Combat & Death

(From the TFC for Newbies website by Nyx)

There are two different kinds of combat: player vs. mob and player vs. player. The commands involved are all the same, but the methods and planning involved can differ considerably.

Mob Combat

Killing mobs is the primary way people get the experience they need to level. You don’t want to just take a swing at everything you see, however, because that will quickly get you dead... a condition that is discussed in greater depth below. Instead of simply attacking wildly, use the steps:

Step 1: Consider the mob.

• Consider is the means by which the game gives you a vague idea of just how nasty the mob is. Do this by typing CON . What you get will be one of the following phrases, where XXX is the name of the mob you considered. They are ordered here from easiest to kill to hardest to kill:
  
  • You can kill XXX naked and weaponless.
    
  • XXX is no match for you.
    
  • XXX looks like an easy kill.
    
  • The perfect match!
    
  • XXX says, ‘Do you feel lucky, punk?’
    
  • XXX laughs at you mercilessly.
    
  • Death will thank you for your gift
    
• The phrases provided by consider aren’t always true. For example, a thief with only moderate equipment may have a very difficult time killing something that cons as “no match” while a well equipped warrior might routinely kill things that con as “Death.” The best way to use the consider command is to find the phrase that best describes the mobs you are able to kill and watch for that phrase.
  
• Sometimes when you consider a mob you will also see this phrase: “You get the feeling that attacking XXX would be unwise.” This means that the mob is an important individual that the powers-that-be that be don’t want killed. Consequently, if you do attack it you run the risk of being hunted down by a very, very nasty mob named Justice.
  
• The consider command also lets you determine whether or not your target is actually a mob. Usually this won’t be a problem, but there is occasionally the chance of confusion. If you con something and see a PK classification and a message of whether or not you are justified in attacking them as well as the normal consider message, that individual is another player.
  
  

Step 2: Check the mob for an aura.

• If the mob has an aura it will be visible when you see the mob standing in the room. With respect to combat, the auras of primary importance are (White Aura) and (Pink Aura). These indicate the mob has the sanctuary and faerie fire spells on them, respectively. Sanctuary halves the amount of damage the mob takes from your attacks and faerie fire makes the mob easier to hit.
  
• Alignment auras can also be of interest. Specifically, Good and Evil clerics will want to know their victim’s alignment for purposes of using their dispel good, dispel evil, protection from good, and protection from evil spells.
  
  • Look at the mob.
    
    • While it is possible to shorten the LOOK command to just L, you may want to be in the habit of at least typing LO so that if you accidentally type a K instead of an L you don’t attack the thing before you are ready.
      
    • The main thing you are looking for is whether or not the mob has a weapon. Armed mobs are harder to kill because they can parry your attacks.
      
    • This also gives you the chance to see if the mob is already wounded. If you want to see how badly hurt the mob is without all the extra text that comes from looking at it, you can CHECK . The check messages, from healthiest to worst off are:
      
      • XXX is in perfect health.
        
      • XXX is slightly injured.
        
      • XXX has a few bruises.
        
      • XXX has some cuts and bruises.
        
      • XXX has looked a lot healthier.
        
      • XXX has several open wounds.
        
      • XXX is bleeding freely.
        
      • XXX has many nasty wounds.
        
      • XXX is seriously injured.
        
      • XXX is critically injured.
        
      • XXX is barely conscious.
        
      • XXX is standing only by an act of will.
        
  • Make sure any spells you want up are up.
    
    

Step 3: Attack!
You attack by using the KILL command, which can be shortened to just K.

• Keep an eye on your hit points as well as on how the mob is doing (using CHECK).
  
• If you find yourself in a situation where you are losing, FLEE before you get too bad off. The flee command lets you try to escape battle, leaving the room. You cannot flee if you are not currently standing, if you are out of moves, if there are no exits, or if you cannot make use of the exits because you would have to be flying / using a boat / etc. to use them. If you do flee, either recall or otherwise get to a safe room. Mobs on TFC hunt their attackers if they are not killed, so just because you got away from a mob doesn’t mean you are safe from it.
  
  • The WIMPY command lets you set a hit point threshold at which your character will automatically attempt to flee. The wimpy doesn’t always work, though, so don’t depend on it.
    
  • When the mob dies, take what you want from inside the corpse and then sacrifice the corpse.
    

Not all mobs will wait for you to attack them. Some mobs are aggressive and will attack you on sight; they are often called “aggros.” Some other mobs, like town guards, will jump into a battle if one starts. Always assume they will help out your victim rather than yourself, as that will generally be the case. In either of those instances, if you end up fighting mobs you hadn’t intended to, try to decide quickly whether you need to flee or if you can handle the situation by using consider and by watching how much damage your opponents are doing to you. When in doubt, flee.

Death

Chances are good that sooner or later you are going to end up dead. When you die, you are immediately reborn at a sacred spot in your hometown. The spot is a safe room and in most hometowns it is a temple or shrine. Your new body is identical to your old one, with the exception that all of your stuff is still on your corpse, wherever that may be. If you are below level 10, no one else can touch your corpse unless you group with them. Once you reach level 10, however, other players can freely grab your corpse. Whether they return it to you or keep it is up to them. Mobs will not take your corpse.

If you are below level 10, half of your gold will stay with you when you die. The other half will remain on the corpse. Having this small amount of gold is useful should you need some very basic and completely non-magical equipment to wear for the journey back to your corpse. You can get this equipment simply by typing REEQUIP, no matter where you are. If you are over level 10 you will need to need to be in the room with Mish to use this command and you will need to have money in the bank.

Being killed by a mob, an event termed “mob-dying,” will cost you experience, and that isn’t something you want to have happen. Death by other means, such as being PKed, getting the plague, or killing yourself, will not subtract experience.