Gallants and Scouts

[Derakon]

Just a random observation here. Scouts can cast magic missiles at you, which deal an average of 13 damage. Generally only one scout can hit you with this at a time since they're bolt spells. Gallants can cast light wounds at you, which deal an average of 24 damage. Any number of gallants in LOS can hit you with this since it isn't a bolt spell. Gallants also have 2x 1d7 melee, while scouts have 2x 1d5.

Both monsters are worth 7.2 experience for my 10th level character. Something isn't right here.

(Scouts' secondary spell is redundant with their primary; gallants' secondary frightens you. Dealing with fear is more annoying and potentially more dangerous at these depths, depending on your stock of !Heroism)

[Timo Pietilä]

Just a random observation here. Scouts can cast magic missiles at you, which deal an average of 13 damage. Generally only one scout can hit you with this at a time since they're bolt spells. Gallants can cast light wounds at you, which deal an average of 24 damage. Any number of gallants in LOS can hit you with this since it isn't a bolt spell.

IIRC you get saving throw against cause wounds-spells. That means you don't get hit by many with high saving throw char. Magic missiles hit always and you don't get saving against those.

That said cause wounds is still bad spell. I fear novice paladins more than novice rangers (I'm guessing that scout is a ranger? and cause wounds + fear sounds like paladin?)

[Derakon]

Yeah, gallants = paladins, scouts = rangers. They've been renamed in the nightlies.

Good point on the saving throw, but I have a feeling only priests and some paladins will have a remotely decent saving throw in the early game. My dwarf rogue is at 48%, which basically means that on average gallants will deal about as much damage as scouts do, but there's still the issue of gallants being able to "shoot over" their friends.

[PowerDiver]

IIRC you get saving throw against cause wounds-spells. That means you don't get hit by many with high saving throw char. Magic missiles hit always and you don't get saving against those.

That said cause wounds is still bad spell. I fear novice paladins more than novice rangers (I'm guessing that scout is a ranger? and cause wounds + fear sounds like paladin?)

Paladin types are only annoying in the early game, and then you do not have a great save. The real difference is that monsters in between do not obstruct cause wounds. Step into a corridor of nov rangers, and only 1 can hurt you at a time. A corridor of nov paladins can be deadly.