Difference between revisions of "Harm"

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==Strategy==
 
==Strategy==
Harm is an extreme double-edged sword. Even though you get a proportionally greater boost, there's many situations where you won't be attacking, but monsters will. Melee characters will be pelted from afar, casters are squishy enough already, and anyone won't want to be caught with Harm while trying to escape. You might kill thousands of monsters, but it only takes one [[shaft|particularly]] [[teleport trap|bad]] situation in order to kill you - or, at least, force item usage.  
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Harm is an extreme double-edged sword. It does let you deal more damage than you take. But that assumes you're dealing damage - there are many cases where you won't be attacking. When repositioning, using items, trying to [[teleport]], etc., Harm is purely a negative. For most dangerous situations in ''Crawl'', you want to escape, which means not attacking. Also, when fighting multiple enemies, Harm can hurt - you may hit one enemy, but multiple enemies hit you.
  
The damage boost can't be denied, though. Casters and ranged fighters who rely on killing enemies before they get to you should at least consider it. But since a mob of dangerous monsters will most likely outdamage you, Harm remains dubious for characters who don't ''need'' killing power.  
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It also introduces a ''player''-side risk. Since you'll take more damage, Harm demands you start thinking earlier. If you mindlessly [[tab]], and don't realize you should disengage, you'll put yourself in danger at an alarming rate. You might kill thousands of monsters, but it only takes one [[shaft|particularly]] [[teleport trap|bad]] situation in order to kill you - or, at least, force item usage.  
  
Overall, harm is risky on the ''player'' level - if you are not prepared to disengage from fights early, then you are likely to die.
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With all that being said, the damage boost can not be denied. If your character is weak or middling - i.e. they have trouble with standard monsters - Harm can be very valuable. For example, Harm can let a caster take out [[cane toad]]s before the toad gets into melee. It is best for casters and ranged fighters, who (as mentioned) struggle in regular encounters. For characters that are already strong, Harm introduces more risks than its worth.
  
 
==History==
 
==History==
 
*Prior to [[0.30]], Harm couldn't stack.
 
*Prior to [[0.30]], Harm couldn't stack.
 
*Prior to [[0.25]], Harm appeared on [[amulets of harm]], which would [[drain]] the wearer upon removal.
 
*Prior to [[0.25]], Harm appeared on [[amulets of harm]], which would [[drain]] the wearer upon removal.

Revision as of 20:09, 1 October 2023

Version 0.30: This article may not be up to date for the latest stable release of Crawl.
It increases damage dealt and taken.

Harm is an ego that can appear on scarves and artefacts. It amplifies the damage dealt by the player by 30%, but also amplifies the damage received by 20%. This effect applies to all forms of damage, including torment. The damage is increased after AC and resistances are applied.

Up to 2 sources of Harm can stack. With 2 sources of harm, you'll deal 45% extra damage, but take 30% more damage.

Sources

Strategy

Harm is an extreme double-edged sword. It does let you deal more damage than you take. But that assumes you're dealing damage - there are many cases where you won't be attacking. When repositioning, using items, trying to teleport, etc., Harm is purely a negative. For most dangerous situations in Crawl, you want to escape, which means not attacking. Also, when fighting multiple enemies, Harm can hurt - you may hit one enemy, but multiple enemies hit you.

It also introduces a player-side risk. Since you'll take more damage, Harm demands you start thinking earlier. If you mindlessly tab, and don't realize you should disengage, you'll put yourself in danger at an alarming rate. You might kill thousands of monsters, but it only takes one particularly bad situation in order to kill you - or, at least, force item usage.

With all that being said, the damage boost can not be denied. If your character is weak or middling - i.e. they have trouble with standard monsters - Harm can be very valuable. For example, Harm can let a caster take out cane toads before the toad gets into melee. It is best for casters and ranged fighters, who (as mentioned) struggle in regular encounters. For characters that are already strong, Harm introduces more risks than its worth.

History