Gargoyle

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

This page is about the player species. For the monster, see Gargoyle (monster).

A cross between ordinary stone gargoyles and living beings, Gargoyles are hideous humanoids with an affinity to rock. They are able to assume full stone form at will, which grants them great hardness for a time. When this hardness wears off, however, it briefly makes them helplessly immobile, and then leaves them mobile but debilitated for a while. Gargoyles' partially living form makes them less susceptible to effects of necromancy and cold than most beings. Their metabolisms are slow, and they blend into the dungeon pretty well. Their fangs and talons make them dangerous unarmed fighters, although they're incompetent with weapons other than maces. They can be exceptional earth-based conjurers, although they're bad with all other magic schools besides ice.

Innate Abilities

At present, gargoyles are still under development. Expect further changes before a final version is decided upon.

• Natural AC: Gargoyles receive a large innate boost to AC relative to your XL. (+2 at XL 1; +20 at XL 27); but Statue Form only gives 13 + 0.5×Earth AC instead of 17 + 0.5×Earth.
• Increased GDR: Gargoyles lose a sixth of their body armour's GDR, but they receive a large bonus (+24) which cancels this loss. New_GDR = 5×Old_GDR/6 + 24. This bonus doesn't work when they are transformed, except Statue Form. Gargoyles in Statue Form have 62% GDR.
• Petrification resistance: Gargoyles cannot be petrified
• Rot resistance: Gargoyles have stone instead of flesh, and thus cannot rot.
• Immunity to poison damage.
• Electricity resistance: Gargoyles are well insulated and take little damage from electricity attacks.
• Partial torment resistance: Gargoyles take 1/2 normal damage when affected by torment.
• Fangs 1 and Talons 2: Gargoyles get two auxiliary Unarmed Combat attacks.
• Slow Metabolism 1: Gargoyles require less food than most species.
• Flight: Gargoyles gain permanent at-will flight at level 14.
• Unbreathing: Gargoyles can survive without breathing.
• Vulnerability to Shatter and LRD.

Preferred Backgrounds

Gargoyles are recommended for the following backgrounds:

• Warriors: Fighter, Gladiator, Monk, Hunter, Assassin
• Adventurers: Artificer
• Zealots: Healer, Berserker
• Warrior-mages: Skald, Transmuter, Warper, Arcane Marksman, Enchanter
• Mages: Wizard, Conjurer, Summoner, Fire Elementalist, Ice Elementalist, Earth Elementalist, Venom Mage

Due to their nonliving nature, gargoyles are prohibited from becoming Death Knights.

Level Bonuses

• +1 strength or intelligence (equal chance) every 4th level.
• 20% less HP than average.
• Average MP.
• +3 magic resistance per level.

Starting Skills and Equipment

Gargoyles receive the skills and equipment listed for their background.

Skill aptitudes

The higher the value, the better the aptitude.

Skill	Aptitude	Skill	Aptitude	Skill	Aptitude
Attack		Miscellaneous		Magic
Fighting	1	Armour	1	Spellcasting	-1
Short Blades	-1	Dodging	-2	Conjurations	1
Long Blades	-1	Stealth	2	Hexes	-1
Axes	-1	Stabbing	N/A	Charms	-1
Maces & Flails	1	Shields	1	Summonings	-1
Polearms	-1	Traps	-1	Necromancy	-2
Staves	1			Translocations	-1
Unarmed Combat	1			Transmutation	-2
		Fire Magic	0
Throwing	0	Ice Magic	0	Invocations	1
Slings	-1	Air Magic	-2	Evocations	0
Bows	0	Earth Magic	2
Crossbows	0	Poison Magic	0	Experience	0

Strategy

MoogleDan's Gargoyle guide

History

Gargoyles were added in 0.13.