Rakshasa

Version 0.32: This article may not be up to date for the latest stable release of Crawl.

rakshasa R
HP	43-88
HD	11
XP	872
Speed	10
AC	8
EV	14
Will	140
Attack1	20 (hit: plain)
Resistances	rPois+ rMiasma rN+++ rTorm
Vulnerabilities	Holy
Habitat	Land
Intelligence	Human
Uses	Weapons & armour Starting equipment Open doors
Holiness	Demonic
Size	Medium
Type	rakshasa, rakshasa
Flags	See invisible Evil

A maneater demon, bestial and misshapen, in search of hidden power and knowledge. It is an expert in the art of illusion, and is exceptionally intelligent and cruel. “Vaisampayana said, 'Not far from the place where the Pandavas were asleep, a Rakshasa by name Hidimva dwelt on the Sala tree. Possessed of great energy and prowess, he was a cruel cannibal of visage that was grim in consequence of his sharp and long teeth. He was now hungry and longing for human flesh. Of long shanks and a large belly, his locks and beard were both red in hue. His shoulders were broad like the neck of a tree; his ears were like unto arrows, and his features were frightful.” -_Mahābhārata_, Adi Parva, Hidimva-vadha Parva, section CLIV. ca. 500 B.C. trans. Kisari Mohan Ganguli, 1883.

Useful Info

Rakshasas are demonic illusionists that wield whips and spawn multiple decoys of themselves and any monsters in their line of sight. These decoys are every bit as dangerous as the original, but all decoys will disappear when the original is slain. Also, when reduced to 50% HP, they will occasionally create two duplicates instantly. They are a common sight in the Depths, the Abyss, and Lom Lobon's realm in Pandemonium - but may show up as early as D:8.

Spells

Tile	Name	Damage	Range	Flags
	Force Lance	3d14(+2d14)	3	Magical flag
	Phantom Mirror	—	—	Magical flag
	Blink	—	—	Magical flag

Tips & Tricks

• Thanks to Force Lance, their ranged damage output is significant, especially to lightly armoured characters; even heavily armoured characters can be knocked out of an advantageous choke point. If you're uncomfortable facing a single rakshasa, flee before it duplicates and makes itself even deadlier.

History

• Prior to 0.25, rakshasas had Iskenderun's Mystic Blast instead of Force Lance.
• Prior to 0.14, they knew Blink, Invisibility, Teleport Self, and the much-less-deadly Rakshasa Summon in place of their current spellset.