New vault technique??

[MattB]

So I stumbled on this ma-hoooooo-ssive, and utterly exposed, vault on dlvl43 (so big that I can't get all of it on my 17" monitor using the smallest tiles). At any given time my ESP was picking up about 180 monsters. But as I ran around the outside I noticed something happening, the numbers were going down. After half a dozen circuits there are now only 11 monsters inside (plus maybe some that aren't picked up by telepathy). I've obviously got a trampler in there who has disposed of, amongst other things, four uniques (including Kevlax) and a large pack of multi-hued hounds.
So 'all' thats left are Akhoril, 3 Nalfeshnee, a lesser balrog, a master mystic, a master lich, a beholder, an 11-headed hydra and a wood spider. Oh, and the small matter of a Great Wyrm of chaos. I've not got many charges on my wand of teleport other...
I can't just walk away. I have to know what's inside. Who wants to bet I get killed by the wood spider?

I'm going in.

It's 106 miles to Chicago. We've got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes and no chaos resist. It's dark and we're wearing a helm of seeing.
Hit it!

[MattB]

The aftermath...

Tunneled through...
Move 1) tele othered the great wyrm of chaos
Move 2) tele othered the balrog
Move 3) tele othered the master mystic (2 charges left)
Then our mystery guest appeared - Ariel. The bitch's first move was to destroy my wand of tele other!
I ducked back out of the vault, out of LOS, and despatched the remaining beasties. Then I had no option but to take on Ariel. With no rConfus...
40 potions of CCW later I took off her last star while confused.
Time to pick up the loot (and kill the wood spider who had been hiding, phew!). The only things left after Ariel's crushing antics were:
Colannon, Pauraegen, Evenstar, WDSM of craftsmanship and a blessed halberd (and a bunch of other stuff that squelched upon pick-up).
Well, I might use Evenstar although, weirdly, my Half-troll warrior has got rather attached to his amulet of the magi (for FrAct, SInvis and pBlind in one slot). What an anticlimax. Oddly, the mystic and the balrog appeared INSIDE the vault while I was looting. I thought all teleportation took you OUTSIDE a vault?

[MattB]

Why didn't I recall then?!!!!
Bumped into the wyrm, ducked down the stairs, tame and sheltered, something worthwhile, 'I'll just have a quick look', mobbed by a death drake, half-killed him and bailed, teleported into a room with two enchantresses and a death knight, lots of summoning, teleported back to the death drake, then back to the enchatresses et al, back to the drake, enchantresses. You die.

[donalde]

ouch, you got greedy and unlucky... either is kinda guarantee on death on V, and combine those two it is instadeath.

I had similar experience on one of my winners, there was GV: Huge Vault (modified), inside there was Maeglin who kindly opened all corridors from rock, and after Maeglin came something (I don't recall what, maybe unique) tramping most of inhabitants to death.

[Derakon]

If you do any teleporting away of monsters because you can't handle them (as opposed to because you can't be bothered to handle them), then that should be a sign that the rest of the dungeon is no longer safe to explore. Finish your current business, and then leave. Especially, teleporting becomes a huge crapshoot when there's high-level nasties wandering about.

[donalde]

If you do any teleporting away of monsters because you can't handle them (as opposed to because you can't be bothered to handle them), then that should be a sign that the rest of the dungeon is no longer safe to explore. Finish your current business, and then leave. Especially, teleporting becomes a huge crapshoot when there's high-level nasties wandering about.

Don't actually have to be high level, 2 pack of suitable hounds in 2 locations really ruins the day, impact and plasma hound come 1st in mind, also gravity and timehounds are more than annoying. Teleport away from pack; oh sh*t! other pack! another teleport... oh well, back to rolling

[MattB]

If you do any teleporting away of monsters because you can't handle them (as opposed to because you can't be bothered to handle them), then that should be a sign that the rest of the dungeon is no longer safe to explore. Finish your current business, and then leave. Especially, teleporting becomes a huge crapshoot when there's high-level nasties wandering about.

I know, I know, I know.
Yet Another Fully Deserved Death.
I guess posting in the AAR forum while still alive was asking for it really...

[Corellon]

Yes, teleport as well as phase door can be very dangerous. That's why I prefer dimension door (with invulnerability and herbal healing, sooo nice - I love Nature/Sorcery ArchMage).

[krazyhades]

That's why Teleport Level is so important...the player always gets the first turn on a new level. I always feel terrible when I die to bad phase/teleport when I could have just burned one of my teleport levels. Did you have it available?

[MattB]

That's why Teleport Level is so important...the player always gets the first turn on a new level. I always feel terrible when I die to bad phase/teleport when I could have just burned one of my teleport levels. Did you have it available?

It's a funny thing, but I used to carry them around with all my characters but after a while I realised that I never used them. I guess that if it wasn't a really good level I would have long since staired or WOR'd and if it was a really good level I couldn't bring myself to bin it. So now I squelch them at the first opportunity (at birth with a dynasty character). Not smart, perhaps, but inventory slots are priceless at the deeper levels.

[krazyhades]

..wha...what!?

Teleport level is the only escape that guarantees an extra turn!

edit: this has been said. I am still shocked.

[Timo Pietilä]

Teleport level is the only escape that guarantees an extra turn!

Destruction guarantees multiple.

[Thraalbee]

I agree with Timo. I've moved from ?Tele level to ?Destruct as best failsafe out.
I also often destruct instead of tele other if I can lure the really bad guys away from the loot first. Aggravation can be helpful.