Aspects of the Crucible: Thorns

Type

Incantation

FP cost

14

Memory slots

1

Stamina cost

29

Additional stamina cost

9

Hold action

Charge

Damage types

physical

Requires

27Fai

Spell school

Crucible incantations

Aspect of the Crucible that manifested in golden hippopotami.

Creates a bristling mass of thorn-like fur on the caster's back before scouring the area by rolling around on the ground.

Charging increases number of rolls and range of attack.

In an age long past, before this land was enshrouded in shadow, the vitality of the Crucible flourished. Remains of this can be seen in the ancient ruins.

Shadow Keep main entrance

Scadu Altus

Starting Site of Grace: Shadow Keep Main Gate

Before you go

• To enter the Realm of Shadow, defeat Starscourge Radahn and Mohg, Lord of Blood, then touch the withered arm in Mohg's arena at Mohgwyn Palace.

1. From Highroad Cross, follow the road north through Scadu Altus to Shadow Keep's main gate.
2. Enter the keep through its main entrance and take the lift to the arena. Defeat the Golden Hippopotamus to receive Aspects of the Crucible: Thorns.
3. The smaller hippopotamuses elsewhere in the expansion do not give this incantation.

Notes

• Requires 27 Faith, uses one memory slot and costs 14 FP. It deals Physical piercing damage while the caster rolls sideways and scatters thorns.
• Charging adds more rolling movement and a longer series of contacts. Stamina rises from 29 to 38, while FP stays at 14.
• Many of its hits are weak individually. Enemy defense is applied to those separate contacts, so adding every thorn's attack power together overstates the damage you should expect from a full cast.
• Enemy size and position determine how many thorns connect. A broad target beside you is easier to hit repeatedly than a small target that moves away from the rolling path.
• Damage follows the casting seal's Incantation Scaling, not the attack power of your melee weapon. A Strength or Arcane contribution requires a seal that actually uses that attribute.
• Each worn Crucible armor piece improves this incantation by 4%. Four pieces give about 17% together, and you can mix the matching Crucible variants. The bonus is separate from the seal's Incantation Scaling.
• Godfrey Icon boosts the fully charged version. Physical damage and incantation bonuses apply. Spear Talisman does not improve it because this is a spell rather than a piercing weapon attack.
• The low rolling posture can move under some attacks, but it is not a normal dodge with guaranteed invulnerability through the entire animation. Low sweeps and ground attacks can still reach you.
• Golden Hippopotamus at Shadow Keep's main entrance gives this incantation. The smaller hippopotamuses elsewhere give other rewards, and the flooded Church District entrance bypasses this boss rather than awarding its spell.