Difference between revisions of "Zot:5"
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| − | [[Zot:5]] is the | + | [[Zot:5]] is the final floor of [[the Realm of Zot]]. Part of the floor is similar to the Zot:1-4, but the rest is taken over by the massive Orb chamber, one of several pre-designed vaults containing the [[Orb of Zot]]. Picking up the Orb allows you to ascend the [[Dungeon]], escape, and win the game. |
| − | The Orb chamber is one of the hardest places you'll have to trudge through, on par with some of the worst [[Ziggurat]] floors. It prevents teleport-control and has indestructible walls, a layout that makes monsters likely to come at you, and a mix of the following top-tier monsters: | + | The Orb chamber is one of the hardest places you'll have to trudge through, on par with some of the worst [[Ziggurat]] floors. It prevents teleport-control and has mostly indestructible walls, a layout that makes monsters likely to come at you, and a mix of the following top-tier monsters: |
| − | *[[Ancient lich]]: | + | *[[Ancient lich]]es: Very powerful spellcasters that can [[banish]] you, summon [[Tier-1 demon|Tier-1]] and [[Tier-2 demon|-2]] demons, and cast brutal [[Conjurations]] ([[Lehudib's Crystal Spear]], [[Orb of Destruction]], etc.). |
| − | *[[ | + | *[[Orbs of fire]]: Very fast, extremely durable opponents which deal brutal [[fire]] damage and [[mutate]] you. |
| − | *[[Electric golem]]: | + | *[[Electric golem]]s: Extremely fast constructs that blink constantly and deal heavy [[electricity]] damage. |
| − | *[[Orb Guardian]]: | + | *[[Orb Guardian]]s: Although fairly bland compared to everything else on Zot:5, these melee monsters are powerful, move quickly, and occur in great numbers. |
| − | *[[Killer Klown]]: | + | *[[Killer Klown]]s: Unpredictable blinking pests whose melee attacks can inflict a very wide variety of random effects. |
| − | *All | + | *All manner of [[list of dragons|dragons]] and [[list of draconians|draconians]]. |
Charging in is almost certain suicide. To succeed, consider your build and plan your approach around that. The rest of the page provides helpful information and outlines common strategies. | Charging in is almost certain suicide. To succeed, consider your build and plan your approach around that. The rest of the page provides helpful information and outlines common strategies. | ||
| Line 104: | Line 104: | ||
</pre> | </pre> | ||
| − | Please note that this | + | Please note that this layout is not the only one possible. While the general layout will always be very similar, the final chamber with the Orb may be different. |
===Legend:=== | ===Legend:=== | ||
| Line 110: | Line 110: | ||
*x - [[Dig]]gable rock walls | *x - [[Dig]]gable rock walls | ||
*c - [[Shatter]]able stone walls | *c - [[Shatter]]able stone walls | ||
| − | *C - | + | *C - Usually permanent rock walls (10% chance of stone walls) |
*A, B - Floor with a 33% chance of being a trap | *A, B - Floor with a 33% chance of being a trap | ||
| − | *a, b - Floor or | + | *a, b - Floor or granite [[statue]]s with a 1/100 chance of being an [[orange crystal statue|orange crystal]], [[silver statue|silver]], or [[ice statue]]. |
*. - Floor with a 1/51 chance of being a trap | *. - Floor with a 1/51 chance of being a trap | ||
*1 - Orb Guardian, also 1/3 chance of a trap | *1 - Orb Guardian, also 1/3 chance of a trap | ||
| Line 122: | Line 122: | ||
==Preparations== | ==Preparations== | ||
The following items, abilities, and intrinsics are recommended for surviving the Orb chamber. They are ordered in terms of importance. A more experienced player can clear the chamber with fewer, while a player who just reached Zot:5 for the first time will probably want to have as many of them as possible. | The following items, abilities, and intrinsics are recommended for surviving the Orb chamber. They are ordered in terms of importance. A more experienced player can clear the chamber with fewer, while a player who just reached Zot:5 for the first time will probably want to have as many of them as possible. | ||
| − | *High HP ([[Fighting]] skill), MP ([[Spellcasting]] skill), [[experience]] level, [[AC]], [[EV]], [[SH]], [[Piety]], etc | + | *High HP ([[Fighting]] skill), MP ([[Spellcasting]], [[Invocations]], or [[Evocations]] skill), [[experience]] level, [[AC]], [[EV]], [[SH]], [[Piety]], etc. |
| − | *Max [[fire resistance]] for [[orbs of fire]] | + | *Max [[fire resistance]] for [[orbs of fire]]. |
| − | *[[Haste]], [[ | + | *Sources of [[Haste]] to increase your mobility and damage output. The Haste spell, multiple [[potions of speed]], or a well-charged [[wand of hasting]] are all fine. A source of [[berserk]]ing is also effective for melee fighters, but much riskier. |
| − | *[[Electricity resistance]] for [[electric golem]]s | + | *[[Electricity resistance]] for [[electric golem]]s. |
| − | *High movement speed to outrun things. At least one (but preferably more) of the following is advised: [[boots of running]], [[potions of speed]], [[Haste]], [[Swiftness]] | + | *High movement speed to outrun things. At least one (but preferably more) of the following is advised: [[boots of running]], [[potions of speed]], [[Haste]], [[Swiftness]]. |
| − | *High [[magic resistance]] for ancient liches ("extremely" resistant or better | + | *High [[magic resistance]] for ancient liches ("extremely" resistant or better to reliably avoid [[paralysis]]). |
| − | *[[Life protection]] and [[cold resistance]] for [[ancient lich]]es | + | *[[Life protection]] and [[cold resistance]] for [[ancient lich]]es. |
| − | *An [[amulet of resist mutation]] | + | *A source of mutation resistance for orbs of fire. An [[amulet of resist mutation]] is the most common option. |
| − | *[[See invisible]] for ancient liches | + | *[[See invisible]] for ancient liches. |
*[[Blink]] as a possible escape alternative. | *[[Blink]] as a possible escape alternative. | ||
| − | *Optional: [[Apportation]] with | + | *Optional: [[Apportation]] with high [[spell power]] if you plan to yoink the Orb instead of clearing the chamber. |
==Preliminaries== | ==Preliminaries== | ||
| − | *Clear Zot:1-4. | + | *Clear Zot:1-4. This is optional, but it gives a large amount of experience and makes the ascension run safer. |
*Optionally, use a [[scroll of magic mapping]] once you reach Zot:5 to locate the chamber. | *Optionally, use a [[scroll of magic mapping]] once you reach Zot:5 to locate the chamber. | ||
| − | *Clear everything outside the chamber first. This | + | *Clear everything outside the chamber first. This will be just like the upper floors of Zot. Although you can skip this section, doing so will make teleport escapes much safer. |
| − | *Dig out the | + | *Dig out as large an area outside of the Orb chamber as you can to greatly improve your odds of landing somewhere safe after a teleport. This bug/feature will be removed in [[0.12]]. |
==Monster Strategies== | ==Monster Strategies== | ||
| − | * | + | *Killing off ancient liches should be your top priority. |
| − | *Orbs of fire are next on the list | + | **Haste yourself whenever dealing with them. They can summon brutal demons with [[torment]] and [[hellfire]], or cast Iron Shot or Crystal Spear for massive damage. Some of the best ways of killing them are: good weapons of [[antimagic]] (a short sword of antimagic is ''not'' a good weapon) or [[holy wrath]], [[Dispel Undead]], [[Orb of Destruction]], [[Shatter]], [[Iron Shot]], [[Tornado]], [[Summon Horrible Things]], [[Summon Dragon]], or [[Shadow Creatures]]. |
| + | **Once you've cleared out the ancient liches, then you can worry about anything they summoned. [[Abjuration]]/[[Mass Abjuration]] will make short work of anything they call up, but if you lack it, consider your actions on a case by case basis. Most undead summons shouldn't be a major concern, but [[hellion]]s should be killed as quickly as possible. The more durable demons with [[torment]] or [[hellfire]] may merit a hasty retreat until they unsummon on their own. | ||
| + | **Remember that they won't cast anything if they can't see a target; try not to spend too long with them in your [[LOS]] without attending to them. | ||
| + | *Orbs of fire are next on the list (but if you're facing ancient liches and orbs of the fire at the same time, you should strongly consider making an escape). If you lack at least rF++, they can deal incredible damage very quickly, and they will almost certainly mutate you several times if you don't resist mutations. There's no safe way to deal with them, since they chew through summons fast and resist almost everything. Melee fighters should use antimagic weapons, while ranged fighters can deal significantly increased damage with [[silver]] ammunition. Conjurers should cast their most powerful non-elemental Conjurations, such as [[Iron Shot]], [[Crystal Spear]], [[Orb of Destruction]], [[Tornado]], [[Ice Storm]], or [[Fire Storm]]. | ||
*Whenever you come across a melee monster (Killer Klown, Orb Guardian, etc.), grab its attention and retreat towards a safe place to kill it. Keep in mind that dragons and electric golems will shoot their breath/special attacks at you, so you may have to hide behind a corner to force it follow you. | *Whenever you come across a melee monster (Killer Klown, Orb Guardian, etc.), grab its attention and retreat towards a safe place to kill it. Keep in mind that dragons and electric golems will shoot their breath/special attacks at you, so you may have to hide behind a corner to force it follow you. | ||
| − | *Speaking of Orb Guardians, they are fast and strong, but they ''can'' be confused. If you're swarmed by a bunch it's often a great idea to have them bashing one another instead of you. | + | *Speaking of Orb Guardians, they are fast and strong, but they ''can'' be confused. If you're swarmed by a bunch, it's often a great idea to have them bashing one another instead of you. |
*Moths of wrath may berserk monsters or you. Try not to be there when this happens to a pack of Orb Guardians. | *Moths of wrath may berserk monsters or you. Try not to be there when this happens to a pack of Orb Guardians. | ||
==Strategies== | ==Strategies== | ||
| − | '''WARNING: | + | '''WARNING: The strategies below call for specific abilities and tactics, and may not apply to your character!''' |
===Clear the Chamber Gradually=== | ===Clear the Chamber Gradually=== | ||
| Line 172: | Line 175: | ||
===Lugonu's Corruption=== | ===Lugonu's Corruption=== | ||
| − | Worshiping [[Lugonu]] can make the Orb chamber trivial. If you corrupt the level at the entrance of the left or right side of the chamber (at "AA" or "BB" on the map), you will likely break through a path to the Orb room and in the meantime create walls and demons blocking the path of monsters. Once you get in sight of the Orb, apport it, read a scroll of teleportation and grab the Orb. Banishing yourself to the Abyss can save your life, but don't forget that you will return | + | Worshiping [[Lugonu]] can make the Orb chamber trivial. If you corrupt the level at the entrance of the left or right side of the chamber (at "AA" or "BB" on the map), you will likely break through a path to the Orb room and in the meantime create walls and demons blocking the path of monsters. Once you get in sight of the Orb, apport it, read a scroll of teleportation and grab the Orb. Banishing yourself to the Abyss can save your life and give you a chance to heal, but don't forget that you will return to the exact same spot you left from. |
===Shatter/Lee's Rapid Deconstruction=== | ===Shatter/Lee's Rapid Deconstruction=== | ||
| Line 178: | Line 181: | ||
===Stealth/Stabbing=== | ===Stealth/Stabbing=== | ||
| − | Walk into the orb chamber and try to stab any sleeping monsters (Orb Guardians, ancient liches, orbs of fire, etc.). Be sure to have a way to escape, preferably Haste, and make sure you are extremely stealthy if you want to try this approach. If an | + | Walk into the orb chamber and try to stab any sleeping monsters (Orb Guardians, ancient liches, orbs of fire, etc.). Be sure to have a way to escape, preferably Haste, and make sure you are extremely stealthy if you want to try this approach. If an Orb Guardian wakes up, lure it outside the chamber and fight it to avoid waking up any other monsters. When you're in sight of the Orb, grab it and teleport away. |
===Teleport with Safety System=== | ===Teleport with Safety System=== | ||
| − | If you worship [[Nemelex Xobeh]], you can randomly teleport around and entomb yourself with a Tomb card in case of failure. If you land near enemies, blink away before entombing. If you worship Zin, you may use Sanctuary for a similar effect. [[ | + | If you worship [[Nemelex Xobeh]], you can randomly teleport around and entomb yourself with a Tomb card in case of failure. If you land near enemies, blink away before entombing. If you worship Zin, you may use Sanctuary for a similar effect. [[Borgnjor's Revivification]], [[Death's Door]], or [[Elyvilon]] also work fairly well with this strategy. |
===Run and Teleport=== | ===Run and Teleport=== | ||
Revision as of 22:04, 10 January 2013
Version 0.11: This article may not be up to date for the latest stable release of Crawl.
Zot:5 is the final floor of the Realm of Zot. Part of the floor is similar to the Zot:1-4, but the rest is taken over by the massive Orb chamber, one of several pre-designed vaults containing the Orb of Zot. Picking up the Orb allows you to ascend the Dungeon, escape, and win the game.
The Orb chamber is one of the hardest places you'll have to trudge through, on par with some of the worst Ziggurat floors. It prevents teleport-control and has mostly indestructible walls, a layout that makes monsters likely to come at you, and a mix of the following top-tier monsters:
- Ancient liches: Very powerful spellcasters that can banish you, summon Tier-1 and -2 demons, and cast brutal Conjurations (Lehudib's Crystal Spear, Orb of Destruction, etc.).
- Orbs of fire: Very fast, extremely durable opponents which deal brutal fire damage and mutate you.
- Electric golems: Extremely fast constructs that blink constantly and deal heavy electricity damage.
- Orb Guardians: Although fairly bland compared to everything else on Zot:5, these melee monsters are powerful, move quickly, and occur in great numbers.
- Killer Klowns: Unpredictable blinking pests whose melee attacks can inflict a very wide variety of random effects.
- All manner of dragons and draconians.
Charging in is almost certain suicide. To succeed, consider your build and plan your approach around that. The rest of the page provides helpful information and outlines common strategies.
Orb Chamber Map
############################################################################## ############################################################################## # # hall_of_Zot_5 # ############################################################################## ############################################################################## NAME: hall_of_Zot PLACE: Zot:5 ORIENT: north TAGS: no_dump LFLAGS: no_tele_control LFLOORCOL: magenta LROCKCOL: lightmagenta LFLOORTILE: floor_rough_magenta LROCKTILE: wall_zot_lightmagenta #traps SUBST: C = X:900 c:100 KFEAT: 8 = any trap / w:20 floor SHUFFLE: ABab / ^^FF / ^^FF / ^^FF SHUFFLE: Aa / Bb KFEAT: A = any trap / w:30 floor KFEAT: B = any trap / w:10 floor SUBST: a=F, b=6 F SUBST: ^ = ^ .:10 SUBST: . = .:500 ^ KMASK: 1! = no_item_gen SUBST: ! = ^ .:40 #monsters MONS: patrolling Orb Guardian, Killer Klown, electric golem, orb of fire MONS: ancient lich, orange crystal statue / silver statue / ice statue SUBST: 8=8., 8=8., 5=5. SHUFFLE: 234 SUBST: ? = .:8 ? SUBST: ? : KLM SUBST: K = 4:30 5 8 9 SUBST: L = 4 5:30 8 9 SUBST: M = 4 5 8:30 9 COLOUR: c = magenta TILE: c = dngn_stone_wall_magenta KITEM: Z = Orb of Zot MAP XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX.............XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX.............XXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXX...................XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX...................XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX..........3...........XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX...........3..........XXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXX..8.....................XXXXXXXXXXXXX.....................8..XXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXX.......?..?.....8.8.....XXX...1...XXX.....8.8.....?..?.......XXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX.8...........?.........XX..1...1..XX.........?...........8.XXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXX......................X1...!!!...1X......................XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXX.....4....2....8.8......1.!Z!.1......8.8....2....4.....XXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXX....?...?.....?...?...X1...!!!...1X...?...?.....?....?...XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX.......?....?..........XX..1...1..XX..........?....2.......XXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXX.....8..........8.8.....XXX...1...XXX.....8.8..........8.....XXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXX...8....................cXXXXXXXXXXXc....................8...XXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX.....8.8.8..8.........ccccccccccccccc........8...8.8.8.....XXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXX...............8...XcccccccccccccccccX...8............8..XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXX........8..8...XXXXcccccccccccccccccXXXX...8..8........XXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXa111accCCCCCCXXXXXcccccccccccccccccXXXXXCCCCCCccb111bXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXcc...............AA1.ccccccccccccccccc.1BB...............ccXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXcc...8.8..8.8.....cc1...ccccccccccccc...1cc.......8..8.8.8.ccXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXcc.8...8......8.8...ccc...ccccccccccc...ccc...8.8.8..8.......ccXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXc.8..8....8.8........ccc...............ccc.....8....8..8.8....cXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXc..8..8.8....8.8.8.5.cXcc.............ccXc.5.8.8.8....8.8...8.cXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXc..8.....8.8.......8.cXXc.............cXXc8........8.....8.8..cXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXc.8...8......8.8.....cXXcc.1...1...1.ccXXc......8.......8.....cXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXc8..8...8.8.8.8...8.8cXXXc...........cXXXc8.8..8..8.8.8...8.8.cXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXc.....8.........8....cXXcc...........ccXXc....8.8.............cXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXcc...5..8..8.8....8.ccXXc.............cXXcc8.....8....8..5.8.ccXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXcc8......8....8.8.ccXXcc.............ccXXcc.8.8....8....8..ccXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXcc..............ccXXXc...............cXXXcc..............ccXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXccccccccccccccccXXXXcccccccc@ccccccccXXXXccccccccccccccccXXXXXXXXXXX ENDMAP
Please note that this layout is not the only one possible. While the general layout will always be very similar, the final chamber with the Orb may be different.
Legend:
- X - Permanent rock walls that cannot be affected in any way
- x - Diggable rock walls
- c - Shatterable stone walls
- C - Usually permanent rock walls (10% chance of stone walls)
- A, B - Floor with a 33% chance of being a trap
- a, b - Floor or granite statues with a 1/100 chance of being an orange crystal, silver, or ice statue.
- . - Floor with a 1/51 chance of being a trap
- 1 - Orb Guardian, also 1/3 chance of a trap
- 2/3/4 - Random monsters (Killer Klowns, electric golems, or orbs of fire)
- 5 - 1/2 chance of an ancient lich
- 8 - 1/4 chance of a random hard monster, 1/3 chance of a trap
- ? - 1/2 chance of anything that can generate in Zot, weighted toward the above listed monsters
Preparations
The following items, abilities, and intrinsics are recommended for surviving the Orb chamber. They are ordered in terms of importance. A more experienced player can clear the chamber with fewer, while a player who just reached Zot:5 for the first time will probably want to have as many of them as possible.
- High HP (Fighting skill), MP (Spellcasting, Invocations, or Evocations skill), experience level, AC, EV, SH, Piety, etc.
- Max fire resistance for orbs of fire.
- Sources of Haste to increase your mobility and damage output. The Haste spell, multiple potions of speed, or a well-charged wand of hasting are all fine. A source of berserking is also effective for melee fighters, but much riskier.
- Electricity resistance for electric golems.
- High movement speed to outrun things. At least one (but preferably more) of the following is advised: boots of running, potions of speed, Haste, Swiftness.
- High magic resistance for ancient liches ("extremely" resistant or better to reliably avoid paralysis).
- Life protection and cold resistance for ancient liches.
- A source of mutation resistance for orbs of fire. An amulet of resist mutation is the most common option.
- See invisible for ancient liches.
- Blink as a possible escape alternative.
- Optional: Apportation with high spell power if you plan to yoink the Orb instead of clearing the chamber.
Preliminaries
- Clear Zot:1-4. This is optional, but it gives a large amount of experience and makes the ascension run safer.
- Optionally, use a scroll of magic mapping once you reach Zot:5 to locate the chamber.
- Clear everything outside the chamber first. This will be just like the upper floors of Zot. Although you can skip this section, doing so will make teleport escapes much safer.
- Dig out as large an area outside of the Orb chamber as you can to greatly improve your odds of landing somewhere safe after a teleport. This bug/feature will be removed in 0.12.
Monster Strategies
- Killing off ancient liches should be your top priority.
- Haste yourself whenever dealing with them. They can summon brutal demons with torment and hellfire, or cast Iron Shot or Crystal Spear for massive damage. Some of the best ways of killing them are: good weapons of antimagic (a short sword of antimagic is not a good weapon) or holy wrath, Dispel Undead, Orb of Destruction, Shatter, Iron Shot, Tornado, Summon Horrible Things, Summon Dragon, or Shadow Creatures.
- Once you've cleared out the ancient liches, then you can worry about anything they summoned. Abjuration/Mass Abjuration will make short work of anything they call up, but if you lack it, consider your actions on a case by case basis. Most undead summons shouldn't be a major concern, but hellions should be killed as quickly as possible. The more durable demons with torment or hellfire may merit a hasty retreat until they unsummon on their own.
- Remember that they won't cast anything if they can't see a target; try not to spend too long with them in your LOS without attending to them.
- Orbs of fire are next on the list (but if you're facing ancient liches and orbs of the fire at the same time, you should strongly consider making an escape). If you lack at least rF++, they can deal incredible damage very quickly, and they will almost certainly mutate you several times if you don't resist mutations. There's no safe way to deal with them, since they chew through summons fast and resist almost everything. Melee fighters should use antimagic weapons, while ranged fighters can deal significantly increased damage with silver ammunition. Conjurers should cast their most powerful non-elemental Conjurations, such as Iron Shot, Crystal Spear, Orb of Destruction, Tornado, Ice Storm, or Fire Storm.
- Whenever you come across a melee monster (Killer Klown, Orb Guardian, etc.), grab its attention and retreat towards a safe place to kill it. Keep in mind that dragons and electric golems will shoot their breath/special attacks at you, so you may have to hide behind a corner to force it follow you.
- Speaking of Orb Guardians, they are fast and strong, but they can be confused. If you're swarmed by a bunch, it's often a great idea to have them bashing one another instead of you.
- Moths of wrath may berserk monsters or you. Try not to be there when this happens to a pack of Orb Guardians.
Strategies
WARNING: The strategies below call for specific abilities and tactics, and may not apply to your character!
Clear the Chamber Gradually
The most straightforward strategy is to simply walk into the chamber, wake up as few monsters as possible, then retreat and kill them one by one. Repeat.
Lure Monsters Out
By careful use of noise (shouting and spells are the most reliable means of generating this), you may be able to wake up a few monsters, get them chasing you, and run away. Note that due to the chamber layout and the patrolling Orb Guardians, this may be hard to do without getting swamped.
Go In With an Army
If you can, summon as many creatures as possible. You can then hang back as they fight the enemies. This may be accomplished in many ways:
- Divine companions: Angels and Daevas of The Shining One, Trog's Brothers in Arms, Makhleb's Greater demons, Beogh's orcish companions, etc.
- Evoked companions: Bottled efreets, elementals, etc.
- Summonings spells: Shadow Creatures is relatively low level, but very powerful (albeit short-lived) in Zot.
- The Demonic Guardian demonspawn mutation gives you demonic guardians when tension is high. Zot:5 qualifies.
- Grab as many weapons as you can, then use Tukima's Dance.
- Undead companions: Animate killed monsters and use Twisted Resurrection on earlier floors to gather abominations.
- Why compromise? Summon Dragon: There is no substitute.
It's worth noting that in Zot, almost any permanent servant will be annhilated quickly, especially when the orbs of fire start tossing around fireballs. Hordes of minions can certainly take down any given local, but you'll be going through a lot of minions! Since these "permanent" servants are comparatively short-lived, this makes summons and divine companions that much more attractive, especially as they depend less on limited resources like corpses.
Blast Your Way Through
A Conjurations specialist with a reliable means of recharging MP (potions of magic, Sif Muna's channeling, etc.) can often simply blast his way through with high-end spells like Lehudib's Crystal Spear, Fire Storm, or Ice Storm. Mind the noise and don't attract more monsters than your MP can handle.
Lugonu's Corruption
Worshiping Lugonu can make the Orb chamber trivial. If you corrupt the level at the entrance of the left or right side of the chamber (at "AA" or "BB" on the map), you will likely break through a path to the Orb room and in the meantime create walls and demons blocking the path of monsters. Once you get in sight of the Orb, apport it, read a scroll of teleportation and grab the Orb. Banishing yourself to the Abyss can save your life and give you a chance to heal, but don't forget that you will return to the exact same spot you left from.
Shatter/Lee's Rapid Deconstruction
If you don't worship Lugonu, but can cast Shatter or Lee's Rapid Deconstruction, you may use them to dig through the shatterable stone walls. Note, however, that this is much slower and will make a lot of noise, enough to instantly awaken almost every monster on the level. As a bonus, however, both spells deal great damage to low-AC'ed electric golems. Once you clear a path to the Orb, grab it quickly and teleport away as described above. Zin's Sanctuary ability is a nice addition.
Stealth/Stabbing
Walk into the orb chamber and try to stab any sleeping monsters (Orb Guardians, ancient liches, orbs of fire, etc.). Be sure to have a way to escape, preferably Haste, and make sure you are extremely stealthy if you want to try this approach. If an Orb Guardian wakes up, lure it outside the chamber and fight it to avoid waking up any other monsters. When you're in sight of the Orb, grab it and teleport away.
Teleport with Safety System
If you worship Nemelex Xobeh, you can randomly teleport around and entomb yourself with a Tomb card in case of failure. If you land near enemies, blink away before entombing. If you worship Zin, you may use Sanctuary for a similar effect. Borgnjor's Revivification, Death's Door, or Elyvilon also work fairly well with this strategy.
Run and Teleport
The fastest and riskiest approach involves simply teleporting on Zot:5 until you land near the Orb, grabbing it, and teleporting repeatedly until you find an up staircase. Be hasted for as much of this as possible, using a scroll of vulnerability when you can to purge glow. Expect to take some damage as you flee. It's somewhat suicidal, but possible. On second thought, do not do this.
Requirements:
- Fast movement speed: Boots of running, Haste (rather than Swiftness, because the latter sacrifices Stealth).
- Very stealthy (Flight, Invisibility, Darkness, Lantern of shadows can help)
- Several potions of healing and a wand of healing with scrolls of recharging
- Fire resistance (rElec is also recommended)
- Apportation (high failure rate, but can save you some very critical turns)
- The ability to teleport several times in a row (two teleport wands and a few scrolls of recharging will suffice)
- Several scrolls of fog and/or Summon Butterflies to avoid combat
