Running around and killing monsters can be great sport, but even the
most devoted warrior would quickly lose interest without some type of reward.
Like you, monsters run around and fight each other and collect valuables
for themselves. Almost all monsters in the dungeon will have a little
gold and sometimes items as well.
Usually, the first group of monsters (or the only group of monsters)
will be the owners of the chest. This means that you should keep
your eyes open for the more experienced monsters, since they are better
at laying deadlier traps. You will learn that certain monsters fancy
certain traps. There is also the chance that a chest you happen across
doesn't belong to the monsters you are going to fight it for!
Chests
& Boxes
After an encounter with a group of monsters (if you survive), you will
collect all of the gold that you can find. However, if the monsters
do have a type of container, they will store their valuables in it.
That's where the thieving skills come in handy.
The first thing you need to do is find the container. It should
be somewhere in their lair. When you do, you need to walk up to it
in order to do anything.
There are two types of containers; Chests and Boxes. You'll
learn the difference between the two as you find them. Chests contain
the best treasure while Boxes contain your average find. Keep in
mind that quite often the better the container, the better chance the owner
of the container may have intended for nobody to ever get the valuables!
Examining
Traps
When you are standing in front of a container, you will find that the
area to the upper-right of the dungeon viewport displays some information.
The first bit of information (e.g. Poison Gas) is the trap (if any) that
you think is protecting the container. Beneath the trap is information
which represents how sure you are of the trap and how sure you are that
you can disarm the trap.
Click on picture for larger image
The "Excellent Idea” in the above picture gives you an idea of how sure
your characters is that it's an Alarm trap. There are many different
levels of 'sureness' where "No Idea” is the worst and "Piece of Cake” is
the best. After the definition of how sure your character is of the
trap is a percentage indicator of how sure your character is that they
can successfully disarm the trap. A low percentage indicates that
your character doesn't think they have the skill to disarm the trap.
It isn't uncommon for a character to know what trap is on a chest, but
not have the ability to disarm it.
The number in the upper right corner represents two things. 1) how sure
you are of the trap, and 2) how sure you are you can disarm it.
Quite often, your character will come along a Magically Sealed chest.
The only way to open one of these chests is with the "Magical Entry” spell,
which various guilds (e.g. Thief's guild) have access to.
Sometimes, a character will encounter monsters that are so much quicker
than themselves that they don't have time to look very closely at the container
to identify whatever trap it may have until after combat.
To open a chest during peacetime or combat, either press ‘o’ while standing
over the chest. If the chest is Magically Sealed or Unidentified,
nothing will happen.
Knowing
the Traps
When triggered, some traps will affect all characters in the party
while others will only affect the opener. Below is a list of the
known traps that can be found on chests and their affects.
Plague Spores
This trap releases gaseous plagued spores into the air that will Disease
the opener and any other party members.
Poison Gas
A burst of poisonous gas that shoots out and poisons all of the characters
in the vicinity of the chest.
Exploding Box
Explodes upon contact, inflicting damage on all characters in the group.
Striking Flame
A huge ball of fire that explodes and strikes every party member in
the area for a good amount of damage. Characters who are Fire resistant
will take less damage, but will still be affected by the exploding pressure
of the flames.
Acid Spray
Acid Spray is one of the nastier traps since the damage done can be
extensive. This trap can affect the entire party.
Discharge
Electrical Discharge was specifically built to electrocute the opener
to death. These traps can be very deadly, and can sometimes affect
other members of the party as well as the opener!
Flesh to Stone
One of the most feared traps, if triggered, the opener will instantly
be turned to stone.
Life Drain
A magical attack associated with a chest, Life Drain can drain both
stats and hits from a character. Permanently!
Destruction
This trap will explode outwards and affect the party like an exploding
trap, but it will also incinerate the contents of the chest as well!
Known as one of the most aggravating traps, some monsters would rather
have their loot completely destroyed than allow some thief to
get their hands on it!
Corrosion
A disgusting goo that instantly attaches itself to one of the items
belonging to the opener and attempts to eat it away.
Fate
Sometimes good, sometimes bad. Never predictable.
Teleporter
These traps will teleport the opener to a random location on the same
level. Once a teleporter trap is triggered, the chest then becomes
un-trapped.
Fright
Will scare away all companions of the opener.
Field of Aging
Will age the opener four weeks.
Anti-Magic
A pulse of Anti-Magic so strong that it will remove all magical
resistances and modifiers (i.e. Levitation) from the opener unless
the resistances or abilities come from an equipped item.
Alarm
This trap will emit a very loud shrill sound for other monsters to
hear. Quite often, a new group of monsters will come out of
nowhere and attack the opener and any other party members. Thieves
seem to be particularly attracted to this sound, along with animals.
Guardian
Rumor has it that some of the high-level magic users in the depths
have the ability to bind certain creatures in a void, where they stay until
this trap is triggered. If this happens, the creature is released
from the void, raging, and will attack the opener and any party members
in a horrible frenzy.
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On all of the above traps, the intensity of the damage done is based on
the level of the monster that set the trap. The higher level the
monster, the more deadly/effective the trap is.
Once a container is opened, all of the surviving party members (or single
character) will divvy up the loot, sharing it evenly. Most of the
time, items will only be found in chests, even though there is a chance
of finding an item outside of a chest.
Chests that are identified and not Magically Sealed can also be
opened during combat as they are during non-combat, except that it usually
takes a number of rounds and makes your character much easier to hit.
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