Fort Ludios

Fort Ludios is a special level reachable through a magic portal found in a vault, somewhere below dungeon level 10 and above Medusa. Any vault generated on one of these levels has a 1/3 chance of containing the portal to Ludios, if it has not already been generated. Note that vaults are not generated on the Rogue level or in the Big room, and a vault on the Quest portal level will never contain a portal to Ludios. In some games, the portal is not generated and it is impossible to reach Fort Ludios. It is accessible in 74.9% of all games.

The level is ineligible to leave bones files and is no-teleport.

Map

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| |........|...............................................................|
| |........|.................................................------------..|
| -------+--.................................................|..........|..|
|       |........}}}}}}}....................}}}}}}}..........|.barracks.|..|
|       |........}-----}....................}-----}..........--+--+--...|..|
|     ---........}|...|}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}|...|}.................|...|..|
|     |..........}---S------------------------S---}.................|...|..|
|     |..........}}}|...............|..........|}}}.................+...|..|
| -------..........}|...............S..........|}...................|...|..|
| |.....|..........}|...............|......\...S}...................|...|..|
| |.....+........}}}|...............|..........|}}}.................+...|..|
| |.zoo.|........}---S------------------------S---}.................|...|..|
| |.....|........}|...|}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}|...|}.................|...|..|
| |..-S----......}-----}....................}-----}..........--+--+--...|..|
| |..|....|......}}}}}}}....................}}}}}}}..........|.barracks.|..|
| |..|..^.|..................................................|..........|..|
| -----------................................................------------..|
|           |..............................................................|
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S - Secret door
\ - Opulent throne
^ - Magic portal

You start on the magic portal marked ^. Teleportation is not permitted. Proceeding into the level will find you battling enormous hordes of enemies, the main contingent of which is soldier-types. Many of these enemies are armed with wands. It is not a good idea to attempt Fort Ludios without reflection AND magic resistance.

Dragons are generated here - four around the fort for certain, and potentially more in the throne room. With some luck and a few scrolls of enchant armor, you might be able to make some DSM.

The labelled barracks and zoo have typical complements of monsters and treasures for those room types, as does the central throne room. Additionally, 16 soldiers and one lieutenant are in the courtyard around the castle, and four giant eels are in the moat.

The fort has no drawbridge. To enter, you will need some means of crossing water. If your only means of crossing water is jumping, you can blast through the door from afar with force bolt, the spell dig, or their wand counterparts (wand of striking and wand of digging). If you detect the door with a wand of secret door detection or the detect unseen spell, one of the inhabitants might open it for you. Reading a scroll of earth is also an option - it will create boulders you can use to create a bridge across the moat and/or trap the giant eels.

The right half of the fort (through which you must enter) is filled not only with a wide assortment of monsters but also Croesus himself, who sits atop the opulent throne.

The four corner rooms of the fort contain precious gems: rubies, diamonds, emeralds, and amethysts. The left half of the fort is filled with gold (600-899 zorkmids per square), but also with land mines and spiked pits (1/3 chance of a trap per square, which are 2/3 landmines, 1/3 spiked pits). Levitation will make you able to locate the traps safely, otherwise it is recommended to search all squares prior to moving in this area.

Come with a bag of holding if you plan on leaving with all of the gold: Fort Ludios contains around 50,000 pieces, or about half of a strong character's total carrying capacity.

Strategy

Using the door to your advantage (DECgraphics are enabled)

See Movement tactics#Doors for a way to beat the crowd. Make sure you have reflection when attempting to conquer Fort Ludios, wands have nasty side effects (such as disintegrating your rings, freezing potions and burning paper and armor) and a soldier might even be generated with a wand of death.

If you have a strong pet, such as a vampire lord, you can whistle it into the soldiers' compartement without ever opening the gate. Since monsters can use their ranged attacks only against you, all those wands will still be charged when you get them. Remember to check on your pet's health periodically. You will still need reflection for the dragons.

There should be dozens of dropped polearms which you can use to kill the giant eels in the moat.

Croesus hits hard, but is easily dispatched with ranged attacks from across the moat. Alternatively, use a wand of cold to form a bridge across the moat; then when he stands on it use a wand of fire to melt it and drown him. Since there often are tough monsters, such as Olog-hai and dragons, in the throne room with Croesus a ring of conflict will help a lot. A scroll of stinking cloud is also quite useful from afar.