[Z2.74c] (Nightmare mode) - Suicide's Mission

[quaxocal]

I've started a High-Elf Life/Death Mage on Zangband 2.74c, using Nightmare mode. I had a previous attempt at doing this, but relied heavily on save files, got down to dungeon level 47ish before I decided to start over fresh, and NOT use save files. So, this char is do or die, no restarting. Come what may.


For those not familiar with Nightmare mode, its HARD, and totally unfair. Ty curse activates each night at midnight (which randomly can do alot of bad stuff). Stat reductions, more often than not, are permanent. Enemies have double HP, higher speed, higher AC, better chance of hitting you, do more damage and have random resists. There are invisible monsters on dungeon level 1 even. Good items are harder to find. Monsters can be created INSANELY out of depth (I have a save file from my previous character, which has cyberdemons at dungeon level 20!). More commonly, monsters are generated 10-30 levels OOD about every other level once you get into the 20's. You can only have one level of resistance (temp and permanent don't stack). Much harder than original Zangband.


I have chosen Life Magic for the Globe of Invulnerability, Warding True, the various Healing/Restoration spells, and the *visible monster damage* spells. Sorcery might work here as well, but I picked Life. If this attempt fails, I'll give Sorcery a try. Death Magic primarily for the Genocide family of spells, but also for the *visible monster damage* spells, Wraithform, and Hellfire. High-Elf for the stats, and because See Invisible is a MUST from the very beginning.

I have posted his Char dump so far on the Ladder, which explains his adventure a little more. As of this writing, he is now level 11 and surviving well on dungeon level 7-8. My main concern so far is his Life Rating seems to be low (only 46 hp over the course of 10 levels, as a High Elf, plus the initial 10).

[Zikke]

That Nightmare mode sounds sadistically fun. I never knew that existed...

[aeneas]

Good luck. Z was the first variant I played, but I haven't played it in a long time. I gather that Nightmare mode has been won without cheating- hard to believe. I think you must have to play very fast, cause sooner or later something like cyberdemons at 1000' is going to catch up with you if you dawdle.

[quaxocal]

I have never ever read of anyone winning Nightmare mode period....let alone without cheating.


The cyberdemons at level 20, I actually managed to escape with my level 20 mage without dying lol. Staff of Teleportation is very handy. I only actually saw one, but I'm sure there was more than one based on the message spam from the vault (that was a huge vault too, was a shame lol). Soon as I saw it I teleported immediately, I wasn't taking chances. With my new char, I won't be on dungeon level 20 at level 20 lol.


I think actually the best way to play Nightmare, is to decend VERY slowly, making sure you play VERY defensively. My current AC for example is already 63 at level 11. It was 68 till I put on a Helmet which increased my INT.

I picked the Life and Death magic realms for a reason, as I explained above. Life sucks for a mage, but it proved invaluable for Nightmare in my first test run with the heavy cheating lol.


Zikke: Yeah, you have to set it in the birth options. Its HARD as h***, especially getting your first few levels. Until your AC gets like over 30, pretty much everything hits you almost guaranteed, it blows. I've gotten extremely lucky with this character, like Sleep actually working on stuff which could kill me in a couple rounds if it didn't. Oh, and can't forget the Ty curse....which fortunately so far hasn't summoned anything lol, or mass-drained my stats.


***I forgot to add one more VERY crappy thing about Nightmare. Corpses can rise from the dead at any time, and are much more likely to do so once they've been there awhile. They have to be visible though.***

[aeneas]

I have never ever read of anyone winning Nightmare mode period....let alone without cheating.

I'm pretty sure I remember someone claiming to have won it, and also other people using that claim as an example. I don't remember who claimed it, so I don't really know if it should be taken seriously. Might have been Lev Zakrevski, but I'm not sure. It was a long time ago- long enough ago that Z was probably the most played version of Angband at the time.

[quaxocal]

Well I'll guess we'll see what happens with Suicide. I should be able to log in a decent amount of time the next few days with him.

Even if only one person has won Nightmare, still an achievement if another does.

[quaxocal]

Have updated the dump a couple times. Survived a few close calls recently, but he's still ticking mainly thanks to Phase Door. Probably going to add some Teleportation scrolls soon now that I think about it. Phase Door eventually is going to stop being so nice to me.

[quaxocal]

Have not had much time for Zangband recently, but have started Suicide back up today where he left off.


And for my first dungeon (he was on level 12 recall), I get told as the level feeling "I don't like the look of this place".

Well, before I even got that feeling, I had to defeat a Giant Fire Ant. No problem, he went down pretty quick (though taking me down about 70 hp) after burning a couple Phase Door scrolls and my High Mass (?!) book.

I then research for kicks, what level it was. To my HUGE surprise, level 48?!?!?!


Three notes of interest. 1) My level 20 character who has offense per round of 56, and a fair melee, was able to kill it fairly easily. AC of 80, 117 HP (lost 3 con total from TY curse). 2) Level 48 monster must be REALLY rare for level 12 dungeon depth? (though I'm the same one who found Cyberdemons on dungeon level 20) 3) Why am I getting told "I don't like the look of this place", when the level is full of level 48 Giant Fire Ants?! Granted, everything else on this level has not even been level 12, but still. Just odd.

On the bright side, the level is full of water, which they can't cross. So even when I had 3 coming at me, I was able to dispatch one at a time due to water blocking (and putting one to sleep). And they are giving 345 xp apiece.