bmh (02/15/83)
Although a scare monster scroll is a powerful offensive and defensive weapon, it helps to use caution when deploying it. In response to the letter about turning the scroll to dust while fighting a Umber in a state of confusion: remember that while confused you have a *supposedly* equal chance of moving to any spot adjacent to you AND also to the same spot that you are standing on. This is how the scroll turned to dust--you moved back to the same spot and thus 'picked' the scroll up again. Thus two pointers in fighting Umber Hulks. (1) if you have a scroll of scare monster and have decided to use it against an Umber Hulk then drop it and rest for n moves until you are no longer confused (around 30 moves). This way you won't encounter the above problem and more importantly you won't move off of the scroll when attempting to hit the Umber Hulk. (2) noting the possibility of moving to the same location also allows this arcane strategy. If you are confused and without known magic, etc. but have a scroll or two which you would like to try to use on the Umber Hulk and the scroll(s) you have might be teleportation/hold_monster (read scrolls) or a scare monster (drop scroll) how do you decide whether to read or drop? I will drop the scroll (if there is a reasonable % chance of it being a scare monster scroll) assuming I'm going to try to pound the U after trying my scroll(s). Thus if it is not a scare monster scroll I can pick it back up by moving to the same place and then get to read it. Hence I can test against both types of scrolls (possibly) whereas if I had read the scrolls I might have had to listen to mananical laughter.... Two other cases to consider are (1) dragons which have no respect for scare monster scrolls and will roast you into a tasty snack while standing next to you. (2) Invisible stalkers taught me a costly lesson once. Just because you thought there were no more monsters around you because you couldn't see them doesn't mean it's so. I suggest throwing arrows out in all directions to make sure that they are not blocking an entrance to a room and also to be sure they will not surround you as soon as you step off the scroll. NOTE this generally occurs when you stand on the scroll a long time as I often do to pick up experience points. Enough rambling.... Brad Hemminger bmh@unc
wapd (02/16/83)
Another caution about invisible stalkers and scare monster scrolls : I once had to use one in a corridor. After killing many monsters, there was a long dry period. I stepped off the scroll. Still nothing. I went to one end of the corridor and stepped into the doorway, and there must have been 10 monsters there. I believe they were all blocked by an 'I' which was sitting next to the door. Anyway, I got fried quickly. Bill Dietrich houxj!wapd