Tactics and targeting

Hand-to-hand combat is done by attempting to move onto the position occupied by your opponent. Facing a tough opponent, you may wish to fight more defensively; on the other hand, facing a relatively puny opponent, you may wish to cast caution to the winds and hack away hard, knowing that they are unlikely to be able to hurt you much before you despatch them.

To change your combat strategy, use the 'T' ('tactics') command. The '+' and '-' keys will cycle through three sets of tactics: Defensive, Normal and Aggressive. When fighting defensively, your DV will be increased, and your HIT and DMG will be decreased; when fighting aggressively, your DV will be decreased, and your HIT and DMG will be increased. When you have chosen your strategy, use the 'Z' key to set it and exit the tactics display.

Sometimes discretion is the better part of valour, and it may be wiser to fight from a distance. You can do so with certain spells, if you know them, or by using missile weapons such as bows and slings. Missile weapons do, of course, need appropriate missiles. When you cast a targetable spell, or use the 't' ('target') command to aim a missile weapon, a yellow 'X' connected to you by yellow '*' characters will appear on the display. If you have opponents within range, the 'X' will start out at the location of the nearest opponent. You can then use the movement keys to move the 'X' around on the display. If it should turn red, it means that the current position of the 'X' is too far from you for you to be able to affect it. When you have positioned the 'X' to your liking, press the SPACE key to fire the missile or cast the spell. If you wish to abandon your targeting, use the ESC key instead. The 'l' ('look') command also uses this targeting system.