Does everyone really geek out the first time they find a greater vault?

[ulrichvonbek]

I was just going to play a little tonight, but at 11:30 Excellent feeling at 4700'. Initial detect reveals the Palintir and I found Hammerhand about a dozen feet from the stairs. The vault I found was a big X, and I only cleared half of it. There were just too many nasty uniques in the sections I didn't tackle.

There was probably an artifact necklace in there, and there was a rod I hadn't seen yet, which would probably have been useful, maybe healing or speed. But I still got a huge benefit from what I did clear. I feel fortunate to have been able to get anything from the vault. Meaglin came through the center section of stone, and I was afraid I was going to have to completely give up on the attempt the way he kept coming back at me. Ironically, once I had one of the central hallways clear, I felt safer inside the vault than out. Other than Feagwath, nothing too nasty followed him out.

Here's my latest dump.

http://angband.oook.cz/ladder-show.php?id=11232&ok

Other than getting enough Dex to get at least 5 blows a round with something (GoP idealy), what else does this character need? I'd love to be able to wear something other than =rPoison, but the 2 artifact armors that provide that leave too many other resistance holes.

If I stick with the Palintir and Hammerhand for light & headgear, is it safe to sell of The phial and the artifact helm? I can probably sell off the artifact shield, the crown of might, and the Katana of Gondolin if I stick with that strategy. Actually, I can probably make enough space selling off the non-artifacts to have time to experiment before making a final decision.

I should really go to bed, but I'm still excited from taking out (half) a GV.

[Djabanete]

Geek out the first time? Angband wouldn't be much fun if you only geek out once.

Anyone else draw maps of their greater checkerboard vaults on paper to save on -detection?

[Timo Pietilä]

If I stick with the Palintir and Hammerhand for light & headgear, is it safe to sell of The phial and the artifact helm?

Both Palantir and Hammerhand aggravate. I usually save them for endgame and use Palantir as swap for initial illumination of the level with some other lightsource as primary (let it recharge either immediately if the surroundings are safe, or just before descending to next level).

Don't lose nexus resist. As a low saving throw warrior without maxed stats you are vulnerable to stat scrambling and that could ruin your game.

You could use some extra stealth. You should drop a bit deeper to get Trickery to replace Carlammas (with RoRPoison to RoCON +6). Trickery gives more stealth as well as nexus and poison resists and speed. Amulets of Weaponmastery are great swaps against STR-drainers and disenchanters. (Trickery against lichs, Weaponmastery against Dreads)

Odd stats. You should start killing item-dropping weak pack monsters like orcs and trolls in hope of getting more stat-potions. Concentrate on quantity more than quality at this point. Consumables are not good items, so anything dropping {good} can't drop them.

[scud]

Anyone else draw maps of their greater checkerboard vaults on paper to save on -detection?

Excel resist/bonus matrix, anyone?

[Mondkalb]

As for Vaults with too many or dangerous nasties I sometimes use *destruction* near the edge of the vault.
This will destroy all monsters and normal items in range, but if there was an aritifact it would be spared and you can get it without handling the monsters (stone to mud or good digging tool is necessary though).
Mass Banishment can also be useful, but you might want to spare them for fights with summoners.

[ulrichvonbek]

vulnerable to stat scrambling and that could ruin your game

and

Odd stats.

Ugh, don't I know it. The reason my stats are odd is that a nexus vortex breathed on me before I found Isildur. Str & Con stayed high, but one of my good internals ended up in Cha. I had 5 blows per round with the trident at L37. Now at L49 I can just barely get back to 4 by wearing the aggravation gear & Rohirim.

You should start killing item-dropping weak pack monsters like orcs and trolls in hope of getting more stat-potions.

I guess I should have run into that orc pit with a staff of dispel evil before heading to the vault. The staff didn't survive the vault anyway. I didn't realise how much the vault was going to stay as is until I went to it.

[HallucinationMushroom]

Geek out the first time? Angband wouldn't be much fun if you only geek out once.

Anyone else draw maps of their greater checkerboard vaults on paper to save on -detection?

Whoa! Now that's dedication. I can just see myself doing this, adding thought bubbles like "rar!" and "don't eat me!".

[Tregonsee]

I just use detect once and then use the targeting function.

[Timo Pietilä]

I just use detect once and then use the targeting function.

Can you really remember every grid in CGV using only one zap of detection? I need to use it at least once for every row, if there is something nasty several times to make sure that it wasn't the next grid.

[Tregonsee]

Once I used the detection spell, I don't need to detect treasure again, and ESP covers most of the rest. I do make note (not on paper) where the uniques are.

[Djabanete]

Whoa! Now that's dedication. I can just see myself doing this, adding thought bubbles like "rar!" and "don't eat me!".

I don't do it all the time, but once I had a warrior with only one rod of detection; and some but not all of the cells were safe to open; and if I kept resting to recharge the rod to double-check, things would start waking up. So I just made a diagram on paper and it worked perfectly

[Timo Pietilä]

Once I used the detection spell, I don't need to detect treasure again, and ESP covers most of the rest. I do make note (not on paper) where the uniques are.

What about when you don't have ESP? Pre-stat gain area?

[Tregonsee]

What about when you don't have ESP? Pre-stat gain area?

If I don't have the right spells/skills, I would not attempt it to begin with.
But having detect without ESP, I would look very carefully at what is closest to the entrance.

Although, I do remember noting after I did a detect, what new monsters showed up on my "Display Monster Knowledge" list.