Descent Into the Depths - Torchlight Dynasty

[hoopsguy]

I've been playing this on my laptop for about a week and have seen enough that I'm now ready to start a dynasty. I'll be playing this game on the "Very Hard" setting and recording progress as SorcerySquid descends deeper and deeper into the mine.

I'm also going to put in a house rule, although not the normal type I would use for a game like this. There are two different ways to progress in this game. The first is Experience (standard RPG fare) and the second is Fame (this is new to me). Every time I hit a new level for Experience I'll do 10*(level) situps and each level of Fame = 5*(level) pushups. Hopefully this helps me justify spending tons of hours on yet another Diablo clone

[hoopsguy]

There are three default character classes in Torchlight:
Destroyer - the brawler class
Alchemist - mage class
Vanquisher - archer class

These are oversimplifications, but that is a good starting point in discussing the characters. In my previous game I had gotten up to Level 29 with a Vanquisher, so I'll be looking at a different class this time around. I'll give Alchemist a try this time.

Each character also has a pet that accompanies them. The choices are a dog or cat. SorcerySquid is accompanied by a brave cat named Dola.

The Torchlight world has a mixture of classical RPG swords and sorcery with a few guns mixed into play as well. But I'll explore the items in greater depth as we go.

The game begins in the mining town of Torchlight. There are a number of different merchants found here; I'll interact with most/all of them before this game is done.

- Vasman the Ember Scholar
- Duran the Transmuter, who can combine items together
- Goren, who can imbue items with Ember (enchantment, basically equipment upgrade)
- Triya, gem seller
- Torn the Merchant, general equipment sales person

[hoopsguy]

The game begins with an intro, although it is not clear who is the speaker.

"Ember is the essence of magic, the keystone of my art. For my kind, Torchlight is a beacon, a place of power, the largest cache of Ember ever found. I had heard nothing of the troubles afflicting that place.

I came only to serve my own ends, but I was lost as soon as I set foot in Torchlight. The evil gathering there swallowed me, and I may never break free of it entirely.

The mines are dark, and below that, the darkness is impossible to describe. There is power beyond imagining, but the price is so very high."


OK, Ember is the stuff that is being mined in town. There are all different sorts of Ember, and different sizes. Each type has different magical properties. Ember can be used with equipment that has slots, allowing for players to do a great deal of gear customization beyond what is found in the standard drops.

[hoopsguy]

Vasman gives us our first quest of the game, asking us to find Gleaming Ember in the first level of the mines. He offers some rewards for the task:
Gold: 80
Experience: 2400
Fame: 360

Looking at the Squid's inventory, it is pretty sparse:
2 Health Potions
2 Mana Potions
2 Town Portal scrolls
2 Identify scrolls

The only item equipped is a Moldy Staff, which is a two handed weapon that deals a mix of physical and poison damage. Weapon speed slow, Damage Per Second (DPS) is 28.

The only spell is Ember Bolt. It is at Level 1. All spells can go up to Level 10. At level 1, this spell casts two bolts that seek out the target, doing +10-14 Poison Damage, +5 Knockback, and 10% of Weapon Damage. I'm not sure how this works, as I did not use any ranged magic attacks with my previous character. But I suspect I'll have have answers on this pretty quickly.

[hoopsguy]

[hoopsguy]

On the west end of town the Squid finds two townspeople locked in battle with Ratlin Foremen. The Squid wades into the brawl, brandishing his staff, and emerges unscathed. The warrior runs into the mine while the sorcerer stops to speak.

"It's no wonder Master Alric sent for my help, the Ember mines are overrun with these creatures. His letter was urgent, but I had no idea how dire things had become.

I am Syl, and that was my companion Brink. We've only just arrived in Torchlight, and it looks like we are going to need some help. You look capable, and I can pay you well. Please, catch up to Brink before he gets himself killed."

Unlike the Ember quest, there is no offer of a reward for helping out Brink. I'm not amused. The brief battle with the Rat-creatures netted 390 XP, so Squid is on his way to Level 2.

[hoopsguy]

Upon entering the mine, we are treated to a "Remnant from Alric's Journal"

"I've arrived in Torchlight and begun myexploration of the tunnels below. These mines are vast and aglow with Ember; I've never seen so rich a vein. Miners labor to extract it, and take no heed of my warnings.

I cannot blame them; I too could not resist the pull of Ember.

This Ember is the same as that which afflicts me. The taint within it resonates with the corruption in my bones. I can feel it so clearly now, blight springs from the depths and flows up through the veins.

To purge myself of this evil, I must find the source"

[hoopsguy]

The first level of the mine features a number of tight corridors, filled with Ratlins (rat men), a few Skeletons, Azure gels (blue globs that do electrical damage in close quarters), and quite a few Shadow Recluse's (spiders that spit poison damage). I consume my first health potion after knocking off maybe 25-30 of the creatures. Dola the cat is helping out quite a bit in battle, doing nearly as much damage with bites/claws as the Squid delivers with this lousy staff.

There are a bunch of barrels that hold gold, potions, traps, and sometimes a skeleton.

I'm about halfway to Level 2 at this point. So far no sign of any equipment or the lost oaf Brink.

[hoopsguy]

Action starts to heat up pretty quickly after this, as the item drops get a lot more interesting.

Leather Boots - 3 Armor, require STR 2 and Level 2. Wow, I can't even wear boots.

Leather Gloves - 1 Armor. First item I've found that I can use. Sweet.

Spell - Elemental Overload 1. I read the spell and add alongside Ember Bolt in my bag of tricks. This allows +25% Elemental Damage for 6 seconds, can be reused again after 12 seconds. Mana cost of 8.

Frost Scepter - 24 DPS, delivers 13-25 poitns of Ice damage but is the Slowest weapon speed. Still, it is a one-handed weapon and I can use it from range. I'm a big fan of taking out foes from afar, letting Dola take on enemies before I get my hands dirty. I'll take the 4 DPS hit with the trade off of not being exposed to as many attacks myself.

1st Magic Item - Casting Copper Ring. 3% faster casting speed, +21 Health.

The Squid hits Level 2 while acquiring the ring, and equips this plus the boots. Also there are five attribute points to allocate. Three go towards Magic and the other two are added onto Defense. I also pick up the spell Nether Imp, which gives me a summoned creature for the cost of 15 Mana. So now I have the option for two shock troops to run in front of me ... excellent.

[hoopsguy]

[hoopsguy]

Changes from Level 1 to Level 2:
+61 Health
+6 Mana
3% Faster Casting Speed
+2-4 Damage (as listed in character screen on left in above screenshot)
+209 Gold
+3 Magic
+2 Defense
+3-5 Armor (as listed in character screen on left in above screenshot)
+0 Deaths

There is no tracking for how many kills, what is most powerful foe, or anything along those lines. Bummer.

I have yet to gain a single point of fame, but will start in that direction once I head back to town with the Ember to complete that quest.

Twenty situps - easy enough, but my stomach already seems tight. As if dreading the workout that is coming in the days ahead.

[hoopsguy]

The remainder of Level 1 is not much of a challenge. There was one area where we found a plunger. Hitting that opened up a section of wall releasing maybe 8-10 demon-like creatures called Varkolyn. However, the mob was only able to make Squid burn one potion before being vanquished. Inside the room was a chest holding a pair of magical items.

Wealthy Copper Ring - 3% Increased Casting Speed, 3% Increased Gold Find. That is a keeper. There are two rings slots and I've got both filled now.

Virulent Practice Bow - delivers poison damage, same DPS as my non-magical wand. But requires two hands. No thanks. This is the first magical item that the Squid will turn away ... well, sell for profit.

There was also a Leather Mantle, providing another two points of armor. At this point about 50% of the slots are filled on Squid.

Progress-wise, Squid is about 50% of the way to Level 3 as he prepares to descend down to the second level of the mine.

[hoopsguy]

The degree of difficulty went up considerably immediately upon hitting the second level of the mine. The first room had a number of smaller spiders and one massive one named "Swordscratcher the Ageless". That spider did about 50 damage each hit, or something like 4x as much as the other spiders. My Imp died quickly so it was up to Squid and Dola to take care of this behemoth.

Squid continued to run around, disengaging from the battle and firing from afar. It also took two more healing potions to stem the tide. But the victory brought some rewards. About 250 fame, along with a pair of impressive magic items:

Poleaxe of the Tiger: 45 DPS, 2-handed weapon, 21-42 Physical damage. Slowest attack speed. 2 sockets for slotting with ember items. 9% Faster Attack. +1 Critical Hit Chance. Requires 12 Strength.

Squid won't be hitting 12 Strength all that quickly, and this is a close-combat item. So I can't justify switching to it even with the two sockets.

Cooling Charged Scepter: 47 DPS, 1 handed, 24-47 Electrical. Slowest attack speed. +2 Ice, 2 Armor degraded per hit. Level 4 required.

Squid will be using this as soon as he hits Level 4, assuming I have not found something better by then. Squid is about 85% of the way to Level 3.

After finishing this battle it is time to use a Town Portal scroll to return to base. The reward for finding the Ember awaits and Squid may need a couple of extra potions just in case. The battle with Swordscratcher has me a bit spooked; I need more than one healing potion on hand.

[hoopsguy]

The Ember quest does bring SorcerySquid up to Level 3. Most/all of the decisions here are governed by concerns about handling the "boss" monsters similar to Swordscratcher.

1.) Points are distributed - 3 Magic, 1 Strength, 1 Defense
2.) New spell is "Ember Shock". This delivers a jolt that does a bunch of damage and stuns the target for 4 seconds. Additionally, it does less damage to surrounding foes and stuns them for two seconds. That should be a huge help in taking down a tank-like foe going forward.
3.) Time to bust out the credit card for a magic shield. It costs 450 (had 610 or so) but I'm not counting on finding a shield I like before facing the next big beast.

Halfmoon Sheild of the Omniscient
3 Armor
9% Block (the reason I purchased the shield)
+1 Electrical Resist
+5 Mana

4.) The rest of the money goes for 5 Health potions. Chances are that I might have found some in battles, but I wanted them on hand and think that I'll make up the cash.

[hoopsguy]

[hoopsguy]

Changes between levels:
+40 Health
+12 Mana
+632 Fame
-295 Gold
+1 Damage (15-30 went to 16-31)
+3 Magic, +1 Strength, +1 Defense
+2 Electrical Resist
+3% Casting Speed
+3% Find Gold
+9% Chance to Block attack
+3-6 Armor

[hoopsguy]

There are some new merchants in town:

Gorn - destroys items to recover gems
Furl - destroys gems to recover items
Trill - bard who gives quests to hunt down boss creatures
Kolos - blacksmith who sells magic items
Durast Blade - sells unidentified magic items (press your luck!)

Trill is looking to make a name for himself, but needs better stories to tell. So he asks me to hunt down Varkaser, a batlike creature of great power on Level 3 of the mines. He offers 50 gold, 260 experience, 390 fame, and a pretty sweet piece of armor.

Our Ember buddy says that there are a bunch of different types of Ember, each with different properties. He tells me that Deathlake Ember can be found in a Necropolis buried beneath the mines. Offer: 88 gold, 3,000 XP, 450 fame, and some magical armor.

[hoopsguy]

The thirty situps burn - did not really need to do those right after eating. This is going to get painful very quickly. I'm guessing I'll need to start splitting them out into sets by Level 5 or so. My wife rolled her eyes when learning why I was doing situps

There is another batch of Varkolyn on this level and I'm learning that my current weapon is just not getting the job done without me using spells. I'm going to need to get to Level 4 quickly so I can trade up. Good thing I grabbed the potions, because I needed them.

New monster - Rock Troll. It is slow, hits hard, and has a bunch of health. It sends Dola fleeing after pounding on him for a few. We do catch up with Brink, who asks us to help him "track down the fiend who attacked Syl". Sure, Squid can use the extra dumb muscle since the kitty is scared of trolls.

[Tellistto]

Interesting, I'll read along. Good luck!

Tell

[hoopsguy]

More Varkolyn, and it seems like every time I find those guys they are in packs. The first set are in a room that yields a very interesting magic item:

Brainy Spiked Chest:
11 Armor
+4 Fire Resist
+4 Poison Resist
+3 Mana
+20 Health
Req: Level 4, 13 Defense

Hmm, that is pretty far out on the Defense (5 away) but I don't have any chest armor at all and I probably need some ASAP.

The next batch of Varkolyn come in a narrow hallway where they come up from a hole in the floor and down from a ledge on the other side. Messy, and Squid has to burn through some potions there while firing a bunch of Ember Bolts. But Level 4 comes at the conclusion of this battle.

I decide that SorcerySquid does need the armor, so all five points go into Defense to allow me to immediately use it. I also arm the Cooling Charged Scepter, and all of a sudden this character is looking a little more potent.

[hoopsguy]

Originally Posted by Tellistto

Interesting, I'll read along. Good luck!

Tell

Thanks. At this point in the game I'm more intimidated by the out-of-game workout stuff But, in all seriousness, the "Very Hard" is substantially more difficult than the level I played earlier. I was definitely surprised by how hard the boss was and I know that he is the equivalent of a single-A pitcher compared to some of the upcoming guys.

[hoopsguy]

[hoopsguy]

Changes from L3 to L4:
+60 Health
+10 Mana
+0 Fame
+373 Gold
+15-30 Damage (basically 2x what I was doing at L3)
+7-14 Armor (again, nearly 2x improvement)
+5 Poison Resist
+5 Fire Resist

One recent find that is not equipped is a "Cracked Pure Ember". This is the first ember drop that I've found, and these are the items that can be slotted in items. The benefit is different for weapons vs pretty much anything else (Armor/Trinkets is how the game represents "everything else"). This one offers +4 Damage for weapons or +3 Armor for Trinkets. I'll hold off on it for now, since I don't have anything equipped with slots.

[hoopsguy]

And I've made a decision - next level the situps will be broken into two sets of 25. 40 was not fun just now.

[hoopsguy]

I had not mentioned it yet, but this level of the mines is pretty different than the last one. The initial level felt like pretty standard dungeon-crawl but this one feels like the mines in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. I'm pleased by the attention to detail so far in creating the atmosphere.

I'm also pleased by how easily we dismiss a rat-man boss. The new gear made this one a mismatch, as the Squid did not even have to dip into the potions. Night and day difference.

The stairs down to Level 3 beckon.

[hoopsguy]

Some interesting stuff to start Level 3. First, we find a Varkolyn mage. He is not much of a problem, but the treasure chest that turns out to be a Mimic is a little more of a challenge. The Mimic leaves behind some good treasure - I've got three new items equipped:

Lucky Brass Ring - +1 Increased Gold, +1 Increased Magic Items, +4 Electrical Damage

One Sharp Copper ring - 3% Faster Cast, +24 Health, +3 Ice Damage, +3 Poison Resist

Smart Leather Shoulders - 4 Armor, 1 socket, +2 Mana, +20 Health

I'm up to four different items that I could potentially slot, but at the moment I'm pretty comfortable with Squid's ability to manage the mines. If it gets to a point where I feel like I need more firepower I'll take a look at filling the slot.

Another pack of Varkolyn, coupled with mages and a Rock Troll puts the Squid as close as he had been to death since the Spider Boss, but he emerges victorious once again. And picks up Level 5 in the process.

Back to town to pick up some healing potions and move some gear for profit.

[hoopsguy]

[hoopsguy]

Changes from L4 to L5:
Health: +68
Mana: +10
Fame: +272
Gold: +1128
+1 Strength, +1 Dexterity, +3 Magic
+5-11 Damage
+1-2 Armor
+3 Poison Resist
-2% Find Gold
-3% Casting Speed
+1% Find Magic Items

[hoopsguy]

The fifty sit-ups are split up into 30/20 and it is pretty manageable. I expect I'll be able to squeeze of the 60 when it comes tonight, but if I go past that tonight I'm going to be in a world of hurt tomorrow. Level 6 will mark 200 situps in a day, which is probably 150+ more than I've done all year.

Squid and his crew continue to make a mockery out of Level 3. There are a pair of bosses, a spider and a blue gel, and neither of them poses much of a threat. Brink is a capable fighter when he keeps up; he has a habit of falling behind, as it seems like his pathfinding logic is worse than Dola's.

Two new items make their way into the rotation:
Jagged Buckled Sullent (Boots)
2 Armor
+2 Fire Resist
+2 Poison Resist
10% Knockback Resist
+23 Health
+2 Defense
3 Damage Reflected

Wise Leather Gauntlets
2 Armor
+2 Magic
+2 Mana

Both of these replaced non-magic items, as SorcerySquid continues to make rapid upgrades to his equipment.

About halfway to Level 6 ... still no sign of the boss that Trill (the bard) wanted me to find on this level.

[hoopsguy]

Continuing through the 3rd level of the mines, Squid unearths a Troll boss. Brink does a good job of holding him up while Squid bombs away from afar, and the victory yields the first bump in Fame level. That gives another spell, which goes into pushing Ember Bolt up to Level 4. The five pushups are certainly doable, but there is no way that I'm getting the same kind of numbers here as I did with sit-ups. I'm thinking 15 is the most I'm doing in a set.

Also, magic items are coming much more quickly. Squid holds onto a pistol and an axe that do more damage than the wand, but realistically those are not going to be used. Dumping points in magic is going to benefit the wand damage over time.

The Varkaseer is found near the end of Level 3 and dispatched with relative ease. It really feels like the equipment upgrades obtained at Level 4 have tilted the game towards Squid in a pretty big way right now.

Let's see if Level 4 of the mines presents a greater challenge ...

[hoopsguy]

Level 4 is actually listed as the "Dark Chamber". And it is here that we learn that Alric does not want to be rescued. He is not thrilled to see either Brink or SorcerySquid, saying that he sent for Syl ... not the two of us. However, he does think Brink may be useful.

Useful, as in he transforms him into an absolute beast of a boss that hits for 150+ damage up close and fires some kind of cold/electric attack. Squid chews through 6 or so potions before having to flee via Town Portal and re-arm with more potions. No tactics seemed all that effective against Beast-Brink in our first go-around.

Next time in, Beast-Brink hands Squid his first death. Brink was down to about 3% of his health, but landed the last blow and I had to go back to the start of the Dank Chamber and sacrifice 10% of my gold. There are actually three options on death, allowing you to return to the spot of death, start of level, or back in town depending on how much money, XP, and fame you want to surrender.

The final chapter of the Brink saga is very, very brief as he is served an Ember Bolt and falls down dead. Syl teleports in and is dismayed about Brink's fate but quickly moves on.

"You say this is Alric's doing? Then his summons was a trap - but why?

The corruption here must have overwhelmed his mind, I can't believe it's so powerful.

Yes, yes ... I see it's touched you as well. Blight is spreading through you, and if we don't find a way to stop it you'll meet the same fate as Brink. I'm sorry I brought you into this, I'll do my best to cure you. Meet me in Torchlight, and I'll tell you my plan."

There are some nice rewards for this battle:
1. A potion that permanently gives +2 Defense
2. Lucky Leather Hood - 4 Armor, +2 Mana, +2% Increased Magic Find (previously did not have head armor)
3. Steel Handgun - non-magical item that does 62 DPS. Damage is all physical. I'm going to equip it in the short term, since it represents a +15 DPS bump from the scepter I've been using.
4. A monstrously good handgun (102 DPS!) that requires 24 Dex. I'm a long way from that and suspect I'll have much better options than this by the time I could possibly dump enough points in Dex to use this.

Level 6 is so close I can taste it.

[hoopsguy]

Syl has opened up a gateway back to Torchlight, and upon our return we meet a new villager named Hatch. Hatch has the ability to open portals to different dungeons, but does not have the muscle to remove the inhabitants. That is where we come in. He is offering a couple of beefy potions and a spell that summons archers.

Syl is back and has this to say to Squid: "I'm a bit overwhelmed friend. Brink is dead, my mentor is lost, and I feel responsible for your corruption as well. Somehow the blighted Ember is fusing with your flesh, changing it - but at least the progress is slow.

I have some knowledge of the crypts below the mine. The Overseer experimented with methods of purifying the Ember, we may be able to use his knowledge to purge the corruption from you now.

Find the Overseer's Library, his notes should be there."

[hoopsguy]

Another "Remnant from Alric's Journal"

"The miners chip their way down through the rock, unaware of the tombs below. When they finally break through, I hope they are wise enough to flee, collapsing their tunnels behind them.

This vault was rightly sealed; it was an experiment as ill-fated as my own. Their ancestors are filled not with life, but with the same dark energy that flows though the Ember veins. Separating out the vileness is impossible. Immortality lies foever beyond our reach.

I was a fool to think otherwise."

[hoopsguy]

The 5th level is named "Tomb of the Awakened" and it is full of undead. Zombies, Skeletons, Skeletal Warriors, some type of Skeleton archers, and skeletal mages. I take my second death in battle with mages and warriors, but not before dinging Level 6. I decide to teleport back to the town to lick my wounds and consider my next move.

[hoopsguy]

[hoopsguy]

Changes from L5 to L6:
Two deaths.
+63 Health
+11 Mana
+2066 Fame
+214 Gold
+1 Strength, + 1 Dexterity, +5 Magic, +4 Defense
+3 Poison Resist, +3 Fire Resist
+2% Magic Detect
+3 Damage Reflected
-6-13 Damage (time to ditch the pistol ASAP)
+2-5 Armor

[hoopsguy]

So I decide that the next move is heading into the portal created by Hatch. I end up finding a bunch of the same foes that I was seeing in the crypt - loads and loads of undead. And, in the process, learn that I need to rely even more heavily on my Ember Bolt as a solution to dealing with these foes. The toughest part of the portal is a pair of bosses that are in the form of giant Trolls. They move slowly, so it is not that hard to move around them but the skeletons surrounding them are pretty quick.

I do find a spell that provides higher elemental resists. I decide to give that to Dola, who is frequently getting whipped in close combat. Sadly, our party misses Brink right now. Dola is not remotely an elite close-quarters fighter.

Squid ends up clearing out the level, recovering the Tome for Hatch, and bumping the Fame level up to Level 3. Ten push-ups for me, and Squid is about 2/3 of the way to Level 7. Hopefully I've learned enough to do better in the Tomb of the Awakened.

[hoopsguy]

The return to the Tomb of the Awakened goes better. I'm still feeling underpowered for this area, but leaning on the Ember Bolt is a winning strategy for now. I'll definitely be on the lookout for a new, beefier weapon. Heck, beefier everything as I don't think that my armor is any great shakes right now either.

I find another spell, one that summons undead archers, and give that to Dola as well. Dola will activate spells very aggressively, and I sometimes have spells get lost in the shuffle. So I'll let the CPU make sure that we have a fleet of archers and elemental resists going at all times.

I hit Level 7 after another war with a Troll-based boss; this was the one that Trill sent me to take out on this level. However, I'm dismayed to realize I forgot my sit-ups for Level 6. Which means I'm staring 130 sit-ups in the face. I quickly bang out 40 and will finish the rest of them before pushing ahead with the hunt for the Overseer's Library.

[hoopsguy]

[hoopsguy]

Changes from L6 to L7:
Health +40
Mana +7
Fame +2317
Gold +866
Strength +1, Dexterity +1, Magic +3
+10-21 Damage (back to Wand)
+1-2 Armor
I've added another level of Ember Bolt, so that spell is at 5/10. I won't be able to bump it to 6 until hitting L10.

[hoopsguy]

Sit-ups: 40/40/25/25. And I'm pretty sure I will intentionally avoid hitting another level tonight because I'm gassed. 270 sit-ups is enough for Day 1 of this dynasty.

Continuing through the Tomb, we find both the Deathlace Ember and the villain that our bard buddy wants dead. Completing both of these quests is enough to send the Fame rank up to Level 3. Fifteen push-ups brings that total to 30, which is a drop in the bucket compared to the sit-ups. Nonetheless, I have not been doing the "Push-up Challenge" that some of the other forum members did months ago and learn that 15 is near the outer boundaries of what I can do these days. Starting next level I'll most likely be splitting these into sets as well.

Actually, a look at the character sheet shows that I've skimped on the push-ups since I'm Level 4 in Fame. I started doing 5 instead of 10, which means I owe 15 more push-ups. That is about all that I've got left in my arms. 270 sit-ups plus 30 push-ups = more non-cardio workout than I've done in all of 2009.

[hoopsguy]

Our buddy the Ember scholar tells us about another type of Ember, the Shimmering Ember, that is found in a vein of water. Also, the bard has another foe for us to take out on Level 6. We find the stairs and descend into the Lair of the Sisters.

The foes are many on this level. There are spectres, as well as other undead casting fireballs. This is in addition to all of the other undead we encountered on the previous level. Prior to heading down to this level I purchased the SorcerySquid a new pigsticker.

Bloody Thunder Ward:
75 DPS
1 handed, slow attack speed
33-66 Electrical Damage
Steals 11 Health per shot

This comes in handy; always nice to increase the DPS by 50% over the old weapon. It cost about 1/3 of Squid's available cash.

I accidently hit Level 8 while I'm checking out the start of this level. I'll do those sit-ups first thing tomorrow morning. Or tonight if I don't have enough discipline to put this game aside. My gut is hoping I have some shred of discipline.

[hoopsguy]

The "just one more turn" syndrome struck, and I paid the price with the sit-ups. First set was 30, then it went downhill from there. Still, 80 in the books and back at it.

Character posted below:

[hoopsguy]

If you look at the orange bar at the bottom of the screen, it shows that SorcerySquid is almost up to Level 9. So the L7 to L8 comparison is a bit skewed this time around.

Health +20
Mana +11
Fame +3381
Gold +3649
+5 DEX, -2 MAG
+14-27 Damage
+10-20 Armor
+14 Poison, +23 Elec, +11 Fire, +6 Cold
Two levels of "Boost Pet" spells
And I've lost track of all the changes in other items because there have been a bunch of small changes in equipment. But the big change was the addition of this item:

Gunslinger Brim (helm)
10 Armor
1 Slot
+4% to Armor
1% to Block
5% Faster Movement
+2% Increased XP
+3 Fire Resist, +3 Elec Resist, +6 Cold Resist
6% change that target flees for 3 seconds

Also, with the addition of a necklace all of the slots are now filled with magic items of some sort. The necklace is called "Two Jolt Enchanted" and has two slots, as well as +8 Electrical Damage.

[hoopsguy]

90 sit-ups, with a very tight/sore stomach, breaks down to 30/20/20/20. There is zero chance I do more than one level today - my stomach cannot take two straight 300+ sit-up days just yet.

Meanwhile, Squid makes his way to the Overseer's Library and finds the notebook. It makes for a pretty chilling read:

"The council has ordered the necropolis sealed. I could purge the corruption from the awakened with a little more time, but they will not listen! They call the Ember's effect a curse and feign concern for the peaceful rest of our ancestors, but fear alone guides them!

If the council refuses to accept teh blessing of eternal life, we will keep the Ember for ourselves. Woe to any who disturb our sanctuary."

And, upon completing the read the three sisters are revealed. They are boss-type Spectres, each with a different spell/damage type. However, none of them are particularly hardy and it is not as difficult a fight as I would expect for a cut-scene (last cut-scene was with Brink being turned).

There is a bunch of loot, but the prize is the following belt:

Tlaloc's Butress:
10 Armor
1 Socket
+4 Defense
3 Armor degraded per hit
4% Increased gold
+12% Melee Damage
+3 Elec Resist
+5 Ice Resist
Req: STR 12

Looks like I'll be dumping two points into Strength. In fact, I now have dinged the next level so I can take care of this immediately.

[hoopsguy]

[Eaglesfan27]

Very interesting read. I'm probably not going to read too much more because your dynasty has raised my interest in the game and I don't want to ruin any surprises, but I'll be sure to eventually catch up on this dynasty. I like the situp/pushup house rule.

[hoopsguy]

EF, it is definitely a "spoiler intensive" read. Hope you have fun playing it. I think it has a lot of bang for its buck at $20.

[hoopsguy]

Changes from L8 to L9:
Health +40
Mana +7
Fame +1864
Gold +1014
+2 Strength, +1 Dexterity, +2 Magic, +4 Defense
-4-7 Damage
+5-9 Armor
-3 Poison, +1 Electric, -3 Fire, +3 Ice

All in all, there is a little more balance on the resists and some more defense, but the offense took a bit of a hit. On the whole, that cool belt really was not a huge net gain on the stuff I'm tracking.

[hoopsguy]

The stairs down to the next level are immediately behind the Overseer's Library. The name of this level is not as creative as the last couple: Tomb of Awakened - Level 7. As the name suggests, the undead motif continued. Squid found a Shrine of Enchantment, which provides a free enchantment for an item. One thing that is a little different in this game - there is a chance that Enchantments either fail or even destroy an item. The chance of losing an item is very low (1% or 2%) but it is out there and may impact a decision on enchanting an item. I choose to look at the shoulder plates and saw an "extra enchantment" which turned out to be "3 damage reflected". I'll take it.

There was a boss monster that was a giant Spectre who teleported right on top of Squid and hit for a ton of damage. The good news is that he did not have a ton of health, but it surprised the heck out of me the first time he did it and it was the closest I've come to death in awhile. That victory also led to a bump in Fame level - up to Level 5. 25 push-ups await.