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The Winner's Guide to Rogue:
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The guide to winning the one of the world's first Computer RPGs.
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By Sam Kaplan
Version 1.23
12/12/00
Copyright (c) Sam Kaplan, 2000.
E-mail any comments or questions to Sinistar geek com
Do not copy, reproduce, edit, sell, rewrite, or taunt this guide without my permission.
Maximize this window for best results.
Contents:
1.0 Document Info
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1.1 News
1.2 Introduction
1.3 Version
1.4 Warning
2.0 The Dungeon
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2.1 Levels
2.2 Searching
2.3 Treasure Rooms
2.4 Winning
3.0 Equipment
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3.1 Melee Weapons
3.2 Range Weapons
3.3 Armor
3.4 Items
3.4.1 Potions
3.4.2 Wands
3.4.3 Scrolls
3.4.4 Rings
4.0 Battle
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4.1 Combat
4.2 Throwing
4.3 Monsters
4.3.A-Z Individual monster sections
5.0 Game Mechanics
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5.1 Hit and Damage Bonuses
5.2 Battle Equation
5.3 Life Gain Equation
5.4 Armor Conversion Equation
6.0 Survival
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6.1 Strategy
6.2 Advice
6.3 Common Sense
6.4 Terrain Advantage
6.5 The Scare Monster Scroll Trick
6.6 Playing Rogue
7.0 About
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7.1 Parting Shots
7.2 Thanks
7.3 Guide Availability
7.4 About Rogue
7.5 Contacting Me
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1.0 Document Info
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1.1 News:
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1.23, 12/12/00: Sorry for lack of updates, college process slowly driving me insane.
1.22, 12/07/00: Armor conversion section added, monster stats added. Weapons separated into 2 sections.
1.21, 12/05/00: element and Datax did some good research on getting the mechanics behind the game. And it turns out dexterity doesn't exist in the way I thought it did. Oy. My highest level is now the 22nd floor. Monster section facelift partially done.
1.20, 12/03/00: element managed to find the equations behind the combat and life gain routines of Rogue. Game Mechanics Section added.
1.19, 12/01/00: Stremler sent me another E-mail, this one containing more Rogue resources than you can shake a stick at. The monster section is getting a complete facelift, with individual sections on each monster. Added Dexterity.
1.18, 11/28/00: Made item sections less confusing. Renamed Disclaimer Section to Version. I still think it was fine as Disclaimer.
1.17, 11/27/00: Added Contacting Me section regarding guidelines for asking me questions or E-mailing me.
1.16, 11/26/00: Added info on availability of the guide. The guide is now located at many different FAQ sites.
1.15, 11/21/00: Stremler strikes again! The man who gives the biggest critiques of my work has sent me another very lengthy list of suggested changes. I'm modifying the guide according to accompany most of his points. Terrain Advantage section added.
1.14, 11/20/00: I appear to have neglected to include Orcs and Quaggas in previous versions. Also added more info on vorpalized weapons.
1.13, 11/19/00: I found some good ASCII art for the guide.
1.12, 11/18/00: I re-read the entire document and fixed things here and there. The guide is getting to the point where I'm almost done writing it. Send in those comments everyone! I think I could use some ASCII art that says "Rogue".
1.11, 11/16/00: I forgot to add a section about rings. It's there now. Beginning major editing of all sections.
1.10, 11/14/00: Added info on stairs, doorway combat, and treasure rooms.
1.09, 11/13/00: The Scare Monster Scroll trick is complete.
1.08, 11/12/00: Added some more strategy and info on creatures I have yet to see.
1.07, 11/12/00: The organization I promised last version is here. This now looks like a real guide. I am on the verge of discovering the secret of the Scare Monster scroll's true purpose. Weapons and Armor sections added.
1.06, 11/11/00: The scare monster trick listed isn't right, fixing it soon. I might organize this a little better next version. Added some info on searching.
1.05, 11/10/00: Fixed various problems with the guide after receiving an informative E-mail.
1.04, 11/07/00: Added Levels section, updated some common sense.
1.03, 11/06/00: I have gotten to level 19, and can accurately speak about some more of the horrors I've seen.
1.0-1.02, 11/04/00: Basic writing and framework.
1.2 Introduction:
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As I write this guide I place together my thoughts, and concentrate on the way to winning. I myself am in the process of trying to beat Rogue, and will write this guide as I do it. The material here covers things I've witnessed up to my current maximum floor (currently 22), and information other people have contributed.
1.3 Version:
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I am writing this guide with the DOS version of Rogue, version 1.1, 1984. Different versions of Rogue will do different things. Most of this guide will work for you on different versions. Do not E-mail me regarding how Rogue works differently in your version, this guide is about DOS 1.1 Rogue.
1.4 WARNING:
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This guide is intended to be the ultimate answer for Rogue, the ultimate secrets guide. The Spoilage factor here is at maximum level. This is the tell-all guide to Rogue. Furthermore, this guide includes nothing about cheats. There are people out there who cheat to beat Rogue. All I have to say on cheating is this: Those people have not truly mastered Rogue.
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2.0 The Dungeon
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2.1 Levels:
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The level layout in Rogue generally consists of long winding hallways connecting rooms. The rooms are generally spread out in a 3x3 tic-tac-toe pattern, with a total of 9 possible rooms in each floor. Some floors have less than 9 rooms. Once you start getting into the double-digit levels you might see mazes of hallways. They can link to other rooms, and sometimes contain magic items and stairs. They also don't take up more than one space in the tic-tac-toe grid, so they can be considered just to be dark rooms with lots of walls. Throughout levels you will run into traps. If you see them, stay away from them. They do bad things, in varying degrees. Some traps can be used to your advantage when running from monsters. Every floor has a stairway. Until you get the Amulet of Yendor, you can only go down the stairs.
2.2 Searching:
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The only way to find hidden doors and traps in Rogue is by searching. You MUST search to beat the game. Searching takes time and food, so be conservative about using the search command. My best advice for searching is use the search button 5 times when you are searching a section of wall. The more you press it the greater chance that you won't miss something. Beyond a certain amount of searches there's no point in pressing it anymore. To search a wall for secret doors, start at the corner, search, and move 2 spaces down the wall. Search the left and right walls for doors first if possible. The vertical walls have much fewer spaces than the horizontal walls, so searching them takes much less time. This gives you maximum search coverage of a wall. Don't search a wall if there isn't much room on the screen beyond it, there probably isn't a room there. Do not search a wall that already has a door in it. Each wall in Rogue may only have one door in it. Only search if you're positive you haven't seen the whole floor, haven't found the exit, or if you go down a hallway that leads to nowhere, but you think a room is there. Missing one or two hidden rooms in a floor isn't such a bad thing, so don't go crazy if you think there's one more room. There aren't always nine rooms on a floor, and it's better not to waste the time and food.
2.3 Treasure Rooms:
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Every so often you will come across a room that's filled with items. This is a treasure room. The downside to treasure rooms is that they always contain a couple of monsters. Do not enter a treasure room till the monsters are dead, refer to the Combat section of this guide for why. The rewards you get from a treasure room are usually worth the effort required to kill off the monsters. Treasure rooms are deathtraps on the early levels, and somewhat rare on the later levels. Low level Rogues might be overwhelmed and killed by treasure rooms. Nothing is worse than taking the stairs to a new level and winding up in the middle of a treasure room.
2.4 Winning:
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The purpose of the game is to get the Amulet of Yendor from within the depths of the Dungeon, and return to the surface using it's levitation ability. But the truth is more specific than that. The Amulet of Yendor begins appearing on the 26th floor of the Dungeon. One you get it, you must take the upward staircases to the top. The level you return to on the upward voyage recreate themselves, so if you previously explored a whole floor it will be different and unexplored on the way up. You will have to play at least 51 floors to beat the game.
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3.0 Equipment
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3.1 Melee Weapons
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There are a variety of close range weapons in Rogue. Your Rogue starts with a twice-enchanted mace. In order of damage done, the close ranged weapons start at dagger or spear, and then go to mace, longsword, and two handed sword. Seeing as how daggers and spears are worse than your +1+1 mace that you start with, there is no reason to wield a dagger or spear as your melee weapon. Always upgrade to a better weapon unless it is cursed or your current weapon is highly enchanted or vorpalized. Weapons have two modifiers, the first for added hit chance and the second for added damage.
3.2 Range Weapons
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In addition to melee weapons, there are also bows and crossbows, which fire arrows and bolts respectively. A crossbow is better than a bow in damage. You can also throw daggers, darts, and spears for some damage. However, whenever you throw an item and it hits a monster it disappears forever. And since you can throw anything, this can cause you to lose your good items if you aren't careful. You can throw arrows and bolts at monsters without wielding a bow or crossbow, and it will do the same amount of damage, although it will have less of a chance of hitting. It is better not to equip bows or crossbows, because they could be cursed. Just throw the ammo for the same effect.
3.3 Armor
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There are many types of armor in Rogue. Your Rogue has 1 armor, and armor adds a certain number of armor points to the total. The base armor points for each kind of armor ranges from 2 to 7, and some armor is enchanted or cursed when you find it, adding or subtracting modifiers to the armor. Always keep several pairs of Armor for when you run into Aquators. They can reduce a piece of armor all the way down to 1 point. Leather armor is immune to Aquator damage.
3.4 Items:
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There are a variety of useful items that you can use in Rogue. All items have descriptions, but and item that does one effect in one game will change in another. Rogue is totally random when it comes to items and effects, but similar items in the same game of Rogue will do the same thing. Items which do not specify their effects leave a message regarding what happens, these messages are located in parenthesis next to the item name in this guide.
3.4.1 Potions:
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Most are good effects and worthwhile, so don't be afraid to quaff them. If you know what they are, save em for when you need em. If you get blinded, which may happen every so often, hope for a potion of healing. There are potions of raise level in the dungeon, and finding one is a rare but fortunate occurrence. Some potions don't tell you exactly what they do. I have them listed here, as well as the obvious potions.
Gain Strength: +1 Strength, +1 to max if already at max.
Raise Level: Raises level.
Poison: Throw at monsters, do not drink.
Blindness: Throw at monsters, do not drink.
Paralysis: Throw at monsters, do not drink.
Confusion: Throw at monsters, do not drink.
Haste: Temporary speed increase.
Healing: Minor healing.
Extra Healing: Major healing.
Restore Strength: (You Feel Great) Restores strength to Max.
See Invisible: (Tastes like Mango Juice) Cures blindness, reveals Phantoms.
Magic Detection: Reveals Magic items on level, or (Strange Feeling).
3.4.2 Wands:
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There are some pretty neat wands, and some bad. Wands have some of the strongest and most useful effects in the game, most of which can be used to make navigating the dungeon easier, or making monsters easier to kill. You DON'T want to waste any charges, get them identified before you use them, do this with an Identify scroll. Don't use element type wands on creatures composed of that element.
Flame, Cold, or Lightning: Powerful stuff, use on later floor monsters.
Polymorph: Great for getting rid of hard monsters, or making them.
Teleport Away: Good for regaining HP before you finish off a tough monster.
Teleport To: Great for conserving food and being lazy.
Haste Monster: Use only when you want one kind of monster to get to you first.
Slow Monster: Good for escapes, or taking down big monsters.
Cancellation: Cancels special effects of monsters!
Drain Life: Hurts monsters and hurts you!
Light: Makes dark rooms light.
Magic Missile, Striking: Long distance attacks, Striking much more powerful.
Vorpalized Weapon: Instantly slay specific kind of monster.
3.4.3 Scrolls:
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Scrolls are extremely useful in every situation. There are few bad scrolls. There are loads of scrolls in this game, and half of them you can tell what they do immediately. The other half is not so specific. Don't waste your identify scrolls on scrolls. Just read them.
Sleep: You go to sleep for a few rounds.
Create Monster: Makes a monster right next to you.
Identify: Identifies any item.
Magic mapping: Maps the level for you.
Teleportation: Teleports you somewhere else on the level.
Confuse Monster: (Hands glow red) Hit them and they're confused.
Freeze Monster: Holds any monster within in spaces, or (No visible effect).
Aggravate Monster: (Humming Noise) Makes every monster attack you.
Scare Monster*: (Laughter) See Below.
Find Food: (Grumbling Noise) Locates food on level, Will detect the Amulet of Yendor!
Uncurse: (Someone watching over you) Removes curses on equipped items.
Bless Armor: (Armor Glows) +1 armor point.
Bless Weapon: (Weapon Glows) +1 damage or +1 to hit.
Vorpalize Weapon**: (Weapon Flashes) See Below.
*IMPORTANT! Do not read the scare monster scroll. To learn how to properly use this scroll, see the Scare Monster Scroll Trick Section.
**This spell adds +1 to dexterity and +1 to damage, and adds a kill specific monster effect to the weapon which works like a staff. It also adds +4 +4 to the weapon when fighting the kind of monsters it slays. You could identify the weapon to discover the monster it has a slaying effect for, but when the weapon detects the presence of that particular monster is gives off a flash of light. WARNING: NEVER use two vorpalize scrolls on a weapon, it will crumble into dust.
3.4.4 Rings:
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Rings can be very useful items in Rogue. You can wear up to 2 at a time. Rings have a variety of effects which are permanent while you wear the ring. Almost every ring causes you to get hungrier faster, so don't always leave them on or you'll run out of food quickly. Always identify rings before you wear them, because you don't want to end up wearing a cursed and bad ring. Known rings are listed below.
Adornment: Does Nothing.
Slow Digestion: Adds food points!
Maintain Armor: Makes Armor immune to Aquators.
Teleportation: Cursed, teleports every 80 turns.
Regeneration: Regenerate around 1 hp a turn. Excellent for recovery.
Protection: Reduces Damage, except with negative modifiers.
Searching: Does an automatic search each turn.
Stealth: Makes you harder to hit, and monsters less likely to attack.
Strength: Adds (or subtracts) strength.
Sustain Strength: Makes you immune to strength draining Rattlesnakes.
Increase Damage: Adds damage to all successful attacks.
Aggravate Monster: Works like scroll, makes monsters attack.
Dexterity: Easier to hit monsters.
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4.0 Battle
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4.1 Combat:
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In addition to being a Dungeon exploration game, Rogue is a harsh combat environment. You are ALWAYS in danger. There is always a powerful monster around the corner. Always use the most powerful weapons you can. Always keep safety items in stock, like powerful wands or teleporting items. Also, a new player won't understand how to fire range weapons. It's somewhat confusing. Equip the bow, and throw the arrows. That's how it works. Same with the crossbow and bolts. You can shoot missile weapons diagonally, even in doorways. The best way to fight monsters is in doorways, so that if you come across a room with more than one monster in it you only have to fight one at a time. If you are standing in a doorway and the doorway is blocked by a weak monster you can shoot other monsters diagonally without taking damage from them. If there's only one monster in a room, kill it if it's weak, or pepper it with missile weapons.
4.2 Throwing:
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You can throw things at monsters. Daggers, Spears, Arrows, and other kinds of weapons. But you can also throw potions of confusion, paralysis, and blindness at them. There are usually uses for things that hurt you, provided you don't use them. However, some potions that hurt you will not affect monsters when you throw the potion at them.
4.3 Monsters:
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