ADOM Guidebook

D: 49

Level 49 of the Caverns of Chaos is called the frictionless level by many players. It is covered with ice that is too slippery to cross by normal means. Spiked boots do not help. Teleportation fails on this level. Since the ice is (almost) frictionless, throwing objects will propel the PC in the opposite direction (remember freshman physics?). There is also a special gift available on this level. If the PC equips a potion of uselessness in the missile slot and throws it, a deity rewards the PC for finding a use for the potion with a random artifact. Note that the potion must actually propel the PC in order for this to work, so don't throw your only potion of uselessness in the wrong direction! The following messages are typical of those generated upon entering and throwing a potion of uselessness:

There is a stair leading downwards here.
You climb downwards...
The ground seems to be covered with a very slippery layer of ice. It's cold here! There is a stair leading upwards here.
[T]arget -- [Z] Abort. (x2)
The uncursed potion of uselessness thuds into an obstacle. The uncursed potion of uselessness shatters! You slide to the west. You suddenly hear a booming voice!
"*YE REALLY HAST FOUND A USE FOR THIS PETTY ITEM*"
"*YER INGENUITY SHALL BE REWARDED*"
Something is lying before you. Out of ammunition.
Reload with the heap of 14 uncursed rocks (+1, 1d4)? ([y]es, [n]o, [q]uit) Q
Blessed shining silver bracers (10s) are lying here. You shudder. You resist the icy blast.
You pick up the blessed shining silver bracers. You sneeze. You resist the icy blast.

This particular PC was very lucky and received the Bracers of War. As mentioned the artifact is random and can be potentially worthless. Note the cold-related messages. This is troublesome for drakelings, who will find themselves frozen nearly solid. A reduction in speed to 10 is typical. If the player is aware of this, it is not a huge problem. Upon entering CoC 50, cast Improved Fireball adjacent to the PC or zap a wand of fire at the PC's location repeatedly until speed is reasonable again.

The following map shows the results of using rocks and a sling to travel through CoC 49. Note the rocks are closer together in the final central corridor. This was deliberately done to show the results changing when the PC switched from a sling of the long shot to a normal sling. Use whatever is handy, effective and expendable to travel through CoC 49 - rocks, arrows, guaranteed returning missiles such as a boomerang, even that worthless pile of sis the PC has been dragging around forever. Do not use missile weapons that are not guaranteed to return such as the rune-covered trident or the Hammer of the Gods. Given the nature of CoC 49, the PC may never be able to stop exactly where they fell to retrieve them.

The walls of D: 49 are diggable with the Mystic Shovel spell, a wand of digging, a pickaxe, the Elementalist class power and a monk's kicking ability. Monks using their ability will be propelled backward one square, and the rock may or may not shatter, making this technique somewhat awkward. The newly dug area remains too slippery to cross. This offers drakelings a potentially faster way through D: 49.

                                                                          ###
###########################################################################.#
#*........*.................*........*........*........*........*.........**#
##.########################################################################.#
 #.#                                                                      #.#
 #.#                                                                      #.#
 #.#                                                                      #.#
 #.#                                                                      #.#
 #*#                                                                      #.#
 #.#                                   ####################################.##
 #.#                                   #@.*....*....*....*....*....*........*#
 #.#                                   #######################################
 #.#
 #.#
 #.#
 #.#
 #.############################################################################
 #**.........*........*........*........*........*........*........*........*<#
 #.############################################################################
 ###

Updated June 21st, 2009