Is there actually a legitimate way to open the chests?

They take a hexagonal/octagonal key IIRC. Is there any way to get that key?

Alternatively is it actually possible to have strong enough legs + boots to break the locks?

I would say trying to beat the sumo without tricks after just finishing the Underwater Tunnels is a futile endeavor

I usually don’t take him on until I’ve been deep into the GC

Those are awesome fejoa!

Pyramid looks a little funny with windows I think if those are removed then all 3 will be perfect

I love it!

I like scars too, and I like that they're permanent

For dual weapons vs. weapon and shield it depends a lot on the weapon type

I've tried dual whips several times, and it's nice that they sever limbs pretty quickly, but they offer almost no defense, so those characters don't usually do very well.
Some weapons like halberds are large enough that they do a good job of blocking too, so there is no need for a shield (and you would be too weak to wield both anyways).
Shields work best with weapons like swords, axes, that are small and accurate but not great for blocking.

I agree to equip any armor you can find. I've often made the mistake of going to GC without any boots or gloves, because I didn't want to wear heavy ones. Those limbs almost always end up getting severed.

Re: poisoned weapons, we have snakes and spiders already so I imagine a poisoned weapon would do about the same damage. Can be dangerous early on but definitely survivable. So I don't think that will be a problem.

Wands though... that is an interesting problem. Could we maybe do something with the danger level or panic status? Maybe only a panicked monster or a much weaker monster will use a wand out of desperation.

Just thinking about my own experience using wands - if I think I'm tough enough to melee a monster, I wouldn't want to "waste" a wand charge on them. That and I often forget that I can even use wands until I'm close to death and remember to check my inventory.

For some reason I love the image of beating up a kobold and he panicks and starts sprinting away. I'm chasing him, he rounds a corner and sees a wand on the floor and grabs it. I'm caught up in the moment and come careening around the corner only to get blasted with a giant fireball. Or I'm just about to descend upon him and finish him off when he teleports either himself or me away.

One major annoyance would be wands of cloning/mirroring being used up before you can even find them. If we do start letting monsters use wands then perhaps we should make scrolls of recharge more common.

Is it possible to train mana yet?

Didn’t know mana helped lower the cool down period for magic items, cool!

Lots of good ideas there. Some of the suggestions I’m pretty sure are already implemented. I’m on my phone so I can’t reply in depth.

I do like the idea of perception helping to discover traps. Also full helms hurting it

And I have always wanted the Zelda style world map