The fantabulous adventures of the wizard Jiffy

**Sky** · March 5, 2018, 01:33

i make it to DL2 and IMMEDIATELY have to bail out, as i enter in the same room as 2 priests, 2 soldiers, and 4 cutpurses. I do manage to kill a few before my 8 sp run out. And then, back to DL2 again.

This time, i find myself at ideal distance from Grip, Farmer Maggot's Dog.

I again plan to pretty much ignore every unique until i am far more powerful then i should be, but i will make an exception for this tasty bag of 15 XP.

I kill some sleeping soldiers, and a moss, and hit CL5, 30hp, 10sp.

DL3

Fang, Farmer Maggot's Dog, again at ideal distance in a well lit room. He dies.
For my first spell from Book2, i chose Cure Poison. Lightning Bolt would be useless anyway, too much mana and high fail rate.
I nearly die to a kobold archer (man, the damage on these things is waay too high for the xp), but i phase and drink some CLW (of which i now have 17 !! thanx to my roaming DL1) and manage to recover 3 sp to kill him.
I also rest and nuke some spiders, and hit CL6 37hp 12sp.

DL4

i find stairs almost immediately, but i decide to stick around and see the level feeling. The result is a miserable 2-1.

DL5

i kill some random stuff, including another kobold archer which costs me another 2 CLW, and through the casting fo a new spell i hit CL7 39hp (not very lucky) 14sp. I pick Teleport Self and Spear Of Light, if i need to set up a grinding corridor.

DL6

stairs, level feeling 2-3. Could be a lantern or something similar, i'm gonna look around. Nope, it's a lucern hammer.

I kill an acolyte and hit CL8, 48hp, 16sp.

DL7

wand of wonder, and a bunch of orcs. I set up a light corridor, and pull them one by one. As i am about to finish the last one, a dark elf warrior joins in and confuses me, and blinds me. Fortunately CLW cures both at this level. I retreat, kill everything, and hit CL9 57hp 18sp. Finally a couple of good HP rolls.

i have two spells, and pick S2M and Satisfy Hunger. I still haven't cast any spells, i'm saving the XP for when i need it.

DL8

i run into trouble with some crows, they hit fast and hard. i chug some CLW and kill them. Some more minor mobs, but nothing of note.

DL9

I kill some cutpurses who do not manage to steal any money, and one drops a unidentified wand. I am full, so i decide to read a scroll to make room, and .. the air around me starts to swirl ..

if i wind up on DL14, i'm going to die. I decide to recall early, as casting recall NOW will set it at DL9. I drop down to DL14 but immediately find myself back in town.

**Sky** · March 5, 2018, 01:53

The wand turns out to be Haste Monsters, so i (k)rush it. No Helms Of Intelligence at the armorer, nor anything good at the Black Market. I buy 6 CCW. I have a short bow (+1, +4) i found earlier and i do 13 DPS with basic arrows, so i decide to buy a stack of those.

DL9

more spiders. I hit CL11 and 68hp, 20sp. Nice roll again. Level feeling 3-3.
I have to phase away from a easterling warrior, kill some more spiders, the first illusionist, and hit CL11 (Identify) 75hp 21sp.
I stumble upon some sleeping scruffy looking hobbits and mince them. Suddenly, Bullroarer jumps me. I phase, and must obviuously roll super high my 5d4 Magic Missiles because in a few hits he dies, dropping a rather massive money haul, 3 magic weapons (2 non-ID) +1 from the hobbits.
In the end it's a Spear of Acid, a Pike of Slay Evil, and a Whip of Frost. I pick the spear.

I also almost immediately ding to CL12 85hp 23sp.

I keep looking for that -3 item, and i fall into a trapdoor.

DL10

I find myself in a room without stairs, with a huge bunch of orcs and snaga, crows, and as i try to leave it, the next room has a unique in it. I cast TS and bail out. Luckily, i do not fail.

I am carrying too much stuff, i return to town.

Back in town, i see a Potion of Contemplation, and i consider if it is worth buying it to ID it. It is. Still no helm of intelligence.

**Sky** · March 5, 2018, 02:15

DL10, getting ready to go to bed. It's nearly 1am. Level feeling 3-3.

A Panther tries to kill me, and some wolves join in, but i use my arrows and SP and manage to fend them off with some phase and some CLW.

Some more wolves come to bring me XP, and i hit CL13, 93hp 25sp.
Can't find anything useful on this level, and i see a Tengu. I hate Tengus.

DL11 3-3

I quickly find the object responsible for the level feeling, a magical maul. These things sell for lots of money, to i take it.
There's a few kobolds, a baby black dragon, a single warg ... i kill everything and go down the stairs. CL14 96hp 27sp

DL12 3-1

Boring level, and i am full already. I decide to go sell, see what's on sale, and maybe go to bed.
(that (+5,+5) maul sells for 1400 gold)
Nothing in BM, although i do find some Gloves of Free Action. I will likely find these, but i have the money, and there is nothing else to find here.

If i can make it to DL20, i can grind cash for potions of STR and INT. And if i can make it to DL30, there is an infinite number of armors of Resistance to sell.

**Sky** · March 5, 2018, 02:36

DL12 3-3

a whole bunch of Tengu and a dark elf mage who hits me with some really strong hits, forcing me to quaff a CSW. Nothing i like fighting here, so i go down. I also have no Rod Of Treasure Location, which makes is *very* long to find gear.

DL13 4-2 / 2-2

i have to stairs hop twice, as i first find myself right next to a human pit with added snaga, and then in a huge cave with two mobs of orcs next to me.
I kill a cobra, and hit CL14 96hp 27sp.

There's nothing here, i go down.

DL14 AGAIN i have to stairs hop, as i find myself squashed right on the stairs by air hounds (invisible), flesh golems and illusionists. Level feeling 2-2, i take the stairs.

DL15 just some brigands and easterlings, i explore a while. 3-3

A Tiger tried to eat me for lunch, but i pump out ?phase and arrows, and even resort to my spear of acid, and manage to kill off everything. I find a Ring Of Digging +5, 2 Rings of Digging +3, a wand, some more stuff, and hit CL15 98hp (it's either 2 or 9 uh?) 29sp. I decide it's ok for today, more tomorrow.

The BM has a ring of Dex +6 !! and a potion of Intellect. I don't have the 11.000 gold for the ring (nor do i need it) but i do quaff the Intellect, i lose 1 point DEX and gain 1 point INT for 31sp.

I also decide to waste all my uncast spells and rack up more than 300 XP, hitting CL16 102hp 33sp. I haven't set up my bolt macros yet but i will have to do that tomorrow.

**Pete Mack** · March 5, 2018, 02:46

One suggestion for early mage:
Take some distance offense at the beginning. A wand of Magic Missile, or a big stack of !oil and a !Hero will let you take most monsters without worrying about mana exhaustion.
And REALLY avoid just about everything except high-value targets. The other stuff just leaves you resting and vulnerable. In contrast, one high value target will jump you straight to CL3 (or beyond.) You mentioned:

Some more wolves come to bring me XP, and i hit CL13, 93hp 25sp.

Wolves are a great target for really early characters, as they won't come into a hall unless you're already injured. So you can stand outside a room and plink them when they come into sight. One pack will take you to CL 8+, easily.

**Sky** · March 5, 2018, 12:38

DL15 Level Feeling 9-4

Gonna look for the stairs asap. I dont have TO, pConf, or even a lantern. There is no way i can take on whatever is so OOD here.

DL16

A Druid manages somehow to do 60+ damage in a single cast, which i survive with 16hp.
Boldor, King of the Yeeks is in the next room, i get confused and bail out vai TS. I wind up next to Grishnak and a whole bunch of orcs. I again TS twice, first i find myself NEXT to Boldor, and then next to some stairs.

DL17

I had planned to grind for some XP, which seems to work for some time. I find some half-orcs and start killing them, not realizing there is also something invisible here. Fortunately there's stairs too, and while i go blind, i drop down to the next level.

DL18

I'm far too weak to be here. I see Uftak Of Cirith Ungol with a host of orcs and black orcs, and in the next room Trolls, burglars and accolytes. I recover my mana on the stairs, and try to take on the trolls.
With the third troll dead, i hit CL17 109hp 35sp. I learn the very useful Slow Monsters. Level feeling 4-2, and before i know it i am surrounded by hordes of Louses. Stairs.

DL19

I find a conveniently-placed conga line of ogres, and i Lighting Bolt them repeatedly, cashing in a great deal of XP. I also take care, albeit slowly, of some lemures, but when i am low on mana and i see 2 dark elf mages and 2 priest approach, i read my only scroll of teleport and bail out. Level feeling 4-1, i go back to town hoping to find something useful.

again DL19, level feeling 9-3

i kill some snagas and start looking for stairs.

DL20

Level feeling 3-4, i'm going to clear this. It's a damn cave level, and almost impossible to light up properly.
Soon Ulfast, Son Of Ulfang is on me, and getting stuck between him and a Yeti i have to bail out. He follows me, fortunately there is a corridor i can hide into and use my first Frost Bolts of the game, killing him and reaching CL18 115hp 37sp.
Clearing the level takes some time. I run into a packed room full of Trolls and Uruks, plus some wargs. I cannot find what the -4 was, possibly a staff. I recall early.

Finally the BM has something decent, a Ring of Intelligence +3, which takes me to 55sp.

**Sky** · March 5, 2018, 18:06

DL20 3-2

i don't see anything dangerous, which proves soon enough to be wrong, as i am blinded and confused, and see a wolf leader and some-other-thing-which-confused and i bail out.
I kill some uruks and half-orcs and then go down the stairs.

DL21 4-7

my stairs are right next to some blink dogs and a hydra, which moves fast and can hurt me a lot, so i TO. I quickly discover i'm in a caves level, which i'm not happy about. However, the level feeling is 4-7 ! so i'm gonna try to find this whateverthing it is. Aaand i find it right away - it's Priest5. Well, i'll sell it.

DL22 4-2

maze level, with Shagrat, The Orc Captain.

I manage to kill some stuff, tnx to Frost Bolts which are now at 4% fail. Some more stuff shows up, including 4 of the black orcs of Shagrat's guard, and i kill the last my my ONE arrow of Poison (78 DPS vs poison). I reach CL20 129hp 61sp. The level feeling is 4-2 so i recall, leaving Shagrat for later. The Priest5 book sells for 6666 gold, which allows me to buy those other 9 arrows of poison from the BM. I finally buy a lantern from BM as well for a whopping 1500 gold.

**Sky** · March 5, 2018, 23:04

DL22 again, level feeling 4-6

an artefact! Possibly, a light. Given how awesome low-level artefact lights have become, this could be the first good piece of gear i get.

I see Shagrat, but i will try to avoid him.

I start by exploring, and kill some low level mobs, and then hit a teleport trap. I kill some snagas, and while resting i find Gorbag, The Orc Captain. The map around me is empty, so i will try killing him. A lucky phase puts me in the room next door, and as i rest he shows up at the bottom of a long corridor, and gets nuked by fire bolts.

I keep exploring and kill some trolls, who rush me and cost my all my phase scrolls and a few CSW. I've already ditched all my CLW.
I'm far overweight, at -3 speed, and i drop 3 cash weapons in a spot center map. Killing those trolls put me at CL21 136hp 64sp. I've been tring to avoid Shagrat but can't find that 6 item, and he seems to be sitting on it. I test one of the wands i have and yes, it's a Teleport Other.
I take on Shaggy, but a few of his orc friends wake up and with my first phase i'm surrounded, so i bail out. Shagrat kindly follows me as i rest, and i nuke him - he does not resist Frsot Bolt, the fool.
I get a miserable drop. But wait, there is more!

As i head back to Shagrat's place to find that 6, i see Azog. i cannot take him without considerable risk (he moves FAST) i think.. and decide to test a theory. I have an untested wand.

Yep, it's the 6. Wand of Annihilation.. Azog dies.

But, apparently we're gonna wipe out the entire orc population today. Bolg, Son Of Azog gets really upset at me testing unknown wands on his ex-dad and charges me. I'm down to 40 sp so i teleport .. i've cleared the rest of the dungeon so i should be safe.

.. and it doesn't go as well as i imagined it. I need to use a !speed to kill him.

I get two cash drops off Bolg, and headed back to Azog's spoils, i find my first artifact weapon:

The Short Sword of Cardollim

1d7 (+6,+24)

Slay evil, *slay undead, +5 STR, +1 spd, rNexus, pFear. seems made for low level mages.

i also find a leather armour of Resistance dropped by a simple orc. I go home to sell my loot.

I do a bit of shopping, for a single potion of Enlightment, some CCW, and head back in the dungeon.

my wand of Annihilation goes home, empty, waiting for Greater Recharge.
Kinda silly that a level with 4 uniques was just 4.

DL22 again, level feeling 5-

i did not notice when, but i reached CL22 141hp 67sp. Must be those uniques i just killed..

the level feeling is 5-2, so i avoid waiting around for whatever that 5 is. If its a big monster, it could kill me. If it is a unique that im willing to waste speed and CCW on, i can wait and kill it later for bigger rewards.

DL23

i descend right next to a Trident of Slay Troll pStun, not gonna replace my sword, but it's good money.

Level feeling 4-2. I need to kill some dark hounds (blindness breath) and then take the stairs.

And i leave. DL24 is a big cave with trolls on both sides of me, level feeling 4-1. I kill a few staying on the stairs, and then stair scum again down to

DL24

Level feeling 6-6 !

I find some manes, which are badly levelled mobs, as they die easier than lemurs. My sword does 33 DPS, so i dont even need to bolt stuff.

I fight my allergy to Detect Monsters and see Sangahyando Of Umbar, which means his buddy isn't too far either. I may have to teleport him away. I dont have enough mana to kill them both if they wake together.

Having a nice ring of digging is SO useful. Even when i can cast S2M.

Ok, it's Uftak of Cirith Ungol, and the two Umbar twins. I decide to pull Uftak (without orcs in two for some reason) and teleport out.
And this moron follows me to a nice big room where i nuke him with Acid Bolts.
He drops some pathetic magic bolts, but i reach CL23 146hp 70sp.

And, as soon as i leave that room, i bump into Womtongue, Agent of Saruman.
He dies rather quickly to my acid bolts, and drops .. an elfstone. And it's not bad. [9] AC, basic resits, rLight, FA, +5 CON, A: restore CON.
I'm up to 181hp.

Why do i find mages so much easier?

I do lose in the trade +2 Infra, which is nice as a substitute for SI, but hey.
I find a young MH dragon, which i need to take down with Slow and MM and my sword. He's in a treasure room, where i find 2 unidentified scrolls, another armor of Resistance, a Dwarven plate (too heavy, i would lose 15% SP), and an unidentified weapon. Time to recall.

**Sky** · March 6, 2018, 00:25

one of the scrolls is Acquirement. i know this because i sell it for 13 gold, then have to buy it back for 5000.

That's ok, my haul is around 25k gold. I immediately convert this to a Potion of Intelligence which brings me up to 18/105 and 93sp. I also buy a Ring Of Strength +3 hoping it can do the job of my ring of digging, but my short sword still cannot break granite with STR 18/50. Ok, well, i will cast S2M.

Let's see what this scroll of Acq brings me.

DL24

i recall next to two minor mobs, and when i light up the room i see a shambling mound which dies easily, and Kim, Son of Mim. He can heal so i quaff a Speed and nuke him with Acid. He drops a miserable Axe of Lightning. I read the Acq and get an axe of Slay Demon. wow.

The level feeling is 5-3 (i don't see the other 2 dwarves around) so i leave.

DL25

Level feeling 5-4, not really worth losing time on.

DL26

Level feeling 5-1, i kill a bunch of trolls for XP and leave. They were sitting on a pike of *slay troll which is good money, and stairs. CL24 192hp 97sp.

DL27

a jelly pit (with Gelatinous Cube, which resist EVERYTHING), a hydra, level feeling 6- ,so i explore, cautiously. And i get 6-6. Ok.

I will leave the jelly pit for last.

I explore and kill some stuff, like a gorgimera, and then find a Orc Pit. I start killing but some snagas spill forth and surround me, so i TS out, with plans to return and pull the mobs to their death.
As i work my way backwards, i find A MUMAK ridiculously OOD, but hey, it's great xp for a stupid lumbering beast that can only walk forward, and i see ..
The Star Of Naeglot
+3 light, pFear, pConf.

and

The Necklace of Barril
+6 INT !, +3 DEX, +1 Light, FA.

this is going to replace my +5 CON .. for now. I expect INT to max out pretty soon, so i will keep that for later.

Also, killing the Mumak puts me at CL25, with the COn bonus it would be 199hp and 101sp, with the INt bonus it's 161hp and a whopping 176sp.

I could take on a Nazgul.

well, one that doesn't cast. Screw the orc pit, i'm going home!

**Sky** · March 6, 2018, 00:47

i happily buy two Mage4 and find i can now cast TO with 15% fail, which is pretty solid for a new character. i ditch the CSW pots and carry CCW only.

DL27

It's time to (k) the Good weapons. The level feeling is 6-8 !! so i quaff my Enlightment; i see a demi vault with some armor, that's probably what is giving me the lf.
Inside the vault is Lokakk, The Ogre Chieftain who i don't think i can kill. But, i can TO him away. However, i would rather do this when i have checked the rest of the dungeon gear, as he'll be able to roam once i let him out of his prison.

i do all that.. but nothing. That 8 is somewhere in the vault. I breach.

I make a long corridor to nuke everything, and Lokkak is the second through the breach. He is not fazed by my acid bolts, so i send him for a long walk with my wand of TO.

SOMETHING did 100 damage to me with a spell, idk what, but i find myself at 61hp. I heal with CCW and keep grinding mobs as they come. Only a tengu tries to put me in a bad spot but a phase and some more acid bolts and everything is dead. I maximize my haul and go to town.

In the end, it's just another plate (dwarven) +2 which i decide to slot in, as i get 174hp and 167sp, a fair tradeoff.

There is nothing for sale in the BM as it has not restocked yet.

**Sky** · March 6, 2018, 01:32

DL27 again, nothing of note back home.

I see two more orc uniques, and i decide to kill them. Grishnahk doenst even make in sight, i just kill him in the dark. Golfimbul manages to land a single blow on me before dying. Neither drops anything decent. I get sneaked on by a vampire, but i am already carrying RLL.

The level feeling is 4-2, so i go down the stairs.

DL28

nexus hounds, a couple spider. I find a potion of intellect, but do not actually need it now, and do not want to lose any STR. Another 4-2 level. Stairs.

DL29

I see a black knight. They can cast spells and i could die *verry* quickly. I decide to avoid it until most of the dungeon is cleared.

level feeling 5-2 ... bah.

Now, at this point, i would scum. Either stairs scum, or recall scum, enough to have SI, possibly rPois, pConf or a stack of Mushrooms Of Clear Mind, pBlind, but i have none of those, and could be facing Dreads soon.

I decide, For Science!, to head towards the stairs. I meet Ibun, Son Of Mim, and Mim, Betrayer of Turin, both rather pissed off at my killing Kim. I kill Ibun but Mim himself resists acid (a fact i remember too late) and i TO him away.
Ibun drops the same Dwarven i have, +2 to everything, but it's a chain, which leaves me less encumbered, and it has +4 infra instead of +2 .. basically, i SI. If .. they are warm, that is.

DL30 7-

We start with some ogres and trolls. i kill them and test a staff on the last one, which turn out to be a staff of teleport, and i find myself teleported right next to a jelly pit. And the level feeling returns as 7-2. I decide to recall.

**Sky** · March 6, 2018, 01:50

DL30

as there is absolutely nothing in town, i recall and find myself in a 4-4 cave level. I find a staff of Slay Animal which has {??} and .. yep, it's ESP.

I will keep the +5 sword, but something tells me this staff will be with me for a while.

I would like to take a second to say, that i would really like a way to get Angband to show me all the properties of ALL my items at the same time. The reason for this is:
1. i do not want to check every weapon i find from now on for ESP. but, i can tolerate this.
2. i don't want to spend an hour setting up my gear when i get ready for endgame.
Having all the resists, powers, etc on one screen would help me make a build.

DL31

no reason to wait as i now have ESP and SI is redundant until some very rare and very deep monsters.

I right away find a rod of mapping, which is nice, but, not super-necessary.

Level feeling 4-6. I ID a potion of DEX and find the item, it's a armour of Elvenkind rNether, which is nice, but for now i'll take the Dwarven.

I happily kill some easy mobs and a pukelman, which puts me over to CL26 176hp 204sp.

The BM has a potion fo Wisdom, i can afford it and it raises my saving throw by some very tiny amount, but i buy it anyway.

DL31

level feeling 6-4, i move towards the stairs. three wolf chieftains start blinding me and cost me 1 !speed and 11 damn CCW, as i no longer carry any CSW.
This is why maybe i should keep grinding.
I move again towards the stairs, but a spectre starts coming towards me, and andother wolf chieftain, and i decice i've had enough and TS, right next to a human pit .. which i will clear.

I get a nice number of unidentified wands and staves, so i quickly go back to sell.

**Sky** · March 6, 2018, 02:16

DL31

a whole load of nothing, the only notable kill is a 4 headed hydra. Too easy when you have Frost Bolt.

DL32

some level feeling 5-3 crap.

DL33

a congaline of Algroth, Brodda The Easterling (who dies before i can even notice) and level feeling 6-2. I kill some adult blue dragons for CL27 181hp 212sp. I can now start trading sp for other things, like damage or resists, or speed. ..
I accidentally quaff a potion of Brawn, but it's ok. I lose a point of DEX, but it's ok.

DL34

right in the midst of a whole bunch of gnomes, which i hate almost as much as tengus. I nuke them mercilessly.

aaand .. another potion of brawn. Oh why not. I'm at 18 natural, and quaffing it brings me to 18/22 (18/52 with bonuses) and 10 wisdom.

DL35

another huge conga line of trolls, to whom i serve some hot fire bolts. Level feeling 6-3, stairs.

DL36

And i am possibly dead.

I go down the stairs, surrounded by 8 dread (all sleeping ...), and with 2 frost giants next to me.

I will try to kill them.

Neeeevermind.

One casts a nether bolt and i drop down to 40hp. I teleport out of there.

I then try to bait a Bodak and i see a Death Quasit racing for me. I decide this level needs to go.

i TS several times, every time switching between dreads and quasit.

i add some phase, and finally my recall kicks in.

The BM has a ring of strength .. +6.

I'm glad i found ESP but i'm not ready to be on DL40, or near that. I'm also allergic to aiming (i just spam my "target closest" binds) and only move in 4 directions (unless .. ugh .. i reaaaly need to, and then i use a mouse), so i need to be able to just walk through the opposition.

I need more gear. I need more grinding.

**Ingwe Ingweron** · March 6, 2018, 05:35

Wish you were playing on angband.live. Sounds like this would've been a great game to watch.

The fantabulous adventures of the wizard Jiffy

The fantabulous adventures of the wizard Jiffy

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