Physical attacks[]
Most common attacks in the game. Physical attacks are the only attacks that proc on-hit effects like glyphs and deal damage that can be absorbed by buffs like herbal armor. Damage dealt by them is also reduced by armor. Any secondary effects like debuffs or knockback won't be mitigated even if armor and glyphs absorb the damage entirely.
For a physical attack to succeed, it must pass an accuracy check unless it's a surprise attack. Surprise attack happens if the target is unaware of the attacker (like if it just walked through a door the attacker is behind or if the attacker is outside of FoV). The Hero can only be surprise attacked by a Mimic.
Melee[]
The Hero as well as most other creatures can attack any enemy on an adjacent tile, friendly creatures can't be hit by a melee attack. Melee attacks can have extra reach (like attacks made by a Projecting Champion or creature or a creature wielding a Projecting weapon), in which case the target doesn't have to be adjacent to the attacker, but it still must be visible.
Ranged[]
Certain creatures (only Gnoll Trickster, Scorpio and Tengu) have a ranged attack instead of a melee one. The Hero can also perform a ranged attack by throwing a missile weapon or shooting from the Spirit Bow. Creatures other than the Hero need to see their target to perform a ranged attack. The Hero, on the other hand, can fire blindly on an unseen tile or target a tile with a friendly creature. Not all visible targets can be hit thou, it's possible for an obstacle to be on a direct path between you and your target despite the target being visible.
Magical attacks[]
Magic attacks bypass physical armor, but are subjected to magic damage reduction (from glyph of Antimagic or Elixir of Arcane Armor). These attacks also don't proc on-hit effects like glyphs. Magical attacks of most creatures are twice as accurate as physical attacks, Hero's magical attacks bypass accuracy check entirely. Most magical attacks use same projectile logic as physical ranged attacks (have unlimited range, and are blocked by physical obstacles). Just like damage reduction, resistance/immunity to magic only protects from direct damage and not from secondary effects of the attacks.
The following enemy abilities are considered magic attacks:
- DM-100's lightning bolt
- Gnoll Shaman's earthen bolt
- Dwarf Warlock's dark bolt
- Evil Eye's deathgaze
- Yog Dzewa's deathgaze
- Ranged attacks of Fists
The Hero can perform magical attacks by using:
- Scrolls
- Wands
- Elemental Strike ability, Elemental Blast ability and Warp Beacon ability with Telefrag talent
Damage dealt by Arcane Bomb is considered magical damage, as well as bonus damage dealt to undead and demonic by Holy bomb. Dying to your own magical attack or Arcane Bomb is considered death by your own magical item, dying to enemy magical attack is considered death by enemy magical attack.
Explosions[]
An explosion can be created by thrown Bombs or Stone of Blast, Explosive Traps, Explosive curse and one of cursed wand's many effects. It deals depth + 5 to 10 + (depth * 2) to a creature in the center of the explosion and 67% of the damage to any creature on adjacent tiles. Despite explosions not being considered a physical attacks, damage dealt by them is still subject to reduction by armor. Explosions also destroy any flammable terrain in their AoE (without actually starting fires) as well as any items that aren't unique or upgraded.
Explosions caused by a cursed wand or the Explosive curse follow standard explosion logic, but are still considered magical and subjected to resistance to magic (after physical damage reduction is applied).
Environmental hazards[]
Some attacks (especially magical ones) create environmental hazards like fire or harmful gasses in addition to harming the target. These hazards completely bypass accuracy checks and deal damage that ignores both physical and magical armor. However, many enemies are resistant/immune to some of them (fiery enemies are unaffected by fire while inorganic enemies won't mind toxic gas). Environmental hazards typically linger and will harm anything that walks into them. Creatures won't avoid hazards while pathfinding, but they will try to get away once they start taking damage.