So after misplaying my poor half-orc paladin, I've gone back. Multiple low level deaths, including mercenary and cat on 0.
List of dead includes Kobold mage at about CL7; H/O warrior at Cl2, etc. the usual. A half-troll mage landed afoul of a scroll of deep descent early level 2 and held out admirably at DL 7 that measured a 6-x, but ultimately faded.
But I've got a live one with Butrkup, a dumb-as-a-stump H/T paladin. She's already found ESP and has the four elemental resists, and hasn't hit DL20 yet. FD with recall. In the last two levels, Brodda, Golfimbul, Bullroarer, Grishnakh, Orfax and Nar were little more then speedbumps. Ibun was a bit of a challenge, requiring a few PDs to defeat (so as to avoid Disenchantment.)
The early ESP find early in DL 18 has proven a huge game-changer. Fascinating, given that the last major dive didn't get ESP until what, DL60 or something? Only issue is that ESP comes off a whimpy little dagger, so I see a swap-weapon thing in my future.
All that makes me want to know: how critical are early game finds like that to long-term success?
PS: One obvious trait: I think @ has gone through at least one cloak per level, or thereabouts, due to acid. And that's *with* rAcid since about DL6 or so.
List of dead includes Kobold mage at about CL7; H/O warrior at Cl2, etc. the usual. A half-troll mage landed afoul of a scroll of deep descent early level 2 and held out admirably at DL 7 that measured a 6-x, but ultimately faded.
But I've got a live one with Butrkup, a dumb-as-a-stump H/T paladin. She's already found ESP and has the four elemental resists, and hasn't hit DL20 yet. FD with recall. In the last two levels, Brodda, Golfimbul, Bullroarer, Grishnakh, Orfax and Nar were little more then speedbumps. Ibun was a bit of a challenge, requiring a few PDs to defeat (so as to avoid Disenchantment.)
The early ESP find early in DL 18 has proven a huge game-changer. Fascinating, given that the last major dive didn't get ESP until what, DL60 or something? Only issue is that ESP comes off a whimpy little dagger, so I see a swap-weapon thing in my future.
All that makes me want to know: how critical are early game finds like that to long-term success?
PS: One obvious trait: I think @ has gone through at least one cloak per level, or thereabouts, due to acid. And that's *with* rAcid since about DL6 or so.
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