Deflect Missiles

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

Deflect Missiles

Deflect Missiles is a level 6 Air/Charms spell which strongly protects the caster from ranged attacks.

Effect

Once cast deflecting missiles (DMsl) status is gained. This status will not time out, instead on each successful deflection there is a 8/(2 + power) chance of losing the status. The status can also be lost by magic-dispelling effects (like potion of cancellation or Quicksilver Bolt) or forgetting the spell.

While active Deflect Missiles reduces the to-hit of ranged attacks against the caster to a random value between:

• vs single-target beams: 0% - 50% of its normal value
• vs penetrating bolts: 0% - 66% of its normal value

This spell only helps you to evade ranged attacks; it has no effect on your ability to block them.

Deflect Missiles is a more advanced version of the Repel Missiles effect of repulsion and its effect overrides that of RMsl.

Strategy

This spell gives a very good amount of protection, but there are still a few ranged attacks than can ignore it, among them such nasty things as Hellfire, Torment, and Fireball, as well as all Hexes. Even so, it can be very useful in places like the last level of the Shoals (merfolk javelineers), the last level of the Elven Halls (deep elf master archers), or Zot (electric golems, ancient liches).

Despite its power, this spell's usefulness is very character-dependent. In general, it doesn't do much that good EV or AC won't do. Usually, the characters who will find this the most useful are the purest of casters: it is possible for a low-HP deep elf to conquer the Realm of Zot with 8 AC and 16 EV if they make very judicious use of this and other utility spells.

Given that it is not usually necessary to cast this spell in combat, it is perfectly fine to have this spell at a high failure chance, take your armour and shield off and put on various items of wizardry in order to cast it. It is unlikely that any of even the most severe miscast effects can have a marked effect if you cast this spell in a completely safe location (eg. a cleared floor). Doing this may significantly reduce the amount of skill required to cast it.

History

Prior to 0.14, deflecting missiles status expired based on a timer.