ADOM Guidebook


Spells - description and usefulness

There is a very good section on spells including damage and range in the ADOM manual. The diameter of ball spells is dependent upon Willpower / 8. However, this diameter only increases as a multiple of sixteen since ball spells radiate symmetrically; the minimum diameter is two. Therefore getting Willpower to 24, for instance, does not increase the diameter. Willpower must be increased to 32 for the diameter to increase to four, 48 for the diameter to increase to six, 64 for the diameter to increase to eight, etc.

Some general remarks about spells: Ball spells are extraordinarily useful since no monsters shrug them off. They are wonderful when the PC is surrounded, of course. It is worth switching to Coward tactics and waiting to be completely surrounded before casting. Since they are relatively costly in terms of PP, it is useful to destroy the maximum number of enemies with each casting. Fire magic is particularly effective against cold-based creatures and undead including mummies. Cold magic is particularly effective against fire-based creatures. Bless damages undead. Healing spells can be cast at monsters including companions (but don't use them on slaves!). Wish is a unique spell. It is very difficult to learn, probably impossible if the PC has teleportitis. Such PC's must travel to a location where teleportation is impossible, such as the the Assassin's Guild, the Tomb of the High Kings or the Mana Temple (the desirability is in that order due to background corruption in all of those locations). Furthermore, PC's will usually reach Starving! status while attempting to learn Wish. Tactics to deal with this include eating a blessed stomfillia to become Bloated, waiting just until the PC returns to Satiated, then eating another blessed stomfillia. It may be necessary to drink additional satiating potions, such as potions of toughness or potential toughness, even when the double blessed stomafillia tactic is used. Alternatively, PC's without teleportitis can use a room that has the "rich flavour" special effect, where PC's will never become hungry. Wish is extraordinarly expensive to cast and also drains a random stat by -10 when cast. If the PC must cast it, be prepared for the stat drain. Plan to cast it in a special room that lowers spell costs, and on Silvernight or Darknight, if possible, according to the PC's alignment.

A simple list. A = arcane, C = clerical.

Acid Ball / Rain Of Sorrow (A)
Acid Bolt (A,C)
Bless (C)
Burning Hands / Baptism of Fire (A,C)
Calm Monster (A,C)
Create Item / Divine Favour (A,C)
Cure Critical Wounds (C)
Cure Disease (C)
Cure Light Wounds (C)
Cure Serious Wounds (C)
Darkness (A,C)
Death Ray / Greater Divine Touch (A,C)
Destroy Undead / Dispel Undead (C)
Disarm Trap (C)
Earthquake (C)
Farsight (A,C)
Fire Bolt / Hellish Flames (A,C)
Fireball / Major Punishment (A)
Frost Bolt / Nether Bolt (A,C)
Greater Identify / Greater Enlightment (A,C)
Heal (C)
Ice Ball / Freezing Fury (A)
Identify / Enlightenment (A,C)
Improved Fireball / Invoked Devastation (A)
Invisibility / Veil Of The Gods (A)
Knock / Divine Key (A)
Know Alignment (C)
Light (A,C)
Lightning Ball / Heavenly Fury (A)
Lightning Bolt / Divine Wrath (A,C)
Magic Lock / Seal of the Spheres (A)
Magic Map / Knowledge of the Ancients (A,C)
Magic Missile / Minor Punishment (A)
Mystic Shovel / Divine Digger (A,C)
Neutralize Poison (C)
Petrification (C)
Remove Curse (A,C)
Revelation (C)
Scare Monster / Holy Awe (A,C)
Slow Monster (A)
Slow Poison (C)
Strength Of Atlas / Lordly Might (A)
Stun Ray / Lesser Divine Touch (A,C)
Summon Monsters (A,C)
Teleportation / Ethereal Bridge (A)
Web (A)
Wish / Divine Intervention

Mindcraft

Malte Helmert contributed the following table regarding Mindcraft:
Level TPC COB COW MBL MSH MWV TBL EOM GMB GTB REG TPS TPO GMW
    1 N/A   8
    2 N/A   8
    3 N/A   7  24
    4 N/A   7  24
    5 N/A   7  24
    6 N/A   6  23  18
    7 N/A   6  23  18
    8 N/A   6  23  18
    9 N/A   5  22  17 5/T
   10 N/A   5  22  17 4/T
   11 N/A   5  22  17 4/T
   12 N/A   4  21  16 4/T
   13 N/A   4  21  16 4/T  47
   14 N/A   4  21  16 4/T  46
   15 N/A   3  20  15 3/T  45  30
   16 N/A   3  20  15 3/T  44  28
   17 N/A   3  20  15 3/T  43  26
   18 N/A   3  19  14 3/T  42  24   6
   19 N/A   3  19  14 3/T  41  22   6
   20 N/A   3  19  14 2/T  40  20   6
   21 N/A   3  18  13 2/T  39  18   5
   22 N/A   3  18  13 2/T  38  18   5
   23 N/A   3  18  13 2/T  37  18   5
   24 N/A   3  17  12 2/T  36  18   4
   25 N/A   3  17  12 2/T  35  18   4  27
   26 N/A   3  17  12 2/T  34  18   4  27
   27 N/A   3  16  11 2/T  33  18   3  26
   28 N/A   3  16  11 2/T  32  18   3  26
   29 N/A   3  16  11 2/T  31  18   3  26
   30 N/A   3  15  10 2/T  30  18   3  25  60
   31 N/A   3  15  10 2/T  29  18   3  25  58
   32 N/A   3  15  10 2/T  28  18   3  25  56
   33 N/A   3  14   9 2/T  27  18   3  24  54
   34 N/A   3  14   9 2/T  26  18   3  24  52
   35 N/A   3  14   9 2/T  25  18   3  24  50 5/T
   36 N/A   3  13   8 2/T  24  18   3  23  48 5/T
   37 N/A   3  13   8 2/T  23  18   3  23  46 5/T
   38 N/A   3  13   8 2/T  22  18   3  23  44 5/T
   39 N/A   3  12   7 2/T  21  18   3  22  42 5/T
   40 N/A   3  12   7 2/T  20  18   3  22  40 4/T  35
   41 N/A   3  12   7 2/T  19  18   3  22  38 4/T  35
   42 N/A   3  11   6 2/T  18  18   3  21  36 4/T  35
   43 N/A   3  11   6 2/T  17  18   3  21  34 4/T  35
   44 N/A   3  11   6 2/T  16  18   3  21  32 4/T  35
   45 N/A   3  10   5 2/T  15  18   3  20  30 4/T  35  35
   46 N/A   3  10   5 2/T  15  18   3  20  28 4/T  35  35
   47 N/A   3  10   5 2/T  15  18   3  20  26 4/T  35  35
   48 N/A   3   9   5 2/T  15  18   3  19  25 4/T  35  35
   49 N/A   3   9   5 2/T  15  18   3  19  25 4/T  35  35
   50 N/A   3   9   5 2/T  15  18   3  19  25 3/T  35  35  50

N/A: this is for free
x/T: x PP per turn

TPC - Teleport Control
COB - Confusion Blast
COW - Confusion Wave
MBL - Mind Blast
MSH - Mental Shield
MWV - Mind Wave
TBL - Telekinetic Blast
EOM - Eyes of the Mind
GMB - Greater Mental Blast
GTB - Greater Telekinetic Blast
REG - Regeneration
TPS - Teleport Self
TPO - Teleport Other
GMW - Greater Mental Wave

Updated August 6th, 2001
© Copyright Andrew Williams 2000-2001