Difference between revisions of "Poisonous Vapours"

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'''Poisonous Vapours''' is a level 2 Poison/Air spell which causes [[smite-targeted]] poison on any vulnerable enemy within [[line of sight]].
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'''Poisonous Vapours''' is a level 1 Alchemy/Air spell which causes [[smite-targeted]] poison on a non-resistant enemy within range.
  
[[Venom Mage]]s start with this spell.
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[[Alchemist]]s start with this spell in their libraries.
  
 
==Useful Info==
 
==Useful Info==
Poisonous Vapours inflicts <code>1 + pow/15</code> poison "stacks" on a single target.<ref>{{source ref|0.30.0|spl-damage.cc|3539}}</ref> Monsters can have up to 4 stacks of poison at a time. It does nothing against foes with [[poison resistance]].
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Inflicts [[poison]] on a target. It inflicts <code>pow/25</code> (min. 1) poison "[[Poison#Monster Formula|stacks]]",<ref>{{source ref|0.31-b1|spl-damage.cc|3566}}</ref> and if the target does not currently have poison, 1 extra poison stack is inflicted. If the player is the target, this spell inflicts 2d6 poison damage instead of any stacks. Creatures with [[poison resistance]] cannot be poisoned at all by this spell.
  
Higher stacks mean more damage per turn, according to the following table:
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Higher poison stacks mean more damage per turn, according to the following table:
  
 
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Poison stacks will decay as turns pass.
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For more info on poison, see the [[Poison]] article.
  
 
==Strategy==
 
==Strategy==
Poisonous Vapours is a good spell to pick up, even if you aren't a Venom Mage. It is a level 2, smite-targeted spell, which never misses, ignores [[AC]], and deals good damage (for its level). The downside of the spell is that it's poison - damage is done over time, and it does nothing against foes with poison resistance. Even then, it's not a dealbreaker.
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Poisonous Vapours never misses and ignores AC, making it one of the stronger early game spells. The downside is that it relies on poison - damage is done over time, and cannot damage foes with poison resistance. If the enemy isn't in melee range yet, you can walk backwards so that the enemy takes poison damage while it chases you.
 
 
With [[Ignite Poison]], Poisonous Vapours jumps from "good" to "excellent". Ignite Poison converts poison into immediate damage, with a bonus multiplier of 200% to 300%. This combination is cheap and extremely strong, ''much'' stronger than what a level 3 spell would suggest.
 
 
 
At 25 power, casting Vapours x2 -> Ignite Poison deals 8d13 damage (avg. 52). At 30 power, Vapours x1 -> Ignite Poison consistently deals 6d13 damage (avg. 39). For reference, [[Iron Shot]] at 70 power deals 9d7 damage (avg. 32), and [[Plasma Beam]] deals 2d53 (avg. 53). While this combo is poor at turn economy (2-3 turns to cast), it's good to put things into perspective. Poisonous Vapours has better range, never misses, and ''it's a level 3 spell''. Has the added benefit of [[Olgreb's Toxic Radiance]], which is great against crowds. Overall, it's a viable combo into [[Vaults]].
 
  
 
===Tips & Tricks===
 
===Tips & Tricks===
* Low-XL [[Venom Mage]]s may want to use [[Sting]] for the reduced MP cost. Otherwise, Poisonous Vapours is almost a direct upgrade; it's more accurate and has better range. Note that Sting deals some damage against poison resistance, so you'll want to keep it around for a bit.
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*[[Ignite Poison]] is quite strong with any source of poison, including this spell. It converts poison stacks into instant damage, with a great increase in damage. The Ignite Poison + Poisonous Vapours combo offers decent damage, high reliability, and good MP efficiency for its level.
* Against melee enemies, you can freely [[kiting|kite]] against them. Apply a few stacks of poison, then retreat a few tiles, allowing the poison to do its work.
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*In Tiles, you can count poison stacks by the number of green poison drops on the monster. 1 drop is 1 stack (poisoned), 2 drops is 2-3 stacks (very poisoned), and 3 drops is 4 stacks (extremely poisoned).
* In Tiles, you can count poison stacks by the number of green, poison drops on the monster. 1 drop is 1 stack (poisoned), 2 drops is 2-3 stacks (very poisoned), and 3 drops is 4 stacks (extremely poisoned).
 
  
 
==History==
 
==History==
*Prior to [[0.27]], Poisonous Vapours would create a short lived [[cloud]], and wouldn't work if there was a cloud already there (including from the spell itself). Also, [[Vehumet]] did not consider this spell "destructive".
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*Prior to [[0.33]], this spell was known as '''Mercury Vapours''': it was level 2 and could [[weak]]en enemies in a 3x3 area. [[Mercury Arrow]] was introduced in 0.33 as a replacement.
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*Prior to [[0.31]], this spell was called Poisonous Vapours. It was a [[Poison Magic]]/[[Air]] spell, had full [[LOS]] range, but did not have a chance to weaken foes. Also, it inflicted <code>power/15</code> stacks of poison, but with no bonus against non-poisoned foes.
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*Prior to [[0.27]], Poisonous Vapours would create a short lived [[cloud]] instead of inflicting poison directly. Thus it wouldn't work if there was a cloud already there (including from the spell itself). Also, [[Vehumet]] did not consider this spell "destructive".
 
*Poisonous Vapours was added in [[0.20]].
 
*Poisonous Vapours was added in [[0.20]].
  
 
==References==
 
==References==
 
<references />
 
<references />

Latest revision as of 09:32, 13 October 2025

Version 0.33: This article is up to date for the latest stable release of Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup.
Poisonous vapours.png Poisonous Vapours
Level 1
School1 Air
School2 Alchemy
Source(s) Book of Cantrips
Young Poisoner's Handbook
Casting noise 1
Spell noise 0
Power Cap 25
Range 3
Flags Destructive, Not self, Target
Transmutes a small amount of the air around a target into toxic vapours, poisoning anyone unfortunate enough to breathe them in. The quantity of air affected is small and it will not persist beyond the turn in which it is cast.

It cannot affect those with any resistance to poison.

Poisonous Vapours is a level 1 Alchemy/Air spell which causes smite-targeted poison on a non-resistant enemy within range.

Alchemists start with this spell in their libraries.

Useful Info

Inflicts poison on a target. It inflicts pow/25 (min. 1) poison "stacks",[1] and if the target does not currently have poison, 1 extra poison stack is inflicted. If the player is the target, this spell inflicts 2d6 poison damage instead of any stacks. Creatures with poison resistance cannot be poisoned at all by this spell.

Higher poison stacks mean more damage per turn, according to the following table:

Average poison damage per 1.0 turn
# Stacks Damage Description
Normal rPois-
1 0.75 1.75 Poisoned
2 1 3 Very poisoned
3 1.25 4.25 Very poisoned
4 2.5 6.5 Extremely poisoned

For more info on poison, see the Poison article.

Strategy

Poisonous Vapours never misses and ignores AC, making it one of the stronger early game spells. The downside is that it relies on poison - damage is done over time, and cannot damage foes with poison resistance. If the enemy isn't in melee range yet, you can walk backwards so that the enemy takes poison damage while it chases you.

Tips & Tricks

  • Ignite Poison is quite strong with any source of poison, including this spell. It converts poison stacks into instant damage, with a great increase in damage. The Ignite Poison + Poisonous Vapours combo offers decent damage, high reliability, and good MP efficiency for its level.
  • In Tiles, you can count poison stacks by the number of green poison drops on the monster. 1 drop is 1 stack (poisoned), 2 drops is 2-3 stacks (very poisoned), and 3 drops is 4 stacks (extremely poisoned).

History

  • Prior to 0.33, this spell was known as Mercury Vapours: it was level 2 and could weaken enemies in a 3x3 area. Mercury Arrow was introduced in 0.33 as a replacement.
  • Prior to 0.31, this spell was called Poisonous Vapours. It was a Poison Magic/Air spell, had full LOS range, but did not have a chance to weaken foes. Also, it inflicted power/15 stacks of poison, but with no bonus against non-poisoned foes.
  • Prior to 0.27, Poisonous Vapours would create a short lived cloud instead of inflicting poison directly. Thus it wouldn't work if there was a cloud already there (including from the spell itself). Also, Vehumet did not consider this spell "destructive".
  • Poisonous Vapours was added in 0.20.

References