Digging for non-diggers

[starstealer]

Okay - so I am very accustomed to playing a Wizard of some sort. Digging for a wizard, essentially, boils down to shovel until CL9 then spell. On the rare occasions that I have played other classes, I usually didn't bother with a digger if I had a Str >17, but most of them get some sort of digging option other than warriors.

With the recent competition, I was running my warrior around and found a greater vault. Unfortunately, I had no digger. Figuring I had the strength though - I just started digging and eventually found my way in. However, as I went deeper and deeper - I found that really - I was succeeding at digging very often.

This led me to wonder about what warriors do when faced with the need to dig through granite. So - to sum up - what do warriors use in order to tackle the task of digging through granite? A good digger? Rod/Wand of Stone to Mud? Ignore vaults entirely until you get incredibly strong?

I've since looked up the formula on it - and it appears my warrior should have succeeded at digging about 3% of the time - but he had a couple of them that took 2200+ turns...

[rdermyer]

I never carry around picks/shovels. When I start running into stone to mud, I like to carry around a wand or three in case I run into a vault. I don't think digging is worth it in really any other case.

[Jungle_Boy]

I never carry around picks/shovels. When I start running into stone to mud, I like to carry around a wand or three in case I run into a vault. I don't think digging is worth it in really any other case.

This is my approach as well when playing someone without the stone to mud spell

[vorondil]

A +3 digger does my warrior fine versus granite walls.

[DavidMedley]

4.2

What do people do in 4.2 about digging? Only Druids and Rangers have the Stone to Mud spell. Carry a ring or wand? Or just accept there will be vaults they can't get into? Or can they get in using some diabolical trick I'm not aware of?

[Ingwe Ingweron]

What do people do in 4.2 about digging? Only Druids and Rangers have the Stone to Mud spell. Carry a ring or wand? Or just accept there will be vaults they can't get into? Or can they get in using some diabolical trick I'm not aware of?

Ring, Wand, Pick, or heavy weapon.

[DavidMedley]

I'm not quite clear if you're answering my question or not... you're saying everyone should carry one of those 4 choices? Or are you simply explaining what can be used to tunnel?

[Ingwe Ingweron]

I'm not quite clear if you're answering my question or not... you're saying everyone should carry one of those 4 choices? Or are you simply explaining what can be used to tunnel?

If @ can recharge, I tend to go with a wand. Otherwise, I tend to go with a ring, plus a wand if there's inventory room. Until I get those, then pick or heavy weapon.

[Sphara]

I ALWAYS carry a digging wand(s) if it is possible (it usually is). Ring of Digging is good getting into vaults but its otherwise clearly inferior.

Shovels and Picks I do carry sometimes, if there is not a better alternative for digging and as long as they do not cause much slowing. I don't think I have finished many games without Stone-to-mud wand in the inventory all the way to the end (if playing a warrior, they're dropped before melee with chargedrainers/Sauron/Morgoth).

[emulord]

I never carry digging weapons.

For classes with StM as a spell, either the book that has it, or a wand.
All other classes I bring a wand, refilling it in town.

I dig short anti-summoning corridors against tough uniques, otherwise just for cracking open vaults.
If I am running low on charges I manually dig magma/quartz.

[Derakon]

Once you get enough strength you can dig effectively even with a dagger. I remember playing half-troll warriors that would dig down secret doors faster than they could find them (back in the days before searching was revamped).

[Ingwe Ingweron]

Once you get enough strength you can dig effectively even with a dagger. I remember playing half-troll warriors that would dig down secret doors faster than they could find them (back in the days before searching was revamped).

That may work for a wooden door, but I don't think even 18/** maxed strength will do anything for digging through granite with a dagger. Vaults will for the most part be out of reach without the ability to get through granite. Oh, how @ will long for a rocket launcher!

[archolewa]

I make pretty heavy use of digging. I use it to create shortcuts through the dungeon, to create zigzag corridors that let me better control LOS, and to go around traps. I've mostly played characters with decent strength, so I pretty much always carry a digger. It does mean I recall more frequently in the early game because I can't carry more than one unidentified weapon or armor without getting burdened, but meh. I've never bothered with the wands. It's not long after I find a wand of stone to mud that I find something with +Dig, and even a little bit of extra digging means you're digging through granite in only a couple of turns. Meanwhile, one wand of stone to mud will get you like one or two zigzag corridors.

That being said, I do prefer having a ring of Digging rather than a digger because they're so much lighter.

[Sky]

i am a compulsive digger.
i generally push as quickly as i can for enough STR - through potions of brawn and strength rings - so that i can dig with my normal weapon, however the alternatives are:
1. un-ignore and search the level you are on for a heavy weapon, like a flail or a zweihander
2. ring of digging
3. a shovel of digging is sometimes more useful than the basic dagger you start with, due to the acid brand.
4. if everything else fails, use a staff of earthquake at *just* the right distance to break the wall of the vault.
5. bait a umber hulk to do the digging for you
6. cry

in my whole career as a dungeon explorer i have - i think - only once left a vault untouched.

[DavidMedley]

Necros Can't Dig!

At the risk of enshrining my ignorance... I'm at CL26 with a HE Necro for Competition 226, and I don't think I've ever had anything that can penetrate granite. I've kept an eye out for rings of digging. I even toted a found shovel around for a while when my weapon couldn't even handle quartz. But 18 lbs for a pick is just too much! (STR 13) I'm thinking about grabbing one for 176 AU and just dropping it on the floor as soon as I arrive, in case I need to come back for it later.

What am I doing wrong?