Bolt spells

Version 0.14: This article may not be up to date for the latest stable release of Crawl.

The Bolt spells are a series of mid-level Conjurations spells which all function similarly, hitting multiple targets along their line of effect. Although there is some variance in their damage output, range, and spell level, they all behave in nearly the same fashion.

Bolt of Fire

• Level 6, Fire Magic/Conjurations
• Deals fire damage
• Range 7

Bolt of Magma

• Level 5, Fire Magic/Earth Magic/Conjurations
• Deals partially irresistible fire damage
• Range 5

Bolt of Cold

• Level 6, Ice Magic/Conjurations
• Deals cold damage
• Range 6

Lightning Bolt

• Level 5, Air Magic/Conjurations
• Deals electricity damage
• Multizaps
• Range 5-12 (depending on spell power), undiminished by hitting targets

Shock

• Level 1, Air Magic/Conjurations
• Deals electricity damage
• Multizaps
• Range 8, undiminished by hitting targets
• Essentially a very cheap, very weak Lightning Bolt

Venom Bolt

• Level 5, Poison Magic/Conjurations
• Deals poison damage
• Inflicts poison
• Range 6

Bolt of Draining

• Level 6, Necromancy/Conjurations
• Deals negative energy damage
• Inflicts draining
• Range 6

Bolt of Inaccuracy

• Level 3, power determined by Evocations
• Only available through a rod of inaccuracy or tome of Destruction
• Deals high amounts of irresistible damage
• Very inaccurate
• Range 7, undiminished by hitting targets

Thunderbolt

• Level 2, power determined by Evocations
• Only available through a lightning rod
• The first zap costs 2 MP; consecutive zaps cost up to 5 MP
• Zapping consecutively changes the behavior of the bolt; aiming for a different target creates a wide spray that covers the area between the previous bolt and the current bolt
• Deals electricity damage; deals less damage when spread over a wide area
• Does not bounce off walls
• Range 6, undiminished by hitting targets

Random Bolt

• Level 5, power determined by Evocations
• Only available through a rod of destruction
• Fires a bolt randomly chosen from:
  • Bolt of Fire
  • Bolt of Cold
  • Bolt of Draining
  • Venom Bolt
  • Lightning Bolt
  • Quicksilver Bolt
  • Crystal Bolt

Wands

Several wands can duplicate the effects of these spells, using Evocations to determine their spell power:

• Wand of fire = Bolt of Fire
• Wand of cold = Bolt of Cold
• Wand of lightning = Lightning Bolt
• Wand of draining = Bolt of Draining

History/Trivia

Random Bolt was added in 0.14.

The term 'bolt' did not always refer only to spells which can hit multiple targets in a line. Notably, the spell Iron Shot went through the names Bolt of Iron and Iron Bolt before being renamed Iron Shot to avoid confusion. Also, Throw Icicle was renamed from Ice Bolt for the same reason.

Note that although the spell from a pre-0.13 rod of striking is described as a 'force bolt', it is not a bolt spell and does not penetrate.