Zot clock
| No one knows who or what Zot is: demon, god, wizard, something else entirely? But adventurers seeking the Orb will, in turn, be hunted by Zot, and if it finds them, their existence will end.
Zot is very slow moving, and can only sense adventurers once they've spent an inordinately long time in one area of the dungeon. Even once this happens, adventurers will have plenty of warning to either descend to new depths in the area (diffusing Zot's attention once more) or to leave the area entirely. The Abyss is beyond Zot's comprehension, and adventurers there are safe from it (albeit subject to many other hazards). The Hells, along with their Vestibule, are a single area as far as Zot is concerned. Rumours claim there are ways to escape Zot's pursuit forever, but what magics could be mighty enough to forestall such an implacable entity? |
The Zot clock is a game mechanic that limits the time you can stay in a dungeon branch.
The clock is measured in decaAuts (each decaAut is equal to 1 turn spent acting at normal speed), and it ticks down every time you take an action, e.g. move or attack. When the clock reaches 0, you die. The only way for the vast majority of characters to replenish your Zot clock is to visit new levels. However, the Zot clock stops for all branches when you finish a ziggurat or pick up the Orb of Zot.
Each branch has its own Zot clock. When you enter a new level, you get 6,000 decaAuts of time for the current branch, to the maximum of 27,000. The Abyss doesn't have a Zot clock, and you can explore it for unlimited time. Hell branches, including the Vestibule, share the same Zot clock. In addition, dying as a Felid increments the clock a level, even if you didn't die to Zot itself.
Cheibriados slows down the clock, so entering a new level gives 9,000 decaAuts instead of 6,000. The per branch limit is 40,500 decaAuts instead of 27,000.
You can see the remaining time by pressing E. When the clock reaches 1,000, you will get a warning and the Zot(number) status effect, which shows how much time you have left. The rcfile option always_show_zot = true will display your time in the status bar in less pressing situations.
Tips & Tricks
- The clock is designed not to hinder regular gameplay - the average character can fully clear a floor, even with continuous rest, retreat, and autoexplore, in less than half the time.
- However, it might become an issue for characters with a lot of HP and slow regeneration rate, e.g. ogres. If you spend a lot of time restoring HPs after fights, an amulet of regeneration might help you to not run out of Zot time. Remember that the warning gives you plenty of time to at least visit the next floor.
- Slow moving species, especially Nagas, should be aware that backtracking for shops and items can deplete their time faster than for other species.
