"That was a close one, mageling! Those dragons very nearly earned themselves a meal, if you were a bit slower."
Looking up from your panting, you see an elder leaning against one of the icy walls of this frozen place. He seems a bit amused at your brush with death. He takes his pipe away from his mouth for a moment.
"New to the life of adventuring, I bet. Clear off a rock and have a seat. I'll share a tip or two on how to keep the jaws of Death from closing on your hide.
"The most effective way to hunt is to lure the monsters to you. Movement attracts creatures; the more you move, the more monsters are attracted with you. Luring is when you run back and forth between a number of rooms (for example, e;;w;;e;;w). I would recommend only luring between two rooms when you are alone. It is easier to manage how many monsters you want to fight, so you won't be suddenly buried in creatures. If you are hunting with a large group of people, moving a longer distance will make sure there are enough foes to afford your party a good fight.
"Now, obviously, to hunt properly, you must be able to measure up well against your foes. It does no good to try battling a mountain of horn and muscle if you haven't a chance of killing it. Know your capabilities, and be cautious fighting a monster youíve never seen before. After you are confident of your ability to handle one monster, then try fighting two at a time. Donít be afraid to run from a monster if you are badly wounded or out of spells or simply too weak to survive a fight with it. Retreating from one room to another {through the command "re (direction)"} has saved my life more often than I can count.
"Another point that is important later is your spell of choice. While running through the Fortress, your choice of Sorcery spell isn't vital. Zap, Chill or Fireflames work just as well as the others. However, once you start fighting tougher monsters, youíll find that your Chill spell is very weak against the denizens of Dark Blizzard Pass, and the Fire Dragon will scoff at your Fireflames spell. When you start running into resistant monsters, you'll have to expand your spell book to be able to fight them."
"Of course, there is more to hunting than just killing the beasts. With so many other hunters in the land, day and night, there are certain rules of etiquette one must follow to keep from being thought of as an inconsiderate lout."
Just then a party of battered adventurers limp in, obviously running into those dragons that chased you to this sanctuary. They shoot you some dirty looks and mutter among themselves as they pass by.
Your companion lets out a low chuckle as they move out of earshot. "I guess those dragons were waiting for you to come back out. Monsters'll do that, and call up friends as they wander around. It's called "swarming" and it's the bane of spellcasters, warriors, monks, and rogues.
"Some areas are more likely to swarm than others, and there are even monsters outside those areas that will call for allies to help them track down a hapless adventurer who runs. Sometimes it's impossible to prevent a swarm, but hunter courtesy will tell you to try and clean up your loose monsters, or at least warn other hunters in the area.
"One way to minimize this, and keep a passerby from getting mixed up in a fight he may not want, is to hunt well away from the entrances of areas and safe spots. I would even suggest moving a good distance from another hunter's spot. It may take you a few extra seconds to get to your luring spot, but it does help you in two ways: One is that you donít have a troupe of people wandering through all the time, stirring up monsters you may not want and the possibility of an unsavory character swiping your gold as he walks by. The second is that someone isn't killed by one of your monsters as they pass through. This will very likely earn you the deceased individual's enmity, possibly causing them to refuse you services they provide, or they may even try to do you in as well.
"Hunters try to mind their own business, generally. If you are walking through and see someone fighting a monster, it's best not to join in unless you can tell they need help. If they are constantly retreating, stunned, or badly wounded maybe, they might appreciate you throwing some fire into the brawl. Otherwise, I think they'd be happier to handle it themselves. 'Stealing kills', as it is called, is frowned upon.
"I probably don't have to mention this, seeing how you are a mage and look like the honest type, but right along with stealing kills is stealing gold. Mages don't do it, plain as that. If you walk into a room with plenty of gold lying around and you don't see anyone around, there is a generally accepted way of handling things. First, you ask if anyone's there. Some, rogues mostly, lurk in the shadows and are hard to spot. If no one answers, you scoop up the gold and thank Kali for the good luck. I personally don't suggest you leave your loot on the ground, since if you are victimized by a thief or need to ring out, you'll lose it all. Pick it up as soon as you finish off the last monster in the room."
The old mage straightens up, putting away his pipe. "Follow that advice, mageling, and you wonít have so many close calls or so few hunting partners." With a wave of his hand and a twitch of his nose he disappears, leaving you to plan how you'll use this knowledge to hunt better than before.
Scribed by Wizard ArchGuide Lord Slithex in the Year 183
Sealed by Sodagayo in the Year 187
Alley back to the library foyer.
|
