Combat

Overview
Combat happens when you encounter a monster, Wandering or Stationary. To decide who goes first, you first take a Dexterity test. The higher your Dexterity, the better you perform at this task. If you roll higher than the monster's Dexterity, you get to go first. You can either attack, defend, use potions/spells, and other things to aid you.

Attacking
If it is your turn, you can attack. To attack, say "Attack _______" with the blank space representing where you attack. You can attack high, middle, or low. The monster would defend if no effects are on it. You would have to then roll a number higher than the monster's Armor Class, and you can know this by asking Alexa. If you roll a number higher than the Armor Class, you do damage. If you roll a number lower than the number required, you do 0 damage to the monster. If you roll a 20, you get a Critical Hit on the monster, and that is determined by another roll. If you roll a 1, you perform a Critical Fail. This means that you take some damage yourself and probably take some extra effects. The same goes for the monsters. Probably this is best when you have a weapon equipped, as you can do much more damage than just using your fists.

Combat strategies
Combat is where the vast, vast majority of player characters die. While it is possible you'll be killed by a trap, this is highly unlikely. Against most monsters, the best option is weapons, as they're sustainable to use and can do good damage if your weapon is strong enough. If you're ever in a tight spot, a better option is to use spells- they often do quite a lot of damage and have several other useful effects that can allow you to escape or close out a fight quickly. Sometimes using a spell against a certain type of monster, such as a lich or a demon is a worse option. These monsters have a high resistance to spells. It's recommended that you read the wiki pages for more information or ask for information on the monster. Against some monsters however, such as rust monsters, using a spell is the only viable option- although it should be noted that using a weapon against a rust monster that's been frozen will not rust the weapon. Please don't attack a unfrozen rust monster with your greatsword. You have been warned.

This brings us to potions. Potions are nearly as good as spells, although it is recommended that you use the listen command before entering every room- drinking a potion before combat can be the difference between life and death, as you don't have to waste an entire turn to make your next attack stronger. Potions of healing are the notable exception to this- unlike in Dungeons and Dragons, you cannot have temporary hit points in Dungeon Adventure. Most potions are sold in town at the shop, and you can find potions in the dungeon- although they're more often bad than good. There are also fountains in larger dungeon rooms that can be drank from twice, granting potion effects each time. It's highly recommended that you examine all unidentified potions, magic items, and fountains found in the dungeon- especially magic items. That cursed ring of strength will be a massive hinderance until you get back to town.