memorable randarts

[fruviad]

A nice end-game find:

the Mace of Narmedin (5d4) (+24,+14) [+11] <+4, +5, +6, +1, +3>
Found lying on the floor in a vault at 4650 feet (level 93)

+4 strength.
+5 intelligence.
+6 wisdom.
+1 dexterity.
+3 constitution.
+3 speed.
+1 light.
Slays undead (powerfully), dragons (powerfully), demons (powerfully), giants, trolls, orcs, animals, evil creatures.
Branded with weak lightning, poison.
Provides immunity to cold.
Provides resistance to acid, lightning, fire, light, dark, sound, shards.
Provides protection from fear, blindness.
Cannot be harmed by acid, fire.
Sustains strength.
Slows your metabolism. Grants the ability to see invisible things. Prevents paralysis. Aggravates creatures nearby.

Combat info:
4.0 blows/round.
Average damage/round: 442.3 vs undead, dragons, and demons, 332.7vs giants, trolls, orcs, and creatures not resistant to poison,
277.9 vs evil creatures, creatures not resistant to lightning, and animals, and 223.1 vs. others.

My mage had it equipped, so the melee bonuses were never used.

[Estie]

Its a combination of things: an example of a game where AC matters would be Nethack.
1. The combat system is different.
2. The cost to disengage from melee is substantially higher.
3. There are fewer protective things AC has to compete with.

Of these, the killer is 2.; you can remove phase door, but it wouldnt be Angband anymore.

[Pete Mack]

AC doesn't mean that much in the lategame, true. Early on, OoD mithril chain or dragon mail can make a huge difference. And not just from the breath.

[PowerDiver]

I was expressing my disappointment of this unusual find and the situation that I never want to wear purely AC over other magical properties like elvenkind. Judging by ladder dumps, this is an opinion shared by everyone. It is an old topic and has come up many times in the past. There have been many suggestions, discussions and debates, sometimes heated, because the game is close to our hearts. Is this forum no longer a place for that kind of exchange ?

The problem is that breaths can instakill in 1 round, and melee usually cannot. Also, some breaths have side effects that might lead to instakill [stun] or weaken you for the rest of the game [disenchant].This is a game of worst case, at least for beginners and intermediates. If you want AC to matter, the loop of experimentation shoud be

while (ac does not matter enough)
reduce all resistable damage by 25%
increase all melee damage by 25%
repeat

I don't see the point, but that kind of approach is the only way I believe the issue can be addressed.

Also, every time you add another monster like a wyrm of annihilation you exacerbate the pointlessness of ac. I think step 0 should be to remove the recent dangerous deep monster additions who have breath attacks before you even start the loop.

[Estie]

Ah, flew right over me.

[Grotug]

I was expressing my disappointment of this unusual find and the situation that I never want to wear purely AC over other magical properties like elvenkind. Judging by ladder dumps, this is an opinion shared by everyone. It is an old topic and has come up many times in the past. There have been many suggestions, discussions and debates, sometimes heated, because the game is close to our hearts. Is this forum no longer a place for that kind of exchange ?

I was being cheeky, because AC is always getting treated like it's the least most important attribute in the game or on par with feather falling or something like that. I never hear people say, "Man, I worked my gear around and now I have 320AC!" or something like that. I don't like using the /s notation; I figured it was obvious enough that there isn't actually anything inflammatory about one simply stating their opinion, so I didn't add /s to my post.

[Estie]

Please refrain from these inflammatory remarks: Too bad AC is worth almost nothing.

I was expressing my disappointment of this unusual find and the situation that I never want to wear purely AC over other magical properties like elvenkind. Judging by ladder dumps, this is an opinion shared by everyone. It is an old topic and has come up many times in the past. There have been many suggestions, discussions and debates, sometimes heated, because the game is close to our hearts. Is this forum no longer a place for that kind of exchange ?

[Grotug]

the Adamantite Plate Mail of Iandilmin (-4) [80,+50]
Found lying on the floor in a vault at 3000 feet (level 60)

Provides resistance to nexus.
Cannot be harmed by acid.

Thats 130 AC and not much else. Too bad AC is worth almost nothing.

Please refrain from these inflammatory remarks: Too bad AC is worth almost nothing.

[Ed_47569]

Another nice warrior find... only missing Slay Evil.

a) the Mace of Disruption of Harion (11d8) (+12,+24) [+10] <+2>
Found lying on the floor in a vault at 3700 feet (level 74)

+2 intelligence.
Slays dragons (powerfully), demons (powerfully), undead.
Branded with lightning.
Provides resistance to light.
Provides protection from fear.
Cannot be harmed by acid, fire.
Grants the ability to see invisible things. Blessed by the gods
(combat bonuses for holy casters). Aggravates creatures nearby.

When activated, it heals 500 hit points, heals cut damage, and
cures stunning.
Takes 433 to 532 turns to recharge at your current speed.
Your chance of success is 95.2%

Combat info:
5.2 blows/round.
Average damage/round: 2048.6 vs dragons and demons, 1368.2 vs
undead and creatures not resistant to lightning, and 687.9 vs.
others.

[RegalStar]

the Dagger of Gauras (1d4) (+14,+9)
Dropped by Mughash the Kobold Lord at 1350 feet (level 27)

Cannot be harmed by Acid.

Combat info:
5.0 blows/round.
With +0 STR and +1 DEX you would get 5.2 blows
Average damage/round: 116.
Averag thrown damage: 35.5.

That's the whole thing

[Estie]

the Adamantite Plate Mail of Iandilmin (-4) [80,+50]
Found lying on the floor in a vault at 3000 feet (level 60)

Provides resistance to nexus.
Cannot be harmed by acid.

Thats 130 AC and not much else. Too bad AC is worth almost nothing.

[Thraalbee]

Not too shabby!

Boots of Free Action with a few optional extras. I'd take them!

[Ed_47569]

Not too shabby!

p) the Pair of Steel Shod Boots 'Ainath' [7,+10] <+11>
Found lying on the floor in a vault at 3650 feet (level 73)

+11 speed.
Provides resistance to acid, cold.
Cannot be harmed by acid, fire.
Grants telepathy. Prevents paralysis.

[Grotug]

.....
....
...
..
.

"concerning this thing [the ring], my lords, you now all know enough for the understanding of our plight, and of sauron’s. [...] if it is destroyed, then he will fall; and his fall will be so low that none can foresee his arising ever again. For he will lose the best part of the strength that was native to him in his beginning, and all that was made or begun with that power will crumble, and he will be maimed for ever, becoming a mere spirit of malice that gnaws itself in the shadows, but cannot again grow or take shape. And so a great evil of this world will be removed."

[Sky]

Well Sauron was already dead at this point, so he had no further use for it!

tsk tsk tsk.

https://www.google.com/search?q=can+sauron+be+killed