Difference between revisions of "Summon Mana Viper"

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(Slightly expanded, but still needs such details as summon duration and how spellpower actually affects its antimagic effect)
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{{flavour|This spell summons a violet-scaled serpent whose bite can swiftly drain the magical reserves of nearly any foe. At higher power, the antimagic properties of the viper's bite grow even stronger.
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'''Summon Mana Viper''' is a level 5 [[Hexes]]/[[Summonings|Summoning]] spell which summons a [[mana viper]].
  
You can sustain at most two creatures summoned by this spell.}}
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==Useful Info==
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A single [[mana viper]] is summoned. These monsters' bites inflict [[antimagic]], reducing the chance that monsters cast wizardly or magical spells.
  
'''Summon Mana Viper''' is a level 5 [[Summonings]] spell which summons a single [[mana viper]] to attack your foes. This is a moderately durable creature with a decent melee attack, but it shines when used against enemy casters; its bite is [[antimagic]] [[brand]]ed, giving its victim a significant chance of failing any spells they attempt to cast.
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Higher [[spell power]] increases the [[hit dice]] of the creature. The mana viper's HD equals <code>7 + <power> / 12</code>, rounded in a weighted manner.<ref>{{source ref|0.31-b1|spl-summoning.cc|580}}</ref> This increases HP, accuracy, and the strength of the antimagic bite.
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Duration of the summon is around 18 turns; it does not depend on the spell power.
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There is a summon cap of 1; casting the spell again will cause the old summon to very quickly time out.
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==Strategy==
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Mana vipers are fast and moderately durable, but are most notable for their [[antimagic]] bite. The antimagic status gives a % chance for monsters to fail their spells. The more antimagic a monster has, the greater the failure rate. Antimagic is very effective against spellcasters and [[demon]]s.
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Theoretically, mana vipers can be used against endgame threats like [[ancient lich]]es, [[orbs of fire]], and [[fiend]]s. But vipers aren't the strongest creatures, and you can only summon one at a time. So it's likely that the viper just dies (or gets [[abjured]]). This spell ''can'' work against them, but don't rely on it.
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Against non-magical targets, mana vipers are alright. Better than a [[Call Canine Familiar|canine]] or [[ice beast]], but not amazingly so. If you want a raw combat summon, [[cactus giant]]s are a much better bet.
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==Monster Version==
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Creates multiple mana vipers based on the spell power, their hit dice is not adjusted from the base monster. Duration is the same as the player version.
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{{monsters with spell}}
  
 
==History==
 
==History==
Summon Mana Viper was added in [[0.14]].
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*Prior to [[0.31]], mana vipers' [[HD]] was 1 lower.
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*Prior to [[0.30]], mana vipers' [[HP]] did not scale with spellpower, resulting in less HP overall. Also, their [[HD]] was 1 lower.
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*Prior to [[0.28]], this spell had a summon cap of two.
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*Summon Mana Viper was added in [[0.14]].
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==References==
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<references/>

Latest revision as of 06:04, 20 January 2024

Version 0.31: This article may not be up to date for the latest stable release of Crawl.
Summon mana viper.png Summon Mana Viper
Level 5
School1 Hexes
School2 Summoning
Source(s) Book of Beasts
Book of the Wilderness
Casting noise 4
Spell noise 0
Power Cap 100
Flags Mons abjure
Summons a violet-scaled serpent whose bite can swiftly drain the magical reserves of nearly any foe. At higher power, the antimagic properties of the viper's bite grow even stronger.

Summon Mana Viper is a level 5 Hexes/Summoning spell which summons a mana viper.

Useful Info

A single mana viper is summoned. These monsters' bites inflict antimagic, reducing the chance that monsters cast wizardly or magical spells.

Higher spell power increases the hit dice of the creature. The mana viper's HD equals 7 + <power> / 12, rounded in a weighted manner.[1] This increases HP, accuracy, and the strength of the antimagic bite.

Duration of the summon is around 18 turns; it does not depend on the spell power.

There is a summon cap of 1; casting the spell again will cause the old summon to very quickly time out.

Strategy

Mana vipers are fast and moderately durable, but are most notable for their antimagic bite. The antimagic status gives a % chance for monsters to fail their spells. The more antimagic a monster has, the greater the failure rate. Antimagic is very effective against spellcasters and demons.

Theoretically, mana vipers can be used against endgame threats like ancient liches, orbs of fire, and fiends. But vipers aren't the strongest creatures, and you can only summon one at a time. So it's likely that the viper just dies (or gets abjured). This spell can work against them, but don't rely on it.

Against non-magical targets, mana vipers are alright. Better than a canine or ice beast, but not amazingly so. If you want a raw combat summon, cactus giants are a much better bet.

Monster Version

Creates multiple mana vipers based on the spell power, their hit dice is not adjusted from the base monster. Duration is the same as the player version.

The following enemies cast Summon Mana Viper:

History

  • Prior to 0.31, mana vipers' HD was 1 lower.
  • Prior to 0.30, mana vipers' HP did not scale with spellpower, resulting in less HP overall. Also, their HD was 1 lower.
  • Prior to 0.28, this spell had a summon cap of two.
  • Summon Mana Viper was added in 0.14.

References