Difference between revisions of "Hell"

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{{flavour|The hallway to the four hells is guarded by Geryon. Heroes who prove their worth in the vestibule and blow Geryon's horn may explore the different regions of Hell: Dis, Gehenna, Cocytus and Tartarus.
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{{flavour|This gateway leads to the Vestibule of Hell. Few would go there voluntarily.
  
Portals to the Vestibule of Hell are found abundantly in the deeper parts of the main dungeon.}}
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The Vestibule of Hell is guarded by Geryon, along with various denizens of each of the hells themselves.
  
{{flavour|This gateway leads to the Vestibule of Hell. Few would go there voluntarily.<br>
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Portals to the Vestibule of Hell are found abundantly in the Depths.}}
"Lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch'intrate." -Dante Alighieri, Divina Commedia, "L'Inferno", Canto III. Circa 1315}}
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{{flavour|Welcome to Hell! Please enjoy your stay.}}
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'''Hell''' is a forbidding domain, crawling with demonic entities of all shapes and sizes. It is actually comprised of five separate branches: the [[Vestibule of Hell]] and its four sub-branches.  
  
{{flavour|Welcome to the Vestibule of Hell! Welcome to Hell! Please enjoy your stay.}}
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==The Vestibule of Hell==
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[[File:Hell entry.png]] You're guaranteed to find multiple portals to the Vestibule throughout the [[Depths]], though there is a [[Lair]]:5 vault that has a portal to Hell.
  
[[File:Hell entry.png]] The forbidding domain of '''Hell''' is made up of the [[Vestibule of Hell]] and its four subbranches. From the main dungeon, all Hell portals actually lead to the Vestibule. It is from the Vestibule that one then ventures into Hell's branches.
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[[Geryon]], the three-headed gatekeeper of the Hells, always appears. He is accompanied by all sorts of demons. The unique [[curse skull]] [[Murray]] will also be there 25% of the time.
  
===The Vestibule of Hell===
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==Hell's Branches==
You'll find multiple portals to the Vestibule starting at level 20 (there's also one commonly found in a [[Lair]]:8 ending). The Vestibule's most famous denizen is [[Geryon]], a rugged three-headed demon, with whom you'll also find flocks of demons and [[hell knight]]s. The unique [[curse skull]] [[Murray]] will also be there 25% of the time.
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There are four branches accessible from the Vestibule of Hell:
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*[[File:Gehenna entry.png]] [[Gehenna]], the [[fire]] branch, contains the obsidian rune of Zot.
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*[[File:Cocytus entry.png]] [[Cocytus]], the [[cold]] branch, contains the icy rune of Zot.
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*[[File:Tartarus entry.png]] [[Tartarus]], the [[undead]] branch containing [[negative energy]] damage, contains the bone rune of Zot.
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*[[File:Dis entry.png]] [[The Iron City of Dis]], the iron branch containing physical damage, contains the iron rune of Zot.
  
The Vestibule is safe to clear if you've finished exploring the Dungeon and are hardy enough to have cleared the [[Elven Halls]] and [[the Vaults]]. You need high AC and EV along with whatever fire and cold resistance you can muster. Geryon himself is not that difficult to kill, as he is ''not'' immune to poison! Geryon cannot use stairs: while you cannot lure him to the Dungeon to fight him on safe territory, you can lure away his minions.
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Each branch of Hell is 7 levels deep. Floors 1-6 are all about a quarter the size of a regular floor, containing only one gateway out and downstair. Notice how there isn't an ''upstair'' - instead, there are portals leading directly to the Vestibule.
  
Be aware if you plan to fight him using stairdancing, his summoned Tier-2 demon [[hell beast]]s may trample you away from the stairs. If you have no means of controlled blinking (back to the stairs), this may result in a quick death.
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The final level of each houses a [[unique]], named [[demon]] lord protecting several treasure vaults, a [[rune of Zot]], and in some cases an [[unrandart]] weapon. These floors are often very large in comparison, even to regular dungeon floors.
  
Once the Vestibule has been cleared, it can serve as a [[stash]] location since no monsters respawn here. Just remember that all portals close when you pick up the Orb!
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The [[Zot clock]] is shared between the Vestibule and the four branches.
  
===Hell's branches===
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===Hell Effects===
When Geryon is killed and his [[Horn of Geryon|horn]] is blown (by evoking it), portals to the four branches of Hell become passable:
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Each Hell, excluding the Vestibule, will inflict a persistent effect on any who dare venture into them.
* [[Gehenna]], the fire branch, contains the obsidian rune of Zot.
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*'''Gehenna''' prevents [[scroll]] use (-Scroll)
* [[Cocytus]], the cold branch, contains the icy rune of Zot.
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*'''Cocytus''' prevents [[potion]] use (-Potion)
* [[Tartarus]], the undead branch, contains the bone rune of Zot.
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*'''Tartarus''' halves [[willpower]] (Will/2)
* [[The Iron City of Dis]], the iron branch, contains the iron rune of Zot.
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*'''Dis''' inflicts irresistible [[corrosion]] (Corr-8).
  
Each branch of Hell is 7 levels deep.  The final level of each houses a unique, named [[demon]] protecting an [[artifact]], various treasure vaults, and a [[rune of Zot]]. When venturing in a branch, there are no up stairs:  only down stairs or portals back to the Vestibule.  Thus, stair dancing isn't possible: when you descend a level, you descend onto a (random!) portal tile, not an upstairs tile.  If you use a portal, you have to begin again from the Vestibule, enduring the Mystical Force all the way back down. On the positive side, a portal to the Vestibule can be a welcome escape method, in a fix.
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These effects last for as long as you remain in their respective Hell.
  
Besides the vaults on the final level, [[item]]s and food in Hell are far and few between, and generally only acquired if dropped by a slain monster (e.g. a potion of blood by a vampire) or the occasional pack of [[hell hound]]s.
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===Hell's Mystical Force===
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In Hell's branches, every time you go down a staircase, Hell's "mystical force" may lash out at you:<ref>{{source ref|0.30.1|stairs.cc|484}}</ref>
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*25% - A transient bad [[mutation]]
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*25% - Temporary [[stat drain]] (1-5 points of a random [[stat]])
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*25% - Temporary [[Drain|HP drain]] (~13.3% max HP)
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*25% - No effect
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In addition to this, there is a 16.67% chance of making [[Noise | noise]] (loudness 15), unless you are [[silence]]d.
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[[Zin]] will sometimes protect you from the forces of Hell. The chance to prevent an effect scales linearly, up to a 50% chance at maximum (200) piety. In addition, Zin's mutation protection will work as normal, even if the initial prevention fails; this leads to a true rate of 62.5% to prevent an effect at max piety.
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==Strategy==
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Hell is generally considered part of the [[extended game]]. You shouldn't intend to clear the four branches unless you want all 15 runes, or otherwise want a challenge.
  
[[Teleport control]] is disabled on the last level until the rune is acquired.
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That being said, most characters ready for [[Depths]] can complete the Vestibule in reasonable safety. This is often done for the [[Horn of Geryon]], obtained when you kill Geryon. For more details on completing the Vestibule, see [[Vestibule of Hell#Strategy|Vestibule of Hell]].
  
===Hell's Mystical Force===
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It technically isn't required to defeat Geryon to enter the four sub-branches, but it is recommended. A character who can't defeat Geryon probably isn't ready for the other Hell branches.
In Hell's branches (but not the Vestibule), resting is hard to do, since there is a chance every 20 turns that a "mystical force" may lash out at you, with any of these effects:
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===Clearing Hell Branches===
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You may be tempted to 'dive' each of the hell branches, rushing straight to the downstairs. However, XP is used to cure the effects of Hell's mystical force. Thus, clearing the floors is recommended if possible.
  
*Random [[miscast]] effects:
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Ideally, you have high resistances to counteract each branch's element: rF+++ for Gehenna, rC+++ for Cocytus, rN+++ for Tartarus, and a little bit of everything for Dis. Weapons with the [[holy wrath]] brand are effective against all manners of demons and undead.
**Slowing you for a few turns
 
**Confusing you for a few turns
 
**Making you berserk for a few turns
 
**1-7 [[stat]] drain
 
**Rotting
 
**Cursing one or more of your items[http://crawl.chaosforge.org/images/0/01/Curses.jpg]
 
**And assorted other nasty things
 
*Spawning demons or other monsters around you, up to and including [[Tier-1_demon#The_Fiends|fiend]]s. These are not summons: they cannot be [[Abjuration|abjured]] and are worth experience.
 
*Opening a [[Malign Gateway]] to summon an [[eldritch tentacle]].
 
*Blasting you with a branch-specific attack (e.g. clouds of freezing vapour in Cocytus, sticky flame in Gehenna)
 
*Blasting you with magical energy -- irresistible damage
 
  
Arguably, the first two miscast effects are the most dangerous; being slowed or confused while surrounded by freshly summoned demons (or when fighting one of the demon lords on the last level) can be deadly.  However, over a period of time, stat drain can become quite onerous, particularly if the same stat is drained repeatedly.
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The portals out make [[stair dancing]] harder, but make escape easier. Should you take a nasty beating or realize you're under-prepared, simply take a portal back to the Vestibule, keeping whatever map knowledge you've had. Going back will make you experience more Hell effects, though.
  
==Recommendations==
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==History==
The safest strategy of acquiring Hell's runes is to ignore as many monsters as possible and dive to the next level. Every upward staircase in Hell's branches returns you straight to the Vestibule anyway, so you don't even have to face the monsters twice. Fighting with monsters to get experience may be tempting, but in Hell these seeming benefits are often negated by the actions of the mystical force.  It's all fun and games until you're helplessly paralyzed or suffer two successive -7 hits on one of your stats.
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*Prior to [[0.29]], Hell's Mystical Force happened over time, rather than when descending stairs.
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*The Hells received a rework in [[0.28]]; introducing many new monsters and the unique branch-wide forces of each Hell. Prior to this version, Hell's Mystical Force was slower, but more varied, with miscasts and monster spawns. In addition, Hell's floors were normal sized, with 3 stairs in each direction.
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*Prior to [[0.14]], players needed to evoke Geryon's horn to access the branches of Hell.
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*Prior to [[0.9]], a frequent Hell effect was banishment. This was replaced with Malign Gateway, mostly to reduce annoyance to the player.
  
If you do plan on fighting in Hell - a pasttime for powerful characters only! - make sure you have high resistances to counteract each branch's element: rF+++ for Gehenna, rC+++ for Cocytus, rN+++ for Tartarus, and a little bit of everything for Dis. In addition, you'll want a way to [[sustain abilities|sustain]] or [[potion of restore ability|restore abilities]], a means of [[flight]], [[warding]]/[[Abjuration]] or a means of [[blink]]ing if you get surrounded by summoned demons, and plenty of food (unless you're in [[lichform]] or are a [[mummy]]/bloodless [[vampire]]). Weapons with the [[holy wrath]] brand are effective against all manners of demons and undead too. Also, at high piety, [[Zin]] will almost always block the effects of Hell's mystical force, making his worshippers particularly well-suited to plumbing Hell's depths.
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==References==
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<references/>
  
[[Category:Dungeon_Branches]]
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{{branches}}

Latest revision as of 02:19, 15 September 2024

Version 0.30: This article may not be up to date for the latest stable release of Crawl.
This gateway leads to the Vestibule of Hell. Few would go there voluntarily.

The Vestibule of Hell is guarded by Geryon, along with various denizens of each of the hells themselves.

Portals to the Vestibule of Hell are found abundantly in the Depths.

Welcome to Hell! Please enjoy your stay.

Hell is a forbidding domain, crawling with demonic entities of all shapes and sizes. It is actually comprised of five separate branches: the Vestibule of Hell and its four sub-branches.

The Vestibule of Hell

Hell entry.png You're guaranteed to find multiple portals to the Vestibule throughout the Depths, though there is a Lair:5 vault that has a portal to Hell.

Geryon, the three-headed gatekeeper of the Hells, always appears. He is accompanied by all sorts of demons. The unique curse skull Murray will also be there 25% of the time.

Hell's Branches

There are four branches accessible from the Vestibule of Hell:

Each branch of Hell is 7 levels deep. Floors 1-6 are all about a quarter the size of a regular floor, containing only one gateway out and downstair. Notice how there isn't an upstair - instead, there are portals leading directly to the Vestibule.

The final level of each houses a unique, named demon lord protecting several treasure vaults, a rune of Zot, and in some cases an unrandart weapon. These floors are often very large in comparison, even to regular dungeon floors.

The Zot clock is shared between the Vestibule and the four branches.

Hell Effects

Each Hell, excluding the Vestibule, will inflict a persistent effect on any who dare venture into them.

  • Gehenna prevents scroll use (-Scroll)
  • Cocytus prevents potion use (-Potion)
  • Tartarus halves willpower (Will/2)
  • Dis inflicts irresistible corrosion (Corr-8).

These effects last for as long as you remain in their respective Hell.

Hell's Mystical Force

In Hell's branches, every time you go down a staircase, Hell's "mystical force" may lash out at you:[1]

In addition to this, there is a 16.67% chance of making noise (loudness 15), unless you are silenced.

Zin will sometimes protect you from the forces of Hell. The chance to prevent an effect scales linearly, up to a 50% chance at maximum (200) piety. In addition, Zin's mutation protection will work as normal, even if the initial prevention fails; this leads to a true rate of 62.5% to prevent an effect at max piety.

Strategy

Hell is generally considered part of the extended game. You shouldn't intend to clear the four branches unless you want all 15 runes, or otherwise want a challenge.

That being said, most characters ready for Depths can complete the Vestibule in reasonable safety. This is often done for the Horn of Geryon, obtained when you kill Geryon. For more details on completing the Vestibule, see Vestibule of Hell.

It technically isn't required to defeat Geryon to enter the four sub-branches, but it is recommended. A character who can't defeat Geryon probably isn't ready for the other Hell branches.

Clearing Hell Branches

You may be tempted to 'dive' each of the hell branches, rushing straight to the downstairs. However, XP is used to cure the effects of Hell's mystical force. Thus, clearing the floors is recommended if possible.

Ideally, you have high resistances to counteract each branch's element: rF+++ for Gehenna, rC+++ for Cocytus, rN+++ for Tartarus, and a little bit of everything for Dis. Weapons with the holy wrath brand are effective against all manners of demons and undead.

The portals out make stair dancing harder, but make escape easier. Should you take a nasty beating or realize you're under-prepared, simply take a portal back to the Vestibule, keeping whatever map knowledge you've had. Going back will make you experience more Hell effects, though.

History

  • Prior to 0.29, Hell's Mystical Force happened over time, rather than when descending stairs.
  • The Hells received a rework in 0.28; introducing many new monsters and the unique branch-wide forces of each Hell. Prior to this version, Hell's Mystical Force was slower, but more varied, with miscasts and monster spawns. In addition, Hell's floors were normal sized, with 3 stairs in each direction.
  • Prior to 0.14, players needed to evoke Geryon's horn to access the branches of Hell.
  • Prior to 0.9, a frequent Hell effect was banishment. This was replaced with Malign Gateway, mostly to reduce annoyance to the player.

References

  1. stairs.cc:484 (0.30.1)
Dungeon branches
Dungeon exit.png The DungeonTemple entry.png The TempleDepths entry.png The DepthsZot entry.png Realm of Zot
Lair entry.png The Lair ( Spider entry.png Spider's NestSnake entry.png Snake PitSwamp entry.png The SwampShoals entry.png The ShoalsSlime entry.png Slime Pits)
Orc entry.png Orcish Mines ( Elf entry.png Elven Halls) • Vaults entry.png The Vaults ( Crypt entry.png The CryptTomb entry.png The Tomb)
Abyss entry.png The AbyssPandemonium entry.png PandemoniumHell entry.png Hell ( Cocytus entry.png CocytusDis entry.pngDisGehenna entry.png GehennaTartarus entry.png Tartarus)
See also: Portal