Force Lance: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 18:15, 28 May 2026

Version 0.30: This article may not be up to date for the latest stable release of Crawl.

For the unrand polearm, see Force Lance (unrand).

Force Lance
Casting noise	4
Spell noise	0
Range	3
Flags	Dir or target, Monster, Needs tracer

Fires a shaft of concussive force. If the impact deals damage, it may knock the target back. If this knockback causes the target to hit a wall or another creature, both will take additional damage.

Force Lance is a monster-only spell which deals damage and knocks the target back. The chance to knock back depends on the caster's HD and target size. If the target is a monster, it is briefly stunned (4-9 auts). The maximum distance is 2 + 6 * HD/25 tiles.

If it would knock a creature into impassable terrain (walls, deep water, lava, through a monster), movement is stopped and the target takes impact damage instead. It cannot move stationary monsters like statues or oklob plants.

The following enemies cast Force Lance:

e Deep elf knight (3d14(+2d14) damage)
v Polterguardian (3d14(+2d14) damage)
R Rakshasa (3d14(+2d14) damage)
N Salamander mystic (3d14(+2d13) damage)
Q Tengu conjurer (3d11(+2d9) damage)
* Wretched star (3d14(+2d13) damage)

The following enemies may be able to cast Force Lance, depending on their spell set:

& Pandemonium lord (3.4% chance)

Strategy

Force Lance can push you off stairs, so be careful when stair dancing. In other cases, the knock back is usually a minor nuisance, though it can mess with your positioning. It can be particularly bad for melee characters, who have to spend turns moving towards the enemy.

History

Force Lance
Level	4
School¹	Translocation
School²	Conjuration
Source(s)	Book of the Warp
Casting noise	5
Spell noise	5

Spell Details
Damage Formula	2d(6+Power/6)
Max Damage	2d(22.66) ~ 23.66
Max Power	100
Range	4
Targeting	Beam
To-hit	10+Power/7
Special	Knockback

Prior to 0.25, Force Lance was a level 4 Translocations/Conjurations spell available to players.
Prior to 0.16, Force Lance was a level 4 pure Conjurations spell, was less accurate, and did not knock enemies back as effectively.
Prior to 0.14, Force Lance was a level 5 spell.
Prior to 0.13, Force Lance was a level 2 spell in the book of Conjurations with less range and damage.
Force Lance was added in 0.12.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{version012}}
+{{version030}}
+''For the [[unrand]] polearm, see [[Force Lance (unrand)]].''
+{{monster spell info}}
+'''Force Lance''' is a monster-only spell which deals damage and knocks the target back. The chance to knock back depends on the caster's [[HD]] and target [[size]]. If the target is a monster, it is briefly stunned (4-9 [[aut]]s). The maximum distance is <code>2 + 6 * [[HD]]/25</code> tiles.
+If it would knock a creature into impassable terrain ([[wall]]s, [[deep water]], [[lava]], through a monster), movement is stopped and the target takes impact damage instead. It cannot move stationary monsters like [[statue]]s or [[oklob plant]]s.
+{{monsters with spell}}
+==Strategy==
+Force Lance can push you off [[stairs]], so be careful when [[stair dancing]]. In other cases, the knock back is usually a minor nuisance, though it can mess with your positioning. It can be particularly bad for melee characters, who have to spend turns moving towards the enemy.
+==History==
+{{Suppress categories |
 {{Spell
 |name=Force Lance
-|level=2
+|level=4
-|school1={{Conjurations}}
+|school1={{Translocations}}
-|school2=
+|school2={{Conjurations}}
 |school3=
 |sources=<div>
-*[[Book of Conjurations]]</div>
+*[[Book of the Warp]]</div>
-|castingnoise=2
+|castingnoise=5
-|spellnoise=2
+|spellnoise=5
 }}
-{{Flavour|This spell fires a shaft of concussive force which can send its target hurtling backwards if the impact is not nullified by their defenses.}}
 {{AttackSpell
 |name=Force Lance
-|formula = 2d(3+Power/12)
+|formula = 2d(6+Power/6)
-|maxdmg = 2d(7.16) ~ 8.16
+|maxdmg = 2d(22.66) ~ 23.66
-|maxsp = 50
+|maxsp = 100
-|range = 3
+|range = 4
 |target = Beam
-|special = Can knock back and stun its target
+|tohit = 10+Power/7
+|special = Knockback
+|hit_type = normal
+|hit_adder = 10
+|hit_num = 1
+|hit_denom = 7
+|dam_calculator = dicedef
+|dam_numdice = 2
+|dam_adder = 12
+|dam_num = 2
+|dam_denom = 6}}
 }}
+*Prior to [[0.25]], Force Lance was a level 4 [[Translocations]]/[[Conjurations]] spell available to players.
-'''Force Lance''' is a level 2 [[Conjurations]] spell which shoots a shaft of force at a single target. It does irresistible damage, and although it's slightly weaker than [[Throw Flame]], it has better accuracy. Its range is very short, but it can knock its target back up to two spaces and briefly stuns it (4-9 [[aut]]s). These additional effects can only occur if the target took damage, and lighter monsters are easier to knock back than heavy ones.
+*Prior to [[0.16]], Force Lance was a level 4 pure [[Conjurations]] spell, was less accurate, and did not knock enemies back as effectively.
+*Prior to [[0.14]], Force Lance was a level 5 spell.
-==Tips & Tricks==
+*Prior to [[0.13]], Force Lance was a level 2 spell in the [[book of Conjurations]] with less range and damage.
-*Although you can simply cast Force Lance directly at the target, aiming your spell beyond it and to the left or right will allow you to direct where your opponent is shoved. If you'd like to force your opponent into a [[trap]] of some sort, this can be extremely useful.
+*Force Lance was added in [[0.12]].
-*Be careful before using this spell against ranged attackers. You really don't want to create space between yourself and [[orc priest]]s or [[centaur (monster)|centaurs]]. Only use this against those sorts of enemies if there's something directly behind them to hold them in place.
-==History==
-This spell will be added in [[0.12]].
-[[Category:Crystal Ball Articles]]