View source for Safe Adventuring

{{NeedsContent|comment=Page is extremely outdated. Needs old values checked based on manuel values, needs a '''lot''' of new zones.}}

{{RETURNTO Mechanics}}

There are two different strategies that can help you survive your adventures in the Kingdom of Loathing.  The first is to have a ''high enough [[Moxie]]'' that you can dodge all of the non-critical attacks made by the monsters.  The second is to have a ''high enough [[Combat Initiative]]'' that you can be sure of getting the jump on the monsters, followed by other strategies to stop it from attacking at all (presumably either [[deleveling]] into safe moxie, [[stunning]], or simply the use of spells, combat items, or  to kill the monster before it can successfully attack).

This page lists both the minimum [[Moxie]] required to adventure in an area without being hit by the normal attacks of the monsters you will find there; and also the minimum [[Combat Initiative]] bonus you need to guarantee getting the jump on all the monsters there.

"Safe moxie" has traditionally been determined by multiplying the maximum amount of experience you could get from the monster by four to find the monster's attack power. To evade every non-critical attack, you must have 10 more Moxie than the monster has attack power. Since the introduction of [[Monster Manuel]], the game can report each monster's attack values directly. There is also some [[Monsters#Monster_Level_Variance|variance]] in the attack power of most monsters. It is possible for some monsters to hit you if your Moxie is only slightly higher than the values listed below. At some point, the table should be updated to reflect this....

By default, the table is sorted by the standard Wiki [[location]] order, but you can select the box in any column header to sort by locations alphabetically, or by the Moxie or Initiative required for safe adventuring. (Sorting the table this way requires Javascript.) Thus, knowing your current Moxie or Initiative, you can figure out at a glance the areas in which you're reasonably capable of adventuring. Note that the table does not include data for [[Semi-Rare Adventures|Semi-rare monsters]], [[Ultra Rares|Ultra-rare monsters]], or monsters that only appear in special challenge paths.

Remember: All these values are the very maximums of the area's strongest monsters' hitting or jumping abilities. If you're relying on Moxie, and your Moxie is only a few points lower than the value stated, you shouldn't have too much of a problem. Monsters might hit you, but infrequently. If you're relying on Initiative, and your Initiative is slightly under the values listed here, you may be jumped occasionally -- be prepared. Bear in mind that [[Underwater adventuring]] zones have a pressure penalty which affects initiative, as do high levels of [[Monster Level]] (over and above the normal increase in Monster Attack).

'''Note''': Since the implementation of critical hits (which are guaranteed to "hit" and deal damage) and fumbles for monsters, all monsters get additional small chances to hit or miss you &ndash; regardless of your Moxie. While high Moxie still reduces damage from these critical hits as normal, it may mean that some HP may be required to survive this incidental damage. Adventure safely with this in mind.

{| style="text-align: center" border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="3" align="center" class="wikitable sortable complextable"
|- bgcolor="#EEEEEE"
! Area
! Location
! Moxie Required
! Initiative Required
|-
| rowspan=3 | [[Seaside Town]]
| [[The Sleazy Back Alley]]
| 11
| 40
|-
| [[The Overgrown Lot]]
| 13
| 0
|-
|[[The Copperhead Club]]
| 165
| 150
|-
| rowspan=12 | [[Spookyraven Manor]]
| [[The Haunted Pantry]]
| 14
| 60
|-
| [[The Haunted Kitchen]]
| 32
| 50
|-
| [[The Haunted Conservatory]]
| 34
| 30
|-
| [[The Haunted Billiards Room]]
| 35
| 100
|-
| [[The Haunted Library]]
| 38
| 70
|-
| [[The Haunted Bathroom]]<br/>(except for [[Cosmetics wraith]] at 70 moxie)
| 64
| 50
|-
| [[The Haunted Gallery]]
| 70
| 50
|-
| [[The Haunted Ballroom]]
| 75
| 50
|-
| [[The Haunted Bedroom]]
| 70
| 50
|-
| [[The Haunted Laundry Room]]
| 168
| ?
|-
| [[The Haunted Wine Cellar]]
| 178
| 65
|-
| [[The Haunted Boiler Room]]
| 170
| ?
|-
| rowspan=10 | [[The Nearby Plains]]
| [[Degrassi Knoll]]
| 24
| 60
|-
| [[The Cola Wars Battlefield]]
| 40
| 50
|-
| [[The "Fun" House]]<br />(except for [[The Clownlord Beelzebozo]] at 37 mox, 55-100 init)
| 30
| 85
|-
| [[The Misspelled Cemetary (Pre-Cyrpt)]]
| 33
| 80
|-
| [[The Unquiet Garves]]
| 32
| ?
|-
| [[The VERY Unquiet Garves]]
| ?
| ?
|-
| [[The Misspelled Cemetary (Post-Cyrpt)]]<br />(except [[Skelter Butleton, the Butler Skeleton]])
| 69
| 50
|-
| [[Inside the Palindome]]<br />(except for [[Dr. Awkward]], at 176-183 mox, ''unknown'' init)
| 165
| 90
|-
| [[The Spectral Pickle Factory]]
| 206
| 70
|-
| [[The Ruins of Fernswarthy's Tower]]
| 28
| 55
|-
| rowspan=6 | [[Cobb's Knob]]
| [[Outskirts of Cobb's Knob]]
| 12
| 60
|-
| [[Kitchens]]<br />(except for [[Knob Goblin Elite Guard Captain]])
| 32
| 65
|-
| [[Cobb's Knob Barracks]]<br />(except for [[Knob Goblin Elite Guard Captain]])
| 40
| 50
|-
| [[Treasury]]<br />(except for [[Knob Goblin Embezzler]])
| 40
| 75
|-
| [[Harem]]
| 40
| 80
|-
| [[Throne Room|King's Chamber]]
| 65
| 100
|-
| rowspan=5 | [[Cobb's Knob Laboratories]]
| [[The Knob Shaft]]
| 41
| 50
|-
| [[Laboratory]]
| 55
| 70
|-
| [[Menagerie Level 1]]
| 66
| 80
|-
| [[Menagerie Level 2]]
| 76
| 80
|-
| [[Menagerie Level 3]]
| 86
| 80
|-
| rowspan=5 | [[The Bat Hole]]
| [[Entryway]]
| 24
| 60
|-
| [[Guano Junction]]
| 28
| 60
|-
| [[Beanbat Chamber]]
| 31
| 60
|-
| [[Batrat and Ratbat Burrow]]
| 35
| 60
|-
| [[The Boss Bat's Lair]]
| 47
| 60
|-
| rowspan=5 | [[The Cyrpt]]
| [[The Defiled Nook]]<br />(except for [[giant skeelton]], at 87 mox, 60 init)
| 67
| 50
|-
| [[The Defiled Cranny]]<br />(except for [[huge ghuol]], at 89 mox, 60 init)
| 65
| 300
|-
| [[The Defiled Niche]]<br />(except for [[gargantulihc]], at 87 mox, 60 init)
| 69
| 50
|-
| [[The Defiled Alcove]]<br />(except for [[conjoined zmombie]], at 89 mox, 60 init)
| 68
| 300
|-
| [[The Haert of the Cyrpt]]
| 101
| 90
|-
| rowspan=5 | [[The Beanstalk]]
| [[The Penultimate Fantasy Airship]]
| 130
| 90
|-
| [[The Castle in the Clouds in the Sky (Basement)]]
| 160
| 80
|-
| [[The Castle in the Clouds in the Sky (Ground Floor)]]
| 140
| 40
|-
| [[The Castle in the Clouds in the Sky (Top Floor)]]
| 160
| 50
|-
| [[The Hole in the Sky]]
| 178
| 70
|-
| rowspan=16 | [[The Distant Woods]]
| [[The Old Landfill]]
| ?
| ?
|-
| [[The Spooky Forest]]
| 15
| 70
|-
| [[Tavern Cellar]]<br />(except for [[Baron von Ratsworth]], who scales)
| 50
| 90
|-
| [[A Barroom Brawl]]
| 20
| 50
|-
| [[The Bugbear Pen]]
| 30
| 75
|-
| [[8-Bit Realm]]
| 35
| 60
|-
| [[Whitey's Grove]]
| 48
| 70
|-
| [[The Road to the White Citadel]]
| 49
| 55
|-
| [[The Spooky Gravy Burrow]]
| 75
| 100
|-
| [[The Black Forest]]
| 143
| 50
|-
| [[The Hidden Park]]
| 166
| ?
|-
| [[The Hidden Apartment Building]]
| 160 (168 for ancient protector spirit)
| ?
|-
| [[The Hidden Bowling Alley]]
| 164 (166 for ancient protector spirit)
| ?
|-
| [[The Hidden Hospital]]
| 162 (172 for ancient protector spirit)
| ?
|-
| [[The Hidden Office Building]]
| 160 (170 for ancient protector spirit)
| ?
|-
| [[A Massive Ziggurat]]
| 174
| ?
|-
| rowspan=3 | [[Copse of the Deep Fat Friars]]
| [[The Dark Neck of the Woods]]
| 62
| 90
|-
| [[The Dark Heart of the Woods]]
| 60
| 80
|-
| [[The Dark Elbow of the Woods]]
| 58
| 75
|-
| rowspan=3 | [[Pandamonium]]
| [[Pandamonium Slums]]
| 62
| 90
|-
| [[Infernal Rackets Backstage]]
| 70
| 35
|-
| [[The Laugh Floor]]
| 76
| 60
|-
| rowspan=4 | [[Desert Beach]]
| [[South of The Border]]
| 35
| 75
|-
| [[Thugnderdome]]
| 55
| 60
|-
| [[An Oasis]]
| 147
| 50
|-
| [[The Arid, Extra-Dry Desert]]
| 152
| 60
|-
| rowspan=3 | [[The Ancient Buried Pyramid]]
| [[The Upper Chamber]]
| 180
| 70
|-
| [[The Middle Chamber]]
| 185
| 75
|-
| [[The Lower Chambers]]
| 190
| ∞
|-
| rowspan=10 | [[The Mysterious Island of Mystery]]<sup>[[#Special Zones|*]]</sup>
| [[The Hippy Camp]]
| 51
| 70
|-
| [[Orcish Frat House]]
| 51
| 60
|-
| [[The Obligatory Pirate's Cove]]
| 79
| 75
|-
| [[The Hippy Camp (Verge of War)]]
| 185
| 60
|-
| [[Orcish Frat House (Verge of War)]]
| 185
| 60
|-
| [[McMillicancuddy's Farm (Post-War)]]
| 190
| 70
|-
| [[The Battlefield (War Hippy Fatigues)]]
| 220
| 100<br />(not counting heroes)
|-
| [[The Battlefield (Frat Warrior Fatigues)]]
| 220
| 100
|-
| [[The Hippy Camp (Bombed Back to the Stone Age)]]
| 261
| 75
|-
| [[The Orcish Frat House (Bombed Back to the Stone Age)|Orcish Frat House (Bombed Back to the Stone Age)]]
| 265
| 80
|-
| rowspan=4 | [[The Obligatory Pirate's Cove (in disguise)]]
| [[Barrrney's Barrr]]
| 93
| 50
|-
| [[The F'c'le]]
| 110
| 50
|-
| [[The Poop Deck]]
| 130
| 50
|-
| [[Belowdecks]]
| 150
| 50
|-
| rowspan=4 | [[The Organic Orchard]]
| [[The Hatching Chamber]]
| 175
| 50
|-
| [[The Feeding Chamber]]
| 177
| 50
|-
| [[The Guards' Chamber]]
| 179
| 50
|-
| [[The Queen's Chamber]]
| 183
| 50
|-
| rowspan=8 | [[McMillicancuddy's Farm]]
| [[The Barn]]
| 176
| 40
|-
| [[The Other Back 40]]
| 183
| 70
|-
| [[The Bog]]
| 184
| 60
|-
| [[The Family Plot]]
| 185
| 50
|-
| [[The Granary]]
| 185
| 40
|-
| [[The Back 40]]
| 188
| 50
|-
| [[The Pond]]
| 189
| 50
|-
| [[The Shady Thicket]]
| 190
| 50
|-
| [[Our Lady of Perpetual Indecision]]
| [[The Themthar Hills]]
| 179
| 50
|-
| [[The Lighthouse]]
| [[Sonofa Beach]]
| 181
| 40
|-
| rowspan=10 | [[The Big Mountains]]
| [[The Thinknerd Warehouse]]
| ?
| ?
|-
| [[Noob Cave]]
| ?
| ?
|-
| [[The Dire Warren]]
| ?
| ?
|-
| [[The Dark and Dank and Sinister Cave]]
| 34
| 40
|-
| [[The Barrel full of Barrels]]
| 45
| 90
|-
| [[The Valley of Rof L'm Fao]]
| 97
| 70
|-
| [[A-boo Peak]]
| 88
| 0
|-
| [[Oil Peak]]<sup>[[#Special_Zones|(*)]]</sup>
| 95<sup>[[#Special_Zones|(*)]]</sup>
| 50 to 90<sup>[[#Special_Zones|(*)]]</sup>
|-
| [[Twin Peak]]
| 103
| 60
|-
| [[The Smut Orc Logging Camp]]
| 95
| 50
|-
| rowspan=5 | [[The Dungeoneers' Association]]
| [[The Haiku Dungeon]]
| 14
| 75
|-
| [[The Limerick Dungeon]]
| ?
| ?
|-
| [[The Enormous Greater-Than Sign]]
| ?
| ?
|-
| [[The Daily Dungeon]]
| 30
| 60
|-
| [[The Dungeons of Doom]]
| 71
| 90
|-
| rowspan=5 | [[Mt. McLargeHuge]]
| [[Itznotyerzitz Mine]]
| 68
| 50
|-
| [[The Goatlet]]
| 78
| 80
|-
| [[The eXtreme Slope]]
| 85
| 60
|-
| [[Lair of the Ninja Snowmen]]<br />(except for [[ninja snowman assassin]])
| 100
| 75
|-
| [[The Icy Peak]]<br />(except for [[Groar]])
| 117
| 60
|-
| rowspan=3 | [[The Sea]]
| [[The Briny Deeps]]
| 340
| 0?
|-
| [[The Brinier Deepers]]<br />(except for [[trophyfish]])
| 410
| 0?
|-
| [[The Briniest Deepests]]
| 435
| 0?
|-
| rowspan=7 | [[The Sea Floor]]
| [[An Octopus's Garden]]<br />(except for [[moister oyster]])
| 460
| 50?
|-
| [[The Wreck of the Edgar Fitzsimmons]]<br />(except for [[mine crab]] and [[unholy diver]], at 710)
| 460
| 50?
|-
| [[Anemone Mine]]
| 510
| 75?
|-
| [[Madness Reef]]
| 510
| 50?
|-
| [[The Marinara Trench|Marinara Trench]]
| 556
| 50?
|-
| [[The Dive Bar]]
| 610
| 80?
|-
| [[The Mer-Kin Outpost]]
| 760
| 50?
|-
| rowspan=2 | [[Lair of The Naughty Sorceress]]
| [[The Naughty Sorceress]]
| 215
| ∞
|-
| [[The Hedge Maze]]
| 245
| 80
|-
| rowspan=3 | [[A Journey to the Center of Your Mind|An Incredibly Strange Place]]
| [[An Incredibly Strange Place (Bad Trip)]]
| 30
| 60
|-
| [[An Incredibly Strange Place (Mediocre Trip)]]
| 63
| 60
|-
| [[An Incredibly Strange Place (Great Trip)]]
| 155
| 60
|-
| rowspan=3 | [[Memories, in the Corners of your Mind]]
| [[The Primordial Soup]]
| 35
| 50
|-
| [[The Jungles of Ancient Loathing]]<br />(except for [[High priest of Ki'rhuss|High Priest]], at 120)
| 75
| 80
|-
| [[Seaside Megalopolis]]
| 180
| 100
|-
| [[The Campground]]
| [[A Shimmering Portal]]<br />(except for a [[hulking construct]], at ∞)
| 410
| 80
|-
| rowspan=3 | [[Spring Break Beach]]
|[[The Fun-Guy Mansion]]
| ∞
| 0
|-
|[[Sloppy Seconds Diner]]
| ∞
| 0
|-
|[[The Sunken Party Yacht]]
| 410
| 100
|-
| rowspan=7 | [[Hobopolis]]
| [[Hobopolis Town Square]]<br />(except for [[Hodgman, The Hoboverlord]], at 760 mox, ''unknown'' init)
| 310
| 100
|-
| [[A Maze of Sewer Tunnels]]<br />(except for [[C. H. U. M. chieftain]], at 340 mox, ''unknown'' init)
| 270
| 60
|-
| [[Burnbarrel Blvd.]]<br />(except for [[Ol' Scratch]], at 510)
| 350
| ''unknown''<sup>[[#Special_Zones|*]]</sup>
|-
| [[Exposure Esplanade]]<br />(except for [[Frosty]], at 510)
| 360
| 100<br />(except for [[Frosty]], at 200)
|-
| [[The Heap]]<br />(except for [[Oscus]], at 510)
| 360
| 100<br />(except for [[Oscus]], at 200)
|-
| [[The Ancient Hobo Burial Ground]]<br />(except for [[Zombo]], at 510)
| 360
| 100<br />(except for [[Zombo]], at 195)
|-
| [[The Purple Light District]]<br />(except for [[Chester]], at 510)
| 360
| 100<br />(except for [[Chester]], at 200)
|-
| [[The Slime Tube]]
| [[The Slime Tube]]<br />(except for [[Mother Slime]], at 3000-8700+ mox, 300 init)
| 110 
| 55
|}

== Lower moxie limits ==
A monster's [[Monsters|chance to hit]] decreases roughly linearly from 100% at (moxie-monsterlevel) <= -9 to 0% at (moxie-monsterlevel) >= 10.  If your moxie is more than 19 points below what is given in the table above, the toughest monster at any given location will be hitting you 100% of the time.

If we simplify the [[Weapon Damage|damage incurred]] formula to
  (Monster Level - Player Moxie) + (Monster Level * 1/4) = Total Damage
then (disregarding [[Elemental Resistance]], [[Damage Absorption]] and other complications) the number of turns you can stay alive is
                 Hit pts                  Total HP
  Turns alive = --------- = -------------------------------------
                 Damage      1.25 * Monster Level - Player Moxie
Attacking with Player Moxie more than 19 points below the safe level above leaves fewer than 0-3 turns in which to win the fight.  For example, without other modifications, a 75 HP, 82-moxie adventurer fighting in the Haert of the Cyrpt would be hit 100% of the time, for 36 to 41 HP each time, and only two to three turns.

==Special Zones==
There are a few zones where adventuring is never truly "safe".

*[[Oil Peak]] and [[The Junkyard]] contain monsters who have the special quality of never missing with their normal attacks, no matter how high your Moxie is.
**On the Oil Peak, if you have total [[Monster Level|+ML]] less than 20, you will fight only [[oil slick]]s, and those can miss you.  If you have +ML of 20 or more, then you'll face the other monsters, who never miss.
*[[The Battlefield]] contains a few enemies which have special attacks which will hit no matter how high your Moxie is:
**Frat side:
***[[Panty Raider Frat Boy]] (Strangulated)
***[[War Frat Grill Sergeant]]/[[War Frat Senior Grill Sergeant]] (You're on fire!)
***[[War Frat Elite Wartender]] (Easily Embarrassed)
**Hippy side:
***[[Green Ops Soldier]] (Toad in the Hole / Light-Headed)
***[[War Hippy Fire Spinner]]/[[War Hippy Elite Fire Spinner]] (You're on fire!)
***[[War Hippy Elder Shaman]] (Flared Nostrils)
*[[Hobopolis]] Hobos all have special attacks which will always hit for heavy damage no matter how high your Moxie gets in addition to their normal attacks which can be negated by Moxie. Additionally:
**Hitting [[Cold hobo]]s too hard will deal heavy reactive damage, after icicles have formed in the zone.
**[[Hot hobo]]s may get increased initiative based on how many [[Getting Tired|tires]] are stacked.  This mechanic is not well understood.

[[Category:Game Mechanics]]
[[Category:Locations| {{PAGENAME}}]]