Difference between revisions of "Zot clock"

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{{flavour|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.
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{{flavour|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. Even a moment's contact with Zot is enough to permanently damage one's health.
  
 
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.
 
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. Adventurers who hold the Orb of Zot are forever immune to Zot's power.}}
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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]].
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The '''Zot clock''' is a game mechanic that limits the time you can stay in a dungeon [[branch]]; in order to replenish the clock, you must visit new levels.  
  
The clock is measured in [[actions|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 to replenish your Zot clock is to visit new levels.
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==Useful Info==
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The Zot clock is measured in deca[[Aut]]s, or 1 [[turn]] acting at normal speed. Normally, you'll get 6,000 decaAuts for entering new floor. [[Felid]]s dying will also restore a floor's worth of time. You can store a maximum of [[27]],000 decaAuts at any one time. Certain effects may modify the timer speed:
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*[[Cheibriados]] slows down the clock by 1.5x (9,000 decaAut/level and 40,500 decaAut max)
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*[[Meteorae]] have a clock that runs 10x faster (600 decaAut/level)
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*Finishing a [[Ziggurat]] or picking up the [[Orb of Zot]] immediately stops the clock for all branches.
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*[[Dungeon Sprint]] negates the clock entirely.
  
Each branch has its own Zot clock. When you enter a new level, you get 6,000 deca[[Aut]]s 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. Also, the Zot clock stops for all branches when you pick up the [[Orb of Zot]].
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When the clock reaches zero, [[Zot (mythical wizard)|Zot]] will find you and ''permanently'' reduces your max HP by 16.6% of your current value. For example, if a character had 60 max HP, then you will lose 10 HP for the rest of the game. If you were to get this character to 120 "true" max HP, you'd end up at 110 max HP (as opposed to 5/6 * 120 = 100 HP). After being found by Zot, your clock will be increased to 1,000 decaAut (or 200 decaAut for Meteorae).
  
[[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.
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For the most part, each branch has its own Zot clock. [[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.  
  
You can see the remaining time by pressing '''E'''. When the clock reaches 1,000, you will get a warning and the {{yellow|Zot(''number'')}} [[status effect]], which shows how much time you have left.
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You can see the remaining time by pressing '''E'''. When the clock reaches 1,000, you will get a warning and the {{yellow|Zot(''number'')}} [[status effect]], which shows how much time you have left. The [[rcfile]] option <code>always_show_zot = true</code> will display your time in the status bar in less pressing situations; this option is automatically enabled for Meteorae.
  
 
==Tips & Tricks==
 
==Tips & Tricks==
*The clock might be a problem for characters with a lot of HP and slow [[regeneration]] rate, e.g. [[ogre]]s. 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.
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*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. This even applies to high HP species like [[Ogre]]s and slow species like Nagas, though they should watch out for backtracking time.
*Slow moving species, especially [[Naga]]s, should be aware that backtracking for [[shop]]s and items can deplete thier time faster than for other species.
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**[[Meteorae]] do not have regular gameplay; see their [[Meteoran#Strategy|Strategy section]] for more details.
  
 
==History==
 
==History==
*In [[0.27]], finishing a [[ziggurat]] will stop the clock forever.
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*Prior to [[0.30]], the Zot clock ending would temporarily drain you for ~36% max HP. If you were drained above 90% max HP, Zot would kill you.
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*Prior to [[0.29]], the Zot clock ending would [[instant death|instantly kill]] you instead of draining you.
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*Prior to [[0.27]], finishing a [[ziggurat]] did not stop the clock.
 
*The Zot clock was added in [[0.26]] as a replacement for the [[food]] clock. Unlike the previous clock, it affects all species, including [[mummies]] and [[vampires]].
 
*The Zot clock was added in [[0.26]] as a replacement for the [[food]] clock. Unlike the previous clock, it affects all species, including [[mummies]] and [[vampires]].
  
[[Category:Crystal Ball Articles]]
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==References==
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<references/>

Revision as of 00:05, 5 May 2023

Version 0.30: This article may not be up to date for the latest stable release of Crawl.
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. Even a moment's contact with Zot is enough to permanently damage one's health.

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; in order to replenish the clock, you must visit new levels.

Useful Info

The Zot clock is measured in decaAuts, or 1 turn acting at normal speed. Normally, you'll get 6,000 decaAuts for entering new floor. Felids dying will also restore a floor's worth of time. You can store a maximum of 27,000 decaAuts at any one time. Certain effects may modify the timer speed:

  • Cheibriados slows down the clock by 1.5x (9,000 decaAut/level and 40,500 decaAut max)
  • Meteorae have a clock that runs 10x faster (600 decaAut/level)
  • Finishing a Ziggurat or picking up the Orb of Zot immediately stops the clock for all branches.
  • Dungeon Sprint negates the clock entirely.

When the clock reaches zero, Zot will find you and permanently reduces your max HP by 16.6% of your current value. For example, if a character had 60 max HP, then you will lose 10 HP for the rest of the game. If you were to get this character to 120 "true" max HP, you'd end up at 110 max HP (as opposed to 5/6 * 120 = 100 HP). After being found by Zot, your clock will be increased to 1,000 decaAut (or 200 decaAut for Meteorae).

For the most part, each branch has its own Zot clock. 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.

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; this option is automatically enabled for Meteorae.

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. This even applies to high HP species like Ogres and slow species like Nagas, though they should watch out for backtracking time.

History

  • Prior to 0.30, the Zot clock ending would temporarily drain you for ~36% max HP. If you were drained above 90% max HP, Zot would kill you.
  • Prior to 0.29, the Zot clock ending would instantly kill you instead of draining you.
  • Prior to 0.27, finishing a ziggurat did not stop the clock.
  • The Zot clock was added in 0.26 as a replacement for the food clock. Unlike the previous clock, it affects all species, including mummies and vampires.

References