Leda's Liquefaction

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Leda's liquefaction.png Leda's Liquefaction
Level 4
School1 Earth
School2 Hexes
Source(s) Book of the Earth
Book of Sloth
Casting noise 3
Spell noise 0
Power Cap 200
Flags Area
Liquefies the ground around the caster, making it difficult to move through. Any movement through liquefied ground will be slowed, and creatures stuck in the liquefied ground will be unable to fly. Attempts to attack the caster in melee may fail.

The effect starts out with a radius depending on power, which will then shrink, eventually covering only the caster, before it times out. Maintaining the connection to the ground slows the caster's movement, even if they are flying.

Leda's Liquefaction is a level 4 Earth/Hexes spell which creates an area of difficult terrain around the caster.

Effect

Transforms ground around the caster to liquefied, including the square occupied by the caster. The size of this area is based on the remaining duration of the spell (similar to Silence), with maximum radius of 5. At the end of the duration only the square the caster is standing on will be liquefied. The liquefied area moves with the caster. It affects any dungeon feature with a solid floor.

Anything crossing this terrain (including the caster) is obstructed, unless they are stationary, insubstantial, clinging or flying.

Liquefied ground causes an extra movement delay of 3 for players and between 3 and 10 for monsters. Creatures on this terrain (including the caster) may lose their footing and waste their melee attacks, as though they were fighting from shallow water (even creatures immune to shallow water penalties will fumble). Ranged attacks and spellcasting are unaffected by this.

The spell cannot be cast if the caster is not on solid ground, meaning it can't be recast until the effects have completely worn off. Flying is generally not possible when standing on liquefied ground either. In the case that the caster does somehow end up flying the liquefaction will be cancelled.

Strategy

  • While melee characters will find this spell far more frustrating than handy, characters who rely on ranged attacks to deal damage can benefit greatly from the extra turns it takes melee-based opponents to reach you, coupled with the added failure rate their attacks suffer.
  • Blink (or preferably Controlled Blink) will allow you to put some distance between yourself and an opponent who manages to finally reach you, giving you several more turns to snipe it in safety.

History

Prior to 0.14, this spell applied the slow status effect to monsters.

Prior to 0.12, this was an Earth/Transmutation spell.

Added in 0.8.