YASD: umber hulks never miss?

**Derakon** · February 4, 2015, 15:43

Saving throws don't help against status effects caused by melee attacks, with the sole exception of paralysis (which is bizarre but being paralyzed sucks really badly, so I guess this is the devs throwing players a bone). Your probably is probably that since you were playing a Gnome Mage, your puny STR meant you had next to no armor, so the Umber Hulk had no problem getting around your AC and thus a >90% hit rate.

Next time, don't let them into melee range, or wear more armor.

**Timo Pietilä** · February 4, 2015, 16:22

Originally posted by Bogatyr

I thought a stack of Cure Serious wounds would be sufficient to deal with Umber Hulks...not so, that sucker never missed me, not once, it confused me about 40 turns or more in a row

40 turns a row means you had decent amount of HP to start with.

Don't try to cure confusion, just hit it. If you have even moderate melee-weapon you hit it often enough that it runs way before you are dead. Even when confused the direction you try to move matters. Your movement isn't completely random even then, you move at the right direction more often than other directions.

**Bogatyr** · February 4, 2015, 18:08

Originally posted by Timo Pietilä

40 turns a row means you had decent amount of HP to start with.

Don't try to cure confusion, just hit it. If you have even moderate melee-weapon you hit it often enough that it runs way before you are dead. Even when confused the direction you try to move matters. Your movement isn't completely random even then, you move at the right direction more often than other directions.

I had enough to get in one or maybe two swings in between heal quaffing. I tried to hit it, I hit it once, my weapon was strong enough to do decent damage, only needed a few more swings, but I missed every time after the first hit. Mages are not good fighters...

**Derakon** · February 4, 2015, 18:34

Originally posted by Bogatyr

I had enough to get in one or maybe two swings in between heal quaffing. I tried to hit it, I hit it once, my weapon was strong enough to do decent damage, only needed a few more swings, but I missed every time after the first hit. Mages are not good fighters...

Next time, don't let them into melee range, or wear more armor.

**Tibarius** · February 4, 2015, 19:41

my 2 cents

If something moves into melee range it is time to move as mage, or you stand on a rune of protection, or on a stair.

Edit: And more luck (and fun) with the next char!

**Thraalbee** · February 4, 2015, 19:56

Start with !speed before you try to get unconfused. It helps. Fighting confused works better in a corridor IIRC.

**Tibarius** · February 4, 2015, 21:13

Umber Hulk

Ups ... suddenly my rogue was dead. Obviously the master mystic and the Plasma hound hitted me too hard, while i felt like superman. That is the most dangerous Situation, you move through 99% of the Monsters like a hot knife through butter ... and are not Observant for the rest

**Bogatyr** · February 4, 2015, 21:48

Originally posted by Tibarius

Ups ... suddenly my rogue was dead. Obviously the master mystic and the Plasma hound hitted me too hard, while i felt like superman. That is the most dangerous Situation, you move through 99% of the Monsters like a hot knife through butter ... and are not Observant for the rest

Yup. Repeat after me: "There are ALWAYS monsters that can kill you VERY QUICKLY. IN EVERY STAGE OF THE GAME" Especially in combination. Don't ever let yourself get surrounded, if you do, bail immediately.

Yeah I was in fact heading for the stairs (I was just 2-3 steps away, OH THE HUMANITY (GNOMITY?)), I got lazy trying to spell kill the umber hulk, I let it get one square too close. GnMageIII is now up to clev 19 and diving fast. I find I never really made proper use of the stairs as an escape before, it's quite essential for fast deep diving. Gnome mages really rock with devices. I for the first time made it a major strategy to build stacks of Frost Bolts [great for hydra pits], Acid Bolts [great for just about anything], Dragon Flame (watch those Vampires BURN!), and of course, Drain Life and Annihilation: D's and unique p's melt before your eyes, its fantastic. Thanks to (Derakon I believe?) who evangelized attack wands/rods for mages... what a difference it makes!

Sigh, GnMageI had practically absolutely EVERYTHING except Kelek's: all resists except stun. He was just missing maxed CON. And the worst thing was I HAD CON swaps with me, I just didn't have them on (I was more interested in all resists). Well you can't resist mana storms, so yeah, doh.

**Nick** · February 4, 2015, 22:01

You should play a variant that has Umber Hulk pits

**Bogatyr** · February 4, 2015, 22:30

Originally posted by Nick

You should play a variant that has Umber Hulk pits

haha no thanks, good ol' vanilla is deadly enough already.

**Derakon** · February 4, 2015, 22:34

Originally posted by Bogatyr

haha no thanks, good ol' vanilla is deadly enough already.

You say that like this isn't the first gameplay change that Nick will import into Vanilla once the restruct is done.

**Timo Pietilä** · February 5, 2015, 08:50

Originally posted by Derakon

You say that like this isn't the first gameplay change that Nick will import into Vanilla once the restruct is done.

We need more monsters for X and Y. X has three and Y only two. Feels like waste of symbols there.

Wiki says that D&D has three kinds of xorns: "Xorn come in three categories: minor, average, and elder". Maybe we should make those into game too, a bit like vampires are now.

**Bogatyr** · February 5, 2015, 09:33

Originally posted by Derakon

You say that like this isn't the first gameplay change that Nick will import into Vanilla once the restruct is done.

Sounds great, and there will be potions of confusion resistance available at the alchemist stop to go along with that, right? Or make mushrooms of clear mind much more common. Or create a farming skill to grow the mushroom of your choice, etc. Otherwise it's just a case of "detect, leave level," and that's not much fun.

**Timo Pietilä** · February 5, 2015, 10:04

Originally posted by Bogatyr

Sounds great, and there will be potions of confusion resistance available at the alchemist stop to go along with that, right? Or make mushrooms of clear mind much more common. Or create a farming skill to grow the mushroom of your choice, etc. Otherwise it's just a case of "detect, leave level," and that's not much fun.

Umber hulks are wimps. Ever played NPP? Those hydra pits are horrifying.

YASD: umber hulks never miss?