Some questions

[RedMageWolfe]

Hey all. Another newbie looking for advice, here.

I've been playing Angband for a few months now, (mostly experimenting with dwarf paladins) and finally decided that I've got enough experience to actually attempt a semi-serious run, but I've still got a few things that I'm curious about.
I've heard people say that it's better to use light weapons early on, so I tend to sell my starting weapon and pick up a main gauche or dagger, but when does it start to become a good idea to move on to bigger things? Also, is it a better idea to buy better armor, or weapons? Or should I just skip that and hope I find good stuff in the dungeon?
Honestly, I've never gotten lower than DL 15, and that's because I've managed to make a mad dash to the stairs on every level. Just feels like I'm not able to keep up with the monsters I encounter at all. I get that I need to play cautiously, but I just feel like I'm doing something wrong.

Any tips would be appreciated.

[Pete Mack]

Pick up whatever you find that does more damage. Early in the game, that's usually a 1d5 main gauche. examining the weapon will tell you how much damage it will do.
Earlier version of angband sold weapon enchantment scrolls in the stores, so the blow count was pretty much the determinant of early damage. That's no longer entirely true.

The mad dash to the stairs is fine, so long as you have enough equipment to survive a single bad encounter. After 1000', this means a staff of teleport other.
Before 1000', this usually means carrying enough !CLW/!CSW to get through a fight with a large group of orcs, etc.
Mostly, you want to avoid those fights.

And always recall home when (or before!) you run out of consumables.

Edit: you might want to try a different mix, like High-Elf Ranger, to see how easy it is to avoid monsters.

[Mondkalb]

It's actually a wand of teleport other (or deeper down there are rods) , and they are sometimes hard to find.

I would also recommend to try a more stealthy character like a high elf rogue or a hobbit rogue.

Edit
also, in older versions of the game (the newbie guides and other stuff still relate to them) it was either one or two or more hits with a weapon, nowadays we have a fractional system. It isn't that important anymore to use a light weapon. Depending on your strength you might deal more damage with a heavy weapon with a high damage die. Just inspect your weapons to see, how much damage they deal.

[quarague]

I would recommend trying a halftroll warrior. Essentially nothing you meet unitl dungeon level 15 or so can kill you and you can kill everything simply by hitting it with a big stick.
Other tip, use the 'l'ook around and then 'r'ecall monster a lot. It will tell you a lot of useful things about the monsters, the xp you get is a first rough gauge on how dangerous it is. All the other information becomes more and more detailed with time. For example if a monster can breathe fire and will only say so in the description after you first observed the monster doing so, after a few more fire breath it will also tell you how much damage it does.
The nice thing about HT warriors is that they have so many hit points that you usually don't die when you have another 'oh, I didn't know fire dragons breathed fire learning experience' which makes life a lot less frustatrating in the beginning. Once you have some knowledge about the various monsters you can make much better decisions on who to fight and who to avoid.

[LostTemplar]

oh, I didn't know fire dragons breathed fire learning experience

They are red dragons, not fire dragons, so it is very frustrating, then they actually breath fire.

[Pete Mack]

They are red dragons, not fire dragons, so it is very frustrating, then they actually breath fire.

Yep, this is left over from the earliest version of D&D, where there are 4 + 1 basic 'colors'. Red - Fire
White - Frost (cold)
Blue - Lightning
Black - Acid
Green - Poison

4 are capped at 1600 damage; Poison is capped at 800. Acid is in between: if you have non-zero AC in all slots, damage is divided by 2.

[RedMageWolfe]

Ahh, okay. I didn't realize the combat mechanics had changed so much from the tips I'd been reading. That's probably gonna make life a lot easier!
As for trying out different races and classes, I usually prefer stuff like rangers and rogues in games, but was hesitant to try something more fragile here. Definitely gonna give them, a swing now. (Along with that Halftroll warrior, simply because smashing stuff with a big stick seems rather cathartic.)

The mad dash to the stairs is fine, so long as you have enough equipment to survive a single bad encounter. After 1000', this means a staff of teleport other.
Before 1000', this usually means carrying enough !CLW/!CSW to get through a fight with a large group of orcs, etc.

This is a great idea, and I'm gonna definitely put it to use.

'oh, I didn't know fire dragons breathed fire learning experience'

Actually, my first reaction upon finding a baby dragon with Detect Evil was to run screaming in the opposite direction. Just seemed appropriate.

Thanks, everyone!

[Pete Mack]

It's actually a wand of teleport other (or deeper down there are rods) , and they are sometimes hard to find.

Whoops, my bad. I meant Staff of Teleportation. It's the only escape for desperation when surrounded by hounds or confused/blind.

Teleport other becomes valuable deeper in the dungeon when it's time to crack vaults, or fight big summoners. And when Teleport Self is just plain too dangerous.

[Pete Mack]

This is a great idea, and I'm gonna definitely put it to use.

The primary advice from that quote was:

Mostly, you want to avoid those fights

Actually, my first reaction upon finding a baby dragon with Detect Evil was to run screaming in the opposite direction. Just seemed appropriate.

Baby dragons are actually pretty weak: 100 HP, and they do no more than 33 damage. Dragons are actually a very popular target: it's easy to figure out whether you're ready to handle them. In fact, all lower case 'd'ragons are pretty good targets except for the ones that move quickly:

- Wyverns: no breath, but bites to poison. Very nasty.
- Kavlax: extremely dangerous; much more dangerous than early 'D'ragons. Avoid at all cost!

[RedMageWolfe]

Ahh, alright. I've been running from most encounters that look like they'd obviously be too much, anyway.
Wouldn't have guessed that dragons would be something to go after. Although, I'm still not gonna try one without being really prepared.

[RedMageWolfe]

So I gave a High Elf Ranger a shot, and I'm already doing vastly better than I normally do, but I happened upon something a bit strange...

http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/s452/RedMageWolfe/eek_zps870ed9d0.png

Does stuff like this happen often? :|

[donalde]

So I gave a High Elf Ranger a shot, and I'm already doing vastly better than I normally do, but I happened upon something a bit strange...

http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/s452/RedMageWolfe/eek_zps870ed9d0.png

Does stuff like this happen often? :|

Oh my, you run into Greater Vault. That will be way too tough for you, as it can contain monsters up to 40 levels out of depth, so you see like level 60+ monsters in there.

Greater vaults in such shallow level are really rare, I think I start running to greater vaults somewhere past level 40 ('2000ft)

That particular vault seems to be called Greater Vault "Sphere"

I suggest "RUN!" as you have no chance to take out most of the mobs in the vault

[Pete Mack]

If:
1. You can get in at all (you will need either a good digger or wand of stone-to-mud)
2. The 'D'ragons are stuck behind walls rather than doors
3. You have some reliable basic form of escape (even ?Phase door, but not the spell)
then go for it.

Those red 'D's can do 333 damage breathing (unresisted) fire, so be careful!

Don't worry if you feel you have to abandon the level; vaults are a lot more common deeper in the dungeon.

[RedMageWolfe]

Oh I ran back up those stairs as soon as I could, (With copious amounts of screaming and flailing my arms in fear), don't get me wrong. I was just curious if this was a somewhat common occurrence.

...Not gonna lie, part of me really wanted to tunnel in there and see what I could nab.

If:
1. You can get in at all (you will need either a good digger or wand of stone-to-mud)
2. The 'D'ragons are stuck behind walls rather than doors
3. You have some reliable basic form of escape (even ?Phase door, but not the spell)
then go for it.

Ahh, thanks. I'll put this advice to use when I encounter one at a proper level.

[Pete Mack]

Oh I ran back up those stairs as soon as I could, (With copious amounts of screaming and flailing my arms in fear), don't get me wrong. I was just curious if this was a somewhat common occurrence.

NO: a Greater Vault at DL 9 is an exceedingly rare occurrence. This is one reason I recommended going for it: at DL 9, you have nothing to lose!