Difference between revisions of "Orcish Mines"

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{{flavour|The well-worked goldmines of the orcish tribes. These tortuous caverns are filled with orcs, their humanoid labourers, and piles of their freshly mined gold. Enterprising merchants have set up trading posts to help relieve the orcs of their auric burden. The haphazard manner in which orcs tend to dig their mineshafts has resulted in a complex and treacherous tangle of chambers in which it is easy to get trapped.
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{{flavour|The Orcish Mines are filled with the cave orcs native to the Dungeon, their humanoid labourers, and piles of freshly mined gold. Enterprising merchants have set up trading posts to help relieve the orcs of the latter.
  
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The Orcish Mines are two levels deep and contain the entrance to the Elven Halls on their second level.
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The entrance to this branch can be found between levels 9 and 12 of the Dungeon.
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}}
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{{flavour|An entrance to the mines of the orcs, filled with their gold, but treacherous and easy to get trapped in.}}
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This branch is 2 levels deep.
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This branch contains the entrance to the Elven Halls.}}
  
 
[[File:Orc entry.png]] The '''Orcish Mines''' are an early [[branch]] full of [[list of orcs|orcs]], [[gold]], and the entrance to the [[Elven Halls]]. Although the Mines lack a [[rune]], the bottom floor contains a guaranteed collection of [[shop]]s, and the gold found along the way makes it easy to afford any particularly useful treasures they may sell.
 
[[File:Orc entry.png]] The '''Orcish Mines''' are an early [[branch]] full of [[list of orcs|orcs]], [[gold]], and the entrance to the [[Elven Halls]]. Although the Mines lack a [[rune]], the bottom floor contains a guaranteed collection of [[shop]]s, and the gold found along the way makes it easy to afford any particularly useful treasures they may sell.
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The Orcish Mines are two floors deep and found between Dungeon:9-12. The entrance stairs are usually decorated with orcish idols and occasionally even [[altar]]s to [[Beogh]], and they are often guarded by a large group of orcs.
 
The Orcish Mines are two floors deep and found between Dungeon:9-12. The entrance stairs are usually decorated with orcish idols and occasionally even [[altar]]s to [[Beogh]], and they are often guarded by a large group of orcs.
  
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Most floors of the Mines are made up of several disconnected open areas, all of which are accessible through either [[stairs]] or [[escape hatch]]es on adjacent floors. Occasionally, you'll also find floors that consist of more organized stonecraft, which is usually the case on Orc:2. These layouts can vary greatly (as can their difficulty), ranging from a handful of scattered rooms, to one huge room dominating much of the level, to an entire fortified compound housing [[Saint Roka]] and his throng of followers.  
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Orc:1 consists of very open, cavernous areas. Sometimes, these sections can be disconnected - you can access them by using the upstairs on Orc:2. The Mines are made almost entirely out of digging rock, so a [[wand of digging]] can make shortcuts or chokepoints. Expect almost no hallways aside from those you dig yourself.
  
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As the Mines are made almost entirely of rock, bringing a [[wand of digging]] allows you to create shortcuts between portions of a floor. Expect almost no hallways or chokepoints aside from those you dig yourself.
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===Orc:2===
 +
Orc:2 features an end [[vault]], often with organized buildings. These layouts can vary greatly (as can their difficulty), ranging from a handful of scattered rooms, to one huge room dominating much of the level, to an entire fortified compound housing [[Saint Roka]] and a throng of followers.
 +
 
 +
Orc:2's end vault guarantees 4 [[shop]]s (give or take [[mimic]]s). Additional shops may spawn through random level generation.
  
 
==Useful Info==
 
==Useful Info==
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The Mines are one of the easiest areas in the game to get surrounded in. When exploring a new floor, you will often immediately encounter at least a few orcs who will shout, alerting nearby reinforcements. If you find yourself getting surrounded, especially if orc priests are involved, use [[Escaping_from_(and_avoiding)_trouble#Leading_them_up|stair dancing]] to defeat smaller groups of orcs in safety. When you move away from the stairs, avoid relying on false chokepoints; orcs are smart enough to maneuver past you to give other orcs access to you, and getting cornered with priests around is suicidal.
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It's easy to get surrounded in the Mines. You'll often encounter at least a few orcs upon entry, who will [[shout]] to alert nearby enemies. Use [[stair dancing]] to separate groups of orcs; even a crowd of [[orc warrior]]s and [[orc priest|priests]] can be a handful.
  
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Monster difficulty here is extremely variable. While most monsters are plain [[orc]]s, orc warriors, [[orc wizard]]s, and orc priests, you will also encounter [[orc sorcerer]]s, [[orc high priest]]s, [[orc knight]]s, and usually one or two [[orc warlord]]s. A few other types of monsters, including [[troll]]s and [[ogre]]s, are also eligible for generation (see list below). That being said, even the lesser orcs can be a handful; orc warriors in [[plate mail]] can take a beating while orc priests can [[smite]] you. Also, even if you can easily [[tab]] your way past dozens of common orcs without missing a beat, do pay attention to the combat logs; almost everything here is armed, and weapons of [[electrocution]] and [[distortion]] do generate here from time to time. Unless you're [[speedrun]]ning, exercise a little caution.
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Monster difficulty is variable. Most denizens are plain orcs, warriors, priests, and wizards. You'll also encounter [[kobold blastminer]]s, [[orc sorcerer]]s, [[orc high priest]]s, [[orc knight]]s, and usually one or two [[orc warlord]]s. A few other monsters, such as [[list of ogres|ogres]] and [[stone giant]]s, can spawn. Since almost everything is armed, pay attention to weapon brands. There's a good chance to encounter orcs with [[electrocution]], [[distortion]], etc.
  
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On the plus side, the Mines typically contain 1000-3000 [[gold]] and much enchanted and branded equipment, including plate mail and heavy weaponry on the warriors and various [[robe]]s on the mages, priests, and sorcerers. You can also find shops here, both randomly and guaranteed on the bottom floor (though the bottom floor's shops are heavily guarded).
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The mines typically contain 1000-3000 [[gold]], and a host of [[shop]]s on Orc:2. You'll also find plenty of equipment from the orcs themselves, so there's a good chance to find [[brand]]ed gear. Melee orcs carry plate armour and heavy weaponry, while you'll find plenty of [[robe]]s from the mages.
  
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While most of the Orcish Mines can be reached via normal staircases, some portions may only be accessible through escape hatches. As these sections almost certainly contain more gold and may contain shops, it's not a bad idea to eventually use each escape hatch, just in case. It is not especially safe to do this until you feel confident that you can take on large groups of standard orcs, however, as an unlucky hatch may land you in a lot of trouble with no easy way out.
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==Strategy==
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While plain [[orc]]s and [[orc warrior]]s shouldn't be a big threat for those encountering the Orcish Mines, it's still a moderately difficult branch. [[The Lair]] is widely considered to be easier. After all, Orc can rarely contain serious [[out of depth]] threats like [[ettin]]s and [[stone giant]]s, while swarms of orcs can be hard to deal with due to the layout's splitting apart each stair.
  
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==Recommendations==
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The Orcish Mines are worth clearing eventually - usually after Lair. While it isn't mandatory, the gold, guaranteed shops, XP, and access to [[Elven Halls]] make it worth it. The shops aren't guaranteed to be useful, but there's a good chance that you'll find something nice to buy.
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Although the Mines entrance may be discovered first, it is common to ignore it until you've attempted [[the Lair]], which is widely considered to be a less dangerous branch. Some character types, in particular [[Venom Mage]]s, may wish to clear the Mines first since the only poison-resistant monsters there are [[warg]]s. The hordes of low-level monsters make this branch a good place to build [[piety]] with gods who award killing or blood sacrifices. [[Necromancer]]s can also make good use of the large quantity of corpses generated here. Followers of the orc god [[Beogh]] may wish to max out their piety before entering here so they can recruit as many high-level allies as possible.
 
  
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No specific resistances or other intrinsics are required to clear the Orcish Mines, although being strong in melee or having good spells for crowd control is highly recommended, and a rank of [[fire]] and [[cold]] resistance helps protect you from the spells of orc wizards and sorcerers. If you cannot comfortably defeat roaming orc packs in the Dungeon, you are not ready for this branch.
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Some characters, namely [[Alchemist]]s (as Orc has less poison-resistant monsters than Lair), may want to dip into Orc "early", though they will need something beyond their starting book to deal with [[obsidian bat]]s.
  
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Along with granting access to the Elven Halls, the bottom level shops are an excellent incentive to clear this branch. Their contents aren't free, but it's common to find at least one item for sale that is useful throughout the game.
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===Useful Traits===
 +
No resistance is ''mandatory'' for clearing Orc, but there are a few that are useful:
 +
*Good [[willpower]] - this is to avoid [[orc sorcerer]]'s [[paralysis]], which is always a very dangerous status.
 +
*[[Fire resistance]] / [[Negative energy resistance]] - To resist orc sorcerer attack spells.
  
 
==Monsters==
 
==Monsters==
 
{| class="prettytable" style="border:none; margin:0; padding:0;"
 
{| class="prettytable" style="border:none; margin:0; padding:0;"
−
|-
 
 
| {{monsterlink|Orc}} || {{monsterlink|Orc wizard}} || {{monsterlink|Orc priest}} || {{monsterlink|Orc warrior}}
 
| {{monsterlink|Orc}} || {{monsterlink|Orc wizard}} || {{monsterlink|Orc priest}} || {{monsterlink|Orc warrior}}
 
|-
 
|-
 
| {{monsterlink|Orc knight}} || {{monsterlink|Orc sorcerer}}  || {{monsterlink|Orc high priest}} || {{monsterlink|Orc warlord}}
 
| {{monsterlink|Orc knight}} || {{monsterlink|Orc sorcerer}}  || {{monsterlink|Orc high priest}} || {{monsterlink|Orc warlord}}
 
|-
 
|-
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| {{monsterlink|{{monsterlink|Gnoll}} || {{monsterlink|Gnoll shaman}} || {{monsterlink|Gnoll sergeant}} || {{monsterlink|Warg}}
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| {{monsterlink|Warg}} || {{monsterlink|Obsidian bat}} || {{monsterlink|Kobold blastminer}}
 
|-
 
|-
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| {{monsterlink|Troll (monster)}} || {{monsterlink|Iron troll}}
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| {{monsterlink|Troll (monster)}} || {{monsterlink|Deep troll}} || {{monsterlink|Iron troll}}
 
|-
 
|-
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| {{monsterlink|Ogre (monster)}} || {{monsterlink|Two-headed ogre}} || {{monsterlink|Ogre mage}} ||
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| {{monsterlink|Ogre (monster)}} || {{monsterlink|Two-headed ogre}} || {{monsterlink|Ogre mage}}
 
|-
 
|-
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| {{monsterlink|Hill giant}} || {{monsterlink|Cyclops}} || {{monsterlink|Stone giant}} || {{monsterlink|Ettin}}
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| {{monsterlink|Cyclops}} || {{monsterlink|Stone giant}} || {{monsterlink|Ettin}}
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
One of the Orc:2 final vaults, '''pf_orc_diabolical''', features several [[List of demonspawn|demonspawn]] and [[common demon]]s guarding a portal to the [[Pandemonium]]:
 +
{| class="prettytable" style="border:none; margin:0; padding:0;"
 +
| {{monsterlink|chaos spawn}}
 +
| {{monsterlink|hellwing}}
 +
| {{monsterlink|ice devil}}
 +
| {{monsterlink|orange demon}}
 +
|-
 +
| {{monsterlink|red devil}}
 +
| {{monsterlink|rust devil}}
 +
| {{monsterlink|neqoxec}}
 +
| {{monsterlink|sixfirhy}}
 
|-
 
|-
 +
| {{monsterlink|smoke demon}}
 +
| {{monsterlink|soul eater}}
 +
| {{monsterlink|sun demon}}
 +
| {{monsterlink|ynoxinul}}
 +
|-
 +
| {{Brown|6}} [[File: Demonspawn (monster).png]] '''[[demonspawn (monster)]]'''
 +
|}
 +
 +
===Uniques===
 +
{| class="prettytable" style="border:none; margin:0; padding:0;"
 +
| {{monsterlink|Amaemon}}
 +
| {{monsterlink|Azrael}}
 +
| {{monsterlink|Donald}}
 +
| {{monsterlink|Erica}}
 +
|-
 +
| {{monsterlink|Erolcha}}
 +
| {{monsterlink|Fannar}}
 +
| {{monsterlink|Gastronok}}
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| {{monsterlink|Harold}}
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|-
 +
| {{monsterlink|Jorgrun}}
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| {{monsterlink|Josephine}}
 +
| {{monsterlink|Maurice}}
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| {{monsterlink|Nergalle}}
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|-
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| {{monsterlink|Nessos}}
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| {{monsterlink|Rupert}}
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| {{monsterlink|Saint Roka}}
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| {{monsterlink|Snorg}}
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|-
 +
| {{monsterlink|Sonja}}
 +
| {{monsterlink|Urug}}
 
|}
 
|}
  
 
==History==
 
==History==
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Prior to [[0.18]], the Orcish Mines were four levels deep.
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*Prior to [[0.32]], the Orcish Mines didn't have [[obsidian bat]]s.
−
 
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*Prior to [[0.31]], the Orcish Mines had rare random [[List of gnolls|gnolls]] outside of its end vaults and didn't have [[kobold blastminer]]s.
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Prior to [[0.14]], the Orcish Mines' entrance was located on D:6-11.
+
*Prior to [[0.18]], the Orcish Mines were four levels deep.
 +
*Prior to [[0.14]], the Orcish Mines' entrance was located on D:6-11.
 +
*Earlier versions of ''Crawl'' had sections of the Orcish Mines that were completely disconnected from all other areas. Using [[shaft]]s, escape hatches, or [[teleport]]s carelessly could maroon your character in an unescapable area, unless you had a source of [[dig]]ging or teleportation.
  
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Earlier versions of ''Crawl'' had sections of the Orcish Mines that were completely disconnected from all other areas. Using [[shaft]]s, escape hatches, or [[teleport]]s carelessly could maroon your character in an unescapable area, unless you had a source of [[dig]]ging or teleportation.
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{{branches}}
  
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[[Category:Dungeon_Branches]]
 
 
[[Category:Orc]]
 
[[Category:Orc]]

Latest revision as of 07:19, 23 October 2024

Version 0.32: This article is up to date for the latest stable release of Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup.
The Orcish Mines are filled with the cave orcs native to the Dungeon, their humanoid labourers, and piles of freshly mined gold. Enterprising merchants have set up trading posts to help relieve the orcs of the latter.

The entrance to this branch can be found between levels 9 and 12 of the Dungeon.

This branch is 2 levels deep.

This branch contains the entrance to the Elven Halls.

Orc entry.png The Orcish Mines are an early branch full of orcs, gold, and the entrance to the Elven Halls. Although the Mines lack a rune, the bottom floor contains a guaranteed collection of shops, and the gold found along the way makes it easy to afford any particularly useful treasures they may sell.

Layout

The Orcish Mines are two floors deep and found between Dungeon:9-12. The entrance stairs are usually decorated with orcish idols and occasionally even altars to Beogh, and they are often guarded by a large group of orcs.

Orc:1 consists of very open, cavernous areas. Sometimes, these sections can be disconnected - you can access them by using the upstairs on Orc:2. The Mines are made almost entirely out of digging rock, so a wand of digging can make shortcuts or chokepoints. Expect almost no hallways aside from those you dig yourself.

Orc:2

Orc:2 features an end vault, often with organized buildings. These layouts can vary greatly (as can their difficulty), ranging from a handful of scattered rooms, to one huge room dominating much of the level, to an entire fortified compound housing Saint Roka and a throng of followers.

Orc:2's end vault guarantees 4 shops (give or take mimics). Additional shops may spawn through random level generation.

Useful Info

It's easy to get surrounded in the Mines. You'll often encounter at least a few orcs upon entry, who will shout to alert nearby enemies. Use stair dancing to separate groups of orcs; even a crowd of orc warriors and priests can be a handful.

Monster difficulty is variable. Most denizens are plain orcs, warriors, priests, and wizards. You'll also encounter kobold blastminers, orc sorcerers, orc high priests, orc knights, and usually one or two orc warlords. A few other monsters, such as ogres and stone giants, can spawn. Since almost everything is armed, pay attention to weapon brands. There's a good chance to encounter orcs with electrocution, distortion, etc.

The mines typically contain 1000-3000 gold, and a host of shops on Orc:2. You'll also find plenty of equipment from the orcs themselves, so there's a good chance to find branded gear. Melee orcs carry plate armour and heavy weaponry, while you'll find plenty of robes from the mages.

Strategy

While plain orcs and orc warriors shouldn't be a big threat for those encountering the Orcish Mines, it's still a moderately difficult branch. The Lair is widely considered to be easier. After all, Orc can rarely contain serious out of depth threats like ettins and stone giants, while swarms of orcs can be hard to deal with due to the layout's splitting apart each stair.

The Orcish Mines are worth clearing eventually - usually after Lair. While it isn't mandatory, the gold, guaranteed shops, XP, and access to Elven Halls make it worth it. The shops aren't guaranteed to be useful, but there's a good chance that you'll find something nice to buy.

Some characters, namely Alchemists (as Orc has less poison-resistant monsters than Lair), may want to dip into Orc "early", though they will need something beyond their starting book to deal with obsidian bats.

Useful Traits

No resistance is mandatory for clearing Orc, but there are a few that are useful:

Monsters

o Orc.png Orc o Orc wizard.png Orc wizard o Orc priest.png Orc priest o Orc warrior.png Orc warrior
o Orc knight.png Orc knight o Orc sorcerer.png Orc sorcerer o Orc high priest.png Orc high priest o Orc warlord.png Orc warlord
h Warg.png Warg b Obsidian bat.png Obsidian bat K Kobold blastminer.png Kobold blastminer
T Troll.png Troll (monster) T Deep troll.png Deep troll T Iron troll.png Iron troll
O Ogre.png Ogre (monster) O Two-headed ogre.png Two-headed ogre O Ogre mage.png Ogre mage
C Cyclops.png Cyclops C Stone giant.png Stone giant C Ettin.png Ettin

One of the Orc:2 final vaults, pf_orc_diabolical, features several demonspawn and common demons guarding a portal to the Pandemonium:

4 Chaos spawn.png chaos spawn 4 Hellwing.png hellwing 4 Ice devil.png ice devil 4 Orange demon.png orange demon
4 Red devil.png red devil 4 Rust devil.png rust devil 3 Neqoxec.png neqoxec 3 Sixfirhy.png sixfirhy
3 Smoke demon.png smoke demon 3 Soul eater.png soul eater 3 Sun demon.png sun demon 3 Ynoxinul.png ynoxinul
6 Demonspawn.png demonspawn (monster)

Uniques

6 Amaemon.png Amaemon R Azrael.png Azrael @ Donald.png Donald x Erica.png Erica
O Erolcha.png Erolcha e Fannar.png Fannar w Gastronok.png Gastronok @ Harold.png Harold
g Jorgrun.png Jorgrun @ Josephine.png Josephine f Maurice.png Maurice o Nergalle.png Nergalle
c Nessos.png Nessos @ Rupert.png Rupert o Saint Roka.png Saint Roka T Snorg.png Snorg
K Sonja.png Sonja o Urug.png Urug

History

  • Prior to 0.32, the Orcish Mines didn't have obsidian bats.
  • Prior to 0.31, the Orcish Mines had rare random gnolls outside of its end vaults and didn't have kobold blastminers.
  • Prior to 0.18, the Orcish Mines were four levels deep.
  • Prior to 0.14, the Orcish Mines' entrance was located on D:6-11.
  • Earlier versions of Crawl had sections of the Orcish Mines that were completely disconnected from all other areas. Using shafts, escape hatches, or teleports carelessly could maroon your character in an unescapable area, unless you had a source of digging or teleportation.
Dungeon branches
Dungeon exit.png The Dungeon • Temple entry.png The Temple • Depths entry.png The Depths • Zot entry.png Realm of Zot
Lair entry.png The Lair ( Spider entry.png Spider's Nest • Snake entry.png Snake Pit • Swamp entry.png The Swamp • Shoals entry.png The Shoals • Slime entry.png Slime Pits)
Orc entry.png Orcish Mines ( Elf entry.png Elven Halls) • Vaults entry.png The Vaults ( Crypt entry.png The Crypt • Tomb entry.png The Tomb)
Abyss entry.png The Abyss • Pandemonium entry.png Pandemonium • Hell entry.png Hell ( Cocytus entry.png Cocytus • Dis entry.png • Dis • Gehenna entry.png Gehenna • Tartarus entry.png Tartarus)
See also: Portal
Retrieved from "http://crawl.chaosforge.org/index.php?title=Orcish_Mines&oldid=81549"