New to MUDs?

Never played a MUD before? This page will help you get connected to The Two Towers and find your footing.

What Is a MUD?

A MUD, short for Multi-User Dungeon, is an online game played entirely through text. Instead of graphics, the game describes where you are, what you see, and what is happening around you, and you act by typing commands. Many players are online in the same world at once, so you can talk, explore, fight, and adventure together.

The Two Towers is a MUD set in Tolkien's Middle-earth. You can travel its lands, take on quests, join a guild, and fight the forces of the Enemy.

Connecting to The Two Towers

Play in Your Browser

The quickest way to start is the web client on the official site. Nothing needs to be installed.

Play in Your Browser

Use a MUD Client

Most regular players use a dedicated MUD client, a program designed for playing MUDs. Clients offer features such as saved connections, command history, and shortcuts. Enter these details in your client:

Host

t2tmud.org

Port

9999

If you have trouble connecting, the official site suggests using towers.t2tmud.org as the host instead. The official site also has a list of MUD clients, and Mudlet is a popular free client for Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Your First Steps

1. Once connected, type new at the prompt to create a character.
2. Read the official Getting Started Guide.
3. Read the game's rules, which every player must follow.
4. Use the in-game help system, or browse the help files online, whenever you are unsure how something works.

Tips for New Players

• Read room descriptions carefully. Exits, objects, and clues are often mentioned only in the text.
• Do not be afraid to ask questions. Most players remember being new and are glad to help.
• Take your time. A MUD rewards patience and exploration more than speed.
• When you are ready to find a home among other players, read about joining the Knights of Dol Amroth.

Glossary

Alignment

A measure of how good or evil a character is, shaped by the character's deeds. Some guilds, including ours, require a certain alignment of their members.

Arda

Tolkien's name for the world, which includes Middle-earth. Our guild's writings use it for the game world as a whole.

Guild Comm

The guild's shared communication line. Instead of sending private messages to one member at a time, a member on the Guild Comm can talk with the whole guild at once.

Huntbreak

A way to escape from another player who is trying to kill your character. If you leave by an ordinary exit, such as north, an attacker can simply follow you. If you leave by a special exit, such as climbing a tree, the attacker does not follow you automatically, which gives you the chance to get away.

NPC

Short for non-player character: any creature or person in the game that is controlled by the game rather than by another player.

Party

A group of players who adventure and fight together.

Player killing

Combat in which one player attacks and tries to kill another player's character, often shortened to PK.

Tabard

The garment that marks full membership in the Knights of Dol Amroth. Members receive it when they are inducted as Squires.