Evocable items
Evocable items are items which can be evoked using the V key. They offer a wide variety of spell-like abilities that have three clear advantages over regular spellcasting: they are not affected by most spellcasting penalties; they do not require MP to use (unless the player has acquired the MP-Powered Wands mutation and then still only for wands); and most of them only require the player to increase his Evocations skill to become more powerful. They are also not banned by Trog, unlike all spells.
On the other hand, their spell-like abilities are usually not as powerful as the ones a spellcaster can achieve after learning the actual spell. There is also often a hunger cost associated with using the item.
Nevertheless, they are a good choice for non-spellcasting players who wish to have a few magical options up their sleeves. Spellcasters, of course, can always use some of these to save from tapping into their own mana, or to even recover their mana (via the staff of energy and crystal ball of energy).
Contents
Staves
The staff of energy can be evoked with v when wielded to channel MP, regaining a few points of MP for a minor hunger cost when successful; the success chance and MP recovered both scale with Evocations. Additionally, several types of magical staves (poison, earth, fire, air, cold, and death) deal extra damage in melee; this extra damage scales with skill in both their respective magic school and Evocations.
Artefact staves
Several unrandart staves have an evocable action with v that scales with Evocations skill:
- Staff of Olgreb: Casts Olgreb's Toxic Radiance and may also cast Venom Bolt at high Evocations skill; also acts as a somewhat more powerful staff of poison.
- Staff of Wucad Mu: May recover large amounts of MP, but carries the risk of Divinations miscast effects.
- Staff of Dispater: Hurls damnation, but costs HP.
- Sceptre of Asmodeus: Summons one of several types of fiery demons.
Additionally, the Elemental Staff may deal extra elemental damage in melee; the chance of this happening increases with Evocations.
Wands
A wand is a magical device that contains several charges of a specific spell. It does not need to be wielded to be used.
Elemental Evokers
These items can be used to evoke elemental-themed effects. The higher the user's Evocations skill, the more powerful the effect will be. Once used, all items of that type will become inert until you have gained enough experience.
- Phial of floods: Launches a damaging wave of water, creating a pool of shallow water and engulfing creatures caught in the wave.
- Lightning rod: Fires a bolt of electricity; evoking it in successive turns strengthens the bolt and lets you sweep it over an area
- Tin of tremorstones: Creates multiple explosions of shrapnel near the evoker; always risks hitting yourself, but damage is greatly reduced by armour.
Summoning Items
These items can be used to summon a creature or two, possibly along with other effects. In most cases, their power depends upon your Evocations skill.
- Box of beasts: Summons a randomly-generated mutant beast
- Phantom mirror: Creates a short-lived copy of a single monster
- Horn of Geryon: Summons a number of hell beasts, some of which may be hostile. Rendered inert after use like elemental evokers.
Miscellaneous Items
- Figurine of a ziggurat: Creates an entrance to a Ziggurat
Reaching Weapons
These items are not necessarily magical and do not use Evocations. They are included for completeness, since you technically "evoke" them with the v key to attack non-adjacent monsters.
All polearms inherently have the reaching property.
History
- 0.25 added the tin of tremorstones, reworked the phial of floods, and removed the crystal ball of energy, sack of spiders, fan of gales, and lamp of fire.
- 0.20 removed rods and the disc of storms.
- Prior to 0.19, decks were evocable items rather than a mechanic exclusive to followers of Nemelex Xobeh. 0.19 also removed the stone of tremors.
- 0.16 removed tomes of destruction.
- 0.14 removed bottled efreets.
- 0.10 removed the crystal ball of seeing.
- 0.8 removed the crystal ball of fixation.