Makhleb

Version 0.12: This article may not be up to date for the latest stable release of Crawl.

"Blood and souls for Makhleb!"

Makhleb the Destroyer is a fearsome deity of bloodshed and mortification of the flesh. Followers are expected to cleanse others by inflicting suffering and death on them in Makhleb's name, and can gain further favor by ravaging the freshly dead. Dedicated followers may also access the raw energy and hell-spawned servants of chaos, so that they may better break the impure world and its false laws for this evil God's glory. Makhleb offers followers various means to inflict immense damage, and to call in help from powerful demons, although these powers come with a price in blood. However, Makhleb will grant followers renewed health in return for killing beings of all kinds. Makhleb likes it when you sacrifice fresh corpses (by standing over them and praying), you or your allies kill living beings, you or your allies kill the undead, you or your allies kill demons and you or your allies kill holy beings.

Makhleb is the god of Hell and Pandemonium, an evil god who seeks the death and damnation of all living souls, as well as carnage for its own sake. In exchange for your service, he will grant you healing with each kill, the ability to summon demonic allies, and the ability to hurl bolts of random, chaotic elemental energy.

No background starts with this religion.

Racial Restrictions

Demigods may not worship Makhleb (or any other deity).

Appreciates

• You or your allies killing living, undead, holy, or demonic beings (67% or more chance of +1 piety)
• Sacrificing corpses by standing over them and praying. Makhleb only accepts fresh corpses, not rotting corpses, skeletons, or chunks. However, it is not necessary to be the one who actually killed the creature. (70% chance of +1 Piety).

Deprecates

• Inactivity (lose 1 piety roughly every 320 turns)
• Abandoning him. Your penance counter will be set to 25, and you'll immediately suffer a random Conjurations or Summonings miscast effect.

Given Abilities

Piety level -: "Spawn of Chaos"

• No abilities.

Piety level *: "Disciple of Annihilation"

• Gain Health From Killing - When you kill a monster, gain health based on the hit dice of the killed monster. Has a (piety - 30)/200 chance of happening. (Passive)

Piety level **: "Fanfare of Bloodshed"

• Minor Destruction - Hurl a beam of random destructive energy (Throw Flame, Shock, Vitriol, Pain, or Stone Arrow). Damage and accuracy are based on your Invocations skill. (Costs 1 HP and 20-40 Food)

Piety level ***: "Fiendish"

• Lesser Servant of Makhleb - Summons a neqoxec, orange demon, smoke demon, hellwing, or ynoxinul for a short time (an Abjuration duration between 2 and 6, with Invocations increasing the likelihood of achieving the maximum duration). There is a small risk the demon will spawn hostile (4/(20 + 3*Invocations): 20% if untrained, 8% at Invocations level 10, and 4% at level 27); otherwise it is allied. (Costs 4 HP, 50-100 Food, and 1-2 Piety)

Piety level ****: "Demolition [Species Name]"

• Major Destruction - Hurl a large beam of random destructive energy (Bolt of Fire, Lightning Bolt, Sticky Flame, Iron Shot, Bolt of Draining, Fireball, or Conjure Ball Lightning). Damage and accuracy depend on your Invocations skill. (Costs 6 HP, 100-200 Food, and 0-1 Piety)

Piety level *****: "Pandemonic"

• Greater Servant of Makhleb - Summons an executioner, cacodemon, balrug, blizzard demon, or green death, with the same duration and risk of spawning hostile as Lesser Servant of Makhleb. (Costs 10 HP, 100-200 Food, and 5-8 Piety)

Piety level ******: "Champion of Chaos"

• No new abilities.

Punishments

Upon desertion, you suffer a Conjurations or Summonings miscast effect. Every so often after that, you'll experience one of the two following events:

• 1d(Experience Level/7) hostile Lesser Servants of Mahkleb are summoned. This is guaranteed to happen if your experience level is 7 or less, and becomes less likely as you gain levels.
• A hostile Greater Servant of Mahkleb is summoned.

Strategy

Makhleb provides you with significant healing and cheap access to mid-power Conjurations and Summoning, making it an excellent god for melee characters (especially deep dwarf and vampire characters who have issues healing normally). Even so, most characters can benefit from the additional combat tools and HP restoration, and no species is too terrible at using Invocations. Since Makhleb accepts any kill and appreciates blood sacrifice, it is also one of the easiest gods to build piety for.

Try to avoid using the Servant of Mahkleb abilities until you have an Invocations score in the double digits, when the hostility rate is below 8%. Even so, it's best not to rely too highly on demons when you're in extreme danger; even with Abjuration, a single poorly-timed smite can kill a wounded character. Summon your demonic ally before engaging a tough enemy, not as a panic button when you're almost dead.

Be aware that deep dwarf damage shaving does not reduce the damage from Mahkleb abilities.

History

Prior to 0.11, his abilities cost MP, not HP.

Prior to 0.10, his Gain Health From Killing ability could also restore your MP.

Prior to 0.8, Chaos Knights could select Mahkleb as a starting god.