Rage
by KingOfPain and Charis

Class: Any
Tag: RAGE

Introduction

In a sentence, Rage is variant of any class that doesn't distribute or add to their main stat... and one which is afflicted by a deadly curse they seek to lift... but the RAGE is much more than this...

All KoP`rage could do was to curl up like a ball trying to protect his head as he bounced down the stairs. He wasn't hurt at all, that sorry piece of a buckler and his agility had saved some skin off his behind. He pulled out a little mirror from his belt (never leave home without it), contented his face wasn't scarred, he made sure none of his hair is out of place and adjusted his cap.

Out of a job and down on his luck, KoP`rage came to Tristram looking for adventure and fortune. While he was searching for work he was tricked to go to the church by a handsome couple (who turn out to be a foul bloodstar throwing goat and a witch in disguise!) with the promise of a job opportunity -- there he was robbed of his gold and pushed down the stairs. The door was then magically sealed behind him to prevent his escape…but not before the witch cast a curse upon him. Maybe they still have other plans for him, or his corpse.

Write your own openings as long as Witchfire and the gang end up being their nemesis.

Insight on the RAGE

The poor hapless Rage goes from a non-adventuring business man to a horribly afflicted creature. He bumbles his way into adventuring, and with time, actually becomes a threat to the monsters. His actions are geared towards trying to overcome or cure the curse. The attempts at "Ironman" (thought to improve one's health), the Corruption Quest, and the constant hunt for Witchfire and Blightfire come out of this life goal.

What is the nature of the affliction? When the character's prime ability is pushed in any way he becomes nauseous, and gets more ill with time. So no lvl-up points go there, and no items are worn. When such an item is equipped, the only way to overcome the nausea is to 'rage out' and go ballistic, attacking everything in sight. This is why he can't "sit still" or calmly remain actionless at a distance. The Constricting Ring covers up the nausea but still hurts the body, and for the mage only, Corruption totally blocks the nausea. Each time he successfully gets through an Ironman segment, or slays Witchfire when she holds a unique item, a tiny piece of the curse is lifted, and he can push a stat one more. The TFoS1 is essentially the anti-curse, and protects the Rage, yet even this is not a full cure. At the present time, no full 'cure' is known, but that doesn't mean one won't be found!...

1: Torn Flesh of Souls, of course! Don't tell me you don't know what TFoS is? For shame! -Lem

Rules

The Rage may be played with all 3 classes and each will have a different flavor. Co-op games with the other Rage classes can be quite fun and similar to a classic Ironman or LoL team with a twist.

The only time you may distribute lvlup points to your primary stat is upon completion of each Ironman Quest. The bonus is calculated differently for each difficulty. In addition, one curative elixir of the primary stat may be used each time WitchFire drops a unique item.

- Warrior - the Frail, no lvl up points to Str
- Rogue - the Clumsy, no lvl up points to Dex
- Mage - the Dull, no lvl up points to Magic

The RAGE can become enraged. When Enraged, No retreat. If a monster is seen, the character cannot run away, leave the room to get behind a door, or flee to a corner. Their anger is great and they will charge an opponent (*which* opponent is up to them, and a key tactical decision).

When does one become enraged?
(Picture Bruce Banner and the Incredible Hulk here for a minute...) The character, under the strain of the curse, does the best he/she can, but sometimes, they just go over the edge and go enraged. Entering dlvl 16, getting slain, seeing a boss, or getting their rear kicked once too often, are all enough to bring out the Rage.

When does it end?
When the foe who caused the rage, or the character are dead, or when the area is totally clear and they get to calm down.

Items

Rage Activation
When any of these items are worn, you are ENRAGED.

- Warrior - Any items that adds Str, +Dmg such as Slaughter or King's (Fire and Lightning Dmg, Thorns effects don't count and are legal)
- Rogue - Any items that add Dex, +ToHit such as Strange or King's, +2slvl (i.e. AA or Thinking Cap)
- Mage - Any items that add Magic or Mana, spells from staves. +slvl (i.e. Dreamflange or Angel)
- All Classes - Plus To-All attributes

Enchanted and Unique
All Unique and magical items are allowed as long as none of the properties conflicts with any of the restrictions. All unidentified magical and unique items are allowed, for example, Eaglehorn for its indestructibility, StormShield and Gotterdamerung for its AC or a Naj's Light Plate for its good looks.

Constricting Ring & TFoS
A ring specially created to temporary treat patients with the rage curse. The treatment is not perfect at all; the curse is too strong for the ring to completely overcome its entire effect. This method to control your rage also has a deadly side effect: it uses your life force for its power. The ring has barely enough power to subdue your rage to a degree that another restricted ring can be worn. (When a Constricting Ring is worn, you are able to wear another ring of your choice without being enraged.)

Nonetheless, this ring is much sought after by all Rages. The use of this ring together with the Torn Flesh of Souls can completely counter the force of the curse. Furthermore, the Constricting Ring is as precious to a Rage as a Corruption item to a BNM. (See quest below.)

Beware of cheap imitations of Torn Flesh of Souls. Only the one dropped by WitchFire, her son Blightfire, or sister WitchMoon, is the authentic and legitimate Rage TFoS. WitchFire had imbued with it the many souls of dead heroes who had befallen to her curse. When the TFoS is worn together with the Constricting Ring, WitchFire's curse can no longer affect you. You may equip any other items of your choice without being raged.

Corruption
The Dull (mages) alone have an extra help in the fight against the curse. Wearing a corruption items nullifies the effects of wearing +mana and/or +magic. (Well, it also nullifies completely the benefit.)

Shrines & Elixirs

The following elixirs and shrines are prohibited...

- Warrior - Str elixir, Creepy shrine
- Rogue - Dex elixir, Abandoned shrine
- Sorcerer - Magic elixir, Eerie Shrine
- All classes - Fountain of Tear, and Mysterious.

Also Goat shrines and Cauldrons are not allowed since they may have effects against your restrictions. To use an Enchanted Shrine, Witchfire must be found and killed in that game.

Quests

1) Starting Out
Your character is to start life as an Ironman, which means no town service is allowed for the duration of this stage. This quest is to be done solo. However, a co-op game with other new RAGE characters can be fun and allowed

In addition to normal Ironman rules:

- You are not allowed to spend the 100 gold. Drop the 100 gold pieces before entering the Church.
- "Elixir and Shrines" and "Lvlup points" restrictions are enforced from creation of the character.
- During this quest, you may use any items without being ENRAGED.
- If you are killed, you may be resurrect by a Rage partner, but no restart in town.
- You have to restart with a new character and try again if you do not make it out of the Church alive. Your quest is completed once all monsters in the Church are dead.

Bonus!
If you continue the Ironman quest beyond the Church and manage to clear dlvl 5 (required for bonus) and farther, you may distribute Lvlup points to your primary stat equal to the clvl you died at. Points to your primary stat can only be distributed after the quest.

2) N/H and Hell Ironman
When you reach clvl 20 (but before clvl 25) and again on reaching 30 (up to 33 ok), you should go for a Ironman-rules game again in NM and Hell difficulty, respectively. Special rules/allowance for NM and Hell diff - Two choices.

- i) go with your current gear which character found or bought (*not* received in trade or as gift)
- ii) take 3 shopping games to buy ONE set of equipment (from Adria, Wirt and Gris) Items restrictions applies to bought items, but not for items you'll find in the quest.

You may start with 2 full rejuv potions. A RAGE party may start with 1 res [party must also be RAGE characters, or at least follow their stat rules and use game-shopped items only]

The Reward is the Reason
Endurance here pays off. +1 to prime stat for each dungeon level cleared, as long as the party makes it out of church alive.

3) Hostage Quest

Phase 1 - Take the Hostage
Blightfire (Unique Boss of Fire Clan Archer, Dlvl 7), son of Witchfire, find and take him hostage in the hope that WitchFire will be more reasonable to negotiate when you are hunting Witchfire for the TFoS. As soon as any Fire Clan Archers or Blightfire is spotted, you must clear the level of monsters in Blightfire's presence to over awe him into submission. Do not kill him once the level is cleared, take him hostage. (OK, so you can't really. Bring him to stairs and, er... subdue him.)

Phase 2 - Negotiation
Witchfire the Unholy (Unique Boss of Succubus, Dlvl 12). Perhaps the wicked witch will finally give you the TFOS now that you have her son as hostage... perhaps she'll cure you! (More likely, not. But +1 prime stat allowed if this is completed successfully)

4) Killing Diablo
The stench of corruption turn you into a Rage when you enter Diablo's lair. You are once again enraged, not because of the curse but because of the foulness. Becoming enraged is automatic, and irreversible for all of dlvl 16.

Reward: Titles
First dot - Rage of the Clouds
Second dot - Rage of Lightning
Third dot - Rage of Thunder

5) The Constrictor Quest
Once the Constricting Ring is found by a Rage, he should undergo this test of strength at the earliest opportunity and every 5 Clvl thereafter.

- Leave all equipment in town and equip the CR together with a ring of your choice.
- You are allowed a half belt (4 pots) of either full Heal or Mana potions (no Rejuv allowed)
- No teleport is allowed.
- All monster bosses you meet must be killed.
- You may use any items you find in the dungeon.
- Find the stair down and go as deep as you can.
- Upon entering of a new level before you have made any moves, you may pause and take the CR off. This is meant to give you break in-between levels, the CR must be equipped before you make a move.

Reward: Titles
Bleeder of the (n)lvl for Normal difficulty.
Blood Donor of the (n)lvl for N/M difficulty.
Constrictor of the (n)lvl for Hell difficulty.

6) The UltraRage Corruption Quest
The desperate rage, in hopes of finding a cure, finds an item of corruption (or if clvl 40, is desperate enough to trade for one) and undergoes a special quest they hope will cure the Curse.

NM/Church is entered, and the Corruption item put on - its magical energies course thru the body, and helm them become an "UltraRage". (Continuing to wear is optional, see below)

An UltraRage equips a set of enraged gear. The gear must be such that +stat items are required to equip this gear, so (s)he is required to use +stat gear to equip the items. They switch in an instant between enraged and normal, with a total change in outward appearance, just by swapping one item. Some examples...

1. Warrior Rage, with STR 40, equips AFP, Obs Helm Stars, Jade Tower shield of Power, Dreamflange, Ruby Wiz, and two +mana/+magic. A titans jewel is used to get these on then removed. The Helm, Armor and Plate go red. When the titans jewel is swapped in later, BOOM - UltraRage! (Would suggest swapping out the DF for a KSOS or KSOSlaughter as well)
2. Rogue Rage, with 40 dex and 55 STR, equips SFPoPrecision, Strange LBB of Heavens, Thinking Cap, Obs/Wiz, and two +mana/+magic. The Bow and Plate are 'red'. Swap in a Zod+20 - BOOM! UltraRage!
3. Mage Rage, with 40 Magic, 45 STR, equips Cranium Basher, Obs Field Plate of Sorcery, Obs Great Helm of Sorcery, a Kings/Titans sword.
4. Mage Rage, with 40 Magic, 45 STR, equips Cranium Basher, Obs Field Plate of Sorcery, Obs Great Helm of Sorcery, a Kings/Titans sword.

To pull this off perfectly requires a nice +all or +str, a decent -all/-str and some very nice gear. Then again, it's meant for high level rages. Do the best you can, sticking with the 'flavor' of this quest - at a minimum the external armor/mail/plate graphic should change when you 'go Ultra'.

Class Comments and IM Tips

Warrior
Don't complain that the warrior gets to max Dex as he would normally do anyway. While he might have an easier time in the Churches, the lack of strength will begin to show in the lower Cats when he couldn't even equip a Long sword or a Scale mail.

For that reason, the solo Iron-Rage warrior should not neglect his Magic even before he maxes Dex. Heal spell is going to be important, as well as enough Magic to read and cast Firewall and Lightning. He'll need 20 to read the first Lightning book and 24 for the second book. Likewise, he'll need 27 Magic to read the first FireWall book and 32 to read the second, and 28 Magic to cast a slvl 1 FireWall. He will need 20 Magic to use a Lightning staff and 27 for FireWall.

Don't throw away that bow just yet, it's going to save a lot of skins. He can use up to Battle bows both Short and Long, but not enough Str for War bows with his natural Str.

Holy Bolt, why not? If you are still low on Magic and wonder if you should add to it to read that HB book before you face Leo, the answer is "no" if that's the only purpose requires 20 mag.

Rogue
Being a wannabe minimage is not the easiest thing to do either. Durability, especially on bows, can be a real problem if you don't find many, as that's always the case. With no Dex to lvl points being allowed you will notice you have to get closer to the target to be able to hit them. I am pretty sure you'd want avoid melee with the monsters not just because of your low Dex, but also the wear and tear on your equipment.

Ever find a "nice" item and it's gold or red when it's equipped? Have you hugged and kissed your warrior today to show your appreciation for his fine repair job? Just as a beginning mage should try to conserve mana by not shooting at monsters until they are up close (and not quite personal yet) and possibly lined up for a straight shot, the minimage should also adopt this tactic to conserve bow durability. You need to preserve durability for the Butcher and Leo.

If you are lucky to know HB before facing Leo, try to weaken Leo a bit with your bow before wasting your mana. Remember that you are a minimage now and there maybe room full of archer skels waiting for those delicious Holy Bolts.

Put most of your lvl up points to Magic; you will need the Magic ToHit and mana. Slowly build up your strength to 25; you will need it to use a Long bow because you don't even have enough Dex to use a Hunter's bow.

Mage
The Muscle Mage wannabe. Use a bow most of the time in the beginning before your Dex and Str is built-up, except of course when nearing lvl up.

Use the stair trap for the Butcher and kill him with arrows.

Facing Leo without HB is a dire situation. Unless you have extremely good luck with items, melee with Leo is not advised even at your clvl and stats. Even with the same dex a warrior would have at the same clvl, you swing and block too slowly. Your HPs are truly pitiful - 2+ hits from Leo will see you kissing the floor. Using a bow is pretty hopeless too since you shoot too slowly and inflict too little meaningful damage against Leo's recovery rate. Skip him and get more exp in lvl 4, and hopefully you will find better spells, if not HB. A couple slvl of Fire Wall would be nice.

Normal Play
At first glance, one might think that these characters in their normal setup might end up playing like a Low Ac Warrior, Muscle Mage and MiniMage.

LAW
Not quite. The restriction on +Dmg and +Str will limit your chance to stun your enemies, and the lack of +To All adders will limit your choice of items and stats. Eventually, playing semi Turtle Mage may be an alternative.

Muscle Mage
The lack of +all will hinder your balance for Str to wear a full plate and HP adders for life. Your mana pool is too small for Mana Shield to protect you.

MiniMage
Restrictions on +Slvl items and Enchanted Shrines will keep your slvls low. The lack of +To All adders means you will have a harder time balancing your setup. Other restrictions also limit your choice of items and stats.