                           The Official ADOM FAQ

                                Version 4.4

                       Last change: November 4, 2002


This document answers some of the most frequently asked questions about
ADOM. If you feel that anything important is missing, spot errors, or
experience problems downloading the latest FAQ version, please send an
e-mail to Malte Helmert (helmert@informatik.uni-freiburg.de), who is the
official maintainer of the ADOM FAQ.

This FAQ is available in HTML (http://www.andywlms.com/adom/adomfaq.html)
and as a text file (http://www.andywlms.com/adom/adomfaq.txt). The HTML and
text versions do not differ in content, but the HTML version has some nicer
formatting. To reduce download time, you can download zip archives of
either FAQ version at http://www.andywlms.com/adom/.

Many thanks to Erwin Mascardo and Richard Fowler, ADOM FAQ maintainers,
retired.
Also thanks to Joshua Kelley, Eva Myers, Jochen Terstiege, and Andy
Williams for valuable input.

Note on the spoiler policy: I have tried as hard as I can to make this FAQ
spoiler-free. However, it is inevitable that some questions may be slightly
spoily. Those questions are marked as [spoily] and are read at your own
risk! Also, there is much content in this FAQ that isn't spoily, but may
*help* you in the problem-solving process. See question '1.9: Where do you
draw the line in this file between spoiler-type and non-spoiler-type
answers?' for more details.

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Table of Contents

Items that have changed since version 4.0 of this FAQ are marked with a
[changed in 4.x] tag.

Section 1: General

 1.1:  What does ADOM stand for?
 1.2:  What is the current version of ADOM? [changed in 4.4]
 1.3:  What hardware platforms can run ADOM? [changed in 4.2]
 1.4:  Where on the Internet can I find support and information about ADOM?
       [changed in 4.3]
 1.5:  Where can I get the source code for ADOM?
 1.6:  What happened to the spoilers that were once in this file? [changed
       in 4.3]
 1.7:  I have a suggestion/comment regarding the game. Where do I send it?
       [changed in 4.3]
 1.8:  I've discovered a bug in ADOM. How do I report it?
 1.9:  Where do you draw the line in this file between spoiler-type and
       non-spoiler-type answers?
 1.10: Is ADOM Freeware? [changed in 4.3]

Section 2: Burdens of Command

 2.1:  I've just upgraded to a new version, and the README file says that
       several new commands and functions have been added. However, I can't
       seem to use them. What gives? [changed in 4.2]
 2.2:  How do I light a torch?
 2.3:  How do I extinguish a torch?
 2.4:  How do I use lock picks?
 2.5:  What is Ventriloquism good for?
 2.6:  Is there a command that allows you to rest safely in order to regain
       hit points and power points?
 2.7:  What does 'Continuous Search' (keystroke 'ws') mean? [changed in
       4.1]
 2.8:  What is the 'T'actic command for?
 2.9:  Is there any way to identify monsters at a distance?
 2.10: How do I use my Bridge Building skill?
 2.11: I can't put points into Bridge Building! Why not?
 2.12: How can I open a locked door if I don't have the right key or lock
       picks?
 2.13: How do I sell something in a shop?
 2.14: How do I use my Smithing skill?
 2.15: How do I enter a town or dungeon from the main map?
 2.16: Why isn't there a way to see most of the relevant information about
       my character on one page?

Section 3: Playing the Game

Section 3.1: More Basic than Basic

 3.1.1: What's the best race/class combination to play?
 3.1.2: What's a good strategy for starting the game?

Section 3.2: The Basics

 3.2.1:  What is the Drakalor Chain?
 3.2.2:  Where is the Village Dungeon? It's nowhere on my map!
 3.2.3:  I can't keep myself fed. How do I avoid dying from starvation?
 3.2.4:  I'm doing several of the above things already, and I'm *still*
         starving. Now what?
 3.2.5:  How come I don't benefit from eating raw meat?
 3.2.6:  I've been poisoned! How do I cure it? [changed in 4.2]
 3.2.7:  How come my Neutralize Poison spell didn't work?
 3.2.8:  What can I do with colored pools?
 3.2.9:  What can I do with a waterproof/fireproof blanket?
 3.2.10: How do I stop the killer bees from coming out of their hive, or
         the giant ants from their hole?
 3.2.11: What do I do to become Lawful? It's impossible! [changed in 4.2]
 3.2.12: I've gotten the Poison Hands chaos power, and every food item I
         touch gets poisoned! Is there a way around this?
 3.2.13: I picked up a 'strange item'. A few dozen turns later, I notice
         that I have ten of them! What's going on?
 3.2.14: How do I kill a karmic creature without becoming cursed or doomed?
 3.2.15: Why is it that I don't always become cursed or doomed when I
         accidentally attack a karmic creature?
 3.2.16: I ran into a named stone giant lord on the second level of the
         Village Dungeon! I thought this place wasn't supposed to be this
         tough!
 3.2.17: Speaking of impossibly hard monsters, I'm in the cave just
         north-west of Terinyo with a 15th level Barbarian, and I've got
         rats punching through my dragon scale mail!
 3.2.18: How do I get logs for Bridge Building or Fletchery?
 3.2.19: I can never finish cutting a tree down because I keep getting
         hungry! How can I avoid this?
 3.2.20: I'm trapped on a level with a thousand brown worms, and they keep
         multiplying faster than I can kill them! Is this fair? What can I
         do?
 3.2.21: Can I shoot things in the 'red' range of my missiles?
 3.2.22: Is the 'seemingly infinite' dungeon really infinite?
 3.2.23: What's with the levels in the Caverns of Chaos that only take up
         half of the screen?
 3.2.24: How are the growth patterns for herb bushes determined? [spoily]
 3.2.25: There's a big stone block in the way in the Caverns, how do I get
         rid of it?
 3.2.26: What's the deal with the impassable wall of flames in the Caverns?
         Come to think of it, there's another spot like that in another
         dungeon, but with an old dwarf or a fire spirit, too. What's going
         on?
 3.2.27: I wanna become a billionaire! Where can I find more dough?
 3.2.28: The sheriff wants me to kill Kranach, the raider lord. But where
         is he?
 3.2.29: How do I sacrifice monsters?

Section 3.3: Player Abilities

 3.3.1: How come my Defensive Value keeps shifting up and down by a point
        or two for no apparent reason?
 3.3.2: How do I make myself resistant to special attacks?
 3.3.3: How come I'm still getting hurt by fire attacks when I'm wearing a
        ring of fire resistance?
 3.3.4: How do I learn to read, if I started out totally illiterate?
 3.3.5: What about the other skills that I don't know?
 3.3.6: How come my combat abilities suffer so much when I wield two
        weapons?
 3.3.7: I've gotten myself the 'doomed' intrinsic. What does that mean?
 3.3.8: How come my attributes didn't go up when I paid the Dwarven
        trainer? [spoily]
 3.3.9: Is it better to concentrate on mastering a single weapon or to
        become pretty good at handling several?

Section 3.4: Matters Arcane

 3.4.1:  What do the different altar colors mean?
 3.4.2:  How can I tell if an item is cursed?
 3.4.3:  How do I get rid of a cursed item?
 3.4.4:  What do all the numbers on the spellcasting menu mean?
 3.4.5:  What's all this I hear about corruption?
 3.4.6:  Okay, so corruption is a Bad Thing. How do I get rid of it, then?
 3.4.7:  What use is a holy symbol?
 3.4.8:  How come standard Fireball spells don't hurt me, while a so-called
         Improved Fireball *will* hurt me if I'm in the blast radius?
 3.4.9:  What's the difference between a ring of fire and a ring of fire
         resistance?
 3.4.10: What exactly does a wand of ball lightning do? It sure doesn't
         shoot lightning balls!
 3.4.11: When I cast a spell that lets me choose a target, how do I pick
         me? I'm tired of blessing everyone else!

Section 3.5: Way Beyond Basic

 3.5.1: People keep talking about crowning and pre- and postcrowning and
        the problems with all three; what is all this about?
 3.5.2: I'm trying to do the Kitty quest, and I killed something I
        shouldn't have, but I didn't get any bad warnings. Does that mean
        it doesn't count against me?
 3.5.3: I think I've won, but I can't escape and finish! What's going on?
 3.5.4: I'm bored with this simple little game; how can I make it more
        interesting?
 3.5.5: What are Iron-man and Eternium-man games? [changed in 4.3]
 3.5.6: I keep hearing about a Chaos God ending or Ultra endings; what are
        people talking about?
 3.5.7: Has the Red Rooster thingy or the Scroll of Omnipotence been
        implemented yet?
 3.5.8: How do I get past the eternal guardian? [spoily]

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The List

Section 1: General

1.1: What does ADOM stand for?

ADOM is an acronym for 'Ancient Domains Of Mystery'.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

1.2: What is the current version of ADOM? [changed in 4.4]

The current game version is 1.1.0. Don't let this fool you into thinking
that ADOM hasn't been around for very long, though. It was born in 1994;
the first version released to the public had the version number 0.2.0.

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1.3: What hardware platforms can run ADOM? [changed in 4.2]

A 386 or better PC running DOS, Windows (any version), OS/2, Linux (ELF,
libc6) or BeOS, or an Amiga with a hard disk and minimum 4 MB RAM. Amiga
versions are available for 680x0 and PPC systems (a 68000 is sufficient).

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1.4: Where on the Internet can I find support and information about ADOM?
     [changed in 4.3]

Visit the official ADOM website (http://www.adom.de/) to download the
latest version, report bugs, and suggest enhancements for future releases
of the game.

Be sure to check the newsgroup rec.games.roguelike.adom. This is probably
the best place to get information on ADOM, whether spoily or non-spoily.
For the most part, people there are friendly and nice and treat newbies in
a patient manner, answering their questions very thoroughly. However, be
sure to familiarize yourself with newsgroup policy before posting there,
because newsgroup denizens tend to get angry if 'the rules' are not
respected. I strongly recommend reading the newsgroup FAQ
(http://www.andywlms.com/adom/rgrafaq.html) to avoid common mistakes.

If you are looking for a lower volume newsgroup, the most important
announcements by Thomas Biskup, ADOM's Creator, are also posted on the less
frequented group rec.games.roguelike.announce.

Andy Williams' ADOM pages (http://www.andywlms.com/adom/) can be considered
*the* unofficial ADOM website. It is the official hosting place of this FAQ
(http://www.andywlms.com/adom/adomfaq.html) and the newsgroup FAQ
(http://www.andywlms.com/adom/rgrafaq.html) and has challenge game and
story sections. Most importantly, it is the home of the ADOM Guidebook
(http://www.andywlms.com/adom/adomgb-toc.html), which contains the
'collected wisdom' of the rec.games.roguelike.adom newsgroup. Hundreds of
hours of work have made the Guidebook the definitive reference for ADOM. If
you don't find answers to your questions here, you probably won't find them
anywhere on the web. Be warned that the Guidebook contains spoilers
throughout.

The following list includes some other important Internet resources on
ADOM.

* Edd Parsons' ADOM Filk Archive (http://www.lonemonkey.net/adom/filks/)
  features the lyrics of such great songs as The Andor Drakon Picture Show,
  Barbarian Rhapsody, and the Ancardian internationale ('So Ancardians,
  come rally/Let us face the demons' might!/The Internationale heralds the
  final fight.'). Enjoy!
* Jan Erik Mydland's Hall of Fame (http://adom.brinkster.net/hof/)
  publishes information on your most successful (or most interestingly
  deceased) characters and features an extensive forum.
* Juha Suvanto's #ADOM homepage (http://linna.kajaani.fi/~jsuvanto/adom/)
  is all about the IRC channel #ADOM. If you want to join the chat about
  ADOM, locate your nearest IRC server at
  http://irc.tu-ilmenau.de/all_servers/.
* Joshua Kelley's page (http://www.jbc.edu/~josh/adom-sage/) hosts ADOM
  Sage, a front-end for ADOM on Windows or Linux that adds several nice
  convenience features to the game, such as colored messages or automatic
  display of spell range and duration.
* Richard Fowler's Drakalor Chain Board of Tourism site
  (http://www.aleph-null.com/adom/) used to be the main spoiler site for
  ADOM and the home of this FAQ. Richard stopped maintaining it in 1999,
  and much of the information no longer applies to today's ADOM. However,
  the site still contains rare gems, such as ADOM art, so be sure to drop
  by!
* Farmer Greg's Herb Garden (http://www.kellnet.com/wooledge/herb.html) is
  a very nicely written page on ADOM herbs. It hasn't been updated for a
  long time, and hence many of the outside links are broken, but the actual
  content is very enjoyable and is still current.
* Petula Clark's ADOMF homepage (http://www.geocities.com/adomf/) features
  savegame editors for versions 0.9.9 gamma 16 prerelease 2 and earlier.

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1.5: Where can I get the source code for ADOM?

If you can obtain the source, Thomas would be extremely interested in
finding out how you cracked his system's security. Thomas has stated that
the source code won't be made publicly available. His reasons for this
decision are explained in the readme.1st file that is shipped with ADOM and
need not be repeated here.

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1.6: What happened to the spoilers that were once in this file? [changed in
     4.3]

All your spoiler needs are addressed by the ADOM Guidebook
(http://www.andywlms.com/adom/adomgb-toc.html).

There is also an official spoilers FAQ maintained by Raymond Martineau
(dynamo_tamarin@yahoo.com), but it is less complete and has become a bit
outdated.

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1.7: I have a suggestion/comment regarding the game. Where do I send it?
     [changed in 4.3]

You can suggest new features at the official ADOM website. To do so, use
the bug report form (http://www.adom.de/adom/submit-report.php3) to report
a 'bug' of the category 'RFE (request for enhancement)'. Make sure to
verify that the feature you are suggesting has not been requested before
and that it is consistent with Thomas' design philosophy for ADOM. A good
way of doing this is by discussing the suggested feature in the ADOM
newsgroup (rec.games.roguelike.adom) before submission. Newsgroup posts
that discuss candidate RFEs are often marked 'Pre-RFE' in the subject line.
Section III.A of ADOM's readme.1st file and the newsgroup FAQ
(http://www.andywlms.com/adom/rgrafaq.html) list some specific RFEs that
have been suggested very often and surely won't be implemented. Please
check these sources.

If you want to send an ADOM-related comment to Thomas that is neither a
request for enhancement nor a bug report, the e-mail address is
adom@adom.de.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

1.8: I've discovered a bug in ADOM. How do I report it?

First, be sure that the 'bug' isn't actually a feature of the game. (Things
that cause the game to crash with a fatal error message qualify, certainly,
but not all bugs cause fatal errors... and not all unexpected game
behaviors are caused by bugs.) Second, if the game crashed with a fatal
error, make a note of the *exact* wording of the message. Third, if the
game successfully saved itself during the fatal error crash, check to see
if it restores properly. Lastly, fill out a bug report form at the official
ADOM website (http://www.adom.de/adom/submit-report.php3).

Note that you'll need to include the version number of the game, the
platform being played on (such as DOS, Linux, BeOS, or Amiga), the fatal
error message (if any), and as detailed an explanation as possible of the
game state at the time of the bug and the action (or lack thereof) that
triggered it. Please note that most errors now produce error logs and give
instructions as to how to use them to best convey information back to
Thomas. If you have a feeling you know (in programming terms) what caused
the bug, by all means include your hypothesis.

Please note that even nitpicky things like typographical errors are worthy
of bug reporting.

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1.9: Where do you draw the line in this file between spoiler-type and
     non-spoiler-type answers?

The astute reader will note that I haven't included a number of questions
that pop up on the newsgroup fairly frequently. In my opinion, a spoiler is
information which bypasses the problem-solving process; while a non-spoiler
is information which doesn't necessarily solve a game puzzle, but does help
you get around a problem of interface, basic survival (as opposed to direct
advancement toward victory), or something that is necessary but woefully
unobvious. Only non-spoilers, for the most part, are included here.

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1.10: Is ADOM Freeware? [changed in 4.3]

At the moment, ADOM is postcardware, and will likely remain so. Thomas'
snail-mail address:

Thomas Biskup
Timmerbrinksweg 37
45896 Gelsenkirchen
Germany

However, if you enjoy the game and want to support its future development,
you might consider going to the official ADOM website (http://www.adom.de/)
to make a small donation using the PayPal system. The money will be used
for ADOM-related investments

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Section 2: Burdens of Command

2.1: I've just upgraded to a new version, and the README file says that
     several new commands and functions have been added. However, I can't
     seem to use them. What gives? [changed in 4.2]

You have to delete your 'ADOM.KBD' and 'ADOM.CFG' (DOS, Windows, OS/2,
Amiga) or '.adom.kbd' and '.adom.cfg' (Linux, BeOS) files whenever you
upgrade. Otherwise, the game will happily use the old set of keybindings
and configuration variables, unaware that new functionality has been added.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

2.2: How do I light a torch?

Put the torch into the tool slot and 'u'se it, or put it into either hand
and 'U'se it. In order to make this work you also will need to have a
tinderbox and flint and steel in your backpack.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

2.3: How do I extinguish a torch?

You can extinguish a torch the same way you can light them, by 'u'sing or
'U'sing them, or you can simply remove the torch from its slot and answer
'yes' to the confirmation question.

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2.4: How do I use lock picks?

Instead of trying to *use* the lock picks, 'a'pply your Pick Locks skill.
You will automatically use lock picks that are in your inventory.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

2.5: What is Ventriloquism good for?

If you manage to use it successfully on a monster, the monster might be
confused for a few turns.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

2.6: Is there a command that allows you to rest safely in order to regain
     hit points and power points?

Yes, actually you can use the walk-mode to do this. Simply press 'w' to
activate the walk-mode followed by '5' for the direction which makes your
character 'walk on the spot' and is great for safely recovering. You'll
automatically stop waiting if something comes near, if you get shot at,
etc.

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2.7: What does 'Continuous Search' (keystroke 'ws') mean? [changed in 4.1]

Similar to 'walk on the spot', this is equivalent to searching until you
find something interesting, you are interrupted, or a given number of turns
(default 20) have passed.

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2.8: What is the 'T'actic command for?

Changing your combat tactics allows you to trade off offensive ability for
defensive ability, or vice versa. It costs you no time to change tactics,
so feel free to experiment.

Warning: if you fight too defensively, your melee weapon skills won't
improve, although the shield skill will; on the other side if you fight too
aggressively, your shield skill won't improve.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

2.9: Is there any way to identify monsters at a distance?

The 'l'ook command lets you move the cursor onto anything on the screen to
identify it. Additionally, just aiming a missile weapon will tell you what
you're aiming at and whether it's already hostile.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

2.10: How do I use my Bridge Building skill?

You need to have a log and a hatchet in your inventory. Either put the
hatchet into your tool slot and 'u'se it, or 'U'se it from your backpack.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

2.11: I can't put points into Bridge Building! Why not?

You need to have a manual of bridge building in your inventory, and be
literate. There are several skills which require some piece of equipment in
order to improve (cooking/cooking set, fletchery/fletchery set).

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

2.12: How can I open a locked door if I don't have the right key or lock
      picks?

Kick the door down. Note that this may prove hazardous to your health, more
so depending on where you are standing at the time. There are magical
alternatives to this, as well as ways to go around the door instead of
opening it.

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2.13: How do I sell something in a shop?

Contrary to intuition, don't give the item to the shopkeeper; just drop it.
He will make an offer if interested.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

2.14: How do I use my Smithing skill?

Smithing is a complicated task. You need the following ingredients:

1) A one-handed hammer. Warhammers work nicely.
2) An anvil. There are two guaranteed in the game, but they also rarely
   appear in dungeons.
3) Something to smith! You need to know what kind of metal it's made of.
4) An ingot of the appropriate metal. A lump of ore won't cut it, but can
   be converted into ingots by applying the Smithing skill to it first.
5) A forge. You can't carry these around with you, but you can hope to find
   one in your travels. There are two locations in the game where forges
   are guaranteed, and there can be additional forges at random locations.

Stand on the forge, wield the hammer, and apply your Smithing skill to your
metal item. (This will also serve to make metal ingots out of ore lumps.)
I've also heard whispers that wearing a leather apron helps in some
mysterious way.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

2.15: How do I enter a town or dungeon from the main map?

Use the '>' command. (Yes, it seems basic, but it seems to come up.)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

2.16: Why isn't there a way to see most of the relevant information about
      my character on one page?

There is! Just use the '@' key, and learn all kinds of things about your
current (and future) abilities.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Section 3: Playing the Game

Section 3.1: More Basic than Basic

3.1.1: What's the best race/class combination to play?

While this is indeed a Frequently Asked Question, it's one without a single
correct answer. It depends heavily on your style of play, your accumulated
experience in playing, and how seriously you want to be challenged. The
following recommendations should help the beginner pick a combination with
above average chances of survival.

Warrior-types (Fighters, Paladins, Rangers, Monks, Weaponsmiths, Farmers,
Barbarians, Beastfighters) tend to survive better at the lower levels, but
they'll start having problems near the middle of the game unless they can
find a way of getting rid of their more dangerous opponents from a
distance. Training missile skills is one way of doing this, keeping
yourself well-stocked in magic items or picking up a few spells along the
way is another. Don't expect to win if you engage in melee with every
single opponent you encounter.

Among these classes, I think that Fighters, Barbarians, Beastfighters and
Monks have the edge. Fighters start with excellent equipment to give them a
running start. Barbarians are extremely tough and strong and have lots of
hit points. The unarmed combat abilities of Beastfighters and Monks keep
getting better and better the more experienced they get. Beastfighters have
excellent physical attributes, although they are not as tough as
Barbarians. A nice thing about Monks is that they are always literate, even
if you pick a dumb race like Trolls. Combine these classes with a
physically strong race like Dwarves, Orcs, Drakelings or especially Trolls,
and you are ready to roll.

Spellcasters (Wizards, Priests, Druids, Necromancers, Elementalists) need a
bit of care because they are physically weak, but with their offensive
magic, many find them easier to keep alive than any other class. Of these
classes, Necromancers are considered hardest, one reason being the fact
that they don't start with the Healing skill. Elementalists are among the
easiest classes to play because they don't have to hunt for books, but
apart from Necromancers, each of the spellcasting classes has a unique
strength that makes it particularly good for surviving the early game. I
recommend either selecting a physically strong race (like Trolls) or one
that advances in levels quickly (like Gnomes). For Elementalists, gaining
levels quickly is more important (to avoid running out of spells).

Archers are deadly with their missiles. They are another class with
excellent chances of survival. In my opinion, only bows, crossbows, slings
and thrown rocks are worth practicing, because only for these ammunition is
plenty. I recommend picking a race that specializes in thrown rocks or in
bows, especially Hurthlings or Elves of any kind. Don't forget to practice
with your melee weapons, especially if you can't make ammunition for your
race's preferred missile weapon.

Healers can absorb damage pretty well, though they have a hard time dishing
it out. Top priority is getting a fairly decent weapon -- even a hand axe
or mace will do better than that scalpel. Since they're not really
spell-casters, pick a race with some backbone like Human, Troll, Dwarf, or
Drakeling. However, note that one of *the* easiest combinations to play is
the Trollish Healer! They are virtually invincible after you have gained
around 10 levels. They are extremely strong and tough, start with a heavy
club and have incredible healing abilities.

The remaining classes are somewhat more challenging. It is true that
Mindcrafters are among the most powerful classes once they get going, but
it is hard to make them survive the early stages of the game. Using the
Confusion Blast power a lot, training missiles and bashing monsters while
they are confused helps.

Thieves and Assassins are a little frail to be hack-and-slash fighters, but
they start out with some nice skills, including the all-important Detect
Traps. Playing them like Archers is a good strategy, but don't worry if you
cannot keep them alive -- it isn't easy.

Merchants and Bards can be quite easy to impossible, depending on the luck
of the dice. The random element of Merchant item specialties and Bard
skills makes every game with one of these classes unique. All in all, they
are very challenging classes to play. With Bards, there's the additional
consideration of the starting pet, as different races get different pets.
Almost any race works here; these classes are a test of the player's
ability to adapt.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

3.1.2: What's a good strategy for starting the game?

Head for the little village right at the end of the first road. Stop there
for a moment and evaluate your character. Put on useful rings, drink useful
potions, read useful scrolls that have permanent effects, and, if you've
got them, read spellbooks a time or two. Buy a ration or two at the store
if you're feeling paranoid. Advice for buying food: you get what you pay
for.

You should talk to the sheriff, and either the druid or the village elder
to get some minor quests; the choice between elder or druid is important,
as their quests are mutually exclusive. If you really want to be a
goody-goody, talk to the tiny girl, but her quest is frequently a quick
death for inexperienced players. Otherwise, if you feel up to it, leave
town and head north-west. The small cave there has a useful item, and it's
a good place to gain a couple of experience levels and practice weapon
skills, but be warned! Many, many premature deaths come from staying in
this dungeon too long; inexperienced players may wish to avoid it, or just
run as soon as things look dangerous. The monsters are tougher than normal,
and they only get much worse as you gain levels. Find the down staircase
and/or the useful item.

You might want to pop out and finish the sheriff's quest, or check out the
town SW of the first village to learn a few things. If you wish, you can
then dive back into the small cave and go down until you find the bottom
and come out the other side, but this can be risky -- it is probably better
to save this until later. Return to the village and complete any remaining
quests.

Then set out south, around the river toward the center of the screen, past
the pyramid into a cave (its description is *not* 'a non-descript
tunnel'!). Try to stay alive.

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Section 3.2: The Basics

3.2.1: What is the Drakalor Chain?

The Drakalor Chain is the mountain range which is represented by the
'world' map.

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3.2.2: Where is the Village Dungeon? It's nowhere on my map!

The Village Dungeon doesn't appear until you speak to Village Elder Rynt
for the first time about Yrrigs, and it won't appear at all if you speak to
Guth'Alak, the Druid, before talking to Rynt; the entrance for the Druid's
quest will appear instead. There are other locations throughout the game
which will not be available until certain quests are undertaken.

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3.2.3: I can't keep myself fed. How do I avoid dying from starvation?

There are several ways to solve the food problem. A high Food Preservation
skill will both increase the likelihood of a monster leaving a corpse when
it dies and allow you to keep a monster corpse in your inventory longer.
Cooking corpses will keep them preserved even longer, in addition to making
them more filling. A high Herbalism skill will help you identify a
particular herb that can feed you very well (experimentation with herbs
isn't a good idea, since the bad ones are very dangerous). A few hundred
gold pieces and some patience can buy you a good amount of food on the
arena level from the ratling traders -- not all of the wares they have on
offer are worth buying, though. If you are spending a lot of time in the
wilderness (which you should avoid if you are short on food), 'a'pplying
the Survival skill can keep you from starving. I suggest not relying on it
though, because it consumes a lot of game time, which is bad for you. In an
emergency, you can pray to your god if you're in reasonably good standing.
Finally, if you hang around on a level where monsters come at you hard,
fast, and continuously, at least a few of them are going to drop rations or
other non-perishable food. If you are really desperate, drinking potions
also makes you character slightly more satiated.

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3.2.4: I'm doing several of the above things already, and I'm *still*
       starving. Now what?

Take off any items that make you invisible. Invisibility drastically
increases your food consumption rate. The same is true of artifacts. If
that doesn't work, stop playing Trolls until you have better luck with
obtaining food, as Trolls have a high inherent rate of food consumption.
(However, this is counterbalanced somewhat by the fact that Trolls can eat
almost anything.)

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3.2.5: How come I don't benefit from eating raw meat?

Different races and classes have different ideas of which foods are
appetizing, and which foods go down okay but don't sit too well in the
stomach, and which foods do nothing except induce vomiting, and which foods
are too revolting even to think about eating. You can try cooking it, if
you know how to cook.

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3.2.6: I've been poisoned! How do I cure it? [changed in 4.2]

Certain potions, herbs, and spells are effective in this regard. Poison
also wears off with time, so a means of replenishing hit points might be
all you need. A real crisis is a good time to become religious.

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3.2.7: How come my Neutralize Poison spell didn't work?

The effects of poisons are cumulative, and the Neutralize Poison spell only
eliminates a certain amount of poison from your system with each casting.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

3.2.8: What can I do with colored pools?

You can drink from a pool. The effects aren't always beneficial.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

3.2.9: What can I do with a waterproof/fireproof blanket?

If you have one of these in your backpack, it'll protect anything in the
pack from water/fire. It doesn't help with the items that you have
equipped, however. Note that fireproof blankets will eventually burn away.

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3.2.10: How do I stop the killer bees from coming out of their hive, or the
        giant ants from their hole?

Insect colonies have finite populations. With bees, you can speed up the
process by disturbing the hive. If you really just want to stop them from
coming out for a little while, stand on the hive/hole or get someone else
to do it (a nice use for a well-trained pet). Certain items can be useful
here.

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3.2.11: What do I do to become Lawful? It's impossible! [changed in 4.2]

As in real life, it takes a lot of time and trouble to prove that you're a
good person, while it takes only a few quick actions to demonstrate that
you're a Bad Guy. Be generous, fair-minded, noble, and above all else,
patient; tolerance and generosity go a long way here. Oh, and there's a
certain man of the law that might give you a useful present if he likes
you. You'll get that L+ eventually.

You'll notice that there are a number of things that help your character a
great deal, but are considered chaotic acts. This is intentional. These
acts are often the easy route to power, and (to misquote Yoda) 'take not
the easy path, to the Dark Side it leads!' Nobody said that being a paragon
of Law would be easy...

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3.2.12: I've gotten the Poison Hands chaos power, and every food item I
        touch gets poisoned! Is there a way around this?

You need to wear thick gauntlets (that is, the pair of gauntlets whose
description is 'thick gauntlets').

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3.2.13: I picked up a 'strange item'. A few dozen turns later, I notice
        that I have ten of them! What's going on?

You've discovered one of the more interesting artifacts in the game: the
si. Its value lies not in its use, but in the manner in which you dispose
of it. (There are at least four productive uses for this item.)

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3.2.14: How do I kill a karmic creature without becoming cursed or doomed?

Ranged attacks and spells don't affect your karma, as it were.

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3.2.15: Why is it that I don't always become cursed or doomed when I
        accidentally attack a karmic creature?

The cursing/dooming is a special defensive attack, like the acid splash of
a gray ooze or the paralysis of a floating eye, and like all attacks, it
doesn't always hit... unless of course you were already cursed and doomed,
and so didn't notice.

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3.2.16: I ran into a named stone giant lord on the second level of the
        Village Dungeon! I thought this place wasn't supposed to be this
        tough!

When you run into a tough monster that has a name, there is an artifact
somewhere on the level (the exception here are great wyrms of any color,
who always have a name, and some 'guaranteed' characters, like the village
elder). Artifact guardians are scaled to be more appropriate to the object
they guard.

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3.2.17: Speaking of impossibly hard monsters, I'm in the cave just
        north-west of Terinyo with a 15th level Barbarian, and I've got
        rats punching through my dragon scale mail!

The fact that you're 15th level is the reason. The small cave to the
north-west of Terinyo is meant to be a launching pad (or a challenge) for
first level characters. Its difficulty level deliberately increases
tremendously as your experience level goes up.

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3.2.18: How do I get logs for Bridge Building or Fletchery?

Cut down a tree. Note that the wilderness is the only place where you can
find normal trees to cut down, but is not the only source for logs, and as
far as Fletchery is concerned, sticks are merely small logs.

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3.2.19: I can never finish cutting a tree down because I keep getting
        hungry! How can I avoid this?

If you want to play at being a lumberjack, you'd better eat a
lumberjack-sized breakfast before you go out! Note that potions increase
your level of satiation and can be consumed even when 'Bloated!'

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3.2.20: I'm trapped on a level with a thousand brown worms, and they keep
        multiplying faster than I can kill them! Is this fair? What can I
        do?

While I won't address the discussion of 'fairness' in the code which
handles breeding monsters, I can supply a few pointers on how to get
through this situation. Wielding two weapons might help you kill them
faster, but check to see what the energy costs are for your weapons of
choice. Speed enhancers can be helpful, as well. Offensive spells
(particularly area effect ones) work nicely. Closing and locking room doors
can help hem them in. If you're dealing with gremlins and a water trap,
hack your way to the trap and sit on it till all the gremlins are dead.
There are also means both magical and religious that *might* be useful in
these situations.

Note that there is one level where this is *meant* to happen, and it was
placed as a tactical exercise.

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3.2.21: Can I shoot things in the 'red' range of my missiles?

Yes, but only if you've got the Archery skill, and it doesn't work for
thrown weapons. From experience, an Archer can hit anything within vision
range, and a non-Archer can make it out to 1 or 2 squares of red on a good
roll.

In some game situations, there is also a 'gray' range, which comes between
yellow and red. This indicates a square which is within your weapon's base
range, but is outside of your field of vision.

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3.2.22: Is the 'seemingly infinite' dungeon really infinite?

Seek out the madman who speaks in verse, for he can answer better than I...

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

3.2.23: What's with the levels in the Caverns of Chaos that only take up
        half of the screen?

Every dungeon (except the pyramid) level fills the entire screen, more or
less. The trick is finding a way over to the 'dark' section.

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3.2.24: How are the growth patterns for herb bushes determined? [spoily]

This is a bit of a spoiler, but the majority of the work is left as an
exercise to the reader, so here goes...

Consider a given herb bush. Count up the number of bushes in the
surrounding 8 squares.

1) If the bush has 0 or 1 neighbors, it will die.
2) If the bush has 2 or 3 neighbors, it will live.
3) If the bush has 4 or more neighbors, it will die.
4) If a given empty square has exactly 3 neighboring bushes, a new bush
   will grow there.
5) All births and deaths are simultaneous.

If you haven't figured it out already, these are the rules to the classic
mathematical game called Life, invented by John Conway. Growth and death
occur at random intervals, and the explanation above will only work in
empty spaces.

Based on these rules, you should be able to figure out bush patterns that
will allow you to harvest infinite herbs without ever running out of bushes
(with suitable delays for successive generations, of course).

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

3.2.25: There's a big stone block in the way in the Caverns, how do I get
        rid of it?

Well it's a big stone portal of Dwarven origin; go talk to the dwarves
about it.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

3.2.26: What's the deal with the impassable wall of flames in the Caverns?
        Come to think of it, there's another spot like that in another
        dungeon, but with an old dwarf or a fire spirit, too. What's going
        on?

Well, let's just say that you must have a particular item in your
possession to pass the wall of flames; if you can't pass, you don't have
it. The other two guards are only there to make sure the door isn't opened
from their side first -- which is to say that once you find that door from
the other side, they won't bother you anymore.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

3.2.27: I wanna become a billionaire! Where can I find more dough?

Collect valuable items and sell them. Go dragon hunting. Play in the
Casino.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

3.2.28: The sheriff wants me to kill Kranach, the raider lord. But where is
        he?

Just walk around the wilderness area near Terinyo; he can be found in a
random encounter.

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3.2.29: How do I sacrifice monsters?

When the monster is standing on an altar, press 'O' (shift-o).

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Section 3.3: Player Abilities

3.3.1: How come my Defensive Value keeps shifting up and down by a point or
       two for no apparent reason?

There's a reason for everything in ADOM, even if the reason isn't obvious
to the eye. The most common reasons for having your DV shift is having your
hunger status shift from 'Satiated' to normal, or vice versa, and having
your encumbrance status go to 'Burdened' or worse, or vice versa.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

3.3.2: How do I make myself resistant to special attacks?

Besides the use of suitable items, the gods have been known to grant
certain invulnerabilities to their most loyal servants. It is also said
that 'you are what you eat'.

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3.3.3: How come I'm still getting hurt by fire attacks when I'm wearing a
       ring of fire resistance?

Unlike certain other Rogue-alikes, resistance isn't the same as immunity.
Resistance only protects against a given amount of damage. For fire
attacks, you *can* combine sources of resistance to improve your level of
protection. It is possible to acquire total immunity to certain special
attacks, but this is much more difficult than gaining resistance.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

3.3.4: How do I learn to read, if I started out totally illiterate?

Again, 'you are what you eat'. You need to find the corpse of an extremely
well-read monster. Solving a certain minor quest can also help.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

3.3.5: What about the other skills that I don't know?

A potion or scroll of education always has a chance of giving you a skill
you don't have. There are a few people scattered around who can teach you
skills, although they all have different ideas of payment, and you can
always wish for specific skills.

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3.3.6: How come my combat abilities suffer so much when I wield two
       weapons?

Many factors are considered when calculating the To-Hit penalties for using
two weapons. The formula is in the manual. Using lighter weapons, having
good weapon skills, being good in the Two Weapon Combat skill and being a
Ranger help.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

3.3.7: I've gotten myself the 'doomed' intrinsic. What does that mean?

Just as being 'lucky' or having 'Fate smile upon you' causes the game to
fudge some internal calculations in your favor, 'cursed' and 'doomed' cause
the game to add a fudge factor in the opposite direction. Being doomed is
worse than being cursed, and the two can combine, just as 'lucky' and 'Fate
smiles upon you' are cumulative. Note well that the negative effect of
being doomed is worse than the positive effect of having Fate smile, so
they don't simply cancel.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

3.3.8: How come my attributes didn't go up when I paid the Dwarven trainer?
       [spoily]

Assuming you paid enough gold, the effects of training are not immediately
visible. The game makes periodic checks to see if your attributes have
increased or decreased due to your actions, and the effects of training are
applied at the next check point. If your attribute scores are low, paying
100 gold pieces times your current attribute score is usually enough, but
be prepared to pay far more than that if your attribute score is high (say,
in the twenties or even higher).

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

3.3.9: Is it better to concentrate on mastering a single weapon or to
       become pretty good at handling several?

There's no single good answer for this one. Before you get an artifact
weapon, it certainly helps to have some proficiency in multiple weapon
classes in case you lose your favorite weapon to an exploding door or rust
monster. If you go this route, practice when you're in relatively little
danger -- you certainly shouldn't wait till you find a vault full of
gelatinous cubes and green slimes to figure out which end of a spear is for
business.

Once you've gotten your artifact weapon, it still might help to work on
other weapon classes a bit, because there's usually a better artifact out
there to be found (unless you're lucky enough to get crowned with
Vanquisher in the Village Dungeon, or some such). Of course, very high
weapon skills do grant some nice benefits, and if you're spending your time
practicing many weapons, you won't get extremely good with any of them...

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Section 3.4: Matters Arcane

3.4.1: What do the different altar colors mean?

White corresponds to the lawful deity, gray to the neutral, and black to
the chaotic.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

3.4.2: How can I tell if an item is cursed?

Drop it on an altar matching your alignment, or play a character with the
Detect Item Status skill and develop it. Be warned, however, that some
particularly diabolical items become cursed when you attempt to use them,
even if they're not cursed to begin with...

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

3.4.3: How do I get rid of a cursed item?

There are again several approaches. Dipping the item in holy water will
remove the curse, as will reading a scroll of uncursing. If you don't mind
getting roughed up a little, find a suitable trap or monster that has the
ability to destroy the item in question, and go a few rounds with it...
however, this method also puts your other equipment in danger, as does
reading a scroll of item destruction. If the cursed item is a weapon, pick
a fight with a monster that has the ability to disarm you, and unless you
have an ungodly Dexterity or incredible weapon skill, you'll be rid of it
before you know it. If you're desperate, kick an altar (preferably not a
co-aligned one) until it falls over, which will offend its patron god
enough that he'll zap you with a bolt that destroys everything you're
carrying.

Note that artifacts are immune to destruction, so you'll have to go with
holy water, scrolls of uncursing, or (for the nasty artifact weapons)
getting forcibly disarmed.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

3.4.4: What do all the numbers on the spellcasting menu mean?

The number to the right of the spell name is its cost in power points. The
leftmost number is the most important. This is a representation of how many
times you can cast the spell. It's not a straight indicator of the number
of zaps a spell has left, because this number usually goes down by more
than one per casting. The effectivity rating tells you how experienced you
are with that particular spell; raising this through use can lower the
spell cost, increase the power of the spell (damage, healing, duration,
range), and is generally a good thing.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

3.4.5: What's all this I hear about corruption?

Corruption is a warping of your body caused by your proximity to the Chaos
Gate. This effect can be accelerated by corruption traps and attacks from
Chaos beings. When you've absorbed a sufficient amount of Chaos energy, it
manifests itself in a Chaos power.

Chaos powers are sometimes helpful, although many of them have nasty side
effects (like Poison Hands). However, if you become too badly corrupted,
you mutate into a writhing mass of primal Chaos. Game over.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

3.4.6: Okay, so corruption is a Bad Thing. How do I get rid of it, then?

Scrolls of chaos resistance help greatly here, and potions of cure
corruption don't hurt, either. The potions can be earned from a certain
authority in the Chain, while completing a certain quest will net you the
reward of having all of your corruption removed -- *once*. If you are
lawful, reading a tract of order also helps a little bit, but apart from
that, the gods *cannot* (or will not) remove corruption.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

3.4.7: What use is a holy symbol?

Every time you use one, you become a tiny little bit closer to your god. It
can also be used as a meter for whether your god likes you enough to help
you or not.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

3.4.8: How come standard Fireball spells don't hurt me, while a so-called
       Improved Fireball *will* hurt me if I'm in the blast radius?

Well, I hear that the extra incantations required to launch fireballs at a
distance took up so much space in the spellbook that something had to go,
so they decided to eliminate the incantation which shielded the caster from
the fireball's effect...

Seriously, though, the 'improvement' with an Improved Fireball is that you
can indeed launch it away from yourself, and it does more damage. It was
designed for distance work, not close-up work -- that's what the *regular*
Fireball is for.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

3.4.9: What's the difference between a ring of fire and a ring of fire
       resistance?

Rings of fire resistance and cold resistance protect you. Rings of ice and
fire protect your gear.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

3.4.10: What exactly does a wand of ball lightning do? It sure doesn't
        shoot lightning balls!

This fires a standard lightning bolt in a random direction. Dangerous
indoors.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

3.4.11: When I cast a spell that lets me choose a target, how do I pick me?
        I'm tired of blessing everyone else!

When asked which direction, use either the keypad '5' or the '.' to aim at
the space you occupy. The same applies to the use of wands and several
other tools.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Section 3.5: Way Beyond Basic

3.5.1: People keep talking about crowning and pre- and postcrowning and the
       problems with all three; what is all this about?

Okay, from the beginning. Crowning is an event of religious confirmation
whereby your deity acknowledges your incredible devotion by declaring you
their Champion and heartily rewarding you with a gift and other favors.
Pre- and postcrowning (hereafter referred to as gifting) occur when a
character does not meet certain requirements, but is worthy of some
acknowledgments; these yield a gift from the deity, but none of the other
benefits. Some view this as an opportunity for a free artifact and so
devote their characters to their deity at an early age. If all other
requirements for a gifting are met and you still can't seem to get
rewarded, there may be too many artifacts already generated to reward a
character of the current level; god-gifting will only occur if the
character's level is high enough relative to the number artifacts already
generated in the game (level must be greater than or equal to 8 + (3 *
number_of_artifacts_generated)). So there cannot be any gifting of any
variety below experience level 8, and as soon as any single artifact is
generated, the minimum level becomes 11, and so on ('Your prayer remains
unheard.'). It is very difficult to become 'extremely close' to your deity
more than once, (each subsequent reaching of the 'extremely close' status
will require twice as many sacrifices) but it should still be possible to
get both a pre- and postcrowning gift if 'very close' enough.

Level is irrelevant to Crowning, the above formula is for gifting (pre- and
post-crowning) only.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

3.5.2: I'm trying to do the Kitty quest, and I killed something I shouldn't
       have, but I didn't get any bad warnings. Does that mean it doesn't
       count against me?

Let me make sure I understand this. You broke the rules of a quest and want
to know if you can still succeed in the quest? The answer is no. Not
getting an obvious message doesn't mean your Kitty Karma is unstained; it
just means your character didn't notice the negative effects of their
actions.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

3.5.3: I think I've won, but I can't escape and finish! What's going on?

This is a twist that was introduced to make the ending a little more
interesting for those using certain tactics. If you look carefully, the
message didn't say you did succeed; rather, *it appears* you have
succeeded. Perhaps someone is still alive who could undo your action
without too much difficulty. There is more than one way to resolve the
endgame and escape.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

3.5.4: I'm bored with this simple little game; how can I make it more
       interesting?

Okay, so this isn't a frequently asked question, but it's info that might
make the game more fun or a little more challenging (if you like that kind
of thing). This can be just annoying and pointless, or it can be an
extension of the role-playing beyond the game's mechanical restrictions.

Role-playing additions: Try magic users that do not use weapons. Try
fighters that do not use spells. Keep illiterate characters illiterate.
Fighters without any magic use at all. Keep Monks from wielding any
weapons. Arm Trolls with logs or anvils instead of normal weapons. Have
Hurthlings only eat baked/cooked goods (bread and cooked things). Always
use gifts from your deity. Never shop.

Arbitrary goals: Finish the game in as few moves as possible. In as few
game days. Play a vegetarian. Play a mute (no chatting at all -- it is
possible to win this way, just a *little* tricky). Never unwield your
starting weapon -- you can only replace it if it is destroyed in your hand.
Self-limit your carrying capacity (5000s, maybe 4000s). Sacrifice
everything you aren't wearing/wielding (except the orbs) the first chance
you get.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

3.5.5: What are Iron-man and Eternium-man games? [changed in 4.3]

These are specific challenge games where you never intend to save the
world, just achieve certain, very difficult goals. These are good for quick
and dirty games when you don't have the time to commit to anything very
long. The basic idea is that you start by taking your character to a
specific dungeon and accomplish something. The rough rules are below.

Iron-man: Go immediately to the Infinite Dungeon. Your character must
descend when the downstairs are spotted, although some allow you to finish
any current battle and pick up loot in the room with the stairs. The goal
is to get a certain artifact on a fairly deep level (you'll know it when
you hit it) and resurface. The difficulties are several: the dungeon levels
tend to get harder faster than you increase in experience levels; there are
no special features generated in this dungeon, so there is little help from
deities and none from shops; sometimes the stairs are on the other side of
something you just aren't strong enough to deal with. This is possible
(i.e. it has been done), but very difficult.

Eternium-man: Go immediately to the Small Cave and stay there until you
reach experience level 50. This is extremely difficult since the monster
generation here is intended to be outrageous. No leaving the level at all
unless you're dead or at level 50. Some have claimed to live into the teens
of levels, but nobody claims to have made it close to a 'victory'.

For more information, check Andy Williams' challenge game page
(http://www.andywlms.com/adom/challenge.html).

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

3.5.6: I keep hearing about a Chaos God ending or Ultra endings; what are
       people talking about?

There are specific quests assigned by some shady characters that will get
you going down this path. You will need to find certain locations that are
not needed for a normal win. Note that most who have attempted it agree
that this ending is *much* more difficult than the traditional ending.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

3.5.7: Has the Red Rooster thingy or the Scroll of Omnipotence been
       implemented yet?

The Trident of the Red Rooster has been implemented and is accessible. As
for the Scroll of Omnipotence and the Red Rooster Inn, nobody but Thomas
knows. Solve either of these two puzzles and your name will go down in
history forever!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

3.5.8: How do I get past the eternal guardian? [spoily]

Talk to the mad minstrel, he will give you some clues about a mysterious
ring of the ancients buried somewhere in one of the distant dungeons.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

(c) Copyright 1996-2002 by Thomas Biskup, Erwin Mascardo, Richard Fowler,
Steve Zhang, and Malte Helmert. This FAQ may be freely distributed as long
as these two copyright messages are distributed with it. Karmic creatures
are exempted from this restriction.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

ADOM (c) Copyright 1994-2002 by Thomas Biskup. All rights reserved.