Minetown

Minetown is one of seven different maps, located on the 3rd or 4th level of the Gnomish Mines. Monster creation on this level is biased towards lawful monsters.

In most games, Minetown is also the largest collection of shops; some players call it the "toll plaza" (the RNG might be cruel enough to give you only Izchak's shop). There is a division between retail and security; shopkeepers do retail, while watchmen and their captains do security.

The Watchmen patrol randomly to protect the merchandise and features of Minetown. A player cannot, within sight of a Watchman:


 * Apply a Lock pick or Skeleton key on a locked door
 * Kick down or use a pick axe or mattock on a locked door
 * Dip anything in to a fountain
 * Dig in to walls
 * Kick or cut down a tree
 * Attack peaceful inhabitants of Minetown
 * Steal from a shop (even accidentally i.e. unexpected teleportation)
 * Dry up a fountain due to over-dipping of items

For all except the last three cases, you get a single warning of "Hey! Stop that, you vandal!". Should you continue to flout ANY of the laws after that single warning, the Watchmen will attempt to place you under arrest, shouting "Halt! You are under arrest!" and alerting other guards by blowing their tin whistles. They will then be made hostile and attempt to attack you.

Generally, you will receive one warning that a fountain is about to dry up as a resuly of dipping: "The flow reduces to a trickle." This gives you a small safety margin for dipping things like potions and scrolls. However, this warning does not apply to receiving Excalibur; successfully dipping for Excalibur will dry up a Minetown fountain with no warning, so this is generally a Bad Idea.

If being attacked as part of being under arrest, only the crime of stealing can be reversed, by paying ALL debt to the shopkeeper. Note that the shopkeeper, like all others within the dungeons, will still be angry at you, zapping you with wands and attacking you, however payment can be made from afar. The Watchmen and shopkeeper will revert to peaceful, although you will be placed under arrest for any further breaking of the law. Killing a hostile watchman is still considered murder.

Maps
There are seven different minetowns, each with their own maps and guaranteed monsters. Note that Minetown is eligible to leave bones, so the monsters (and the map) may be in a different state than is shown below.

Also bear in mind that, as elsewhere in the Gnomish Mines, if you are playing a dwarf or gnome, two-thirds of the dwarfs or gnomes respectively that are listed in these descriptions will be made random monsters instead.

Frontier Town
- |...............................| |.......| |.|...|...|..|.....+..|...|...|.| |.|...|...|fd|.....|G.|lgt|...|.| |.|gen|...|..|.....|..|...|...|.| |.|...|...|+--.....++--.| |.-+---+---.....................| |.............{......{..........| |.-++--....---+--...........| |.|...|...|---.|....|.-+---.| |.|...|...|..+.|....|.|..|....|.| |.|too|...|.G|.|.._.|.+..|....|.| |.|...|...|..|.|....|.|..|....|.| |..--.-.| |...............................| -

Izchak's light shop (marked "lgt") is guaranteed, but the general store ("gen"), food shop ("fd") and tool shop ("too") have only a 90% chance of existing.

This level contains two random traps.

Town Square
- |.+..|..|..+....+..|..|..|G.+...| |.|..|..|..|....|..|..|..|..|...| |.+-....+--+-...| |...............................| |.-+-+--.......--+---+---...| |.|..|..|..|......{|....|...|...| |.|..|..|.G|.......|....|...|...| |.+-.......|.._.|foo|...| |.............{....|....|...|...| |.---+---.--|...| |.|....|...|....|.|....|....+...| |.+.gen|.G.|lght+.+....|tool|...| |.|....|...|....|.|....|....|...| |.---.---...| |...............................| -

Izchak's light shop (marked "lght") is guaranteed, but the general store ("gen"), food shop ("foo") and tool shop ("tool") have only a 90% chance of existing.

This level contains two random traps.

Alley Town
- |...............................| |.....-.+--..-..| |.|..|---.|...+.+..|..|..|...|..| |.|..|..|.|._.|.|..|..|..|lgt|..| |.-+-|tl|.|...|..|...|..| |....|..|.|...|....+...|.--+--..| |.{..-+--.|....|wan|........| |..........+..|+--.-..-.| |....-+--..|..|..|........+...|.| |.-+-|..|.|G.|+---....|foo|.| |.|..|..|.+...|--|...|---.-.| |.|..|---.|gen|..|too|..+.......| |.|.G|....|...|..|...|G.|.......| |.....-+-.....{.| |...............................| -

Izchak's light shop (marked "lgt") and the general store ("gen") are guaranteed, but the tool shops ("tl" and "too") have only a 30% and 40% chance of existing, respectively. The food shop ("foo") and wand shop ("wan") have a 90% and 30% chance, respectively.

This level contains two random traps.

College Town
|..............................| |..........---.| |...|...|..|--.|.G|...|G.+.| |...|boo|..|.....|.|..|lgt|..|.| |...|...|+-|.._..|.-+-|...|---.| |...-+---..|.....|....--+--....| |..........|.....|.............| |........{.---+---.{...........| |..............................| |...--+--...........-+---+--...| |...|...|---.---|..|...|...| |...|too|kk|foo+.+..|.G|gen|...| |...|...|ff|...|.|..|--|...|...| |...-+--...-...| |..............................|

Izchak's light shop (marked "lgt") and the book shop ("boo") are guaranteed, but the general store ("gen"), food shop ("foo") and tool shop ("tool") have only a 90% chance of existing.

This level contains two random traps.

Grotto Town
-        - |<..---  --.......--    ---                       --- |.....---|.........--..|    |.....|          ---      |.............| --..|....|.-|..|    |.._..|          |>....|     --+---+--.+|  --.|-.....         |.....|  --  --....  |..|...|-.|.+..|   --|.........|---  -   ---+---  |..+.|   ---..-..---|..|--+-..--|..|     .|....|.....--    |.|    |..|.|    ---+-.....-+--........--+|        -..|....|..... |.|    |..|.--......--................|     -- |..|.............---.--   ---|.+..||.......-|..+--..--     |food| --......---...........-  |.|..||...{....|--|.........|..-- |....| |........|...|...........---|.|..|--.......|  |.general.|...| ---+....---...---......-|.|--....--| ---...|  --.---...-|...-|..|..|-...|..---...|.--..|...|....--- |.......--  |..|-.........|..--|..|..|--.....|-....|........---...-|....| |.---  |..+...............-+---+-..-|..........--....|-...+tool| |.|...S. -.....{...................|...........|-...|...-|....| |.|...| |..............-- |-+--.-.........--..|........|-- |.--+--- |+-.........| |...|.|....| --.......-|...|....|.....|....| |...| --..--- |...|.+lght|   ---...---    --..|...--......|...{..+..-+| |...|        --|....|     -       -.............|..|.| -                   --                     ---  ---

Izchak's light shop (marked "lght"), the general store ("general"), the food shop ("food") and the tool shop ("tool") are all guaranteed.

The room with the down stair contains a random tool, the secret door hides a random ring, the far southeast closet contains a chest, and there is a statue of a gnome king in the wide open lit space in the south.

Bustling Town
-.................- |...|................|...|..|...|...|.. |...+..--+--.........|gen|..|...|...|.. |...|..|...|..-..|...|..|-+---+--.. -..|...|--|...|..--+---+-.........- .......|...|..|too+.............-.. .......|---|..|...|......--+-...|...|.. ...|...|+--..{...|..|...+...|.. |..+...|lgt|.............|..|...|...|.. |..|...|...|-+-.....---+-.- ...--+-|..|..-+-|.................. ..|........|..|..|..|....-. ..|..T.......|..|...+....|......||. ..|-....{........|..|foo|....+...._.||. ..--..|....T.........|......||. ......|-.....................--

The mapped town area is surrounded by empty cavern level, which is lit and contains the upstair (to the left of the town) and the downstair (to the right).

Two trees are marked ("T").

Izchak's light shop (marked "lgt"), the general store ("gen"), the food shop ("foo") and the tool shop ("too") are all guaranteed.

Bazaar Town
|..............................| |.--+--..-.| |.|....|..|...|....|..+..+...|.| |.|....|..|...|.n..|fd|..|too|.| |.-+--|...|+--|..|...|.| |......|..|...|.|.G|..|.-|.| |..|..|-+--.|..|..|.|....|.| |.|..+.-+--..{..-+-|..|.+.._.|.| |.|..|.............-+--.|....|.| |.|+--.+--......|....|.| |.|..|...|.+..|..|-+-|.| |.|tl|lgt|.|..|gn|....|K.|fd.+.| |.|..|...|.---|..|....|..|...|.| |.-+--..{.-+--.| |..............................|

Izchak's light shop (marked "lgt") is guaranteed, while there is a 50% chance each of two food shops ('fd'), a 50% chance of one tool shop ('tl') and 30% chance of a second ('too'), and a 60% chance of a general store ('gn').

Outside the mapped area are two random traps.

Strategy
Because Minetown always has an altar and shops, it is an excellent location for a first stash. The altar provides BUC identification while the shops provide price identification, especially if your Minetown has a general store. There is also a significant 1/3 chance that the temple is co-aligned, which makes it a sanctuary (and a useful altar). Many players unload some excess loot in the Minetown temple before going on to Mines' End, and then consolidate upon their return. The disadvantage is that you might not be putting your stash in a container.

Minetown often has a deli and a tool shop. (Remember not to let your pet eat all the tripe rations.) Minetown can be a good place to increase your food supply if you are low. Players who are missing a skeleton key or other cheap tool can buy one. Be aware though that the Gnomish Mines has several tools for free sitting on its other levels.

The popularity of Minetown means that players spend a long time there, and hence have a greater than average opportunity of dying there. Thus Minetown is often a bones level.

Reaching the Minetown priest is the objective of the protection racket.

Izchak's light shop has a 20.6% chance of being created with at least one magic lamp.

As mentioned above, if you dry up one of the fountains by dipping, the Watchmen will become hostile, regardless of whether the Watchmen can see you.