[Advice request] First character after a long hiatus

[Remuz]

Hi everyone!

Just getting back to 'banding after a long hiatus. I used to be quite successful with ToME, but never so much with vanilla or variants. Anyway. I saw the quite impressive activity in V those days, so decided to give it a try.

I tried to catch up by reading the forums, but all I could gather was "dive fast to keep a low turn count, in order not to take risks (even low ones) too many times". I started a "newbie" char, i.e. a big fat half-troll warrior. Not the easiest combination for late-game, but to be honest, I do not quite expect to get that far.

So far so good, I am clvl 25 at dlvl 24, progressing fairly easily. Hardest fight so far was against a dark knight, who insisted to curse me way too much, and got me below 100HP. A couple of lucky phase door (had no teleport at the time) got me out of line of sight, so I could drink a few CCW potions, and finish him off.

Now, I am wondering regarding at what dungeon level I should be? I am afraid that my lack of detection coupled with my lack of rAcid and rCold might get me into trouble. On the other hand, stat gain is not so far away (is that dlvl 30?), so I am tempted to give it a try.

Advice welcome, thanks in advance.

  [Angband 3.1.1 dev (r1626) Character Dump]

 Name                                            Self  RB  CB  EB   Best
 Sex    Male         Age             28   STR:     17  +4  +5  +2 18/100
 Race   Half-Troll   Height          96   INT:     10  -4  -2  +0      4
 Class  Warrior      Weight         240   WIS:     10  -2  -2  +0      6
 Title  Veteran      Social     Unknown   DEX:     18  -4  +2  +0     16
 HP     330/330      Maximize         Y   Con:     10  +3  +2  +0     15     14
 SP     0/0                               CHR:     10  -6  -1  +0      3


 Level               25   Armor     [27,+0]     Saving Throw         35%
 Cur Exp          15366   Fight     (+4,+6)     Stealth             Poor
 Max Exp          15366   Melee   (+10,+14)     Fighting          Heroic
 Adv Exp          21000   Shoot     (+8,+3)     Shooting          Superb
 MaxDepth   1200' (L24)   Blows      2/turn     Disarming            42%
 Turns           201758   Shots      1/turn     Magic Device        Fair
 Gold              7664   Infra       30 ft     Perception       1 in 43
 Burden       174.7 lbs   Speed      Normal     Searching            13%

 Your father was a Cave-Troll Warrior.  You have glowing red eyes, oily
 sea-weed green hair, and green ulcerous skin.



rAcid:............. rConf:+............
rElec:....+........ Sound:.............
rFire:+............ Shard:.............
rCold:............. Nexus:...........+.
rPois:............. Nethr:.............
rFear:............. Chaos:.............
rLite:............. Disen:.............
rDark:............. S.Dig:.............
rBlnd:............. Feath:...........+.

PLite:............. Aggrv:.............
Regen:............+ Stea.:+............
  ESP:............. Sear.:.............
Invis:............. Infra:............+
FrAct:...+......... Tunn.:.............
HLife:............. Speed:.............
ImpHP:............. Blows:.............
ImpSP:............. Shots:.............
 Fear:............. Might:.............


  [Character Equipment]

a) The Flail 'Totila' (3d6) (+6,+8) (+2 stealth)
     +2 stealth.
     Slays evil creatures.
     Branded with flames.
     Provides resistance to fire, confusion.
     Cannot be harmed by acid, electricity, fire, cold.
     
     Combat info:
     2 blows/round.
     Average damage/hit: 36.8 vs. evil creatures, 47.9 vs. creatures
     not resistant to fire, and 25.7 vs. others.
     
b) a Long Bow (x3) (+4,+3)
c) a Ring of Strength (+2)
     +2 strength.
     Sustains strength.
     
d) a Ring of Free Action
     Prevents paralysis.  
     
e) an Amulet of Resist Lightning
     Provides resistance to lightning.
     Cannot be harmed by electricity.
     
f) a Lantern (1816 turns)
     Cannot be harmed by fire.
     
     Radius 2 light.
g) Chain Mail (-2) [14,-2]
h) a Cloak [1,+2]
i) a Small Metal Shield [4,-2]
j) a Steel Helm [6,-1]
k) a Set of Leather Gloves [1,-1]
l) a Pair of Leather Sandals of Stability [1,+3]
     Provides resistance to nexus.
     Feather Falling.  
     


  [Character Inventory]

a) 11 Flasks of oil
     Branded with flames.
     
b) 2 Potions of Cure Serious Wounds
     
     When drunk, it heals you a fair amount (1/5 of your wounds, minimu
     m 25HP), heals cut damage, and cures blindness and confusion.
     
c) 18 Potions of Cure Critical Wounds
     
     When drunk, it heals you a large amount (1/4 of your wounds, minim
     um 30HP), heals cut damage, and cures stunning, poisoning, blindne
     ss, and confusion.
     
d) a Potion of Resist Cold
     When drunk, it grants temporary resistance to cold for 1d10+10 tur
     ns.
     
e) 9 Scrolls of Detect Invisible
     When read, it detects invisible creatures nearby.
     
f) 7 Scrolls of Satisfy Hunger
     When read, it magically renders you well-fed, curing any gastroint
     estinal problems.
     
g) a Scroll of Word of Recall
     When read, it returns you from the dungeon or takes you to the dun
     geon after a short delay.
     
h) 2 Scrolls of Recharging
     When read, it tries to recharge a wand or staff, destroying the wa
     nd or staff on failure.
     
i) a Scroll of Monster Confusion
     When read, it causes your next attack upon a monster to confuse it.
     
j) 3 Rods of Door/Stair Location
     When activated, it detects doors and stairs nearby.
     Takes 70 turns to recharge.
     
k) a Staff of Curing (7 charges)
     
     When activated, it heals cut damage, and cures all stunning, poiso
     n, blindness and confusion.
     
l) a Staff of Teleportation (7 charges)
     
     When activated, it teleports you randomly up to 100 squares away.
     
m) 2 Staves of Identify (1 charge)
     
     When activated, it reveals to you the extent of an item's magical 
     powers.
     
n) a Ring of Feather Falling
     Feather Falling.  
     
o) a Broad Sword of Slay Demon (2d5) (+9,+3)
     Slays demons.
     
     Combat info:
     2 blows/round.
     Average damage/hit: 28.3 vs. demons, and 15.6 vs. others.
     
p) a Katana (3d5) {ego}
     You do not know the full extent of this item's powers.
     
     Combat info:
     2 blows/round.
     Average damage/hit: 15.4.
     
q) a Long Bow of Accuracy (x3) {ego}
     You do not know the full extent of this item's powers.
     
r) 25 Bolts of Frost (1d5) (+6,+16)
     Branded with frost.
     Cannot be harmed by cold.
     
s) 22 Bolts (1d5) {magical}
     You do not know the full extent of this item's powers.
     
t) 9 Arrows (1d4) (+3,+4)
     Combat info:
     Hits targets up to 120 feet away.
     Average damage/hit: 28.7.
     35% chance of breaking upon contact.
     
u) 24 Iron Shots (1d4) {ego}
     You do not know the full extent of this item's powers.
     


============================================================
                   CHAR.
|   TURN  | DEPTH |LEVEL| EVENT
============================================================
         1      0'    1   Began the quest to destroy Morgoth.
      3772      0'    1   Killed Farmer Maggot
      8847    100'    1   Killed Fang, Farmer Maggot's dog
      8847    100'    2   Reached level 2
      8847    100'    3   Reached level 3
      8847    100'    4   Reached level 4
      8944    100'    4   Killed Grip, Farmer Maggot's dog
     13871    200'    5   Reached level 5
     19034    250'    6   Reached level 6
     21197    300'    7   Reached level 7
     27875    300'    8   Reached level 8
     37226    350'    9   Reached level 9
     38686    350'   10   Reached level 10
     46664    400'   10   Killed Bullroarer the Hobbit
     54067    450'   11   Reached level 11
     57084    500'   12   Reached level 12
     75019    400'   13   Reached level 13
     75649    450'   13   Killed Wormtongue, Agent of Saruman
     78651    500'   14   Reached level 14
     93363    650'   15   Reached level 15
     99882    650'   16   Reached level 16
    116557    700'   17   Reached level 17
    117527    750'   17   Killed Lagduf, the Snaga
    119385    750'   18   Reached level 18
    124471    750'   18   Found The Dagger 'Narthanc'
    127667    750'   18   Killed Brodda, the Easterling
    131949    850'   19   Reached level 19
    140223    900'   19   Killed Boldor, King of the Yeeks
    143211    900'   20   Reached level 20
    146408    900'   20   Killed Orfax, Son of Boldor
    152487    950'   21   Reached level 21
    157993   1000'   21   Found The Flail 'Totila'
    169203   1150'   22   Reached level 22
    177027   1150'   22   Killed Nar, the Dwarf
    177027   1150'   23   Reached level 23
    184850   1150'   23   Killed Shagrat, the Orc Captain
    191144   1200'   24   Reached level 24
    198418   1200'   25   Reached level 25


  [Options]

Maximize effect of race/class bonuses        : yes (adult_maximize)
Randomize some of the artifacts (beta)       : no  (adult_randarts)
Restrict the use of stairs/recall            : no  (adult_ironman)
Restrict the use of stores/home              : no  (adult_no_stores)
Restrict creation of artifacts               : no  (adult_no_artifacts)
Don't stack objects on the floor             : no  (adult_no_stacking)
Lose artifacts when leaving level            : no  (adult_no_preserve)
Don't generate connected stairs              : no  (adult_no_stairs)
Adult: Monsters chase current location       : yes (adult_ai_sound)
Adult: Monsters chase recent locations       : yes (adult_ai_smell)
Adult: Monsters act smarter in groups        : yes (adult_ai_packs)
Adult: Monsters learn from their mistakes    : no  (adult_ai_learn)
Adult: Monsters exploit players weaknesses   : no  (adult_ai_cheat)
Adult: Monsters behave more intelligently (broken): no  (adult_ai_smart)
Score: Peek into object creation             : no  (score_peek)
Score: Peek into monster creation            : no  (score_hear)
Score: Peek into dungeon creation            : no  (score_room)
Score: Peek into something else              : no  (score_xtra)
Score: Know complete monster info            : no  (score_know)
Score: Allow player to avoid death           : no  (score_live)

[Tobias]

If you want to play carefully you should be at dlvl15-25 now, farming for the low resists (Acid,Fire,cold,lightning) and Rpoison.

Playing aggressive you should be at 30-35. Using your high HP to survive and avoid status effects by running away alot.

You should already be using rods of Trap,Monster,Treasure Detection. Looks like you had bad luck with equipment.
Personally I would go slowly (clean all levels) to 30, and try to pick up the needed stuff on the way.

[Pete Mack]

You need the 3 basic rods:
Detect Traps
Detect Objects
Detect Doors & Stairs
(Don't sell them, and if you did, immediately recall and see if they're still available)

Also: go to dl 30 and start finding stat potions. The mid-20s is no-man's land (lots of hounds, not great loot)

[Remuz]

Thanks for the replies!

Based on Tobias' advice, I did not dive directly to level 30, and I finally got some luck with drops : some artifacts allowed me to cover basic needs, with the exception of rCold (I have rPoison, the 3 remainings basic resistances, free action and see invisible). I wish I had fear resistance though, those packs of novice paladins and ghouls are annoying, but not too dangerous.

The lack of cold resistance is annoying, but as long as I am not surprised, that should be ok, as I carry some !rCold. What are dangerous cold breathers at stat gain depth?

Right now I am hanging between 30 and 35 for a little bit, to collect stat gain potions. I finally managed to get those 3 rods that you mentionned. Is there a rod of detect monsters? I wish I had some way to notice anything coming at me, that would render that lack of rCold must less dangerous.

No real difficulty so far, and no close call. Some uniques were harder than others, but there are easy to skip, so I left some behind (I tend to leave uniques that I encounter at their native depth).

Oh, and next game, I will definitely skip levels 20-30 if I can. Those hounds made me mad.

My new dump : here

Thanks again for the comments, this helps a lot.

[fizzix]

You have enough HP to not have to worry about much from cold breathers. Just look out for Ancient Dragons and maybe Mature multi-hued. They won't hurt you too bad though. Ancient Whites aren't native until dlevel 40 though, so you shouldn't see to much of them.

You won't get the ability to detect monsters until you find a (rare) rod of detection.

In the meantime, you can buy staves of detect evil. Though it won't find hounds or golems, it'll find most of the other dangerous monsters.

I'm jealous of your rpoison, my current character doesn't have it, and just finally got a way to have rbase covered w/o swapping.

[Remuz]

Well, the RNG is kind. I bought a crown a telepathy from the black market. I had to sell most of my home to get it, but that was definitely worth it. To top it off, I just found a rod a detection, from on the floor at dlvl 33.

I am sure I am going to die in some horrible and/or shameful way any minute now.

[buzzkill]

The only thing I haven't heard mentioned so far is a wand/rod of teleport other. You're beginning to enter territory where it's safer to teleport a singular troublesome enemy than teleport yourself. Also useful for vaults.

Start stockpiling a few scrolls of recharging in your home.

[Pete Mack]

Right. Wands of Teleport other are critical. So are Rods, though you won't be able to use them for quite a long time. (Half-Troll Warrior has the worst magic device skill of any race/class combo.)
Also important: any Scrolls of Teleportation, Teleport Level, Deep Descent, *Destruction* or (Mass) Banishment that turn up in the black market.
*Destruction*, Deep Descent, and Teleport Level are the only completely reliable escapes from imminent death (given rBlind and rConf)

You can't survive much past dl 50 without TO and/or a guaranteed escape, especially with poor stealth.

[Remuz]

http://angband.oook.cz/ladder-show.php?id=9781

I finally got some resistances covered. I am still having a tough time having correct escape methods, though, because of my lack of blindness resistance. This, and the fact that I am no good at magic devices, make me very nervous. I have no solution for that problem yet, other than ditching my crown of telepathy for a crown of seing, which (I think) would not be the smartest of moves.

Escape methods are not numerous. I lost my scrolls of teleport to an Ancient Red Dragon (avoiding them now, they are not worth it), and lost a couple of staves/wands to a master lich which drained all the charges away.

I also managed to get some stealth, which improved my survivability a fair bit. What should be my next move? Currently at dlvl 49, I am willing to dive, but my stats are far from maxed (base CON at 14!).

My usual way of playing :
- Enter a level.
- If there is a bad guy nearby that I need to rush, cast -oDetectTraps and engage. Otherwise, cast -oDetection.
- If there are good items, go grab them. If there are good-to-kill ennemies (easy to kill with good drop or experience), go kill them. Else, either walk to the other end of the level, or simply exit it with the nearest up or down stairs. I try to leave "big" uniques alone, and most summoners or undead that can drain charges or lower experience (not entirely successful at that, cf dump ).

I do not feel like I am playing slowly, although my turn count proves otherwise.

[buzzkill]

I'm no expert at depth, but just keep your supply of CCW up to deal with the blindness issue and avoid dangerous enemies that can blind you. That shouldn't be too difficult with ESP.

I've never found the staff of earthquakes to be useful, though I too often end up carrying one around for no good reason.

Be careful with those phase doors. A ill-conceived phase, rather than a more definite escape has been the death of many an adventurer.

You don't need to carry oil. Fill your lantern and leave the rest at home.

Ditto deep decent. I usually leave these at home and only read them to re-enter the dungeon.

You don't seem to have any, but scrolls of teleport level are great fail-safe escapes. If you see them, buy them. They're way under priced IMO.

[fizzix]

I've never found the staff of earthquakes to be useful, though I too often end up carrying one around for no good reason.

I agree. In my experience earthquakes are only useful in blocking things from getting to you down a long corridor. Certainly not worth lugging around. _Destruct is the way to go.

You don't need to carry oil. Fill your lantern and leave the rest at home.

I agree with this as well. Usually I bring a couple down with me and fuel to full and discard whenever I need the slot. Oil is always on sale in the general store.

Ditto deep decent. I usually leave these at home and only read them to re-enter the dungeon.

You don't seem to have any, but scrolls of teleport level are great fail-safe escapes. If you see them, buy them. They're way under priced IMO.

I don't agree with this. Deep Descent is a very good escape. TL is also. In general I carry DD with me until I hit dlevel 99, at which point TL is preferred

I made some similar comments on the chardump before I saw this thread.

[Remuz]

Well, RIP my poor warrior.

He got killed by Waldern, the King of Water, on dlvl 54. It should not have happened, really, and only my stupidity led to this. I was confused by the fact that this guy was native from level 43, and disregarded the fact that he was doing some real damage to me. I then let my live slip, and only had to get unlucky twice in a row to bit the dust.

Great game overall, my next char will be more subtle I think, low stealth and low magic device skill is not the easiest combination.