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Reaper

From Ashenzari's Archive
Revision as of 07:53, 6 October 2026 by Predelnik (talk | contribs)
(diff) ← Older revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)
Version 0.34: This article is up to date for the latest stable release of Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup.
A haunting form wielding a giant scythe, ceaselessly harvesting the souls of the living.

“All our times have come.
Here but now they're gone.
Seasons don't fear the reaper,
Nor do the wind, the sun or the rain.
We can be like they are.
Come on baby, don't fear the reaper.”

-Buck Dharma, Blue Öyster Cult, “(Don't Fear) The Reaper”. 1976.

Useful Info

Reapers are tier-2 demons armed with randomly branded scythes. They lack magic, but have decent lasting power and their reaching melee attacks can deal heavy damage and drag you backwards. They can commonly be found in the Abyss, Pandemonium, and the Hells, but they also appear notably in some ice cave layouts. Some monsters can also summon them through the Summon Greater Demon spell.

Tips & Tricks

  • Their reaching attacks hit even harder than stone giants, and they have similar lasting power. Respect them, particularly if you encounter them early.
  • While melee fighters shouldn't have much trouble with them on their own, they can be devastating when allowed to attack from the back row while you deal with more immediate opponents. Be especially careful if their weapon brand suddenly turns out to be chaos or distortion.
  • Tiles players (and those who read monster descriptions) should beware: no matter how undead this monster looks/sounds, it is not. Dispel Undead and LRD will have no effect.
  • Be careful when fighting these demons near stairs or when stair dancing, because reapers can drag you away.

History

  • Prior to 0.34, reapers could not fly.
  • Reapers were given a dragging attack in 0.31. Their damage was slightly decreased to compensate.
  • Prior to 0.29, scythes were their own type of weapon instead of reskinned halberds. This gave reapers slightly higher damage but slightly lower accuracy.
  • Prior to 0.25, hostile reapers could be summoned by miscasting Necromancy spells and via death curses.