Vault

Vaults are 2 by 2 sealed rooms that are randomly generated in the Dungeons of Doom. They contain gold in all four squares.

Finding and getting into vaults

You know there is a vault on a level when you hear "the footsteps of a guard on patrol". They can be accessed through a closet that contain a teleporter, recognized by the engraving ad aerarium in front of it. If you do not find the closet, you may want to read a scroll of magic mapping or scroll of gold detection and dig or teleport in using some other methods. You may also just dig around randomly watching for areas where a vault would fit. Remember that the vault is actually 4 by 4 squares because the walls also take some space.

When in a vault

When in the vault, you only have a short time to get the gold and be gone. If you stay in the vault for too long, a guard will appear, ask your name and demand that you drop all your gold and follow him out. The tunnel used to exit is sealed again when you have left. If you do not obey, the guard gets hostile. However, if you answer the guard that your name is Croesus or Kroisos (same name, just two different spellings) the guard will immediately leave. This is because Croesus is the owner of all vaults.

Getting out of a vault

If you did not go out of the vault with a guard, you have few alternatives. You may dig yourself out by using a pick-axe or any other method or you may teleport out. If you have neither means to dig or to teleport, you will want to leave the gold and get out with the guard — you can always come back later and get the gold you left.

Getting into Fort Ludios

A vault between the levels 11 and 27 (Medusa's Island) may contain a magic portal that takes you to Fort Ludios. Each vault in that range has a 1/3 chance of containing the portal if it has not yet been generated in another vault. In any given game, Fort Ludios may also be inaccessible if the portal was not created. The Big Room and the Rogue level never contain any vaults.