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From: tim@unc.UUCP (Tim Maroney)
Newsgroups: net.games.frp
Subject: Re: An interesting problem...
Message-ID: <5925@unc.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 26-Sep-83 11:17:27 EDT
Article-I.D.: unc.5925
Posted: Mon Sep 26 11:17:27 1983
Date-Received: Tue, 27-Sep-83 04:53:59 EDT
References: ecn-ed.213
Lines: 61


    I'll assume that if you are reading this, you've read the article
that I am responding to.

    First, do NOT get any artifact and expect to use it against Orcus.
Orcus is a deity, and thus immune to most artifact prime powers.
However, the Wand of Orcus would be extremely helpful in bargaining
with him.  Take that as your first magic item.

    Second, what is it that you want to do?  Survival is clearly your
first priority.  The only ways to survive an encounter with Orcus in
the Abyss is to escape or bragain with him, unless your DM is idiotic
enough to have him appear without his retainers.  The best way to do
this is to take two Rings of Three Wishes.  Have a trustworthy party
member wish himself completely invisible to all beings for an hour,
including those who can see invisible.  (This is certainly a
reasonable use of a Wish, and the DM will probably not mess with it,
but still be careful.) He should stand away from the party.  Give him
the second Ring -- he is your way home if things go awry.

    Next, wish for the safe delivery of a bunch of platinum, say a
ton.  Again, be extremely careful.  Using your third wish from the
first ring, wish that the platinum should irrevocably decay to shit in
an hour unless the party is alive and well, and speaks in unison a
certain word.

    The next step is to get a Rod of Cancellation and use one of your
three remaining Wishes to guarantee that it will be at +15 to drain
the item it hits.  Again, this certainly seems a reasonable use of a
Wish, since the Rod is a one-shot item.  This will give the Wand of
Orcus a save of 17 against the Rod.

    You are now ready to bargain on good terms with Orcus, but you
will probably want to take your other magic item.  It is up to you
whether to take it as an additional bargaining chip, or as defensive
magic.  I would probably take the best possible magic-user scroll.

    Use your surprise segment to explain the deal with the platinum,
the Wand, and the Rod.  You can work out the details, but I'm sure he
won't be willing to jeapordize the Wand.  Make your requests
reasonable, and get some safeguards.  When you are content, your
hidden player character should wish you all back to the Prime Material
Plane.  Speak the word that saves the platinum only after you get
back.

    There are a variety of variants on this, of course, but I'll leave
that to you.  The coward's option requires only a Ring of One Wish,
and allows you to avoid the confrontation altogether by wishing
yourselves back home.  The ultra-heroic option has you taking the Iron
Flask of Tuerny the Merciless and attempting to trap Orcus within.
Whatever you do, don't fight him.  He will win, or else you have the
world's worst DM.  He will teleport back to his lair, pick up a lich
or three, and trounce you from there.  Your best bet is to become, if
not his friend, at least a well-respected enemy.  Deal with him
honestly, but do not expect honesty in return.

___________
Tim Maroney
duke!unc!tim (USENET)
tim.unc@udel-relay (ARPA)
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill