. Whenever for roleplay reasons, or as a challenge, picking no god is a perfectly valid option. Stone Soup is designed around a god to ease up difficult situations... but then again, the game's also designed with a species forlorn from any divine help.
  
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+
'''Recommended race and class combinations''': [[Demigod]]s are too proud to put any "god" before them. Of course, anyone can decide to go godless, whenever it'd be for tournament points or simply for fun.
 +
{{Guides}}
 
[[Category:Strategy Guides]]
 
[[Category:Strategy Guides]]
 
[[Category:Religion]]
 
[[Category:Religion]]
 
[[Category:Gods|*]]
 
[[Category:Gods|*]]

Latest revision as of 18:17, 8 January 2024

Version 0.30: This article may not be up to date for the latest stable release of Crawl.
This article contains advice from other players, which may be subjective, outdated, inaccurate or ill-advised. Take advice as you see fit, and read at your own risk!

In Crawl, one's choice of god has a significant impact your game. Along with species and background, god choice is considered a defining feature of your character.

How Do I Choose a God?

In game, there are two ways to choose a god. The quickest is to begin the game with a background that worships one by default: Berserkers, Chaos Knights, and Cinder Acolytes all begin the game serving a particular god.

Alternatively, you can find an altar dedicated to a god along the way, stand on it, and pray (with either '<' or '>' keys). When asked if you want to join its religion, press y to accept. They can be found as follows:

  • Most gods will have an altar in the Ecumenical Temple, a peaceful branch located between Dungeon floors 4 and 7.
  • A faded altar can spawn between floors 1 and 3, giving you access to a random god (chosen from 3).
  • If the temple lacks a particular altar, it is guaranteed to be located between floors 2 and 10, with the following exceptions:
    • Beogh's altar can be found in the Orcish Mines, but having a conscious (i.e. not asleep, paralyzed, etc.) orc priest or orc high priest in view grants hill orcs the ability to convert to Beogh on the spot.
    • Ignis's altar very rarely appears in the Ecumenical Temple or as the result of converting at a faded altar, but most often you'll need to start as a Cinder Acolyte.
    • Jiyva's altar can be found on the 5th floor of the Slime Pits, often in the Lair (just in front of Slime's entrance), and very rarely in the Temple, Dungeon, or Sewer as an early jelly vault.
    • Lugonu's altar can be found in the Abyss or occasionally in Abyss-themed vaults or a corrupted version of the Ecumenical Temple.

What if my desired god hasn't shown up yet?

Going in with a mindset of picking "the absolute best" god for your character may not always be the best idea. Sometimes it may be better to worship any god early on rather than wait for the perfect god to show up.

For example, let's say you decide to start with Okawaru. D:3 provides an altar to Nemelex Xobeh, an unconventional, yet perfectly usable god. Meanwhile, Okawaru's altar may not spawn until D:9. By the time you find Okawaru's altar, you could have ** to **** piety with Nemelex, along with abilities that could've easily saved your life - or your items - several times over.

That said, it's still perfectly possible to wait until you find your preferred god's altar if you have your heart set on a particular strategy (after all, Demigods have to get through the entire game without worshipping a god). Assess your character's equipment and capabilities, and make your decision based on how well you're progressing through the early Dungeon.

When should I switch gods?

In general? You shouldn't, unless you really know what you're doing.

You can only follow one god at a time; if you abandon your god, you will generally incur divine retribution ("wrath"). With a few exceptions, wrath is quite dangerous at best.

  • The good gods (Elyvilon, The Shining One, and Zin) will not punish you unless you swap to an evil god (as well as chaotic gods for Zin). Following one for a while before switching to a neutral god can be a perfectly valid strategy.
  • Ignis is designed to be switched away from as its powers run out, so its wrath is weaker than normal.
  • Abandoning Ru incurs no overt punishment (but you also won't get back anything you sacrificed)
  • Xom's wrath is not much worse than dealing with a particularly bored Xom. If you can survive following Xom at its worst, you can probably manage switching away from it.

In addition, every god (possibly barring Ignis and Xom) can be a viable choice if all you plan to do is get three runes, get the Orb, and get out. It's only when you start getting to post-game areas like the Hells or Pandemonium that certain gods start falling off in power. Characters that wish to switch gods should do so only when they are confident they can survive their former god's wrath and when the benefits of a different god will outweigh the punishment.

God overview

  • Ashenzari: Gain skill boosts by cursing your equipment, along with divine knowledge of the Dungeon.
  • Beogh: God exclusive to Hill Orcs; get permanent orcish allies that promote with exp.
  • Cheibriados: Slows your movement (no running away), compensating with great stats & powerful escape tools.
  • Dithmenos: Increases stealth, providing abilities useful for both combat and escaping it.
  • Elyvilon: Heal yourself, or heal enemies to try and pacify them.
  • Fedhas: Creates deadly, debilitating (and stationary) plant allies.
  • Gozag: A Midas touch; spend all the gold you'll be getting on potions, shops, or bribes.
  • Ignis: A powerful starting god, designed to be abandoned once its powers burn out.
  • Hepliaklqana: Grants an everpresent ancestor that fights alongside you.
  • Jiyva: Tons of ('good') mutations, regeneration, and the slimy rune -- but 'leftover' items get eaten.
  • Kikubaaqudgha: For (future) necromancers; summon undead-rising fodder, gifts knowledge of necromantic spells.
  • Lugonu: God of the Abyss; banish monsters in, get yourself out (and back in, again).
  • Makhleb: Heal on kills, with ranged attacks and summons.
  • Nemelex Xobeh: Stack decks of cards, with many strong, varied effects.
  • Okawaru: "Generic" god for physical combat; forbids allies, making your prowess strong enough to live without.
  • Qazlal Stormbringer: Provides an array of calamitous abilities, followed by a very loud storm.
  • Ru: Sacrifice aspects of your being (like one of your hands) for overwhelming power.
  • Sif Muna: "Generic" magic god; channel MP, and eventually get access to (and cast) every spell in the game.
  • Trog: Go berserk at will and summon incredibly strong allies - but no spells allowed!
  • Uskayaw: Grants increasing power as fights go on, quickly fading outside of combat.
  • Vehumet: A god of destructive magic; gives and buffs offensive spells, including MP gain on kill.
  • The Wu Jian Council: Provide martial arts that allow you to attack while moving around.
  • Xom: Randomness incarnate. Somewhat more likely to be helpful if you're being entertaining (Note: Xom has a terrible sense of humour). Good luck!
  • Yredelemnul: Allows you to raise a horde of undead, which can be converted into powerful effects. No magic necessary!
  • Zin: Defensive priest, with many strong abilities to save your skin.
  • The Shining One: God of light and holy wrath. Particularly excels against the forces of evil common in the later game.

Primary Melee Fighters

These gods work best for characters who primarily kill monsters with weapons rather than with spells.

Trog the Furious

Trog is the most offensive-minded melee fighter's god. Piety is gained by killing living monsters, demons, holies and especially spellcasters. Their abilities are tremendously useful throughout all stages of the game. These abilities are based off of piety, not Invocations, giving you leeway to invest into other skills. Trog is one of the few gods who can be worshipped from the beginning of the game, and one of the fewer gods that also gives you a strong early ability. Trog is a great god for a player new to Crawl, or for any melee character who plans for a three- or four-rune run.

As a Berserker's god, Trog allows you to Berserk -- which temporarily provides massive boosts to damage, speed, and HP. However, the status prevents you from using many kinds of items (including throwables, potions, and scrolls). Doing anything but attack will also cause berserk to quickly wane. Once it ends, you'll be slowed down. Before activating Berserk, try to avoid attracting more monsters, or otherwise have a means of escape (most often, a staircase). Berserkers start with the 1* of piety required to berserk immediately.

Berserk is best in the early game, where there's few other options to save your skin. However, Trog's kit remains useful for the entire 3-rune game:

  • Trog's Hand gives temporary regeneration and willpower, even during -Regen. Less exciting than the other two abilities, but lets you recover quickly and is useful against monsters who would otherwise banish or paralyse you.
  • Brothers in Arms summons always-friendly, always-berserk ogres, trolls, bears, and giants. Berserk gives monsters an even stronger buff to damage; in small numbers, they are more than a match for nearly every enemy in the game, including orbs of fire! Summon brothers early, and summon often; losing piety is much less dangerous than your life.

Learning, training, or casting magic of any kind will offend Trog. Note that Trog doesn't mind use of "magical" scrolls, potions, or wands.

Recommended Race and Class Combinations: Any character with zero short term interest in magic. Trolls, Minotaurs, and Hill Orcs will have the easiest time due to their excellent melee aptitudes. Berserk and Brothers in Arms are both such strong abilities for a starting god that even Deep Elf Berserker is a strong (albeit not recommended) choice.

Okawaru the Warmaster

Okawaru is the "default" god for melee characters. You gain piety by killing; high-HD (strong) monsters are more rewarding. Okawaru's main quirk is that it forbids allies.

Oka's simple, straightforward effectiveness has made it one of the most popular, yet criticized, gods in the Crawl pantheon. It provides two active buffs and one ability to its worshippers:

  • Heroism, obtained at 1*, gives a +5 bonus to every non-magic skill. Somewhat expensive. But don't hesitate to use this in a fight you'd have trouble in.
  • Finesse, obtained at 4*, doubles your attack speed. Approximately 8 Invocations is required to get a decent success rate; but failing costs nothing but MP and a turn. Double attack speed is very strong, potentially stronger than even a Berserk, with none of the immediate downsides. This can turn many otherwise dangerous fights into a cakewalk.
  • Duel, gained at 5* piety, can force a single strong-enough enemy into a single combat arena with you. This is most useful as an escape tool. You will only have to fight 1 monster in a duel. After you defeat your opponent, you'll have ~15 turns to rest, buff up, and prepare for what's outside.

Okawaru also provides gifts of weapons, armour, shields, and throwing ammountion. Many individual items will be of little permanent use, but by the endgame you will likely find yourself using plenty of god-given equipment. While Trog will also provide weapons, Okawaru is the only god who bestows armour, ammo, and shields as gifts. These gifts are one of the few ways to get a decent supply of Throwing implements; most Okawaru followers should take advantage of this fact.

Recommended Race and Class Combinations: Most melee and ranged characters not already worshipping another god. Any character who desires rare equipment, such as quick blades or specialized darts. Hybrid magic knight builds who would be discouraged by Trog, such as Gnolls, Transmuters, and Warpers.

The Shining One

The Shining One (TSO) is a slightly more defensive-minded god who crusades against evil. It will protect you from negative energy and may intervene to save your life. You'll gain piety from destroying evil, undead, and demonic monsters. Consequently, undead and demonic players are unable to worship TSO.

Immediately, you'll be surrounded by a halo that increases in size as you gain piety. It increases accuracy, reduces stealth, and prevents anything from going invisible within its radius. TSO also prevents followers from stabbing unaware or helpless enemies.

What shines about TSO is that he restores your HP and MP when killing unholy monsters. Along with (eventual) rN+++ and holy attacks, TSO ends up being tremendously useful for the Hells, Pandemonium, and Tomb. But in addition, The Shining One provides a plethora of useful active abilities:

  • Divine Shield is obtained from 1* piety, which grants temporary SH. It's low-investment and cheap, but not as cheap as many other gods.
  • Cleansing Flame is provided at 3* piety, which hits every enemy in a 2 tile radius around you. It only becomes effective at high Invocations, and only really against evil casters, demons and undead, but it is a ridiculously strong AOE tool once you get there. Even if you get constantly tormented, TSO's HP and MP on kills means you can keep spamming Cleansing Flames until enemies around you are dead.
  • You gain the ability to Summon Angels and Daevas at 5*, and they are strong summons. Angels are fast, use holy-branded weapons, and have late-game stats; able to compete in Zot and the extended game easily.

Because of the aformentioned abundance of unholy monsters, TSO piety is gained extremely rapidly in the extended game.

At 6* of piety, you gain the ability to bless a weapon, increasing its enchantment and giving it the holy wrath brand; use it on the best non-artifact weapon you've got. Blessing Demon whips, Demon tridents, and Demon blades will turn them into their respective holy variants, making them acceptable for the good gods.

Although a great choice for undead and demon-infested late-game, gaining piety with The Shining One is slow early on. Many players start off with a different god to get up to Zot, then switch to The Shining One when they are about to enter the branches where their holy powers are most useful. Once you are ready to take on the Hells or Pandemonium, switch to The Shining One and head for the Crypt, where you can quickly gain large amounts of piety. You will likely suffer wrath of your former god, but you should be able to survive at this point (Blinking and running away are always useful).

The Shining One also enforces a few 'knightly' conducts. Your halo will prevent you from going invisible, you will be unable to stab your opponents, and you will not be able to use Necromancy - including ever-useful spells like Borgnjor's Vile Clutch and Necromutation.

Recommended Race and Class Combinations: Characters, especially melee, with dreams of obtaining the runes that lie in undead/demon heavy branches, such as Tomb, Pandemonium, and the Hells. Those with good Invocations aptitudes, such as Hill Orcs and Merfolk, are particularly well-suited. Summoners also like TSO's halo accuracy and summon boosts.

Makhleb the Destroyer

Makhleb is the god of violent death. Followers earn piety by killing enemies for the Destroyer.

Doing so will soon grant you a chance to heal some HP when killing your foes. This creates synergy with anything that can kill, and kill fast - Axes come to mind. Makhleb also comes with some strong invocations:

  • Minor (2*) and Major Destruction (4*) are decently strong ranged attacks. The former only costs 1 HP, while the latter costs 6 HP and occasionally 1 piety. Greater Destruction is particularly notable for its piercing bolts, many of which are exclusive to Makhleb.
  • Summon Lesser (3*) and Greater Demon (5*) are both strong summons, if you can afford to invest in Invocations. Lesser demons can take out mid-game threats like hydras, while Greater demons remain respectable for the rest of the game. Allies in general are strong, with these demons being no exception.

However, it takes quite a bit of Invocations skill to use all these abilities, especially to keep the summoned demons from spawning hostile.

Recommended Race and Class Combinations: Most melee characters. Special synergy with those with hampered regeneration: Vampires and Ghouls. Makhleb's invocations are often redundant with actual spells, and casters rely on MP mid-combat like they do HP... except for Djinn, who like Makhleb if they desire to cast as much as (in)humanly possible.

Primary Spellcasters

On the other hand, if magic is your character's planned forte, you'll find Sif Muna, Vehumet, or Kikubaaqudgha more to your liking. All three gods will make certain spells available, no matter how the dungeon RNG feels about you.

Sif Muna the Loreminder

Sif Muna is the "default" god for spellcasters. Of the three, Sif is the most conventional. Piety gain is straightforward: kill most monsters, gain piety.

Sif's major appeal comes from spellbook acquirement: as you gain piety (from 5* on), it will gift you spellbooks; each book is guaranteed to have at least one spell you haven't yet found, and weighted toward your current magic skills. Eventually, you will have access to every spell in the game.

  • Sif's other main feature is Channeling; a 1* ability that grants greatly increased MP regeneration for several turns. Don't worry about running out of mana in rough situations -- or do, since it still costs time and piety.
  • At 3* piety, you may forget any spell you know, similar to a scroll of amnesia. If you have any such scrolls, use them first (since scrolls cost no piety), but this ability is handy if you run out.
  • Divine Exegesis, acquired at 4*, allows you to cast any spell in your library using your Invocations skill instead of the associated spell schools. Spells like Malign Gateway and Dragon's Call are amazingly strong for large portions of the game, and Shatter can break through walls. Exegesis is a very expensive ability, but if you don't need any more spells, then you can afford to be at low piety.

Sif Muna starts off slow, but the power of MP channeling remains consistent throughout the entire game. And you still retain access to your wide spell library, even if you leave.

Recommended Race and Class Combinations: Many sorts of magically inclined characters, though those with strong proficiency in many schools (such as Deep Elves) benefit most from the variety of spellbooks. Vehumet and Kiku give more direct bonuses to their specific schools, giving more predictable spells quicker than Sif.

Vehumet the Battlemage

Vehumet is the god for purely offensive mages; piety is awarded by killing monsters (via magic or otherwise).

Vehumet provides solely passive abilities, making it a strong, low-management god that requires no investment in Invocations. However, the lack of passive abilities means you must rely entirely on your own (bolstered) skills in combat -- casters that have run out of MP will have to retreat or resort to alternate ways of killing enemies.

Fortunately, from 1* of piety onwards, Vehumet may restore your MP every time you kill a monster. This allows you to keep blasting away, or possibly recover your magic by attacking with a weapon (like a magical staff). In addition, Vehumet will provide direct boosts to your 'destructive spells', which includes all conjurations and a number of non-conjuration spells:

  • At 3* piety, your chance of miscasting destructive spells is significantly reduced, allowing you to make use of powerful spells much earlier than usual, or in heavier armor than usual.
  • At 4* piety, the ranges of your destructive spells are extended by 1 tile (with a few exceptions).

Like Sif Muna, Vehumet will gift you with destructive spells. Unlike Sif, you "only" get 15 spells; but they start as soon as you hit 1* of piety, and scale in power with divine favor. Like Sif, these spells are inclined to what you've already trained. The last 3 spells will always be 3 level 8 or 9, available as long as you still worship Vehumet.

Recommended Race and Class Combinations: Conjurers and dedicated nukers of all kinds. Focused species like Earth Gargoyles and Demonspawn. Tengu, with good aptitude for Conjurations, are especially well-suited for Vehumet. For backgrounds, Hedge Wizards and Venom Mages like the immediate focus into other spell schools, though any mage background benefits.

Kikubaaqudgha

Kikubaaqudgha is the god of the necromantic arts. Spellcasters who dabble in darker domains can opt to worship Kiku. This demon-god appreciates the slaying of most things. Unlike other gods, the Necromancy skill determines Kiku's strength.

Kiku provides two unconditional spell gifts to followers: at 1* and 3* piety, Kiku will grant assortments of Necromancy spells. These are slightly randomized, including powerful crowd spells in Animate Dead and Death Channel. Other spells to watch out for are Borgnjor's Vile Clutch, a great utility and damage spell alike, and Simulacrum for extremely powerful, but frail and single-target, undead.

  • At 1* piety, followers of Kiku can Unearth Wretches scaling in quality Necromancy. Wretches will die in a few turns (activating all undead spells), giving you a chance to quickly create a legion of undead. This ability is cheap for how much undead you can create.
  • At 5* piety, you may invoke Torment yourself against everything within line-of-sight.

Kiku will protect its followers from Torment, starting from 2* piety. Torment is rather common in late-game areas like the Hells, Pandemonium, and especially Tomb. This protection stacks with the protection granted by having negative energy resistance, allowing Kikubaaqudghites to far more easily endure Torment.

And at 6*, Kiku offers a choice between another assortment of the rarest and most powerful Necromancy spells (Infestation, Haunt, Necromutation, Borgnjor's Revivification, Death's Door, and Haunt) or the ability to bless a weapon, increasing its enchantment and applying the pain brand (which grows more powerful as you increase your skill with Necromancy).

Recommended Race and Class Combinations: Any character aspiring to become well versed in Necromancy, for differing reasons, and any magic user who wants a reliable mass of undead. Undead species especially profit from an easy way to torment your enemies without hurting themselves.

"General" Gods

Instead of choosing a god who will simply enhance your character's specialization, you can also go with a god that shores up your weaknesses, one that provides some emergency help, or one that is just plain powerful.

Dithmenos the Shadowed

Dithmenos' most obvious perk is improving your stealth, but this isn't all this god is good for!

Specifically, Dithmenos immediately gives you an umbra, decreasing enemy accuracy and eventually doubling your stealth. This umbra will eventually grow to cover your entire LOS.

Shadow Step, given at 3*, will blink you within one space near an enemy within your umbra. This can be used to nail a stab within as few turns as possible... or you can use it to escape, or get into a hallway with only one monster near it.

Dith's other abilities continue to help both the intentionally stealthy and a more conventional character:

  • Shadow Mimic will copy your attacks up to 50% of the time at maximum piety -- great for spamming Hexes, Conjurations, or even just melee attacks. An effective 25% damage increase, this passive alone should give Dithmenos some respect for any character.
  • Bleed Fog at 4* will provide sight-prohibiting fog clouds any time you take sufficient damage. Useful for enemies with any sort of ranged attack, particularly the manifold sources of torment.
  • The 5* Shadow Form halves damage taken (and dealt), giving any character an escape. Using the ability, as well as taking damage while a shadow, gives temporary HP drain, but it's an ability that lets you be fairly secure in your escape.

Recommended race and class combinations: Characters looking for some unique escape tools and power; that preferably benefit from extra stealth. Ultra stealthy, ultra low level Spriggan challenge runs looking to sneak runes like in the Lair rune branches and the Abyss deserve a special mention.

Note that classically stealthy characters - Spriggans, Vampires, etc., don't particularly need Dith's help to do what they do. If playing by the normal XP curve, they will have all the stealth they'll need without the help of a god.

Gozag Ym Sagoz the Greedy

Gozag Ym Sagoz is the god of money. In order to join Gozag, you have to spend a service fee. Followers gain no piety. Instead, they turn corpses into gold -- including corpse drops like dancing weapons -- and spend it on Gozag's invocations. This gold can often distract enemies, bedazzling them with riches (an easy passive to underrate).

If you have 400 gold, you are able to call in a Potion Petition. Each petition calls in 3 random sets of potions; but the potential to pop heal wounds, haste, and resistance at the same time is a rather strong panic button. Use it when you have to, preferably before you are one turn away from dying, as potions are still random. Note that this ability's costs are based on the potion set itself, and works even if you can't normally drink potions.

With at least 800 gold, you can call in a shop directly at your location. Shops can give you a great spellbook, weapon to train in, or armour and jewellery to prop up your resistances. However, nothing is guaranteed, and the cost of each successive shop is increased.

With 3000 gold, you can Bribe Branch - turning enemies neutral, or even into your allies! Difficult levels, such as the Tomb or Zot:5, are made into jokes by bribing once or twice.

Recommended Race and Class Combinations: Gozag is a strong god choice for any character, but especially those who want the ability to ignore some of the most difficult floors in the game, or who have limited access to potion effects like mummys and vine stalkers. Finding an early shop with a powerful but expensive artefact is also a good reason to worship Gozag, as you will be able to afford it much sooner. Characters looking to dive through multiple Ziggurats may want to worship Gozag; where the mass of gold will always keep enemies distracted while allowing you to gain permanent haste through Potion Petition. Gozag is somewhat less desirable on species like trolls that want to wear dragon scales (which Gozag will turn into gold), but shops can make up for this.

Elyvilon the Healer

Elyvilon the Healer... what else do you need but healing? Ely piety is gained by exploration, and partially retained if you switch to or from TSO or Zin. A particularly spectacular feature is Ely's lifesaving; while the other good gods may save your life, Elyvilon is guaranteed to at 5* of piety, with a piety-based cooldown. And like the other good gods, Ely will forgive abandonment, unless you then worship an evil god.

As you would expect, Elyvilon provides a plethora of healing and buffing abilities:

  • At 1* of piety, you gain the ability to Purify yourself from various status conditions. Many poisonous creatures exist in the Lair and before, and confusion is a pervasive threat throughout the game. Petrification is another noteworthy status. One of the few ways to cure draining and restore lowered stats.
  • At 2* piety, you can Heal Others, potentially pacifying them. Keep in mind who it targets; animals, such as Hydras, are the most likely to be pacified, and mindless creatures, such as slimes, can't be pacified at all. In spite of the name, this is effectively a smite targeted instant death ability, and is very powerful with high Invocations.
  • At 3* piety, can you Heal Self. It's as strong as you'd expect healing to be, and no more or less.
  • And at 5*, you gain access to Divine Vigour, which increases your max HP and MP by respectable amounts.

Elyvilon's tools are plain, but powerful. Healing can turn the tides of battle, give you enough healing to escape, and save your life. Almost nothing can outdamage 50+ hp per turn.

Recommended race and class combinations: Elyvilon rewards high Invocations and is best on characters who can afford it, but heal self is useful even with minimal investment. Heal Other is particularly good for characters that lack a strong ranged option and have a high Invocations aptitude.

Lugonu the Unformed

Lugonu is the god of the Abyss, with every ability revolving around its dominion over the eldritch plane.

When banished to the Abyss, Lugonu will provide an immediate way out. This costs a decent amount of piety, but is definitely worth your safety. If you've abandoned another god to escape, then Lugonu will partially protect you. Whenever godly wrath triggers, Lugonu will banish random monsters.

But what's generally more useful than getting out of the Abyss, is getting things in:

  • A 2* worshipper gains the ability to banish any enemy. If it succeeds against enemy willpower, the target will be banished - essentially killed. If it fails, it inflicts malmutate, which significantly lowers AC and also lowers willpower.
Dangerous uniques are no more - and with the help of a scroll of vulnerability, even the Royal Jelly can be sent to the Abyss! Keep your distance and watch your piety. Banish, like other hexes, doesn't have the greatest success rate, and is somewhat redundant with spell magic.
  • You can banish yourself too. This is an incredibly costly ability: ten MP, a large chunk of your HP, a huge piety cost, and the Abyss still isn't exactly safe. But the Abyss may well be less dangerous than the middle of the Orb Chamber on Zot:5 or a Ziggurat, so it can give you a relatively safe space to recover from a hectic late-game battle.

Despite its relatively high piety cost, worshippers should never be too stingy with banishing monsters. Lugonu's other invocations are quite useful, though never a staple of your kit:

  • The Corruption ability, given at ****, makes many levels, including Zot:5, easier. Not only do you break otherwise impassible stone walls, but the swarms of neutral, high level monsters will duke it out with natural inhabitants. You can only corrupt once per level, but that's all you (should) need.
  • Finally, you can bless a weapon at 6*, increasing its enchantment and giving it the distortion brand. Distortion is a somewhat risky brand as it may blink your enemies away from you. However, it provides bonus damage, regardless of base damage, making it particularly good on small and fast weapons.

Recommended race and class combinations: Characters seeking alternative means for dealing with particularly meddlesome monsters and levels, particularly those focused on melee. Characters already banished to the Abyss who desperately need a way out. Notably, Lugonu is difficult to find outside the Abyss itself or starting as an Abyssal Knight.

Zin the Law-Giver

Zin is the god of order. Piety is largely gained from gold donation, which hurts on your shopping supply. However, gaining piety with a late-game character with enough gold is a quick task. Piety can also be obtained by killing the chaotic, demonic, and undead (thus, demonspawn and undead players are unable to worship Zin).

Zin hates chaotic actions, and therefore any form of mutation. Therefore, the law-giver provides resilliance from mutation; at 6* of piety, you get complete immunity, so potions of mutation now rinse you free of them. Late-game characters looking for a way out of deadly malmutations might desire Zin for this purpose. Zin also blocks 50% of Hell's mystical effects (as well as all mutations).

The main draw of Zin, however, ithe plethora of largely defensive active abilities:

  • Recite is a free 1* piety ability. It is particularly helpful in dealing with particularly dangerous demons, undead, or priests, but can affect a wide array of intelligent monsters. Recite triggers three times over the course of three turns; anything that requires the use of your mouth (such as reading a scroll or drinking a potion) will interrupt Recite, but can still be performed if necessary.
  • Another buff, though not free, comes from Vitalize (2*). This ability isn't as powerful as a dedicated combat god like Okawaru, but it protects you from many status effects, such as poison and petrification.
  • Zin also provides ability to Imprison dangerous monsters (3*). Use it on the many uniques you have to run from; many mid and late-game uniques are still very threatening to your character.

However, Zin's most notable ability is Sanctuary; obtained at 5*, it scares monsters within a 9-tile radius and prevents almost all attacks. It is nigh-absolute. Almost every situation, every mistake, can be solved by using Sanctuary and a few items, especially near a staircase. If you don't have stairs, at least you can heal or teleport away! Just be mindful of Silence and the 9 MP cost.

Recommended Race and Class Combinations: Zin works well for any strong character looking for safety against incredibly dangerous situations and mutations. Zin is a decent swap for already well-developed characters due to its money-reliant piety gain.

Hepliaklqana the Forgotten

Hepliaklqana is the god of memory. You will gain piety when exploring.

Reaching 1* of piety will give you access to your (customizable) ancestor -- and a loss of 10% maximum HP used to manifest it. Soon comes the ability to give them a class: knight, battlemage, or hexer.

  • Knights are well armoured, and well suited for tanking damage for a vulnerable mage or cat. From XL15, they start to get a branded broad axe and tower shield of reflection.
  • Battlemages are offensive. They will fire various offensive spells, though their staff will still provide good damage in melee.
  • Hexers, well, hex. For zero-cost, they'll spam Slow, Confuse, and more as you level up. They also come with a draining brand melee, upgraded to antimagic at XL24.

The ancestor will gain power and even some new equipment as you level up. They are strong enough to fight many battles on its own, though fighting together is always stronger! Even if its just you firing behind your ancestor (or vice versa), as neither being will block the other's projectiles. Remember that enemies benefit from corridors as much as you; try and find areas where you can 2v1 enemies without allowing them to swarm you. Or, you can use your ally as a distraction to run away (without attacks of opportunity), which includes igniting them with an Inner Flame first.

Transference comes at 3*, giving you various clever repositioning techniques. You can tell your ancestor to retreat, then swap yourself for an easy escape tool. You can swap a monster with the ancestor in order to get a stab off. From 5* of piety onwards, using this ability will drain enemies affected. But Idealize (4*) is really the star of the show: For a medium piety cost, you will instantly heal and strengthen your ancestor; allowing it to win dangerous fights all by itself.

Recommended race and class combinations: Hepliaklqana might not be the best for naturally strong characters - Minotaurs, Troll, etc. But for those who struggle with combat, and want a god that can explicitly carry them through fights later in the game - think Octopode, Mummy, or challenge runs - benefit most with Hep. However, any character can greatly appreciate Hep's ancestor.

Fedhas Madash

Fedhas Madash is the god of plants, allowing you summon plant allies to aid you in battle. Fedhas appreciates your contributions to the ecosystem (i.e., killing non-plant monsters).

From 0*, you gain the ability to pass and shoot through plants; even a Fireball won't hurt them. Plus, all plant enemies (such as oklob plants and thorn hunters) will turn neutral. Enemies will struggle getting through plants. More specifically, you can create a wall of thorny briar patches with your 2* ability. Use this to get away, or to do some safe chip damage. Briars do not block projectiles, however.

Fedhas' strongest invocations are the rapid-fire ballistomycetes and oklob plants, obtained at 3* and 5* respectively. Ballistomycetes need care; they will summon explosive spores, which will confuse and damage anything in caught in its blast (including you!). Oklob plants are stronger, shooting acid (inflicts the ever-useful corrosion) at your opponents. Both are stronger than their enemy counterparts, and like any summon, will support a Fedhas worshipper through and through.

In addition, you gain the ability to create overgrowths in walls (4*). This ability will overwrite even stone walls with various flora; allowing you to bypass stone-locked areas such as Slime:5 and Zot:5.

Your plant abilities will become truly impressive at high Invocations. But, even at low-medium Invocations, they can inflict devastating status effects.

Recommended Race and Class Combinations: Characters who can afford to invest heavily into Invocations; especially Hill Orc and Demonspawn, who have a high aptitude. Characters with a good ranged option will be able to use briars most effectively (and will have less trouble avoiding ballistomycete spores), but even pure melee characters work well with Fedhas.

Nemelex Xobeh the Trickster

Nemelex Xobeh is the god of the draw. As you explore, not only do you get piety, but Nemelex also provides you with a set of three decks (Destruction, Escape, and Summoning) and cards to fill them up.

Destructive cards do what's on the tin; they destroy. These cards often replicate conjuration spells, like corrosive bolts and orb of destruction. Escape cards can give you space; from sight-blocking fog to solid walls to conventional healing over time. Summoning cards let you create a mass of allies, of decent to pandemonium lord quality. All three sets of cards scale strongly with Invocations skill; their combat effects are improved by it.

Cards are drawn randomly, and you can store a maximum of 52. But as the dealer, you get the ability to stack the deck. Literally - as a 5* power, you can stack a deck of 5 cards to use separately. Nemelex also provides a few other manipulative abilities:

  • You can Triple Draw at 3* - allowing you to pick one of three cards -- the other two are discarded. Great when you need that one specific card, or when drawing cards like Degeneration would be harming.
  • You can instead play 4 cards, all at once, at 4* of piety. You'll most likely be in a much safer spot when you do 4 escaping effects at once -- or even just 4 cards of pure damage. Of course, this is heavy on your card count.

Recommended race and class combinations: Characters with good Invocations aptitude can make the best use of Nemelex, but most any character will appreciate the variety of powerful effects that cards can offer.

Exotic/Challenging Gods

The following gods either:

  • Have unique piety systems that you must take into account,
  • Have quirks that make them potentially dangerous to follow,
  • Are simply weaker than average,
  • Or just provide a different playstyle, unique from any heathens.

Ignis the Dying Flame

Ignis, as the name suggests, is a god of fire. And, just like a lit fuse, it'll soon burn out entirely. Ignis worshippers, namely Cinder Acolytes, start with 5* of piety, but can not ever gain piety. On the plus side, you won't lose piety over time -- though it'll be depleted through ability use.

Ignis comes with the proactive Fiery Armour, and the overall powerful Foxfire Swarm. The former gives you some AC and retaliatory damage, useful for fairly tough (but not too tough) early enemies -- think adders and bullfrogs. The latter creates a ton of foxfires, which are incredibly powerful early, but do not scale. Both powers are lost once you get below 1* of piety.

Rising Flame is a 'capstone' ability; available for free at any piety level, but only once. You will rise up to the floor above in 2-4 turns; effectively a better, always safe teleport. It is incredibly strong no matter when or where you use it (except the Abyss), but make sure you consider the other two invocations first!

Even with piety fully depleted, Ignis will always provide rF+. However, it is desirable to switch to another god sooner or later -- Ignis' unusually weak wrath encourages this. Gods like Yred or Zin both have piety systems that let you catch up without prior worship, though any god will work. Consider switching after finishing the Lair or the Dungeon branch, though when exactly to leave is ultimately up to you. Just beware of fire elementals and shafting!

Recommended race and class combinations: Cinder Acolytes are the only class that can use Ignis at best time in the game, or the very first few floors of the dungeon.

Any species who has trouble with the early game - aka, any character - benefits from Ignis. Species that would really like a consistent early game, like Barachim and maybe Mummy (who also likes rF), benefit the most. Species like Hill Orc and Minotaur, that can handle the 'weak spot' before you get another god, like the incredible consistency provided by Ignis.

Beogh the Brigand

Beogh can only be worshipped by Hill Orc characters. In exchange, it grants the ability to convert fellow orcs into allies!

Orcs will join you when they see you, when you nearly kill them, or when you would have killed them. You get a better conversion chance with higher piety and experience level, so waiting to complete the (now extremely easy) Orcish Mines is recommended. Your Orcs can take out even Zot, if by your help and sheer numbers, but struggle in the extended game. Beogh's orcs, being one of the few permanent allies in the game, can take up to half your XP for killing a monster -- the god will also distrbute bonus XP for free. In turn, they will eventually level up into Orc warlords, and can be gifted equipment. Polearms are very useful for your army, able to hit behind you and other orcs for extra damage.

Beogh also gives you access to a powerful Smite. It is quite expensive in piety - but there's nothing else quite like it. It is a guaranteed hit on any enemy within LOS. Take out threatening uniques in just a few turns, or an an annoying boggart, opposing orc high priest, or vault warden.

Beogh's other active, Resurrection (6*), is really if you care about a specific orc. Normally, it's better to use all your piety on Smiting -- there's nothing else to use it on! To complete the Abrahamic connections, Beogh allows passive water walking at 5*, which is a small consideration for Swamp or Shoals.

Recommended Race and Class Combinations: As stated, only Hill Orcs may worship Beogh - Hill Orc Monk is a decent combination. HO is a fairly strong species, but Beogh gives a chance of salvation if you're about to die from an orc priest. Beogh's ally play is redundant with Summonings and Necromancy, and orcs may get in the way of some destructive Conjurations.

Ru the Awakened

Ru is the god of sacrifice... not of corpses or items, but yourself.

When you explore, Ru will occasionally grant the option of 3 different sacrifices. This can be as extreme as cutting your hand (removing two-handed weapons, shields, and a single ring), to as simple as losing a little Strength. Stronger sacrifices will be justly rewarded, and during the dangerous early game, you might want Ru's extreme power. Your sacrifices suffice; there is no need for Invocations skill.

Ru's powerful aura will soon come and protect you - dissuading attacks, stunning your enemies, or even reflecting attacks back. While even at max piety, there's "only" a 15% chance to do something, your aura still gives a noticeable combat buff for any character.

Ru's actives all come with a theme. They cost no piety; instead, they have a cooldown (exhaustion status), and potentially drain you of temporary max hit points:

  • Draw Out Power will immediately replenish HP and MP, while curing a plethora of status effects. A (nearly) free healing potion isn't to be scoffed at.
  • Power Leap, similar to a barachim's hop, lets you accurately pick a nearby tile to land near. Great when surrounded, or just about any situation you need to bail on (but beware of noise!). It deals quite a bit of damage, and doesn't even drain you!

But Ru's most impressive ability comes from Apocalypse. Given at 5* of piety, it will brutalize every enemy in line of sight. Anything that somehow survives is given a debilitating status. From taking out hydrae to nuking an alarmed floor full of monsters, this ability is incessantly powerful, and should be used in dangerous situations often. While it does heavily drain you, killing packs of enemies will give you the experience needed to mitigate, or even fully negate, the draining.

Recommended race and class combinations: Melee characters naturally face more attacks for your aura to negate, benefit from more "sacrifices" you wouldn't use (such as magic schools, Love, and stealth), and appreciate an MP-expensive, full LOS attack the most. However, any character who is willing to give in to the sacrifices is a good pick for Ru -- and if you don't like any of them, you can leave Ru with no penalty (other than sacrifices you've already made).

Jiyva the Shapeless

Jiyva is the slime god - fittingly, only guaranteed to spawn in the Slime Pits. Assuming you can find them in the Temple or Lair, they are respectably strong. Exploring (outside of Slime) will rapidly give you piety. As the slime god, Jiyva will make jellies and slimes (and eyeballs) neutral to you, provide resistance to corrosive effects, and immunity to slime-covered walls.

The most notable thing about Jiyva are it's constantly summoned jellies. Jellies will constantly devour items, and Jiyva itself will slowly consume items on already explored floors. To compensate, a 1* Jiyva will provide massive regeneration: starting at 0.8 HP and 0.25 MP / turn, ramping up to double that at maximum piety.

Your body will constantly be changing with bursts of (usually) good mutations, while naturally clearing bad ones. These "good" mutations might prevent you from wearing equipment or lower your AC, but come about as quickly as they go.

Slimify (5*) is Jiyva's most impressive ability. Thanks to Jiyva's fast piety gain, it is spammable, and Slimify turns any threatening enemy into a neutral within 2 turns. (barring already insubstantials, including the orb of fire). Oozemancy (3*) is another, cheaper invocation, turning the walls into corroding acid walls. Use this to inflict the ever-deadly corrode debuff.

Finally, at 6* piety Jiyva will unlock the Slimy Rune for free (though the slimes will devour most of the loot in the rune vault). If you chose to kill the Royal Jelly for that rune earlier, Jiyva will die. But embrace the Royal Jelly (5*), and you'll reflexively create high-level slimes on a sufficiently damaging hit.

Jiyva is hard to recommend, if only because Jiyva altars are often found so late. Elyvilon or Ignis are potential gods to chew on before you find Jiyva's altar. Later on, you'll have had plenty of chances to spawn and save consumables.

Recommended race and class combinations: Going into a game expecting to use any god is a bad mindset, and this couldn't be more true for Jiyva. However, characters who struggle with strong monsters and all three of the 3rd runes, such as Felids or Spriggans, benefit most. Trolls, Vine Stalkers, and Vampires all have faster regeneration - aka, less time wasted before jellies eat your items. Cinder Acolytes can afford the time to wait until Lair or Slime, and (should) waste less consumables during the early game.

Uskayaw the Reveller

Uskayaw is the god of the (combat) dance; like a ritual, piety comes and goes extremely quickly. Expect to get your piety to 6* in a long fight - but after a couple of calm turns, it'll fall down to 1* again.

  • Stomp (1*) allows worshippers to deal guaranteed, percentile damage to your opponents, while Line Pass (2*) gives extra mobility by crossing through and confusing a line of monsters.
  • This is before Uskayaw will paralyse your enemies, giving you the chance to stab or otherwise obliterate your foes.
  • If the fight lasts long enough, Uskayaw will put your enemies in a pain bond (4*); attacks that hurt one enemy will hurt others nearby. Axes will hit multiple times to hit multiple times again; that is, if you or the monsters can last that long.
  • You can end if off with a Grand Finale, instantly killing any foe in the game (success determined on piety and Invocations). It uses up all your piety, but it's both a teleport and a way to eliminate a particularly tough enemy.

Recommended race and class combinations: Characters who can afford to invest well into Invocations, more specifically axe fighters (more damage) and stabbers (so many distractions!). Mages (other than Enchanters) might want to stay away, as magic simply isn't as good at sustaining Uskayaw's dance.

Xom the Unpredictable

Xom is an interesting god that'll likely cause you to die in a hilarious way. Most of his actions are either harmful, flavourful, or somewhat helpful. Eventually, Chaos Knights will end up with a large amount of beneficial mutations, but a god that'll still kill them on a whim.

Recommended Race and Class Combinations: Chaos Knights start off worshipping Xom. This is considered a "challenge class", and the game does not recommend it for any race.

Cheibriados the Contemplative

Cheibriados is the slow god; eventually, worshippers will accrue up to a 10 aut penalty to movement speed (movement takes twice as long for most species). Being slow is a huge disadvantage; repositioning yourself risks taking multiple attacks, and running away is generally flat-out impossible without using consumables. But Cheibriados happens to be a god who provides said resources; and might even help you stop those situations all together.

As piety rises (by killing faster creatures), you will gain increased stats. At 6* piety, this equates to +15 Str, Int, and Dex. Chei worshipers can wear heavier armour while casting stronger spells and dodging more. For example, they can easily cast Translocations to supplant Chei's slowness. But these stats start as slow as Chei itself; the slowness you vulnerable to many normal speed threats in the early dungeon without much compensation. It starts out small: Chei will immediately slow down the effects of poison, giving you more time to regenerate off it. Useful for killer bees and Lair.

From 1* of piety, you gain the ability to Bend Time, Slowing creatures down. This ability requires a fair bit of Invocations investment, though reducing an enemy's combat and chase potential is still quite useful.

Slouch is a powerful, 4* invocation that always hits every enemy within LOS. Threatening screens can just be completely negated, if expensive. Slouch is particularly effective against faster enemies, and particularly effective against packs of enemies such as killer bees, spiders, and caustic shrikes. Those same enemies will give you piety back, though Slouch too expensive to be net-even. Damage is based off movement speed and XL, not Invocations.

Step from Time is a potentially stronger ability - but one that's entirely defensive. Unlocked at 5* piety, it allows you to hide for hundreds or thousands of turns; by then, your foes would have scattered, looking for you. This benefits from large spaces; monsters will wander away in due time, giving you at least the space to escape.

Cheibriados worshipers are punished for making a mistake. A single move can give every enemy 2-3 turns. While Chei's later invocations help mitigate mistakes, you would rather not spend tons of piety to fix a common error. Being slow changes how you play Crawl in its entirety. Being flexible by playing slow - literally and figuratively - is a must.

Recommended race and class combinations: Characters and players who can play around the move speed penalty; preferably ones that can use every stat Chei offers. Slow move speed is usually most dangerous when you first join Chei, so characters that can gain piety quickly like monks, slow species (like Nagas and Barachim, or anyone with ponderous), and characters with an amulet of faith will have an easier time worshipping Chei. Even with faster piety gain, its important to keep in mind that by worshipping Chei, you are giving up near term strength for future strength.

Yredelemnul the Dark

Yredelemnul is the dark god of undeath. Followers gain the power to rouse the dead by channeling Yred's power (not through Necromancy magic). The resulting undead horde is both a useful aid in combat and the fuel for Yred's powers.

By worshipping Yred, you will automatically create zombies and spectres whenever you kill. Useful in their own right, though they will dissipate if you leave the level at all. As long as you can see them, you can exchange zombies for various perks. (And you can recall them if you don't see them). They can be converted to various powers:

  • For 2 souls, and at 2* piety, you can summon a stronger, temporary ally. Respectable allies such as Profane servitors and Bone dragons may spawn at high piety and invocations.
  • For 3 souls and 3* piety, you can drain the life from living creatures. Healing is always great for emergencies, even if the damage isn't all that great.
  • And at 5* piety, you can bind a creature's soul to eternal service. It'll retain the same abilities and equipment it had in life, while having similar (noticeably stronger earlier on) stats and now-draining attacks. Unlike the rest of the zombies, these souls can travel between levels.

Notably, Yred's wrath is relatively light (especially after 3 runes), making a switch rather easy.

Recommended Race and Class Combinations: Characters who can afford to 'get the ball rolling' each floor with a heaping of undead. Important abilities are redundant to Necromancy or Summoning, and get in the way of Conjurations, meaning it is more often melee characters who favor Yred.

Note that Yred's corpse raising removes the ability to obtain troll leather armour or dragon scales from slaying their respective monster. Trolls, Ogres, and Spriggans are discouraged from rousing the black torch.

Ashenzari the Shackled

Ashenzari is the bound god of Divination, and gives players the ability to curse your items. In fact, this is the only way to gain piety; and once they're cursed, you can't remove them without losing the item forever, or even enchant them. In exchange, each curse will grant a selection of skill point buffs.

As you curse more and more, each individual buff only gets stronger - and Ashzenzari starts giving multiple passives. First comes more knowledge - instant identification of every item (1*), detection of items and monsters, and even the detection of portals. See invisible, Clarity, and the ability to scry through walls follow. Passives are the key word here - Ashenzari followers have to avoid deadly situations with their enhanced skills and knowledge.

Ash also makes the Abyss much easier. You can see gateways in and out of the hellish landscape from far away, you can see walls and flooring that signifies a rune vault, and you can see the monsters coming in advance. This helps for characters that would otherwise struggle with getting a 3rd rune.

Recommended race and class combinations: Ashenzari works well for characters that could use a boost in their abilities. From casting high level spells, to getting that executioner's axe reasonably fast, to just dealing with out of depth enemies. Mummies like both clarity and some bolstered skill levels.

Qazlal Stormbringer

Qazlal is the bringer of storms - it expects you to be loud, be proud, and decimate your competition.

Qazalal will slowly improve your storm shield. This increases your SH and surrounds you with damaging clouds. However, this comes at the extreme cost of being loud, attracting a huge swath of monsters at high piety. The storm shield will continue to improve (and continue to get loud) - granting you the otherwise rare Repel Missiles, and giving you extra resistances as you get hit.

To compensate for the sheer amount of monsters you'll face, Qazlal gives you some devastating Invocations. Upheaval (2*) will call in a smite-targetted blast that easily kills early threats like two-headed ogres and hydras. Disaster Area (5*) will clear a huge portion of the screen (but will never hit you, and tiles adjacent to you are discouraged). Elemental Force (3*) summons powerful but short lived elementals, including air elementals that are capable of paralyzing most enemies in the game. Requires significant Invocations investment to truly show their power.

Recommended race and class combinations: High Invocations is very important, and Qazlal is best on characters that can start investing in it early. Being able to face large encounters brought on by the noise is also important, but luring and Qazlal's own abilities usually do a good job of handling this. Qazlal's passive SH and repel missiles help to mitigate the drawbacks of not having a shield, and a high damage two handed weapon helps kill the enemies drawn by noise before they overwhelm you, so Qazlal may be particularly desirable for characters that plan to use a two handed weapon. Qazlal's abilities are practically Conjurations of their own - so casters will find the god's abilities a bit redundant.

The Wu Jian Council

The Wu Jian Council are ascended martial artists; worshipping and killing in their name will give you some strong techniques.

You'll get 3 movement based attacks early on, which avoid attacks of opportunity. Lunge deals extra for approaching an opponent, Whirlwind will damage adjacent enemies when moving sideways, and Wall Jump will give extra mobility with a wall. It's up to you to make the most of these abilities, even if they aren't that strong to begin with. All three skills will activate at the same rate as your movement speed (Wall Jump takes 2 moves), though your weapon speed determines how many attacks you actually do.

In addition, the council will provide two active abilities. Serpent's Lash (3*) will give you two instant movements. While the ability does boost martial attacks, it isn't limited to them -- for example, you can dash straight towards the stairs. Heavenly Storm (5*) will create obscuring clouds and massively boost damage and EV, as long as you keep move-attacking.

Recommended race and class combinations: Obviously, only those comfortable in melee benefit from most of Wu Jian's abilities. From those, fighters who can afford to stay out in the open can decide to pick Wu Jian. Characters reliant on stabs, especially Kobolds (where lunge takes half of their LOS), appreciate the effective rampaging that Lunge provides.

Atheist

Of course, you can choose to just not to worship a god. Whenever for roleplay reasons, or as a challenge, picking no god is a perfectly valid option. Stone Soup is designed around a god to ease up difficult situations... but then again, the game's also designed with a species forlorn from any divine help.

Recommended race and class combinations: Demigods are too proud to put any "god" before them. Of course, anyone can decide to go godless, whenever it'd be for tournament points or simply for fun.

Strategy Guides
General Walkthrough • Dealing with trouble • Tips and tricks • Identification • FAQ
Vaults:5 • Zot:5 • Mega-Zig
Character Building Early Game • Mid Game • Late Game

Beginner Characters • God Choice • Weapon Choice • Specialization

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