Directions to Marvin's Superstore:
Drune, 1 up, 17 left from the teleporter, in Bloodwood.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Marvin's Magic Superstore
Marvin is a shopkeeper located inside the Labyrinth. He sells magical items, potions, and scrolls not available elsewhere, and hideously inflated prices. You can kill Marvin by cursing him to start the fight, but wait until you're done with your shopping to take your vengeance. Alas, he doesn't drop your gold when he dies.
Directions to Marvin's Superstore:
Drune, 1 up, 17 left from the teleporter, in Bloodwood.
From Entrance: 2L, take the stairs.
Follow the dungeon as it winds Left and Up until you come to the second staircase (the one with a torch on the screen). Take the stairs.
Follow the dungeon to the right until you can go no further and then go 2U to the room with the torch.
Go 1L and take the stairs.
Go 1R and pull the lever.
Pull the lever in the room you just appeared in.
Go 1D and pull the lever.
Go 1U and 1R, pull the lever.
Pull the lever in the room you just appeared in.
Go 1U and say hello to Marvin.
Directions to Marvin's Superstore:
Drune, 1 up, 17 left from the teleporter, in Bloodwood.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Identifying Stuff without ID - Potions
I don't know why you'd want to keep potions at all, the useful ones are easier to buy or alch, but in case you do, here's what the shopkeepers will offer you for them.
Potions
Purified Water - 2
Swamp Water - 2
Poison Curse - 12
Lightning Curse - 15
Clumsiness - 22
Fire Curse - 22
Elixir of Life - 25
Poison - 26
Weakness - 30
Cold Curse - 42
Purifying Elixir - 45
See Invisible - 47
Shifting - 65
Health - 66
Dexterity - 71
Strength - 101
Death - 124
Invulnerability - 125
Poison Shield - 150
Fire Shield - 151
Lightning Shield - 153
Acid Shield - 160
Cold Shield - 166
Pain - 168
Cure Poison - 200
Greater Health - 206
Invisibility - 250
Regeneration - 300
Greater Invisibility - 346
Potions
Purified Water - 2
Swamp Water - 2
Poison Curse - 12
Lightning Curse - 15
Clumsiness - 22
Fire Curse - 22
Elixir of Life - 25
Poison - 26
Weakness - 30
Cold Curse - 42
Purifying Elixir - 45
See Invisible - 47
Shifting - 65
Health - 66
Dexterity - 71
Strength - 101
Death - 124
Invulnerability - 125
Poison Shield - 150
Fire Shield - 151
Lightning Shield - 153
Acid Shield - 160
Cold Shield - 166
Pain - 168
Cure Poison - 200
Greater Health - 206
Invisibility - 250
Regeneration - 300
Greater Invisibility - 346
Identifying Stuff without ID - Jewelry
Here's what shopkeepers will give you for various items of jewelry before they're ID'ed.
Rings
Copper - 25
Engagement - 250
Wedding - 750
Expensive Wedding Ring - 7,500
Royal Wedding Ring - 15,000
Eternal Nourishment - 1,000
Dexterity - 1,250
Endurance - 1,250
Strength - 1,250
Regeneration - 1,500
Intelligence - 1,750
Ugliness - 50
Weakness - 50
Slowness - 50
Stupidity - 50
Clumsiness - 50
Gender - 250
Rings of Power and Rings of Destruction only drop from named dragons, either in Dragon Pit, or Grafvitnir, who roams aboveground in the swamp. RoPs always drop blue, and RoDs always drop red.
Amulets
Endurance - 1,500
Dexterity - 1,500
Strength - 1,500
Dodging - 2,000
Grounding - 2,500
Cold Protection - 2,500
Fire Protection - 2,500
Free Will - 2,500
Combat - 2,500
Intelligence - 2,500
Death Magic Protection - 3,500
Retention - 5,000
Vulnerability - 150
Choking - 150
Clumsiness - 150
Stupidity - 150
Weakness - 150
Amulet of Adventure, again, only drop from those same named dragons.
Magical Amulets
(Always drop as "Magical Amulet")
Level 30 (+5%) - 1000
Level 60 (+10%) - 2000
Level 100 (+ 15%) - 4000
Level 140 (+20%) - 8000
Level 190 (+25%) - 16,000
Level 240 (+30%) - 25,000
Level 300 (+35%) - 30,000
Level 360 (+40%) - 37,500
Yeah, that's 1/5th of Marvin's selling price. All the more reason you should kill the old robber baron every time you're done with your shopping there. Too bad he never drops any of your gold back.
.
Rings
Copper - 25
Engagement - 250
Wedding - 750
Expensive Wedding Ring - 7,500
Royal Wedding Ring - 15,000
Eternal Nourishment - 1,000
Dexterity - 1,250
Endurance - 1,250
Strength - 1,250
Regeneration - 1,500
Intelligence - 1,750
Ugliness - 50
Weakness - 50
Slowness - 50
Stupidity - 50
Clumsiness - 50
Gender - 250
Rings of Power and Rings of Destruction only drop from named dragons, either in Dragon Pit, or Grafvitnir, who roams aboveground in the swamp. RoPs always drop blue, and RoDs always drop red.
Amulets
Endurance - 1,500
Dexterity - 1,500
Strength - 1,500
Dodging - 2,000
Grounding - 2,500
Cold Protection - 2,500
Fire Protection - 2,500
Free Will - 2,500
Combat - 2,500
Intelligence - 2,500
Death Magic Protection - 3,500
Retention - 5,000
Vulnerability - 150
Choking - 150
Clumsiness - 150
Stupidity - 150
Weakness - 150
Amulet of Adventure, again, only drop from those same named dragons.
Magical Amulets
(Always drop as "Magical Amulet")
Level 30 (+5%) - 1000
Level 60 (+10%) - 2000
Level 100 (+ 15%) - 4000
Level 140 (+20%) - 8000
Level 190 (+25%) - 16,000
Level 240 (+30%) - 25,000
Level 300 (+35%) - 30,000
Level 360 (+40%) - 37,500
Yeah, that's 1/5th of Marvin's selling price. All the more reason you should kill the old robber baron every time you're done with your shopping there. Too bad he never drops any of your gold back.
.
Sunday, July 8, 2007
Dragon Pit
Dragon Pit is the most difficult cave in the game. Here's how to run it and (mostly) survive. Special thanks to LilBitSassy, Seacrystal, SOB, WizardOfAhhs, and Pail for help with some of the various tips and strategies.
Dragon Pit is located in Fafnir's Swamp, 9 up and 15 right from the Wen teleporter. It is divided into three sections which are really complete caves of their own: the Hatchery, the Library, and the Maze/Fafnir's Lair (not to be confused with the aboveground Maze area, just north of Forest of Death). Each section has one or more "named" or "boss" dragons at the end, that can drop the coveted Dragon Pit gear.
Here's a map. (Click to download a larger version, or right-click and save for the compact version.) Note that the Maze section wraps around on itself, that is, going up from the top row takes you back to the bottom row, and going right from the far right row takes you back to the far left row. Also note that yes, there really is a fight on almost every screen. Four squares in you come to a crossroads. Going to the left takes you to the Library, the right takes you to the Hatchery, and straight up takes you to the Maze and then to Fafnir.
Most, if not all of your group should be 1k for DP, and any toon under 750 really has no business even trying. Some people do HoZ parts of the cave, but this is extremely chancy and requires a friend or an alt that isn't grouped following you around to pick up what you drop when you die. Since this is a guide to surviving Dragon Pit, I'm only going to cover group hunting, and the kind of group that can finish the entire cave. This is the makeup of the group I run DP with, that works very well. You don't have to follow it to the letter, but whatever toons you use should be similar. All toons should have RoDs or RoPs if possible, as well as any other DP gear that's available. If the warriors don't have a BPoB, then a PoI is advisable.
First: ASGW, wearing a Ranger/HoP/HoK, using a BC or an IC.
Second: AEGW, with a Ranger/Hop/HoK and also a Magical Helm like Marvin sells. Weapon should be a BC or IC and a Fafnir's Fang. (I'll explain the reason for the Marvin helm and the dagger shortly.)
Third: ASGW, wearing a Ranger/HoP/HoK, using a BC or an IC.
Fourth: ASGW, wearing a Ranger/HoP/HoK, using a BC or an IC, or an ASGT in a Ranger/HoP/HoK, with a Duach's Thorn. (The ASGT could also lead.)
Fifth: Elf warrior, wearing a Ranger/HoP/HoK, mythril plate (not a PoI), using a Wrath, Odin's Edge, or a Gram.
Sixth: AIEW, with a Mage Hat (preferable) or an HoS.
As many toons as possible should have EB, and it's an absolute requirement for the caster toons in fifth and sixth position.
The Library is the easiest section by far. It can be done with only 2 giant hitters and 1 wizzie to keep them invulled and healed. Moin and Goin are the end fights here, they are large blue Storm Dragons with health in the 90k to 110k range. They cast a pretty wicked Electric Fury, but they aren't grouped. Just tank them, stay invulled, and make sure no one's missing a Lightning Shield chant, and you'll be fine. The Library is known to drop Rings of Power and Rings of Destruction, Amulets of Adventure, and occasionally mage or warrior armor. It is also the only location known to currently drop the spells Mabon's Forced Flee and Despothes' Wrath, but these are extremely rare finds.
The Hatchery is considerably harder than the Library. There are four end fights here, each one a different kind of Dragon Brood Mother, with a group of Hatchlings. The easiest of the four is Svafnir, the Swamp Brood Mother. She's located 1 down once you enter the Hatchery proper. Before starting the fight, the toon in second should put on the Marvin helm and equip the Faf Fang. The helm causes you to take 50% less melee damage, but it also makes you miss 50% of the time, and has a heavy cast resist. So the toon wearing it won't be doing much damage, but that's fine, they are there to keep the heavy hitter dragons off the rest of the group. The Faf Fang is used because it has a 1 square range, and this pushes the dragon back, away from the rest of the group. So, cast defenselessness on Svafnir to start the fight, then first round everyone tries to freeze a hatchling. (The Brood Mothers themselves cannot be frozen.) Second round the AEGW in second starts in on Svafnir, while the rest of the group takes out the hatchlings one by one. Once Svafnir is pushed well away from the rest of the group the AEGW should switch back to his or her BC, and once the hatchlings are finished, then he or she should switch helms, too. Swamp dragons cast Poison Bolt, so an EB may or may not be needed at some point.
Next up, and next easiest is Ofnir and her swarm of Moor Hatchlings, on the right side of the Hatchery. The strategy here is exactly the same as for Svafnir. Moor dragons don't cast, but they hit harder than Swamps, and have natural immo as well as a poisoned bite.
Next is Grabak, the Bog Brood Mother, in the top room of the Hatchery. She can (and will) cast Acid Rain for up to 9k damage, so if your wizzie is using an Uruz, or anyone is wearing a HoD, now's the time to take it off. The strategy here is mostly the same, except you will be EBing often.
Grafvollud, to the left, is the most difficult of the dragon mamas because of the Earthquakes she and her kiddies cast. EQ is especially nasty because not only does it do massive damage, it can stun you for up to 3 rounds and fumble your weapon. The plan here is for 5 toons to attempt to freeze the hatchlings, while one of the giants (either 1st, 3rd, or 4th) EBs first round. Second round and beyond, the AEGW pushes Grafvollud back while the rest attack, but the wizzie should be EBing every round, and the second caster should be watching closely to take over EB duties for a round or two if the wizzie gets stunned. If both casters are stunned, then one of the giants needs to do it.
The Hatchery drops both mage and warrior armor. It does not drop any of the DP weapons, or the level 500 required items (like the Shield of Infinite Thought), those are Fafnir only drops.
The shortest route through the Maze to Fafnir's Lair is 3 up and 3 right from the lever that's marked green on the map. In the square with that lever is an NPC named Old Man. He sells scrolls, potions, and mana at prices that would make even Marvin blush, but he's a good place to repair your gear if you're doing more than one section. On the way to Fafnir, through the Maze are a couple of smallish dragon fights, 2 groups of NPC Thieves with insane hp and weilding Mist weapons, and a really annoying fight consisting of 12 Slimes and Sludges. Mass zerk both the Thieves and the goo, and don't let the latter box in any of your group.
Once you're past the lever marked yellow on the map and into the straight run up to Fafnir, it's all dragons. When you start seeing 3 or more large dragons on the screen the strategy is for your wizzie to freeze one, while everyone else tries to freeze one of the others - the same one. The worst potential hazard is about 3 screens away from the Lair, and it is 4 Legendary Mire Dragons. Treat them like you did Grafvollud and her brats, by EBing every round. There's no need for the AEGW to switch to the dagger and Magical Helm however, until Fafnir.
Fafnir is a Swamp dragon, with up to 190k health. He has 2 Dragon Guardians grouped with him, who are Bog dragons with roughly 100k health each. Fafnir cannot be frozen, however the Guardians can, so first round the wizzie tries to freeze one, the secondary caster and 2 of the giants try to freeze the other, one giant EBs, and the AEGW in the hot seat prepares to get smacked around a whole lot. If both freezes take, you're in great shape. The wizzie should refreeze the Guardian the secondary caster and the giants froze first round, while the secondary caster EBs, the AEGW changes weapons and hat, and the other 3 giants start in on Fafnir. (If Fafnir casts first and second round instead of attacking, the giants should guard. Don't go to him.) The refreeze may or may not take second round, if it doesn't, the wizzie should keep trying while the backup caster keeps EBing. Yes, EB every round. The Guardians may be frozen, but they can still do 15-20k damage if they both Acid Rain at the same time.
If one of the Guardians doesn't freeze, all is not lost. The AEGW needs to push that Guard back and away from the group while everyone else works on Fafnir. If neither Guardian freezes, you're toast. If the entire group dies, Fafnir will always go for the item on the floor with the highest shop food value first, and he seldom ever redrops what he picks up. So, here's a tip to save your HoK: Each toon in the group should be carrying a bottle of 100k hair dye. (Those are the regular colors.) First toon to bite the dust should drop their bottle of dye, then whichever toon that doesn't die last, and has the fastest connection, should bring up the Alt-T treasure window and get ready to click. As each toon dies you will see what they've dropped in that window, but you won't be able to pick it up until everyone is out of the cloud. Once the last toon falls out, right-click (do not left-click and click take, that's too slow, so is "take all") on the items you want to save, starting with the helms, if any. Ignore any 1k stacks, they aren't worth it. Fafnir will go for the dye first, buying you some time, but he's still quick, so you have to be quicker. More than one person can and should be grabbing for what drops, don't worry if it's yours or not, just grab what you can and give it to the proper owner once everything is picked up.
Remember to keep yourself invulled, and your AEGW too, because they won't be able to reliably do it themselves as long as they're wearing the Marvin hat
Good luck!
Dragon Pit is located in Fafnir's Swamp, 9 up and 15 right from the Wen teleporter. It is divided into three sections which are really complete caves of their own: the Hatchery, the Library, and the Maze/Fafnir's Lair (not to be confused with the aboveground Maze area, just north of Forest of Death). Each section has one or more "named" or "boss" dragons at the end, that can drop the coveted Dragon Pit gear.
Here's a map. (Click to download a larger version, or right-click and save for the compact version.) Note that the Maze section wraps around on itself, that is, going up from the top row takes you back to the bottom row, and going right from the far right row takes you back to the far left row. Also note that yes, there really is a fight on almost every screen. Four squares in you come to a crossroads. Going to the left takes you to the Library, the right takes you to the Hatchery, and straight up takes you to the Maze and then to Fafnir.Most, if not all of your group should be 1k for DP, and any toon under 750 really has no business even trying. Some people do HoZ parts of the cave, but this is extremely chancy and requires a friend or an alt that isn't grouped following you around to pick up what you drop when you die. Since this is a guide to surviving Dragon Pit, I'm only going to cover group hunting, and the kind of group that can finish the entire cave. This is the makeup of the group I run DP with, that works very well. You don't have to follow it to the letter, but whatever toons you use should be similar. All toons should have RoDs or RoPs if possible, as well as any other DP gear that's available. If the warriors don't have a BPoB, then a PoI is advisable.
First: ASGW, wearing a Ranger/HoP/HoK, using a BC or an IC.
Second: AEGW, with a Ranger/Hop/HoK and also a Magical Helm like Marvin sells. Weapon should be a BC or IC and a Fafnir's Fang. (I'll explain the reason for the Marvin helm and the dagger shortly.)
Third: ASGW, wearing a Ranger/HoP/HoK, using a BC or an IC.
Fourth: ASGW, wearing a Ranger/HoP/HoK, using a BC or an IC, or an ASGT in a Ranger/HoP/HoK, with a Duach's Thorn. (The ASGT could also lead.)
Fifth: Elf warrior, wearing a Ranger/HoP/HoK, mythril plate (not a PoI), using a Wrath, Odin's Edge, or a Gram.
Sixth: AIEW, with a Mage Hat (preferable) or an HoS.
As many toons as possible should have EB, and it's an absolute requirement for the caster toons in fifth and sixth position.
The Library is the easiest section by far. It can be done with only 2 giant hitters and 1 wizzie to keep them invulled and healed. Moin and Goin are the end fights here, they are large blue Storm Dragons with health in the 90k to 110k range. They cast a pretty wicked Electric Fury, but they aren't grouped. Just tank them, stay invulled, and make sure no one's missing a Lightning Shield chant, and you'll be fine. The Library is known to drop Rings of Power and Rings of Destruction, Amulets of Adventure, and occasionally mage or warrior armor. It is also the only location known to currently drop the spells Mabon's Forced Flee and Despothes' Wrath, but these are extremely rare finds.
The Hatchery is considerably harder than the Library. There are four end fights here, each one a different kind of Dragon Brood Mother, with a group of Hatchlings. The easiest of the four is Svafnir, the Swamp Brood Mother. She's located 1 down once you enter the Hatchery proper. Before starting the fight, the toon in second should put on the Marvin helm and equip the Faf Fang. The helm causes you to take 50% less melee damage, but it also makes you miss 50% of the time, and has a heavy cast resist. So the toon wearing it won't be doing much damage, but that's fine, they are there to keep the heavy hitter dragons off the rest of the group. The Faf Fang is used because it has a 1 square range, and this pushes the dragon back, away from the rest of the group. So, cast defenselessness on Svafnir to start the fight, then first round everyone tries to freeze a hatchling. (The Brood Mothers themselves cannot be frozen.) Second round the AEGW in second starts in on Svafnir, while the rest of the group takes out the hatchlings one by one. Once Svafnir is pushed well away from the rest of the group the AEGW should switch back to his or her BC, and once the hatchlings are finished, then he or she should switch helms, too. Swamp dragons cast Poison Bolt, so an EB may or may not be needed at some point.
Next up, and next easiest is Ofnir and her swarm of Moor Hatchlings, on the right side of the Hatchery. The strategy here is exactly the same as for Svafnir. Moor dragons don't cast, but they hit harder than Swamps, and have natural immo as well as a poisoned bite.
Next is Grabak, the Bog Brood Mother, in the top room of the Hatchery. She can (and will) cast Acid Rain for up to 9k damage, so if your wizzie is using an Uruz, or anyone is wearing a HoD, now's the time to take it off. The strategy here is mostly the same, except you will be EBing often.
Grafvollud, to the left, is the most difficult of the dragon mamas because of the Earthquakes she and her kiddies cast. EQ is especially nasty because not only does it do massive damage, it can stun you for up to 3 rounds and fumble your weapon. The plan here is for 5 toons to attempt to freeze the hatchlings, while one of the giants (either 1st, 3rd, or 4th) EBs first round. Second round and beyond, the AEGW pushes Grafvollud back while the rest attack, but the wizzie should be EBing every round, and the second caster should be watching closely to take over EB duties for a round or two if the wizzie gets stunned. If both casters are stunned, then one of the giants needs to do it.
The Hatchery drops both mage and warrior armor. It does not drop any of the DP weapons, or the level 500 required items (like the Shield of Infinite Thought), those are Fafnir only drops.
The shortest route through the Maze to Fafnir's Lair is 3 up and 3 right from the lever that's marked green on the map. In the square with that lever is an NPC named Old Man. He sells scrolls, potions, and mana at prices that would make even Marvin blush, but he's a good place to repair your gear if you're doing more than one section. On the way to Fafnir, through the Maze are a couple of smallish dragon fights, 2 groups of NPC Thieves with insane hp and weilding Mist weapons, and a really annoying fight consisting of 12 Slimes and Sludges. Mass zerk both the Thieves and the goo, and don't let the latter box in any of your group.
Once you're past the lever marked yellow on the map and into the straight run up to Fafnir, it's all dragons. When you start seeing 3 or more large dragons on the screen the strategy is for your wizzie to freeze one, while everyone else tries to freeze one of the others - the same one. The worst potential hazard is about 3 screens away from the Lair, and it is 4 Legendary Mire Dragons. Treat them like you did Grafvollud and her brats, by EBing every round. There's no need for the AEGW to switch to the dagger and Magical Helm however, until Fafnir.
Fafnir is a Swamp dragon, with up to 190k health. He has 2 Dragon Guardians grouped with him, who are Bog dragons with roughly 100k health each. Fafnir cannot be frozen, however the Guardians can, so first round the wizzie tries to freeze one, the secondary caster and 2 of the giants try to freeze the other, one giant EBs, and the AEGW in the hot seat prepares to get smacked around a whole lot. If both freezes take, you're in great shape. The wizzie should refreeze the Guardian the secondary caster and the giants froze first round, while the secondary caster EBs, the AEGW changes weapons and hat, and the other 3 giants start in on Fafnir. (If Fafnir casts first and second round instead of attacking, the giants should guard. Don't go to him.) The refreeze may or may not take second round, if it doesn't, the wizzie should keep trying while the backup caster keeps EBing. Yes, EB every round. The Guardians may be frozen, but they can still do 15-20k damage if they both Acid Rain at the same time.
If one of the Guardians doesn't freeze, all is not lost. The AEGW needs to push that Guard back and away from the group while everyone else works on Fafnir. If neither Guardian freezes, you're toast. If the entire group dies, Fafnir will always go for the item on the floor with the highest shop food value first, and he seldom ever redrops what he picks up. So, here's a tip to save your HoK: Each toon in the group should be carrying a bottle of 100k hair dye. (Those are the regular colors.) First toon to bite the dust should drop their bottle of dye, then whichever toon that doesn't die last, and has the fastest connection, should bring up the Alt-T treasure window and get ready to click. As each toon dies you will see what they've dropped in that window, but you won't be able to pick it up until everyone is out of the cloud. Once the last toon falls out, right-click (do not left-click and click take, that's too slow, so is "take all") on the items you want to save, starting with the helms, if any. Ignore any 1k stacks, they aren't worth it. Fafnir will go for the dye first, buying you some time, but he's still quick, so you have to be quicker. More than one person can and should be grabbing for what drops, don't worry if it's yours or not, just grab what you can and give it to the proper owner once everything is picked up.
Remember to keep yourself invulled, and your AEGW too, because they won't be able to reliably do it themselves as long as they're wearing the Marvin hat
Good luck!
Friday, July 6, 2007
Gearing Up Your Toon
There is no single best weapon or item of armor in the game. What works best varies by toon race, class, level, and personal preference. (As well as how much gold you have to spend.) Having said that, here's some recommendations. (Keep in mind, enchants affect the wearer, perms affect the item.) Strength (Empower) and dexterity (Nimbility) should be enchanted on to every single item you can wear or equip (except for weapons, which are a special case I'll discuss later). The first str/dex item (natural or enchanted) adds 3 points to your base str/dex, the second adds 2, the third adds 1, and the fourth and beyond add 1/2 a point each. Regeneration doesn't stack in the same manner as str/dex, but for the maximum benefit, you need it on at least 5 items. Immolation and the 6 shields (poison, fire, cold, lightning, acid, and missile resistance) only need to be on 1 item each. Each chant or perm increases the repair costs of an item, so it's best to put shields and immo onto items that don't take melee damage and never need repair.
Backpacks - All toons need one, and a plain leather backpack is fine. Finvarra's Backpack is a nice fashion accessory for those who want it, and can afford it, but it offers no real benefit that a plain one doesn't. (It can hold more, but it doesn't lessen the weight of what's inside.) The color of your backpack determines the secondary color of your helm. That is, the color of the band or plume. The standard suite of chants for a backpack are str, dex, regen, immo, and a shield. (I prefer poison shield on backpacks, as it's the most important one, and you can't lose an equipped backpack even if you die in battle.) Backpacks can't be stolen from, so keep all your gold and your spare mana in it. Items you pick up will automatically go into an equipped backpack.
Skirts and Robes - There are no magical versions (that work), and they don't add anything to your armor rating, so cloth is the way to go for all toons. (Robes only come in cloth versions, while skirts are also sold in leather and troll leather.) Robes are for male toons, skirts are for females. Skirts come in both long and short, which style you pick is entirely a fashion choice. (Dedicated PvP'ers say that short skirts are preferable, because they're slightly lighter, but if you're hardcore enough to be concerned about that, you've been playing long enough not to need my advice on armor.) The standard set of enchants for a skirt/robe is str, dex, regen, and 2 shields of your choice. Robes and skirts are good for shields and for 5x'ing, because they're very cheap, and they take no melee damage. They say they have 10% AR, but they lie, they don't add anything to your overall armor rating, so don't waste a chant slot on Improve Armor.
Belts - There are 4 different magical belts in the game, Belt of Strength, Belt of Carrying, Finvarra's Belt, and Girdle of Might. (There are also cursed belts, the Belt of Weakness and Belt of Load, but obviously, you don't want those.) For a new toon you want at least a Belt of Carrying as soon as possible, as they reduce your overall encumbrance (which is how much you can carry before losing attacks or slowing down your movement rate and casting speed) by 150%. A Belt of Strength has a natural str chant, and it's better than nothing, but still, get yourself a BoC ASAP. Finvarra's Belt is a BoS and a BoC combined, and is the best choice for nearly every toon, no matter what level, however they're more expensive than BoCs, and even some toons that can afford them prefer nnot to wear them at very low levels when the risk of dying is highest. A Girdle of Might is a high-end item, that has a level 300 requirement, adds str, endurance, and regeneration, lessens encumbrance, adds Mysticism resistance and helps prevent your weapon from being fumbled. It can only be worn by warriors, and is quite expensive. The standard set of chants for any belt is str/dex, regen and/or a shield is optional.
Baldrics - Some baldrics are earned when you reach a certain level, some are purely fashion choices and drop from monsters (jade and aqua), some are purely fashion choices that are prizes given in event games (white, pink, purple, violet, and rarely teal) some can be bought in taverns to show your allegience to the Realm gods, some drop from monsters and have natural str (Sash of Finvarra and the tan Maze Master's baldric) and some no longer drop or are given out (the yellow Maze Master's baldric and the Thistlebark Sash). For hunting purposes most people prefer the easily available Fin Sash, as it has natural strength, but you can wear a different one if you just prefer the color. Baldrics take the same chants as belts, str/dex, regen, and 1 or 2 shields.
Bracers - Finvarra's Bracers are the first choice for every toon. They add a dodge, and a degree of protection from Death Wish and Death Touch. Bracers of Defense are the second choice, they add a dodge, but no death magic protection. Bracers of Battle are a high end item that drops only in Dragon Pit (like the Girdle of Might), and if you can get them, you probably don't need my fashion advice. Never wear Bracers of Density, they are too heavy and have relatively low AR. Bracers should be permed with Improve Armor, and chanted with str/dex. Regen is optional.
Cowl - There are 4 magical cowls in the game. Finvarra's Cowl and the Thuriasz Cowl are essentially the same, except for color (fin black vs. red with a glowie gold edge). The T-Cowl has 5% more AR and can't be dyed. The Cowl of Density is junk, you don't want one. Dragon Pit offers the Cowl of Immortaility, which has wondrous stats, but by the time you can afford one, again, you won't need armor advice. Before you can acquire a Fin or T-Cowl, the best choice for Elf Wizards, Thieves, and Adventurers is Troll Leather. For all other toons the starter cowl of choice is Obsidianate, because it has the same armor rating as Admantium, with a lower weight. Cowls are normally permed with Improve Armor, and chanted with str/dex, and optionally regen.
Body Armor - There are quite a few magical chestplates in the game, of which only one is usually worn, and that is the Plate of Invulnerability. It provides a very high armor rating, but it's quite heavy, and is best suited for giants. It is also notoriously expensive to repair, so many hitter toons wear Mythril Plate instead, and save the PoI for hunting monsters that hit extremely hard, like dragons. (Later on hitters might invest in a Breastplate of Battle, which has a natural strength chant, but like all items found only in Dragon Pit, is rather spendy.) Elf Wizards and Thieves are better off starting with a Troll Leather doublet or tunic. At higher levels they may switch to chanted cloth, or they might upgrade to an Arch Mage's Shirt, which adds to intelligence, endurance, and casting power, and gives some magic resists, however the AMS is very, very spendy. Humans and Orcs of any class can wear Mythril, as they have more strength. Chest armor should be permed with Improve Armor, and chanted with str/dex, and optional regen.
Leg Armor - The only magical leg armor in the game comes from Dragon Pit, except for those icky Greaves of Density . All hitter toons and Humans, Giants, and Orcs of any class should wear Mythril Greaves. (The DP upgrade is Greaves of Fortitude, which add endurance.) Elf Wizards and Thieves start with Troll Leather and may choose to switch to cloth later, same as chest armor. (Their DP upgrade is Arch Mage's Pants, which have the same attributes and price tag as the shirt.) Pants get the same chants as chest armor.
Boots - The least expensive and easiest to obtain starter footwear are either Boots of Nimbleness or Finvarra's Shoes. Both have natural dexterity, and Fin Shoes also have a natural fire and cold shield. A step up from these are Finvarra's Boots, which have the same attributes as the shoes, with a higher armor rating. (Also, most people seem to prefer the appearance of boots over low shoes.) There is a DP upgrade, Boots of Evasion, that give an extra dodge per combat round as well as the natural dexterity chant, but they are the least popular of the DP items, because they are shoes, and not boots. (Despite the name) Footwear takes the same chants as chest and leg armor.
Jewelry - Most warriors and adventurers of any race will want an Amulet of Combat, which gives an extra attack per round, and 2 Rings of Endurance, although some adventurers and Elf warriors may prefer 1 RoE and 1 Ring of Intelligence, to increase their Mysticism spell durations. Wizards generally carry 2 sets of jewelry, an Amulet of Endurance and 2 RoEs for hunting, especially at lower levels, and an Amulet of Intelligence and 2 RoIs for enchanting and for hunting in areas where the extra spell oomph is more vaulable than the extra hit points. Thieves often wear an AoC and the split RoE/RoI combo, but this varies according to personal preference. Some may go with 2 RoEs instead. The DP upgrades for jewelry are the Ring of Destruction (adds strength, endurance, and some magic resistance) for hitters and sometimes Thieves, the Ring of Power (adds intelligence, boosts spell power, and gives some magic resistance) for casters (and sometimes Thieves) and the Amulet of Adventure, which is for adventurers only, adds strength, endurance, and intelligence, gives some magic resistance and an extra attack per round, has natural regeneration, and you don't even have to eat while wearing one. Wow. (Need I mention that it is very expensive to buy?) Jewelry should have str/dex and regen chanted on it, and is an excellent place for any shields that you haven't put on your skirt, robe, or baldric.
Shields - Shield skill was only recently implemented. Most toons who wield a one-handed weapon are going for either a Mythril Round Shield or a Mythril Tower Shield. The jury is still out on which is really best. The DP upgrade is the Shield of Infinite Thought, which adds intelligence, spell power, and magic resistance for Wizards, but beware if you use one - shields have been known to suddenly shatter in combat. Shields should be permed with Improve Armor, and chanted with str/dex and regen.
I'll go into helm and weapon recommendations in seperate posts.
.
Backpacks - All toons need one, and a plain leather backpack is fine. Finvarra's Backpack is a nice fashion accessory for those who want it, and can afford it, but it offers no real benefit that a plain one doesn't. (It can hold more, but it doesn't lessen the weight of what's inside.) The color of your backpack determines the secondary color of your helm. That is, the color of the band or plume. The standard suite of chants for a backpack are str, dex, regen, immo, and a shield. (I prefer poison shield on backpacks, as it's the most important one, and you can't lose an equipped backpack even if you die in battle.) Backpacks can't be stolen from, so keep all your gold and your spare mana in it. Items you pick up will automatically go into an equipped backpack.
Skirts and Robes - There are no magical versions (that work), and they don't add anything to your armor rating, so cloth is the way to go for all toons. (Robes only come in cloth versions, while skirts are also sold in leather and troll leather.) Robes are for male toons, skirts are for females. Skirts come in both long and short, which style you pick is entirely a fashion choice. (Dedicated PvP'ers say that short skirts are preferable, because they're slightly lighter, but if you're hardcore enough to be concerned about that, you've been playing long enough not to need my advice on armor.) The standard set of enchants for a skirt/robe is str, dex, regen, and 2 shields of your choice. Robes and skirts are good for shields and for 5x'ing, because they're very cheap, and they take no melee damage. They say they have 10% AR, but they lie, they don't add anything to your overall armor rating, so don't waste a chant slot on Improve Armor.
Belts - There are 4 different magical belts in the game, Belt of Strength, Belt of Carrying, Finvarra's Belt, and Girdle of Might. (There are also cursed belts, the Belt of Weakness and Belt of Load, but obviously, you don't want those.) For a new toon you want at least a Belt of Carrying as soon as possible, as they reduce your overall encumbrance (which is how much you can carry before losing attacks or slowing down your movement rate and casting speed) by 150%. A Belt of Strength has a natural str chant, and it's better than nothing, but still, get yourself a BoC ASAP. Finvarra's Belt is a BoS and a BoC combined, and is the best choice for nearly every toon, no matter what level, however they're more expensive than BoCs, and even some toons that can afford them prefer nnot to wear them at very low levels when the risk of dying is highest. A Girdle of Might is a high-end item, that has a level 300 requirement, adds str, endurance, and regeneration, lessens encumbrance, adds Mysticism resistance and helps prevent your weapon from being fumbled. It can only be worn by warriors, and is quite expensive. The standard set of chants for any belt is str/dex, regen and/or a shield is optional.
Baldrics - Some baldrics are earned when you reach a certain level, some are purely fashion choices and drop from monsters (jade and aqua), some are purely fashion choices that are prizes given in event games (white, pink, purple, violet, and rarely teal) some can be bought in taverns to show your allegience to the Realm gods, some drop from monsters and have natural str (Sash of Finvarra and the tan Maze Master's baldric) and some no longer drop or are given out (the yellow Maze Master's baldric and the Thistlebark Sash). For hunting purposes most people prefer the easily available Fin Sash, as it has natural strength, but you can wear a different one if you just prefer the color. Baldrics take the same chants as belts, str/dex, regen, and 1 or 2 shields.
Bracers - Finvarra's Bracers are the first choice for every toon. They add a dodge, and a degree of protection from Death Wish and Death Touch. Bracers of Defense are the second choice, they add a dodge, but no death magic protection. Bracers of Battle are a high end item that drops only in Dragon Pit (like the Girdle of Might), and if you can get them, you probably don't need my fashion advice. Never wear Bracers of Density, they are too heavy and have relatively low AR. Bracers should be permed with Improve Armor, and chanted with str/dex. Regen is optional.
Cowl - There are 4 magical cowls in the game. Finvarra's Cowl and the Thuriasz Cowl are essentially the same, except for color (fin black vs. red with a glowie gold edge). The T-Cowl has 5% more AR and can't be dyed. The Cowl of Density is junk, you don't want one. Dragon Pit offers the Cowl of Immortaility, which has wondrous stats, but by the time you can afford one, again, you won't need armor advice. Before you can acquire a Fin or T-Cowl, the best choice for Elf Wizards, Thieves, and Adventurers is Troll Leather. For all other toons the starter cowl of choice is Obsidianate, because it has the same armor rating as Admantium, with a lower weight. Cowls are normally permed with Improve Armor, and chanted with str/dex, and optionally regen.
Body Armor - There are quite a few magical chestplates in the game, of which only one is usually worn, and that is the Plate of Invulnerability. It provides a very high armor rating, but it's quite heavy, and is best suited for giants. It is also notoriously expensive to repair, so many hitter toons wear Mythril Plate instead, and save the PoI for hunting monsters that hit extremely hard, like dragons. (Later on hitters might invest in a Breastplate of Battle, which has a natural strength chant, but like all items found only in Dragon Pit, is rather spendy.) Elf Wizards and Thieves are better off starting with a Troll Leather doublet or tunic. At higher levels they may switch to chanted cloth, or they might upgrade to an Arch Mage's Shirt, which adds to intelligence, endurance, and casting power, and gives some magic resists, however the AMS is very, very spendy. Humans and Orcs of any class can wear Mythril, as they have more strength. Chest armor should be permed with Improve Armor, and chanted with str/dex, and optional regen.
Leg Armor - The only magical leg armor in the game comes from Dragon Pit, except for those icky Greaves of Density . All hitter toons and Humans, Giants, and Orcs of any class should wear Mythril Greaves. (The DP upgrade is Greaves of Fortitude, which add endurance.) Elf Wizards and Thieves start with Troll Leather and may choose to switch to cloth later, same as chest armor. (Their DP upgrade is Arch Mage's Pants, which have the same attributes and price tag as the shirt.) Pants get the same chants as chest armor.
Boots - The least expensive and easiest to obtain starter footwear are either Boots of Nimbleness or Finvarra's Shoes. Both have natural dexterity, and Fin Shoes also have a natural fire and cold shield. A step up from these are Finvarra's Boots, which have the same attributes as the shoes, with a higher armor rating. (Also, most people seem to prefer the appearance of boots over low shoes.) There is a DP upgrade, Boots of Evasion, that give an extra dodge per combat round as well as the natural dexterity chant, but they are the least popular of the DP items, because they are shoes, and not boots. (Despite the name) Footwear takes the same chants as chest and leg armor.
Jewelry - Most warriors and adventurers of any race will want an Amulet of Combat, which gives an extra attack per round, and 2 Rings of Endurance, although some adventurers and Elf warriors may prefer 1 RoE and 1 Ring of Intelligence, to increase their Mysticism spell durations. Wizards generally carry 2 sets of jewelry, an Amulet of Endurance and 2 RoEs for hunting, especially at lower levels, and an Amulet of Intelligence and 2 RoIs for enchanting and for hunting in areas where the extra spell oomph is more vaulable than the extra hit points. Thieves often wear an AoC and the split RoE/RoI combo, but this varies according to personal preference. Some may go with 2 RoEs instead. The DP upgrades for jewelry are the Ring of Destruction (adds strength, endurance, and some magic resistance) for hitters and sometimes Thieves, the Ring of Power (adds intelligence, boosts spell power, and gives some magic resistance) for casters (and sometimes Thieves) and the Amulet of Adventure, which is for adventurers only, adds strength, endurance, and intelligence, gives some magic resistance and an extra attack per round, has natural regeneration, and you don't even have to eat while wearing one. Wow. (Need I mention that it is very expensive to buy?) Jewelry should have str/dex and regen chanted on it, and is an excellent place for any shields that you haven't put on your skirt, robe, or baldric.
Shields - Shield skill was only recently implemented. Most toons who wield a one-handed weapon are going for either a Mythril Round Shield or a Mythril Tower Shield. The jury is still out on which is really best. The DP upgrade is the Shield of Infinite Thought, which adds intelligence, spell power, and magic resistance for Wizards, but beware if you use one - shields have been known to suddenly shatter in combat. Shields should be permed with Improve Armor, and chanted with str/dex and regen.
I'll go into helm and weapon recommendations in seperate posts.
.
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Abbreviations
We certainly use a lot of them, don't we? This isn't all of them, but it covers most. Some are more commonly used than others.
189 - An elf wizard who has reached the highest SDM level possible without Dragon Pit gear.
1k - The highest level in the game, or a character who has reached this level
201 - An elf wizard who has reached the highest SDM possible with Dragon Pit gear.
AD - Acestos Desert (area)
ADD - Acestos Deep Desert (area)
ADET - All Dexterity Elf Thief
Adm - Admantium
AEG - All Endurance Giant
AEGW - All Endurance Giant Warrior
AEGT - All Endurance Giant Thief
Aegis, Aegs, Aggies - Aegiscian(s) (monster)
AIEW - All Intelligence Elf Wizard
AMA - Anti-Magic Aura (find only spell)
AMS - Arch Mage's Shirt
AMP - Arch Mage's Pants
AO - Ancient One (mist monster)
AoA - Amulet of Adventure
AoC - Amulet of Combat or Amulet of Choking
AoChoke - Amulet of Choking
AoD - Amulet of Dexterity or Amulet of Dodging
AoDMP - Amulet of Death Magic Protection
AoE - Amulet of Endurance
AoFW - Amulet of Free Will
AoI - Amulet of Intelligence
AoS - Amulet of Strength
AR - Armor Rating
ASEW - All Strength Elf Warrior
ASHW - All Strength Human Warrior
ASG - All Strength Giant
ASGW - All Strength Giant Warrior
BC - Bonecrusher (magical club)
BD - Baby Dragon (monster)
BH - Bounty Hunter (monster)
BoB - Bracers of Battle
BoC - Belt of Carrying
BoD or BoDs - Bracers of Density or Bracers of Defense, sometimes Boots of Density
BoDef - Bracers of Defense
BoE or BoEs - Boots of Evasion
BoHPU - Belt of Holding Pants Up (a plain old belt... get it?)
BoL - Belt of Load (cursed item)
BoN or BoNs - Boots of Nimbleness
BoS - Belt of Strength
BoT or BoTs - Boots of Tripping (cursed item)
BoW - Belt of Weakness (cursed item)
BP - Backpack or build point
BPoB - Breastplate of Battle
BW - Bloodwood (area)
CF - Caer Fandry (town)
Champ - Champion (mist monster)
CK - Crypt Keeper (monster)
CoD - Church of Damnation (cave)
CoI - Cowl of Immortality
CM - Codemasters (former game owners)
CS - Critical Strike
DC - Duach's Crystal (used to cast Duach's Vengeance one time)
DD - (Acestos) Deep Desert (usually called ADD)
DF - Dark Fleshie
DF - Devon Forest (area)
DG - Dark Gauntlet (Duach's Temple cave)
DK - Daemon King (monster)
DP - Dragon Pit (dungeon)
DR - Death Raffle (trading term)
DT - Death Touch (spell) or Duach's Thorn (weapon)
DV - Drear Valley (area) or Duach's Vengeance (Find only "god" spell)
DW - Death Wish (Necromancy spell) or Despothes' Wrath (Find only "god" spell)
EA - Executioner's Axe
EB - Enid's Blessing (Find only "god" spell)
EF - Electric Fury (Elementalism spell)
EF - Emerald Forest (area)
EH - Event Host
EJ - Elphame's Justice (Find only "god" spell)
EL - East Leinster (town)
Elem - Elemental (monster, they come in 4 flavors: Earth, Fire, Water, and Air)
EM - Evil Minion (mist monster)
EN - Enid's Needle (weapon)
ESH - Enid's Safe Haven (cave)
Faf - Fafnir (really big dragon)
Fin - Finvarra (god of war) or the various magical items associated with him
FF - Finvarra's Fist or Fafnir's Fang (weapons)
FHP - Festering Hate Pool (cave)
FoD - Forest of Death (area)
FQ - Faery Queen (monster that can also be summoned to fight for a player)
Fufu - Fuloran (monster)
FWH - Female Warrior's Helm
GBoN or GBoNs - "Glowie" Boots of Nimbleness
GBoT or GBoTs - "Glowie" Boots of Tripping (cursed item, that people still want)
GH - Greater Hives (cave)
GM - Game Moderator (any game staff)
GoF - Greaves of Fortitude
GoM - Girdle of Might
GoW - Gust of Wind (Level 3 find-only Elementalism spell)
Grem - Gremlin (maze monster)
GTrib - Glowie Tribune Helm
GVik - Glowie Viking Helm
GWC - Glowie Wizard's Cap
Harl, Harlie, Harly - Harlequin (maze monster)
HG - Hunter Green (Level 1000 baldric)
HoC - Helm of the Conqueror
HoD - Helm of Defense or Head of Death (Implementor only spell)
HoEN - Helm of Nourishment
HoF - Helm of the Fianna (often just called a Fianna)
HoI - Helm of Intelligence
HoK - Helm of the Khan
HoN - Helm of Nourishment
HoP - Helm of the Predator
HoS - Hood of Shifting
HoZ - Helm of the Berserker
HP - Health points
HS - Hell Snake (monster)
IC - Imp City (cave) or Ironwood Cudgel (weapon)
IH - Imp Haven (cave)
IK - Imp King (monster)
Ill Foe - Illusionary Foe (find-only spell)
JBB - Jelly Bean Bag (old GM drop item)
JBB w/ JB - Jelly Bean Bag with the jelly beans still inside
JoL - Jack O'Lantern (also known as "Jacko")
JoS - Judgment of the Scepter (Despothes' Temple cave)
KF - Killing Fields (area)
KK - King Kilrog (monster)
Lab - Labyrinth (cave)
LF - Light Fleshie
LH - Lesser Hives (cave)
LL - Life Leech (sword)
MD - Mass Drain (Necromancy spell)
MDF - Medium Dark Fleshie
MDM - Melee Damage Modifier
MF - Medium Fleshie (seldom used, usually just "Fleshie")
MFF - Mabon's Forced Flee (Find only "god" spell)
MH - Mage Hat
MoM - Master of the Maze (maze monster)
MM - Magic Mail, Magic Mace, Middle Man (trading, mostly replaced by "MP") Mist Mage (mist monster) or sometimes Monmouth (town)
MMB - Maze Master's Baldric
MP - Middle Person (trading)
MW - Middle Woman (trading, mostly replaced by "MP")
MWH - Male Warrior's Helm
Myth - Mythril
NB - Natural Brown
NG - Norsemen Games (they own the Realm)
NH - North Havenwood
NL - North of Leinster (area, now known as North Havenwood)
NMH - Nightmare Helm
NS - Night Soul
NW - Natural White (very bright white)
Obs - Obsidianate
OE - Odin's Edge (weapon)
OoE - Orb of Extension
OoGH - Orb of Greater Healing
OoH - Orb of Holding or Orb of Healing
OoI - Orb of Immolation
OoTP - Orb of Teleportation
OoW - Orb of Wind
Pallie, Pally - Paladin (monster)
PP - Pickpocket
PoI - Plate of Invulnerability
PR - Perfect Rose (Used to cast Enid's Blessing)
Prot - Protector (mist monster)
PvE - Player vs. Environment (seldom used on Realm)
PvP - Player vs. Player
Rap - Rapscallion (maze monster)
RoD - Ring of Dexterity or Ring of Destruction
RoDex - Ring of Dexterity
RoE - Ring of Endurance
RoEN - Ring of Eternal Nourishment
RoG - Ring of Gender (unimplemented)
RoI - Ring of Intelligence
RoP - Ring of Power
RoU - Ring of Ugliness
RP - Roleplay or Royal Purple (Level 500 baldric)
RR - Ratling Run (area)
SB - Silverbrook (town), sometimes Spellbook
Scroll Haven - Imp Haven
SDM - Spell Damage Modifier
SH - South Havenwood (area)
SL - Storyline
SoIT - Shield of Infinite Thought
SoM - Servant of the Mists (big nasty monster)
SoT - Sword of Tiwaz
SS - Sandstorm (Level 3 find-only Elementalism spell)
SSR - Skill System Revamp
Targ's - Targoth's Tomb (cave)
TB - Thieves' Blade (sword)
TCowl - Thuriasz Cowl
TH - Thieves' Hole, sometimes Troll Haven or Troll Hideaway (caves)
TL - Troll Leather
TMMB - Tan Maze Master's Baldric
ToS - Test of Souls (Enid's Temple cave)
TS - Tempered Steel
TSash - Thistlebark Sash
Uppy - Uplander's Helm
USH - Undead Stronghold (cave)
VE - Vulcan Edge (sword)
ViH - Village Idiot's Hat
WH - West Havenwood
WH - Wizard's Hat
WL - West Leinster (town)
WoG - Wrath of the Gods (Thaumaturgy spell)
WoZ - Wand of Berzerk
WV - Wexfordshire Valley (area)
YMMB - Yellow Maze Master's Baldric
189 - An elf wizard who has reached the highest SDM level possible without Dragon Pit gear.
1k - The highest level in the game, or a character who has reached this level
201 - An elf wizard who has reached the highest SDM possible with Dragon Pit gear.
AD - Acestos Desert (area)
ADD - Acestos Deep Desert (area)
ADET - All Dexterity Elf Thief
Adm - Admantium
AEG - All Endurance Giant
AEGW - All Endurance Giant Warrior
AEGT - All Endurance Giant Thief
Aegis, Aegs, Aggies - Aegiscian(s) (monster)
AIEW - All Intelligence Elf Wizard
AMA - Anti-Magic Aura (find only spell)
AMS - Arch Mage's Shirt
AMP - Arch Mage's Pants
AO - Ancient One (mist monster)
AoA - Amulet of Adventure
AoC - Amulet of Combat or Amulet of Choking
AoChoke - Amulet of Choking
AoD - Amulet of Dexterity or Amulet of Dodging
AoDMP - Amulet of Death Magic Protection
AoE - Amulet of Endurance
AoFW - Amulet of Free Will
AoI - Amulet of Intelligence
AoS - Amulet of Strength
AR - Armor Rating
ASEW - All Strength Elf Warrior
ASHW - All Strength Human Warrior
ASG - All Strength Giant
ASGW - All Strength Giant Warrior
BC - Bonecrusher (magical club)
BD - Baby Dragon (monster)
BH - Bounty Hunter (monster)
BoB - Bracers of Battle
BoC - Belt of Carrying
BoD or BoDs - Bracers of Density or Bracers of Defense, sometimes Boots of Density
BoDef - Bracers of Defense
BoE or BoEs - Boots of Evasion
BoHPU - Belt of Holding Pants Up (a plain old belt... get it?)
BoL - Belt of Load (cursed item)
BoN or BoNs - Boots of Nimbleness
BoS - Belt of Strength
BoT or BoTs - Boots of Tripping (cursed item)
BoW - Belt of Weakness (cursed item)
BP - Backpack or build point
BPoB - Breastplate of Battle
BW - Bloodwood (area)
CF - Caer Fandry (town)
Champ - Champion (mist monster)
CK - Crypt Keeper (monster)
CoD - Church of Damnation (cave)
CoI - Cowl of Immortality
CM - Codemasters (former game owners)
CS - Critical Strike
DC - Duach's Crystal (used to cast Duach's Vengeance one time)
DD - (Acestos) Deep Desert (usually called ADD)
DF - Dark Fleshie
DF - Devon Forest (area)
DG - Dark Gauntlet (Duach's Temple cave)
DK - Daemon King (monster)
DP - Dragon Pit (dungeon)
DR - Death Raffle (trading term)
DT - Death Touch (spell) or Duach's Thorn (weapon)
DV - Drear Valley (area) or Duach's Vengeance (Find only "god" spell)
DW - Death Wish (Necromancy spell) or Despothes' Wrath (Find only "god" spell)
EA - Executioner's Axe
EB - Enid's Blessing (Find only "god" spell)
EF - Electric Fury (Elementalism spell)
EF - Emerald Forest (area)
EH - Event Host
EJ - Elphame's Justice (Find only "god" spell)
EL - East Leinster (town)
Elem - Elemental (monster, they come in 4 flavors: Earth, Fire, Water, and Air)
EM - Evil Minion (mist monster)
EN - Enid's Needle (weapon)
ESH - Enid's Safe Haven (cave)
Faf - Fafnir (really big dragon)
Fin - Finvarra (god of war) or the various magical items associated with him
FF - Finvarra's Fist or Fafnir's Fang (weapons)
FHP - Festering Hate Pool (cave)
FoD - Forest of Death (area)
FQ - Faery Queen (monster that can also be summoned to fight for a player)
Fufu - Fuloran (monster)
FWH - Female Warrior's Helm
GBoN or GBoNs - "Glowie" Boots of Nimbleness
GBoT or GBoTs - "Glowie" Boots of Tripping (cursed item, that people still want)
GH - Greater Hives (cave)
GM - Game Moderator (any game staff)
GoF - Greaves of Fortitude
GoM - Girdle of Might
GoW - Gust of Wind (Level 3 find-only Elementalism spell)
Grem - Gremlin (maze monster)
GTrib - Glowie Tribune Helm
GVik - Glowie Viking Helm
GWC - Glowie Wizard's Cap
Harl, Harlie, Harly - Harlequin (maze monster)
HG - Hunter Green (Level 1000 baldric)
HoC - Helm of the Conqueror
HoD - Helm of Defense or Head of Death (Implementor only spell)
HoEN - Helm of Nourishment
HoF - Helm of the Fianna (often just called a Fianna)
HoI - Helm of Intelligence
HoK - Helm of the Khan
HoN - Helm of Nourishment
HoP - Helm of the Predator
HoS - Hood of Shifting
HoZ - Helm of the Berserker
HP - Health points
HS - Hell Snake (monster)
IC - Imp City (cave) or Ironwood Cudgel (weapon)
IH - Imp Haven (cave)
IK - Imp King (monster)
Ill Foe - Illusionary Foe (find-only spell)
JBB - Jelly Bean Bag (old GM drop item)
JBB w/ JB - Jelly Bean Bag with the jelly beans still inside
JoL - Jack O'Lantern (also known as "Jacko")
JoS - Judgment of the Scepter (Despothes' Temple cave)
KF - Killing Fields (area)
KK - King Kilrog (monster)
Lab - Labyrinth (cave)
LF - Light Fleshie
LH - Lesser Hives (cave)
LL - Life Leech (sword)
MD - Mass Drain (Necromancy spell)
MDF - Medium Dark Fleshie
MDM - Melee Damage Modifier
MF - Medium Fleshie (seldom used, usually just "Fleshie")
MFF - Mabon's Forced Flee (Find only "god" spell)
MH - Mage Hat
MoM - Master of the Maze (maze monster)
MM - Magic Mail, Magic Mace, Middle Man (trading, mostly replaced by "MP") Mist Mage (mist monster) or sometimes Monmouth (town)
MMB - Maze Master's Baldric
MP - Middle Person (trading)
MW - Middle Woman (trading, mostly replaced by "MP")
MWH - Male Warrior's Helm
Myth - Mythril
NB - Natural Brown
NG - Norsemen Games (they own the Realm)
NH - North Havenwood
NL - North of Leinster (area, now known as North Havenwood)
NMH - Nightmare Helm
NS - Night Soul
NW - Natural White (very bright white)
Obs - Obsidianate
OE - Odin's Edge (weapon)
OoE - Orb of Extension
OoGH - Orb of Greater Healing
OoH - Orb of Holding or Orb of Healing
OoI - Orb of Immolation
OoTP - Orb of Teleportation
OoW - Orb of Wind
Pallie, Pally - Paladin (monster)
PP - Pickpocket
PoI - Plate of Invulnerability
PR - Perfect Rose (Used to cast Enid's Blessing)
Prot - Protector (mist monster)
PvE - Player vs. Environment (seldom used on Realm)
PvP - Player vs. Player
Rap - Rapscallion (maze monster)
RoD - Ring of Dexterity or Ring of Destruction
RoDex - Ring of Dexterity
RoE - Ring of Endurance
RoEN - Ring of Eternal Nourishment
RoG - Ring of Gender (unimplemented)
RoI - Ring of Intelligence
RoP - Ring of Power
RoU - Ring of Ugliness
RP - Roleplay or Royal Purple (Level 500 baldric)
RR - Ratling Run (area)
SB - Silverbrook (town), sometimes Spellbook
Scroll Haven - Imp Haven
SDM - Spell Damage Modifier
SH - South Havenwood (area)
SL - Storyline
SoIT - Shield of Infinite Thought
SoM - Servant of the Mists (big nasty monster)
SoT - Sword of Tiwaz
SS - Sandstorm (Level 3 find-only Elementalism spell)
SSR - Skill System Revamp
Targ's - Targoth's Tomb (cave)
TB - Thieves' Blade (sword)
TCowl - Thuriasz Cowl
TH - Thieves' Hole, sometimes Troll Haven or Troll Hideaway (caves)
TL - Troll Leather
TMMB - Tan Maze Master's Baldric
ToS - Test of Souls (Enid's Temple cave)
TS - Tempered Steel
TSash - Thistlebark Sash
Uppy - Uplander's Helm
USH - Undead Stronghold (cave)
VE - Vulcan Edge (sword)
ViH - Village Idiot's Hat
WH - West Havenwood
WH - Wizard's Hat
WL - West Leinster (town)
WoG - Wrath of the Gods (Thaumaturgy spell)
WoZ - Wand of Berzerk
WV - Wexfordshire Valley (area)
YMMB - Yellow Maze Master's Baldric
Wizard's Guide -Festering Hate Pool
I originally posted this on the official message boards a few years ago Those boards are gone, but FHP hasn't changed a bit. An AIEW should be able to do everything but the 9 Lich and 7 Fury fights by level 100-150.
More Than You Ever Wanted to Know About Festering Hate Pool
by VeraGemini
Festering Hate Pool (FHP) is located 6 up and 6 right from the Wen teleporter, in Zender's Woods. It's a good cave for any mid-low level toon, but it is especially good for wizards, as it is one of the few caves we can solo at an earlier level than the ASGWs. To survive FHP, you need at least GM Thaum, Myst, Med, and Thowing Dagger, shift potions, and greater invis potions (or the spell).
Go load up the FHP map at http://www.realmoracle.com in a seperate window or tab for this tutorial, as I'll be referring to specific room numbers. Go load it up now, I'll wait.
Go invis, invul, and drink a shift before entering. The entrance (000 on the map) contains the "Gatekeeper" (who is really just a garden-variety Wraith), a sarc, 2 buttons, and a lever. Kill the Gatekeeper (Light Dart or a throwing dagger will take him out fast. Wraiths are undead, and 100% myst resistant, so don't waste your time casting Hold.) and go through the sarc. This will take you to room 002 on the map, where you will find a small group of Screeching Horrors. They have 0 MR, so cast Mass Hold and then Multiblade. Go 1 down (room 001) for a larger group of Screeching Horrors, then go back up 2, left 1, and then up 1 to room 056 where you will find 2 Dark Faeries. (You can go from the bats up 2, left 2, and down 1 to kill 1 Hellhound if you'd like. It only ever drops a pelt, so this is up to you.)
After you've dispatched the Dark Faeries, go up 1 and right 3 to room 015, and a group of 5 Troll Kings. (This is also a good point to re-shift, and re-invis) Troll Kings like to cast Earthquake, which can tear up a low hp toon, so I recommend summoning a Faery Queen (or better yet, a Daemon if you have GM necro) right into the middle of the group. Troll Kings cast, but they seem to prefer melee attacks when there's a target within range. Mass Hold next round, then keep summoning, casting on them, winging daggers, whatever you like.
Go 1 up and 1 left from the Troll Kings to the bonepile in room 018. It often contains an obs cowl or a pair of Boots of Nimbleness, and I've found a few Belts of Carrying here as well. (Always ID boots or belts found here before putting them on, I've found many pairs of Boots of Tripping, and not a few Belts of Load or Belts of Weakness here too. FHP is a cave with a twisted sense of humor.) There may or may not be one low-level monster (Ratlings, assorted bats, Pixies, occasionally a wasp.) here. Then go right 1 and through the trap door.
(Yes, I'm aware there's a whole left side to the first floor of FHP, but in my opinion, running through it is pointless. There are low-level, low-exp, low-treasure monsters like Undead Necromancers and Ratlings guarding an empty sarc, followed by the 5 Fury and 7 Lich fights that can kill a low level wizard, and really aren't worth the trouble at higher levels. There can be good treasure in the sarc behind the Liches, but there's an alternate route to get there. If you really want to take on the Undead Necromancers, in the hopes they might drop a spellbook like Unlock, Greater ID, or Mass Fumble, they can be found in room 053 of the Oracle map. In my experience, the Wraiths later on are much better bets for spellbooks.)
Once through the trap door, you'll find a single Cyclops. 1 left is a group of 7 Imp Kings. Imp Kings can be tough for a low-hp toon, but the experience is good, and I've gotten Bonecrushers, Fin Shoes, Fin Bracers, and Wraths from this fight. Imp Kings are 75% MR, so it's best to get some summons out to soak their damage before trying to myst them. Imp Kings cast Light Dart, Flame Orb, Ice Orb, Combat Teleport, and occasionally Lightning Bolt, but they don't cast any mass spells like the Troll Kings.
Go back 1 right from the Imp Kings and through the door, then go 1 right and 1 down to the Bounty Hunter group. Mass Zerk is nice here, as is Mass Fumble if you have it. (Those obs and adm weapons can add up to a nice little pile of gold.) Go back up 1, left 1, down 1, and left 1 for a small group of Screeching Horrors. Don't pull the lever here, it will take you back to the entrance. 1 down from the bats is a group of 2 Furies. I like Gust of Wind or Sandstorm for Furies, if you have those spells. If not, Stoning does a number on them. Another good Fury strategy is to drop a Faery Queen right in the middle of them, and hope they Fireball themselves to death. Watching that never gets old. :)
From the Furies, go up 2, right 1, up 1, and through the trap door. This will take you to room 021. Invul, re-shift, and re-invis here, and put on a Thaum ammy if you have one now. Go down 1 and kill the Devils. Summon FQs, myst them, then cast WoG, devils are pretty easy, and they will ignore you as long as you're invisible and have some summons on the screen. Devils are also a good source of Fin Shoes and Fin Bracers. Once they're dead, pull the lever. (Praying at the altar on this screen does nothing.)
The lever takes you to room 040. Invul, shift, invis again and go 2 right to a group of 5 Devils, who will promptly jump you if your hp are low enough. Kill them, then raid the bonepile behind them. This bonepile is often where the best treasure in FHP will be, Bonecrushers, Wraths, SoTs, Fin gear... or, you might find a nice pair of Iron Sollerets. Treasure ain't ever guaranteed. Go back 1 left, kill the Cyclops, then go through the door. Go up 2, kill the group of Thieves, then go 1 right and raid the chests. Don't forget to check the backpack on the floor, sometimes it contains a nice orb or wand. Backtrack 1 right and 2 down, back through the door, and take the stairs. Go 2 down and kill a group of Wraiths. (Semi-rare spellbooks can be found in this fight, like GiD, Summon Doppelganger, Mass Fumble, or Acid Rain. However, don't expect to find Enid's Blessing or Anti-Magic Aura.) Then, go 1 down, kill the single Ghost if you feel like it, and check the bonepile. It is often empty, but I've found several Orbs of Holding in it before.
Backtrack 3 up, go back through the door, and kill the Cyclops there if you haven't already. Then, go 1 left and 1 up to the Control Center, a/k/a "The Lever Room". This is a good place to drop off any heavy loot you've picked up, as you'll be coming back here several times, but kill the Cyclops guarding the levers first, so he doesn't pick it all up. Pull the middle right lever first, the one that appears gray on the Oracle map. This takes you to room 024. go 1 down, then 1 left, where you will find a large group of Warriors. The same tactics that work for the Bounty Hunters work here as well. Once they're dead, go back 1 right, 1 down, 1 left, and 1 down, to a large Medusa group. The same tactics for Devils apply to Medusae. This is an especially nice fight, for experience and shop food. Medusae often drop mundane helms, and once I got 4 Wizard's Hats from this fight.
After the Medusae, go 1 left, where you'll find 1 Devil and 1 Warrior. Also a lever, but don't pull it yet. Kill those 2, then go 1 up where you'll find a couple of Wraiths guarding a chest. Kill, raid, then go back 1 down and pull that lever now. It will take you back to the Lever Room. Drop the heavies (the chest with the Wraiths often contains obs weapons), then pull the bottom right lever, the one that is green on the Oracle map. You'll appear in room 044, where there will be 1 Wasp Worker and 1 Wasp Warrior. One square to the right you will find a mixed group of Wasps, including 1 queen, and another lever to take you back to the Lever Room. You can kill these bugs or not, doesn't matter. You can also skip the green lever entirely if you prefer. The wasps can be ok for experience, but seldom if ever drop anything good.
Back in the Lever Room, pull the middle right lever - the one that is peach-colored on the Oracle map. This takes you to room 044, one right of there you will find a group of 5 Cyclopi. Summoning Daemons is good here, as well as Mass Hold or Mass Zerk, and Mass Fumble if you have it. Those adm clubs alone can recoup your mana and repair costs for the entire cave. Also, this fight has been known to yield up Bonecrushers and Fin items. Once they're dead, pull the lever back to the Lever Room and pick up anything you've dropped on the floor there. You've reached the Point of No Return, and the end of the cave, as far as fights go. Pull the top right (orange) lever, which will take you to room 049, the sarc behind those nasty Liches I mentioned earlier. Raid the sarc, then 'port out and sell your goodies.
More Than You Ever Wanted to Know About Festering Hate Pool
by VeraGemini
Festering Hate Pool (FHP) is located 6 up and 6 right from the Wen teleporter, in Zender's Woods. It's a good cave for any mid-low level toon, but it is especially good for wizards, as it is one of the few caves we can solo at an earlier level than the ASGWs. To survive FHP, you need at least GM Thaum, Myst, Med, and Thowing Dagger, shift potions, and greater invis potions (or the spell).
Go load up the FHP map at http://www.realmoracle.com in a seperate window or tab for this tutorial, as I'll be referring to specific room numbers. Go load it up now, I'll wait.
Go invis, invul, and drink a shift before entering. The entrance (000 on the map) contains the "Gatekeeper" (who is really just a garden-variety Wraith), a sarc, 2 buttons, and a lever. Kill the Gatekeeper (Light Dart or a throwing dagger will take him out fast. Wraiths are undead, and 100% myst resistant, so don't waste your time casting Hold.) and go through the sarc. This will take you to room 002 on the map, where you will find a small group of Screeching Horrors. They have 0 MR, so cast Mass Hold and then Multiblade. Go 1 down (room 001) for a larger group of Screeching Horrors, then go back up 2, left 1, and then up 1 to room 056 where you will find 2 Dark Faeries. (You can go from the bats up 2, left 2, and down 1 to kill 1 Hellhound if you'd like. It only ever drops a pelt, so this is up to you.)
After you've dispatched the Dark Faeries, go up 1 and right 3 to room 015, and a group of 5 Troll Kings. (This is also a good point to re-shift, and re-invis) Troll Kings like to cast Earthquake, which can tear up a low hp toon, so I recommend summoning a Faery Queen (or better yet, a Daemon if you have GM necro) right into the middle of the group. Troll Kings cast, but they seem to prefer melee attacks when there's a target within range. Mass Hold next round, then keep summoning, casting on them, winging daggers, whatever you like.
Go 1 up and 1 left from the Troll Kings to the bonepile in room 018. It often contains an obs cowl or a pair of Boots of Nimbleness, and I've found a few Belts of Carrying here as well. (Always ID boots or belts found here before putting them on, I've found many pairs of Boots of Tripping, and not a few Belts of Load or Belts of Weakness here too. FHP is a cave with a twisted sense of humor.) There may or may not be one low-level monster (Ratlings, assorted bats, Pixies, occasionally a wasp.) here. Then go right 1 and through the trap door.
(Yes, I'm aware there's a whole left side to the first floor of FHP, but in my opinion, running through it is pointless. There are low-level, low-exp, low-treasure monsters like Undead Necromancers and Ratlings guarding an empty sarc, followed by the 5 Fury and 7 Lich fights that can kill a low level wizard, and really aren't worth the trouble at higher levels. There can be good treasure in the sarc behind the Liches, but there's an alternate route to get there. If you really want to take on the Undead Necromancers, in the hopes they might drop a spellbook like Unlock, Greater ID, or Mass Fumble, they can be found in room 053 of the Oracle map. In my experience, the Wraiths later on are much better bets for spellbooks.)
Once through the trap door, you'll find a single Cyclops. 1 left is a group of 7 Imp Kings. Imp Kings can be tough for a low-hp toon, but the experience is good, and I've gotten Bonecrushers, Fin Shoes, Fin Bracers, and Wraths from this fight. Imp Kings are 75% MR, so it's best to get some summons out to soak their damage before trying to myst them. Imp Kings cast Light Dart, Flame Orb, Ice Orb, Combat Teleport, and occasionally Lightning Bolt, but they don't cast any mass spells like the Troll Kings.
Go back 1 right from the Imp Kings and through the door, then go 1 right and 1 down to the Bounty Hunter group. Mass Zerk is nice here, as is Mass Fumble if you have it. (Those obs and adm weapons can add up to a nice little pile of gold.) Go back up 1, left 1, down 1, and left 1 for a small group of Screeching Horrors. Don't pull the lever here, it will take you back to the entrance. 1 down from the bats is a group of 2 Furies. I like Gust of Wind or Sandstorm for Furies, if you have those spells. If not, Stoning does a number on them. Another good Fury strategy is to drop a Faery Queen right in the middle of them, and hope they Fireball themselves to death. Watching that never gets old. :)
From the Furies, go up 2, right 1, up 1, and through the trap door. This will take you to room 021. Invul, re-shift, and re-invis here, and put on a Thaum ammy if you have one now. Go down 1 and kill the Devils. Summon FQs, myst them, then cast WoG, devils are pretty easy, and they will ignore you as long as you're invisible and have some summons on the screen. Devils are also a good source of Fin Shoes and Fin Bracers. Once they're dead, pull the lever. (Praying at the altar on this screen does nothing.)
The lever takes you to room 040. Invul, shift, invis again and go 2 right to a group of 5 Devils, who will promptly jump you if your hp are low enough. Kill them, then raid the bonepile behind them. This bonepile is often where the best treasure in FHP will be, Bonecrushers, Wraths, SoTs, Fin gear... or, you might find a nice pair of Iron Sollerets. Treasure ain't ever guaranteed. Go back 1 left, kill the Cyclops, then go through the door. Go up 2, kill the group of Thieves, then go 1 right and raid the chests. Don't forget to check the backpack on the floor, sometimes it contains a nice orb or wand. Backtrack 1 right and 2 down, back through the door, and take the stairs. Go 2 down and kill a group of Wraiths. (Semi-rare spellbooks can be found in this fight, like GiD, Summon Doppelganger, Mass Fumble, or Acid Rain. However, don't expect to find Enid's Blessing or Anti-Magic Aura.) Then, go 1 down, kill the single Ghost if you feel like it, and check the bonepile. It is often empty, but I've found several Orbs of Holding in it before.
Backtrack 3 up, go back through the door, and kill the Cyclops there if you haven't already. Then, go 1 left and 1 up to the Control Center, a/k/a "The Lever Room". This is a good place to drop off any heavy loot you've picked up, as you'll be coming back here several times, but kill the Cyclops guarding the levers first, so he doesn't pick it all up. Pull the middle right lever first, the one that appears gray on the Oracle map. This takes you to room 024. go 1 down, then 1 left, where you will find a large group of Warriors. The same tactics that work for the Bounty Hunters work here as well. Once they're dead, go back 1 right, 1 down, 1 left, and 1 down, to a large Medusa group. The same tactics for Devils apply to Medusae. This is an especially nice fight, for experience and shop food. Medusae often drop mundane helms, and once I got 4 Wizard's Hats from this fight.
After the Medusae, go 1 left, where you'll find 1 Devil and 1 Warrior. Also a lever, but don't pull it yet. Kill those 2, then go 1 up where you'll find a couple of Wraiths guarding a chest. Kill, raid, then go back 1 down and pull that lever now. It will take you back to the Lever Room. Drop the heavies (the chest with the Wraiths often contains obs weapons), then pull the bottom right lever, the one that is green on the Oracle map. You'll appear in room 044, where there will be 1 Wasp Worker and 1 Wasp Warrior. One square to the right you will find a mixed group of Wasps, including 1 queen, and another lever to take you back to the Lever Room. You can kill these bugs or not, doesn't matter. You can also skip the green lever entirely if you prefer. The wasps can be ok for experience, but seldom if ever drop anything good.
Back in the Lever Room, pull the middle right lever - the one that is peach-colored on the Oracle map. This takes you to room 044, one right of there you will find a group of 5 Cyclopi. Summoning Daemons is good here, as well as Mass Hold or Mass Zerk, and Mass Fumble if you have it. Those adm clubs alone can recoup your mana and repair costs for the entire cave. Also, this fight has been known to yield up Bonecrushers and Fin items. Once they're dead, pull the lever back to the Lever Room and pick up anything you've dropped on the floor there. You've reached the Point of No Return, and the end of the cave, as far as fights go. Pull the top right (orange) lever, which will take you to room 049, the sarc behind those nasty Liches I mentioned earlier. Raid the sarc, then 'port out and sell your goodies.
Wizard's Guide - Furies
Furies use one of four different types of attacks: electrical, fire, acid, or poison. They never switch attacks in the middle of a battle, so a Fury that starts out electrical will stay electrical, and so on. The spells they use are as follows:
Electric: Lightning Bolt, Electric Fury, and Lightning Curse.
Fire: Flame Orb, Fireball, and Fire Curse.
Acid: Acid Bolt and Acid Curse, occasionally (recently) Acid Rain.
Poison: Poison Bolt and Poison Curse.
It would seem like the acid Furies would be the easiest, and while they do the least amount of overall damage, they're really not. The fire Furies are, and you'll see why in a minute. This advice is written with Wizards in mind, but it works equally well with Thieves and Adventurers, and even a Warrior can use this method, if they'd prefer not to play Fury tennis. All you need is GM Thaumaturgy.
Go into the fight with Greater Invisibility cast. First round, cast one Faery Queen right in the middle of the group of Furies. (You'll need to replace this FQ every few rounds.) Second round, summon another, a couple of spaces behind the first one. FQs #3-5 go further back yet, in front of you. Actually, it doesn't matter where you put #3-5, as long as they're not too close to #1 or #2. FQs 1 and 2 are your decoys, 3 through 5 are your Fury killing machines. Furies will ignore an invisible toon so long as there are other targets on screen, and they will always target whatever is closest to them. You're hoping that one of the Furies in the group will be using a fire attack, cast Fireball on FQ #1, and do fire damage to herself and her sisters. FQ #1 will die often, FQ #2 is placed where she is so they will target her in the round it takes to replace #1, and not do an area attack whammy that takes out #3-5. If you have an electric casting Fury you may have to replace the other FQs from time to time, along with #1, due to Electric Fury. Once you have a full complement of 5 FQs up, use Duach's Vengeance or either Wrath of the Gods or Light Dart. (Don't cast Wrath of the Gods if you aren't Benevolent, Good, or Beatific, as it will damage you, too.) Furies are neutral, but they don't resist Thaumaturgy spells. Don't throw daggers at them, you want them to stay clustered together. Killstar or Multiblade works well, too.
This is the most painless method I've found for groups of Furies. It works well for singles, too, but depending on your toon and weapon, you might prefer to just hit or throw.
Electric: Lightning Bolt, Electric Fury, and Lightning Curse.
Fire: Flame Orb, Fireball, and Fire Curse.
Acid: Acid Bolt and Acid Curse, occasionally (recently) Acid Rain.
Poison: Poison Bolt and Poison Curse.
It would seem like the acid Furies would be the easiest, and while they do the least amount of overall damage, they're really not. The fire Furies are, and you'll see why in a minute. This advice is written with Wizards in mind, but it works equally well with Thieves and Adventurers, and even a Warrior can use this method, if they'd prefer not to play Fury tennis. All you need is GM Thaumaturgy.
Go into the fight with Greater Invisibility cast. First round, cast one Faery Queen right in the middle of the group of Furies. (You'll need to replace this FQ every few rounds.) Second round, summon another, a couple of spaces behind the first one. FQs #3-5 go further back yet, in front of you. Actually, it doesn't matter where you put #3-5, as long as they're not too close to #1 or #2. FQs 1 and 2 are your decoys, 3 through 5 are your Fury killing machines. Furies will ignore an invisible toon so long as there are other targets on screen, and they will always target whatever is closest to them. You're hoping that one of the Furies in the group will be using a fire attack, cast Fireball on FQ #1, and do fire damage to herself and her sisters. FQ #1 will die often, FQ #2 is placed where she is so they will target her in the round it takes to replace #1, and not do an area attack whammy that takes out #3-5. If you have an electric casting Fury you may have to replace the other FQs from time to time, along with #1, due to Electric Fury. Once you have a full complement of 5 FQs up, use Duach's Vengeance or either Wrath of the Gods or Light Dart. (Don't cast Wrath of the Gods if you aren't Benevolent, Good, or Beatific, as it will damage you, too.) Furies are neutral, but they don't resist Thaumaturgy spells. Don't throw daggers at them, you want them to stay clustered together. Killstar or Multiblade works well, too.
This is the most painless method I've found for groups of Furies. It works well for singles, too, but depending on your toon and weapon, you might prefer to just hit or throw.
Commonly Confused Critter Alignments
The alignment of some monsters is easy to figure out. Faeries and other things that flutter and blow kisses (Nymphs, Pixes, Seraphs of all flavors) are all good (except Dark Faeries, of course), as are Paladins, Clerics, Priestesses, and anything that says "Light" in their name. Devils and anything that looks like a demon (Daemons, Kilrogs) are obviously evil, as is anything that says "Hell" in the name. Some others aren't so obvious.
Bats Screeching Horrors are evil, all others are neutral.
Rats Daemon Ratlings are, amazingly enough, evil. All the rest are neutral.
Snakes Hellsnakes and Baby Dragons are evil, all others are neutral.
Bees Wasp Healers are good, Evil Bees are evil (imagine that!), all others are neutral.
Imps Imp Thaumaturgists are good. Imp Necromancers and Imp Slavemasters are evil. All the rest (including Imp Kings) are neutral.
Trolls and Ogres All neutral.
Wolves and Fenri Howling Terrors and Hellhounds are evil, all others are neutral.
Furies and Other Things that Float, Screech, and Brush their Hair Furies are neutral. Ghosts, Shades, and Banshees are evil.
Minotaurs Dolus Thralls, Dolus Acolytes, Sarullian Warriors, and Sarullian Necromancers are good. Kamrian Invaders and Kamrian Druids are neutral. Uplander Drudges, Drudge Mages, Avalonians, and Avalonian Wizards are evil.
Maze Denizens Maze creatures (Gremlins, Rapscallions, and Harlequins) can be of any alignment.
Mist Creatures Champions and Ancient ones are good, Evil Minions and Warlocks are evil, Protectors, Mist Mages, Servants of the Mists, and Seekers are neutral.
Swamp Things All dragons are neutral (including the named ones like Fafnir) as are all the gooey, slimey, mucky things. All the flying skulls are evil.
Undead All evil. This includes Undead Necromancers, Liches, Crypt Keepers, Wraiths, Skeletons, Dammed Ones, Ghouls, Zombies, and Lost Sailors.
Miscellaneous NPCs Clerics, Paladins, Priestesses, Guardians, and Wizards of Light are good. Aegiscians, Medusas, Devils, and Thieves are evil. Bounty Hunters, Wardens, Warriors, and Cyclopi are neutral.
Elementals Evil.
Squirrels So abominable they make Duach himself wet his pants.
Bats Screeching Horrors are evil, all others are neutral.
Rats Daemon Ratlings are, amazingly enough, evil. All the rest are neutral.
Snakes Hellsnakes and Baby Dragons are evil, all others are neutral.
Bees Wasp Healers are good, Evil Bees are evil (imagine that!), all others are neutral.
Imps Imp Thaumaturgists are good. Imp Necromancers and Imp Slavemasters are evil. All the rest (including Imp Kings) are neutral.
Trolls and Ogres All neutral.
Wolves and Fenri Howling Terrors and Hellhounds are evil, all others are neutral.
Furies and Other Things that Float, Screech, and Brush their Hair Furies are neutral. Ghosts, Shades, and Banshees are evil.
Minotaurs Dolus Thralls, Dolus Acolytes, Sarullian Warriors, and Sarullian Necromancers are good. Kamrian Invaders and Kamrian Druids are neutral. Uplander Drudges, Drudge Mages, Avalonians, and Avalonian Wizards are evil.
Maze Denizens Maze creatures (Gremlins, Rapscallions, and Harlequins) can be of any alignment.
Mist Creatures Champions and Ancient ones are good, Evil Minions and Warlocks are evil, Protectors, Mist Mages, Servants of the Mists, and Seekers are neutral.
Swamp Things All dragons are neutral (including the named ones like Fafnir) as are all the gooey, slimey, mucky things. All the flying skulls are evil.
Undead All evil. This includes Undead Necromancers, Liches, Crypt Keepers, Wraiths, Skeletons, Dammed Ones, Ghouls, Zombies, and Lost Sailors.
Miscellaneous NPCs Clerics, Paladins, Priestesses, Guardians, and Wizards of Light are good. Aegiscians, Medusas, Devils, and Thieves are evil. Bounty Hunters, Wardens, Warriors, and Cyclopi are neutral.
Elementals Evil.
Squirrels So abominable they make Duach himself wet his pants.
Wizard's Guide - Drear Valley
Drear Valley is normally thought of as Magic Macer heaven, but a low level wizzie can solo there for great experience, too. To get there, go right from the Monmouth teleporter, through the Downs. If you're not Malevolent, Evil, or Demonic, you will have to flee a few Hellsnakes and Kilrogs on the way.
Your target is Aegiscians. They are evil, and they have 0% Mysticism resistance. They also like to zerk or stun you and then summon Elementals, so it is vitally important that you cast Hold on them first round. Aegiscians have no armor to speak of, so there's no need to cast Defenselessness on them, just cast Extension and start the fight. Cast Hold first round. It will take, it always does. Then, summon up 5 Faery Queens. After that, Duach's Vengeance, Wrath of the Gods, and Light Dart all work well. (Don't use Wrath of the Gods unless you're Benevolent, Good, or Beatific, or it will damage you, too.) Start with the smallest Aegsicians (3k or so) until you get a feel for how much damage you can do. I found that at level 100, with a 12 round hold, I could take up to 10k hp ones.
The experience is good, and they drop a lot of orbs and amulets, as well as talismans and the occasional Wizard's Cap, so this is a good way to make some gold to fund the less lucrative but better experience runs to the swamp or Greater Hives.
Slightly higher level wizzies (200+) can make some quick shop food gold by Death Wishing or casting Duach's Vengeance on Dolus Thralls. The higher level cows either are too much for a solo wiz, or just aren't worth it, as the experience isn't great, and all cows srop the same.
Good luck!
Your target is Aegiscians. They are evil, and they have 0% Mysticism resistance. They also like to zerk or stun you and then summon Elementals, so it is vitally important that you cast Hold on them first round. Aegiscians have no armor to speak of, so there's no need to cast Defenselessness on them, just cast Extension and start the fight. Cast Hold first round. It will take, it always does. Then, summon up 5 Faery Queens. After that, Duach's Vengeance, Wrath of the Gods, and Light Dart all work well. (Don't use Wrath of the Gods unless you're Benevolent, Good, or Beatific, or it will damage you, too.) Start with the smallest Aegsicians (3k or so) until you get a feel for how much damage you can do. I found that at level 100, with a 12 round hold, I could take up to 10k hp ones.
The experience is good, and they drop a lot of orbs and amulets, as well as talismans and the occasional Wizard's Cap, so this is a good way to make some gold to fund the less lucrative but better experience runs to the swamp or Greater Hives.
Slightly higher level wizzies (200+) can make some quick shop food gold by Death Wishing or casting Duach's Vengeance on Dolus Thralls. The higher level cows either are too much for a solo wiz, or just aren't worth it, as the experience isn't great, and all cows srop the same.
Good luck!
Wizard's Guide - Greater Hives
Greater Hives is located 2 left and 12 up from the Asgard teleporter. This is Acestos Desert, so if you've got less than 2.5k hp, you'll need a ride. The first fight can be soloed at about level 200-250 for an AIEW. Most people only do the first fight over and over again for experience, so that's all I'm going to cover right now. (I will do a walkthrough for the entire cave at some point.)
The first fight is 5 Hornets, so the advice about getting Malevolent or lower and running Dark Gauntlet for the poison resist applies here, too. You will also want shift potions or a Hood of Shifting, and regen potions or Perfect Roses if you don't have the Enid's Blessing spell. (Regeneration potions work like Greater Heal and Cure Poison potions in one. You can buy them at Marvin's, or alch them, which is much cheaper, and gets you experience points.)
Before the fight, the highest level wizzie in the group (if there is a group) should cast Fire Grasp, Arctic Grasp, and Immolation on each bug. As these spells are blessings, not curses, they won't cause the bugs to jump you. Next, cast Extension, then Greater Invisibility. Invul yourself, drink a shift potion (if you don't have a HoS), and def the biggest bug to start the fight. Cast Mass Berserk first round. Hornets have around 33% MR, so if less than 4 are zerked, recast until you get them all. (Single zerk for just 1, it will last longer.) Once they're zerked, cast Mass Drain until they're dead. (Mass Drain should make up the damage you take from bites. If you need a round to breathe and recast, Zombies work well. They will die with 1 sting, but they will keep the bugs off of you for a round.) Reset the cave, rinse, repeat, until you see bugs in your sleep. The experience here is pretty good, the treasure not so much, although you will probably break even if you're soloing.
Good luck!
The first fight is 5 Hornets, so the advice about getting Malevolent or lower and running Dark Gauntlet for the poison resist applies here, too. You will also want shift potions or a Hood of Shifting, and regen potions or Perfect Roses if you don't have the Enid's Blessing spell. (Regeneration potions work like Greater Heal and Cure Poison potions in one. You can buy them at Marvin's, or alch them, which is much cheaper, and gets you experience points.)
Before the fight, the highest level wizzie in the group (if there is a group) should cast Fire Grasp, Arctic Grasp, and Immolation on each bug. As these spells are blessings, not curses, they won't cause the bugs to jump you. Next, cast Extension, then Greater Invisibility. Invul yourself, drink a shift potion (if you don't have a HoS), and def the biggest bug to start the fight. Cast Mass Berserk first round. Hornets have around 33% MR, so if less than 4 are zerked, recast until you get them all. (Single zerk for just 1, it will last longer.) Once they're zerked, cast Mass Drain until they're dead. (Mass Drain should make up the damage you take from bites. If you need a round to breathe and recast, Zombies work well. They will die with 1 sting, but they will keep the bugs off of you for a round.) Reset the cave, rinse, repeat, until you see bugs in your sleep. The experience here is pretty good, the treasure not so much, although you will probably break even if you're soloing.
Good luck!
Dark Gauntlet
Dark Gauntlet is the cave associated with Duach's temple. If your alignment is Malevolent, Evil, or Demonic, praying at the altar will give you glowie red/black hair and 90% poison resistance (meaning you only take 1 out of every 10 poison counters you would have otherwise) for 6 game hours or 360 combat rounds. Any other aligmnent will get you cursed, giving you gray skin with a red outline, cursing you with Defenselessness, and making all shield magics (including Invulnerability) not work for you for 6 game hours or 360 combat rounds. Game hours are the time you are logged in to Realm, not real time.
To get to Dark Gauntlet, go 7 squares left from the East Leinster teleporter and pray at the altar in Duach's Grotto, then go 2 right and 1 down from the screen you're teleported to. Once inside you will probably be ambushed on the first screen. (The usual ambushes are Undead Necromancers, Daemon Ratlings, mixed Fenris groups, or, if you're really unlucky, 2 Banshees and 2 Furies. Plus the bonus no extra cost free Hell Soul, of course.) Fight the ambush, then go 1 right and 1 down, where you'll fight 2 Daemon Ratlings. Go 1 right after that and type Vanity in the room tab to open the door. Go 1 down, 1 right, then 4 more down. Go 2 left and fight 3 more Daemon Ratlings. Go 1 left, 2 down, 1 left, 1 down, 3 left, 1 up, 1 left, and 1 more up for the biggest fight of this route, 2 Flame Daemons and 2 Daemon Ratlings. Finish them off, go 1 up, 2 right, 2 up, and 1 right for the last fight, 2 more Daemon Ratlings. After that, go 1 down, and pray at the altar.
There are other ways through, but this is the quickest. No treasure drops in DG, and your alignment will not change from fights within the cave.
To get to Dark Gauntlet, go 7 squares left from the East Leinster teleporter and pray at the altar in Duach's Grotto, then go 2 right and 1 down from the screen you're teleported to. Once inside you will probably be ambushed on the first screen. (The usual ambushes are Undead Necromancers, Daemon Ratlings, mixed Fenris groups, or, if you're really unlucky, 2 Banshees and 2 Furies. Plus the bonus no extra cost free Hell Soul, of course.) Fight the ambush, then go 1 right and 1 down, where you'll fight 2 Daemon Ratlings. Go 1 right after that and type Vanity in the room tab to open the door. Go 1 down, 1 right, then 4 more down. Go 2 left and fight 3 more Daemon Ratlings. Go 1 left, 2 down, 1 left, 1 down, 3 left, 1 up, 1 left, and 1 more up for the biggest fight of this route, 2 Flame Daemons and 2 Daemon Ratlings. Finish them off, go 1 up, 2 right, 2 up, and 1 right for the last fight, 2 more Daemon Ratlings. After that, go 1 down, and pray at the altar.
There are other ways through, but this is the quickest. No treasure drops in DG, and your alignment will not change from fights within the cave.
Wizard's Guide - Fafnir's Swamp
(Not including Dragon Pit, although I'll cover that in a later post.)
Fafnir's Swamp, located right of Wen (through Zender's Woods) or left from Silverbrook (through Devon Forest - the Wen route is shorter) is a good place for experience, but bad for treasure. What you'll be hunting are Slimes, Sludges, Goo, Gunk, Muck, and Mire, hereafter referred to as "goo". Dragons bite too hard for a wizzie to safely solo, and the various Souls (the floating skulls) give no better experience or treasure than goo, at a much higher risk.
Before hunting the swamp, you will want to get your alignment to Malevolent or lower, for two reasons. First, the Souls in the swamp are evil, and will jump you repeatedly if you're neutral or good, and second, the 90% poison immunity from running Dark Gauntlet and praying at the altar for Duach's Blessing helps immensely.
You can start with single goo at around level 150 or so. Green goo (Mucks and Mires) are the lowest level, blue goo (Goos and Gunks) are in the middle, and brown goo (Sludges and Slimes) are the highest level, and therefore the hardest. Start with a single green one if you're low level and/or have never fought goo before, to get an idea of what you're facing. You will want shift postions if you don't have a Hood of Shifting, and a few regen potions aren't a bad idea if you don't have the Enid's Blessing spell. Cast Greater Invisibilty, invul yourself, drink a shift (if needed), and cast extension. Start the fight without casting Defenselessness on the goo or cursing it, goo has very low AR, so it's not needed. If you're under level 200, summon a Daemon first round, placing it on the far right side of the screen. (Daemons are much better than Faery Queens where goo is concerned.) Placing it on the far side of the screen will get the goo away from you if your hold fails, and make it waste some of its movement rate. Second round cast Hold. Goo is approximately 33% MR, so sometimes it takes a couple of tries. Once the goo is held, summon more Daemons, then cast Duach's Vengeance (if you have it) or Mass Drain or Lightning Bolt (if you don't) until it's dead. You can also throw your dagger, if you prefer, just keep a few Daemons out at all times. Stay invisible and stay shifting.
Groups of 3 or less work better held. Groups of 4, and especially groups of 6 can be zerked. This is where the real experience bonanza comes in, a group of 6 will give you 10k points even at level 500. Don't try zerking the big groups solo until you've got some hit points (level 350 or so for an AIEW), and do use Mass Drain to make up the damage you'll take from the occasional zerked hit. Groups are excellent levels for a wizzie/BC'er combo, as well, just make sure you keep your hitter healed and invulled. The down side to goo hunting is that it's a gold losing proposition. The drops are terrible, and will not pay for your mana or repairs.
Good luck!
Fafnir's Swamp, located right of Wen (through Zender's Woods) or left from Silverbrook (through Devon Forest - the Wen route is shorter) is a good place for experience, but bad for treasure. What you'll be hunting are Slimes, Sludges, Goo, Gunk, Muck, and Mire, hereafter referred to as "goo". Dragons bite too hard for a wizzie to safely solo, and the various Souls (the floating skulls) give no better experience or treasure than goo, at a much higher risk.
Before hunting the swamp, you will want to get your alignment to Malevolent or lower, for two reasons. First, the Souls in the swamp are evil, and will jump you repeatedly if you're neutral or good, and second, the 90% poison immunity from running Dark Gauntlet and praying at the altar for Duach's Blessing helps immensely.
You can start with single goo at around level 150 or so. Green goo (Mucks and Mires) are the lowest level, blue goo (Goos and Gunks) are in the middle, and brown goo (Sludges and Slimes) are the highest level, and therefore the hardest. Start with a single green one if you're low level and/or have never fought goo before, to get an idea of what you're facing. You will want shift postions if you don't have a Hood of Shifting, and a few regen potions aren't a bad idea if you don't have the Enid's Blessing spell. Cast Greater Invisibilty, invul yourself, drink a shift (if needed), and cast extension. Start the fight without casting Defenselessness on the goo or cursing it, goo has very low AR, so it's not needed. If you're under level 200, summon a Daemon first round, placing it on the far right side of the screen. (Daemons are much better than Faery Queens where goo is concerned.) Placing it on the far side of the screen will get the goo away from you if your hold fails, and make it waste some of its movement rate. Second round cast Hold. Goo is approximately 33% MR, so sometimes it takes a couple of tries. Once the goo is held, summon more Daemons, then cast Duach's Vengeance (if you have it) or Mass Drain or Lightning Bolt (if you don't) until it's dead. You can also throw your dagger, if you prefer, just keep a few Daemons out at all times. Stay invisible and stay shifting.
Groups of 3 or less work better held. Groups of 4, and especially groups of 6 can be zerked. This is where the real experience bonanza comes in, a group of 6 will give you 10k points even at level 500. Don't try zerking the big groups solo until you've got some hit points (level 350 or so for an AIEW), and do use Mass Drain to make up the damage you'll take from the occasional zerked hit. Groups are excellent levels for a wizzie/BC'er combo, as well, just make sure you keep your hitter healed and invulled. The down side to goo hunting is that it's a gold losing proposition. The drops are terrible, and will not pay for your mana or repairs.
Good luck!
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Apple Sayings
One of the new items for the Summer Solstice Festival 2007 is apples. They're thrown out by event hosts, and they're like fortune cookies, with sayings on each one. There are 18 different red apple sayings, and one each for the rarer blue, purple, yellow, and green apples. Here they all are:
"You can measure a fool by the number of his words."
"Everything you have holds value. If you cannot see it, others surely can."
"Beef Jerky."
"A person with friends is never unarmed."
"Luck and opportunity can make a hero. Wisdom and courage make legends."
"The light can illuminate the world around you, or leave you blind to it."
"You can hide from love, you can run from it. In time it will always find you."
"Your lucky numbers are... out there somewhere, good luck!"
"Love warms the heart better than any fire."
"You see an object without a description. Ha! Just kidding, it's an apple."
"Here's a tip for all you mad alchemists out there with live brains in jars. Why not add a slice of lemon for tangy freshness?"
"The best armor one can have is friendship, however, the cost of repairing it can be high."
"There are more books in the world than swords."
" "Big club squish small thing." - Unknown Giant Philosopher."
"Do not settle for second best, the person in first has to sleep sometime."
"Wisdom is claimed by many but possessed by few."
"Be honorable in all your actions and, in turn, you will be honored."
"Wherever there is light there is always shadow."
"What happens in Fandry, stays in Fandry."
"An apple a day... Wait! No! Don't eat me!"
"Age and treachery will always overcome youth and skill."
"The squirrels are watching you."
"You can measure a fool by the number of his words.""Everything you have holds value. If you cannot see it, others surely can.""Beef Jerky.""A person with friends is never unarmed.""Luck and opportunity can make a hero. Wisdom and courage make legends.""The light can illuminate the world around you, or leave you blind to it.""You can hide from love, you can run from it. In time it will always find you.""Your lucky numbers are... out there somewhere, good luck!""Love warms the heart better than any fire.""You see an object without a description. Ha! Just kidding, it's an apple.""Here's a tip for all you mad alchemists out there with live brains in jars. Why not add a slice of lemon for tangy freshness?""The best armor one can have is friendship, however, the cost of repairing it can be high.""There are more books in the world than swords."" "Big club squish small thing." - Unknown Giant Philosopher.""Do not settle for second best, the person in first has to sleep sometime.""Wisdom is claimed by many but possessed by few.""Be honorable in all your actions and, in turn, you will be honored.""Wherever there is light there is always shadow.""What happens in Fandry, stays in Fandry.""An apple a day... Wait! No! Don't eat me!""Age and treachery will always overcome youth and skill.""The squirrels are watching you."
Judgment of the Scepter
People often ask me for this, so here it is:
Click for full-sized image, or right-click and choose "Save" to download it.
Click for full-sized image, or right-click and choose "Save" to download it.
Full Size Maps - Towns
Here are the full sized maps, with icons showing what each shop sells.
Asgard
Arimathor
Caer Fandry
Drune
Kurz
Leinster (and map key)
Monmouth
Murias
Silverbrook
Usk
Wen
Asgard
Arimathor
Caer Fandry
Drune
Kurz
Leinster (and map key)
Monmouth
Murias
Silverbrook
Usk
Wen
Compact Maps - Towns
Here are the compact maps, suitable for all your Hay 'N' Seek needs.
East and West Leinster
Drune, Monmouth, Murias, Silverbrook, and Wen
Arimathor, Asgard, Caer Fandry, Kurz, and Usk
East and West Leinster
Drune, Monmouth, Murias, Silverbrook, and Wen
Arimathor, Asgard, Caer Fandry, Kurz, and Usk
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