Hobbit quest
The Hobbit quest saw you fighting Gollum for the One Ring. For more information on the quest branch in general, see the quest article.
| Home level | The Shire |
|---|---|
| Locate level | The Misty Mountains |
| Goal level | Gollum's Lair |
| Leader | Bilbo Baggins |
| Guardians | proudfoots (proudfeet?) |
| Nemesis | Gollum |
| Quest Artifact | The One Ring |
Levels
The Shire
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The two-way magic portal back to the Dungeons of Doom is at the marked point at the bottom right. Bilbo Baggins is on the throne, and there are two proudfoots and a chest in the same building. Inside the chest are an elven mithril-coat, four food rations, and two random rings. There are four proudfoots surrounding the building. Seven of the eight other buildings each contain a peaceful hobbit, and the remaining one is a lawful temple. The hobbit in the upper-rightmost house is standing on the downstair. The town is also populated by two peaceful dwarves, a peaceful gnome, and two peaceful Green-elves, all randomly placed. The X mark indicates an engraving reading "Farmer Maggot's Orchard. Private property. Keep out!", and the enclosed area behind it contains two stacks of two apples each, two oranges, a carrot, a banana, a pear, a melon, and Farmer Maggot himself. Each is placed randomly at one of the numbered marks in the enclosure. There are two giant eels in the river; other hostile monsters are three kobolds, two large kobolds, a swamp kobold, a rock kobold, a kobold lord, an Uruk-hai, a goblin, a hobgoblin, a cave spider, a giant spider, two other random s, two Nazgul, a barrow wight, and one other random W, all placed at random. The level also contains six pits, two spiked pits, and a rolling boulder trap. The entire level is no-teleport and has a hard floor; all of the walls are undiggable except for the ones around the orchard.
Upper filler level
This is an ice-plain level, containing a large kobold, a rock kobold, a swamp kobold, two wargs, two wolves, two killer bees, two cave spiders, a giant spider, two random o, three random h, two random a, two random s; nine random objects; two rolling boulder traps, two pit traps, and four other random traps.
The Misty Mountains
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The stairs are at the marked positions. The central room contains four Uruk-hai, twelve goblins, and three ogres, and the marked traps are a pit, a spiked pit, a squeaky board, and a magic trap; the level also has a goblin, an ogre, a random o, a random O, two random traps, and fifteen random items. The entire level has undiggable walls and floor. Teleportation is permitted. Note that due to the lack of actual walls, magic mapping the level will only show you the location of the down stairs.
Lower filler level(s)
This is a cavernous level, with a goblin, two Uruk-hai, two ogres, a random o, two random T, four random s, and two random a; eleven random objects; and four random traps, all placed randomly.
Gollum's Lair
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The upstair is at the marked point. Gollum is on the throne with the One Ring and a chest, surrounded by four swamp kobolds and two random o. All eight spaces adjacent to the throne contain a random object. The lake surrounding the throne contains a giant eel, an electric eel, and two other random ;. The area filled with a is considered a beehive. The level also contains two random o, four random k, a random r, two random W, a random Z, four giant ants, four fire ants, a random h, five random objects, and six random traps. The entire level is considered a swamp and has undiggable walls; teleportation is allowed.
Messages
Entry
First time:
You find yourself back home in the familiar countryside of the Shire. Something is amiss, though. When you were last here, the grass on the ground was kept meticulously cropped by the local gardeners, but now it grows long and unkempt. You hear none of the usual merry Hobbit-song coming from the houses. Even the air seems colder than you remember it. You recognise the large building in the centre of the village as Bag-End, home of the wise Bilbo Baggins. Perhaps he will be able to explain what is going on here.
Next time:
Once again, you are back at the Shire.
If already rejected twice due to bad alignment:
You are back at the Shire. It is unpleasantly cold, and the sky seems darker than usual. You have a strange feeling that this may be the last time you ever come here.
Quest guardians
If #chatting before the quest is complete:
"I knew Gollum was not to be trusted." "On the way to the Misty Mountains, be careful. The road is hazardous." "Since Gollum left, we have been afraid to leave our houses." "Gollum's behaviour is disgraceful to Hobbitkind." "Bilbo Baggins is old. I fear this worry is not good for him."
Quest leader
When you first meet your quest leader:
"I cannot say how glad I am to see you, <playername>. Alas, you return to us in troubled times. Our only hope is for some brave soul to offer us help in defending the Shire. Let me see first if you are ready to help us."
When you return, having been rejected due to lack of experience:
"I hope you are ready now, <playername>. Our fear for the future of the Shire grows greater."
This message is not currently used:
"By <Iluvatar|Gilthoniel>, <playername>, I hope you are ready for us this time."
When you are expelled from the quest for having failed the alignment test seven times:
"Alas, <playername>, you are not worthy to serve us. Begone from the Shire, and never return."
When being rejected due to lack of experience:
"I am sorry, <playername>, a mere <currentrank> could never save us. Go, learn more, and return to us as a respectable Ring Winner, and I will consider your case again.
When being rejected due to having worse than pious alignment:
"Oh, <playername>, I cannot allow it. One who has strayed from the <lawful|neutral> path cannot possibly defend the Shire in the name of <Iluvatar|Gilthoniel>." "I hope to see you again when you have learned the error of your ways. Only a truly <lawful|neutral> Hobbit could hope to complete this task."
When finally assigned the quest:
"Yes, <playername>. As a learned <currentrank>, you are indeed now worthy of this undertaking. "Often I have told you of the adventures I had in my youth. No doubt, then, that you will recall the name of Gollum. We believed him to be dead. Not so. After you left us in search of the Amulet, he returned. "It seemed to us that he had changed greatly. He was uncannily polite and took interest in matters of concern for the Shire. But we were fooled, <playername>. One day I left him to mind Bag-End, and when I returned, he was gone, and the One Ring stolen. "If I know Gollum, he has surely returned to the Misty Mountains, where I first encountered him years ago. With the One Ring under his control, he has made himself powerful once more, and his minions once again terrorise the Shire. <playername>, you are our last hope. Travel to the Misty Mountains, defeat Gollum and recover the One Ring in the name of <Iluvatar|Gilthoniel>!"
Encouragement
If you subsequently chat to your quest leader, you are encouraged:
"Gollum is crafty. Do not let him fool you as he has fooled us." "With the One Ring in Gollum's hands, the Shire will not last long." "You must retrieve the One Ring. The future of Hobbitkind depends on it." "If Gollum gives you trouble, call upon <Iluvatar|Gilthoniel> for help." "Too many times I have forgiven Gollum. Not this time." "Hurry, <playername>! The Shire grows weak."
Locate and goal levels
When first entering the locate level:
As the road winds ever on into the distance, you <see|sense> a narrow tunnel leading down into the rock. You know at once this is the entrance to the dark caverns of the Misty Mountains, where Bilbo Baggins first encountered Gollum.
When returning:
Once more you stand before the entrance to Gollum's lair.
When first entering the goal level:
The tunnel before you opens up into a huge underground cavern, half filled with stagnant water. In the distance you hear the rasping voice of Gollum mumbling insane nonsense. You sense the power of a presence that can only be the One Ring.
When returning:
You hope that this time you will recover the One Ring from Gollum.
Quest nemesis
When first encountering the quest nemesis:
"Well, well, my precious, look who it is! It's <playername>, it is! "Does Bilbo Baggins think the <currentrank> can defeat us? No, no, no! We'll show him, my precious! We'll kill it, we will, and then back to the Shire and kill nasty old Bilbo Baggins too!"
Upon further meetings:
"Look, my precious! <playername> the <currentrank> is back! Don't worry, we'll get him this time!"
And on the 4th and subsequent meetings:
"<playername> again! Can't stay away, can it, my precious? "This time we'll kill it, my precious. This time. The <currentrank> will not take you away from me."
When you have the One Ring, but Gollum is still alive:
"Please, <playername>! Give back my precious! I'll look after it, I promise!"
Discouragement
Gollum will occasionally utter maledictions:
"Bilbo Baggins is a fool. Soon we will command the Shire, my precious!" "Yes! Hobbitses for dinner tonight, my precious!" "Don't worry, my precious. The <currentrank> cannot defeat us." "If you were not so <lawful|neutral>, you might have stood a chance." "Ah, my precious, we are winning now. <playername> won't last long." "Once we are rid of <playername>, my precious, we will rule all the Shire!"
Victory
When picking up your quest artifact:
You are awed by the feel of the One Ring's power as you pick it up. You know at once that you must return it to Bilbo Baggins at the Shire.
When killing the nemesis:
Gollum buckles under your final blow, and his body begins to shrivel. Knowing that he was once a good Hobbit, you feel a deep pity for him as he writhes, screaming and sobbing, his tattered body crumbling away. Let this be a lesson, it occurs to you, of the dangers of misusing the One Ring.
When returning to your quest leader:
Bilbo Baggins looks up at you and smiles, saying: <playername>, I see in your eyes that you have recovered the One Ring. But if Gollum could steal it from me, there will be others. The One Ring will be safer if you take it with you. Use it wisely and it will help you in your quest for the Amulet of Yendor.
Post-quest
When talking to Bilbo Baggins after the quest:
"How fares your quest for the Amulet of Yendor, <playername>?"
When talking to Bilbo Baggins after getting the Amulet:
"Hello again, <playername>. I did not doubt that you would recover the Amulet of Yendor. "Do not give it to me, <playername>. The Amulet does not belong in the Shire. "<playername>, You have been There, and now you must go Back Again. Climb upward, and seek the Astral Plane, where you can find the High Temple of <Iluvatar|Gilthoniel>, and offer him the Amulet. "You are an inspiration to all Hobbits, <playername>. Farewell!"
Monsters associated with this quest
Proudfoots
h proudfoot 
| |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | 5 |
| Attacks |
Weapon 1d8 |
| Base level | |
| Base experience | |
| Speed | 9 |
| Base AC | 10 |
| Base MR | 0 |
| Alignment | 6 (lawful) |
| Frequency (by normal means) | 0 (Not randomly generated) |
| Genocidable | No |
| Weight | 500 |
| Nutritional value | 200 |
| Size | Small |
| Resistances | None |
| Resistances conveyed |
None |
|
A proudfoot:
| |
Farmer Maggot
h Farmer Maggot 
| |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | 11 |
| Attacks |
Passive 0d0, passive 0d0 |
| Base level | |
| Base experience | |
| Speed | 9 |
| Base AC | 10 |
| Base MR | 0 |
| Alignment | 6 (lawful) |
| Frequency (by normal means) | Unique |
| Genocidable | No |
| Weight | 500 |
| Nutritional value | 200 |
| Size | Small |
| Resistances | None |
| Resistances conveyed |
None |
|
Farmer Maggot:
| |
Farmer Maggot was notable as the only unique quest monster who was neither a leader nor a nemesis. Despite always being hostile, his only "attack" was a harmless passive attack. A comment on his monster data states that "he's making a guest appearance from Angband", and as an Angband reference, his attack has a commented out "AT_MOAN" effect.
The One Ring
| = The One Ring | |
|---|---|
| Base item | ring of invisibility |
| Affiliation | |
| When carried | |
| When worn | |
| When invoked | |
| Base price | zm |
| Weight | 3 |
