Arnuz: I ended up equipping the items by running around the worms and only then fighting the worms. That seems like a good compromise, giving you an opportunity to be tacticool but without really dissing the monster guards. They would wait you at the exit right?
I'm not a fan of doing anything with the loot until the guards are all dead or converted. Just seems too abusive to me. If others have other opinions, feel free to chime in.
The monsters, once activated, are going to start pursuing targets. They aren't going to camp.
Arnuz: It needs to be said that you lose the XPs if you don't fight them - the dungeon becomes explored if you leave it without fighting the monsters but picking up everything. So perhaps this is self balancing and how you do it is just a matter of preference, I don't know.
Huh. I wonder if "explored" means "looted" or "empty". Can you go back in to fight the guards (who are now guarding nothing) or do the guards leave in humiliation if you waltz out with the loot?