Catoblepas

Useful Info

Catoblepae are enormous yak-genus monsters, bigger and bulkier than even death yaks. Their breath creates calcifying dust; if you stand in the dust for more than a moment, you'll have a good chance to start petrifying. Once you start petrifying, you'll be incapacitated in short order. They can be found inside the Lair and as part of Polyphemus's flock.

Tips & Tricks

• In order for their breath to petrify, you must end your turn inside a cloud of petrifying dust. If you are inside a cloud of dust, moving to a tile without dust will always avoid petrification.
  • Gargoyles, certain forms (Statue, Shadow, Storm, or Wisp Form), and players under Zin's Vitalisation are immune to petrification. Qazlal makes you immune to all clouds, so Qaz worshippers can't be petrified, either.
  • Clouds cannot replace most other clouds. Reading a scroll of fog creates clouds of smoke, which prevents the dust from being created. If you have poison resistance, casting Mephitic Cloud on yourself, or using a scroll of poison, can do the same thing.
  • If you start petrifying, using a potion of cancellation, Elyvilon's Purification, or Ru's Draw Out Power will cure it. (Just make sure to step off a cloud first, since it'll just petrify you again.)
• Unless you're immune to petrification, try to fight catoblepae in open areas. This gives you room to maneuver around their breath. If you encounter one in a tunnel, strongly consider luring it out into the open.
• You can use their breath to your advantage:
  • Their breath can affect monsters, too. With careful footwork, you can get monsters to be petrified. Catoblepae are not shy about shooting their friends with dust.
  • The dust is opaque; it blocks line of sight like a scroll of fog. If you encounter a catoblepas along with a dangerous ranged monster, you might be able to use this to your advantage.
• Catoblepae have good HD and willpower, but are not resistant to poison. Curare darts will reduce the attacks you'll take repositioning.
• Remember that their breath attack does small amounts of impact damage when it hits you. The damage is usually negligible, but if you're low on health, few deaths are as frustrating as being downed by catoblepas breath during a hasty retreat.
• If you are climbing a stairway and are hit by the calcifying dust, be aware there's a chance you will arrive on the next floor fully petrified.

Quality of Life improvements

In your rcfile, you may want add the following:

force_more_message += breathes a plume of calcifying

This gives a prompt every time the catoblepas uses Petrifying Cloud, which stops autofight in the process.

History

• Prior to 0.14, catoblepae would not generate in Labyrinths.