From: wooledge@ces.cwru.edu (Greg Wooledge)
Newsgroups: rec.games.moria
Subject: Re: Ghosts
Date: 27 Jan 1993 07:29:16 GMT
Organization: Crusaders for Truth
NNTP-Posting-Host: john.ces.cwru.edu

rxb@dcs.ed.ac.uk (Ray Barry) writes:
>How do I kill ghosts/stop them from draining and generally ruining my game.
>I don't have a HA or DF or anything else funky which lets me see invisible,
>and by the time I've used a staff of see invis, the Ghost has moved ....?

Well, there are a lot of answers.

Note that the staff and scroll of detect invisible are practically worthless
in this respect.  You can't pinpoint a moving creature with them; they're
only useful in letting you know that the creature is there to begin with.
Once you're actually attacked by it, you have this information.  (An
exception to this statement is the clear mushroom, which reproduces but
does not move.  Use the staff or scroll to make sure you got all of them.)

First of all, you can try seeing them.  An SU weapon also grants see invisible,
as does a ring of see invisible.  Then there is the priest spell (already
mentioned in another post) and the beloved potion of see invisible, which has
the same effect.

Second of all, you can try blasting them with area attack spells.

   ######   Stand near a corner or wall, like this.  When the critter attacks
   #.....   you, make a guess (educated or otherwise) about where it came from.
   #.@...   Then send an area attack spell (Stinking Cloud or Orb of Draining)
   #.....   into the wall nearest that direction.  It will explode upon impact
            (with the critter or the wall), hopefully inflicting great damage
in the process.  Note that Stinking Cloud is not a particularly damaging spell.
However, most invisible creatures that do special attacks don't have all that
many hit points.

Make sure you don't stand right up next to the wall.  If the critter is
actually hovering *in* the wall, as spirits are wont to do, your spell will
*not* touch it.

An alternative (priests/paladins only) is the Dispel Undead spell.  This spell
will do its job on any creature that can see you (i.e., is in your line of
sight), even if it's in the wall.

Third of all, you can try to get a lucky hit on them.  Sending a volley of
magic missiles down a corridor is often a good idea.  The problem with that is
that spirits tend to move erratically, and as often as not will be in a wall.
You can also try moving frantically to and fro trying to physically attack
them (this is not a particularly effective strategy, but sometimes works).

One thing you might consider is to combine the second and third options.  When
an area attack spell goes off, it creates a big splotch of asterisks on the
screen.  But when it hits some creature, the spot where the creature is
standing is not covered by an asterisk.  It will retain the letter of the
affected creature if that creature is visible (even if the spot is not
illuminated), and a blank space otherwise.  So when you get the "It touches
you." message, and fire the Stinking Cloud spell into the wall, watch for a
blank area.  That's where the creature was last turn.  You can use this
information to guess where it is now, and either send a more carefully aimed
area attack spell that way, or take a stab at it.

Fourth of all, you can avoid the situation altogether.  There are two
subpoints here.  One is that if you're not there, you can't get hurt.  Don't
be afraid to run upstairs or read Word of Recall if things get too rough.
You never know when an out-of-its-depth Ghost will appear and really wreck
your day.  The other point is that priests and paladins have a neat spell
called Protection from Evil.  This repels the physical attacks of any evil
monster whose level is not greater than yours.  (Monster level = monster depth
divided by 50 feet.)  Casting this and charging at that hovering 'G' may not
be such a bad tactic in many cases.  If you do this, though, be wary of spells
that the monster may be able to cast.  PoE doesn't help against them.  Mana
draining, in particular, is quite rude.

A greatly helpful piece of advice is that you should learn the various
types of monsters (visible and otherwise) and where they hang out and what
they can do to you.  I realize that this is tough if you can't see what
you're being attacked by, so here's a little bit of data.

Green Glutton Ghosts hang out around level 4 or so.  They eat your food and
cover you with slime.  Not particularly bad once you no longer have to carry
rations.  If you must carry rations, carry LOTS of them.

Poltergeists are another low-level favorite.  They move around too much to
hit, even with area-effect spells.  You might kill one by accident, but that's
about your only chance.  They can't really do anything to you, other than get
on your nerves.

Moaning Spirits are a little worse.  If I remember correctly, they're around
the tenth level or so.  They can drain wisdom, I think.

Banshees appear at 1200 feet.  They move quickly (i.e., twice as fast as you).
They drain mana, drain experience, etc.  Basically, they guard the gain-stat
potions which appear at 1250 feet.  Don't hang out at 1200 feet.  Go straight
from 1150 to 1250, if you think you can handle or avoid the banshees.  The
potions are still pretty rare at 1250', so be patient.  Once you can handle
the vampires (esp. if you have free action), go down to 1450'.

Ghosts appear around 1500 feet.  They're worse than Banshees. They drain
intelligence and experience, and probably mana.  Also fast.  DO NOT go this
far down without a thirtieth-level priest and/or see invisible.  Especially
do not come here with a mage or ranger!

There are Spirit Trolls a little farther down.  They're tougher to kill, and
drain wisdom, but aren't fast.  That's SO helpful in fighting them.  I fear
the Ghosts much more than these guys.

In addition to these, there are other transparent nasties.  Quasits drain
dexterity by clawing you.  Death quasits do the same thing, only better, at
2000 feet.  I mentioned the clear mushrooms, which can get annoying at times.
(Use Stinking Cloud on them.  They have one hit point.)  Clear icky things
appear at 50 or 100 feet, and are deceptively tough.  Watch your hit points,
especially with a mage.  Clear giant centipedes are easy to kill; you'll
usually trip over a few and smash them by accident.  Air Spirits and Invisible
Stalkers (in the 'E' family) are hard to hit because they move practically
at random, but they're not really dangerous.  They appear fairly far down.  If
something keeps hitting you from out of nowhere, and your occasional pot-shots
aren't killing it, it's probably one of these two.

Good luck.
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