This weekend, some new-to-Nightmare folks asked how my Elf was casting Alertness, two Magic Missiles in round 1, fireball in round 2, and being able to heal 22 points in every room. I’m not sure how clearly I explained it during the rush of combat, so for them and for anyone else interested here’s the how-to.
Important note: Although this sequence is complicated compared to a fighter’s or barbarian’s combat round, I’ve tried to make it as simple as possible, intentionally giving up some damage-per-round in order to cast faster and free up mental energy to better focus on the tactical situation. Just my personal preference, YMMV. If you want more DPS, Endgame’s is a good example sequence.
So … on with the show.
Alertness every room. This is one of the Elf’s biggest contributions, typically giving the party an extra first-attack per run. When you’re starting out, get the Uncommon Medallion of Energy. When you can afford the ultra-rare, get the +2 Staff of Power to free up the neck slot. In Virtual TD’s coaching room, set your Party Initiative Bonus to 10 – this reflects the fact that you will be casting Alertness the second you enter every room and saves precious time/attention during the actual combat.
Two Magic Missiles round 1 of every room. This requires a Relic (Mage Medallion) and two ultra-rares (Ring of Expertise, Charm of Spell Swapping). The Mage Medallion lets you, once per room, spend 5 HP for the Quicken power and cast a Level 1 spell as an Instant Action. The Ring of Expertise lets you, once per room, cast a 1st level spell without marking it off your card. So you’ll cast the Ring’s Magic Missile as a standard action, the Quickened card Magic Missile as an Instant Action, and mark off 5 HP from your character. And since the Elf only has 3 Magic Missiles, the Charm of Spell Swapping lets you mark off a Bull’s Strength or Invisibility as your 4th or 5th Magic Missile.
Now the subtle but important part. Magic Missile hits 99% of the monsters, including incorporeals, so you can cast the same way first round of every room. Huge saver of mental energy. In Virtual TD, AS SOON AS you advance to the next room you begin your casting, adding them to the cast sequence and without marking off the card (just remember all your magic missiles are now spoken for). If it’s a puzzle room, simply don’t execute the cast sequence. If it’s a combat room, with practice you’ll be ready to execute your sequence as soon as it’s your turn to attack. In person, show the DM your ring token and make sure they mark only one spell.
Fireball (or Ray of Shock) round 2 of every room. This requires the Legendary Ashenne’s Arch-Mage Medallion. It lets you, once per room, spend 5 more HP and use the Conserve power to cast a spell without marking it off the card. By this time you know what your foe is and how many foes you face. By default or if in doubt, choose Fireball. If your foe is resistant to fire or vulnerable to electricity, choose Ray of Shock. Either way, Cast Without Mark.
You’ve now landed three solid hits on your foe in two rounds at the cost of only 10 HP. Go get creative Round 3!
Healing 22 points per room. Anyone can do this – you don’t have to be a wizard, and the tokens are slotless. Start with a 10-point healing potion. A Greater Alchemist Pouch (about $30 on Trent’s) bumps that up to 11 points. The 2026 PYP ultra-rare Goblet of Saintly Surge doubles that to 22 points (tokendb explicitly says this works). And I *think* that Grunnel’s Funnel lets you do this as a free action to yourself or another (pouring from the goblet through the funnel).
I hope you find this helpful.
