memorable randarts

[Estie]

Gondricam must be within 20% of 394 or the generator would have rejected the randart. The disparity arises from Gondricam's huge AC bonus being turned into speed. Nobody thinks the AC is anywhere near as good as the speed, because it's in a weapon slot. In my last overhaul of the object power calculation, I implemented per-slot power for most things, but not for AC.

Separately, large speed bonuses are *still* underrated, but I gave up trying to deal with that after four years of trying different approaches. As soon as they're properly rated, everything else breaks.

The value of large speed bonuses depends various factors. First off, lets assume we have an endgame kit and the artifact isnt the first one found - in the latter case the value becomes near infinite, but that is also true for a RoS - so assuming the "normal" setup is 2 big speed boosters, ring and boots, having +10 speed on a cloak possibly frees a ring slot. This is however not true if the speed bonus is on a weapon _unless_ its a godly weapon already without the speed (Ringil). I find weapons with big speed boosts fairly often, but hardly ever use them.

Assuming that cloak frees a ring slot, conceivably it would be used for a damage ring instead - lets say +10 damage (10 speed is on the low end for endgame rings), which means the cloak would be worth about the same as one with (+8, +13) and no speed.

As for the dex boost, the value of that depends very much on race/class played AND other artifacts in the kit. Lets see. The combat stats - str dex con - have about the same importance to get to the cap. A typical randart has maybe a +3 bonus, so lets call that 1 point. You want on average 2 boosts to max out, so the +10 dex would be worth 2 points - same as +6 dex in this estimation.

With con ring and damage ring both being used, they should have about the same value, so lets add another +15 damage (the maximum ring value, since +6 is also the maximum con boost on a ring), so our cloak would become (+8, +27) with lightning resistance

The reason why this looks so much more powerful than Gondricam is that there are 50 artifact weapons but only 5 cloaks. Imagine it being the other way round - 50 cloaks, but only 5 weapons - and also lets assume there are no ego items for the moment - now pick 5 random weapons from the standard set, and add 45 cloaks.

Under those conditions, chances are that Gondricam would end up in this thread while the cloak would be considered mediocre.

[MattB]

Oh sure, I'm not trying to claim that randarts are broken just because there exist broken randarts. There are standarts that are broken too. I mean really, +10 speed in a bow slot? We just think that's normal.

HaHa - Good point!

And I mean really, a pair of gauntlets with rfire, rdisen and FrAct - that's just waaaay overpowered...oh no...hang on a minute...

[Derakon]

Oh sure, I'm not trying to claim that randarts are broken just because there exist broken randarts. There are standarts that are broken too. I mean really, +10 speed in a bow slot? We just think that's normal.

[MattB]

That cloak represents a combination of rare factors, though: first, getting lots of speed on a non-boot/ring slot (usually you only see maybe +4 speed outside of those slots), and second, adding a second stat bonus with the same pval. It is pretty absurdly good.

Ah, but here's the thing about randarts - I never actually had it!
Yes, it's nominally pretty common, but I had been hanging around in the sixties for maybe 50 level generations and it didn't show up! Ironically, the reason that I spent so long around that depth was that I DIDN'T HAVE ANY SPEED!

Seriously, I was on normal speed with no potions or staves of speed so every unkilled unique was lethal. So I decided to hang around until I found boots or ring of speed, or both. I was wearing 2 RoDams and cycling through pairs of standard magic boots so the slots were going begging. But before I found either I recalled into a 'cavern' level in the middle of two packs of hounds (plasma and hell) and died pretty quickly (no scrolls of tele, both staves of tele incinerated immediately and my recall method was a ruddy charging randart, naturally).

My point is this (and there is one, I promise): Randarts are not broken just because my delicious cloak was a theoretical possibility. If I'd been playing standart I wouldn't have been in the situation I was in because I would probably have had Dal-i-Thallies or whatever. Equally, if I had found that cloak, I would probably have been stuck wielding a lead-filled mace (+2,+2) that activates to restore charisma (like that shield I posted on this thread a while back). If playing randart you have to accept that your game will be a lot more, well, random!

And I like it!

[Raajaton]

Just picked up this awesome chest piece in a vault - activates to be a potion of life!

the Ribbed Plate Armour of Sulur (-3) [66,+11] <+4, +1>
Dropped by an Ancient multi-hued dragon at 4900 feet (level 98).

+4 wisdom, dexterity, constitution, tunneling.
Provides resistance to acid, lightning, fire, cold, poison, dark,
sound, nexus.
Provides protection from fear, blindness, confusion.
Cannot be harmed by acid, electricity, fire, cold.
Speeds regeneration.

When activated, it heals 5000 hit points, restores experience and
stats, heals cut damage, and cures stunning, poison, blindness,
and confusion.
Takes 722 to 1058 turns to recharge at your current speed.
Your chance of success is 93.9%

[Magnate]

The game thinks that cloak has power 394, which sounds about right from what I can remember of other listed power levels. What I'm curious about is what it thinks Gondricam's power is. Randarts have a fairly wide variance in power compared to their base objects, if I recall correctly, so I wouldn't be surprised if the game considers Gondricam to only be around 100-150.

That cloak represents a combination of rare factors, though: first, getting lots of speed on a non-boot/ring slot (usually you only see maybe +4 speed outside of those slots), and second, adding a second stat bonus with the same pval. It is pretty absurdly good.

Gondricam must be within 20% of 394 or the generator would have rejected the randart. The disparity arises from Gondricam's huge AC bonus being turned into speed. Nobody thinks the AC is anywhere near as good as the speed, because it's in a weapon slot. In my last overhaul of the object power calculation, I implemented per-slot power for most things, but not for AC.

Separately, large speed bonuses are *still* underrated, but I gave up trying to deal with that after four years of trying different approaches. As soon as they're properly rated, everything else breaks.

[Derakon]

The game thinks that cloak has power 394, which sounds about right from what I can remember of other listed power levels. What I'm curious about is what it thinks Gondricam's power is. Randarts have a fairly wide variance in power compared to their base objects, if I recall correctly, so I wouldn't be surprised if the game considers Gondricam to only be around 100-150.

That cloak represents a combination of rare factors, though: first, getting lots of speed on a non-boot/ring slot (usually you only see maybe +4 speed outside of those slots), and second, adding a second stat bonus with the same pval. It is pretty absurdly good.

[Timo Pietilä]

Wish I'd found this before I died - would have been really handy for a Half-Troll warrior...

the Fur Cloak of Cardil (+8,+3) [3,+16] <+10>
---------------------------------------------
A heavy cloak made from fur and lined with leather; a luxury.

+10 dexterity, speed.
Provides resistance to lightning.
Cannot be harmed by acid, electricity, fire, cold.


Min Level 60, Max Level 127, Generation chance 12, Power 394, 2.5 lbs
Based on Gondricam.

How does Gondricam translate to that???? One of the weakest weapons gets +10 to speed, combat bonuses and +10 DEX when turned to cloak. That cloak is worth about 100 * Gondricam.

Just for fun, this is Gondricam in 3.4.1:

N:79:'Gondricam'
I:sword:Cutlass
W:20:8:110:28000
A:12:20 to 65
P:0:1d8:10:11:50
F:RES_ACID | RES_ELEC | RES_FIRE | RES_COLD | FEATHER | 
F:SEE_INVIS | REGEN | FREE_ACT | 
L:4:DEX
L:2:STEALTH

IOW: (1d8) (+10,+11) [50] <+4, +2> (DEX and Stealth)
resist basic 4, feather fall, see_inv, regen, FA.

Just +4 DEX and bit better AC bonus over ordinary defender cutlass.

[Timo Pietilä]

Just found this monster in 3.4.1(The trident does 1d10 normally):

the Trident of Guingwe (7d10) (+7,+16) [+26] <+3>
Dropped by a Berserker at 3300 feet (level 66).

+3 wisdom.
Provides resistance to light.
Cannot be harmed by acid, electricity, fire, cold.
Blessed by the gods.

Combat info:
5.0 blows/round.
Average damage/round: 424.

Glaive of Pain with WIS bonus basically. 9d6 averages to 31.5, 7d10 averages 38.5 and Pain has bigger to_dam.

If that had some brand/useful slays like evil then it would be a killer weapon.

[scud]

Wish I'd found this before I died - would have been really handy for a Half-Troll warrior...

the Fur Cloak of Cardil (+8,+3) [3,+16] <+10>

Wow. I've seen a two or three randarts with +8/+9 to both speed and charisma, and had assumed that a boost of that size could *only* be applied charisma rather than any useful stat.

Not a particularly rare item, either.

[AnonymousHero]

Holy carp!

[OOD Town drunk]

Just found this monster in 3.4.1(The trident does 1d10 normally):

the Trident of Guingwe (7d10) (+7,+16) [+26] <+3>
Dropped by a Berserker at 3300 feet (level 66).

+3 wisdom.
Provides resistance to light.
Cannot be harmed by acid, electricity, fire, cold.
Blessed by the gods.

Combat info:
5.0 blows/round.
Average damage/round: 424.

[MattB]

Wish I'd found this before I died - would have been really handy for a Half-Troll warrior...

the Fur Cloak of Cardil (+8,+3) [3,+16] <+10>
---------------------------------------------
A heavy cloak made from fur and lined with leather; a luxury.

+10 dexterity, speed.
Provides resistance to lightning.
Cannot be harmed by acid, electricity, fire, cold.


Min Level 60, Max Level 127, Generation chance 12, Power 394, 2.5 lbs
Based on Gondricam.

[MattB]

The great thing about randarts is that for every incredible Main Gauche you find (see below), you get one of the attached...
(What a handy activation! Where on earth did it come from?)
------------------------------------

the Main Gauche of Andir (7d5) (+15,+15) <+1>
Dropped by a Greater Maia at 2500 feet (level 50).

+1 charisma.
Slays evil creatures.
*Slays* dragons.
Provides resistance to lightning, fire.
Cannot be harmed by acid, electricity, fire, cold.

Combat info:
5.5 blows/round.
With +0 STR and +2 DEX you would get 5.8 blows
Average damage/round: 507.8 vs. evil creatures, 878.5 vs. dragons,
and 384 vs. others.
----------------------------------

[scud]

Didn't find it, but this was in my last completed game...

the Green Dragon Scale Mail 'Cirrahadh' (-2) [20,+39] <+4>
----------------------------------------------------------
 +4 strength, wisdom, dexterity, constitution, charisma.
 +20% to searching.
 It causes your melee attacks to *slay* dragons.
 It brands your melee attacks with weak frost.
 Provides resistance to acid, lightning, fire, cold, poison, light, nexus,
 nether.
 Provides protection from fear, blindness.
 Cannot be harmed by acid, electricity, fire, cold.
 Sustains wisdom, charisma.
 Prevents paralysis.  Sustains your life force.  Grants the ability to see
 invisible things.  
 
 When aimed, it allows you to breathe sound for 130 damage.
 Takes 155 to 209 turns to recharge.
 
Min Level 100, Max Level 127, Generation chance 1, Power 777, 11.3 lbs
Based on Bladeturner.

Now *that* is what a 'Bladeturner' should look like, although I'd say the Bladeturner-derived armour in post #202 is better because of the pBlnd/pConf/pStun triple whammy.