From: aranta@milton.u.washington.edu (Aaron Ranta)
Subject: Re: Why pray? Why drink?
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle
Date: Fri, 17 Apr 1992 15:21:51 GMT

In article <1992Apr17.135424.554@cmcl2.nyu.edu> olsonr@acf3.nyu.edu (Ron the Carboard Box) writes:
>
>
>What is the purpose of praying. On occasion, I have prayed accidently
>and the message is "<god> is pleased. Your <stuff> glows blue for a
>moment." <-- What does this do?

Praying is a very usefull, often ass-saving, occupation that tries to do
every once in a while...
Many nifty things can happen when you pray...
  - The amber glow ( the <stuff> that glowed has just been blessed (nice) or
	uncursed (wonderful)) The blue glow is the same thing ( but I think
	an older version of the game...

  - If you pray when you're weak with hunger you almost always have your tummy
    filled ( really saves on food )

  - If a golden glow surrounds you, you are healed to full hit-points+

  - Any abilities that have been dropped down (ie: due to poisons et all) can
	be restored

   note : if you have the older version with the blue glow, having the golden
	  glow surround you does all three of the previous items at one time.

  - You can have your luck increase

  - Hallucination, blindness, confusion, et al can be removed

  - chains can be removed from balls

  - The gods could give you magic items of varying powers and types.

  - Luck may be gained

  - Lycanthropy removed

  - it goes on and on and on and on.......

  Of course all of these things only happen if your god is happy with you
  ( ie: from #offering juicy monsters as sacrifices, or being properly
        dutiful to your alignment )

>
>And on occasion, it says "Arrogant mortal! Thou must relearn thy
>lessions!" and I lose a level.
>

  If you pray too often, the gods get pissed of, then a whole list of other
  things start happening

  - losing levels

  - death by fire, lightning, disintigration....

  - you get menaced by nasties

  It too goes on... 

>
>The same question refers to sinks and fountains. Is this a *totally*
>random thing (from endless snakes to nymphs to detect monsters...) and
>is there any way I can protect myself (I don't have much defense against
>"It hits! It hits! It hits!" and never being able to do anything because
>I'm always pressing *more*......
>

Yeah, this is probably reasonably random... Though nifty things can happen at
both these places too ( and nasty things as well )

as far as defense goes....  Genocideing the snakes and nymphs would stop them
from making an appearance ( I think ).  Crossed fingers are probably a more
viable option, or abstenance.

Although with the snakes, if you leave a few items lying around the fountain
for the snakes to hide under, then you can run away much easier and they
usually won't follow  ( doesn't allways work, but has saved my life on many
an occassion. Then just stand back and throw things at the item the awful
little reptile is hiding under until it is dead.


Aaron.





And to anyone else out there, I'm still waiting to find out if a Cram ration
or a dead wraith can be eaten by Babs the Valkerie ( a vegetarian <--and not
an easy thing to be in a dungeon )???????????


-- 
+------------------------------------+-----------------------------------------+
| "Why, he's barely enormous."       |           Aaron M. Ranta                |
| "He's merely huge."                |    (aaron@kaf.iphc.washington.edu)      |
|      - R&S ('The Littlest Giant')  |     Lord and Master of EVERYTHING       |
Newsgroups: rec.games.hack