The Official Aura Strategy Guide!
Because many testers are getting killed at like level 3!
WARNING AND SUCH: This guide has lots of spoilers.
SO THEN
Level 1: Let's Begin
You better not die here. You start with a red aura so kill a bunch of reds. Make sure you get that red key because I think you'll need it. You can ignore the lower right section, that key is a fake, if you touch it, it becomes a level 2 blue. You won't see too many fake keys like this because I get lazy. I think you can figure out how to beat this level.
Level 2: Parenthesis
Full of level 2 enemies people somehow still find this level to be difficult. When you start switch to a blue aura, and head to the lower left section of the parenthesis taking out blues. Since they're fast you can get most of them out of the way before you go after the greens. Then head to the upper right corner and carefully get the blue key doing whatever the hell you want. Switch to red and plow through the lower left corner.
Level 3: Box
Ok this level makes people cry as they are rushed. Switch to red and take out the lower half reds first. If you do it quickly the greens won't get to you in time. I can't be too specific since I'm only looking at the boards and trying to remember what I've been doing. Most levels only the start is hard though. So don't worry if I'm too vague.
Level 4: Key Graveyard
Switch to blue, kill the blue ones, switch to green, kill greens, switch to red, kill reds. All those keys except for 3 are mimics, but you do know that if your aura matches you'll kill the mimic before it can move. So do that until you find the keys. Treating the "graves" as a grid with 1,1 in the lower left you'll want: 5,2 and 3,3 for the blue and red keys on the LEFT. On the right section you'll want 5,3
Level 5: Ghost Town
Switch to red and kill all of them, grab the health. If you haven't figured it out the real keys are left in those "abandoned" buildings. But wait! When you go for the blue key have a red aura. For the green key use blue, and for the red key use green. When you enter the final building you'll face all 3 of them at once so switch to blue and get rid of them, take out the green and lastly the red and LEAVE.
Level 6: Air Temple
Stolen from ADOM! Switch to green and take out a bunch of them first. Take out one side's worth of reds (east or west it doesn't matter). Grab the two keys SWITCH TO BLUE and open a door. The enemies will pour out and die. Grab the blue key and win.
Level 7: Pac Mania
This was supposed to be level 3 but it came out too hard. It's funny because it's so easy now for me. Switch to green and go down to the vertical lines and leave the hearts so it's harder for things to get in. Head out the bottom when you can and grab the green key. The top right red key is a mimic so ignore it. Go to the lower left and grab the other keys. make your way to the center and win.
Level 8: Stone Circle
The other ADOM level. Grab the hearts. When you grab the one that opens the main room the enemies will move. The trick is to stay in the little narrow passage so the enemies will have to move DOWN one tube and RIGHT in the other. This gives you plenty of time to kill things. Eventually there will be some that won't go in so FLOOR IT because you'll probably have the 3 keys by this point.
Level 9: Soundwave
Blue aura. Kill the blues, then the greens. Avoid the top row until you're ready to avoid other enemies rushing in. You can make a run for the two keys on the right side. When get the blue key start heading west, but then go east and wrap around near the border. once you're on the left half you're pretty much safe.
Level 10: The Love of a Bomb and a Key
Once again switch to blue. Head to the lower left to take out the level 3 blues. Then get the greens out. Use the hearts below the right key to avoid enemies rushing in. You can take out a lot of blue and green this way. You get the idea.
Level 11: Mushroom Garden
Hey switch to blue. A large amount of them will charge at you. You may lose some health to a stray green or two. Really once you get rid of the blues you can pretty easily avoid the reds and take out the greens.
Level 12: Bridge Warfare
This one looks really bad, but it's pretty simple. Switch to RED and head left. Kill all 9 of them, then switch to blue and kill that batch. By this point the second wave of reds will scatter around allowing blues to get through take them out and if you get a lull in blues that break the reds on the right half take out some western reds. Repeat this with the right half when you get the keys.
Level 13: Borealus
OH LOOK NO ENEMIES. You know right away they'll jump out at you BUT WHEN? They'll do that one you get the white key. When you go into the crazy spiral shit goes down, BUT IT DOESN'T HAVE TO. All the invisible enemies (the water walls) CAN be killed before they are active by touching them with the right aura. Making it possible to win without losing any health.
Level 14: All Hell Breaks Loose
Hmmm what did I do on this one? :( I do know that as tempting as staying the heart field is, it's a bad idea. I think you want to use a pulse here. Which is the name I've given to changing to a green aura when there's tons of level 4 enemies in an open area. The go in, and pulse outward and it's pretty cool because as long as you're cautious you can keep using the pulse technique when greens get near and then switch back to blue or something. I do know it's best to stay in the inner jagged line at first so as to not die.
Level 15: Crazy Eights
This is where the game really becomes a dick. You're on level 15/25 so don't give up all hope. Actually you probably should as I write this I've only done the levels around this point in tests where i had max health and then recorded my health when I beat the level to see if it was too difficult plus I was getting good at this game and you're pretty screwed. Anyways I THINK you'd want to switch to blue and run all crazy like trying to get rid of them. Getting the blue key should be easy then with just 4 level 3 reds to kid. Then swoop up with green to get the red key. And uh get the green key somehow.
Level 16: Conehead
You're in for a break. This level is a bit too easy because it involves madtom and we all know how easy he is ;). Change to blue and then when the time is right green and you pretty much beat the level.
Level 17: Symmetry Vs. Strategy
This one was the last designed level. I hate to say it but it's a fucking terrible level. I think I beat it once ever outside of testing. So here's what to do. STAY IN THE WORLD'S SMALLEST BOTTLENECK FOR AS LONG AS POSSIBLE. When there's a lull in enemies then grab the heart and kill the greens to add some room. Be careful not to switch auras and kill the water leaving you vulnerable.
Level 18: Earthquake
The design on paper was a billion times better than this. It also happens to be kind of easy, but only if you don't rush through the level. Slowly make progress around corners killing nearly everything before you grab the keys. It's not that bad.
Level 19: Face of Death
Zelda Skull represent \m/. I'm pretty sure the strategy here is actually to grab the blue key right away and cut across the top of the skull and grab the red key, wrap around the triangular triforce and get the green key and fucking run. No guarantees man.
Level 20: Town of ZZT
PULSE PULSE PULSE.
Level 21: A Diamond is Forever
I can't remember a damn thing about this level. I'm guessing start with blue, kill some green and get out of the center. It's probably a good idea to get the keys from the back where there's no enemies at first. Also make sure not to make trips longer than they have to be. Blue, Red, Green would do nicely letting you run one track.
Level 22: Cranks and Nuts
Well, switch to blue, and take advantage of the crammed areas near the blue and green key. Use the narrow bottom of the level to take out the left side to easily get the red key. I think.
Level 23: Paragon
Looking back this level would've been harder if the keys were the bottlenecks and the lines enlarged in the center. Of course the reds get to you too quickly to use the bottlenecks. It's best to plow left killing blue and letting them come to you there.
Level 24: Clockwork
Ok folks I know you're excited. Level 24/25. I think you use a pulse in this level after killing the blue. Of course by this time your health is like 250 thanks to getting 240 for reaching level 24. The trick to this level is finding the red blue and green keys without running in circles with wrong keys. 3:00, 5:00, and 10:00 are the answer to that. Originally this level had 12 switches in the clock and then a timer would go up from 00:00 to 12:00 but it was pretty pointless since testing showed 99% of the level was dead when you hit the 12th switch.
Level 25: Ground Zero
You must be confused. Level 25 has level 3 enemies? Well shut up it's a blessing. It's just BOX with all the enemies upgraded. I've yet to find a good way to handle this one. The reds are close enough to get to you, the greens are fast enough to get to you, the blues are obviously fast enough and it's just chaos. Just make sure you take the red door on the left. The one on the right is like a SUPER MIMIC who becomes level 3 or 4 or something. It's now or NEVER.
\m/ ENDINGS \m/
oh shit IT'S NOT OVER YET BOYS! Now you have to get one of 7 endings. Which endings are accessible are based on your little results.
If you have more torches than gems or score scroll down to Level 26A: Golmon's Lair
If you have more score than torches or gems scroll down to Level 26B: Dimitri's Lair
If you have more gems than torches or score scroll down to Level 26C: Enerjak's Lair
If you get the white part on top to clear path for you scroll down to Level 26D: Oxygoth's Lair
If you get the blue part to disappear and the passage is towards the bottom of the screen you're ending will be interesting for one and go to Level 26E: Null's Lair
\m/ INTENSIVE SPOILERS AWAIT \m/
Level 26A: Golmon's Lair
Golmon. Golem. Monster. Golem Monster. Golmon.
Hey if you win now you'll get a cheesy basic ending. In fact a third of the universe will die! Nice going! But seriously this level is pretty hectic but Golmon himself isn't all that hard. You'll want to treat it like any other level removing blue, then green, then red. Also if you can grab the purple hearts for 500 health each. IF GOLMON IS GETTING CLOSE SWITCH TO RED. His attack deals TWENTY FIVE DAMAGE making it more powerful than anything else in the game and you will surely die to that shit. If you kill any surviving enemies will stop but it's best to only leave red so when fighting Golmon you don't DIE.
Level 26B: Dimitri's Lair
Dimitri is totally Russian. His name would be pretty fitting for green but oh well.
This would be a cheesy basic ending where a third of the universe dies! Good job! This level isn't as bad and Dimitri can be pretty easy to defeat. He can align with you and damage you by RUNNING BEYOND THE SPEED OF LIGHT. Of course you can damage him this way too.
Level 26C: Enerjak's Lair
I'm not kidding when I say the name Enerjak was from some crazy villan Knuckles had to beat up in those old Sonic the Hedgehog comics. He's by far the worst of the demigods. How the fuck did you manage to kill more red and blue than green? Looking at the totals you'd have 1280 gems if you killed every enemy in the game. Anyways first off switch to a green aura. Right away he CLEARS YOUR AURA. He runs away from you if you have a green aura and runs toward you otherwise. As soon as you hit him he runs away, clears your aura, and charges. You'll lose lots of health on this fucker. But at least you only had to fight him alone.
Level 26D: Oxygoth's Lair
Oxygotholodes was the best Fire Wyrm name in ADOM ever so I gave it to the karmic demigod.
You got the standard "hooray" ending. Nobody dies! Alas you'll have to fight all the other demigods at once. So look at the previous sections for an idea of what to expect. It's best to beat them level 4 enemies, Blue, Red, Green. If green gets close switch to green and he'll run off again. Once you kill all of them (enemies will remain) it's time to fight Oxygoth himself. He acts like a level 4 everything hunting you down, charging, dealing heavy damage and his aura changes. Either the boulder or solid towards the top of the level is like changing color so you know his aura. Oxygoth gives you some cryptic hints about getting a better ending by mentioning he was under another being's control and that _NOTHING_ defeats karmics with ease. Hint hint kill EVERY ENEMY IN ALL 25 LEVELS to be able to get the 2 fucking horrible endings and the one fucking awesome best ending.
Level 26E: Null's Lair
I have nothing interesting to say about Null's name other than I love it and think it is such a fitting name and I love it again. Null is all HEY IDIOT YOU CAN'T KILL ME, I DON'T HAVE AN AURA. GO THROUGH THE PASSAGE AND _SURRENDER_. Well you can get the WORST ENDING IN THE GAME if you do that. But you want something better I'm sure. Run up to the fucker and hit him five times. Pay attention to your score/gems/torches while you do that. After the 5th hit he gets pissed and decides to kill you dead. What you'll want to do if get rid of an aura in him and he'll change his color to red or blue or green. He can then be killed like a normal enemy. This gets you the other shitty ending where everybody's dead but you and Oxygoth and you just chill for eternity. You also learn ?+arcade on the main menu unlocks Auracade mode.
But wait.
You wanted the _GOOD_ ending?
Oh come on now you slaughtered 3 auras I think it's a little late for that.
Fine.
While kicking Null's ass and making him have an aura KEEP ON DEPOSITING until you have no aura left to fill his soul with. You'll teleport to the true final level.
Level 27: Karmic Null
Null's like WHAT DID YOU DO? :( and you're like SORRY. and he's like NO IT'S COOL I CAN STILL KILL YOU. So you fight. This time you'll want to attack him with any aura until the * for the near dead demigods becomes a big * thing. Then you win. You saved the universe and are the Ultimate Karmic God which is cool. You also unlock the warp zone and are invited to face the original Oxygoth who is PUNK AS FUCK and is way too fucking hard with ?+warp on the menu.
