Increase chances of leaving a corpse?

[XuaXua]

Is there a way (higher weapon skill level, specific weapon, melee vs. ranged, worshiping a specific god) to increase (or alter) the chances of leaving behind a corpse when killing a target?

Obviously this doesn't apply to jellies and targets that do not leave behind corpses.

[TwilightPhoenix]

Why yes, there is! The less likely you'll need a corpse to appear, the more likely it will show up. So, if you're starving, nothing will drop a corpse. Ever.


On a more serious note, I think only disintegration will prevent corpses from appearing, though you will have edible chunks fly everywhere.

[smock]

I don't know if corpses appear in lava. (When I'm next playing a starving mummy, I'll check.)

[mageykun]

Well, there's always Zonguldrok:

+9,+9 bone longsword. 20% chance per turn of hostile animate dead. Note that fighting these hostile undead provides more exp and piety than sacrificing corpses would. Not as much food, though! Even wielding this is bad if you worship one of the good gods.

Unfortunately, there's no way I know to increase corpse drops from monsters. Kiku does have a corpse delivery service though, which while intended for necromantic purposes, can also be used if you've got the munchies.

If the corpse / chunk game has you down, play something that has a way around it. The undead, ravenous trolls, iron bellied kobolds, vegetarian spriggans, or even rot tolerant orcs all provide escape from the usual tedium of maintaining one fresh chunk in inventory to eat when you fall to hungry.

[XuaXua]

I asked because my Spriggan berserker of Trog had just run through 6 orcs and there was not a corpse to be found for sacrificing. Figured it was because I was so awesome (or lousy) at small blades.

[varkarrus]

The first time I used disentegrate to kill a YAK, there was CHUNKS EVERYWHERE...

I FOUND THIS HILARIOUS.

(also Xom should guffaw wildly whenever something is disentegrated and explodes in this manner.)

[Stormfox]

The first time I used disentegrate to kill a YAK, there was CHUNKS EVERYWHERE...

I FOUND THIS HILARIOUS.

(also Xom should guffaw wildly whenever something is disentegrated and explodes in this manner.)

Bonus Xom points if a chunk hits you.

[mageykun]

The first time I fired a wand of disintegration at a fleshy target after that update was applied, I was rendered speechless with awe for a few seconds.

Then I spent a good five minutes laughing uncontrollably. Seriously, best. Update. Ever.

[Shade]

The first time I used disentegrate to kill a YAK, there was CHUNKS EVERYWHERE...

I FOUND THIS HILARIOUS.

(also Xom should guffaw wildly whenever something is disentegrated and explodes in this manner.)

3 words for you:

Orb Of Destruction

Best spell evar! \ / Also can work as a poor man's dig (in .7 and prior at least).

[sigfried von murdock]

I recall when I first encountered Boris- He was accompanied by about a dozen and a half ogres, and a pack of centaurs.

His orb of destruction spell had me burst out in laughter as bloody chunks of ogre meat were randomly sprayed across the large open room, he followed up with two more of of destruction, luckily I was on the other side of the room, and i have never seen so much raw meat, in so little time.

Corpse rate is similar to the probability of any other item. Ex. Engorged, you will likely find them 95% of the time. If you're a spriggan enchanter, you are just as likely to find heavy platemail and the obsidian axe on D2, or anything that translates into being very valuable, and absolutely worthless to your character.

Ever notice how berserkers find all the books? Then burn them...

[dassem]

Oooh, here's an idea: Could we add this to scrolls of vulnerability? That they increase the probability of an afflicted monster leaving a corpse?

[galehar]

Oooh, here's an idea: Could we add this to scrolls of vulnerability? That they increase the probability of an afflicted monster leaving a corpse?

Why would making a monster vulnerable to magic increase the chance of a corpse drop? That's very artificial and unintuitive.

[smock]

Oooh, here's an idea: Could we add this to scrolls of vulnerability? That they increase the probability of an afflicted monster leaving a corpse?

Why would making a monster vulnerable to magic increase the chance of a corpse drop? That's very artificial and unintuitive.

A necromancy spell would be a better fit. But I rather like Kiku's ability and I wouldn't mind if it stayed unique.

[Shade]

Maybe death by 'direct cold' should have a better chance of leaving a corpse based on the % of HP lost that way. It makes less sense when it involves being bashed by a block of Ice, and more sense when it's actual death by freezing, so some differentiation would be needed.

[Tiber]

How about a fixedart that increases corpse drop rate? The game could use more rare items with unique effects.

[mageykun]

I think varying drop rates depending on how things were killed (fire, cold, slashing, bashing... etc) would be needlessly complicated and promote annoying behavior to maximize drops.

There's nothing wrong with an unrandart, though "corpsemaker" alone seems a kinda disappointing property.

[Tiber]

It wouldn't have to be the only property; it'd probably be best on a necromancy themed object and pain-branded. Besides, not every artifact has to be OMG awesome.

[dassem]

Oooh, here's an idea: Could we add this to scrolls of vulnerability? That they increase the probability of an afflicted monster leaving a corpse?

Why would making a monster vulnerable to magic increase the chance of a corpse drop? That's very artificial and unintuitive.

Aw, I liked my idea anyway.

I think I'd mixed this scroll up with torment, and forgotten that it meant "vulnerable to magic".
Anyway, being killed so that someone can eat your corpse or wear your skin sounded a little "vulnerable" to me...
I also thought it went nicely with the way that you can use this scroll with Yd's enslave ability.

I don't think it should be a spell - there's too much cool stuff that it's harder for strict melee-only types to do already.

So I'd definitely support a randart that used to belong to a necromancer having this ability.

edit: Meant "unrandart" there.

[smock]

The +8 scythe of the Risen Multitudes {pain/draining/reaching?, rN++, corpsemaker}

Sometimes casts animate skeleton after a kill. Animated skeletons try to kill you.

The skeletons would be an early game annoyance or threat. Late game, it creates popcorn shields that won't steal your XP and resist bolt of draining. You get to kill again them for more XP! And you get to eat the flesh! Yum!

[JeffQyzt]

The +8 scythe of the Risen Multitudes {pain/draining/reaching?, rN++, corpsemaker}

Sometimes casts animate skeleton after a kill. Animated skeletons try to kill you.

Check out the Sword of Zonguldrok (http://crawl.develz.org/info/inline.php?q=sword%20of%20zonguldrok)

[galdon]

Yeah, I do find it odd that most of the time, especially if I'm hungry, stabbing a monster results in it's body completely disintegrating into thin air. XD

[erisdiscordia]

Not disintegrated. Just no longer fit for human consumption.