Beyond the Castle

[NotYet]

So I have entered the CASTLE for the first time ever.
I had been give the "code" when I #prayed earlier on in the game, so that made it easy to enter. I got the wand of wishing (and plenty of food by killing soldiers) and then I fell through a hole to the Valley of the Dead.

I went on but could not kill Asmodeus (nor could he kill me) or Baalzebub (same story).

My question: Can I ignore these two and just move on?

 

[Eemeli]

Yes you can, but I'd advice you to kill them, since they might disturb you if you're heading back up sometime. Asmodeus should be easy if you're cold and fire resistant. I suppose you're having the problem killing them, when they keep going upstairs. This can be prevented by standing in the stairway (they'll have to kill you in order to get up), or by pushing a boulder in the stairway.

 

[NotYet]

I cannot kill them by whacking them, nor by zapping a wand of death!

Also, I thought I could make it without a means of levitation, but now I cannot reach the portal to the Wizard's Tower!!!!

I'm stuck!!!!!!

 

[Eemeli]

- Scroll of earth: read it next to the pool and you might fill yourself a path.
- Wand of cold: ice up some water so that you can cross it.
- The boots of leviatation from the statue of Perseus? (Medusa level.)
- Any other levitation items. You can always keep going downwards and return back after you've found some.

What weapon are you using? It doesn't have to be a powerful artifact for killing Asmodeus or Baalzebub, you'll just have to keep hitting them for a longer time, they'll die eventually.

 

[NotYet]

Good. I do have a wand of cold. I'll try that!
Would be great if it works!!!

My weapon is Excalibur (blessed, +1)

Does what you say about Baalzebub and Asmodeus apply to Orcus as well?

 

[Eemeli]

Yeah, Asmodaus is the toughest of the three. Excalibur is definitely enough (though you could try to enchance it a bit, up to +6).

Oh and when you reach the last tower (the one with no stairs - the Wizard of Yendor in it), be extremely careful. If you ice up the water and go to stand on it, the hell hound in the tower will very likely breath some fire, the ice will melt and you'll get a dive. It's not nice for the scrolls and other stuff, plus if you're burdened you'll drown. Still, if you have no other option than the wand of cold, use it and dig the wall with a wand and you'll be in a safe distance.

 

[NotYet]

Thanks! Let me report on my progress:

After I got stuck without levitation I went back to many levels I had been to before to find useful stuff and I now have boots of levitation! Also:

Excalibur blessed, +5
a blessed +2 gray dragon scale mail - AC -18
a blessed magic marker and a blessed ring of conflict (for in the Valley and other places)

Medusa is already dead, but Asmodeus, Juiblex, Baalzebub and Orcus are still alive & kicking.

I need to go back down to the Fake Tower where the Portal is to get the Book of the Dead. I have everything else (7 candles, Bell, Candelabrum).

Should I try to kill all of them on my way down (Asmodeus, Juiblex, Baalzebub and Orcus)? Is that even possible?

 

[Eemeli]

I'd kill them all. It's not necessary as you have managed to escape them already, but it might help you on the way back up (the Wizard of Yendor with, say, Asmodeus might not be nice). And it won't be too hard, I suppose, you'll just have to keep whacking them for a while and that's it.

One more thing: you can still enchant +5 weapon once, if it's above that, it might be destroyed.

 

[NotYet]

I see, you mean Excalibur cannot be more than +6
Good to know!!!

About those baddies, you mean I just hit them until they die? Or should they be zapped with a wand first, like a wand of sleep? I mean, a wand of death does not even work (although it did against Medusa).

Is the Wizard tough??? Can I kill him to get the Book?
And Moloch? Should he be killed to get the Amulet?

I can't believe I am this far now when a couple weeks ago I had never been to the Quest, at least not with XL14 !

 

[Eemeli]

Yeah, just hit them. They'll die rather soon with your Excalibur (have you remember to #enhance your weapon skill?). And remember to be in the stairway, so that they can't escape (they only try to go up, never down). I suppose sleep doesn't work, but it's worth a try. Oh and it's +6 or +7. If you're lucky, enchanting the weapon when it's +5 with a blessed scroll might make it +7. But never enchant a weapon over +5, there is a great chance for it to vanish. (The same goes for armor over +3, or elven armor over +5.)

The Wizard of Yendor (aka Rodney) is pretty tough and annoying. He will be stealing some of your artifacts (the quest artifact, the bell of opening...). Once you kill him the first time, you'll get the Book of the Dead. Try not to kill him above water, since then the book will be hard to get. However Rodney will be haunting you later on too, he wouldn't be a higly powered wizard otherwise.
"Once killed, the Wizard of Yendor will be causing trouble to you for the rest of the game. He resurrects as a little stronger incarnation every time you kill him, level teleports after you, summons nasties, will curse your items, and will try to steal the Amulet of Yendor if you have it. Perhaps the most menacing spell the wizard can cast is Double trouble, which creates a clone of the wizard himself."
He can be killed with a wand of death.

Oh and you won't be facing Moloch, you'd have no chance against a god. In the bottom level, however, there is the high priest(ess) of Moloch, who carries the Amulet of Yendor ( 8O ). He ain't too hard if you have reflection, but the bottom level itself will make you some hard work. There are many priests of Moloch, and they will summon you some trouble. Rodney will be there too, so you're going to have to be prepared with loads of healing potions and charges with the wand of death. (Of course you can just fight them all down but it ain't gonna be easy.)

 

[NotYet]

How do I get to Rodney?

I "wrote" a whole lot of scrolls of magic mapping (with my magic marker) and I can see the portal that should lead to his tower, but it is surrounded by (double-)brick walls. Undiggable, too.

Am I missing something?

(If I do ascend, count it as YOUR ascension!)

 

[Eemeli]

You'll have to go to the portal in the fake tower. Then you teleport inside Rodney's castle (or whatever it is), inside the undiggable walls. Then all you have to do is to clear the way two (if I'm correct) floors up, and you're in Rodney's floor, ready to face him.

(If I do ascend, count it as YOUR ascension!)

:lol:

 

[NotYet]

Found it! The portal, that is.

I cleared out the first level and am now on the 2nd level. Ther is water there so I need to put on my levitation boots again.

However, I felt something brush against my feet. A kraken! That is bad news, I understand?

I saved my file and am going to find out more about krakens first.....

If I manage to get to the Wizard, can I use my wand of death with him?

 

[Eemeli]

" Escaping drowning

If you see the message foo swings itself around you!, you usually have only one turn to escape death by drowning (except if the monster is a kraken, which is very slow and will not get its next attack for at least three turns). On this turn, you can:

* Pray, which can get you out of trouble.
* Engrave Elbereth, if you are on land
* Try to kill the monster in one turn, or put it to sleep (this is risky)
* Teleport it away
* Freeze the water
* Wear an amulet of magical breathing (you will still be held by the creature)
* If you are levitating in a controlled fashion over dry land, stop levitating and the monster will become startled, releasing you"

And yeah, the wand of death will kill the wizard (unless you miss).

 

[NotYet]

I found the Wizard of Yendor.....and lost him again. He disappeared!
Now what? I do not have the Book!

Also I can beat ASMODEUS, BAALZEBUB and ORCUS (and presumably the WIZARD) as much as I like, they don't die and I have to run for my life!

What am I lacking? I have:

AC -17 HP 107 XPLevel 16
Excalibur and Frost Brand and Expert sword skills.

 

[Eemeli]

Rodney probably teleported to the stairway, he does that when he's low on HP (as all the other major foes). I suppose you can leave his tower and get back to the same floor, outside the walls and he'll teleport next to you.

Your weak links are HP and experience. You should have twice the hit points and XL above 20. Potions of gain level will help you, just make sure they're not cursed (and if they are, dip them in holy water). You have probably seen many potions of healing that you have no need for? In that case, don't throw them away, drink them with your full HP and you'll get your max HP up a bit. When you face a nurse, do not kill her. Get in a safe corner, take off all your armor and weapons, and she'll start to heal you and increase your max HP. Slowly, but it'll help.

 

[NotYet]

Okay, I'll work on my hitpoints and my experience level!

So the Wizard of yendor (aka Rodney) will come back to attack me (with the Book) instead of staying away from me to protect his Book?

 

[Eemeli]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure he'll do that. And if he doesn't, you can always go back to his tower when you're stronger.

 

[NotYet]

I see. So you think he will go back to his tower then? That's good to know.

I can do nothing without the Book so this is a good time to go back and gain XPlevels and hitpoints and become stronger.

As long as the Wizard does not keep hiding for me!

I appreciate your helpful comments!

 

[Eemeli]

No problem.

I still have some things to add.

Eat every Wraith / Barrow wight corpse you get, they'll level you up every time. (Up to XL30.)

Eat all the giants you get, your strength will get better. But don't eat too much, since you don't want to choke (continue eating? always no). A tinning kit might be helpful.

What resistances do you possess? (Wand/potion of enlightment will tell you, otherwise you'll just have to see for yourself.) Cold and fire resistances are definitely needed. They can be acquired basically by eating any cold or fire monsters. Cold: winter wolf, blue jelly, white dragon... (you feel full of hot air). Fire: fire giants, hell hounds, red dragons...


I'm playing right now a powerful Valkyrie, who just advanced to Asmodeus' lair. I hit him like three times, and he teleported to the stairway. I went after him, and when I finally got there, he took like six or seven hits and died. My HP never got below 200 since I'm both fire and cold resistant. He shouldn't be too hard to kill with your Excalibur either.

Stats
Weapons: the blessed rustproof +7 Mjollnir and a blessed +2 silver saber (twoweapon combat)
AC: -26 (And lower with one weapon + shiled of reflection)
HP: 228
St: 18/** Dx: 21 Co: 18 In: 13 Wi: 18 Ch: 12
Exp: 18

 

[NotYet]

Thanks again!

I need to start exercising to duble my hitpoints and XPLevel then!

I will do just that!

 

[NotYet]

So you have: AC: -26 HP: 228 Exp: 18
St: 18/** Dx: 21 Co: 18 In: 13 Wi: 18 Ch: 12

I now have: AC: -16 HP: 123 Exp: 14
St: 18/04 Dx: 16 Co: 18 In: 14 Wi: 15 Ch: 15

Like you said, I need to dramatically increase my hitpoints. But how?
And where should I be working on this?
I mean on which levels can I best gain hitpoints and experience?

 

[Eemeli]

My Valkyrie's been advancing.

AC: -32 HP: 316 Exp: 23
St: 18/** Dx: 23 Co: 18 In: 13 Wi: 18 Ch: 12

Killing monsters is the basic way to get your character better. The more powerful the monster, the more experience. So I'd suggest you to be rather deep in Gehennom. (Of course it's sometimes useful to get up so that you can pray and get i.e. some holy water.) It'll be useful to use all the scrolls and wands of create monster. You might face groups of giants that have valuable corpses for your strength (if you've been lucky you have found a tinning kit that allows you to tin the corpses for later eat (if satiated already)). Also eat all the wraiths, as I mentioned. If you're lucky, you'll find a nurse or two from unteleportable levels (the ones with Asmodeus, Baalzebub, Juibilex and Orcus). Then you should try to get in a corner withouth any armour or weapons so that the nurse will be healing you and no one can attack you (though you'll have to be careful). The nurse can't escape by teleporting so she'll heal your max HP up like 20 and then vanish. (If you can do this many times, your HP is soon very high.)

If you can't find any of these monsters, you might be interested in (writing and) reading a cursed scroll of genocide, that surrounds with the monsters (eight?) you name. Eight wraiths will give you around four bodys and four levels of experience. Just remember to eat the bodies right after you kill them, even if in the middle of the battle - they rot away quickly and can be eaten quickly.

Have you identified the potions of gain ability and gain level yet? If you have, every time you get these potions, make sure that the gain level is non-cursed and the gain ability blessed (you can always dip them into holy water) for maximum gains (one level up - all the abilities up by one).

And, as mentioned, drinking the extra potions of healing will get your HP up. You might find them from enemies if you kill them quickly enough.

I'll give you some more tips if I remember some later.

EDIT: A pet might be useful for you. You can tame cats and dogs by throwing them food or tripe rations - horses can be tamed with apples and carrots. They're not useful until you find a wand of polymorph or a polymorph trap. It takes a few tries and they're likely to become dragons (wait around 50 turns between the zaps if you're using a wand, otherwise they might not be polymorphed and you're wasting charges).

 

[NotYet]

Progress Report:
From 123HP I am now at 158HP mainly by letting nurses heal me.
Plus the odd potion of healing with my HP's at max.
It takes time, though!
And my XP level is still only 15.....
-------
Further Update: Now XPLvl 16 en HP 176. I'm getting there (???).
Killed Baalzebub with a wand of cold !!
Juiblex and Medusa and Vlad are of course dead.
That leaves Asmodeus and his wierd buddy.

Should I go back to my priest at level 17 to "buy" more AC points before going for Rodney? I'm only -16.

 

[NotYet]

By the way: I ran into Asmodeus on my way back up. I kept hitting him and he kept hitting me. We made a happy couple!
My hit points didn't even go down hardly! 176 doesn't seem to be enough hitpoints to kill him?

I finally decided to go back up to level 17 where my priest is and pay him to improve my armor class (now -22).

Then on my way back down, I snacked on a wraith's corpse to gain an experience level (now 17) , and killed Asmodeus! And then in Orcus graveyard the best thing possble happened to me: I got trapped in a small room with a nurse.....

I put down my weapon, took of all my armour and she 'treated' me until my hitpoints were up to... 240 can you believe?

Now I should be ready for the Wizard of Yendor, what?