Sustains experience?

[mrrstark]

Hi, very basic beginner question: Some of the races say things like "sustains experience" "sustains dexterity"

What does this mean? I couldn't find it in the manual or on google..

[Derakon]

Some enemies can reduce your stats or experience. For example, Red Jellies will reduce your STR score if they touch you and you don't have "sustain strength" as an innate or equipment-given ability. Drained stats will stay reduced until:

1) you gain a level,
2) you eat a Mushroom of Vigor, or
3) you drink a potion that permanently increases the relevant stat (as a side-effect, the potion first restores that stat to its current maximum)

Experience works similarly -- some monsters can reduce your experience total. The "Hold Life" ability protects against this. Experience stays drained until you drink a Potion of Restore Life Levels or you regain the experience points naturally; if your experience is drained, then IIRC 90% of all experience gains go towards your current amount, and the remaining 10% count towards your maximum experience.

Hold Life isn't 100% protection; 10% of the time you will still be drained, though the draining is also only 10% as effective. Sustained stats are 100% protected except for against Time attacks, which completely ignore them. Fortunately time attacks are rare.

[mrrstark]

Is it worth worrying about for a new player?

Also, since I'm here, are there any recent good quality beginner class guides?

[Derakon]

I wouldn't worry too much about it in the early game; usually you level up quickly enough that stat drain won't be a problem (unless you decide to sit next to a drainer for several turns of course).

My advice for new players is to play something durable. Half-troll warriors are great for that. It's a lot easier to learn how the game works when you're nigh-indestructible.

As for guides, not really, not that I'm aware of. There's The Angband Newbie Guide, but most of its advice is horrifically out of date now.

Also, welcome to the game!

[mrrstark]

Thanks for the replies. I got put off my first few attempts by the control scheme, and the sheer # of clicks to cast and target a spell.

I saw a let's play that mentioned briefly how to rest-until-healed, and from that figured out how to configure a key to cast-magicmissile-at-nearest in one keystroke. And now I'm blasting away with an elf wizard. Seems almost too easy.... and I'm guessing Wizards get better faster than melee types.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYvx44UIajk

Anyways, woooooooo

thanks

[Derakon]

Oh dear. Not just a mage, but an elf mage? That's a bumpy ride you're in for. Mages have a tough early- and middle-game, and elves...suck. Bad stats, in particular bad hitpoints and STR with nothing really useful to make up for it. Gnomes make better mages (since if you're going to have crap HP, you might as well have an awesome INT score to make up for it). So do high-elves and dunadan (better survivability in general), though they level up really slowly.

I really would recommend playing a warrior (or at least a paladin or rogue) to get a feel for the game though. Angband classes are not all equal; the mage and priest in particular are really unforgiving of mistakes. I mean, if you're having fun, go to it. But if you get frustrated, IMO you'll have a better time switching classes up rather than sticking to the mage until you figure out how to make it work.

Good luck!

[Timo Pietilä]

Some enemies can reduce your stats or experience. For example, Red Jellies will reduce your STR score if they touch you and you don't have "sustain strength" as an innate or equipment-given ability. Drained stats will stay reduced until:

1) you gain a level,
2) you eat a Mushroom of Vigor, or
3) you drink a potion that permanently increases the relevant stat (as a side-effect, the potion first restores that stat to its current maximum)

4) potion of life does the same as Vigor + heals you at your max health. Can't remember if it restores your XP as well.
5) Priest spell "restoration" restores all stats.
6) Rod of restoration restores all stats.

[EDIT] Adding to Derakon message, any potion that could permanently increase your stat does restore stat even when it can't permanently raise your stat any higher.

One note about stat-drains, time-attacks can drain stats and XP thru sustains and hold life. Anything "time" is something to avoid/kill fast. [EDIT] D said this too, but saying it twice doesn't hurt. Time is nasty.

[Nick]

Also, since I'm here, are there any recent good quality beginner class guides?

I assume you've seen the help and manual page at rephial.

Also, if you're playing a mage, this is the standard advice