Protection

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

Weapon: It grants its wielder temporary protection when it strikes (+7 to AC). Shield: It protects its wearer from harm (+3 to AC).

The protection brand/ego does the following:

• On weapons, whenever an enemy is hit, the wielder gains +7 AC for 3-4 turns. Further attacks will increase the duration, to a max. of 5 turns at a time.
• On shields, grants a permanent +3 AC bonus.

Desirability

As a weapon brand, protection's extra AC can be useful in the early/mid game. However, since the AC boost never increases, it's likely worth replacing later on.

Shields of protection are objectively stronger than plain shields. A resistance may be more desirable, but since shield egos are rare, a shield of protection might be the best option available for a long time.

History

• Prior to 0.19, weapons of protection provided a passive bonus (+5 AC) instead of a temporary +7 AC on hit.
• Prior to 0.6, ranged weapons would generate with the protection brand instead of evasion.