Description
Earthquakes can occur around certain seismically-active locations, such as near volcanoes or highly-charged magical areas. They don't usually last long, but they can be quite deadly if you does not know what to do.
You can resist the most deadly effects of an earthquake by simply sitting down on the ground. This will keep you from getting flung there by a particularly vicious tremor. LEVITATION will also help in this regard.
Earthquakes can cause boulders to fall from nearby mountains and hills. If you're in a cave, they can cause stalactites to fall from above. If you are in a normal structure, they can cause masonry to fall. All of these are very dangerous. DODGE is an effective protection against most falling objects. ROOM SHIELD will also keep the covered area from being pelted. Beware, for these falling objects can be lethal. Head for a room marked as SAFE if you can get there fast enough. Not all rooms marked SAFE are reinforced against earthquakes, but the SAFE rooms at least should keep you from being outright slain if you sit down in them.
During an earthquake large quanitites of energy are released from deep within the ground. This can cause severe disruptions in normal magical fields, causing spell affects to dissipate and room spells to lose their anchoring.
If you are in the Proving Grounds during an earthquake, there is a chance that the tremors will split levels, causing you to fall to the next level of the dungeon. This can be fatal, so be careful. Levitating characters may resist falling into the chasms by drifting across the opening. Levitation will also reduce the damage done by such a fall.