memorable randarts

[Nomad]

The first artefact my warrior found so far this game:

the Whip of Anilmar (3d3) (-14,-7) [-24] {cursed}
Dropped by Nár, the Dwarf at 1000 feet (level 20).

Heavily cursed.
*Slays* demons.
Cannot be harmed by acid, electricity, fire, cold.
Aggravates creatures nearby.

[Bagplant]

That's going to result in an awful lot of things getting Feather Falling (or +1 CHA or +1 Searching).

This happens when the base item is significantly 'better' (in terms of damage dice or base AC) than the standart's base item, so there's not much room for abilities. Personally I'd rather have +hit/dam on a weapon than FF or +1 stat.

We could address this by narrowing the range of allowable base items - at the moment they're allowed to take up to 85% (IIRC) of the available power. We could lower this limit to something like 60%. My instinct is that this would make randart generation take noticeably longer (many more rejected items and sets), but it might not.

I would also call this a bug I think. There are definitely examples in the standart set that are comparable to a normal ego item in power (the -thancs for example are basically just branded weapons with an extra damage die and activation). However this one would pseudo-id as 'good' if it were a non-artifact and I can't think of any in the basic set for which that's true. (The Glaive doesn't count as the huge boost to damage dice and +damage makes it out of the ordinary - compare DSM of craftsmanship or launchers of accuracy/power).

If the base item can take up to 85% of the power calculation, that seems way too high and more or less guarantees that you will see artifacts of this type. (I wonder what the maximum base item percentage is in the standart set? Well below 85%, I'd bet).

[Timo Pietilä]

Not a randart, but Dave XXXI was so excited to find some purple headgear at 500' that he IDed it prior to wearing...



Dave is feeling rather let down.

It ignores acid and is light, so if you enchant it up it could be useful.

[scud]

Not a randart, but Dave XXXI was so excited to find some purple headgear at 500' that he IDed it prior to wearing...



Dave is feeling rather let down.

[ranger jeff]

Yeah, as said, just the default artifact property of immune to the elements is great to have early game, so your plusses don't go away.

[Derakon]

Remember also the Glaive of Pain, which has no special abilities on it besides doing a crapload of damage. I don't think randarts necessarily have to do anything beyond have pluses if they don't want to.

[Magnate]

I would consider this as a flaw/bug. Same if you find a randart armor part with only +AC. The randart engine should ensure that weapons and armor parts get at least one ability, even if it's feather falling or similar crap.

That's going to result in an awful lot of things getting Feather Falling (or +1 CHA or +1 Searching).

This happens when the base item is significantly 'better' (in terms of damage dice or base AC) than the standart's base item, so there's not much room for abilities. Personally I'd rather have +hit/dam on a weapon than FF or +1 stat.

We could address this by narrowing the range of allowable base items - at the moment they're allowed to take up to 85% (IIRC) of the available power. We could lower this limit to something like 60%. My instinct is that this would make randart generation take noticeably longer (many more rejected items and sets), but it might not.

[MattB]

I would consider this as a flaw/bug. Same if you find a randart armor part with only +AC. The randart engine should ensure that weapons and armor parts get at least one ability, even if it's feather falling or similar crap.

Well, it can't be harmed by the elements. Which is handy...ish.

[PowerWyrm]

My first artifact in an iron man game:

The Morning Star of Elithar (2d6) (+5, +9)

Dropped by Ugluk, the Uruk at 1650 feet (level 33)

Cannot be harmed by acid, fire, electricity or cold

I wonder if it was based off of Melkor or something.

I would consider this as a flaw/bug. Same if you find a randart armor part with only +AC. The randart engine should ensure that weapons and armor parts get at least one ability, even if it's feather falling or similar crap.

[Estie]

Its missing pconfusion.

[PowerWyrm]

Slightly improved Thranduil? Sounds to me like a massively improved Dor-Lomin!

[MattB]

Eek! Nice!
(And a hat that makes you hallucinate on demand is pretty cool.
Think how much money you'll save on mushrooms at parties.)

[Thraalbee]

Thranduil++

Just picked up a slightly improved Thranduil for my Kobold Fighter. Sweet!

o) the Metal Cap 'Elebriel' [3,+13] <+4> 
     Dropped by The Phoenix at 3150 feet (level 63).
     
     +4 strength, intelligence, dexterity, constitution.
     +20% to searching.
     Provides immunity to acid.
     Provides resistance to lightning.
     Provides protection from blindness.
     Cannot be harmed by acid, electricity, fire, cold.
     Grants telepathy.  Grants the ability to see invisible things.  
     
     When activated, it grants temporary resistance to fire and cold,
     cures 200HP, but also makes you hallucinate wildly.
     Takes 199 to 220 turns to recharge at your current speed.
     Your chance of success is 89.3%

[ranger jeff]

Hey, you may get *Really* lucky and find a shield or something that grants you a brand or slay. The +7 speed on that is enough to make it great, but being only (+10,+12) is kind of weak. Without the brand/slay, 7d7+12 averages the same as 5d5+25. If you have other gear that together gets you up to (+30,+30) somehow I might stick with it for a while, you'll average 300dpr or so against everything, and you'll move faster than most monsters... if you also don't need your weapon slot to cover resists or something.

And I've seen, IIRC, several 6d7's, at least one 7d7, and I think... maybe it was a dagger like 11d4. 9d8 sounds familiar, too, but that's probably Grond. So probably not that rare.

[Thraalbee]

7d7 on a Short Sword is highly unusual, isn't it?. However without *slay* or brand it is not overpowered, just odd.

w) the Short Sword of Athron (7d7) (+12,+10) <+7> {!d!x!v}
     Found lying on the floor in a vault at 2700 feet (level 54).
     
     +7 speed.
     Provides resistance to cold.
     Cannot be harmed by acid, electricity, fire, cold.
     
     Combat info:
     6.0 blows/round.
     Average damage/round: 324.6.