Looking for hints in Sil

[fph]

Hello everyone,
this is my first character to make it past the early levels in Sil (probably only thanks to having found Orcrist). Now she is at about 650-700' and reasonably comfortable there. Now I am not sure which items and consumables are important to keep, or which abilities I should go for.

Do you have suggestions and hints for my game?

  [Sil 1.1.0 Character Dump]

 Name   Thilda        Age    2,468       Str   2
 Sex    Female        Height   5'6       Dex   5
 Race   Noldor        Weight   154       Con   5 =  4  +1
 House  Feanor                           Gra   3

 Game Turn   16,392   Melee  (+20,2d8)   Melee       20 = 14  +5      +1
 Exp Pool     2,817   Bows    (+4,1d8)   Archery      4 =  0  +5  -2  +1
 Total Exp   41,517   Armor [+28,6-18]   Evasion     28 = 17  +5  +6
 Burden       124.9                      Stealth      9 =  2  +5  +2
 Max Burden   144.0   Health     49:49   Perception  12 =  7  +3  +2
 Depth         650'   Voice      34:34   Will         9 =  5  +3  +1
 Min Depth     650'                      Smithing     4 =  0  +3      +1
 Light Radius     2                      Song         5 =  2  +3

 You are the only child of an archer from the house of Feanor. You have
 light grey eyes, straight brown hair, and a fair complexion.






  [Equipment]

a) The Longsword 'Orcrist' (+2,2d5) [+2] <+2> 3.3 lb
   It improves your perception by 2.  It slays orcs and trolls.  
   It cannot be harmed by the elements.  
b) a Shortbow of Radiance (+0,1d7) 1.5 lb
   It fires shining arrows.  It can shoot arrows 12 squares
   (with your current strength).
c) a Moonstone Ring of Evasion [+2]
d) an Onyx Ring of Protection [+0,1d2]
e) a Ruby Amulet of Constitution <+1>
   It increases your constitution by 1.  It sustains your 
   constitution.  
f) a Brass Lantern (with 4750 turns of light)
g) Studded Leather of Stealth [-2,1d6] <+3>
   It improves your stealth by 3.  
h) a Cloak of Protection [+1,1d1]
   It cannot be harmed by the elements.  
i) a Kite Shield of Deflection (-2) [+2,1d6]
   It cannot be harmed by the elements.  
j) a Helm of Defiance [-1,1d2] <+1>
   It improves your will by 1.  It provides resistance to fear.  
   
k) a Set of Gloves of Swordplay
   It grants you the ability: Parry.  
l) a Pair of Boots of Softest Tread [+0,1d1] <+2>
   It improves your stealth by 2.  
m) 36 Arrows of Piercing
   They cut easily through armour.  They can be shot 12 squares
   (with your current strength and bow).
n) 66 Arrows (+3)
   They can be shot 12 squares (with your current strength and bow).


  [Inventory]

a) 6 Yellow Herbs of Rage
b) a Pale Green Herb of Sustenance
c) a Dark Green Herb of Restoration
d) a Strip of Dried Meat
e) 2 Fragments of Lembas
f) 8 Flasks of oil
g) a Clear Potion of Miruvor
h) 7 Murky Brown Potions of Orcish Liquor
i) 4 Cloudy Potions of Clarity
j) 7 Black Potions of Healing
k) 5 Pale Green Potions of Quickness
l) a Dark Green Potion of Elemental Resistance
m) 4 Sky Blue Potions of Strength
n) 4 Emerald Potions of Dexterity
o) 9 Milky White Potions of Constitution
p) a Bronze Trumpet of Terror
q) a Golden Staff of Earthquakes (2 charges)
r) a Birch Staff of Recharging (4 charges)
s) a Pearl Ring of Free Action
   It grants you freedom of movement.  
t) a Helm of Brilliance [-1,1d2]
   It lights the dungeon around you.  
u) a Great Helm of True Sight [-2,1d3]
   It provides resistance to blindness and hallucination.  It
   grants you the ability to see invisible creatures.  
v) a Battle Axe of Nargothrond (-2,3d4) 4.1 lb
   It slays dragons and raukar.  It does extra damage when
   wielded with both hands.  
w) a Mattock (-5,5d2) <+2> 15.4 lb
   It improves your tunneling by 2.  It requires both hands to
   wield it properly.  


  [Notes]

Thilda of the Noldor
Entered Angband on 24 Nov 2012

    Turn     Depth    Note

   1,529    150 ft    (Power)
   2,536    250 ft    (Charge)
   3,179    200 ft    Slew Gorgol, the Butcher
   4,417    300 ft    Found The Longsword 'Orcrist'
   4,863    300 ft    (Curse Breaking)
   7,186    450 ft    (Blocking)
   7,186    450 ft    (Controlled Retreat)
   8,706    450 ft    Slew Ulfang the Black
  10,784    500 ft    Slew Gilim, the Giant of Eruman
  10,869    500 ft    (Keen Senses)
  11,291    500 ft    (Lore-Keeper)
  11,720    500 ft    Slew Orcobal, Champion of the Orcs
  12,766    600 ft    (Lore-Master)
  14,499    550 ft    (Dodging)



  ['Score' 013083608]

[HallucinationMushroom]

Darkness is going to be your new biggest nemesis about now, or if not now, very soon, because your light radius is low. I would recommend 'inner light' from the Will tree to help with that and all darkness monsters, and also your battle axe of nargathrond will increase your light radius against darkness-raukar (Gwaurtharaukar?), a common and irritating darkness foe.

Try to work in a fire resistance item if you don't already have one on, I didn't notice but might have missed it. Free action is a nice item to have too. It's not as critical as it used to be, but it can still save your life. It's not guaranteed save, a modest Will score is still necessary to be protected.

I can only assume you're playing a melee heavy warrior, judging by your stats. That's what I play. If not, disregard this, but, if you are... I shoot for +25 melee ability by the throne room with a good damage weapon, a 3dx at least if you are using a shield. You might run across what I call the 'butterknife-problem' soon with Orcrist. I ran into this with my first deep depths characters... too many rounds to kill monsters from not inflicting enough damage. About now, or very soon, it pays to be able to kill those jokers quickly. The hit to melee bonus will hurt if you switch to the battleaxe of nargathrond, but I think that is a more accurate assessment of your melee ability. But, take my advice with a grain of salt, there are probably lots of different paths open to you to winning, but this is the route I would go. In any case, inner light and fire resistance and free action is standard good advice.

[fph]

Thanks! I have found a =Frost and worn my =FreeAction. I already realized the butterknife problem, but before you drew my attention to it I did not realize that the axe was a solution. Now I am a few floors deeper and I almost always use the axe. Do you think I can drop Orcrist overall now, or would it be a mistake? I don't think it's going to be full of orcs and trolls deeper down, but I always try to hold on artifacts.

[HallucinationMushroom]

I can't imagine you'll use Orcrist again, but make sure you've got at least 1 swap weapon for baddies that like to disarm. Orcs will never be a problem again, but there are a few more variety of troll that are dangerous. The damage will be about the same as a 3dx, since slaying just adds a dice, a die?, but the to-hit will be better. It would be low to last on my to-keep list, as I usually have my inventory full of consumables, staves and potions by the end. Keep your eye out for battleaxes 3d5 or better, and bastard swords 3d4 or better.