Beastly Appendage

Version 0.28: This article may not be up to date for the latest stable release of Crawl.

Beastly Appendage
Level	1
School1	Transmutation
Source(s)	Book of Changes
Casting noise	1
Spell noise	0

Causes monstrous horns and talons to grow from the caster's body, granting them a chance of making an extra attack in melee. It is not powerful enough to enhance appendages that are already nonhuman. For Octopodes: Causes a vicious spike to grow from one of the caster's tentacles, increasing the damage of their extra tentacle attacks. It is not powerful enough to affect tentacles which are already mutated.

Beastly Appendage is a level 1 Transmutations spell. Transmuters begin with this spell memorized.

Effect

Beastly Appendage briefly gives you the following temporary combat enhancing mutations, melding armour in the process:

• Horns 2 - grants an auxiliary headbutt attack, melding helmets.
• Talons 2 - grants an auxiliary kick attack, melding boots.
  • Like other Transmutations, Beastly Appendage will also meld Lear's hauberk.

Several species have restrictions on which mutations they can gain from this spell:

• Species that lack humanoid feet (nagas, palentongas, and felids) cannot gain talons. Due to their hybrid nature, merfolk also cannot gain talons.
  • ...but the spell melds bardings and boots anyway.
• Octopodes, being incompatible with either mutation, gain a spiked tentacle 3 instead.
• Undead species (Ghouls, Mummies, bloodless Vampires) can't cast this spell.

The duration of these mutations is dependent upon your spell power. Casting the spell again extends the duration of your current mutations.

Strategy

Beastly Appendage can significantly improve the combat capabilities of low-level transmuters. It isn't likely for an early adventurer to have helmets or boots, so melding these aux armour slots shouldn't be noticeable.

Technically, Beastly Appendage does not give any special bonus to Unarmed Combat. Low level Transmuters can feel free to wield and train with a weapon... though further Transmutations do boost UC.

History

• Prior to 0.26, the spell could provide either Horns 2 or Talons 3 (instead of both) and couldn't meld aux armour in those slots.
• Prior to 0.12, Claws 3 was a possible result.
• Prior to 0.11, Beastly Appendage gave you Tentacles for arms instead of Claws.
• Beastly Appendage was added in 0.10.