Difference between revisions of "Mara"

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{{monster
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{{version031}}
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|name=mara
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{{monster info}}
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|glyph={{LightMagenta|R}}
 
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|tile=[[File:mara.png]]
 
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|flags={{Unique flag}}<br>{{Spellcaster flag}}<br>{{Warm blood flag}}<br> {{Evil flag}} <br> {{See invisible flag}} <br><br>
 
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|resistances={{Fire resistance}}, {{Poison resistance}}, {{Negative energy resistance}},<br>{{Torment resistance}}, {{Rot resistance}}, {{!sil}}
 
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|vulnerabilities={{Holy vulnerability}}
 
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|max_chunks=0
 
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|meat={{no corpse}}
 
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|xp=7145
 
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|holiness={{Demonic}}
 
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|magic_resistance=144
 
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|hp_range=140
 
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|avg_hp=140
 
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|armour_class=10
 
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|evasion=14
 
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|habitat=land
 
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|speed=10
 
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|size={{medium}}
 
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|item_use={{weapons armour}}
 
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|attack1= 30 ({{Hit type}}: {{Plain flavour}})
 
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|attack2=
 
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|attack3=
 
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|attack4=
 
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|hit_dice=18
 
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|base_hp=0
 
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|extra_hp=0
 
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|fixed_hp=140
 
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|intelligence={{High intelligence}}
 
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|genus=rakshasa
 
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|species=rakshasa
 
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}}
 
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{{Flavour|This tall and powerful demon is Mara, Lord of Illusions, mighty among dreamers. He is capable of creating intricately detailed illusions, able to mislead even the minds of the mightiest and most brilliant spell-casters.
 
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----
 
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"This night the Lord of Illusion passed among you, Mara, mighty among dreamers, mighty for ill. He did come upon another who may work with the stuff of dreams in a different way. He did meet with Dharma, who may expel a dreamer from his dream. They did struggle, and Mara is no more. Why did they struggle, deathgod against illusionist? You say their ways are incomprehensible, being the ways of gods. This is not the answer."<br>
 
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- Roger Zelazny, "Lord of Light", 1967}}
 
  
 
==Useful Info==
 
==Useful Info==
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Lord '''Mara'''’s illusions are capable of misleading even the greatest spell-casters, and far surpass those of even the strongest of the [[rakshasa]]s which he rules over. Those who are willing to face this danger should be ready not only to fight Mara, but also the horrors that he can dredge up from their minds.
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'''Mara, Lord of Illusions''', is the [[unique]] lord of all [[rakshasa]]s. Armed with a deadly array of illusory magic, he is an extremely dangerous opponent capable of turning all your strengths against you. He always generates with a [[brand]]ed demon weapon, and his unique spellset makes him challenging regardless of your preparations.
  
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Mara is a tough opponent, even for adventurers who've conquered [[the Realm of Zot]]. His unique spells make him challenging regardless of your preparations:
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==Location==
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*[[Depths]]: 1-4
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*'''Mislead''' - While affected by this spell, monsters will appear to be other monsters in glyph, name and tile. It is temporary and purely cosmetic. It is blocked by [[clarity]], and removed by rain and [[potion of curing|potions of curing]].
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*[[Elven Halls]]: 3
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*[[Swamp]]: 3-4
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*[[Snake Pit]]: 3-4
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*[[Shoals]]: 3-4
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*[[Spider's Nest]]: 3-4
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*[[Vaults]]: 2-5
  
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*'''Fake Mara Summon''' - While lesser rakshasas can summon limitless, weak shadows, Mara summons 1-2 robust and virtually identical clones of himself, but he can only maintain two such clones at a time. Fake Maras generate with full health, but cannot cast [[Fake Mara Summon]] or [[Summon Illusion]]. They disappear on their own after enough time has passed, and they are vulnerable to [[Abjuration]].
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{{monster spells}}
  
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*'''Summon Illusion''' - Mara's most dangerous spell, Summon Illusion generates a hostile clone of anything but Mara (including you) in his [[LOS]], so long as it does not have an existing clone. When Mara clones your character, it creates a monster similar to a [[player ghost]], except that it won't be undead (unless the character was, initially). Like the fake Maras, these clones disappear on their own after enough time has passed, and they are vulnerable to Abjuration.
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==Strategy==
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{{crawlquote|'''When Mara clones a monster''': ''Mara seems to draw [the monster] out of itself!'' (Mara clones a monster)<br>
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Mara is a notoriously dangerous unique.
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'''When Mara clones a monster from beyond your LOS''': ''[The monster] seems to step out of itself!''<br>
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# Alone, Mara has moderately high durability (especially for the [[Lair]] branches), and [[Bolt of Fire]] can hurt quite a bit.
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'''When Mara clones you''': ''There is a horrible, sudden wrenching feeling in your soul!''}}
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# He can create 2 copies of himself, and each copy can cast spells at the same strength. Having 3 Maras, all shooting Bolts of Fire, means you'll take high damage quickly. Up to 273 damage/turn, if you lack fire resistance.
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# He can also create copies of you, which are just as deadly as you are. You might win 50/50 against yourself... but that's a 50% chance to lose on the spot. That's before considering Mara himself - when combined with 2 Mara clones, the chances of you winning are extremely low.
  
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==Location==
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Remember that '''you do not need to kill every monster you come across in ''Crawl'' in order to win the game'''. He often spawns in rune branches, and you'll ''eventually'' need 3 runes to win. But you can always come back for the rune later, when you have the power to kill Mara quickly. If he spawns on <Lair Branch>:3, you can skip the floor he's on.
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*[[The Dungeon]]:18-25
 
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*The [[Elven Halls]]:3
 
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*[[The Swamp]]:3-5
 
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*[[The Snake Pit]]:3-5
 
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*[[The Shoals]]:3-5
 
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*The [[Spider's Nest]]:3-5
 
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*[[The Vaults]]:2-8
 
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*[[The Crypt]]
 
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*The [[Hall of Blades]]
 
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*[[The Tomb]]
 
  
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<!--spl-bot-begin-->
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If you do decide to deal with him, [[fire resistance]] is highly recommended, and you should be able to deal decent damage without using fire, poison, or negative energy. In general, it's best to treat him like you would any other extremely dangerous summoner: kill him as quickly as possible, and if he summons something you can't handle, teleport away.
  
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==Spells==
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===Dealing with Clones===
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Mara will create clones, either of himself or you. These clones will harass you until they time out, until the real Mara is defeated, or until you change the level. Upon use of Mara Summon, the real Mara may switch places with the clone, making it impossible to tell them apart.
  
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{{Spellcaster
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'''Player'''
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|number=
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*Fighting a player clone is extremely risky on its own, and with Mara in play, it clearly becomes a losing fight. Generally, the best approach with a player ghost is to not deal with it at all: you can go back up the stairs or teleport away if it's summoned.
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|slot1=[[Mislead]]
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*It is technically possible to 'cripple' your clone before it is summoned; e.g. casters with -Cast gear, melee fighters wielding a [[scroll]]. However, this is a bad idea - until he summons your clone, he has free reign to attack you.
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|slot2=[[Bolt of Fire]] (3d27)
 
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|slot3=[[Fake Mara Summon]]
 
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|slot4=[[Summon Illusion]]
 
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|slot5=[[Pain]] (d17)
 
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|slot6=[[Teleport Self]]
 
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}}
 
  
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{{clear}}
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'''Monster'''
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<!--spl-bot-end-->
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*Retreating up[[stairs]] can isolate Mara from the clones, since only the real Mara can follow you.
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*Like other rakhsasas, he can clone other monsters. While monsters (most likely) won't be as dangerous as you, it can still make a dangerous encounter even worse. This is another good reason to fight Mara by himself.
  
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==Tips & Tricks==
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===Tips & Tricks===
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*Do ''not'' go [[berserk]], either before Mara clones you or afterwards. Mara will blink away, leaving you slow and vulnerable when the berserk runs out.
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*[[Silence]] does nothing against demons, but [[antimagic]] will cripple his spellcasting.
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*Bring fire resistance: Being shot with three Bolts of Fire (3d27) on the same turn is not fun.
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*With a [[demon trident]], Mara becomes better at melee. As he constantly [[blink]]s, the trident's [[reaching]] makes it easier for him and the clones to hit you in melee.
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*Conjurers should haste themselves before the fight so they can take down Mara very quickly. If Mara clones you, flee, wait for the ghost to vanish, and try again later.
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*Any statuses you have ([[haste]], [[might]]...) will also be transferred to the clone. However, this doesn't mean you shouldn't buff yourself; any buffs you have make it easier to kill Mara before the clone is summoned. Just don't go [[berserk]], since berserk works poorly against any enemy with [[Blink]].
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*The real Mara does not move when he summons copies of himself. Thus, you know his position until he blinks.  You even know his position if only he blinks, but if he and one of the clones blink in the same turn, you're out of luck: there is no longer any way to tell the real Mara from the fakes.
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*While Mara has great [[willpower]], a [[scroll of vulnerability]] can make it reasonable for a [[wand of paralysis]] (if you have one) to work. But if you have any sort of [[Hexes]] spell (or [[Petrify]]), don't use vulnerability - it'll make you vulnerable to the clone's spells.
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*Focus on taking out Mara, and avoid your ghost. The ghost will unsummon eventually, so flee from it once Mara is dead. If your ghost is too nasty, preventing you from killing Mara, flee them both and come back later. Next time you might get more damage in before he clones you.
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*He's a very good choice for a [[Yredelemnul]] bound soul. Few monsters are able to handle a clone of themselves ''and'' 3 Maras ''and'' the player at the same time.
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*An all-too-common piece of advice one often sees about Mara is to attempt to cripple your ghost. This is in general a bad idea, mainly because while you sit there, fiddling with your equipment (e.g. wielding a bread ration, or donning gear that lowers resistances), you ''aren't attacking Mara''. This is even worse for players attempting to weaken a melee ghost by wielding a non-weapon: you '''can't''' attack Mara until he clones you, which, given that he has six spells he can cast, may be a considerable amount of time. The general procedure for killing Mara is the same as that for any other extremely dangerous summoner ([[deep elf demonologist]]s and [[ancient lich]]es, for example): kill him as quickly as possible, and if he summons something you can't handle, teleport away.
 
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*Also, as with any summoner, [[Abjuration]] is very useful. [[Mass Abjuration]] is even better, although his most threatening summon, namely the player illusion, is always singular, meaning that single-target Abjuration may be sufficient.
 
  
 
==Trivia==
 
==Trivia==
 
In Buddhism, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mara_%28demon%29 Mara] is the demon that tempted Buddha to give up his enlightenment.
 
In Buddhism, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mara_%28demon%29 Mara] is the demon that tempted Buddha to give up his enlightenment.
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==History==
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*Prior to [[0.27]], Mara could cast [[Pain]].
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*Prior to [[0.14]], Mara knew [[Mislead]].
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*Mara was added in [[0.6]].

Latest revision as of 10:41, 28 August 2024

Version 0.31: This article may not be up to date for the latest stable release of Crawl.
Mara R Mara.png
HP 95-192
HD 18
XP 4385
Speed 10
AC 12
EV 14
Will 140
Attack1 30 (hit: plain)


Resistances rF++
rPois+
rMiasma
rN+++
rTorm
Vulnerabilities Holy
Habitat Land
Intelligence Human
Uses Weapons & armour
Starting equipment
Open doors
Holiness Demonic
Size Medium
Type rakshasa, rakshasa
Flags
See invisible
Speaks
Unique
Male
This tall and powerful demon is Mara, Lord of Illusions, mighty among dreamers. He is capable of creating intricately detailed illusions, so real that they are almost as deadly as the creatures they impersonate.

“This night the Lord of Illusion passed among you, Mara, mighty among dreamers, mighty for ill. He did come upon another who may work with the stuff of dreams in a different way. He did meet with Dharma, who may expel a dreamer from his dream. They did struggle, and the Lord Mara is no more. Why did they struggle, deathgod against illusionist? You say their ways are incomprehensible, being the ways of gods. This is not the answer.”
-Roger Zelazny, “Lord of Light”. 1967.

“He who lives looking for pleasures only,
his senses uncontrolled, immoderate in his food,
idle, and weak, Mara will certainly overthrow him,
as the wind throws down a weak tree.”
-The Buddha, _Dhammapada_, 1:7.
trans. F. Max Muller

Useful Info

Mara, Lord of Illusions, is the unique lord of all rakshasas. Armed with a deadly array of illusory magic, he is an extremely dangerous opponent capable of turning all your strengths against you. He always generates with a branded demon weapon, and his unique spellset makes him challenging regardless of your preparations.

Location

Spells

Spell set I
Slot1 Blink Magical flag
Slot2 Bolt of Fire (3d27) Magical flag
Slot3 Mara Summon Magical flag
Slot4 Summon Illusion Magical flag

Strategy

Mara is a notoriously dangerous unique.

  1. Alone, Mara has moderately high durability (especially for the Lair branches), and Bolt of Fire can hurt quite a bit.
  2. He can create 2 copies of himself, and each copy can cast spells at the same strength. Having 3 Maras, all shooting Bolts of Fire, means you'll take high damage quickly. Up to 273 damage/turn, if you lack fire resistance.
  3. He can also create copies of you, which are just as deadly as you are. You might win 50/50 against yourself... but that's a 50% chance to lose on the spot. That's before considering Mara himself - when combined with 2 Mara clones, the chances of you winning are extremely low.

Remember that you do not need to kill every monster you come across in Crawl in order to win the game. He often spawns in rune branches, and you'll eventually need 3 runes to win. But you can always come back for the rune later, when you have the power to kill Mara quickly. If he spawns on <Lair Branch>:3, you can skip the floor he's on.

If you do decide to deal with him, fire resistance is highly recommended, and you should be able to deal decent damage without using fire, poison, or negative energy. In general, it's best to treat him like you would any other extremely dangerous summoner: kill him as quickly as possible, and if he summons something you can't handle, teleport away.

Dealing with Clones

Mara will create clones, either of himself or you. These clones will harass you until they time out, until the real Mara is defeated, or until you change the level. Upon use of Mara Summon, the real Mara may switch places with the clone, making it impossible to tell them apart.

Player

  • Fighting a player clone is extremely risky on its own, and with Mara in play, it clearly becomes a losing fight. Generally, the best approach with a player ghost is to not deal with it at all: you can go back up the stairs or teleport away if it's summoned.
  • It is technically possible to 'cripple' your clone before it is summoned; e.g. casters with -Cast gear, melee fighters wielding a scroll. However, this is a bad idea - until he summons your clone, he has free reign to attack you.

Monster

  • Retreating upstairs can isolate Mara from the clones, since only the real Mara can follow you.
  • Like other rakhsasas, he can clone other monsters. While monsters (most likely) won't be as dangerous as you, it can still make a dangerous encounter even worse. This is another good reason to fight Mara by himself.

Tips & Tricks

  • Silence does nothing against demons, but antimagic will cripple his spellcasting.
  • With a demon trident, Mara becomes better at melee. As he constantly blinks, the trident's reaching makes it easier for him and the clones to hit you in melee.
  • Any statuses you have (haste, might...) will also be transferred to the clone. However, this doesn't mean you shouldn't buff yourself; any buffs you have make it easier to kill Mara before the clone is summoned. Just don't go berserk, since berserk works poorly against any enemy with Blink.
  • While Mara has great willpower, a scroll of vulnerability can make it reasonable for a wand of paralysis (if you have one) to work. But if you have any sort of Hexes spell (or Petrify), don't use vulnerability - it'll make you vulnerable to the clone's spells.
  • He's a very good choice for a Yredelemnul bound soul. Few monsters are able to handle a clone of themselves and 3 Maras and the player at the same time.

Trivia

In Buddhism, Mara is the demon that tempted Buddha to give up his enlightenment.

History

Retrieved from "http://crawl.chaosforge.org/index.php?title=Mara&oldid=80832"