Tartarus Sorceror
Posts: 1698
Joined: Saturday, 18th June 2016, 13:57
Wednesday, 20th July 2016, 16:16
A Guide to Transmutation DCSS Spells
When it comes to decisions, Crawl's magic system has two main aspects. The first one is strategic and long-term: the choice of spells to learn and forget. The second one is the tactical aspect: which is the best situation in which to use this spell? Or, given a certain situation, which spell should I use?
This thread aims to illustrate such situations, for the advantage of new, newish, or curious players who want to learn something about mechanics they tend not to use.
Since I am no great player, it would be nice if you people could jump in, give suggestions, examine mistakes, suggest changes and so on. There also are certain spells (especially conjurations) for which I am not sure of an actual particularity beside "it inflicts damage", so external input would be greatly appreciated. This is just the first part, I will edit the post as the list is expanded.
The idea is that of dividing by effect, rather than by school (forms, allies, buffs, debuffs, direct damage, general utility). I will later add school and level to spell description, and a short preamble about interaction of different magic schools.
Anyway, here it goes:
The Right Form at the Right Place, or: A Situational Guide to Transmutation DCSS Spells
Part 1: PC-Targeted Forms and Physical Changes
General notes
Gods and Races
Zin hates chaotic magic, which means all of the following spells. The Shining One hates Necromutation and also hates it if you use Spider Form to poison someone, although casting the spell is OK. Ghouls and Mummies cannot use the following spells. Vampires can, but only if at least full.
Reverting to Normal
The option to revert to your normal form is available in the abilities menu (a).
Forms and Equipment
Full body transformations make your equipment meld into your body. Ashenzari followers notice no change for what concerns their deity; however, all other effects or special abilities granted by equipment, with the exception of worn jewellery, will become unavailable until the end of the transformation. You also cannot wield items or use wands while in full body forms. Since the items simply meld in your body, you will not suffer drain, contamination, distortion and such as a consequence of the transformation; autocursing items also don't recurse themselves when they are unmelded from your body.
The Spells:
Beastly Appendage: Marginal power up to melee in the form of talons, horns2 or a spike growing out of your body.
Tactic: To be used before any melee combat, until you have access to more powerful transmutations. Racial differences: octopodes will always grow a spike on one of their tentacles; minotaurs will always grow talons; merfolk will always grow horns. Occupying body slots impedes the growth of the appendage (no talons with boots, no horns with helmets; Okawaru tends to donate hats if you use this spell, as hats allow horns to grow); this can be used to force the game to always generate horns, which are somewhat more efficient than talons.
Strategy: The spell is easy to cast, and represents an entrance point to Transmutations; however, it differs from many Transmutations in that it isn't set on an Unarmed combat build, since auxiliary attacks don't depend on Unarmed. If you are a Transmuter, it will be useful for the first few levels of the dungeon. If you casually find it later as a melee character with free body slots, you might want to learn it to gain a marginal advantage, although it surely won't be a game-changer. General use spells tend to be a better choice at this point, and the fact that you might find a helmet or boots soon means that the spell will become useless.
Transmutation: 1 | Book of Changes
Spider Form: High EV, low AC, inflict poison, notably betters melee capabilities (kill ogres), full body transformation
Tactic: It's the ticket to fight reliably against more dangerous than average creatures in the early dungeon. A single ogre, orc wizards and even Sigmund, if he doesn't confuse you, can be killed with relative ease. Poison means that you can keep inflicting damage to foes who have blinked or turned themselves invisible. Keep in mind your low AC and your weakness to poison; you also have very high EV, but spells like magic dart, which has very high precision, can hurt.
In the middle game it remain very good against non venomous insects, and is usable to kite and slowly poison boulder beetles as they roll beside you after you dodged. In general, this is your main access to poison branded damage as a Transmuter. Remember that poison damage increases with each hit which applies it. This means that, sometimes, you will have to choose between immediately running away from an opponent you are entangled in melee with or give another bite before trying to get away. Running is generally safer, while staying for that extra poison hit is a gamble.
Strategy: Memorizing this spell greatly betters the survival chances of a transmuter. It is the first full-body transformation you get access to, and allows you to learn some poison magic, which makes certain useful spells immediately usable, if you find them (cure poison, which is very good while in spider form, mephitic cloud, Olgreb's toxic radiance, this last one not to be used while in spider form). At the same time, this spell puts you in the Transmuter niche build (UA + Dodging + Transmutation), and is pretty much useless for melee characters which rely on equipment or spellcasters without Unarmed skills. It allows you to make good use of Stealth, although the form will never inflict as much damage on stab as a short blade.
Transmutation, Poison: 3 | Book of Changes, Book of Envenomations
Ice Form: AC, HP bonus, inflict freezing damage, float on water and deep water, rC+++, rF-, rPois+, full body transformation
Tactic: This is actually straightforward. Act according to special abilities and resistances. The freezing damage can slow cold-blooded opponents, which makes it exceptionally useful in the Lair, where, in a pinch, you can slow mambas, moccasins and spiny frogs in melee with poison resistance active, and slow hydras with decent AC and HP: hydras remain dangerous to melee, but it becomes easier to run away from them if things go wrong. Use water to get away from problems (not hydras) or to take shortcuts, make yourself resistant to cold and enjoy immunity to poison-derived confusion (swamp drakes).
Strategy: the second full body transmutation dips you in ice, which means that you might later have access to puffs of frost to slow down cold blooded monsters from afar, to kill hellions from range (which is useful to pick a group one by one, but not a good idea if there is just one) or to extinguish fire clouds. Anyway, Ice Form is a spell you want: it is loaded with resistances to which you probably don't have access yet through equipment, and can make whole branches easier. Merfolks have the added advantage of not losing their water walking in this form, and of not drowning if the form ends at the wrong time. Anyway, this form requires the UA + D + Tr build, which makes it of little use for most other builds.
Ice, Transmutation: 4 | Book of Changes, Book of Transfigurations, Book of Beasts
Blade Hands: Huge damage boost to unarmed (even for Claws3), huge malus to spellcasting, only mutates hands
Tactic: This spell will only meld your shield and weapon into your hands; otherwise, it allows you to fight while keeping your equipment on. You can change jewellery, but you can't use wands in this form. Also, your body only slightly changes, which means that a Merfolk can still swim well, while a Minotaur can use his head. A felid will have his stealth decreased for the duration of the spell. In general, this spell is very useful for situations in which the only need is high damage output, without speed, brand or special resistances: such a situation can be against orc warriors or knights, crocodilians, many giants. It is best used in corridors, where the high damage against single targets can be used more safely. It hinders spellcasting, so you should cast all eventual buffs before this last one. The blade will cut off hydra heads, so you should look for alternatives (the most obvious one being ice form). Be also aware of the high hunger cost: the last thing you want is the spell to end and find yourself starving with a few enemies still around, since starving status impedes casting, among other things.
Strategy: If you are a transmuter, you will likely learn this spell or see it become usable before Ice Form, since it only relies on Transmutation to work. While not being a full body form, it still requires both UA and Tr, which limits its attractiveness to not transmuters. Concerning the hunger cost, you might consider using a staff of energy, if you find one. The staff won't be useful as a weapon for you, but will meld into your forms while absorbing the hunger cost; it will only be a bore when fighting in your normal form.
Transmutation: 5 | Book of Changes
Hydra Form: HP bonus, rPois+, Improved Cleaving, UC bonus, health regeneration based on HD of killings.
The attack isn't calculated like with natural hydras as a number of lesser attacks, but as a single strike which deals equal damage to all opponents around you. To regenerate through eating you need opponents which leave corpses (no demons or undead). Flaming slashes chop your heads off. Short duration. Damage output similar to blade hands, which is not cleaving, but allows you to keep your equipment: as a result, Hydra Form is better against many lesser opponents, while Blade Hands is the choice against single, more durable targets.
Statue form: +UC, +Strength, +20AC, +gdr, +HP, rPois+++, rEl+, rN+, rTorm (50%), rRot, -2Dex, you become slow
You get great melee power ups, but lose speed and become vulnerable to Shatter and LRD. Shatter is used by Jorgrun, Pand Lords and possibly ghosts, LRD by deep troll earth mages. Very good in Snake Pits, where almost everyone is slow anyway, generally a good option if you don't need mobility (eg you are in a killhole).
Dragon Form: +UC, Bite3, Claws3, TailSlap, +1d10 accuracy, Breathe Flames 3, rF++, rPois+, +HP, 34%GDR, about 10 AC, flight, +10 Strength, Reg, rC-, EV about 8, flight
Dragon form lasts long and allows you to use your rings and amulets. It gives better attack power than Blade Hands, but takes away your armour, although it doesn't impair spellcasting. The spell is very powerful against single opponents: a level 13 MfTr can kill Tiamat, if he pulls off rage (available through amulets) and dragon form at the same time. As most full body forms, it somewhat limits your defences, so keeping it on indefinitely may not be a good idea. It does help in Gehenna, though. Draconians have a special affinity to this spell: they keep many stats from their normal form (scales AC, breath weapon, resistances, with only reds getting rF++ and rC- and whites rC++ and rF- instead).
Necromutation: Undead, rC+, rN+++, +50 MR, +6AC, UC inflicts drain, Necromancy bonus, immune to poison and directly induced rot, sickness, torment, mutation (rot instead), no need to eat, can't swallow, no change to equipment use (except holy wrath).
Tactic: The most immediate effect of this spell is that of turning you undead, giving all of the related effects, good and bad. It will fully shield you from Torment, which is a useful ability in Hell and Zot, and make bolts of draining and shadow dragons much less imposing. It also only transforms you body, allowing you to keep your hard won equipment. This spell also gives you the most evident advantages (no hunger clock or spell hunger) and disadvantages (no quaffing) typical of being a mummy. It can be useful in mutation-infested areas, since you can heal rot after turning back to normal with easily found items. You are however vulnerable to Holy, which makes Bennu and Apis much more dangerous, and Dispel Undead, which is used by Anubis guards, Black suns, Gloorx Vloq, Josephine, Revenants, Tzitzimitls and possibly other Pand Lords. This means that using this form in undead branches is actually dangerous. Remember that you can immediately return to your living form, if you need to, unless you are confused, about which see the strategy section. Remember that each form has its strengths and weaknesses, and that their utility is situational: this is also true for Necromutation.
Strategy: While the strengths of this spell balance out its immediate weaknesses rather well, the procedure needed to get it reliably castable is a large problem. As a 2 schools level 8 spell, Necromutation is one of the heftiest spells in regards to experience cost. Things are made worse by 3 other factors: the lack of synergy between Transmutation and Necromancy, as there simply is no other Transmutation/Necromancy spell, the fact that the form is found only in the Necronomicon, which contains other, more easily castable spells which have no effect on the undead and are regarded as life savers (Borgnjor's Revivification and Death's Door; Revivification is a Charms/Necromancy spell, and a Necromancer can branch out to Charms already already at lower levels with Regeneration and Excruciating Wounds), and the problem that Transmutation requires a UA melee/mage build, while Necromancy rather sets the player towards avoiding melee, preferring, if needed, weapons with the Pain brand (so no Unarmed). This makes this spell a bit of an outsider, since it is the only form designed to enhance magical capabilities, rather than melee combat. Choosing to learn this spell thus usually means having to artificially generate a build only for this purpose: you will be putting a lot of XP into a bet, since that XP could be put into more immediately useful spells (if you start out with Necromancy and later decide to learn Transmutation for this spell, you are missing out on e.g. Translocations, Hexes and Charms, which offer very useful spells at much lower skill levels). Another point is the lack of quaffing, which becomes a pain because you can't heal confusion, which will also stop you from reverting to your normal form; the clarity mutation will help you, otherwise you will have to rely on artifacts. The only two unrandarts which currently spawn with clarity are the Autumn Katana (which doesn't have a necromantically interesting Pain brand) and the Amulet of the Four Winds. Lack of spell hunger can also be replicated with a staff of energy.
Transmutation, Necromancy: 8 | Necronomicon
This thread aims to illustrate such situations, for the advantage of new, newish, or curious players who want to learn something about mechanics they tend not to use.
Since I am no great player, it would be nice if you people could jump in, give suggestions, examine mistakes, suggest changes and so on. There also are certain spells (especially conjurations) for which I am not sure of an actual particularity beside "it inflicts damage", so external input would be greatly appreciated. This is just the first part, I will edit the post as the list is expanded.
The idea is that of dividing by effect, rather than by school (forms, allies, buffs, debuffs, direct damage, general utility). I will later add school and level to spell description, and a short preamble about interaction of different magic schools.
Anyway, here it goes:
The Right Form at the Right Place, or: A Situational Guide to Transmutation DCSS Spells
Part 1: PC-Targeted Forms and Physical Changes
General notes
Gods and Races
Zin hates chaotic magic, which means all of the following spells. The Shining One hates Necromutation and also hates it if you use Spider Form to poison someone, although casting the spell is OK. Ghouls and Mummies cannot use the following spells. Vampires can, but only if at least full.
Reverting to Normal
The option to revert to your normal form is available in the abilities menu (a).
Forms and Equipment
Full body transformations make your equipment meld into your body. Ashenzari followers notice no change for what concerns their deity; however, all other effects or special abilities granted by equipment, with the exception of worn jewellery, will become unavailable until the end of the transformation. You also cannot wield items or use wands while in full body forms. Since the items simply meld in your body, you will not suffer drain, contamination, distortion and such as a consequence of the transformation; autocursing items also don't recurse themselves when they are unmelded from your body.
The Spells:
Beastly Appendage: Marginal power up to melee in the form of talons, horns2 or a spike growing out of your body.
Tactic: To be used before any melee combat, until you have access to more powerful transmutations. Racial differences: octopodes will always grow a spike on one of their tentacles; minotaurs will always grow talons; merfolk will always grow horns. Occupying body slots impedes the growth of the appendage (no talons with boots, no horns with helmets; Okawaru tends to donate hats if you use this spell, as hats allow horns to grow); this can be used to force the game to always generate horns, which are somewhat more efficient than talons.
Strategy: The spell is easy to cast, and represents an entrance point to Transmutations; however, it differs from many Transmutations in that it isn't set on an Unarmed combat build, since auxiliary attacks don't depend on Unarmed. If you are a Transmuter, it will be useful for the first few levels of the dungeon. If you casually find it later as a melee character with free body slots, you might want to learn it to gain a marginal advantage, although it surely won't be a game-changer. General use spells tend to be a better choice at this point, and the fact that you might find a helmet or boots soon means that the spell will become useless.
Transmutation: 1 | Book of Changes
Spider Form: High EV, low AC, inflict poison, notably betters melee capabilities (kill ogres), full body transformation
Tactic: It's the ticket to fight reliably against more dangerous than average creatures in the early dungeon. A single ogre, orc wizards and even Sigmund, if he doesn't confuse you, can be killed with relative ease. Poison means that you can keep inflicting damage to foes who have blinked or turned themselves invisible. Keep in mind your low AC and your weakness to poison; you also have very high EV, but spells like magic dart, which has very high precision, can hurt.
In the middle game it remain very good against non venomous insects, and is usable to kite and slowly poison boulder beetles as they roll beside you after you dodged. In general, this is your main access to poison branded damage as a Transmuter. Remember that poison damage increases with each hit which applies it. This means that, sometimes, you will have to choose between immediately running away from an opponent you are entangled in melee with or give another bite before trying to get away. Running is generally safer, while staying for that extra poison hit is a gamble.
Strategy: Memorizing this spell greatly betters the survival chances of a transmuter. It is the first full-body transformation you get access to, and allows you to learn some poison magic, which makes certain useful spells immediately usable, if you find them (cure poison, which is very good while in spider form, mephitic cloud, Olgreb's toxic radiance, this last one not to be used while in spider form). At the same time, this spell puts you in the Transmuter niche build (UA + Dodging + Transmutation), and is pretty much useless for melee characters which rely on equipment or spellcasters without Unarmed skills. It allows you to make good use of Stealth, although the form will never inflict as much damage on stab as a short blade.
Transmutation, Poison: 3 | Book of Changes, Book of Envenomations
Ice Form: AC, HP bonus, inflict freezing damage, float on water and deep water, rC+++, rF-, rPois+, full body transformation
Tactic: This is actually straightforward. Act according to special abilities and resistances. The freezing damage can slow cold-blooded opponents, which makes it exceptionally useful in the Lair, where, in a pinch, you can slow mambas, moccasins and spiny frogs in melee with poison resistance active, and slow hydras with decent AC and HP: hydras remain dangerous to melee, but it becomes easier to run away from them if things go wrong. Use water to get away from problems (not hydras) or to take shortcuts, make yourself resistant to cold and enjoy immunity to poison-derived confusion (swamp drakes).
Strategy: the second full body transmutation dips you in ice, which means that you might later have access to puffs of frost to slow down cold blooded monsters from afar, to kill hellions from range (which is useful to pick a group one by one, but not a good idea if there is just one) or to extinguish fire clouds. Anyway, Ice Form is a spell you want: it is loaded with resistances to which you probably don't have access yet through equipment, and can make whole branches easier. Merfolks have the added advantage of not losing their water walking in this form, and of not drowning if the form ends at the wrong time. Anyway, this form requires the UA + D + Tr build, which makes it of little use for most other builds.
Ice, Transmutation: 4 | Book of Changes, Book of Transfigurations, Book of Beasts
Blade Hands: Huge damage boost to unarmed (even for Claws3), huge malus to spellcasting, only mutates hands
Tactic: This spell will only meld your shield and weapon into your hands; otherwise, it allows you to fight while keeping your equipment on. You can change jewellery, but you can't use wands in this form. Also, your body only slightly changes, which means that a Merfolk can still swim well, while a Minotaur can use his head. A felid will have his stealth decreased for the duration of the spell. In general, this spell is very useful for situations in which the only need is high damage output, without speed, brand or special resistances: such a situation can be against orc warriors or knights, crocodilians, many giants. It is best used in corridors, where the high damage against single targets can be used more safely. It hinders spellcasting, so you should cast all eventual buffs before this last one. The blade will cut off hydra heads, so you should look for alternatives (the most obvious one being ice form). Be also aware of the high hunger cost: the last thing you want is the spell to end and find yourself starving with a few enemies still around, since starving status impedes casting, among other things.
Strategy: If you are a transmuter, you will likely learn this spell or see it become usable before Ice Form, since it only relies on Transmutation to work. While not being a full body form, it still requires both UA and Tr, which limits its attractiveness to not transmuters. Concerning the hunger cost, you might consider using a staff of energy, if you find one. The staff won't be useful as a weapon for you, but will meld into your forms while absorbing the hunger cost; it will only be a bore when fighting in your normal form.
Transmutation: 5 | Book of Changes
Hydra Form: HP bonus, rPois+, Improved Cleaving, UC bonus, health regeneration based on HD of killings.
The attack isn't calculated like with natural hydras as a number of lesser attacks, but as a single strike which deals equal damage to all opponents around you. To regenerate through eating you need opponents which leave corpses (no demons or undead). Flaming slashes chop your heads off. Short duration. Damage output similar to blade hands, which is not cleaving, but allows you to keep your equipment: as a result, Hydra Form is better against many lesser opponents, while Blade Hands is the choice against single, more durable targets.
Statue form: +UC, +Strength, +20AC, +gdr, +HP, rPois+++, rEl+, rN+, rTorm (50%), rRot, -2Dex, you become slow
You get great melee power ups, but lose speed and become vulnerable to Shatter and LRD. Shatter is used by Jorgrun, Pand Lords and possibly ghosts, LRD by deep troll earth mages. Very good in Snake Pits, where almost everyone is slow anyway, generally a good option if you don't need mobility (eg you are in a killhole).
Dragon Form: +UC, Bite3, Claws3, TailSlap, +1d10 accuracy, Breathe Flames 3, rF++, rPois+, +HP, 34%GDR, about 10 AC, flight, +10 Strength, Reg, rC-, EV about 8, flight
Dragon form lasts long and allows you to use your rings and amulets. It gives better attack power than Blade Hands, but takes away your armour, although it doesn't impair spellcasting. The spell is very powerful against single opponents: a level 13 MfTr can kill Tiamat, if he pulls off rage (available through amulets) and dragon form at the same time. As most full body forms, it somewhat limits your defences, so keeping it on indefinitely may not be a good idea. It does help in Gehenna, though. Draconians have a special affinity to this spell: they keep many stats from their normal form (scales AC, breath weapon, resistances, with only reds getting rF++ and rC- and whites rC++ and rF- instead).
Necromutation: Undead, rC+, rN+++, +50 MR, +6AC, UC inflicts drain, Necromancy bonus, immune to poison and directly induced rot, sickness, torment, mutation (rot instead), no need to eat, can't swallow, no change to equipment use (except holy wrath).
Tactic: The most immediate effect of this spell is that of turning you undead, giving all of the related effects, good and bad. It will fully shield you from Torment, which is a useful ability in Hell and Zot, and make bolts of draining and shadow dragons much less imposing. It also only transforms you body, allowing you to keep your hard won equipment. This spell also gives you the most evident advantages (no hunger clock or spell hunger) and disadvantages (no quaffing) typical of being a mummy. It can be useful in mutation-infested areas, since you can heal rot after turning back to normal with easily found items. You are however vulnerable to Holy, which makes Bennu and Apis much more dangerous, and Dispel Undead, which is used by Anubis guards, Black suns, Gloorx Vloq, Josephine, Revenants, Tzitzimitls and possibly other Pand Lords. This means that using this form in undead branches is actually dangerous. Remember that you can immediately return to your living form, if you need to, unless you are confused, about which see the strategy section. Remember that each form has its strengths and weaknesses, and that their utility is situational: this is also true for Necromutation.
Strategy: While the strengths of this spell balance out its immediate weaknesses rather well, the procedure needed to get it reliably castable is a large problem. As a 2 schools level 8 spell, Necromutation is one of the heftiest spells in regards to experience cost. Things are made worse by 3 other factors: the lack of synergy between Transmutation and Necromancy, as there simply is no other Transmutation/Necromancy spell, the fact that the form is found only in the Necronomicon, which contains other, more easily castable spells which have no effect on the undead and are regarded as life savers (Borgnjor's Revivification and Death's Door; Revivification is a Charms/Necromancy spell, and a Necromancer can branch out to Charms already already at lower levels with Regeneration and Excruciating Wounds), and the problem that Transmutation requires a UA melee/mage build, while Necromancy rather sets the player towards avoiding melee, preferring, if needed, weapons with the Pain brand (so no Unarmed). This makes this spell a bit of an outsider, since it is the only form designed to enhance magical capabilities, rather than melee combat. Choosing to learn this spell thus usually means having to artificially generate a build only for this purpose: you will be putting a lot of XP into a bet, since that XP could be put into more immediately useful spells (if you start out with Necromancy and later decide to learn Transmutation for this spell, you are missing out on e.g. Translocations, Hexes and Charms, which offer very useful spells at much lower skill levels). Another point is the lack of quaffing, which becomes a pain because you can't heal confusion, which will also stop you from reverting to your normal form; the clarity mutation will help you, otherwise you will have to rely on artifacts. The only two unrandarts which currently spawn with clarity are the Autumn Katana (which doesn't have a necromantically interesting Pain brand) and the Amulet of the Four Winds. Lack of spell hunger can also be replicated with a staff of energy.
Transmutation, Necromancy: 8 | Necronomicon
Spoiler: show
Last edited by Shtopit on Tuesday, 16th August 2016, 07:28, edited 8 times in total.
I Feel the Need--the Need for Beer
Spoiler: show
the wiki is literally worse than playing with no wiki
In general, I aim at correcting mistakes as soon as I find them or someone points them to me. The problem with the Wiki is that it is enormous and distributed on a lot of pages. This means that it will inform you of what a single spell summons, but you will need to go to another page to see what this summon exactly does, assuming that summoned creatures have the same stats as normal creatures.
