Playing a Thaum by Bruce Lindquist Thaumaturges (a.k.a. Warrior-Priests) are unique characters in LOK. They have numerous advantages and drawbacks, which tend to balance each other out. Playing one takes some practice however, and this is what this is all about. ADVANTAGES The biggest advantage of the thaum over other classes (with the exception of knights) is the Heal spell. Judicious and rapid use of this spell has saved my skin numerous times. Thaums also have an advantage over knights when hunting with other players: they can heal PCs outside their own hex. Also, thaums possess two very powerful and effective offensive spells: Death and Stun. The ability to Stun crits is incredibly useful. It can give you time to run away and heal yourself, or set your enemies up for a vicious attack. The best combination of spells that I have ever seen is the stun-lightning combo. It is extremely effective on -3 and -4 Kesmai, Troll Town, -300 Underkingdom, and all of Leng. Any place that critters appear in groups of 2 or 3 is an excellent place to use this combo. For taking care of bigger, deadlier crits, like Minotaurs, Death is a great spell. It affects almost every creature in the game. Also, Death is good for taking out the stronger of the non-lair crits. Since they seem to prefer travelling singly, it would be foolish to waste a Lightning spell on them. Another advantage of thaums is the ability to summon creatures. Summoning a djinn to draw an enemy's fire is a very effective tactic, especially if the enemy's attacks are fizzling most of your spells. The create snake spell is also great fun. To 'solo' Daisy or even the Troll King, simply hold about 125000 gold in your right hand and cast the spell. Then, sit back and watch the god-snake feast on your enemies (this won't work on Mama or the OL). The last advantage that thaums have is the incredible variety of protective spells they pack. With a higher-level thaum in a group, players have little to fear from spell-casting monsters or poison. Thaums also have slightly higher hit points than Wizzies, and seem to be much better with weapons. DISADVANTAGES The biggest disadvantage of thaums is the random-fizzle they suffer. The ghods of Kesmai are a fickle lot, and they seem to take perverse delight in putting their followers through all sorts of trials and tribulations. I don't know how many times I've been low on health in a battle and had my Heal spell fizzle right when I needed it the most. That's why even thaums should carry balms :) Another disadvantage is the significant lack of area-effect spells. Lightning affects only one hex, and it isn't good for zoos. It also takes a LONG time to get Poison Cloud (I haven't even got it yet), and that spell is incredibly dangerous. Poison Cloud works like the Wizard's WhirlWind; it bounces off of walls and can easily kill the caster. The first time my wiz cast WW, he ended up committing suicide :( It takes off hit points at a phenomenal rate, roughly about 25-35 a second (this is based on my experiences with WW; from what I've heard, WW and PC are roughly equivalent in damage potential). TIPS ON PLAYING A THAUM The best thing you can do is PRACTICE. Heal players in the lockers, cast Protection From Fire, Strength, and Protection From Cold whenever possible. The faster you get Stun, Heal, Lightning, and Death the better. These should be your primary spells. Once you reach "Summoner of Phantasms," create djinns to train yourself in weapons and offensive magic. Remember, killing DJs won't get you marks, change your alignment, or give you karma. Whatever you do, DO NOT summon demons anywhere near town or in the Kesmai dungeons. Demons don't always come up lawful, and the evil ones have a tendency to kill newer, weaker players at an alarming rate. Each player the demon kills adds a mark to your account. Get 3 and it's bye-bye. As for weapons, it's largely up to the player. For those who prefer a more physical style of fighting, the BBS is a great weapon (good blocking, hits hard), as are MA skills (great blocking, incredible damage, ability reduced by armor). For those who prefer magical combat, you should check out threestaff or staff training. A well-trained thaum or wizzie packing an Overlord Staff of Blocking (best block in game, worst attack in game) is nigh invulnerable to physical attacks. Until you reach "Healer," don't go below -2 Kesmai. Below there, the creatures are much stronger and more of them travel in groups. One you reach "Canon," you might want to try -3 or -4, as the Lightning spell you gain at that level is very effective against grouped crits and Death is great for dealing with the Chaotic Human spellcasters you encounter on -4. In general, Thaums are characters of extremes. They have both strong advantages and strong disadvantages. Weather you like them or not depends largely on your style of play. People who try to use a thaum like a knight in close-combat with 6+ enemies quickly learn not to. Using them as they are intended (as a combination warrior-magic user) can lead to a very rewarding playing experience. I hope this helps to keep you baby thaums alive out there. Remember, the more you play, the easier it gets!