Flagella, the Dwarf Priest

[Therem Harth]

My first V game in a very long time, using today's git master. Fun stuff. My playing skills have improved since last time, and so has the game.

http://angband.oook.cz/ladder-show.php?id=22223

Some highlights and comments:

- Lots of really close calls, due to (still) habitually fast diving. My fave was getting cornered repeatedly by a Stegocentipede. I decided to use a Wand of Wonder on it when near death, and with it at almost full HP - and got a fireball that killed it instantly. *phew*

- Orb of Draining being in the second book now certainly makes the early game easier for priests, which means I can dive faster, which is nice.

- Auto-inscribing all kinds of stuff - consumables, devices, books, even bad potions that I used as throwing weapons. I <3 the new auto inscription system.

- I also <3 the SDL2 interface.

- Overall the early game feels more interesting than I remember. I think partly because Priests got an early power boost, and partly because of usability changes - spells being consolidated, easier auto-inscription and macros, that kind of stuff. Also the new rooms.

I'll have to try out these new classes and magic systems too, when I have the time.

[AndyS]

My first V game in a very long time, using today's git master. Fun stuff. My playing skills have improved since last time, and so has the game.

http://angband.oook.cz/ladder-show.php?id=22223

Some highlights and comments:

- Lots of really close calls, due to (still) habitually fast diving. My fave was getting cornered repeatedly by a Stegocentipede. I decided to use a Wand of Wonder on it when near death, and with it at almost full HP - and got a fireball that killed it instantly. *phew*

I have also had good luck with wand of wonder on very early uniques. Usually not, but for those one or two times that I did, I never ignore it on the very early levels.

I dive as fast as possible. Use every DD scroll, take every down stairs. I was around CL 30 at DL 80 in the game Im playing. Then hit the brakes necessarily because for all it's advantages, a HT Warrior cant tiptoe around, and it seemed like nearly everything I encountered could kill me for a segment of the game.

My closest call this game, or any game: I was badly poisoned and had only cure light wounds, maybe 8 or so I dont remember. So I would keep hitting the stay still key, get my hit point warnings, quaff a potion when it got close. I had a speed too or else I would have died. Anyway I kept hitting the key, quaffing, all out of potions started hitting it slower and slower , resigned to the tombstone, and at 2HP it wore off!

[wobbly]

Wands of wonder are shear brutality & I use them for most of the game. There are tricks. Clone/Heal/Haste are all bolts. Lightning bolt etc is beam, Fireball a ball etc.
This makes any unique with a trash pack fair game with the right application of shennigans.

[AndyS]

Wands of wonder are shear brutality & I use them for most of the game. There are tricks. Clone/Heal/Haste are all bolts. Lightning bolt etc is beam, Fireball a ball etc.
This makes any unique with a trash pack fair game with the right application of shennigans.

I will keep them longer then ive only used them early -20dl and they can give you a really good surprise. And there isnt anything to lose then anyway. Once I get a decent weapon they are gone though

[Grotug]

I don't like relying on Wands of Wonder passed the early game (DL25 or so) as it's no fun when they blow up the entire area, which has happened on enough occasions that I do not make WoW a regular piece of my kit, but I do use them often enough early on. They are a fun stop-gap while you're trying to find some decent damage output. It's also more amusing and less annoying to die from getting consecutive haste monster (which I often get as well) early on versus later on. I can't imagine using them on any deep level uniques. I don't think I'd use them on anything more dangerous that Lokkak, and even him it's very unlikely I would use it on him. I generally use it to soften up a unique with less than 1000hp. They're especially good when I play 24 level skip since they are cheap and can take out many things easily that can take a level 1 HT Warrior to level 15 with one or two flicks of the wand.

I guess the other major problem with them is when using them many times on a tougher unique, and you get him down to half health, and then you heal him again. That's almost guaranteed in my experience if you are trying to wear down an opponent with it; that's why I only like to use them on weaker uniques: get some early favorable blasts on them, and then quit while I'm ahead! as the saying goes, and then switch to a more traditional method of combat to finish him off.

[Therem Harth]

Yeah I would definitely not try them on Lokkak, he's bad enough at his depth without being hasted. He's one of those I avoid unless I'm very confident in my damage output.