unique exceptional drops + possible item bug 3.1.1

[bebo]

are they calculated like normal monsters?

ie is it convenient to keep wormtongue alive until very deep dlvls?

as a side note i'd like to ask if boots of elvenkind have been improved in 3.1.1 or if it's a bug - i found a pair with +4 stealth, +4 speed, feather falling

i'm asking because in the knowledge menu in the description they are not listed to have the possibility of speed bonuses nor other random abilities - up until now if i remember well i only found them with stealth bonuses

[Pete Mack]

Elvenkind boots have speed and stealth. there's a known bug in the knowledge menu that causes it not to show bonuses properly

[Fenrir]

ie is it convenient to keep wormtongue alive until very deep dlvls?

After getting a ring of speed (+6) from Bullroarer after killing him 30 levels deeper than he appears I'd say "Yes!!"

[Larvitz]

After getting a ring of speed (+6) from Bullroarer after killing him 30 levels deeper than he appears I'd say "Yes!!"

I agree. Oh. And... nice. ^_^

[PowerDiver]

ie is it convenient to keep wormtongue alive until very deep dlvls?

I think I disagree with the general sentiment so far. By the time you get deep, most stuff dropped seems to be ego stuff, so you don't gain much by killing Wormtongue rather than a lich. It seems better to kill wormtongue before the drops improve to largely excellent, which appears to mean the sooner the better.

[bebo]

i thought that monsters with exceptional drops had a chance of dropping artifacts?waiting for a lower dlvl could increase the chance of getting one. Of course if the chance is extremely small in any case that wouldn't make such a difference, and the best option would be to kill wormtongue sooner to get a good ego item to help in the early stages of the game.

[Magnate]

i thought that monsters with exceptional drops had a chance of dropping artifacts?waiting for a lower dlvl could increase the chance of getting one. Of course if the chance is extremely small in any case that wouldn't make such a difference, and the best option would be to kill wormtongue sooner to get a good ego item to help in the early stages of the game.

I think Eddie is referring specifically to the differences in drops between 3.0.9b and 3.1.x

In the former, it was often good practice to ignore Wormy for as long as possible, because even if you didn't get an artifact, the ego item was more likely to be worth the wait.

Now, the slightly better chance of an artifact (or slightly better ego) are not really worth it, since egos get so much more common later on.

Or so I'm told. Unfortunately I have caught that bug where every time I try to play I notice something that makes me want to go back to hacking.

CC