Tips and tricks - Revision history

Hordes at 14:31, 30 June 2026

2026-06-30T14:31:50Z

Hordes: /* Spellcasting */ stair dance

2026-06-30T12:45:20Z

‎Spellcasting: stair dance

Draconius: Removed Meteoran reference

2026-06-30T05:38:03Z

Removed Meteoran reference

Hordes: be less absolute with multi-school stuff. I'm stilll part of the old guard "train killdudes until you can kill things", and the most efficient way is one path

2026-06-30T04:37:59Z

be less absolute with multi-school stuff. I'm stilll part of the old guard "train killdudes until you can kill things", and the most efficient way is one path

Draconius: Expanded spellcasting tips

2026-06-29T08:36:26Z

Expanded spellcasting tips

Hordes: /* Items */

2023-12-01T06:23:05Z

‎Items

Hordes at 17:20, 12 July 2023

2023-07-12T17:20:26Z

Ge0ff: /* Monsters */

2023-05-08T14:54:01Z

‎Monsters

Ge0ff: /* Monsters */ rip conj flame

2023-05-08T14:52:27Z

‎Monsters: rip conj flame

Hordes: 0.30 - unrands are cyan

2023-05-05T10:03:28Z

0.30 - unrands are cyan

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 *Getting spells castable (sub 10% fail chance) is the first major concern, spell power is a distant second.
 *Not all spells in your starting book are required, some books even have spells which should only be taken when no other options are found first.
-*Seriously consider learning spells of different schools. It is often cheaper to 'go wide' with spell schools than to go higher in skill levels; watch the 'cost' category while training. Plus, since casters will level up [[Spellcasting]], which improves the failure rate of all schools, it is easier to branch into a magic skill than a non-magic skill.
+*Seriously consider learning spells of different schools. It is often cheaper to 'go wide' with spell schools than to go higher in skill levels; watch the 'cost' category while training. Plus, since [[intelligence]] and [[Spellcasting]] skill improve the failure rate of all schools, it is naturally easier to branch into a magic skill than a non-magic skill.
 **However, branching into other schools should be done only once your current game plan can secure the next few floors. In other words, consider branching out to help with future floors only when the XP isn't immediately needed elsewhere.
 *[[Spellcasting]] gives max MP and spell levels, while also giving spell power and reducing spell failure by 1/4 the amount that levelling a single school provides. Consider all these benefits when deciding whether to level Spellcasting or the school for a spell.

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 *In emergencies, you can use the [[Sublimation of Blood]] spell to restore MP if you have a high [[Necromancy]] skill and enough HP to spare.
 *[[Blink]] can be a lifesaver if you get into a jam and need to run away, especially if you're a slow species. Keep in mind that, unlike with a scroll of blinking, you don't get to pick your destination, so you could blink ''towards'' trouble.
 ==Miscellaneous==

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 === If There is no Monster in View===
-*If you are hurt (and not a [[Meteoran]]), rest by holding Shift and pressing '5' on the NumPad until your HP or MP is full. Consumables should generally be saved for emergencies.
+*If you are hurt, rest by holding Shift and pressing '5' on the NumPad until your HP or MP is full. Consumables should generally be saved for emergencies.
 *If you are not on a special level, press 'o' to auto-explore.
 *If you are on a special level, carefully explore manually in circles from the upstairs until fully cleared and explored. Consider using a [[scroll of magic mapping]] if you know there's a dangerous vault somewhere (like in the bottom floor of a branch).

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 *You do not have to fight and kill all monsters ''now'' (or ever). In roguelike games such as ''Dungeon Crawl'', there is no guarantee that you'll be able to overcome all the challenges you meet, and escaping or ignoring some monsters or branches for the moment is a perfectly valid strategy. Remember, your goal is to survive.
 *While it's best to [[Specialization|specialize]] early on and invest all your XP into a couple of skills to ensure you've got some reliable means of surviving, as the game progresses you should diversify your skills to ensure you can meet any challenge.
-**Melee fighters might want to learn [[Spellcasting]] and dabble in magic, even if its just with [[Evocations]].
+**Melee fighters can take advantage of [[Throwing]], [[Evocations]], and [[Shapeshifting]], all of which do not care about Armour skill or Intelligence. Proper spells are also an option.
 **Spellcasters will want to invest some XP into [[Fighting]], [[Dodging]], and perhaps [[Armour]] and/or [[Shields]].
 **Don't forget about [[Invocations]] and [[Evocations]] either, depending on your god choice or equipment.
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 ==Spellcasting==
-*In general, level your spell school until the first spells in your starting book are online. At that point, balance between the priorities of [[Fighting]] and [[Stealth (skill)]] vs getting the next spell online. Stealth helps casters more than most, and 3-4 early levels make a major difference in survivability. Likewise, an early 1-2 levels of fighting will make sure you have enough HP to survive an early [[Orc priest]]. Low HP species may even choose to take those first levels in fighting before their spell training.
+*In general, when starting as a caster, level your spell school until the first spells in your starting book are online. At that point, balance between the priorities of [[Fighting]] and [[Stealth (skill)]] vs getting the next spell online. Stealth helps casters more than most, and 3-4 early levels make a major difference in survivability. Likewise, an early 1-2 levels of Fighting will make sure you have enough HP to survive an early [[Orc priest]]. Low HP species may even choose to take those first levels in Fighting before their spell training.
 *Getting spells castable (sub 10% fail chance) is the first major concern, spell power is a distant second.
 *Not all spells in your starting book are required, some books even have spells which should only be taken when no other options are found first.
-*It is always cheaper to 'go wide' with spell schools than to go higher in skill levels. Watch the 'cost' category while training. Consider that spell schools are always easier to branch into than other, non-magic skills because you will be levelling [[Spellcasting]] as a spellcaster, and this helps all spells.
+*Seriously consider learning spells of different schools. It is often cheaper to 'go wide' with spell schools than to go higher in skill levels; watch the 'cost' category while training. Plus, since casters will level up [[Spellcasting]], which improves the failure rate of all schools, it is easier to branch into a magic skill than a non-magic skill.
-*Branching into other schools should be done only once your current game plan can secure the next few floors; in other words, consider branching out to help with future floors only when the XP isn't immediately needed elsewhere.
+**However, branching into other schools should be done only once your current game plan can secure the next few floors. In other words, consider branching out to help with future floors only when the XP isn't immediately needed elsewhere.
-*[[Spellcasting]] gives max MP and spell levels, while also giving spell power and reducing spell failure by 1/4 the amount that levelling a single school provides. Consider all these benefits when deciding whether to level Spellcasting or the school for a spell. For single school spells, the cost should be around 4x higher before levelling spellcasting for the purposes of getting the spell online. For dual- and tri-school spells, Spellcasting becomes even more attractive.
+*[[Spellcasting]] gives max MP and spell levels, while also giving spell power and reducing spell failure by 1/4 the amount that levelling a single school provides. Consider all these benefits when deciding whether to level Spellcasting or the school for a spell.
-*Consider levelling [[Shields (skill)]] before wearing one as a spellcaster. Although 27 is the skill level where shields no longer make your spells harder to cast, there are some good targets to keep in mind: 4 for Bucklers, 12 for Kite Shields, 20 for Tower shields, assuming average strength.
+** If the sole purpose of training Spellcasting is to get a spell castable, and aiming for a single-school spell, train Spellcasting when its cost is 4x cheaper than the spell school. For dual- and triple- school spells, train Spellcasting when it is 2x cheaper and 1.33x cheaper than the cheapest school, respectively.
 *Spells that allow movement of monsters or the player are a massive survivability increase. With [[attacks of opportunity]], all characters should have some way to disengage.
-*Almost all characters also benefit from some form of ally. Both because allies allow you to disengage without suffering attacks of opportunity, but also because more bodies on the screen means that you are less likely to be targeted and are getting more total 'actions' per turn you take.
+*Almost all characters also benefit from some form of ally. Allies allow you to disengage without suffering attacks of opportunity, and can take hits for the player. They can also be cast ''before'' engaging with an enemy, thus improving turn economy, and many summons are quite [[MP]]-efficient too.
 ===Spell Tips:===

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-{{version030}}
+{{version034}}
 This is a collection of random tips and tricks for those who are starting to play ''Dungeon Crawl''.
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 *Early game [[potion]] and [[scroll]] identification is straightforward for a couple of common items; [[potions of curing]] and [[scrolls of identify]] are the most common of their type. However, the next most common scroll, the [[scroll of teleportation]], could be troublesome in an uncleared level. You can view item rarity with the '''\''' key (- to see unidentified items).
 *Knowing which dungeon branches you should tackle, and in what order, will make your game smooth and your progress quick. See the [[Walkthrough]] for more information.
 *If you haven't won yet, stick with the basic 3 rune game. As you gain skill, start exploring the optional endgame branches.
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 *A [[scroll of teleportation]] can also be used to escape, but is riskier - especially if you're on a level you haven't fully explored. It beats a guaranteed chance of death; but as it takes some time to activate, make sure its not guaranteed next turn.
-==Spells==
+==Spellcasting==
 *[[Mephitic Cloud]] is one of the best tools at your disposal. Any monster not resistant to poison can be confused via this spell. While in their confused state, monsters will move and attack randomly, and may even damage themselves or their friends!
 *In emergencies, you can use the [[Sublimation of Blood]] spell to restore MP if you have a high [[Necromancy]] skill and enough HP to spare.

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 ;{{LightMagenta|Purple}}: Item is potentially dangerous to use (will warn you if you try to use it)
 ;{{Yellow|Yellow}}: Item is beneficial
-;{{LightCyan|Light Blue}}: Item is highly beneficial or an [[unrand]]
+;{{LightCyan|Light Blue}}: Item is highly beneficial, or an [[unrand]] artefact
 *You won't be able to carry every worthwhile item you come across, since you're limited to 52 types of items in your inventory. Keep in mind that you can use (ctrl+f) to look for items if you're not sure exactly where you left them. Some players might want to create a centralized [[stash]] at a known location.
 *A [[scroll of blinking]] is the most reliable means of escape for characters early on. Use them wisely to avoid death.

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 ===If There is a Monster in View===
 *If the monster cannot move (like a [[statue]] or an [[oklob plant]]), leave it be and return to kill it once you have cleared the level, assuming you have the tools to do so. If you're not equipped to fight it, just leave.
-*If it is a [[hydra]], switch to a [[flaming]], ranged, or non-edged weapon, then proceed as usual (this does not apply to [[undead]] hydras -- you may safely use edged weapons on them). If it is a [[shapeshifter]] pretending to be a hydra, you may want to wait until it changes form or force it to change form with a [[wand of polymorph]].
+*If it is a [[hydra]], switch to a [[flaming]], ranged, or non-edged weapon, then proceed as usual (this does not apply to [[undead]] hydras -- you may safely use edged weapons on them). If it is a [[shapeshifter (monster)|shapeshifter]] pretending to be a hydra, you may want to wait until it changes form or force it to change form with a [[wand of polymorph]].
 *If it is attacking you with an element you don't currently resist but can with appropriate randart weapons or rings, wield/put on that item. '''Do not switch other equipment (especially body armour), since this will take many turns during which the monster can attack you freely!'''
 *If there is an extremely dangerous monster in view, you may want to kill it as soon as possible, even if it is part of a larger group. If that would be too dangerous, run, teleport or blink away. Dangerous monsters include:

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 *If neither are available, you can fight on a staircase leading to the previous level. When a monster moves next to you, it will follow you if you go upstairs: you can break up groups of monsters and kill them one by one this way.
 *To "pull" single monsters while avoiding their neighbours, shoot them with missiles (such as [[stone]]s) or with a single target spell like [[Magic Dart]]. Yelling (tt) should only be used when you want to wake all nearby creatures, including nearby ones out of sight. Keep in mind that many monsters may make noise if they either get hit or spot you, possibly waking up other monsters nearby.
-*Some monsters avoid known [[trap]]s; you can therefore take shelter behind a trap and kill these creatures with missiles or spells. Likewise, many monsters avoid damaging areas such as [[cloud]]s of miasma or noxious fumes created by spells like [[Cigotuvi's Dreadful Rot]] and [[Mephitic Cloud]]. On the other hand, mindless and high [[HD|level]] monsters will walk into traps and clouds to get to you; you can exploit this advantage by standing next to a conjured flame, for example, and letting a zombie toast itself trying to get to you.
+*Some monsters avoid known [[trap]]s; you can therefore take shelter behind a trap and kill these creatures with missiles or spells. Likewise, many monsters avoid damaging areas such as [[cloud]]s of miasma or noxious fumes created by spells like [[Cigotuvi's Dreadful Rot]] and [[Mephitic Cloud]]. On the other hand, mindless and high [[HD|level]] monsters will walk into traps and clouds to get to you; you can exploit this advantage by standing next to a [[condenser vane|cloud of flame]], for example, and letting a zombie toast itself trying to get to you.
 *Known teleport [[trap]]s and [[shaft]]s can become an emergency means of escape. Step on them to escape a horde of enemies, or trick a tough monster into stepping on them to get rid of them for a while.

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-{{version029}}
+{{version030}}
 This is a collection of random tips and tricks for those who are starting to play ''Dungeon Crawl''.
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 ;{{Blue|Blue}}: Item is unidentified and magical
 ;{{LightGreen|Bright Green}}: Item is equipped
-;{{White|White}}: Item is a unique [[artefact]] ([[unrand]] artefacts are cyan in [[trunk]], [[0.30]])
+;{{White|White}}: Item is a [[randart|random]] [[artefact]]
 ;{{LightRed|Bright Red}}: Item is generally harmful to use
 ;{{Red|Red}}: Item is hated by your [[god]]
 ;{{LightMagenta|Purple}}: Item is potentially dangerous to use (will warn you if you try to use it)
 ;{{Yellow|Yellow}}: Item is beneficial
-;{{LightCyan|Light Blue}}: Item is highly beneficial
+;{{LightCyan|Light Blue}}: Item is highly beneficial or an [[unrand]]
 *You won't be able to carry every worthwhile item you come across, since you're limited to 52 types of items in your inventory. Keep in mind that you can use (ctrl+f) to look for items if you're not sure exactly where you left them. Some players might want to create a centralized [[stash]] at a known location.
 *A [[scroll of blinking]] is the most reliable means of escape for characters early on. Use them wisely to avoid death.
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 [[Category:Strategy Guides]]
 [[Category:Tips]]