Doom

Note: The main reason for going to the Dungeon Doom is to enter the Doom Gauntlet and obtain artifacts. Therefore, as initially written this article will focus on the Gauntlet. For more on the rest of the dungeon, see Doom, Level One.

Introduction

This is a guide to the basics of survival and victory in the Doom Gauntlet.

Outside of Champion Spawns in Felucca, the Doom Gauntlet (despite its risks and the extremely random nature of the rewards it offers) is the best way to get rich in the game.

Your 3 best friends in the Doom Gauntlet are Luck (as in the game mechanic of Luck), fortune (referring to “real” luck), and persistence (the Doom Gauntlet must be done again and again and again to have the best chance at reaping the rewards).

Getting There

The Doom Gauntlet is the area of the Dungeon Doom (which is located in Malas) across Lake Mortis, the body of water at the southern end of that dungeon. You get across the Lake by summoning the Boatman, Chyloth by ringing the bell to be found at the shore of the lake, and then giving him a golden skull.

The golden skull is obtained by doing the quest of Victoria the Sorceress, an NPC that is located at the center of the main part of the dungeon. She will ask you to obtain and bring to her 1,000 daemon bones. She will then summon a Bone Daemon. You will be awarded the skull upon his death.

Ring the bell by double clicking it, and then drop the golden skull on the boatman. If you do not hand the skull to the boatman in time, he will flamestrike you and then summon a skeletal dragon to kill you. The skeletal dragon is a hard fight.

Once you cross the lake, you will appear on a beach. Note the moongate to the north; this is how you exit, and it is also where you lure the Dark Fathers to kill them.

Proceed south from the beach, through a wide corridor. On the eastern wall, if you look close enough, about midway through you can find a secret door to the “hidden mage shop.” This shop is sometimes a (relatively) safe place to log out and is a convenient (if expensive) way to replenish many, but not all, of your supplies if you run low.

You will eventually come to a large room. There are several smaller rooms attached to the large room. The series of rooms each contains a different kind of monster. You must defeat each group of monster in sequence. Proceed due east for “Room One.” Then, you proceed clockwise from room to room.

Also please note that to the west, north of “Room Five,” there is an ankh, right near a locked room. As a ghost, you can pass through this room into the “hidden healer shop.” Therein, you can be resurrected for 5,000 gold pieces.

The Lesser Bosses

The various creatures in the rooms do not have too much in common, but they all cast necromancers spells and they all hit hard.

Using slayer weapons is not really necessary. Often, a “standard” powerful weapon will do just as well as using a slayer.

Room One: Darknight Creepers Undead slayer type Vulnerable to physical Immune to cold

Room Two: Flesh Renderers No slayer type Very fast Vulnerable to cold and fire They dismount players

Room Three: Impalers Demon slayer type Not vulnerable to physical (low damage) Susceptible to being poisoned Very dependent upon their special moves; they can mortal strike, bleed, and poison

Room Four: Shadow Knights Undead slayer type Vulnerable to energy They stealth; be sure to have a pet “follow” them to make sure you don't lose track of them; their stealthing is nowhere near as annoying or reliable (for them) as it used to be

Room Five: Abysmal Horrors Demon slayer type VERY vulnerable to physical damage (Earthquake spells for the win) VERY powerful magic spells They adore casting revenants They can, and do, mortal strike

After the 5 rooms are done, the Dark Fathers spawn in the center of the large room.

The Dark Fathers

The Dark Fathers are a demon slayer type, and have roughly even resists (mid-40s; so unless someone casts corpse skin on them, consecrate weapon does no good at all). Using slayer weapons is not really necessary. Often, a “standard” powerful weapon will do just as well as using a slayer. In fact, there are occasions (when the Dark Fathers cast Blood Oath) where using a slayer is a bad idea, because the “damage reflect” from the Blood Oath can easily kill you.

They spam necromancer spells. They are particularly fond of casting Blood Oath (which means that if you are carrying a slayer weapon and hit them you will take massive damage from your own hit) and summoning Revenants. Even without Blood Oath, they will reflect back upon you about 10% of all direct damage that you do. Mages should therefore stick to summons, such as energy vortexes and earth elementals, rather than doing direct damage. (Warriors of course have no such option.) Tamers can also be of great use here, as can bards (especially when dealing with the Dark Fathers' summoned undead minions.)

Sometimes they will throw “Unholy Bones” at their targets. Unless cut up three times with an edged weapon (like you were cutting off hides), these bones will grow into a powerful Undead creature (generally lich lords and rotting corpses).

Though the so-called “Gate Technique” is no longer as reliable as it once was, it is still the best way to kill the Dark Fathers.

This involves luring one Dark Father at a time to the beach. Warriors stand directly on the gate (simply refuse when you are asked if you wish to leave the Gauntlet, then you can just stand there on the gate without leaving), or to the West and East of the Gate. Archers stand to the north of the gate. Warriors and archers cross heal one another. Pets and summons generally close in from behind, attacking the Dark Father from the south, though sometimes it's beneficial to have a pet right on the gate. (Mages should be standing off to the side, summoning creatures, taking care of Undead spawn, and healing and resurrecting.)

Getting Artifacts

Lesser Bosses have a .1% chance of spawning an artifact. The Dark Fathers have about a 1% chance to do so. If the individual or party doing the most damage to the creature is wearing high luck, chances can increase to 1% and 3% respectively.

If you, or anyone in your party, gets looting rights, you have a chance to get an artifact. Thus, there is no penalty at all for not doing direct damage to the Dark Father.

Once an artifact spawns, it is simply random among characters with looting rights as to who gets it.

Artifacts spawn directly into your backpack. You get a message: “For your valor in combating the fallen creature, a special artifact has been bestowed upon you” (or something very close to that). Look for the artifact in your backpack and immediately insure it. Artifacts range in value from about 500 thousand to 35 million gold pieces, and thus should be insured immediately, even before helping a guildmate or party member.