ADOM Guidebook

Darkforge

Click here for a color map of Darkforge.

Darkforge is an important location in the game. It is not a location for low level PCs, unless they have on demand controlled teleportation, a willingness to risk an instadeath from a single hit from a steel golem, and are spoiled silly with a complete map. ;-)

The entrance to Darkforge is described as "A long and non-descript tunnel." The first level of the dungeon is not particularly dangerous except for the presence of a steel golem guarding the down staircase. Steel golems are very tough monsters for a mid-level PC. If the PC has trouble with the steel golem guarding the down staircase, flee. There are many more guarding Darkforge itself. Upon entering Darkforge, the message "You smell the reek of sulphur, steel and oil." is generated. The steel golems that guard Darkforge are unlife and thus immune to Mindcraft. They are vulnerable to missiles of construct slaying, but it is almost unheard of to find enough such ammo to take them all out by this point in the game. They are vulnerable to Lightning, from the spell or wand, although it will take many castings or charges to kill all of them. Steel golems will shrug off many lightning attacks, but can eventually be killed this way. They breathe fire, so both the PC and his equipment need to be protected from fire. Many players will attempt Darkforge just before assaulting the Tower of Eternal Flames, in order to determine whether their PC has a good chance in the ToEF.

The layout of the water squares in the pool room may help to keep golems or Kherab from attacking. If so, teleporting in and out is one way to attack them. Leaving the last group of golems near the Crown of Science alone will help to control monster generation in Darkforge. It has been observed that the steel horrors that are eventually generated tend to critically hit harder than the golems.

Below is a map of Darkforge. Note the caches of weapons, armor (it is possible to obtain artifact weapons and armor from these rooms) and gold, the room containing pools (which are not always generated in this pattern), the hidden room containing the Crown of Science (the lone [ ), the shortcut to D: 32 or D: 33 of the CoC (but must be ascended from the CoC side first before it can be used), and the nine forges.

                    ###########                                          #####
           ##########.#.......#      ##################                  #...#
  ######   #.......##.#######.#      #...........+[[[[############# ######.<.#
  #.+..### #.#####.##.....# #.#  #####+###########[[[[##.+...=0===# #...##...#
  #.###..###.#   #.##+############.........###   #[[[[##.####=000=# ###.###.##
  #$$$##..##.#   #............##.............#   #[[[[##.#  #00===#####.##...#
  #$$$###..#.### ######+##.#####......&......###########.#  #=====##.##.###.##
 #########.#...#######..##.####......&.&......##.........#  ########.##.##...#
 #.......#...#.#....##.##.....+.....&.&.&.....+#.############      #.##.###.##
 #.###########...##.##.##.#####......&.&......##.# #........#      #....##.@.#
 #.################..+....#   ##......&......###.######.############.######.##
 #.##.#.#.#.#.#.################.............# #...#  #....##....#...#   #...#
 #.................#   #(((((((###.........### ###.#  ####.##.####.########.##
 ####.#.#.#.#.#.##.##  #(((((((# #####+#####     #.####.##.##.## #.##.......#
    #############...#  #(((((((#######.#         #......##.....# #.##.#######
       #...#    #.>.#  #(((((((+.......#         #################.##.#
       #.[.#    #...#  #################                      #.......#
       #####    #####                                         #########

It is not wise to spend inordinate amounts of time in Darkforge - for example smithing. Darkforge has a higher than normal rate of background corruption.

Monsters who can be generated in Darkforge consist of the following: steel golem, steel horror, animated armor, steel zombie, dwarven chaos knight.

2.18.1 Kherab

Kherab is the dwarven artificer found in Darkforge. He is presumably the creator of the steel golems, steel horrors and animated armors found in Darkforge. He is quite tough, with hitpoints numbering in the hundreds and a powerful melee attack. He is immune to fire, sees in Darkness, shrugs bolt spells quite well and has very fast regeneration. He is vulnerable to poison. He holds two items neccessary for Smithing: a hammer (an eternium warhammer) and an anvil. He also carries a crossbow and eternium quarrels. He is the source of two quests outlined below.

2.18.2 Kherab's quests and their rewards

Kherab is the source of two chaotic quests. The first is to kill Guth'Alak, the druid found in Terinyo. This of course removes Guth'Alak as a source of potions of cure corruption and as the source of the Unicorn quest. Depending on how it is accomplished, the entire village of Terinyo may become hostile as well. If this happens, it may destroy any chance the PC has to obtain the TotRR. The reward for this quest is the corrupting artifact amulet of raw steel. The second quest is to kill Thrundarr, the village elder in Dwarftown. This can have all sorts of negative effects as well, including turning all of Dwarftown hostile and the killing of the demented ratling. The reward for this quest is the corrupting shield of raw steel.

The quest rewards are useful only because they are artifacts. They can be fed to the demented ratling, for instance. The shield is the best in the game at [+18, +12] and To +8, but it cannot be used for the whole game due to its corrupting nature. However, it also grants fire immunity, so it is an option for PCs that need its properties to help with the ToEF. These "rewards" are not really rewards. Kherab is an evil chaotic being and wants the PC dead. Giving away corrupting artifacts is his way of trying to accomplish this.

Please note that this is an unofficial and unauthorised copy of Andy William's ADOM Guidebook. For further information on the legal and moral challenges raised against this Improved ADOM Guidebook please see rec.games.roguelike.adom.
Updated July 4th, 2009