Conflux/FAQ

This is a collection of the commonly asked questions a player new to Conflux most likely will have.

Conflux is very non-linear. Alot like Chaos strikes Back, but not as chaotic and (maybe) frustrating. You may leave a riddle behind unsolved, recharging at your base camp and for a long period of time regardless of which direction you choose, you will always find new areas, riddles and great items. It will be much (much!) later you may need explicit informations on certain riddles to prevent getting stuck. Finding out for yourself, maybe even revealing secrets no one has found out about before is one of those things Conflux is famous for. NO ONE has ever truly -finished- Conflux.

With Conflux you'll get the possibility to play DM again, with almost the same fascination you had when first played Dungeon Master. You'll begin feeling the dungeon starts reacting on your appearance alone, what item is carried, the alignment - just like you maybe did when you first played it as a young person, a child maybe. The difference is: it is becoming true in Conflux.

This FAQ will cover most of the needed hints to survive within the Undercity and hopefully enables an enjoyable gameplay without spoiling major parts, letting the player gather experience with which he may survive alone, maybe without any further needed help at all. If you're really stuck you may reveal the plain info marking the spoilers with your mouse or access the info directly from the wiki.

First off: The notes from the author which come with the package of Conflux will be very helpful, giving you a story and vital information about the characters and what has changed since DM/CSB. Start the game, roam around a bit, get familiar with the beginning of the dungeon, then restart and continue reading this FAQ.

General hints:

• Save often and backup your saves once in a while. You may drop down a pit, finding yourself in a amazing environment with wonderful items you would really like to have, but keep in mind you always have to find your way back to your base camp. A good way is to use the first save game slot for areas you know about, the second one for traveling, 3rd and 4th for experimentation.
• The hint oracle you know so well from Chos Strikes Back has been completely (and very well) rewritten for Conflux by Ameena. Use it. Remember to save your game exactly at the spot you want to know about.
• Print out the rune list if you havn't already. It will come in handy. http://dmweb.free.fr/?q=node/195
• Use a mace you got from a char of the guild of fighters till you find any better weapons like the sword or scimitar.
• Always have something to write. If you find a scroll with a hint about the area you're in, don't take it with you. Write it down and leave the scroll behind on the floor. Try to keep track how you can reach certain areas, pits you need to drop in, stairs to use, aso.
• use acid missile (YA VEN) as a substitute for the fireball. You may or may not discover more powerful spells later.
• Take a close look at almost any item you find. A simple rock may be a gem. Even the tiniest dagger may hide strong moster slashing abilities. A descent (expert) priest level will be needed to reveal the true secrets of a special item. Use the entrance hall as a stash area to ease the load your chars are carrying.
• As long as you don't have a flask, try hard not to get injured (falling down pits, fireball hits) as it may greatly slow down your still novice party. Check it before overwriting your precious savegame.
• You may find passwords for certain levels. Look here then: http://www.resonantedge.com/conflux3maps/ to get the wonderful designed maps painted by Gambit. Print them, it helps to find leftover secrets.
• Click on water fountains, holes in the walls, almost everything can hide little or big reward.
• Do NOT use the ZO spell used for opening doors in DM, it does something really nasty. You'll find out about what to do with that spell later on, also you'll gain access to a spell that works like the ZO spell once worked in DM.

Basic FAQ start:

Conflux is hard! I die very often, what is the 'best' way to start a game for someone like me, without loosing too much?

your best choice are healthy characters. Choose Leif, then maybe add Hissssa as a second party member. Then start venturing into the dungeon and only add members when you have reached the end of any guild to also get the special quests. Adding two strong members from the start saves you from a long solo run + you still have the choice to solve 2 possible guild quests. After you found out how to gather the needed guild items quickly, you may restart with a solo run.

Most of the spells I knew from Dungeon Master don't work. What's wrong?

The runes for most of the spells have changed, you'll have to find out the new combinations. You may do so discovering scrolls, or using the trial and error method. Most changes are minor though, so with just a little variation you might find out. Also some spells need to be unlocked before you can use them. Usually this is done finding the scroll for the spell. You'll then notice a "spell unlocked" message. The spell will fizzle if it wasn't unlocked before.

The flask? I need one badly! Where can I find it?

Getting your first flask is a great task. One can quite easily be found in the temple on the path of Lao Tzu, but you need advanced chars to survive there and have to solve a tricky riddle. You may also get another one more easy in the cellar. You'll need 3 items to get it. The easiest place to find the hardest item is up the stairs from the cellar in the labyrinth area and the moisters/mildew area. That area is lighted, so you don't use up magic and torches to explore it with a starting party. If you are feeling adventurous and have opened a safe way to the spider level, you might be able to make it in and out of there without getting ambushed, but be quick! The badly needed flask will appear in an alcove nearby as soon as the 3 items are stuffed in the riddle alcove.

I can't seem to progress anymore in levels...

Click on the character's eye. You have to gather more of the guild items (maces for fighters, throwing stars for ninjas, corbums for wizards, monk staffs for priests) and use them in the guilds.

With every door you've opened you may advance further in levels.

I'm running short on food, are there any infinite food sources ?

• From the entrance hall, one stairway leads directly to the sewers. There is a chewer generator nearby, triggered by stepping on it in front of the stairs. This is also a great training area to begin with.

• In the cellar you will find an area with carpets on the walls for decoration. Rats can be generated there by walking all the way to the stairway. Gather the fur rags, as you might be able to trade them for food.

• The officer's canteen offers unlimited food and water, it is accessable with the right keys from various places, though is on the council level. However, lesser councillors do eat here too, so beware. That area is good for advanced training.
• Later on you may find an area labeled with something like "emerald golems", with a switch and a pit nearby. You will notice a wall that opens and closes, making a typical sound. As soon as you're strong enough to handle the monsters generated there, you may access a "experimental kitchen" with a infinite supply of steaks.
• Much later on, you'll find a nice nostalgic area which will remind you of the famous chewer training room. And of cource you will pile up the pods as trophies.

Some of my items are cursed, is there a way to 'uncurse' them?

Yes, but there is no spell to be cast or alcove to put the item in, you need to receive a blessing. You will find out in a place that usually is connected concerning 'blessings'. Look for a powerful person there and you'll be in the right place.

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kill the high priest in the temple and put a coin (Gaefusilfr and gold coins work) in the slit of the large picture. Your party will be blessed and all cursing will be removed.

Sometimes all of my spells fizzle. Is this a bug?

Yes, you need to download the latest bugfix version.

But, if you do not want to start over (although you really should), there is a easy workaround: simply cast a single Lo rune over and over again, till the fizzling turns into a mumbling. See it as temporary dullness of your chars.

I cannot open any of the doors leading to the dwarven forge. How do I get in? I need to repair some of my weapons.

You cannot open the doors from the outside. You have to find your way in from another direction...

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Go to the sewers above using the stairs close to the forge, then look for 3 pits that are arranged in a row. Drop down into the one in the middle and you'll be there. Use the alcove between the 2 black flames to repair your items. You will also get a mace as a reward for finding out.

I've found characters in the crypt that look familiar to me, like those from Chaos Strikes Back, but I cannot add them to my party.

These chars have died long long ago. Their remains have become dust and you need something adequate to activate the mirrors.

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Use (non-special) bones in hand to activate a mirror. Also you likely will find a lock with a very familiar saying "new life for old bones". Using a gold key will activate one of the 'partys'.

Aren't those CSB chars much better than those from the guilds?

Well, they may have high attributes/stats, but in the current state of Conflux, there are no special quests/abilities connected to them.

You're better off trying to get the guild members.

I'm trapped and am asked to purge and pray. Is this a dead end?

No, there are no dead ends in Conflux.

You can escape - praying just needs its time, be patient.

The spiders' lair is so hard, I die often and can't seem to do anything about it. What's the trick?

This lair will remain hard as long as your chars are below expert and have learned advanced offensive spells and/or wield more powerful weapons. As soon as the spiders have wrapped their webs around your body, you can't cast spells anymore, having to rely on the fighters in first rank, so try to kill the spiders from a distance. Your best chance is to fully rest your party before you enter the lair, then always make your way to the next possible place to rest again, usually a stairway. Always keep track of the surrounding before paying attention to a lock, loot a treasure bag or even rest. It is highly recommended not to venture deep into this lair before you have a flask to brew the serum against poison.

I came across a strange looking lock, and no key seems to fit.

Not every lock might require a key. There are many locks that require an item instead of a key. Standing in front of it, usually you'll be given hints about the item, but not always. hint: Wizardry has almost become associated with the "Zo Kath Ra" spell as the height of power, and that unstable plasma can have an effect on certain types of locks.

I'm in the cellar and have found a pressure pad/haze riddle I cannot solve, there is a fountain near, that spits out rocks.

This is a very 'dense' place and although it's in a area that could be accessed with a starting party, it requires patience and a keen eye. Solving the haze riddle reveals nothing at first. Look for a secret button near the grate. Look closely, it's almost hidden under all that green slime on the walls. After you've found it, a corridor will open and there will be more quite hidden secrets awaiting their discovery and some more hard-to-spot buttons. You'll also find a compass there. You've done it after revealing the true substitute for the formerly ZO spell (yes it is there, found it :-). You also may... look here : Spell list)

I'm trapped and chased by pits! How can I escape?

Look at the walls. You'll be given the runes for a spell you most likely will remember very well. Then use it like it's being suggested.

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cast ZO KATH RA and throw the plasma toward one of the figures.

How can I kill Vecna the Lich?

Vecna is deadly. For now you can leave him in his grave until you are much stronger. If you decide to fight him, think of weapons that -really- hurt undead enemies. You may also try to grab the loot in the alcoves, maybe you'll get away with it...

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Wanted or unwanted you -will- encounter him much later as soon as you try to bring along the powergem. Vecna has the ability to rebuilt his slayn body with undead flesh his restless soul finds in the crypt, so he will respawn after a short time. Slow down the game and grab the contents of the alcoves, then kill the zombie who may attack from behind. In most cases you can then quick step out of this hallway of death with the loot. You'll need quite powerful chars to do this and even more powerful ones to kill Vecna. Use mace-like weapons and cast protective spells before you enter. Save the mana for healing potions. You can kill him, the hint "bleeding kipper" is just there to fool you.

I've been sended to prove my innosence, how can I do this?

The first riddle will be easy to solve if you read the instructions coming with the bag in the alcove.

Again you will need to bring along -VERY- powerful and healthy chars to solve the next riddle regulary.

Also high level anti-fire spells will come in handy as will extra magic AC improvement for the fight to come next...

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Bring along 4 ashes to solve the riddle without the need for punishment. Prepare your chars to drop down the pit as you will have a hard fight down there. Use thrust weapons. You will receive the prove of your innosence. In case the alcoves need special ashes (due a bugfix) to be activated write down which holes produce unpleasent pain for your chars and reload.

I'm stuck with one of the guild riddles.

Beside the common guild items, you also need to find an item that is specific for the respective guild.

the Fighter Guild...

There are two alcoves, one of them contained some basic equipment, but now most likely will be empty. You're asked for an item with 2 teeth, but you just need a single item...

Hm, kinda weapon, two-bladed and also wielded by dwarves. Maybe you could trade for it. You may also get one as a reward if "your" heart is in the right place. If you are strong enough, solve the riddle in the Forge.

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any axe will do fine.

the Ninja Guild...

A single arm, a very tiny arm pointing the way... alone in the dark, with very limited light, what would be needed to at least head into the right direction? yes...

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You'll need to put a compass into the alcove.

You can get the item for less than a silver piece from the shop on the Emerald level or more easily off of the cellar, where you should solve the riddle close to the fountain which spits rocks. It's quite a hard-to-spot-and-solve-riddle, so maybe you're better off fully exploring the spider level... or maybe not.

the Priest Guild...

a vital chest, a natural container, hm... there are no bananas in the game... the shell also should be harder to better protect what is inside. Think of something that can still break with ease and cannot ever be fixed after you broke it.

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you'll need 5 ven eggs. There are a few in drains in the sewers. Munchers also make them. Otherwise, back to the spiders' lair then...

the Wizard Guild...

To find out what items are needed is managable, but where to put them usually is not. Something that lasts almost forever, contains wisdom and has something to do with feathers... Long ago wizards used feathers in conjuration with the needed items to store their knowledge for others to learn from them... it's very commonly found and usually you have loads of it. Just take care not to give away vital information.

Now where to put them... standing in the frame of the door right where you're given the question simply turn around... and while you do, think of a slot that can take the respective items... just think of it to be much, much bigger.

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stuff 10 scrolls in the door frame to your right.

I have finished Conflux!

No, you haven't.

Written by T0Mi using the hints given in the Conflux discussion thread (http://www.dungeon-master.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=24512). Not a native speaker, and not using an editor with spelling correction, so please excuse (...) any grammer or spelling errors. Thanks to Beowuuf for providing some of the more well written hints and all those who kindly correct the ones written by me.