Blade Hands (spell)

Version 0.23: This article may not be up to date for the latest stable release of Crawl.

Blade Hands
Level	5
School1	Transmutation
Source(s)	Book of Changes
Casting noise	4
Spell noise	0

Causes long, scythe-shaped blades to grow from the caster's hands, increasing melee damage significantly. While transformed, any equipped weapons are melded, and casting spells becomes somewhat more difficult.

Blade Hands is a level 5 Transmutations spell that drastically increases a character's deadliness in Unarmed Combat, but impedes spell-casting while active. It has a short duration and a significant hunger cost when first learned, but its damage output is impressive even into the late game when coupled with high Unarmed Combat skill.

While under the effect of this spell you gain no benefit from the Claws mutation, and any gloves, weapons, shields, or other wielded items meld into your body upon casting. Casting it also immediately ends any other form-changing Transmutations effect (Ice Form, Necromutation, etc.).

You can't wield items with blade hands, so you can't use throwing weapons.

Damage = 22 + Unarmed Combat skill bonus
(Also adds +6 to off-hand auxiliary attack damage)

Tips & Tricks

• Like all slashing attacks, Blade Hands is a terrible choice for fighting hydras.
• Felids walking on Blade Paws will suffer significant Stealth penalties.
• This spell will meld away even cursed weapons, allowing Ashenzari worshipers to have their hands bound and still use Unarmed Combat.
• Remember that you lose the benefits of any melded items so long as the spell is in effect.

History

• In 0.27, Blade Hands will no longer impact felid stealth.
• Prior to 0.22, Blade Hands, and most other transformations, prevented usage of wands.
• Prior to 0.10, Blade Hands had higher base damage and lower dependence on stats.