Bolt spells

Version 0.17: 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

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

History/Trivia

Before 0.21, there was a wand version of Lightning Bolt that used Evocations to determine spell power.

Before 0.20, there were special evocable items called rods, one of which, the Rod of inaccuracy, could fire a powerful but highly inaccurate bolt spell called Bolt of Inaccuracy. There was also a Rod of ignition could fire a special version of Bolt of Fire named Explosive Bolt.

Before 0.18, there were wands of fire, cold, and draining that were like their corresponding elemental bolt spells, but used Evocations to determine spell power. There was also another evocable item called a Rod of destruction, which had a special bolt spell called Random Bolt.

Before 0.16, there was an evocable item called a Tome of destruction, which could fire a number of these bolt spells.

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.