DM - Amiga Playthrough.

[Gambit37]

Being able to throw so many fireballs really is good, I'm up to ON level fireballs now with my Artisan casters,

From a certain point of view, it might be considered that you've "cheated". The scroll with the fireball spell on it isn't actually revealed until later in the game, so this is one reason why you're finding it so easy - the first few levels aren't really intended to be beaten using fireballs

Of course, that said, the designers obviously allowed the player to experiment with the runes and learn spells "early", and they clearly couldn't account for varying difficulty levels depending on whether you'd learned the fireball early or not.

Just a little perspective for you there; you're obviously free to play the game however you like

[Darklord]

Quite so, you guys tips have been invaluable, one of you put the fireballs runes in one of the helpful for new starters posts, and once seen it couldn't be unseen! I don't mind the game being a little easier, I wouldn't call it easy even with fireballs! I have learnt the runes for poison cloud which I guess I would be using instead.

The "This is my prisoner" bit was fun, it opened up a side section allowing monster to enter onto that spot, I happily shot them from a distance with the knowledge they couldn't get to me.

Daniel.

[beowuuf]

Don't forget the manual has the definition of the runes, including FUL and IR, which point to fireball. Soin a way they'd included a puzzle in plain sight to find the spell that way, not just random experimentation

[Darklord]

Amusingly I did figure a shield spell or something by accident I miscast, when i was in a hurry!

Daniel.

[Ameena]

Wheee, sounds like you're doing pretty well . Yay for beating the Wormies...I would agree with those who say to sod the Worm rounds and hang onto better foods like drumsticks, as they fill your health bar up more so you can wait longer before you eat again. Worm rounds are the crappiest food in the game - I think Screamer slices are the second-worst. Drumsticks are probably the second-best.
Meanwhile, good luck on Level 6...

[beowuuf]

Yup, worm rounds are the heaviest food with the crappiest recovery! I think cheese is good, but being heavier I usually preferred bread over it. And drunsticks seeme to be good for weight and fullness.


for the level 6

[lord soth 75]

There are a pair of very useful weapons on level 6.

[beowuuf]

Yes indeed, one more hidden than the other! I seem to recall they were a decent reward for the time you sank in to level 6

[Darklord]

Well I spent most of this session finishing Level 5, and most of that was spent in a room of teleporters... ARGH!!!! Must have spent like an hour in it before finally getting through... I found a full set of armour behind a set of secret walls, my guys are seriously well armoured now.

I've ever so slightly ventured into 6 by opening various stairways one of which connected up to level 4 and the other connected down into the pit room beneath level 6 where I faced my first Skeleton! EEEK! I've now entered what appears to be the main entrance to level 6 "The Riddle Room" just the name of which scares me silly, seriously some of these puzzles are getting crazy!

End stats aren't much improved over last sessions as you don't get XP for walking through teleporters!

Jagger – Craftsman Fighter, Apprentice Ninja, Journeyman Priest & Wiz
Brom - Craftsman Fighter, Apprentice Ninja, Journeyman Priest & Wizard
Dorro Journeyman Fighter & Ninja, Apprentice Priest, Artisan Wizard
Zappo Journeyman Fighter & Ninja, Apprentice Priest, Adept Wizard

Zappo is my first character to become an Adept anyhow which is nice, I've found I've been resting and using more spells than previously. Guess I should try and do some melee again to improve those Fighter levels.

Daniel.

[lord soth 75]

Level 6 on RTC DM is a nightmare.
When i finally completed that level i felt like i had just finished 12 rounds of boxing with Mike Tyson.

[Jan]

It's so funny that, IMHO, in CSBWin the level 6 (below the "Treasure stores") is actually one of the easiest in the game.

[Ameena]

Well, that's good to know, for whenever I get there in my messing-around with CSBWin . Though I would suggest that actually Level 5 is even easier, since you don't have to do anything there at all, besides walk along the corridor and down the stairs - there are no essential items on that level so you can save yourself the hassle of Flying Snakes and that bloody pit room by not even bothering to go near them . I suppose you'd miss out on any level gains you might have got from working through the level, but they can be caught up on later .

[Paul Stevens]

level 6 (below the "Treasure stores") is actually one of the easiest in the game.

That's the 'Riddle Room' Level.

Not at all easy until you know the tricks and
shortcuts. I cannot tell you how long it took me
to solve all the puzzles along that hallway on the
far side of the 'Riddle Room'. Especially the one
at the south end. (To the right as you enter
the hallway.) And more than one person has had
to request help getting through the room with
the four small switches. Then, if you don't take
the shortcut, you are faced with the Beholders who
seem to pop out of nowhere and are evidently
a bit more dangerous in RTC. Altogether a tough
level for first-time dungeon-explorers.

[Darklord]

Wow the puzzle room wasn’t to bad, the “I am all I am none” had me stumped for a little while, I went through my inventory and found a mirror and thought lets try, and it worked! Found a Beholder, I dodged any nasty projectiles it threw and blew it up with a few fireballs. The next one got me when I entered a small room, I took a bit of damage from a few fireballs but notihing to bad thankfully. Room had a fiendish puzzle, falling down the pit on purpose was not the solution! Finally it occurred to me if I could throw something heavy through the teleporter it would land on the pressure plate, I had to go back 2 levels to get a boulder not using a chest! First throw it landed in the pit... All I got was an iron key, which I already had one of, but still satisfaction was good!

Shortly after of course I found I did need both, so that was nice! Onwards I was ambushed by skeletons and Beholders, this room was also tricky I eventually found 3 hidden switches, and a lovely piece of plate mail. Pressure plate with nearby disappearing wall stumped me, will come back later. ARGHHHH I went down the corridor and the door shut behind me I then got stuck in a tiny corridor with a locked door and a teleporter... This game is hideously nasty...

After another 20 minutes of bashing fowards endlessly, I have no idea what to do next, I have searched everywhere for a switch and am completely stuck in this tiny piece of corridor, I was able to open the door with a spell but cannot get past the teleporter no matter how fast I press the forward button, urge to smash PC mounting, I will have to stop playing now... If the rest of the game is like this I don't think I'm going to have the patience to continue.

Either way with no soloution I can figure it's game over for me.

Daniel.

[beowuuf]

It is a timing puzzle, you use the keyboard to move though, yes? Don't mash the keys, its too easy to sync up running throug hthe teleporter multiple times with the same timing.

The first teleporter should be easier to bypass, save the game, and then attempt the second teleporter. Try to start moving ahead of the teleport disappearing, and for goodness sake don't try to move while your party is overloaded/injured with a red area on them. You will come back to this place, so drop anything like the plate armouir you don;t need right now.

I don't recall any further timing puzzles aside from a slow set of shifting pits after this.

[Ameena]

Hmm, I'm trying to work out where you are on the map, but I can't seem to find anywhere with "a locked door and a teleporter". Have you tried, err, "removing" the door? Otherwise all I can think is that there is a teeny-tiny switch on the wall that you've missed, or something. Or maybe an invisible pressure pad to open the door...?

[beowuuf]

It's the teleporter puzzle that gives you the solid key, just before 'test your strength'

[Darklord]

Aha, my guys were yellow encumbrance which according to what I had read did not slow you down at all, seem that was wrong however as once I removed their armour, I tried again and with two slow presses I got straight through!

Thank you, was going crazy here!

Daniel.

[beowuuf]

Lol, who said yellow was fine? I'll go mod that away to save future madness!

[Darklord]

It's the official manual that comes with the game,

If this line is printed in red, then that champion is overloaded and will move more slowly through the dungeon.

I took that to mean yellow was just a warning, would have been nice if the manual was clearer. Ah well.

Daniel.

[Darklord]

And I’ve found the way down to level 7 yay! There’s still some stuff I’ve missed on this level, so I think I’ll have another look round, hmm. Still I took a peek into level 7 and found the tomb of the Firestaff! I also used a Key of Ra I’d found earlier. I found the fireball spell! Now I genuinely have it. I also found an odd scroll for light and darkness, casting either seemed to do nothing at all, they did increase my priest levels though!

I then found the way down to level 8! But still need to finish Level 6, time to go back I think.

Daniel.

[Darklord]

I decided to leave all my chests laden with food by the tomb of the firestaff, that way none of my guys are yellow any more. Seemed the sensible thing to do. I went back to Level 6 and finally figured out the Pressure plate with nearby disappearing wall that had stumped me earlier, I got a skeleton on top and used one of the billion freeze boxes I’d been storing, this did the trick and got me some potions.

I’ve yet to find either of the “Pair of useful weapons” Lord Soth alluded to so far. Will keep searching.

Daniel.

[beowuuf]

One is 'obvious', you've turned one direction and not the other and not found a dead end room with wasps. The second is well hidden unless you click on every wall decoration.

[Jan]

Very good progress, Darklord!

Just a small hint:

The second is well hidden unless you click on every wall decoration.

If you can't find it, it's close to the place where

Spoiler

you were stuck for so long

.

Oh, and you've lost your avatar! I can't see it.

[beowuuf]

And just so you don't wander around a really complicated area,

Spoiler

it's before that point, and not in the skeleton/beholder room

[Darklord]

Phew Level 6 was pretty tricky, There was a door with no key near previous stuck spot, which I hadn't managed to open but I eventually found a hole in King Midas’s grave, which accepted a gold coin, this gave me a key, I hurried back and got a music box as a reward... Mind you opposite I finally found a clicky ring on the wall! After some searching of this area, I found a clicky switch and then a Vorpal Blade! After a fair bit more searching I found the 2nd blade! It’s amazing how turned round and confused you can get without a map. So both Vorpal blades in hand, I descended down to Level 8.

My Vorpal Blades immediately came in handy, as a ghost appeared! Followed by plenty more, saved me searching for the right spell to get them. Fireballs started flying past, I disabled one, and then eventually got a chest with skeleton key in it. Found a Mace of Order, but sticking with Vorpal Blades for now. This level really is wide open such a change after the previous.

Here's my current levels,

Jagger – Craftsman Fighter, Journeyman Ninja Craftsman Priest, Adept Wizard
Brom - Artisan Fighter, Journeyman Ninja & Priest, Artisan Wizard
Dorro Journeyman Fighter, Ninja & Priest, Adept Wizard
Zappo Journeyman Fighter, Ninja & Priest, Expert Wizard

As you can see I've found Magic to be the most effective thing, if you kill the enemies before they get close you take no damage, this means every class gain apart from Wizard is slowing down, but everyone is know great at throwing fireballs! And there we go my first Expert.

Daniel.

[beowuuf]

The skeleton key is the cool thing that unlocks the entrance to the staircase where you can stick extra stuff and get it back (assuming you find more skeleton keys)

The key out of this large room is, sadly, a grey key on a grey floor... so search carefully!

[Jan]

Found a Mace of Order

I never use it. But there's a much cooler weapon on this level - well hidden!

And congratulations for your first expert! I usually gain my first Expert level much deeper, even in a solo run.

[Darklord]

Level 8 continued well I found a nice Big sword called Delta, not sure where as initially I thought it was one of the throw away ones the skeletons were using, it's lucky I noticed it was different! I ended up giving it to Jagger to carry, (he stuck with the Vorpal Blade while there were ghosts around though) I was in my menu when I suddenly heard a very loud noise, and I was like WTF?! I then saw running away from me as fast as it could a little laughing thief monster! It had stolen my slayer arrow and I wanted it back! I lost him but then thankfully he turned up again later, I kept a careful eye out afterwards but despite that, another turned up and stole a Vorpal blade and a potion! I managed to chase him down to before he could hide my loot in some dark corner!

I used the Skull key, but as it was the first level I'd opened up I could go anywhere, I then headed down to level 9. I soon found the mighty Lightning Bolt! Then I came face to face with an armadillo? it didn't do to much thankfully, few lightnings and a fireball or two, sorted it out. A little Jawa came at me and cast a hideous nasty spell or two that did some seriously pain to me, (party half dead!) I returned the favour with lightning and fireballs! It’s getting me to make more healing potions anyhow, which helps my priest levels. I then found a Feral Pendant, which after careful checking actually gives me + 1 Wiz Level! I gave this to Dorro, so he would be an Expert along with Zappo. I finally discovered the source of the Drumsticks, Giant Rats! One of these almost killed me, mauling my party quickly, what didn't help is before the combat I'd had all 4 party members ready a lightning bolt and every single one failed to cast! Is Lightning actually better than a fireball? Certainly fails more...

I then found a room which activated fireballs on every step, my party made it through to the side corridor with everyone still alive, (just!) At this point there were armadillos everywhere, thankfully compared with the Jawas and Giant Rats, they were much easier. I then found a Corbimite, no idea what it’s for yet. Got a rope, should be handy somewhere I guess. Found a Jawa with another skeleton key, and then a yummy looking Dragon steak! I also solved a cunning room involving getting a gem back to where it was before it fell through a pit, I solved it the thick way though, instead of throwing the gem into the pit I jumped down myself...

Not much gain this session, Dorro is a Master Wizard but only because he's wearing the Feral Pendant, does wearing that slow down levelling by the way?

Jagger – Craftsman Fighter, Journeyman Ninja, Craftsman Priest, Adept Wizard
Brom - Artisan Fighter, Journeyman Ninja & Priest, Artisan Wizard
Dorro Journeyman Fighter, Ninja & Priest, Master Wizard (with Feral)
Zappo Journeyman Fighter, Ninja , Craftsman Priest, Expert Wizard

Daniel.

[Gambit37]

Yes, there's a couple of ways to solve the "Put the gem back" puzzle -- jumping in while carrying it is an easy solution

By the way, your avatar is broken. I'm not sure the Grimrock forums allow you to hotlink like that, you may need to host it somewhere else.