Reaper

Version 0.31: This article may not be up to date for the latest stable release of Crawl.

reaper 2
HP	46-95
HD	14
XP	1134
Speed	10
AC	15
EV	10
Will	100
Attack1	36 (hit: drag)
Resistances	rC+ rPois+ rMiasma rN+++ rTorm
Vulnerabilities	Holy
Habitat	Land
Intelligence	Human
Uses	Starting equipment Open doors
Holiness	Demonic
Size	Medium
Type	reaper, reaper
Flags	Fighter See invisible Speaks

A skeletal form wielding a giant scythe, ceaselessly harvesting the souls of the living. “All our times have come. Here but now they're gone. Seasons don't fear the reaper, Nor do the wind, the sun or the rain. We can be like they are. Come on baby, don't fear the reaper.” -Buck Dharma, Blue Öyster Cult, “(Don't Fear) The Reaper”. 1976.

Useful Info

Reapers are tier-2 demons armed with randomly branded scythes. They lack magic, but have decent lasting power and their reaching melee attacks can deal heavy damage and drag you backwards. They can normally be found in the Abyss, Pandemonium, and the Hells (most often in the Iron City of Dis and Tartarus), but they also appear on some Depths floors. Some monsters can also summon them through the Summon Greater Demon spell.

Tips & Tricks

• Their reaching attacks hit even harder than stone giants, and they have similar lasting power. Respect them, particularly if you encounter them early (e.g. through a Necromancy miscast).
• While melee fighters shouldn't have much trouble with them on their own, they can be devastating when allowed to attack from the back row while you deal with more immediate opponents. Be especially careful if their weapon brand suddenly turns out to be chaos or distortion.
• Tiles players (and those who read monster descriptions) should beware: no matter how undead this monster looks/sounds, it is not. Dispel Undead will have no effect.

History

• Prior to 0.31, reapers couldn't drag their targets back with melee attacks.
• Prior to 0.25, hostile reapers could be summoned by miscasting Necromancy spells and via death curses.