I have to admit that the more I play, the more I've come to agree with what Kiero said. The game slows down considerably towards the end, as each player has many options, strategies, and tactics to consider before they make any part of their turn. Roy and Haley seem to be the best for monster-slaying (and thus acquiring shticks, and defeating Xykon), with Durkon a close but still inferior runner-up, Elan is only useful if people ask him for alot of help, Belkar is fun but also fairly weak at fighting monsters (especially when he enters a new/empty room and has to be on defense), and Vaarsuvious the worst because of his focus on ranged attacks (which leaves him without enough loot).

After playing the game about a dozen times, I have learned (like many others apparently have) that the game is all about loot accumulation; the last (short, 3-level+Xykon) game I won (with Roy) despite having the least number of schticks of any of the players and exiting the dungeon last, but I had the most Drooled Over loot (and I defeated Xykon, a task that is incredibly easy for Roy to the point of unfairness). Especially once Roy boosts his Great Cleavage and Greenhilt Sword even once each, he can plunge into the lower levels ahead of the others and battle more and more monsters in multi-monster battles (using Great Cleavage), get more schticks and loot, and get to Xykon long before anyone else.

Is there any way to rectify this problem?