I'm so dead..

[TubbyNinja]

So I just started a character today and found Dethanc as a level 4 on DL 2 with only 1800 moves under my belt. I've just found the Phial of Galadriel as a level 16 on DL 13. I know an insta death is right around the corner..

[Pete Mack]

Those are nice. Speed boots are nicer.

[AnonymousHero]

Those are nice. Speed boots are nicer.

Show-off!

[Derakon]

You know, it used to be an unusual game that you didn't find the Phial just sitting around by 500' at worst, and usually by 300'. This would have been back in the 2.8x days, IIRC.

The 'thancs are a different story, not so much because their rarity changed but because they're much more powerful now than they used to be.

[bio_hazard]

I remember more or less stair-scumming for the phial when I first started playing.

[Pete Mack]

When the detection radius was arbitrarily large, and detect objects wasn't just a rogue spell, it was a lot easier to find wheat among the chaff. I suspect the creation rate is roughly the same, but the discovery rate is significantly lower.

[bio_hazard]

"You have a special feeling about this level" or something like that- there used to be a level feeling specifically for artifacts. When you were around 3-500 feet, that was pretty much the only artifact you were likely to find. So you enter a level, get the level feeling, rest for 200 turns or whatever it took, then go back up the stairs. Repeat. If you got the feeling, search the whole level.

If the level feeling didn't trigger after a few tries, skip to step 2: get ready to save-scum Wormtongue for that gold dragon scale mail or Glaive of Pain.

[Pete Mack]

There still is that feeling if you have preserve mode off.

[Sphara]

If the level feeling didn't trigger after a few tries, skip to step 2: get ready to save-scum Wormtongue for that gold dragon scale mail or Glaive of Pain.

Back in the 90's, did you ever step on an trap door after Wormtongue's death while having the Phial and an unknown rapier he dropped on sight?

About that special feeling, I do not remember ever finding other artifact on early levels but the Phial. "Special" message was always, "ah, the Phial" for me.

[Derakon]

Special level feelings also triggered for jelly pits. Just putting that out there.

[bio_hazard]

Back in the 90's, did you ever step on an trap door after Wormtongue's death while having the Phial and an unknown rapier he dropped on sight?

About that special feeling, I do not remember ever finding other artifact on early levels but the Phial. "Special" message was always, "ah, the Phial" for me.

Yes, I did that... I seem to remember that you could reproduce the same drop if you took exactly the same number of turns from the save point, so you could try to quit then go through the same sequence.

[fruviad]

So I just started a character today and found Dethanc as a level 4 on DL 2 with only 1800 moves under my belt. I've just found the Phial of Galadriel as a level 16 on DL 13. I know an insta death is right around the corner..

Yeah...I just got that insta-death feeling, too.

dLvl 2, 1491 standard turns used. I haven't even been on the level long enough to get a feeling as to whether there's anything worthwhile on it.

From my messages window:

You see an Azurite Ring {??}.

You have an Azurite Ring {??} (h)

...and then I put the ring on:

You feel strangely quick.

You have learned the rune of speed.

You are wearing a Ring of Speed <+12>

My doom is foretold.

Morgoth, here I come!

[AnonymousHero]

You are wearing a Ring of Speed <+12>

Well, anything with speed (esp. +10 or more) is one of those game-changing items that just improves survivability (and damage output!) massively, so I'd say those items don't necessarily incur the wrath of the RNGod.

[Pete Mack]

<+12> Ring of Speed at dl 2??? Time for an EPIC dive. Crash dive to dl 40 then just keep going.

[Sky]

holy purple cow. 70~ish levels out of depth.