Beast talisman

Trunk-only: This article pertains to a feature of Crawl which is being tested. It will likely change before the next release, and may even be removed entirely.

Transforms the user into a monstrous, furry were-beast, limbs pulsing with ferocious energy. Shapeshifting skill increases the killing power provided. While transformed, any gloves, cloaks, headgear and boots are melded.

A beast talisman is a talisman that changes you into Beast Form, a wild, hulking form that grants bonuses to melee.

Shapeshifters start with this item, and start the game in Beast Form.

Useful Info

When eVoked, a beast talisman turns you into Beast Form, which lasts until you end the form. Entering or exiting a form takes 5 turns.

Beast Form has the following effects:

Combat Bonuses

• Unarmed Combat: 3 base damage (no boost).
• Slaying Bonus: adds 1-5 slaying to all melee combat (including weapons), increasing damage and accuracy. Scales linearly with Shapeshifting skill. (+0.66 slay per level)

Restrictions

• Melded Gear: All armour except for body armour and shields. (This includes helmets/hats, cloaks, gloves, and boots/bardings.)

Beast Form does not block any mutations, does not change your size, and gives no innate bonus to HP / AC.

Beast Form has no minimum Shapeshifting skill. It has a maximum skill of 6; further skill has no further impact.

Strategy

If you haven't found or can't use any auxiliary armor pieces yet, then Beast Form is a free +1 slaying. That's a net positive for every character - no Shapeshifting skill required. Generally, 1 slaying is worse than 2 AC, so good enough armour should take priority over this form.

Remember that Beast Form boosts weapons as much as it does Unarmed Combat. For example, if you find a dagger of venom on D:2, then don't hesitate to switch.

Skill Analysis

Even Shapeshifters might not want to train Shapeshifting skill right away. In general, Shapeshifting (for Beast Form) offers less return than training Unarmed Combat. Shapeshifting offers more benefit per level than a weapon skill, though most species have poor aptitudes in that skill.

Benefits of each skill:

• 1 Shapeshifting skill (in Beast Form) gives +0.66 slay per level, equivalent to +0.66 damage and accuracy.

• 1 weapon skill will give benefits depending on the weapon itself. Examples:
  • A short sword gets +0.1 base damage, +0.5 accuracy, and -0.05 attack delay (5% to 10% faster) per Short Blades level (not including stabbing bonuses).
  • A mace gets +0.16 base damage, +0.5 accuracy, and -0.05 attack delay (4% to 9% faster) per M&F level.

Even though base damage is boosted by strength and Fighting skill, in the early-game, base damage is not much better than slaying.

• 1 Unarmed Combat skill gives +1 base damage, +0.5 accuracy, and slightly faster attacks.

Therefore, early levels of Unarmed Combat are more beneficial than the same levels of Shapeshifting. As levels get more expensive, eventually a level or 2 of Shapeshifting becomes more cost-effective. A similar comparison can be made with Shapeshifting and weapon skill. But, if you decide to abandon Shapeshifting later, weapon skill will have a more permanent benefit.

History

• Will be introduced in trunk, in the transformation overhaul. Beast Form is similar in function to Beastly Appendage.