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Zin

2025-12-14T18:53:39Z

Oneirical: add blindness to the wrath

{{version031}}
[[File:Zin altar.png]] ''"Spread the light, my child."''

{{flavour|Zin is a god of discipline. Followers must remain pure of body and soul, refraining from dark magic and chaotic acts. They must also tithe a fraction of all gold gained, preferably followed by donations of more. In exchange, worshippers may invoke Zin's wrath upon sinners, and eventually gain various divine protections. Zin's followers can convert to Elyvilon or the Shining One while keeping some piety.

Zin grants followers the ability to preach to the unenlightened masses, and powers to vitalise their bodies and gain divine stamina, protecting them from various afflictions. Later, followers gain the ability to imprison their foes temporarily. Followers can eventually find temporary safety in a divine refuge. As piety grows, followers will be protected from mutation, and Zin may even occasionally directly intervene to save a follower's life.

Zin likes it when you donate money and you or your allies kill unclean or chaotic beings.

Zin dislikes it when you attack monsters in a sanctuary. Zin strongly dislikes it when you use evil magic or items, you attack non-hostile holy beings, you attack allies, you transform yourself, you or your allies kill non-hostile holy beings, you deliberately mutate or transform yourself, you use unclean or chaotic magic or items or you polymorph monsters.}}

==Racial Restrictions==
*Zin does not accept [[Demonspawn]] or undead species ([[Ghoul]]s, [[Vampire]]s, or [[Mummies]]) as followers.
*[[Demigod]]s may not worship Zin (or any other god).

==Appreciates==
Zin appreciates donations of gold.
*On worship, and every time you pick up gold, Zin takes a 10% tithe. Zin counts remainders: if you pick up two piles of 15 gold one after the other, Zin will take 1 gold piece from the first and 2 from the second. Also, if you are at maximum piety (200), there is no tithe.
:For tithes, base piety gain = <code>gold_taken * 141 / (40 + 2 * absolute_depth)</code>,<ref>{{source ref|0.30.1|god-prayer.cc|219}}</ref> but this can be modified:
:*If the gold was obtained from the [[Orcish Mines]], the piety is halved.
:*For the gold taken upon worship, and any gold from a [[scroll of acquirement]], the tithe's effect is reduced. Gold from these sources is instead worth <code>30 * log2(gold_taken / 10)</code> piety (max. 150 piety). If the tithe was reduced this way, ignore the Orcish Mines penalty entirely.
:*Zin knows if you try to save gold piles before worship ("Zin ignores your late donation.").
*You may also donate half your current gold. The piety from donations = <code>(gold) * ln(gold) / 200</code>, which always gives less piety than a tithe of the same amount.<ref>{{source ref|0.30.1|god-abil.cc|238}}</ref> Piety is not given right away; it is distributed over a lengthy period of time. You'll receive an indication of what Zin's opinion towards you will be once the piety is fully distributed.
**One time big donations are more efficient than multiple small ones. For example, five donations of 100 gold would give 8-12 piety, but one donation of 500 gold would give 15-16 piety.
**Late-game converts can buy their way from 0* to 6* for ~3600 gold donated.
**If you are at 200 piety, any piety from donations is saved until you drop below 200 piety.

Zin also appreciates killing unclean or [[chaotic]] creatures, which has a chance to grant piety.<ref>{{source ref|0.33.1|god-conduct.cc|697}}</ref>

==Deprecates==
Your piety will decay by 1 every 340 turns, on average (1/17 chance every 20 turns).

Zin dislikes it (i.e. [[piety]] loss) when:
*You attack neutral monsters.
*You deliberately mutate yourself. This includes deliberately making yourself [[glow]] and drinking [[potions of mutation]] when not at 6*.
*You or your allies attack monsters in a sanctuary.

Zin strongly dislikes it (i.e. [[penance]]) when:
*You use [[Necromancy]].
*You use [[unholy]] magic or items.
*You attack non-hostile holy beings.
*You or your allies kill non-hostile holy beings.
*You attack allies.
*You [[polymorph]] monsters.
*You use unclean or [[chaotic]] magic or items.

If you use any [[talisman]], you will be excommunicated. Also, Zin won't let you join while you're transformed.

Zin will forgive accidental transgressions, i.e. performing a forbidden action via an unidentified item.

==Given Abilities==
'''[[Piety|Piety level -]]''': "Anchorite"
*Zin may protect you from a fatal instance of damage. The chance increases linearly from 10% at 0 piety to 28% at maximum. (Passive, no cost)
*Zin may protect you from the effects of [[Hell]]'s mystical force. The chance increases with piety, up to 50% at maximum. (Passive)
*Zin may protect you from mutation at a <code>(piety/1.6)</code>% chance, increasing up to 100% at 160 piety (******). (Passive)
*'''Donate Gold''' - You may donate half your gold to increase your piety.

Also, Zin will identify if a monster is a [[shapeshifter (monster)|shapeshifter]] ("Zin warns you: The <monster> is a foul <glowing> shapeshifter.").

'''[[Piety|Piety level *]]''': "Apologist"
*'''Recite''' - Preaches a verse from the Axioms of Law. Each monster which can be affected at all has an effect selected from the following, in order of priority:<ref>{{source ref|0.30.1|god-abil.cc|850}}</ref>
**'''Demons, [[insubstantial]] undead:''' dazed, confused, [[Corona|illuminated]], affected by [[holy word]], or turned into [[pillar of salt|pillars of salt]].
**'''Unclean monsters:''' [[smite|smitten]], [[Corona|illuminated]], affected by [[holy word]], or turned into [[pillar of salt|pillars of salt]].
***Includes the following: substantial [[undead]]; mutagenic monsters who are not chaotic; monsters with [[vampiric]] or [[draining]] effects; monsters with unclean spell effects; monsters that [[Spell_slot_flags#Wizard_flag|cast]] chaotic spells. Also includes [[ancient zyme]], [[Maurice]], [[Crazy Yiuf]], [[Louise]], [[Gastronok]].
**'''[[Chaotic]] monsters:''' [[smite|smitten]], [[Corona|illuminate]]d, have their flesh melted away (pure damage), or turned into [[pillar of salt|pillars of salt]].
***Everything weak to [[silver]] ("it is vulnerable to silver and hated by Zin") is chaotic. See [[:Category:Silver_vulnerability|List of silver vulnerable monsters]].
**'''Intelligent non-[[holy]] monsters:''' dazed, confused, or paralysed. If they were followers of evil or chaotic gods, they can also be [[smite|smitten]], blinded, affected by [[antimagic]], [[Corona|illuminate]]d, struck [[silence|mute]], sent mad (permanently [[confused]]), or rendered permanently stupid.
:You Recite for three turns; each turn has a chance to affect enemies, but no enemy can be affected more than once per recite. You can move, fight, cast spells, read scrolls, etc. during this time. Being [[silence]]d, [[berserk]]ed, or disabled, e.g. [[paralysis]], will end the effect. Recite is more powerful with higher [[piety]] and [[Invocations]], though there's always a 50% chance (calculated for each individual monster, each turn) of nothing happening, and monsters can resist based on their [[HD]] ([[orb of fire|orbs of fire]] are immune). (1-39 turn -recite cooldown)
'''[[Piety|Piety level **]]''': "Pious"
*'''Vitalisation''' - Temporarily gives you the Vit status. While active, it gives full poison immunity, protects you from sickness, confusion, petrification, and stat drain, and boosts all your stats by <code>[[Invocations]]/3</code>. Lasts for <code>60 + 2d10</code> turns, regardless of skill.<ref>{{source ref|0.30.1|god-abil.cc|1240}}</ref> (1-2 Piety)
'''[[Piety|Piety level ***]]''': "Devout"
*'''Imprison''' - Temporarily creates a silver-walled prison around an enemy, pushing away monsters adjacent to the target. It will fail if there is no space to push an adjacent monster to, or if you are adjacent to the monster. Duration depends on [[Invocations]] skill. Strong monsters may break themselves out before the effect ends on its own (chance of doing so depends on monster's [[HD]]). (5 MP, 4-6 Piety)
'''[[Piety|Piety level ****]]''': "Orthodox"
*No new abilities.
'''[[Piety|Piety level *****]]''': "Immaculate"
<div id="Sanctuary"></div>
*'''Sanctuary''' - Creates a stationary Sanctuary centered on yourself, with a radius and duration dependent on your [[Invocations]] skill. Its radius will decrease as its duration runs out. So long as you remain within the radius of Sanctuary, no enemies can attack you (this protection extends to your allies, as well). If you or one of your allies attacks, Sanctuary is instantly dispelled and Zin considers it an evil act. (7 MP, 15-23 Piety)
In addition to preventing enemy attacks, you enjoy the following effects from Sanctuary:
*[[Cloud]]s dissipate.
*Your allies are recalled and protected against [[Abjuration]].
*Monsters inside are scared away.
*Magical contamination discharges are greatly reduced.
'''[[Piety|Piety level ******]]''': "Bringer of Law"
*Zin will cleanse [[potions of mutation]]. This means you will no longer lose piety from quaffing potions of mutation, and potions of mutation will only remove [[mutations]], not add them.

==Punishments==
{{flavour|Zin does not punish followers who leave Zin's service; however, those who take up the worship of evil or chaotic gods will be scourged. (Kikubaaqudgha, Yredelemnul, Makhleb, Lugonu, and Beogh are evil, and Xom and Jiyva are chaotic.)

Those under Zin's wrath will find their beneficial mutations stripped away, their enemies alerted, and their senses confounded by the axioms of Law; confusion, fainting and complete paralysis will be their lot.}}

Zin will only dispense [[divine retribution|punishments]] to those who enter the service of an [[evil gods|evil]] or [[chaotic]] god. Switching to other gods or breaking Zin's conduct will not result in any wrath. Switching to [[Elyvilon]] or [[The Shining One]] will transfer half of your piety to them.

*1/3 chance: If possible, remove 1-7 random good mutations. Otherwise, reroll from the remaining options.
*1/2 chance: Recites the Axioms of Law at you, inflicting blindness, confusion, sleep, or paralysis (equal chance of each).
*1/6 chance: Makes an extremely loud noise at your current position.

==Strategy==
Zin is more subtle than most gods. Instead of killing enemies directly, Zin offers a variety of defensive abilities and buffs. From trapping enemies with Imprison, or debuffing them with Recite, Zin is great for strong characters (and/or strong players) who don't need more combat power, but appreciate tools that can handle the toughest of situations.

Zin is also useful for the [[extended]] game. With so many unclean and [[chaotic]] monsters, piety is gained quickly. Defensive tools are useful when [[torment]] can make any situation nasty. Zin also blocks [[mutation]]s and [[Hell's mystical force]], which is a nice benefit.

In terms of overall god strategy, remember that you can switch amongst Zin, [[Elyvilon]], and [[the Shining One]] without incurring wrath, and you even get some starting piety with your new god choice. And as long as you do not worship an evil or chaotic god at any point later on in the game, you will not incur wrath if you leave any of these three gods. Note that Zin isn't "free" to worship before you find other gods, since Zin takes a tithe.

===Ability Strategy===
*In spite of the fact that Zin abhors chaos, Recite produces a variety of random effects. Weak effects are always possible, but since Recite is a practically free ability, you might as well use it. It lasts for 3 turns, each turn can produce an effect, and you can do anything (including spells, scrolls, and other "spoken" abilities) during the time.
*Vitalisation is fairly cheap. It offers a stat boost, poison immunity, and blocks a few statuses. It won't ''cure'' statuses, however, so be proactive and know what inflicts what status. The poison immunity blocks the effects of [[curare]] and the paralytic poison of [[hornet]]s / [[jorogumo]].
*Imprison is a strong ability whenever you need to get away from a scary monster. Whether it'd be a [[unique]] or just an out of depth monster, the silver walls will allow you to avoid them. Then, you can explore a different area, skip the floor, or even swap branches. Keep in mind that Imprison won't work if you are adjacent to your target. It tries to displace monsters adjacent to your target - if there's no space, it will also fail.
*Sanctuary is one of the most powerful emergency abilities in the game. Use it when you're surrounded and/or the situation is quickly going pear-shaped. Make sure you have an actual way to escape, lest Sanctuary only delay your death. Note that you can't recast Sanctuary while you already have one still active, and that it costs a hefty 15 piety to invoke.

==Trivia==
There are 4 volumes of the Axioms of Law: ''Abominations'', ''Ablutions'', ''Anathema'', and ''Apostates''.

==History==
{{CBA|0.32|Zin's wrath will be able to inflict [[blind]]ness when reciting the Axioms of Law.}}
*Prior to [[0.27]], Sanctuary provided a [[holy word]] effect inside it.
*Prior to the removal of the [[food]] system in [[0.26]], Zin forbid eating the flesh of monsters with [[Monster intelligence|human intelligence]], [[holy]] beings, and cannibalism. Species with high hunger costs, namely [[Troll]]s, were more difficult to play as a result.
*Prior to [[0.21]], Zin had a one-time ability at 6* which would remove all mutations, instead of cleansing mutation potions. Also, Zin's [[mutation resistance|mutation protection]] was 100% at max piety instead of 6* (200 piety instead of 160).
*Prior to [[0.20]], [[potions of cure mutation]] existed, which Zin allowed the use of.
*Prior to [[0.18]], Recite would be interrupted by many things that "prevent you from speaking", including: casting spells, reading scrolls, drinking potions, using god abilities, eating, and using [[breath]] weapons.
*Prior to [[0.17]], Vitalisation also gave a small amount of [[nutrition]], though never enough to go past Full.
*Prior to [[0.16]], Zin would completely protect followers from [[Hell]]'s effects at maximum piety.
*Prior to [[0.15]], followers of Zin would on occasion be seen as allies by [[:Category:Holy holiness|holy monsters]]. The chance of this occurring rose with piety. Also, Recite prompted you to choose a book - each book had different effects (e.g. one book only affected "demonic & undead", one only affected "chaotic").
*Prior to [[0.14]], Vitalisation simply blocked the poison status effect, without resisting poison; it didn't protect from impact damage from spells like [[Venom Bolt]] or [[Poison Arrow]]. Also, Zin was displeased when your sentient allies were allowed to die.
*Prior to [[0.13]], Recite had a 3-turn delay instead of a 3-turn duration, essentially paralyzing the player while they hoped Zin did something. Also, the [[Priest]] background was removed, making it impossible to begin play worshiping Zin.
*Prior to [[0.12]], Vitalisation did not protect from the paralysing sting of [[yellow wasp]]s and [[red wasp]]s.
*Prior to [[0.6]], Zin's wrath could summon [[Summon Swarm|insect plagues]] and [[list of eyeballs|eyes]].
*In older versions, Zin's wrath could summon several hostile [[angel]]s.

==References==
<references/>

{{gods}}

[[Category:Good Gods]]

Fortress Blast

2025-12-07T18:50:39Z

Oneirical: does not harm allies, tested in wizmode

{{version033}}
{{Spell info}}

'''Fortress Blast''' is a level 6 [[Forgecraft]] spell which locks the user into place for a few turns, then creates a 5x5 explosion with damage based entirely on [[AC]]. It deals no damage to the user or their allies.

==Useful Info==
Prevents manual movement (and physical abilities like Hop) for <code>70 - 10*power/25</code> [[aut]],<ref>{{source ref|0.33.1|spl-damage.cc|5322}}</ref> after which a 5x5 explosion centered on the caster occurs. You are allowed to do other actions that don't rely on physical movement for the duration, including [[teleport]]/[[blink]]. If something displaces you during the channeling, e.g., an [[elephant]] [[trample]]s you, the fortress blast will dissipate harmlessly.

You aren't hurt by the explosion, and it deals <code>6d(4 + 3*[AC^1.343]/17)</code> physical damage (max. 6d39 at 70 AC).<ref>{{source ref|0.33.1|spl-damage.cc|5368}}</ref><ref>{{source ref|0.33.1|zap-data.h|2626}}</ref> Notably, this means that the damage per AC ratio is non-linear, with each successive point of AC having a ''greater'' effect than the last.

Both Forgecraft constructs, as well as allies from any other source, are not harmed by this spell.

==Strategy==
Not being able to retreat is quite dangerous in ''Crawl'', so this spell should not be used lightly - try to lure enemies into a known, cleared out area first. This also helps mitigate this spell's loud noise.

The spell is especially good for [[species]] that gain extra AC as they level up, like [[Gargoyle]]s and [[Naga]]s.

==History==
*This spell was added in [[0.33]].

==References==
<references/>

Onei's Velvet-Pawed Path to Immortality Walkthrough - FeSu^Kikubaaqudgha/Jiyva

2025-12-02T06:05:44Z

Oneirical:

{{version033}}{{Advice}}
{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Another contender! Will you prove worthy, or rot like the rest?}}

Did you know 100% of deaths in DCSS are the result of taking damage? The common melee brute builds may appear efficient at first, but they suffer from a critical flaw - they let the enemy hit you. Every single time an enemy applies its claws, club, arrows, or reality shattering magic to your sensitive skin, you are exposed to the leading cause of mortality in the Dungeon. I therefore propose an alternative that will make your journey down into the depths 50% less painful, 100% less lonely, and most importantly, 300% fluffier.

'''The Felid Summoner of Kikubaaqudgha/Jiyva.'''

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] It's not "evil magic"! It's recycling. Those bodies would have gone to waste.}}

Cats have a terrible reputation for being, supposedly, a “challenge species”, a “tedious ordeal of optimal play” or even an “unfun experience I’d never do again”. I’m here to inform you that this is all baseless canine propaganda, and I hope you too will learn to bow before your true feline masters as you read through this guide. As a blessed, fuzzy quadruped, you will be able to laugh in the face of paralysis and other dastardly hexes (due to your nigh-unbreakable willpower), laugh in the face of invisible enemies (due to your intrinsic See Invisible passive), laugh in the face of melee enemies (due to your vast repertoire of loyal servants) and even occasionally laugh in the face of death (due to the extremely powerful ability to resurrect after you meet your demise).

This all comes at the high price of having the lowest amount of hit points in the game, and the inability to use any item besides scrolls, potions, evokables, talismans and jewellery. Thankfully, you won’t need any of the baubles inferior humanoids depend on, as you will delegate most of the dirty work to pathetically obedient underlings. Prepare to embark on a journey like no other - which will flip the game around completely, turning the lethal into the laughable, and the harmless into the horrifying.

This guide was written for DCSS version 0.34 (currently "trunk" beta, not released officially yet). The differences with version 0.33 are minor. The target audience here are players who have already won at least once, and would like a build off the beaten path of the tried and true brute/caster duality, or even their first Felid victory. It shall accompany you on a path of team-based fighting, dark magic, vast armies to manage, and eventual transcension in the form of nigh-infinite mana and on-demand invincibility. It aims not just to win, but to do so in a memorable (and challenging!) way.

If you are a newcomer to DCSS and have stumbled upon this page, check out these excellently written beginner-friendly guides:

* [[H's Minotaur Fighter Guide]] - the most classic "I cast Axe!" brute build, timeless in DCSS history
* [[Repo Troll Guide, TrFi^Wu Jian]] - a highly acrobatic aventure of awe-striking martial arts
* [[Git Gud Gnoll Guide]] - the Zotémon master, using anything and everything to win, even the strengths and spells of their enemies

But perhaps you are the type who prefers to jump straight into a complex and unorthodox playstyle, following a potential madman's dubious advice? You, I like.

I personally got my '''first win ever''' as a Felid Summoner, and I believe that the caution and focus which one learns from playing this species is valuable on any character.

'''Important note: for an overview of branch order and skilling, check the [[#Addendum: From Lackey to Supervillain (Character Building)|addendum at the end of this guide]].'''

===Travel Preparations (quality-of-life tweaks)===

If you care about comfort while playing this build, I suggest editing your rc file (in online mode, it's the button right next to the "Play trunk/Play (current version)" button, and in offline mode, it's under the settings folder > init.txt). Add these at the very bottom, on new lines:

default_manual_training = true
fail_severity_to_confirm = 0
fail_severity_to_quiver = 5
tile_player_tile = tile:felid_2
force_more_message += forbidden knowledge
force_more_message += mollified

In order, these will:

1. Prevent the very useless and dangerous Auto-training feature from working.

2. Will allow you to cast dangerous spells without a confirmation prompt.

3. Will allow you to quiver dangerous spells without a confirmation prompt.

4. For the reasonable among you, this will turn your likely very ugly Felid sprite extracted from the default rotation - which you may somehow find cute if you suffer from an utter lack of taste - into the objectively superior black counterpart. Secretly grants bonus Willpower from the sheer confidence your glossy black fur will exude (not scientifically tested). For those visually challenged by the black-fur-on-black-floor lack of contrast, tile:felid_4 or mons:natasha are also acceptable. Offline players can also press “-” and cycle through available sprites with left and right arrow keys while ingame. Should you ever revert to playing a (lesser) non-Felid, you will need to remove this line to restore your sprite to the default player doll.

5. Notify you when Kikubaaqudgha likes you enough to reveal the darkest spells in this game.

6. Notify you when Kikubaaqudgha is done pelting you with its pesky curses after you betray them.

Points 2 and 3 may be slightly controversial. The reason for this is simple - the "danger rating" of spells is based off your maximum HP, and as Felid has the lowest max HP in the game, even the actually very safe spell Call Canine Familiar will be labeled as "astonishingly dangerous" and constantly ask "are you sure????" when it's actually very safe, and in fact required for progression.

= (BONUS) Because It Wasn't Hard Enough (Gem Quest) =

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Ah, a new adventurer embarking on a new journey filled with noble deeds and helping the innocent. What? You're learning dark magic and committing mass slaughter? Eh, I don't really care. Can you do my fetch quest? Here's my backstory: I like money. There are gems in the dungeon that are worth a lot of it. Bring them to me.

The problem is, some prick is going around smashing them. You'll have to be quick before that lunatic destroys the treasure which I alone deserve.

Oh, sure. Maybe you can get a cut. If I like you.}}

'''Gems''' are an optional speedrunning challenge where you must beat the game without exceeding a certain amount of turns in each branch. Interestingly, this build is quite good at claiming them.

'''Note''': This makes the game objectively harder. It is for those utter fanatics who thought playing a Felid (lol) with an exotic build which involves god wrath (lmao) just wasn't difficult enough.

If you aren't feeling up to the task, '''ignore all interventions of Gozag in my guide (it is advice for the gem quest specifically).'''

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Excellent, you're still here. That means a promotion is in sight for you. From 'unemployed' to 'my esteemed errand-cat', to be precise. Do add these, while you're at it.}}

more_gem_info = true
always_show_gems = true
explore_auto_rest = false

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] A company-provided timer in your sidebar will now always show you the time remaining before those precious gems start cracking. Useful, is it not? Press }, then ! to view all collected gems, and the time limit for each.

What's that? You're worried about the last option? Corporate doesn't have time for things like "healthcare" or "comfort". You need to get moving, FAST. Just heal while you autoexplore, surely this won't result in coming face to face with a centaur when you have 15 HP.}}

If '}' is a weird key to press on your potentially non-English keyboard (like mine), you can rebind it like this:

bindkey = [(TYPE YOUR KEY HERE)] CMD_DISPLAY_RUNES

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Enough talk! Let's see if dedicating my attention span to you was a valuable use of my time.}}

= An Agonizing Introduction (XP Level 1) =

As the title suggests, pick Felid for your species (ignore the “Advanced” difficulty: that’s merely a ploy to hide true power from your grasp). Pick Summoner for your background, as is wisely recommended by the game.

You probably know this already, but press "o" to autoexplore floors when no enemies are in sight, Ctrl-G to quick-travel to locations, and "5" to wait turns until you have restored HP/MP.

Upon starting your run, you will be met with the following:

* 9 pitiful HP points, enough to get two-shotted by a quokka, defended by a lonely, single point of AC.
* Complete lack of any items (except a measly consolation magic cocktail), weapons, or armour, and only three equipment slots for jewellery only. Felid culture prohibits equipping rings on your rear-limbs, as this is symbolic of the time one spent caged by their (now rightfully eviscerated) master.
* The pathetic ability to call forth fuzzy critters from the unfathomable depths of the eldritch cosmos.
* A deranged repartition of default skill training. Press “m”. If you haven’t set up your rc file as explained in the beginning of the tutorial, set training to “manual” mode (press “/” to do so). Then, '''turn off every skill except Spellcasting and Summonings'''. '''Important reminder: at any time, should you wish to review my suggested skill training plan, view the [[#Addendum: From Lackey to Supervillain (Character Building)|addendum at the end of this guide]].'''
* Your first Extra Life, ripe to be harvested by possibly the very first foe you will encounter.

All of this is, to put it bluntly, utter trash. The good news is that XP level 1 and 2 are the only obstacles separating you from supreme feline domination. Please refer to the following advice to avoid becoming a delicacy in the next hobgoblin feast.

* Try to avoid being in melee range of anything that isn’t a “trivial creature” - which are '''[[Bat|bats]], [[Rat|rats]] and [[Frilled lizard|frilled lizards]]'''. If a ball python hits you with the “Constrict” status, do NOT continue fighting and attempt to retreat until you have been cleansed from the status, at which point you may resume your rampage. If you are cornered or engaged in dangerous melee with 0 MP remaining, use your magic potion immediately. You may take one step in a foe’s reach to reposition, but always remember that most of the denizens of D:1 can two-shot you.
* Cast [[Summon Small Mammal]] twice for every encounter (press “p” to do so, or - if the game complains about you being too reckless - "z" then "a"). Bats are almost useless, rats are mediocre, and quokkas are somewhat passable. If you happen to pull forth one of the latter two from your interdimensional nonexistent hat, you may direct them to get their furry heads bashed in at the nearest available enemy. This is done by pressing “t” to bring up the ally command menu, and then pressing “a” and selecting the enemy you wish to submit to death by a thousand adorable critter bites. If your fuzzy friend meets an unfortunate end at the tip of a kobold’s dagger, there’s always more where that came from - bring on the onslaught until all opposition has been reduced to quokka food. You can have up to a maximum of 2 mammals simultaneously - replace the fallen with more units eager to die in your name. While your summons fight it out, feel free to distance yourself from the action, or to press “.” to allow the battle to unfold, occasionally shooting a “t”-“a” command to direct firepower. Trying to join the action is a certain way to die - remember, do NOT melee non-trivial creatures!
* Remember the golden rule of summoning: what you can’t see cannot be seen by your summons either. No ally can attack outside of Line-of-Sight (LOS) distance. If you want something to die, it has to be on your screen. The opposite is not necessarily true: while your feline senses let you see invisible enemies, all of the critters in your starting spells (except those from Call Canine Familiar) are not as fortunate.
* You can close doors behind you by pressing capital "C" - animals of all kinds do not have paws as dextrous as yours, and will be forced to scratch your impenetrable barricade while you rest and recuperate.
* Your summons can tank stones and other missiles for you if you stand behind them, but this is extremely unreliable (projectiles continue their trajectory if they are dodged). Additionally, keep an eye out for branded weapons! A single hit from either of these is enough to go from a pristine, full health scruff to a game over screen showing 3 unidentified scrolls of acquirement. Venom and Electrocution in particular are extremely lethal. Branded melee weapons are handled in the same way as dangerous creatures of D:1, that is, drowned in pettable fluffballs until the threat is vanquished and drops their dangerous item (possibly a +34 triple sword “lol you can’t use this play minotaur next time” {flaming, Slay+12, AC+10}).

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] If you aren't already quitting the job on day one, I inform you that we just don't have the time to loot every grain of dust on D:1 to D:3. Your first objective in D:1 should be to reach XP level 2, and immediately going down afterwards, using a normal staircase (not a hatch). The latter tend to cause some company liabilities.}}

Do NOT "kite" (walking away from a creature over and over while it is in melee range of you) your foes. You WILL get your snout slapped faster than you can say “YASD” (a traditional roguelike acronym for Yet Another Stupid Death). Each step gives enemies a 33% chance to attack you for free - a few tip-taps to reposition (and swap places with your ally) is fine, but eating attacks of opportunity for over 5 turns is asking to die.

Quite an agonizing experience so far, no? Are you beginning to doubt me? Do you lust to return to a race that starts with HP in the double digits? Foolish! After this, the fun begins.

= Interdimensional Battle Tactics 101 =

All enemies of DCSS, from the gurgling jelly to the mighty Pandemonium Lord Cerebov, are extremely unintelligent. In a situation like:

@....
.....
..S..
...E.
.....

(where @ is you, S is a friendly summon, E is an enemy and . are floors), foes would rather hammer their way through your friend (which may be an eight-headed hydra zombie) to reach you, and certainly won’t think about just circling around to one-shot the squishy cat behind. You will need to abuse this as much as possible. Try to always ensure you are shielded behind your loyal servants. This, for example, is not acceptable:

..@..
.....
.....
..S..
...E.
.....

Since the enemy can directly trace a line between you and their position (imagine they’re trying to fire an arrow at you - if they can hit you, you’re not positioned correctly), they will ignore your ally and charge directly at you to slice themselves some fresh feline cutlets. In a situation such as this, it is preferable to either A) send out more allies to return to a more favourable state

..@..
.....
.....
.SSS.
...E.
.....

Or B), retreat to a hallway.

1-tile hallways are both beneficial and harmful to a Summoner. Look at the following situation, where # represent walls:

'''Situation 1'''

#####
S.@.E
#####

The enemy is possibly an ogre about to bash you into a bloodied furball. Casting your summoning spell placed your unit behind you. Simply walk backwards to swap places with your unit, watch the fight unfold (preferably from a distance), and if your soldier perishes in honourable battle, your MP should have regenerated while they were battling it out: simply send out a fresh combatant eager to finish the job.

#####
@..SE
#####

Zero risk, zero worry. Here’s another interesting case:

'''Situation 2'''

#####
@E..S
#####

Here, you got unlucky, and casting your spell spawned your unit ''behind'' the foe you are attempting to introduce to your friends. Inspect the enemy's melee damage by right-clicking them or pressing "x", moving the cursor on them, then pressing "v". If they can't oneshot you on the next turn, it's ''probably'' safe to try summoning some additional support, hoping they will spawn behind you and allow for a Situation 1 swap.

#####
@SE..
#####

The problem with 1-tile hallways is that they enforce honourable 1v1-ing only between each creature. This probably makes Okawaru very proud, but with the whole little army we are slowly amassing, we will increasingly benefit more and more from wide, open spaces to allow your entire squad to get into the fray and dish out punishment. This might not be the case early in the game, but much later on, when we will branch into Necromancy, expect the number of allies on screen to reach into the dozens.

= A Devilish Upgrade (XP Level 2) =

''Feeling brave? You may try to skip this chapter and reach XP level 3 using only small mammals. As Necromancy is tight on spell slots, the additional Scroll of Amnesia this will save later on may prove useful. Try not to die if you opt for this choice. Otherwise, keep reading.''

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Yeah, no, we can't fit this one into the budget. Move along. Just kill those D:2 adders with quokkas and quit whining. We'll need the Amnesia Scrolls later.}}

If you have reached this point, congratulations, you have won the game. You may now press Ctrl-Q to abandon the run, as objectively speaking, your chances of victory are now exactly 100.00%. Go bake some cookies. Take a nice walk in the park. Do anything else than watching pixelated animals fight. While being an animal yourself.

What? Still here? Very well.

Most of the Level 1 advice still applies, but you now have a little more room for mistakes. As soon as you level up and find yourself in a safe area, immediately memorize [[Call Imp]] by pressing "M", your new very mischievous addition to the roster. Press "z" then "b" to meet your new demonic friend. The unspeakably dark forces of Hell will be delighted to deliver you a dastardly blue imp proudly wielding a sharp stick.

This rampage machine is anything but (imp)otent. Savour the tears of the hobgoblins who once terrified you, revel in the yips of those pesky jackals - they will be poked, and there shall be no mercy. Imps will also occasionally compliment you and call you their “pillow-pawed master”, which is a step up from the blank stares of rats. Disregard these attempts to appeal to your nonexistent mercy, and send them to die in your name with more liberal usage of “t”-“a”. Unlike furry mammals, you may only have a maximum of one imp at a time.

At any moment, I encourage you to bring forth assistance from your previous, less talkative and much fuzzier friends! You may do this by either clicking the spell in the side menu (in offline mode) or pressing "p" or "za" again (in online mode). The total gang of three summons is now sufficient to circle enemies and dish out quick justice to anything on D:1. Keep being careful until you reach level 3. If D:1 fails to provide enough experience for this, carefully descend to D:2 to finish the job, but know that dealing with any of the D:2 new enemies that weren’t featured on D:1 is extremely risky - especially adders and orc priests/wizards. Try to focus on foes you are already familiar with, and use a different staircase if your chosen means of descent places you next to something you haven’t killed yet.

= Canine Thralls vs. The Interdimensional Police (XP Level 3) =

'''Increase (I)ntelligence, and only do so every single time you will be prompted with this choice in the future.'''

Got some scrolls? The stack with the highest amount (press "r" to bring up the (r)ead menu) has a high (but not guaranteed) chance of being Identify. Once you have found Scrolls of Identify, immediately read any you may obtain to progressively label each of your possessions. Personally, I think identifying potions before scrolls tends to increase your chances of survival ever-so-slightly. This isn't hard science, whether a DCSS player identifies potions or scrolls first is basically the equivalent of their horoscope sign.

Find a safe area. Memorize [[Call Canine Familiar]] immediately (press "M"). This is the ''real deal''. Labelled as "quite dangerous" despite its 7% miscast rate, this extremely strong spell brings forth an '''Inugami''' - a once proud general and leader of the canine empire, re-educated into serving its feline master with unbreakable zeal. The tag around its collar proves most interesting - besides reminding it of its status before your Highness, it can also channel powerful bursts which heal the Inugami a massive amount, remove all poison, and unleash a cleaving burst on all tiles adjacent to it. To trigger one such energy surge, recast the spell while your Inugami is alive and visible on your screen, spending 3 MP in the process.

Yes, you can spam it and pop foes open with repeated re-casts. No, you won't find funny when your Inugami dies to some overpowered death machine and you're left in melee range with it with 0 MP to spare. It's strongly recommended to prioritize energy-bursting only if one of the following applies:

* Your canine servant needs the heal or is badly poisoned.
* It is surrounded and the cleaving AOE would prove most effective.
* You need a quick finishing blow against a low-HP dangerous foe.

When an Inugami dies in heroic battle, it will retreat to a pocket dimension for a time to rekindle its faith in feline supremacy. When the -Dog status on the sidebar expires - expect 13 to 21 turns - it is ready to return into the fray. Other summons can take up arms while you wait.

With all that considered, Inugami are absolute beasts. Very little in the early Dungeon can survive a 1v1 with an Inugami energy-bursting when it is most needed. Not even Sigmund - he is powerless before canine brutality! Simply stand back, watch the carnage without getting hit, and laugh as adders get slaughtered from Line-of-Sight (LOS) distance. You don't really need to "avoid fighting" anything in D:2 to D:4, except:

* '''Grinder''', which will play fetch with your dog by blinking all over the place while you stand paralyzed eating tons of darkness damage.
* '''Orc priests''', which are explained more in depth right below. Basically, if you can see them, they can murder you.

Inugami, like imps, occasionally try to look cute and print out endearing messages in the text log. Again, do not let this affect you - remember that the canine race is lesser before feline glory, and heartlessly send them to their doom (“t”-“a”) while they obey with unfaltering zeal.

You can look (and cast) any of your memorized spells at any time by pressing "z" then "?". If it says, for example, "c - Call Canine Familiar", pressing "z" then "c" will welcome your new canine unit without having to bring up the menu every time.

<blockquote>How can I possibly lose with such loyal followers?
</blockquote>
Orc priests, my noble feline acolyte. These green-robed menaces have the ability to inflict undodgeable, instant and two-shotting damage from full LOS range. Right now, no amount of summons could protect you from their devotion to the god of the Orcs. A lone one can be assassinated by sending an inugami next to them and spamming the recast-burst until they are deleted. If you see - Xom have mercy - two or more, do not even attempt to test their mettle. Press “X”, move the cursor towards them, and press “e” to set up an exclusion - this is your way of telling the game “NOPE”. If multiple priests stay visible on your screen for 5 turns or more, you are asking to die. Leave through the nearest up-staircase, and attempt a different portion of the level (or descend to D:3 if the level is truly doomed), leaving these dissenters alive for later. They will suffer the consequences of their insolence in due time.

<blockquote>I'M ON FIRE I'M ON FIRE PUT IT OUT PUT IT OUT IT BURNS
</blockquote>
If a Bombardier Beetle set you on fire, you must immediately start taking steps and walking around - each tile crossed reduces the duration by 6 turns. Stop, drop and roll! Do NOT stand still! If you accidentally drank a lignification potion, say goodbye to the current iteration of your feline life.

<blockquote>Any recommendations if I am doing the Gem Quest?</blockquote>

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Why are you still on D:2? The Temple doesn't spawn here. We want that bone altar, and we want it pronto. Get diving down to D:4, you should not be exploring more than half of each floor until then.}}

Additionally...

== The Aforementioned Interdimensional Police (Nameless Horrors) ==

Every time you attempt to call a canine <s>slave</s> friend, there should be a small chance of a miscast, which will reduce as you progress through the arts of Summonings. Miscasts in other schools of magic are generally not too dramatic (given that the caster is not trying to sever reality itself right after learning how to say “pick a card, any card”). However, your constant telemarketing calls to the eldritch cosmos asking “Who wants to die in the name of feline supremacy?” have begun to get on the nerves of some eldritch monstrosities. TentacleMail may therefore rarely deliver you a [[Nameless horror|Nameless Horror]] instead of your ordered furry companion. Instead of filing a complaint, slow down and consider your options. These things drain your mana on each melee hit they land on you, will only leave after you have managed to kill them, and will occasionally return your summons back to their home realm, so they may meet their family again instead of dying for a cat in a dungeon.

FAQ:

<blockquote>What do I do if I incur the wrath of cosmic aberrations?
</blockquote>
It depends on your situation. If they are alone or accompanied by a joke of an enemy, getting an Inugami out and spamming energy-bursts should wreck it. Alternatively, if you have damaging wands that aren't Mindburst, feel free to gun them down.

If you are close to dangerous foes which aren't in range yet to hurt you, you may drag the the Nameless Horror to a previously cleared floor, "park" it there and return to the lower level without it, preferably with a different staircase. If you can't manage to kill it, don't forget about the horrifying creature roaming loose if you want to "stair-dance" a dangerous foe later on while clearing the lower floor. Maybe you'll meet it again near the end of your run, at which point it will tremble before the FELINE GOD you have become.

<blockquote>How can I minimize my chances of being investigated by the interdimensional kidnapping police?
</blockquote>
The Summonings school is not to be messed with. It is strongly advised that you never try to cast a Summonings spell with a failure rate higher than 10% to take out medium-to-low threat foes, as the consequences may be disastrous. Only violate this rule when extreme firepower is needed imminently against a truly fearsome foe.

<blockquote>I have no MP, no friends and I am going to die. What do I do?
</blockquote>
See below.

== Break In Case of Imminent Negative HP Syndrome (Escape Techniques) ==

Low health? No mana? Overpowered gigachad about to annihilate you? Consider the following, from safest to most unreliable:

* '''Scrolls of Blinking''' will immediately save you, but are rare and valuable. THAT DOES NOT MEAN "save them for next game". USE THEM.
* '''Scrolls of Summoning/Butterflies''' do what you specialize in - dialing up friends - but take zero mana. The butterfly variant doesn't attack, but gently blows away your foes, granting a safe space of sunshine and rainbows.
* Assuming you can survive 3-5 turns, a '''Scroll of Teleportation''' will whisk you off to a different location. Magical Inks™ Incorporated does not guarantee said location will be safe.
* The useful '''Blink''' level 2 spell immediately relocates you to a random tile in sight - but it won't necessarily be available in your game. Maybe if you ask RNGesus nicely.
* A '''Gell's Gravitambourine''' can pull enemies away from you with its magnetic field, which is immensely helpful if your problem is of the "big stick about to be in my face" kind.
* '''Potions of Magic''', and the mana acquired from them, can be condensed into the creation of a helpful friend. Again, rare and valuable, but made to be used.
* '''Potions of Curing''' will ''remove all confusion and poison'' - essential for those pesky redback spiders getting lucky hits - in addition to a small amount of HP and '''Potions of Heal Wounds''' restore a bunch of health which, on a Felid, is highly impressive. Do ensure that you can actually make use of the heal to solve your problem and aren't just delaying your death, especially if you just get hit again for the same amount you healed on the same turn.
* '''Potions of Invisibility''' drastically reduce enemy accuracy and allow you to walk away with high, but not perfect safety. Check that the foe in question does not detect invisibility by inspecting their stat window - for example, wolves, dastardly agents of the canine empire, won't be impressed.
* '''Scrolls of Fear''' immediately causes every living (undead and berserking enemies are immune!) on the screen which fails a (difficult) Willpower saving throw to regret ever messing with Your Pillow-Pawed Highness and to run away. Check, on their stat screen, that their Willpower is at ++ or less.
* Assuming your enemy is a spellcaster that can be Silenced (check their description!), a Phial of Floods will shortly disable their spells, while a '''Scroll of Silence''' will disable them for a very long time, but your own magic and scrolls as well. Ensure you have a way of dealing damage during this silence (hint: it involves allies and having a lot of them). A Phial of Floods will recharge after some XP is obtained.
* The '''Lightning Rod''' does big electrical damage without any MP cost. Most spectacularly, if you fire it multiple turns in a row, you can rotate the beam to hit huge Areas-of-Effect and nuke entire crowds. It's very effective at finishing off a single problematic specimen, however.
* '''Potions of Haste''', beyond allowing you to walk away without getting kited to oblivion, are much stronger than new players tend to think: they effectively slow down time so you get bonus actions per turn. This is much more spectacular on other characters (your main source of damage is from your servants, which do not benefit from the haste), but it is still tremendously useful.
* A '''stairwell''' brings you back to the much safer previous floor, but brings all adjacent foes alongside you - except zombies, simulacra and summoned creatures. Still quite possibly an improvement over your current situation.
* '''Wands of Paralysis/Charming''' incapacitate your foe. You have to beat their Willpower - early game, that is usually around a 50% chance, but there are exceptions. The brainwashing Charming variant can be used to demolish the victim's former allies while you cackle in the back. You can also command them to go to the time-out corner by pressing "t"-"r" and selecting a tile far away from you.
* A '''Box of Beasts''' will immediately summon an adorable abomination and crime against biology itself, without a single point of mana required! Useful when your magical reserves have been emptied.
* '''Wands of Polymorph''' are particularly effective at neutralizing those wielding dangerous ranged weapons or point-and-click smites, but ''check the list of possible transformations by hovering the wand over the target foe'', lest you find yourself with OP midgame mobs chasing you around the Dungeon. Note that, when zapping a Polymorph wand at yourself, it will most likely deny you use of your spells, but may give you extra speed to run away (Pig or Bat Form) or may improve your melee combat prowess to a degree that is only useful in the early game (Wisp, Tree or Fungus form). Consider this as a last resort if cornered or in trouble!
* Speaking of those, '''Scrolls of Vulnerability''' assist all dastardly hypnosis techniques by cutting all creatures' Willpower (including you) by half. Beyond wands, this makes Anguish much easier to use even on terrifying uniques like Mennas, resulting in easy takedowns where you normally would have had to move mountains to barely scratch them.
* '''Damage Wands''' might, with some luck, solve your problems by murdering them.
* '''Potions of Ambrosia''' do a similar effect to Potions of Magic, but over time, and the confusion should be cured with a Potion of Curing once you have enough mana if you are in the middle of an unfolding catastrophe (this will stop the regeneration). Not to be relied upon if only a couple of turns stand between life and death.
* '''Unknown potions and scrolls''' could save you. They probably won't. Try the big stacks, they are likely to be Teleportation or Curing.
* '''Dying'''. Unlike feeble humanoids, this is an option. Try to avoid it. It will happen anyways. Do not give in to despair. Stand up. Fight again.

Do not mindlessly run away for dozens of turns without doing anything. You WILL be eating attacks of opportunity on every step and perishing in record time. At least try casting a spell once your mana comes back.

==The Proper Way To Roll Your Face On The Keyboard (Macros)==

Getting tired of "zbzc....o....zbzc....o" yet? You can press '''Ctrl-D''' to set macros and begin feeling like you are playing some tryhard MOBA instead of composing Beethoven's Tenth Symphony on your keyboard.

For example, press "Ctrl-D", then "1", then type "zb" in the field to link the "b" spell that appears when you look at the spell list (accessible with "I" while in-game). On each press of "1", you will now cast the "b" spell.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Back in my day, you had to draw a pentagram and whisper demonic prayers each time you'd want a skeleton friend. Who thought it was a good idea to automate murder?! Can't you appreciate a good old blood sacrifice in the rules of the art?}}

This is my favourite loadout:

* '''1''' for Call Canine Familiar, and later Haunt.
* '''2''' for Eringya's Surprising Crocodile, and later Infestation.
* '''3''' for Summon Seismosaurus Egg, and later any spell of your choice.
* '''4''' for any other useful spell.
* '''w''' for Animate Dead. Normally, it's used for (w)ielding weapons, buuuut... yeah. No opposable thumbs and all.
* '''e''' for Death Channel.
* '''Spacebar''' for an emergency spell - I like a simple Blink, or, for bonus coolness points, the heart-racing Death's Door. Big button, big problems! I actually remember to use my emergency spells this way.
* '''c''' for any other useful spell.
* (Q)uiver Anguish (or, in Crypts/Tomb, Dispel Undead), and cast it with '''p'''.

To dial up the early-game squad, press "123".

Want both your ally-creation buffs (such as when descending a new staircase)? Simply press "we". In case of trouble, your salvation is right on the biggest button of your keyboard. For a late game mega-death rave, press "e21p"!

= The Delicate Art of Reptilian Pole Vaulting (XP Level 4-6, 0.33) =

If you have not pathetically perished to some turbo-murderous orc priest on D:2, you will now be the proud holder of 2 stored Extra Lives, the maximum a Felid can hold at a time. Such is the privilege of feline supremacy.

As a proud member of the most blessed race in existence, death is not the end for you. Still, you should pretend it is - it will help you take better strategical decisions. If you ''do'' meet an unfortunate end, stay focused, take a break if you are feeling frustrated, and continue to play carefully as if you hadn’t died. Most Felid runs die around 3 to 9 times in an average 3-rune run, so do not feel too bad. Felid lives are meant to be used like rare, powerful consumables, and many Felid 3-rune or even 15-rune wins have 1 to 4 deaths as early as D:1-8.

Do '''not''' quit a Felid run because of an early death! With the way the system is designed, it's almost as if you are ''supposed'' to die in early Dungeon. It's '''much''' easier to level up early on than in the late game. A life lost on D:4 is gotten back on D:7, but a life lost in Pandemonium may take a full clear of all 4 Hell branches to get it back.

I will repeat it again. Do '''not''' quit a Felid run just because you died twice in a row to the same enemy. Save your game and go do something else instead. I know it's infuriating, but that would be like using a blink scroll and then quitting because you're mad about using a lifesaving item. '''Lives are consumables'''. Playing a Felid without dying is like playing an Octopode with 2 rings. You are '''supposed''' to die.

Press “E” to see how long it will take to get your next life. Press "%" to see how many lives you have (look in the top right of the popup!)

As soon as you find a safe place, '''immediately''' add your new friend to your roster - [[Eringya's Surprising Crocodile]].

Did you know Felids have a stronger genetic predisposition than other species to the terrible diagnosis known as "OP Meleedude In My Face About To Twoshot Me" in the medical literature? Thankfully, our feline researchers have been hard at work, and found the cure: Crocodiles. This spell is only castable if a foe is in melee range of you, at which point you'll dash 2 tiles backwards, pull the foe backwards 1 tile, and summon the Crocodile between the two of you.

.....
.....
...@.
...E.

...@.
...C.
...E.
.....

I did say the Meleedude in question is OP, so the Crocodile is likely getting twoshotted next. Not to worry - recast the spell again, and endlessly kite the foe across the map in a way that would make an entire server ragequit if DCSS was a multiplayer PvP game.

This spell is '''a repositioning asset''', not a main damage dealer (though it does achieve interesting results in that domain). Do not mindlessly charge in and use the Crocodile on a foe if can you imagine yourself needing this dash 3 turns later - '''you cannot cast this spell if the Crocodile is alive'''. You should use it in every single battle, but at the moment where the displacement effect actually helps you in some way.

The crocodile itself, as an ally, deals decent damage that will get outpaced as soon as you exit the early game. It also has a pull effect which may trigger on some of its hits. This can sometimes troll you:

..#.#
###@#
.OC.#
#####

Your (C)rocodile is fighting the two-headed (O)gre in a 1-tile corridor. All is well. Suddenly:

..#.#
###@#
..OC#
#####

The (O)gre is pulled into melee range of you and oneshots you. Ouch! That really hurt!

Do keep this (thankfully rare) contingency in mind.

'''From now on, the plan is as follows:'''

* Summon an Inugami for every single trivial-to-medium difficulty battle. Make use of “t”-“a” to direct focus, and do not hold back until the entire canine demiplane has been sacrificed to mitten-pawed glory.
* Demolish every single high damage or out-of-depth (OOD) enemy by letting them uselessly punch an ever-respawning crocodile over and over until they fall face flat in the water left behind. Ice beast? Trivialized. Ogre? Dealt with. Bullfrog? Eviscerated. Wyvern? Discombobulated. Water moccasin, yak, two-headed ogre, sleepcap, hornet, ugly thing, scorpion, troll, orc warrior? GGEZ. They will not survive, and if they somehow do, you can simply retreat using the gap formation left by your usage of this spell. So much for having “human”-level intelligence - clearly, the humanoids are hopeless, dull-witted morons before feline genius.
* Stuck in a pinch with no MP and a really angry dude invading your personal space? Getting turned into a porcupine by a very merry centaur? Getting a taste of orcish zealotry and being told that "smite makes right"? Use wands! They are the guns of the fantasy world, and will dispose of any pesky denizen of the Dungeon. Do not hesitate to spam these against dangerous uniques, centaurs and orc priests. The bolt ones, like Quicksilver, Light or Acid, are especially effective. Remember, if you use Charming, you can "t"-"r" the mind-controlled foe to get away from you, then use that distance to execute a swift, zero-risk retreat!
* If you end up in a terrible situation, refer to the Escape Techniques listed in the previous chapter of this guide.
* In the semi-common case where you encounter the unique siblings Dowan and Duvessa, always slay Duvessa first. Otherwise, Duvessa will get very mad, run at you at light speed and oneshot you.

Try to abuse the 1-tile hallways described earlier in Battle Tactics 101! This guarantees your foes will not attempt to circumvent your units to instead give you a very uncomfortable petting session. You are extremely frail, and lingering in melee range of anything that isn’t a basic orc or a D:1 creature is bound to result in your doom. Constantly use your turns to reposition and ensure you are always behind your summons! If your summons lose, you will be the next target on the list, and you will NOT survive should you stand your ground with tooth and claw. Run, rest and try again.

===Where It Can All End (Early Game Threats)===

* Steam dragons are '''EXTREMELY DANGEROUS'''. Their breath weapon will turn the heat up in every sense of the word, and may even twoshot you should the dice be animated by murderous intent. It even goes through allies. Thankfully, there is counterplay - a ring of fire resistance. If you can give yourself a + of rF, this battle will go from terrifying to laughable. If rF is not available to you, tread lightly, and be ready to retreat out of their sight the moment you are hit. Having a steam dragon on the screen while you are fighting other non-trivial enemies is suicide. They must die, ASAP.

* Centaurs (and even more so their Warrior or Yaktaur variants, as well as other archers like Joseph or Nessos) are felid annihilation incarnate. If you casually run around and spot one sleeping in open space, '''do not just start mindlessly plopping down your squad'''. Your allies will arrive in random locations while those wretched horsemen puncture you with potentially twoshotting damage on each turn. Instead, retreat to a corner or door (which you can close with capital 'C'), and meow ('t'-'t') to have it walk over in much more advantageous terrain!

Since Eggs (more on them later) have zero evasion, they will gladly tank arrows for you (unlike those scumbag canines), so they may be of great use should you face off a centaur - hide behind them, and let the Inugami finish the work. This is risky - you should only do this if there is no hallway available to retreat to.

Keep in mind:

..@..
..E..
.....
.....
...C.

This is not a safe way of hiding. The centaur (C) will still turn you from a cat to a porcupine while the (E)gg stands there without blocking any arrows. If you could shoot at the Centaur with a Magic Dart, they, too, can hit you. First, consider Wands - polymorph is especially effective, as wielding a bow is quite hard without opposable thumbs. As you may have discovered yourself. Otherwise, you can spawn more summons - if you or an Inugami gets in melee range, the centaur will panic and stop shooting. Consider a Scroll of Fog or Summoning/Butterflies if things get too dire.

* Electric eels deal unreal amounts of damage. These living death traps will easily three-shot you. To add insult to injury, they’re worth almost no experience - for comparison, a single scorpion rewards you with about 53% more experience than one eel. Thankfully, there's a trick: a zap from a wand of flame will oneshot or twoshot them, due to the steam clouds this technique will spawn. If flame is unavailable, most other damage wands, while rarer, will make short work of them.

** The rarer acid dragons are similar. The difference is that they deal even more damage (possibly 70% of your HP bar in one hit) but cannot pierce through allies. The corresponding ring is resist corrosion.

* Boulder beetles can oneshot you should they land their roll attack on you (and fail the EV check). Thankfully, intelligent summoners can trivialize them by calling forth even the puniest of quokkas and forcing them to waste their roll annihilating a little fluffball (which hopefully isn't you).

* If you’re unlucky enough to encounter a [[Meliai]] or the unique [[Jeremiah]], know that they are practically cyber-augmented orc priests. Just one isn’t that bad, but they often hang out with their friends, and you do ''NOT'' want to be the centre of attention of bee-witch gossip. Eating a quadruple smite in one turn ''can'' happen, and it ''will'' kill you. Potions of Invisibility work, and so do Wands of various kinds - or have them be blasted by your Seismosaurus before they notice your presence, and they should fall relatively quickly.

* Should you be so hapless as to encounter the unique slug mage Gastronok, you must immediately try to avoid empty spaces. Hug walls, surround yourself with allies - if you find yourself with 4 or more completely empty tiles, you WILL be twoshotted with an insanely powerful, irresistible Airstrike ability. If you have found a scroll of Silence, I highly recommend using it as soon as you’ve churned out a few friends to help take him down. If you do not have silencing abilities, keep him at the edge of Line-of-Sight while the battle unfolds, hug walls and potentially some Small Mammals, and be ready to step away the second you are smited by Airstrike. Even with wise positioning, all it takes are approximately 3 casts to detonate you into an unrecognizable mess of gore and fluff.

For the rest of the run, don’t ever have rF- or rC- no matter what. Yes, even if it means giving up an Int+10 ring (you can also wear rF+/rC+ to cancel out the rF-/rC- if it’s ''really'' good). Vulnerabilities will be your doom: 50% extra damage is plenty to oneshot you before you even realize what has happened. Press % to check your resistances.


= Dastardliness, Cackles and Dark Tricks (God Choice) =

You have only three equipment slots to fulfill Ashenzari’s bondage fantasies, no time to learn the ways of Invocations, and would not benefit from weapon gifts with your lack of opposable thumbs. As the lead of an interdimensional kidnapping startup, you should delegate EVERY task to your staff and NEVER do any work yourself.

Ru is technically quite viable for you, but as you don’t care for employee wellbeing, in-office buddhist yoga sessions are not at the top of your schedule. Plus, you will need both of your paws to play with the Orb of Zot like a ball of yarn. A lot of feline CEOs such as you enjoy striking a divine partnership with Gozag and cracking open endless amounts of lootboxes and microtransactions, but this is not what this guide is about (but feel free to play a Gozag Felid sometime, it's great fun!)

We need loyal subordinates, and we need them fast, reliably, and cheaply. Let us therefore learn arts and magic as dark as the colour of our fur, from scratch, under the tutelage of the villainous god Kikubaku-

Kikubaquk-

Kikubaaqudq-

Kikubaaqudgha. Yes. That's how you spell it.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Untainted souls are so much more fun to corrupt! But... why are you so fluffy? I need goth elves and black mascara. I can't have my subordinates looking like this!}}

Sorry Kiku, malnourished nerds and lanky skeletons are just so passé. If you wish to increase your approval ratings among the public, research has shown that a marketable, plushie-like mascot is a much better driving force for sales and engagement.

Anyhow. The reason I suggest picking Kiku for this build is to secure the mid-and-late game, as the Summoner background is so powerful (as you may have noticed already) that no immediate divine assistance is required. For now, Kiku will do absolutely nothing to help you - focus on proving yourself worthy by engaging in senseless, indiscriminate murder. Or, in other words, just the usual routine. Kikubaaqudgha's altar can spawn in D:3, the Temple, as deep down as D:11 - it really doesn't matter at all, you just need to '''have joined Kiku before entering Lair.'''

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] That still seems wise to me. What I REALLY don't want to see you doing is MISSING the altar and doing a merry-go-round the dungeon looking for it on company time. You'll probably want to find that Temple between D:4 and D:7, looking out for odd rock formations. And if it's not in that Temple, you'll want to look out for evil looking structures, all the way down to possibly D:11.}}

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] "An evil god, Kikubaaqudgha requires worshippers to cause the death and destruction of as many creatures as possible." Well, that's rich. It's not as if almost every single other god wants the exact same thing. Why am I being singled out?}}

Actually, I lied. Kiku does do one thing right away. And that's flaming you in the message log when you lose the run. Let that be motivation to play intelligently.

= Life Finds a Way (XP Level 7-9 to Lair, 0.33) =

Remember, use your scrolls of Identify! Drop those useless Scrolls of Brand Weapon, Enchant Weapon or Enchant Armour. Maybe a lesser biped will come across those and thank you. Ha! Fat chance.

Between level 7 and 9 (variable depending on your dungeon adventures), the ability to memorize [[Summon Seismosaurus Egg]] will be made available to you.

In Jurassic Park, they knew they could, but didn't stop to think if they should. In the Dungeon, the answer is YES to both. This hulking dinosaur is the ''big gun'', the ''heavy artillery'', among other militarily pleasing expressions. Whereas your previous servants granted the power to slay individual high-level threats, the Seismosaurus welcomes a little bit of AoE (Area of Effect) to the battlefield. It blasts its surroundings every so often with devastating, undodgeable raw physical damage, and is basically an "I Win" button for anything in the Dungeon and Lair. To tap into this power, '''turn on Earth Magic and set a target to 5, then turn it on a second time to focus it''', which is done by pressing "=" inside the skill menu (m) then the letter assigned to the skill "Earth Magic". After Summon Seismosaurus Egg reaches a failure rate inferior to 10%, '''turn on Fighting, Stealth and Dodging, and set a target to 10 for the first two, and 12 for Dodging.'''

Of course, there is a catch: you checked the "wrap in a gift box" option when confirming your delivery, and TentacleMail is nothing but considerate when it comes to life's big celebrations. You'll need to spend a few turns unwrapping the payload, and this often involves being mauled by maws and claws while you are getting through the shrink wrap.

The specifics: '''the egg starts hatching as soon as a foe is within 4 tiles of it AND you are standing adjacent to it. This process does not accelerate no matter if the foe is a single rat, Geryon, Gatekeeper of Hell, or a swarm of 30 halberd gnolls.''' The rocky terrain on the ground indicates the range.

Ideally, you'll start this process while your foes are sound asleep (this is why we train Stealth!), or while a pathetic cockroach is near you and the real heavy-hitters are far away in the backline, approaching slowly until it is too late to not get blasted by prehistoric might.

This means that if you see a big group of '''non-ranged''' sleeping enemies, you should NOT rush in to "get the critical hit stabs" (you will do so little damage you might as well be healing them) or plop down your Inugami, who will immediately rush in and ruin the surprise. Instead, summon your Seismosaurus egg until it is within a 4-tile range (don't spend your whole mana bar on this), start incubating it, and unleash the Inugami if they begin waking up.

An alternative, if you have a nearby 1-tile hallway, is to meow at them ('t'-'t') and retreat into the hallway, summoning your Inugami, and then the Egg. It will hopefully be placed behind you, but even if it ends up in front, you'll still be able to incubate it with only 1 enemy attacking it. Naturally, do not do this if the enemy squad is full of polearms or extremely high damage melee.

You can also use your Surprising Crocodile to assist your egg:

..S..
.....
.....
...@.
...E.

The (E)nemy, in melee range of you, is dangerously close, and your egg (S) isn't incubating at all! Use your (C)rocodile:

..S..
...@.
...C.
...E.
.....

Much better. The egg is incubating, and your Crocodile is loyally defending you until it hatches.

Unlike other units, the Seismosaurus Egg is incapable of moving out of your way or swapping places with you. This is problematic if you cast the spell in a hallway, potentially blocking your escape route.

#####
.E@.O
#####

You can’t walk backwards to escape the ogre (O), as the (E)gg is blocking the way!

Instead of trying to melee an ogre with 0 Unarmed Combat skill, I propose an alternative - a disciplinary paw-scratch. Press 'v', select your Egg, then confirm the prompt in the message log. This will attack it, and immediately one-shot it no matter what, allowing passage again. An alternative is to recast the spell, though this is risky - it may simply land in an equally unfortunate position.

With all of that said, you should be set for clearing floors until you find the entrance to the Lair, somewhere on D:8-D:11.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Get that Kiku guy on your contacts list, then get into that Lair, in that order! I'll consider you for employee of the month if you have over 5000 turns remaining by D:8. Not that this is much of a title, considering you are my only contractor in this place. Any lower amount, and you'll have to start moving those fuzzy paws a bit faster.}}

Your faithful trio - Inugami, Crocodile and Seismosaurus - will make quick work of anything the game may attempt to impede your progress with. Remember to also put on any jewellery you may find (press capital "P") - Intelligence, Wizardry, Magical Power, Protection and Fire Protection are the best rings you could hope for (in that order), and Magic Regeneration, Regeneration, Reflection, Acrobat, Alchemy, Dissipation and Faith are the best amulets (also in that order) - for now. Avoid Guardian Spirit. Wildshape is niche, only interesting [[#A Downgrade From The Prime Feline Form (Talisman Collection)|if you found a good talisman]].

If you find a Necropolis, this could be an opportunity for instant acquirement of three degrees from the Summonings College! They are worth boatloads of experience, but can range from trivial to lethal. Inspect the ghosts within with "x"-"v", and check their kit - if they have Conjurations that could annihilate you or dangerous Summonings spells, they should be left alone. If they, however, only have a few joke cantrips or only know how to o-tab like a Minotaur Berserker, then it is time to guide them to eternal rest. '''Assuming they are not surrounded by a squad of deadly enemies''' gather up all your friends, open the door, and make them get juked by acrobatic reptiles, eat point-and-click earthquakes and be eaten by spirit-wolves until they die (for the second time in their existence).

Do NOT try your luck in weird vaults with OP enemies in them locked behind runed doors and orange transporters. They are DESIGNED by developers to exploit your greed and kill you. Nothing stops you from returning there when you actually have the required power to take them on.

=A Malodorous Fanbase (*.....)=

Allow every dopamine receptor in that brain of yours to fire up when the message:

Kikubaaqudgha grants you a gift!

appears for the first time in the message log.

Gather up your lucky trinkets and your maneki-nekos, it's time for some Kiku Gacha Lootbox opening. You will receive a batch of low-level Necromancy spells, but in truth, we only actually care about a single one of them - '''Animate Dead'''. The others are so laughably irrelevant you shouldn't even spare a single picosecond contemplating their existence. ('''Sublimation of Blood''' has a ''very'' niche use that will be discussed later.)

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] You ungrateful sack of fleas! Of all gods, I am the one to grant the most gifts to even my least precious followers, and you still have the nerve to be discontent?}}

Unfortunately, you only have a 50% chance of getting Animate Dead - the other 50% will result in Fugue of the Fallen, which is a decent melee combat spell - a discipline which your weak and unarmed kitty paws are unfortunately not well suited to. For now.

'''If you were unlucky:''' Do keep an eye out for Animate Dead in book shops or loot piles to compensate for Kiku's lack of etiquette. If you still cannot find it, it's really not a big deal. Infestation is a guaranteed gift later on, and can replace it entirely. This spell simply makes the early game smoother and is one of the three spells which may be used for the Great Slime Raid further in the run. You'll want to hold onto your Scrolls of Acquirement for a bit - until you have gotten the third star Kiku gifts and have started training your Necromancy to at least level 8. Since Acquirement is biased towards your current training, holding onto the scroll will increase your chances of obtaining Animate Dead! Now, skip the rest of this chapter, coming back to it should you eventually obtain it from another source.

You will want to memorize '''Animate Dead''' right after your Seismosaurus Egg '''is below 10% failure rate''', and immediately turn on your '''Necromancy skill, setting a target all the way to the maximum of 27.0'''.

You may have noticed that the many denizens of the Dungeon are very disrespectful of your Eminence, soon to be their overlord and army commander. Your first task will be to re-educate these ruffians into submission and obedience. '''Animate Dead''' provides a buff lasting for about a dozen turns. Each enemy slain while this buff is active has a chance to betray their former allies and serve you as a... slightly more malodorous version of themselves. These will escort you until you leave the floor, or have them perish in battle.

When '''Animate Dead''' becomes castable (<12% fail rate), you may begin playing like such:

*Initiate each battle with a batch of highly loyal summons praising how good of a <s>slaver</s> friend you are.
*Begin emanating such confidence with '''Animate Dead''' that the defeated will turn against their former companions in your name.

Now, whenever a foe is slain, there is a high chance they will become an ally - and betray their former allies, making the latter join your army in turn, and so on, until all are at your beck and call. It's just like rolling a snowball!

The little militia that will now follow you around will act as a testament to your charisma. Recasting Animate Dead will, however, dismiss all of your current servants, with the hopes of replacing them with fresher, potentially more numerous ones. Therefore, it's great practice to cast '''Animate Dead''' when encountering a pack of enemies (yaks or bees, for example, are good fodder), and to only recast it once your lackeys are falling apart.

{{flavour|[[File:Yredelemnul altar.png]] This is way too complicated for the fluffball that serves as your brain. Join me instead, and gain permanent reaping of the deceased instead of trying to emulate my power with puny magic!}}

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Pah! Don't listen to my competitor. Their worshippers are brutes and thugs, whose first word at birth was "Axe".}}

Some extra useful tips about this spell:

* Non-living enemies (like Will-o-Wisps from Swamp), demons, angels and already undead creatures will never be recruited.
* High speed enemies, like bees, frogs or snakes will always catch up with you, and will swarm enemies before you even see them on your monitor! Boulder beetles are actually quite slow, and won't get to keep their signature rolling attack.
* Hydrae are hideously overpowered and will play the game for you.

Kiku grants the ability "Unearth Wretches" very early for on-demand zombie creation. I suggest not using it in the Dungeon, as the results will be disappointing. Wow! A cockroach zombie with 3 damage!! Why thank you, you shouldn't have. It's the intention that counts, Kiku.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] I didn't even mean to send these over. I was just doing some housekeeping, brushing up my skulls, sacrifical altars and blood fountains, and accidentally threw a kobold into an interdimensional wormhole. Hate when that happens.}}

Save your piety and ignore it for now.

=A Downgrade From The Prime Feline Form (Talisman Collection)=

While running around, you may come across one of the rare item types that Felids can use: Talismans. Ctrl-F, then write "talis" to find if you missed any.

Cats have a -2 aptitude to Shapeshifting, because they rightfully consider any transformation to be a downgrade. However, to compensate for this, they lose nothing from melded equipment slots, whereas other species mourn the loss of their artefact ring mails and other puny trinkets.

Unless you dream of going to the extended endgame, this is not a build where you'll be using top tier Talismans. However, you should consider the following:

- '''Inkwell Talismans''' (min LV 0 Shapeshifting) are, in the early game, an upgrade. They require 0 Shapeshifting skill to use, make you immune to poison and grant better success rates on all your spells and more mana capacity. If you find one anywhere before entering Lair, you should use it. It will become obsolete when you learn your first level 5+ spell (as these are banned while in Scroll Form), but will assist you greatly until then. There is just the problem of that pesky Fire vulnerability. The upsides are strong enough to make me use this Talisman despite the "never be Vulnerable as a Felid" rule, but you should be especially wary of even basic orc wizards throwing flame at you. If you want to fight fire damage enemies and have the luxury to disengage, untransform before really beginning to stir up trouble.

- '''Flux Baubles''' (min LV 5 Shapeshifting) are normally used for their great melee attack potential. However, they dissipate after a certain number of attacks. The solution: never melee attack. This will let you abuse the EV bonus from Flux Form for a very long time. Simply train at least level '''5 Shapeshifting''', and sit in this form forever. I tend to go for around 8 Shapeshifting to really get a nice bonus. You will lose a lot of Stealth, however. You will untransform from Flux when you die, or when you use "End Transformation" in the (a)bility menu.

- '''Rimehorn Talismans''' (min LV 8 Shapeshifting) are good for two reasons: AC at a very low cost, and Ice Magic Wizardry. The only reason the latter is good in the context of this build is that it makes the strong spell Rimeblight much easier to use. The downsides are somewhat significant - Fire Vulnerability, which you'll absolutely want to pad with a fire resistance or plain fire ring. You will also lose a bit of EV from the much increased size, and worst of all, you won't be a cute kitty anymore. If you have and want Rimeblight, consider training '''level 8 Shapeshifting''', but this isn't a "must-have", I sometimes just purchase more Ice Magic with my skillpoints instead if I already have good Wizardry/Intelligence rings. In a safe location, you can use the Rimehorn Talisman with 0 Shapeshifting skill and check how this makes your Rimeblight failrate change to help in your decision. Untransform afterwards to not get oneshotted.

- '''Medusa Talismans''' (min LV 8 Shapeshifting) give rPois and a forgettable petrification emergency passive. Really, the only reason to train for this is for the rPois. If you are heading into the Snake Pits and have no other source of it, level Shapeshifting to 8 and enjoy the peace of mind. I also like having this online for the Lair if I found an amulet of Wildshape.

- '''Hive Talismans''' (min LV 17 Shapeshifting) are the main ingredient of the [[#The Forbidden Kikubeequdgha Build (Staying with Kiku)|Forbidden Kikubeequdgha build]]. Hold onto it - it will be at the heart of a difficult decision later on.

=The Most Important Lootbox of All (***...)=

Depending on when you started your worship of Kiku, this may happen before even entering Lair, or at some moment while you are clearing it. Regardless, you will eventually read once again the message:

Kikubaaqudgha grants you a gift!

Well, well, well. Looks like we've got another Kiku Gacha Lootbox on our paws!

Here is my tier list of possible outcomes:

* '''S: A Run-Defining Asset''': Death Channel, Rimeblight
* '''A: Great, Though Not Required''': Anguish, Dispel Undead
* '''B: Could Do Better''': Martyr's Knell, Cigotuvi's Putrefaction, Borgnjor's Vile Clutch
* '''F: Insult to Feline Glory''': Curse of Agony

You'll always get half of these, chosen at random.

'''If you didn't get Death Channel, but got Animate Dead previously:''' You won't get to taste the absolute full power of your undead armies, but you'll still be able to raid the Slime Pits quite soon. You'll still want to check every book shop and loot pile for a chance at acquiring it.

'''If you have neither Death Channel nor Animate Dead (18% chance, assuming no lucky floor/shop drops):''' Hmph. RNGesus isn't rooting for your victory, I see. This will be a little troublesome when it comes to "bridging the gap" between the early game and having '''Infestation''' online, a task which you'll find much easier with +Intelligence and Wizardry rings. If you really can't find them by the time you get to the "Slime Raid" (after Lair and the Orcish Mines), I have placed advice for you in that section. For now, check your Scrolls of acquirement in case you'll find those spells inside, and loot the Orcish Mines after Lair to see if any shops contain these two signature necromantic incantations.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Commerce? Capitalism?! My spells are 100% locally sourced, woven by the expert craftsmanship of unionized and esteemed skeleton artisans! You would resort to purchasing mass-produced, store-bought necromancy that's probably also full of microplastics? You and me have a lot of work to do before we can get along with each other.}}

If you get Anguish, you should learn it as soon as possible, and '''also turn on Hexes and set a target to 8.0'''. Because Felids are so adorable and masters of mind-manipulation, you have a +4 aptitude to it!

No matter what you obtain, even if you are getting garbage, if you have not done so already, '''turn on Necromancy and set a target to 27.0'''.

As for that "Unearth Wretches" active ability... '''I strongly recommend saving up your piety to reach the gifts faster. The only case where you should use it is if you have Animate Dead and/or Death Channel active and need help in the Lair against a huge horde of hungry animals. See the next chapter.'''

=Employee Tour at the Zoo (The Lair)=

A place filled to the brim with creatures that mostly only know how to walk fast and melee attack, put against your most loyal servants which precisely exploit these vulnerabilities. Who will win? If you guessed the former, you are wrong. It is scientifically impossible to lose with my guide.

* The Crocodile decimates black mambas, spiny frogs, komodo dragons, polar bears and hydras.
* The Seismosaurus will annihilate packs of yaks, killer bees, wolves, blink frogs, and even death yaks (though those make take a few castings and a bit of kiting, alongside the occasional Crocodile).
* The Inugami is simply always good.
* If you have it, Animate Dead generates even more support.
* Eventually, if you also get it, Death Channel is similarly highly useful.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] For some reason, the architects of this place decided a place filled with dangerous wildlife and inaccessible architecture would make a great place for a central hub. You'll have to come back to this place at least a whopping three times - for all 3 S-Branches, so there is little time to waste. Do not explore more than half of Lair:1. In Lair:2 and Lair:3, your main objective is locating those 2 first S-Branch gates - once both are visible, you can go down to Lair:4 and Lair:5, where you'll have to pinpoint that Slime Pits entrance. You always have less time than you think in this place, get moving! Try to keep at least 600 leftover turns when you complete the Lair.}}

Have a glance once in a while at your jewelry collection by pressing "P". Rings of wizardry and intelligence reign supreme. Rings of Protection, Magical Power or Fire Resistance (for steam dragons, lindwurms and fire crabs) will significantly contribute to your survivability. Rings of Dexterity or Evasion are passable, and everything else is pretty much "slightly better than nothing". Amulets of Guardian Spirit should not be worn unless they are a particularly amazing artefact.

Prioritize wearing an Amulet of Magic Regeneration to replenish your forces quickly - Regeneration is the second best option, Reflection, the third, Acrobat, the fourth, Alchemy, the fifth, Dissipation, the sixth, Faith, the seventh (On Demigods, it will print a message saying "You feel a surge of self-confidence", but there is no such message for Felids, because they already have maximum self-confidence), and Guardian Spirit, the worst possible option (enjoy losing access to all your summons because you took one wrong step). If you somehow find the mythical artefact "Amulet of Vitality", congratulations, you have won the game - it is disgustingly powerful on a Felid. As for the Amulet of Wildshape, it is only good if you have [[#A Downgrade From The Prime Feline Form (Talisman Collection)|an interesting low-level Talisman]].

Should you encounter elemental threats (such as the mage [[Fannar]], an [[Efreet]], or a [[Lindwurm]]), swap on a ring granting a relevant resistance! It is extremely fast to do so. Just don't forget to put your normal ring back on afterwards, if you had one. '''Do not casually run around with an elemental vulnerability (rF-/rC-) on a Felid.''' You WILL be oneshotted.

If you run into trouble, it will likely be caused by:

* Blink frogs. They tend to sneak behind you no matter your masterful positioning by blinking frenetically. Do not hesitate to send a few zaps of your wands their way to teach them some discipline. They make quite good zombies!
* Catoblepas and Basilisks have a love for garden ornaments, and would delight in turning you into one of them - do not ever stand 2 turns in a row in the calcifying breath of the former, and ensure multiple allies block you from the stunning gaze of the latter. Seismosaurus Eggs are immune to petrification. If you see the message "You are slowing down" and you're put against a lonely Basilisk, feel free to spawn a few friends and have them handle everything while you stand there as a pretty feline statue. However, getting petrified in dangerous screens is a death sentence, and you should read a scroll of teleportation or quaff a potion of cancellation before you turn to stone.
* Dream sheep can simply choose to put you to sleep from across the entire screen, which also allows any creature which would hit you to deal immensely boosted damage. If you are well defended by varied summons - and maybe also have Animate Dead/Death Channel active - they will handle all the lowly grunt work while you sleep like the spoiled feline noble you are. If you get taken by surprise, though, prepare for an emergency - Scrolls of Fear in particular should give you some breathing room.
* Hydrae die easily to intelligently chained Crocodiles and Eggs/Inugamis. If they touch you, however, you may very well go from full HP to an empty health bar. If you used a staircase while a hydra was visible, using that staircase again will probably result in it ambushing you and immediately oneshotting you the moment you press ">". Do avoid this unfortunate scenario. Mind the fact that they get a massive speed boost in water (including the one left behind by your Crocodile).
* Skysharks, in similar fashion, should not touch you, as their damage and speed increases with every melee hit they land (represented as Might, then Berserk buffs). They are a top tier threat, and are deserving of getting blasted with wands on sight. DO NOT try to use Scrolls of fear if they are berserked. It will do nothing.
* Ravens are trivial to annihilate, but will peskily curse you with Doom if you allow them to have a clear line of fire. Always be hiding behind a wall of flesh... or eggshell. If you receive a Bane, I talk about them more in [[#Kiku's Troll Carousel (Banes)|this section]].

Huge welcoming party? Got marked and the entire country of Australia is coming after you? Both Animate Dead and Death Channel are memorized and castable? Make sure both buffs are active, then try '''Unearth Wretches'''. I recommend using this ability as little as possible to reach ****** piety faster, but the effects are spectacular with 1 to 3 uses of it when it is most needed. Cast one or both spells, activate Unearth Wretches from your 'a' menu, and watch the screen flood with allies. If possible, pop some Anguish casts to add 100% reflection damage into the mix, cook, and serve. Do not touch the '''Sign of Ruin''' invocation, it is not worth your piety.

You may encounter some dangerous uniques in the Lair. Urug, Fannar, Gastronok and Nessos in particular may destroy you before you even realize what just happened. The counter to each one of those is, respectively, Amulet of Reflection/Anguish for Urug, Ring of Cold Resistance for Fannar (if you are level 12 or higher, your feline fur gives you cold resistance naturally!), scroll of Silence for Gastronok and Wand of Polymorph and/or Anguish for Nessos (and potentially Amulet of Reflection). If you possess the counter, use it, and then feel free to test their mettle against your faithful friends, but if you do not have this counter, set an exclusion with “x”-“e” and do not come back until you have cleared Lair:5. ESPECIALLY if they are wielding some overpowered gear.

You may also encounter Sonja. Her HP bar is made out of paper. But don't let her touch you. She has tickets for a free cruise to the Abyss. You do not want those. Her Willpower is utter trash, making her ridiculously vulnerable to any hex wand, or Anguish.

Ah, yes, there is also Rupert. You need not fear the Paralysis (perhaps humanoid body-builders freeze in fear before the sight of one infinitely more ripped than they are) - but you might fear the huge axe getting swung around at light speed by a berserked, unstoppable wall of meat. If you push Eggs over and over and do nothing else, it will NOT work out. You MUST take further action. I have had some success with a Potion of Brilliance to churn out Crocodiles and kite back until devastation has been completed - but there is little overkill here. Use your items! A scroll of Summoning tends to have splendid results.

Ice Caves and Volcanoes? '''Death traps.''' Do not attempt them. Do NOT even enter them. You won't even be able to use the loot.

Gauntlets’ difficulty vary on the enemies you find inside - if you see a valuable book containing some awesome spells (see the next chapter), I encourage you to try your luck, but otherwise, it is not worth battling dangerous enemies in a cramped space that will limit the effectiveness of your allies. You can inspect a Gauntlet's contents by fully autoexploring the level, then doing a Ctrl-F search with "@" as the input, which will list all items in the Gauntlet. As for the Minotaur at the end - the javelins are absolutely brutal, but if you can read a Scroll of Vulnerability, then cast Anguish, the poor cow-person will simply two-shot themselves.

'''Do not try to take on the Minotaur without the help of any consumables or evokables.''' You won't win. You should NOT attempt a Gauntlet if your plan for the Minotaur is to just throw summons at it and pray it somehow works out. It will NOT.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Well, the earthy gem is down there, in Lair:5 - the first one you'll be collecting for me. This could be the start of a fantastic partnership, or of my eternal disappointment in you.}}

=Compendium of Sinister Plans (Midgame Spells)=

Once you are reaching the lower levels of the Lair, it is time to update your spell repertoire.

You should now plan to have:

* Call Canine Familiar
* Eringya's Surprising Crocodile
* Summon Seismosaurus Egg
* Animate Dead OR a spell from this list if you did not find it
* One or two more spells from this list (if you opt to pick up two spells, they should not take up more than 11 slots together).

Not enough slots? Train Spellcasting! Each slice of 0.5 Spellcasting levels will grant 1 slot. Do not train this more than you actually need, set your training targets properly. Each general XP character level also grants 1 free slot.

'''About Scrolls of Amnesia:''' if you are swimming in the stuff (3 or more scrolls), feel free to remove Summon Small Mammal and Call Imp - their respective demiplanes will thank you for ceasing your kidnappings. The problem is that spending an entire amnesia scroll (which are rare and valuable) to free up one or two measly spell slots might prevent you much later on from getting your mid and late game spells when you need them most. If you do not have many scrolls, instead wait until you are trying to memorize Haunt, and forget Summon Seismosaurus Egg and/or Call Canine Familiar at that point.

You'll want to not take up every slot you have available right now - you'll need 7 for Haunt soon, and 8 for Infestation in a bit. Try to leave behind 3 available slots at minimum.

'''I have ranked the following from most to least desirable:'''

'''[[Death Channel]]''' (Level 6 Necromancy) - '''Extremely powerful, #1 priority.''' Like Animate Dead, it is another self-buff you can stick onto your 'e' keyboard macro. Its effect is simple: instead of letting the innocent souls of both living and demonic beings voyage into the afterlife to meet their relatives, you will force the essences of their being to stay behind and cause suffering to their former friends and coworkers. The sheer mass of allies produced is truly a spectacular sight - you may have Animate Dead and Death Channel activated at the same time, in which case every kill will generate up to two allies, flooding the entire screen with green circles in record time. Unlike Animate Dead, as soon as the status expires, your entire protective wall of spectres will vaporize in a single turn, and reveal some very unamused individuals who will gladly charge in and destroy your defenseless scruff. Do ensure you have some less ephemeral allies as backup.

Remember: at this stage of the game, if you aren't pressing the Death Channel button every single time something vaguely resembling an enemy appears on your screen, you should be passing the keyboard to an actual cat, who will no doubt play much more competently than you.

Spectres, unlike zombies, can also see invisible creatures and fly over liquids no matter their original species, which is interesting when such details matter.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] I am a firm believer that everyone deserves a second shot in life. Or death, rather. Didn't visit that natural park you always wanted to go to? Couldn't tell your crush you loved them before getting crushed by a rock? Ran out of motivation to write your DCSS guide? Become a mindless thrall and forget about all your regrets! What, did you think I'd actually give you the chance to do these things you missed? Get real.}}

'''[[Anguish]]''' (Level 4 Necromancy/Hexes) - Ah, the ultimate answer to the thing Felids despise most - creatures with unreal quantities of ranged damage. This spell attempts to curse the entire screen with 100% reflection damage, meaning all damage they inflict on both you and allies... will be dealt back to them in full. Yes, dear lindwurm, do shoot a fire bolt through my horde of yak zombies, that will totally end well for you.

The lindwurm is wracked by anguish!!!!
The lindwurm dies!

I especially recommend you try it on: orc priests, meliai, any early game dragon, centaurs and their warrior variants, uniques with disgustingly overpowered spells... You have to beat their Willpower, but as any tyrannical regime would tell you, repetition is the key to domination! If the foe of interest has Will++ or less when you examine them, simply cast the spell again until they are successfully cursed.

If you cast the zpell from the 'z?' menu, you'll be able to move the cursor over each enemy and check the percentage chance of successfully landing the curse. Will+++ or even Will++++, like death yaks, or the Minotaur at the end of a gauntlet? No problem. Simply read a Scroll of Vulnerability to cut that confidence in half, and they will regret ever contemplating hurting a fluffball as adorable as you are. Consider that your Willpower will also be divided by two, which can be problematic if that means a nearby enemy spellcaster can easily land a nasty Paralyze or Banishment on you.

Brainless or artificial enemies (from gently gurgling '''jellies''' to the dreaded '''Orbs of Fire''') have no concept of love, hate or righteousness, and will remain completely unaffected by Anguish. They won't be unaffected, however, by your swarm consuming them.

Seismosaurus Eggs become a DEVOURER OF GODS when put against Anguished enemies, who will be blasted both by the immense guilt of damaging your precious dino-friend, and by the more literal earthquake of bone-breaking rock that will ensue.

I like to put Anguish on my "Q"uiver, and to cast it with "p" right after I have unrolled a batch of summons. 2-3 casts for a single enemy should be your maximum number of attempts - '''do not spend your entire mana bar trying to curse a particularly rebellious specimen'''! You do not want to be left with zero mana - and a very angry reptile in your face - because you tried and failed to curse a Hydra 6 times in a row.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] The Wu Jian council always lectures its followers to "use the enemy's strength against themselves". I try to do the exact same thing, and somehow, now it's "evil" just because it's me doing it? What injustice!}}

'''[[Blink]]''' (Level 2 Translocations) - Ah, yes, it's that one spell which every single DCSS character wants. You are playing a game called DCSS, yes? '''Train Translocations, and set a target to 5.0'''. You'll also need to REMEMBER TO USE IT, which is the worst thing about this spell. I like to bind it to a macro on Spacebar. If the button is bigger, it causes more neurons to fire in my brain. Which makes me actually use Blink when might-hasted Donald is in my face instead of drinking a Potion of Heal Wounds only to get oneshotted immediately afterwards. Remember, this spell has a cooldown of a few turns after use.

===The Wilderness Trinity===

No Death Channel? Kiku isn't feeling the festive cheer and is gifting you utter trash? Try these on for size. I recommend ignoring this section if you have good necromantic spells.

It's called the Wilderness trinity because they all appear in one of the random spellbooks, named the Book of the Wilderness. You may also find them in various other tomes!

'''[[Summon Mana Viper]]''' (LV 5 Hexes/Summonings): It moves fast. It hits hard. It knows how to do nothing except those two things. It also demolishes enemy spellcasters by applying its dastardly antimagic venom on every hit. Does that remind you of anyone? Indeed. This is just like having a Vine Stalker Berserker of Trog by your side. Enjoy. '''Turn on Hexes with a target of 8.0 if you wish to use this spell.''' '''Maximum Summon Capacity: 1.'''

'''[[Summon Forest]]''' (LV 5 Translocations/Summonings): This one requires open space to be cast, which renders it useless in hallways - which the Lair and Mines are interestingly very scarce in. Successfully using this spell results in a maze-like formation of tree-walls, which are ''immune to damage'', ''block Line-Of-Sight'', and ''deal heavy melee damage to nearby foes''. Feel free to run around the maze while pursued by an angry pack of animals - they will simply bring about their doom. If you can keep the dryad alive long enough, snapvine tentacles will eventually start to spawn, which will utterly decimate anything still alive. They also constrict enemies, making them easier to hit by your other summons! If you quiver this spell with "Q", you will be able to see on the sidebar when the spell has enough space to be casted (the text will be coloured). The price for such power? '''Turn on Translocations and set the target to 8.0'''. '''Maximum Summon Capacity: 1.'''

'''[[Summon Cactus Giant]]''' (LV 6 Summ): It's Anguish if it was a living creature. Its role is very similar - stand in hallway, tank hits, eventually destroy the attacker without doing anything. The melee damage of the Cactus Giant is decent, but each hit it receives inflicts heavy reflection damage. It’s perfect to use against those pesky hydras, and should be your go-to 1v1 spell against high damage melee targets. It has a great synergy with a couple of spells:

* Summon Forest: While foes take damage bludgeoning their way through the Giant, they take even more punishment from the berserk trees surrounding them!
* Anguish: Double the reflection damage. Goodbye, melee enemies.
* Martyr's Knell: A twice bigger health pool to apply even more reflection damage throughout its lifespan. Longer duration, more time to regenerate mana, a great opportunity to recast this spell and do it all over again!

'''You will need around Summonings level 14 to use this spell.''' '''Maximum Summon Capacity: 1.'''

===Consolation Prizes===

'''[[Borgnjor's Vile Clutch]]''' (Level 5 Necromancy/Earth) - '''Warning: This is decent, but you can do better. Get the spells above instead if possible.''' It's a beam. It ignores allies. Point, click, and everything in its path that doesn't resist constriction, isn't located on a deep water/lava tile and hasn't sworn allegiance to your indisputable leadership will be irresistibly crushed into a fine paste and denied the ability to move. Resist the temptation to run around going squish-squish-squish on everything you see without casting any other spell - you will demolish a yak pack. You will think to yourself "wow I'm so OP". You will annihilate a hydra. "haha I am unstoppable". You will come face to face with a black mamba. You have no zombie yaks or hydras protecting you because you thought it would be funnier to give a few animals a power massage. You get fully poisoned and die. This spell is a ''complement'', not the main carry. You will need to '''train Earth Magic, and set a target to 6.0'''.

'''[[Martyr's Knell]]''' (Level 4 Necromancy/Summonings) - '''Warning: This is decent, but you can do better. Get the spells above instead if possible.''' Is your wall of undead flesh and soul getting deconstructed too fast by rampaging elephants? Clearly, your makeshift RPG party has too many fighters, and needs a cleric. This poor soul does absolutely nothing except absorb 50% of all damage taken by ''any'' of your allies, trying its best to regenerate away the harm constantly imposed upon it. When it inevitably has its health bar popped like a balloon, it turns into a Flayed Ghost, which splatters blood all over the place and causes a great deal of drama and spectacle. Said Ghost is quite good at fighting (especially in the Lair), but extremely fragile. Therefore, when a Martyr transforms, you may immediately bring out a new one to help protect this Ghost, and that new one will also turn, until you now have 3 Ghosts at the same time and enough blood to receive a lifetime title of honour at your local blood bank. So much for 'evil' magic. There is also a great synergy with Anguish - Martyrs can take a great deal of punishment, which allows for truly great amounts of mirrored damage!

===Wizards' Corner===

If, for some reason, you are completely decked out in Wizardry, Intelligence and yet Kiku is insulting you with its "gifts", you can consider the level 7 dual school Summonings spells ''Malign Gateway'' or ''Sphinx Sisters''. Their other school is, respectively, Translocations and Hexes, which cats both benefit from a +4 aptitude for!

[[#More Tentacles (Summonings)|They are explained more in depth right here]].

=The Necromantic Apex (******)=

'''If you found the Kiku altar later than usual, come back to this section IMMEDIATELY when you reach 6 stars!'''

Alright, this is the big moment. As soon as you are notified with the message:

Kikubaaqudgha will grant you forbidden knowledge.

Immediatately open your 'a'bility menu, and use "Receive Forbidden Knowledge". You will be gifted, every single time, '''Haunt''', '''Infestation''', Borgnjor's Revivification and '''Death's Door'''. Only 3 of these are of interest to this build. I believe you have guessed which ones already.

Infestation and Death's Door will be quite far away from usable status. But, if you have obeyed my every word (I see no alternative), Haunt should be near 45% if you are still in the Lair, or near 30% failure rate if you are in the Mines. Intelligence and Wizardry jewellry helps a ton here. Memorize it as soon as possible - [[#The Velvet Path Begins (First Forbidden Spell)|explanations on how to do so are featured here]].

'''IMPORTANT: Now that you have fully emptied Kiku's warehouse of plentiful gifts, the god now serves only one purpose in life (or rather, unlife): your personal Unearth Wretches spambot.''' Don't believe me? Have a look at the list of offered abilities:

* Torment protection, an almost useless resistance to have, except in the very late-game.
* Death curse protection, an even more useless resistance, only of interest in the Tomb, a super late-game branch.
* The ability to invoke a Sign of Ruin, which burns precious piety stars that could have simply been used to send out an even greater legion of allies.
* Miscast protection, which does not actually block the truly bad part of miscasts - not getting to cast the spell.
* '''The only actually good ability, Unearth Wretches.'''

You will receive no further gifts. Your piety bar serves '''no other purpose besides spamming Unearth Wretches'''. You will only lose Unearth Wretches should you reach the '''minimum''' possible piety level, which is ZERO stars.

From now on, at ANY moment where you feel a challenge is in sight, do the following:

* Make sure your ally-creation buffs are active (Animate Dead and/or Death Channel)
* Unearth Wretches 1 to 3 times in a row, depending on how much assistance you require, and depending on whether the Wretches are dropping plentifully (5 wargs!!!) or are utter trash (is that... a single orc?)

The types of creatures summoned by Unearth Wretches fully depends on which branch you are currently in. That's right - the more OP the enemies are, the stronger this ability becomes. If you use it in Swamp, expect to get a whole bounty of hydrae ready to decimate all opposition. This is why it's unimpressive in the Dungeon - as it can bring out pitifully weak critters from D:1. Now that you actually have Necromancy trained a bit, you might get a cyclops or some centaur warriors, which are interesting enough.

Once you have claimed Forbidden Knowledge, if you have both Animate Dead and Death Channel ready and castable but have not cleared the Orcish Mines yet, you can proceed earlier than usual to the [[#For True Sabretooth Tigers (Annihilating the Slime Pits With A Giga-Army)|great slime raid]]. This is rare, but especially lucky kitties can enjoy an even softer Kiku wrath by switching up the order.

= Pig-People and Pig-Iron (Orcish Mines) =

Clear the Dungeon until you find the entrance to the Mines (it appears on D:9 to D:12) if you haven’t done so already. '''Do NOT descend into the Dungeon any further! You will need these floors to remain unexplored to rank up Jiyva's piety bar later.''' Now, delve into the brown-hued staircase.

Extra spicy death trap welcoming party? Animate Dead, Death Channel, Unearth Wretches. If you have already reached the maximum tier of piety (******), do not hesitate, but if not, use Unearth Wretches only if you need it! Your piety is precious, and (******) should be inching close by now.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Would you look at how good of a boss I am? You get a vacation here. Feel free to take your time here, there is no gem of interest to me in this place.}}

Orcs are not especially renowned for gentles caresses. Especially not the ones with a red danger square around them. In particular, avoid orc knights, warlords, and especially ettins from breathing on your scruff. In the Mines, the popcorn (DCSS term for very easy but numerous foes) is plentiful, and the sources of ranged damage even more so. This means that '''Anguish''' is an absolute star player here, easily beating orcs' pitiful Willpower and generating gargantuan armies of zombies and spectres in tandem with Animate Dead/Death Channel. '''Summon Seismosaurus Egg ''' also excels at thinning out the hordes.

Some notable foes:

* Orc sorcerers make most characters tremble in fear, because they have the overpowered Paralyze spell. You are not most characters. You most likely will not be paralyzed due to your infinite feline self-confidence. What such charisma won't protect you from, however, is a laser beam of pure blazing fire in your face. These (or the darkness damage variant) can twoshot you. They fall quickly to Anguish, but ring-swapping to obtain relevant resistances may prove interesting if you are being threatened.
* Kobold blastminers have a cute little ranged weapon. They like to go pew-pew-pew with it. It doesn't do that much damage. What does do damage, on the other hand, is the titanic cannonball they are packing (Bombard) should you get into semi-close range. Do not walk into a 4-tile radius of these without any ally in between - you will be - you guessed it - twoshotted.
* Orc high priests, and the aforementioned sorcerer can summon some demonic allies. Most are fairly weak, but Soul eaters will constantly smite you for darkness damage from across the screen (rN+ helps) and sixfirhies move at lightspeed and twoshot you with huge lightning damage. Did you know "sixfirhy" were originally named after a cat walking on the keyboard of a DCSS developer? It's true! Anyhow, kill that sorcerer/high priest and their friends will vanish, never to be seen again. Direct your minions to focus fire on these walking YASDs with “t”-“a”. Evokables, like wands, can prove useful for this. Using a staircase will also never have summoned demons follow you through it.
* Obsidian bats are extremely annoying hit and run summoners, kind of like a newly released class with mobility creep from a pay2win game. In all cases, the Seismosaurus is your saviour.

There are many possible layouts in Orc:2 - one in particular is peppered with centaurs of all types, and is extremely risky to clear - make ample use of fog/butterfly scrolls, chokepoints, and corners. A few other layouts will invite the attention of Saint Roka herself, which you should only ever duel when she is alone, as she uses Smite almost every other turn. A Scroll of Vulnerability alongside Anguish redirects those smites back to sender! A particularly entertaining vault is filled to the brim with dozens upon dozens of ogres, and while it's quite terrorizing for most characters, you should laugh it off and collect enough gold pieces to replace the clay pellets in your litterbox - as ogres make for excellent undead.

The more unfortunate among you may also encounter Azrael, or rather, Supreme Turbo Augmented Orc Priest of Mega-Doom. Most of his spells are fairly reasonable and can be tanked by your devoted friends, aside from one: Call Down Damnation. It will not oneshot you, but it can certainly twoshot you, and there is absolutely nothing stopping him from spamming it. The easiest way to deal with him is to sip on a Potion of Invisibility, then command your swarm to delete him as quickly as possible. He is vulnerable to icy damage, so a wand of iceblast tends to explode the last specks in his HP bar if your army found itself insufficient for taking him down. He also has low Willpower, which means the spell that starts with "Ang" and ends with "uish" works tremendously well. Do not even think about using Scrolls of Silence, for all his spells come from his raw, primal hatred of cats incarnated into spheres of blazing fire.

Speaking of the latter, if you have a strong batch of allies, think about using scrolls of Silence! They will render all of the orcish upper caste incapable of blasting you with Beogh's fist, demons or elemental wrath. Even Saint Roka will be forced to rely only on her sword (fair warning: she knows how to use it).

Finally, if you find yourself before a gigantic crowd susceptible to remote detonating you with a one turn quadra-smite, consider a scroll of Immolation. Not only does it score a large quantity of points in the EXPLOSIONS department, killing a single orc with a wand or even having your Inugami detonate on death is bound to wipe out the screen. Of course, refrain from any pyromaniac tendencies if you are adjacent to two or more enemies with Inner Flame. More explosions can be survived with rF+.

Orc:2 is guaranteed to contain at least 4 shops. Unfortunately, we are still in the Fantasy Middle Ages. Big Data and targeted marketing has not been invented yet. Therefore, these dull merchants will, most of the time, try to sell you OP demon swords and crystal plate armours you can't even use. Perhaps, with some luck, a fine librarian fellow will sell you one of those necromantic spells Kiku might have refused to gift to you.

Exercise caution around strange upstairs in Orc:2 marked as unexplored. They tend to lead to tight pockets with a jolly, welcoming community of trolls and orc knights right in your face, and a free ride back to the character selection screen. There is little harm in just checking, but consider if it's really worth trading a potential life for 100 gold on the floor.

===The Velvet Path Begins (First Forbidden Spell)===

With the Mines and Lair standing behind you, it is time to make a choice. But first, allow me to introduce you to the next spell in the roster. You should memorize it as soon as it reaches below 20% failure rate! Not enough spell slots? Use a Scroll of Amnesia and remove Summon Seismosaurus Egg. I believe you must be getting tired of that thing doing absolutely nothing and dying. Call Canine Familiar is also a reasonable candidate. If you have no such scrolls, train Spellcasting - remember, 0.5 skill levels = 1 spell slot.

'''[[Haunt]]''' (Level 7 Necromancy/Summonings) allows you to point and click any foe on your screen to send a squad of undead hitmen after it. They are professionals for three main reasons:

* Punctuality. They immediately spawn in right next to the Creature of Interest.
* Efficiency. Not only do they deal huge damage, they also lock the Creature of Interest in place and dish out Slow and Willpower/2 debuffs like candy. Invisible enemies? They have never heard of such an obstacle.
* Discretion. Once their grisly work is complete, they will swiftly evaporate out of reality, awaiting their next contract. Still, you may occasionally spot them damaging or even slaying some bystanders - can't have the word spreading around, after all.

Beyond the obvious assassination benefits, there are synergies with other necromantic spells as well:

* '''Anguish''': Since Haunt immediately dials up a considerable amount of allies, it's just more hitpoint to feed into the reflect-damage engine.
* '''Borgnjor's Vile Clutch''': Is the Creature of Interest dodging all assassination attempts like the leader of some totalitarian regime? Perhaps they won't be laughing as much once you reduce their Evasion to near zero by applying constriction, thus letting the ghostly specialists carry out their grim task with great ease.

Bind them to the keyboard macro you used for the spell you have forgotten with the Scroll of Amnesia (Ctrl-D to do so). Haunt can have '''up to 8 spectral assassins out at once''', so if one cast didn't bring them all out, you can dial 1-800-KILLTHATDUDE again and tell them to get moving by immediately recasting the spell. There really is no reason to not have these guys out constantly. They do good work, and they only take up 7 mana in pay.

Well. "Only" 7 mana. Is it just me, or these spells sure are getting quite hungry? I mean, all those Anguish casts, summons, self-buffs, and now awesome spectral hitmen? This flimsy mana bar just isn't cutting it.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Well? Look around your library, perhaps I tossed Sublimation of Blood in your general direction. Or perhaps not. I am getting forgetful for my age. Which is many thousand millenias.}}

No, no. That flimsy health bar isn't cutting it either, now is it? Transferring the problem from the blue bar to the green bar isn't going to solve our problems.

{{flavour|[[File:Jiyva altar.png]] ''An oddly inviting, squishy sound resounds through the Dungeon.''}}

=A Divine Heist (God-Swap Explanations)=

Now comes the part where this guide takes a highly controversial strategic choice: preparing to abandon Kikubaaqudgha in favour of Jiyva.

'''(DO NOT DO IT JUST YET!)'''

Abandoning gods in DCSS is, almost always, a poor decision, with rare exceptions. I believe this is one of those exceptions. You should already know by now that Unearth Wretches is Kiku's only good ability. Now let us look at what Jiyva offers:

* Free HP and MP regeneration that is exactly equivalent to wearing, somehow, four amulets of HPRegen and MPRegen at the same time.
* Endless mutation drops, granting boons such as free rF+, free rC+, free AC, free SH or free HP bonuses, all extremely difficult to acquire on a Felid. Press capital 'A' to see your current mutations.
* Instant emergency endgame summons from the Slime Pits when taking sudden, large amounts of damage (also known as "an average day" for a Felid), which can fight and demolish even the strongest foes.
* An active ability that oneshots any melee range living or corporeal undead creature, no questions asked.
* Complete pacification of all gelatinous creatures, some of which count themselves among the most feared foes of DCSS.
* A free rune of Zot.
* rCorr. For free.
* The so-called "downside" of having slurping jellies roam around every level and digest all items they can find - except artifacts, runes and gems -, the vast majority of which you never could use anyhow.

The Slime God has not received the attention of anything sapient in a very long time, and will be overjoyed enough to shower you in piety after just a bit of exploration. I won't lie, it sucks to have some great scrolls be devoured before your very eyes. I judge it to be a small sacrifice compared to-

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Turncoat! Betrayer! You lawless toxoplasmosis-infested flea-ridden fuzz-thing! How dare you suggest abandoning the righteous forces of evil and torture for some first-grader slime making experiments?}}

Right, there's also the whole "divine wrath" thing. Let's unpack this. For the next 5-8 floors, you will have to deal with:

* Occasional Symbols of Torment. These are usually not triggered in dangerous moments, but when they are, enemies are also tormented as if you had just read a Scroll of Torment. In any case, Jiyva's first piety star (*.....) will immediately grant the first rank of their regeneration passive.
* Occasional HP drain. This is a very annoying part. Losing 30 max HP for a short time can hurt, as it's not like you had a lot of the stuff to go around in the first place. Thankfully, you will never lose more than 50% of your max HP. '''This bypasses rN+, do not try to use it to shield yourself.''' Dying as a Felid removes all HP drain.
* Slain enemies will occasionally be revived in undead form. These are generally weak on their own - the more annoying part is that it steals your chance at reanimating them with your own magic. Dispel Undead - a spell which Kiku may have gifted you - makes swift work of the annoying revived undead they keep throwing your way. This is completely optional and I usually don't bother, but it may interest you. It also finds uses against all kinds of standard issue undead enemies, such as bog bodies (Swamp) or Pharaoh Ants (Spider Nest).
* Rarely (5% chance), casting a Necromancy spell will deal a small amount of darkness damage. Mostly harmless, especially if you have rN+, but it can tip you over the edge if you were already almost dead.
* Occasional Doom. This generally means you will be eating 2 to 3 Banes throughout the entire wrath effect. Let's take a look at them.

===Kiku's Troll Carousel (Banes)===

'''Laughed Out Of The Room tier'''

* '''Bane of Heatstroke:''' Oh no! You are rarely slowed from taking fire damage (rare in the early game) when your allies are responsible for 99% of your damage output! No one cares.
* '''Bane of Snow-Blindness:''' Reduces your accuracy when you take cold damage. When was the last time you were waving a stick around or throwing it? Right, in a parallel world when you were stuck as a lesser humanoid.
* '''Bane of Electrospasm:''' Prevents you from moving short time when you take electric damage. Read that again. Prevents YOU from moving. Did it say anything about a crocodile? No? You know what to do.
* '''Bane of Claustrophobia:''' Reduces your melee damage and accuracy when near walls. Hahahaha. Thank you for your time, the door is right there.
* '''Bane of the Reckless:''' Oh no! You have to temporarily swap out your Reflection Amulet for something else that's just as good! Big deal.
* '''Bane of Warding:''' Some enemies are immune to ranged damage. I'll like to see you try to give your zombies a bow.
* '''Bane of the Hunted:''' Summoned enemies appear next to you. Wow, if only we had a spell to deal with the "big dude in my face" problem. Oh right.

'''A Bit Annoying tier'''

* '''Bane of Lethargy:''' You move slower. You have allies to swap with, and your trusty Crocodile. Honestly, I rarely notice it. But when you need to run to the stairs with no mana, it can hurt.
* '''Bane of Stumbling:''' If you move or wait, you have -25 EV. This one is rough as it's the main source of our defense, but there are ways to game it. Casting any spell keeps your EV intact, so Crocodile-chaining is a good way to move around. This might also be an opportunity to use up those hundreds of flame wand charges you might have sitting around.
* '''Bane of Succour:''' Monsters lifesteal from their friends dying. Meh, your swarms are already dishing out much more damage than these "drain tanks" can keep up with, but it does make enemies a bit more tanky in general.
* '''Bane of Mortality:''' When you rest to full HP after fights, reapers come out to gank you like you are playing a MOBA game in the highest leagues. The strategy is the same no matter if this is DotA or DCSS: have space to retreat. Don't wait to regenerate in tight and cramped corridors, and you'll have no problem outrunning their extremely slow speed, with a crocodile if you must.
* '''Bane of Paradox:''' This one will most likely do nothing, but has a small chance of being lethal, so I am placing it in this tier. Rarely, some enemies will have Manifold Assault. Because there are so many weak fools and swarms of puny orcs in the game, this usually is not noticeable. The problem starts if some big shot unique with mega melee damage gets it, which is rare. In that case, imagine you are back in the Dungeon facing centaurs, and do everything in your power to melt them as fast as possible.

'''Pretty Dangerous tier'''

* '''Bane of Multiplicity:''' It's manageable most of the time. It just suuuucks when some ranged cheater or smite spammer has its long lost twin surge out of the earth and destroy you. It thankfully does not last very long. If Rimeblight is up and working, it is awesome at dealing with this problem.
* '''Bane of the Dilettante:''' Temporary -25% Necromancy and Summonings skill. This is painful. The developers want you to "hybridize", but there is no "hybridizing" out of the blessed Velvet Pawed Path. What are you going to do, memorize Plasma Beam? Get real. Anyhow, you should hopefully be still able to use your level 6 and under spells, which are strong enough in their own right. If you feel too weak and have Amnesia scrolls, I suggest temporarily memorizing one of the suggested level 6 and under spells in this guide (Borgnjor's Vile Clutch, Summon Cactus Giant, Summon Forest, Summon Mana Viper) to support you.

As you can see, Banes aren't so bad. Most runs, they just do nothing. Sometimes, they minorly debuff you. Very rarely, they are responsible for losing a single life.

Well, it's up to you to choose now. Will you follow me through this high-risk, high-reward play? I have done god swap dozens of times while playtesting my own guide. I have never once lost a run where I could directly blame Kiku's wrath for my demise. Died once, perhaps. Nothing more.

But don't do it just yet. Keep reading.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] As my employee, your choice is limited here. We have to cut healthcare out of the budget, because you spend way too much company time resting and regenerating. We'll be hooking you up on those experimental slime chemicals from now on. Or honey, if you found that Hive Talisman. Maybe you'll help a breakthrough in pharmaceuticals, once we're done scraping your dissolved remains off the floor.

There is just one problem: that Starry Gem inside the Slime Pits, is extremely tight, at 600 turns! My suggestion: Clean out the Pits anyhow, either diving to the altar if you need one, or simply trying to grab some fresh jellified walking experience potions. Once 100 turns remain on your timer, immediately ascend! You will only be coming back to the Slime Pits after you have obtained the Orb of Zot, which stops all timers.

Of course, if you're running Hive Form, finish the job and get that Gem NOW!!}}

===The Forbidden Kikubeequdgha Build (Staying with Kiku)===

Let's face it: the only reason we are even considering this insane play is because we want more HP and MP regeneration - the kind a mere amulet of mana regeneration doesn't hold a candle to. Jiyva is a reliable way to get boatloads of it, but it's not the ''only'' way.

* Way 1: '''Being a lucky little [EXPLETIVE REDACTED]''': Wow. You got the Amulet of Vitality off of the ground, just like a rich heir of a soup can company inheriting a million dollar portfolio at age 9. You go you. Go win the game, staying with Kikubaaqudgha, and basically having two gods at the same time at no cost to you. I hope your family is very proud of you.
* Way 2: '''THE KIKUBEEQUDGHA ASCENDANCY:''' Welcome, Velvet-pawed initiate. This is the only non-Jiyva path I officially approve of. A Hive Talisman, cranked up to its maximum, provides more HP and MP regeneration than the Amulet of Vitality or even Jiyva. Now, the problem is that it demands industrial quantities of experience poured into Shapeshifting. If you wish to take on this path, here is my suggestion. Raid the Slime Pits as indicated below, without the conversion part, slaying the Royal Jelly and Jiyva for good, and grabbing all the loot. Either get '''Infestation''' below 10% failure rate, or, alternatively, you can rely on the combination of BOTH Animate Dead and Death Channel, if you are willing to make good use of Unearth Wretches. If that is dealt with, turn off every skill except Shapeshifting, setting it to a target of 17. Once Shapeshifting reaches level 15, you can transform into Hive Form, accepting the small HP penalty. Once it reaches 17, stop training it, and pivot back to Necromancy to unlock '''Death's Door'''. Once Death's Door is online, if you want, you can train more Shapeshifting to increase your regeneration further, or [[#Perfection Can Still Improve (Lategame Skills)|follow any of the other late game suggestions]]. An amulet of Wildshape is extremely good for this plan at all stages of its execution, granting a free +5 levels of Shapeshifting.
* Way 3: '''For Scaredy-Cats''': Being content with a mere MP regeneration amulet, or an amulet of HP regeneration, alongside the spell Sublimation of Blood. (If you do the latter, cast it early and often, NOT when you are desperate for mana and NOT when you can't afford to lose the HP. Put it on an easily accessible macro. I like the letter "c".) I mean, you can... ''do that''... I suppose... But don't come mewling to me when you are cornered in the Vaults with 0 MP remaining and no way to cast Death's Door. It's certainly winnable, but you'll be back to playing like a "traditional" Felid - very scared, very methodical, even moreso than you may be playing now. I wrote this guide with the intent of proving things could be different - and I hope you join me in my vision.

No matter your chosen Way, I will continue writing the guide with a Jiyva-swap perspective (with the occasional note). Just remember you have Unearth Wretches on speed dial, and can unleash armies any time some challenge looks remotely capable of instilling anxiety in the heart beneath your fluffy chest. And don't use Sign of Ruin!

===For True Sabretooth Tigers (Annihilating the Slime Pits With A Giga-Army)===

Allow me to divert my attention back to the brave and fearless, which are certainly not those people I was talking to in the "For Scaredy-Cats" section. To convert to Jiyva, you will need a Jiyva altar. Press Ctrl-F, and type "Jiyva". There is a 2/3 chance it spawned in Lair, and an additional small chance it appeared somewhere else.

'''DO NOT CONVERT JUST YET!''' We have 4-6 stars of pure, delicious Kiku juice, and we'd throw all that power away without using it? Come on, now.

Let me introduce you to a true departure from sanity.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUFsbt_5mxY Here is a video demonstration of me doing this.]

Going into the Slime Pits this early in the game is obvious suicide for most characters. Naturally, there is a trick at play:

* Kiku's Unearth Wretches instantly summons neutralized denizens from your current branch to turn into undead.
* Slime undead are extremely strong and plentiful, and their sheer mass protects you from dangerous melee attackers.
* The vast majority of Slime's creatures are exactly that - dangerous melee attackers.

Even if you want to stay with Kikubaaqudgha, I suggest you do this. Don't worry, you'll get your piety back fast after this, even if you drained yourself to zero stars.

Let's review your kit:

* If you have both '''Animate Dead''' and '''Death Channel''', raiding the Pits is very easy, and most importantly will reward you with a waterfall of experience points.
* If you have only '''Animate Dead''', it is slightly harder, as your army will spread in reduced numbers. Do it anyways, but be ready to spam some more Unearth Wretches to compensate.
* If you have only '''Death Channel''', you can have an army of interesting proportions, but you MUST watch your status effect in the sidebar - you do not want it to expire and make all your allies disappear at the most crucial moment. Be ready to recast and spam more Wretches, or to escape upstairs. If your DChan is going dark purple and jellies are all over your screen, it is time to RETREAT.
* '''The Contingency Plan (No Death Channel nor Animate Dead)''': Coming here without '''Infestation''' is suicide. You will need to rush this spell, ''pronto''. Turn off all skills except '''Necromancy'''. Go to the Spiders' Nest or the Snake Pit. (Swamp if you have Summon Forest). Play carefully until you can get a 20% failure rate on Infestation. You are now ready to continue.

Alright. Strap in, we're firing up the Kiku train. Next destination: a place beyond anything resembling sanity.

Stand on top of the Slime Pits entrance. Drink Brilliance, if possible. Cast Animate Dead and Death Channel, whichever you have, hopefully both. Drink Haste, if possible. Go in.

If ANY slimes are on your screen, immediately use Unearth Wretches. Not on the brink of death? Use it again. Again. If you're put against only basic '''Slime Creatures''', a single or two uses of Unearth Wretches can suffice, but any of the Big Ones (see below) warrants immediate firepower in the form of 3+ Unearth Wretches. If the welcoming party looks particularly nasty, FLOOD THE SCREEN.

If you are employing the Infestation method, only use Unearth Wretches twice, considering you'll need a turn to cast Infestation before they decay.

See the five Big Ones below. You do NOT want ANY of these in melee range of you.

* '''Azure Jelly''': A very simple enemy: they have chill-touched pseudopods with unholy damage output, move at the speed of sound and will chop off your health bar into bite-sized cubes. Just like your average DCSS player, they know only two things: moving and melee attacking. It is therefore only right that you grant them the demise an o-tabber deserves - drowned in infinite armies until their hubris finally collapses them into a chilly puddle.
* '''Void Ooze''': Pretty much the same thing. The big twist: letting them caress you will have them flood their slime in every alveoli of your lungs, causing damage over time and silencing you from spellcasting for a few turns. To avoid unpleasant mental imagery, absolutely avoid being touched by them. They also drain mana on hit.
* '''Acid Blob''': It has an acidic bolt, which does not do a ton of damage (in fact, it's the exact same damage numbers as the acid drakes all the way back in the Dungeon...), but it adds up. rCorr, found on the occasional ring or in a Potion of Resistance, can help. It's not usually needed, they get consumed too fast for it to matter. I recommend keeping allies between you and them to block their ranged attacks.
* '''Rockslime''': Another mindless o-tabber, this time with trample flavour. This can cause positioning problems (and death problems, because their damage is obscene). Another reason to NOT LET ANY OF THESE TOUCH YOUR PRISTINE FUR.
* '''Formless Jellyfish''': Easy to consume once your squad is established, but before then, they can teleport behind you (''heh, nothing personnel, kid'') and attack you with the following four debuffs: constriction + paralysis + poison + literally just killing you. These ones are actually not fast, so if you're just waiting for your Wretches to pop or your screen is already filled with spectres and/or zombies, feel free to swap with an ally or use Eringya's Surprising Crocodile to exit melee range of them.

'''If a dangerous slime gets into melee range''': If your wretches have popped, swap places with any of your now extremely numerous servants. If you can find a good angle, use Eringya's Surprising Crocodile. Otherwise, if you are still over 80% HP and are just waiting for your wretches to transform into allies, feel free to risk a step or two until it will become possible to hide behind your fresh batch of undead. If you are truly caught off-guard, a Scroll of Butterflies or Blinking will certainly pull its weight otherwise. For more risky options, try a scroll of Summoning or a potion of Haste, which will let you outrun any slime '''except Void Oozes'''. DO NOT WASTE TURNS TAKING STEPS WITHOUT HASTE IF YOU HAVE NO ARMY YET. Unearth Wretches will create a protective wall of paralyzed gelatin, preventing nearby slimes from reaching you - and this is even safer if you are currently hasted or the slimes are asleep.

This is also why we trained Stealth earlier - this makes it much more likely that you will be able to draw your gelatinous horde from the ground while the acid blobs next to you are dreaming about soft and sweet sugary desserts instead of twoshotting you.

Slime Pits floors are small and compact - simply run around and completely annihilate all that jiggles and squishes with your personal militia until you find the downstairs. Did it get wiped out, either from you only having Death Channel or just the constant barrage of acid melting your jelly zombies into rotting puddles? Are more jellies breaching your diminishing defenses. '''Cast Animate Dead/Death Channel again. Send more Wretches.''' Once a floor is cleaned up, go downstairs.

If you want to maximize experience gain, look for upstairs with little yellow stars - they will have more gelatin to push through your Kiku-compactor. The Slime Pits has a disconnected layout, a bit like the Orcish Mines.

You will want to watch out for '''glass eyes''' and '''eyes of devastation''' - the former can place a debuff on you that increases all damage taken, which allows the latter to oneshot you with an ally-piercing bolt if the dice are feeling particularly evil. They should be focused first with 't'-'a'. '''Acid blobs''' also have a corrosive (but NOT ally-piercing) bolt, though it is not as scary, especially with a ring of corrosion resistance. You'll always want to have allies blocking Line-of-Sight with '''great orbs of eyes''', who can ''deny you use of all your spells through polymorph'' should they ever land their dastardly hexes on you!

'''Golden eyes''' can also get annoying - should they start giving you an extremely lengthy Confusion debuff, long enough for you to switch to a different tab, watch a few movies and come back, you'll want to drink a potion of Curing if dangerous slimes are exploiting this opportunity to sneak up on you. Watch out, if many Golden eyes are on screen, they might refresh the Confusion the moment you drink your potion! If you are entering a new floor, preparing to bring forth your army, and there are golden eyes alongside dangerous slimes, I recommend trying a different staircase entirely if possible - instant confusion and getting collapsed on by oozes is a death sentence.

As for '''Shining eyes''', they do zero damage, but their gaze will nastily violate basic biological knowledge, and rearrange your muscles to shrink in mass (?), make your meows as loud as the Tsar Bomba (??), or even warp your brain in such a way that it will randomly distort spacetime and bring you into the nearest death trap (???). As your feline body is already perfect in every way, any change would be a net downgrade. However, unlike you, your obedient units are not as feline and fluffy, and therefore would greatly benefit from a few minor readjustments. Leave them to be warped into pulsating flesh masses, shielding you from the mutagenic radiation - if the Shining Eye couldn’t fire a Magic Dart at you, you are safe. If you do eat a Malmutation, Jiyva will likely cure you once you receive your 3-stars mutation gift - but you can just drink a couple of Mutation potions until then.

* If the Jiyva altar did not spawn, your goal is to reach Slime:5 as fast as possible. That is where the guaranteed Jiyva altar is (there might be a rare one on the upper floors - convert there once your piety bar has been fully expended!)
* If it did spawn, you can stay here for as long as you want, ascending back to the surface once your Kiku oxygen tank is running dry. You might still be interested in reaching Slime:5, if only for the vast concentration of enemies and resulting experience. Or if you are going all in with your Hive talisman, with full commitment to Kiku.

Final floor? You know what to do. Pre-cast those spells before going down. Unearth Wretches. Get that army in working order. '''WARNING:''' If you have rolled the Slime:5 layout where there are many little square chambers interconnected by 1 tile hallways, this place becomes highly deadly, as it is very hard to actually get your army to do their grisly work with all these suffocating chokepoints. Do NOT try to clear this floor if you are not seeking the altar. If you are, be HIGHLY cautious.

'''If you are looking for the Jiyva altar''': Read a scroll of Revelation on Slime:5. Don't have it? Tough luck, you'll have to manually explore to find the altar. It's usually somewhere close to the centre. If you do have it, press capital 'X', and survey the map for an "unknown altar" icon. That's your destination. Get moving. Converting to Jiyva instantly renders the entirety of the Slime Pits completely harmless. You just need to get to that altar, and you'll have succeeded. Is it utterly swarmed and blocked by slimes of many nutritious flavours? Is your army dying at the final stretch? That's what those Scrolls of Blinking are for. Yes, blink on top of the altar, even if it's surrounded by deadly enemies. One turn is all you need. Don't worry, your army won't go hostile. Even though you just angered the god of Necromancy itself.

'''About the Royal Jelly''': Command your army with 't'-'f' (or 't'-'a' on something else) to NOT ATTACK IT. (Unless you are running the Hive Talisman). Not only does it spawn horrible amounts of OP slimes when it takes damage (which are worth 0 experience), it will also destroy all Jiyva altars if you somehow manage to kill it with your army of gelatinous doom. Which is surprisingly likely. If you have pulled it in and find your squad getting progressively mowed down by a wide variety of digestive enzymes, consider using a Scroll of Teleport, or retreating upstairs and using a different downstairs. You'll have to ignite a new army with some extra Kiku stars, but it will "park" the Royal Jelly on that other end of the level so you can safely access the Jiyva altar.

Of course, if you are staying with Kikubaaqudgha and are doing the dive, feel free to take no prisoners, splatter honey-coloured goo all over the Pits, and smash and grab that loot.

{{flavour|[[File:Jiyva altar.png]] Jiyva gurgles in joy at your terrifying pilgrimage all to worship them (even though you just murdered half their followers and turned them to undead servants).}}

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] You know, I was kind of hoping this would happen. It's been a while since I had the fun of smiting a mortal with horrible, debilitating dark curses.}}

You should only come back here once you reach maximum piety with Jiyva - ****** - to unlock all the delicious loot.

The way back up will be peaceful and of utmost serenity. Surely Kiku's wrath will be a nice, relaxing affair after going through this.

=All That Squiggles, Splashes and Slithers (S-Branches)=

'''Only if you already finished raiding the Slime Pits:''' clear the last floors of the Dungeon, allowing you to obtain Jiyva piety and experience Kiku's wrath in a relatively safe environment. "Relatively", because there are probably centaur warriors prowling about with digusting amounts of ranged damage. Animate Dead. Death Channel. Anguish. Deadly armies. You know the drill.

You'll also find the Vaults entrance on D:13 or D:14, with its signature swarm of human guards decked out in tons of metal. Perhaps they should have thought about protecting the inside of their skulls as well, as they are very vulnerable to Anguish.

'''If you are still with Kiku, waiting for your Infestation to become castable so you can raid the Pits:''' do NOT clear the lower Dungeon yet - once Kiku juice has been exhausted, you will want a safe area to start getting your first Jiyva stars and work off the first instances of Kiku's wrath in an environment you are overleveled for. Leave it for AFTER the S-Branches.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] That Smoky Gem is down there, in D:15! If you did things properly, grabbing it shouldn't be too hard. What's harder is keeping it intact. Try to have at least 800 turns remaining when you collect it! And as for D:11-D:15, don't explore more than half of each floor, except on D:13-D:14, where you'll want to find the Vaults entrance, and get moving again immediately afterwards!}}

You'll want to visit the S-Branches in this order:

Spider Nest > Swamp > Snake Pit > Shoals

This is roughly how much each of these branches hate cats, from easiest to most lethal. In the former two, there is less ranged damage and more hordes to turn into highly efficient undead. Meanwhile, the Snake Pit is full of Naga Sharpshooter aimbot hackers, giga-flame-smite Salamander Tyrants, and the unique Vashnia, queen of ridiculous felid two-shots. Not to mention that some nagas actually have some Willpower to resist Anguish, unlike the animalistic and weak-willed creepy-crawlies. As for the Shoals, it leaks deep water everywhere to make things as difficult as possible for your army, and its denizens will endlessly throw sharp things at you, sometimes piercing through your entire squad.

Ironic, considering that most DCSS characters tend to fear spiders much more than snakes.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] If you chose the honey-flavoured part of our treatment plan, with Unearth Wretches, getting those Gems will be extremely easy. If not, only slightly harder. That doesn't mean it's another vacation! Once again, explore only about half of each floor, except the fourth and final one, where you'll probably have to spend a lot of time clashing your hordes against the final vault guardians and looking for that Gem. Oh, and a rune, too. But that one isn't that important, now is it? If you have leftover time when going up, you can full-clear the first floor, it's not like we'll be coming back here anyhow.}}

Let's get started. Do not Ctrl-G into the branch - you'll arrive there weak and unprepared, and if there is a welcoming party at the entrance, you are likely to have roughly the entire medical history of poisoning injected in your bloodstream as you sit there and get pwned. Instead, Ctrl-F for the entrance gate in Lair, and stand on top of it. Cast your self-buffs - Animate Dead and Death Channel. Good. Now, you can actually go down.

Assuming you are now with Jiyva, plentiful regeneration, obtained from your very first Jiyva star, allows you to spam Haunt, Borgnjor's Vile Clutch, Anguish and perhaps Infestation/Rimeblight to your heart's content to spark a flame of subservience in the first members of your army. Don't forget to pre-cast Animate Dead/Death Channel before each staircase!

Annoyed by missing out on Animate Dead/Death Channel? Or perhaps you have both and still desire more power? Allow me to introduce you to the apotheosis of ally-creation spells:

'''[[Infestation]]''' (Level 8 Necromancy) is, if you were unlucky and failed to find Animate Dead, your salvation. If you do have it, it's still your salvation, because this spell creates Death Scarabs from the bodies of '''any''' slain enemy (INCLUDING undead and nonliving beings, but except summoned foes and Kiku wrath simulacra/spectres - zombies are fine), '''bypassing Animate Dead''' (no zombie and scarab from the same slain foe!). What is a Death Scarab? Why, nothing short of a star resident of the branch which terrorizes 15 rune DCSS characters the most - the dastardly Tomb of the Ancients. Let's check those stats out:

* Moves and attacks faster than light itself. To be precise, every single time you get a turn, they get three.
* Irresistible Slow debuff on hit.
* Tons of damage.
* Unfortunately very low HP. Thankfully, they are easy to produce in industrial quantities.

Infestation is a point-and-click ability, in a 5x5 square (If you're waiting for this spell to go raid the Slime Pits: Unearth Wretches is also a 5x5 square - cast Infestation on top of yourself after Unearth Wretches for immensely impressive results!). The game makes it quite obvious. Like its point-and-click cousin Haunt, you'll be spamming this one a lot. Use a Scroll of Amnesia, forget one of your old starter Summoning spells, and bind the macro to Infestation instead!

Ideally, you'd get 2-3 from your first fight on a new floor. Take them for a pack walk (don't autoexplore). When a new foe comes into view and they immediately charge towards it, cast Infestation again, and so on, gradually turning the entire floor population into scarabs. Unfortunately:

Your death scarab crumbles into dust!

Their lifespan is... limited. Certainly more impressive than Death Channel, but limited nonetheless. Once you have drawn the first blood, ''you need to keep the killstreak coming''. If you have won a fight, and are now accompanied by invertebrate friends, it is YOUR time to start prowling about the level like some bloodthirsty, horrible beast for fresh scarab meat. Haunt. Infestation. Haunt. Infestation. Executed correctly, these two spells combined can clear any floor that isn't the Realm of Zot or an extended endgame floor. Most importantly, unless you are on the brink of death, you should not be constantly waiting in place twiddling your paws until your HP and MP thresholds get to 100% - your scarabs will just get bored of your lack of courage and evaporate out of reality.

'''[[Rimeblight]]''' (Level 7 Ice/Necromancy) is an equally strong addition to your kit, which you should consider welcoming into your repertoire. It's a lot of slots - you probably can't allow this and Borngjor's Vile Clutch/a big Summonings spell to coexist, so choices will have to be made. This spell is good at both taking out lone OP foes and bundled up living, demonic or holy creatures - for the real star of the show are the infectious explosions. Cast it on the least resilient foe that is closely bundled together with other creatures (each death causes the disease to spread further), and then forget about it and use your other spells. It will get the job done. Feel free to combine it with Gell's Gravitambourine for even less social distancing! You should also know that it executes living/demonic/holy monsters with 20% HP or less, so, if some ubermensch has only a few pixels remaining on its health bar and is destroying you, cast Rimeblight for a guaranteed takedown. if '''Training Ice Magic to level 9 is recommended.'''

'''After clearing the first S-Branch''': Check the success rate of '''Death's Door''' in your (M)emorization menu. If you are stacked with Wizardry/Intelligence buffs, it might be below 50%. Or not. That's fine too. You'll still want to start making room for it.

'''Start training Spellcasting to receive just enough slots to add it (0.5 level = 1 spell slot!), or use Scrolls of Amnesia on starter Summonings spells to free up slots.'''

If you make room to add it while clearing the second S-Branch AND the failure rate is below 50%, keep in mind this spell is utterly overpowered and will save even the most desperate situations. More on that later, but it might actually be worth gambling on if your other options aren't looking too good. Watch out: if you miscast it, it will likely just finish you off you with ~20 darkness damage. Until it reaches less than 20% failure rate, it's a last resort. LAST RESORT. Now is not the time to "save blinking scrolls for later". NO. YOU WON'T NEED THEM ANYMORE WHEN YOU HAVE IMMORTALITY ON SPEED DIAL.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Swamp/Shoals are super tight on time. Clearly, management thought the less turns employees spend in these places, the better. Typical ivory tower fools. Anyhow, when you find a normal staircase and the surroundings are clear and safe, just go down. You'll need a bit more time than you think to tackle those hydra parties and javelineer shooting ranges on the last floor!}}

===Angry Death-God Interdimensional Hunt (Monitoring Kiku's Wrath)===

If you'd like to check how long you'll still have to deal with Kiku's wrath, press, in this order, '?'-'/'-'g'-'k'. There are five tiers:

*"Kiku's wrath is upon you!" (> 75%)
*"Kiku well remembers your sins." (> 50%)
*"Kiku's wrath is beginning to fade. (> 25%)
*"Kiku is almost ready to forgive your sins." (< 25%)
*"Kiku is neutral towards you." (0%)

Once you reach the final tier, you are finally free, and will be able to fully enjoy necromantic magic with glorious slime-powered regeneration for the rest of the run!

Kiku will probably forgive you sometime around the S-Branches. At last.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Whatever. You're boring. If you need me, I'll be over here. On my throne of skulls. Watching slasher flicks. I'll especially not be watching your run, waiting for the moment you splat so I can cackle evilly at my indirect revenge. I would never do that. That sounds like something Zin would do.

But enough talk about using my stolen gifts. Let's finish you off.}}

===They Bite, They Fight, They Rot (Spider Nest)===

If you have rolled this branch, you have been granted the Necromancy-special easy mode midgame. Despite what you may think, rPois isn't actually that important with this build, because the assorted venomous bites won't actually be able to reach you if you play correctly. Let's get cracking.

* '''Meliais''' are as horrifying as they were in the lower parts of the dungeon, and should be dealt with as swiftly as possible - note that their willpower is very fragile when faced with a scion of the One True Pillow-Pawed race, which makes them vulnerable to Polymorph/Charm wands or Anguish.

* '''Spark Wasps''' can pull off anime "teleports behind you" moves with extreme electric damage. They must be Anguished on sight. Haunted. Borgnjor's Vile Clutched. I don't care. Each turn those blue pixels exist on your screen, you are increasing the likelihood that you'll lose the run and be forced to go do something productive instead. We don't want that, now do we?

* '''Orb Spiders''' are highly annoying pests that will challenge you to a game of dodgeball without consent. The ominous purple Orbs of Destruction they will hurl at you inflict extreme, potentially oneshotting, undodgeable damage, and should be avoided at all costs. The easiest way to neutralize them is to have any creature eat the Orb for you - enemies work too, but the most reliable choice is any allied unit. A simple use of your Blink cantrip can also save your scruff, but do mind the heat-seeking properties of Orbs in open spaces, and be ready to Blink a second time.

* '''Broodmothers''' are nasty and will challenge you to a Zotémon duel, and they're a big fan of the Poison Type. Do remind them that Poison attacks on Ghost types are Not Very Effective. If you need to reach them from behind their wall of allies, use Borgnjor's Vile Clutch or Haunt.

* '''Xak' Krixis''', a unique boss, can turn all of your poison into instant damage. Do not hold back on the armies against this one. And ring-swap to rPois. Or drink a Potion of Resistance. He is also quite vulnerable to Anguish. No rPois? At the very least, do anything to avoid standing within 2 tiles of the imminently exploding prisms.

* You don't want anything in this branch to be adjacent to you, but you especially don't want '''Radroaches''' adjacent to you. Enough said.

* '''Ghost Moths''' are the signature enemy of this branch that gets the DCSS community trembling in fear, mainly because of their undodgeable, point-and-click gaze instantly deleting your entire MP bar. Do note that the DCSS community is also filled with fans of conjurations and blaster spells. As a proper gentlefeline, your much more subtle and intellectual magic isn’t limited to the turn it was cast. Casting Haunt once on one is pretty much a guarantee that it will die (if the spectres can reach it). If they are ruining your day, a Potion of Invisibility will shut down their mana-draining ability.

Also, they are invisible. But the feline master race has little patience for such trivialities. You won't even notice. Just don't be surprised if your scarabs/zombies are ignoring them.

{{flavour|[[File:Jiyva altar.png]] Jiyva gurgles inquisitively, wondering how ghost moths reproduce if they can't see invisible, but are invisible themselves. }}

===Realm of the Aimbot Hackers (Snake Pit)===

Ready for some Counter-Strike action? Get to Site Snake:4 before the counter-terrorists eliminate your entire squad. Unfortunately, you have been placed in the cheaters' queue, and everyone here is using hacks and scripts.

* '''Naga sharpshooters''' are the main culprits. Not only do they have OP bows, they also have a spell that lets them teleport the arrow directly on top of you, bypassing your entire army AND reducing your chance to dodge it. They come in groups, too, which means you could be walking around and suddenly start getting plowed by sharp sticks appearing out of thin air. Because this isn't difficult enough, they have enough Willpower to resist Anguish and other hexes quite efficiently (though insistent casters may eventually curse them). A Scroll of Vulnerability helps if there are many on your screen. Most wisely, however, I suggest you avoid having too many on your screen at once, and make use of doors and chokepoints to secure a place where you can safely dump Haunt and Borgnjor's Vile Clutch on them one by one.

* '''Vashnia''' is the queen of the hackers, doing exactly the same thing as them but with bigger damage. And another hack that lets her teleport so you can't escape as easily. I've reported her to the DCSS admins numerous times, but she still hasn't gotten banned. If you've been saving your Scrolls of Vulnerability, this is the time to use them.

* '''Salamander tyrants''' are rare, but CAN ONESHOT YOU ON SIGHT WITH A POINT-AND-CLICK ABILITY. This is one of the extremely rare cases where you can literally just take a step and instantly die (assuming you lack rF+). As soon as one appears on your screen, you MUST take action immediately, through one of the following:
** Ring-swap to Fire Resistance.
** Drink a Potion of Resistance.
** Drink a Potion of Invisibility.

They are weak to Anguish and will likely get a taste of their own oneshot medicine once they are cursed. Assuming you survive, that is.

* '''Guardian serpents''' have the infamous ability to teleport their entire squad on top of you, which is an immediate critical emergency if it happens. Thankfully, you have loyal allies to take up space - yet another reason to always try to keep yourself surrounded and loved by your mindless thralls. Immediately consider the Blink spell or a Blinking scroll if you are caught off-guard.

* '''Naga ritualists''' have varied point-and-click poison abilities which aren't that threatening, but add up if you leave them alive for too long. Ring-swapping to rPois is useful, but barring, that, try to Haunt/Borgnjor's Vile Clutch them first.

* '''Nagaraja''' have all kinds of toxic-chemical flavoured conjurations comparable to Arachne's, and your 3 AC, no rPois scruff is not exactly the definition of a hazmat suit. Avoid having no allies blocking their line of fire (those poison arrows hurt!) and, if you cannot ring-swap poison resistance, expect to require Curing potions should their ally-piercing bolt of poison hit you.

* '''Shock serpents''' have an ally-piercing electrical bolt - not oneshot material by any means, but repeated hits will hurt. They have a permanently active damage-reflection effect electrocuting all which damage it in melee. The answer? Anguish - they hit your ally, they take Anguish damage from this, your ally hits them, they take more damage, your ally is electrocuted, the serpent takes even more Anguish damage. Don't try to wrap your head around it, just oneshot them with this technique.

===Grand Oneshot Fiesta (Swamp)===

This one is interesting, because most enemies here have ridiculous damage, but little ways of actually reaching you to apply it. It was already important before, but it is EXTREMELY important here to keep yourself surrounded by a cocoon of cold, well-meaning hugs from your assorted undead. Leaving your frail and vulnerable body exposed is opening the door to getting oneshotted by the extremely high damage hydrae, bunyips, alligators, will-o-wisps... Well, they actually have to do the effort of walking towards you to kill you (except the will-o-wisp). Which makes this place much better than Shoals in my book.

* '''Eleionoma''' are an exception to this rule, and are also complete bullshit. I don't like swearing in my guides, but these ones deserve it. Their signature spell, Splinterspray, has huge range and deals up to 72 damage. A dull-witted minotaur may say, "they aren't that bad, I just tab them with my axe". Well, dear bovine comrade, Splinterspray has its damage negated ''3 times in a row'' by your AC score. This means their existence is basically an insult to Felids in particular. Suffer not a single one to live. The counterplay? A ring of +4 Protection is worth a quick-swap when they are around, as it translates to a +12 AC bonus against this attack due to the multiplier. Because these aren't OP enough, they also giga-self heal when they touch trees. Just drop a fat Haunt or drown them in undead on sight, the less seconds they breathe, the better.

* '''Swamp Worms''' are pretty harmless on their own, but they can shoot a beam that pulls the first entity hit into melee range of them. If you let them get a clear shot, you can get extracted from your massive army into a death trap. Mind the gaps in your formation.

* '''Bloated husks''' just run at you doing nothing and explode in a 5x5 area when they die.. Aside the fact that this can make them deal huge damage to your army, it will, on average, take out half of your entire HP bar every single time if you get caught in the blastzone.

* '''Will-o-wisps''' endlessly churn out drones to seek and destroy you with huge fire damage. This will be blocked by allies, and Haunting them is highly wise. If you are exposed to their antics, though, consider ring-swapping to obtain rF+.

* '''Swamp dragons''' are not very dangerous, aside from the fact that they place disgusting green poison clouds all over the place. Got stuck in the chemical spill? Ring-swap to rPois, and you can immediately shut off every neuron in your brain that had registered their existence. No rPois? A potion of Resistance does the same thing. Otherwise, a potion of Curing heals all poison, but it won't help if you just get poisoned again by the cloud on the same turn. Focus on getting out, by walking, using the Blink spell or even a precious Blinking scroll if it truly matters.

* '''Shambling mangroves''' have a point-and-click constrict. It's kind of like the Borgnjor's Vile Clutch you may have chosen to obtain, but with even less counterplay. It ends when they perish, so hit them back with your own flavour of point-and-click, known as Haunt or Borgnjor's Vile Clutch.

* '''Goliath frogs''' and '''Spriggan riders''' have reach (polearm) attacks. Don't just stand there 2 spaces away while they ignore your allies and prepare themselves a fine feline brochette.

* Needless to say, don't let '''hydrae''' touch you. ESPECIALLY not the rare one with 27 heads.

===I Swear You Had A Health Bar A Second Ago, Must Be Seeing Things (Shoals)===

Ah yes, welcome to the funhouse of doom. You don't really need any specific resistances in this place, just go full-on Wizardry and Intelligence so things perish as fast as possible. I like Acrobat and Reflection amulets to reduce slightly the vast number of sharp objects moving quickly in your general direction. Ring-swapping into Flight, or drinking a Potion of enlightenment is also potentially interesting when you need to move over water for tactical reasons.

* '''Merfolk javeliners''' can Alt-F4 your health bar when they feel like it. Their sole purpose in life is to pick up sticks of metal and throw them at you, doing gargantuan damage in the process. Because it wasn't hard enough, they occasionally carry the silver variant of their javelins, which deals bonus damage to the heavily mutated. Because Jiyva has probably made you look like [https://raw.githubusercontent.com/crawl/crawl/master/crawl-ref/source/dat/tiles/title_froggy_jiyva_felid.png this] by now, this will hurt. A couple casts of Anguish will usually curse them (causing a massive pile of exclamation points in the message log when they throw their javelin through your undead army). An Amulet of Reflection or of the Acrobat will also come a long way towards putting the odds in your favour - I'd recommend walking around with one already equipped while in the Shoals.

* '''Satyrs''' are pretty much the exact same thing, but at least, they can't pierce through your allies freely. Let your servants die in your name!

* '''Water nymphs''' have a disgustingly powerful point-and-click "boom! you take 3 million damage!" ability. However, they can only use it if you are standing on a water tile. If one is on your screen, avoid water as much as possible - and don't let that Nymph get close, as they constantly leak the stuff everywhere they go. Nice try, but Flight won't save you.

* '''Wind drakes''' also have a "boom!" point-and-click, but this one instead relies on you being surrounded by empty tiles, just like the slug mage Gastronok. Another reason to keep your army close.

* '''Merfolk impalers''' and '''Alligator snapping turtles''' both have "reach" (polearm) melee attacks from 2 spaces away. They also deal giga-damage. Don't ever let them get a hit off.

=Crossroads of Immortality (The Ultimate Spell)=

You've made it. Ascension is at hand - or rather, at paw. Behold - the '''Velvet-Pawed Path to Immortality'''. A level 9 spell, ranked among the legends of Polar Vortex, Shatter, Dragon's Call, Fire Storm...

"How much damage does this one do", you ask yourself, trembling in excitement.

Zero, actually. To your enemies, that is.

'''[[Death's Door]]''' (Level 9 Necromancy), on a successful cast, will immediately nuke your (already minuscule) HP bar, always setting it to around 10-20 HP points remaining. This will never directly kill you.

Not off to a good start, are we? The important part: '''for the next 12-25 turns (it's technically 10-27, but the extremes are unlikely), you CANNOT die through ANY means, and this buff CANNOT be removed.''' Picture this: while it is active:

* HP is an illusion.
* AC is an illusion.
* EV is an illusion.
* SH is an illusion.
* Elemental resistances? You guessed it - an illusion.

Do you see what I see? An eloge to felinekind. A loveletter. An enchantment which takes away all that makes them bad, leaving only the good. ''Every'' other species in DCSS is (rightfully) TERRIFIED of this spell, because when it ends, they will still be left at 10-20 HP, ready to be oneshotted by the tickling touch of a feather and rocketed back to the character selection screen. But cats know no such weaknesses, for they alone know the bony touch of oblivion all too well, and can ''respawn'' after even Death's Door proves ineffective at saving their lives. It's not like having 17 HP is that different from having 103, after all.

This means that you, dear reader, can afford to be '''extremely''' proactive in using this thing.

Picture the following scenario: going about your usual murderous business, some ranged cheater takes out 40% of your HP in a single attack, leaving you at 60%.

* Scenario 1: "Hey, I still have most of my health, it's fine."
** Assuming you dodge reliably, how long do you think you could actually stay alive if that foe just refused to die and kept pelting you? 12 turns, at most?
** That's assuming you dodge reliably, anyhow. You might just die next turn.

* Scenario 2: Cast Death's Door NOW!!
** You now have exactly 12-25 turns in which you have absolute certainty that death is impossible.
** You can forget entirely about cowardly tactics such as "hiding behind allies" or "ring-swapping", and dedicate all resources to making sure that enemy is no longer on your screen by the end of the time period, whether through escape or murder.
** If the screen is PACKED, you can drink a potion of attraction, then read a scroll of immolation as a home-made nuclear detonation device.
** You can just walk into melee range of hasted Ancient Liches and start blasting them with Dispel Undead.
** You can drop 10 Haunts on a single OP unique while you stand there motionless eating 100 melee damage per turn like some immovable object. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifB662xOZTw This is probably how it looks.]
** You can read Teleportation Scrolls and just casually wait and look at your own claws, wondering if feline manicure is a thing, while some Spriggan Berserker is furiously swinging its axe into your scruff over and over.
** You can casually approach any living or corporeal undead creature, (no demons or nonliving enemies allowed! Nice try, but Orbs of Fire count as nonliving.) invoke Slimify from your (a)bility menu (after 4 **** Jiyva stars), and melee attack until you oneshot them.

Embrace the power. Cleanse yourself of fear. Unlearn your preconceptions. Forget your Minotaur instincts. There is Life, there is Death, and there is You, standing perfectly still at the line in between. This is your feline destiny.

Death's Door goes through a cycle:

You stand defiantly in death's doorway! You seem to hear sand flowing through an hourglass...

The spell just started, and the timer is engaged. (White "DDoor" status in the sidebar)

Your time is quickly running out!

Don't freak out. That actually just means it's about halfway done. You still have time. But if the whole "murder" angle is not looking good, start plotting your escape now. (Gray "DDoor" status in the sidebar)

Your life is in your own paws again!

If you did not plan this out correctly, this is the part where they kill you. Because the invincibility just ran out. And you have 12 HP. Death's Door will go on cooldown (Yellow -DDoor in the sidebar) for the surprisingly short duration of 1-3 turns, so you cannot immediately recast it to protect yourself. Shoutout to the developers for recently changing this to say "paws" and not "hands" for Felids specifically!

You step away from death's doorway.

Death's Door is ready to be used again. Many times, I have managed to recast the spell while still engaged in combat, just because I had retreated safely into the middle of my army, or because I had an all-skill-no-luck EV dodge of a ranged attack that should have killed me. In that case, you simply get the 12-25 turns of invincibility all over again.

A note: Potions of haste are ridiculously strong in tandem with Death's Door. They effectively lengthen the duration by 33%. For the same reason, being Slow in Death's Door is terrible, as it shortens the duration by 33%. As expected, Haste and Slow cancel each other out.

Got slots? Or you will in the future? Consider the following:

'''[[Passwall]]''' (Level 3 Earth) is a so-called "escape" spell that has the bad habit of killing its users while they are charging it up. When used on a nearby wall, it renders you unable to act for a few turns as you fixate the stone with extreme intensity that leaves your enemies concerned about you. They will try to prod you to snap you out of it. If you aren't dead by the end of this phase, you will - it's literally in the title - pass through the wall and arrive on the other side. You can see where this is going - cast Death's Door, and you can now escape through any common wall (not the indestructible ones) with zero risk. Even though the magic school on this isn't your forté, it's so low level you can probably already cast it with your vast levels of Spellcasting. Maybe get '''4 levels of Earth''' for good measure if you don't already have them.

Here's another suggestion:

'''[[Dispel Undead]]''' (Level 4 Necromancy) is the least complicated of all dark spells. Walk up to melee range of some rotting fool, press it, blast them with huge (3d31 at max damage, comparable to a Lehudib's Crystal Spear), unavoidable, defense-bypassing pure damage. Flavour-wise, your dark research has come to teach you the invisible forces holding together a corpse which shouldn't be animated, and the ways to unravel them. More creatures are undead than you may think:

* Bog bodies from the Swamp.
* Pharaoh ants from the Spider Nest.
* Laughing, Curse and Weeping Skulls in the deep Dungeon and/or Crypts.
* Any Player Ghost in the Necropolis.
* Any creature reanimated by a deep elf death mage's lost souls.
* Death scarabs from the Tomb. You might have encountered some early in the Spider Nest, or after "accidentally" blasting your Infestation scarabs with, say, a scroll of immolation and turning them hostile.
* Curse toes and Death cobs from the Realm of Zot, the final stop of your grand pillow-pawed journey.
* Deadly uniques such as Jory, Boris, Nobody, or Khufu.
* Any zombies/spectres/simulacra, either natural or reanimated by Kiku's malice.

= Knife-Eared Folks and their Floating Knives (Elven Halls) =

This next area is completely optional-

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] No, it's NOT. Get that Shimmering Gem, PRONTO!! Great, another one of these places where you dilly-dally thinking it will be fine only to spend a thousand turns running away in fear from reality-shattering archmagi on the final floor. Do this one just like the second S-Branch - use SAFE staircases, which have no enemies around them, IMMEDIATELY, and dedicate all your effort and care to looting that Elf:3 fortress!}}

-but I encourage you to clear at least the first two floors to acquire bonus experience, and polish up your Death's Door. At this point, '''you should only be training Necromancy and have no Kiku wrath remaining.''' Possibly Shapeshifting if you still need that Hive Talisman. Maybe Spellcasting if you are desperate for slots. Because SOMEONE has been eating all the Amnesia scrolls.

{{flavour|[[File:Jiyva altar.png]] A distant sound of paper being dissolved in acid echoes through the Elven Halls.}}

The Elves haven't been hitting the gym. Their muscles are weak, because they play DCSS all day. When you drain all that education out of their skulls by turning them to zombies, they do almost nothing except contribute their hitpoints to the Anguish fund. We do not want this. We want OP scarabs. Spam Infestation left and right on these fools. Even the dancing weapons.

A death scarab bursts out of the +4 trident of felid slaying!

How does that even work? Whatever. Let's talk timed portals. Semi-rarely, you may find:

* The "crackle of arcane power". Wizard Laboratories are pocket-sized adventures ranging from litterboxes of loot to death traps. If I were you, I'd avoid Tukima's Studio, unless having a clone of yourself spam Haunt on you while OP floating books with 100 damage crystal spears pwn you sounds funny. The rest should be fine. Watch out for Doroklohe’s Tomb, it will appear to be safe then jumpscare you with tons of endgame mummies or other OP foes. If you want to clear that one, stay in the entrance and wait (5) over and over, don't wander off into the main room.

* The "coins being counted". A Bazaar is almost always worth it. This one might even be worth reading a Scroll of Revelation for. If you have the gold to spare, of course (press '$'). In your shopping spree, stock up on delicious potions, interesting scrolls, and spells that might be missing from your kit.

* A "distant wind". Ah, yes, the <s>Death Trap</s> Desolation of Salt. This place kills so many players. Luckily, this build is probably one of the best at taking it head-on, and the loot tends to include some sick rings and amulets. If you wish to test its mettle, my advice is to just spam Infestation on those trillions of saltlings rushing to melee you. Simply run around and Infestation everything you see until the screen is covered in scarabs. You may need to use Death's Door if things go south. Be wary of [[Ghostly Sacrifice]], an extremely OP point-and-click, undodgeable attack which deals over 100 darkness damage. An enemy must be adjacent to you for it to be used. The Halazid warlocks are responsible for it - either use Death's Door or ring swap to rN+ if you cannot reposition yourself away from enemies in melee range of you.

In the Elven Halls, and especially Elf:3, there are a wide variety of professionals with PhDs in kitty-murder. The valedictorians here are:

* '''Dancing weapons''': Don't mistake them for floor items, notice the little music note icon on their sprites. Some are not that scary (+1 dagger) while others will be your doom (+9 bardiche of antimagic). Don’t fight too fast, and check the brands and enchantments of what you are faced against. If it has enchantments of +4 or more, has a brand you do not resist, or is an axe or polearm, it's a threat.

Regardless, Borgnjor's Vile Clutch completely demolishes them, because their defenses are all-dodge-no-armour (like you!), and that spell cannot be avoided. Haunt is also interesting.

You'll find an extreme amount of these behind the big runed gate in Elf:2, known as the Hall of Blades. I generally don't even bother opening it. These enemies are hard enough, and the shiny metal they leave behind isn't even designed for quadrupeds. Psh!

* '''Deep elf master archers''': You may be purring in mockery as 5 arrows whiff past you one after the other. Enjoy becoming a porcupine when a single shot cuts away 50% of your HP. These should never, ever get a clean line of fire at you, and should have Haunts dumped on them immediately if they do. Like any ranged foe, remember that closing doors behind you can prove surprisingly effective.
* '''Deep elf elementalists''': TRY NOT TO STAND NEXT TO WALLS! It is their strongest attack, because they can point and click walls to remote-detonate them. Anyways, as a herder of allies, you should be prioritizing wide open space instead. The Blink spell can help you get away. The other elemental flavours of pain aren't as bad, as long as you keep drowning them in undead.
* '''Deep elf sorcerers & high priests''': Damnation ''hurts''. Sending foes to block a sorcerer's line of fire by standing adjacently to them will make them hesitate, as they’re not masochistic enough to blow themselves up. The high priests, however, can order an orbital strike onto you in point-and-click flavour, and won't be impressed.
* '''Deep elf annihilators''': With your high EV, most of the time, they will miss, but when they don’t, ''ouch''. Their worst spell is the Crystal Spear, but it has thankfully limited range, so keep your distance (more than 4 tiles).
* '''Deep elf blademasters''': It’s an elf, but with +99 daggers of kitty-slaying and rocket-boot thrusters. Don't let these touch you.
* '''Deep elf death mage''': It's you! But less fluffy. Therefore lesser. Their signature spell, Call Lost Souls, summons some harmless, annoying puffs of spectral matter which will revive nearby dying elves into a ghost variant (this adds a little skull icon on their sprite). When they are reanimated thus, if you have Dispel Undead, you can walk up and blast them - otherwise, your other tools are just as efficient as they are on their living counterparts.

Thankfully, these elven bullies are mostly hidden in their big fortress somewhere in Elf:3, and can be dealt with in little groups at a time, as the entrance to their headquarters is conveniently shaped like a funnel. Approach the final vault, lure in a few volunteers, dispose of them, rest, and return, until the flood stops. Dashing in, battling all of them at once, and expecting to win is extremely foolish.

If you have Summon Mana Viper, it can have impressive results here! Antimagic-biting an Annihilator to force them to use their puny arms instead of their reality-shattering conjurations is quite effective.

Unlike the lesser humanoids, Banishment is very unlikely to happen to you here. If it ''does'' happen, stay calm. The first instinct of many players is to start walking in diagonals to find an exit, but you should not be doing this with this build. You have the ability to organize a nice little fortress with your allies, and fend off invaders coming from all sides. After proving to Lugonu your fighting prowess, you will be let out without complications. Dying in the Abyss is ''very'' undesirable, as you will simply respawn in another equally dangerous location of this infinite plane of madness.

=Containment Breach in Zone 2 (Vaults)=

Excellent, a place where you'll actually feel powerful. You'll feel right at home in this stronghold of soullessness, metal, and faceless guards devoid of individual thought.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Life would be so much simpler if everyone was an undead thrall, you know? Perfect order, absolute obedience, flawless coordination. I bet technology would be propelled centuries foward if people stopped clutching that worthless "identity" everyone keeps talking about.}}

This is the necromantic funzone, seriously. The extreme majority of everything here has been so dumbed down by mindless servitude that their Willpower - and therefore resistance to Anguish - is as low as the chance that you actually managed to survive up to this point. Not only that, but almost every creature makes up for spectacular undead thralls, and space is so neatly organized and wide open that you'll have no trouble directing your army around to annihilate everything you see.

Always have Death Channel active when you battle. Animate Dead the first sizable goon squad you spot, and carry them around the level until it's worth replacing them. Spam Infestation on everything you see until then.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] All this empty space. All this real estate opportunity, ruined. Such inefficiency. Don't linger in Vaults:1 and Vaults:4, exploring no more than half of both. You'll still want to locate the Crypts somewhere on Vaults:2 or Vaults:3 through more thorough exploration, after which you'll be able to descend faster.}}

The threats? Point-and-click abilities, of course.

* '''Ironbound thunderhulks''' have on-demand electro-bzzaps, and '''are the biggest threat of this branch'''. Unlike most point-and-click cheaters, this one can actually be dodged, but should you fail to do so, say goodbye to half your HP bar. They have this gimmick where they cannot use this skill if you are 2 or fewer tiles away, but don't let this bait you into walking towards terrible positions only for them to blink away and resume electrocuting you. Don't hesitate to pop Death's Door if you get badly hit once. Ring-swapping to the rare rElec artifact ring may prove useful, if you have found such a useful trinket.

* '''Ironbound frosthearts''' also have a point-and-click, this time chocolate ice-cream flavoured. Yes, chocolate is toxic to cats. This is intentional. It drips from the walls, so avoid standing next to them, as was the case for Deep elf elementalists. Thankfully, these have been heavily nerfed since my last FeSu guide, as back then, they were as horrible as Salamander tyrants. You can afford to take a few hits.

* '''Frederick''' CAN ONESHOT YOU THE MOMENT YOU TAKE A SINGLE BREATH IN HIS PRESENCE. If you encounter him alone and wish to take him down, I suggest an immediate Death's Door from full HP, and then an unloading of your entire necromantic artillery on him. It will be enough. There really is no overkill here. If your Death's Door is close to running out and he is still alive, just pop Slimify from your (a)bility menu and oneshot him.

* '''Xtahua''' can also oneshot you, but only if you lack rF+. Even then, have your paw on the Death's Door button at the ready! Slimify if needed.

* '''Mennas''', the "Menace" as some players call him, is practically designed to counter everything you are capable of. Bonus damage against undead, instant Silence to block you from using Death's Door and all other spells, mass confusion on your Death Scarabs so they start hurting each other and potentially you as well, resistance to Slimify from being holy, huge speed, huge melee damage... I've had success with a Scroll of Vulnerability and repeated Anguish, but attempts at battle without a huge swarm to back you up usually result in dead cats faster than you can say "Deus Vult". If you have a wand of quicksilver and his dreaded Silence comes out, you can use it on him for a chance to dispel the Silence!

You can detect Mennas - and sometimes Frederick - through walls by looking for suspiciously yellow tiles, illuminated by their radiant haloes. Don't get trolled by Mennas's lack of See Invisible, his halo will still reveal you, as long as you are standing in it.

* '''Jory''' and '''Boris''' are similar - two undead casters with ridiculously damaging spells, packing an easy twoshot or oneshot if you let them blast you. For maximum disrespect, just Death's Door immediately, walk up, and pwn them with Dispel Undead or Slimify.

* '''Zenata''' is one of the most lethal bosses of the mid-to-late game, brutally decimating around 5% of all players who choose to take her on. Keyword - choose. Many advanced and competitive players leave her alone entirely to polish her army of hasted dancing scimitars instead. You can do so as well, but if seeing coloured pixels moving across your screen sends you into a mindless rage, you can do Death's Door-Slimify at the easiest, or Death's Door-necro-artillery for a more traditional takedown. She won't oneshot you, so you can use a few turns to prep, but once her summons are out and she has started using her point-and-click damage ability, it's time to get down to business and hit that immortality button. Don't even think about Blink-scrolling or whatever away from all those floating knives, they are almost as fast as Death scarabs. Just focus on pwning her.

* '''Nobody''' is not that scary to me, aside from the part where they DARE stomp on the feline fiefdom's trademarks and use extra lives to respawn 3 times, one more than you can hold at a time. Each of their reincarnations has a different kit. Honestly, they are okay to deal with as long as you have a few scarabs to swarm them with (and they aren't ganking you in the middle of a Vaults:5 party). Pay attention to their dialogue lines in the message log, I like them a lot.

* '''Ironbound convokers''' are infamous for their ability to teleport enemies from the floor over to their position a few turns after the flag icon appears on their sprite. This is usually not that bad of a thing, as it's more meat to funnel through your undead creation machine. What you do not want is Mennas suddenly spawning in your face. For this reason, I like to Haunt/Borgnjor's Vile Clutch them with priority.

I suggest not entering Vaults:5. Not even a peek. There is a surprise party down there. You're not invited. Make your way to the Crypts instead.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Splats And Riches Incorporated™ goes where it pleases! Barge into those Vaults:5 goons' private space, that Shining Gem won't pick itself up. Let's do this. And don't go leaving now to get to the Pits beforehand, the "spoils of war" imply a war as a prerequisite!}}

===Squishy Interlude (Slime:5 & Ring/Amulet Selection)===

You might have reached (******) in Jiyva piety, or will soon. When that happens, Ctrl-G your way to Slime:5.

{{flavour|[[File:Jiyva altar.png]] Ecstatic wobbling resounds before all this juicy, delicious loot!}}

Yikes. Well, at least the artifacts will be spared. Try to collect as many useful items as possible, and, of course, the rune.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] And the GEM. If you're tight on turns, forget the loot, get back up to that Lair, NOW!!}}

Speaking of "useful items", your inventory is probably getting full. Here is how I choose my rings, depending on the "Egoes" they possess. These are called "Ego" in-game because they increase your hubris the more OP they are, thus making you splat out of recklessness. '''Bold = Good.'''

* If '''Wiz''' is causing your Death's Door to be more reliable, it's highly valuable.
* '''+X Int''' is never bad.
* '''Resistances''' aren't as useful now that we have a spell to take out Death itself on a nice Sunday movie night hangout. But they are still interesting to dial down oneshots and twoshots - rF+ in particular is pretty good, as this damage type is quite common, and we already have rC+ from our fur. Jiyva gives you rCorr for free.
* +X MP is decent. But Jiyva's mana regeneration is already almost infinite mana. You can do better.
* +X Dex gives EV. But not as much as a +5 EV ring. You have enough EV to go around already. Find better.
* Will+ is not very useful, because cats know nothing of self-doubt. Will-, however, is bad, as it re-introduces all those annoying hexing experiences other species have to deal with. Cancel it out with a Will+ if it's really worth it.
* All the "dangerous" properties like "Drain", "Corrode" can mostly be ignored. "Slow" is a little more dangerous, but acceptable if the bonuses are good. "Bane" is a risk/reward, refer to the [[#Kiku's Troll Carousel (Banes)|banes section]].

And here is how I choose my amulets. '''Bold = Good.'''

* '''RegenMP''' - more mana. More scarabs. More Death's Door. More fun.
* '''Acrobat''' is surprisingly great, as you spend a lot of turns just waiting and moving around. +15 EV is serious business, especially when it comes to surviving an expiring Death's Door.
* '''Reflection''', in a similar vein, blocks some attacks, and can even return some ranged ones to sender.
* '''Wildshape''' is only truly good if you are building your way to a Hive Talisman, Riddle Talisman, Granite Talisman or Dragon-coil Talisman. Don't bother otherwise.
* Alchemy is nice if you can chug a quick sip of Curing to get just enough mana to enter Death's Door. The above ones are better.
* Regeneration is interesting, because it has a lot of chances to tick while you move around your army. But I still think the above ones are better.
* Dissipation is very meh. It's better than nothing for sure, and you will appreciate it the few times it is relevant, but we need to also acknowledge the "rest of the time", which is most of the time you spend in the Dungeon, and we'd rather have RegenMP here.
* Faith is useless. Are you going around using Slimify on everything you see? No, you are not. Do better.
* <s>YASD</s> Guardian Spirit: "Oh no, my beloved feline friend! You took quite the hit there. Good thing I spread it to your mana bar to offset the damage! You now have 5 MP and 30 HP, instead of only 10 HP! What do you mean 'I needed that mana for Death's Door'? You don't need spells to protect yourself. You have me!"

===Emergency Facility Lockdown (Vaults:5)===

Do not come here if you just want to win. You will likely-

''Attention all personnel. A supernatural feline capable of binding souls at its beck and call and of entering invincibility on demand is heading to the maximum security Zone Five. Engage maximum defensive protocols.''

Oh, you already went in. Welp. If you had listened to me, you would have known that drinking Haste and Brilliance before going down is quite smart. You could also have:

* Read a Scroll of Teleportation, then immediately descended.
* Used a Vaults:4 escape hatch, if it spawned, instead of the normal stairs.

I'll stop using past tense and roleplaying, now, because it's getting annoying.

In the former case, you will be met with a horrible ambush screen. It won't last long before you are whisked away to a random location. Some possibilities:

* '''Close to the central death zone''': Troublesome, but at least you probably aren't getting attacked from all angles anymore. You'll want to retreat towards one of the linear hallways, using Anguish, Infestation and Death Channel to collect the ambush guards as your starting army. If things go wrong - which they might - you may have to Death's Door and read a new Teleport scroll.

* '''Close to the outer rim''': This is the best scenario. These hallways are mostly safe and have few enemies, which means more time to regenerate, moving slowly across, recruiting all creatures you come across to roll your growing snowball of undead.

* '''Straight into one of the infested loot vaults''': Rather terrible. You may even have to Death's Door very fast. I've never been oneshotted here, but the moment you are below 60% HP here, you are in kill range. You can try to make a stand and forge an army - especially if you have Haste/Brilliance buffs - but be ready to try a new Teleport scroll.

Once you have established your squad, the rest is much easier. Move across the level, replacing your slain or disappearing undead with fresh new servants. This is a good time to place those Infestation blasts left and right. Do not forget your primary objective: the Shining Gem and the Silver Rune, right on top of each other in one of the four rectangular corner loot vaults.

Once you have secured the gem and rune, immediately make your way to the centre and leave, never to return.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] If you have at least 600 turns remaining on the Vaults' Gem, you can go claim your slimy lootboxes in Slime:5 now. Otherwise, you'll have to clear the Crypts right away, only going to Slime after you have exited the Vaults, never to return!}}

=The Place Where They Invented The Whole Necromancy Thing (Crypts)=

Throughout this run, did you ever wish you could o-tab like the good old Minotaur Berserker days? Boy, do I have the thing for you. Do you have Dispel Undead? If it was available but not memorized yet, do so now. Get that thing on your (Q)uiver, most likely replacing Anguish for now (which isn't that good here).

Now, you can autoexplore with 'o', and blast all these useless corpses in melee range with 'p'. That's right. o-p. And it really is OP.

Animate Dead and Death Channel, however, are almost entirely useless. Infestation is not. It is time to show these rotting husks your entomological collection (and offer them the chance to join it).

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] You should only be here after completing Vaults:5! That Ivory Gem would look great on my Divine Sceptre of Golden Doom, so I especially don't want you to miss it. I suggest another high-speed protocol of going down on safe staircases as soon as possible, because Crypts:3 tends to be a whole ordeal of endless undead armies and tricks and traps designed to entertain those who have too much free time and no job to get done. Which is not you.}}

The spooky ride will begin with a vast assortment of varied undead: most are not dangerous in any way (in fact, the Crypt is pretty much a popcorn factory). However, this is only a trap to lead you to let down your guard when the following arrive to ruin your day:

* '''Revenants''' do many things, but one of them is a giga darkness damage 3x3 "ghostly fireball". Your squad should be resistant to it, but unless you have rN+, you are not. Preferably, don't have less than 2 allies standing between you and them, but you can always do the classic trick of walking up and blasting them with Dispel Undead, with a Death's Door thrown into the mix if needed.

* '''Curse Skulls''' are annoying pests which summon an army of undead and spam torment. That reminds me of a certain someone, isn't that right, Kiku? They think it is funny to hide behind their wall of summons, but you can reach over with Haunt or Borgnjor's Vile Clutch. Or, you know, walk up and blast them. That works too.

* '''Khufu and mummy friends''' have an entomological collection, just like you. They are eager to compare and share their secrets of the trade. Theirs even have emperor scorpions! These terrorize many characters, but you should be able to use their bandages as a scratching post, assuming you can get close enough to blast them with Dispel Undead, or can land your point-and-click Haunt/Borgnjor's Vile Clutch. Watch out, they pack a "death curse" - automatically unleashed when they perish. The only effect which can actually kill you is the semi-common small burst of darkness damage, so keep this in mind if you're dealing the finishing blow while you're almost dead and unprotected.

* '''Vampire bloodprinces''' have multiple extremely OP abilities, but one of them is TURNING YOUR ENTIRE SQUAD OF SCARABS AGAINST YOU! They also spew bat clouds everywhere which put you to sleep (despite the extreme fear you should be feeling right now). These are particularly annoying, because they reduce your Death's Door timer. The key here is to cut line-of-sight, ambush them with Death's Door active, and blast them with Dispel Undead before they even know what hit them. If your army is big enough, you can possibly do enough damage before they have time to get their brainwashing spell in. Treat them with the respect a member of their lineage deserves.

* '''Vv''' is a proud member of the developers' latest OC-do-not-steal species, the Stoneborn. For all her OP point-and-click spells, she didn't have the budget for See Invisible. Drink a Potion of Invisibility or Death's Door if you do not want to get obliterated in milliseconds.

* '''Grunn''' only knows how to move and melee attack, which is laughable. What isn't so funny are his canine companions, which are elite assassins from the dog monarchy sent to stop you. If they place their Howl debuff on you, I recommend a Potion of Cancellation, or else you'll quickly be facing lethal Tartarus endgame enemies that will likely force you to use Death's Door. Willpower is useful to resist this hex, so check the percentage chance, and possibly ring-swap to Will+.

* '''Mennas''' can also spawn here. He is not any easier. Leave him to his prayer beads if you want maximal chances to win - but if you are a Trog worshipper in real life, do what you must. I talked about strategies in the Vaults chapter already.

In Crypt:3, you will find a unique challenge level, with its traps and tricks - nothing too serious compared to what you have just traversed. There is also the entrance to the Tomb. It is the hardest branch in the entire game, filled with all kinds of mummies who will be very happy to bash your hubris into the ground with endless torment spam, then cackle as you respawn in the death trap between their walls only to die again and be met with “Welcome, Idiot. Please select your species.”

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] That is exactly why I order you to go in once you secured that Ivory Gem.}}

=Perfection Can Still Improve (Lategame Skills)=

At this point, you must be at level 24+ Necromancy, which means your Death's Door must be getting under 7% fail rate. Getting to the maximum of level 27 of Necromancy will title your character - for the rest of the run - a "Cat of Death", which is positively awesome. But what next?

Make your choice. Personally, I think that Maxwell's Capacitive Coupling is the option which will give you the highest chance of victory, but it might not be available (Ctrl-F if it's not in your spell library, perhaps it is in a shop somewhere!).

''Note: in all cases which involve more spells, you may have to train more Spellcasting to make room as well. 0.5 Spellcasting = 1 spell slot!''

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Pick anything you want. As long as it accelerates your transition from point A (your current, damp and mud-soaked location) to point B (you, prostrating before me, with all 11 gems deposited before my throne).}}

===More Oneshots (Maxwell's Capacitive Coupling)===

''Requirements: Maxwell's Capacitative Coupling and at least one Intelligence/Wizardry ring or amulet.''

This spell takes a long time to train for, but if you '''turn on nothing but Air Magic''' for the rest of the run, you'll definitely have it ready to power through the (normally difficult) Realm of Zot with almost zero challenge.

You started by fearing the oneshot. Then, you understood the oneshot with Death's Door. Now, it is time to BE the oneshot.

'''[[Maxwell's Capacitive Coupling]]''' (Level 8 Air Magic) literally does infinite damage that ignores all resistances. It will oneshot anything and everything, from a rat to Dispater, Lord of the Iron City of Dis. Unfortunately for your foes, they were not born as fluffy and quadrupedal as you are, and do not have any extra lives. Successfully casting this spell adds a Charge status effect on your sidebar - simply wait (. or s) a few turns, and the ''nearest'' foe will be expunged from reality. If more than one foe are tied in distance, a random one will be chosen.

Why this is broken with this build: it bypasses allies. That means you can simply erect a defensive wall of scarabs/spectres/zombies and bzzap all things trying to work their way through it, all the while Jiyva constantly replenishes your mana for another charge of your pocket defibrillator. Those Orbs of Fire will never see it coming. If you mix this with Death's Door, it becomes impossible that you will ever lose a 1v1 or even 1v3, considering you are invincible and are launching 99999999 true damage after just a couple of turns.

If you're not sure what to do while your army is fighting it out, just start unloading oneshots. Naturally, keep 9 mana for an emergency Death's Door, if in need.

===More Tentacles (Summonings)===

''Requirements: Summon Horrible Things, Sphinx Sisters or Malign Gateway''

Well, you started as a Summoner, so going back to the roots is certainly an option! '''This is extremely strong and will secure the win. Especially Malign Gateway.'''

Both those spells are perfectly achievable if you start training Summonings again, up to '''13 for Malign Gateway/Sphinx Sisters and 20 for Summon Horrible Things'''. You'll also need '''level 15 Translocations in the case of Malign Gateway, or 15 Hexes in the case of Sphinx Sisters'''. I suggest you focus-train Translocations/Hexes, because of the +4 aptitude.

'''[[Malign Gateway]]''' (Level 7 Summonings/Translocations) - You will require some open space (no casting in hallways). The Gateway will initially appear quite a distance away from you, so it is best used to initiate a battle, and not as emergency support. After a few turns, a very long tentacle will slowly protrude out, curious to prod at the world around it. Its little taps do immense damage, probably the highest out of any Summonings spell. There are extremely few creatures in the entire game who can 1v1 a Gateway, for these tentacles are more resistant to elemental damage than a tardigrade. The downside is that the tentacle remains tethered to its portal, and is quite slow - it is therefore good practice to distract a powerful enemy with lesser allies while squiggly doom slowly unrolls behind their back. You can also run towards it, and pass through it diagonally while being pursued by an angry horde. There is only one little twist - the tentacle can rarely become hostile to you once the spell ends. Not a huge deal, honestly, considering its tethered nature makes it very easy to escape should that happen. If you quiver this spell with "Q", you will be able to see on the sidebar when the spell has enough space to be casted (the text will be coloured). '''Maximum Summon Capacity: 1'''.

'''[[Summon Horrible Things]]''' (Level 8 Summonings) - THE meatshield spell. The damage on this is not especially splendid, though tentacled monstrosities can dish out interesting amounts of rib-crushing damage with their constriction ability. However, the real reason you cast this spell is to surround yourself in tanky units that will give you big warm hugs with their mucus-coated appendages. The summoning cap on this is 8, which is just enough to surround your frail and vulnerable body entirely. You may have to cast it twice to ensure you are fully protected, and recast it as the battle progresses once your cuddle-hole starts getting pierced by the barrage of conjurations and sword-slicing. It has a small chance of inflicting a little Doom on every cast, but it is quickly cleansed by accumulating a little bit of experience, and is mostly only for thematic effect... mostly. Try to avoid using eldritch horror summoning as your way of saying hello to every soul you encounter in the dungeons. Most Banes are not so bad, as we [[#Kiku's Troll Carousel (Banes)|discussed earlier]], but if you get Dilettante or Multiplicity at this stage of the game, you will not enjoy it. Say, do you know what is worse than an Orb of Fire? That's right, 4 Orbs of Fire! '''Maximum Summon Capacity: 8'''.

'''[[Sphinx Sisters]]''' (Level 7 Summonings/Hexes) - They have an endless array of hypnosis techniques and dastardly Hexes. But, at this point of the game, landing them on the creatures which actually matter will be a fool's errand. What we actually care about is the "airstrike melee", where the "marauder" variant of these fellow half-felid half-humanoids (hmph. They can get a pass!) will devastate the opposition as long as it is standing in a tile surrounded in empty space! They will still occasionally "vex" draconians with their terrible jokes, and make them attack everything around them, which is particularly welcome considering they are quite the social butterfly type.

===More Acrobatics (Translocations)===

''Requirements: Vhi's Electric Charge, Passage of Golubria, Dispersal, and/or Disjunction''

You'll need refinement and taste to appreciate this one. Get '''Translocations trained up to 2 times the highest level spell you wish to use'''. For example, Dispersal, level 6, would require 12 Translocations. Proper mastery of these abilities certainly won't result in more kills, but they might very well win you the game.

'''[[Vhi's Electric Charge]]''' (Level 4 Translocations/Air Magic) is known for its electrical attack, which is barely a tickle in your case. We do not care. What ''is'' important is that it blinks you with complete precision to any foe up to 4 spaces away, randomly repositioning anyone in the way to make space. This allows you to jump from foe-to-foe as if they were points to swing a grappling hook around! In Death's Door, you need not fear any of their attacks, and can move with utmost feline grace through the most packed of crowds.

'''[[Passage of Golubria]]''' (Level 4 Translocations) is a fantastic companion spell to Blink which places portals like a certain Valve video game. Simply choose a location to summon a portal nearby, with a 2 tile radius of error - the other one will appear nearby your position. Walking on top of one portal will immediately blink you to the next. You may find it highly useful when it comes to reaching a certain location on the screen quickly without having to use Scrolls of Blinking!

'''[[Dispersal]]''' (Level 6 Translocations) isn't hard to understand. It makes those close to you blink far away from you. It will test their Willpower - those who resist the enchantment will only hop a short distance, but those who do not might get pulled screaming across the entire level dozens of tiles away. This could very well change everything in Zot:5 when it's time to grab that well defended Orb!

'''[[Gell's Gavotte]]''' (Level 6 Translocations) is a bit annoying, because it hits your allies. However, at the end of the day, it's a reusable dash that also deals tons of damage to the entire screen. You can rotate the direction to highlight in yellow which enemies will strike a wall and be damaged, but most of the time, with this build, I prefer its defensive uses. Use the Force! Or, sans undertale. Whatever lame reference you want to imagine when you are waving the Klowns around with your little claw.

'''[[Disjunction]]''' (Level 8 Translocations) is extremely similar to Dispersal. The difference - it always does the weak effect, but constantly does it every turn, for at least 6 turns. Having this and Death's Door on at the same time is hilarious - you can just start casually walking at any point on the screen and absolutely nothing will be able to stop or block you. You can pop a potion of Haste and walk through the Zot:5 death trap chambers like you own the place.

===More Brainwashing (Discord + Hexes)===

''Requirements: Discord.''

'''WARNING:''' Onei will not be held responsible for any splats ensuing use of this technology. By proceeding, you acknowledge that using this spell is just as effective as it is dangerous.

'''[[Discord]]''' (Level 8 Hexes) is, like Anguish, a mass-hex. This time, however, if Willpower is beaten, the affected will be given Might-Haste. That’s +50% action speed and +50% melee damage all in one.

Not so promising, now is it? Where it gets fun: the affected will also now be attacking the creature closest to them regardless of their old faction.

Where this gets hilarious is that THIS ALSO AFFECTS ALLIES (but not spectres and zombies). How much damage does a Might-Hasted Phantasmal Warrior do per turn, you may wonder? Around up to 87 PER TURN.

Haunt + Discord is a particularly insane combo, as the moment they spawn in, they are already very close to the target you wish to annihilate. Once their business is done and they turn against you, they will evaporate out of reality before they can land a single hit. I have slain Cerebov using nothing but this synergy.

Obviously, do not cast this when your Death Scarabs are not currently in combat and are next to you, you will get POPPED. However, if even a couple of scarabs/Haunt summons are currently attacking some Orb of Fire or any highly dangerous foe, expect it to disappear from your screen. Are you being assaulted by your former allies? Death’s Door, Dispel Undead. The frenzy status will expire after a few turns anyhow.

Finally, you may also enjoy the ACTUAL intended purpose of the spell, which is causing mayhem among hordes of enemies. Those draconians in Zot become quite fearsome when unleashing light speed kung fu on all those disgustingly OP Protean Progenitors and the like...

Discord violates the golden rule of ally-fighting and can get kills out of line of sight. You can have your squad engage, drop Discord and immediately leave. Enjoy the waterfall of experience. Dispersal can teleport the might hasted scarabs across the map and literally obliterate uniques without you ever seeing them (this is not really reliable, it's just really funny).

If you are scared of this spell backfiring, consider [[Yara's Violent Unravelling]] (Level 5 Alchemy/Hexes), which will remove the frenzy status effects on the draconian monks rushing to annihilate you.

Discord is quite easy to get online with your +4 Hexes aptitude. With the leftover experience, if you wish to go all in on Hexes, you can do one of the following:

- Get more Spellcasting (and therefore spell slots), and get the Summonings/Hexes spell '''Sphinx Sisters'''. It is explained [[#More Tentacles (Summonings)|right here]].
- With a Riddle Talisman, train Shapeshifting to level 17 (Painful! An amulet of Wildshape helps a lot here.) and enter Sphinx Form. This will increase the Hex chance of Discord and Anguish, make both of these into devastating psychic powerhouses for even late game foes. You can even get other Hexes, such as the normally pitiful level 3 Tukima's Dance, and make draconians/Killer Klowns lose their OP weapons. You can enter Sphinx Form a little earlier than level 17 Shapeshifting due to its HP bonus cancelling out the HP penalty - inspect the Riddle Talisman to monitor your progress.

===More O + TAB (Dragoncoil Talisman)===

What's that? You lust to return to your Minotaur Berserker days? I'll keep this section short, since you clearly don't have the attention span required to read much more of this nonsensically long guide.

Dragon-coil talisman. (Ctrl-F for it, you may have missed it!) Level 17 Shapeshifting. (You can transform at level 14 due to the big HP bonus). After that, Level 20 Unarmed Combat. O + TAB. You are now a Felid "meleedude" with fat stacks of resistances, and you still have your Death's Door. Enjoy.

Don't forget to use your breath weapon in the "a" menu (it is very strong against anything, but you can only use it every 12 kills or so) and to use at least SOME of your magical background, such as Infestation or Rimeblight. And Death's Door, of course. But you won't forget about that one.

The Granite talisman is an option too, of course, but I personally do not like it with this build. Why? Permanent slowness = -33% Death's Door duration. Remember, acolyte: AC is an illusion.

=I Thought Cats Were Sacred In Egypt (Tomb)=

'''WARNING''': This place has a high chance of murdering you. I know it has been like that the entire game, but especially this place. You will get nothing out of it beyond glory and pride. Skip to the next chapter if you prefer to maximize your chances of actually winning the run. I will say that the first floor (Tomb:1) is pretty much on the same difficulty level as the Crypts, so you can certainly clear it if, say, you want a little more XP to get an extra life back.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] "Waaa, danger, danger, die die death splat oneshotted OP OP die!" Am I imitating Onei correctly? Yeah, don't listen to that fool, get in that Tomb and bring me that Sanguine Gem! It will be fine. Most likely.}}

Preparations? Dispel Undead is a huge help, if you do not have it already. If it is not available, Borgnjor's Vile Clutch and a bunch of Immolation Scrolls can suffice. If you get sent to the Entomological Museum (Tomb:1 Secret) due to bad luck, Vhi's Electric Charge can help a lot.

You'll also want a Scroll of Revelation. And as many Scrolls of Teleportation as you can get. And if you ever get netted in this place, you'll probably want to use the basic Blink spell.

===Too Bad Cats Can't Wear Hats And Wield A Whip (Tomb:1)===

The beginning is extremely easy. Reach the entrance of the temple - walk vertically, then horizontally. You'll know you found the entrance when you see a herd of Sphinxes, while should perish extremely easily to the horde you will have accumulated when you get there. Indeed, the side alleys are full of popcorn, but it is CRITICAL that you spam Infestation on everything you see so that you don't arrive empty-pawed when the real threats start pouring out.

I suggest recruiting the Sphinxes for good measure with Animate Dead and Death Channel.

Rush inside the temple and annihilate all mummies on sight with your huge army. They'll never see it coming. Unfortunately, they will constantly pelt you with "death curses" every time one of the dangerous ones perishes, which is bound to cut away at your HP. If you're getting low, take a few steps back, let Jiyva pump some juice back in your veins, and return to the fray. Your Death's Door button is accessible in case of an emergency.

I will address the users of a Hive talisman here, who probably have stayed with Kikubaaqudgha: this is the only place in the game where your curse resistance passive is actually relevant. This branch will be MUCH easier with it. I will continue writing assuming you are with Jiyva, and therefore, not experiencing Tomb on tutorial mode.

You'll want to locate the downstairs inside the temple as soon as possible, located in one of the spiral shaped hallways. I suggest drinking a Potion of Haste and reading a Scroll of Teleportation before going down. I know it's never a good sign when I say this.

===Surprise Torment Tea Party (Tomb:2)===

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Wow. That's, uh, a lot of mummies.}}

Welcome to Vaults:5 redux. Just like last time, we have little incentive for pleasantries. Read a Scroll of Revelation. Inspect your surroundings: there is an upstairs nearby, leading back to Tomb:1's temple.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Ha. Designed for safety, escape and retreat. No time for such things.}}

Indeed. Now, read a Scroll of Noise to pull all the mummies to the centre (NOT if the Teleport somehow already triggered). The Teleport should kick off at any instant now, leading you to:

* '''Somewhere in the main central ambush chamber''': Yikes. At least it's no longer in that death trap centre. My suggestion: if you see a door nearby, try to make your way to it to no longer be out in the open. The side chambers contain some goons, but it's a good start to build your Infestation army in a relatively safe location. If there is no door, consider another Teleport, or if there are some packed Death Scarabs or weak mummies, try to start your Infestation army there with Dispel Undead/Anguish/Vile Clutch/Haunt/All of the above.

* '''In one of the outer rim chambers THAT HAS A DOOR TO CONNECT TO THE MAIN ROOM''': Not bad. Dispose of the goons there after Infesting them, and build your army.

* '''In one of the outer rim chambers WITH NO CONNECTION TO THE MAIN ROOM''': This is ideal. We just saved a ton of time. Unfortunately, there are probably some very angry mummies here. Make your last stand, use your consumables - you should do anything to survive, for this is a highly lucky Teleport, and dying will probably pluck you out of it as you respawn. If you can secure the perimeter and reveal the two down-hatches to Tomb:3, proceed to the Grand Pharaoh Showdown below.

Keep your paw on Death's Door if the royal mummies' collection of Smite and Torment drags you into kill range (one Smite can deal up to 17 damage. We can't afford to get over-protective, but if adding the number of royal mummies and mummy priests on screen and multiplying that by 5 is bigger than your current HP, it's time to slam that Death's Door!)

After your army has consumed Tomb:2, you have some options. Each Teleport scroll is a gamble that could bring you to the previously mentioned unconnected outer rim. This would save a ton of time, and also skip the most dangerous part of Tomb for this build. But I would not use every single one if I were you. You'll want to keep some for the next levels!

If you succeed, clear the outer rim chambers (re-read the relevant bullet point), and proceed to the Grand Pharaoh Showdown.

If you're done gambling and haven't succeeded, it's time for...

===The Entomological Museum (Tomb:1 Secret)===

Use the upstairs located in the connected outer rim chamber. NOT the one in the main chamber, which leads to the very start - a huge waste of time.

You'll arrive in a narrow corridor. If you're unlucky, there's probably tons of OP mummies already pwning your health bar.

It's not that complicated. Death's Door. If there's only one or two mummies, walk up and blast them with Dispel Undead in utter disrespect of their dozens of unlived centuries. Don't have it? Haunt and Vile Clutch together get the work done. Maybe you can even sneak in an Infestation in there to get a scarab friend to assist your next encounter.

Is the entomological collection getting unloaded without you ever asking? These Egyptian tourist trap tour guides sure are getting insistent. Give them a piece of your mind with Vhi's Electric Charge, if you have it, which will instantly pull you into melee range of them. The simple Blink spell can also, with some luck, reposition you on the other side of the corridor. If the collection is made up of Scarabs, you can Dispel-blast them as well.

Tons of critters? Tons of mummies? Tons of red squares? Immolation scroll. Get one thing to die and cover the whole place in flames. Try to ensure all of these creepy-crawlies and their masters drown in holy fire before your Death's Door expires.

Desperate? In melee range but these mummies are just refusing to die? Slimify. Jiyva won't like it if you take every single one out using this ability, but it's absolutely worth it 1-3 times.

Make your way to the end of the corridor, not hesitating to rest a little bit between each encounter. This will take time, but it is a good investment of your time. Dying here is terrible, as it means you'll have to go to Tomb:2, then back to Tomb:1's secret room... Getting the Sanguine Gem is still possible if you die once (or need to use a Teleportation scroll).

After you take the new downstairs, you'll find yourself in that disconnected outer rim we were trying so hard to reach with Teleport scrolls.

===Grand Pharaoh Showdown (Tomb:3)===

Before descending, Haste and Brilliance, if available.

Having around 600 turns left here should be comfortable enough. If there's less, you'll have to hurry.

You'll instantly get dropped into a mildly claustrophobic hallway of relatively safe appearance. Do not be fooled. THE MUMMIES ARE COMING.

The first arrivals will no doubt be an entire plague of scarabs. These are a glorious sight, because if we can decimate them, we'll get an awesome army with Infestation.

A death scarab bursts from the death scarab!

Meta. Anyhow, they are extremely weak to Anguish, so casting that once there are a lot on the screen (and a few have been popped through any means of your choice - Dispel Undead is excellent) will prove useful.

For a time, you should get an awesome army pwning everything. It's only a matter of time until some pricks come in to ruin the fun. Once you are forced to Death's Door, your next priority should be making your way to the doors on the side, which lead to treasure chambers - and, more importantly, an upstairs.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] What? Safety? Retreat? But what about the GEM?}}

Don't worry, this one doesn't lead very far. You can absolutely afford to rest to full health back in the safety of Tomb:2's outer rim, unless you wasted time in the upper levels. Once you descend again, the horde will have been thinned down significantly, and each subsequent attempt will be easier. When things seem manageable enough, make your way to the back of Tomb:3, where you'll find the Sanguine Gem and the Golden Rune!

Got at least 200 turns? You can check a bit of the loot out. The most important thing here is the '''Ziggurat Figurine'''. E(V)oking it will instantly place a portal to a pocket dimension at our paws. This is astounding, for it is effectively a free Death's Door reset. Creatures won't even pursue you through it. You'll find one or two hostile critters in the pocket dimension, but they are most often easily disposed of, or, at the very least, far enough to afford you a Death's Door recast. It is a one-time-use. Make it count. And EXIT through the blue portal after using it, do NOT start going down multiple levels of Zig where your inevitable doom and descent into madness awaits.

=Blizzards and Brimstone (Depths)=

Before proceeding any further, pay your respects to the many Felids which have died in this place. Everywhere you move, everywhere you breathe, it's either "dodge and nothing happens" or "a third of your HP bar is gone". It's a tough world for the 3 AC kitties out there. One could wish they were as fortunate as you to have a miracle button to turn the tide in the most crucial of moments.

By the way, if you don't have at minimum 15 casts of Death's Door by the end of this run, you '''aren't pressing it hard enough'''. Haven't been using it much? Don't worry, this place will change that.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] The time limit in this place is one of the most generous, unlike the absolute caffeine-powered mummy fiesta I just had you traverse. This is still no time to try me and present the slightest possibility you may break one of MY precious gems. Explore no more than half of each floor, and collect that Midnight Gem on Depths:4, on top of the Zot gate!}}

* '''Fire and Frost giants''' can easily be found in close proximity to one another, quickly pushing you from one end of the temperature spectrum to the other. As you didn't consent to being brought to a nordic spa today, resisting the right element will help tremendously.

* '''Deep troll earth mages''' have the "remote wall detonation" point-and-click ability you were amused by back in the Elven Halls. Do not stand next to walls. They can even dig shafts through the aforementioned walls to reach you faster. They will not hesitate to Minecraft you to death.

* '''Juggernauts''' can only o-tab, but will likely oneshot you the moment their mass collides with your minuscule furry body. Make them plow through some undead to keep your distance.

* '''Golden dragons''' and '''Spriggan air mages''' and '''Spriggan berserkers''' and '''Sojobo''' and '''Tengu reavers''' and '''Crystal tomes''' and '''Liches''' and '''Titans''' and '''Caustic shrikes''' and '''Josephina''' and '''Spark wasps''' can-

Look, it's not that complicated. They just do 4 gazillion damage through their own ways - sometimes melee, sometimes point-and-click, sometimes in ranged piercing bolt form. At this point, we don't really care anymore. Trust me when I say I have '''never once been oneshotted in Depths'''. Twoshotted, perhaps. A juggernaut can oneshot, but they are easy to keep away if you use your spells. At any point you have less than 50% HP and the screen looks scary, just pop your Death's Door and unload the heavy artillery. Read a scroll of Teleportation, use stairs or Passwall if you feel uncomfortable. Standing at the edge of survival and oblivion is what this build is all about.

The worst of these are still just as dangerous in undead servant form, so assembling any kind of spectral/zombie army will mow down most things here with ease. You pretty much just need to sit back, keep the Infestation and Death Channel coming, Haunting the unruly ones laughing in the back, and potentially Vile Clutching the angry melee o-tabbers rushing to your location.

You were never the fighter in any of this. You are the manager.

You don't need me to tell you that gates named "Hell", "Abyss" or "Pandemonium" do not lead to good places to be in. I imagine the names were enough of a deterrent on their own.

'''About the Ziggurat:''' If you are currently not level 27 yet and you are lacking in the 'Extra Lives' department, consider taking a peek. Should you succeed in clearing the first 8 floors (do NOT go further down, you absolute gambling addict), you may get a potion of Experience or two, which count towards restoring your lives if you are below level 27!

=Worst Disco Ever (Realm of Zot)=

I mean. You have invincibility on demand. Practically infinite mana. Point-and-click abilities with irresistible debuffs. Surely there can't be any challenge left at this point.

Ha. You wish.

First, consider the Orb type (it is listed in the Ctrl+O menu).

- '''Orbs of Fire:''' rF+ is highly valuable here. Consider equipping it. Break line of sight with your numerous allies (mostly Haunt) to avoid growing horrible genetic diseases. These are the worse ones to face in my opinion.
- '''Orbs of Winter:''' You should already have your rC+ from your fuzzy cuteness, but you can improve it a little more if it doesn't destroy your wizardly prowess. Their Ozocubu's Refrigeration deals less damage if you are adjacent to allies. The key here is to avoid standing 3 spaces away or less from an Orb of Winter, which can slowly drain the piety of your current god. It's not so bad than most characters, but if you go below 5* of Jiyva piety, you will lose half of your regeneration bonus (it is thankfully quickly regained). Those who stayed with Kikubaaqudgha can appreciate knowing they will lose almost nothing from this, except their Torment protection.
- '''Orbs of Entropy:''' You will probably want rN+, but Jiyva shields you from their scariest acidic attacks (those who stayed with Kikubaaqudgha are not so fortunate). Just like the Orbs of Fire, a clear line of fire will allow them to inflict Doom on you, which can be accepted a few times. Even if you let it exceed the threshold, you will most likely be fine... unless you land on a brutal Multiplicity Bane that starts duplicating the Orbs of Entropy and giving you every other Bane in the game. Be cautious.

This is your '''final boss battle'''. It will prove highly difficult. Remember: '''you win by getting that Orb and bringing it back''', NOT by murdering everything you see. You will find killing things difficult, for they have tons of resistances and tricks against your toolkit. What they don't have, however, is a way to break through your literal immortality button. Not even purple draconian breath (which usually removes all status effects) can disable it.

You can simply ignore these ruffians. Let them sit and sulk in their little fortress of doom. You want to attack those separating you from the stairwells, NOT the random, unimportant gangs prowling about the outskirts of each floor. In an emergency, little stops you from entering Death's Door and simply walking to a staircase to use it while getting blasted by 100+ damage per turn from Orbs of fire and Draconians desperate for your attention. Even the dreaded Malmutate has a hard time piercing through the wall of Jiyva mutations.

Allow me to make some suggestions to refine your spell loadout.

Can be forgotten with Scrolls of Amnesia (only if you need slots):

* '''Anguish''' is dropping in usefulness. It curses draconians reliably, but that's about it. You can probably do better.
* '''Animate Dead''' is decent when used on draconians and orb guardians. But you could just make scarabs instead with Infestation. It's chaff at this point.
* '''Any Summonings spell of level 5 or less''' barely does anything at this point. Take the trash out. Summon Forest is still kind of okay, I guess.

You should prioritize getting the spells [[#Perfection Can Still Improve (Lategame Skills)|in the chapter "Perfection Can Still Improve"]]. If you have slots left, here are some spell
ideas to top off your pilgrimage:

* '''Passwall''', if you haven't gotten it already, allows you to simply escape through the wall while your Death's Door immortality crushes any hope of stopping you.
* '''Apportation''', taking only one measly spell slot, can yoink floor items to your position. In this particular situation, you may be interested in pulling the Orb of Zot to your location, instead of having to drag yourself to it through a horde of angry orb guardians. Note that there is a 33% chance this will fail (simply recast the spell).
{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Not to mention it will get that Prismatic Gem into your paws without you having to move a muscle.}}
* '''Borgnjor's Revivification''', normally mediocre on Felids, refills ''your entire health bar'' but permanently reduces its maximum capacity. We care little about petty things like "health" anymore. This can be extremely useful to survive until Death's Door goes off cooldown - but watch out! Casting this spell while Death's Door is active is basically "an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object" and will dispel Death's Door immediately, paralyzing you on top for 2-7 turns. This can still be useful if you are strategic about it.

Let's go. At this point, Gems or no Gems, there is absolutely no reason to full clear, go sightseeing or anything of the sort. This place drips pure YASD and developer sadism from every wall. Whenever you find a normal (non-hatch) staircase, you should consider using it right after clearing the foes around it. Use all your remaining Scrolls of Revelation to help locate your destinations.

Just like Depths, everything here just does fat damage and will have you reach for the Death's Door button. What you should actually be worried about are the weavers of more subtle schemes:

* Not a creature, but Scrolls of Teleportation will take a very long time (8-14 turns) to finally work here. Still, it's less time than a whole Death's Door, a piece of information which should be of particular interest to you.
* Scrolls of blinking also come with a "fuzz" effect that makes their target have a margin of error. To be noted in case you were being deceived by a false sense of security.
* '''Curse toes''' (?) have the ability to summon living mushrooms around you (??) which deal point-and-click damage in addition to the torment oozing every so often from the curse toe (???). Don't try to understand, just walk up and blast them with Dispel Undead.
* '''Death cobs''' (????) are very hard to differentiate from your death scarabs, in that they move fast, apply a slow debuff on hit and deal big damage, and even share one word in their name. Delete these cheap reskins with more Dispel Undead.
* '''Purple draconians''' & '''Quicksilver dragons''' (finally, some common sense) can remove all status effects should their breath strike you. All, truly? Ha! Nothing can pierce through immortality itself. While Death's Door is immune, losing your Death Channel and having all your spectres instantly disappear is something you should be expecting. You might also lose the Tele status from an in-progress teleportation scroll.
* '''Orbs of fire/winter/entropy'''. You know these guys. The appropriate resistance will help prevent a oneshot, but simply Death's Door the moment you are below 50% HP and one is in sight with not too much backup. Don't even bother trying to survive the normal way, we have no time to bend around developer sadism incarnate. Maxwell's Capacitive Coupling, Malign Gateway or Haunt + Discord are the ultimate answers to these ones.
* '''Killer Klowns''' are over-complicated with their wildly unpredictable effects - and this is coming from me, who has written a 30k word guide filled with unnecessary information. If you want to read their page on this wiki, it's [[Killer Klown|right here]]. The Silence and the Fragile debuffs are to fear most, for they block off your only salvation in this place - Death's Door (either through preventing you from casting spells or making you get oneshotted before you can actually use it). A Potion of cancellation should assist you in removing such effects. No, it won't cancel Death's Door. It's an immovable object.

In Zot:5, you'll find the entire troupe of this carnival of doom, nicely packed inside the "Zot lungs". They are horribly infected with blazing fire and pure evil. Time to do a surgical extraction.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] The Primastic Gem is in the first accessible chamber, NOT on top of the Orb! The writer of this guide learned that the hard way. Now THAT was hilarious.}}

You can try to slowly make your way across. You should actually be happy about the Orb Guardians in the first chamber, because they will be easily deleted by your assortment of spells and will generate a potent starting army. Direct it inside the next chamber to the left or right (choose the one with the least nasty traps, also known as ANYTHING BUT NETS and hopefully not dispersal. Even Zot traps are better. Teleport traps are actually a positive.)

Make your way across: Infestation, Haunt, any endgame spells you may have acquired. Take it slow, retreat and funnel through the chamber chokepoints if they are not trapped. Don't tarry too long, as the Tesseracts are slowly respawning the forces as you are taking them out, but you should eventually be able to reach them and destroy them. They are located behind the central horizontal wall of the lungs, which spans both sides of the chambers.

* If you have Malign Gateway, try to lure creatures towards the first chamber - and into the loving embrace of the tentacle you have conveniently parked there.
* If you have Maxwell's Capacitive Coupling, constantly unload electrical discharges from behind your wall of servitors.

Hopelessly outmatched? Had to pop Death's Door? Consider your situation:

By default, you'll probably want to read a scroll of Teleportation (it will take much longer to kick in than usual, but it will still be shorter than Death's Door) and start moving towards a Teleport Trap on the floor. If it moves you to a safe location, '''cancel''' your Tele status by reading ''another'' scroll of Teleportation. This is designed to ensure you have multiple chances to get to safety. If the Trap sends you back into a No-Cat's-Land, find a new Trap, or let the scroll kick in. Watch out for purple draconians/quicksilver dragons, which can remove your Tele status.

Have you managed to get some distance away from the first chamber, towards the Orb, and still have at least one extra life? It might be time to risk it all. Use your Translocations spells, use your Blinking Scrolls. Use your Haste potions, use ANYTHING to GET THAT ORB. Apportation will reduce the distance you must travel to an even greater degree. I am also thoroughly amused by Vhi's Electric Charge for letting you hop from OP dude to OP dude, making the most out of your Death's Door turns. If you looted the Tomb earlier and still have a figurine of a Ziggurat, NOW IS THE TIME TO USE IT. Well, once your Death's Door is going gray and you need to refresh it. Nothing will follow you inside!

This isn't as hard as it seems. Death's Door, especially Hasted, is plenty of time to seize that Orb without spilling blood. Except perhaps your own.

You don't have to do it this way, though. Adjust your strategy towards fight or flight depending on the severity of the threats inside the Zot Lungs.

Once that Orb is secured...

=Interdimensional SWAT Team (Orb Run)=

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Ha. Ha ha. Hilarious, truly. I still have hope for your imminent demise. I mean, that Onei guy you've been following the advice of literally lost one of his FeSu attempts at this very moment. Point and laugh. Not too much, because I'm about to do the same to you when you splat.}}

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Positively splendid! Your final task is to bring these gems to me, NOW! If you left the Starry Gem in the Slime Pits, now is the time! All that matters is your survival. Failing that will result in a disciplinary mention placed in your employee file, followed by you being devoured and digested by whichever horrible demon got to sink its claws into your scruff.}}

{{flavour|[[File:Jiyva altar.png]] A chorus of breathless jiggling and squishes envelops you from all cardinal directions, supporting your imminent victory with the long vanished voices of the dissolved and the slimified.}}

The Lords of Pandemonium are not amused!

All of Heaven and Hell are currently mobilizing their troops to arrive at your location. It is time to LEAVE. From Zot:5, walk or blink into the nearest Teleport trap for an instant warp which will no doubt be closer to your destination: the upstairs.

To auto-calculate the shortest path, you can press Ctrl-G, and write “D0”. This will automatically bring you towards victory, stopping you as soon as a threat appears.

Fighting is foolish. Make a run for the stairs, with zero regards for your consumables. Use them ALL. Use potions of haste on an empty floor just because you like the taste. Blink-scroll to a staircase at full health if something weird just spawned next to you.

Every single time a Pandemonium Lord appears, inspect them; some are utter pushovers, and some are terrifying angels of death with rocket-boots and a burning desire to squash your hopes as they are about to be materialized. In my personal opinion, the ones that don’t have any spells in their set are always the worst. I fear a lot less the demon who has mastered Bolt of Cold than that which has mastered Fist in Your Face. Rarely, a Pandemonium Lord may have Glaciate, in which case you should be very, very scared. Escape out of their sight imminently, or get as much rC+ as you can (potions of Resistance help) if that is impossible. Being hit by Glaciate once means you must immediately Death's Door. I have thankfully never been oneshotted by a Lord (but it is mathematically possible).

Exploit your wand of Digging or Passwall, if you have them, to speed things up.

Eventually, the outside world will finally return to your sight. Feel free to inject all possible potions and toxins you possess into your bloodstream, or try to stack as many status effects as possible before leaving, as is tradition. You did it! Do not forget to try cleansing your bad mutations as you ascend, as it would a shame to be an immortal demigod-cat with a few extra limbs and a cancerous tumour.

{{flavour|[[File:Jiyva altar.png]] Jiyva gurgles gently, savouring the serenity past the chaos.}}

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Wow. You actually just took my spells, ignored everything else I provided you, and proceeded to win the game using my stolen gifts. My "Evil God" title should arrive to you in the mail any second now.}}

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Not bad. Not bad at all, esteemed feline employee! A role in middle management seems perfect for you. While I sort out the paperwork, feel free to type "!gemmed" in the spectator chat of an online DCSS game with a bot spectator (beem) or in the #bot-commands channel of the Roguelikes Discord server to see your name mixed alongside my finest subordinates. Assuming you did the job right and brought all 11 gems intact, that is.}}

When you start your next game, die to a 3-floor shaft into a hornet, be demolished with zero counterplay, and go do something more productive than putting .pngs on a grid close to each other until one of them disappears.

If you'd like to send me a message (for example, to blame me for making your promising level 14 character get 2 shotted 3 times in a row in Slime:2), do not hesitate to contact "oneirical" on both Reddit and Discord.

=Addendum: From Lackey to Supervillain (Character Building)=

For convenience, I will gather all skilling targets and the spell memorization order in this section. Feel free to return here as you need for quick reference!

===Velvet-Pawed Pilgrimage (Branch Order)===

* Clear each floor of the '''Dungeon''' until you find an altar to Kikubaaqudgha. Do not go further down than D:12!
* Then, immediately enter the '''Lair''', on D:8-D:11.
* After Lair:5, enter the '''Orcish Mines''' and clear both floors. Once again, do not clear any levels further down than D:12! You can skip the Mines for now if you already have Forbidden Knowledge (******), coming back after the Slime Pits raid.
* At this point, you should have acquired the final Kiku Forbidden Knowledge gift. If not, start clearing the first S-Branch until it is secured.
* If you have Animate Dead and/or Death Channel, go raid the '''Slime Pits'''. If not, start clearing the first S-Branch until Infestation is castable, then go to the Pits.
* After raiding the Pits, choose to either convert to Jiyva and go clear '''Dungeon 12 to 15''' to rank up Jiyva and start your progress towards mollifying Kiku, or keep your Hive talisman close while you slay the Royal Jelly and Jiyva for good.
* Clear both '''S-Branches'''. Grab the Slimy Rune from the Pits afterwards, if you have not already done so.
* Optionally clear the '''Elven Halls''', then go beat the '''Vaults:1-4'''. Avoid Vaults:5.
* Optionally clear the '''Crypts'''.
* Clear the '''Depths'''.
* Dive down the '''Realm of Zot''', get that Orb, return to Dungeon:1, and win the game!

===Your Propaganda Arsenal (Spells)===

Throughout this run, you will be encouraged to memorize, in this order, and approximately at these points of the game:

(Note: the "LV" numbers are how many spell slots you need for each spell, not your XP level. As for the locations on the right, you should be able to cast these spells somewhere around reaching these places.)

* LV 1 - '''Summon Small Mammal''' (D:1)
* LV 2 - Call Imp (optional - Necromancy is very tight on spell slots and Scrolls of Amnesia are precious, but this spell helps prevent early splats) (D:1)
* LV 3 - '''Call Canine Familiar''' (D:2)
* LV 3 - '''Eringya's Surprising Crocodile''' (D:2-D:4)
* LV 4 - '''Summon Seismosaurus Egg''' (D:4-D:7)
* LV 4 - '''Anguish''' (D:6-Lair:2) ''(Not guaranteed!)''
* LV 4 - '''Animate Dead''' (D:5-Lair:2) ''(Not guaranteed!)''
* LV 6 - '''Death Channel''' (Lair:3-Orc:2) ''(Not guaranteed!)''
* LV 7 - '''Haunt''' (Orc:2-Slime Pits Raid)
* LV 8 - '''Infestation''' (Slime Pits Raid-First SBranch:3)
* LV 9 - '''Death's Door''' (Second SBranch:2-Elf:2)

As marked on the list by "Not guaranteed!", Kiku's delivery service can be a little bit... lacking at times.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Running a forbidden knowledge book printing business isn't easy. I'd like to see '''you''' explain to your publisher why blood sacrifices are essential to have in "Fun Necromantic Activities for Children"!}}

Also useful, at any point, sorted from most to least useful:

* LV 2 - '''Blink'''
* LV 7 - '''Rimeblight'''
* LV 4 - '''Dispel Undead'''
* LV 5 - '''Borgnjor's Vile Clutch'''
* LV 3 - '''Passwall''' ''(Mostly meant as a companion to Death's Door.)''
* LV 4 - '''Martyr's Knell'''

The Wildeness Trinity, as replacement for missing core necromantic spells:

* LV 5 - '''Summon Mana Viper'''
* LV 5 - '''Summon Forest'''
* LV 6 - '''Summon Cactus Giant'''

Endgame spells, in no particular order, to raid the Realm of Zot:

* LV 7 - '''Malign Gateway'''
* LV 7 - '''Sphinx Sisters'''
* LV 8 - '''Summon Horrible Things'''
* LV 8 - '''Maxwell's Capacitive Coupling'''
* LV 8 - '''Discord'''
* LV 4 - '''Passage of Golubria'''
* LV 4 - '''Vhi's Electric Charge'''
* LV 6 - '''Dispersal'''
* LV 8 - '''Disjunction'''
* LV 6 - '''Gell's Gavotte'''
* LV 1 - '''Apportation'''
* LV 8 - '''Borgnjor's Revivification'''

Check your "M"emorization screen every so often. Ctrl-F to see if you missed any books in shops or in rune door vaults. Whenever you have the spell slots required to memorize the next spell, do so immediately and, if it has an entry in the section below, adjust your skills appropriately.

Skip to the next entry on the list if you are incapable of finding a spell anywhere in your game. As soon as you find a missing spell, however, you should add it to your repertoire as soon as possible to catch up. I strongly encourage you to cast every single one of these fantastic incantations at least once in your game!

===Studying the Dark Arts (Skills & Training Targets)===

As soon as you '''start your run''', train these skills and set them to these targets, with the "=" button:

* '''Spellcasting: 11'''
* '''Summonings: 11'''
* '''Turn off Stealth and Dodging.'''

Upon finding an interesting wand or evokable:

* '''Evocations: 5'''

After '''Summon Seismosaurus Egg''' has been memorized, complement it with this:

* '''Earth Magic: 5 (focused)'''

Once your entire starting kit of spells is castable, start learning how to die less:

* '''Fighting: 10'''
* '''Dodging: 12'''
* '''Stealth: 10'''

'''(OPTIONAL)''' - '''Blink''' will never not be useful, and can come along at any point in your run:

* '''Translocations: 5'''

If you find '''Animate Dead''', your necromantic journey can truly begin.

* '''Necromancy: 27'''

Upon getting either '''Death Channel''' or '''Anguish''', power yourself up like so:

* '''Necromancy: 27''' (if you have not already done so)
* '''Hexes: 8''' (only if '''Anguish''' has appeared in your game)

If you fail to obtain one of the crucial Kiku spells, a member of the Wilderness Trinity can certainly come along as a replacement:

* '''Summon Forest''' (Translocations 8, Summonings 11)
* '''Summon Cactus Giant''' (Summonings 14)
* '''Summon Mana Viper''' (Hexes 8, Summonings 11)

Want Borgnjor's Vile Clutch? You'll need some more Earth Magic:

* '''Earth Magic: 7'''

As for Rimeblight, you'll need to study some pages on snowflake fractal theory:

* '''Ice Magic: 9'''

Forget Call Canine Familiar, Summon Seismosaurus Egg, Call Imp and Summon Small Mammal (in that order) if you need spell slots for '''Haunt'''.

If you want to use a Hive Talisman:

* '''Shapeshifting: 17''' (You can start transforming when it reaches 15)
* Disable '''Necromancy''' until your Shapeshifting objective is achieved. You should probably have either BOTH of Animate Dead and Death Channel, or Infestation online before this.

Ultimately, '''after Death's Door's failure rate has dropped below 5%''', your choice of ultimate pick to iron out your last weaknesses is quite open-ended.

Maxwell's Capacitive Coupling:

* '''Air Magic: 20'''

Discord:

* '''Hexes: 20'''

High level Summonings:

* '''Summonings: 13 for Malign Gateway or Sphinx Sisters, 20 for Summon Horrible Things'''
* '''Translocations: 15''' (only for Malign Gateway)
* '''Hexes: 15''' (only for Sphinx Sisters)

I suggest you focus-train Translocations/Hexes, because of the +4 aptitude.

A suite of Translocations:

* '''Translocations: 2 times the highest level of the spell you wish to use + 1''' (for example, Dispersal, level 6 = 13 Translocations)

=Golems and Spires (0.32 Content)=

If you are playing on version 0.32, here are the paragraphs related to Summon Blazeheart Golem and Summon Lightning Spire, which used to be part of the Summoner kit. I think the Summoner of 0.33 is overall less frontloaded on damage, but has better defensive options and smoother skilling. Both are interesting. If you want to use the tips below in 0.33+, play as a Forgewright, where these spells found a new home!


== The Delicate Art of Explosive Incineration (XP Level 4-6, 0.32) ==

If you have not pathetically perished to some turbo-murderous orc priest on D:2, you will now be the proud holder of 2 stored Extra Lives, the maximum a Felid can hold at a time. Such is the privilege of feline supremacy.

As a proud member of the most blessed race in existence, death is not the end for you. Still, you should pretend it is - it will help you take better strategical decisions. If you ''do'' meet an unfortunate end, stay focused, take a break if you are feeling frustrated, and continue to play carefully as if you hadn’t died. Most Felid runs die around 3 to 9 times in an average 3-rune run, so do not feel too bad. Felid lives are meant to be used like rare, powerful consumables, and many Felid 3-rune or even 15-rune wins have 1 to 4 deaths as early as D:1-8.

Do '''not''' quit a Felid run because of an early death! With the way the system is designed, it's almost as if you are ''supposed'' to die in early Dungeon. It's '''much''' easier to level up early on than in the late game. A life lost on D:4 is gotten back on D:7, but a life lost in Pandemonium may take a full clear of all 4 Hell branches to get it back.

I will repeat it again. Do '''not''' quit a Felid run just because you died twice in a row to the same enemy. Save your game and go do something else instead. I know it's infuriating, but that would be like using a blink scroll and then quitting because you're mad about using a lifesaving item. '''Lives are consumables'''. Playing a Felid without dying is like playing an Octopode with 2 rings. You are '''supposed''' to die.

Press “E” to see how long it will take to get your next life. Press "%" to see how many lives you have (look in the top right of the popup!)

Once again, as soon as you find a safe place, '''immediately''' add your new friend to your roster - the [[Summon Blazeheart Golem|Blazeheart Golem]]. Do not cast it just yet if there is no emergency! Soon enough, it will be below 10% fail rate, and you may then use it safely for all battles. Tweak your skills as follows - '''turn on Fire Magic, press “=” to set a skill target, select Fire Magic, and set it to 5.0. Focus Fire Magic by selecting the skill again (it will have an asterisk and will be brighter).''' While you're at it, you should also '''set a target for Spellcasting at 11.0, and Summonings at 11.0'''.

Of course, if you find yourself forced to battle against a dangerous melee foe who potentially has just plowed your Inugami into the ground, it can be interesting to gamble a cast of a higher fail rate Golem. Just do consider the possibility of a Nameless Horror - if it spawns behind you in a one-tile hallway, you'll be completely stuck. Keep escape routes open.

As soon as you find an interesting wand or evokable (also known as "anything but a wand of flame"), also '''turn on Evocations, and set the target to 5.0'''. You'll also want to collect, when you see them, the '''Lightning Rod''', '''Box of Beasts''', '''Phantom Mirror''', '''Gell's Gravitambourine''' and '''Phial of Floods'''.

Starting from D:3, the Dungeon loves to throw at you fast, high-damage, or sometimes even ''fast and high damage'' enemies before you are ready for them. You may therefore encounter [[Water moccasin|water moccasins]], [[Ogre|ogres]], [[Killer bee|killer bees]], dangerous Lair enemies (wyverns & hornets are a classic), among a variety of other nasty creatures. However, you will laugh in the face of these pitiful attempts at stopping the march of progress, oneshot them with what is probably one of the highest damage level 4 spells in the game, and witness the XP trickle down like cat treats. This is what you were suffering in D:1 for - whereas your average Minotaur Fighter or Deep Elf Conjurer would meet a swift end against a swarm of light speed enemies that make your healthbar have more red than green (or sometimes yellow), you will sacrifice unholy amounts of expensive machinery, and will probably make the interdimensional inventor shipping these to you very frustrated.

More desperate for companionship and physical closeness than the most introverted DCSS win-streak players, Golems will immediately stop all action and become useless if they do not '''start or end their turn while being in melee range of you''', resuming activity once you walk up close enough to give them a comforting paw-tap.

While it functions, it will deliver heavy-damage punches and lose a third of its health every time it does so, in addition to getting its metallic head bashed in by your very upset foes. Needless to say, this thing dies fast. Thankfully, the Blazeheart Golem is designed to pack an extremely potent explosive payload when it is destroyed, and is a master at all things related to flesh incineration. In case you have not noticed, flesh is also what you are made out of.

When a <s>Walking Incinerator</s> Blazeheart Golem perishes in heroic battle, it will leave behind its core, represented as a sphere of pure fire. Once this happens, IMMEDIATELY exit melee range of the core. It’s going to EXPLODE, INCINERATE everything adjacent to it (including you, if you are incapable of following basic safety protocols), and leave behind CLOUDS OF BLAZING FLAME to block passage and allow you to leave, rest, and recuperate.

Do NOT hold down "wait" (usually '.' or 's') too fast out of impatience. Do NOT position yourself in such a way that you'd be incapable of leaving the blast zone with a single action. You WILL be oneshotted. Here is an example of what NOT to do:

.###.
..@..
..G..
..E..
.....

If @ is you, # are walls, E is your foe and G is the Golem, the walls will block your only hope of retreating, forcing you to be the recipient of up to 60 fire damage, not to mention the extra damage-over-time from the burning clouds.

If you HAVE to brace for an inescapable blast, or must walk through flame clouds to reposition away from an orc with a +99 Halberd of Feline Culling, consider briefly putting on a ring of Fire resistance/Fire! This is very fast (less than one turn) and will halve the damage, allowing you to survive.

In fact, "ring swapping" in general is a good skill to develop when playing a Felid. See a lindwurm? Ring of fire resistance. Rime drake? Ring of cold resistance. Nergalle the orcish necromancer? Ring of positive energy. Erolcha the banish-you-to-the-abyss-bot? Ring of willpower. Swapping rings is extremely fast - half of a turn to be precise. Don't try swapping amulets, though, trying to tie up a string around your fuzzy neck without opposable thumbs while a violent brute is inching closer is generally not advisable.

Here are some diagrams of potential ways you can commit feline war crimes with this improvised explosive. Again - @ is you, the one and only genius fuzzball, E are your foolish enemies, and G is your trusty golem. . represents floors, and #, walls.

'''Hallway Exit Triple-Blast'''

.EEE.
.#G#.
.#@#.
.#.#.
.#.#.

'''Outsmarting Lesser Beings in Open Spaces'''

.EEE.
..G..
..@..
.....
.....

Yes, this actually works. The enemies on the sides won't even swerve around, captivated by the shining metal of your loyal robot.

Some things to consider:

* If a foe has a reaching polearm (tridents, halberds, glaives, spears...), they will completely ignore the Golem and instead repeatedly puncture you, which means you'll have to wait for the Golem to detonate itself by having it use its self-damaging melee attacks. Here is a trick: remember, the Golem remains activated if they start or end your turn next to you. You may walk back and forth to enter and exit its range repeatedly, thus reducing the damage taken from the polearm by about 50%, and still triggering the explosion!

..E..
..G..
..@..
.....

..E..
..G..
.....
..@..

..E..
..G..
..@..
.....

* When you step away from the explosive core, your foes also get a chance to act. Keep in mind that enemies which were in melee range of you may follow you out of the blast zone, thus dodging the explosion as they pursue you.

..C..
.E...
.@...

In this example, C is the imminently exploding core, triggered as you began your previous turn next to the dying Golem, and chose to move diagonal down-left. If you walk downwards now, it is possible that the enemy will also walk downwards alongside you, and dodge the explosion. You should instead wait, so that they are still located in the blast zone when the core detonates!

* If the enemy is super strong/tanky/resistant to fire, keep in mind you'll be very close to them should they survive the explosion. For example, trying to take out a full-health hydra in Lair with a single Golem may result in the hydra walking through the fire, still barely clinging to life, and oneshotting you. Try to use other summons to reduce their health into explosion kill-range before risking your life in this fashion.

* The flame clouds left behind by the blast also deal heavy damage. If a creature has been left on the brink of death from the explosion and is now standing in a flame cloud, it might be worth just waiting one turn while it is in melee range (instead of moving away) so that it remains stuck in the flames and dies. The flame tick happens before they get a chance to melee attack, but do be absolutely sure that you won't need more than one tick, or some two-headed ogre might just oneshot you on the same turn it is reduced to 2 HP.

'''From now on, the plan is as follows:'''

* Summon an Inugami for every single trivial-to-medium difficulty battle. Make use of “t”-“a” to direct focus, and do not hold back until the entire canine demiplane has been sacrificed to mitten-pawed glory.
* Demolish every single high damage or out-of-depth (OOD) enemy by letting them uselessly punch a robotic time bomb over and over until it inevitably burns them to a crisp. Ice beast? Boom. Ogre? Boom. Bullfrog? Boom. Wyvern? Boom. Water moccasin, yak, two-headed ogre, sleepcap, gnoll sergeant, any Unique creature, hornet, ugly thing, scorpion, troll, orc warrior? BOOM. They will not survive, and if they somehow do, you can simply bring out more golems for your foes to commit the same mistake. So much for having “human”-level intelligence - clearly, the humanoids are hopeless, dull-witted morons before feline genius.
* Stuck in a pinch with no MP and a really angry dude invading your personal space? Getting turned into a porcupine by a very merry centaur? Getting a taste of orcish zealotry and being told that "smite makes right"? Use wands! They are the guns of the fantasy world, and will dispose of any pesky denizen of the Dungeon. Do not hesitate to spam these against dangerous uniques, centaurs and orc priests. The bolt ones, like Quicksilver, Light or Acid, are especially effective. Remember, if you use Charming, you can "t"-"r" the mind-controlled foe to get away from you, then use that distance to execute a swift, zero-risk retreat!
* If you end up in a terrible situation, refer to the Escape Techniques listed in the previous chapter of this guide.
* In the semi-common case where you encounter the unique siblings Dowan and Duvessa, always slay Duvessa first, preferably with an incinerating payload. Otherwise, Duvessa will get very mad, run at you at light speed and oneshot you.

Try to abuse the 1-tile hallways described earlier in Battle Tactics 101! This guarantees your foes will not attempt to circumvent your units to instead give you a very uncomfortable petting session. You are extremely frail, and lingering in melee range of anything that isn’t a basic orc or a D:1 creature is bound to result in your doom. Constantly use your turns to reposition and ensure you are always behind your summons! If your summons lose, you will be the next target on the list, and you will NOT survive should you stand your ground with tooth and claw. Run, rest and try again.


== Murder and Electrical Engineering (XP Level 7-9 to Lair, 0.32) ==

Remember, use your scrolls of Identify! Drop those useless Scrolls of Brand Weapon, Enchant Weapon or Enchant Armour. Maybe a lesser biped will come across those and thank you. Ha! Fat chance.

Between level 7 and 9 (variable depending on your dungeon adventures), the ability to memorize [[Summon Lightning Spire]] will be made available to you. This is the ''big gun'', the ''heavy artillery'', and other militarily pleasing expressions. Whereas the Blazeheart Golem granted the power to slay individual high-level threats, the Lightning Spire welcomes a little bit of ranged combat to the battlefield. This stationary turret has zero chill, and will electrocute anything breathing the same air as you in record time, only stopping once you and your allies are the only thing left standing. However, it occasionally likes to sleep on the job, so make sure to wake it up with more ample usage of “t”-“a”. Remember that neither the Golem nor the Spire have vision as refined as yours, and will completely ignore invisible enemies - most commonly orc wizards. You can still direct fire on a visible enemy, and if a sneaky invisible trickster is in the way, they will still get zapped!

To tap into this immense electrical power, open up your skills menu with “m” - notice that your Fire Magic should be close to reaching 5. Now, '''turn on Air Magic, and set a target to 5'''. Remember, do not attempt to cast a Summonings spell above 10% fail rate if there is no emergency! As our offense is starting to reach a comfortable level, also consider increasing your defense - '''turn on Fighting, Stealth and Dodging, and set a target to 10 for all three of them.'''

There are two main issues: first, the Spire is highly considerate of your wellbeing (which is nice, for the velvet-pawed deserve utmost comfort) yet also just as compassionate towards your other summons (which is less nice, as they are disposable and unimportant lesser beings). It will therefore not shoot if its piercing, bouncing bolt would cause harm to you or to any of your loyal servants. Strangely, it seems to hold a grudge against the Blazeheart Golem, and will occasionally zap it anyways, but this is uncommon - most likely, the Golem dimension played an amusing prank on the Spire dimension before you ripped both of them from their home realm to perish in unspeakable agony. Just kidding. They’re constructs. They don’t feel anything.

The second issue is that unlike other units, the Lightning Spire is incapable of moving out of your way or swapping places with you. This is problematic if you cast the spell in a hallway, potentially blocking your escape route.

#####
.S@.O
#####

You can’t walk backwards to escape the ogre (O), and the (S)pire won’t do anything, too afraid of daring to disrespect you (@)!

Instead of trying to melee an ogre with 0 Unarmed Combat skill, I propose an alternative - a disciplinary paw-scratch. Press 'v', select your Lightning Spire, then confirm the prompt in the message log. This will attack it, and immediately one-shot it no matter what, allowing passage again. An alternative is to recast the spell, though this is risky - it may simply land in an equally unfortunate position.

With all of that said, you should be set for clearing floors until you find the entrance to the Lair, somewhere on D:8-D:11.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Get that Kiku guy on your contacts list, then get into that Lair, in that order! I'll consider you for employee of the month if you have over 5000 turns remaining by D:8. Not that this is much of a title, considering you are my only contractor in this place. Any lower amount, and you'll have to start moving those fuzzy paws a bit faster.}}

Your faithful trio - Inugami, Spire and Golem - will make quick work of anything the game may attempt to impede your progress with. Remember to also put on any jewellery you may find (press capital "P") - Intelligence, Wizardry, Magical Power, Protection and Fire Protection are the best rings you could hope for (in that order), and Magic Regeneration, Regeneration, Reflection, Acrobat and Faith are the best amulets (also in that order) - for now. Avoid Guardian Spirit.

If you find a runed door vault with a ghost in it (and NO other enemies), this could be an opportunity for instant acquirement of three degrees from the Summonings College! They are worth boatloads of experience, but can range from trivial to lethal. Inspect them with "x"-"v", and check their kit - if they have Conjurations that could annihilate you or dangerous Summonings spells, they should be left alone. If they, however, only have a few joke cantrips or only know how to o-tab like a Minotaur Berserker, then it is time to guide them to eternal rest. '''Once the floor is fully cleared,''' gather up all your friends, open the door, and make them bash golems, eat electricity and be eaten by spirit-wolves until they die (for the second time in their existence).

Do NOT try your luck in weird vaults with OP enemies in them locked behind runed doors and orange transporters. They are DESIGNED by developers to exploit your greed and kill you. Nothing stops you from returning there when you actually have the required power to take them on.

===Where It Can All End (Early Game Threats)===

* Centaurs (and even more so their Warrior or Yaktaur variants) are felid annihilation incarnate. If you casually run around and spot one sleeping in open space, '''do not just start mindlessly plopping down your squad'''. Your allies will arrive in random locations while those wretched horsemen puncture you with potentially twoshotting damage on each turn. Instead, retreat to a corner or door (which you can close with capital 'C'), and meow ('t'-'t') to have it walk over in much more advantageous terrain!

Since Spires have almost zero evasion, they will gladly tank arrows for you (unlike those scumbag canines), so they may be of great use should you face off a centaur - hide behind them, and let the ranged battle unfold. Which will win, wooden sharp sticks, or thousand-volt lightning bolts? Spoiler alert: the latter.

However, keep in mind:

..@..
..S..
.....
.....
...E.

This is not a safe way of hiding. The centaur (E) will still turn you from a cat to a porcupine while the Spire will desperately attempt to dish out damage before you die in an anxiety-inducing Damage Per Turn race. First, consider Wands - polymorph is especially effective, as wielding a bow is quite hard without opposable thumbs. As you may have discovered yourself. Otherwise, you can spawn more summons - if you or an Inugami gets in melee range, the centaur will panic and stop shooting. Consider a Scroll of Fog or Summoning/Butterflies if things get too dire.

* Electric eels deal unreal amounts of damage. These living death traps are resistant to your Spire, and will three-shot you. To add insult to injury, they’re worth almost no experience - for comparison, a single scorpion rewards you with about 53% more experience than one eel. Thankfully, there's a trick: a zap from a wand of flame will oneshot or twoshot them, due to the steam clouds this technique will spawn. If flame is unavailable, most other damage wands, while rarer, will make short work of them.

* Steam dragons are deceptively dangerous. Their breath weapon will turn the heat up in every sense of the word, and may even twoshot you should the dice be animated by murderous intent. It even goes through allies. Thankfully, there is counterplay - a ring of fire resistance, or a ring of fire. If you can give yourself a + of rF, this battle will go from terrifying to laughable. If rF is not available to you, tread lightly, and be ready to retreat out of their sight the moment you are hit. Having a steam dragon on the screen while you are fighting other non-trivial enemies is suicide.

** The rarer acid dragons are basically the same thing, but worse. The corresponding ring is resist corrosion.

* Boulder beetles can oneshot you should they land their roll attack on you (and fail the EV check). Thankfully, intelligent summoners can trivialize them by calling forth even the puniest of quokkas and forcing them to waste their roll annihilating a little fluffball (which hopefully isn't you). The Spire's electrical damage bypasses a portion of their heavily armoured shell.

* If you’re unlucky enough to encounter a [[Meliai]] or the unique [[Jeremiah]], know that they are practically cyber-augmented orc priests. Just one isn’t that bad, but they often hang out with their friends, and you do ''NOT'' want to be the centre of attention of bee-witch gossip. Eating a quadruple smite in one turn ''can'' happen, and it ''will'' kill you. Potions of Invisibility work, and so do Wands of various kinds - or have them be zapped one at a time by your spire before they notice your presence, and they should fall relatively quickly. Otherwise, pushing a Golem in their faces will ensure a fiery doom.

* Should you be so hapless as to encounter the unique slug mage Gastronok, you must immediately try to avoid empty spaces. Hug walls, surround yourself with allies - if you find yourself with 4 or more completely empty tiles, you WILL be twoshotted with an insanely powerful, irresistible Airstrike ability. If you have found a scroll of Silence, I highly recommend using it as soon as you’ve churned out a few friends to help take him down. If you do not have silencing abilities, keep him at the edge of Line-of-Sight while the battle unfolds, hug walls and potentially some Small Mammals, and be ready to step away the second you are smited by Airstrike. Even with wise positioning, all it takes are approximately 3 casts to detonate you into an unrecognizable mess of gore and fluff.

For the rest of the run, don’t ever have rF- or rC- no matter what. Yes, even if it means giving up an Int+10 ring (you can also wear rF+/rC+ to cancel out the rF-/rC- if it’s ''really'' good). Vulnerabilities will be your doom: 50% extra damage is plenty to oneshot you before you even realize what has happened. Press % to check your resistances.

[[Category:Character guides]]

Character guides

2025-12-02T05:58:05Z

Oneirical: revert edit: I think the long combo names are too redundant with the hyperlinks guide names

{{Advice}}
New players should start with the general [[Walkthrough]]. After that, please browse our [[strategy guides]] for more general advice, and review the [[Early Game Tips|early game]], [[Mid Game Tips|mid-game]], and [[Late Game Tips|late game]] tips.

''Authors: You are responsible for maintaining your guide. Failure to do so will result in your guide moved to the [[Outdated character guide archives|archives]] until it has been updated.''

==Updated==

'''Felid'''
* FeSu:
** [[Onei's Velvet-Pawed Path to Immortality Walkthrough - FeSu^Kikubaaqudgha/Jiyva]] [Advanced] (0.33/0.34)

'''Gnoll'''
* GnAr
** [[Git Gud Gnoll Guide]] [Beginner] (0.33)
* GnIE
** [[Draconius’ GnIE^Ash: Win Consistency through Tactical Maximalism]] [Intermediate] (0.33)

'''Minotaur'''
* MiFi
**[[H's Minotaur Fighter Guide]] [Beginner] (0.33)

'''Poltergeist'''
*PoEn
**[[Deus Hex Machina: PoEn^Sif Muna Guide]] [Advanced] (0.33)

'''Troll'''
* TrFi:
** [[Repo Troll Guide, TrFi^Wu Jian]] [Beginner] (0.33)

==Older Versions==
''Some of these guides are severely out of date. They still have information that is generally useful, but be aware of references to outdated things.''
* [[Onei's 3-rune Interdimensional Feline Kidnapping Walkthrough - FeSu^Gozag/Jiyva]] (0.30)
* [[Onei’s 15-rune Travel Guide on Thrilling Ventures in the Demonic Funhouses - FeSu^Jiyva]] (0.29)
* [[Majang's Caster Walk-Through]] (0.20)
* [[Buddy23Lee's Mummy Fighter guide]] (0.14)

For more older guides, see the [[Outdated_character_guide_archives|Character Guide archives]].

{{Guides}}

[[Category:Strategy_Guides]][[Category:Guides]]

Character guides

2025-12-02T05:55:11Z

Oneirical: remove hyperlink spam + gnie

{{Advice}}
New players should start with the general [[Walkthrough]]. After that, please browse our [[strategy guides]] for more general advice, and review the [[Early Game Tips|early game]], [[Mid Game Tips|mid-game]], and [[Late Game Tips|late game]] tips.

''Authors: You are responsible for maintaining your guide. Failure to do so will result in your guide moved to the [[Outdated character guide archives|archives]] until it has been updated.''

==Updated==

'''Felid'''
* FeSu (Felid Summoner of Kikubaaqudgha or Jiyva):
** [[Onei's Velvet-Pawed Path to Immortality Walkthrough - FeSu^Kikubaaqudgha/Jiyva]] [Advanced] (0.33/0.34)

'''Gnoll'''
* GnAr (Gnoll Artificer of Yredelemnul):
** [[Git Gud Gnoll Guide]] [Beginner] (0.33)
* GnIE (Gnoll Ice Elementalist of Ashenzari):
** [[Draconius’ GnIE^Ash: Win Consistency through Tactical Maximalism]] [Intermediate] (0.33)

'''Minotaur'''
* MiFi (Minotaur Fighter of Okawaru):
**[[H's Minotaur Fighter Guide]] [Beginner] (0.33)

'''Poltergeist'''
*PoEn (Poltergeist Enchanter of Sif Muna):
**[[Deus Hex Machina: PoEn^Sif Muna Guide]] [Advanced] (0.33)

'''Troll'''
* TrFi (Troll Fighter of Wu Jian):
** [[Repo Troll Guide, TrFi^Wu Jian]] [Beginner] (0.33)

==Older Versions==
''Some of these guides are severely out of date. They still have information that is generally useful, but be aware of references to outdated things.''
* [[Onei's 3-rune Interdimensional Feline Kidnapping Walkthrough - FeSu^Gozag/Jiyva]] (0.30)
* [[Onei’s 15-rune Travel Guide on Thrilling Ventures in the Demonic Funhouses - FeSu^Jiyva]] (0.29)
* [[Majang's Caster Walk-Through]] (0.20)
* [[Buddy23Lee's Mummy Fighter guide]] (0.14)

For more older guides, see the [[Outdated_character_guide_archives|Character Guide archives]].

{{Guides}}

[[Category:Strategy_Guides]][[Category:Guides]]

Character guides

2025-12-02T05:52:27Z

Oneirical: I added the full combo names (GnAr -> Gnoll Artificer) as new players may not always know what "Ar" means. Feel free to revert this if you think it is too redundant.

{{Advice}}
New players should start with the general [[Walkthrough]]. After that, please browse our [[strategy guides]] for more general advice, and review the [[Early Game Tips|early game]], [[Mid Game Tips|mid-game]], and [[Late Game Tips|late game]] tips.

''Authors: You are responsible for maintaining your guide. Failure to do so will result in your guide moved to the [[Outdated character guide archives|archives]] until it has been updated.''

==Updated==

'''Felid'''
* FeSu ([[Felid]] [[Summoner]] of [[Kikubaaqudgha]] or [[Jiyva]]):
** [[Onei's Velvet-Pawed Path to Immortality Walkthrough - FeSu^Kikubaaqudgha/Jiyva]] [Advanced] (0.33/0.34)

'''Gnoll'''
* GnAr ([[Gnoll]] [[Artificer]] of [[Yredelemnul]]):
** [[Git Gud Gnoll Guide]] [Beginner] (0.33)
* GnIE
** [[Draconius’ GnIE^Ash: Win Consistency through Tactical Maximalism]] [Intermediate] (0.33)

'''Minotaur'''
* MiFi ([[Minotaur]] [[Fighter]] of [[Okawaru]]):
**[[H's Minotaur Fighter Guide]] [Beginner] (0.33)

'''Poltergeist'''
*PoEn ([[Poltergeist]] [[Enchanter]] of [[Sif Muna]]):
**[[Deus Hex Machina: PoEn^Sif Muna Guide]] [Advanced] (0.33)

'''Troll'''
* TrFi ([[Troll]] [[Fighter]] of [[Wu Jian]]):
** [[Repo Troll Guide, TrFi^Wu Jian]] [Beginner] (0.33)

==Older Versions==
''Some of these guides are severely out of date. They still have information that is generally useful, but be aware of references to outdated things.''
* [[Onei's 3-rune Interdimensional Feline Kidnapping Walkthrough - FeSu^Gozag/Jiyva]] (0.30)
* [[Onei’s 15-rune Travel Guide on Thrilling Ventures in the Demonic Funhouses - FeSu^Jiyva]] (0.29)
* [[Majang's Caster Walk-Through]] (0.20)
* [[Buddy23Lee's Mummy Fighter guide]] (0.14)

For more older guides, see the [[Outdated_character_guide_archives|Character Guide archives]].

{{Guides}}

[[Category:Strategy_Guides]][[Category:Guides]]

Onei's Velvet-Pawed Path to Immortality Walkthrough - FeSu^Kikubaaqudgha/Jiyva

2025-12-02T05:43:14Z

Oneirical:

{{version033}}{{Advice}}
{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Another contender! Will you prove worthy, or rot like the rest?}}

Did you know 100% of deaths in DCSS are the result of taking damage? The common melee brute builds may appear efficient at first, but they suffer from a critical flaw - they let the enemy hit you. Every single time an enemy applies its claws, club, arrows, or reality shattering magic to your sensitive skin, you are exposed to the leading cause of mortality in the Dungeon. I therefore propose an alternative that will make your journey down into the depths 50% less painful, 100% less lonely, and most importantly, 300% fluffier.

'''The Felid Summoner of Kikubaaqudgha/Jiyva.'''

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] It's not "evil magic"! It's recycling. Those bodies would have gone to waste.}}

Cats have a terrible reputation for being, supposedly, a “challenge species”, a “tedious ordeal of optimal play” or even an “unfun experience I’d never do again”. I’m here to inform you that this is all baseless canine propaganda, and I hope you too will learn to bow before your true feline masters as you read through this guide. As a blessed, fuzzy quadruped, you will be able to laugh in the face of paralysis and other dastardly hexes (due to your nigh-unbreakable willpower), laugh in the face of invisible enemies (due to your intrinsic See Invisible passive), laugh in the face of melee enemies (due to your vast repertoire of loyal servants) and even occasionally laugh in the face of death (due to the extremely powerful ability to resurrect after you meet your demise).

This all comes at the high price of having the lowest amount of hit points in the game, and the inability to use any item besides scrolls, potions, evokables, talismans and jewellery. Thankfully, you won’t need any of the baubles inferior humanoids depend on, as you will delegate most of the dirty work to pathetically obedient underlings. Prepare to embark on a journey like no other - which will flip the game around completely, turning the lethal into the laughable, and the harmless into the horrifying.

This guide was written for DCSS version 0.34 (currently "trunk" beta, not released officially yet). The differences with version 0.33 are minor. The target audience here are players who have already won at least once, and would like a build off the beaten path of the tried and true brute/caster duality, or even their first Felid victory. It shall accompany you on a path of team-based fighting, dark magic, vast armies to manage, and eventual transcension in the form of nigh-infinite mana and on-demand invincibility.

If you are a newcomer to DCSS and have stumbled upon this page, also check out the excellently written:

* [[H's Minotaur Fighter Guide]] - the most classic "I cast Axe!" brute build, timeless in DCSS history
* [[Repo Troll Guide, TrFi^Wu Jian]] - a highly acrobatic aventure of awe-striking martial arts
* [[Git Gud Gnoll Guide]] - the Zotémon master, using anything and everything to win, even the strengths and spells of their enemies

But perhaps you are the type who prefers to jump straight into a complex and unorthodox playstyle, following a potential madman's dubious advice? You, I like.

I personally got my '''first win ever''' as a Felid Summoner, and I believe that the caution and focus which one learns from playing this species is valuable on any character.

'''Important note: for an overview of branch order and skilling, check the [[#Addendum: From Lackey to Supervillain (Character Building)|addendum at the end of this guide]].'''

===Travel Preparations (quality-of-life tweaks)===

If you care about comfort while playing this build, I suggest editing your rc file (in online mode, it's the button right next to the "Play trunk/Play (current version)" button, and in offline mode, it's under the settings folder > init.txt). Add these at the very bottom, on new lines:

default_manual_training = true
fail_severity_to_confirm = 0
fail_severity_to_quiver = 5
tile_player_tile = tile:felid_2
force_more_message += forbidden knowledge
force_more_message += mollified

In order, these will:

1. Prevent the very useless and dangerous Auto-training feature from working.

2. Will allow you to cast dangerous spells without a confirmation prompt.

3. Will allow you to quiver dangerous spells without a confirmation prompt.

4. For the reasonable among you, this will turn your likely very ugly Felid sprite extracted from the default rotation - which you may somehow find cute if you suffer from an utter lack of taste - into the objectively superior black counterpart. Secretly grants bonus Willpower from the sheer confidence your glossy black fur will exude (not scientifically tested). For those visually challenged by the black-fur-on-black-floor lack of contrast, tile:felid_4 or mons:natasha are also acceptable. Offline players can also press “-” and cycle through available sprites with left and right arrow keys while ingame. Should you ever revert to playing a (lesser) non-Felid, you will need to remove this line to restore your sprite to the default player doll.

5. Notify you when Kikubaaqudgha likes you enough to reveal the darkest spells in this game.

6. Notify you when Kikubaaqudgha is done pelting you with its pesky curses after you betray them.

Points 2 and 3 may be slightly controversial. The reason for this is simple - the "danger rating" of spells is based off your maximum HP, and as Felid has the lowest max HP in the game, even the actually very safe spell Call Canine Familiar will be labeled as "astonishingly dangerous" and constantly ask "are you sure????" when it's actually very safe, and in fact required for progression.

= (BONUS) Because It Wasn't Hard Enough (Gem Quest) =

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Ah, a new adventurer embarking on a new journey filled with noble deeds and helping the innocent. What? You're learning dark magic and committing mass slaughter? Eh, I don't really care. Can you do my fetch quest? Here's my backstory: I like money. There are gems in the dungeon that are worth a lot of it. Bring them to me.

The problem is, some prick is going around smashing them. You'll have to be quick before that lunatic destroys the treasure which I alone deserve.

Oh, sure. Maybe you can get a cut. If I like you.}}

'''Gems''' are an optional speedrunning challenge where you must beat the game without exceeding a certain amount of turns in each branch. Interestingly, this build is quite good at claiming them.

'''Note''': This makes the game objectively harder. It is for those utter fanatics who thought playing a Felid (lol) with an exotic build which involves god wrath (lmao) just wasn't difficult enough.

If you aren't feeling up to the task, '''ignore all interventions of Gozag in my guide (it is advice for the gem quest specifically).'''

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Excellent, you're still here. That means a promotion is in sight for you. From 'unemployed' to 'my esteemed errand-cat', to be precise. Do add these, while you're at it.}}

more_gem_info = true
always_show_gems = true
explore_auto_rest = false

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] A company-provided timer in your sidebar will now always show you the time remaining before those precious gems start cracking. Useful, is it not? Press }, then ! to view all collected gems, and the time limit for each.

What's that? You're worried about the last option? Corporate doesn't have time for things like "healthcare" or "comfort". You need to get moving, FAST. Just heal while you autoexplore, surely this won't result in coming face to face with a centaur when you have 15 HP.}}

If '}' is a weird key to press on your potentially non-English keyboard (like mine), you can rebind it like this:

bindkey = [(TYPE YOUR KEY HERE)] CMD_DISPLAY_RUNES

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Enough talk! Let's see if dedicating my attention span to you was a valuable use of my time.}}

= An Agonizing Introduction (XP Level 1) =

As the title suggests, pick Felid for your species (ignore the “Advanced” difficulty: that’s merely a ploy to hide true power from your grasp). Pick Summoner for your background, as is wisely recommended by the game.

You probably know this already, but press "o" to autoexplore floors when no enemies are in sight, Ctrl-G to quick-travel to locations, and "5" to wait turns until you have restored HP/MP.

Upon starting your run, you will be met with the following:

* 9 pitiful HP points, enough to get two-shotted by a quokka, defended by a lonely, single point of AC.
* Complete lack of any items (except a measly consolation magic cocktail), weapons, or armour, and only three equipment slots for jewellery only. Felid culture prohibits equipping rings on your rear-limbs, as this is symbolic of the time one spent caged by their (now rightfully eviscerated) master.
* The pathetic ability to call forth fuzzy critters from the unfathomable depths of the eldritch cosmos.
* A deranged repartition of default skill training. Press “m”. If you haven’t set up your rc file as explained in the beginning of the tutorial, set training to “manual” mode (press “/” to do so). Then, '''turn off every skill except Spellcasting and Summonings'''. '''Important reminder: at any time, should you wish to review my suggested skill training plan, view the [[#Addendum: From Lackey to Supervillain (Character Building)|addendum at the end of this guide]].'''
* Your first Extra Life, ripe to be harvested by possibly the very first foe you will encounter.

All of this is, to put it bluntly, utter trash. The good news is that XP level 1 and 2 are the only obstacles separating you from supreme feline domination. Please refer to the following advice to avoid becoming a delicacy in the next hobgoblin feast.

* Try to avoid being in melee range of anything that isn’t a “trivial creature” - which are '''[[Bat|bats]], [[Rat|rats]] and [[Frilled lizard|frilled lizards]]'''. If a ball python hits you with the “Constrict” status, do NOT continue fighting and attempt to retreat until you have been cleansed from the status, at which point you may resume your rampage. If you are cornered or engaged in dangerous melee with 0 MP remaining, use your magic potion immediately. You may take one step in a foe’s reach to reposition, but always remember that most of the denizens of D:1 can two-shot you.
* Cast [[Summon Small Mammal]] twice for every encounter (press “p” to do so, or - if the game complains about you being too reckless - "z" then "a"). Bats are almost useless, rats are mediocre, and quokkas are somewhat passable. If you happen to pull forth one of the latter two from your interdimensional nonexistent hat, you may direct them to get their furry heads bashed in at the nearest available enemy. This is done by pressing “t” to bring up the ally command menu, and then pressing “a” and selecting the enemy you wish to submit to death by a thousand adorable critter bites. If your fuzzy friend meets an unfortunate end at the tip of a kobold’s dagger, there’s always more where that came from - bring on the onslaught until all opposition has been reduced to quokka food. You can have up to a maximum of 2 mammals simultaneously - replace the fallen with more units eager to die in your name. While your summons fight it out, feel free to distance yourself from the action, or to press “.” to allow the battle to unfold, occasionally shooting a “t”-“a” command to direct firepower. Trying to join the action is a certain way to die - remember, do NOT melee non-trivial creatures!
* Remember the golden rule of summoning: what you can’t see cannot be seen by your summons either. No ally can attack outside of Line-of-Sight (LOS) distance. If you want something to die, it has to be on your screen. The opposite is not necessarily true: while your feline senses let you see invisible enemies, all of the critters in your starting spells (except those from Call Canine Familiar) are not as fortunate.
* You can close doors behind you by pressing capital "C" - animals of all kinds do not have paws as dextrous as yours, and will be forced to scratch your impenetrable barricade while you rest and recuperate.
* Your summons can tank stones and other missiles for you if you stand behind them, but this is extremely unreliable (projectiles continue their trajectory if they are dodged). Additionally, keep an eye out for branded weapons! A single hit from either of these is enough to go from a pristine, full health scruff to a game over screen showing 3 unidentified scrolls of acquirement. Venom and Electrocution in particular are extremely lethal. Branded melee weapons are handled in the same way as dangerous creatures of D:1, that is, drowned in pettable fluffballs until the threat is vanquished and drops their dangerous item (possibly a +34 triple sword “lol you can’t use this play minotaur next time” {flaming, Slay+12, AC+10}).

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] If you aren't already quitting the job on day one, I inform you that we just don't have the time to loot every grain of dust on D:1 to D:3. Your first objective in D:1 should be to reach XP level 2, and immediately going down afterwards, using a normal staircase (not a hatch). The latter tend to cause some company liabilities.}}

Do NOT "kite" (walking away from a creature over and over while it is in melee range of you) your foes. You WILL get your snout slapped faster than you can say “YASD” (a traditional roguelike acronym for Yet Another Stupid Death). Each step gives enemies a 33% chance to attack you for free - a few tip-taps to reposition (and swap places with your ally) is fine, but eating attacks of opportunity for over 5 turns is asking to die.

Quite an agonizing experience so far, no? Are you beginning to doubt me? Do you lust to return to a race that starts with HP in the double digits? Foolish! After this, the fun begins.

= Interdimensional Battle Tactics 101 =

All enemies of DCSS, from the gurgling jelly to the mighty Pandemonium Lord Cerebov, are extremely unintelligent. In a situation like:

@....
.....
..S..
...E.
.....

(where @ is you, S is a friendly summon, E is an enemy and . are floors), foes would rather hammer their way through your friend (which may be an eight-headed hydra zombie) to reach you, and certainly won’t think about just circling around to one-shot the squishy cat behind. You will need to abuse this as much as possible. Try to always ensure you are shielded behind your loyal servants. This, for example, is not acceptable:

..@..
.....
.....
..S..
...E.
.....

Since the enemy can directly trace a line between you and their position (imagine they’re trying to fire an arrow at you - if they can hit you, you’re not positioned correctly), they will ignore your ally and charge directly at you to slice themselves some fresh feline cutlets. In a situation such as this, it is preferable to either A) send out more allies to return to a more favourable state

..@..
.....
.....
.SSS.
...E.
.....

Or B), retreat to a hallway.

1-tile hallways are both beneficial and harmful to a Summoner. Look at the following situation, where # represent walls:

'''Situation 1'''

#####
S.@.E
#####

The enemy is possibly an ogre about to bash you into a bloodied furball. Casting your summoning spell placed your unit behind you. Simply walk backwards to swap places with your unit, watch the fight unfold (preferably from a distance), and if your soldier perishes in honourable battle, your MP should have regenerated while they were battling it out: simply send out a fresh combatant eager to finish the job.

#####
@..SE
#####

Zero risk, zero worry. Here’s another interesting case:

'''Situation 2'''

#####
@E..S
#####

Here, you got unlucky, and casting your spell spawned your unit ''behind'' the foe you are attempting to introduce to your friends. Inspect the enemy's melee damage by right-clicking them or pressing "x", moving the cursor on them, then pressing "v". If they can't oneshot you on the next turn, it's ''probably'' safe to try summoning some additional support, hoping they will spawn behind you and allow for a Situation 1 swap.

#####
@SE..
#####

The problem with 1-tile hallways is that they enforce honourable 1v1-ing only between each creature. This probably makes Okawaru very proud, but with the whole little army we are slowly amassing, we will increasingly benefit more and more from wide, open spaces to allow your entire squad to get into the fray and dish out punishment. This might not be the case early in the game, but much later on, when we will branch into Necromancy, expect the number of allies on screen to reach into the dozens.

= A Devilish Upgrade (XP Level 2) =

''Feeling brave? You may try to skip this chapter and reach XP level 3 using only small mammals. As Necromancy is tight on spell slots, the additional Scroll of Amnesia this will save later on may prove useful. Try not to die if you opt for this choice. Otherwise, keep reading.''

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Yeah, no, we can't fit this one into the budget. Move along. Just kill those D:2 adders with quokkas and quit whining. We'll need the Amnesia Scrolls later.}}

If you have reached this point, congratulations, you have won the game. You may now press Ctrl-Q to abandon the run, as objectively speaking, your chances of victory are now exactly 100.00%. Go bake some cookies. Take a nice walk in the park. Do anything else than watching pixelated animals fight. While being an animal yourself.

What? Still here? Very well.

Most of the Level 1 advice still applies, but you now have a little more room for mistakes. As soon as you level up and find yourself in a safe area, immediately memorize [[Call Imp]] by pressing "M", your new very mischievous addition to the roster. Press "z" then "b" to meet your new demonic friend. The unspeakably dark forces of Hell will be delighted to deliver you a dastardly blue imp proudly wielding a sharp stick.

This rampage machine is anything but (imp)otent. Savour the tears of the hobgoblins who once terrified you, revel in the yips of those pesky jackals - they will be poked, and there shall be no mercy. Imps will also occasionally compliment you and call you their “pillow-pawed master”, which is a step up from the blank stares of rats. Disregard these attempts to appeal to your nonexistent mercy, and send them to die in your name with more liberal usage of “t”-“a”. Unlike furry mammals, you may only have a maximum of one imp at a time.

At any moment, I encourage you to bring forth assistance from your previous, less talkative and much fuzzier friends! You may do this by either clicking the spell in the side menu (in offline mode) or pressing "p" or "za" again (in online mode). The total gang of three summons is now sufficient to circle enemies and dish out quick justice to anything on D:1. Keep being careful until you reach level 3. If D:1 fails to provide enough experience for this, carefully descend to D:2 to finish the job, but know that dealing with any of the D:2 new enemies that weren’t featured on D:1 is extremely risky - especially adders and orc priests/wizards. Try to focus on foes you are already familiar with, and use a different staircase if your chosen means of descent places you next to something you haven’t killed yet.

= Canine Thralls vs. The Interdimensional Police (XP Level 3) =

'''Increase (I)ntelligence, and only do so every single time you will be prompted with this choice in the future.'''

Got some scrolls? The stack with the highest amount (press "r" to bring up the (r)ead menu) has a high (but not guaranteed) chance of being Identify. Once you have found Scrolls of Identify, immediately read any you may obtain to progressively label each of your possessions. Personally, I think identifying potions before scrolls tends to increase your chances of survival ever-so-slightly. This isn't hard science, whether a DCSS player identifies potions or scrolls first is basically the equivalent of their horoscope sign.

Find a safe area. Memorize [[Call Canine Familiar]] immediately (press "M"). This is the ''real deal''. Labelled as "quite dangerous" despite its 7% miscast rate, this extremely strong spell brings forth an '''Inugami''' - a once proud general and leader of the canine empire, re-educated into serving its feline master with unbreakable zeal. The tag around its collar proves most interesting - besides reminding it of its status before your Highness, it can also channel powerful bursts which heal the Inugami a massive amount, remove all poison, and unleash a cleaving burst on all tiles adjacent to it. To trigger one such energy surge, recast the spell while your Inugami is alive and visible on your screen, spending 3 MP in the process.

Yes, you can spam it and pop foes open with repeated re-casts. No, you won't find funny when your Inugami dies to some overpowered death machine and you're left in melee range with it with 0 MP to spare. It's strongly recommended to prioritize energy-bursting only if one of the following applies:

* Your canine servant needs the heal or is badly poisoned.
* It is surrounded and the cleaving AOE would prove most effective.
* You need a quick finishing blow against a low-HP dangerous foe.

When an Inugami dies in heroic battle, it will retreat to a pocket dimension for a time to rekindle its faith in feline supremacy. When the -Dog status on the sidebar expires - expect 13 to 21 turns - it is ready to return into the fray. Other summons can take up arms while you wait.

With all that considered, Inugami are absolute beasts. Very little in the early Dungeon can survive a 1v1 with an Inugami energy-bursting when it is most needed. Not even Sigmund - he is powerless before canine brutality! Simply stand back, watch the carnage without getting hit, and laugh as adders get slaughtered from Line-of-Sight (LOS) distance. You don't really need to "avoid fighting" anything in D:2 to D:4, except:

* '''Grinder''', which will play fetch with your dog by blinking all over the place while you stand paralyzed eating tons of darkness damage.
* '''Orc priests''', which are explained more in depth right below. Basically, if you can see them, they can murder you.

Inugami, like imps, occasionally try to look cute and print out endearing messages in the text log. Again, do not let this affect you - remember that the canine race is lesser before feline glory, and heartlessly send them to their doom (“t”-“a”) while they obey with unfaltering zeal.

You can look (and cast) any of your memorized spells at any time by pressing "z" then "?". If it says, for example, "c - Call Canine Familiar", pressing "z" then "c" will welcome your new canine unit without having to bring up the menu every time.

<blockquote>How can I possibly lose with such loyal followers?
</blockquote>
Orc priests, my noble feline acolyte. These green-robed menaces have the ability to inflict undodgeable, instant and two-shotting damage from full LOS range. Right now, no amount of summons could protect you from their devotion to the god of the Orcs. A lone one can be assassinated by sending an inugami next to them and spamming the recast-burst until they are deleted. If you see - Xom have mercy - two or more, do not even attempt to test their mettle. Press “X”, move the cursor towards them, and press “e” to set up an exclusion - this is your way of telling the game “NOPE”. If multiple priests stay visible on your screen for 5 turns or more, you are asking to die. Leave through the nearest up-staircase, and attempt a different portion of the level (or descend to D:3 if the level is truly doomed), leaving these dissenters alive for later. They will suffer the consequences of their insolence in due time.

<blockquote>I'M ON FIRE I'M ON FIRE PUT IT OUT PUT IT OUT IT BURNS
</blockquote>
If a Bombardier Beetle set you on fire, you must immediately start taking steps and walking around - each tile crossed reduces the duration by 6 turns. Stop, drop and roll! Do NOT stand still! If you accidentally drank a lignification potion, say goodbye to the current iteration of your feline life.

<blockquote>Any recommendations if I am doing the Gem Quest?</blockquote>

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Why are you still on D:2? The Temple doesn't spawn here. We want that bone altar, and we want it pronto. Get diving down to D:4, you should not be exploring more than half of each floor until then.}}

Additionally...

== The Aforementioned Interdimensional Police (Nameless Horrors) ==

Every time you attempt to call a canine <s>slave</s> friend, there should be a small chance of a miscast, which will reduce as you progress through the arts of Summonings. Miscasts in other schools of magic are generally not too dramatic (given that the caster is not trying to sever reality itself right after learning how to say “pick a card, any card”). However, your constant telemarketing calls to the eldritch cosmos asking “Who wants to die in the name of feline supremacy?” have begun to get on the nerves of some eldritch monstrosities. TentacleMail may therefore rarely deliver you a [[Nameless horror|Nameless Horror]] instead of your ordered furry companion. Instead of filing a complaint, slow down and consider your options. These things drain your mana on each melee hit they land on you, will only leave after you have managed to kill them, and will occasionally return your summons back to their home realm, so they may meet their family again instead of dying for a cat in a dungeon.

FAQ:

<blockquote>What do I do if I incur the wrath of cosmic aberrations?
</blockquote>
It depends on your situation. If they are alone or accompanied by a joke of an enemy, getting an Inugami out and spamming energy-bursts should wreck it. Alternatively, if you have damaging wands that aren't Mindburst, feel free to gun them down.

If you are close to dangerous foes which aren't in range yet to hurt you, you may drag the the Nameless Horror to a previously cleared floor, "park" it there and return to the lower level without it, preferably with a different staircase. If you can't manage to kill it, don't forget about the horrifying creature roaming loose if you want to "stair-dance" a dangerous foe later on while clearing the lower floor. Maybe you'll meet it again near the end of your run, at which point it will tremble before the FELINE GOD you have become.

<blockquote>How can I minimize my chances of being investigated by the interdimensional kidnapping police?
</blockquote>
The Summonings school is not to be messed with. It is strongly advised that you never try to cast a Summonings spell with a failure rate higher than 10% to take out medium-to-low threat foes, as the consequences may be disastrous. Only violate this rule when extreme firepower is needed imminently against a truly fearsome foe.

<blockquote>I have no MP, no friends and I am going to die. What do I do?
</blockquote>
See below.

== Break In Case of Imminent Negative HP Syndrome (Escape Techniques) ==

Low health? No mana? Overpowered gigachad about to annihilate you? Consider the following, from safest to most unreliable:

* '''Scrolls of Blinking''' will immediately save you, but are rare and valuable. THAT DOES NOT MEAN "save them for next game". USE THEM.
* '''Scrolls of Summoning/Butterflies''' do what you specialize in - dialing up friends - but take zero mana. The butterfly variant doesn't attack, but gently blows away your foes, granting a safe space of sunshine and rainbows.
* Assuming you can survive 3-5 turns, a '''Scroll of Teleportation''' will whisk you off to a different location. Magical Inks™ Incorporated does not guarantee said location will be safe.
* The useful '''Blink''' level 2 spell immediately relocates you to a random tile in sight - but it won't necessarily be available in your game. Maybe if you ask RNGesus nicely.
* A '''Gell's Gravitambourine''' can pull enemies away from you with its magnetic field, which is immensely helpful if your problem is of the "big stick about to be in my face" kind.
* '''Potions of Magic''', and the mana acquired from them, can be condensed into the creation of a helpful friend. Again, rare and valuable, but made to be used.
* '''Potions of Curing''' will ''remove all confusion and poison'' - essential for those pesky redback spiders getting lucky hits - in addition to a small amount of HP and '''Potions of Heal Wounds''' restore a bunch of health which, on a Felid, is highly impressive. Do ensure that you can actually make use of the heal to solve your problem and aren't just delaying your death, especially if you just get hit again for the same amount you healed on the same turn.
* '''Potions of Invisibility''' drastically reduce enemy accuracy and allow you to walk away with high, but not perfect safety. Check that the foe in question does not detect invisibility by inspecting their stat window - for example, wolves, dastardly agents of the canine empire, won't be impressed.
* '''Scrolls of Fear''' immediately causes every living (undead and berserking enemies are immune!) on the screen which fails a (difficult) Willpower saving throw to regret ever messing with Your Pillow-Pawed Highness and to run away. Check, on their stat screen, that their Willpower is at ++ or less.
* Assuming your enemy is a spellcaster that can be Silenced (check their description!), a Phial of Floods will shortly disable their spells, while a '''Scroll of Silence''' will disable them for a very long time, but your own magic and scrolls as well. Ensure you have a way of dealing damage during this silence (hint: it involves allies and having a lot of them). A Phial of Floods will recharge after some XP is obtained.
* The '''Lightning Rod''' does big electrical damage without any MP cost. Most spectacularly, if you fire it multiple turns in a row, you can rotate the beam to hit huge Areas-of-Effect and nuke entire crowds. It's very effective at finishing off a single problematic specimen, however.
* '''Potions of Haste''', beyond allowing you to walk away without getting kited to oblivion, are much stronger than new players tend to think: they effectively slow down time so you get bonus actions per turn. This is much more spectacular on other characters (your main source of damage is from your servants, which do not benefit from the haste), but it is still tremendously useful.
* A '''stairwell''' brings you back to the much safer previous floor, but brings all adjacent foes alongside you - except zombies, simulacra and summoned creatures. Still quite possibly an improvement over your current situation.
* '''Wands of Paralysis/Charming''' incapacitate your foe. You have to beat their Willpower - early game, that is usually around a 50% chance, but there are exceptions. The brainwashing Charming variant can be used to demolish the victim's former allies while you cackle in the back. You can also command them to go to the time-out corner by pressing "t"-"r" and selecting a tile far away from you.
* A '''Box of Beasts''' will immediately summon an adorable abomination and crime against biology itself, without a single point of mana required! Useful when your magical reserves have been emptied.
* '''Wands of Polymorph''' are particularly effective at neutralizing those wielding dangerous ranged weapons or point-and-click smites, but ''check the list of possible transformations by hovering the wand over the target foe'', lest you find yourself with OP midgame mobs chasing you around the Dungeon. Note that, when zapping a Polymorph wand at yourself, it will most likely deny you use of your spells, but may give you extra speed to run away (Pig or Bat Form) or may improve your melee combat prowess to a degree that is only useful in the early game (Wisp, Tree or Fungus form). Consider this as a last resort if cornered or in trouble!
* Speaking of those, '''Scrolls of Vulnerability''' assist all dastardly hypnosis techniques by cutting all creatures' Willpower (including you) by half. Beyond wands, this makes Anguish much easier to use even on terrifying uniques like Mennas, resulting in easy takedowns where you normally would have had to move mountains to barely scratch them.
* '''Damage Wands''' might, with some luck, solve your problems by murdering them.
* '''Potions of Ambrosia''' do a similar effect to Potions of Magic, but over time, and the confusion should be cured with a Potion of Curing once you have enough mana if you are in the middle of an unfolding catastrophe (this will stop the regeneration). Not to be relied upon if only a couple of turns stand between life and death.
* '''Unknown potions and scrolls''' could save you. They probably won't. Try the big stacks, they are likely to be Teleportation or Curing.
* '''Dying'''. Unlike feeble humanoids, this is an option. Try to avoid it. It will happen anyways. Do not give in to despair. Stand up. Fight again.

Do not mindlessly run away for dozens of turns without doing anything. You WILL be eating attacks of opportunity on every step and perishing in record time. At least try casting a spell once your mana comes back.

==The Proper Way To Roll Your Face On The Keyboard (Macros)==

Getting tired of "zbzc....o....zbzc....o" yet? You can press '''Ctrl-D''' to set macros and begin feeling like you are playing some tryhard MOBA instead of composing Beethoven's Tenth Symphony on your keyboard.

For example, press "Ctrl-D", then "1", then type "zb" in the field to link the "b" spell that appears when you look at the spell list (accessible with "I" while in-game). On each press of "1", you will now cast the "b" spell.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Back in my day, you had to draw a pentagram and whisper demonic prayers each time you'd want a skeleton friend. Who thought it was a good idea to automate murder?! Can't you appreciate a good old blood sacrifice in the rules of the art?}}

This is my favourite loadout:

* '''1''' for Call Canine Familiar, and later Haunt.
* '''2''' for Eringya's Surprising Crocodile, and later Infestation.
* '''3''' for Summon Seismosaurus Egg, and later any spell of your choice.
* '''4''' for any other useful spell.
* '''w''' for Animate Dead. Normally, it's used for (w)ielding weapons, buuuut... yeah. No opposable thumbs and all.
* '''e''' for Death Channel.
* '''Spacebar''' for an emergency spell - I like a simple Blink, or, for bonus coolness points, the heart-racing Death's Door. Big button, big problems! I actually remember to use my emergency spells this way.
* '''c''' for any other useful spell.
* (Q)uiver Anguish (or, in Crypts/Tomb, Dispel Undead), and cast it with '''p'''.

To dial up the early-game squad, press "123".

Want both your ally-creation buffs (such as when descending a new staircase)? Simply press "we". In case of trouble, your salvation is right on the biggest button of your keyboard. For a late game mega-death rave, press "e21p"!

= The Delicate Art of Reptilian Pole Vaulting (XP Level 4-6, 0.33) =

If you have not pathetically perished to some turbo-murderous orc priest on D:2, you will now be the proud holder of 2 stored Extra Lives, the maximum a Felid can hold at a time. Such is the privilege of feline supremacy.

As a proud member of the most blessed race in existence, death is not the end for you. Still, you should pretend it is - it will help you take better strategical decisions. If you ''do'' meet an unfortunate end, stay focused, take a break if you are feeling frustrated, and continue to play carefully as if you hadn’t died. Most Felid runs die around 3 to 9 times in an average 3-rune run, so do not feel too bad. Felid lives are meant to be used like rare, powerful consumables, and many Felid 3-rune or even 15-rune wins have 1 to 4 deaths as early as D:1-8.

Do '''not''' quit a Felid run because of an early death! With the way the system is designed, it's almost as if you are ''supposed'' to die in early Dungeon. It's '''much''' easier to level up early on than in the late game. A life lost on D:4 is gotten back on D:7, but a life lost in Pandemonium may take a full clear of all 4 Hell branches to get it back.

I will repeat it again. Do '''not''' quit a Felid run just because you died twice in a row to the same enemy. Save your game and go do something else instead. I know it's infuriating, but that would be like using a blink scroll and then quitting because you're mad about using a lifesaving item. '''Lives are consumables'''. Playing a Felid without dying is like playing an Octopode with 2 rings. You are '''supposed''' to die.

Press “E” to see how long it will take to get your next life. Press "%" to see how many lives you have (look in the top right of the popup!)

As soon as you find a safe place, '''immediately''' add your new friend to your roster - [[Eringya's Surprising Crocodile]].

Did you know Felids have a stronger genetic predisposition than other species to the terrible diagnosis known as "OP Meleedude In My Face About To Twoshot Me" in the medical literature? Thankfully, our feline researchers have been hard at work, and found the cure: Crocodiles. This spell is only castable if a foe is in melee range of you, at which point you'll dash 2 tiles backwards, pull the foe backwards 1 tile, and summon the Crocodile between the two of you.

.....
.....
...@.
...E.

...@.
...C.
...E.
.....

I did say the Meleedude in question is OP, so the Crocodile is likely getting twoshotted next. Not to worry - recast the spell again, and endlessly kite the foe across the map in a way that would make an entire server ragequit if DCSS was a multiplayer PvP game.

This spell is '''a repositioning asset''', not a main damage dealer (though it does achieve interesting results in that domain). Do not mindlessly charge in and use the Crocodile on a foe if can you imagine yourself needing this dash 3 turns later - '''you cannot cast this spell if the Crocodile is alive'''. You should use it in every single battle, but at the moment where the displacement effect actually helps you in some way.

The crocodile itself, as an ally, deals decent damage that will get outpaced as soon as you exit the early game. It also has a pull effect which may trigger on some of its hits. This can sometimes troll you:

..#.#
###@#
.OC.#
#####

Your (C)rocodile is fighting the two-headed (O)gre in a 1-tile corridor. All is well. Suddenly:

..#.#
###@#
..OC#
#####

The (O)gre is pulled into melee range of you and oneshots you. Ouch! That really hurt!

Do keep this (thankfully rare) contingency in mind.

'''From now on, the plan is as follows:'''

* Summon an Inugami for every single trivial-to-medium difficulty battle. Make use of “t”-“a” to direct focus, and do not hold back until the entire canine demiplane has been sacrificed to mitten-pawed glory.
* Demolish every single high damage or out-of-depth (OOD) enemy by letting them uselessly punch an ever-respawning crocodile over and over until they fall face flat in the water left behind. Ice beast? Trivialized. Ogre? Dealt with. Bullfrog? Eviscerated. Wyvern? Discombobulated. Water moccasin, yak, two-headed ogre, sleepcap, hornet, ugly thing, scorpion, troll, orc warrior? GGEZ. They will not survive, and if they somehow do, you can simply retreat using the gap formation left by your usage of this spell. So much for having “human”-level intelligence - clearly, the humanoids are hopeless, dull-witted morons before feline genius.
* Stuck in a pinch with no MP and a really angry dude invading your personal space? Getting turned into a porcupine by a very merry centaur? Getting a taste of orcish zealotry and being told that "smite makes right"? Use wands! They are the guns of the fantasy world, and will dispose of any pesky denizen of the Dungeon. Do not hesitate to spam these against dangerous uniques, centaurs and orc priests. The bolt ones, like Quicksilver, Light or Acid, are especially effective. Remember, if you use Charming, you can "t"-"r" the mind-controlled foe to get away from you, then use that distance to execute a swift, zero-risk retreat!
* If you end up in a terrible situation, refer to the Escape Techniques listed in the previous chapter of this guide.
* In the semi-common case where you encounter the unique siblings Dowan and Duvessa, always slay Duvessa first. Otherwise, Duvessa will get very mad, run at you at light speed and oneshot you.

Try to abuse the 1-tile hallways described earlier in Battle Tactics 101! This guarantees your foes will not attempt to circumvent your units to instead give you a very uncomfortable petting session. You are extremely frail, and lingering in melee range of anything that isn’t a basic orc or a D:1 creature is bound to result in your doom. Constantly use your turns to reposition and ensure you are always behind your summons! If your summons lose, you will be the next target on the list, and you will NOT survive should you stand your ground with tooth and claw. Run, rest and try again.

===Where It Can All End (Early Game Threats)===

* Steam dragons are '''EXTREMELY DANGEROUS'''. Their breath weapon will turn the heat up in every sense of the word, and may even twoshot you should the dice be animated by murderous intent. It even goes through allies. Thankfully, there is counterplay - a ring of fire resistance. If you can give yourself a + of rF, this battle will go from terrifying to laughable. If rF is not available to you, tread lightly, and be ready to retreat out of their sight the moment you are hit. Having a steam dragon on the screen while you are fighting other non-trivial enemies is suicide. They must die, ASAP.

* Centaurs (and even more so their Warrior or Yaktaur variants, as well as other archers like Joseph or Nessos) are felid annihilation incarnate. If you casually run around and spot one sleeping in open space, '''do not just start mindlessly plopping down your squad'''. Your allies will arrive in random locations while those wretched horsemen puncture you with potentially twoshotting damage on each turn. Instead, retreat to a corner or door (which you can close with capital 'C'), and meow ('t'-'t') to have it walk over in much more advantageous terrain!

Since Eggs (more on them later) have zero evasion, they will gladly tank arrows for you (unlike those scumbag canines), so they may be of great use should you face off a centaur - hide behind them, and let the Inugami finish the work. This is risky - you should only do this if there is no hallway available to retreat to.

Keep in mind:

..@..
..E..
.....
.....
...C.

This is not a safe way of hiding. The centaur (C) will still turn you from a cat to a porcupine while the (E)gg stands there without blocking any arrows. If you could shoot at the Centaur with a Magic Dart, they, too, can hit you. First, consider Wands - polymorph is especially effective, as wielding a bow is quite hard without opposable thumbs. As you may have discovered yourself. Otherwise, you can spawn more summons - if you or an Inugami gets in melee range, the centaur will panic and stop shooting. Consider a Scroll of Fog or Summoning/Butterflies if things get too dire.

* Electric eels deal unreal amounts of damage. These living death traps will easily three-shot you. To add insult to injury, they’re worth almost no experience - for comparison, a single scorpion rewards you with about 53% more experience than one eel. Thankfully, there's a trick: a zap from a wand of flame will oneshot or twoshot them, due to the steam clouds this technique will spawn. If flame is unavailable, most other damage wands, while rarer, will make short work of them.

** The rarer acid dragons are similar. The difference is that they deal even more damage (possibly 70% of your HP bar in one hit) but cannot pierce through allies. The corresponding ring is resist corrosion.

* Boulder beetles can oneshot you should they land their roll attack on you (and fail the EV check). Thankfully, intelligent summoners can trivialize them by calling forth even the puniest of quokkas and forcing them to waste their roll annihilating a little fluffball (which hopefully isn't you).

* If you’re unlucky enough to encounter a [[Meliai]] or the unique [[Jeremiah]], know that they are practically cyber-augmented orc priests. Just one isn’t that bad, but they often hang out with their friends, and you do ''NOT'' want to be the centre of attention of bee-witch gossip. Eating a quadruple smite in one turn ''can'' happen, and it ''will'' kill you. Potions of Invisibility work, and so do Wands of various kinds - or have them be blasted by your Seismosaurus before they notice your presence, and they should fall relatively quickly.

* Should you be so hapless as to encounter the unique slug mage Gastronok, you must immediately try to avoid empty spaces. Hug walls, surround yourself with allies - if you find yourself with 4 or more completely empty tiles, you WILL be twoshotted with an insanely powerful, irresistible Airstrike ability. If you have found a scroll of Silence, I highly recommend using it as soon as you’ve churned out a few friends to help take him down. If you do not have silencing abilities, keep him at the edge of Line-of-Sight while the battle unfolds, hug walls and potentially some Small Mammals, and be ready to step away the second you are smited by Airstrike. Even with wise positioning, all it takes are approximately 3 casts to detonate you into an unrecognizable mess of gore and fluff.

For the rest of the run, don’t ever have rF- or rC- no matter what. Yes, even if it means giving up an Int+10 ring (you can also wear rF+/rC+ to cancel out the rF-/rC- if it’s ''really'' good). Vulnerabilities will be your doom: 50% extra damage is plenty to oneshot you before you even realize what has happened. Press % to check your resistances.


= Dastardliness, Cackles and Dark Tricks (God Choice) =

You have only three equipment slots to fulfill Ashenzari’s bondage fantasies, no time to learn the ways of Invocations, and would not benefit from weapon gifts with your lack of opposable thumbs. As the lead of an interdimensional kidnapping startup, you should delegate EVERY task to your staff and NEVER do any work yourself.

Ru is technically quite viable for you, but as you don’t care for employee wellbeing, in-office buddhist yoga sessions are not at the top of your schedule. Plus, you will need both of your paws to play with the Orb of Zot like a ball of yarn. A lot of feline CEOs such as you enjoy striking a divine partnership with Gozag and cracking open endless amounts of lootboxes and microtransactions, but this is not what this guide is about (but feel free to play a Gozag Felid sometime, it's great fun!)

We need loyal subordinates, and we need them fast, reliably, and cheaply. Let us therefore learn arts and magic as dark as the colour of our fur, from scratch, under the tutelage of the villainous god Kikubaku-

Kikubaquk-

Kikubaaqudq-

Kikubaaqudgha. Yes. That's how you spell it.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Untainted souls are so much more fun to corrupt! But... why are you so fluffy? I need goth elves and black mascara. I can't have my subordinates looking like this!}}

Sorry Kiku, malnourished nerds and lanky skeletons are just so passé. If you wish to increase your approval ratings among the public, research has shown that a marketable, plushie-like mascot is a much better driving force for sales and engagement.

Anyhow. The reason I suggest picking Kiku for this build is to secure the mid-and-late game, as the Summoner background is so powerful (as you may have noticed already) that no immediate divine assistance is required. For now, Kiku will do absolutely nothing to help you - focus on proving yourself worthy by engaging in senseless, indiscriminate murder. Or, in other words, just the usual routine. Kikubaaqudgha's altar can spawn in D:3, the Temple, as deep down as D:11 - it really doesn't matter at all, you just need to '''have joined Kiku before entering Lair.'''

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] That still seems wise to me. What I REALLY don't want to see you doing is MISSING the altar and doing a merry-go-round the dungeon looking for it on company time. You'll probably want to find that Temple between D:4 and D:7, looking out for odd rock formations. And if it's not in that Temple, you'll want to look out for evil looking structures, all the way down to possibly D:11.}}

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] "An evil god, Kikubaaqudgha requires worshippers to cause the death and destruction of as many creatures as possible." Well, that's rich. It's not as if almost every single other god wants the exact same thing. Why am I being singled out?}}

Actually, I lied. Kiku does do one thing right away. And that's flaming you in the message log when you lose the run. Let that be motivation to play intelligently.

= Life Finds a Way (XP Level 7-9 to Lair, 0.33) =

Remember, use your scrolls of Identify! Drop those useless Scrolls of Brand Weapon, Enchant Weapon or Enchant Armour. Maybe a lesser biped will come across those and thank you. Ha! Fat chance.

Between level 7 and 9 (variable depending on your dungeon adventures), the ability to memorize [[Summon Seismosaurus Egg]] will be made available to you.

In Jurassic Park, they knew they could, but didn't stop to think if they should. In the Dungeon, the answer is YES to both. This hulking dinosaur is the ''big gun'', the ''heavy artillery'', among other militarily pleasing expressions. Whereas your previous servants granted the power to slay individual high-level threats, the Seismosaurus welcomes a little bit of AoE (Area of Effect) to the battlefield. It blasts its surroundings every so often with devastating, undodgeable raw physical damage, and is basically an "I Win" button for anything in the Dungeon and Lair. To tap into this power, '''turn on Earth Magic and set a target to 5, then turn it on a second time to focus it''', which is done by pressing "=" inside the skill menu (m) then the letter assigned to the skill "Earth Magic". After Summon Seismosaurus Egg reaches a failure rate inferior to 10%, '''turn on Fighting, Stealth and Dodging, and set a target to 10 for the first two, and 12 for Dodging.'''

Of course, there is a catch: you checked the "wrap in a gift box" option when confirming your delivery, and TentacleMail is nothing but considerate when it comes to life's big celebrations. You'll need to spend a few turns unwrapping the payload, and this often involves being mauled by maws and claws while you are getting through the shrink wrap.

The specifics: '''the egg starts hatching as soon as a foe is within 4 tiles of it AND you are standing adjacent to it. This process does not accelerate no matter if the foe is a single rat, Geryon, Gatekeeper of Hell, or a swarm of 30 halberd gnolls.''' The rocky terrain on the ground indicates the range.

Ideally, you'll start this process while your foes are sound asleep (this is why we train Stealth!), or while a pathetic cockroach is near you and the real heavy-hitters are far away in the backline, approaching slowly until it is too late to not get blasted by prehistoric might.

This means that if you see a big group of '''non-ranged''' sleeping enemies, you should NOT rush in to "get the critical hit stabs" (you will do so little damage you might as well be healing them) or plop down your Inugami, who will immediately rush in and ruin the surprise. Instead, summon your Seismosaurus egg until it is within a 4-tile range (don't spend your whole mana bar on this), start incubating it, and unleash the Inugami if they begin waking up.

An alternative, if you have a nearby 1-tile hallway, is to meow at them ('t'-'t') and retreat into the hallway, summoning your Inugami, and then the Egg. It will hopefully be placed behind you, but even if it ends up in front, you'll still be able to incubate it with only 1 enemy attacking it. Naturally, do not do this if the enemy squad is full of polearms or extremely high damage melee.

You can also use your Surprising Crocodile to assist your egg:

..S..
.....
.....
...@.
...E.

The (E)nemy, in melee range of you, is dangerously close, and your egg (S) isn't incubating at all! Use your (C)rocodile:

..S..
...@.
...C.
...E.
.....

Much better. The egg is incubating, and your Crocodile is loyally defending you until it hatches.

Unlike other units, the Seismosaurus Egg is incapable of moving out of your way or swapping places with you. This is problematic if you cast the spell in a hallway, potentially blocking your escape route.

#####
.E@.O
#####

You can’t walk backwards to escape the ogre (O), as the (E)gg is blocking the way!

Instead of trying to melee an ogre with 0 Unarmed Combat skill, I propose an alternative - a disciplinary paw-scratch. Press 'v', select your Egg, then confirm the prompt in the message log. This will attack it, and immediately one-shot it no matter what, allowing passage again. An alternative is to recast the spell, though this is risky - it may simply land in an equally unfortunate position.

With all of that said, you should be set for clearing floors until you find the entrance to the Lair, somewhere on D:8-D:11.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Get that Kiku guy on your contacts list, then get into that Lair, in that order! I'll consider you for employee of the month if you have over 5000 turns remaining by D:8. Not that this is much of a title, considering you are my only contractor in this place. Any lower amount, and you'll have to start moving those fuzzy paws a bit faster.}}

Your faithful trio - Inugami, Crocodile and Seismosaurus - will make quick work of anything the game may attempt to impede your progress with. Remember to also put on any jewellery you may find (press capital "P") - Intelligence, Wizardry, Magical Power, Protection and Fire Protection are the best rings you could hope for (in that order), and Magic Regeneration, Regeneration, Reflection, Acrobat, Alchemy, Dissipation and Faith are the best amulets (also in that order) - for now. Avoid Guardian Spirit. Wildshape is niche, only interesting [[#A Downgrade From The Prime Feline Form (Talisman Collection)|if you found a good talisman]].

If you find a Necropolis, this could be an opportunity for instant acquirement of three degrees from the Summonings College! They are worth boatloads of experience, but can range from trivial to lethal. Inspect the ghosts within with "x"-"v", and check their kit - if they have Conjurations that could annihilate you or dangerous Summonings spells, they should be left alone. If they, however, only have a few joke cantrips or only know how to o-tab like a Minotaur Berserker, then it is time to guide them to eternal rest. '''Assuming they are not surrounded by a squad of deadly enemies''' gather up all your friends, open the door, and make them get juked by acrobatic reptiles, eat point-and-click earthquakes and be eaten by spirit-wolves until they die (for the second time in their existence).

Do NOT try your luck in weird vaults with OP enemies in them locked behind runed doors and orange transporters. They are DESIGNED by developers to exploit your greed and kill you. Nothing stops you from returning there when you actually have the required power to take them on.

=A Malodorous Fanbase (*.....)=

Allow every dopamine receptor in that brain of yours to fire up when the message:

Kikubaaqudgha grants you a gift!

appears for the first time in the message log.

Gather up your lucky trinkets and your maneki-nekos, it's time for some Kiku Gacha Lootbox opening. You will receive a batch of low-level Necromancy spells, but in truth, we only actually care about a single one of them - '''Animate Dead'''. The others are so laughably irrelevant you shouldn't even spare a single picosecond contemplating their existence. ('''Sublimation of Blood''' has a ''very'' niche use that will be discussed later.)

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] You ungrateful sack of fleas! Of all gods, I am the one to grant the most gifts to even my least precious followers, and you still have the nerve to be discontent?}}

Unfortunately, you only have a 50% chance of getting Animate Dead - the other 50% will result in Fugue of the Fallen, which is a decent melee combat spell - a discipline which your weak and unarmed kitty paws are unfortunately not well suited to. For now.

'''If you were unlucky:''' Do keep an eye out for Animate Dead in book shops or loot piles to compensate for Kiku's lack of etiquette. If you still cannot find it, it's really not a big deal. Infestation is a guaranteed gift later on, and can replace it entirely. This spell simply makes the early game smoother and is one of the three spells which may be used for the Great Slime Raid further in the run. You'll want to hold onto your Scrolls of Acquirement for a bit - until you have gotten the third star Kiku gifts and have started training your Necromancy to at least level 8. Since Acquirement is biased towards your current training, holding onto the scroll will increase your chances of obtaining Animate Dead! Now, skip the rest of this chapter, coming back to it should you eventually obtain it from another source.

You will want to memorize '''Animate Dead''' right after your Seismosaurus Egg '''is below 10% failure rate''', and immediately turn on your '''Necromancy skill, setting a target all the way to the maximum of 27.0'''.

You may have noticed that the many denizens of the Dungeon are very disrespectful of your Eminence, soon to be their overlord and army commander. Your first task will be to re-educate these ruffians into submission and obedience. '''Animate Dead''' provides a buff lasting for about a dozen turns. Each enemy slain while this buff is active has a chance to betray their former allies and serve you as a... slightly more malodorous version of themselves. These will escort you until you leave the floor, or have them perish in battle.

When '''Animate Dead''' becomes castable (<12% fail rate), you may begin playing like such:

*Initiate each battle with a batch of highly loyal summons praising how good of a <s>slaver</s> friend you are.
*Begin emanating such confidence with '''Animate Dead''' that the defeated will turn against their former companions in your name.

Now, whenever a foe is slain, there is a high chance they will become an ally - and betray their former allies, making the latter join your army in turn, and so on, until all are at your beck and call. It's just like rolling a snowball!

The little militia that will now follow you around will act as a testament to your charisma. Recasting Animate Dead will, however, dismiss all of your current servants, with the hopes of replacing them with fresher, potentially more numerous ones. Therefore, it's great practice to cast '''Animate Dead''' when encountering a pack of enemies (yaks or bees, for example, are good fodder), and to only recast it once your lackeys are falling apart.

{{flavour|[[File:Yredelemnul altar.png]] This is way too complicated for the fluffball that serves as your brain. Join me instead, and gain permanent reaping of the deceased instead of trying to emulate my power with puny magic!}}

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Pah! Don't listen to my competitor. Their worshippers are brutes and thugs, whose first word at birth was "Axe".}}

Some extra useful tips about this spell:

* Non-living enemies (like Will-o-Wisps from Swamp), demons, angels and already undead creatures will never be recruited.
* High speed enemies, like bees, frogs or snakes will always catch up with you, and will swarm enemies before you even see them on your monitor! Boulder beetles are actually quite slow, and won't get to keep their signature rolling attack.
* Hydrae are hideously overpowered and will play the game for you.

Kiku grants the ability "Unearth Wretches" very early for on-demand zombie creation. I suggest not using it in the Dungeon, as the results will be disappointing. Wow! A cockroach zombie with 3 damage!! Why thank you, you shouldn't have. It's the intention that counts, Kiku.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] I didn't even mean to send these over. I was just doing some housekeeping, brushing up my skulls, sacrifical altars and blood fountains, and accidentally threw a kobold into an interdimensional wormhole. Hate when that happens.}}

Save your piety and ignore it for now.

=A Downgrade From The Prime Feline Form (Talisman Collection)=

While running around, you may come across one of the rare item types that Felids can use: Talismans. Ctrl-F, then write "talis" to find if you missed any.

Cats have a -2 aptitude to Shapeshifting, because they rightfully consider any transformation to be a downgrade. However, to compensate for this, they lose nothing from melded equipment slots, whereas other species mourn the loss of their artefact ring mails and other puny trinkets.

Unless you dream of going to the extended endgame, this is not a build where you'll be using top tier Talismans. However, you should consider the following:

- '''Inkwell Talismans''' (min LV 0 Shapeshifting) are, in the early game, an upgrade. They require 0 Shapeshifting skill to use, make you immune to poison and grant better success rates on all your spells and more mana capacity. If you find one anywhere before entering Lair, you should use it. It will become obsolete when you learn your first level 5+ spell (as these are banned while in Scroll Form), but will assist you greatly until then. There is just the problem of that pesky Fire vulnerability. The upsides are strong enough to make me use this Talisman despite the "never be Vulnerable as a Felid" rule, but you should be especially wary of even basic orc wizards throwing flame at you. If you want to fight fire damage enemies and have the luxury to disengage, untransform before really beginning to stir up trouble.

- '''Flux Baubles''' (min LV 5 Shapeshifting) are normally used for their great melee attack potential. However, they dissipate after a certain number of attacks. The solution: never melee attack. This will let you abuse the EV bonus from Flux Form for a very long time. Simply train at least level '''5 Shapeshifting''', and sit in this form forever. I tend to go for around 8 Shapeshifting to really get a nice bonus. You will lose a lot of Stealth, however. You will untransform from Flux when you die, or when you use "End Transformation" in the (a)bility menu.

- '''Rimehorn Talismans''' (min LV 8 Shapeshifting) are good for two reasons: AC at a very low cost, and Ice Magic Wizardry. The only reason the latter is good in the context of this build is that it makes the strong spell Rimeblight much easier to use. The downsides are somewhat significant - Fire Vulnerability, which you'll absolutely want to pad with a fire resistance or plain fire ring. You will also lose a bit of EV from the much increased size, and worst of all, you won't be a cute kitty anymore. If you have and want Rimeblight, consider training '''level 8 Shapeshifting''', but this isn't a "must-have", I sometimes just purchase more Ice Magic with my skillpoints instead if I already have good Wizardry/Intelligence rings. In a safe location, you can use the Rimehorn Talisman with 0 Shapeshifting skill and check how this makes your Rimeblight failrate change to help in your decision. Untransform afterwards to not get oneshotted.

- '''Medusa Talismans''' (min LV 8 Shapeshifting) give rPois and a forgettable petrification emergency passive. Really, the only reason to train for this is for the rPois. If you are heading into the Snake Pits and have no other source of it, level Shapeshifting to 8 and enjoy the peace of mind. I also like having this online for the Lair if I found an amulet of Wildshape.

- '''Hive Talismans''' (min LV 17 Shapeshifting) are the main ingredient of the [[#The Forbidden Kikubeequdgha Build (Staying with Kiku)|Forbidden Kikubeequdgha build]]. Hold onto it - it will be at the heart of a difficult decision later on.

=The Most Important Lootbox of All (***...)=

Depending on when you started your worship of Kiku, this may happen before even entering Lair, or at some moment while you are clearing it. Regardless, you will eventually read once again the message:

Kikubaaqudgha grants you a gift!

Well, well, well. Looks like we've got another Kiku Gacha Lootbox on our paws!

Here is my tier list of possible outcomes:

* '''S: A Run-Defining Asset''': Death Channel, Rimeblight
* '''A: Great, Though Not Required''': Anguish, Dispel Undead
* '''B: Could Do Better''': Martyr's Knell, Cigotuvi's Putrefaction, Borgnjor's Vile Clutch
* '''F: Insult to Feline Glory''': Curse of Agony

You'll always get half of these, chosen at random.

'''If you didn't get Death Channel, but got Animate Dead previously:''' You won't get to taste the absolute full power of your undead armies, but you'll still be able to raid the Slime Pits quite soon. You'll still want to check every book shop and loot pile for a chance at acquiring it.

'''If you have neither Death Channel nor Animate Dead (18% chance, assuming no lucky floor/shop drops):''' Hmph. RNGesus isn't rooting for your victory, I see. This will be a little troublesome when it comes to "bridging the gap" between the early game and having '''Infestation''' online, a task which you'll find much easier with +Intelligence and Wizardry rings. If you really can't find them by the time you get to the "Slime Raid" (after Lair and the Orcish Mines), I have placed advice for you in that section. For now, check your Scrolls of acquirement in case you'll find those spells inside, and loot the Orcish Mines after Lair to see if any shops contain these two signature necromantic incantations.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Commerce? Capitalism?! My spells are 100% locally sourced, woven by the expert craftsmanship of unionized and esteemed skeleton artisans! You would resort to purchasing mass-produced, store-bought necromancy that's probably also full of microplastics? You and me have a lot of work to do before we can get along with each other.}}

If you get Anguish, you should learn it as soon as possible, and '''also turn on Hexes and set a target to 8.0'''. Because Felids are so adorable and masters of mind-manipulation, you have a +4 aptitude to it!

No matter what you obtain, even if you are getting garbage, if you have not done so already, '''turn on Necromancy and set a target to 27.0'''.

As for that "Unearth Wretches" active ability... '''I strongly recommend saving up your piety to reach the gifts faster. The only case where you should use it is if you have Animate Dead and/or Death Channel active and need help in the Lair against a huge horde of hungry animals. See the next chapter.'''

=Employee Tour at the Zoo (The Lair)=

A place filled to the brim with creatures that mostly only know how to walk fast and melee attack, put against your most loyal servants which precisely exploit these vulnerabilities. Who will win? If you guessed the former, you are wrong. It is scientifically impossible to lose with my guide.

* The Crocodile decimates black mambas, spiny frogs, komodo dragons, polar bears and hydras.
* The Seismosaurus will annihilate packs of yaks, killer bees, wolves, blink frogs, and even death yaks (though those make take a few castings and a bit of kiting, alongside the occasional Crocodile).
* The Inugami is simply always good.
* If you have it, Animate Dead generates even more support.
* Eventually, if you also get it, Death Channel is similarly highly useful.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] For some reason, the architects of this place decided a place filled with dangerous wildlife and inaccessible architecture would make a great place for a central hub. You'll have to come back to this place at least a whopping three times - for all 3 S-Branches, so there is little time to waste. Do not explore more than half of Lair:1. In Lair:2 and Lair:3, your main objective is locating those 2 first S-Branch gates - once both are visible, you can go down to Lair:4 and Lair:5, where you'll have to pinpoint that Slime Pits entrance. You always have less time than you think in this place, get moving! Try to keep at least 600 leftover turns when you complete the Lair.}}

Have a glance once in a while at your jewelry collection by pressing "P". Rings of wizardry and intelligence reign supreme. Rings of Protection, Magical Power or Fire Resistance (for steam dragons, lindwurms and fire crabs) will significantly contribute to your survivability. Rings of Dexterity or Evasion are passable, and everything else is pretty much "slightly better than nothing". Amulets of Guardian Spirit should not be worn unless they are a particularly amazing artefact.

Prioritize wearing an Amulet of Magic Regeneration to replenish your forces quickly - Regeneration is the second best option, Reflection, the third, Acrobat, the fourth, Alchemy, the fifth, Dissipation, the sixth, Faith, the seventh (On Demigods, it will print a message saying "You feel a surge of self-confidence", but there is no such message for Felids, because they already have maximum self-confidence), and Guardian Spirit, the worst possible option (enjoy losing access to all your summons because you took one wrong step). If you somehow find the mythical artefact "Amulet of Vitality", congratulations, you have won the game - it is disgustingly powerful on a Felid. As for the Amulet of Wildshape, it is only good if you have [[#A Downgrade From The Prime Feline Form (Talisman Collection)|an interesting low-level Talisman]].

Should you encounter elemental threats (such as the mage [[Fannar]], an [[Efreet]], or a [[Lindwurm]]), swap on a ring granting a relevant resistance! It is extremely fast to do so. Just don't forget to put your normal ring back on afterwards, if you had one. '''Do not casually run around with an elemental vulnerability (rF-/rC-) on a Felid.''' You WILL be oneshotted.

If you run into trouble, it will likely be caused by:

* Blink frogs. They tend to sneak behind you no matter your masterful positioning by blinking frenetically. Do not hesitate to send a few zaps of your wands their way to teach them some discipline. They make quite good zombies!
* Catoblepas and Basilisks have a love for garden ornaments, and would delight in turning you into one of them - do not ever stand 2 turns in a row in the calcifying breath of the former, and ensure multiple allies block you from the stunning gaze of the latter. Seismosaurus Eggs are immune to petrification. If you see the message "You are slowing down" and you're put against a lonely Basilisk, feel free to spawn a few friends and have them handle everything while you stand there as a pretty feline statue. However, getting petrified in dangerous screens is a death sentence, and you should read a scroll of teleportation or quaff a potion of cancellation before you turn to stone.
* Dream sheep can simply choose to put you to sleep from across the entire screen, which also allows any creature which would hit you to deal immensely boosted damage. If you are well defended by varied summons - and maybe also have Animate Dead/Death Channel active - they will handle all the lowly grunt work while you sleep like the spoiled feline noble you are. If you get taken by surprise, though, prepare for an emergency - Scrolls of Fear in particular should give you some breathing room.
* Hydrae die easily to intelligently chained Crocodiles and Eggs/Inugamis. If they touch you, however, you may very well go from full HP to an empty health bar. If you used a staircase while a hydra was visible, using that staircase again will probably result in it ambushing you and immediately oneshotting you the moment you press ">". Do avoid this unfortunate scenario. Mind the fact that they get a massive speed boost in water (including the one left behind by your Crocodile).
* Skysharks, in similar fashion, should not touch you, as their damage and speed increases with every melee hit they land (represented as Might, then Berserk buffs). They are a top tier threat, and are deserving of getting blasted with wands on sight. DO NOT try to use Scrolls of fear if they are berserked. It will do nothing.
* Ravens are trivial to annihilate, but will peskily curse you with Doom if you allow them to have a clear line of fire. Always be hiding behind a wall of flesh... or eggshell. If you receive a Bane, I talk about them more in [[#Kiku's Troll Carousel (Banes)|this section]].

Huge welcoming party? Got marked and the entire country of Australia is coming after you? Both Animate Dead and Death Channel are memorized and castable? Make sure both buffs are active, then try '''Unearth Wretches'''. I recommend using this ability as little as possible to reach ****** piety faster, but the effects are spectacular with 1 to 3 uses of it when it is most needed. Cast one or both spells, activate Unearth Wretches from your 'a' menu, and watch the screen flood with allies. If possible, pop some Anguish casts to add 100% reflection damage into the mix, cook, and serve. Do not touch the '''Sign of Ruin''' invocation, it is not worth your piety.

You may encounter some dangerous uniques in the Lair. Urug, Fannar, Gastronok and Nessos in particular may destroy you before you even realize what just happened. The counter to each one of those is, respectively, Amulet of Reflection/Anguish for Urug, Ring of Cold Resistance for Fannar (if you are level 12 or higher, your feline fur gives you cold resistance naturally!), scroll of Silence for Gastronok and Wand of Polymorph and/or Anguish for Nessos (and potentially Amulet of Reflection). If you possess the counter, use it, and then feel free to test their mettle against your faithful friends, but if you do not have this counter, set an exclusion with “x”-“e” and do not come back until you have cleared Lair:5. ESPECIALLY if they are wielding some overpowered gear.

You may also encounter Sonja. Her HP bar is made out of paper. But don't let her touch you. She has tickets for a free cruise to the Abyss. You do not want those. Her Willpower is utter trash, making her ridiculously vulnerable to any hex wand, or Anguish.

Ah, yes, there is also Rupert. You need not fear the Paralysis (perhaps humanoid body-builders freeze in fear before the sight of one infinitely more ripped than they are) - but you might fear the huge axe getting swung around at light speed by a berserked, unstoppable wall of meat. If you push Eggs over and over and do nothing else, it will NOT work out. You MUST take further action. I have had some success with a Potion of Brilliance to churn out Crocodiles and kite back until devastation has been completed - but there is little overkill here. Use your items! A scroll of Summoning tends to have splendid results.

Ice Caves and Volcanoes? '''Death traps.''' Do not attempt them. Do NOT even enter them. You won't even be able to use the loot.

Gauntlets’ difficulty vary on the enemies you find inside - if you see a valuable book containing some awesome spells (see the next chapter), I encourage you to try your luck, but otherwise, it is not worth battling dangerous enemies in a cramped space that will limit the effectiveness of your allies. You can inspect a Gauntlet's contents by fully autoexploring the level, then doing a Ctrl-F search with "@" as the input, which will list all items in the Gauntlet. As for the Minotaur at the end - the javelins are absolutely brutal, but if you can read a Scroll of Vulnerability, then cast Anguish, the poor cow-person will simply two-shot themselves.

'''Do not try to take on the Minotaur without the help of any consumables or evokables.''' You won't win. You should NOT attempt a Gauntlet if your plan for the Minotaur is to just throw summons at it and pray it somehow works out. It will NOT.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Well, the earthy gem is down there, in Lair:5 - the first one you'll be collecting for me. This could be the start of a fantastic partnership, or of my eternal disappointment in you.}}

=Compendium of Sinister Plans (Midgame Spells)=

Once you are reaching the lower levels of the Lair, it is time to update your spell repertoire.

You should now plan to have:

* Call Canine Familiar
* Eringya's Surprising Crocodile
* Summon Seismosaurus Egg
* Animate Dead OR a spell from this list if you did not find it
* One or two more spells from this list (if you opt to pick up two spells, they should not take up more than 11 slots together).

Not enough slots? Train Spellcasting! Each slice of 0.5 Spellcasting levels will grant 1 slot. Do not train this more than you actually need, set your training targets properly. Each general XP character level also grants 1 free slot.

'''About Scrolls of Amnesia:''' if you are swimming in the stuff (3 or more scrolls), feel free to remove Summon Small Mammal and Call Imp - their respective demiplanes will thank you for ceasing your kidnappings. The problem is that spending an entire amnesia scroll (which are rare and valuable) to free up one or two measly spell slots might prevent you much later on from getting your mid and late game spells when you need them most. If you do not have many scrolls, instead wait until you are trying to memorize Haunt, and forget Summon Seismosaurus Egg and/or Call Canine Familiar at that point.

You'll want to not take up every slot you have available right now - you'll need 7 for Haunt soon, and 8 for Infestation in a bit. Try to leave behind 3 available slots at minimum.

'''I have ranked the following from most to least desirable:'''

'''[[Death Channel]]''' (Level 6 Necromancy) - '''Extremely powerful, #1 priority.''' Like Animate Dead, it is another self-buff you can stick onto your 'e' keyboard macro. Its effect is simple: instead of letting the innocent souls of both living and demonic beings voyage into the afterlife to meet their relatives, you will force the essences of their being to stay behind and cause suffering to their former friends and coworkers. The sheer mass of allies produced is truly a spectacular sight - you may have Animate Dead and Death Channel activated at the same time, in which case every kill will generate up to two allies, flooding the entire screen with green circles in record time. Unlike Animate Dead, as soon as the status expires, your entire protective wall of spectres will vaporize in a single turn, and reveal some very unamused individuals who will gladly charge in and destroy your defenseless scruff. Do ensure you have some less ephemeral allies as backup.

Remember: at this stage of the game, if you aren't pressing the Death Channel button every single time something vaguely resembling an enemy appears on your screen, you should be passing the keyboard to an actual cat, who will no doubt play much more competently than you.

Spectres, unlike zombies, can also see invisible creatures and fly over liquids no matter their original species, which is interesting when such details matter.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] I am a firm believer that everyone deserves a second shot in life. Or death, rather. Didn't visit that natural park you always wanted to go to? Couldn't tell your crush you loved them before getting crushed by a rock? Ran out of motivation to write your DCSS guide? Become a mindless thrall and forget about all your regrets! What, did you think I'd actually give you the chance to do these things you missed? Get real.}}

'''[[Anguish]]''' (Level 4 Necromancy/Hexes) - Ah, the ultimate answer to the thing Felids despise most - creatures with unreal quantities of ranged damage. This spell attempts to curse the entire screen with 100% reflection damage, meaning all damage they inflict on both you and allies... will be dealt back to them in full. Yes, dear lindwurm, do shoot a fire bolt through my horde of yak zombies, that will totally end well for you.

The lindwurm is wracked by anguish!!!!
The lindwurm dies!

I especially recommend you try it on: orc priests, meliai, any early game dragon, centaurs and their warrior variants, uniques with disgustingly overpowered spells... You have to beat their Willpower, but as any tyrannical regime would tell you, repetition is the key to domination! If the foe of interest has Will++ or less when you examine them, simply cast the spell again until they are successfully cursed.

If you cast the zpell from the 'z?' menu, you'll be able to move the cursor over each enemy and check the percentage chance of successfully landing the curse. Will+++ or even Will++++, like death yaks, or the Minotaur at the end of a gauntlet? No problem. Simply read a Scroll of Vulnerability to cut that confidence in half, and they will regret ever contemplating hurting a fluffball as adorable as you are. Consider that your Willpower will also be divided by two, which can be problematic if that means a nearby enemy spellcaster can easily land a nasty Paralyze or Banishment on you.

Brainless or artificial enemies (from gently gurgling '''jellies''' to the dreaded '''Orbs of Fire''') have no concept of love, hate or righteousness, and will remain completely unaffected by Anguish. They won't be unaffected, however, by your swarm consuming them.

Seismosaurus Eggs become a DEVOURER OF GODS when put against Anguished enemies, who will be blasted both by the immense guilt of damaging your precious dino-friend, and by the more literal earthquake of bone-breaking rock that will ensue.

I like to put Anguish on my "Q"uiver, and to cast it with "p" right after I have unrolled a batch of summons. 2-3 casts for a single enemy should be your maximum number of attempts - '''do not spend your entire mana bar trying to curse a particularly rebellious specimen'''! You do not want to be left with zero mana - and a very angry reptile in your face - because you tried and failed to curse a Hydra 6 times in a row.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] The Wu Jian council always lectures its followers to "use the enemy's strength against themselves". I try to do the exact same thing, and somehow, now it's "evil" just because it's me doing it? What injustice!}}

'''[[Blink]]''' (Level 2 Translocations) - Ah, yes, it's that one spell which every single DCSS character wants. You are playing a game called DCSS, yes? '''Train Translocations, and set a target to 5.0'''. You'll also need to REMEMBER TO USE IT, which is the worst thing about this spell. I like to bind it to a macro on Spacebar. If the button is bigger, it causes more neurons to fire in my brain. Which makes me actually use Blink when might-hasted Donald is in my face instead of drinking a Potion of Heal Wounds only to get oneshotted immediately afterwards. Remember, this spell has a cooldown of a few turns after use.

===The Wilderness Trinity===

No Death Channel? Kiku isn't feeling the festive cheer and is gifting you utter trash? Try these on for size. I recommend ignoring this section if you have good necromantic spells.

It's called the Wilderness trinity because they all appear in one of the random spellbooks, named the Book of the Wilderness. You may also find them in various other tomes!

'''[[Summon Mana Viper]]''' (LV 5 Hexes/Summonings): It moves fast. It hits hard. It knows how to do nothing except those two things. It also demolishes enemy spellcasters by applying its dastardly antimagic venom on every hit. Does that remind you of anyone? Indeed. This is just like having a Vine Stalker Berserker of Trog by your side. Enjoy. '''Turn on Hexes with a target of 8.0 if you wish to use this spell.''' '''Maximum Summon Capacity: 1.'''

'''[[Summon Forest]]''' (LV 5 Translocations/Summonings): This one requires open space to be cast, which renders it useless in hallways - which the Lair and Mines are interestingly very scarce in. Successfully using this spell results in a maze-like formation of tree-walls, which are ''immune to damage'', ''block Line-Of-Sight'', and ''deal heavy melee damage to nearby foes''. Feel free to run around the maze while pursued by an angry pack of animals - they will simply bring about their doom. If you can keep the dryad alive long enough, snapvine tentacles will eventually start to spawn, which will utterly decimate anything still alive. They also constrict enemies, making them easier to hit by your other summons! If you quiver this spell with "Q", you will be able to see on the sidebar when the spell has enough space to be casted (the text will be coloured). The price for such power? '''Turn on Translocations and set the target to 8.0'''. '''Maximum Summon Capacity: 1.'''

'''[[Summon Cactus Giant]]''' (LV 6 Summ): It's Anguish if it was a living creature. Its role is very similar - stand in hallway, tank hits, eventually destroy the attacker without doing anything. The melee damage of the Cactus Giant is decent, but each hit it receives inflicts heavy reflection damage. It’s perfect to use against those pesky hydras, and should be your go-to 1v1 spell against high damage melee targets. It has a great synergy with a couple of spells:

* Summon Forest: While foes take damage bludgeoning their way through the Giant, they take even more punishment from the berserk trees surrounding them!
* Anguish: Double the reflection damage. Goodbye, melee enemies.
* Martyr's Knell: A twice bigger health pool to apply even more reflection damage throughout its lifespan. Longer duration, more time to regenerate mana, a great opportunity to recast this spell and do it all over again!

'''You will need around Summonings level 14 to use this spell.''' '''Maximum Summon Capacity: 1.'''

===Consolation Prizes===

'''[[Borgnjor's Vile Clutch]]''' (Level 5 Necromancy/Earth) - '''Warning: This is decent, but you can do better. Get the spells above instead if possible.''' It's a beam. It ignores allies. Point, click, and everything in its path that doesn't resist constriction, isn't located on a deep water/lava tile and hasn't sworn allegiance to your indisputable leadership will be irresistibly crushed into a fine paste and denied the ability to move. Resist the temptation to run around going squish-squish-squish on everything you see without casting any other spell - you will demolish a yak pack. You will think to yourself "wow I'm so OP". You will annihilate a hydra. "haha I am unstoppable". You will come face to face with a black mamba. You have no zombie yaks or hydras protecting you because you thought it would be funnier to give a few animals a power massage. You get fully poisoned and die. This spell is a ''complement'', not the main carry. You will need to '''train Earth Magic, and set a target to 6.0'''.

'''[[Martyr's Knell]]''' (Level 4 Necromancy/Summonings) - '''Warning: This is decent, but you can do better. Get the spells above instead if possible.''' Is your wall of undead flesh and soul getting deconstructed too fast by rampaging elephants? Clearly, your makeshift RPG party has too many fighters, and needs a cleric. This poor soul does absolutely nothing except absorb 50% of all damage taken by ''any'' of your allies, trying its best to regenerate away the harm constantly imposed upon it. When it inevitably has its health bar popped like a balloon, it turns into a Flayed Ghost, which splatters blood all over the place and causes a great deal of drama and spectacle. Said Ghost is quite good at fighting (especially in the Lair), but extremely fragile. Therefore, when a Martyr transforms, you may immediately bring out a new one to help protect this Ghost, and that new one will also turn, until you now have 3 Ghosts at the same time and enough blood to receive a lifetime title of honour at your local blood bank. So much for 'evil' magic. There is also a great synergy with Anguish - Martyrs can take a great deal of punishment, which allows for truly great amounts of mirrored damage!

===Wizards' Corner===

If, for some reason, you are completely decked out in Wizardry, Intelligence and yet Kiku is insulting you with its "gifts", you can consider the level 7 dual school Summonings spells ''Malign Gateway'' or ''Sphinx Sisters''. Their other school is, respectively, Translocations and Hexes, which cats both benefit from a +4 aptitude for!

[[#More Tentacles (Summonings)|They are explained more in depth right here]].

=The Necromantic Apex (******)=

'''If you found the Kiku altar later than usual, come back to this section IMMEDIATELY when you reach 6 stars!'''

Alright, this is the big moment. As soon as you are notified with the message:

Kikubaaqudgha will grant you forbidden knowledge.

Immediatately open your 'a'bility menu, and use "Receive Forbidden Knowledge". You will be gifted, every single time, '''Haunt''', '''Infestation''', Borgnjor's Revivification and '''Death's Door'''. Only 3 of these are of interest to this build. I believe you have guessed which ones already.

Infestation and Death's Door will be quite far away from usable status. But, if you have obeyed my every word (I see no alternative), Haunt should be near 45% if you are still in the Lair, or near 30% failure rate if you are in the Mines. Intelligence and Wizardry jewellry helps a ton here. Memorize it as soon as possible - [[#The Velvet Path Begins (First Forbidden Spell)|explanations on how to do so are featured here]].

'''IMPORTANT: Now that you have fully emptied Kiku's warehouse of plentiful gifts, the god now serves only one purpose in life (or rather, unlife): your personal Unearth Wretches spambot.''' Don't believe me? Have a look at the list of offered abilities:

* Torment protection, an almost useless resistance to have, except in the very late-game.
* Death curse protection, an even more useless resistance, only of interest in the Tomb, a super late-game branch.
* The ability to invoke a Sign of Ruin, which burns precious piety stars that could have simply been used to send out an even greater legion of allies.
* Miscast protection, which does not actually block the truly bad part of miscasts - not getting to cast the spell.
* '''The only actually good ability, Unearth Wretches.'''

You will receive no further gifts. Your piety bar serves '''no other purpose besides spamming Unearth Wretches'''. You will only lose Unearth Wretches should you reach the '''minimum''' possible piety level, which is ZERO stars.

From now on, at ANY moment where you feel a challenge is in sight, do the following:

* Make sure your ally-creation buffs are active (Animate Dead and/or Death Channel)
* Unearth Wretches 1 to 3 times in a row, depending on how much assistance you require, and depending on whether the Wretches are dropping plentifully (5 wargs!!!) or are utter trash (is that... a single orc?)

The types of creatures summoned by Unearth Wretches fully depends on which branch you are currently in. That's right - the more OP the enemies are, the stronger this ability becomes. If you use it in Swamp, expect to get a whole bounty of hydrae ready to decimate all opposition. This is why it's unimpressive in the Dungeon - as it can bring out pitifully weak critters from D:1. Now that you actually have Necromancy trained a bit, you might get a cyclops or some centaur warriors, which are interesting enough.

Once you have claimed Forbidden Knowledge, if you have both Animate Dead and Death Channel ready and castable but have not cleared the Orcish Mines yet, you can proceed earlier than usual to the [[#For True Sabretooth Tigers (Annihilating the Slime Pits With A Giga-Army)|great slime raid]]. This is rare, but especially lucky kitties can enjoy an even softer Kiku wrath by switching up the order.

= Pig-People and Pig-Iron (Orcish Mines) =

Clear the Dungeon until you find the entrance to the Mines (it appears on D:9 to D:12) if you haven’t done so already. '''Do NOT descend into the Dungeon any further! You will need these floors to remain unexplored to rank up Jiyva's piety bar later.''' Now, delve into the brown-hued staircase.

Extra spicy death trap welcoming party? Animate Dead, Death Channel, Unearth Wretches. If you have already reached the maximum tier of piety (******), do not hesitate, but if not, use Unearth Wretches only if you need it! Your piety is precious, and (******) should be inching close by now.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Would you look at how good of a boss I am? You get a vacation here. Feel free to take your time here, there is no gem of interest to me in this place.}}

Orcs are not especially renowned for gentles caresses. Especially not the ones with a red danger square around them. In particular, avoid orc knights, warlords, and especially ettins from breathing on your scruff. In the Mines, the popcorn (DCSS term for very easy but numerous foes) is plentiful, and the sources of ranged damage even more so. This means that '''Anguish''' is an absolute star player here, easily beating orcs' pitiful Willpower and generating gargantuan armies of zombies and spectres in tandem with Animate Dead/Death Channel. '''Summon Seismosaurus Egg ''' also excels at thinning out the hordes.

Some notable foes:

* Orc sorcerers make most characters tremble in fear, because they have the overpowered Paralyze spell. You are not most characters. You most likely will not be paralyzed due to your infinite feline self-confidence. What such charisma won't protect you from, however, is a laser beam of pure blazing fire in your face. These (or the darkness damage variant) can twoshot you. They fall quickly to Anguish, but ring-swapping to obtain relevant resistances may prove interesting if you are being threatened.
* Kobold blastminers have a cute little ranged weapon. They like to go pew-pew-pew with it. It doesn't do that much damage. What does do damage, on the other hand, is the titanic cannonball they are packing (Bombard) should you get into semi-close range. Do not walk into a 4-tile radius of these without any ally in between - you will be - you guessed it - twoshotted.
* Orc high priests, and the aforementioned sorcerer can summon some demonic allies. Most are fairly weak, but Soul eaters will constantly smite you for darkness damage from across the screen (rN+ helps) and sixfirhies move at lightspeed and twoshot you with huge lightning damage. Did you know "sixfirhy" were originally named after a cat walking on the keyboard of a DCSS developer? It's true! Anyhow, kill that sorcerer/high priest and their friends will vanish, never to be seen again. Direct your minions to focus fire on these walking YASDs with “t”-“a”. Evokables, like wands, can prove useful for this. Using a staircase will also never have summoned demons follow you through it.
* Obsidian bats are extremely annoying hit and run summoners, kind of like a newly released class with mobility creep from a pay2win game. In all cases, the Seismosaurus is your saviour.

There are many possible layouts in Orc:2 - one in particular is peppered with centaurs of all types, and is extremely risky to clear - make ample use of fog/butterfly scrolls, chokepoints, and corners. A few other layouts will invite the attention of Saint Roka herself, which you should only ever duel when she is alone, as she uses Smite almost every other turn. A Scroll of Vulnerability alongside Anguish redirects those smites back to sender! A particularly entertaining vault is filled to the brim with dozens upon dozens of ogres, and while it's quite terrorizing for most characters, you should laugh it off and collect enough gold pieces to replace the clay pellets in your litterbox - as ogres make for excellent undead.

The more unfortunate among you may also encounter Azrael, or rather, Supreme Turbo Augmented Orc Priest of Mega-Doom. Most of his spells are fairly reasonable and can be tanked by your devoted friends, aside from one: Call Down Damnation. It will not oneshot you, but it can certainly twoshot you, and there is absolutely nothing stopping him from spamming it. The easiest way to deal with him is to sip on a Potion of Invisibility, then command your swarm to delete him as quickly as possible. He is vulnerable to icy damage, so a wand of iceblast tends to explode the last specks in his HP bar if your army found itself insufficient for taking him down. He also has low Willpower, which means the spell that starts with "Ang" and ends with "uish" works tremendously well. Do not even think about using Scrolls of Silence, for all his spells come from his raw, primal hatred of cats incarnated into spheres of blazing fire.

Speaking of the latter, if you have a strong batch of allies, think about using scrolls of Silence! They will render all of the orcish upper caste incapable of blasting you with Beogh's fist, demons or elemental wrath. Even Saint Roka will be forced to rely only on her sword (fair warning: she knows how to use it).

Finally, if you find yourself before a gigantic crowd susceptible to remote detonating you with a one turn quadra-smite, consider a scroll of Immolation. Not only does it score a large quantity of points in the EXPLOSIONS department, killing a single orc with a wand or even having your Inugami detonate on death is bound to wipe out the screen. Of course, refrain from any pyromaniac tendencies if you are adjacent to two or more enemies with Inner Flame. More explosions can be survived with rF+.

Orc:2 is guaranteed to contain at least 4 shops. Unfortunately, we are still in the Fantasy Middle Ages. Big Data and targeted marketing has not been invented yet. Therefore, these dull merchants will, most of the time, try to sell you OP demon swords and crystal plate armours you can't even use. Perhaps, with some luck, a fine librarian fellow will sell you one of those necromantic spells Kiku might have refused to gift to you.

Exercise caution around strange upstairs in Orc:2 marked as unexplored. They tend to lead to tight pockets with a jolly, welcoming community of trolls and orc knights right in your face, and a free ride back to the character selection screen. There is little harm in just checking, but consider if it's really worth trading a potential life for 100 gold on the floor.

===The Velvet Path Begins (First Forbidden Spell)===

With the Mines and Lair standing behind you, it is time to make a choice. But first, allow me to introduce you to the next spell in the roster. You should memorize it as soon as it reaches below 20% failure rate! Not enough spell slots? Use a Scroll of Amnesia and remove Summon Seismosaurus Egg. I believe you must be getting tired of that thing doing absolutely nothing and dying. Call Canine Familiar is also a reasonable candidate. If you have no such scrolls, train Spellcasting - remember, 0.5 skill levels = 1 spell slot.

'''[[Haunt]]''' (Level 7 Necromancy/Summonings) allows you to point and click any foe on your screen to send a squad of undead hitmen after it. They are professionals for three main reasons:

* Punctuality. They immediately spawn in right next to the Creature of Interest.
* Efficiency. Not only do they deal huge damage, they also lock the Creature of Interest in place and dish out Slow and Willpower/2 debuffs like candy. Invisible enemies? They have never heard of such an obstacle.
* Discretion. Once their grisly work is complete, they will swiftly evaporate out of reality, awaiting their next contract. Still, you may occasionally spot them damaging or even slaying some bystanders - can't have the word spreading around, after all.

Beyond the obvious assassination benefits, there are synergies with other necromantic spells as well:

* '''Anguish''': Since Haunt immediately dials up a considerable amount of allies, it's just more hitpoint to feed into the reflect-damage engine.
* '''Borgnjor's Vile Clutch''': Is the Creature of Interest dodging all assassination attempts like the leader of some totalitarian regime? Perhaps they won't be laughing as much once you reduce their Evasion to near zero by applying constriction, thus letting the ghostly specialists carry out their grim task with great ease.

Bind them to the keyboard macro you used for the spell you have forgotten with the Scroll of Amnesia (Ctrl-D to do so). Haunt can have '''up to 8 spectral assassins out at once''', so if one cast didn't bring them all out, you can dial 1-800-KILLTHATDUDE again and tell them to get moving by immediately recasting the spell. There really is no reason to not have these guys out constantly. They do good work, and they only take up 7 mana in pay.

Well. "Only" 7 mana. Is it just me, or these spells sure are getting quite hungry? I mean, all those Anguish casts, summons, self-buffs, and now awesome spectral hitmen? This flimsy mana bar just isn't cutting it.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Well? Look around your library, perhaps I tossed Sublimation of Blood in your general direction. Or perhaps not. I am getting forgetful for my age. Which is many thousand millenias.}}

No, no. That flimsy health bar isn't cutting it either, now is it? Transferring the problem from the blue bar to the green bar isn't going to solve our problems.

{{flavour|[[File:Jiyva altar.png]] ''An oddly inviting, squishy sound resounds through the Dungeon.''}}

=A Divine Heist (God-Swap Explanations)=

Now comes the part where this guide takes a highly controversial strategic choice: preparing to abandon Kikubaaqudgha in favour of Jiyva.

'''(DO NOT DO IT JUST YET!)'''

Abandoning gods in DCSS is, almost always, a poor decision, with rare exceptions. I believe this is one of those exceptions. You should already know by now that Unearth Wretches is Kiku's only good ability. Now let us look at what Jiyva offers:

* Free HP and MP regeneration that is exactly equivalent to wearing, somehow, four amulets of HPRegen and MPRegen at the same time.
* Endless mutation drops, granting boons such as free rF+, free rC+, free AC, free SH or free HP bonuses, all extremely difficult to acquire on a Felid. Press capital 'A' to see your current mutations.
* Instant emergency endgame summons from the Slime Pits when taking sudden, large amounts of damage (also known as "an average day" for a Felid), which can fight and demolish even the strongest foes.
* An active ability that oneshots any melee range living or corporeal undead creature, no questions asked.
* Complete pacification of all gelatinous creatures, some of which count themselves among the most feared foes of DCSS.
* A free rune of Zot.
* rCorr. For free.
* The so-called "downside" of having slurping jellies roam around every level and digest all items they can find - except artifacts, runes and gems -, the vast majority of which you never could use anyhow.

The Slime God has not received the attention of anything sapient in a very long time, and will be overjoyed enough to shower you in piety after just a bit of exploration. I won't lie, it sucks to have some great scrolls be devoured before your very eyes. I judge it to be a small sacrifice compared to-

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Turncoat! Betrayer! You lawless toxoplasmosis-infested flea-ridden fuzz-thing! How dare you suggest abandoning the righteous forces of evil and torture for some first-grader slime making experiments?}}

Right, there's also the whole "divine wrath" thing. Let's unpack this. For the next 5-8 floors, you will have to deal with:

* Occasional Symbols of Torment. These are usually not triggered in dangerous moments, but when they are, enemies are also tormented as if you had just read a Scroll of Torment. In any case, Jiyva's first piety star (*.....) will immediately grant the first rank of their regeneration passive.
* Occasional HP drain. This is a very annoying part. Losing 30 max HP for a short time can hurt, as it's not like you had a lot of the stuff to go around in the first place. Thankfully, you will never lose more than 50% of your max HP. '''This bypasses rN+, do not try to use it to shield yourself.''' Dying as a Felid removes all HP drain.
* Slain enemies will occasionally be revived in undead form. These are generally weak on their own - the more annoying part is that it steals your chance at reanimating them with your own magic. Dispel Undead - a spell which Kiku may have gifted you - makes swift work of the annoying revived undead they keep throwing your way. This is completely optional and I usually don't bother, but it may interest you. It also finds uses against all kinds of standard issue undead enemies, such as bog bodies (Swamp) or Pharaoh Ants (Spider Nest).
* Rarely (5% chance), casting a Necromancy spell will deal a small amount of darkness damage. Mostly harmless, especially if you have rN+, but it can tip you over the edge if you were already almost dead.
* Occasional Doom. This generally means you will be eating 2 to 3 Banes throughout the entire wrath effect. Let's take a look at them.

===Kiku's Troll Carousel (Banes)===

'''Laughed Out Of The Room tier'''

* '''Bane of Heatstroke:''' Oh no! You are rarely slowed from taking fire damage (rare in the early game) when your allies are responsible for 99% of your damage output! No one cares.
* '''Bane of Snow-Blindness:''' Reduces your accuracy when you take cold damage. When was the last time you were waving a stick around or throwing it? Right, in a parallel world when you were stuck as a lesser humanoid.
* '''Bane of Electrospasm:''' Prevents you from moving short time when you take electric damage. Read that again. Prevents YOU from moving. Did it say anything about a crocodile? No? You know what to do.
* '''Bane of Claustrophobia:''' Reduces your melee damage and accuracy when near walls. Hahahaha. Thank you for your time, the door is right there.
* '''Bane of the Reckless:''' Oh no! You have to temporarily swap out your Reflection Amulet for something else that's just as good! Big deal.
* '''Bane of Warding:''' Some enemies are immune to ranged damage. I'll like to see you try to give your zombies a bow.
* '''Bane of the Hunted:''' Summoned enemies appear next to you. Wow, if only we had a spell to deal with the "big dude in my face" problem. Oh right.

'''A Bit Annoying tier'''

* '''Bane of Lethargy:''' You move slower. You have allies to swap with, and your trusty Crocodile. Honestly, I rarely notice it. But when you need to run to the stairs with no mana, it can hurt.
* '''Bane of Stumbling:''' If you move or wait, you have -25 EV. This one is rough as it's the main source of our defense, but there are ways to game it. Casting any spell keeps your EV intact, so Crocodile-chaining is a good way to move around. This might also be an opportunity to use up those hundreds of flame wand charges you might have sitting around.
* '''Bane of Succour:''' Monsters lifesteal from their friends dying. Meh, your swarms are already dishing out much more damage than these "drain tanks" can keep up with, but it does make enemies a bit more tanky in general.
* '''Bane of Mortality:''' When you rest to full HP after fights, reapers come out to gank you like you are playing a MOBA game in the highest leagues. The strategy is the same no matter if this is DotA or DCSS: have space to retreat. Don't wait to regenerate in tight and cramped corridors, and you'll have no problem outrunning their extremely slow speed, with a crocodile if you must.
* '''Bane of Paradox:''' This one will most likely do nothing, but has a small chance of being lethal, so I am placing it in this tier. Rarely, some enemies will have Manifold Assault. Because there are so many weak fools and swarms of puny orcs in the game, this usually is not noticeable. The problem starts if some big shot unique with mega melee damage gets it, which is rare. In that case, imagine you are back in the Dungeon facing centaurs, and do everything in your power to melt them as fast as possible.

'''Pretty Dangerous tier'''

* '''Bane of Multiplicity:''' It's manageable most of the time. It just suuuucks when some ranged cheater or smite spammer has its long lost twin surge out of the earth and destroy you. It thankfully does not last very long. If Rimeblight is up and working, it is awesome at dealing with this problem.
* '''Bane of the Dilettante:''' Temporary -25% Necromancy and Summonings skill. This is painful. The developers want you to "hybridize", but there is no "hybridizing" out of the blessed Velvet Pawed Path. What are you going to do, memorize Plasma Beam? Get real. Anyhow, you should hopefully be still able to use your level 6 and under spells, which are strong enough in their own right. If you feel too weak and have Amnesia scrolls, I suggest temporarily memorizing one of the suggested level 6 and under spells in this guide (Borgnjor's Vile Clutch, Summon Cactus Giant, Summon Forest, Summon Mana Viper) to support you.

As you can see, Banes aren't so bad. Most runs, they just do nothing. Sometimes, they minorly debuff you. Very rarely, they are responsible for losing a single life.

Well, it's up to you to choose now. Will you follow me through this high-risk, high-reward play? I have done god swap dozens of times while playtesting my own guide. I have never once lost a run where I could directly blame Kiku's wrath for my demise. Died once, perhaps. Nothing more.

But don't do it just yet. Keep reading.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] As my employee, your choice is limited here. We have to cut healthcare out of the budget, because you spend way too much company time resting and regenerating. We'll be hooking you up on those experimental slime chemicals from now on. Or honey, if you found that Hive Talisman. Maybe you'll help a breakthrough in pharmaceuticals, once we're done scraping your dissolved remains off the floor.

There is just one problem: that Starry Gem inside the Slime Pits, is extremely tight, at 600 turns! My suggestion: Clean out the Pits anyhow, either diving to the altar if you need one, or simply trying to grab some fresh jellified walking experience potions. Once 100 turns remain on your timer, immediately ascend! You will only be coming back to the Slime Pits after you have obtained the Orb of Zot, which stops all timers.

Of course, if you're running Hive Form, finish the job and get that Gem NOW!!}}

===The Forbidden Kikubeequdgha Build (Staying with Kiku)===

Let's face it: the only reason we are even considering this insane play is because we want more HP and MP regeneration - the kind a mere amulet of mana regeneration doesn't hold a candle to. Jiyva is a reliable way to get boatloads of it, but it's not the ''only'' way.

* Way 1: '''Being a lucky little [EXPLETIVE REDACTED]''': Wow. You got the Amulet of Vitality off of the ground, just like a rich heir of a soup can company inheriting a million dollar portfolio at age 9. You go you. Go win the game, staying with Kikubaaqudgha, and basically having two gods at the same time at no cost to you. I hope your family is very proud of you.
* Way 2: '''THE KIKUBEEQUDGHA ASCENDANCY:''' Welcome, Velvet-pawed initiate. This is the only non-Jiyva path I officially approve of. A Hive Talisman, cranked up to its maximum, provides more HP and MP regeneration than the Amulet of Vitality or even Jiyva. Now, the problem is that it demands industrial quantities of experience poured into Shapeshifting. If you wish to take on this path, here is my suggestion. Raid the Slime Pits as indicated below, without the conversion part, slaying the Royal Jelly and Jiyva for good, and grabbing all the loot. Either get '''Infestation''' below 10% failure rate, or, alternatively, you can rely on the combination of BOTH Animate Dead and Death Channel, if you are willing to make good use of Unearth Wretches. If that is dealt with, turn off every skill except Shapeshifting, setting it to a target of 17. Once Shapeshifting reaches level 15, you can transform into Hive Form, accepting the small HP penalty. Once it reaches 17, stop training it, and pivot back to Necromancy to unlock '''Death's Door'''. Once Death's Door is online, if you want, you can train more Shapeshifting to increase your regeneration further, or [[#Perfection Can Still Improve (Lategame Skills)|follow any of the other late game suggestions]]. An amulet of Wildshape is extremely good for this plan at all stages of its execution, granting a free +5 levels of Shapeshifting.
* Way 3: '''For Scaredy-Cats''': Being content with a mere MP regeneration amulet, or an amulet of HP regeneration, alongside the spell Sublimation of Blood. (If you do the latter, cast it early and often, NOT when you are desperate for mana and NOT when you can't afford to lose the HP. Put it on an easily accessible macro. I like the letter "c".) I mean, you can... ''do that''... I suppose... But don't come mewling to me when you are cornered in the Vaults with 0 MP remaining and no way to cast Death's Door. It's certainly winnable, but you'll be back to playing like a "traditional" Felid - very scared, very methodical, even moreso than you may be playing now. I wrote this guide with the intent of proving things could be different - and I hope you join me in my vision.

No matter your chosen Way, I will continue writing the guide with a Jiyva-swap perspective (with the occasional note). Just remember you have Unearth Wretches on speed dial, and can unleash armies any time some challenge looks remotely capable of instilling anxiety in the heart beneath your fluffy chest. And don't use Sign of Ruin!

===For True Sabretooth Tigers (Annihilating the Slime Pits With A Giga-Army)===

Allow me to divert my attention back to the brave and fearless, which are certainly not those people I was talking to in the "For Scaredy-Cats" section. To convert to Jiyva, you will need a Jiyva altar. Press Ctrl-F, and type "Jiyva". There is a 2/3 chance it spawned in Lair, and an additional small chance it appeared somewhere else.

'''DO NOT CONVERT JUST YET!''' We have 4-6 stars of pure, delicious Kiku juice, and we'd throw all that power away without using it? Come on, now.

Let me introduce you to a true departure from sanity.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUFsbt_5mxY Here is a video demonstration of me doing this.]

Going into the Slime Pits this early in the game is obvious suicide for most characters. Naturally, there is a trick at play:

* Kiku's Unearth Wretches instantly summons neutralized denizens from your current branch to turn into undead.
* Slime undead are extremely strong and plentiful, and their sheer mass protects you from dangerous melee attackers.
* The vast majority of Slime's creatures are exactly that - dangerous melee attackers.

Even if you want to stay with Kikubaaqudgha, I suggest you do this. Don't worry, you'll get your piety back fast after this, even if you drained yourself to zero stars.

Let's review your kit:

* If you have both '''Animate Dead''' and '''Death Channel''', raiding the Pits is very easy, and most importantly will reward you with a waterfall of experience points.
* If you have only '''Animate Dead''', it is slightly harder, as your army will spread in reduced numbers. Do it anyways, but be ready to spam some more Unearth Wretches to compensate.
* If you have only '''Death Channel''', you can have an army of interesting proportions, but you MUST watch your status effect in the sidebar - you do not want it to expire and make all your allies disappear at the most crucial moment. Be ready to recast and spam more Wretches, or to escape upstairs. If your DChan is going dark purple and jellies are all over your screen, it is time to RETREAT.
* '''The Contingency Plan (No Death Channel nor Animate Dead)''': Coming here without '''Infestation''' is suicide. You will need to rush this spell, ''pronto''. Turn off all skills except '''Necromancy'''. Go to the Spiders' Nest or the Snake Pit. (Swamp if you have Summon Forest). Play carefully until you can get a 20% failure rate on Infestation. You are now ready to continue.

Alright. Strap in, we're firing up the Kiku train. Next destination: a place beyond anything resembling sanity.

Stand on top of the Slime Pits entrance. Drink Brilliance, if possible. Cast Animate Dead and Death Channel, whichever you have, hopefully both. Drink Haste, if possible. Go in.

If ANY slimes are on your screen, immediately use Unearth Wretches. Not on the brink of death? Use it again. Again. If you're put against only basic '''Slime Creatures''', a single or two uses of Unearth Wretches can suffice, but any of the Big Ones (see below) warrants immediate firepower in the form of 3+ Unearth Wretches. If the welcoming party looks particularly nasty, FLOOD THE SCREEN.

If you are employing the Infestation method, only use Unearth Wretches twice, considering you'll need a turn to cast Infestation before they decay.

See the five Big Ones below. You do NOT want ANY of these in melee range of you.

* '''Azure Jelly''': A very simple enemy: they have chill-touched pseudopods with unholy damage output, move at the speed of sound and will chop off your health bar into bite-sized cubes. Just like your average DCSS player, they know only two things: moving and melee attacking. It is therefore only right that you grant them the demise an o-tabber deserves - drowned in infinite armies until their hubris finally collapses them into a chilly puddle.
* '''Void Ooze''': Pretty much the same thing. The big twist: letting them caress you will have them flood their slime in every alveoli of your lungs, causing damage over time and silencing you from spellcasting for a few turns. To avoid unpleasant mental imagery, absolutely avoid being touched by them. They also drain mana on hit.
* '''Acid Blob''': It has an acidic bolt, which does not do a ton of damage (in fact, it's the exact same damage numbers as the acid drakes all the way back in the Dungeon...), but it adds up. rCorr, found on the occasional ring or in a Potion of Resistance, can help. It's not usually needed, they get consumed too fast for it to matter. I recommend keeping allies between you and them to block their ranged attacks.
* '''Rockslime''': Another mindless o-tabber, this time with trample flavour. This can cause positioning problems (and death problems, because their damage is obscene). Another reason to NOT LET ANY OF THESE TOUCH YOUR PRISTINE FUR.
* '''Formless Jellyfish''': Easy to consume once your squad is established, but before then, they can teleport behind you (''heh, nothing personnel, kid'') and attack you with the following four debuffs: constriction + paralysis + poison + literally just killing you. These ones are actually not fast, so if you're just waiting for your Wretches to pop or your screen is already filled with spectres and/or zombies, feel free to swap with an ally or use Eringya's Surprising Crocodile to exit melee range of them.

'''If a dangerous slime gets into melee range''': If your wretches have popped, swap places with any of your now extremely numerous servants. If you can find a good angle, use Eringya's Surprising Crocodile. Otherwise, if you are still over 80% HP and are just waiting for your wretches to transform into allies, feel free to risk a step or two until it will become possible to hide behind your fresh batch of undead. If you are truly caught off-guard, a Scroll of Butterflies or Blinking will certainly pull its weight otherwise. For more risky options, try a scroll of Summoning or a potion of Haste, which will let you outrun any slime '''except Void Oozes'''. DO NOT WASTE TURNS TAKING STEPS WITHOUT HASTE IF YOU HAVE NO ARMY YET. Unearth Wretches will create a protective wall of paralyzed gelatin, preventing nearby slimes from reaching you - and this is even safer if you are currently hasted or the slimes are asleep.

This is also why we trained Stealth earlier - this makes it much more likely that you will be able to draw your gelatinous horde from the ground while the acid blobs next to you are dreaming about soft and sweet sugary desserts instead of twoshotting you.

Slime Pits floors are small and compact - simply run around and completely annihilate all that jiggles and squishes with your personal militia until you find the downstairs. Did it get wiped out, either from you only having Death Channel or just the constant barrage of acid melting your jelly zombies into rotting puddles? Are more jellies breaching your diminishing defenses. '''Cast Animate Dead/Death Channel again. Send more Wretches.''' Once a floor is cleaned up, go downstairs.

If you want to maximize experience gain, look for upstairs with little yellow stars - they will have more gelatin to push through your Kiku-compactor. The Slime Pits has a disconnected layout, a bit like the Orcish Mines.

You will want to watch out for '''glass eyes''' and '''eyes of devastation''' - the former can place a debuff on you that increases all damage taken, which allows the latter to oneshot you with an ally-piercing bolt if the dice are feeling particularly evil. They should be focused first with 't'-'a'. '''Acid blobs''' also have a corrosive (but NOT ally-piercing) bolt, though it is not as scary, especially with a ring of corrosion resistance. You'll always want to have allies blocking Line-of-Sight with '''great orbs of eyes''', who can ''deny you use of all your spells through polymorph'' should they ever land their dastardly hexes on you!

'''Golden eyes''' can also get annoying - should they start giving you an extremely lengthy Confusion debuff, long enough for you to switch to a different tab, watch a few movies and come back, you'll want to drink a potion of Curing if dangerous slimes are exploiting this opportunity to sneak up on you. Watch out, if many Golden eyes are on screen, they might refresh the Confusion the moment you drink your potion! If you are entering a new floor, preparing to bring forth your army, and there are golden eyes alongside dangerous slimes, I recommend trying a different staircase entirely if possible - instant confusion and getting collapsed on by oozes is a death sentence.

As for '''Shining eyes''', they do zero damage, but their gaze will nastily violate basic biological knowledge, and rearrange your muscles to shrink in mass (?), make your meows as loud as the Tsar Bomba (??), or even warp your brain in such a way that it will randomly distort spacetime and bring you into the nearest death trap (???). As your feline body is already perfect in every way, any change would be a net downgrade. However, unlike you, your obedient units are not as feline and fluffy, and therefore would greatly benefit from a few minor readjustments. Leave them to be warped into pulsating flesh masses, shielding you from the mutagenic radiation - if the Shining Eye couldn’t fire a Magic Dart at you, you are safe. If you do eat a Malmutation, Jiyva will likely cure you once you receive your 3-stars mutation gift - but you can just drink a couple of Mutation potions until then.

* If the Jiyva altar did not spawn, your goal is to reach Slime:5 as fast as possible. That is where the guaranteed Jiyva altar is (there might be a rare one on the upper floors - convert there once your piety bar has been fully expended!)
* If it did spawn, you can stay here for as long as you want, ascending back to the surface once your Kiku oxygen tank is running dry. You might still be interested in reaching Slime:5, if only for the vast concentration of enemies and resulting experience. Or if you are going all in with your Hive talisman, with full commitment to Kiku.

Final floor? You know what to do. Pre-cast those spells before going down. Unearth Wretches. Get that army in working order. '''WARNING:''' If you have rolled the Slime:5 layout where there are many little square chambers interconnected by 1 tile hallways, this place becomes highly deadly, as it is very hard to actually get your army to do their grisly work with all these suffocating chokepoints. Do NOT try to clear this floor if you are not seeking the altar. If you are, be HIGHLY cautious.

'''If you are looking for the Jiyva altar''': Read a scroll of Revelation on Slime:5. Don't have it? Tough luck, you'll have to manually explore to find the altar. It's usually somewhere close to the centre. If you do have it, press capital 'X', and survey the map for an "unknown altar" icon. That's your destination. Get moving. Converting to Jiyva instantly renders the entirety of the Slime Pits completely harmless. You just need to get to that altar, and you'll have succeeded. Is it utterly swarmed and blocked by slimes of many nutritious flavours? Is your army dying at the final stretch? That's what those Scrolls of Blinking are for. Yes, blink on top of the altar, even if it's surrounded by deadly enemies. One turn is all you need. Don't worry, your army won't go hostile. Even though you just angered the god of Necromancy itself.

'''About the Royal Jelly''': Command your army with 't'-'f' (or 't'-'a' on something else) to NOT ATTACK IT. (Unless you are running the Hive Talisman). Not only does it spawn horrible amounts of OP slimes when it takes damage (which are worth 0 experience), it will also destroy all Jiyva altars if you somehow manage to kill it with your army of gelatinous doom. Which is surprisingly likely. If you have pulled it in and find your squad getting progressively mowed down by a wide variety of digestive enzymes, consider using a Scroll of Teleport, or retreating upstairs and using a different downstairs. You'll have to ignite a new army with some extra Kiku stars, but it will "park" the Royal Jelly on that other end of the level so you can safely access the Jiyva altar.

Of course, if you are staying with Kikubaaqudgha and are doing the dive, feel free to take no prisoners, splatter honey-coloured goo all over the Pits, and smash and grab that loot.

{{flavour|[[File:Jiyva altar.png]] Jiyva gurgles in joy at your terrifying pilgrimage all to worship them (even though you just murdered half their followers and turned them to undead servants).}}

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] You know, I was kind of hoping this would happen. It's been a while since I had the fun of smiting a mortal with horrible, debilitating dark curses.}}

You should only come back here once you reach maximum piety with Jiyva - ****** - to unlock all the delicious loot.

The way back up will be peaceful and of utmost serenity. Surely Kiku's wrath will be a nice, relaxing affair after going through this.

=All That Squiggles, Splashes and Slithers (S-Branches)=

'''Only if you already finished raiding the Slime Pits:''' clear the last floors of the Dungeon, allowing you to obtain Jiyva piety and experience Kiku's wrath in a relatively safe environment. "Relatively", because there are probably centaur warriors prowling about with digusting amounts of ranged damage. Animate Dead. Death Channel. Anguish. Deadly armies. You know the drill.

You'll also find the Vaults entrance on D:13 or D:14, with its signature swarm of human guards decked out in tons of metal. Perhaps they should have thought about protecting the inside of their skulls as well, as they are very vulnerable to Anguish.

'''If you are still with Kiku, waiting for your Infestation to become castable so you can raid the Pits:''' do NOT clear the lower Dungeon yet - once Kiku juice has been exhausted, you will want a safe area to start getting your first Jiyva stars and work off the first instances of Kiku's wrath in an environment you are overleveled for. Leave it for AFTER the S-Branches.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] That Smoky Gem is down there, in D:15! If you did things properly, grabbing it shouldn't be too hard. What's harder is keeping it intact. Try to have at least 800 turns remaining when you collect it! And as for D:11-D:15, don't explore more than half of each floor, except on D:13-D:14, where you'll want to find the Vaults entrance, and get moving again immediately afterwards!}}

You'll want to visit the S-Branches in this order:

Spider Nest > Swamp > Snake Pit > Shoals

This is roughly how much each of these branches hate cats, from easiest to most lethal. In the former two, there is less ranged damage and more hordes to turn into highly efficient undead. Meanwhile, the Snake Pit is full of Naga Sharpshooter aimbot hackers, giga-flame-smite Salamander Tyrants, and the unique Vashnia, queen of ridiculous felid two-shots. Not to mention that some nagas actually have some Willpower to resist Anguish, unlike the animalistic and weak-willed creepy-crawlies. As for the Shoals, it leaks deep water everywhere to make things as difficult as possible for your army, and its denizens will endlessly throw sharp things at you, sometimes piercing through your entire squad.

Ironic, considering that most DCSS characters tend to fear spiders much more than snakes.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] If you chose the honey-flavoured part of our treatment plan, with Unearth Wretches, getting those Gems will be extremely easy. If not, only slightly harder. That doesn't mean it's another vacation! Once again, explore only about half of each floor, except the fourth and final one, where you'll probably have to spend a lot of time clashing your hordes against the final vault guardians and looking for that Gem. Oh, and a rune, too. But that one isn't that important, now is it? If you have leftover time when going up, you can full-clear the first floor, it's not like we'll be coming back here anyhow.}}

Let's get started. Do not Ctrl-G into the branch - you'll arrive there weak and unprepared, and if there is a welcoming party at the entrance, you are likely to have roughly the entire medical history of poisoning injected in your bloodstream as you sit there and get pwned. Instead, Ctrl-F for the entrance gate in Lair, and stand on top of it. Cast your self-buffs - Animate Dead and Death Channel. Good. Now, you can actually go down.

Assuming you are now with Jiyva, plentiful regeneration, obtained from your very first Jiyva star, allows you to spam Haunt, Borgnjor's Vile Clutch, Anguish and perhaps Infestation/Rimeblight to your heart's content to spark a flame of subservience in the first members of your army. Don't forget to pre-cast Animate Dead/Death Channel before each staircase!

Annoyed by missing out on Animate Dead/Death Channel? Or perhaps you have both and still desire more power? Allow me to introduce you to the apotheosis of ally-creation spells:

'''[[Infestation]]''' (Level 8 Necromancy) is, if you were unlucky and failed to find Animate Dead, your salvation. If you do have it, it's still your salvation, because this spell creates Death Scarabs from the bodies of '''any''' slain enemy (INCLUDING undead and nonliving beings, but except summoned foes and Kiku wrath simulacra/spectres - zombies are fine), '''bypassing Animate Dead''' (no zombie and scarab from the same slain foe!). What is a Death Scarab? Why, nothing short of a star resident of the branch which terrorizes 15 rune DCSS characters the most - the dastardly Tomb of the Ancients. Let's check those stats out:

* Moves and attacks faster than light itself. To be precise, every single time you get a turn, they get three.
* Irresistible Slow debuff on hit.
* Tons of damage.
* Unfortunately very low HP. Thankfully, they are easy to produce in industrial quantities.

Infestation is a point-and-click ability, in a 5x5 square (If you're waiting for this spell to go raid the Slime Pits: Unearth Wretches is also a 5x5 square - cast Infestation on top of yourself after Unearth Wretches for immensely impressive results!). The game makes it quite obvious. Like its point-and-click cousin Haunt, you'll be spamming this one a lot. Use a Scroll of Amnesia, forget one of your old starter Summoning spells, and bind the macro to Infestation instead!

Ideally, you'd get 2-3 from your first fight on a new floor. Take them for a pack walk (don't autoexplore). When a new foe comes into view and they immediately charge towards it, cast Infestation again, and so on, gradually turning the entire floor population into scarabs. Unfortunately:

Your death scarab crumbles into dust!

Their lifespan is... limited. Certainly more impressive than Death Channel, but limited nonetheless. Once you have drawn the first blood, ''you need to keep the killstreak coming''. If you have won a fight, and are now accompanied by invertebrate friends, it is YOUR time to start prowling about the level like some bloodthirsty, horrible beast for fresh scarab meat. Haunt. Infestation. Haunt. Infestation. Executed correctly, these two spells combined can clear any floor that isn't the Realm of Zot or an extended endgame floor. Most importantly, unless you are on the brink of death, you should not be constantly waiting in place twiddling your paws until your HP and MP thresholds get to 100% - your scarabs will just get bored of your lack of courage and evaporate out of reality.

'''[[Rimeblight]]''' (Level 7 Ice/Necromancy) is an equally strong addition to your kit, which you should consider welcoming into your repertoire. It's a lot of slots - you probably can't allow this and Borngjor's Vile Clutch/a big Summonings spell to coexist, so choices will have to be made. This spell is good at both taking out lone OP foes and bundled up living, demonic or holy creatures - for the real star of the show are the infectious explosions. Cast it on the least resilient foe that is closely bundled together with other creatures (each death causes the disease to spread further), and then forget about it and use your other spells. It will get the job done. Feel free to combine it with Gell's Gravitambourine for even less social distancing! You should also know that it executes living/demonic/holy monsters with 20% HP or less, so, if some ubermensch has only a few pixels remaining on its health bar and is destroying you, cast Rimeblight for a guaranteed takedown. if '''Training Ice Magic to level 9 is recommended.'''

'''After clearing the first S-Branch''': Check the success rate of '''Death's Door''' in your (M)emorization menu. If you are stacked with Wizardry/Intelligence buffs, it might be below 50%. Or not. That's fine too. You'll still want to start making room for it.

'''Start training Spellcasting to receive just enough slots to add it (0.5 level = 1 spell slot!), or use Scrolls of Amnesia on starter Summonings spells to free up slots.'''

If you make room to add it while clearing the second S-Branch AND the failure rate is below 50%, keep in mind this spell is utterly overpowered and will save even the most desperate situations. More on that later, but it might actually be worth gambling on if your other options aren't looking too good. Watch out: if you miscast it, it will likely just finish you off you with ~20 darkness damage. Until it reaches less than 20% failure rate, it's a last resort. LAST RESORT. Now is not the time to "save blinking scrolls for later". NO. YOU WON'T NEED THEM ANYMORE WHEN YOU HAVE IMMORTALITY ON SPEED DIAL.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Swamp/Shoals are super tight on time. Clearly, management thought the less turns employees spend in these places, the better. Typical ivory tower fools. Anyhow, when you find a normal staircase and the surroundings are clear and safe, just go down. You'll need a bit more time than you think to tackle those hydra parties and javelineer shooting ranges on the last floor!}}

===Angry Death-God Interdimensional Hunt (Monitoring Kiku's Wrath)===

If you'd like to check how long you'll still have to deal with Kiku's wrath, press, in this order, '?'-'/'-'g'-'k'. There are five tiers:

*"Kiku's wrath is upon you!" (> 75%)
*"Kiku well remembers your sins." (> 50%)
*"Kiku's wrath is beginning to fade. (> 25%)
*"Kiku is almost ready to forgive your sins." (< 25%)
*"Kiku is neutral towards you." (0%)

Once you reach the final tier, you are finally free, and will be able to fully enjoy necromantic magic with glorious slime-powered regeneration for the rest of the run!

Kiku will probably forgive you sometime around the S-Branches. At last.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Whatever. You're boring. If you need me, I'll be over here. On my throne of skulls. Watching slasher flicks. I'll especially not be watching your run, waiting for the moment you splat so I can cackle evilly at my indirect revenge. I would never do that. That sounds like something Zin would do.

But enough talk about using my stolen gifts. Let's finish you off.}}

===They Bite, They Fight, They Rot (Spider Nest)===

If you have rolled this branch, you have been granted the Necromancy-special easy mode midgame. Despite what you may think, rPois isn't actually that important with this build, because the assorted venomous bites won't actually be able to reach you if you play correctly. Let's get cracking.

* '''Meliais''' are as horrifying as they were in the lower parts of the dungeon, and should be dealt with as swiftly as possible - note that their willpower is very fragile when faced with a scion of the One True Pillow-Pawed race, which makes them vulnerable to Polymorph/Charm wands or Anguish.

* '''Spark Wasps''' can pull off anime "teleports behind you" moves with extreme electric damage. They must be Anguished on sight. Haunted. Borgnjor's Vile Clutched. I don't care. Each turn those blue pixels exist on your screen, you are increasing the likelihood that you'll lose the run and be forced to go do something productive instead. We don't want that, now do we?

* '''Orb Spiders''' are highly annoying pests that will challenge you to a game of dodgeball without consent. The ominous purple Orbs of Destruction they will hurl at you inflict extreme, potentially oneshotting, undodgeable damage, and should be avoided at all costs. The easiest way to neutralize them is to have any creature eat the Orb for you - enemies work too, but the most reliable choice is any allied unit. A simple use of your Blink cantrip can also save your scruff, but do mind the heat-seeking properties of Orbs in open spaces, and be ready to Blink a second time.

* '''Broodmothers''' are nasty and will challenge you to a Zotémon duel, and they're a big fan of the Poison Type. Do remind them that Poison attacks on Ghost types are Not Very Effective. If you need to reach them from behind their wall of allies, use Borgnjor's Vile Clutch or Haunt.

* '''Xak' Krixis''', a unique boss, can turn all of your poison into instant damage. Do not hold back on the armies against this one. And ring-swap to rPois. Or drink a Potion of Resistance. He is also quite vulnerable to Anguish. No rPois? At the very least, do anything to avoid standing within 2 tiles of the imminently exploding prisms.

* You don't want anything in this branch to be adjacent to you, but you especially don't want '''Radroaches''' adjacent to you. Enough said.

* '''Ghost Moths''' are the signature enemy of this branch that gets the DCSS community trembling in fear, mainly because of their undodgeable, point-and-click gaze instantly deleting your entire MP bar. Do note that the DCSS community is also filled with fans of conjurations and blaster spells. As a proper gentlefeline, your much more subtle and intellectual magic isn’t limited to the turn it was cast. Casting Haunt once on one is pretty much a guarantee that it will die (if the spectres can reach it). If they are ruining your day, a Potion of Invisibility will shut down their mana-draining ability.

Also, they are invisible. But the feline master race has little patience for such trivialities. You won't even notice. Just don't be surprised if your scarabs/zombies are ignoring them.

{{flavour|[[File:Jiyva altar.png]] Jiyva gurgles inquisitively, wondering how ghost moths reproduce if they can't see invisible, but are invisible themselves. }}

===Realm of the Aimbot Hackers (Snake Pit)===

Ready for some Counter-Strike action? Get to Site Snake:4 before the counter-terrorists eliminate your entire squad. Unfortunately, you have been placed in the cheaters' queue, and everyone here is using hacks and scripts.

* '''Naga sharpshooters''' are the main culprits. Not only do they have OP bows, they also have a spell that lets them teleport the arrow directly on top of you, bypassing your entire army AND reducing your chance to dodge it. They come in groups, too, which means you could be walking around and suddenly start getting plowed by sharp sticks appearing out of thin air. Because this isn't difficult enough, they have enough Willpower to resist Anguish and other hexes quite efficiently (though insistent casters may eventually curse them). A Scroll of Vulnerability helps if there are many on your screen. Most wisely, however, I suggest you avoid having too many on your screen at once, and make use of doors and chokepoints to secure a place where you can safely dump Haunt and Borgnjor's Vile Clutch on them one by one.

* '''Vashnia''' is the queen of the hackers, doing exactly the same thing as them but with bigger damage. And another hack that lets her teleport so you can't escape as easily. I've reported her to the DCSS admins numerous times, but she still hasn't gotten banned. If you've been saving your Scrolls of Vulnerability, this is the time to use them.

* '''Salamander tyrants''' are rare, but CAN ONESHOT YOU ON SIGHT WITH A POINT-AND-CLICK ABILITY. This is one of the extremely rare cases where you can literally just take a step and instantly die (assuming you lack rF+). As soon as one appears on your screen, you MUST take action immediately, through one of the following:
** Ring-swap to Fire Resistance.
** Drink a Potion of Resistance.
** Drink a Potion of Invisibility.

They are weak to Anguish and will likely get a taste of their own oneshot medicine once they are cursed. Assuming you survive, that is.

* '''Guardian serpents''' have the infamous ability to teleport their entire squad on top of you, which is an immediate critical emergency if it happens. Thankfully, you have loyal allies to take up space - yet another reason to always try to keep yourself surrounded and loved by your mindless thralls. Immediately consider the Blink spell or a Blinking scroll if you are caught off-guard.

* '''Naga ritualists''' have varied point-and-click poison abilities which aren't that threatening, but add up if you leave them alive for too long. Ring-swapping to rPois is useful, but barring, that, try to Haunt/Borgnjor's Vile Clutch them first.

* '''Nagaraja''' have all kinds of toxic-chemical flavoured conjurations comparable to Arachne's, and your 3 AC, no rPois scruff is not exactly the definition of a hazmat suit. Avoid having no allies blocking their line of fire (those poison arrows hurt!) and, if you cannot ring-swap poison resistance, expect to require Curing potions should their ally-piercing bolt of poison hit you.

* '''Shock serpents''' have an ally-piercing electrical bolt - not oneshot material by any means, but repeated hits will hurt. They have a permanently active damage-reflection effect electrocuting all which damage it in melee. The answer? Anguish - they hit your ally, they take Anguish damage from this, your ally hits them, they take more damage, your ally is electrocuted, the serpent takes even more Anguish damage. Don't try to wrap your head around it, just oneshot them with this technique.

===Grand Oneshot Fiesta (Swamp)===

This one is interesting, because most enemies here have ridiculous damage, but little ways of actually reaching you to apply it. It was already important before, but it is EXTREMELY important here to keep yourself surrounded by a cocoon of cold, well-meaning hugs from your assorted undead. Leaving your frail and vulnerable body exposed is opening the door to getting oneshotted by the extremely high damage hydrae, bunyips, alligators, will-o-wisps... Well, they actually have to do the effort of walking towards you to kill you (except the will-o-wisp). Which makes this place much better than Shoals in my book.

* '''Eleionoma''' are an exception to this rule, and are also complete bullshit. I don't like swearing in my guides, but these ones deserve it. Their signature spell, Splinterspray, has huge range and deals up to 72 damage. A dull-witted minotaur may say, "they aren't that bad, I just tab them with my axe". Well, dear bovine comrade, Splinterspray has its damage negated ''3 times in a row'' by your AC score. This means their existence is basically an insult to Felids in particular. Suffer not a single one to live. The counterplay? A ring of +4 Protection is worth a quick-swap when they are around, as it translates to a +12 AC bonus against this attack due to the multiplier. Because these aren't OP enough, they also giga-self heal when they touch trees. Just drop a fat Haunt or drown them in undead on sight, the less seconds they breathe, the better.

* '''Swamp Worms''' are pretty harmless on their own, but they can shoot a beam that pulls the first entity hit into melee range of them. If you let them get a clear shot, you can get extracted from your massive army into a death trap. Mind the gaps in your formation.

* '''Bloated husks''' just run at you doing nothing and explode in a 5x5 area when they die.. Aside the fact that this can make them deal huge damage to your army, it will, on average, take out half of your entire HP bar every single time if you get caught in the blastzone.

* '''Will-o-wisps''' endlessly churn out drones to seek and destroy you with huge fire damage. This will be blocked by allies, and Haunting them is highly wise. If you are exposed to their antics, though, consider ring-swapping to obtain rF+.

* '''Swamp dragons''' are not very dangerous, aside from the fact that they place disgusting green poison clouds all over the place. Got stuck in the chemical spill? Ring-swap to rPois, and you can immediately shut off every neuron in your brain that had registered their existence. No rPois? A potion of Resistance does the same thing. Otherwise, a potion of Curing heals all poison, but it won't help if you just get poisoned again by the cloud on the same turn. Focus on getting out, by walking, using the Blink spell or even a precious Blinking scroll if it truly matters.

* '''Shambling mangroves''' have a point-and-click constrict. It's kind of like the Borgnjor's Vile Clutch you may have chosen to obtain, but with even less counterplay. It ends when they perish, so hit them back with your own flavour of point-and-click, known as Haunt or Borgnjor's Vile Clutch.

* '''Goliath frogs''' and '''Spriggan riders''' have reach (polearm) attacks. Don't just stand there 2 spaces away while they ignore your allies and prepare themselves a fine feline brochette.

* Needless to say, don't let '''hydrae''' touch you. ESPECIALLY not the rare one with 27 heads.

===I Swear You Had A Health Bar A Second Ago, Must Be Seeing Things (Shoals)===

Ah yes, welcome to the funhouse of doom. You don't really need any specific resistances in this place, just go full-on Wizardry and Intelligence so things perish as fast as possible. I like Acrobat and Reflection amulets to reduce slightly the vast number of sharp objects moving quickly in your general direction. Ring-swapping into Flight, or drinking a Potion of enlightenment is also potentially interesting when you need to move over water for tactical reasons.

* '''Merfolk javeliners''' can Alt-F4 your health bar when they feel like it. Their sole purpose in life is to pick up sticks of metal and throw them at you, doing gargantuan damage in the process. Because it wasn't hard enough, they occasionally carry the silver variant of their javelins, which deals bonus damage to the heavily mutated. Because Jiyva has probably made you look like [https://raw.githubusercontent.com/crawl/crawl/master/crawl-ref/source/dat/tiles/title_froggy_jiyva_felid.png this] by now, this will hurt. A couple casts of Anguish will usually curse them (causing a massive pile of exclamation points in the message log when they throw their javelin through your undead army). An Amulet of Reflection or of the Acrobat will also come a long way towards putting the odds in your favour - I'd recommend walking around with one already equipped while in the Shoals.

* '''Satyrs''' are pretty much the exact same thing, but at least, they can't pierce through your allies freely. Let your servants die in your name!

* '''Water nymphs''' have a disgustingly powerful point-and-click "boom! you take 3 million damage!" ability. However, they can only use it if you are standing on a water tile. If one is on your screen, avoid water as much as possible - and don't let that Nymph get close, as they constantly leak the stuff everywhere they go. Nice try, but Flight won't save you.

* '''Wind drakes''' also have a "boom!" point-and-click, but this one instead relies on you being surrounded by empty tiles, just like the slug mage Gastronok. Another reason to keep your army close.

* '''Merfolk impalers''' and '''Alligator snapping turtles''' both have "reach" (polearm) melee attacks from 2 spaces away. They also deal giga-damage. Don't ever let them get a hit off.

=Crossroads of Immortality (The Ultimate Spell)=

You've made it. Ascension is at hand - or rather, at paw. Behold - the '''Velvet-Pawed Path to Immortality'''. A level 9 spell, ranked among the legends of Polar Vortex, Shatter, Dragon's Call, Fire Storm...

"How much damage does this one do", you ask yourself, trembling in excitement.

Zero, actually. To your enemies, that is.

'''[[Death's Door]]''' (Level 9 Necromancy), on a successful cast, will immediately nuke your (already minuscule) HP bar, always setting it to around 10-20 HP points remaining. This will never directly kill you.

Not off to a good start, are we? The important part: '''for the next 12-25 turns (it's technically 10-27, but the extremes are unlikely), you CANNOT die through ANY means, and this buff CANNOT be removed.''' Picture this: while it is active:

* HP is an illusion.
* AC is an illusion.
* EV is an illusion.
* SH is an illusion.
* Elemental resistances? You guessed it - an illusion.

Do you see what I see? An eloge to felinekind. A loveletter. An enchantment which takes away all that makes them bad, leaving only the good. ''Every'' other species in DCSS is (rightfully) TERRIFIED of this spell, because when it ends, they will still be left at 10-20 HP, ready to be oneshotted by the tickling touch of a feather and rocketed back to the character selection screen. But cats know no such weaknesses, for they alone know the bony touch of oblivion all too well, and can ''respawn'' after even Death's Door proves ineffective at saving their lives. It's not like having 17 HP is that different from having 103, after all.

This means that you, dear reader, can afford to be '''extremely''' proactive in using this thing.

Picture the following scenario: going about your usual murderous business, some ranged cheater takes out 40% of your HP in a single attack, leaving you at 60%.

* Scenario 1: "Hey, I still have most of my health, it's fine."
** Assuming you dodge reliably, how long do you think you could actually stay alive if that foe just refused to die and kept pelting you? 12 turns, at most?
** That's assuming you dodge reliably, anyhow. You might just die next turn.

* Scenario 2: Cast Death's Door NOW!!
** You now have exactly 12-25 turns in which you have absolute certainty that death is impossible.
** You can forget entirely about cowardly tactics such as "hiding behind allies" or "ring-swapping", and dedicate all resources to making sure that enemy is no longer on your screen by the end of the time period, whether through escape or murder.
** If the screen is PACKED, you can drink a potion of attraction, then read a scroll of immolation as a home-made nuclear detonation device.
** You can just walk into melee range of hasted Ancient Liches and start blasting them with Dispel Undead.
** You can drop 10 Haunts on a single OP unique while you stand there motionless eating 100 melee damage per turn like some immovable object. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifB662xOZTw This is probably how it looks.]
** You can read Teleportation Scrolls and just casually wait and look at your own claws, wondering if feline manicure is a thing, while some Spriggan Berserker is furiously swinging its axe into your scruff over and over.
** You can casually approach any living or corporeal undead creature, (no demons or nonliving enemies allowed! Nice try, but Orbs of Fire count as nonliving.) invoke Slimify from your (a)bility menu (after 4 **** Jiyva stars), and melee attack until you oneshot them.

Embrace the power. Cleanse yourself of fear. Unlearn your preconceptions. Forget your Minotaur instincts. There is Life, there is Death, and there is You, standing perfectly still at the line in between. This is your feline destiny.

Death's Door goes through a cycle:

You stand defiantly in death's doorway! You seem to hear sand flowing through an hourglass...

The spell just started, and the timer is engaged. (White "DDoor" status in the sidebar)

Your time is quickly running out!

Don't freak out. That actually just means it's about halfway done. You still have time. But if the whole "murder" angle is not looking good, start plotting your escape now. (Gray "DDoor" status in the sidebar)

Your life is in your own paws again!

If you did not plan this out correctly, this is the part where they kill you. Because the invincibility just ran out. And you have 12 HP. Death's Door will go on cooldown (Yellow -DDoor in the sidebar) for the surprisingly short duration of 1-3 turns, so you cannot immediately recast it to protect yourself. Shoutout to the developers for recently changing this to say "paws" and not "hands" for Felids specifically!

You step away from death's doorway.

Death's Door is ready to be used again. Many times, I have managed to recast the spell while still engaged in combat, just because I had retreated safely into the middle of my army, or because I had an all-skill-no-luck EV dodge of a ranged attack that should have killed me. In that case, you simply get the 12-25 turns of invincibility all over again.

A note: Potions of haste are ridiculously strong in tandem with Death's Door. They effectively lengthen the duration by 33%. For the same reason, being Slow in Death's Door is terrible, as it shortens the duration by 33%. As expected, Haste and Slow cancel each other out.

Got slots? Or you will in the future? Consider the following:

'''[[Passwall]]''' (Level 3 Earth) is a so-called "escape" spell that has the bad habit of killing its users while they are charging it up. When used on a nearby wall, it renders you unable to act for a few turns as you fixate the stone with extreme intensity that leaves your enemies concerned about you. They will try to prod you to snap you out of it. If you aren't dead by the end of this phase, you will - it's literally in the title - pass through the wall and arrive on the other side. You can see where this is going - cast Death's Door, and you can now escape through any common wall (not the indestructible ones) with zero risk. Even though the magic school on this isn't your forté, it's so low level you can probably already cast it with your vast levels of Spellcasting. Maybe get '''4 levels of Earth''' for good measure if you don't already have them.

Here's another suggestion:

'''[[Dispel Undead]]''' (Level 4 Necromancy) is the least complicated of all dark spells. Walk up to melee range of some rotting fool, press it, blast them with huge (3d31 at max damage, comparable to a Lehudib's Crystal Spear), unavoidable, defense-bypassing pure damage. Flavour-wise, your dark research has come to teach you the invisible forces holding together a corpse which shouldn't be animated, and the ways to unravel them. More creatures are undead than you may think:

* Bog bodies from the Swamp.
* Pharaoh ants from the Spider Nest.
* Laughing, Curse and Weeping Skulls in the deep Dungeon and/or Crypts.
* Any Player Ghost in the Necropolis.
* Any creature reanimated by a deep elf death mage's lost souls.
* Death scarabs from the Tomb. You might have encountered some early in the Spider Nest, or after "accidentally" blasting your Infestation scarabs with, say, a scroll of immolation and turning them hostile.
* Curse toes and Death cobs from the Realm of Zot, the final stop of your grand pillow-pawed journey.
* Deadly uniques such as Jory, Boris, Nobody, or Khufu.
* Any zombies/spectres/simulacra, either natural or reanimated by Kiku's malice.

= Knife-Eared Folks and their Floating Knives (Elven Halls) =

This next area is completely optional-

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] No, it's NOT. Get that Shimmering Gem, PRONTO!! Great, another one of these places where you dilly-dally thinking it will be fine only to spend a thousand turns running away in fear from reality-shattering archmagi on the final floor. Do this one just like the second S-Branch - use SAFE staircases, which have no enemies around them, IMMEDIATELY, and dedicate all your effort and care to looting that Elf:3 fortress!}}

-but I encourage you to clear at least the first two floors to acquire bonus experience, and polish up your Death's Door. At this point, '''you should only be training Necromancy and have no Kiku wrath remaining.''' Possibly Shapeshifting if you still need that Hive Talisman. Maybe Spellcasting if you are desperate for slots. Because SOMEONE has been eating all the Amnesia scrolls.

{{flavour|[[File:Jiyva altar.png]] A distant sound of paper being dissolved in acid echoes through the Elven Halls.}}

The Elves haven't been hitting the gym. Their muscles are weak, because they play DCSS all day. When you drain all that education out of their skulls by turning them to zombies, they do almost nothing except contribute their hitpoints to the Anguish fund. We do not want this. We want OP scarabs. Spam Infestation left and right on these fools. Even the dancing weapons.

A death scarab bursts out of the +4 trident of felid slaying!

How does that even work? Whatever. Let's talk timed portals. Semi-rarely, you may find:

* The "crackle of arcane power". Wizard Laboratories are pocket-sized adventures ranging from litterboxes of loot to death traps. If I were you, I'd avoid Tukima's Studio, unless having a clone of yourself spam Haunt on you while OP floating books with 100 damage crystal spears pwn you sounds funny. The rest should be fine. Watch out for Doroklohe’s Tomb, it will appear to be safe then jumpscare you with tons of endgame mummies or other OP foes. If you want to clear that one, stay in the entrance and wait (5) over and over, don't wander off into the main room.

* The "coins being counted". A Bazaar is almost always worth it. This one might even be worth reading a Scroll of Revelation for. If you have the gold to spare, of course (press '$'). In your shopping spree, stock up on delicious potions, interesting scrolls, and spells that might be missing from your kit.

* A "distant wind". Ah, yes, the <s>Death Trap</s> Desolation of Salt. This place kills so many players. Luckily, this build is probably one of the best at taking it head-on, and the loot tends to include some sick rings and amulets. If you wish to test its mettle, my advice is to just spam Infestation on those trillions of saltlings rushing to melee you. Simply run around and Infestation everything you see until the screen is covered in scarabs. You may need to use Death's Door if things go south. Be wary of [[Ghostly Sacrifice]], an extremely OP point-and-click, undodgeable attack which deals over 100 darkness damage. An enemy must be adjacent to you for it to be used. The Halazid warlocks are responsible for it - either use Death's Door or ring swap to rN+ if you cannot reposition yourself away from enemies in melee range of you.

In the Elven Halls, and especially Elf:3, there are a wide variety of professionals with PhDs in kitty-murder. The valedictorians here are:

* '''Dancing weapons''': Don't mistake them for floor items, notice the little music note icon on their sprites. Some are not that scary (+1 dagger) while others will be your doom (+9 bardiche of antimagic). Don’t fight too fast, and check the brands and enchantments of what you are faced against. If it has enchantments of +4 or more, has a brand you do not resist, or is an axe or polearm, it's a threat.

Regardless, Borgnjor's Vile Clutch completely demolishes them, because their defenses are all-dodge-no-armour (like you!), and that spell cannot be avoided. Haunt is also interesting.

You'll find an extreme amount of these behind the big runed gate in Elf:2, known as the Hall of Blades. I generally don't even bother opening it. These enemies are hard enough, and the shiny metal they leave behind isn't even designed for quadrupeds. Psh!

* '''Deep elf master archers''': You may be purring in mockery as 5 arrows whiff past you one after the other. Enjoy becoming a porcupine when a single shot cuts away 50% of your HP. These should never, ever get a clean line of fire at you, and should have Haunts dumped on them immediately if they do. Like any ranged foe, remember that closing doors behind you can prove surprisingly effective.
* '''Deep elf elementalists''': TRY NOT TO STAND NEXT TO WALLS! It is their strongest attack, because they can point and click walls to remote-detonate them. Anyways, as a herder of allies, you should be prioritizing wide open space instead. The Blink spell can help you get away. The other elemental flavours of pain aren't as bad, as long as you keep drowning them in undead.
* '''Deep elf sorcerers & high priests''': Damnation ''hurts''. Sending foes to block a sorcerer's line of fire by standing adjacently to them will make them hesitate, as they’re not masochistic enough to blow themselves up. The high priests, however, can order an orbital strike onto you in point-and-click flavour, and won't be impressed.
* '''Deep elf annihilators''': With your high EV, most of the time, they will miss, but when they don’t, ''ouch''. Their worst spell is the Crystal Spear, but it has thankfully limited range, so keep your distance (more than 4 tiles).
* '''Deep elf blademasters''': It’s an elf, but with +99 daggers of kitty-slaying and rocket-boot thrusters. Don't let these touch you.
* '''Deep elf death mage''': It's you! But less fluffy. Therefore lesser. Their signature spell, Call Lost Souls, summons some harmless, annoying puffs of spectral matter which will revive nearby dying elves into a ghost variant (this adds a little skull icon on their sprite). When they are reanimated thus, if you have Dispel Undead, you can walk up and blast them - otherwise, your other tools are just as efficient as they are on their living counterparts.

Thankfully, these elven bullies are mostly hidden in their big fortress somewhere in Elf:3, and can be dealt with in little groups at a time, as the entrance to their headquarters is conveniently shaped like a funnel. Approach the final vault, lure in a few volunteers, dispose of them, rest, and return, until the flood stops. Dashing in, battling all of them at once, and expecting to win is extremely foolish.

If you have Summon Mana Viper, it can have impressive results here! Antimagic-biting an Annihilator to force them to use their puny arms instead of their reality-shattering conjurations is quite effective.

Unlike the lesser humanoids, Banishment is very unlikely to happen to you here. If it ''does'' happen, stay calm. The first instinct of many players is to start walking in diagonals to find an exit, but you should not be doing this with this build. You have the ability to organize a nice little fortress with your allies, and fend off invaders coming from all sides. After proving to Lugonu your fighting prowess, you will be let out without complications. Dying in the Abyss is ''very'' undesirable, as you will simply respawn in another equally dangerous location of this infinite plane of madness.

=Containment Breach in Zone 2 (Vaults)=

Excellent, a place where you'll actually feel powerful. You'll feel right at home in this stronghold of soullessness, metal, and faceless guards devoid of individual thought.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Life would be so much simpler if everyone was an undead thrall, you know? Perfect order, absolute obedience, flawless coordination. I bet technology would be propelled centuries foward if people stopped clutching that worthless "identity" everyone keeps talking about.}}

This is the necromantic funzone, seriously. The extreme majority of everything here has been so dumbed down by mindless servitude that their Willpower - and therefore resistance to Anguish - is as low as the chance that you actually managed to survive up to this point. Not only that, but almost every creature makes up for spectacular undead thralls, and space is so neatly organized and wide open that you'll have no trouble directing your army around to annihilate everything you see.

Always have Death Channel active when you battle. Animate Dead the first sizable goon squad you spot, and carry them around the level until it's worth replacing them. Spam Infestation on everything you see until then.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] All this empty space. All this real estate opportunity, ruined. Such inefficiency. Don't linger in Vaults:1 and Vaults:4, exploring no more than half of both. You'll still want to locate the Crypts somewhere on Vaults:2 or Vaults:3 through more thorough exploration, after which you'll be able to descend faster.}}

The threats? Point-and-click abilities, of course.

* '''Ironbound thunderhulks''' have on-demand electro-bzzaps, and '''are the biggest threat of this branch'''. Unlike most point-and-click cheaters, this one can actually be dodged, but should you fail to do so, say goodbye to half your HP bar. They have this gimmick where they cannot use this skill if you are 2 or fewer tiles away, but don't let this bait you into walking towards terrible positions only for them to blink away and resume electrocuting you. Don't hesitate to pop Death's Door if you get badly hit once. Ring-swapping to the rare rElec artifact ring may prove useful, if you have found such a useful trinket.

* '''Ironbound frosthearts''' also have a point-and-click, this time chocolate ice-cream flavoured. Yes, chocolate is toxic to cats. This is intentional. It drips from the walls, so avoid standing next to them, as was the case for Deep elf elementalists. Thankfully, these have been heavily nerfed since my last FeSu guide, as back then, they were as horrible as Salamander tyrants. You can afford to take a few hits.

* '''Frederick''' CAN ONESHOT YOU THE MOMENT YOU TAKE A SINGLE BREATH IN HIS PRESENCE. If you encounter him alone and wish to take him down, I suggest an immediate Death's Door from full HP, and then an unloading of your entire necromantic artillery on him. It will be enough. There really is no overkill here. If your Death's Door is close to running out and he is still alive, just pop Slimify from your (a)bility menu and oneshot him.

* '''Xtahua''' can also oneshot you, but only if you lack rF+. Even then, have your paw on the Death's Door button at the ready! Slimify if needed.

* '''Mennas''', the "Menace" as some players call him, is practically designed to counter everything you are capable of. Bonus damage against undead, instant Silence to block you from using Death's Door and all other spells, mass confusion on your Death Scarabs so they start hurting each other and potentially you as well, resistance to Slimify from being holy, huge speed, huge melee damage... I've had success with a Scroll of Vulnerability and repeated Anguish, but attempts at battle without a huge swarm to back you up usually result in dead cats faster than you can say "Deus Vult". If you have a wand of quicksilver and his dreaded Silence comes out, you can use it on him for a chance to dispel the Silence!

You can detect Mennas - and sometimes Frederick - through walls by looking for suspiciously yellow tiles, illuminated by their radiant haloes. Don't get trolled by Mennas's lack of See Invisible, his halo will still reveal you, as long as you are standing in it.

* '''Jory''' and '''Boris''' are similar - two undead casters with ridiculously damaging spells, packing an easy twoshot or oneshot if you let them blast you. For maximum disrespect, just Death's Door immediately, walk up, and pwn them with Dispel Undead or Slimify.

* '''Zenata''' is one of the most lethal bosses of the mid-to-late game, brutally decimating around 5% of all players who choose to take her on. Keyword - choose. Many advanced and competitive players leave her alone entirely to polish her army of hasted dancing scimitars instead. You can do so as well, but if seeing coloured pixels moving across your screen sends you into a mindless rage, you can do Death's Door-Slimify at the easiest, or Death's Door-necro-artillery for a more traditional takedown. She won't oneshot you, so you can use a few turns to prep, but once her summons are out and she has started using her point-and-click damage ability, it's time to get down to business and hit that immortality button. Don't even think about Blink-scrolling or whatever away from all those floating knives, they are almost as fast as Death scarabs. Just focus on pwning her.

* '''Nobody''' is not that scary to me, aside from the part where they DARE stomp on the feline fiefdom's trademarks and use extra lives to respawn 3 times, one more than you can hold at a time. Each of their reincarnations has a different kit. Honestly, they are okay to deal with as long as you have a few scarabs to swarm them with (and they aren't ganking you in the middle of a Vaults:5 party). Pay attention to their dialogue lines in the message log, I like them a lot.

* '''Ironbound convokers''' are infamous for their ability to teleport enemies from the floor over to their position a few turns after the flag icon appears on their sprite. This is usually not that bad of a thing, as it's more meat to funnel through your undead creation machine. What you do not want is Mennas suddenly spawning in your face. For this reason, I like to Haunt/Borgnjor's Vile Clutch them with priority.

I suggest not entering Vaults:5. Not even a peek. There is a surprise party down there. You're not invited. Make your way to the Crypts instead.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Splats And Riches Incorporated™ goes where it pleases! Barge into those Vaults:5 goons' private space, that Shining Gem won't pick itself up. Let's do this. And don't go leaving now to get to the Pits beforehand, the "spoils of war" imply a war as a prerequisite!}}

===Squishy Interlude (Slime:5 & Ring/Amulet Selection)===

You might have reached (******) in Jiyva piety, or will soon. When that happens, Ctrl-G your way to Slime:5.

{{flavour|[[File:Jiyva altar.png]] Ecstatic wobbling resounds before all this juicy, delicious loot!}}

Yikes. Well, at least the artifacts will be spared. Try to collect as many useful items as possible, and, of course, the rune.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] And the GEM. If you're tight on turns, forget the loot, get back up to that Lair, NOW!!}}

Speaking of "useful items", your inventory is probably getting full. Here is how I choose my rings, depending on the "Egoes" they possess. These are called "Ego" in-game because they increase your hubris the more OP they are, thus making you splat out of recklessness. '''Bold = Good.'''

* If '''Wiz''' is causing your Death's Door to be more reliable, it's highly valuable.
* '''+X Int''' is never bad.
* '''Resistances''' aren't as useful now that we have a spell to take out Death itself on a nice Sunday movie night hangout. But they are still interesting to dial down oneshots and twoshots - rF+ in particular is pretty good, as this damage type is quite common, and we already have rC+ from our fur. Jiyva gives you rCorr for free.
* +X MP is decent. But Jiyva's mana regeneration is already almost infinite mana. You can do better.
* +X Dex gives EV. But not as much as a +5 EV ring. You have enough EV to go around already. Find better.
* Will+ is not very useful, because cats know nothing of self-doubt. Will-, however, is bad, as it re-introduces all those annoying hexing experiences other species have to deal with. Cancel it out with a Will+ if it's really worth it.
* All the "dangerous" properties like "Drain", "Corrode" can mostly be ignored. "Slow" is a little more dangerous, but acceptable if the bonuses are good. "Bane" is a risk/reward, refer to the [[#Kiku's Troll Carousel (Banes)|banes section]].

And here is how I choose my amulets. '''Bold = Good.'''

* '''RegenMP''' - more mana. More scarabs. More Death's Door. More fun.
* '''Acrobat''' is surprisingly great, as you spend a lot of turns just waiting and moving around. +15 EV is serious business, especially when it comes to surviving an expiring Death's Door.
* '''Reflection''', in a similar vein, blocks some attacks, and can even return some ranged ones to sender.
* '''Wildshape''' is only truly good if you are building your way to a Hive Talisman, Riddle Talisman, Granite Talisman or Dragon-coil Talisman. Don't bother otherwise.
* Alchemy is nice if you can chug a quick sip of Curing to get just enough mana to enter Death's Door. The above ones are better.
* Regeneration is interesting, because it has a lot of chances to tick while you move around your army. But I still think the above ones are better.
* Dissipation is very meh. It's better than nothing for sure, and you will appreciate it the few times it is relevant, but we need to also acknowledge the "rest of the time", which is most of the time you spend in the Dungeon, and we'd rather have RegenMP here.
* Faith is useless. Are you going around using Slimify on everything you see? No, you are not. Do better.
* <s>YASD</s> Guardian Spirit: "Oh no, my beloved feline friend! You took quite the hit there. Good thing I spread it to your mana bar to offset the damage! You now have 5 MP and 30 HP, instead of only 10 HP! What do you mean 'I needed that mana for Death's Door'? You don't need spells to protect yourself. You have me!"

===Emergency Facility Lockdown (Vaults:5)===

Do not come here if you just want to win. You will likely-

''Attention all personnel. A supernatural feline capable of binding souls at its beck and call and of entering invincibility on demand is heading to the maximum security Zone Five. Engage maximum defensive protocols.''

Oh, you already went in. Welp. If you had listened to me, you would have known that drinking Haste and Brilliance before going down is quite smart. You could also have:

* Read a Scroll of Teleportation, then immediately descended.
* Used a Vaults:4 escape hatch, if it spawned, instead of the normal stairs.

I'll stop using past tense and roleplaying, now, because it's getting annoying.

In the former case, you will be met with a horrible ambush screen. It won't last long before you are whisked away to a random location. Some possibilities:

* '''Close to the central death zone''': Troublesome, but at least you probably aren't getting attacked from all angles anymore. You'll want to retreat towards one of the linear hallways, using Anguish, Infestation and Death Channel to collect the ambush guards as your starting army. If things go wrong - which they might - you may have to Death's Door and read a new Teleport scroll.

* '''Close to the outer rim''': This is the best scenario. These hallways are mostly safe and have few enemies, which means more time to regenerate, moving slowly across, recruiting all creatures you come across to roll your growing snowball of undead.

* '''Straight into one of the infested loot vaults''': Rather terrible. You may even have to Death's Door very fast. I've never been oneshotted here, but the moment you are below 60% HP here, you are in kill range. You can try to make a stand and forge an army - especially if you have Haste/Brilliance buffs - but be ready to try a new Teleport scroll.

Once you have established your squad, the rest is much easier. Move across the level, replacing your slain or disappearing undead with fresh new servants. This is a good time to place those Infestation blasts left and right. Do not forget your primary objective: the Shining Gem and the Silver Rune, right on top of each other in one of the four rectangular corner loot vaults.

Once you have secured the gem and rune, immediately make your way to the centre and leave, never to return.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] If you have at least 600 turns remaining on the Vaults' Gem, you can go claim your slimy lootboxes in Slime:5 now. Otherwise, you'll have to clear the Crypts right away, only going to Slime after you have exited the Vaults, never to return!}}

=The Place Where They Invented The Whole Necromancy Thing (Crypts)=

Throughout this run, did you ever wish you could o-tab like the good old Minotaur Berserker days? Boy, do I have the thing for you. Do you have Dispel Undead? If it was available but not memorized yet, do so now. Get that thing on your (Q)uiver, most likely replacing Anguish for now (which isn't that good here).

Now, you can autoexplore with 'o', and blast all these useless corpses in melee range with 'p'. That's right. o-p. And it really is OP.

Animate Dead and Death Channel, however, are almost entirely useless. Infestation is not. It is time to show these rotting husks your entomological collection (and offer them the chance to join it).

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] You should only be here after completing Vaults:5! That Ivory Gem would look great on my Divine Sceptre of Golden Doom, so I especially don't want you to miss it. I suggest another high-speed protocol of going down on safe staircases as soon as possible, because Crypts:3 tends to be a whole ordeal of endless undead armies and tricks and traps designed to entertain those who have too much free time and no job to get done. Which is not you.}}

The spooky ride will begin with a vast assortment of varied undead: most are not dangerous in any way (in fact, the Crypt is pretty much a popcorn factory). However, this is only a trap to lead you to let down your guard when the following arrive to ruin your day:

* '''Revenants''' do many things, but one of them is a giga darkness damage 3x3 "ghostly fireball". Your squad should be resistant to it, but unless you have rN+, you are not. Preferably, don't have less than 2 allies standing between you and them, but you can always do the classic trick of walking up and blasting them with Dispel Undead, with a Death's Door thrown into the mix if needed.

* '''Curse Skulls''' are annoying pests which summon an army of undead and spam torment. That reminds me of a certain someone, isn't that right, Kiku? They think it is funny to hide behind their wall of summons, but you can reach over with Haunt or Borgnjor's Vile Clutch. Or, you know, walk up and blast them. That works too.

* '''Khufu and mummy friends''' have an entomological collection, just like you. They are eager to compare and share their secrets of the trade. Theirs even have emperor scorpions! These terrorize many characters, but you should be able to use their bandages as a scratching post, assuming you can get close enough to blast them with Dispel Undead, or can land your point-and-click Haunt/Borgnjor's Vile Clutch. Watch out, they pack a "death curse" - automatically unleashed when they perish. The only effect which can actually kill you is the semi-common small burst of darkness damage, so keep this in mind if you're dealing the finishing blow while you're almost dead and unprotected.

* '''Vampire bloodprinces''' have multiple extremely OP abilities, but one of them is TURNING YOUR ENTIRE SQUAD OF SCARABS AGAINST YOU! They also spew bat clouds everywhere which put you to sleep (despite the extreme fear you should be feeling right now). These are particularly annoying, because they reduce your Death's Door timer. The key here is to cut line-of-sight, ambush them with Death's Door active, and blast them with Dispel Undead before they even know what hit them. If your army is big enough, you can possibly do enough damage before they have time to get their brainwashing spell in. Treat them with the respect a member of their lineage deserves.

* '''Vv''' is a proud member of the developers' latest OC-do-not-steal species, the Stoneborn. For all her OP point-and-click spells, she didn't have the budget for See Invisible. Drink a Potion of Invisibility or Death's Door if you do not want to get obliterated in milliseconds.

* '''Grunn''' only knows how to move and melee attack, which is laughable. What isn't so funny are his canine companions, which are elite assassins from the dog monarchy sent to stop you. If they place their Howl debuff on you, I recommend a Potion of Cancellation, or else you'll quickly be facing lethal Tartarus endgame enemies that will likely force you to use Death's Door. Willpower is useful to resist this hex, so check the percentage chance, and possibly ring-swap to Will+.

* '''Mennas''' can also spawn here. He is not any easier. Leave him to his prayer beads if you want maximal chances to win - but if you are a Trog worshipper in real life, do what you must. I talked about strategies in the Vaults chapter already.

In Crypt:3, you will find a unique challenge level, with its traps and tricks - nothing too serious compared to what you have just traversed. There is also the entrance to the Tomb. It is the hardest branch in the entire game, filled with all kinds of mummies who will be very happy to bash your hubris into the ground with endless torment spam, then cackle as you respawn in the death trap between their walls only to die again and be met with “Welcome, Idiot. Please select your species.”

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] That is exactly why I order you to go in once you secured that Ivory Gem.}}

=Perfection Can Still Improve (Lategame Skills)=

At this point, you must be at level 24+ Necromancy, which means your Death's Door must be getting under 7% fail rate. Getting to the maximum of level 27 of Necromancy will title your character - for the rest of the run - a "Cat of Death", which is positively awesome. But what next?

Make your choice. Personally, I think that Maxwell's Capacitive Coupling is the option which will give you the highest chance of victory, but it might not be available (Ctrl-F if it's not in your spell library, perhaps it is in a shop somewhere!).

''Note: in all cases which involve more spells, you may have to train more Spellcasting to make room as well. 0.5 Spellcasting = 1 spell slot!''

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Pick anything you want. As long as it accelerates your transition from point A (your current, damp and mud-soaked location) to point B (you, prostrating before me, with all 11 gems deposited before my throne).}}

===More Oneshots (Maxwell's Capacitive Coupling)===

''Requirements: Maxwell's Capacitative Coupling and at least one Intelligence/Wizardry ring or amulet.''

This spell takes a long time to train for, but if you '''turn on nothing but Air Magic''' for the rest of the run, you'll definitely have it ready to power through the (normally difficult) Realm of Zot with almost zero challenge.

You started by fearing the oneshot. Then, you understood the oneshot with Death's Door. Now, it is time to BE the oneshot.

'''[[Maxwell's Capacitive Coupling]]''' (Level 8 Air Magic) literally does infinite damage that ignores all resistances. It will oneshot anything and everything, from a rat to Dispater, Lord of the Iron City of Dis. Unfortunately for your foes, they were not born as fluffy and quadrupedal as you are, and do not have any extra lives. Successfully casting this spell adds a Charge status effect on your sidebar - simply wait (. or s) a few turns, and the ''nearest'' foe will be expunged from reality. If more than one foe are tied in distance, a random one will be chosen.

Why this is broken with this build: it bypasses allies. That means you can simply erect a defensive wall of scarabs/spectres/zombies and bzzap all things trying to work their way through it, all the while Jiyva constantly replenishes your mana for another charge of your pocket defibrillator. Those Orbs of Fire will never see it coming. If you mix this with Death's Door, it becomes impossible that you will ever lose a 1v1 or even 1v3, considering you are invincible and are launching 99999999 true damage after just a couple of turns.

If you're not sure what to do while your army is fighting it out, just start unloading oneshots. Naturally, keep 9 mana for an emergency Death's Door, if in need.

===More Tentacles (Summonings)===

''Requirements: Summon Horrible Things, Sphinx Sisters or Malign Gateway''

Well, you started as a Summoner, so going back to the roots is certainly an option! '''This is extremely strong and will secure the win. Especially Malign Gateway.'''

Both those spells are perfectly achievable if you start training Summonings again, up to '''13 for Malign Gateway/Sphinx Sisters and 20 for Summon Horrible Things'''. You'll also need '''level 15 Translocations in the case of Malign Gateway, or 15 Hexes in the case of Sphinx Sisters'''. I suggest you focus-train Translocations/Hexes, because of the +4 aptitude.

'''[[Malign Gateway]]''' (Level 7 Summonings/Translocations) - You will require some open space (no casting in hallways). The Gateway will initially appear quite a distance away from you, so it is best used to initiate a battle, and not as emergency support. After a few turns, a very long tentacle will slowly protrude out, curious to prod at the world around it. Its little taps do immense damage, probably the highest out of any Summonings spell. There are extremely few creatures in the entire game who can 1v1 a Gateway, for these tentacles are more resistant to elemental damage than a tardigrade. The downside is that the tentacle remains tethered to its portal, and is quite slow - it is therefore good practice to distract a powerful enemy with lesser allies while squiggly doom slowly unrolls behind their back. You can also run towards it, and pass through it diagonally while being pursued by an angry horde. There is only one little twist - the tentacle can rarely become hostile to you once the spell ends. Not a huge deal, honestly, considering its tethered nature makes it very easy to escape should that happen. If you quiver this spell with "Q", you will be able to see on the sidebar when the spell has enough space to be casted (the text will be coloured). '''Maximum Summon Capacity: 1'''.

'''[[Summon Horrible Things]]''' (Level 8 Summonings) - THE meatshield spell. The damage on this is not especially splendid, though tentacled monstrosities can dish out interesting amounts of rib-crushing damage with their constriction ability. However, the real reason you cast this spell is to surround yourself in tanky units that will give you big warm hugs with their mucus-coated appendages. The summoning cap on this is 8, which is just enough to surround your frail and vulnerable body entirely. You may have to cast it twice to ensure you are fully protected, and recast it as the battle progresses once your cuddle-hole starts getting pierced by the barrage of conjurations and sword-slicing. It has a small chance of inflicting a little Doom on every cast, but it is quickly cleansed by accumulating a little bit of experience, and is mostly only for thematic effect... mostly. Try to avoid using eldritch horror summoning as your way of saying hello to every soul you encounter in the dungeons. Most Banes are not so bad, as we [[#Kiku's Troll Carousel (Banes)|discussed earlier]], but if you get Dilettante or Multiplicity at this stage of the game, you will not enjoy it. Say, do you know what is worse than an Orb of Fire? That's right, 4 Orbs of Fire! '''Maximum Summon Capacity: 8'''.

'''[[Sphinx Sisters]]''' (Level 7 Summonings/Hexes) - They have an endless array of hypnosis techniques and dastardly Hexes. But, at this point of the game, landing them on the creatures which actually matter will be a fool's errand. What we actually care about is the "airstrike melee", where the "marauder" variant of these fellow half-felid half-humanoids (hmph. They can get a pass!) will devastate the opposition as long as it is standing in a tile surrounded in empty space! They will still occasionally "vex" draconians with their terrible jokes, and make them attack everything around them, which is particularly welcome considering they are quite the social butterfly type.

===More Acrobatics (Translocations)===

''Requirements: Vhi's Electric Charge, Passage of Golubria, Dispersal, and/or Disjunction''

You'll need refinement and taste to appreciate this one. Get '''Translocations trained up to 2 times the highest level spell you wish to use'''. For example, Dispersal, level 6, would require 12 Translocations. Proper mastery of these abilities certainly won't result in more kills, but they might very well win you the game.

'''[[Vhi's Electric Charge]]''' (Level 4 Translocations/Air Magic) is known for its electrical attack, which is barely a tickle in your case. We do not care. What ''is'' important is that it blinks you with complete precision to any foe up to 4 spaces away, randomly repositioning anyone in the way to make space. This allows you to jump from foe-to-foe as if they were points to swing a grappling hook around! In Death's Door, you need not fear any of their attacks, and can move with utmost feline grace through the most packed of crowds.

'''[[Passage of Golubria]]''' (Level 4 Translocations) is a fantastic companion spell to Blink which places portals like a certain Valve video game. Simply choose a location to summon a portal nearby, with a 2 tile radius of error - the other one will appear nearby your position. Walking on top of one portal will immediately blink you to the next. You may find it highly useful when it comes to reaching a certain location on the screen quickly without having to use Scrolls of Blinking!

'''[[Dispersal]]''' (Level 6 Translocations) isn't hard to understand. It makes those close to you blink far away from you. It will test their Willpower - those who resist the enchantment will only hop a short distance, but those who do not might get pulled screaming across the entire level dozens of tiles away. This could very well change everything in Zot:5 when it's time to grab that well defended Orb!

'''[[Gell's Gavotte]]''' (Level 6 Translocations) is a bit annoying, because it hits your allies. However, at the end of the day, it's a reusable dash that also deals tons of damage to the entire screen. You can rotate the direction to highlight in yellow which enemies will strike a wall and be damaged, but most of the time, with this build, I prefer its defensive uses. Use the Force! Or, sans undertale. Whatever lame reference you want to imagine when you are waving the Klowns around with your little claw.

'''[[Disjunction]]''' (Level 8 Translocations) is extremely similar to Dispersal. The difference - it always does the weak effect, but constantly does it every turn, for at least 6 turns. Having this and Death's Door on at the same time is hilarious - you can just start casually walking at any point on the screen and absolutely nothing will be able to stop or block you. You can pop a potion of Haste and walk through the Zot:5 death trap chambers like you own the place.

===More Brainwashing (Discord + Hexes)===

''Requirements: Discord.''

'''WARNING:''' Onei will not be held responsible for any splats ensuing use of this technology. By proceeding, you acknowledge that using this spell is just as effective as it is dangerous.

'''[[Discord]]''' (Level 8 Hexes) is, like Anguish, a mass-hex. This time, however, if Willpower is beaten, the affected will be given Might-Haste. That’s +50% action speed and +50% melee damage all in one.

Not so promising, now is it? Where it gets fun: the affected will also now be attacking the creature closest to them regardless of their old faction.

Where this gets hilarious is that THIS ALSO AFFECTS ALLIES (but not spectres and zombies). How much damage does a Might-Hasted Phantasmal Warrior do per turn, you may wonder? Around up to 87 PER TURN.

Haunt + Discord is a particularly insane combo, as the moment they spawn in, they are already very close to the target you wish to annihilate. Once their business is done and they turn against you, they will evaporate out of reality before they can land a single hit. I have slain Cerebov using nothing but this synergy.

Obviously, do not cast this when your Death Scarabs are not currently in combat and are next to you, you will get POPPED. However, if even a couple of scarabs/Haunt summons are currently attacking some Orb of Fire or any highly dangerous foe, expect it to disappear from your screen. Are you being assaulted by your former allies? Death’s Door, Dispel Undead. The frenzy status will expire after a few turns anyhow.

Finally, you may also enjoy the ACTUAL intended purpose of the spell, which is causing mayhem among hordes of enemies. Those draconians in Zot become quite fearsome when unleashing light speed kung fu on all those disgustingly OP Protean Progenitors and the like...

Discord violates the golden rule of ally-fighting and can get kills out of line of sight. You can have your squad engage, drop Discord and immediately leave. Enjoy the waterfall of experience. Dispersal can teleport the might hasted scarabs across the map and literally obliterate uniques without you ever seeing them (this is not really reliable, it's just really funny).

If you are scared of this spell backfiring, consider [[Yara's Violent Unravelling]] (Level 5 Alchemy/Hexes), which will remove the frenzy status effects on the draconian monks rushing to annihilate you.

Discord is quite easy to get online with your +4 Hexes aptitude. With the leftover experience, if you wish to go all in on Hexes, you can do one of the following:

- Get more Spellcasting (and therefore spell slots), and get the Summonings/Hexes spell '''Sphinx Sisters'''. It is explained [[#More Tentacles (Summonings)|right here]].
- With a Riddle Talisman, train Shapeshifting to level 17 (Painful! An amulet of Wildshape helps a lot here.) and enter Sphinx Form. This will increase the Hex chance of Discord and Anguish, make both of these into devastating psychic powerhouses for even late game foes. You can even get other Hexes, such as the normally pitiful level 3 Tukima's Dance, and make draconians/Killer Klowns lose their OP weapons. You can enter Sphinx Form a little earlier than level 17 Shapeshifting due to its HP bonus cancelling out the HP penalty - inspect the Riddle Talisman to monitor your progress.

===More O + TAB (Dragoncoil Talisman)===

What's that? You lust to return to your Minotaur Berserker days? I'll keep this section short, since you clearly don't have the attention span required to read much more of this nonsensically long guide.

Dragon-coil talisman. (Ctrl-F for it, you may have missed it!) Level 17 Shapeshifting. (You can transform at level 14 due to the big HP bonus). After that, Level 20 Unarmed Combat. O + TAB. You are now a Felid "meleedude" with fat stacks of resistances, and you still have your Death's Door. Enjoy.

Don't forget to use your breath weapon in the "a" menu (it is very strong against anything, but you can only use it every 12 kills or so) and to use at least SOME of your magical background, such as Infestation or Rimeblight. And Death's Door, of course. But you won't forget about that one.

The Granite talisman is an option too, of course, but I personally do not like it with this build. Why? Permanent slowness = -33% Death's Door duration. Remember, acolyte: AC is an illusion.

=I Thought Cats Were Sacred In Egypt (Tomb)=

'''WARNING''': This place has a high chance of murdering you. I know it has been like that the entire game, but especially this place. You will get nothing out of it beyond glory and pride. Skip to the next chapter if you prefer to maximize your chances of actually winning the run. I will say that the first floor (Tomb:1) is pretty much on the same difficulty level as the Crypts, so you can certainly clear it if, say, you want a little more XP to get an extra life back.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] "Waaa, danger, danger, die die death splat oneshotted OP OP die!" Am I imitating Onei correctly? Yeah, don't listen to that fool, get in that Tomb and bring me that Sanguine Gem! It will be fine. Most likely.}}

Preparations? Dispel Undead is a huge help, if you do not have it already. If it is not available, Borgnjor's Vile Clutch and a bunch of Immolation Scrolls can suffice. If you get sent to the Entomological Museum (Tomb:1 Secret) due to bad luck, Vhi's Electric Charge can help a lot.

You'll also want a Scroll of Revelation. And as many Scrolls of Teleportation as you can get. And if you ever get netted in this place, you'll probably want to use the basic Blink spell.

===Too Bad Cats Can't Wear Hats And Wield A Whip (Tomb:1)===

The beginning is extremely easy. Reach the entrance of the temple - walk vertically, then horizontally. You'll know you found the entrance when you see a herd of Sphinxes, while should perish extremely easily to the horde you will have accumulated when you get there. Indeed, the side alleys are full of popcorn, but it is CRITICAL that you spam Infestation on everything you see so that you don't arrive empty-pawed when the real threats start pouring out.

I suggest recruiting the Sphinxes for good measure with Animate Dead and Death Channel.

Rush inside the temple and annihilate all mummies on sight with your huge army. They'll never see it coming. Unfortunately, they will constantly pelt you with "death curses" every time one of the dangerous ones perishes, which is bound to cut away at your HP. If you're getting low, take a few steps back, let Jiyva pump some juice back in your veins, and return to the fray. Your Death's Door button is accessible in case of an emergency.

I will address the users of a Hive talisman here, who probably have stayed with Kikubaaqudgha: this is the only place in the game where your curse resistance passive is actually relevant. This branch will be MUCH easier with it. I will continue writing assuming you are with Jiyva, and therefore, not experiencing Tomb on tutorial mode.

You'll want to locate the downstairs inside the temple as soon as possible, located in one of the spiral shaped hallways. I suggest drinking a Potion of Haste and reading a Scroll of Teleportation before going down. I know it's never a good sign when I say this.

===Surprise Torment Tea Party (Tomb:2)===

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Wow. That's, uh, a lot of mummies.}}

Welcome to Vaults:5 redux. Just like last time, we have little incentive for pleasantries. Read a Scroll of Revelation. Inspect your surroundings: there is an upstairs nearby, leading back to Tomb:1's temple.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Ha. Designed for safety, escape and retreat. No time for such things.}}

Indeed. Now, read a Scroll of Noise to pull all the mummies to the centre (NOT if the Teleport somehow already triggered). The Teleport should kick off at any instant now, leading you to:

* '''Somewhere in the main central ambush chamber''': Yikes. At least it's no longer in that death trap centre. My suggestion: if you see a door nearby, try to make your way to it to no longer be out in the open. The side chambers contain some goons, but it's a good start to build your Infestation army in a relatively safe location. If there is no door, consider another Teleport, or if there are some packed Death Scarabs or weak mummies, try to start your Infestation army there with Dispel Undead/Anguish/Vile Clutch/Haunt/All of the above.

* '''In one of the outer rim chambers THAT HAS A DOOR TO CONNECT TO THE MAIN ROOM''': Not bad. Dispose of the goons there after Infesting them, and build your army.

* '''In one of the outer rim chambers WITH NO CONNECTION TO THE MAIN ROOM''': This is ideal. We just saved a ton of time. Unfortunately, there are probably some very angry mummies here. Make your last stand, use your consumables - you should do anything to survive, for this is a highly lucky Teleport, and dying will probably pluck you out of it as you respawn. If you can secure the perimeter and reveal the two down-hatches to Tomb:3, proceed to the Grand Pharaoh Showdown below.

Keep your paw on Death's Door if the royal mummies' collection of Smite and Torment drags you into kill range (one Smite can deal up to 17 damage. We can't afford to get over-protective, but if adding the number of royal mummies and mummy priests on screen and multiplying that by 5 is bigger than your current HP, it's time to slam that Death's Door!)

After your army has consumed Tomb:2, you have some options. Each Teleport scroll is a gamble that could bring you to the previously mentioned unconnected outer rim. This would save a ton of time, and also skip the most dangerous part of Tomb for this build. But I would not use every single one if I were you. You'll want to keep some for the next levels!

If you succeed, clear the outer rim chambers (re-read the relevant bullet point), and proceed to the Grand Pharaoh Showdown.

If you're done gambling and haven't succeeded, it's time for...

===The Entomological Museum (Tomb:1 Secret)===

Use the upstairs located in the connected outer rim chamber. NOT the one in the main chamber, which leads to the very start - a huge waste of time.

You'll arrive in a narrow corridor. If you're unlucky, there's probably tons of OP mummies already pwning your health bar.

It's not that complicated. Death's Door. If there's only one or two mummies, walk up and blast them with Dispel Undead in utter disrespect of their dozens of unlived centuries. Don't have it? Haunt and Vile Clutch together get the work done. Maybe you can even sneak in an Infestation in there to get a scarab friend to assist your next encounter.

Is the entomological collection getting unloaded without you ever asking? These Egyptian tourist trap tour guides sure are getting insistent. Give them a piece of your mind with Vhi's Electric Charge, if you have it, which will instantly pull you into melee range of them. The simple Blink spell can also, with some luck, reposition you on the other side of the corridor. If the collection is made up of Scarabs, you can Dispel-blast them as well.

Tons of critters? Tons of mummies? Tons of red squares? Immolation scroll. Get one thing to die and cover the whole place in flames. Try to ensure all of these creepy-crawlies and their masters drown in holy fire before your Death's Door expires.

Desperate? In melee range but these mummies are just refusing to die? Slimify. Jiyva won't like it if you take every single one out using this ability, but it's absolutely worth it 1-3 times.

Make your way to the end of the corridor, not hesitating to rest a little bit between each encounter. This will take time, but it is a good investment of your time. Dying here is terrible, as it means you'll have to go to Tomb:2, then back to Tomb:1's secret room... Getting the Sanguine Gem is still possible if you die once (or need to use a Teleportation scroll).

After you take the new downstairs, you'll find yourself in that disconnected outer rim we were trying so hard to reach with Teleport scrolls.

===Grand Pharaoh Showdown (Tomb:3)===

Before descending, Haste and Brilliance, if available.

Having around 600 turns left here should be comfortable enough. If there's less, you'll have to hurry.

You'll instantly get dropped into a mildly claustrophobic hallway of relatively safe appearance. Do not be fooled. THE MUMMIES ARE COMING.

The first arrivals will no doubt be an entire plague of scarabs. These are a glorious sight, because if we can decimate them, we'll get an awesome army with Infestation.

A death scarab bursts from the death scarab!

Meta. Anyhow, they are extremely weak to Anguish, so casting that once there are a lot on the screen (and a few have been popped through any means of your choice - Dispel Undead is excellent) will prove useful.

For a time, you should get an awesome army pwning everything. It's only a matter of time until some pricks come in to ruin the fun. Once you are forced to Death's Door, your next priority should be making your way to the doors on the side, which lead to treasure chambers - and, more importantly, an upstairs.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] What? Safety? Retreat? But what about the GEM?}}

Don't worry, this one doesn't lead very far. You can absolutely afford to rest to full health back in the safety of Tomb:2's outer rim, unless you wasted time in the upper levels. Once you descend again, the horde will have been thinned down significantly, and each subsequent attempt will be easier. When things seem manageable enough, make your way to the back of Tomb:3, where you'll find the Sanguine Gem and the Golden Rune!

Got at least 200 turns? You can check a bit of the loot out. The most important thing here is the '''Ziggurat Figurine'''. E(V)oking it will instantly place a portal to a pocket dimension at our paws. This is astounding, for it is effectively a free Death's Door reset. Creatures won't even pursue you through it. You'll find one or two hostile critters in the pocket dimension, but they are most often easily disposed of, or, at the very least, far enough to afford you a Death's Door recast. It is a one-time-use. Make it count. And EXIT through the blue portal after using it, do NOT start going down multiple levels of Zig where your inevitable doom and descent into madness awaits.

=Blizzards and Brimstone (Depths)=

Before proceeding any further, pay your respects to the many Felids which have died in this place. Everywhere you move, everywhere you breathe, it's either "dodge and nothing happens" or "a third of your HP bar is gone". It's a tough world for the 3 AC kitties out there. One could wish they were as fortunate as you to have a miracle button to turn the tide in the most crucial of moments.

By the way, if you don't have at minimum 15 casts of Death's Door by the end of this run, you '''aren't pressing it hard enough'''. Haven't been using it much? Don't worry, this place will change that.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] The time limit in this place is one of the most generous, unlike the absolute caffeine-powered mummy fiesta I just had you traverse. This is still no time to try me and present the slightest possibility you may break one of MY precious gems. Explore no more than half of each floor, and collect that Midnight Gem on Depths:4, on top of the Zot gate!}}

* '''Fire and Frost giants''' can easily be found in close proximity to one another, quickly pushing you from one end of the temperature spectrum to the other. As you didn't consent to being brought to a nordic spa today, resisting the right element will help tremendously.

* '''Deep troll earth mages''' have the "remote wall detonation" point-and-click ability you were amused by back in the Elven Halls. Do not stand next to walls. They can even dig shafts through the aforementioned walls to reach you faster. They will not hesitate to Minecraft you to death.

* '''Juggernauts''' can only o-tab, but will likely oneshot you the moment their mass collides with your minuscule furry body. Make them plow through some undead to keep your distance.

* '''Golden dragons''' and '''Spriggan air mages''' and '''Spriggan berserkers''' and '''Sojobo''' and '''Tengu reavers''' and '''Crystal tomes''' and '''Liches''' and '''Titans''' and '''Caustic shrikes''' and '''Josephina''' and '''Spark wasps''' can-

Look, it's not that complicated. They just do 4 gazillion damage through their own ways - sometimes melee, sometimes point-and-click, sometimes in ranged piercing bolt form. At this point, we don't really care anymore. Trust me when I say I have '''never once been oneshotted in Depths'''. Twoshotted, perhaps. A juggernaut can oneshot, but they are easy to keep away if you use your spells. At any point you have less than 50% HP and the screen looks scary, just pop your Death's Door and unload the heavy artillery. Read a scroll of Teleportation, use stairs or Passwall if you feel uncomfortable. Standing at the edge of survival and oblivion is what this build is all about.

The worst of these are still just as dangerous in undead servant form, so assembling any kind of spectral/zombie army will mow down most things here with ease. You pretty much just need to sit back, keep the Infestation and Death Channel coming, Haunting the unruly ones laughing in the back, and potentially Vile Clutching the angry melee o-tabbers rushing to your location.

You were never the fighter in any of this. You are the manager.

You don't need me to tell you that gates named "Hell", "Abyss" or "Pandemonium" do not lead to good places to be in. I imagine the names were enough of a deterrent on their own.

'''About the Ziggurat:''' If you are currently not level 27 yet and you are lacking in the 'Extra Lives' department, consider taking a peek. Should you succeed in clearing the first 8 floors (do NOT go further down, you absolute gambling addict), you may get a potion of Experience or two, which count towards restoring your lives if you are below level 27!

=Worst Disco Ever (Realm of Zot)=

I mean. You have invincibility on demand. Practically infinite mana. Point-and-click abilities with irresistible debuffs. Surely there can't be any challenge left at this point.

Ha. You wish.

First, consider the Orb type (it is listed in the Ctrl+O menu).

- '''Orbs of Fire:''' rF+ is highly valuable here. Consider equipping it. Break line of sight with your numerous allies (mostly Haunt) to avoid growing horrible genetic diseases. These are the worse ones to face in my opinion.
- '''Orbs of Winter:''' You should already have your rC+ from your fuzzy cuteness, but you can improve it a little more if it doesn't destroy your wizardly prowess. Their Ozocubu's Refrigeration deals less damage if you are adjacent to allies. The key here is to avoid standing 3 spaces away or less from an Orb of Winter, which can slowly drain the piety of your current god. It's not so bad than most characters, but if you go below 5* of Jiyva piety, you will lose half of your regeneration bonus (it is thankfully quickly regained). Those who stayed with Kikubaaqudgha can appreciate knowing they will lose almost nothing from this, except their Torment protection.
- '''Orbs of Entropy:''' You will probably want rN+, but Jiyva shields you from their scariest acidic attacks (those who stayed with Kikubaaqudgha are not so fortunate). Just like the Orbs of Fire, a clear line of fire will allow them to inflict Doom on you, which can be accepted a few times. Even if you let it exceed the threshold, you will most likely be fine... unless you land on a brutal Multiplicity Bane that starts duplicating the Orbs of Entropy and giving you every other Bane in the game. Be cautious.

This is your '''final boss battle'''. It will prove highly difficult. Remember: '''you win by getting that Orb and bringing it back''', NOT by murdering everything you see. You will find killing things difficult, for they have tons of resistances and tricks against your toolkit. What they don't have, however, is a way to break through your literal immortality button. Not even purple draconian breath (which usually removes all status effects) can disable it.

You can simply ignore these ruffians. Let them sit and sulk in their little fortress of doom. You want to attack those separating you from the stairwells, NOT the random, unimportant gangs prowling about the outskirts of each floor. In an emergency, little stops you from entering Death's Door and simply walking to a staircase to use it while getting blasted by 100+ damage per turn from Orbs of fire and Draconians desperate for your attention. Even the dreaded Malmutate has a hard time piercing through the wall of Jiyva mutations.

Allow me to make some suggestions to refine your spell loadout.

Can be forgotten with Scrolls of Amnesia (only if you need slots):

* '''Anguish''' is dropping in usefulness. It curses draconians reliably, but that's about it. You can probably do better.
* '''Animate Dead''' is decent when used on draconians and orb guardians. But you could just make scarabs instead with Infestation. It's chaff at this point.
* '''Any Summonings spell of level 5 or less''' barely does anything at this point. Take the trash out. Summon Forest is still kind of okay, I guess.

You should prioritize getting the spells [[#Perfection Can Still Improve (Lategame Skills)|in the chapter "Perfection Can Still Improve"]]. If you have slots left, here are some spell
ideas to top off your pilgrimage:

* '''Passwall''', if you haven't gotten it already, allows you to simply escape through the wall while your Death's Door immortality crushes any hope of stopping you.
* '''Apportation''', taking only one measly spell slot, can yoink floor items to your position. In this particular situation, you may be interested in pulling the Orb of Zot to your location, instead of having to drag yourself to it through a horde of angry orb guardians. Note that there is a 33% chance this will fail (simply recast the spell).
{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Not to mention it will get that Prismatic Gem into your paws without you having to move a muscle.}}
* '''Borgnjor's Revivification''', normally mediocre on Felids, refills ''your entire health bar'' but permanently reduces its maximum capacity. We care little about petty things like "health" anymore. This can be extremely useful to survive until Death's Door goes off cooldown - but watch out! Casting this spell while Death's Door is active is basically "an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object" and will dispel Death's Door immediately, paralyzing you on top for 2-7 turns. This can still be useful if you are strategic about it.

Let's go. At this point, Gems or no Gems, there is absolutely no reason to full clear, go sightseeing or anything of the sort. This place drips pure YASD and developer sadism from every wall. Whenever you find a normal (non-hatch) staircase, you should consider using it right after clearing the foes around it. Use all your remaining Scrolls of Revelation to help locate your destinations.

Just like Depths, everything here just does fat damage and will have you reach for the Death's Door button. What you should actually be worried about are the weavers of more subtle schemes:

* Not a creature, but Scrolls of Teleportation will take a very long time (8-14 turns) to finally work here. Still, it's less time than a whole Death's Door, a piece of information which should be of particular interest to you.
* Scrolls of blinking also come with a "fuzz" effect that makes their target have a margin of error. To be noted in case you were being deceived by a false sense of security.
* '''Curse toes''' (?) have the ability to summon living mushrooms around you (??) which deal point-and-click damage in addition to the torment oozing every so often from the curse toe (???). Don't try to understand, just walk up and blast them with Dispel Undead.
* '''Death cobs''' (????) are very hard to differentiate from your death scarabs, in that they move fast, apply a slow debuff on hit and deal big damage, and even share one word in their name. Delete these cheap reskins with more Dispel Undead.
* '''Purple draconians''' & '''Quicksilver dragons''' (finally, some common sense) can remove all status effects should their breath strike you. All, truly? Ha! Nothing can pierce through immortality itself. While Death's Door is immune, losing your Death Channel and having all your spectres instantly disappear is something you should be expecting. You might also lose the Tele status from an in-progress teleportation scroll.
* '''Orbs of fire/winter/entropy'''. You know these guys. The appropriate resistance will help prevent a oneshot, but simply Death's Door the moment you are below 50% HP and one is in sight with not too much backup. Don't even bother trying to survive the normal way, we have no time to bend around developer sadism incarnate. Maxwell's Capacitive Coupling, Malign Gateway or Haunt + Discord are the ultimate answers to these ones.
* '''Killer Klowns''' are over-complicated with their wildly unpredictable effects - and this is coming from me, who has written a 30k word guide filled with unnecessary information. If you want to read their page on this wiki, it's [[Killer Klown|right here]]. The Silence and the Fragile debuffs are to fear most, for they block off your only salvation in this place - Death's Door (either through preventing you from casting spells or making you get oneshotted before you can actually use it). A Potion of cancellation should assist you in removing such effects. No, it won't cancel Death's Door. It's an immovable object.

In Zot:5, you'll find the entire troupe of this carnival of doom, nicely packed inside the "Zot lungs". They are horribly infected with blazing fire and pure evil. Time to do a surgical extraction.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] The Primastic Gem is in the first accessible chamber, NOT on top of the Orb! The writer of this guide learned that the hard way. Now THAT was hilarious.}}

You can try to slowly make your way across. You should actually be happy about the Orb Guardians in the first chamber, because they will be easily deleted by your assortment of spells and will generate a potent starting army. Direct it inside the next chamber to the left or right (choose the one with the least nasty traps, also known as ANYTHING BUT NETS and hopefully not dispersal. Even Zot traps are better. Teleport traps are actually a positive.)

Make your way across: Infestation, Haunt, any endgame spells you may have acquired. Take it slow, retreat and funnel through the chamber chokepoints if they are not trapped. Don't tarry too long, as the Tesseracts are slowly respawning the forces as you are taking them out, but you should eventually be able to reach them and destroy them. They are located behind the central horizontal wall of the lungs, which spans both sides of the chambers.

* If you have Malign Gateway, try to lure creatures towards the first chamber - and into the loving embrace of the tentacle you have conveniently parked there.
* If you have Maxwell's Capacitive Coupling, constantly unload electrical discharges from behind your wall of servitors.

Hopelessly outmatched? Had to pop Death's Door? Consider your situation:

By default, you'll probably want to read a scroll of Teleportation (it will take much longer to kick in than usual, but it will still be shorter than Death's Door) and start moving towards a Teleport Trap on the floor. If it moves you to a safe location, '''cancel''' your Tele status by reading ''another'' scroll of Teleportation. This is designed to ensure you have multiple chances to get to safety. If the Trap sends you back into a No-Cat's-Land, find a new Trap, or let the scroll kick in. Watch out for purple draconians/quicksilver dragons, which can remove your Tele status.

Have you managed to get some distance away from the first chamber, towards the Orb, and still have at least one extra life? It might be time to risk it all. Use your Translocations spells, use your Blinking Scrolls. Use your Haste potions, use ANYTHING to GET THAT ORB. Apportation will reduce the distance you must travel to an even greater degree. I am also thoroughly amused by Vhi's Electric Charge for letting you hop from OP dude to OP dude, making the most out of your Death's Door turns. If you looted the Tomb earlier and still have a figurine of a Ziggurat, NOW IS THE TIME TO USE IT. Well, once your Death's Door is going gray and you need to refresh it. Nothing will follow you inside!

This isn't as hard as it seems. Death's Door, especially Hasted, is plenty of time to seize that Orb without spilling blood. Except perhaps your own.

You don't have to do it this way, though. Adjust your strategy towards fight or flight depending on the severity of the threats inside the Zot Lungs.

Once that Orb is secured...

=Interdimensional SWAT Team (Orb Run)=

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Ha. Ha ha. Hilarious, truly. I still have hope for your imminent demise. I mean, that Onei guy you've been following the advice of literally lost one of his FeSu attempts at this very moment. Point and laugh. Not too much, because I'm about to do the same to you when you splat.}}

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Positively splendid! Your final task is to bring these gems to me, NOW! If you left the Starry Gem in the Slime Pits, now is the time! All that matters is your survival. Failing that will result in a disciplinary mention placed in your employee file, followed by you being devoured and digested by whichever horrible demon got to sink its claws into your scruff.}}

{{flavour|[[File:Jiyva altar.png]] A chorus of breathless jiggling and squishes envelops you from all cardinal directions, supporting your imminent victory with the long vanished voices of the dissolved and the slimified.}}

The Lords of Pandemonium are not amused!

All of Heaven and Hell are currently mobilizing their troops to arrive at your location. It is time to LEAVE. From Zot:5, walk or blink into the nearest Teleport trap for an instant warp which will no doubt be closer to your destination: the upstairs.

To auto-calculate the shortest path, you can press Ctrl-G, and write “D0”. This will automatically bring you towards victory, stopping you as soon as a threat appears.

Fighting is foolish. Make a run for the stairs, with zero regards for your consumables. Use them ALL. Use potions of haste on an empty floor just because you like the taste. Blink-scroll to a staircase at full health if something weird just spawned next to you.

Every single time a Pandemonium Lord appears, inspect them; some are utter pushovers, and some are terrifying angels of death with rocket-boots and a burning desire to squash your hopes as they are about to be materialized. In my personal opinion, the ones that don’t have any spells in their set are always the worst. I fear a lot less the demon who has mastered Bolt of Cold than that which has mastered Fist in Your Face. Rarely, a Pandemonium Lord may have Glaciate, in which case you should be very, very scared. Escape out of their sight imminently, or get as much rC+ as you can (potions of Resistance help) if that is impossible. Being hit by Glaciate once means you must immediately Death's Door. I have thankfully never been oneshotted by a Lord (but it is mathematically possible).

Exploit your wand of Digging or Passwall, if you have them, to speed things up.

Eventually, the outside world will finally return to your sight. Feel free to inject all possible potions and toxins you possess into your bloodstream, or try to stack as many status effects as possible before leaving, as is tradition. You did it! Do not forget to try cleansing your bad mutations as you ascend, as it would a shame to be an immortal demigod-cat with a few extra limbs and a cancerous tumour.

{{flavour|[[File:Jiyva altar.png]] Jiyva gurgles gently, savouring the serenity past the chaos.}}

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Wow. You actually just took my spells, ignored everything else I provided you, and proceeded to win the game using my stolen gifts. My "Evil God" title should arrive to you in the mail any second now.}}

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Not bad. Not bad at all, esteemed feline employee! A role in middle management seems perfect for you. While I sort out the paperwork, feel free to type "!gemmed" in the spectator chat of an online DCSS game with a bot spectator (beem) or in the #bot-commands channel of the Roguelikes Discord server to see your name mixed alongside my finest subordinates. Assuming you did the job right and brought all 11 gems intact, that is.}}

When you start your next game, die to a 3-floor shaft into a hornet, be demolished with zero counterplay, and go do something more productive than putting .pngs on a grid close to each other until one of them disappears.

If you'd like to send me a message (for example, to blame me for making your promising level 14 character get 2 shotted 3 times in a row in Slime:2), do not hesitate to contact "oneirical" on both Reddit and Discord.

=Addendum: From Lackey to Supervillain (Character Building)=

For convenience, I will gather all skilling targets and the spell memorization order in this section. Feel free to return here as you need for quick reference!

===Velvet-Pawed Pilgrimage (Branch Order)===

* Clear each floor of the '''Dungeon''' until you find an altar to Kikubaaqudgha. Do not go further down than D:12!
* Then, immediately enter the '''Lair''', on D:8-D:11.
* After Lair:5, enter the '''Orcish Mines''' and clear both floors. Once again, do not clear any levels further down than D:12! You can skip the Mines for now if you already have Forbidden Knowledge (******), coming back after the Slime Pits raid.
* At this point, you should have acquired the final Kiku Forbidden Knowledge gift. If not, start clearing the first S-Branch until it is secured.
* If you have Animate Dead and/or Death Channel, go raid the '''Slime Pits'''. If not, start clearing the first S-Branch until Infestation is castable, then go to the Pits.
* After raiding the Pits, choose to either convert to Jiyva and go clear '''Dungeon 12 to 15''' to rank up Jiyva and start your progress towards mollifying Kiku, or keep your Hive talisman close while you slay the Royal Jelly and Jiyva for good.
* Clear both '''S-Branches'''. Grab the Slimy Rune from the Pits afterwards, if you have not already done so.
* Optionally clear the '''Elven Halls''', then go beat the '''Vaults:1-4'''. Avoid Vaults:5.
* Optionally clear the '''Crypts'''.
* Clear the '''Depths'''.
* Dive down the '''Realm of Zot''', get that Orb, return to Dungeon:1, and win the game!

===Your Propaganda Arsenal (Spells)===

Throughout this run, you will be encouraged to memorize, in this order, and approximately at these points of the game:

(Note: the "LV" numbers are how many spell slots you need for each spell, not your XP level. As for the locations on the right, you should be able to cast these spells somewhere around reaching these places.)

* LV 1 - '''Summon Small Mammal''' (D:1)
* LV 2 - Call Imp (optional - Necromancy is very tight on spell slots and Scrolls of Amnesia are precious, but this spell helps prevent early splats) (D:1)
* LV 3 - '''Call Canine Familiar''' (D:2)
* LV 3 - '''Eringya's Surprising Crocodile''' (D:2-D:4)
* LV 4 - '''Summon Seismosaurus Egg''' (D:4-D:7)
* LV 4 - '''Anguish''' (D:6-Lair:2) ''(Not guaranteed!)''
* LV 4 - '''Animate Dead''' (D:5-Lair:2) ''(Not guaranteed!)''
* LV 6 - '''Death Channel''' (Lair:3-Orc:2) ''(Not guaranteed!)''
* LV 7 - '''Haunt''' (Orc:2-Slime Pits Raid)
* LV 8 - '''Infestation''' (Slime Pits Raid-First SBranch:3)
* LV 9 - '''Death's Door''' (Second SBranch:2-Elf:2)

As marked on the list by "Not guaranteed!", Kiku's delivery service can be a little bit... lacking at times.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Running a forbidden knowledge book printing business isn't easy. I'd like to see '''you''' explain to your publisher why blood sacrifices are essential to have in "Fun Necromantic Activities for Children"!}}

Also useful, at any point, sorted from most to least useful:

* LV 2 - '''Blink'''
* LV 7 - '''Rimeblight'''
* LV 4 - '''Dispel Undead'''
* LV 5 - '''Borgnjor's Vile Clutch'''
* LV 3 - '''Passwall''' ''(Mostly meant as a companion to Death's Door.)''
* LV 4 - '''Martyr's Knell'''

The Wildeness Trinity, as replacement for missing core necromantic spells:

* LV 5 - '''Summon Mana Viper'''
* LV 5 - '''Summon Forest'''
* LV 6 - '''Summon Cactus Giant'''

Endgame spells, in no particular order, to raid the Realm of Zot:

* LV 7 - '''Malign Gateway'''
* LV 7 - '''Sphinx Sisters'''
* LV 8 - '''Summon Horrible Things'''
* LV 8 - '''Maxwell's Capacitive Coupling'''
* LV 8 - '''Discord'''
* LV 4 - '''Passage of Golubria'''
* LV 4 - '''Vhi's Electric Charge'''
* LV 6 - '''Dispersal'''
* LV 8 - '''Disjunction'''
* LV 6 - '''Gell's Gavotte'''
* LV 1 - '''Apportation'''
* LV 8 - '''Borgnjor's Revivification'''

Check your "M"emorization screen every so often. Ctrl-F to see if you missed any books in shops or in rune door vaults. Whenever you have the spell slots required to memorize the next spell, do so immediately and, if it has an entry in the section below, adjust your skills appropriately.

Skip to the next entry on the list if you are incapable of finding a spell anywhere in your game. As soon as you find a missing spell, however, you should add it to your repertoire as soon as possible to catch up. I strongly encourage you to cast every single one of these fantastic incantations at least once in your game!

===Studying the Dark Arts (Skills & Training Targets)===

As soon as you '''start your run''', train these skills and set them to these targets, with the "=" button:

* '''Spellcasting: 11'''
* '''Summonings: 11'''
* '''Turn off Stealth and Dodging.'''

Upon finding an interesting wand or evokable:

* '''Evocations: 5'''

After '''Summon Seismosaurus Egg''' has been memorized, complement it with this:

* '''Earth Magic: 5 (focused)'''

Once your entire starting kit of spells is castable, start learning how to die less:

* '''Fighting: 10'''
* '''Dodging: 12'''
* '''Stealth: 10'''

'''(OPTIONAL)''' - '''Blink''' will never not be useful, and can come along at any point in your run:

* '''Translocations: 5'''

If you find '''Animate Dead''', your necromantic journey can truly begin.

* '''Necromancy: 27'''

Upon getting either '''Death Channel''' or '''Anguish''', power yourself up like so:

* '''Necromancy: 27''' (if you have not already done so)
* '''Hexes: 8''' (only if '''Anguish''' has appeared in your game)

If you fail to obtain one of the crucial Kiku spells, a member of the Wilderness Trinity can certainly come along as a replacement:

* '''Summon Forest''' (Translocations 8, Summonings 11)
* '''Summon Cactus Giant''' (Summonings 14)
* '''Summon Mana Viper''' (Hexes 8, Summonings 11)

Want Borgnjor's Vile Clutch? You'll need some more Earth Magic:

* '''Earth Magic: 7'''

As for Rimeblight, you'll need to study some pages on snowflake fractal theory:

* '''Ice Magic: 9'''

Forget Call Canine Familiar, Summon Seismosaurus Egg, Call Imp and Summon Small Mammal (in that order) if you need spell slots for '''Haunt'''.

If you want to use a Hive Talisman:

* '''Shapeshifting: 17''' (You can start transforming when it reaches 15)
* Disable '''Necromancy''' until your Shapeshifting objective is achieved. You should probably have either BOTH of Animate Dead and Death Channel, or Infestation online before this.

Ultimately, '''after Death's Door's failure rate has dropped below 5%''', your choice of ultimate pick to iron out your last weaknesses is quite open-ended.

Maxwell's Capacitive Coupling:

* '''Air Magic: 20'''

Discord:

* '''Hexes: 20'''

High level Summonings:

* '''Summonings: 13 for Malign Gateway or Sphinx Sisters, 20 for Summon Horrible Things'''
* '''Translocations: 15''' (only for Malign Gateway)
* '''Hexes: 15''' (only for Sphinx Sisters)

I suggest you focus-train Translocations/Hexes, because of the +4 aptitude.

A suite of Translocations:

* '''Translocations: 2 times the highest level of the spell you wish to use + 1''' (for example, Dispersal, level 6 = 13 Translocations)

=Golems and Spires (0.32 Content)=

If you are playing on version 0.32, here are the paragraphs related to Summon Blazeheart Golem and Summon Lightning Spire, which used to be part of the Summoner kit. I think the Summoner of 0.33 is overall less frontloaded on damage, but has better defensive options and smoother skilling. Both are interesting. If you want to use the tips below in 0.33+, play as a Forgewright, where these spells found a new home!


== The Delicate Art of Explosive Incineration (XP Level 4-6, 0.32) ==

If you have not pathetically perished to some turbo-murderous orc priest on D:2, you will now be the proud holder of 2 stored Extra Lives, the maximum a Felid can hold at a time. Such is the privilege of feline supremacy.

As a proud member of the most blessed race in existence, death is not the end for you. Still, you should pretend it is - it will help you take better strategical decisions. If you ''do'' meet an unfortunate end, stay focused, take a break if you are feeling frustrated, and continue to play carefully as if you hadn’t died. Most Felid runs die around 3 to 9 times in an average 3-rune run, so do not feel too bad. Felid lives are meant to be used like rare, powerful consumables, and many Felid 3-rune or even 15-rune wins have 1 to 4 deaths as early as D:1-8.

Do '''not''' quit a Felid run because of an early death! With the way the system is designed, it's almost as if you are ''supposed'' to die in early Dungeon. It's '''much''' easier to level up early on than in the late game. A life lost on D:4 is gotten back on D:7, but a life lost in Pandemonium may take a full clear of all 4 Hell branches to get it back.

I will repeat it again. Do '''not''' quit a Felid run just because you died twice in a row to the same enemy. Save your game and go do something else instead. I know it's infuriating, but that would be like using a blink scroll and then quitting because you're mad about using a lifesaving item. '''Lives are consumables'''. Playing a Felid without dying is like playing an Octopode with 2 rings. You are '''supposed''' to die.

Press “E” to see how long it will take to get your next life. Press "%" to see how many lives you have (look in the top right of the popup!)

Once again, as soon as you find a safe place, '''immediately''' add your new friend to your roster - the [[Summon Blazeheart Golem|Blazeheart Golem]]. Do not cast it just yet if there is no emergency! Soon enough, it will be below 10% fail rate, and you may then use it safely for all battles. Tweak your skills as follows - '''turn on Fire Magic, press “=” to set a skill target, select Fire Magic, and set it to 5.0. Focus Fire Magic by selecting the skill again (it will have an asterisk and will be brighter).''' While you're at it, you should also '''set a target for Spellcasting at 11.0, and Summonings at 11.0'''.

Of course, if you find yourself forced to battle against a dangerous melee foe who potentially has just plowed your Inugami into the ground, it can be interesting to gamble a cast of a higher fail rate Golem. Just do consider the possibility of a Nameless Horror - if it spawns behind you in a one-tile hallway, you'll be completely stuck. Keep escape routes open.

As soon as you find an interesting wand or evokable (also known as "anything but a wand of flame"), also '''turn on Evocations, and set the target to 5.0'''. You'll also want to collect, when you see them, the '''Lightning Rod''', '''Box of Beasts''', '''Phantom Mirror''', '''Gell's Gravitambourine''' and '''Phial of Floods'''.

Starting from D:3, the Dungeon loves to throw at you fast, high-damage, or sometimes even ''fast and high damage'' enemies before you are ready for them. You may therefore encounter [[Water moccasin|water moccasins]], [[Ogre|ogres]], [[Killer bee|killer bees]], dangerous Lair enemies (wyverns & hornets are a classic), among a variety of other nasty creatures. However, you will laugh in the face of these pitiful attempts at stopping the march of progress, oneshot them with what is probably one of the highest damage level 4 spells in the game, and witness the XP trickle down like cat treats. This is what you were suffering in D:1 for - whereas your average Minotaur Fighter or Deep Elf Conjurer would meet a swift end against a swarm of light speed enemies that make your healthbar have more red than green (or sometimes yellow), you will sacrifice unholy amounts of expensive machinery, and will probably make the interdimensional inventor shipping these to you very frustrated.

More desperate for companionship and physical closeness than the most introverted DCSS win-streak players, Golems will immediately stop all action and become useless if they do not '''start or end their turn while being in melee range of you''', resuming activity once you walk up close enough to give them a comforting paw-tap.

While it functions, it will deliver heavy-damage punches and lose a third of its health every time it does so, in addition to getting its metallic head bashed in by your very upset foes. Needless to say, this thing dies fast. Thankfully, the Blazeheart Golem is designed to pack an extremely potent explosive payload when it is destroyed, and is a master at all things related to flesh incineration. In case you have not noticed, flesh is also what you are made out of.

When a <s>Walking Incinerator</s> Blazeheart Golem perishes in heroic battle, it will leave behind its core, represented as a sphere of pure fire. Once this happens, IMMEDIATELY exit melee range of the core. It’s going to EXPLODE, INCINERATE everything adjacent to it (including you, if you are incapable of following basic safety protocols), and leave behind CLOUDS OF BLAZING FLAME to block passage and allow you to leave, rest, and recuperate.

Do NOT hold down "wait" (usually '.' or 's') too fast out of impatience. Do NOT position yourself in such a way that you'd be incapable of leaving the blast zone with a single action. You WILL be oneshotted. Here is an example of what NOT to do:

.###.
..@..
..G..
..E..
.....

If @ is you, # are walls, E is your foe and G is the Golem, the walls will block your only hope of retreating, forcing you to be the recipient of up to 60 fire damage, not to mention the extra damage-over-time from the burning clouds.

If you HAVE to brace for an inescapable blast, or must walk through flame clouds to reposition away from an orc with a +99 Halberd of Feline Culling, consider briefly putting on a ring of Fire resistance/Fire! This is very fast (less than one turn) and will halve the damage, allowing you to survive.

In fact, "ring swapping" in general is a good skill to develop when playing a Felid. See a lindwurm? Ring of fire resistance. Rime drake? Ring of cold resistance. Nergalle the orcish necromancer? Ring of positive energy. Erolcha the banish-you-to-the-abyss-bot? Ring of willpower. Swapping rings is extremely fast - half of a turn to be precise. Don't try swapping amulets, though, trying to tie up a string around your fuzzy neck without opposable thumbs while a violent brute is inching closer is generally not advisable.

Here are some diagrams of potential ways you can commit feline war crimes with this improvised explosive. Again - @ is you, the one and only genius fuzzball, E are your foolish enemies, and G is your trusty golem. . represents floors, and #, walls.

'''Hallway Exit Triple-Blast'''

.EEE.
.#G#.
.#@#.
.#.#.
.#.#.

'''Outsmarting Lesser Beings in Open Spaces'''

.EEE.
..G..
..@..
.....
.....

Yes, this actually works. The enemies on the sides won't even swerve around, captivated by the shining metal of your loyal robot.

Some things to consider:

* If a foe has a reaching polearm (tridents, halberds, glaives, spears...), they will completely ignore the Golem and instead repeatedly puncture you, which means you'll have to wait for the Golem to detonate itself by having it use its self-damaging melee attacks. Here is a trick: remember, the Golem remains activated if they start or end your turn next to you. You may walk back and forth to enter and exit its range repeatedly, thus reducing the damage taken from the polearm by about 50%, and still triggering the explosion!

..E..
..G..
..@..
.....

..E..
..G..
.....
..@..

..E..
..G..
..@..
.....

* When you step away from the explosive core, your foes also get a chance to act. Keep in mind that enemies which were in melee range of you may follow you out of the blast zone, thus dodging the explosion as they pursue you.

..C..
.E...
.@...

In this example, C is the imminently exploding core, triggered as you began your previous turn next to the dying Golem, and chose to move diagonal down-left. If you walk downwards now, it is possible that the enemy will also walk downwards alongside you, and dodge the explosion. You should instead wait, so that they are still located in the blast zone when the core detonates!

* If the enemy is super strong/tanky/resistant to fire, keep in mind you'll be very close to them should they survive the explosion. For example, trying to take out a full-health hydra in Lair with a single Golem may result in the hydra walking through the fire, still barely clinging to life, and oneshotting you. Try to use other summons to reduce their health into explosion kill-range before risking your life in this fashion.

* The flame clouds left behind by the blast also deal heavy damage. If a creature has been left on the brink of death from the explosion and is now standing in a flame cloud, it might be worth just waiting one turn while it is in melee range (instead of moving away) so that it remains stuck in the flames and dies. The flame tick happens before they get a chance to melee attack, but do be absolutely sure that you won't need more than one tick, or some two-headed ogre might just oneshot you on the same turn it is reduced to 2 HP.

'''From now on, the plan is as follows:'''

* Summon an Inugami for every single trivial-to-medium difficulty battle. Make use of “t”-“a” to direct focus, and do not hold back until the entire canine demiplane has been sacrificed to mitten-pawed glory.
* Demolish every single high damage or out-of-depth (OOD) enemy by letting them uselessly punch a robotic time bomb over and over until it inevitably burns them to a crisp. Ice beast? Boom. Ogre? Boom. Bullfrog? Boom. Wyvern? Boom. Water moccasin, yak, two-headed ogre, sleepcap, gnoll sergeant, any Unique creature, hornet, ugly thing, scorpion, troll, orc warrior? BOOM. They will not survive, and if they somehow do, you can simply bring out more golems for your foes to commit the same mistake. So much for having “human”-level intelligence - clearly, the humanoids are hopeless, dull-witted morons before feline genius.
* Stuck in a pinch with no MP and a really angry dude invading your personal space? Getting turned into a porcupine by a very merry centaur? Getting a taste of orcish zealotry and being told that "smite makes right"? Use wands! They are the guns of the fantasy world, and will dispose of any pesky denizen of the Dungeon. Do not hesitate to spam these against dangerous uniques, centaurs and orc priests. The bolt ones, like Quicksilver, Light or Acid, are especially effective. Remember, if you use Charming, you can "t"-"r" the mind-controlled foe to get away from you, then use that distance to execute a swift, zero-risk retreat!
* If you end up in a terrible situation, refer to the Escape Techniques listed in the previous chapter of this guide.
* In the semi-common case where you encounter the unique siblings Dowan and Duvessa, always slay Duvessa first, preferably with an incinerating payload. Otherwise, Duvessa will get very mad, run at you at light speed and oneshot you.

Try to abuse the 1-tile hallways described earlier in Battle Tactics 101! This guarantees your foes will not attempt to circumvent your units to instead give you a very uncomfortable petting session. You are extremely frail, and lingering in melee range of anything that isn’t a basic orc or a D:1 creature is bound to result in your doom. Constantly use your turns to reposition and ensure you are always behind your summons! If your summons lose, you will be the next target on the list, and you will NOT survive should you stand your ground with tooth and claw. Run, rest and try again.


== Murder and Electrical Engineering (XP Level 7-9 to Lair, 0.32) ==

Remember, use your scrolls of Identify! Drop those useless Scrolls of Brand Weapon, Enchant Weapon or Enchant Armour. Maybe a lesser biped will come across those and thank you. Ha! Fat chance.

Between level 7 and 9 (variable depending on your dungeon adventures), the ability to memorize [[Summon Lightning Spire]] will be made available to you. This is the ''big gun'', the ''heavy artillery'', and other militarily pleasing expressions. Whereas the Blazeheart Golem granted the power to slay individual high-level threats, the Lightning Spire welcomes a little bit of ranged combat to the battlefield. This stationary turret has zero chill, and will electrocute anything breathing the same air as you in record time, only stopping once you and your allies are the only thing left standing. However, it occasionally likes to sleep on the job, so make sure to wake it up with more ample usage of “t”-“a”. Remember that neither the Golem nor the Spire have vision as refined as yours, and will completely ignore invisible enemies - most commonly orc wizards. You can still direct fire on a visible enemy, and if a sneaky invisible trickster is in the way, they will still get zapped!

To tap into this immense electrical power, open up your skills menu with “m” - notice that your Fire Magic should be close to reaching 5. Now, '''turn on Air Magic, and set a target to 5'''. Remember, do not attempt to cast a Summonings spell above 10% fail rate if there is no emergency! As our offense is starting to reach a comfortable level, also consider increasing your defense - '''turn on Fighting, Stealth and Dodging, and set a target to 10 for all three of them.'''

There are two main issues: first, the Spire is highly considerate of your wellbeing (which is nice, for the velvet-pawed deserve utmost comfort) yet also just as compassionate towards your other summons (which is less nice, as they are disposable and unimportant lesser beings). It will therefore not shoot if its piercing, bouncing bolt would cause harm to you or to any of your loyal servants. Strangely, it seems to hold a grudge against the Blazeheart Golem, and will occasionally zap it anyways, but this is uncommon - most likely, the Golem dimension played an amusing prank on the Spire dimension before you ripped both of them from their home realm to perish in unspeakable agony. Just kidding. They’re constructs. They don’t feel anything.

The second issue is that unlike other units, the Lightning Spire is incapable of moving out of your way or swapping places with you. This is problematic if you cast the spell in a hallway, potentially blocking your escape route.

#####
.S@.O
#####

You can’t walk backwards to escape the ogre (O), and the (S)pire won’t do anything, too afraid of daring to disrespect you (@)!

Instead of trying to melee an ogre with 0 Unarmed Combat skill, I propose an alternative - a disciplinary paw-scratch. Press 'v', select your Lightning Spire, then confirm the prompt in the message log. This will attack it, and immediately one-shot it no matter what, allowing passage again. An alternative is to recast the spell, though this is risky - it may simply land in an equally unfortunate position.

With all of that said, you should be set for clearing floors until you find the entrance to the Lair, somewhere on D:8-D:11.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Get that Kiku guy on your contacts list, then get into that Lair, in that order! I'll consider you for employee of the month if you have over 5000 turns remaining by D:8. Not that this is much of a title, considering you are my only contractor in this place. Any lower amount, and you'll have to start moving those fuzzy paws a bit faster.}}

Your faithful trio - Inugami, Spire and Golem - will make quick work of anything the game may attempt to impede your progress with. Remember to also put on any jewellery you may find (press capital "P") - Intelligence, Wizardry, Magical Power, Protection and Fire Protection are the best rings you could hope for (in that order), and Magic Regeneration, Regeneration, Reflection, Acrobat and Faith are the best amulets (also in that order) - for now. Avoid Guardian Spirit.

If you find a runed door vault with a ghost in it (and NO other enemies), this could be an opportunity for instant acquirement of three degrees from the Summonings College! They are worth boatloads of experience, but can range from trivial to lethal. Inspect them with "x"-"v", and check their kit - if they have Conjurations that could annihilate you or dangerous Summonings spells, they should be left alone. If they, however, only have a few joke cantrips or only know how to o-tab like a Minotaur Berserker, then it is time to guide them to eternal rest. '''Once the floor is fully cleared,''' gather up all your friends, open the door, and make them bash golems, eat electricity and be eaten by spirit-wolves until they die (for the second time in their existence).

Do NOT try your luck in weird vaults with OP enemies in them locked behind runed doors and orange transporters. They are DESIGNED by developers to exploit your greed and kill you. Nothing stops you from returning there when you actually have the required power to take them on.

===Where It Can All End (Early Game Threats)===

* Centaurs (and even more so their Warrior or Yaktaur variants) are felid annihilation incarnate. If you casually run around and spot one sleeping in open space, '''do not just start mindlessly plopping down your squad'''. Your allies will arrive in random locations while those wretched horsemen puncture you with potentially twoshotting damage on each turn. Instead, retreat to a corner or door (which you can close with capital 'C'), and meow ('t'-'t') to have it walk over in much more advantageous terrain!

Since Spires have almost zero evasion, they will gladly tank arrows for you (unlike those scumbag canines), so they may be of great use should you face off a centaur - hide behind them, and let the ranged battle unfold. Which will win, wooden sharp sticks, or thousand-volt lightning bolts? Spoiler alert: the latter.

However, keep in mind:

..@..
..S..
.....
.....
...E.

This is not a safe way of hiding. The centaur (E) will still turn you from a cat to a porcupine while the Spire will desperately attempt to dish out damage before you die in an anxiety-inducing Damage Per Turn race. First, consider Wands - polymorph is especially effective, as wielding a bow is quite hard without opposable thumbs. As you may have discovered yourself. Otherwise, you can spawn more summons - if you or an Inugami gets in melee range, the centaur will panic and stop shooting. Consider a Scroll of Fog or Summoning/Butterflies if things get too dire.

* Electric eels deal unreal amounts of damage. These living death traps are resistant to your Spire, and will three-shot you. To add insult to injury, they’re worth almost no experience - for comparison, a single scorpion rewards you with about 53% more experience than one eel. Thankfully, there's a trick: a zap from a wand of flame will oneshot or twoshot them, due to the steam clouds this technique will spawn. If flame is unavailable, most other damage wands, while rarer, will make short work of them.

* Steam dragons are deceptively dangerous. Their breath weapon will turn the heat up in every sense of the word, and may even twoshot you should the dice be animated by murderous intent. It even goes through allies. Thankfully, there is counterplay - a ring of fire resistance, or a ring of fire. If you can give yourself a + of rF, this battle will go from terrifying to laughable. If rF is not available to you, tread lightly, and be ready to retreat out of their sight the moment you are hit. Having a steam dragon on the screen while you are fighting other non-trivial enemies is suicide.

** The rarer acid dragons are basically the same thing, but worse. The corresponding ring is resist corrosion.

* Boulder beetles can oneshot you should they land their roll attack on you (and fail the EV check). Thankfully, intelligent summoners can trivialize them by calling forth even the puniest of quokkas and forcing them to waste their roll annihilating a little fluffball (which hopefully isn't you). The Spire's electrical damage bypasses a portion of their heavily armoured shell.

* If you’re unlucky enough to encounter a [[Meliai]] or the unique [[Jeremiah]], know that they are practically cyber-augmented orc priests. Just one isn’t that bad, but they often hang out with their friends, and you do ''NOT'' want to be the centre of attention of bee-witch gossip. Eating a quadruple smite in one turn ''can'' happen, and it ''will'' kill you. Potions of Invisibility work, and so do Wands of various kinds - or have them be zapped one at a time by your spire before they notice your presence, and they should fall relatively quickly. Otherwise, pushing a Golem in their faces will ensure a fiery doom.

* Should you be so hapless as to encounter the unique slug mage Gastronok, you must immediately try to avoid empty spaces. Hug walls, surround yourself with allies - if you find yourself with 4 or more completely empty tiles, you WILL be twoshotted with an insanely powerful, irresistible Airstrike ability. If you have found a scroll of Silence, I highly recommend using it as soon as you’ve churned out a few friends to help take him down. If you do not have silencing abilities, keep him at the edge of Line-of-Sight while the battle unfolds, hug walls and potentially some Small Mammals, and be ready to step away the second you are smited by Airstrike. Even with wise positioning, all it takes are approximately 3 casts to detonate you into an unrecognizable mess of gore and fluff.

For the rest of the run, don’t ever have rF- or rC- no matter what. Yes, even if it means giving up an Int+10 ring (you can also wear rF+/rC+ to cancel out the rF-/rC- if it’s ''really'' good). Vulnerabilities will be your doom: 50% extra damage is plenty to oneshot you before you even realize what has happened. Press % to check your resistances.

[[Category:Character guides]]

Onei's Velvet-Pawed Path to Immortality Walkthrough - FeSu^Kikubaaqudgha/Jiyva

2025-12-02T05:42:33Z

Oneirical:

{{version033}}{{Advice}}
{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Another contender! Will you prove worthy, or rot like the rest?}}

Did you know 100% of deaths in DCSS are the result of taking damage? The common melee brute builds may appear efficient at first, but they suffer from a critical flaw - they let the enemy hit you. Every single time an enemy applies its claws, club, arrows, or reality shattering magic to your sensitive skin, you are exposed to the leading cause of mortality in the Dungeon. I therefore propose an alternative that will make your journey down into the depths 50% less painful, 100% less lonely, and most importantly, 300% fluffier.

'''The Felid Summoner of Kikubaaqudgha/Jiyva.'''

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] It's not "evil magic"! It's recycling. Those bodies would have gone to waste.}}

Cats have a terrible reputation for being, supposedly, a “challenge species”, a “tedious ordeal of optimal play” or even an “unfun experience I’d never do again”. I’m here to inform you that this is all baseless canine propaganda, and I hope you too will learn to bow before your true feline masters as you read through this guide. As a blessed, fuzzy quadruped, you will be able to laugh in the face of paralysis and other dastardly hexes (due to your nigh-unbreakable willpower), laugh in the face of invisible enemies (due to your intrinsic See Invisible passive), laugh in the face of melee enemies (due to your vast repertoire of loyal servants) and even occasionally laugh in the face of death (due to the extremely powerful ability to resurrect after you meet your demise).

This all comes at the high price of having the lowest amount of hit points in the game, and the inability to use any item besides scrolls, potions, evokables, talismans and jewellery. Thankfully, you won’t need any of the baubles inferior humanoids depend on, as you will delegate most of the dirty work to pathetically obedient underlings. Prepare to embark on a journey like no other - which will flip the game around completely, turning the lethal into the laughable, and the harmless into the horrifying.

This guide was written for DCSS version 0.34 (currently "trunk" beta, not released officially yet). The differences with version 0.33 are minor. The target audience here are players who have already won at least once, and would like a build off the beaten path of the tried and true brute/caster duality, or even their first Felid victory. It shall accompany you on a path of team-based fighting, dark magic, vast armies to manage, and eventual transcension in the form of nigh-infinite mana and on-demand invincibility.

If you are a newcomer to DCSS and have stumbled upon this page, also check out the excellently written:

* [[H's Minotaur Fighter Guide]] - the most classic "I cast Axe!" brute build, timeless in DCSS history
* [[Repo Troll Guide, TrFi^Wu Jian]] - a highly acrobatic aventure of awe-striking martial arts
* [[Git Gud Gnoll Guide]] - the Zotémon master, using anything and everything to win, even the strengths and spells of their enemies

But perhaps you are the type who prefers to jump straight into a complex and unorthodox playstyle, following a potential madman's dubious advice? You, I like.

I personally got my '''first win ever''' as a Felid Summoner, and I believe that the caution and focus which one learns from playing this species is valuable on any character.

'''Important note: for an overview of branch order and skilling, check the [[#Addendum: From Lackey to Supervillain (Character Building)|addendum at the end of this guide]].'''

===Travel Preparations (quality-of-life tweaks)===

If you care about comfort while playing this build, I suggest editing your rc file (in online mode, it's the button right next to the "Play trunk/Play (current version)" button, and in offline mode, it's under the settings folder > init.txt). Add these at the very bottom, on new lines:

default_manual_training = true
fail_severity_to_confirm = 0
fail_severity_to_quiver = 5
tile_player_tile = tile:felid_2
force_more_message += forbidden knowledge
force_more_message += mollified

In order, these will:

1. Prevent the very useless and dangerous Auto-training feature from working.

2. Will allow you to cast dangerous spells without a confirmation prompt.

3. Will allow you to quiver dangerous spells without a confirmation prompt.

4. For the reasonable among you, this will turn your likely very ugly Felid sprite extracted from the default rotation - which you may somehow find cute if you suffer from an utter lack of taste - into the objectively superior black counterpart. Secretly grants bonus Willpower from the sheer confidence your glossy black fur will exude (not scientifically tested). For those visually challenged by the black-fur-on-black-floor lack of contrast, tile:felid_4 or mons:natasha are also acceptable. Offline players can also press “-” and cycle through available sprites with left and right arrow keys while ingame. Should you ever revert to playing a (lesser) non-Felid, you will need to remove this line to restore your sprite to the default player doll.

5. Notify you when Kikubaaqudgha likes you enough to reveal the darkest spells in this game.

6. Notify you when Kikubaaqudgha is done pelting you with its pesky curses after you betray them.

Points 2 and 3 may be slightly controversial. The reason for this is simple - the "danger rating" of spells is based off your maximum HP, and as Felid has the lowest max HP in the game, even the actually very safe spell Call Canine Familiar will be labeled as "astonishingly dangerous" and constantly ask "are you sure????" when it's actually very safe, and in fact required for progression.

= (BONUS) Because It Wasn't Hard Enough (Gem Quest) =

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Ah, a new adventurer embarking on a new journey filled with noble deeds and helping the innocent. What? You're learning dark magic and committing mass slaughter? Eh, I don't really care. Can you do my fetch quest? Here's my backstory: I like money. There are gems in the dungeon that are worth a lot of it. Bring them to me.

The problem is, some prick is going around smashing them. You'll have to be quick before that lunatic destroys the treasure which I alone deserve.

Oh, sure. Maybe you can get a cut. If I like you.}}

'''Gems''' are an optional speedrunning challenge where you must beat the game without exceeding a certain amount of turns in each branch. Interestingly, this build is quite good at claiming them.

'''Note''': This makes the game objectively harder. It is for those utter fanatics who thought playing a Felid (lol) with an exotic build which involves god wrath (lmao) just wasn't difficult enough.

If you aren't feeling up to the task, '''ignore all interventions of Gozag in my guide (it is advice for the gem quest specifically).'''

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Excellent, you're still here. That means a promotion is in sight for you. From 'unemployed' to 'my esteemed errand-cat', to be precise. Do add these, while you're at it.}}

more_gem_info = true
always_show_gems = true
explore_auto_rest = false

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] A company-provided timer in your sidebar will now always show you the time remaining before those precious gems start cracking. Useful, is it not? Press }, then ! to view all collected gems, and the time limit for each.

What's that? You're worried about the last option? Corporate doesn't have time for things like "healthcare" or "comfort". You need to get moving, FAST. Just heal while you autoexplore, surely this won't result in coming face to face with a centaur when you have 15 HP.}}

If '}' is a weird key to press on your potentially non-English keyboard (like mine), you can rebind it like this:

bindkey = [(TYPE YOUR KEY HERE)] CMD_DISPLAY_RUNES

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Enough talk! Let's see if dedicating my attention span to you was a valuable use of my time.}}

= An Agonizing Introduction (XP Level 1) =

As the title suggests, pick Felid for your species (ignore the “Advanced” difficulty: that’s merely a ploy to hide true power from your grasp). Pick Summoner for your background, as is wisely recommended by the game.

You probably know this already, but press "o" to autoexplore floors when no enemies are in sight, Ctrl-G to quick-travel to locations, and "5" to wait turns until you have restored HP/MP.

Upon starting your run, you will be met with the following:

* 9 pitiful HP points, enough to get two-shotted by a quokka, defended by a lonely, single point of AC.
* Complete lack of any items (except a measly consolation magic cocktail), weapons, or armour, and only three equipment slots for jewellery only. Felid culture prohibits equipping rings on your rear-limbs, as this is symbolic of the time one spent caged by their (now rightfully eviscerated) master.
* The pathetic ability to call forth fuzzy critters from the unfathomable depths of the eldritch cosmos.
* A deranged repartition of default skill training. Press “m”. If you haven’t set up your rc file as explained in the beginning of the tutorial, set training to “manual” mode (press “/” to do so). Then, '''turn off every skill except Spellcasting and Summonings'''. '''Important reminder: at any time, should you wish to review my suggested skill training plan, view the [[#Addendum: From Lackey to Supervillain (Character Building)|addendum at the end of this guide]].'''
* Your first Extra Life, ripe to be harvested by possibly the very first foe you will encounter.

All of this is, to put it bluntly, utter trash. The good news is that XP level 1 and 2 are the only obstacles separating you from supreme feline domination. Please refer to the following advice to avoid becoming a delicacy in the next hobgoblin feast.

* Try to avoid being in melee range of anything that isn’t a “trivial creature” - which are '''[[Bat|bats]], [[Rat|rats]] and [[Frilled lizard|frilled lizards]]'''. If a ball python hits you with the “Constrict” status, do NOT continue fighting and attempt to retreat until you have been cleansed from the status, at which point you may resume your rampage. If you are cornered or engaged in dangerous melee with 0 MP remaining, use your magic potion immediately. You may take one step in a foe’s reach to reposition, but always remember that most of the denizens of D:1 can two-shot you.
* Cast [[Summon Small Mammal]] twice for every encounter (press “p” to do so, or - if the game complains about you being too reckless - "z" then "a"). Bats are almost useless, rats are mediocre, and quokkas are somewhat passable. If you happen to pull forth one of the latter two from your interdimensional nonexistent hat, you may direct them to get their furry heads bashed in at the nearest available enemy. This is done by pressing “t” to bring up the ally command menu, and then pressing “a” and selecting the enemy you wish to submit to death by a thousand adorable critter bites. If your fuzzy friend meets an unfortunate end at the tip of a kobold’s dagger, there’s always more where that came from - bring on the onslaught until all opposition has been reduced to quokka food. You can have up to a maximum of 2 mammals simultaneously - replace the fallen with more units eager to die in your name. While your summons fight it out, feel free to distance yourself from the action, or to press “.” to allow the battle to unfold, occasionally shooting a “t”-“a” command to direct firepower. Trying to join the action is a certain way to die - remember, do NOT melee non-trivial creatures!
* Remember the golden rule of summoning: what you can’t see cannot be seen by your summons either. No ally can attack outside of Line-of-Sight (LOS) distance. If you want something to die, it has to be on your screen. The opposite is not necessarily true: while your feline senses let you see invisible enemies, all of the critters in your starting spells (except those from Call Canine Familiar) are not as fortunate.
* You can close doors behind you by pressing capital "C" - animals of all kinds do not have paws as dextrous as yours, and will be forced to scratch your impenetrable barricade while you rest and recuperate.
* Your summons can tank stones and other missiles for you if you stand behind them, but this is extremely unreliable (projectiles continue their trajectory if they are dodged). Additionally, keep an eye out for branded weapons! A single hit from either of these is enough to go from a pristine, full health scruff to a game over screen showing 3 unidentified scrolls of acquirement. Venom and Electrocution in particular are extremely lethal. Branded melee weapons are handled in the same way as dangerous creatures of D:1, that is, drowned in pettable fluffballs until the threat is vanquished and drops their dangerous item (possibly a +34 triple sword “lol you can’t use this play minotaur next time” {flaming, Slay+12, AC+10}).

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] If you aren't already quitting the job on day one, I inform you that we just don't have the time to loot every grain of dust on D:1 to D:3. Your first objective in D:1 should be to reach XP level 2, and immediately going down afterwards, using a normal staircase (not a hatch). The latter tend to cause some company liabilities.}}

Do NOT "kite" (walking away from a creature over and over while it is in melee range of you) your foes. You WILL get your snout slapped faster than you can say “YASD” (a traditional roguelike acronym for Yet Another Stupid Death). Each step gives enemies a 33% chance to attack you for free - a few tip-taps to reposition (and swap places with your ally) is fine, but eating attacks of opportunity for over 5 turns is asking to die.

Quite an agonizing experience so far, no? Are you beginning to doubt me? Do you lust to return to a race that starts with HP in the double digits? Foolish! After this, the fun begins.

= Interdimensional Battle Tactics 101 =

All enemies of DCSS, from the gurgling jelly to the mighty Pandemonium Lord Cerebov, are extremely unintelligent. In a situation like:

@....
.....
..S..
...E.
.....

(where @ is you, S is a friendly summon, E is an enemy and . are floors), foes would rather hammer their way through your friend (which may be an eight-headed hydra zombie) to reach you, and certainly won’t think about just circling around to one-shot the squishy cat behind. You will need to abuse this as much as possible. Try to always ensure you are shielded behind your loyal servants. This, for example, is not acceptable:

..@..
.....
.....
..S..
...E.
.....

Since the enemy can directly trace a line between you and their position (imagine they’re trying to fire an arrow at you - if they can hit you, you’re not positioned correctly), they will ignore your ally and charge directly at you to slice themselves some fresh feline cutlets. In a situation such as this, it is preferable to either A) send out more allies to return to a more favourable state

..@..
.....
.....
.SSS.
...E.
.....

Or B), retreat to a hallway.

1-tile hallways are both beneficial and harmful to a Summoner. Look at the following situation, where # represent walls:

'''Situation 1'''

#####
S.@.E
#####

The enemy is possibly an ogre about to bash you into a bloodied furball. Casting your summoning spell placed your unit behind you. Simply walk backwards to swap places with your unit, watch the fight unfold (preferably from a distance), and if your soldier perishes in honourable battle, your MP should have regenerated while they were battling it out: simply send out a fresh combatant eager to finish the job.

#####
@..SE
#####

Zero risk, zero worry. Here’s another interesting case:

'''Situation 2'''

#####
@E..S
#####

Here, you got unlucky, and casting your spell spawned your unit ''behind'' the foe you are attempting to introduce to your friends. Inspect the enemy's melee damage by right-clicking them or pressing "x", moving the cursor on them, then pressing "v". If they can't oneshot you on the next turn, it's ''probably'' safe to try summoning some additional support, hoping they will spawn behind you and allow for a Situation 1 swap.

#####
@SE..
#####

The problem with 1-tile hallways is that they enforce honourable 1v1-ing only between each creature. This probably makes Okawaru very proud, but with the whole little army we are slowly amassing, we will increasingly benefit more and more from wide, open spaces to allow your entire squad to get into the fray and dish out punishment. This might not be the case early in the game, but much later on, when we will branch into Necromancy, expect the number of allies on screen to reach into the dozens.

= A Devilish Upgrade (XP Level 2) =

''Feeling brave? You may try to skip this chapter and reach XP level 3 using only small mammals. As Necromancy is tight on spell slots, the additional Scroll of Amnesia this will save later on may prove useful. Try not to die if you opt for this choice. Otherwise, keep reading.''

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Yeah, no, we can't fit this one into the budget. Move along. Just kill those D:2 adders with quokkas and quit whining. We'll need the Amnesia Scrolls later.}}

If you have reached this point, congratulations, you have won the game. You may now press Ctrl-Q to abandon the run, as objectively speaking, your chances of victory are now exactly 100.00%. Go bake some cookies. Take a nice walk in the park. Do anything else than watching pixelated animals fight. While being an animal yourself.

What? Still here? Very well.

Most of the Level 1 advice still applies, but you now have a little more room for mistakes. As soon as you level up and find yourself in a safe area, immediately memorize [[Call Imp]] by pressing "M", your new very mischievous addition to the roster. Press "z" then "b" to meet your new demonic friend. The unspeakably dark forces of Hell will be delighted to deliver you a dastardly blue imp proudly wielding a sharp stick.

This rampage machine is anything but (imp)otent. Savour the tears of the hobgoblins who once terrified you, revel in the yips of those pesky jackals - they will be poked, and there shall be no mercy. Imps will also occasionally compliment you and call you their “pillow-pawed master”, which is a step up from the blank stares of rats. Disregard these attempts to appeal to your nonexistent mercy, and send them to die in your name with more liberal usage of “t”-“a”. Unlike furry mammals, you may only have a maximum of one imp at a time.

At any moment, I encourage you to bring forth assistance from your previous, less talkative and much fuzzier friends! You may do this by either clicking the spell in the side menu (in offline mode) or pressing "p" or "za" again (in online mode). The total gang of three summons is now sufficient to circle enemies and dish out quick justice to anything on D:1. Keep being careful until you reach level 3. If D:1 fails to provide enough experience for this, carefully descend to D:2 to finish the job, but know that dealing with any of the D:2 new enemies that weren’t featured on D:1 is extremely risky - especially adders and orc priests/wizards. Try to focus on foes you are already familiar with, and use a different staircase if your chosen means of descent places you next to something you haven’t killed yet.

= Canine Thralls vs. The Interdimensional Police (XP Level 3) =

'''Increase (I)ntelligence, and only do so every single time you will be prompted with this choice in the future.'''

Got some scrolls? The stack with the highest amount (press "r" to bring up the (r)ead menu) has a high (but not guaranteed) chance of being Identify. Once you have found Scrolls of Identify, immediately read any you may obtain to progressively label each of your possessions. Personally, I think identifying potions before scrolls tends to increase your chances of survival ever-so-slightly. This isn't hard science, whether a DCSS player identifies potions or scrolls first is basically the equivalent of their horoscope sign.

Find a safe area. Memorize [[Call Canine Familiar]] immediately (press "M"). This is the ''real deal''. Labelled as "quite dangerous" despite its 7% miscast rate, this extremely strong spell brings forth an '''Inugami''' - a once proud general and leader of the canine empire, re-educated into serving its feline master with unbreakable zeal. The tag around its collar proves most interesting - besides reminding it of its status before your Highness, it can also channel powerful bursts which heal the Inugami a massive amount, remove all poison, and unleash a cleaving burst on all tiles adjacent to it. To trigger one such energy surge, recast the spell while your Inugami is alive and visible on your screen, spending 3 MP in the process.

Yes, you can spam it and pop foes open with repeated re-casts. No, you won't find funny when your Inugami dies to some overpowered death machine and you're left in melee range with it with 0 MP to spare. It's strongly recommended to prioritize energy-bursting only if one of the following applies:

* Your canine servant needs the heal or is badly poisoned.
* It is surrounded and the cleaving AOE would prove most effective.
* You need a quick finishing blow against a low-HP dangerous foe.

When an Inugami dies in heroic battle, it will retreat to a pocket dimension for a time to rekindle its faith in feline supremacy. When the -Dog status on the sidebar expires - expect 13 to 21 turns - it is ready to return into the fray. Other summons can take up arms while you wait.

With all that considered, Inugami are absolute beasts. Very little in the early Dungeon can survive a 1v1 with an Inugami energy-bursting when it is most needed. Not even Sigmund - he is powerless before canine brutality! Simply stand back, watch the carnage without getting hit, and laugh as adders get slaughtered from Line-of-Sight (LOS) distance. You don't really need to "avoid fighting" anything in D:2 to D:4, except:

* '''Grinder''', which will play fetch with your dog by blinking all over the place while you stand paralyzed eating tons of darkness damage.
* '''Orc priests''', which are explained more in depth right below. Basically, if you can see them, they can murder you.

Inugami, like imps, occasionally try to look cute and print out endearing messages in the text log. Again, do not let this affect you - remember that the canine race is lesser before feline glory, and heartlessly send them to their doom (“t”-“a”) while they obey with unfaltering zeal.

You can look (and cast) any of your memorized spells at any time by pressing "z" then "?". If it says, for example, "c - Call Canine Familiar", pressing "z" then "c" will welcome your new canine unit without having to bring up the menu every time.

<blockquote>How can I possibly lose with such loyal followers?
</blockquote>
Orc priests, my noble feline acolyte. These green-robed menaces have the ability to inflict undodgeable, instant and two-shotting damage from full LOS range. Right now, no amount of summons could protect you from their devotion to the god of the Orcs. A lone one can be assassinated by sending an inugami next to them and spamming the recast-burst until they are deleted. If you see - Xom have mercy - two or more, do not even attempt to test their mettle. Press “X”, move the cursor towards them, and press “e” to set up an exclusion - this is your way of telling the game “NOPE”. If multiple priests stay visible on your screen for 5 turns or more, you are asking to die. Leave through the nearest up-staircase, and attempt a different portion of the level (or descend to D:3 if the level is truly doomed), leaving these dissenters alive for later. They will suffer the consequences of their insolence in due time.

<blockquote>I'M ON FIRE I'M ON FIRE PUT IT OUT PUT IT OUT IT BURNS
</blockquote>
If a Bombardier Beetle set you on fire, you must immediately start taking steps and walking around - each tile crossed reduces the duration by 6 turns. Stop, drop and roll! Do NOT stand still! If you accidentally drank a lignification potion, say goodbye to the current iteration of your feline life.

<blockquote>Any recommendations if I am doing the Gem Quest?</blockquote>

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Why are you still on D:2? The Temple doesn't spawn here. We want that bone altar, and we want it pronto. Get diving down to D:4, you should not be exploring more than half of each floor until then.}}

Additionally...

== The Aforementioned Interdimensional Police (Nameless Horrors) ==

Every time you attempt to call a canine <s>slave</s> friend, there should be a small chance of a miscast, which will reduce as you progress through the arts of Summonings. Miscasts in other schools of magic are generally not too dramatic (given that the caster is not trying to sever reality itself right after learning how to say “pick a card, any card”). However, your constant telemarketing calls to the eldritch cosmos asking “Who wants to die in the name of feline supremacy?” have begun to get on the nerves of some eldritch monstrosities. TentacleMail may therefore rarely deliver you a [[Nameless horror|Nameless Horror]] instead of your ordered furry companion. Instead of filing a complaint, slow down and consider your options. These things drain your mana on each melee hit they land on you, will only leave after you have managed to kill them, and will occasionally return your summons back to their home realm, so they may meet their family again instead of dying for a cat in a dungeon.

FAQ:

<blockquote>What do I do if I incur the wrath of cosmic aberrations?
</blockquote>
It depends on your situation. If they are alone or accompanied by a joke of an enemy, getting an Inugami out and spamming energy-bursts should wreck it. Alternatively, if you have damaging wands that aren't Mindburst, feel free to gun them down.

If you are close to dangerous foes which aren't in range yet to hurt you, you may drag the the Nameless Horror to a previously cleared floor, "park" it there and return to the lower level without it, preferably with a different staircase. If you can't manage to kill it, don't forget about the horrifying creature roaming loose if you want to "stair-dance" a dangerous foe later on while clearing the lower floor. Maybe you'll meet it again near the end of your run, at which point it will tremble before the FELINE GOD you have become.

<blockquote>How can I minimize my chances of being investigated by the interdimensional kidnapping police?
</blockquote>
The Summonings school is not to be messed with. It is strongly advised that you never try to cast a Summonings spell with a failure rate higher than 10% to take out medium-to-low threat foes, as the consequences may be disastrous. Only violate this rule when extreme firepower is needed imminently against a truly fearsome foe.

<blockquote>I have no MP, no friends and I am going to die. What do I do?
</blockquote>
See below.

== Break In Case of Imminent Negative HP Syndrome (Escape Techniques) ==

Low health? No mana? Overpowered gigachad about to annihilate you? Consider the following, from safest to most unreliable:

* '''Scrolls of Blinking''' will immediately save you, but are rare and valuable. THAT DOES NOT MEAN "save them for next game". USE THEM.
* '''Scrolls of Summoning/Butterflies''' do what you specialize in - dialing up friends - but take zero mana. The butterfly variant doesn't attack, but gently blows away your foes, granting a safe space of sunshine and rainbows.
* Assuming you can survive 3-5 turns, a '''Scroll of Teleportation''' will whisk you off to a different location. Magical Inks™ Incorporated does not guarantee said location will be safe.
* The useful '''Blink''' level 2 spell immediately relocates you to a random tile in sight - but it won't necessarily be available in your game. Maybe if you ask RNGesus nicely.
* A '''Gell's Gravitambourine''' can pull enemies away from you with its magnetic field, which is immensely helpful if your problem is of the "big stick about to be in my face" kind.
* '''Potions of Magic''', and the mana acquired from them, can be condensed into the creation of a helpful friend. Again, rare and valuable, but made to be used.
* '''Potions of Curing''' will ''remove all confusion and poison'' - essential for those pesky redback spiders getting lucky hits - in addition to a small amount of HP and '''Potions of Heal Wounds''' restore a bunch of health which, on a Felid, is highly impressive. Do ensure that you can actually make use of the heal to solve your problem and aren't just delaying your death, especially if you just get hit again for the same amount you healed on the same turn.
* '''Potions of Invisibility''' drastically reduce enemy accuracy and allow you to walk away with high, but not perfect safety. Check that the foe in question does not detect invisibility by inspecting their stat window - for example, wolves, dastardly agents of the canine empire, won't be impressed.
* '''Scrolls of Fear''' immediately causes every living (undead and berserking enemies are immune!) on the screen which fails a (difficult) Willpower saving throw to regret ever messing with Your Pillow-Pawed Highness and to run away. Check, on their stat screen, that their Willpower is at ++ or less.
* Assuming your enemy is a spellcaster that can be Silenced (check their description!), a Phial of Floods will shortly disable their spells, while a '''Scroll of Silence''' will disable them for a very long time, but your own magic and scrolls as well. Ensure you have a way of dealing damage during this silence (hint: it involves allies and having a lot of them). A Phial of Floods will recharge after some XP is obtained.
* The '''Lightning Rod''' does big electrical damage without any MP cost. Most spectacularly, if you fire it multiple turns in a row, you can rotate the beam to hit huge Areas-of-Effect and nuke entire crowds. It's very effective at finishing off a single problematic specimen, however.
* '''Potions of Haste''', beyond allowing you to walk away without getting kited to oblivion, are much stronger than new players tend to think: they effectively slow down time so you get bonus actions per turn. This is much more spectacular on other characters (your main source of damage is from your servants, which do not benefit from the haste), but it is still tremendously useful.
* A '''stairwell''' brings you back to the much safer previous floor, but brings all adjacent foes alongside you - except zombies, simulacra and summoned creatures. Still quite possibly an improvement over your current situation.
* '''Wands of Paralysis/Charming''' incapacitate your foe. You have to beat their Willpower - early game, that is usually around a 50% chance, but there are exceptions. The brainwashing Charming variant can be used to demolish the victim's former allies while you cackle in the back. You can also command them to go to the time-out corner by pressing "t"-"r" and selecting a tile far away from you.
* A '''Box of Beasts''' will immediately summon an adorable abomination and crime against biology itself, without a single point of mana required! Useful when your magical reserves have been emptied.
* '''Wands of Polymorph''' are particularly effective at neutralizing those wielding dangerous ranged weapons or point-and-click smites, but ''check the list of possible transformations by hovering the wand over the target foe'', lest you find yourself with OP midgame mobs chasing you around the Dungeon. Note that, when zapping a Polymorph wand at yourself, it will most likely deny you use of your spells, but may give you extra speed to run away (Pig or Bat Form) or may improve your melee combat prowess to a degree that is only useful in the early game (Wisp, Tree or Fungus form). Consider this as a last resort if cornered or in trouble!
* Speaking of those, '''Scrolls of Vulnerability''' assist all dastardly hypnosis techniques by cutting all creatures' Willpower (including you) by half. Beyond wands, this makes Anguish much easier to use even on terrifying uniques like Mennas, resulting in easy takedowns where you normally would have had to move mountains to barely scratch them.
* '''Damage Wands''' might, with some luck, solve your problems by murdering them.
* '''Potions of Ambrosia''' do a similar effect to Potions of Magic, but over time, and the confusion should be cured with a Potion of Curing once you have enough mana if you are in the middle of an unfolding catastrophe (this will stop the regeneration). Not to be relied upon if only a couple of turns stand between life and death.
* '''Unknown potions and scrolls''' could save you. They probably won't. Try the big stacks, they are likely to be Teleportation or Curing.
* '''Dying'''. Unlike feeble humanoids, this is an option. Try to avoid it. It will happen anyways. Do not give in to despair. Stand up. Fight again.

Do not mindlessly run away for dozens of turns without doing anything. You WILL be eating attacks of opportunity on every step and perishing in record time. At least try casting a spell once your mana comes back.

==The Proper Way To Roll Your Face On The Keyboard (Macros)==

Getting tired of "zbzc....o....zbzc....o" yet? You can press '''Ctrl-D''' to set macros and begin feeling like you are playing some tryhard MOBA instead of composing Beethoven's Tenth Symphony on your keyboard.

For example, press "Ctrl-D", then "1", then type "zb" in the field to link the "b" spell that appears when you look at the spell list (accessible with "I" while in-game). On each press of "1", you will now cast the "b" spell.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Back in my day, you had to draw a pentagram and whisper demonic prayers each time you'd want a skeleton friend. Who thought it was a good idea to automate murder?! Can't you appreciate a good old blood sacrifice in the rules of the art?}}

This is my favourite loadout:

* '''1''' for Call Canine Familiar, and later Haunt.
* '''2''' for Eringya's Surprising Crocodile, and later Infestation.
* '''3''' for Summon Seismosaurus Egg, and later any spell of your choice.
* '''4''' for any other useful spell.
* '''w''' for Animate Dead. Normally, it's used for (w)ielding weapons, buuuut... yeah. No opposable thumbs and all.
* '''e''' for Death Channel.
* '''Spacebar''' for an emergency spell - I like a simple Blink, or, for bonus coolness points, the heart-racing Death's Door. Big button, big problems! I actually remember to use my emergency spells this way.
* '''c''' for any other useful spell.
* (Q)uiver Anguish (or, in Crypts/Tomb, Dispel Undead), and cast it with '''p'''.

To dial up the early-game squad, press "123".

Want both your ally-creation buffs (such as when descending a new staircase)? Simply press "we". In case of trouble, your salvation is right on the biggest button of your keyboard. For a late game mega-death rave, press "e21p"!

= The Delicate Art of Reptilian Pole Vaulting (XP Level 4-6, 0.33) =

If you have not pathetically perished to some turbo-murderous orc priest on D:2, you will now be the proud holder of 2 stored Extra Lives, the maximum a Felid can hold at a time. Such is the privilege of feline supremacy.

As a proud member of the most blessed race in existence, death is not the end for you. Still, you should pretend it is - it will help you take better strategical decisions. If you ''do'' meet an unfortunate end, stay focused, take a break if you are feeling frustrated, and continue to play carefully as if you hadn’t died. Most Felid runs die around 3 to 9 times in an average 3-rune run, so do not feel too bad. Felid lives are meant to be used like rare, powerful consumables, and many Felid 3-rune or even 15-rune wins have 1 to 4 deaths as early as D:1-8.

Do '''not''' quit a Felid run because of an early death! With the way the system is designed, it's almost as if you are ''supposed'' to die in early Dungeon. It's '''much''' easier to level up early on than in the late game. A life lost on D:4 is gotten back on D:7, but a life lost in Pandemonium may take a full clear of all 4 Hell branches to get it back.

I will repeat it again. Do '''not''' quit a Felid run just because you died twice in a row to the same enemy. Save your game and go do something else instead. I know it's infuriating, but that would be like using a blink scroll and then quitting because you're mad about using a lifesaving item. '''Lives are consumables'''. Playing a Felid without dying is like playing an Octopode with 2 rings. You are '''supposed''' to die.

Press “E” to see how long it will take to get your next life. Press "%" to see how many lives you have (look in the top right of the popup!)

As soon as you find a safe place, '''immediately''' add your new friend to your roster - [[Eringya's Surprising Crocodile]].

Did you know Felids have a stronger genetic predisposition than other species to the terrible diagnosis known as "OP Meleedude In My Face About To Twoshot Me" in the medical literature? Thankfully, our feline researchers have been hard at work, and found the cure: Crocodiles. This spell is only castable if a foe is in melee range of you, at which point you'll dash 2 tiles backwards, pull the foe backwards 1 tile, and summon the Crocodile between the two of you.

.....
.....
...@.
...E.

...@.
...C.
...E.
.....

I did say the Meleedude in question is OP, so the Crocodile is likely getting twoshotted next. Not to worry - recast the spell again, and endlessly kite the foe across the map in a way that would make an entire server ragequit if DCSS was a multiplayer PvP game.

This spell is '''a repositioning asset''', not a main damage dealer (though it does achieve interesting results in that domain). Do not mindlessly charge in and use the Crocodile on a foe if can you imagine yourself needing this dash 3 turns later - '''you cannot cast this spell if the Crocodile is alive'''. You should use it in every single battle, but at the moment where the displacement effect actually helps you in some way.

The crocodile itself, as an ally, deals decent damage that will get outpaced as soon as you exit the early game. It also has a pull effect which may trigger on some of its hits. This can sometimes troll you:

..#.#
###@#
.OC.#
#####

Your (C)rocodile is fighting the two-headed (O)gre in a 1-tile corridor. All is well. Suddenly:

..#.#
###@#
..OC#
#####

The (O)gre is pulled into melee range of you and oneshots you. Ouch! That really hurt!

Do keep this (thankfully rare) contingency in mind.

'''From now on, the plan is as follows:'''

* Summon an Inugami for every single trivial-to-medium difficulty battle. Make use of “t”-“a” to direct focus, and do not hold back until the entire canine demiplane has been sacrificed to mitten-pawed glory.
* Demolish every single high damage or out-of-depth (OOD) enemy by letting them uselessly punch an ever-respawning crocodile over and over until they fall face flat in the water left behind. Ice beast? Trivialized. Ogre? Dealt with. Bullfrog? Eviscerated. Wyvern? Discombobulated. Water moccasin, yak, two-headed ogre, sleepcap, hornet, ugly thing, scorpion, troll, orc warrior? GGEZ. They will not survive, and if they somehow do, you can simply retreat using the gap formation left by your usage of this spell. So much for having “human”-level intelligence - clearly, the humanoids are hopeless, dull-witted morons before feline genius.
* Stuck in a pinch with no MP and a really angry dude invading your personal space? Getting turned into a porcupine by a very merry centaur? Getting a taste of orcish zealotry and being told that "smite makes right"? Use wands! They are the guns of the fantasy world, and will dispose of any pesky denizen of the Dungeon. Do not hesitate to spam these against dangerous uniques, centaurs and orc priests. The bolt ones, like Quicksilver, Light or Acid, are especially effective. Remember, if you use Charming, you can "t"-"r" the mind-controlled foe to get away from you, then use that distance to execute a swift, zero-risk retreat!
* If you end up in a terrible situation, refer to the Escape Techniques listed in the previous chapter of this guide.
* In the semi-common case where you encounter the unique siblings Dowan and Duvessa, always slay Duvessa first. Otherwise, Duvessa will get very mad, run at you at light speed and oneshot you.

Try to abuse the 1-tile hallways described earlier in Battle Tactics 101! This guarantees your foes will not attempt to circumvent your units to instead give you a very uncomfortable petting session. You are extremely frail, and lingering in melee range of anything that isn’t a basic orc or a D:1 creature is bound to result in your doom. Constantly use your turns to reposition and ensure you are always behind your summons! If your summons lose, you will be the next target on the list, and you will NOT survive should you stand your ground with tooth and claw. Run, rest and try again.

===Where It Can All End (Early Game Threats)===

* Steam dragons are '''EXTREMELY DANGEROUS'''. Their breath weapon will turn the heat up in every sense of the word, and may even twoshot you should the dice be animated by murderous intent. It even goes through allies. Thankfully, there is counterplay - a ring of fire resistance. If you can give yourself a + of rF, this battle will go from terrifying to laughable. If rF is not available to you, tread lightly, and be ready to retreat out of their sight the moment you are hit. Having a steam dragon on the screen while you are fighting other non-trivial enemies is suicide. They must die, ASAP.

* Centaurs (and even more so their Warrior or Yaktaur variants, as well as other archers like Joseph or Nessos) are felid annihilation incarnate. If you casually run around and spot one sleeping in open space, '''do not just start mindlessly plopping down your squad'''. Your allies will arrive in random locations while those wretched horsemen puncture you with potentially twoshotting damage on each turn. Instead, retreat to a corner or door (which you can close with capital 'C'), and meow ('t'-'t') to have it walk over in much more advantageous terrain!

Since Eggs (more on them later) have zero evasion, they will gladly tank arrows for you (unlike those scumbag canines), so they may be of great use should you face off a centaur - hide behind them, and let the Inugami finish the work. This is risky - you should only do this if there is no hallway available to retreat to.

Keep in mind:

..@..
..E..
.....
.....
...C.

This is not a safe way of hiding. The centaur (C) will still turn you from a cat to a porcupine while the (E)gg stands there without blocking any arrows. If you could shoot at the Centaur with a Magic Dart, they, too, can hit you. First, consider Wands - polymorph is especially effective, as wielding a bow is quite hard without opposable thumbs. As you may have discovered yourself. Otherwise, you can spawn more summons - if you or an Inugami gets in melee range, the centaur will panic and stop shooting. Consider a Scroll of Fog or Summoning/Butterflies if things get too dire.

* Electric eels deal unreal amounts of damage. These living death traps will easily three-shot you. To add insult to injury, they’re worth almost no experience - for comparison, a single scorpion rewards you with about 53% more experience than one eel. Thankfully, there's a trick: a zap from a wand of flame will oneshot or twoshot them, due to the steam clouds this technique will spawn. If flame is unavailable, most other damage wands, while rarer, will make short work of them.

** The rarer acid dragons are similar. The difference is that they deal even more damage (possibly 70% of your HP bar in one hit) but cannot pierce through allies. The corresponding ring is resist corrosion.

* Boulder beetles can oneshot you should they land their roll attack on you (and fail the EV check). Thankfully, intelligent summoners can trivialize them by calling forth even the puniest of quokkas and forcing them to waste their roll annihilating a little fluffball (which hopefully isn't you).

* If you’re unlucky enough to encounter a [[Meliai]] or the unique [[Jeremiah]], know that they are practically cyber-augmented orc priests. Just one isn’t that bad, but they often hang out with their friends, and you do ''NOT'' want to be the centre of attention of bee-witch gossip. Eating a quadruple smite in one turn ''can'' happen, and it ''will'' kill you. Potions of Invisibility work, and so do Wands of various kinds - or have them be blasted by your Seismosaurus before they notice your presence, and they should fall relatively quickly.

* Should you be so hapless as to encounter the unique slug mage Gastronok, you must immediately try to avoid empty spaces. Hug walls, surround yourself with allies - if you find yourself with 4 or more completely empty tiles, you WILL be twoshotted with an insanely powerful, irresistible Airstrike ability. If you have found a scroll of Silence, I highly recommend using it as soon as you’ve churned out a few friends to help take him down. If you do not have silencing abilities, keep him at the edge of Line-of-Sight while the battle unfolds, hug walls and potentially some Small Mammals, and be ready to step away the second you are smited by Airstrike. Even with wise positioning, all it takes are approximately 3 casts to detonate you into an unrecognizable mess of gore and fluff.

For the rest of the run, don’t ever have rF- or rC- no matter what. Yes, even if it means giving up an Int+10 ring (you can also wear rF+/rC+ to cancel out the rF-/rC- if it’s ''really'' good). Vulnerabilities will be your doom: 50% extra damage is plenty to oneshot you before you even realize what has happened. Press % to check your resistances.


= Dastardliness, Cackles and Dark Tricks (God Choice) =

You have only three equipment slots to fulfill Ashenzari’s bondage fantasies, no time to learn the ways of Invocations, and would not benefit from weapon gifts with your lack of opposable thumbs. As the lead of an interdimensional kidnapping startup, you should delegate EVERY task to your staff and NEVER do any work yourself.

Ru is technically quite viable for you, but as you don’t care for employee wellbeing, in-office buddhist yoga sessions are not at the top of your schedule. Plus, you will need both of your paws to play with the Orb of Zot like a ball of yarn. A lot of feline CEOs such as you enjoy striking a divine partnership with Gozag and cracking open endless amounts of lootboxes and microtransactions, but this is not what this guide is about (but feel free to play a Gozag Felid sometime, it's great fun!)

We need loyal subordinates, and we need them fast, reliably, and cheaply. Let us therefore learn arts and magic as dark as the colour of our fur, from scratch, under the tutelage of the villainous god Kikubaku-

Kikubaquk-

Kikubaaqudq-

Kikubaaqudgha. Yes. That's how you spell it.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Untainted souls are so much more fun to corrupt! But... why are you so fluffy? I need goth elves and black mascara. I can't have my subordinates looking like this!}}

Sorry Kiku, malnourished nerds and lanky skeletons are just so passé. If you wish to increase your approval ratings among the public, research has shown that a marketable, plushie-like mascot is a much better driving force for sales and engagement.

Anyhow. The reason I suggest picking Kiku for this build is to secure the mid-and-late game, as the Summoner background is so powerful (as you may have noticed already) that no immediate divine assistance is required. For now, Kiku will do absolutely nothing to help you - focus on proving yourself worthy by engaging in senseless, indiscriminate murder. Or, in other words, just the usual routine. Kikubaaqudgha's altar can spawn in D:3, the Temple, as deep down as D:11 - it really doesn't matter at all, you just need to '''have joined Kiku before entering Lair.'''

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] That still seems wise to me. What I REALLY don't want to see you doing is MISSING the altar and doing a merry-go-round the dungeon looking for it on company time. You'll probably want to find that Temple between D:4 and D:7, looking out for odd rock formations. And if it's not in that Temple, you'll want to look out for evil looking structures, all the way down to possibly D:11.}}

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] "An evil god, Kikubaaqudgha requires worshippers to cause the death and destruction of as many creatures as possible." Well, that's rich. It's not as if almost every single other god wants the exact same thing. Why am I being singled out?}}

Actually, I lied. Kiku does do one thing right away. And that's flaming you in the message log when you lose the run. Let that be motivation to play intelligently.

= Life Finds a Way (XP Level 7-9 to Lair, 0.33) =

Remember, use your scrolls of Identify! Drop those useless Scrolls of Brand Weapon, Enchant Weapon or Enchant Armour. Maybe a lesser biped will come across those and thank you. Ha! Fat chance.

Between level 7 and 9 (variable depending on your dungeon adventures), the ability to memorize [[Summon Seismosaurus Egg]] will be made available to you.

In Jurassic Park, they knew they could, but didn't stop to think if they should. In the Dungeon, the answer is YES to both. This hulking dinosaur is the ''big gun'', the ''heavy artillery'', among other militarily pleasing expressions. Whereas your previous servants granted the power to slay individual high-level threats, the Seismosaurus welcomes a little bit of AoE (Area of Effect) to the battlefield. It blasts its surroundings every so often with devastating, undodgeable raw physical damage, and is basically an "I Win" button for anything in the Dungeon and Lair. To tap into this power, '''turn on Earth Magic and set a target to 5, then turn it on a second time to focus it''', which is done by pressing "=" inside the skill menu (m) then the letter assigned to the skill "Earth Magic". After Summon Seismosaurus Egg reaches a failure rate inferior to 10%, '''turn on Fighting, Stealth and Dodging, and set a target to 10 for the first two, and 12 for Dodging.'''

Of course, there is a catch: you checked the "wrap in a gift box" option when confirming your delivery, and TentacleMail is nothing but considerate when it comes to life's big celebrations. You'll need to spend a few turns unwrapping the payload, and this often involves being mauled by maws and claws while you are getting through the shrink wrap.

The specifics: '''the egg starts hatching as soon as a foe is within 4 tiles of it AND you are standing adjacent to it. This process does not accelerate no matter if the foe is a single rat, Geryon, Gatekeeper of Hell, or a swarm of 30 halberd gnolls.''' The rocky terrain on the ground indicates the range.

Ideally, you'll start this process while your foes are sound asleep (this is why we train Stealth!), or while a pathetic cockroach is near you and the real heavy-hitters are far away in the backline, approaching slowly until it is too late to not get blasted by prehistoric might.

This means that if you see a big group of '''non-ranged''' sleeping enemies, you should NOT rush in to "get the critical hit stabs" (you will do so little damage you might as well be healing them) or plop down your Inugami, who will immediately rush in and ruin the surprise. Instead, summon your Seismosaurus egg until it is within a 4-tile range (don't spend your whole mana bar on this), start incubating it, and unleash the Inugami if they begin waking up.

An alternative, if you have a nearby 1-tile hallway, is to meow at them ('t'-'t') and retreat into the hallway, summoning your Inugami, and then the Egg. It will hopefully be placed behind you, but even if it ends up in front, you'll still be able to incubate it with only 1 enemy attacking it. Naturally, do not do this if the enemy squad is full of polearms or extremely high damage melee.

You can also use your Surprising Crocodile to assist your egg:

..S..
.....
.....
...@.
...E.

The (E)nemy, in melee range of you, is dangerously close, and your egg (S) isn't incubating at all! Use your (C)rocodile:

..S..
...@.
...C.
...E.
.....

Much better. The egg is incubating, and your Crocodile is loyally defending you until it hatches.

Unlike other units, the Seismosaurus Egg is incapable of moving out of your way or swapping places with you. This is problematic if you cast the spell in a hallway, potentially blocking your escape route.

#####
.E@.O
#####

You can’t walk backwards to escape the ogre (O), as the (E)gg is blocking the way!

Instead of trying to melee an ogre with 0 Unarmed Combat skill, I propose an alternative - a disciplinary paw-scratch. Press 'v', select your Egg, then confirm the prompt in the message log. This will attack it, and immediately one-shot it no matter what, allowing passage again. An alternative is to recast the spell, though this is risky - it may simply land in an equally unfortunate position.

With all of that said, you should be set for clearing floors until you find the entrance to the Lair, somewhere on D:8-D:11.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Get that Kiku guy on your contacts list, then get into that Lair, in that order! I'll consider you for employee of the month if you have over 5000 turns remaining by D:8. Not that this is much of a title, considering you are my only contractor in this place. Any lower amount, and you'll have to start moving those fuzzy paws a bit faster.}}

Your faithful trio - Inugami, Crocodile and Seismosaurus - will make quick work of anything the game may attempt to impede your progress with. Remember to also put on any jewellery you may find (press capital "P") - Intelligence, Wizardry, Magical Power, Protection and Fire Protection are the best rings you could hope for (in that order), and Magic Regeneration, Regeneration, Reflection, Acrobat, Alchemy, Dissipation and Faith are the best amulets (also in that order) - for now. Avoid Guardian Spirit. Wildshape is niche, only interesting [[#A Downgrade From The Prime Feline Form (Talisman Collection)|if you found a good talisman]].

If you find a Necropolis, this could be an opportunity for instant acquirement of three degrees from the Summonings College! They are worth boatloads of experience, but can range from trivial to lethal. Inspect the ghosts within with "x"-"v", and check their kit - if they have Conjurations that could annihilate you or dangerous Summonings spells, they should be left alone. If they, however, only have a few joke cantrips or only know how to o-tab like a Minotaur Berserker, then it is time to guide them to eternal rest. '''Assuming they are not surrounded by a squad of deadly enemies''' gather up all your friends, open the door, and make them get juked by acrobatic reptiles, eat point-and-click earthquakes and be eaten by spirit-wolves until they die (for the second time in their existence).

Do NOT try your luck in weird vaults with OP enemies in them locked behind runed doors and orange transporters. They are DESIGNED by developers to exploit your greed and kill you. Nothing stops you from returning there when you actually have the required power to take them on.

=A Malodorous Fanbase (*.....)=

Allow every dopamine receptor in that brain of yours to fire up when the message:

Kikubaaqudgha grants you a gift!

appears for the first time in the message log.

Gather up your lucky trinkets and your maneki-nekos, it's time for some Kiku Gacha Lootbox opening. You will receive a batch of low-level Necromancy spells, but in truth, we only actually care about a single one of them - '''Animate Dead'''. The others are so laughably irrelevant you shouldn't even spare a single picosecond contemplating their existence. ('''Sublimation of Blood''' has a ''very'' niche use that will be discussed later.)

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] You ungrateful sack of fleas! Of all gods, I am the one to grant the most gifts to even my least precious followers, and you still have the nerve to be discontent?}}

Unfortunately, you only have a 50% chance of getting Animate Dead - the other 50% will result in Fugue of the Fallen, which is a decent melee combat spell - a discipline which your weak and unarmed kitty paws are unfortunately not well suited to. For now.

'''If you were unlucky:''' Do keep an eye out for Animate Dead in book shops or loot piles to compensate for Kiku's lack of etiquette. If you still cannot find it, it's really not a big deal. Infestation is a guaranteed gift later on, and can replace it entirely. This spell simply makes the early game smoother and is one of the three spells which may be used for the Great Slime Raid further in the run. You'll want to hold onto your Scrolls of Acquirement for a bit - until you have gotten the third star Kiku gifts and have started training your Necromancy to at least level 8. Since Acquirement is biased towards your current training, holding onto the scroll will increase your chances of obtaining Animate Dead! Now, skip the rest of this chapter, coming back to it should you eventually obtain it from another source.

You will want to memorize '''Animate Dead''' right after your Seismosaurus Egg '''is below 10% failure rate''', and immediately turn on your '''Necromancy skill, setting a target all the way to the maximum of 27.0'''.

You may have noticed that the many denizens of the Dungeon are very disrespectful of your Eminence, soon to be their overlord and army commander. Your first task will be to re-educate these ruffians into submission and obedience. '''Animate Dead''' provides a buff lasting for about a dozen turns. Each enemy slain while this buff is active has a chance to betray their former allies and serve you as a... slightly more malodorous version of themselves. These will escort you until you leave the floor, or have them perish in battle.

When '''Animate Dead''' becomes castable (<12% fail rate), you may begin playing like such:

*Initiate each battle with a batch of highly loyal summons praising how good of a <s>slaver</s> friend you are.
*Begin emanating such confidence with '''Animate Dead''' that the defeated will turn against their former companions in your name.

Now, whenever a foe is slain, there is a high chance they will become an ally - and betray their former allies, making the latter join your army in turn, and so on, until all are at your beck and call. It's just like rolling a snowball!

The little militia that will now follow you around will act as a testament to your charisma. Recasting Animate Dead will, however, dismiss all of your current servants, with the hopes of replacing them with fresher, potentially more numerous ones. Therefore, it's great practice to cast '''Animate Dead''' when encountering a pack of enemies (yaks or bees, for example, are good fodder), and to only recast it once your lackeys are falling apart.

{{flavour|[[File:Yredelemnul altar.png]] This is way too complicated for the fluffball that serves as your brain. Join me instead, and gain permanent reaping of the deceased instead of trying to emulate my power with puny magic!}}

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Pah! Don't listen to my competitor. Their worshippers are brutes and thugs, whose first word at birth was "Axe".}}

Some extra useful tips about this spell:

* Non-living enemies (like Will-o-Wisps from Swamp), demons, angels and already undead creatures will never be recruited.
* High speed enemies, like bees, frogs or snakes will always catch up with you, and will swarm enemies before you even see them on your monitor! Boulder beetles are actually quite slow, and won't get to keep their signature rolling attack.
* Hydrae are hideously overpowered and will play the game for you.

Kiku grants the ability "Unearth Wretches" very early for on-demand zombie creation. I suggest not using it in the Dungeon, as the results will be disappointing. Wow! A cockroach zombie with 3 damage!! Why thank you, you shouldn't have. It's the intention that counts, Kiku.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] I didn't even mean to send these over. I was just doing some housekeeping, brushing up my skulls, sacrifical altars and blood fountains, and accidentally threw a kobold into an interdimensional wormhole. Hate when that happens.}}

Save your piety and ignore it for now.

=A Downgrade From The Prime Feline Form (Talisman Collection)=

While running around, you may come across one of the rare item types that Felids can use: Talismans. Ctrl-F, then write "talis" to find if you missed any.

Cats have a -2 aptitude to Shapeshifting, because they rightfully consider any transformation to be a downgrade. However, to compensate for this, they lose nothing from melded equipment slots, whereas other species mourn the loss of their artefact ring mails and other puny trinkets.

Unless you dream of going to the extended endgame, this is not a build where you'll be using top tier Talismans. However, you should consider the following:

- '''Inkwell Talismans''' (min LV 0 Shapeshifting) are, in the early game, an upgrade. They require 0 Shapeshifting skill to use, make you immune to poison and grant better success rates on all your spells and more mana capacity. If you find one anywhere before entering Lair, you should use it. It will become obsolete when you learn your first level 5+ spell (as these are banned while in Scroll Form), but will assist you greatly until then. There is just the problem of that pesky Fire vulnerability. The upsides are strong enough to make me use this Talisman despite the "never be Vulnerable as a Felid" rule, but you should be especially wary of even basic orc wizards throwing flame at you. If you want to fight fire damage enemies and have the luxury to disengage, untransform before really beginning to stir up trouble.

- '''Flux Baubles''' (min LV 5 Shapeshifting) are normally used for their great melee attack potential. However, they dissipate after a certain number of attacks. The solution: never melee attack. This will let you abuse the EV bonus from Flux Form for a very long time. Simply train at least level '''5 Shapeshifting''', and sit in this form forever. I tend to go for around 8 Shapeshifting to really get a nice bonus. You will lose a lot of Stealth, however. You will untransform from Flux when you die, or when you use "End Transformation" in the (a)bility menu.

- '''Rimehorn Talismans''' (min LV 8 Shapeshifting) are good for two reasons: AC at a very low cost, and Ice Magic Wizardry. The only reason the latter is good in the context of this build is that it makes the strong spell Rimeblight much easier to use. The downsides are somewhat significant - Fire Vulnerability, which you'll absolutely want to pad with a fire resistance or plain fire ring. You will also lose a bit of EV from the much increased size, and worst of all, you won't be a cute kitty anymore. If you have and want Rimeblight, consider training '''level 8 Shapeshifting''', but this isn't a "must-have", I sometimes just purchase more Ice Magic with my skillpoints instead if I already have good Wizardry/Intelligence rings. In a safe location, you can use the Rimehorn Talisman with 0 Shapeshifting skill and check how this makes your Rimeblight failrate change to help in your decision. Untransform afterwards to not get oneshotted.

- '''Medusa Talismans''' (min LV 8 Shapeshifting) give rPois and a forgettable petrification emergency passive. Really, the only reason to train for this is for the rPois. If you are heading into the Snake Pits and have no other source of it, level Shapeshifting to 8 and enjoy the peace of mind. I also like having this online for the Lair if I found an amulet of Wildshape.

- '''Hive Talismans''' (min LV 17 Shapeshifting) are the main ingredient of the [[#The Forbidden Kikubeequdgha Build (Staying with Kiku)|Forbidden Kikubeequdgha build]]. Hold onto it - it will be at the heart of a difficult decision later on.

=The Most Important Lootbox of All (***...)=

Depending on when you started your worship of Kiku, this may happen before even entering Lair, or at some moment while you are clearing it. Regardless, you will eventually read once again the message:

Kikubaaqudgha grants you a gift!

Well, well, well. Looks like we've got another Kiku Gacha Lootbox on our paws!

Here is my tier list of possible outcomes:

* '''S: A Run-Defining Asset''': Death Channel, Rimeblight
* '''A: Great, Though Not Required''': Anguish, Dispel Undead
* '''B: Could Do Better''': Martyr's Knell, Cigotuvi's Putrefaction, Borgnjor's Vile Clutch
* '''F: Insult to Feline Glory''': Curse of Agony

You'll always get half of these, chosen at random.

'''If you didn't get Death Channel, but got Animate Dead previously:''' You won't get to taste the absolute full power of your undead armies, but you'll still be able to raid the Slime Pits quite soon. You'll still want to check every book shop and loot pile for a chance at acquiring it.

'''If you have neither Death Channel nor Animate Dead (18% chance, assuming no lucky floor/shop drops):''' Hmph. RNGesus isn't rooting for your victory, I see. This will be a little troublesome when it comes to "bridging the gap" between the early game and having '''Infestation''' online, a task which you'll find much easier with +Intelligence and Wizardry rings. If you really can't find them by the time you get to the "Slime Raid" (after Lair and the Orcish Mines), I have placed advice for you in that section. For now, check your Scrolls of acquirement in case you'll find those spells inside, and loot the Orcish Mines after Lair to see if any shops contain these two signature necromantic incantations.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Commerce? Capitalism?! My spells are 100% locally sourced, woven by the expert craftsmanship of unionized and esteemed skeleton artisans! You would resort to purchasing mass-produced, store-bought necromancy that's probably also full of microplastics? You and me have a lot of work to do before we can get along with each other.}}

If you get Anguish, you should learn it as soon as possible, and '''also turn on Hexes and set a target to 8.0'''. Because Felids are so adorable and masters of mind-manipulation, you have a +4 aptitude to it!

No matter what you obtain, even if you are getting garbage, if you have not done so already, '''turn on Necromancy and set a target to 27.0'''.

As for that "Unearth Wretches" active ability... '''I strongly recommend saving up your piety to reach the gifts faster. The only case where you should use it is if you have Animate Dead and/or Death Channel active and need help in the Lair against a huge horde of hungry animals. See the next chapter.'''

=Employee Tour at the Zoo (The Lair)=

A place filled to the brim with creatures that mostly only know how to walk fast and melee attack, put against your most loyal servants which precisely exploit these vulnerabilities. Who will win? If you guessed the former, you are wrong. It is scientifically impossible to lose with my guide.

* The Crocodile decimates black mambas, spiny frogs, komodo dragons, polar bears and hydras.
* The Seismosaurus will annihilate packs of yaks, killer bees, wolves, blink frogs, and even death yaks (though those make take a few castings and a bit of kiting, alongside the occasional Crocodile).
* The Inugami is simply always good.
* If you have it, Animate Dead generates even more support.
* Eventually, if you also get it, Death Channel is similarly highly useful.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] For some reason, the architects of this place decided a place filled with dangerous wildlife and inaccessible architecture would make a great place for a central hub. You'll have to come back to this place at least a whopping three times - for all 3 S-Branches, so there is little time to waste. Do not explore more than half of Lair:1. In Lair:2 and Lair:3, your main objective is locating those 2 first S-Branch gates - once both are visible, you can go down to Lair:4 and Lair:5, where you'll have to pinpoint that Slime Pits entrance. You always have less time than you think in this place, get moving! Try to keep at least 600 leftover turns when you complete the Lair.}}

Have a glance once in a while at your jewelry collection by pressing "P". Rings of wizardry and intelligence reign supreme. Rings of Protection, Magical Power or Fire Resistance (for steam dragons, lindwurms and fire crabs) will significantly contribute to your survivability. Rings of Dexterity or Evasion are passable, and everything else is pretty much "slightly better than nothing". Amulets of Guardian Spirit should not be worn unless they are a particularly amazing artefact.

Prioritize wearing an Amulet of Magic Regeneration to replenish your forces quickly - Regeneration is the second best option, Reflection, the third, Acrobat, the fourth, Alchemy, the fifth, Dissipation, the sixth, Faith, the seventh (On Demigods, it will print a message saying "You feel a surge of self-confidence", but there is no such message for Felids, because they already have maximum self-confidence), and Guardian Spirit, the worst possible option (enjoy losing access to all your summons because you took one wrong step). If you somehow find the mythical artefact "Amulet of Vitality", congratulations, you have won the game - it is disgustingly powerful on a Felid. As for the Amulet of Wildshape, it is only good if you have [[#A Downgrade From The Prime Feline Form (Talisman Collection)|an interesting low-level Talisman]].

Should you encounter elemental threats (such as the mage [[Fannar]], an [[Efreet]], or a [[Lindwurm]]), swap on a ring granting a relevant resistance! It is extremely fast to do so. Just don't forget to put your normal ring back on afterwards, if you had one. '''Do not casually run around with an elemental vulnerability (rF-/rC-) on a Felid.''' You WILL be oneshotted.

If you run into trouble, it will likely be caused by:

* Blink frogs. They tend to sneak behind you no matter your masterful positioning by blinking frenetically. Do not hesitate to send a few zaps of your wands their way to teach them some discipline. They make quite good zombies!
* Catoblepas and Basilisks have a love for garden ornaments, and would delight in turning you into one of them - do not ever stand 2 turns in a row in the calcifying breath of the former, and ensure multiple allies block you from the stunning gaze of the latter. Seismosaurus Eggs are immune to petrification. If you see the message "You are slowing down" and you're put against a lonely Basilisk, feel free to spawn a few friends and have them handle everything while you stand there as a pretty feline statue. However, getting petrified in dangerous screens is a death sentence, and you should read a scroll of teleportation or quaff a potion of cancellation before you turn to stone.
* Dream sheep can simply choose to put you to sleep from across the entire screen, which also allows any creature which would hit you to deal immensely boosted damage. If you are well defended by varied summons - and maybe also have Animate Dead/Death Channel active - they will handle all the lowly grunt work while you sleep like the spoiled feline noble you are. If you get taken by surprise, though, prepare for an emergency - Scrolls of Fear in particular should give you some breathing room.
* Hydrae die easily to intelligently chained Crocodiles and Eggs/Inugamis. If they touch you, however, you may very well go from full HP to an empty health bar. If you used a staircase while a hydra was visible, using that staircase again will probably result in it ambushing you and immediately oneshotting you the moment you press ">". Do avoid this unfortunate scenario. Mind the fact that they get a massive speed boost in water (including the one left behind by your Crocodile).
* Skysharks, in similar fashion, should not touch you, as their damage and speed increases with every melee hit they land (represented as Might, then Berserk buffs). They are a top tier threat, and are deserving of getting blasted with wands on sight. DO NOT try to use Scrolls of fear if they are berserked. It will do nothing.
* Ravens are trivial to annihilate, but will peskily curse you with Doom if you allow them to have a clear line of fire. Always be hiding behind a wall of flesh... or eggshell. If you receive a Bane, I talk about them more in [[#Kiku's Troll Carousel (Banes)|this section]].

Huge welcoming party? Got marked and the entire country of Australia is coming after you? Both Animate Dead and Death Channel are memorized and castable? Make sure both buffs are active, then try '''Unearth Wretches'''. I recommend using this ability as little as possible to reach ****** piety faster, but the effects are spectacular with 1 to 3 uses of it when it is most needed. Cast one or both spells, activate Unearth Wretches from your 'a' menu, and watch the screen flood with allies. If possible, pop some Anguish casts to add 100% reflection damage into the mix, cook, and serve. Do not touch the '''Sign of Ruin''' invocation, it is not worth your piety.

You may encounter some dangerous uniques in the Lair. Urug, Fannar, Gastronok and Nessos in particular may destroy you before you even realize what just happened. The counter to each one of those is, respectively, Amulet of Reflection/Anguish for Urug, Ring of Cold Resistance for Fannar (if you are level 12 or higher, your feline fur gives you cold resistance naturally!), scroll of Silence for Gastronok and Wand of Polymorph and/or Anguish for Nessos (and potentially Amulet of Reflection). If you possess the counter, use it, and then feel free to test their mettle against your faithful friends, but if you do not have this counter, set an exclusion with “x”-“e” and do not come back until you have cleared Lair:5. ESPECIALLY if they are wielding some overpowered gear.

You may also encounter Sonja. Her HP bar is made out of paper. But don't let her touch you. She has tickets for a free cruise to the Abyss. You do not want those. Her Willpower is utter trash, making her ridiculously vulnerable to any hex wand, or Anguish.

Ah, yes, there is also Rupert. You need not fear the Paralysis (perhaps humanoid body-builders freeze in fear before the sight of one infinitely more ripped than they are) - but you might fear the huge axe getting swung around at light speed by a berserked, unstoppable wall of meat. If you push Eggs over and over and do nothing else, it will NOT work out. You MUST take further action. I have had some success with a Potion of Brilliance to churn out Crocodiles and kite back until devastation has been completed - but there is little overkill here. Use your items! A scroll of Summoning tends to have splendid results.

Ice Caves and Volcanoes? '''Death traps.''' Do not attempt them. Do NOT even enter them. You won't even be able to use the loot.

Gauntlets’ difficulty vary on the enemies you find inside - if you see a valuable book containing some awesome spells (see the next chapter), I encourage you to try your luck, but otherwise, it is not worth battling dangerous enemies in a cramped space that will limit the effectiveness of your allies. You can inspect a Gauntlet's contents by fully autoexploring the level, then doing a Ctrl-F search with "@" as the input, which will list all items in the Gauntlet. As for the Minotaur at the end - the javelins are absolutely brutal, but if you can read a Scroll of Vulnerability, then cast Anguish, the poor cow-person will simply two-shot themselves.

'''Do not try to take on the Minotaur without the help of any consumables or evokables.''' You won't win. You should NOT attempt a Gauntlet if your plan for the Minotaur is to just throw summons at it and pray it somehow works out. It will NOT.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Well, the earthy gem is down there, in Lair:5 - the first one you'll be collecting for me. This could be the start of a fantastic partnership, or of my eternal disappointment in you.}}

=Compendium of Sinister Plans (Midgame Spells)=

Once you are reaching the lower levels of the Lair, it is time to update your spell repertoire.

You should now plan to have:

* Call Canine Familiar
* Eringya's Surprising Crocodile
* Summon Seismosaurus Egg
* Animate Dead OR a spell from this list if you did not find it
* One or two more spells from this list (if you opt to pick up two spells, they should not take up more than 11 slots together).

Not enough slots? Train Spellcasting! Each slice of 0.5 Spellcasting levels will grant 1 slot. Do not train this more than you actually need, set your training targets properly. Each general XP character level also grants 1 free slot.

'''About Scrolls of Amnesia:''' if you are swimming in the stuff (3 or more scrolls), feel free to remove Summon Small Mammal and Call Imp - their respective demiplanes will thank you for ceasing your kidnappings. The problem is that spending an entire amnesia scroll (which are rare and valuable) to free up one or two measly spell slots might prevent you much later on from getting your mid and late game spells when you need them most. If you do not have many scrolls, instead wait until you are trying to memorize Haunt, and forget Summon Seismosaurus Egg and/or Call Canine Familiar at that point.

You'll want to not take up every slot you have available right now - you'll need 7 for Haunt soon, and 8 for Infestation in a bit. Try to leave behind 3 available slots at minimum.

'''I have ranked the following from most to least desirable:'''

'''[[Death Channel]]''' (Level 6 Necromancy) - '''Extremely powerful, #1 priority.''' Like Animate Dead, it is another self-buff you can stick onto your 'e' keyboard macro. Its effect is simple: instead of letting the innocent souls of both living and demonic beings voyage into the afterlife to meet their relatives, you will force the essences of their being to stay behind and cause suffering to their former friends and coworkers. The sheer mass of allies produced is truly a spectacular sight - you may have Animate Dead and Death Channel activated at the same time, in which case every kill will generate up to two allies, flooding the entire screen with green circles in record time. Unlike Animate Dead, as soon as the status expires, your entire protective wall of spectres will vaporize in a single turn, and reveal some very unamused individuals who will gladly charge in and destroy your defenseless scruff. Do ensure you have some less ephemeral allies as backup.

Remember: at this stage of the game, if you aren't pressing the Death Channel button every single time something vaguely resembling an enemy appears on your screen, you should be passing the keyboard to an actual cat, who will no doubt play much more competently than you.

Spectres, unlike zombies, can also see invisible creatures and fly over liquids no matter their original species, which is interesting when such details matter.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] I am a firm believer that everyone deserves a second shot in life. Or death, rather. Didn't visit that natural park you always wanted to go to? Couldn't tell your crush you loved them before getting crushed by a rock? Ran out of motivation to write your DCSS guide? Become a mindless thrall and forget about all your regrets! What, did you think I'd actually give you the chance to do these things you missed? Get real.}}

'''[[Anguish]]''' (Level 4 Necromancy/Hexes) - Ah, the ultimate answer to the thing Felids despise most - creatures with unreal quantities of ranged damage. This spell attempts to curse the entire screen with 100% reflection damage, meaning all damage they inflict on both you and allies... will be dealt back to them in full. Yes, dear lindwurm, do shoot a fire bolt through my horde of yak zombies, that will totally end well for you.

The lindwurm is wracked by anguish!!!!
The lindwurm dies!

I especially recommend you try it on: orc priests, meliai, any early game dragon, centaurs and their warrior variants, uniques with disgustingly overpowered spells... You have to beat their Willpower, but as any tyrannical regime would tell you, repetition is the key to domination! If the foe of interest has Will++ or less when you examine them, simply cast the spell again until they are successfully cursed.

If you cast the zpell from the 'z?' menu, you'll be able to move the cursor over each enemy and check the percentage chance of successfully landing the curse. Will+++ or even Will++++, like death yaks, or the Minotaur at the end of a gauntlet? No problem. Simply read a Scroll of Vulnerability to cut that confidence in half, and they will regret ever contemplating hurting a fluffball as adorable as you are. Consider that your Willpower will also be divided by two, which can be problematic if that means a nearby enemy spellcaster can easily land a nasty Paralyze or Banishment on you.

Brainless or artificial enemies (from gently gurgling '''jellies''' to the dreaded '''Orbs of Fire''') have no concept of love, hate or righteousness, and will remain completely unaffected by Anguish. They won't be unaffected, however, by your swarm consuming them.

Seismosaurus Eggs become a DEVOURER OF GODS when put against Anguished enemies, who will be blasted both by the immense guilt of damaging your precious dino-friend, and by the more literal earthquake of bone-breaking rock that will ensue.

I like to put Anguish on my "Q"uiver, and to cast it with "p" right after I have unrolled a batch of summons. 2-3 casts for a single enemy should be your maximum number of attempts - '''do not spend your entire mana bar trying to curse a particularly rebellious specimen'''! You do not want to be left with zero mana - and a very angry reptile in your face - because you tried and failed to curse a Hydra 6 times in a row.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] The Wu Jian council always lectures its followers to "use the enemy's strength against themselves". I try to do the exact same thing, and somehow, now it's "evil" just because it's me doing it? What injustice!}}

'''[[Blink]]''' (Level 2 Translocations) - Ah, yes, it's that one spell which every single DCSS character wants. You are playing a game called DCSS, yes? '''Train Translocations, and set a target to 5.0'''. You'll also need to REMEMBER TO USE IT, which is the worst thing about this spell. I like to bind it to a macro on Spacebar. If the button is bigger, it causes more neurons to fire in my brain. Which makes me actually use Blink when might-hasted Donald is in my face instead of drinking a Potion of Heal Wounds only to get oneshotted immediately afterwards. Remember, this spell has a cooldown of a few turns after use.

===The Wilderness Trinity===

No Death Channel? Kiku isn't feeling the festive cheer and is gifting you utter trash? Try these on for size. I recommend ignoring this section if you have good necromantic spells.

It's called the Wilderness trinity because they all appear in one of the random spellbooks, named the Book of the Wilderness. You may also find them in various other tomes!

'''[[Summon Mana Viper]]''' (LV 5 Hexes/Summonings): It moves fast. It hits hard. It knows how to do nothing except those two things. It also demolishes enemy spellcasters by applying its dastardly antimagic venom on every hit. Does that remind you of anyone? Indeed. This is just like having a Vine Stalker Berserker of Trog by your side. Enjoy. '''Turn on Hexes with a target of 8.0 if you wish to use this spell.''' '''Maximum Summon Capacity: 1.'''

'''[[Summon Forest]]''' (LV 5 Translocations/Summonings): This one requires open space to be cast, which renders it useless in hallways - which the Lair and Mines are interestingly very scarce in. Successfully using this spell results in a maze-like formation of tree-walls, which are ''immune to damage'', ''block Line-Of-Sight'', and ''deal heavy melee damage to nearby foes''. Feel free to run around the maze while pursued by an angry pack of animals - they will simply bring about their doom. If you can keep the dryad alive long enough, snapvine tentacles will eventually start to spawn, which will utterly decimate anything still alive. They also constrict enemies, making them easier to hit by your other summons! If you quiver this spell with "Q", you will be able to see on the sidebar when the spell has enough space to be casted (the text will be coloured). The price for such power? '''Turn on Translocations and set the target to 8.0'''. '''Maximum Summon Capacity: 1.'''

'''[[Summon Cactus Giant]]''' (LV 6 Summ): It's Anguish if it was a living creature. Its role is very similar - stand in hallway, tank hits, eventually destroy the attacker without doing anything. The melee damage of the Cactus Giant is decent, but each hit it receives inflicts heavy reflection damage. It’s perfect to use against those pesky hydras, and should be your go-to 1v1 spell against high damage melee targets. It has a great synergy with a couple of spells:

* Summon Forest: While foes take damage bludgeoning their way through the Giant, they take even more punishment from the berserk trees surrounding them!
* Anguish: Double the reflection damage. Goodbye, melee enemies.
* Martyr's Knell: A twice bigger health pool to apply even more reflection damage throughout its lifespan. Longer duration, more time to regenerate mana, a great opportunity to recast this spell and do it all over again!

'''You will need around Summonings level 14 to use this spell.''' '''Maximum Summon Capacity: 1.'''

===Consolation Prizes===

'''[[Borgnjor's Vile Clutch]]''' (Level 5 Necromancy/Earth) - '''Warning: This is decent, but you can do better. Get the spells above instead if possible.''' It's a beam. It ignores allies. Point, click, and everything in its path that doesn't resist constriction, isn't located on a deep water/lava tile and hasn't sworn allegiance to your indisputable leadership will be irresistibly crushed into a fine paste and denied the ability to move. Resist the temptation to run around going squish-squish-squish on everything you see without casting any other spell - you will demolish a yak pack. You will think to yourself "wow I'm so OP". You will annihilate a hydra. "haha I am unstoppable". You will come face to face with a black mamba. You have no zombie yaks or hydras protecting you because you thought it would be funnier to give a few animals a power massage. You get fully poisoned and die. This spell is a ''complement'', not the main carry. You will need to '''train Earth Magic, and set a target to 6.0'''.

'''[[Martyr's Knell]]''' (Level 4 Necromancy/Summonings) - '''Warning: This is decent, but you can do better. Get the spells above instead if possible.''' Is your wall of undead flesh and soul getting deconstructed too fast by rampaging elephants? Clearly, your makeshift RPG party has too many fighters, and needs a cleric. This poor soul does absolutely nothing except absorb 50% of all damage taken by ''any'' of your allies, trying its best to regenerate away the harm constantly imposed upon it. When it inevitably has its health bar popped like a balloon, it turns into a Flayed Ghost, which splatters blood all over the place and causes a great deal of drama and spectacle. Said Ghost is quite good at fighting (especially in the Lair), but extremely fragile. Therefore, when a Martyr transforms, you may immediately bring out a new one to help protect this Ghost, and that new one will also turn, until you now have 3 Ghosts at the same time and enough blood to receive a lifetime title of honour at your local blood bank. So much for 'evil' magic. There is also a great synergy with Anguish - Martyrs can take a great deal of punishment, which allows for truly great amounts of mirrored damage!

===Wizards' Corner===

If, for some reason, you are completely decked out in Wizardry, Intelligence and yet Kiku is insulting you with its "gifts", you can consider the level 7 dual school Summonings spells ''Malign Gateway'' or ''Sphinx Sisters''. Their other school is, respectively, Translocations and Hexes, which cats both benefit from a +4 aptitude for!

[[#More Tentacles (Summonings)|They are explained more in depth right here]].

=The Necromantic Apex (******)=

'''If you found the Kiku altar later than usual, come back to this section IMMEDIATELY when you reach 6 stars!'''

Alright, this is the big moment. As soon as you are notified with the message:

Kikubaaqudgha will grant you forbidden knowledge.

Immediatately open your 'a'bility menu, and use "Receive Forbidden Knowledge". You will be gifted, every single time, '''Haunt''', '''Infestation''', Borgnjor's Revivification and '''Death's Door'''. Only 3 of these are of interest to this build. I believe you have guessed which ones already.

Infestation and Death's Door will be quite far away from usable status. But, if you have obeyed my every word (I see no alternative), Haunt should be near 45% if you are still in the Lair, or near 30% failure rate if you are in the Mines. Intelligence and Wizardry jewellry helps a ton here. Memorize it as soon as possible - [[#The Velvet Path Begins (First Forbidden Spell)|explanations on how to do so are featured here]].

'''IMPORTANT: Now that you have fully emptied Kiku's warehouse of plentiful gifts, the god now serves only one purpose in life (or rather, unlife): your personal Unearth Wretches spambot.''' Don't believe me? Have a look at the list of offered abilities:

* Torment protection, an almost useless resistance to have, except in the very late-game.
* Death curse protection, an even more useless resistance, only of interest in the Tomb, a super late-game branch.
* The ability to invoke a Sign of Ruin, which burns precious piety stars that could have simply been used to send out an even greater legion of allies.
* Miscast protection, which does not actually block the truly bad part of miscasts - not getting to cast the spell.
* '''The only actually good ability, Unearth Wretches.'''

You will receive no further gifts. Your piety bar serves '''no other purpose besides spamming Unearth Wretches'''. You will only lose Unearth Wretches should you reach the '''minimum''' possible piety level, which is ZERO stars.

From now on, at ANY moment where you feel a challenge is in sight, do the following:

* Make sure your ally-creation buffs are active (Animate Dead and/or Death Channel)
* Unearth Wretches 1 to 3 times in a row, depending on how much assistance you require, and depending on whether the Wretches are dropping plentifully (5 wargs!!!) or are utter trash (is that... a single orc?)

The types of creatures summoned by Unearth Wretches fully depends on which branch you are currently in. That's right - the more OP the enemies are, the stronger this ability becomes. If you use it in Swamp, expect to get a whole bounty of hydrae ready to decimate all opposition. This is why it's unimpressive in the Dungeon - as it can bring out pitifully weak critters from D:1. Now that you actually have Necromancy trained a bit, you might get a cyclops or some centaur warriors, which are interesting enough.

Once you have claimed Forbidden Knowledge, if you have both Animate Dead and Death Channel ready and castable but have not cleared the Orcish Mines yet, you can proceed earlier than usual to the [[#For True Sabretooth Tigers (Annihilating the Slime Pits With A Giga-Army)|great slime raid]]. This is rare, but especially lucky kitties can enjoy an even softer Kiku wrath by switching up the order.

= Pig-People and Pig-Iron (Orcish Mines) =

Clear the Dungeon until you find the entrance to the Mines (it appears on D:9 to D:12) if you haven’t done so already. '''Do NOT descend into the Dungeon any further! You will need these floors to remain unexplored to rank up Jiyva's piety bar later.''' Now, delve into the brown-hued staircase.

Extra spicy death trap welcoming party? Animate Dead, Death Channel, Unearth Wretches. If you have already reached the maximum tier of piety (******), do not hesitate, but if not, use Unearth Wretches only if you need it! Your piety is precious, and (******) should be inching close by now.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Would you look at how good of a boss I am? You get a vacation here. Feel free to take your time here, there is no gem of interest to me in this place.}}

Orcs are not especially renowned for gentles caresses. Especially not the ones with a red danger square around them. In particular, avoid orc knights, warlords, and especially ettins from breathing on your scruff. In the Mines, the popcorn (DCSS term for very easy but numerous foes) is plentiful, and the sources of ranged damage even more so. This means that '''Anguish''' is an absolute star player here, easily beating orcs' pitiful Willpower and generating gargantuan armies of zombies and spectres in tandem with Animate Dead/Death Channel. '''Summon Seismosaurus Egg ''' also excels at thinning out the hordes.

Some notable foes:

* Orc sorcerers make most characters tremble in fear, because they have the overpowered Paralyze spell. You are not most characters. You most likely will not be paralyzed due to your infinite feline self-confidence. What such charisma won't protect you from, however, is a laser beam of pure blazing fire in your face. These (or the darkness damage variant) can twoshot you. They fall quickly to Anguish, but ring-swapping to obtain relevant resistances may prove interesting if you are being threatened.
* Kobold blastminers have a cute little ranged weapon. They like to go pew-pew-pew with it. It doesn't do that much damage. What does do damage, on the other hand, is the titanic cannonball they are packing (Bombard) should you get into semi-close range. Do not walk into a 4-tile radius of these without any ally in between - you will be - you guessed it - twoshotted.
* Orc high priests, and the aforementioned sorcerer can summon some demonic allies. Most are fairly weak, but Soul eaters will constantly smite you for darkness damage from across the screen (rN+ helps) and sixfirhies move at lightspeed and twoshot you with huge lightning damage. Did you know "sixfirhy" were originally named after a cat walking on the keyboard of a DCSS developer? It's true! Anyhow, kill that sorcerer/high priest and their friends will vanish, never to be seen again. Direct your minions to focus fire on these walking YASDs with “t”-“a”. Evokables, like wands, can prove useful for this. Using a staircase will also never have summoned demons follow you through it.
* Obsidian bats are extremely annoying hit and run summoners, kind of like a newly released class with mobility creep from a pay2win game. In all cases, the Seismosaurus is your saviour.

There are many possible layouts in Orc:2 - one in particular is peppered with centaurs of all types, and is extremely risky to clear - make ample use of fog/butterfly scrolls, chokepoints, and corners. A few other layouts will invite the attention of Saint Roka herself, which you should only ever duel when she is alone, as she uses Smite almost every other turn. A Scroll of Vulnerability alongside Anguish redirects those smites back to sender! A particularly entertaining vault is filled to the brim with dozens upon dozens of ogres, and while it's quite terrorizing for most characters, you should laugh it off and collect enough gold pieces to replace the clay pellets in your litterbox - as ogres make for excellent undead.

The more unfortunate among you may also encounter Azrael, or rather, Supreme Turbo Augmented Orc Priest of Mega-Doom. Most of his spells are fairly reasonable and can be tanked by your devoted friends, aside from one: Call Down Damnation. It will not oneshot you, but it can certainly twoshot you, and there is absolutely nothing stopping him from spamming it. The easiest way to deal with him is to sip on a Potion of Invisibility, then command your swarm to delete him as quickly as possible. He is vulnerable to icy damage, so a wand of iceblast tends to explode the last specks in his HP bar if your army found itself insufficient for taking him down. He also has low Willpower, which means the spell that starts with "Ang" and ends with "uish" works tremendously well. Do not even think about using Scrolls of Silence, for all his spells come from his raw, primal hatred of cats incarnated into spheres of blazing fire.

Speaking of the latter, if you have a strong batch of allies, think about using scrolls of Silence! They will render all of the orcish upper caste incapable of blasting you with Beogh's fist, demons or elemental wrath. Even Saint Roka will be forced to rely only on her sword (fair warning: she knows how to use it).

Finally, if you find yourself before a gigantic crowd susceptible to remote detonating you with a one turn quadra-smite, consider a scroll of Immolation. Not only does it score a large quantity of points in the EXPLOSIONS department, killing a single orc with a wand or even having your Inugami detonate on death is bound to wipe out the screen. Of course, refrain from any pyromaniac tendencies if you are adjacent to two or more enemies with Inner Flame. More explosions can be survived with rF+.

Orc:2 is guaranteed to contain at least 4 shops. Unfortunately, we are still in the Fantasy Middle Ages. Big Data and targeted marketing has not been invented yet. Therefore, these dull merchants will, most of the time, try to sell you OP demon swords and crystal plate armours you can't even use. Perhaps, with some luck, a fine librarian fellow will sell you one of those necromantic spells Kiku might have refused to gift to you.

Exercise caution around strange upstairs in Orc:2 marked as unexplored. They tend to lead to tight pockets with a jolly, welcoming community of trolls and orc knights right in your face, and a free ride back to the character selection screen. There is little harm in just checking, but consider if it's really worth trading a potential life for 100 gold on the floor.

===The Velvet Path Begins (First Forbidden Spell)===

With the Mines and Lair standing behind you, it is time to make a choice. But first, allow me to introduce you to the next spell in the roster. You should memorize it as soon as it reaches below 20% failure rate! Not enough spell slots? Use a Scroll of Amnesia and remove Summon Seismosaurus Egg. I believe you must be getting tired of that thing doing absolutely nothing and dying. Call Canine Familiar is also a reasonable candidate. If you have no such scrolls, train Spellcasting - remember, 0.5 skill levels = 1 spell slot.

'''[[Haunt]]''' (Level 7 Necromancy/Summonings) allows you to point and click any foe on your screen to send a squad of undead hitmen after it. They are professionals for three main reasons:

* Punctuality. They immediately spawn in right next to the Creature of Interest.
* Efficiency. Not only do they deal huge damage, they also lock the Creature of Interest in place and dish out Slow and Willpower/2 debuffs like candy. Invisible enemies? They have never heard of such an obstacle.
* Discretion. Once their grisly work is complete, they will swiftly evaporate out of reality, awaiting their next contract. Still, you may occasionally spot them damaging or even slaying some bystanders - can't have the word spreading around, after all.

Beyond the obvious assassination benefits, there are synergies with other necromantic spells as well:

* '''Anguish''': Since Haunt immediately dials up a considerable amount of allies, it's just more hitpoint to feed into the reflect-damage engine.
* '''Borgnjor's Vile Clutch''': Is the Creature of Interest dodging all assassination attempts like the leader of some totalitarian regime? Perhaps they won't be laughing as much once you reduce their Evasion to near zero by applying constriction, thus letting the ghostly specialists carry out their grim task with great ease.

Bind them to the keyboard macro you used for the spell you have forgotten with the Scroll of Amnesia (Ctrl-D to do so). Haunt can have '''up to 8 spectral assassins out at once''', so if one cast didn't bring them all out, you can dial 1-800-KILLTHATDUDE again and tell them to get moving by immediately recasting the spell. There really is no reason to not have these guys out constantly. They do good work, and they only take up 7 mana in pay.

Well. "Only" 7 mana. Is it just me, or these spells sure are getting quite hungry? I mean, all those Anguish casts, summons, self-buffs, and now awesome spectral hitmen? This flimsy mana bar just isn't cutting it.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Well? Look around your library, perhaps I tossed Sublimation of Blood in your general direction. Or perhaps not. I am getting forgetful for my age. Which is many thousand millenias.}}

No, no. That flimsy health bar isn't cutting it either, now is it? Transferring the problem from the blue bar to the green bar isn't going to solve our problems.

{{flavour|[[File:Jiyva altar.png]] ''An oddly inviting, squishy sound resounds through the Dungeon.''}}

=A Divine Heist (God-Swap Explanations)=

Now comes the part where this guide takes a highly controversial strategic choice: preparing to abandon Kikubaaqudgha in favour of Jiyva.

'''(DO NOT DO IT JUST YET!)'''

Abandoning gods in DCSS is, almost always, a poor decision, with rare exceptions. I believe this is one of those exceptions. You should already know by now that Unearth Wretches is Kiku's only good ability. Now let us look at what Jiyva offers:

* Free HP and MP regeneration that is exactly equivalent to wearing, somehow, four amulets of HPRegen and MPRegen at the same time.
* Endless mutation drops, granting boons such as free rF+, free rC+, free AC, free SH or free HP bonuses, all extremely difficult to acquire on a Felid. Press capital 'A' to see your current mutations.
* Instant emergency endgame summons from the Slime Pits when taking sudden, large amounts of damage (also known as "an average day" for a Felid), which can fight and demolish even the strongest foes.
* An active ability that oneshots any melee range living or corporeal undead creature, no questions asked.
* Complete pacification of all gelatinous creatures, some of which count themselves among the most feared foes of DCSS.
* A free rune of Zot.
* rCorr. For free.
* The so-called "downside" of having slurping jellies roam around every level and digest all items they can find - except artifacts, runes and gems -, the vast majority of which you never could use anyhow.

The Slime God has not received the attention of anything sapient in a very long time, and will be overjoyed enough to shower you in piety after just a bit of exploration. I won't lie, it sucks to have some great scrolls be devoured before your very eyes. I judge it to be a small sacrifice compared to-

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Turncoat! Betrayer! You lawless toxoplasmosis-infested flea-ridden fuzz-thing! How dare you suggest abandoning the righteous forces of evil and torture for some first-grader slime making experiments?}}

Right, there's also the whole "divine wrath" thing. Let's unpack this. For the next 5-8 floors, you will have to deal with:

* Occasional Symbols of Torment. These are usually not triggered in dangerous moments, but when they are, enemies are also tormented as if you had just read a Scroll of Torment. In any case, Jiyva's first piety star (*.....) will immediately grant the first rank of their regeneration passive.
* Occasional HP drain. This is a very annoying part. Losing 30 max HP for a short time can hurt, as it's not like you had a lot of the stuff to go around in the first place. Thankfully, you will never lose more than 50% of your max HP. '''This bypasses rN+, do not try to use it to shield yourself.''' Dying as a Felid removes all HP drain.
* Slain enemies will occasionally be revived in undead form. These are generally weak on their own - the more annoying part is that it steals your chance at reanimating them with your own magic. Dispel Undead - a spell which Kiku may have gifted you - makes swift work of the annoying revived undead they keep throwing your way. This is completely optional and I usually don't bother, but it may interest you. It also finds uses against all kinds of standard issue undead enemies, such as bog bodies (Swamp) or Pharaoh Ants (Spider Nest).
* Rarely (5% chance), casting a Necromancy spell will deal a small amount of darkness damage. Mostly harmless, especially if you have rN+, but it can tip you over the edge if you were already almost dead.
* Occasional Doom. This generally means you will be eating 2 to 3 Banes throughout the entire wrath effect. Let's take a look at them.

===Kiku's Troll Carousel (Banes)===

'''Laughed Out Of The Room tier'''

* '''Bane of Heatstroke:''' Oh no! You are rarely slowed from taking fire damage (rare in the early game) when your allies are responsible for 99% of your damage output! No one cares.
* '''Bane of Snow-Blindness:''' Reduces your accuracy when you take cold damage. When was the last time you were waving a stick around or throwing it? Right, in a parallel world when you were stuck as a lesser humanoid.
* '''Bane of Electrospasm:''' Prevents you from moving short time when you take electric damage. Read that again. Prevents YOU from moving. Did it say anything about a crocodile? No? You know what to do.
* '''Bane of Claustrophobia:''' Reduces your melee damage and accuracy when near walls. Hahahaha. Thank you for your time, the door is right there.
* '''Bane of the Reckless:''' Oh no! You have to temporarily swap out your Reflection Amulet for something else that's just as good! Big deal.
* '''Bane of Warding:''' Some enemies are immune to ranged damage. I'll like to see you try to give your zombies a bow.
* '''Bane of the Hunted:''' Summoned enemies appear next to you. Wow, if only we had a spell to deal with the "big dude in my face" problem. Oh right.

'''A Bit Annoying tier'''

* '''Bane of Lethargy:''' You move slower. You have allies to swap with, and your trusty Crocodile. Honestly, I rarely notice it. But when you need to run to the stairs with no mana, it can hurt.
* '''Bane of Stumbling:''' If you move or wait, you have -25 EV. This one is rough as it's the main source of our defense, but there are ways to game it. Casting any spell keeps your EV intact, so Crocodile-chaining is a good way to move around. This might also be an opportunity to use up those hundreds of flame wand charges you might have sitting around.
* '''Bane of Succour:''' Monsters lifesteal from their friends dying. Meh, your swarms are already dishing out much more damage than these "drain tanks" can keep up with, but it does make enemies a bit more tanky in general.
* '''Bane of Mortality:''' When you rest to full HP after fights, reapers come out to gank you like you are playing a MOBA game in the highest leagues. The strategy is the same no matter if this is DotA or DCSS: have space to retreat. Don't wait to regenerate in tight and cramped corridors, and you'll have no problem outrunning their extremely slow speed, with a crocodile if you must.
* '''Bane of Paradox:''' This one will most likely do nothing, but has a small chance of being lethal, so I am placing it in this tier. Rarely, some enemies will have Manifold Assault. Because there are so many weak fools and swarms of puny orcs in the game, this usually is not noticeable. The problem starts if some big shot unique with mega melee damage gets it, which is rare. In that case, imagine you are back in the Dungeon facing centaurs, and do everything in your power to melt them as fast as possible.

'''Pretty Dangerous tier'''

* '''Bane of Multiplicity:''' It's manageable most of the time. It just suuuucks when some ranged cheater or smite spammer has its long lost twin surge out of the earth and destroy you. It thankfully does not last very long. If Rimeblight is up and working, it is awesome at dealing with this problem.
* '''Bane of the Dilettante:''' Temporary -25% Necromancy and Summonings skill. This is painful. The developers want you to "hybridize", but there is no "hybridizing" out of the blessed Velvet Pawed Path. What are you going to do, memorize Plasma Beam? Get real. Anyhow, you should hopefully be still able to use your level 6 and under spells, which are strong enough in their own right. If you feel too weak and have Amnesia scrolls, I suggest temporarily memorizing one of the suggested level 6 and under spells in this guide (Borgnjor's Vile Clutch, Summon Cactus Giant, Summon Forest, Summon Mana Viper) to support you.

As you can see, Banes aren't so bad. Most runs, they just do nothing. Sometimes, they minorly debuff you. Very rarely, they are responsible for losing a single life.

Well, it's up to you to choose now. Will you follow me through this high-risk, high-reward play? I have done god swap dozens of times while playtesting my own guide. I have never once lost a run where I could directly blame Kiku's wrath for my demise. Died once, perhaps. Nothing more.

But don't do it just yet. Keep reading.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] As my employee, your choice is limited here. We have to cut healthcare out of the budget, because you spend way too much company time resting and regenerating. We'll be hooking you up on those experimental slime chemicals from now on. Or honey, if you found that Hive Talisman. Maybe you'll help a breakthrough in pharmaceuticals, once we're done scraping your dissolved remains off the floor.

There is just one problem: that Starry Gem inside the Slime Pits, is extremely tight, at 600 turns! My suggestion: Clean out the Pits anyhow, either diving to the altar if you need one, or simply trying to grab some fresh jellified walking experience potions. Once 100 turns remain on your timer, immediately ascend! You will only be coming back to the Slime Pits after you have obtained the Orb of Zot, which stops all timers.

Of course, if you're running Hive Form, finish the job and get that Gem NOW!!}}

===The Forbidden Kikubeequdgha Build (Staying with Kiku)===

Let's face it: the only reason we are even considering this insane play is because we want more HP and MP regeneration - the kind a mere amulet of mana regeneration doesn't hold a candle to. Jiyva is a reliable way to get boatloads of it, but it's not the ''only'' way.

* Way 1: '''Being a lucky little [EXPLETIVE REDACTED]''': Wow. You got the Amulet of Vitality off of the ground, just like a rich heir of a soup can company inheriting a million dollar portfolio at age 9. You go you. Go win the game, staying with Kikubaaqudgha, and basically having two gods at the same time at no cost to you. I hope your family is very proud of you.
* Way 2: '''THE KIKUBEEQUDGHA ASCENDANCY:''' Welcome, Velvet-pawed initiate. This is the only non-Jiyva path I officially approve of. A Hive Talisman, cranked up to its maximum, provides more HP and MP regeneration than the Amulet of Vitality or even Jiyva. Now, the problem is that it demands industrial quantities of experience poured into Shapeshifting. If you wish to take on this path, here is my suggestion. Raid the Slime Pits as indicated below, without the conversion part, slaying the Royal Jelly and Jiyva for good, and grabbing all the loot. Either get '''Infestation''' below 10% failure rate, or, alternatively, you can rely on the combination of BOTH Animate Dead and Death Channel, if you are willing to make good use of Unearth Wretches. If that is dealt with, turn off every skill except Shapeshifting, setting it to a target of 17. Once Shapeshifting reaches level 15, you can transform into Hive Form, accepting the small HP penalty. Once it reaches 17, stop training it, and pivot back to Necromancy to unlock '''Death's Door'''. Once Death's Door is online, if you want, you can train more Shapeshifting to increase your regeneration further, or [[#Perfection Can Still Improve (Lategame Skills)|follow any of the other late game suggestions]]. An amulet of Wildshape is extremely good for this plan at all stages of its execution, granting a free +5 levels of Shapeshifting.
* Way 3: '''For Scaredy-Cats''': Being content with a mere MP regeneration amulet, or an amulet of HP regeneration, alongside the spell Sublimation of Blood. (If you do the latter, cast it early and often, NOT when you are desperate for mana and NOT when you can't afford to lose the HP. Put it on an easily accessible macro. I like the letter "c".) I mean, you can... ''do that''... I suppose... But don't come mewling to me when you are cornered in the Vaults with 0 MP remaining and no way to cast Death's Door. It's certainly winnable, but you'll be back to playing like a "traditional" Felid - very scared, very methodical, even moreso than you may be playing now. I wrote this guide with the intent of proving things could be different - and I hope you join me in my vision.

No matter your chosen Way, I will continue writing the guide with a Jiyva-swap perspective (with the occasional note). Just remember you have Unearth Wretches on speed dial, and can unleash armies any time some challenge looks remotely capable of instilling anxiety in the heart beneath your fluffy chest. And don't use Sign of Ruin!

===For True Sabretooth Tigers (Annihilating the Slime Pits With A Giga-Army)===

Allow me to divert my attention back to the brave and fearless, which are certainly not those people I was talking to in the "For Scaredy-Cats" section. To convert to Jiyva, you will need a Jiyva altar. Press Ctrl-F, and type "Jiyva". There is a 2/3 chance it spawned in Lair, and an additional small chance it appeared somewhere else.

'''DO NOT CONVERT JUST YET!''' We have 4-6 stars of pure, delicious Kiku juice, and we'd throw all that power away without using it? Come on, now.

Let me introduce you to a true departure from sanity.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUFsbt_5mxY Here is a video demonstration of me doing this.]

Going into the Slime Pits this early in the game is obvious suicide for most characters. Naturally, there is a trick at play:

* Kiku's Unearth Wretches instantly summons neutralized denizens from your current branch to turn into undead.
* Slime undead are extremely strong and plentiful, and their sheer mass protects you from dangerous melee attackers.
* The vast majority of Slime's creatures are exactly that - dangerous melee attackers.

Even if you want to stay with Kikubaaqudgha, I suggest you do this. Don't worry, you'll get your piety back fast after this, even if you drained yourself to zero stars.

Let's review your kit:

* If you have both '''Animate Dead''' and '''Death Channel''', raiding the Pits is very easy, and most importantly will reward you with a waterfall of experience points.
* If you have only '''Animate Dead''', it is slightly harder, as your army will spread in reduced numbers. Do it anyways, but be ready to spam some more Unearth Wretches to compensate.
* If you have only '''Death Channel''', you can have an army of interesting proportions, but you MUST watch your status effect in the sidebar - you do not want it to expire and make all your allies disappear at the most crucial moment. Be ready to recast and spam more Wretches, or to escape upstairs. If your DChan is going dark purple and jellies are all over your screen, it is time to RETREAT.
* '''The Contingency Plan (No Death Channel nor Animate Dead)''': Coming here without '''Infestation''' is suicide. You will need to rush this spell, ''pronto''. Turn off all skills except '''Necromancy'''. Go to the Spiders' Nest or the Snake Pit. (Swamp if you have Summon Forest). Play carefully until you can get a 20% failure rate on Infestation. You are now ready to continue.

Alright. Strap in, we're firing up the Kiku train. Next destination: a place beyond anything resembling sanity.

Stand on top of the Slime Pits entrance. Drink Brilliance, if possible. Cast Animate Dead and Death Channel, whichever you have, hopefully both. Drink Haste, if possible. Go in.

If ANY slimes are on your screen, immediately use Unearth Wretches. Not on the brink of death? Use it again. Again. If you're put against only basic '''Slime Creatures''', a single or two uses of Unearth Wretches can suffice, but any of the Big Ones (see below) warrants immediate firepower in the form of 3+ Unearth Wretches. If the welcoming party looks particularly nasty, FLOOD THE SCREEN.

If you are employing the Infestation method, only use Unearth Wretches twice, considering you'll need a turn to cast Infestation before they decay.

See the five Big Ones below. You do NOT want ANY of these in melee range of you.

* '''Azure Jelly''': A very simple enemy: they have chill-touched pseudopods with unholy damage output, move at the speed of sound and will chop off your health bar into bite-sized cubes. Just like your average DCSS player, they know only two things: moving and melee attacking. It is therefore only right that you grant them the demise an o-tabber deserves - drowned in infinite armies until their hubris finally collapses them into a chilly puddle.
* '''Void Ooze''': Pretty much the same thing. The big twist: letting them caress you will have them flood their slime in every alveoli of your lungs, causing damage over time and silencing you from spellcasting for a few turns. To avoid unpleasant mental imagery, absolutely avoid being touched by them. They also drain mana on hit.
* '''Acid Blob''': It has an acidic bolt, which does not do a ton of damage (in fact, it's the exact same damage numbers as the acid drakes all the way back in the Dungeon...), but it adds up. rCorr, found on the occasional ring or in a Potion of Resistance, can help. It's not usually needed, they get consumed too fast for it to matter. I recommend keeping allies between you and them to block their ranged attacks.
* '''Rockslime''': Another mindless o-tabber, this time with trample flavour. This can cause positioning problems (and death problems, because their damage is obscene). Another reason to NOT LET ANY OF THESE TOUCH YOUR PRISTINE FUR.
* '''Formless Jellyfish''': Easy to consume once your squad is established, but before then, they can teleport behind you (''heh, nothing personnel, kid'') and attack you with the following four debuffs: constriction + paralysis + poison + literally just killing you. These ones are actually not fast, so if you're just waiting for your Wretches to pop or your screen is already filled with spectres and/or zombies, feel free to swap with an ally or use Eringya's Surprising Crocodile to exit melee range of them.

'''If a dangerous slime gets into melee range''': If your wretches have popped, swap places with any of your now extremely numerous servants. If you can find a good angle, use Eringya's Surprising Crocodile. Otherwise, if you are still over 80% HP and are just waiting for your wretches to transform into allies, feel free to risk a step or two until it will become possible to hide behind your fresh batch of undead. If you are truly caught off-guard, a Scroll of Butterflies or Blinking will certainly pull its weight otherwise. For more risky options, try a scroll of Summoning or a potion of Haste, which will let you outrun any slime '''except Quicksilver Oozes'''. DO NOT WASTE TURNS TAKING STEPS WITHOUT HASTE IF YOU HAVE NO ARMY YET. Unearth Wretches will create a protective wall of paralyzed gelatin, preventing nearby slimes from reaching you - and this is even safer if you are currently hasted or the slimes are asleep.

This is also why we trained Stealth earlier - this makes it much more likely that you will be able to draw your gelatinous horde from the ground while the acid blobs next to you are dreaming about soft and sweet sugary desserts instead of twoshotting you.

Slime Pits floors are small and compact - simply run around and completely annihilate all that jiggles and squishes with your personal militia until you find the downstairs. Did it get wiped out, either from you only having Death Channel or just the constant barrage of acid melting your jelly zombies into rotting puddles? Are more jellies breaching your diminishing defenses. '''Cast Animate Dead/Death Channel again. Send more Wretches.''' Once a floor is cleaned up, go downstairs.

If you want to maximize experience gain, look for upstairs with little yellow stars - they will have more gelatin to push through your Kiku-compactor. The Slime Pits has a disconnected layout, a bit like the Orcish Mines.

You will want to watch out for '''glass eyes''' and '''eyes of devastation''' - the former can place a debuff on you that increases all damage taken, which allows the latter to oneshot you with an ally-piercing bolt if the dice are feeling particularly evil. They should be focused first with 't'-'a'. '''Acid blobs''' also have a corrosive (but NOT ally-piercing) bolt, though it is not as scary, especially with a ring of corrosion resistance. You'll always want to have allies blocking Line-of-Sight with '''great orbs of eyes''', who can ''deny you use of all your spells through polymorph'' should they ever land their dastardly hexes on you!

'''Golden eyes''' can also get annoying - should they start giving you an extremely lengthy Confusion debuff, long enough for you to switch to a different tab, watch a few movies and come back, you'll want to drink a potion of Curing if dangerous slimes are exploiting this opportunity to sneak up on you. Watch out, if many Golden eyes are on screen, they might refresh the Confusion the moment you drink your potion! If you are entering a new floor, preparing to bring forth your army, and there are golden eyes alongside dangerous slimes, I recommend trying a different staircase entirely if possible - instant confusion and getting collapsed on by oozes is a death sentence.

As for '''Shining eyes''', they do zero damage, but their gaze will nastily violate basic biological knowledge, and rearrange your muscles to shrink in mass (?), make your meows as loud as the Tsar Bomba (??), or even warp your brain in such a way that it will randomly distort spacetime and bring you into the nearest death trap (???). As your feline body is already perfect in every way, any change would be a net downgrade. However, unlike you, your obedient units are not as feline and fluffy, and therefore would greatly benefit from a few minor readjustments. Leave them to be warped into pulsating flesh masses, shielding you from the mutagenic radiation - if the Shining Eye couldn’t fire a Magic Dart at you, you are safe. If you do eat a Malmutation, Jiyva will likely cure you once you receive your 3-stars mutation gift - but you can just drink a couple of Mutation potions until then.

* If the Jiyva altar did not spawn, your goal is to reach Slime:5 as fast as possible. That is where the guaranteed Jiyva altar is (there might be a rare one on the upper floors - convert there once your piety bar has been fully expended!)
* If it did spawn, you can stay here for as long as you want, ascending back to the surface once your Kiku oxygen tank is running dry. You might still be interested in reaching Slime:5, if only for the vast concentration of enemies and resulting experience. Or if you are going all in with your Hive talisman, with full commitment to Kiku.

Final floor? You know what to do. Pre-cast those spells before going down. Unearth Wretches. Get that army in working order. '''WARNING:''' If you have rolled the Slime:5 layout where there are many little square chambers interconnected by 1 tile hallways, this place becomes highly deadly, as it is very hard to actually get your army to do their grisly work with all these suffocating chokepoints. Do NOT try to clear this floor if you are not seeking the altar. If you are, be HIGHLY cautious.

'''If you are looking for the Jiyva altar''': Read a scroll of Revelation on Slime:5. Don't have it? Tough luck, you'll have to manually explore to find the altar. It's usually somewhere close to the centre. If you do have it, press capital 'X', and survey the map for an "unknown altar" icon. That's your destination. Get moving. Converting to Jiyva instantly renders the entirety of the Slime Pits completely harmless. You just need to get to that altar, and you'll have succeeded. Is it utterly swarmed and blocked by slimes of many nutritious flavours? Is your army dying at the final stretch? That's what those Scrolls of Blinking are for. Yes, blink on top of the altar, even if it's surrounded by deadly enemies. One turn is all you need. Don't worry, your army won't go hostile. Even though you just angered the god of Necromancy itself.

'''About the Royal Jelly''': Command your army with 't'-'f' (or 't'-'a' on something else) to NOT ATTACK IT. (Unless you are running the Hive Talisman). Not only does it spawn horrible amounts of OP slimes when it takes damage (which are worth 0 experience), it will also destroy all Jiyva altars if you somehow manage to kill it with your army of gelatinous doom. Which is surprisingly likely. If you have pulled it in and find your squad getting progressively mowed down by a wide variety of digestive enzymes, consider using a Scroll of Teleport, or retreating upstairs and using a different downstairs. You'll have to ignite a new army with some extra Kiku stars, but it will "park" the Royal Jelly on that other end of the level so you can safely access the Jiyva altar.

Of course, if you are staying with Kikubaaqudgha and are doing the dive, feel free to take no prisoners, splatter honey-coloured goo all over the Pits, and smash and grab that loot.

{{flavour|[[File:Jiyva altar.png]] Jiyva gurgles in joy at your terrifying pilgrimage all to worship them (even though you just murdered half their followers and turned them to undead servants).}}

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] You know, I was kind of hoping this would happen. It's been a while since I had the fun of smiting a mortal with horrible, debilitating dark curses.}}

You should only come back here once you reach maximum piety with Jiyva - ****** - to unlock all the delicious loot.

The way back up will be peaceful and of utmost serenity. Surely Kiku's wrath will be a nice, relaxing affair after going through this.

=All That Squiggles, Splashes and Slithers (S-Branches)=

'''Only if you already finished raiding the Slime Pits:''' clear the last floors of the Dungeon, allowing you to obtain Jiyva piety and experience Kiku's wrath in a relatively safe environment. "Relatively", because there are probably centaur warriors prowling about with digusting amounts of ranged damage. Animate Dead. Death Channel. Anguish. Deadly armies. You know the drill.

You'll also find the Vaults entrance on D:13 or D:14, with its signature swarm of human guards decked out in tons of metal. Perhaps they should have thought about protecting the inside of their skulls as well, as they are very vulnerable to Anguish.

'''If you are still with Kiku, waiting for your Infestation to become castable so you can raid the Pits:''' do NOT clear the lower Dungeon yet - once Kiku juice has been exhausted, you will want a safe area to start getting your first Jiyva stars and work off the first instances of Kiku's wrath in an environment you are overleveled for. Leave it for AFTER the S-Branches.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] That Smoky Gem is down there, in D:15! If you did things properly, grabbing it shouldn't be too hard. What's harder is keeping it intact. Try to have at least 800 turns remaining when you collect it! And as for D:11-D:15, don't explore more than half of each floor, except on D:13-D:14, where you'll want to find the Vaults entrance, and get moving again immediately afterwards!}}

You'll want to visit the S-Branches in this order:

Spider Nest > Swamp > Snake Pit > Shoals

This is roughly how much each of these branches hate cats, from easiest to most lethal. In the former two, there is less ranged damage and more hordes to turn into highly efficient undead. Meanwhile, the Snake Pit is full of Naga Sharpshooter aimbot hackers, giga-flame-smite Salamander Tyrants, and the unique Vashnia, queen of ridiculous felid two-shots. Not to mention that some nagas actually have some Willpower to resist Anguish, unlike the animalistic and weak-willed creepy-crawlies. As for the Shoals, it leaks deep water everywhere to make things as difficult as possible for your army, and its denizens will endlessly throw sharp things at you, sometimes piercing through your entire squad.

Ironic, considering that most DCSS characters tend to fear spiders much more than snakes.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] If you chose the honey-flavoured part of our treatment plan, with Unearth Wretches, getting those Gems will be extremely easy. If not, only slightly harder. That doesn't mean it's another vacation! Once again, explore only about half of each floor, except the fourth and final one, where you'll probably have to spend a lot of time clashing your hordes against the final vault guardians and looking for that Gem. Oh, and a rune, too. But that one isn't that important, now is it? If you have leftover time when going up, you can full-clear the first floor, it's not like we'll be coming back here anyhow.}}

Let's get started. Do not Ctrl-G into the branch - you'll arrive there weak and unprepared, and if there is a welcoming party at the entrance, you are likely to have roughly the entire medical history of poisoning injected in your bloodstream as you sit there and get pwned. Instead, Ctrl-F for the entrance gate in Lair, and stand on top of it. Cast your self-buffs - Animate Dead and Death Channel. Good. Now, you can actually go down.

Assuming you are now with Jiyva, plentiful regeneration, obtained from your very first Jiyva star, allows you to spam Haunt, Borgnjor's Vile Clutch, Anguish and perhaps Infestation/Rimeblight to your heart's content to spark a flame of subservience in the first members of your army. Don't forget to pre-cast Animate Dead/Death Channel before each staircase!

Annoyed by missing out on Animate Dead/Death Channel? Or perhaps you have both and still desire more power? Allow me to introduce you to the apotheosis of ally-creation spells:

'''[[Infestation]]''' (Level 8 Necromancy) is, if you were unlucky and failed to find Animate Dead, your salvation. If you do have it, it's still your salvation, because this spell creates Death Scarabs from the bodies of '''any''' slain enemy (INCLUDING undead and nonliving beings, but except summoned foes and Kiku wrath simulacra/spectres - zombies are fine), '''bypassing Animate Dead''' (no zombie and scarab from the same slain foe!). What is a Death Scarab? Why, nothing short of a star resident of the branch which terrorizes 15 rune DCSS characters the most - the dastardly Tomb of the Ancients. Let's check those stats out:

* Moves and attacks faster than light itself. To be precise, every single time you get a turn, they get three.
* Irresistible Slow debuff on hit.
* Tons of damage.
* Unfortunately very low HP. Thankfully, they are easy to produce in industrial quantities.

Infestation is a point-and-click ability, in a 5x5 square (If you're waiting for this spell to go raid the Slime Pits: Unearth Wretches is also a 5x5 square - cast Infestation on top of yourself after Unearth Wretches for immensely impressive results!). The game makes it quite obvious. Like its point-and-click cousin Haunt, you'll be spamming this one a lot. Use a Scroll of Amnesia, forget one of your old starter Summoning spells, and bind the macro to Infestation instead!

Ideally, you'd get 2-3 from your first fight on a new floor. Take them for a pack walk (don't autoexplore). When a new foe comes into view and they immediately charge towards it, cast Infestation again, and so on, gradually turning the entire floor population into scarabs. Unfortunately:

Your death scarab crumbles into dust!

Their lifespan is... limited. Certainly more impressive than Death Channel, but limited nonetheless. Once you have drawn the first blood, ''you need to keep the killstreak coming''. If you have won a fight, and are now accompanied by invertebrate friends, it is YOUR time to start prowling about the level like some bloodthirsty, horrible beast for fresh scarab meat. Haunt. Infestation. Haunt. Infestation. Executed correctly, these two spells combined can clear any floor that isn't the Realm of Zot or an extended endgame floor. Most importantly, unless you are on the brink of death, you should not be constantly waiting in place twiddling your paws until your HP and MP thresholds get to 100% - your scarabs will just get bored of your lack of courage and evaporate out of reality.

'''[[Rimeblight]]''' (Level 7 Ice/Necromancy) is an equally strong addition to your kit, which you should consider welcoming into your repertoire. It's a lot of slots - you probably can't allow this and Borngjor's Vile Clutch/a big Summonings spell to coexist, so choices will have to be made. This spell is good at both taking out lone OP foes and bundled up living, demonic or holy creatures - for the real star of the show are the infectious explosions. Cast it on the least resilient foe that is closely bundled together with other creatures (each death causes the disease to spread further), and then forget about it and use your other spells. It will get the job done. Feel free to combine it with Gell's Gravitambourine for even less social distancing! You should also know that it executes living/demonic/holy monsters with 20% HP or less, so, if some ubermensch has only a few pixels remaining on its health bar and is destroying you, cast Rimeblight for a guaranteed takedown. if '''Training Ice Magic to level 9 is recommended.'''

'''After clearing the first S-Branch''': Check the success rate of '''Death's Door''' in your (M)emorization menu. If you are stacked with Wizardry/Intelligence buffs, it might be below 50%. Or not. That's fine too. You'll still want to start making room for it.

'''Start training Spellcasting to receive just enough slots to add it (0.5 level = 1 spell slot!), or use Scrolls of Amnesia on starter Summonings spells to free up slots.'''

If you make room to add it while clearing the second S-Branch AND the failure rate is below 50%, keep in mind this spell is utterly overpowered and will save even the most desperate situations. More on that later, but it might actually be worth gambling on if your other options aren't looking too good. Watch out: if you miscast it, it will likely just finish you off you with ~20 darkness damage. Until it reaches less than 20% failure rate, it's a last resort. LAST RESORT. Now is not the time to "save blinking scrolls for later". NO. YOU WON'T NEED THEM ANYMORE WHEN YOU HAVE IMMORTALITY ON SPEED DIAL.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Swamp/Shoals are super tight on time. Clearly, management thought the less turns employees spend in these places, the better. Typical ivory tower fools. Anyhow, when you find a normal staircase and the surroundings are clear and safe, just go down. You'll need a bit more time than you think to tackle those hydra parties and javelineer shooting ranges on the last floor!}}

===Angry Death-God Interdimensional Hunt (Monitoring Kiku's Wrath)===

If you'd like to check how long you'll still have to deal with Kiku's wrath, press, in this order, '?'-'/'-'g'-'k'. There are five tiers:

*"Kiku's wrath is upon you!" (> 75%)
*"Kiku well remembers your sins." (> 50%)
*"Kiku's wrath is beginning to fade. (> 25%)
*"Kiku is almost ready to forgive your sins." (< 25%)
*"Kiku is neutral towards you." (0%)

Once you reach the final tier, you are finally free, and will be able to fully enjoy necromantic magic with glorious slime-powered regeneration for the rest of the run!

Kiku will probably forgive you sometime around the S-Branches. At last.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Whatever. You're boring. If you need me, I'll be over here. On my throne of skulls. Watching slasher flicks. I'll especially not be watching your run, waiting for the moment you splat so I can cackle evilly at my indirect revenge. I would never do that. That sounds like something Zin would do.

But enough talk about using my stolen gifts. Let's finish you off.}}

===They Bite, They Fight, They Rot (Spider Nest)===

If you have rolled this branch, you have been granted the Necromancy-special easy mode midgame. Despite what you may think, rPois isn't actually that important with this build, because the assorted venomous bites won't actually be able to reach you if you play correctly. Let's get cracking.

* '''Meliais''' are as horrifying as they were in the lower parts of the dungeon, and should be dealt with as swiftly as possible - note that their willpower is very fragile when faced with a scion of the One True Pillow-Pawed race, which makes them vulnerable to Polymorph/Charm wands or Anguish.

* '''Spark Wasps''' can pull off anime "teleports behind you" moves with extreme electric damage. They must be Anguished on sight. Haunted. Borgnjor's Vile Clutched. I don't care. Each turn those blue pixels exist on your screen, you are increasing the likelihood that you'll lose the run and be forced to go do something productive instead. We don't want that, now do we?

* '''Orb Spiders''' are highly annoying pests that will challenge you to a game of dodgeball without consent. The ominous purple Orbs of Destruction they will hurl at you inflict extreme, potentially oneshotting, undodgeable damage, and should be avoided at all costs. The easiest way to neutralize them is to have any creature eat the Orb for you - enemies work too, but the most reliable choice is any allied unit. A simple use of your Blink cantrip can also save your scruff, but do mind the heat-seeking properties of Orbs in open spaces, and be ready to Blink a second time.

* '''Broodmothers''' are nasty and will challenge you to a Zotémon duel, and they're a big fan of the Poison Type. Do remind them that Poison attacks on Ghost types are Not Very Effective. If you need to reach them from behind their wall of allies, use Borgnjor's Vile Clutch or Haunt.

* '''Xak' Krixis''', a unique boss, can turn all of your poison into instant damage. Do not hold back on the armies against this one. And ring-swap to rPois. Or drink a Potion of Resistance. He is also quite vulnerable to Anguish. No rPois? At the very least, do anything to avoid standing within 2 tiles of the imminently exploding prisms.

* You don't want anything in this branch to be adjacent to you, but you especially don't want '''Radroaches''' adjacent to you. Enough said.

* '''Ghost Moths''' are the signature enemy of this branch that gets the DCSS community trembling in fear, mainly because of their undodgeable, point-and-click gaze instantly deleting your entire MP bar. Do note that the DCSS community is also filled with fans of conjurations and blaster spells. As a proper gentlefeline, your much more subtle and intellectual magic isn’t limited to the turn it was cast. Casting Haunt once on one is pretty much a guarantee that it will die (if the spectres can reach it). If they are ruining your day, a Potion of Invisibility will shut down their mana-draining ability.

Also, they are invisible. But the feline master race has little patience for such trivialities. You won't even notice. Just don't be surprised if your scarabs/zombies are ignoring them.

{{flavour|[[File:Jiyva altar.png]] Jiyva gurgles inquisitively, wondering how ghost moths reproduce if they can't see invisible, but are invisible themselves. }}

===Realm of the Aimbot Hackers (Snake Pit)===

Ready for some Counter-Strike action? Get to Site Snake:4 before the counter-terrorists eliminate your entire squad. Unfortunately, you have been placed in the cheaters' queue, and everyone here is using hacks and scripts.

* '''Naga sharpshooters''' are the main culprits. Not only do they have OP bows, they also have a spell that lets them teleport the arrow directly on top of you, bypassing your entire army AND reducing your chance to dodge it. They come in groups, too, which means you could be walking around and suddenly start getting plowed by sharp sticks appearing out of thin air. Because this isn't difficult enough, they have enough Willpower to resist Anguish and other hexes quite efficiently (though insistent casters may eventually curse them). A Scroll of Vulnerability helps if there are many on your screen. Most wisely, however, I suggest you avoid having too many on your screen at once, and make use of doors and chokepoints to secure a place where you can safely dump Haunt and Borgnjor's Vile Clutch on them one by one.

* '''Vashnia''' is the queen of the hackers, doing exactly the same thing as them but with bigger damage. And another hack that lets her teleport so you can't escape as easily. I've reported her to the DCSS admins numerous times, but she still hasn't gotten banned. If you've been saving your Scrolls of Vulnerability, this is the time to use them.

* '''Salamander tyrants''' are rare, but CAN ONESHOT YOU ON SIGHT WITH A POINT-AND-CLICK ABILITY. This is one of the extremely rare cases where you can literally just take a step and instantly die (assuming you lack rF+). As soon as one appears on your screen, you MUST take action immediately, through one of the following:
** Ring-swap to Fire Resistance.
** Drink a Potion of Resistance.
** Drink a Potion of Invisibility.

They are weak to Anguish and will likely get a taste of their own oneshot medicine once they are cursed. Assuming you survive, that is.

* '''Guardian serpents''' have the infamous ability to teleport their entire squad on top of you, which is an immediate critical emergency if it happens. Thankfully, you have loyal allies to take up space - yet another reason to always try to keep yourself surrounded and loved by your mindless thralls. Immediately consider the Blink spell or a Blinking scroll if you are caught off-guard.

* '''Naga ritualists''' have varied point-and-click poison abilities which aren't that threatening, but add up if you leave them alive for too long. Ring-swapping to rPois is useful, but barring, that, try to Haunt/Borgnjor's Vile Clutch them first.

* '''Nagaraja''' have all kinds of toxic-chemical flavoured conjurations comparable to Arachne's, and your 3 AC, no rPois scruff is not exactly the definition of a hazmat suit. Avoid having no allies blocking their line of fire (those poison arrows hurt!) and, if you cannot ring-swap poison resistance, expect to require Curing potions should their ally-piercing bolt of poison hit you.

* '''Shock serpents''' have an ally-piercing electrical bolt - not oneshot material by any means, but repeated hits will hurt. They have a permanently active damage-reflection effect electrocuting all which damage it in melee. The answer? Anguish - they hit your ally, they take Anguish damage from this, your ally hits them, they take more damage, your ally is electrocuted, the serpent takes even more Anguish damage. Don't try to wrap your head around it, just oneshot them with this technique.

===Grand Oneshot Fiesta (Swamp)===

This one is interesting, because most enemies here have ridiculous damage, but little ways of actually reaching you to apply it. It was already important before, but it is EXTREMELY important here to keep yourself surrounded by a cocoon of cold, well-meaning hugs from your assorted undead. Leaving your frail and vulnerable body exposed is opening the door to getting oneshotted by the extremely high damage hydrae, bunyips, alligators, will-o-wisps... Well, they actually have to do the effort of walking towards you to kill you (except the will-o-wisp). Which makes this place much better than Shoals in my book.

* '''Eleionoma''' are an exception to this rule, and are also complete bullshit. I don't like swearing in my guides, but these ones deserve it. Their signature spell, Splinterspray, has huge range and deals up to 72 damage. A dull-witted minotaur may say, "they aren't that bad, I just tab them with my axe". Well, dear bovine comrade, Splinterspray has its damage negated ''3 times in a row'' by your AC score. This means their existence is basically an insult to Felids in particular. Suffer not a single one to live. The counterplay? A ring of +4 Protection is worth a quick-swap when they are around, as it translates to a +12 AC bonus against this attack due to the multiplier. Because these aren't OP enough, they also giga-self heal when they touch trees. Just drop a fat Haunt or drown them in undead on sight, the less seconds they breathe, the better.

* '''Swamp Worms''' are pretty harmless on their own, but they can shoot a beam that pulls the first entity hit into melee range of them. If you let them get a clear shot, you can get extracted from your massive army into a death trap. Mind the gaps in your formation.

* '''Bloated husks''' just run at you doing nothing and explode in a 5x5 area when they die.. Aside the fact that this can make them deal huge damage to your army, it will, on average, take out half of your entire HP bar every single time if you get caught in the blastzone.

* '''Will-o-wisps''' endlessly churn out drones to seek and destroy you with huge fire damage. This will be blocked by allies, and Haunting them is highly wise. If you are exposed to their antics, though, consider ring-swapping to obtain rF+.

* '''Swamp dragons''' are not very dangerous, aside from the fact that they place disgusting green poison clouds all over the place. Got stuck in the chemical spill? Ring-swap to rPois, and you can immediately shut off every neuron in your brain that had registered their existence. No rPois? A potion of Resistance does the same thing. Otherwise, a potion of Curing heals all poison, but it won't help if you just get poisoned again by the cloud on the same turn. Focus on getting out, by walking, using the Blink spell or even a precious Blinking scroll if it truly matters.

* '''Shambling mangroves''' have a point-and-click constrict. It's kind of like the Borgnjor's Vile Clutch you may have chosen to obtain, but with even less counterplay. It ends when they perish, so hit them back with your own flavour of point-and-click, known as Haunt or Borgnjor's Vile Clutch.

* '''Goliath frogs''' and '''Spriggan riders''' have reach (polearm) attacks. Don't just stand there 2 spaces away while they ignore your allies and prepare themselves a fine feline brochette.

* Needless to say, don't let '''hydrae''' touch you. ESPECIALLY not the rare one with 27 heads.

===I Swear You Had A Health Bar A Second Ago, Must Be Seeing Things (Shoals)===

Ah yes, welcome to the funhouse of doom. You don't really need any specific resistances in this place, just go full-on Wizardry and Intelligence so things perish as fast as possible. I like Acrobat and Reflection amulets to reduce slightly the vast number of sharp objects moving quickly in your general direction. Ring-swapping into Flight, or drinking a Potion of enlightenment is also potentially interesting when you need to move over water for tactical reasons.

* '''Merfolk javeliners''' can Alt-F4 your health bar when they feel like it. Their sole purpose in life is to pick up sticks of metal and throw them at you, doing gargantuan damage in the process. Because it wasn't hard enough, they occasionally carry the silver variant of their javelins, which deals bonus damage to the heavily mutated. Because Jiyva has probably made you look like [https://raw.githubusercontent.com/crawl/crawl/master/crawl-ref/source/dat/tiles/title_froggy_jiyva_felid.png this] by now, this will hurt. A couple casts of Anguish will usually curse them (causing a massive pile of exclamation points in the message log when they throw their javelin through your undead army). An Amulet of Reflection or of the Acrobat will also come a long way towards putting the odds in your favour - I'd recommend walking around with one already equipped while in the Shoals.

* '''Satyrs''' are pretty much the exact same thing, but at least, they can't pierce through your allies freely. Let your servants die in your name!

* '''Water nymphs''' have a disgustingly powerful point-and-click "boom! you take 3 million damage!" ability. However, they can only use it if you are standing on a water tile. If one is on your screen, avoid water as much as possible - and don't let that Nymph get close, as they constantly leak the stuff everywhere they go. Nice try, but Flight won't save you.

* '''Wind drakes''' also have a "boom!" point-and-click, but this one instead relies on you being surrounded by empty tiles, just like the slug mage Gastronok. Another reason to keep your army close.

* '''Merfolk impalers''' and '''Alligator snapping turtles''' both have "reach" (polearm) melee attacks from 2 spaces away. They also deal giga-damage. Don't ever let them get a hit off.

=Crossroads of Immortality (The Ultimate Spell)=

You've made it. Ascension is at hand - or rather, at paw. Behold - the '''Velvet-Pawed Path to Immortality'''. A level 9 spell, ranked among the legends of Polar Vortex, Shatter, Dragon's Call, Fire Storm...

"How much damage does this one do", you ask yourself, trembling in excitement.

Zero, actually. To your enemies, that is.

'''[[Death's Door]]''' (Level 9 Necromancy), on a successful cast, will immediately nuke your (already minuscule) HP bar, always setting it to around 10-20 HP points remaining. This will never directly kill you.

Not off to a good start, are we? The important part: '''for the next 12-25 turns (it's technically 10-27, but the extremes are unlikely), you CANNOT die through ANY means, and this buff CANNOT be removed.''' Picture this: while it is active:

* HP is an illusion.
* AC is an illusion.
* EV is an illusion.
* SH is an illusion.
* Elemental resistances? You guessed it - an illusion.

Do you see what I see? An eloge to felinekind. A loveletter. An enchantment which takes away all that makes them bad, leaving only the good. ''Every'' other species in DCSS is (rightfully) TERRIFIED of this spell, because when it ends, they will still be left at 10-20 HP, ready to be oneshotted by the tickling touch of a feather and rocketed back to the character selection screen. But cats know no such weaknesses, for they alone know the bony touch of oblivion all too well, and can ''respawn'' after even Death's Door proves ineffective at saving their lives. It's not like having 17 HP is that different from having 103, after all.

This means that you, dear reader, can afford to be '''extremely''' proactive in using this thing.

Picture the following scenario: going about your usual murderous business, some ranged cheater takes out 40% of your HP in a single attack, leaving you at 60%.

* Scenario 1: "Hey, I still have most of my health, it's fine."
** Assuming you dodge reliably, how long do you think you could actually stay alive if that foe just refused to die and kept pelting you? 12 turns, at most?
** That's assuming you dodge reliably, anyhow. You might just die next turn.

* Scenario 2: Cast Death's Door NOW!!
** You now have exactly 12-25 turns in which you have absolute certainty that death is impossible.
** You can forget entirely about cowardly tactics such as "hiding behind allies" or "ring-swapping", and dedicate all resources to making sure that enemy is no longer on your screen by the end of the time period, whether through escape or murder.
** If the screen is PACKED, you can drink a potion of attraction, then read a scroll of immolation as a home-made nuclear detonation device.
** You can just walk into melee range of hasted Ancient Liches and start blasting them with Dispel Undead.
** You can drop 10 Haunts on a single OP unique while you stand there motionless eating 100 melee damage per turn like some immovable object. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifB662xOZTw This is probably how it looks.]
** You can read Teleportation Scrolls and just casually wait and look at your own claws, wondering if feline manicure is a thing, while some Spriggan Berserker is furiously swinging its axe into your scruff over and over.
** You can casually approach any living or corporeal undead creature, (no demons or nonliving enemies allowed! Nice try, but Orbs of Fire count as nonliving.) invoke Slimify from your (a)bility menu (after 4 **** Jiyva stars), and melee attack until you oneshot them.

Embrace the power. Cleanse yourself of fear. Unlearn your preconceptions. Forget your Minotaur instincts. There is Life, there is Death, and there is You, standing perfectly still at the line in between. This is your feline destiny.

Death's Door goes through a cycle:

You stand defiantly in death's doorway! You seem to hear sand flowing through an hourglass...

The spell just started, and the timer is engaged. (White "DDoor" status in the sidebar)

Your time is quickly running out!

Don't freak out. That actually just means it's about halfway done. You still have time. But if the whole "murder" angle is not looking good, start plotting your escape now. (Gray "DDoor" status in the sidebar)

Your life is in your own paws again!

If you did not plan this out correctly, this is the part where they kill you. Because the invincibility just ran out. And you have 12 HP. Death's Door will go on cooldown (Yellow -DDoor in the sidebar) for the surprisingly short duration of 1-3 turns, so you cannot immediately recast it to protect yourself. Shoutout to the developers for recently changing this to say "paws" and not "hands" for Felids specifically!

You step away from death's doorway.

Death's Door is ready to be used again. Many times, I have managed to recast the spell while still engaged in combat, just because I had retreated safely into the middle of my army, or because I had an all-skill-no-luck EV dodge of a ranged attack that should have killed me. In that case, you simply get the 12-25 turns of invincibility all over again.

A note: Potions of haste are ridiculously strong in tandem with Death's Door. They effectively lengthen the duration by 33%. For the same reason, being Slow in Death's Door is terrible, as it shortens the duration by 33%. As expected, Haste and Slow cancel each other out.

Got slots? Or you will in the future? Consider the following:

'''[[Passwall]]''' (Level 3 Earth) is a so-called "escape" spell that has the bad habit of killing its users while they are charging it up. When used on a nearby wall, it renders you unable to act for a few turns as you fixate the stone with extreme intensity that leaves your enemies concerned about you. They will try to prod you to snap you out of it. If you aren't dead by the end of this phase, you will - it's literally in the title - pass through the wall and arrive on the other side. You can see where this is going - cast Death's Door, and you can now escape through any common wall (not the indestructible ones) with zero risk. Even though the magic school on this isn't your forté, it's so low level you can probably already cast it with your vast levels of Spellcasting. Maybe get '''4 levels of Earth''' for good measure if you don't already have them.

Here's another suggestion:

'''[[Dispel Undead]]''' (Level 4 Necromancy) is the least complicated of all dark spells. Walk up to melee range of some rotting fool, press it, blast them with huge (3d31 at max damage, comparable to a Lehudib's Crystal Spear), unavoidable, defense-bypassing pure damage. Flavour-wise, your dark research has come to teach you the invisible forces holding together a corpse which shouldn't be animated, and the ways to unravel them. More creatures are undead than you may think:

* Bog bodies from the Swamp.
* Pharaoh ants from the Spider Nest.
* Laughing, Curse and Weeping Skulls in the deep Dungeon and/or Crypts.
* Any Player Ghost in the Necropolis.
* Any creature reanimated by a deep elf death mage's lost souls.
* Death scarabs from the Tomb. You might have encountered some early in the Spider Nest, or after "accidentally" blasting your Infestation scarabs with, say, a scroll of immolation and turning them hostile.
* Curse toes and Death cobs from the Realm of Zot, the final stop of your grand pillow-pawed journey.
* Deadly uniques such as Jory, Boris, Nobody, or Khufu.
* Any zombies/spectres/simulacra, either natural or reanimated by Kiku's malice.

= Knife-Eared Folks and their Floating Knives (Elven Halls) =

This next area is completely optional-

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] No, it's NOT. Get that Shimmering Gem, PRONTO!! Great, another one of these places where you dilly-dally thinking it will be fine only to spend a thousand turns running away in fear from reality-shattering archmagi on the final floor. Do this one just like the second S-Branch - use SAFE staircases, which have no enemies around them, IMMEDIATELY, and dedicate all your effort and care to looting that Elf:3 fortress!}}

-but I encourage you to clear at least the first two floors to acquire bonus experience, and polish up your Death's Door. At this point, '''you should only be training Necromancy and have no Kiku wrath remaining.''' Possibly Shapeshifting if you still need that Hive Talisman. Maybe Spellcasting if you are desperate for slots. Because SOMEONE has been eating all the Amnesia scrolls.

{{flavour|[[File:Jiyva altar.png]] A distant sound of paper being dissolved in acid echoes through the Elven Halls.}}

The Elves haven't been hitting the gym. Their muscles are weak, because they play DCSS all day. When you drain all that education out of their skulls by turning them to zombies, they do almost nothing except contribute their hitpoints to the Anguish fund. We do not want this. We want OP scarabs. Spam Infestation left and right on these fools. Even the dancing weapons.

A death scarab bursts out of the +4 trident of felid slaying!

How does that even work? Whatever. Let's talk timed portals. Semi-rarely, you may find:

* The "crackle of arcane power". Wizard Laboratories are pocket-sized adventures ranging from litterboxes of loot to death traps. If I were you, I'd avoid Tukima's Studio, unless having a clone of yourself spam Haunt on you while OP floating books with 100 damage crystal spears pwn you sounds funny. The rest should be fine. Watch out for Doroklohe’s Tomb, it will appear to be safe then jumpscare you with tons of endgame mummies or other OP foes. If you want to clear that one, stay in the entrance and wait (5) over and over, don't wander off into the main room.

* The "coins being counted". A Bazaar is almost always worth it. This one might even be worth reading a Scroll of Revelation for. If you have the gold to spare, of course (press '$'). In your shopping spree, stock up on delicious potions, interesting scrolls, and spells that might be missing from your kit.

* A "distant wind". Ah, yes, the <s>Death Trap</s> Desolation of Salt. This place kills so many players. Luckily, this build is probably one of the best at taking it head-on, and the loot tends to include some sick rings and amulets. If you wish to test its mettle, my advice is to just spam Infestation on those trillions of saltlings rushing to melee you. Simply run around and Infestation everything you see until the screen is covered in scarabs. You may need to use Death's Door if things go south. Be wary of [[Ghostly Sacrifice]], an extremely OP point-and-click, undodgeable attack which deals over 100 darkness damage. An enemy must be adjacent to you for it to be used. The Halazid warlocks are responsible for it - either use Death's Door or ring swap to rN+ if you cannot reposition yourself away from enemies in melee range of you.

In the Elven Halls, and especially Elf:3, there are a wide variety of professionals with PhDs in kitty-murder. The valedictorians here are:

* '''Dancing weapons''': Don't mistake them for floor items, notice the little music note icon on their sprites. Some are not that scary (+1 dagger) while others will be your doom (+9 bardiche of antimagic). Don’t fight too fast, and check the brands and enchantments of what you are faced against. If it has enchantments of +4 or more, has a brand you do not resist, or is an axe or polearm, it's a threat.

Regardless, Borgnjor's Vile Clutch completely demolishes them, because their defenses are all-dodge-no-armour (like you!), and that spell cannot be avoided. Haunt is also interesting.

You'll find an extreme amount of these behind the big runed gate in Elf:2, known as the Hall of Blades. I generally don't even bother opening it. These enemies are hard enough, and the shiny metal they leave behind isn't even designed for quadrupeds. Psh!

* '''Deep elf master archers''': You may be purring in mockery as 5 arrows whiff past you one after the other. Enjoy becoming a porcupine when a single shot cuts away 50% of your HP. These should never, ever get a clean line of fire at you, and should have Haunts dumped on them immediately if they do. Like any ranged foe, remember that closing doors behind you can prove surprisingly effective.
* '''Deep elf elementalists''': TRY NOT TO STAND NEXT TO WALLS! It is their strongest attack, because they can point and click walls to remote-detonate them. Anyways, as a herder of allies, you should be prioritizing wide open space instead. The Blink spell can help you get away. The other elemental flavours of pain aren't as bad, as long as you keep drowning them in undead.
* '''Deep elf sorcerers & high priests''': Damnation ''hurts''. Sending foes to block a sorcerer's line of fire by standing adjacently to them will make them hesitate, as they’re not masochistic enough to blow themselves up. The high priests, however, can order an orbital strike onto you in point-and-click flavour, and won't be impressed.
* '''Deep elf annihilators''': With your high EV, most of the time, they will miss, but when they don’t, ''ouch''. Their worst spell is the Crystal Spear, but it has thankfully limited range, so keep your distance (more than 4 tiles).
* '''Deep elf blademasters''': It’s an elf, but with +99 daggers of kitty-slaying and rocket-boot thrusters. Don't let these touch you.
* '''Deep elf death mage''': It's you! But less fluffy. Therefore lesser. Their signature spell, Call Lost Souls, summons some harmless, annoying puffs of spectral matter which will revive nearby dying elves into a ghost variant (this adds a little skull icon on their sprite). When they are reanimated thus, if you have Dispel Undead, you can walk up and blast them - otherwise, your other tools are just as efficient as they are on their living counterparts.

Thankfully, these elven bullies are mostly hidden in their big fortress somewhere in Elf:3, and can be dealt with in little groups at a time, as the entrance to their headquarters is conveniently shaped like a funnel. Approach the final vault, lure in a few volunteers, dispose of them, rest, and return, until the flood stops. Dashing in, battling all of them at once, and expecting to win is extremely foolish.

If you have Summon Mana Viper, it can have impressive results here! Antimagic-biting an Annihilator to force them to use their puny arms instead of their reality-shattering conjurations is quite effective.

Unlike the lesser humanoids, Banishment is very unlikely to happen to you here. If it ''does'' happen, stay calm. The first instinct of many players is to start walking in diagonals to find an exit, but you should not be doing this with this build. You have the ability to organize a nice little fortress with your allies, and fend off invaders coming from all sides. After proving to Lugonu your fighting prowess, you will be let out without complications. Dying in the Abyss is ''very'' undesirable, as you will simply respawn in another equally dangerous location of this infinite plane of madness.

=Containment Breach in Zone 2 (Vaults)=

Excellent, a place where you'll actually feel powerful. You'll feel right at home in this stronghold of soullessness, metal, and faceless guards devoid of individual thought.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Life would be so much simpler if everyone was an undead thrall, you know? Perfect order, absolute obedience, flawless coordination. I bet technology would be propelled centuries foward if people stopped clutching that worthless "identity" everyone keeps talking about.}}

This is the necromantic funzone, seriously. The extreme majority of everything here has been so dumbed down by mindless servitude that their Willpower - and therefore resistance to Anguish - is as low as the chance that you actually managed to survive up to this point. Not only that, but almost every creature makes up for spectacular undead thralls, and space is so neatly organized and wide open that you'll have no trouble directing your army around to annihilate everything you see.

Always have Death Channel active when you battle. Animate Dead the first sizable goon squad you spot, and carry them around the level until it's worth replacing them. Spam Infestation on everything you see until then.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] All this empty space. All this real estate opportunity, ruined. Such inefficiency. Don't linger in Vaults:1 and Vaults:4, exploring no more than half of both. You'll still want to locate the Crypts somewhere on Vaults:2 or Vaults:3 through more thorough exploration, after which you'll be able to descend faster.}}

The threats? Point-and-click abilities, of course.

* '''Ironbound thunderhulks''' have on-demand electro-bzzaps, and '''are the biggest threat of this branch'''. Unlike most point-and-click cheaters, this one can actually be dodged, but should you fail to do so, say goodbye to half your HP bar. They have this gimmick where they cannot use this skill if you are 2 or fewer tiles away, but don't let this bait you into walking towards terrible positions only for them to blink away and resume electrocuting you. Don't hesitate to pop Death's Door if you get badly hit once. Ring-swapping to the rare rElec artifact ring may prove useful, if you have found such a useful trinket.

* '''Ironbound frosthearts''' also have a point-and-click, this time chocolate ice-cream flavoured. Yes, chocolate is toxic to cats. This is intentional. It drips from the walls, so avoid standing next to them, as was the case for Deep elf elementalists. Thankfully, these have been heavily nerfed since my last FeSu guide, as back then, they were as horrible as Salamander tyrants. You can afford to take a few hits.

* '''Frederick''' CAN ONESHOT YOU THE MOMENT YOU TAKE A SINGLE BREATH IN HIS PRESENCE. If you encounter him alone and wish to take him down, I suggest an immediate Death's Door from full HP, and then an unloading of your entire necromantic artillery on him. It will be enough. There really is no overkill here. If your Death's Door is close to running out and he is still alive, just pop Slimify from your (a)bility menu and oneshot him.

* '''Xtahua''' can also oneshot you, but only if you lack rF+. Even then, have your paw on the Death's Door button at the ready! Slimify if needed.

* '''Mennas''', the "Menace" as some players call him, is practically designed to counter everything you are capable of. Bonus damage against undead, instant Silence to block you from using Death's Door and all other spells, mass confusion on your Death Scarabs so they start hurting each other and potentially you as well, resistance to Slimify from being holy, huge speed, huge melee damage... I've had success with a Scroll of Vulnerability and repeated Anguish, but attempts at battle without a huge swarm to back you up usually result in dead cats faster than you can say "Deus Vult". If you have a wand of quicksilver and his dreaded Silence comes out, you can use it on him for a chance to dispel the Silence!

You can detect Mennas - and sometimes Frederick - through walls by looking for suspiciously yellow tiles, illuminated by their radiant haloes. Don't get trolled by Mennas's lack of See Invisible, his halo will still reveal you, as long as you are standing in it.

* '''Jory''' and '''Boris''' are similar - two undead casters with ridiculously damaging spells, packing an easy twoshot or oneshot if you let them blast you. For maximum disrespect, just Death's Door immediately, walk up, and pwn them with Dispel Undead or Slimify.

* '''Zenata''' is one of the most lethal bosses of the mid-to-late game, brutally decimating around 5% of all players who choose to take her on. Keyword - choose. Many advanced and competitive players leave her alone entirely to polish her army of hasted dancing scimitars instead. You can do so as well, but if seeing coloured pixels moving across your screen sends you into a mindless rage, you can do Death's Door-Slimify at the easiest, or Death's Door-necro-artillery for a more traditional takedown. She won't oneshot you, so you can use a few turns to prep, but once her summons are out and she has started using her point-and-click damage ability, it's time to get down to business and hit that immortality button. Don't even think about Blink-scrolling or whatever away from all those floating knives, they are almost as fast as Death scarabs. Just focus on pwning her.

* '''Nobody''' is not that scary to me, aside from the part where they DARE stomp on the feline fiefdom's trademarks and use extra lives to respawn 3 times, one more than you can hold at a time. Each of their reincarnations has a different kit. Honestly, they are okay to deal with as long as you have a few scarabs to swarm them with (and they aren't ganking you in the middle of a Vaults:5 party). Pay attention to their dialogue lines in the message log, I like them a lot.

* '''Ironbound convokers''' are infamous for their ability to teleport enemies from the floor over to their position a few turns after the flag icon appears on their sprite. This is usually not that bad of a thing, as it's more meat to funnel through your undead creation machine. What you do not want is Mennas suddenly spawning in your face. For this reason, I like to Haunt/Borgnjor's Vile Clutch them with priority.

I suggest not entering Vaults:5. Not even a peek. There is a surprise party down there. You're not invited. Make your way to the Crypts instead.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Splats And Riches Incorporated™ goes where it pleases! Barge into those Vaults:5 goons' private space, that Shining Gem won't pick itself up. Let's do this. And don't go leaving now to get to the Pits beforehand, the "spoils of war" imply a war as a prerequisite!}}

===Squishy Interlude (Slime:5 & Ring/Amulet Selection)===

You might have reached (******) in Jiyva piety, or will soon. When that happens, Ctrl-G your way to Slime:5.

{{flavour|[[File:Jiyva altar.png]] Ecstatic wobbling resounds before all this juicy, delicious loot!}}

Yikes. Well, at least the artifacts will be spared. Try to collect as many useful items as possible, and, of course, the rune.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] And the GEM. If you're tight on turns, forget the loot, get back up to that Lair, NOW!!}}

Speaking of "useful items", your inventory is probably getting full. Here is how I choose my rings, depending on the "Egoes" they possess. These are called "Ego" in-game because they increase your hubris the more OP they are, thus making you splat out of recklessness. '''Bold = Good.'''

* If '''Wiz''' is causing your Death's Door to be more reliable, it's highly valuable.
* '''+X Int''' is never bad.
* '''Resistances''' aren't as useful now that we have a spell to take out Death itself on a nice Sunday movie night hangout. But they are still interesting to dial down oneshots and twoshots - rF+ in particular is pretty good, as this damage type is quite common, and we already have rC+ from our fur. Jiyva gives you rCorr for free.
* +X MP is decent. But Jiyva's mana regeneration is already almost infinite mana. You can do better.
* +X Dex gives EV. But not as much as a +5 EV ring. You have enough EV to go around already. Find better.
* Will+ is not very useful, because cats know nothing of self-doubt. Will-, however, is bad, as it re-introduces all those annoying hexing experiences other species have to deal with. Cancel it out with a Will+ if it's really worth it.
* All the "dangerous" properties like "Drain", "Corrode" can mostly be ignored. "Slow" is a little more dangerous, but acceptable if the bonuses are good. "Bane" is a risk/reward, refer to the [[#Kiku's Troll Carousel (Banes)|banes section]].

And here is how I choose my amulets. '''Bold = Good.'''

* '''RegenMP''' - more mana. More scarabs. More Death's Door. More fun.
* '''Acrobat''' is surprisingly great, as you spend a lot of turns just waiting and moving around. +15 EV is serious business, especially when it comes to surviving an expiring Death's Door.
* '''Reflection''', in a similar vein, blocks some attacks, and can even return some ranged ones to sender.
* '''Wildshape''' is only truly good if you are building your way to a Hive Talisman, Riddle Talisman, Granite Talisman or Dragon-coil Talisman. Don't bother otherwise.
* Alchemy is nice if you can chug a quick sip of Curing to get just enough mana to enter Death's Door. The above ones are better.
* Regeneration is interesting, because it has a lot of chances to tick while you move around your army. But I still think the above ones are better.
* Dissipation is very meh. It's better than nothing for sure, and you will appreciate it the few times it is relevant, but we need to also acknowledge the "rest of the time", which is most of the time you spend in the Dungeon, and we'd rather have RegenMP here.
* Faith is useless. Are you going around using Slimify on everything you see? No, you are not. Do better.
* <s>YASD</s> Guardian Spirit: "Oh no, my beloved feline friend! You took quite the hit there. Good thing I spread it to your mana bar to offset the damage! You now have 5 MP and 30 HP, instead of only 10 HP! What do you mean 'I needed that mana for Death's Door'? You don't need spells to protect yourself. You have me!"

===Emergency Facility Lockdown (Vaults:5)===

Do not come here if you just want to win. You will likely-

''Attention all personnel. A supernatural feline capable of binding souls at its beck and call and of entering invincibility on demand is heading to the maximum security Zone Five. Engage maximum defensive protocols.''

Oh, you already went in. Welp. If you had listened to me, you would have known that drinking Haste and Brilliance before going down is quite smart. You could also have:

* Read a Scroll of Teleportation, then immediately descended.
* Used a Vaults:4 escape hatch, if it spawned, instead of the normal stairs.

I'll stop using past tense and roleplaying, now, because it's getting annoying.

In the former case, you will be met with a horrible ambush screen. It won't last long before you are whisked away to a random location. Some possibilities:

* '''Close to the central death zone''': Troublesome, but at least you probably aren't getting attacked from all angles anymore. You'll want to retreat towards one of the linear hallways, using Anguish, Infestation and Death Channel to collect the ambush guards as your starting army. If things go wrong - which they might - you may have to Death's Door and read a new Teleport scroll.

* '''Close to the outer rim''': This is the best scenario. These hallways are mostly safe and have few enemies, which means more time to regenerate, moving slowly across, recruiting all creatures you come across to roll your growing snowball of undead.

* '''Straight into one of the infested loot vaults''': Rather terrible. You may even have to Death's Door very fast. I've never been oneshotted here, but the moment you are below 60% HP here, you are in kill range. You can try to make a stand and forge an army - especially if you have Haste/Brilliance buffs - but be ready to try a new Teleport scroll.

Once you have established your squad, the rest is much easier. Move across the level, replacing your slain or disappearing undead with fresh new servants. This is a good time to place those Infestation blasts left and right. Do not forget your primary objective: the Shining Gem and the Silver Rune, right on top of each other in one of the four rectangular corner loot vaults.

Once you have secured the gem and rune, immediately make your way to the centre and leave, never to return.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] If you have at least 600 turns remaining on the Vaults' Gem, you can go claim your slimy lootboxes in Slime:5 now. Otherwise, you'll have to clear the Crypts right away, only going to Slime after you have exited the Vaults, never to return!}}

=The Place Where They Invented The Whole Necromancy Thing (Crypts)=

Throughout this run, did you ever wish you could o-tab like the good old Minotaur Berserker days? Boy, do I have the thing for you. Do you have Dispel Undead? If it was available but not memorized yet, do so now. Get that thing on your (Q)uiver, most likely replacing Anguish for now (which isn't that good here).

Now, you can autoexplore with 'o', and blast all these useless corpses in melee range with 'p'. That's right. o-p. And it really is OP.

Animate Dead and Death Channel, however, are almost entirely useless. Infestation is not. It is time to show these rotting husks your entomological collection (and offer them the chance to join it).

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] You should only be here after completing Vaults:5! That Ivory Gem would look great on my Divine Sceptre of Golden Doom, so I especially don't want you to miss it. I suggest another high-speed protocol of going down on safe staircases as soon as possible, because Crypts:3 tends to be a whole ordeal of endless undead armies and tricks and traps designed to entertain those who have too much free time and no job to get done. Which is not you.}}

The spooky ride will begin with a vast assortment of varied undead: most are not dangerous in any way (in fact, the Crypt is pretty much a popcorn factory). However, this is only a trap to lead you to let down your guard when the following arrive to ruin your day:

* '''Revenants''' do many things, but one of them is a giga darkness damage 3x3 "ghostly fireball". Your squad should be resistant to it, but unless you have rN+, you are not. Preferably, don't have less than 2 allies standing between you and them, but you can always do the classic trick of walking up and blasting them with Dispel Undead, with a Death's Door thrown into the mix if needed.

* '''Curse Skulls''' are annoying pests which summon an army of undead and spam torment. That reminds me of a certain someone, isn't that right, Kiku? They think it is funny to hide behind their wall of summons, but you can reach over with Haunt or Borgnjor's Vile Clutch. Or, you know, walk up and blast them. That works too.

* '''Khufu and mummy friends''' have an entomological collection, just like you. They are eager to compare and share their secrets of the trade. Theirs even have emperor scorpions! These terrorize many characters, but you should be able to use their bandages as a scratching post, assuming you can get close enough to blast them with Dispel Undead, or can land your point-and-click Haunt/Borgnjor's Vile Clutch. Watch out, they pack a "death curse" - automatically unleashed when they perish. The only effect which can actually kill you is the semi-common small burst of darkness damage, so keep this in mind if you're dealing the finishing blow while you're almost dead and unprotected.

* '''Vampire bloodprinces''' have multiple extremely OP abilities, but one of them is TURNING YOUR ENTIRE SQUAD OF SCARABS AGAINST YOU! They also spew bat clouds everywhere which put you to sleep (despite the extreme fear you should be feeling right now). These are particularly annoying, because they reduce your Death's Door timer. The key here is to cut line-of-sight, ambush them with Death's Door active, and blast them with Dispel Undead before they even know what hit them. If your army is big enough, you can possibly do enough damage before they have time to get their brainwashing spell in. Treat them with the respect a member of their lineage deserves.

* '''Vv''' is a proud member of the developers' latest OC-do-not-steal species, the Stoneborn. For all her OP point-and-click spells, she didn't have the budget for See Invisible. Drink a Potion of Invisibility or Death's Door if you do not want to get obliterated in milliseconds.

* '''Grunn''' only knows how to move and melee attack, which is laughable. What isn't so funny are his canine companions, which are elite assassins from the dog monarchy sent to stop you. If they place their Howl debuff on you, I recommend a Potion of Cancellation, or else you'll quickly be facing lethal Tartarus endgame enemies that will likely force you to use Death's Door. Willpower is useful to resist this hex, so check the percentage chance, and possibly ring-swap to Will+.

* '''Mennas''' can also spawn here. He is not any easier. Leave him to his prayer beads if you want maximal chances to win - but if you are a Trog worshipper in real life, do what you must. I talked about strategies in the Vaults chapter already.

In Crypt:3, you will find a unique challenge level, with its traps and tricks - nothing too serious compared to what you have just traversed. There is also the entrance to the Tomb. It is the hardest branch in the entire game, filled with all kinds of mummies who will be very happy to bash your hubris into the ground with endless torment spam, then cackle as you respawn in the death trap between their walls only to die again and be met with “Welcome, Idiot. Please select your species.”

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] That is exactly why I order you to go in once you secured that Ivory Gem.}}

=Perfection Can Still Improve (Lategame Skills)=

At this point, you must be at level 24+ Necromancy, which means your Death's Door must be getting under 7% fail rate. Getting to the maximum of level 27 of Necromancy will title your character - for the rest of the run - a "Cat of Death", which is positively awesome. But what next?

Make your choice. Personally, I think that Maxwell's Capacitive Coupling is the option which will give you the highest chance of victory, but it might not be available (Ctrl-F if it's not in your spell library, perhaps it is in a shop somewhere!).

''Note: in all cases which involve more spells, you may have to train more Spellcasting to make room as well. 0.5 Spellcasting = 1 spell slot!''

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Pick anything you want. As long as it accelerates your transition from point A (your current, damp and mud-soaked location) to point B (you, prostrating before me, with all 11 gems deposited before my throne).}}

===More Oneshots (Maxwell's Capacitive Coupling)===

''Requirements: Maxwell's Capacitative Coupling and at least one Intelligence/Wizardry ring or amulet.''

This spell takes a long time to train for, but if you '''turn on nothing but Air Magic''' for the rest of the run, you'll definitely have it ready to power through the (normally difficult) Realm of Zot with almost zero challenge.

You started by fearing the oneshot. Then, you understood the oneshot with Death's Door. Now, it is time to BE the oneshot.

'''[[Maxwell's Capacitive Coupling]]''' (Level 8 Air Magic) literally does infinite damage that ignores all resistances. It will oneshot anything and everything, from a rat to Dispater, Lord of the Iron City of Dis. Unfortunately for your foes, they were not born as fluffy and quadrupedal as you are, and do not have any extra lives. Successfully casting this spell adds a Charge status effect on your sidebar - simply wait (. or s) a few turns, and the ''nearest'' foe will be expunged from reality. If more than one foe are tied in distance, a random one will be chosen.

Why this is broken with this build: it bypasses allies. That means you can simply erect a defensive wall of scarabs/spectres/zombies and bzzap all things trying to work their way through it, all the while Jiyva constantly replenishes your mana for another charge of your pocket defibrillator. Those Orbs of Fire will never see it coming. If you mix this with Death's Door, it becomes impossible that you will ever lose a 1v1 or even 1v3, considering you are invincible and are launching 99999999 true damage after just a couple of turns.

If you're not sure what to do while your army is fighting it out, just start unloading oneshots. Naturally, keep 9 mana for an emergency Death's Door, if in need.

===More Tentacles (Summonings)===

''Requirements: Summon Horrible Things, Sphinx Sisters or Malign Gateway''

Well, you started as a Summoner, so going back to the roots is certainly an option! '''This is extremely strong and will secure the win. Especially Malign Gateway.'''

Both those spells are perfectly achievable if you start training Summonings again, up to '''13 for Malign Gateway/Sphinx Sisters and 20 for Summon Horrible Things'''. You'll also need '''level 15 Translocations in the case of Malign Gateway, or 15 Hexes in the case of Sphinx Sisters'''. I suggest you focus-train Translocations/Hexes, because of the +4 aptitude.

'''[[Malign Gateway]]''' (Level 7 Summonings/Translocations) - You will require some open space (no casting in hallways). The Gateway will initially appear quite a distance away from you, so it is best used to initiate a battle, and not as emergency support. After a few turns, a very long tentacle will slowly protrude out, curious to prod at the world around it. Its little taps do immense damage, probably the highest out of any Summonings spell. There are extremely few creatures in the entire game who can 1v1 a Gateway, for these tentacles are more resistant to elemental damage than a tardigrade. The downside is that the tentacle remains tethered to its portal, and is quite slow - it is therefore good practice to distract a powerful enemy with lesser allies while squiggly doom slowly unrolls behind their back. You can also run towards it, and pass through it diagonally while being pursued by an angry horde. There is only one little twist - the tentacle can rarely become hostile to you once the spell ends. Not a huge deal, honestly, considering its tethered nature makes it very easy to escape should that happen. If you quiver this spell with "Q", you will be able to see on the sidebar when the spell has enough space to be casted (the text will be coloured). '''Maximum Summon Capacity: 1'''.

'''[[Summon Horrible Things]]''' (Level 8 Summonings) - THE meatshield spell. The damage on this is not especially splendid, though tentacled monstrosities can dish out interesting amounts of rib-crushing damage with their constriction ability. However, the real reason you cast this spell is to surround yourself in tanky units that will give you big warm hugs with their mucus-coated appendages. The summoning cap on this is 8, which is just enough to surround your frail and vulnerable body entirely. You may have to cast it twice to ensure you are fully protected, and recast it as the battle progresses once your cuddle-hole starts getting pierced by the barrage of conjurations and sword-slicing. It has a small chance of inflicting a little Doom on every cast, but it is quickly cleansed by accumulating a little bit of experience, and is mostly only for thematic effect... mostly. Try to avoid using eldritch horror summoning as your way of saying hello to every soul you encounter in the dungeons. Most Banes are not so bad, as we [[#Kiku's Troll Carousel (Banes)|discussed earlier]], but if you get Dilettante or Multiplicity at this stage of the game, you will not enjoy it. Say, do you know what is worse than an Orb of Fire? That's right, 4 Orbs of Fire! '''Maximum Summon Capacity: 8'''.

'''[[Sphinx Sisters]]''' (Level 7 Summonings/Hexes) - They have an endless array of hypnosis techniques and dastardly Hexes. But, at this point of the game, landing them on the creatures which actually matter will be a fool's errand. What we actually care about is the "airstrike melee", where the "marauder" variant of these fellow half-felid half-humanoids (hmph. They can get a pass!) will devastate the opposition as long as it is standing in a tile surrounded in empty space! They will still occasionally "vex" draconians with their terrible jokes, and make them attack everything around them, which is particularly welcome considering they are quite the social butterfly type.

===More Acrobatics (Translocations)===

''Requirements: Vhi's Electric Charge, Passage of Golubria, Dispersal, and/or Disjunction''

You'll need refinement and taste to appreciate this one. Get '''Translocations trained up to 2 times the highest level spell you wish to use'''. For example, Dispersal, level 6, would require 12 Translocations. Proper mastery of these abilities certainly won't result in more kills, but they might very well win you the game.

'''[[Vhi's Electric Charge]]''' (Level 4 Translocations/Air Magic) is known for its electrical attack, which is barely a tickle in your case. We do not care. What ''is'' important is that it blinks you with complete precision to any foe up to 4 spaces away, randomly repositioning anyone in the way to make space. This allows you to jump from foe-to-foe as if they were points to swing a grappling hook around! In Death's Door, you need not fear any of their attacks, and can move with utmost feline grace through the most packed of crowds.

'''[[Passage of Golubria]]''' (Level 4 Translocations) is a fantastic companion spell to Blink which places portals like a certain Valve video game. Simply choose a location to summon a portal nearby, with a 2 tile radius of error - the other one will appear nearby your position. Walking on top of one portal will immediately blink you to the next. You may find it highly useful when it comes to reaching a certain location on the screen quickly without having to use Scrolls of Blinking!

'''[[Dispersal]]''' (Level 6 Translocations) isn't hard to understand. It makes those close to you blink far away from you. It will test their Willpower - those who resist the enchantment will only hop a short distance, but those who do not might get pulled screaming across the entire level dozens of tiles away. This could very well change everything in Zot:5 when it's time to grab that well defended Orb!

'''[[Gell's Gavotte]]''' (Level 6 Translocations) is a bit annoying, because it hits your allies. However, at the end of the day, it's a reusable dash that also deals tons of damage to the entire screen. You can rotate the direction to highlight in yellow which enemies will strike a wall and be damaged, but most of the time, with this build, I prefer its defensive uses. Use the Force! Or, sans undertale. Whatever lame reference you want to imagine when you are waving the Klowns around with your little claw.

'''[[Disjunction]]''' (Level 8 Translocations) is extremely similar to Dispersal. The difference - it always does the weak effect, but constantly does it every turn, for at least 6 turns. Having this and Death's Door on at the same time is hilarious - you can just start casually walking at any point on the screen and absolutely nothing will be able to stop or block you. You can pop a potion of Haste and walk through the Zot:5 death trap chambers like you own the place.

===More Brainwashing (Discord + Hexes)===

''Requirements: Discord.''

'''WARNING:''' Onei will not be held responsible for any splats ensuing use of this technology. By proceeding, you acknowledge that using this spell is just as effective as it is dangerous.

'''[[Discord]]''' (Level 8 Hexes) is, like Anguish, a mass-hex. This time, however, if Willpower is beaten, the affected will be given Might-Haste. That’s +50% action speed and +50% melee damage all in one.

Not so promising, now is it? Where it gets fun: the affected will also now be attacking the creature closest to them regardless of their old faction.

Where this gets hilarious is that THIS ALSO AFFECTS ALLIES (but not spectres and zombies). How much damage does a Might-Hasted Phantasmal Warrior do per turn, you may wonder? Around up to 87 PER TURN.

Haunt + Discord is a particularly insane combo, as the moment they spawn in, they are already very close to the target you wish to annihilate. Once their business is done and they turn against you, they will evaporate out of reality before they can land a single hit. I have slain Cerebov using nothing but this synergy.

Obviously, do not cast this when your Death Scarabs are not currently in combat and are next to you, you will get POPPED. However, if even a couple of scarabs/Haunt summons are currently attacking some Orb of Fire or any highly dangerous foe, expect it to disappear from your screen. Are you being assaulted by your former allies? Death’s Door, Dispel Undead. The frenzy status will expire after a few turns anyhow.

Finally, you may also enjoy the ACTUAL intended purpose of the spell, which is causing mayhem among hordes of enemies. Those draconians in Zot become quite fearsome when unleashing light speed kung fu on all those disgustingly OP Protean Progenitors and the like...

Discord violates the golden rule of ally-fighting and can get kills out of line of sight. You can have your squad engage, drop Discord and immediately leave. Enjoy the waterfall of experience. Dispersal can teleport the might hasted scarabs across the map and literally obliterate uniques without you ever seeing them (this is not really reliable, it's just really funny).

If you are scared of this spell backfiring, consider [[Yara's Violent Unravelling]] (Level 5 Alchemy/Hexes), which will remove the frenzy status effects on the draconian monks rushing to annihilate you.

Discord is quite easy to get online with your +4 Hexes aptitude. With the leftover experience, if you wish to go all in on Hexes, you can do one of the following:

- Get more Spellcasting (and therefore spell slots), and get the Summonings/Hexes spell '''Sphinx Sisters'''. It is explained [[#More Tentacles (Summonings)|right here]].
- With a Riddle Talisman, train Shapeshifting to level 17 (Painful! An amulet of Wildshape helps a lot here.) and enter Sphinx Form. This will increase the Hex chance of Discord and Anguish, make both of these into devastating psychic powerhouses for even late game foes. You can even get other Hexes, such as the normally pitiful level 3 Tukima's Dance, and make draconians/Killer Klowns lose their OP weapons. You can enter Sphinx Form a little earlier than level 17 Shapeshifting due to its HP bonus cancelling out the HP penalty - inspect the Riddle Talisman to monitor your progress.

===More O + TAB (Dragoncoil Talisman)===

What's that? You lust to return to your Minotaur Berserker days? I'll keep this section short, since you clearly don't have the attention span required to read much more of this nonsensically long guide.

Dragon-coil talisman. (Ctrl-F for it, you may have missed it!) Level 17 Shapeshifting. (You can transform at level 14 due to the big HP bonus). After that, Level 20 Unarmed Combat. O + TAB. You are now a Felid "meleedude" with fat stacks of resistances, and you still have your Death's Door. Enjoy.

Don't forget to use your breath weapon in the "a" menu (it is very strong against anything, but you can only use it every 12 kills or so) and to use at least SOME of your magical background, such as Infestation or Rimeblight. And Death's Door, of course. But you won't forget about that one.

The Granite talisman is an option too, of course, but I personally do not like it with this build. Why? Permanent slowness = -33% Death's Door duration. Remember, acolyte: AC is an illusion.

=I Thought Cats Were Sacred In Egypt (Tomb)=

'''WARNING''': This place has a high chance of murdering you. I know it has been like that the entire game, but especially this place. You will get nothing out of it beyond glory and pride. Skip to the next chapter if you prefer to maximize your chances of actually winning the run. I will say that the first floor (Tomb:1) is pretty much on the same difficulty level as the Crypts, so you can certainly clear it if, say, you want a little more XP to get an extra life back.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] "Waaa, danger, danger, die die death splat oneshotted OP OP die!" Am I imitating Onei correctly? Yeah, don't listen to that fool, get in that Tomb and bring me that Sanguine Gem! It will be fine. Most likely.}}

Preparations? Dispel Undead is a huge help, if you do not have it already. If it is not available, Borgnjor's Vile Clutch and a bunch of Immolation Scrolls can suffice. If you get sent to the Entomological Museum (Tomb:1 Secret) due to bad luck, Vhi's Electric Charge can help a lot.

You'll also want a Scroll of Revelation. And as many Scrolls of Teleportation as you can get. And if you ever get netted in this place, you'll probably want to use the basic Blink spell.

===Too Bad Cats Can't Wear Hats And Wield A Whip (Tomb:1)===

The beginning is extremely easy. Reach the entrance of the temple - walk vertically, then horizontally. You'll know you found the entrance when you see a herd of Sphinxes, while should perish extremely easily to the horde you will have accumulated when you get there. Indeed, the side alleys are full of popcorn, but it is CRITICAL that you spam Infestation on everything you see so that you don't arrive empty-pawed when the real threats start pouring out.

I suggest recruiting the Sphinxes for good measure with Animate Dead and Death Channel.

Rush inside the temple and annihilate all mummies on sight with your huge army. They'll never see it coming. Unfortunately, they will constantly pelt you with "death curses" every time one of the dangerous ones perishes, which is bound to cut away at your HP. If you're getting low, take a few steps back, let Jiyva pump some juice back in your veins, and return to the fray. Your Death's Door button is accessible in case of an emergency.

I will address the users of a Hive talisman here, who probably have stayed with Kikubaaqudgha: this is the only place in the game where your curse resistance passive is actually relevant. This branch will be MUCH easier with it. I will continue writing assuming you are with Jiyva, and therefore, not experiencing Tomb on tutorial mode.

You'll want to locate the downstairs inside the temple as soon as possible, located in one of the spiral shaped hallways. I suggest drinking a Potion of Haste and reading a Scroll of Teleportation before going down. I know it's never a good sign when I say this.

===Surprise Torment Tea Party (Tomb:2)===

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Wow. That's, uh, a lot of mummies.}}

Welcome to Vaults:5 redux. Just like last time, we have little incentive for pleasantries. Read a Scroll of Revelation. Inspect your surroundings: there is an upstairs nearby, leading back to Tomb:1's temple.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Ha. Designed for safety, escape and retreat. No time for such things.}}

Indeed. Now, read a Scroll of Noise to pull all the mummies to the centre (NOT if the Teleport somehow already triggered). The Teleport should kick off at any instant now, leading you to:

* '''Somewhere in the main central ambush chamber''': Yikes. At least it's no longer in that death trap centre. My suggestion: if you see a door nearby, try to make your way to it to no longer be out in the open. The side chambers contain some goons, but it's a good start to build your Infestation army in a relatively safe location. If there is no door, consider another Teleport, or if there are some packed Death Scarabs or weak mummies, try to start your Infestation army there with Dispel Undead/Anguish/Vile Clutch/Haunt/All of the above.

* '''In one of the outer rim chambers THAT HAS A DOOR TO CONNECT TO THE MAIN ROOM''': Not bad. Dispose of the goons there after Infesting them, and build your army.

* '''In one of the outer rim chambers WITH NO CONNECTION TO THE MAIN ROOM''': This is ideal. We just saved a ton of time. Unfortunately, there are probably some very angry mummies here. Make your last stand, use your consumables - you should do anything to survive, for this is a highly lucky Teleport, and dying will probably pluck you out of it as you respawn. If you can secure the perimeter and reveal the two down-hatches to Tomb:3, proceed to the Grand Pharaoh Showdown below.

Keep your paw on Death's Door if the royal mummies' collection of Smite and Torment drags you into kill range (one Smite can deal up to 17 damage. We can't afford to get over-protective, but if adding the number of royal mummies and mummy priests on screen and multiplying that by 5 is bigger than your current HP, it's time to slam that Death's Door!)

After your army has consumed Tomb:2, you have some options. Each Teleport scroll is a gamble that could bring you to the previously mentioned unconnected outer rim. This would save a ton of time, and also skip the most dangerous part of Tomb for this build. But I would not use every single one if I were you. You'll want to keep some for the next levels!

If you succeed, clear the outer rim chambers (re-read the relevant bullet point), and proceed to the Grand Pharaoh Showdown.

If you're done gambling and haven't succeeded, it's time for...

===The Entomological Museum (Tomb:1 Secret)===

Use the upstairs located in the connected outer rim chamber. NOT the one in the main chamber, which leads to the very start - a huge waste of time.

You'll arrive in a narrow corridor. If you're unlucky, there's probably tons of OP mummies already pwning your health bar.

It's not that complicated. Death's Door. If there's only one or two mummies, walk up and blast them with Dispel Undead in utter disrespect of their dozens of unlived centuries. Don't have it? Haunt and Vile Clutch together get the work done. Maybe you can even sneak in an Infestation in there to get a scarab friend to assist your next encounter.

Is the entomological collection getting unloaded without you ever asking? These Egyptian tourist trap tour guides sure are getting insistent. Give them a piece of your mind with Vhi's Electric Charge, if you have it, which will instantly pull you into melee range of them. The simple Blink spell can also, with some luck, reposition you on the other side of the corridor. If the collection is made up of Scarabs, you can Dispel-blast them as well.

Tons of critters? Tons of mummies? Tons of red squares? Immolation scroll. Get one thing to die and cover the whole place in flames. Try to ensure all of these creepy-crawlies and their masters drown in holy fire before your Death's Door expires.

Desperate? In melee range but these mummies are just refusing to die? Slimify. Jiyva won't like it if you take every single one out using this ability, but it's absolutely worth it 1-3 times.

Make your way to the end of the corridor, not hesitating to rest a little bit between each encounter. This will take time, but it is a good investment of your time. Dying here is terrible, as it means you'll have to go to Tomb:2, then back to Tomb:1's secret room... Getting the Sanguine Gem is still possible if you die once (or need to use a Teleportation scroll).

After you take the new downstairs, you'll find yourself in that disconnected outer rim we were trying so hard to reach with Teleport scrolls.

===Grand Pharaoh Showdown (Tomb:3)===

Before descending, Haste and Brilliance, if available.

Having around 600 turns left here should be comfortable enough. If there's less, you'll have to hurry.

You'll instantly get dropped into a mildly claustrophobic hallway of relatively safe appearance. Do not be fooled. THE MUMMIES ARE COMING.

The first arrivals will no doubt be an entire plague of scarabs. These are a glorious sight, because if we can decimate them, we'll get an awesome army with Infestation.

A death scarab bursts from the death scarab!

Meta. Anyhow, they are extremely weak to Anguish, so casting that once there are a lot on the screen (and a few have been popped through any means of your choice - Dispel Undead is excellent) will prove useful.

For a time, you should get an awesome army pwning everything. It's only a matter of time until some pricks come in to ruin the fun. Once you are forced to Death's Door, your next priority should be making your way to the doors on the side, which lead to treasure chambers - and, more importantly, an upstairs.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] What? Safety? Retreat? But what about the GEM?}}

Don't worry, this one doesn't lead very far. You can absolutely afford to rest to full health back in the safety of Tomb:2's outer rim, unless you wasted time in the upper levels. Once you descend again, the horde will have been thinned down significantly, and each subsequent attempt will be easier. When things seem manageable enough, make your way to the back of Tomb:3, where you'll find the Sanguine Gem and the Golden Rune!

Got at least 200 turns? You can check a bit of the loot out. The most important thing here is the '''Ziggurat Figurine'''. E(V)oking it will instantly place a portal to a pocket dimension at our paws. This is astounding, for it is effectively a free Death's Door reset. Creatures won't even pursue you through it. You'll find one or two hostile critters in the pocket dimension, but they are most often easily disposed of, or, at the very least, far enough to afford you a Death's Door recast. It is a one-time-use. Make it count. And EXIT through the blue portal after using it, do NOT start going down multiple levels of Zig where your inevitable doom and descent into madness awaits.

=Blizzards and Brimstone (Depths)=

Before proceeding any further, pay your respects to the many Felids which have died in this place. Everywhere you move, everywhere you breathe, it's either "dodge and nothing happens" or "a third of your HP bar is gone". It's a tough world for the 3 AC kitties out there. One could wish they were as fortunate as you to have a miracle button to turn the tide in the most crucial of moments.

By the way, if you don't have at minimum 15 casts of Death's Door by the end of this run, you '''aren't pressing it hard enough'''. Haven't been using it much? Don't worry, this place will change that.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] The time limit in this place is one of the most generous, unlike the absolute caffeine-powered mummy fiesta I just had you traverse. This is still no time to try me and present the slightest possibility you may break one of MY precious gems. Explore no more than half of each floor, and collect that Midnight Gem on Depths:4, on top of the Zot gate!}}

* '''Fire and Frost giants''' can easily be found in close proximity to one another, quickly pushing you from one end of the temperature spectrum to the other. As you didn't consent to being brought to a nordic spa today, resisting the right element will help tremendously.

* '''Deep troll earth mages''' have the "remote wall detonation" point-and-click ability you were amused by back in the Elven Halls. Do not stand next to walls. They can even dig shafts through the aforementioned walls to reach you faster. They will not hesitate to Minecraft you to death.

* '''Juggernauts''' can only o-tab, but will likely oneshot you the moment their mass collides with your minuscule furry body. Make them plow through some undead to keep your distance.

* '''Golden dragons''' and '''Spriggan air mages''' and '''Spriggan berserkers''' and '''Sojobo''' and '''Tengu reavers''' and '''Crystal tomes''' and '''Liches''' and '''Titans''' and '''Caustic shrikes''' and '''Josephina''' and '''Spark wasps''' can-

Look, it's not that complicated. They just do 4 gazillion damage through their own ways - sometimes melee, sometimes point-and-click, sometimes in ranged piercing bolt form. At this point, we don't really care anymore. Trust me when I say I have '''never once been oneshotted in Depths'''. Twoshotted, perhaps. A juggernaut can oneshot, but they are easy to keep away if you use your spells. At any point you have less than 50% HP and the screen looks scary, just pop your Death's Door and unload the heavy artillery. Read a scroll of Teleportation, use stairs or Passwall if you feel uncomfortable. Standing at the edge of survival and oblivion is what this build is all about.

The worst of these are still just as dangerous in undead servant form, so assembling any kind of spectral/zombie army will mow down most things here with ease. You pretty much just need to sit back, keep the Infestation and Death Channel coming, Haunting the unruly ones laughing in the back, and potentially Vile Clutching the angry melee o-tabbers rushing to your location.

You were never the fighter in any of this. You are the manager.

You don't need me to tell you that gates named "Hell", "Abyss" or "Pandemonium" do not lead to good places to be in. I imagine the names were enough of a deterrent on their own.

'''About the Ziggurat:''' If you are currently not level 27 yet and you are lacking in the 'Extra Lives' department, consider taking a peek. Should you succeed in clearing the first 8 floors (do NOT go further down, you absolute gambling addict), you may get a potion of Experience or two, which count towards restoring your lives if you are below level 27!

=Worst Disco Ever (Realm of Zot)=

I mean. You have invincibility on demand. Practically infinite mana. Point-and-click abilities with irresistible debuffs. Surely there can't be any challenge left at this point.

Ha. You wish.

First, consider the Orb type (it is listed in the Ctrl+O menu).

- '''Orbs of Fire:''' rF+ is highly valuable here. Consider equipping it. Break line of sight with your numerous allies (mostly Haunt) to avoid growing horrible genetic diseases. These are the worse ones to face in my opinion.
- '''Orbs of Winter:''' You should already have your rC+ from your fuzzy cuteness, but you can improve it a little more if it doesn't destroy your wizardly prowess. Their Ozocubu's Refrigeration deals less damage if you are adjacent to allies. The key here is to avoid standing 3 spaces away or less from an Orb of Winter, which can slowly drain the piety of your current god. It's not so bad than most characters, but if you go below 5* of Jiyva piety, you will lose half of your regeneration bonus (it is thankfully quickly regained). Those who stayed with Kikubaaqudgha can appreciate knowing they will lose almost nothing from this, except their Torment protection.
- '''Orbs of Entropy:''' You will probably want rN+, but Jiyva shields you from their scariest acidic attacks (those who stayed with Kikubaaqudgha are not so fortunate). Just like the Orbs of Fire, a clear line of fire will allow them to inflict Doom on you, which can be accepted a few times. Even if you let it exceed the threshold, you will most likely be fine... unless you land on a brutal Multiplicity Bane that starts duplicating the Orbs of Entropy and giving you every other Bane in the game. Be cautious.

This is your '''final boss battle'''. It will prove highly difficult. Remember: '''you win by getting that Orb and bringing it back''', NOT by murdering everything you see. You will find killing things difficult, for they have tons of resistances and tricks against your toolkit. What they don't have, however, is a way to break through your literal immortality button. Not even purple draconian breath (which usually removes all status effects) can disable it.

You can simply ignore these ruffians. Let them sit and sulk in their little fortress of doom. You want to attack those separating you from the stairwells, NOT the random, unimportant gangs prowling about the outskirts of each floor. In an emergency, little stops you from entering Death's Door and simply walking to a staircase to use it while getting blasted by 100+ damage per turn from Orbs of fire and Draconians desperate for your attention. Even the dreaded Malmutate has a hard time piercing through the wall of Jiyva mutations.

Allow me to make some suggestions to refine your spell loadout.

Can be forgotten with Scrolls of Amnesia (only if you need slots):

* '''Anguish''' is dropping in usefulness. It curses draconians reliably, but that's about it. You can probably do better.
* '''Animate Dead''' is decent when used on draconians and orb guardians. But you could just make scarabs instead with Infestation. It's chaff at this point.
* '''Any Summonings spell of level 5 or less''' barely does anything at this point. Take the trash out. Summon Forest is still kind of okay, I guess.

You should prioritize getting the spells [[#Perfection Can Still Improve (Lategame Skills)|in the chapter "Perfection Can Still Improve"]]. If you have slots left, here are some spell
ideas to top off your pilgrimage:

* '''Passwall''', if you haven't gotten it already, allows you to simply escape through the wall while your Death's Door immortality crushes any hope of stopping you.
* '''Apportation''', taking only one measly spell slot, can yoink floor items to your position. In this particular situation, you may be interested in pulling the Orb of Zot to your location, instead of having to drag yourself to it through a horde of angry orb guardians. Note that there is a 33% chance this will fail (simply recast the spell).
{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Not to mention it will get that Prismatic Gem into your paws without you having to move a muscle.}}
* '''Borgnjor's Revivification''', normally mediocre on Felids, refills ''your entire health bar'' but permanently reduces its maximum capacity. We care little about petty things like "health" anymore. This can be extremely useful to survive until Death's Door goes off cooldown - but watch out! Casting this spell while Death's Door is active is basically "an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object" and will dispel Death's Door immediately, paralyzing you on top for 2-7 turns. This can still be useful if you are strategic about it.

Let's go. At this point, Gems or no Gems, there is absolutely no reason to full clear, go sightseeing or anything of the sort. This place drips pure YASD and developer sadism from every wall. Whenever you find a normal (non-hatch) staircase, you should consider using it right after clearing the foes around it. Use all your remaining Scrolls of Revelation to help locate your destinations.

Just like Depths, everything here just does fat damage and will have you reach for the Death's Door button. What you should actually be worried about are the weavers of more subtle schemes:

* Not a creature, but Scrolls of Teleportation will take a very long time (8-14 turns) to finally work here. Still, it's less time than a whole Death's Door, a piece of information which should be of particular interest to you.
* Scrolls of blinking also come with a "fuzz" effect that makes their target have a margin of error. To be noted in case you were being deceived by a false sense of security.
* '''Curse toes''' (?) have the ability to summon living mushrooms around you (??) which deal point-and-click damage in addition to the torment oozing every so often from the curse toe (???). Don't try to understand, just walk up and blast them with Dispel Undead.
* '''Death cobs''' (????) are very hard to differentiate from your death scarabs, in that they move fast, apply a slow debuff on hit and deal big damage, and even share one word in their name. Delete these cheap reskins with more Dispel Undead.
* '''Purple draconians''' & '''Quicksilver dragons''' (finally, some common sense) can remove all status effects should their breath strike you. All, truly? Ha! Nothing can pierce through immortality itself. While Death's Door is immune, losing your Death Channel and having all your spectres instantly disappear is something you should be expecting. You might also lose the Tele status from an in-progress teleportation scroll.
* '''Orbs of fire/winter/entropy'''. You know these guys. The appropriate resistance will help prevent a oneshot, but simply Death's Door the moment you are below 50% HP and one is in sight with not too much backup. Don't even bother trying to survive the normal way, we have no time to bend around developer sadism incarnate. Maxwell's Capacitive Coupling, Malign Gateway or Haunt + Discord are the ultimate answers to these ones.
* '''Killer Klowns''' are over-complicated with their wildly unpredictable effects - and this is coming from me, who has written a 30k word guide filled with unnecessary information. If you want to read their page on this wiki, it's [[Killer Klown|right here]]. The Silence and the Fragile debuffs are to fear most, for they block off your only salvation in this place - Death's Door (either through preventing you from casting spells or making you get oneshotted before you can actually use it). A Potion of cancellation should assist you in removing such effects. No, it won't cancel Death's Door. It's an immovable object.

In Zot:5, you'll find the entire troupe of this carnival of doom, nicely packed inside the "Zot lungs". They are horribly infected with blazing fire and pure evil. Time to do a surgical extraction.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] The Primastic Gem is in the first accessible chamber, NOT on top of the Orb! The writer of this guide learned that the hard way. Now THAT was hilarious.}}

You can try to slowly make your way across. You should actually be happy about the Orb Guardians in the first chamber, because they will be easily deleted by your assortment of spells and will generate a potent starting army. Direct it inside the next chamber to the left or right (choose the one with the least nasty traps, also known as ANYTHING BUT NETS and hopefully not dispersal. Even Zot traps are better. Teleport traps are actually a positive.)

Make your way across: Infestation, Haunt, any endgame spells you may have acquired. Take it slow, retreat and funnel through the chamber chokepoints if they are not trapped. Don't tarry too long, as the Tesseracts are slowly respawning the forces as you are taking them out, but you should eventually be able to reach them and destroy them. They are located behind the central horizontal wall of the lungs, which spans both sides of the chambers.

* If you have Malign Gateway, try to lure creatures towards the first chamber - and into the loving embrace of the tentacle you have conveniently parked there.
* If you have Maxwell's Capacitive Coupling, constantly unload electrical discharges from behind your wall of servitors.

Hopelessly outmatched? Had to pop Death's Door? Consider your situation:

By default, you'll probably want to read a scroll of Teleportation (it will take much longer to kick in than usual, but it will still be shorter than Death's Door) and start moving towards a Teleport Trap on the floor. If it moves you to a safe location, '''cancel''' your Tele status by reading ''another'' scroll of Teleportation. This is designed to ensure you have multiple chances to get to safety. If the Trap sends you back into a No-Cat's-Land, find a new Trap, or let the scroll kick in. Watch out for purple draconians/quicksilver dragons, which can remove your Tele status.

Have you managed to get some distance away from the first chamber, towards the Orb, and still have at least one extra life? It might be time to risk it all. Use your Translocations spells, use your Blinking Scrolls. Use your Haste potions, use ANYTHING to GET THAT ORB. Apportation will reduce the distance you must travel to an even greater degree. I am also thoroughly amused by Vhi's Electric Charge for letting you hop from OP dude to OP dude, making the most out of your Death's Door turns. If you looted the Tomb earlier and still have a figurine of a Ziggurat, NOW IS THE TIME TO USE IT. Well, once your Death's Door is going gray and you need to refresh it. Nothing will follow you inside!

This isn't as hard as it seems. Death's Door, especially Hasted, is plenty of time to seize that Orb without spilling blood. Except perhaps your own.

You don't have to do it this way, though. Adjust your strategy towards fight or flight depending on the severity of the threats inside the Zot Lungs.

Once that Orb is secured...

=Interdimensional SWAT Team (Orb Run)=

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Ha. Ha ha. Hilarious, truly. I still have hope for your imminent demise. I mean, that Onei guy you've been following the advice of literally lost one of his FeSu attempts at this very moment. Point and laugh. Not too much, because I'm about to do the same to you when you splat.}}

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Positively splendid! Your final task is to bring these gems to me, NOW! If you left the Starry Gem in the Slime Pits, now is the time! All that matters is your survival. Failing that will result in a disciplinary mention placed in your employee file, followed by you being devoured and digested by whichever horrible demon got to sink its claws into your scruff.}}

{{flavour|[[File:Jiyva altar.png]] A chorus of breathless jiggling and squishes envelops you from all cardinal directions, supporting your imminent victory with the long vanished voices of the dissolved and the slimified.}}

The Lords of Pandemonium are not amused!

All of Heaven and Hell are currently mobilizing their troops to arrive at your location. It is time to LEAVE. From Zot:5, walk or blink into the nearest Teleport trap for an instant warp which will no doubt be closer to your destination: the upstairs.

To auto-calculate the shortest path, you can press Ctrl-G, and write “D0”. This will automatically bring you towards victory, stopping you as soon as a threat appears.

Fighting is foolish. Make a run for the stairs, with zero regards for your consumables. Use them ALL. Use potions of haste on an empty floor just because you like the taste. Blink-scroll to a staircase at full health if something weird just spawned next to you.

Every single time a Pandemonium Lord appears, inspect them; some are utter pushovers, and some are terrifying angels of death with rocket-boots and a burning desire to squash your hopes as they are about to be materialized. In my personal opinion, the ones that don’t have any spells in their set are always the worst. I fear a lot less the demon who has mastered Bolt of Cold than that which has mastered Fist in Your Face. Rarely, a Pandemonium Lord may have Glaciate, in which case you should be very, very scared. Escape out of their sight imminently, or get as much rC+ as you can (potions of Resistance help) if that is impossible. Being hit by Glaciate once means you must immediately Death's Door. I have thankfully never been oneshotted by a Lord (but it is mathematically possible).

Exploit your wand of Digging or Passwall, if you have them, to speed things up.

Eventually, the outside world will finally return to your sight. Feel free to inject all possible potions and toxins you possess into your bloodstream, or try to stack as many status effects as possible before leaving, as is tradition. You did it! Do not forget to try cleansing your bad mutations as you ascend, as it would a shame to be an immortal demigod-cat with a few extra limbs and a cancerous tumour.

{{flavour|[[File:Jiyva altar.png]] Jiyva gurgles gently, savouring the serenity past the chaos.}}

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Wow. You actually just took my spells, ignored everything else I provided you, and proceeded to win the game using my stolen gifts. My "Evil God" title should arrive to you in the mail any second now.}}

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Not bad. Not bad at all, esteemed feline employee! A role in middle management seems perfect for you. While I sort out the paperwork, feel free to type "!gemmed" in the spectator chat of an online DCSS game with a bot spectator (beem) or in the #bot-commands channel of the Roguelikes Discord server to see your name mixed alongside my finest subordinates. Assuming you did the job right and brought all 11 gems intact, that is.}}

When you start your next game, die to a 3-floor shaft into a hornet, be demolished with zero counterplay, and go do something more productive than putting .pngs on a grid close to each other until one of them disappears.

If you'd like to send me a message (for example, to blame me for making your promising level 14 character get 2 shotted 3 times in a row in Slime:2), do not hesitate to contact "oneirical" on both Reddit and Discord.

=Addendum: From Lackey to Supervillain (Character Building)=

For convenience, I will gather all skilling targets and the spell memorization order in this section. Feel free to return here as you need for quick reference!

===Velvet-Pawed Pilgrimage (Branch Order)===

* Clear each floor of the '''Dungeon''' until you find an altar to Kikubaaqudgha. Do not go further down than D:12!
* Then, immediately enter the '''Lair''', on D:8-D:11.
* After Lair:5, enter the '''Orcish Mines''' and clear both floors. Once again, do not clear any levels further down than D:12! You can skip the Mines for now if you already have Forbidden Knowledge (******), coming back after the Slime Pits raid.
* At this point, you should have acquired the final Kiku Forbidden Knowledge gift. If not, start clearing the first S-Branch until it is secured.
* If you have Animate Dead and/or Death Channel, go raid the '''Slime Pits'''. If not, start clearing the first S-Branch until Infestation is castable, then go to the Pits.
* After raiding the Pits, choose to either convert to Jiyva and go clear '''Dungeon 12 to 15''' to rank up Jiyva and start your progress towards mollifying Kiku, or keep your Hive talisman close while you slay the Royal Jelly and Jiyva for good.
* Clear both '''S-Branches'''. Grab the Slimy Rune from the Pits afterwards, if you have not already done so.
* Optionally clear the '''Elven Halls''', then go beat the '''Vaults:1-4'''. Avoid Vaults:5.
* Optionally clear the '''Crypts'''.
* Clear the '''Depths'''.
* Dive down the '''Realm of Zot''', get that Orb, return to Dungeon:1, and win the game!

===Your Propaganda Arsenal (Spells)===

Throughout this run, you will be encouraged to memorize, in this order, and approximately at these points of the game:

(Note: the "LV" numbers are how many spell slots you need for each spell, not your XP level. As for the locations on the right, you should be able to cast these spells somewhere around reaching these places.)

* LV 1 - '''Summon Small Mammal''' (D:1)
* LV 2 - Call Imp (optional - Necromancy is very tight on spell slots and Scrolls of Amnesia are precious, but this spell helps prevent early splats) (D:1)
* LV 3 - '''Call Canine Familiar''' (D:2)
* LV 3 - '''Eringya's Surprising Crocodile''' (D:2-D:4)
* LV 4 - '''Summon Seismosaurus Egg''' (D:4-D:7)
* LV 4 - '''Anguish''' (D:6-Lair:2) ''(Not guaranteed!)''
* LV 4 - '''Animate Dead''' (D:5-Lair:2) ''(Not guaranteed!)''
* LV 6 - '''Death Channel''' (Lair:3-Orc:2) ''(Not guaranteed!)''
* LV 7 - '''Haunt''' (Orc:2-Slime Pits Raid)
* LV 8 - '''Infestation''' (Slime Pits Raid-First SBranch:3)
* LV 9 - '''Death's Door''' (Second SBranch:2-Elf:2)

As marked on the list by "Not guaranteed!", Kiku's delivery service can be a little bit... lacking at times.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Running a forbidden knowledge book printing business isn't easy. I'd like to see '''you''' explain to your publisher why blood sacrifices are essential to have in "Fun Necromantic Activities for Children"!}}

Also useful, at any point, sorted from most to least useful:

* LV 2 - '''Blink'''
* LV 7 - '''Rimeblight'''
* LV 4 - '''Dispel Undead'''
* LV 5 - '''Borgnjor's Vile Clutch'''
* LV 3 - '''Passwall''' ''(Mostly meant as a companion to Death's Door.)''
* LV 4 - '''Martyr's Knell'''

The Wildeness Trinity, as replacement for missing core necromantic spells:

* LV 5 - '''Summon Mana Viper'''
* LV 5 - '''Summon Forest'''
* LV 6 - '''Summon Cactus Giant'''

Endgame spells, in no particular order, to raid the Realm of Zot:

* LV 7 - '''Malign Gateway'''
* LV 7 - '''Sphinx Sisters'''
* LV 8 - '''Summon Horrible Things'''
* LV 8 - '''Maxwell's Capacitive Coupling'''
* LV 8 - '''Discord'''
* LV 4 - '''Passage of Golubria'''
* LV 4 - '''Vhi's Electric Charge'''
* LV 6 - '''Dispersal'''
* LV 8 - '''Disjunction'''
* LV 6 - '''Gell's Gavotte'''
* LV 1 - '''Apportation'''
* LV 8 - '''Borgnjor's Revivification'''

Check your "M"emorization screen every so often. Ctrl-F to see if you missed any books in shops or in rune door vaults. Whenever you have the spell slots required to memorize the next spell, do so immediately and, if it has an entry in the section below, adjust your skills appropriately.

Skip to the next entry on the list if you are incapable of finding a spell anywhere in your game. As soon as you find a missing spell, however, you should add it to your repertoire as soon as possible to catch up. I strongly encourage you to cast every single one of these fantastic incantations at least once in your game!

===Studying the Dark Arts (Skills & Training Targets)===

As soon as you '''start your run''', train these skills and set them to these targets, with the "=" button:

* '''Spellcasting: 11'''
* '''Summonings: 11'''
* '''Turn off Stealth and Dodging.'''

Upon finding an interesting wand or evokable:

* '''Evocations: 5'''

After '''Summon Seismosaurus Egg''' has been memorized, complement it with this:

* '''Earth Magic: 5 (focused)'''

Once your entire starting kit of spells is castable, start learning how to die less:

* '''Fighting: 10'''
* '''Dodging: 12'''
* '''Stealth: 10'''

'''(OPTIONAL)''' - '''Blink''' will never not be useful, and can come along at any point in your run:

* '''Translocations: 5'''

If you find '''Animate Dead''', your necromantic journey can truly begin.

* '''Necromancy: 27'''

Upon getting either '''Death Channel''' or '''Anguish''', power yourself up like so:

* '''Necromancy: 27''' (if you have not already done so)
* '''Hexes: 8''' (only if '''Anguish''' has appeared in your game)

If you fail to obtain one of the crucial Kiku spells, a member of the Wilderness Trinity can certainly come along as a replacement:

* '''Summon Forest''' (Translocations 8, Summonings 11)
* '''Summon Cactus Giant''' (Summonings 14)
* '''Summon Mana Viper''' (Hexes 8, Summonings 11)

Want Borgnjor's Vile Clutch? You'll need some more Earth Magic:

* '''Earth Magic: 7'''

As for Rimeblight, you'll need to study some pages on snowflake fractal theory:

* '''Ice Magic: 9'''

Forget Call Canine Familiar, Summon Seismosaurus Egg, Call Imp and Summon Small Mammal (in that order) if you need spell slots for '''Haunt'''.

If you want to use a Hive Talisman:

* '''Shapeshifting: 17''' (You can start transforming when it reaches 15)
* Disable '''Necromancy''' until your Shapeshifting objective is achieved. You should probably have either BOTH of Animate Dead and Death Channel, or Infestation online before this.

Ultimately, '''after Death's Door's failure rate has dropped below 5%''', your choice of ultimate pick to iron out your last weaknesses is quite open-ended.

Maxwell's Capacitive Coupling:

* '''Air Magic: 20'''

Discord:

* '''Hexes: 20'''

High level Summonings:

* '''Summonings: 13 for Malign Gateway or Sphinx Sisters, 20 for Summon Horrible Things'''
* '''Translocations: 15''' (only for Malign Gateway)
* '''Hexes: 15''' (only for Sphinx Sisters)

I suggest you focus-train Translocations/Hexes, because of the +4 aptitude.

A suite of Translocations:

* '''Translocations: 2 times the highest level of the spell you wish to use + 1''' (for example, Dispersal, level 6 = 13 Translocations)

=Golems and Spires (0.32 Content)=

If you are playing on version 0.32, here are the paragraphs related to Summon Blazeheart Golem and Summon Lightning Spire, which used to be part of the Summoner kit. I think the Summoner of 0.33 is overall less frontloaded on damage, but has better defensive options and smoother skilling. Both are interesting. If you want to use the tips below in 0.33+, play as a Forgewright, where these spells found a new home!


== The Delicate Art of Explosive Incineration (XP Level 4-6, 0.32) ==

If you have not pathetically perished to some turbo-murderous orc priest on D:2, you will now be the proud holder of 2 stored Extra Lives, the maximum a Felid can hold at a time. Such is the privilege of feline supremacy.

As a proud member of the most blessed race in existence, death is not the end for you. Still, you should pretend it is - it will help you take better strategical decisions. If you ''do'' meet an unfortunate end, stay focused, take a break if you are feeling frustrated, and continue to play carefully as if you hadn’t died. Most Felid runs die around 3 to 9 times in an average 3-rune run, so do not feel too bad. Felid lives are meant to be used like rare, powerful consumables, and many Felid 3-rune or even 15-rune wins have 1 to 4 deaths as early as D:1-8.

Do '''not''' quit a Felid run because of an early death! With the way the system is designed, it's almost as if you are ''supposed'' to die in early Dungeon. It's '''much''' easier to level up early on than in the late game. A life lost on D:4 is gotten back on D:7, but a life lost in Pandemonium may take a full clear of all 4 Hell branches to get it back.

I will repeat it again. Do '''not''' quit a Felid run just because you died twice in a row to the same enemy. Save your game and go do something else instead. I know it's infuriating, but that would be like using a blink scroll and then quitting because you're mad about using a lifesaving item. '''Lives are consumables'''. Playing a Felid without dying is like playing an Octopode with 2 rings. You are '''supposed''' to die.

Press “E” to see how long it will take to get your next life. Press "%" to see how many lives you have (look in the top right of the popup!)

Once again, as soon as you find a safe place, '''immediately''' add your new friend to your roster - the [[Summon Blazeheart Golem|Blazeheart Golem]]. Do not cast it just yet if there is no emergency! Soon enough, it will be below 10% fail rate, and you may then use it safely for all battles. Tweak your skills as follows - '''turn on Fire Magic, press “=” to set a skill target, select Fire Magic, and set it to 5.0. Focus Fire Magic by selecting the skill again (it will have an asterisk and will be brighter).''' While you're at it, you should also '''set a target for Spellcasting at 11.0, and Summonings at 11.0'''.

Of course, if you find yourself forced to battle against a dangerous melee foe who potentially has just plowed your Inugami into the ground, it can be interesting to gamble a cast of a higher fail rate Golem. Just do consider the possibility of a Nameless Horror - if it spawns behind you in a one-tile hallway, you'll be completely stuck. Keep escape routes open.

As soon as you find an interesting wand or evokable (also known as "anything but a wand of flame"), also '''turn on Evocations, and set the target to 5.0'''. You'll also want to collect, when you see them, the '''Lightning Rod''', '''Box of Beasts''', '''Phantom Mirror''', '''Gell's Gravitambourine''' and '''Phial of Floods'''.

Starting from D:3, the Dungeon loves to throw at you fast, high-damage, or sometimes even ''fast and high damage'' enemies before you are ready for them. You may therefore encounter [[Water moccasin|water moccasins]], [[Ogre|ogres]], [[Killer bee|killer bees]], dangerous Lair enemies (wyverns & hornets are a classic), among a variety of other nasty creatures. However, you will laugh in the face of these pitiful attempts at stopping the march of progress, oneshot them with what is probably one of the highest damage level 4 spells in the game, and witness the XP trickle down like cat treats. This is what you were suffering in D:1 for - whereas your average Minotaur Fighter or Deep Elf Conjurer would meet a swift end against a swarm of light speed enemies that make your healthbar have more red than green (or sometimes yellow), you will sacrifice unholy amounts of expensive machinery, and will probably make the interdimensional inventor shipping these to you very frustrated.

More desperate for companionship and physical closeness than the most introverted DCSS win-streak players, Golems will immediately stop all action and become useless if they do not '''start or end their turn while being in melee range of you''', resuming activity once you walk up close enough to give them a comforting paw-tap.

While it functions, it will deliver heavy-damage punches and lose a third of its health every time it does so, in addition to getting its metallic head bashed in by your very upset foes. Needless to say, this thing dies fast. Thankfully, the Blazeheart Golem is designed to pack an extremely potent explosive payload when it is destroyed, and is a master at all things related to flesh incineration. In case you have not noticed, flesh is also what you are made out of.

When a <s>Walking Incinerator</s> Blazeheart Golem perishes in heroic battle, it will leave behind its core, represented as a sphere of pure fire. Once this happens, IMMEDIATELY exit melee range of the core. It’s going to EXPLODE, INCINERATE everything adjacent to it (including you, if you are incapable of following basic safety protocols), and leave behind CLOUDS OF BLAZING FLAME to block passage and allow you to leave, rest, and recuperate.

Do NOT hold down "wait" (usually '.' or 's') too fast out of impatience. Do NOT position yourself in such a way that you'd be incapable of leaving the blast zone with a single action. You WILL be oneshotted. Here is an example of what NOT to do:

.###.
..@..
..G..
..E..
.....

If @ is you, # are walls, E is your foe and G is the Golem, the walls will block your only hope of retreating, forcing you to be the recipient of up to 60 fire damage, not to mention the extra damage-over-time from the burning clouds.

If you HAVE to brace for an inescapable blast, or must walk through flame clouds to reposition away from an orc with a +99 Halberd of Feline Culling, consider briefly putting on a ring of Fire resistance/Fire! This is very fast (less than one turn) and will halve the damage, allowing you to survive.

In fact, "ring swapping" in general is a good skill to develop when playing a Felid. See a lindwurm? Ring of fire resistance. Rime drake? Ring of cold resistance. Nergalle the orcish necromancer? Ring of positive energy. Erolcha the banish-you-to-the-abyss-bot? Ring of willpower. Swapping rings is extremely fast - half of a turn to be precise. Don't try swapping amulets, though, trying to tie up a string around your fuzzy neck without opposable thumbs while a violent brute is inching closer is generally not advisable.

Here are some diagrams of potential ways you can commit feline war crimes with this improvised explosive. Again - @ is you, the one and only genius fuzzball, E are your foolish enemies, and G is your trusty golem. . represents floors, and #, walls.

'''Hallway Exit Triple-Blast'''

.EEE.
.#G#.
.#@#.
.#.#.
.#.#.

'''Outsmarting Lesser Beings in Open Spaces'''

.EEE.
..G..
..@..
.....
.....

Yes, this actually works. The enemies on the sides won't even swerve around, captivated by the shining metal of your loyal robot.

Some things to consider:

* If a foe has a reaching polearm (tridents, halberds, glaives, spears...), they will completely ignore the Golem and instead repeatedly puncture you, which means you'll have to wait for the Golem to detonate itself by having it use its self-damaging melee attacks. Here is a trick: remember, the Golem remains activated if they start or end your turn next to you. You may walk back and forth to enter and exit its range repeatedly, thus reducing the damage taken from the polearm by about 50%, and still triggering the explosion!

..E..
..G..
..@..
.....

..E..
..G..
.....
..@..

..E..
..G..
..@..
.....

* When you step away from the explosive core, your foes also get a chance to act. Keep in mind that enemies which were in melee range of you may follow you out of the blast zone, thus dodging the explosion as they pursue you.

..C..
.E...
.@...

In this example, C is the imminently exploding core, triggered as you began your previous turn next to the dying Golem, and chose to move diagonal down-left. If you walk downwards now, it is possible that the enemy will also walk downwards alongside you, and dodge the explosion. You should instead wait, so that they are still located in the blast zone when the core detonates!

* If the enemy is super strong/tanky/resistant to fire, keep in mind you'll be very close to them should they survive the explosion. For example, trying to take out a full-health hydra in Lair with a single Golem may result in the hydra walking through the fire, still barely clinging to life, and oneshotting you. Try to use other summons to reduce their health into explosion kill-range before risking your life in this fashion.

* The flame clouds left behind by the blast also deal heavy damage. If a creature has been left on the brink of death from the explosion and is now standing in a flame cloud, it might be worth just waiting one turn while it is in melee range (instead of moving away) so that it remains stuck in the flames and dies. The flame tick happens before they get a chance to melee attack, but do be absolutely sure that you won't need more than one tick, or some two-headed ogre might just oneshot you on the same turn it is reduced to 2 HP.

'''From now on, the plan is as follows:'''

* Summon an Inugami for every single trivial-to-medium difficulty battle. Make use of “t”-“a” to direct focus, and do not hold back until the entire canine demiplane has been sacrificed to mitten-pawed glory.
* Demolish every single high damage or out-of-depth (OOD) enemy by letting them uselessly punch a robotic time bomb over and over until it inevitably burns them to a crisp. Ice beast? Boom. Ogre? Boom. Bullfrog? Boom. Wyvern? Boom. Water moccasin, yak, two-headed ogre, sleepcap, gnoll sergeant, any Unique creature, hornet, ugly thing, scorpion, troll, orc warrior? BOOM. They will not survive, and if they somehow do, you can simply bring out more golems for your foes to commit the same mistake. So much for having “human”-level intelligence - clearly, the humanoids are hopeless, dull-witted morons before feline genius.
* Stuck in a pinch with no MP and a really angry dude invading your personal space? Getting turned into a porcupine by a very merry centaur? Getting a taste of orcish zealotry and being told that "smite makes right"? Use wands! They are the guns of the fantasy world, and will dispose of any pesky denizen of the Dungeon. Do not hesitate to spam these against dangerous uniques, centaurs and orc priests. The bolt ones, like Quicksilver, Light or Acid, are especially effective. Remember, if you use Charming, you can "t"-"r" the mind-controlled foe to get away from you, then use that distance to execute a swift, zero-risk retreat!
* If you end up in a terrible situation, refer to the Escape Techniques listed in the previous chapter of this guide.
* In the semi-common case where you encounter the unique siblings Dowan and Duvessa, always slay Duvessa first, preferably with an incinerating payload. Otherwise, Duvessa will get very mad, run at you at light speed and oneshot you.

Try to abuse the 1-tile hallways described earlier in Battle Tactics 101! This guarantees your foes will not attempt to circumvent your units to instead give you a very uncomfortable petting session. You are extremely frail, and lingering in melee range of anything that isn’t a basic orc or a D:1 creature is bound to result in your doom. Constantly use your turns to reposition and ensure you are always behind your summons! If your summons lose, you will be the next target on the list, and you will NOT survive should you stand your ground with tooth and claw. Run, rest and try again.


== Murder and Electrical Engineering (XP Level 7-9 to Lair, 0.32) ==

Remember, use your scrolls of Identify! Drop those useless Scrolls of Brand Weapon, Enchant Weapon or Enchant Armour. Maybe a lesser biped will come across those and thank you. Ha! Fat chance.

Between level 7 and 9 (variable depending on your dungeon adventures), the ability to memorize [[Summon Lightning Spire]] will be made available to you. This is the ''big gun'', the ''heavy artillery'', and other militarily pleasing expressions. Whereas the Blazeheart Golem granted the power to slay individual high-level threats, the Lightning Spire welcomes a little bit of ranged combat to the battlefield. This stationary turret has zero chill, and will electrocute anything breathing the same air as you in record time, only stopping once you and your allies are the only thing left standing. However, it occasionally likes to sleep on the job, so make sure to wake it up with more ample usage of “t”-“a”. Remember that neither the Golem nor the Spire have vision as refined as yours, and will completely ignore invisible enemies - most commonly orc wizards. You can still direct fire on a visible enemy, and if a sneaky invisible trickster is in the way, they will still get zapped!

To tap into this immense electrical power, open up your skills menu with “m” - notice that your Fire Magic should be close to reaching 5. Now, '''turn on Air Magic, and set a target to 5'''. Remember, do not attempt to cast a Summonings spell above 10% fail rate if there is no emergency! As our offense is starting to reach a comfortable level, also consider increasing your defense - '''turn on Fighting, Stealth and Dodging, and set a target to 10 for all three of them.'''

There are two main issues: first, the Spire is highly considerate of your wellbeing (which is nice, for the velvet-pawed deserve utmost comfort) yet also just as compassionate towards your other summons (which is less nice, as they are disposable and unimportant lesser beings). It will therefore not shoot if its piercing, bouncing bolt would cause harm to you or to any of your loyal servants. Strangely, it seems to hold a grudge against the Blazeheart Golem, and will occasionally zap it anyways, but this is uncommon - most likely, the Golem dimension played an amusing prank on the Spire dimension before you ripped both of them from their home realm to perish in unspeakable agony. Just kidding. They’re constructs. They don’t feel anything.

The second issue is that unlike other units, the Lightning Spire is incapable of moving out of your way or swapping places with you. This is problematic if you cast the spell in a hallway, potentially blocking your escape route.

#####
.S@.O
#####

You can’t walk backwards to escape the ogre (O), and the (S)pire won’t do anything, too afraid of daring to disrespect you (@)!

Instead of trying to melee an ogre with 0 Unarmed Combat skill, I propose an alternative - a disciplinary paw-scratch. Press 'v', select your Lightning Spire, then confirm the prompt in the message log. This will attack it, and immediately one-shot it no matter what, allowing passage again. An alternative is to recast the spell, though this is risky - it may simply land in an equally unfortunate position.

With all of that said, you should be set for clearing floors until you find the entrance to the Lair, somewhere on D:8-D:11.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Get that Kiku guy on your contacts list, then get into that Lair, in that order! I'll consider you for employee of the month if you have over 5000 turns remaining by D:8. Not that this is much of a title, considering you are my only contractor in this place. Any lower amount, and you'll have to start moving those fuzzy paws a bit faster.}}

Your faithful trio - Inugami, Spire and Golem - will make quick work of anything the game may attempt to impede your progress with. Remember to also put on any jewellery you may find (press capital "P") - Intelligence, Wizardry, Magical Power, Protection and Fire Protection are the best rings you could hope for (in that order), and Magic Regeneration, Regeneration, Reflection, Acrobat and Faith are the best amulets (also in that order) - for now. Avoid Guardian Spirit.

If you find a runed door vault with a ghost in it (and NO other enemies), this could be an opportunity for instant acquirement of three degrees from the Summonings College! They are worth boatloads of experience, but can range from trivial to lethal. Inspect them with "x"-"v", and check their kit - if they have Conjurations that could annihilate you or dangerous Summonings spells, they should be left alone. If they, however, only have a few joke cantrips or only know how to o-tab like a Minotaur Berserker, then it is time to guide them to eternal rest. '''Once the floor is fully cleared,''' gather up all your friends, open the door, and make them bash golems, eat electricity and be eaten by spirit-wolves until they die (for the second time in their existence).

Do NOT try your luck in weird vaults with OP enemies in them locked behind runed doors and orange transporters. They are DESIGNED by developers to exploit your greed and kill you. Nothing stops you from returning there when you actually have the required power to take them on.

===Where It Can All End (Early Game Threats)===

* Centaurs (and even more so their Warrior or Yaktaur variants) are felid annihilation incarnate. If you casually run around and spot one sleeping in open space, '''do not just start mindlessly plopping down your squad'''. Your allies will arrive in random locations while those wretched horsemen puncture you with potentially twoshotting damage on each turn. Instead, retreat to a corner or door (which you can close with capital 'C'), and meow ('t'-'t') to have it walk over in much more advantageous terrain!

Since Spires have almost zero evasion, they will gladly tank arrows for you (unlike those scumbag canines), so they may be of great use should you face off a centaur - hide behind them, and let the ranged battle unfold. Which will win, wooden sharp sticks, or thousand-volt lightning bolts? Spoiler alert: the latter.

However, keep in mind:

..@..
..S..
.....
.....
...E.

This is not a safe way of hiding. The centaur (E) will still turn you from a cat to a porcupine while the Spire will desperately attempt to dish out damage before you die in an anxiety-inducing Damage Per Turn race. First, consider Wands - polymorph is especially effective, as wielding a bow is quite hard without opposable thumbs. As you may have discovered yourself. Otherwise, you can spawn more summons - if you or an Inugami gets in melee range, the centaur will panic and stop shooting. Consider a Scroll of Fog or Summoning/Butterflies if things get too dire.

* Electric eels deal unreal amounts of damage. These living death traps are resistant to your Spire, and will three-shot you. To add insult to injury, they’re worth almost no experience - for comparison, a single scorpion rewards you with about 53% more experience than one eel. Thankfully, there's a trick: a zap from a wand of flame will oneshot or twoshot them, due to the steam clouds this technique will spawn. If flame is unavailable, most other damage wands, while rarer, will make short work of them.

* Steam dragons are deceptively dangerous. Their breath weapon will turn the heat up in every sense of the word, and may even twoshot you should the dice be animated by murderous intent. It even goes through allies. Thankfully, there is counterplay - a ring of fire resistance, or a ring of fire. If you can give yourself a + of rF, this battle will go from terrifying to laughable. If rF is not available to you, tread lightly, and be ready to retreat out of their sight the moment you are hit. Having a steam dragon on the screen while you are fighting other non-trivial enemies is suicide.

** The rarer acid dragons are basically the same thing, but worse. The corresponding ring is resist corrosion.

* Boulder beetles can oneshot you should they land their roll attack on you (and fail the EV check). Thankfully, intelligent summoners can trivialize them by calling forth even the puniest of quokkas and forcing them to waste their roll annihilating a little fluffball (which hopefully isn't you). The Spire's electrical damage bypasses a portion of their heavily armoured shell.

* If you’re unlucky enough to encounter a [[Meliai]] or the unique [[Jeremiah]], know that they are practically cyber-augmented orc priests. Just one isn’t that bad, but they often hang out with their friends, and you do ''NOT'' want to be the centre of attention of bee-witch gossip. Eating a quadruple smite in one turn ''can'' happen, and it ''will'' kill you. Potions of Invisibility work, and so do Wands of various kinds - or have them be zapped one at a time by your spire before they notice your presence, and they should fall relatively quickly. Otherwise, pushing a Golem in their faces will ensure a fiery doom.

* Should you be so hapless as to encounter the unique slug mage Gastronok, you must immediately try to avoid empty spaces. Hug walls, surround yourself with allies - if you find yourself with 4 or more completely empty tiles, you WILL be twoshotted with an insanely powerful, irresistible Airstrike ability. If you have found a scroll of Silence, I highly recommend using it as soon as you’ve churned out a few friends to help take him down. If you do not have silencing abilities, keep him at the edge of Line-of-Sight while the battle unfolds, hug walls and potentially some Small Mammals, and be ready to step away the second you are smited by Airstrike. Even with wise positioning, all it takes are approximately 3 casts to detonate you into an unrecognizable mess of gore and fluff.

For the rest of the run, don’t ever have rF- or rC- no matter what. Yes, even if it means giving up an Int+10 ring (you can also wear rF+/rC+ to cancel out the rF-/rC- if it’s ''really'' good). Vulnerabilities will be your doom: 50% extra damage is plenty to oneshot you before you even realize what has happened. Press % to check your resistances.

[[Category:Character guides]]

Onei's Velvet-Pawed Path to Immortality Walkthrough - FeSu^Kikubaaqudgha/Jiyva

2025-12-02T05:38:31Z

Oneirical:

{{version033}}{{Advice}}
{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Another contender! Will you prove worthy, or rot like the rest?}}

Did you know 100% of deaths in DCSS are the result of taking damage? The common melee brute builds may appear efficient at first, but they suffer from a critical flaw - they let the enemy hit you. Every single time an enemy applies its claws, club, arrows, or reality shattering magic to your sensitive skin, you are exposed to the leading cause of mortality in the Dungeon. I therefore propose an alternative that will make your journey down into the depths 50% less painful, 100% less lonely, and most importantly, 300% fluffier.

'''The Felid Summoner of Kikubaaqudgha/Jiyva.'''

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] It's not "evil magic"! It's recycling. Those bodies would have gone to waste.}}

Cats have a terrible reputation for being, supposedly, a “challenge species”, a “tedious ordeal of optimal play” or even an “unfun experience I’d never do again”. I’m here to inform you that this is all baseless canine propaganda, and I hope you too will learn to bow before your true feline masters as you read through this guide. As a blessed, fuzzy quadruped, you will be able to laugh in the face of paralysis and other dastardly hexes (due to your nigh-unbreakable willpower), laugh in the face of invisible enemies (due to your intrinsic See Invisible passive), laugh in the face of melee enemies (due to your vast repertoire of loyal servants) and even occasionally laugh in the face of death (due to the extremely powerful ability to resurrect after you meet your demise).

This all comes at the high price of having the lowest amount of hit points in the game, and the inability to use any item besides scrolls, potions, evokables, talismans and jewellery. Thankfully, you won’t need any of the baubles inferior humanoids depend on, as you will delegate most of the dirty work to pathetically obedient underlings. Prepare to embark on a journey like no other - which will flip the game around completely, turning the lethal into the laughable, and the harmless into the horrifying.

This guide was written for DCSS version 0.34 (currently "trunk" beta, not released officially yet). The differences with version 0.33 are minor. The target audience here are players who have already won at least once, and would like a build off the beaten path of the tried and true brute/caster duality, or even their first Felid victory. It shall accompany you on a path of team-based fighting, dark magic, vast armies to manage, and eventual transcension in the form of nigh-infinite mana and on-demand invincibility.

If you are a newcomer to DCSS and have stumbled upon this page, also check out the excellently written:

* [[H's Minotaur Fighter Guide]] - the most classic "I cast Axe!" brute build, timeless in DCSS history
* [[Repo Troll Guide, TrFi^Wu Jian]] - a highly acrobatic aventure of awe-striking martial arts
* [[Git Gud Gnoll Guide]] - the Zotémon master, using anything and everything to win, even the strengths and spells of their enemies

But perhaps you are the type who prefers to jump straight into a complex and unorthodox playstyle, following a potential madman's dubious advice? You, I like.

I personally got my '''first win ever''' as a Felid Summoner, and I believe that the caution and focus which one learns from playing this species is valuable on any character.

'''Important note: for an overview of branch order and skilling, check the [[#Addendum: From Lackey to Supervillain (Character Building)|addendum at the end of this guide]].'''

===Travel Preparations (quality-of-life tweaks)===

If you care about comfort while playing this build, I suggest editing your rc file (in online mode, it's the button right next to the "Play trunk/Play (current version)" button, and in offline mode, it's under the settings folder > init.txt). Add these at the very bottom, on new lines:

default_manual_training = true
fail_severity_to_confirm = 0
fail_severity_to_quiver = 5
tile_player_tile = tile:felid_2
force_more_message += forbidden knowledge
force_more_message += mollified

In order, these will:

1. Prevent the very useless and dangerous Auto-training feature from working.

2. Will allow you to cast dangerous spells without a confirmation prompt.

3. Will allow you to quiver dangerous spells without a confirmation prompt.

4. For the reasonable among you, this will turn your likely very ugly Felid sprite extracted from the default rotation - which you may somehow find cute if you suffer from an utter lack of taste - into the objectively superior black counterpart. Secretly grants bonus Willpower from the sheer confidence your glossy black fur will exude (not scientifically tested). For those visually challenged by the black-fur-on-black-floor lack of contrast, tile:felid_4 or mons:natasha are also acceptable. Offline players can also press “-” and cycle through available sprites with left and right arrow keys while ingame. Should you ever revert to playing a (lesser) non-Felid, you will need to remove this line to restore your sprite to the default player doll.

5. Notify you when Kikubaaqudgha likes you enough to reveal the darkest spells in this game.

6. Notify you when Kikubaaqudgha is done pelting you with its pesky curses after you betray them.

Points 2 and 3 may be slightly controversial. The reason for this is simple - the "danger rating" of spells is based off your maximum HP, and as Felid has the lowest max HP in the game, even the actually very safe spell Call Canine Familiar will be labeled as "astonishingly dangerous" and constantly ask "are you sure????" when it's actually very safe, and in fact required for progression.

= (BONUS) Because It Wasn't Hard Enough (Gem Quest) =

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Ah, a new adventurer embarking on a new journey filled with noble deeds and helping the innocent. What? You're learning dark magic and committing mass slaughter? Eh, I don't really care. Can you do my fetch quest? Here's my backstory: I like money. There are gems in the dungeon that are worth a lot of it. Bring them to me.

The problem is, some prick is going around smashing them. You'll have to be quick before that lunatic destroys the treasure which I alone deserve.

Oh, sure. Maybe you can get a cut. If I like you.}}

'''Gems''' are an optional speedrunning challenge where you must beat the game without exceeding a certain amount of turns in each branch. Interestingly, this build is quite good at claiming them.

'''Note''': This makes the game objectively harder. It is for those utter fanatics who thought playing a Felid (lol) with an exotic build which involves god wrath (lmao) just wasn't difficult enough.

If you aren't feeling up to the task, '''ignore all interventions of Gozag in my guide (it is advice for the gem quest specifically).'''

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Excellent, you're still here. That means a promotion is in sight for you. From 'unemployed' to 'my esteemed errand-cat', to be precise. Do add these, while you're at it.}}

more_gem_info = true
always_show_gems = true
explore_auto_rest = false

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] A company-provided timer in your sidebar will now always show you the time remaining before those precious gems start cracking. Useful, is it not? Press }, then ! to view all collected gems, and the time limit for each.

What's that? You're worried about the last option? Corporate doesn't have time for things like "healthcare" or "comfort". You need to get moving, FAST. Just heal while you autoexplore, surely this won't result in coming face to face with a centaur when you have 15 HP.}}

If '}' is a weird key to press on your potentially non-English keyboard (like mine), you can rebind it like this:

bindkey = [(TYPE YOUR KEY HERE)] CMD_DISPLAY_RUNES

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Enough talk! Let's see if dedicating my attention span to you was a valuable use of my time.}}

= An Agonizing Introduction (XP Level 1) =

As the title suggests, pick Felid for your species (ignore the “Advanced” difficulty: that’s merely a ploy to hide true power from your grasp). Pick Summoner for your background, as is wisely recommended by the game.

You probably know this already, but press "o" to autoexplore floors when no enemies are in sight, Ctrl-G to quick-travel to locations, and "5" to wait turns until you have restored HP/MP.

Upon starting your run, you will be met with the following:

* 9 pitiful HP points, enough to get two-shotted by a quokka, defended by a lonely, single point of AC.
* Complete lack of any items (except a measly consolation magic cocktail), weapons, or armour, and only three equipment slots for jewellery only. Felid culture prohibits equipping rings on your rear-limbs, as this is symbolic of the time one spent caged by their (now rightfully eviscerated) master.
* The pathetic ability to call forth fuzzy critters from the unfathomable depths of the eldritch cosmos.
* A deranged repartition of default skill training. Press “m”. If you haven’t set up your rc file as explained in the beginning of the tutorial, set training to “manual” mode (press “/” to do so). Then, '''turn off every skill except Spellcasting and Summonings'''. '''Important reminder: at any time, should you wish to review my suggested skill training plan, view the [[#Addendum: From Lackey to Supervillain (Character Building)|addendum at the end of this guide]].'''
* Your first Extra Life, ripe to be harvested by possibly the very first foe you will encounter.

All of this is, to put it bluntly, utter trash. The good news is that XP level 1 and 2 are the only obstacles separating you from supreme feline domination. Please refer to the following advice to avoid becoming a delicacy in the next hobgoblin feast.

* Try to avoid being in melee range of anything that isn’t a “trivial creature” - which are '''[[Bat|bats]], [[Rat|rats]] and [[Frilled lizard|frilled lizards]]'''. If a ball python hits you with the “Constrict” status, do NOT continue fighting and attempt to retreat until you have been cleansed from the status, at which point you may resume your rampage. If you are cornered or engaged in dangerous melee with 0 MP remaining, use your magic potion immediately. You may take one step in a foe’s reach to reposition, but always remember that most of the denizens of D:1 can two-shot you.
* Cast [[Summon Small Mammal]] twice for every encounter (press “p” to do so, or - if the game complains about you being too reckless - "z" then "a"). Bats are almost useless, rats are mediocre, and quokkas are somewhat passable. If you happen to pull forth one of the latter two from your interdimensional nonexistent hat, you may direct them to get their furry heads bashed in at the nearest available enemy. This is done by pressing “t” to bring up the ally command menu, and then pressing “a” and selecting the enemy you wish to submit to death by a thousand adorable critter bites. If your fuzzy friend meets an unfortunate end at the tip of a kobold’s dagger, there’s always more where that came from - bring on the onslaught until all opposition has been reduced to quokka food. You can have up to a maximum of 2 mammals simultaneously - replace the fallen with more units eager to die in your name. While your summons fight it out, feel free to distance yourself from the action, or to press “.” to allow the battle to unfold, occasionally shooting a “t”-“a” command to direct firepower. Trying to join the action is a certain way to die - remember, do NOT melee non-trivial creatures!
* Remember the golden rule of summoning: what you can’t see cannot be seen by your summons either. No ally can attack outside of Line-of-Sight (LOS) distance. If you want something to die, it has to be on your screen. The opposite is not necessarily true: while your feline senses let you see invisible enemies, all of the critters in your starting spells (except those from Call Canine Familiar) are not as fortunate.
* You can close doors behind you by pressing capital "C" - animals of all kinds do not have paws as dextrous as yours, and will be forced to scratch your impenetrable barricade while you rest and recuperate.
* Your summons can tank stones and other missiles for you if you stand behind them, but this is extremely unreliable (projectiles continue their trajectory if they are dodged). Additionally, keep an eye out for branded weapons! A single hit from either of these is enough to go from a pristine, full health scruff to a game over screen showing 3 unidentified scrolls of acquirement. Venom and Electrocution in particular are extremely lethal. Branded melee weapons are handled in the same way as dangerous creatures of D:1, that is, drowned in pettable fluffballs until the threat is vanquished and drops their dangerous item (possibly a +34 triple sword “lol you can’t use this play minotaur next time” {flaming, Slay+12, AC+10}).

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] If you aren't already quitting the job on day one, I inform you that we just don't have the time to loot every grain of dust on D:1 to D:3. Your first objective in D:1 should be to reach XP level 2, and immediately going down afterwards, using a normal staircase (not a hatch). The latter tend to cause some company liabilities.}}

Do NOT "kite" (walking away from a creature over and over while it is in melee range of you) your foes. You WILL get your snout slapped faster than you can say “YASD” (a traditional roguelike acronym for Yet Another Stupid Death). Each step gives enemies a 33% chance to attack you for free - a few tip-taps to reposition (and swap places with your ally) is fine, but eating attacks of opportunity for over 5 turns is asking to die.

Quite an agonizing experience so far, no? Are you beginning to doubt me? Do you lust to return to a race that starts with HP in the double digits? Foolish! After this, the fun begins.

= Interdimensional Battle Tactics 101 =

All enemies of DCSS, from the gurgling jelly to the mighty Pandemonium Lord Cerebov, are extremely unintelligent. In a situation like:

@....
.....
..S..
...E.
.....

(where @ is you, S is a friendly summon, E is an enemy and . are floors), foes would rather hammer their way through your friend (which may be an eight-headed hydra zombie) to reach you, and certainly won’t think about just circling around to one-shot the squishy cat behind. You will need to abuse this as much as possible. Try to always ensure you are shielded behind your loyal servants. This, for example, is not acceptable:

..@..
.....
.....
..S..
...E.
.....

Since the enemy can directly trace a line between you and their position (imagine they’re trying to fire an arrow at you - if they can hit you, you’re not positioned correctly), they will ignore your ally and charge directly at you to slice themselves some fresh feline cutlets. In a situation such as this, it is preferable to either A) send out more allies to return to a more favourable state

..@..
.....
.....
.SSS.
...E.
.....

Or B), retreat to a hallway.

1-tile hallways are both beneficial and harmful to a Summoner. Look at the following situation, where # represent walls:

'''Situation 1'''

#####
S.@.E
#####

The enemy is possibly an ogre about to bash you into a bloodied furball. Casting your summoning spell placed your unit behind you. Simply walk backwards to swap places with your unit, watch the fight unfold (preferably from a distance), and if your soldier perishes in honourable battle, your MP should have regenerated while they were battling it out: simply send out a fresh combatant eager to finish the job.

#####
@..SE
#####

Zero risk, zero worry. Here’s another interesting case:

'''Situation 2'''

#####
@E..S
#####

Here, you got unlucky, and casting your spell spawned your unit ''behind'' the foe you are attempting to introduce to your friends. Inspect the enemy's melee damage by right-clicking them or pressing "x", moving the cursor on them, then pressing "v". If they can't oneshot you on the next turn, it's ''probably'' safe to try summoning some additional support, hoping they will spawn behind you and allow for a Situation 1 swap.

#####
@SE..
#####

The problem with 1-tile hallways is that they enforce honourable 1v1-ing only between each creature. This probably makes Okawaru very proud, but with the whole little army we are slowly amassing, we will increasingly benefit more and more from wide, open spaces to allow your entire squad to get into the fray and dish out punishment. This might not be the case early in the game, but much later on, when we will branch into Necromancy, expect the number of allies on screen to reach into the dozens.

= A Devilish Upgrade (XP Level 2) =

''Feeling brave? You may try to skip this chapter and reach XP level 3 using only small mammals. As Necromancy is tight on spell slots, the additional Scroll of Amnesia this will save later on may prove useful. Try not to die if you opt for this choice. Otherwise, keep reading.''

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Yeah, no, we can't fit this one into the budget. Move along. Just kill those D:2 adders with quokkas and quit whining. We'll need the Amnesia Scrolls later.}}

If you have reached this point, congratulations, you have won the game. You may now press Ctrl-Q to abandon the run, as objectively speaking, your chances of victory are now exactly 100.00%. Go bake some cookies. Take a nice walk in the park. Do anything else than watching pixelated animals fight. While being an animal yourself.

What? Still here? Very well.

Most of the Level 1 advice still applies, but you now have a little more room for mistakes. As soon as you level up and find yourself in a safe area, immediately memorize [[Call Imp]] by pressing "M", your new very mischievous addition to the roster. Press "z" then "b" to meet your new demonic friend. The unspeakably dark forces of Hell will be delighted to deliver you a dastardly blue imp proudly wielding a sharp stick.

This rampage machine is anything but (imp)otent. Savour the tears of the hobgoblins who once terrified you, revel in the yips of those pesky jackals - they will be poked, and there shall be no mercy. Imps will also occasionally compliment you and call you their “pillow-pawed master”, which is a step up from the blank stares of rats. Disregard these attempts to appeal to your nonexistent mercy, and send them to die in your name with more liberal usage of “t”-“a”. Unlike furry mammals, you may only have a maximum of one imp at a time.

At any moment, I encourage you to bring forth assistance from your previous, less talkative and much fuzzier friends! You may do this by either clicking the spell in the side menu (in offline mode) or pressing "p" or "za" again (in online mode). The total gang of three summons is now sufficient to circle enemies and dish out quick justice to anything on D:1. Keep being careful until you reach level 3. If D:1 fails to provide enough experience for this, carefully descend to D:2 to finish the job, but know that dealing with any of the D:2 new enemies that weren’t featured on D:1 is extremely risky - especially adders and orc priests/wizards. Try to focus on foes you are already familiar with, and use a different staircase if your chosen means of descent places you next to something you haven’t killed yet.

= Canine Thralls vs. The Interdimensional Police (XP Level 3) =

'''Increase (I)ntelligence, and only do so every single time you will be prompted with this choice in the future.'''

Got some scrolls? The stack with the highest amount (press "r" to bring up the (r)ead menu) has a high (but not guaranteed) chance of being Identify. Once you have found Scrolls of Identify, immediately read any you may obtain to progressively label each of your possessions. Personally, I think identifying potions before scrolls tends to increase your chances of survival ever-so-slightly. This isn't hard science, whether a DCSS player identifies potions or scrolls first is basically the equivalent of their horoscope sign.

Find a safe area. Memorize [[Call Canine Familiar]] immediately (press "M"). This is the ''real deal''. Labelled as "quite dangerous" despite its 7% miscast rate, this extremely strong spell brings forth an '''Inugami''' - a once proud general and leader of the canine empire, re-educated into serving its feline master with unbreakable zeal. The tag around its collar proves most interesting - besides reminding it of its status before your Highness, it can also channel powerful bursts which heal the Inugami a massive amount, remove all poison, and unleash a cleaving burst on all tiles adjacent to it. To trigger one such energy surge, recast the spell while your Inugami is alive and visible on your screen, spending 3 MP in the process.

Yes, you can spam it and pop foes open with repeated re-casts. No, you won't find funny when your Inugami dies to some overpowered death machine and you're left in melee range with it with 0 MP to spare. It's strongly recommended to prioritize energy-bursting only if one of the following applies:

* Your canine servant needs the heal or is badly poisoned.
* It is surrounded and the cleaving AOE would prove most effective.
* You need a quick finishing blow against a low-HP dangerous foe.

When an Inugami dies in heroic battle, it will retreat to a pocket dimension for a time to rekindle its faith in feline supremacy. When the -Dog status on the sidebar expires - expect 13 to 21 turns - it is ready to return into the fray. Other summons can take up arms while you wait.

With all that considered, Inugami are absolute beasts. Very little in the early Dungeon can survive a 1v1 with an Inugami energy-bursting when it is most needed. Not even Sigmund - he is powerless before canine brutality! Simply stand back, watch the carnage without getting hit, and laugh as adders get slaughtered from Line-of-Sight (LOS) distance. You don't really need to "avoid fighting" anything in D:2 to D:4, except:

* '''Grinder''', which will play fetch with your dog by blinking all over the place while you stand paralyzed eating tons of darkness damage.
* '''Orc priests''', which are explained more in depth right below. Basically, if you can see them, they can murder you.

Inugami, like imps, occasionally try to look cute and print out endearing messages in the text log. Again, do not let this affect you - remember that the canine race is lesser before feline glory, and heartlessly send them to their doom (“t”-“a”) while they obey with unfaltering zeal.

You can look (and cast) any of your memorized spells at any time by pressing "z" then "?". If it says, for example, "c - Call Canine Familiar", pressing "z" then "c" will welcome your new canine unit without having to bring up the menu every time.

<blockquote>How can I possibly lose with such loyal followers?
</blockquote>
Orc priests, my noble feline acolyte. These green-robed menaces have the ability to inflict undodgeable, instant and two-shotting damage from full LOS range. Right now, no amount of summons could protect you from their devotion to the god of the Orcs. A lone one can be assassinated by sending an inugami next to them and spamming the recast-burst until they are deleted. If you see - Xom have mercy - two or more, do not even attempt to test their mettle. Press “X”, move the cursor towards them, and press “e” to set up an exclusion - this is your way of telling the game “NOPE”. If multiple priests stay visible on your screen for 5 turns or more, you are asking to die. Leave through the nearest up-staircase, and attempt a different portion of the level (or descend to D:3 if the level is truly doomed), leaving these dissenters alive for later. They will suffer the consequences of their insolence in due time.

<blockquote>I'M ON FIRE I'M ON FIRE PUT IT OUT PUT IT OUT IT BURNS
</blockquote>
If a Bombardier Beetle set you on fire, you must immediately start taking steps and walking around - each tile crossed reduces the duration by 6 turns. Stop, drop and roll! Do NOT stand still! If you accidentally drank a lignification potion, say goodbye to the current iteration of your feline life.

<blockquote>Any recommendations if I am doing the Gem Quest?</blockquote>

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Why are you still on D:2? The Temple doesn't spawn here. We want that bone altar, and we want it pronto. Get diving down to D:4, you should not be exploring more than half of each floor until then.}}

Additionally...

== The Aforementioned Interdimensional Police (Nameless Horrors) ==

Every time you attempt to call a canine <s>slave</s> friend, there should be a small chance of a miscast, which will reduce as you progress through the arts of Summonings. Miscasts in other schools of magic are generally not too dramatic (given that the caster is not trying to sever reality itself right after learning how to say “pick a card, any card”). However, your constant telemarketing calls to the eldritch cosmos asking “Who wants to die in the name of feline supremacy?” have begun to get on the nerves of some eldritch monstrosities. TentacleMail may therefore rarely deliver you a [[Nameless horror|Nameless Horror]] instead of your ordered furry companion. Instead of filing a complaint, slow down and consider your options. These things drain your mana on each melee hit they land on you, will only leave after you have managed to kill them, and will occasionally return your summons back to their home realm, so they may meet their family again instead of dying for a cat in a dungeon.

FAQ:

<blockquote>What do I do if I incur the wrath of cosmic aberrations?
</blockquote>
It depends on your situation. If they are alone or accompanied by a joke of an enemy, getting an Inugami out and spamming energy-bursts should wreck it. Alternatively, if you have damaging wands that aren't Mindburst, feel free to gun them down.

If you are close to dangerous foes which aren't in range yet to hurt you, you may drag the the Nameless Horror to a previously cleared floor, "park" it there and return to the lower level without it, preferably with a different staircase. If you can't manage to kill it, don't forget about the horrifying creature roaming loose if you want to "stair-dance" a dangerous foe later on while clearing the lower floor. Maybe you'll meet it again near the end of your run, at which point it will tremble before the FELINE GOD you have become.

<blockquote>How can I minimize my chances of being investigated by the interdimensional kidnapping police?
</blockquote>
The Summonings school is not to be messed with. It is strongly advised that you never try to cast a Summonings spell with a failure rate higher than 10% to take out medium-to-low threat foes, as the consequences may be disastrous. Only violate this rule when extreme firepower is needed imminently against a truly fearsome foe.

<blockquote>I have no MP, no friends and I am going to die. What do I do?
</blockquote>
See below.

== Break In Case of Imminent Negative HP Syndrome (Escape Techniques) ==

Low health? No mana? Overpowered gigachad about to annihilate you? Consider the following, from safest to most unreliable:

* '''Scrolls of Blinking''' will immediately save you, but are rare and valuable. THAT DOES NOT MEAN "save them for next game". USE THEM.
* '''Scrolls of Summoning/Butterflies''' do what you specialize in - dialing up friends - but take zero mana. The butterfly variant doesn't attack, but gently blows away your foes, granting a safe space of sunshine and rainbows.
* Assuming you can survive 3-5 turns, a '''Scroll of Teleportation''' will whisk you off to a different location. Magical Inks™ Incorporated does not guarantee said location will be safe.
* The useful '''Blink''' level 2 spell immediately relocates you to a random tile in sight - but it won't necessarily be available in your game. Maybe if you ask RNGesus nicely.
* A '''Gell's Gravitambourine''' can pull enemies away from you with its magnetic field, which is immensely helpful if your problem is of the "big stick about to be in my face" kind.
* '''Potions of Magic''', and the mana acquired from them, can be condensed into the creation of a helpful friend. Again, rare and valuable, but made to be used.
* '''Potions of Curing''' will ''remove all confusion and poison'' - essential for those pesky redback spiders getting lucky hits - in addition to a small amount of HP and '''Potions of Heal Wounds''' restore a bunch of health which, on a Felid, is highly impressive. Do ensure that you can actually make use of the heal to solve your problem and aren't just delaying your death, especially if you just get hit again for the same amount you healed on the same turn.
* '''Potions of Invisibility''' drastically reduce enemy accuracy and allow you to walk away with high, but not perfect safety. Check that the foe in question does not detect invisibility by inspecting their stat window - for example, wolves, dastardly agents of the canine empire, won't be impressed.
* '''Scrolls of Fear''' immediately causes every living (undead and berserking enemies are immune!) on the screen which fails a (difficult) Willpower saving throw to regret ever messing with Your Pillow-Pawed Highness and to run away. Check, on their stat screen, that their Willpower is at ++ or less.
* Assuming your enemy is a spellcaster that can be Silenced (check their description!), a Phial of Floods will shortly disable their spells, while a '''Scroll of Silence''' will disable them for a very long time, but your own magic and scrolls as well. Ensure you have a way of dealing damage during this silence (hint: it involves allies and having a lot of them). A Phial of Floods will recharge after some XP is obtained.
* The '''Lightning Rod''' does big electrical damage without any MP cost. Most spectacularly, if you fire it multiple turns in a row, you can rotate the beam to hit huge Areas-of-Effect and nuke entire crowds. It's very effective at finishing off a single problematic specimen, however.
* '''Potions of Haste''', beyond allowing you to walk away without getting kited to oblivion, are much stronger than new players tend to think: they effectively slow down time so you get bonus actions per turn. This is much more spectacular on other characters (your main source of damage is from your servants, which do not benefit from the haste), but it is still tremendously useful.
* A '''stairwell''' brings you back to the much safer previous floor, but brings all adjacent foes alongside you - except zombies, simulacra and summoned creatures. Still quite possibly an improvement over your current situation.
* '''Wands of Paralysis/Charming''' incapacitate your foe. You have to beat their Willpower - early game, that is usually around a 50% chance, but there are exceptions. The brainwashing Charming variant can be used to demolish the victim's former allies while you cackle in the back. You can also command them to go to the time-out corner by pressing "t"-"r" and selecting a tile far away from you.
* A '''Box of Beasts''' will immediately summon an adorable abomination and crime against biology itself, without a single point of mana required! Useful when your magical reserves have been emptied.
* '''Wands of Polymorph''' are particularly effective at neutralizing those wielding dangerous ranged weapons or point-and-click smites, but ''check the list of possible transformations by hovering the wand over the target foe'', lest you find yourself with OP midgame mobs chasing you around the Dungeon. Note that, when zapping a Polymorph wand at yourself, it will most likely deny you use of your spells, but may give you extra speed to run away (Pig or Bat Form) or may improve your melee combat prowess to a degree that is only useful in the early game (Wisp, Tree or Fungus form). Consider this as a last resort if cornered or in trouble!
* Speaking of those, '''Scrolls of Vulnerability''' assist all dastardly hypnosis techniques by cutting all creatures' Willpower (including you) by half. Beyond wands, this makes Anguish much easier to use even on terrifying uniques like Mennas, resulting in easy takedowns where you normally would have had to move mountains to barely scratch them.
* '''Damage Wands''' might, with some luck, solve your problems by murdering them.
* '''Potions of Ambrosia''' do a similar effect to Potions of Magic, but over time, and the confusion should be cured with a Potion of Curing once you have enough mana if you are in the middle of an unfolding catastrophe (this will stop the regeneration). Not to be relied upon if only a couple of turns stand between life and death.
* '''Unknown potions and scrolls''' could save you. They probably won't. Try the big stacks, they are likely to be Teleportation or Curing.
* '''Dying'''. Unlike feeble humanoids, this is an option. Try to avoid it. It will happen anyways. Do not give in to despair. Stand up. Fight again.

Do not mindlessly run away for dozens of turns without doing anything. You WILL be eating attacks of opportunity on every step and perishing in record time. At least try casting a spell once your mana comes back.

==The Proper Way To Roll Your Face On The Keyboard (Macros)==

Getting tired of "zbzc....o....zbzc....o" yet? You can press '''Ctrl-D''' to set macros and begin feeling like you are playing some tryhard MOBA instead of composing Beethoven's Tenth Symphony on your keyboard.

For example, press "Ctrl-D", then "1", then type "zb" in the field to link the "b" spell that appears when you look at the spell list (accessible with "I" while in-game). On each press of "1", you will now cast the "b" spell.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Back in my day, you had to draw a pentagram and whisper demonic prayers each time you'd want a skeleton friend. Who thought it was a good idea to automate murder?! Can't you appreciate a good old blood sacrifice in the rules of the art?}}

This is my favourite loadout:

* '''1''' for Call Canine Familiar, and later Haunt.
* '''2''' for Eringya's Surprising Crocodile, and later Infestation.
* '''3''' for Summon Seismosaurus Egg, and later any spell of your choice.
* '''4''' for any other useful spell.
* '''w''' for Animate Dead. Normally, it's used for (w)ielding weapons, buuuut... yeah. No opposable thumbs and all.
* '''e''' for Death Channel.
* '''Spacebar''' for an emergency spell - I like a simple Blink, or, for bonus coolness points, the heart-racing Death's Door. Big button, big problems! I actually remember to use my emergency spells this way.
* '''c''' for any other useful spell.
* (Q)uiver Anguish (or, in Crypts/Tomb, Dispel Undead), and cast it with '''p'''.

To dial up the early-game squad, press "123".

Want both your ally-creation buffs (such as when descending a new staircase)? Simply press "we". In case of trouble, your salvation is right on the biggest button of your keyboard. For a late game mega-death rave, press "e21p"!

= The Delicate Art of Reptilian Pole Vaulting (XP Level 4-6, 0.33) =

If you have not pathetically perished to some turbo-murderous orc priest on D:2, you will now be the proud holder of 2 stored Extra Lives, the maximum a Felid can hold at a time. Such is the privilege of feline supremacy.

As a proud member of the most blessed race in existence, death is not the end for you. Still, you should pretend it is - it will help you take better strategical decisions. If you ''do'' meet an unfortunate end, stay focused, take a break if you are feeling frustrated, and continue to play carefully as if you hadn’t died. Most Felid runs die around 3 to 9 times in an average 3-rune run, so do not feel too bad. Felid lives are meant to be used like rare, powerful consumables, and many Felid 3-rune or even 15-rune wins have 1 to 4 deaths as early as D:1-8.

Do '''not''' quit a Felid run because of an early death! With the way the system is designed, it's almost as if you are ''supposed'' to die in early Dungeon. It's '''much''' easier to level up early on than in the late game. A life lost on D:4 is gotten back on D:7, but a life lost in Pandemonium may take a full clear of all 4 Hell branches to get it back.

I will repeat it again. Do '''not''' quit a Felid run just because you died twice in a row to the same enemy. Save your game and go do something else instead. I know it's infuriating, but that would be like using a blink scroll and then quitting because you're mad about using a lifesaving item. '''Lives are consumables'''. Playing a Felid without dying is like playing an Octopode with 2 rings. You are '''supposed''' to die.

Press “E” to see how long it will take to get your next life. Press "%" to see how many lives you have (look in the top right of the popup!)

As soon as you find a safe place, '''immediately''' add your new friend to your roster - [[Eringya's Surprising Crocodile]].

Did you know Felids have a stronger genetic predisposition than other species to the terrible diagnosis known as "OP Meleedude In My Face About To Twoshot Me" in the medical literature? Thankfully, our feline researchers have been hard at work, and found the cure: Crocodiles. This spell is only castable if a foe is in melee range of you, at which point you'll dash 2 tiles backwards, pull the foe backwards 1 tile, and summon the Crocodile between the two of you.

.....
.....
...@.
...E.

...@.
...C.
...E.
.....

I did say the Meleedude in question is OP, so the Crocodile is likely getting twoshotted next. Not to worry - recast the spell again, and endlessly kite the foe across the map in a way that would make an entire server ragequit if DCSS was a multiplayer PvP game.

This spell is '''a repositioning asset''', not a main damage dealer (though it does achieve interesting results in that domain). Do not mindlessly charge in and use the Crocodile on a foe if can you imagine yourself needing this dash 3 turns later - '''you cannot cast this spell if the Crocodile is alive'''. You should use it in every single battle, but at the moment where the displacement effect actually helps you in some way.

The crocodile itself, as an ally, deals decent damage that will get outpaced as soon as you exit the early game. It also has a pull effect which may trigger on some of its hits. This can sometimes troll you:

..#.#
###@#
.OC.#
#####

Your (C)rocodile is fighting the two-headed (O)gre in a 1-tile corridor. All is well. Suddenly:

..#.#
###@#
..OC#
#####

The (O)gre is pulled into melee range of you and oneshots you. Ouch! That really hurt!

Do keep this (thankfully rare) contingency in mind.

'''From now on, the plan is as follows:'''

* Summon an Inugami for every single trivial-to-medium difficulty battle. Make use of “t”-“a” to direct focus, and do not hold back until the entire canine demiplane has been sacrificed to mitten-pawed glory.
* Demolish every single high damage or out-of-depth (OOD) enemy by letting them uselessly punch an ever-respawning crocodile over and over until they fall face flat in the water left behind. Ice beast? Trivialized. Ogre? Dealt with. Bullfrog? Eviscerated. Wyvern? Discombobulated. Water moccasin, yak, two-headed ogre, sleepcap, hornet, ugly thing, scorpion, troll, orc warrior? GGEZ. They will not survive, and if they somehow do, you can simply retreat using the gap formation left by your usage of this spell. So much for having “human”-level intelligence - clearly, the humanoids are hopeless, dull-witted morons before feline genius.
* Stuck in a pinch with no MP and a really angry dude invading your personal space? Getting turned into a porcupine by a very merry centaur? Getting a taste of orcish zealotry and being told that "smite makes right"? Use wands! They are the guns of the fantasy world, and will dispose of any pesky denizen of the Dungeon. Do not hesitate to spam these against dangerous uniques, centaurs and orc priests. The bolt ones, like Quicksilver, Light or Acid, are especially effective. Remember, if you use Charming, you can "t"-"r" the mind-controlled foe to get away from you, then use that distance to execute a swift, zero-risk retreat!
* If you end up in a terrible situation, refer to the Escape Techniques listed in the previous chapter of this guide.
* In the semi-common case where you encounter the unique siblings Dowan and Duvessa, always slay Duvessa first. Otherwise, Duvessa will get very mad, run at you at light speed and oneshot you.

Try to abuse the 1-tile hallways described earlier in Battle Tactics 101! This guarantees your foes will not attempt to circumvent your units to instead give you a very uncomfortable petting session. You are extremely frail, and lingering in melee range of anything that isn’t a basic orc or a D:1 creature is bound to result in your doom. Constantly use your turns to reposition and ensure you are always behind your summons! If your summons lose, you will be the next target on the list, and you will NOT survive should you stand your ground with tooth and claw. Run, rest and try again.

===Where It Can All End (Early Game Threats)===

* Steam dragons are '''EXTREMELY DANGEROUS'''. Their breath weapon will turn the heat up in every sense of the word, and may even twoshot you should the dice be animated by murderous intent. It even goes through allies. Thankfully, there is counterplay - a ring of fire resistance. If you can give yourself a + of rF, this battle will go from terrifying to laughable. If rF is not available to you, tread lightly, and be ready to retreat out of their sight the moment you are hit. Having a steam dragon on the screen while you are fighting other non-trivial enemies is suicide. They must die, ASAP.

* Centaurs (and even more so their Warrior or Yaktaur variants, as well as other archers like Joseph or Nessos) are felid annihilation incarnate. If you casually run around and spot one sleeping in open space, '''do not just start mindlessly plopping down your squad'''. Your allies will arrive in random locations while those wretched horsemen puncture you with potentially twoshotting damage on each turn. Instead, retreat to a corner or door (which you can close with capital 'C'), and meow ('t'-'t') to have it walk over in much more advantageous terrain!

Since Eggs (more on them later) have zero evasion, they will gladly tank arrows for you (unlike those scumbag canines), so they may be of great use should you face off a centaur - hide behind them, and let the Inugami finish the work. This is risky - you should only do this if there is no hallway available to retreat to.

Keep in mind:

..@..
..E..
.....
.....
...C.

This is not a safe way of hiding. The centaur (C) will still turn you from a cat to a porcupine while the (E)gg stands there without blocking any arrows. If you could shoot at the Centaur with a Magic Dart, they, too, can hit you. First, consider Wands - polymorph is especially effective, as wielding a bow is quite hard without opposable thumbs. As you may have discovered yourself. Otherwise, you can spawn more summons - if you or an Inugami gets in melee range, the centaur will panic and stop shooting. Consider a Scroll of Fog or Summoning/Butterflies if things get too dire.

* Electric eels deal unreal amounts of damage. These living death traps will easily three-shot you. To add insult to injury, they’re worth almost no experience - for comparison, a single scorpion rewards you with about 53% more experience than one eel. Thankfully, there's a trick: a zap from a wand of flame will oneshot or twoshot them, due to the steam clouds this technique will spawn. If flame is unavailable, most other damage wands, while rarer, will make short work of them.

** The rarer acid dragons are similar. The difference is that they deal even more damage (possibly 70% of your HP bar in one hit) but cannot pierce through allies. The corresponding ring is resist corrosion.

* Boulder beetles can oneshot you should they land their roll attack on you (and fail the EV check). Thankfully, intelligent summoners can trivialize them by calling forth even the puniest of quokkas and forcing them to waste their roll annihilating a little fluffball (which hopefully isn't you).

* If you’re unlucky enough to encounter a [[Meliai]] or the unique [[Jeremiah]], know that they are practically cyber-augmented orc priests. Just one isn’t that bad, but they often hang out with their friends, and you do ''NOT'' want to be the centre of attention of bee-witch gossip. Eating a quadruple smite in one turn ''can'' happen, and it ''will'' kill you. Potions of Invisibility work, and so do Wands of various kinds - or have them be blasted by your Seismosaurus before they notice your presence, and they should fall relatively quickly.

* Should you be so hapless as to encounter the unique slug mage Gastronok, you must immediately try to avoid empty spaces. Hug walls, surround yourself with allies - if you find yourself with 4 or more completely empty tiles, you WILL be twoshotted with an insanely powerful, irresistible Airstrike ability. If you have found a scroll of Silence, I highly recommend using it as soon as you’ve churned out a few friends to help take him down. If you do not have silencing abilities, keep him at the edge of Line-of-Sight while the battle unfolds, hug walls and potentially some Small Mammals, and be ready to step away the second you are smited by Airstrike. Even with wise positioning, all it takes are approximately 3 casts to detonate you into an unrecognizable mess of gore and fluff.

For the rest of the run, don’t ever have rF- or rC- no matter what. Yes, even if it means giving up an Int+10 ring (you can also wear rF+/rC+ to cancel out the rF-/rC- if it’s ''really'' good). Vulnerabilities will be your doom: 50% extra damage is plenty to oneshot you before you even realize what has happened. Press % to check your resistances.


= Dastardliness, Cackles and Dark Tricks (God Choice) =

You have only three equipment slots to fulfill Ashenzari’s bondage fantasies, no time to learn the ways of Invocations, and would not benefit from weapon gifts with your lack of opposable thumbs. As the lead of an interdimensional kidnapping startup, you should delegate EVERY task to your staff and NEVER do any work yourself.

Ru is technically quite viable for you, but as you don’t care for employee wellbeing, in-office buddhist yoga sessions are not at the top of your schedule. Plus, you will need both of your paws to play with the Orb of Zot like a ball of yarn. A lot of feline CEOs such as you enjoy striking a divine partnership with Gozag and cracking open endless amounts of lootboxes and microtransactions, but this is not what this guide is about (but feel free to play a Gozag Felid sometime, it's great fun!)

We need loyal subordinates, and we need them fast, reliably, and cheaply. Let us therefore learn arts and magic as dark as the colour of our fur, from scratch, under the tutelage of the villainous god Kikubaku-

Kikubaquk-

Kikubaaqudq-

Kikubaaqudgha. Yes. That's how you spell it.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Untainted souls are so much more fun to corrupt! But... why are you so fluffy? I need goth elves and black mascara. I can't have my subordinates looking like this!}}

Sorry Kiku, malnourished nerds and lanky skeletons are just so passé. If you wish to increase your approval ratings among the public, research has shown that a marketable, plushie-like mascot is a much better driving force for sales and engagement.

Anyhow. The reason I suggest picking Kiku for this build is to secure the mid-and-late game, as the Summoner background is so powerful (as you may have noticed already) that no immediate divine assistance is required. For now, Kiku will do absolutely nothing to help you - focus on proving yourself worthy by engaging in senseless, indiscriminate murder. Or, in other words, just the usual routine. Kikubaaqudgha's altar can spawn in D:3, the Temple, as deep down as D:11 - it really doesn't matter at all, you just need to '''have joined Kiku before entering Lair.'''

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] That still seems wise to me. What I REALLY don't want to see you doing is MISSING the altar and doing a merry-go-round the dungeon looking for it on company time. You'll probably want to find that Temple between D:4 and D:7, looking out for odd rock formations. And if it's not in that Temple, you'll want to look out for evil looking structures, all the way down to possibly D:11.}}

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] "An evil god, Kikubaaqudgha requires worshippers to cause the death and destruction of as many creatures as possible." Well, that's rich. It's not as if almost every single other god wants the exact same thing. Why am I being singled out?}}

Actually, I lied. Kiku does do one thing right away. And that's flaming you in the message log when you lose the run. Let that be motivation to play intelligently.

= Life Finds a Way (XP Level 7-9 to Lair, 0.33) =

Remember, use your scrolls of Identify! Drop those useless Scrolls of Brand Weapon, Enchant Weapon or Enchant Armour. Maybe a lesser biped will come across those and thank you. Ha! Fat chance.

Between level 7 and 9 (variable depending on your dungeon adventures), the ability to memorize [[Summon Seismosaurus Egg]] will be made available to you.

In Jurassic Park, they knew they could, but didn't stop to think if they should. In the Dungeon, the answer is YES to both. This hulking dinosaur is the ''big gun'', the ''heavy artillery'', among other militarily pleasing expressions. Whereas your previous servants granted the power to slay individual high-level threats, the Seismosaurus welcomes a little bit of AoE (Area of Effect) to the battlefield. It blasts its surroundings every so often with devastating, undodgeable raw physical damage, and is basically an "I Win" button for anything in the Dungeon and Lair. To tap into this power, '''turn on Earth Magic and set a target to 5, then turn it on a second time to focus it''', which is done by pressing "=" inside the skill menu (m) then the letter assigned to the skill "Earth Magic". After Summon Seismosaurus Egg reaches a failure rate inferior to 10%, '''turn on Fighting, Stealth and Dodging, and set a target to 10 for the first two, and 12 for Dodging.'''

Of course, there is a catch: you checked the "wrap in a gift box" option when confirming your delivery, and TentacleMail is nothing but considerate when it comes to life's big celebrations. You'll need to spend a few turns unwrapping the payload, and this often involves being mauled by maws and claws while you are getting through the shrink wrap.

The specifics: '''the egg starts hatching as soon as a foe is within 4 tiles of it AND you are standing adjacent to it. This process does not accelerate no matter if the foe is a single rat, Geryon, Gatekeeper of Hell, or a swarm of 30 halberd gnolls.''' The rocky terrain on the ground indicates the range.

Ideally, you'll start this process while your foes are sound asleep (this is why we train Stealth!), or while a pathetic cockroach is near you and the real heavy-hitters are far away in the backline, approaching slowly until it is too late to not get blasted by prehistoric might.

This means that if you see a big group of '''non-ranged''' sleeping enemies, you should NOT rush in to "get the critical hit stabs" (you will do so little damage you might as well be healing them) or plop down your Inugami, who will immediately rush in and ruin the surprise. Instead, summon your Seismosaurus egg until it is within a 4-tile range (don't spend your whole mana bar on this), start incubating it, and unleash the Inugami if they begin waking up.

An alternative, if you have a nearby 1-tile hallway, is to meow at them ('t'-'t') and retreat into the hallway, summoning your Inugami, and then the Egg. It will hopefully be placed behind you, but even if it ends up in front, you'll still be able to incubate it with only 1 enemy attacking it. Naturally, do not do this if the enemy squad is full of polearms or extremely high damage melee.

You can also use your Surprising Crocodile to assist your egg:

..S..
.....
.....
...@.
...E.

The (E)nemy, in melee range of you, is dangerously close, and your egg (S) isn't incubating at all! Use your (C)rocodile:

..S..
...@.
...C.
...E.
.....

Much better. The egg is incubating, and your Crocodile is loyally defending you until it hatches.

Unlike other units, the Seismosaurus Egg is incapable of moving out of your way or swapping places with you. This is problematic if you cast the spell in a hallway, potentially blocking your escape route.

#####
.E@.O
#####

You can’t walk backwards to escape the ogre (O), as the (E)gg is blocking the way!

Instead of trying to melee an ogre with 0 Unarmed Combat skill, I propose an alternative - a disciplinary paw-scratch. Press 'v', select your Egg, then confirm the prompt in the message log. This will attack it, and immediately one-shot it no matter what, allowing passage again. An alternative is to recast the spell, though this is risky - it may simply land in an equally unfortunate position.

With all of that said, you should be set for clearing floors until you find the entrance to the Lair, somewhere on D:8-D:11.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Get that Kiku guy on your contacts list, then get into that Lair, in that order! I'll consider you for employee of the month if you have over 5000 turns remaining by D:8. Not that this is much of a title, considering you are my only contractor in this place. Any lower amount, and you'll have to start moving those fuzzy paws a bit faster.}}

Your faithful trio - Inugami, Crocodile and Seismosaurus - will make quick work of anything the game may attempt to impede your progress with. Remember to also put on any jewellery you may find (press capital "P") - Intelligence, Wizardry, Magical Power, Protection and Fire Protection are the best rings you could hope for (in that order), and Magic Regeneration, Regeneration, Reflection, Acrobat, Alchemy, Dissipation and Faith are the best amulets (also in that order) - for now. Avoid Guardian Spirit. Wildshape is niche, only interesting [[#A Downgrade From The Prime Feline Form (Talisman Collection)|if you found a good talisman]].

If you find a Necropolis, this could be an opportunity for instant acquirement of three degrees from the Summonings College! They are worth boatloads of experience, but can range from trivial to lethal. Inspect the ghosts within with "x"-"v", and check their kit - if they have Conjurations that could annihilate you or dangerous Summonings spells, they should be left alone. If they, however, only have a few joke cantrips or only know how to o-tab like a Minotaur Berserker, then it is time to guide them to eternal rest. '''Assuming they are not surrounded by a squad of deadly enemies''' gather up all your friends, open the door, and make them get juked by acrobatic reptiles, eat point-and-click earthquakes and be eaten by spirit-wolves until they die (for the second time in their existence).

Do NOT try your luck in weird vaults with OP enemies in them locked behind runed doors and orange transporters. They are DESIGNED by developers to exploit your greed and kill you. Nothing stops you from returning there when you actually have the required power to take them on.

=A Malodorous Fanbase (*.....)=

Allow every dopamine receptor in that brain of yours to fire up when the message:

Kikubaaqudgha grants you a gift!

appears for the first time in the message log.

Gather up your lucky trinkets and your maneki-nekos, it's time for some Kiku Gacha Lootbox opening. You will receive a batch of low-level Necromancy spells, but in truth, we only actually care about a single one of them - '''Animate Dead'''. The others are so laughably irrelevant you shouldn't even spare a single picosecond contemplating their existence. ('''Sublimation of Blood''' has a ''very'' niche use that will be discussed later.)

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] You ungrateful sack of fleas! Of all gods, I am the one to grant the most gifts to even my least precious followers, and you still have the nerve to be discontent?}}

Unfortunately, you only have a 50% chance of getting Animate Dead - the other 50% will result in Fugue of the Fallen, which is a decent melee combat spell - a discipline which your weak and unarmed kitty paws are unfortunately not well suited to. For now.

'''If you were unlucky:''' Do keep an eye out for Animate Dead in book shops or loot piles to compensate for Kiku's lack of etiquette. If you still cannot find it, it's really not a big deal. Infestation is a guaranteed gift later on, and can replace it entirely. This spell simply makes the early game smoother and is one of the three spells which may be used for the Great Slime Raid further in the run. You'll want to hold onto your Scrolls of Acquirement for a bit - until you have gotten the third star Kiku gifts and have started training your Necromancy to at least level 8. Since Acquirement is biased towards your current training, holding onto the scroll will increase your chances of obtaining Animate Dead! Now, skip the rest of this chapter, coming back to it should you eventually obtain it from another source.

You will want to memorize '''Animate Dead''' right after your Seismosaurus Egg '''is below 10% failure rate''', and immediately turn on your '''Necromancy skill, setting a target all the way to the maximum of 27.0'''.

You may have noticed that the many denizens of the Dungeon are very disrespectful of your Eminence, soon to be their overlord and army commander. Your first task will be to re-educate these ruffians into submission and obedience. '''Animate Dead''' provides a buff lasting for about a dozen turns. Each enemy slain while this buff is active has a chance to betray their former allies and serve you as a... slightly more malodorous version of themselves. These will escort you until you leave the floor, or have them perish in battle.

When '''Animate Dead''' becomes castable (<12% fail rate), you may begin playing like such:

*Initiate each battle with a batch of highly loyal summons praising how good of a <s>slaver</s> friend you are.
*Begin emanating such confidence with '''Animate Dead''' that the defeated will turn against their former companions in your name.

Now, whenever a foe is slain, there is a high chance they will become an ally - and betray their former allies, making the latter join your army in turn, and so on, until all are at your beck and call. It's just like rolling a snowball!

The little militia that will now follow you around will act as a testament to your charisma. Recasting Animate Dead will, however, dismiss all of your current servants, with the hopes of replacing them with fresher, potentially more numerous ones. Therefore, it's great practice to cast '''Animate Dead''' when encountering a pack of enemies (yaks or bees, for example, are good fodder), and to only recast it once your lackeys are falling apart.

{{flavour|[[File:Yredelemnul altar.png]] This is way too complicated for the fluffball that serves as your brain. Join me instead, and gain permanent reaping of the deceased instead of trying to emulate my power with puny magic!}}

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Pah! Don't listen to my competitor. Their worshippers are brutes and thugs, whose first word at birth was "Axe".}}

Some extra useful tips about this spell:

* Non-living enemies (like Will-o-Wisps from Swamp), demons, angels and already undead creatures will never be recruited.
* High speed enemies, like bees, frogs or snakes will always catch up with you, and will swarm enemies before you even see them on your monitor! Boulder beetles are actually quite slow, and won't get to keep their signature rolling attack.
* Hydrae are hideously overpowered and will play the game for you.

Kiku grants the ability "Unearth Wretches" very early for on-demand zombie creation. I suggest not using it in the Dungeon, as the results will be disappointing. Wow! A cockroach zombie with 3 damage!! Why thank you, you shouldn't have. It's the intention that counts, Kiku.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] I didn't even mean to send these over. I was just doing some housekeeping, brushing up my skulls, sacrifical altars and blood fountains, and accidentally threw a kobold into an interdimensional wormhole. Hate when that happens.}}

Save your piety and ignore it for now.

=A Downgrade From The Prime Feline Form (Talisman Collection)=

While running around, you may come across one of the rare item types that Felids can use: Talismans. Ctrl-F, then write "talis" to find if you missed any.

Cats have a -2 aptitude to Shapeshifting, because they rightfully consider any transformation to be a downgrade. However, to compensate for this, they lose nothing from melded equipment slots, whereas other species mourn the loss of their artefact ring mails and other puny trinkets.

Unless you dream of going to the extended endgame, this is not a build where you'll be using top tier Talismans. However, you should consider the following:

- '''Inkwell Talismans''' (min LV 0 Shapeshifting) are, in the early game, an upgrade. They require 0 Shapeshifting skill to use, make you immune to poison and grant better success rates on all your spells and more mana capacity. If you find one anywhere before entering Lair, you should use it. It will become obsolete when you learn your first level 5+ spell (as these are banned while in Scroll Form), but will assist you greatly until then. There is just the problem of that pesky Fire vulnerability. The upsides are strong enough to make me use this Talisman despite the "never be Vulnerable as a Felid" rule, but you should be especially wary of even basic orc wizards throwing flame at you. If you want to fight fire damage enemies and have the luxury to disengage, untransform before really beginning to stir up trouble.

- '''Flux Baubles''' (min LV 5 Shapeshifting) are normally used for their great melee attack potential. However, they dissipate after a certain number of attacks. The solution: never melee attack. This will let you abuse the EV bonus from Flux Form for a very long time. Simply train at least level '''5 Shapeshifting''', and sit in this form forever. I tend to go for around 8 Shapeshifting to really get a nice bonus. You will lose a lot of Stealth, however. You will untransform from Flux when you die, or when you use "End Transformation" in the (a)bility menu.

- '''Rimehorn Talismans''' (min LV 8 Shapeshifting) are good for two reasons: AC at a very low cost, and Ice Magic Wizardry. The only reason the latter is good in the context of this build is that it makes the strong spell Rimeblight much easier to use. The downsides are somewhat significant - Fire Vulnerability, which you'll absolutely want to pad with a fire resistance or plain fire ring. You will also lose a bit of EV from the much increased size, and worst of all, you won't be a cute kitty anymore. If you have and want Rimeblight, consider training '''level 8 Shapeshifting''', but this isn't a "must-have", I sometimes just purchase more Ice Magic with my skillpoints instead if I already have good Wizardry/Intelligence rings. In a safe location, you can use the Rimehorn Talisman with 0 Shapeshifting skill and check how this makes your Rimeblight failrate change to help in your decision. Untransform afterwards to not get oneshotted.

- '''Medusa Talismans''' (min LV 8 Shapeshifting) give rPois and a forgettable petrification emergency passive. Really, the only reason to train for this is for the rPois. If you are heading into the Snake Pits and have no other source of it, level Shapeshifting to 8 and enjoy the peace of mind. I also like having this online for the Lair if I found an amulet of Wildshape.

- '''Hive Talismans''' (min LV 17 Shapeshifting) are the main ingredient of the [[#The Forbidden Kikubeequdgha Build (Staying with Kiku)|Forbidden Kikubeequdgha build]]. Hold onto it - it will be at the heart of a difficult decision later on.

=The Most Important Lootbox of All (***...)=

Depending on when you started your worship of Kiku, this may happen before even entering Lair, or at some moment while you are clearing it. Regardless, you will eventually read once again the message:

Kikubaaqudgha grants you a gift!

Well, well, well. Looks like we've got another Kiku Gacha Lootbox on our paws!

Here is my tier list of possible outcomes:

* '''S: A Run-Defining Asset''': Death Channel, Rimeblight
* '''A: Great, Though Not Required''': Anguish, Dispel Undead
* '''B: Could Do Better''': Martyr's Knell, Cigotuvi's Putrefaction, Borgnjor's Vile Clutch
* '''F: Insult to Feline Glory''': Curse of Agony

You'll always get half of these, chosen at random.

'''If you didn't get Death Channel, but got Animate Dead previously:''' You won't get to taste the absolute full power of your undead armies, but you'll still be able to raid the Slime Pits quite soon. You'll still want to check every book shop and loot pile for a chance at acquiring it.

'''If you have neither Death Channel nor Animate Dead (18% chance, assuming no lucky floor/shop drops):''' Hmph. RNGesus isn't rooting for your victory, I see. This will be a little troublesome when it comes to "bridging the gap" between the early game and having '''Infestation''' online, a task which you'll find much easier with +Intelligence and Wizardry rings. If you really can't find them by the time you get to the "Slime Raid" (after Lair and the Orcish Mines), I have placed advice for you in that section. For now, check your Scrolls of acquirement in case you'll find those spells inside, and loot the Orcish Mines after Lair to see if any shops contain these two signature necromantic incantations.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Commerce? Capitalism?! My spells are 100% locally sourced, woven by the expert craftsmanship of unionized and esteemed skeleton artisans! You would resort to purchasing mass-produced, store-bought necromancy that's probably also full of microplastics? You and me have a lot of work to do before we can get along with each other.}}

If you get Anguish, you should learn it as soon as possible, and '''also turn on Hexes and set a target to 8.0'''. Because Felids are so adorable and masters of mind-manipulation, you have a +4 aptitude to it!

No matter what you obtain, even if you are getting garbage, if you have not done so already, '''turn on Necromancy and set a target to 27.0'''.

As for that "Unearth Wretches" active ability... '''I strongly recommend saving up your piety to reach the gifts faster. The only case where you should use it is if you have Animate Dead and/or Death Channel active and need help in the Lair against a huge horde of hungry animals. See the next chapter.'''

=Employee Tour at the Zoo (The Lair)=

A place filled to the brim with creatures that mostly only know how to walk fast and melee attack, put against your most loyal servants which precisely exploit these vulnerabilities. Who will win? If you guessed the former, you are wrong. It is scientifically impossible to lose with my guide.

* The Crocodile decimates black mambas, spiny frogs, komodo dragons, polar bears and hydras.
* The Seismosaurus will annihilate packs of yaks, killer bees, wolves, blink frogs, and even death yaks (though those make take a few castings and a bit of kiting, alongside the occasional Crocodile).
* The Inugami is simply always good.
* If you have it, Animate Dead generates even more support.
* Eventually, if you also get it, Death Channel is similarly highly useful.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] For some reason, the architects of this place decided a place filled with dangerous wildlife and inaccessible architecture would make a great place for a central hub. You'll have to come back to this place at least a whopping three times - for all 3 S-Branches, so there is little time to waste. Do not explore more than half of Lair:1. In Lair:2 and Lair:3, your main objective is locating those 2 first S-Branch gates - once both are visible, you can go down to Lair:4 and Lair:5, where you'll have to pinpoint that Slime Pits entrance. You always have less time than you think in this place, get moving! Try to keep at least 600 leftover turns when you complete the Lair.}}

Have a glance once in a while at your jewelry collection by pressing "P". Rings of wizardry and intelligence reign supreme. Rings of Protection, Magical Power or Fire Resistance (for steam dragons, lindwurms and fire crabs) will significantly contribute to your survivability. Rings of Dexterity or Evasion are passable, and everything else is pretty much "slightly better than nothing". Amulets of Guardian Spirit should not be worn unless they are a particularly amazing artefact.

Prioritize wearing an Amulet of Magic Regeneration to replenish your forces quickly - Regeneration is the second best option, Reflection, the third, Acrobat, the fourth, Alchemy, the fifth, Dissipation, the sixth, Faith, the seventh (On Demigods, it will print a message saying "You feel a surge of self-confidence", but there is no such message for Felids, because they already have maximum self-confidence), and Guardian Spirit, the worst possible option (enjoy losing access to all your summons because you took one wrong step). If you somehow find the mythical artefact "Amulet of Vitality", congratulations, you have won the game - it is disgustingly powerful on a Felid. As for the Amulet of Wildshape, it is only good if you have [[#A Downgrade From The Prime Feline Form (Talisman Collection)|an interesting low-level Talisman]].

Should you encounter elemental threats (such as the mage [[Fannar]], an [[Efreet]], or a [[Lindwurm]]), swap on a ring granting a relevant resistance! It is extremely fast to do so. Just don't forget to put your normal ring back on afterwards, if you had one. '''Do not casually run around with an elemental vulnerability (rF-/rC-) on a Felid.''' You WILL be oneshotted.

If you run into trouble, it will likely be caused by:

* Blink frogs. They tend to sneak behind you no matter your masterful positioning by blinking frenetically. Do not hesitate to send a few zaps of your wands their way to teach them some discipline. They make quite good zombies!
* Catoblepas and Basilisks have a love for garden ornaments, and would delight in turning you into one of them - do not ever stand 2 turns in a row in the calcifying breath of the former, and ensure multiple allies block you from the stunning gaze of the latter. Seismosaurus Eggs are immune to petrification. If you see the message "You are slowing down" and you're put against a lonely Basilisk, feel free to spawn a few friends and have them handle everything while you stand there as a pretty feline statue. However, getting petrified in dangerous screens is a death sentence, and you should read a scroll of teleportation or quaff a potion of cancellation before you turn to stone.
* Dream sheep can simply choose to put you to sleep from across the entire screen, which also allows any creature which would hit you to deal immensely boosted damage. If you are well defended by varied summons - and maybe also have Animate Dead/Death Channel active - they will handle all the lowly grunt work while you sleep like the spoiled feline noble you are. If you get taken by surprise, though, prepare for an emergency - Scrolls of Fear in particular should give you some breathing room.
* Hydrae die easily to intelligently chained Crocodiles and Eggs/Inugamis. If they touch you, however, you may very well go from full HP to an empty health bar. If you used a staircase while a hydra was visible, using that staircase again will probably result in it ambushing you and immediately oneshotting you the moment you press ">". Do avoid this unfortunate scenario. Mind the fact that they get a massive speed boost in water (including the one left behind by your Crocodile).
* Skysharks, in similar fashion, should not touch you, as their damage and speed increases with every melee hit they land (represented as Might, then Berserk buffs). They are a top tier threat, and are deserving of getting blasted with wands on sight. DO NOT try to use Scrolls of fear if they are berserked. It will do nothing.
* Ravens are trivial to annihilate, but will peskily curse you with Doom if you allow them to have a clear line of fire. Always be hiding behind a wall of flesh... or eggshell. If you receive a Bane, I talk about them more in [[#Kiku's Troll Carousel (Banes)|this section]].

Huge welcoming party? Got marked and the entire country of Australia is coming after you? Both Animate Dead and Death Channel are memorized and castable? Make sure both buffs are active, then try '''Unearth Wretches'''. I recommend using this ability as little as possible to reach ****** piety faster, but the effects are spectacular with 1 to 3 uses of it when it is most needed. Cast one or both spells, activate Unearth Wretches from your 'a' menu, and watch the screen flood with allies. If possible, pop some Anguish casts to add 100% reflection damage into the mix, cook, and serve. Do not touch the '''Sign of Ruin''' invocation, it is not worth your piety.

You may encounter some dangerous uniques in the Lair. Urug, Fannar, Gastronok and Nessos in particular may destroy you before you even realize what just happened. The counter to each one of those is, respectively, Amulet of Reflection/Anguish for Urug, Ring of Cold Resistance for Fannar (if you are level 12 or higher, your feline fur gives you cold resistance naturally!), scroll of Silence for Gastronok and Wand of Polymorph and/or Anguish for Nessos (and potentially Amulet of Reflection). If you possess the counter, use it, and then feel free to test their mettle against your faithful friends, but if you do not have this counter, set an exclusion with “x”-“e” and do not come back until you have cleared Lair:5. ESPECIALLY if they are wielding some overpowered gear.

You may also encounter Sonja. Her HP bar is made out of paper. But don't let her touch you. She has tickets for a free cruise to the Abyss. You do not want those. Her Willpower is utter trash, making her ridiculously vulnerable to any hex wand, or Anguish.

Ah, yes, there is also Rupert. You need not fear the Paralysis (perhaps humanoid body-builders freeze in fear before the sight of one infinitely more ripped than they are) - but you might fear the huge axe getting swung around at light speed by a berserked, unstoppable wall of meat. If you push Eggs over and over and do nothing else, it will NOT work out. You MUST take further action. I have had some success with a Potion of Brilliance to churn out Crocodiles and kite back until devastation has been completed - but there is little overkill here. Use your items! A scroll of Summoning tends to have splendid results.

Ice Caves and Volcanoes? '''Death traps.''' Do not attempt them. Do NOT even enter them. You won't even be able to use the loot.

Gauntlets’ difficulty vary on the enemies you find inside - if you see a valuable book containing some awesome spells (see the next chapter), I encourage you to try your luck, but otherwise, it is not worth battling dangerous enemies in a cramped space that will limit the effectiveness of your allies. You can inspect a Gauntlet's contents by fully autoexploring the level, then doing a Ctrl-F search with "@" as the input, which will list all items in the Gauntlet. As for the Minotaur at the end - the javelins are absolutely brutal, but if you can read a Scroll of Vulnerability, then cast Anguish, the poor cow-person will simply two-shot themselves.

'''Do not try to take on the Minotaur without the help of any consumables or evokables.''' You won't win. You should NOT attempt a Gauntlet if your plan for the Minotaur is to just throw summons at it and pray it somehow works out. It will NOT.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Well, the earthy gem is down there, in Lair:5 - the first one you'll be collecting for me. This could be the start of a fantastic partnership, or of my eternal disappointment in you.}}

=Compendium of Sinister Plans (Midgame Spells)=

Once you are reaching the lower levels of the Lair, it is time to update your spell repertoire.

You should now plan to have:

* Call Canine Familiar
* Eringya's Surprising Crocodile
* Summon Seismosaurus Egg
* Animate Dead OR a spell from this list if you did not find it
* One or two more spells from this list (if you opt to pick up two spells, they should not take up more than 11 slots together).

Not enough slots? Train Spellcasting! Each slice of 0.5 Spellcasting levels will grant 1 slot. Do not train this more than you actually need, set your training targets properly. Each general XP character level also grants 1 free slot.

'''About Scrolls of Amnesia:''' if you are swimming in the stuff (3 or more scrolls), feel free to remove Summon Small Mammal and Call Imp - their respective demiplanes will thank you for ceasing your kidnappings. The problem is that spending an entire amnesia scroll (which are rare and valuable) to free up one or two measly spell slots might prevent you much later on from getting your mid and late game spells when you need them most. If you do not have many scrolls, instead wait until you are trying to memorize Haunt, and forget Summon Seismosaurus Egg and/or Call Canine Familiar at that point.

You'll want to not take up every slot you have available right now - you'll need 7 for Haunt soon, and 8 for Infestation in a bit. Try to leave behind 3 available slots at minimum.

'''I have ranked the following from most to least desirable:'''

'''[[Death Channel]]''' (Level 6 Necromancy) - '''Extremely powerful, #1 priority.''' Like Animate Dead, it is another self-buff you can stick onto your 'e' keyboard macro. Its effect is simple: instead of letting the innocent souls of both living and demonic beings voyage into the afterlife to meet their relatives, you will force the essences of their being to stay behind and cause suffering to their former friends and coworkers. The sheer mass of allies produced is truly a spectacular sight - you may have Animate Dead and Death Channel activated at the same time, in which case every kill will generate up to two allies, flooding the entire screen with green circles in record time. Unlike Animate Dead, as soon as the status expires, your entire protective wall of spectres will vaporize in a single turn, and reveal some very unamused individuals who will gladly charge in and destroy your defenseless scruff. Do ensure you have some less ephemeral allies as backup.

Remember: at this stage of the game, if you aren't pressing the Death Channel button every single time something vaguely resembling an enemy appears on your screen, you should be passing the keyboard to an actual cat, who will no doubt play much more competently than you.

Spectres, unlike zombies, can also see invisible creatures and fly over liquids no matter their original species, which is interesting when such details matter.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] I am a firm believer that everyone deserves a second shot in life. Or death, rather. Didn't visit that natural park you always wanted to go to? Couldn't tell your crush you loved them before getting crushed by a rock? Ran out of motivation to write your DCSS guide? Become a mindless thrall and forget about all your regrets! What, did you think I'd actually give you the chance to do these things you missed? Get real.}}

'''[[Anguish]]''' (Level 4 Necromancy/Hexes) - Ah, the ultimate answer to the thing Felids despise most - creatures with unreal quantities of ranged damage. This spell attempts to curse the entire screen with 100% reflection damage, meaning all damage they inflict on both you and allies... will be dealt back to them in full. Yes, dear lindwurm, do shoot a fire bolt through my horde of yak zombies, that will totally end well for you.

The lindwurm is wracked by anguish!!!!
The lindwurm dies!

I especially recommend you try it on: orc priests, meliai, any early game dragon, centaurs and their warrior variants, uniques with disgustingly overpowered spells... You have to beat their Willpower, but as any tyrannical regime would tell you, repetition is the key to domination! If the foe of interest has Will++ or less when you examine them, simply cast the spell again until they are successfully cursed.

If you cast the zpell from the 'z?' menu, you'll be able to move the cursor over each enemy and check the percentage chance of successfully landing the curse. Will+++ or even Will++++, like death yaks, or the Minotaur at the end of a gauntlet? No problem. Simply read a Scroll of Vulnerability to cut that confidence in half, and they will regret ever contemplating hurting a fluffball as adorable as you are. Consider that your Willpower will also be divided by two, which can be problematic if that means a nearby enemy spellcaster can easily land a nasty Paralyze or Banishment on you.

Brainless or artificial enemies (from gently gurgling '''jellies''' to the dreaded '''Orbs of Fire''') have no concept of love, hate or righteousness, and will remain completely unaffected by Anguish. They won't be unaffected, however, by your swarm consuming them.

Seismosaurus Eggs become a DEVOURER OF GODS when put against Anguished enemies, who will be blasted both by the immense guilt of damaging your precious dino-friend, and by the more literal earthquake of bone-breaking rock that will ensue.

I like to put Anguish on my "Q"uiver, and to cast it with "p" right after I have unrolled a batch of summons. 2-3 casts for a single enemy should be your maximum number of attempts - '''do not spend your entire mana bar trying to curse a particularly rebellious specimen'''! You do not want to be left with zero mana - and a very angry reptile in your face - because you tried and failed to curse a Hydra 6 times in a row.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] The Wu Jian council always lectures its followers to "use the enemy's strength against themselves". I try to do the exact same thing, and somehow, now it's "evil" just because it's me doing it? What injustice!}}

'''[[Blink]]''' (Level 2 Translocations) - Ah, yes, it's that one spell which every single DCSS character wants. You are playing a game called DCSS, yes? '''Train Translocations, and set a target to 5.0'''. You'll also need to REMEMBER TO USE IT, which is the worst thing about this spell. I like to bind it to a macro on Spacebar. If the button is bigger, it causes more neurons to fire in my brain. Which makes me actually use Blink when might-hasted Donald is in my face instead of drinking a Potion of Heal Wounds only to get oneshotted immediately afterwards. Remember, this spell has a cooldown of a few turns after use.

===The Wilderness Trinity===

No Death Channel? Kiku isn't feeling the festive cheer and is gifting you utter trash? Try these on for size. I recommend ignoring this section if you have good necromantic spells.

It's called the Wilderness trinity because they all appear in one of the random spellbooks, named the Book of the Wilderness. You may also find them in various other tomes!

'''[[Summon Mana Viper]]''' (LV 5 Hexes/Summonings): It moves fast. It hits hard. It knows how to do nothing except those two things. It also demolishes enemy spellcasters by applying its dastardly antimagic venom on every hit. Does that remind you of anyone? Indeed. This is just like having a Vine Stalker Berserker of Trog by your side. Enjoy. '''Turn on Hexes with a target of 8.0 if you wish to use this spell.''' '''Maximum Summon Capacity: 1.'''

'''[[Summon Forest]]''' (LV 5 Translocations/Summonings): This one requires open space to be cast, which renders it useless in hallways - which the Lair and Mines are interestingly very scarce in. Successfully using this spell results in a maze-like formation of tree-walls, which are ''immune to damage'', ''block Line-Of-Sight'', and ''deal heavy melee damage to nearby foes''. Feel free to run around the maze while pursued by an angry pack of animals - they will simply bring about their doom. If you can keep the dryad alive long enough, snapvine tentacles will eventually start to spawn, which will utterly decimate anything still alive. They also constrict enemies, making them easier to hit by your other summons! If you quiver this spell with "Q", you will be able to see on the sidebar when the spell has enough space to be casted (the text will be coloured). The price for such power? '''Turn on Translocations and set the target to 8.0'''. '''Maximum Summon Capacity: 1.'''

'''[[Summon Cactus Giant]]''' (LV 6 Summ): It's Anguish if it was a living creature. Its role is very similar - stand in hallway, tank hits, eventually destroy the attacker without doing anything. The melee damage of the Cactus Giant is decent, but each hit it receives inflicts heavy reflection damage. It’s perfect to use against those pesky hydras, and should be your go-to 1v1 spell against high damage melee targets. It has a great synergy with a couple of spells:

* Summon Forest: While foes take damage bludgeoning their way through the Giant, they take even more punishment from the berserk trees surrounding them!
* Anguish: Double the reflection damage. Goodbye, melee enemies.
* Martyr's Knell: A twice bigger health pool to apply even more reflection damage throughout its lifespan. Longer duration, more time to regenerate mana, a great opportunity to recast this spell and do it all over again!

'''You will need around Summonings level 14 to use this spell.''' '''Maximum Summon Capacity: 1.'''

===Consolation Prizes===

'''[[Borgnjor's Vile Clutch]]''' (Level 5 Necromancy/Earth) - '''Warning: This is decent, but you can do better. Get the spells above instead if possible.''' It's a beam. It ignores allies. Point, click, and everything in its path that doesn't resist constriction, isn't located on a deep water/lava tile and hasn't sworn allegiance to your indisputable leadership will be irresistibly crushed into a fine paste and denied the ability to move. Resist the temptation to run around going squish-squish-squish on everything you see without casting any other spell - you will demolish a yak pack. You will think to yourself "wow I'm so OP". You will annihilate a hydra. "haha I am unstoppable". You will come face to face with a black mamba. You have no zombie yaks or hydras protecting you because you thought it would be funnier to give a few animals a power massage. You get fully poisoned and die. This spell is a ''complement'', not the main carry. You will need to '''train Earth Magic, and set a target to 6.0'''.

'''[[Martyr's Knell]]''' (Level 4 Necromancy/Summonings) - '''Warning: This is decent, but you can do better. Get the spells above instead if possible.''' Is your wall of undead flesh and soul getting deconstructed too fast by rampaging elephants? Clearly, your makeshift RPG party has too many fighters, and needs a cleric. This poor soul does absolutely nothing except absorb 50% of all damage taken by ''any'' of your allies, trying its best to regenerate away the harm constantly imposed upon it. When it inevitably has its health bar popped like a balloon, it turns into a Flayed Ghost, which splatters blood all over the place and causes a great deal of drama and spectacle. Said Ghost is quite good at fighting (especially in the Lair), but extremely fragile. Therefore, when a Martyr transforms, you may immediately bring out a new one to help protect this Ghost, and that new one will also turn, until you now have 3 Ghosts at the same time and enough blood to receive a lifetime title of honour at your local blood bank. So much for 'evil' magic. There is also a great synergy with Anguish - Martyrs can take a great deal of punishment, which allows for truly great amounts of mirrored damage!

===Wizards' Corner===

If, for some reason, you are completely decked out in Wizardry, Intelligence and yet Kiku is insulting you with its "gifts", you can consider the level 7 dual school Summonings spells ''Malign Gateway'' or ''Sphinx Sisters''. Their other school is, respectively, Translocations and Hexes, which cats both benefit from a +4 aptitude for!

[[#More Tentacles (Summonings)|They are explained more in depth right here]].

=The Necromantic Apex (******)=

'''If you found the Kiku altar later than usual, come back to this section IMMEDIATELY when you reach 6 stars!'''

Alright, this is the big moment. As soon as you are notified with the message:

Kikubaaqudgha will grant you forbidden knowledge.

Immediatately open your 'a'bility menu, and use "Receive Forbidden Knowledge". You will be gifted, every single time, '''Haunt''', '''Infestation''', Borgnjor's Revivification and '''Death's Door'''. Only 3 of these are of interest to this build. I believe you have guessed which ones already.

Infestation and Death's Door will be quite far away from usable status. But, if you have obeyed my every word (I see no alternative), Haunt should be near 45% if you are still in the Lair, or near 30% failure rate if you are in the Mines. Intelligence and Wizardry jewellry helps a ton here. Memorize it as soon as possible - [[#The Velvet Path Begins (First Forbidden Spell)|explanations on how to do so are featured here]].

'''IMPORTANT: Now that you have fully emptied Kiku's warehouse of plentiful gifts, the god now serves only one purpose in life (or rather, unlife): your personal Unearth Wretches spambot.''' Don't believe me? Have a look at the list of offered abilities:

* Torment protection, an almost useless resistance to have, except in the very late-game.
* Death curse protection, an even more useless resistance, only of interest in the Tomb, a super late-game branch.
* The ability to invoke a Sign of Ruin, which burns precious piety stars that could have simply been used to send out an even greater legion of allies.
* Miscast protection, which does not actually block the truly bad part of miscasts - not getting to cast the spell.
* '''The only actually good ability, Unearth Wretches.'''

You will receive no further gifts. Your piety bar serves '''no other purpose besides spamming Unearth Wretches'''. You will only lose Unearth Wretches should you reach the '''minimum''' possible piety level, which is ZERO stars.

From now on, at ANY moment where you feel a challenge is in sight, do the following:

* Make sure your ally-creation buffs are active (Animate Dead and/or Death Channel)
* Unearth Wretches 1 to 3 times in a row, depending on how much assistance you require, and depending on whether the Wretches are dropping plentifully (5 wargs!!!) or are utter trash (is that... a single orc?)

The types of creatures summoned by Unearth Wretches fully depends on which branch you are currently in. That's right - the more OP the enemies are, the stronger this ability becomes. If you use it in Swamp, expect to get a whole bounty of hydrae ready to decimate all opposition. This is why it's unimpressive in the Dungeon - as it can bring out pitifully weak critters from D:1. Now that you actually have Necromancy trained a bit, you might get a cyclops or some centaur warriors, which are interesting enough.

Once you have claimed Forbidden Knowledge, if you have both Animate Dead and Death Channel ready and castable but have not cleared the Orcish Mines yet, you can proceed earlier than usual to the [[#For True Sabretooth Tigers (Annihilating the Slime Pits With A Giga-Army)|great slime raid]]. This is rare, but especially lucky kitties can enjoy an even softer Kiku wrath by switching up the order.

= Pig-People and Pig-Iron (Orcish Mines) =

Clear the Dungeon until you find the entrance to the Mines (it appears on D:9 to D:12) if you haven’t done so already. '''Do NOT descend into the Dungeon any further! You will need these floors to remain unexplored to rank up Jiyva's piety bar later.''' Now, delve into the brown-hued staircase.

Extra spicy death trap welcoming party? Animate Dead, Death Channel, Unearth Wretches. If you have already reached the maximum tier of piety (******), do not hesitate, but if not, use Unearth Wretches only if you need it! Your piety is precious, and (******) should be inching close by now.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Would you look at how good of a boss I am? You get a vacation here. Feel free to take your time here, there is no gem of interest to me in this place.}}

Orcs are not especially renowned for gentles caresses. Especially not the ones with a red danger square around them. In particular, avoid orc knights, warlords, and especially ettins from breathing on your scruff. In the Mines, the popcorn (DCSS term for very easy but numerous foes) is plentiful, and the sources of ranged damage even more so. This means that '''Anguish''' is an absolute star player here, easily beating orcs' pitiful Willpower and generating gargantuan armies of zombies and spectres in tandem with Animate Dead/Death Channel. '''Summon Seismosaurus Egg ''' also excels at thinning out the hordes.

Some notable foes:

* Orc sorcerers make most characters tremble in fear, because they have the overpowered Paralyze spell. You are not most characters. You most likely will not be paralyzed due to your infinite feline self-confidence. What such charisma won't protect you from, however, is a laser beam of pure blazing fire in your face. These (or the darkness damage variant) can twoshot you. They fall quickly to Anguish, but ring-swapping to obtain relevant resistances may prove interesting if you are being threatened.
* Kobold blastminers have a cute little ranged weapon. They like to go pew-pew-pew with it. It doesn't do that much damage. What does do damage, on the other hand, is the titanic cannonball they are packing (Bombard) should you get into semi-close range. Do not walk into a 4-tile radius of these without any ally in between - you will be - you guessed it - twoshotted.
* Orc high priests, and the aforementioned sorcerer can summon some demonic allies. Most are fairly weak, but Soul eaters will constantly smite you for darkness damage from across the screen (rN+ helps) and sixfirhies move at lightspeed and twoshot you with huge lightning damage. Did you know "sixfirhy" were originally named after a cat walking on the keyboard of a DCSS developer? It's true! Anyhow, kill that sorcerer/high priest and their friends will vanish, never to be seen again. Direct your minions to focus fire on these walking YASDs with “t”-“a”. Evokables, like wands, can prove useful for this. Using a staircase will also never have summoned demons follow you through it.
* Obsidian bats are extremely annoying hit and run summoners, kind of like a newly released class with mobility creep from a pay2win game. In all cases, the Seismosaurus is your saviour.

There are many possible layouts in Orc:2 - one in particular is peppered with centaurs of all types, and is extremely risky to clear - make ample use of fog/butterfly scrolls, chokepoints, and corners. A few other layouts will invite the attention of Saint Roka herself, which you should only ever duel when she is alone, as she uses Smite almost every other turn. A Scroll of Vulnerability alongside Anguish redirects those smites back to sender! A particularly entertaining vault is filled to the brim with dozens upon dozens of ogres, and while it's quite terrorizing for most characters, you should laugh it off and collect enough gold pieces to replace the clay pellets in your litterbox - as ogres make for excellent undead.

The more unfortunate among you may also encounter Azrael, or rather, Supreme Turbo Augmented Orc Priest of Mega-Doom. Most of his spells are fairly reasonable and can be tanked by your devoted friends, aside from one: Call Down Damnation. It will not oneshot you, but it can certainly twoshot you, and there is absolutely nothing stopping him from spamming it. The easiest way to deal with him is to sip on a Potion of Invisibility, then command your swarm to delete him as quickly as possible. He is vulnerable to icy damage, so a wand of iceblast tends to explode the last specks in his HP bar if your army found itself insufficient for taking him down. He also has low Willpower, which means the spell that starts with "Ang" and ends with "uish" works tremendously well. Do not even think about using Scrolls of Silence, for all his spells come from his raw, primal hatred of cats incarnated into spheres of blazing fire.

Speaking of the latter, if you have a strong batch of allies, think about using scrolls of Silence! They will render all of the orcish upper caste incapable of blasting you with Beogh's fist, demons or elemental wrath. Even Saint Roka will be forced to rely only on her sword (fair warning: she knows how to use it).

Finally, if you find yourself before a gigantic crowd susceptible to remote detonating you with a one turn quadra-smite, consider a scroll of Immolation. Not only does it score a large quantity of points in the EXPLOSIONS department, killing a single orc with a wand or even having your Inugami detonate on death is bound to wipe out the screen. Of course, refrain from any pyromaniac tendencies if you are adjacent to two or more enemies with Inner Flame. More explosions can be survived with rF+.

Orc:2 is guaranteed to contain at least 4 shops. Unfortunately, we are still in the Fantasy Middle Ages. Big Data and targeted marketing has not been invented yet. Therefore, these dull merchants will, most of the time, try to sell you OP demon swords and crystal plate armours you can't even use. Perhaps, with some luck, a fine librarian fellow will sell you one of those necromantic spells Kiku might have refused to gift to you.

Exercise caution around strange upstairs in Orc:2 marked as unexplored. They tend to lead to tight pockets with a jolly, welcoming community of trolls and orc knights right in your face, and a free ride back to the character selection screen. There is little harm in just checking, but consider if it's really worth trading a potential life for 100 gold on the floor.

===The Velvet Path Begins (First Forbidden Spell)===

With the Mines and Lair standing behind you, it is time to make a choice. But first, allow me to introduce you to the next spell in the roster. You should memorize it as soon as it reaches below 20% failure rate! Not enough spell slots? Use a Scroll of Amnesia and remove Summon Seismosaurus Egg. I believe you must be getting tired of that thing doing absolutely nothing and dying. Call Canine Familiar is also a reasonable candidate. If you have no such scrolls, train Spellcasting - remember, 0.5 skill levels = 1 spell slot.

'''[[Haunt]]''' (Level 7 Necromancy/Summonings) allows you to point and click any foe on your screen to send a squad of undead hitmen after it. They are professionals for three main reasons:

* Punctuality. They immediately spawn in right next to the Creature of Interest.
* Efficiency. Not only do they deal huge damage, they also lock the Creature of Interest in place and dish out Slow and Willpower/2 debuffs like candy. Invisible enemies? They have never heard of such an obstacle.
* Discretion. Once their grisly work is complete, they will swiftly evaporate out of reality, awaiting their next contract. Still, you may occasionally spot them damaging or even slaying some bystanders - can't have the word spreading around, after all.

Beyond the obvious assassination benefits, there are synergies with other necromantic spells as well:

* '''Anguish''': Since Haunt immediately dials up a considerable amount of allies, it's just more hitpoint to feed into the reflect-damage engine.
* '''Borgnjor's Vile Clutch''': Is the Creature of Interest dodging all assassination attempts like the leader of some totalitarian regime? Perhaps they won't be laughing as much once you reduce their Evasion to near zero by applying constriction, thus letting the ghostly specialists carry out their grim task with great ease.

Bind them to the keyboard macro you used for the spell you have forgotten with the Scroll of Amnesia (Ctrl-D to do so). Haunt can have '''up to 8 spectral assassins out at once''', so if one cast didn't bring them all out, you can dial 1-800-KILLTHATDUDE again and tell them to get moving by immediately recasting the spell. There really is no reason to not have these guys out constantly. They do good work, and they only take up 7 mana in pay.

Well. "Only" 7 mana. Is it just me, or these spells sure are getting quite hungry? I mean, all those Anguish casts, summons, self-buffs, and now awesome spectral hitmen? This flimsy mana bar just isn't cutting it.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Well? Look around your library, perhaps I tossed Sublimation of Blood in your general direction. Or perhaps not. I am getting forgetful for my age. Which is many thousand millenias.}}

No, no. That flimsy health bar isn't cutting it either, now is it? Transferring the problem from the blue bar to the green bar isn't going to solve our problems.

{{flavour|[[File:Jiyva altar.png]] ''An oddly inviting, squishy sound resounds through the Dungeon.''}}

=A Divine Heist (God-Swap Explanations)=

Now comes the part where this guide takes a highly controversial strategic choice: preparing to abandon Kikubaaqudgha in favour of Jiyva.

'''(DO NOT DO IT JUST YET!)'''

Abandoning gods in DCSS is, almost always, a poor decision, with rare exceptions. I believe this is one of those exceptions. You should already know by now that Unearth Wretches is Kiku's only good ability. Now let us look at what Jiyva offers:

* Free HP and MP regeneration that is exactly equivalent to wearing, somehow, four amulets of HPRegen and MPRegen at the same time.
* Endless mutation drops, granting boons such as free rF+, free rC+, free AC, free SH or free HP bonuses, all extremely difficult to acquire on a Felid. Press capital 'A' to see your current mutations.
* Instant emergency endgame summons from the Slime Pits when taking sudden, large amounts of damage (also known as "an average day" for a Felid), which can fight and demolish even the strongest foes.
* An active ability that oneshots any melee range living or corporeal undead creature, no questions asked.
* Complete pacification of all gelatinous creatures, some of which count themselves among the most feared foes of DCSS.
* A free rune of Zot.
* rCorr. For free.
* The so-called "downside" of having slurping jellies roam around every level and digest all items they can find - except artifacts, runes and gems -, the vast majority of which you never could use anyhow.

The Slime God has not received the attention of anything sapient in a very long time, and will be overjoyed enough to shower you in piety after just a bit of exploration. I won't lie, it sucks to have some great scrolls be devoured before your very eyes. I judge it to be a small sacrifice compared to-

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Turncoat! Betrayer! You lawless toxoplasmosis-infested flea-ridden fuzz-thing! How dare you suggest abandoning the righteous forces of evil and torture for some first-grader slime making experiments?}}

Right, there's also the whole "divine wrath" thing. Let's unpack this. For the next 5-8 floors, you will have to deal with:

* Occasional Symbols of Torment. These are usually not triggered in dangerous moments, but when they are, enemies are also tormented as if you had just read a Scroll of Torment. In any case, Jiyva's first piety star (*.....) will immediately grant the first rank of their regeneration passive.
* Occasional HP drain. This is a very annoying part. Losing 30 max HP for a short time can hurt, as it's not like you had a lot of the stuff to go around in the first place. Thankfully, you will never lose more than 50% of your max HP. '''This bypasses rN+, do not try to use it to shield yourself.''' Dying as a Felid removes all HP drain.
* Slain enemies will occasionally be revived in undead form. These are generally weak on their own - the more annoying part is that it steals your chance at reanimating them with your own magic. Dispel Undead - a spell which Kiku may have gifted you - makes swift work of the annoying revived undead they keep throwing your way. This is completely optional and I usually don't bother, but it may interest you. It also finds uses against all kinds of standard issue undead enemies, such as bog bodies (Swamp) or Pharaoh Ants (Spider Nest).
* Rarely (5% chance), casting a Necromancy spell will deal a small amount of darkness damage. Mostly harmless, especially if you have rN+, but it can tip you over the edge if you were already almost dead.
* Occasional Doom. This generally means you will be eating 2 to 3 Banes throughout the entire wrath effect. Let's take a look at them.

===Kiku's Troll Carousel (Banes)===

'''Laughed Out Of The Room tier'''

* '''Bane of Heatstroke:''' Oh no! You are rarely slowed from taking fire damage (rare in the early game) when your allies are responsible for 99% of your damage output! No one cares.
* '''Bane of Snow-Blindness:''' Reduces your accuracy when you take cold damage. When was the last time you were waving a stick around or throwing it? Right, in a parallel world when you were stuck as a lesser humanoid.
* '''Bane of Electrospasm:''' Prevents you from moving short time when you take electric damage. Read that again. Prevents YOU from moving. Did it say anything about a crocodile? No? You know what to do.
* '''Bane of Claustrophobia:''' Reduces your melee damage and accuracy when near walls. Hahahaha. Thank you for your time, the door is right there.
* '''Bane of the Reckless:''' Oh no! You have to temporarily swap out your Reflection Amulet for something else that's just as good! Big deal.
* '''Bane of Warding:''' Some enemies are immune to ranged damage. I'll like to see you try to give your zombies a bow.
* '''Bane of the Hunted:''' Summoned enemies appear next to you. Wow, if only we had a spell to deal with the "big dude in my face" problem. Oh right.

'''A Bit Annoying tier'''

* '''Bane of Lethargy:''' You move slower. You have allies to swap with, and your trusty Crocodile. Honestly, I rarely notice it. But when you need to run to the stairs with no mana, it can hurt.
* '''Bane of Stumbling:''' If you move or wait, you have -25 EV. This one is rough as it's the main source of our defense, but there are ways to game it. Casting any spell keeps your EV intact, so Crocodile-chaining is a good way to move around. This might also be an opportunity to use up those hundreds of flame wand charges you might have sitting around.
* '''Bane of Succour:''' Monsters lifesteal from their friends dying. Meh, your swarms are already dishing out much more damage than these "drain tanks" can keep up with, but it does make enemies a bit more tanky in general.
* '''Bane of Mortality:''' When you rest to full HP after fights, reapers come out to gank you like you are playing a MOBA game in the highest leagues. The strategy is the same no matter if this is DotA or DCSS: have space to retreat. Don't wait to regenerate in tight and cramped corridors, and you'll have no problem outrunning their extremely slow speed, with a crocodile if you must.
* '''Bane of Paradox:''' This one will most likely do nothing, but has a small chance of being lethal, so I am placing it in this tier. Rarely, some enemies will have Manifold Assault. Because there are so many weak fools and swarms of puny orcs in the game, this usually is not noticeable. The problem starts if some big shot unique with mega melee damage gets it, which is rare. In that case, imagine you are back in the Dungeon facing centaurs, and do everything in your power to melt them as fast as possible.

'''Pretty Dangerous tier'''

* '''Bane of Multiplicity:''' It's manageable most of the time. It just suuuucks when some ranged cheater or smite spammer has its long lost twin surge out of the earth and destroy you. It thankfully does not last very long. If Rimeblight is up and working, it is awesome at dealing with this problem.
* '''Bane of the Dilettante:''' Temporary -25% Necromancy and Summonings skill. This is painful. The developers want you to "hybridize", but there is no "hybridizing" out of the blessed Velvet Pawed Path. What are you going to do, memorize Plasma Beam? Get real. Anyhow, you should hopefully be still able to use your level 6 and under spells, which are strong enough in their own right. If you feel too weak and have Amnesia scrolls, I suggest temporarily memorizing one of the suggested level 6 and under spells in this guide (Borgnjor's Vile Clutch, Summon Cactus Giant, Summon Forest, Summon Mana Viper) to support you.

As you can see, Banes aren't so bad. Most runs, they just do nothing. Sometimes, they minorly debuff you. Very rarely, they are responsible for losing a single life.

Well, it's up to you to choose now. Will you follow me through this high-risk, high-reward play? I have done god swap dozens of times while playtesting my own guide. I have never once lost a run where I could directly blame Kiku's wrath for my demise. Died once, perhaps. Nothing more.

But don't do it just yet. Keep reading.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] As my employee, your choice is limited here. We have to cut healthcare out of the budget, because you spend way too much company time resting and regenerating. We'll be hooking you up on those experimental slime chemicals from now on. Or honey, if you found that Hive Talisman. Maybe you'll help a breakthrough in pharmaceuticals, once we're done scraping your dissolved remains off the floor.

There is just one problem: that Starry Gem inside the Slime Pits, is extremely tight, at 600 turns! My suggestion: Clean out the Pits anyhow, either diving to the altar if you need one, or simply trying to grab some fresh jellified walking experience potions. Once 100 turns remain on your timer, immediately ascend! You will only be coming back to the Slime Pits after you have obtained the Orb of Zot, which stops all timers.

Of course, if you're running Hive Form, finish the job and get that Gem NOW!!}}

===The Forbidden Kikubeequdgha Build (Staying with Kiku)===

Let's face it: the only reason we are even considering this insane play is because we want more HP and MP regeneration - the kind a mere amulet of mana regeneration doesn't hold a candle to. Jiyva is a reliable way to get boatloads of it, but it's not the ''only'' way.

* Way 1: '''Being a lucky little [EXPLETIVE REDACTED]''': Wow. You got the Amulet of Vitality off of the ground, just like a rich heir of a soup can company inheriting a million dollar portfolio at age 9. You go you. Go win the game, staying with Kikubaaqudgha, and basically having two gods at the same time at no cost to you. I hope your family is very proud of you.
* Way 2: '''THE KIKUBEEQUDGHA ASCENDANCY:''' Welcome, Velvet-pawed initiate. This is the only non-Jiyva path I officially approve of. A Hive Talisman, cranked up to its maximum, provides more HP and MP regeneration than the Amulet of Vitality or even Jiyva. Now, the problem is that it demands industrial quantities of experience poured into Shapeshifting. If you wish to take on this path, here is my suggestion. Raid the Slime Pits as indicated below, without the conversion part, slaying the Royal Jelly and Jiyva for good, and grabbing all the loot. Either get '''Infestation''' below 10% failure rate, or, alternatively, you can rely on the combination of BOTH Animate Dead and Death Channel, if you are willing to make good use of Unearth Wretches. If that is dealt with, turn off every skill except Shapeshifting, setting it to a target of 17. Once Shapeshifting reaches level 15, you can transform into Hive Form, accepting the small HP penalty. Once it reaches 17, stop training it, and pivot back to Necromancy to unlock '''Death's Door'''. Once Death's Door is online, if you want, you can train more Shapeshifting to increase your regeneration further, or [[#Perfection Can Still Improve (Lategame Skills)|follow any of the other late game suggestions]]. An amulet of Wildshape is extremely good for this plan at all stages of its execution, granting a free +5 levels of Shapeshifting.
* Way 3: '''For Scaredy-Cats''': Being content with a mere MP regeneration amulet, or an amulet of HP regeneration, alongside the spell Sublimation of Blood. (If you do the latter, cast it early and often, NOT when you are desperate for mana and NOT when you can't afford to lose the HP. Put it on an easily accessible macro. I like the letter "c".) I mean, you can... ''do that''... I suppose... But don't come mewling to me when you are cornered in the Vaults with 0 MP remaining and no way to cast Death's Door. It's certainly winnable, but you'll be back to playing like a "traditional" Felid - very scared, very methodical, even moreso than you may be playing now. I wrote this guide with the intent of proving things could be different - and I hope you join me in my vision.

No matter your chosen Way, I will continue writing the guide with a Jiyva-swap perspective (with the occasional note). Just remember you have Unearth Wretches on speed dial, and can unleash armies any time some challenge looks remotely capable of instilling anxiety in the heart beneath your fluffy chest. And don't use Sign of Ruin!

===For True Sabretooth Tigers (Annihilating the Slime Pits With A Giga-Army)===

Allow me to divert my attention back to the brave and fearless, which are certainly not those people I was talking to in the "For Scaredy-Cats" section. To convert to Jiyva, you will need a Jiyva altar. Press Ctrl-F, and type "Jiyva". There is a 2/3 chance it spawned in Lair, and an additional small chance it appeared somewhere else.

'''DO NOT CONVERT JUST YET!''' We have 4-6 stars of pure, delicious Kiku juice, and we'd throw all that power away without using it? Come on, now.

Let me introduce you to a true departure from sanity.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUFsbt_5mxY Here is a video demonstration of me doing this.]

Going into the Slime Pits this early in the game is obvious suicide for most characters. Naturally, there is a trick at play:

* Kiku's Unearth Wretches instantly summons neutralized denizens from your current branch to turn into undead.
* Slime undead are extremely strong and plentiful, and their sheer mass protects you from dangerous melee attackers.
* The vast majority of Slime's creatures are exactly that - dangerous melee attackers.

Even if you want to stay with Kikubaaqudgha, I suggest you do this. Don't worry, you'll get your piety back fast after this, even if you drained yourself to zero stars.

Let's review your kit:

* If you have both '''Animate Dead''' and '''Death Channel''', raiding the Pits is very easy, and most importantly will reward you with a waterfall of experience points.
* If you have only '''Animate Dead''', it is slightly harder, as your army will spread in reduced numbers. Do it anyways, but be ready to spam some more Unearth Wretches to compensate.
* If you have only '''Death Channel''', you can have an army of interesting proportions, but you MUST watch your status effect in the sidebar - you do not want it to expire and make all your allies disappear at the most crucial moment. Be ready to recast and spam more Wretches, or to escape upstairs. If your DChan is going dark purple and jellies are all over your screen, it is time to RETREAT.
* '''The Contingency Plan (No Death Channel nor Animate Dead)''': Coming here without '''Infestation''' is suicide. You will need to rush this spell, ''pronto''. Turn off all skills except '''Necromancy'''. Go to the Spiders' Nest or the Snake Pit. (Swamp if you have Summon Forest). Play carefully until you can get a 20% failure rate on Infestation. You are now ready to continue.

Alright. Strap in, we're firing up the Kiku train. Next destination: a place beyond anything resembling sanity.

Stand on top of the Slime Pits entrance. Drink Brilliance, if possible. Cast Animate Dead and Death Channel, whichever you have, hopefully both. Drink Haste, if possible. Go in.

If ANY slimes are on your screen, immediately use Unearth Wretches. Not on the brink of death? Use it again. Again. If you're put against only basic '''Slime Creatures''', a single or two uses of Unearth Wretches can suffice, but any of the Big Ones (see below) warrants immediate firepower in the form of 3+ Unearth Wretches. If the welcoming party looks particularly nasty, FLOOD THE SCREEN.

If you are employing the Infestation method, only use Unearth Wretches twice, considering you'll need a turn to cast Infestation before they decay.

See the five Big Ones below. You do NOT want ANY of these in melee range of you.

* '''Azure Jelly''': A very simple enemy: they have chill-touched pseudopods with unholy damage output, move at the speed of sound and will chop off your health bar into bite-sized cubes. Just like your average DCSS player, they know only two things: moving and melee attacking. It is therefore only right that you grant them the demise an o-tabber deserves - drowned in infinite armies until their hubris finally collapses them into a chilly puddle.
* '''Void Ooze''': Pretty much the same thing. The big twist: letting them caress you will have them flood their slime in every alveoli of your lungs, causing damage over time and silencing you from spellcasting. To avoid unpleasant mental imagery, step away, swapping with an ally, to break the Engulf status. They also drain mana on hit.
* '''Acid Blob''': It has an acidic bolt, which does not do a ton of damage (in fact, it's the exact same damage numbers as the acid drakes all the way back in the Dungeon...), but it adds up. rCorr, found on the occasional ring or in a Potion of Resistance, can help. It's not usually needed, they get consumed too fast for it to matter. I recommend keeping allies between you and them to block their ranged attacks.
* '''Rockslime''': Another mindless o-tabber, this time with trample flavour. This can cause positioning problems (and death problems, because their damage is obscene). Another reason to NOT LET ANY OF THESE TOUCH YOUR PRISTINE FUR.
* '''Formless Jellyfish''': Easy to consume once your squad is established, but before then, they can teleport behind you (''heh, nothing personnel, kid'') and attack you with the following four debuffs: constriction + paralysis + poison + literally just killing you. These ones are actually not fast, so if you're just waiting for your Wretches to pop or your screen is already filled with spectres and/or zombies, feel free to swap with an ally or use Eringya's Surprising Crocodile to exit melee range of them.

'''If a dangerous slime gets into melee range''': If your wretches have popped, swap places with any of your now extremely numerous servants. If you can find a good angle, use Eringya's Surprising Crocodile. Otherwise, if you are still over 80% HP and are just waiting for your wretches to transform into allies, feel free to risk a step or two until it will become possible to hide behind your fresh batch of undead. If you are truly caught off-guard, a Scroll of Butterflies or Blinking will certainly pull its weight otherwise. For more risky options, try a scroll of Summoning or a potion of Haste, which will let you outrun any slime '''except Quicksilver Oozes'''. DO NOT WASTE TURNS TAKING STEPS WITHOUT HASTE IF YOU HAVE NO ARMY YET. Unearth Wretches will create a protective wall of paralyzed gelatin, preventing nearby slimes from reaching you - and this is even safer if you are currently hasted or the slimes are asleep.

This is also why we trained Stealth earlier - this makes it much more likely that you will be able to draw your gelatinous horde from the ground while the acid blobs next to you are dreaming about soft and sweet sugary desserts instead of twoshotting you.

Slime Pits floors are small and compact - simply run around and completely annihilate all that jiggles and squishes with your personal militia until you find the downstairs. Did it get wiped out, either from you only having Death Channel or just the constant barrage of acid melting your jelly zombies into rotting puddles? Are more jellies breaching your diminishing defenses. '''Cast Animate Dead/Death Channel again. Send more Wretches.''' Once a floor is cleaned up, go downstairs.

If you want to maximize experience gain, look for upstairs with little yellow stars - they will have more gelatin to push through your Kiku-compactor. The Slime Pits has a disconnected layout, a bit like the Orcish Mines.

You will want to watch out for '''glass eyes''' and '''eyes of devastation''' - the former can place a debuff on you that increases all damage taken, which allows the latter to oneshot you with an ally-piercing bolt if the dice are feeling particularly evil. They should be focused first with 't'-'a'. '''Acid blobs''' also have a corrosive (but NOT ally-piercing) bolt, though it is not as scary, especially with a ring of corrosion resistance. You'll always want to have allies blocking Line-of-Sight with '''great orbs of eyes''', who can ''deny you use of all your spells through polymorph'' should they ever land their dastardly hexes on you!

'''Golden eyes''' can also get annoying - should they start giving you an extremely lengthy Confusion debuff, long enough for you to switch to a different tab, watch a few movies and come back, you'll want to drink a potion of Curing if dangerous slimes are exploiting this opportunity to sneak up on you. Watch out, if many Golden eyes are on screen, they might refresh the Confusion the moment you drink your potion! If you are entering a new floor, preparing to bring forth your army, and there are golden eyes alongside dangerous slimes, I recommend trying a different staircase entirely if possible - instant confusion and getting collapsed on by oozes is a death sentence.

As for '''Shining eyes''', they do zero damage, but their gaze will nastily violate basic biological knowledge, and rearrange your muscles to shrink in mass (?), make your meows as loud as the Tsar Bomba (??), or even warp your brain in such a way that it will randomly distort spacetime and bring you into the nearest death trap (???). As your feline body is already perfect in every way, any change would be a net downgrade. However, unlike you, your obedient units are not as feline and fluffy, and therefore would greatly benefit from a few minor readjustments. Leave them to be warped into pulsating flesh masses, shielding you from the mutagenic radiation - if the Shining Eye couldn’t fire a Magic Dart at you, you are safe. If you do eat a Malmutation, Jiyva will likely cure you once you receive your 3-stars mutation gift - but you can just drink a couple of Mutation potions until then.

* If the Jiyva altar did not spawn, your goal is to reach Slime:5 as fast as possible. That is where the guaranteed Jiyva altar is (there might be a rare one on the upper floors - convert there once your piety bar has been fully expended!)
* If it did spawn, you can stay here for as long as you want, ascending back to the surface once your Kiku oxygen tank is running dry. You might still be interested in reaching Slime:5, if only for the vast concentration of enemies and resulting experience. Or if you are going all in with your Hive talisman, with full commitment to Kiku.

Final floor? You know what to do. Pre-cast those spells before going down. Unearth Wretches. Get that army in working order. '''WARNING:''' If you have rolled the Slime:5 layout where there are many little square chambers interconnected by 1 tile hallways, this place becomes highly deadly, as it is very hard to actually get your army to do their grisly work with all these suffocating chokepoints. Do NOT try to clear this floor if you are not seeking the altar. If you are, be HIGHLY cautious.

'''If you are looking for the Jiyva altar''': Read a scroll of Revelation on Slime:5. Don't have it? Tough luck, you'll have to manually explore to find the altar. It's usually somewhere close to the centre. If you do have it, press capital 'X', and survey the map for an "unknown altar" icon. That's your destination. Get moving. Converting to Jiyva instantly renders the entirety of the Slime Pits completely harmless. You just need to get to that altar, and you'll have succeeded. Is it utterly swarmed and blocked by slimes of many nutritious flavours? Is your army dying at the final stretch? That's what those Scrolls of Blinking are for. Yes, blink on top of the altar, even if it's surrounded by deadly enemies. One turn is all you need. Don't worry, your army won't go hostile. Even though you just angered the god of Necromancy itself.

'''About the Royal Jelly''': Command your army with 't'-'f' (or 't'-'a' on something else) to NOT ATTACK IT. (Unless you are running the Hive Talisman). Not only does it spawn horrible amounts of OP slimes when it takes damage (which are worth 0 experience), it will also destroy all Jiyva altars if you somehow manage to kill it with your army of gelatinous doom. Which is surprisingly likely. If you have pulled it in and find your squad getting progressively mowed down by a wide variety of digestive enzymes, consider using a Scroll of Teleport, or retreating upstairs and using a different downstairs. You'll have to ignite a new army with some extra Kiku stars, but it will "park" the Royal Jelly on that other end of the level so you can safely access the Jiyva altar.

Of course, if you are staying with Kikubaaqudgha and are doing the dive, feel free to take no prisoners, splatter honey-coloured goo all over the Pits, and smash and grab that loot.

{{flavour|[[File:Jiyva altar.png]] Jiyva gurgles in joy at your terrifying pilgrimage all to worship them (even though you just murdered half their followers and turned them to undead servants).}}

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] You know, I was kind of hoping this would happen. It's been a while since I had the fun of smiting a mortal with horrible, debilitating dark curses.}}

You should only come back here once you reach maximum piety with Jiyva - ****** - to unlock all the delicious loot.

The way back up will be peaceful and of utmost serenity. Surely Kiku's wrath will be a nice, relaxing affair after going through this.

=All That Squiggles, Splashes and Slithers (S-Branches)=

'''Only if you already finished raiding the Slime Pits:''' clear the last floors of the Dungeon, allowing you to obtain Jiyva piety and experience Kiku's wrath in a relatively safe environment. "Relatively", because there are probably centaur warriors prowling about with digusting amounts of ranged damage. Animate Dead. Death Channel. Anguish. Deadly armies. You know the drill.

You'll also find the Vaults entrance on D:13 or D:14, with its signature swarm of human guards decked out in tons of metal. Perhaps they should have thought about protecting the inside of their skulls as well, as they are very vulnerable to Anguish.

'''If you are still with Kiku, waiting for your Infestation to become castable so you can raid the Pits:''' do NOT clear the lower Dungeon yet - once Kiku juice has been exhausted, you will want a safe area to start getting your first Jiyva stars and work off the first instances of Kiku's wrath in an environment you are overleveled for. Leave it for AFTER the S-Branches.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] That Smoky Gem is down there, in D:15! If you did things properly, grabbing it shouldn't be too hard. What's harder is keeping it intact. Try to have at least 800 turns remaining when you collect it! And as for D:11-D:15, don't explore more than half of each floor, except on D:13-D:14, where you'll want to find the Vaults entrance, and get moving again immediately afterwards!}}

You'll want to visit the S-Branches in this order:

Spider Nest > Swamp > Snake Pit > Shoals

This is roughly how much each of these branches hate cats, from easiest to most lethal. In the former two, there is less ranged damage and more hordes to turn into highly efficient undead. Meanwhile, the Snake Pit is full of Naga Sharpshooter aimbot hackers, giga-flame-smite Salamander Tyrants, and the unique Vashnia, queen of ridiculous felid two-shots. Not to mention that some nagas actually have some Willpower to resist Anguish, unlike the animalistic and weak-willed creepy-crawlies. As for the Shoals, it leaks deep water everywhere to make things as difficult as possible for your army, and its denizens will endlessly throw sharp things at you, sometimes piercing through your entire squad.

Ironic, considering that most DCSS characters tend to fear spiders much more than snakes.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] If you chose the honey-flavoured part of our treatment plan, with Unearth Wretches, getting those Gems will be extremely easy. If not, only slightly harder. That doesn't mean it's another vacation! Once again, explore only about half of each floor, except the fourth and final one, where you'll probably have to spend a lot of time clashing your hordes against the final vault guardians and looking for that Gem. Oh, and a rune, too. But that one isn't that important, now is it? If you have leftover time when going up, you can full-clear the first floor, it's not like we'll be coming back here anyhow.}}

Let's get started. Do not Ctrl-G into the branch - you'll arrive there weak and unprepared, and if there is a welcoming party at the entrance, you are likely to have roughly the entire medical history of poisoning injected in your bloodstream as you sit there and get pwned. Instead, Ctrl-F for the entrance gate in Lair, and stand on top of it. Cast your self-buffs - Animate Dead and Death Channel. Good. Now, you can actually go down.

Assuming you are now with Jiyva, plentiful regeneration, obtained from your very first Jiyva star, allows you to spam Haunt, Borgnjor's Vile Clutch, Anguish and perhaps Infestation/Rimeblight to your heart's content to spark a flame of subservience in the first members of your army. Don't forget to pre-cast Animate Dead/Death Channel before each staircase!

Annoyed by missing out on Animate Dead/Death Channel? Or perhaps you have both and still desire more power? Allow me to introduce you to the apotheosis of ally-creation spells:

'''[[Infestation]]''' (Level 8 Necromancy) is, if you were unlucky and failed to find Animate Dead, your salvation. If you do have it, it's still your salvation, because this spell creates Death Scarabs from the bodies of '''any''' slain enemy (INCLUDING undead and nonliving beings, but except summoned foes and Kiku wrath simulacra/spectres - zombies are fine), '''bypassing Animate Dead''' (no zombie and scarab from the same slain foe!). What is a Death Scarab? Why, nothing short of a star resident of the branch which terrorizes 15 rune DCSS characters the most - the dastardly Tomb of the Ancients. Let's check those stats out:

* Moves and attacks faster than light itself. To be precise, every single time you get a turn, they get three.
* Irresistible Slow debuff on hit.
* Tons of damage.
* Unfortunately very low HP. Thankfully, they are easy to produce in industrial quantities.

Infestation is a point-and-click ability, in a 5x5 square (If you're waiting for this spell to go raid the Slime Pits: Unearth Wretches is also a 5x5 square - cast Infestation on top of yourself after Unearth Wretches for immensely impressive results!). The game makes it quite obvious. Like its point-and-click cousin Haunt, you'll be spamming this one a lot. Use a Scroll of Amnesia, forget one of your old starter Summoning spells, and bind the macro to Infestation instead!

Ideally, you'd get 2-3 from your first fight on a new floor. Take them for a pack walk (don't autoexplore). When a new foe comes into view and they immediately charge towards it, cast Infestation again, and so on, gradually turning the entire floor population into scarabs. Unfortunately:

Your death scarab crumbles into dust!

Their lifespan is... limited. Certainly more impressive than Death Channel, but limited nonetheless. Once you have drawn the first blood, ''you need to keep the killstreak coming''. If you have won a fight, and are now accompanied by invertebrate friends, it is YOUR time to start prowling about the level like some bloodthirsty, horrible beast for fresh scarab meat. Haunt. Infestation. Haunt. Infestation. Executed correctly, these two spells combined can clear any floor that isn't the Realm of Zot or an extended endgame floor. Most importantly, unless you are on the brink of death, you should not be constantly waiting in place twiddling your paws until your HP and MP thresholds get to 100% - your scarabs will just get bored of your lack of courage and evaporate out of reality.

'''[[Rimeblight]]''' (Level 7 Ice/Necromancy) is an equally strong addition to your kit, which you should consider welcoming into your repertoire. It's a lot of slots - you probably can't allow this and Borngjor's Vile Clutch/a big Summonings spell to coexist, so choices will have to be made. This spell is good at both taking out lone OP foes and bundled up living, demonic or holy creatures - for the real star of the show are the infectious explosions. Cast it on the least resilient foe that is closely bundled together with other creatures (each death causes the disease to spread further), and then forget about it and use your other spells. It will get the job done. Feel free to combine it with Gell's Gravitambourine for even less social distancing! You should also know that it executes living/demonic/holy monsters with 20% HP or less, so, if some ubermensch has only a few pixels remaining on its health bar and is destroying you, cast Rimeblight for a guaranteed takedown. if '''Training Ice Magic to level 9 is recommended.'''

'''After clearing the first S-Branch''': Check the success rate of '''Death's Door''' in your (M)emorization menu. If you are stacked with Wizardry/Intelligence buffs, it might be below 50%. Or not. That's fine too. You'll still want to start making room for it.

'''Start training Spellcasting to receive just enough slots to add it (0.5 level = 1 spell slot!), or use Scrolls of Amnesia on starter Summonings spells to free up slots.'''

If you make room to add it while clearing the second S-Branch AND the failure rate is below 50%, keep in mind this spell is utterly overpowered and will save even the most desperate situations. More on that later, but it might actually be worth gambling on if your other options aren't looking too good. Watch out: if you miscast it, it will likely just finish you off you with ~20 darkness damage. Until it reaches less than 20% failure rate, it's a last resort. LAST RESORT. Now is not the time to "save blinking scrolls for later". NO. YOU WON'T NEED THEM ANYMORE WHEN YOU HAVE IMMORTALITY ON SPEED DIAL.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Swamp/Shoals are super tight on time. Clearly, management thought the less turns employees spend in these places, the better. Typical ivory tower fools. Anyhow, when you find a normal staircase and the surroundings are clear and safe, just go down. You'll need a bit more time than you think to tackle those hydra parties and javelineer shooting ranges on the last floor!}}

===Angry Death-God Interdimensional Hunt (Monitoring Kiku's Wrath)===

If you'd like to check how long you'll still have to deal with Kiku's wrath, press, in this order, '?'-'/'-'g'-'k'. There are five tiers:

*"Kiku's wrath is upon you!" (> 75%)
*"Kiku well remembers your sins." (> 50%)
*"Kiku's wrath is beginning to fade. (> 25%)
*"Kiku is almost ready to forgive your sins." (< 25%)
*"Kiku is neutral towards you." (0%)

Once you reach the final tier, you are finally free, and will be able to fully enjoy necromantic magic with glorious slime-powered regeneration for the rest of the run!

Kiku will probably forgive you sometime around the S-Branches. At last.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Whatever. You're boring. If you need me, I'll be over here. On my throne of skulls. Watching slasher flicks. I'll especially not be watching your run, waiting for the moment you splat so I can cackle evilly at my indirect revenge. I would never do that. That sounds like something Zin would do.

But enough talk about using my stolen gifts. Let's finish you off.}}

===They Bite, They Fight, They Rot (Spider Nest)===

If you have rolled this branch, you have been granted the Necromancy-special easy mode midgame. Despite what you may think, rPois isn't actually that important with this build, because the assorted venomous bites won't actually be able to reach you if you play correctly. Let's get cracking.

* '''Meliais''' are as horrifying as they were in the lower parts of the dungeon, and should be dealt with as swiftly as possible - note that their willpower is very fragile when faced with a scion of the One True Pillow-Pawed race, which makes them vulnerable to Polymorph/Charm wands or Anguish.

* '''Spark Wasps''' can pull off anime "teleports behind you" moves with extreme electric damage. They must be Anguished on sight. Haunted. Borgnjor's Vile Clutched. I don't care. Each turn those blue pixels exist on your screen, you are increasing the likelihood that you'll lose the run and be forced to go do something productive instead. We don't want that, now do we?

* '''Orb Spiders''' are highly annoying pests that will challenge you to a game of dodgeball without consent. The ominous purple Orbs of Destruction they will hurl at you inflict extreme, potentially oneshotting, undodgeable damage, and should be avoided at all costs. The easiest way to neutralize them is to have any creature eat the Orb for you - enemies work too, but the most reliable choice is any allied unit. A simple use of your Blink cantrip can also save your scruff, but do mind the heat-seeking properties of Orbs in open spaces, and be ready to Blink a second time.

* '''Broodmothers''' are nasty and will challenge you to a Zotémon duel, and they're a big fan of the Poison Type. Do remind them that Poison attacks on Ghost types are Not Very Effective. If you need to reach them from behind their wall of allies, use Borgnjor's Vile Clutch or Haunt.

* '''Xak' Krixis''', a unique boss, can turn all of your poison into instant damage. Do not hold back on the armies against this one. And ring-swap to rPois. Or drink a Potion of Resistance. He is also quite vulnerable to Anguish. No rPois? At the very least, do anything to avoid standing within 2 tiles of the imminently exploding prisms.

* You don't want anything in this branch to be adjacent to you, but you especially don't want '''Radroaches''' adjacent to you. Enough said.

* '''Ghost Moths''' are the signature enemy of this branch that gets the DCSS community trembling in fear, mainly because of their undodgeable, point-and-click gaze instantly deleting your entire MP bar. Do note that the DCSS community is also filled with fans of conjurations and blaster spells. As a proper gentlefeline, your much more subtle and intellectual magic isn’t limited to the turn it was cast. Casting Haunt once on one is pretty much a guarantee that it will die (if the spectres can reach it). If they are ruining your day, a Potion of Invisibility will shut down their mana-draining ability.

Also, they are invisible. But the feline master race has little patience for such trivialities. You won't even notice. Just don't be surprised if your scarabs/zombies are ignoring them.

{{flavour|[[File:Jiyva altar.png]] Jiyva gurgles inquisitively, wondering how ghost moths reproduce if they can't see invisible, but are invisible themselves. }}

===Realm of the Aimbot Hackers (Snake Pit)===

Ready for some Counter-Strike action? Get to Site Snake:4 before the counter-terrorists eliminate your entire squad. Unfortunately, you have been placed in the cheaters' queue, and everyone here is using hacks and scripts.

* '''Naga sharpshooters''' are the main culprits. Not only do they have OP bows, they also have a spell that lets them teleport the arrow directly on top of you, bypassing your entire army AND reducing your chance to dodge it. They come in groups, too, which means you could be walking around and suddenly start getting plowed by sharp sticks appearing out of thin air. Because this isn't difficult enough, they have enough Willpower to resist Anguish and other hexes quite efficiently (though insistent casters may eventually curse them). A Scroll of Vulnerability helps if there are many on your screen. Most wisely, however, I suggest you avoid having too many on your screen at once, and make use of doors and chokepoints to secure a place where you can safely dump Haunt and Borgnjor's Vile Clutch on them one by one.

* '''Vashnia''' is the queen of the hackers, doing exactly the same thing as them but with bigger damage. And another hack that lets her teleport so you can't escape as easily. I've reported her to the DCSS admins numerous times, but she still hasn't gotten banned. If you've been saving your Scrolls of Vulnerability, this is the time to use them.

* '''Salamander tyrants''' are rare, but CAN ONESHOT YOU ON SIGHT WITH A POINT-AND-CLICK ABILITY. This is one of the extremely rare cases where you can literally just take a step and instantly die (assuming you lack rF+). As soon as one appears on your screen, you MUST take action immediately, through one of the following:
** Ring-swap to Fire Resistance.
** Drink a Potion of Resistance.
** Drink a Potion of Invisibility.

They are weak to Anguish and will likely get a taste of their own oneshot medicine once they are cursed. Assuming you survive, that is.

* '''Guardian serpents''' have the infamous ability to teleport their entire squad on top of you, which is an immediate critical emergency if it happens. Thankfully, you have loyal allies to take up space - yet another reason to always try to keep yourself surrounded and loved by your mindless thralls. Immediately consider the Blink spell or a Blinking scroll if you are caught off-guard.

* '''Naga ritualists''' have varied point-and-click poison abilities which aren't that threatening, but add up if you leave them alive for too long. Ring-swapping to rPois is useful, but barring, that, try to Haunt/Borgnjor's Vile Clutch them first.

* '''Nagaraja''' have all kinds of toxic-chemical flavoured conjurations comparable to Arachne's, and your 3 AC, no rPois scruff is not exactly the definition of a hazmat suit. Avoid having no allies blocking their line of fire (those poison arrows hurt!) and, if you cannot ring-swap poison resistance, expect to require Curing potions should their ally-piercing bolt of poison hit you.

* '''Shock serpents''' have an ally-piercing electrical bolt - not oneshot material by any means, but repeated hits will hurt. They have a permanently active damage-reflection effect electrocuting all which damage it in melee. The answer? Anguish - they hit your ally, they take Anguish damage from this, your ally hits them, they take more damage, your ally is electrocuted, the serpent takes even more Anguish damage. Don't try to wrap your head around it, just oneshot them with this technique.

===Grand Oneshot Fiesta (Swamp)===

This one is interesting, because most enemies here have ridiculous damage, but little ways of actually reaching you to apply it. It was already important before, but it is EXTREMELY important here to keep yourself surrounded by a cocoon of cold, well-meaning hugs from your assorted undead. Leaving your frail and vulnerable body exposed is opening the door to getting oneshotted by the extremely high damage hydrae, bunyips, alligators, will-o-wisps... Well, they actually have to do the effort of walking towards you to kill you (except the will-o-wisp). Which makes this place much better than Shoals in my book.

* '''Eleionoma''' are an exception to this rule, and are also complete bullshit. I don't like swearing in my guides, but these ones deserve it. Their signature spell, Splinterspray, has huge range and deals up to 72 damage. A dull-witted minotaur may say, "they aren't that bad, I just tab them with my axe". Well, dear bovine comrade, Splinterspray has its damage negated ''3 times in a row'' by your AC score. This means their existence is basically an insult to Felids in particular. Suffer not a single one to live. The counterplay? A ring of +4 Protection is worth a quick-swap when they are around, as it translates to a +12 AC bonus against this attack due to the multiplier. Because these aren't OP enough, they also giga-self heal when they touch trees. Just drop a fat Haunt or drown them in undead on sight, the less seconds they breathe, the better.

* '''Swamp Worms''' are pretty harmless on their own, but they can shoot a beam that pulls the first entity hit into melee range of them. If you let them get a clear shot, you can get extracted from your massive army into a death trap. Mind the gaps in your formation.

* '''Bloated husks''' just run at you doing nothing and explode in a 5x5 area when they die.. Aside the fact that this can make them deal huge damage to your army, it will, on average, take out half of your entire HP bar every single time if you get caught in the blastzone.

* '''Will-o-wisps''' endlessly churn out drones to seek and destroy you with huge fire damage. This will be blocked by allies, and Haunting them is highly wise. If you are exposed to their antics, though, consider ring-swapping to obtain rF+.

* '''Swamp dragons''' are not very dangerous, aside from the fact that they place disgusting green poison clouds all over the place. Got stuck in the chemical spill? Ring-swap to rPois, and you can immediately shut off every neuron in your brain that had registered their existence. No rPois? A potion of Resistance does the same thing. Otherwise, a potion of Curing heals all poison, but it won't help if you just get poisoned again by the cloud on the same turn. Focus on getting out, by walking, using the Blink spell or even a precious Blinking scroll if it truly matters.

* '''Shambling mangroves''' have a point-and-click constrict. It's kind of like the Borgnjor's Vile Clutch you may have chosen to obtain, but with even less counterplay. It ends when they perish, so hit them back with your own flavour of point-and-click, known as Haunt or Borgnjor's Vile Clutch.

* '''Goliath frogs''' and '''Spriggan riders''' have reach (polearm) attacks. Don't just stand there 2 spaces away while they ignore your allies and prepare themselves a fine feline brochette.

* Needless to say, don't let '''hydrae''' touch you. ESPECIALLY not the rare one with 27 heads.

===I Swear You Had A Health Bar A Second Ago, Must Be Seeing Things (Shoals)===

Ah yes, welcome to the funhouse of doom. You don't really need any specific resistances in this place, just go full-on Wizardry and Intelligence so things perish as fast as possible. I like Acrobat and Reflection amulets to reduce slightly the vast number of sharp objects moving quickly in your general direction. Ring-swapping into Flight, or drinking a Potion of enlightenment is also potentially interesting when you need to move over water for tactical reasons.

* '''Merfolk javeliners''' can Alt-F4 your health bar when they feel like it. Their sole purpose in life is to pick up sticks of metal and throw them at you, doing gargantuan damage in the process. Because it wasn't hard enough, they occasionally carry the silver variant of their javelins, which deals bonus damage to the heavily mutated. Because Jiyva has probably made you look like [https://raw.githubusercontent.com/crawl/crawl/master/crawl-ref/source/dat/tiles/title_froggy_jiyva_felid.png this] by now, this will hurt. A couple casts of Anguish will usually curse them (causing a massive pile of exclamation points in the message log when they throw their javelin through your undead army). An Amulet of Reflection or of the Acrobat will also come a long way towards putting the odds in your favour - I'd recommend walking around with one already equipped while in the Shoals.

* '''Satyrs''' are pretty much the exact same thing, but at least, they can't pierce through your allies freely. Let your servants die in your name!

* '''Water nymphs''' have a disgustingly powerful point-and-click "boom! you take 3 million damage!" ability. However, they can only use it if you are standing on a water tile. If one is on your screen, avoid water as much as possible - and don't let that Nymph get close, as they constantly leak the stuff everywhere they go. Nice try, but Flight won't save you.

* '''Wind drakes''' also have a "boom!" point-and-click, but this one instead relies on you being surrounded by empty tiles, just like the slug mage Gastronok. Another reason to keep your army close.

* '''Merfolk impalers''' and '''Alligator snapping turtles''' both have "reach" (polearm) melee attacks from 2 spaces away. They also deal giga-damage. Don't ever let them get a hit off.

=Crossroads of Immortality (The Ultimate Spell)=

You've made it. Ascension is at hand - or rather, at paw. Behold - the '''Velvet-Pawed Path to Immortality'''. A level 9 spell, ranked among the legends of Polar Vortex, Shatter, Dragon's Call, Fire Storm...

"How much damage does this one do", you ask yourself, trembling in excitement.

Zero, actually. To your enemies, that is.

'''[[Death's Door]]''' (Level 9 Necromancy), on a successful cast, will immediately nuke your (already minuscule) HP bar, always setting it to around 10-20 HP points remaining. This will never directly kill you.

Not off to a good start, are we? The important part: '''for the next 12-25 turns (it's technically 10-27, but the extremes are unlikely), you CANNOT die through ANY means, and this buff CANNOT be removed.''' Picture this: while it is active:

* HP is an illusion.
* AC is an illusion.
* EV is an illusion.
* SH is an illusion.
* Elemental resistances? You guessed it - an illusion.

Do you see what I see? An eloge to felinekind. A loveletter. An enchantment which takes away all that makes them bad, leaving only the good. ''Every'' other species in DCSS is (rightfully) TERRIFIED of this spell, because when it ends, they will still be left at 10-20 HP, ready to be oneshotted by the tickling touch of a feather and rocketed back to the character selection screen. But cats know no such weaknesses, for they alone know the bony touch of oblivion all too well, and can ''respawn'' after even Death's Door proves ineffective at saving their lives. It's not like having 17 HP is that different from having 103, after all.

This means that you, dear reader, can afford to be '''extremely''' proactive in using this thing.

Picture the following scenario: going about your usual murderous business, some ranged cheater takes out 40% of your HP in a single attack, leaving you at 60%.

* Scenario 1: "Hey, I still have most of my health, it's fine."
** Assuming you dodge reliably, how long do you think you could actually stay alive if that foe just refused to die and kept pelting you? 12 turns, at most?
** That's assuming you dodge reliably, anyhow. You might just die next turn.

* Scenario 2: Cast Death's Door NOW!!
** You now have exactly 12-25 turns in which you have absolute certainty that death is impossible.
** You can forget entirely about cowardly tactics such as "hiding behind allies" or "ring-swapping", and dedicate all resources to making sure that enemy is no longer on your screen by the end of the time period, whether through escape or murder.
** If the screen is PACKED, you can drink a potion of attraction, then read a scroll of immolation as a home-made nuclear detonation device.
** You can just walk into melee range of hasted Ancient Liches and start blasting them with Dispel Undead.
** You can drop 10 Haunts on a single OP unique while you stand there motionless eating 100 melee damage per turn like some immovable object. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifB662xOZTw This is probably how it looks.]
** You can read Teleportation Scrolls and just casually wait and look at your own claws, wondering if feline manicure is a thing, while some Spriggan Berserker is furiously swinging its axe into your scruff over and over.
** You can casually approach any living or corporeal undead creature, (no demons or nonliving enemies allowed! Nice try, but Orbs of Fire count as nonliving.) invoke Slimify from your (a)bility menu (after 4 **** Jiyva stars), and melee attack until you oneshot them.

Embrace the power. Cleanse yourself of fear. Unlearn your preconceptions. Forget your Minotaur instincts. There is Life, there is Death, and there is You, standing perfectly still at the line in between. This is your feline destiny.

Death's Door goes through a cycle:

You stand defiantly in death's doorway! You seem to hear sand flowing through an hourglass...

The spell just started, and the timer is engaged. (White "DDoor" status in the sidebar)

Your time is quickly running out!

Don't freak out. That actually just means it's about halfway done. You still have time. But if the whole "murder" angle is not looking good, start plotting your escape now. (Gray "DDoor" status in the sidebar)

Your life is in your own paws again!

If you did not plan this out correctly, this is the part where they kill you. Because the invincibility just ran out. And you have 12 HP. Death's Door will go on cooldown (Yellow -DDoor in the sidebar) for the surprisingly short duration of 1-3 turns, so you cannot immediately recast it to protect yourself. Shoutout to the developers for recently changing this to say "paws" and not "hands" for Felids specifically!

You step away from death's doorway.

Death's Door is ready to be used again. Many times, I have managed to recast the spell while still engaged in combat, just because I had retreated safely into the middle of my army, or because I had an all-skill-no-luck EV dodge of a ranged attack that should have killed me. In that case, you simply get the 12-25 turns of invincibility all over again.

A note: Potions of haste are ridiculously strong in tandem with Death's Door. They effectively lengthen the duration by 33%. For the same reason, being Slow in Death's Door is terrible, as it shortens the duration by 33%. As expected, Haste and Slow cancel each other out.

Got slots? Or you will in the future? Consider the following:

'''[[Passwall]]''' (Level 3 Earth) is a so-called "escape" spell that has the bad habit of killing its users while they are charging it up. When used on a nearby wall, it renders you unable to act for a few turns as you fixate the stone with extreme intensity that leaves your enemies concerned about you. They will try to prod you to snap you out of it. If you aren't dead by the end of this phase, you will - it's literally in the title - pass through the wall and arrive on the other side. You can see where this is going - cast Death's Door, and you can now escape through any common wall (not the indestructible ones) with zero risk. Even though the magic school on this isn't your forté, it's so low level you can probably already cast it with your vast levels of Spellcasting. Maybe get '''4 levels of Earth''' for good measure if you don't already have them.

Here's another suggestion:

'''[[Dispel Undead]]''' (Level 4 Necromancy) is the least complicated of all dark spells. Walk up to melee range of some rotting fool, press it, blast them with huge (3d31 at max damage, comparable to a Lehudib's Crystal Spear), unavoidable, defense-bypassing pure damage. Flavour-wise, your dark research has come to teach you the invisible forces holding together a corpse which shouldn't be animated, and the ways to unravel them. More creatures are undead than you may think:

* Bog bodies from the Swamp.
* Pharaoh ants from the Spider Nest.
* Laughing, Curse and Weeping Skulls in the deep Dungeon and/or Crypts.
* Any Player Ghost in the Necropolis.
* Any creature reanimated by a deep elf death mage's lost souls.
* Death scarabs from the Tomb. You might have encountered some early in the Spider Nest, or after "accidentally" blasting your Infestation scarabs with, say, a scroll of immolation and turning them hostile.
* Curse toes and Death cobs from the Realm of Zot, the final stop of your grand pillow-pawed journey.
* Deadly uniques such as Jory, Boris, Nobody, or Khufu.
* Any zombies/spectres/simulacra, either natural or reanimated by Kiku's malice.

= Knife-Eared Folks and their Floating Knives (Elven Halls) =

This next area is completely optional-

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] No, it's NOT. Get that Shimmering Gem, PRONTO!! Great, another one of these places where you dilly-dally thinking it will be fine only to spend a thousand turns running away in fear from reality-shattering archmagi on the final floor. Do this one just like the second S-Branch - use SAFE staircases, which have no enemies around them, IMMEDIATELY, and dedicate all your effort and care to looting that Elf:3 fortress!}}

-but I encourage you to clear at least the first two floors to acquire bonus experience, and polish up your Death's Door. At this point, '''you should only be training Necromancy and have no Kiku wrath remaining.''' Possibly Shapeshifting if you still need that Hive Talisman. Maybe Spellcasting if you are desperate for slots. Because SOMEONE has been eating all the Amnesia scrolls.

{{flavour|[[File:Jiyva altar.png]] A distant sound of paper being dissolved in acid echoes through the Elven Halls.}}

The Elves haven't been hitting the gym. Their muscles are weak, because they play DCSS all day. When you drain all that education out of their skulls by turning them to zombies, they do almost nothing except contribute their hitpoints to the Anguish fund. We do not want this. We want OP scarabs. Spam Infestation left and right on these fools. Even the dancing weapons.

A death scarab bursts out of the +4 trident of felid slaying!

How does that even work? Whatever. Let's talk timed portals. Semi-rarely, you may find:

* The "crackle of arcane power". Wizard Laboratories are pocket-sized adventures ranging from litterboxes of loot to death traps. If I were you, I'd avoid Tukima's Studio, unless having a clone of yourself spam Haunt on you while OP floating books with 100 damage crystal spears pwn you sounds funny. The rest should be fine. Watch out for Doroklohe’s Tomb, it will appear to be safe then jumpscare you with tons of endgame mummies or other OP foes. If you want to clear that one, stay in the entrance and wait (5) over and over, don't wander off into the main room.

* The "coins being counted". A Bazaar is almost always worth it. This one might even be worth reading a Scroll of Revelation for. If you have the gold to spare, of course (press '$'). In your shopping spree, stock up on delicious potions, interesting scrolls, and spells that might be missing from your kit.

* A "distant wind". Ah, yes, the <s>Death Trap</s> Desolation of Salt. This place kills so many players. Luckily, this build is probably one of the best at taking it head-on, and the loot tends to include some sick rings and amulets. If you wish to test its mettle, my advice is to just spam Infestation on those trillions of saltlings rushing to melee you. Simply run around and Infestation everything you see until the screen is covered in scarabs. You may need to use Death's Door if things go south. Be wary of [[Ghostly Sacrifice]], an extremely OP point-and-click, undodgeable attack which deals over 100 darkness damage. An enemy must be adjacent to you for it to be used. The Halazid warlocks are responsible for it - either use Death's Door or ring swap to rN+ if you cannot reposition yourself away from enemies in melee range of you.

In the Elven Halls, and especially Elf:3, there are a wide variety of professionals with PhDs in kitty-murder. The valedictorians here are:

* '''Dancing weapons''': Don't mistake them for floor items, notice the little music note icon on their sprites. Some are not that scary (+1 dagger) while others will be your doom (+9 bardiche of antimagic). Don’t fight too fast, and check the brands and enchantments of what you are faced against. If it has enchantments of +4 or more, has a brand you do not resist, or is an axe or polearm, it's a threat.

Regardless, Borgnjor's Vile Clutch completely demolishes them, because their defenses are all-dodge-no-armour (like you!), and that spell cannot be avoided. Haunt is also interesting.

You'll find an extreme amount of these behind the big runed gate in Elf:2, known as the Hall of Blades. I generally don't even bother opening it. These enemies are hard enough, and the shiny metal they leave behind isn't even designed for quadrupeds. Psh!

* '''Deep elf master archers''': You may be purring in mockery as 5 arrows whiff past you one after the other. Enjoy becoming a porcupine when a single shot cuts away 50% of your HP. These should never, ever get a clean line of fire at you, and should have Haunts dumped on them immediately if they do. Like any ranged foe, remember that closing doors behind you can prove surprisingly effective.
* '''Deep elf elementalists''': TRY NOT TO STAND NEXT TO WALLS! It is their strongest attack, because they can point and click walls to remote-detonate them. Anyways, as a herder of allies, you should be prioritizing wide open space instead. The Blink spell can help you get away. The other elemental flavours of pain aren't as bad, as long as you keep drowning them in undead.
* '''Deep elf sorcerers & high priests''': Damnation ''hurts''. Sending foes to block a sorcerer's line of fire by standing adjacently to them will make them hesitate, as they’re not masochistic enough to blow themselves up. The high priests, however, can order an orbital strike onto you in point-and-click flavour, and won't be impressed.
* '''Deep elf annihilators''': With your high EV, most of the time, they will miss, but when they don’t, ''ouch''. Their worst spell is the Crystal Spear, but it has thankfully limited range, so keep your distance (more than 4 tiles).
* '''Deep elf blademasters''': It’s an elf, but with +99 daggers of kitty-slaying and rocket-boot thrusters. Don't let these touch you.
* '''Deep elf death mage''': It's you! But less fluffy. Therefore lesser. Their signature spell, Call Lost Souls, summons some harmless, annoying puffs of spectral matter which will revive nearby dying elves into a ghost variant (this adds a little skull icon on their sprite). When they are reanimated thus, if you have Dispel Undead, you can walk up and blast them - otherwise, your other tools are just as efficient as they are on their living counterparts.

Thankfully, these elven bullies are mostly hidden in their big fortress somewhere in Elf:3, and can be dealt with in little groups at a time, as the entrance to their headquarters is conveniently shaped like a funnel. Approach the final vault, lure in a few volunteers, dispose of them, rest, and return, until the flood stops. Dashing in, battling all of them at once, and expecting to win is extremely foolish.

If you have Summon Mana Viper, it can have impressive results here! Antimagic-biting an Annihilator to force them to use their puny arms instead of their reality-shattering conjurations is quite effective.

Unlike the lesser humanoids, Banishment is very unlikely to happen to you here. If it ''does'' happen, stay calm. The first instinct of many players is to start walking in diagonals to find an exit, but you should not be doing this with this build. You have the ability to organize a nice little fortress with your allies, and fend off invaders coming from all sides. After proving to Lugonu your fighting prowess, you will be let out without complications. Dying in the Abyss is ''very'' undesirable, as you will simply respawn in another equally dangerous location of this infinite plane of madness.

=Containment Breach in Zone 2 (Vaults)=

Excellent, a place where you'll actually feel powerful. You'll feel right at home in this stronghold of soullessness, metal, and faceless guards devoid of individual thought.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Life would be so much simpler if everyone was an undead thrall, you know? Perfect order, absolute obedience, flawless coordination. I bet technology would be propelled centuries foward if people stopped clutching that worthless "identity" everyone keeps talking about.}}

This is the necromantic funzone, seriously. The extreme majority of everything here has been so dumbed down by mindless servitude that their Willpower - and therefore resistance to Anguish - is as low as the chance that you actually managed to survive up to this point. Not only that, but almost every creature makes up for spectacular undead thralls, and space is so neatly organized and wide open that you'll have no trouble directing your army around to annihilate everything you see.

Always have Death Channel active when you battle. Animate Dead the first sizable goon squad you spot, and carry them around the level until it's worth replacing them. Spam Infestation on everything you see until then.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] All this empty space. All this real estate opportunity, ruined. Such inefficiency. Don't linger in Vaults:1 and Vaults:4, exploring no more than half of both. You'll still want to locate the Crypts somewhere on Vaults:2 or Vaults:3 through more thorough exploration, after which you'll be able to descend faster.}}

The threats? Point-and-click abilities, of course.

* '''Ironbound thunderhulks''' have on-demand electro-bzzaps, and '''are the biggest threat of this branch'''. Unlike most point-and-click cheaters, this one can actually be dodged, but should you fail to do so, say goodbye to half your HP bar. They have this gimmick where they cannot use this skill if you are 2 or fewer tiles away, but don't let this bait you into walking towards terrible positions only for them to blink away and resume electrocuting you. Don't hesitate to pop Death's Door if you get badly hit once. Ring-swapping to the rare rElec artifact ring may prove useful, if you have found such a useful trinket.

* '''Ironbound frosthearts''' also have a point-and-click, this time chocolate ice-cream flavoured. Yes, chocolate is toxic to cats. This is intentional. It drips from the walls, so avoid standing next to them, as was the case for Deep elf elementalists. Thankfully, these have been heavily nerfed since my last FeSu guide, as back then, they were as horrible as Salamander tyrants. You can afford to take a few hits.

* '''Frederick''' CAN ONESHOT YOU THE MOMENT YOU TAKE A SINGLE BREATH IN HIS PRESENCE. If you encounter him alone and wish to take him down, I suggest an immediate Death's Door from full HP, and then an unloading of your entire necromantic artillery on him. It will be enough. There really is no overkill here. If your Death's Door is close to running out and he is still alive, just pop Slimify from your (a)bility menu and oneshot him.

* '''Xtahua''' can also oneshot you, but only if you lack rF+. Even then, have your paw on the Death's Door button at the ready! Slimify if needed.

* '''Mennas''', the "Menace" as some players call him, is practically designed to counter everything you are capable of. Bonus damage against undead, instant Silence to block you from using Death's Door and all other spells, mass confusion on your Death Scarabs so they start hurting each other and potentially you as well, resistance to Slimify from being holy, huge speed, huge melee damage... I've had success with a Scroll of Vulnerability and repeated Anguish, but attempts at battle without a huge swarm to back you up usually result in dead cats faster than you can say "Deus Vult". If you have a wand of quicksilver and his dreaded Silence comes out, you can use it on him for a chance to dispel the Silence!

You can detect Mennas - and sometimes Frederick - through walls by looking for suspiciously yellow tiles, illuminated by their radiant haloes. Don't get trolled by Mennas's lack of See Invisible, his halo will still reveal you, as long as you are standing in it.

* '''Jory''' and '''Boris''' are similar - two undead casters with ridiculously damaging spells, packing an easy twoshot or oneshot if you let them blast you. For maximum disrespect, just Death's Door immediately, walk up, and pwn them with Dispel Undead or Slimify.

* '''Zenata''' is one of the most lethal bosses of the mid-to-late game, brutally decimating around 5% of all players who choose to take her on. Keyword - choose. Many advanced and competitive players leave her alone entirely to polish her army of hasted dancing scimitars instead. You can do so as well, but if seeing coloured pixels moving across your screen sends you into a mindless rage, you can do Death's Door-Slimify at the easiest, or Death's Door-necro-artillery for a more traditional takedown. She won't oneshot you, so you can use a few turns to prep, but once her summons are out and she has started using her point-and-click damage ability, it's time to get down to business and hit that immortality button. Don't even think about Blink-scrolling or whatever away from all those floating knives, they are almost as fast as Death scarabs. Just focus on pwning her.

* '''Nobody''' is not that scary to me, aside from the part where they DARE stomp on the feline fiefdom's trademarks and use extra lives to respawn 3 times, one more than you can hold at a time. Each of their reincarnations has a different kit. Honestly, they are okay to deal with as long as you have a few scarabs to swarm them with (and they aren't ganking you in the middle of a Vaults:5 party). Pay attention to their dialogue lines in the message log, I like them a lot.

* '''Ironbound convokers''' are infamous for their ability to teleport enemies from the floor over to their position a few turns after the flag icon appears on their sprite. This is usually not that bad of a thing, as it's more meat to funnel through your undead creation machine. What you do not want is Mennas suddenly spawning in your face. For this reason, I like to Haunt/Borgnjor's Vile Clutch them with priority.

I suggest not entering Vaults:5. Not even a peek. There is a surprise party down there. You're not invited. Make your way to the Crypts instead.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Splats And Riches Incorporated™ goes where it pleases! Barge into those Vaults:5 goons' private space, that Shining Gem won't pick itself up. Let's do this. And don't go leaving now to get to the Pits beforehand, the "spoils of war" imply a war as a prerequisite!}}

===Squishy Interlude (Slime:5 & Ring/Amulet Selection)===

You might have reached (******) in Jiyva piety, or will soon. When that happens, Ctrl-G your way to Slime:5.

{{flavour|[[File:Jiyva altar.png]] Ecstatic wobbling resounds before all this juicy, delicious loot!}}

Yikes. Well, at least the artifacts will be spared. Try to collect as many useful items as possible, and, of course, the rune.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] And the GEM. If you're tight on turns, forget the loot, get back up to that Lair, NOW!!}}

Speaking of "useful items", your inventory is probably getting full. Here is how I choose my rings, depending on the "Egoes" they possess. These are called "Ego" in-game because they increase your hubris the more OP they are, thus making you splat out of recklessness. '''Bold = Good.'''

* If '''Wiz''' is causing your Death's Door to be more reliable, it's highly valuable.
* '''+X Int''' is never bad.
* '''Resistances''' aren't as useful now that we have a spell to take out Death itself on a nice Sunday movie night hangout. But they are still interesting to dial down oneshots and twoshots - rF+ in particular is pretty good, as this damage type is quite common, and we already have rC+ from our fur. Jiyva gives you rCorr for free.
* +X MP is decent. But Jiyva's mana regeneration is already almost infinite mana. You can do better.
* +X Dex gives EV. But not as much as a +5 EV ring. You have enough EV to go around already. Find better.
* Will+ is not very useful, because cats know nothing of self-doubt. Will-, however, is bad, as it re-introduces all those annoying hexing experiences other species have to deal with. Cancel it out with a Will+ if it's really worth it.
* All the "dangerous" properties like "Drain", "Corrode" can mostly be ignored. "Slow" is a little more dangerous, but acceptable if the bonuses are good. "Bane" is a risk/reward, refer to the [[#Kiku's Troll Carousel (Banes)|banes section]].

And here is how I choose my amulets. '''Bold = Good.'''

* '''RegenMP''' - more mana. More scarabs. More Death's Door. More fun.
* '''Acrobat''' is surprisingly great, as you spend a lot of turns just waiting and moving around. +15 EV is serious business, especially when it comes to surviving an expiring Death's Door.
* '''Reflection''', in a similar vein, blocks some attacks, and can even return some ranged ones to sender.
* '''Wildshape''' is only truly good if you are building your way to a Hive Talisman, Riddle Talisman, Granite Talisman or Dragon-coil Talisman. Don't bother otherwise.
* Alchemy is nice if you can chug a quick sip of Curing to get just enough mana to enter Death's Door. The above ones are better.
* Regeneration is interesting, because it has a lot of chances to tick while you move around your army. But I still think the above ones are better.
* Dissipation is very meh. It's better than nothing for sure, and you will appreciate it the few times it is relevant, but we need to also acknowledge the "rest of the time", which is most of the time you spend in the Dungeon, and we'd rather have RegenMP here.
* Faith is useless. Are you going around using Slimify on everything you see? No, you are not. Do better.
* <s>YASD</s> Guardian Spirit: "Oh no, my beloved feline friend! You took quite the hit there. Good thing I spread it to your mana bar to offset the damage! You now have 5 MP and 30 HP, instead of only 10 HP! What do you mean 'I needed that mana for Death's Door'? You don't need spells to protect yourself. You have me!"

===Emergency Facility Lockdown (Vaults:5)===

Do not come here if you just want to win. You will likely-

''Attention all personnel. A supernatural feline capable of binding souls at its beck and call and of entering invincibility on demand is heading to the maximum security Zone Five. Engage maximum defensive protocols.''

Oh, you already went in. Welp. If you had listened to me, you would have known that drinking Haste and Brilliance before going down is quite smart. You could also have:

* Read a Scroll of Teleportation, then immediately descended.
* Used a Vaults:4 escape hatch, if it spawned, instead of the normal stairs.

I'll stop using past tense and roleplaying, now, because it's getting annoying.

In the former case, you will be met with a horrible ambush screen. It won't last long before you are whisked away to a random location. Some possibilities:

* '''Close to the central death zone''': Troublesome, but at least you probably aren't getting attacked from all angles anymore. You'll want to retreat towards one of the linear hallways, using Anguish, Infestation and Death Channel to collect the ambush guards as your starting army. If things go wrong - which they might - you may have to Death's Door and read a new Teleport scroll.

* '''Close to the outer rim''': This is the best scenario. These hallways are mostly safe and have few enemies, which means more time to regenerate, moving slowly across, recruiting all creatures you come across to roll your growing snowball of undead.

* '''Straight into one of the infested loot vaults''': Rather terrible. You may even have to Death's Door very fast. I've never been oneshotted here, but the moment you are below 60% HP here, you are in kill range. You can try to make a stand and forge an army - especially if you have Haste/Brilliance buffs - but be ready to try a new Teleport scroll.

Once you have established your squad, the rest is much easier. Move across the level, replacing your slain or disappearing undead with fresh new servants. This is a good time to place those Infestation blasts left and right. Do not forget your primary objective: the Shining Gem and the Silver Rune, right on top of each other in one of the four rectangular corner loot vaults.

Once you have secured the gem and rune, immediately make your way to the centre and leave, never to return.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] If you have at least 600 turns remaining on the Vaults' Gem, you can go claim your slimy lootboxes in Slime:5 now. Otherwise, you'll have to clear the Crypts right away, only going to Slime after you have exited the Vaults, never to return!}}

=The Place Where They Invented The Whole Necromancy Thing (Crypts)=

Throughout this run, did you ever wish you could o-tab like the good old Minotaur Berserker days? Boy, do I have the thing for you. Do you have Dispel Undead? If it was available but not memorized yet, do so now. Get that thing on your (Q)uiver, most likely replacing Anguish for now (which isn't that good here).

Now, you can autoexplore with 'o', and blast all these useless corpses in melee range with 'p'. That's right. o-p. And it really is OP.

Animate Dead and Death Channel, however, are almost entirely useless. Infestation is not. It is time to show these rotting husks your entomological collection (and offer them the chance to join it).

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] You should only be here after completing Vaults:5! That Ivory Gem would look great on my Divine Sceptre of Golden Doom, so I especially don't want you to miss it. I suggest another high-speed protocol of going down on safe staircases as soon as possible, because Crypts:3 tends to be a whole ordeal of endless undead armies and tricks and traps designed to entertain those who have too much free time and no job to get done. Which is not you.}}

The spooky ride will begin with a vast assortment of varied undead: most are not dangerous in any way (in fact, the Crypt is pretty much a popcorn factory). However, this is only a trap to lead you to let down your guard when the following arrive to ruin your day:

* '''Revenants''' do many things, but one of them is a giga darkness damage 3x3 "ghostly fireball". Your squad should be resistant to it, but unless you have rN+, you are not. Preferably, don't have less than 2 allies standing between you and them, but you can always do the classic trick of walking up and blasting them with Dispel Undead, with a Death's Door thrown into the mix if needed.

* '''Curse Skulls''' are annoying pests which summon an army of undead and spam torment. That reminds me of a certain someone, isn't that right, Kiku? They think it is funny to hide behind their wall of summons, but you can reach over with Haunt or Borgnjor's Vile Clutch. Or, you know, walk up and blast them. That works too.

* '''Khufu and mummy friends''' have an entomological collection, just like you. They are eager to compare and share their secrets of the trade. Theirs even have emperor scorpions! These terrorize many characters, but you should be able to use their bandages as a scratching post, assuming you can get close enough to blast them with Dispel Undead, or can land your point-and-click Haunt/Borgnjor's Vile Clutch. Watch out, they pack a "death curse" - automatically unleashed when they perish. The only effect which can actually kill you is the semi-common small burst of darkness damage, so keep this in mind if you're dealing the finishing blow while you're almost dead and unprotected.

* '''Vampire bloodprinces''' have multiple extremely OP abilities, but one of them is TURNING YOUR ENTIRE SQUAD OF SCARABS AGAINST YOU! They also spew bat clouds everywhere which put you to sleep (despite the extreme fear you should be feeling right now). These are particularly annoying, because they reduce your Death's Door timer. The key here is to cut line-of-sight, ambush them with Death's Door active, and blast them with Dispel Undead before they even know what hit them. If your army is big enough, you can possibly do enough damage before they have time to get their brainwashing spell in. Treat them with the respect a member of their lineage deserves.

* '''Vv''' is a proud member of the developers' latest OC-do-not-steal species, the Stoneborn. For all her OP point-and-click spells, she didn't have the budget for See Invisible. Drink a Potion of Invisibility or Death's Door if you do not want to get obliterated in milliseconds.

* '''Grunn''' only knows how to move and melee attack, which is laughable. What isn't so funny are his canine companions, which are elite assassins from the dog monarchy sent to stop you. If they place their Howl debuff on you, I recommend a Potion of Cancellation, or else you'll quickly be facing lethal Tartarus endgame enemies that will likely force you to use Death's Door. Willpower is useful to resist this hex, so check the percentage chance, and possibly ring-swap to Will+.

* '''Mennas''' can also spawn here. He is not any easier. Leave him to his prayer beads if you want maximal chances to win - but if you are a Trog worshipper in real life, do what you must. I talked about strategies in the Vaults chapter already.

In Crypt:3, you will find a unique challenge level, with its traps and tricks - nothing too serious compared to what you have just traversed. There is also the entrance to the Tomb. It is the hardest branch in the entire game, filled with all kinds of mummies who will be very happy to bash your hubris into the ground with endless torment spam, then cackle as you respawn in the death trap between their walls only to die again and be met with “Welcome, Idiot. Please select your species.”

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] That is exactly why I order you to go in once you secured that Ivory Gem.}}

=Perfection Can Still Improve (Lategame Skills)=

At this point, you must be at level 24+ Necromancy, which means your Death's Door must be getting under 7% fail rate. Getting to the maximum of level 27 of Necromancy will title your character - for the rest of the run - a "Cat of Death", which is positively awesome. But what next?

Make your choice. Personally, I think that Maxwell's Capacitive Coupling is the option which will give you the highest chance of victory, but it might not be available (Ctrl-F if it's not in your spell library, perhaps it is in a shop somewhere!).

''Note: in all cases which involve more spells, you may have to train more Spellcasting to make room as well. 0.5 Spellcasting = 1 spell slot!''

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Pick anything you want. As long as it accelerates your transition from point A (your current, damp and mud-soaked location) to point B (you, prostrating before me, with all 11 gems deposited before my throne).}}

===More Oneshots (Maxwell's Capacitive Coupling)===

''Requirements: Maxwell's Capacitative Coupling and at least one Intelligence/Wizardry ring or amulet.''

This spell takes a long time to train for, but if you '''turn on nothing but Air Magic''' for the rest of the run, you'll definitely have it ready to power through the (normally difficult) Realm of Zot with almost zero challenge.

You started by fearing the oneshot. Then, you understood the oneshot with Death's Door. Now, it is time to BE the oneshot.

'''[[Maxwell's Capacitive Coupling]]''' (Level 8 Air Magic) literally does infinite damage that ignores all resistances. It will oneshot anything and everything, from a rat to Dispater, Lord of the Iron City of Dis. Unfortunately for your foes, they were not born as fluffy and quadrupedal as you are, and do not have any extra lives. Successfully casting this spell adds a Charge status effect on your sidebar - simply wait (. or s) a few turns, and the ''nearest'' foe will be expunged from reality. If more than one foe are tied in distance, a random one will be chosen.

Why this is broken with this build: it bypasses allies. That means you can simply erect a defensive wall of scarabs/spectres/zombies and bzzap all things trying to work their way through it, all the while Jiyva constantly replenishes your mana for another charge of your pocket defibrillator. Those Orbs of Fire will never see it coming. If you mix this with Death's Door, it becomes impossible that you will ever lose a 1v1 or even 1v3, considering you are invincible and are launching 99999999 true damage after just a couple of turns.

If you're not sure what to do while your army is fighting it out, just start unloading oneshots. Naturally, keep 9 mana for an emergency Death's Door, if in need.

===More Tentacles (Summonings)===

''Requirements: Summon Horrible Things, Sphinx Sisters or Malign Gateway''

Well, you started as a Summoner, so going back to the roots is certainly an option! '''This is extremely strong and will secure the win. Especially Malign Gateway.'''

Both those spells are perfectly achievable if you start training Summonings again, up to '''13 for Malign Gateway/Sphinx Sisters and 20 for Summon Horrible Things'''. You'll also need '''level 15 Translocations in the case of Malign Gateway, or 15 Hexes in the case of Sphinx Sisters'''. I suggest you focus-train Translocations/Hexes, because of the +4 aptitude.

'''[[Malign Gateway]]''' (Level 7 Summonings/Translocations) - You will require some open space (no casting in hallways). The Gateway will initially appear quite a distance away from you, so it is best used to initiate a battle, and not as emergency support. After a few turns, a very long tentacle will slowly protrude out, curious to prod at the world around it. Its little taps do immense damage, probably the highest out of any Summonings spell. There are extremely few creatures in the entire game who can 1v1 a Gateway, for these tentacles are more resistant to elemental damage than a tardigrade. The downside is that the tentacle remains tethered to its portal, and is quite slow - it is therefore good practice to distract a powerful enemy with lesser allies while squiggly doom slowly unrolls behind their back. You can also run towards it, and pass through it diagonally while being pursued by an angry horde. There is only one little twist - the tentacle can rarely become hostile to you once the spell ends. Not a huge deal, honestly, considering its tethered nature makes it very easy to escape should that happen. If you quiver this spell with "Q", you will be able to see on the sidebar when the spell has enough space to be casted (the text will be coloured). '''Maximum Summon Capacity: 1'''.

'''[[Summon Horrible Things]]''' (Level 8 Summonings) - THE meatshield spell. The damage on this is not especially splendid, though tentacled monstrosities can dish out interesting amounts of rib-crushing damage with their constriction ability. However, the real reason you cast this spell is to surround yourself in tanky units that will give you big warm hugs with their mucus-coated appendages. The summoning cap on this is 8, which is just enough to surround your frail and vulnerable body entirely. You may have to cast it twice to ensure you are fully protected, and recast it as the battle progresses once your cuddle-hole starts getting pierced by the barrage of conjurations and sword-slicing. It has a small chance of inflicting a little Doom on every cast, but it is quickly cleansed by accumulating a little bit of experience, and is mostly only for thematic effect... mostly. Try to avoid using eldritch horror summoning as your way of saying hello to every soul you encounter in the dungeons. Most Banes are not so bad, as we [[#Kiku's Troll Carousel (Banes)|discussed earlier]], but if you get Dilettante or Multiplicity at this stage of the game, you will not enjoy it. Say, do you know what is worse than an Orb of Fire? That's right, 4 Orbs of Fire! '''Maximum Summon Capacity: 8'''.

'''[[Sphinx Sisters]]''' (Level 7 Summonings/Hexes) - They have an endless array of hypnosis techniques and dastardly Hexes. But, at this point of the game, landing them on the creatures which actually matter will be a fool's errand. What we actually care about is the "airstrike melee", where the "marauder" variant of these fellow half-felid half-humanoids (hmph. They can get a pass!) will devastate the opposition as long as it is standing in a tile surrounded in empty space! They will still occasionally "vex" draconians with their terrible jokes, and make them attack everything around them, which is particularly welcome considering they are quite the social butterfly type.

===More Acrobatics (Translocations)===

''Requirements: Vhi's Electric Charge, Passage of Golubria, Dispersal, and/or Disjunction''

You'll need refinement and taste to appreciate this one. Get '''Translocations trained up to 2 times the highest level spell you wish to use'''. For example, Dispersal, level 6, would require 12 Translocations. Proper mastery of these abilities certainly won't result in more kills, but they might very well win you the game.

'''[[Vhi's Electric Charge]]''' (Level 4 Translocations/Air Magic) is known for its electrical attack, which is barely a tickle in your case. We do not care. What ''is'' important is that it blinks you with complete precision to any foe up to 4 spaces away, randomly repositioning anyone in the way to make space. This allows you to jump from foe-to-foe as if they were points to swing a grappling hook around! In Death's Door, you need not fear any of their attacks, and can move with utmost feline grace through the most packed of crowds.

'''[[Passage of Golubria]]''' (Level 4 Translocations) is a fantastic companion spell to Blink which places portals like a certain Valve video game. Simply choose a location to summon a portal nearby, with a 2 tile radius of error - the other one will appear nearby your position. Walking on top of one portal will immediately blink you to the next. You may find it highly useful when it comes to reaching a certain location on the screen quickly without having to use Scrolls of Blinking!

'''[[Dispersal]]''' (Level 6 Translocations) isn't hard to understand. It makes those close to you blink far away from you. It will test their Willpower - those who resist the enchantment will only hop a short distance, but those who do not might get pulled screaming across the entire level dozens of tiles away. This could very well change everything in Zot:5 when it's time to grab that well defended Orb!

'''[[Gell's Gavotte]]''' (Level 6 Translocations) is a bit annoying, because it hits your allies. However, at the end of the day, it's a reusable dash that also deals tons of damage to the entire screen. You can rotate the direction to highlight in yellow which enemies will strike a wall and be damaged, but most of the time, with this build, I prefer its defensive uses. Use the Force! Or, sans undertale. Whatever lame reference you want to imagine when you are waving the Klowns around with your little claw.

'''[[Disjunction]]''' (Level 8 Translocations) is extremely similar to Dispersal. The difference - it always does the weak effect, but constantly does it every turn, for at least 6 turns. Having this and Death's Door on at the same time is hilarious - you can just start casually walking at any point on the screen and absolutely nothing will be able to stop or block you. You can pop a potion of Haste and walk through the Zot:5 death trap chambers like you own the place.

===More Brainwashing (Discord + Hexes)===

''Requirements: Discord.''

'''WARNING:''' Onei will not be held responsible for any splats ensuing use of this technology. By proceeding, you acknowledge that using this spell is just as effective as it is dangerous.

'''[[Discord]]''' (Level 8 Hexes) is, like Anguish, a mass-hex. This time, however, if Willpower is beaten, the affected will be given Might-Haste. That’s +50% action speed and +50% melee damage all in one.

Not so promising, now is it? Where it gets fun: the affected will also now be attacking the creature closest to them regardless of their old faction.

Where this gets hilarious is that THIS ALSO AFFECTS ALLIES (but not spectres and zombies). How much damage does a Might-Hasted Phantasmal Warrior do per turn, you may wonder? Around up to 87 PER TURN.

Haunt + Discord is a particularly insane combo, as the moment they spawn in, they are already very close to the target you wish to annihilate. Once their business is done and they turn against you, they will evaporate out of reality before they can land a single hit. I have slain Cerebov using nothing but this synergy.

Obviously, do not cast this when your Death Scarabs are not currently in combat and are next to you, you will get POPPED. However, if even a couple of scarabs/Haunt summons are currently attacking some Orb of Fire or any highly dangerous foe, expect it to disappear from your screen. Are you being assaulted by your former allies? Death’s Door, Dispel Undead. The frenzy status will expire after a few turns anyhow.

Finally, you may also enjoy the ACTUAL intended purpose of the spell, which is causing mayhem among hordes of enemies. Those draconians in Zot become quite fearsome when unleashing light speed kung fu on all those disgustingly OP Protean Progenitors and the like...

Discord violates the golden rule of ally-fighting and can get kills out of line of sight. You can have your squad engage, drop Discord and immediately leave. Enjoy the waterfall of experience. Dispersal can teleport the might hasted scarabs across the map and literally obliterate uniques without you ever seeing them (this is not really reliable, it's just really funny).

If you are scared of this spell backfiring, consider [[Yara's Violent Unravelling]] (Level 5 Alchemy/Hexes), which will remove the frenzy status effects on the draconian monks rushing to annihilate you.

Discord is quite easy to get online with your +4 Hexes aptitude. With the leftover experience, if you wish to go all in on Hexes, you can do one of the following:

- Get more Spellcasting (and therefore spell slots), and get the Summonings/Hexes spell '''Sphinx Sisters'''. It is explained [[#More Tentacles (Summonings)|right here]].
- With a Riddle Talisman, train Shapeshifting to level 17 (Painful! An amulet of Wildshape helps a lot here.) and enter Sphinx Form. This will increase the Hex chance of Discord and Anguish, make both of these into devastating psychic powerhouses for even late game foes. You can even get other Hexes, such as the normally pitiful level 3 Tukima's Dance, and make draconians/Killer Klowns lose their OP weapons. You can enter Sphinx Form a little earlier than level 17 Shapeshifting due to its HP bonus cancelling out the HP penalty - inspect the Riddle Talisman to monitor your progress.

===More O + TAB (Dragoncoil Talisman)===

What's that? You lust to return to your Minotaur Berserker days? I'll keep this section short, since you clearly don't have the attention span required to read much more of this nonsensically long guide.

Dragon-coil talisman. (Ctrl-F for it, you may have missed it!) Level 17 Shapeshifting. (You can transform at level 14 due to the big HP bonus). After that, Level 20 Unarmed Combat. O + TAB. You are now a Felid "meleedude" with fat stacks of resistances, and you still have your Death's Door. Enjoy.

Don't forget to use your breath weapon in the "a" menu (it is very strong against anything, but you can only use it every 12 kills or so) and to use at least SOME of your magical background, such as Infestation or Rimeblight. And Death's Door, of course. But you won't forget about that one.

The Granite talisman is an option too, of course, but I personally do not like it with this build. Why? Permanent slowness = -33% Death's Door duration. Remember, acolyte: AC is an illusion.

=I Thought Cats Were Sacred In Egypt (Tomb)=

'''WARNING''': This place has a high chance of murdering you. I know it has been like that the entire game, but especially this place. You will get nothing out of it beyond glory and pride. Skip to the next chapter if you prefer to maximize your chances of actually winning the run. I will say that the first floor (Tomb:1) is pretty much on the same difficulty level as the Crypts, so you can certainly clear it if, say, you want a little more XP to get an extra life back.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] "Waaa, danger, danger, die die death splat oneshotted OP OP die!" Am I imitating Onei correctly? Yeah, don't listen to that fool, get in that Tomb and bring me that Sanguine Gem! It will be fine. Most likely.}}

Preparations? Dispel Undead is a huge help, if you do not have it already. If it is not available, Borgnjor's Vile Clutch and a bunch of Immolation Scrolls can suffice. If you get sent to the Entomological Museum (Tomb:1 Secret) due to bad luck, Vhi's Electric Charge can help a lot.

You'll also want a Scroll of Revelation. And as many Scrolls of Teleportation as you can get. And if you ever get netted in this place, you'll probably want to use the basic Blink spell.

===Too Bad Cats Can't Wear Hats And Wield A Whip (Tomb:1)===

The beginning is extremely easy. Reach the entrance of the temple - walk vertically, then horizontally. You'll know you found the entrance when you see a herd of Sphinxes, while should perish extremely easily to the horde you will have accumulated when you get there. Indeed, the side alleys are full of popcorn, but it is CRITICAL that you spam Infestation on everything you see so that you don't arrive empty-pawed when the real threats start pouring out.

I suggest recruiting the Sphinxes for good measure with Animate Dead and Death Channel.

Rush inside the temple and annihilate all mummies on sight with your huge army. They'll never see it coming. Unfortunately, they will constantly pelt you with "death curses" every time one of the dangerous ones perishes, which is bound to cut away at your HP. If you're getting low, take a few steps back, let Jiyva pump some juice back in your veins, and return to the fray. Your Death's Door button is accessible in case of an emergency.

I will address the users of a Hive talisman here, who probably have stayed with Kikubaaqudgha: this is the only place in the game where your curse resistance passive is actually relevant. This branch will be MUCH easier with it. I will continue writing assuming you are with Jiyva, and therefore, not experiencing Tomb on tutorial mode.

You'll want to locate the downstairs inside the temple as soon as possible, located in one of the spiral shaped hallways. I suggest drinking a Potion of Haste and reading a Scroll of Teleportation before going down. I know it's never a good sign when I say this.

===Surprise Torment Tea Party (Tomb:2)===

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Wow. That's, uh, a lot of mummies.}}

Welcome to Vaults:5 redux. Just like last time, we have little incentive for pleasantries. Read a Scroll of Revelation. Inspect your surroundings: there is an upstairs nearby, leading back to Tomb:1's temple.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Ha. Designed for safety, escape and retreat. No time for such things.}}

Indeed. Now, read a Scroll of Noise to pull all the mummies to the centre (NOT if the Teleport somehow already triggered). The Teleport should kick off at any instant now, leading you to:

* '''Somewhere in the main central ambush chamber''': Yikes. At least it's no longer in that death trap centre. My suggestion: if you see a door nearby, try to make your way to it to no longer be out in the open. The side chambers contain some goons, but it's a good start to build your Infestation army in a relatively safe location. If there is no door, consider another Teleport, or if there are some packed Death Scarabs or weak mummies, try to start your Infestation army there with Dispel Undead/Anguish/Vile Clutch/Haunt/All of the above.

* '''In one of the outer rim chambers THAT HAS A DOOR TO CONNECT TO THE MAIN ROOM''': Not bad. Dispose of the goons there after Infesting them, and build your army.

* '''In one of the outer rim chambers WITH NO CONNECTION TO THE MAIN ROOM''': This is ideal. We just saved a ton of time. Unfortunately, there are probably some very angry mummies here. Make your last stand, use your consumables - you should do anything to survive, for this is a highly lucky Teleport, and dying will probably pluck you out of it as you respawn. If you can secure the perimeter and reveal the two down-hatches to Tomb:3, proceed to the Grand Pharaoh Showdown below.

Keep your paw on Death's Door if the royal mummies' collection of Smite and Torment drags you into kill range (one Smite can deal up to 17 damage. We can't afford to get over-protective, but if adding the number of royal mummies and mummy priests on screen and multiplying that by 5 is bigger than your current HP, it's time to slam that Death's Door!)

After your army has consumed Tomb:2, you have some options. Each Teleport scroll is a gamble that could bring you to the previously mentioned unconnected outer rim. This would save a ton of time, and also skip the most dangerous part of Tomb for this build. But I would not use every single one if I were you. You'll want to keep some for the next levels!

If you succeed, clear the outer rim chambers (re-read the relevant bullet point), and proceed to the Grand Pharaoh Showdown.

If you're done gambling and haven't succeeded, it's time for...

===The Entomological Museum (Tomb:1 Secret)===

Use the upstairs located in the connected outer rim chamber. NOT the one in the main chamber, which leads to the very start - a huge waste of time.

You'll arrive in a narrow corridor. If you're unlucky, there's probably tons of OP mummies already pwning your health bar.

It's not that complicated. Death's Door. If there's only one or two mummies, walk up and blast them with Dispel Undead in utter disrespect of their dozens of unlived centuries. Don't have it? Haunt and Vile Clutch together get the work done. Maybe you can even sneak in an Infestation in there to get a scarab friend to assist your next encounter.

Is the entomological collection getting unloaded without you ever asking? These Egyptian tourist trap tour guides sure are getting insistent. Give them a piece of your mind with Vhi's Electric Charge, if you have it, which will instantly pull you into melee range of them. The simple Blink spell can also, with some luck, reposition you on the other side of the corridor. If the collection is made up of Scarabs, you can Dispel-blast them as well.

Tons of critters? Tons of mummies? Tons of red squares? Immolation scroll. Get one thing to die and cover the whole place in flames. Try to ensure all of these creepy-crawlies and their masters drown in holy fire before your Death's Door expires.

Desperate? In melee range but these mummies are just refusing to die? Slimify. Jiyva won't like it if you take every single one out using this ability, but it's absolutely worth it 1-3 times.

Make your way to the end of the corridor, not hesitating to rest a little bit between each encounter. This will take time, but it is a good investment of your time. Dying here is terrible, as it means you'll have to go to Tomb:2, then back to Tomb:1's secret room... Getting the Sanguine Gem is still possible if you die once (or need to use a Teleportation scroll).

After you take the new downstairs, you'll find yourself in that disconnected outer rim we were trying so hard to reach with Teleport scrolls.

===Grand Pharaoh Showdown (Tomb:3)===

Before descending, Haste and Brilliance, if available.

Having around 600 turns left here should be comfortable enough. If there's less, you'll have to hurry.

You'll instantly get dropped into a mildly claustrophobic hallway of relatively safe appearance. Do not be fooled. THE MUMMIES ARE COMING.

The first arrivals will no doubt be an entire plague of scarabs. These are a glorious sight, because if we can decimate them, we'll get an awesome army with Infestation.

A death scarab bursts from the death scarab!

Meta. Anyhow, they are extremely weak to Anguish, so casting that once there are a lot on the screen (and a few have been popped through any means of your choice - Dispel Undead is excellent) will prove useful.

For a time, you should get an awesome army pwning everything. It's only a matter of time until some pricks come in to ruin the fun. Once you are forced to Death's Door, your next priority should be making your way to the doors on the side, which lead to treasure chambers - and, more importantly, an upstairs.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] What? Safety? Retreat? But what about the GEM?}}

Don't worry, this one doesn't lead very far. You can absolutely afford to rest to full health back in the safety of Tomb:2's outer rim, unless you wasted time in the upper levels. Once you descend again, the horde will have been thinned down significantly, and each subsequent attempt will be easier. When things seem manageable enough, make your way to the back of Tomb:3, where you'll find the Sanguine Gem and the Golden Rune!

Got at least 200 turns? You can check a bit of the loot out. The most important thing here is the '''Ziggurat Figurine'''. E(V)oking it will instantly place a portal to a pocket dimension at our paws. This is astounding, for it is effectively a free Death's Door reset. Creatures won't even pursue you through it. You'll find one or two hostile critters in the pocket dimension, but they are most often easily disposed of, or, at the very least, far enough to afford you a Death's Door recast. It is a one-time-use. Make it count. And EXIT through the blue portal after using it, do NOT start going down multiple levels of Zig where your inevitable doom and descent into madness awaits.

=Blizzards and Brimstone (Depths)=

Before proceeding any further, pay your respects to the many Felids which have died in this place. Everywhere you move, everywhere you breathe, it's either "dodge and nothing happens" or "a third of your HP bar is gone". It's a tough world for the 3 AC kitties out there. One could wish they were as fortunate as you to have a miracle button to turn the tide in the most crucial of moments.

By the way, if you don't have at minimum 15 casts of Death's Door by the end of this run, you '''aren't pressing it hard enough'''. Haven't been using it much? Don't worry, this place will change that.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] The time limit in this place is one of the most generous, unlike the absolute caffeine-powered mummy fiesta I just had you traverse. This is still no time to try me and present the slightest possibility you may break one of MY precious gems. Explore no more than half of each floor, and collect that Midnight Gem on Depths:4, on top of the Zot gate!}}

* '''Fire and Frost giants''' can easily be found in close proximity to one another, quickly pushing you from one end of the temperature spectrum to the other. As you didn't consent to being brought to a nordic spa today, resisting the right element will help tremendously.

* '''Deep troll earth mages''' have the "remote wall detonation" point-and-click ability you were amused by back in the Elven Halls. Do not stand next to walls. They can even dig shafts through the aforementioned walls to reach you faster. They will not hesitate to Minecraft you to death.

* '''Juggernauts''' can only o-tab, but will likely oneshot you the moment their mass collides with your minuscule furry body. Make them plow through some undead to keep your distance.

* '''Golden dragons''' and '''Spriggan air mages''' and '''Spriggan berserkers''' and '''Sojobo''' and '''Tengu reavers''' and '''Crystal tomes''' and '''Liches''' and '''Titans''' and '''Caustic shrikes''' and '''Josephina''' and '''Spark wasps''' can-

Look, it's not that complicated. They just do 4 gazillion damage through their own ways - sometimes melee, sometimes point-and-click, sometimes in ranged piercing bolt form. At this point, we don't really care anymore. Trust me when I say I have '''never once been oneshotted in Depths'''. Twoshotted, perhaps. A juggernaut can oneshot, but they are easy to keep away if you use your spells. At any point you have less than 50% HP and the screen looks scary, just pop your Death's Door and unload the heavy artillery. Read a scroll of Teleportation, use stairs or Passwall if you feel uncomfortable. Standing at the edge of survival and oblivion is what this build is all about.

The worst of these are still just as dangerous in undead servant form, so assembling any kind of spectral/zombie army will mow down most things here with ease. You pretty much just need to sit back, keep the Infestation and Death Channel coming, Haunting the unruly ones laughing in the back, and potentially Vile Clutching the angry melee o-tabbers rushing to your location.

You were never the fighter in any of this. You are the manager.

You don't need me to tell you that gates named "Hell", "Abyss" or "Pandemonium" do not lead to good places to be in. I imagine the names were enough of a deterrent on their own.

'''About the Ziggurat:''' If you are currently not level 27 yet and you are lacking in the 'Extra Lives' department, consider taking a peek. Should you succeed in clearing the first 8 floors (do NOT go further down, you absolute gambling addict), you may get a potion of Experience or two, which count towards restoring your lives if you are below level 27!

=Worst Disco Ever (Realm of Zot)=

I mean. You have invincibility on demand. Practically infinite mana. Point-and-click abilities with irresistible debuffs. Surely there can't be any challenge left at this point.

Ha. You wish.

First, consider the Orb type (it is listed in the Ctrl+O menu).

- '''Orbs of Fire:''' rF+ is highly valuable here. Consider equipping it. Break line of sight with your numerous allies (mostly Haunt) to avoid growing horrible genetic diseases. These are the worse ones to face in my opinion.
- '''Orbs of Winter:''' You should already have your rC+ from your fuzzy cuteness, but you can improve it a little more if it doesn't destroy your wizardly prowess. Their Ozocubu's Refrigeration deals less damage if you are adjacent to allies. The key here is to avoid standing 3 spaces away or less from an Orb of Winter, which can slowly drain the piety of your current god. It's not so bad than most characters, but if you go below 5* of Jiyva piety, you will lose half of your regeneration bonus (it is thankfully quickly regained). Those who stayed with Kikubaaqudgha can appreciate knowing they will lose almost nothing from this, except their Torment protection.
- '''Orbs of Entropy:''' You will probably want rN+, but Jiyva shields you from their scariest acidic attacks (those who stayed with Kikubaaqudgha are not so fortunate). Just like the Orbs of Fire, a clear line of fire will allow them to inflict Doom on you, which can be accepted a few times. Even if you let it exceed the threshold, you will most likely be fine... unless you land on a brutal Multiplicity Bane that starts duplicating the Orbs of Entropy and giving you every other Bane in the game. Be cautious.

This is your '''final boss battle'''. It will prove highly difficult. Remember: '''you win by getting that Orb and bringing it back''', NOT by murdering everything you see. You will find killing things difficult, for they have tons of resistances and tricks against your toolkit. What they don't have, however, is a way to break through your literal immortality button. Not even purple draconian breath (which usually removes all status effects) can disable it.

You can simply ignore these ruffians. Let them sit and sulk in their little fortress of doom. You want to attack those separating you from the stairwells, NOT the random, unimportant gangs prowling about the outskirts of each floor. In an emergency, little stops you from entering Death's Door and simply walking to a staircase to use it while getting blasted by 100+ damage per turn from Orbs of fire and Draconians desperate for your attention. Even the dreaded Malmutate has a hard time piercing through the wall of Jiyva mutations.

Allow me to make some suggestions to refine your spell loadout.

Can be forgotten with Scrolls of Amnesia (only if you need slots):

* '''Anguish''' is dropping in usefulness. It curses draconians reliably, but that's about it. You can probably do better.
* '''Animate Dead''' is decent when used on draconians and orb guardians. But you could just make scarabs instead with Infestation. It's chaff at this point.
* '''Any Summonings spell of level 5 or less''' barely does anything at this point. Take the trash out. Summon Forest is still kind of okay, I guess.

You should prioritize getting the spells [[#Perfection Can Still Improve (Lategame Skills)|in the chapter "Perfection Can Still Improve"]]. If you have slots left, here are some spell
ideas to top off your pilgrimage:

* '''Passwall''', if you haven't gotten it already, allows you to simply escape through the wall while your Death's Door immortality crushes any hope of stopping you.
* '''Apportation''', taking only one measly spell slot, can yoink floor items to your position. In this particular situation, you may be interested in pulling the Orb of Zot to your location, instead of having to drag yourself to it through a horde of angry orb guardians. Note that there is a 33% chance this will fail (simply recast the spell).
{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Not to mention it will get that Prismatic Gem into your paws without you having to move a muscle.}}
* '''Borgnjor's Revivification''', normally mediocre on Felids, refills ''your entire health bar'' but permanently reduces its maximum capacity. We care little about petty things like "health" anymore. This can be extremely useful to survive until Death's Door goes off cooldown - but watch out! Casting this spell while Death's Door is active is basically "an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object" and will dispel Death's Door immediately, paralyzing you on top for 2-7 turns. This can still be useful if you are strategic about it.

Let's go. At this point, Gems or no Gems, there is absolutely no reason to full clear, go sightseeing or anything of the sort. This place drips pure YASD and developer sadism from every wall. Whenever you find a normal (non-hatch) staircase, you should consider using it right after clearing the foes around it. Use all your remaining Scrolls of Revelation to help locate your destinations.

Just like Depths, everything here just does fat damage and will have you reach for the Death's Door button. What you should actually be worried about are the weavers of more subtle schemes:

* Not a creature, but Scrolls of Teleportation will take a very long time (8-14 turns) to finally work here. Still, it's less time than a whole Death's Door, a piece of information which should be of particular interest to you.
* Scrolls of blinking also come with a "fuzz" effect that makes their target have a margin of error. To be noted in case you were being deceived by a false sense of security.
* '''Curse toes''' (?) have the ability to summon living mushrooms around you (??) which deal point-and-click damage in addition to the torment oozing every so often from the curse toe (???). Don't try to understand, just walk up and blast them with Dispel Undead.
* '''Death cobs''' (????) are very hard to differentiate from your death scarabs, in that they move fast, apply a slow debuff on hit and deal big damage, and even share one word in their name. Delete these cheap reskins with more Dispel Undead.
* '''Purple draconians''' & '''Quicksilver dragons''' (finally, some common sense) can remove all status effects should their breath strike you. All, truly? Ha! Nothing can pierce through immortality itself. While Death's Door is immune, losing your Death Channel and having all your spectres instantly disappear is something you should be expecting. You might also lose the Tele status from an in-progress teleportation scroll.
* '''Orbs of fire/winter/entropy'''. You know these guys. The appropriate resistance will help prevent a oneshot, but simply Death's Door the moment you are below 50% HP and one is in sight with not too much backup. Don't even bother trying to survive the normal way, we have no time to bend around developer sadism incarnate. Maxwell's Capacitive Coupling, Malign Gateway or Haunt + Discord are the ultimate answers to these ones.
* '''Killer Klowns''' are over-complicated with their wildly unpredictable effects - and this is coming from me, who has written a 30k word guide filled with unnecessary information. If you want to read their page on this wiki, it's [[Killer Klown|right here]]. The Silence and the Fragile debuffs are to fear most, for they block off your only salvation in this place - Death's Door (either through preventing you from casting spells or making you get oneshotted before you can actually use it). A Potion of cancellation should assist you in removing such effects. No, it won't cancel Death's Door. It's an immovable object.

In Zot:5, you'll find the entire troupe of this carnival of doom, nicely packed inside the "Zot lungs". They are horribly infected with blazing fire and pure evil. Time to do a surgical extraction.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] The Primastic Gem is in the first accessible chamber, NOT on top of the Orb! The writer of this guide learned that the hard way. Now THAT was hilarious.}}

You can try to slowly make your way across. You should actually be happy about the Orb Guardians in the first chamber, because they will be easily deleted by your assortment of spells and will generate a potent starting army. Direct it inside the next chamber to the left or right (choose the one with the least nasty traps, also known as ANYTHING BUT NETS and hopefully not dispersal. Even Zot traps are better. Teleport traps are actually a positive.)

Make your way across: Infestation, Haunt, any endgame spells you may have acquired. Take it slow, retreat and funnel through the chamber chokepoints if they are not trapped. Don't tarry too long, as the Tesseracts are slowly respawning the forces as you are taking them out, but you should eventually be able to reach them and destroy them. They are located behind the central horizontal wall of the lungs, which spans both sides of the chambers.

* If you have Malign Gateway, try to lure creatures towards the first chamber - and into the loving embrace of the tentacle you have conveniently parked there.
* If you have Maxwell's Capacitive Coupling, constantly unload electrical discharges from behind your wall of servitors.

Hopelessly outmatched? Had to pop Death's Door? Consider your situation:

By default, you'll probably want to read a scroll of Teleportation (it will take much longer to kick in than usual, but it will still be shorter than Death's Door) and start moving towards a Teleport Trap on the floor. If it moves you to a safe location, '''cancel''' your Tele status by reading ''another'' scroll of Teleportation. This is designed to ensure you have multiple chances to get to safety. If the Trap sends you back into a No-Cat's-Land, find a new Trap, or let the scroll kick in. Watch out for purple draconians/quicksilver dragons, which can remove your Tele status.

Have you managed to get some distance away from the first chamber, towards the Orb, and still have at least one extra life? It might be time to risk it all. Use your Translocations spells, use your Blinking Scrolls. Use your Haste potions, use ANYTHING to GET THAT ORB. Apportation will reduce the distance you must travel to an even greater degree. I am also thoroughly amused by Vhi's Electric Charge for letting you hop from OP dude to OP dude, making the most out of your Death's Door turns. If you looted the Tomb earlier and still have a figurine of a Ziggurat, NOW IS THE TIME TO USE IT. Well, once your Death's Door is going gray and you need to refresh it. Nothing will follow you inside!

This isn't as hard as it seems. Death's Door, especially Hasted, is plenty of time to seize that Orb without spilling blood. Except perhaps your own.

You don't have to do it this way, though. Adjust your strategy towards fight or flight depending on the severity of the threats inside the Zot Lungs.

Once that Orb is secured...

=Interdimensional SWAT Team (Orb Run)=

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Ha. Ha ha. Hilarious, truly. I still have hope for your imminent demise. I mean, that Onei guy you've been following the advice of literally lost one of his FeSu attempts at this very moment. Point and laugh. Not too much, because I'm about to do the same to you when you splat.}}

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Positively splendid! Your final task is to bring these gems to me, NOW! If you left the Starry Gem in the Slime Pits, now is the time! All that matters is your survival. Failing that will result in a disciplinary mention placed in your employee file, followed by you being devoured and digested by whichever horrible demon got to sink its claws into your scruff.}}

{{flavour|[[File:Jiyva altar.png]] A chorus of breathless jiggling and squishes envelops you from all cardinal directions, supporting your imminent victory with the long vanished voices of the dissolved and the slimified.}}

The Lords of Pandemonium are not amused!

All of Heaven and Hell are currently mobilizing their troops to arrive at your location. It is time to LEAVE. From Zot:5, walk or blink into the nearest Teleport trap for an instant warp which will no doubt be closer to your destination: the upstairs.

To auto-calculate the shortest path, you can press Ctrl-G, and write “D0”. This will automatically bring you towards victory, stopping you as soon as a threat appears.

Fighting is foolish. Make a run for the stairs, with zero regards for your consumables. Use them ALL. Use potions of haste on an empty floor just because you like the taste. Blink-scroll to a staircase at full health if something weird just spawned next to you.

Every single time a Pandemonium Lord appears, inspect them; some are utter pushovers, and some are terrifying angels of death with rocket-boots and a burning desire to squash your hopes as they are about to be materialized. In my personal opinion, the ones that don’t have any spells in their set are always the worst. I fear a lot less the demon who has mastered Bolt of Cold than that which has mastered Fist in Your Face. Rarely, a Pandemonium Lord may have Glaciate, in which case you should be very, very scared. Escape out of their sight imminently, or get as much rC+ as you can (potions of Resistance help) if that is impossible. Being hit by Glaciate once means you must immediately Death's Door. I have thankfully never been oneshotted by a Lord (but it is mathematically possible).

Exploit your wand of Digging or Passwall, if you have them, to speed things up.

Eventually, the outside world will finally return to your sight. Feel free to inject all possible potions and toxins you possess into your bloodstream, or try to stack as many status effects as possible before leaving, as is tradition. You did it! Do not forget to try cleansing your bad mutations as you ascend, as it would a shame to be an immortal demigod-cat with a few extra limbs and a cancerous tumour.

{{flavour|[[File:Jiyva altar.png]] Jiyva gurgles gently, savouring the serenity past the chaos.}}

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Wow. You actually just took my spells, ignored everything else I provided you, and proceeded to win the game using my stolen gifts. My "Evil God" title should arrive to you in the mail any second now.}}

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Not bad. Not bad at all, esteemed feline employee! A role in middle management seems perfect for you. While I sort out the paperwork, feel free to type "!gemmed" in the spectator chat of an online DCSS game with a bot spectator (beem) or in the #bot-commands channel of the Roguelikes Discord server to see your name mixed alongside my finest subordinates. Assuming you did the job right and brought all 11 gems intact, that is.}}

When you start your next game, die to a 3-floor shaft into a hornet, be demolished with zero counterplay, and go do something more productive than putting .pngs on a grid close to each other until one of them disappears.

If you'd like to send me a message (for example, to blame me for making your promising level 14 character get 2 shotted 3 times in a row in Slime:2), do not hesitate to contact "oneirical" on both Reddit and Discord.

=Addendum: From Lackey to Supervillain (Character Building)=

For convenience, I will gather all skilling targets and the spell memorization order in this section. Feel free to return here as you need for quick reference!

===Velvet-Pawed Pilgrimage (Branch Order)===

* Clear each floor of the '''Dungeon''' until you find an altar to Kikubaaqudgha. Do not go further down than D:12!
* Then, immediately enter the '''Lair''', on D:8-D:11.
* After Lair:5, enter the '''Orcish Mines''' and clear both floors. Once again, do not clear any levels further down than D:12! You can skip the Mines for now if you already have Forbidden Knowledge (******), coming back after the Slime Pits raid.
* At this point, you should have acquired the final Kiku Forbidden Knowledge gift. If not, start clearing the first S-Branch until it is secured.
* If you have Animate Dead and/or Death Channel, go raid the '''Slime Pits'''. If not, start clearing the first S-Branch until Infestation is castable, then go to the Pits.
* After raiding the Pits, choose to either convert to Jiyva and go clear '''Dungeon 12 to 15''' to rank up Jiyva and start your progress towards mollifying Kiku, or keep your Hive talisman close while you slay the Royal Jelly and Jiyva for good.
* Clear both '''S-Branches'''. Grab the Slimy Rune from the Pits afterwards, if you have not already done so.
* Optionally clear the '''Elven Halls''', then go beat the '''Vaults:1-4'''. Avoid Vaults:5.
* Optionally clear the '''Crypts'''.
* Clear the '''Depths'''.
* Dive down the '''Realm of Zot''', get that Orb, return to Dungeon:1, and win the game!

===Your Propaganda Arsenal (Spells)===

Throughout this run, you will be encouraged to memorize, in this order, and approximately at these points of the game:

(Note: the "LV" numbers are how many spell slots you need for each spell, not your XP level. As for the locations on the right, you should be able to cast these spells somewhere around reaching these places.)

* LV 1 - '''Summon Small Mammal''' (D:1)
* LV 2 - Call Imp (optional - Necromancy is very tight on spell slots and Scrolls of Amnesia are precious, but this spell helps prevent early splats) (D:1)
* LV 3 - '''Call Canine Familiar''' (D:2)
* LV 3 - '''Eringya's Surprising Crocodile''' (D:2-D:4)
* LV 4 - '''Summon Seismosaurus Egg''' (D:4-D:7)
* LV 4 - '''Anguish''' (D:6-Lair:2) ''(Not guaranteed!)''
* LV 4 - '''Animate Dead''' (D:5-Lair:2) ''(Not guaranteed!)''
* LV 6 - '''Death Channel''' (Lair:3-Orc:2) ''(Not guaranteed!)''
* LV 7 - '''Haunt''' (Orc:2-Slime Pits Raid)
* LV 8 - '''Infestation''' (Slime Pits Raid-First SBranch:3)
* LV 9 - '''Death's Door''' (Second SBranch:2-Elf:2)

As marked on the list by "Not guaranteed!", Kiku's delivery service can be a little bit... lacking at times.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Running a forbidden knowledge book printing business isn't easy. I'd like to see '''you''' explain to your publisher why blood sacrifices are essential to have in "Fun Necromantic Activities for Children"!}}

Also useful, at any point, sorted from most to least useful:

* LV 2 - '''Blink'''
* LV 7 - '''Rimeblight'''
* LV 4 - '''Dispel Undead'''
* LV 5 - '''Borgnjor's Vile Clutch'''
* LV 3 - '''Passwall''' ''(Mostly meant as a companion to Death's Door.)''
* LV 4 - '''Martyr's Knell'''

The Wildeness Trinity, as replacement for missing core necromantic spells:

* LV 5 - '''Summon Mana Viper'''
* LV 5 - '''Summon Forest'''
* LV 6 - '''Summon Cactus Giant'''

Endgame spells, in no particular order, to raid the Realm of Zot:

* LV 7 - '''Malign Gateway'''
* LV 7 - '''Sphinx Sisters'''
* LV 8 - '''Summon Horrible Things'''
* LV 8 - '''Maxwell's Capacitive Coupling'''
* LV 8 - '''Discord'''
* LV 4 - '''Passage of Golubria'''
* LV 4 - '''Vhi's Electric Charge'''
* LV 6 - '''Dispersal'''
* LV 8 - '''Disjunction'''
* LV 6 - '''Gell's Gavotte'''
* LV 1 - '''Apportation'''
* LV 8 - '''Borgnjor's Revivification'''

Check your "M"emorization screen every so often. Ctrl-F to see if you missed any books in shops or in rune door vaults. Whenever you have the spell slots required to memorize the next spell, do so immediately and, if it has an entry in the section below, adjust your skills appropriately.

Skip to the next entry on the list if you are incapable of finding a spell anywhere in your game. As soon as you find a missing spell, however, you should add it to your repertoire as soon as possible to catch up. I strongly encourage you to cast every single one of these fantastic incantations at least once in your game!

===Studying the Dark Arts (Skills & Training Targets)===

As soon as you '''start your run''', train these skills and set them to these targets, with the "=" button:

* '''Spellcasting: 11'''
* '''Summonings: 11'''
* '''Turn off Stealth and Dodging.'''

Upon finding an interesting wand or evokable:

* '''Evocations: 5'''

After '''Summon Seismosaurus Egg''' has been memorized, complement it with this:

* '''Earth Magic: 5 (focused)'''

Once your entire starting kit of spells is castable, start learning how to die less:

* '''Fighting: 10'''
* '''Dodging: 12'''
* '''Stealth: 10'''

'''(OPTIONAL)''' - '''Blink''' will never not be useful, and can come along at any point in your run:

* '''Translocations: 5'''

If you find '''Animate Dead''', your necromantic journey can truly begin.

* '''Necromancy: 27'''

Upon getting either '''Death Channel''' or '''Anguish''', power yourself up like so:

* '''Necromancy: 27''' (if you have not already done so)
* '''Hexes: 8''' (only if '''Anguish''' has appeared in your game)

If you fail to obtain one of the crucial Kiku spells, a member of the Wilderness Trinity can certainly come along as a replacement:

* '''Summon Forest''' (Translocations 8, Summonings 11)
* '''Summon Cactus Giant''' (Summonings 14)
* '''Summon Mana Viper''' (Hexes 8, Summonings 11)

Want Borgnjor's Vile Clutch? You'll need some more Earth Magic:

* '''Earth Magic: 7'''

As for Rimeblight, you'll need to study some pages on snowflake fractal theory:

* '''Ice Magic: 9'''

Forget Call Canine Familiar, Summon Seismosaurus Egg, Call Imp and Summon Small Mammal (in that order) if you need spell slots for '''Haunt'''.

If you want to use a Hive Talisman:

* '''Shapeshifting: 17''' (You can start transforming when it reaches 15)
* Disable '''Necromancy''' until your Shapeshifting objective is achieved. You should probably have either BOTH of Animate Dead and Death Channel, or Infestation online before this.

Ultimately, '''after Death's Door's failure rate has dropped below 5%''', your choice of ultimate pick to iron out your last weaknesses is quite open-ended.

Maxwell's Capacitive Coupling:

* '''Air Magic: 20'''

Discord:

* '''Hexes: 20'''

High level Summonings:

* '''Summonings: 13 for Malign Gateway or Sphinx Sisters, 20 for Summon Horrible Things'''
* '''Translocations: 15''' (only for Malign Gateway)
* '''Hexes: 15''' (only for Sphinx Sisters)

I suggest you focus-train Translocations/Hexes, because of the +4 aptitude.

A suite of Translocations:

* '''Translocations: 2 times the highest level of the spell you wish to use + 1''' (for example, Dispersal, level 6 = 13 Translocations)

=Golems and Spires (0.32 Content)=

If you are playing on version 0.32, here are the paragraphs related to Summon Blazeheart Golem and Summon Lightning Spire, which used to be part of the Summoner kit. I think the Summoner of 0.33 is overall less frontloaded on damage, but has better defensive options and smoother skilling. Both are interesting. If you want to use the tips below in 0.33+, play as a Forgewright, where these spells found a new home!


== The Delicate Art of Explosive Incineration (XP Level 4-6, 0.32) ==

If you have not pathetically perished to some turbo-murderous orc priest on D:2, you will now be the proud holder of 2 stored Extra Lives, the maximum a Felid can hold at a time. Such is the privilege of feline supremacy.

As a proud member of the most blessed race in existence, death is not the end for you. Still, you should pretend it is - it will help you take better strategical decisions. If you ''do'' meet an unfortunate end, stay focused, take a break if you are feeling frustrated, and continue to play carefully as if you hadn’t died. Most Felid runs die around 3 to 9 times in an average 3-rune run, so do not feel too bad. Felid lives are meant to be used like rare, powerful consumables, and many Felid 3-rune or even 15-rune wins have 1 to 4 deaths as early as D:1-8.

Do '''not''' quit a Felid run because of an early death! With the way the system is designed, it's almost as if you are ''supposed'' to die in early Dungeon. It's '''much''' easier to level up early on than in the late game. A life lost on D:4 is gotten back on D:7, but a life lost in Pandemonium may take a full clear of all 4 Hell branches to get it back.

I will repeat it again. Do '''not''' quit a Felid run just because you died twice in a row to the same enemy. Save your game and go do something else instead. I know it's infuriating, but that would be like using a blink scroll and then quitting because you're mad about using a lifesaving item. '''Lives are consumables'''. Playing a Felid without dying is like playing an Octopode with 2 rings. You are '''supposed''' to die.

Press “E” to see how long it will take to get your next life. Press "%" to see how many lives you have (look in the top right of the popup!)

Once again, as soon as you find a safe place, '''immediately''' add your new friend to your roster - the [[Summon Blazeheart Golem|Blazeheart Golem]]. Do not cast it just yet if there is no emergency! Soon enough, it will be below 10% fail rate, and you may then use it safely for all battles. Tweak your skills as follows - '''turn on Fire Magic, press “=” to set a skill target, select Fire Magic, and set it to 5.0. Focus Fire Magic by selecting the skill again (it will have an asterisk and will be brighter).''' While you're at it, you should also '''set a target for Spellcasting at 11.0, and Summonings at 11.0'''.

Of course, if you find yourself forced to battle against a dangerous melee foe who potentially has just plowed your Inugami into the ground, it can be interesting to gamble a cast of a higher fail rate Golem. Just do consider the possibility of a Nameless Horror - if it spawns behind you in a one-tile hallway, you'll be completely stuck. Keep escape routes open.

As soon as you find an interesting wand or evokable (also known as "anything but a wand of flame"), also '''turn on Evocations, and set the target to 5.0'''. You'll also want to collect, when you see them, the '''Lightning Rod''', '''Box of Beasts''', '''Phantom Mirror''', '''Gell's Gravitambourine''' and '''Phial of Floods'''.

Starting from D:3, the Dungeon loves to throw at you fast, high-damage, or sometimes even ''fast and high damage'' enemies before you are ready for them. You may therefore encounter [[Water moccasin|water moccasins]], [[Ogre|ogres]], [[Killer bee|killer bees]], dangerous Lair enemies (wyverns & hornets are a classic), among a variety of other nasty creatures. However, you will laugh in the face of these pitiful attempts at stopping the march of progress, oneshot them with what is probably one of the highest damage level 4 spells in the game, and witness the XP trickle down like cat treats. This is what you were suffering in D:1 for - whereas your average Minotaur Fighter or Deep Elf Conjurer would meet a swift end against a swarm of light speed enemies that make your healthbar have more red than green (or sometimes yellow), you will sacrifice unholy amounts of expensive machinery, and will probably make the interdimensional inventor shipping these to you very frustrated.

More desperate for companionship and physical closeness than the most introverted DCSS win-streak players, Golems will immediately stop all action and become useless if they do not '''start or end their turn while being in melee range of you''', resuming activity once you walk up close enough to give them a comforting paw-tap.

While it functions, it will deliver heavy-damage punches and lose a third of its health every time it does so, in addition to getting its metallic head bashed in by your very upset foes. Needless to say, this thing dies fast. Thankfully, the Blazeheart Golem is designed to pack an extremely potent explosive payload when it is destroyed, and is a master at all things related to flesh incineration. In case you have not noticed, flesh is also what you are made out of.

When a <s>Walking Incinerator</s> Blazeheart Golem perishes in heroic battle, it will leave behind its core, represented as a sphere of pure fire. Once this happens, IMMEDIATELY exit melee range of the core. It’s going to EXPLODE, INCINERATE everything adjacent to it (including you, if you are incapable of following basic safety protocols), and leave behind CLOUDS OF BLAZING FLAME to block passage and allow you to leave, rest, and recuperate.

Do NOT hold down "wait" (usually '.' or 's') too fast out of impatience. Do NOT position yourself in such a way that you'd be incapable of leaving the blast zone with a single action. You WILL be oneshotted. Here is an example of what NOT to do:

.###.
..@..
..G..
..E..
.....

If @ is you, # are walls, E is your foe and G is the Golem, the walls will block your only hope of retreating, forcing you to be the recipient of up to 60 fire damage, not to mention the extra damage-over-time from the burning clouds.

If you HAVE to brace for an inescapable blast, or must walk through flame clouds to reposition away from an orc with a +99 Halberd of Feline Culling, consider briefly putting on a ring of Fire resistance/Fire! This is very fast (less than one turn) and will halve the damage, allowing you to survive.

In fact, "ring swapping" in general is a good skill to develop when playing a Felid. See a lindwurm? Ring of fire resistance. Rime drake? Ring of cold resistance. Nergalle the orcish necromancer? Ring of positive energy. Erolcha the banish-you-to-the-abyss-bot? Ring of willpower. Swapping rings is extremely fast - half of a turn to be precise. Don't try swapping amulets, though, trying to tie up a string around your fuzzy neck without opposable thumbs while a violent brute is inching closer is generally not advisable.

Here are some diagrams of potential ways you can commit feline war crimes with this improvised explosive. Again - @ is you, the one and only genius fuzzball, E are your foolish enemies, and G is your trusty golem. . represents floors, and #, walls.

'''Hallway Exit Triple-Blast'''

.EEE.
.#G#.
.#@#.
.#.#.
.#.#.

'''Outsmarting Lesser Beings in Open Spaces'''

.EEE.
..G..
..@..
.....
.....

Yes, this actually works. The enemies on the sides won't even swerve around, captivated by the shining metal of your loyal robot.

Some things to consider:

* If a foe has a reaching polearm (tridents, halberds, glaives, spears...), they will completely ignore the Golem and instead repeatedly puncture you, which means you'll have to wait for the Golem to detonate itself by having it use its self-damaging melee attacks. Here is a trick: remember, the Golem remains activated if they start or end your turn next to you. You may walk back and forth to enter and exit its range repeatedly, thus reducing the damage taken from the polearm by about 50%, and still triggering the explosion!

..E..
..G..
..@..
.....

..E..
..G..
.....
..@..

..E..
..G..
..@..
.....

* When you step away from the explosive core, your foes also get a chance to act. Keep in mind that enemies which were in melee range of you may follow you out of the blast zone, thus dodging the explosion as they pursue you.

..C..
.E...
.@...

In this example, C is the imminently exploding core, triggered as you began your previous turn next to the dying Golem, and chose to move diagonal down-left. If you walk downwards now, it is possible that the enemy will also walk downwards alongside you, and dodge the explosion. You should instead wait, so that they are still located in the blast zone when the core detonates!

* If the enemy is super strong/tanky/resistant to fire, keep in mind you'll be very close to them should they survive the explosion. For example, trying to take out a full-health hydra in Lair with a single Golem may result in the hydra walking through the fire, still barely clinging to life, and oneshotting you. Try to use other summons to reduce their health into explosion kill-range before risking your life in this fashion.

* The flame clouds left behind by the blast also deal heavy damage. If a creature has been left on the brink of death from the explosion and is now standing in a flame cloud, it might be worth just waiting one turn while it is in melee range (instead of moving away) so that it remains stuck in the flames and dies. The flame tick happens before they get a chance to melee attack, but do be absolutely sure that you won't need more than one tick, or some two-headed ogre might just oneshot you on the same turn it is reduced to 2 HP.

'''From now on, the plan is as follows:'''

* Summon an Inugami for every single trivial-to-medium difficulty battle. Make use of “t”-“a” to direct focus, and do not hold back until the entire canine demiplane has been sacrificed to mitten-pawed glory.
* Demolish every single high damage or out-of-depth (OOD) enemy by letting them uselessly punch a robotic time bomb over and over until it inevitably burns them to a crisp. Ice beast? Boom. Ogre? Boom. Bullfrog? Boom. Wyvern? Boom. Water moccasin, yak, two-headed ogre, sleepcap, gnoll sergeant, any Unique creature, hornet, ugly thing, scorpion, troll, orc warrior? BOOM. They will not survive, and if they somehow do, you can simply bring out more golems for your foes to commit the same mistake. So much for having “human”-level intelligence - clearly, the humanoids are hopeless, dull-witted morons before feline genius.
* Stuck in a pinch with no MP and a really angry dude invading your personal space? Getting turned into a porcupine by a very merry centaur? Getting a taste of orcish zealotry and being told that "smite makes right"? Use wands! They are the guns of the fantasy world, and will dispose of any pesky denizen of the Dungeon. Do not hesitate to spam these against dangerous uniques, centaurs and orc priests. The bolt ones, like Quicksilver, Light or Acid, are especially effective. Remember, if you use Charming, you can "t"-"r" the mind-controlled foe to get away from you, then use that distance to execute a swift, zero-risk retreat!
* If you end up in a terrible situation, refer to the Escape Techniques listed in the previous chapter of this guide.
* In the semi-common case where you encounter the unique siblings Dowan and Duvessa, always slay Duvessa first, preferably with an incinerating payload. Otherwise, Duvessa will get very mad, run at you at light speed and oneshot you.

Try to abuse the 1-tile hallways described earlier in Battle Tactics 101! This guarantees your foes will not attempt to circumvent your units to instead give you a very uncomfortable petting session. You are extremely frail, and lingering in melee range of anything that isn’t a basic orc or a D:1 creature is bound to result in your doom. Constantly use your turns to reposition and ensure you are always behind your summons! If your summons lose, you will be the next target on the list, and you will NOT survive should you stand your ground with tooth and claw. Run, rest and try again.


== Murder and Electrical Engineering (XP Level 7-9 to Lair, 0.32) ==

Remember, use your scrolls of Identify! Drop those useless Scrolls of Brand Weapon, Enchant Weapon or Enchant Armour. Maybe a lesser biped will come across those and thank you. Ha! Fat chance.

Between level 7 and 9 (variable depending on your dungeon adventures), the ability to memorize [[Summon Lightning Spire]] will be made available to you. This is the ''big gun'', the ''heavy artillery'', and other militarily pleasing expressions. Whereas the Blazeheart Golem granted the power to slay individual high-level threats, the Lightning Spire welcomes a little bit of ranged combat to the battlefield. This stationary turret has zero chill, and will electrocute anything breathing the same air as you in record time, only stopping once you and your allies are the only thing left standing. However, it occasionally likes to sleep on the job, so make sure to wake it up with more ample usage of “t”-“a”. Remember that neither the Golem nor the Spire have vision as refined as yours, and will completely ignore invisible enemies - most commonly orc wizards. You can still direct fire on a visible enemy, and if a sneaky invisible trickster is in the way, they will still get zapped!

To tap into this immense electrical power, open up your skills menu with “m” - notice that your Fire Magic should be close to reaching 5. Now, '''turn on Air Magic, and set a target to 5'''. Remember, do not attempt to cast a Summonings spell above 10% fail rate if there is no emergency! As our offense is starting to reach a comfortable level, also consider increasing your defense - '''turn on Fighting, Stealth and Dodging, and set a target to 10 for all three of them.'''

There are two main issues: first, the Spire is highly considerate of your wellbeing (which is nice, for the velvet-pawed deserve utmost comfort) yet also just as compassionate towards your other summons (which is less nice, as they are disposable and unimportant lesser beings). It will therefore not shoot if its piercing, bouncing bolt would cause harm to you or to any of your loyal servants. Strangely, it seems to hold a grudge against the Blazeheart Golem, and will occasionally zap it anyways, but this is uncommon - most likely, the Golem dimension played an amusing prank on the Spire dimension before you ripped both of them from their home realm to perish in unspeakable agony. Just kidding. They’re constructs. They don’t feel anything.

The second issue is that unlike other units, the Lightning Spire is incapable of moving out of your way or swapping places with you. This is problematic if you cast the spell in a hallway, potentially blocking your escape route.

#####
.S@.O
#####

You can’t walk backwards to escape the ogre (O), and the (S)pire won’t do anything, too afraid of daring to disrespect you (@)!

Instead of trying to melee an ogre with 0 Unarmed Combat skill, I propose an alternative - a disciplinary paw-scratch. Press 'v', select your Lightning Spire, then confirm the prompt in the message log. This will attack it, and immediately one-shot it no matter what, allowing passage again. An alternative is to recast the spell, though this is risky - it may simply land in an equally unfortunate position.

With all of that said, you should be set for clearing floors until you find the entrance to the Lair, somewhere on D:8-D:11.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Get that Kiku guy on your contacts list, then get into that Lair, in that order! I'll consider you for employee of the month if you have over 5000 turns remaining by D:8. Not that this is much of a title, considering you are my only contractor in this place. Any lower amount, and you'll have to start moving those fuzzy paws a bit faster.}}

Your faithful trio - Inugami, Spire and Golem - will make quick work of anything the game may attempt to impede your progress with. Remember to also put on any jewellery you may find (press capital "P") - Intelligence, Wizardry, Magical Power, Protection and Fire Protection are the best rings you could hope for (in that order), and Magic Regeneration, Regeneration, Reflection, Acrobat and Faith are the best amulets (also in that order) - for now. Avoid Guardian Spirit.

If you find a runed door vault with a ghost in it (and NO other enemies), this could be an opportunity for instant acquirement of three degrees from the Summonings College! They are worth boatloads of experience, but can range from trivial to lethal. Inspect them with "x"-"v", and check their kit - if they have Conjurations that could annihilate you or dangerous Summonings spells, they should be left alone. If they, however, only have a few joke cantrips or only know how to o-tab like a Minotaur Berserker, then it is time to guide them to eternal rest. '''Once the floor is fully cleared,''' gather up all your friends, open the door, and make them bash golems, eat electricity and be eaten by spirit-wolves until they die (for the second time in their existence).

Do NOT try your luck in weird vaults with OP enemies in them locked behind runed doors and orange transporters. They are DESIGNED by developers to exploit your greed and kill you. Nothing stops you from returning there when you actually have the required power to take them on.

===Where It Can All End (Early Game Threats)===

* Centaurs (and even more so their Warrior or Yaktaur variants) are felid annihilation incarnate. If you casually run around and spot one sleeping in open space, '''do not just start mindlessly plopping down your squad'''. Your allies will arrive in random locations while those wretched horsemen puncture you with potentially twoshotting damage on each turn. Instead, retreat to a corner or door (which you can close with capital 'C'), and meow ('t'-'t') to have it walk over in much more advantageous terrain!

Since Spires have almost zero evasion, they will gladly tank arrows for you (unlike those scumbag canines), so they may be of great use should you face off a centaur - hide behind them, and let the ranged battle unfold. Which will win, wooden sharp sticks, or thousand-volt lightning bolts? Spoiler alert: the latter.

However, keep in mind:

..@..
..S..
.....
.....
...E.

This is not a safe way of hiding. The centaur (E) will still turn you from a cat to a porcupine while the Spire will desperately attempt to dish out damage before you die in an anxiety-inducing Damage Per Turn race. First, consider Wands - polymorph is especially effective, as wielding a bow is quite hard without opposable thumbs. As you may have discovered yourself. Otherwise, you can spawn more summons - if you or an Inugami gets in melee range, the centaur will panic and stop shooting. Consider a Scroll of Fog or Summoning/Butterflies if things get too dire.

* Electric eels deal unreal amounts of damage. These living death traps are resistant to your Spire, and will three-shot you. To add insult to injury, they’re worth almost no experience - for comparison, a single scorpion rewards you with about 53% more experience than one eel. Thankfully, there's a trick: a zap from a wand of flame will oneshot or twoshot them, due to the steam clouds this technique will spawn. If flame is unavailable, most other damage wands, while rarer, will make short work of them.

* Steam dragons are deceptively dangerous. Their breath weapon will turn the heat up in every sense of the word, and may even twoshot you should the dice be animated by murderous intent. It even goes through allies. Thankfully, there is counterplay - a ring of fire resistance, or a ring of fire. If you can give yourself a + of rF, this battle will go from terrifying to laughable. If rF is not available to you, tread lightly, and be ready to retreat out of their sight the moment you are hit. Having a steam dragon on the screen while you are fighting other non-trivial enemies is suicide.

** The rarer acid dragons are basically the same thing, but worse. The corresponding ring is resist corrosion.

* Boulder beetles can oneshot you should they land their roll attack on you (and fail the EV check). Thankfully, intelligent summoners can trivialize them by calling forth even the puniest of quokkas and forcing them to waste their roll annihilating a little fluffball (which hopefully isn't you). The Spire's electrical damage bypasses a portion of their heavily armoured shell.

* If you’re unlucky enough to encounter a [[Meliai]] or the unique [[Jeremiah]], know that they are practically cyber-augmented orc priests. Just one isn’t that bad, but they often hang out with their friends, and you do ''NOT'' want to be the centre of attention of bee-witch gossip. Eating a quadruple smite in one turn ''can'' happen, and it ''will'' kill you. Potions of Invisibility work, and so do Wands of various kinds - or have them be zapped one at a time by your spire before they notice your presence, and they should fall relatively quickly. Otherwise, pushing a Golem in their faces will ensure a fiery doom.

* Should you be so hapless as to encounter the unique slug mage Gastronok, you must immediately try to avoid empty spaces. Hug walls, surround yourself with allies - if you find yourself with 4 or more completely empty tiles, you WILL be twoshotted with an insanely powerful, irresistible Airstrike ability. If you have found a scroll of Silence, I highly recommend using it as soon as you’ve churned out a few friends to help take him down. If you do not have silencing abilities, keep him at the edge of Line-of-Sight while the battle unfolds, hug walls and potentially some Small Mammals, and be ready to step away the second you are smited by Airstrike. Even with wise positioning, all it takes are approximately 3 casts to detonate you into an unrecognizable mess of gore and fluff.

For the rest of the run, don’t ever have rF- or rC- no matter what. Yes, even if it means giving up an Int+10 ring (you can also wear rF+/rC+ to cancel out the rF-/rC- if it’s ''really'' good). Vulnerabilities will be your doom: 50% extra damage is plenty to oneshot you before you even realize what has happened. Press % to check your resistances.

[[Category:Character guides]]

Onei's Velvet-Pawed Path to Immortality Walkthrough - FeSu^Kikubaaqudgha/Jiyva

2025-12-02T05:35:11Z

Oneirical:

{{version033}}{{Advice}}
{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Another contender! Will you prove worthy, or rot like the rest?}}

Did you know 100% of deaths in DCSS are the result of taking damage? The common melee brute builds may appear efficient at first, but they suffer from a critical flaw - they let the enemy hit you. Every single time an enemy applies its claws, club, arrows, or reality shattering magic to your sensitive skin, you are exposed to the leading cause of mortality in the Dungeon. I therefore propose an alternative that will make your journey down into the depths 50% less painful, 100% less lonely, and most importantly, 300% fluffier.

'''The Felid Summoner of Kikubaaqudgha/Jiyva.'''

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] It's not "evil magic"! It's recycling. Those bodies would have gone to waste.}}

Cats have a terrible reputation for being, supposedly, a “challenge species”, a “tedious ordeal of optimal play” or even an “unfun experience I’d never do again”. I’m here to inform you that this is all baseless canine propaganda, and I hope you too will learn to bow before your true feline masters as you read through this guide. As a blessed, fuzzy quadruped, you will be able to laugh in the face of paralysis and other dastardly hexes (due to your nigh-unbreakable willpower), laugh in the face of invisible enemies (due to your intrinsic See Invisible passive), laugh in the face of melee enemies (due to your vast repertoire of loyal servants) and even occasionally laugh in the face of death (due to the extremely powerful ability to resurrect after you meet your demise).

This all comes at the high price of having the lowest amount of hit points in the game, and the inability to use any item besides scrolls, potions, evokables, talismans and jewellery. Thankfully, you won’t need any of the baubles inferior humanoids depend on, as you will delegate most of the dirty work to pathetically obedient underlings. Prepare to embark on a journey like no other - which will flip the game around completely, turning the lethal into the laughable, and the harmless into the horrifying.

This guide was written for DCSS version 0.34 (currently "trunk" beta, not released officially yet). The differences with version 0.33 are minor. The target audience here are players who have already won at least once, and would like a build off the beaten path of the tried and true brute/caster duality, or even their first Felid victory. It shall accompany you on a path of team-based fighting, dark magic, vast armies to manage, and eventual transcension in the form of nigh-infinite mana and on-demand invincibility.

If you are a newcomer to DCSS and have stumbled upon this page, also check out the excellently written:

* [[H's Minotaur Fighter Guide]] - the most classic "I cast Axe!" brute build, timeless in DCSS history
* [[Repo Troll Guide, TrFi^Wu Jian]] - a highly acrobatic aventure of awe-striking martial arts
* [[Git Gud Gnoll Guide]] - the Zotémon master, using anything and everything to win, even the strengths and spells of their enemies

But perhaps you are the type who prefers to jump straight into a complex and unorthodox playstyle, following a potential madman's dubious advice? You, I like.

I personally got my '''first win ever''' as a Felid Summoner, and I believe that the caution and focus which one learns from playing this species is valuable on any character.

'''Important note: for an overview of branch order and skilling, check the [[#Addendum: From Lackey to Supervillain (Character Building)|addendum at the end of this guide]].'''

===Travel Preparations (quality-of-life tweaks)===

If you care about comfort while playing this build, I suggest editing your rc file (in online mode, it's the button right next to the "Play trunk/Play (current version)" button, and in offline mode, it's under the settings folder > init.txt). Add these at the very bottom, on new lines:

default_manual_training = true
fail_severity_to_confirm = 0
fail_severity_to_quiver = 5
tile_player_tile = tile:felid_2
force_more_message += forbidden knowledge
force_more_message += mollified

In order, these will:

1. Prevent the very useless and dangerous Auto-training feature from working.

2. Will allow you to cast dangerous spells without a confirmation prompt.

3. Will allow you to quiver dangerous spells without a confirmation prompt.

4. For the reasonable among you, this will turn your likely very ugly Felid sprite extracted from the default rotation - which you may somehow find cute if you suffer from an utter lack of taste - into the objectively superior black counterpart. Secretly grants bonus Willpower from the sheer confidence your glossy black fur will exude (not scientifically tested). For those visually challenged by the black-fur-on-black-floor lack of contrast, tile:felid_4 or mons:natasha are also acceptable. Offline players can also press “-” and cycle through available sprites with left and right arrow keys while ingame. Should you ever revert to playing a (lesser) non-Felid, you will need to remove this line to restore your sprite to the default player doll.

5. Notify you when Kikubaaqudgha likes you enough to reveal the darkest spells in this game.

6. Notify you when Kikubaaqudgha is done pelting you with its pesky curses after you betray them.

Points 2 and 3 may be slightly controversial. The reason for this is simple - the "danger rating" of spells is based off your maximum HP, and as Felid has the lowest max HP in the game, even the actually very safe spell Call Canine Familiar will be labeled as "astonishingly dangerous" and constantly ask "are you sure????" when it's actually very safe, and in fact required for progression.

= (BONUS) Because It Wasn't Hard Enough (Gem Quest) =

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Ah, a new adventurer embarking on a new journey filled with noble deeds and helping the innocent. What? You're learning dark magic and committing mass slaughter? Eh, I don't really care. Can you do my fetch quest? Here's my backstory: I like money. There are gems in the dungeon that are worth a lot of it. Bring them to me.

The problem is, some prick is going around smashing them. You'll have to be quick before that lunatic destroys the treasure which I alone deserve.

Oh, sure. Maybe you can get a cut. If I like you.}}

'''Gems''' are an optional speedrunning challenge where you must beat the game without exceeding a certain amount of turns in each branch. Interestingly, this build is quite good at claiming them.

'''Note''': This makes the game objectively harder. It is for those utter fanatics who thought playing a Felid (lol) with an exotic build which involves god wrath (lmao) just wasn't difficult enough.

If you aren't feeling up to the task, '''ignore all interventions of Gozag in my guide (it is advice for the gem quest specifically).'''

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Excellent, you're still here. That means a promotion is in sight for you. From 'unemployed' to 'my esteemed errand-cat', to be precise. Do add these, while you're at it.}}

more_gem_info = true
always_show_gems = true
explore_auto_rest = false

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] A company-provided timer in your sidebar will now always show you the time remaining before those precious gems start cracking. Useful, is it not? Press }, then ! to view all collected gems, and the time limit for each.

What's that? You're worried about the last option? Corporate doesn't have time for things like "healthcare" or "comfort". You need to get moving, FAST. Just heal while you autoexplore, surely this won't result in coming face to face with a centaur when you have 15 HP.}}

If '}' is a weird key to press on your potentially non-English keyboard (like mine), you can rebind it like this:

bindkey = [(TYPE YOUR KEY HERE)] CMD_DISPLAY_RUNES

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Enough talk! Let's see if dedicating my attention span to you was a valuable use of my time.}}

= An Agonizing Introduction (XP Level 1) =

As the title suggests, pick Felid for your species (ignore the “Advanced” difficulty: that’s merely a ploy to hide true power from your grasp). Pick Summoner for your background, as is wisely recommended by the game.

You probably know this already, but press "o" to autoexplore floors when no enemies are in sight, Ctrl-G to quick-travel to locations, and "5" to wait turns until you have restored HP/MP.

Upon starting your run, you will be met with the following:

* 9 pitiful HP points, enough to get two-shotted by a quokka, defended by a lonely, single point of AC.
* Complete lack of any items (except a measly consolation magic cocktail), weapons, or armour, and only three equipment slots for jewellery only. Felid culture prohibits equipping rings on your rear-limbs, as this is symbolic of the time one spent caged by their (now rightfully eviscerated) master.
* The pathetic ability to call forth fuzzy critters from the unfathomable depths of the eldritch cosmos.
* A deranged repartition of default skill training. Press “m”. If you haven’t set up your rc file as explained in the beginning of the tutorial, set training to “manual” mode (press “/” to do so). Then, '''turn off every skill except Spellcasting and Summonings'''. '''Important reminder: at any time, should you wish to review my suggested skill training plan, view the [[#Addendum: From Lackey to Supervillain (Character Building)|addendum at the end of this guide]].'''
* Your first Extra Life, ripe to be harvested by possibly the very first foe you will encounter.

All of this is, to put it bluntly, utter trash. The good news is that XP level 1 and 2 are the only obstacles separating you from supreme feline domination. Please refer to the following advice to avoid becoming a delicacy in the next hobgoblin feast.

* Try to avoid being in melee range of anything that isn’t a “trivial creature” - which are '''[[Bat|bats]], [[Rat|rats]] and [[Frilled lizard|frilled lizards]]'''. If a ball python hits you with the “Constrict” status, do NOT continue fighting and attempt to retreat until you have been cleansed from the status, at which point you may resume your rampage. If you are cornered or engaged in dangerous melee with 0 MP remaining, use your magic potion immediately. You may take one step in a foe’s reach to reposition, but always remember that most of the denizens of D:1 can two-shot you.
* Cast [[Summon Small Mammal]] twice for every encounter (press “p” to do so, or - if the game complains about you being too reckless - "z" then "a"). Bats are almost useless, rats are mediocre, and quokkas are somewhat passable. If you happen to pull forth one of the latter two from your interdimensional nonexistent hat, you may direct them to get their furry heads bashed in at the nearest available enemy. This is done by pressing “t” to bring up the ally command menu, and then pressing “a” and selecting the enemy you wish to submit to death by a thousand adorable critter bites. If your fuzzy friend meets an unfortunate end at the tip of a kobold’s dagger, there’s always more where that came from - bring on the onslaught until all opposition has been reduced to quokka food. You can have up to a maximum of 2 mammals simultaneously - replace the fallen with more units eager to die in your name. While your summons fight it out, feel free to distance yourself from the action, or to press “.” to allow the battle to unfold, occasionally shooting a “t”-“a” command to direct firepower. Trying to join the action is a certain way to die - remember, do NOT melee non-trivial creatures!
* Remember the golden rule of summoning: what you can’t see cannot be seen by your summons either. No ally can attack outside of Line-of-Sight (LOS) distance. If you want something to die, it has to be on your screen. The opposite is not necessarily true: while your feline senses let you see invisible enemies, all of the critters in your starting spells (except those from Call Canine Familiar) are not as fortunate.
* You can close doors behind you by pressing capital "C" - animals of all kinds do not have paws as dextrous as yours, and will be forced to scratch your impenetrable barricade while you rest and recuperate.
* Your summons can tank stones and other missiles for you if you stand behind them, but this is extremely unreliable (projectiles continue their trajectory if they are dodged). Additionally, keep an eye out for branded weapons! A single hit from either of these is enough to go from a pristine, full health scruff to a game over screen showing 3 unidentified scrolls of acquirement. Venom and Electrocution in particular are extremely lethal. Branded melee weapons are handled in the same way as dangerous creatures of D:1, that is, drowned in pettable fluffballs until the threat is vanquished and drops their dangerous item (possibly a +34 triple sword “lol you can’t use this play minotaur next time” {flaming, Slay+12, AC+10}).

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] If you aren't already quitting the job on day one, I inform you that we just don't have the time to loot every grain of dust on D:1 to D:3. Your first objective in D:1 should be to reach XP level 2, and immediately going down afterwards, using a normal staircase (not a hatch). The latter tend to cause some company liabilities.}}

Do NOT "kite" (walking away from a creature over and over while it is in melee range of you) your foes. You WILL get your snout slapped faster than you can say “YASD” (a traditional roguelike acronym for Yet Another Stupid Death). Each step gives enemies a 33% chance to attack you for free - a few tip-taps to reposition (and swap places with your ally) is fine, but eating attacks of opportunity for over 5 turns is asking to die.

Quite an agonizing experience so far, no? Are you beginning to doubt me? Do you lust to return to a race that starts with HP in the double digits? Foolish! After this, the fun begins.

= Interdimensional Battle Tactics 101 =

All enemies of DCSS, from the gurgling jelly to the mighty Pandemonium Lord Cerebov, are extremely unintelligent. In a situation like:

@....
.....
..S..
...E.
.....

(where @ is you, S is a friendly summon, E is an enemy and . are floors), foes would rather hammer their way through your friend (which may be an eight-headed hydra zombie) to reach you, and certainly won’t think about just circling around to one-shot the squishy cat behind. You will need to abuse this as much as possible. Try to always ensure you are shielded behind your loyal servants. This, for example, is not acceptable:

..@..
.....
.....
..S..
...E.
.....

Since the enemy can directly trace a line between you and their position (imagine they’re trying to fire an arrow at you - if they can hit you, you’re not positioned correctly), they will ignore your ally and charge directly at you to slice themselves some fresh feline cutlets. In a situation such as this, it is preferable to either A) send out more allies to return to a more favourable state

..@..
.....
.....
.SSS.
...E.
.....

Or B), retreat to a hallway.

1-tile hallways are both beneficial and harmful to a Summoner. Look at the following situation, where # represent walls:

'''Situation 1'''

#####
S.@.E
#####

The enemy is possibly an ogre about to bash you into a bloodied furball. Casting your summoning spell placed your unit behind you. Simply walk backwards to swap places with your unit, watch the fight unfold (preferably from a distance), and if your soldier perishes in honourable battle, your MP should have regenerated while they were battling it out: simply send out a fresh combatant eager to finish the job.

#####
@..SE
#####

Zero risk, zero worry. Here’s another interesting case:

'''Situation 2'''

#####
@E..S
#####

Here, you got unlucky, and casting your spell spawned your unit ''behind'' the foe you are attempting to introduce to your friends. Inspect the enemy's melee damage by right-clicking them or pressing "x", moving the cursor on them, then pressing "v". If they can't oneshot you on the next turn, it's ''probably'' safe to try summoning some additional support, hoping they will spawn behind you and allow for a Situation 1 swap.

#####
@SE..
#####

The problem with 1-tile hallways is that they enforce honourable 1v1-ing only between each creature. This probably makes Okawaru very proud, but with the whole little army we are slowly amassing, we will increasingly benefit more and more from wide, open spaces to allow your entire squad to get into the fray and dish out punishment. This might not be the case early in the game, but much later on, when we will branch into Necromancy, expect the number of allies on screen to reach into the dozens.

= A Devilish Upgrade (XP Level 2) =

''Feeling brave? You may try to skip this chapter and reach XP level 3 using only small mammals. As Necromancy is tight on spell slots, the additional Scroll of Amnesia this will save later on may prove useful. Try not to die if you opt for this choice. Otherwise, keep reading.''

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Yeah, no, we can't fit this one into the budget. Move along. Just kill those D:2 adders with quokkas and quit whining. We'll need the Amnesia Scrolls later.}}

If you have reached this point, congratulations, you have won the game. You may now press Ctrl-Q to abandon the run, as objectively speaking, your chances of victory are now exactly 100.00%. Go bake some cookies. Take a nice walk in the park. Do anything else than watching pixelated animals fight. While being an animal yourself.

What? Still here? Very well.

Most of the Level 1 advice still applies, but you now have a little more room for mistakes. As soon as you level up and find yourself in a safe area, immediately memorize [[Call Imp]] by pressing "M", your new very mischievous addition to the roster. Press "z" then "b" to meet your new demonic friend. The unspeakably dark forces of Hell will be delighted to deliver you a dastardly blue imp proudly wielding a sharp stick.

This rampage machine is anything but (imp)otent. Savour the tears of the hobgoblins who once terrified you, revel in the yips of those pesky jackals - they will be poked, and there shall be no mercy. Imps will also occasionally compliment you and call you their “pillow-pawed master”, which is a step up from the blank stares of rats. Disregard these attempts to appeal to your nonexistent mercy, and send them to die in your name with more liberal usage of “t”-“a”. Unlike furry mammals, you may only have a maximum of one imp at a time.

At any moment, I encourage you to bring forth assistance from your previous, less talkative and much fuzzier friends! You may do this by either clicking the spell in the side menu (in offline mode) or pressing "p" or "za" again (in online mode). The total gang of three summons is now sufficient to circle enemies and dish out quick justice to anything on D:1. Keep being careful until you reach level 3. If D:1 fails to provide enough experience for this, carefully descend to D:2 to finish the job, but know that dealing with any of the D:2 new enemies that weren’t featured on D:1 is extremely risky - especially adders and orc priests/wizards. Try to focus on foes you are already familiar with, and use a different staircase if your chosen means of descent places you next to something you haven’t killed yet.

= Canine Thralls vs. The Interdimensional Police (XP Level 3) =

'''Increase (I)ntelligence, and only do so every single time you will be prompted with this choice in the future.'''

Got some scrolls? The stack with the highest amount (press "r" to bring up the (r)ead menu) has a high (but not guaranteed) chance of being Identify. Once you have found Scrolls of Identify, immediately read any you may obtain to progressively label each of your possessions. Personally, I think identifying potions before scrolls tends to increase your chances of survival ever-so-slightly. This isn't hard science, whether a DCSS player identifies potions or scrolls first is basically the equivalent of their horoscope sign.

Find a safe area. Memorize [[Call Canine Familiar]] immediately (press "M"). This is the ''real deal''. Labelled as "quite dangerous" despite its 7% miscast rate, this extremely strong spell brings forth an '''Inugami''' - a once proud general and leader of the canine empire, re-educated into serving its feline master with unbreakable zeal. The tag around its collar proves most interesting - besides reminding it of its status before your Highness, it can also channel powerful bursts which heal the Inugami a massive amount, remove all poison, and unleash a cleaving burst on all tiles adjacent to it. To trigger one such energy surge, recast the spell while your Inugami is alive and visible on your screen, spending 3 MP in the process.

Yes, you can spam it and pop foes open with repeated re-casts. No, you won't find funny when your Inugami dies to some overpowered death machine and you're left in melee range with it with 0 MP to spare. It's strongly recommended to prioritize energy-bursting only if one of the following applies:

* Your canine servant needs the heal or is badly poisoned.
* It is surrounded and the cleaving AOE would prove most effective.
* You need a quick finishing blow against a low-HP dangerous foe.

When an Inugami dies in heroic battle, it will retreat to a pocket dimension for a time to rekindle its faith in feline supremacy. When the -Dog status on the sidebar expires - expect 13 to 21 turns - it is ready to return into the fray. Other summons can take up arms while you wait.

With all that considered, Inugami are absolute beasts. Very little in the early Dungeon can survive a 1v1 with an Inugami energy-bursting when it is most needed. Not even Sigmund - he is powerless before canine brutality! Simply stand back, watch the carnage without getting hit, and laugh as adders get slaughtered from Line-of-Sight (LOS) distance. You don't really need to "avoid fighting" anything in D:2 to D:4, except:

* '''Grinder''', which will play fetch with your dog by blinking all over the place while you stand paralyzed eating tons of darkness damage.
* '''Orc priests''', which are explained more in depth right below. Basically, if you can see them, they can murder you.

Inugami, like imps, occasionally try to look cute and print out endearing messages in the text log. Again, do not let this affect you - remember that the canine race is lesser before feline glory, and heartlessly send them to their doom (“t”-“a”) while they obey with unfaltering zeal.

You can look (and cast) any of your memorized spells at any time by pressing "z" then "?". If it says, for example, "c - Call Canine Familiar", pressing "z" then "c" will welcome your new canine unit without having to bring up the menu every time.

<blockquote>How can I possibly lose with such loyal followers?
</blockquote>
Orc priests, my noble feline acolyte. These green-robed menaces have the ability to inflict undodgeable, instant and two-shotting damage from full LOS range. Right now, no amount of summons could protect you from their devotion to the god of the Orcs. A lone one can be assassinated by sending an inugami next to them and spamming the recast-burst until they are deleted. If you see - Xom have mercy - two or more, do not even attempt to test their mettle. Press “X”, move the cursor towards them, and press “e” to set up an exclusion - this is your way of telling the game “NOPE”. If multiple priests stay visible on your screen for 5 turns or more, you are asking to die. Leave through the nearest up-staircase, and attempt a different portion of the level (or descend to D:3 if the level is truly doomed), leaving these dissenters alive for later. They will suffer the consequences of their insolence in due time.

<blockquote>I'M ON FIRE I'M ON FIRE PUT IT OUT PUT IT OUT IT BURNS
</blockquote>
If a Bombardier Beetle set you on fire, you must immediately start taking steps and walking around - each tile crossed reduces the duration by 6 turns. Stop, drop and roll! Do NOT stand still! If you accidentally drank a lignification potion, say goodbye to the current iteration of your feline life.

<blockquote>Any recommendations if I am doing the Gem Quest?</blockquote>

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Why are you still on D:2? The Temple doesn't spawn here. We want that bone altar, and we want it pronto. Get diving down to D:4, you should not be exploring more than half of each floor until then.}}

Additionally...

== The Aforementioned Interdimensional Police (Nameless Horrors) ==

Every time you attempt to call a canine <s>slave</s> friend, there should be a small chance of a miscast, which will reduce as you progress through the arts of Summonings. Miscasts in other schools of magic are generally not too dramatic (given that the caster is not trying to sever reality itself right after learning how to say “pick a card, any card”). However, your constant telemarketing calls to the eldritch cosmos asking “Who wants to die in the name of feline supremacy?” have begun to get on the nerves of some eldritch monstrosities. TentacleMail may therefore rarely deliver you a [[Nameless horror|Nameless Horror]] instead of your ordered furry companion. Instead of filing a complaint, slow down and consider your options. These things drain your mana on each melee hit they land on you, will only leave after you have managed to kill them, and will occasionally return your summons back to their home realm, so they may meet their family again instead of dying for a cat in a dungeon.

FAQ:

<blockquote>What do I do if I incur the wrath of cosmic aberrations?
</blockquote>
It depends on your situation. If they are alone or accompanied by a joke of an enemy, getting an Inugami out and spamming energy-bursts should wreck it. Alternatively, if you have damaging wands that aren't Mindburst, feel free to gun them down.

If you are close to dangerous foes which aren't in range yet to hurt you, you may drag the the Nameless Horror to a previously cleared floor, "park" it there and return to the lower level without it, preferably with a different staircase. If you can't manage to kill it, don't forget about the horrifying creature roaming loose if you want to "stair-dance" a dangerous foe later on while clearing the lower floor. Maybe you'll meet it again near the end of your run, at which point it will tremble before the FELINE GOD you have become.

<blockquote>How can I minimize my chances of being investigated by the interdimensional kidnapping police?
</blockquote>
The Summonings school is not to be messed with. It is strongly advised that you never try to cast a Summonings spell with a failure rate higher than 10% to take out medium-to-low threat foes, as the consequences may be disastrous. Only violate this rule when extreme firepower is needed imminently against a truly fearsome foe.

<blockquote>I have no MP, no friends and I am going to die. What do I do?
</blockquote>
See below.

== Break In Case of Imminent Negative HP Syndrome (Escape Techniques) ==

Low health? No mana? Overpowered gigachad about to annihilate you? Consider the following, from safest to most unreliable:

* '''Scrolls of Blinking''' will immediately save you, but are rare and valuable. THAT DOES NOT MEAN "save them for next game". USE THEM.
* '''Scrolls of Summoning/Butterflies''' do what you specialize in - dialing up friends - but take zero mana. The butterfly variant doesn't attack, but gently blows away your foes, granting a safe space of sunshine and rainbows.
* Assuming you can survive 3-5 turns, a '''Scroll of Teleportation''' will whisk you off to a different location. Magical Inks™ Incorporated does not guarantee said location will be safe.
* The useful '''Blink''' level 2 spell immediately relocates you to a random tile in sight - but it won't necessarily be available in your game. Maybe if you ask RNGesus nicely.
* A '''Gell's Gravitambourine''' can pull enemies away from you with its magnetic field, which is immensely helpful if your problem is of the "big stick about to be in my face" kind.
* '''Potions of Magic''', and the mana acquired from them, can be condensed into the creation of a helpful friend. Again, rare and valuable, but made to be used.
* '''Potions of Curing''' will ''remove all confusion and poison'' - essential for those pesky redback spiders getting lucky hits - in addition to a small amount of HP and '''Potions of Heal Wounds''' restore a bunch of health which, on a Felid, is highly impressive. Do ensure that you can actually make use of the heal to solve your problem and aren't just delaying your death, especially if you just get hit again for the same amount you healed on the same turn.
* '''Potions of Invisibility''' drastically reduce enemy accuracy and allow you to walk away with high, but not perfect safety. Check that the foe in question does not detect invisibility by inspecting their stat window - for example, wolves, dastardly agents of the canine empire, won't be impressed.
* '''Scrolls of Fear''' immediately causes every living (undead and berserking enemies are immune!) on the screen which fails a (difficult) Willpower saving throw to regret ever messing with Your Pillow-Pawed Highness and to run away. Check, on their stat screen, that their Willpower is at ++ or less.
* Assuming your enemy is a spellcaster that can be Silenced (check their description!), a Phial of Floods will shortly disable their spells, while a '''Scroll of Silence''' will disable them for a very long time, but your own magic and scrolls as well. Ensure you have a way of dealing damage during this silence (hint: it involves allies and having a lot of them). A Phial of Floods will recharge after some XP is obtained.
* The '''Lightning Rod''' does big electrical damage without any MP cost. Most spectacularly, if you fire it multiple turns in a row, you can rotate the beam to hit huge Areas-of-Effect and nuke entire crowds. It's very effective at finishing off a single problematic specimen, however.
* '''Potions of Haste''', beyond allowing you to walk away without getting kited to oblivion, are much stronger than new players tend to think: they effectively slow down time so you get bonus actions per turn. This is much more spectacular on other characters (your main source of damage is from your servants, which do not benefit from the haste), but it is still tremendously useful.
* A '''stairwell''' brings you back to the much safer previous floor, but brings all adjacent foes alongside you - except zombies, simulacra and summoned creatures. Still quite possibly an improvement over your current situation.
* '''Wands of Paralysis/Charming''' incapacitate your foe. You have to beat their Willpower - early game, that is usually around a 50% chance, but there are exceptions. The brainwashing Charming variant can be used to demolish the victim's former allies while you cackle in the back. You can also command them to go to the time-out corner by pressing "t"-"r" and selecting a tile far away from you.
* A '''Box of Beasts''' will immediately summon an adorable abomination and crime against biology itself, without a single point of mana required! Useful when your magical reserves have been emptied.
* '''Wands of Polymorph''' are particularly effective at neutralizing those wielding dangerous ranged weapons or point-and-click smites, but ''check the list of possible transformations by hovering the wand over the target foe'', lest you find yourself with OP midgame mobs chasing you around the Dungeon. Note that, when zapping a Polymorph wand at yourself, it will most likely deny you use of your spells, but may give you extra speed to run away (Pig or Bat Form) or may improve your melee combat prowess to a degree that is only useful in the early game (Wisp, Tree or Fungus form). Consider this as a last resort if cornered or in trouble!
* Speaking of those, '''Scrolls of Vulnerability''' assist all dastardly hypnosis techniques by cutting all creatures' Willpower (including you) by half. Beyond wands, this makes Anguish much easier to use even on terrifying uniques like Mennas, resulting in easy takedowns where you normally would have had to move mountains to barely scratch them.
* '''Damage Wands''' might, with some luck, solve your problems by murdering them.
* '''Potions of Ambrosia''' do a similar effect to Potions of Magic, but over time, and the confusion should be cured with a Potion of Curing once you have enough mana if you are in the middle of an unfolding catastrophe (this will stop the regeneration). Not to be relied upon if only a couple of turns stand between life and death.
* '''Unknown potions and scrolls''' could save you. They probably won't. Try the big stacks, they are likely to be Teleportation or Curing.
* '''Dying'''. Unlike feeble humanoids, this is an option. Try to avoid it. It will happen anyways. Do not give in to despair. Stand up. Fight again.

Do not mindlessly run away for dozens of turns without doing anything. You WILL be eating attacks of opportunity on every step and perishing in record time. At least try casting a spell once your mana comes back.

==The Proper Way To Roll Your Face On The Keyboard (Macros)==

Getting tired of "zbzc....o....zbzc....o" yet? You can press '''Ctrl-D''' to set macros and begin feeling like you are playing some tryhard MOBA instead of composing Beethoven's Tenth Symphony on your keyboard.

For example, press "Ctrl-D", then "1", then type "zb" in the field to link the "b" spell that appears when you look at the spell list (accessible with "I" while in-game). On each press of "1", you will now cast the "b" spell.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Back in my day, you had to draw a pentagram and whisper demonic prayers each time you'd want a skeleton friend. Who thought it was a good idea to automate murder?! Can't you appreciate a good old blood sacrifice in the rules of the art?}}

This is my favourite loadout:

* '''1''' for Call Canine Familiar, and later Haunt.
* '''2''' for Eringya's Surprising Crocodile, and later Infestation.
* '''3''' for Summon Seismosaurus Egg, and later any spell of your choice.
* '''4''' for any other useful spell.
* '''w''' for Animate Dead. Normally, it's used for (w)ielding weapons, buuuut... yeah. No opposable thumbs and all.
* '''e''' for Death Channel.
* '''Spacebar''' for an emergency spell - I like a simple Blink, or, for bonus coolness points, the heart-racing Death's Door. Big button, big problems! I actually remember to use my emergency spells this way.
* '''c''' for any other useful spell.
* (Q)uiver Anguish (or, in Crypts/Tomb, Dispel Undead), and cast it with '''p'''.

To dial up the early-game squad, press "123".

Want both your ally-creation buffs (such as when descending a new staircase)? Simply press "we". In case of trouble, your salvation is right on the biggest button of your keyboard. For a late game mega-death rave, press "e21p"!

= The Delicate Art of Reptilian Pole Vaulting (XP Level 4-6, 0.33) =

If you have not pathetically perished to some turbo-murderous orc priest on D:2, you will now be the proud holder of 2 stored Extra Lives, the maximum a Felid can hold at a time. Such is the privilege of feline supremacy.

As a proud member of the most blessed race in existence, death is not the end for you. Still, you should pretend it is - it will help you take better strategical decisions. If you ''do'' meet an unfortunate end, stay focused, take a break if you are feeling frustrated, and continue to play carefully as if you hadn’t died. Most Felid runs die around 3 to 9 times in an average 3-rune run, so do not feel too bad. Felid lives are meant to be used like rare, powerful consumables, and many Felid 3-rune or even 15-rune wins have 1 to 4 deaths as early as D:1-8.

Do '''not''' quit a Felid run because of an early death! With the way the system is designed, it's almost as if you are ''supposed'' to die in early Dungeon. It's '''much''' easier to level up early on than in the late game. A life lost on D:4 is gotten back on D:7, but a life lost in Pandemonium may take a full clear of all 4 Hell branches to get it back.

I will repeat it again. Do '''not''' quit a Felid run just because you died twice in a row to the same enemy. Save your game and go do something else instead. I know it's infuriating, but that would be like using a blink scroll and then quitting because you're mad about using a lifesaving item. '''Lives are consumables'''. Playing a Felid without dying is like playing an Octopode with 2 rings. You are '''supposed''' to die.

Press “E” to see how long it will take to get your next life. Press "%" to see how many lives you have (look in the top right of the popup!)

As soon as you find a safe place, '''immediately''' add your new friend to your roster - [[Eringya's Surprising Crocodile]].

Did you know Felids have a stronger genetic predisposition than other species to the terrible diagnosis known as "OP Meleedude In My Face About To Twoshot Me" in the medical literature? Thankfully, our feline researchers have been hard at work, and found the cure: Crocodiles. This spell is only castable if a foe is in melee range of you, at which point you'll dash 2 tiles backwards, pull the foe backwards 1 tile, and summon the Crocodile between the two of you.

.....
.....
...@.
...E.

...@.
...C.
...E.
.....

I did say the Meleedude in question is OP, so the Crocodile is likely getting twoshotted next. Not to worry - recast the spell again, and endlessly kite the foe across the map in a way that would make an entire server ragequit if DCSS was a multiplayer PvP game.

This spell is '''a repositioning asset''', not a main damage dealer (though it does achieve interesting results in that domain). Do not mindlessly charge in and use the Crocodile on a foe if can you imagine yourself needing this dash 3 turns later - '''you cannot cast this spell if the Crocodile is alive'''. You should use it in every single battle, but at the moment where the displacement effect actually helps you in some way.

The crocodile itself, as an ally, deals decent damage that will get outpaced as soon as you exit the early game. It also has a pull effect which may trigger on some of its hits. This can sometimes troll you:

..#.#
###@#
.OC.#
#####

Your (C)rocodile is fighting the two-headed (O)gre in a 1-tile corridor. All is well. Suddenly:

..#.#
###@#
..OC#
#####

The (O)gre is pulled into melee range of you and oneshots you. Ouch! That really hurt!

Do keep this (thankfully rare) contingency in mind.

'''From now on, the plan is as follows:'''

* Summon an Inugami for every single trivial-to-medium difficulty battle. Make use of “t”-“a” to direct focus, and do not hold back until the entire canine demiplane has been sacrificed to mitten-pawed glory.
* Demolish every single high damage or out-of-depth (OOD) enemy by letting them uselessly punch an ever-respawning crocodile over and over until they fall face flat in the water left behind. Ice beast? Trivialized. Ogre? Dealt with. Bullfrog? Eviscerated. Wyvern? Discombobulated. Water moccasin, yak, two-headed ogre, sleepcap, hornet, ugly thing, scorpion, troll, orc warrior? GGEZ. They will not survive, and if they somehow do, you can simply retreat using the gap formation left by your usage of this spell. So much for having “human”-level intelligence - clearly, the humanoids are hopeless, dull-witted morons before feline genius.
* Stuck in a pinch with no MP and a really angry dude invading your personal space? Getting turned into a porcupine by a very merry centaur? Getting a taste of orcish zealotry and being told that "smite makes right"? Use wands! They are the guns of the fantasy world, and will dispose of any pesky denizen of the Dungeon. Do not hesitate to spam these against dangerous uniques, centaurs and orc priests. The bolt ones, like Quicksilver, Light or Acid, are especially effective. Remember, if you use Charming, you can "t"-"r" the mind-controlled foe to get away from you, then use that distance to execute a swift, zero-risk retreat!
* If you end up in a terrible situation, refer to the Escape Techniques listed in the previous chapter of this guide.
* In the semi-common case where you encounter the unique siblings Dowan and Duvessa, always slay Duvessa first. Otherwise, Duvessa will get very mad, run at you at light speed and oneshot you.

Try to abuse the 1-tile hallways described earlier in Battle Tactics 101! This guarantees your foes will not attempt to circumvent your units to instead give you a very uncomfortable petting session. You are extremely frail, and lingering in melee range of anything that isn’t a basic orc or a D:1 creature is bound to result in your doom. Constantly use your turns to reposition and ensure you are always behind your summons! If your summons lose, you will be the next target on the list, and you will NOT survive should you stand your ground with tooth and claw. Run, rest and try again.

===Where It Can All End (Early Game Threats)===

* Steam dragons are '''EXTREMELY DANGEROUS'''. Their breath weapon will turn the heat up in every sense of the word, and may even twoshot you should the dice be animated by murderous intent. It even goes through allies. Thankfully, there is counterplay - a ring of fire resistance. If you can give yourself a + of rF, this battle will go from terrifying to laughable. If rF is not available to you, tread lightly, and be ready to retreat out of their sight the moment you are hit. Having a steam dragon on the screen while you are fighting other non-trivial enemies is suicide. They must die, ASAP.

* Centaurs (and even more so their Warrior or Yaktaur variants, as well as other archers like Joseph or Nessos) are felid annihilation incarnate. If you casually run around and spot one sleeping in open space, '''do not just start mindlessly plopping down your squad'''. Your allies will arrive in random locations while those wretched horsemen puncture you with potentially twoshotting damage on each turn. Instead, retreat to a corner or door (which you can close with capital 'C'), and meow ('t'-'t') to have it walk over in much more advantageous terrain!

Since Eggs (more on them later) have zero evasion, they will gladly tank arrows for you (unlike those scumbag canines), so they may be of great use should you face off a centaur - hide behind them, and let the Inugami finish the work. This is risky - you should only do this if there is no hallway available to retreat to.

Keep in mind:

..@..
..E..
.....
.....
...C.

This is not a safe way of hiding. The centaur (C) will still turn you from a cat to a porcupine while the (E)gg stands there without blocking any arrows. If you could shoot at the Centaur with a Magic Dart, they, too, can hit you. First, consider Wands - polymorph is especially effective, as wielding a bow is quite hard without opposable thumbs. As you may have discovered yourself. Otherwise, you can spawn more summons - if you or an Inugami gets in melee range, the centaur will panic and stop shooting. Consider a Scroll of Fog or Summoning/Butterflies if things get too dire.

* Electric eels deal unreal amounts of damage. These living death traps will easily three-shot you. To add insult to injury, they’re worth almost no experience - for comparison, a single scorpion rewards you with about 53% more experience than one eel. Thankfully, there's a trick: a zap from a wand of flame will oneshot or twoshot them, due to the steam clouds this technique will spawn. If flame is unavailable, most other damage wands, while rarer, will make short work of them.

** The rarer acid dragons are similar. The difference is that they deal even more damage (possibly 70% of your HP bar in one hit) but cannot pierce through allies. The corresponding ring is resist corrosion.

* Boulder beetles can oneshot you should they land their roll attack on you (and fail the EV check). Thankfully, intelligent summoners can trivialize them by calling forth even the puniest of quokkas and forcing them to waste their roll annihilating a little fluffball (which hopefully isn't you).

* If you’re unlucky enough to encounter a [[Meliai]] or the unique [[Jeremiah]], know that they are practically cyber-augmented orc priests. Just one isn’t that bad, but they often hang out with their friends, and you do ''NOT'' want to be the centre of attention of bee-witch gossip. Eating a quadruple smite in one turn ''can'' happen, and it ''will'' kill you. Potions of Invisibility work, and so do Wands of various kinds - or have them be blasted by your Seismosaurus before they notice your presence, and they should fall relatively quickly.

* Should you be so hapless as to encounter the unique slug mage Gastronok, you must immediately try to avoid empty spaces. Hug walls, surround yourself with allies - if you find yourself with 4 or more completely empty tiles, you WILL be twoshotted with an insanely powerful, irresistible Airstrike ability. If you have found a scroll of Silence, I highly recommend using it as soon as you’ve churned out a few friends to help take him down. If you do not have silencing abilities, keep him at the edge of Line-of-Sight while the battle unfolds, hug walls and potentially some Small Mammals, and be ready to step away the second you are smited by Airstrike. Even with wise positioning, all it takes are approximately 3 casts to detonate you into an unrecognizable mess of gore and fluff.

For the rest of the run, don’t ever have rF- or rC- no matter what. Yes, even if it means giving up an Int+10 ring (you can also wear rF+/rC+ to cancel out the rF-/rC- if it’s ''really'' good). Vulnerabilities will be your doom: 50% extra damage is plenty to oneshot you before you even realize what has happened. Press % to check your resistances.


= Dastardliness, Cackles and Dark Tricks (God Choice) =

You have only three equipment slots to fulfill Ashenzari’s bondage fantasies, no time to learn the ways of Invocations, and would not benefit from weapon gifts with your lack of opposable thumbs. As the lead of an interdimensional kidnapping startup, you should delegate EVERY task to your staff and NEVER do any work yourself.

Ru is technically quite viable for you, but as you don’t care for employee wellbeing, in-office buddhist yoga sessions are not at the top of your schedule. Plus, you will need both of your paws to play with the Orb of Zot like a ball of yarn. A lot of feline CEOs such as you enjoy striking a divine partnership with Gozag and cracking open endless amounts of lootboxes and microtransactions, but this is not what this guide is about (but feel free to play a Gozag Felid sometime, it's great fun!)

We need loyal subordinates, and we need them fast, reliably, and cheaply. Let us therefore learn arts and magic as dark as the colour of our fur, from scratch, under the tutelage of the villainous god Kikubaku-

Kikubaquk-

Kikubaaqudq-

Kikubaaqudgha. Yes. That's how you spell it.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Untainted souls are so much more fun to corrupt! But... why are you so fluffy? I need goth elves and black mascara. I can't have my subordinates looking like this!}}

Sorry Kiku, malnourished nerds and lanky skeletons are just so passé. If you wish to increase your approval ratings among the public, research has shown that a marketable, plushie-like mascot is a much better driving force for sales and engagement.

Anyhow. The reason I suggest picking Kiku for this build is to secure the mid-and-late game, as the Summoner background is so powerful (as you may have noticed already) that no immediate divine assistance is required. For now, Kiku will do absolutely nothing to help you - focus on proving yourself worthy by engaging in senseless, indiscriminate murder. Or, in other words, just the usual routine. Kikubaaqudgha's altar can spawn in D:3, the Temple, as deep down as D:11 - it really doesn't matter at all, you just need to '''have joined Kiku before entering Lair.'''

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] That still seems wise to me. What I REALLY don't want to see you doing is MISSING the altar and doing a merry-go-round the dungeon looking for it on company time. You'll probably want to find that Temple between D:4 and D:7, looking out for odd rock formations. And if it's not in that Temple, you'll want to look out for evil looking structures, all the way down to possibly D:11.}}

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] "An evil god, Kikubaaqudgha requires worshippers to cause the death and destruction of as many creatures as possible." Well, that's rich. It's not as if almost every single other god wants the exact same thing. Why am I being singled out?}}

Actually, I lied. Kiku does do one thing right away. And that's flaming you in the message log when you lose the run. Let that be motivation to play intelligently.

= Life Finds a Way (XP Level 7-9 to Lair, 0.33) =

Remember, use your scrolls of Identify! Drop those useless Scrolls of Brand Weapon, Enchant Weapon or Enchant Armour. Maybe a lesser biped will come across those and thank you. Ha! Fat chance.

Between level 7 and 9 (variable depending on your dungeon adventures), the ability to memorize [[Summon Seismosaurus Egg]] will be made available to you.

In Jurassic Park, they knew they could, but didn't stop to think if they should. In the Dungeon, the answer is YES to both. This hulking dinosaur is the ''big gun'', the ''heavy artillery'', among other militarily pleasing expressions. Whereas your previous servants granted the power to slay individual high-level threats, the Seismosaurus welcomes a little bit of AoE (Area of Effect) to the battlefield. It blasts its surroundings every so often with devastating, undodgeable raw physical damage, and is basically an "I Win" button for anything in the Dungeon and Lair. To tap into this power, '''turn on Earth Magic and set a target to 5, then turn it on a second time to focus it''', which is done by pressing "=" inside the skill menu (m) then the letter assigned to the skill "Earth Magic". After Summon Seismosaurus Egg reaches a failure rate inferior to 10%, '''turn on Fighting, Stealth and Dodging, and set a target to 10 for the first two, and 12 for Dodging.'''

Of course, there is a catch: you checked the "wrap in a gift box" option when confirming your delivery, and TentacleMail is nothing but considerate when it comes to life's big celebrations. You'll need to spend a few turns unwrapping the payload, and this often involves being mauled by maws and claws while you are getting through the shrink wrap.

The specifics: '''the egg starts hatching as soon as a foe is within 4 tiles of it AND you are standing adjacent to it. This process does not accelerate no matter if the foe is a single rat, Geryon, Gatekeeper of Hell, or a swarm of 30 halberd gnolls.''' The rocky terrain on the ground indicates the range.

Ideally, you'll start this process while your foes are sound asleep (this is why we train Stealth!), or while a pathetic cockroach is near you and the real heavy-hitters are far away in the backline, approaching slowly until it is too late to not get blasted by prehistoric might.

This means that if you see a big group of '''non-ranged''' sleeping enemies, you should NOT rush in to "get the critical hit stabs" (you will do so little damage you might as well be healing them) or plop down your Inugami, who will immediately rush in and ruin the surprise. Instead, summon your Seismosaurus egg until it is within a 4-tile range (don't spend your whole mana bar on this), start incubating it, and unleash the Inugami if they begin waking up.

An alternative, if you have a nearby 1-tile hallway, is to meow at them ('t'-'t') and retreat into the hallway, summoning your Inugami, and then the Egg. It will hopefully be placed behind you, but even if it ends up in front, you'll still be able to incubate it with only 1 enemy attacking it. Naturally, do not do this if the enemy squad is full of polearms or extremely high damage melee.

You can also use your Surprising Crocodile to assist your egg:

..S..
.....
.....
...@.
...E.

The (E)nemy, in melee range of you, is dangerously close, and your egg (S) isn't incubating at all! Use your (C)rocodile:

..S..
...@.
...C.
...E.
.....

Much better. The egg is incubating, and your Crocodile is loyally defending you until it hatches.

Unlike other units, the Seismosaurus Egg is incapable of moving out of your way or swapping places with you. This is problematic if you cast the spell in a hallway, potentially blocking your escape route.

#####
.E@.O
#####

You can’t walk backwards to escape the ogre (O), as the (E)gg is blocking the way!

Instead of trying to melee an ogre with 0 Unarmed Combat skill, I propose an alternative - a disciplinary paw-scratch. Press 'v', select your Egg, then confirm the prompt in the message log. This will attack it, and immediately one-shot it no matter what, allowing passage again. An alternative is to recast the spell, though this is risky - it may simply land in an equally unfortunate position.

With all of that said, you should be set for clearing floors until you find the entrance to the Lair, somewhere on D:8-D:11.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Get that Kiku guy on your contacts list, then get into that Lair, in that order! I'll consider you for employee of the month if you have over 5000 turns remaining by D:8. Not that this is much of a title, considering you are my only contractor in this place. Any lower amount, and you'll have to start moving those fuzzy paws a bit faster.}}

Your faithful trio - Inugami, Crocodile and Seismosaurus - will make quick work of anything the game may attempt to impede your progress with. Remember to also put on any jewellery you may find (press capital "P") - Intelligence, Wizardry, Magical Power, Protection and Fire Protection are the best rings you could hope for (in that order), and Magic Regeneration, Regeneration, Reflection, Acrobat, Alchemy, Dissipation and Faith are the best amulets (also in that order) - for now. Avoid Guardian Spirit. Wildshape is niche, only interesting [[#A Downgrade From The Prime Feline Form (Talisman Collection)|if you found a good talisman]].

If you find a Necropolis, this could be an opportunity for instant acquirement of three degrees from the Summonings College! They are worth boatloads of experience, but can range from trivial to lethal. Inspect the ghosts within with "x"-"v", and check their kit - if they have Conjurations that could annihilate you or dangerous Summonings spells, they should be left alone. If they, however, only have a few joke cantrips or only know how to o-tab like a Minotaur Berserker, then it is time to guide them to eternal rest. '''Assuming they are not surrounded by a squad of deadly enemies''' gather up all your friends, open the door, and make them get juked by acrobatic reptiles, eat point-and-click earthquakes and be eaten by spirit-wolves until they die (for the second time in their existence).

Do NOT try your luck in weird vaults with OP enemies in them locked behind runed doors and orange transporters. They are DESIGNED by developers to exploit your greed and kill you. Nothing stops you from returning there when you actually have the required power to take them on.

=A Malodorous Fanbase (*.....)=

Allow every dopamine receptor in that brain of yours to fire up when the message:

Kikubaaqudgha grants you a gift!

appears for the first time in the message log.

Gather up your lucky trinkets and your maneki-nekos, it's time for some Kiku Gacha Lootbox opening. You will receive a batch of low-level Necromancy spells, but in truth, we only actually care about a single one of them - '''Animate Dead'''. The others are so laughably irrelevant you shouldn't even spare a single picosecond contemplating their existence. ('''Sublimation of Blood''' has a ''very'' niche use that will be discussed later.)

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] You ungrateful sack of fleas! Of all gods, I am the one to grant the most gifts to even my least precious followers, and you still have the nerve to be discontent?}}

Unfortunately, you only have a 50% chance of getting Animate Dead - the other 50% will result in Fugue of the Fallen, which is a decent melee combat spell - a discipline which your weak and unarmed kitty paws are unfortunately not well suited to. For now.

'''If you were unlucky:''' Do keep an eye out for Animate Dead in book shops or loot piles to compensate for Kiku's lack of etiquette. If you still cannot find it, it's really not a big deal. Infestation is a guaranteed gift later on, and can replace it entirely. This spell simply makes the early game smoother and is one of the three spells which may be used for the Great Slime Raid further in the run. You'll want to hold onto your Scrolls of Acquirement for a bit - until you have gotten the third star Kiku gifts and have started training your Necromancy to at least level 8. Since Acquirement is biased towards your current training, holding onto the scroll will increase your chances of obtaining Animate Dead! Now, skip the rest of this chapter, coming back to it should you eventually obtain it from another source.

You will want to memorize '''Animate Dead''' right after your Seismosaurus Egg '''is below 10% failure rate''', and immediately turn on your '''Necromancy skill, setting a target all the way to the maximum of 27.0'''.

You may have noticed that the many denizens of the Dungeon are very disrespectful of your Eminence, soon to be their overlord and army commander. Your first task will be to re-educate these ruffians into submission and obedience. '''Animate Dead''' provides a buff lasting for about a dozen turns. Each enemy slain while this buff is active has a chance to betray their former allies and serve you as a... slightly more malodorous version of themselves. These will escort you until you leave the floor, or have them perish in battle.

When '''Animate Dead''' becomes castable (<12% fail rate), you may begin playing like such:

*Initiate each battle with a batch of highly loyal summons praising how good of a <s>slaver</s> friend you are.
*Begin emanating such confidence with '''Animate Dead''' that the defeated will turn against their former companions in your name.

Now, whenever a foe is slain, there is a high chance they will become an ally - and betray their former allies, making the latter join your army in turn, and so on, until all are at your beck and call. It's just like rolling a snowball!

The little militia that will now follow you around will act as a testament to your charisma. Recasting Animate Dead will, however, dismiss all of your current servants, with the hopes of replacing them with fresher, potentially more numerous ones. Therefore, it's great practice to cast '''Animate Dead''' when encountering a pack of enemies (yaks or bees, for example, are good fodder), and to only recast it once your lackeys are falling apart.

{{flavour|[[File:Yredelemnul altar.png]] This is way too complicated for the fluffball that serves as your brain. Join me instead, and gain permanent reaping of the deceased instead of trying to emulate my power with puny magic!}}

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Pah! Don't listen to my competitor. Their worshippers are brutes and thugs, whose first word at birth was "Axe".}}

Some extra useful tips about this spell:

* Non-living enemies (like Will-o-Wisps from Swamp), demons, angels and already undead creatures will never be recruited.
* High speed enemies, like bees, frogs or snakes will always catch up with you, and will swarm enemies before you even see them on your monitor! Boulder beetles are actually quite slow, and won't get to keep their signature rolling attack.
* Hydrae are hideously overpowered and will play the game for you.

Kiku grants the ability "Unearth Wretches" very early for on-demand zombie creation. I suggest not using it in the Dungeon, as the results will be disappointing. Wow! A cockroach zombie with 3 damage!! Why thank you, you shouldn't have. It's the intention that counts, Kiku.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] I didn't even mean to send these over. I was just doing some housekeeping, brushing up my skulls, sacrifical altars and blood fountains, and accidentally threw a kobold into an interdimensional wormhole. Hate when that happens.}}

Save your piety and ignore it for now.

=A Downgrade From The Prime Feline Form (Talisman Collection)=

While running around, you may come across one of the rare item types that Felids can use: Talismans. Ctrl-F, then write "talis" to find if you missed any.

Cats have a -2 aptitude to Shapeshifting, because they rightfully consider any transformation to be a downgrade. However, to compensate for this, they lose nothing from melded equipment slots, whereas other species mourn the loss of their artefact ring mails and other puny trinkets.

Unless you dream of going to the extended endgame, this is not a build where you'll be using top tier Talismans. However, you should consider the following:

- '''Inkwell Talismans''' (min LV 0 Shapeshifting) are, in the early game, an upgrade. They require 0 Shapeshifting skill to use, make you immune to poison and grant better success rates on all your spells and more mana capacity. If you find one anywhere before entering Lair, you should use it. It will become obsolete when you learn your first level 5+ spell (as these are banned while in Scroll Form), but will assist you greatly until then. There is just the problem of that pesky Fire vulnerability. The upsides are strong enough to make me use this Talisman despite the "never be Vulnerable as a Felid" rule, but you should be especially wary of even basic orc wizards throwing flame at you. If you want to fight fire damage enemies and have the luxury to disengage, untransform before really beginning to stir up trouble.

- '''Flux Baubles''' (min LV 5 Shapeshifting) are normally used for their great melee attack potential. However, they dissipate after a certain number of attacks. The solution: never melee attack. This will let you abuse the EV bonus from Flux Form for a very long time. Simply train at least level '''5 Shapeshifting''', and sit in this form forever. I tend to go for around 8 Shapeshifting to really get a nice bonus. You will lose a lot of Stealth, however. You will untransform from Flux when you die, or when you use "End Transformation" in the (a)bility menu.

- '''Rimehorn Talismans''' (min LV 8 Shapeshifting) are good for two reasons: AC at a very low cost, and Ice Magic Wizardry. The only reason the latter is good in the context of this build is that it makes the strong spell Rimeblight much easier to use. The downsides are somewhat significant - Fire Vulnerability, which you'll absolutely want to pad with a fire resistance or plain fire ring. You will also lose a bit of EV from the much increased size, and worst of all, you won't be a cute kitty anymore. If you have and want Rimeblight, consider training '''level 8 Shapeshifting''', but this isn't a "must-have", I sometimes just purchase more Ice Magic with my skillpoints instead if I already have good Wizardry/Intelligence rings. In a safe location, you can use the Rimehorn Talisman with 0 Shapeshifting skill and check how this makes your Rimeblight failrate change to help in your decision. Untransform afterwards to not get oneshotted.

- '''Medusa Talismans''' (min LV 8 Shapeshifting) give rPois and a forgettable petrification emergency passive. Really, the only reason to train for this is for the rPois. If you are heading into the Snake Pits and have no other source of it, level Shapeshifting to 8 and enjoy the peace of mind. I also like having this online for the Lair if I found an amulet of Wildshape.

- '''Hive Talismans''' (min LV 17 Shapeshifting) are the main ingredient of the [[#The Forbidden Kikubeequdgha Build (Staying with Kiku)|Forbidden Kikubeequdgha build]]. Hold onto it - it will be at the heart of a difficult decision later on.

=The Most Important Lootbox of All (***...)=

Depending on when you started your worship of Kiku, this may happen before even entering Lair, or at some moment while you are clearing it. Regardless, you will eventually read once again the message:

Kikubaaqudgha grants you a gift!

Well, well, well. Looks like we've got another Kiku Gacha Lootbox on our paws!

Here is my tier list of possible outcomes:

* '''S: A Run-Defining Asset''': Death Channel, Rimeblight
* '''A: Great, Though Not Required''': Anguish, Dispel Undead
* '''B: Could Do Better''': Martyr's Knell, Cigotuvi's Putrefaction, Borgnjor's Vile Clutch
* '''F: Insult to Feline Glory''': Curse of Agony

You'll always get half of these, chosen at random.

'''If you didn't get Death Channel, but got Animate Dead previously:''' You won't get to taste the absolute full power of your undead armies, but you'll still be able to raid the Slime Pits quite soon. You'll still want to check every book shop and loot pile for a chance at acquiring it.

'''If you have neither Death Channel nor Animate Dead (18% chance, assuming no lucky floor/shop drops):''' Hmph. RNGesus isn't rooting for your victory, I see. This will be a little troublesome when it comes to "bridging the gap" between the early game and having '''Infestation''' online, a task which you'll find much easier with +Intelligence and Wizardry rings. If you really can't find them by the time you get to the "Slime Raid" (after Lair and the Orcish Mines), I have placed advice for you in that section. For now, check your Scrolls of acquirement in case you'll find those spells inside, and loot the Orcish Mines after Lair to see if any shops contain these two signature necromantic incantations.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Commerce? Capitalism?! My spells are 100% locally sourced, woven by the expert craftsmanship of unionized and esteemed skeleton artisans! You would resort to purchasing mass-produced, store-bought necromancy that's probably also full of microplastics? You and me have a lot of work to do before we can get along with each other.}}

If you get Anguish, you should learn it as soon as possible, and '''also turn on Hexes and set a target to 8.0'''. Because Felids are so adorable and masters of mind-manipulation, you have a +4 aptitude to it!

No matter what you obtain, even if you are getting garbage, if you have not done so already, '''turn on Necromancy and set a target to 27.0'''.

As for that "Unearth Wretches" active ability... '''I strongly recommend saving up your piety to reach the gifts faster. The only case where you should use it is if you have Animate Dead and/or Death Channel active and need help in the Lair against a huge horde of hungry animals. See the next chapter.'''

=Employee Tour at the Zoo (The Lair)=

A place filled to the brim with creatures that mostly only know how to walk fast and melee attack, put against your most loyal servants which precisely exploit these vulnerabilities. Who will win? If you guessed the former, you are wrong. It is scientifically impossible to lose with my guide.

* The Crocodile decimates black mambas, spiny frogs, komodo dragons, polar bears and hydras.
* The Seismosaurus will annihilate packs of yaks, killer bees, wolves, blink frogs, and even death yaks (though those make take a few castings and a bit of kiting, alongside the occasional Crocodile).
* The Inugami is simply always good.
* If you have it, Animate Dead generates even more support.
* Eventually, if you also get it, Death Channel is similarly highly useful.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] For some reason, the architects of this place decided a place filled with dangerous wildlife and inaccessible architecture would make a great place for a central hub. You'll have to come back to this place at least a whopping three times - for all 3 S-Branches, so there is little time to waste. Do not explore more than half of Lair:1. In Lair:2 and Lair:3, your main objective is locating those 2 first S-Branch gates - once both are visible, you can go down to Lair:4 and Lair:5, where you'll have to pinpoint that Slime Pits entrance. You always have less time than you think in this place, get moving! Try to keep at least 600 leftover turns when you complete the Lair.}}

Have a glance once in a while at your jewelry collection by pressing "P". Rings of wizardry and intelligence reign supreme. Rings of Protection, Magical Power or Fire Resistance (for steam dragons, lindwurms and fire crabs) will significantly contribute to your survivability. Rings of Dexterity or Evasion are passable, and everything else is pretty much "slightly better than nothing". Amulets of Guardian Spirit should not be worn unless they are a particularly amazing artefact.

Prioritize wearing an Amulet of Magic Regeneration to replenish your forces quickly - Regeneration is the second best option, Reflection, the third, Acrobat, the fourth, Alchemy, the fifth, Dissipation, the sixth, Faith, the seventh (On Demigods, it will print a message saying "You feel a surge of self-confidence", but there is no such message for Felids, because they already have maximum self-confidence), and Guardian Spirit, the worst possible option (enjoy losing access to all your summons because you took one wrong step). If you somehow find the mythical artefact "Amulet of Vitality", congratulations, you have won the game - it is disgustingly powerful on a Felid. As for the Amulet of Wildshape, it is only good if you have [[#A Downgrade From The Prime Feline Form (Talisman Collection)|an interesting low-level Talisman]].

Should you encounter elemental threats (such as the mage [[Fannar]], an [[Efreet]], or a [[Lindwurm]]), swap on a ring granting a relevant resistance! It is extremely fast to do so. Just don't forget to put your normal ring back on afterwards, if you had one. '''Do not casually run around with an elemental vulnerability (rF-/rC-) on a Felid.''' You WILL be oneshotted.

If you run into trouble, it will likely be caused by:

* Blink frogs. They tend to sneak behind you no matter your masterful positioning by blinking frenetically. Do not hesitate to send a few zaps of your wands their way to teach them some discipline. They make quite good zombies!
* Catoblepas and Basilisks have a love for garden ornaments, and would delight in turning you into one of them - do not ever stand 2 turns in a row in the calcifying breath of the former, and ensure multiple allies block you from the stunning gaze of the latter. Seismosaurus Eggs are immune to petrification. If you see the message "You are slowing down" and you're put against a lonely Basilisk, feel free to spawn a few friends and have them handle everything while you stand there as a pretty feline statue. However, getting petrified in dangerous screens is a death sentence, and you should read a scroll of teleportation or quaff a potion of cancellation before you turn to stone.
* Dream sheep can simply choose to put you to sleep from across the entire screen, which also allows any creature which would hit you to deal immensely boosted damage. If you are well defended by varied summons - and maybe also have Animate Dead/Death Channel active - they will handle all the lowly grunt work while you sleep like the spoiled feline noble you are. If you get taken by surprise, though, prepare for an emergency - Scrolls of Fear in particular should give you some breathing room.
* Hydrae die easily to intelligently chained Crocodiles and Eggs/Inugamis. If they touch you, however, you may very well go from full HP to an empty health bar. If you used a staircase while a hydra was visible, using that staircase again will probably result in it ambushing you and immediately oneshotting you the moment you press ">". Do avoid this unfortunate scenario. Mind the fact that they get a massive speed boost in water (including the one left behind by your Crocodile).
* Skysharks, in similar fashion, should not touch you, as their damage and speed increases with every melee hit they land (represented as Might, then Berserk buffs). They are a top tier threat, and are deserving of getting blasted with wands on sight. DO NOT try to use Scrolls of fear if they are berserked. It will do nothing.
* Ravens are trivial to annihilate, but will peskily curse you with Doom if you allow them to have a clear line of fire. Always be hiding behind a wall of flesh... or eggshell. If you receive a Bane, I talk about them more in [[#Kiku's Troll Carousel (Banes)|this section]].

Huge welcoming party? Got marked and the entire country of Australia is coming after you? Both Animate Dead and Death Channel are memorized and castable? Make sure both buffs are active, then try '''Unearth Wretches'''. I recommend using this ability as little as possible to reach ****** piety faster, but the effects are spectacular with 1 to 3 uses of it when it is most needed. Cast one or both spells, activate Unearth Wretches from your 'a' menu, and watch the screen flood with allies. If possible, pop some Anguish casts to add 100% reflection damage into the mix, cook, and serve. Do not touch the '''Sign of Ruin''' invocation, it is not worth your piety.

You may encounter some dangerous uniques in the Lair. Urug, Fannar, Gastronok and Nessos in particular may destroy you before you even realize what just happened. The counter to each one of those is, respectively, Amulet of Reflection/Anguish for Urug, Ring of Cold Resistance for Fannar (if you are level 12 or higher, your feline fur gives you cold resistance naturally!), scroll of Silence for Gastronok and Wand of Polymorph and/or Anguish for Nessos (and potentially Amulet of Reflection). If you possess the counter, use it, and then feel free to test their mettle against your faithful friends, but if you do not have this counter, set an exclusion with “x”-“e” and do not come back until you have cleared Lair:5. ESPECIALLY if they are wielding some overpowered gear.

You may also encounter Sonja. Her HP bar is made out of paper. But don't let her touch you. She has tickets for a free cruise to the Abyss. You do not want those. Her Willpower is utter trash, making her ridiculously vulnerable to any hex wand, or Anguish.

Ah, yes, there is also Rupert. You need not fear the Paralysis (perhaps humanoid body-builders freeze in fear before the sight of one infinitely more ripped than they are) - but you might fear the huge axe getting swung around at light speed by a berserked, unstoppable wall of meat. If you push Eggs over and over and do nothing else, it will NOT work out. You MUST take further action. I have had some success with a Potion of Brilliance to churn out Crocodiles and kite back until devastation has been completed - but there is little overkill here. Use your items! A scroll of Summoning tends to have splendid results.

Ice Caves and Volcanoes? '''Death traps.''' Do not attempt them. Do NOT even enter them. You won't even be able to use the loot.

Gauntlets’ difficulty vary on the enemies you find inside - if you see a valuable book containing some awesome spells (see the next chapter), I encourage you to try your luck, but otherwise, it is not worth battling dangerous enemies in a cramped space that will limit the effectiveness of your allies. You can inspect a Gauntlet's contents by fully autoexploring the level, then doing a Ctrl-F search with "@" as the input, which will list all items in the Gauntlet. As for the Minotaur at the end - the javelins are absolutely brutal, but if you can read a Scroll of Vulnerability, then cast Anguish, the poor cow-person will simply two-shot themselves.

'''Do not try to take on the Minotaur without the help of any consumables or evokables.''' You won't win. You should NOT attempt a Gauntlet if your plan for the Minotaur is to just throw summons at it and pray it somehow works out. It will NOT.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Well, the earthy gem is down there, in Lair:5 - the first one you'll be collecting for me. This could be the start of a fantastic partnership, or of my eternal disappointment in you.}}

=Compendium of Sinister Plans (Midgame Spells)=

Once you are reaching the lower levels of the Lair, it is time to update your spell repertoire.

You should now plan to have:

* Call Canine Familiar
* Eringya's Surprising Crocodile
* Summon Seismosaurus Egg
* Animate Dead OR a spell from this list if you did not find it
* One or two more spells from this list (if you opt to pick up two spells, they should not take up more than 11 slots together).

Not enough slots? Train Spellcasting! Each slice of 0.5 Spellcasting levels will grant 1 slot. Do not train this more than you actually need, set your training targets properly. Each general XP character level also grants 1 free slot.

'''About Scrolls of Amnesia:''' if you are swimming in the stuff (3 or more scrolls), feel free to remove Summon Small Mammal and Call Imp - their respective demiplanes will thank you for ceasing your kidnappings. The problem is that spending an entire amnesia scroll (which are rare and valuable) to free up one or two measly spell slots might prevent you much later on from getting your mid and late game spells when you need them most. If you do not have many scrolls, instead wait until you are trying to memorize Haunt, and forget Summon Seismosaurus Egg and/or Call Canine Familiar at that point.

You'll want to not take up every slot you have available right now - you'll need 7 for Haunt soon, and 8 for Infestation in a bit. Try to leave behind 3 available slots at minimum.

'''I have ranked the following from most to least desirable:'''

'''[[Death Channel]]''' (Level 6 Necromancy) - '''Extremely powerful, #1 priority.''' Like Animate Dead, it is another self-buff you can stick onto your 'e' keyboard macro. Its effect is simple: instead of letting the innocent souls of both living and demonic beings voyage into the afterlife to meet their relatives, you will force the essences of their being to stay behind and cause suffering to their former friends and coworkers. The sheer mass of allies produced is truly a spectacular sight - you may have Animate Dead and Death Channel activated at the same time, in which case every kill will generate up to two allies, flooding the entire screen with green circles in record time. Unlike Animate Dead, as soon as the status expires, your entire protective wall of spectres will vaporize in a single turn, and reveal some very unamused individuals who will gladly charge in and destroy your defenseless scruff. Do ensure you have some less ephemeral allies as backup.

Remember: at this stage of the game, if you aren't pressing the Death Channel button every single time something vaguely resembling an enemy appears on your screen, you should be passing the keyboard to an actual cat, who will no doubt play much more competently than you.

Spectres, unlike zombies, can also see invisible creatures and fly over liquids no matter their original species, which is interesting when such details matter.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] I am a firm believer that everyone deserves a second shot in life. Or death, rather. Didn't visit that natural park you always wanted to go to? Couldn't tell your crush you loved them before getting crushed by a rock? Ran out of motivation to write your DCSS guide? Become a mindless thrall and forget about all your regrets! What, did you think I'd actually give you the chance to do these things you missed? Get real.}}

'''[[Anguish]]''' (Level 4 Necromancy/Hexes) - Ah, the ultimate answer to the thing Felids despise most - creatures with unreal quantities of ranged damage. This spell attempts to curse the entire screen with 100% reflection damage, meaning all damage they inflict on both you and allies... will be dealt back to them in full. Yes, dear lindwurm, do shoot a fire bolt through my horde of yak zombies, that will totally end well for you.

The lindwurm is wracked by anguish!!!!
The lindwurm dies!

I especially recommend you try it on: orc priests, meliai, any early game dragon, centaurs and their warrior variants, uniques with disgustingly overpowered spells... You have to beat their Willpower, but as any tyrannical regime would tell you, repetition is the key to domination! If the foe of interest has Will++ or less when you examine them, simply cast the spell again until they are successfully cursed.

If you cast the zpell from the 'z?' menu, you'll be able to move the cursor over each enemy and check the percentage chance of successfully landing the curse. Will+++ or even Will++++, like death yaks, or the Minotaur at the end of a gauntlet? No problem. Simply read a Scroll of Vulnerability to cut that confidence in half, and they will regret ever contemplating hurting a fluffball as adorable as you are. Consider that your Willpower will also be divided by two, which can be problematic if that means a nearby enemy spellcaster can easily land a nasty Paralyze or Banishment on you.

Brainless or artificial enemies (from gently gurgling '''jellies''' to the dreaded '''Orbs of Fire''') have no concept of love, hate or righteousness, and will remain completely unaffected by Anguish. They won't be unaffected, however, by your swarm consuming them.

Seismosaurus Eggs become a DEVOURER OF GODS when put against Anguished enemies, who will be blasted both by the immense guilt of damaging your precious dino-friend, and by the more literal earthquake of bone-breaking rock that will ensue.

I like to put Anguish on my "Q"uiver, and to cast it with "p" right after I have unrolled a batch of summons. 2-3 casts for a single enemy should be your maximum number of attempts - '''do not spend your entire mana bar trying to curse a particularly rebellious specimen'''! You do not want to be left with zero mana - and a very angry reptile in your face - because you tried and failed to curse a Hydra 6 times in a row.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] The Wu Jian council always lectures its followers to "use the enemy's strength against themselves". I try to do the exact same thing, and somehow, now it's "evil" just because it's me doing it? What injustice!}}

'''[[Blink]]''' (Level 2 Translocations) - Ah, yes, it's that one spell which every single DCSS character wants. You are playing a game called DCSS, yes? '''Train Translocations, and set a target to 5.0'''. You'll also need to REMEMBER TO USE IT, which is the worst thing about this spell. I like to bind it to a macro on Spacebar. If the button is bigger, it causes more neurons to fire in my brain. Which makes me actually use Blink when might-hasted Donald is in my face instead of drinking a Potion of Heal Wounds only to get oneshotted immediately afterwards. Remember, this spell has a cooldown of a few turns after use.

===The Wilderness Trinity===

No Death Channel? Kiku isn't feeling the festive cheer and is gifting you utter trash? Try these on for size. I recommend ignoring this section if you have good necromantic spells.

It's called the Wilderness trinity because they all appear in one of the random spellbooks, named the Book of the Wilderness. You may also find them in various other tomes!

'''[[Summon Mana Viper]]''' (LV 5 Hexes/Summonings): It moves fast. It hits hard. It knows how to do nothing except those two things. It also demolishes enemy spellcasters by applying its dastardly antimagic venom on every hit. Does that remind you of anyone? Indeed. This is just like having a Vine Stalker Berserker of Trog by your side. Enjoy. '''Turn on Hexes with a target of 8.0 if you wish to use this spell.''' '''Maximum Summon Capacity: 1.'''

'''[[Summon Forest]]''' (LV 5 Translocations/Summonings): This one requires open space to be cast, which renders it useless in hallways - which the Lair and Mines are interestingly very scarce in. Successfully using this spell results in a maze-like formation of tree-walls, which are ''immune to damage'', ''block Line-Of-Sight'', and ''deal heavy melee damage to nearby foes''. Feel free to run around the maze while pursued by an angry pack of animals - they will simply bring about their doom. If you can keep the dryad alive long enough, snapvine tentacles will eventually start to spawn, which will utterly decimate anything still alive. They also constrict enemies, making them easier to hit by your other summons! If you quiver this spell with "Q", you will be able to see on the sidebar when the spell has enough space to be casted (the text will be coloured). The price for such power? '''Turn on Translocations and set the target to 8.0'''. '''Maximum Summon Capacity: 1.'''

'''[[Summon Cactus Giant]]''' (LV 6 Summ): It's Anguish if it was a living creature. Its role is very similar - stand in hallway, tank hits, eventually destroy the attacker without doing anything. The melee damage of the Cactus Giant is decent, but each hit it receives inflicts heavy reflection damage. It’s perfect to use against those pesky hydras, and should be your go-to 1v1 spell against high damage melee targets. It has a great synergy with a couple of spells:

* Summon Forest: While foes take damage bludgeoning their way through the Giant, they take even more punishment from the berserk trees surrounding them!
* Anguish: Double the reflection damage. Goodbye, melee enemies.
* Martyr's Knell: A twice bigger health pool to apply even more reflection damage throughout its lifespan. Longer duration, more time to regenerate mana, a great opportunity to recast this spell and do it all over again!

'''You will need around Summonings level 14 to use this spell.''' '''Maximum Summon Capacity: 1.'''

===Consolation Prizes===

'''[[Borgnjor's Vile Clutch]]''' (Level 5 Necromancy/Earth) - '''Warning: This is decent, but you can do better. Get the spells above instead if possible.''' It's a beam. It ignores allies. Point, click, and everything in its path that doesn't resist constriction, isn't located on a deep water/lava tile and hasn't sworn allegiance to your indisputable leadership will be irresistibly crushed into a fine paste and denied the ability to move. Resist the temptation to run around going squish-squish-squish on everything you see without casting any other spell - you will demolish a yak pack. You will think to yourself "wow I'm so OP". You will annihilate a hydra. "haha I am unstoppable". You will come face to face with a black mamba. You have no zombie yaks or hydras protecting you because you thought it would be funnier to give a few animals a power massage. You get fully poisoned and die. This spell is a ''complement'', not the main carry. You will need to '''train Earth Magic, and set a target to 6.0'''.

'''[[Martyr's Knell]]''' (Level 4 Necromancy/Summonings) - '''Warning: This is decent, but you can do better. Get the spells above instead if possible.''' Is your wall of undead flesh and soul getting deconstructed too fast by rampaging elephants? Clearly, your makeshift RPG party has too many fighters, and needs a cleric. This poor soul does absolutely nothing except absorb 50% of all damage taken by ''any'' of your allies, trying its best to regenerate away the harm constantly imposed upon it. When it inevitably has its health bar popped like a balloon, it turns into a Flayed Ghost, which splatters blood all over the place and causes a great deal of drama and spectacle. Said Ghost is quite good at fighting (especially in the Lair), but extremely fragile. Therefore, when a Martyr transforms, you may immediately bring out a new one to help protect this Ghost, and that new one will also turn, until you now have 3 Ghosts at the same time and enough blood to receive a lifetime title of honour at your local blood bank. So much for 'evil' magic. There is also a great synergy with Anguish - Martyrs can take a great deal of punishment, which allows for truly great amounts of mirrored damage!

===Wizards' Corner===

If, for some reason, you are completely decked out in Wizardry, Intelligence and yet Kiku is insulting you with its "gifts", you can consider the level 7 dual school Summonings spells ''Malign Gateway'' or ''Sphinx Sisters''. Their other school is, respectively, Translocations and Hexes, which cats both benefit from a +4 aptitude for!

[[#More Tentacles (Summonings)|They are explained more in depth right here]].

=The Necromantic Apex (******)=

'''If you found the Kiku altar later than usual, come back to this section IMMEDIATELY when you reach 6 stars!'''

Alright, this is the big moment. As soon as you are notified with the message:

Kikubaaqudgha will grant you forbidden knowledge.

Immediatately open your 'a'bility menu, and use "Receive Forbidden Knowledge". You will be gifted, every single time, '''Haunt''', '''Infestation''', Borgnjor's Revivification and '''Death's Door'''. Only 3 of these are of interest to this build. I believe you have guessed which ones already.

Infestation and Death's Door will be quite far away from usable status. But, if you have obeyed my every word (I see no alternative), Haunt should be near 45% if you are still in the Lair, or near 30% failure rate if you are in the Mines. Intelligence and Wizardry jewellry helps a ton here. Memorize it as soon as possible - [[#The Velvet Path Begins (First Forbidden Spell)|explanations on how to do so are featured here]].

'''IMPORTANT: Now that you have fully emptied Kiku's warehouse of plentiful gifts, the god now serves only one purpose in life (or rather, unlife): your personal Unearth Wretches spambot.''' Don't believe me? Have a look at the list of offered abilities:

* Torment protection, an almost useless resistance to have, except in the very late-game.
* Death curse protection, an even more useless resistance, only of interest in the Tomb, a super late-game branch.
* The ability to invoke a Sign of Ruin, which burns precious piety stars that could have simply been used to send out an even greater legion of allies.
* Miscast protection, which does not actually block the truly bad part of miscasts - not getting to cast the spell.
* '''The only actually good ability, Unearth Wretches.'''

You will receive no further gifts. Your piety bar serves '''no other purpose besides spamming Unearth Wretches'''. You will only lose Unearth Wretches should you reach the '''minimum''' possible piety level, which is ZERO stars.

From now on, at ANY moment where you feel a challenge is in sight, do the following:

* Make sure your ally-creation buffs are active (Animate Dead and/or Death Channel)
* Unearth Wretches 1 to 3 times in a row, depending on how much assistance you require, and depending on whether the Wretches are dropping plentifully (5 wargs!!!) or are utter trash (is that... a single orc?)

The types of creatures summoned by Unearth Wretches fully depends on which branch you are currently in. That's right - the more OP the enemies are, the stronger this ability becomes. If you use it in Swamp, expect to get a whole bounty of hydrae ready to decimate all opposition. This is why it's unimpressive in the Dungeon - as it can bring out pitifully weak critters from D:1. Now that you actually have Necromancy trained a bit, you might get a cyclops or some centaur warriors, which are interesting enough.

Once you have claimed Forbidden Knowledge, if you have both Animate Dead and Death Channel ready and castable but have not cleared the Orcish Mines yet, you can proceed earlier than usual to the [[#For True Sabretooth Tigers (Annihilating the Slime Pits With A Giga-Army)|great slime raid]]. This is rare, but especially lucky kitties can enjoy an even softer Kiku wrath by switching up the order.

= Pig-People and Pig-Iron (Orcish Mines) =

Clear the Dungeon until you find the entrance to the Mines (it appears on D:9 to D:12) if you haven’t done so already. '''Do NOT descend into the Dungeon any further! You will need these floors to remain unexplored to rank up Jiyva's piety bar later.''' Now, delve into the brown-hued staircase.

Extra spicy death trap welcoming party? Animate Dead, Death Channel, Unearth Wretches. If you have already reached the maximum tier of piety (******), do not hesitate, but if not, use Unearth Wretches only if you need it! Your piety is precious, and (******) should be inching close by now.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Would you look at how good of a boss I am? You get a vacation here. Feel free to take your time here, there is no gem of interest to me in this place.}}

Orcs are not especially renowned for gentles caresses. Especially not the ones with a red danger square around them. In particular, avoid orc knights, warlords, and especially ettins from breathing on your scruff. In the Mines, the popcorn (DCSS term for very easy but numerous foes) is plentiful, and the sources of ranged damage even more so. This means that '''Anguish''' is an absolute star player here, easily beating orcs' pitiful Willpower and generating gargantuan armies of zombies and spectres in tandem with Animate Dead/Death Channel. '''Summon Seismosaurus Egg ''' also excels at thinning out the hordes.

Some notable foes:

* Orc sorcerers make most characters tremble in fear, because they have the overpowered Paralyze spell. You are not most characters. You most likely will not be paralyzed due to your infinite feline self-confidence. What such charisma won't protect you from, however, is a laser beam of pure blazing fire in your face. These (or the darkness damage variant) can twoshot you. They fall quickly to Anguish, but ring-swapping to obtain relevant resistances may prove interesting if you are being threatened.
* Kobold blastminers have a cute little ranged weapon. They like to go pew-pew-pew with it. It doesn't do that much damage. What does do damage, on the other hand, is the titanic cannonball they are packing (Bombard) should you get into semi-close range. Do not walk into a 4-tile radius of these without any ally in between - you will be - you guessed it - twoshotted.
* Orc high priests, and the aforementioned sorcerer can summon some demonic allies. Most are fairly weak, but Soul eaters will constantly smite you for darkness damage from across the screen (rN+ helps) and sixfirhies move at lightspeed and twoshot you with huge lightning damage. Did you know "sixfirhy" were originally named after a cat walking on the keyboard of a DCSS developer? It's true! Anyhow, kill that sorcerer/high priest and their friends will vanish, never to be seen again. Direct your minions to focus fire on these walking YASDs with “t”-“a”. Evokables, like wands, can prove useful for this. Using a staircase will also never have summoned demons follow you through it.
* Obsidian bats are extremely annoying hit and run summoners, kind of like a newly released class with mobility creep from a pay2win game. In all cases, the Seismosaurus is your saviour.

There are many possible layouts in Orc:2 - one in particular is peppered with centaurs of all types, and is extremely risky to clear - make ample use of fog/butterfly scrolls, chokepoints, and corners. A few other layouts will invite the attention of Saint Roka herself, which you should only ever duel when she is alone, as she uses Smite almost every other turn. A Scroll of Vulnerability alongside Anguish redirects those smites back to sender! A particularly entertaining vault is filled to the brim with dozens upon dozens of ogres, and while it's quite terrorizing for most characters, you should laugh it off and collect enough gold pieces to replace the clay pellets in your litterbox - as ogres make for excellent undead.

The more unfortunate among you may also encounter Azrael, or rather, Supreme Turbo Augmented Orc Priest of Mega-Doom. Most of his spells are fairly reasonable and can be tanked by your devoted friends, aside from one: Call Down Damnation. It will not oneshot you, but it can certainly twoshot you, and there is absolutely nothing stopping him from spamming it. The easiest way to deal with him is to sip on a Potion of Invisibility, then command your swarm to delete him as quickly as possible. He is vulnerable to icy damage, so a wand of iceblast tends to explode the last specks in his HP bar if your army found itself insufficient for taking him down. He also has low Willpower, which means the spell that starts with "Ang" and ends with "uish" works tremendously well. Do not even think about using Scrolls of Silence, for all his spells come from his raw, primal hatred of cats incarnated into spheres of blazing fire.

Speaking of the latter, if you have a strong batch of allies, think about using scrolls of Silence! They will render all of the orcish upper caste incapable of blasting you with Beogh's fist, demons or elemental wrath. Even Saint Roka will be forced to rely only on her sword (fair warning: she knows how to use it).

Finally, if you find yourself before a gigantic crowd susceptible to remote detonating you with a one turn quadra-smite, consider a scroll of Immolation. Not only does it score a large quantity of points in the EXPLOSIONS department, killing a single orc with a wand or even having your Inugami detonate on death is bound to wipe out the screen. Of course, refrain from any pyromaniac tendencies if you are adjacent to two or more enemies with Inner Flame. More explosions can be survived with rF+.

Orc:2 is guaranteed to contain at least 4 shops. Unfortunately, we are still in the Fantasy Middle Ages. Big Data and targeted marketing has not been invented yet. Therefore, these dull merchants will, most of the time, try to sell you OP demon swords and crystal plate armours you can't even use. Perhaps, with some luck, a fine librarian fellow will sell you one of those necromantic spells Kiku might have refused to gift to you.

Exercise caution around strange upstairs in Orc:2 marked as unexplored. They tend to lead to tight pockets with a jolly, welcoming community of trolls and orc knights right in your face, and a free ride back to the character selection screen. There is little harm in just checking, but consider if it's really worth trading a potential life for 100 gold on the floor.

===The Velvet Path Begins (First Forbidden Spell)===

With the Mines and Lair standing behind you, it is time to make a choice. But first, allow me to introduce you to the next spell in the roster. You should memorize it as soon as it reaches below 20% failure rate! Not enough spell slots? Use a Scroll of Amnesia and remove Summon Seismosaurus Egg. I believe you must be getting tired of that thing doing absolutely nothing and dying. Call Canine Familiar is also a reasonable candidate. If you have no such scrolls, train Spellcasting - remember, 0.5 skill levels = 1 spell slot.

'''[[Haunt]]''' (Level 7 Necromancy/Summonings) allows you to point and click any foe on your screen to send a squad of undead hitmen after it. They are professionals for three main reasons:

* Punctuality. They immediately spawn in right next to the Creature of Interest.
* Efficiency. Not only do they deal huge damage, they also lock the Creature of Interest in place and dish out Slow and Willpower/2 debuffs like candy. Invisible enemies? They have never heard of such an obstacle.
* Discretion. Once their grisly work is complete, they will swiftly evaporate out of reality, awaiting their next contract. Still, you may occasionally spot them damaging or even slaying some bystanders - can't have the word spreading around, after all.

Beyond the obvious assassination benefits, there are synergies with other necromantic spells as well:

* '''Anguish''': Since Haunt immediately dials up a considerable amount of allies, it's just more hitpoint to feed into the reflect-damage engine.
* '''Borgnjor's Vile Clutch''': Is the Creature of Interest dodging all assassination attempts like the leader of some totalitarian regime? Perhaps they won't be laughing as much once you reduce their Evasion to near zero by applying constriction, thus letting the ghostly specialists carry out their grim task with great ease.

Bind them to the keyboard macro you used for the spell you have forgotten with the Scroll of Amnesia (Ctrl-D to do so). Haunt can have '''up to 8 spectral assassins out at once''', so if one cast didn't bring them all out, you can dial 1-800-KILLTHATDUDE again and tell them to get moving by immediately recasting the spell. There really is no reason to not have these guys out constantly. They do good work, and they only take up 7 mana in pay.

Well. "Only" 7 mana. Is it just me, or these spells sure are getting quite hungry? I mean, all those Anguish casts, summons, self-buffs, and now awesome spectral hitmen? This flimsy mana bar just isn't cutting it.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Well? Look around your library, perhaps I tossed Sublimation of Blood in your general direction. Or perhaps not. I am getting forgetful for my age. Which is many thousand millenias.}}

No, no. That flimsy health bar isn't cutting it either, now is it? Transferring the problem from the blue bar to the green bar isn't going to solve our problems.

{{flavour|[[File:Jiyva altar.png]] ''An oddly inviting, squishy sound resounds through the Dungeon.''}}

=A Divine Heist (God-Swap Explanations)=

Now comes the part where this guide takes a highly controversial strategic choice: preparing to abandon Kikubaaqudgha in favour of Jiyva.

'''(DO NOT DO IT JUST YET!)'''

Abandoning gods in DCSS is, almost always, a poor decision, with rare exceptions. I believe this is one of those exceptions. You should already know by now that Unearth Wretches is Kiku's only good ability. Now let us look at what Jiyva offers:

* Free HP and MP regeneration that is exactly equivalent to wearing, somehow, four amulets of HPRegen and MPRegen at the same time.
* Endless mutation drops, granting boons such as free rF+, free rC+, free AC, free SH or free HP bonuses, all extremely difficult to acquire on a Felid. Press capital 'A' to see your current mutations.
* Instant emergency endgame summons from the Slime Pits when taking sudden, large amounts of damage (also known as "an average day" for a Felid), which can fight and demolish even the strongest foes.
* An active ability that oneshots any melee range living or corporeal undead creature, no questions asked.
* Complete pacification of all gelatinous creatures, some of which count themselves among the most feared foes of DCSS.
* A free rune of Zot.
* rCorr. For free.
* The so-called "downside" of having slurping jellies roam around every level and digest all items they can find - except artifacts, runes and gems -, the vast majority of which you never could use anyhow.

The Slime God has not received the attention of anything sapient in a very long time, and will be overjoyed enough to shower you in piety after just a bit of exploration. I won't lie, it sucks to have some great scrolls be devoured before your very eyes. I judge it to be a small sacrifice compared to-

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Turncoat! Betrayer! You lawless toxoplasmosis-infested flea-ridden fuzz-thing! How dare you suggest abandoning the righteous forces of evil and torture for some first-grader slime making experiments?}}

Right, there's also the whole "divine wrath" thing. Let's unpack this. For the next 5-8 floors, you will have to deal with:

* Occasional Symbols of Torment. These are usually not triggered in dangerous moments, but when they are, enemies are also tormented as if you had just read a Scroll of Torment. In any case, Jiyva's first piety star (*.....) will immediately grant the first rank of their regeneration passive.
* Occasional HP drain. This is a very annoying part. Losing 30 max HP for a short time can hurt, as it's not like you had a lot of the stuff to go around in the first place. Thankfully, you will never lose more than 50% of your max HP. '''This bypasses rN+, do not try to use it to shield yourself.''' Dying as a Felid removes all HP drain.
* Slain enemies will occasionally be revived in undead form. These are generally weak on their own - the more annoying part is that it steals your chance at reanimating them with your own magic. Dispel Undead - a spell which Kiku may have gifted you - makes swift work of the annoying revived undead they keep throwing your way. This is completely optional and I usually don't bother, but it may interest you. It also finds uses against all kinds of standard issue undead enemies, such as bog bodies (Swamp) or Pharaoh Ants (Spider Nest).
* Rarely (5% chance), casting a Necromancy spell will deal a small amount of darkness damage. Mostly harmless, especially if you have rN+, but it can tip you over the edge if you were already almost dead.
* Occasional Doom. This generally means you will be eating 2 to 3 Banes throughout the entire wrath effect. Let's take a look at them.

===Kiku's Troll Carousel (Banes)===

'''Laughed Out Of The Room tier'''

* '''Bane of Heatstroke:''' Oh no! You are rarely slowed from taking fire damage (rare in the early game) when your allies are responsible for 99% of your damage output! No one cares.
* '''Bane of Snow-Blindness:''' Reduces your accuracy when you take cold damage. When was the last time you were waving a stick around or throwing it? Right, in a parallel world when you were stuck as a lesser humanoid.
* '''Bane of Electrospasm:''' Prevents you from moving short time when you take electric damage. Read that again. Prevents YOU from moving. Did it say anything about a crocodile? No? You know what to do.
* '''Bane of Claustrophobia:''' Reduces your melee damage and accuracy when near walls. Hahahaha. Thank you for your time, the door is right there.
* '''Bane of the Reckless:''' Oh no! You have to temporarily swap out your Reflection Amulet for something else that's just as good! Big deal.
* '''Bane of Warding:''' Some enemies are immune to ranged damage. I'll like to see you try to give your zombies a bow.
* '''Bane of the Hunted:''' Summoned enemies appear next to you. Wow, if only we had a spell to deal with the "big dude in my face" problem. Oh right.

'''A Bit Annoying tier'''

* '''Bane of Lethargy:''' You move slower. You have allies to swap with, and your trusty Crocodile. Honestly, I rarely notice it. But when you need to run to the stairs with no mana, it can hurt.
* '''Bane of Stumbling:''' If you move or wait, you have -25 EV. This one is rough as it's the main source of our defense, but there are ways to game it. Casting any spell keeps your EV intact, so Crocodile-chaining is a good way to move around. This might also be an opportunity to use up those hundreds of flame wand charges you might have sitting around.
* '''Bane of Succour:''' Monsters lifesteal from their friends dying. Meh, your swarms are already dishing out much more damage than these "drain tanks" can keep up with, but it does make enemies a bit more tanky in general.
* '''Bane of Mortality:''' When you rest to full HP after fights, reapers come out to gank you like you are playing a MOBA game in the highest leagues. The strategy is the same no matter if this is DotA or DCSS: have space to retreat. Don't wait to regenerate in tight and cramped corridors, and you'll have no problem outrunning their extremely slow speed, with a crocodile if you must.
* '''Bane of Paradox:''' This one will most likely do nothing, but has a small chance of being lethal, so I am placing it in this tier. Rarely, some enemies will have Manifold Assault. Because there are so many weak fools and swarms of puny orcs in the game, this usually is not noticeable. The problem starts if some big shot unique with mega melee damage gets it, which is rare. In that case, imagine you are back in the Dungeon facing centaurs, and do everything in your power to melt them as fast as possible.

'''Pretty Dangerous tier'''

* '''Bane of Multiplicity:''' It's manageable most of the time. It just suuuucks when some ranged cheater or smite spammer has its long lost twin surge out of the earth and destroy you. It thankfully does not last very long. If Rimeblight is up and working, it is awesome at dealing with this problem.
* '''Bane of the Dilettante:''' Temporary -25% Necromancy and Summonings skill. This is painful. The developers want you to "hybridize", but there is no "hybridizing" out of the blessed Velvet Pawed Path. What are you going to do, memorize Plasma Beam? Get real. Anyhow, you should hopefully be still able to use your level 6 and under spells, which are strong enough in their own right. If you feel too weak and have Amnesia scrolls, I suggest temporarily memorizing one of the suggested level 6 and under spells in this guide (Borgnjor's Vile Clutch, Summon Cactus Giant, Summon Forest, Summon Mana Viper) to support you.

As you can see, Banes aren't so bad. Most runs, they just do nothing. Sometimes, they minorly debuff you. Very rarely, they are responsible for losing a single life.

Well, it's up to you to choose now. Will you follow me through this high-risk, high-reward play? I have done god swap dozens of times while playtesting my own guide. I have never once lost a run where I could directly blame Kiku's wrath for my demise. Died once, perhaps. Nothing more.

But don't do it just yet. Keep reading.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] As my employee, your choice is limited here. We have to cut healthcare out of the budget, because you spend way too much company time resting and regenerating. We'll be hooking you up on those experimental slime chemicals from now on. Or honey, if you found that Hive Talisman. Maybe you'll help a breakthrough in pharmaceuticals, once we're done scraping your dissolved remains off the floor.

There is just one problem: that Starry Gem inside the Slime Pits, is extremely tight, at 600 turns! My suggestion: Clean out the Pits anyhow, either diving to the altar if you need one, or simply trying to grab some fresh jellified walking experience potions. Once 100 turns remain on your timer, immediately ascend! You will only be coming back to the Slime Pits after you have obtained the Orb of Zot, which stops all timers.

Of course, if you're running Hive Form, finish the job and get that Gem NOW!!}}

===The Forbidden Kikubeequdgha Build (Staying with Kiku)===

Let's face it: the only reason we are even considering this insane play is because we want more HP and MP regeneration - the kind a mere amulet of mana regeneration doesn't hold a candle to. Jiyva is a reliable way to get boatloads of it, but it's not the ''only'' way.

* Way 1: '''Being a lucky little [EXPLETIVE REDACTED]''': Wow. You got the Amulet of Vitality off of the ground, just like a rich heir of a soup can company inheriting a million dollar portfolio at age 9. You go you. Go win the game, staying with Kikubaaqudgha, and basically having two gods at the same time at no cost to you. I hope your family is very proud of you.
* Way 2: '''THE KIKUBEEQUDGHA ASCENDANCY:''' Welcome, Velvet-pawed initiate. This is the only non-Jiyva path I officially approve of. A Hive Talisman, cranked up to its maximum, provides more HP and MP regeneration than the Amulet of Vitality or even Jiyva. Now, the problem is that it demands industrial quantities of experience poured into Shapeshifting. If you wish to take on this path, here is my suggestion. Raid the Slime Pits as indicated below, without the conversion part, slaying the Royal Jelly and Jiyva for good, and grabbing all the loot. Either get '''Infestation''' below 10% failure rate, or, alternatively, you can rely on the combination of BOTH Animate Dead and Death Channel, if you are willing to make good use of Unearth Wretches. If that is dealt with, turn off every skill except Shapeshifting, setting it to a target of 17. Once Shapeshifting reaches level 15, you can transform into Hive Form, accepting the small HP penalty. Once it reaches 17, stop training it, and pivot back to Necromancy to unlock '''Death's Door'''. Once Death's Door is online, if you want, you can train more Shapeshifting to increase your regeneration further, or [[#Perfection Can Still Improve (Lategame Skills)|follow any of the other late game suggestions]]. An amulet of Wildshape is extremely good for this plan at all stages of its execution, granting a free +5 levels of Shapeshifting.
* Way 3: '''For Scaredy-Cats''': Being content with a mere MP regeneration amulet, or an amulet of HP regeneration, alongside the spell Sublimation of Blood. (If you do the latter, cast it early and often, NOT when you are desperate for mana and NOT when you can't afford to lose the HP. Put it on an easily accessible macro. I like the letter "c".) I mean, you can... ''do that''... I suppose... But don't come mewling to me when you are cornered in the Vaults with 0 MP remaining and no way to cast Death's Door. It's certainly winnable, but you'll be back to playing like a "traditional" Felid - very scared, very methodical, even moreso than you may be playing now. I wrote this guide with the intent of proving things could be different - and I hope you join me in my vision.

No matter your chosen Way, I will continue writing the guide with a Jiyva-swap perspective (with the occasional note). Just remember you have Unearth Wretches on speed dial, and can unleash armies any time some challenge looks remotely capable of instilling anxiety in the heart beneath your fluffy chest. And don't use Sign of Ruin!

===For True Sabretooth Tigers (Annihilating the Slime Pits With A Giga-Army)===

Allow me to divert my attention back to the brave and fearless, which are certainly not those people I was talking to in the previous section. To convert to Jiyva, you will need a Jiyva altar. Press Ctrl-F, and type "Jiyva". There is a 2/3 chance it spawned in Lair, and an additional small chance it appeared somewhere else.

'''DO NOT CONVERT JUST YET!''' We have 4-6 stars of pure, delicious Kiku juice, and we'd throw all that power away without using it? Come on, now.

Let me introduce you to a true departure from sanity.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUFsbt_5mxY Here is a video demonstration of me doing this.]

Going into the Slime Pits this early in the game is obvious suicide for most characters. Naturally, there is a trick at play:

* Kiku's Unearth Wretches instantly summons neutralized denizens from your current branch to turn into undead.
* Slime undead are extremely strong and plentiful, and their sheer mass protects you from dangerous melee attackers.
* The vast majority of Slime's creatures are exactly that - dangerous melee attackers.

Let's review your kit:

* If you have both '''Animate Dead''' and '''Death Channel''', raiding the Pits is very easy, and most importantly will reward you with a waterfall of experience points.
* If you have only '''Animate Dead''', it is slightly harder, as your army will spread in reduced numbers. Do it anyways, but be ready to spam some more Unearth Wretches to compensate.
* If you have only '''Death Channel''', you can have an army of interesting proportions, but you MUST watch your status effect in the sidebar - you do not want it to expire and make all your allies disappear at the most crucial moment. Be ready to recast and spam more Wretches, or to escape upstairs. If your DChan is going dark purple and jellies are all over your screen, it is time to RETREAT.
* '''The Contingency Plan (No Death Channel nor Animate Dead)''': Coming here without '''Infestation''' is suicide. You will need to rush this spell, ''pronto''. Turn off all skills except '''Necromancy'''. Go to the Spiders' Nest or the Snake Pit. (Swamp if you have Summon Forest). Play carefully until you can get a 20% failure rate on Infestation. You are now ready to continue.

Alright. Strap in, we're firing up the Kiku train. Next destination: a place beyond anything resembling sanity.

Stand on top of the Slime Pits entrance. Drink Brilliance, if possible. Cast Animate Dead and Death Channel, whichever you have, hopefully both. Drink Haste, if possible. Go in.

If ANY slimes are on your screen, immediately use Unearth Wretches. Not on the brink of death? Use it again. Again. If you're put against only basic '''Slime Creatures''', a single or two uses of Unearth Wretches can suffice, but any of the Big Ones (see below) warrants immediate firepower in the form of 3+ Unearth Wretches. If the welcoming party looks particularly nasty, FLOOD THE SCREEN.

If you are employing the Infestation method, only use Unearth Wretches twice, considering you'll need a turn to cast Infestation before they decay.

See the five Big Ones below. You do NOT want ANY of these in melee range of you.

* '''Azure Jelly''': A very simple enemy: they have chill-touched pseudopods with unholy damage output, move at the speed of sound and will chop off your health bar into bite-sized cubes. Just like your average DCSS player, they know only two things: moving and melee attacking. It is therefore only right that you grant them the demise an o-tabber deserves - drowned in infinite armies until their hubris finally collapses them into a chilly puddle.
* '''Void Ooze''': Pretty much the same thing. The big twist: letting them caress you will have them flood their slime in every alveoli of your lungs, causing damage over time and silencing you from spellcasting. To avoid unpleasant mental imagery, step away, swapping with an ally, to break the Engulf status. They also drain mana on hit.
* '''Acid Blob''': It has an acidic bolt, which does not do a ton of damage (in fact, it's the exact same damage numbers as the acid drakes all the way back in the Dungeon...), but it adds up. rCorr, found on the occasional ring or in a Potion of Resistance, can help. It's not usually needed, they get consumed too fast for it to matter. I recommend keeping allies between you and them to block their ranged attacks.
* '''Rockslime''': Another mindless o-tabber, this time with trample flavour. This can cause positioning problems (and death problems, because their damage is obscene). Another reason to NOT LET ANY OF THESE TOUCH YOUR PRISTINE FUR.
* '''Formless Jellyfish''': Easy to consume once your squad is established, but before then, they can teleport behind you (''heh, nothing personnel, kid'') and attack you with the following four debuffs: constriction + paralysis + poison + literally just killing you. These ones are actually not fast, so if you're just waiting for your Wretches to pop or your screen is already filled with spectres and/or zombies, feel free to swap with an ally or use Eringya's Surprising Crocodile to exit melee range of them.

'''If a dangerous slime gets into melee range''': If your wretches have popped, swap places with any of your now extremely numerous servants. If you can find a good angle, use Eringya's Surprising Crocodile. Otherwise, if you are still over 80% HP and are just waiting for your wretches to transform into allies, feel free to risk a step or two until it will become possible to hide behind your fresh batch of undead. If you are truly caught off-guard, a Scroll of Butterflies or Blinking will certainly pull its weight otherwise. For more risky options, try a scroll of Summoning or a potion of Haste, which will let you outrun any slime '''except Quicksilver Oozes'''. DO NOT WASTE TURNS TAKING STEPS WITHOUT HASTE IF YOU HAVE NO ARMY YET. Unearth Wretches will create a protective wall of paralyzed gelatin, preventing nearby slimes from reaching you - and this is even safer if you are currently hasted or the slimes are asleep.

This is also why we trained Stealth earlier - this makes it much more likely that you will be able to draw your gelatinous horde from the ground while the acid blobs next to you are dreaming about soft and sweet sugary desserts instead of twoshotting you.

Slime Pits floors are small and compact - simply run around and completely annihilate all that jiggles and squishes with your personal militia until you find the downstairs. Did it get wiped out, either from you only having Death Channel or just the constant barrage of acid melting your jelly zombies into rotting puddles? Are more jellies breaching your diminishing defenses. '''Cast Animate Dead/Death Channel again. Send more Wretches.''' Once a floor is cleaned up, go downstairs.

If you want to maximize experience gain, look for upstairs with little yellow stars - they will have more gelatin to push through your Kiku-compactor. The Slime Pits has a disconnected layout, a bit like the Orcish Mines.

You will want to watch out for '''glass eyes''' and '''eyes of devastation''' - the former can place a debuff on you that increases all damage taken, which allows the latter to oneshot you with an ally-piercing bolt if the dice are feeling particularly evil. They should be focused first with 't'-'a'. '''Acid blobs''' also have a corrosive (but NOT ally-piercing) bolt, though it is not as scary, especially with a ring of corrosion resistance. You'll always want to have allies blocking Line-of-Sight with '''great orbs of eyes''', who can ''deny you use of all your spells through polymorph'' should they ever land their dastardly hexes on you!

'''Golden eyes''' can also get annoying - should they start giving you an extremely lengthy Confusion debuff, long enough for you to switch to a different tab, watch a few movies and come back, you'll want to drink a potion of Curing if dangerous slimes are exploiting this opportunity to sneak up on you. Watch out, if many Golden eyes are on screen, they might refresh the Confusion the moment you drink your potion! If you are entering a new floor, preparing to bring forth your army, and there are golden eyes alongside dangerous slimes, I recommend trying a different staircase entirely if possible - instant confusion and getting collapsed on by oozes is a death sentence.

As for '''Shining eyes''', they do zero damage, but their gaze will nastily violate basic biological knowledge, and rearrange your muscles to shrink in mass (?), make your meows as loud as the Tsar Bomba (??), or even warp your brain in such a way that it will randomly distort spacetime and bring you into the nearest death trap (???). As your feline body is already perfect in every way, any change would be a net downgrade. However, unlike you, your obedient units are not as feline and fluffy, and therefore would greatly benefit from a few minor readjustments. Leave them to be warped into pulsating flesh masses, shielding you from the mutagenic radiation - if the Shining Eye couldn’t fire a Magic Dart at you, you are safe. If you do eat a Malmutation, Jiyva will likely cure you once you receive your 3-stars mutation gift - but you can just drink a couple of Mutation potions until then.

* If the Jiyva altar did not spawn, your goal is to reach Slime:5 as fast as possible. That is where the guaranteed Jiyva altar is (there might be a rare one on the upper floors - convert there once your piety bar has been fully expended!)
* If it did spawn, you can stay here for as long as you want, ascending back to the surface once your Kiku oxygen tank is running dry. You might still be interested in reaching Slime:5, if only for the vast concentration of enemies and resulting experience.

Final floor? You know what to do. Pre-cast those spells before going down. Unearth Wretches. Get that army in working order. '''WARNING:''' If you have rolled the Slime:5 layout where there are many little square chambers interconnected by 1 tile hallways, this place becomes highly deadly, as it is very hard to actually get your army to do their grisly work with all these suffocating chokepoints. Do NOT try to clear this floor if you are not seeking the altar. If you are, be HIGHLY cautious.

'''If you are looking for the Jiyva altar''': Read a scroll of Revelation on Slime:5. Don't have it? Tough luck, you'll have to manually explore to find the altar. It's usually somewhere close to the centre. If you do have it, press capital 'X', and survey the map for an "unknown altar" icon. That's your destination. Get moving. Converting to Jiyva instantly renders the entirety of the Slime Pits completely harmless. You just need to get to that altar, and you'll have succeeded. Is it utterly swarmed and blocked by slimes of many nutritious flavours? Is your army dying at the final stretch? That's what those Scrolls of Blinking are for. Yes, blink on top of the altar, even if it's surrounded by deadly enemies. One turn is all you need. Don't worry, your army won't go hostile. Even though you just angered the god of Necromancy itself.

'''About the Royal Jelly''': Command your army with 't'-'f' (or 't'-'a' on something else) to NOT ATTACK IT. (Unless you are running the Hive Talisman). Not only does it spawn horrible amounts of OP slimes when it takes damage (which are worth 0 experience), it will also destroy all Jiyva altars if you somehow manage to kill it with your army of gelatinous doom. Which is surprisingly likely. If you have pulled it in and find your squad getting progressively mowed down by a wide variety of digestive enzymes, consider using a Scroll of Teleport, or retreating upstairs and using a different downstairs. You'll have to ignite a new army with some extra Kiku stars, but it will "park" the Royal Jelly on that other end of the level so you can safely access the Jiyva altar.

Of course, if you are staying with Kikubaaqudgha and are doing the dive, feel free to take no prisoners, splatter honey-coloured goo all over the Pits, and smash and grab that loot.

{{flavour|[[File:Jiyva altar.png]] Jiyva gurgles in joy at your terrifying pilgrimage all to worship them (even though you just murdered half their followers and turned them to undead servants).}}

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] You know, I was kind of hoping this would happen. It's been a while since I had the fun of smiting a mortal with horrible, debilitating dark curses.}}

You should only come back here once you reach maximum piety with Jiyva - ****** - to unlock all the delicious loot.

The way back up will be peaceful and of utmost serenity. Surely Kiku's wrath will be a nice, relaxing affair after going through this.

=All That Squiggles, Splashes and Slithers (S-Branches)=

'''Only if you already finished raiding the Slime Pits:''' clear the last floors of the Dungeon, allowing you to obtain Jiyva piety and experience Kiku's wrath in a relatively safe environment. "Relatively", because there are probably centaur warriors prowling about with digusting amounts of ranged damage. Animate Dead. Death Channel. Anguish. Deadly armies. You know the drill.

You'll also find the Vaults entrance on D:13 or D:14, with its signature swarm of human guards decked out in tons of metal. Perhaps they should have thought about protecting the inside of their skulls as well, as they are very vulnerable to Anguish.

'''If you are still with Kiku, waiting for your Infestation to become castable so you can raid the Pits:''' do NOT clear the lower Dungeon yet - once Kiku juice has been exhausted, you will want a safe area to start getting your first Jiyva stars and work off the first instances of Kiku's wrath in an environment you are overleveled for. Leave it for AFTER the S-Branches.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] That Smoky Gem is down there, in D:15! If you did things properly, grabbing it shouldn't be too hard. What's harder is keeping it intact. Try to have at least 800 turns remaining when you collect it! And as for D:11-D:15, don't explore more than half of each floor, except on D:13-D:14, where you'll want to find the Vaults entrance, and get moving again immediately afterwards!}}

You'll want to visit the S-Branches in this order:

Spider Nest > Swamp > Snake Pit > Shoals

This is roughly how much each of these branches hate cats, from easiest to most lethal. In the former two, there is less ranged damage and more hordes to turn into highly efficient undead. Meanwhile, the Snake Pit is full of Naga Sharpshooter aimbot hackers, giga-flame-smite Salamander Tyrants, and the unique Vashnia, queen of ridiculous felid two-shots. Not to mention that some nagas actually have some Willpower to resist Anguish, unlike the animalistic and weak-willed creepy-crawlies. As for the Shoals, it leaks deep water everywhere to make things as difficult as possible for your army, and its denizens will endlessly throw sharp things at you, sometimes piercing through your entire squad.

Ironic, considering that most DCSS characters tend to fear spiders much more than snakes.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] If you chose the honey-flavoured part of our treatment plan, with Unearth Wretches, getting those Gems will be extremely easy. If not, only slightly harder. That doesn't mean it's another vacation! Once again, explore only about half of each floor, except the fourth and final one, where you'll probably have to spend a lot of time clashing your hordes against the final vault guardians and looking for that Gem. Oh, and a rune, too. But that one isn't that important, now is it? If you have leftover time when going up, you can full-clear the first floor, it's not like we'll be coming back here anyhow.}}

Let's get started. Do not Ctrl-G into the branch - you'll arrive there weak and unprepared, and if there is a welcoming party at the entrance, you are likely to have roughly the entire medical history of poisoning injected in your bloodstream as you sit there and get pwned. Instead, Ctrl-F for the entrance gate in Lair, and stand on top of it. Cast your self-buffs - Animate Dead and Death Channel. Good. Now, you can actually go down.

Assuming you are now with Jiyva, plentiful regeneration, obtained from your very first Jiyva star, allows you to spam Haunt, Borgnjor's Vile Clutch, Anguish and perhaps Infestation/Rimeblight to your heart's content to spark a flame of subservience in the first members of your army. Don't forget to pre-cast Animate Dead/Death Channel before each staircase!

Annoyed by missing out on Animate Dead/Death Channel? Or perhaps you have both and still desire more power? Allow me to introduce you to the apotheosis of ally-creation spells:

'''[[Infestation]]''' (Level 8 Necromancy) is, if you were unlucky and failed to find Animate Dead, your salvation. If you do have it, it's still your salvation, because this spell creates Death Scarabs from the bodies of '''any''' slain enemy (INCLUDING undead and nonliving beings, but except summoned foes and Kiku wrath simulacra/spectres - zombies are fine), '''bypassing Animate Dead''' (no zombie and scarab from the same slain foe!). What is a Death Scarab? Why, nothing short of a star resident of the branch which terrorizes 15 rune DCSS characters the most - the dastardly Tomb of the Ancients. Let's check those stats out:

* Moves and attacks faster than light itself. To be precise, every single time you get a turn, they get three.
* Irresistible Slow debuff on hit.
* Tons of damage.
* Unfortunately very low HP. Thankfully, they are easy to produce in industrial quantities.

Infestation is a point-and-click ability, in a 5x5 square (If you're waiting for this spell to go raid the Slime Pits: Unearth Wretches is also a 5x5 square - cast Infestation on top of yourself after Unearth Wretches for immensely impressive results!). The game makes it quite obvious. Like its point-and-click cousin Haunt, you'll be spamming this one a lot. Use a Scroll of Amnesia, forget one of your old starter Summoning spells, and bind the macro to Infestation instead!

Ideally, you'd get 2-3 from your first fight on a new floor. Take them for a pack walk (don't autoexplore). When a new foe comes into view and they immediately charge towards it, cast Infestation again, and so on, gradually turning the entire floor population into scarabs. Unfortunately:

Your death scarab crumbles into dust!

Their lifespan is... limited. Certainly more impressive than Death Channel, but limited nonetheless. Once you have drawn the first blood, ''you need to keep the killstreak coming''. If you have won a fight, and are now accompanied by invertebrate friends, it is YOUR time to start prowling about the level like some bloodthirsty, horrible beast for fresh scarab meat. Haunt. Infestation. Haunt. Infestation. Executed correctly, these two spells combined can clear any floor that isn't the Realm of Zot or an extended endgame floor. Most importantly, unless you are on the brink of death, you should not be constantly waiting in place twiddling your paws until your HP and MP thresholds get to 100% - your scarabs will just get bored of your lack of courage and evaporate out of reality.

'''[[Rimeblight]]''' (Level 7 Ice/Necromancy) is an equally strong addition to your kit, which you should consider welcoming into your repertoire. It's a lot of slots - you probably can't allow this and Borngjor's Vile Clutch/a big Summonings spell to coexist, so choices will have to be made. This spell is good at both taking out lone OP foes and bundled up living, demonic or holy creatures - for the real star of the show are the infectious explosions. Cast it on the least resilient foe that is closely bundled together with other creatures (each death causes the disease to spread further), and then forget about it and use your other spells. It will get the job done. Feel free to combine it with Gell's Gravitambourine for even less social distancing! You should also know that it executes living/demonic/holy monsters with 20% HP or less, so, if some ubermensch has only a few pixels remaining on its health bar and is destroying you, cast Rimeblight for a guaranteed takedown. if '''Training Ice Magic to level 9 is recommended.'''

'''After clearing the first S-Branch''': Check the success rate of '''Death's Door''' in your (M)emorization menu. If you are stacked with Wizardry/Intelligence buffs, it might be below 50%. Or not. That's fine too. You'll still want to start making room for it.

'''Start training Spellcasting to receive just enough slots to add it (0.5 level = 1 spell slot!), or use Scrolls of Amnesia on starter Summonings spells to free up slots.'''

If you make room to add it while clearing the second S-Branch AND the failure rate is below 50%, keep in mind this spell is utterly overpowered and will save even the most desperate situations. More on that later, but it might actually be worth gambling on if your other options aren't looking too good. Watch out: if you miscast it, it will likely just finish you off you with ~20 darkness damage. Until it reaches less than 20% failure rate, it's a last resort. LAST RESORT. Now is not the time to "save blinking scrolls for later". NO. YOU WON'T NEED THEM ANYMORE WHEN YOU HAVE IMMORTALITY ON SPEED DIAL.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Swamp/Shoals are super tight on time. Clearly, management thought the less turns employees spend in these places, the better. Typical ivory tower fools. Anyhow, when you find a normal staircase and the surroundings are clear and safe, just go down. You'll need a bit more time than you think to tackle those hydra parties and javelineer shooting ranges on the last floor!}}

===Angry Death-God Interdimensional Hunt (Monitoring Kiku's Wrath)===

If you'd like to check how long you'll still have to deal with Kiku's wrath, press, in this order, '?'-'/'-'g'-'k'. There are five tiers:

*"Kiku's wrath is upon you!" (> 75%)
*"Kiku well remembers your sins." (> 50%)
*"Kiku's wrath is beginning to fade. (> 25%)
*"Kiku is almost ready to forgive your sins." (< 25%)
*"Kiku is neutral towards you." (0%)

Once you reach the final tier, you are finally free, and will be able to fully enjoy necromantic magic with glorious slime-powered regeneration for the rest of the run!

Kiku will probably forgive you sometime around the S-Branches. At last.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Whatever. You're boring. If you need me, I'll be over here. On my throne of skulls. Watching slasher flicks. I'll especially not be watching your run, waiting for the moment you splat so I can cackle evilly at my indirect revenge. I would never do that. That sounds like something Zin would do.

But enough talk about using my stolen gifts. Let's finish you off.}}

===They Bite, They Fight, They Rot (Spider Nest)===

If you have rolled this branch, you have been granted the Necromancy-special easy mode midgame. Despite what you may think, rPois isn't actually that important with this build, because the assorted venomous bites won't actually be able to reach you if you play correctly. Let's get cracking.

* '''Meliais''' are as horrifying as they were in the lower parts of the dungeon, and should be dealt with as swiftly as possible - note that their willpower is very fragile when faced with a scion of the One True Pillow-Pawed race, which makes them vulnerable to Polymorph/Charm wands or Anguish.

* '''Spark Wasps''' can pull off anime "teleports behind you" moves with extreme electric damage. They must be Anguished on sight. Haunted. Borgnjor's Vile Clutched. I don't care. Each turn those blue pixels exist on your screen, you are increasing the likelihood that you'll lose the run and be forced to go do something productive instead. We don't want that, now do we?

* '''Orb Spiders''' are highly annoying pests that will challenge you to a game of dodgeball without consent. The ominous purple Orbs of Destruction they will hurl at you inflict extreme, potentially oneshotting, undodgeable damage, and should be avoided at all costs. The easiest way to neutralize them is to have any creature eat the Orb for you - enemies work too, but the most reliable choice is any allied unit. A simple use of your Blink cantrip can also save your scruff, but do mind the heat-seeking properties of Orbs in open spaces, and be ready to Blink a second time.

* '''Broodmothers''' are nasty and will challenge you to a Zotémon duel, and they're a big fan of the Poison Type. Do remind them that Poison attacks on Ghost types are Not Very Effective. If you need to reach them from behind their wall of allies, use Borgnjor's Vile Clutch or Haunt.

* '''Xak' Krixis''', a unique boss, can turn all of your poison into instant damage. Do not hold back on the armies against this one. And ring-swap to rPois. Or drink a Potion of Resistance. He is also quite vulnerable to Anguish. No rPois? At the very least, do anything to avoid standing within 2 tiles of the imminently exploding prisms.

* You don't want anything in this branch to be adjacent to you, but you especially don't want '''Radroaches''' adjacent to you. Enough said.

* '''Ghost Moths''' are the signature enemy of this branch that gets the DCSS community trembling in fear, mainly because of their undodgeable, point-and-click gaze instantly deleting your entire MP bar. Do note that the DCSS community is also filled with fans of conjurations and blaster spells. As a proper gentlefeline, your much more subtle and intellectual magic isn’t limited to the turn it was cast. Casting Haunt once on one is pretty much a guarantee that it will die (if the spectres can reach it). If they are ruining your day, a Potion of Invisibility will shut down their mana-draining ability.

Also, they are invisible. But the feline master race has little patience for such trivialities. You won't even notice. Just don't be surprised if your scarabs/zombies are ignoring them.

{{flavour|[[File:Jiyva altar.png]] Jiyva gurgles inquisitively, wondering how ghost moths reproduce if they can't see invisible, but are invisible themselves. }}

===Realm of the Aimbot Hackers (Snake Pit)===

Ready for some Counter-Strike action? Get to Site Snake:4 before the counter-terrorists eliminate your entire squad. Unfortunately, you have been placed in the cheaters' queue, and everyone here is using hacks and scripts.

* '''Naga sharpshooters''' are the main culprits. Not only do they have OP bows, they also have a spell that lets them teleport the arrow directly on top of you, bypassing your entire army AND reducing your chance to dodge it. They come in groups, too, which means you could be walking around and suddenly start getting plowed by sharp sticks appearing out of thin air. Because this isn't difficult enough, they have enough Willpower to resist Anguish and other hexes quite efficiently (though insistent casters may eventually curse them). A Scroll of Vulnerability helps if there are many on your screen. Most wisely, however, I suggest you avoid having too many on your screen at once, and make use of doors and chokepoints to secure a place where you can safely dump Haunt and Borgnjor's Vile Clutch on them one by one.

* '''Vashnia''' is the queen of the hackers, doing exactly the same thing as them but with bigger damage. And another hack that lets her teleport so you can't escape as easily. I've reported her to the DCSS admins numerous times, but she still hasn't gotten banned. If you've been saving your Scrolls of Vulnerability, this is the time to use them.

* '''Salamander tyrants''' are rare, but CAN ONESHOT YOU ON SIGHT WITH A POINT-AND-CLICK ABILITY. This is one of the extremely rare cases where you can literally just take a step and instantly die (assuming you lack rF+). As soon as one appears on your screen, you MUST take action immediately, through one of the following:
** Ring-swap to Fire Resistance.
** Drink a Potion of Resistance.
** Drink a Potion of Invisibility.

They are weak to Anguish and will likely get a taste of their own oneshot medicine once they are cursed. Assuming you survive, that is.

* '''Guardian serpents''' have the infamous ability to teleport their entire squad on top of you, which is an immediate critical emergency if it happens. Thankfully, you have loyal allies to take up space - yet another reason to always try to keep yourself surrounded and loved by your mindless thralls. Immediately consider the Blink spell or a Blinking scroll if you are caught off-guard.

* '''Naga ritualists''' have varied point-and-click poison abilities which aren't that threatening, but add up if you leave them alive for too long. Ring-swapping to rPois is useful, but barring, that, try to Haunt/Borgnjor's Vile Clutch them first.

* '''Nagaraja''' have all kinds of toxic-chemical flavoured conjurations comparable to Arachne's, and your 3 AC, no rPois scruff is not exactly the definition of a hazmat suit. Avoid having no allies blocking their line of fire (those poison arrows hurt!) and, if you cannot ring-swap poison resistance, expect to require Curing potions should their ally-piercing bolt of poison hit you.

* '''Shock serpents''' have an ally-piercing electrical bolt - not oneshot material by any means, but repeated hits will hurt. They have a permanently active damage-reflection effect electrocuting all which damage it in melee. The answer? Anguish - they hit your ally, they take Anguish damage from this, your ally hits them, they take more damage, your ally is electrocuted, the serpent takes even more Anguish damage. Don't try to wrap your head around it, just oneshot them with this technique.

===Grand Oneshot Fiesta (Swamp)===

This one is interesting, because most enemies here have ridiculous damage, but little ways of actually reaching you to apply it. It was already important before, but it is EXTREMELY important here to keep yourself surrounded by a cocoon of cold, well-meaning hugs from your assorted undead. Leaving your frail and vulnerable body exposed is opening the door to getting oneshotted by the extremely high damage hydrae, bunyips, alligators, will-o-wisps... Well, they actually have to do the effort of walking towards you to kill you (except the will-o-wisp). Which makes this place much better than Shoals in my book.

* '''Eleionoma''' are an exception to this rule, and are also complete bullshit. I don't like swearing in my guides, but these ones deserve it. Their signature spell, Splinterspray, has huge range and deals up to 72 damage. A dull-witted minotaur may say, "they aren't that bad, I just tab them with my axe". Well, dear bovine comrade, Splinterspray has its damage negated ''3 times in a row'' by your AC score. This means their existence is basically an insult to Felids in particular. Suffer not a single one to live. The counterplay? A ring of +4 Protection is worth a quick-swap when they are around, as it translates to a +12 AC bonus against this attack due to the multiplier. Because these aren't OP enough, they also giga-self heal when they touch trees. Just drop a fat Haunt or drown them in undead on sight, the less seconds they breathe, the better.

* '''Swamp Worms''' are pretty harmless on their own, but they can shoot a beam that pulls the first entity hit into melee range of them. If you let them get a clear shot, you can get extracted from your massive army into a death trap. Mind the gaps in your formation.

* '''Bloated husks''' just run at you doing nothing and explode in a 5x5 area when they die.. Aside the fact that this can make them deal huge damage to your army, it will, on average, take out half of your entire HP bar every single time if you get caught in the blastzone.

* '''Will-o-wisps''' endlessly churn out drones to seek and destroy you with huge fire damage. This will be blocked by allies, and Haunting them is highly wise. If you are exposed to their antics, though, consider ring-swapping to obtain rF+.

* '''Swamp dragons''' are not very dangerous, aside from the fact that they place disgusting green poison clouds all over the place. Got stuck in the chemical spill? Ring-swap to rPois, and you can immediately shut off every neuron in your brain that had registered their existence. No rPois? A potion of Resistance does the same thing. Otherwise, a potion of Curing heals all poison, but it won't help if you just get poisoned again by the cloud on the same turn. Focus on getting out, by walking, using the Blink spell or even a precious Blinking scroll if it truly matters.

* '''Shambling mangroves''' have a point-and-click constrict. It's kind of like the Borgnjor's Vile Clutch you may have chosen to obtain, but with even less counterplay. It ends when they perish, so hit them back with your own flavour of point-and-click, known as Haunt or Borgnjor's Vile Clutch.

* '''Goliath frogs''' and '''Spriggan riders''' have reach (polearm) attacks. Don't just stand there 2 spaces away while they ignore your allies and prepare themselves a fine feline brochette.

* Needless to say, don't let '''hydrae''' touch you. ESPECIALLY not the rare one with 27 heads.

===I Swear You Had A Health Bar A Second Ago, Must Be Seeing Things (Shoals)===

Ah yes, welcome to the funhouse of doom. You don't really need any specific resistances in this place, just go full-on Wizardry and Intelligence so things perish as fast as possible. I like Acrobat and Reflection amulets to reduce slightly the vast number of sharp objects moving quickly in your general direction. Ring-swapping into Flight, or drinking a Potion of enlightenment is also potentially interesting when you need to move over water for tactical reasons.

* '''Merfolk javeliners''' can Alt-F4 your health bar when they feel like it. Their sole purpose in life is to pick up sticks of metal and throw them at you, doing gargantuan damage in the process. Because it wasn't hard enough, they occasionally carry the silver variant of their javelins, which deals bonus damage to the heavily mutated. Because Jiyva has probably made you look like [https://raw.githubusercontent.com/crawl/crawl/master/crawl-ref/source/dat/tiles/title_froggy_jiyva_felid.png this] by now, this will hurt. A couple casts of Anguish will usually curse them (causing a massive pile of exclamation points in the message log when they throw their javelin through your undead army). An Amulet of Reflection or of the Acrobat will also come a long way towards putting the odds in your favour - I'd recommend walking around with one already equipped while in the Shoals.

* '''Satyrs''' are pretty much the exact same thing, but at least, they can't pierce through your allies freely. Let your servants die in your name!

* '''Water nymphs''' have a disgustingly powerful point-and-click "boom! you take 3 million damage!" ability. However, they can only use it if you are standing on a water tile. If one is on your screen, avoid water as much as possible - and don't let that Nymph get close, as they constantly leak the stuff everywhere they go. Nice try, but Flight won't save you.

* '''Wind drakes''' also have a "boom!" point-and-click, but this one instead relies on you being surrounded by empty tiles, just like the slug mage Gastronok. Another reason to keep your army close.

* '''Merfolk impalers''' and '''Alligator snapping turtles''' both have "reach" (polearm) melee attacks from 2 spaces away. They also deal giga-damage. Don't ever let them get a hit off.

=Crossroads of Immortality (The Ultimate Spell)=

You've made it. Ascension is at hand - or rather, at paw. Behold - the '''Velvet-Pawed Path to Immortality'''. A level 9 spell, ranked among the legends of Polar Vortex, Shatter, Dragon's Call, Fire Storm...

"How much damage does this one do", you ask yourself, trembling in excitement.

Zero, actually. To your enemies, that is.

'''[[Death's Door]]''' (Level 9 Necromancy), on a successful cast, will immediately nuke your (already minuscule) HP bar, always setting it to around 10-20 HP points remaining. This will never directly kill you.

Not off to a good start, are we? The important part: '''for the next 12-25 turns (it's technically 10-27, but the extremes are unlikely), you CANNOT die through ANY means, and this buff CANNOT be removed.''' Picture this: while it is active:

* HP is an illusion.
* AC is an illusion.
* EV is an illusion.
* SH is an illusion.
* Elemental resistances? You guessed it - an illusion.

Do you see what I see? An eloge to felinekind. A loveletter. An enchantment which takes away all that makes them bad, leaving only the good. ''Every'' other species in DCSS is (rightfully) TERRIFIED of this spell, because when it ends, they will still be left at 10-20 HP, ready to be oneshotted by the tickling touch of a feather and rocketed back to the character selection screen. But cats know no such weaknesses, for they alone know the bony touch of oblivion all too well, and can ''respawn'' after even Death's Door proves ineffective at saving their lives. It's not like having 17 HP is that different from having 103, after all.

This means that you, dear reader, can afford to be '''extremely''' proactive in using this thing.

Picture the following scenario: going about your usual murderous business, some ranged cheater takes out 40% of your HP in a single attack, leaving you at 60%.

* Scenario 1: "Hey, I still have most of my health, it's fine."
** Assuming you dodge reliably, how long do you think you could actually stay alive if that foe just refused to die and kept pelting you? 12 turns, at most?
** That's assuming you dodge reliably, anyhow. You might just die next turn.

* Scenario 2: Cast Death's Door NOW!!
** You now have exactly 12-25 turns in which you have absolute certainty that death is impossible.
** You can forget entirely about cowardly tactics such as "hiding behind allies" or "ring-swapping", and dedicate all resources to making sure that enemy is no longer on your screen by the end of the time period, whether through escape or murder.
** If the screen is PACKED, you can drink a potion of attraction, then read a scroll of immolation as a home-made nuclear detonation device.
** You can just walk into melee range of hasted Ancient Liches and start blasting them with Dispel Undead.
** You can drop 10 Haunts on a single OP unique while you stand there motionless eating 100 melee damage per turn like some immovable object. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifB662xOZTw This is probably how it looks.]
** You can read Teleportation Scrolls and just casually wait and look at your own claws, wondering if feline manicure is a thing, while some Spriggan Berserker is furiously swinging its axe into your scruff over and over.
** You can casually approach any living or corporeal undead creature, (no demons or nonliving enemies allowed! Nice try, but Orbs of Fire count as nonliving.) invoke Slimify from your (a)bility menu (after 4 **** Jiyva stars), and melee attack until you oneshot them.

Embrace the power. Cleanse yourself of fear. Unlearn your preconceptions. Forget your Minotaur instincts. There is Life, there is Death, and there is You, standing perfectly still at the line in between. This is your feline destiny.

Death's Door goes through a cycle:

You stand defiantly in death's doorway! You seem to hear sand flowing through an hourglass...

The spell just started, and the timer is engaged. (White "DDoor" status in the sidebar)

Your time is quickly running out!

Don't freak out. That actually just means it's about halfway done. You still have time. But if the whole "murder" angle is not looking good, start plotting your escape now. (Gray "DDoor" status in the sidebar)

Your life is in your own paws again!

If you did not plan this out correctly, this is the part where they kill you. Because the invincibility just ran out. And you have 12 HP. Death's Door will go on cooldown (Yellow -DDoor in the sidebar) for the surprisingly short duration of 1-3 turns, so you cannot immediately recast it to protect yourself. Shoutout to the developers for recently changing this to say "paws" and not "hands" for Felids specifically!

You step away from death's doorway.

Death's Door is ready to be used again. Many times, I have managed to recast the spell while still engaged in combat, just because I had retreated safely into the middle of my army, or because I had an all-skill-no-luck EV dodge of a ranged attack that should have killed me. In that case, you simply get the 12-25 turns of invincibility all over again.

A note: Potions of haste are ridiculously strong in tandem with Death's Door. They effectively lengthen the duration by 33%. For the same reason, being Slow in Death's Door is terrible, as it shortens the duration by 33%. As expected, Haste and Slow cancel each other out.

Got slots? Or you will in the future? Consider the following:

'''[[Passwall]]''' (Level 3 Earth) is a so-called "escape" spell that has the bad habit of killing its users while they are charging it up. When used on a nearby wall, it renders you unable to act for a few turns as you fixate the stone with extreme intensity that leaves your enemies concerned about you. They will try to prod you to snap you out of it. If you aren't dead by the end of this phase, you will - it's literally in the title - pass through the wall and arrive on the other side. You can see where this is going - cast Death's Door, and you can now escape through any common wall (not the indestructible ones) with zero risk. Even though the magic school on this isn't your forté, it's so low level you can probably already cast it with your vast levels of Spellcasting. Maybe get '''4 levels of Earth''' for good measure if you don't already have them.

Here's another suggestion:

'''[[Dispel Undead]]''' (Level 4 Necromancy) is the least complicated of all dark spells. Walk up to melee range of some rotting fool, press it, blast them with huge (3d31 at max damage, comparable to a Lehudib's Crystal Spear), unavoidable, defense-bypassing pure damage. Flavour-wise, your dark research has come to teach you the invisible forces holding together a corpse which shouldn't be animated, and the ways to unravel them. More creatures are undead than you may think:

* Bog bodies from the Swamp.
* Pharaoh ants from the Spider Nest.
* Laughing, Curse and Weeping Skulls in the deep Dungeon and/or Crypts.
* Any Player Ghost in the Necropolis.
* Any creature reanimated by a deep elf death mage's lost souls.
* Death scarabs from the Tomb. You might have encountered some early in the Spider Nest, or after "accidentally" blasting your Infestation scarabs with, say, a scroll of immolation and turning them hostile.
* Curse toes and Death cobs from the Realm of Zot, the final stop of your grand pillow-pawed journey.
* Deadly uniques such as Jory, Boris, Nobody, or Khufu.
* Any zombies/spectres/simulacra, either natural or reanimated by Kiku's malice.

= Knife-Eared Folks and their Floating Knives (Elven Halls) =

This next area is completely optional-

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] No, it's NOT. Get that Shimmering Gem, PRONTO!! Great, another one of these places where you dilly-dally thinking it will be fine only to spend a thousand turns running away in fear from reality-shattering archmagi on the final floor. Do this one just like the second S-Branch - use SAFE staircases, which have no enemies around them, IMMEDIATELY, and dedicate all your effort and care to looting that Elf:3 fortress!}}

-but I encourage you to clear at least the first two floors to acquire bonus experience, and polish up your Death's Door. At this point, '''you should only be training Necromancy and have no Kiku wrath remaining.''' Possibly Shapeshifting if you still need that Hive Talisman. Maybe Spellcasting if you are desperate for slots. Because SOMEONE has been eating all the Amnesia scrolls.

{{flavour|[[File:Jiyva altar.png]] A distant sound of paper being dissolved in acid echoes through the Elven Halls.}}

The Elves haven't been hitting the gym. Their muscles are weak, because they play DCSS all day. When you drain all that education out of their skulls by turning them to zombies, they do almost nothing except contribute their hitpoints to the Anguish fund. We do not want this. We want OP scarabs. Spam Infestation left and right on these fools. Even the dancing weapons.

A death scarab bursts out of the +4 trident of felid slaying!

How does that even work? Whatever. Let's talk timed portals. Semi-rarely, you may find:

* The "crackle of arcane power". Wizard Laboratories are pocket-sized adventures ranging from litterboxes of loot to death traps. If I were you, I'd avoid Tukima's Studio, unless having a clone of yourself spam Haunt on you while OP floating books with 100 damage crystal spears pwn you sounds funny. The rest should be fine. Watch out for Doroklohe’s Tomb, it will appear to be safe then jumpscare you with tons of endgame mummies or other OP foes. If you want to clear that one, stay in the entrance and wait (5) over and over, don't wander off into the main room.

* The "coins being counted". A Bazaar is almost always worth it. This one might even be worth reading a Scroll of Revelation for. If you have the gold to spare, of course (press '$'). In your shopping spree, stock up on delicious potions, interesting scrolls, and spells that might be missing from your kit.

* A "distant wind". Ah, yes, the <s>Death Trap</s> Desolation of Salt. This place kills so many players. Luckily, this build is probably one of the best at taking it head-on, and the loot tends to include some sick rings and amulets. If you wish to test its mettle, my advice is to just spam Infestation on those trillions of saltlings rushing to melee you. Simply run around and Infestation everything you see until the screen is covered in scarabs. You may need to use Death's Door if things go south. Be wary of [[Ghostly Sacrifice]], an extremely OP point-and-click, undodgeable attack which deals over 100 darkness damage. An enemy must be adjacent to you for it to be used. The Halazid warlocks are responsible for it - either use Death's Door or ring swap to rN+ if you cannot reposition yourself away from enemies in melee range of you.

In the Elven Halls, and especially Elf:3, there are a wide variety of professionals with PhDs in kitty-murder. The valedictorians here are:

* '''Dancing weapons''': Don't mistake them for floor items, notice the little music note icon on their sprites. Some are not that scary (+1 dagger) while others will be your doom (+9 bardiche of antimagic). Don’t fight too fast, and check the brands and enchantments of what you are faced against. If it has enchantments of +4 or more, has a brand you do not resist, or is an axe or polearm, it's a threat.

Regardless, Borgnjor's Vile Clutch completely demolishes them, because their defenses are all-dodge-no-armour (like you!), and that spell cannot be avoided. Haunt is also interesting.

You'll find an extreme amount of these behind the big runed gate in Elf:2, known as the Hall of Blades. I generally don't even bother opening it. These enemies are hard enough, and the shiny metal they leave behind isn't even designed for quadrupeds. Psh!

* '''Deep elf master archers''': You may be purring in mockery as 5 arrows whiff past you one after the other. Enjoy becoming a porcupine when a single shot cuts away 50% of your HP. These should never, ever get a clean line of fire at you, and should have Haunts dumped on them immediately if they do. Like any ranged foe, remember that closing doors behind you can prove surprisingly effective.
* '''Deep elf elementalists''': TRY NOT TO STAND NEXT TO WALLS! It is their strongest attack, because they can point and click walls to remote-detonate them. Anyways, as a herder of allies, you should be prioritizing wide open space instead. The Blink spell can help you get away. The other elemental flavours of pain aren't as bad, as long as you keep drowning them in undead.
* '''Deep elf sorcerers & high priests''': Damnation ''hurts''. Sending foes to block a sorcerer's line of fire by standing adjacently to them will make them hesitate, as they’re not masochistic enough to blow themselves up. The high priests, however, can order an orbital strike onto you in point-and-click flavour, and won't be impressed.
* '''Deep elf annihilators''': With your high EV, most of the time, they will miss, but when they don’t, ''ouch''. Their worst spell is the Crystal Spear, but it has thankfully limited range, so keep your distance (more than 4 tiles).
* '''Deep elf blademasters''': It’s an elf, but with +99 daggers of kitty-slaying and rocket-boot thrusters. Don't let these touch you.
* '''Deep elf death mage''': It's you! But less fluffy. Therefore lesser. Their signature spell, Call Lost Souls, summons some harmless, annoying puffs of spectral matter which will revive nearby dying elves into a ghost variant (this adds a little skull icon on their sprite). When they are reanimated thus, if you have Dispel Undead, you can walk up and blast them - otherwise, your other tools are just as efficient as they are on their living counterparts.

Thankfully, these elven bullies are mostly hidden in their big fortress somewhere in Elf:3, and can be dealt with in little groups at a time, as the entrance to their headquarters is conveniently shaped like a funnel. Approach the final vault, lure in a few volunteers, dispose of them, rest, and return, until the flood stops. Dashing in, battling all of them at once, and expecting to win is extremely foolish.

If you have Summon Mana Viper, it can have impressive results here! Antimagic-biting an Annihilator to force them to use their puny arms instead of their reality-shattering conjurations is quite effective.

Unlike the lesser humanoids, Banishment is very unlikely to happen to you here. If it ''does'' happen, stay calm. The first instinct of many players is to start walking in diagonals to find an exit, but you should not be doing this with this build. You have the ability to organize a nice little fortress with your allies, and fend off invaders coming from all sides. After proving to Lugonu your fighting prowess, you will be let out without complications. Dying in the Abyss is ''very'' undesirable, as you will simply respawn in another equally dangerous location of this infinite plane of madness.

=Containment Breach in Zone 2 (Vaults)=

Excellent, a place where you'll actually feel powerful. You'll feel right at home in this stronghold of soullessness, metal, and faceless guards devoid of individual thought.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Life would be so much simpler if everyone was an undead thrall, you know? Perfect order, absolute obedience, flawless coordination. I bet technology would be propelled centuries foward if people stopped clutching that worthless "identity" everyone keeps talking about.}}

This is the necromantic funzone, seriously. The extreme majority of everything here has been so dumbed down by mindless servitude that their Willpower - and therefore resistance to Anguish - is as low as the chance that you actually managed to survive up to this point. Not only that, but almost every creature makes up for spectacular undead thralls, and space is so neatly organized and wide open that you'll have no trouble directing your army around to annihilate everything you see.

Always have Death Channel active when you battle. Animate Dead the first sizable goon squad you spot, and carry them around the level until it's worth replacing them. Spam Infestation on everything you see until then.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] All this empty space. All this real estate opportunity, ruined. Such inefficiency. Don't linger in Vaults:1 and Vaults:4, exploring no more than half of both. You'll still want to locate the Crypts somewhere on Vaults:2 or Vaults:3 through more thorough exploration, after which you'll be able to descend faster.}}

The threats? Point-and-click abilities, of course.

* '''Ironbound thunderhulks''' have on-demand electro-bzzaps, and '''are the biggest threat of this branch'''. Unlike most point-and-click cheaters, this one can actually be dodged, but should you fail to do so, say goodbye to half your HP bar. They have this gimmick where they cannot use this skill if you are 2 or fewer tiles away, but don't let this bait you into walking towards terrible positions only for them to blink away and resume electrocuting you. Don't hesitate to pop Death's Door if you get badly hit once. Ring-swapping to the rare rElec artifact ring may prove useful, if you have found such a useful trinket.

* '''Ironbound frosthearts''' also have a point-and-click, this time chocolate ice-cream flavoured. Yes, chocolate is toxic to cats. This is intentional. It drips from the walls, so avoid standing next to them, as was the case for Deep elf elementalists. Thankfully, these have been heavily nerfed since my last FeSu guide, as back then, they were as horrible as Salamander tyrants. You can afford to take a few hits.

* '''Frederick''' CAN ONESHOT YOU THE MOMENT YOU TAKE A SINGLE BREATH IN HIS PRESENCE. If you encounter him alone and wish to take him down, I suggest an immediate Death's Door from full HP, and then an unloading of your entire necromantic artillery on him. It will be enough. There really is no overkill here. If your Death's Door is close to running out and he is still alive, just pop Slimify from your (a)bility menu and oneshot him.

* '''Xtahua''' can also oneshot you, but only if you lack rF+. Even then, have your paw on the Death's Door button at the ready! Slimify if needed.

* '''Mennas''', the "Menace" as some players call him, is practically designed to counter everything you are capable of. Bonus damage against undead, instant Silence to block you from using Death's Door and all other spells, mass confusion on your Death Scarabs so they start hurting each other and potentially you as well, resistance to Slimify from being holy, huge speed, huge melee damage... I've had success with a Scroll of Vulnerability and repeated Anguish, but attempts at battle without a huge swarm to back you up usually result in dead cats faster than you can say "Deus Vult". If you have a wand of quicksilver and his dreaded Silence comes out, you can use it on him for a chance to dispel the Silence!

You can detect Mennas - and sometimes Frederick - through walls by looking for suspiciously yellow tiles, illuminated by their radiant haloes. Don't get trolled by Mennas's lack of See Invisible, his halo will still reveal you, as long as you are standing in it.

* '''Jory''' and '''Boris''' are similar - two undead casters with ridiculously damaging spells, packing an easy twoshot or oneshot if you let them blast you. For maximum disrespect, just Death's Door immediately, walk up, and pwn them with Dispel Undead or Slimify.

* '''Zenata''' is one of the most lethal bosses of the mid-to-late game, brutally decimating around 5% of all players who choose to take her on. Keyword - choose. Many advanced and competitive players leave her alone entirely to polish her army of hasted dancing scimitars instead. You can do so as well, but if seeing coloured pixels moving across your screen sends you into a mindless rage, you can do Death's Door-Slimify at the easiest, or Death's Door-necro-artillery for a more traditional takedown. She won't oneshot you, so you can use a few turns to prep, but once her summons are out and she has started using her point-and-click damage ability, it's time to get down to business and hit that immortality button. Don't even think about Blink-scrolling or whatever away from all those floating knives, they are almost as fast as Death scarabs. Just focus on pwning her.

* '''Nobody''' is not that scary to me, aside from the part where they DARE stomp on the feline fiefdom's trademarks and use extra lives to respawn 3 times, one more than you can hold at a time. Each of their reincarnations has a different kit. Honestly, they are okay to deal with as long as you have a few scarabs to swarm them with (and they aren't ganking you in the middle of a Vaults:5 party). Pay attention to their dialogue lines in the message log, I like them a lot.

* '''Ironbound convokers''' are infamous for their ability to teleport enemies from the floor over to their position a few turns after the flag icon appears on their sprite. This is usually not that bad of a thing, as it's more meat to funnel through your undead creation machine. What you do not want is Mennas suddenly spawning in your face. For this reason, I like to Haunt/Borgnjor's Vile Clutch them with priority.

I suggest not entering Vaults:5. Not even a peek. There is a surprise party down there. You're not invited. Make your way to the Crypts instead.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Splats And Riches Incorporated™ goes where it pleases! Barge into those Vaults:5 goons' private space, that Shining Gem won't pick itself up. Let's do this. And don't go leaving now to get to the Pits beforehand, the "spoils of war" imply a war as a prerequisite!}}

===Squishy Interlude (Slime:5 & Ring/Amulet Selection)===

You might have reached (******) in Jiyva piety, or will soon. When that happens, Ctrl-G your way to Slime:5.

{{flavour|[[File:Jiyva altar.png]] Ecstatic wobbling resounds before all this juicy, delicious loot!}}

Yikes. Well, at least the artifacts will be spared. Try to collect as many useful items as possible, and, of course, the rune.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] And the GEM. If you're tight on turns, forget the loot, get back up to that Lair, NOW!!}}

Speaking of "useful items", your inventory is probably getting full. Here is how I choose my rings, depending on the "Egoes" they possess. These are called "Ego" in-game because they increase your hubris the more OP they are, thus making you splat out of recklessness. '''Bold = Good.'''

* If '''Wiz''' is causing your Death's Door to be more reliable, it's highly valuable.
* '''+X Int''' is never bad.
* '''Resistances''' aren't as useful now that we have a spell to take out Death itself on a nice Sunday movie night hangout. But they are still interesting to dial down oneshots and twoshots - rF+ in particular is pretty good, as this damage type is quite common, and we already have rC+ from our fur. Jiyva gives you rCorr for free.
* +X MP is decent. But Jiyva's mana regeneration is already almost infinite mana. You can do better.
* +X Dex gives EV. But not as much as a +5 EV ring. You have enough EV to go around already. Find better.
* Will+ is not very useful, because cats know nothing of self-doubt. Will-, however, is bad, as it re-introduces all those annoying hexing experiences other species have to deal with. Cancel it out with a Will+ if it's really worth it.
* All the "dangerous" properties like "Drain", "Corrode" can mostly be ignored. "Slow" is a little more dangerous, but acceptable if the bonuses are good. "Bane" is a risk/reward, refer to the [[#Kiku's Troll Carousel (Banes)|banes section]].

And here is how I choose my amulets. '''Bold = Good.'''

* '''RegenMP''' - more mana. More scarabs. More Death's Door. More fun.
* '''Acrobat''' is surprisingly great, as you spend a lot of turns just waiting and moving around. +15 EV is serious business, especially when it comes to surviving an expiring Death's Door.
* '''Reflection''', in a similar vein, blocks some attacks, and can even return some ranged ones to sender.
* '''Wildshape''' is only truly good if you are building your way to a Hive Talisman, Riddle Talisman, Granite Talisman or Dragon-coil Talisman. Don't bother otherwise.
* Alchemy is nice if you can chug a quick sip of Curing to get just enough mana to enter Death's Door. The above ones are better.
* Regeneration is interesting, because it has a lot of chances to tick while you move around your army. But I still think the above ones are better.
* Dissipation is very meh. It's better than nothing for sure, and you will appreciate it the few times it is relevant, but we need to also acknowledge the "rest of the time", which is most of the time you spend in the Dungeon, and we'd rather have RegenMP here.
* Faith is useless. Are you going around using Slimify on everything you see? No, you are not. Do better.
* <s>YASD</s> Guardian Spirit: "Oh no, my beloved feline friend! You took quite the hit there. Good thing I spread it to your mana bar to offset the damage! You now have 5 MP and 30 HP, instead of only 10 HP! What do you mean 'I needed that mana for Death's Door'? You don't need spells to protect yourself. You have me!"

===Emergency Facility Lockdown (Vaults:5)===

Do not come here if you just want to win. You will likely-

''Attention all personnel. A supernatural feline capable of binding souls at its beck and call and of entering invincibility on demand is heading to the maximum security Zone Five. Engage maximum defensive protocols.''

Oh, you already went in. Welp. If you had listened to me, you would have known that drinking Haste and Brilliance before going down is quite smart. You could also have:

* Read a Scroll of Teleportation, then immediately descended.
* Used a Vaults:4 escape hatch, if it spawned, instead of the normal stairs.

I'll stop using past tense and roleplaying, now, because it's getting annoying.

In the former case, you will be met with a horrible ambush screen. It won't last long before you are whisked away to a random location. Some possibilities:

* '''Close to the central death zone''': Troublesome, but at least you probably aren't getting attacked from all angles anymore. You'll want to retreat towards one of the linear hallways, using Anguish, Infestation and Death Channel to collect the ambush guards as your starting army. If things go wrong - which they might - you may have to Death's Door and read a new Teleport scroll.

* '''Close to the outer rim''': This is the best scenario. These hallways are mostly safe and have few enemies, which means more time to regenerate, moving slowly across, recruiting all creatures you come across to roll your growing snowball of undead.

* '''Straight into one of the infested loot vaults''': Rather terrible. You may even have to Death's Door very fast. I've never been oneshotted here, but the moment you are below 60% HP here, you are in kill range. You can try to make a stand and forge an army - especially if you have Haste/Brilliance buffs - but be ready to try a new Teleport scroll.

Once you have established your squad, the rest is much easier. Move across the level, replacing your slain or disappearing undead with fresh new servants. This is a good time to place those Infestation blasts left and right. Do not forget your primary objective: the Shining Gem and the Silver Rune, right on top of each other in one of the four rectangular corner loot vaults.

Once you have secured the gem and rune, immediately make your way to the centre and leave, never to return.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] If you have at least 600 turns remaining on the Vaults' Gem, you can go claim your slimy lootboxes in Slime:5 now. Otherwise, you'll have to clear the Crypts right away, only going to Slime after you have exited the Vaults, never to return!}}

=The Place Where They Invented The Whole Necromancy Thing (Crypts)=

Throughout this run, did you ever wish you could o-tab like the good old Minotaur Berserker days? Boy, do I have the thing for you. Do you have Dispel Undead? If it was available but not memorized yet, do so now. Get that thing on your (Q)uiver, most likely replacing Anguish for now (which isn't that good here).

Now, you can autoexplore with 'o', and blast all these useless corpses in melee range with 'p'. That's right. o-p. And it really is OP.

Animate Dead and Death Channel, however, are almost entirely useless. Infestation is not. It is time to show these rotting husks your entomological collection (and offer them the chance to join it).

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] You should only be here after completing Vaults:5! That Ivory Gem would look great on my Divine Sceptre of Golden Doom, so I especially don't want you to miss it. I suggest another high-speed protocol of going down on safe staircases as soon as possible, because Crypts:3 tends to be a whole ordeal of endless undead armies and tricks and traps designed to entertain those who have too much free time and no job to get done. Which is not you.}}

The spooky ride will begin with a vast assortment of varied undead: most are not dangerous in any way (in fact, the Crypt is pretty much a popcorn factory). However, this is only a trap to lead you to let down your guard when the following arrive to ruin your day:

* '''Revenants''' do many things, but one of them is a giga darkness damage 3x3 "ghostly fireball". Your squad should be resistant to it, but unless you have rN+, you are not. Preferably, don't have less than 2 allies standing between you and them, but you can always do the classic trick of walking up and blasting them with Dispel Undead, with a Death's Door thrown into the mix if needed.

* '''Curse Skulls''' are annoying pests which summon an army of undead and spam torment. That reminds me of a certain someone, isn't that right, Kiku? They think it is funny to hide behind their wall of summons, but you can reach over with Haunt or Borgnjor's Vile Clutch. Or, you know, walk up and blast them. That works too.

* '''Khufu and mummy friends''' have an entomological collection, just like you. They are eager to compare and share their secrets of the trade. Theirs even have emperor scorpions! These terrorize many characters, but you should be able to use their bandages as a scratching post, assuming you can get close enough to blast them with Dispel Undead, or can land your point-and-click Haunt/Borgnjor's Vile Clutch. Watch out, they pack a "death curse" - automatically unleashed when they perish. The only effect which can actually kill you is the semi-common small burst of darkness damage, so keep this in mind if you're dealing the finishing blow while you're almost dead and unprotected.

* '''Vampire bloodprinces''' have multiple extremely OP abilities, but one of them is TURNING YOUR ENTIRE SQUAD OF SCARABS AGAINST YOU! They also spew bat clouds everywhere which put you to sleep (despite the extreme fear you should be feeling right now). These are particularly annoying, because they reduce your Death's Door timer. The key here is to cut line-of-sight, ambush them with Death's Door active, and blast them with Dispel Undead before they even know what hit them. If your army is big enough, you can possibly do enough damage before they have time to get their brainwashing spell in. Treat them with the respect a member of their lineage deserves.

* '''Vv''' is a proud member of the developers' latest OC-do-not-steal species, the Stoneborn. For all her OP point-and-click spells, she didn't have the budget for See Invisible. Drink a Potion of Invisibility or Death's Door if you do not want to get obliterated in milliseconds.

* '''Grunn''' only knows how to move and melee attack, which is laughable. What isn't so funny are his canine companions, which are elite assassins from the dog monarchy sent to stop you. If they place their Howl debuff on you, I recommend a Potion of Cancellation, or else you'll quickly be facing lethal Tartarus endgame enemies that will likely force you to use Death's Door. Willpower is useful to resist this hex, so check the percentage chance, and possibly ring-swap to Will+.

* '''Mennas''' can also spawn here. He is not any easier. Leave him to his prayer beads if you want maximal chances to win - but if you are a Trog worshipper in real life, do what you must. I talked about strategies in the Vaults chapter already.

In Crypt:3, you will find a unique challenge level, with its traps and tricks - nothing too serious compared to what you have just traversed. There is also the entrance to the Tomb. It is the hardest branch in the entire game, filled with all kinds of mummies who will be very happy to bash your hubris into the ground with endless torment spam, then cackle as you respawn in the death trap between their walls only to die again and be met with “Welcome, Idiot. Please select your species.”

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] That is exactly why I order you to go in once you secured that Ivory Gem.}}

=Perfection Can Still Improve (Lategame Skills)=

At this point, you must be at level 24+ Necromancy, which means your Death's Door must be getting under 7% fail rate. Getting to the maximum of level 27 of Necromancy will title your character - for the rest of the run - a "Cat of Death", which is positively awesome. But what next?

Make your choice. Personally, I think that Maxwell's Capacitive Coupling is the option which will give you the highest chance of victory, but it might not be available (Ctrl-F if it's not in your spell library, perhaps it is in a shop somewhere!).

''Note: in all cases which involve more spells, you may have to train more Spellcasting to make room as well. 0.5 Spellcasting = 1 spell slot!''

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Pick anything you want. As long as it accelerates your transition from point A (your current, damp and mud-soaked location) to point B (you, prostrating before me, with all 11 gems deposited before my throne).}}

===More Oneshots (Maxwell's Capacitive Coupling)===

''Requirements: Maxwell's Capacitative Coupling and at least one Intelligence/Wizardry ring or amulet.''

This spell takes a long time to train for, but if you '''turn on nothing but Air Magic''' for the rest of the run, you'll definitely have it ready to power through the (normally difficult) Realm of Zot with almost zero challenge.

You started by fearing the oneshot. Then, you understood the oneshot with Death's Door. Now, it is time to BE the oneshot.

'''[[Maxwell's Capacitive Coupling]]''' (Level 8 Air Magic) literally does infinite damage that ignores all resistances. It will oneshot anything and everything, from a rat to Dispater, Lord of the Iron City of Dis. Unfortunately for your foes, they were not born as fluffy and quadrupedal as you are, and do not have any extra lives. Successfully casting this spell adds a Charge status effect on your sidebar - simply wait (. or s) a few turns, and the ''nearest'' foe will be expunged from reality. If more than one foe are tied in distance, a random one will be chosen.

Why this is broken with this build: it bypasses allies. That means you can simply erect a defensive wall of scarabs/spectres/zombies and bzzap all things trying to work their way through it, all the while Jiyva constantly replenishes your mana for another charge of your pocket defibrillator. Those Orbs of Fire will never see it coming. If you mix this with Death's Door, it becomes impossible that you will ever lose a 1v1 or even 1v3, considering you are invincible and are launching 99999999 true damage after just a couple of turns.

If you're not sure what to do while your army is fighting it out, just start unloading oneshots. Naturally, keep 9 mana for an emergency Death's Door, if in need.

===More Tentacles (Summonings)===

''Requirements: Summon Horrible Things, Sphinx Sisters or Malign Gateway''

Well, you started as a Summoner, so going back to the roots is certainly an option! '''This is extremely strong and will secure the win. Especially Malign Gateway.'''

Both those spells are perfectly achievable if you start training Summonings again, up to '''13 for Malign Gateway/Sphinx Sisters and 20 for Summon Horrible Things'''. You'll also need '''level 15 Translocations in the case of Malign Gateway, or 15 Hexes in the case of Sphinx Sisters'''. I suggest you focus-train Translocations/Hexes, because of the +4 aptitude.

'''[[Malign Gateway]]''' (Level 7 Summonings/Translocations) - You will require some open space (no casting in hallways). The Gateway will initially appear quite a distance away from you, so it is best used to initiate a battle, and not as emergency support. After a few turns, a very long tentacle will slowly protrude out, curious to prod at the world around it. Its little taps do immense damage, probably the highest out of any Summonings spell. There are extremely few creatures in the entire game who can 1v1 a Gateway, for these tentacles are more resistant to elemental damage than a tardigrade. The downside is that the tentacle remains tethered to its portal, and is quite slow - it is therefore good practice to distract a powerful enemy with lesser allies while squiggly doom slowly unrolls behind their back. You can also run towards it, and pass through it diagonally while being pursued by an angry horde. There is only one little twist - the tentacle can rarely become hostile to you once the spell ends. Not a huge deal, honestly, considering its tethered nature makes it very easy to escape should that happen. If you quiver this spell with "Q", you will be able to see on the sidebar when the spell has enough space to be casted (the text will be coloured). '''Maximum Summon Capacity: 1'''.

'''[[Summon Horrible Things]]''' (Level 8 Summonings) - THE meatshield spell. The damage on this is not especially splendid, though tentacled monstrosities can dish out interesting amounts of rib-crushing damage with their constriction ability. However, the real reason you cast this spell is to surround yourself in tanky units that will give you big warm hugs with their mucus-coated appendages. The summoning cap on this is 8, which is just enough to surround your frail and vulnerable body entirely. You may have to cast it twice to ensure you are fully protected, and recast it as the battle progresses once your cuddle-hole starts getting pierced by the barrage of conjurations and sword-slicing. It has a small chance of inflicting a little Doom on every cast, but it is quickly cleansed by accumulating a little bit of experience, and is mostly only for thematic effect... mostly. Try to avoid using eldritch horror summoning as your way of saying hello to every soul you encounter in the dungeons. Most Banes are not so bad, as we [[#Kiku's Troll Carousel (Banes)|discussed earlier]], but if you get Dilettante or Multiplicity at this stage of the game, you will not enjoy it. Say, do you know what is worse than an Orb of Fire? That's right, 4 Orbs of Fire! '''Maximum Summon Capacity: 8'''.

'''[[Sphinx Sisters]]''' (Level 7 Summonings/Hexes) - They have an endless array of hypnosis techniques and dastardly Hexes. But, at this point of the game, landing them on the creatures which actually matter will be a fool's errand. What we actually care about is the "airstrike melee", where the "marauder" variant of these fellow half-felid half-humanoids (hmph. They can get a pass!) will devastate the opposition as long as it is standing in a tile surrounded in empty space! They will still occasionally "vex" draconians with their terrible jokes, and make them attack everything around them, which is particularly welcome considering they are quite the social butterfly type.

===More Acrobatics (Translocations)===

''Requirements: Vhi's Electric Charge, Passage of Golubria, Dispersal, and/or Disjunction''

You'll need refinement and taste to appreciate this one. Get '''Translocations trained up to 2 times the highest level spell you wish to use'''. For example, Dispersal, level 6, would require 12 Translocations. Proper mastery of these abilities certainly won't result in more kills, but they might very well win you the game.

'''[[Vhi's Electric Charge]]''' (Level 4 Translocations/Air Magic) is known for its electrical attack, which is barely a tickle in your case. We do not care. What ''is'' important is that it blinks you with complete precision to any foe up to 4 spaces away, randomly repositioning anyone in the way to make space. This allows you to jump from foe-to-foe as if they were points to swing a grappling hook around! In Death's Door, you need not fear any of their attacks, and can move with utmost feline grace through the most packed of crowds.

'''[[Passage of Golubria]]''' (Level 4 Translocations) is a fantastic companion spell to Blink which places portals like a certain Valve video game. Simply choose a location to summon a portal nearby, with a 2 tile radius of error - the other one will appear nearby your position. Walking on top of one portal will immediately blink you to the next. You may find it highly useful when it comes to reaching a certain location on the screen quickly without having to use Scrolls of Blinking!

'''[[Dispersal]]''' (Level 6 Translocations) isn't hard to understand. It makes those close to you blink far away from you. It will test their Willpower - those who resist the enchantment will only hop a short distance, but those who do not might get pulled screaming across the entire level dozens of tiles away. This could very well change everything in Zot:5 when it's time to grab that well defended Orb!

'''[[Gell's Gavotte]]''' (Level 6 Translocations) is a bit annoying, because it hits your allies. However, at the end of the day, it's a reusable dash that also deals tons of damage to the entire screen. You can rotate the direction to highlight in yellow which enemies will strike a wall and be damaged, but most of the time, with this build, I prefer its defensive uses. Use the Force! Or, sans undertale. Whatever lame reference you want to imagine when you are waving the Klowns around with your little claw.

'''[[Disjunction]]''' (Level 8 Translocations) is extremely similar to Dispersal. The difference - it always does the weak effect, but constantly does it every turn, for at least 6 turns. Having this and Death's Door on at the same time is hilarious - you can just start casually walking at any point on the screen and absolutely nothing will be able to stop or block you. You can pop a potion of Haste and walk through the Zot:5 death trap chambers like you own the place.

===More Brainwashing (Discord + Hexes)===

''Requirements: Discord.''

'''WARNING:''' Onei will not be held responsible for any splats ensuing use of this technology. By proceeding, you acknowledge that using this spell is just as effective as it is dangerous.

'''[[Discord]]''' (Level 8 Hexes) is, like Anguish, a mass-hex. This time, however, if Willpower is beaten, the affected will be given Might-Haste. That’s +50% action speed and +50% melee damage all in one.

Not so promising, now is it? Where it gets fun: the affected will also now be attacking the creature closest to them regardless of their old faction.

Where this gets hilarious is that THIS ALSO AFFECTS ALLIES (but not spectres and zombies). How much damage does a Might-Hasted Phantasmal Warrior do per turn, you may wonder? Around up to 87 PER TURN.

Haunt + Discord is a particularly insane combo, as the moment they spawn in, they are already very close to the target you wish to annihilate. Once their business is done and they turn against you, they will evaporate out of reality before they can land a single hit. I have slain Cerebov using nothing but this synergy.

Obviously, do not cast this when your Death Scarabs are not currently in combat and are next to you, you will get POPPED. However, if even a couple of scarabs/Haunt summons are currently attacking some Orb of Fire or any highly dangerous foe, expect it to disappear from your screen. Are you being assaulted by your former allies? Death’s Door, Dispel Undead. The frenzy status will expire after a few turns anyhow.

Finally, you may also enjoy the ACTUAL intended purpose of the spell, which is causing mayhem among hordes of enemies. Those draconians in Zot become quite fearsome when unleashing light speed kung fu on all those disgustingly OP Protean Progenitors and the like...

Discord violates the golden rule of ally-fighting and can get kills out of line of sight. You can have your squad engage, drop Discord and immediately leave. Enjoy the waterfall of experience. Dispersal can teleport the might hasted scarabs across the map and literally obliterate uniques without you ever seeing them (this is not really reliable, it's just really funny).

If you are scared of this spell backfiring, consider [[Yara's Violent Unravelling]] (Level 5 Alchemy/Hexes), which will remove the frenzy status effects on the draconian monks rushing to annihilate you.

Discord is quite easy to get online with your +4 Hexes aptitude. With the leftover experience, if you wish to go all in on Hexes, you can do one of the following:

- Get more Spellcasting (and therefore spell slots), and get the Summonings/Hexes spell '''Sphinx Sisters'''. It is explained [[#More Tentacles (Summonings)|right here]].
- With a Riddle Talisman, train Shapeshifting to level 17 (Painful! An amulet of Wildshape helps a lot here.) and enter Sphinx Form. This will increase the Hex chance of Discord and Anguish, make both of these into devastating psychic powerhouses for even late game foes. You can even get other Hexes, such as the normally pitiful level 3 Tukima's Dance, and make draconians/Killer Klowns lose their OP weapons. You can enter Sphinx Form a little earlier than level 17 Shapeshifting due to its HP bonus cancelling out the HP penalty - inspect the Riddle Talisman to monitor your progress.

===More O + TAB (Dragoncoil Talisman)===

What's that? You lust to return to your Minotaur Berserker days? I'll keep this section short, since you clearly don't have the attention span required to read much more of this nonsensically long guide.

Dragon-coil talisman. (Ctrl-F for it, you may have missed it!) Level 17 Shapeshifting. (You can transform at level 14 due to the big HP bonus). After that, Level 20 Unarmed Combat. O + TAB. You are now a Felid "meleedude" with fat stacks of resistances, and you still have your Death's Door. Enjoy.

Don't forget to use your breath weapon in the "a" menu (it is very strong against anything, but you can only use it every 12 kills or so) and to use at least SOME of your magical background, such as Infestation or Rimeblight. And Death's Door, of course. But you won't forget about that one.

The Granite talisman is an option too, of course, but I personally do not like it with this build. Why? Permanent slowness = -33% Death's Door duration. Remember, acolyte: AC is an illusion.

=I Thought Cats Were Sacred In Egypt (Tomb)=

'''WARNING''': This place has a high chance of murdering you. I know it has been like that the entire game, but especially this place. You will get nothing out of it beyond glory and pride. Skip to the next chapter if you prefer to maximize your chances of actually winning the run. I will say that the first floor (Tomb:1) is pretty much on the same difficulty level as the Crypts, so you can certainly clear it if, say, you want a little more XP to get an extra life back.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] "Waaa, danger, danger, die die death splat oneshotted OP OP die!" Am I imitating Onei correctly? Yeah, don't listen to that fool, get in that Tomb and bring me that Sanguine Gem! It will be fine. Most likely.}}

Preparations? Dispel Undead is a huge help, if you do not have it already. If it is not available, Borgnjor's Vile Clutch and a bunch of Immolation Scrolls can suffice. If you get sent to the Entomological Museum (Tomb:1 Secret) due to bad luck, Vhi's Electric Charge can help a lot.

You'll also want a Scroll of Revelation. And as many Scrolls of Teleportation as you can get. And if you ever get netted in this place, you'll probably want to use the basic Blink spell.

===Too Bad Cats Can't Wear Hats And Wield A Whip (Tomb:1)===

The beginning is extremely easy. Reach the entrance of the temple - walk vertically, then horizontally. You'll know you found the entrance when you see a herd of Sphinxes, while should perish extremely easily to the horde you will have accumulated when you get there. Indeed, the side alleys are full of popcorn, but it is CRITICAL that you spam Infestation on everything you see so that you don't arrive empty-pawed when the real threats start pouring out.

I suggest recruiting the Sphinxes for good measure with Animate Dead and Death Channel.

Rush inside the temple and annihilate all mummies on sight with your huge army. They'll never see it coming. Unfortunately, they will constantly pelt you with "death curses" every time one of the dangerous ones perishes, which is bound to cut away at your HP. If you're getting low, take a few steps back, let Jiyva pump some juice back in your veins, and return to the fray. Your Death's Door button is accessible in case of an emergency.

I will address the users of a Hive talisman here, who probably have stayed with Kikubaaqudgha: this is the only place in the game where your curse resistance passive is actually relevant. This branch will be MUCH easier with it. I will continue writing assuming you are with Jiyva, and therefore, not experiencing Tomb on tutorial mode.

You'll want to locate the downstairs inside the temple as soon as possible, located in one of the spiral shaped hallways. I suggest drinking a Potion of Haste and reading a Scroll of Teleportation before going down. I know it's never a good sign when I say this.

===Surprise Torment Tea Party (Tomb:2)===

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Wow. That's, uh, a lot of mummies.}}

Welcome to Vaults:5 redux. Just like last time, we have little incentive for pleasantries. Read a Scroll of Revelation. Inspect your surroundings: there is an upstairs nearby, leading back to Tomb:1's temple.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Ha. Designed for safety, escape and retreat. No time for such things.}}

Indeed. Now, read a Scroll of Noise to pull all the mummies to the centre (NOT if the Teleport somehow already triggered). The Teleport should kick off at any instant now, leading you to:

* '''Somewhere in the main central ambush chamber''': Yikes. At least it's no longer in that death trap centre. My suggestion: if you see a door nearby, try to make your way to it to no longer be out in the open. The side chambers contain some goons, but it's a good start to build your Infestation army in a relatively safe location. If there is no door, consider another Teleport, or if there are some packed Death Scarabs or weak mummies, try to start your Infestation army there with Dispel Undead/Anguish/Vile Clutch/Haunt/All of the above.

* '''In one of the outer rim chambers THAT HAS A DOOR TO CONNECT TO THE MAIN ROOM''': Not bad. Dispose of the goons there after Infesting them, and build your army.

* '''In one of the outer rim chambers WITH NO CONNECTION TO THE MAIN ROOM''': This is ideal. We just saved a ton of time. Unfortunately, there are probably some very angry mummies here. Make your last stand, use your consumables - you should do anything to survive, for this is a highly lucky Teleport, and dying will probably pluck you out of it as you respawn. If you can secure the perimeter and reveal the two down-hatches to Tomb:3, proceed to the Grand Pharaoh Showdown below.

Keep your paw on Death's Door if the royal mummies' collection of Smite and Torment drags you into kill range (one Smite can deal up to 17 damage. We can't afford to get over-protective, but if adding the number of royal mummies and mummy priests on screen and multiplying that by 5 is bigger than your current HP, it's time to slam that Death's Door!)

After your army has consumed Tomb:2, you have some options. Each Teleport scroll is a gamble that could bring you to the previously mentioned unconnected outer rim. This would save a ton of time, and also skip the most dangerous part of Tomb for this build. But I would not use every single one if I were you. You'll want to keep some for the next levels!

If you succeed, clear the outer rim chambers (re-read the relevant bullet point), and proceed to the Grand Pharaoh Showdown.

If you're done gambling and haven't succeeded, it's time for...

===The Entomological Museum (Tomb:1 Secret)===

Use the upstairs located in the connected outer rim chamber. NOT the one in the main chamber, which leads to the very start - a huge waste of time.

You'll arrive in a narrow corridor. If you're unlucky, there's probably tons of OP mummies already pwning your health bar.

It's not that complicated. Death's Door. If there's only one or two mummies, walk up and blast them with Dispel Undead in utter disrespect of their dozens of unlived centuries. Don't have it? Haunt and Vile Clutch together get the work done. Maybe you can even sneak in an Infestation in there to get a scarab friend to assist your next encounter.

Is the entomological collection getting unloaded without you ever asking? These Egyptian tourist trap tour guides sure are getting insistent. Give them a piece of your mind with Vhi's Electric Charge, if you have it, which will instantly pull you into melee range of them. The simple Blink spell can also, with some luck, reposition you on the other side of the corridor. If the collection is made up of Scarabs, you can Dispel-blast them as well.

Tons of critters? Tons of mummies? Tons of red squares? Immolation scroll. Get one thing to die and cover the whole place in flames. Try to ensure all of these creepy-crawlies and their masters drown in holy fire before your Death's Door expires.

Desperate? In melee range but these mummies are just refusing to die? Slimify. Jiyva won't like it if you take every single one out using this ability, but it's absolutely worth it 1-3 times.

Make your way to the end of the corridor, not hesitating to rest a little bit between each encounter. This will take time, but it is a good investment of your time. Dying here is terrible, as it means you'll have to go to Tomb:2, then back to Tomb:1's secret room... Getting the Sanguine Gem is still possible if you die once (or need to use a Teleportation scroll).

After you take the new downstairs, you'll find yourself in that disconnected outer rim we were trying so hard to reach with Teleport scrolls.

===Grand Pharaoh Showdown (Tomb:3)===

Before descending, Haste and Brilliance, if available.

Having around 600 turns left here should be comfortable enough. If there's less, you'll have to hurry.

You'll instantly get dropped into a mildly claustrophobic hallway of relatively safe appearance. Do not be fooled. THE MUMMIES ARE COMING.

The first arrivals will no doubt be an entire plague of scarabs. These are a glorious sight, because if we can decimate them, we'll get an awesome army with Infestation.

A death scarab bursts from the death scarab!

Meta. Anyhow, they are extremely weak to Anguish, so casting that once there are a lot on the screen (and a few have been popped through any means of your choice - Dispel Undead is excellent) will prove useful.

For a time, you should get an awesome army pwning everything. It's only a matter of time until some pricks come in to ruin the fun. Once you are forced to Death's Door, your next priority should be making your way to the doors on the side, which lead to treasure chambers - and, more importantly, an upstairs.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] What? Safety? Retreat? But what about the GEM?}}

Don't worry, this one doesn't lead very far. You can absolutely afford to rest to full health back in the safety of Tomb:2's outer rim, unless you wasted time in the upper levels. Once you descend again, the horde will have been thinned down significantly, and each subsequent attempt will be easier. When things seem manageable enough, make your way to the back of Tomb:3, where you'll find the Sanguine Gem and the Golden Rune!

Got at least 200 turns? You can check a bit of the loot out. The most important thing here is the '''Ziggurat Figurine'''. E(V)oking it will instantly place a portal to a pocket dimension at our paws. This is astounding, for it is effectively a free Death's Door reset. Creatures won't even pursue you through it. You'll find one or two hostile critters in the pocket dimension, but they are most often easily disposed of, or, at the very least, far enough to afford you a Death's Door recast. It is a one-time-use. Make it count. And EXIT through the blue portal after using it, do NOT start going down multiple levels of Zig where your inevitable doom and descent into madness awaits.

=Blizzards and Brimstone (Depths)=

Before proceeding any further, pay your respects to the many Felids which have died in this place. Everywhere you move, everywhere you breathe, it's either "dodge and nothing happens" or "a third of your HP bar is gone". It's a tough world for the 3 AC kitties out there. One could wish they were as fortunate as you to have a miracle button to turn the tide in the most crucial of moments.

By the way, if you don't have at minimum 15 casts of Death's Door by the end of this run, you '''aren't pressing it hard enough'''. Haven't been using it much? Don't worry, this place will change that.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] The time limit in this place is one of the most generous, unlike the absolute caffeine-powered mummy fiesta I just had you traverse. This is still no time to try me and present the slightest possibility you may break one of MY precious gems. Explore no more than half of each floor, and collect that Midnight Gem on Depths:4, on top of the Zot gate!}}

* '''Fire and Frost giants''' can easily be found in close proximity to one another, quickly pushing you from one end of the temperature spectrum to the other. As you didn't consent to being brought to a nordic spa today, resisting the right element will help tremendously.

* '''Deep troll earth mages''' have the "remote wall detonation" point-and-click ability you were amused by back in the Elven Halls. Do not stand next to walls. They can even dig shafts through the aforementioned walls to reach you faster. They will not hesitate to Minecraft you to death.

* '''Juggernauts''' can only o-tab, but will likely oneshot you the moment their mass collides with your minuscule furry body. Make them plow through some undead to keep your distance.

* '''Golden dragons''' and '''Spriggan air mages''' and '''Spriggan berserkers''' and '''Sojobo''' and '''Tengu reavers''' and '''Crystal tomes''' and '''Liches''' and '''Titans''' and '''Caustic shrikes''' and '''Josephina''' and '''Spark wasps''' can-

Look, it's not that complicated. They just do 4 gazillion damage through their own ways - sometimes melee, sometimes point-and-click, sometimes in ranged piercing bolt form. At this point, we don't really care anymore. Trust me when I say I have '''never once been oneshotted in Depths'''. Twoshotted, perhaps. A juggernaut can oneshot, but they are easy to keep away if you use your spells. At any point you have less than 50% HP and the screen looks scary, just pop your Death's Door and unload the heavy artillery. Read a scroll of Teleportation, use stairs or Passwall if you feel uncomfortable. Standing at the edge of survival and oblivion is what this build is all about.

The worst of these are still just as dangerous in undead servant form, so assembling any kind of spectral/zombie army will mow down most things here with ease. You pretty much just need to sit back, keep the Infestation and Death Channel coming, Haunting the unruly ones laughing in the back, and potentially Vile Clutching the angry melee o-tabbers rushing to your location.

You were never the fighter in any of this. You are the manager.

You don't need me to tell you that gates named "Hell", "Abyss" or "Pandemonium" do not lead to good places to be in. I imagine the names were enough of a deterrent on their own.

'''About the Ziggurat:''' If you are currently not level 27 yet and you are lacking in the 'Extra Lives' department, consider taking a peek. Should you succeed in clearing the first 8 floors (do NOT go further down, you absolute gambling addict), you may get a potion of Experience or two, which count towards restoring your lives if you are below level 27!

=Worst Disco Ever (Realm of Zot)=

I mean. You have invincibility on demand. Practically infinite mana. Point-and-click abilities with irresistible debuffs. Surely there can't be any challenge left at this point.

Ha. You wish.

First, consider the Orb type (it is listed in the Ctrl+O menu).

- '''Orbs of Fire:''' rF+ is highly valuable here. Consider equipping it. Break line of sight with your numerous allies (mostly Haunt) to avoid growing horrible genetic diseases. These are the worse ones to face in my opinion.
- '''Orbs of Winter:''' You should already have your rC+ from your fuzzy cuteness, but you can improve it a little more if it doesn't destroy your wizardly prowess. Their Ozocubu's Refrigeration deals less damage if you are adjacent to allies. The key here is to avoid standing 3 spaces away or less from an Orb of Winter, which can slowly drain the piety of your current god. It's not so bad than most characters, but if you go below 5* of Jiyva piety, you will lose half of your regeneration bonus (it is thankfully quickly regained). Those who stayed with Kikubaaqudgha can appreciate knowing they will lose almost nothing from this, except their Torment protection.
- '''Orbs of Entropy:''' You will probably want rN+, but Jiyva shields you from their scariest acidic attacks (those who stayed with Kikubaaqudgha are not so fortunate). Just like the Orbs of Fire, a clear line of fire will allow them to inflict Doom on you, which can be accepted a few times. Even if you let it exceed the threshold, you will most likely be fine... unless you land on a brutal Multiplicity Bane that starts duplicating the Orbs of Entropy and giving you every other Bane in the game. Be cautious.

This is your '''final boss battle'''. It will prove highly difficult. Remember: '''you win by getting that Orb and bringing it back''', NOT by murdering everything you see. You will find killing things difficult, for they have tons of resistances and tricks against your toolkit. What they don't have, however, is a way to break through your literal immortality button. Not even purple draconian breath (which usually removes all status effects) can disable it.

You can simply ignore these ruffians. Let them sit and sulk in their little fortress of doom. You want to attack those separating you from the stairwells, NOT the random, unimportant gangs prowling about the outskirts of each floor. In an emergency, little stops you from entering Death's Door and simply walking to a staircase to use it while getting blasted by 100+ damage per turn from Orbs of fire and Draconians desperate for your attention. Even the dreaded Malmutate has a hard time piercing through the wall of Jiyva mutations.

Allow me to make some suggestions to refine your spell loadout.

Can be forgotten with Scrolls of Amnesia (only if you need slots):

* '''Anguish''' is dropping in usefulness. It curses draconians reliably, but that's about it. You can probably do better.
* '''Animate Dead''' is decent when used on draconians and orb guardians. But you could just make scarabs instead with Infestation. It's chaff at this point.
* '''Any Summonings spell of level 5 or less''' barely does anything at this point. Take the trash out. Summon Forest is still kind of okay, I guess.

You should prioritize getting the spells [[#Perfection Can Still Improve (Lategame Skills)|in the chapter "Perfection Can Still Improve"]]. If you have slots left, here are some spell
ideas to top off your pilgrimage:

* '''Passwall''', if you haven't gotten it already, allows you to simply escape through the wall while your Death's Door immortality crushes any hope of stopping you.
* '''Apportation''', taking only one measly spell slot, can yoink floor items to your position. In this particular situation, you may be interested in pulling the Orb of Zot to your location, instead of having to drag yourself to it through a horde of angry orb guardians. Note that there is a 33% chance this will fail (simply recast the spell).
{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Not to mention it will get that Prismatic Gem into your paws without you having to move a muscle.}}
* '''Borgnjor's Revivification''', normally mediocre on Felids, refills ''your entire health bar'' but permanently reduces its maximum capacity. We care little about petty things like "health" anymore. This can be extremely useful to survive until Death's Door goes off cooldown - but watch out! Casting this spell while Death's Door is active is basically "an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object" and will dispel Death's Door immediately, paralyzing you on top for 2-7 turns. This can still be useful if you are strategic about it.

Let's go. At this point, Gems or no Gems, there is absolutely no reason to full clear, go sightseeing or anything of the sort. This place drips pure YASD and developer sadism from every wall. Whenever you find a normal (non-hatch) staircase, you should consider using it right after clearing the foes around it. Use all your remaining Scrolls of Revelation to help locate your destinations.

Just like Depths, everything here just does fat damage and will have you reach for the Death's Door button. What you should actually be worried about are the weavers of more subtle schemes:

* Not a creature, but Scrolls of Teleportation will take a very long time (8-14 turns) to finally work here. Still, it's less time than a whole Death's Door, a piece of information which should be of particular interest to you.
* Scrolls of blinking also come with a "fuzz" effect that makes their target have a margin of error. To be noted in case you were being deceived by a false sense of security.
* '''Curse toes''' (?) have the ability to summon living mushrooms around you (??) which deal point-and-click damage in addition to the torment oozing every so often from the curse toe (???). Don't try to understand, just walk up and blast them with Dispel Undead.
* '''Death cobs''' (????) are very hard to differentiate from your death scarabs, in that they move fast, apply a slow debuff on hit and deal big damage, and even share one word in their name. Delete these cheap reskins with more Dispel Undead.
* '''Purple draconians''' & '''Quicksilver dragons''' (finally, some common sense) can remove all status effects should their breath strike you. All, truly? Ha! Nothing can pierce through immortality itself. While Death's Door is immune, losing your Death Channel and having all your spectres instantly disappear is something you should be expecting. You might also lose the Tele status from an in-progress teleportation scroll.
* '''Orbs of fire/winter/entropy'''. You know these guys. The appropriate resistance will help prevent a oneshot, but simply Death's Door the moment you are below 50% HP and one is in sight with not too much backup. Don't even bother trying to survive the normal way, we have no time to bend around developer sadism incarnate. Maxwell's Capacitive Coupling, Malign Gateway or Haunt + Discord are the ultimate answers to these ones.
* '''Killer Klowns''' are over-complicated with their wildly unpredictable effects - and this is coming from me, who has written a 30k word guide filled with unnecessary information. If you want to read their page on this wiki, it's [[Killer Klown|right here]]. The Silence and the Fragile debuffs are to fear most, for they block off your only salvation in this place - Death's Door (either through preventing you from casting spells or making you get oneshotted before you can actually use it). A Potion of cancellation should assist you in removing such effects. No, it won't cancel Death's Door. It's an immovable object.

In Zot:5, you'll find the entire troupe of this carnival of doom, nicely packed inside the "Zot lungs". They are horribly infected with blazing fire and pure evil. Time to do a surgical extraction.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] The Primastic Gem is in the first accessible chamber, NOT on top of the Orb! The writer of this guide learned that the hard way. Now THAT was hilarious.}}

You can try to slowly make your way across. You should actually be happy about the Orb Guardians in the first chamber, because they will be easily deleted by your assortment of spells and will generate a potent starting army. Direct it inside the next chamber to the left or right (choose the one with the least nasty traps, also known as ANYTHING BUT NETS and hopefully not dispersal. Even Zot traps are better. Teleport traps are actually a positive.)

Make your way across: Infestation, Haunt, any endgame spells you may have acquired. Take it slow, retreat and funnel through the chamber chokepoints if they are not trapped. Don't tarry too long, as the Tesseracts are slowly respawning the forces as you are taking them out, but you should eventually be able to reach them and destroy them. They are located behind the central horizontal wall of the lungs, which spans both sides of the chambers.

* If you have Malign Gateway, try to lure creatures towards the first chamber - and into the loving embrace of the tentacle you have conveniently parked there.
* If you have Maxwell's Capacitive Coupling, constantly unload electrical discharges from behind your wall of servitors.

Hopelessly outmatched? Had to pop Death's Door? Consider your situation:

By default, you'll probably want to read a scroll of Teleportation (it will take much longer to kick in than usual, but it will still be shorter than Death's Door) and start moving towards a Teleport Trap on the floor. If it moves you to a safe location, '''cancel''' your Tele status by reading ''another'' scroll of Teleportation. This is designed to ensure you have multiple chances to get to safety. If the Trap sends you back into a No-Cat's-Land, find a new Trap, or let the scroll kick in. Watch out for purple draconians/quicksilver dragons, which can remove your Tele status.

Have you managed to get some distance away from the first chamber, towards the Orb, and still have at least one extra life? It might be time to risk it all. Use your Translocations spells, use your Blinking Scrolls. Use your Haste potions, use ANYTHING to GET THAT ORB. Apportation will reduce the distance you must travel to an even greater degree. I am also thoroughly amused by Vhi's Electric Charge for letting you hop from OP dude to OP dude, making the most out of your Death's Door turns. If you looted the Tomb earlier and still have a figurine of a Ziggurat, NOW IS THE TIME TO USE IT. Well, once your Death's Door is going gray and you need to refresh it. Nothing will follow you inside!

This isn't as hard as it seems. Death's Door, especially Hasted, is plenty of time to seize that Orb without spilling blood. Except perhaps your own.

You don't have to do it this way, though. Adjust your strategy towards fight or flight depending on the severity of the threats inside the Zot Lungs.

Once that Orb is secured...

=Interdimensional SWAT Team (Orb Run)=

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Ha. Ha ha. Hilarious, truly. I still have hope for your imminent demise. I mean, that Onei guy you've been following the advice of literally lost one of his FeSu attempts at this very moment. Point and laugh. Not too much, because I'm about to do the same to you when you splat.}}

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Positively splendid! Your final task is to bring these gems to me, NOW! If you left the Starry Gem in the Slime Pits, now is the time! All that matters is your survival. Failing that will result in a disciplinary mention placed in your employee file, followed by you being devoured and digested by whichever horrible demon got to sink its claws into your scruff.}}

{{flavour|[[File:Jiyva altar.png]] A chorus of breathless jiggling and squishes envelops you from all cardinal directions, supporting your imminent victory with the long vanished voices of the dissolved and the slimified.}}

The Lords of Pandemonium are not amused!

All of Heaven and Hell are currently mobilizing their troops to arrive at your location. It is time to LEAVE. From Zot:5, walk or blink into the nearest Teleport trap for an instant warp which will no doubt be closer to your destination: the upstairs.

To auto-calculate the shortest path, you can press Ctrl-G, and write “D0”. This will automatically bring you towards victory, stopping you as soon as a threat appears.

Fighting is foolish. Make a run for the stairs, with zero regards for your consumables. Use them ALL. Use potions of haste on an empty floor just because you like the taste. Blink-scroll to a staircase at full health if something weird just spawned next to you.

Every single time a Pandemonium Lord appears, inspect them; some are utter pushovers, and some are terrifying angels of death with rocket-boots and a burning desire to squash your hopes as they are about to be materialized. In my personal opinion, the ones that don’t have any spells in their set are always the worst. I fear a lot less the demon who has mastered Bolt of Cold than that which has mastered Fist in Your Face. Rarely, a Pandemonium Lord may have Glaciate, in which case you should be very, very scared. Escape out of their sight imminently, or get as much rC+ as you can (potions of Resistance help) if that is impossible. Being hit by Glaciate once means you must immediately Death's Door. I have thankfully never been oneshotted by a Lord (but it is mathematically possible).

Exploit your wand of Digging or Passwall, if you have them, to speed things up.

Eventually, the outside world will finally return to your sight. Feel free to inject all possible potions and toxins you possess into your bloodstream, or try to stack as many status effects as possible before leaving, as is tradition. You did it! Do not forget to try cleansing your bad mutations as you ascend, as it would a shame to be an immortal demigod-cat with a few extra limbs and a cancerous tumour.

{{flavour|[[File:Jiyva altar.png]] Jiyva gurgles gently, savouring the serenity past the chaos.}}

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Wow. You actually just took my spells, ignored everything else I provided you, and proceeded to win the game using my stolen gifts. My "Evil God" title should arrive to you in the mail any second now.}}

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Not bad. Not bad at all, esteemed feline employee! A role in middle management seems perfect for you. While I sort out the paperwork, feel free to type "!gemmed" in the spectator chat of an online DCSS game with a bot spectator (beem) or in the #bot-commands channel of the Roguelikes Discord server to see your name mixed alongside my finest subordinates. Assuming you did the job right and brought all 11 gems intact, that is.}}

When you start your next game, die to a 3-floor shaft into a hornet, be demolished with zero counterplay, and go do something more productive than putting .pngs on a grid close to each other until one of them disappears.

If you'd like to send me a message (for example, to blame me for making your promising level 14 character get 2 shotted 3 times in a row in Slime:2), do not hesitate to contact "oneirical" on both Reddit and Discord.

=Addendum: From Lackey to Supervillain (Character Building)=

For convenience, I will gather all skilling targets and the spell memorization order in this section. Feel free to return here as you need for quick reference!

===Velvet-Pawed Pilgrimage (Branch Order)===

* Clear each floor of the '''Dungeon''' until you find an altar to Kikubaaqudgha. Do not go further down than D:12!
* Then, immediately enter the '''Lair''', on D:8-D:11.
* After Lair:5, enter the '''Orcish Mines''' and clear both floors. Once again, do not clear any levels further down than D:12! You can skip the Mines for now if you already have Forbidden Knowledge (******), coming back after the Slime Pits raid.
* At this point, you should have acquired the final Kiku Forbidden Knowledge gift. If not, start clearing the first S-Branch until it is secured.
* If you have Animate Dead and/or Death Channel, go raid the '''Slime Pits'''. If not, start clearing the first S-Branch until Infestation is castable, then go to the Pits.
* After raiding the Pits, choose to either convert to Jiyva and go clear '''Dungeon 12 to 15''' to rank up Jiyva and start your progress towards mollifying Kiku, or keep your Hive talisman close while you slay the Royal Jelly and Jiyva for good.
* Clear both '''S-Branches'''. Grab the Slimy Rune from the Pits afterwards, if you have not already done so.
* Optionally clear the '''Elven Halls''', then go beat the '''Vaults:1-4'''. Avoid Vaults:5.
* Optionally clear the '''Crypts'''.
* Clear the '''Depths'''.
* Dive down the '''Realm of Zot''', get that Orb, return to Dungeon:1, and win the game!

===Your Propaganda Arsenal (Spells)===

Throughout this run, you will be encouraged to memorize, in this order, and approximately at these points of the game:

(Note: the "LV" numbers are how many spell slots you need for each spell, not your XP level. As for the locations on the right, you should be able to cast these spells somewhere around reaching these places.)

* LV 1 - '''Summon Small Mammal''' (D:1)
* LV 2 - Call Imp (optional - Necromancy is very tight on spell slots and Scrolls of Amnesia are precious, but this spell helps prevent early splats) (D:1)
* LV 3 - '''Call Canine Familiar''' (D:2)
* LV 3 - '''Eringya's Surprising Crocodile''' (D:2-D:4)
* LV 4 - '''Summon Seismosaurus Egg''' (D:4-D:7)
* LV 4 - '''Anguish''' (D:6-Lair:2) ''(Not guaranteed!)''
* LV 4 - '''Animate Dead''' (D:5-Lair:2) ''(Not guaranteed!)''
* LV 6 - '''Death Channel''' (Lair:3-Orc:2) ''(Not guaranteed!)''
* LV 7 - '''Haunt''' (Orc:2-Slime Pits Raid)
* LV 8 - '''Infestation''' (Slime Pits Raid-First SBranch:3)
* LV 9 - '''Death's Door''' (Second SBranch:2-Elf:2)

As marked on the list by "Not guaranteed!", Kiku's delivery service can be a little bit... lacking at times.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Running a forbidden knowledge book printing business isn't easy. I'd like to see '''you''' explain to your publisher why blood sacrifices are essential to have in "Fun Necromantic Activities for Children"!}}

Also useful, at any point, sorted from most to least useful:

* LV 2 - '''Blink'''
* LV 7 - '''Rimeblight'''
* LV 4 - '''Dispel Undead'''
* LV 5 - '''Borgnjor's Vile Clutch'''
* LV 3 - '''Passwall''' ''(Mostly meant as a companion to Death's Door.)''
* LV 4 - '''Martyr's Knell'''

The Wildeness Trinity, as replacement for missing core necromantic spells:

* LV 5 - '''Summon Mana Viper'''
* LV 5 - '''Summon Forest'''
* LV 6 - '''Summon Cactus Giant'''

Endgame spells, in no particular order, to raid the Realm of Zot:

* LV 7 - '''Malign Gateway'''
* LV 7 - '''Sphinx Sisters'''
* LV 8 - '''Summon Horrible Things'''
* LV 8 - '''Maxwell's Capacitive Coupling'''
* LV 8 - '''Discord'''
* LV 4 - '''Passage of Golubria'''
* LV 4 - '''Vhi's Electric Charge'''
* LV 6 - '''Dispersal'''
* LV 8 - '''Disjunction'''
* LV 6 - '''Gell's Gavotte'''
* LV 1 - '''Apportation'''
* LV 8 - '''Borgnjor's Revivification'''

Check your "M"emorization screen every so often. Ctrl-F to see if you missed any books in shops or in rune door vaults. Whenever you have the spell slots required to memorize the next spell, do so immediately and, if it has an entry in the section below, adjust your skills appropriately.

Skip to the next entry on the list if you are incapable of finding a spell anywhere in your game. As soon as you find a missing spell, however, you should add it to your repertoire as soon as possible to catch up. I strongly encourage you to cast every single one of these fantastic incantations at least once in your game!

===Studying the Dark Arts (Skills & Training Targets)===

As soon as you '''start your run''', train these skills and set them to these targets, with the "=" button:

* '''Spellcasting: 11'''
* '''Summonings: 11'''
* '''Turn off Stealth and Dodging.'''

Upon finding an interesting wand or evokable:

* '''Evocations: 5'''

After '''Summon Seismosaurus Egg''' has been memorized, complement it with this:

* '''Earth Magic: 5 (focused)'''

Once your entire starting kit of spells is castable, start learning how to die less:

* '''Fighting: 10'''
* '''Dodging: 12'''
* '''Stealth: 10'''

'''(OPTIONAL)''' - '''Blink''' will never not be useful, and can come along at any point in your run:

* '''Translocations: 5'''

If you find '''Animate Dead''', your necromantic journey can truly begin.

* '''Necromancy: 27'''

Upon getting either '''Death Channel''' or '''Anguish''', power yourself up like so:

* '''Necromancy: 27''' (if you have not already done so)
* '''Hexes: 8''' (only if '''Anguish''' has appeared in your game)

If you fail to obtain one of the crucial Kiku spells, a member of the Wilderness Trinity can certainly come along as a replacement:

* '''Summon Forest''' (Translocations 8, Summonings 11)
* '''Summon Cactus Giant''' (Summonings 14)
* '''Summon Mana Viper''' (Hexes 8, Summonings 11)

Want Borgnjor's Vile Clutch? You'll need some more Earth Magic:

* '''Earth Magic: 7'''

As for Rimeblight, you'll need to study some pages on snowflake fractal theory:

* '''Ice Magic: 9'''

Forget Call Canine Familiar, Summon Seismosaurus Egg, Call Imp and Summon Small Mammal (in that order) if you need spell slots for '''Haunt'''.

If you want to use a Hive Talisman:

* '''Shapeshifting: 17''' (You can start transforming when it reaches 15)
* Disable '''Necromancy''' until your Shapeshifting objective is achieved. You should probably have either BOTH of Animate Dead and Death Channel, or Infestation online before this.

Ultimately, '''after Death's Door's failure rate has dropped below 5%''', your choice of ultimate pick to iron out your last weaknesses is quite open-ended.

Maxwell's Capacitive Coupling:

* '''Air Magic: 20'''

Discord:

* '''Hexes: 20'''

High level Summonings:

* '''Summonings: 13 for Malign Gateway or Sphinx Sisters, 20 for Summon Horrible Things'''
* '''Translocations: 15''' (only for Malign Gateway)
* '''Hexes: 15''' (only for Sphinx Sisters)

I suggest you focus-train Translocations/Hexes, because of the +4 aptitude.

A suite of Translocations:

* '''Translocations: 2 times the highest level of the spell you wish to use + 1''' (for example, Dispersal, level 6 = 13 Translocations)

=Golems and Spires (0.32 Content)=

If you are playing on version 0.32, here are the paragraphs related to Summon Blazeheart Golem and Summon Lightning Spire, which used to be part of the Summoner kit. I think the Summoner of 0.33 is overall less frontloaded on damage, but has better defensive options and smoother skilling. Both are interesting. If you want to use the tips below in 0.33+, play as a Forgewright, where these spells found a new home!


== The Delicate Art of Explosive Incineration (XP Level 4-6, 0.32) ==

If you have not pathetically perished to some turbo-murderous orc priest on D:2, you will now be the proud holder of 2 stored Extra Lives, the maximum a Felid can hold at a time. Such is the privilege of feline supremacy.

As a proud member of the most blessed race in existence, death is not the end for you. Still, you should pretend it is - it will help you take better strategical decisions. If you ''do'' meet an unfortunate end, stay focused, take a break if you are feeling frustrated, and continue to play carefully as if you hadn’t died. Most Felid runs die around 3 to 9 times in an average 3-rune run, so do not feel too bad. Felid lives are meant to be used like rare, powerful consumables, and many Felid 3-rune or even 15-rune wins have 1 to 4 deaths as early as D:1-8.

Do '''not''' quit a Felid run because of an early death! With the way the system is designed, it's almost as if you are ''supposed'' to die in early Dungeon. It's '''much''' easier to level up early on than in the late game. A life lost on D:4 is gotten back on D:7, but a life lost in Pandemonium may take a full clear of all 4 Hell branches to get it back.

I will repeat it again. Do '''not''' quit a Felid run just because you died twice in a row to the same enemy. Save your game and go do something else instead. I know it's infuriating, but that would be like using a blink scroll and then quitting because you're mad about using a lifesaving item. '''Lives are consumables'''. Playing a Felid without dying is like playing an Octopode with 2 rings. You are '''supposed''' to die.

Press “E” to see how long it will take to get your next life. Press "%" to see how many lives you have (look in the top right of the popup!)

Once again, as soon as you find a safe place, '''immediately''' add your new friend to your roster - the [[Summon Blazeheart Golem|Blazeheart Golem]]. Do not cast it just yet if there is no emergency! Soon enough, it will be below 10% fail rate, and you may then use it safely for all battles. Tweak your skills as follows - '''turn on Fire Magic, press “=” to set a skill target, select Fire Magic, and set it to 5.0. Focus Fire Magic by selecting the skill again (it will have an asterisk and will be brighter).''' While you're at it, you should also '''set a target for Spellcasting at 11.0, and Summonings at 11.0'''.

Of course, if you find yourself forced to battle against a dangerous melee foe who potentially has just plowed your Inugami into the ground, it can be interesting to gamble a cast of a higher fail rate Golem. Just do consider the possibility of a Nameless Horror - if it spawns behind you in a one-tile hallway, you'll be completely stuck. Keep escape routes open.

As soon as you find an interesting wand or evokable (also known as "anything but a wand of flame"), also '''turn on Evocations, and set the target to 5.0'''. You'll also want to collect, when you see them, the '''Lightning Rod''', '''Box of Beasts''', '''Phantom Mirror''', '''Gell's Gravitambourine''' and '''Phial of Floods'''.

Starting from D:3, the Dungeon loves to throw at you fast, high-damage, or sometimes even ''fast and high damage'' enemies before you are ready for them. You may therefore encounter [[Water moccasin|water moccasins]], [[Ogre|ogres]], [[Killer bee|killer bees]], dangerous Lair enemies (wyverns & hornets are a classic), among a variety of other nasty creatures. However, you will laugh in the face of these pitiful attempts at stopping the march of progress, oneshot them with what is probably one of the highest damage level 4 spells in the game, and witness the XP trickle down like cat treats. This is what you were suffering in D:1 for - whereas your average Minotaur Fighter or Deep Elf Conjurer would meet a swift end against a swarm of light speed enemies that make your healthbar have more red than green (or sometimes yellow), you will sacrifice unholy amounts of expensive machinery, and will probably make the interdimensional inventor shipping these to you very frustrated.

More desperate for companionship and physical closeness than the most introverted DCSS win-streak players, Golems will immediately stop all action and become useless if they do not '''start or end their turn while being in melee range of you''', resuming activity once you walk up close enough to give them a comforting paw-tap.

While it functions, it will deliver heavy-damage punches and lose a third of its health every time it does so, in addition to getting its metallic head bashed in by your very upset foes. Needless to say, this thing dies fast. Thankfully, the Blazeheart Golem is designed to pack an extremely potent explosive payload when it is destroyed, and is a master at all things related to flesh incineration. In case you have not noticed, flesh is also what you are made out of.

When a <s>Walking Incinerator</s> Blazeheart Golem perishes in heroic battle, it will leave behind its core, represented as a sphere of pure fire. Once this happens, IMMEDIATELY exit melee range of the core. It’s going to EXPLODE, INCINERATE everything adjacent to it (including you, if you are incapable of following basic safety protocols), and leave behind CLOUDS OF BLAZING FLAME to block passage and allow you to leave, rest, and recuperate.

Do NOT hold down "wait" (usually '.' or 's') too fast out of impatience. Do NOT position yourself in such a way that you'd be incapable of leaving the blast zone with a single action. You WILL be oneshotted. Here is an example of what NOT to do:

.###.
..@..
..G..
..E..
.....

If @ is you, # are walls, E is your foe and G is the Golem, the walls will block your only hope of retreating, forcing you to be the recipient of up to 60 fire damage, not to mention the extra damage-over-time from the burning clouds.

If you HAVE to brace for an inescapable blast, or must walk through flame clouds to reposition away from an orc with a +99 Halberd of Feline Culling, consider briefly putting on a ring of Fire resistance/Fire! This is very fast (less than one turn) and will halve the damage, allowing you to survive.

In fact, "ring swapping" in general is a good skill to develop when playing a Felid. See a lindwurm? Ring of fire resistance. Rime drake? Ring of cold resistance. Nergalle the orcish necromancer? Ring of positive energy. Erolcha the banish-you-to-the-abyss-bot? Ring of willpower. Swapping rings is extremely fast - half of a turn to be precise. Don't try swapping amulets, though, trying to tie up a string around your fuzzy neck without opposable thumbs while a violent brute is inching closer is generally not advisable.

Here are some diagrams of potential ways you can commit feline war crimes with this improvised explosive. Again - @ is you, the one and only genius fuzzball, E are your foolish enemies, and G is your trusty golem. . represents floors, and #, walls.

'''Hallway Exit Triple-Blast'''

.EEE.
.#G#.
.#@#.
.#.#.
.#.#.

'''Outsmarting Lesser Beings in Open Spaces'''

.EEE.
..G..
..@..
.....
.....

Yes, this actually works. The enemies on the sides won't even swerve around, captivated by the shining metal of your loyal robot.

Some things to consider:

* If a foe has a reaching polearm (tridents, halberds, glaives, spears...), they will completely ignore the Golem and instead repeatedly puncture you, which means you'll have to wait for the Golem to detonate itself by having it use its self-damaging melee attacks. Here is a trick: remember, the Golem remains activated if they start or end your turn next to you. You may walk back and forth to enter and exit its range repeatedly, thus reducing the damage taken from the polearm by about 50%, and still triggering the explosion!

..E..
..G..
..@..
.....

..E..
..G..
.....
..@..

..E..
..G..
..@..
.....

* When you step away from the explosive core, your foes also get a chance to act. Keep in mind that enemies which were in melee range of you may follow you out of the blast zone, thus dodging the explosion as they pursue you.

..C..
.E...
.@...

In this example, C is the imminently exploding core, triggered as you began your previous turn next to the dying Golem, and chose to move diagonal down-left. If you walk downwards now, it is possible that the enemy will also walk downwards alongside you, and dodge the explosion. You should instead wait, so that they are still located in the blast zone when the core detonates!

* If the enemy is super strong/tanky/resistant to fire, keep in mind you'll be very close to them should they survive the explosion. For example, trying to take out a full-health hydra in Lair with a single Golem may result in the hydra walking through the fire, still barely clinging to life, and oneshotting you. Try to use other summons to reduce their health into explosion kill-range before risking your life in this fashion.

* The flame clouds left behind by the blast also deal heavy damage. If a creature has been left on the brink of death from the explosion and is now standing in a flame cloud, it might be worth just waiting one turn while it is in melee range (instead of moving away) so that it remains stuck in the flames and dies. The flame tick happens before they get a chance to melee attack, but do be absolutely sure that you won't need more than one tick, or some two-headed ogre might just oneshot you on the same turn it is reduced to 2 HP.

'''From now on, the plan is as follows:'''

* Summon an Inugami for every single trivial-to-medium difficulty battle. Make use of “t”-“a” to direct focus, and do not hold back until the entire canine demiplane has been sacrificed to mitten-pawed glory.
* Demolish every single high damage or out-of-depth (OOD) enemy by letting them uselessly punch a robotic time bomb over and over until it inevitably burns them to a crisp. Ice beast? Boom. Ogre? Boom. Bullfrog? Boom. Wyvern? Boom. Water moccasin, yak, two-headed ogre, sleepcap, gnoll sergeant, any Unique creature, hornet, ugly thing, scorpion, troll, orc warrior? BOOM. They will not survive, and if they somehow do, you can simply bring out more golems for your foes to commit the same mistake. So much for having “human”-level intelligence - clearly, the humanoids are hopeless, dull-witted morons before feline genius.
* Stuck in a pinch with no MP and a really angry dude invading your personal space? Getting turned into a porcupine by a very merry centaur? Getting a taste of orcish zealotry and being told that "smite makes right"? Use wands! They are the guns of the fantasy world, and will dispose of any pesky denizen of the Dungeon. Do not hesitate to spam these against dangerous uniques, centaurs and orc priests. The bolt ones, like Quicksilver, Light or Acid, are especially effective. Remember, if you use Charming, you can "t"-"r" the mind-controlled foe to get away from you, then use that distance to execute a swift, zero-risk retreat!
* If you end up in a terrible situation, refer to the Escape Techniques listed in the previous chapter of this guide.
* In the semi-common case where you encounter the unique siblings Dowan and Duvessa, always slay Duvessa first, preferably with an incinerating payload. Otherwise, Duvessa will get very mad, run at you at light speed and oneshot you.

Try to abuse the 1-tile hallways described earlier in Battle Tactics 101! This guarantees your foes will not attempt to circumvent your units to instead give you a very uncomfortable petting session. You are extremely frail, and lingering in melee range of anything that isn’t a basic orc or a D:1 creature is bound to result in your doom. Constantly use your turns to reposition and ensure you are always behind your summons! If your summons lose, you will be the next target on the list, and you will NOT survive should you stand your ground with tooth and claw. Run, rest and try again.


== Murder and Electrical Engineering (XP Level 7-9 to Lair, 0.32) ==

Remember, use your scrolls of Identify! Drop those useless Scrolls of Brand Weapon, Enchant Weapon or Enchant Armour. Maybe a lesser biped will come across those and thank you. Ha! Fat chance.

Between level 7 and 9 (variable depending on your dungeon adventures), the ability to memorize [[Summon Lightning Spire]] will be made available to you. This is the ''big gun'', the ''heavy artillery'', and other militarily pleasing expressions. Whereas the Blazeheart Golem granted the power to slay individual high-level threats, the Lightning Spire welcomes a little bit of ranged combat to the battlefield. This stationary turret has zero chill, and will electrocute anything breathing the same air as you in record time, only stopping once you and your allies are the only thing left standing. However, it occasionally likes to sleep on the job, so make sure to wake it up with more ample usage of “t”-“a”. Remember that neither the Golem nor the Spire have vision as refined as yours, and will completely ignore invisible enemies - most commonly orc wizards. You can still direct fire on a visible enemy, and if a sneaky invisible trickster is in the way, they will still get zapped!

To tap into this immense electrical power, open up your skills menu with “m” - notice that your Fire Magic should be close to reaching 5. Now, '''turn on Air Magic, and set a target to 5'''. Remember, do not attempt to cast a Summonings spell above 10% fail rate if there is no emergency! As our offense is starting to reach a comfortable level, also consider increasing your defense - '''turn on Fighting, Stealth and Dodging, and set a target to 10 for all three of them.'''

There are two main issues: first, the Spire is highly considerate of your wellbeing (which is nice, for the velvet-pawed deserve utmost comfort) yet also just as compassionate towards your other summons (which is less nice, as they are disposable and unimportant lesser beings). It will therefore not shoot if its piercing, bouncing bolt would cause harm to you or to any of your loyal servants. Strangely, it seems to hold a grudge against the Blazeheart Golem, and will occasionally zap it anyways, but this is uncommon - most likely, the Golem dimension played an amusing prank on the Spire dimension before you ripped both of them from their home realm to perish in unspeakable agony. Just kidding. They’re constructs. They don’t feel anything.

The second issue is that unlike other units, the Lightning Spire is incapable of moving out of your way or swapping places with you. This is problematic if you cast the spell in a hallway, potentially blocking your escape route.

#####
.S@.O
#####

You can’t walk backwards to escape the ogre (O), and the (S)pire won’t do anything, too afraid of daring to disrespect you (@)!

Instead of trying to melee an ogre with 0 Unarmed Combat skill, I propose an alternative - a disciplinary paw-scratch. Press 'v', select your Lightning Spire, then confirm the prompt in the message log. This will attack it, and immediately one-shot it no matter what, allowing passage again. An alternative is to recast the spell, though this is risky - it may simply land in an equally unfortunate position.

With all of that said, you should be set for clearing floors until you find the entrance to the Lair, somewhere on D:8-D:11.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Get that Kiku guy on your contacts list, then get into that Lair, in that order! I'll consider you for employee of the month if you have over 5000 turns remaining by D:8. Not that this is much of a title, considering you are my only contractor in this place. Any lower amount, and you'll have to start moving those fuzzy paws a bit faster.}}

Your faithful trio - Inugami, Spire and Golem - will make quick work of anything the game may attempt to impede your progress with. Remember to also put on any jewellery you may find (press capital "P") - Intelligence, Wizardry, Magical Power, Protection and Fire Protection are the best rings you could hope for (in that order), and Magic Regeneration, Regeneration, Reflection, Acrobat and Faith are the best amulets (also in that order) - for now. Avoid Guardian Spirit.

If you find a runed door vault with a ghost in it (and NO other enemies), this could be an opportunity for instant acquirement of three degrees from the Summonings College! They are worth boatloads of experience, but can range from trivial to lethal. Inspect them with "x"-"v", and check their kit - if they have Conjurations that could annihilate you or dangerous Summonings spells, they should be left alone. If they, however, only have a few joke cantrips or only know how to o-tab like a Minotaur Berserker, then it is time to guide them to eternal rest. '''Once the floor is fully cleared,''' gather up all your friends, open the door, and make them bash golems, eat electricity and be eaten by spirit-wolves until they die (for the second time in their existence).

Do NOT try your luck in weird vaults with OP enemies in them locked behind runed doors and orange transporters. They are DESIGNED by developers to exploit your greed and kill you. Nothing stops you from returning there when you actually have the required power to take them on.

===Where It Can All End (Early Game Threats)===

* Centaurs (and even more so their Warrior or Yaktaur variants) are felid annihilation incarnate. If you casually run around and spot one sleeping in open space, '''do not just start mindlessly plopping down your squad'''. Your allies will arrive in random locations while those wretched horsemen puncture you with potentially twoshotting damage on each turn. Instead, retreat to a corner or door (which you can close with capital 'C'), and meow ('t'-'t') to have it walk over in much more advantageous terrain!

Since Spires have almost zero evasion, they will gladly tank arrows for you (unlike those scumbag canines), so they may be of great use should you face off a centaur - hide behind them, and let the ranged battle unfold. Which will win, wooden sharp sticks, or thousand-volt lightning bolts? Spoiler alert: the latter.

However, keep in mind:

..@..
..S..
.....
.....
...E.

This is not a safe way of hiding. The centaur (E) will still turn you from a cat to a porcupine while the Spire will desperately attempt to dish out damage before you die in an anxiety-inducing Damage Per Turn race. First, consider Wands - polymorph is especially effective, as wielding a bow is quite hard without opposable thumbs. As you may have discovered yourself. Otherwise, you can spawn more summons - if you or an Inugami gets in melee range, the centaur will panic and stop shooting. Consider a Scroll of Fog or Summoning/Butterflies if things get too dire.

* Electric eels deal unreal amounts of damage. These living death traps are resistant to your Spire, and will three-shot you. To add insult to injury, they’re worth almost no experience - for comparison, a single scorpion rewards you with about 53% more experience than one eel. Thankfully, there's a trick: a zap from a wand of flame will oneshot or twoshot them, due to the steam clouds this technique will spawn. If flame is unavailable, most other damage wands, while rarer, will make short work of them.

* Steam dragons are deceptively dangerous. Their breath weapon will turn the heat up in every sense of the word, and may even twoshot you should the dice be animated by murderous intent. It even goes through allies. Thankfully, there is counterplay - a ring of fire resistance, or a ring of fire. If you can give yourself a + of rF, this battle will go from terrifying to laughable. If rF is not available to you, tread lightly, and be ready to retreat out of their sight the moment you are hit. Having a steam dragon on the screen while you are fighting other non-trivial enemies is suicide.

** The rarer acid dragons are basically the same thing, but worse. The corresponding ring is resist corrosion.

* Boulder beetles can oneshot you should they land their roll attack on you (and fail the EV check). Thankfully, intelligent summoners can trivialize them by calling forth even the puniest of quokkas and forcing them to waste their roll annihilating a little fluffball (which hopefully isn't you). The Spire's electrical damage bypasses a portion of their heavily armoured shell.

* If you’re unlucky enough to encounter a [[Meliai]] or the unique [[Jeremiah]], know that they are practically cyber-augmented orc priests. Just one isn’t that bad, but they often hang out with their friends, and you do ''NOT'' want to be the centre of attention of bee-witch gossip. Eating a quadruple smite in one turn ''can'' happen, and it ''will'' kill you. Potions of Invisibility work, and so do Wands of various kinds - or have them be zapped one at a time by your spire before they notice your presence, and they should fall relatively quickly. Otherwise, pushing a Golem in their faces will ensure a fiery doom.

* Should you be so hapless as to encounter the unique slug mage Gastronok, you must immediately try to avoid empty spaces. Hug walls, surround yourself with allies - if you find yourself with 4 or more completely empty tiles, you WILL be twoshotted with an insanely powerful, irresistible Airstrike ability. If you have found a scroll of Silence, I highly recommend using it as soon as you’ve churned out a few friends to help take him down. If you do not have silencing abilities, keep him at the edge of Line-of-Sight while the battle unfolds, hug walls and potentially some Small Mammals, and be ready to step away the second you are smited by Airstrike. Even with wise positioning, all it takes are approximately 3 casts to detonate you into an unrecognizable mess of gore and fluff.

For the rest of the run, don’t ever have rF- or rC- no matter what. Yes, even if it means giving up an Int+10 ring (you can also wear rF+/rC+ to cancel out the rF-/rC- if it’s ''really'' good). Vulnerabilities will be your doom: 50% extra damage is plenty to oneshot you before you even realize what has happened. Press % to check your resistances.

[[Category:Character guides]]

Onei's Velvet-Pawed Path to Immortality Walkthrough - FeSu^Kikubaaqudgha/Jiyva

2025-12-02T05:31:54Z

Oneirical:

{{version033}}{{Advice}}
{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Another contender! Will you prove worthy, or rot like the rest?}}

Did you know 100% of deaths in DCSS are the result of taking damage? The common melee brute builds may appear efficient at first, but they suffer from a critical flaw - they let the enemy hit you. Every single time an enemy applies its claws, club, arrows, or reality shattering magic to your sensitive skin, you are exposed to the leading cause of mortality in the Dungeon. I therefore propose an alternative that will make your journey down into the depths 50% less painful, 100% less lonely, and most importantly, 300% fluffier.

'''The Felid Summoner of Kikubaaqudgha/Jiyva.'''

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] It's not "evil magic"! It's recycling. Those bodies would have gone to waste.}}

Cats have a terrible reputation for being, supposedly, a “challenge species”, a “tedious ordeal of optimal play” or even an “unfun experience I’d never do again”. I’m here to inform you that this is all baseless canine propaganda, and I hope you too will learn to bow before your true feline masters as you read through this guide. As a blessed, fuzzy quadruped, you will be able to laugh in the face of paralysis and other dastardly hexes (due to your nigh-unbreakable willpower), laugh in the face of invisible enemies (due to your intrinsic See Invisible passive), laugh in the face of melee enemies (due to your vast repertoire of loyal servants) and even occasionally laugh in the face of death (due to the extremely powerful ability to resurrect after you meet your demise).

This all comes at the high price of having the lowest amount of hit points in the game, and the inability to use any item besides scrolls, potions, evokables, talismans and jewellery. Thankfully, you won’t need any of the baubles inferior humanoids depend on, as you will delegate most of the dirty work to pathetically obedient underlings. Prepare to embark on a journey like no other - which will flip the game around completely, turning the lethal into the laughable, and the harmless into the horrifying.

This guide was written for DCSS version 0.34 (currently "trunk" beta, not released officially yet). The differences with version 0.33 are minor. The target audience here are players who have already won at least once, and would like a build off the beaten path of the tried and true brute/caster duality, or even their first Felid victory. It shall accompany you on a path of team-based fighting, dark magic, vast armies to manage, and eventual transcension in the form of nigh-infinite mana and on-demand invincibility.

If you are a newcomer to DCSS and have stumbled upon this page, also check out the excellently written:

* [[H's Minotaur Fighter Guide]] - the most classic "I cast Axe!" brute build, timeless in DCSS history
* [[Repo Troll Guide, TrFi^Wu Jian]] - a highly acrobatic aventure of awe-striking martial arts
* [[Git Gud Gnoll Guide]] - the Zotémon master, using anything and everything to win, even the strengths and spells of their enemies

But perhaps you are the type who prefers to jump straight into a complex and unorthodox playstyle, following a potential madman's dubious advice? You, I like.

I personally got my '''first win ever''' as a Felid Summoner, and I believe that the caution and focus which one learns from playing this species is valuable on any character.

'''Important note: for an overview of branch order and skilling, check the [[#Addendum: From Lackey to Supervillain (Character Building)|addendum at the end of this guide]].'''

===Travel Preparations (quality-of-life tweaks)===

If you care about comfort while playing this build, I suggest editing your rc file (in online mode, it's the button right next to the "Play trunk/Play (current version)" button, and in offline mode, it's under the settings folder > init.txt). Add these at the very bottom, on new lines:

default_manual_training = true
fail_severity_to_confirm = 0
fail_severity_to_quiver = 5
tile_player_tile = tile:felid_2
force_more_message += forbidden knowledge
force_more_message += mollified

In order, these will:

1. Prevent the very useless and dangerous Auto-training feature from working.

2. Will allow you to cast dangerous spells without a confirmation prompt.

3. Will allow you to quiver dangerous spells without a confirmation prompt.

4. For the reasonable among you, this will turn your likely very ugly Felid sprite extracted from the default rotation - which you may somehow find cute if you suffer from an utter lack of taste - into the objectively superior black counterpart. Secretly grants bonus Willpower from the sheer confidence your glossy black fur will exude (not scientifically tested). For those visually challenged by the black-fur-on-black-floor lack of contrast, tile:felid_4 or mons:natasha are also acceptable. Offline players can also press “-” and cycle through available sprites with left and right arrow keys while ingame. Should you ever revert to playing a (lesser) non-Felid, you will need to remove this line to restore your sprite to the default player doll.

5. Notify you when Kikubaaqudgha likes you enough to reveal the darkest spells in this game.

6. Notify you when Kikubaaqudgha is done pelting you with its pesky curses after you betray them.

Points 2 and 3 may be slightly controversial. The reason for this is simple - the "danger rating" of spells is based off your maximum HP, and as Felid has the lowest max HP in the game, even the actually very safe spell Call Canine Familiar will be labeled as "astonishingly dangerous" and constantly ask "are you sure????" when it's actually very safe, and in fact required for progression.

= (BONUS) Because It Wasn't Hard Enough (Gem Quest) =

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Ah, a new adventurer embarking on a new journey filled with noble deeds and helping the innocent. What? You're learning dark magic and committing mass slaughter? Eh, I don't really care. Can you do my fetch quest? Here's my backstory: I like money. There are gems in the dungeon that are worth a lot of it. Bring them to me.

The problem is, some prick is going around smashing them. You'll have to be quick before that lunatic destroys the treasure which I alone deserve.

Oh, sure. Maybe you can get a cut. If I like you.}}

'''Gems''' are an optional speedrunning challenge where you must beat the game without exceeding a certain amount of turns in each branch. Interestingly, this build is quite good at claiming them.

'''Note''': This makes the game objectively harder. It is for those utter fanatics who thought playing a Felid (lol) with an exotic build which involves god wrath (lmao) just wasn't difficult enough.

If you aren't feeling up to the task, '''ignore all interventions of Gozag in my guide (it is advice for the gem quest specifically).'''

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Excellent, you're still here. That means a promotion is in sight for you. From 'unemployed' to 'my esteemed errand-cat', to be precise. Do add these, while you're at it.}}

more_gem_info = true
always_show_gems = true
explore_auto_rest = false

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] A company-provided timer in your sidebar will now always show you the time remaining before those precious gems start cracking. Useful, is it not? Press }, then ! to view all collected gems, and the time limit for each.

What's that? You're worried about the last option? Corporate doesn't have time for things like "healthcare" or "comfort". You need to get moving, FAST. Just heal while you autoexplore, surely this won't result in coming face to face with a centaur when you have 15 HP.}}

If '}' is a weird key to press on your potentially non-English keyboard (like mine), you can rebind it like this:

bindkey = [(TYPE YOUR KEY HERE)] CMD_DISPLAY_RUNES

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Enough talk! Let's see if dedicating my attention span to you was a valuable use of my time.}}

= An Agonizing Introduction (XP Level 1) =

As the title suggests, pick Felid for your species (ignore the “Advanced” difficulty: that’s merely a ploy to hide true power from your grasp). Pick Summoner for your background, as is wisely recommended by the game.

You probably know this already, but press "o" to autoexplore floors when no enemies are in sight, Ctrl-G to quick-travel to locations, and "5" to wait turns until you have restored HP/MP.

Upon starting your run, you will be met with the following:

* 9 pitiful HP points, enough to get two-shotted by a quokka, defended by a lonely, single point of AC.
* Complete lack of any items (except a measly consolation magic cocktail), weapons, or armour, and only three equipment slots for jewellery only. Felid culture prohibits equipping rings on your rear-limbs, as this is symbolic of the time one spent caged by their (now rightfully eviscerated) master.
* The pathetic ability to call forth fuzzy critters from the unfathomable depths of the eldritch cosmos.
* A deranged repartition of default skill training. Press “m”. If you haven’t set up your rc file as explained in the beginning of the tutorial, set training to “manual” mode (press “/” to do so). Then, '''turn off every skill except Spellcasting and Summonings'''. '''Important reminder: at any time, should you wish to review my suggested skill training plan, view the [[#Addendum: From Lackey to Supervillain (Character Building)|addendum at the end of this guide]].'''
* Your first Extra Life, ripe to be harvested by possibly the very first foe you will encounter.

All of this is, to put it bluntly, utter trash. The good news is that XP level 1 and 2 are the only obstacles separating you from supreme feline domination. Please refer to the following advice to avoid becoming a delicacy in the next hobgoblin feast.

* Try to avoid being in melee range of anything that isn’t a “trivial creature” - which are '''[[Bat|bats]], [[Rat|rats]] and [[Frilled lizard|frilled lizards]]'''. If a ball python hits you with the “Constrict” status, do NOT continue fighting and attempt to retreat until you have been cleansed from the status, at which point you may resume your rampage. If you are cornered or engaged in dangerous melee with 0 MP remaining, use your magic potion immediately. You may take one step in a foe’s reach to reposition, but always remember that most of the denizens of D:1 can two-shot you.
* Cast [[Summon Small Mammal]] twice for every encounter (press “p” to do so, or - if the game complains about you being too reckless - "z" then "a"). Bats are almost useless, rats are mediocre, and quokkas are somewhat passable. If you happen to pull forth one of the latter two from your interdimensional nonexistent hat, you may direct them to get their furry heads bashed in at the nearest available enemy. This is done by pressing “t” to bring up the ally command menu, and then pressing “a” and selecting the enemy you wish to submit to death by a thousand adorable critter bites. If your fuzzy friend meets an unfortunate end at the tip of a kobold’s dagger, there’s always more where that came from - bring on the onslaught until all opposition has been reduced to quokka food. You can have up to a maximum of 2 mammals simultaneously - replace the fallen with more units eager to die in your name. While your summons fight it out, feel free to distance yourself from the action, or to press “.” to allow the battle to unfold, occasionally shooting a “t”-“a” command to direct firepower. Trying to join the action is a certain way to die - remember, do NOT melee non-trivial creatures!
* Remember the golden rule of summoning: what you can’t see cannot be seen by your summons either. No ally can attack outside of Line-of-Sight (LOS) distance. If you want something to die, it has to be on your screen. The opposite is not necessarily true: while your feline senses let you see invisible enemies, all of the critters in your starting spells (except those from Call Canine Familiar) are not as fortunate.
* You can close doors behind you by pressing capital "C" - animals of all kinds do not have paws as dextrous as yours, and will be forced to scratch your impenetrable barricade while you rest and recuperate.
* Your summons can tank stones and other missiles for you if you stand behind them, but this is extremely unreliable (projectiles continue their trajectory if they are dodged). Additionally, keep an eye out for branded weapons! A single hit from either of these is enough to go from a pristine, full health scruff to a game over screen showing 3 unidentified scrolls of acquirement. Venom and Electrocution in particular are extremely lethal. Branded melee weapons are handled in the same way as dangerous creatures of D:1, that is, drowned in pettable fluffballs until the threat is vanquished and drops their dangerous item (possibly a +34 triple sword “lol you can’t use this play minotaur next time” {flaming, Slay+12, AC+10}).

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] If you aren't already quitting the job on day one, I inform you that we just don't have the time to loot every grain of dust on D:1 to D:3. Your first objective in D:1 should be to reach XP level 2, and immediately going down afterwards, using a normal staircase (not a hatch). The latter tend to cause some company liabilities.}}

Do NOT "kite" (walking away from a creature over and over while it is in melee range of you) your foes. You WILL get your snout slapped faster than you can say “YASD” (a traditional roguelike acronym for Yet Another Stupid Death). Each step gives enemies a 33% chance to attack you for free - a few tip-taps to reposition (and swap places with your ally) is fine, but eating attacks of opportunity for over 5 turns is asking to die.

Quite an agonizing experience so far, no? Are you beginning to doubt me? Do you lust to return to a race that starts with HP in the double digits? Foolish! After this, the fun begins.

= Interdimensional Battle Tactics 101 =

All enemies of DCSS, from the gurgling jelly to the mighty Pandemonium Lord Cerebov, are extremely unintelligent. In a situation like:

@....
.....
..S..
...E.
.....

(where @ is you, S is a friendly summon, E is an enemy and . are floors), foes would rather hammer their way through your friend (which may be an eight-headed hydra zombie) to reach you, and certainly won’t think about just circling around to one-shot the squishy cat behind. You will need to abuse this as much as possible. Try to always ensure you are shielded behind your loyal servants. This, for example, is not acceptable:

..@..
.....
.....
..S..
...E.
.....

Since the enemy can directly trace a line between you and their position (imagine they’re trying to fire an arrow at you - if they can hit you, you’re not positioned correctly), they will ignore your ally and charge directly at you to slice themselves some fresh feline cutlets. In a situation such as this, it is preferable to either A) send out more allies to return to a more favourable state

..@..
.....
.....
.SSS.
...E.
.....

Or B), retreat to a hallway.

1-tile hallways are both beneficial and harmful to a Summoner. Look at the following situation, where # represent walls:

'''Situation 1'''

#####
S.@.E
#####

The enemy is possibly an ogre about to bash you into a bloodied furball. Casting your summoning spell placed your unit behind you. Simply walk backwards to swap places with your unit, watch the fight unfold (preferably from a distance), and if your soldier perishes in honourable battle, your MP should have regenerated while they were battling it out: simply send out a fresh combatant eager to finish the job.

#####
@..SE
#####

Zero risk, zero worry. Here’s another interesting case:

'''Situation 2'''

#####
@E..S
#####

Here, you got unlucky, and casting your spell spawned your unit ''behind'' the foe you are attempting to introduce to your friends. Inspect the enemy's melee damage by right-clicking them or pressing "x", moving the cursor on them, then pressing "v". If they can't oneshot you on the next turn, it's ''probably'' safe to try summoning some additional support, hoping they will spawn behind you and allow for a Situation 1 swap.

#####
@SE..
#####

The problem with 1-tile hallways is that they enforce honourable 1v1-ing only between each creature. This probably makes Okawaru very proud, but with the whole little army we are slowly amassing, we will increasingly benefit more and more from wide, open spaces to allow your entire squad to get into the fray and dish out punishment. This might not be the case early in the game, but much later on, when we will branch into Necromancy, expect the number of allies on screen to reach into the dozens.

= A Devilish Upgrade (XP Level 2) =

''Feeling brave? You may try to skip this chapter and reach XP level 3 using only small mammals. As Necromancy is tight on spell slots, the additional Scroll of Amnesia this will save later on may prove useful. Try not to die if you opt for this choice. Otherwise, keep reading.''

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Yeah, no, we can't fit this one into the budget. Move along. Just kill those D:2 adders with quokkas and quit whining. We'll need the Amnesia Scrolls later.}}

If you have reached this point, congratulations, you have won the game. You may now press Ctrl-Q to abandon the run, as objectively speaking, your chances of victory are now exactly 100.00%. Go bake some cookies. Take a nice walk in the park. Do anything else than watching pixelated animals fight. While being an animal yourself.

What? Still here? Very well.

Most of the Level 1 advice still applies, but you now have a little more room for mistakes. As soon as you level up and find yourself in a safe area, immediately memorize [[Call Imp]] by pressing "M", your new very mischievous addition to the roster. Press "z" then "b" to meet your new demonic friend. The unspeakably dark forces of Hell will be delighted to deliver you a dastardly blue imp proudly wielding a sharp stick.

This rampage machine is anything but (imp)otent. Savour the tears of the hobgoblins who once terrified you, revel in the yips of those pesky jackals - they will be poked, and there shall be no mercy. Imps will also occasionally compliment you and call you their “pillow-pawed master”, which is a step up from the blank stares of rats. Disregard these attempts to appeal to your nonexistent mercy, and send them to die in your name with more liberal usage of “t”-“a”. Unlike furry mammals, you may only have a maximum of one imp at a time.

At any moment, I encourage you to bring forth assistance from your previous, less talkative and much fuzzier friends! You may do this by either clicking the spell in the side menu (in offline mode) or pressing "p" or "za" again (in online mode). The total gang of three summons is now sufficient to circle enemies and dish out quick justice to anything on D:1. Keep being careful until you reach level 3. If D:1 fails to provide enough experience for this, carefully descend to D:2 to finish the job, but know that dealing with any of the D:2 new enemies that weren’t featured on D:1 is extremely risky - especially adders and orc priests/wizards. Try to focus on foes you are already familiar with, and use a different staircase if your chosen means of descent places you next to something you haven’t killed yet.

= Canine Thralls vs. The Interdimensional Police (XP Level 3) =

'''Increase (I)ntelligence, and only do so every single time you will be prompted with this choice in the future.'''

Got some scrolls? The stack with the highest amount (press "r" to bring up the (r)ead menu) has a high (but not guaranteed) chance of being Identify. Once you have found Scrolls of Identify, immediately read any you may obtain to progressively label each of your possessions. Personally, I think identifying potions before scrolls tends to increase your chances of survival ever-so-slightly. This isn't hard science, whether a DCSS player identifies potions or scrolls first is basically the equivalent of their horoscope sign.

Find a safe area. Memorize [[Call Canine Familiar]] immediately (press "M"). This is the ''real deal''. Labelled as "quite dangerous" despite its 7% miscast rate, this extremely strong spell brings forth an '''Inugami''' - a once proud general and leader of the canine empire, re-educated into serving its feline master with unbreakable zeal. The tag around its collar proves most interesting - besides reminding it of its status before your Highness, it can also channel powerful bursts which heal the Inugami a massive amount, remove all poison, and unleash a cleaving burst on all tiles adjacent to it. To trigger one such energy surge, recast the spell while your Inugami is alive and visible on your screen, spending 3 MP in the process.

Yes, you can spam it and pop foes open with repeated re-casts. No, you won't find funny when your Inugami dies to some overpowered death machine and you're left in melee range with it with 0 MP to spare. It's strongly recommended to prioritize energy-bursting only if one of the following applies:

* Your canine servant needs the heal or is badly poisoned.
* It is surrounded and the cleaving AOE would prove most effective.
* You need a quick finishing blow against a low-HP dangerous foe.

When an Inugami dies in heroic battle, it will retreat to a pocket dimension for a time to rekindle its faith in feline supremacy. When the -Dog status on the sidebar expires - expect 13 to 21 turns - it is ready to return into the fray. Other summons can take up arms while you wait.

With all that considered, Inugami are absolute beasts. Very little in the early Dungeon can survive a 1v1 with an Inugami energy-bursting when it is most needed. Not even Sigmund - he is powerless before canine brutality! Simply stand back, watch the carnage without getting hit, and laugh as adders get slaughtered from Line-of-Sight (LOS) distance. You don't really need to "avoid fighting" anything in D:2 to D:4, except:

* '''Grinder''', which will play fetch with your dog by blinking all over the place while you stand paralyzed eating tons of darkness damage.
* '''Orc priests''', which are explained more in depth right below. Basically, if you can see them, they can murder you.

Inugami, like imps, occasionally try to look cute and print out endearing messages in the text log. Again, do not let this affect you - remember that the canine race is lesser before feline glory, and heartlessly send them to their doom (“t”-“a”) while they obey with unfaltering zeal.

You can look (and cast) any of your memorized spells at any time by pressing "z" then "?". If it says, for example, "c - Call Canine Familiar", pressing "z" then "c" will welcome your new canine unit without having to bring up the menu every time.

<blockquote>How can I possibly lose with such loyal followers?
</blockquote>
Orc priests, my noble feline acolyte. These green-robed menaces have the ability to inflict undodgeable, instant and two-shotting damage from full LOS range. Right now, no amount of summons could protect you from their devotion to the god of the Orcs. A lone one can be assassinated by sending an inugami next to them and spamming the recast-burst until they are deleted. If you see - Xom have mercy - two or more, do not even attempt to test their mettle. Press “X”, move the cursor towards them, and press “e” to set up an exclusion - this is your way of telling the game “NOPE”. If multiple priests stay visible on your screen for 5 turns or more, you are asking to die. Leave through the nearest up-staircase, and attempt a different portion of the level (or descend to D:3 if the level is truly doomed), leaving these dissenters alive for later. They will suffer the consequences of their insolence in due time.

<blockquote>I'M ON FIRE I'M ON FIRE PUT IT OUT PUT IT OUT IT BURNS
</blockquote>
If a Bombardier Beetle set you on fire, you must immediately start taking steps and walking around - each tile crossed reduces the duration by 6 turns. Stop, drop and roll! Do NOT stand still! If you accidentally drank a lignification potion, say goodbye to the current iteration of your feline life.

<blockquote>Any recommendations if I am doing the Gem Quest?</blockquote>

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Why are you still on D:2? The Temple doesn't spawn here. We want that bone altar, and we want it pronto. Get diving down to D:4, you should not be exploring more than half of each floor until then.}}

Additionally...

== The Aforementioned Interdimensional Police (Nameless Horrors) ==

Every time you attempt to call a canine <s>slave</s> friend, there should be a small chance of a miscast, which will reduce as you progress through the arts of Summonings. Miscasts in other schools of magic are generally not too dramatic (given that the caster is not trying to sever reality itself right after learning how to say “pick a card, any card”). However, your constant telemarketing calls to the eldritch cosmos asking “Who wants to die in the name of feline supremacy?” have begun to get on the nerves of some eldritch monstrosities. TentacleMail may therefore rarely deliver you a [[Nameless horror|Nameless Horror]] instead of your ordered furry companion. Instead of filing a complaint, slow down and consider your options. These things drain your mana on each melee hit they land on you, will only leave after you have managed to kill them, and will occasionally return your summons back to their home realm, so they may meet their family again instead of dying for a cat in a dungeon.

FAQ:

<blockquote>What do I do if I incur the wrath of cosmic aberrations?
</blockquote>
It depends on your situation. If they are alone or accompanied by a joke of an enemy, getting an Inugami out and spamming energy-bursts should wreck it. Alternatively, if you have damaging wands that aren't Mindburst, feel free to gun them down.

If you are close to dangerous foes which aren't in range yet to hurt you, you may drag the the Nameless Horror to a previously cleared floor, "park" it there and return to the lower level without it, preferably with a different staircase. If you can't manage to kill it, don't forget about the horrifying creature roaming loose if you want to "stair-dance" a dangerous foe later on while clearing the lower floor. Maybe you'll meet it again near the end of your run, at which point it will tremble before the FELINE GOD you have become.

<blockquote>How can I minimize my chances of being investigated by the interdimensional kidnapping police?
</blockquote>
The Summonings school is not to be messed with. It is strongly advised that you never try to cast a Summonings spell with a failure rate higher than 10% to take out medium-to-low threat foes, as the consequences may be disastrous. Only violate this rule when extreme firepower is needed imminently against a truly fearsome foe.

<blockquote>I have no MP, no friends and I am going to die. What do I do?
</blockquote>
See below.

== Break In Case of Imminent Negative HP Syndrome (Escape Techniques) ==

Low health? No mana? Overpowered gigachad about to annihilate you? Consider the following, from safest to most unreliable:

* '''Scrolls of Blinking''' will immediately save you, but are rare and valuable. THAT DOES NOT MEAN "save them for next game". USE THEM.
* '''Scrolls of Summoning/Butterflies''' do what you specialize in - dialing up friends - but take zero mana. The butterfly variant doesn't attack, but gently blows away your foes, granting a safe space of sunshine and rainbows.
* Assuming you can survive 3-5 turns, a '''Scroll of Teleportation''' will whisk you off to a different location. Magical Inks™ Incorporated does not guarantee said location will be safe.
* The useful '''Blink''' level 2 spell immediately relocates you to a random tile in sight - but it won't necessarily be available in your game. Maybe if you ask RNGesus nicely.
* A '''Gell's Gravitambourine''' can pull enemies away from you with its magnetic field, which is immensely helpful if your problem is of the "big stick about to be in my face" kind.
* '''Potions of Magic''', and the mana acquired from them, can be condensed into the creation of a helpful friend. Again, rare and valuable, but made to be used.
* '''Potions of Curing''' will ''remove all confusion and poison'' - essential for those pesky redback spiders getting lucky hits - in addition to a small amount of HP and '''Potions of Heal Wounds''' restore a bunch of health which, on a Felid, is highly impressive. Do ensure that you can actually make use of the heal to solve your problem and aren't just delaying your death, especially if you just get hit again for the same amount you healed on the same turn.
* '''Potions of Invisibility''' drastically reduce enemy accuracy and allow you to walk away with high, but not perfect safety. Check that the foe in question does not detect invisibility by inspecting their stat window - for example, wolves, dastardly agents of the canine empire, won't be impressed.
* '''Scrolls of Fear''' immediately causes every living (undead and berserking enemies are immune!) on the screen which fails a (difficult) Willpower saving throw to regret ever messing with Your Pillow-Pawed Highness and to run away. Check, on their stat screen, that their Willpower is at ++ or less.
* Assuming your enemy is a spellcaster that can be Silenced (check their description!), a Phial of Floods will shortly disable their spells, while a '''Scroll of Silence''' will disable them for a very long time, but your own magic and scrolls as well. Ensure you have a way of dealing damage during this silence (hint: it involves allies and having a lot of them). A Phial of Floods will recharge after some XP is obtained.
* The '''Lightning Rod''' does big electrical damage without any MP cost. Most spectacularly, if you fire it multiple turns in a row, you can rotate the beam to hit huge Areas-of-Effect and nuke entire crowds. It's very effective at finishing off a single problematic specimen, however.
* '''Potions of Haste''', beyond allowing you to walk away without getting kited to oblivion, are much stronger than new players tend to think: they effectively slow down time so you get bonus actions per turn. This is much more spectacular on other characters (your main source of damage is from your servants, which do not benefit from the haste), but it is still tremendously useful.
* A '''stairwell''' brings you back to the much safer previous floor, but brings all adjacent foes alongside you - except zombies, simulacra and summoned creatures. Still quite possibly an improvement over your current situation.
* '''Wands of Paralysis/Charming''' incapacitate your foe. You have to beat their Willpower - early game, that is usually around a 50% chance, but there are exceptions. The brainwashing Charming variant can be used to demolish the victim's former allies while you cackle in the back. You can also command them to go to the time-out corner by pressing "t"-"r" and selecting a tile far away from you.
* A '''Box of Beasts''' will immediately summon an adorable abomination and crime against biology itself, without a single point of mana required! Useful when your magical reserves have been emptied.
* '''Wands of Polymorph''' are particularly effective at neutralizing those wielding dangerous ranged weapons or point-and-click smites, but ''check the list of possible transformations by hovering the wand over the target foe'', lest you find yourself with OP midgame mobs chasing you around the Dungeon. Note that, when zapping a Polymorph wand at yourself, it will most likely deny you use of your spells, but may give you extra speed to run away (Pig or Bat Form) or may improve your melee combat prowess to a degree that is only useful in the early game (Wisp, Tree or Fungus form). Consider this as a last resort if cornered or in trouble!
* Speaking of those, '''Scrolls of Vulnerability''' assist all dastardly hypnosis techniques by cutting all creatures' Willpower (including you) by half. Beyond wands, this makes Anguish much easier to use even on terrifying uniques like Mennas, resulting in easy takedowns where you normally would have had to move mountains to barely scratch them.
* '''Damage Wands''' might, with some luck, solve your problems by murdering them.
* '''Potions of Ambrosia''' do a similar effect to Potions of Magic, but over time, and the confusion should be cured with a Potion of Curing once you have enough mana if you are in the middle of an unfolding catastrophe (this will stop the regeneration). Not to be relied upon if only a couple of turns stand between life and death.
* '''Unknown potions and scrolls''' could save you. They probably won't. Try the big stacks, they are likely to be Teleportation or Curing.
* '''Dying'''. Unlike feeble humanoids, this is an option. Try to avoid it. It will happen anyways. Do not give in to despair. Stand up. Fight again.

Do not mindlessly run away for dozens of turns without doing anything. You WILL be eating attacks of opportunity on every step and perishing in record time. At least try casting a spell once your mana comes back.

==The Proper Way To Roll Your Face On The Keyboard (Macros)==

Getting tired of "zbzc....o....zbzc....o" yet? You can press '''Ctrl-D''' to set macros and begin feeling like you are playing some tryhard MOBA instead of composing Beethoven's Tenth Symphony on your keyboard.

For example, press "Ctrl-D", then "1", then type "zb" in the field to link the "b" spell that appears when you look at the spell list (accessible with "I" while in-game). On each press of "1", you will now cast the "b" spell.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Back in my day, you had to draw a pentagram and whisper demonic prayers each time you'd want a skeleton friend. Who thought it was a good idea to automate murder?! Can't you appreciate a good old blood sacrifice in the rules of the art?}}

This is my favourite loadout:

* '''1''' for Call Canine Familiar, and later Haunt.
* '''2''' for Eringya's Surprising Crocodile, and later Infestation.
* '''3''' for Summon Seismosaurus Egg, and later any spell of your choice.
* '''4''' for any other useful spell.
* '''w''' for Animate Dead. Normally, it's used for (w)ielding weapons, buuuut... yeah. No opposable thumbs and all.
* '''e''' for Death Channel.
* '''Spacebar''' for an emergency spell - I like a simple Blink, or, for bonus coolness points, the heart-racing Death's Door. Big button, big problems! I actually remember to use my emergency spells this way.
* '''c''' for any other useful spell.
* (Q)uiver Anguish (or, in Crypts/Tomb, Dispel Undead), and cast it with '''p'''.

To dial up the early-game squad, press "123".

Want both your ally-creation buffs (such as when descending a new staircase)? Simply press "we". In case of trouble, your salvation is right on the biggest button of your keyboard. For a late game mega-death rave, press "e21p"!

= The Delicate Art of Reptilian Pole Vaulting (XP Level 4-6, 0.33) =

If you have not pathetically perished to some turbo-murderous orc priest on D:2, you will now be the proud holder of 2 stored Extra Lives, the maximum a Felid can hold at a time. Such is the privilege of feline supremacy.

As a proud member of the most blessed race in existence, death is not the end for you. Still, you should pretend it is - it will help you take better strategical decisions. If you ''do'' meet an unfortunate end, stay focused, take a break if you are feeling frustrated, and continue to play carefully as if you hadn’t died. Most Felid runs die around 3 to 9 times in an average 3-rune run, so do not feel too bad. Felid lives are meant to be used like rare, powerful consumables, and many Felid 3-rune or even 15-rune wins have 1 to 4 deaths as early as D:1-8.

Do '''not''' quit a Felid run because of an early death! With the way the system is designed, it's almost as if you are ''supposed'' to die in early Dungeon. It's '''much''' easier to level up early on than in the late game. A life lost on D:4 is gotten back on D:7, but a life lost in Pandemonium may take a full clear of all 4 Hell branches to get it back.

I will repeat it again. Do '''not''' quit a Felid run just because you died twice in a row to the same enemy. Save your game and go do something else instead. I know it's infuriating, but that would be like using a blink scroll and then quitting because you're mad about using a lifesaving item. '''Lives are consumables'''. Playing a Felid without dying is like playing an Octopode with 2 rings. You are '''supposed''' to die.

Press “E” to see how long it will take to get your next life. Press "%" to see how many lives you have (look in the top right of the popup!)

As soon as you find a safe place, '''immediately''' add your new friend to your roster - [[Eringya's Surprising Crocodile]].

Did you know Felids have a stronger genetic predisposition than other species to the terrible diagnosis known as "OP Meleedude In My Face About To Twoshot Me" in the medical literature? Thankfully, our feline researchers have been hard at work, and found the cure: Crocodiles. This spell is only castable if a foe is in melee range of you, at which point you'll dash 2 tiles backwards, pull the foe backwards 1 tile, and summon the Crocodile between the two of you.

.....
.....
...@.
...E.

...@.
...C.
...E.
.....

I did say the Meleedude in question is OP, so the Crocodile is likely getting twoshotted next. Not to worry - recast the spell again, and endlessly kite the foe across the map in a way that would make an entire server ragequit if DCSS was a multiplayer PvP game.

This spell is '''a repositioning asset''', not a main damage dealer (though it does achieve interesting results in that domain). Do not mindlessly charge in and use the Crocodile on a foe if can you imagine yourself needing this dash 3 turns later - '''you cannot cast this spell if the Crocodile is alive'''. You should use it in every single battle, but at the moment where the displacement effect actually helps you in some way.

The crocodile itself, as an ally, deals decent damage that will get outpaced as soon as you exit the early game. It also has a pull effect which may trigger on some of its hits. This can sometimes troll you:

..#.#
###@#
.OC.#
#####

Your (C)rocodile is fighting the two-headed (O)gre in a 1-tile corridor. All is well. Suddenly:

..#.#
###@#
..OC#
#####

The (O)gre is pulled into melee range of you and oneshots you. Ouch! That really hurt!

Do keep this (thankfully rare) contingency in mind.

'''From now on, the plan is as follows:'''

* Summon an Inugami for every single trivial-to-medium difficulty battle. Make use of “t”-“a” to direct focus, and do not hold back until the entire canine demiplane has been sacrificed to mitten-pawed glory.
* Demolish every single high damage or out-of-depth (OOD) enemy by letting them uselessly punch an ever-respawning crocodile over and over until they fall face flat in the water left behind. Ice beast? Trivialized. Ogre? Dealt with. Bullfrog? Eviscerated. Wyvern? Discombobulated. Water moccasin, yak, two-headed ogre, sleepcap, hornet, ugly thing, scorpion, troll, orc warrior? GGEZ. They will not survive, and if they somehow do, you can simply retreat using the gap formation left by your usage of this spell. So much for having “human”-level intelligence - clearly, the humanoids are hopeless, dull-witted morons before feline genius.
* Stuck in a pinch with no MP and a really angry dude invading your personal space? Getting turned into a porcupine by a very merry centaur? Getting a taste of orcish zealotry and being told that "smite makes right"? Use wands! They are the guns of the fantasy world, and will dispose of any pesky denizen of the Dungeon. Do not hesitate to spam these against dangerous uniques, centaurs and orc priests. The bolt ones, like Quicksilver, Light or Acid, are especially effective. Remember, if you use Charming, you can "t"-"r" the mind-controlled foe to get away from you, then use that distance to execute a swift, zero-risk retreat!
* If you end up in a terrible situation, refer to the Escape Techniques listed in the previous chapter of this guide.
* In the semi-common case where you encounter the unique siblings Dowan and Duvessa, always slay Duvessa first. Otherwise, Duvessa will get very mad, run at you at light speed and oneshot you.

Try to abuse the 1-tile hallways described earlier in Battle Tactics 101! This guarantees your foes will not attempt to circumvent your units to instead give you a very uncomfortable petting session. You are extremely frail, and lingering in melee range of anything that isn’t a basic orc or a D:1 creature is bound to result in your doom. Constantly use your turns to reposition and ensure you are always behind your summons! If your summons lose, you will be the next target on the list, and you will NOT survive should you stand your ground with tooth and claw. Run, rest and try again.

===Where It Can All End (Early Game Threats)===

* Steam dragons are '''EXTREMELY DANGEROUS'''. Their breath weapon will turn the heat up in every sense of the word, and may even twoshot you should the dice be animated by murderous intent. It even goes through allies. Thankfully, there is counterplay - a ring of fire resistance. If you can give yourself a + of rF, this battle will go from terrifying to laughable. If rF is not available to you, tread lightly, and be ready to retreat out of their sight the moment you are hit. Having a steam dragon on the screen while you are fighting other non-trivial enemies is suicide. They must die, ASAP.

* Centaurs (and even more so their Warrior or Yaktaur variants, as well as other archers like Joseph or Nessos) are felid annihilation incarnate. If you casually run around and spot one sleeping in open space, '''do not just start mindlessly plopping down your squad'''. Your allies will arrive in random locations while those wretched horsemen puncture you with potentially twoshotting damage on each turn. Instead, retreat to a corner or door (which you can close with capital 'C'), and meow ('t'-'t') to have it walk over in much more advantageous terrain!

Since Eggs (more on them later) have zero evasion, they will gladly tank arrows for you (unlike those scumbag canines), so they may be of great use should you face off a centaur - hide behind them, and let the Inugami finish the work. This is risky - you should only do this if there is no hallway available to retreat to.

Keep in mind:

..@..
..E..
.....
.....
...C.

This is not a safe way of hiding. The centaur (C) will still turn you from a cat to a porcupine while the (E)gg stands there without blocking any arrows. If you could shoot at the Centaur with a Magic Dart, they, too, can hit you. First, consider Wands - polymorph is especially effective, as wielding a bow is quite hard without opposable thumbs. As you may have discovered yourself. Otherwise, you can spawn more summons - if you or an Inugami gets in melee range, the centaur will panic and stop shooting. Consider a Scroll of Fog or Summoning/Butterflies if things get too dire.

* Electric eels deal unreal amounts of damage. These living death traps will easily three-shot you. To add insult to injury, they’re worth almost no experience - for comparison, a single scorpion rewards you with about 53% more experience than one eel. Thankfully, there's a trick: a zap from a wand of flame will oneshot or twoshot them, due to the steam clouds this technique will spawn. If flame is unavailable, most other damage wands, while rarer, will make short work of them.

** The rarer acid dragons are similar. The difference is that they deal even more damage (possibly 70% of your HP bar in one hit) but cannot pierce through allies. The corresponding ring is resist corrosion.

* Boulder beetles can oneshot you should they land their roll attack on you (and fail the EV check). Thankfully, intelligent summoners can trivialize them by calling forth even the puniest of quokkas and forcing them to waste their roll annihilating a little fluffball (which hopefully isn't you).

* If you’re unlucky enough to encounter a [[Meliai]] or the unique [[Jeremiah]], know that they are practically cyber-augmented orc priests. Just one isn’t that bad, but they often hang out with their friends, and you do ''NOT'' want to be the centre of attention of bee-witch gossip. Eating a quadruple smite in one turn ''can'' happen, and it ''will'' kill you. Potions of Invisibility work, and so do Wands of various kinds - or have them be blasted by your Seismosaurus before they notice your presence, and they should fall relatively quickly.

* Should you be so hapless as to encounter the unique slug mage Gastronok, you must immediately try to avoid empty spaces. Hug walls, surround yourself with allies - if you find yourself with 4 or more completely empty tiles, you WILL be twoshotted with an insanely powerful, irresistible Airstrike ability. If you have found a scroll of Silence, I highly recommend using it as soon as you’ve churned out a few friends to help take him down. If you do not have silencing abilities, keep him at the edge of Line-of-Sight while the battle unfolds, hug walls and potentially some Small Mammals, and be ready to step away the second you are smited by Airstrike. Even with wise positioning, all it takes are approximately 3 casts to detonate you into an unrecognizable mess of gore and fluff.

For the rest of the run, don’t ever have rF- or rC- no matter what. Yes, even if it means giving up an Int+10 ring (you can also wear rF+/rC+ to cancel out the rF-/rC- if it’s ''really'' good). Vulnerabilities will be your doom: 50% extra damage is plenty to oneshot you before you even realize what has happened. Press % to check your resistances.


= Dastardliness, Cackles and Dark Tricks (God Choice) =

You have only three equipment slots to fulfill Ashenzari’s bondage fantasies, no time to learn the ways of Invocations, and would not benefit from weapon gifts with your lack of opposable thumbs. As the lead of an interdimensional kidnapping startup, you should delegate EVERY task to your staff and NEVER do any work yourself.

Ru is technically quite viable for you, but as you don’t care for employee wellbeing, in-office buddhist yoga sessions are not at the top of your schedule. Plus, you will need both of your paws to play with the Orb of Zot like a ball of yarn. A lot of feline CEOs such as you enjoy striking a divine partnership with Gozag and cracking open endless amounts of lootboxes and microtransactions, but this is not what this guide is about (but feel free to play a Gozag Felid sometime, it's great fun!)

We need loyal subordinates, and we need them fast, reliably, and cheaply. Let us therefore learn arts and magic as dark as the colour of our fur, from scratch, under the tutelage of the villainous god Kikubaku-

Kikubaquk-

Kikubaaqudq-

Kikubaaqudgha. Yes. That's how you spell it.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Untainted souls are so much more fun to corrupt! But... why are you so fluffy? I need goth elves and black mascara. I can't have my subordinates looking like this!}}

Sorry Kiku, malnourished nerds and lanky skeletons are just so passé. If you wish to increase your approval ratings among the public, research has shown that a marketable, plushie-like mascot is a much better driving force for sales and engagement.

Anyhow. The reason I suggest picking Kiku for this build is to secure the mid-and-late game, as the Summoner background is so powerful (as you may have noticed already) that no immediate divine assistance is required. For now, Kiku will do absolutely nothing to help you - focus on proving yourself worthy by engaging in senseless, indiscriminate murder. Or, in other words, just the usual routine. Kikubaaqudgha's altar can spawn in D:3, the Temple, as deep down as D:11 - it really doesn't matter at all, you just need to '''have joined Kiku before entering Lair.'''

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] That still seems wise to me. What I REALLY don't want to see you doing is MISSING the altar and doing a merry-go-round the dungeon looking for it on company time. You'll probably want to find that Temple between D:4 and D:7, looking out for odd rock formations. And if it's not in that Temple, you'll want to look out for evil looking structures, all the way down to possibly D:11.}}

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] "An evil god, Kikubaaqudgha requires worshippers to cause the death and destruction of as many creatures as possible." Well, that's rich. It's not as if almost every single other god wants the exact same thing. Why am I being singled out?}}

Actually, I lied. Kiku does do one thing right away. And that's flaming you in the message log when you lose the run. Let that be motivation to play intelligently.

= Life Finds a Way (XP Level 7-9 to Lair, 0.33) =

Remember, use your scrolls of Identify! Drop those useless Scrolls of Brand Weapon, Enchant Weapon or Enchant Armour. Maybe a lesser biped will come across those and thank you. Ha! Fat chance.

Between level 7 and 9 (variable depending on your dungeon adventures), the ability to memorize [[Summon Seismosaurus Egg]] will be made available to you.

In Jurassic Park, they knew they could, but didn't stop to think if they should. In the Dungeon, the answer is YES to both. This hulking dinosaur is the ''big gun'', the ''heavy artillery'', among other militarily pleasing expressions. Whereas your previous servants granted the power to slay individual high-level threats, the Seismosaurus welcomes a little bit of AoE (Area of Effect) to the battlefield. It blasts its surroundings every so often with devastating, undodgeable raw physical damage, and is basically an "I Win" button for anything in the Dungeon and Lair. To tap into this power, '''turn on Earth Magic and set a target to 5, then turn it on a second time to focus it''', which is done by pressing "=" inside the skill menu (m) then the letter assigned to the skill "Earth Magic". After Summon Seismosaurus Egg reaches a failure rate inferior to 10%, '''turn on Fighting, Stealth and Dodging, and set a target to 10 for the first two, and 12 for Dodging.'''

Of course, there is a catch: you checked the "wrap in a gift box" option when confirming your delivery, and TentacleMail is nothing but considerate when it comes to life's big celebrations. You'll need to spend a few turns unwrapping the payload, and this often involves being mauled by maws and claws while you are getting through the shrink wrap.

The specifics: '''the egg starts hatching as soon as a foe is within 4 tiles of it AND you are standing adjacent to it. This process does not accelerate no matter if the foe is a single rat, Geryon, Gatekeeper of Hell, or a swarm of 30 halberd gnolls.''' The rocky terrain on the ground indicates the range.

Ideally, you'll start this process while your foes are sound asleep (this is why we train Stealth!), or while a pathetic cockroach is near you and the real heavy-hitters are far away in the backline, approaching slowly until it is too late to not get blasted by prehistoric might.

This means that if you see a big group of '''non-ranged''' sleeping enemies, you should NOT rush in to "get the critical hit stabs" (you will do so little damage you might as well be healing them) or plop down your Inugami, who will immediately rush in and ruin the surprise. Instead, summon your Seismosaurus egg until it is within a 4-tile range (don't spend your whole mana bar on this), start incubating it, and unleash the Inugami if they begin waking up.

An alternative, if you have a nearby 1-tile hallway, is to meow at them ('t'-'t') and retreat into the hallway, summoning your Inugami, and then the Egg. It will hopefully be placed behind you, but even if it ends up in front, you'll still be able to incubate it with only 1 enemy attacking it. Naturally, do not do this if the enemy squad is full of polearms or extremely high damage melee.

You can also use your Surprising Crocodile to assist your egg:

..S..
.....
.....
...@.
...E.

The (E)nemy, in melee range of you, is dangerously close, and your egg (S) isn't incubating at all! Use your (C)rocodile:

..S..
...@.
...C.
...E.
.....

Much better. The egg is incubating, and your Crocodile is loyally defending you until it hatches.

Unlike other units, the Seismosaurus Egg is incapable of moving out of your way or swapping places with you. This is problematic if you cast the spell in a hallway, potentially blocking your escape route.

#####
.E@.O
#####

You can’t walk backwards to escape the ogre (O), as the (E)gg is blocking the way!

Instead of trying to melee an ogre with 0 Unarmed Combat skill, I propose an alternative - a disciplinary paw-scratch. Press 'v', select your Egg, then confirm the prompt in the message log. This will attack it, and immediately one-shot it no matter what, allowing passage again. An alternative is to recast the spell, though this is risky - it may simply land in an equally unfortunate position.

With all of that said, you should be set for clearing floors until you find the entrance to the Lair, somewhere on D:8-D:11.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Get that Kiku guy on your contacts list, then get into that Lair, in that order! I'll consider you for employee of the month if you have over 5000 turns remaining by D:8. Not that this is much of a title, considering you are my only contractor in this place. Any lower amount, and you'll have to start moving those fuzzy paws a bit faster.}}

Your faithful trio - Inugami, Crocodile and Seismosaurus - will make quick work of anything the game may attempt to impede your progress with. Remember to also put on any jewellery you may find (press capital "P") - Intelligence, Wizardry, Magical Power, Protection and Fire Protection are the best rings you could hope for (in that order), and Magic Regeneration, Regeneration, Reflection, Acrobat, Alchemy, Dissipation and Faith are the best amulets (also in that order) - for now. Avoid Guardian Spirit. Wildshape is niche, only interesting [[#A Downgrade From The Prime Feline Form (Talisman Collection)|if you found a good talisman]].

If you find a Necropolis, this could be an opportunity for instant acquirement of three degrees from the Summonings College! They are worth boatloads of experience, but can range from trivial to lethal. Inspect the ghosts within with "x"-"v", and check their kit - if they have Conjurations that could annihilate you or dangerous Summonings spells, they should be left alone. If they, however, only have a few joke cantrips or only know how to o-tab like a Minotaur Berserker, then it is time to guide them to eternal rest. '''Assuming they are not surrounded by a squad of deadly enemies''' gather up all your friends, open the door, and make them get juked by acrobatic reptiles, eat point-and-click earthquakes and be eaten by spirit-wolves until they die (for the second time in their existence).

Do NOT try your luck in weird vaults with OP enemies in them locked behind runed doors and orange transporters. They are DESIGNED by developers to exploit your greed and kill you. Nothing stops you from returning there when you actually have the required power to take them on.

=A Malodorous Fanbase (*.....)=

Allow every dopamine receptor in that brain of yours to fire up when the message:

Kikubaaqudgha grants you a gift!

appears for the first time in the message log.

Gather up your lucky trinkets and your maneki-nekos, it's time for some Kiku Gacha Lootbox opening. You will receive a batch of low-level Necromancy spells, but in truth, we only actually care about a single one of them - '''Animate Dead'''. The others are so laughably irrelevant you shouldn't even spare a single picosecond contemplating their existence. ('''Sublimation of Blood''' has a ''very'' niche use that will be discussed later.)

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] You ungrateful sack of fleas! Of all gods, I am the one to grant the most gifts to even my least precious followers, and you still have the nerve to be discontent?}}

Unfortunately, you only have a 50% chance of getting Animate Dead - the other 50% will result in Fugue of the Fallen, which is a decent melee combat spell - a discipline which your weak and unarmed kitty paws are unfortunately not well suited to. For now.

'''If you were unlucky:''' Do keep an eye out for Animate Dead in book shops or loot piles to compensate for Kiku's lack of etiquette. If you still cannot find it, it's really not a big deal. Infestation is a guaranteed gift later on, and can replace it entirely. This spell simply makes the early game smoother and is one of the three spells which may be used for the Great Slime Raid further in the run. You'll want to hold onto your Scrolls of Acquirement for a bit - until you have gotten the third star Kiku gifts and have started training your Necromancy to at least level 8. Since Acquirement is biased towards your current training, holding onto the scroll will increase your chances of obtaining Animate Dead! Now, skip the rest of this chapter, coming back to it should you eventually obtain it from another source.

You will want to memorize '''Animate Dead''' right after your Seismosaurus Egg '''is below 10% failure rate''', and immediately turn on your '''Necromancy skill, setting a target all the way to the maximum of 27.0'''.

You may have noticed that the many denizens of the Dungeon are very disrespectful of your Eminence, soon to be their overlord and army commander. Your first task will be to re-educate these ruffians into submission and obedience. '''Animate Dead''' provides a buff lasting for about a dozen turns. Each enemy slain while this buff is active has a chance to betray their former allies and serve you as a... slightly more malodorous version of themselves. These will escort you until you leave the floor, or have them perish in battle.

When '''Animate Dead''' becomes castable (<12% fail rate), you may begin playing like such:

*Initiate each battle with a batch of highly loyal summons praising how good of a <s>slaver</s> friend you are.
*Begin emanating such confidence with '''Animate Dead''' that the defeated will turn against their former companions in your name.

Now, whenever a foe is slain, there is a high chance they will become an ally - and betray their former allies, making the latter join your army in turn, and so on, until all are at your beck and call. It's just like rolling a snowball!

The little militia that will now follow you around will act as a testament to your charisma. Recasting Animate Dead will, however, dismiss all of your current servants, with the hopes of replacing them with fresher, potentially more numerous ones. Therefore, it's great practice to cast '''Animate Dead''' when encountering a pack of enemies (yaks or bees, for example, are good fodder), and to only recast it once your lackeys are falling apart.

{{flavour|[[File:Yredelemnul altar.png]] This is way too complicated for the fluffball that serves as your brain. Join me instead, and gain permanent reaping of the deceased instead of trying to emulate my power with puny magic!}}

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Pah! Don't listen to my competitor. Their worshippers are brutes and thugs, whose first word at birth was "Axe".}}

Some extra useful tips about this spell:

* Non-living enemies (like Will-o-Wisps from Swamp), demons, angels and already undead creatures will never be recruited.
* High speed enemies, like bees, frogs or snakes will always catch up with you, and will swarm enemies before you even see them on your monitor! Boulder beetles are actually quite slow, and won't get to keep their signature rolling attack.
* Hydrae are hideously overpowered and will play the game for you.

Kiku grants the ability "Unearth Wretches" very early for on-demand zombie creation. I suggest not using it in the Dungeon, as the results will be disappointing. Wow! A cockroach zombie with 3 damage!! Why thank you, you shouldn't have. It's the intention that counts, Kiku.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] I didn't even mean to send these over. I was just doing some housekeeping, brushing up my skulls, sacrifical altars and blood fountains, and accidentally threw a kobold into an interdimensional wormhole. Hate when that happens.}}

Save your piety and ignore it for now.

=A Downgrade From The Prime Feline Form (Talisman Collection)=

While running around, you may come across one of the rare item types that Felids can use: Talismans. Ctrl-F, then write "talis" to find if you missed any.

Cats have a -2 aptitude to Shapeshifting, because they rightfully consider any transformation to be a downgrade. However, to compensate for this, they lose nothing from melded equipment slots, whereas other species mourn the loss of their artefact ring mails and other puny trinkets.

Unless you dream of going to the extended endgame, this is not a build where you'll be using top tier Talismans. However, you should consider the following:

- '''Inkwell Talismans''' (min LV 0 Shapeshifting) are, in the early game, an upgrade. They require 0 Shapeshifting skill to use, make you immune to poison and grant better success rates on all your spells and more mana capacity. If you find one anywhere before entering Lair, you should use it. It will become obsolete when you learn your first level 5+ spell (as these are banned while in Scroll Form), but will assist you greatly until then. There is just the problem of that pesky Fire vulnerability. The upsides are strong enough to make me use this Talisman despite the "never be Vulnerable as a Felid" rule, but you should be especially wary of even basic orc wizards throwing flame at you. If you want to fight fire damage enemies and have the luxury to disengage, untransform before really beginning to stir up trouble.

- '''Flux Baubles''' (min LV 5 Shapeshifting) are normally used for their great melee attack potential. However, they dissipate after a certain number of attacks. The solution: never melee attack. This will let you abuse the EV bonus from Flux Form for a very long time. Simply train at least level '''5 Shapeshifting''', and sit in this form forever. I tend to go for around 8 Shapeshifting to really get a nice bonus. You will lose a lot of Stealth, however. You will untransform from Flux when you die, or when you use "End Transformation" in the (a)bility menu.

- '''Rimehorn Talismans''' (min LV 8 Shapeshifting) are good for two reasons: AC at a very low cost, and Ice Magic Wizardry. The only reason the latter is good in the context of this build is that it makes the strong spell Rimeblight much easier to use. The downsides are somewhat significant - Fire Vulnerability, which you'll absolutely want to pad with a fire resistance or plain fire ring. You will also lose a bit of EV from the much increased size, and worst of all, you won't be a cute kitty anymore. If you have and want Rimeblight, consider training '''level 8 Shapeshifting''', but this isn't a "must-have", I sometimes just purchase more Ice Magic with my skillpoints instead if I already have good Wizardry/Intelligence rings. In a safe location, you can use the Rimehorn Talisman with 0 Shapeshifting skill and check how this makes your Rimeblight failrate change to help in your decision. Untransform afterwards to not get oneshotted.

- '''Medusa Talismans''' (min LV 8 Shapeshifting) give rPois and a forgettable petrification emergency passive. Really, the only reason to train for this is for the rPois. If you are heading into the Snake Pits and have no other source of it, level Shapeshifting to 8 and enjoy the peace of mind. I also like having this online for the Lair if I found an amulet of Wildshape.

- '''Hive Talismans''' (min LV 17 Shapeshifting) are the main ingredient of the [[#The Forbidden Kikubeequdgha Build (Staying with Kiku)|Forbidden Kikubeequdgha build]]. Hold onto it - it will be at the heart of a difficult decision later on.

=The Most Important Lootbox of All (***...)=

Depending on when you started your worship of Kiku, this may happen before even entering Lair, or at some moment while you are clearing it. Regardless, you will eventually read once again the message:

Kikubaaqudgha grants you a gift!

Well, well, well. Looks like we've got another Kiku Gacha Lootbox on our paws!

Here is my tier list of possible outcomes:

* '''S: A Run-Defining Asset''': Death Channel, Rimeblight
* '''A: Great, Though Not Required''': Anguish, Dispel Undead
* '''B: Could Do Better''': Martyr's Knell, Cigotuvi's Putrefaction, Borgnjor's Vile Clutch
* '''F: Insult to Feline Glory''': Curse of Agony

You'll always get half of these, chosen at random.

'''If you didn't get Death Channel, but got Animate Dead previously:''' You won't get to taste the absolute full power of your undead armies, but you'll still be able to raid the Slime Pits quite soon. You'll still want to check every book shop and loot pile for a chance at acquiring it.

'''If you have neither Death Channel nor Animate Dead (18% chance, assuming no lucky floor/shop drops):''' Hmph. RNGesus isn't rooting for your victory, I see. This will be a little troublesome when it comes to "bridging the gap" between the early game and having '''Infestation''' online, a task which you'll find much easier with +Intelligence and Wizardry rings. If you really can't find them by the time you get to the "Slime Raid" (after Lair and the Orcish Mines), I have placed advice for you in that section. For now, check your Scrolls of acquirement in case you'll find those spells inside, and loot the Orcish Mines after Lair to see if any shops contain these two signature necromantic incantations.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Commerce? Capitalism?! My spells are 100% locally sourced, woven by the expert craftsmanship of unionized and esteemed skeleton artisans! You would resort to purchasing mass-produced, store-bought necromancy that's probably also full of microplastics? You and me have a lot of work to do before we can get along with each other.}}

If you get Anguish, you should learn it as soon as possible, and '''also turn on Hexes and set a target to 8.0'''. Because Felids are so adorable and masters of mind-manipulation, you have a +4 aptitude to it!

No matter what you obtain, even if you are getting garbage, if you have not done so already, '''turn on Necromancy and set a target to 27.0'''.

As for that "Unearth Wretches" active ability... '''I strongly recommend saving up your piety to reach the gifts faster. The only case where you should use it is if you have Animate Dead and/or Death Channel active and need help in the Lair against a huge horde of hungry animals. See the next chapter.'''

=Employee Tour at the Zoo (The Lair)=

A place filled to the brim with creatures that mostly only know how to walk fast and melee attack, put against your most loyal servants which precisely exploit these vulnerabilities. Who will win? If you guessed the former, you are wrong. It is scientifically impossible to lose with my guide.

* The Crocodile decimates black mambas, spiny frogs, komodo dragons, polar bears and hydras.
* The Seismosaurus will annihilate packs of yaks, killer bees, wolves, blink frogs, and even death yaks (though those make take a few castings and a bit of kiting, alongside the occasional Crocodile).
* The Inugami is simply always good.
* If you have it, Animate Dead generates even more support.
* Eventually, if you also get it, Death Channel is similarly highly useful.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] For some reason, the architects of this place decided a place filled with dangerous wildlife and inaccessible architecture would make a great place for a central hub. You'll have to come back to this place at least a whopping three times - for all 3 S-Branches, so there is little time to waste. Do not explore more than half of Lair:1. In Lair:2 and Lair:3, your main objective is locating those 2 first S-Branch gates - once both are visible, you can go down to Lair:4 and Lair:5, where you'll have to pinpoint that Slime Pits entrance. You always have less time than you think in this place, get moving! Try to keep at least 600 leftover turns when you complete the Lair.}}

Have a glance once in a while at your jewelry collection by pressing "P". Rings of wizardry and intelligence reign supreme. Rings of Protection, Magical Power or Fire Resistance (for steam dragons, lindwurms and fire crabs) will significantly contribute to your survivability. Rings of Dexterity or Evasion are passable, and everything else is pretty much "slightly better than nothing". Amulets of Guardian Spirit should not be worn unless they are a particularly amazing artefact.

Prioritize wearing an Amulet of Magic Regeneration to replenish your forces quickly - Regeneration is the second best option, Reflection, the third, Acrobat, the fourth, Alchemy, the fifth, Dissipation, the sixth, Faith, the seventh (On Demigods, it will print a message saying "You feel a surge of self-confidence", but there is no such message for Felids, because they already have maximum self-confidence), and Guardian Spirit, the worst possible option (enjoy losing access to all your summons because you took one wrong step). If you somehow find the mythical artefact "Amulet of Vitality", congratulations, you have won the game - it is disgustingly powerful on a Felid. As for the Amulet of Wildshape, it is only good if you have [[#A Downgrade From The Prime Feline Form (Talisman Collection)|an interesting low-level Talisman]].

Should you encounter elemental threats (such as the mage [[Fannar]], an [[Efreet]], or a [[Lindwurm]]), swap on a ring granting a relevant resistance! It is extremely fast to do so. Just don't forget to put your normal ring back on afterwards, if you had one. '''Do not casually run around with an elemental vulnerability (rF-/rC-) on a Felid.''' You WILL be oneshotted.

If you run into trouble, it will likely be caused by:

* Blink frogs. They tend to sneak behind you no matter your masterful positioning by blinking frenetically. Do not hesitate to send a few zaps of your wands their way to teach them some discipline. They make quite good zombies!
* Catoblepas and Basilisks have a love for garden ornaments, and would delight in turning you into one of them - do not ever stand 2 turns in a row in the calcifying breath of the former, and ensure multiple allies block you from the stunning gaze of the latter. Seismosaurus Eggs are immune to petrification. If you see the message "You are slowing down" and you're put against a lonely Basilisk, feel free to spawn a few friends and have them handle everything while you stand there as a pretty feline statue. However, getting petrified in dangerous screens is a death sentence, and you should read a scroll of teleportation or quaff a potion of cancellation before you turn to stone.
* Dream sheep can simply choose to put you to sleep from across the entire screen, which also allows any creature which would hit you to deal immensely boosted damage. If you are well defended by varied summons - and maybe also have Animate Dead/Death Channel active - they will handle all the lowly grunt work while you sleep like the spoiled feline noble you are. If you get taken by surprise, though, prepare for an emergency - Scrolls of Fear in particular should give you some breathing room.
* Hydrae die easily to intelligently chained Crocodiles and Eggs/Inugamis. If they touch you, however, you may very well go from full HP to an empty health bar. If you used a staircase while a hydra was visible, using that staircase again will probably result in it ambushing you and immediately oneshotting you the moment you press ">". Do avoid this unfortunate scenario. Mind the fact that they get a massive speed boost in water (including the one left behind by your Crocodile).
* Skysharks, in similar fashion, should not touch you, as their damage and speed increases with every melee hit they land (represented as Might, then Berserk buffs). They are a top tier threat, and are deserving of getting blasted with wands on sight. DO NOT try to use Scrolls of fear if they are berserked. It will do nothing.
* Ravens are trivial to annihilate, but will peskily curse you with Doom if you allow them to have a clear line of fire. Always be hiding behind a wall of flesh... or eggshell. If you receive a Bane, I talk about them more in [[#Kiku's Troll Carousel (Banes)|this section]].

Huge welcoming party? Got marked and the entire country of Australia is coming after you? Both Animate Dead and Death Channel are memorized and castable? Make sure both buffs are active, then try '''Unearth Wretches'''. I recommend using this ability as little as possible to reach ****** piety faster, but the effects are spectacular with 1 to 3 uses of it when it is most needed. Cast one or both spells, activate Unearth Wretches from your 'a' menu, and watch the screen flood with allies. If possible, pop some Anguish casts to add 100% reflection damage into the mix, cook, and serve. Do not touch the '''Sign of Ruin''' invocation, it is not worth your piety.

You may encounter some dangerous uniques in the Lair. Urug, Fannar, Gastronok and Nessos in particular may destroy you before you even realize what just happened. The counter to each one of those is, respectively, Amulet of Reflection/Anguish for Urug, Ring of Cold Resistance for Fannar (if you are level 12 or higher, your feline fur gives you cold resistance naturally!), scroll of Silence for Gastronok and Wand of Polymorph and/or Anguish for Nessos (and potentially Amulet of Reflection). If you possess the counter, use it, and then feel free to test their mettle against your faithful friends, but if you do not have this counter, set an exclusion with “x”-“e” and do not come back until you have cleared Lair:5. ESPECIALLY if they are wielding some overpowered gear.

You may also encounter Sonja. Her HP bar is made out of paper. But don't let her touch you. She has tickets for a free cruise to the Abyss. You do not want those. Her Willpower is utter trash, making her ridiculously vulnerable to any hex wand, or Anguish.

Ah, yes, there is also Rupert. You need not fear the Paralysis (perhaps humanoid body-builders freeze in fear before the sight of one infinitely more ripped than they are) - but you might fear the huge axe getting swung around at light speed by a berserked, unstoppable wall of meat. If you push Eggs over and over and do nothing else, it will NOT work out. You MUST take further action. I have had some success with a Potion of Brilliance to churn out Crocodiles and kite back until devastation has been completed - but there is little overkill here. Use your items! A scroll of Summoning tends to have splendid results.

Ice Caves and Volcanoes? '''Death traps.''' Do not attempt them. Do NOT even enter them. You won't even be able to use the loot.

Gauntlets’ difficulty vary on the enemies you find inside - if you see a valuable book containing some awesome spells (see the next chapter), I encourage you to try your luck, but otherwise, it is not worth battling dangerous enemies in a cramped space that will limit the effectiveness of your allies. You can inspect a Gauntlet's contents by fully autoexploring the level, then doing a Ctrl-F search with "@" as the input, which will list all items in the Gauntlet. As for the Minotaur at the end - the javelins are absolutely brutal, but if you can read a Scroll of Vulnerability, then cast Anguish, the poor cow-person will simply two-shot themselves.

'''Do not try to take on the Minotaur without the help of any consumables or evokables.''' You won't win. You should NOT attempt a Gauntlet if your plan for the Minotaur is to just throw summons at it and pray it somehow works out. It will NOT.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Well, the earthy gem is down there, in Lair:5 - the first one you'll be collecting for me. This could be the start of a fantastic partnership, or of my eternal disappointment in you.}}

=Compendium of Sinister Plans (Midgame Spells)=

Once you are reaching the lower levels of the Lair, it is time to update your spell repertoire.

You should now plan to have:

* Call Canine Familiar
* Eringya's Surprising Crocodile
* Summon Seismosaurus Egg
* Animate Dead OR a spell from this list if you did not find it
* One or two more spells from this list (if you opt to pick up two spells, they should not take up more than 11 slots together).

Not enough slots? Train Spellcasting! Each slice of 0.5 Spellcasting levels will grant 1 slot. Do not train this more than you actually need, set your training targets properly. Each general XP character level also grants 1 free slot.

'''About Scrolls of Amnesia:''' if you are swimming in the stuff (3 or more scrolls), feel free to remove Summon Small Mammal and Call Imp - their respective demiplanes will thank you for ceasing your kidnappings. The problem is that spending an entire amnesia scroll (which are rare and valuable) to free up one or two measly spell slots might prevent you much later on from getting your mid and late game spells when you need them most. If you do not have many scrolls, instead wait until you are trying to memorize Haunt, and forget Summon Seismosaurus Egg and/or Call Canine Familiar at that point.

You'll want to not take up every slot you have available right now - you'll need 7 for Haunt soon, and 8 for Infestation in a bit. Try to leave behind 3 available slots at minimum.

'''I have ranked the following from most to least desirable:'''

'''[[Death Channel]]''' (Level 6 Necromancy) - '''Extremely powerful, #1 priority.''' Like Animate Dead, it is another self-buff you can stick onto your 'e' keyboard macro. Its effect is simple: instead of letting the innocent souls of both living and demonic beings voyage into the afterlife to meet their relatives, you will force the essences of their being to stay behind and cause suffering to their former friends and coworkers. The sheer mass of allies produced is truly a spectacular sight - you may have Animate Dead and Death Channel activated at the same time, in which case every kill will generate up to two allies, flooding the entire screen with green circles in record time. Unlike Animate Dead, as soon as the status expires, your entire protective wall of spectres will vaporize in a single turn, and reveal some very unamused individuals who will gladly charge in and destroy your defenseless scruff. Do ensure you have some less ephemeral allies as backup.

Remember: at this stage of the game, if you aren't pressing the Death Channel button every single time something vaguely resembling an enemy appears on your screen, you should be passing the keyboard to an actual cat, who will no doubt play much more competently than you.

Spectres, unlike zombies, can also see invisible creatures and fly over liquids no matter their original species, which is interesting when such details matter.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] I am a firm believer that everyone deserves a second shot in life. Or death, rather. Didn't visit that natural park you always wanted to go to? Couldn't tell your crush you loved them before getting crushed by a rock? Ran out of motivation to write your DCSS guide? Become a mindless thrall and forget about all your regrets! What, did you think I'd actually give you the chance to do these things you missed? Get real.}}

'''[[Anguish]]''' (Level 4 Necromancy/Hexes) - Ah, the ultimate answer to the thing Felids despise most - creatures with unreal quantities of ranged damage. This spell attempts to curse the entire screen with 100% reflection damage, meaning all damage they inflict on both you and allies... will be dealt back to them in full. Yes, dear lindwurm, do shoot a fire bolt through my horde of yak zombies, that will totally end well for you.

The lindwurm is wracked by anguish!!!!
The lindwurm dies!

I especially recommend you try it on: orc priests, meliai, any early game dragon, centaurs and their warrior variants, uniques with disgustingly overpowered spells... You have to beat their Willpower, but as any tyrannical regime would tell you, repetition is the key to domination! If the foe of interest has Will++ or less when you examine them, simply cast the spell again until they are successfully cursed.

If you cast the zpell from the 'z?' menu, you'll be able to move the cursor over each enemy and check the percentage chance of successfully landing the curse. Will+++ or even Will++++, like death yaks, or the Minotaur at the end of a gauntlet? No problem. Simply read a Scroll of Vulnerability to cut that confidence in half, and they will regret ever contemplating hurting a fluffball as adorable as you are. Consider that your Willpower will also be divided by two, which can be problematic if that means a nearby enemy spellcaster can easily land a nasty Paralyze or Banishment on you.

Brainless or artificial enemies (from gently gurgling '''jellies''' to the dreaded '''Orbs of Fire''') have no concept of love, hate or righteousness, and will remain completely unaffected by Anguish. They won't be unaffected, however, by your swarm consuming them.

Seismosaurus Eggs become a DEVOURER OF GODS when put against Anguished enemies, who will be blasted both by the immense guilt of damaging your precious dino-friend, and by the more literal earthquake of bone-breaking rock that will ensue.

I like to put Anguish on my "Q"uiver, and to cast it with "p" right after I have unrolled a batch of summons. 2-3 casts for a single enemy should be your maximum number of attempts - '''do not spend your entire mana bar trying to curse a particularly rebellious specimen'''! You do not want to be left with zero mana - and a very angry reptile in your face - because you tried and failed to curse a Hydra 6 times in a row.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] The Wu Jian council always lectures its followers to "use the enemy's strength against themselves". I try to do the exact same thing, and somehow, now it's "evil" just because it's me doing it? What injustice!}}

'''[[Blink]]''' (Level 2 Translocations) - Ah, yes, it's that one spell which every single DCSS character wants. You are playing a game called DCSS, yes? '''Train Translocations, and set a target to 5.0'''. You'll also need to REMEMBER TO USE IT, which is the worst thing about this spell. I like to bind it to a macro on Spacebar. If the button is bigger, it causes more neurons to fire in my brain. Which makes me actually use Blink when might-hasted Donald is in my face instead of drinking a Potion of Heal Wounds only to get oneshotted immediately afterwards. Remember, this spell has a cooldown of a few turns after use.

===The Wilderness Trinity===

No Death Channel? Kiku isn't feeling the festive cheer and is gifting you utter trash? Try these on for size. I recommend ignoring this section if you have good necromantic spells.

It's called the Wilderness trinity because they all appear in one of the random spellbooks, named the Book of the Wilderness. You may also find them in various other tomes!

'''[[Summon Mana Viper]]''' (LV 5 Hexes/Summonings): It moves fast. It hits hard. It knows how to do nothing except those two things. It also demolishes enemy spellcasters by applying its dastardly antimagic venom on every hit. Does that remind you of anyone? Indeed. This is just like having a Vine Stalker Berserker of Trog by your side. Enjoy. '''Turn on Hexes with a target of 8.0 if you wish to use this spell.''' '''Maximum Summon Capacity: 1.'''

'''[[Summon Forest]]''' (LV 5 Translocations/Summonings): This one requires open space to be cast, which renders it useless in hallways - which the Lair and Mines are interestingly very scarce in. Successfully using this spell results in a maze-like formation of tree-walls, which are ''immune to damage'', ''block Line-Of-Sight'', and ''deal heavy melee damage to nearby foes''. Feel free to run around the maze while pursued by an angry pack of animals - they will simply bring about their doom. If you can keep the dryad alive long enough, snapvine tentacles will eventually start to spawn, which will utterly decimate anything still alive. They also constrict enemies, making them easier to hit by your other summons! If you quiver this spell with "Q", you will be able to see on the sidebar when the spell has enough space to be casted (the text will be coloured). The price for such power? '''Turn on Translocations and set the target to 8.0'''. '''Maximum Summon Capacity: 1.'''

'''[[Summon Cactus Giant]]''' (LV 6 Summ): It's Anguish if it was a living creature. Its role is very similar - stand in hallway, tank hits, eventually destroy the attacker without doing anything. The melee damage of the Cactus Giant is decent, but each hit it receives inflicts heavy reflection damage. It’s perfect to use against those pesky hydras, and should be your go-to 1v1 spell against high damage melee targets. It has a great synergy with a couple of spells:

* Summon Forest: While foes take damage bludgeoning their way through the Giant, they take even more punishment from the berserk trees surrounding them!
* Anguish: Double the reflection damage. Goodbye, melee enemies.
* Martyr's Knell: A twice bigger health pool to apply even more reflection damage throughout its lifespan. Longer duration, more time to regenerate mana, a great opportunity to recast this spell and do it all over again!

'''You will need around Summonings level 14 to use this spell.''' '''Maximum Summon Capacity: 1.'''

===Consolation Prizes===

'''[[Borgnjor's Vile Clutch]]''' (Level 5 Necromancy/Earth) - '''Warning: This is decent, but you can do better. Get the spells above instead if possible.''' It's a beam. It ignores allies. Point, click, and everything in its path that doesn't resist constriction, isn't located on a deep water/lava tile and hasn't sworn allegiance to your indisputable leadership will be irresistibly crushed into a fine paste and denied the ability to move. Resist the temptation to run around going squish-squish-squish on everything you see without casting any other spell - you will demolish a yak pack. You will think to yourself "wow I'm so OP". You will annihilate a hydra. "haha I am unstoppable". You will come face to face with a black mamba. You have no zombie yaks or hydras protecting you because you thought it would be funnier to give a few animals a power massage. You get fully poisoned and die. This spell is a ''complement'', not the main carry. You will need to '''train Earth Magic, and set a target to 6.0'''.

'''[[Martyr's Knell]]''' (Level 4 Necromancy/Summonings) - '''Warning: This is decent, but you can do better. Get the spells above instead if possible.''' Is your wall of undead flesh and soul getting deconstructed too fast by rampaging elephants? Clearly, your makeshift RPG party has too many fighters, and needs a cleric. This poor soul does absolutely nothing except absorb 50% of all damage taken by ''any'' of your allies, trying its best to regenerate away the harm constantly imposed upon it. When it inevitably has its health bar popped like a balloon, it turns into a Flayed Ghost, which splatters blood all over the place and causes a great deal of drama and spectacle. Said Ghost is quite good at fighting (especially in the Lair), but extremely fragile. Therefore, when a Martyr transforms, you may immediately bring out a new one to help protect this Ghost, and that new one will also turn, until you now have 3 Ghosts at the same time and enough blood to receive a lifetime title of honour at your local blood bank. So much for 'evil' magic. There is also a great synergy with Anguish - Martyrs can take a great deal of punishment, which allows for truly great amounts of mirrored damage!

===Wizards' Corner===

If, for some reason, you are completely decked out in Wizardry, Intelligence and yet Kiku is insulting you with its "gifts", you can consider the level 7 dual school Summonings spells ''Malign Gateway'' or ''Sphinx Sisters''. Their other school is, respectively, Translocations and Hexes, which cats both benefit from a +4 aptitude for!

[[#More Tentacles (Summonings)|They are explained more in depth right here]].

=The Necromantic Apex (******)=

'''If you found the Kiku altar later than usual, come back to this section IMMEDIATELY when you reach 6 stars!'''

Alright, this is the big moment. As soon as you are notified with the message:

Kikubaaqudgha will grant you forbidden knowledge.

Immediatately open your 'a'bility menu, and use "Receive Forbidden Knowledge". You will be gifted, every single time, '''Haunt''', '''Infestation''', Borgnjor's Revivification and '''Death's Door'''. Only 3 of these are of interest to this build. I believe you have guessed which ones already.

Infestation and Death's Door will be quite far away from usable status. But, if you have obeyed my every word (I see no alternative), Haunt should be near 45% if you are still in the Lair, or near 30% failure rate if you are in the Mines. Intelligence and Wizardry jewellry helps a ton here. Memorize it as soon as possible - [[#The Velvet Path Begins (First Forbidden Spell)|explanations on how to do so are featured here]].

'''IMPORTANT: Now that you have fully emptied Kiku's warehouse of plentiful gifts, the god now serves only one purpose in life (or rather, unlife): your personal Unearth Wretches spambot.''' Don't believe me? Have a look at the list of offered abilities:

* Torment protection, an almost useless resistance to have, except in the very late-game.
* Death curse protection, an even more useless resistance, only of interest in the Tomb, a super late-game branch.
* The ability to invoke a Sign of Ruin, which burns precious piety stars that could have simply been used to send out an even greater legion of allies.
* Miscast protection, which does not actually block the truly bad part of miscasts - not getting to cast the spell.
* '''The only actually good ability, Unearth Wretches.'''

You will receive no further gifts. Your piety bar serves '''no other purpose besides spamming Unearth Wretches'''. You will only lose Unearth Wretches should you reach the '''minimum''' possible piety level, which is ZERO stars.

From now on, at ANY moment where you feel a challenge is in sight, do the following:

* Make sure your ally-creation buffs are active (Animate Dead and/or Death Channel)
* Unearth Wretches 1 to 3 times in a row, depending on how much assistance you require, and depending on whether the Wretches are dropping plentifully (5 wargs!!!) or are utter trash (is that... a single orc?)

The types of creatures summoned by Unearth Wretches fully depends on which branch you are currently in. That's right - the more OP the enemies are, the stronger this ability becomes. If you use it in Swamp, expect to get a whole bounty of hydrae ready to decimate all opposition. This is why it's unimpressive in the Dungeon - as it can bring out pitifully weak critters from D:1. Now that you actually have Necromancy trained a bit, you might get a cyclops or some centaur warriors, which are interesting enough.

Once you have claimed Forbidden Knowledge, if you have both Animate Dead and Death Channel ready and castable but have not cleared the Orcish Mines yet, you can proceed earlier than usual to the [[#For True Sabretooth Tigers (Annihilating the Slime Pits With A Giga-Army)|great slime raid]]. This is rare, but especially lucky kitties can enjoy an even softer Kiku wrath by switching up the order.

= Pig-People and Pig-Iron (Orcish Mines) =

Clear the Dungeon until you find the entrance to the Mines (it appears on D:9 to D:12) if you haven’t done so already. '''Do NOT descend into the Dungeon any further! You will need these floors to remain unexplored to rank up Jiyva's piety bar later.''' Now, delve into the brown-hued staircase.

Extra spicy death trap welcoming party? Animate Dead, Death Channel, Unearth Wretches. If you have already reached the maximum tier of piety (******), do not hesitate, but if not, use Unearth Wretches only if you need it! Your piety is precious, and (******) should be inching close by now.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Would you look at how good of a boss I am? You get a vacation here. Feel free to take your time here, there is no gem of interest to me in this place.}}

Orcs are not especially renowned for gentles caresses. Especially not the ones with a red danger square around them. In particular, avoid orc knights, warlords, and especially ettins from breathing on your scruff. In the Mines, the popcorn (DCSS term for very easy but numerous foes) is plentiful, and the sources of ranged damage even more so. This means that '''Anguish''' is an absolute star player here, easily beating orcs' pitiful Willpower and generating gargantuan armies of zombies and spectres in tandem with Animate Dead/Death Channel. '''Summon Seismosaurus Egg ''' also excels at thinning out the hordes.

Some notable foes:

* Orc sorcerers make most characters tremble in fear, because they have the overpowered Paralyze spell. You are not most characters. You most likely will not be paralyzed due to your infinite feline self-confidence. What such charisma won't protect you from, however, is a laser beam of pure blazing fire in your face. These (or the darkness damage variant) can twoshot you. They fall quickly to Anguish, but ring-swapping to obtain relevant resistances may prove interesting if you are being threatened.
* Kobold blastminers have a cute little ranged weapon. They like to go pew-pew-pew with it. It doesn't do that much damage. What does do damage, on the other hand, is the titanic cannonball they are packing (Bombard) should you get into semi-close range. Do not walk into a 4-tile radius of these without any ally in between - you will be - you guessed it - twoshotted.
* Orc high priests, and the aforementioned sorcerer can summon some demonic allies. Most are fairly weak, but Soul eaters will constantly smite you for darkness damage from across the screen (rN+ helps) and sixfirhies move at lightspeed and twoshot you with huge lightning damage. Did you know "sixfirhy" were originally named after a cat walking on the keyboard of a DCSS developer? It's true! Anyhow, kill that sorcerer/high priest and their friends will vanish, never to be seen again. Direct your minions to focus fire on these walking YASDs with “t”-“a”. Evokables, like wands, can prove useful for this. Using a staircase will also never have summoned demons follow you through it.
* Obsidian bats are extremely annoying hit and run summoners, kind of like a newly released class with mobility creep from a pay2win game. In all cases, the Seismosaurus is your saviour.

There are many possible layouts in Orc:2 - one in particular is peppered with centaurs of all types, and is extremely risky to clear - make ample use of fog/butterfly scrolls, chokepoints, and corners. A few other layouts will invite the attention of Saint Roka herself, which you should only ever duel when she is alone, as she uses Smite almost every other turn. A Scroll of Vulnerability alongside Anguish redirects those smites back to sender! A particularly entertaining vault is filled to the brim with dozens upon dozens of ogres, and while it's quite terrorizing for most characters, you should laugh it off and collect enough gold pieces to replace the clay pellets in your litterbox - as ogres make for excellent undead.

The more unfortunate among you may also encounter Azrael, or rather, Supreme Turbo Augmented Orc Priest of Mega-Doom. Most of his spells are fairly reasonable and can be tanked by your devoted friends, aside from one: Call Down Damnation. It will not oneshot you, but it can certainly twoshot you, and there is absolutely nothing stopping him from spamming it. The easiest way to deal with him is to sip on a Potion of Invisibility, then command your swarm to delete him as quickly as possible. He is vulnerable to icy damage, so a wand of iceblast tends to explode the last specks in his HP bar if your army found itself insufficient for taking him down. He also has low Willpower, which means the spell that starts with "Ang" and ends with "uish" works tremendously well. Do not even think about using Scrolls of Silence, for all his spells come from his raw, primal hatred of cats incarnated into spheres of blazing fire.

Speaking of the latter, if you have a strong batch of allies, think about using scrolls of Silence! They will render all of the orcish upper caste incapable of blasting you with Beogh's fist, demons or elemental wrath. Even Saint Roka will be forced to rely only on her sword (fair warning: she knows how to use it).

Finally, if you find yourself before a gigantic crowd susceptible to remote detonating you with a one turn quadra-smite, consider a scroll of Immolation. Not only does it score a large quantity of points in the EXPLOSIONS department, killing a single orc with a wand or even having your Inugami detonate on death is bound to wipe out the screen. Of course, refrain from any pyromaniac tendencies if you are adjacent to two or more enemies with Inner Flame. More explosions can be survived with rF+.

Orc:2 is guaranteed to contain at least 4 shops. Unfortunately, we are still in the Fantasy Middle Ages. Big Data and targeted marketing has not been invented yet. Therefore, these dull merchants will, most of the time, try to sell you OP demon swords and crystal plate armours you can't even use. Perhaps, with some luck, a fine librarian fellow will sell you one of those necromantic spells Kiku might have refused to gift to you.

Exercise caution around strange upstairs in Orc:2 marked as unexplored. They tend to lead to tight pockets with a jolly, welcoming community of trolls and orc knights right in your face, and a free ride back to the character selection screen. There is little harm in just checking, but consider if it's really worth trading a potential life for 100 gold on the floor.

===The Velvet Path Begins (First Forbidden Spell)===

With the Mines and Lair standing behind you, it is time to make a choice. But first, allow me to introduce you to the next spell in the roster. You should memorize it as soon as it reaches below 20% failure rate! Not enough spell slots? Use a Scroll of Amnesia and remove Summon Seismosaurus Egg. I believe you must be getting tired of that thing doing absolutely nothing and dying. Call Canine Familiar is also a reasonable candidate. If you have no such scrolls, train Spellcasting - remember, 0.5 skill levels = 1 spell slot.

'''[[Haunt]]''' (Level 7 Necromancy/Summonings) allows you to point and click any foe on your screen to send a squad of undead hitmen after it. They are professionals for three main reasons:

* Punctuality. They immediately spawn in right next to the Creature of Interest.
* Efficiency. Not only do they deal huge damage, they also lock the Creature of Interest in place and dish out Slow and Willpower/2 debuffs like candy. Invisible enemies? They have never heard of such an obstacle.
* Discretion. Once their grisly work is complete, they will swiftly evaporate out of reality, awaiting their next contract. Still, you may occasionally spot them damaging or even slaying some bystanders - can't have the word spreading around, after all.

Beyond the obvious assassination benefits, there are synergies with other necromantic spells as well:

* '''Anguish''': Since Haunt immediately dials up a considerable amount of allies, it's just more hitpoint to feed into the reflect-damage engine.
* '''Borgnjor's Vile Clutch''': Is the Creature of Interest dodging all assassination attempts like the leader of some totalitarian regime? Perhaps they won't be laughing as much once you reduce their Evasion to near zero by applying constriction, thus letting the ghostly specialists carry out their grim task with great ease.

Bind them to the keyboard macro you used for the spell you have forgotten with the Scroll of Amnesia (Ctrl-D to do so). Haunt can have '''up to 8 spectral assassins out at once''', so if one cast didn't bring them all out, you can dial 1-800-KILLTHATDUDE again and tell them to get moving by immediately recasting the spell. There really is no reason to not have these guys out constantly. They do good work, and they only take up 7 mana in pay.

Well. "Only" 7 mana. Is it just me, or these spells sure are getting quite hungry? I mean, all those Anguish casts, summons, self-buffs, and now awesome spectral hitmen? This flimsy mana bar just isn't cutting it.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Well? Look around your library, perhaps I tossed Sublimation of Blood in your general direction. Or perhaps not. I am getting forgetful for my age. Which is many thousand millenias.}}

No, no. That flimsy health bar isn't cutting it either, now is it? Transferring the problem from the blue bar to the green bar isn't going to solve our problems.

{{flavour|[[File:Jiyva altar.png]] ''An oddly inviting, squishy sound resounds through the Dungeon.''}}

=A Divine Heist (God-Swap Explanations)=

Now comes the part where this guide takes a highly controversial strategic choice: preparing to abandon Kikubaaqudgha in favour of Jiyva.

'''(DO NOT DO IT JUST YET!)'''

Abandoning gods in DCSS is, almost always, a poor decision, with rare exceptions. I believe this is one of those exceptions. You should already know by now that Unearth Wretches is Kiku's only good ability. Now let us look at what Jiyva offers:

* Free HP and MP regeneration that is exactly equivalent to wearing, somehow, four amulets of HPRegen and MPRegen at the same time.
* Endless mutation drops, granting boons such as free rF+, free rC+, free AC, free SH or free HP bonuses, all extremely difficult to acquire on a Felid. Press capital 'A' to see your current mutations.
* Instant emergency endgame summons from the Slime Pits when taking sudden, large amounts of damage (also known as "an average day" for a Felid), which can fight and demolish even the strongest foes.
* An active ability that oneshots any melee range living or corporeal undead creature, no questions asked.
* Complete pacification of all gelatinous creatures, some of which count themselves among the most feared foes of DCSS.
* A free rune of Zot.
* rCorr. For free.
* The so-called "downside" of having slurping jellies roam around every level and digest all items they can find - except artifacts, runes and gems -, the vast majority of which you never could use anyhow.

The Slime God has not received the attention of anything sapient in a very long time, and will be overjoyed enough to shower you in piety after just a bit of exploration. I won't lie, it sucks to have some great scrolls be devoured before your very eyes. I judge it to be a small sacrifice compared to-

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Turncoat! Betrayer! You lawless toxoplasmosis-infested flea-ridden fuzz-thing! How dare you suggest abandoning the righteous forces of evil and torture for some first-grader slime making experiments?}}

Right, there's also the whole "divine wrath" thing. Let's unpack this. For the next 5-8 floors, you will have to deal with:

* Occasional Symbols of Torment. These are usually not triggered in dangerous moments, but when they are, enemies are also tormented as if you had just read a Scroll of Torment. In any case, Jiyva's first piety star (*.....) will immediately grant the first rank of their regeneration passive.
* Occasional HP drain. This is a very annoying part. Losing 30 max HP for a short time can hurt, as it's not like you had a lot of the stuff to go around in the first place. Thankfully, you will never lose more than 50% of your max HP. '''This bypasses rN+, do not try to use it to shield yourself.''' Dying as a Felid removes all HP drain.
* Slain enemies will occasionally be revived in undead form. These are generally weak on their own - the more annoying part is that it steals your chance at reanimating them with your own magic. Dispel Undead - a spell which Kiku may have gifted you - makes swift work of the annoying revived undead they keep throwing your way. This is completely optional and I usually don't bother, but it may interest you. It also finds uses against all kinds of standard issue undead enemies, such as bog bodies (Swamp) or Pharaoh Ants (Spider Nest).
* Rarely (5% chance), casting a Necromancy spell will deal a small amount of darkness damage. Mostly harmless, especially if you have rN+, but it can tip you over the edge if you were already almost dead.
* Occasional Doom. This generally means you will be eating 2 to 3 Banes throughout the entire wrath effect. Let's take a look at them.

===Kiku's Troll Carousel (Banes)===

'''Laughed Out Of The Room tier'''

* '''Bane of Heatstroke:''' Oh no! You are rarely slowed from taking fire damage (rare in the early game) when your allies are responsible for 99% of your damage output! No one cares.
* '''Bane of Snow-Blindness:''' Reduces your accuracy when you take cold damage. When was the last time you were waving a stick around or throwing it? Right, in a parallel world when you were stuck as a lesser humanoid.
* '''Bane of Electrospasm:''' Prevents you from moving short time when you take electric damage. Read that again. Prevents YOU from moving. Did it say anything about a crocodile? No? You know what to do.
* '''Bane of Claustrophobia:''' Reduces your melee damage and accuracy when near walls. Hahahaha. Thank you for your time, the door is right there.
* '''Bane of the Reckless:''' Oh no! You have to temporarily swap out your Reflection Amulet for something else that's just as good! Big deal.
* '''Bane of Warding:''' Some enemies are immune to ranged damage. I'll like to see you try to give your zombies a bow.
* '''Bane of the Hunted:''' Summoned enemies appear next to you. Wow, if only we had a spell to deal with the "big dude in my face" problem. Oh right.

'''A Bit Annoying tier'''

* '''Bane of Lethargy:''' You move slower. You have allies to swap with, and your trusty Crocodile. Honestly, I rarely notice it. But when you need to run to the stairs with no mana, it can hurt.
* '''Bane of Stumbling:''' If you move or wait, you have -25 EV. This one is rough as it's the main source of our defense, but there are ways to game it. Casting any spell keeps your EV intact, so Crocodile-chaining is a good way to move around. This might also be an opportunity to use up those hundreds of flame wand charges you might have sitting around.
* '''Bane of Succour:''' Monsters lifesteal from their friends dying. Meh, your swarms are already dishing out much more damage than these "drain tanks" can keep up with, but it does make enemies a bit more tanky in general.
* '''Bane of Mortality:''' When you rest to full HP after fights, reapers come out to gank you like you are playing a MOBA game in the highest leagues. The strategy is the same no matter if this is DotA or DCSS: have space to retreat. Don't wait to regenerate in tight and cramped corridors, and you'll have no problem outrunning their extremely slow speed, with a crocodile if you must.
* '''Bane of Paradox:''' This one will most likely do nothing, but has a small chance of being lethal, so I am placing it in this tier. Rarely, some enemies will have Manifold Assault. Because there are so many weak fools and swarms of puny orcs in the game, this usually is not noticeable. The problem starts if some big shot unique with mega melee damage gets it, which is rare. In that case, imagine you are back in the Dungeon facing centaurs, and do everything in your power to melt them as fast as possible.

'''Pretty Dangerous tier'''

* '''Bane of Multiplicity:''' It's manageable most of the time. It just suuuucks when some ranged cheater or smite spammer has its long lost twin surge out of the earth and destroy you. It thankfully does not last very long. If Rimeblight is up and working, it is awesome at dealing with this problem.
* '''Bane of the Dilettante:''' Temporary -25% Necromancy and Summonings skill. This is painful. The developers want you to "hybridize", but there is no "hybridizing" out of the blessed Velvet Pawed Path. What are you going to do, memorize Plasma Beam? Get real. Anyhow, you should hopefully be still able to use your level 6 and under spells, which are strong enough in their own right. If you feel too weak and have Amnesia scrolls, I suggest temporarily memorizing one of the suggested level 6 and under spells in this guide (Borgnjor's Vile Clutch, Summon Cactus Giant, Summon Forest, Summon Mana Viper) to support you.

As you can see, Banes aren't so bad. Most runs, they just do nothing. Sometimes, they minorly debuff you. Very rarely, they are responsible for losing a single life.

Well, it's up to you to choose now. Will you follow me through this high-risk, high-reward play? I have done god swap dozens of times while playtesting my own guide. I have never once lost a run where I could directly blame Kiku's wrath for my demise. Died once, perhaps. Nothing more.

But don't do it just yet. Keep reading.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] As my employee, your choice is limited here. We have to cut healthcare out of the budget, because you spend way too much company time resting and regenerating. We'll be hooking you up on those experimental slime chemicals from now on. Or honey, if you found that Hive Talisman. Maybe you'll help a breakthrough in pharmaceuticals, once we're done scraping your dissolved remains off the floor.

There is just one problem: that Starry Gem inside the Slime Pits, is extremely tight, at 600 turns! My suggestion: Clean out the Pits anyhow, either diving to the altar if you need one, or simply trying to grab some fresh jellified walking experience potions. Once 100 turns remain on your timer, immediately ascend! You will only be coming back to the Slime Pits after you have obtained the Orb of Zot, which stops all timers.

Of course, if you're running Hive Form, finish the job and get that Gem NOW!!}}

===The Forbidden Kikubeequdgha Build (Staying with Kiku)===

Let's face it: the only reason we are even considering this insane play is because we want more HP and MP regeneration - the kind a mere amulet of mana regeneration doesn't hold a candle to. Jiyva is a reliable way to get boatloads of it, but it's not the ''only'' way.

* Way 1: '''Being a lucky little [EXPLETIVE REDACTED]''': Wow. You got the Amulet of Vitality off of the ground, just like a rich heir of a soup can company inheriting a million dollar portfolio at age 9. You go you. Go win the game, staying with Kikubaaqudgha, and basically having two gods at the same time at no cost to you. I hope your family is very proud of you.
* Way 2: '''THE KIKUBEEQUDGHA ASCENDANCY:''' Welcome, Velvet-pawed initiate. This is the only non-Jiyva path I officially approve of. A Hive Talisman, cranked up to its maximum, provides more HP and MP regeneration than the Amulet of Vitality or even Jiyva. Now, the problem is that it demands industrial quantities of experience poured into Shapeshifting. If you wish to take on this path, here is my suggestion. Raid the Slime Pits as indicated below, without the conversion part, slaying the Royal Jelly and Jiyva for good, and grabbing all the loot. Either get '''Infestation''' below 10% failure rate, or, alternatively, you can rely on the combination of BOTH Animate Dead and Death Channel, if you are willing to make good use of Unearth Wretches. If that is dealt with, turn off every skill except Shapeshifting, setting it to a target of 17. Once Shapeshifting reaches level 15, you can transform into Hive Form, accepting the small HP penalty. Once it reaches 17, stop training it, and pivot back to Necromancy to unlock '''Death's Door'''. Once Death's Door is online, if you want, you can train more Shapeshifting to increase your regeneration further, or [[#Perfection Can Still Improve (Lategame Skills)|follow any of the other late game suggestions]]. An amulet of Wildshape is extremely good for this plan at all stages of its execution, granting a free +5 levels of Shapeshifting.
* Way 3: '''For Scaredy-Cats''': Being content with a mere MP regeneration amulet, or an amulet of HP regeneration, alongside the spell Sublimation of Blood. (If you do the latter, cast it early and often, NOT when you are desperate for mana and NOT when you can't afford to lose the HP. Put it on an easily accessible macro. I like the letter "c".) I mean, you can... ''do that''... I suppose... But don't come mewling to me when you are cornered in the Vaults with 0 MP remaining and no way to cast Death's Door.

No matter your chosen Way, I will continue writing the guide with a Jiyva-swap perspective. Just remember you have Unearth Wretches on speed dial, and can unleash armies any time some challenge looks remotely capable of instilling anxiety in the heart beneath your fluffy chest.

===For True Sabretooth Tigers (Annihilating the Slime Pits With A Giga-Army)===

Allow me to divert my attention back to the brave and fearless, which are certainly not those people I was talking to in the previous section. To convert to Jiyva, you will need a Jiyva altar. Press Ctrl-F, and type "Jiyva". There is a 2/3 chance it spawned in Lair, and an additional small chance it appeared somewhere else.

'''DO NOT CONVERT JUST YET!''' We have 4-6 stars of pure, delicious Kiku juice, and we'd throw all that power away without using it? Come on, now.

Let me introduce you to a true departure from sanity.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUFsbt_5mxY Here is a video demonstration of me doing this.]

Going into the Slime Pits this early in the game is obvious suicide for most characters. Naturally, there is a trick at play:

* Kiku's Unearth Wretches instantly summons neutralized denizens from your current branch to turn into undead.
* Slime undead are extremely strong and plentiful, and their sheer mass protects you from dangerous melee attackers.
* The vast majority of Slime's creatures are exactly that - dangerous melee attackers.

Let's review your kit:

* If you have both '''Animate Dead''' and '''Death Channel''', raiding the Pits is very easy, and most importantly will reward you with a waterfall of experience points.
* If you have only '''Animate Dead''', it is slightly harder, as your army will spread in reduced numbers. Do it anyways, but be ready to spam some more Unearth Wretches to compensate.
* If you have only '''Death Channel''', you can have an army of interesting proportions, but you MUST watch your status effect in the sidebar - you do not want it to expire and make all your allies disappear at the most crucial moment. Be ready to recast and spam more Wretches, or to escape upstairs. If your DChan is going dark purple and jellies are all over your screen, it is time to RETREAT.
* '''The Contingency Plan (No Death Channel nor Animate Dead)''': Coming here without '''Infestation''' is suicide. You will need to rush this spell, ''pronto''. Turn off all skills except '''Necromancy'''. Go to the Spiders' Nest or the Snake Pit. (Swamp if you have Summon Forest). Play carefully until you can get a 20% failure rate on Infestation. You are now ready to continue.

Alright. Strap in, we're firing up the Kiku train. Next destination: a place beyond anything resembling sanity.

Stand on top of the Slime Pits entrance. Drink Brilliance, if possible. Cast Animate Dead and Death Channel, whichever you have, hopefully both. Drink Haste, if possible. Go in.

If ANY slimes are on your screen, immediately use Unearth Wretches. Not on the brink of death? Use it again. Again. If you're put against only basic '''Slime Creatures''', a single or two uses of Unearth Wretches can suffice, but any of the Big Ones (see below) warrants immediate firepower in the form of 3+ Unearth Wretches. If the welcoming party looks particularly nasty, FLOOD THE SCREEN.

If you are employing the Infestation method, only use Unearth Wretches twice, considering you'll need a turn to cast Infestation before they decay.

See the five Big Ones below. You do NOT want ANY of these in melee range of you.

* '''Azure Jelly''': A very simple enemy: they have chill-touched pseudopods with unholy damage output, move at the speed of sound and will chop off your health bar into bite-sized cubes. Just like your average DCSS player, they know only two things: moving and melee attacking. It is therefore only right that you grant them the demise an o-tabber deserves - drowned in infinite armies until their hubris finally collapses them into a chilly puddle.
* '''Void Ooze''': Pretty much the same thing. The big twist: letting them caress you will have them flood their slime in every alveoli of your lungs, causing damage over time and silencing you from spellcasting. To avoid unpleasant mental imagery, step away, swapping with an ally, to break the Engulf status. They also drain mana on hit.
* '''Acid Blob''': It has an acidic bolt, which does not do a ton of damage (in fact, it's the exact same damage numbers as the acid drakes all the way back in the Dungeon...), but it adds up. rCorr, found on the occasional ring or in a Potion of Resistance, can help. It's not usually needed, they get consumed too fast for it to matter. I recommend keeping allies between you and them to block their ranged attacks.
* '''Rockslime''': Another mindless o-tabber, this time with trample flavour. This can cause positioning problems (and death problems, because their damage is obscene). Another reason to NOT LET ANY OF THESE TOUCH YOUR PRISTINE FUR.
* '''Formless Jellyfish''': Easy to consume once your squad is established, but before then, they can teleport behind you (''heh, nothing personnel, kid'') and attack you with the following four debuffs: constriction + paralysis + poison + literally just killing you. These ones are actually not fast, so if you're just waiting for your Wretches to pop or your screen is already filled with spectres and/or zombies, feel free to swap with an ally or use Eringya's Surprising Crocodile to exit melee range of them.

'''If a dangerous slime gets into melee range''': If your wretches have popped, swap places with any of your now extremely numerous servants. If you can find a good angle, use Eringya's Surprising Crocodile. Otherwise, if you are still over 80% HP and are just waiting for your wretches to transform into allies, feel free to risk a step or two until it will become possible to hide behind your fresh batch of undead. If you are truly caught off-guard, a Scroll of Butterflies or Blinking will certainly pull its weight otherwise. For more risky options, try a scroll of Summoning or a potion of Haste, which will let you outrun any slime '''except Quicksilver Oozes'''. DO NOT WASTE TURNS TAKING STEPS WITHOUT HASTE IF YOU HAVE NO ARMY YET. Unearth Wretches will create a protective wall of paralyzed gelatin, preventing nearby slimes from reaching you - and this is even safer if you are currently hasted or the slimes are asleep.

This is also why we trained Stealth earlier - this makes it much more likely that you will be able to draw your gelatinous horde from the ground while the acid blobs next to you are dreaming about soft and sweet sugary desserts instead of twoshotting you.

Slime Pits floors are small and compact - simply run around and completely annihilate all that jiggles and squishes with your personal militia until you find the downstairs. Did it get wiped out, either from you only having Death Channel or just the constant barrage of acid melting your jelly zombies into rotting puddles? Are more jellies breaching your diminishing defenses. '''Cast Animate Dead/Death Channel again. Send more Wretches.''' Once a floor is cleaned up, go downstairs.

If you want to maximize experience gain, look for upstairs with little yellow stars - they will have more gelatin to push through your Kiku-compactor. The Slime Pits has a disconnected layout, a bit like the Orcish Mines.

You will want to watch out for '''glass eyes''' and '''eyes of devastation''' - the former can place a debuff on you that increases all damage taken, which allows the latter to oneshot you with an ally-piercing bolt if the dice are feeling particularly evil. They should be focused first with 't'-'a'. '''Acid blobs''' also have a corrosive (but NOT ally-piercing) bolt, though it is not as scary, especially with a ring of corrosion resistance. You'll always want to have allies blocking Line-of-Sight with '''great orbs of eyes''', who can ''deny you use of all your spells through polymorph'' should they ever land their dastardly hexes on you!

'''Golden eyes''' can also get annoying - should they start giving you an extremely lengthy Confusion debuff, long enough for you to switch to a different tab, watch a few movies and come back, you'll want to drink a potion of Curing if dangerous slimes are exploiting this opportunity to sneak up on you. Watch out, if many Golden eyes are on screen, they might refresh the Confusion the moment you drink your potion! If you are entering a new floor, preparing to bring forth your army, and there are golden eyes alongside dangerous slimes, I recommend trying a different staircase entirely if possible - instant confusion and getting collapsed on by oozes is a death sentence.

As for '''Shining eyes''', they do zero damage, but their gaze will nastily violate basic biological knowledge, and rearrange your muscles to shrink in mass (?), make your meows as loud as the Tsar Bomba (??), or even warp your brain in such a way that it will randomly distort spacetime and bring you into the nearest death trap (???). As your feline body is already perfect in every way, any change would be a net downgrade. However, unlike you, your obedient units are not as feline and fluffy, and therefore would greatly benefit from a few minor readjustments. Leave them to be warped into pulsating flesh masses, shielding you from the mutagenic radiation - if the Shining Eye couldn’t fire a Magic Dart at you, you are safe. If you do eat a Malmutation, Jiyva will likely cure you once you receive your 3-stars mutation gift - but you can just drink a couple of Mutation potions until then.

* If the Jiyva altar did not spawn, your goal is to reach Slime:5 as fast as possible. That is where the guaranteed Jiyva altar is (there might be a rare one on the upper floors - convert there once your piety bar has been fully expended!)
* If it did spawn, you can stay here for as long as you want, ascending back to the surface once your Kiku oxygen tank is running dry. You might still be interested in reaching Slime:5, if only for the vast concentration of enemies and resulting experience.

Final floor? You know what to do. Pre-cast those spells before going down. Unearth Wretches. Get that army in working order. '''WARNING:''' If you have rolled the Slime:5 layout where there are many little square chambers interconnected by 1 tile hallways, this place becomes highly deadly, as it is very hard to actually get your army to do their grisly work with all these suffocating chokepoints. Do NOT try to clear this floor if you are not seeking the altar. If you are, be HIGHLY cautious.

'''If you are looking for the Jiyva altar''': Read a scroll of Revelation on Slime:5. Don't have it? Tough luck, you'll have to manually explore to find the altar. It's usually somewhere close to the centre. If you do have it, press capital 'X', and survey the map for an "unknown altar" icon. That's your destination. Get moving. Converting to Jiyva instantly renders the entirety of the Slime Pits completely harmless. You just need to get to that altar, and you'll have succeeded. Is it utterly swarmed and blocked by slimes of many nutritious flavours? Is your army dying at the final stretch? That's what those Scrolls of Blinking are for. Yes, blink on top of the altar, even if it's surrounded by deadly enemies. One turn is all you need. Don't worry, your army won't go hostile. Even though you just angered the god of Necromancy itself.

'''About the Royal Jelly''': Command your army with 't'-'f' (or 't'-'a' on something else) to NOT ATTACK IT. (Unless you are running the Hive Talisman). Not only does it spawn horrible amounts of OP slimes when it takes damage (which are worth 0 experience), it will also destroy all Jiyva altars if you somehow manage to kill it with your army of gelatinous doom. Which is surprisingly likely. If you have pulled it in and find your squad getting progressively mowed down by a wide variety of digestive enzymes, consider using a Scroll of Teleport, or retreating upstairs and using a different downstairs. You'll have to ignite a new army with some extra Kiku stars, but it will "park" the Royal Jelly on that other end of the level so you can safely access the Jiyva altar.

Of course, if you are staying with Kikubaaqudgha and are doing the dive, feel free to take no prisoners, splatter honey-coloured goo all over the Pits, and smash and grab that loot.

{{flavour|[[File:Jiyva altar.png]] Jiyva gurgles in joy at your terrifying pilgrimage all to worship them (even though you just murdered half their followers and turned them to undead servants).}}

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] You know, I was kind of hoping this would happen. It's been a while since I had the fun of smiting a mortal with horrible, debilitating dark curses.}}

You should only come back here once you reach maximum piety with Jiyva - ****** - to unlock all the delicious loot.

The way back up will be peaceful and of utmost serenity. Surely Kiku's wrath will be a nice, relaxing affair after going through this.

=All That Squiggles, Splashes and Slithers (S-Branches)=

'''Only if you already finished raiding the Slime Pits:''' clear the last floors of the Dungeon, allowing you to obtain Jiyva piety and experience Kiku's wrath in a relatively safe environment. "Relatively", because there are probably centaur warriors prowling about with digusting amounts of ranged damage. Animate Dead. Death Channel. Anguish. Deadly armies. You know the drill.

You'll also find the Vaults entrance on D:13 or D:14, with its signature swarm of human guards decked out in tons of metal. Perhaps they should have thought about protecting the inside of their skulls as well, as they are very vulnerable to Anguish.

'''If you are still with Kiku, waiting for your Infestation to become castable so you can raid the Pits:''' do NOT clear the lower Dungeon yet - once Kiku juice has been exhausted, you will want a safe area to start getting your first Jiyva stars and work off the first instances of Kiku's wrath in an environment you are overleveled for. Leave it for AFTER the S-Branches.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] That Smoky Gem is down there, in D:15! If you did things properly, grabbing it shouldn't be too hard. What's harder is keeping it intact. Try to have at least 800 turns remaining when you collect it! And as for D:11-D:15, don't explore more than half of each floor, except on D:13-D:14, where you'll want to find the Vaults entrance, and get moving again immediately afterwards!}}

You'll want to visit the S-Branches in this order:

Spider Nest > Swamp > Snake Pit > Shoals

This is roughly how much each of these branches hate cats, from easiest to most lethal. In the former two, there is less ranged damage and more hordes to turn into highly efficient undead. Meanwhile, the Snake Pit is full of Naga Sharpshooter aimbot hackers, giga-flame-smite Salamander Tyrants, and the unique Vashnia, queen of ridiculous felid two-shots. Not to mention that some nagas actually have some Willpower to resist Anguish, unlike the animalistic and weak-willed creepy-crawlies. As for the Shoals, it leaks deep water everywhere to make things as difficult as possible for your army, and its denizens will endlessly throw sharp things at you, sometimes piercing through your entire squad.

Ironic, considering that most DCSS characters tend to fear spiders much more than snakes.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] If you chose the honey-flavoured part of our treatment plan, with Unearth Wretches, getting those Gems will be extremely easy. If not, only slightly harder. That doesn't mean it's another vacation! Once again, explore only about half of each floor, except the fourth and final one, where you'll probably have to spend a lot of time clashing your hordes against the final vault guardians and looking for that Gem. Oh, and a rune, too. But that one isn't that important, now is it? If you have leftover time when going up, you can full-clear the first floor, it's not like we'll be coming back here anyhow.}}

Let's get started. Do not Ctrl-G into the branch - you'll arrive there weak and unprepared, and if there is a welcoming party at the entrance, you are likely to have roughly the entire medical history of poisoning injected in your bloodstream as you sit there and get pwned. Instead, Ctrl-F for the entrance gate in Lair, and stand on top of it. Cast your self-buffs - Animate Dead and Death Channel. Good. Now, you can actually go down.

Assuming you are now with Jiyva, plentiful regeneration, obtained from your very first Jiyva star, allows you to spam Haunt, Borgnjor's Vile Clutch, Anguish and perhaps Infestation/Rimeblight to your heart's content to spark a flame of subservience in the first members of your army. Don't forget to pre-cast Animate Dead/Death Channel before each staircase!

Annoyed by missing out on Animate Dead/Death Channel? Or perhaps you have both and still desire more power? Allow me to introduce you to the apotheosis of ally-creation spells:

'''[[Infestation]]''' (Level 8 Necromancy) is, if you were unlucky and failed to find Animate Dead, your salvation. If you do have it, it's still your salvation, because this spell creates Death Scarabs from the bodies of '''any''' slain enemy (INCLUDING undead and nonliving beings, but except summoned foes and Kiku wrath simulacra/spectres - zombies are fine), '''bypassing Animate Dead''' (no zombie and scarab from the same slain foe!). What is a Death Scarab? Why, nothing short of a star resident of the branch which terrorizes 15 rune DCSS characters the most - the dastardly Tomb of the Ancients. Let's check those stats out:

* Moves and attacks faster than light itself. To be precise, every single time you get a turn, they get three.
* Irresistible Slow debuff on hit.
* Tons of damage.
* Unfortunately very low HP. Thankfully, they are easy to produce in industrial quantities.

Infestation is a point-and-click ability, in a 5x5 square (If you're waiting for this spell to go raid the Slime Pits: Unearth Wretches is also a 5x5 square - cast Infestation on top of yourself after Unearth Wretches for immensely impressive results!). The game makes it quite obvious. Like its point-and-click cousin Haunt, you'll be spamming this one a lot. Use a Scroll of Amnesia, forget one of your old starter Summoning spells, and bind the macro to Infestation instead!

Ideally, you'd get 2-3 from your first fight on a new floor. Take them for a pack walk (don't autoexplore). When a new foe comes into view and they immediately charge towards it, cast Infestation again, and so on, gradually turning the entire floor population into scarabs. Unfortunately:

Your death scarab crumbles into dust!

Their lifespan is... limited. Certainly more impressive than Death Channel, but limited nonetheless. Once you have drawn the first blood, ''you need to keep the killstreak coming''. If you have won a fight, and are now accompanied by invertebrate friends, it is YOUR time to start prowling about the level like some bloodthirsty, horrible beast for fresh scarab meat. Haunt. Infestation. Haunt. Infestation. Executed correctly, these two spells combined can clear any floor that isn't the Realm of Zot or an extended endgame floor. Most importantly, unless you are on the brink of death, you should not be constantly waiting in place twiddling your paws until your HP and MP thresholds get to 100% - your scarabs will just get bored of your lack of courage and evaporate out of reality.

'''[[Rimeblight]]''' (Level 7 Ice/Necromancy) is an equally strong addition to your kit, which you should consider welcoming into your repertoire. It's a lot of slots - you probably can't allow this and Borngjor's Vile Clutch/a big Summonings spell to coexist, so choices will have to be made. This spell is good at both taking out lone OP foes and bundled up living, demonic or holy creatures - for the real star of the show are the infectious explosions. Cast it on the least resilient foe that is closely bundled together with other creatures (each death causes the disease to spread further), and then forget about it and use your other spells. It will get the job done. Feel free to combine it with Gell's Gravitambourine for even less social distancing! You should also know that it executes living/demonic/holy monsters with 20% HP or less, so, if some ubermensch has only a few pixels remaining on its health bar and is destroying you, cast Rimeblight for a guaranteed takedown. if '''Training Ice Magic to level 9 is recommended.'''

'''After clearing the first S-Branch''': Check the success rate of '''Death's Door''' in your (M)emorization menu. If you are stacked with Wizardry/Intelligence buffs, it might be below 50%. Or not. That's fine too. You'll still want to start making room for it.

'''Start training Spellcasting to receive just enough slots to add it (0.5 level = 1 spell slot!), or use Scrolls of Amnesia on starter Summonings spells to free up slots.'''

If you make room to add it while clearing the second S-Branch AND the failure rate is below 50%, keep in mind this spell is utterly overpowered and will save even the most desperate situations. More on that later, but it might actually be worth gambling on if your other options aren't looking too good. Watch out: if you miscast it, it will likely just finish you off you with ~20 darkness damage. Until it reaches less than 20% failure rate, it's a last resort. LAST RESORT. Now is not the time to "save blinking scrolls for later". NO. YOU WON'T NEED THEM ANYMORE WHEN YOU HAVE IMMORTALITY ON SPEED DIAL.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Swamp/Shoals are super tight on time. Clearly, management thought the less turns employees spend in these places, the better. Typical ivory tower fools. Anyhow, when you find a normal staircase and the surroundings are clear and safe, just go down. You'll need a bit more time than you think to tackle those hydra parties and javelineer shooting ranges on the last floor!}}

===Angry Death-God Interdimensional Hunt (Monitoring Kiku's Wrath)===

If you'd like to check how long you'll still have to deal with Kiku's wrath, press, in this order, '?'-'/'-'g'-'k'. There are five tiers:

*"Kiku's wrath is upon you!" (> 75%)
*"Kiku well remembers your sins." (> 50%)
*"Kiku's wrath is beginning to fade. (> 25%)
*"Kiku is almost ready to forgive your sins." (< 25%)
*"Kiku is neutral towards you." (0%)

Once you reach the final tier, you are finally free, and will be able to fully enjoy necromantic magic with glorious slime-powered regeneration for the rest of the run!

Kiku will probably forgive you sometime around the S-Branches. At last.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Whatever. You're boring. If you need me, I'll be over here. On my throne of skulls. Watching slasher flicks. I'll especially not be watching your run, waiting for the moment you splat so I can cackle evilly at my indirect revenge. I would never do that. That sounds like something Zin would do.

But enough talk about using my stolen gifts. Let's finish you off.}}

===They Bite, They Fight, They Rot (Spider Nest)===

If you have rolled this branch, you have been granted the Necromancy-special easy mode midgame. Despite what you may think, rPois isn't actually that important with this build, because the assorted venomous bites won't actually be able to reach you if you play correctly. Let's get cracking.

* '''Meliais''' are as horrifying as they were in the lower parts of the dungeon, and should be dealt with as swiftly as possible - note that their willpower is very fragile when faced with a scion of the One True Pillow-Pawed race, which makes them vulnerable to Polymorph/Charm wands or Anguish.

* '''Spark Wasps''' can pull off anime "teleports behind you" moves with extreme electric damage. They must be Anguished on sight. Haunted. Borgnjor's Vile Clutched. I don't care. Each turn those blue pixels exist on your screen, you are increasing the likelihood that you'll lose the run and be forced to go do something productive instead. We don't want that, now do we?

* '''Orb Spiders''' are highly annoying pests that will challenge you to a game of dodgeball without consent. The ominous purple Orbs of Destruction they will hurl at you inflict extreme, potentially oneshotting, undodgeable damage, and should be avoided at all costs. The easiest way to neutralize them is to have any creature eat the Orb for you - enemies work too, but the most reliable choice is any allied unit. A simple use of your Blink cantrip can also save your scruff, but do mind the heat-seeking properties of Orbs in open spaces, and be ready to Blink a second time.

* '''Broodmothers''' are nasty and will challenge you to a Zotémon duel, and they're a big fan of the Poison Type. Do remind them that Poison attacks on Ghost types are Not Very Effective. If you need to reach them from behind their wall of allies, use Borgnjor's Vile Clutch or Haunt.

* '''Xak' Krixis''', a unique boss, can turn all of your poison into instant damage. Do not hold back on the armies against this one. And ring-swap to rPois. Or drink a Potion of Resistance. He is also quite vulnerable to Anguish. No rPois? At the very least, do anything to avoid standing within 2 tiles of the imminently exploding prisms.

* You don't want anything in this branch to be adjacent to you, but you especially don't want '''Radroaches''' adjacent to you. Enough said.

* '''Ghost Moths''' are the signature enemy of this branch that gets the DCSS community trembling in fear, mainly because of their undodgeable, point-and-click gaze instantly deleting your entire MP bar. Do note that the DCSS community is also filled with fans of conjurations and blaster spells. As a proper gentlefeline, your much more subtle and intellectual magic isn’t limited to the turn it was cast. Casting Haunt once on one is pretty much a guarantee that it will die (if the spectres can reach it). If they are ruining your day, a Potion of Invisibility will shut down their mana-draining ability.

Also, they are invisible. But the feline master race has little patience for such trivialities. You won't even notice. Just don't be surprised if your scarabs/zombies are ignoring them.

{{flavour|[[File:Jiyva altar.png]] Jiyva gurgles inquisitively, wondering how ghost moths reproduce if they can't see invisible, but are invisible themselves. }}

===Realm of the Aimbot Hackers (Snake Pit)===

Ready for some Counter-Strike action? Get to Site Snake:4 before the counter-terrorists eliminate your entire squad. Unfortunately, you have been placed in the cheaters' queue, and everyone here is using hacks and scripts.

* '''Naga sharpshooters''' are the main culprits. Not only do they have OP bows, they also have a spell that lets them teleport the arrow directly on top of you, bypassing your entire army AND reducing your chance to dodge it. They come in groups, too, which means you could be walking around and suddenly start getting plowed by sharp sticks appearing out of thin air. Because this isn't difficult enough, they have enough Willpower to resist Anguish and other hexes quite efficiently (though insistent casters may eventually curse them). A Scroll of Vulnerability helps if there are many on your screen. Most wisely, however, I suggest you avoid having too many on your screen at once, and make use of doors and chokepoints to secure a place where you can safely dump Haunt and Borgnjor's Vile Clutch on them one by one.

* '''Vashnia''' is the queen of the hackers, doing exactly the same thing as them but with bigger damage. And another hack that lets her teleport so you can't escape as easily. I've reported her to the DCSS admins numerous times, but she still hasn't gotten banned. If you've been saving your Scrolls of Vulnerability, this is the time to use them.

* '''Salamander tyrants''' are rare, but CAN ONESHOT YOU ON SIGHT WITH A POINT-AND-CLICK ABILITY. This is one of the extremely rare cases where you can literally just take a step and instantly die (assuming you lack rF+). As soon as one appears on your screen, you MUST take action immediately, through one of the following:
** Ring-swap to Fire Resistance.
** Drink a Potion of Resistance.
** Drink a Potion of Invisibility.

They are weak to Anguish and will likely get a taste of their own oneshot medicine once they are cursed. Assuming you survive, that is.

* '''Guardian serpents''' have the infamous ability to teleport their entire squad on top of you, which is an immediate critical emergency if it happens. Thankfully, you have loyal allies to take up space - yet another reason to always try to keep yourself surrounded and loved by your mindless thralls. Immediately consider the Blink spell or a Blinking scroll if you are caught off-guard.

* '''Naga ritualists''' have varied point-and-click poison abilities which aren't that threatening, but add up if you leave them alive for too long. Ring-swapping to rPois is useful, but barring, that, try to Haunt/Borgnjor's Vile Clutch them first.

* '''Nagaraja''' have all kinds of toxic-chemical flavoured conjurations comparable to Arachne's, and your 3 AC, no rPois scruff is not exactly the definition of a hazmat suit. Avoid having no allies blocking their line of fire (those poison arrows hurt!) and, if you cannot ring-swap poison resistance, expect to require Curing potions should their ally-piercing bolt of poison hit you.

* '''Shock serpents''' have an ally-piercing electrical bolt - not oneshot material by any means, but repeated hits will hurt. They have a permanently active damage-reflection effect electrocuting all which damage it in melee. The answer? Anguish - they hit your ally, they take Anguish damage from this, your ally hits them, they take more damage, your ally is electrocuted, the serpent takes even more Anguish damage. Don't try to wrap your head around it, just oneshot them with this technique.

===Grand Oneshot Fiesta (Swamp)===

This one is interesting, because most enemies here have ridiculous damage, but little ways of actually reaching you to apply it. It was already important before, but it is EXTREMELY important here to keep yourself surrounded by a cocoon of cold, well-meaning hugs from your assorted undead. Leaving your frail and vulnerable body exposed is opening the door to getting oneshotted by the extremely high damage hydrae, bunyips, alligators, will-o-wisps... Well, they actually have to do the effort of walking towards you to kill you (except the will-o-wisp). Which makes this place much better than Shoals in my book.

* '''Eleionoma''' are an exception to this rule, and are also complete bullshit. I don't like swearing in my guides, but these ones deserve it. Their signature spell, Splinterspray, has huge range and deals up to 72 damage. A dull-witted minotaur may say, "they aren't that bad, I just tab them with my axe". Well, dear bovine comrade, Splinterspray has its damage negated ''3 times in a row'' by your AC score. This means their existence is basically an insult to Felids in particular. Suffer not a single one to live. The counterplay? A ring of +4 Protection is worth a quick-swap when they are around, as it translates to a +12 AC bonus against this attack due to the multiplier. Because these aren't OP enough, they also giga-self heal when they touch trees. Just drop a fat Haunt or drown them in undead on sight, the less seconds they breathe, the better.

* '''Swamp Worms''' are pretty harmless on their own, but they can shoot a beam that pulls the first entity hit into melee range of them. If you let them get a clear shot, you can get extracted from your massive army into a death trap. Mind the gaps in your formation.

* '''Bloated husks''' just run at you doing nothing and explode in a 5x5 area when they die.. Aside the fact that this can make them deal huge damage to your army, it will, on average, take out half of your entire HP bar every single time if you get caught in the blastzone.

* '''Will-o-wisps''' endlessly churn out drones to seek and destroy you with huge fire damage. This will be blocked by allies, and Haunting them is highly wise. If you are exposed to their antics, though, consider ring-swapping to obtain rF+.

* '''Swamp dragons''' are not very dangerous, aside from the fact that they place disgusting green poison clouds all over the place. Got stuck in the chemical spill? Ring-swap to rPois, and you can immediately shut off every neuron in your brain that had registered their existence. No rPois? A potion of Resistance does the same thing. Otherwise, a potion of Curing heals all poison, but it won't help if you just get poisoned again by the cloud on the same turn. Focus on getting out, by walking, using the Blink spell or even a precious Blinking scroll if it truly matters.

* '''Shambling mangroves''' have a point-and-click constrict. It's kind of like the Borgnjor's Vile Clutch you may have chosen to obtain, but with even less counterplay. It ends when they perish, so hit them back with your own flavour of point-and-click, known as Haunt or Borgnjor's Vile Clutch.

* '''Goliath frogs''' and '''Spriggan riders''' have reach (polearm) attacks. Don't just stand there 2 spaces away while they ignore your allies and prepare themselves a fine feline brochette.

* Needless to say, don't let '''hydrae''' touch you. ESPECIALLY not the rare one with 27 heads.

===I Swear You Had A Health Bar A Second Ago, Must Be Seeing Things (Shoals)===

Ah yes, welcome to the funhouse of doom. You don't really need any specific resistances in this place, just go full-on Wizardry and Intelligence so things perish as fast as possible. I like Acrobat and Reflection amulets to reduce slightly the vast number of sharp objects moving quickly in your general direction. Ring-swapping into Flight, or drinking a Potion of enlightenment is also potentially interesting when you need to move over water for tactical reasons.

* '''Merfolk javeliners''' can Alt-F4 your health bar when they feel like it. Their sole purpose in life is to pick up sticks of metal and throw them at you, doing gargantuan damage in the process. Because it wasn't hard enough, they occasionally carry the silver variant of their javelins, which deals bonus damage to the heavily mutated. Because Jiyva has probably made you look like [https://raw.githubusercontent.com/crawl/crawl/master/crawl-ref/source/dat/tiles/title_froggy_jiyva_felid.png this] by now, this will hurt. A couple casts of Anguish will usually curse them (causing a massive pile of exclamation points in the message log when they throw their javelin through your undead army). An Amulet of Reflection or of the Acrobat will also come a long way towards putting the odds in your favour - I'd recommend walking around with one already equipped while in the Shoals.

* '''Satyrs''' are pretty much the exact same thing, but at least, they can't pierce through your allies freely. Let your servants die in your name!

* '''Water nymphs''' have a disgustingly powerful point-and-click "boom! you take 3 million damage!" ability. However, they can only use it if you are standing on a water tile. If one is on your screen, avoid water as much as possible - and don't let that Nymph get close, as they constantly leak the stuff everywhere they go. Nice try, but Flight won't save you.

* '''Wind drakes''' also have a "boom!" point-and-click, but this one instead relies on you being surrounded by empty tiles, just like the slug mage Gastronok. Another reason to keep your army close.

* '''Merfolk impalers''' and '''Alligator snapping turtles''' both have "reach" (polearm) melee attacks from 2 spaces away. They also deal giga-damage. Don't ever let them get a hit off.

=Crossroads of Immortality (The Ultimate Spell)=

You've made it. Ascension is at hand - or rather, at paw. Behold - the '''Velvet-Pawed Path to Immortality'''. A level 9 spell, ranked among the legends of Polar Vortex, Shatter, Dragon's Call, Fire Storm...

"How much damage does this one do", you ask yourself, trembling in excitement.

Zero, actually. To your enemies, that is.

'''[[Death's Door]]''' (Level 9 Necromancy), on a successful cast, will immediately nuke your (already minuscule) HP bar, always setting it to around 10-20 HP points remaining. This will never directly kill you.

Not off to a good start, are we? The important part: '''for the next 12-25 turns (it's technically 10-27, but the extremes are unlikely), you CANNOT die through ANY means, and this buff CANNOT be removed.''' Picture this: while it is active:

* HP is an illusion.
* AC is an illusion.
* EV is an illusion.
* SH is an illusion.
* Elemental resistances? You guessed it - an illusion.

Do you see what I see? An eloge to felinekind. A loveletter. An enchantment which takes away all that makes them bad, leaving only the good. ''Every'' other species in DCSS is (rightfully) TERRIFIED of this spell, because when it ends, they will still be left at 10-20 HP, ready to be oneshotted by the tickling touch of a feather and rocketed back to the character selection screen. But cats know no such weaknesses, for they alone know the bony touch of oblivion all too well, and can ''respawn'' after even Death's Door proves ineffective at saving their lives. It's not like having 17 HP is that different from having 103, after all.

This means that you, dear reader, can afford to be '''extremely''' proactive in using this thing.

Picture the following scenario: going about your usual murderous business, some ranged cheater takes out 40% of your HP in a single attack, leaving you at 60%.

* Scenario 1: "Hey, I still have most of my health, it's fine."
** Assuming you dodge reliably, how long do you think you could actually stay alive if that foe just refused to die and kept pelting you? 12 turns, at most?
** That's assuming you dodge reliably, anyhow. You might just die next turn.

* Scenario 2: Cast Death's Door NOW!!
** You now have exactly 12-25 turns in which you have absolute certainty that death is impossible.
** You can forget entirely about cowardly tactics such as "hiding behind allies" or "ring-swapping", and dedicate all resources to making sure that enemy is no longer on your screen by the end of the time period, whether through escape or murder.
** If the screen is PACKED, you can drink a potion of attraction, then read a scroll of immolation as a home-made nuclear detonation device.
** You can just walk into melee range of hasted Ancient Liches and start blasting them with Dispel Undead.
** You can drop 10 Haunts on a single OP unique while you stand there motionless eating 100 melee damage per turn like some immovable object. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifB662xOZTw This is probably how it looks.]
** You can read Teleportation Scrolls and just casually wait and look at your own claws, wondering if feline manicure is a thing, while some Spriggan Berserker is furiously swinging its axe into your scruff over and over.
** You can casually approach any living or corporeal undead creature, (no demons or nonliving enemies allowed! Nice try, but Orbs of Fire count as nonliving.) invoke Slimify from your (a)bility menu (after 4 **** Jiyva stars), and melee attack until you oneshot them.

Embrace the power. Cleanse yourself of fear. Unlearn your preconceptions. Forget your Minotaur instincts. There is Life, there is Death, and there is You, standing perfectly still at the line in between. This is your feline destiny.

Death's Door goes through a cycle:

You stand defiantly in death's doorway! You seem to hear sand flowing through an hourglass...

The spell just started, and the timer is engaged. (White "DDoor" status in the sidebar)

Your time is quickly running out!

Don't freak out. That actually just means it's about halfway done. You still have time. But if the whole "murder" angle is not looking good, start plotting your escape now. (Gray "DDoor" status in the sidebar)

Your life is in your own paws again!

If you did not plan this out correctly, this is the part where they kill you. Because the invincibility just ran out. And you have 12 HP. Death's Door will go on cooldown (Yellow -DDoor in the sidebar) for the surprisingly short duration of 1-3 turns, so you cannot immediately recast it to protect yourself. Shoutout to the developers for recently changing this to say "paws" and not "hands" for Felids specifically!

You step away from death's doorway.

Death's Door is ready to be used again. Many times, I have managed to recast the spell while still engaged in combat, just because I had retreated safely into the middle of my army, or because I had an all-skill-no-luck EV dodge of a ranged attack that should have killed me. In that case, you simply get the 12-25 turns of invincibility all over again.

A note: Potions of haste are ridiculously strong in tandem with Death's Door. They effectively lengthen the duration by 33%. For the same reason, being Slow in Death's Door is terrible, as it shortens the duration by 33%. As expected, Haste and Slow cancel each other out.

Got slots? Or you will in the future? Consider the following:

'''[[Passwall]]''' (Level 3 Earth) is a so-called "escape" spell that has the bad habit of killing its users while they are charging it up. When used on a nearby wall, it renders you unable to act for a few turns as you fixate the stone with extreme intensity that leaves your enemies concerned about you. They will try to prod you to snap you out of it. If you aren't dead by the end of this phase, you will - it's literally in the title - pass through the wall and arrive on the other side. You can see where this is going - cast Death's Door, and you can now escape through any common wall (not the indestructible ones) with zero risk. Even though the magic school on this isn't your forté, it's so low level you can probably already cast it with your vast levels of Spellcasting. Maybe get '''4 levels of Earth''' for good measure if you don't already have them.

Here's another suggestion:

'''[[Dispel Undead]]''' (Level 4 Necromancy) is the least complicated of all dark spells. Walk up to melee range of some rotting fool, press it, blast them with huge (3d31 at max damage, comparable to a Lehudib's Crystal Spear), unavoidable, defense-bypassing pure damage. Flavour-wise, your dark research has come to teach you the invisible forces holding together a corpse which shouldn't be animated, and the ways to unravel them. More creatures are undead than you may think:

* Bog bodies from the Swamp.
* Pharaoh ants from the Spider Nest.
* Laughing, Curse and Weeping Skulls in the deep Dungeon and/or Crypts.
* Any Player Ghost in the Necropolis.
* Any creature reanimated by a deep elf death mage's lost souls.
* Death scarabs from the Tomb. You might have encountered some early in the Spider Nest, or after "accidentally" blasting your Infestation scarabs with, say, a scroll of immolation and turning them hostile.
* Curse toes and Death cobs from the Realm of Zot, the final stop of your grand pillow-pawed journey.
* Deadly uniques such as Jory, Boris, Nobody, or Khufu.
* Any zombies/spectres/simulacra, either natural or reanimated by Kiku's malice.

= Knife-Eared Folks and their Floating Knives (Elven Halls) =

This next area is completely optional-

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] No, it's NOT. Get that Shimmering Gem, PRONTO!! Great, another one of these places where you dilly-dally thinking it will be fine only to spend a thousand turns running away in fear from reality-shattering archmagi on the final floor. Do this one just like the second S-Branch - use SAFE staircases, which have no enemies around them, IMMEDIATELY, and dedicate all your effort and care to looting that Elf:3 fortress!}}

-but I encourage you to clear at least the first two floors to acquire bonus experience, and polish up your Death's Door. At this point, '''you should only be training Necromancy and have no Kiku wrath remaining.''' Possibly Shapeshifting if you still need that Hive Talisman. Maybe Spellcasting if you are desperate for slots. Because SOMEONE has been eating all the Amnesia scrolls.

{{flavour|[[File:Jiyva altar.png]] A distant sound of paper being dissolved in acid echoes through the Elven Halls.}}

The Elves haven't been hitting the gym. Their muscles are weak, because they play DCSS all day. When you drain all that education out of their skulls by turning them to zombies, they do almost nothing except contribute their hitpoints to the Anguish fund. We do not want this. We want OP scarabs. Spam Infestation left and right on these fools. Even the dancing weapons.

A death scarab bursts out of the +4 trident of felid slaying!

How does that even work? Whatever. Let's talk timed portals. Semi-rarely, you may find:

* The "crackle of arcane power". Wizard Laboratories are pocket-sized adventures ranging from litterboxes of loot to death traps. If I were you, I'd avoid Tukima's Studio, unless having a clone of yourself spam Haunt on you while OP floating books with 100 damage crystal spears pwn you sounds funny. The rest should be fine. Watch out for Doroklohe’s Tomb, it will appear to be safe then jumpscare you with tons of endgame mummies or other OP foes. If you want to clear that one, stay in the entrance and wait (5) over and over, don't wander off into the main room.

* The "coins being counted". A Bazaar is almost always worth it. This one might even be worth reading a Scroll of Revelation for. If you have the gold to spare, of course (press '$'). In your shopping spree, stock up on delicious potions, interesting scrolls, and spells that might be missing from your kit.

* A "distant wind". Ah, yes, the <s>Death Trap</s> Desolation of Salt. This place kills so many players. Luckily, this build is probably one of the best at taking it head-on, and the loot tends to include some sick rings and amulets. If you wish to test its mettle, my advice is to just spam Infestation on those trillions of saltlings rushing to melee you. Simply run around and Infestation everything you see until the screen is covered in scarabs. You may need to use Death's Door if things go south. Be wary of [[Ghostly Sacrifice]], an extremely OP point-and-click, undodgeable attack which deals over 100 darkness damage. An enemy must be adjacent to you for it to be used. The Halazid warlocks are responsible for it - either use Death's Door or ring swap to rN+ if you cannot reposition yourself away from enemies in melee range of you.

In the Elven Halls, and especially Elf:3, there are a wide variety of professionals with PhDs in kitty-murder. The valedictorians here are:

* '''Dancing weapons''': Don't mistake them for floor items, notice the little music note icon on their sprites. Some are not that scary (+1 dagger) while others will be your doom (+9 bardiche of antimagic). Don’t fight too fast, and check the brands and enchantments of what you are faced against. If it has enchantments of +4 or more, has a brand you do not resist, or is an axe or polearm, it's a threat.

Regardless, Borgnjor's Vile Clutch completely demolishes them, because their defenses are all-dodge-no-armour (like you!), and that spell cannot be avoided. Haunt is also interesting.

You'll find an extreme amount of these behind the big runed gate in Elf:2, known as the Hall of Blades. I generally don't even bother opening it. These enemies are hard enough, and the shiny metal they leave behind isn't even designed for quadrupeds. Psh!

* '''Deep elf master archers''': You may be purring in mockery as 5 arrows whiff past you one after the other. Enjoy becoming a porcupine when a single shot cuts away 50% of your HP. These should never, ever get a clean line of fire at you, and should have Haunts dumped on them immediately if they do. Like any ranged foe, remember that closing doors behind you can prove surprisingly effective.
* '''Deep elf elementalists''': TRY NOT TO STAND NEXT TO WALLS! It is their strongest attack, because they can point and click walls to remote-detonate them. Anyways, as a herder of allies, you should be prioritizing wide open space instead. The Blink spell can help you get away. The other elemental flavours of pain aren't as bad, as long as you keep drowning them in undead.
* '''Deep elf sorcerers & high priests''': Damnation ''hurts''. Sending foes to block a sorcerer's line of fire by standing adjacently to them will make them hesitate, as they’re not masochistic enough to blow themselves up. The high priests, however, can order an orbital strike onto you in point-and-click flavour, and won't be impressed.
* '''Deep elf annihilators''': With your high EV, most of the time, they will miss, but when they don’t, ''ouch''. Their worst spell is the Crystal Spear, but it has thankfully limited range, so keep your distance (more than 4 tiles).
* '''Deep elf blademasters''': It’s an elf, but with +99 daggers of kitty-slaying and rocket-boot thrusters. Don't let these touch you.
* '''Deep elf death mage''': It's you! But less fluffy. Therefore lesser. Their signature spell, Call Lost Souls, summons some harmless, annoying puffs of spectral matter which will revive nearby dying elves into a ghost variant (this adds a little skull icon on their sprite). When they are reanimated thus, if you have Dispel Undead, you can walk up and blast them - otherwise, your other tools are just as efficient as they are on their living counterparts.

Thankfully, these elven bullies are mostly hidden in their big fortress somewhere in Elf:3, and can be dealt with in little groups at a time, as the entrance to their headquarters is conveniently shaped like a funnel. Approach the final vault, lure in a few volunteers, dispose of them, rest, and return, until the flood stops. Dashing in, battling all of them at once, and expecting to win is extremely foolish.

If you have Summon Mana Viper, it can have impressive results here! Antimagic-biting an Annihilator to force them to use their puny arms instead of their reality-shattering conjurations is quite effective.

Unlike the lesser humanoids, Banishment is very unlikely to happen to you here. If it ''does'' happen, stay calm. The first instinct of many players is to start walking in diagonals to find an exit, but you should not be doing this with this build. You have the ability to organize a nice little fortress with your allies, and fend off invaders coming from all sides. After proving to Lugonu your fighting prowess, you will be let out without complications. Dying in the Abyss is ''very'' undesirable, as you will simply respawn in another equally dangerous location of this infinite plane of madness.

=Containment Breach in Zone 2 (Vaults)=

Excellent, a place where you'll actually feel powerful. You'll feel right at home in this stronghold of soullessness, metal, and faceless guards devoid of individual thought.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Life would be so much simpler if everyone was an undead thrall, you know? Perfect order, absolute obedience, flawless coordination. I bet technology would be propelled centuries foward if people stopped clutching that worthless "identity" everyone keeps talking about.}}

This is the necromantic funzone, seriously. The extreme majority of everything here has been so dumbed down by mindless servitude that their Willpower - and therefore resistance to Anguish - is as low as the chance that you actually managed to survive up to this point. Not only that, but almost every creature makes up for spectacular undead thralls, and space is so neatly organized and wide open that you'll have no trouble directing your army around to annihilate everything you see.

Always have Death Channel active when you battle. Animate Dead the first sizable goon squad you spot, and carry them around the level until it's worth replacing them. Spam Infestation on everything you see until then.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] All this empty space. All this real estate opportunity, ruined. Such inefficiency. Don't linger in Vaults:1 and Vaults:4, exploring no more than half of both. You'll still want to locate the Crypts somewhere on Vaults:2 or Vaults:3 through more thorough exploration, after which you'll be able to descend faster.}}

The threats? Point-and-click abilities, of course.

* '''Ironbound thunderhulks''' have on-demand electro-bzzaps, and '''are the biggest threat of this branch'''. Unlike most point-and-click cheaters, this one can actually be dodged, but should you fail to do so, say goodbye to half your HP bar. They have this gimmick where they cannot use this skill if you are 2 or fewer tiles away, but don't let this bait you into walking towards terrible positions only for them to blink away and resume electrocuting you. Don't hesitate to pop Death's Door if you get badly hit once. Ring-swapping to the rare rElec artifact ring may prove useful, if you have found such a useful trinket.

* '''Ironbound frosthearts''' also have a point-and-click, this time chocolate ice-cream flavoured. Yes, chocolate is toxic to cats. This is intentional. It drips from the walls, so avoid standing next to them, as was the case for Deep elf elementalists. Thankfully, these have been heavily nerfed since my last FeSu guide, as back then, they were as horrible as Salamander tyrants. You can afford to take a few hits.

* '''Frederick''' CAN ONESHOT YOU THE MOMENT YOU TAKE A SINGLE BREATH IN HIS PRESENCE. If you encounter him alone and wish to take him down, I suggest an immediate Death's Door from full HP, and then an unloading of your entire necromantic artillery on him. It will be enough. There really is no overkill here. If your Death's Door is close to running out and he is still alive, just pop Slimify from your (a)bility menu and oneshot him.

* '''Xtahua''' can also oneshot you, but only if you lack rF+. Even then, have your paw on the Death's Door button at the ready! Slimify if needed.

* '''Mennas''', the "Menace" as some players call him, is practically designed to counter everything you are capable of. Bonus damage against undead, instant Silence to block you from using Death's Door and all other spells, mass confusion on your Death Scarabs so they start hurting each other and potentially you as well, resistance to Slimify from being holy, huge speed, huge melee damage... I've had success with a Scroll of Vulnerability and repeated Anguish, but attempts at battle without a huge swarm to back you up usually result in dead cats faster than you can say "Deus Vult". If you have a wand of quicksilver and his dreaded Silence comes out, you can use it on him for a chance to dispel the Silence!

You can detect Mennas - and sometimes Frederick - through walls by looking for suspiciously yellow tiles, illuminated by their radiant haloes. Don't get trolled by Mennas's lack of See Invisible, his halo will still reveal you, as long as you are standing in it.

* '''Jory''' and '''Boris''' are similar - two undead casters with ridiculously damaging spells, packing an easy twoshot or oneshot if you let them blast you. For maximum disrespect, just Death's Door immediately, walk up, and pwn them with Dispel Undead or Slimify.

* '''Zenata''' is one of the most lethal bosses of the mid-to-late game, brutally decimating around 5% of all players who choose to take her on. Keyword - choose. Many advanced and competitive players leave her alone entirely to polish her army of hasted dancing scimitars instead. You can do so as well, but if seeing coloured pixels moving across your screen sends you into a mindless rage, you can do Death's Door-Slimify at the easiest, or Death's Door-necro-artillery for a more traditional takedown. She won't oneshot you, so you can use a few turns to prep, but once her summons are out and she has started using her point-and-click damage ability, it's time to get down to business and hit that immortality button. Don't even think about Blink-scrolling or whatever away from all those floating knives, they are almost as fast as Death scarabs. Just focus on pwning her.

* '''Nobody''' is not that scary to me, aside from the part where they DARE stomp on the feline fiefdom's trademarks and use extra lives to respawn 3 times, one more than you can hold at a time. Each of their reincarnations has a different kit. Honestly, they are okay to deal with as long as you have a few scarabs to swarm them with (and they aren't ganking you in the middle of a Vaults:5 party). Pay attention to their dialogue lines in the message log, I like them a lot.

* '''Ironbound convokers''' are infamous for their ability to teleport enemies from the floor over to their position a few turns after the flag icon appears on their sprite. This is usually not that bad of a thing, as it's more meat to funnel through your undead creation machine. What you do not want is Mennas suddenly spawning in your face. For this reason, I like to Haunt/Borgnjor's Vile Clutch them with priority.

I suggest not entering Vaults:5. Not even a peek. There is a surprise party down there. You're not invited. Make your way to the Crypts instead.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Splats And Riches Incorporated™ goes where it pleases! Barge into those Vaults:5 goons' private space, that Shining Gem won't pick itself up. Let's do this. And don't go leaving now to get to the Pits beforehand, the "spoils of war" imply a war as a prerequisite!}}

===Squishy Interlude (Slime:5 & Ring/Amulet Selection)===

You might have reached (******) in Jiyva piety, or will soon. When that happens, Ctrl-G your way to Slime:5.

{{flavour|[[File:Jiyva altar.png]] Ecstatic wobbling resounds before all this juicy, delicious loot!}}

Yikes. Well, at least the artifacts will be spared. Try to collect as many useful items as possible, and, of course, the rune.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] And the GEM. If you're tight on turns, forget the loot, get back up to that Lair, NOW!!}}

Speaking of "useful items", your inventory is probably getting full. Here is how I choose my rings, depending on the "Egoes" they possess. These are called "Ego" in-game because they increase your hubris the more OP they are, thus making you splat out of recklessness. '''Bold = Good.'''

* If '''Wiz''' is causing your Death's Door to be more reliable, it's highly valuable.
* '''+X Int''' is never bad.
* '''Resistances''' aren't as useful now that we have a spell to take out Death itself on a nice Sunday movie night hangout. But they are still interesting to dial down oneshots and twoshots - rF+ in particular is pretty good, as this damage type is quite common, and we already have rC+ from our fur. Jiyva gives you rCorr for free.
* +X MP is decent. But Jiyva's mana regeneration is already almost infinite mana. You can do better.
* +X Dex gives EV. But not as much as a +5 EV ring. You have enough EV to go around already. Find better.
* Will+ is not very useful, because cats know nothing of self-doubt. Will-, however, is bad, as it re-introduces all those annoying hexing experiences other species have to deal with. Cancel it out with a Will+ if it's really worth it.
* All the "dangerous" properties like "Drain", "Corrode" can mostly be ignored. "Slow" is a little more dangerous, but acceptable if the bonuses are good. "Bane" is a risk/reward, refer to the [[#Kiku's Troll Carousel (Banes)|banes section]].

And here is how I choose my amulets. '''Bold = Good.'''

* '''RegenMP''' - more mana. More scarabs. More Death's Door. More fun.
* '''Acrobat''' is surprisingly great, as you spend a lot of turns just waiting and moving around. +15 EV is serious business, especially when it comes to surviving an expiring Death's Door.
* '''Reflection''', in a similar vein, blocks some attacks, and can even return some ranged ones to sender.
* '''Wildshape''' is only truly good if you are building your way to a Hive Talisman, Riddle Talisman, Granite Talisman or Dragon-coil Talisman. Don't bother otherwise.
* Alchemy is nice if you can chug a quick sip of Curing to get just enough mana to enter Death's Door. The above ones are better.
* Regeneration is interesting, because it has a lot of chances to tick while you move around your army. But I still think the above ones are better.
* Dissipation is very meh. It's better than nothing for sure, and you will appreciate it the few times it is relevant, but we need to also acknowledge the "rest of the time", which is most of the time you spend in the Dungeon, and we'd rather have RegenMP here.
* Faith is useless. Are you going around using Slimify on everything you see? No, you are not. Do better.
* <s>YASD</s> Guardian Spirit: "Oh no, my beloved feline friend! You took quite the hit there. Good thing I spread it to your mana bar to offset the damage! You now have 5 MP and 30 HP, instead of only 10 HP! What do you mean 'I needed that mana for Death's Door'? You don't need spells to protect yourself. You have me!"

===Emergency Facility Lockdown (Vaults:5)===

Do not come here if you just want to win. You will likely-

''Attention all personnel. A supernatural feline capable of binding souls at its beck and call and of entering invincibility on demand is heading to the maximum security Zone Five. Engage maximum defensive protocols.''

Oh, you already went in. Welp. If you had listened to me, you would have known that drinking Haste and Brilliance before going down is quite smart. You could also have:

* Read a Scroll of Teleportation, then immediately descended.
* Used a Vaults:4 escape hatch, if it spawned, instead of the normal stairs.

I'll stop using past tense and roleplaying, now, because it's getting annoying.

In the former case, you will be met with a horrible ambush screen. It won't last long before you are whisked away to a random location. Some possibilities:

* '''Close to the central death zone''': Troublesome, but at least you probably aren't getting attacked from all angles anymore. You'll want to retreat towards one of the linear hallways, using Anguish, Infestation and Death Channel to collect the ambush guards as your starting army. If things go wrong - which they might - you may have to Death's Door and read a new Teleport scroll.

* '''Close to the outer rim''': This is the best scenario. These hallways are mostly safe and have few enemies, which means more time to regenerate, moving slowly across, recruiting all creatures you come across to roll your growing snowball of undead.

* '''Straight into one of the infested loot vaults''': Rather terrible. You may even have to Death's Door very fast. I've never been oneshotted here, but the moment you are below 60% HP here, you are in kill range. You can try to make a stand and forge an army - especially if you have Haste/Brilliance buffs - but be ready to try a new Teleport scroll.

Once you have established your squad, the rest is much easier. Move across the level, replacing your slain or disappearing undead with fresh new servants. This is a good time to place those Infestation blasts left and right. Do not forget your primary objective: the Shining Gem and the Silver Rune, right on top of each other in one of the four rectangular corner loot vaults.

Once you have secured the gem and rune, immediately make your way to the centre and leave, never to return.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] If you have at least 600 turns remaining on the Vaults' Gem, you can go claim your slimy lootboxes in Slime:5 now. Otherwise, you'll have to clear the Crypts right away, only going to Slime after you have exited the Vaults, never to return!}}

=The Place Where They Invented The Whole Necromancy Thing (Crypts)=

Throughout this run, did you ever wish you could o-tab like the good old Minotaur Berserker days? Boy, do I have the thing for you. Do you have Dispel Undead? If it was available but not memorized yet, do so now. Get that thing on your (Q)uiver, most likely replacing Anguish for now (which isn't that good here).

Now, you can autoexplore with 'o', and blast all these useless corpses in melee range with 'p'. That's right. o-p. And it really is OP.

Animate Dead and Death Channel, however, are almost entirely useless. Infestation is not. It is time to show these rotting husks your entomological collection (and offer them the chance to join it).

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] You should only be here after completing Vaults:5! That Ivory Gem would look great on my Divine Sceptre of Golden Doom, so I especially don't want you to miss it. I suggest another high-speed protocol of going down on safe staircases as soon as possible, because Crypts:3 tends to be a whole ordeal of endless undead armies and tricks and traps designed to entertain those who have too much free time and no job to get done. Which is not you.}}

The spooky ride will begin with a vast assortment of varied undead: most are not dangerous in any way (in fact, the Crypt is pretty much a popcorn factory). However, this is only a trap to lead you to let down your guard when the following arrive to ruin your day:

* '''Revenants''' do many things, but one of them is a giga darkness damage 3x3 "ghostly fireball". Your squad should be resistant to it, but unless you have rN+, you are not. Preferably, don't have less than 2 allies standing between you and them, but you can always do the classic trick of walking up and blasting them with Dispel Undead, with a Death's Door thrown into the mix if needed.

* '''Curse Skulls''' are annoying pests which summon an army of undead and spam torment. That reminds me of a certain someone, isn't that right, Kiku? They think it is funny to hide behind their wall of summons, but you can reach over with Haunt or Borgnjor's Vile Clutch. Or, you know, walk up and blast them. That works too.

* '''Khufu and mummy friends''' have an entomological collection, just like you. They are eager to compare and share their secrets of the trade. Theirs even have emperor scorpions! These terrorize many characters, but you should be able to use their bandages as a scratching post, assuming you can get close enough to blast them with Dispel Undead, or can land your point-and-click Haunt/Borgnjor's Vile Clutch. Watch out, they pack a "death curse" - automatically unleashed when they perish. The only effect which can actually kill you is the semi-common small burst of darkness damage, so keep this in mind if you're dealing the finishing blow while you're almost dead and unprotected.

* '''Vampire bloodprinces''' have multiple extremely OP abilities, but one of them is TURNING YOUR ENTIRE SQUAD OF SCARABS AGAINST YOU! They also spew bat clouds everywhere which put you to sleep (despite the extreme fear you should be feeling right now). These are particularly annoying, because they reduce your Death's Door timer. The key here is to cut line-of-sight, ambush them with Death's Door active, and blast them with Dispel Undead before they even know what hit them. If your army is big enough, you can possibly do enough damage before they have time to get their brainwashing spell in. Treat them with the respect a member of their lineage deserves.

* '''Vv''' is a proud member of the developers' latest OC-do-not-steal species, the Stoneborn. For all her OP point-and-click spells, she didn't have the budget for See Invisible. Drink a Potion of Invisibility or Death's Door if you do not want to get obliterated in milliseconds.

* '''Grunn''' only knows how to move and melee attack, which is laughable. What isn't so funny are his canine companions, which are elite assassins from the dog monarchy sent to stop you. If they place their Howl debuff on you, I recommend a Potion of Cancellation, or else you'll quickly be facing lethal Tartarus endgame enemies that will likely force you to use Death's Door. Willpower is useful to resist this hex, so check the percentage chance, and possibly ring-swap to Will+.

* '''Mennas''' can also spawn here. He is not any easier. Leave him to his prayer beads if you want maximal chances to win - but if you are a Trog worshipper in real life, do what you must. I talked about strategies in the Vaults chapter already.

In Crypt:3, you will find a unique challenge level, with its traps and tricks - nothing too serious compared to what you have just traversed. There is also the entrance to the Tomb. It is the hardest branch in the entire game, filled with all kinds of mummies who will be very happy to bash your hubris into the ground with endless torment spam, then cackle as you respawn in the death trap between their walls only to die again and be met with “Welcome, Idiot. Please select your species.”

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] That is exactly why I order you to go in once you secured that Ivory Gem.}}

=Perfection Can Still Improve (Lategame Skills)=

At this point, you must be at level 24+ Necromancy, which means your Death's Door must be getting under 7% fail rate. Getting to the maximum of level 27 of Necromancy will title your character - for the rest of the run - a "Cat of Death", which is positively awesome. But what next?

Make your choice. Personally, I think that Maxwell's Capacitive Coupling is the option which will give you the highest chance of victory, but it might not be available (Ctrl-F if it's not in your spell library, perhaps it is in a shop somewhere!).

''Note: in all cases which involve more spells, you may have to train more Spellcasting to make room as well. 0.5 Spellcasting = 1 spell slot!''

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Pick anything you want. As long as it accelerates your transition from point A (your current, damp and mud-soaked location) to point B (you, prostrating before me, with all 11 gems deposited before my throne).}}

===More Oneshots (Maxwell's Capacitive Coupling)===

''Requirements: Maxwell's Capacitative Coupling and at least one Intelligence/Wizardry ring or amulet.''

This spell takes a long time to train for, but if you '''turn on nothing but Air Magic''' for the rest of the run, you'll definitely have it ready to power through the (normally difficult) Realm of Zot with almost zero challenge.

You started by fearing the oneshot. Then, you understood the oneshot with Death's Door. Now, it is time to BE the oneshot.

'''[[Maxwell's Capacitive Coupling]]''' (Level 8 Air Magic) literally does infinite damage that ignores all resistances. It will oneshot anything and everything, from a rat to Dispater, Lord of the Iron City of Dis. Unfortunately for your foes, they were not born as fluffy and quadrupedal as you are, and do not have any extra lives. Successfully casting this spell adds a Charge status effect on your sidebar - simply wait (. or s) a few turns, and the ''nearest'' foe will be expunged from reality. If more than one foe are tied in distance, a random one will be chosen.

Why this is broken with this build: it bypasses allies. That means you can simply erect a defensive wall of scarabs/spectres/zombies and bzzap all things trying to work their way through it, all the while Jiyva constantly replenishes your mana for another charge of your pocket defibrillator. Those Orbs of Fire will never see it coming. If you mix this with Death's Door, it becomes impossible that you will ever lose a 1v1 or even 1v3, considering you are invincible and are launching 99999999 true damage after just a couple of turns.

If you're not sure what to do while your army is fighting it out, just start unloading oneshots. Naturally, keep 9 mana for an emergency Death's Door, if in need.

===More Tentacles (Summonings)===

''Requirements: Summon Horrible Things, Sphinx Sisters or Malign Gateway''

Well, you started as a Summoner, so going back to the roots is certainly an option! '''This is extremely strong and will secure the win. Especially Malign Gateway.'''

Both those spells are perfectly achievable if you start training Summonings again, up to '''13 for Malign Gateway/Sphinx Sisters and 20 for Summon Horrible Things'''. You'll also need '''level 15 Translocations in the case of Malign Gateway, or 15 Hexes in the case of Sphinx Sisters'''. I suggest you focus-train Translocations/Hexes, because of the +4 aptitude.

'''[[Malign Gateway]]''' (Level 7 Summonings/Translocations) - You will require some open space (no casting in hallways). The Gateway will initially appear quite a distance away from you, so it is best used to initiate a battle, and not as emergency support. After a few turns, a very long tentacle will slowly protrude out, curious to prod at the world around it. Its little taps do immense damage, probably the highest out of any Summonings spell. There are extremely few creatures in the entire game who can 1v1 a Gateway, for these tentacles are more resistant to elemental damage than a tardigrade. The downside is that the tentacle remains tethered to its portal, and is quite slow - it is therefore good practice to distract a powerful enemy with lesser allies while squiggly doom slowly unrolls behind their back. You can also run towards it, and pass through it diagonally while being pursued by an angry horde. There is only one little twist - the tentacle can rarely become hostile to you once the spell ends. Not a huge deal, honestly, considering its tethered nature makes it very easy to escape should that happen. If you quiver this spell with "Q", you will be able to see on the sidebar when the spell has enough space to be casted (the text will be coloured). '''Maximum Summon Capacity: 1'''.

'''[[Summon Horrible Things]]''' (Level 8 Summonings) - THE meatshield spell. The damage on this is not especially splendid, though tentacled monstrosities can dish out interesting amounts of rib-crushing damage with their constriction ability. However, the real reason you cast this spell is to surround yourself in tanky units that will give you big warm hugs with their mucus-coated appendages. The summoning cap on this is 8, which is just enough to surround your frail and vulnerable body entirely. You may have to cast it twice to ensure you are fully protected, and recast it as the battle progresses once your cuddle-hole starts getting pierced by the barrage of conjurations and sword-slicing. It has a small chance of inflicting a little Doom on every cast, but it is quickly cleansed by accumulating a little bit of experience, and is mostly only for thematic effect... mostly. Try to avoid using eldritch horror summoning as your way of saying hello to every soul you encounter in the dungeons. Most Banes are not so bad, as we [[#Kiku's Troll Carousel (Banes)|discussed earlier]], but if you get Dilettante or Multiplicity at this stage of the game, you will not enjoy it. Say, do you know what is worse than an Orb of Fire? That's right, 4 Orbs of Fire! '''Maximum Summon Capacity: 8'''.

'''[[Sphinx Sisters]]''' (Level 7 Summonings/Hexes) - They have an endless array of hypnosis techniques and dastardly Hexes. But, at this point of the game, landing them on the creatures which actually matter will be a fool's errand. What we actually care about is the "airstrike melee", where the "marauder" variant of these fellow half-felid half-humanoids (hmph. They can get a pass!) will devastate the opposition as long as it is standing in a tile surrounded in empty space! They will still occasionally "vex" draconians with their terrible jokes, and make them attack everything around them, which is particularly welcome considering they are quite the social butterfly type.

===More Acrobatics (Translocations)===

''Requirements: Vhi's Electric Charge, Passage of Golubria, Dispersal, and/or Disjunction''

You'll need refinement and taste to appreciate this one. Get '''Translocations trained up to 2 times the highest level spell you wish to use'''. For example, Dispersal, level 6, would require 12 Translocations. Proper mastery of these abilities certainly won't result in more kills, but they might very well win you the game.

'''[[Vhi's Electric Charge]]''' (Level 4 Translocations/Air Magic) is known for its electrical attack, which is barely a tickle in your case. We do not care. What ''is'' important is that it blinks you with complete precision to any foe up to 4 spaces away, randomly repositioning anyone in the way to make space. This allows you to jump from foe-to-foe as if they were points to swing a grappling hook around! In Death's Door, you need not fear any of their attacks, and can move with utmost feline grace through the most packed of crowds.

'''[[Passage of Golubria]]''' (Level 4 Translocations) is a fantastic companion spell to Blink which places portals like a certain Valve video game. Simply choose a location to summon a portal nearby, with a 2 tile radius of error - the other one will appear nearby your position. Walking on top of one portal will immediately blink you to the next. You may find it highly useful when it comes to reaching a certain location on the screen quickly without having to use Scrolls of Blinking!

'''[[Dispersal]]''' (Level 6 Translocations) isn't hard to understand. It makes those close to you blink far away from you. It will test their Willpower - those who resist the enchantment will only hop a short distance, but those who do not might get pulled screaming across the entire level dozens of tiles away. This could very well change everything in Zot:5 when it's time to grab that well defended Orb!

'''[[Gell's Gavotte]]''' (Level 6 Translocations) is a bit annoying, because it hits your allies. However, at the end of the day, it's a reusable dash that also deals tons of damage to the entire screen. You can rotate the direction to highlight in yellow which enemies will strike a wall and be damaged, but most of the time, with this build, I prefer its defensive uses. Use the Force! Or, sans undertale. Whatever lame reference you want to imagine when you are waving the Klowns around with your little claw.

'''[[Disjunction]]''' (Level 8 Translocations) is extremely similar to Dispersal. The difference - it always does the weak effect, but constantly does it every turn, for at least 6 turns. Having this and Death's Door on at the same time is hilarious - you can just start casually walking at any point on the screen and absolutely nothing will be able to stop or block you. You can pop a potion of Haste and walk through the Zot:5 death trap chambers like you own the place.

===More Brainwashing (Discord + Hexes)===

''Requirements: Discord.''

'''WARNING:''' Onei will not be held responsible for any splats ensuing use of this technology. By proceeding, you acknowledge that using this spell is just as effective as it is dangerous.

'''[[Discord]]''' (Level 8 Hexes) is, like Anguish, a mass-hex. This time, however, if Willpower is beaten, the affected will be given Might-Haste. That’s +50% action speed and +50% melee damage all in one.

Not so promising, now is it? Where it gets fun: the affected will also now be attacking the creature closest to them regardless of their old faction.

Where this gets hilarious is that THIS ALSO AFFECTS ALLIES (but not spectres and zombies). How much damage does a Might-Hasted Phantasmal Warrior do per turn, you may wonder? Around up to 87 PER TURN.

Haunt + Discord is a particularly insane combo, as the moment they spawn in, they are already very close to the target you wish to annihilate. Once their business is done and they turn against you, they will evaporate out of reality before they can land a single hit. I have slain Cerebov using nothing but this synergy.

Obviously, do not cast this when your Death Scarabs are not currently in combat and are next to you, you will get POPPED. However, if even a couple of scarabs/Haunt summons are currently attacking some Orb of Fire or any highly dangerous foe, expect it to disappear from your screen. Are you being assaulted by your former allies? Death’s Door, Dispel Undead. The frenzy status will expire after a few turns anyhow.

Finally, you may also enjoy the ACTUAL intended purpose of the spell, which is causing mayhem among hordes of enemies. Those draconians in Zot become quite fearsome when unleashing light speed kung fu on all those disgustingly OP Protean Progenitors and the like...

Discord violates the golden rule of ally-fighting and can get kills out of line of sight. You can have your squad engage, drop Discord and immediately leave. Enjoy the waterfall of experience. Dispersal can teleport the might hasted scarabs across the map and literally obliterate uniques without you ever seeing them (this is not really reliable, it's just really funny).

If you are scared of this spell backfiring, consider [[Yara's Violent Unravelling]] (Level 5 Alchemy/Hexes), which will remove the frenzy status effects on the draconian monks rushing to annihilate you.

Discord is quite easy to get online with your +4 Hexes aptitude. With the leftover experience, if you wish to go all in on Hexes, you can do one of the following:

- Get more Spellcasting (and therefore spell slots), and get the Summonings/Hexes spell '''Sphinx Sisters'''. It is explained [[#More Tentacles (Summonings)|right here]].
- With a Riddle Talisman, train Shapeshifting to level 17 (Painful! An amulet of Wildshape helps a lot here.) and enter Sphinx Form. This will increase the Hex chance of Discord and Anguish, make both of these into devastating psychic powerhouses for even late game foes. You can even get other Hexes, such as the normally pitiful level 3 Tukima's Dance, and make draconians/Killer Klowns lose their OP weapons. You can enter Sphinx Form a little earlier than level 17 Shapeshifting due to its HP bonus cancelling out the HP penalty - inspect the Riddle Talisman to monitor your progress.

===More O + TAB (Dragoncoil Talisman)===

What's that? You lust to return to your Minotaur Berserker days? I'll keep this section short, since you clearly don't have the attention span required to read much more of this nonsensically long guide.

Dragon-coil talisman. (Ctrl-F for it, you may have missed it!) Level 17 Shapeshifting. (You can transform at level 14 due to the big HP bonus). After that, Level 20 Unarmed Combat. O + TAB. You are now a Felid "meleedude" with fat stacks of resistances, and you still have your Death's Door. Enjoy.

Don't forget to use your breath weapon in the "a" menu (it is very strong against anything, but you can only use it every 12 kills or so) and to use at least SOME of your magical background, such as Infestation or Rimeblight. And Death's Door, of course. But you won't forget about that one.

The Granite talisman is an option too, of course, but I personally do not like it with this build. Why? Permanent slowness = -33% Death's Door duration. Remember, acolyte: AC is an illusion.

=I Thought Cats Were Sacred In Egypt (Tomb)=

'''WARNING''': This place has a high chance of murdering you. I know it has been like that the entire game, but especially this place. You will get nothing out of it beyond glory and pride. Skip to the next chapter if you prefer to maximize your chances of actually winning the run. I will say that the first floor (Tomb:1) is pretty much on the same difficulty level as the Crypts, so you can certainly clear it if, say, you want a little more XP to get an extra life back.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] "Waaa, danger, danger, die die death splat oneshotted OP OP die!" Am I imitating Onei correctly? Yeah, don't listen to that fool, get in that Tomb and bring me that Sanguine Gem! It will be fine. Most likely.}}

Preparations? Dispel Undead is a huge help, if you do not have it already. If it is not available, Borgnjor's Vile Clutch and a bunch of Immolation Scrolls can suffice. If you get sent to the Entomological Museum (Tomb:1 Secret) due to bad luck, Vhi's Electric Charge can help a lot.

You'll also want a Scroll of Revelation. And as many Scrolls of Teleportation as you can get. And if you ever get netted in this place, you'll probably want to use the basic Blink spell.

===Too Bad Cats Can't Wear Hats And Wield A Whip (Tomb:1)===

The beginning is extremely easy. Reach the entrance of the temple - walk vertically, then horizontally. You'll know you found the entrance when you see a herd of Sphinxes, while should perish extremely easily to the horde you will have accumulated when you get there. Indeed, the side alleys are full of popcorn, but it is CRITICAL that you spam Infestation on everything you see so that you don't arrive empty-pawed when the real threats start pouring out.

I suggest recruiting the Sphinxes for good measure with Animate Dead and Death Channel.

Rush inside the temple and annihilate all mummies on sight with your huge army. They'll never see it coming. Unfortunately, they will constantly pelt you with "death curses" every time one of the dangerous ones perishes, which is bound to cut away at your HP. If you're getting low, take a few steps back, let Jiyva pump some juice back in your veins, and return to the fray. Your Death's Door button is accessible in case of an emergency.

I will address the users of a Hive talisman here, who probably have stayed with Kikubaaqudgha: this is the only place in the game where your curse resistance passive is actually relevant. This branch will be MUCH easier with it. I will continue writing assuming you are with Jiyva, and therefore, not experiencing Tomb on tutorial mode.

You'll want to locate the downstairs inside the temple as soon as possible, located in one of the spiral shaped hallways. I suggest drinking a Potion of Haste and reading a Scroll of Teleportation before going down. I know it's never a good sign when I say this.

===Surprise Torment Tea Party (Tomb:2)===

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Wow. That's, uh, a lot of mummies.}}

Welcome to Vaults:5 redux. Just like last time, we have little incentive for pleasantries. Read a Scroll of Revelation. Inspect your surroundings: there is an upstairs nearby, leading back to Tomb:1's temple.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Ha. Designed for safety, escape and retreat. No time for such things.}}

Indeed. Now, read a Scroll of Noise to pull all the mummies to the centre (NOT if the Teleport somehow already triggered). The Teleport should kick off at any instant now, leading you to:

* '''Somewhere in the main central ambush chamber''': Yikes. At least it's no longer in that death trap centre. My suggestion: if you see a door nearby, try to make your way to it to no longer be out in the open. The side chambers contain some goons, but it's a good start to build your Infestation army in a relatively safe location. If there is no door, consider another Teleport, or if there are some packed Death Scarabs or weak mummies, try to start your Infestation army there with Dispel Undead/Anguish/Vile Clutch/Haunt/All of the above.

* '''In one of the outer rim chambers THAT HAS A DOOR TO CONNECT TO THE MAIN ROOM''': Not bad. Dispose of the goons there after Infesting them, and build your army.

* '''In one of the outer rim chambers WITH NO CONNECTION TO THE MAIN ROOM''': This is ideal. We just saved a ton of time. Unfortunately, there are probably some very angry mummies here. Make your last stand, use your consumables - you should do anything to survive, for this is a highly lucky Teleport, and dying will probably pluck you out of it as you respawn. If you can secure the perimeter and reveal the two down-hatches to Tomb:3, proceed to the Grand Pharaoh Showdown below.

Keep your paw on Death's Door if the royal mummies' collection of Smite and Torment drags you into kill range (one Smite can deal up to 17 damage. We can't afford to get over-protective, but if adding the number of royal mummies and mummy priests on screen and multiplying that by 5 is bigger than your current HP, it's time to slam that Death's Door!)

After your army has consumed Tomb:2, you have some options. Each Teleport scroll is a gamble that could bring you to the previously mentioned unconnected outer rim. This would save a ton of time, and also skip the most dangerous part of Tomb for this build. But I would not use every single one if I were you. You'll want to keep some for the next levels!

If you succeed, clear the outer rim chambers (re-read the relevant bullet point), and proceed to the Grand Pharaoh Showdown.

If you're done gambling and haven't succeeded, it's time for...

===The Entomological Museum (Tomb:1 Secret)===

Use the upstairs located in the connected outer rim chamber. NOT the one in the main chamber, which leads to the very start - a huge waste of time.

You'll arrive in a narrow corridor. If you're unlucky, there's probably tons of OP mummies already pwning your health bar.

It's not that complicated. Death's Door. If there's only one or two mummies, walk up and blast them with Dispel Undead in utter disrespect of their dozens of unlived centuries. Don't have it? Haunt and Vile Clutch together get the work done. Maybe you can even sneak in an Infestation in there to get a scarab friend to assist your next encounter.

Is the entomological collection getting unloaded without you ever asking? These Egyptian tourist trap tour guides sure are getting insistent. Give them a piece of your mind with Vhi's Electric Charge, if you have it, which will instantly pull you into melee range of them. The simple Blink spell can also, with some luck, reposition you on the other side of the corridor. If the collection is made up of Scarabs, you can Dispel-blast them as well.

Tons of critters? Tons of mummies? Tons of red squares? Immolation scroll. Get one thing to die and cover the whole place in flames. Try to ensure all of these creepy-crawlies and their masters drown in holy fire before your Death's Door expires.

Desperate? In melee range but these mummies are just refusing to die? Slimify. Jiyva won't like it if you take every single one out using this ability, but it's absolutely worth it 1-3 times.

Make your way to the end of the corridor, not hesitating to rest a little bit between each encounter. This will take time, but it is a good investment of your time. Dying here is terrible, as it means you'll have to go to Tomb:2, then back to Tomb:1's secret room... Getting the Sanguine Gem is still possible if you die once (or need to use a Teleportation scroll).

After you take the new downstairs, you'll find yourself in that disconnected outer rim we were trying so hard to reach with Teleport scrolls.

===Grand Pharaoh Showdown (Tomb:3)===

Before descending, Haste and Brilliance, if available.

Having around 600 turns left here should be comfortable enough. If there's less, you'll have to hurry.

You'll instantly get dropped into a mildly claustrophobic hallway of relatively safe appearance. Do not be fooled. THE MUMMIES ARE COMING.

The first arrivals will no doubt be an entire plague of scarabs. These are a glorious sight, because if we can decimate them, we'll get an awesome army with Infestation.

A death scarab bursts from the death scarab!

Meta. Anyhow, they are extremely weak to Anguish, so casting that once there are a lot on the screen (and a few have been popped through any means of your choice - Dispel Undead is excellent) will prove useful.

For a time, you should get an awesome army pwning everything. It's only a matter of time until some pricks come in to ruin the fun. Once you are forced to Death's Door, your next priority should be making your way to the doors on the side, which lead to treasure chambers - and, more importantly, an upstairs.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] What? Safety? Retreat? But what about the GEM?}}

Don't worry, this one doesn't lead very far. You can absolutely afford to rest to full health back in the safety of Tomb:2's outer rim, unless you wasted time in the upper levels. Once you descend again, the horde will have been thinned down significantly, and each subsequent attempt will be easier. When things seem manageable enough, make your way to the back of Tomb:3, where you'll find the Sanguine Gem and the Golden Rune!

Got at least 200 turns? You can check a bit of the loot out. The most important thing here is the '''Ziggurat Figurine'''. E(V)oking it will instantly place a portal to a pocket dimension at our paws. This is astounding, for it is effectively a free Death's Door reset. Creatures won't even pursue you through it. You'll find one or two hostile critters in the pocket dimension, but they are most often easily disposed of, or, at the very least, far enough to afford you a Death's Door recast. It is a one-time-use. Make it count. And EXIT through the blue portal after using it, do NOT start going down multiple levels of Zig where your inevitable doom and descent into madness awaits.

=Blizzards and Brimstone (Depths)=

Before proceeding any further, pay your respects to the many Felids which have died in this place. Everywhere you move, everywhere you breathe, it's either "dodge and nothing happens" or "a third of your HP bar is gone". It's a tough world for the 3 AC kitties out there. One could wish they were as fortunate as you to have a miracle button to turn the tide in the most crucial of moments.

By the way, if you don't have at minimum 15 casts of Death's Door by the end of this run, you '''aren't pressing it hard enough'''. Haven't been using it much? Don't worry, this place will change that.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] The time limit in this place is one of the most generous, unlike the absolute caffeine-powered mummy fiesta I just had you traverse. This is still no time to try me and present the slightest possibility you may break one of MY precious gems. Explore no more than half of each floor, and collect that Midnight Gem on Depths:4, on top of the Zot gate!}}

* '''Fire and Frost giants''' can easily be found in close proximity to one another, quickly pushing you from one end of the temperature spectrum to the other. As you didn't consent to being brought to a nordic spa today, resisting the right element will help tremendously.

* '''Deep troll earth mages''' have the "remote wall detonation" point-and-click ability you were amused by back in the Elven Halls. Do not stand next to walls. They can even dig shafts through the aforementioned walls to reach you faster. They will not hesitate to Minecraft you to death.

* '''Juggernauts''' can only o-tab, but will likely oneshot you the moment their mass collides with your minuscule furry body. Make them plow through some undead to keep your distance.

* '''Golden dragons''' and '''Spriggan air mages''' and '''Spriggan berserkers''' and '''Sojobo''' and '''Tengu reavers''' and '''Crystal tomes''' and '''Liches''' and '''Titans''' and '''Caustic shrikes''' and '''Josephina''' and '''Spark wasps''' can-

Look, it's not that complicated. They just do 4 gazillion damage through their own ways - sometimes melee, sometimes point-and-click, sometimes in ranged piercing bolt form. At this point, we don't really care anymore. Trust me when I say I have '''never once been oneshotted in Depths'''. Twoshotted, perhaps. A juggernaut can oneshot, but they are easy to keep away if you use your spells. At any point you have less than 50% HP and the screen looks scary, just pop your Death's Door and unload the heavy artillery. Read a scroll of Teleportation, use stairs or Passwall if you feel uncomfortable. Standing at the edge of survival and oblivion is what this build is all about.

The worst of these are still just as dangerous in undead servant form, so assembling any kind of spectral/zombie army will mow down most things here with ease. You pretty much just need to sit back, keep the Infestation and Death Channel coming, Haunting the unruly ones laughing in the back, and potentially Vile Clutching the angry melee o-tabbers rushing to your location.

You were never the fighter in any of this. You are the manager.

You don't need me to tell you that gates named "Hell", "Abyss" or "Pandemonium" do not lead to good places to be in. I imagine the names were enough of a deterrent on their own.

'''About the Ziggurat:''' If you are currently not level 27 yet and you are lacking in the 'Extra Lives' department, consider taking a peek. Should you succeed in clearing the first 8 floors (do NOT go further down, you absolute gambling addict), you may get a potion of Experience or two, which count towards restoring your lives if you are below level 27!

=Worst Disco Ever (Realm of Zot)=

I mean. You have invincibility on demand. Practically infinite mana. Point-and-click abilities with irresistible debuffs. Surely there can't be any challenge left at this point.

Ha. You wish.

First, consider the Orb type (it is listed in the Ctrl+O menu).

- '''Orbs of Fire:''' rF+ is highly valuable here. Consider equipping it. Break line of sight with your numerous allies (mostly Haunt) to avoid growing horrible genetic diseases. These are the worse ones to face in my opinion.
- '''Orbs of Winter:''' You should already have your rC+ from your fuzzy cuteness, but you can improve it a little more if it doesn't destroy your wizardly prowess. Their Ozocubu's Refrigeration deals less damage if you are adjacent to allies. The key here is to avoid standing 3 spaces away or less from an Orb of Winter, which can slowly drain the piety of your current god. It's not so bad than most characters, but if you go below 5* of Jiyva piety, you will lose half of your regeneration bonus (it is thankfully quickly regained). Those who stayed with Kikubaaqudgha can appreciate knowing they will lose almost nothing from this, except their Torment protection.
- '''Orbs of Entropy:''' You will probably want rN+, but Jiyva shields you from their scariest acidic attacks (those who stayed with Kikubaaqudgha are not so fortunate). Just like the Orbs of Fire, a clear line of fire will allow them to inflict Doom on you, which can be accepted a few times. Even if you let it exceed the threshold, you will most likely be fine... unless you land on a brutal Multiplicity Bane that starts duplicating the Orbs of Entropy and giving you every other Bane in the game. Be cautious.

This is your '''final boss battle'''. It will prove highly difficult. Remember: '''you win by getting that Orb and bringing it back''', NOT by murdering everything you see. You will find killing things difficult, for they have tons of resistances and tricks against your toolkit. What they don't have, however, is a way to break through your literal immortality button. Not even purple draconian breath (which usually removes all status effects) can disable it.

You can simply ignore these ruffians. Let them sit and sulk in their little fortress of doom. You want to attack those separating you from the stairwells, NOT the random, unimportant gangs prowling about the outskirts of each floor. In an emergency, little stops you from entering Death's Door and simply walking to a staircase to use it while getting blasted by 100+ damage per turn from Orbs of fire and Draconians desperate for your attention. Even the dreaded Malmutate has a hard time piercing through the wall of Jiyva mutations.

Allow me to make some suggestions to refine your spell loadout.

Can be forgotten with Scrolls of Amnesia (only if you need slots):

* '''Anguish''' is dropping in usefulness. It curses draconians reliably, but that's about it. You can probably do better.
* '''Animate Dead''' is decent when used on draconians and orb guardians. But you could just make scarabs instead with Infestation. It's chaff at this point.
* '''Any Summonings spell of level 5 or less''' barely does anything at this point. Take the trash out. Summon Forest is still kind of okay, I guess.

You should prioritize getting the spells [[#Perfection Can Still Improve (Lategame Skills)|in the chapter "Perfection Can Still Improve"]]. If you have slots left, here are some spell
ideas to top off your pilgrimage:

* '''Passwall''', if you haven't gotten it already, allows you to simply escape through the wall while your Death's Door immortality crushes any hope of stopping you.
* '''Apportation''', taking only one measly spell slot, can yoink floor items to your position. In this particular situation, you may be interested in pulling the Orb of Zot to your location, instead of having to drag yourself to it through a horde of angry orb guardians. Note that there is a 33% chance this will fail (simply recast the spell).
{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Not to mention it will get that Prismatic Gem into your paws without you having to move a muscle.}}
* '''Borgnjor's Revivification''', normally mediocre on Felids, refills ''your entire health bar'' but permanently reduces its maximum capacity. We care little about petty things like "health" anymore. This can be extremely useful to survive until Death's Door goes off cooldown - but watch out! Casting this spell while Death's Door is active is basically "an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object" and will dispel Death's Door immediately, paralyzing you on top for 2-7 turns. This can still be useful if you are strategic about it.

Let's go. At this point, Gems or no Gems, there is absolutely no reason to full clear, go sightseeing or anything of the sort. This place drips pure YASD and developer sadism from every wall. Whenever you find a normal (non-hatch) staircase, you should consider using it right after clearing the foes around it. Use all your remaining Scrolls of Revelation to help locate your destinations.

Just like Depths, everything here just does fat damage and will have you reach for the Death's Door button. What you should actually be worried about are the weavers of more subtle schemes:

* Not a creature, but Scrolls of Teleportation will take a very long time (8-14 turns) to finally work here. Still, it's less time than a whole Death's Door, a piece of information which should be of particular interest to you.
* Scrolls of blinking also come with a "fuzz" effect that makes their target have a margin of error. To be noted in case you were being deceived by a false sense of security.
* '''Curse toes''' (?) have the ability to summon living mushrooms around you (??) which deal point-and-click damage in addition to the torment oozing every so often from the curse toe (???). Don't try to understand, just walk up and blast them with Dispel Undead.
* '''Death cobs''' (????) are very hard to differentiate from your death scarabs, in that they move fast, apply a slow debuff on hit and deal big damage, and even share one word in their name. Delete these cheap reskins with more Dispel Undead.
* '''Purple draconians''' & '''Quicksilver dragons''' (finally, some common sense) can remove all status effects should their breath strike you. All, truly? Ha! Nothing can pierce through immortality itself. While Death's Door is immune, losing your Death Channel and having all your spectres instantly disappear is something you should be expecting. You might also lose the Tele status from an in-progress teleportation scroll.
* '''Orbs of fire/winter/entropy'''. You know these guys. The appropriate resistance will help prevent a oneshot, but simply Death's Door the moment you are below 50% HP and one is in sight with not too much backup. Don't even bother trying to survive the normal way, we have no time to bend around developer sadism incarnate. Maxwell's Capacitive Coupling, Malign Gateway or Haunt + Discord are the ultimate answers to these ones.
* '''Killer Klowns''' are over-complicated with their wildly unpredictable effects - and this is coming from me, who has written a 30k word guide filled with unnecessary information. If you want to read their page on this wiki, it's [[Killer Klown|right here]]. The Silence and the Fragile debuffs are to fear most, for they block off your only salvation in this place - Death's Door (either through preventing you from casting spells or making you get oneshotted before you can actually use it). A Potion of cancellation should assist you in removing such effects. No, it won't cancel Death's Door. It's an immovable object.

In Zot:5, you'll find the entire troupe of this carnival of doom, nicely packed inside the "Zot lungs". They are horribly infected with blazing fire and pure evil. Time to do a surgical extraction.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] The Primastic Gem is in the first accessible chamber, NOT on top of the Orb! The writer of this guide learned that the hard way. Now THAT was hilarious.}}

You can try to slowly make your way across. You should actually be happy about the Orb Guardians in the first chamber, because they will be easily deleted by your assortment of spells and will generate a potent starting army. Direct it inside the next chamber to the left or right (choose the one with the least nasty traps, also known as ANYTHING BUT NETS and hopefully not dispersal. Even Zot traps are better. Teleport traps are actually a positive.)

Make your way across: Infestation, Haunt, any endgame spells you may have acquired. Take it slow, retreat and funnel through the chamber chokepoints if they are not trapped. Don't tarry too long, as the Tesseracts are slowly respawning the forces as you are taking them out, but you should eventually be able to reach them and destroy them. They are located behind the central horizontal wall of the lungs, which spans both sides of the chambers.

* If you have Malign Gateway, try to lure creatures towards the first chamber - and into the loving embrace of the tentacle you have conveniently parked there.
* If you have Maxwell's Capacitive Coupling, constantly unload electrical discharges from behind your wall of servitors.

Hopelessly outmatched? Had to pop Death's Door? Consider your situation:

By default, you'll probably want to read a scroll of Teleportation (it will take much longer to kick in than usual, but it will still be shorter than Death's Door) and start moving towards a Teleport Trap on the floor. If it moves you to a safe location, '''cancel''' your Tele status by reading ''another'' scroll of Teleportation. This is designed to ensure you have multiple chances to get to safety. If the Trap sends you back into a No-Cat's-Land, find a new Trap, or let the scroll kick in. Watch out for purple draconians/quicksilver dragons, which can remove your Tele status.

Have you managed to get some distance away from the first chamber, towards the Orb, and still have at least one extra life? It might be time to risk it all. Use your Translocations spells, use your Blinking Scrolls. Use your Haste potions, use ANYTHING to GET THAT ORB. Apportation will reduce the distance you must travel to an even greater degree. I am also thoroughly amused by Vhi's Electric Charge for letting you hop from OP dude to OP dude, making the most out of your Death's Door turns. If you looted the Tomb earlier and still have a figurine of a Ziggurat, NOW IS THE TIME TO USE IT. Well, once your Death's Door is going gray and you need to refresh it. Nothing will follow you inside!

This isn't as hard as it seems. Death's Door, especially Hasted, is plenty of time to seize that Orb without spilling blood. Except perhaps your own.

You don't have to do it this way, though. Adjust your strategy towards fight or flight depending on the severity of the threats inside the Zot Lungs.

Once that Orb is secured...

=Interdimensional SWAT Team (Orb Run)=

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Ha. Ha ha. Hilarious, truly. I still have hope for your imminent demise. I mean, that Onei guy you've been following the advice of literally lost one of his FeSu attempts at this very moment. Point and laugh. Not too much, because I'm about to do the same to you when you splat.}}

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Positively splendid! Your final task is to bring these gems to me, NOW! If you left the Starry Gem in the Slime Pits, now is the time! All that matters is your survival. Failing that will result in a disciplinary mention placed in your employee file, followed by you being devoured and digested by whichever horrible demon got to sink its claws into your scruff.}}

{{flavour|[[File:Jiyva altar.png]] A chorus of breathless jiggling and squishes envelops you from all cardinal directions, supporting your imminent victory with the long vanished voices of the dissolved and the slimified.}}

The Lords of Pandemonium are not amused!

All of Heaven and Hell are currently mobilizing their troops to arrive at your location. It is time to LEAVE. From Zot:5, walk or blink into the nearest Teleport trap for an instant warp which will no doubt be closer to your destination: the upstairs.

To auto-calculate the shortest path, you can press Ctrl-G, and write “D0”. This will automatically bring you towards victory, stopping you as soon as a threat appears.

Fighting is foolish. Make a run for the stairs, with zero regards for your consumables. Use them ALL. Use potions of haste on an empty floor just because you like the taste. Blink-scroll to a staircase at full health if something weird just spawned next to you.

Every single time a Pandemonium Lord appears, inspect them; some are utter pushovers, and some are terrifying angels of death with rocket-boots and a burning desire to squash your hopes as they are about to be materialized. In my personal opinion, the ones that don’t have any spells in their set are always the worst. I fear a lot less the demon who has mastered Bolt of Cold than that which has mastered Fist in Your Face. Rarely, a Pandemonium Lord may have Glaciate, in which case you should be very, very scared. Escape out of their sight imminently, or get as much rC+ as you can (potions of Resistance help) if that is impossible. Being hit by Glaciate once means you must immediately Death's Door. I have thankfully never been oneshotted by a Lord (but it is mathematically possible).

Exploit your wand of Digging or Passwall, if you have them, to speed things up.

Eventually, the outside world will finally return to your sight. Feel free to inject all possible potions and toxins you possess into your bloodstream, or try to stack as many status effects as possible before leaving, as is tradition. You did it! Do not forget to try cleansing your bad mutations as you ascend, as it would a shame to be an immortal demigod-cat with a few extra limbs and a cancerous tumour.

{{flavour|[[File:Jiyva altar.png]] Jiyva gurgles gently, savouring the serenity past the chaos.}}

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Wow. You actually just took my spells, ignored everything else I provided you, and proceeded to win the game using my stolen gifts. My "Evil God" title should arrive to you in the mail any second now.}}

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Not bad. Not bad at all, esteemed feline employee! A role in middle management seems perfect for you. While I sort out the paperwork, feel free to type "!gemmed" in the spectator chat of an online DCSS game with a bot spectator (beem) or in the #bot-commands channel of the Roguelikes Discord server to see your name mixed alongside my finest subordinates. Assuming you did the job right and brought all 11 gems intact, that is.}}

When you start your next game, die to a 3-floor shaft into a hornet, be demolished with zero counterplay, and go do something more productive than putting .pngs on a grid close to each other until one of them disappears.

If you'd like to send me a message (for example, to blame me for making your promising level 14 character get 2 shotted 3 times in a row in Slime:2), do not hesitate to contact "oneirical" on both Reddit and Discord.

=Addendum: From Lackey to Supervillain (Character Building)=

For convenience, I will gather all skilling targets and the spell memorization order in this section. Feel free to return here as you need for quick reference!

===Velvet-Pawed Pilgrimage (Branch Order)===

* Clear each floor of the '''Dungeon''' until you find an altar to Kikubaaqudgha. Do not go further down than D:12!
* Then, immediately enter the '''Lair''', on D:8-D:11.
* After Lair:5, enter the '''Orcish Mines''' and clear both floors. Once again, do not clear any levels further down than D:12! You can skip the Mines for now if you already have Forbidden Knowledge (******), coming back after the Slime Pits raid.
* At this point, you should have acquired the final Kiku Forbidden Knowledge gift. If not, start clearing the first S-Branch until it is secured.
* If you have Animate Dead and/or Death Channel, go raid the '''Slime Pits'''. If not, start clearing the first S-Branch until Infestation is castable, then go to the Pits.
* After raiding the Pits, choose to either convert to Jiyva and go clear '''Dungeon 12 to 15''' to rank up Jiyva and start your progress towards mollifying Kiku, or keep your Hive talisman close while you slay the Royal Jelly and Jiyva for good.
* Clear both '''S-Branches'''. Grab the Slimy Rune from the Pits afterwards, if you have not already done so.
* Optionally clear the '''Elven Halls''', then go beat the '''Vaults:1-4'''. Avoid Vaults:5.
* Optionally clear the '''Crypts'''.
* Clear the '''Depths'''.
* Dive down the '''Realm of Zot''', get that Orb, return to Dungeon:1, and win the game!

===Your Propaganda Arsenal (Spells)===

Throughout this run, you will be encouraged to memorize, in this order, and approximately at these points of the game:

(Note: the "LV" numbers are how many spell slots you need for each spell, not your XP level. As for the locations on the right, you should be able to cast these spells somewhere around reaching these places.)

* LV 1 - '''Summon Small Mammal''' (D:1)
* LV 2 - Call Imp (optional - Necromancy is very tight on spell slots and Scrolls of Amnesia are precious, but this spell helps prevent early splats) (D:1)
* LV 3 - '''Call Canine Familiar''' (D:2)
* LV 3 - '''Eringya's Surprising Crocodile''' (D:2-D:4)
* LV 4 - '''Summon Seismosaurus Egg''' (D:4-D:7)
* LV 4 - '''Anguish''' (D:6-Lair:2) ''(Not guaranteed!)''
* LV 4 - '''Animate Dead''' (D:5-Lair:2) ''(Not guaranteed!)''
* LV 6 - '''Death Channel''' (Lair:3-Orc:2) ''(Not guaranteed!)''
* LV 7 - '''Haunt''' (Orc:2-Slime Pits Raid)
* LV 8 - '''Infestation''' (Slime Pits Raid-First SBranch:3)
* LV 9 - '''Death's Door''' (Second SBranch:2-Elf:2)

As marked on the list by "Not guaranteed!", Kiku's delivery service can be a little bit... lacking at times.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Running a forbidden knowledge book printing business isn't easy. I'd like to see '''you''' explain to your publisher why blood sacrifices are essential to have in "Fun Necromantic Activities for Children"!}}

Also useful, at any point, sorted from most to least useful:

* LV 2 - '''Blink'''
* LV 7 - '''Rimeblight'''
* LV 4 - '''Dispel Undead'''
* LV 5 - '''Borgnjor's Vile Clutch'''
* LV 3 - '''Passwall''' ''(Mostly meant as a companion to Death's Door.)''
* LV 4 - '''Martyr's Knell'''

The Wildeness Trinity, as replacement for missing core necromantic spells:

* LV 5 - '''Summon Mana Viper'''
* LV 5 - '''Summon Forest'''
* LV 6 - '''Summon Cactus Giant'''

Endgame spells, in no particular order, to raid the Realm of Zot:

* LV 7 - '''Malign Gateway'''
* LV 7 - '''Sphinx Sisters'''
* LV 8 - '''Summon Horrible Things'''
* LV 8 - '''Maxwell's Capacitive Coupling'''
* LV 8 - '''Discord'''
* LV 4 - '''Passage of Golubria'''
* LV 4 - '''Vhi's Electric Charge'''
* LV 6 - '''Dispersal'''
* LV 8 - '''Disjunction'''
* LV 6 - '''Gell's Gavotte'''
* LV 1 - '''Apportation'''
* LV 8 - '''Borgnjor's Revivification'''

Check your "M"emorization screen every so often. Ctrl-F to see if you missed any books in shops or in rune door vaults. Whenever you have the spell slots required to memorize the next spell, do so immediately and, if it has an entry in the section below, adjust your skills appropriately.

Skip to the next entry on the list if you are incapable of finding a spell anywhere in your game. As soon as you find a missing spell, however, you should add it to your repertoire as soon as possible to catch up. I strongly encourage you to cast every single one of these fantastic incantations at least once in your game!

===Studying the Dark Arts (Skills & Training Targets)===

As soon as you '''start your run''', train these skills and set them to these targets, with the "=" button:

* '''Spellcasting: 11'''
* '''Summonings: 11'''
* '''Turn off Stealth and Dodging.'''

Upon finding an interesting wand or evokable:

* '''Evocations: 5'''

After '''Summon Seismosaurus Egg''' has been memorized, complement it with this:

* '''Earth Magic: 5 (focused)'''

Once your entire starting kit of spells is castable, start learning how to die less:

* '''Fighting: 10'''
* '''Dodging: 12'''
* '''Stealth: 10'''

'''(OPTIONAL)''' - '''Blink''' will never not be useful, and can come along at any point in your run:

* '''Translocations: 5'''

If you find '''Animate Dead''', your necromantic journey can truly begin.

* '''Necromancy: 27'''

Upon getting either '''Death Channel''' or '''Anguish''', power yourself up like so:

* '''Necromancy: 27''' (if you have not already done so)
* '''Hexes: 8''' (only if '''Anguish''' has appeared in your game)

If you fail to obtain one of the crucial Kiku spells, a member of the Wilderness Trinity can certainly come along as a replacement:

* '''Summon Forest''' (Translocations 8, Summonings 11)
* '''Summon Cactus Giant''' (Summonings 14)
* '''Summon Mana Viper''' (Hexes 8, Summonings 11)

Want Borgnjor's Vile Clutch? You'll need some more Earth Magic:

* '''Earth Magic: 7'''

As for Rimeblight, you'll need to study some pages on snowflake fractal theory:

* '''Ice Magic: 9'''

Forget Call Canine Familiar, Summon Seismosaurus Egg, Call Imp and Summon Small Mammal (in that order) if you need spell slots for '''Haunt'''.

If you want to use a Hive Talisman:

* '''Shapeshifting: 17''' (You can start transforming when it reaches 15)
* Disable '''Necromancy''' until your Shapeshifting objective is achieved. You should probably have either BOTH of Animate Dead and Death Channel, or Infestation online before this.

Ultimately, '''after Death's Door's failure rate has dropped below 5%''', your choice of ultimate pick to iron out your last weaknesses is quite open-ended.

Maxwell's Capacitive Coupling:

* '''Air Magic: 20'''

Discord:

* '''Hexes: 20'''

High level Summonings:

* '''Summonings: 13 for Malign Gateway or Sphinx Sisters, 20 for Summon Horrible Things'''
* '''Translocations: 15''' (only for Malign Gateway)
* '''Hexes: 15''' (only for Sphinx Sisters)

I suggest you focus-train Translocations/Hexes, because of the +4 aptitude.

A suite of Translocations:

* '''Translocations: 2 times the highest level of the spell you wish to use + 1''' (for example, Dispersal, level 6 = 13 Translocations)

=Golems and Spires (0.32 Content)=

If you are playing on version 0.32, here are the paragraphs related to Summon Blazeheart Golem and Summon Lightning Spire, which used to be part of the Summoner kit. I think the Summoner of 0.33 is overall less frontloaded on damage, but has better defensive options and smoother skilling. Both are interesting. If you want to use the tips below in 0.33+, play as a Forgewright, where these spells found a new home!


== The Delicate Art of Explosive Incineration (XP Level 4-6, 0.32) ==

If you have not pathetically perished to some turbo-murderous orc priest on D:2, you will now be the proud holder of 2 stored Extra Lives, the maximum a Felid can hold at a time. Such is the privilege of feline supremacy.

As a proud member of the most blessed race in existence, death is not the end for you. Still, you should pretend it is - it will help you take better strategical decisions. If you ''do'' meet an unfortunate end, stay focused, take a break if you are feeling frustrated, and continue to play carefully as if you hadn’t died. Most Felid runs die around 3 to 9 times in an average 3-rune run, so do not feel too bad. Felid lives are meant to be used like rare, powerful consumables, and many Felid 3-rune or even 15-rune wins have 1 to 4 deaths as early as D:1-8.

Do '''not''' quit a Felid run because of an early death! With the way the system is designed, it's almost as if you are ''supposed'' to die in early Dungeon. It's '''much''' easier to level up early on than in the late game. A life lost on D:4 is gotten back on D:7, but a life lost in Pandemonium may take a full clear of all 4 Hell branches to get it back.

I will repeat it again. Do '''not''' quit a Felid run just because you died twice in a row to the same enemy. Save your game and go do something else instead. I know it's infuriating, but that would be like using a blink scroll and then quitting because you're mad about using a lifesaving item. '''Lives are consumables'''. Playing a Felid without dying is like playing an Octopode with 2 rings. You are '''supposed''' to die.

Press “E” to see how long it will take to get your next life. Press "%" to see how many lives you have (look in the top right of the popup!)

Once again, as soon as you find a safe place, '''immediately''' add your new friend to your roster - the [[Summon Blazeheart Golem|Blazeheart Golem]]. Do not cast it just yet if there is no emergency! Soon enough, it will be below 10% fail rate, and you may then use it safely for all battles. Tweak your skills as follows - '''turn on Fire Magic, press “=” to set a skill target, select Fire Magic, and set it to 5.0. Focus Fire Magic by selecting the skill again (it will have an asterisk and will be brighter).''' While you're at it, you should also '''set a target for Spellcasting at 11.0, and Summonings at 11.0'''.

Of course, if you find yourself forced to battle against a dangerous melee foe who potentially has just plowed your Inugami into the ground, it can be interesting to gamble a cast of a higher fail rate Golem. Just do consider the possibility of a Nameless Horror - if it spawns behind you in a one-tile hallway, you'll be completely stuck. Keep escape routes open.

As soon as you find an interesting wand or evokable (also known as "anything but a wand of flame"), also '''turn on Evocations, and set the target to 5.0'''. You'll also want to collect, when you see them, the '''Lightning Rod''', '''Box of Beasts''', '''Phantom Mirror''', '''Gell's Gravitambourine''' and '''Phial of Floods'''.

Starting from D:3, the Dungeon loves to throw at you fast, high-damage, or sometimes even ''fast and high damage'' enemies before you are ready for them. You may therefore encounter [[Water moccasin|water moccasins]], [[Ogre|ogres]], [[Killer bee|killer bees]], dangerous Lair enemies (wyverns & hornets are a classic), among a variety of other nasty creatures. However, you will laugh in the face of these pitiful attempts at stopping the march of progress, oneshot them with what is probably one of the highest damage level 4 spells in the game, and witness the XP trickle down like cat treats. This is what you were suffering in D:1 for - whereas your average Minotaur Fighter or Deep Elf Conjurer would meet a swift end against a swarm of light speed enemies that make your healthbar have more red than green (or sometimes yellow), you will sacrifice unholy amounts of expensive machinery, and will probably make the interdimensional inventor shipping these to you very frustrated.

More desperate for companionship and physical closeness than the most introverted DCSS win-streak players, Golems will immediately stop all action and become useless if they do not '''start or end their turn while being in melee range of you''', resuming activity once you walk up close enough to give them a comforting paw-tap.

While it functions, it will deliver heavy-damage punches and lose a third of its health every time it does so, in addition to getting its metallic head bashed in by your very upset foes. Needless to say, this thing dies fast. Thankfully, the Blazeheart Golem is designed to pack an extremely potent explosive payload when it is destroyed, and is a master at all things related to flesh incineration. In case you have not noticed, flesh is also what you are made out of.

When a <s>Walking Incinerator</s> Blazeheart Golem perishes in heroic battle, it will leave behind its core, represented as a sphere of pure fire. Once this happens, IMMEDIATELY exit melee range of the core. It’s going to EXPLODE, INCINERATE everything adjacent to it (including you, if you are incapable of following basic safety protocols), and leave behind CLOUDS OF BLAZING FLAME to block passage and allow you to leave, rest, and recuperate.

Do NOT hold down "wait" (usually '.' or 's') too fast out of impatience. Do NOT position yourself in such a way that you'd be incapable of leaving the blast zone with a single action. You WILL be oneshotted. Here is an example of what NOT to do:

.###.
..@..
..G..
..E..
.....

If @ is you, # are walls, E is your foe and G is the Golem, the walls will block your only hope of retreating, forcing you to be the recipient of up to 60 fire damage, not to mention the extra damage-over-time from the burning clouds.

If you HAVE to brace for an inescapable blast, or must walk through flame clouds to reposition away from an orc with a +99 Halberd of Feline Culling, consider briefly putting on a ring of Fire resistance/Fire! This is very fast (less than one turn) and will halve the damage, allowing you to survive.

In fact, "ring swapping" in general is a good skill to develop when playing a Felid. See a lindwurm? Ring of fire resistance. Rime drake? Ring of cold resistance. Nergalle the orcish necromancer? Ring of positive energy. Erolcha the banish-you-to-the-abyss-bot? Ring of willpower. Swapping rings is extremely fast - half of a turn to be precise. Don't try swapping amulets, though, trying to tie up a string around your fuzzy neck without opposable thumbs while a violent brute is inching closer is generally not advisable.

Here are some diagrams of potential ways you can commit feline war crimes with this improvised explosive. Again - @ is you, the one and only genius fuzzball, E are your foolish enemies, and G is your trusty golem. . represents floors, and #, walls.

'''Hallway Exit Triple-Blast'''

.EEE.
.#G#.
.#@#.
.#.#.
.#.#.

'''Outsmarting Lesser Beings in Open Spaces'''

.EEE.
..G..
..@..
.....
.....

Yes, this actually works. The enemies on the sides won't even swerve around, captivated by the shining metal of your loyal robot.

Some things to consider:

* If a foe has a reaching polearm (tridents, halberds, glaives, spears...), they will completely ignore the Golem and instead repeatedly puncture you, which means you'll have to wait for the Golem to detonate itself by having it use its self-damaging melee attacks. Here is a trick: remember, the Golem remains activated if they start or end your turn next to you. You may walk back and forth to enter and exit its range repeatedly, thus reducing the damage taken from the polearm by about 50%, and still triggering the explosion!

..E..
..G..
..@..
.....

..E..
..G..
.....
..@..

..E..
..G..
..@..
.....

* When you step away from the explosive core, your foes also get a chance to act. Keep in mind that enemies which were in melee range of you may follow you out of the blast zone, thus dodging the explosion as they pursue you.

..C..
.E...
.@...

In this example, C is the imminently exploding core, triggered as you began your previous turn next to the dying Golem, and chose to move diagonal down-left. If you walk downwards now, it is possible that the enemy will also walk downwards alongside you, and dodge the explosion. You should instead wait, so that they are still located in the blast zone when the core detonates!

* If the enemy is super strong/tanky/resistant to fire, keep in mind you'll be very close to them should they survive the explosion. For example, trying to take out a full-health hydra in Lair with a single Golem may result in the hydra walking through the fire, still barely clinging to life, and oneshotting you. Try to use other summons to reduce their health into explosion kill-range before risking your life in this fashion.

* The flame clouds left behind by the blast also deal heavy damage. If a creature has been left on the brink of death from the explosion and is now standing in a flame cloud, it might be worth just waiting one turn while it is in melee range (instead of moving away) so that it remains stuck in the flames and dies. The flame tick happens before they get a chance to melee attack, but do be absolutely sure that you won't need more than one tick, or some two-headed ogre might just oneshot you on the same turn it is reduced to 2 HP.

'''From now on, the plan is as follows:'''

* Summon an Inugami for every single trivial-to-medium difficulty battle. Make use of “t”-“a” to direct focus, and do not hold back until the entire canine demiplane has been sacrificed to mitten-pawed glory.
* Demolish every single high damage or out-of-depth (OOD) enemy by letting them uselessly punch a robotic time bomb over and over until it inevitably burns them to a crisp. Ice beast? Boom. Ogre? Boom. Bullfrog? Boom. Wyvern? Boom. Water moccasin, yak, two-headed ogre, sleepcap, gnoll sergeant, any Unique creature, hornet, ugly thing, scorpion, troll, orc warrior? BOOM. They will not survive, and if they somehow do, you can simply bring out more golems for your foes to commit the same mistake. So much for having “human”-level intelligence - clearly, the humanoids are hopeless, dull-witted morons before feline genius.
* Stuck in a pinch with no MP and a really angry dude invading your personal space? Getting turned into a porcupine by a very merry centaur? Getting a taste of orcish zealotry and being told that "smite makes right"? Use wands! They are the guns of the fantasy world, and will dispose of any pesky denizen of the Dungeon. Do not hesitate to spam these against dangerous uniques, centaurs and orc priests. The bolt ones, like Quicksilver, Light or Acid, are especially effective. Remember, if you use Charming, you can "t"-"r" the mind-controlled foe to get away from you, then use that distance to execute a swift, zero-risk retreat!
* If you end up in a terrible situation, refer to the Escape Techniques listed in the previous chapter of this guide.
* In the semi-common case where you encounter the unique siblings Dowan and Duvessa, always slay Duvessa first, preferably with an incinerating payload. Otherwise, Duvessa will get very mad, run at you at light speed and oneshot you.

Try to abuse the 1-tile hallways described earlier in Battle Tactics 101! This guarantees your foes will not attempt to circumvent your units to instead give you a very uncomfortable petting session. You are extremely frail, and lingering in melee range of anything that isn’t a basic orc or a D:1 creature is bound to result in your doom. Constantly use your turns to reposition and ensure you are always behind your summons! If your summons lose, you will be the next target on the list, and you will NOT survive should you stand your ground with tooth and claw. Run, rest and try again.


== Murder and Electrical Engineering (XP Level 7-9 to Lair, 0.32) ==

Remember, use your scrolls of Identify! Drop those useless Scrolls of Brand Weapon, Enchant Weapon or Enchant Armour. Maybe a lesser biped will come across those and thank you. Ha! Fat chance.

Between level 7 and 9 (variable depending on your dungeon adventures), the ability to memorize [[Summon Lightning Spire]] will be made available to you. This is the ''big gun'', the ''heavy artillery'', and other militarily pleasing expressions. Whereas the Blazeheart Golem granted the power to slay individual high-level threats, the Lightning Spire welcomes a little bit of ranged combat to the battlefield. This stationary turret has zero chill, and will electrocute anything breathing the same air as you in record time, only stopping once you and your allies are the only thing left standing. However, it occasionally likes to sleep on the job, so make sure to wake it up with more ample usage of “t”-“a”. Remember that neither the Golem nor the Spire have vision as refined as yours, and will completely ignore invisible enemies - most commonly orc wizards. You can still direct fire on a visible enemy, and if a sneaky invisible trickster is in the way, they will still get zapped!

To tap into this immense electrical power, open up your skills menu with “m” - notice that your Fire Magic should be close to reaching 5. Now, '''turn on Air Magic, and set a target to 5'''. Remember, do not attempt to cast a Summonings spell above 10% fail rate if there is no emergency! As our offense is starting to reach a comfortable level, also consider increasing your defense - '''turn on Fighting, Stealth and Dodging, and set a target to 10 for all three of them.'''

There are two main issues: first, the Spire is highly considerate of your wellbeing (which is nice, for the velvet-pawed deserve utmost comfort) yet also just as compassionate towards your other summons (which is less nice, as they are disposable and unimportant lesser beings). It will therefore not shoot if its piercing, bouncing bolt would cause harm to you or to any of your loyal servants. Strangely, it seems to hold a grudge against the Blazeheart Golem, and will occasionally zap it anyways, but this is uncommon - most likely, the Golem dimension played an amusing prank on the Spire dimension before you ripped both of them from their home realm to perish in unspeakable agony. Just kidding. They’re constructs. They don’t feel anything.

The second issue is that unlike other units, the Lightning Spire is incapable of moving out of your way or swapping places with you. This is problematic if you cast the spell in a hallway, potentially blocking your escape route.

#####
.S@.O
#####

You can’t walk backwards to escape the ogre (O), and the (S)pire won’t do anything, too afraid of daring to disrespect you (@)!

Instead of trying to melee an ogre with 0 Unarmed Combat skill, I propose an alternative - a disciplinary paw-scratch. Press 'v', select your Lightning Spire, then confirm the prompt in the message log. This will attack it, and immediately one-shot it no matter what, allowing passage again. An alternative is to recast the spell, though this is risky - it may simply land in an equally unfortunate position.

With all of that said, you should be set for clearing floors until you find the entrance to the Lair, somewhere on D:8-D:11.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Get that Kiku guy on your contacts list, then get into that Lair, in that order! I'll consider you for employee of the month if you have over 5000 turns remaining by D:8. Not that this is much of a title, considering you are my only contractor in this place. Any lower amount, and you'll have to start moving those fuzzy paws a bit faster.}}

Your faithful trio - Inugami, Spire and Golem - will make quick work of anything the game may attempt to impede your progress with. Remember to also put on any jewellery you may find (press capital "P") - Intelligence, Wizardry, Magical Power, Protection and Fire Protection are the best rings you could hope for (in that order), and Magic Regeneration, Regeneration, Reflection, Acrobat and Faith are the best amulets (also in that order) - for now. Avoid Guardian Spirit.

If you find a runed door vault with a ghost in it (and NO other enemies), this could be an opportunity for instant acquirement of three degrees from the Summonings College! They are worth boatloads of experience, but can range from trivial to lethal. Inspect them with "x"-"v", and check their kit - if they have Conjurations that could annihilate you or dangerous Summonings spells, they should be left alone. If they, however, only have a few joke cantrips or only know how to o-tab like a Minotaur Berserker, then it is time to guide them to eternal rest. '''Once the floor is fully cleared,''' gather up all your friends, open the door, and make them bash golems, eat electricity and be eaten by spirit-wolves until they die (for the second time in their existence).

Do NOT try your luck in weird vaults with OP enemies in them locked behind runed doors and orange transporters. They are DESIGNED by developers to exploit your greed and kill you. Nothing stops you from returning there when you actually have the required power to take them on.

===Where It Can All End (Early Game Threats)===

* Centaurs (and even more so their Warrior or Yaktaur variants) are felid annihilation incarnate. If you casually run around and spot one sleeping in open space, '''do not just start mindlessly plopping down your squad'''. Your allies will arrive in random locations while those wretched horsemen puncture you with potentially twoshotting damage on each turn. Instead, retreat to a corner or door (which you can close with capital 'C'), and meow ('t'-'t') to have it walk over in much more advantageous terrain!

Since Spires have almost zero evasion, they will gladly tank arrows for you (unlike those scumbag canines), so they may be of great use should you face off a centaur - hide behind them, and let the ranged battle unfold. Which will win, wooden sharp sticks, or thousand-volt lightning bolts? Spoiler alert: the latter.

However, keep in mind:

..@..
..S..
.....
.....
...E.

This is not a safe way of hiding. The centaur (E) will still turn you from a cat to a porcupine while the Spire will desperately attempt to dish out damage before you die in an anxiety-inducing Damage Per Turn race. First, consider Wands - polymorph is especially effective, as wielding a bow is quite hard without opposable thumbs. As you may have discovered yourself. Otherwise, you can spawn more summons - if you or an Inugami gets in melee range, the centaur will panic and stop shooting. Consider a Scroll of Fog or Summoning/Butterflies if things get too dire.

* Electric eels deal unreal amounts of damage. These living death traps are resistant to your Spire, and will three-shot you. To add insult to injury, they’re worth almost no experience - for comparison, a single scorpion rewards you with about 53% more experience than one eel. Thankfully, there's a trick: a zap from a wand of flame will oneshot or twoshot them, due to the steam clouds this technique will spawn. If flame is unavailable, most other damage wands, while rarer, will make short work of them.

* Steam dragons are deceptively dangerous. Their breath weapon will turn the heat up in every sense of the word, and may even twoshot you should the dice be animated by murderous intent. It even goes through allies. Thankfully, there is counterplay - a ring of fire resistance, or a ring of fire. If you can give yourself a + of rF, this battle will go from terrifying to laughable. If rF is not available to you, tread lightly, and be ready to retreat out of their sight the moment you are hit. Having a steam dragon on the screen while you are fighting other non-trivial enemies is suicide.

** The rarer acid dragons are basically the same thing, but worse. The corresponding ring is resist corrosion.

* Boulder beetles can oneshot you should they land their roll attack on you (and fail the EV check). Thankfully, intelligent summoners can trivialize them by calling forth even the puniest of quokkas and forcing them to waste their roll annihilating a little fluffball (which hopefully isn't you). The Spire's electrical damage bypasses a portion of their heavily armoured shell.

* If you’re unlucky enough to encounter a [[Meliai]] or the unique [[Jeremiah]], know that they are practically cyber-augmented orc priests. Just one isn’t that bad, but they often hang out with their friends, and you do ''NOT'' want to be the centre of attention of bee-witch gossip. Eating a quadruple smite in one turn ''can'' happen, and it ''will'' kill you. Potions of Invisibility work, and so do Wands of various kinds - or have them be zapped one at a time by your spire before they notice your presence, and they should fall relatively quickly. Otherwise, pushing a Golem in their faces will ensure a fiery doom.

* Should you be so hapless as to encounter the unique slug mage Gastronok, you must immediately try to avoid empty spaces. Hug walls, surround yourself with allies - if you find yourself with 4 or more completely empty tiles, you WILL be twoshotted with an insanely powerful, irresistible Airstrike ability. If you have found a scroll of Silence, I highly recommend using it as soon as you’ve churned out a few friends to help take him down. If you do not have silencing abilities, keep him at the edge of Line-of-Sight while the battle unfolds, hug walls and potentially some Small Mammals, and be ready to step away the second you are smited by Airstrike. Even with wise positioning, all it takes are approximately 3 casts to detonate you into an unrecognizable mess of gore and fluff.

For the rest of the run, don’t ever have rF- or rC- no matter what. Yes, even if it means giving up an Int+10 ring (you can also wear rF+/rC+ to cancel out the rF-/rC- if it’s ''really'' good). Vulnerabilities will be your doom: 50% extra damage is plenty to oneshot you before you even realize what has happened. Press % to check your resistances.

[[Category:Character guides]]

Onei's Velvet-Pawed Path to Immortality Walkthrough - FeSu^Kikubaaqudgha/Jiyva

2025-12-02T05:26:26Z

Oneirical:

{{version033}}{{Advice}}
{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Another contender! Will you prove worthy, or rot like the rest?}}

Did you know 100% of deaths in DCSS are the result of taking damage? The common melee brute builds may appear efficient at first, but they suffer from a critical flaw - they let the enemy hit you. Every single time an enemy applies its claws, club, arrows, or reality shattering magic to your sensitive skin, you are exposed to the leading cause of mortality in the Dungeon. I therefore propose an alternative that will make your journey down into the depths 50% less painful, 100% less lonely, and most importantly, 300% fluffier.

'''The Felid Summoner of Kikubaaqudgha/Jiyva.'''

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] It's not "evil magic"! It's recycling. Those bodies would have gone to waste.}}

Cats have a terrible reputation for being, supposedly, a “challenge species”, a “tedious ordeal of optimal play” or even an “unfun experience I’d never do again”. I’m here to inform you that this is all baseless canine propaganda, and I hope you too will learn to bow before your true feline masters as you read through this guide. As a blessed, fuzzy quadruped, you will be able to laugh in the face of paralysis and other dastardly hexes (due to your nigh-unbreakable willpower), laugh in the face of invisible enemies (due to your intrinsic See Invisible passive), laugh in the face of melee enemies (due to your vast repertoire of loyal servants) and even occasionally laugh in the face of death (due to the extremely powerful ability to resurrect after you meet your demise).

This all comes at the high price of having the lowest amount of hit points in the game, and the inability to use any item besides scrolls, potions, evokables, talismans and jewellery. Thankfully, you won’t need any of the baubles inferior humanoids depend on, as you will delegate most of the dirty work to pathetically obedient underlings. Prepare to embark on a journey like no other - which will flip the game around completely, turning the lethal into the laughable, and the harmless into the horrifying.

This guide was written for DCSS version 0.34 (currently "trunk" beta, not released officially yet). The differences with version 0.33 are minor. The target audience here are players who have already won at least once, and would like a build off the beaten path of the tried and true brute/caster duality, or even their first Felid victory. It shall accompany you on a path of team-based fighting, dark magic, vast armies to manage, and eventual transcension in the form of nigh-infinite mana and on-demand invincibility.

If you are a newcomer to DCSS and have stumbled upon this page, also check out the excellently written:

* [[H's Minotaur Fighter Guide]] - the most classic "I cast Axe!" brute build, timeless in DCSS history
* [[Repo Troll Guide, TrFi^Wu Jian]] - a highly acrobatic aventure of awe-striking martial arts
* [[Git Gud Gnoll Guide]] - the Zotémon master, using anything and everything to win, even the strengths and spells of their enemies

But perhaps you are the type who prefers to jump straight into a complex and unorthodox playstyle, following a potential madman's dubious advice? You, I like.

I personally got my '''first win ever''' as a Felid Summoner, and I believe that the caution and focus which one learns from playing this species is valuable on any character.

'''Important note: for an overview of branch order and skilling, check the [[#Addendum: From Lackey to Supervillain (Character Building)|addendum at the end of this guide]].'''

===Travel Preparations (quality-of-life tweaks)===

If you care about comfort while playing this build, I suggest editing your rc file (in online mode, it's the button right next to the "Play trunk/Play (current version)" button, and in offline mode, it's under the settings folder > init.txt). Add these at the very bottom, on new lines:

default_manual_training = true
fail_severity_to_confirm = 0
fail_severity_to_quiver = 5
tile_player_tile = tile:felid_2
force_more_message += forbidden knowledge
force_more_message += mollified

In order, these will:

1. Prevent the very useless and dangerous Auto-training feature from working.

2. Will allow you to cast dangerous spells without a confirmation prompt.

3. Will allow you to quiver dangerous spells without a confirmation prompt.

4. For the reasonable among you, this will turn your likely very ugly Felid sprite extracted from the default rotation - which you may somehow find cute if you suffer from an utter lack of taste - into the objectively superior black counterpart. Secretly grants bonus Willpower from the sheer confidence your glossy black fur will exude (not scientifically tested). For those visually challenged by the black-fur-on-black-floor lack of contrast, tile:felid_4 or mons:natasha are also acceptable. Offline players can also press “-” and cycle through available sprites with left and right arrow keys while ingame. Should you ever revert to playing a (lesser) non-Felid, you will need to remove this line to restore your sprite to the default player doll.

5. Notify you when Kikubaaqudgha likes you enough to reveal the darkest spells in this game.

6. Notify you when Kikubaaqudgha is done pelting you with its pesky curses after you betray them.

Points 2 and 3 may be slightly controversial. The reason for this is simple - the "danger rating" of spells is based off your maximum HP, and as Felid has the lowest max HP in the game, even the actually very safe spell Call Canine Familiar will be labeled as "astonishingly dangerous" and constantly ask "are you sure????" when it's actually very safe, and in fact required for progression.

= (BONUS) Because It Wasn't Hard Enough (Gem Quest) =

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Ah, a new adventurer embarking on a new journey filled with noble deeds and helping the innocent. What? You're learning dark magic and committing mass slaughter? Eh, I don't really care. Can you do my fetch quest? Here's my backstory: I like money. There are gems in the dungeon that are worth a lot of it. Bring them to me.

The problem is, some prick is going around smashing them. You'll have to be quick before that lunatic destroys the treasure which I alone deserve.

Oh, sure. Maybe you can get a cut. If I like you.}}

'''Gems''' are an optional speedrunning challenge where you must beat the game without exceeding a certain amount of turns in each branch. Interestingly, this build is quite good at claiming them.

'''Note''': This makes the game objectively harder. It is for those utter fanatics who thought playing a Felid (lol) with an exotic build which involves god wrath (lmao) just wasn't difficult enough.

If you aren't feeling up to the task, '''ignore all interventions of Gozag in my guide (it is advice for the gem quest specifically).'''

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Excellent, you're still here. That means a promotion is in sight for you. From 'unemployed' to 'my esteemed errand-cat', to be precise. Do add these, while you're at it.}}

more_gem_info = true
always_show_gems = true
explore_auto_rest = false

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] A company-provided timer in your sidebar will now always show you the time remaining before those precious gems start cracking. Useful, is it not? Press }, then ! to view all collected gems, and the time limit for each.

What's that? You're worried about the last option? Corporate doesn't have time for things like "healthcare" or "comfort". You need to get moving, FAST. Just heal while you autoexplore, surely this won't result in coming face to face with a centaur when you have 15 HP.}}

If '}' is a weird key to press on your potentially non-English keyboard (like mine), you can rebind it like this:

bindkey = [(TYPE YOUR KEY HERE)] CMD_DISPLAY_RUNES

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Enough talk! Let's see if dedicating my attention span to you was a valuable use of my time.}}

= An Agonizing Introduction (XP Level 1) =

As the title suggests, pick Felid for your species (ignore the “Advanced” difficulty: that’s merely a ploy to hide true power from your grasp). Pick Summoner for your background, as is wisely recommended by the game.

You probably know this already, but press "o" to autoexplore floors when no enemies are in sight, Ctrl-G to quick-travel to locations, and "5" to wait turns until you have restored HP/MP.

Upon starting your run, you will be met with the following:

* 9 pitiful HP points, enough to get two-shotted by a quokka, defended by a lonely, single point of AC.
* Complete lack of any items (except a measly consolation magic cocktail), weapons, or armour, and only three equipment slots for jewellery only. Felid culture prohibits equipping rings on your rear-limbs, as this is symbolic of the time one spent caged by their (now rightfully eviscerated) master.
* The pathetic ability to call forth fuzzy critters from the unfathomable depths of the eldritch cosmos.
* A deranged repartition of default skill training. Press “m”. If you haven’t set up your rc file as explained in the beginning of the tutorial, set training to “manual” mode (press “/” to do so). Then, '''turn off every skill except Spellcasting and Summonings'''. '''Important reminder: at any time, should you wish to review my suggested skill training plan, view the [[#Addendum: From Lackey to Supervillain (Character Building)|addendum at the end of this guide]].'''
* Your first Extra Life, ripe to be harvested by possibly the very first foe you will encounter.

All of this is, to put it bluntly, utter trash. The good news is that XP level 1 and 2 are the only obstacles separating you from supreme feline domination. Please refer to the following advice to avoid becoming a delicacy in the next hobgoblin feast.

* Try to avoid being in melee range of anything that isn’t a “trivial creature” - which are '''[[Bat|bats]], [[Rat|rats]] and [[Frilled lizard|frilled lizards]]'''. If a ball python hits you with the “Constrict” status, do NOT continue fighting and attempt to retreat until you have been cleansed from the status, at which point you may resume your rampage. If you are cornered or engaged in dangerous melee with 0 MP remaining, use your magic potion immediately. You may take one step in a foe’s reach to reposition, but always remember that most of the denizens of D:1 can two-shot you.
* Cast [[Summon Small Mammal]] twice for every encounter (press “p” to do so, or - if the game complains about you being too reckless - "z" then "a"). Bats are almost useless, rats are mediocre, and quokkas are somewhat passable. If you happen to pull forth one of the latter two from your interdimensional nonexistent hat, you may direct them to get their furry heads bashed in at the nearest available enemy. This is done by pressing “t” to bring up the ally command menu, and then pressing “a” and selecting the enemy you wish to submit to death by a thousand adorable critter bites. If your fuzzy friend meets an unfortunate end at the tip of a kobold’s dagger, there’s always more where that came from - bring on the onslaught until all opposition has been reduced to quokka food. You can have up to a maximum of 2 mammals simultaneously - replace the fallen with more units eager to die in your name. While your summons fight it out, feel free to distance yourself from the action, or to press “.” to allow the battle to unfold, occasionally shooting a “t”-“a” command to direct firepower. Trying to join the action is a certain way to die - remember, do NOT melee non-trivial creatures!
* Remember the golden rule of summoning: what you can’t see cannot be seen by your summons either. No ally can attack outside of Line-of-Sight (LOS) distance. If you want something to die, it has to be on your screen. The opposite is not necessarily true: while your feline senses let you see invisible enemies, all of the critters in your starting spells (except those from Call Canine Familiar) are not as fortunate.
* You can close doors behind you by pressing capital "C" - animals of all kinds do not have paws as dextrous as yours, and will be forced to scratch your impenetrable barricade while you rest and recuperate.
* Your summons can tank stones and other missiles for you if you stand behind them, but this is extremely unreliable (projectiles continue their trajectory if they are dodged). Additionally, keep an eye out for branded weapons! A single hit from either of these is enough to go from a pristine, full health scruff to a game over screen showing 3 unidentified scrolls of acquirement. Venom and Electrocution in particular are extremely lethal. Branded melee weapons are handled in the same way as dangerous creatures of D:1, that is, drowned in pettable fluffballs until the threat is vanquished and drops their dangerous item (possibly a +34 triple sword “lol you can’t use this play minotaur next time” {flaming, Slay+12, AC+10}).

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] If you aren't already quitting the job on day one, I inform you that we just don't have the time to loot every grain of dust on D:1 to D:3. Your first objective in D:1 should be to reach XP level 2, and immediately going down afterwards, using a normal staircase (not a hatch). The latter tend to cause some company liabilities.}}

Do NOT "kite" (walking away from a creature over and over while it is in melee range of you) your foes. You WILL get your snout slapped faster than you can say “YASD” (a traditional roguelike acronym for Yet Another Stupid Death). Each step gives enemies a 33% chance to attack you for free - a few tip-taps to reposition (and swap places with your ally) is fine, but eating attacks of opportunity for over 5 turns is asking to die.

Quite an agonizing experience so far, no? Are you beginning to doubt me? Do you lust to return to a race that starts with HP in the double digits? Foolish! After this, the fun begins.

= Interdimensional Battle Tactics 101 =

All enemies of DCSS, from the gurgling jelly to the mighty Pandemonium Lord Cerebov, are extremely unintelligent. In a situation like:

@....
.....
..S..
...E.
.....

(where @ is you, S is a friendly summon, E is an enemy and . are floors), foes would rather hammer their way through your friend (which may be an eight-headed hydra zombie) to reach you, and certainly won’t think about just circling around to one-shot the squishy cat behind. You will need to abuse this as much as possible. Try to always ensure you are shielded behind your loyal servants. This, for example, is not acceptable:

..@..
.....
.....
..S..
...E.
.....

Since the enemy can directly trace a line between you and their position (imagine they’re trying to fire an arrow at you - if they can hit you, you’re not positioned correctly), they will ignore your ally and charge directly at you to slice themselves some fresh feline cutlets. In a situation such as this, it is preferable to either A) send out more allies to return to a more favourable state

..@..
.....
.....
.SSS.
...E.
.....

Or B), retreat to a hallway.

1-tile hallways are both beneficial and harmful to a Summoner. Look at the following situation, where # represent walls:

'''Situation 1'''

#####
S.@.E
#####

The enemy is possibly an ogre about to bash you into a bloodied furball. Casting your summoning spell placed your unit behind you. Simply walk backwards to swap places with your unit, watch the fight unfold (preferably from a distance), and if your soldier perishes in honourable battle, your MP should have regenerated while they were battling it out: simply send out a fresh combatant eager to finish the job.

#####
@..SE
#####

Zero risk, zero worry. Here’s another interesting case:

'''Situation 2'''

#####
@E..S
#####

Here, you got unlucky, and casting your spell spawned your unit ''behind'' the foe you are attempting to introduce to your friends. Inspect the enemy's melee damage by right-clicking them or pressing "x", moving the cursor on them, then pressing "v". If they can't oneshot you on the next turn, it's ''probably'' safe to try summoning some additional support, hoping they will spawn behind you and allow for a Situation 1 swap.

#####
@SE..
#####

The problem with 1-tile hallways is that they enforce honourable 1v1-ing only between each creature. This probably makes Okawaru very proud, but with the whole little army we are slowly amassing, we will increasingly benefit more and more from wide, open spaces to allow your entire squad to get into the fray and dish out punishment. This might not be the case early in the game, but much later on, when we will branch into Necromancy, expect the number of allies on screen to reach into the dozens.

= A Devilish Upgrade (XP Level 2) =

''Feeling brave? You may try to skip this chapter and reach XP level 3 using only small mammals. As Necromancy is tight on spell slots, the additional Scroll of Amnesia this will save later on may prove useful. Try not to die if you opt for this choice. Otherwise, keep reading.''

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Yeah, no, we can't fit this one into the budget. Move along. Just kill those D:2 adders with quokkas and quit whining. We'll need the Amnesia Scrolls later.}}

If you have reached this point, congratulations, you have won the game. You may now press Ctrl-Q to abandon the run, as objectively speaking, your chances of victory are now exactly 100.00%. Go bake some cookies. Take a nice walk in the park. Do anything else than watching pixelated animals fight. While being an animal yourself.

What? Still here? Very well.

Most of the Level 1 advice still applies, but you now have a little more room for mistakes. As soon as you level up and find yourself in a safe area, immediately memorize [[Call Imp]] by pressing "M", your new very mischievous addition to the roster. Press "z" then "b" to meet your new demonic friend. The unspeakably dark forces of Hell will be delighted to deliver you a dastardly blue imp proudly wielding a sharp stick.

This rampage machine is anything but (imp)otent. Savour the tears of the hobgoblins who once terrified you, revel in the yips of those pesky jackals - they will be poked, and there shall be no mercy. Imps will also occasionally compliment you and call you their “pillow-pawed master”, which is a step up from the blank stares of rats. Disregard these attempts to appeal to your nonexistent mercy, and send them to die in your name with more liberal usage of “t”-“a”. Unlike furry mammals, you may only have a maximum of one imp at a time.

At any moment, I encourage you to bring forth assistance from your previous, less talkative and much fuzzier friends! You may do this by either clicking the spell in the side menu (in offline mode) or pressing "p" or "za" again (in online mode). The total gang of three summons is now sufficient to circle enemies and dish out quick justice to anything on D:1. Keep being careful until you reach level 3. If D:1 fails to provide enough experience for this, carefully descend to D:2 to finish the job, but know that dealing with any of the D:2 new enemies that weren’t featured on D:1 is extremely risky - especially adders and orc priests/wizards. Try to focus on foes you are already familiar with, and use a different staircase if your chosen means of descent places you next to something you haven’t killed yet.

= Canine Thralls vs. The Interdimensional Police (XP Level 3) =

'''Increase (I)ntelligence, and only do so every single time you will be prompted with this choice in the future.'''

Got some scrolls? The stack with the highest amount (press "r" to bring up the (r)ead menu) has a high (but not guaranteed) chance of being Identify. Once you have found Scrolls of Identify, immediately read any you may obtain to progressively label each of your possessions. Personally, I think identifying potions before scrolls tends to increase your chances of survival ever-so-slightly. This isn't hard science, whether a DCSS player identifies potions or scrolls first is basically the equivalent of their horoscope sign.

Find a safe area. Memorize [[Call Canine Familiar]] immediately (press "M"). This is the ''real deal''. Labelled as "quite dangerous" despite its 7% miscast rate, this extremely strong spell brings forth an '''Inugami''' - a once proud general and leader of the canine empire, re-educated into serving its feline master with unbreakable zeal. The tag around its collar proves most interesting - besides reminding it of its status before your Highness, it can also channel powerful bursts which heal the Inugami a massive amount, remove all poison, and unleash a cleaving burst on all tiles adjacent to it. To trigger one such energy surge, recast the spell while your Inugami is alive and visible on your screen, spending 3 MP in the process.

Yes, you can spam it and pop foes open with repeated re-casts. No, you won't find funny when your Inugami dies to some overpowered death machine and you're left in melee range with it with 0 MP to spare. It's strongly recommended to prioritize energy-bursting only if one of the following applies:

* Your canine servant needs the heal or is badly poisoned.
* It is surrounded and the cleaving AOE would prove most effective.
* You need a quick finishing blow against a low-HP dangerous foe.

When an Inugami dies in heroic battle, it will retreat to a pocket dimension for a time to rekindle its faith in feline supremacy. When the -Dog status on the sidebar expires - expect 13 to 21 turns - it is ready to return into the fray. Other summons can take up arms while you wait.

With all that considered, Inugami are absolute beasts. Very little in the early Dungeon can survive a 1v1 with an Inugami energy-bursting when it is most needed. Not even Sigmund - he is powerless before canine brutality! Simply stand back, watch the carnage without getting hit, and laugh as adders get slaughtered from Line-of-Sight (LOS) distance. You don't really need to "avoid fighting" anything in D:2 to D:4, except:

* '''Grinder''', which will play fetch with your dog by blinking all over the place while you stand paralyzed eating tons of darkness damage.
* '''Orc priests''', which are explained more in depth right below. Basically, if you can see them, they can murder you.

Inugami, like imps, occasionally try to look cute and print out endearing messages in the text log. Again, do not let this affect you - remember that the canine race is lesser before feline glory, and heartlessly send them to their doom (“t”-“a”) while they obey with unfaltering zeal.

You can look (and cast) any of your memorized spells at any time by pressing "z" then "?". If it says, for example, "c - Call Canine Familiar", pressing "z" then "c" will welcome your new canine unit without having to bring up the menu every time.

<blockquote>How can I possibly lose with such loyal followers?
</blockquote>
Orc priests, my noble feline acolyte. These green-robed menaces have the ability to inflict undodgeable, instant and two-shotting damage from full LOS range. Right now, no amount of summons could protect you from their devotion to the god of the Orcs. A lone one can be assassinated by sending an inugami next to them and spamming the recast-burst until they are deleted. If you see - Xom have mercy - two or more, do not even attempt to test their mettle. Press “X”, move the cursor towards them, and press “e” to set up an exclusion - this is your way of telling the game “NOPE”. If multiple priests stay visible on your screen for 5 turns or more, you are asking to die. Leave through the nearest up-staircase, and attempt a different portion of the level (or descend to D:3 if the level is truly doomed), leaving these dissenters alive for later. They will suffer the consequences of their insolence in due time.

<blockquote>I'M ON FIRE I'M ON FIRE PUT IT OUT PUT IT OUT IT BURNS
</blockquote>
If a Bombardier Beetle set you on fire, you must immediately start taking steps and walking around - each tile crossed reduces the duration by 6 turns. Stop, drop and roll! Do NOT stand still! If you accidentally drank a lignification potion, say goodbye to the current iteration of your feline life.

<blockquote>Any recommendations if I am doing the Gem Quest?</blockquote>

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Why are you still on D:2? The Temple doesn't spawn here. We want that bone altar, and we want it pronto. Get diving down to D:4, you should not be exploring more than half of each floor until then.}}

Additionally...

== The Aforementioned Interdimensional Police (Nameless Horrors) ==

Every time you attempt to call a canine <s>slave</s> friend, there should be a small chance of a miscast, which will reduce as you progress through the arts of Summonings. Miscasts in other schools of magic are generally not too dramatic (given that the caster is not trying to sever reality itself right after learning how to say “pick a card, any card”). However, your constant telemarketing calls to the eldritch cosmos asking “Who wants to die in the name of feline supremacy?” have begun to get on the nerves of some eldritch monstrosities. TentacleMail may therefore rarely deliver you a [[Nameless horror|Nameless Horror]] instead of your ordered furry companion. Instead of filing a complaint, slow down and consider your options. These things drain your mana on each melee hit they land on you, will only leave after you have managed to kill them, and will occasionally return your summons back to their home realm, so they may meet their family again instead of dying for a cat in a dungeon.

FAQ:

<blockquote>What do I do if I incur the wrath of cosmic aberrations?
</blockquote>
It depends on your situation. If they are alone or accompanied by a joke of an enemy, getting an Inugami out and spamming energy-bursts should wreck it. Alternatively, if you have damaging wands that aren't Mindburst, feel free to gun them down.

If you are close to dangerous foes which aren't in range yet to hurt you, you may drag the the Nameless Horror to a previously cleared floor, "park" it there and return to the lower level without it, preferably with a different staircase. If you can't manage to kill it, don't forget about the horrifying creature roaming loose if you want to "stair-dance" a dangerous foe later on while clearing the lower floor. Maybe you'll meet it again near the end of your run, at which point it will tremble before the FELINE GOD you have become.

<blockquote>How can I minimize my chances of being investigated by the interdimensional kidnapping police?
</blockquote>
The Summonings school is not to be messed with. It is strongly advised that you never try to cast a Summonings spell with a failure rate higher than 10% to take out medium-to-low threat foes, as the consequences may be disastrous. Only violate this rule when extreme firepower is needed imminently against a truly fearsome foe.

<blockquote>I have no MP, no friends and I am going to die. What do I do?
</blockquote>
See below.

== Break In Case of Imminent Negative HP Syndrome (Escape Techniques) ==

Low health? No mana? Overpowered gigachad about to annihilate you? Consider the following, from safest to most unreliable:

* '''Scrolls of Blinking''' will immediately save you, but are rare and valuable. THAT DOES NOT MEAN "save them for next game". USE THEM.
* '''Scrolls of Summoning/Butterflies''' do what you specialize in - dialing up friends - but take zero mana. The butterfly variant doesn't attack, but gently blows away your foes, granting a safe space of sunshine and rainbows.
* Assuming you can survive 3-5 turns, a '''Scroll of Teleportation''' will whisk you off to a different location. Magical Inks™ Incorporated does not guarantee said location will be safe.
* The useful '''Blink''' level 2 spell immediately relocates you to a random tile in sight - but it won't necessarily be available in your game. Maybe if you ask RNGesus nicely.
* A '''Gell's Gravitambourine''' can pull enemies away from you with its magnetic field, which is immensely helpful if your problem is of the "big stick about to be in my face" kind.
* '''Potions of Magic''', and the mana acquired from them, can be condensed into the creation of a helpful friend. Again, rare and valuable, but made to be used.
* '''Potions of Curing''' will ''remove all confusion and poison'' - essential for those pesky redback spiders getting lucky hits - in addition to a small amount of HP and '''Potions of Heal Wounds''' restore a bunch of health which, on a Felid, is highly impressive. Do ensure that you can actually make use of the heal to solve your problem and aren't just delaying your death, especially if you just get hit again for the same amount you healed on the same turn.
* '''Potions of Invisibility''' drastically reduce enemy accuracy and allow you to walk away with high, but not perfect safety. Check that the foe in question does not detect invisibility by inspecting their stat window - for example, wolves, dastardly agents of the canine empire, won't be impressed.
* '''Scrolls of Fear''' immediately causes every living (undead and berserking enemies are immune!) on the screen which fails a (difficult) Willpower saving throw to regret ever messing with Your Pillow-Pawed Highness and to run away. Check, on their stat screen, that their Willpower is at ++ or less.
* Assuming your enemy is a spellcaster that can be Silenced (check their description!), a Phial of Floods will shortly disable their spells, while a '''Scroll of Silence''' will disable them for a very long time, but your own magic and scrolls as well. Ensure you have a way of dealing damage during this silence (hint: it involves allies and having a lot of them). A Phial of Floods will recharge after some XP is obtained.
* The '''Lightning Rod''' does big electrical damage without any MP cost. Most spectacularly, if you fire it multiple turns in a row, you can rotate the beam to hit huge Areas-of-Effect and nuke entire crowds. It's very effective at finishing off a single problematic specimen, however.
* '''Potions of Haste''', beyond allowing you to walk away without getting kited to oblivion, are much stronger than new players tend to think: they effectively slow down time so you get bonus actions per turn. This is much more spectacular on other characters (your main source of damage is from your servants, which do not benefit from the haste), but it is still tremendously useful.
* A '''stairwell''' brings you back to the much safer previous floor, but brings all adjacent foes alongside you - except zombies, simulacra and summoned creatures. Still quite possibly an improvement over your current situation.
* '''Wands of Paralysis/Charming''' incapacitate your foe. You have to beat their Willpower - early game, that is usually around a 50% chance, but there are exceptions. The brainwashing Charming variant can be used to demolish the victim's former allies while you cackle in the back. You can also command them to go to the time-out corner by pressing "t"-"r" and selecting a tile far away from you.
* A '''Box of Beasts''' will immediately summon an adorable abomination and crime against biology itself, without a single point of mana required! Useful when your magical reserves have been emptied.
* '''Wands of Polymorph''' are particularly effective at neutralizing those wielding dangerous ranged weapons or point-and-click smites, but ''check the list of possible transformations by hovering the wand over the target foe'', lest you find yourself with OP midgame mobs chasing you around the Dungeon. Note that, when zapping a Polymorph wand at yourself, it will most likely deny you use of your spells, but may give you extra speed to run away (Pig or Bat Form) or may improve your melee combat prowess to a degree that is only useful in the early game (Wisp, Tree or Fungus form). Consider this as a last resort if cornered or in trouble!
* Speaking of those, '''Scrolls of Vulnerability''' assist all dastardly hypnosis techniques by cutting all creatures' Willpower (including you) by half. Beyond wands, this makes Anguish much easier to use even on terrifying uniques like Mennas, resulting in easy takedowns where you normally would have had to move mountains to barely scratch them.
* '''Damage Wands''' might, with some luck, solve your problems by murdering them.
* '''Potions of Ambrosia''' do a similar effect to Potions of Magic, but over time, and the confusion should be cured with a Potion of Curing once you have enough mana if you are in the middle of an unfolding catastrophe (this will stop the regeneration). Not to be relied upon if only a couple of turns stand between life and death.
* '''Unknown potions and scrolls''' could save you. They probably won't. Try the big stacks, they are likely to be Teleportation or Curing.
* '''Dying'''. Unlike feeble humanoids, this is an option. Try to avoid it. It will happen anyways. Do not give in to despair. Stand up. Fight again.

Do not mindlessly run away for dozens of turns without doing anything. You WILL be eating attacks of opportunity on every step and perishing in record time. At least try casting a spell once your mana comes back.

==The Proper Way To Roll Your Face On The Keyboard (Macros)==

Getting tired of "zbzc....o....zbzc....o" yet? You can press '''Ctrl-D''' to set macros and begin feeling like you are playing some tryhard MOBA instead of composing Beethoven's Tenth Symphony on your keyboard.

For example, press "Ctrl-D", then "1", then type "zb" in the field to link the "b" spell that appears when you look at the spell list (accessible with "I" while in-game). On each press of "1", you will now cast the "b" spell.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Back in my day, you had to draw a pentagram and whisper demonic prayers each time you'd want a skeleton friend. Who thought it was a good idea to automate murder?! Can't you appreciate a good old blood sacrifice in the rules of the art?}}

This is my favourite loadout:

* '''1''' for Call Canine Familiar, and later Haunt.
* '''2''' for Eringya's Surprising Crocodile, and later Infestation.
* '''3''' for Summon Seismosaurus Egg, and later any spell of your choice.
* '''4''' for any other useful spell.
* '''w''' for Animate Dead. Normally, it's used for (w)ielding weapons, buuuut... yeah. No opposable thumbs and all.
* '''e''' for Death Channel.
* '''Spacebar''' for an emergency spell - I like a simple Blink, or, for bonus coolness points, the heart-racing Death's Door. Big button, big problems! I actually remember to use my emergency spells this way.
* '''c''' for any other useful spell.
* (Q)uiver Anguish (or, in Crypts/Tomb, Dispel Undead), and cast it with '''p'''.

To dial up the early-game squad, press "123".

Want both your ally-creation buffs (such as when descending a new staircase)? Simply press "we". In case of trouble, your salvation is right on the biggest button of your keyboard. For a late game mega-death rave, press "e21p"!

= The Delicate Art of Reptilian Pole Vaulting (XP Level 4-6, 0.33) =

If you have not pathetically perished to some turbo-murderous orc priest on D:2, you will now be the proud holder of 2 stored Extra Lives, the maximum a Felid can hold at a time. Such is the privilege of feline supremacy.

As a proud member of the most blessed race in existence, death is not the end for you. Still, you should pretend it is - it will help you take better strategical decisions. If you ''do'' meet an unfortunate end, stay focused, take a break if you are feeling frustrated, and continue to play carefully as if you hadn’t died. Most Felid runs die around 3 to 9 times in an average 3-rune run, so do not feel too bad. Felid lives are meant to be used like rare, powerful consumables, and many Felid 3-rune or even 15-rune wins have 1 to 4 deaths as early as D:1-8.

Do '''not''' quit a Felid run because of an early death! With the way the system is designed, it's almost as if you are ''supposed'' to die in early Dungeon. It's '''much''' easier to level up early on than in the late game. A life lost on D:4 is gotten back on D:7, but a life lost in Pandemonium may take a full clear of all 4 Hell branches to get it back.

I will repeat it again. Do '''not''' quit a Felid run just because you died twice in a row to the same enemy. Save your game and go do something else instead. I know it's infuriating, but that would be like using a blink scroll and then quitting because you're mad about using a lifesaving item. '''Lives are consumables'''. Playing a Felid without dying is like playing an Octopode with 2 rings. You are '''supposed''' to die.

Press “E” to see how long it will take to get your next life. Press "%" to see how many lives you have (look in the top right of the popup!)

As soon as you find a safe place, '''immediately''' add your new friend to your roster - [[Eringya's Surprising Crocodile]].

Did you know Felids have a stronger genetic predisposition than other species to the terrible diagnosis known as "OP Meleedude In My Face About To Twoshot Me" in the medical literature? Thankfully, our feline researchers have been hard at work, and found the cure: Crocodiles. This spell is only castable if a foe is in melee range of you, at which point you'll dash 2 tiles backwards, pull the foe backwards 1 tile, and summon the Crocodile between the two of you.

.....
.....
...@.
...E.

...@.
...C.
...E.
.....

I did say the Meleedude in question is OP, so the Crocodile is likely getting twoshotted next. Not to worry - recast the spell again, and endlessly kite the foe across the map in a way that would make an entire server ragequit if DCSS was a multiplayer PvP game.

This spell is '''a repositioning asset''', not a main damage dealer (though it does achieve interesting results in that domain). Do not mindlessly charge in and use the Crocodile on a foe if can you imagine yourself needing this dash 3 turns later - '''you cannot cast this spell if the Crocodile is alive'''. You should use it in every single battle, but at the moment where the displacement effect actually helps you in some way.

The crocodile itself, as an ally, deals decent damage that will get outpaced as soon as you exit the early game. It also has a pull effect which may trigger on some of its hits. This can sometimes troll you:

..#.#
###@#
.OC.#
#####

Your (C)rocodile is fighting the two-headed (O)gre in a 1-tile corridor. All is well. Suddenly:

..#.#
###@#
..OC#
#####

The (O)gre is pulled into melee range of you and oneshots you. Ouch! That really hurt!

Do keep this (thankfully rare) contingency in mind.

'''From now on, the plan is as follows:'''

* Summon an Inugami for every single trivial-to-medium difficulty battle. Make use of “t”-“a” to direct focus, and do not hold back until the entire canine demiplane has been sacrificed to mitten-pawed glory.
* Demolish every single high damage or out-of-depth (OOD) enemy by letting them uselessly punch an ever-respawning crocodile over and over until they fall face flat in the water left behind. Ice beast? Trivialized. Ogre? Dealt with. Bullfrog? Eviscerated. Wyvern? Discombobulated. Water moccasin, yak, two-headed ogre, sleepcap, hornet, ugly thing, scorpion, troll, orc warrior? GGEZ. They will not survive, and if they somehow do, you can simply retreat using the gap formation left by your usage of this spell. So much for having “human”-level intelligence - clearly, the humanoids are hopeless, dull-witted morons before feline genius.
* Stuck in a pinch with no MP and a really angry dude invading your personal space? Getting turned into a porcupine by a very merry centaur? Getting a taste of orcish zealotry and being told that "smite makes right"? Use wands! They are the guns of the fantasy world, and will dispose of any pesky denizen of the Dungeon. Do not hesitate to spam these against dangerous uniques, centaurs and orc priests. The bolt ones, like Quicksilver, Light or Acid, are especially effective. Remember, if you use Charming, you can "t"-"r" the mind-controlled foe to get away from you, then use that distance to execute a swift, zero-risk retreat!
* If you end up in a terrible situation, refer to the Escape Techniques listed in the previous chapter of this guide.
* In the semi-common case where you encounter the unique siblings Dowan and Duvessa, always slay Duvessa first. Otherwise, Duvessa will get very mad, run at you at light speed and oneshot you.

Try to abuse the 1-tile hallways described earlier in Battle Tactics 101! This guarantees your foes will not attempt to circumvent your units to instead give you a very uncomfortable petting session. You are extremely frail, and lingering in melee range of anything that isn’t a basic orc or a D:1 creature is bound to result in your doom. Constantly use your turns to reposition and ensure you are always behind your summons! If your summons lose, you will be the next target on the list, and you will NOT survive should you stand your ground with tooth and claw. Run, rest and try again.

===Where It Can All End (Early Game Threats)===

* Steam dragons are '''EXTREMELY DANGEROUS'''. Their breath weapon will turn the heat up in every sense of the word, and may even twoshot you should the dice be animated by murderous intent. It even goes through allies. Thankfully, there is counterplay - a ring of fire resistance. If you can give yourself a + of rF, this battle will go from terrifying to laughable. If rF is not available to you, tread lightly, and be ready to retreat out of their sight the moment you are hit. Having a steam dragon on the screen while you are fighting other non-trivial enemies is suicide. They must die, ASAP.

* Centaurs (and even more so their Warrior or Yaktaur variants, as well as other archers like Joseph or Nessos) are felid annihilation incarnate. If you casually run around and spot one sleeping in open space, '''do not just start mindlessly plopping down your squad'''. Your allies will arrive in random locations while those wretched horsemen puncture you with potentially twoshotting damage on each turn. Instead, retreat to a corner or door (which you can close with capital 'C'), and meow ('t'-'t') to have it walk over in much more advantageous terrain!

Since Eggs (more on them later) have zero evasion, they will gladly tank arrows for you (unlike those scumbag canines), so they may be of great use should you face off a centaur - hide behind them, and let the Inugami finish the work. This is risky - you should only do this if there is no hallway available to retreat to.

Keep in mind:

..@..
..E..
.....
.....
...C.

This is not a safe way of hiding. The centaur (C) will still turn you from a cat to a porcupine while the (E)gg stands there without blocking any arrows. If you could shoot at the Centaur with a Magic Dart, they, too, can hit you. First, consider Wands - polymorph is especially effective, as wielding a bow is quite hard without opposable thumbs. As you may have discovered yourself. Otherwise, you can spawn more summons - if you or an Inugami gets in melee range, the centaur will panic and stop shooting. Consider a Scroll of Fog or Summoning/Butterflies if things get too dire.

* Electric eels deal unreal amounts of damage. These living death traps will easily three-shot you. To add insult to injury, they’re worth almost no experience - for comparison, a single scorpion rewards you with about 53% more experience than one eel. Thankfully, there's a trick: a zap from a wand of flame will oneshot or twoshot them, due to the steam clouds this technique will spawn. If flame is unavailable, most other damage wands, while rarer, will make short work of them.

** The rarer acid dragons are similar. The difference is that they deal even more damage (possibly 70% of your HP bar in one hit) but cannot pierce through allies. The corresponding ring is resist corrosion.

* Boulder beetles can oneshot you should they land their roll attack on you (and fail the EV check). Thankfully, intelligent summoners can trivialize them by calling forth even the puniest of quokkas and forcing them to waste their roll annihilating a little fluffball (which hopefully isn't you).

* If you’re unlucky enough to encounter a [[Meliai]] or the unique [[Jeremiah]], know that they are practically cyber-augmented orc priests. Just one isn’t that bad, but they often hang out with their friends, and you do ''NOT'' want to be the centre of attention of bee-witch gossip. Eating a quadruple smite in one turn ''can'' happen, and it ''will'' kill you. Potions of Invisibility work, and so do Wands of various kinds - or have them be blasted by your Seismosaurus before they notice your presence, and they should fall relatively quickly.

* Should you be so hapless as to encounter the unique slug mage Gastronok, you must immediately try to avoid empty spaces. Hug walls, surround yourself with allies - if you find yourself with 4 or more completely empty tiles, you WILL be twoshotted with an insanely powerful, irresistible Airstrike ability. If you have found a scroll of Silence, I highly recommend using it as soon as you’ve churned out a few friends to help take him down. If you do not have silencing abilities, keep him at the edge of Line-of-Sight while the battle unfolds, hug walls and potentially some Small Mammals, and be ready to step away the second you are smited by Airstrike. Even with wise positioning, all it takes are approximately 3 casts to detonate you into an unrecognizable mess of gore and fluff.

For the rest of the run, don’t ever have rF- or rC- no matter what. Yes, even if it means giving up an Int+10 ring (you can also wear rF+/rC+ to cancel out the rF-/rC- if it’s ''really'' good). Vulnerabilities will be your doom: 50% extra damage is plenty to oneshot you before you even realize what has happened. Press % to check your resistances.


= Dastardliness, Cackles and Dark Tricks (God Choice) =

You have only three equipment slots to fulfill Ashenzari’s bondage fantasies, no time to learn the ways of Invocations, and would not benefit from weapon gifts with your lack of opposable thumbs. As the lead of an interdimensional kidnapping startup, you should delegate EVERY task to your staff and NEVER do any work yourself.

Ru is technically quite viable for you, but as you don’t care for employee wellbeing, in-office buddhist yoga sessions are not at the top of your schedule. Plus, you will need both of your paws to play with the Orb of Zot like a ball of yarn. A lot of feline CEOs such as you enjoy striking a divine partnership with Gozag and cracking open endless amounts of lootboxes and microtransactions, but this is not what this guide is about (but feel free to play a Gozag Felid sometime, it's great fun!)

We need loyal subordinates, and we need them fast, reliably, and cheaply. Let us therefore learn arts and magic as dark as the colour of our fur, from scratch, under the tutelage of the villainous god Kikubaku-

Kikubaquk-

Kikubaaqudq-

Kikubaaqudgha. Yes. That's how you spell it.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Untainted souls are so much more fun to corrupt! But... why are you so fluffy? I need goth elves and black mascara. I can't have my subordinates looking like this!}}

Sorry Kiku, malnourished nerds and lanky skeletons are just so passé. If you wish to increase your approval ratings among the public, research has shown that a marketable, plushie-like mascot is a much better driving force for sales and engagement.

Anyhow. The reason I suggest picking Kiku for this build is to secure the mid-and-late game, as the Summoner background is so powerful (as you may have noticed already) that no immediate divine assistance is required. For now, Kiku will do absolutely nothing to help you - focus on proving yourself worthy by engaging in senseless, indiscriminate murder. Or, in other words, just the usual routine. Kikubaaqudgha's altar can spawn in D:3, the Temple, as deep down as D:11 - it really doesn't matter at all, you just need to '''have joined Kiku before entering Lair.'''

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] That still seems wise to me. What I REALLY don't want to see you doing is MISSING the altar and doing a merry-go-round the dungeon looking for it on company time. You'll probably want to find that Temple between D:4 and D:7, looking out for odd rock formations. And if it's not in that Temple, you'll want to look out for evil looking structures, all the way down to possibly D:11.}}

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] "An evil god, Kikubaaqudgha requires worshippers to cause the death and destruction of as many creatures as possible." Well, that's rich. It's not as if almost every single other god wants the exact same thing. Why am I being singled out?}}

Actually, I lied. Kiku does do one thing right away. And that's flaming you in the message log when you lose the run. Let that be motivation to play intelligently.

= Life Finds a Way (XP Level 7-9 to Lair, 0.33) =

Remember, use your scrolls of Identify! Drop those useless Scrolls of Brand Weapon, Enchant Weapon or Enchant Armour. Maybe a lesser biped will come across those and thank you. Ha! Fat chance.

Between level 7 and 9 (variable depending on your dungeon adventures), the ability to memorize [[Summon Seismosaurus Egg]] will be made available to you.

In Jurassic Park, they knew they could, but didn't stop to think if they should. In the Dungeon, the answer is YES to both. This hulking dinosaur is the ''big gun'', the ''heavy artillery'', among other militarily pleasing expressions. Whereas your previous servants granted the power to slay individual high-level threats, the Seismosaurus welcomes a little bit of AoE (Area of Effect) to the battlefield. It blasts its surroundings every so often with devastating, undodgeable raw physical damage, and is basically an "I Win" button for anything in the Dungeon and Lair. To tap into this power, '''turn on Earth Magic and set a target to 5, then turn it on a second time to focus it''', which is done by pressing "=" inside the skill menu (m) then the letter assigned to the skill "Earth Magic". After Summon Seismosaurus Egg reaches a failure rate inferior to 10%, '''turn on Fighting, Stealth and Dodging, and set a target to 10 for the first two, and 12 for Dodging.'''

Of course, there is a catch: you checked the "wrap in a gift box" option when confirming your delivery, and TentacleMail is nothing but considerate when it comes to life's big celebrations. You'll need to spend a few turns unwrapping the payload, and this often involves being mauled by maws and claws while you are getting through the shrink wrap.

The specifics: '''the egg starts hatching as soon as a foe is within 4 tiles of it AND you are standing adjacent to it. This process does not accelerate no matter if the foe is a single rat, Geryon, Gatekeeper of Hell, or a swarm of 30 halberd gnolls.''' The rocky terrain on the ground indicates the range.

Ideally, you'll start this process while your foes are sound asleep (this is why we train Stealth!), or while a pathetic cockroach is near you and the real heavy-hitters are far away in the backline, approaching slowly until it is too late to not get blasted by prehistoric might.

This means that if you see a big group of '''non-ranged''' sleeping enemies, you should NOT rush in to "get the critical hit stabs" (you will do so little damage you might as well be healing them) or plop down your Inugami, who will immediately rush in and ruin the surprise. Instead, summon your Seismosaurus egg until it is within a 4-tile range (don't spend your whole mana bar on this), start incubating it, and unleash the Inugami if they begin waking up.

An alternative, if you have a nearby 1-tile hallway, is to meow at them ('t'-'t') and retreat into the hallway, summoning your Inugami, and then the Egg. It will hopefully be placed behind you, but even if it ends up in front, you'll still be able to incubate it with only 1 enemy attacking it. Naturally, do not do this if the enemy squad is full of polearms or extremely high damage melee.

You can also use your Surprising Crocodile to assist your egg:

..S..
.....
.....
...@.
...E.

The (E)nemy, in melee range of you, is dangerously close, and your egg (S) isn't incubating at all! Use your (C)rocodile:

..S..
...@.
...C.
...E.
.....

Much better. The egg is incubating, and your Crocodile is loyally defending you until it hatches.

Unlike other units, the Seismosaurus Egg is incapable of moving out of your way or swapping places with you. This is problematic if you cast the spell in a hallway, potentially blocking your escape route.

#####
.E@.O
#####

You can’t walk backwards to escape the ogre (O), as the (E)gg is blocking the way!

Instead of trying to melee an ogre with 0 Unarmed Combat skill, I propose an alternative - a disciplinary paw-scratch. Press 'v', select your Egg, then confirm the prompt in the message log. This will attack it, and immediately one-shot it no matter what, allowing passage again. An alternative is to recast the spell, though this is risky - it may simply land in an equally unfortunate position.

With all of that said, you should be set for clearing floors until you find the entrance to the Lair, somewhere on D:8-D:11.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Get that Kiku guy on your contacts list, then get into that Lair, in that order! I'll consider you for employee of the month if you have over 5000 turns remaining by D:8. Not that this is much of a title, considering you are my only contractor in this place. Any lower amount, and you'll have to start moving those fuzzy paws a bit faster.}}

Your faithful trio - Inugami, Crocodile and Seismosaurus - will make quick work of anything the game may attempt to impede your progress with. Remember to also put on any jewellery you may find (press capital "P") - Intelligence, Wizardry, Magical Power, Protection and Fire Protection are the best rings you could hope for (in that order), and Magic Regeneration, Regeneration, Reflection, Acrobat, Alchemy, Dissipation and Faith are the best amulets (also in that order) - for now. Avoid Guardian Spirit. Wildshape is niche, only interesting [[#A Downgrade From The Prime Feline Form (Talisman Collection)|if you found a good talisman]].

If you find a Necropolis, this could be an opportunity for instant acquirement of three degrees from the Summonings College! They are worth boatloads of experience, but can range from trivial to lethal. Inspect the ghosts within with "x"-"v", and check their kit - if they have Conjurations that could annihilate you or dangerous Summonings spells, they should be left alone. If they, however, only have a few joke cantrips or only know how to o-tab like a Minotaur Berserker, then it is time to guide them to eternal rest. '''Assuming they are not surrounded by a squad of deadly enemies''' gather up all your friends, open the door, and make them get juked by acrobatic reptiles, eat point-and-click earthquakes and be eaten by spirit-wolves until they die (for the second time in their existence).

Do NOT try your luck in weird vaults with OP enemies in them locked behind runed doors and orange transporters. They are DESIGNED by developers to exploit your greed and kill you. Nothing stops you from returning there when you actually have the required power to take them on.

=A Malodorous Fanbase (*.....)=

Allow every dopamine receptor in that brain of yours to fire up when the message:

Kikubaaqudgha grants you a gift!

appears for the first time in the message log.

Gather up your lucky trinkets and your maneki-nekos, it's time for some Kiku Gacha Lootbox opening. You will receive a batch of low-level Necromancy spells, but in truth, we only actually care about a single one of them - '''Animate Dead'''. The others are so laughably irrelevant you shouldn't even spare a single picosecond contemplating their existence. ('''Sublimation of Blood''' has a ''very'' niche use that will be discussed later.)

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] You ungrateful sack of fleas! Of all gods, I am the one to grant the most gifts to even my least precious followers, and you still have the nerve to be discontent?}}

Unfortunately, you only have a 50% chance of getting Animate Dead - the other 50% will result in Fugue of the Fallen, which is a decent melee combat spell - a discipline which your weak and unarmed kitty paws are unfortunately not well suited to. For now.

'''If you were unlucky:''' Do keep an eye out for Animate Dead in book shops or loot piles to compensate for Kiku's lack of etiquette. If you still cannot find it, it's really not a big deal. Infestation is a guaranteed gift later on, and can replace it entirely. This spell simply makes the early game smoother and is one of the three spells which may be used for the Great Slime Raid further in the run. You'll want to hold onto your Scrolls of Acquirement for a bit - until you have gotten the third star Kiku gifts and have started training your Necromancy to at least level 8. Since Acquirement is biased towards your current training, holding onto the scroll will increase your chances of obtaining Animate Dead! Now, skip the rest of this chapter, coming back to it should you eventually obtain it from another source.

You will want to memorize '''Animate Dead''' right after your Seismosaurus Egg '''is below 10% failure rate''', and immediately turn on your '''Necromancy skill, setting a target all the way to the maximum of 27.0'''.

You may have noticed that the many denizens of the Dungeon are very disrespectful of your Eminence, soon to be their overlord and army commander. Your first task will be to re-educate these ruffians into submission and obedience. '''Animate Dead''' provides a buff lasting for about a dozen turns. Each enemy slain while this buff is active has a chance to betray their former allies and serve you as a... slightly more malodorous version of themselves. These will escort you until you leave the floor, or have them perish in battle.

When '''Animate Dead''' becomes castable (<12% fail rate), you may begin playing like such:

*Initiate each battle with a batch of highly loyal summons praising how good of a <s>slaver</s> friend you are.
*Begin emanating such confidence with '''Animate Dead''' that the defeated will turn against their former companions in your name.

Now, whenever a foe is slain, there is a high chance they will become an ally - and betray their former allies, making the latter join your army in turn, and so on, until all are at your beck and call. It's just like rolling a snowball!

The little militia that will now follow you around will act as a testament to your charisma. Recasting Animate Dead will, however, dismiss all of your current servants, with the hopes of replacing them with fresher, potentially more numerous ones. Therefore, it's great practice to cast '''Animate Dead''' when encountering a pack of enemies (yaks or bees, for example, are good fodder), and to only recast it once your lackeys are falling apart.

{{flavour|[[File:Yredelemnul altar.png]] This is way too complicated for the fluffball that serves as your brain. Join me instead, and gain permanent reaping of the deceased instead of trying to emulate my power with puny magic!}}

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Pah! Don't listen to my competitor. Their worshippers are brutes and thugs, whose first word at birth was "Axe".}}

Some extra useful tips about this spell:

* Non-living enemies (like Will-o-Wisps from Swamp), demons, angels and already undead creatures will never be recruited.
* High speed enemies, like bees, frogs or snakes will always catch up with you, and will swarm enemies before you even see them on your monitor! Boulder beetles are actually quite slow, and won't get to keep their signature rolling attack.
* Hydrae are hideously overpowered and will play the game for you.

Kiku grants the ability "Unearth Wretches" very early for on-demand zombie creation. I suggest not using it in the Dungeon, as the results will be disappointing. Wow! A cockroach zombie with 3 damage!! Why thank you, you shouldn't have. It's the intention that counts, Kiku.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] I didn't even mean to send these over. I was just doing some housekeeping, brushing up my skulls, sacrifical altars and blood fountains, and accidentally threw a kobold into an interdimensional wormhole. Hate when that happens.}}

Save your piety and ignore it for now.

=A Downgrade From The Prime Feline Form (Talisman Collection)=

While running around, you may come across one of the rare item types that Felids can use: Talismans. Ctrl-F, then write "talis" to find if you missed any.

Cats have a -2 aptitude to Shapeshifting, because they rightfully consider any transformation to be a downgrade. However, to compensate for this, they lose nothing from melded equipment slots, whereas other species mourn the loss of their artefact ring mails and other puny trinkets.

Unless you dream of going to the extended endgame, this is not a build where you'll be using top tier Talismans. However, you should consider the following:

- '''Inkwell Talismans''' (min LV 0 Shapeshifting) are, in the early game, an upgrade. They require 0 Shapeshifting skill to use, make you immune to poison and grant better success rates on all your spells and more mana capacity. If you find one anywhere before entering Lair, you should use it. It will become obsolete when you learn your first level 5+ spell (as these are banned while in Scroll Form), but will assist you greatly until then. There is just the problem of that pesky Fire vulnerability. The upsides are strong enough to make me use this Talisman despite the "never be Vulnerable as a Felid" rule, but you should be especially wary of even basic orc wizards throwing flame at you. If you want to fight fire damage enemies and have the luxury to disengage, untransform before really beginning to stir up trouble.

- '''Flux Baubles''' (min LV 5 Shapeshifting) are normally used for their great melee attack potential. However, they dissipate after a certain number of attacks. The solution: never melee attack. This will let you abuse the EV bonus from Flux Form for a very long time. Simply train at least level '''5 Shapeshifting''', and sit in this form forever. I tend to go for around 8 Shapeshifting to really get a nice bonus. You will lose a lot of Stealth, however. You will untransform from Flux when you die, or when you use "End Transformation" in the (a)bility menu.

- '''Rimehorn Talismans''' (min LV 8 Shapeshifting) are good for two reasons: AC at a very low cost, and Ice Magic Wizardry. The only reason the latter is good in the context of this build is that it makes the strong spell Rimeblight much easier to use. The downsides are somewhat significant - Fire Vulnerability, which you'll absolutely want to pad with a fire resistance or plain fire ring. You will also lose a bit of EV from the much increased size, and worst of all, you won't be a cute kitty anymore. If you have and want Rimeblight, consider training '''level 8 Shapeshifting''', but this isn't a "must-have", I sometimes just purchase more Ice Magic with my skillpoints instead if I already have good Wizardry/Intelligence rings. In a safe location, you can use the Rimehorn Talisman with 0 Shapeshifting skill and check how this makes your Rimeblight failrate change to help in your decision. Untransform afterwards to not get oneshotted.

- '''Medusa Talismans''' (min LV 8 Shapeshifting) give rPois and a forgettable petrification emergency passive. Really, the only reason to train for this is for the rPois. If you are heading into the Snake Pits and have no other source of it, level Shapeshifting to 8 and enjoy the peace of mind. I also like having this online for the Lair if I found an amulet of Wildshape.

- '''Hive Talismans''' (min LV 17 Shapeshifting) are the main ingredient of the [[#The Forbidden Kikubeequdgha Build (Staying with Kiku)|Forbidden Kikubeequdgha build]]. Hold onto it - it will be at the heart of a difficult decision later on.

=The Most Important Lootbox of All (***...)=

Depending on when you started your worship of Kiku, this may happen before even entering Lair, or at some moment while you are clearing it. Regardless, you will eventually read once again the message:

Kikubaaqudgha grants you a gift!

Well, well, well. Looks like we've got another Kiku Gacha Lootbox on our paws!

Here is my tier list of possible outcomes:

* '''S: A Run-Defining Asset''': Death Channel, Rimeblight
* '''A: Great, Though Not Required''': Anguish, Dispel Undead
* '''B: Could Do Better''': Martyr's Knell, Cigotuvi's Putrefaction, Borgnjor's Vile Clutch
* '''F: Insult to Feline Glory''': Curse of Agony

You'll always get half of these, chosen at random.

'''If you didn't get Death Channel, but got Animate Dead previously:''' You won't get to taste the absolute full power of your undead armies, but you'll still be able to raid the Slime Pits quite soon. You'll still want to check every book shop and loot pile for a chance at acquiring it.

'''If you have neither Death Channel nor Animate Dead (18% chance, assuming no lucky floor/shop drops):''' Hmph. RNGesus isn't rooting for your victory, I see. This will be a little troublesome when it comes to "bridging the gap" between the early game and having '''Infestation''' online, a task which you'll find much easier with +Intelligence and Wizardry rings. If you really can't find them by the time you get to the "Slime Raid" (after Lair and the Orcish Mines), I have placed advice for you in that section. For now, check your Scrolls of acquirement in case you'll find those spells inside, and loot the Orcish Mines after Lair to see if any shops contain these two signature necromantic incantations.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Commerce? Capitalism?! My spells are 100% locally sourced, woven by the expert craftsmanship of unionized and esteemed skeleton artisans! You would resort to purchasing mass-produced, store-bought necromancy that's probably also full of microplastics? You and me have a lot of work to do before we can get along with each other.}}

If you get Anguish, you should learn it as soon as possible, and '''also turn on Hexes and set a target to 8.0'''. Because Felids are so adorable and masters of mind-manipulation, you have a +4 aptitude to it!

No matter what you obtain, even if you are getting garbage, if you have not done so already, '''turn on Necromancy and set a target to 27.0'''.

As for that "Unearth Wretches" active ability... '''I strongly recommend saving up your piety to reach the gifts faster. The only case where you should use it is if you have Animate Dead and/or Death Channel active and need help in the Lair against a huge horde of hungry animals. See the next chapter.'''

=Employee Tour at the Zoo (The Lair)=

A place filled to the brim with creatures that mostly only know how to walk fast and melee attack, put against your most loyal servants which precisely exploit these vulnerabilities. Who will win? If you guessed the former, you are wrong. It is scientifically impossible to lose with my guide.

* The Crocodile decimates black mambas, spiny frogs, komodo dragons, polar bears and hydras.
* The Seismosaurus will annihilate packs of yaks, killer bees, wolves, blink frogs, and even death yaks (though those make take a few castings and a bit of kiting, alongside the occasional Crocodile).
* The Inugami is simply always good.
* If you have it, Animate Dead generates even more support.
* Eventually, if you also get it, Death Channel is similarly highly useful.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] For some reason, the architects of this place decided a place filled with dangerous wildlife and inaccessible architecture would make a great place for a central hub. You'll have to come back to this place at least a whopping three times - for all 3 S-Branches, so there is little time to waste. Do not explore more than half of Lair:1. In Lair:2 and Lair:3, your main objective is locating those 2 first S-Branch gates - once both are visible, you can go down to Lair:4 and Lair:5, where you'll have to pinpoint that Slime Pits entrance. You always have less time than you think in this place, get moving! Try to keep at least 600 leftover turns when you complete the Lair.}}

Have a glance once in a while at your jewelry collection by pressing "P". Rings of wizardry and intelligence reign supreme. Rings of Protection, Magical Power or Fire Resistance (for steam dragons, lindwurms and fire crabs) will significantly contribute to your survivability. Rings of Dexterity or Evasion are passable, and everything else is pretty much "slightly better than nothing". Amulets of Guardian Spirit should not be worn unless they are a particularly amazing artefact.

Prioritize wearing an Amulet of Magic Regeneration to replenish your forces quickly - Regeneration is the second best option, Reflection, the third, Acrobat, the fourth, Alchemy, the fifth, Dissipation, the sixth, Faith, the seventh (On Demigods, it will print a message saying "You feel a surge of self-confidence", but there is no such message for Felids, because they already have maximum self-confidence), and Guardian Spirit, the worst possible option (enjoy losing access to all your summons because you took one wrong step). If you somehow find the mythical artefact "Amulet of Vitality", congratulations, you have won the game - it is disgustingly powerful on a Felid. As for the Amulet of Wildshape, it is only good if you have [[#A Downgrade From The Prime Feline Form (Talisman Collection)|an interesting low-level Talisman]].

Should you encounter elemental threats (such as the mage [[Fannar]], an [[Efreet]], or a [[Lindwurm]]), swap on a ring granting a relevant resistance! It is extremely fast to do so. Just don't forget to put your normal ring back on afterwards, if you had one. '''Do not casually run around with an elemental vulnerability (rF-/rC-) on a Felid.''' You WILL be oneshotted.

If you run into trouble, it will likely be caused by:

* Blink frogs. They tend to sneak behind you no matter your masterful positioning by blinking frenetically. Do not hesitate to send a few zaps of your wands their way to teach them some discipline. They make quite good zombies!
* Catoblepas and Basilisks have a love for garden ornaments, and would delight in turning you into one of them - do not ever stand 2 turns in a row in the calcifying breath of the former, and ensure multiple allies block you from the stunning gaze of the latter. Seismosaurus Eggs are immune to petrification. If you see the message "You are slowing down" and you're put against a lonely Basilisk, feel free to spawn a few friends and have them handle everything while you stand there as a pretty feline statue. However, getting petrified in dangerous screens is a death sentence, and you should read a scroll of teleportation or quaff a potion of cancellation before you turn to stone.
* Dream sheep can simply choose to put you to sleep from across the entire screen, which also allows any creature which would hit you to deal immensely boosted damage. If you are well defended by varied summons - and maybe also have Animate Dead/Death Channel active - they will handle all the lowly grunt work while you sleep like the spoiled feline noble you are. If you get taken by surprise, though, prepare for an emergency - Scrolls of Fear in particular should give you some breathing room.
* Hydrae die easily to intelligently chained Crocodiles and Eggs/Inugamis. If they touch you, however, you may very well go from full HP to an empty health bar. If you used a staircase while a hydra was visible, using that staircase again will probably result in it ambushing you and immediately oneshotting you the moment you press ">". Do avoid this unfortunate scenario. Mind the fact that they get a massive speed boost in water (including the one left behind by your Crocodile).
* Skysharks, in similar fashion, should not touch you, as their damage and speed increases with every melee hit they land (represented as Might, then Berserk buffs). They are a top tier threat, and are deserving of getting blasted with wands on sight. DO NOT try to use Scrolls of fear if they are berserked. It will do nothing.
* Ravens are trivial to annihilate, but will peskily curse you with Doom if you allow them to have a clear line of fire. Always be hiding behind a wall of flesh... or eggshell. If you receive a Bane, I talk about them more in [[#Kiku's Troll Carousel (Banes)|this section]].

Huge welcoming party? Got marked and the entire country of Australia is coming after you? Both Animate Dead and Death Channel are memorized and castable? Make sure both buffs are active, then try '''Unearth Wretches'''. I recommend using this ability as little as possible to reach ****** piety faster, but the effects are spectacular with 1 to 3 uses of it when it is most needed. Cast one or both spells, activate Unearth Wretches from your 'a' menu, and watch the screen flood with allies. If possible, pop some Anguish casts to add 100% reflection damage into the mix, cook, and serve. Do not touch the '''Sign of Ruin''' invocation, it is not worth your piety.

You may encounter some dangerous uniques in the Lair. Urug, Fannar, Gastronok and Nessos in particular may destroy you before you even realize what just happened. The counter to each one of those is, respectively, Amulet of Reflection/Anguish for Urug, Ring of Cold Resistance for Fannar (if you are level 12 or higher, your feline fur gives you cold resistance naturally!), scroll of Silence for Gastronok and Wand of Polymorph and/or Anguish for Nessos (and potentially Amulet of Reflection). If you possess the counter, use it, and then feel free to test their mettle against your faithful friends, but if you do not have this counter, set an exclusion with “x”-“e” and do not come back until you have cleared Lair:5. ESPECIALLY if they are wielding some overpowered gear.

You may also encounter Sonja. Her HP bar is made out of paper. But don't let her touch you. She has tickets for a free cruise to the Abyss. You do not want those. Her Willpower is utter trash, making her ridiculously vulnerable to any hex wand, or Anguish.

Ah, yes, there is also Rupert. You need not fear the Paralysis (perhaps humanoid body-builders freeze in fear before the sight of one infinitely more ripped than they are) - but you might fear the huge axe getting swung around at light speed by a berserked, unstoppable wall of meat. If you push Eggs over and over and do nothing else, it will NOT work out. You MUST take further action. I have had some success with a Potion of Brilliance to churn out Crocodiles and kite back until devastation has been completed - but there is little overkill here. Use your items! A scroll of Summoning tends to have splendid results.

Ice Caves and Volcanoes? '''Death traps.''' Do not attempt them. Do NOT even enter them. You won't even be able to use the loot.

Gauntlets’ difficulty vary on the enemies you find inside - if you see a valuable book containing some awesome spells (see the next chapter), I encourage you to try your luck, but otherwise, it is not worth battling dangerous enemies in a cramped space that will limit the effectiveness of your allies. You can inspect a Gauntlet's contents by fully autoexploring the level, then doing a Ctrl-F search with "@" as the input, which will list all items in the Gauntlet. As for the Minotaur at the end - the javelins are absolutely brutal, but if you can read a Scroll of Vulnerability, then cast Anguish, the poor cow-person will simply two-shot themselves.

'''Do not try to take on the Minotaur without the help of any consumables or evokables.''' You won't win. You should NOT attempt a Gauntlet if your plan for the Minotaur is to just throw summons at it and pray it somehow works out. It will NOT.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Well, the earthy gem is down there, in Lair:5 - the first one you'll be collecting for me. This could be the start of a fantastic partnership, or of my eternal disappointment in you.}}

=Compendium of Sinister Plans (Midgame Spells)=

Once you are reaching the lower levels of the Lair, it is time to update your spell repertoire.

You should now plan to have:

* Call Canine Familiar
* Eringya's Surprising Crocodile
* Summon Seismosaurus Egg
* Animate Dead OR a spell from this list if you did not find it
* One or two more spells from this list (if you opt to pick up two spells, they should not take up more than 11 slots together).

Not enough slots? Train Spellcasting! Each slice of 0.5 Spellcasting levels will grant 1 slot. Do not train this more than you actually need, set your training targets properly. Each general XP character level also grants 1 free slot.

'''About Scrolls of Amnesia:''' if you are swimming in the stuff (3 or more scrolls), feel free to remove Summon Small Mammal and Call Imp - their respective demiplanes will thank you for ceasing your kidnappings. The problem is that spending an entire amnesia scroll (which are rare and valuable) to free up one or two measly spell slots might prevent you much later on from getting your mid and late game spells when you need them most. If you do not have many scrolls, instead wait until you are trying to memorize Haunt, and forget Summon Seismosaurus Egg and/or Call Canine Familiar at that point.

You'll want to not take up every slot you have available right now - you'll need 7 for Haunt soon, and 8 for Infestation in a bit. Try to leave behind 3 available slots at minimum.

'''I have ranked the following from most to least desirable:'''

'''[[Death Channel]]''' (Level 6 Necromancy) - '''Extremely powerful, #1 priority.''' Like Animate Dead, it is another self-buff you can stick onto your 'e' keyboard macro. Its effect is simple: instead of letting the innocent souls of both living and demonic beings voyage into the afterlife to meet their relatives, you will force the essences of their being to stay behind and cause suffering to their former friends and coworkers. The sheer mass of allies produced is truly a spectacular sight - you may have Animate Dead and Death Channel activated at the same time, in which case every kill will generate up to two allies, flooding the entire screen with green circles in record time. Unlike Animate Dead, as soon as the status expires, your entire protective wall of spectres will vaporize in a single turn, and reveal some very unamused individuals who will gladly charge in and destroy your defenseless scruff. Do ensure you have some less ephemeral allies as backup.

Remember: at this stage of the game, if you aren't pressing the Death Channel button every single time something vaguely resembling an enemy appears on your screen, you should be passing the keyboard to an actual cat, who will no doubt play much more competently than you.

Spectres, unlike zombies, can also see invisible creatures and fly over liquids no matter their original species, which is interesting when such details matter.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] I am a firm believer that everyone deserves a second shot in life. Or death, rather. Didn't visit that natural park you always wanted to go to? Couldn't tell your crush you loved them before getting crushed by a rock? Ran out of motivation to write your DCSS guide? Become a mindless thrall and forget about all your regrets! What, did you think I'd actually give you the chance to do these things you missed? Get real.}}

'''[[Anguish]]''' (Level 4 Necromancy/Hexes) - Ah, the ultimate answer to the thing Felids despise most - creatures with unreal quantities of ranged damage. This spell attempts to curse the entire screen with 100% reflection damage, meaning all damage they inflict on both you and allies... will be dealt back to them in full. Yes, dear lindwurm, do shoot a fire bolt through my horde of yak zombies, that will totally end well for you.

The lindwurm is wracked by anguish!!!!
The lindwurm dies!

I especially recommend you try it on: orc priests, meliai, any early game dragon, centaurs and their warrior variants, uniques with disgustingly overpowered spells... You have to beat their Willpower, but as any tyrannical regime would tell you, repetition is the key to domination! If the foe of interest has Will++ or less when you examine them, simply cast the spell again until they are successfully cursed.

If you cast the zpell from the 'z?' menu, you'll be able to move the cursor over each enemy and check the percentage chance of successfully landing the curse. Will+++ or even Will++++, like death yaks, or the Minotaur at the end of a gauntlet? No problem. Simply read a Scroll of Vulnerability to cut that confidence in half, and they will regret ever contemplating hurting a fluffball as adorable as you are. Consider that your Willpower will also be divided by two, which can be problematic if that means a nearby enemy spellcaster can easily land a nasty Paralyze or Banishment on you.

Brainless or artificial enemies (from gently gurgling '''jellies''' to the dreaded '''Orbs of Fire''') have no concept of love, hate or righteousness, and will remain completely unaffected by Anguish. They won't be unaffected, however, by your swarm consuming them.

Seismosaurus Eggs become a DEVOURER OF GODS when put against Anguished enemies, who will be blasted both by the immense guilt of damaging your precious dino-friend, and by the more literal earthquake of bone-breaking rock that will ensue.

I like to put Anguish on my "Q"uiver, and to cast it with "p" right after I have unrolled a batch of summons. 2-3 casts for a single enemy should be your maximum number of attempts - '''do not spend your entire mana bar trying to curse a particularly rebellious specimen'''! You do not want to be left with zero mana - and a very angry reptile in your face - because you tried and failed to curse a Hydra 6 times in a row.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] The Wu Jian council always lectures its followers to "use the enemy's strength against themselves". I try to do the exact same thing, and somehow, now it's "evil" just because it's me doing it? What injustice!}}

'''[[Blink]]''' (Level 2 Translocations) - Ah, yes, it's that one spell which every single DCSS character wants. You are playing a game called DCSS, yes? '''Train Translocations, and set a target to 5.0'''. You'll also need to REMEMBER TO USE IT, which is the worst thing about this spell. I like to bind it to a macro on Spacebar. If the button is bigger, it causes more neurons to fire in my brain. Which makes me actually use Blink when might-hasted Donald is in my face instead of drinking a Potion of Heal Wounds only to get oneshotted immediately afterwards. Remember, this spell has a cooldown of a few turns after use.

===The Wilderness Trinity===

No Death Channel? Kiku isn't feeling the festive cheer and is gifting you utter trash? Try these on for size. I recommend ignoring this section if you have good necromantic spells.

It's called the Wilderness trinity because they all appear in one of the random spellbooks, named the Book of the Wilderness. You may also find them in various other tomes!

'''[[Summon Mana Viper]]''' (LV 5 Hexes/Summonings): It moves fast. It hits hard. It knows how to do nothing except those two things. It also demolishes enemy spellcasters by applying its dastardly antimagic venom on every hit. Does that remind you of anyone? Indeed. This is just like having a Vine Stalker Berserker of Trog by your side. Enjoy. '''Turn on Hexes with a target of 8.0 if you wish to use this spell.''' '''Maximum Summon Capacity: 1.'''

'''[[Summon Forest]]''' (LV 5 Translocations/Summonings): This one requires open space to be cast, which renders it useless in hallways - which the Lair and Mines are interestingly very scarce in. Successfully using this spell results in a maze-like formation of tree-walls, which are ''immune to damage'', ''block Line-Of-Sight'', and ''deal heavy melee damage to nearby foes''. Feel free to run around the maze while pursued by an angry pack of animals - they will simply bring about their doom. If you can keep the dryad alive long enough, snapvine tentacles will eventually start to spawn, which will utterly decimate anything still alive. They also constrict enemies, making them easier to hit by your other summons! If you quiver this spell with "Q", you will be able to see on the sidebar when the spell has enough space to be casted (the text will be coloured). The price for such power? '''Turn on Translocations and set the target to 8.0'''. '''Maximum Summon Capacity: 1.'''

'''[[Summon Cactus Giant]]''' (LV 6 Summ): It's Anguish if it was a living creature. Its role is very similar - stand in hallway, tank hits, eventually destroy the attacker without doing anything. The melee damage of the Cactus Giant is decent, but each hit it receives inflicts heavy reflection damage. It’s perfect to use against those pesky hydras, and should be your go-to 1v1 spell against high damage melee targets. It has a great synergy with a couple of spells:

* Summon Forest: While foes take damage bludgeoning their way through the Giant, they take even more punishment from the berserk trees surrounding them!
* Anguish: Double the reflection damage. Goodbye, melee enemies.
* Martyr's Knell: A twice bigger health pool to apply even more reflection damage throughout its lifespan. Longer duration, more time to regenerate mana, a great opportunity to recast this spell and do it all over again!

'''You will need around Summonings level 14 to use this spell.''' '''Maximum Summon Capacity: 1.'''

===Consolation Prizes===

'''[[Borgnjor's Vile Clutch]]''' (Level 5 Necromancy/Earth) - '''Warning: This is decent, but you can do better. Get the spells above instead if possible.''' It's a beam. It ignores allies. Point, click, and everything in its path that doesn't resist constriction, isn't located on a deep water/lava tile and hasn't sworn allegiance to your indisputable leadership will be irresistibly crushed into a fine paste and denied the ability to move. Resist the temptation to run around going squish-squish-squish on everything you see without casting any other spell - you will demolish a yak pack. You will think to yourself "wow I'm so OP". You will annihilate a hydra. "haha I am unstoppable". You will come face to face with a black mamba. You have no zombie yaks or hydras protecting you because you thought it would be funnier to give a few animals a power massage. You get fully poisoned and die. This spell is a ''complement'', not the main carry. You will need to '''train Earth Magic, and set a target to 6.0'''.

'''[[Martyr's Knell]]''' (Level 4 Necromancy/Summonings) - '''Warning: This is decent, but you can do better. Get the spells above instead if possible.''' Is your wall of undead flesh and soul getting deconstructed too fast by rampaging elephants? Clearly, your makeshift RPG party has too many fighters, and needs a cleric. This poor soul does absolutely nothing except absorb 50% of all damage taken by ''any'' of your allies, trying its best to regenerate away the harm constantly imposed upon it. When it inevitably has its health bar popped like a balloon, it turns into a Flayed Ghost, which splatters blood all over the place and causes a great deal of drama and spectacle. Said Ghost is quite good at fighting (especially in the Lair), but extremely fragile. Therefore, when a Martyr transforms, you may immediately bring out a new one to help protect this Ghost, and that new one will also turn, until you now have 3 Ghosts at the same time and enough blood to receive a lifetime title of honour at your local blood bank. So much for 'evil' magic. There is also a great synergy with Anguish - Martyrs can take a great deal of punishment, which allows for truly great amounts of mirrored damage!

===Wizards' Corner===

If, for some reason, you are completely decked out in Wizardry, Intelligence and yet Kiku is insulting you with its "gifts", you can consider the level 7 dual school Summonings spells ''Malign Gateway'' or ''Sphinx Sisters''. Their other school is, respectively, Translocations and Hexes, which cats both benefit from a +4 aptitude for!

[[#More Tentacles (Summonings)|They are explained more in depth right here]].

=The Necromantic Apex (******)=

'''If you found the Kiku altar later than usual, come back to this section IMMEDIATELY when you reach 6 stars!'''

Alright, this is the big moment. As soon as you are notified with the message:

Kikubaaqudgha will grant you forbidden knowledge.

Immediatately open your 'a'bility menu, and use "Receive Forbidden Knowledge". You will be gifted, every single time, '''Haunt''', '''Infestation''', Borgnjor's Revivification and '''Death's Door'''. Only 3 of these are of interest to this build. I believe you have guessed which ones already.

Infestation and Death's Door will be quite far away from usable status. But, if you have obeyed my every word (I see no alternative), Haunt should be near 45% if you are still in the Lair, or near 30% failure rate if you are in the Mines. Intelligence and Wizardry jewellry helps a ton here. Memorize it as soon as possible - [[#The Velvet Path Begins (First Forbidden Spell)|explanations on how to do so are featured here]].

'''IMPORTANT: Now that you have fully emptied Kiku's warehouse of plentiful gifts, the god now serves only one purpose in life (or rather, unlife): your personal Unearth Wretches spambot.''' Don't believe me? Have a look at the list of offered abilities:

* Torment protection, an almost useless resistance to have, except in the very late-game.
* Death curse protection, an even more useless resistance, only of interest in the Tomb, a super late-game branch.
* The ability to invoke a Sign of Ruin, which burns precious piety stars that could have simply been used to send out an even greater legion of allies.
* Miscast protection, which does not actually block the truly bad part of miscasts - not getting to cast the spell.
* '''The only actually good ability, Unearth Wretches.'''

You will receive no further gifts. Your piety bar serves '''no other purpose besides spamming Unearth Wretches'''. You will only lose Unearth Wretches should you reach the '''minimum''' possible piety level, which is ZERO stars.

From now on, at ANY moment where you feel a challenge is in sight, do the following:

* Make sure your ally-creation buffs are active (Animate Dead and/or Death Channel)
* Unearth Wretches 1 to 3 times in a row, depending on how much assistance you require, and depending on whether the Wretches are dropping plentifully (5 wargs!!!) or are utter trash (is that... a single orc?)

The types of creatures summoned by Unearth Wretches fully depends on which branch you are currently in. That's right - the more OP the enemies are, the stronger this ability becomes. If you use it in Swamp, expect to get a whole bounty of hydrae ready to decimate all opposition. This is why it's unimpressive in the Dungeon - as it can bring out pitifully weak critters from D:1. Now that you actually have Necromancy trained a bit, you might get a cyclops or some centaur warriors, which are interesting enough.

Once you have claimed Forbidden Knowledge, if you have both Animate Dead and Death Channel ready and castable but have not cleared the Orcish Mines yet, you can proceed earlier than usual to the [[#For True Sabretooth Tigers (Annihilating the Slime Pits With A Giga-Army)|great slime raid]]. This is rare, but especially lucky kitties can enjoy an even softer Kiku wrath by switching up the order.

= Pig-People and Pig-Iron (Orcish Mines) =

Clear the Dungeon until you find the entrance to the Mines (it appears on D:9 to D:12) if you haven’t done so already. '''Do NOT descend into the Dungeon any further! You will need these floors to remain unexplored to rank up Jiyva's piety bar later.''' Now, delve into the brown-hued staircase.

Extra spicy death trap welcoming party? Animate Dead, Death Channel, Unearth Wretches. If you have already reached the maximum tier of piety (******), do not hesitate, but if not, use Unearth Wretches only if you need it! Your piety is precious, and (******) should be inching close by now.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Would you look at how good of a boss I am? You get a vacation here. Feel free to take your time here, there is no gem of interest to me in this place.}}

Orcs are not especially renowned for gentles caresses. Especially not the ones with a red danger square around them. In particular, avoid orc knights, warlords, and especially ettins from breathing on your scruff. In the Mines, the popcorn (DCSS term for very easy but numerous foes) is plentiful, and the sources of ranged damage even more so. This means that '''Anguish''' is an absolute star player here, easily beating orcs' pitiful Willpower and generating gargantuan armies of zombies and spectres in tandem with Animate Dead/Death Channel. '''Summon Seismosaurus Egg ''' also excels at thinning out the hordes.

Some notable foes:

* Orc sorcerers make most characters tremble in fear, because they have the overpowered Paralyze spell. You are not most characters. You most likely will not be paralyzed due to your infinite feline self-confidence. What such charisma won't protect you from, however, is a laser beam of pure blazing fire in your face. These (or the darkness damage variant) can twoshot you. They fall quickly to Anguish, but ring-swapping to obtain relevant resistances may prove interesting if you are being threatened.
* Kobold blastminers have a cute little ranged weapon. They like to go pew-pew-pew with it. It doesn't do that much damage. What does do damage, on the other hand, is the titanic cannonball they are packing (Bombard) should you get into semi-close range. Do not walk into a 4-tile radius of these without any ally in between - you will be - you guessed it - twoshotted.
* Orc high priests, and the aforementioned sorcerer can summon some demonic allies. Most are fairly weak, but Soul eaters will constantly smite you for darkness damage from across the screen (rN+ helps) and sixfirhies move at lightspeed and twoshot you with huge lightning damage. Did you know "sixfirhy" were originally named after a cat walking on the keyboard of a DCSS developer? It's true! Anyhow, kill that sorcerer/high priest and their friends will vanish, never to be seen again. Direct your minions to focus fire on these walking YASDs with “t”-“a”. Evokables, like wands, can prove useful for this. Using a staircase will also never have summoned demons follow you through it.
* Obsidian bats are extremely annoying hit and run summoners, kind of like a newly released class with mobility creep from a pay2win game. In all cases, the Seismosaurus is your saviour.

There are many possible layouts in Orc:2 - one in particular is peppered with centaurs of all types, and is extremely risky to clear - make ample use of fog/butterfly scrolls, chokepoints, and corners. A few other layouts will invite the attention of Saint Roka herself, which you should only ever duel when she is alone, as she uses Smite almost every other turn. A Scroll of Vulnerability alongside Anguish redirects those smites back to sender! A particularly entertaining vault is filled to the brim with dozens upon dozens of ogres, and while it's quite terrorizing for most characters, you should laugh it off and collect enough gold pieces to replace the clay pellets in your litterbox - as ogres make for excellent undead.

The more unfortunate among you may also encounter Azrael, or rather, Supreme Turbo Augmented Orc Priest of Mega-Doom. Most of his spells are fairly reasonable and can be tanked by your devoted friends, aside from one: Call Down Damnation. It will not oneshot you, but it can certainly twoshot you, and there is absolutely nothing stopping him from spamming it. The easiest way to deal with him is to sip on a Potion of Invisibility, then command your swarm to delete him as quickly as possible. He is vulnerable to icy damage, so a wand of iceblast tends to explode the last specks in his HP bar if your army found itself insufficient for taking him down. He also has low Willpower, which means the spell that starts with "Ang" and ends with "uish" works tremendously well. Do not even think about using Scrolls of Silence, for all his spells come from his raw, primal hatred of cats incarnated into spheres of blazing fire.

Speaking of the latter, if you have a strong batch of allies, think about using scrolls of Silence! They will render all of the orcish upper caste incapable of blasting you with Beogh's fist, demons or elemental wrath. Even Saint Roka will be forced to rely only on her sword (fair warning: she knows how to use it).

Finally, if you find yourself before a gigantic crowd susceptible to remote detonating you with a one turn quadra-smite, consider a scroll of Immolation. Not only does it score a large quantity of points in the EXPLOSIONS department, killing a single orc with a wand or even having your Inugami detonate on death is bound to wipe out the screen. Of course, refrain from any pyromaniac tendencies if you are adjacent to two or more enemies with Inner Flame. More explosions can be survived with rF+.

Orc:2 is guaranteed to contain at least 4 shops. Unfortunately, we are still in the Fantasy Middle Ages. Big Data and targeted marketing has not been invented yet. Therefore, these dull merchants will, most of the time, try to sell you OP demon swords and crystal plate armours you can't even use. Perhaps, with some luck, a fine librarian fellow will sell you one of those necromantic spells Kiku might have refused to gift to you.

Exercise caution around strange upstairs in Orc:2 marked as unexplored. They tend to lead to tight pockets with a jolly, welcoming community of trolls and orc knights right in your face, and a free ride back to the character selection screen. There is little harm in just checking, but consider if it's really worth trading a potential life for 100 gold on the floor.

===The Velvet Path Begins (First Forbidden Spell)===

With the Mines and Lair standing behind you, it is time to make a choice. But first, allow me to introduce you to the next spell in the roster. You should memorize it as soon as it reaches below 20% failure rate! Not enough spell slots? Use a Scroll of Amnesia and remove Summon Seismosaurus Egg. I believe you must be getting tired of that thing doing absolutely nothing and dying. Call Canine Familiar is also a reasonable candidate. If you have no such scrolls, train Spellcasting - remember, 0.5 skill levels = 1 spell slot.

'''[[Haunt]]''' (Level 7 Necromancy/Summonings) allows you to point and click any foe on your screen to send a squad of undead hitmen after it. They are professionals for three main reasons:

* Punctuality. They immediately spawn in right next to the Creature of Interest.
* Efficiency. Not only do they deal huge damage, they also lock the Creature of Interest in place and dish out Slow and Willpower/2 debuffs like candy. Invisible enemies? They have never heard of such an obstacle.
* Discretion. Once their grisly work is complete, they will swiftly evaporate out of reality, awaiting their next contract. Still, you may occasionally spot them damaging or even slaying some bystanders - can't have the word spreading around, after all.

Beyond the obvious assassination benefits, there are synergies with other necromantic spells as well:

* '''Anguish''': Since Haunt immediately dials up a considerable amount of allies, it's just more hitpoint to feed into the reflect-damage engine.
* '''Borgnjor's Vile Clutch''': Is the Creature of Interest dodging all assassination attempts like the leader of some totalitarian regime? Perhaps they won't be laughing as much once you reduce their Evasion to near zero by applying constriction, thus letting the ghostly specialists carry out their grim task with great ease.

Bind them to the keyboard macro you used for the spell you have forgotten with the Scroll of Amnesia (Ctrl-D to do so). Haunt can have '''up to 8 spectral assassins out at once''', so if one cast didn't bring them all out, you can dial 1-800-KILLTHATDUDE again and tell them to get moving by immediately recasting the spell. There really is no reason to not have these guys out constantly. They do good work, and they only take up 7 mana in pay.

Well. "Only" 7 mana. Is it just me, or these spells sure are getting quite hungry? I mean, all those Anguish casts, summons, self-buffs, and now awesome spectral hitmen? This flimsy mana bar just isn't cutting it.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Well? Look around your library, perhaps I tossed Sublimation of Blood in your general direction. Or perhaps not. I am getting forgetful for my age. Which is many thousand millenias.}}

No, no. That flimsy health bar isn't cutting it either, now is it? Transferring the problem from the blue bar to the green bar isn't going to solve our problems.

{{flavour|[[File:Jiyva altar.png]] ''An oddly inviting, squishy sound resounds through the Dungeon.''}}

=A Divine Heist (God-Swap Explanations)=

Now comes the part where this guide takes a highly controversial strategic choice: preparing to abandon Kikubaaqudgha in favour of Jiyva.

'''(DO NOT DO IT JUST YET!)'''

Abandoning gods in DCSS is, almost always, a poor decision, with rare exceptions. I believe this is one of those exceptions. You should already know by now that Unearth Wretches is Kiku's only good ability. Now let us look at what Jiyva offers:

* Free HP and MP regeneration that is exactly equivalent to wearing, somehow, four amulets of HPRegen and MPRegen at the same time.
* Endless mutation drops, granting boons such as free rF+, free rC+, free AC, free SH or free HP bonuses, all extremely difficult to acquire on a Felid. Press capital 'A' to see your current mutations.
* Instant emergency endgame summons from the Slime Pits when taking sudden, large amounts of damage (also known as "an average day" for a Felid), which can fight and demolish even the strongest foes.
* An active ability that oneshots any melee range living or corporeal undead creature, no questions asked.
* Complete pacification of all gelatinous creatures, some of which count themselves among the most feared foes of DCSS.
* A free rune of Zot.
* rCorr. For free.
* The so-called "downside" of having slurping jellies roam around every level and digest all items they can find - except artifacts, runes and gems -, the vast majority of which you never could use anyhow.

The Slime God has not received the attention of anything sapient in a very long time, and will be overjoyed enough to shower you in piety after just a bit of exploration. I won't lie, it sucks to have some great scrolls be devoured before your very eyes. I judge it to be a small sacrifice compared to-

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Turncoat! Betrayer! You lawless toxoplasmosis-infested flea-ridden fuzz-thing! How dare you suggest abandoning the righteous forces of evil and torture for some first-grader slime making experiments?}}

Right, there's also the whole "divine wrath" thing. Let's unpack this. For the next 5-8 floors, you will have to deal with:

* Occasional Symbols of Torment. These are usually not triggered in dangerous moments, but when they are, enemies are also tormented as if you had just read a Scroll of Torment. In any case, Jiyva's first piety star (*.....) will immediately grant the first rank of their regeneration passive.
* Occasional HP drain. This is a very annoying part. Losing 30 max HP for a short time can hurt, as it's not like you had a lot of the stuff to go around in the first place. Thankfully, you will never lose more than 50% of your max HP. '''This bypasses rN+, do not try to use it to shield yourself.''' Dying as a Felid removes all HP drain.
* Slain enemies will occasionally be revived in undead form. These are generally weak on their own - the more annoying part is that it steals your chance at reanimating them with your own magic. Dispel Undead - a spell which Kiku may have gifted you - makes swift work of the annoying revived undead they keep throwing your way. This is completely optional and I usually don't bother, but it may interest you. It also finds uses against all kinds of standard issue undead enemies, such as bog bodies (Swamp) or Pharaoh Ants (Spider Nest).
* Rarely (5% chance), casting a Necromancy spell will deal a small amount of darkness damage. Mostly harmless, especially if you have rN+, but it can tip you over the edge if you were already almost dead.
* Occasional Doom. This generally means you will be eating 2 to 3 Banes throughout the entire wrath effect. Let's take a look at them.

===Kiku's Troll Carousel (Banes)===

'''Laughed Out Of The Room tier'''

* '''Bane of Heatstroke:''' Oh no! You are rarely slowed from taking fire damage (rare in the early game) when your allies are responsible for 99% of your damage output! No one cares.
* '''Bane of Snow-Blindness:''' Reduces your accuracy when you take cold damage. When was the last time you were waving a stick around or throwing it? Right, in a parallel world when you were stuck as a lesser humanoid.
* '''Bane of Electrospasm:''' Prevents you from moving short time when you take electric damage. Read that again. Prevents YOU from moving. Did it say anything about a crocodile? No? You know what to do.
* '''Bane of Claustrophobia:''' Reduces your melee damage and accuracy when near walls. Hahahaha. Thank you for your time, the door is right there.
* '''Bane of the Reckless:''' Oh no! You have to temporarily swap out your Reflection Amulet for something else that's just as good! Big deal.
* '''Bane of Warding:''' Some enemies are immune to ranged damage. I'll like to see you try to give your zombies a bow.
* '''Bane of the Hunted:''' Summoned enemies appear next to you. Wow, if only we had a spell to deal with the "big dude in my face" problem. Oh right.

'''A Bit Annoying tier'''

* '''Bane of Lethargy:''' You move slower. You have allies to swap with, and your trusty Crocodile. Honestly, I rarely notice it. But when you need to run to the stairs with no mana, it can hurt.
* '''Bane of Stumbling:''' If you move or wait, you have -25 EV. This one is rough as it's the main source of our defense, but there are ways to game it. Casting any spell keeps your EV intact, so Crocodile-chaining is a good way to move around. This might also be an opportunity to use up those hundreds of flame wand charges you might have sitting around.
* '''Bane of Succour:''' Monsters lifesteal from their friends dying. Meh, your swarms are already dishing out much more damage than these "drain tanks" can keep up with, but it does make enemies a bit more tanky in general.
* '''Bane of Mortality:''' When you rest to full HP after fights, reapers come out to gank you like you are playing a MOBA game in the highest leagues. The strategy is the same no matter if this is DotA or DCSS: have space to retreat. Don't wait to regenerate in tight and cramped corridors, and you'll have no problem outrunning their extremely slow speed, with a crocodile if you must.
* '''Bane of Paradox:''' This one will most likely do nothing, but has a small chance of being lethal, so I am placing it in this tier. Rarely, some enemies will have Manifold Assault. Because there are so many weak fools and swarms of puny orcs in the game, this usually is not noticeable. The problem starts if some big shot unique with mega melee damage gets it, which is rare. In that case, imagine you are back in the Dungeon facing centaurs, and do everything in your power to melt them as fast as possible.

'''Pretty Dangerous tier'''

* '''Bane of Multiplicity:''' It's manageable most of the time. It just suuuucks when some ranged cheater or smite spammer has its long lost twin surge out of the earth and destroy you. It thankfully does not last very long. If Rimeblight is up and working, it is awesome at dealing with this problem.
* '''Bane of the Dilettante:''' Temporary -25% Necromancy and Summonings skill. This is painful. The developers want you to "hybridize", but there is no "hybridizing" out of the blessed Velvet Pawed Path. What are you going to do, memorize Plasma Beam? Get real. Anyhow, you should hopefully be still able to use your level 6 and under spells, which are strong enough in their own right. If you feel too weak and have Amnesia scrolls, I suggest temporarily memorizing one of the suggested level 6 and under spells in this guide (Borgnjor's Vile Clutch, Summon Cactus Giant, Summon Forest, Summon Mana Viper) to support you.

As you can see, Banes aren't so bad. Most runs, they just do nothing. Sometimes, they minorly debuff you. Very rarely, they are responsible for losing a single life.

Well, it's up to you to choose now. Will you follow me through this high-risk, high-reward play? I have done god swap dozens of times while playtesting my own guide. I have never once lost a run where I could directly blame Kiku's wrath for my demise. Died once, perhaps. Nothing more.

But don't do it just yet. Keep reading.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] As my employee, your choice is limited here. We have to cut healthcare out of the budget, because you spend way too much company time resting and regenerating. We'll be hooking you up on those experimental slime chemicals from now on. Or honey, if you found that Hive Talisman. Maybe you'll help a breakthrough in pharmaceuticals, once we're done scraping your dissolved remains off the floor.

There is just one problem: that Starry Gem inside the Slime Pits, is extremely tight, at 600 turns! My suggestion: Clean out the Pits anyhow, either diving to the altar if you need one, or simply trying to grab some fresh jellified walking experience potions. Once 100 turns remain on your timer, immediately ascend! You will only be coming back to the Slime Pits after you have obtained the Orb of Zot, which stops all timers.

Of course, if you're running Hive Form, finish the job and get that Gem NOW!!}}

===The Forbidden Kikubeequdgha Build (Staying with Kiku)===

Let's face it: the only reason we are even considering this insane play is because we want more HP and MP regeneration - the kind a mere amulet of mana regeneration doesn't hold a candle to. Jiyva is a reliable way to get boatloads of it, but it's not the ''only'' way.

* Way 1: '''Being a lucky little [EXPLETIVE REDACTED]''': Wow. You got the Amulet of Vitality off of the ground, just like a rich heir of a soup can company inheriting a million dollar portfolio at age 9. You go you. Go win the game, staying with Kikubaaqudgha, and basically having two gods at the same time at no cost to you. I hope your family is very proud of you.
* Way 2: '''THE KIKUBEEQUDGHA ASCENDANCY:''' Welcome, Velvet-pawed initiate. This is the only non-Jiyva path I officially approve of. A Hive Talisman, cranked up to its maximum, provides more HP and MP regeneration than the Amulet of Vitality or even Jiyva. Now, the problem is that it demands industrial quantities of experience poured into Shapeshifting. If you wish to take on this path, here is my suggestion: start by getting '''Infestation''' below 10% failure rate. Once this is done, turn off every skill except Shapeshifting, setting it to a target of 17. Raid the Slime Pits as indicated below, without the conversion part. Once Shapeshifting reaches level 15, you can transform into Hive Form, accepting the small HP penalty. Once it reaches 17, stop training it, and pivot back to Necromancy to unlock '''Death's Door'''. Once Death's Door is online, if you want, you can train more Shapeshifting to increase your regeneration further, or [[#Perfection Can Still Improve (Lategame Skills)|follow any of the other late game suggestions]]. An amulet of Wildshape is extremely good for this plan at all stages of its execution, granting a free +5 levels of Shapeshifting.
* Way 3: '''For Scaredy-Cats''': Being content with a mere MP regeneration amulet, or an amulet of HP regeneration, alongside the spell Sublimation of Blood. (If you do the latter, cast it early and often, NOT when you are desperate for mana and NOT when you can't afford to lose the HP. Put it on an easily accessible macro. I like the letter "c".) I mean, you can... ''do that''... I suppose... But don't come mewling to me when you are cornered in the Vaults with 0 MP remaining and no way to cast Death's Door.

No matter your chosen Way, I will continue writing the guide with a Jiyva-swap perspective. Just remember you have Unearth Wretches on speed dial, and can unleash armies any time some challenge looks remotely capable of instilling anxiety in the heart beneath your fluffy chest.

===For True Sabretooth Tigers (Annihilating the Slime Pits With A Giga-Army)===

Allow me to divert my attention back to the brave and fearless, which are certainly not those people I was talking to in the previous section. To convert to Jiyva, you will need a Jiyva altar. Press Ctrl-F, and type "Jiyva". There is a 2/3 chance it spawned in Lair, and an additional small chance it appeared somewhere else.

'''DO NOT CONVERT JUST YET!''' We have 4-6 stars of pure, delicious Kiku juice, and we'd throw all that power away without using it? Come on, now.

Let me introduce you to a true departure from sanity.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUFsbt_5mxY Here is a video demonstration of me doing this.]

Going into the Slime Pits this early in the game is obvious suicide for most characters. Naturally, there is a trick at play:

* Kiku's Unearth Wretches instantly summons neutralized denizens from your current branch to turn into undead.
* Slime undead are extremely strong and plentiful, and their sheer mass protects you from dangerous melee attackers.
* The vast majority of Slime's creatures are exactly that - dangerous melee attackers.

Let's review your kit:

* If you have both '''Animate Dead''' and '''Death Channel''', raiding the Pits is very easy, and most importantly will reward you with a waterfall of experience points.
* If you have only '''Animate Dead''', it is slightly harder, as your army will spread in reduced numbers. Do it anyways, but be ready to spam some more Unearth Wretches to compensate.
* If you have only '''Death Channel''', you can have an army of interesting proportions, but you MUST watch your status effect in the sidebar - you do not want it to expire and make all your allies disappear at the most crucial moment. Be ready to recast and spam more Wretches, or to escape upstairs. If your DChan is going dark purple and jellies are all over your screen, it is time to RETREAT.
* '''The Contingency Plan (No Death Channel nor Animate Dead)''': Coming here without '''Infestation''' is suicide. You will need to rush this spell, ''pronto''. Turn off all skills except '''Necromancy'''. Go to the Spiders' Nest or the Snake Pit. (Swamp if you have Summon Forest). Play carefully until you can get a 20% failure rate on Infestation. You are now ready to continue.

Alright. Strap in, we're firing up the Kiku train. Next destination: a place beyond anything resembling sanity.

Stand on top of the Slime Pits entrance. Drink Brilliance, if possible. Cast Animate Dead and Death Channel, whichever you have, hopefully both. Drink Haste, if possible. Go in.

If ANY slimes are on your screen, immediately use Unearth Wretches. Not on the brink of death? Use it again. Again. If you're put against only basic '''Slime Creatures''', a single or two uses of Unearth Wretches can suffice, but any of the Big Ones (see below) warrants immediate firepower in the form of 3+ Unearth Wretches. If the welcoming party looks particularly nasty, FLOOD THE SCREEN.

If you are employing the Infestation method, only use Unearth Wretches twice, considering you'll need a turn to cast Infestation before they decay.

See the five Big Ones below. You do NOT want ANY of these in melee range of you.

* '''Azure Jelly''': A very simple enemy: they have chill-touched pseudopods with unholy damage output, move at the speed of sound and will chop off your health bar into bite-sized cubes. Just like your average DCSS player, they know only two things: moving and melee attacking. It is therefore only right that you grant them the demise an o-tabber deserves - drowned in infinite armies until their hubris finally collapses them into a chilly puddle.
* '''Void Ooze''': Pretty much the same thing. The big twist: letting them caress you will have them flood their slime in every alveoli of your lungs, causing damage over time and silencing you from spellcasting. To avoid unpleasant mental imagery, step away, swapping with an ally, to break the Engulf status. They also drain mana on hit.
* '''Acid Blob''': It has an acidic bolt, which does not do a ton of damage (in fact, it's the exact same damage numbers as the acid drakes all the way back in the Dungeon...), but it adds up. rCorr, found on the occasional ring or in a Potion of Resistance, can help. It's not usually needed, they get consumed too fast for it to matter. I recommend keeping allies between you and them to block their ranged attacks.
* '''Rockslime''': Another mindless o-tabber, this time with trample flavour. This can cause positioning problems (and death problems, because their damage is obscene). Another reason to NOT LET ANY OF THESE TOUCH YOUR PRISTINE FUR.
* '''Formless Jellyfish''': Easy to consume once your squad is established, but before then, they can teleport behind you (''heh, nothing personnel, kid'') and attack you with the following four debuffs: constriction + paralysis + poison + literally just killing you. These ones are actually not fast, so if you're just waiting for your Wretches to pop or your screen is already filled with spectres and/or zombies, feel free to swap with an ally or use Eringya's Surprising Crocodile to exit melee range of them.

'''If a dangerous slime gets into melee range''': If your wretches have popped, swap places with any of your now extremely numerous servants. If you can find a good angle, use Eringya's Surprising Crocodile. Otherwise, if you are still over 80% HP and are just waiting for your wretches to transform into allies, feel free to risk a step or two until it will become possible to hide behind your fresh batch of undead. If you are truly caught off-guard, a Scroll of Butterflies or Blinking will certainly pull its weight otherwise. For more risky options, try a scroll of Summoning or a potion of Haste, which will let you outrun any slime '''except Quicksilver Oozes'''. DO NOT WASTE TURNS TAKING STEPS WITHOUT HASTE IF YOU HAVE NO ARMY YET. Unearth Wretches will create a protective wall of paralyzed gelatin, preventing nearby slimes from reaching you - and this is even safer if you are currently hasted or the slimes are asleep.

This is also why we trained Stealth earlier - this makes it much more likely that you will be able to draw your gelatinous horde from the ground while the acid blobs next to you are dreaming about soft and sweet sugary desserts instead of twoshotting you.

Slime Pits floors are small and compact - simply run around and completely annihilate all that jiggles and squishes with your personal militia until you find the downstairs. Did it get wiped out, either from you only having Death Channel or just the constant barrage of acid melting your jelly zombies into rotting puddles? Are more jellies breaching your diminishing defenses. '''Cast Animate Dead/Death Channel again. Send more Wretches.''' Once a floor is cleaned up, go downstairs.

If you want to maximize experience gain, look for upstairs with little yellow stars - they will have more gelatin to push through your Kiku-compactor. The Slime Pits has a disconnected layout, a bit like the Orcish Mines.

You will want to watch out for '''glass eyes''' and '''eyes of devastation''' - the former can place a debuff on you that increases all damage taken, which allows the latter to oneshot you with an ally-piercing bolt if the dice are feeling particularly evil. They should be focused first with 't'-'a'. '''Acid blobs''' also have a corrosive (but NOT ally-piercing) bolt, though it is not as scary, especially with a ring of corrosion resistance. You'll always want to have allies blocking Line-of-Sight with '''great orbs of eyes''', who can ''deny you use of all your spells through polymorph'' should they ever land their dastardly hexes on you!

'''Golden eyes''' can also get annoying - should they start giving you an extremely lengthy Confusion debuff, long enough for you to switch to a different tab, watch a few movies and come back, you'll want to drink a potion of Curing if dangerous slimes are exploiting this opportunity to sneak up on you. Watch out, if many Golden eyes are on screen, they might refresh the Confusion the moment you drink your potion! If you are entering a new floor, preparing to bring forth your army, and there are golden eyes alongside dangerous slimes, I recommend trying a different staircase entirely if possible - instant confusion and getting collapsed on by oozes is a death sentence.

As for '''Shining eyes''', they do zero damage, but their gaze will nastily violate basic biological knowledge, and rearrange your muscles to shrink in mass (?), make your meows as loud as the Tsar Bomba (??), or even warp your brain in such a way that it will randomly distort spacetime and bring you into the nearest death trap (???). As your feline body is already perfect in every way, any change would be a net downgrade. However, unlike you, your obedient units are not as feline and fluffy, and therefore would greatly benefit from a few minor readjustments. Leave them to be warped into pulsating flesh masses, shielding you from the mutagenic radiation - if the Shining Eye couldn’t fire a Magic Dart at you, you are safe. If you do eat a Malmutation, Jiyva will likely cure you once you receive your 3-stars mutation gift - but you can just drink a couple of Mutation potions until then.

* If the Jiyva altar did not spawn, your goal is to reach Slime:5 as fast as possible. That is where the guaranteed Jiyva altar is (there might be a rare one on the upper floors - convert there once your piety bar has been fully expended!)
* If it did spawn, you can stay here for as long as you want, ascending back to the surface once your Kiku oxygen tank is running dry. You might still be interested in reaching Slime:5, if only for the vast concentration of enemies and resulting experience.

Final floor? You know what to do. Pre-cast those spells before going down. Unearth Wretches. Get that army in working order. '''WARNING:''' If you have rolled the Slime:5 layout where there are many little square chambers interconnected by 1 tile hallways, this place becomes highly deadly, as it is very hard to actually get your army to do their grisly work with all these suffocating chokepoints. Do NOT try to clear this floor if you are not seeking the altar. If you are, be HIGHLY cautious.

'''If you are looking for the Jiyva altar''': Read a scroll of Revelation on Slime:5. Don't have it? Tough luck, you'll have to manually explore to find the altar. It's usually somewhere close to the centre. If you do have it, press capital 'X', and survey the map for an "unknown altar" icon. That's your destination. Get moving. Converting to Jiyva instantly renders the entirety of the Slime Pits completely harmless. You just need to get to that altar, and you'll have succeeded. Is it utterly swarmed and blocked by slimes of many nutritious flavours? Is your army dying at the final stretch? That's what those Scrolls of Blinking are for. Yes, blink on top of the altar, even if it's surrounded by deadly enemies. One turn is all you need. Don't worry, your army won't go hostile. Even though you just angered the god of Necromancy itself.

'''About the Royal Jelly''': Command your army with 't'-'f' (or 't'-'a' on something else) to NOT ATTACK IT. (Unless you are running the Hive Talisman). Not only does it spawn horrible amounts of OP slimes when it takes damage (which are worth 0 experience), it will also destroy all Jiyva altars if you somehow manage to kill it with your army of gelatinous doom. Which is surprisingly likely. If you have pulled it in and find your squad getting progressively mowed down by a wide variety of digestive enzymes, consider using a Scroll of Teleport, or retreating upstairs and using a different downstairs. You'll have to ignite a new army with some extra Kiku stars, but it will "park" the Royal Jelly on that other end of the level so you can safely access the Jiyva altar.

Of course, if you are staying with Kikubaaqudgha and are doing the dive, feel free to take no prisoners, splatter honey-coloured goo all over the Pits, and smash and grab that loot.

{{flavour|[[File:Jiyva altar.png]] Jiyva gurgles in joy at your terrifying pilgrimage all to worship them (even though you just murdered half their followers and turned them to undead servants).}}

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] You know, I was kind of hoping this would happen. It's been a while since I had the fun of smiting a mortal with horrible, debilitating dark curses.}}

You should only come back here once you reach maximum piety with Jiyva - ****** - to unlock all the delicious loot.

The way back up will be peaceful and of utmost serenity. Surely Kiku's wrath will be a nice, relaxing affair after going through this.

=All That Squiggles, Splashes and Slithers (S-Branches)=

'''Only if you already finished raiding the Slime Pits:''' clear the last floors of the Dungeon, allowing you to obtain Jiyva piety and experience Kiku's wrath in a relatively safe environment. "Relatively", because there are probably centaur warriors prowling about with digusting amounts of ranged damage. Animate Dead. Death Channel. Anguish. Deadly armies. You know the drill.

You'll also find the Vaults entrance on D:13 or D:14, with its signature swarm of human guards decked out in tons of metal. Perhaps they should have thought about protecting the inside of their skulls as well, as they are very vulnerable to Anguish.

'''If you are still with Kiku, waiting for your Infestation to become castable so you can raid the Pits:''' do NOT clear the lower Dungeon yet - once Kiku juice has been exhausted, you will want a safe area to start getting your first Jiyva stars and work off the first instances of Kiku's wrath in an environment you are overleveled for. Leave it for AFTER the S-Branches.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] That Smoky Gem is down there, in D:15! If you did things properly, grabbing it shouldn't be too hard. What's harder is keeping it intact. Try to have at least 800 turns remaining when you collect it! And as for D:11-D:15, don't explore more than half of each floor, except on D:13-D:14, where you'll want to find the Vaults entrance, and get moving again immediately afterwards!}}

You'll want to visit the S-Branches in this order:

Spider Nest > Swamp > Snake Pit > Shoals

This is roughly how much each of these branches hate cats, from easiest to most lethal. In the former two, there is less ranged damage and more hordes to turn into highly efficient undead. Meanwhile, the Snake Pit is full of Naga Sharpshooter aimbot hackers, giga-flame-smite Salamander Tyrants, and the unique Vashnia, queen of ridiculous felid two-shots. Not to mention that some nagas actually have some Willpower to resist Anguish, unlike the animalistic and weak-willed creepy-crawlies. As for the Shoals, it leaks deep water everywhere to make things as difficult as possible for your army, and its denizens will endlessly throw sharp things at you, sometimes piercing through your entire squad.

Ironic, considering that most DCSS characters tend to fear spiders much more than snakes.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] If you chose the honey-flavoured part of our treatment plan, with Unearth Wretches, getting those Gems will be extremely easy. If not, only slightly harder. That doesn't mean it's another vacation! Once again, explore only about half of each floor, except the fourth and final one, where you'll probably have to spend a lot of time clashing your hordes against the final vault guardians and looking for that Gem. Oh, and a rune, too. But that one isn't that important, now is it? If you have leftover time when going up, you can full-clear the first floor, it's not like we'll be coming back here anyhow.}}

Let's get started. Do not Ctrl-G into the branch - you'll arrive there weak and unprepared, and if there is a welcoming party at the entrance, you are likely to have roughly the entire medical history of poisoning injected in your bloodstream as you sit there and get pwned. Instead, Ctrl-F for the entrance gate in Lair, and stand on top of it. Cast your self-buffs - Animate Dead and Death Channel. Good. Now, you can actually go down.

Assuming you are now with Jiyva, plentiful regeneration, obtained from your very first Jiyva star, allows you to spam Haunt, Borgnjor's Vile Clutch, Anguish and perhaps Infestation/Rimeblight to your heart's content to spark a flame of subservience in the first members of your army. Don't forget to pre-cast Animate Dead/Death Channel before each staircase!

Annoyed by missing out on Animate Dead/Death Channel? Or perhaps you have both and still desire more power? Allow me to introduce you to the apotheosis of ally-creation spells:

'''[[Infestation]]''' (Level 8 Necromancy) is, if you were unlucky and failed to find Animate Dead, your salvation. If you do have it, it's still your salvation, because this spell creates Death Scarabs from the bodies of '''any''' slain enemy (INCLUDING undead and nonliving beings, but except summoned foes and Kiku wrath simulacra/spectres - zombies are fine), '''bypassing Animate Dead''' (no zombie and scarab from the same slain foe!). What is a Death Scarab? Why, nothing short of a star resident of the branch which terrorizes 15 rune DCSS characters the most - the dastardly Tomb of the Ancients. Let's check those stats out:

* Moves and attacks faster than light itself. To be precise, every single time you get a turn, they get three.
* Irresistible Slow debuff on hit.
* Tons of damage.
* Unfortunately very low HP. Thankfully, they are easy to produce in industrial quantities.

Infestation is a point-and-click ability, in a 5x5 square (If you're waiting for this spell to go raid the Slime Pits: Unearth Wretches is also a 5x5 square - cast Infestation on top of yourself after Unearth Wretches for immensely impressive results!). The game makes it quite obvious. Like its point-and-click cousin Haunt, you'll be spamming this one a lot. Use a Scroll of Amnesia, forget one of your old starter Summoning spells, and bind the macro to Infestation instead!

Ideally, you'd get 2-3 from your first fight on a new floor. Take them for a pack walk (don't autoexplore). When a new foe comes into view and they immediately charge towards it, cast Infestation again, and so on, gradually turning the entire floor population into scarabs. Unfortunately:

Your death scarab crumbles into dust!

Their lifespan is... limited. Certainly more impressive than Death Channel, but limited nonetheless. Once you have drawn the first blood, ''you need to keep the killstreak coming''. If you have won a fight, and are now accompanied by invertebrate friends, it is YOUR time to start prowling about the level like some bloodthirsty, horrible beast for fresh scarab meat. Haunt. Infestation. Haunt. Infestation. Executed correctly, these two spells combined can clear any floor that isn't the Realm of Zot or an extended endgame floor. Most importantly, unless you are on the brink of death, you should not be constantly waiting in place twiddling your paws until your HP and MP thresholds get to 100% - your scarabs will just get bored of your lack of courage and evaporate out of reality.

'''[[Rimeblight]]''' (Level 7 Ice/Necromancy) is an equally strong addition to your kit, which you should consider welcoming into your repertoire. It's a lot of slots - you probably can't allow this and Borngjor's Vile Clutch/a big Summonings spell to coexist, so choices will have to be made. This spell is good at both taking out lone OP foes and bundled up living, demonic or holy creatures - for the real star of the show are the infectious explosions. Cast it on the least resilient foe that is closely bundled together with other creatures (each death causes the disease to spread further), and then forget about it and use your other spells. It will get the job done. Feel free to combine it with Gell's Gravitambourine for even less social distancing! You should also know that it executes living/demonic/holy monsters with 20% HP or less, so, if some ubermensch has only a few pixels remaining on its health bar and is destroying you, cast Rimeblight for a guaranteed takedown. if '''Training Ice Magic to level 9 is recommended.'''

'''After clearing the first S-Branch''': Check the success rate of '''Death's Door''' in your (M)emorization menu. If you are stacked with Wizardry/Intelligence buffs, it might be below 50%. Or not. That's fine too. You'll still want to start making room for it.

'''Start training Spellcasting to receive just enough slots to add it (0.5 level = 1 spell slot!), or use Scrolls of Amnesia on starter Summonings spells to free up slots.'''

If you make room to add it while clearing the second S-Branch AND the failure rate is below 50%, keep in mind this spell is utterly overpowered and will save even the most desperate situations. More on that later, but it might actually be worth gambling on if your other options aren't looking too good. Watch out: if you miscast it, it will likely just finish you off you with ~20 darkness damage. Until it reaches less than 20% failure rate, it's a last resort. LAST RESORT. Now is not the time to "save blinking scrolls for later". NO. YOU WON'T NEED THEM ANYMORE WHEN YOU HAVE IMMORTALITY ON SPEED DIAL.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Swamp/Shoals are super tight on time. Clearly, management thought the less turns employees spend in these places, the better. Typical ivory tower fools. Anyhow, when you find a normal staircase and the surroundings are clear and safe, just go down. You'll need a bit more time than you think to tackle those hydra parties and javelineer shooting ranges on the last floor!}}

===Angry Death-God Interdimensional Hunt (Monitoring Kiku's Wrath)===

If you'd like to check how long you'll still have to deal with Kiku's wrath, press, in this order, '?'-'/'-'g'-'k'. There are five tiers:

*"Kiku's wrath is upon you!" (> 75%)
*"Kiku well remembers your sins." (> 50%)
*"Kiku's wrath is beginning to fade. (> 25%)
*"Kiku is almost ready to forgive your sins." (< 25%)
*"Kiku is neutral towards you." (0%)

Once you reach the final tier, you are finally free, and will be able to fully enjoy necromantic magic with glorious slime-powered regeneration for the rest of the run!

Kiku will probably forgive you sometime around the S-Branches. At last.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Whatever. You're boring. If you need me, I'll be over here. On my throne of skulls. Watching slasher flicks. I'll especially not be watching your run, waiting for the moment you splat so I can cackle evilly at my indirect revenge. I would never do that. That sounds like something Zin would do.

But enough talk about using my stolen gifts. Let's finish you off.}}

===They Bite, They Fight, They Rot (Spider Nest)===

If you have rolled this branch, you have been granted the Necromancy-special easy mode midgame. Despite what you may think, rPois isn't actually that important with this build, because the assorted venomous bites won't actually be able to reach you if you play correctly. Let's get cracking.

* '''Meliais''' are as horrifying as they were in the lower parts of the dungeon, and should be dealt with as swiftly as possible - note that their willpower is very fragile when faced with a scion of the One True Pillow-Pawed race, which makes them vulnerable to Polymorph/Charm wands or Anguish.

* '''Spark Wasps''' can pull off anime "teleports behind you" moves with extreme electric damage. They must be Anguished on sight. Haunted. Borgnjor's Vile Clutched. I don't care. Each turn those blue pixels exist on your screen, you are increasing the likelihood that you'll lose the run and be forced to go do something productive instead. We don't want that, now do we?

* '''Orb Spiders''' are highly annoying pests that will challenge you to a game of dodgeball without consent. The ominous purple Orbs of Destruction they will hurl at you inflict extreme, potentially oneshotting, undodgeable damage, and should be avoided at all costs. The easiest way to neutralize them is to have any creature eat the Orb for you - enemies work too, but the most reliable choice is any allied unit. A simple use of your Blink cantrip can also save your scruff, but do mind the heat-seeking properties of Orbs in open spaces, and be ready to Blink a second time.

* '''Broodmothers''' are nasty and will challenge you to a Zotémon duel, and they're a big fan of the Poison Type. Do remind them that Poison attacks on Ghost types are Not Very Effective. If you need to reach them from behind their wall of allies, use Borgnjor's Vile Clutch or Haunt.

* '''Xak' Krixis''', a unique boss, can turn all of your poison into instant damage. Do not hold back on the armies against this one. And ring-swap to rPois. Or drink a Potion of Resistance. He is also quite vulnerable to Anguish. No rPois? At the very least, do anything to avoid standing within 2 tiles of the imminently exploding prisms.

* You don't want anything in this branch to be adjacent to you, but you especially don't want '''Radroaches''' adjacent to you. Enough said.

* '''Ghost Moths''' are the signature enemy of this branch that gets the DCSS community trembling in fear, mainly because of their undodgeable, point-and-click gaze instantly deleting your entire MP bar. Do note that the DCSS community is also filled with fans of conjurations and blaster spells. As a proper gentlefeline, your much more subtle and intellectual magic isn’t limited to the turn it was cast. Casting Haunt once on one is pretty much a guarantee that it will die (if the spectres can reach it). If they are ruining your day, a Potion of Invisibility will shut down their mana-draining ability.

Also, they are invisible. But the feline master race has little patience for such trivialities. You won't even notice. Just don't be surprised if your scarabs/zombies are ignoring them.

{{flavour|[[File:Jiyva altar.png]] Jiyva gurgles inquisitively, wondering how ghost moths reproduce if they can't see invisible, but are invisible themselves. }}

===Realm of the Aimbot Hackers (Snake Pit)===

Ready for some Counter-Strike action? Get to Site Snake:4 before the counter-terrorists eliminate your entire squad. Unfortunately, you have been placed in the cheaters' queue, and everyone here is using hacks and scripts.

* '''Naga sharpshooters''' are the main culprits. Not only do they have OP bows, they also have a spell that lets them teleport the arrow directly on top of you, bypassing your entire army AND reducing your chance to dodge it. They come in groups, too, which means you could be walking around and suddenly start getting plowed by sharp sticks appearing out of thin air. Because this isn't difficult enough, they have enough Willpower to resist Anguish and other hexes quite efficiently (though insistent casters may eventually curse them). A Scroll of Vulnerability helps if there are many on your screen. Most wisely, however, I suggest you avoid having too many on your screen at once, and make use of doors and chokepoints to secure a place where you can safely dump Haunt and Borgnjor's Vile Clutch on them one by one.

* '''Vashnia''' is the queen of the hackers, doing exactly the same thing as them but with bigger damage. And another hack that lets her teleport so you can't escape as easily. I've reported her to the DCSS admins numerous times, but she still hasn't gotten banned. If you've been saving your Scrolls of Vulnerability, this is the time to use them.

* '''Salamander tyrants''' are rare, but CAN ONESHOT YOU ON SIGHT WITH A POINT-AND-CLICK ABILITY. This is one of the extremely rare cases where you can literally just take a step and instantly die (assuming you lack rF+). As soon as one appears on your screen, you MUST take action immediately, through one of the following:
** Ring-swap to Fire Resistance.
** Drink a Potion of Resistance.
** Drink a Potion of Invisibility.

They are weak to Anguish and will likely get a taste of their own oneshot medicine once they are cursed. Assuming you survive, that is.

* '''Guardian serpents''' have the infamous ability to teleport their entire squad on top of you, which is an immediate critical emergency if it happens. Thankfully, you have loyal allies to take up space - yet another reason to always try to keep yourself surrounded and loved by your mindless thralls. Immediately consider the Blink spell or a Blinking scroll if you are caught off-guard.

* '''Naga ritualists''' have varied point-and-click poison abilities which aren't that threatening, but add up if you leave them alive for too long. Ring-swapping to rPois is useful, but barring, that, try to Haunt/Borgnjor's Vile Clutch them first.

* '''Nagaraja''' have all kinds of toxic-chemical flavoured conjurations comparable to Arachne's, and your 3 AC, no rPois scruff is not exactly the definition of a hazmat suit. Avoid having no allies blocking their line of fire (those poison arrows hurt!) and, if you cannot ring-swap poison resistance, expect to require Curing potions should their ally-piercing bolt of poison hit you.

* '''Shock serpents''' have an ally-piercing electrical bolt - not oneshot material by any means, but repeated hits will hurt. They have a permanently active damage-reflection effect electrocuting all which damage it in melee. The answer? Anguish - they hit your ally, they take Anguish damage from this, your ally hits them, they take more damage, your ally is electrocuted, the serpent takes even more Anguish damage. Don't try to wrap your head around it, just oneshot them with this technique.

===Grand Oneshot Fiesta (Swamp)===

This one is interesting, because most enemies here have ridiculous damage, but little ways of actually reaching you to apply it. It was already important before, but it is EXTREMELY important here to keep yourself surrounded by a cocoon of cold, well-meaning hugs from your assorted undead. Leaving your frail and vulnerable body exposed is opening the door to getting oneshotted by the extremely high damage hydrae, bunyips, alligators, will-o-wisps... Well, they actually have to do the effort of walking towards you to kill you (except the will-o-wisp). Which makes this place much better than Shoals in my book.

* '''Eleionoma''' are an exception to this rule, and are also complete bullshit. I don't like swearing in my guides, but these ones deserve it. Their signature spell, Splinterspray, has huge range and deals up to 72 damage. A dull-witted minotaur may say, "they aren't that bad, I just tab them with my axe". Well, dear bovine comrade, Splinterspray has its damage negated ''3 times in a row'' by your AC score. This means their existence is basically an insult to Felids in particular. Suffer not a single one to live. The counterplay? A ring of +4 Protection is worth a quick-swap when they are around, as it translates to a +12 AC bonus against this attack due to the multiplier. Because these aren't OP enough, they also giga-self heal when they touch trees. Just drop a fat Haunt or drown them in undead on sight, the less seconds they breathe, the better.

* '''Swamp Worms''' are pretty harmless on their own, but they can shoot a beam that pulls the first entity hit into melee range of them. If you let them get a clear shot, you can get extracted from your massive army into a death trap. Mind the gaps in your formation.

* '''Bloated husks''' just run at you doing nothing and explode in a 5x5 area when they die.. Aside the fact that this can make them deal huge damage to your army, it will, on average, take out half of your entire HP bar every single time if you get caught in the blastzone.

* '''Will-o-wisps''' endlessly churn out drones to seek and destroy you with huge fire damage. This will be blocked by allies, and Haunting them is highly wise. If you are exposed to their antics, though, consider ring-swapping to obtain rF+.

* '''Swamp dragons''' are not very dangerous, aside from the fact that they place disgusting green poison clouds all over the place. Got stuck in the chemical spill? Ring-swap to rPois, and you can immediately shut off every neuron in your brain that had registered their existence. No rPois? A potion of Resistance does the same thing. Otherwise, a potion of Curing heals all poison, but it won't help if you just get poisoned again by the cloud on the same turn. Focus on getting out, by walking, using the Blink spell or even a precious Blinking scroll if it truly matters.

* '''Shambling mangroves''' have a point-and-click constrict. It's kind of like the Borgnjor's Vile Clutch you may have chosen to obtain, but with even less counterplay. It ends when they perish, so hit them back with your own flavour of point-and-click, known as Haunt or Borgnjor's Vile Clutch.

* '''Goliath frogs''' and '''Spriggan riders''' have reach (polearm) attacks. Don't just stand there 2 spaces away while they ignore your allies and prepare themselves a fine feline brochette.

* Needless to say, don't let '''hydrae''' touch you. ESPECIALLY not the rare one with 27 heads.

===I Swear You Had A Health Bar A Second Ago, Must Be Seeing Things (Shoals)===

Ah yes, welcome to the funhouse of doom. You don't really need any specific resistances in this place, just go full-on Wizardry and Intelligence so things perish as fast as possible. I like Acrobat and Reflection amulets to reduce slightly the vast number of sharp objects moving quickly in your general direction. Ring-swapping into Flight, or drinking a Potion of enlightenment is also potentially interesting when you need to move over water for tactical reasons.

* '''Merfolk javeliners''' can Alt-F4 your health bar when they feel like it. Their sole purpose in life is to pick up sticks of metal and throw them at you, doing gargantuan damage in the process. Because it wasn't hard enough, they occasionally carry the silver variant of their javelins, which deals bonus damage to the heavily mutated. Because Jiyva has probably made you look like [https://raw.githubusercontent.com/crawl/crawl/master/crawl-ref/source/dat/tiles/title_froggy_jiyva_felid.png this] by now, this will hurt. A couple casts of Anguish will usually curse them (causing a massive pile of exclamation points in the message log when they throw their javelin through your undead army). An Amulet of Reflection or of the Acrobat will also come a long way towards putting the odds in your favour - I'd recommend walking around with one already equipped while in the Shoals.

* '''Satyrs''' are pretty much the exact same thing, but at least, they can't pierce through your allies freely. Let your servants die in your name!

* '''Water nymphs''' have a disgustingly powerful point-and-click "boom! you take 3 million damage!" ability. However, they can only use it if you are standing on a water tile. If one is on your screen, avoid water as much as possible - and don't let that Nymph get close, as they constantly leak the stuff everywhere they go. Nice try, but Flight won't save you.

* '''Wind drakes''' also have a "boom!" point-and-click, but this one instead relies on you being surrounded by empty tiles, just like the slug mage Gastronok. Another reason to keep your army close.

* '''Merfolk impalers''' and '''Alligator snapping turtles''' both have "reach" (polearm) melee attacks from 2 spaces away. They also deal giga-damage. Don't ever let them get a hit off.

=Crossroads of Immortality (The Ultimate Spell)=

You've made it. Ascension is at hand - or rather, at paw. Behold - the '''Velvet-Pawed Path to Immortality'''. A level 9 spell, ranked among the legends of Polar Vortex, Shatter, Dragon's Call, Fire Storm...

"How much damage does this one do", you ask yourself, trembling in excitement.

Zero, actually. To your enemies, that is.

'''[[Death's Door]]''' (Level 9 Necromancy), on a successful cast, will immediately nuke your (already minuscule) HP bar, always setting it to around 10-20 HP points remaining. This will never directly kill you.

Not off to a good start, are we? The important part: '''for the next 12-25 turns (it's technically 10-27, but the extremes are unlikely), you CANNOT die through ANY means, and this buff CANNOT be removed.''' Picture this: while it is active:

* HP is an illusion.
* AC is an illusion.
* EV is an illusion.
* SH is an illusion.
* Elemental resistances? You guessed it - an illusion.

Do you see what I see? An eloge to felinekind. A loveletter. An enchantment which takes away all that makes them bad, leaving only the good. ''Every'' other species in DCSS is (rightfully) TERRIFIED of this spell, because when it ends, they will still be left at 10-20 HP, ready to be oneshotted by the tickling touch of a feather and rocketed back to the character selection screen. But cats know no such weaknesses, for they alone know the bony touch of oblivion all too well, and can ''respawn'' after even Death's Door proves ineffective at saving their lives. It's not like having 17 HP is that different from having 103, after all.

This means that you, dear reader, can afford to be '''extremely''' proactive in using this thing.

Picture the following scenario: going about your usual murderous business, some ranged cheater takes out 40% of your HP in a single attack, leaving you at 60%.

* Scenario 1: "Hey, I still have most of my health, it's fine."
** Assuming you dodge reliably, how long do you think you could actually stay alive if that foe just refused to die and kept pelting you? 12 turns, at most?
** That's assuming you dodge reliably, anyhow. You might just die next turn.

* Scenario 2: Cast Death's Door NOW!!
** You now have exactly 12-25 turns in which you have absolute certainty that death is impossible.
** You can forget entirely about cowardly tactics such as "hiding behind allies" or "ring-swapping", and dedicate all resources to making sure that enemy is no longer on your screen by the end of the time period, whether through escape or murder.
** If the screen is PACKED, you can drink a potion of attraction, then read a scroll of immolation as a home-made nuclear detonation device.
** You can just walk into melee range of hasted Ancient Liches and start blasting them with Dispel Undead.
** You can drop 10 Haunts on a single OP unique while you stand there motionless eating 100 melee damage per turn like some immovable object. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifB662xOZTw This is probably how it looks.]
** You can read Teleportation Scrolls and just casually wait and look at your own claws, wondering if feline manicure is a thing, while some Spriggan Berserker is furiously swinging its axe into your scruff over and over.
** You can casually approach any living or corporeal undead creature, (no demons or nonliving enemies allowed! Nice try, but Orbs of Fire count as nonliving.) invoke Slimify from your (a)bility menu (after 4 **** Jiyva stars), and melee attack until you oneshot them.

Embrace the power. Cleanse yourself of fear. Unlearn your preconceptions. Forget your Minotaur instincts. There is Life, there is Death, and there is You, standing perfectly still at the line in between. This is your feline destiny.

Death's Door goes through a cycle:

You stand defiantly in death's doorway! You seem to hear sand flowing through an hourglass...

The spell just started, and the timer is engaged. (White "DDoor" status in the sidebar)

Your time is quickly running out!

Don't freak out. That actually just means it's about halfway done. You still have time. But if the whole "murder" angle is not looking good, start plotting your escape now. (Gray "DDoor" status in the sidebar)

Your life is in your own paws again!

If you did not plan this out correctly, this is the part where they kill you. Because the invincibility just ran out. And you have 12 HP. Death's Door will go on cooldown (Yellow -DDoor in the sidebar) for the surprisingly short duration of 1-3 turns, so you cannot immediately recast it to protect yourself. Shoutout to the developers for recently changing this to say "paws" and not "hands" for Felids specifically!

You step away from death's doorway.

Death's Door is ready to be used again. Many times, I have managed to recast the spell while still engaged in combat, just because I had retreated safely into the middle of my army, or because I had an all-skill-no-luck EV dodge of a ranged attack that should have killed me. In that case, you simply get the 12-25 turns of invincibility all over again.

A note: Potions of haste are ridiculously strong in tandem with Death's Door. They effectively lengthen the duration by 33%. For the same reason, being Slow in Death's Door is terrible, as it shortens the duration by 33%. As expected, Haste and Slow cancel each other out.

Got slots? Or you will in the future? Consider the following:

'''[[Passwall]]''' (Level 3 Earth) is a so-called "escape" spell that has the bad habit of killing its users while they are charging it up. When used on a nearby wall, it renders you unable to act for a few turns as you fixate the stone with extreme intensity that leaves your enemies concerned about you. They will try to prod you to snap you out of it. If you aren't dead by the end of this phase, you will - it's literally in the title - pass through the wall and arrive on the other side. You can see where this is going - cast Death's Door, and you can now escape through any common wall (not the indestructible ones) with zero risk. Even though the magic school on this isn't your forté, it's so low level you can probably already cast it with your vast levels of Spellcasting. Maybe get '''4 levels of Earth''' for good measure if you don't already have them.

Here's another suggestion:

'''[[Dispel Undead]]''' (Level 4 Necromancy) is the least complicated of all dark spells. Walk up to melee range of some rotting fool, press it, blast them with huge (3d31 at max damage, comparable to a Lehudib's Crystal Spear), unavoidable, defense-bypassing pure damage. Flavour-wise, your dark research has come to teach you the invisible forces holding together a corpse which shouldn't be animated, and the ways to unravel them. More creatures are undead than you may think:

* Bog bodies from the Swamp.
* Pharaoh ants from the Spider Nest.
* Laughing, Curse and Weeping Skulls in the deep Dungeon and/or Crypts.
* Any Player Ghost in the Necropolis.
* Any creature reanimated by a deep elf death mage's lost souls.
* Death scarabs from the Tomb. You might have encountered some early in the Spider Nest, or after "accidentally" blasting your Infestation scarabs with, say, a scroll of immolation and turning them hostile.
* Curse toes and Death cobs from the Realm of Zot, the final stop of your grand pillow-pawed journey.
* Deadly uniques such as Jory, Boris, Nobody, or Khufu.
* Any zombies/spectres/simulacra, either natural or reanimated by Kiku's malice.

= Knife-Eared Folks and their Floating Knives (Elven Halls) =

This next area is completely optional-

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] No, it's NOT. Get that Shimmering Gem, PRONTO!! Great, another one of these places where you dilly-dally thinking it will be fine only to spend a thousand turns running away in fear from reality-shattering archmagi on the final floor. Do this one just like the second S-Branch - use SAFE staircases, which have no enemies around them, IMMEDIATELY, and dedicate all your effort and care to looting that Elf:3 fortress!}}

-but I encourage you to clear at least the first two floors to acquire bonus experience, and polish up your Death's Door. At this point, '''you should only be training Necromancy and have no Kiku wrath remaining.''' Possibly Shapeshifting if you still need that Hive Talisman. Maybe Spellcasting if you are desperate for slots. Because SOMEONE has been eating all the Amnesia scrolls.

{{flavour|[[File:Jiyva altar.png]] A distant sound of paper being dissolved in acid echoes through the Elven Halls.}}

The Elves haven't been hitting the gym. Their muscles are weak, because they play DCSS all day. When you drain all that education out of their skulls by turning them to zombies, they do almost nothing except contribute their hitpoints to the Anguish fund. We do not want this. We want OP scarabs. Spam Infestation left and right on these fools. Even the dancing weapons.

A death scarab bursts out of the +4 trident of felid slaying!

How does that even work? Whatever. Let's talk timed portals. Semi-rarely, you may find:

* The "crackle of arcane power". Wizard Laboratories are pocket-sized adventures ranging from litterboxes of loot to death traps. If I were you, I'd avoid Tukima's Studio, unless having a clone of yourself spam Haunt on you while OP floating books with 100 damage crystal spears pwn you sounds funny. The rest should be fine. Watch out for Doroklohe’s Tomb, it will appear to be safe then jumpscare you with tons of endgame mummies or other OP foes. If you want to clear that one, stay in the entrance and wait (5) over and over, don't wander off into the main room.

* The "coins being counted". A Bazaar is almost always worth it. This one might even be worth reading a Scroll of Revelation for. If you have the gold to spare, of course (press '$'). In your shopping spree, stock up on delicious potions, interesting scrolls, and spells that might be missing from your kit.

* A "distant wind". Ah, yes, the <s>Death Trap</s> Desolation of Salt. This place kills so many players. Luckily, this build is probably one of the best at taking it head-on, and the loot tends to include some sick rings and amulets. If you wish to test its mettle, my advice is to just spam Infestation on those trillions of saltlings rushing to melee you. Simply run around and Infestation everything you see until the screen is covered in scarabs. You may need to use Death's Door if things go south. Be wary of [[Ghostly Sacrifice]], an extremely OP point-and-click, undodgeable attack which deals over 100 darkness damage. An enemy must be adjacent to you for it to be used. The Halazid warlocks are responsible for it - either use Death's Door or ring swap to rN+ if you cannot reposition yourself away from enemies in melee range of you.

In the Elven Halls, and especially Elf:3, there are a wide variety of professionals with PhDs in kitty-murder. The valedictorians here are:

* '''Dancing weapons''': Don't mistake them for floor items, notice the little music note icon on their sprites. Some are not that scary (+1 dagger) while others will be your doom (+9 bardiche of antimagic). Don’t fight too fast, and check the brands and enchantments of what you are faced against. If it has enchantments of +4 or more, has a brand you do not resist, or is an axe or polearm, it's a threat.

Regardless, Borgnjor's Vile Clutch completely demolishes them, because their defenses are all-dodge-no-armour (like you!), and that spell cannot be avoided. Haunt is also interesting.

You'll find an extreme amount of these behind the big runed gate in Elf:2, known as the Hall of Blades. I generally don't even bother opening it. These enemies are hard enough, and the shiny metal they leave behind isn't even designed for quadrupeds. Psh!

* '''Deep elf master archers''': You may be purring in mockery as 5 arrows whiff past you one after the other. Enjoy becoming a porcupine when a single shot cuts away 50% of your HP. These should never, ever get a clean line of fire at you, and should have Haunts dumped on them immediately if they do. Like any ranged foe, remember that closing doors behind you can prove surprisingly effective.
* '''Deep elf elementalists''': TRY NOT TO STAND NEXT TO WALLS! It is their strongest attack, because they can point and click walls to remote-detonate them. Anyways, as a herder of allies, you should be prioritizing wide open space instead. The Blink spell can help you get away. The other elemental flavours of pain aren't as bad, as long as you keep drowning them in undead.
* '''Deep elf sorcerers & high priests''': Damnation ''hurts''. Sending foes to block a sorcerer's line of fire by standing adjacently to them will make them hesitate, as they’re not masochistic enough to blow themselves up. The high priests, however, can order an orbital strike onto you in point-and-click flavour, and won't be impressed.
* '''Deep elf annihilators''': With your high EV, most of the time, they will miss, but when they don’t, ''ouch''. Their worst spell is the Crystal Spear, but it has thankfully limited range, so keep your distance (more than 4 tiles).
* '''Deep elf blademasters''': It’s an elf, but with +99 daggers of kitty-slaying and rocket-boot thrusters. Don't let these touch you.
* '''Deep elf death mage''': It's you! But less fluffy. Therefore lesser. Their signature spell, Call Lost Souls, summons some harmless, annoying puffs of spectral matter which will revive nearby dying elves into a ghost variant (this adds a little skull icon on their sprite). When they are reanimated thus, if you have Dispel Undead, you can walk up and blast them - otherwise, your other tools are just as efficient as they are on their living counterparts.

Thankfully, these elven bullies are mostly hidden in their big fortress somewhere in Elf:3, and can be dealt with in little groups at a time, as the entrance to their headquarters is conveniently shaped like a funnel. Approach the final vault, lure in a few volunteers, dispose of them, rest, and return, until the flood stops. Dashing in, battling all of them at once, and expecting to win is extremely foolish.

If you have Summon Mana Viper, it can have impressive results here! Antimagic-biting an Annihilator to force them to use their puny arms instead of their reality-shattering conjurations is quite effective.

Unlike the lesser humanoids, Banishment is very unlikely to happen to you here. If it ''does'' happen, stay calm. The first instinct of many players is to start walking in diagonals to find an exit, but you should not be doing this with this build. You have the ability to organize a nice little fortress with your allies, and fend off invaders coming from all sides. After proving to Lugonu your fighting prowess, you will be let out without complications. Dying in the Abyss is ''very'' undesirable, as you will simply respawn in another equally dangerous location of this infinite plane of madness.

=Containment Breach in Zone 2 (Vaults)=

Excellent, a place where you'll actually feel powerful. You'll feel right at home in this stronghold of soullessness, metal, and faceless guards devoid of individual thought.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Life would be so much simpler if everyone was an undead thrall, you know? Perfect order, absolute obedience, flawless coordination. I bet technology would be propelled centuries foward if people stopped clutching that worthless "identity" everyone keeps talking about.}}

This is the necromantic funzone, seriously. The extreme majority of everything here has been so dumbed down by mindless servitude that their Willpower - and therefore resistance to Anguish - is as low as the chance that you actually managed to survive up to this point. Not only that, but almost every creature makes up for spectacular undead thralls, and space is so neatly organized and wide open that you'll have no trouble directing your army around to annihilate everything you see.

Always have Death Channel active when you battle. Animate Dead the first sizable goon squad you spot, and carry them around the level until it's worth replacing them. Spam Infestation on everything you see until then.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] All this empty space. All this real estate opportunity, ruined. Such inefficiency. Don't linger in Vaults:1 and Vaults:4, exploring no more than half of both. You'll still want to locate the Crypts somewhere on Vaults:2 or Vaults:3 through more thorough exploration, after which you'll be able to descend faster.}}

The threats? Point-and-click abilities, of course.

* '''Ironbound thunderhulks''' have on-demand electro-bzzaps, and '''are the biggest threat of this branch'''. Unlike most point-and-click cheaters, this one can actually be dodged, but should you fail to do so, say goodbye to half your HP bar. They have this gimmick where they cannot use this skill if you are 2 or fewer tiles away, but don't let this bait you into walking towards terrible positions only for them to blink away and resume electrocuting you. Don't hesitate to pop Death's Door if you get badly hit once. Ring-swapping to the rare rElec artifact ring may prove useful, if you have found such a useful trinket.

* '''Ironbound frosthearts''' also have a point-and-click, this time chocolate ice-cream flavoured. Yes, chocolate is toxic to cats. This is intentional. It drips from the walls, so avoid standing next to them, as was the case for Deep elf elementalists. Thankfully, these have been heavily nerfed since my last FeSu guide, as back then, they were as horrible as Salamander tyrants. You can afford to take a few hits.

* '''Frederick''' CAN ONESHOT YOU THE MOMENT YOU TAKE A SINGLE BREATH IN HIS PRESENCE. If you encounter him alone and wish to take him down, I suggest an immediate Death's Door from full HP, and then an unloading of your entire necromantic artillery on him. It will be enough. There really is no overkill here. If your Death's Door is close to running out and he is still alive, just pop Slimify from your (a)bility menu and oneshot him.

* '''Xtahua''' can also oneshot you, but only if you lack rF+. Even then, have your paw on the Death's Door button at the ready! Slimify if needed.

* '''Mennas''', the "Menace" as some players call him, is practically designed to counter everything you are capable of. Bonus damage against undead, instant Silence to block you from using Death's Door and all other spells, mass confusion on your Death Scarabs so they start hurting each other and potentially you as well, resistance to Slimify from being holy, huge speed, huge melee damage... I've had success with a Scroll of Vulnerability and repeated Anguish, but attempts at battle without a huge swarm to back you up usually result in dead cats faster than you can say "Deus Vult". If you have a wand of quicksilver and his dreaded Silence comes out, you can use it on him for a chance to dispel the Silence!

You can detect Mennas - and sometimes Frederick - through walls by looking for suspiciously yellow tiles, illuminated by their radiant haloes. Don't get trolled by Mennas's lack of See Invisible, his halo will still reveal you, as long as you are standing in it.

* '''Jory''' and '''Boris''' are similar - two undead casters with ridiculously damaging spells, packing an easy twoshot or oneshot if you let them blast you. For maximum disrespect, just Death's Door immediately, walk up, and pwn them with Dispel Undead or Slimify.

* '''Zenata''' is one of the most lethal bosses of the mid-to-late game, brutally decimating around 5% of all players who choose to take her on. Keyword - choose. Many advanced and competitive players leave her alone entirely to polish her army of hasted dancing scimitars instead. You can do so as well, but if seeing coloured pixels moving across your screen sends you into a mindless rage, you can do Death's Door-Slimify at the easiest, or Death's Door-necro-artillery for a more traditional takedown. She won't oneshot you, so you can use a few turns to prep, but once her summons are out and she has started using her point-and-click damage ability, it's time to get down to business and hit that immortality button. Don't even think about Blink-scrolling or whatever away from all those floating knives, they are almost as fast as Death scarabs. Just focus on pwning her.

* '''Nobody''' is not that scary to me, aside from the part where they DARE stomp on the feline fiefdom's trademarks and use extra lives to respawn 3 times, one more than you can hold at a time. Each of their reincarnations has a different kit. Honestly, they are okay to deal with as long as you have a few scarabs to swarm them with (and they aren't ganking you in the middle of a Vaults:5 party). Pay attention to their dialogue lines in the message log, I like them a lot.

* '''Ironbound convokers''' are infamous for their ability to teleport enemies from the floor over to their position a few turns after the flag icon appears on their sprite. This is usually not that bad of a thing, as it's more meat to funnel through your undead creation machine. What you do not want is Mennas suddenly spawning in your face. For this reason, I like to Haunt/Borgnjor's Vile Clutch them with priority.

I suggest not entering Vaults:5. Not even a peek. There is a surprise party down there. You're not invited. Make your way to the Crypts instead.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Splats And Riches Incorporated™ goes where it pleases! Barge into those Vaults:5 goons' private space, that Shining Gem won't pick itself up. Let's do this. And don't go leaving now to get to the Pits beforehand, the "spoils of war" imply a war as a prerequisite!}}

===Squishy Interlude (Slime:5 & Ring/Amulet Selection)===

You might have reached (******) in Jiyva piety, or will soon. When that happens, Ctrl-G your way to Slime:5.

{{flavour|[[File:Jiyva altar.png]] Ecstatic wobbling resounds before all this juicy, delicious loot!}}

Yikes. Well, at least the artifacts will be spared. Try to collect as many useful items as possible, and, of course, the rune.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] And the GEM. If you're tight on turns, forget the loot, get back up to that Lair, NOW!!}}

Speaking of "useful items", your inventory is probably getting full. Here is how I choose my rings, depending on the "Egoes" they possess. These are called "Ego" in-game because they increase your hubris the more OP they are, thus making you splat out of recklessness. '''Bold = Good.'''

* If '''Wiz''' is causing your Death's Door to be more reliable, it's highly valuable.
* '''+X Int''' is never bad.
* '''Resistances''' aren't as useful now that we have a spell to take out Death itself on a nice Sunday movie night hangout. But they are still interesting to dial down oneshots and twoshots - rF+ in particular is pretty good, as this damage type is quite common, and we already have rC+ from our fur. Jiyva gives you rCorr for free.
* +X MP is decent. But Jiyva's mana regeneration is already almost infinite mana. You can do better.
* +X Dex gives EV. But not as much as a +5 EV ring. You have enough EV to go around already. Find better.
* Will+ is not very useful, because cats know nothing of self-doubt. Will-, however, is bad, as it re-introduces all those annoying hexing experiences other species have to deal with. Cancel it out with a Will+ if it's really worth it.
* All the "dangerous" properties like "Drain", "Corrode" can mostly be ignored. "Slow" is a little more dangerous, but acceptable if the bonuses are good. "Bane" is a risk/reward, refer to the [[#Kiku's Troll Carousel (Banes)|banes section]].

And here is how I choose my amulets. '''Bold = Good.'''

* '''RegenMP''' - more mana. More scarabs. More Death's Door. More fun.
* '''Acrobat''' is surprisingly great, as you spend a lot of turns just waiting and moving around. +15 EV is serious business, especially when it comes to surviving an expiring Death's Door.
* '''Reflection''', in a similar vein, blocks some attacks, and can even return some ranged ones to sender.
* '''Wildshape''' is only truly good if you are building your way to a Hive Talisman, Riddle Talisman, Granite Talisman or Dragon-coil Talisman. Don't bother otherwise.
* Alchemy is nice if you can chug a quick sip of Curing to get just enough mana to enter Death's Door. The above ones are better.
* Regeneration is interesting, because it has a lot of chances to tick while you move around your army. But I still think the above ones are better.
* Dissipation is very meh. It's better than nothing for sure, and you will appreciate it the few times it is relevant, but we need to also acknowledge the "rest of the time", which is most of the time you spend in the Dungeon, and we'd rather have RegenMP here.
* Faith is useless. Are you going around using Slimify on everything you see? No, you are not. Do better.
* <s>YASD</s> Guardian Spirit: "Oh no, my beloved feline friend! You took quite the hit there. Good thing I spread it to your mana bar to offset the damage! You now have 5 MP and 30 HP, instead of only 10 HP! What do you mean 'I needed that mana for Death's Door'? You don't need spells to protect yourself. You have me!"

===Emergency Facility Lockdown (Vaults:5)===

Do not come here if you just want to win. You will likely-

''Attention all personnel. A supernatural feline capable of binding souls at its beck and call and of entering invincibility on demand is heading to the maximum security Zone Five. Engage maximum defensive protocols.''

Oh, you already went in. Welp. If you had listened to me, you would have known that drinking Haste and Brilliance before going down is quite smart. You could also have:

* Read a Scroll of Teleportation, then immediately descended.
* Used a Vaults:4 escape hatch, if it spawned, instead of the normal stairs.

I'll stop using past tense and roleplaying, now, because it's getting annoying.

In the former case, you will be met with a horrible ambush screen. It won't last long before you are whisked away to a random location. Some possibilities:

* '''Close to the central death zone''': Troublesome, but at least you probably aren't getting attacked from all angles anymore. You'll want to retreat towards one of the linear hallways, using Anguish, Infestation and Death Channel to collect the ambush guards as your starting army. If things go wrong - which they might - you may have to Death's Door and read a new Teleport scroll.

* '''Close to the outer rim''': This is the best scenario. These hallways are mostly safe and have few enemies, which means more time to regenerate, moving slowly across, recruiting all creatures you come across to roll your growing snowball of undead.

* '''Straight into one of the infested loot vaults''': Rather terrible. You may even have to Death's Door very fast. I've never been oneshotted here, but the moment you are below 60% HP here, you are in kill range. You can try to make a stand and forge an army - especially if you have Haste/Brilliance buffs - but be ready to try a new Teleport scroll.

Once you have established your squad, the rest is much easier. Move across the level, replacing your slain or disappearing undead with fresh new servants. This is a good time to place those Infestation blasts left and right. Do not forget your primary objective: the Shining Gem and the Silver Rune, right on top of each other in one of the four rectangular corner loot vaults.

Once you have secured the gem and rune, immediately make your way to the centre and leave, never to return.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] If you have at least 600 turns remaining on the Vaults' Gem, you can go claim your slimy lootboxes in Slime:5 now. Otherwise, you'll have to clear the Crypts right away, only going to Slime after you have exited the Vaults, never to return!}}

=The Place Where They Invented The Whole Necromancy Thing (Crypts)=

Throughout this run, did you ever wish you could o-tab like the good old Minotaur Berserker days? Boy, do I have the thing for you. Do you have Dispel Undead? If it was available but not memorized yet, do so now. Get that thing on your (Q)uiver, most likely replacing Anguish for now (which isn't that good here).

Now, you can autoexplore with 'o', and blast all these useless corpses in melee range with 'p'. That's right. o-p. And it really is OP.

Animate Dead and Death Channel, however, are almost entirely useless. Infestation is not. It is time to show these rotting husks your entomological collection (and offer them the chance to join it).

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] You should only be here after completing Vaults:5! That Ivory Gem would look great on my Divine Sceptre of Golden Doom, so I especially don't want you to miss it. I suggest another high-speed protocol of going down on safe staircases as soon as possible, because Crypts:3 tends to be a whole ordeal of endless undead armies and tricks and traps designed to entertain those who have too much free time and no job to get done. Which is not you.}}

The spooky ride will begin with a vast assortment of varied undead: most are not dangerous in any way (in fact, the Crypt is pretty much a popcorn factory). However, this is only a trap to lead you to let down your guard when the following arrive to ruin your day:

* '''Revenants''' do many things, but one of them is a giga darkness damage 3x3 "ghostly fireball". Your squad should be resistant to it, but unless you have rN+, you are not. Preferably, don't have less than 2 allies standing between you and them, but you can always do the classic trick of walking up and blasting them with Dispel Undead, with a Death's Door thrown into the mix if needed.

* '''Curse Skulls''' are annoying pests which summon an army of undead and spam torment. That reminds me of a certain someone, isn't that right, Kiku? They think it is funny to hide behind their wall of summons, but you can reach over with Haunt or Borgnjor's Vile Clutch. Or, you know, walk up and blast them. That works too.

* '''Khufu and mummy friends''' have an entomological collection, just like you. They are eager to compare and share their secrets of the trade. Theirs even have emperor scorpions! These terrorize many characters, but you should be able to use their bandages as a scratching post, assuming you can get close enough to blast them with Dispel Undead, or can land your point-and-click Haunt/Borgnjor's Vile Clutch. Watch out, they pack a "death curse" - automatically unleashed when they perish. The only effect which can actually kill you is the semi-common small burst of darkness damage, so keep this in mind if you're dealing the finishing blow while you're almost dead and unprotected.

* '''Vampire bloodprinces''' have multiple extremely OP abilities, but one of them is TURNING YOUR ENTIRE SQUAD OF SCARABS AGAINST YOU! They also spew bat clouds everywhere which put you to sleep (despite the extreme fear you should be feeling right now). These are particularly annoying, because they reduce your Death's Door timer. The key here is to cut line-of-sight, ambush them with Death's Door active, and blast them with Dispel Undead before they even know what hit them. If your army is big enough, you can possibly do enough damage before they have time to get their brainwashing spell in. Treat them with the respect a member of their lineage deserves.

* '''Vv''' is a proud member of the developers' latest OC-do-not-steal species, the Stoneborn. For all her OP point-and-click spells, she didn't have the budget for See Invisible. Drink a Potion of Invisibility or Death's Door if you do not want to get obliterated in milliseconds.

* '''Grunn''' only knows how to move and melee attack, which is laughable. What isn't so funny are his canine companions, which are elite assassins from the dog monarchy sent to stop you. If they place their Howl debuff on you, I recommend a Potion of Cancellation, or else you'll quickly be facing lethal Tartarus endgame enemies that will likely force you to use Death's Door. Willpower is useful to resist this hex, so check the percentage chance, and possibly ring-swap to Will+.

* '''Mennas''' can also spawn here. He is not any easier. Leave him to his prayer beads if you want maximal chances to win - but if you are a Trog worshipper in real life, do what you must. I talked about strategies in the Vaults chapter already.

In Crypt:3, you will find a unique challenge level, with its traps and tricks - nothing too serious compared to what you have just traversed. There is also the entrance to the Tomb. It is the hardest branch in the entire game, filled with all kinds of mummies who will be very happy to bash your hubris into the ground with endless torment spam, then cackle as you respawn in the death trap between their walls only to die again and be met with “Welcome, Idiot. Please select your species.”

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] That is exactly why I order you to go in once you secured that Ivory Gem.}}

=Perfection Can Still Improve (Lategame Skills)=

At this point, you must be at level 24+ Necromancy, which means your Death's Door must be getting under 7% fail rate. Getting to the maximum of level 27 of Necromancy will title your character - for the rest of the run - a "Cat of Death", which is positively awesome. But what next?

Make your choice. Personally, I think that Maxwell's Capacitive Coupling is the option which will give you the highest chance of victory, but it might not be available (Ctrl-F if it's not in your spell library, perhaps it is in a shop somewhere!).

''Note: in all cases which involve more spells, you may have to train more Spellcasting to make room as well. 0.5 Spellcasting = 1 spell slot!''

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Pick anything you want. As long as it accelerates your transition from point A (your current, damp and mud-soaked location) to point B (you, prostrating before me, with all 11 gems deposited before my throne).}}

===More Oneshots (Maxwell's Capacitive Coupling)===

''Requirements: Maxwell's Capacitative Coupling and at least one Intelligence/Wizardry ring or amulet.''

This spell takes a long time to train for, but if you '''turn on nothing but Air Magic''' for the rest of the run, you'll definitely have it ready to power through the (normally difficult) Realm of Zot with almost zero challenge.

You started by fearing the oneshot. Then, you understood the oneshot with Death's Door. Now, it is time to BE the oneshot.

'''[[Maxwell's Capacitive Coupling]]''' (Level 8 Air Magic) literally does infinite damage that ignores all resistances. It will oneshot anything and everything, from a rat to Dispater, Lord of the Iron City of Dis. Unfortunately for your foes, they were not born as fluffy and quadrupedal as you are, and do not have any extra lives. Successfully casting this spell adds a Charge status effect on your sidebar - simply wait (. or s) a few turns, and the ''nearest'' foe will be expunged from reality. If more than one foe are tied in distance, a random one will be chosen.

Why this is broken with this build: it bypasses allies. That means you can simply erect a defensive wall of scarabs/spectres/zombies and bzzap all things trying to work their way through it, all the while Jiyva constantly replenishes your mana for another charge of your pocket defibrillator. Those Orbs of Fire will never see it coming. If you mix this with Death's Door, it becomes impossible that you will ever lose a 1v1 or even 1v3, considering you are invincible and are launching 99999999 true damage after just a couple of turns.

If you're not sure what to do while your army is fighting it out, just start unloading oneshots. Naturally, keep 9 mana for an emergency Death's Door, if in need.

===More Tentacles (Summonings)===

''Requirements: Summon Horrible Things, Sphinx Sisters or Malign Gateway''

Well, you started as a Summoner, so going back to the roots is certainly an option! '''This is extremely strong and will secure the win. Especially Malign Gateway.'''

Both those spells are perfectly achievable if you start training Summonings again, up to '''13 for Malign Gateway/Sphinx Sisters and 20 for Summon Horrible Things'''. You'll also need '''level 15 Translocations in the case of Malign Gateway, or 15 Hexes in the case of Sphinx Sisters'''. I suggest you focus-train Translocations/Hexes, because of the +4 aptitude.

'''[[Malign Gateway]]''' (Level 7 Summonings/Translocations) - You will require some open space (no casting in hallways). The Gateway will initially appear quite a distance away from you, so it is best used to initiate a battle, and not as emergency support. After a few turns, a very long tentacle will slowly protrude out, curious to prod at the world around it. Its little taps do immense damage, probably the highest out of any Summonings spell. There are extremely few creatures in the entire game who can 1v1 a Gateway, for these tentacles are more resistant to elemental damage than a tardigrade. The downside is that the tentacle remains tethered to its portal, and is quite slow - it is therefore good practice to distract a powerful enemy with lesser allies while squiggly doom slowly unrolls behind their back. You can also run towards it, and pass through it diagonally while being pursued by an angry horde. There is only one little twist - the tentacle can rarely become hostile to you once the spell ends. Not a huge deal, honestly, considering its tethered nature makes it very easy to escape should that happen. If you quiver this spell with "Q", you will be able to see on the sidebar when the spell has enough space to be casted (the text will be coloured). '''Maximum Summon Capacity: 1'''.

'''[[Summon Horrible Things]]''' (Level 8 Summonings) - THE meatshield spell. The damage on this is not especially splendid, though tentacled monstrosities can dish out interesting amounts of rib-crushing damage with their constriction ability. However, the real reason you cast this spell is to surround yourself in tanky units that will give you big warm hugs with their mucus-coated appendages. The summoning cap on this is 8, which is just enough to surround your frail and vulnerable body entirely. You may have to cast it twice to ensure you are fully protected, and recast it as the battle progresses once your cuddle-hole starts getting pierced by the barrage of conjurations and sword-slicing. It has a small chance of inflicting a little Doom on every cast, but it is quickly cleansed by accumulating a little bit of experience, and is mostly only for thematic effect... mostly. Try to avoid using eldritch horror summoning as your way of saying hello to every soul you encounter in the dungeons. Most Banes are not so bad, as we [[#Kiku's Troll Carousel (Banes)|discussed earlier]], but if you get Dilettante or Multiplicity at this stage of the game, you will not enjoy it. Say, do you know what is worse than an Orb of Fire? That's right, 4 Orbs of Fire! '''Maximum Summon Capacity: 8'''.

'''[[Sphinx Sisters]]''' (Level 7 Summonings/Hexes) - They have an endless array of hypnosis techniques and dastardly Hexes. But, at this point of the game, landing them on the creatures which actually matter will be a fool's errand. What we actually care about is the "airstrike melee", where the "marauder" variant of these fellow half-felid half-humanoids (hmph. They can get a pass!) will devastate the opposition as long as it is standing in a tile surrounded in empty space! They will still occasionally "vex" draconians with their terrible jokes, and make them attack everything around them, which is particularly welcome considering they are quite the social butterfly type.

===More Acrobatics (Translocations)===

''Requirements: Vhi's Electric Charge, Passage of Golubria, Dispersal, and/or Disjunction''

You'll need refinement and taste to appreciate this one. Get '''Translocations trained up to 2 times the highest level spell you wish to use'''. For example, Dispersal, level 6, would require 12 Translocations. Proper mastery of these abilities certainly won't result in more kills, but they might very well win you the game.

'''[[Vhi's Electric Charge]]''' (Level 4 Translocations/Air Magic) is known for its electrical attack, which is barely a tickle in your case. We do not care. What ''is'' important is that it blinks you with complete precision to any foe up to 4 spaces away, randomly repositioning anyone in the way to make space. This allows you to jump from foe-to-foe as if they were points to swing a grappling hook around! In Death's Door, you need not fear any of their attacks, and can move with utmost feline grace through the most packed of crowds.

'''[[Passage of Golubria]]''' (Level 4 Translocations) is a fantastic companion spell to Blink which places portals like a certain Valve video game. Simply choose a location to summon a portal nearby, with a 2 tile radius of error - the other one will appear nearby your position. Walking on top of one portal will immediately blink you to the next. You may find it highly useful when it comes to reaching a certain location on the screen quickly without having to use Scrolls of Blinking!

'''[[Dispersal]]''' (Level 6 Translocations) isn't hard to understand. It makes those close to you blink far away from you. It will test their Willpower - those who resist the enchantment will only hop a short distance, but those who do not might get pulled screaming across the entire level dozens of tiles away. This could very well change everything in Zot:5 when it's time to grab that well defended Orb!

'''[[Gell's Gavotte]]''' (Level 6 Translocations) is a bit annoying, because it hits your allies. However, at the end of the day, it's a reusable dash that also deals tons of damage to the entire screen. You can rotate the direction to highlight in yellow which enemies will strike a wall and be damaged, but most of the time, with this build, I prefer its defensive uses. Use the Force! Or, sans undertale. Whatever lame reference you want to imagine when you are waving the Klowns around with your little claw.

'''[[Disjunction]]''' (Level 8 Translocations) is extremely similar to Dispersal. The difference - it always does the weak effect, but constantly does it every turn, for at least 6 turns. Having this and Death's Door on at the same time is hilarious - you can just start casually walking at any point on the screen and absolutely nothing will be able to stop or block you. You can pop a potion of Haste and walk through the Zot:5 death trap chambers like you own the place.

===More Brainwashing (Discord + Hexes)===

''Requirements: Discord.''

'''WARNING:''' Onei will not be held responsible for any splats ensuing use of this technology. By proceeding, you acknowledge that using this spell is just as effective as it is dangerous.

'''[[Discord]]''' (Level 8 Hexes) is, like Anguish, a mass-hex. This time, however, if Willpower is beaten, the affected will be given Might-Haste. That’s +50% action speed and +50% melee damage all in one.

Not so promising, now is it? Where it gets fun: the affected will also now be attacking the creature closest to them regardless of their old faction.

Where this gets hilarious is that THIS ALSO AFFECTS ALLIES (but not spectres and zombies). How much damage does a Might-Hasted Phantasmal Warrior do per turn, you may wonder? Around up to 87 PER TURN.

Haunt + Discord is a particularly insane combo, as the moment they spawn in, they are already very close to the target you wish to annihilate. Once their business is done and they turn against you, they will evaporate out of reality before they can land a single hit. I have slain Cerebov using nothing but this synergy.

Obviously, do not cast this when your Death Scarabs are not currently in combat and are next to you, you will get POPPED. However, if even a couple of scarabs/Haunt summons are currently attacking some Orb of Fire or any highly dangerous foe, expect it to disappear from your screen. Are you being assaulted by your former allies? Death’s Door, Dispel Undead. The frenzy status will expire after a few turns anyhow.

Finally, you may also enjoy the ACTUAL intended purpose of the spell, which is causing mayhem among hordes of enemies. Those draconians in Zot become quite fearsome when unleashing light speed kung fu on all those disgustingly OP Protean Progenitors and the like...

Discord violates the golden rule of ally-fighting and can get kills out of line of sight. You can have your squad engage, drop Discord and immediately leave. Enjoy the waterfall of experience. Dispersal can teleport the might hasted scarabs across the map and literally obliterate uniques without you ever seeing them (this is not really reliable, it's just really funny).

If you are scared of this spell backfiring, consider [[Yara's Violent Unravelling]] (Level 5 Alchemy/Hexes), which will remove the frenzy status effects on the draconian monks rushing to annihilate you.

Discord is quite easy to get online with your +4 Hexes aptitude. With the leftover experience, if you wish to go all in on Hexes, you can do one of the following:

- Get more Spellcasting (and therefore spell slots), and get the Summonings/Hexes spell '''Sphinx Sisters'''. It is explained [[#More Tentacles (Summonings)|right here]].
- With a Riddle Talisman, train Shapeshifting to level 17 (Painful! An amulet of Wildshape helps a lot here.) and enter Sphinx Form. This will increase the Hex chance of Discord and Anguish, make both of these into devastating psychic powerhouses for even late game foes. You can even get other Hexes, such as the normally pitiful level 3 Tukima's Dance, and make draconians/Killer Klowns lose their OP weapons. You can enter Sphinx Form a little earlier than level 17 Shapeshifting due to its HP bonus cancelling out the HP penalty - inspect the Riddle Talisman to monitor your progress.

===More O + TAB (Dragoncoil Talisman)===

What's that? You lust to return to your Minotaur Berserker days? I'll keep this section short, since you clearly don't have the attention span required to read much more of this nonsensically long guide.

Dragon-coil talisman. (Ctrl-F for it, you may have missed it!) Level 17 Shapeshifting. (You can transform at level 14 due to the big HP bonus). After that, Level 20 Unarmed Combat. O + TAB. You are now a Felid "meleedude" with fat stacks of resistances, and you still have your Death's Door. Enjoy.

Don't forget to use your breath weapon in the "a" menu (it is very strong against anything, but you can only use it every 12 kills or so) and to use at least SOME of your magical background, such as Infestation or Rimeblight. And Death's Door, of course. But you won't forget about that one.

The Granite talisman is an option too, of course, but I personally do not like it with this build. Why? Permanent slowness = -33% Death's Door duration. Remember, acolyte: AC is an illusion.

=I Thought Cats Were Sacred In Egypt (Tomb)=

'''WARNING''': This place has a high chance of murdering you. I know it has been like that the entire game, but especially this place. You will get nothing out of it beyond glory and pride. Skip to the next chapter if you prefer to maximize your chances of actually winning the run. I will say that the first floor (Tomb:1) is pretty much on the same difficulty level as the Crypts, so you can certainly clear it if, say, you want a little more XP to get an extra life back.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] "Waaa, danger, danger, die die death splat oneshotted OP OP die!" Am I imitating Onei correctly? Yeah, don't listen to that fool, get in that Tomb and bring me that Sanguine Gem! It will be fine. Most likely.}}

Preparations? Dispel Undead is a huge help, if you do not have it already. If it is not available, Borgnjor's Vile Clutch and a bunch of Immolation Scrolls can suffice. If you get sent to the Entomological Museum (Tomb:1 Secret) due to bad luck, Vhi's Electric Charge can help a lot.

You'll also want a Scroll of Revelation. And as many Scrolls of Teleportation as you can get. And if you ever get netted in this place, you'll probably want to use the basic Blink spell.

===Too Bad Cats Can't Wear Hats And Wield A Whip (Tomb:1)===

The beginning is extremely easy. Reach the entrance of the temple - walk vertically, then horizontally. You'll know you found the entrance when you see a herd of Sphinxes, while should perish extremely easily to the horde you will have accumulated when you get there. Indeed, the side alleys are full of popcorn, but it is CRITICAL that you spam Infestation on everything you see so that you don't arrive empty-pawed when the real threats start pouring out.

I suggest recruiting the Sphinxes for good measure with Animate Dead and Death Channel.

Rush inside the temple and annihilate all mummies on sight with your huge army. They'll never see it coming. Unfortunately, they will constantly pelt you with "death curses" every time one of the dangerous ones perishes, which is bound to cut away at your HP. If you're getting low, take a few steps back, let Jiyva pump some juice back in your veins, and return to the fray. Your Death's Door button is accessible in case of an emergency.

I will address the users of a Hive talisman here, who probably have stayed with Kikubaaqudgha: this is the only place in the game where your curse resistance passive is actually relevant. This branch will be MUCH easier with it. I will continue writing assuming you are with Jiyva, and therefore, not experiencing Tomb on tutorial mode.

You'll want to locate the downstairs inside the temple as soon as possible, located in one of the spiral shaped hallways. I suggest drinking a Potion of Haste and reading a Scroll of Teleportation before going down. I know it's never a good sign when I say this.

===Surprise Torment Tea Party (Tomb:2)===

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Wow. That's, uh, a lot of mummies.}}

Welcome to Vaults:5 redux. Just like last time, we have little incentive for pleasantries. Read a Scroll of Revelation. Inspect your surroundings: there is an upstairs nearby, leading back to Tomb:1's temple.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Ha. Designed for safety, escape and retreat. No time for such things.}}

Indeed. Now, read a Scroll of Noise to pull all the mummies to the centre (NOT if the Teleport somehow already triggered). The Teleport should kick off at any instant now, leading you to:

* '''Somewhere in the main central ambush chamber''': Yikes. At least it's no longer in that death trap centre. My suggestion: if you see a door nearby, try to make your way to it to no longer be out in the open. The side chambers contain some goons, but it's a good start to build your Infestation army in a relatively safe location. If there is no door, consider another Teleport, or if there are some packed Death Scarabs or weak mummies, try to start your Infestation army there with Dispel Undead/Anguish/Vile Clutch/Haunt/All of the above.

* '''In one of the outer rim chambers THAT HAS A DOOR TO CONNECT TO THE MAIN ROOM''': Not bad. Dispose of the goons there after Infesting them, and build your army.

* '''In one of the outer rim chambers WITH NO CONNECTION TO THE MAIN ROOM''': This is ideal. We just saved a ton of time. Unfortunately, there are probably some very angry mummies here. Make your last stand, use your consumables - you should do anything to survive, for this is a highly lucky Teleport, and dying will probably pluck you out of it as you respawn. If you can secure the perimeter and reveal the two down-hatches to Tomb:3, proceed to the Grand Pharaoh Showdown below.

Keep your paw on Death's Door if the royal mummies' collection of Smite and Torment drags you into kill range (one Smite can deal up to 17 damage. We can't afford to get over-protective, but if adding the number of royal mummies and mummy priests on screen and multiplying that by 5 is bigger than your current HP, it's time to slam that Death's Door!)

After your army has consumed Tomb:2, you have some options. Each Teleport scroll is a gamble that could bring you to the previously mentioned unconnected outer rim. This would save a ton of time, and also skip the most dangerous part of Tomb for this build. But I would not use every single one if I were you. You'll want to keep some for the next levels!

If you succeed, clear the outer rim chambers (re-read the relevant bullet point), and proceed to the Grand Pharaoh Showdown.

If you're done gambling and haven't succeeded, it's time for...

===The Entomological Museum (Tomb:1 Secret)===

Use the upstairs located in the connected outer rim chamber. NOT the one in the main chamber, which leads to the very start - a huge waste of time.

You'll arrive in a narrow corridor. If you're unlucky, there's probably tons of OP mummies already pwning your health bar.

It's not that complicated. Death's Door. If there's only one or two mummies, walk up and blast them with Dispel Undead in utter disrespect of their dozens of unlived centuries. Don't have it? Haunt and Vile Clutch together get the work done. Maybe you can even sneak in an Infestation in there to get a scarab friend to assist your next encounter.

Is the entomological collection getting unloaded without you ever asking? These Egyptian tourist trap tour guides sure are getting insistent. Give them a piece of your mind with Vhi's Electric Charge, if you have it, which will instantly pull you into melee range of them. The simple Blink spell can also, with some luck, reposition you on the other side of the corridor. If the collection is made up of Scarabs, you can Dispel-blast them as well.

Tons of critters? Tons of mummies? Tons of red squares? Immolation scroll. Get one thing to die and cover the whole place in flames. Try to ensure all of these creepy-crawlies and their masters drown in holy fire before your Death's Door expires.

Desperate? In melee range but these mummies are just refusing to die? Slimify. Jiyva won't like it if you take every single one out using this ability, but it's absolutely worth it 1-3 times.

Make your way to the end of the corridor, not hesitating to rest a little bit between each encounter. This will take time, but it is a good investment of your time. Dying here is terrible, as it means you'll have to go to Tomb:2, then back to Tomb:1's secret room... Getting the Sanguine Gem is still possible if you die once (or need to use a Teleportation scroll).

After you take the new downstairs, you'll find yourself in that disconnected outer rim we were trying so hard to reach with Teleport scrolls.

===Grand Pharaoh Showdown (Tomb:3)===

Before descending, Haste and Brilliance, if available.

Having around 600 turns left here should be comfortable enough. If there's less, you'll have to hurry.

You'll instantly get dropped into a mildly claustrophobic hallway of relatively safe appearance. Do not be fooled. THE MUMMIES ARE COMING.

The first arrivals will no doubt be an entire plague of scarabs. These are a glorious sight, because if we can decimate them, we'll get an awesome army with Infestation.

A death scarab bursts from the death scarab!

Meta. Anyhow, they are extremely weak to Anguish, so casting that once there are a lot on the screen (and a few have been popped through any means of your choice - Dispel Undead is excellent) will prove useful.

For a time, you should get an awesome army pwning everything. It's only a matter of time until some pricks come in to ruin the fun. Once you are forced to Death's Door, your next priority should be making your way to the doors on the side, which lead to treasure chambers - and, more importantly, an upstairs.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] What? Safety? Retreat? But what about the GEM?}}

Don't worry, this one doesn't lead very far. You can absolutely afford to rest to full health back in the safety of Tomb:2's outer rim, unless you wasted time in the upper levels. Once you descend again, the horde will have been thinned down significantly, and each subsequent attempt will be easier. When things seem manageable enough, make your way to the back of Tomb:3, where you'll find the Sanguine Gem and the Golden Rune!

Got at least 200 turns? You can check a bit of the loot out. The most important thing here is the '''Ziggurat Figurine'''. E(V)oking it will instantly place a portal to a pocket dimension at our paws. This is astounding, for it is effectively a free Death's Door reset. Creatures won't even pursue you through it. You'll find one or two hostile critters in the pocket dimension, but they are most often easily disposed of, or, at the very least, far enough to afford you a Death's Door recast. It is a one-time-use. Make it count. And EXIT through the blue portal after using it, do NOT start going down multiple levels of Zig where your inevitable doom and descent into madness awaits.

=Blizzards and Brimstone (Depths)=

Before proceeding any further, pay your respects to the many Felids which have died in this place. Everywhere you move, everywhere you breathe, it's either "dodge and nothing happens" or "a third of your HP bar is gone". It's a tough world for the 3 AC kitties out there. One could wish they were as fortunate as you to have a miracle button to turn the tide in the most crucial of moments.

By the way, if you don't have at minimum 15 casts of Death's Door by the end of this run, you '''aren't pressing it hard enough'''. Haven't been using it much? Don't worry, this place will change that.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] The time limit in this place is one of the most generous, unlike the absolute caffeine-powered mummy fiesta I just had you traverse. This is still no time to try me and present the slightest possibility you may break one of MY precious gems. Explore no more than half of each floor, and collect that Midnight Gem on Depths:4, on top of the Zot gate!}}

* '''Fire and Frost giants''' can easily be found in close proximity to one another, quickly pushing you from one end of the temperature spectrum to the other. As you didn't consent to being brought to a nordic spa today, resisting the right element will help tremendously.

* '''Deep troll earth mages''' have the "remote wall detonation" point-and-click ability you were amused by back in the Elven Halls. Do not stand next to walls. They can even dig shafts through the aforementioned walls to reach you faster. They will not hesitate to Minecraft you to death.

* '''Juggernauts''' can only o-tab, but will likely oneshot you the moment their mass collides with your minuscule furry body. Make them plow through some undead to keep your distance.

* '''Golden dragons''' and '''Spriggan air mages''' and '''Spriggan berserkers''' and '''Sojobo''' and '''Tengu reavers''' and '''Crystal tomes''' and '''Liches''' and '''Titans''' and '''Caustic shrikes''' and '''Josephina''' and '''Spark wasps''' can-

Look, it's not that complicated. They just do 4 gazillion damage through their own ways - sometimes melee, sometimes point-and-click, sometimes in ranged piercing bolt form. At this point, we don't really care anymore. Trust me when I say I have '''never once been oneshotted in Depths'''. Twoshotted, perhaps. A juggernaut can oneshot, but they are easy to keep away if you use your spells. At any point you have less than 50% HP and the screen looks scary, just pop your Death's Door and unload the heavy artillery. Read a scroll of Teleportation, use stairs or Passwall if you feel uncomfortable. Standing at the edge of survival and oblivion is what this build is all about.

The worst of these are still just as dangerous in undead servant form, so assembling any kind of spectral/zombie army will mow down most things here with ease. You pretty much just need to sit back, keep the Infestation and Death Channel coming, Haunting the unruly ones laughing in the back, and potentially Vile Clutching the angry melee o-tabbers rushing to your location.

You were never the fighter in any of this. You are the manager.

You don't need me to tell you that gates named "Hell", "Abyss" or "Pandemonium" do not lead to good places to be in. I imagine the names were enough of a deterrent on their own.

'''About the Ziggurat:''' If you are currently not level 27 yet and you are lacking in the 'Extra Lives' department, consider taking a peek. Should you succeed in clearing the first 8 floors (do NOT go further down, you absolute gambling addict), you may get a potion of Experience or two, which count towards restoring your lives if you are below level 27!

=Worst Disco Ever (Realm of Zot)=

I mean. You have invincibility on demand. Practically infinite mana. Point-and-click abilities with irresistible debuffs. Surely there can't be any challenge left at this point.

Ha. You wish.

First, consider the Orb type (it is listed in the Ctrl+O menu).

- '''Orbs of Fire:''' rF+ is highly valuable here. Consider equipping it. Break line of sight with your numerous allies (mostly Haunt) to avoid growing horrible genetic diseases. These are the worse ones to face in my opinion.
- '''Orbs of Winter:''' You should already have your rC+ from your fuzzy cuteness, but you can improve it a little more if it doesn't destroy your wizardly prowess. Their Ozocubu's Refrigeration deals less damage if you are adjacent to allies. The key here is to avoid standing 3 spaces away or less from an Orb of Winter, which can slowly drain the piety of your current god. It's not so bad than most characters, but if you go below 5* of Jiyva piety, you will lose half of your regeneration bonus (it is thankfully quickly regained). Those who stayed with Kikubaaqudgha can appreciate knowing they will lose almost nothing from this, except their Torment protection.
- '''Orbs of Entropy:''' You will probably want rN+, but Jiyva shields you from their scariest acidic attacks (those who stayed with Kikubaaqudgha are not so fortunate). Just like the Orbs of Fire, a clear line of fire will allow them to inflict Doom on you, which can be accepted a few times. Even if you let it exceed the threshold, you will most likely be fine... unless you land on a brutal Multiplicity Bane that starts duplicating the Orbs of Entropy and giving you every other Bane in the game. Be cautious.

This is your '''final boss battle'''. It will prove highly difficult. Remember: '''you win by getting that Orb and bringing it back''', NOT by murdering everything you see. You will find killing things difficult, for they have tons of resistances and tricks against your toolkit. What they don't have, however, is a way to break through your literal immortality button. Not even purple draconian breath (which usually removes all status effects) can disable it.

You can simply ignore these ruffians. Let them sit and sulk in their little fortress of doom. You want to attack those separating you from the stairwells, NOT the random, unimportant gangs prowling about the outskirts of each floor. In an emergency, little stops you from entering Death's Door and simply walking to a staircase to use it while getting blasted by 100+ damage per turn from Orbs of fire and Draconians desperate for your attention. Even the dreaded Malmutate has a hard time piercing through the wall of Jiyva mutations.

Allow me to make some suggestions to refine your spell loadout.

Can be forgotten with Scrolls of Amnesia (only if you need slots):

* '''Anguish''' is dropping in usefulness. It curses draconians reliably, but that's about it. You can probably do better.
* '''Animate Dead''' is decent when used on draconians and orb guardians. But you could just make scarabs instead with Infestation. It's chaff at this point.
* '''Any Summonings spell of level 5 or less''' barely does anything at this point. Take the trash out. Summon Forest is still kind of okay, I guess.

You should prioritize getting the spells [[#Perfection Can Still Improve (Lategame Skills)|in the chapter "Perfection Can Still Improve"]]. If you have slots left, here are some spell
ideas to top off your pilgrimage:

* '''Passwall''', if you haven't gotten it already, allows you to simply escape through the wall while your Death's Door immortality crushes any hope of stopping you.
* '''Apportation''', taking only one measly spell slot, can yoink floor items to your position. In this particular situation, you may be interested in pulling the Orb of Zot to your location, instead of having to drag yourself to it through a horde of angry orb guardians. Note that there is a 33% chance this will fail (simply recast the spell).
{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Not to mention it will get that Prismatic Gem into your paws without you having to move a muscle.}}
* '''Borgnjor's Revivification''', normally mediocre on Felids, refills ''your entire health bar'' but permanently reduces its maximum capacity. We care little about petty things like "health" anymore. This can be extremely useful to survive until Death's Door goes off cooldown - but watch out! Casting this spell while Death's Door is active is basically "an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object" and will dispel Death's Door immediately, paralyzing you on top for 2-7 turns. This can still be useful if you are strategic about it.

Let's go. At this point, Gems or no Gems, there is absolutely no reason to full clear, go sightseeing or anything of the sort. This place drips pure YASD and developer sadism from every wall. Whenever you find a normal (non-hatch) staircase, you should consider using it right after clearing the foes around it. Use all your remaining Scrolls of Revelation to help locate your destinations.

Just like Depths, everything here just does fat damage and will have you reach for the Death's Door button. What you should actually be worried about are the weavers of more subtle schemes:

* Not a creature, but Scrolls of Teleportation will take a very long time (8-14 turns) to finally work here. Still, it's less time than a whole Death's Door, a piece of information which should be of particular interest to you.
* Scrolls of blinking also come with a "fuzz" effect that makes their target have a margin of error. To be noted in case you were being deceived by a false sense of security.
* '''Curse toes''' (?) have the ability to summon living mushrooms around you (??) which deal point-and-click damage in addition to the torment oozing every so often from the curse toe (???). Don't try to understand, just walk up and blast them with Dispel Undead.
* '''Death cobs''' (????) are very hard to differentiate from your death scarabs, in that they move fast, apply a slow debuff on hit and deal big damage, and even share one word in their name. Delete these cheap reskins with more Dispel Undead.
* '''Purple draconians''' & '''Quicksilver dragons''' (finally, some common sense) can remove all status effects should their breath strike you. All, truly? Ha! Nothing can pierce through immortality itself. While Death's Door is immune, losing your Death Channel and having all your spectres instantly disappear is something you should be expecting. You might also lose the Tele status from an in-progress teleportation scroll.
* '''Orbs of fire/winter/entropy'''. You know these guys. The appropriate resistance will help prevent a oneshot, but simply Death's Door the moment you are below 50% HP and one is in sight with not too much backup. Don't even bother trying to survive the normal way, we have no time to bend around developer sadism incarnate. Maxwell's Capacitive Coupling, Malign Gateway or Haunt + Discord are the ultimate answers to these ones.
* '''Killer Klowns''' are over-complicated with their wildly unpredictable effects - and this is coming from me, who has written a 30k word guide filled with unnecessary information. If you want to read their page on this wiki, it's [[Killer Klown|right here]]. The Silence and the Fragile debuffs are to fear most, for they block off your only salvation in this place - Death's Door (either through preventing you from casting spells or making you get oneshotted before you can actually use it). A Potion of cancellation should assist you in removing such effects. No, it won't cancel Death's Door. It's an immovable object.

In Zot:5, you'll find the entire troupe of this carnival of doom, nicely packed inside the "Zot lungs". They are horribly infected with blazing fire and pure evil. Time to do a surgical extraction.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] The Primastic Gem is in the first accessible chamber, NOT on top of the Orb! The writer of this guide learned that the hard way. Now THAT was hilarious.}}

You can try to slowly make your way across. You should actually be happy about the Orb Guardians in the first chamber, because they will be easily deleted by your assortment of spells and will generate a potent starting army. Direct it inside the next chamber to the left or right (choose the one with the least nasty traps, also known as ANYTHING BUT NETS and hopefully not dispersal. Even Zot traps are better. Teleport traps are actually a positive.)

Make your way across: Infestation, Haunt, any endgame spells you may have acquired. Take it slow, retreat and funnel through the chamber chokepoints if they are not trapped. Don't tarry too long, as the Tesseracts are slowly respawning the forces as you are taking them out, but you should eventually be able to reach them and destroy them. They are located behind the central horizontal wall of the lungs, which spans both sides of the chambers.

* If you have Malign Gateway, try to lure creatures towards the first chamber - and into the loving embrace of the tentacle you have conveniently parked there.
* If you have Maxwell's Capacitive Coupling, constantly unload electrical discharges from behind your wall of servitors.

Hopelessly outmatched? Had to pop Death's Door? Consider your situation:

By default, you'll probably want to read a scroll of Teleportation (it will take much longer to kick in than usual, but it will still be shorter than Death's Door) and start moving towards a Teleport Trap on the floor. If it moves you to a safe location, '''cancel''' your Tele status by reading ''another'' scroll of Teleportation. This is designed to ensure you have multiple chances to get to safety. If the Trap sends you back into a No-Cat's-Land, find a new Trap, or let the scroll kick in. Watch out for purple draconians/quicksilver dragons, which can remove your Tele status.

Have you managed to get some distance away from the first chamber, towards the Orb, and still have at least one extra life? It might be time to risk it all. Use your Translocations spells, use your Blinking Scrolls. Use your Haste potions, use ANYTHING to GET THAT ORB. Apportation will reduce the distance you must travel to an even greater degree. I am also thoroughly amused by Vhi's Electric Charge for letting you hop from OP dude to OP dude, making the most out of your Death's Door turns. If you looted the Tomb earlier and still have a figurine of a Ziggurat, NOW IS THE TIME TO USE IT. Well, once your Death's Door is going gray and you need to refresh it. Nothing will follow you inside!

This isn't as hard as it seems. Death's Door, especially Hasted, is plenty of time to seize that Orb without spilling blood. Except perhaps your own.

You don't have to do it this way, though. Adjust your strategy towards fight or flight depending on the severity of the threats inside the Zot Lungs.

Once that Orb is secured...

=Interdimensional SWAT Team (Orb Run)=

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Ha. Ha ha. Hilarious, truly. I still have hope for your imminent demise. I mean, that Onei guy you've been following the advice of literally lost one of his FeSu attempts at this very moment. Point and laugh. Not too much, because I'm about to do the same to you when you splat.}}

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Positively splendid! Your final task is to bring these gems to me, NOW! If you left the Starry Gem in the Slime Pits, now is the time! All that matters is your survival. Failing that will result in a disciplinary mention placed in your employee file, followed by you being devoured and digested by whichever horrible demon got to sink its claws into your scruff.}}

{{flavour|[[File:Jiyva altar.png]] A chorus of breathless jiggling and squishes envelops you from all cardinal directions, supporting your imminent victory with the long vanished voices of the dissolved and the slimified.}}

The Lords of Pandemonium are not amused!

All of Heaven and Hell are currently mobilizing their troops to arrive at your location. It is time to LEAVE. From Zot:5, walk or blink into the nearest Teleport trap for an instant warp which will no doubt be closer to your destination: the upstairs.

To auto-calculate the shortest path, you can press Ctrl-G, and write “D0”. This will automatically bring you towards victory, stopping you as soon as a threat appears.

Fighting is foolish. Make a run for the stairs, with zero regards for your consumables. Use them ALL. Use potions of haste on an empty floor just because you like the taste. Blink-scroll to a staircase at full health if something weird just spawned next to you.

Every single time a Pandemonium Lord appears, inspect them; some are utter pushovers, and some are terrifying angels of death with rocket-boots and a burning desire to squash your hopes as they are about to be materialized. In my personal opinion, the ones that don’t have any spells in their set are always the worst. I fear a lot less the demon who has mastered Bolt of Cold than that which has mastered Fist in Your Face. Rarely, a Pandemonium Lord may have Glaciate, in which case you should be very, very scared. Escape out of their sight imminently, or get as much rC+ as you can (potions of Resistance help) if that is impossible. Being hit by Glaciate once means you must immediately Death's Door. I have thankfully never been oneshotted by a Lord (but it is mathematically possible).

Exploit your wand of Digging or Passwall, if you have them, to speed things up.

Eventually, the outside world will finally return to your sight. Feel free to inject all possible potions and toxins you possess into your bloodstream, or try to stack as many status effects as possible before leaving, as is tradition. You did it! Do not forget to try cleansing your bad mutations as you ascend, as it would a shame to be an immortal demigod-cat with a few extra limbs and a cancerous tumour.

{{flavour|[[File:Jiyva altar.png]] Jiyva gurgles gently, savouring the serenity past the chaos.}}

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Wow. You actually just took my spells, ignored everything else I provided you, and proceeded to win the game using my stolen gifts. My "Evil God" title should arrive to you in the mail any second now.}}

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Not bad. Not bad at all, esteemed feline employee! A role in middle management seems perfect for you. While I sort out the paperwork, feel free to type "!gemmed" in the spectator chat of an online DCSS game with a bot spectator (beem) or in the #bot-commands channel of the Roguelikes Discord server to see your name mixed alongside my finest subordinates. Assuming you did the job right and brought all 11 gems intact, that is.}}

When you start your next game, die to a 3-floor shaft into a hornet, be demolished with zero counterplay, and go do something more productive than putting .pngs on a grid close to each other until one of them disappears.

If you'd like to send me a message (for example, to blame me for making your promising level 14 character get 2 shotted 3 times in a row in Slime:2), do not hesitate to contact "oneirical" on both Reddit and Discord.

=Addendum: From Lackey to Supervillain (Character Building)=

For convenience, I will gather all skilling targets and the spell memorization order in this section. Feel free to return here as you need for quick reference!

===Velvet-Pawed Pilgrimage (Branch Order)===

* Clear each floor of the '''Dungeon''' until you find an altar to Kikubaaqudgha. Do not go further down than D:12!
* Then, immediately enter the '''Lair''', on D:8-D:11.
* After Lair:5, enter the '''Orcish Mines''' and clear both floors. Once again, do not clear any levels further down than D:12! You can skip the Mines for now if you already have Forbidden Knowledge (******), coming back after the Slime Pits raid.
* At this point, you should have acquired the final Kiku Forbidden Knowledge gift. If not, start clearing the first S-Branch until it is secured.
* If you have Animate Dead and/or Death Channel, go raid the '''Slime Pits'''. If not, start clearing the first S-Branch until Infestation is castable, then go to the Pits.
* After raiding the Pits, choose to either convert to Jiyva and go clear '''Dungeon 12 to 15''' to rank up Jiyva and start your progress towards mollifying Kiku, or keep your Hive talisman close while you slay the Royal Jelly and Jiyva for good.
* Clear both '''S-Branches'''. Grab the Slimy Rune from the Pits afterwards, if you have not already done so.
* Optionally clear the '''Elven Halls''', then go beat the '''Vaults:1-4'''. Avoid Vaults:5.
* Optionally clear the '''Crypts'''.
* Clear the '''Depths'''.
* Dive down the '''Realm of Zot''', get that Orb, return to Dungeon:1, and win the game!

===Your Propaganda Arsenal (Spells)===

Throughout this run, you will be encouraged to memorize, in this order, and approximately at these points of the game:

(Note: the "LV" numbers are how many spell slots you need for each spell, not your XP level. As for the locations on the right, you should be able to cast these spells somewhere around reaching these places.)

* LV 1 - '''Summon Small Mammal''' (D:1)
* LV 2 - Call Imp (optional - Necromancy is very tight on spell slots and Scrolls of Amnesia are precious, but this spell helps prevent early splats) (D:1)
* LV 3 - '''Call Canine Familiar''' (D:2)
* LV 3 - '''Eringya's Surprising Crocodile''' (D:2-D:4)
* LV 4 - '''Summon Seismosaurus Egg''' (D:4-D:7)
* LV 4 - '''Anguish''' (D:6-Lair:2) ''(Not guaranteed!)''
* LV 4 - '''Animate Dead''' (D:5-Lair:2) ''(Not guaranteed!)''
* LV 6 - '''Death Channel''' (Lair:3-Orc:2) ''(Not guaranteed!)''
* LV 7 - '''Haunt''' (Orc:2-Slime Pits Raid)
* LV 8 - '''Infestation''' (Slime Pits Raid-First SBranch:3)
* LV 9 - '''Death's Door''' (Second SBranch:2-Elf:2)

As marked on the list by "Not guaranteed!", Kiku's delivery service can be a little bit... lacking at times.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Running a forbidden knowledge book printing business isn't easy. I'd like to see '''you''' explain to your publisher why blood sacrifices are essential to have in "Fun Necromantic Activities for Children"!}}

Also useful, at any point, sorted from most to least useful:

* LV 2 - '''Blink'''
* LV 7 - '''Rimeblight'''
* LV 4 - '''Dispel Undead'''
* LV 5 - '''Borgnjor's Vile Clutch'''
* LV 3 - '''Passwall''' ''(Mostly meant as a companion to Death's Door.)''
* LV 4 - '''Martyr's Knell'''

The Wildeness Trinity, as replacement for missing core necromantic spells:

* LV 5 - '''Summon Mana Viper'''
* LV 5 - '''Summon Forest'''
* LV 6 - '''Summon Cactus Giant'''

Endgame spells, in no particular order, to raid the Realm of Zot:

* LV 7 - '''Malign Gateway'''
* LV 7 - '''Sphinx Sisters'''
* LV 8 - '''Summon Horrible Things'''
* LV 8 - '''Maxwell's Capacitive Coupling'''
* LV 8 - '''Discord'''
* LV 4 - '''Passage of Golubria'''
* LV 4 - '''Vhi's Electric Charge'''
* LV 6 - '''Dispersal'''
* LV 8 - '''Disjunction'''
* LV 6 - '''Gell's Gavotte'''
* LV 1 - '''Apportation'''
* LV 8 - '''Borgnjor's Revivification'''

Check your "M"emorization screen every so often. Ctrl-F to see if you missed any books in shops or in rune door vaults. Whenever you have the spell slots required to memorize the next spell, do so immediately and, if it has an entry in the section below, adjust your skills appropriately.

Skip to the next entry on the list if you are incapable of finding a spell anywhere in your game. As soon as you find a missing spell, however, you should add it to your repertoire as soon as possible to catch up. I strongly encourage you to cast every single one of these fantastic incantations at least once in your game!

===Studying the Dark Arts (Skills & Training Targets)===

As soon as you '''start your run''', train these skills and set them to these targets, with the "=" button:

* '''Spellcasting: 11'''
* '''Summonings: 11'''
* '''Turn off Stealth and Dodging.'''

Upon finding an interesting wand or evokable:

* '''Evocations: 5'''

After '''Summon Seismosaurus Egg''' has been memorized, complement it with this:

* '''Earth Magic: 5 (focused)'''

Once your entire starting kit of spells is castable, start learning how to die less:

* '''Fighting: 10'''
* '''Dodging: 12'''
* '''Stealth: 10'''

'''(OPTIONAL)''' - '''Blink''' will never not be useful, and can come along at any point in your run:

* '''Translocations: 5'''

If you find '''Animate Dead''', your necromantic journey can truly begin.

* '''Necromancy: 27'''

Upon getting either '''Death Channel''' or '''Anguish''', power yourself up like so:

* '''Necromancy: 27''' (if you have not already done so)
* '''Hexes: 8''' (only if '''Anguish''' has appeared in your game)

If you fail to obtain one of the crucial Kiku spells, a member of the Wilderness Trinity can certainly come along as a replacement:

* '''Summon Forest''' (Translocations 8, Summonings 11)
* '''Summon Cactus Giant''' (Summonings 14)
* '''Summon Mana Viper''' (Hexes 8, Summonings 11)

Want Borgnjor's Vile Clutch? You'll need some more Earth Magic:

* '''Earth Magic: 7'''

As for Rimeblight, you'll need to study some pages on snowflake fractal theory:

* '''Ice Magic: 9'''

Forget Call Canine Familiar, Summon Seismosaurus Egg, Call Imp and Summon Small Mammal (in that order) if you need spell slots for '''Haunt'''.

If you want to use a Hive Talisman:

* '''Shapeshifting: 17''' (You can start transforming when it reaches 15)
* Disable '''Necromancy''' until your Shapeshifting objective is achieved. You should probably have either BOTH of Animate Dead and Death Channel, or Infestation online before this.

Ultimately, '''after Death's Door's failure rate has dropped below 5%''', your choice of ultimate pick to iron out your last weaknesses is quite open-ended.

Maxwell's Capacitive Coupling:

* '''Air Magic: 20'''

Discord:

* '''Hexes: 20'''

High level Summonings:

* '''Summonings: 13 for Malign Gateway or Sphinx Sisters, 20 for Summon Horrible Things'''
* '''Translocations: 15''' (only for Malign Gateway)
* '''Hexes: 15''' (only for Sphinx Sisters)

I suggest you focus-train Translocations/Hexes, because of the +4 aptitude.

A suite of Translocations:

* '''Translocations: 2 times the highest level of the spell you wish to use + 1''' (for example, Dispersal, level 6 = 13 Translocations)

=Golems and Spires (0.32 Content)=

If you are playing on version 0.32, here are the paragraphs related to Summon Blazeheart Golem and Summon Lightning Spire, which used to be part of the Summoner kit. I think the Summoner of 0.33 is overall less frontloaded on damage, but has better defensive options and smoother skilling. Both are interesting. If you want to use the tips below in 0.33+, play as a Forgewright, where these spells found a new home!


== The Delicate Art of Explosive Incineration (XP Level 4-6, 0.32) ==

If you have not pathetically perished to some turbo-murderous orc priest on D:2, you will now be the proud holder of 2 stored Extra Lives, the maximum a Felid can hold at a time. Such is the privilege of feline supremacy.

As a proud member of the most blessed race in existence, death is not the end for you. Still, you should pretend it is - it will help you take better strategical decisions. If you ''do'' meet an unfortunate end, stay focused, take a break if you are feeling frustrated, and continue to play carefully as if you hadn’t died. Most Felid runs die around 3 to 9 times in an average 3-rune run, so do not feel too bad. Felid lives are meant to be used like rare, powerful consumables, and many Felid 3-rune or even 15-rune wins have 1 to 4 deaths as early as D:1-8.

Do '''not''' quit a Felid run because of an early death! With the way the system is designed, it's almost as if you are ''supposed'' to die in early Dungeon. It's '''much''' easier to level up early on than in the late game. A life lost on D:4 is gotten back on D:7, but a life lost in Pandemonium may take a full clear of all 4 Hell branches to get it back.

I will repeat it again. Do '''not''' quit a Felid run just because you died twice in a row to the same enemy. Save your game and go do something else instead. I know it's infuriating, but that would be like using a blink scroll and then quitting because you're mad about using a lifesaving item. '''Lives are consumables'''. Playing a Felid without dying is like playing an Octopode with 2 rings. You are '''supposed''' to die.

Press “E” to see how long it will take to get your next life. Press "%" to see how many lives you have (look in the top right of the popup!)

Once again, as soon as you find a safe place, '''immediately''' add your new friend to your roster - the [[Summon Blazeheart Golem|Blazeheart Golem]]. Do not cast it just yet if there is no emergency! Soon enough, it will be below 10% fail rate, and you may then use it safely for all battles. Tweak your skills as follows - '''turn on Fire Magic, press “=” to set a skill target, select Fire Magic, and set it to 5.0. Focus Fire Magic by selecting the skill again (it will have an asterisk and will be brighter).''' While you're at it, you should also '''set a target for Spellcasting at 11.0, and Summonings at 11.0'''.

Of course, if you find yourself forced to battle against a dangerous melee foe who potentially has just plowed your Inugami into the ground, it can be interesting to gamble a cast of a higher fail rate Golem. Just do consider the possibility of a Nameless Horror - if it spawns behind you in a one-tile hallway, you'll be completely stuck. Keep escape routes open.

As soon as you find an interesting wand or evokable (also known as "anything but a wand of flame"), also '''turn on Evocations, and set the target to 5.0'''. You'll also want to collect, when you see them, the '''Lightning Rod''', '''Box of Beasts''', '''Phantom Mirror''', '''Gell's Gravitambourine''' and '''Phial of Floods'''.

Starting from D:3, the Dungeon loves to throw at you fast, high-damage, or sometimes even ''fast and high damage'' enemies before you are ready for them. You may therefore encounter [[Water moccasin|water moccasins]], [[Ogre|ogres]], [[Killer bee|killer bees]], dangerous Lair enemies (wyverns & hornets are a classic), among a variety of other nasty creatures. However, you will laugh in the face of these pitiful attempts at stopping the march of progress, oneshot them with what is probably one of the highest damage level 4 spells in the game, and witness the XP trickle down like cat treats. This is what you were suffering in D:1 for - whereas your average Minotaur Fighter or Deep Elf Conjurer would meet a swift end against a swarm of light speed enemies that make your healthbar have more red than green (or sometimes yellow), you will sacrifice unholy amounts of expensive machinery, and will probably make the interdimensional inventor shipping these to you very frustrated.

More desperate for companionship and physical closeness than the most introverted DCSS win-streak players, Golems will immediately stop all action and become useless if they do not '''start or end their turn while being in melee range of you''', resuming activity once you walk up close enough to give them a comforting paw-tap.

While it functions, it will deliver heavy-damage punches and lose a third of its health every time it does so, in addition to getting its metallic head bashed in by your very upset foes. Needless to say, this thing dies fast. Thankfully, the Blazeheart Golem is designed to pack an extremely potent explosive payload when it is destroyed, and is a master at all things related to flesh incineration. In case you have not noticed, flesh is also what you are made out of.

When a <s>Walking Incinerator</s> Blazeheart Golem perishes in heroic battle, it will leave behind its core, represented as a sphere of pure fire. Once this happens, IMMEDIATELY exit melee range of the core. It’s going to EXPLODE, INCINERATE everything adjacent to it (including you, if you are incapable of following basic safety protocols), and leave behind CLOUDS OF BLAZING FLAME to block passage and allow you to leave, rest, and recuperate.

Do NOT hold down "wait" (usually '.' or 's') too fast out of impatience. Do NOT position yourself in such a way that you'd be incapable of leaving the blast zone with a single action. You WILL be oneshotted. Here is an example of what NOT to do:

.###.
..@..
..G..
..E..
.....

If @ is you, # are walls, E is your foe and G is the Golem, the walls will block your only hope of retreating, forcing you to be the recipient of up to 60 fire damage, not to mention the extra damage-over-time from the burning clouds.

If you HAVE to brace for an inescapable blast, or must walk through flame clouds to reposition away from an orc with a +99 Halberd of Feline Culling, consider briefly putting on a ring of Fire resistance/Fire! This is very fast (less than one turn) and will halve the damage, allowing you to survive.

In fact, "ring swapping" in general is a good skill to develop when playing a Felid. See a lindwurm? Ring of fire resistance. Rime drake? Ring of cold resistance. Nergalle the orcish necromancer? Ring of positive energy. Erolcha the banish-you-to-the-abyss-bot? Ring of willpower. Swapping rings is extremely fast - half of a turn to be precise. Don't try swapping amulets, though, trying to tie up a string around your fuzzy neck without opposable thumbs while a violent brute is inching closer is generally not advisable.

Here are some diagrams of potential ways you can commit feline war crimes with this improvised explosive. Again - @ is you, the one and only genius fuzzball, E are your foolish enemies, and G is your trusty golem. . represents floors, and #, walls.

'''Hallway Exit Triple-Blast'''

.EEE.
.#G#.
.#@#.
.#.#.
.#.#.

'''Outsmarting Lesser Beings in Open Spaces'''

.EEE.
..G..
..@..
.....
.....

Yes, this actually works. The enemies on the sides won't even swerve around, captivated by the shining metal of your loyal robot.

Some things to consider:

* If a foe has a reaching polearm (tridents, halberds, glaives, spears...), they will completely ignore the Golem and instead repeatedly puncture you, which means you'll have to wait for the Golem to detonate itself by having it use its self-damaging melee attacks. Here is a trick: remember, the Golem remains activated if they start or end your turn next to you. You may walk back and forth to enter and exit its range repeatedly, thus reducing the damage taken from the polearm by about 50%, and still triggering the explosion!

..E..
..G..
..@..
.....

..E..
..G..
.....
..@..

..E..
..G..
..@..
.....

* When you step away from the explosive core, your foes also get a chance to act. Keep in mind that enemies which were in melee range of you may follow you out of the blast zone, thus dodging the explosion as they pursue you.

..C..
.E...
.@...

In this example, C is the imminently exploding core, triggered as you began your previous turn next to the dying Golem, and chose to move diagonal down-left. If you walk downwards now, it is possible that the enemy will also walk downwards alongside you, and dodge the explosion. You should instead wait, so that they are still located in the blast zone when the core detonates!

* If the enemy is super strong/tanky/resistant to fire, keep in mind you'll be very close to them should they survive the explosion. For example, trying to take out a full-health hydra in Lair with a single Golem may result in the hydra walking through the fire, still barely clinging to life, and oneshotting you. Try to use other summons to reduce their health into explosion kill-range before risking your life in this fashion.

* The flame clouds left behind by the blast also deal heavy damage. If a creature has been left on the brink of death from the explosion and is now standing in a flame cloud, it might be worth just waiting one turn while it is in melee range (instead of moving away) so that it remains stuck in the flames and dies. The flame tick happens before they get a chance to melee attack, but do be absolutely sure that you won't need more than one tick, or some two-headed ogre might just oneshot you on the same turn it is reduced to 2 HP.

'''From now on, the plan is as follows:'''

* Summon an Inugami for every single trivial-to-medium difficulty battle. Make use of “t”-“a” to direct focus, and do not hold back until the entire canine demiplane has been sacrificed to mitten-pawed glory.
* Demolish every single high damage or out-of-depth (OOD) enemy by letting them uselessly punch a robotic time bomb over and over until it inevitably burns them to a crisp. Ice beast? Boom. Ogre? Boom. Bullfrog? Boom. Wyvern? Boom. Water moccasin, yak, two-headed ogre, sleepcap, gnoll sergeant, any Unique creature, hornet, ugly thing, scorpion, troll, orc warrior? BOOM. They will not survive, and if they somehow do, you can simply bring out more golems for your foes to commit the same mistake. So much for having “human”-level intelligence - clearly, the humanoids are hopeless, dull-witted morons before feline genius.
* Stuck in a pinch with no MP and a really angry dude invading your personal space? Getting turned into a porcupine by a very merry centaur? Getting a taste of orcish zealotry and being told that "smite makes right"? Use wands! They are the guns of the fantasy world, and will dispose of any pesky denizen of the Dungeon. Do not hesitate to spam these against dangerous uniques, centaurs and orc priests. The bolt ones, like Quicksilver, Light or Acid, are especially effective. Remember, if you use Charming, you can "t"-"r" the mind-controlled foe to get away from you, then use that distance to execute a swift, zero-risk retreat!
* If you end up in a terrible situation, refer to the Escape Techniques listed in the previous chapter of this guide.
* In the semi-common case where you encounter the unique siblings Dowan and Duvessa, always slay Duvessa first, preferably with an incinerating payload. Otherwise, Duvessa will get very mad, run at you at light speed and oneshot you.

Try to abuse the 1-tile hallways described earlier in Battle Tactics 101! This guarantees your foes will not attempt to circumvent your units to instead give you a very uncomfortable petting session. You are extremely frail, and lingering in melee range of anything that isn’t a basic orc or a D:1 creature is bound to result in your doom. Constantly use your turns to reposition and ensure you are always behind your summons! If your summons lose, you will be the next target on the list, and you will NOT survive should you stand your ground with tooth and claw. Run, rest and try again.


== Murder and Electrical Engineering (XP Level 7-9 to Lair, 0.32) ==

Remember, use your scrolls of Identify! Drop those useless Scrolls of Brand Weapon, Enchant Weapon or Enchant Armour. Maybe a lesser biped will come across those and thank you. Ha! Fat chance.

Between level 7 and 9 (variable depending on your dungeon adventures), the ability to memorize [[Summon Lightning Spire]] will be made available to you. This is the ''big gun'', the ''heavy artillery'', and other militarily pleasing expressions. Whereas the Blazeheart Golem granted the power to slay individual high-level threats, the Lightning Spire welcomes a little bit of ranged combat to the battlefield. This stationary turret has zero chill, and will electrocute anything breathing the same air as you in record time, only stopping once you and your allies are the only thing left standing. However, it occasionally likes to sleep on the job, so make sure to wake it up with more ample usage of “t”-“a”. Remember that neither the Golem nor the Spire have vision as refined as yours, and will completely ignore invisible enemies - most commonly orc wizards. You can still direct fire on a visible enemy, and if a sneaky invisible trickster is in the way, they will still get zapped!

To tap into this immense electrical power, open up your skills menu with “m” - notice that your Fire Magic should be close to reaching 5. Now, '''turn on Air Magic, and set a target to 5'''. Remember, do not attempt to cast a Summonings spell above 10% fail rate if there is no emergency! As our offense is starting to reach a comfortable level, also consider increasing your defense - '''turn on Fighting, Stealth and Dodging, and set a target to 10 for all three of them.'''

There are two main issues: first, the Spire is highly considerate of your wellbeing (which is nice, for the velvet-pawed deserve utmost comfort) yet also just as compassionate towards your other summons (which is less nice, as they are disposable and unimportant lesser beings). It will therefore not shoot if its piercing, bouncing bolt would cause harm to you or to any of your loyal servants. Strangely, it seems to hold a grudge against the Blazeheart Golem, and will occasionally zap it anyways, but this is uncommon - most likely, the Golem dimension played an amusing prank on the Spire dimension before you ripped both of them from their home realm to perish in unspeakable agony. Just kidding. They’re constructs. They don’t feel anything.

The second issue is that unlike other units, the Lightning Spire is incapable of moving out of your way or swapping places with you. This is problematic if you cast the spell in a hallway, potentially blocking your escape route.

#####
.S@.O
#####

You can’t walk backwards to escape the ogre (O), and the (S)pire won’t do anything, too afraid of daring to disrespect you (@)!

Instead of trying to melee an ogre with 0 Unarmed Combat skill, I propose an alternative - a disciplinary paw-scratch. Press 'v', select your Lightning Spire, then confirm the prompt in the message log. This will attack it, and immediately one-shot it no matter what, allowing passage again. An alternative is to recast the spell, though this is risky - it may simply land in an equally unfortunate position.

With all of that said, you should be set for clearing floors until you find the entrance to the Lair, somewhere on D:8-D:11.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Get that Kiku guy on your contacts list, then get into that Lair, in that order! I'll consider you for employee of the month if you have over 5000 turns remaining by D:8. Not that this is much of a title, considering you are my only contractor in this place. Any lower amount, and you'll have to start moving those fuzzy paws a bit faster.}}

Your faithful trio - Inugami, Spire and Golem - will make quick work of anything the game may attempt to impede your progress with. Remember to also put on any jewellery you may find (press capital "P") - Intelligence, Wizardry, Magical Power, Protection and Fire Protection are the best rings you could hope for (in that order), and Magic Regeneration, Regeneration, Reflection, Acrobat and Faith are the best amulets (also in that order) - for now. Avoid Guardian Spirit.

If you find a runed door vault with a ghost in it (and NO other enemies), this could be an opportunity for instant acquirement of three degrees from the Summonings College! They are worth boatloads of experience, but can range from trivial to lethal. Inspect them with "x"-"v", and check their kit - if they have Conjurations that could annihilate you or dangerous Summonings spells, they should be left alone. If they, however, only have a few joke cantrips or only know how to o-tab like a Minotaur Berserker, then it is time to guide them to eternal rest. '''Once the floor is fully cleared,''' gather up all your friends, open the door, and make them bash golems, eat electricity and be eaten by spirit-wolves until they die (for the second time in their existence).

Do NOT try your luck in weird vaults with OP enemies in them locked behind runed doors and orange transporters. They are DESIGNED by developers to exploit your greed and kill you. Nothing stops you from returning there when you actually have the required power to take them on.

===Where It Can All End (Early Game Threats)===

* Centaurs (and even more so their Warrior or Yaktaur variants) are felid annihilation incarnate. If you casually run around and spot one sleeping in open space, '''do not just start mindlessly plopping down your squad'''. Your allies will arrive in random locations while those wretched horsemen puncture you with potentially twoshotting damage on each turn. Instead, retreat to a corner or door (which you can close with capital 'C'), and meow ('t'-'t') to have it walk over in much more advantageous terrain!

Since Spires have almost zero evasion, they will gladly tank arrows for you (unlike those scumbag canines), so they may be of great use should you face off a centaur - hide behind them, and let the ranged battle unfold. Which will win, wooden sharp sticks, or thousand-volt lightning bolts? Spoiler alert: the latter.

However, keep in mind:

..@..
..S..
.....
.....
...E.

This is not a safe way of hiding. The centaur (E) will still turn you from a cat to a porcupine while the Spire will desperately attempt to dish out damage before you die in an anxiety-inducing Damage Per Turn race. First, consider Wands - polymorph is especially effective, as wielding a bow is quite hard without opposable thumbs. As you may have discovered yourself. Otherwise, you can spawn more summons - if you or an Inugami gets in melee range, the centaur will panic and stop shooting. Consider a Scroll of Fog or Summoning/Butterflies if things get too dire.

* Electric eels deal unreal amounts of damage. These living death traps are resistant to your Spire, and will three-shot you. To add insult to injury, they’re worth almost no experience - for comparison, a single scorpion rewards you with about 53% more experience than one eel. Thankfully, there's a trick: a zap from a wand of flame will oneshot or twoshot them, due to the steam clouds this technique will spawn. If flame is unavailable, most other damage wands, while rarer, will make short work of them.

* Steam dragons are deceptively dangerous. Their breath weapon will turn the heat up in every sense of the word, and may even twoshot you should the dice be animated by murderous intent. It even goes through allies. Thankfully, there is counterplay - a ring of fire resistance, or a ring of fire. If you can give yourself a + of rF, this battle will go from terrifying to laughable. If rF is not available to you, tread lightly, and be ready to retreat out of their sight the moment you are hit. Having a steam dragon on the screen while you are fighting other non-trivial enemies is suicide.

** The rarer acid dragons are basically the same thing, but worse. The corresponding ring is resist corrosion.

* Boulder beetles can oneshot you should they land their roll attack on you (and fail the EV check). Thankfully, intelligent summoners can trivialize them by calling forth even the puniest of quokkas and forcing them to waste their roll annihilating a little fluffball (which hopefully isn't you). The Spire's electrical damage bypasses a portion of their heavily armoured shell.

* If you’re unlucky enough to encounter a [[Meliai]] or the unique [[Jeremiah]], know that they are practically cyber-augmented orc priests. Just one isn’t that bad, but they often hang out with their friends, and you do ''NOT'' want to be the centre of attention of bee-witch gossip. Eating a quadruple smite in one turn ''can'' happen, and it ''will'' kill you. Potions of Invisibility work, and so do Wands of various kinds - or have them be zapped one at a time by your spire before they notice your presence, and they should fall relatively quickly. Otherwise, pushing a Golem in their faces will ensure a fiery doom.

* Should you be so hapless as to encounter the unique slug mage Gastronok, you must immediately try to avoid empty spaces. Hug walls, surround yourself with allies - if you find yourself with 4 or more completely empty tiles, you WILL be twoshotted with an insanely powerful, irresistible Airstrike ability. If you have found a scroll of Silence, I highly recommend using it as soon as you’ve churned out a few friends to help take him down. If you do not have silencing abilities, keep him at the edge of Line-of-Sight while the battle unfolds, hug walls and potentially some Small Mammals, and be ready to step away the second you are smited by Airstrike. Even with wise positioning, all it takes are approximately 3 casts to detonate you into an unrecognizable mess of gore and fluff.

For the rest of the run, don’t ever have rF- or rC- no matter what. Yes, even if it means giving up an Int+10 ring (you can also wear rF+/rC+ to cancel out the rF-/rC- if it’s ''really'' good). Vulnerabilities will be your doom: 50% extra damage is plenty to oneshot you before you even realize what has happened. Press % to check your resistances.

[[Category:Character guides]]

Onei's Velvet-Pawed Path to Immortality Walkthrough - FeSu^Kikubaaqudgha/Jiyva

2025-12-02T05:23:43Z

Oneirical:

{{version033}}{{Advice}}
{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Another contender! Will you prove worthy, or rot like the rest?}}

Did you know 100% of deaths in DCSS are the result of taking damage? The common melee brute builds may appear efficient at first, but they suffer from a critical flaw - they let the enemy hit you. Every single time an enemy applies its claws, club, arrows, or reality shattering magic to your sensitive skin, you are exposed to the leading cause of mortality in the Dungeon. I therefore propose an alternative that will make your journey down into the depths 50% less painful, 100% less lonely, and most importantly, 300% fluffier.

'''The Felid Summoner.'''

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] It's not "evil magic"! It's recycling. Those bodies would have gone to waste.}}

Cats have a terrible reputation for being, supposedly, a “challenge species”, a “tedious ordeal of optimal play” or even an “unfun experience I’d never do again”. I’m here to inform you that this is all baseless canine propaganda, and I hope you too will learn to bow before your true feline masters as you read through this guide. As a blessed, fuzzy quadruped, you will be able to laugh in the face of paralysis and other dastardly hexes (due to your nigh-unbreakable willpower), laugh in the face of invisible enemies (due to your intrinsic See Invisible passive), laugh in the face of melee enemies (due to your vast repertoire of loyal servants) and even occasionally laugh in the face of death (due to the extremely powerful ability to resurrect after you meet your demise).

This all comes at the high price of having the lowest amount of hit points in the game, and the inability to use any item besides scrolls, potions, evokables, talismans and jewellery. Thankfully, you won’t need any of the baubles inferior humanoids depend on, as you will delegate most of the dirty work to pathetically obedient underlings. Prepare to embark on a journey like no other - which will flip the game around completely, turning the lethal into the laughable, and the harmless into the horrifying.

This guide was written for DCSS version 0.34 (currently "trunk" beta, not released officially yet). The differences with version 0.33 are minor. The target audience here are players who have already won at least once, and would like a build off the beaten path of the tried and true brute/caster duality, or even their first Felid victory. It shall accompany you on a path of team-based fighting, dark magic, vast armies to manage, and eventual transcension in the form of nigh-infinite mana and on-demand invincibility.

If you are a newcomer to DCSS and have stumbled upon this page, also check out the excellently written:

* [[H's Minotaur Fighter Guide]] - the most classic "I cast Axe!" brute build, timeless in DCSS history
* [[Repo Troll Guide, TrFi^Wu Jian]] - a highly acrobatic aventure of awe-striking martial arts
* [[Git Gud Gnoll Guide]] - the Zotémon master, using anything and everything to win, even the strengths and spells of their enemies

But perhaps you are the type who prefers to jump straight into a complex and unorthodox playstyle, following a potential madman's dubious advice? You, I like.

I personally got my '''first win ever''' as a Felid Summoner, and I believe that the caution and focus which one learns from playing this species is valuable on any character.

'''Important note: for an overview of branch order and skilling, check the [[#Addendum: From Lackey to Supervillain (Character Building)|addendum at the end of this guide]].'''

===Travel Preparations (quality-of-life tweaks)===

If you care about comfort while playing this build, I suggest editing your rc file (in online mode, it's the button right next to the "Play trunk/Play (current version)" button, and in offline mode, it's under the settings folder > init.txt). Add these at the very bottom, on new lines:

default_manual_training = true
fail_severity_to_confirm = 0
fail_severity_to_quiver = 5
tile_player_tile = tile:felid_2
force_more_message += forbidden knowledge
force_more_message += mollified

In order, these will:

1. Prevent the very useless and dangerous Auto-training feature from working.

2. Will allow you to cast dangerous spells without a confirmation prompt.

3. Will allow you to quiver dangerous spells without a confirmation prompt.

4. For the reasonable among you, this will turn your likely very ugly Felid sprite extracted from the default rotation - which you may somehow find cute if you suffer from an utter lack of taste - into the objectively superior black counterpart. Secretly grants bonus Willpower from the sheer confidence your glossy black fur will exude (not scientifically tested). For those visually challenged by the black-fur-on-black-floor lack of contrast, tile:felid_4 or mons:natasha are also acceptable. Offline players can also press “-” and cycle through available sprites with left and right arrow keys while ingame. Should you ever revert to playing a (lesser) non-Felid, you will need to remove this line to restore your sprite to the default player doll.

5. Notify you when Kikubaaqudgha likes you enough to reveal the darkest spells in this game.

6. Notify you when Kikubaaqudgha is done pelting you with its pesky curses after you betray them.

Points 2 and 3 may be slightly controversial. The reason for this is simple - the "danger rating" of spells is based off your maximum HP, and as Felid has the lowest max HP in the game, even the actually very safe spell Call Canine Familiar will be labeled as "astonishingly dangerous" and constantly ask "are you sure????" when it's actually very safe, and in fact required for progression.

= (BONUS) Because It Wasn't Hard Enough (Gem Quest) =

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Ah, a new adventurer embarking on a new journey filled with noble deeds and helping the innocent. What? You're learning dark magic and committing mass slaughter? Eh, I don't really care. Can you do my fetch quest? Here's my backstory: I like money. There are gems in the dungeon that are worth a lot of it. Bring them to me.

The problem is, some prick is going around smashing them. You'll have to be quick before that lunatic destroys the treasure which I alone deserve.

Oh, sure. Maybe you can get a cut. If I like you.}}

'''Gems''' are an optional speedrunning challenge where you must beat the game without exceeding a certain amount of turns in each branch. Interestingly, this build is quite good at claiming them.

'''Note''': This makes the game objectively harder. It is for those utter fanatics who thought playing a Felid (lol) with an exotic build which involves god wrath (lmao) just wasn't difficult enough.

If you aren't feeling up to the task, '''ignore all interventions of Gozag in my guide (it is advice for the gem quest specifically).'''

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Excellent, you're still here. That means a promotion is in sight for you. From 'unemployed' to 'my esteemed errand-cat', to be precise. Do add these, while you're at it.}}

more_gem_info = true
always_show_gems = true
explore_auto_rest = false

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] A company-provided timer in your sidebar will now always show you the time remaining before those precious gems start cracking. Useful, is it not? Press }, then ! to view all collected gems, and the time limit for each.

What's that? You're worried about the last option? Corporate doesn't have time for things like "healthcare" or "comfort". You need to get moving, FAST. Just heal while you autoexplore, surely this won't result in coming face to face with a centaur when you have 15 HP.}}

If '}' is a weird key to press on your potentially non-English keyboard (like mine), you can rebind it like this:

bindkey = [(TYPE YOUR KEY HERE)] CMD_DISPLAY_RUNES

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Enough talk! Let's see if dedicating my attention span to you was a valuable use of my time.}}

= An Agonizing Introduction (XP Level 1) =

As the title suggests, pick Felid for your species (ignore the “Advanced” difficulty: that’s merely a ploy to hide true power from your grasp). Pick Summoner for your background, as is wisely recommended by the game.

You probably know this already, but press "o" to autoexplore floors when no enemies are in sight, Ctrl-G to quick-travel to locations, and "5" to wait turns until you have restored HP/MP.

Upon starting your run, you will be met with the following:

* 9 pitiful HP points, enough to get two-shotted by a quokka, defended by a lonely, single point of AC.
* Complete lack of any items (except a measly consolation magic cocktail), weapons, or armour, and only three equipment slots for jewellery only. Felid culture prohibits equipping rings on your rear-limbs, as this is symbolic of the time one spent caged by their (now rightfully eviscerated) master.
* The pathetic ability to call forth fuzzy critters from the unfathomable depths of the eldritch cosmos.
* A deranged repartition of default skill training. Press “m”. If you haven’t set up your rc file as explained in the beginning of the tutorial, set training to “manual” mode (press “/” to do so). Then, '''turn off every skill except Spellcasting and Summonings'''. '''Important reminder: at any time, should you wish to review my suggested skill training plan, view the [[#Addendum: From Lackey to Supervillain (Character Building)|addendum at the end of this guide]].'''
* Your first Extra Life, ripe to be harvested by possibly the very first foe you will encounter.

All of this is, to put it bluntly, utter trash. The good news is that XP level 1 and 2 are the only obstacles separating you from supreme feline domination. Please refer to the following advice to avoid becoming a delicacy in the next hobgoblin feast.

* Try to avoid being in melee range of anything that isn’t a “trivial creature” - which are '''[[Bat|bats]], [[Rat|rats]] and [[Frilled lizard|frilled lizards]]'''. If a ball python hits you with the “Constrict” status, do NOT continue fighting and attempt to retreat until you have been cleansed from the status, at which point you may resume your rampage. If you are cornered or engaged in dangerous melee with 0 MP remaining, use your magic potion immediately. You may take one step in a foe’s reach to reposition, but always remember that most of the denizens of D:1 can two-shot you.
* Cast [[Summon Small Mammal]] twice for every encounter (press “p” to do so, or - if the game complains about you being too reckless - "z" then "a"). Bats are almost useless, rats are mediocre, and quokkas are somewhat passable. If you happen to pull forth one of the latter two from your interdimensional nonexistent hat, you may direct them to get their furry heads bashed in at the nearest available enemy. This is done by pressing “t” to bring up the ally command menu, and then pressing “a” and selecting the enemy you wish to submit to death by a thousand adorable critter bites. If your fuzzy friend meets an unfortunate end at the tip of a kobold’s dagger, there’s always more where that came from - bring on the onslaught until all opposition has been reduced to quokka food. You can have up to a maximum of 2 mammals simultaneously - replace the fallen with more units eager to die in your name. While your summons fight it out, feel free to distance yourself from the action, or to press “.” to allow the battle to unfold, occasionally shooting a “t”-“a” command to direct firepower. Trying to join the action is a certain way to die - remember, do NOT melee non-trivial creatures!
* Remember the golden rule of summoning: what you can’t see cannot be seen by your summons either. No ally can attack outside of Line-of-Sight (LOS) distance. If you want something to die, it has to be on your screen. The opposite is not necessarily true: while your feline senses let you see invisible enemies, all of the critters in your starting spells (except those from Call Canine Familiar) are not as fortunate.
* You can close doors behind you by pressing capital "C" - animals of all kinds do not have paws as dextrous as yours, and will be forced to scratch your impenetrable barricade while you rest and recuperate.
* Your summons can tank stones and other missiles for you if you stand behind them, but this is extremely unreliable (projectiles continue their trajectory if they are dodged). Additionally, keep an eye out for branded weapons! A single hit from either of these is enough to go from a pristine, full health scruff to a game over screen showing 3 unidentified scrolls of acquirement. Venom and Electrocution in particular are extremely lethal. Branded melee weapons are handled in the same way as dangerous creatures of D:1, that is, drowned in pettable fluffballs until the threat is vanquished and drops their dangerous item (possibly a +34 triple sword “lol you can’t use this play minotaur next time” {flaming, Slay+12, AC+10}).

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] If you aren't already quitting the job on day one, I inform you that we just don't have the time to loot every grain of dust on D:1 to D:3. Your first objective in D:1 should be to reach XP level 2, and immediately going down afterwards, using a normal staircase (not a hatch). The latter tend to cause some company liabilities.}}

Do NOT "kite" (walking away from a creature over and over while it is in melee range of you) your foes. You WILL get your snout slapped faster than you can say “YASD” (a traditional roguelike acronym for Yet Another Stupid Death). Each step gives enemies a 33% chance to attack you for free - a few tip-taps to reposition (and swap places with your ally) is fine, but eating attacks of opportunity for over 5 turns is asking to die.

Quite an agonizing experience so far, no? Are you beginning to doubt me? Do you lust to return to a race that starts with HP in the double digits? Foolish! After this, the fun begins.

= Interdimensional Battle Tactics 101 =

All enemies of DCSS, from the gurgling jelly to the mighty Pandemonium Lord Cerebov, are extremely unintelligent. In a situation like:

@....
.....
..S..
...E.
.....

(where @ is you, S is a friendly summon, E is an enemy and . are floors), foes would rather hammer their way through your friend (which may be an eight-headed hydra zombie) to reach you, and certainly won’t think about just circling around to one-shot the squishy cat behind. You will need to abuse this as much as possible. Try to always ensure you are shielded behind your loyal servants. This, for example, is not acceptable:

..@..
.....
.....
..S..
...E.
.....

Since the enemy can directly trace a line between you and their position (imagine they’re trying to fire an arrow at you - if they can hit you, you’re not positioned correctly), they will ignore your ally and charge directly at you to slice themselves some fresh feline cutlets. In a situation such as this, it is preferable to either A) send out more allies to return to a more favourable state

..@..
.....
.....
.SSS.
...E.
.....

Or B), retreat to a hallway.

1-tile hallways are both beneficial and harmful to a Summoner. Look at the following situation, where # represent walls:

'''Situation 1'''

#####
S.@.E
#####

The enemy is possibly an ogre about to bash you into a bloodied furball. Casting your summoning spell placed your unit behind you. Simply walk backwards to swap places with your unit, watch the fight unfold (preferably from a distance), and if your soldier perishes in honourable battle, your MP should have regenerated while they were battling it out: simply send out a fresh combatant eager to finish the job.

#####
@..SE
#####

Zero risk, zero worry. Here’s another interesting case:

'''Situation 2'''

#####
@E..S
#####

Here, you got unlucky, and casting your spell spawned your unit ''behind'' the foe you are attempting to introduce to your friends. Inspect the enemy's melee damage by right-clicking them or pressing "x", moving the cursor on them, then pressing "v". If they can't oneshot you on the next turn, it's ''probably'' safe to try summoning some additional support, hoping they will spawn behind you and allow for a Situation 1 swap.

#####
@SE..
#####

The problem with 1-tile hallways is that they enforce honourable 1v1-ing only between each creature. This probably makes Okawaru very proud, but with the whole little army we are slowly amassing, we will increasingly benefit more and more from wide, open spaces to allow your entire squad to get into the fray and dish out punishment. This might not be the case early in the game, but much later on, when we will branch into Necromancy, expect the number of allies on screen to reach into the dozens.

= A Devilish Upgrade (XP Level 2) =

''Feeling brave? You may try to skip this chapter and reach XP level 3 using only small mammals. As Necromancy is tight on spell slots, the additional Scroll of Amnesia this will save later on may prove useful. Try not to die if you opt for this choice. Otherwise, keep reading.''

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Yeah, no, we can't fit this one into the budget. Move along. Just kill those D:2 adders with quokkas and quit whining. We'll need the Amnesia Scrolls later.}}

If you have reached this point, congratulations, you have won the game. You may now press Ctrl-Q to abandon the run, as objectively speaking, your chances of victory are now exactly 100.00%. Go bake some cookies. Take a nice walk in the park. Do anything else than watching pixelated animals fight. While being an animal yourself.

What? Still here? Very well.

Most of the Level 1 advice still applies, but you now have a little more room for mistakes. As soon as you level up and find yourself in a safe area, immediately memorize [[Call Imp]] by pressing "M", your new very mischievous addition to the roster. Press "z" then "b" to meet your new demonic friend. The unspeakably dark forces of Hell will be delighted to deliver you a dastardly blue imp proudly wielding a sharp stick.

This rampage machine is anything but (imp)otent. Savour the tears of the hobgoblins who once terrified you, revel in the yips of those pesky jackals - they will be poked, and there shall be no mercy. Imps will also occasionally compliment you and call you their “pillow-pawed master”, which is a step up from the blank stares of rats. Disregard these attempts to appeal to your nonexistent mercy, and send them to die in your name with more liberal usage of “t”-“a”. Unlike furry mammals, you may only have a maximum of one imp at a time.

At any moment, I encourage you to bring forth assistance from your previous, less talkative and much fuzzier friends! You may do this by either clicking the spell in the side menu (in offline mode) or pressing "p" or "za" again (in online mode). The total gang of three summons is now sufficient to circle enemies and dish out quick justice to anything on D:1. Keep being careful until you reach level 3. If D:1 fails to provide enough experience for this, carefully descend to D:2 to finish the job, but know that dealing with any of the D:2 new enemies that weren’t featured on D:1 is extremely risky - especially adders and orc priests/wizards. Try to focus on foes you are already familiar with, and use a different staircase if your chosen means of descent places you next to something you haven’t killed yet.

= Canine Thralls vs. The Interdimensional Police (XP Level 3) =

'''Increase (I)ntelligence, and only do so every single time you will be prompted with this choice in the future.'''

Got some scrolls? The stack with the highest amount (press "r" to bring up the (r)ead menu) has a high (but not guaranteed) chance of being Identify. Once you have found Scrolls of Identify, immediately read any you may obtain to progressively label each of your possessions. Personally, I think identifying potions before scrolls tends to increase your chances of survival ever-so-slightly. This isn't hard science, whether a DCSS player identifies potions or scrolls first is basically the equivalent of their horoscope sign.

Find a safe area. Memorize [[Call Canine Familiar]] immediately (press "M"). This is the ''real deal''. Labelled as "quite dangerous" despite its 7% miscast rate, this extremely strong spell brings forth an '''Inugami''' - a once proud general and leader of the canine empire, re-educated into serving its feline master with unbreakable zeal. The tag around its collar proves most interesting - besides reminding it of its status before your Highness, it can also channel powerful bursts which heal the Inugami a massive amount, remove all poison, and unleash a cleaving burst on all tiles adjacent to it. To trigger one such energy surge, recast the spell while your Inugami is alive and visible on your screen, spending 3 MP in the process.

Yes, you can spam it and pop foes open with repeated re-casts. No, you won't find funny when your Inugami dies to some overpowered death machine and you're left in melee range with it with 0 MP to spare. It's strongly recommended to prioritize energy-bursting only if one of the following applies:

* Your canine servant needs the heal or is badly poisoned.
* It is surrounded and the cleaving AOE would prove most effective.
* You need a quick finishing blow against a low-HP dangerous foe.

When an Inugami dies in heroic battle, it will retreat to a pocket dimension for a time to rekindle its faith in feline supremacy. When the -Dog status on the sidebar expires - expect 13 to 21 turns - it is ready to return into the fray. Other summons can take up arms while you wait.

With all that considered, Inugami are absolute beasts. Very little in the early Dungeon can survive a 1v1 with an Inugami energy-bursting when it is most needed. Not even Sigmund - he is powerless before canine brutality! Simply stand back, watch the carnage without getting hit, and laugh as adders get slaughtered from Line-of-Sight (LOS) distance. You don't really need to "avoid fighting" anything in D:2 to D:4, except:

* '''Grinder''', which will play fetch with your dog by blinking all over the place while you stand paralyzed eating tons of darkness damage.
* '''Orc priests''', which are explained more in depth right below. Basically, if you can see them, they can murder you.

Inugami, like imps, occasionally try to look cute and print out endearing messages in the text log. Again, do not let this affect you - remember that the canine race is lesser before feline glory, and heartlessly send them to their doom (“t”-“a”) while they obey with unfaltering zeal.

You can look (and cast) any of your memorized spells at any time by pressing "z" then "?". If it says, for example, "c - Call Canine Familiar", pressing "z" then "c" will welcome your new canine unit without having to bring up the menu every time.

<blockquote>How can I possibly lose with such loyal followers?
</blockquote>
Orc priests, my noble feline acolyte. These green-robed menaces have the ability to inflict undodgeable, instant and two-shotting damage from full LOS range. Right now, no amount of summons could protect you from their devotion to the god of the Orcs. A lone one can be assassinated by sending an inugami next to them and spamming the recast-burst until they are deleted. If you see - Xom have mercy - two or more, do not even attempt to test their mettle. Press “X”, move the cursor towards them, and press “e” to set up an exclusion - this is your way of telling the game “NOPE”. If multiple priests stay visible on your screen for 5 turns or more, you are asking to die. Leave through the nearest up-staircase, and attempt a different portion of the level (or descend to D:3 if the level is truly doomed), leaving these dissenters alive for later. They will suffer the consequences of their insolence in due time.

<blockquote>I'M ON FIRE I'M ON FIRE PUT IT OUT PUT IT OUT IT BURNS
</blockquote>
If a Bombardier Beetle set you on fire, you must immediately start taking steps and walking around - each tile crossed reduces the duration by 6 turns. Stop, drop and roll! Do NOT stand still! If you accidentally drank a lignification potion, say goodbye to the current iteration of your feline life.

<blockquote>Any recommendations if I am doing the Gem Quest?</blockquote>

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Why are you still on D:2? The Temple doesn't spawn here. We want that bone altar, and we want it pronto. Get diving down to D:4, you should not be exploring more than half of each floor until then.}}

Additionally...

== The Aforementioned Interdimensional Police (Nameless Horrors) ==

Every time you attempt to call a canine <s>slave</s> friend, there should be a small chance of a miscast, which will reduce as you progress through the arts of Summonings. Miscasts in other schools of magic are generally not too dramatic (given that the caster is not trying to sever reality itself right after learning how to say “pick a card, any card”). However, your constant telemarketing calls to the eldritch cosmos asking “Who wants to die in the name of feline supremacy?” have begun to get on the nerves of some eldritch monstrosities. TentacleMail may therefore rarely deliver you a [[Nameless horror|Nameless Horror]] instead of your ordered furry companion. Instead of filing a complaint, slow down and consider your options. These things drain your mana on each melee hit they land on you, will only leave after you have managed to kill them, and will occasionally return your summons back to their home realm, so they may meet their family again instead of dying for a cat in a dungeon.

FAQ:

<blockquote>What do I do if I incur the wrath of cosmic aberrations?
</blockquote>
It depends on your situation. If they are alone or accompanied by a joke of an enemy, getting an Inugami out and spamming energy-bursts should wreck it. Alternatively, if you have damaging wands that aren't Mindburst, feel free to gun them down.

If you are close to dangerous foes which aren't in range yet to hurt you, you may drag the the Nameless Horror to a previously cleared floor, "park" it there and return to the lower level without it, preferably with a different staircase. If you can't manage to kill it, don't forget about the horrifying creature roaming loose if you want to "stair-dance" a dangerous foe later on while clearing the lower floor. Maybe you'll meet it again near the end of your run, at which point it will tremble before the FELINE GOD you have become.

<blockquote>How can I minimize my chances of being investigated by the interdimensional kidnapping police?
</blockquote>
The Summonings school is not to be messed with. It is strongly advised that you never try to cast a Summonings spell with a failure rate higher than 10% to take out medium-to-low threat foes, as the consequences may be disastrous. Only violate this rule when extreme firepower is needed imminently against a truly fearsome foe.

<blockquote>I have no MP, no friends and I am going to die. What do I do?
</blockquote>
See below.

== Break In Case of Imminent Negative HP Syndrome (Escape Techniques) ==

Low health? No mana? Overpowered gigachad about to annihilate you? Consider the following, from safest to most unreliable:

* '''Scrolls of Blinking''' will immediately save you, but are rare and valuable. THAT DOES NOT MEAN "save them for next game". USE THEM.
* '''Scrolls of Summoning/Butterflies''' do what you specialize in - dialing up friends - but take zero mana. The butterfly variant doesn't attack, but gently blows away your foes, granting a safe space of sunshine and rainbows.
* Assuming you can survive 3-5 turns, a '''Scroll of Teleportation''' will whisk you off to a different location. Magical Inks™ Incorporated does not guarantee said location will be safe.
* The useful '''Blink''' level 2 spell immediately relocates you to a random tile in sight - but it won't necessarily be available in your game. Maybe if you ask RNGesus nicely.
* A '''Gell's Gravitambourine''' can pull enemies away from you with its magnetic field, which is immensely helpful if your problem is of the "big stick about to be in my face" kind.
* '''Potions of Magic''', and the mana acquired from them, can be condensed into the creation of a helpful friend. Again, rare and valuable, but made to be used.
* '''Potions of Curing''' will ''remove all confusion and poison'' - essential for those pesky redback spiders getting lucky hits - in addition to a small amount of HP and '''Potions of Heal Wounds''' restore a bunch of health which, on a Felid, is highly impressive. Do ensure that you can actually make use of the heal to solve your problem and aren't just delaying your death, especially if you just get hit again for the same amount you healed on the same turn.
* '''Potions of Invisibility''' drastically reduce enemy accuracy and allow you to walk away with high, but not perfect safety. Check that the foe in question does not detect invisibility by inspecting their stat window - for example, wolves, dastardly agents of the canine empire, won't be impressed.
* '''Scrolls of Fear''' immediately causes every living (undead and berserking enemies are immune!) on the screen which fails a (difficult) Willpower saving throw to regret ever messing with Your Pillow-Pawed Highness and to run away. Check, on their stat screen, that their Willpower is at ++ or less.
* Assuming your enemy is a spellcaster that can be Silenced (check their description!), a Phial of Floods will shortly disable their spells, while a '''Scroll of Silence''' will disable them for a very long time, but your own magic and scrolls as well. Ensure you have a way of dealing damage during this silence (hint: it involves allies and having a lot of them). A Phial of Floods will recharge after some XP is obtained.
* The '''Lightning Rod''' does big electrical damage without any MP cost. Most spectacularly, if you fire it multiple turns in a row, you can rotate the beam to hit huge Areas-of-Effect and nuke entire crowds. It's very effective at finishing off a single problematic specimen, however.
* '''Potions of Haste''', beyond allowing you to walk away without getting kited to oblivion, are much stronger than new players tend to think: they effectively slow down time so you get bonus actions per turn. This is much more spectacular on other characters (your main source of damage is from your servants, which do not benefit from the haste), but it is still tremendously useful.
* A '''stairwell''' brings you back to the much safer previous floor, but brings all adjacent foes alongside you - except zombies, simulacra and summoned creatures. Still quite possibly an improvement over your current situation.
* '''Wands of Paralysis/Charming''' incapacitate your foe. You have to beat their Willpower - early game, that is usually around a 50% chance, but there are exceptions. The brainwashing Charming variant can be used to demolish the victim's former allies while you cackle in the back. You can also command them to go to the time-out corner by pressing "t"-"r" and selecting a tile far away from you.
* A '''Box of Beasts''' will immediately summon an adorable abomination and crime against biology itself, without a single point of mana required! Useful when your magical reserves have been emptied.
* '''Wands of Polymorph''' are particularly effective at neutralizing those wielding dangerous ranged weapons or point-and-click smites, but ''check the list of possible transformations by hovering the wand over the target foe'', lest you find yourself with OP midgame mobs chasing you around the Dungeon. Note that, when zapping a Polymorph wand at yourself, it will most likely deny you use of your spells, but may give you extra speed to run away (Pig or Bat Form) or may improve your melee combat prowess to a degree that is only useful in the early game (Wisp, Tree or Fungus form). Consider this as a last resort if cornered or in trouble!
* Speaking of those, '''Scrolls of Vulnerability''' assist all dastardly hypnosis techniques by cutting all creatures' Willpower (including you) by half. Beyond wands, this makes Anguish much easier to use even on terrifying uniques like Mennas, resulting in easy takedowns where you normally would have had to move mountains to barely scratch them.
* '''Damage Wands''' might, with some luck, solve your problems by murdering them.
* '''Potions of Ambrosia''' do a similar effect to Potions of Magic, but over time, and the confusion should be cured with a Potion of Curing once you have enough mana if you are in the middle of an unfolding catastrophe (this will stop the regeneration). Not to be relied upon if only a couple of turns stand between life and death.
* '''Unknown potions and scrolls''' could save you. They probably won't. Try the big stacks, they are likely to be Teleportation or Curing.
* '''Dying'''. Unlike feeble humanoids, this is an option. Try to avoid it. It will happen anyways. Do not give in to despair. Stand up. Fight again.

Do not mindlessly run away for dozens of turns without doing anything. You WILL be eating attacks of opportunity on every step and perishing in record time. At least try casting a spell once your mana comes back.

==The Proper Way To Roll Your Face On The Keyboard (Macros)==

Getting tired of "zbzc....o....zbzc....o" yet? You can press '''Ctrl-D''' to set macros and begin feeling like you are playing some tryhard MOBA instead of composing Beethoven's Tenth Symphony on your keyboard.

For example, press "Ctrl-D", then "1", then type "zb" in the field to link the "b" spell that appears when you look at the spell list (accessible with "I" while in-game). On each press of "1", you will now cast the "b" spell.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Back in my day, you had to draw a pentagram and whisper demonic prayers each time you'd want a skeleton friend. Who thought it was a good idea to automate murder?! Can't you appreciate a good old blood sacrifice in the rules of the art?}}

This is my favourite loadout:

* '''1''' for Call Canine Familiar, and later Haunt.
* '''2''' for Eringya's Surprising Crocodile, and later Infestation.
* '''3''' for Summon Seismosaurus Egg, and later any spell of your choice.
* '''4''' for any other useful spell.
* '''w''' for Animate Dead. Normally, it's used for (w)ielding weapons, buuuut... yeah. No opposable thumbs and all.
* '''e''' for Death Channel.
* '''Spacebar''' for an emergency spell - I like a simple Blink, or, for bonus coolness points, the heart-racing Death's Door. Big button, big problems! I actually remember to use my emergency spells this way.
* '''c''' for any other useful spell.
* (Q)uiver Anguish (or, in Crypts/Tomb, Dispel Undead), and cast it with '''p'''.

To dial up the early-game squad, press "123".

Want both your ally-creation buffs (such as when descending a new staircase)? Simply press "we". In case of trouble, your salvation is right on the biggest button of your keyboard. For a late game mega-death rave, press "e21p"!

= The Delicate Art of Reptilian Pole Vaulting (XP Level 4-6, 0.33) =

If you have not pathetically perished to some turbo-murderous orc priest on D:2, you will now be the proud holder of 2 stored Extra Lives, the maximum a Felid can hold at a time. Such is the privilege of feline supremacy.

As a proud member of the most blessed race in existence, death is not the end for you. Still, you should pretend it is - it will help you take better strategical decisions. If you ''do'' meet an unfortunate end, stay focused, take a break if you are feeling frustrated, and continue to play carefully as if you hadn’t died. Most Felid runs die around 3 to 9 times in an average 3-rune run, so do not feel too bad. Felid lives are meant to be used like rare, powerful consumables, and many Felid 3-rune or even 15-rune wins have 1 to 4 deaths as early as D:1-8.

Do '''not''' quit a Felid run because of an early death! With the way the system is designed, it's almost as if you are ''supposed'' to die in early Dungeon. It's '''much''' easier to level up early on than in the late game. A life lost on D:4 is gotten back on D:7, but a life lost in Pandemonium may take a full clear of all 4 Hell branches to get it back.

I will repeat it again. Do '''not''' quit a Felid run just because you died twice in a row to the same enemy. Save your game and go do something else instead. I know it's infuriating, but that would be like using a blink scroll and then quitting because you're mad about using a lifesaving item. '''Lives are consumables'''. Playing a Felid without dying is like playing an Octopode with 2 rings. You are '''supposed''' to die.

Press “E” to see how long it will take to get your next life. Press "%" to see how many lives you have (look in the top right of the popup!)

As soon as you find a safe place, '''immediately''' add your new friend to your roster - [[Eringya's Surprising Crocodile]].

Did you know Felids have a stronger genetic predisposition than other species to the terrible diagnosis known as "OP Meleedude In My Face About To Twoshot Me" in the medical literature? Thankfully, our feline researchers have been hard at work, and found the cure: Crocodiles. This spell is only castable if a foe is in melee range of you, at which point you'll dash 2 tiles backwards, pull the foe backwards 1 tile, and summon the Crocodile between the two of you.

.....
.....
...@.
...E.

...@.
...C.
...E.
.....

I did say the Meleedude in question is OP, so the Crocodile is likely getting twoshotted next. Not to worry - recast the spell again, and endlessly kite the foe across the map in a way that would make an entire server ragequit if DCSS was a multiplayer PvP game.

This spell is '''a repositioning asset''', not a main damage dealer (though it does achieve interesting results in that domain). Do not mindlessly charge in and use the Crocodile on a foe if can you imagine yourself needing this dash 3 turns later - '''you cannot cast this spell if the Crocodile is alive'''. You should use it in every single battle, but at the moment where the displacement effect actually helps you in some way.

The crocodile itself, as an ally, deals decent damage that will get outpaced as soon as you exit the early game. It also has a pull effect which may trigger on some of its hits. This can sometimes troll you:

..#.#
###@#
.OC.#
#####

Your (C)rocodile is fighting the two-headed (O)gre in a 1-tile corridor. All is well. Suddenly:

..#.#
###@#
..OC#
#####

The (O)gre is pulled into melee range of you and oneshots you. Ouch! That really hurt!

Do keep this (thankfully rare) contingency in mind.

'''From now on, the plan is as follows:'''

* Summon an Inugami for every single trivial-to-medium difficulty battle. Make use of “t”-“a” to direct focus, and do not hold back until the entire canine demiplane has been sacrificed to mitten-pawed glory.
* Demolish every single high damage or out-of-depth (OOD) enemy by letting them uselessly punch an ever-respawning crocodile over and over until they fall face flat in the water left behind. Ice beast? Trivialized. Ogre? Dealt with. Bullfrog? Eviscerated. Wyvern? Discombobulated. Water moccasin, yak, two-headed ogre, sleepcap, hornet, ugly thing, scorpion, troll, orc warrior? GGEZ. They will not survive, and if they somehow do, you can simply retreat using the gap formation left by your usage of this spell. So much for having “human”-level intelligence - clearly, the humanoids are hopeless, dull-witted morons before feline genius.
* Stuck in a pinch with no MP and a really angry dude invading your personal space? Getting turned into a porcupine by a very merry centaur? Getting a taste of orcish zealotry and being told that "smite makes right"? Use wands! They are the guns of the fantasy world, and will dispose of any pesky denizen of the Dungeon. Do not hesitate to spam these against dangerous uniques, centaurs and orc priests. The bolt ones, like Quicksilver, Light or Acid, are especially effective. Remember, if you use Charming, you can "t"-"r" the mind-controlled foe to get away from you, then use that distance to execute a swift, zero-risk retreat!
* If you end up in a terrible situation, refer to the Escape Techniques listed in the previous chapter of this guide.
* In the semi-common case where you encounter the unique siblings Dowan and Duvessa, always slay Duvessa first. Otherwise, Duvessa will get very mad, run at you at light speed and oneshot you.

Try to abuse the 1-tile hallways described earlier in Battle Tactics 101! This guarantees your foes will not attempt to circumvent your units to instead give you a very uncomfortable petting session. You are extremely frail, and lingering in melee range of anything that isn’t a basic orc or a D:1 creature is bound to result in your doom. Constantly use your turns to reposition and ensure you are always behind your summons! If your summons lose, you will be the next target on the list, and you will NOT survive should you stand your ground with tooth and claw. Run, rest and try again.

===Where It Can All End (Early Game Threats)===

* Steam dragons are '''EXTREMELY DANGEROUS'''. Their breath weapon will turn the heat up in every sense of the word, and may even twoshot you should the dice be animated by murderous intent. It even goes through allies. Thankfully, there is counterplay - a ring of fire resistance. If you can give yourself a + of rF, this battle will go from terrifying to laughable. If rF is not available to you, tread lightly, and be ready to retreat out of their sight the moment you are hit. Having a steam dragon on the screen while you are fighting other non-trivial enemies is suicide. They must die, ASAP.

* Centaurs (and even more so their Warrior or Yaktaur variants, as well as other archers like Joseph or Nessos) are felid annihilation incarnate. If you casually run around and spot one sleeping in open space, '''do not just start mindlessly plopping down your squad'''. Your allies will arrive in random locations while those wretched horsemen puncture you with potentially twoshotting damage on each turn. Instead, retreat to a corner or door (which you can close with capital 'C'), and meow ('t'-'t') to have it walk over in much more advantageous terrain!

Since Eggs (more on them later) have zero evasion, they will gladly tank arrows for you (unlike those scumbag canines), so they may be of great use should you face off a centaur - hide behind them, and let the Inugami finish the work. This is risky - you should only do this if there is no hallway available to retreat to.

Keep in mind:

..@..
..E..
.....
.....
...C.

This is not a safe way of hiding. The centaur (C) will still turn you from a cat to a porcupine while the (E)gg stands there without blocking any arrows. If you could shoot at the Centaur with a Magic Dart, they, too, can hit you. First, consider Wands - polymorph is especially effective, as wielding a bow is quite hard without opposable thumbs. As you may have discovered yourself. Otherwise, you can spawn more summons - if you or an Inugami gets in melee range, the centaur will panic and stop shooting. Consider a Scroll of Fog or Summoning/Butterflies if things get too dire.

* Electric eels deal unreal amounts of damage. These living death traps will easily three-shot you. To add insult to injury, they’re worth almost no experience - for comparison, a single scorpion rewards you with about 53% more experience than one eel. Thankfully, there's a trick: a zap from a wand of flame will oneshot or twoshot them, due to the steam clouds this technique will spawn. If flame is unavailable, most other damage wands, while rarer, will make short work of them.

** The rarer acid dragons are similar. The difference is that they deal even more damage (possibly 70% of your HP bar in one hit) but cannot pierce through allies. The corresponding ring is resist corrosion.

* Boulder beetles can oneshot you should they land their roll attack on you (and fail the EV check). Thankfully, intelligent summoners can trivialize them by calling forth even the puniest of quokkas and forcing them to waste their roll annihilating a little fluffball (which hopefully isn't you).

* If you’re unlucky enough to encounter a [[Meliai]] or the unique [[Jeremiah]], know that they are practically cyber-augmented orc priests. Just one isn’t that bad, but they often hang out with their friends, and you do ''NOT'' want to be the centre of attention of bee-witch gossip. Eating a quadruple smite in one turn ''can'' happen, and it ''will'' kill you. Potions of Invisibility work, and so do Wands of various kinds - or have them be blasted by your Seismosaurus before they notice your presence, and they should fall relatively quickly.

* Should you be so hapless as to encounter the unique slug mage Gastronok, you must immediately try to avoid empty spaces. Hug walls, surround yourself with allies - if you find yourself with 4 or more completely empty tiles, you WILL be twoshotted with an insanely powerful, irresistible Airstrike ability. If you have found a scroll of Silence, I highly recommend using it as soon as you’ve churned out a few friends to help take him down. If you do not have silencing abilities, keep him at the edge of Line-of-Sight while the battle unfolds, hug walls and potentially some Small Mammals, and be ready to step away the second you are smited by Airstrike. Even with wise positioning, all it takes are approximately 3 casts to detonate you into an unrecognizable mess of gore and fluff.

For the rest of the run, don’t ever have rF- or rC- no matter what. Yes, even if it means giving up an Int+10 ring (you can also wear rF+/rC+ to cancel out the rF-/rC- if it’s ''really'' good). Vulnerabilities will be your doom: 50% extra damage is plenty to oneshot you before you even realize what has happened. Press % to check your resistances.


= Dastardliness, Cackles and Dark Tricks (God Choice) =

You have only three equipment slots to fulfill Ashenzari’s bondage fantasies, no time to learn the ways of Invocations, and would not benefit from weapon gifts with your lack of opposable thumbs. As the lead of an interdimensional kidnapping startup, you should delegate EVERY task to your staff and NEVER do any work yourself.

Ru is technically quite viable for you, but as you don’t care for employee wellbeing, in-office buddhist yoga sessions are not at the top of your schedule. Plus, you will need both of your paws to play with the Orb of Zot like a ball of yarn. A lot of feline CEOs such as you enjoy striking a divine partnership with Gozag and cracking open endless amounts of lootboxes and microtransactions, but this is not what this guide is about (but feel free to play a Gozag Felid sometime, it's great fun!)

We need loyal subordinates, and we need them fast, reliably, and cheaply. Let us therefore learn arts and magic as dark as the colour of our fur, from scratch, under the tutelage of the villainous god Kikubaku-

Kikubaquk-

Kikubaaqudq-

Kikubaaqudgha. Yes. That's how you spell it.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Untainted souls are so much more fun to corrupt! But... why are you so fluffy? I need goth elves and black mascara. I can't have my subordinates looking like this!}}

Sorry Kiku, malnourished nerds and lanky skeletons are just so passé. If you wish to increase your approval ratings among the public, research has shown that a marketable, plushie-like mascot is a much better driving force for sales and engagement.

Anyhow. The reason I suggest picking Kiku for this build is to secure the mid-and-late game, as the Summoner background is so powerful (as you may have noticed already) that no immediate divine assistance is required. For now, Kiku will do absolutely nothing to help you - focus on proving yourself worthy by engaging in senseless, indiscriminate murder. Or, in other words, just the usual routine. Kikubaaqudgha's altar can spawn in D:3, the Temple, as deep down as D:11 - it really doesn't matter at all, you just need to '''have joined Kiku before entering Lair.'''

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] That still seems wise to me. What I REALLY don't want to see you doing is MISSING the altar and doing a merry-go-round the dungeon looking for it on company time. You'll probably want to find that Temple between D:4 and D:7, looking out for odd rock formations. And if it's not in that Temple, you'll want to look out for evil looking structures, all the way down to possibly D:11.}}

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] "An evil god, Kikubaaqudgha requires worshippers to cause the death and destruction of as many creatures as possible." Well, that's rich. It's not as if almost every single other god wants the exact same thing. Why am I being singled out?}}

Actually, I lied. Kiku does do one thing right away. And that's flaming you in the message log when you lose the run. Let that be motivation to play intelligently.

= Life Finds a Way (XP Level 7-9 to Lair, 0.33) =

Remember, use your scrolls of Identify! Drop those useless Scrolls of Brand Weapon, Enchant Weapon or Enchant Armour. Maybe a lesser biped will come across those and thank you. Ha! Fat chance.

Between level 7 and 9 (variable depending on your dungeon adventures), the ability to memorize [[Summon Seismosaurus Egg]] will be made available to you.

In Jurassic Park, they knew they could, but didn't stop to think if they should. In the Dungeon, the answer is YES to both. This hulking dinosaur is the ''big gun'', the ''heavy artillery'', among other militarily pleasing expressions. Whereas your previous servants granted the power to slay individual high-level threats, the Seismosaurus welcomes a little bit of AoE (Area of Effect) to the battlefield. It blasts its surroundings every so often with devastating, undodgeable raw physical damage, and is basically an "I Win" button for anything in the Dungeon and Lair. To tap into this power, '''turn on Earth Magic and set a target to 5, then turn it on a second time to focus it''', which is done by pressing "=" inside the skill menu (m) then the letter assigned to the skill "Earth Magic". After Summon Seismosaurus Egg reaches a failure rate inferior to 10%, '''turn on Fighting, Stealth and Dodging, and set a target to 10 for the first two, and 12 for Dodging.'''

Of course, there is a catch: you checked the "wrap in a gift box" option when confirming your delivery, and TentacleMail is nothing but considerate when it comes to life's big celebrations. You'll need to spend a few turns unwrapping the payload, and this often involves being mauled by maws and claws while you are getting through the shrink wrap.

The specifics: '''the egg starts hatching as soon as a foe is within 4 tiles of it AND you are standing adjacent to it. This process does not accelerate no matter if the foe is a single rat, Geryon, Gatekeeper of Hell, or a swarm of 30 halberd gnolls.''' The rocky terrain on the ground indicates the range.

Ideally, you'll start this process while your foes are sound asleep (this is why we train Stealth!), or while a pathetic cockroach is near you and the real heavy-hitters are far away in the backline, approaching slowly until it is too late to not get blasted by prehistoric might.

This means that if you see a big group of '''non-ranged''' sleeping enemies, you should NOT rush in to "get the critical hit stabs" (you will do so little damage you might as well be healing them) or plop down your Inugami, who will immediately rush in and ruin the surprise. Instead, summon your Seismosaurus egg until it is within a 4-tile range (don't spend your whole mana bar on this), start incubating it, and unleash the Inugami if they begin waking up.

An alternative, if you have a nearby 1-tile hallway, is to meow at them ('t'-'t') and retreat into the hallway, summoning your Inugami, and then the Egg. It will hopefully be placed behind you, but even if it ends up in front, you'll still be able to incubate it with only 1 enemy attacking it. Naturally, do not do this if the enemy squad is full of polearms or extremely high damage melee.

You can also use your Surprising Crocodile to assist your egg:

..S..
.....
.....
...@.
...E.

The (E)nemy, in melee range of you, is dangerously close, and your egg (S) isn't incubating at all! Use your (C)rocodile:

..S..
...@.
...C.
...E.
.....

Much better. The egg is incubating, and your Crocodile is loyally defending you until it hatches.

Unlike other units, the Seismosaurus Egg is incapable of moving out of your way or swapping places with you. This is problematic if you cast the spell in a hallway, potentially blocking your escape route.

#####
.E@.O
#####

You can’t walk backwards to escape the ogre (O), as the (E)gg is blocking the way!

Instead of trying to melee an ogre with 0 Unarmed Combat skill, I propose an alternative - a disciplinary paw-scratch. Press 'v', select your Egg, then confirm the prompt in the message log. This will attack it, and immediately one-shot it no matter what, allowing passage again. An alternative is to recast the spell, though this is risky - it may simply land in an equally unfortunate position.

With all of that said, you should be set for clearing floors until you find the entrance to the Lair, somewhere on D:8-D:11.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Get that Kiku guy on your contacts list, then get into that Lair, in that order! I'll consider you for employee of the month if you have over 5000 turns remaining by D:8. Not that this is much of a title, considering you are my only contractor in this place. Any lower amount, and you'll have to start moving those fuzzy paws a bit faster.}}

Your faithful trio - Inugami, Crocodile and Seismosaurus - will make quick work of anything the game may attempt to impede your progress with. Remember to also put on any jewellery you may find (press capital "P") - Intelligence, Wizardry, Magical Power, Protection and Fire Protection are the best rings you could hope for (in that order), and Magic Regeneration, Regeneration, Reflection, Acrobat, Alchemy, Dissipation and Faith are the best amulets (also in that order) - for now. Avoid Guardian Spirit. Wildshape is niche, only interesting [[#A Downgrade From The Prime Feline Form (Talisman Collection)|if you found a good talisman]].

If you find a Necropolis, this could be an opportunity for instant acquirement of three degrees from the Summonings College! They are worth boatloads of experience, but can range from trivial to lethal. Inspect the ghosts within with "x"-"v", and check their kit - if they have Conjurations that could annihilate you or dangerous Summonings spells, they should be left alone. If they, however, only have a few joke cantrips or only know how to o-tab like a Minotaur Berserker, then it is time to guide them to eternal rest. '''Assuming they are not surrounded by a squad of deadly enemies''' gather up all your friends, open the door, and make them get juked by acrobatic reptiles, eat point-and-click earthquakes and be eaten by spirit-wolves until they die (for the second time in their existence).

Do NOT try your luck in weird vaults with OP enemies in them locked behind runed doors and orange transporters. They are DESIGNED by developers to exploit your greed and kill you. Nothing stops you from returning there when you actually have the required power to take them on.

=A Malodorous Fanbase (*.....)=

Allow every dopamine receptor in that brain of yours to fire up when the message:

Kikubaaqudgha grants you a gift!

appears for the first time in the message log.

Gather up your lucky trinkets and your maneki-nekos, it's time for some Kiku Gacha Lootbox opening. You will receive a batch of low-level Necromancy spells, but in truth, we only actually care about a single one of them - '''Animate Dead'''. The others are so laughably irrelevant you shouldn't even spare a single picosecond contemplating their existence. ('''Sublimation of Blood''' has a ''very'' niche use that will be discussed later.)

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] You ungrateful sack of fleas! Of all gods, I am the one to grant the most gifts to even my least precious followers, and you still have the nerve to be discontent?}}

Unfortunately, you only have a 50% chance of getting Animate Dead - the other 50% will result in Fugue of the Fallen, which is a decent melee combat spell - a discipline which your weak and unarmed kitty paws are unfortunately not well suited to. For now.

'''If you were unlucky:''' Do keep an eye out for Animate Dead in book shops or loot piles to compensate for Kiku's lack of etiquette. If you still cannot find it, it's really not a big deal. Infestation is a guaranteed gift later on, and can replace it entirely. This spell simply makes the early game smoother and is one of the three spells which may be used for the Great Slime Raid further in the run. You'll want to hold onto your Scrolls of Acquirement for a bit - until you have gotten the third star Kiku gifts and have started training your Necromancy to at least level 8. Since Acquirement is biased towards your current training, holding onto the scroll will increase your chances of obtaining Animate Dead! Now, skip the rest of this chapter, coming back to it should you eventually obtain it from another source.

You will want to memorize '''Animate Dead''' right after your Seismosaurus Egg '''is below 10% failure rate''', and immediately turn on your '''Necromancy skill, setting a target all the way to the maximum of 27.0'''.

You may have noticed that the many denizens of the Dungeon are very disrespectful of your Eminence, soon to be their overlord and army commander. Your first task will be to re-educate these ruffians into submission and obedience. '''Animate Dead''' provides a buff lasting for about a dozen turns. Each enemy slain while this buff is active has a chance to betray their former allies and serve you as a... slightly more malodorous version of themselves. These will escort you until you leave the floor, or have them perish in battle.

When '''Animate Dead''' becomes castable (<12% fail rate), you may begin playing like such:

*Initiate each battle with a batch of highly loyal summons praising how good of a <s>slaver</s> friend you are.
*Begin emanating such confidence with '''Animate Dead''' that the defeated will turn against their former companions in your name.

Now, whenever a foe is slain, there is a high chance they will become an ally - and betray their former allies, making the latter join your army in turn, and so on, until all are at your beck and call. It's just like rolling a snowball!

The little militia that will now follow you around will act as a testament to your charisma. Recasting Animate Dead will, however, dismiss all of your current servants, with the hopes of replacing them with fresher, potentially more numerous ones. Therefore, it's great practice to cast '''Animate Dead''' when encountering a pack of enemies (yaks or bees, for example, are good fodder), and to only recast it once your lackeys are falling apart.

{{flavour|[[File:Yredelemnul altar.png]] This is way too complicated for the fluffball that serves as your brain. Join me instead, and gain permanent reaping of the deceased instead of trying to emulate my power with puny magic!}}

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Pah! Don't listen to my competitor. Their worshippers are brutes and thugs, whose first word at birth was "Axe".}}

Some extra useful tips about this spell:

* Non-living enemies (like Will-o-Wisps from Swamp), demons, angels and already undead creatures will never be recruited.
* High speed enemies, like bees, frogs or snakes will always catch up with you, and will swarm enemies before you even see them on your monitor! Boulder beetles are actually quite slow, and won't get to keep their signature rolling attack.
* Hydrae are hideously overpowered and will play the game for you.

Kiku grants the ability "Unearth Wretches" very early for on-demand zombie creation. I suggest not using it in the Dungeon, as the results will be disappointing. Wow! A cockroach zombie with 3 damage!! Why thank you, you shouldn't have. It's the intention that counts, Kiku.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] I didn't even mean to send these over. I was just doing some housekeeping, brushing up my skulls, sacrifical altars and blood fountains, and accidentally threw a kobold into an interdimensional wormhole. Hate when that happens.}}

Save your piety and ignore it for now.

=A Downgrade From The Prime Feline Form (Talisman Collection)=

While running around, you may come across one of the rare item types that Felids can use: Talismans. Ctrl-F, then write "talis" to find if you missed any.

Cats have a -2 aptitude to Shapeshifting, because they rightfully consider any transformation to be a downgrade. However, to compensate for this, they lose nothing from melded equipment slots, whereas other species mourn the loss of their artefact ring mails and other puny trinkets.

Unless you dream of going to the extended endgame, this is not a build where you'll be using top tier Talismans. However, you should consider the following:

- '''Inkwell Talismans''' (min LV 0 Shapeshifting) are, in the early game, an upgrade. They require 0 Shapeshifting skill to use, make you immune to poison and grant better success rates on all your spells and more mana capacity. If you find one anywhere before entering Lair, you should use it. It will become obsolete when you learn your first level 5+ spell (as these are banned while in Scroll Form), but will assist you greatly until then. There is just the problem of that pesky Fire vulnerability. The upsides are strong enough to make me use this Talisman despite the "never be Vulnerable as a Felid" rule, but you should be especially wary of even basic orc wizards throwing flame at you. If you want to fight fire damage enemies and have the luxury to disengage, untransform before really beginning to stir up trouble.

- '''Flux Baubles''' (min LV 5 Shapeshifting) are normally used for their great melee attack potential. However, they dissipate after a certain number of attacks. The solution: never melee attack. This will let you abuse the EV bonus from Flux Form for a very long time. Simply train at least level '''5 Shapeshifting''', and sit in this form forever. I tend to go for around 8 Shapeshifting to really get a nice bonus. You will lose a lot of Stealth, however. You will untransform from Flux when you die, or when you use "End Transformation" in the (a)bility menu.

- '''Rimehorn Talismans''' (min LV 8 Shapeshifting) are good for two reasons: AC at a very low cost, and Ice Magic Wizardry. The only reason the latter is good in the context of this build is that it makes the strong spell Rimeblight much easier to use. The downsides are somewhat significant - Fire Vulnerability, which you'll absolutely want to pad with a fire resistance or plain fire ring. You will also lose a bit of EV from the much increased size, and worst of all, you won't be a cute kitty anymore. If you have and want Rimeblight, consider training '''level 8 Shapeshifting''', but this isn't a "must-have", I sometimes just purchase more Ice Magic with my skillpoints instead if I already have good Wizardry/Intelligence rings. In a safe location, you can use the Rimehorn Talisman with 0 Shapeshifting skill and check how this makes your Rimeblight failrate change to help in your decision. Untransform afterwards to not get oneshotted.

- '''Medusa Talismans''' (min LV 8 Shapeshifting) give rPois and a forgettable petrification emergency passive. Really, the only reason to train for this is for the rPois. If you are heading into the Snake Pits and have no other source of it, level Shapeshifting to 8 and enjoy the peace of mind. I also like having this online for the Lair if I found an amulet of Wildshape.

- '''Hive Talismans''' (min LV 17 Shapeshifting) are the main ingredient of the [[#The Forbidden Kikubeequdgha Build (Staying with Kiku)|Forbidden Kikubeequdgha build]]. Hold onto it - it will be at the heart of a difficult decision later on.

=The Most Important Lootbox of All (***...)=

Depending on when you started your worship of Kiku, this may happen before even entering Lair, or at some moment while you are clearing it. Regardless, you will eventually read once again the message:

Kikubaaqudgha grants you a gift!

Well, well, well. Looks like we've got another Kiku Gacha Lootbox on our paws!

Here is my tier list of possible outcomes:

* '''S: A Run-Defining Asset''': Death Channel, Rimeblight
* '''A: Great, Though Not Required''': Anguish, Dispel Undead
* '''B: Could Do Better''': Martyr's Knell, Cigotuvi's Putrefaction, Borgnjor's Vile Clutch
* '''F: Insult to Feline Glory''': Curse of Agony

You'll always get half of these, chosen at random.

'''If you didn't get Death Channel, but got Animate Dead previously:''' You won't get to taste the absolute full power of your undead armies, but you'll still be able to raid the Slime Pits quite soon. You'll still want to check every book shop and loot pile for a chance at acquiring it.

'''If you have neither Death Channel nor Animate Dead (18% chance, assuming no lucky floor/shop drops):''' Hmph. RNGesus isn't rooting for your victory, I see. This will be a little troublesome when it comes to "bridging the gap" between the early game and having '''Infestation''' online, a task which you'll find much easier with +Intelligence and Wizardry rings. If you really can't find them by the time you get to the "Slime Raid" (after Lair and the Orcish Mines), I have placed advice for you in that section. For now, check your Scrolls of acquirement in case you'll find those spells inside, and loot the Orcish Mines after Lair to see if any shops contain these two signature necromantic incantations.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Commerce? Capitalism?! My spells are 100% locally sourced, woven by the expert craftsmanship of unionized and esteemed skeleton artisans! You would resort to purchasing mass-produced, store-bought necromancy that's probably also full of microplastics? You and me have a lot of work to do before we can get along with each other.}}

If you get Anguish, you should learn it as soon as possible, and '''also turn on Hexes and set a target to 8.0'''. Because Felids are so adorable and masters of mind-manipulation, you have a +4 aptitude to it!

No matter what you obtain, even if you are getting garbage, if you have not done so already, '''turn on Necromancy and set a target to 27.0'''.

As for that "Unearth Wretches" active ability... '''I strongly recommend saving up your piety to reach the gifts faster. The only case where you should use it is if you have Animate Dead and/or Death Channel active and need help in the Lair against a huge horde of hungry animals. See the next chapter.'''

=Employee Tour at the Zoo (The Lair)=

A place filled to the brim with creatures that mostly only know how to walk fast and melee attack, put against your most loyal servants which precisely exploit these vulnerabilities. Who will win? If you guessed the former, you are wrong. It is scientifically impossible to lose with my guide.

* The Crocodile decimates black mambas, spiny frogs, komodo dragons, polar bears and hydras.
* The Seismosaurus will annihilate packs of yaks, killer bees, wolves, blink frogs, and even death yaks (though those make take a few castings and a bit of kiting, alongside the occasional Crocodile).
* The Inugami is simply always good.
* If you have it, Animate Dead generates even more support.
* Eventually, if you also get it, Death Channel is similarly highly useful.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] For some reason, the architects of this place decided a place filled with dangerous wildlife and inaccessible architecture would make a great place for a central hub. You'll have to come back to this place at least a whopping three times - for all 3 S-Branches, so there is little time to waste. Do not explore more than half of Lair:1. In Lair:2 and Lair:3, your main objective is locating those 2 first S-Branch gates - once both are visible, you can go down to Lair:4 and Lair:5, where you'll have to pinpoint that Slime Pits entrance. You always have less time than you think in this place, get moving! Try to keep at least 600 leftover turns when you complete the Lair.}}

Have a glance once in a while at your jewelry collection by pressing "P". Rings of wizardry and intelligence reign supreme. Rings of Protection, Magical Power or Fire Resistance (for steam dragons, lindwurms and fire crabs) will significantly contribute to your survivability. Rings of Dexterity or Evasion are passable, and everything else is pretty much "slightly better than nothing". Amulets of Guardian Spirit should not be worn unless they are a particularly amazing artefact.

Prioritize wearing an Amulet of Magic Regeneration to replenish your forces quickly - Regeneration is the second best option, Reflection, the third, Acrobat, the fourth, Alchemy, the fifth, Dissipation, the sixth, Faith, the seventh (On Demigods, it will print a message saying "You feel a surge of self-confidence", but there is no such message for Felids, because they already have maximum self-confidence), and Guardian Spirit, the worst possible option (enjoy losing access to all your summons because you took one wrong step). If you somehow find the mythical artefact "Amulet of Vitality", congratulations, you have won the game - it is disgustingly powerful on a Felid. As for the Amulet of Wildshape, it is only good if you have [[#A Downgrade From The Prime Feline Form (Talisman Collection)|an interesting low-level Talisman]].

Should you encounter elemental threats (such as the mage [[Fannar]], an [[Efreet]], or a [[Lindwurm]]), swap on a ring granting a relevant resistance! It is extremely fast to do so. Just don't forget to put your normal ring back on afterwards, if you had one. '''Do not casually run around with an elemental vulnerability (rF-/rC-) on a Felid.''' You WILL be oneshotted.

If you run into trouble, it will likely be caused by:

* Blink frogs. They tend to sneak behind you no matter your masterful positioning by blinking frenetically. Do not hesitate to send a few zaps of your wands their way to teach them some discipline. They make quite good zombies!
* Catoblepas and Basilisks have a love for garden ornaments, and would delight in turning you into one of them - do not ever stand 2 turns in a row in the calcifying breath of the former, and ensure multiple allies block you from the stunning gaze of the latter. Seismosaurus Eggs are immune to petrification. If you see the message "You are slowing down" and you're put against a lonely Basilisk, feel free to spawn a few friends and have them handle everything while you stand there as a pretty feline statue. However, getting petrified in dangerous screens is a death sentence, and you should read a scroll of teleportation or quaff a potion of cancellation before you turn to stone.
* Dream sheep can simply choose to put you to sleep from across the entire screen, which also allows any creature which would hit you to deal immensely boosted damage. If you are well defended by varied summons - and maybe also have Animate Dead/Death Channel active - they will handle all the lowly grunt work while you sleep like the spoiled feline noble you are. If you get taken by surprise, though, prepare for an emergency - Scrolls of Fear in particular should give you some breathing room.
* Hydrae die easily to intelligently chained Crocodiles and Eggs/Inugamis. If they touch you, however, you may very well go from full HP to an empty health bar. If you used a staircase while a hydra was visible, using that staircase again will probably result in it ambushing you and immediately oneshotting you the moment you press ">". Do avoid this unfortunate scenario. Mind the fact that they get a massive speed boost in water (including the one left behind by your Crocodile).
* Skysharks, in similar fashion, should not touch you, as their damage and speed increases with every melee hit they land (represented as Might, then Berserk buffs). They are a top tier threat, and are deserving of getting blasted with wands on sight. DO NOT try to use Scrolls of fear if they are berserked. It will do nothing.
* Ravens are trivial to annihilate, but will peskily curse you with Doom if you allow them to have a clear line of fire. Always be hiding behind a wall of flesh... or eggshell. If you receive a Bane, I talk about them more in [[#Kiku's Troll Carousel (Banes)|this section]].

Huge welcoming party? Got marked and the entire country of Australia is coming after you? Both Animate Dead and Death Channel are memorized and castable? Make sure both buffs are active, then try '''Unearth Wretches'''. I recommend using this ability as little as possible to reach ****** piety faster, but the effects are spectacular with 1 to 3 uses of it when it is most needed. Cast one or both spells, activate Unearth Wretches from your 'a' menu, and watch the screen flood with allies. If possible, pop some Anguish casts to add 100% reflection damage into the mix, cook, and serve. Do not touch the '''Sign of Ruin''' invocation, it is not worth your piety.

You may encounter some dangerous uniques in the Lair. Urug, Fannar, Gastronok and Nessos in particular may destroy you before you even realize what just happened. The counter to each one of those is, respectively, Amulet of Reflection/Anguish for Urug, Ring of Cold Resistance for Fannar (if you are level 12 or higher, your feline fur gives you cold resistance naturally!), scroll of Silence for Gastronok and Wand of Polymorph and/or Anguish for Nessos (and potentially Amulet of Reflection). If you possess the counter, use it, and then feel free to test their mettle against your faithful friends, but if you do not have this counter, set an exclusion with “x”-“e” and do not come back until you have cleared Lair:5. ESPECIALLY if they are wielding some overpowered gear.

You may also encounter Sonja. Her HP bar is made out of paper. But don't let her touch you. She has tickets for a free cruise to the Abyss. You do not want those. Her Willpower is utter trash, making her ridiculously vulnerable to any hex wand, or Anguish.

Ah, yes, there is also Rupert. You need not fear the Paralysis (perhaps humanoid body-builders freeze in fear before the sight of one infinitely more ripped than they are) - but you might fear the huge axe getting swung around at light speed by a berserked, unstoppable wall of meat. If you push Eggs over and over and do nothing else, it will NOT work out. You MUST take further action. I have had some success with a Potion of Brilliance to churn out Crocodiles and kite back until devastation has been completed - but there is little overkill here. Use your items! A scroll of Summoning tends to have splendid results.

Ice Caves and Volcanoes? '''Death traps.''' Do not attempt them. Do NOT even enter them. You won't even be able to use the loot.

Gauntlets’ difficulty vary on the enemies you find inside - if you see a valuable book containing some awesome spells (see the next chapter), I encourage you to try your luck, but otherwise, it is not worth battling dangerous enemies in a cramped space that will limit the effectiveness of your allies. You can inspect a Gauntlet's contents by fully autoexploring the level, then doing a Ctrl-F search with "@" as the input, which will list all items in the Gauntlet. As for the Minotaur at the end - the javelins are absolutely brutal, but if you can read a Scroll of Vulnerability, then cast Anguish, the poor cow-person will simply two-shot themselves.

'''Do not try to take on the Minotaur without the help of any consumables or evokables.''' You won't win. You should NOT attempt a Gauntlet if your plan for the Minotaur is to just throw summons at it and pray it somehow works out. It will NOT.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Well, the earthy gem is down there, in Lair:5 - the first one you'll be collecting for me. This could be the start of a fantastic partnership, or of my eternal disappointment in you.}}

=Compendium of Sinister Plans (Midgame Spells)=

Once you are reaching the lower levels of the Lair, it is time to update your spell repertoire.

You should now plan to have:

* Call Canine Familiar
* Eringya's Surprising Crocodile
* Summon Seismosaurus Egg
* Animate Dead OR a spell from this list if you did not find it
* One or two more spells from this list (if you opt to pick up two spells, they should not take up more than 11 slots together).

Not enough slots? Train Spellcasting! Each slice of 0.5 Spellcasting levels will grant 1 slot. Do not train this more than you actually need, set your training targets properly. Each general XP character level also grants 1 free slot.

'''About Scrolls of Amnesia:''' if you are swimming in the stuff (3 or more scrolls), feel free to remove Summon Small Mammal and Call Imp - their respective demiplanes will thank you for ceasing your kidnappings. The problem is that spending an entire amnesia scroll (which are rare and valuable) to free up one or two measly spell slots might prevent you much later on from getting your mid and late game spells when you need them most. If you do not have many scrolls, instead wait until you are trying to memorize Haunt, and forget Summon Seismosaurus Egg and/or Call Canine Familiar at that point.

You'll want to not take up every slot you have available right now - you'll need 7 for Haunt soon, and 8 for Infestation in a bit. Try to leave behind 3 available slots at minimum.

'''I have ranked the following from most to least desirable:'''

'''[[Death Channel]]''' (Level 6 Necromancy) - '''Extremely powerful, #1 priority.''' Like Animate Dead, it is another self-buff you can stick onto your 'e' keyboard macro. Its effect is simple: instead of letting the innocent souls of both living and demonic beings voyage into the afterlife to meet their relatives, you will force the essences of their being to stay behind and cause suffering to their former friends and coworkers. The sheer mass of allies produced is truly a spectacular sight - you may have Animate Dead and Death Channel activated at the same time, in which case every kill will generate up to two allies, flooding the entire screen with green circles in record time. Unlike Animate Dead, as soon as the status expires, your entire protective wall of spectres will vaporize in a single turn, and reveal some very unamused individuals who will gladly charge in and destroy your defenseless scruff. Do ensure you have some less ephemeral allies as backup.

Remember: at this stage of the game, if you aren't pressing the Death Channel button every single time something vaguely resembling an enemy appears on your screen, you should be passing the keyboard to an actual cat, who will no doubt play much more competently than you.

Spectres, unlike zombies, can also see invisible creatures and fly over liquids no matter their original species, which is interesting when such details matter.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] I am a firm believer that everyone deserves a second shot in life. Or death, rather. Didn't visit that natural park you always wanted to go to? Couldn't tell your crush you loved them before getting crushed by a rock? Ran out of motivation to write your DCSS guide? Become a mindless thrall and forget about all your regrets! What, did you think I'd actually give you the chance to do these things you missed? Get real.}}

'''[[Anguish]]''' (Level 4 Necromancy/Hexes) - Ah, the ultimate answer to the thing Felids despise most - creatures with unreal quantities of ranged damage. This spell attempts to curse the entire screen with 100% reflection damage, meaning all damage they inflict on both you and allies... will be dealt back to them in full. Yes, dear lindwurm, do shoot a fire bolt through my horde of yak zombies, that will totally end well for you.

The lindwurm is wracked by anguish!!!!
The lindwurm dies!

I especially recommend you try it on: orc priests, meliai, any early game dragon, centaurs and their warrior variants, uniques with disgustingly overpowered spells... You have to beat their Willpower, but as any tyrannical regime would tell you, repetition is the key to domination! If the foe of interest has Will++ or less when you examine them, simply cast the spell again until they are successfully cursed.

If you cast the zpell from the 'z?' menu, you'll be able to move the cursor over each enemy and check the percentage chance of successfully landing the curse. Will+++ or even Will++++, like death yaks, or the Minotaur at the end of a gauntlet? No problem. Simply read a Scroll of Vulnerability to cut that confidence in half, and they will regret ever contemplating hurting a fluffball as adorable as you are. Consider that your Willpower will also be divided by two, which can be problematic if that means a nearby enemy spellcaster can easily land a nasty Paralyze or Banishment on you.

Brainless or artificial enemies (from gently gurgling '''jellies''' to the dreaded '''Orbs of Fire''') have no concept of love, hate or righteousness, and will remain completely unaffected by Anguish. They won't be unaffected, however, by your swarm consuming them.

Seismosaurus Eggs become a DEVOURER OF GODS when put against Anguished enemies, who will be blasted both by the immense guilt of damaging your precious dino-friend, and by the more literal earthquake of bone-breaking rock that will ensue.

I like to put Anguish on my "Q"uiver, and to cast it with "p" right after I have unrolled a batch of summons. 2-3 casts for a single enemy should be your maximum number of attempts - '''do not spend your entire mana bar trying to curse a particularly rebellious specimen'''! You do not want to be left with zero mana - and a very angry reptile in your face - because you tried and failed to curse a Hydra 6 times in a row.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] The Wu Jian council always lectures its followers to "use the enemy's strength against themselves". I try to do the exact same thing, and somehow, now it's "evil" just because it's me doing it? What injustice!}}

'''[[Blink]]''' (Level 2 Translocations) - Ah, yes, it's that one spell which every single DCSS character wants. You are playing a game called DCSS, yes? '''Train Translocations, and set a target to 5.0'''. You'll also need to REMEMBER TO USE IT, which is the worst thing about this spell. I like to bind it to a macro on Spacebar. If the button is bigger, it causes more neurons to fire in my brain. Which makes me actually use Blink when might-hasted Donald is in my face instead of drinking a Potion of Heal Wounds only to get oneshotted immediately afterwards. Remember, this spell has a cooldown of a few turns after use.

===The Wilderness Trinity===

No Death Channel? Kiku isn't feeling the festive cheer and is gifting you utter trash? Try these on for size. I recommend ignoring this section if you have good necromantic spells.

It's called the Wilderness trinity because they all appear in one of the random spellbooks, named the Book of the Wilderness. You may also find them in various other tomes!

'''[[Summon Mana Viper]]''' (LV 5 Hexes/Summonings): It moves fast. It hits hard. It knows how to do nothing except those two things. It also demolishes enemy spellcasters by applying its dastardly antimagic venom on every hit. Does that remind you of anyone? Indeed. This is just like having a Vine Stalker Berserker of Trog by your side. Enjoy. '''Turn on Hexes with a target of 8.0 if you wish to use this spell.''' '''Maximum Summon Capacity: 1.'''

'''[[Summon Forest]]''' (LV 5 Translocations/Summonings): This one requires open space to be cast, which renders it useless in hallways - which the Lair and Mines are interestingly very scarce in. Successfully using this spell results in a maze-like formation of tree-walls, which are ''immune to damage'', ''block Line-Of-Sight'', and ''deal heavy melee damage to nearby foes''. Feel free to run around the maze while pursued by an angry pack of animals - they will simply bring about their doom. If you can keep the dryad alive long enough, snapvine tentacles will eventually start to spawn, which will utterly decimate anything still alive. They also constrict enemies, making them easier to hit by your other summons! If you quiver this spell with "Q", you will be able to see on the sidebar when the spell has enough space to be casted (the text will be coloured). The price for such power? '''Turn on Translocations and set the target to 8.0'''. '''Maximum Summon Capacity: 1.'''

'''[[Summon Cactus Giant]]''' (LV 6 Summ): It's Anguish if it was a living creature. Its role is very similar - stand in hallway, tank hits, eventually destroy the attacker without doing anything. The melee damage of the Cactus Giant is decent, but each hit it receives inflicts heavy reflection damage. It’s perfect to use against those pesky hydras, and should be your go-to 1v1 spell against high damage melee targets. It has a great synergy with a couple of spells:

* Summon Forest: While foes take damage bludgeoning their way through the Giant, they take even more punishment from the berserk trees surrounding them!
* Anguish: Double the reflection damage. Goodbye, melee enemies.
* Martyr's Knell: A twice bigger health pool to apply even more reflection damage throughout its lifespan. Longer duration, more time to regenerate mana, a great opportunity to recast this spell and do it all over again!

'''You will need around Summonings level 14 to use this spell.''' '''Maximum Summon Capacity: 1.'''

===Consolation Prizes===

'''[[Borgnjor's Vile Clutch]]''' (Level 5 Necromancy/Earth) - '''Warning: This is decent, but you can do better. Get the spells above instead if possible.''' It's a beam. It ignores allies. Point, click, and everything in its path that doesn't resist constriction, isn't located on a deep water/lava tile and hasn't sworn allegiance to your indisputable leadership will be irresistibly crushed into a fine paste and denied the ability to move. Resist the temptation to run around going squish-squish-squish on everything you see without casting any other spell - you will demolish a yak pack. You will think to yourself "wow I'm so OP". You will annihilate a hydra. "haha I am unstoppable". You will come face to face with a black mamba. You have no zombie yaks or hydras protecting you because you thought it would be funnier to give a few animals a power massage. You get fully poisoned and die. This spell is a ''complement'', not the main carry. You will need to '''train Earth Magic, and set a target to 6.0'''.

'''[[Martyr's Knell]]''' (Level 4 Necromancy/Summonings) - '''Warning: This is decent, but you can do better. Get the spells above instead if possible.''' Is your wall of undead flesh and soul getting deconstructed too fast by rampaging elephants? Clearly, your makeshift RPG party has too many fighters, and needs a cleric. This poor soul does absolutely nothing except absorb 50% of all damage taken by ''any'' of your allies, trying its best to regenerate away the harm constantly imposed upon it. When it inevitably has its health bar popped like a balloon, it turns into a Flayed Ghost, which splatters blood all over the place and causes a great deal of drama and spectacle. Said Ghost is quite good at fighting (especially in the Lair), but extremely fragile. Therefore, when a Martyr transforms, you may immediately bring out a new one to help protect this Ghost, and that new one will also turn, until you now have 3 Ghosts at the same time and enough blood to receive a lifetime title of honour at your local blood bank. So much for 'evil' magic. There is also a great synergy with Anguish - Martyrs can take a great deal of punishment, which allows for truly great amounts of mirrored damage!

===Wizards' Corner===

If, for some reason, you are completely decked out in Wizardry, Intelligence and yet Kiku is insulting you with its "gifts", you can consider the level 7 dual school Summonings spells ''Malign Gateway'' or ''Sphinx Sisters''. Their other school is, respectively, Translocations and Hexes, which cats both benefit from a +4 aptitude for!

[[#More Tentacles (Summonings)|They are explained more in depth right here]].

=The Necromantic Apex (******)=

'''If you found the Kiku altar later than usual, come back to this section IMMEDIATELY when you reach 6 stars!'''

Alright, this is the big moment. As soon as you are notified with the message:

Kikubaaqudgha will grant you forbidden knowledge.

Immediatately open your 'a'bility menu, and use "Receive Forbidden Knowledge". You will be gifted, every single time, '''Haunt''', '''Infestation''', Borgnjor's Revivification and '''Death's Door'''. Only 3 of these are of interest to this build. I believe you have guessed which ones already.

Infestation and Death's Door will be quite far away from usable status. But, if you have obeyed my every word (I see no alternative), Haunt should be near 45% if you are still in the Lair, or near 30% failure rate if you are in the Mines. Intelligence and Wizardry jewellry helps a ton here. Memorize it as soon as possible - [[#The Velvet Path Begins (First Forbidden Spell)|explanations on how to do so are featured here]].

'''IMPORTANT: Now that you have fully emptied Kiku's warehouse of plentiful gifts, the god now serves only one purpose in life (or rather, unlife): your personal Unearth Wretches spambot.''' Don't believe me? Have a look at the list of offered abilities:

* Torment protection, an almost useless resistance to have, except in the very late-game.
* Death curse protection, an even more useless resistance, only of interest in the Tomb, a super late-game branch.
* The ability to invoke a Sign of Ruin, which burns precious piety stars that could have simply been used to send out an even greater legion of allies.
* Miscast protection, which does not actually block the truly bad part of miscasts - not getting to cast the spell.
* '''The only actually good ability, Unearth Wretches.'''

You will receive no further gifts. Your piety bar serves '''no other purpose besides spamming Unearth Wretches'''. You will only lose Unearth Wretches should you reach the '''minimum''' possible piety level, which is ZERO stars.

From now on, at ANY moment where you feel a challenge is in sight, do the following:

* Make sure your ally-creation buffs are active (Animate Dead and/or Death Channel)
* Unearth Wretches 1 to 3 times in a row, depending on how much assistance you require, and depending on whether the Wretches are dropping plentifully (5 wargs!!!) or are utter trash (is that... a single orc?)

The types of creatures summoned by Unearth Wretches fully depends on which branch you are currently in. That's right - the more OP the enemies are, the stronger this ability becomes. If you use it in Swamp, expect to get a whole bounty of hydrae ready to decimate all opposition. This is why it's unimpressive in the Dungeon - as it can bring out pitifully weak critters from D:1. Now that you actually have Necromancy trained a bit, you might get a cyclops or some centaur warriors, which are interesting enough.

Once you have claimed Forbidden Knowledge, if you have both Animate Dead and Death Channel ready and castable but have not cleared the Orcish Mines yet, you can proceed earlier than usual to the [[#For True Sabretooth Tigers (Annihilating the Slime Pits With A Giga-Army)|great slime raid]]. This is rare, but especially lucky kitties can enjoy an even softer Kiku wrath by switching up the order.

= Pig-People and Pig-Iron (Orcish Mines) =

Clear the Dungeon until you find the entrance to the Mines (it appears on D:9 to D:12) if you haven’t done so already. '''Do NOT descend into the Dungeon any further! You will need these floors to remain unexplored to rank up Jiyva's piety bar later.''' Now, delve into the brown-hued staircase.

Extra spicy death trap welcoming party? Animate Dead, Death Channel, Unearth Wretches. If you have already reached the maximum tier of piety (******), do not hesitate, but if not, use Unearth Wretches only if you need it! Your piety is precious, and (******) should be inching close by now.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Would you look at how good of a boss I am? You get a vacation here. Feel free to take your time here, there is no gem of interest to me in this place.}}

Orcs are not especially renowned for gentles caresses. Especially not the ones with a red danger square around them. In particular, avoid orc knights, warlords, and especially ettins from breathing on your scruff. In the Mines, the popcorn (DCSS term for very easy but numerous foes) is plentiful, and the sources of ranged damage even more so. This means that '''Anguish''' is an absolute star player here, easily beating orcs' pitiful Willpower and generating gargantuan armies of zombies and spectres in tandem with Animate Dead/Death Channel. '''Summon Seismosaurus Egg ''' also excels at thinning out the hordes.

Some notable foes:

* Orc sorcerers make most characters tremble in fear, because they have the overpowered Paralyze spell. You are not most characters. You most likely will not be paralyzed due to your infinite feline self-confidence. What such charisma won't protect you from, however, is a laser beam of pure blazing fire in your face. These (or the darkness damage variant) can twoshot you. They fall quickly to Anguish, but ring-swapping to obtain relevant resistances may prove interesting if you are being threatened.
* Kobold blastminers have a cute little ranged weapon. They like to go pew-pew-pew with it. It doesn't do that much damage. What does do damage, on the other hand, is the titanic cannonball they are packing (Bombard) should you get into semi-close range. Do not walk into a 4-tile radius of these without any ally in between - you will be - you guessed it - twoshotted.
* Orc high priests, and the aforementioned sorcerer can summon some demonic allies. Most are fairly weak, but Soul eaters will constantly smite you for darkness damage from across the screen (rN+ helps) and sixfirhies move at lightspeed and twoshot you with huge lightning damage. Did you know "sixfirhy" were originally named after a cat walking on the keyboard of a DCSS developer? It's true! Anyhow, kill that sorcerer/high priest and their friends will vanish, never to be seen again. Direct your minions to focus fire on these walking YASDs with “t”-“a”. Evokables, like wands, can prove useful for this. Using a staircase will also never have summoned demons follow you through it.
* Obsidian bats are extremely annoying hit and run summoners, kind of like a newly released class with mobility creep from a pay2win game. In all cases, the Seismosaurus is your saviour.

There are many possible layouts in Orc:2 - one in particular is peppered with centaurs of all types, and is extremely risky to clear - make ample use of fog/butterfly scrolls, chokepoints, and corners. A few other layouts will invite the attention of Saint Roka herself, which you should only ever duel when she is alone, as she uses Smite almost every other turn. A Scroll of Vulnerability alongside Anguish redirects those smites back to sender! A particularly entertaining vault is filled to the brim with dozens upon dozens of ogres, and while it's quite terrorizing for most characters, you should laugh it off and collect enough gold pieces to replace the clay pellets in your litterbox - as ogres make for excellent undead.

The more unfortunate among you may also encounter Azrael, or rather, Supreme Turbo Augmented Orc Priest of Mega-Doom. Most of his spells are fairly reasonable and can be tanked by your devoted friends, aside from one: Call Down Damnation. It will not oneshot you, but it can certainly twoshot you, and there is absolutely nothing stopping him from spamming it. The easiest way to deal with him is to sip on a Potion of Invisibility, then command your swarm to delete him as quickly as possible. He is vulnerable to icy damage, so a wand of iceblast tends to explode the last specks in his HP bar if your army found itself insufficient for taking him down. He also has low Willpower, which means the spell that starts with "Ang" and ends with "uish" works tremendously well. Do not even think about using Scrolls of Silence, for all his spells come from his raw, primal hatred of cats incarnated into spheres of blazing fire.

Speaking of the latter, if you have a strong batch of allies, think about using scrolls of Silence! They will render all of the orcish upper caste incapable of blasting you with Beogh's fist, demons or elemental wrath. Even Saint Roka will be forced to rely only on her sword (fair warning: she knows how to use it).

Finally, if you find yourself before a gigantic crowd susceptible to remote detonating you with a one turn quadra-smite, consider a scroll of Immolation. Not only does it score a large quantity of points in the EXPLOSIONS department, killing a single orc with a wand or even having your Inugami detonate on death is bound to wipe out the screen. Of course, refrain from any pyromaniac tendencies if you are adjacent to two or more enemies with Inner Flame. More explosions can be survived with rF+.

Orc:2 is guaranteed to contain at least 4 shops. Unfortunately, we are still in the Fantasy Middle Ages. Big Data and targeted marketing has not been invented yet. Therefore, these dull merchants will, most of the time, try to sell you OP demon swords and crystal plate armours you can't even use. Perhaps, with some luck, a fine librarian fellow will sell you one of those necromantic spells Kiku might have refused to gift to you.

Exercise caution around strange upstairs in Orc:2 marked as unexplored. They tend to lead to tight pockets with a jolly, welcoming community of trolls and orc knights right in your face, and a free ride back to the character selection screen. There is little harm in just checking, but consider if it's really worth trading a potential life for 100 gold on the floor.

===The Velvet Path Begins (First Forbidden Spell)===

With the Mines and Lair standing behind you, it is time to make a choice. But first, allow me to introduce you to the next spell in the roster. You should memorize it as soon as it reaches below 20% failure rate! Not enough spell slots? Use a Scroll of Amnesia and remove Summon Seismosaurus Egg. I believe you must be getting tired of that thing doing absolutely nothing and dying. Call Canine Familiar is also a reasonable candidate. If you have no such scrolls, train Spellcasting - remember, 0.5 skill levels = 1 spell slot.

'''[[Haunt]]''' (Level 7 Necromancy/Summonings) allows you to point and click any foe on your screen to send a squad of undead hitmen after it. They are professionals for three main reasons:

* Punctuality. They immediately spawn in right next to the Creature of Interest.
* Efficiency. Not only do they deal huge damage, they also lock the Creature of Interest in place and dish out Slow and Willpower/2 debuffs like candy. Invisible enemies? They have never heard of such an obstacle.
* Discretion. Once their grisly work is complete, they will swiftly evaporate out of reality, awaiting their next contract. Still, you may occasionally spot them damaging or even slaying some bystanders - can't have the word spreading around, after all.

Beyond the obvious assassination benefits, there are synergies with other necromantic spells as well:

* '''Anguish''': Since Haunt immediately dials up a considerable amount of allies, it's just more hitpoint to feed into the reflect-damage engine.
* '''Borgnjor's Vile Clutch''': Is the Creature of Interest dodging all assassination attempts like the leader of some totalitarian regime? Perhaps they won't be laughing as much once you reduce their Evasion to near zero by applying constriction, thus letting the ghostly specialists carry out their grim task with great ease.

Bind them to the keyboard macro you used for the spell you have forgotten with the Scroll of Amnesia (Ctrl-D to do so). Haunt can have '''up to 8 spectral assassins out at once''', so if one cast didn't bring them all out, you can dial 1-800-KILLTHATDUDE again and tell them to get moving by immediately recasting the spell. There really is no reason to not have these guys out constantly. They do good work, and they only take up 7 mana in pay.

Well. "Only" 7 mana. Is it just me, or these spells sure are getting quite hungry? I mean, all those Anguish casts, summons, self-buffs, and now awesome spectral hitmen? This flimsy mana bar just isn't cutting it.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Well? Look around your library, perhaps I tossed Sublimation of Blood in your general direction. Or perhaps not. I am getting forgetful for my age. Which is many thousand millenias.}}

No, no. That flimsy health bar isn't cutting it either, now is it? Transferring the problem from the blue bar to the green bar isn't going to solve our problems.

{{flavour|[[File:Jiyva altar.png]] ''An oddly inviting, squishy sound resounds through the Dungeon.''}}

=A Divine Heist (God-Swap Explanations)=

Now comes the part where this guide takes a highly controversial strategic choice: preparing to abandon Kikubaaqudgha in favour of Jiyva.

'''(DO NOT DO IT JUST YET!)'''

Abandoning gods in DCSS is, almost always, a poor decision, with rare exceptions. I believe this is one of those exceptions. You should already know by now that Unearth Wretches is Kiku's only good ability. Now let us look at what Jiyva offers:

* Free HP and MP regeneration that is exactly equivalent to wearing, somehow, four amulets of HPRegen and MPRegen at the same time.
* Endless mutation drops, granting boons such as free rF+, free rC+, free AC, free SH or free HP bonuses, all extremely difficult to acquire on a Felid. Press capital 'A' to see your current mutations.
* Instant emergency endgame summons from the Slime Pits when taking sudden, large amounts of damage (also known as "an average day" for a Felid), which can fight and demolish even the strongest foes.
* An active ability that oneshots any melee range living or corporeal undead creature, no questions asked.
* Complete pacification of all gelatinous creatures, some of which count themselves among the most feared foes of DCSS.
* A free rune of Zot.
* rCorr. For free.
* The so-called "downside" of having slurping jellies roam around every level and digest all items they can find - except artifacts, runes and gems -, the vast majority of which you never could use anyhow.

The Slime God has not received the attention of anything sapient in a very long time, and will be overjoyed enough to shower you in piety after just a bit of exploration. I won't lie, it sucks to have some great scrolls be devoured before your very eyes. I judge it to be a small sacrifice compared to-

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Turncoat! Betrayer! You lawless toxoplasmosis-infested flea-ridden fuzz-thing! How dare you suggest abandoning the righteous forces of evil and torture for some first-grader slime making experiments?}}

Right, there's also the whole "divine wrath" thing. Let's unpack this. For the next 5-8 floors, you will have to deal with:

* Occasional Symbols of Torment. These are usually not triggered in dangerous moments, but when they are, enemies are also tormented as if you had just read a Scroll of Torment. In any case, Jiyva's first piety star (*.....) will immediately grant the first rank of their regeneration passive.
* Occasional HP drain. This is a very annoying part. Losing 30 max HP for a short time can hurt, as it's not like you had a lot of the stuff to go around in the first place. Thankfully, you will never lose more than 50% of your max HP. '''This bypasses rN+, do not try to use it to shield yourself.''' Dying as a Felid removes all HP drain.
* Slain enemies will occasionally be revived in undead form. These are generally weak on their own - the more annoying part is that it steals your chance at reanimating them with your own magic. Dispel Undead - a spell which Kiku may have gifted you - makes swift work of the annoying revived undead they keep throwing your way. This is completely optional and I usually don't bother, but it may interest you. It also finds uses against all kinds of standard issue undead enemies, such as bog bodies (Swamp) or Pharaoh Ants (Spider Nest).
* Rarely (5% chance), casting a Necromancy spell will deal a small amount of darkness damage. Mostly harmless, especially if you have rN+, but it can tip you over the edge if you were already almost dead.
* Occasional Doom. This generally means you will be eating 2 to 3 Banes throughout the entire wrath effect. Let's take a look at them.

===Kiku's Troll Carousel (Banes)===

'''Laughed Out Of The Room tier'''

* '''Bane of Heatstroke:''' Oh no! You are rarely slowed from taking fire damage (rare in the early game) when your allies are responsible for 99% of your damage output! No one cares.
* '''Bane of Snow-Blindness:''' Reduces your accuracy when you take cold damage. When was the last time you were waving a stick around or throwing it? Right, in a parallel world when you were stuck as a lesser humanoid.
* '''Bane of Electrospasm:''' Prevents you from moving short time when you take electric damage. Read that again. Prevents YOU from moving. Did it say anything about a crocodile? No? You know what to do.
* '''Bane of Claustrophobia:''' Reduces your melee damage and accuracy when near walls. Hahahaha. Thank you for your time, the door is right there.
* '''Bane of the Reckless:''' Oh no! You have to temporarily swap out your Reflection Amulet for something else that's just as good! Big deal.
* '''Bane of Warding:''' Some enemies are immune to ranged damage. I'll like to see you try to give your zombies a bow.
* '''Bane of the Hunted:''' Summoned enemies appear next to you. Wow, if only we had a spell to deal with the "big dude in my face" problem. Oh right.

'''A Bit Annoying tier'''

* '''Bane of Lethargy:''' You move slower. You have allies to swap with, and your trusty Crocodile. Honestly, I rarely notice it. But when you need to run to the stairs with no mana, it can hurt.
* '''Bane of Stumbling:''' If you move or wait, you have -25 EV. This one is rough as it's the main source of our defense, but there are ways to game it. Casting any spell keeps your EV intact, so Crocodile-chaining is a good way to move around. This might also be an opportunity to use up those hundreds of flame wand charges you might have sitting around.
* '''Bane of Succour:''' Monsters lifesteal from their friends dying. Meh, your swarms are already dishing out much more damage than these "drain tanks" can keep up with, but it does make enemies a bit more tanky in general.
* '''Bane of Mortality:''' When you rest to full HP after fights, reapers come out to gank you like you are playing a MOBA game in the highest leagues. The strategy is the same no matter if this is DotA or DCSS: have space to retreat. Don't wait to regenerate in tight and cramped corridors, and you'll have no problem outrunning their extremely slow speed, with a crocodile if you must.
* '''Bane of Paradox:''' This one will most likely do nothing, but has a small chance of being lethal, so I am placing it in this tier. Rarely, some enemies will have Manifold Assault. Because there are so many weak fools and swarms of puny orcs in the game, this usually is not noticeable. The problem starts if some big shot unique with mega melee damage gets it, which is rare. In that case, imagine you are back in the Dungeon facing centaurs, and do everything in your power to melt them as fast as possible.

'''Pretty Dangerous tier'''

* '''Bane of Multiplicity:''' It's manageable most of the time. It just suuuucks when some ranged cheater or smite spammer has its long lost twin surge out of the earth and destroy you. It thankfully does not last very long. If Rimeblight is up and working, it is awesome at dealing with this problem.
* '''Bane of the Dilettante:''' Temporary -25% Necromancy and Summonings skill. This is painful. The developers want you to "hybridize", but there is no "hybridizing" out of the blessed Velvet Pawed Path. What are you going to do, memorize Plasma Beam? Get real. Anyhow, you should hopefully be still able to use your level 6 and under spells, which are strong enough in their own right. If you feel too weak and have Amnesia scrolls, I suggest temporarily memorizing one of the suggested level 6 and under spells in this guide (Borgnjor's Vile Clutch, Summon Cactus Giant, Summon Forest, Summon Mana Viper) to support you.

As you can see, Banes aren't so bad. Most runs, they just do nothing. Sometimes, they minorly debuff you. Very rarely, they are responsible for losing a single life.

Well, it's up to you to choose now. Will you follow me through this high-risk, high-reward play? I have done god swap dozens of times while playtesting my own guide. I have never once lost a run where I could directly blame Kiku's wrath for my demise. Died once, perhaps. Nothing more.

But don't do it just yet. Keep reading.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] As my employee, your choice is limited here. We have to cut healthcare out of the budget, because you spend way too much company time resting and regenerating. We'll be hooking you up on those experimental slime chemicals from now on. Or honey, if you found that Hive Talisman. Maybe you'll help a breakthrough in pharmaceuticals, once we're done scraping your dissolved remains off the floor.

There is just one problem: that Starry Gem inside the Slime Pits, is extremely tight, at 600 turns! My suggestion: Clean out the Pits anyhow, either diving to the altar if you need one, or simply trying to grab some fresh jellified walking experience potions. Once 100 turns remain on your timer, immediately ascend! You will only be coming back to the Slime Pits after you have obtained the Orb of Zot, which stops all timers.

Of course, if you're running Hive Form, finish the job and get that Gem NOW!!}}

===The Forbidden Kikubeequdgha Build (Staying with Kiku)===

Let's face it: the only reason we are even considering this insane play is because we want more HP and MP regeneration - the kind a mere amulet of mana regeneration doesn't hold a candle to. Jiyva is a reliable way to get boatloads of it, but it's not the ''only'' way.

* Way 1: '''Being a lucky little [EXPLETIVE REDACTED]''': Wow. You got the Amulet of Vitality off of the ground, just like a rich heir of a soup can company inheriting a million dollar portfolio at age 9. You go you. Go win the game, staying with Kikubaaqudgha, and basically having two gods at the same time at no cost to you. I hope your family is very proud of you.
* Way 2: '''THE KIKUBEEQUDGHA ASCENDANCY:''' Welcome, Velvet-pawed initiate. This is the only non-Jiyva path I officially approve of. A Hive Talisman, cranked up to its maximum, provides more HP and MP regeneration than the Amulet of Vitality or even Jiyva. Now, the problem is that it demands industrial quantities of experience poured into Shapeshifting. If you wish to take on this path, here is my suggestion: start by getting '''Infestation''' below 10% failure rate. Once this is done, turn off every skill except Shapeshifting, setting it to a target of 17. Raid the Slime Pits as indicated below, without the conversion part. Once Shapeshifting reaches level 15, you can transform into Hive Form, accepting the small HP penalty. Once it reaches 17, stop training it, and pivot back to Necromancy to unlock '''Death's Door'''. Once Death's Door is online, if you want, you can train more Shapeshifting to increase your regeneration further, or [[#Perfection Can Still Improve (Lategame Skills)|follow any of the other late game suggestions]]. An amulet of Wildshape is extremely good for this plan at all stages of its execution, granting a free +5 levels of Shapeshifting.
* Way 3: '''For Scaredy-Cats''': Being content with a mere MP regeneration amulet, or an amulet of HP regeneration, alongside the spell Sublimation of Blood. (If you do the latter, cast it early and often, NOT when you are desperate for mana and NOT when you can't afford to lose the HP. Put it on an easily accessible macro. I like the letter "c".) I mean, you can... ''do that''... I suppose... But don't come mewling to me when you are cornered in the Vaults with 0 MP remaining and no way to cast Death's Door.

No matter your chosen Way, I will continue writing the guide with a Jiyva-swap perspective. Just remember you have Unearth Wretches on speed dial, and can unleash armies any time some challenge looks remotely capable of instilling anxiety in the heart beneath your fluffy chest.

===For True Sabretooth Tigers (Annihilating the Slime Pits With A Giga-Army)===

Allow me to divert my attention back to the brave and fearless, which are certainly not those people I was talking to in the previous section. To convert to Jiyva, you will need a Jiyva altar. Press Ctrl-F, and type "Jiyva". There is a 2/3 chance it spawned in Lair, and an additional small chance it appeared somewhere else.

'''DO NOT CONVERT JUST YET!''' We have 4-6 stars of pure, delicious Kiku juice, and we'd throw all that power away without using it? Come on, now.

Let me introduce you to a true departure from sanity.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUFsbt_5mxY Here is a video demonstration of me doing this.]

Going into the Slime Pits this early in the game is obvious suicide for most characters. Naturally, there is a trick at play:

* Kiku's Unearth Wretches instantly summons neutralized denizens from your current branch to turn into undead.
* Slime undead are extremely strong and plentiful, and their sheer mass protects you from dangerous melee attackers.
* The vast majority of Slime's creatures are exactly that - dangerous melee attackers.

Let's review your kit:

* If you have both '''Animate Dead''' and '''Death Channel''', raiding the Pits is very easy, and most importantly will reward you with a waterfall of experience points.
* If you have only '''Animate Dead''', it is slightly harder, as your army will spread in reduced numbers. Do it anyways, but be ready to spam some more Unearth Wretches to compensate.
* If you have only '''Death Channel''', you can have an army of interesting proportions, but you MUST watch your status effect in the sidebar - you do not want it to expire and make all your allies disappear at the most crucial moment. Be ready to recast and spam more Wretches, or to escape upstairs. If your DChan is going dark purple and jellies are all over your screen, it is time to RETREAT.
* '''The Contingency Plan (No Death Channel nor Animate Dead)''': Coming here without '''Infestation''' is suicide. You will need to rush this spell, ''pronto''. Turn off all skills except '''Necromancy'''. Go to the Spiders' Nest or the Snake Pit. (Swamp if you have Summon Forest). Play carefully until you can get a 20% failure rate on Infestation. You are now ready to continue.

Alright. Strap in, we're firing up the Kiku train. Next destination: a place beyond anything resembling sanity.

Stand on top of the Slime Pits entrance. Drink Brilliance, if possible. Cast Animate Dead and Death Channel, whichever you have, hopefully both. Drink Haste, if possible. Go in.

If ANY slimes are on your screen, immediately use Unearth Wretches. Not on the brink of death? Use it again. Again. If you're put against only basic '''Slime Creatures''', a single or two uses of Unearth Wretches can suffice, but any of the Big Ones (see below) warrants immediate firepower in the form of 3+ Unearth Wretches. If the welcoming party looks particularly nasty, FLOOD THE SCREEN.

If you are employing the Infestation method, only use Unearth Wretches twice, considering you'll need a turn to cast Infestation before they decay.

See the five Big Ones below. You do NOT want ANY of these in melee range of you.

* '''Azure Jelly''': A very simple enemy: they have chill-touched pseudopods with unholy damage output, move at the speed of sound and will chop off your health bar into bite-sized cubes. Just like your average DCSS player, they know only two things: moving and melee attacking. It is therefore only right that you grant them the demise an o-tabber deserves - drowned in infinite armies until their hubris finally collapses them into a chilly puddle.
* '''Void Ooze''': Pretty much the same thing. The big twist: letting them caress you will have them flood their slime in every alveoli of your lungs, causing damage over time and silencing you from spellcasting. To avoid unpleasant mental imagery, step away, swapping with an ally, to break the Engulf status. They also drain mana on hit.
* '''Acid Blob''': It has an acidic bolt, which does not do a ton of damage (in fact, it's the exact same damage numbers as the acid drakes all the way back in the Dungeon...), but it adds up. rCorr, found on the occasional ring or in a Potion of Resistance, can help. It's not usually needed, they get consumed too fast for it to matter. I recommend keeping allies between you and them to block their ranged attacks.
* '''Rockslime''': Another mindless o-tabber, this time with trample flavour. This can cause positioning problems (and death problems, because their damage is obscene). Another reason to NOT LET ANY OF THESE TOUCH YOUR PRISTINE FUR.
* '''Formless Jellyfish''': Easy to consume once your squad is established, but before then, they can teleport behind you (''heh, nothing personnel, kid'') and attack you with the following four debuffs: constriction + paralysis + poison + literally just killing you. These ones are actually not fast, so if you're just waiting for your Wretches to pop or your screen is already filled with spectres and/or zombies, feel free to swap with an ally or use Eringya's Surprising Crocodile to exit melee range of them.

'''If a dangerous slime gets into melee range''': If your wretches have popped, swap places with any of your now extremely numerous servants. If you can find a good angle, use Eringya's Surprising Crocodile. Otherwise, if you are still over 80% HP and are just waiting for your wretches to transform into allies, feel free to risk a step or two until it will become possible to hide behind your fresh batch of undead. If you are truly caught off-guard, a Scroll of Butterflies or Blinking will certainly pull its weight otherwise. For more risky options, try a scroll of Summoning or a potion of Haste, which will let you outrun any slime '''except Quicksilver Oozes'''. DO NOT WASTE TURNS TAKING STEPS WITHOUT HASTE IF YOU HAVE NO ARMY YET. Unearth Wretches will create a protective wall of paralyzed gelatin, preventing nearby slimes from reaching you - and this is even safer if you are currently hasted or the slimes are asleep.

This is also why we trained Stealth earlier - this makes it much more likely that you will be able to draw your gelatinous horde from the ground while the acid blobs next to you are dreaming about soft and sweet sugary desserts instead of twoshotting you.

Slime Pits floors are small and compact - simply run around and completely annihilate all that jiggles and squishes with your personal militia until you find the downstairs. Did it get wiped out, either from you only having Death Channel or just the constant barrage of acid melting your jelly zombies into rotting puddles? Are more jellies breaching your diminishing defenses. '''Cast Animate Dead/Death Channel again. Send more Wretches.''' Once a floor is cleaned up, go downstairs.

If you want to maximize experience gain, look for upstairs with little yellow stars - they will have more gelatin to push through your Kiku-compactor. The Slime Pits has a disconnected layout, a bit like the Orcish Mines.

You will want to watch out for '''glass eyes''' and '''eyes of devastation''' - the former can place a debuff on you that increases all damage taken, which allows the latter to oneshot you with an ally-piercing bolt if the dice are feeling particularly evil. They should be focused first with 't'-'a'. '''Acid blobs''' also have a corrosive (but NOT ally-piercing) bolt, though it is not as scary, especially with a ring of corrosion resistance. You'll always want to have allies blocking Line-of-Sight with '''great orbs of eyes''', who can ''deny you use of all your spells through polymorph'' should they ever land their dastardly hexes on you!

'''Golden eyes''' can also get annoying - should they start giving you an extremely lengthy Confusion debuff, long enough for you to switch to a different tab, watch a few movies and come back, you'll want to drink a potion of Curing if dangerous slimes are exploiting this opportunity to sneak up on you. Watch out, if many Golden eyes are on screen, they might refresh the Confusion the moment you drink your potion! If you are entering a new floor, preparing to bring forth your army, and there are golden eyes alongside dangerous slimes, I recommend trying a different staircase entirely if possible - instant confusion and getting collapsed on by oozes is a death sentence.

As for '''Shining eyes''', they do zero damage, but their gaze will nastily violate basic biological knowledge, and rearrange your muscles to shrink in mass (?), make your meows as loud as the Tsar Bomba (??), or even warp your brain in such a way that it will randomly distort spacetime and bring you into the nearest death trap (???). As your feline body is already perfect in every way, any change would be a net downgrade. However, unlike you, your obedient units are not as feline and fluffy, and therefore would greatly benefit from a few minor readjustments. Leave them to be warped into pulsating flesh masses, shielding you from the mutagenic radiation - if the Shining Eye couldn’t fire a Magic Dart at you, you are safe. If you do eat a Malmutation, Jiyva will likely cure you once you receive your 3-stars mutation gift - but you can just drink a couple of Mutation potions until then.

* If the Jiyva altar did not spawn, your goal is to reach Slime:5 as fast as possible. That is where the guaranteed Jiyva altar is (there might be a rare one on the upper floors - convert there once your piety bar has been fully expended!)
* If it did spawn, you can stay here for as long as you want, ascending back to the surface once your Kiku oxygen tank is running dry. You might still be interested in reaching Slime:5, if only for the vast concentration of enemies and resulting experience.

Final floor? You know what to do. Pre-cast those spells before going down. Unearth Wretches. Get that army in working order. '''WARNING:''' If you have rolled the Slime:5 layout where there are many little square chambers interconnected by 1 tile hallways, this place becomes highly deadly, as it is very hard to actually get your army to do their grisly work with all these suffocating chokepoints. Do NOT try to clear this floor if you are not seeking the altar. If you are, be HIGHLY cautious.

'''If you are looking for the Jiyva altar''': Read a scroll of Revelation on Slime:5. Don't have it? Tough luck, you'll have to manually explore to find the altar. It's usually somewhere close to the centre. If you do have it, press capital 'X', and survey the map for an "unknown altar" icon. That's your destination. Get moving. Converting to Jiyva instantly renders the entirety of the Slime Pits completely harmless. You just need to get to that altar, and you'll have succeeded. Is it utterly swarmed and blocked by slimes of many nutritious flavours? Is your army dying at the final stretch? That's what those Scrolls of Blinking are for. Yes, blink on top of the altar, even if it's surrounded by deadly enemies. One turn is all you need. Don't worry, your army won't go hostile. Even though you just angered the god of Necromancy itself.

'''About the Royal Jelly''': Command your army with 't'-'f' (or 't'-'a' on something else) to NOT ATTACK IT. (Unless you are running the Hive Talisman). Not only does it spawn horrible amounts of OP slimes when it takes damage (which are worth 0 experience), it will also destroy all Jiyva altars if you somehow manage to kill it with your army of gelatinous doom. Which is surprisingly likely. If you have pulled it in and find your squad getting progressively mowed down by a wide variety of digestive enzymes, consider using a Scroll of Teleport, or retreating upstairs and using a different downstairs. You'll have to ignite a new army with some extra Kiku stars, but it will "park" the Royal Jelly on that other end of the level so you can safely access the Jiyva altar.

Of course, if you are staying with Kikubaaqudgha and are doing the dive, feel free to take no prisoners, splatter honey-coloured goo all over the Pits, and smash and grab that loot.

{{flavour|[[File:Jiyva altar.png]] Jiyva gurgles in joy at your terrifying pilgrimage all to worship them (even though you just murdered half their followers and turned them to undead servants).}}

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] You know, I was kind of hoping this would happen. It's been a while since I had the fun of smiting a mortal with horrible, debilitating dark curses.}}

You should only come back here once you reach maximum piety with Jiyva - ****** - to unlock all the delicious loot.

The way back up will be peaceful and of utmost serenity. Surely Kiku's wrath will be a nice, relaxing affair after going through this.

=All That Squiggles, Splashes and Slithers (S-Branches)=

'''Only if you already finished raiding the Slime Pits:''' clear the last floors of the Dungeon, allowing you to obtain Jiyva piety and experience Kiku's wrath in a relatively safe environment. "Relatively", because there are probably centaur warriors prowling about with digusting amounts of ranged damage. Animate Dead. Death Channel. Anguish. Deadly armies. You know the drill.

You'll also find the Vaults entrance on D:13 or D:14, with its signature swarm of human guards decked out in tons of metal. Perhaps they should have thought about protecting the inside of their skulls as well, as they are very vulnerable to Anguish.

'''If you are still with Kiku, waiting for your Infestation to become castable so you can raid the Pits:''' do NOT clear the lower Dungeon yet - once Kiku juice has been exhausted, you will want a safe area to start getting your first Jiyva stars and work off the first instances of Kiku's wrath in an environment you are overleveled for. Leave it for AFTER the S-Branches.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] That Smoky Gem is down there, in D:15! If you did things properly, grabbing it shouldn't be too hard. What's harder is keeping it intact. Try to have at least 800 turns remaining when you collect it! And as for D:11-D:15, don't explore more than half of each floor, except on D:13-D:14, where you'll want to find the Vaults entrance, and get moving again immediately afterwards!}}

You'll want to visit the S-Branches in this order:

Spider Nest > Swamp > Snake Pit > Shoals

This is roughly how much each of these branches hate cats, from easiest to most lethal. In the former two, there is less ranged damage and more hordes to turn into highly efficient undead. Meanwhile, the Snake Pit is full of Naga Sharpshooter aimbot hackers, giga-flame-smite Salamander Tyrants, and the unique Vashnia, queen of ridiculous felid two-shots. Not to mention that some nagas actually have some Willpower to resist Anguish, unlike the animalistic and weak-willed creepy-crawlies. As for the Shoals, it leaks deep water everywhere to make things as difficult as possible for your army, and its denizens will endlessly throw sharp things at you, sometimes piercing through your entire squad.

Ironic, considering that most DCSS characters tend to fear spiders much more than snakes.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] If you chose the honey-flavoured part of our treatment plan, with Unearth Wretches, getting those Gems will be extremely easy. If not, only slightly harder. That doesn't mean it's another vacation! Once again, explore only about half of each floor, except the fourth and final one, where you'll probably have to spend a lot of time clashing your hordes against the final vault guardians and looking for that Gem. Oh, and a rune, too. But that one isn't that important, now is it? If you have leftover time when going up, you can full-clear the first floor, it's not like we'll be coming back here anyhow.}}

Let's get started. Do not Ctrl-G into the branch - you'll arrive there weak and unprepared, and if there is a welcoming party at the entrance, you are likely to have roughly the entire medical history of poisoning injected in your bloodstream as you sit there and get pwned. Instead, Ctrl-F for the entrance gate in Lair, and stand on top of it. Cast your self-buffs - Animate Dead and Death Channel. Good. Now, you can actually go down.

Assuming you are now with Jiyva, plentiful regeneration, obtained from your very first Jiyva star, allows you to spam Haunt, Borgnjor's Vile Clutch, Anguish and perhaps Infestation/Rimeblight to your heart's content to spark a flame of subservience in the first members of your army. Don't forget to pre-cast Animate Dead/Death Channel before each staircase!

Annoyed by missing out on Animate Dead/Death Channel? Or perhaps you have both and still desire more power? Allow me to introduce you to the apotheosis of ally-creation spells:

'''[[Infestation]]''' (Level 8 Necromancy) is, if you were unlucky and failed to find Animate Dead, your salvation. If you do have it, it's still your salvation, because this spell creates Death Scarabs from the bodies of '''any''' slain enemy (INCLUDING undead and nonliving beings, but except summoned foes and Kiku wrath simulacra/spectres - zombies are fine), '''bypassing Animate Dead''' (no zombie and scarab from the same slain foe!). What is a Death Scarab? Why, nothing short of a star resident of the branch which terrorizes 15 rune DCSS characters the most - the dastardly Tomb of the Ancients. Let's check those stats out:

* Moves and attacks faster than light itself. To be precise, every single time you get a turn, they get three.
* Irresistible Slow debuff on hit.
* Tons of damage.
* Unfortunately very low HP. Thankfully, they are easy to produce in industrial quantities.

Infestation is a point-and-click ability, in a 5x5 square (If you're waiting for this spell to go raid the Slime Pits: Unearth Wretches is also a 5x5 square - cast Infestation on top of yourself after Unearth Wretches for immensely impressive results!). The game makes it quite obvious. Like its point-and-click cousin Haunt, you'll be spamming this one a lot. Use a Scroll of Amnesia, forget one of your old starter Summoning spells, and bind the macro to Infestation instead!

Ideally, you'd get 2-3 from your first fight on a new floor. Take them for a pack walk (don't autoexplore). When a new foe comes into view and they immediately charge towards it, cast Infestation again, and so on, gradually turning the entire floor population into scarabs. Unfortunately:

Your death scarab crumbles into dust!

Their lifespan is... limited. Certainly more impressive than Death Channel, but limited nonetheless. Once you have drawn the first blood, ''you need to keep the killstreak coming''. If you have won a fight, and are now accompanied by invertebrate friends, it is YOUR time to start prowling about the level like some bloodthirsty, horrible beast for fresh scarab meat. Haunt. Infestation. Haunt. Infestation. Executed correctly, these two spells combined can clear any floor that isn't the Realm of Zot or an extended endgame floor. Most importantly, unless you are on the brink of death, you should not be constantly waiting in place twiddling your paws until your HP and MP thresholds get to 100% - your scarabs will just get bored of your lack of courage and evaporate out of reality.

'''[[Rimeblight]]''' (Level 7 Ice/Necromancy) is an equally strong addition to your kit, which you should consider welcoming into your repertoire. It's a lot of slots - you probably can't allow this and Borngjor's Vile Clutch/a big Summonings spell to coexist, so choices will have to be made. This spell is good at both taking out lone OP foes and bundled up living, demonic or holy creatures - for the real star of the show are the infectious explosions. Cast it on the least resilient foe that is closely bundled together with other creatures (each death causes the disease to spread further), and then forget about it and use your other spells. It will get the job done. Feel free to combine it with Gell's Gravitambourine for even less social distancing! You should also know that it executes living/demonic/holy monsters with 20% HP or less, so, if some ubermensch has only a few pixels remaining on its health bar and is destroying you, cast Rimeblight for a guaranteed takedown. if '''Training Ice Magic to level 9 is recommended.'''

'''After clearing the first S-Branch''': Check the success rate of '''Death's Door''' in your (M)emorization menu. If you are stacked with Wizardry/Intelligence buffs, it might be below 50%. Or not. That's fine too. You'll still want to start making room for it.

'''Start training Spellcasting to receive just enough slots to add it (0.5 level = 1 spell slot!), or use Scrolls of Amnesia on starter Summonings spells to free up slots.'''

If you make room to add it while clearing the second S-Branch AND the failure rate is below 50%, keep in mind this spell is utterly overpowered and will save even the most desperate situations. More on that later, but it might actually be worth gambling on if your other options aren't looking too good. Watch out: if you miscast it, it will likely just finish you off you with ~20 darkness damage. Until it reaches less than 20% failure rate, it's a last resort. LAST RESORT. Now is not the time to "save blinking scrolls for later". NO. YOU WON'T NEED THEM ANYMORE WHEN YOU HAVE IMMORTALITY ON SPEED DIAL.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Swamp/Shoals are super tight on time. Clearly, management thought the less turns employees spend in these places, the better. Typical ivory tower fools. Anyhow, when you find a normal staircase and the surroundings are clear and safe, just go down. You'll need a bit more time than you think to tackle those hydra parties and javelineer shooting ranges on the last floor!}}

===Angry Death-God Interdimensional Hunt (Monitoring Kiku's Wrath)===

If you'd like to check how long you'll still have to deal with Kiku's wrath, press, in this order, '?'-'/'-'g'-'k'. There are five tiers:

*"Kiku's wrath is upon you!" (> 75%)
*"Kiku well remembers your sins." (> 50%)
*"Kiku's wrath is beginning to fade. (> 25%)
*"Kiku is almost ready to forgive your sins." (< 25%)
*"Kiku is neutral towards you." (0%)

Once you reach the final tier, you are finally free, and will be able to fully enjoy necromantic magic with glorious slime-powered regeneration for the rest of the run!

Kiku will probably forgive you sometime around the S-Branches. At last.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Whatever. You're boring. If you need me, I'll be over here. On my throne of skulls. Watching slasher flicks. I'll especially not be watching your run, waiting for the moment you splat so I can cackle evilly at my indirect revenge. I would never do that. That sounds like something Zin would do.

But enough talk about using my stolen gifts. Let's finish you off.}}

===They Bite, They Fight, They Rot (Spider Nest)===

If you have rolled this branch, you have been granted the Necromancy-special easy mode midgame. Despite what you may think, rPois isn't actually that important with this build, because the assorted venomous bites won't actually be able to reach you if you play correctly. Let's get cracking.

* '''Meliais''' are as horrifying as they were in the lower parts of the dungeon, and should be dealt with as swiftly as possible - note that their willpower is very fragile when faced with a scion of the One True Pillow-Pawed race, which makes them vulnerable to Polymorph/Charm wands or Anguish.

* '''Spark Wasps''' can pull off anime "teleports behind you" moves with extreme electric damage. They must be Anguished on sight. Haunted. Borgnjor's Vile Clutched. I don't care. Each turn those blue pixels exist on your screen, you are increasing the likelihood that you'll lose the run and be forced to go do something productive instead. We don't want that, now do we?

* '''Orb Spiders''' are highly annoying pests that will challenge you to a game of dodgeball without consent. The ominous purple Orbs of Destruction they will hurl at you inflict extreme, potentially oneshotting, undodgeable damage, and should be avoided at all costs. The easiest way to neutralize them is to have any creature eat the Orb for you - enemies work too, but the most reliable choice is any allied unit. A simple use of your Blink cantrip can also save your scruff, but do mind the heat-seeking properties of Orbs in open spaces, and be ready to Blink a second time.

* '''Broodmothers''' are nasty and will challenge you to a Zotémon duel, and they're a big fan of the Poison Type. Do remind them that Poison attacks on Ghost types are Not Very Effective. If you need to reach them from behind their wall of allies, use Borgnjor's Vile Clutch or Haunt.

* '''Xak' Krixis''', a unique boss, can turn all of your poison into instant damage. Do not hold back on the armies against this one. And ring-swap to rPois. Or drink a Potion of Resistance. He is also quite vulnerable to Anguish. No rPois? At the very least, do anything to avoid standing within 2 tiles of the imminently exploding prisms.

* You don't want anything in this branch to be adjacent to you, but you especially don't want '''Radroaches''' adjacent to you. Enough said.

* '''Ghost Moths''' are the signature enemy of this branch that gets the DCSS community trembling in fear, mainly because of their undodgeable, point-and-click gaze instantly deleting your entire MP bar. Do note that the DCSS community is also filled with fans of conjurations and blaster spells. As a proper gentlefeline, your much more subtle and intellectual magic isn’t limited to the turn it was cast. Casting Haunt once on one is pretty much a guarantee that it will die (if the spectres can reach it). If they are ruining your day, a Potion of Invisibility will shut down their mana-draining ability.

Also, they are invisible. But the feline master race has little patience for such trivialities. You won't even notice. Just don't be surprised if your scarabs/zombies are ignoring them.

{{flavour|[[File:Jiyva altar.png]] Jiyva gurgles inquisitively, wondering how ghost moths reproduce if they can't see invisible, but are invisible themselves. }}

===Realm of the Aimbot Hackers (Snake Pit)===

Ready for some Counter-Strike action? Get to Site Snake:4 before the counter-terrorists eliminate your entire squad. Unfortunately, you have been placed in the cheaters' queue, and everyone here is using hacks and scripts.

* '''Naga sharpshooters''' are the main culprits. Not only do they have OP bows, they also have a spell that lets them teleport the arrow directly on top of you, bypassing your entire army AND reducing your chance to dodge it. They come in groups, too, which means you could be walking around and suddenly start getting plowed by sharp sticks appearing out of thin air. Because this isn't difficult enough, they have enough Willpower to resist Anguish and other hexes quite efficiently (though insistent casters may eventually curse them). A Scroll of Vulnerability helps if there are many on your screen. Most wisely, however, I suggest you avoid having too many on your screen at once, and make use of doors and chokepoints to secure a place where you can safely dump Haunt and Borgnjor's Vile Clutch on them one by one.

* '''Vashnia''' is the queen of the hackers, doing exactly the same thing as them but with bigger damage. And another hack that lets her teleport so you can't escape as easily. I've reported her to the DCSS admins numerous times, but she still hasn't gotten banned. If you've been saving your Scrolls of Vulnerability, this is the time to use them.

* '''Salamander tyrants''' are rare, but CAN ONESHOT YOU ON SIGHT WITH A POINT-AND-CLICK ABILITY. This is one of the extremely rare cases where you can literally just take a step and instantly die (assuming you lack rF+). As soon as one appears on your screen, you MUST take action immediately, through one of the following:
** Ring-swap to Fire Resistance.
** Drink a Potion of Resistance.
** Drink a Potion of Invisibility.

They are weak to Anguish and will likely get a taste of their own oneshot medicine once they are cursed. Assuming you survive, that is.

* '''Guardian serpents''' have the infamous ability to teleport their entire squad on top of you, which is an immediate critical emergency if it happens. Thankfully, you have loyal allies to take up space - yet another reason to always try to keep yourself surrounded and loved by your mindless thralls. Immediately consider the Blink spell or a Blinking scroll if you are caught off-guard.

* '''Naga ritualists''' have varied point-and-click poison abilities which aren't that threatening, but add up if you leave them alive for too long. Ring-swapping to rPois is useful, but barring, that, try to Haunt/Borgnjor's Vile Clutch them first.

* '''Nagaraja''' have all kinds of toxic-chemical flavoured conjurations comparable to Arachne's, and your 3 AC, no rPois scruff is not exactly the definition of a hazmat suit. Avoid having no allies blocking their line of fire (those poison arrows hurt!) and, if you cannot ring-swap poison resistance, expect to require Curing potions should their ally-piercing bolt of poison hit you.

* '''Shock serpents''' have an ally-piercing electrical bolt - not oneshot material by any means, but repeated hits will hurt. They have a permanently active damage-reflection effect electrocuting all which damage it in melee. The answer? Anguish - they hit your ally, they take Anguish damage from this, your ally hits them, they take more damage, your ally is electrocuted, the serpent takes even more Anguish damage. Don't try to wrap your head around it, just oneshot them with this technique.

===Grand Oneshot Fiesta (Swamp)===

This one is interesting, because most enemies here have ridiculous damage, but little ways of actually reaching you to apply it. It was already important before, but it is EXTREMELY important here to keep yourself surrounded by a cocoon of cold, well-meaning hugs from your assorted undead. Leaving your frail and vulnerable body exposed is opening the door to getting oneshotted by the extremely high damage hydrae, bunyips, alligators, will-o-wisps... Well, they actually have to do the effort of walking towards you to kill you (except the will-o-wisp). Which makes this place much better than Shoals in my book.

* '''Eleionoma''' are an exception to this rule, and are also complete bullshit. I don't like swearing in my guides, but these ones deserve it. Their signature spell, Splinterspray, has huge range and deals up to 72 damage. A dull-witted minotaur may say, "they aren't that bad, I just tab them with my axe". Well, dear bovine comrade, Splinterspray has its damage negated ''3 times in a row'' by your AC score. This means their existence is basically an insult to Felids in particular. Suffer not a single one to live. The counterplay? A ring of +4 Protection is worth a quick-swap when they are around, as it translates to a +12 AC bonus against this attack due to the multiplier. Because these aren't OP enough, they also giga-self heal when they touch trees. Just drop a fat Haunt or drown them in undead on sight, the less seconds they breathe, the better.

* '''Swamp Worms''' are pretty harmless on their own, but they can shoot a beam that pulls the first entity hit into melee range of them. If you let them get a clear shot, you can get extracted from your massive army into a death trap. Mind the gaps in your formation.

* '''Bloated husks''' just run at you doing nothing and explode in a 5x5 area when they die.. Aside the fact that this can make them deal huge damage to your army, it will, on average, take out half of your entire HP bar every single time if you get caught in the blastzone.

* '''Will-o-wisps''' endlessly churn out drones to seek and destroy you with huge fire damage. This will be blocked by allies, and Haunting them is highly wise. If you are exposed to their antics, though, consider ring-swapping to obtain rF+.

* '''Swamp dragons''' are not very dangerous, aside from the fact that they place disgusting green poison clouds all over the place. Got stuck in the chemical spill? Ring-swap to rPois, and you can immediately shut off every neuron in your brain that had registered their existence. No rPois? A potion of Resistance does the same thing. Otherwise, a potion of Curing heals all poison, but it won't help if you just get poisoned again by the cloud on the same turn. Focus on getting out, by walking, using the Blink spell or even a precious Blinking scroll if it truly matters.

* '''Shambling mangroves''' have a point-and-click constrict. It's kind of like the Borgnjor's Vile Clutch you may have chosen to obtain, but with even less counterplay. It ends when they perish, so hit them back with your own flavour of point-and-click, known as Haunt or Borgnjor's Vile Clutch.

* '''Goliath frogs''' and '''Spriggan riders''' have reach (polearm) attacks. Don't just stand there 2 spaces away while they ignore your allies and prepare themselves a fine feline brochette.

* Needless to say, don't let '''hydrae''' touch you. ESPECIALLY not the rare one with 27 heads.

===I Swear You Had A Health Bar A Second Ago, Must Be Seeing Things (Shoals)===

Ah yes, welcome to the funhouse of doom. You don't really need any specific resistances in this place, just go full-on Wizardry and Intelligence so things perish as fast as possible. I like Acrobat and Reflection amulets to reduce slightly the vast number of sharp objects moving quickly in your general direction. Ring-swapping into Flight, or drinking a Potion of enlightenment is also potentially interesting when you need to move over water for tactical reasons.

* '''Merfolk javeliners''' can Alt-F4 your health bar when they feel like it. Their sole purpose in life is to pick up sticks of metal and throw them at you, doing gargantuan damage in the process. Because it wasn't hard enough, they occasionally carry the silver variant of their javelins, which deals bonus damage to the heavily mutated. Because Jiyva has probably made you look like [https://raw.githubusercontent.com/crawl/crawl/master/crawl-ref/source/dat/tiles/title_froggy_jiyva_felid.png this] by now, this will hurt. A couple casts of Anguish will usually curse them (causing a massive pile of exclamation points in the message log when they throw their javelin through your undead army). An Amulet of Reflection or of the Acrobat will also come a long way towards putting the odds in your favour - I'd recommend walking around with one already equipped while in the Shoals.

* '''Satyrs''' are pretty much the exact same thing, but at least, they can't pierce through your allies freely. Let your servants die in your name!

* '''Water nymphs''' have a disgustingly powerful point-and-click "boom! you take 3 million damage!" ability. However, they can only use it if you are standing on a water tile. If one is on your screen, avoid water as much as possible - and don't let that Nymph get close, as they constantly leak the stuff everywhere they go. Nice try, but Flight won't save you.

* '''Wind drakes''' also have a "boom!" point-and-click, but this one instead relies on you being surrounded by empty tiles, just like the slug mage Gastronok. Another reason to keep your army close.

* '''Merfolk impalers''' and '''Alligator snapping turtles''' both have "reach" (polearm) melee attacks from 2 spaces away. They also deal giga-damage. Don't ever let them get a hit off.

=Crossroads of Immortality (The Ultimate Spell)=

You've made it. Ascension is at hand - or rather, at paw. Behold - the '''Velvet-Pawed Path to Immortality'''. A level 9 spell, ranked among the legends of Polar Vortex, Shatter, Dragon's Call, Fire Storm...

"How much damage does this one do", you ask yourself, trembling in excitement.

Zero, actually. To your enemies, that is.

'''[[Death's Door]]''' (Level 9 Necromancy), on a successful cast, will immediately nuke your (already minuscule) HP bar, always setting it to around 10-20 HP points remaining. This will never directly kill you.

Not off to a good start, are we? The important part: '''for the next 12-25 turns (it's technically 10-27, but the extremes are unlikely), you CANNOT die through ANY means, and this buff CANNOT be removed.''' Picture this: while it is active:

* HP is an illusion.
* AC is an illusion.
* EV is an illusion.
* SH is an illusion.
* Elemental resistances? You guessed it - an illusion.

Do you see what I see? An eloge to felinekind. A loveletter. An enchantment which takes away all that makes them bad, leaving only the good. ''Every'' other species in DCSS is (rightfully) TERRIFIED of this spell, because when it ends, they will still be left at 10-20 HP, ready to be oneshotted by the tickling touch of a feather and rocketed back to the character selection screen. But cats know no such weaknesses, for they alone know the bony touch of oblivion all too well, and can ''respawn'' after even Death's Door proves ineffective at saving their lives. It's not like having 17 HP is that different from having 103, after all.

This means that you, dear reader, can afford to be '''extremely''' proactive in using this thing.

Picture the following scenario: going about your usual murderous business, some ranged cheater takes out 40% of your HP in a single attack, leaving you at 60%.

* Scenario 1: "Hey, I still have most of my health, it's fine."
** Assuming you dodge reliably, how long do you think you could actually stay alive if that foe just refused to die and kept pelting you? 12 turns, at most?
** That's assuming you dodge reliably, anyhow. You might just die next turn.

* Scenario 2: Cast Death's Door NOW!!
** You now have exactly 12-25 turns in which you have absolute certainty that death is impossible.
** You can forget entirely about cowardly tactics such as "hiding behind allies" or "ring-swapping", and dedicate all resources to making sure that enemy is no longer on your screen by the end of the time period, whether through escape or murder.
** If the screen is PACKED, you can drink a potion of attraction, then read a scroll of immolation as a home-made nuclear detonation device.
** You can just walk into melee range of hasted Ancient Liches and start blasting them with Dispel Undead.
** You can drop 10 Haunts on a single OP unique while you stand there motionless eating 100 melee damage per turn like some immovable object. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifB662xOZTw This is probably how it looks.]
** You can read Teleportation Scrolls and just casually wait and look at your own claws, wondering if feline manicure is a thing, while some Spriggan Berserker is furiously swinging its axe into your scruff over and over.
** You can casually approach any living or corporeal undead creature, (no demons or nonliving enemies allowed! Nice try, but Orbs of Fire count as nonliving.) invoke Slimify from your (a)bility menu (after 4 **** Jiyva stars), and melee attack until you oneshot them.

Embrace the power. Cleanse yourself of fear. Unlearn your preconceptions. Forget your Minotaur instincts. There is Life, there is Death, and there is You, standing perfectly still at the line in between. This is your feline destiny.

Death's Door goes through a cycle:

You stand defiantly in death's doorway! You seem to hear sand flowing through an hourglass...

The spell just started, and the timer is engaged. (White "DDoor" status in the sidebar)

Your time is quickly running out!

Don't freak out. That actually just means it's about halfway done. You still have time. But if the whole "murder" angle is not looking good, start plotting your escape now. (Gray "DDoor" status in the sidebar)

Your life is in your own paws again!

If you did not plan this out correctly, this is the part where they kill you. Because the invincibility just ran out. And you have 12 HP. Death's Door will go on cooldown (Yellow -DDoor in the sidebar) for the surprisingly short duration of 1-3 turns, so you cannot immediately recast it to protect yourself. Shoutout to the developers for recently changing this to say "paws" and not "hands" for Felids specifically!

You step away from death's doorway.

Death's Door is ready to be used again. Many times, I have managed to recast the spell while still engaged in combat, just because I had retreated safely into the middle of my army, or because I had an all-skill-no-luck EV dodge of a ranged attack that should have killed me. In that case, you simply get the 12-25 turns of invincibility all over again.

A note: Potions of haste are ridiculously strong in tandem with Death's Door. They effectively lengthen the duration by 33%. For the same reason, being Slow in Death's Door is terrible, as it shortens the duration by 33%. As expected, Haste and Slow cancel each other out.

Got slots? Or you will in the future? Consider the following:

'''[[Passwall]]''' (Level 3 Earth) is a so-called "escape" spell that has the bad habit of killing its users while they are charging it up. When used on a nearby wall, it renders you unable to act for a few turns as you fixate the stone with extreme intensity that leaves your enemies concerned about you. They will try to prod you to snap you out of it. If you aren't dead by the end of this phase, you will - it's literally in the title - pass through the wall and arrive on the other side. You can see where this is going - cast Death's Door, and you can now escape through any common wall (not the indestructible ones) with zero risk. Even though the magic school on this isn't your forté, it's so low level you can probably already cast it with your vast levels of Spellcasting. Maybe get '''4 levels of Earth''' for good measure if you don't already have them.

Here's another suggestion:

'''[[Dispel Undead]]''' (Level 4 Necromancy) is the least complicated of all dark spells. Walk up to melee range of some rotting fool, press it, blast them with huge (3d31 at max damage, comparable to a Lehudib's Crystal Spear), unavoidable, defense-bypassing pure damage. Flavour-wise, your dark research has come to teach you the invisible forces holding together a corpse which shouldn't be animated, and the ways to unravel them. More creatures are undead than you may think:

* Bog bodies from the Swamp.
* Pharaoh ants from the Spider Nest.
* Laughing, Curse and Weeping Skulls in the deep Dungeon and/or Crypts.
* Any Player Ghost in the Necropolis.
* Any creature reanimated by a deep elf death mage's lost souls.
* Death scarabs from the Tomb. You might have encountered some early in the Spider Nest, or after "accidentally" blasting your Infestation scarabs with, say, a scroll of immolation and turning them hostile.
* Curse toes and Death cobs from the Realm of Zot, the final stop of your grand pillow-pawed journey.
* Deadly uniques such as Jory, Boris, Nobody, or Khufu.
* Any zombies/spectres/simulacra, either natural or reanimated by Kiku's malice.

= Knife-Eared Folks and their Floating Knives (Elven Halls) =

This next area is completely optional-

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] No, it's NOT. Get that Shimmering Gem, PRONTO!! Great, another one of these places where you dilly-dally thinking it will be fine only to spend a thousand turns running away in fear from reality-shattering archmagi on the final floor. Do this one just like the second S-Branch - use SAFE staircases, which have no enemies around them, IMMEDIATELY, and dedicate all your effort and care to looting that Elf:3 fortress!}}

-but I encourage you to clear at least the first two floors to acquire bonus experience, and polish up your Death's Door. At this point, '''you should only be training Necromancy and have no Kiku wrath remaining.''' Possibly Shapeshifting if you still need that Hive Talisman. Maybe Spellcasting if you are desperate for slots. Because SOMEONE has been eating all the Amnesia scrolls.

{{flavour|[[File:Jiyva altar.png]] A distant sound of paper being dissolved in acid echoes through the Elven Halls.}}

The Elves haven't been hitting the gym. Their muscles are weak, because they play DCSS all day. When you drain all that education out of their skulls by turning them to zombies, they do almost nothing except contribute their hitpoints to the Anguish fund. We do not want this. We want OP scarabs. Spam Infestation left and right on these fools. Even the dancing weapons.

A death scarab bursts out of the +4 trident of felid slaying!

How does that even work? Whatever. Let's talk timed portals. Semi-rarely, you may find:

* The "crackle of arcane power". Wizard Laboratories are pocket-sized adventures ranging from litterboxes of loot to death traps. If I were you, I'd avoid Tukima's Studio, unless having a clone of yourself spam Haunt on you while OP floating books with 100 damage crystal spears pwn you sounds funny. The rest should be fine. Watch out for Doroklohe’s Tomb, it will appear to be safe then jumpscare you with tons of endgame mummies or other OP foes. If you want to clear that one, stay in the entrance and wait (5) over and over, don't wander off into the main room.

* The "coins being counted". A Bazaar is almost always worth it. This one might even be worth reading a Scroll of Revelation for. If you have the gold to spare, of course (press '$'). In your shopping spree, stock up on delicious potions, interesting scrolls, and spells that might be missing from your kit.

* A "distant wind". Ah, yes, the <s>Death Trap</s> Desolation of Salt. This place kills so many players. Luckily, this build is probably one of the best at taking it head-on, and the loot tends to include some sick rings and amulets. If you wish to test its mettle, my advice is to just spam Infestation on those trillions of saltlings rushing to melee you. Simply run around and Infestation everything you see until the screen is covered in scarabs. You may need to use Death's Door if things go south. Be wary of [[Ghostly Sacrifice]], an extremely OP point-and-click, undodgeable attack which deals over 100 darkness damage. An enemy must be adjacent to you for it to be used. The Halazid warlocks are responsible for it - either use Death's Door or ring swap to rN+ if you cannot reposition yourself away from enemies in melee range of you.

In the Elven Halls, and especially Elf:3, there are a wide variety of professionals with PhDs in kitty-murder. The valedictorians here are:

* '''Dancing weapons''': Don't mistake them for floor items, notice the little music note icon on their sprites. Some are not that scary (+1 dagger) while others will be your doom (+9 bardiche of antimagic). Don’t fight too fast, and check the brands and enchantments of what you are faced against. If it has enchantments of +4 or more, has a brand you do not resist, or is an axe or polearm, it's a threat.

Regardless, Borgnjor's Vile Clutch completely demolishes them, because their defenses are all-dodge-no-armour (like you!), and that spell cannot be avoided. Haunt is also interesting.

You'll find an extreme amount of these behind the big runed gate in Elf:2, known as the Hall of Blades. I generally don't even bother opening it. These enemies are hard enough, and the shiny metal they leave behind isn't even designed for quadrupeds. Psh!

* '''Deep elf master archers''': You may be purring in mockery as 5 arrows whiff past you one after the other. Enjoy becoming a porcupine when a single shot cuts away 50% of your HP. These should never, ever get a clean line of fire at you, and should have Haunts dumped on them immediately if they do. Like any ranged foe, remember that closing doors behind you can prove surprisingly effective.
* '''Deep elf elementalists''': TRY NOT TO STAND NEXT TO WALLS! It is their strongest attack, because they can point and click walls to remote-detonate them. Anyways, as a herder of allies, you should be prioritizing wide open space instead. The Blink spell can help you get away. The other elemental flavours of pain aren't as bad, as long as you keep drowning them in undead.
* '''Deep elf sorcerers & high priests''': Damnation ''hurts''. Sending foes to block a sorcerer's line of fire by standing adjacently to them will make them hesitate, as they’re not masochistic enough to blow themselves up. The high priests, however, can order an orbital strike onto you in point-and-click flavour, and won't be impressed.
* '''Deep elf annihilators''': With your high EV, most of the time, they will miss, but when they don’t, ''ouch''. Their worst spell is the Crystal Spear, but it has thankfully limited range, so keep your distance (more than 4 tiles).
* '''Deep elf blademasters''': It’s an elf, but with +99 daggers of kitty-slaying and rocket-boot thrusters. Don't let these touch you.
* '''Deep elf death mage''': It's you! But less fluffy. Therefore lesser. Their signature spell, Call Lost Souls, summons some harmless, annoying puffs of spectral matter which will revive nearby dying elves into a ghost variant (this adds a little skull icon on their sprite). When they are reanimated thus, if you have Dispel Undead, you can walk up and blast them - otherwise, your other tools are just as efficient as they are on their living counterparts.

Thankfully, these elven bullies are mostly hidden in their big fortress somewhere in Elf:3, and can be dealt with in little groups at a time, as the entrance to their headquarters is conveniently shaped like a funnel. Approach the final vault, lure in a few volunteers, dispose of them, rest, and return, until the flood stops. Dashing in, battling all of them at once, and expecting to win is extremely foolish.

If you have Summon Mana Viper, it can have impressive results here! Antimagic-biting an Annihilator to force them to use their puny arms instead of their reality-shattering conjurations is quite effective.

Unlike the lesser humanoids, Banishment is very unlikely to happen to you here. If it ''does'' happen, stay calm. The first instinct of many players is to start walking in diagonals to find an exit, but you should not be doing this with this build. You have the ability to organize a nice little fortress with your allies, and fend off invaders coming from all sides. After proving to Lugonu your fighting prowess, you will be let out without complications. Dying in the Abyss is ''very'' undesirable, as you will simply respawn in another equally dangerous location of this infinite plane of madness.

=Containment Breach in Zone 2 (Vaults)=

Excellent, a place where you'll actually feel powerful. You'll feel right at home in this stronghold of soullessness, metal, and faceless guards devoid of individual thought.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Life would be so much simpler if everyone was an undead thrall, you know? Perfect order, absolute obedience, flawless coordination. I bet technology would be propelled centuries foward if people stopped clutching that worthless "identity" everyone keeps talking about.}}

This is the necromantic funzone, seriously. The extreme majority of everything here has been so dumbed down by mindless servitude that their Willpower - and therefore resistance to Anguish - is as low as the chance that you actually managed to survive up to this point. Not only that, but almost every creature makes up for spectacular undead thralls, and space is so neatly organized and wide open that you'll have no trouble directing your army around to annihilate everything you see.

Always have Death Channel active when you battle. Animate Dead the first sizable goon squad you spot, and carry them around the level until it's worth replacing them. Spam Infestation on everything you see until then.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] All this empty space. All this real estate opportunity, ruined. Such inefficiency. Don't linger in Vaults:1 and Vaults:4, exploring no more than half of both. You'll still want to locate the Crypts somewhere on Vaults:2 or Vaults:3 through more thorough exploration, after which you'll be able to descend faster.}}

The threats? Point-and-click abilities, of course.

* '''Ironbound thunderhulks''' have on-demand electro-bzzaps, and '''are the biggest threat of this branch'''. Unlike most point-and-click cheaters, this one can actually be dodged, but should you fail to do so, say goodbye to half your HP bar. They have this gimmick where they cannot use this skill if you are 2 or fewer tiles away, but don't let this bait you into walking towards terrible positions only for them to blink away and resume electrocuting you. Don't hesitate to pop Death's Door if you get badly hit once. Ring-swapping to the rare rElec artifact ring may prove useful, if you have found such a useful trinket.

* '''Ironbound frosthearts''' also have a point-and-click, this time chocolate ice-cream flavoured. Yes, chocolate is toxic to cats. This is intentional. It drips from the walls, so avoid standing next to them, as was the case for Deep elf elementalists. Thankfully, these have been heavily nerfed since my last FeSu guide, as back then, they were as horrible as Salamander tyrants. You can afford to take a few hits.

* '''Frederick''' CAN ONESHOT YOU THE MOMENT YOU TAKE A SINGLE BREATH IN HIS PRESENCE. If you encounter him alone and wish to take him down, I suggest an immediate Death's Door from full HP, and then an unloading of your entire necromantic artillery on him. It will be enough. There really is no overkill here. If your Death's Door is close to running out and he is still alive, just pop Slimify from your (a)bility menu and oneshot him.

* '''Xtahua''' can also oneshot you, but only if you lack rF+. Even then, have your paw on the Death's Door button at the ready! Slimify if needed.

* '''Mennas''', the "Menace" as some players call him, is practically designed to counter everything you are capable of. Bonus damage against undead, instant Silence to block you from using Death's Door and all other spells, mass confusion on your Death Scarabs so they start hurting each other and potentially you as well, resistance to Slimify from being holy, huge speed, huge melee damage... I've had success with a Scroll of Vulnerability and repeated Anguish, but attempts at battle without a huge swarm to back you up usually result in dead cats faster than you can say "Deus Vult". If you have a wand of quicksilver and his dreaded Silence comes out, you can use it on him for a chance to dispel the Silence!

You can detect Mennas - and sometimes Frederick - through walls by looking for suspiciously yellow tiles, illuminated by their radiant haloes. Don't get trolled by Mennas's lack of See Invisible, his halo will still reveal you, as long as you are standing in it.

* '''Jory''' and '''Boris''' are similar - two undead casters with ridiculously damaging spells, packing an easy twoshot or oneshot if you let them blast you. For maximum disrespect, just Death's Door immediately, walk up, and pwn them with Dispel Undead or Slimify.

* '''Zenata''' is one of the most lethal bosses of the mid-to-late game, brutally decimating around 5% of all players who choose to take her on. Keyword - choose. Many advanced and competitive players leave her alone entirely to polish her army of hasted dancing scimitars instead. You can do so as well, but if seeing coloured pixels moving across your screen sends you into a mindless rage, you can do Death's Door-Slimify at the easiest, or Death's Door-necro-artillery for a more traditional takedown. She won't oneshot you, so you can use a few turns to prep, but once her summons are out and she has started using her point-and-click damage ability, it's time to get down to business and hit that immortality button. Don't even think about Blink-scrolling or whatever away from all those floating knives, they are almost as fast as Death scarabs. Just focus on pwning her.

* '''Nobody''' is not that scary to me, aside from the part where they DARE stomp on the feline fiefdom's trademarks and use extra lives to respawn 3 times, one more than you can hold at a time. Each of their reincarnations has a different kit. Honestly, they are okay to deal with as long as you have a few scarabs to swarm them with (and they aren't ganking you in the middle of a Vaults:5 party). Pay attention to their dialogue lines in the message log, I like them a lot.

* '''Ironbound convokers''' are infamous for their ability to teleport enemies from the floor over to their position a few turns after the flag icon appears on their sprite. This is usually not that bad of a thing, as it's more meat to funnel through your undead creation machine. What you do not want is Mennas suddenly spawning in your face. For this reason, I like to Haunt/Borgnjor's Vile Clutch them with priority.

I suggest not entering Vaults:5. Not even a peek. There is a surprise party down there. You're not invited. Make your way to the Crypts instead.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Splats And Riches Incorporated™ goes where it pleases! Barge into those Vaults:5 goons' private space, that Shining Gem won't pick itself up. Let's do this. And don't go leaving now to get to the Pits beforehand, the "spoils of war" imply a war as a prerequisite!}}

===Squishy Interlude (Slime:5 & Ring/Amulet Selection)===

You might have reached (******) in Jiyva piety, or will soon. When that happens, Ctrl-G your way to Slime:5.

{{flavour|[[File:Jiyva altar.png]] Ecstatic wobbling resounds before all this juicy, delicious loot!}}

Yikes. Well, at least the artifacts will be spared. Try to collect as many useful items as possible, and, of course, the rune.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] And the GEM. If you're tight on turns, forget the loot, get back up to that Lair, NOW!!}}

Speaking of "useful items", your inventory is probably getting full. Here is how I choose my rings, depending on the "Egoes" they possess. These are called "Ego" in-game because they increase your hubris the more OP they are, thus making you splat out of recklessness. '''Bold = Good.'''

* If '''Wiz''' is causing your Death's Door to be more reliable, it's highly valuable.
* '''+X Int''' is never bad.
* '''Resistances''' aren't as useful now that we have a spell to take out Death itself on a nice Sunday movie night hangout. But they are still interesting to dial down oneshots and twoshots - rF+ in particular is pretty good, as this damage type is quite common, and we already have rC+ from our fur. Jiyva gives you rCorr for free.
* +X MP is decent. But Jiyva's mana regeneration is already almost infinite mana. You can do better.
* +X Dex gives EV. But not as much as a +5 EV ring. You have enough EV to go around already. Find better.
* Will+ is not very useful, because cats know nothing of self-doubt. Will-, however, is bad, as it re-introduces all those annoying hexing experiences other species have to deal with. Cancel it out with a Will+ if it's really worth it.
* All the "dangerous" properties like "Drain", "Corrode" can mostly be ignored. "Slow" is a little more dangerous, but acceptable if the bonuses are good. "Bane" is a risk/reward, refer to the [[#Kiku's Troll Carousel (Banes)|banes section]].

And here is how I choose my amulets. '''Bold = Good.'''

* '''RegenMP''' - more mana. More scarabs. More Death's Door. More fun.
* '''Acrobat''' is surprisingly great, as you spend a lot of turns just waiting and moving around. +15 EV is serious business, especially when it comes to surviving an expiring Death's Door.
* '''Reflection''', in a similar vein, blocks some attacks, and can even return some ranged ones to sender.
* '''Wildshape''' is only truly good if you are building your way to a Hive Talisman, Riddle Talisman, Granite Talisman or Dragon-coil Talisman. Don't bother otherwise.
* Alchemy is nice if you can chug a quick sip of Curing to get just enough mana to enter Death's Door. The above ones are better.
* Regeneration is interesting, because it has a lot of chances to tick while you move around your army. But I still think the above ones are better.
* Dissipation is very meh. It's better than nothing for sure, and you will appreciate it the few times it is relevant, but we need to also acknowledge the "rest of the time", which is most of the time you spend in the Dungeon, and we'd rather have RegenMP here.
* Faith is useless. Are you going around using Slimify on everything you see? No, you are not. Do better.
* <s>YASD</s> Guardian Spirit: "Oh no, my beloved feline friend! You took quite the hit there. Good thing I spread it to your mana bar to offset the damage! You now have 5 MP and 30 HP, instead of only 10 HP! What do you mean 'I needed that mana for Death's Door'? You don't need spells to protect yourself. You have me!"

===Emergency Facility Lockdown (Vaults:5)===

Do not come here if you just want to win. You will likely-

''Attention all personnel. A supernatural feline capable of binding souls at its beck and call and of entering invincibility on demand is heading to the maximum security Zone Five. Engage maximum defensive protocols.''

Oh, you already went in. Welp. If you had listened to me, you would have known that drinking Haste and Brilliance before going down is quite smart. You could also have:

* Read a Scroll of Teleportation, then immediately descended.
* Used a Vaults:4 escape hatch, if it spawned, instead of the normal stairs.

I'll stop using past tense and roleplaying, now, because it's getting annoying.

In the former case, you will be met with a horrible ambush screen. It won't last long before you are whisked away to a random location. Some possibilities:

* '''Close to the central death zone''': Troublesome, but at least you probably aren't getting attacked from all angles anymore. You'll want to retreat towards one of the linear hallways, using Anguish, Infestation and Death Channel to collect the ambush guards as your starting army. If things go wrong - which they might - you may have to Death's Door and read a new Teleport scroll.

* '''Close to the outer rim''': This is the best scenario. These hallways are mostly safe and have few enemies, which means more time to regenerate, moving slowly across, recruiting all creatures you come across to roll your growing snowball of undead.

* '''Straight into one of the infested loot vaults''': Rather terrible. You may even have to Death's Door very fast. I've never been oneshotted here, but the moment you are below 60% HP here, you are in kill range. You can try to make a stand and forge an army - especially if you have Haste/Brilliance buffs - but be ready to try a new Teleport scroll.

Once you have established your squad, the rest is much easier. Move across the level, replacing your slain or disappearing undead with fresh new servants. This is a good time to place those Infestation blasts left and right. Do not forget your primary objective: the Shining Gem and the Silver Rune, right on top of each other in one of the four rectangular corner loot vaults.

Once you have secured the gem and rune, immediately make your way to the centre and leave, never to return.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] If you have at least 600 turns remaining on the Vaults' Gem, you can go claim your slimy lootboxes in Slime:5 now. Otherwise, you'll have to clear the Crypts right away, only going to Slime after you have exited the Vaults, never to return!}}

=The Place Where They Invented The Whole Necromancy Thing (Crypts)=

Throughout this run, did you ever wish you could o-tab like the good old Minotaur Berserker days? Boy, do I have the thing for you. Do you have Dispel Undead? If it was available but not memorized yet, do so now. Get that thing on your (Q)uiver, most likely replacing Anguish for now (which isn't that good here).

Now, you can autoexplore with 'o', and blast all these useless corpses in melee range with 'p'. That's right. o-p. And it really is OP.

Animate Dead and Death Channel, however, are almost entirely useless. Infestation is not. It is time to show these rotting husks your entomological collection (and offer them the chance to join it).

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] You should only be here after completing Vaults:5! That Ivory Gem would look great on my Divine Sceptre of Golden Doom, so I especially don't want you to miss it. I suggest another high-speed protocol of going down on safe staircases as soon as possible, because Crypts:3 tends to be a whole ordeal of endless undead armies and tricks and traps designed to entertain those who have too much free time and no job to get done. Which is not you.}}

The spooky ride will begin with a vast assortment of varied undead: most are not dangerous in any way (in fact, the Crypt is pretty much a popcorn factory). However, this is only a trap to lead you to let down your guard when the following arrive to ruin your day:

* '''Revenants''' do many things, but one of them is a giga darkness damage 3x3 "ghostly fireball". Your squad should be resistant to it, but unless you have rN+, you are not. Preferably, don't have less than 2 allies standing between you and them, but you can always do the classic trick of walking up and blasting them with Dispel Undead, with a Death's Door thrown into the mix if needed.

* '''Curse Skulls''' are annoying pests which summon an army of undead and spam torment. That reminds me of a certain someone, isn't that right, Kiku? They think it is funny to hide behind their wall of summons, but you can reach over with Haunt or Borgnjor's Vile Clutch. Or, you know, walk up and blast them. That works too.

* '''Khufu and mummy friends''' have an entomological collection, just like you. They are eager to compare and share their secrets of the trade. Theirs even have emperor scorpions! These terrorize many characters, but you should be able to use their bandages as a scratching post, assuming you can get close enough to blast them with Dispel Undead, or can land your point-and-click Haunt/Borgnjor's Vile Clutch. Watch out, they pack a "death curse" - automatically unleashed when they perish. The only effect which can actually kill you is the semi-common small burst of darkness damage, so keep this in mind if you're dealing the finishing blow while you're almost dead and unprotected.

* '''Vampire bloodprinces''' have multiple extremely OP abilities, but one of them is TURNING YOUR ENTIRE SQUAD OF SCARABS AGAINST YOU! They also spew bat clouds everywhere which put you to sleep (despite the extreme fear you should be feeling right now). These are particularly annoying, because they reduce your Death's Door timer. The key here is to cut line-of-sight, ambush them with Death's Door active, and blast them with Dispel Undead before they even know what hit them. If your army is big enough, you can possibly do enough damage before they have time to get their brainwashing spell in. Treat them with the respect a member of their lineage deserves.

* '''Vv''' is a proud member of the developers' latest OC-do-not-steal species, the Stoneborn. For all her OP point-and-click spells, she didn't have the budget for See Invisible. Drink a Potion of Invisibility or Death's Door if you do not want to get obliterated in milliseconds.

* '''Grunn''' only knows how to move and melee attack, which is laughable. What isn't so funny are his canine companions, which are elite assassins from the dog monarchy sent to stop you. If they place their Howl debuff on you, I recommend a Potion of Cancellation, or else you'll quickly be facing lethal Tartarus endgame enemies that will likely force you to use Death's Door. Willpower is useful to resist this hex, so check the percentage chance, and possibly ring-swap to Will+.

* '''Mennas''' can also spawn here. He is not any easier. Leave him to his prayer beads if you want maximal chances to win - but if you are a Trog worshipper in real life, do what you must. I talked about strategies in the Vaults chapter already.

In Crypt:3, you will find a unique challenge level, with its traps and tricks - nothing too serious compared to what you have just traversed. There is also the entrance to the Tomb. It is the hardest branch in the entire game, filled with all kinds of mummies who will be very happy to bash your hubris into the ground with endless torment spam, then cackle as you respawn in the death trap between their walls only to die again and be met with “Welcome, Idiot. Please select your species.”

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] That is exactly why I order you to go in once you secured that Ivory Gem.}}

=Perfection Can Still Improve (Lategame Skills)=

At this point, you must be at level 24+ Necromancy, which means your Death's Door must be getting under 7% fail rate. Getting to the maximum of level 27 of Necromancy will title your character - for the rest of the run - a "Cat of Death", which is positively awesome. But what next?

Make your choice. Personally, I think that Maxwell's Capacitive Coupling is the option which will give you the highest chance of victory, but it might not be available (Ctrl-F if it's not in your spell library, perhaps it is in a shop somewhere!).

''Note: in all cases which involve more spells, you may have to train more Spellcasting to make room as well. 0.5 Spellcasting = 1 spell slot!''

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Pick anything you want. As long as it accelerates your transition from point A (your current, damp and mud-soaked location) to point B (you, prostrating before me, with all 11 gems deposited before my throne).}}

===More Oneshots (Maxwell's Capacitive Coupling)===

''Requirements: Maxwell's Capacitative Coupling and at least one Intelligence/Wizardry ring or amulet.''

This spell takes a long time to train for, but if you '''turn on nothing but Air Magic''' for the rest of the run, you'll definitely have it ready to power through the (normally difficult) Realm of Zot with almost zero challenge.

You started by fearing the oneshot. Then, you understood the oneshot with Death's Door. Now, it is time to BE the oneshot.

'''[[Maxwell's Capacitive Coupling]]''' (Level 8 Air Magic) literally does infinite damage that ignores all resistances. It will oneshot anything and everything, from a rat to Dispater, Lord of the Iron City of Dis. Unfortunately for your foes, they were not born as fluffy and quadrupedal as you are, and do not have any extra lives. Successfully casting this spell adds a Charge status effect on your sidebar - simply wait (. or s) a few turns, and the ''nearest'' foe will be expunged from reality. If more than one foe are tied in distance, a random one will be chosen.

Why this is broken with this build: it bypasses allies. That means you can simply erect a defensive wall of scarabs/spectres/zombies and bzzap all things trying to work their way through it, all the while Jiyva constantly replenishes your mana for another charge of your pocket defibrillator. Those Orbs of Fire will never see it coming. If you mix this with Death's Door, it becomes impossible that you will ever lose a 1v1 or even 1v3, considering you are invincible and are launching 99999999 true damage after just a couple of turns.

If you're not sure what to do while your army is fighting it out, just start unloading oneshots. Naturally, keep 9 mana for an emergency Death's Door, if in need.

===More Tentacles (Summonings)===

''Requirements: Summon Horrible Things, Sphinx Sisters or Malign Gateway''

Well, you started as a Summoner, so going back to the roots is certainly an option! '''This is extremely strong and will secure the win. Especially Malign Gateway.'''

Both those spells are perfectly achievable if you start training Summonings again, up to '''13 for Malign Gateway/Sphinx Sisters and 20 for Summon Horrible Things'''. You'll also need '''level 15 Translocations in the case of Malign Gateway, or 15 Hexes in the case of Sphinx Sisters'''. I suggest you focus-train Translocations/Hexes, because of the +4 aptitude.

'''[[Malign Gateway]]''' (Level 7 Summonings/Translocations) - You will require some open space (no casting in hallways). The Gateway will initially appear quite a distance away from you, so it is best used to initiate a battle, and not as emergency support. After a few turns, a very long tentacle will slowly protrude out, curious to prod at the world around it. Its little taps do immense damage, probably the highest out of any Summonings spell. There are extremely few creatures in the entire game who can 1v1 a Gateway, for these tentacles are more resistant to elemental damage than a tardigrade. The downside is that the tentacle remains tethered to its portal, and is quite slow - it is therefore good practice to distract a powerful enemy with lesser allies while squiggly doom slowly unrolls behind their back. You can also run towards it, and pass through it diagonally while being pursued by an angry horde. There is only one little twist - the tentacle can rarely become hostile to you once the spell ends. Not a huge deal, honestly, considering its tethered nature makes it very easy to escape should that happen. If you quiver this spell with "Q", you will be able to see on the sidebar when the spell has enough space to be casted (the text will be coloured). '''Maximum Summon Capacity: 1'''.

'''[[Summon Horrible Things]]''' (Level 8 Summonings) - THE meatshield spell. The damage on this is not especially splendid, though tentacled monstrosities can dish out interesting amounts of rib-crushing damage with their constriction ability. However, the real reason you cast this spell is to surround yourself in tanky units that will give you big warm hugs with their mucus-coated appendages. The summoning cap on this is 8, which is just enough to surround your frail and vulnerable body entirely. You may have to cast it twice to ensure you are fully protected, and recast it as the battle progresses once your cuddle-hole starts getting pierced by the barrage of conjurations and sword-slicing. It has a small chance of inflicting a little Doom on every cast, but it is quickly cleansed by accumulating a little bit of experience, and is mostly only for thematic effect... mostly. Try to avoid using eldritch horror summoning as your way of saying hello to every soul you encounter in the dungeons. Most Banes are not so bad, as we [[#Kiku's Troll Carousel (Banes)|discussed earlier]], but if you get Dilettante or Multiplicity at this stage of the game, you will not enjoy it. Say, do you know what is worse than an Orb of Fire? That's right, 4 Orbs of Fire! '''Maximum Summon Capacity: 8'''.

'''[[Sphinx Sisters]]''' (Level 7 Summonings/Hexes) - They have an endless array of hypnosis techniques and dastardly Hexes. But, at this point of the game, landing them on the creatures which actually matter will be a fool's errand. What we actually care about is the "airstrike melee", where the "marauder" variant of these fellow half-felid half-humanoids (hmph. They can get a pass!) will devastate the opposition as long as it is standing in a tile surrounded in empty space! They will still occasionally "vex" draconians with their terrible jokes, and make them attack everything around them, which is particularly welcome considering they are quite the social butterfly type.

===More Acrobatics (Translocations)===

''Requirements: Vhi's Electric Charge, Passage of Golubria, Dispersal, and/or Disjunction''

You'll need refinement and taste to appreciate this one. Get '''Translocations trained up to 2 times the highest level spell you wish to use'''. For example, Dispersal, level 6, would require 12 Translocations. Proper mastery of these abilities certainly won't result in more kills, but they might very well win you the game.

'''[[Vhi's Electric Charge]]''' (Level 4 Translocations/Air Magic) is known for its electrical attack, which is barely a tickle in your case. We do not care. What ''is'' important is that it blinks you with complete precision to any foe up to 4 spaces away, randomly repositioning anyone in the way to make space. This allows you to jump from foe-to-foe as if they were points to swing a grappling hook around! In Death's Door, you need not fear any of their attacks, and can move with utmost feline grace through the most packed of crowds.

'''[[Passage of Golubria]]''' (Level 4 Translocations) is a fantastic companion spell to Blink which places portals like a certain Valve video game. Simply choose a location to summon a portal nearby, with a 2 tile radius of error - the other one will appear nearby your position. Walking on top of one portal will immediately blink you to the next. You may find it highly useful when it comes to reaching a certain location on the screen quickly without having to use Scrolls of Blinking!

'''[[Dispersal]]''' (Level 6 Translocations) isn't hard to understand. It makes those close to you blink far away from you. It will test their Willpower - those who resist the enchantment will only hop a short distance, but those who do not might get pulled screaming across the entire level dozens of tiles away. This could very well change everything in Zot:5 when it's time to grab that well defended Orb!

'''[[Gell's Gavotte]]''' (Level 6 Translocations) is a bit annoying, because it hits your allies. However, at the end of the day, it's a reusable dash that also deals tons of damage to the entire screen. You can rotate the direction to highlight in yellow which enemies will strike a wall and be damaged, but most of the time, with this build, I prefer its defensive uses. Use the Force! Or, sans undertale. Whatever lame reference you want to imagine when you are waving the Klowns around with your little claw.

'''[[Disjunction]]''' (Level 8 Translocations) is extremely similar to Dispersal. The difference - it always does the weak effect, but constantly does it every turn, for at least 6 turns. Having this and Death's Door on at the same time is hilarious - you can just start casually walking at any point on the screen and absolutely nothing will be able to stop or block you. You can pop a potion of Haste and walk through the Zot:5 death trap chambers like you own the place.

===More Brainwashing (Discord + Hexes)===

''Requirements: Discord.''

'''WARNING:''' Onei will not be held responsible for any splats ensuing use of this technology. By proceeding, you acknowledge that using this spell is just as effective as it is dangerous.

'''[[Discord]]''' (Level 8 Hexes) is, like Anguish, a mass-hex. This time, however, if Willpower is beaten, the affected will be given Might-Haste. That’s +50% action speed and +50% melee damage all in one.

Not so promising, now is it? Where it gets fun: the affected will also now be attacking the creature closest to them regardless of their old faction.

Where this gets hilarious is that THIS ALSO AFFECTS ALLIES (but not spectres and zombies). How much damage does a Might-Hasted Phantasmal Warrior do per turn, you may wonder? Around up to 87 PER TURN.

Haunt + Discord is a particularly insane combo, as the moment they spawn in, they are already very close to the target you wish to annihilate. Once their business is done and they turn against you, they will evaporate out of reality before they can land a single hit. I have slain Cerebov using nothing but this synergy.

Obviously, do not cast this when your Death Scarabs are not currently in combat and are next to you, you will get POPPED. However, if even a couple of scarabs/Haunt summons are currently attacking some Orb of Fire or any highly dangerous foe, expect it to disappear from your screen. Are you being assaulted by your former allies? Death’s Door, Dispel Undead. The frenzy status will expire after a few turns anyhow.

Finally, you may also enjoy the ACTUAL intended purpose of the spell, which is causing mayhem among hordes of enemies. Those draconians in Zot become quite fearsome when unleashing light speed kung fu on all those disgustingly OP Protean Progenitors and the like...

Discord violates the golden rule of ally-fighting and can get kills out of line of sight. You can have your squad engage, drop Discord and immediately leave. Enjoy the waterfall of experience. Dispersal can teleport the might hasted scarabs across the map and literally obliterate uniques without you ever seeing them (this is not really reliable, it's just really funny).

If you are scared of this spell backfiring, consider [[Yara's Violent Unravelling]] (Level 5 Alchemy/Hexes), which will remove the frenzy status effects on the draconian monks rushing to annihilate you.

Discord is quite easy to get online with your +4 Hexes aptitude. With the leftover experience, if you wish to go all in on Hexes, you can do one of the following:

- Get more Spellcasting (and therefore spell slots), and get the Summonings/Hexes spell '''Sphinx Sisters'''. It is explained [[#More Tentacles (Summonings)|right here]].
- With a Riddle Talisman, train Shapeshifting to level 17 (Painful! An amulet of Wildshape helps a lot here.) and enter Sphinx Form. This will increase the Hex chance of Discord and Anguish, make both of these into devastating psychic powerhouses for even late game foes. You can even get other Hexes, such as the normally pitiful level 3 Tukima's Dance, and make draconians/Killer Klowns lose their OP weapons. You can enter Sphinx Form a little earlier than level 17 Shapeshifting due to its HP bonus cancelling out the HP penalty - inspect the Riddle Talisman to monitor your progress.

===More O + TAB (Dragoncoil Talisman)===

What's that? You lust to return to your Minotaur Berserker days? I'll keep this section short, since you clearly don't have the attention span required to read much more of this nonsensically long guide.

Dragon-coil talisman. (Ctrl-F for it, you may have missed it!) Level 17 Shapeshifting. (You can transform at level 14 due to the big HP bonus). After that, Level 20 Unarmed Combat. O + TAB. You are now a Felid "meleedude" with fat stacks of resistances, and you still have your Death's Door. Enjoy.

Don't forget to use your breath weapon in the "a" menu (it is very strong against anything, but you can only use it every 12 kills or so) and to use at least SOME of your magical background, such as Infestation or Rimeblight. And Death's Door, of course. But you won't forget about that one.

The Granite talisman is an option too, of course, but I personally do not like it with this build. Why? Permanent slowness = -33% Death's Door duration. Remember, acolyte: AC is an illusion.

=I Thought Cats Were Sacred In Egypt (Tomb)=

'''WARNING''': This place has a high chance of murdering you. I know it has been like that the entire game, but especially this place. You will get nothing out of it beyond glory and pride. Skip to the next chapter if you prefer to maximize your chances of actually winning the run. I will say that the first floor (Tomb:1) is pretty much on the same difficulty level as the Crypts, so you can certainly clear it if, say, you want a little more XP to get an extra life back.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] "Waaa, danger, danger, die die death splat oneshotted OP OP die!" Am I imitating Onei correctly? Yeah, don't listen to that fool, get in that Tomb and bring me that Sanguine Gem! It will be fine. Most likely.}}

Preparations? Dispel Undead is a huge help, if you do not have it already. If it is not available, Borgnjor's Vile Clutch and a bunch of Immolation Scrolls can suffice. If you get sent to the Entomological Museum (Tomb:1 Secret) due to bad luck, Vhi's Electric Charge can help a lot.

You'll also want a Scroll of Revelation. And as many Scrolls of Teleportation as you can get. And if you ever get netted in this place, you'll probably want to use the basic Blink spell.

===Too Bad Cats Can't Wear Hats And Wield A Whip (Tomb:1)===

The beginning is extremely easy. Reach the entrance of the temple - walk vertically, then horizontally. You'll know you found the entrance when you see a herd of Sphinxes, while should perish extremely easily to the horde you will have accumulated when you get there. Indeed, the side alleys are full of popcorn, but it is CRITICAL that you spam Infestation on everything you see so that you don't arrive empty-pawed when the real threats start pouring out.

I suggest recruiting the Sphinxes for good measure with Animate Dead and Death Channel.

Rush inside the temple and annihilate all mummies on sight with your huge army. They'll never see it coming. Unfortunately, they will constantly pelt you with "death curses" every time one of the dangerous ones perishes, which is bound to cut away at your HP. If you're getting low, take a few steps back, let Jiyva pump some juice back in your veins, and return to the fray. Your Death's Door button is accessible in case of an emergency.

I will address the users of a Hive talisman here, who probably have stayed with Kikubaaqudgha: this is the only place in the game where your curse resistance passive is actually relevant. This branch will be MUCH easier with it. I will continue writing assuming you are with Jiyva, and therefore, not experiencing Tomb on tutorial mode.

You'll want to locate the downstairs inside the temple as soon as possible, located in one of the spiral shaped hallways. I suggest drinking a Potion of Haste and reading a Scroll of Teleportation before going down. I know it's never a good sign when I say this.

===Surprise Torment Tea Party (Tomb:2)===

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Wow. That's, uh, a lot of mummies.}}

Welcome to Vaults:5 redux. Just like last time, we have little incentive for pleasantries. Read a Scroll of Revelation. Inspect your surroundings: there is an upstairs nearby, leading back to Tomb:1's temple.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Ha. Designed for safety, escape and retreat. No time for such things.}}

Indeed. Now, read a Scroll of Noise to pull all the mummies to the centre (NOT if the Teleport somehow already triggered). The Teleport should kick off at any instant now, leading you to:

* '''Somewhere in the main central ambush chamber''': Yikes. At least it's no longer in that death trap centre. My suggestion: if you see a door nearby, try to make your way to it to no longer be out in the open. The side chambers contain some goons, but it's a good start to build your Infestation army in a relatively safe location. If there is no door, consider another Teleport, or if there are some packed Death Scarabs or weak mummies, try to start your Infestation army there with Dispel Undead/Anguish/Vile Clutch/Haunt/All of the above.

* '''In one of the outer rim chambers THAT HAS A DOOR TO CONNECT TO THE MAIN ROOM''': Not bad. Dispose of the goons there after Infesting them, and build your army.

* '''In one of the outer rim chambers WITH NO CONNECTION TO THE MAIN ROOM''': This is ideal. We just saved a ton of time. Unfortunately, there are probably some very angry mummies here. Make your last stand, use your consumables - you should do anything to survive, for this is a highly lucky Teleport, and dying will probably pluck you out of it as you respawn. If you can secure the perimeter and reveal the two down-hatches to Tomb:3, proceed to the Grand Pharaoh Showdown below.

Keep your paw on Death's Door if the royal mummies' collection of Smite and Torment drags you into kill range (one Smite can deal up to 17 damage. We can't afford to get over-protective, but if adding the number of royal mummies and mummy priests on screen and multiplying that by 5 is bigger than your current HP, it's time to slam that Death's Door!)

After your army has consumed Tomb:2, you have some options. Each Teleport scroll is a gamble that could bring you to the previously mentioned unconnected outer rim. This would save a ton of time, and also skip the most dangerous part of Tomb for this build. But I would not use every single one if I were you. You'll want to keep some for the next levels!

If you succeed, clear the outer rim chambers (re-read the relevant bullet point), and proceed to the Grand Pharaoh Showdown.

If you're done gambling and haven't succeeded, it's time for...

===The Entomological Museum (Tomb:1 Secret)===

Use the upstairs located in the connected outer rim chamber. NOT the one in the main chamber, which leads to the very start - a huge waste of time.

You'll arrive in a narrow corridor. If you're unlucky, there's probably tons of OP mummies already pwning your health bar.

It's not that complicated. Death's Door. If there's only one or two mummies, walk up and blast them with Dispel Undead in utter disrespect of their dozens of unlived centuries. Don't have it? Haunt and Vile Clutch together get the work done. Maybe you can even sneak in an Infestation in there to get a scarab friend to assist your next encounter.

Is the entomological collection getting unloaded without you ever asking? These Egyptian tourist trap tour guides sure are getting insistent. Give them a piece of your mind with Vhi's Electric Charge, if you have it, which will instantly pull you into melee range of them. The simple Blink spell can also, with some luck, reposition you on the other side of the corridor. If the collection is made up of Scarabs, you can Dispel-blast them as well.

Tons of critters? Tons of mummies? Tons of red squares? Immolation scroll. Get one thing to die and cover the whole place in flames. Try to ensure all of these creepy-crawlies and their masters drown in holy fire before your Death's Door expires.

Desperate? In melee range but these mummies are just refusing to die? Slimify. Jiyva won't like it if you take every single one out using this ability, but it's absolutely worth it 1-3 times.

Make your way to the end of the corridor, not hesitating to rest a little bit between each encounter. This will take time, but it is a good investment of your time. Dying here is terrible, as it means you'll have to go to Tomb:2, then back to Tomb:1's secret room... Getting the Sanguine Gem is still possible if you die once (or need to use a Teleportation scroll).

After you take the new downstairs, you'll find yourself in that disconnected outer rim we were trying so hard to reach with Teleport scrolls.

===Grand Pharaoh Showdown (Tomb:3)===

Before descending, Haste and Brilliance, if available.

Having around 600 turns left here should be comfortable enough. If there's less, you'll have to hurry.

You'll instantly get dropped into a mildly claustrophobic hallway of relatively safe appearance. Do not be fooled. THE MUMMIES ARE COMING.

The first arrivals will no doubt be an entire plague of scarabs. These are a glorious sight, because if we can decimate them, we'll get an awesome army with Infestation.

A death scarab bursts from the death scarab!

Meta. Anyhow, they are extremely weak to Anguish, so casting that once there are a lot on the screen (and a few have been popped through any means of your choice - Dispel Undead is excellent) will prove useful.

For a time, you should get an awesome army pwning everything. It's only a matter of time until some pricks come in to ruin the fun. Once you are forced to Death's Door, your next priority should be making your way to the doors on the side, which lead to treasure chambers - and, more importantly, an upstairs.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] What? Safety? Retreat? But what about the GEM?}}

Don't worry, this one doesn't lead very far. You can absolutely afford to rest to full health back in the safety of Tomb:2's outer rim, unless you wasted time in the upper levels. Once you descend again, the horde will have been thinned down significantly, and each subsequent attempt will be easier. When things seem manageable enough, make your way to the back of Tomb:3, where you'll find the Sanguine Gem and the Golden Rune!

Got at least 200 turns? You can check a bit of the loot out. The most important thing here is the '''Ziggurat Figurine'''. E(V)oking it will instantly place a portal to a pocket dimension at our paws. This is astounding, for it is effectively a free Death's Door reset. Creatures won't even pursue you through it. You'll find one or two hostile critters in the pocket dimension, but they are most often easily disposed of, or, at the very least, far enough to afford you a Death's Door recast. It is a one-time-use. Make it count. And EXIT through the blue portal after using it, do NOT start going down multiple levels of Zig where your inevitable doom and descent into madness awaits.

=Blizzards and Brimstone (Depths)=

Before proceeding any further, pay your respects to the many Felids which have died in this place. Everywhere you move, everywhere you breathe, it's either "dodge and nothing happens" or "a third of your HP bar is gone". It's a tough world for the 3 AC kitties out there. One could wish they were as fortunate as you to have a miracle button to turn the tide in the most crucial of moments.

By the way, if you don't have at minimum 15 casts of Death's Door by the end of this run, you '''aren't pressing it hard enough'''. Haven't been using it much? Don't worry, this place will change that.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] The time limit in this place is one of the most generous, unlike the absolute caffeine-powered mummy fiesta I just had you traverse. This is still no time to try me and present the slightest possibility you may break one of MY precious gems. Explore no more than half of each floor, and collect that Midnight Gem on Depths:4, on top of the Zot gate!}}

* '''Fire and Frost giants''' can easily be found in close proximity to one another, quickly pushing you from one end of the temperature spectrum to the other. As you didn't consent to being brought to a nordic spa today, resisting the right element will help tremendously.

* '''Deep troll earth mages''' have the "remote wall detonation" point-and-click ability you were amused by back in the Elven Halls. Do not stand next to walls. They can even dig shafts through the aforementioned walls to reach you faster. They will not hesitate to Minecraft you to death.

* '''Juggernauts''' can only o-tab, but will likely oneshot you the moment their mass collides with your minuscule furry body. Make them plow through some undead to keep your distance.

* '''Golden dragons''' and '''Spriggan air mages''' and '''Spriggan berserkers''' and '''Sojobo''' and '''Tengu reavers''' and '''Crystal tomes''' and '''Liches''' and '''Titans''' and '''Caustic shrikes''' and '''Josephina''' and '''Spark wasps''' can-

Look, it's not that complicated. They just do 4 gazillion damage through their own ways - sometimes melee, sometimes point-and-click, sometimes in ranged piercing bolt form. At this point, we don't really care anymore. Trust me when I say I have '''never once been oneshotted in Depths'''. Twoshotted, perhaps. A juggernaut can oneshot, but they are easy to keep away if you use your spells. At any point you have less than 50% HP and the screen looks scary, just pop your Death's Door and unload the heavy artillery. Read a scroll of Teleportation, use stairs or Passwall if you feel uncomfortable. Standing at the edge of survival and oblivion is what this build is all about.

The worst of these are still just as dangerous in undead servant form, so assembling any kind of spectral/zombie army will mow down most things here with ease. You pretty much just need to sit back, keep the Infestation and Death Channel coming, Haunting the unruly ones laughing in the back, and potentially Vile Clutching the angry melee o-tabbers rushing to your location.

You were never the fighter in any of this. You are the manager.

You don't need me to tell you that gates named "Hell", "Abyss" or "Pandemonium" do not lead to good places to be in. I imagine the names were enough of a deterrent on their own.

'''About the Ziggurat:''' If you are currently not level 27 yet and you are lacking in the 'Extra Lives' department, consider taking a peek. Should you succeed in clearing the first 8 floors (do NOT go further down, you absolute gambling addict), you may get a potion of Experience or two, which count towards restoring your lives if you are below level 27!

=Worst Disco Ever (Realm of Zot)=

I mean. You have invincibility on demand. Practically infinite mana. Point-and-click abilities with irresistible debuffs. Surely there can't be any challenge left at this point.

Ha. You wish.

First, consider the Orb type (it is listed in the Ctrl+O menu).

- '''Orbs of Fire:''' rF+ is highly valuable here. Consider equipping it. Break line of sight with your numerous allies (mostly Haunt) to avoid growing horrible genetic diseases. These are the worse ones to face in my opinion.
- '''Orbs of Winter:''' You should already have your rC+ from your fuzzy cuteness, but you can improve it a little more if it doesn't destroy your wizardly prowess. Their Ozocubu's Refrigeration deals less damage if you are adjacent to allies. The key here is to avoid standing 3 spaces away or less from an Orb of Winter, which can slowly drain the piety of your current god. It's not so bad than most characters, but if you go below 5* of Jiyva piety, you will lose half of your regeneration bonus (it is thankfully quickly regained). Those who stayed with Kikubaaqudgha can appreciate knowing they will lose almost nothing from this, except their Torment protection.
- '''Orbs of Entropy:''' You will probably want rN+, but Jiyva shields you from their scariest acidic attacks (those who stayed with Kikubaaqudgha are not so fortunate). Just like the Orbs of Fire, a clear line of fire will allow them to inflict Doom on you, which can be accepted a few times. Even if you let it exceed the threshold, you will most likely be fine... unless you land on a brutal Multiplicity Bane that starts duplicating the Orbs of Entropy and giving you every other Bane in the game. Be cautious.

This is your '''final boss battle'''. It will prove highly difficult. Remember: '''you win by getting that Orb and bringing it back''', NOT by murdering everything you see. You will find killing things difficult, for they have tons of resistances and tricks against your toolkit. What they don't have, however, is a way to break through your literal immortality button. Not even purple draconian breath (which usually removes all status effects) can disable it.

You can simply ignore these ruffians. Let them sit and sulk in their little fortress of doom. You want to attack those separating you from the stairwells, NOT the random, unimportant gangs prowling about the outskirts of each floor. In an emergency, little stops you from entering Death's Door and simply walking to a staircase to use it while getting blasted by 100+ damage per turn from Orbs of fire and Draconians desperate for your attention. Even the dreaded Malmutate has a hard time piercing through the wall of Jiyva mutations.

Allow me to make some suggestions to refine your spell loadout.

Can be forgotten with Scrolls of Amnesia (only if you need slots):

* '''Anguish''' is dropping in usefulness. It curses draconians reliably, but that's about it. You can probably do better.
* '''Animate Dead''' is decent when used on draconians and orb guardians. But you could just make scarabs instead with Infestation. It's chaff at this point.
* '''Any Summonings spell of level 5 or less''' barely does anything at this point. Take the trash out. Summon Forest is still kind of okay, I guess.

You should prioritize getting the spells [[#Perfection Can Still Improve (Lategame Skills)|in the chapter "Perfection Can Still Improve"]]. If you have slots left, here are some spell
ideas to top off your pilgrimage:

* '''Passwall''', if you haven't gotten it already, allows you to simply escape through the wall while your Death's Door immortality crushes any hope of stopping you.
* '''Apportation''', taking only one measly spell slot, can yoink floor items to your position. In this particular situation, you may be interested in pulling the Orb of Zot to your location, instead of having to drag yourself to it through a horde of angry orb guardians. Note that there is a 33% chance this will fail (simply recast the spell).
{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Not to mention it will get that Prismatic Gem into your paws without you having to move a muscle.}}
* '''Borgnjor's Revivification''', normally mediocre on Felids, refills ''your entire health bar'' but permanently reduces its maximum capacity. We care little about petty things like "health" anymore. This can be extremely useful to survive until Death's Door goes off cooldown - but watch out! Casting this spell while Death's Door is active is basically "an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object" and will dispel Death's Door immediately, paralyzing you on top for 2-7 turns. This can still be useful if you are strategic about it.

Let's go. At this point, Gems or no Gems, there is absolutely no reason to full clear, go sightseeing or anything of the sort. This place drips pure YASD and developer sadism from every wall. Whenever you find a normal (non-hatch) staircase, you should consider using it right after clearing the foes around it. Use all your remaining Scrolls of Revelation to help locate your destinations.

Just like Depths, everything here just does fat damage and will have you reach for the Death's Door button. What you should actually be worried about are the weavers of more subtle schemes:

* Not a creature, but Scrolls of Teleportation will take a very long time (8-14 turns) to finally work here. Still, it's less time than a whole Death's Door, a piece of information which should be of particular interest to you.
* Scrolls of blinking also come with a "fuzz" effect that makes their target have a margin of error. To be noted in case you were being deceived by a false sense of security.
* '''Curse toes''' (?) have the ability to summon living mushrooms around you (??) which deal point-and-click damage in addition to the torment oozing every so often from the curse toe (???). Don't try to understand, just walk up and blast them with Dispel Undead.
* '''Death cobs''' (????) are very hard to differentiate from your death scarabs, in that they move fast, apply a slow debuff on hit and deal big damage, and even share one word in their name. Delete these cheap reskins with more Dispel Undead.
* '''Purple draconians''' & '''Quicksilver dragons''' (finally, some common sense) can remove all status effects should their breath strike you. All, truly? Ha! Nothing can pierce through immortality itself. While Death's Door is immune, losing your Death Channel and having all your spectres instantly disappear is something you should be expecting. You might also lose the Tele status from an in-progress teleportation scroll.
* '''Orbs of fire/winter/entropy'''. You know these guys. The appropriate resistance will help prevent a oneshot, but simply Death's Door the moment you are below 50% HP and one is in sight with not too much backup. Don't even bother trying to survive the normal way, we have no time to bend around developer sadism incarnate. Maxwell's Capacitive Coupling, Malign Gateway or Haunt + Discord are the ultimate answers to these ones.
* '''Killer Klowns''' are over-complicated with their wildly unpredictable effects - and this is coming from me, who has written a 30k word guide filled with unnecessary information. If you want to read their page on this wiki, it's [[Killer Klown|right here]]. The Silence and the Fragile debuffs are to fear most, for they block off your only salvation in this place - Death's Door (either through preventing you from casting spells or making you get oneshotted before you can actually use it). A Potion of cancellation should assist you in removing such effects. No, it won't cancel Death's Door. It's an immovable object.

In Zot:5, you'll find the entire troupe of this carnival of doom, nicely packed inside the "Zot lungs". They are horribly infected with blazing fire and pure evil. Time to do a surgical extraction.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] The Primastic Gem is in the first accessible chamber, NOT on top of the Orb! The writer of this guide learned that the hard way. Now THAT was hilarious.}}

You can try to slowly make your way across. You should actually be happy about the Orb Guardians in the first chamber, because they will be easily deleted by your assortment of spells and will generate a potent starting army. Direct it inside the next chamber to the left or right (choose the one with the least nasty traps, also known as ANYTHING BUT NETS and hopefully not dispersal. Even Zot traps are better. Teleport traps are actually a positive.)

Make your way across: Infestation, Haunt, any endgame spells you may have acquired. Take it slow, retreat and funnel through the chamber chokepoints if they are not trapped. Don't tarry too long, as the Tesseracts are slowly respawning the forces as you are taking them out, but you should eventually be able to reach them and destroy them. They are located behind the central horizontal wall of the lungs, which spans both sides of the chambers.

* If you have Malign Gateway, try to lure creatures towards the first chamber - and into the loving embrace of the tentacle you have conveniently parked there.
* If you have Maxwell's Capacitive Coupling, constantly unload electrical discharges from behind your wall of servitors.

Hopelessly outmatched? Had to pop Death's Door? Consider your situation:

By default, you'll probably want to read a scroll of Teleportation (it will take much longer to kick in than usual, but it will still be shorter than Death's Door) and start moving towards a Teleport Trap on the floor. If it moves you to a safe location, '''cancel''' your Tele status by reading ''another'' scroll of Teleportation. This is designed to ensure you have multiple chances to get to safety. If the Trap sends you back into a No-Cat's-Land, find a new Trap, or let the scroll kick in. Watch out for purple draconians/quicksilver dragons, which can remove your Tele status.

Have you managed to get some distance away from the first chamber, towards the Orb, and still have at least one extra life? It might be time to risk it all. Use your Translocations spells, use your Blinking Scrolls. Use your Haste potions, use ANYTHING to GET THAT ORB. Apportation will reduce the distance you must travel to an even greater degree. I am also thoroughly amused by Vhi's Electric Charge for letting you hop from OP dude to OP dude, making the most out of your Death's Door turns. If you looted the Tomb earlier and still have a figurine of a Ziggurat, NOW IS THE TIME TO USE IT. Well, once your Death's Door is going gray and you need to refresh it. Nothing will follow you inside!

This isn't as hard as it seems. Death's Door, especially Hasted, is plenty of time to seize that Orb without spilling blood. Except perhaps your own.

You don't have to do it this way, though. Adjust your strategy towards fight or flight depending on the severity of the threats inside the Zot Lungs.

Once that Orb is secured...

=Interdimensional SWAT Team (Orb Run)=

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Ha. Ha ha. Hilarious, truly. I still have hope for your imminent demise. I mean, that Onei guy you've been following the advice of literally lost one of his FeSu attempts at this very moment. Point and laugh. Not too much, because I'm about to do the same to you when you splat.}}

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Positively splendid! Your final task is to bring these gems to me, NOW! If you left the Starry Gem in the Slime Pits, now is the time! All that matters is your survival. Failing that will result in a disciplinary mention placed in your employee file, followed by you being devoured and digested by whichever horrible demon got to sink its claws into your scruff.}}

{{flavour|[[File:Jiyva altar.png]] A chorus of breathless jiggling and squishes envelops you from all cardinal directions, supporting your imminent victory with the long vanished voices of the dissolved and the slimified.}}

The Lords of Pandemonium are not amused!

All of Heaven and Hell are currently mobilizing their troops to arrive at your location. It is time to LEAVE. From Zot:5, walk or blink into the nearest Teleport trap for an instant warp which will no doubt be closer to your destination: the upstairs.

To auto-calculate the shortest path, you can press Ctrl-G, and write “D0”. This will automatically bring you towards victory, stopping you as soon as a threat appears.

Fighting is foolish. Make a run for the stairs, with zero regards for your consumables. Use them ALL. Use potions of haste on an empty floor just because you like the taste. Blink-scroll to a staircase at full health if something weird just spawned next to you.

Every single time a Pandemonium Lord appears, inspect them; some are utter pushovers, and some are terrifying angels of death with rocket-boots and a burning desire to squash your hopes as they are about to be materialized. In my personal opinion, the ones that don’t have any spells in their set are always the worst. I fear a lot less the demon who has mastered Bolt of Cold than that which has mastered Fist in Your Face. Rarely, a Pandemonium Lord may have Glaciate, in which case you should be very, very scared. Escape out of their sight imminently, or get as much rC+ as you can (potions of Resistance help) if that is impossible. Being hit by Glaciate once means you must immediately Death's Door. I have thankfully never been oneshotted by a Lord (but it is mathematically possible).

Exploit your wand of Digging or Passwall, if you have them, to speed things up.

Eventually, the outside world will finally return to your sight. Feel free to inject all possible potions and toxins you possess into your bloodstream, or try to stack as many status effects as possible before leaving, as is tradition. You did it! Do not forget to try cleansing your bad mutations as you ascend, as it would a shame to be an immortal demigod-cat with a few extra limbs and a cancerous tumour.

{{flavour|[[File:Jiyva altar.png]] Jiyva gurgles gently, savouring the serenity past the chaos.}}

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Wow. You actually just took my spells, ignored everything else I provided you, and proceeded to win the game using my stolen gifts. My "Evil God" title should arrive to you in the mail any second now.}}

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Not bad. Not bad at all, esteemed feline employee! A role in middle management seems perfect for you. While I sort out the paperwork, feel free to type "!gemmed" in the spectator chat of an online DCSS game with a bot spectator (beem) or in the #bot-commands channel of the Roguelikes Discord server to see your name mixed alongside my finest subordinates. Assuming you did the job right and brought all 11 gems intact, that is.}}

When you start your next game, die to a 3-floor shaft into a hornet, be demolished with zero counterplay, and go do something more productive than putting .pngs on a grid close to each other until one of them disappears.

If you'd like to send me a message (for example, to blame me for making your promising level 14 character get 2 shotted 3 times in a row in Slime:2), do not hesitate to contact "oneirical" on both Reddit and Discord.

=Addendum: From Lackey to Supervillain (Character Building)=

For convenience, I will gather all skilling targets and the spell memorization order in this section. Feel free to return here as you need for quick reference!

===Velvet-Pawed Pilgrimage (Branch Order)===

* Clear each floor of the '''Dungeon''' until you find an altar to Kikubaaqudgha. Do not go further down than D:12!
* Then, immediately enter the '''Lair''', on D:8-D:11.
* After Lair:5, enter the '''Orcish Mines''' and clear both floors. Once again, do not clear any levels further down than D:12! You can skip the Mines for now if you already have Forbidden Knowledge (******), coming back after the Slime Pits raid.
* At this point, you should have acquired the final Kiku Forbidden Knowledge gift. If not, start clearing the first S-Branch until it is secured.
* If you have Animate Dead and/or Death Channel, go raid the '''Slime Pits'''. If not, start clearing the first S-Branch until Infestation is castable, then go to the Pits.
* After raiding the Pits, choose to either convert to Jiyva and go clear '''Dungeon 12 to 15''' to rank up Jiyva and start your progress towards mollifying Kiku, or keep your Hive talisman close while you slay the Royal Jelly and Jiyva for good.
* Clear both '''S-Branches'''. Grab the Slimy Rune from the Pits afterwards, if you have not already done so.
* Optionally clear the '''Elven Halls''', then go beat the '''Vaults:1-4'''. Avoid Vaults:5.
* Optionally clear the '''Crypts'''.
* Clear the '''Depths'''.
* Dive down the '''Realm of Zot''', get that Orb, return to Dungeon:1, and win the game!

===Your Propaganda Arsenal (Spells)===

Throughout this run, you will be encouraged to memorize, in this order, and approximately at these points of the game:

(Note: the "LV" numbers are how many spell slots you need for each spell, not your XP level. As for the locations on the right, you should be able to cast these spells somewhere around reaching these places.)

* LV 1 - '''Summon Small Mammal''' (D:1)
* LV 2 - Call Imp (optional - Necromancy is very tight on spell slots and Scrolls of Amnesia are precious, but this spell helps prevent early splats) (D:1)
* LV 3 - '''Call Canine Familiar''' (D:2)
* LV 3 - '''Eringya's Surprising Crocodile''' (D:2-D:4)
* LV 4 - '''Summon Seismosaurus Egg''' (D:4-D:7)
* LV 4 - '''Anguish''' (D:6-Lair:2) ''(Not guaranteed!)''
* LV 4 - '''Animate Dead''' (D:5-Lair:2) ''(Not guaranteed!)''
* LV 6 - '''Death Channel''' (Lair:3-Orc:2) ''(Not guaranteed!)''
* LV 7 - '''Haunt''' (Orc:2-Slime Pits Raid)
* LV 8 - '''Infestation''' (Slime Pits Raid-First SBranch:3)
* LV 9 - '''Death's Door''' (Second SBranch:2-Elf:2)

As marked on the list by "Not guaranteed!", Kiku's delivery service can be a little bit... lacking at times.

{{flavour|[[File:Kikubaaqudgha altar.png]] Running a forbidden knowledge book printing business isn't easy. I'd like to see '''you''' explain to your publisher why blood sacrifices are essential to have in "Fun Necromantic Activities for Children"!}}

Also useful, at any point, sorted from most to least useful:

* LV 2 - '''Blink'''
* LV 7 - '''Rimeblight'''
* LV 4 - '''Dispel Undead'''
* LV 5 - '''Borgnjor's Vile Clutch'''
* LV 3 - '''Passwall''' ''(Mostly meant as a companion to Death's Door.)''
* LV 4 - '''Martyr's Knell'''

The Wildeness Trinity, as replacement for missing core necromantic spells:

* LV 5 - '''Summon Mana Viper'''
* LV 5 - '''Summon Forest'''
* LV 6 - '''Summon Cactus Giant'''

Endgame spells, in no particular order, to raid the Realm of Zot:

* LV 7 - '''Malign Gateway'''
* LV 7 - '''Sphinx Sisters'''
* LV 8 - '''Summon Horrible Things'''
* LV 8 - '''Maxwell's Capacitive Coupling'''
* LV 8 - '''Discord'''
* LV 4 - '''Passage of Golubria'''
* LV 4 - '''Vhi's Electric Charge'''
* LV 6 - '''Dispersal'''
* LV 8 - '''Disjunction'''
* LV 6 - '''Gell's Gavotte'''
* LV 1 - '''Apportation'''
* LV 8 - '''Borgnjor's Revivification'''

Check your "M"emorization screen every so often. Ctrl-F to see if you missed any books in shops or in rune door vaults. Whenever you have the spell slots required to memorize the next spell, do so immediately and, if it has an entry in the section below, adjust your skills appropriately.

Skip to the next entry on the list if you are incapable of finding a spell anywhere in your game. As soon as you find a missing spell, however, you should add it to your repertoire as soon as possible to catch up. I strongly encourage you to cast every single one of these fantastic incantations at least once in your game!

===Studying the Dark Arts (Skills & Training Targets)===

As soon as you '''start your run''', train these skills and set them to these targets, with the "=" button:

* '''Spellcasting: 11'''
* '''Summonings: 11'''
* '''Turn off Stealth and Dodging.'''

Upon finding an interesting wand or evokable:

* '''Evocations: 5'''

After '''Summon Seismosaurus Egg''' has been memorized, complement it with this:

* '''Earth Magic: 5 (focused)'''

Once your entire starting kit of spells is castable, start learning how to die less:

* '''Fighting: 10'''
* '''Dodging: 12'''
* '''Stealth: 10'''

'''(OPTIONAL)''' - '''Blink''' will never not be useful, and can come along at any point in your run:

* '''Translocations: 5'''

If you find '''Animate Dead''', your necromantic journey can truly begin.

* '''Necromancy: 27'''

Upon getting either '''Death Channel''' or '''Anguish''', power yourself up like so:

* '''Necromancy: 27''' (if you have not already done so)
* '''Hexes: 8''' (only if '''Anguish''' has appeared in your game)

If you fail to obtain one of the crucial Kiku spells, a member of the Wilderness Trinity can certainly come along as a replacement:

* '''Summon Forest''' (Translocations 8, Summonings 11)
* '''Summon Cactus Giant''' (Summonings 14)
* '''Summon Mana Viper''' (Hexes 8, Summonings 11)

Want Borgnjor's Vile Clutch? You'll need some more Earth Magic:

* '''Earth Magic: 7'''

As for Rimeblight, you'll need to study some pages on snowflake fractal theory:

* '''Ice Magic: 9'''

Forget Call Canine Familiar, Summon Seismosaurus Egg, Call Imp and Summon Small Mammal (in that order) if you need spell slots for '''Haunt'''.

If you want to use a Hive Talisman:

* '''Shapeshifting: 17''' (You can start transforming when it reaches 15)
* Disable '''Necromancy''' until your Shapeshifting objective is achieved. You should probably have either BOTH of Animate Dead and Death Channel, or Infestation online before this.

Ultimately, '''after Death's Door's failure rate has dropped below 5%''', your choice of ultimate pick to iron out your last weaknesses is quite open-ended.

Maxwell's Capacitive Coupling:

* '''Air Magic: 20'''

Discord:

* '''Hexes: 20'''

High level Summonings:

* '''Summonings: 13 for Malign Gateway or Sphinx Sisters, 20 for Summon Horrible Things'''
* '''Translocations: 15''' (only for Malign Gateway)
* '''Hexes: 15''' (only for Sphinx Sisters)

I suggest you focus-train Translocations/Hexes, because of the +4 aptitude.

A suite of Translocations:

* '''Translocations: 2 times the highest level of the spell you wish to use + 1''' (for example, Dispersal, level 6 = 13 Translocations)

=Golems and Spires (0.32 Content)=

If you are playing on version 0.32, here are the paragraphs related to Summon Blazeheart Golem and Summon Lightning Spire, which used to be part of the Summoner kit. I think the Summoner of 0.33 is overall less frontloaded on damage, but has better defensive options and smoother skilling. Both are interesting. If you want to use the tips below in 0.33+, play as a Forgewright, where these spells found a new home!


== The Delicate Art of Explosive Incineration (XP Level 4-6, 0.32) ==

If you have not pathetically perished to some turbo-murderous orc priest on D:2, you will now be the proud holder of 2 stored Extra Lives, the maximum a Felid can hold at a time. Such is the privilege of feline supremacy.

As a proud member of the most blessed race in existence, death is not the end for you. Still, you should pretend it is - it will help you take better strategical decisions. If you ''do'' meet an unfortunate end, stay focused, take a break if you are feeling frustrated, and continue to play carefully as if you hadn’t died. Most Felid runs die around 3 to 9 times in an average 3-rune run, so do not feel too bad. Felid lives are meant to be used like rare, powerful consumables, and many Felid 3-rune or even 15-rune wins have 1 to 4 deaths as early as D:1-8.

Do '''not''' quit a Felid run because of an early death! With the way the system is designed, it's almost as if you are ''supposed'' to die in early Dungeon. It's '''much''' easier to level up early on than in the late game. A life lost on D:4 is gotten back on D:7, but a life lost in Pandemonium may take a full clear of all 4 Hell branches to get it back.

I will repeat it again. Do '''not''' quit a Felid run just because you died twice in a row to the same enemy. Save your game and go do something else instead. I know it's infuriating, but that would be like using a blink scroll and then quitting because you're mad about using a lifesaving item. '''Lives are consumables'''. Playing a Felid without dying is like playing an Octopode with 2 rings. You are '''supposed''' to die.

Press “E” to see how long it will take to get your next life. Press "%" to see how many lives you have (look in the top right of the popup!)

Once again, as soon as you find a safe place, '''immediately''' add your new friend to your roster - the [[Summon Blazeheart Golem|Blazeheart Golem]]. Do not cast it just yet if there is no emergency! Soon enough, it will be below 10% fail rate, and you may then use it safely for all battles. Tweak your skills as follows - '''turn on Fire Magic, press “=” to set a skill target, select Fire Magic, and set it to 5.0. Focus Fire Magic by selecting the skill again (it will have an asterisk and will be brighter).''' While you're at it, you should also '''set a target for Spellcasting at 11.0, and Summonings at 11.0'''.

Of course, if you find yourself forced to battle against a dangerous melee foe who potentially has just plowed your Inugami into the ground, it can be interesting to gamble a cast of a higher fail rate Golem. Just do consider the possibility of a Nameless Horror - if it spawns behind you in a one-tile hallway, you'll be completely stuck. Keep escape routes open.

As soon as you find an interesting wand or evokable (also known as "anything but a wand of flame"), also '''turn on Evocations, and set the target to 5.0'''. You'll also want to collect, when you see them, the '''Lightning Rod''', '''Box of Beasts''', '''Phantom Mirror''', '''Gell's Gravitambourine''' and '''Phial of Floods'''.

Starting from D:3, the Dungeon loves to throw at you fast, high-damage, or sometimes even ''fast and high damage'' enemies before you are ready for them. You may therefore encounter [[Water moccasin|water moccasins]], [[Ogre|ogres]], [[Killer bee|killer bees]], dangerous Lair enemies (wyverns & hornets are a classic), among a variety of other nasty creatures. However, you will laugh in the face of these pitiful attempts at stopping the march of progress, oneshot them with what is probably one of the highest damage level 4 spells in the game, and witness the XP trickle down like cat treats. This is what you were suffering in D:1 for - whereas your average Minotaur Fighter or Deep Elf Conjurer would meet a swift end against a swarm of light speed enemies that make your healthbar have more red than green (or sometimes yellow), you will sacrifice unholy amounts of expensive machinery, and will probably make the interdimensional inventor shipping these to you very frustrated.

More desperate for companionship and physical closeness than the most introverted DCSS win-streak players, Golems will immediately stop all action and become useless if they do not '''start or end their turn while being in melee range of you''', resuming activity once you walk up close enough to give them a comforting paw-tap.

While it functions, it will deliver heavy-damage punches and lose a third of its health every time it does so, in addition to getting its metallic head bashed in by your very upset foes. Needless to say, this thing dies fast. Thankfully, the Blazeheart Golem is designed to pack an extremely potent explosive payload when it is destroyed, and is a master at all things related to flesh incineration. In case you have not noticed, flesh is also what you are made out of.

When a <s>Walking Incinerator</s> Blazeheart Golem perishes in heroic battle, it will leave behind its core, represented as a sphere of pure fire. Once this happens, IMMEDIATELY exit melee range of the core. It’s going to EXPLODE, INCINERATE everything adjacent to it (including you, if you are incapable of following basic safety protocols), and leave behind CLOUDS OF BLAZING FLAME to block passage and allow you to leave, rest, and recuperate.

Do NOT hold down "wait" (usually '.' or 's') too fast out of impatience. Do NOT position yourself in such a way that you'd be incapable of leaving the blast zone with a single action. You WILL be oneshotted. Here is an example of what NOT to do:

.###.
..@..
..G..
..E..
.....

If @ is you, # are walls, E is your foe and G is the Golem, the walls will block your only hope of retreating, forcing you to be the recipient of up to 60 fire damage, not to mention the extra damage-over-time from the burning clouds.

If you HAVE to brace for an inescapable blast, or must walk through flame clouds to reposition away from an orc with a +99 Halberd of Feline Culling, consider briefly putting on a ring of Fire resistance/Fire! This is very fast (less than one turn) and will halve the damage, allowing you to survive.

In fact, "ring swapping" in general is a good skill to develop when playing a Felid. See a lindwurm? Ring of fire resistance. Rime drake? Ring of cold resistance. Nergalle the orcish necromancer? Ring of positive energy. Erolcha the banish-you-to-the-abyss-bot? Ring of willpower. Swapping rings is extremely fast - half of a turn to be precise. Don't try swapping amulets, though, trying to tie up a string around your fuzzy neck without opposable thumbs while a violent brute is inching closer is generally not advisable.

Here are some diagrams of potential ways you can commit feline war crimes with this improvised explosive. Again - @ is you, the one and only genius fuzzball, E are your foolish enemies, and G is your trusty golem. . represents floors, and #, walls.

'''Hallway Exit Triple-Blast'''

.EEE.
.#G#.
.#@#.
.#.#.
.#.#.

'''Outsmarting Lesser Beings in Open Spaces'''

.EEE.
..G..
..@..
.....
.....

Yes, this actually works. The enemies on the sides won't even swerve around, captivated by the shining metal of your loyal robot.

Some things to consider:

* If a foe has a reaching polearm (tridents, halberds, glaives, spears...), they will completely ignore the Golem and instead repeatedly puncture you, which means you'll have to wait for the Golem to detonate itself by having it use its self-damaging melee attacks. Here is a trick: remember, the Golem remains activated if they start or end your turn next to you. You may walk back and forth to enter and exit its range repeatedly, thus reducing the damage taken from the polearm by about 50%, and still triggering the explosion!

..E..
..G..
..@..
.....

..E..
..G..
.....
..@..

..E..
..G..
..@..
.....

* When you step away from the explosive core, your foes also get a chance to act. Keep in mind that enemies which were in melee range of you may follow you out of the blast zone, thus dodging the explosion as they pursue you.

..C..
.E...
.@...

In this example, C is the imminently exploding core, triggered as you began your previous turn next to the dying Golem, and chose to move diagonal down-left. If you walk downwards now, it is possible that the enemy will also walk downwards alongside you, and dodge the explosion. You should instead wait, so that they are still located in the blast zone when the core detonates!

* If the enemy is super strong/tanky/resistant to fire, keep in mind you'll be very close to them should they survive the explosion. For example, trying to take out a full-health hydra in Lair with a single Golem may result in the hydra walking through the fire, still barely clinging to life, and oneshotting you. Try to use other summons to reduce their health into explosion kill-range before risking your life in this fashion.

* The flame clouds left behind by the blast also deal heavy damage. If a creature has been left on the brink of death from the explosion and is now standing in a flame cloud, it might be worth just waiting one turn while it is in melee range (instead of moving away) so that it remains stuck in the flames and dies. The flame tick happens before they get a chance to melee attack, but do be absolutely sure that you won't need more than one tick, or some two-headed ogre might just oneshot you on the same turn it is reduced to 2 HP.

'''From now on, the plan is as follows:'''

* Summon an Inugami for every single trivial-to-medium difficulty battle. Make use of “t”-“a” to direct focus, and do not hold back until the entire canine demiplane has been sacrificed to mitten-pawed glory.
* Demolish every single high damage or out-of-depth (OOD) enemy by letting them uselessly punch a robotic time bomb over and over until it inevitably burns them to a crisp. Ice beast? Boom. Ogre? Boom. Bullfrog? Boom. Wyvern? Boom. Water moccasin, yak, two-headed ogre, sleepcap, gnoll sergeant, any Unique creature, hornet, ugly thing, scorpion, troll, orc warrior? BOOM. They will not survive, and if they somehow do, you can simply bring out more golems for your foes to commit the same mistake. So much for having “human”-level intelligence - clearly, the humanoids are hopeless, dull-witted morons before feline genius.
* Stuck in a pinch with no MP and a really angry dude invading your personal space? Getting turned into a porcupine by a very merry centaur? Getting a taste of orcish zealotry and being told that "smite makes right"? Use wands! They are the guns of the fantasy world, and will dispose of any pesky denizen of the Dungeon. Do not hesitate to spam these against dangerous uniques, centaurs and orc priests. The bolt ones, like Quicksilver, Light or Acid, are especially effective. Remember, if you use Charming, you can "t"-"r" the mind-controlled foe to get away from you, then use that distance to execute a swift, zero-risk retreat!
* If you end up in a terrible situation, refer to the Escape Techniques listed in the previous chapter of this guide.
* In the semi-common case where you encounter the unique siblings Dowan and Duvessa, always slay Duvessa first, preferably with an incinerating payload. Otherwise, Duvessa will get very mad, run at you at light speed and oneshot you.

Try to abuse the 1-tile hallways described earlier in Battle Tactics 101! This guarantees your foes will not attempt to circumvent your units to instead give you a very uncomfortable petting session. You are extremely frail, and lingering in melee range of anything that isn’t a basic orc or a D:1 creature is bound to result in your doom. Constantly use your turns to reposition and ensure you are always behind your summons! If your summons lose, you will be the next target on the list, and you will NOT survive should you stand your ground with tooth and claw. Run, rest and try again.


== Murder and Electrical Engineering (XP Level 7-9 to Lair, 0.32) ==

Remember, use your scrolls of Identify! Drop those useless Scrolls of Brand Weapon, Enchant Weapon or Enchant Armour. Maybe a lesser biped will come across those and thank you. Ha! Fat chance.

Between level 7 and 9 (variable depending on your dungeon adventures), the ability to memorize [[Summon Lightning Spire]] will be made available to you. This is the ''big gun'', the ''heavy artillery'', and other militarily pleasing expressions. Whereas the Blazeheart Golem granted the power to slay individual high-level threats, the Lightning Spire welcomes a little bit of ranged combat to the battlefield. This stationary turret has zero chill, and will electrocute anything breathing the same air as you in record time, only stopping once you and your allies are the only thing left standing. However, it occasionally likes to sleep on the job, so make sure to wake it up with more ample usage of “t”-“a”. Remember that neither the Golem nor the Spire have vision as refined as yours, and will completely ignore invisible enemies - most commonly orc wizards. You can still direct fire on a visible enemy, and if a sneaky invisible trickster is in the way, they will still get zapped!

To tap into this immense electrical power, open up your skills menu with “m” - notice that your Fire Magic should be close to reaching 5. Now, '''turn on Air Magic, and set a target to 5'''. Remember, do not attempt to cast a Summonings spell above 10% fail rate if there is no emergency! As our offense is starting to reach a comfortable level, also consider increasing your defense - '''turn on Fighting, Stealth and Dodging, and set a target to 10 for all three of them.'''

There are two main issues: first, the Spire is highly considerate of your wellbeing (which is nice, for the velvet-pawed deserve utmost comfort) yet also just as compassionate towards your other summons (which is less nice, as they are disposable and unimportant lesser beings). It will therefore not shoot if its piercing, bouncing bolt would cause harm to you or to any of your loyal servants. Strangely, it seems to hold a grudge against the Blazeheart Golem, and will occasionally zap it anyways, but this is uncommon - most likely, the Golem dimension played an amusing prank on the Spire dimension before you ripped both of them from their home realm to perish in unspeakable agony. Just kidding. They’re constructs. They don’t feel anything.

The second issue is that unlike other units, the Lightning Spire is incapable of moving out of your way or swapping places with you. This is problematic if you cast the spell in a hallway, potentially blocking your escape route.

#####
.S@.O
#####

You can’t walk backwards to escape the ogre (O), and the (S)pire won’t do anything, too afraid of daring to disrespect you (@)!

Instead of trying to melee an ogre with 0 Unarmed Combat skill, I propose an alternative - a disciplinary paw-scratch. Press 'v', select your Lightning Spire, then confirm the prompt in the message log. This will attack it, and immediately one-shot it no matter what, allowing passage again. An alternative is to recast the spell, though this is risky - it may simply land in an equally unfortunate position.

With all of that said, you should be set for clearing floors until you find the entrance to the Lair, somewhere on D:8-D:11.

{{flavour|[[File:Gozag altar.png]] Get that Kiku guy on your contacts list, then get into that Lair, in that order! I'll consider you for employee of the month if you have over 5000 turns remaining by D:8. Not that this is much of a title, considering you are my only contractor in this place. Any lower amount, and you'll have to start moving those fuzzy paws a bit faster.}}

Your faithful trio - Inugami, Spire and Golem - will make quick work of anything the game may attempt to impede your progress with. Remember to also put on any jewellery you may find (press capital "P") - Intelligence, Wizardry, Magical Power, Protection and Fire Protection are the best rings you could hope for (in that order), and Magic Regeneration, Regeneration, Reflection, Acrobat and Faith are the best amulets (also in that order) - for now. Avoid Guardian Spirit.

If you find a runed door vault with a ghost in it (and NO other enemies), this could be an opportunity for instant acquirement of three degrees from the Summonings College! They are worth boatloads of experience, but can range from trivial to lethal. Inspect them with "x"-"v", and check their kit - if they have Conjurations that could annihilate you or dangerous Summonings spells, they should be left alone. If they, however, only have a few joke cantrips or only know how to o-tab like a Minotaur Berserker, then it is time to guide them to eternal rest. '''Once the floor is fully cleared,''' gather up all your friends, open the door, and make them bash golems, eat electricity and be eaten by spirit-wolves until they die (for the second time in their existence).

Do NOT try your luck in weird vaults with OP enemies in them locked behind runed doors and orange transporters. They are DESIGNED by developers to exploit your greed and kill you. Nothing stops you from returning there when you actually have the required power to take them on.

===Where It Can All End (Early Game Threats)===

* Centaurs (and even more so their Warrior or Yaktaur variants) are felid annihilation incarnate. If you casually run around and spot one sleeping in open space, '''do not just start mindlessly plopping down your squad'''. Your allies will arrive in random locations while those wretched horsemen puncture you with potentially twoshotting damage on each turn. Instead, retreat to a corner or door (which you can close with capital 'C'), and meow ('t'-'t') to have it walk over in much more advantageous terrain!

Since Spires have almost zero evasion, they will gladly tank arrows for you (unlike those scumbag canines), so they may be of great use should you face off a centaur - hide behind them, and let the ranged battle unfold. Which will win, wooden sharp sticks, or thousand-volt lightning bolts? Spoiler alert: the latter.

However, keep in mind:

..@..
..S..
.....
.....
...E.

This is not a safe way of hiding. The centaur (E) will still turn you from a cat to a porcupine while the Spire will desperately attempt to dish out damage before you die in an anxiety-inducing Damage Per Turn race. First, consider Wands - polymorph is especially effective, as wielding a bow is quite hard without opposable thumbs. As you may have discovered yourself. Otherwise, you can spawn more summons - if you or an Inugami gets in melee range, the centaur will panic and stop shooting. Consider a Scroll of Fog or Summoning/Butterflies if things get too dire.

* Electric eels deal unreal amounts of damage. These living death traps are resistant to your Spire, and will three-shot you. To add insult to injury, they’re worth almost no experience - for comparison, a single scorpion rewards you with about 53% more experience than one eel. Thankfully, there's a trick: a zap from a wand of flame will oneshot or twoshot them, due to the steam clouds this technique will spawn. If flame is unavailable, most other damage wands, while rarer, will make short work of them.

* Steam dragons are deceptively dangerous. Their breath weapon will turn the heat up in every sense of the word, and may even twoshot you should the dice be animated by murderous intent. It even goes through allies. Thankfully, there is counterplay - a ring of fire resistance, or a ring of fire. If you can give yourself a + of rF, this battle will go from terrifying to laughable. If rF is not available to you, tread lightly, and be ready to retreat out of their sight the moment you are hit. Having a steam dragon on the screen while you are fighting other non-trivial enemies is suicide.

** The rarer acid dragons are basically the same thing, but worse. The corresponding ring is resist corrosion.

* Boulder beetles can oneshot you should they land their roll attack on you (and fail the EV check). Thankfully, intelligent summoners can trivialize them by calling forth even the puniest of quokkas and forcing them to waste their roll annihilating a little fluffball (which hopefully isn't you). The Spire's electrical damage bypasses a portion of their heavily armoured shell.

* If you’re unlucky enough to encounter a [[Meliai]] or the unique [[Jeremiah]], know that they are practically cyber-augmented orc priests. Just one isn’t that bad, but they often hang out with their friends, and you do ''NOT'' want to be the centre of attention of bee-witch gossip. Eating a quadruple smite in one turn ''can'' happen, and it ''will'' kill you. Potions of Invisibility work, and so do Wands of various kinds - or have them be zapped one at a time by your spire before they notice your presence, and they should fall relatively quickly. Otherwise, pushing a Golem in their faces will ensure a fiery doom.

* Should you be so hapless as to encounter the unique slug mage Gastronok, you must immediately try to avoid empty spaces. Hug walls, surround yourself with allies - if you find yourself with 4 or more completely empty tiles, you WILL be twoshotted with an insanely powerful, irresistible Airstrike ability. If you have found a scroll of Silence, I highly recommend using it as soon as you’ve churned out a few friends to help take him down. If you do not have silencing abilities, keep him at the edge of Line-of-Sight while the battle unfolds, hug walls and potentially some Small Mammals, and be ready to step away the second you are smited by Airstrike. Even with wise positioning, all it takes are approximately 3 casts to detonate you into an unrecognizable mess of gore and fluff.

For the rest of the run, don’t ever have rF- or rC- no matter what. Yes, even if it means giving up an Int+10 ring (you can also wear rF+/rC+ to cancel out the rF-/rC- if it’s ''really'' good). Vulnerabilities will be your doom: 50% extra damage is plenty to oneshot you before you even realize what has happened. Press % to check your resistances.

[[Category:Character guides]]