Ancient Dragons' Lightning Strike

Type

Incantation

FP cost

36

Memory slots

1

Stamina cost

31

Additional stamina cost

9

Hold action

Charge

Requires

26Fai

Spell school

Dragon Cult incantations

A secret incantation of the capital's ancient dragon cult.

Summons a red bolt of lightning that scatters and spreads around the surrounding area.

Charging enhances the range of the lightning bolt.

Spoken of in legend, red lightning is the weapon wielded by the ancient dragons.

Hall beyond Crumbling Beast Grave Depths, then Church of Vows

Crumbling Farum Azula

Starting Site of Grace: Crumbling Beast Grave Depths

Before you go

• Reach Crumbling Farum Azula through the main story.

1. Defeat the Fire Giant and advance the story at the giant fire basin to reach Crumbling Farum Azula.
2. Follow the early ruins past the dragon encounter and activate Crumbling Beast Grave Depths.
3. Continue away from the dragon's side of the building and pass through the next room with the smaller enemies. Head west into the large hall.
4. Take the stairs down to the hall's lower floor and look for the glowing pickup in the middle. Collect Ancient Dragon Prayerbook before continuing toward Tempest-Facing Balcony.
5. Travel to Church of Vows on eastern Liurnia's plateau. From Artist's Shack in Liurnia, follow the road north and take the uphill branch to the ruined church. Speak to Miriel, the large turtle wearing a white mitre.
6. Give Miriel Ancient Dragon Prayerbook, open his shop and buy Ancient Dragons' Lightning Strike for 10,500 runes. Giving away the book unlocks the stock; it does not award the spell for free.

Notes

• Requires 26 Faith, one memory slot and a sacred seal. An ordinary or charged cast costs 36 FP. Charging also uses more stamina, so leave enough for movement afterward.
• Sends red lightning outward around you in several trails. Charging strengthens the strikes and extends their reach. It is an area attack around the caster rather than a single targeted projectile.
• Large enemies give several trails room to connect, which can make the spell very effective underneath a dragon or beside a broad body. The result depends on position, movement and the target's lightning defense; it is not a guaranteed fixed number of hits.
• Small enemies can stand between the trails or move away during the windup. Charging from a safe opening is usually more useful than repeatedly being interrupted while trying to cast at point-blank range.
• The cast itself does not make you invulnerable. Its long preparation is best used during a large recovery, while an enemy is distracted, or before it reaches you.
• Low ceilings and awkward terrain can interfere with the spread. Water can add small lightning splashes at individual impacts, but does not guarantee that all trails overlap one target.
• Buy it after handing over Ancient Dragon Prayerbook. It is not the ordinary Lightning Strike scarab reward from Weeping Peninsula, despite the similar names.
• Damage follows the casting seal's Incantation Scaling. A Faith seal improves through Faith; a hybrid seal can use its other scaling attributes too, while the spell's Faith requirement still has to be met.
• Gravel Stone Seal boosts this Dragon Cult incantation by 15% while held in an active hand, even if a different seal casts it. Two active copies multiply to 32.25%. Death Knight armor adds its separate 2% bonus per piece.
• Lightning damage bonuses apply, but physical- or fire-only bonuses do not. Dragon Communion Seal's school bonus does not apply simply because an ancient dragon is named in the incantation.
• Godfrey Icon boosts the eligible charged damage by 15%. It does not strengthen an uncharged cast.