'DIRT' 'DIRT KICKING' Syntax: dirt <target> Dirt kicking blinds an opponent by kicking debris into their eyes. This skill can be learned by fighters, monks and rogue classes. A successful dirt kick applies a moderate hitroll penalty (halved with blind fighting) and sets the victim blind - causing a lower chance of landing attacks, and lower chance of defending from attacks. This double penalty makes dirt kick very potent, able to swing a fight that could otherwise be lost. Dexterity is the primary stat for landing or avoiding a dirt kick. Level difference, luck, dodge skill, and the victim's size all factor in. Being airborne makes it harder to perform and slightly harder to be hit by. It is also harder to land when initiating combat than during a fight proper. Mounted characters have reduced accuracy based on their mounted combat proficiency. Terrain matters: mountain, cave, and desert terrain help; indoor and city terrain hinder most classes (though rogues suffer less indoors). Water, underwater, and air sectors make dirt kicking impossible. Rangers get bonuses in natural terrain but fare worse in cities. The blindness does not expire on a fixed timer. Each combat round, the victim attempts to rub the dirt out, with escalating odds of success over up to six rounds. Rogue victims and warriors in reflex mode recover faster, while non-rogues blinded by a rogue recover slower. Fleeing while blinded delays recovery for two additional rounds. After rubbing the dirt out, the victim's eyes remain watery for a short period (blurry vision), preventing further dirt kicks, but carrying a lingering combat penalty equivalent to blindness. The blurry vision lasts longer the quicker the dirt was cleared. Cure blindness does not remove dirt kick blindness. Berserkers with defiance can attempt to burn it off by activating berserk. Eyeless creatures are immune. Certain mage abilities -- shadow storm, thunder storm, and shimmering orbs -- can cause a near-miss even on a successful dirt kick.