ToME WikiA Day in the Life of Zippy - The Rohan Knight Monk
Statistics: Race: Rohan Knight Sub-Race: Vampire Class: Loremaster (focusing on bare-hand combat, hence the title Monk). Slime molds found: 2
It’s been a long travel, but I’ve arrived. Bree. This small village will be the beginning of my quest for redemption. Seduced by the thought of eternal life I turned away from my teachings and embraced the Night, transforming into the most wretched shadow of my former self, the undead Vampire.
I have explored my surroundings and found enough stores to suit my needs - weapons and armour weigh me down, I have no need for them yet.
The local mayor begs my aid in clearing out a den of theives that have taken up residence in the town. Strange that he would seek the help of a cursed one such as myself. Using one evil to destroy another I suppose
A trap! The knaves have struck me from behind and stolen my goods. Little do they know that I work best unhindered. My anger drives me into a state of berserker rage, and I run to meet them head on.
CL 2
The first warrior falls to my flying fists, and I feel my skill grow from the experience (5 points into barehanded, total 5.2 now).
It’s a game of cat and mouse. I will strike and wound them, they will filch my coins and disappear. But one by one they fall.
CL 3 and 4
Their leader, a wily bandit, annoys me long enough, until finally I cave in his face with a Dragon Fist. My skill reaches 8.7 in barehand combat, and I also feel an affinity for symbiants. I have 1 point in symbiosis now. Later levels will likely yield stealth, magic-device, and weaponmastery.
Owning a house now, I sell the ill-gotten gains of theives back to the townsfolk. What? I’m an adventurer, not a hero!
What luck! The leader bandit’s dagger is highly enchanted, and sells for over 1000 gold; more money than I’ve ever seen. I use the money wisely, kitting myself out with a lantern, pick, scrolls of teleport, and potions of cure critical wounds. Onwards...
Barrow downs, level 1
A princess seems trapped by a pack of nefarious disenchanter eyes. Perhaps she is frightened they will disenchant her ruby slippers. This is a great opportunity to prove to the Gods that I am worthy of the sweet embrace of death, and heaven beyond it. I shall rescue her!
I slay the sundry occupants of the downs, rats and dogs and lizards mostly, until I found the room in which the princess is held. The eyes surround her, and I must kill them, should it cost me my life.
CL 5
As I slay my skills grow. Barehand now reaches 9. I’m saving my other points until I need them.
CL6
The eyes may pose a threat to well equiped adventurers, but when your weapons are your fists disenchantment doesn’t scare you. As I slay one more the void of Manwe Sulimo booms in my head! A task, a quest. Perhaps I shall go and find this relic. But first, a princess to be saved.
Barehand-Combat reaches 10.8. A second blow per round and another +1 to speed. Sweet joy!
The princess is saved, and offers me the following: Wooden boomerang Pick Small Leather Shield
Perhaps the first time as a player I’ve had 3 good choices for a Monk. The boomerange could be a *something* that will be useful, or it could be a Mighty, which will not. The shield will invariably be a resist, which I can get later. And the pick will always be useful in digging. I decide to take my chances and go for the boomerang. WHAT LUCK! I use a scroll of identify I found in the downs on the boomerange and find the wooden boomerang of Lenen (1D8 +20 +4). I cannot afford to fully identify it now, but I’m certain it will be worth my while.
Barrow Downs Level 2
The princess cries out once more, leave me alone you stupid Hill orc. Is she also travelling towards the bottom of the downs? If so, she needs to do a much better job of protecting herself. I suppose she’s once again blocking the only staircase down, and so I must dispatch these orcs to rescue her. Being ‘good’ is a lot less fun than I thought it would be.
1 slimemold found
CL 7
The orcs have trapped her on either side of two glass walls. How in the world does she get into those walls anyway? Nobody else can. THe beasts fall to my feet (barehand 11 now) and I move from the left of the room to the right. The princess leaves, offering me leather scale mail (useless), a smallwooden boomerang (got the best one last time, no thanks), and a cleaver (do I look like a butcher). I accept the cleaver, hoping it will be worth enough gold to *Identify* my boomerange.
As I wander back up to town, I find a grey tome. I wonder what powers this item holds for me.
Back in town! I do hope that the townsfolk won’t shun me as I’m used to, and instead pay good coin for the wonders I’ve collected. After selling them all it turns out to be half treasure, half trash. But the cleaver is of slay demon, and sells for 4000 gold! Enough to identify things, excellent!
Bitter disappointment... The boomerang of Lenen does extra damage from acid, electricity, and fire.It poisons foes, is deadly against trolls, demons, and natural creatures. But provides me no resistances, and is so useless. However, I hope to sell it for a mint, when I arrive in a city that pays more than 10K for items.
Time to prepare for a re-descent. A pair of Word of Recall scrolls, and I’m set.
Barrow Downs 3
A man begs me to recover his sword, which has been stolen. By a group of Green Molds?!?! How in heaven’s name can they steal anything, let alone keep it? But he seems desperate, and I’m trying to be good, so I accept his call.
I can see how they kept the sword, stepping to close to them strikes fear into my heart, and I cannot raise my fist to them. But they cannot move, so by moving back and forth, I can keep their fear off of me, and stomp them to death.
CL 8
Stomping molds forces me to expand my normal fighting style, and leads me to new insights. Barehand is now 12.9.
Slime Mold Found!
This particular level is awash with soft leather boots. I’ve found 8 so far. Perhaps a cobbler went mad here?
CL 9
My these molds are worthwhile to hunt! Barehand reaches 13, and I’ve 28 points to play with.
I’ve found the last of the molds, though it was hiding well. The adventurer offers to teach me one of four skills: Symbiosis Archery Summoning Combat
All four are tempting, but I wish to hone my symbiant skills, at this point, and so choose that. Symbiosis rises to 2.5.
Barrow Downs Level 4
Bah! The Princess is stuck again? Skeleton orcs, eh? Obviously the ones I killed a few hours ago sloughed off their dead flesh and have risen again! I too know of the second life, and will bring vengence to them as I wish it brought to me.
The level is sparesely populated, and I find the princess surrounded by a lake of fire. The skeletons are no match for me, at all. Bone crumbles against my knuckles, a sweet sensation of justice.
CL 10
The skeletons bring me more enlightenment into the dual nature of my existence. My speed climbs as is usual with my race (Fast +6 from rohan knight and barehanded), and I increase my knowledge of symbiosis (3) and martial arts (14)
The princess offers me a large leather shield, flight arrows, or a flail. THe second two will never be useful for me, nor profitable, and so I trust to luck on the first.
Identifying it reveals it to be the Large Leather Shield of Sorfaur!! Two artefacts from princess quests? This character has far too much luck, and will inevitably die soon.
I return to town and fully identify it:
It sustains your intelligence. It provides immunity to paralysis. It provides resistances to life draining, fire, acid, and dark.
The perfect monk shield? Pretty darned close.
As I wield it it throws my balance off. I can’t fight like this! And then I burst into great laughter. The leather armour I wore to defeat the thieves?I’m still wearing it! I remove it quickly and my AC jumps to 41. Time to kick ass and take numbers.
I have too much stuff to identify without spending a fortune, and so I venture to the north east, to Gondolin. A simple song later and I find out that I have a backpack full of crap potions and unenchanted boots. What a waste.
Barrow downs 5
I recall back down to the dungeons, expecting to have to rescue the helpless princess once again, but no! It seems our fumble fingered adventuruer has lost his sword, this time to a gang of mindcrafters. I hate the buggers, so it’s a pleasure and joy to hunt them down.
The stage is small and they come at me from all sides. Their attacks weak, like their minds, but they can keep blasting me with fear. I’ve run into this before, with the green molds. I need fear resistance, or a bow.
The last one falls, not knowing what lay around the corner; my elbow. The traveller offers me:
Conveyance Magic Device Disarming Thaumaturgy
All are tempting, but with a good symbiant I won’t need conveyance. I accept Magic-Device. 3 points that I’ll never regret!
Barrow Downs level 6
Leave me alone, stupid Mugash the Kobold Lord!
Wow, it seems our princess has attracted attention of the unique kind. And it’s up to me to rescue her again. What do I look like, Mario? Link?
Dwah! As I turn the first corner of the stage none other than Bullroarer the Hobbit slams into me like a tornado. I’ve heard tales of his prowess, but it appears they were overstated; he dies in three hits and drops a medly of magical weapons. Perhaps he was out searching for Mugash as well. Pity, we could have worked together. But such is the curse I bear, that none will share my company...
Aha! A brown mold. Before I meet Mugash, perhaps it’s time I collected a symbiant; my first such. I charm him as I was taught by the adventurer, and then hypnotise it. Gently collecting the specimen I examine it. 81 HP! After wearing it, I feel much more comfortable meeting the lord of kobolds. Not that I wasn’t before, of course.
Poor Mugash.
He never saw it coming. I burst through the door Tony Jaa style and proceeded to give him the ass kicking of his life. The appreciative princess offered me a fine selection of items, from which I selected a long bow. Here’s to hoping for a third artefact.
I identify it, and no such luck, long bow of power. Ah well, at least I have something to do when I’m feared now.
Barrow downs level 7
Leave me alone stupid dark elven mage
Uh oh.
Those don’t sound slow, stupid, and easy to kill. They sound mean and lean. I’d better make sure I’m equiped for the fight.
CL 11
It looks as though I levelled at some point without noticing it. Time to spend some points. One more into barehanded combat (15 now), and 2 into Symbiosis (5 now). I want to be able to share life against these mages. I really want to up my stealth, but I have 23 skill points, and it’ll take me 10 just to get to 0. That’s painful. Maybe later.
The level is large and the enemies many, but my search for the princess takes a while. I find her and the mages pour out to great me. I move slowly and attack them one at a time, so their spells can’t overwhelm me. I’m disapppointd with Share Life, as I take all damage, and my symbiant takes none.
CL 12
Barehand up 1 to 16, nothing else.
I finish off the rest of the mages and find out the use of share life; it heals me, while damaging the symbiant. Most useful!
The mages fall and the princess flees down the stairs, leaving me a light crossbow. Perhaps I can use this one.
Barrow downs 8
Leave me alone stupid Wormtongue.
Now I’ll admit that wormtongue is stupid, but dangerous. I recall to down to resell and requip.
As I make a run to Gondolin the sun rises! As I burn I quickly read a scroll of darkness, and wait for the sun to set.
The crossbown turns out to be ‘of accuracy’, which, considering my abysmal archery skill, is quite welcome.
Amongst my findings as well I see Bumganir’s Bag of Magic Toys: Activate for Teleport LEvel every 50 turns. Can you say life-saver? I knew you could.
Barrow downs 8 take 2
Damn, wormtongue got the drop on me and greated a patch of traps around me. Some cramped bowels later, I’m behind a corner, waiting for him to show his ugly head. He shows it, and I hit it. My brownmould earns its nonexistant paycheque by confusing him, making him much easier to kill.
He stumbles around the room as I use him for a punching bag, but he’s not going down easy. When he dies I accept a Pick from the Princess (I love having a high tunnelling modifier, call me a nut), and head down to
Barrow Downs 9
Leave me alone, stupid Creeping gold coins.
My lucky day! Profitable and a good deed.
In the first room I charm and hypnotise a red Jelly. 91 HP, more than my brown mold, but I’m loathe to give up confusing spoors just yet.
CL 13
A small white dragon leads me to my next level. As usual, barehanded goes up. I need to start spending my points.
Another lake of lava, with crawling piles of gold. Mmmm-hmmm, looks tasty. As she leaves I greatfully accept a pair of gauntlets. Here’s to hoping...
Barrow Downs 10
Last level. Lost Sword Quest for Killer Brown Beetles. Looking forward to it.
The beetles are almost too happy to die, throwing themselves at me and prompty croaking. THe thankful adventurer offers me another 1.5 to symbiosis; how fortunate for me!
Back in Gondolin, my hoping was not in vain! The gauntlets are in fact Paurnimmen, and will suit quite nicely, until I finish Deathwatch anyway.
The barrow downs are finished, and yet still I seek redemption. Where next? I’ve heard stories of the Orc caves, so I will head there.
Orc Caves 10
I travel down to the caves, and find myself in a room surrounded by about 25 monsters with no space to move. Not going to happen! I ascend the stairs and move back down. This works out much better, and I begin to navigate the caves.
CL 14
A psuedo dragon brings me to my next level, and my barehanded skill rises a bit more. Soon I will get my next attack, and all hell will break loose.
Orc Caves 11
You hear the sound of a market!
Excellent, I need more goods. A potion store (always welcome), Rare footwear shop, expensive black market, and a scribe. Not exactly a great find, but that potion store will be robbed blind at a much higher level.
Orc Caves 12
Brodda the Easterling attempts to challenge me, but he’ll have another thing coming. Like wormtongue he finds himself confused, but his armour is heavy, and I find it hard to damage him.
Orc 13
I don’t think I’ll be spending much time here. THere’s the downstaircase, and I’m just heading to deathwatch on the bullet train.
Orc 14
Ran from a fight because of Fear. I need potions of heroism, NOW.
Orc 15
I’m mauled by a pack of bears as I enter the level, but my speed and symbiant keep me alive.
CL 15
Damned mindcrafters. I’m happy to kick their chests in, and take my level from their cold dead hands. Speed goes up, yay, Now +7 natural. Barehanded hits 19. One more level! 41 skill points hanging around. Gotta spend those at some point.
Back in town, got the usual crap. However, a true diamond in the dust: A ring of fear resistance! My biggest weakness, now covered. Sweet.
And an amulet of lightning resistance! I now resist Acid, Electricity, Fire, Cold, Poison, Fear, Dark, and Nether. Not bad at all, for a monk in the orc caves.
A trip to the shops nets me a cloak of protection. Add Shards to my resistances. AC 76? Lookin’ sharp.
Time to spend some points!
Stealth up to 0 (I’m tired of waking up whole rooms). Magic Device to 15 (gonna need a lot of rods at some point). And symbiosis to 10.
I think my next big expenditure will be on disarming and stealth again, but this is good for now.
Back down to Orc 16
Nothing to report
Orc 17
Orc everywhere! It’s a battle royal at this point
CL 16
YES! Barehanded hits 20! Damage is now 42-186, speed is now +8 natural. I’m definately ready for deathwatch now.
Orc 18
Surrounded by mindcrafters.Time to get to work.
CL 17
I’m racing through the levels in the orc caves, for some reason. Barehanded to 21. It’s gonna be a long road to Skill level 30
Orc 19
This place is starting to wear on me. Good experience, but boring fights.
CL 18
Get teleported into a room with orcs and mindcrafters? Youo’re going to do two things: 1) go through a hell of a lot of potions of cure critical wounds. 2) Level. One more into barehanded.
Aha! That’s why there’s so many orcs. Ufthak of Cirith Ungol is here. And about to meet his maker.
Back to town
Ahhhh, much better. I’ve managed to zap togehter a rod of door/stair location, and one of trap location. I feel much safer.
I also pick up some bolts for my crossbow (finally) If I’m doing my math right, It’s 3D5+51 damage per hit; not bad at all.
As well, a nice ring of accuracy +12 puts my to hit at +20. No more missing for me!
For some reason though my ranged hit is +38. Am I an archer or something?
CL 19
Poor, poor, Nar the Dwarf. Confused with brown mold spores and kneed in the crotch by myself, he didn’t do much as stand there while I kicked him to death and took his stuff. A sad ending.
Barehand to 23, 32 points doing nothing. Why not spend a few?
Stealth to 7 Disarming to 9
12 left over, I’m saving the rest for when my spell points are high enough to absorb some more symbiosis.
I see a downstaircase. Am I ready for deathwatch? Level 19, 270 HP, AC 85, damage 45-189... I think so. I need those gloves that give resistance to light. I need to be a daywalker.
Down we go.
Deathwatch
Step one: Sense doors. Let’s hope my new stealth will help me out.
Lagduf the Snaga doesn’t see me coming, but he manages to avoid most of my blows. He goes down quietly though, so I carry on my sneak attacks.
I tunnel towards the gloves from te backway to avoid the crush of ogres, but they wake up and swarm me anyway. Tunnel fighting at its best.
CL 20
That group of ogres bought me my next level. Speed +1 from race, putting me up to +9 natural. I can’t wait for my peity boost to kick in. I might actually lower my speed just for a better seak bonus.
Grishnakh sees me coming, but luckily I can deal with him quickly.
Ahhh, I’ve made it and escaped. Wearing the artefacts, I find the only resistances I miss that I need are blind and confusion; which are easily handed by potions of cure critical wounds. I’m feeling pretty cocky.
Orc 22
I’m looking for Azog. Come out come out wherever you are...
CL 23
An Umber Hulk provides me with a few more precious skill points.
Azog proves a challange worthy of me, and drops my health quite a ways before he falls. He dropped an excellent cap I may end up wearing soon.
On to the Mirkwood...
The cap turns out to be of intelligence +1. Not even worth wearing.
I swap my old bolts 1D5 for Seeker bolts 4D5. They put my ranged hit up to 40. I think I can kill just about anything with a few bolts.
I had died, to a Fastitocalon. Ambushed in the water. Nothing you can do. My fatal mistake was not carrying scrolls of teleport.