Malmutate

Version 0.13: This article may not be up to date for the latest stable release of Crawl.

Malmutate is a level 6 Transmutation/Hexes monsters-only spell which attempts to mutate its target. If Malmutate is used by an enemy on a player there is an 80% chance that it will cause a bad mutation, and a 20% chance it will cause a random mutation. Magic resistance is useless against this, but mutation resistance functions normally.

When used on a monster, if the victim already has the Wretched enchantment, the degree of that enchantment is increased by one, up to 4. Otherwise, the victim is enchanted permanently with the Wretched enchantment which starts with degree 1. This enchantment has the following effects:

• -(degree) AC
• inflicts degree*10% less damage (melee, ranged combat, spells, ...)
• -1 to speed if speed > 3

Undead, Silver stars and nonliving monsters are immune. Ugly things and Very ugly things will just change color.

The following monsters can cast Malmutate:

• 3 Neqoxec
• 2 Cacodemon
• G Shining eye
• * Orb of fire

Similar effects can be achieved from mutagenic clouds, monsters with mutagenic melee attacks, the Plutonium Sword, Transmutations miscast effects, and wretched stars, although in this last case the effects are temporary.

History

This spell was added in 0.12, replacing the monster version of Polymorph Other.