Petrify

Version 0.30: This article may not be up to date for the latest stable release of Crawl.

Petrify
Level	4
School1	Alchemy
School2	Earth
Source(s)	Book of Sloth Book of Transmutation
Casting noise	3
Spell noise	0
Power Cap	100
Range	6
Flags	Wl check, Dir or target, Needs tracer

Petrifies a targeted creature. If successful, the target is slowed down for a while until it is temporarily turned into stone. In this state, the target will take less damage upon being hit.

Petrify is a level 4 Earth/Transmutation spell that inflicts the Perifying status, which first slows, then fully disables its target a few turns later.

Effect

If the target fails a willpower check, it will gain the Petrifying status, which slows them down, reduces EV, and makes monsters vulnerable to low-tier stabs. They will turn to stone (Petrified) soon after. Successfully casting Petrify on a target that is already petrifying causes immediate petrification.

Petrified victims are unable to move or act for several turns. EV and SH are set to near 0. Monsters are vulnerable to high-tier stabs. Victims, now made of stone, receive significantly less damage: -33% while petrifying, and -50% while petrified (after AC).

While Petrifying or Petrified, creatures are vulnerable to Lee's Rapid Deconstruction and Shatter.

Restrictions

• Beings already made of stone (Earth elementals, gargoyles, statues) are immune, as are player Gargoyles and those in Statue Form.
• Insubstantial creatures are immune, including insubstantial player forms (Wisp, Storm, and Shadow Form).
• Catoblepae are immune.

Players can cure petrifying with a potion of cancellation, Elyvilon's Purification, or Ru's Draw Out Power. Yara's Violent Unravelling and Quicksilver Bolt are more dangerous ways to cure Petrifying, and if aimed at a hostile target, they can cure petrified. Unfortunately, being completely petrified leaves you unable to act; at that point, your only recourse is to hope you survive until the status wears off.

Sources

Other than the Petrify spell, calcifying dust (such as from the Petrifying Cloud spell) and chaos effects may cause the Petrifying effect.

Strategy

• Stopping opponents with Petrify can be extremely useful for making escapes. Individual pursuers can be frozen in place while you run to a safe place to heal. Petrifying the lead monster of a pack that's chasing you through a narrow hallway will stop all the others behind it. When successful, Petrify is generally more effective and longer lasting than Confusing Touch, Slow, and Conjure Flame for escaping foes, since it prevents your target from moving altogether and persists even if you leave line of sight.
• Petrified targets are vulnerable to Lee's Rapid Deconstruction and Shatter. As a player spell, casting LRD on a wall is usually better than using Petrify + LRD on a monster. But, if there are no convenient walls, then you can use Petrify to create an LRD target. Against monsters, watch out for Jorgrun, who has both Petrify and LRD.
• Casting this spell multiple times on the same target will speed the petrification process up. Two successful applications will turn most targets to stone immediately.
  • Followers of Dithmenos can petrify a target in just one turn if their shadow successfully repeats the spell.

Monster Version

A few monsters also have access to Petrify, which works much the same way as the player version.

The following enemies cast Petrify:

• L Ancient lich
• l Basilisk
• g Jorgrun
• 9 Nargun

The following enemies may be able to cast Petrify, depending on their spell set:

• & Pandemonium lord (3.4% chance)

Additionally, some monsters have other abilities that can result in petrification:

• Y Catoblepas (Petrifying Cloud)
• Any creature with a chaos-branded attack or weapon

History

• Prior to 0.28, creatures in the process of petrifying could not use SH, and petrifying monsters couldn't use ranged attacks (but could use spells or melee normally). Also, being Petrified did not interrupt taking stairs; you'd be petrified, then the climbing action would complete.
• Prior to 0.12, petrifying monsters that flew using wings (harpies, hippogriffs, etc.) would ground them. Petrifying such enemies over deep water or lava would kill them instantly.