Difference between revisions of "Animate Skeleton"

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{{Spell
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{{version022}}
|name=Animate Skeleton
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{{spell info}}
|level=1
 
|school1={{Necromancy}}
 
|school2=
 
|school3=
 
|sources=<div>
 
*[[Book of Necromancy]]
 
*[[Book of Cantrips]]
 
</div>
 
|castingnoise=1
 
|spellnoise=0
 
}}
 
  
{{Flavour|This spell raises an inert skeleton to a state of unlife.}}
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'''Animate Skeleton''' is a level 1 [[Necromancy]] spell that animates a single non-animate, non-demonic [[skeleton]] to serve you as a mindless [[skeleton (monster)|undead slave]]. The caster must be standing on a skeleton or skeleton-bearing [[corpse]] in order for the spell to work. Because the spell is capable of summoning a skeleton directly out of a corpse, producing a pile of [[chunk]]s in the process, it is essentially a faster, superior method of butchering. Manually butchering a corpse only occasionally produces a skeleton, so casters with Animate Skeleton should only do so if they have no intent of creating a minion. If there are multiple corpses at your feet when you cast the spell, one of them will be chosen at random.
  
'''Animate Skeleton''' is a level 1 Necromancy spell that animates a single non-animate, non-demonic [[skeleton]]. The caster must be standing over either a skeleton or a skeleton-bearing corpse.  This spell will raise the skeleton right out of a corpse, effectively butchering it in a single turn.  (Note that, a skeleton-bearing corpse can always be animated and thereby butchered; but if you butcher first, sometimes the skeleton is lacking and animation is impossible.) If there are multiple corpses at your feet, one of them will be chosen for you.
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==Strategy==
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As a means of reanimating corpses, Animate Skeleton is cheaper than but inferior to [[Animate Dead]], since the latter can produce stronger [[zombie]]s and attempts to animate everything in sight. Necromancers, especially worshipers of [[Kikubaaqudgha]] that can receive corpses reliably, may benefit from its synergy with [[Simulacrum]] by creating multiple simulacra of large monsters from the chunks.
  
==Strategy==
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As a level-1 spell however, Animate Skeleton is a cheap strategic addition to any character not forbidden from Necromancy.  It produces long-lasting minions, some of them weapon-carrying, without forgoing chunks from their corpses.  This could be especially relevant for characters who are not otherwise benefiting from minions (who can block LOS against ranged attackers, enable distraction stabs, aid in escape, and generally take some attention off the player).
As a means of reanimating corpses, it is cheaper than but inferior to [[Animate Dead]], since the latter can produce stronger zombies and attempts to animate everything in sight. Necromancers, especially worshipers of [[Kikubaaqudgha]] that can receive corpses reliably, may benefit from its synergy with [[Simulacrum]] by creating multiple simulacra of large monsters from the chunks.
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Some physical [[attack flavour]]s are retained: skeletons of constricting monsters can constrict, hydra skeletons bite multiple times and elephant skeletons trample, however damage brands will not be retained.
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Control-F 'corpse' will find all possible targets for this spell that currently exist, both corpses and skeletalized remains.
  
 
==See Also==
 
==See Also==
 
*[[Derived undead]]
 
*[[Derived undead]]
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*[[Skeleton (monster)]]
  
 
==History==
 
==History==
Prior to [[0.12]] this spell was quite useful for characters wielding cursed blunt weapons, blunt weapons of [[vampiricism]], or blunt weapons of [[distortion]].
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Prior to [[0.16]], it was cominable with [[Sublimation of Blood]] to rapidly turning fallen foes into [[MP]] mid-fight.
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Prior to [[0.12]], this spell was quite useful for characters wielding cursed blunt weapons, blunt weapons of [[vampiricism]], or blunt weapons of [[distortion]].
  
 
Prior to [[0.8]], the spell took longer than the 1 turn it now takes to butcher and animate the skeleton.
 
Prior to [[0.8]], the spell took longer than the 1 turn it now takes to butcher and animate the skeleton.

Revision as of 19:00, 19 October 2018

Version 0.22: This article may not be up to date for the latest stable release of Crawl.

Animate Skeleton

Animate Skeleton is a level 1 Necromancy spell that animates a single non-animate, non-demonic skeleton to serve you as a mindless undead slave. The caster must be standing on a skeleton or skeleton-bearing corpse in order for the spell to work. Because the spell is capable of summoning a skeleton directly out of a corpse, producing a pile of chunks in the process, it is essentially a faster, superior method of butchering. Manually butchering a corpse only occasionally produces a skeleton, so casters with Animate Skeleton should only do so if they have no intent of creating a minion. If there are multiple corpses at your feet when you cast the spell, one of them will be chosen at random.

Strategy

As a means of reanimating corpses, Animate Skeleton is cheaper than but inferior to Animate Dead, since the latter can produce stronger zombies and attempts to animate everything in sight. Necromancers, especially worshipers of Kikubaaqudgha that can receive corpses reliably, may benefit from its synergy with Simulacrum by creating multiple simulacra of large monsters from the chunks.

As a level-1 spell however, Animate Skeleton is a cheap strategic addition to any character not forbidden from Necromancy. It produces long-lasting minions, some of them weapon-carrying, without forgoing chunks from their corpses. This could be especially relevant for characters who are not otherwise benefiting from minions (who can block LOS against ranged attackers, enable distraction stabs, aid in escape, and generally take some attention off the player).

Some physical attack flavours are retained: skeletons of constricting monsters can constrict, hydra skeletons bite multiple times and elephant skeletons trample, however damage brands will not be retained.

Control-F 'corpse' will find all possible targets for this spell that currently exist, both corpses and skeletalized remains.

See Also

History

Prior to 0.16, it was cominable with Sublimation of Blood to rapidly turning fallen foes into MP mid-fight.

Prior to 0.12, this spell was quite useful for characters wielding cursed blunt weapons, blunt weapons of vampiricism, or blunt weapons of distortion.

Prior to 0.8, the spell took longer than the 1 turn it now takes to butcher and animate the skeleton.