Cards

Version 0.33: This article is up to date for the latest stable release of Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup.

Cards are a distinct set of abilities used by followers of Nemelex Xobeh (or invoked against you by Nemelex's wrath).

Decks

There are 3 player drawn decks: the deck of destruction, deck of escape, and deck of summoning. While worshipping Nemelex, the god will occasionally gift you cards. You can see the deck which the cards were dealt, but not specific cards themselves (at least, without using an ability). You can store a maximum of 26 cards for the deck of destruction, and 13 cards for the other two. Nemelex draws from the deck of punishment as divine retribution.

Power

There are two aspects to the potency of a card's effect: called "power" and "power_level" in the source code.

Power is the card equivalent to spellpower. Players draw cards at power = (9 × Invocations) + (1.5 × piety) + (piety × (Invocations + 25) / 27). Cards drawn by wrath have a power of 18 × XL.

Most cards then translate power into power level, a number ranging from 0, 1, or 2. Each level can be considered a new "tier", and may add new effects or simply improve the card; for example, the Orb fires multiple orbs of destruction at power level 2. Every time a card is drawn, the game rolls twice: power / 900 and power / 2700 - each successful roll raises power level by 1.

Lists of cards

Currently available cards

Card	Effect
Deck of destruction
Degeneration	Polymorphs enemies in sight to a lower HD monster and malmutates them. Those immune to polymorph are dazed. Each enemy rolls a chance to resist based on their HD and power level.
the Orb	Fires an orb of destruction at the target. At power levels 0 and 2, a burst of 3-7 orbs will additionally be fired around you.
Pain	Casts Agony at power level 0, Bolt of Draining at power levels 1-2, and Symbol of Torment (which you are not affected by) additionally at power level 2.
the Storm	Creates a blast of wind pushing monsters away in all directions, and 1-9 blasts of electricity of radius 3 around you, with the number of blasts and the strength of the wind blast depending on power level.
Wild Magic	Monsters around you are affected by a random miscast effect from one of eight magic schools, and regain 0-4 MP for each enemy affected. Each enemy rolls a chance to resist based on their HD and power level.
Vitriol	Casts Breathe Acid at power level 0 and Corrosive Bolt at power levels 1-2. Additionally, at power level 2, each enemy in sight gets a 50% chance to be corroded.
Deck of escape
the Cloud	Places clouds around (but not on) all monsters in sight. Cloud type is mephitic cloud at power level 0, miasma at power level 1, and calcifying dust at power level 2.
the Elixir	Rapidly regenerates health by 10% of max HP and magic by 10% of max MP per turn. The duration of the effect depends on power level.
Exile	Banishes 1-5 nearby monsters to the Abyss, with number depending on power level. If there are no monsters nearby, you are banished instead.
the Tomb	Creates temporary rock walls in the tiles around you, with duration depending on power. These walls will not replace other walls or monsters occupying those tiles, can be dug through, and instantly fall away if you leave the tomb.
Velocity	Power level / 2 chance to remove any Slow effect on you. Each nearby enemy has a (1 + power level) / 3 chance to be slowed, and each nearby ally has a power level / 2 chance to be hasted.
Deck of summoning
the Dance	Summons a dancing weapon ally. At power level 0, either a quarterstaff or hand axe; at power level 1, a possibly-branded long sword or trident; and at power level 2, an enchanted and branded demon trident or executioner's axe.
the Elements	Summons three allies from one of the following groups: Power level 0: raiju, basilisk, fire bat, ice beast Power level 1: wind drake, catoblepas, molten gargoyle, polar bear Power level 2: shock serpent, war gargoyle, fire dragon, ice dragon
the Illusion	Creates an illusion of you as an ally. Power level solely affects duration.
the Pentagram	Creates one demon and one demonic creature. The demon has a 1/(power level + 4) chance to be hostile. Power level 0: tier 4 demon and hell hound Power level 1: tier 3 demon and rakshasa Power level 2: tier 2 demon and pandemonium lord
the Rangers	Creates 2-3 allies from centaur warriors, naga sharpshooters and deep elf master archers, with composition dependent on power level.
Swarm	Creates 1-5 killer bees. At power levels 1-2, also creates a queen bee, and at power level 2, also creates 3 meliai.
Deck of punishment
the Swine	Polymorphs you into a pig. This transformation cannot be cancelled with potion of cancellation or dispelling energy.
Torment	Torments you. If you're undead or demonic, this card instead invokes holy word.
the Wraith	Significantly drains you, with severity depending on power up to 16% of max HP at XL 27.
Wrath	Invokes the wrath of another random god. Note that Ashenzari, Elyvilon, Gozag and Hepliaklqana which have continuous passive wrath, and Ru which has no wrath, are not available.

Removed cards

• the Alchemist
• the Banshee
• the Blade
• the Bones
• the Crusade
• the Curse
• Damnation
• Dowsing
• the Feast
• Famine
• Focus
• Fortitude
• the Hammer
• the Helix
• the Helm
• the Herd
• the Mercenary
• Metamorphosis
• the Potion
• Repulsiveness
• the Shadow
• Placid Magic
• Solitude
• Swap
• Venom
• Warpwright
• Xom
• the Bargain
• Battlelust
• Experience
• Flame
• Flight
• Frost
• the Genie
• the Map
• the Minefield
• the Portal
• the Sage
• the Shaft
• Shuffle
• the Spade
• the Spark
• Summoning
• the Trowel
• Vitrification
• the Warp
• Water

History

• The Famine card was removed when food was removed in 0.26.
• Prior to 0.23, decks were evocable items with different tiers, and card power and power level depended on the quality of the deck.
• Prior to 0.19, there were many more decks, many more cards, decks could be found on the floor, and card power scaled off Evocations with and without Nemelex.

See also

Decks