Another Newbie needs help

[Derakon]

The "quiver" is simply an equipment slot for arrows. Wielding arrows puts them in the quiver; the only advantage is that the amount of inventory space you dedicate to the quiver depends on the total number of arrows you wield, not on the number of stacks. So for example, if you have two stacks of 20 arrows apiece, they'd take two slots in the inventory, but if you wield them, then you only lose 1 slot.

[Timo Pietilä]

Ok thanks for the help.

Just a few more things:
What's better crossbow or long bow? At the moment I've got a crossbow.
So I should be good to dive to level 20 then. What resistances will I need? If I see a ring of free action in black market should I buy it?

For a ranger a bow, especially after clvl 20 (you get extra shot).

For dlvl 20 none. Resistances are not exactly necessity before you start to run into ancient dragons, and especially when you see ancient multihued dragon. You just need to know to bail out from fight early enough to survive. Avoid those heavy breathers that you don't have a resistance against.

From order of importance of resists, fire is most common (and it burns arrows, books staves and scrolls), poison next, but a bit less deadly, then cold, then electricity and then acid. Acid last because it gets halved every time it tries to damage your gear (even if not successful) so as long as you have every armor slot filled and item isn't already at effective zero AC ([1,-1] cloak) damage gets halved.

Then from rest I think I would put nexus first (at least until you have your stats maxed, or get your saving throw to 100%), then shards (gelugons), then dark/light (if you can get both, prevents blindness from those attacks)...hmm...disenchantment (annoying, but not really deadly until very deep), chaos (prevents hallusination), nether (very common and rather damaging, but has pretty harmless side-effect, and resistance can't be trusted).

From abilities telepathy is most important (allows you to see what's coming), then see invisible, then blindness, then confusion and stun (can't decide which first). Crowns of serenity are a must as swap.

Yes. Paralyzation might not be instant death anymore, but it is still pretty deadly, so free action is necessity deep in the dungeon.

[robbiodobbio]

What is a saving throw? I've never understood it.

I didn't even realise you could equip the arrows now, that's handy gonna free up some space in the old backpack. Is there a keyboard short cut for fire arrow at nearest foe?

[thapper]

Is there a keyboard short cut for fire arrow at nearest foe?

With the risk of making a fool of myself, isn't this 'h'? It fires the first type of arrow in your quiver.

[Mondkalb]

Firing at the nearest target can be activated as a default option somewhere in the options menu (=).

The saving throw is probably a term from D&D games. There it means a dice roll to determine whether an action is successful or not for instance an attack or evasion or resistance to something (in Angband the dice roll is performed by generating a random number in the hidden game calculations).

[robbiodobbio]

Just looking at some of your old characters. On FAangband are there more dungeons then? Is it like all the different parts of The Silmarillion? Can you travel all over Beleriand?

[Mondkalb]

In FAangband you can start in different starting towns, depending on your starting race.
The different towns may not have all the shops, but some do, there are more shops than in Angband; also there are four magic realms.

Your character can have special abilities; some of them are granted as soon as you kill the chief monsters in the minor dungeons.

There are four dungeons and Nan Dungortheb. You can travel on different routes through diffenrent landscape types according to the landscapes of Beleriand. For instance, there are mountain and forest regions. Dwarfs will get advantages in mountains whereas elves may get advantages in forests.

You also get appropriate monsters and items.
The resistances work a bit different, FAangband uses a percentage system.

FAangband requires some adjusting in play stiyle because of the open landscapes - hordes are more dangerous.

This is the map from the help files of FAangband:

   Anfauglith -------------------------Lothlann
    (Angband) \                              \
        |      \_____Dorthonion               \
    Fen of Serech  (Nan Dungortheb)            \
        |                   \                   |
Sirion Vale-----Gondolin  Dor Dinen             |
(Tol-in-Gaurhoth)           |    \              |         Hithaeglir--Gladden
          \                 |    Himlad         |             /       Fields
          Brethil        Doriath     \        Ered Luin   Khazad Dum
             \              |         East        \         /
          ___ Ephel      Menegroth   Beleriand     \    Hithaeglir
        /    Brandir             \       |          |     /
Talath /         \           Doriath     Thargelion |   Eriador
Dirnen       West Beleriand       |     *    \      |  /    \
(Nargothrond)     \                \   *       Belegost      \
              Amon Rudh      East Beleriand        |          Eriador
              (Amon Rudh)     *           \     Ered Luin      town
                    \        *             \        |            |
                West Beleriand              \       |            |
                     \                       \    Ossiriand      |
                   Andram                     \      |           |
                      \                        \     |           |
                    East Beleriand              Ossiriand        |
                        \                        /town           |
                      Taur-Im-Duinath   _Ent Path   |            |
                          \            /           Ossiriand     |
                        Taur-Im-Duinath             |            |
                            town                Ered Luin South  |
                                                        |       /
                                                    Ered Luin South
                                                        town

[robbiodobbio]

ok, sounds good, maybe I'll give it a try some time. As I said I played Zangband before and that had the different magic types, nature, dark, light and another one, that was good.

Back to Angband, Im now diving to level 23 but I'm now finding that Im not really getting much gold, just when all the good stuff is turning up in the black market.

Also should I be wearing gloves? I havent been because I want to cast spells but do you just take them off when you need to cast? Or is that too much hassle?

[LostTemplar]

Saving throw in vanilla Angband is a simple chance in percent to resist some particular bad effects (not all of them, and a complete list is not described in any logical way, e.g blindness can be avoided only if it is a special spell, melee attacks that blind or darkness breath are not affected by saving throw)

[Mondkalb]

Also should I be wearing gloves? I havent been because I want to cast spells but do you just take them off when you need to cast? Or is that too much hassle?

Usually it's not worth unless you find some of the powerful ego gear.
There is also special handwar which can be used by magic classes without penalty, for instance gloves of free action.

[robbiodobbio]

I'm getting blinded a lot, its really annoying, I supposed I just have to wait till I get a special item that gives me resist.

[Mondkalb]

Shouldn't be too hard to find. Headwear of seeing are relatively common. The potion of true seeing can help you until you get one.

[robbiodobbio]

What are your thoughts on potions of toughness etc. the ones that raise one stat at the expense of another. Ever worth using? If so which ones?

[robbiodobbio]

Jackpot!

I just killed one of the dwarf uniques, cant remember the name, not Mim and he dropped wrath of god, I'm a ranger so i dont need it do sold it for 30000. What should I spend the money on? It's typical that when I had no cash the black market was full of dragon scalemail and ego weapons and now there's not much good stuff.

They do have potions to increase stats but they cost 24000 each. Should I wait and try and buy some dragon mail or blow it on a stat increase?

[fph]

What are your thoughts on potions of toughness etc. the ones that raise one stat at the expense of another. Ever worth using? If so which ones?

Those that raise stats that you care about are useful. As a ranger, everything apart from Wis and Cha is worth raising, I'd say. You might get unlucky, but in the newer version the system for counting blows changed, so there are no more catastrophic consequences.

They do have potions to increase stats but they cost 24000 each. Should I wait and try and buy some dragon mail or blow it on a stat increase?

I'd wait for a DSM personally. You'll start finding stat potions on the floor soon. Best thing is if you find a ring of resist poison or a green DSM.