Sculpt Simulacrum

Version 0.31: This article is up to date for the latest stable release of Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup.

Sculpt Simulacrum
Level	6
School1	Alchemy
School2	Ice
Source(s)	Book of Ice Book of the Tundra Book of Winter
Casting noise	6
Spell noise	0
Power Cap	200
Range	1
Flags	Dir or target, Needs tracer

Forms icy simulacra of an adjacent living, demonic, or holy creature. These fragile doppelgangers will take shape over a short period of time, eventually gaining the ability to move and attack the caster's enemies.

Sculpt Simulacrum is a level 6 Ice/Alchemy spell which creates multiple simulacra - frail, icy copies - from an adjacent monster. The simulacra take a few turns to form.

Useful Info

When used against a natural, demonic, or holy monster, it creates 2-3 blocks of ice. There is a power/200 chance to create 3 blocks, otherwise it creates 2. These blocks of ice will turn into a simulacrum of the monster after a short delay. The first block of ice takes 3-5 turns to become a simulacrum. Each block of ice thereafter takes 1-3 turns longer than the previous. If destroyed by an attack, no simulacra is created.

Simulacra are derived undead. They are fragile, but generally have very powerful cold attacks. Their stats depend on which monster you cast Sculpt Simluacrum on.

Simluacrum last for about 27 turns; spellpower does not increase duration.

There is a cap of 5 simulacra. If this cap is reached, the oldest simulacra will be destroyed whenever a new one is formed.

This is not a Necromancy spell, so Gozag and Yredelemnul worshippers can it without issue. However, the good gods still forbid its use.

Strategy

Simulacra are glass cannons; outstandingly frail, but with powerful cold melee attacks. The following are especially good/bad targets for Sculpt Simulacrum:

• Monsters with multiple attacks. Since each attack gets its own - very large - cold boost, having multiple attacks is powerful. Hydras, entropy weavers, and ettins are all fair game, assuming you can survive melee combat against them. The Lernaean hydra as a simulacrum can deal over 1000 damage per turn, but standing next to Lerny is deadly.
• Monsters with constriction (snakes, tentacled monstrosities). Their simulacra can also constrict foes, making them good allies.
• Conversely, avoid targeting a physically deficient mage (such as occultists and magical deep elves), as you'll spend 6 MP to create pathetic simulacra.

Also, since simulacra deal cold damage, avoid using Sculpt Simulacra if most/all monsters in a group are heavily resistant to cold.

History

• Sculpt Simulacrum was added in 0.31, replacing the Simulacrum spell.