Volcano

Version 0.15: This article may not be up to date for the latest stable release of Crawl.

Built from enormous blocks of obsidian, the volcano's sweltering chambers may once have served as a temple to some strange deity, or perhaps the dwelling of a mighty fire giant. The air shimmers with oppressive heat, and the dull roar of the volcano's heart never ceases.

Leading directly into the rock is a dark and forbidding tunnel. Every so often air, hot enough to singe your face, blasts from within, and, as though triggered by the air, rocks fall from the roof and sides of the tunnel, slowly filling the entry.

The Volcano is a single-floor mini-branch one can reach via a timed portal that shows up in the early- to mid-game; the Lair or the Orcish Mines are common location for such entrances. The Volcano usually contains fire-themed monsters and loot, but may also feature the undead, various humanoids (armed with fire-branded equipment)and a surprising number of toenail golems. Its most defining feature is that it occasionally erupts, with predictably dreadful results.

Layout

Although some variation is possible, the volcano generally consists of a small entrance area, a large central chamber with a lava pool taking up much of the area, in the center of which is a stone- or metal-walled chamber filled with fire-themed loot and powerful monsters. Other formats can incorporate twisting, narrow passages or a small central chamber with multiple branches each containing small piles of loot. One possible layout is a stone structure that is completely shielded from the volcano; eruptions here will instead collapse portions of the roof, sealing off the treasure chambers one by one. Move quickly if you want to get the treasure.

Be aware of the message, "The air gets thick with the scent of sulphur." This means that large portions of the volcano will soon be filling with fire clouds, and in some maps will cause new rock walls to form. If this happens, you may need a source of flight and a wand of digging to fully explore certain maps.

Strategy

• Even a single rank of fire resistance can make a big difference. Pile it on as best you can. If you lack it, be aware that much of the loot found here will provide it, including items that normally never offer the fire resistance ego. You'll face a brutal fight on your way through to get it, however; don't be afraid to quaff a potion of resistance or two to help you survive the heaviest fighting.
• If you have Mephitic Cloud, you can avoid eruptions easily by creating mephitic clouds on yourself before the eruption occurs. New clouds cannot form on tiles that already have existing clouds. Just don't wander around while confused.
• Most things found here will be weak against cold, though mummies instead fear fire.
• Stealth helps tremendously here, giving you the option of ignoring all those pesky monsters living in the lava which really don't pay off when killed.
• Confusion can be absolutely lethal if you can hit an enemy standing by the edge of the lava with it. Although time-consuming, this can allow you to avoid death curses.

Timeout Messages

1st: "Rocks fall inside the tunnel."
2nd: "Debris falls inside the tunnel, filling the entry."
3rd: "Rocks fall inside the tunnel, blocking the entry."
4th: "Rocks have almost completely blocked the tunnel."
Final: "There is a deep roar within the tunnel. Moments later, a river of lava pours forth, sealing it permanently."

Monsters

Near-all volcanos contain the following:

S Lava snake

w Lava worm

b Fire bat

The majority of volcanos (58.06% chance) have a long list of monster sets and corresponding bosses, which can even include uniques if they haven't been spawned yet. Those marked with * are specially equipped with pre-identified flaming weapons and fire-resistant armour as possible (aside from the red devils and hell knights, who have weaker than normal equipment). The chances will differ depending on the volcano's entry being in Lair or Orc, with the humanoid sets being slightly less common in Lair:

Set	Lair chance	Orc chance
Orcs	10.91%	13.64%
Ogres	10.91%	13.64%
Centaurs	10.91%	13.64%
Salamanders	3.64%	4.55%
Deep elves	3.64%	4.55%
Beasts	22.5%	18.75%
Demons	15%	12.5%
Unliving	15%	12.5%
Mixed non-humanoids	7.5%	6.25%

Orcs
Minions
o Orc warrior*	100%
Bosses (unique available)
o Orc sorcerer*	40%	o Orc knight*	40%	o Urug*	20%
Bosses (unique unavailable)
o Orc sorcerer*	50%	o Orc knight*	50%

Ogres
Minions
O Two-headed ogre*	66.66%	C Hill giant*	33.33%
Bosses (unique unavailable)
O Ogre mage*	80%	O Erolcha*	20%
Bosses (unique unavailable)
O Ogre mage*	100%

Centaurs
Minions
c Centaur*	66.66%	c Yaktaur*	33.33%
Bosses (unique unavailable)
c Centaur warrior*	80%	c Nessos	20%
Bosses (unique unavailable)
c Centaur warrior*	100%

Salamanders
Minions
N Salamander	100%
Boss
N Salamander mystic	100%

Deep elves
Minions
e Deep elf fighter*	50%	e Deep elf priest*	50%
Boss
e Deep elf knight*	100%

Beasts
Minions
b Fire bat band	27.78%	k Fire drake	27.78%	D Mottled dragon	27.78%
l Komodo dragon	8.33%	h Hell hound	8.33%
Boss
H Manticore	40%	k Lindwurm	40%
D Fire dragon	10%	t Fire crab	10%

Demonic
Minions
5 Crimson imp	20.83%	u Red ugly thing	20.83%	9 Toenail golem	20.83%
4 Red devil*	20.83%	h Hell hound	16.67%
Boss
R Efreet	25%	3 Sun demon	25%
3 Smoke demon	25%	p Hell knight*	25%

Unliving
Minions
9 Gargoyle	18.18%	E Fire elemental	18.18%	u Red ugly thing	18.18%
E Earth elemental	18.18%	9 Toenail golem	9.09%
Boss
R Efreet	50%	9 Molten gargoyle	50%

Mixed non-humanoids
Minions
h Hell hound	20%	k Fire drake	20%	9 Toenail golem	20%
E Fire elemental	20%	H Manticore	20%
Boss
p Hell knight*	50%	t Fire crab	50%

Other volcanoes each have their own set, which can contain specific selections of above monsters. Exceptions include one specific layout containing undead tombs with mummies, player-species skeletons, and vampires, and another that places no monsters at all. There is also a chance of meeting the firespitter statue in select vaults.

History

• Volcanoes were added in version 0.6-0494f2c3.
• Before 0.12-164fcaaa, the sets were quite weak. Humanoid sets included plain orcs, big kobolds, and gnolls, while the non-humanoid sets featured bizarre monsters solely based on having a red glyph in console such as pulsating lumps, worker ants, and redbacks.
• In 0.15-34da2974, a previously-disabled set will be re-enabled, which mixes together the humanoid sets and slightly changes the odds of the other humanoid sets.

Mixed humanoids
Minions
o Orc warrior*	25%	O Two-headed ogre*	25%
c Centaur*	25%	e Deep elf fighter*	25%
Bosses (unique unavailable)
d Red draconian*	40%	d Mottled draconian*	40%	@ Harold	20%
Bosses (unique unavailable)
d Red draconian*	50%	d Mottled draconian*	50%