Spelunkers Guild  (05-Feb-97)
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The 'Spelunkers Guild' is still a joke yet, but why not musing about it in
my copious spare time... :-) The original fun list is at the end of this
doc, probably part of it can be put into 'real' abilities as well.

The guild is meant as fun guild, with mostly 'useless' abilities. There will
be no _obvious_ combat abilities (sorry Rover, no special weapon 'pickaxe'),
but one or two civil abilities which can be abused for combat purposes.

Membership is granted to everyplayer who solved the Colossal Cave below
Nightfall City.
The main guild office would be in the Cave area, behind the Hall Of Fame.

Ability 'Dig your own cave'.
  Spelunkers can start digging a cave everywhere, or expand the cave
  dug by other spelunkers. Open question: shall the caves survive a reboot,
  and/or shall they cave in after some time of nonuse?

  Extension: Spelunkers can mark caves and exits such that only they can use
  and find them. This way they can connect domains with shortcuts (these
  caves of course don't cave in!). This system is part of the 'public'
  cave system, but normal players can't use the special ways/exits, unless
  a spelunker leads them. Problem: How to add reboot-secure to foreign
  domains w/o wizard help? Maybe the entries collapse, but can be reopened
  when necessary. (No-Teleport-Properties of rooms must be regarded).
  Or with wizard help, or with persistant objects.

  Extension: The Spelunker can decide to dig a hole or similar small in
  the room, or directly behind someone. This way, in a fight, the spelunker
  can let the enemy trip into the hole.
  
Ability 'Appraise':
  Spelunkers are able to identify objects and appraise their value.
  The higher in level, the more exact. This does not mean AC/WC - which is
  a paladins/warriors speciality.
  
Objects 'Whip' and 'Hat':
  The Spelunker can use the whip for artistics, as make-shift rope, or
  to snatch objects from other livings (do I hear you asking 'weapon, too?')
  Maybe also to distract the enemy in combat so that it attacks something
  else.
  Of course the whip is worthless if the hat (model 'Indiana Jones' for
  the illiterate among us) isn't worn.
  
Modified Vision Range:
  Spelunkers are good at seeing in the dark. I'd simply shift the normal
  vision range some decades down. Shifting it up is more difficult to
  justify.
  
Ability 'Find Uranium'
  In low quantities, the uranium can serve as poison (slowly draining HPs),
  in large quantities it transforms into a fission bomb with a blast radious
  of several rooms. Of course, if the spelunker doesn't run fast enough, they
  will be caught, too.
  Disadvantage: the Spelunker needs protetctive clothing.

Object 'Miners Hat':
  A small piece of armour, including a lamp. It's based on carbide/water, so
  the spelunker would have to fill up water regularily, and sometimes
  dig for a new piece or carbide.
  
Object 'Thread of Ariadne':
  A piece of thread the spelunker can affix in one room and then stretch
  out while he walks. At any time, he can follow the thread back to the
  beginning. If he encounters a thread, he can tell, whose thread it is,
  which direction the owner went, and which part of the thread it is.
  Normal players just can follow the thread in one or the other direction.
  With higher level, the usable length increases.
  
Object 'Chalk':
  The chalk can be used to mark rooms. Only spelunkers can read the markings.
  The markings of course wither away over the time.

Ability 'Find Water':
  Using a pickaxe or a sword, the spelunker can try to open a water spring.
  Usually, the water comes out with a burst, soaking (hurting) the spelunker,
  in _really_ bad cases drowning him. However, in combat, the enemies
  are soaked as well.
  The water will then form a little river, flowing into a few adjacent
  rooms, and eventually trickle away.
  
Ability 'Soil Clothes':
  The Spelunker soils his own clothes. This happens to raise their AC...
  

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And now, my original fun list:
  Ability: Dig your own cave
  Spell: Soil clothes (your own)
  Quest: Bury Bill Gates
  Spell: Instant Cave-In
  Skill: Find Water; Danger: You drown.
  Item: Miners Hat with light, also serving as armour.
  Disadvantage: Post Cave Syndrom - you get stuck somewhere for absoutely no reason
  Skill: Find Invisible Things (you bump into them)
