Agony
Agony
Agony is a level 5 Necromancy spell which functions as a single-target torment, cutting the HP of one adjacent target in half. It cannot deal lethal damage, but it can very quickly soften up powerful, uninjured targets like hydras or giants to make them more manageable. Like torment, it is worthless against demons, plants, and the undead, and its damage can be reduced with negative energy resistance - being completely negated at rN+++. While it never misses, it can be resisted with high willpower, though its spell power multiplier of 5 makes successfully resisting it more difficult.
Necromancers begin with this spell in their libraries.
Strategy
While the damage output of this spell is considerable, the caster must be able to survive a few turns at close range to take full advantage of it. Don't skimp on the evasion, and prepare a safe line of retreat if things go sour. If you haven't branched into other magic schools, Borgnjor's Vile Clutch is a good choice for either an escape tool or a finishing blow.
Monster Version
Monsters have access to a ranged version of Agony (named, fittingly enough, Agony Range) that can affect any target within the caster's LOS. See that page for details.
History
Prior to 0.25, this spell was identical to the monster version and had LOS range.
