Special levels/encounters

[paboperfecto]

If I get a chance to enter a special level such as the elven ruins or the lost merchant and I don't take it, do I lose the chance forever? I had a level two character that went into the lost merchant level that just got eaten alive by the thieves in there and was wondering if skipping it in the future would prevent me from ever doing it with that character.

[darkgod]

It depends, all special encounters are special.
The mage quest stays, the elven ruins just reveals an entrance to an ancient tomb so it stays. But the lost merchant is only a one time thing.

What level did you encounter the lost merchant ? maybe it is generated too early.

[paboperfecto]

I had cleared out level 1 of the starting dungeon and was leaving it to head to the town to ID my scrolls and potions. As soon as I stepped into the wilderness I got the message for the level. I've played 5 or 6 games since then and haven't gotten the message yet so maybe I was just freakishly "lucky" that first time.

[paboperfecto]

Ha....seconds after I posted my last reply I got it again. Cleared out level the first level, went to the town and on my way to trollshaws I found the traps door. Character level 2.....

[darkgod]

Yes it is luck, but since there are not many special enouncters it uses what it can.
I should add a guaranted minimun level probably

[paboperfecto]

I'm usually opposed to a hard lower limit in games like this...the variety and challenge of taking things on at low levels is usually worth it with so little time invested in the character to that point. From what I've seen it should be possible to complete the level at character level 2 or 3 with some proper scrolls and a bit of luck (those traps on the bottom level are brutal).

Is it possible to change the code a bit so that the RNG decides you should have an encounter, chooses the lost merchant and at that point it compares your level to the level range for the encounter and either returns that encounter or nothing? If nothing is returned you go about your way never realizing what happened.

[darkgod]

yes encounters can hav special filtering rules .. humm

[Jaorin]

I just finished the merchant/bandit quest. I chose to threaten the bandit and join with the merchant. The bandits killed the merchant and I managed to kill the bandits.

Is there any reward for this that would be different if you worked with the bandits?

I got a bunch of ego daggers and a galvorn mace from the place. I managed to do it at level 4 as a fighter.

[bio_hazard]

Thanks for asking this- I just did the same thing- the merchant died within a few turns of entering the level...

Stupid question: many of the p's would disappear, or blink away when I attempted to hit them. Is this a feature?

[Jaorin]

Yeah, they were blinking like crazy for me off and on. I also generated in a wall on the last level. It didn't ruin my character this time (every other time it happened I couldn't move or do anything).

[darkgod]

They are stealthed.

As for outcomes, there are 3 possible ones, rallying with the bandits will provide rewards in next betas

[Gwai]

I'll be virtuous and at least side with the merchant until then, in that case!

[Jaorin]

Does the *rare goods* shop in Minas Tirith have anything to do with this quest?

[darkgod]

Could be could be

[Jaorin]

Yay!! I saved the merchant on my current character and he does indeed open the shop in Minis Tirith. It had a bunch of ego items in it for me.