Item destruction

Version 0.13: This article may not be up to date for the latest stable release of Crawl.

Although the majority of the dangers you'll encounter while exploring the Dungeon simply try to reduce your HP or afflict you with status effects, some monsters and damage types also inflict item destruction. Although this won't kill you directly, losing critical consumable items can greatly reduce your odds of survival. Bear in mind that these attacks attempt to destroy every item in your inventory; carrying lots of useless scrolls, potions, or food will not reduce the chance of your useful items being affected!

Scrolls

Any time you suffer fire damage, there is a chance that your scrolls will be destroyed. The likelihood of this occurring decreases when your AC reduces the damage dealt. You can reduce this chance through the following means:

• The Preservation or Conservation intrinsics (90% reduction)
• The Hurl Hellfire and Ignite Blood demonspawn mutations (90% reduction)
• Being a lava orc (90% reduction)
• Worshiping Jiyva (piety-based reduction)

Potions

Any time you suffer cold damage, there is a chance that your potions will be destroyed. The likelihood of this occurring decreases when your AC reduces the damage dealt. You can reduce this chance through the following means:

• The Preservation or Conservation intrinsics (90% reduction)
• The Passive Freeze and Icemail demonspawn mutations (90% reduction)
• Worshiping Jiyva (piety-based reduction)

Food

Any time you are hit by a giant spore explosion or harpy melee attack, there is a chance that your food will be destroyed. You can reduce this chance through the following means:

• The Preservation or Conservation intrinsics (90% reduction, does not apply to harpy attacks)
• Worshiping Jiyva (piety-based reduction)

Corrosion

Acid attacks don't destroy items, but they do cause corrosion. See the Corrosion page for more details.

History

Prior to 0.13, damage reduction through AC had no impact on item destruction chance.