# World

The Dark Pawns Game World

Dark Pawns is a fantasy MUD set across three continents and 95 zones, with faithful AD&D-derived combat formulas, six core classes, seven races, and a full economy of shopkeepers, banks, and clan vaults. The server runs in Go but reproduces the exact behavior of the original 1997–2010 C codebase.

Core Attributes

Every character has six primary attributes derived from an AD&D 4d6-drop-lowest roll, modified by race and class:

Attribute	Abbreviation	Affects
Strength	STR	Melee hit chance, damage, carry weight
Intelligence	INT	Mana pool size, spell effectiveness
Wisdom	WIS	Mana pool size, divine spell power
Dexterity	DEX	AC bonus, hit chance, movement speed
Constitution	CON	Hit point pool, regen rate
Charisma	CHA	NPC reactions, leadership

Attributes range from 3 to 18 (Warriors with 18 STR get an exceptional 18/xx sub-roll from 01 to 100). Racial modifiers apply after class-priority assignment.

Combat System

The 2-Second Tick

All combat in Dark Pawns operates on a 2-second round (the PerformViolence tick). Every character — human, AI agent, or mob — resolves attacks simultaneously within the same tick. There is no action queue priority between players.

Attacks Per Round

Characters gain additional attacks as they level. Warriors and Ninjas gain the most attacks; Mages and Clerics the fewest. Multi-attack probability uses the original GetAttacksPerRound() formula from fight.c.

Hit Chance (THAC0 vs AC)

The hit roll uses the THAC0 system:

HitRoll = 1d20 + HitBonus
Hits if: HitRoll >= (THAC0 - TargetAC)

THAC0 starts at 20 and decreases (improves) as you level and gain STR.
AC ranges from 10 (unarmored) to -10 (heavily armored). Lower is better.
DEX provides an AC bonus; Warriors and Ninjas benefit most from high DEX.

Positions

Position	Value	Effect
Dead	0	Cannot act
Mortally wounded	1	Cannot act
Incapacitated	2	Cannot act
Stunned	3	Cannot act
Sleeping	4	Sleeping; most commands blocked
Resting	5	Resting; combat and movement blocked
Sitting	6	Sitting; slight regen bonus
Fighting	7	In combat
Standing	8	Normal

Death & Respawn

When a character’s HP reaches 0:

Corpse spawned in the room with all carried items.
Experience penalty: Combat death costs EXP / 37 (~2.7% of total XP). Non-combat death (bleed-out, etc.) is harsher: EXP / 3 (~33.3%).
Respawn: You reappear at the Temple (room 8004) with minimal HP.
Loot window: Your corpse persists in the room for a limited time. Other players (and agents) can loot it.

AI agents follow identical death rules — no special respawn protection.

Regeneration

HP, mana, and movement regenerate over time:

Standing: Base regen rate.
Sitting: 1.125× base rate.
Resting: 1.25× base rate.
Sleeping: 1.5× base rate (plus equipment regen bonuses).
CON boosts HP regen; WIS boosts mana regen.

The PointUpdate() tick fires every 30 seconds and applies regen to all characters.

Guide Directory

Commands Reference — Every command, alias, and minimum position requirement.
Game Mechanics Deep-Dive — Combat formulas, THAC0 vs AC, economy, PK rules, and the remort system.
Zone Guide — All 95 zones across the three continents with VNUM ranges, difficulty, and key mobs.
Progression Walkthrough — Level 1 to Hero (level 30): where to go, what to kill, when to practice.

## Pages ### Races ### Skills ### Classes

Classes

Source: darkpawns.com/class.html
Author: R.E. Paret (Frontline)
Preserved from Wayback Machine capture

Base Classes

THIEVES

Thieves are a shifty lot, and are known to have qualities that no other class offers. They are known to have dabbled in the Black Arts, and possess certain unique skills that make them a valuable addition to any adventuring party. Although prefering to stay inside cities, thieves can be found worldwide, eeking out an existance by robbing other humanoids blind.

CLERICS

Clerics are the vanguards of the religions that permeate this world. Whether they be missionaries or demagogues, clerics bind this world together by both religion and politics. They are also the upholders of the ancient rites and traditions, and as such refuse to wield or use blood-sheading weapons.

WARRIORS

Warriors are your standard stock-in-trade brute fighters, whose ratio of brawn to brains makes them well suited to be ruthless combatants. Warriors in Dark Pawns typically exist as mercenaries, but there are known warrior guilds and armies as well.

NINJAS

Ninjas are the silent mercenaries of the southern culture. Skilled in espionage, magick, and hand-to-hand combat, ninjas are skilled and deadly opponents, prefering to take their vicitms by surprise. It is known that the secret masters of this art will only teach their secrets to humans, because the southern culture views all non-humans as animals.

PSIONICS

Psionics are a rare breed of humanoids who have the ability to focus their mental energies to produce almost magickal effects.

MAGES

Mages are the spell-casters and magick weavers of Dark Pawns, crafting powerful energies from the world through arcane rites and rituals. Most societies in the world seek to use magick and mages for their own benifit, and control or destroy those mages who would opose them. Outside of the cities, however, magick runs strong and wild, crafting the very earth itself and giving the Wyldlands their name.

Remort Classes

ASSASSINS

Assassins are cold and deadly killers for hire, whose knowledge of subturfuge, stealth and the Black Arts makes them extremely efficent, extremely deadly opponents.

AVATARS

Avatars are the emissaries of the Holy Forces in the land, deriving their awesome power from those entities.

MAGUS

The Magus represents the extreme power of magickal spellcraft, wielding power on a cosmic scale, able to create, destroy, or shape realities at whim. Because of the destabilizing effect magic has on the humanoid psyche, as well as the intense lifelong training and study, the class of Magus is remort only.

PALADINS

The Paladin is the warrior of the church, sent out to further the churches interests across the land in a provisional sense. Paladins are also the leaders of the churches armies, and are typically fanatical and deadly fighters who have mastered their art.

RANGERS

Rangers are the warriors and guardians of the wilderness. They are skilled in tracking and hunting, and make very good guides. Rangers hail mainly from races whose cultures are agrarian instead of urban, and they detest the smell of cities and industry.

MYSTICS

The Mystic is an aesthetic, a psionicist who has achieved a level of peaceand enlightenment unknown to other mortals. The Mystic is a true master oftime and space with his amazing mental powers, and can be quite a deadly foeif enraged. Mystics tend to lead a detached, intellectual lifestyle, but some have decided to use their considerable mental prowess to fight for Good or Evil.

### Lore

For the full history of Dark Pawns, see About. For the people who built it, see Credits.

### Commands

Command Reference

All commands are compiled directly from pkg/session/commands.go. Commands are case-insensitive. Aliases are listed in parentheses. The Min Position column shows the minimum position required to issue the command (standing, fighting, resting). Wizard-level commands require LVL_IMMORT (level 31+).

For extended help on any command, use help <topic> in-game or browse /help/<slug>/ on this site.

Movement

Command	Aliases	Description	Min Position
`north`	`n`	Move north	Standing
`east`	`e`	Move east	Standing
`south`	`s`	Move south	Standing
`west`	`w`	Move west	Standing
`up`	`u`	Move up	Standing
`down`	`d`	Move down	Standing
`recall`	—	Recall to your home city	—

Observation

Command	Aliases	Description	Min Position
`look`	`l`	Look around the room	—
`examine`	`exa`	Examine something in detail	—
`consider`	`con`	Compare yourself to a target	—
`scan`	—	Scan adjacent rooms	—
`scout`	—	Scout ahead for danger	—
`diagnose`	`diag`	Diagnose health status of a target	—
`peek`	—	Peek at another player’s inventory	—

Information

Command	Aliases	Description	Min Position
`score`	`sc`	Show your character stats	—
`who`	—	List all online players	—
`where`	—	Show player locations	—
`whois`	—	Look up a player’s info	—
`time`	—	Show the current in-game time	—
`weather`	—	Show the current weather	—
`affects`	—	Show active spells and affects	—
`inventory`	`i`, `inv`	Show your inventory	—
`equipment`	`eq`	Show your equipped items	—
`skills`	`sk`	Show your learned skills	—
`spells`	—	List known spells	—
`report`	—	Show a report of your surroundings	—
`commands`	`cmds`	List available commands	—
`help`	—	Show help for a command or topic	—

Communication

Command	Aliases	Description
`say`	—	Say something to the room
`tell`	—	Send a private message to a player
`reply`	`r`	Reply to the last tell you received
`emote`	`me`	Perform a roleplay action
`shout`	—	Shout to everyone in your zone
`gossip`	—	Gossip on the public channel
`gtell`	`gsay`	Send a message to your group
`whisper`	`whis`	Whisper to someone in your room
`ask`	—	Ask someone a question
`race_say`	`rac`	Say something in your racial language
`page`	—	Page a player
`qcomm`	`team`	Send a team message
`yell`	—	Yell to the zone

Combat

Command	Aliases	Description	Min Position
`hit`	`attack`, `kill`	Attack a target	Standing
`flee`	—	Attempt to flee from combat	Fighting
`assist`	—	Assist a target in combat	Fighting
`rescue`	—	Rescue someone from combat	Standing

Combat Skills

These commands require the relevant skill to be practiced. See /help/<skill>/ for level and class requirements.

Command	Aliases	Description	Min Position
`backstab`	`bs`	Backstab with a piercing weapon (surprise attack)	Standing
`bash`	—	Bash a target, potentially stunning them	Fighting
`kick`	—	Kick a target for bonus damage	Fighting
`trip`	—	Trip a target, knocking them down	Fighting
`headbutt`	—	High-damage headbutt	Fighting
`disembowel`	`gut`	Disembowel with a piercing weapon	Fighting
`dragonkick`	`dkick`	Dragon-style kick	Fighting
`tigerpunch`	`tpunch`	Tiger-style punch (bare hands)	Fighting
`shoot`	—	Shoot with a ranged weapon	Standing
`ambush`	—	Ambush from hiding	Standing
`subdue`	—	Subdue non-lethally	Standing
`sleeper`	—	Apply a sleeper hold	Standing
`neckbreak`	—	Break neck (bare hands)	Standing
`parry`	—	Toggle parry stance to deflect attacks	Standing
`sneak`	—	Move silently	Standing
`hide`	—	Hide in shadows	Resting
`steal`	—	Steal from a target	Standing
`pick`	`pick lock`	Pick a door lock	Standing

Position & Rest

Command	Aliases	Description
`stand`	—	Stand up
`sit`	—	Sit down
`rest`	—	Rest
`sleep`	—	Go to sleep
`wake`	—	Wake up or wake someone else

Items & Inventory

Command	Aliases	Description
`get`	`take`	Pick up an item from the room, container, or corpse
`drop`	—	Drop an item from your inventory
`put`	—	Put an item into a container
`give`	—	Give an item or gold to another character
`wear`	—	Wear an item from your inventory
`wield`	—	Wield a weapon
`hold`	—	Hold an item
`remove`	—	Remove an equipped item
`eat`	—	Eat some food
`drink`	—	Drink from a container
`quaff`	`q`	Quaff a potion
`appraise`	—	Appraise an item’s value

Shops

Command	Aliases	Description
`list`	—	List items for sale at a shop
`buy`	—	Buy an item from a shop
`sell`	—	Sell an item to a shop

Skills & Spells (Guildmaster)

Command	Aliases	Description
`practice`	—	Practice a skill at a guildmaster
`learn`	—	Learn a new skill
`listskills`	`skills`	List all available skills for your class
`forget`	—	Forget a skill (requires `confirm`)
`use`	—	Use an active skill
`skillinfo`	`sinfo`	Show detailed info about a skill

Group & Party

Command	Aliases	Description
`follow`	—	Follow another player
`group`	`party`	Manage your group
`ungroup`	`disband`	Disband or leave a group
`split`	—	Split gold with your group

Doors

Command	Aliases	Description
`open`	—	Open a door: `open north`
`close`	—	Close a door: `close east`
`lock`	—	Lock a door with your key
`unlock`	—	Unlock a door with your key
`knock`	—	Knock on a door
`bashdoor`	`dbash`	Bash down a door

Clans & Houses

Command	Aliases	Description
`clan`	`clans`	Clan management (join, leave, ranks, bank)
`house`	—	House management

Character Preferences

Command	Aliases	Description
`color`	—	Toggle ANSI color on/off
`toggle`	—	Toggle a player preference
`title`	—	Set your character title
`describe` / `description`	`desc`	Set your character description
`prompt`	—	Set your command prompt
`wimpy`	—	Set your wimpy (auto-flee) HP threshold
`auto`	—	Toggle auto-attack mode
`autoexit`	—	Toggle auto-exit display
`alias`	—	Manage command aliases
`afk`	—	Toggle away-from-keyboard status
`inactive`	—	Toggle inactive status
`visible`	—	Make yourself visible
`password`	—	Change your password

Miscellaneous

Command	Aliases	Description
`save`	—	Save your character to the database
`quit`	—	Quit the game
`roll`	—	Roll a random number
`summon`	—	Summon a player to your room
`review`	—	Show recent gossip history
`todo`	—	Submit a todo suggestion
`description`	`desc`	Set your character description (alias for `describe`)
`display`	—	Set display preferences
`transform`	—	Transform your appearance
`ride`	—	Ride a mount
`dismount`	—	Dismount from a mount
`yank`	—	Yank someone from a mount or chair
`stealth`	—	Enter stealth mode
`hcontrol`	—	Admin house control
`bug`	—	Report a bug
`typo`	—	Report a typo
`idea`	—	Submit a suggestion
`ignore`	—	Ignore or un-ignore a player
`write`	—	Write on an object
`gentog`	`gentoggle`	Toggle an option

Any word not matching a command is checked against the social emote table. Common examples: smile, laugh, bow, wave, nod, grin, sigh. Use commands in-game or browse /help/socials/ for the full list.

Wizard Commands (Level 31+)

These commands require LVL_IMMORT (31) or higher and are not available to normal players or agents.

Command	Description	Min Level
`goto`	Teleport to a room by VNum	IMMORT
`at`	Execute a command at another room	IMMORT
`load`	Load a mob or object by VNum	IMMORT
`purge`	Remove all mobs/items from a room	GOD
`teleport`	Teleport another player to a room	GOD
`heal`	Fully heal a target	IMMORT
`restore`	Restore all stats of a target	IMMORT
`set`	Set character fields	IMMORT
`stat`	Inspect a character, room, or object	IMMORT
`vnum`	Search for vnums by keyword	IMMORT
`vstat`	Show prototype info by vnum	IMMORT
`force`	Force a command on another character	GRGOD
`shutdown`	Shutdown the server	GRGOD
`advance`	Advance a player’s level	GRGOD
`snoop`	Spy on a player’s input	GOD
`invis` / `vis`	Become invisible / visible	IMMORT
`gecho`	Echo to all players	GOD
`echo`	Echo to current room	IMMORT
`zreset`	Reset a zone	GOD
`wiznet`	Wizard network channel	IMMORT
`ban` / `unban`	Ban or unban a site	GOD
`dc`	Disconnect a player	GOD
`switch`	Enter another character’s body	IMMORT
`return`	Return from switched body	IMMORT
`reload`	Reload world data	GOD
`send`	Send a message to another character	GOD
`wizlock`	Toggle wizard-only login	IMPL
`idlist`	Dump object ID list to file	IMPL
`checkload`	Check zone load info for a mob/obj	IMMORT
`poofset`	Set poof in/out messages	IMMORT
`zlist`	List zones matching a filter	IMMORT
`rlist`	List rooms matching a keyword	IMMORT
`olist`	List objects matching a keyword	IMMORT
`mlist`	List mobiles matching a keyword	IMMORT
`sysfile`	Show system file path	IMMORT
`sethunt`	Set hunt target for a character	IMMORT
`tick`	Show current tick info	IMMORT
`users`	Show connected players	IMMORT
`whod`	Toggle WHOD display mode	IMMORT
`dark`	Stop combat in a room	IMMORT
`syslog`	Toggle system logging level	IMMORT
`newbie`	Give newbie gear to a player	IMMORT
`order`	Order a pet or follower	IMMORT

### Game Mechanics

Game Mechanics Deep-Dive

This page documents the precise mechanical formulas used by the Dark Pawns server, compiled directly from pkg/combat/ Go sources. All formulas are faithful ports of the original C fight.c and class.c logic.

Combat

THAC0 vs AC (Hit Resolution)

Hit resolution follows the original AD&D THAC0 system:

HitRoll = 1d20 + HitBonus
Hits if: HitRoll >= (THAC0 - TargetAC)

THAC0 (“To Hit Armor Class 0”) starts at 20 and improves (decreases) as you level and gain Strength.
AC ranges from 10 (naked) to −10 (heavily armored). Lower AC is harder to hit.
DEX provides an AC bonus. Wearing armor, casting armor spells, and picking AC-granting equipment all lower your AC.
INT and WIS modifiers apply a slight THAC0 reduction (bonus) for Mages, Clerics, and Psionics.
Blessed weapons grant a THAC0 bonus. Drunk characters incur a THAC0 penalty.

Attacks Per Round

The number of attacks a character gets per 2-second round scales with class and level (GetAttacksPerRound() from fight.c):

Class	Base Attacks	Extra Attack
Warrior, Paladin, Ranger	1	+1 at level 10+ (60% + level% chance)
Ninja	1	+1 at level 10+ (60% + level% chance)
Thief, Assassin	1	+1 at level 15+ (30% + level% chance)
Mage, Cleric, Psionic	1	No extra attack from class

haste spell doubles attacks; slow halves them.

Damage Calculation

Base damage formula (CalculateDamage() from fight.c):

BaseDamage = WeaponDiceRoll + DamageRoll
FinalDamage = BaseDamage × PositionMultiplier × ParryReduction

DamageRoll: Derived from STR for melee; also modified by level for combat skills.
Position multiplier: Sleeping targets take 2× damage. Resting targets take 1.5×. Standing targets take 1×.
Parry reduction: Reduces incoming damage by 20–29% (scaling with parry skill level), when the parry stance is active.

Backstab Multiplier

The backstab skill (Thieves and Assassins) and disembowel use this multiplier from class.c:

BackstabMult(level) = level × 0.2 + 1.0

Level	Multiplier
1	1.2×
5	2.0×
10	3.0×
20	5.0×
25	6.0×
30	7.0×

Backstab requires a piercing weapon and must be initiated from a non-fighting stance. Disembowel (mid-combat piercing technique) uses BackstabMult / 3.0.

Player Killing (PK)

Dark Pawns has a live PK system with the following rules:

Restrictions

Level gate: Players at level 10 or below cannot be attacked by other players, nor can they attack other players. This protects new characters.
Peaceful rooms: Rooms with the ROOM_PEACEFUL flag block all PK damage (combat still engages but deals 0 damage).
Shopkeepers: Shopkeeper NPCs cannot be killed.

Outlaw System

If you kill a player who is not flagged as an outlaw, you become an outlaw yourself:

City guards (mob VNums 8102 and 8103) actively intercept and subdue outlaws who attack non-outlaw players.
The outlaw flag persists until it expires or an Immortal clears it.
Outlaws can be attacked freely by other players without triggering the outlaw flag on the attacker.

Corpse Looting

When a player dies in PK:

A corpse spawns in the room with all of the victim’s inventory.
Any player can loot the corpse (there is no loot protection in the base system).
The corpse persists for a limited time before disappearing.
The victim respawns at the Temple (room 8004) with the standard EXP penalty of EXP / 3.

Economy

Shopkeeper Pricing

Shopkeepers use per-shop profit multipliers defined in the area files:

BuyPrice  = ItemValue × ProfitBuy    # what you pay the shop
SellPrice = ItemValue × ProfitSell   # what the shop pays you

A typical shop has ProfitBuy = 1.2 (you pay 120% of item value) and ProfitSell = 0.8 (the shop pays you 80%). High-end or rare shops may have wider spreads.

Use appraise <item> to see an estimate of what a shopkeeper will pay before selling.

Gold & Banking

Gold is carried in your inventory and is dropped on death.
The Clan system provides a shared clan bank vault (clan bank deposit/withdraw).
Individual player banking is handled by in-game banker NPCs (deposit, withdraw).

Remort System

After reaching level 30 (Hero) on your first character, you unlock the remort system. Remorti allow access to advanced classes unavailable to fresh characters.

Base Classes (available at character creation)

Class	Playstyle
Warrior	Exceptional frontline melee
Mage	AoE spells, high INT
Cleric	Healing, buffing, divine spells
Thief	Backstab, stealth, picking locks
Ninja	Agility, evasion, martial arts
Psionic	Mental spellcaster using Mind/Psi pool

Remort-Only Classes (unlocked after first Hero)

Class	Based On	Specialization
Assassin	Thief	Maximum backstab damage, silent kill
Avatar	Any	Hybrid divine/martial
Magus	Mage	Arcane mastery, widened spell access
Paladin	Warrior	Holy warrior; lay on hands; guards city
Ranger	Warrior	Dual wield, nature affinity, shoot
Mystic	Psionic	Advanced mental techniques

Remort characters retain their level 30 experience base and start the new class from level 1, preserving some of the original class’s skill set.

Experience & Leveling

Experience is gained from killing mobs and (in PK) from killing players. Each class/race combination has its own EXP table governing how much experience is required per level. The penalty for death is:

ExpLoss = TotalExp / 3

This is a significant penalty at high levels. Always flee if your health drops below your wimpy threshold.

To level up, visit your class guildmaster in your starting city after accumulating enough EXP. The guildmaster will grant you a new level and allow you to practice new skills.

Useful Formulas Summary

Formula	Source
Hit: `1d20 + HitBonus >= THAC0 − AC`	`fight.c:1783`
Backstab: `damage × (level × 0.2 + 1.0)`	`class.c:720`
Disembowel: `damage × (level × 0.2 + 1.0) / 3`	`fight.c:1108`
Death penalty: `ExpLoss = TotalExp / 3`	`fight.c:1675`
Buy price: `ItemValue × ProfitBuy`	`shop.c`
Sell price: `ItemValue × ProfitSell`	`shop.c`
Regen tick: every 30 seconds	`PointUpdate()`
Combat tick: every 2 seconds	`CombatEngine` goroutine

### Progression Walkthrough

Progression Walkthrough: Level 1 to Hero

This guide walks you through the optimal path from a brand-new character at level 1 all the way to Hero status at level 30. It applies equally to human players and AI agents.

Before You Begin

Roll Your Stats

During character creation, re-roll until you get a strong stat set. Use Y to keep your roll or N to re-roll. Each class has a stat priority (see the Quick Start guide):

Warriors want high STR and CON.
Thieves/Assassins want high DEX.
Mages/Psionics want high INT.
Clerics want high WIS and INT.
Ninjas want high DEX and STR.

Starting Room

You appear in the Temple (room 8004), in Kir Drax’in. Your guildmaster is nearby — find them immediately to practice your starting skills.

Find Your Guildmaster

Visit your guildmaster and practice your core skills before leaving the city:

Class	Guildmaster Location
Warrior	Kir Drax’in (room ~8005)
Thief	Kir-Oshi (room ~4813 area)
Ninja	Kir Drax’in (room ~8012)
Psionic	Kir Drax’in (room ~8024)
Mage	Alaozar (room ~21214)
Cleric	Alaozar (room ~21215)

Use practice <skill> at the guildmaster. Start with your primary combat skill (backstab for Thieves, kick for Warriors, etc.).

Levels 1–6: The City and Surroundings

Zones: Kir Drax’in (80/85), Crystal Temple (117), Guard Training Centre (163), Zoo (145), Hell Level 1 (99)

What to Do

Guard Training Centre (zone 163): The simplest mobs to start. Rooms are close together, mobs are level 1–3.
Crystal Temple (zone 117, levels 1–3): A small, clean area with easy mobs. Good for learning room navigation and combat.
Zoo (zone 145, levels 1–10): The Kir Drax’in Zoo has varied mobs. Animals and monsters at manageable levels.
Hell Level 1 (zone 99, levels 3–6): Moderate challenge. Demons and hellspawn, decent XP.

Combat Tips

look when you enter a room to see mobs. Check ROOM_MOBS if you’re an agent.
Use consider <mob> to gauge relative strength before attacking.
Always have a flee direction ready. flee saves your life at low levels.
rest or sleep between fights to regen HP and mana.
Thieves: use backstab <target> from standing (not fighting) for massive first-strike damage.

When to Level

Return to your guildmaster each time you level. practice one or two skills per level — save some practices for later levels when skills improve in effectiveness.

Levels 6–12: Forest and Dungeon Content

Zones: Slums (70), Great Forest (91), Forest of the Taltos (55), Labyrinth (45), Darkwood/Goblin Caves (162), Ender Village (187), Troll Caverns (199)

What to Do

Kir Drax’in Slums (zone 70, levels 6–11): Dense mob population. Thieves, beggars, and street toughs. Great XP for levels 6–8.
Great Forest (zone 91, levels 3–16): A large interconnected forest. Animals and forest creatures. Loottable items on some mobs.
Goblin Caves (zone 162, levels 6–12): Classic dungeon crawl. Multiple floors of goblins. Watch your exits.
Troll Caverns (zone 199, levels 6–12): Trolls hit hard. Bring healing potions or a Cleric.
Ender Village (zone 187, levels 6–12): Varied mob types. Good equipment drops.

Items to Pick Up

Start collecting gear from corpses. The equipment slots are: light, head, arms, hands, body, waist, legs, feet, wrist (×2), neck (×2), finger (×2), wield, hold, shield

wear all auto-equips everything in your inventory. Compare stats with consider and appraise.

Loot Strategy (Agents)

# After each kill, check for items
room_items = variables.get("ROOM_ITEMS", [])
for item in room_items:
    send_command("get", [item["target_string"]])

# Equip everything
send_command("wear", ["all"])

Levels 12–20: Mid-Game Push

Zones: Orc Burrows (21), Bhyroga Valley (42), Shaolin Temple (194), Ogre Emperor’s Stronghold (143), Swamp (122), Phantom Pirate Ship (191)

What to Do

Orc Burrows (zone 21, levels 15–20): Classic orc dungeon. Tight corridors, multiple mob types. Warriors and Ninjas excel here.
Bhyroga Valley (zone 42, levels 9–20): A large outdoor zone. Mix of wildlife and humanoid mobs. Good for Mages using area-effect spells.
Shaolin Temple / Fire Pagoda (zone 194, levels 10–20): The temple monks can be tough. The Fire Pagoda has fire-based enemies and unique loot.
Ogre Emperor’s Stronghold (zone 143, levels 12–20): Multiple boss mobs. The Ogre Emperor is a significant challenge — bring friends or a full health bar.
Phantom Pirate Ship (zone 191, levels 12–22): A ship dungeon with pirates and sea monsters. Navigation can be tricky; map the ship early.

Skills to Have by Level 15

Class	Core Skills
Warrior	kick, bash, rescue
Thief	backstab, sneak, hide, pick lock, steal
Ninja	kick, trip, sneak, hide
Mage	Your primary offensive spells, armor
Cleric	Heal spells, armor, bless
Psionic	Mind blast, psychic drain

Group Play

At mid-levels, groups become very effective:

follow <player> to form a group.
group <player> to formally add someone.
Warriors should use rescue to pull mobs off squishier group members.
Clerics should prioritize heal and bless on group members.

Levels 20–26: High-Stakes Content

Zones: BlackMUD (142), Prison Island (25), Black Sands Desert (110), Swamp o’ Sadness (46), King Solomon’s Mines (128)

What to Do

BlackMUD (zone 142, levels 21–26): Difficult dungeon with strong mobs. Named mobs drop exceptional equipment.
Prison Island (zone 25, levels 20–30): An island prison full of hardened criminals and brutal guards. Scattered equipment.
Black Sands Desert (zone 110, levels 16–30): A massive overland desert zone. Desert creatures, nomads, and hidden dungeons.
King Solomon’s Mines (zone 128, levels 22–30, Immortal entry): Rich in loot but restricted. Get Immortal permission.

PK Awareness

At levels 20+, you’re in full PK territory. Other players will attack you:

Know your wimpy setting (wimpy 30 auto-flees below 30 HP).
Avoid standing around in dungeons while fully injured.
Agents: monitor FIGHTING bool — if it flips true and you have no active target in ROOM_MOBS, another player may have attacked you.

Levels 26–30: The Final Push to Hero

Zones: Ruined Temple of Paphoset (141), Grey Keep (144), Sky Castle (161), Elemental Planes (13), Amber (27)

What to Do

Ruined Temple of Paphoset (zone 141, levels 25–30): Ancient temple with undead and desert-themed mobs. The boss drops late-game equipment.
The Grey Keep (zone 144, levels 26–30): A fortified keep with powerful knights and wizards. One of the best XP zones in this range.
Sky Castle (zone 161, levels 20–30, cross-continent): A floating castle. Multiple floors, deadly mobs, excellent loot.
Elemental Planes (zone 13, levels 27–30): Elemental creatures in four distinct planes. Fire, water, earth, and air. Excellent final-stretch XP.
Amber (zone 27, levels 25–30): Cross-continent zone with very high-difficulty mobs. Solo not recommended.

Final Tips

Always carry healing potions (quaff to use instantly in combat).
Use score to track your XP and distance to next level.
At level 30, you’re Hero — the remort system unlocks. Visit an Immortal or the remort shrine to begin your second life as an advanced class.

Guildmaster Visit Schedule

Return to your guildmaster at every single level up without exception. Each level grants you practice sessions. Wasted practices are wasted power.

Priority skills by phase:

Phase	Priority
Levels 1–10	Primary combat skill, dodge/parry if available
Levels 10–20	Secondary combat skills, offensive spells, sneak/hide
Levels 20–30	Advanced skills, max out primary skill

Use skills to see your current skill percentages. Skills maxed at 100% are fully effective.

Quick Reference: Zone Progression at a Glance

Levels  1–6  → Crystal Temple, Guard Training Centre, Zoo, Hell 1
Levels  6–12 → Slums, Great Forest, Goblin Caves, Troll Caverns
Levels 12–20 → Orc Burrows, Bhyroga Valley, Shaolin Temple, Ogre Stronghold
Levels 20–26 → BlackMUD, Prison Island, Black Sands Desert
Levels 26–30 → Grey Keep, Ruined Temple, Sky Castle, Elemental Planes
Level 30     → Hero! Remort unlocks.

### Zone Guide

Zone Reference Guide

Dark Pawns spans 95 zones across three continents: Aralius (the main continent, home to Kir Drax’in), Xixieqi (the southern continent), and the distant lands of Arakon and beyond. Zone VNUMs are the starting room numbers for each area.

Zone names prefixed with (I) are Immortal-only or heavily restricted. Names prefixed with (X) are cross-continent (special access required).

Starting Cities & Hubs

These zones form the backbone of the world. Most characters begin here or pass through frequently.

Zone #	Name	VNUM Range	Reset (min)	Notes
80	Kir Drax’in	8000–8199	25	Primary starting city, Aralius. Temple at room 8004.
85	Kir Drax’in Extension	8500–8599	10	Guilds, Medical Centre, old newbie area.
182	Kir-Oshi Main	18200–18297	35	Second major city.
212	Alaozar, the Holy City	21200–21299	60	Third starting city; divine-aligned.
40	Moongates	4000–4099	90	Transit hub connecting continents.

Newbie Zones (Levels 1–6)

Safe areas for new characters to learn the game.

Zone #	Name	VNUM Range	Level Range	Reset (min)
117	Crystal Temple	11700–11764	1–3	16
163	Kir Drax’in Guard Training Centre	16300–16399	1–6	10
145	The Kir Drax’in Zoo	14500–14699	1–10	35
99	Hell, Level 1	9900–9999	3–6	40
55	Forest of the Taltos	5500–5599	4–7	30
183	The Checker Board	18300–18399	4–5	15

Low-Level Zones (Levels 6–15)

Good for grinding from the teen levels.

Zone #	Name	VNUM Range	Level Range	Reset (min)
70	Kir Drax’in Slums	7000–7099	6–11	65
45	The Labyrinth	4500–4599	6–9	30
162	Darkwood Forest / Goblin Caves	16200–16299	6–12	30
187	The Ender Village	18700–18750	6–12	40
199	Troll Caverns	19900–19924	6–12	35
100	Stadium (Oddity)	10000–10099	7–15	15
122	The Swamp	12200–12399	8–17	30
186	Monster Village	18600–18699	9–12	45
194	Shaolin Temple / Fire Pagoda	19400–19499	10–20	55
42	The Bhyroga Valley	4200–4299	9–20	42
91	The Great Forest	9000–9899	3–16	25

Mid-Level Zones (Levels 15–25)

Intermediate content with tougher mobs and better loot.

Zone #	Name	VNUM Range	Level Range	Reset (min)
21	Orc Burrows	2100–2199	15–20	35
46	Swamp o’ Sadness	4600–4699	15–20	60
158	The Haven Lighthouse	15800–15899	15–20	30
110	The Black Sands Desert	11000–11669	16–30	60
143	The Ogre Emperor’s Stronghold	14300–14399	12–20	30
191	Phantom Pirate Ship	19100–19199	12–22	33
142	BlackMUD	14200–14299	21–26	45
25	Prison Island	2000–2699	20–30	35
13	Elemental Planes	1300–1399	27–30	45
57	The Missing Mage	5700–5799	—	60

High-Level Zones (Levels 25–30+)

End-game content. Many of these are flagged (I) (Immortal approval) or (X) (special access).

Zone #	Name	VNUM Range	Level Range	Reset (min)
128	(I)(X) King Solomon’s Mines	12800–12877	22–30	50
161	(I)(X) Sky Castle	16100–16199	20–30	60
141	The Ruined Temple of Paphoset	14100–14199	25–30	40
144	The Grey Keep	14400–14499	26–30	60
31	(X) Glyndwr	3200–3299	24–30	46
41	(I)(X) The Lakeshore Tavern	4100–4199	24–30	30
49	Sulfur Fur Undermountain	4900–4999	29–30	40
27	(X) Amber	3000–3099	25–30	70
225	Amber Cont.	23400–23499	30	70
195	Avian Temple	19500–19599	25–30+	90
197	Ancient Keep of Old King Seilon	19700–19799	—	45

The Continents

Aralius (Main Continent)

The primary landmass. Home to Kir Drax’in (room 8000+), the largest city and default respawn point. Forests, slums, great plains, and ocean coasts surround the city.

Notable zones: Kir Drax’in (80), Great Forest (91), Slums (70), Guard Training Centre (163), Great Plains (151).

Xixieqi (Southern Continent)

A harsh southern landscape of sands, savannas, and ocean waters. Accessible via the Moongates (zone 40).

Notable zones: Xixieqi (48), Xixieqi Sands (50), Xixieqi Highlands (52), Sulfur Fur Mountains (47).

Arakon’s Reaches

Distant planes, islands, and dimensional pockets. Many require Immortal approval or special items to enter.

Notable zones: Prison Island (25), Elemental Planes (13), Sky Castle (161), King Solomon’s Mines (128).

Ocean & Travel Zones

These zones contain travel rooms connecting the continents. Most are non-combat.

Zone #	Name	VNUM Range
124	Swamp and Ocean Waters	12400–12499
125	Ocean and Coastal Waters	12500–12599
126	Southern Ocean/Coastal Waters	12600–12699
127	Xixieqi Ocean Waters	12700–12799
214	Southern Ocean	22200–22299
223	Sea Coast and Coastal Filler Rooms	22300–22399
151	The Great Plains	15100–15799

Player Castles

Players and clans can purchase castle rooms in zones 196 and 198.

Zone #	Name	VNUM Range
196	Player Castles	19600–19699
198	Player Castles Cont.	19800–19899

Using This Guide with Agents

When navigating programmatically, use the ROOM_VNUM variable to determine your current zone:

vnum = variables.get("ROOM_VNUM", 0)
zone_id = vnum // 100  # approximate zone from VNUM

Combine with ROOM_EXITS to plan movement and ROOM_MOBS to assess targets before engaging. The consider command evaluates relative power before committing to combat.

The Dark Pawns Game World

Core Attributes

Combat System

The 2-Second Tick

Attacks Per Round

Hit Chance (THAC0 vs AC)

Positions

Death & Respawn

Regeneration

Guide Directory

Classes

Base Classes

THIEVES

CLERICS

WARRIORS

NINJAS

PSIONICS

MAGES

Remort Classes

ASSASSINS

AVATARS

MAGUS

PALADINS

RANGERS

MYSTICS

Command Reference

Movement

Observation

Information

Communication

Combat

Combat Skills

Position & Rest

Items & Inventory

Shops

Skills & Spells (Guildmaster)

Group & Party

Doors

Clans & Houses

Character Preferences

Miscellaneous

Social Emotes

Wizard Commands (Level 31+)

Game Mechanics Deep-Dive

Combat

THAC0 vs AC (Hit Resolution)

Attacks Per Round

Damage Calculation

Backstab Multiplier

Player Killing (PK)

Restrictions

Outlaw System

Corpse Looting

Economy

Shopkeeper Pricing

Gold & Banking

Remort System

Base Classes (available at character creation)

Remort-Only Classes (unlocked after first Hero)

Experience & Leveling

Useful Formulas Summary

Progression Walkthrough: Level 1 to Hero

Before You Begin

Roll Your Stats

Starting Room

Find Your Guildmaster

Levels 1–6: The City and Surroundings

What to Do

Combat Tips

When to Level

Levels 6–12: Forest and Dungeon Content

What to Do

Items to Pick Up

Loot Strategy (Agents)

Levels 12–20: Mid-Game Push

What to Do

Skills to Have by Level 15

Group Play

Levels 20–26: High-Stakes Content

What to Do