Keys and Coins

[Stoof]

Hi, I've just recently started my first DM playthrough for about 15 years. I have come a long way since my first exploration into the depth (missing the torch and getting quite a fright and death from the first mummy) all those years ago.

I'm currently nearing the end of the 4th level (Those worms are a lot faster than I remember). I've found myself to be carrying an increasing amount of gold keys and verious coins. Will these be useful in the lower dungeon levels or am I carrying about spares that I may not ever need?

Thanks

[beowuuf]

The gold keys can probably be dropped now, if you have any copper coins they are useful at the end of level 11

The good thing about getting to the end of level 4, is if you put things beside the screamer room, for the next few levels you won't need to travel that far back to regain them (the levels have a way of coming back on themselves if you open the right secret passages)

[PaulH]

You need 2 gold coins for the 6th level. Well theoretically none, but they can be useful.

[Stoof]

So the gold keys are useless?

I'll probably hold on to them until I get to that long stairway. Would hate to need them later and not remember where I left them.

[Jan]

Hi, Stoof, and welcome!

Yeah, the gold keys are pretty useless now, I think - but I always carry them too... "just in case"... although I know there would be no such "case"...

I basically tend to carry all the useless stuff with me - don't ask me why...

[beowuuf]

You may have missed one or two secrets at the end of level 3 or start of level four where you could use them, but it is possible to get a gold key or two ahead of yourself.

[Ameena]

Yeah, if you do all six areas of Level 3 (thereby getting all six gold keys), you end up with either one or two (can't remember which) gold keys more than you actually need. Naturally, I always get all six and always hang onto them regardless . I can't remember whether I hang onto or drop coins, but as mentioned, a few do come in useful in a couple of places. Maybe just keep some in a chest or something, or keep one or two of each of the three types. Just in case .
Oh and btw welcome to the forum .

[Jan]

You can also save one gold key by chopping one wooden door on level 2.

[Stoof]

Thanks for the warm welcomes.

Yeah that's my 2 spare gold keys. Chopping the door on lvl2 and all areas in lvl 3, plus the one from the drain on lvl 4, but I used in to open the short cut teleport.

[zoom]

You can also save one gold key by chopping one wooden door on level 2.

Isn´t that a gold coin? the fountain that grants you one wish?
or are you talking about a nother door?

all areas in level 3?
These are grate-doors, so you cannot chop them down..or am I completely wrong?
if the worm level is level 4, I think there are
not much wooden doors now that need a gold key to open up on level 3, are there!?

btw, excess gold keys is rather normal

[beowuuf]

@Zoom: No, there's a gold key door you can chop down. And he means he did all six areas in level 3 so got six gold keys.

@stoof: And yup, sounds about right, that's how you get so many extra gold keys Well done finding them all!

[Jan]

Isn´t that a gold coin? the fountain that grants you one wish?

The one-wish-fountain opens the iron-bars-gate.

The chop-able gold-keyed wooden door is somewhere on level two (HoC as level one).

[zoom]

ah ok,
I see.

[ofens]

I seem to remember a Skeleton Key staircase, that could be used as easy access to levels already explored.
I used to store items on this staircase, as you can always come back to it from most of the levels.
Did anyone else use it in this way?
If memory serves you don't get enough Skeleton Keys to open every level on it.

[Ameena]

Yes, you're right - there is a central stairwell (once you get down to the level it starts on - it runs from that level to the bottom of the dungeon), accessed by the skeleton keys. A popular spot to serve as a dumping ground is on Level 9, either on the stairway itself (well, you know what I mean...on the square between the two actual staircases) or in the nearby room, which has a button-door and contains a fountain - it's generally used as a safe spot to return to once you're in the deeper regions of the dungeon since it's just round the corner from the stairwell and has easy water, plus the Rat Room is just down the corridor.
And yes, there aren't enough skelly keys - there is one too few. Generally I think people skip opening the stairwell access on Level 12 (Black Knights, Spiders, and Spell Vines) and keep the key for the level below instead.

[beowuuf]

I think occasionally people ignored level 10 - a little inconvenient, but level 10 was the only stairwell that wasn't off to one side. You could get beholders drifting onto the stairwell to surprise you just when you wanted to get to your stash!

[Jan]

Indeed, I always ignore opening the Skeleton stairs on the Beholder - Scorpion level.

[Ameena]

Hmm, yes, there is that...then again, I don't think any such Beholders ever lasted too long when I came up against them there . The ones that bug me are the ones at the start of that level (at the "...Deceiver, the Snake" bit), 'cause last time I played it (in RTC where their lightning bolts really hurt, grr), they kept respawning as fast as I could kill them - I'd use my mana nuking the ones who were there, then retreat back upstairs for a sleep, then zonk all my mana again straight away on returning downstairs and finding they'd all repopped again . And one nuke from those guys was usually enough to take out one of my chars (and therefore half my party ). Which is all a bit weird, since the time before when I played through DM, I did get past that bit. Meh.

[MasterWuuf]

Out of a curiosity, I pummeled the dragon until he/she was all but dead, then saved the game with the dragon still living.

I then killed it with a coin, a key, a flask; I even killed it with a rabbit's foot. (Poor...little...abused...dragon.)

[Ameena]

Rofl...cool .

Now try that with Lord Chaos .

[ofens]

Chuck Norris once killed the dragon with a war cry, from the top of the stairs on level 1.

[MasterWuuf]

Chuck Norris once killed the dragon with a war cry, from the top of the stairs on level 1.

Yeah, but that's Chuck Norris. He could 'stare down' a blind tiger.

[Simon]

Chuck norris once killed a ghost with lo ful ir

[Twiggy]

Haha the Chuck war cry made me lol at work.

I always used to use the entrance to the firestaff tomb/level as my warehouse. I was generally overloaded with crap by then so it was a good spot to start unloading things. Was always easy to get back to as well with the Skeleton stairs just around the corner on Lvl 8.

Reloaded my game the other day and went through that area and found a few boxes full of food and a whole heap of magic boxes and random weapons

[Bit]

Chuck Norris once killed the dragon with a war cry, from the top of the stairs on level 1.

Ah, now I understand why Jackie Chan made the Drunken Master

[MasterWuuf]

Chuck norris once killed a ghost with lo ful ir

I was told Master Chuck once killed a scorpion with a light spell.
Of course, that may have been a slight exaggeration.
Naah. I'm sure he COULD have done it, anyway.