Polar Vortex

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.

This attack spell needs additional information and/or could use the attack spell template. See Template:AttackSpell to see how you can help.

Polar Vortex
Level	9
School1	Ice
Source(s)	Book of Ice
Casting noise	7
Spell noise	~15 (depends on radius and delay of your last action)

Turns the air around the caster into a freezing vortex, doing tremendous damage to everyone caught in it that can only be partially mitigated by resistance to cold. Those affected will also be swept up into the air and tossed around. Only the eye of the storm is a safe place, and it follows the caster. The vortex is unable to follow the caster through long-distance translocations. This spell's effectiveness is greatly diminished in closed areas. After the vortex fades, it cannot be called forth again for a short time.

Polar Vortex is a level 9 Ice Magic spell which creates a frenzy of raging wind around you (maximum radius is 6 squares), dealing catastrophic physical damage to every monster in it. On top of this damage, the caster begins to fly in the eye of the storm, while everything else caught in it (monsters, clouds, orbs of destruction, etc.) is randomly scattered about the area. Creatures take more damage the closer they are to the eye of the storm on any given turn. As you move, the storm goes with you. Blinking, through one of the spells, the scroll, or any other effect, immediately ends the spell.

As the description says, the spell is most powerful when cast in open spaces, but in a pinch it can be used in corridors for a less deadly, but still formidable, attack.

Some specific monsters, such as air elementals and Sojobo, are specifically immune to the effects of this spell—this is called rTornado and is indicated in monster descriptions as "It is immune to tornadoes". Casting Tornado also confers immunity to any other creature's tornado.

Tips & Tricks

• While Polar Vortex is less impressive than other level 9 spells, it is efficent on MP, using it only on cast.
• When the radius is 6, the amount of noise is 15. This number is multiplied by the delay of your last action (in auts) and divided by 10.
• Any trees within Tornado's range have a chance of being destroyed by the spell.
• Be careful not to use Blink while the spell is up unless you specifically want to end its effects.

History

• Polar Vortex will be added in 0.27, replacing Tornado. Compared to Tornado, Polar Vortext deals 33% more damage and is 40% resistable to Cold Resistance.