Good start (so far)

[Ugramoth]

3 promising starts (early artifacts and other good gear) all followed by sudden and spectacular death on 9-x levels:
-Level 28 HT paladin ran into Mouth of Sauron on DL 28(!)
-Level 31 HE mage failed with 2% fail rate TO against bone golem on level 31
-Level 33 HT mage wasn't quite fast enough with the wand of TO against a great ice wyrm on DL 41

And now, best start for long time:
HE warrior was able to collect enough loot to buy boots of speed (+4) after first trip down. Followed by:

Long Sword of Riondon (2d5) (+9, +20) <+3>;
Dropped by Wormtongue on level 7

+3 strenght, slays dragons, trolls, acid brand, sound resistance. In the hand of warrior, very decent damage for early game.

Lantern of Elyareg:
Found on the floor on level 11

+3 light, nether and cold resistance

Leather Cap of Alaith (2, +13] <+3>:
Dropped by a blacklock mage at level 11

+3 wisdom
+3 speed
Resistance to acid

5-9 on level 18 turns to be potion of experience so straight to character level 30, and 5-5 on level 20 is boots of speed +5.
Haven't seen scroll of deep descent yet and though I've been trying to dive fast I'm currently on DL 20 with speed +8 level 30 HE warrior with good weapon. Bit OP
Wonder whats going to be the 9-x that kills this one...

[Ugramoth]

And it continues:

Ring of Speed <+5>
Dropped by quasit on level 26

Light crossbow of Haradrim (x4) (+5, +9) <+4, +1>
Dropped by Golfimbul on level 26

Also on level 26: Boring artifact helm and scroll of rune of protection (wasted of course by reading it on already cleared level...)

Speed now +13, good shooting damage too, AC 109 and 358 HP. Orc uniques are not too difficult now

[Ancient Yeek]

I think RNJesus is messing with you. Best not do any 9-x floors haha.

[Ugramoth]

Killed by great wyrm of law on level 48.
9-x of course...

[DrWho42]

good job!

[Ancient Yeek]

I drew this a couple of months ago. One of my stupid deaths Wyrm related.

[Pete Mack]

Did you not have detect evil, or ESP (even from mushroons)? Or a rod of detection? Or even rods of light?

Without some form of detection, a warrior is doomed on 9-x levels.
9-5 and lower, I just leave. 9-7+, and i bream into my mushroom stockpile, and use whatever mapping i have for vaults.

[Ugramoth]

Mushroom expired while fighting a hasty ent and his henchbushes. One moment there's a wyrm on the screen, next moment there's a tombstone on the screen.

Telepathy and sound resistance were the 2 things missing from otherwise complete resistance set.

I fought the law and the law won.

[Ugramoth]

Another good start with HT mage, CL29 now. On DL27, 7-5 found some good gear then somehow managed to fall through trap door to 6-6 level, found good gear again then nexus hound sends me trough the roof to ...

9-9 level.

What's going to kill me this time?

[Ugramoth]

OK, visual confirmation of the level 9 creature. It's phoenix!
But I've got fire immunity so not an instant death yet. I think I'll TOS the bird and keep looking for the object 9. I think it's not a vault, just some random good object and a random OOD beast (which *should* be the phoenix. There can't be 2 of them? Right?).

[Ugramoth]

OH, it breaths light too. How nice.
Fifth consecutive instant death on 9-x level. Some people never learn.

[Pete Mack]

Ugramoth--
I'd usually expect a thread like this around April 1.
You just can't mess around on X-9 levels prior to 500+HP without careful prep. (LOS abuse, TO only
at 200', etc.)

[Ugramoth]

Seriously, Angband 4.2.3 has gone crazy with 9-x levels. Worst I had before 4.2.3 was Fundin on level 33 but this is sixth game in a row with early 9-x with something completely insane on it.

Entered level 21, 9-? feeling, detect evil:

Nightwing

WTF? On DL21?? Even the forest wight standing next to it is OOD.

It can't one-shot me so maybe I'll wait until the treasure feel and then plan my next move...

[Ugramoth]

9-4.
This time, escaped down to next level which is:
7-6
Found slime pit so thats the 7, I guess...

[Pete Mack]

If you have TO, and rods of light or ESP, there isnt much to worry about OOD monsters that cant one-shot you. Just get them coming around a corner, or better, get them asleep.