Scroll of brand weapon

Version 0.13: This article may not be up to date for the latest stable release of Crawl.

Type	Scroll
Name	Scroll of brand weapon
Icon

This scroll enchants a chosen weapon so as to make it far more effective at inflicting harm on its wielder's enemies. The scroll can make permanent the temporary branding of weapons obtained from some spells, or can be used on a weapon that is already permanently branded to randomly select a new brand. Brands that are closely tied to one of the gods (Trog, Lugonu, Kikubaaqudgha, the Shining One) cannot be affixed this way. Xom, on the other hand, wouldn't let such an opportunity for fun go to waste.

Reading a scroll of brand weapon will allow you to immediately and irrevocably change the brand on one weapon currently in your inventory. You may choose the weapon to target, but it cannot affect artefacts. Pressing Escape allows you to safely cancel the scroll's effect, but will still consume the scroll. The exact impact of this scroll varies based on the nature of the weapon you choose:

Unbranded Weapons

Unbranded weapons will be given the vorpal brand, modestly raising damage against any opponent. Doing so generates a loud noise.

Temporarily Branded Weapons

Unbranded weapons under the effect of most temporary brands (acquired through spells such as Fire Brand or Lethal Infusion, or through drawing a Blade card) have the brand permanently affixed. Depending on the temporary brand in question, you will then be hit with the following effects:

• Flame/Flaming: Inner Flame explosion
• Frost/Freezing: Ozocubu's Refrigeration
• Draining: Drain attack
• Venom: Olgreb's Toxic Radiance
• Electrocution: Electricity attack
• Chaos: Chaos-branded explosion

The following temporary brands cannot be affixed this way, and attempting to do so is punished as follows:

• Pain: Torment
• Distortion: Translocations miscast effect (possibly including banishment)
• Antimagic: Drains all your MP

Branded Weapons

Most branded weapons will have their current brand replaced with one of the following brands, with some results being more common than others. Doing so will be accompanied by an appropriate elemental backlash.

Melee Weapons

• Flaming: 30/148 (20%)
• Freezing: 30/148 (20%)
• Venom: 20/148 (13.5%)
• Draining: 15/148 (10%)
• Vorpal: 15/148 (10%)
• Electrocution: 15/148 (10%)
• Protection: 12/148 (8%)
• Vampiric: 8/148 (5.5%)
• Chaos: 3/148 (2%)

Ranged Weapons

• Flame: 30/120 (25%)
• Frost: 30/120 (25%)
• Venom: 20/120 (16.6%)
• Vorpal: 20/120 (16.6%)
• Evasion: 12/120 (10%)
• Electrocution: 5/120 (4%)
• Chaos: 3/120 (2.5%)

If protection or evasion are selected, the only backlash will be the same loud noise produced by the vorpal brand.

Although there is no way to know exactly which brand will be selected, you will always receive a new brand, and will never receive a brand your god does not approve of; the game will simply re-run the test until an appropriate brand is selected. Also, blessed blades, trishulas and holy scourges cannot be affected in this way, and attempting to do so will result in a blast of cleansing flame. Rebranding a distortion weapon is allowed, but doing so while wielding it will still produce the negative effects that normally accompany unwielding such weapons.

History

In 0.14, brand effects will be purely cosmetic, no longer harming the reader.

The scroll of brand weapon was added in 0.13, replacing the scroll of vorpalise weapon.