Curse skull

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

curse skull z
HP	34-70
HD	13
XP	1169
Speed	15
AC	35
EV	3
Will	∞
Resistances	rF++ rC++ rElec rPois+++ rDrown rMiasma rN+++ rTorm
Vulnerabilities	Holy
Habitat	Land
Intelligence	Human
Uses	Uses nothing
Holiness	Undead
Size	Tiny
Type	curse skull, curse skull
Flags	Evil See invisible Flying Unbreathing Speaks

A charred skull floating in the air and rotating slowly. Mystic symbols are carved into its blackened surface. “Good friend for Jesus’ sake forbear, To dig the dust enclosed here. Blessed be the man that spares these stones, And cursed be he that moves my bones.” -Epitaph on William Shakespeare's grave

Useful Info

Curse skulls are fast and powerful undead monsters, which resist most elements, summon swarms of undead allies, and torment you repeatedly. They can be found in the Crypt.

Spells

Tile	Name	Damage	Range	Flags
	Summon Undead	—	—	Magical flag, Noisy flag
	Symbol of Torment	—	—	Magical flag, Noisy flag

Tips & Tricks

• Curse skulls can halve your HP every turn. With high AC, elemental resistances, and swarms of summons, they are difficult to kill. The following things are effective at killing them:
  • Dispel Undead ignores AC, so it'll destroy curse skulls quickly. However, due to the mass of summons, getting into range can be a challenge.
  • Lee's Rapid Deconstruction is also great to use - when targeting the skull itself (and not the walls around the skull), it ignores AC. Unlike Dispel Undead, LRD can be used from a distance.
  • Level 9 spells pierce resistances, so they remain effective against curse skulls. Failing that, try to avoid elemental spells - use irresistible spells like Borgnjor's Vile Clutch or Airstrike instead.
  • Melee fighters can use weapons of holy wrath. Javelins or bolt wands can work well if you can't get in melee range.
• Curse skulls are immune to Silence and have infinite willpower, so you can't simply disable their ability to cast spells.
• Try to minimize time spent in line of sight with the skull; this minimizes the amount of torments. Use corners or a scroll of fog to break the line of sight.
• A potion of lignification gives immunity to torment. However, you'll be trapped with the curse skull, along with its army of summoned reinforcements. Use with caution; preferably use it around a corner/hallway, somewhere away from unexplored regions.

History

• In 0.16 onward, curse skulls can move like any other monster, now at fast (15) speed.
• In 0.15, curse skulls were stationary and had 15 speed.
• In 0.13 and 0.14, curse skulls could move only when outside player LOS, at only 10 speed. They also had the vigilant flag.
• Prior to 0.13, curse skulls were stationary, had 10 speed, and had significantly higher HP and AC.