Gauntlet

Version 0.29: This article may not be up to date for the latest stable release of Crawl.

An elaborate complex designed to lure foolhardy adventurers seeking riches and glory. Those who enter must choose a path through several combat arenas, each of which contains treasure guarded by dangerous and sometimes exotic creatures. At the end awaits a fearsome minotaur guarding a large hoard of loot taken from the bodies of foolish adventurers. Beware that powerful magic prevents long-range teleports in Gauntlets. What's worse, some of these complexes offer only one exit...in the minotaur's lair.

The Gauntlet is a portal branch consisting of a series of small arenas with monsters and various loot items linked by transporters, where the player has a choice of some sort in which path through the arenas they would like to take. This path culminates in a fight with the minotaur that guards the exit.

Layout

There are several different gauntlets which each have a similar layout, consisting of a series of 7x7 or 9x9 arenas which are each surrounded by transparent stone and only accessible through transporters. Each arena has a very specific set of a few monsters (usually of just one to three types) and a few items of loot, ranging from consumables to generic weapons to artefacts. Arenas come in two difficulties, with the last arena in a series often being of the more difficult type, and offering better loot. There is always some choice involved in which path through the arenas you wish to take — this choice may be made before taking on the first arena in some vaults, or after each arena in others.

All paths through the arenas eventually lead to a final area with a minotaur guarding the escape hatch out of the gauntlet and another pile of loot. In addition to this exit guarded by the minotaur, there is also an exit that can be found in the starting area before taking any transporters.

Teleport suppression

Apart from the transporters, all forms of teleportation, including the teleportitis mutation, scrolls of teleportation, and the Passage of Golubria spell, are suppressed in gauntlets. This is to prevent you from reaching arenas that are not on your chosen path and getting their loot, as well as to prevent you from leaving via the exit in the initial starting area after having completed one or more of the arenas.

All forms of blinking, including the scroll and the Blink spell, function as normal. Other Translocations, including Teleport Other, also work properly. In addition, some arenas may contain dispersal traps.

How to break walls

Even though you are supposed to choose only one path through the Gauntlet, there are ways to break the walls and get all the loot.

• The portal appears quite early, so having Shatter castable is unlikely, but followers of Sif Muna can cast this spell via the Exegesis ability if the spell is in their spell library.
• Followers of Fedhas can use Overgrow to transform walls into plants.
• Followers of Lugonu can corrupt the Gauntlet, which not only destroys walls, but also can kill all the monsters there.

Walkthrough

• After entering the portal to the gauntlet, you are placed in a large outside area from which you can see all of the arenas you can choose from and make your choice as to which path you wish to take. This large outside area also contains an escape hatch out of the gauntlet, which you can take if you decide that all paths through the gauntlet will be too difficult for you.
• Assuming you decide to press on through the gauntlet, you will now enter a transporter to take you to your first arena. At this point, there is no way out save the exit beyond the minotaur.
• After having competed your first arena, you will take another transporter to an intermediary area, in which you may or may not be presented with a choice as to which arena you take next.
• This may continue up to a total of between 2 and 4 arenas, after which you will take a transporter to a final area with the minotaur.
• You must then fight the minotaur, or otherwise avoid it, in order to reach the escape hatch up (where you will find another pile of loot as well).

Tips & Tricks

• Pay extra attention to monster weaknesses and resistances, as similar groups of monsters tend to spawn together. A group of hell hounds are countered by fire resistance, while the minotaur itself is a melee threat (with javelins) that is unable to see invisible.

History

• Prior to 0.26, monsters in a Gauntlet (other than the minotaur) could be generated sleeping and pick up loot.
• Added in 0.23, replacing the Labyrinth.