View Flat HTML
View Metadata
Search Post
It is a well-known fact that flying into clouds can lead to loss of orientation.
It is a less well-known fact that flying into clouds may lead one somewhere else entirely.
In fact, only one person has learned this so far.
Thanjen in Terraria
+ Show First Post
wind_on_my_face
He decides to actually walk into the dungeon, because if this is the first time the player (him) has been sent specifically into danger, then it shouldn't be too bad and he might learn something unobvious about the rules of the game.
He searches through the many things underground for the nearest empty space that looks plausibly introductory (not too complex, not too ominous).
He searches through the many things underground for the nearest empty space that looks plausibly introductory (not too complex, not too ominous).
Dig! Fight! Build!
Well, that one over there is pretty complex and ominous, but it's also pretty close, and made of Pink Dungeon Brick, and has a something-or-other standing just in front of its surface entrance.
wind_on_my_face
He walks over to the dungeon. Behind him, the village gets its wall closed off with blocks and a glass dome over the whole thing.
Behind him float his Glass Sphere Of Inventory and Portable Crafting Station.
Behind him float his Glass Sphere Of Inventory and Portable Crafting Station.
Dig! Fight! Build!
The something-or-other standing outside the Dungeon seems to be an NPC.
"Defeat my master, and I will grant you passage into the Dungeon," he says when Thanjen approaches.
"Defeat my master, and I will grant you passage into the Dungeon," he says when Thanjen approaches.
wind_on_my_face
He briefly considers doing the voice-of-the-trees thing again, but no.
“I do.”
“I do.”
Dig! Fight! Build!
The NPC transforms from an old man to an enormous floating skull with enormous disembodied skeleton arms. The skull monster attacks.
It's only trying to swat him with its giant disembodied skeleton hands... but when swung to attack, its limbs can pass through solid objects.
It's only trying to swat him with its giant disembodied skeleton hands... but when swung to attack, its limbs can pass through solid objects.
wind_on_my_face
Thanjen finds this out not by being actually hit by them, because that would be silly, but by them passing through the shields he places in front of the monster. He's keeping well out of its (apparent) reach and in the air.
This is quite alarming anyway. It puts his safety in question. He needs to do something about that. Later.
How does the skull monster like its skull being scissored in half, like he's been doing to zombies?
This is quite alarming anyway. It puts his safety in question. He needs to do something about that. Later.
How does the skull monster like its skull being scissored in half, like he's been doing to zombies?
Dig! Fight! Build!
It does not like that. It does not like that at all.
The scissors appear to deal only cosmetic damage at first - small chips fly away from the point of applied pressure, and small cracks appear there, but the structural integrity of the skull is unaffected. Its enormous skeleton arms flail in his direction, but the arms are unable to fly freely away from the skull and the skull is trapped by the scissors. If he just keeps at it, the skull monster will explode in traditional Terrarian fashion pretty shortly, leaving behind a tidy pile of loot.
To be specific: 5 Gold Coins, 8 Lesser Healing Potions, 1 Skeletron Mask (vanity item), and 1 Book of Skulls (weapon).
The scissors appear to deal only cosmetic damage at first - small chips fly away from the point of applied pressure, and small cracks appear there, but the structural integrity of the skull is unaffected. Its enormous skeleton arms flail in his direction, but the arms are unable to fly freely away from the skull and the skull is trapped by the scissors. If he just keeps at it, the skull monster will explode in traditional Terrarian fashion pretty shortly, leaving behind a tidy pile of loot.
To be specific: 5 Gold Coins, 8 Lesser Healing Potions, 1 Skeletron Mask (vanity item), and 1 Book of Skulls (weapon).
wind_on_my_face
He takes a closer look at the Book of Skulls (weapon). How does it weap? Can he fire skulls through walls with it?
Dig! Fight! Build!
This is how it weaps:
When he expands the book and opens it, it bestows the 'Book of Skulls' spell on him. Now he is able to cast Book of Skulls. It does indeed fire skulls, and the skulls are even on fire, but they do not pass through walls, and he cannot fire any right now because he has no mana. Also the skulls must originate from a point within a certain shortish distance of his body.
It may be relevant that he can craft Mana Crystals using all those Fallen Stars in his inventory.
When he expands the book and opens it, it bestows the 'Book of Skulls' spell on him. Now he is able to cast Book of Skulls. It does indeed fire skulls, and the skulls are even on fire, but they do not pass through walls, and he cannot fire any right now because he has no mana. Also the skulls must originate from a point within a certain shortish distance of his body.
It may be relevant that he can craft Mana Crystals using all those Fallen Stars in his inventory.
wind_on_my_face
He didn't notice before that he didn't actually need to bring items to the crafting station to craft with them. That's excessively convenient.
He now has a Mana Crystal. What does it do?
He also peeks in the dungeon entrance.
He now has a Mana Crystal. What does it do?
He also peeks in the dungeon entrance.
Dig! Fight! Build!
Inside the dungeon entrance: a room walled in Pink Dungeon Brick, with some bookshelves on the walls and a passage to a tunnel leading further downward.
The Mana Crystal is an edible item, in a way similar to Life Crystals!
The Mana Crystal is an edible item, in a way similar to Life Crystals!
wind_on_my_face
These magic labels for things haven't steered him wrong yet, and Fallen Stars seem to be a renewable resource, so: munch munch munch munch munch munch munch munch munch munch munch munch munch munch munch.
Dig! Fight! Build!
Now he has mana!
His mana capacity seems to cap at the quantity imparted by ten Mana Crystals, but eating more after that doesn't do him any harm, it just fails to increase his mana capacity further.
He could fire so many flaming skulls now if he wanted to.
His mana capacity seems to cap at the quantity imparted by ten Mana Crystals, but eating more after that doesn't do him any harm, it just fails to increase his mana capacity further.
He could fire so many flaming skulls now if he wanted to.
wind_on_my_face
He test-fires two at some unreinforced merely-window-thickness glass and a passing zombie.
Dig! Fight! Build!
The passing zombie is significantly damaged and knocked backward by the slow-moving projectile, which then catches up to the zombie and hits it again, killing it.
The flaming skull that hits the glass disappears on contact.
The flaming skull that hits the glass disappears on contact.
wind_on_my_face
He is unsurprised.
He enters the dungeon. The books are probably decoration, but he checks along the way.
He enters the dungeon. The books are probably decoration, but he checks along the way.
Dig! Fight! Build!
Most of the books he encounters are decoration.
One, a little ways into the first passage, is a spellbook: 1 Water Bolt (weapon). It allows him to fire water-like projectiles.
Oh, and there are armored skeletons trying to punch him, but they can't pass through solid objects so they hardly qualify as dangerous.
One, a little ways into the first passage, is a spellbook: 1 Water Bolt (weapon). It allows him to fire water-like projectiles.
Oh, and there are armored skeletons trying to punch him, but they can't pass through solid objects so they hardly qualify as dangerous.
wind_on_my_face
He — ugh — brr — still needs to learn the rules and this is still an introductory dungeon. They can't be that bad. Right?
He lets one of them hit him on the reinforced Gold armor.
He lets one of them hit him on the reinforced Gold armor.
Dig! Fight! Build!
This is mildly ouchy, but only very mildly, and the cozy glow of all those heart candies ensures it doesn't ouch for long.
wind_on_my_face
Right. Game rules. Symbolic. It touched his character and so it hurt him in the health bar.
He tests out how many skeleton-joints he needs to yank apart before they explode, and proceeds.
He tests out how many skeleton-joints he needs to yank apart before they explode, and proceeds.
Dig! Fight! Build!
The tunnel winds on. Several purple slimes hop menacingly toward him. They are easy to defeat, and one of them drops a Golden Key which is useful in the next room to open a Gold Chest.
The Gold Chest contains:
1 Valor (weapon)
1 Gold Coin
10 Silver Bar
4 Healing Potion
2 Recall Potion
The Gold Chest contains:
1 Valor (weapon)
1 Gold Coin
10 Silver Bar
4 Healing Potion
2 Recall Potion
wind_on_my_face
A yo-yo. Okay. He equips it.
On the next monsters to come along, he will compare the effectiveness of the Valor with an identically shaped, weighted, and moved glass object.
What does the Recall Potion say it does?
On the next monsters to come along, he will compare the effectiveness of the Valor with an identically shaped, weighted, and moved glass object.
What does the Recall Potion say it does?