Conjure Flame
 Conjure Flame
| |
|---|---|
| Level | 3 |
| School1 | Conjuration |
| School2 | Fire |
| Source(s) | |
| Casting noise | 3 |
| Spell noise | 2 |
| This spell creates a column of roaring flame. |
| Spell Details | |
|---|---|
| Damage Formula | 0 |
| Max Damage | 0 |
| Max Power | 100 |
| Range | 4 |
| Targeting | Smite |
| To-hit | |
| Special | Cloud damage: 6 + (3d16)/3 (fire) Cloud duration: 3 + (1dPower)/2 + (1dPower)/2, but no more than 23 turns; divided by 4 if the cloud is over water |
Conjure Flame is a level 3 Conjurations/Fire Magic spell which creates a smite-targeted cloud of flame in a single empty tile. This will keep many weaker monsters at bay, but mindless, strong, or fire resistant monsters will march on through. The duration of the cloud is dependent on spellpower.
Slow monsters (slugs, beetles) do not take more damage from clouds; they burn on their own subjective turn.
Tips & Tricks
- If you attempt to cast the spell on an empty tile and receive the message, "You see a ghostly outline there, and the spell fizzles," that indicates an invisible monster.
- If you cast the spell on or adjacent to a tile with water in it, clouds of steam will generate around it. The fire cloud will not last long, however.
- Ice Magic spells and effects (wand of frost, wand of cold, etc.) will extinguish any flame clouds they strike, but are consumed in doing so. You can use Conjure Flame to block enemy ice attacks this way.
- It's possible to reinforce existing clouds of flame, but creating a new cloud is more efficient: the duration of a reinforced cloud is only 1+1d(Power/2).
- Conjure Flame is the lowest-level spell that can set trees on fire. Don't get too close!
Strategy
Conjure Flame is quite useful for blocking off narrow hallways and creating bottlenecks. Note that mindless monsters, many beasts, or particularly strong monsters will choose to walk through the flame to reach you anyway. You can exploit this by laying several Conjure Flames in a straight line between yourself and your target: the latter will happily tread through the flames, taking severe damage, until they're severely wounded. If they're monsters who flee when injured (or who you've just subjected to a scroll of fear or Cause Fear spell), they'll attempt to escape... right back into the flames behind them.
If the monster is adjacent and on a flame cloud, you best bet can often be to equip yourself with a protection-branded weapon, and weather the 1-2 turns it generally takes the monster to burn up. To do anything else (eg, retreat) would cause it to stop receiving the massive flame damage.
If the monster refuses to cross your flame, use your reaching-branded weapon with impunity (unless it also has one). Otherwise, this gives you breathing room to retreat and pummel it from afar with ranged weapons and magic. (Remember not to fire neutralizing Ice Magic or freezing-branded projectiles across the flame.)
