Tactics vs Summoners

[Swishtail]

Hi, all. Long time player, but zero-time winner here.

Lately I seem to consistently get my characters to level 30-40 DL range, only to inevitably tangle with one of the many foes that summon companions to the fight... often extremely out-of-depth companions who then do terrible things to my mind and/or body.

Anyone have some tactical tips to offer? I've read about digging zig-zag tunnels to reduce the line of sight of the caster... also I always try to keep a teleport self or other method around.

...and I probably need to just get more experience so as to improve my judgement on when to run/avoid.

Anything else?

[MattB]

Hi, all. Long time player, but zero-time winner here.

Lately I seem to consistently get my characters to level 30-40 DL range, only to inevitably tangle with one of the many foes that summon companions to the fight... often extremely out-of-depth companions who then do terrible things to my mind and/or body.

Anyone have some tactical tips to offer? I've read about digging zig-zag tunnels to reduce the line of sight of the caster... also I always try to keep a teleport self or other method around.

...and I probably need to just get more experience so as to improve my judgement on when to run/avoid.

Anything else?

Personally speaking, I always have scrolls of phase and teleport, staves of teleport and wands of teleport other (and of course scrolls of recall). Then I might also have rods of TO, tele level (rarely), deep descent (even more rarely) and spells of this that and the other. You can't have too many escapes!

Secondly, yes anti-summoning corridors are essential when fighting summoners. A tunnel where only your principle opponent can see you means that you're only fighting one monster at a time. Of course, once you've beaten it, you still have to fight through its summons to pick up all the loot...

...Oh, and naturally speed helps as well.
...and scrolls of mass banishment if you're late enough in the game to have them.
...and glyphs of warding/scrolls of rune of protection are handy in your anti-summoning corridor for extra protection.
...I think that's it from my end. Good luck!

[Derakon]

If you're having problems with summoners in dungeon levels from 30-40, then that's a bit early for digging anti-summoning corridors; in most cases your character simply won't be able to dig effectively to set up corridors before the fight happens (unless you have access to Stone to Mud, of course).

My main suggestions here are 1) learn to avoid fights (by teleporting yourself or monsters), and 2) focus on your ability to kill things. Faster fights mean fewer options for summons to get out of control.

Otherwise, the main thing when dealing with summoners, or really any monster with a ranged attack, is to constrain line-of-sight. You have a few basic options:

  #.#
###p#
..@.#
#####

In this setup, the p can see you, and so can the monster behind him, but that's all.

  #.#
###.#
.@p.#
#####

Likewise this setup only allows two monsters to see you.

...@#
...Z####
....Z...
....####
....#

This is the recommended way to deal with Zephyr hounds, who will only chase you if you're in a room. Only the one actually in the room can see you. As long as you can kill each hound in one turn of melee, this works fine...and it breaks horribly as soon as one survives and turns to flee.

[buzzkill]

Two words, teleport level. The next level will be just as good as the one you're bailing out of.

[LostTemplar]

More monsters means more loot and more exp, just don't let your character die.

[Grotug]

I find the dl30-40 range to be relatively easy (easier than the late 20s for instance) since you start to get stat potions regularly here. I hang out in the 30s early 40s until all my stats are maxed out and usually don't have too much trouble on these levels. Gorgon usually is the only thing that causes me much trouble and basilisks if you have no rPoison (and I shouldn't forget the drolem...). In my current game I picked up rPoision shield so I expect to have an easy time of dl30s-40s. I don't start using teleport other regularly until I start picking up the rods later in the game. After Paladin -> portal and a thick stack of phase door scrolls, rods of TO are my main escape later on until I can replace them with TO from my Paladin's book assuming I can get my Wisdom in the 100/180 range. My main strategy for dealing with summoners and hounds and other nasty ranged attackers is exactly what Derakon laid out. NEVER deal with any ranged nasties or summoners in a corridor where they can all see you, that's insane. You'll be turned into a pile of jelly before you can say gelatinous cube.