TomeNET

(5.17) Digging                                                                  
--------------
Your chance to successfully tunnel through an obstacle depends on the obstacle
and your 'digging power'.

In general, the digging power depends on your digging tool's (+digging) bonus
and its (+hit,+dam) enchantment and also on its weight (that's why a pick is a
better digging tool than a shovel for example, even if they have the same bonus
enchantments). Digging power further depends on your Digging skill and your STR
(strength).
If you lack a digging tool, an equipped sword or axe can substitute somewhat
when you are just trying to hack down vegetation instead of rocks.

Each digging attempt of your character has a constant chance to succeed, based
on your digging power vs the material you're trying to tunnel through. If your
digging power is too low, the chance might even be 0% so you would be trying
forever, giving you a message "You cannot seem to make a dent in the ..." as
your character realizes the futility of the attempt.

If you're not interested in the exact formula, skip down to (5.17b) which has a
table with example values for certain scenarios.