Talisman of death

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.

A talisman of death is a talisman that changes you into Death Form.

Useful Info

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

Death Form has the following effects:

Combat Bonuses

• Unarmed Combat: 9 base damage.
• All melee attacks (including weapons) inflict drain, slow, and weakness for 3-6 turns.
• Siphon Essence: Active ability (20 MP). Halves HP to all enemies (except nonliving) within 2 tiles. Then, heals you for 100% of damage dealt, with a cap of 46 + 2 * Shapeshifting. Does work against demonic, holy, and undead enemies.

Resistances

• Standard undead resistances:
  • rC+
  • Immunity to poison and miasma.
  • rN+++ and immune to torment
  • Cannot be mutated. Receive stat drain if you would be mutated.
  • Cannot be polymorphed.
  • Vulnerable to holy, holy wrath, and Dispel Undead.

Restrictions

• Melded Gear: None.
• Cannot drink potions.
• Cannot use certain forms of Necromancy (Borgnjor's Revivification, Death's Door) or wield holy wrath weapons.

Death Form keeps most mutations, does not change your size, and gives no innate bonus to HP / AC.

Death Form has a minimum Shapeshifting skill of 21, below which you get an HP penalty. Maximum skill is 27, which is the cap on Shapeshifting itself.

Strategy

Most useful in the extended game. No potions is a hefty penalty, but it gives immunity to two important things: torment and mutation. Before extended, if you have enough Shapeshifting skill, you should probably use Storm Form instead.

History

• Will be introduced in trunk, in the transformation overhaul. Death Form replaces Necromutation (lichform).

Previously, lichform gave +6 AC, Will+, and a spell enhancer for Necromancy, but it did not have the Siphon Essence ability.