Sculpt Simulacrum

Version 0.31: This article may not be up to date for the latest stable release of Crawl.

Sculpt Simulacrum
Level	6
School1	Alchemy
School2	Ice
Source(s)	Book of Cryoformation Book of Wicked Creation
Casting noise	6
Spell noise	0
Power Cap	200
Range	1
Flags	Dir or target, Needs tracer, Not self, Unholy

Forms icy simulacra of an adjacent living, demonic, or holy creature. These fragile doppelgangers will take shape over a short period of time, eventually gaining the ability to move and attack the caster's enemies. The good gods frown on this spell, as it works blood and ichor into unnatural facsimiles. You can maintain up to 5 simulacra simultaneously.

Sculpt Simulacrum is a level 6 Ice/Alchemy spell which creates multiple simulacra - frail, icy copies - from an adjacent monster. The simulacra take a few turns to form.

Useful Info

When used against a natural, demonic, or holy monster, it creates 2-3 blocks of ice. There is a power/200 chance to create 3 blocks, otherwise it creates 2. These blocks of ice will turn into a simulacrum of the monster after a short delay. The first block of ice takes 3-5 turns to become a simulacrum. Each block of ice thereafter takes 1-3 turns longer than the previous. If destroyed by an attack, no simulacra is created.

Simulacra are derived undead; their stats depend on which monster you cast Sculpt Simluacrum on. Generally, they are frail, but with strong cold attacks.

Simluacrum last for about 27 turns; spellpower does not increase duration.

There is a cap of 5 simulacra. If this cap is reached, the oldest simulacra will be destroyed whenever a new one is formed.

This is not a Necromancy spell, so Gozag and Yredelemnul worshippers can it without issue. However, the good gods still forbid its use.

Strategy

Simulacra are glass cannons - strong but frail. The following are especially good/bad targets for Sculpt Simulacrum:

• Monsters with multiple attacks. Since each attack gets its own - very large - cold damage boost, having multiple attacks is obviously powerful. Hydras, entropy weavers, and ettins are all fair game, assuming you can survive melee combat against them. The Lernaean hydra as a simulacrum can deal over 1000 damage per turn, but standing next to Lerny is too dangerous for most characters.
• Monsters with constriction (snakes, tentacled monstrosities). Their simulacra can also constrict foes, making them good allies.
• Conversely, avoid targeting physically deficient mages (such as occultists and magical deep elves), as you'll spend 6 MP to create pathetic simulacra.

Also, since simulacra deal cold damage, avoid using Sculpt Simulacrum if most/all monsters in a group are heavily resistant to cold.

History

• Sculpt Simulacrum was added in 0.31, replacing the Simulacrum spell.