Ice Queen Domain

The Ice Queen Domain (shorthand name: IC) is a ten-level location west of the Tower of Eternal Flames. It can be accessed by any character upon reaching experience level 15.

Main Features[]

The Ice Queen Domain features a variety of notable mechanics:

Ineffective fire attacks

Most of the fire-based attacks available to the PC do not work properly. This includes Burning Hands, Fire Bolt, Fireball and Improved Fireball spells, wands of fire, wands of fireballs, crystals of fire, and the explosion from dipping a scroll of corruption removal into a potion of raw chaos. However, fireballs from offensive alchemy and the Chaos Orb of Elemental Fire still work.

Monsters are similarly afflicted. Those with fire-breath attacks (such as various red dragons and fire elementals) may attempt to use them to no avail (with a corresponding message about the monster in question being very surprised at such outcome). Fire vortices are unable to explode, and will use melee attacks instead.

Slower movement

The base energy cost for movement over snowy ground and ice is 1390, considerably higher than the 1000 base cost normally associated with movement.

PCs can eliminate this penalty entirely by wearing an amulet of free action. Otherwise, the final movement cost is calculated by reducing the heightened base cost (1390) by 10 for every two points of Strength above 1, until 79 Strength at which point the penalty would be eliminated.

Ongoing damage from cold

The temperature on all levels is very low, dealing damage to any monsters which are not cold-resistant (but not to the PC).

If the PC kills 20 or more of the domain's inhabitants (with some exceptions listed below), the cold will worsen and begin to deal cold-based damage to the PC and their items made out of cold-vulnerable materials, including scrolls, potions, books, gems, wands of door creation, and amulets of light. Only one such item can be destroyed per turn.

Monsters which do not count towards the 20 kill limit: the fire monsters on IC:3, the chaos diplomat on IC:4, all monsters on IC:5, the prisoners on IC:7, and all monsters on the dungeon level.

Speed penalties for Drakelings

Due to being cold-blooded, Drakelings exploring this location will incur a base speed reduction of 50. Unlike D:49, the speed penalty does not get progressively worse with time spent in the level. However, if a Drakeling PC exceeds the 20 kill limit mentioned in the previous section, they will have their speed reduced by a further 100 due to the worsening cold.

Warming up in the nearby Tower of Eternal Flames is a way to at least temporarily offset this penalty.

Unique level traversal mechanics

Unlike in usual dungeons, the levels in the Ice Queen Domain normally are not connected by stairs and instead the PC has to cross each level to the other side in order to reach the next one. Some levels have multiple open borders which typically lead directly to the wilderness and can be used as shortcuts. However, the architecture of the levels is straightforward enough for the player to identify the right path.

Increased weight limit for ice bridges

Ice bridges in the Ice Queen Domain can support a PC with up to 3000s of items, rather than the usual 2000s.

Suppressed teleportation

Teleportation by any means is suppressed on all levels except the dungeon level.

Limited monster generation

There is no random monster generation except on the dungeon level.

Levels

IC: 1 — The Moat House Area

The first level features the entrance to the ice queen's castle. The entrance is guarded by two hostile snow golems which respawn every time the PC enters the location. Destroying the bridge squares where they show up using a pick axe or staff of minor volcano summoning prevents this. They can also be farmed for XP, but they do count towards the 20 kill limit.

The level then features a long corridor to the western side of the map. The two big halls behind the doors on the north and south sides are packed with ice statues. Each hall has a door on its west side, leading to a small treasure chamber. Each spot within these chambers contains several hundred gold pieces and 0-2 other items. Occasionally, one or more of these items will be an artifact.

IC: 2 — The Small Court

The second level contains no monsters and features a large straight path connecting the east and west sides, with the western part filled with traps, and two hidden pathways. Only the upper pathway is accessible—its entrance can be found by 's'earching for a secret passage. This pathway leads to a down staircase to the dungeon level. By traversing the dungeon level and surfacing trough its second staircase the PC can reach the second secret pathway of IC:2. The second pathway can be accessed without going through the dungeon by using a wand of destruction. It contains a ring of fire resistance and a wand of cold.

The Detect traps skill, wand of trap detection, and staff of sensing traps are useful for getting through the trapped area safely. Since this is a no-teleport area, ceiling traps show up to replace teleport traps. Dropping all destructible items before walking through is also a possibility.

ICD — The Dungeon

The dungeon level is the only location within the Ice Queen Domain that is generated randomly. It may feature random monsters aside from the usual ice inhabitants. A small number of extremely high DL monsters (e.g. balors, greater elementals, wyrms, etc) seem to be a guaranteed feature of the dungeon level. All of the monsters on this level are enraged, immune to Calm Monster, and generated at a higher level than normal. The dungeon level features two up staircases, both of which lead to the IC:2 level described above. Unlike the surface levels, teleportation is allowed in the dungeon.

IC: 3 — The Training Grounds

The third level features a battle between ice and fire armies. The ice army consists of the usual inhabitants of the Ice Queen Domain and starts in the northwestern corner far from PC. They are initially peaceful to the player. The army of fire consists of red dragons, fire giants, fire giant kings, fire elementals and fire grues and starts in the southeastern corner near the player. Despite the fact that fire warriors are hostile to the PC they initially ignore them and rush to attack the ice army. The fire monsters are generated enraged, making them even more dangerous than usual.

Usually the ice army ends up victorious and will wander around the level oblivious to the PC. However, picking up any items will instantly anger some ice creatures and prompt them to attack. If the fire team wins, it's usually possible to keep a safe distance and wait for them to succumb to the cold. The fight can be tilted in team fire's favor by targeting the ice vortices with missile attacks. Simply confirming a missile attack prompt will anger them, at the cost of some alignment.

The opening in the walls where team fire spawned can be used to exit to the wilderness. Moving back to IC:2 from the highest possible square places the PC in a wall. Moving north out of the wall allows the PC to bypass all of the challenges in IC:3, 4, and 5, although they will need to be dealt with on the way back out.

IC: 4 — The Grand Hallway

The fourth level features a single frozen lake at the center of which stands an enchained chaos diplomat. When talked to, he will give a quest to kill the Ice Queen. PCs carrying over 3000s of items without water breathing, high Swimming, or a way of levitating should drop them immediately upon entering.

IC: 5 — The Inner Courtyard

The fifth level continues with several tiles of frozen water and features a large zigzag-like corridor. On the east side of the level there is a hostile berserker prince who will shout insults and immediately charge at the PC. A number of turns after that, he will unlock the southern wall unleashing 200 monsters from the secret room. The monsters released are of high danger, including ice vortices and white dragons, and considering the open-spaced type of the level and inability to teleport may be lethal to some PCs. If the prince is killed quickly (invisibility helps with this, as then he won't notice the PC until attacked), the trap can be avoided entirely. The player can return to this level later when they are ready and unlock the wall with wand of destruction.

The eastern part contains a number of berserkers and yetis (which are blocking the path to the next level). If the PC is invisible, both berserkers and yetis can be avoided entirely by switching places with them (although the monster which was displaced will be able to track the PC).

IC: 6 — The Frozen Garden

The sixth level features a forest filled with yetis. The yetis are neutral by default and do not move but will attack the PC should he or she come closer to them. Trees in the forest can be chopped down seemingly without consequences.

IC: 7 — The Prison Section

The seventh level has two features: a guaranteed forge and a number of prison cells. Room doors (but not the prison cell doors) are guarded by ice statues which are, however, oblivious to the PC and any actions (s)he undertakes.

The forge is located in the room in the southeastern corner.

The prison occupies the top part of the map and consists of 1x1 cells. Every cell is located behind a locked (but never trapped) door. Most of the cells contains only bones but some contain living monsters. When the PC releases them, some will be grateful for that and join him/her as companions but most will try to kill the PC before fleeing. Players should be cautious as monsters of very high danger level such as unicorns and werewolf kings can be generated.

The entrance to the next level is on the southern side.

IC: 8 — The Grand Antechamber

The eighth level is a large open space similar to the Big Room. As the in-game description implies there are multiple hot springs located throughout the level (along with water tiles). Combined with freezing temperatures of the Ice Queen Domain hot springs create a unique environmental effect: constant powerful wind gusts that have the ability to blow off the PC's helmet and any item equipped in their hands as well as a chance to throw the PC one tile in the random direction. Characters without Swimming and water protection will suffer all negative effects if they are thrown on a water tile.

There are no monsters on the level and no other features except the multiple water tiles. The winds make the prior level a good place to make use of the Crown of science for spellbook-reading purposes, as no resources will need to be spent to remove it.

The entrance to the next level is on the western side.

ICT — The Throne Room

The final level is the main hall featuring the ice queen herself and lots of invisible stalkers. The ice queen will give non-chaotic characters her three quests which, like Thrundarr's, must be completed (and are given) in sequence.

Inhabitants[]

Random monsters in the prison cells and on the dungeon level.

Quests[]

Quests from the ice queen and the chaos diplomat are available.