Caves of Qud - A Detective’s Guide

An in-character journey to understand more about the world of Qud.

Disclaimer

This guide is presented as a partially fictitious work of trying to understand the world and mechanics of Caves of Qud. The contents of this guide are based upon my own lived experience with the game, presented form the point of view of my character. Things said may not be entirely factual at the fault of my lack of understanding for the game. The main purpose of this guide is to entertain, and possibly help newer players get more engaged with the game. Enjoy!

Introduction.

Hello fellow traveler. If you are reading this, then you are holding my compendium of notes from my journey through Qud. But who AM I? Well...

My name is Detective C. As you can see from this attached image, I'm not your typical mutated human. Though I've met few on my travels I am aware I am on the lower end of mutation intensity. I lack the distinct features of what one would call a face, and that certainly sets me apart from some others. Beyond that, I'm a detective. I seek to find answers to the unanswerable. And in this world we find ourselves in, there is no shortage of unknowns.

My Purpose

I do this not simply for myself but for others. I desire to help people. Make surviving the wastes even just a little bit easier for those who come after. And to chronicle my adventures so that others may be inspired to chart their own paths. I know I am not the only person to travel these wastes, and to help others gain better knowledge is truly the nature of my delving.

My Attributes

I've acquired quite an adeptness for firearms. Whilst I don't enjoy killing, one must do what must be done to survive in the wilds of Qud. That being said, a gun is only as good as its wielder. I mustn't allow myself to be nothing without my firearms. As such, I've got a keen strength on me, including the ability to be stronger than I already am. Many of these abilities seem to stem from whatever caused my lack of face. Such attributes include my heightened quickness, night vision, and my advanced regenerative abilities. I've also picked up the keen ability to sense psychics.

I've no psychic abilities nor mutations other than the sense as I have a distaste for psychic power. Though that being said, I also know mutations can occur in random, so should I develop any, I must use them for the greater good.

With all of that out of the way, I embark into Qud.

Embarking

And so I embark, as many more have before me, into Qud.

Beginnings

I arrived, as many others do, in the city of Jappa. I suggest that when arriving at a new location you should always take your time to get your bearings and assess what lies before you. For Jappa, I see a simple town of moisture farmers and saltwater. I've jotted the layout down here in my notes.

I've denoted many points of interest. Word on the streets is that the farmer and tinkerer are looking for someone to get things done for them. Seek them out if you are in need of work and find yourself here. You may also note that I pointed out the local trader in my notes. He seems a friend to the humans of this land. Trading his wares and wandering the wilds of Qud. I could probably learn a thing or two from his nomadic ways, though I must continue my journey for now. For right now, you can see him as a useful provider of wares you may require on your travels.

If you're new to Qud, I'd recommend getting your bearings of the land around where you find yourself before finding work. It can be easy to be overwhelmed by the vastness of the land around you. Take some time to truly soak in the surroundings, and gain some experience in combat and the such.

Learning

This town and it's people seem to carry many customs. They appear to have a ritualistic exchange of water. I could probably gain some more standing with them if I were to indulge, though I haven't the time for that at the moment. Perhaps later.

In the Northeast of the town there's a humble statue. It appears dedicated to one of the last sultans, Reseph. These people look up to him for teaching them the ways of the watervine they farm to this day. It's endearing for certain. I stopped to pay my respects before continuing.

The Surroundings

I decided that before doing anything, as aforementioned, before taking on my quests from the locals. The lands around are peppered wit patched of saltwater and the local watervine. I'll most likely need to secure a manner of filling my waterskins with freshwater, but that is not a worry for the time being. I've plenty of water to drink before it becomes an issue.

Though traveling in broad strokes using your map of Qud may seem easier, traveling by foot can make it far less likely to lose your bearings in it all. This is ultimately up to how you decide to adventure.

I saw many strange fish, and a few crocodiles. Though they are hostile, I make sure to conserve ammunition by using hand to hand combat when possible. Though it may not work on stronger foes, it suffices for weaker ones. Use your best judgement.

Exploration

I walk out into the wilds of Qud, with out a clue of what I would truly find. Secrets? Answers? Myself?

The Marshlands

I decided to explore the lands to the east of Jappa to gain some more experience in exploration. As stated in the previous entry, I believe it is far more interesting to travel by food, rather than via the broad strokes using your map. It can lead to far more interesting scenarios and opportunities to gain experience.

My initial impressions went quite well. I saw some interesting fish, trudged through the saltwater, and navigated my way around the area. Unfortunately the calm simply indicated a storm to come. The Alligators and bugs soon came out to impede my advances. I would certainly like to think of myself as proficient in combat, though these creatures have certainly proven me wrong for the time being.

Fighting Though

A few notes.

Be sure to always keep track of the states of your opponents. Make sure to keep track of the ones that are flying and the such. Otherwise you will be spending an embarrassing amount of time swinging at something that can simply dodge your attacks at close range. Be sure to use whatever abilities you may posses in order to gain the upper hand on foes. You may have to often treat each battle as your last when things get dire enough, so get used to utilizing your whole arsenal before you end up dead.

As I ventured onward, the Snapjaws decided to join the fray the further I went. Those damn scavengers are somehow easier to take out than the literal alligators. You can take them down with a simple ranged attack most times, though watch for those wielding bows. If you're looking for knick knacks or trade goods do be sure to search whatever you happen to take down. You never know what you may find. Luck can treat you poorly but it can also pull through when you need it most.

The battle and exploration netted me the experience I needed after some time to advance my skills. I decided to hone in my abilities to travel without becoming lost, though you may decide to focus another area to invest your knowledge (Skill Points) into. I find my hand is not as steady as I would prefer it to me, so I've made note to train in my agility. I shan't allow myself to be an unreliable shot for long.

I also found some interesting trinkets. Though as a detective I question my own requirement for a grenade, but it will probably come in handy. If not I can always trade it away to someone I think won't use it for destruction. remember to always examine your trinkets, they could be something useful or interesting.

Return to Joppa

With my wits now about my, I ventured back in to Joppa. Now that I've gained a more keen sense for the land and my skills, I find it a far better time to see what work the townspeople are offering. I found that the farmer, Mehmet, was concerned at some sort of pest disturbing the watervines localized somewhere in the Red Rock to the north of the town. As it helps out the people of this village, I humbly accepted the quest. Though before I embark on that, I must be sure I'm not missing any other opportunities.

Argyve, the tinkerer, was quite skeptical of me at first, before I presented him with some odd trinkets I found in my earlier scavenging (Though I did not wish to part with the grenade to such a suspicious individual). He revealed to me a new mission to collect wire for a invention of his. A network of seamless communication. This sounds like quite a worthy cause! Being able to unite the wilds in a manner of communication would be a large leap for the dwellers of Qud. Though more imminently I should figure out what is plaguing the town's watervine.

Though before embarking I spotted the town cat. I decided to share some attention with it and pet the creature. In return it caused me to glow radiantly. Interesting side effect. After that strange encounter I decided to restock on food

Journey to Red Rock.

And so once more I set off into the wilds of Qud, with newfound purpose to my wandering. From Joppa, I traveled due north toward Red Rock to find the source of the pox upon Joppa's crops. Though my curiosity was piqued by the sight of a strange graveyard accompanied by a statue across the road. The graves provided little insight to those who came before, though the statue wielded more answers.

This statue was of another Sultan, Yathritafa. This one told of a ritualistic stopping of time in honor of the Sultan. I wonder what significance the temporal was of to these people of this lost time. Suppose it's food for thought as I trek on.

Approaching Red Rock I encountered several baboons. They Viciously threw stones at me, though none of them hurt me too bad. That being said, in the heat of battle I gained the inspiration to name my revolver. In honor of the surroundings:

The Red Rocker.

I defeated the horde of baboons to find myself manifesting a new mutation: Digging Claws.

Thought I will need to test these more in the field, they seem like a useful addition to my skillset.

And so after a well-fought battle, I arrived at the entrance to the red rock dungeon. And that's where I leave you for now.