ADOM Guidebook


The Tower of Eternal Flames

Click here for a color map of the Fire Temple.

The Tower of Eternal Flames is probably the nastiest place in the game given the experience level of PCs who must visit it. PCs are denied entrance to the lower CoC until they have the Chaos Orb of Elemental Fire, held by the Ancient Chaos Wyrm in the ToEF, and the game stalls at this point. PCs can continue to gain experience levels by staying on available cavernous levels (for instance) in order to have a better chance in the Tower. Ultimately, however, boredom will set in and the PC will have to face the Tower. Obtaining the Fire Orb is a huge hurdle to get over and marks a division between the earlier, beginning parts of the game and the latter parts of the game. Some players also believe it marks the division between beginning and advanced players.

The Tower of Eternal Flames consists of four levels. They are all very, very hot. This causes damage to both the PC and his equipment, whether worn or in the pack. To protect the PC, fire resistance or immunity is necessary. Fire resistance in ADOM comes in three stages. It is very unwise to attempt the Tower without at least level two fire resistance. A variety of corpses grant fire resistance when eaten. The message the game generates indicates the level of fire resistance gained by the PC. Some examples:

Level one: You suddenly feel very hot! (fire beetle)
Level two: This stuff cools you down! (fire lizard)
Level three: Your stomach seems to be burning in bright flames. (bigger fire creatures, e.g. fire drakes, red dragons)

There are a number of artifacts that grant fire resistance or immunity. Two guaranteed examples are the elemental gauntlets (resistance) and the Crown of Science (immunity, but also dooms and curses). It is worth remembering that artifacts are indestructible and so cannot be damaged by the heat in the Tower.

Drakelings face special problems in the ToEF. The Mad Minstrel sings a song about this. Drakelings, even those with level three fire resistance and/or fire immunity, always take damage in the ToEF. This is not because of the heat itself but is a secondary effect due to the greatly increased metabolism drakelings will suffer from in the ToEF. There is no way around it. In order to survive, drakelings must have a means of regeneration or healing in the ToEF. Ideally an artifact that causes regeneration should be worn. An alternative is to bring blessed potions of extra healing along. It is possible for drakelings to do the ToEF with only three or four blessed PoEH if everything is done efficiently with no wasted time.

One technique drakelings (and other races for that matter) can use is to read a blessed scroll of magic mapping upon entering a new level of the ToEF followed by teleportation to the up stairway. Obviously the PC must have the necessary scrolls, wands or spell and teleport control.

The heat in the tower will destroy equipment that is vulnerable to fire. This includes most items that are not made of the higher metals mithril, adamantium and eternium. Artifacts are of course the exception.

If a PC must wear items vulnerable to fire, a blessed ring of ice is necessary. Uncursed rings of ice will not work, they must be blessed. Even with a blessed ring of ice, some equipment destruction may occur. Blessed rings of ice seem to protect to the 92-95% level. Even wearing two blessed rings of ice does not guarantee worn equipment will not be destroyed, although the protection seems to go up to 99+%. A ring of ice is of course not necessary if the PC wears only artifacts and items made of the higher metals. Missiles are an obvious problem. It is rare to find enough arrows made from higher metals to satisfy an archer in the ToEF, for instance. Even rocks are vulnerable to the heat, sometimes exploding. Non-artifact slings, bows and crossbows are liable to be burnt or melted. If the PC is not doomed or cursed, fireproof blankets (particularly blessed ones) are sufficient to protect the PC's pack. Fireproof blankets do not protect worn equipment, of course. If the PC is doomed or cursed, for instance from wearing the Crown of Science, which grants fire immunity, fireproof blankets seem to disintegrate much more readily.

This whole situation is very vexing, because the ToEF contains a very nasty collection of monsters and the PC naturally wants to bring his best equipment with him, but at the same time does not want it destroyed.

One thing to remember - rings are never destroyed until the gauntlets worn over them are destroyed. Since the artifact elemental gauntlets are available to all PCs, this provides a foolproof means of protecting nonartifact rings.

The objective in the ToEF is of course the Chaos Orb of Elemental Fire. It is held by the Ancient Chaos Wyrm who can be found on the top level of the ToEF. This level is typical of the levels containing elemental temples. The temple itself occupies half of the level and is disconnected. It can only be reached by digging. Teleportation is not allowed on the level. Since a PC may have his only means of digging destroyed on his way through the tower, praying on the top level will result in a pickaxe gift from the PC's god.

The temple itself is occupied by problematic monsters. These include fire elementals, chaos servants, fire grues, fire drakes and fire demons in addition to the orb guardian. The fire demons and fire grues in particular are annoying because they have a corrupting melee attack with a very high to-hit. Even PCs with excellent DV will be hit eventually. Taken as a whole, this means that invisibility is very, very desirable in the Fire Temple. Only the Ancient Chaos Wyrm sees invisible. It is possible for a PC to sneak into the temple while invisible, kill no more than two or three monsters including the orb guardian, retrieve the orb and leave.

2.19.1 The Ancient Chaos Wyrm

The Ancient Chaos Wyrm holds the Chaos Orb of Elemental Fire, the key to the lower parts of the CoC. It has a fire breath attack and a corrupting melee attack. In addition it is able to cast confusion and an energy ray. It is able to heal its wounds. The ACW can be killed in a variety of ways including brute force, although it is preferable to attack it from a distance due to its corrupting melee attack. The ACW is vulnerable to cold attacks (as are most of the monsters in the temple) and dragon slaying ammo. If it is killed on the temple's altar, be extraordinarily careful! If the PC is visible the fire demons will sacrifice him instantly. Even if the PC is invisible, fire demons who have been engaged in melee will "know" where the PC is and sacrifice him. The safest thing to do is kick anything dropped on the altar to an adjacent square before picking it up. The elemental altars can only be converted by champions of Balance or Order, which means PCs going for an ultra ending cannot convert them early in the game, before retrieving the Medal of Chaos.

An examination of the Ancient Chaos Wyrm with a blessed stethoscope reveals:

You examine the Ancient Chaos Wyrm. Diagnosis: Level: 1, DV: 50, PV: 20, Hits: 209, Attacks: 3, Damage: 15-51. Speed: 98.


Updated June 19th, 2002
© Copyright Andrew Williams 2000-2002