Greater Sanctuary

[Greything]

OK, I confess. This I have used.

It is possible to pick up an Amulet of Clearing - but at the least you have to be able to get to lvl 12 to get one - and then walk through Undermountain without any problems and pick up some very helpful items.

It is very convenient to get equipment this way and pass on to new characters. Personally I think this makes things too easy (and I really hate myself for doing it, well perhaps not so much).

Is the Amulet of Clearing something we need in Undermountain.

[Stonewarrior]

I also thought you could sometimes buy one in Skullport...but might be mistaken. I have used one on accossaion, but try to only use it when a) I am trying to get through an area I have currently been through but do not want to have to fight my way through or b) if I am just getting crushed continuously with no chance of escape.

I think if a low level character uses one one to bypass levels 4-9 to get a stone on 10 and then bypasses 11 and sneaks into the Wizard's area on 12 to get a stone it is a bit cheesy, but I am not sure why anyone would want to do that as getting there is the real fun. That said, who I am to judge anyone for their actions? :~) Of course if you are using on to bypass levels you have already gone through then there is no real difference between doing this and using the teleporters...

[robertthebard]

Let me look at this from another angle, you're cruising through level 10, laying waste, and getting wasted, by everything you meet. You come around a corner, and find yourself facing 2 Greater Clay Golems, and one very angry Nature Elemental. Now, if you're a shadow dancer, or have one of the items that allows you emulate one, and have some hide skill, you can pretty much slip away from it. If not, it will follow you relentlessly. Rogues or bards could use scrolls, but that Fighter/WM? They would be doomed to have that creature following them around for the rest of the level.
As to the run around picking up useful items, I don't do that. I will have a bag set aside for items that I may want to use for a future char, and if I get the chance, I'll swap the items to the new char. In the strictest sense, this is still cheating, however, I personally don't have a problem with my earning stuff, by either buying it when I get to the appropriate level store, or taking it from the carcasses of vanquished enemies. I don't see that as being much different from passing goods to a new player that wants them.

[Cloudbringer]

I don't see anything wrong with buying extra things, such as when Durnan's got the surplus from others who've sold it to him, if you're a new char or passing them on to other chars of mine (some I do NOT do this with as I like having a few to rp or just get through the old fashioned way ). But yah, I agree that using an amulet to run past everything and get the stones isn't my cup of tea. I suppose once would be ok if you never saw any of the lower levels and wanted to try 'em out or see how hard they are.

Heck, my only char with more than a level 3 stone is my fighter/wm who's approaching the upper limits of leveling and she got her last two stones by running through with others (thanks Wellard and Robertthebard!) and slashing, hacking and dying/respawning the old fashioned way, even though she has an amulet she found in her adventures.

Still, I guess it's an individual choice in how to play, but I WOULD say it's wrong for someone to clear out the stones on lower levels with a newbie char and an amulet if it means someone coming through the usual way won't be able to get one. That would seem really unfair to me.

[javan]

Some people only have an hour or two to spend in Undermountain. With jobs, kids and the rest of real life they cannot spend the hours it takes to fight through 7 levels of Undermountain to get the stone dagger.

My first character took four attempts to reach the teleporter key on level 10. On his first attempt, he had to quit after fighting down to level six. He ran out of time on the second attempt fighting Big Red on level nine. [img]graemlins/1pissed.gif[/img] On the third attempt, the server crashed as he was crossing the bridge to the lizardman huts on level ten. [img]graemlins/crying.gif[/img]

If the teleporters were spread out (say levels 3, 6, 9, and 12) then, yes, you could take the time to smell the roses while smiting the Xanthers. Currently, it takes me over an hour to get a character down to level ten even with greater sanctuary/improved invisibility/boots of speed.

Ziroc will open more teleporters, and when he does it will cut down on the “mad dash to level ten” the characters are currently doing.

[Unglaublich Verwustung]

I can see the arguments for having the stones for a newer character, especially when short of real time to go hacking down the lvls each time you log on, only to find that the stones are all gone (lack of time being a problem I often have). Nevertheless there is a lot of merit to doing the hack and slash (or spell and slash, depending on your preference) - apart from anything else there's the straight challenge of how fast you can travel through them the hard way, no amulet of clearing, particularly with a newer character. On that note, my thanks to the guys who were playing down on lvl 11 the other night when I was running my Neotenic char., particularly as I was doing said fast run, they kept a stone free for once I had got there. Much appreciated but won't stop me doing the full levels again, I like the madness involved.

[robertthebard]

:bow: No problem, we are glad to help, when we can.

[Unglaublich Verwustung]

Good job the little fella's got a decent turn of speed on him though, wasn't sure how long you guys would hang around.

[Cloudbringer]

I FULLY agree on the whole lack of time to get to lvl 10 concept. It's why only my one char has a stone from below the first one. I got help getting to them, so went faster than I would on my own, but again, she's the only one who has any for a reason, I work, have a family and other things to do, too. Still, I really want to go the whole way and get them sometime for others without having to do the sanctuary thing if I can help it, at least not for all of them. Hoping there'll be interim stones on levels 6 or 8 maybe, someday! That definitely will help!

[wellard]

I have waited a while to post this but that greater sanctuary has posed a problem twice that has really pissed me off, by those using it with the height of bad manners.

After hacking my way down to level 7, clearing traps and killing the bad guys knowing that level 10 still had a stone,I was "overtaken" by a running character covered by greater sanctuary despite a couple of shouts of G'day which where ignored when I reached level 10 ... no stone. I was very angry that day!

Someone who shall remain nameless (but will not be forgotten) also tried the same trick a week ago, overtaking me on level 10 and without a thought for others in my group tried to get the stone, no thought for those that may have worked as a group for 2 hours to clear the path to the level 10 stones. Unfortunately for him my monk had greater speed [img]graemlins/heee.gif[/img] and his rudeness was thwarted.


Having said that in general it as allowed great acts of kindness and co-operation to blosom. "you help me get the level 10 stone I help you get the level 12 stone. [img]graemlins/thumbsup.gif[/img] It has been enjoyable to help newer players gain a stone, you feel as though you have really achieved something!

So lets have manners, shout out if you are going for a stone, or if you see a stone available! If you have just taken them, before you log out shout to all the new players to let them know!