ADOM Manual

How to Start – a Beginner's Guide

ADOM is not a simple game – at least if you are really trying to win and don't just play to have fun and pass some time. ADOM is also very different from other roguelike games like Nethack, Angband and Rogue in that it offers a lot more detail and uses a different approach in certain respects. The following advice might be helpful for both the hardened veterans of other roguelike games and beginners of ADOM:

Try to talk to people. The Chat command is an absolute necessity to get anywhere in the game. At times it even pays to talk to so-called monsters.
Take care about your satiation. Finding enough food to survive is important in ADOM. Once you learn the tricks you'll have no problems to cope with this, but in the beginning this might be a bit difficult. Make sure that you don't carry too much. Being burdened (or even strained) means that you'll get hungry more often.
Remember the Tactics command and also remember to run away. Doing this in coward mode probably is a good alternative to dying in a hopeless fight. Come back on a better day.
Remember that it is possible to enter any wilderness area by using the > command. If you feel the need to drink potions, zap wands or whatever while traveling through the wilderness and ADOM won't let you, enter a wilderness area first.
Pleasing your gods by offering sacrifices is a wise thing to do. If you are in dire straits and need help, they might listen to your prayers.
Know when to fight and when to run.
If a dungeon seems to be impossibly difficult, maybe you should look elsewhere first.
There is a number of places and situations in ADOM which require the careful use of tactics.
Not every monster is meant to be defeated. It's possible to kill everything but don't be surprised if some opponents put up a very tough fight.
Make sure that you have at least read the introduction in this manual so that you understand what the game is all about.
During the game, you should refer as often as necessary to the online keyboard map (?-K) and this manual (?-M).