DEATH PIT

The idea is to dig a pit in front of an open door and lure monsters into 
it. They will have to fall into it because it is impossible to walk 
diagonally through an opening with a doorframe. It's also impossible to 
fire anything diagonally as well and this provides one or more "safe 
spots" where only the monster in the pit can attack you. Not only does 
the fall cause damage but there is a to-hit penalty while in a pit and a 
to-hit bonus for attacking a monster in one. This an efficient killing 
technique that provides a single huge death-drop for later polymorphing. 
There are two instances where I use this method:

THE CASTLE

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Use a scroll of earth and/or existing boulders to fill 5 moat tiles if 
water monsters are a problem but three will suffice otherwise. Destroy 
the drawbridge with a spell/wand from a safe distance, teleport the 
debris away and use spell/wand to replace the door with a locked one. 
Then dig your pit and open the door. The two safe fighting positions are 
marked on the diagram.

LUDIOS

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First find the hidden door, lock it and then dig your pit. The single 
"safe postion" is marked. The portal also can provide a quick escape or 
healing break if necessary. Once the anteroom is emptied, open the 
external door into the courtyard, return to your position and kill all 
the rest of the soldiers. This makes a huge single death-drop, supplies 
all the K-rations you'll ever need and polymorphing is almost certain to 
produce that elusive Hawaiian shirt.

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