Secret tech? (Or, "Did you know?")

[taptap]

Now these are good secret techs!

Does anyone have a full list of floor lamp related secret techs? (Like the 'perception bug' thing)

No full list, but there are possibilities here:

Light on player tile affects morale on light sensitive enemies (light level -3 as penalty afaik). High native light + floor lamp should already reach a zone where song of trees works as selective Elbereth. (Now this is hardly useful as trolls resist fear and need an active effect to be put to flight even if they already have negative morale.) E.g. if there were two tile wide floors a double line of lamps (with you standing on it) should be better than warding against light sensitive opponents.

Another (not really secret) tech is worm farming in midgame to build up slaying bonus against uniques, but it is hardly ever mentioned or practiced it seems.

Losing the path to you means instant unawareness, making earthquakes in corridors a surprising stealth option.

@archer: The group AI would improve tremendously if the enemies were to set up crossfire positions from time to time - where all of them can shoot you when you try to shoot one of them and wait there for you instead of moving into LoS one by one (just making some of them not shooting into corridor tiles could probably do the deed) + flee from being trapped just one turn earlier.

[wobbly]

Another anti-archer trick is the L-bend of a corridor, though it only works if they can't loop behind you. Back down the passage until an arrow comes towards you. Move forward. 1 archer will be stuck at the bend. Good for separating large packs into individual archers.

[Infinitum]

Whilst hallucinating, Morgoth, Lord of Darkness will always display as "Melkor, Rightful King of Arda" (or somesuch, can't remember exactly). Useful for when you get blasted by some H or another in the throneroom and don't want to let up (or at least it would be if Herbs of Rage weren't as prevalent in it.

As for actually useful tricks: Doors! Intelligent melee pack monsters will always open doors closed by the player, and will generally try to occupy previously closed doorways, even if this would cause them to enter 1v1 melee situations. Conversely, Archers will never open a door adjacent to a player no matter their morale, meaning a closed door usually gives some respite to heal up midfight (or midrunningaway). Closing adjacent doors is also useful when you have cornered an archer at the mouth of a corridor and want to avoid enemies still within the corridor from firing at you. Granted a lot of monsters will eventually start bashing doors, but proper door control is still what makes large packs of orcs and cats bearable in the early-to midgame.

Similarily, it's pretty easy to score potshots on packs in rooms from within corridors by dancing back and forth a few tiles from from the corridor entrance, enticing monsters to attempt pursuit before backing away to avoid being fired upon.

[wobbly]

Aggressive monster's will break the normal pack behaviour & enter 1 on 1 fights giving some utility to shields of wrath & horns of warning.

Throwing weapons don't trigger attacks of opportunity. Sometimes useful with slaying weapons or for instance fleeing orc thieves.

[wobbly]

Light on player tile affects morale on light sensitive enemies (light level -3 as penalty afaik). High native light + floor lamp should already reach a zone where song of trees works as selective Elbereth. (Now this is hardly useful as trolls resist fear and need an active effect to be put to flight even if they already have negative morale.) E.g. if there were two tile wide floors a double line of lamps (with you standing on it) should be better than warding against light sensitive opponents.

I'm starting to get a better appreciation for this as a viable tactic. I noticed today that a feanorian lamp of brightness + doriath sword + wolfbane is enough to make werewolves flee on sight. I'm actually pretty impressed how well thought out the morale mechanics are.

Edit: & horn of terror + staff of light just saved me while webbed from a spider of Gorgoroth.

[wobbly]

More on light & fear. 4 light radius with +4 orc-bane & orc archers are fleeing on sight.

[taptap]

More on light & fear. 4 light radius with +4 orc-bane & orc archers are fleeing on sight.

Depends on floor and number of orcs in sight, afaik, but 4 light = 5 light on square = 2 penalty to orcs + 4 penalty by bane. Really happy more people get to play with light + morale.

That a slaying weapon has any effect on sight (without hitting) is news to me. It isn't in the manual for sure.

[wobbly]

That a slaying weapon has any effect on sight (without hitting) is news to me. It isn't in the manual for sure.

It will for orcs/wraiths/shadow spiders(simply by increasing light radius), werewolfs I'm unsure off, are they light sensitive?

[taptap]

It will for orcs/wraiths/shadow spiders(simply by increasing light radius), werewolfs I'm unsure off, are they light sensitive?

Indeed, forgot about light increase, still it doesn't matter for wolves.

[taptap]

Anyone tried blocking vs. charge? Ok, orc warriors are not the most dangerous enemies in game, but blocking seems to exist for this situation of a single more dangerous attack.

[wobbly]

Anyone tried blocking vs. charge? Ok, orc warriors are not the most dangerous enemies in game, but blocking seems to exist for this situation of a single more dangerous attack.

I tried it a bit with focused attack & couldn't really get it to work. They still hit through in mail with a kite shield, though of course not as hard. I think it would work if orc warriors didn't chain charge. I found it to hard to work out when the orcs swapped & I'm pretty sure they double swap sometimes. Your only averaging 3.5 less damage & they have more chances to swap if you've waited a turn.

Edit: I found block more useful if your singing Elbereth when your surrounded & just need to survive enough turns.

[Patashu]

Doesn't blocking synergize with concentration or something like that?

[skadefryd]

Should synergize with focused attack (bonus if you waited a turn before attacking). Personally, I don't think it makes much sense that enemies can get charge bonuses by swapping in. The possible exception would be enemies that don't merely "swap in" but rather push aside weaker monsters (like the description in other Angband variants goes).

[taptap]

Should synergize with focused attack (bonus if you waited a turn before attacking). Personally, I don't think it makes much sense that enemies can get charge bonuses by swapping in. The possible exception would be enemies that don't merely "swap in" but rather push aside weaker monsters (like the description in other Angband variants goes).

There must be some charge avoidance movement tech. Maybe in combination with flanking. 45 degree forward movement, without flanking the result is a free but normal attack for the opponent, right? Only works when the orc warrior approaches orthogonally.

Strong smiths could carve contraptions into the rock (or well at least the quartz) where an orc warrior can only approach through diagonals with a 90 degree angle, thus breaking the charge.

[wobbly]

Do you still get the stealth bonus for not moving if you pass a turn in combat? Say block/assasination/focused strike with song of lorien?