Converting Altars

[Kato]

Sometimes it is necessary to convert an altar. Specially when the very first altar you find is a black altar. Converting the white ones and the grey ones are pretty easy to do...but how do you go about converting a black altar to make it grey for neutrals? I've tried to do an evil creature in the past and it usually tends to just upset the dark god...any tips anyone might spare to help out?

[Grey]

Well the guaranteed method is gold - generally a number of thousand equal to half your level (5k gold at level 10 for instance) with a min of 3k. Obviously close any doors to the room, drop all eq beside the altar, and only wear artifacts or a rock in the missile slot.

The other method is monsters, but it stops working after a certain level (except maybe with more powerful monsters). You have to be careful with the alignment of the monsters too - you can't sac a neutral monster to convert a chaotic altar, it has to be something chaotic. That means no animals, swordsmen, barbarians, cavemen, ratlings... and maybe some others I'm missing out. For most of the early game this shouldn't be a problem.

[Kato]

Well...I'm only lvl 8 right now, but I also only have 185 gold ;) I'm in the puppy cave...it generated two floors of ants. The second floor has a chaotic altar..and it's right next to a tension room that I just opened. It's got some goblins and some orcs and gnolls and a yellow ooze. I can't really afford to set all my equipment down at this point...this is a weak character and that would mean certain death :D I think I might just try and risk it with a few of those goblins and sac them.

[Grey]

Orcs and gnolls should definitely do the trick.

[Kato]

Yep. Thanks Grey. Altar converted...one of the few times I have actually managed to convert a black altar. Although I'm usually higher level when I find one...so that might explain my issues in the past.

[DeSt]

Such an early altar converts after just 2-3 monsters and easy source of item status identification.

[gut]

Converting yourself is easier. It's the option I choose most of the time. Of
course you have to change back, thus losing the piety, but you get to keep
the luck intrinsics, so you are only missing the prayers.