Serpent 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 giant, cold-blooded anaconda, ready to wind their coils around foes and crush them to death. Shapeshifting skill increases the armour provided by the snake's scales. While transformed, any equipped weapons and armour are melded.

A serpent talisman is a talisman that changes you into Anaconda Form, a giant, constricting snake.

Useful Info

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

Anaconda Form has the following effects:

Combat Bonuses

• HP Bonus: 120% HP
• Innate AC: 9 - 15 AC, scaling linearly with Shapeshifting skill past the minimum. (+1 AC per 1.67 levels)
• Unarmed Combat: 10 base damage.
• Constriction: When making a melee attack, you initiate constriction. You can constrict 1 large (or smaller) foe at a time.
• Stat Bonus: +5 strength.

Restrictions

• Melded Gear: All armour, weapon and shield. (Can only wear jewellery)
• You cannot throw items.

Other

• Cold-blooded: You will be slowed when hit by certain cold attacks. Negated by any amount of cold resistance.
• Amphibious: Can swim in water, resists Primal Wave. Note that, unless your species is already amphibious, you can't recover items in deep water.
• Anaconda Form is large-sized. Species smaller than large will have reduced EV in this form. (Being large also lets you constrict large opponents)
• Suppresses many mutations. Species movement delay set to 1.0.

Anaconda Form has a minimum Shapeshifting skill of 10, below which you get an HP penalty. It has a maximum skill of 19, where skill has no further impact.

Strategy

Constriction is a very strong effect. It reduces enemy EV by at least 50% and deals extra damage. Unlike base Octopodes, Anaconda Form can constrict large creatures, including things like centaurs, yaks, and hydras.

Anaconda Form also gives a fair bit of AC. For many characters first entering the Lair, it offers slightly more AC than lighter armours, without the encumbrance of heavy armour. When combined with the 120% HP, it's a moderately durable form. However, the lack of shield will reduce your defense in the long run.

Tips & Tricks

• This form can be very useful for Nagas (fittingly enough), as it lets them move at normal speed. Barachim can also move normally, though they'll lose their hop.
• Being cold-blooded can be risky when fighting monsters with freezing weapons or other types of cold damage. Note what activates cold-blooded and what doesn't; e.g. certain spells like Flash Freeze won't cause the mutation to activate.

History

• Will be introduced in trunk, in the transformation overhaul. Anaconda Form had no previous counterpart. Similar in role to Ice Form.