Dark LegacyHow combat works
You actively jab, thrust, lunge, shoot, cast to survive.
Of the two strangers in the hall
On the night before the mines were changed, when not a dwarf in the hall was stirring, there came up from below the noise of a brawl. And a certain dwarf, who had four quarts of mead in him and was not wise, took up his axe and went down.
There stood two strangers, the one with a mallet and the other with a spear, and at their feet lay ten warriors of the hall. And the dwarf leapt upon them; and the one laid his hammer to the side of the dwarf’s nose, and he rose up, and up, into the rafters.
Then a small voice called from the floor: These are no mortal warriors. These are Balthildis and Hor. And the strangers said: Now that they know us, it is no longer any sport. And they went out through the roof and rode away upon a steed of eight legs, crying that mining might go to Hell, for they loved nothing in all the worlds so well as a good fight.
A retelling of The Night Before Mining-Patch by Vogar Eol> lunge stranger Attempting 'lunge' in 1.8 seconds. You lunge at a brawny stranger's chest! Vogar: Attacks a brawny stranger (31.4+6=37.4, 212.0 Target) *miss* A brawny stranger's muscles ripple as he prepares to stomp you! A brawny stranger swings his mallet towards you! Vogar: Makes a reflex check (9+3=12, DC 40), *fails* ... and strikes a blow to your nose. ... A brawny stranger causes 2219 blunt damage.
The same brawl, as the game would print it. The dwarf loses.
Nine ways to fight
Every class fights differently. Each character begins as one of these nine, and can later take up others.
- MageEmbodiment of the arcane, particularly offensive magic.
- ClericDevout follower of the gods, healer and protector.
- RogueIn time, your skills get you past any trap or lock.
- WarriorThe epitome of fighters, excelling in melee combat.
- DruidAncient protectors of nature.
- RangerSelf sufficient woodsman, specialised in bow and melee.
- PsionicistUsing powers of the mind to overcome foe.
- Paladin(newbie friendly) divine warriors, fighting for their deity.
- Bard(difficult) supporting performer and illusionist.
Every skill, spell, weapon and tactic is on one page, and the spells found in prisms on another.
As the game explains it
Combat is active. Typing KILL <target> only starts a fight. After that your character does not attack on its own: you must keep typing attacks for as long as the fight lasts. If you stop, your enemy keeps hitting you and you do nothing back.
Your attacks:
| jab, thrust, lunge | melee attacks with your weapon (HELP JAB) |
| shoot, barrage | ranged weapons (HELP SHOOT) |
| cast <spell> | spells; for casters this IS the attack (HELP CAST) |
| kick, punch, elbow | brawling and class skills you have practiced |
Each attack has a short delay before you can act again (HELP COMBAT ROUND). As soon as it is over, type your next attack. Many players make an alias for their favourite attack (HELP ALIAS).
Watch your fight prompt. When the fight goes badly, FLEE. After the fight, recover (HELP HP).
New to fighting? Start with HELP COMBAT_BASICS. When you are comfortable, read HELP STYLES, HELP BALANCE and HELP ROLES.