Difference between revisions of "Magic points"

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'''Magic points''' or '''Mana points''' (usually abbreviated to MP) is the amount of magical energy which a given character has. It is used for spellcasting, for invoking divine powers (with the exception of [[Trog]]) and for evoking abilities granted by worn items, mutations, and intrinsic abilities.
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'''Magic points''' or '''Mana points''' (usually abbreviated to MP) is the amount of magical energy which a given character has. It is used for spellcasting, and for invoking divine powers, mutations, and intrinsic abilities.
  
 
Having your MP fall to zero is not directly lethal, but can be very hazardous for a spellcaster. MP will regenerate up to your maximum with time, and it is often recommended that spellcasters should rest up to full MP after every fight.
 
Having your MP fall to zero is not directly lethal, but can be very hazardous for a spellcaster. MP will regenerate up to your maximum with time, and it is often recommended that spellcasters should rest up to full MP after every fight.
  
Some items like [[ring of magical power|rings of magical power]] or [[staff of power|staves of power]] can increase a given person's reserves of magical power.
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Some items like [[ring of magical power|rings of magical power]] or [[artefacts]] with the {MP+} property can increase a given character's reserves of magical power.
  
Your maximum MP without benefit of items is a function of your experience level, your race, and whichever of your [[Spellcasting]], [[Evocations]], and [[Invocations]] skill is higher. Training Spellcasting provides twice as much MP as Invocations or Evocations. Depending on your character, though, this may not be a concern.
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Your base maximum MP is a function of your experience level, your species, and either your [[Spellcasting]] skill or half your [[Invocations]] skill (whichever total is higher -- Spellcasting is twice as effective as Invocations for increasing maximum MP).
  
A typical character starts with 0-7 MP (e.g. 0 for a Minotaur Fighter, 6 for Deep Elf Conjurer, 7 for Deep Elf Wizard) and eventually grows to many times that (30-40 for a level 20 Mummy Necromancer, or 50-60 when using extra items).
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A typical character starts with 0-7 MP (e.g. 0 for a Minotaur Fighter, 7 for Deep Elf Hedge Wizard) and eventually grows to many times that (30-40 for a level 20 Mummy Necromancer, or 50-60 when using extra items).
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[[Djinn]] do not use MP. Whenever they would spend MP, they spend HP instead; otherwise, they are unaffected by any mechanic that involves MP.
  
 
==Strategy==
 
==Strategy==
MP is a very important stat for spellcasters. Early or mid game rings of magical power are extremely useful, since MP costs are low and your base mana pool is small. However, as your MP hits around the 40+ mark, the efficiency of this stat gets drastically lower. Perhaps the only source of MP that you should use at this point is a staff of magical power, but even that could be replaced by an enhancer staff if you find one appropriate for you.
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MP is a very important stat for spellcasters. Early- or mid-game rings of magical power are extremely useful, since MP costs are low and your base mana pool is small. However, as your MP hits around the 40+ mark, the efficiency of this stat gets drastically lower.
  
 
Methods of MP restoration:
 
Methods of MP restoration:
 
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*Resting.
====Convenient====
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*Consumables: A [[potion of magic]] recovers a decent amount of magic with no downsides. [[Potions of ambrosia]] offer significant HP and MP regen for a duration, but confuses you for the entirety of it; if you cure the confusion, the ambrosia will end too.
*Killing monsters while worshipping [[Vehumet]]. Monsters give MP in proportion to their HD. Very nice since you'll be able to kill more with the MP you got, which you can use to kill more etc.
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*Casting [[Sublimation of Blood]], which restores your MP at the cost of your own health. (Remember to save 2 MP for this!)
*[[The Shining One]] also offers MP on kills, but that only applies to unholy creatures (demons, undead, and evil).
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*Wearing an [[amulet of magic regeneration]].
*Channeling the [[Staff of Wucad Mu]]. The MP restoration is fantastic, if you can deal with the side effects afterwards. Being an artifact though, it is quite rare.
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*God abilities: [[Ru]], [[Sif Muna]], [[Gozag]], and [[Nemelex]] offer ways to actively recover your mana, with varying degrees of reliability.
*Drinking a [[potion of magic]]. They are rare and far between but they don't fail to give you a shot of MP.
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*God passives: [[Vehumet]] lets you recover MP when killing monsters. [[The Shining One]] offers a similar power that only works against unholy and demonic enemies. Worshipers of [[Jiyva]] recover MP unusually quickly.
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*[[Channeling]] items: An [[orb]] of [[energy]] or the [[Staff of Wucad Mu]] may refund MP you spend, but with a chance of backfiring.
 
*Biting an enemy as a [[Vine Stalker]].
 
*Biting an enemy as a [[Vine Stalker]].
*Casting [[sublimation of blood]], which restores your MP at the cost of your own health. (Remember to save 2 MP for this!)
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*Being a [[demonspawn]] can grant you access to the [[Mana Shield]] mutations, which will grant you improved MP regeneration, especially when you are low on MP. The [[Powered by Pain]] mutations might replenish MP whenever you take damage. Or you could get both.
*Being a [[demonspawn]] can grant you access to the spirit shield mutation series, which will grant you improved MP regeneration, especially when you are low on MP (at the cost of your health regeneration), or can grant you the powered by pain mutation which could restore some MP when you take damage. Or you could get both.
 
*Wearing an [[Amulet of magic regeneration]].
 
*Channeling [[Sif Muna]]'s power.  It restores mana over several turns and provides significant amounts with strong invocations.
 
*[[Ru]]'s draw out power restores both mana and hp.
 
 
 
====Less convenient====
 
*[[Gozag]]'s potion petition offers a random selection of potions.  The chances of getting a potion which restores mana is fairly high, but not guaranteed.
 
*[[Potion of ambrosia]].  While the mana regeneration and hp regeneration is significant, being confused for its duration means you need to in a relatively safe position to use this.
 
*Channeling a [[staff of energy]]. The success rate is dismal without high investment in [[evocation|evocations]] but at least you can swap into it and spam it for faster recovery after a battle.
 
*A [[crystal ball of energy]] gives you back some MP, but comes with its own hard risks. See its page for details.
 
*Following [[Jiyva]] lets you sometimes gain MP when a [[jelly]] eats something on the level (chance depends on piety). It is fairly random unless you actively feed your jellies however.
 
*Waiting. Your MP will come back on its own after a while. Having higher MP will grant you proportionately improved mana regeneration.
 
*[[Nemelex]]'s [[wild magic card]] hits enemies with miscast effects and restores your mana based on how many were hit.
 
  
=Formula=
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==Formula==
* Highest Skill = max(Spellcasting, Invocations/2, Evocations/2)
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* Highest Skill = max(Spellcasting, Invocations/2)
 
* MP = Scale*(min(XL, 23) + Highest Skill + min(8, Highest Skill, XL)/2) + Species Modifier
 
* MP = Scale*(min(XL, 23) + Highest Skill + min(8, Highest Skill, XL)/2) + Species Modifier
 
* Sources of MP scaling:
 
* Sources of MP scaling:
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**[[Elyvilon]]'s [[Divine vigour]]: +50%
 
**[[Elyvilon]]'s [[Divine vigour]]: +50%
 
* Sources of flat MP bonuses (applied after scaling):
 
* Sources of flat MP bonuses (applied after scaling):
**[[ring of magical power|Rings of magical power]]: +9 MP
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**[[ring of magical power|rings of magical power]]: +9 MP each
**[[Maxwell's etheric cage]]: +4 MP
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**[[artefact]]s with the {+MP} property: usually +9 each -- may vary for some [[unrand]]s
**[[staff of power|Staves of power]]: +15 MP
 
 
*Wielding a weapon of [[antimagic]] divides MP by 3. This is applied after all other modifiers.
 
*Wielding a weapon of [[antimagic]] divides MP by 3. This is applied after all other modifiers.
  
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==History==
 
==History==
[[0.17]] simplified MP calculations. The base formula was:
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*Prior to [[0.26]], [[Evocations]] increased max MP.
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*[[0.17]] simplified MP calculations. The base formula was:
 
  XL + Permanent MP + (XL*Species modifier + 1)/3 + (XL*Species modifier + 1)/3 + max(Spellcasting*XL*3/14 + Spellcasting, Invocations*XL/6.5 + Invocations/3, Evocations*XL/6)
 
  XL + Permanent MP + (XL*Species modifier + 1)/3 + (XL*Species modifier + 1)/3 + max(Spellcasting*XL*3/14 + Spellcasting, Invocations*XL/6.5 + Invocations/3, Evocations*XL/6)
  
 
Then a stepdown function was applied and MP was capped at 50. Species aptitudes used to be multiplicative, but are now additive.
 
Then a stepdown function was applied and MP was capped at 50. Species aptitudes used to be multiplicative, but are now additive.
  
Before [[0.14]], the formula was:
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*Before [[0.14]], the formula was:
 
  Unscaled MP = XL + Permanent MP + (XL*Species modifier + 1)/3 +
 
  Unscaled MP = XL + Permanent MP + (XL*Species modifier + 1)/3 +
 
  max(Spellcasting*XL/4, Invocations*XL/6, Evocations*XL/6)
 
  max(Spellcasting*XL/4, Invocations*XL/6, Evocations*XL/6)

Revision as of 18:18, 20 April 2022

Version 0.28: This article may not be up to date for the latest stable release of Crawl.

Magic points or Mana points (usually abbreviated to MP) is the amount of magical energy which a given character has. It is used for spellcasting, and for invoking divine powers, mutations, and intrinsic abilities.

Having your MP fall to zero is not directly lethal, but can be very hazardous for a spellcaster. MP will regenerate up to your maximum with time, and it is often recommended that spellcasters should rest up to full MP after every fight.

Some items like rings of magical power or artefacts with the {MP+} property can increase a given character's reserves of magical power.

Your base maximum MP is a function of your experience level, your species, and either your Spellcasting skill or half your Invocations skill (whichever total is higher -- Spellcasting is twice as effective as Invocations for increasing maximum MP).

A typical character starts with 0-7 MP (e.g. 0 for a Minotaur Fighter, 7 for Deep Elf Hedge Wizard) and eventually grows to many times that (30-40 for a level 20 Mummy Necromancer, or 50-60 when using extra items).

Djinn do not use MP. Whenever they would spend MP, they spend HP instead; otherwise, they are unaffected by any mechanic that involves MP.

Strategy

MP is a very important stat for spellcasters. Early- or mid-game rings of magical power are extremely useful, since MP costs are low and your base mana pool is small. However, as your MP hits around the 40+ mark, the efficiency of this stat gets drastically lower.

Methods of MP restoration:

  • Resting.
  • Consumables: A potion of magic recovers a decent amount of magic with no downsides. Potions of ambrosia offer significant HP and MP regen for a duration, but confuses you for the entirety of it; if you cure the confusion, the ambrosia will end too.
  • Casting Sublimation of Blood, which restores your MP at the cost of your own health. (Remember to save 2 MP for this!)
  • Wearing an amulet of magic regeneration.
  • God abilities: Ru, Sif Muna, Gozag, and Nemelex offer ways to actively recover your mana, with varying degrees of reliability.
  • God passives: Vehumet lets you recover MP when killing monsters. The Shining One offers a similar power that only works against unholy and demonic enemies. Worshipers of Jiyva recover MP unusually quickly.
  • Channeling items: An orb of energy or the Staff of Wucad Mu may refund MP you spend, but with a chance of backfiring.
  • Biting an enemy as a Vine Stalker.
  • Being a demonspawn can grant you access to the Mana Shield mutations, which will grant you improved MP regeneration, especially when you are low on MP. The Powered by Pain mutations might replenish MP whenever you take damage. Or you could get both.

Formula

  • Highest Skill = max(Spellcasting, Invocations/2)
  • MP = Scale*(min(XL, 23) + Highest Skill + min(8, Highest Skill, XL)/2) + Species Modifier
  • Sources of MP scaling:
  • Sources of flat MP bonuses (applied after scaling):
  • Wielding a weapon of antimagic divides MP by 3. This is applied after all other modifiers.

MP modifiers

From Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup in-game documentation:

At Ba DE Dg Ds Dj Dr Fe Fo Gr Gh Gn HO Hu Ko Mf Mi Mu Na Op On Sp Te Tr Vp VS
0 0 2 2 0 N/A 0 1 0 0 -1 0 0 0 0 0 -1 0 0 0 0 1 1 -1 0 1

Demigods additionally start with the High MP mutation.

History

  • Prior to 0.26, Evocations increased max MP.
  • 0.17 simplified MP calculations. The base formula was:
XL + Permanent MP + (XL*Species modifier + 1)/3 + (XL*Species modifier + 1)/3 + max(Spellcasting*XL*3/14 + Spellcasting, Invocations*XL/6.5 + Invocations/3, Evocations*XL/6)

Then a stepdown function was applied and MP was capped at 50. Species aptitudes used to be multiplicative, but are now additive.

  • Before 0.14, the formula was:
Unscaled MP = XL + Permanent MP + (XL*Species modifier + 1)/3 +
max(Spellcasting*XL/4, Invocations*XL/6, Evocations*XL/6)

where Permanent MP was a constant determined by the player's background and species.