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DUNGEON MASTER Walkthru

INTRODUCTION

From the Chronicles of Theron

Now that the Grey Lord has been restored, he has asked me to document the
means we used to defeat Lord Chaos. It is our hope that others who read
this tale may gain the wisdom that would be sorely needed should the menace
of Chaos ever return. Since one never knows which scraps of information
will prove most valuable to others, I will attempt to cover as many details
of our adventure as possible. In addition to describing the monsters we
faced and the mysteries that were solved, I am also including general
information on the items we found, as well as the spells that were
discovered.

Before recounting the events that transpired in the dungeon, I will cover
some general areas of importance. These are topics that proved to be
significant -- not in specific instances so much as they were keys to the
group's success throughout their ordeal.

MAPPING

As the party progressed, they made a painstakingly detailed map of each
level of the dungeon. Making this map was extremely difficult due to the
twisted nature of the mazes. There were illusionary walls that could only
be discovered by walking into them, as well as sections of wall that would
disappear after we activated the proper mechanisms. There were dozens of
devices that served to trigger various traps or other hidden mechanisms.
The group quickly learned that virtually every section of wall and floor
would need to be examined in order to successfully explore the dungeon.
Whenever a new item, trap, or device was found, the location was marked on
the map. This map constantly served as a guide through the labyrinth and
saved their lives many times. Any individual embarking on a similar venture
would be advised to make a similar map of their own surroundings.

BALANCE

Perhaps the most basic concept in all of this world is that of balance.
Only those who have achieved balance are truly whole. The Grey Lord's lack
of balance nearly destroyed the world. Only by seeking balance were the
champions who undertook this quest able to gain the power to overcome Chaos.
Each individual needed to advance in the four classes: Fighter, Ninja,
Priest, and Wizard. Only a champion skilled in all these areas realized his
true potential. If one advanced only as a Fighter, for example, he would
soon find that by ignoring the other three skills, he had made himself a
much weaker warrior than he might have been. Such a man will find that the
dexterity and health he gains when he progresses as a Ninja will aid him
greatly.

There are also times when force of arms is not sufficient and the spells of
a Wizard are needed. Likewise, an aspiring Wizard will find great comfort
in the added strength and vitality that advancement as a Fighter will grant
him, as well as the healing powers of priesthood. True understanding only
comes to one who ceases to think of himself as a Fighter or Priest and who
wishes to augment his abilities with powerful champion, indeed.

Once a champion has chosen to strive for balance he must learn how to
attain it. Gothmog, Hissssa, Leif, and Sonja provide outstanding examples
of people who did what needed to be done in order to succeed. These four
individuals came together to form a team. The needs or wants of each was
made secondary to the needs of the group. If Leif and Hissssa were up front
doing the hand-to-hand fighting, Gothmog and Sonja would throw darts, shoot
arrows, or cast spells to soften the enemy. The party used many methods to
help them achieve balance; the more basic ones are described below.

The easiest class to maintain balance in was that of Fighter. When one of
the front line members would advance a level as a Fighter, that person
would immediately trade places with one of the members in the back row. In
this way, no member would be more than one level higher than the others.
Spellcasting was also relatively easy in which to achieve balance. Each
member constantly practiced spellcasting, even as they walked through the
halls of the dungeon. In the beginning, two members practiced Priest spells
while the other two practiced Wizard spells. When a person advanced a level
in one of these skills, he would immediately switch to the other class.

Spellcasting is such an intricate task that the group quickly learned to
practice spells whenever the mana was available even if it meant "wasting"
attack spells on the dungeon walls. The champion who had the most difficult
time advancing as a spellcaster was Sonja. She carried only a minimal
amount of mana at the time of her reincarnation. Because of her
exceptionally low mana, virtually all of even the most simple spells were
denied her. Through experimentation, she did learn that she was able to
invoke the syllables LO-YA if she rested between syllables. By attempting
to cast this spell over and over, she eventually gained some small skill as
a Priest.

Through continued perseverance, Sonja became as powerful a spellcaster as
any champion in the group. While it seemed almost obsessive, this practice
was well rewarded. Each of the four champions grew quite powerful both as
Wizards and Priests. This power served the team well when it encountered
the monstrosities in the lower levels of the dungeon. Healing potions were
consumed in great quantity, and the powerful attack spells they rained upon
their opponents saved them on several occasions.

The most difficult skill to continue advancing in was the path of the Ninja.
During combat, the two members in the rear would shoot arrows or throw
objects. As time went on, however, missile combat alone was not enough to
provide sufficient practice to advance at the same pace as the group was
progressing in the other skills. Against weaker opponents, the champions on
the front line would sheathe their swords and fight barehanded to hone
their Ninja skills. Since this practice was not advisable against many
opponents, the party was forced to engage in training sessions to gain
enough practice in the Ninja skill.

To begin a training session, the party would find an area that was
relatively safe from surprise attacks. The sessions were essentially a
lengthy mock combat. The group would begin by practicing spells until each
member had exhausted their mana. While the group was waiting to recover
mana, the members would begin throwing objects against a nearby wall (to
practice Ninja skills) or swinging a weapon through the air (to practice
Fighter skills) until the mana was fully restored. They seemed to learn
more slowly from this type of practice than from actual combat, but they
did progress. The group would repeat this cycle until the members felt they
had learned enough. These training sessions tended to be somewhat lengthy
and the party always made certain that there was plenty of food and water
on hand before beginning.

LEVEL ONE

With the words of Lord Librasulus still ringing in my ears, I proceeded
into the dungeon. The burden of choosing which champions would live again
was a heavy one. After studying each of the individuals enshrined in the
Hall of Champions, I began to form some opinions on which champions would
prove most able to complete the quest. Halk looked to be a powerful warrior
but his complete lack of mana meant that he would be far too limited to be
of any real help. Tiggy was the exact opposite of Halk. Tiggy had
outstanding potential as a Wizard and Priest but was so weak physically
that I knew another champion would be better suited to the task ahead.

After eliminating those champions that were essentially one-dimensional,
there were many that still looked promising. After much deliberation, the
four champions were finally selected.

Hissssa was chosen because he possessed the greatest physical strength and
showed sufficient potential in other areas as well.

Sonja was selected for her strength as well as outstanding overall balance
in her other attributes. Sonja's very low mana almost dissuaded me from
selecting her; however, through constant practice I knew that she could
quickly match the others in spellcasting ability.

Gothmog was selected for his resistance to spells in addition to his
overall attributes in the other areas.

Finally, Leif was not outstanding in any one category but was well above
average in all of them. This balance made him well suited to contribute to
any needs the party might have.

For those who may be interested in the champions that rested in the hall, I
have compiled the following list. While the champions I selected proved
their worth admirably, there were many legendary figures in the hall that
might have served equally well.

LEVEL
NAME H S M St D W V AM AF F N P W ITEMS
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Alex 50 57 13 44 55 45 40 35 40 0 3 0 2 Leather Pants and Jerkin,
Boots, Sling
Azizi 61 77 7 47 48 42 45 30 35 2 3 0 0 Barbarian Hide, Halter,
Hide Shield, 2 Daggers
Boris 35 65 28 35 45 55 40 45 40 0 2 0 3 Leather Boots and Pants,
Tunic, Rabbit's Foot
Chani 47 67 20 37 47 57 37 47 37 2 0 0 3 Moonstone, Shirt, Sandals
Daroou 100 65 6 50 30 35 45 30 45 3 0 0 1 None
Elija 60 58 22 42 40 42 36 53 40 2 0 3 0 Magic Box, Robe, Sandals
Gando 39 63 26 39 45 47 33 48 43 0 3 0 2 Leather Pants and Jerkin,
Boots, 2 Poison Darts
Gothmog 60 55 18 40 43 48 34 50 59 0 0 0 4 Cloak of Night
Halk 90 75 0 55 43 30 46 38 48 4 0 0 0 Berserker Helm, Sandals,
Barbarian Hide, Club
Hawk 70 85 10 45 35 38 55 35 35 2 0 3 0 Leather Pants and Jerkin,
Suede Boots, 2 Arrows
Hissssa 80 61 5 58 48 35 35 43 55 3 2 0 0 None
Iaido 48 65 11 43 55 40 35 45 50 3 0 2 0 Samurai Sword, Ghi,
Ghi Trousers
Leif 75 70 7 46 40 39 50 45 45 3 0 2 0 Leather Jerkin and Boots
Leather Pants
Leyla 48 60 3 40 53 45 47 45 35 0 4 0 0 Leather Pants and Boots,
Silk Shirt, Rope
Linflas 65 50 12 45 45 47 35 50 35 3 0 0 2 Elven Boots and Doublet
Elven Huke, Bow
Mophus 55 55 19 42 35 40 48 40 45 0 0 4 0 Sandals, Robe, Apple,
Cheese, Bread
Nabi 55 65 15 41 36 45 45 55 55 0 0 3 2 Tunic, Pants, Sandals,
Staff
Sonja 65 70 2 54 45 39 49 40 40 4 0 0 0 Halter, Gunna, Choker,
Sandals, Sword
Stamm 75 80 0 52 43 35 50 35 55 4 0 0 0 Leather Pants, Tunic, Axe,
Suede Boots
Syra 53 72 15 38 35 43 45 42 40 0 0 2 3 Elven Doublet, Tabard,
Apple
Tiggy 25 45 36 30 45 50 35 59 40 0 2 0 3 Gunna, Kirtle, Sandals,
Wand
Wu Tse 45 47 20 38 35 53 45 47 40 0 2 3 0 Silk Shirt, 3 Throwing
Stars, Sandals, Tabard
Wuuf 40 50 30 33 57 45 40 35 40 0 3 2 0 Leather Jerkin, Flask
Zed 60 60 10 40 40 40 50 40 40 2 2 2 2 Mail Aketon, Hosen, Pants,
Torch

The key to the above table is as follows: H=Health, S=Stamina, M=Mana, St=
Strength, D=Dexterity, W=Wisdom, V=Vitality, AM=Anti-Magic, AF=Anti-Fire, F=
Fighter, N=Ninja, P=Priest, W=Wizard.

Levels of Advancement: 1 - Neophyte 9 - LO Master
2 - Novice 10 - UM Master
3 - Apprentice 11 - ON Master
4 - Journeyman 12 - EE Master
5 - Craftsman 13 - PAL Master
6 - Artisan 14 - MON Master
7 - Adept 15 - Arch Master
8 - Expert

Having decided which champions would pursue our goals, I was now faced with
the choice of how to revive them. Resurrection had the advantage of
allowing the heroes to retain their prior knowledge and experience, thereby
making the group more powerful at the beginning of the quest. Reincarnation,
on the other hand, had two significant advantages. First, the attributes of
each champion are raised at the time of reincarnation to compensate for the
loss of experience. Second, as the heroes regain their prior levels of
experience, their health, mana, and other attributes will continue to rise.
The net result is that in a short period of time not only will a
reincarnated champion regain his prior level experience, but he will be far
more powerful overall than if he had simply been resurrected. The choice
seemed clear. While resurrection would serve the party well initially, only
reincarnation would allow the group to realize its full potential in the
long run.

Having settled on a definite course of action, I immediately reincarnated
the party. It quickly became obvious that the group was oblivious to my
presence. Since they had lost all memory of their prior lives, there was a
great deal of confusion at first. Desperate to get the expedition moving
toward its goal, I attempted to tell Gothmog what needed to be done. I
failed to communicate directly but I somehow managed to project a few
fragmented images directly into his mind. While the message was very
confused, he did manage to pick up the two most important elements of the
quest. He explained his sudden vision to the group and related to them the
need to recover the Firestaff and warned of the menace of Lord Chaos. The
others interpreted his vision as an omen and promptly named him leader of
the expedition.

Upon settling things in the Hall of Champions the group stepped on a
pressure plate that opened an iron gate. Beyond the gate they found several
pieces of food and an Altar of Vi. If one of the champions were killed,
placing his bones on the altar would serve to resurrect him, although the
revived champion would find himself somewhat weaker than before his death.
No foes were found on this floor so the group was free to explore the area
quickly. Having accomplished this, the party descended the stairs, little
imagining the terrors awaiting them below.