Conjure Flame
Conjure Flame is a level 3 Conjurations/Fire Magic spell that can create a cloud of flame.
Fire Elementalists and Hedge Wizards start with this spell.
Useful Info
When cast, Conjure Flame creates a cloud of embers at the caster's position. The embers are destroyed if a creature (player or monster) occupies the ember's tile, after the caster's next turn. If the embers remain, then a cloud of flame is created. Recasting Conjure Flame with embers already on your tile will ignite the tile, where the cloud will harm you.
Clouds of flame always deal 6 + (3d16)/3 (6-21) damage. Intelligent monsters that are too weak/low HP will avoid clouds, while mindless monsters will run right on through. If there is no other efficient path, strong and fire-resistant monsters will go through anyways. Damage is checked after every raw turn, so slow moving monsters do not take more damage.
Clouds last for 3 + 2d(Power)/2 turns, with a maximum of 23 turns. If already on a cloud of flame, casting Conjure Flame again adds 1+1d(Power)/4 turns (maximum 11) to the cloud's duration. This doesn't protect you from taking damage.
Strategy
Conjure Flame is most useful for blocking off hallways and creating bottlenecks.It might be a powerful offensive and defensive tool, but the cumbersome method of flame creation makes if difficult to use effectively, and nearly impossible in open spaces. Casters may find it easier to simply blast their enemies with a more direct Conjuration.
The flame itself isn't terribly impressive. Both the Lair and Orcish Mines are very open, and past that, a subpar level 3 spell won't do you a lot of good. Much of the threat from the midgame onwards comes from swarms of threats (which Conjure Flame is bad at), or uniques, which won't be phased by Conjure Flame. Therefore, it's strongest in the main Dungeon.
Usage
After casting the spell, its embers are smothered (destroyed) after your next turn. You must move or recast Conjure Flame, or the spell will fizzle out. Then, monsters following you have a full movement after your move to catch up to you. Against monsters with the same speed, you'll need to leave at least 2 tiles of room between them (i.e. the monster needs to be 3 spaces away). Faster monsters require more distance, meaning slower species have to be careful.
- Recasting the spell will always ignite the flames, but means that you'll be standing in fire for 1 turn, which is extremely dangerous (or outirght lethal) to low-level casters. Get rF, or simply have more health.
If a monster refuses to enter your flames (and has no ranged attacks), then you can freely pummel it from afar with reaching weapons, ranged weapons, and magic. Remember not to cast fire-neutralizing Ice Magic across the flame!
Against strong or mindless monsters, you can abuse their tendencies by casting Conjure Flame multiple times down a hallway. If a monster is already adjacent to you, it's best to fight there so it continues to burn. Therefore, it's less effective against tramplers; against them, try to put walls behind you, if at all possible.
Monsters standing in a harmful cloud will always be willing to enter another harmful cloud, so Mephitic Cloud can prompt a stubborn monster to enter your flames. Confusion can cause monsters to stumble in, which Mephitic Cloud also inflicts. If you then use a scroll of fear or cast Cause Fear, they'll attempt to escape... right back through the flames behind them.
Tips & Tricks
- Clouds cannot generate on top of each other.
- If you place a cloud of flame adjacent to a tile with water in it, it will generate clouds of steam, dealing additional damage and blocking line of sight
- Certain icy spells and effects will extinguish any flame clouds they strike, but are consumed in doing so. You can use Conjure Flame to block enemy ice attacks this way.
- Do note that icy effects that are partially physical in nature (such as Frozen Ramparts, Flash Freeze, or a wand of iceblast) can still pass through flame clouds.
History
- Conjure Flame is planned for removal in 0.30.
- Prior to 0.25, Conjure Flame was a range 3 smite-targeted spell that immediately created a cloud of flame in any given unoccupied space, making it more convenient for general use.
- Prior to version 0.17, Conjure Flame had a range of 4.
- Prior to version 0.15, Conjure Flame could set nearby trees ablaze.
