Phail of Galadriel frequency

[Timo Pietilä]

I don't use *Teleport Self

....

Unfortunately, the spell gets "stronger" with character level, so pretty soon it tends to bounce you back and forth between the two furthest points in the dungeon.

That is why I prefer Priest Portal over Teleport self from Ethereal Openings. Even that tends to do that same, but at least it does it less than Teleport self.

Maybe it is time to lower the range of that spell or give it a more variability in distance at higher levels.

[Pete Mack]

I don't use *Teleport Self for an escape unless I'm truly desperate. It makes a very nice means of transportation, especially for a rogue with high stealth:

1. Teleport Self
2. Detect Monsters
3. Detect Treasure
4. Pick up loot if any.
5. Repeat.

Unfortunately, the spell gets "stronger" with character level, so pretty soon it tends to bounce you back and forth between the two furthest points in the dungeon.

[Tiburon Silverflame]

I agree with Derakon. Granted, a ranger takes a lot longer to have the fail rate and mana cost on Haste Self come down, but I hate relying on consumables.

This is also why I like regeneration. Mana costs don't become completely irrelevant, but for the kinds of spot use we're talking about here (detections, haste) it's awesome. It's less effective when you're talking spellcasting as a primary damage mode, because you have to cast a lot.

[Derakon]

Having "free" access to Haste Self and Destruction are big game-changers. If you can haste yourself whenever you need to then you can take on fights that would otherwise be infeasible, which in turn means you're much more likely to survive at deeper depths. Similarly, unlimited Destruction means that anything you can't be arsed to deal with just goes away, period.

Since these are the two main targets of charge-draining monsters (I don't usually carry any other charged items by this depth), having those two spells in book form also makes dealing with liches and balrogs far more pleasant.

[nullfame]

MB2 -- Teleport Self

Meh. This book is junk. I find scrolls easily enough and staffs are available in the shop. IMO teleport has a limited useful life. Maybe dl20-40. After that ?tl or ?dd all the time.

MB3 -- Detect Invisible. (Given this, S2M, Sat. Hunger, and ID are a nice lagniappe*)

Detect invisible (or reveal monsters) is so expensive and not very reliable. By this point I certainly have SI and almost everything invisible is manageable until I find ESP. I use the same technique for food as fuel: eat until full in town, recall. For my money it is wand of stone to mud and stack of id or staff of the same.

MB4 -- Haste Self

More or less same argument as detect invisible. By the time I can cast it reliably staffs are easy to come by. But this would be the 4th book I carry.

MB9 -- *Destruction* (Ranger)

Never got that far with a ranger though, again, staffs and scrolls should be plentiful by this point in the dungeon.

[diggerB]

Edit:
I really do like the title of this thread--artifact light source...FAIL!

LOL completely accidental, but it does fit doesn't it?

Anyhow, finally got it just this morning, dropped on DL15 by Nar, the Dwarf.

[Nick]

* Nick-- I got to use it again. Isn't it just a fantastic word?

I particularly like the way it's been successively borrowed by three different languages.

I liked the thread title, too...

[Pete Mack]

@nullfame--
I tend to think in terms of the books I never carry: MB6 as rogue/ranger and MB9 as rogue. All the others I carry at some point in the game, often because of a single spell.
MB2 -- Teleport Self
MB3 -- Detect Invisible. (Given this, S2M, Sat. Hunger, and ID are a nice lagniappe*)
MB4 -- Haste Self
MB9 -- *Destruction* (Ranger)

MB 1,5,7,8 I carry at almost any cost.

* Nick-- I got to use it again. Isn't it just a fantastic word?

[nullfame]

I'm a CL26 Ranger, just got my ID spell - so I'm spending a lot of time resting up for ID... one full lamp isn't enough to completely scour a "good" level.

Maybe I'm crazy but I don't even carry books 2-4. I am running a ranger right now (3.1.2v2) at dl40, cl30. I've never won with a ranger but my first win was with a rogue and I only carried 1, 5, and 7 until the very end and I imagine I'll do the same here. When I was willing to use !restoreMana I carried mb2-4, but for me that was only in the final two fights. Until then I preferred mana-free sources of ID, stone to mud, haste, teleport, and teleport other.

Oh and always cast light to rest. Or rest behind closed doors with always disturb. Or both. Stay away from the dark. I carry rods of light and use them compulsively.

[Pete Mack]

Derakon has it right. Ranger ID spell is pretty much useless. If you are finding yourself resting to cast ID, carry a decent stack of scrolls. If you have too much loot when returning, you can always drop ?ID/food/?Recall, etc.

The same holds for (almost) any utility spell: if you frequently find yourself resting to cast it, you probably shouldn't be using the spell.

Edit:
I really do like the title of this thread--artifact light source...FAIL!

[Timo Pietilä]

Does that constitute offensive cross-posting? If so, I apologize.

No. I'm the one that told you to ask here. Also without the exactly same wording I wouldn't be able to tell that you are the same person.

You just left out that vital piece of information here that you are playing 3.0.6.

[PowerDiver]

Or just cast light wherever you're standing. Or, heck, carry consumable ID with you. Money isn't all that dear, and you can spare an inventory slot for scrolls or staves.

More importantly, monsters spawn while you rest. Using ?id instead of casting spells could save you from an unlucky death.

[Derakon]

Or just cast light wherever you're standing. Or, heck, carry consumable ID with you. Money isn't all that dear, and you can spare an inventory slot for scrolls or staves.

[Zyphyr]

I'm a CL26 Ranger, just got my ID spell - so I'm spending a lot of time resting up for ID... one full lamp isn't enough to completely scour a "good" level.

Go into a lit room, remove your lamp, do your rest/ID cycle there, put the light back on and resume your delving.

[diggerB]

This exactly same question is in r.g.r.angband and he mentions there that he is playing 3.0.6. That one doesn't have everburning lanterns.

Does that constitute offensive cross-posting? If so, I apologize.

Thanks for the helpful info, folks.

Don't bother going back to dl 5, and probably don't bother carrying oil. The lantern is good for 15,000 turns, which is more than enough time to refill it on trips back to town.

I'm a CL26 Ranger, just got my ID spell - so I'm spending a lot of time resting up for ID... one full lamp isn't enough to completely scour a "good" level.