Aki Player: FerranKhan Game: DCSS 0.33 Server: crawl.dcss.io Filename: 2026-01-17.21:08:17.ttyrec Time: (1768684097) Sat Jan 17 21:08:17 2026 BkiVv[?1051l[?1052l[?1060l[?1061h)0[?7h[?25l[?1cBki]Bki_BkiiWelcome, FerranKhan. Please select your species. SimpleIntermediateAdvanced a - Mountain Dwarf  j - Humans - Coglin b - Minotaurk - Koboldt - Vine Stalker c - Merfolkl - Revenantu - Poltergeist d - Gargoylem - Demonspawnv - Demigod e - Draconiann - Djinniw - Formicid f - Trollo - Sprigganx - Naga g - Deep Elfp - Tenguy - Octopode h - Armataurq - Oniz - Felid i - Gnollr - BarachiA - Mummy Mountain Dwarves are strong melee fighters and capable heavy-armoured casters. They can use scrolls to enchant even some artefacts. + - Recommended species * - Random species # - Recommended character ! - Random character % - List aptitudesSpace - Pick background first ? - Help Tab - Mountain Dwarf FighterDkiO Dki Dkiõ Welcome, FerranKhan the Mountain Dwarf. Please select your background. WarriorDki AdventurerMage a - Fighter i - ArtificerDki @q - Hedge Wizard b - Gladiatorj - ShapeshifterDki3 <r - Conjurer c - MonkDkiN Gk - Wanderers - Summoner d - HunterDkii %l - Delvert - Necromancer Dki 9e - BrigandWarrior-mageDki =u - Forgewright ZealotDki Zm - Warperv - Fire Elementalist Dkiܶ =f - Berserkern - HexslingerDki ww - Ice Elementalist g - Cinder Acolyteo - EnchanterDki 2x - Air Elementalist h - Chaos KnightDki- ^p - Reavery - Earth ElementalistDkiX z - Alchemist Dkis lFighters are equipped with armour and shield, as well as a weapon of their Dki uchoice and potions of might. + - Recommended background * - Random background Dki ?# - Recommended character ! - Random character DkiԷ % - List aptitudesDki `Space - Change species ? - Help Tab - Mountain Dwarf FighterGki~Gki5Gki߉_Welcome, FerranKhan the Mountain Dwarf Fighter. You have a choice of weapons.a - rapier(-2 apt)  b - flail (+2 apt)  c - war axe (+2 apt) Gki9 d - trident (+0 apt)e - long sword(-1 apt)  f - unarmed(+0 apt) + - Recommended random choice * - Random weapon GkiRr% - List aptitudesBksp - Return to character menu ? - HelpTab - war axeIkifJIki41Iki;FerranKhan the Shield-BearerMountain DwarfHealth: 19/19 ========================Magic: 1/1========================AC: 6Str: 18EV: 8Int: 8SH: 4Dex: 9XL:  1 Next:  0% Place: Dungeon:1Noise: ---------  Time: 0.0 (0.0)a) +0 war axeNothing quiveredIki@t#######...###..@..##...........###....#...######## ####IkiGQRan out of altars for temple! x3IkiIWelcome, FerranKhan the Mountain Dwarf Fighter.Will you prevail where others failed? Will you find the Orb of Zot?IkiNIkiVPress ? for a list of commands and other information.Iki IkiN[ _Found a staircase leading out of the dungeon.Qki _QkiԲ,Qki|QkiQkiDS#....KQki ##### .$.###...## ...#...#..<..#...##.......@...###....#...### ########## K   kobold (asleep)Qki2.0 (2  A kobold comes into view. It is wielding a +0 dagger.QkiK.K==Qki73.0 (3QkiQkiA( _The kobold shouts!TkiP TkiH KA kobold. A small, greyish creature with the look and temperament of a feral dog. No one knows for sure where kobolds come from, but ancient demon-gods, evil spirits, and meddling wizards have all been suggested as culprits. Max HP: ~3Will: noneAC: +EV: +++ Tki Threat: Low Class: Natural Size: Small Int: Human You have about 43% to hit with your +0 war axe. It has about 64% to hit you. AttackMax Damage Hit: +0 dagger 4 It can open doors. Tki z[!]: Description|Quote^ki  “Kobolds are harmless.”  -Bearand the Bold, epitaph (Magic: the Gathering) “The Parts Septentrionall are with these Sp'ryts Much haunted.. About the  places where they dig for Oare. The Greekes and Germans call them Cobali.”  -Thomas Heywood, _The Hierarchy of the Blessed Angels_, Book IX, l. 568.1635. Description|Quotedkimw A small, greyish creature with the look and temperament of a feral dog. No one knows for sure where kobolds come from, but ancient demon-gods, evil spirits, and meddling wizards have all been suggested as culprits. Max HP: ~3 Will: none AC: + EV: +++ Threat: Low Class: Natural Size: Small Int: Human You have about 43% to hit with your +0 war axe. It has about 64% to hit you. AttackMax Damage Hit: +0 dagger 4 It can open doors.Description|Quotetki\  “Kobolds are harmless.”  -Bearand the Bold, epitaph (Magic: the Gathering) “The Parts Septentrionall are with these Sp'ryts Much haunted.. About the  places where they dig for Oare. The Greekes and Germans call them Cobali.”  -Thomas Heywood, _The Hierarchy of the Blessed Angels_, Book IX, l. 568.1635. Description|Quoteuki\ A small, greyish creature with the look and temperament of a feral dog. No one knows for sure where kobolds come from, but ancient demon-gods, evil spirits, ukiR\and meddling wizards have all been suggested as culprits. Max HP: ~3 Will: none AC: + EV: +++ Threat: Low Class: Natural Size: Small Int: Human ukiw\eYou have about 43% to hit with your +0 war axe. It has about 64% to hit you. Attackuki\'Max Damage Hit: +0 dagger 4 uki\\It can open doors.Description|Quoteukiz  “Kobolds are harmless.”  -Bearand the Bold, epitaph (Magic: the Gathering) “The Parts Septentrionall are with these Sp'ryts Much haunted.. About the  places where they dig for Oare. The Greekes and Germans call them Cobali.”  -Thomas Heywood, _The Hierarchy of the Blessed Angels_, Book IX, l. 568.1635. Description|QuotevkiI2w A small, greyish creature with the look and temperament of a feral dog. No one knows for sure where kobolds come from, but ancient demon-gods, evil spirits, and meddling wizards have all been suggested as culprits. Max HP: ~3 Will: none AC: + EV: +++ Threat: Low Class: Natural Size: Small Int: Human You have about 43% to hit with your +0 war axe. It has about 64% to hit you. AttackMax Damage Hit: +0 dagger 4 It can open doors.Description|QuotevkiA vki hFerranKhan the Shield-BearerMountain Dwarf#Health: 19/19 ========================..Magic: 1/1========================.K.AC: 6Str: 18##### .$.#EV: 8Int: 8##...## ...#SH: 4Dex: 9...#..<..#...#XL:  1 Next:  0% Place: Dungeon:1#.......@...#Noise: ==-------  Time: 3.0 (3.0)##....#...###a) +0 war axe##########Nothing quiveredK   kobold  Welcome, FerranKhan the Mountain Dwarf Fighter.Will you prevail where others failed? Will you find the Orb of Zot?vki NPress ? for a list of commands and other information. _Found a staircase leading out of the dungeon.  A kobold comes into view. It is wielding a +0 dagger. _The kobold shouts!vkivkikiki=7Dungeon Crawl HelpManual Contents Press one of the following keys to*Table of contents obtain more information on a certain A.Overview aspect of Dungeon Crawl.B.Starting Screen ?: List of commandsC.Attributes and Stats ^: Quickstart GuideD.Exploring the Dungeon :: Browse character notesE.Experience and Skills #: Browse character dumpF.kiMonsters ~: Macros helpG.Items &: Options helpH.Spellcasting %: Table of aptitudesI.Targeting /: Lookup descriptionkiJ.Religion Q: FAQK.ki@Mutations V: Version informationL.Licence, Contact, History !: Display diagnosticsM.kihMacros, Options, Performance Home: This screenN.Philosophyki@1.List of Character Species2.List of Character Backgrounds3.List of Skills4.ki̚nList of Keys and Commands5.InscriptionskiM6.Dungeon sprint modeski, Movement: Game Saving and Quitting: To move in a direction or to attack, S: Save game and exit use the numpad (try Numlock off andCtrl-S : Save and exit without query on) or vi keys:ki'- Ctrl-Q : Abandon the current character 7 8 9 y k u  and quit the game \|/\|/ ki>- C4-5-6h-.-lPlayer Character Information: ki[- /|\ /|\@ : display character status 1 2 3 b j nki- m : show skill screen % : character overview Rest: ^ : show religion screen ki- . : wait a turn (also s, Del)A : show Abilities/mutations 5 : rest and long wait; stops when\ : show item knowledge  Health or Magic become full orki- M : show your spell library  something is detected. If Health } : show runes collected  and Magic are already full, stops [ : display worn armour  when 100 turns over (numpad-5)ki . '" : display worn jewellery$ : display gold in possession Extended Movement:E : display experience info ki.. o: auto-explore G: interlevel travelDungeon Interaction and Information: ki. sCtrl-F : Find itemsO/C : Open/Close door Ctrl-W : set Waypoint</> : use staircase / Dir., Shift-Dir.: long walk;: examine occupied tile andki@kiGkiaOFerranKhan the Shield-BearerMountain Dwarf#Health: 19/19 ========================..Magic: 1/1========================.K.AC: 6Str: 18##### .$.#kiOEV: 8Int: 8##...## ...#SH: 4Dex: 9kiP...#..<..#...#XL:  1 Next:  0% Place: Dungeon:1#.......@...#Noise: ==-------  Time: 3.0 (0.0)##....#...###a) +0 war axe##########Nothing quiveredki[PhK   kobold  Welcome, FerranKhan the Mountain Dwarf Fighter.Will you prevail where others failed? Will you find the Orb of Zot?Press ? for a list of commands and other information. ki~P_Found a staircase leading out of the dungeon.  A kobold comes into view. It is wielding a +0 dagger. _The kobold shouts!kizVkiVki\ki_ki ki lK.--4.0 (1ki ki ki? kiD L.Kki2E A--5kiJ kiuL kikiL.Kki&6ki"ki.ki~ kiP r.K7ki kip kiX ki& m.K8ki+ ki- ki"ill you prevail where others failed? Will you find the Orb of Zot?Press ? for a list of commands and other information. _Found a staircase leading out of the dungekihon.  A kobold comes into view. It is wielding a +0 dagger. _The kobold shouts!  You slash the kobold!kiA) ki=8=9.4 (1.4kiekiJ _You kill the kobold!ki)#.#.#.#...###### #.$.# ##...###...# ...#..<..#...# #..@..# ##....#...### ########## -10.4 (1.0)kixki  Things that are here: _a +0 dagger; a kobold corpsekiki8-ki@kiun _Sorry, you're not good enough to have a special ability.kis##..#.#...##...# ##### #.$.# ##...###...# ...#..<..#...# #.)@.# ##....#...### ########## kiki-1 _kikiSki{> ##. .#.. #...# #...# ##### #.$.# ##...###...# ...#..<..#...# #.@..# ##....#...### ##########2  Things that are here: _a +0 dagger; a kobold corpseki<3kiյ; _e - a +0 daggerki##. .#.. #...# #...# ##### #.$.# ##...###...# ...#..<..#...# #.†@.# ##....#...### ########## ki.kiq/&4ki5ki7kiji ##. .#.. #...# #...# ##### #.$.# ##...###...# ...#..<..#...# #.@..# ##....#...### ##########5kimkips _You see here a kobold corpse.ki# ##. .#.. #...# #...# ##### #.$.# ##...###...# ...#..<..#...# #.†@.# ##....#...### ########## ki kiF -6 _ki ki ki ki fInventory: 5/52 slots Hand Weapons (go to first with ))  a - a +0 war axe (weapon)e - a +0 dagger Armour (go to first with [)  b - a +0 scale mail (worn)  c - a +0 buckler (worn) Potions (go to first with !)d - 2 potions of mightkim8e - a +0 dagger. kiA double-edged fighting knife with a sharp point. Base accuracy: +6 Base damage: 4 Base attack delay: 1.0 This weapon's minimum attack delay (0.5) is reached at skill level 10.  Your skill: 0.0; use (s) to set 10.0 as a target for Short Blades.  At 100% training you would reach 10.0 in about 8.0 XLs. ki0Damage rating: 4 (Base 4 x 97% (Dex) x 105% (Skill)). This weapon falls into the 'Short Blades' category. It is extremely good for stabbing helpless or unaware enemies. It is a one-handed weapon. It can be maximally enchanted to +9. ki8You took it off a kobold on level 1 of the Dungeon. Stash search prefixes: {inventory} {Short Blades} {one-handed} {melee weapon} Menu/colouring prefixes: identified melee weapon _________________ “He drew his dagger, that was sae sharp,  That was sae sharp and meet, kiZ(w)ield, (d)rop, (=)adjust, (s)kill target, or (i)nscribe.kicDki]Fki\KFerranKhan the Shield-Bearer##.Mountain Dwarf.#..Health: 19/19 ========================#...#Magic: 1/1kiK========================#...#AC: 6Str: 18##### #.$.#EV: 8Int: 8kiK##...###...#SH: 4Dex: 9kiK...#..<..#...#kiSLXL:  1 Next:  8% Place: Dungeon:1#........†@.#Noise: ---------  Time: 16.4 (0.0)##....#...###a) +0 war axe##########kitLYNothing quivered _a +0 dagger; a kobold corpse kiL_Sorry, you're not good enough to have a special ability.  Things that are here: _a +0 dagger; a kobold corpse kiLj_e - a +0 dagger _You see here a kobold corpse.kiSkiYS$7.4 (1ki\Wki:Z+ _You drop a +0 dagger.ki 3ki kiZ ki4 ,kiB ,ki ,ki kiU ki ,kiN ki ,ki kiy @ _You now have 9 gold pieces.ki< 3ki ki ki@ ,ki ki ki M _You now have 27 gold pieces (gained 18).kic 3ki kir ki ,ki( ki ki Bki" ki# ,kic$ ki?& kid' ,ki( ki) kil* ,ki* ki+ ki-, ,kix, ki9- ki. ,ki. ki-0 ki1 ,kiA2 ki4 ki5 ,ki46 ki7 ki8 ,kim9 ki; kiW< ,ki< ki> kiv? ,ki? ki@ kiA ,kiA kiB kiqC ,kiC kiD kiE ,kiE kiF kiSG kizG kiG kiH kiaI ,kiI kiJ ki;Q #.. #.. #.. ###..  ....  #..##  #...#  #..@##kiQ  #.J#..## #.. ##..###.. ##..###.. ##..##..kiQ d##..##J   endoplasm (asleep). ##########..#####................#kiR C.##.#..#.###..#.#kiLV  43.4 (26.0)  An endoplasm comes into view.ki[ BJ.Jki\ ,4.4 (27kiGa kie ^ _The endoplasm quivers.ki6YFerranKhan the Shield-Bearer#..Mountain Dwarf#..Health: 19/19 ========================ki\#..Magic: 1/1========================###..AC: 6Str: 18....EV: 8kiInt: 8#..##SH: 4Dex: 9#...#ki>XL:  1 Next:  8% Place: Dungeon:1#.J@##Noise: ---------  Time: 44.4 (0.0)ki( #..#..##a) +0 war axe#.. ##..##Nothing quiveredkiY#.. ##..###.. ##..##..kik##..##J   endoplasm. ##########..#####................#.##.#..#.###..#.# _You now have 9 gold pieces. _You now have 27 gold pieces (gained 18).  An endoplasm comes into view. _The endoplasm quivers.kiiPress: ? - help, v - describe, . - travelThe floor.ki| J@You now have 27 gold pieces (gained 18).  An endoplasm comes into view. _The endoplasm quivers.Press: ? - help, v - describe, . - travelHere: an endoplasm  The floor.kiZc .J  The floor.ki6Y s.JHere: an endoplasm  The floor.kiQS C J@  The floor.kib 1@.ki# +..kiAn endoplasm. A glob of grey sludge that has somehow developed a rudimentary awareness and limited motility. It periodically draws heat from its surroundings to sustain itself, freezing enemies unfortunate enough to be adjacent at the time. Max HP: ~6 Will: noneAC: + EV: + Threat: Low Class: Natural Size: V. Small Int: Mindless You have about 84% to hit with your +0 war axe. It has about 57% to hit you. Attack Max Damage kiHit 3 It is immune to acid and corrosion and blinding. It can see invisible. It is amorphous and immune to ensnarement. It possesses the following natural abilities:  a - Freeze (1d5) (1) [!]: Description|QuotekivFerranKhan the Shield-Bearer#..Mountain Dwarf#..Health: 19/19 ========================#..Magic: 1/1========================###..AC: 6Str: 18....EV: 8Int: 8#..##SH: 4Dex: 9#...#XL:  1 Next:  8% Place: Dungeon:1#.J@##Noise: ---------  Time: 44.4 (0.0)#..#..##a) +0 war axeki#.. ##..##Nothing quivered#.. ##..###.. ##..##..##..##J   endoplasm. ##########..#####................#.##.#..#.###..#.#Here: an endoplasm  The floor. _An endoplasm is nearby!Press: ? - help, v - describe, . - travelHere: an endoplasm  The floor.kiTc .J  The floor.kiFerranKhan the Shield-Bearer#..Mountain Dwarf#..Health: 19/19 ========================#..Magic: 1/1========================kiz###..AC: 6Str: 18....EV: 8Int: 8#..##SH: 4Dex: 9#...#XL:  1 Next:  8% Place: Dungeon:1#.J@##kiMpNoise: ---------  Time: 44.4 (0.0)#..#..##a) +0 war axe#.. ##..##kiwNothing quivered#.. ##..###.. ##..##ki..##..##J   endoplasm. ##########..#####................#.##.#..#.###..#.#Here: an endoplasm  The floor. ki_An endoplasm is nearby!Press: ? - help, v - describe, . - travelThe floor.kikiki. _kiA  You hit the endoplasm.  The endoplasm is heavily wounded.The endoplasm freezes you.kiJB i4-------=5.9 (1.5kiG kiJ % _You are frozen.kir{ki~ Dungeon Crawl HelpManual Contents Press one of the following keys to*Table of contents obtain more information on a certain A.Overview aspect of Dungeon Crawl.B.Starting Screen ?: List of commandsC.Attributes and Stats ^: Quickstart GuideD.Exploring the Dungeon :: Browse character notesE.Experience and Skills #: Browse character dumpF.Monsters ~: Macros helpG.Items &: Options helpH.Spellcasting %: Table of aptitudesI.Targeting /: Lookup descriptionJ.Religion Q: FAQK.kiMutations V: Version informationL.Licence, Contact, History !: Display diagnosticsM.Macros, Options, Performance Home: This screenN.Philosophy1.List of Character Species2.List of Character Backgrounds3.List of Skills4.List of Keys and Commands5.Inscriptions6.Dungeon sprint modeski* ------------------------------------------------------------------------ D.EXPLORING THE DUNGEON ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Movement ======================================== You can make your character walk around with the numeric keypad (try both NumLock on and off) or the "Rogue" keys (hjklyubn). If this is too slow, you can make your character walk repeatedly by pressing Shift and a direction; alternatively, press '/' followed by a direction. You will walk in that direction until any of a number of things happen: a hostile monster is visible on the screen, a message is sent to the message window for any reason, you press a key, or you are about to step on anything other than normal floor and it is not your first move of the long walk. Note that this is functionally equivalent to just pressing the direction key several times. Another convenient method for moving long distances is described in the section on Automated Travel and Exploration below. ki @Combat ======================================== kiakij Y The dungeon is a hostile place, and you will likely need to defendki ki]  yourself. The basic case of combat involves melee attacks: if you areki#ki{wc  adjacent to a monster, moving towards that monster will cause you to attackki kiҨ \  it with a wielded melee weapon, or your fists. There are also a wideki,ki[  variety of ways to attack monsters that are further away, includingki kiH\  polearms (which can reach a tile away), various bows, launchers, andkiki`  throwable items, magical items that can be evoked such as wands, spells,ki7 ki`  and abilities. These are described throughout the rest of this document.kia  These are triggered in a variety of ways, but one commonality is that allkiO(ki|_  of these can be quivered: the quiver provides quick access to an actionki3kiP *  that can be fired.ki   ki= a Both melee and ranged combat provide shortcuts that autotarget the nearestki a  enemy, if there is one available. Your wielded weapon can be triggered bykiWki b  Tab ("Autofight"), moving towards or attacking the nearest enemy dependingkiDkip a  on whether there is one in range for the weapon. Your quivered action cankiU kic  be triggered by Shift-Tab or 'p' ("Autofire"); if the action takes a targetki[kiCc  the nearest enemy will be selected, otherwise the action will be triggered.ki"ki^  See "Attacking and firing" for the full key list related to attacking,kiy kiU' ki'+ quivers, and firing.ki  ki Restingki@  ========================================ki @  kiDkia If you press '5', you will rest until your health or magic return to full.kivxki N  You can rest for just one turn by pressing '.' or 's'.ki   kiI ^ Resting stops if a monster appears or if you are otherwise interrupted.ki   kip2 Examining your surroundingski@  ========================================kiLT  ki'X The section of the viewing window which is coloured (with the "@"ki'A`  representing you at the centre) is what you can see around you. The darkkiĻc  grey around it is the parts of the level which you have visited, but cannotki1_  currently see. The 'x' command lets you move the cursor around to get akic  description of the various dungeon features, and typing 'v' when the cursorkiUki1 c  is over a monster or feature brings up a short description of that monster,ki1 kiU<a  as well as a short list of its various strengths, weaknesses, immunities,kiki8b  and any spells or abilities it has. This is generally useful with monsterskikiМb  you've never encountered before. You can also select monsters and featureski>M ki3 ^  from a list by pressing 'Ctrl-X'. You can get a map of the whole levelkiŐ kiN  (which shows where you've already been) by typing 'X'.kiDdki  kiLoki8] You can see the full set of commands available while looking around byki9 ki4D  pressing '?', both in the 'x' and 'X' modes.kilki   ki,kiK- Staircases and Portalskiki@  ========================================ki+kki   kib ki` You can make your way between levels by using staircases, which appear as kig  ki a  ">" (down) and "<" (up), by pressing the '>' or '<' keys. It is important ki]  ki0^  to know that most monsters adjacent to you will follow when you change kiF ki?c  levels; this holds both for hostile and allied monsters. Notable exceptions kiS ki n]  are zombies and other mindless undead, who are too stupid to properlykiJ1ki  kiگoperate stairs.ki'HkiKl   ki b When taking stairs with an unknown destination, you are guaranteed a chanceki7W \  to move before any adjacent monsters. When taking stairs that you'vekiL b  already seen the other side of, monsters will be alert and get a chance toki (  move before you.ki   ki:w] If you ascend an up staircase on level one, you will leave the dungeonki#`  forever; if you are carrying the magical Orb of Zot, you win the game byki!K  doing this. Otherwise, the game ends, and you lose.ki  ki Ob Besides the dungeon you start in, Crawl's dungeon has many branches. All ofki,  kitBthem are themed and host opponents of some special sort. It is notki>@^  mandatory to visit any particular branch, but you must explore some ofki^  them: progress to the Realms of Zot (where the Orb is located) is onlyki0b  possible for adventurers who have at least three magical runes of Zot. ThekiAki y G  bottoms of several branches contain such runes.ki! kiN  kin^ Occasionally you will find an archway (displayed as "\" or as an actualkib  arch); these lead to special places like shops, themed one-off portals, orkir]]  special branches such as Hell and Pandemonium. You can enter these bykiX  typing '<' or '>'. A few portals only accept one of '<' and '>'.ki  ki & Doors and Trapskiex@  ========================================ki  ki`e` Doors can usually be opened by just walking into them (there is an optionki`  to disable this); else this can also be done using the 'O' command. Theykib  can be closed with the 'C' command. Pressing Ctrl plus a direction, or '*'kiL  followed by a direction, will open/close doors, too.ki kiR   ki kiZ If there is no door in the indicated space, both Ctrl-direction andkiJ^  '*'-direction will attempt to attack any monster which may be standingki<\  there (this is the only way to attack a friendly creature with meleeki:`  combat). If there is apparently nothing there, you will still attack it,ki:P  just in case there's something invisible lurking around.kic  ki` The malevolent forces of Zot will attempt to thwart your progress throughkiT[  the dungeon, and will occasionally manifest traps to force you intokiZ  dangerous situations. Some traps are visible in advance and can beki @N  triggered by monsters to unleash their effects on you.ki  ki| Shopski@  ========================================ki \   ki3 ] When you visit a shop (by using < or > while standing on one), you arekiK Z  shown what the shopkeeper has in stock and can choose what to buy.ki c  Unfortunately, the shopkeepers all have an exclusive deal with the Guild ofkiVx ^  Dungeon Procurers which prevents them using non-guild labour to obtainki+ _  stock, so you can't sell anything in a shop. (But then, what shopkeeperkiҔ kihKW  would buy stolen goods from a disreputable adventurer, anyway?)ki8kiټ  ki&9` To purchase one or more items, select them by pressing the letters of thekiR`  item in the shop menu and then press Enter to make the purchase; you canki_c  examine items before buying them by pressing '!' and then the letter of theki  item.kiPM   kiA b If you've lost track of the shops in the dungeon, you can get a list of allki= V  the shops you've found in the dungeon overview (use 'Ctrl-O').ki`   kim \ You can also use the stash search: Hitting 'Ctrl-F' and searching forki \  "shop" will list all stores. The stash-search menu allows you travelki6Y b  quickly to a particular shop; if you just want to know what's in the shop,ki| ^  you can also examine the shop's inventory from the search menu withoutkiI A  having to travel all the way to the shop.kik   ki=[ Some shops are antique stores that sell items of unknown provenance,kiXc  usually at a good discount. The dungeon overview screen displays these withki$&  yellow glyphs.kie  ki_ If you're short on gold for some particularly interesting commodity, youki͌b  can place it onto your shopping list. The game will interrupt you when youki ki_ have collected enough gold to finally purchase an item on that list. YoukiH  can read the shopping list in the game with '$'.ki2  kiܫ7 Automated Travel and ExplorationkiA @  ========================================ki  ki\ Crawl has an extensive automated travel system: pressing 'G' (or alsokiR`  'Ctrl-G') lets you choose any dungeon level; the game will then take thekij9c  shortest path to reach this destination. You can also use autotravel on thekiYb  level map ('X'): Move the cursor to the place where you want to go and hitkiSki:c  Enter. There are several shortcuts when choosing destinations: For example,ki kizH  try '<' and '>' to quickly reach the staircases.ki' kii ki n^ When your autotravel gets interrupted, Crawl will remember the previouskii`  destination. Hitting 'G' or 'Ctrl-G' again and following with Enter putskib  the cursor on that square. See Appendix 4. "List of Keys and Commands" forki b  all commands and shortcuts in level-map mode, or press 'G?' or 'X?' withinki!  the game.ki{  ki4ta Another use of autotravel is exploration: 'o' makes your character move tokiTb  the nearest unexplored area. Note that this algorithm does not attempt anyki^  optimisation by default. By manual exploration you can save turns, butkidA  auto-explore will usually save real time.ki  ki, Stashes and Searchingkiӧ ki@  ========================================kiY:ki %  kiUoki4] Since you can only carry 52 items, you will occasionally want to stashki<kiq]  things away (by dropping them with the 'd' command). When you want tokiki c  search for something in your stashes, you can do this with the Find commandki ki`  'Ctrl-F'. The parser even accepts regular expressions, although you willki ki>` mostly just need strings like 'mutation', 'heal wounds', etc. You will bekina  presented with a list of all places where objects matching the search arekiM kiqa (or have been) located; you can then travel there or examine the pile. Thekia_  Find command will also search in shop inventories. Furthermore, you cankiSa  search skills like 'long blades' (this will find all weapons training theki;M[  long blades skill) or general terms like 'shop', 'altar', 'portal',ki[c  'artefact', etc. You can get help on finding by pressing '?' at the prompt.kiz  ki The Goalki,j@  ========================================ki  ki*[b Your goal is to locate the Orb of Zot, which is held somewhere deep beneathkiZ  the world's surface. The Orb is an ancient and incredibly powerfulki7 a  artefact, and the legends promise great things for anyone brave enough toki c  extract it from the fearsome Dungeon. Some say it will grant immortality orkiq ]  even godhood to the one who carries it into the sunlight; many undeadki b  creatures seek it in the hope that it will restore them to life. But then,kiSa E  some people will believe anything. Good luck!ki!   ki ki Zotki}kiܔ@  ========================================ki   kiNZ No one knows who or what Zot is: demon, god, wizard, something elsekib  entirely? But adventurers seeking the Orb will, in turn, be hunted by Zot.kip ^  Even a moment's contact with Zot is enough to permanently damage one'ski   health.kih   ki a Zot is very slow moving, and can only sense adventurers once they've spentki \  an inordinately long time in one area of the dungeon. Even once thiski[ a  happens, adventurers will have plenty of warning to either descend to newki `  depths in the area (diffusing Zot's attention once more) or to leave theki &  area entirely.kimki  kiki1^ The Abyss is beyond Zot's comprehension, and adventurers there are safeki)  ki* b from it (albeit subject to many other hazards). The Hells, along with theirki ^  Vestibule, are a single area as far as Zot is concerned. Rumours claimki5   kin Hthere are ways to escape Zot's pursuit forever, but what magics could beki M  mighty enough to forestall such an implacable entity?kio:   ki " Seeded playki6: @  ========================================ki   ki( ^ Crawl dungeons are determined by a "seed" number used to initialise thekiʠ a  game's random number generator. You may either let the game choose a seedki_  randomly, or specify a seed; if you choose a seed this puts the game inkiyki^c  "Seeded" mode, which is scored separately. Playing games with the same seedkikif ^  value, as long as the game version is constant, should (within certainki b  parameters) lead to the same dungeon. The entire connected dungeon will bekid a  determined by the game seed, including dungeon layout, monster placement,ki; \  and items. Portal vaults and chaotic zones such as the Abyss are notki/ a  guaranteed to be the same, and the placement of rare unique artefacts maykiø   ki )vary depending on certain player actions.kii   ki0 ` To set a game seed, use the "Choose game seed" option from the main menu;ki  ki ^ you can also use the 'game_seed' rc file option, or the '-seed' commandki`  line option. In offline games you can view your game's seed with '?V' aski9`  well as in a character file; in online games a randomly chosen seed willkiAqF  only be shown to you after finishing the game.ki@  ki`bb If you find that the same seed generates distinct parts of a dungeon on thekiM kib same or different devices, please report it as a bug. However, keep in mindkiN]  that upgrading your save game between multiple versions of crawl willki b  naturally lead to seed divergence. When playing offline, if you would likeki|`  to ensure that your game can be upgraded without divergence, you can setki?\  'pregen_dungeon = full' in your options file. (This will also ensurekiIk[  completely stable unique artefact placement.) On the other hand, toki<  kiKcompletely disable incremental pregeneration, you can set 'pregen_dungeon =ki2W  false'.ki   ki# Further Helpki@  ========================================kiq kiq ki_ To access Crawl's help menu, press '?'. To get the list of all commands,kiC_c  press '?' again. A different, more verbose description of the commands alsoki1`  appears in Appendix 4. "List of Keys and Commands" of this text. Variouski   kiԆ Kother help texts are available as well, including this manual. You can alsoki+ ki= _  read the logbook from there by pressing ':'. Note that several commandski ki^  have their own help screens, among them are targeting ('f'), level mapki@b  ('X'), travel ('G' or 'Ctrl-G') and searching ('Ctrl-F'); again, press '?'kiV-  when asked for input.ki82  ki`b If you don't like the standard keyset (either because some keys do not workkiZb  properly, or because you want to decrease the amount of typing necessary),kiY  you can use keymaps and macros. See macros_guide.txt in the docs/kijII  directory, or read it from the in-game help menu.ki!  ki< _ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ki߯ 7  E.EXPERIENCE AND SKILLSki& `  ------------------------------------------------------------------------ki^   ki$] \ When you kill monsters, you gain experience points (XP). When you getki [  enough XP, you gain an experience level, making your character morekiB ^  powerful. As they gain levels, characters gain more health, magic, andki %  spell levels.ki0   ki ` Additionally, the experience you gain is used to train your skills. Theseki]]  skills represent proficiency with all areas of endeavour an ambitiouski'_  adventurer might need in the dungeons. They range from different weaponkiu\  skills (both for close and ranged combat) to many magical skills andkib^  several additional activities like Dodging or Stealth. See Appendix 3.kic  "List of Skills" for a detailed description of all skills present in Crawl.kia  The ease with which a character learns a skill depends solely on species.ki`  These aptitudes are displayed when viewing your skills, and a full tableki3a  can be viewed in aptitudes.txt (also from the help screen during play viaki  '?%').kiˉ  kib You can see your character's skills by pressing the 'm' key; the higher thekixc  level of a skill, the better you are at it. All characters start with a fewkix+`  skills already trained (determined by their background), those which areki`  not present have to be learned from scratch. Each skill can go up to 27.kiL  kiP^ The skill screen allows you to change which skills are exercised and atkiA b  what speed. Note to new players: it is generally not necessary to finetuneki,  the skill selection.ki4  kiJ If you want to modify skill selection, here is how:ki%  ki%  ki ^ There are two ways to assigning skills to practise: one is an automaticki b  mode, which puts experience points into the skills you have used recently.ki   kiЉ KThe other one is a manual mode, where you specifically select the skills toki `  train. You can switch between the modes by pressing '/' in the characterkiγ c  skill screen ('m'); also be sure to read that screen's help text should youki, 4  want to tweak your skillset.ki}   ki ` You can elect to either not practise a particular skill or to focus on itki J  by selecting it once or twice in the skill screen.ki   kioa Dark grey skills will not be trained, so that the skill will remain static kij ki  ki2  ki FerranKhan the Shield-Bearer#..Mountain Dwarf#..Health: 14/19 =================-------#.. kiH Magic: 1/1========================###..AC: 6Str: 18 kid e....EV: 8Int: 8 ki~ #..##SH: 4Dex: 9 ki #...#XL:  1 Next:  8% Place: Dungeon:1 ki #.J@##Noise: =--------  Time: 45.9 (0.0) ki #..#..##a) +0 war axe ki z#.. ##..##Nothing quivered ki f#.. ##..## ki g#.. ##..##..##..##J   endoplasm. ##########..#####................#.##.#..#.###..#.#Press: ? - help, v - describe, . - travel _The floor.  You hit the endoplasm.  The endoplasm is heavily wounded.The endoplasm freezes you. _You are frozen."kiC "kih Dungeon Crawl HelpManual Contents Press one of the following keys to*Table of contents obtain more information on a certain A.Overview aspect of Dungeon Crawl.B.Starting Screen ?: List of commands"ki |C.Attributes and Stats ^: Quickstart GuideD.Exploring the Dungeon :: Browse character notesE."ki Experience and Skills #: Browse character dumpF.Monsters ~: Macros helpG.Items &: Options helpH.Spellcasting "kiC %: Table of aptitudesI.Targeting "kij /: Lookup descriptionJ."ki Religion Q: FAQK."ki Mutations V: Version informationL."ki oLicence, Contact, History !: Display diagnostics"ki M.Macros, Options, Performance Home: This screen"ki KN.Philosophy"kiB 1.List of Character Species2.List of Character Backgrounds"kih 3.List of Skills4."ki nList of Keys and Commands5.Inscriptions"ki M6.Dungeon sprint modes+ki------------------------------------------------------------------------ C.ATTRIBUTES AND STATS +kiݱ9------------------------------------------------------------------------ The stat area to the right of the playing map shows a lot of information. It starts with the character's name and title (determined by the character's highest skill), followed by a line listing the species. If the +kicharacter worships a god, the name of the deity is also listed in the second line, together with an indicator of piety. Below these two lines +kiYfollow a lot of numbers. These describe different aspects of the character. +ki;XHealth  A measure of life force. Synonymous with hit points and sometimes +kiTQ abbreviated as HP. You die if your health drops to zero or less (although +kio you can die in other ways, too). The main screen shows both your current  and maximum health. Usually, you regain health slowly over time. Pressing +kiH '5' or Shift-Num-5 lets you wait for a longer period. +kiMagic+kiA measure of magic or other intrinsic power. This is used primarily forspellcasting, but is sometimes also used for the evoking and invoking of+kiԲJmany other special abilities. They are displayed in the same way as+kihealth; nothing bad happens if these drop to zero, except, of course,that you can't cast any spells. Resting also restores your reserves of,ki4-ki '  magic.-ki .ki  .kiP Next come your defences. For all of them, more is better..kiݔ  .ki# Armour Class.kif .kib Abbreviated to "AC". Your AC reduces the amount of damage you suffer from.ki9a  most attacks (with a few rare exceptions), and provides some guaranteed.kiO  minimum protection against damage from melee attacks..ki,  .ki Evasion.kiCb  Abbreviated to "EV". This helps you avoid being hit by unpleasant things.kib  (but will not reduce the amount of damage you suffer if you do get hit)..kiI  .kiA Shield.ki8c  Abbreviated to "SH". This number is a measure of how good your shield (if.ki6  any) is at blocking attacks..ki(   .ki Y Your character's primary attributes are Strength, Intelligence and.kiv "  Dexterity:.ki5   .kiB  Strength.ki `  Abbreviated to "Str". Increases your damage with melee weapons (except.ki2 \  for long and short blades), with unarmed combat, and with throwing.kiM Z  weapons. Reduces penalties from wearing shields or heavy armour..ki"   .kil # Intelligence.ki|`  Abbreviated to "Int". Affects your odds of successfully casting spells.ki<  and how powerful those spells are..ki<  /kis  Dexterity/ki+ /kiM\ Abbreviated to "Dex". Increases your accuracy with melee and ranged/kiaa  weapons, and your damage with ranged weapons and long and short blades./kiH`  Significantly affects your ability to dodge attacks aimed at you, your/ki/kih_  effectiveness with shields, your stealth, and your effectiveness when/ki:/ki 3  stabbing unaware enemies./ki  /ki  /ki ] These primary attributes grow permanently from gaining levels, and may/ki^  increase or decrease temporarily from mutations or while using certain/ki3}b  artefacts or abilities. Upon gaining levels 3, 9, 15, etc., you may choose/kiJY  an attribute to raise by two points. Most species gain additional0ki;.]  attributes at some levels, with the frequency and the attribute to be0ki])8  increased determined by species.0kiY  0ki_ If any attribute drops to zero for some reason, you will experience very0ki=E^  unpleasant side-effects, being slowed and suffering some stat-specific0kia  negative effects. These effects will persist for a short while even after0kilA2  the attribute is restored.0ki  0kiba Finally some additional information about your character and your progress0ki]9  through the dungeon is displayed.0ki#M  0ki' Experience Level0ki=_  Abbreviated to "XL". Starting characters have experience level 1; the0kib  highest possible level is 27. Gaining a level nets additional health and0kigX  magic points, and will grant spell slots and sometimes primary0ki%  attributes.0kizT  0ki Place0kiC a  This shows the branch you are currently in, as well as the level within0kih ^  the branch. The starting branch is called Dungeon, so that the place0ki{n P  information will read "Dungeon:1" for a new character.0ki   0ki^  Noise0ki 0kiCGc  This is a coloured bar indicating the loudness of noise that you heard on1kif1ki 1ki^ your last turn. The colour provides a rough guide to how far away the1kiY_  noise it indicates might be audible. If the bar is gray, the sound is1kia  less likely to be audible outside of your line of sight (at least in an1kiHc  open area); if it is yellow, the sound is likely to be audible outside of1ki^  your line of sight; and if it is red, the sound will be audible at a1ki9 b  substantial distance. If the bar turns magenta, you have made one of the1ki ^  loudest noises in the dungeon. N.b.: terrain can reduce or block the1kiRe *  spread of noise.1ki   1kiVS  Time1ki ^  This indicates the amount of time that has passed since entering the1ki@ ]  dungeon, and also displays in brackets the amount of time that your1ki `  previous action took. Most actions take 1.0 units of time, but certain1kim ]  actions are particularly slow or quick (such as changing armour and1ki} b  swapping weapons respectively), and other actions can vary in time taken1ki \ 1kiE\b depending on your status (such as attacking with different weapons and at1ki2  different skill levels).2ki|  2kia There are some additional stats that aren't as important on a turn to turn2ki}_  basis and thus aren't listed in the main stats area. They can easily be2ki?E  checked with the '@' or '%' commands, though.2ki&  2ki  Willpower2ki`  Affects your ability to resist the effects of enchantments and similar2ki_  magic directed at you. Has no effect on direct damage dealt by magic,2kiq 2kia just on more subtle effects. Although your willpower increases with your2ki b  level to an extent determined by your character's species, the creatures2kiL/c  you will meet deeper in the dungeon are better at casting spells, and are2kik`  more likely to be able to affect you. You can get a rough idea of your2ki7  current Will by pressing '%'.2ki>  2ki Size2ki_  Different species have different sizes: Spriggans and Felids are very2kim6a  small; Kobolds are small; Oni and Trolls are large; Nagas and Armataurs2kia  are large with a medium torso; all other species are medium-sized. Many2ki"  2ki# ` talismans will change your size. Size affects your evasion: the smaller2ki b  your character, the more evasive it is. On the other hand, characters of2ki _  larger than medium size do not suffer the usual attack penalties when2ki   2ki̎ Fstanding in shallow water. Characters of smaller than medium size will2ki a  have problems with some larger weapons. Very small characters and large2ki` c  characters are not able to use most types of armour. Players and monsters2ki7 a  can only constrict foes of the same size or smaller. In the dungeon you2ki <  can also meet tiny and giant foes.2ki#   2ki  Stealth2kiX  High stealth allows your character to move through the dungeon2kiSc  undetected. It is affected by your species, dexterity, Stealth skill, and2kir;b  the encumbrance of your body armour. Your current Stealth level can also3kir;  been seen by pressing '@' or '%'.3kiR  3ki`_ There are many ailments or enchantments that can temporarily befall you.3kia  These are noted in the stats area below the experience line. Many of them3kiQ]  are self-explanatory, like Pois or Slow. Many others, however, can be3kia  subtle, and their effects can be examined by pressing '?/T' and searching3ki{6  for the name of status effect.3ki\  3kik^ Monsters within your field of vision are listed on a special panel, the3kic  monster list. Single monsters also get indicators of their health status in3kiZYb  the form of a coloured box, and also on effects they enjoy or suffer from.3ki \  If there are many monsters in view, the extended monster list can be3kiƇb  displayed with 'Ctrl-X'. Within target mode you can directly target single3kiN  monsters by use of the monster list by using 'Ctrl-X'.3ki3ki   3kiqi 4kikM standing in shallow water. Characters of smaller than medium size will4ki4kiĤ jM larger than medium size do not suffer the usual attack penalties when4ki mM your character, the more evasive it is. On the other hand, characters of4ki jM talismans will change your size. Size affects your evasion: the smaller.4kiE kM are large with a medium torso; all other species are medium-sized. Manyin4ki% lM small; Kobolds are small; Oni and Trolls are large; Nagas and Armataurs4kiC4M 4ki4KDifferent species have different sizes: Spriggans and Felids are very 4kiϬ'MSize4ki"#M5ki&XBM current Will by pressing '%'.5ki M 5ki9 Lmore likely to be able to affect you. You can get a rough idea of yourm5kinM you will meet deeper in the dungeon are better at casting spells, and are5kikM level to an extent determined by your character's species, the creatures 5kiS5kik_ There are many ailments or enchantments that can temporarily befall you.5ki`B 9kithe form of a coloured box, and also on effects they enjoy or suffer from. If there are many monsters in view, the extended monster list can be displayed with 'Ctrl-X'. Within target mode you can directly target single monsters by use of the monster list by using 'Ctrl-X'. Sometimes characters will be able to use special abilities, e.g. the Naga's ability to spit poison or the magical power to turn invisible granted by a scarf of invisibility. These are accessed through the 'a' command. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ D.EXPLORING THE DUNGEON ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Movement ======================================== You can make your character walk around with the numeric keypad (try both NumLock on and off) or the "Rogue" keys (hjklyubn). If this is too slow, you can make your character walk repeatedly by pressing Shift and a direction; alternatively, press '/' followed by a direction. You will walk in that direction until any of a number of things happen: a hostile monster is visible on the screen, a message is sent to the message window for any reason, you press a key, or you are about to step on anything other than normal floor and it is not your first move of the long walk. Note that this9kiwlMYou can make your character walk around with the numeric keypad (try both NumLock on and off) or the "Rogue" keys (hjklyubn). If this is too slow, you can make your character walk repeatedly by pressing Shift and a direction; alternatively, press '/' followed by a direction. You will walk 9kiAin that direction until any of a number of things happen: a hostile monster is visible on the screen, a message is sent to the message window for any reason, you press a key, or you are about to step on anything other than normal floor and it is not your first move of the long walk. Note that this 9kiܞZis functionally equivalent to just pressing the direction key several times. 9kiXAnother convenient method for moving long distances is described in the 9ki=section on Automated Travel and Exploration below. Comba9ki1Vt The dungeon is a hostile place, and you will likely need to defend9kiLrself. The basic case of combat involves melee attacks: if you are adjacent to a monster, moving towards that monster will cause you to atta9kiiUck it with a wielded melee weapon, or your fists. There are also a wide 9kiLvariety of ways to attack monsters that are further away, including 9kipolearms (which can reach a tile away), various bows, launchers, and throwable items, magical items that can be evoked such as wands, spells,9ki&  different skill levels). There are some additional stats that aren't as important on a turn to turn basis and thus aren't listed in the main stats area. They can easily be checked with the '@' or '%' commands, though. Willpower  Affects your ability to resist the effects of enchantments and similar  magic directed at you. Has no effect on direct damage dealt by magic,  just on more subtle effects. Although your willpower increases with yourlevel to an extent determined by your character's species, the creatures  you will meet deeper in the dungeon are better at casting spells, and are  more likely to be able to affect you. You can get a rough idea of yourcurrent Will by pressing '%'. SizeDifferent species have different sizes: Spriggans and Felids are very  small; Kobolds are small; Oni and Trolls are large; Nagas and Armataurs  are large with a medium torso; all other species are medium-sized. Many  talismans will change your size. Size affects your evasion: the smaller  your character, the more evasive it is. On the other hand, characters of  larger than medium size do not suffer the usual attack penalties when  standing in shallow water. Characters of smaller than medium size will  have problems with some larger weapons. Very small characters and large9ki>Q loudest noises in the dungeon. N.b.: terrain can reduce or block thespread of noise. TimeThis indicates the amount of time that has passed since entering thedungeon, and also displays in brackets the amount of time that yourprevious action took. Most actions take 1.0 units of time, but certainactions are particularly slow or quick (such as changing armour andswapping weapons respectively), and other actions can vary in time takendepending on your status (such as attacking with different weapons and at:ki8You can wield weapons with the 'w' command, which is a very quick action. If for some reason you want to go bare-handed, type 'w' followed by a hyphen ('-'). The ' (apostrophe) key is a shortcut which automatically wields the item in slot a. If item a is being wielded, ' causes you to wield item b instead, if possible. Try assigning the letter a to your primary weapon, and b to your bow or something else you need to wield only sometimes. Note that this is just a typing shortcut and is not functionally different to wielding these items normally. ( Missiles ======================================== If monsters are disobligingly distant, you can use missiles to weaken (or kill!) them from afar. You'll find a variety of type, ranging from simple stones and piercing javelins to sophisticated darts covered in many types of poisons. Upon impact, missiles may become destroyed. The chance for this to occur depends on the type of missile. The 'F' and 'f' commands can be used to throw a missile. The default type to be thrown (which 'f' will launch) is shown in the "quiver" display below your weapon. Many other items, spells, and abilities can fill this quiver as well.:kiS,J------------------------------------------------------------------------ In a nutshell: This game aims to be a tactical fantasy-themed dungeon crawl. We strive for strategy being a concern, too, and for exquisite gameplay and interface. However, don't expect plots or quests. :ki,You may ponder about the wisdom of certain design decisions of Crawl. This section tries to explain some of them. It could also be of interest if you are used to other roguelikes and want a bit of background on the :ki,differences. Prime mainstays of Crawl development are the following, most of which are explained in more detail below. Note that many of these date :ki -back to Linley's first versions. Major design goals  * challenging and random gameplay, with skill making a real difference  * meaningful decisions (no no-brainers)  * avoidance of grinding (no scumming) :ki&-f * gameplay supporting painless interface and newbie support Minor design goals :kiF-] * clarity (playability without need for spoilers)  * internal consistency :ki^-t * replayability (using branches, species, playing styles and gods)  * proper use of out of depth monsters:kiNReligionThis addresses new players, as getting to the Temple and choosing a god  becomes the first major task of most games. But religion is also a point  in favour of replayability for experienced players, since the choice of  god can matter as much as species does. Playing styles  Related to, but encompassing, species, background, god are fundamentally  different playing styles like melee oriented fighter, stabber, etc.  Deciding on whether (and when!) to make a transition of style can make or  break games. Out of the depths ======================================== From time to time a discussion about Crawl's unfair OOD (out of depth) monsters turns up, like a dragon on the second dungeon level. These are not bugs! Actually, they are part of the randomness design goal. In this case, they also serve as additional motivation: in many situations, the OOD monster can be survived somehow, and the mental bond with the character will then surely grow. OOD monsters also help to keep players on their toes by making shallow levels still not trivial. In a similar vein, early trips to the Abyss are not deficits: there's more than one way out, and successfully escaping is exciting for anyone.;kiQSDiversitywhenever there are choices to the player, be that choice of species, god,weapon or spell, the various options should be genuinely different. It isno good to provide dozens of weapons with different names (and perhapseven numbers) if, in the end, they all play the same. Many different speciesThis is partly due to the skills and aptitude system. Similarly importantare the built-in starting bonuses/handicaps of species; these often havegreat impact on play. To us, balance does not mean that all combinationsof background and species play equally well! Some are much morechallenging than others, and this is fine with us. Each species has at  least some backgrounds playing rather well, though. Dungeon layout  Even veteran players may find the Tomb or the Hells exciting (which are  designed such that life endangering situations can always pop up). These  and other branches may or may not fit a given character's buildup. By the  way, we strongly believe that games are pointless if you can reach the  invincible state. Religion  This addresses new players, as getting to the Temple and choosing a god  becomes the first major task of most games. But religion is also a point