wild rose - i figure fumbling has to do with having a certain amount of skill above the minimum requirements to use it: the closer to the minimum you are, the more you fumble, but i'm not sure at what point fumbling becomes a non-issue... 10 points more? 30?
so for the dulcimer of mending, which has a minimum of 60, do i need 70 to avoid fumbles? or 90?
loudhy - i think a lot of it has to do with the fact that i'm hanging about long after i should have left. even with my usual small parties, i'm on the arnika road before level 7 (or just at), and dont go back downstairs to even find out what would be waiting!
having said that, getting the bunches of encounters together was a bit of a shocker. i'd say they were definitely intended to be 3 encounters - the metallic slimes were from opposited ends of the hall, and the emerald slime was even further back down one hall. unfortunately, those suckers take a long time to chop away at, so i couldnt clear one group before the next - however, that sleep lute made all the difference (as did having two casters with stamina to keep the bard awake and swingin when she wasnt singin
)