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{{flavour|A desolate cavern shaped from solid ice and filled with the echoes of bestial howls. The intricate carvings and statues which once lined its walls have been warped and obscured by centuries of slow melting and refreezing.}}

The '''Ice cave''' is a temporary [[portal]] level of varying difficulty, filled with frost-themed creatures (including [[undead]] and [[demon]]ic creatures) and [[freezing vapour]]s.

Ice caves can appear in various locations:
*[[File:Ice cave portal.png]] "Easy" ice caves (entrance: glacial archway) can be found on [[Dungeon]] levels 11-13, [[Lair]], and [[Orc]].
*[[File:Glacial chasm portal.png]] "Hard" ice caves (entrance: glacial chasm) can be found in the Lair branches ([[Swamp]], [[Snake Pit]], [[Shoals]], or [[Spider's Nest]]) and [[Elf]] .

Entrances to an ice cave are often guarded by a pack of [[ice beast]]s, [[white imp]]s, [[ice devil]]s, or (for hard ice caves) an [[ice dragon]]. You can tell when you're near one when you see ice-covered floors and walls.

==Layout==
There are many possible layouts. A common simple one is a series of large rooms, each of which is defended by [[ice beast]]s or [[ice statue]]s. An even simpler one tosses you into one large room filled with foes, with a [[teleporter]] bringing you to a second monster-filled room. More elaborate ice caves will have long, narrow tunnels, often choked with harmful freezing [[cloud]]s and concluded with a well-defended stone structure. In all cases, the majority of the loot will be found in the very back of the cave, though lesser caches can sometimes be found along the way.

Many items found in ice caves will be ice-themed; [[freezing]] weapons, armour with [[cold resistance]], and [[spellbook]]s with [[Ice Magic]].

Hard ice caves feature more difficult monsters, and often have better loot.

==Strategy==
*[[Fire Magic]] or a [[flaming]] weapon can go a long way towards killing ice-themed monsters, but you'll always want to have [[cold resistance]]. Without it, almost all enemies deal significantly more damage. [[Simulacra]] deal massive damage, walking through ice clouds is quickly lethal, and boss enemies are even scarier. "Easy" ice caves can spawn with a [[frost giant]], while "Hard" ice caves can spawn [[ice fiend]]s or even a [[shard shrike]].
*Clouds cannot replace other clouds. If you have [[Mephitic Cloud]] and [[poison]] resistance, you can place a mephitic cloud to prevent freezing vapours from spawning. In a pinch, a [[scroll of fog]] or [[scroll of poison]] can be used instead.
*You can use [[wands of digging]] to get past areas guarded by [[ice statue]]s, or to bypass freezing cloud zones. Many ice caves have rivers of deep water designed to make you walk the long way around, but [[flight]] will get you over them, allowing you to skip much of the level.
*If you start encountering powerful demons midway through a hard ice cave, be aware that an [[ice fiend]] is probably waiting for you at the end, along with a pack of [[simulacra]] and [[ice devil]]s. Act cautiously from this point on! You don't want to enter melee with the Ice fiend if you have any alternative, but getting mobbed by its friends while it torments you can be just as deadly. Lure enemies into combat one at a time as best you can, and don't be afraid to run or teleport away if need be: discretion is the better part of valor.
*Characters who specialize in [[Hexes]] and [[Stabbing]] ([[spriggan]] [[enchanter]]s, for instance) should bear in mind that monsters with cold resistance are immune to [[Ensorcelled Hibernation]]. Stick with [[Confusing Touch]] or use [[net]]s instead.

==Monsters==
{| class="prettytable" style="border:none; margin:0; padding:0;"
|-
| {{monsterlink|Yak}} || {{monsterlink|Death yak}} || {{monsterlink|Wolf}} || {{monsterlink|Polar bear}}
|-
| {{monsterlink|Ice beast}} || {{monsterlink|Rime drake}} || {{monsterlink|Ice statue}} || {{Blue|Z}} [[File:Simulacrum small humanoid.png]] '''[[Simulacrum (monster)|Simulacrum]]'''
|-
| {{monsterlink|Ufetubus}} || {{monsterlink|White imp}} || {{monsterlink|Ice devil}} || {{monsterlink|Freezing wraith}}
|}

==Boss monsters==
'''Easy'''
{| class="prettytable" style="border:none; margin:0; padding:0;"
|-
| {{White|u}} [[File:Ugly_thing5.png]] '''White [[ugly thing]]''' || {{White|p}} [[File:Necromancer_(monster).png]] '''[[Necromancer_(monster)|Necromancer]]''' || {{monsterlink|Bog body}}
|-
| {{monsterlink|Ice dragon}} || {{monsterlink|White draconian}}

|-
| {{monsterlink|Ironbound frostheart}} || {{monsterlink|Reaper}} || {{monsterlink|Frost giant}}
|}

'''Hard'''
{| class="prettytable" style="border:none; margin:0; padding:0;"
|-
| {{monsterlink|Bog body}} || {{White|u}} [[File:Very_ugly_thing5.png]] '''White [[very ugly thing]]''' || {{monsterlink|White draconian}} || {{White|d}} [[File:White_draconian.png]] '''White [[draconian knight]]'''
|-
| {{monsterlink|Blizzard demon}} || {{monsterlink|Reaper}} || {{monsterlink|Frost giant}} || {{monsterlink|Azure jelly}}
|-
| {{monsterlink|Golden dragon}} || {{monsterlink|Lich}} || {{monsterlink|Ice fiend}} || {{monsterlink|Shard shrike}}
|}

==History==
*In [[0.31]], hard ice caves were removed from D:14-15, while the entry features for harder ice caves got both a new name and a new tile.
*In [[0.27]], ice caves were adjusted. All maps and some entrance vaults were rebalanced. Easy ice caves no longer appear on D:14-D:15.
*In [[0.14]], ice caves received fancy new ice block walls and new floor tiles.
*In [[0.8]], ice caves were given two difficulty levels, depending on where they are generated in the dungeon.
*Ice caves were added in [[0.5]].

{{Portals}}

[[Category:Portals]]

Ice cave - Revision history

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