Which equip is better?

[Estie]

Another question. Which resist is more important, shards or chaos?

Chaos, you can get rid of any shard problems if not by drinking a !ccw, then by the usual emergency procedures (teleport, teleport level, destruction). Chaos, among other things, causes hallucination which leaves you vulnerable for a long time. The reason chaos isnt more deadly is that it is rare.

[Derakon]

Chaos, you can get rid of any shard problems if not by drinking a !ccw, then by the usual emergency procedures (teleport, teleport level, destruction). Chaos, among other things, causes hallucination which leaves you vulnerable for a long time. The reason chaos isnt more deadly is that it is rare.

So the countervailing opinion would be that shards is more important, because while the effects of a shards attack aren't as dangerous, there are far more sources of shards damage in the game. If nothing else, being able to protect your potions from being shattered by packs of Earth Hounds has frequent value.

Getting hit by chaos breath sucks, I definitely agree, but it just happens so rarely that I can't justify choosing chaos resistance over almost anything else.

[Estie]

So the countervailing opinion would be that shards is more important, because while the effects of a shards attack aren't as dangerous, there are far more sources of shards damage in the game. If nothing else, being able to protect your potions from being shattered by packs of Earth Hounds has frequent value.

Getting hit by chaos breath sucks, I definitely agree, but it just happens so rarely that I can't justify choosing chaos resistance over almost anything else.

Oh, the lovely debates over minuscle details

While chaos is rare, the most common way to get afflicted is by a vortex which is hard to detect and/or avoid. Whereas the very coomon earth hounds are harmless and crystal drakes are asleep.

But to give an idea about how important that difference is to me: if I had neither of the 2 resistances and found some item that allowed me to swap equipment in town, resulting in no other changes than me getting both shard and chaos resist, I wouldnt bother recalling and rather continue on my journey, doing the swap only when other circumstances caused me to recall.

[Timo Pietilä]

While chaos is rare, the most common way to get afflicted is by a vortex which is hard to detect and/or avoid. Whereas the very coomon earth hounds are harmless and crystal drakes are asleep.

Things change when you reach Gelugon-depths. There shards is way more valuable than chaos.

[Shany]

Now I have one more option to throw away - nether. I mean, I can have any two of them, but not all three at the same time.

[Timo Pietilä]

Now I have one more option to throw away - nether. I mean, I can have any two of them, but not all three at the same time.

I would throw nether away unless it gives something else. As a resist you don't really need it, can't rely on it (471 max with resist 550 without), and for side-effects it doesn't really give you anything else than imm to XP drain from nether attacks.

As swap against Azriel...I mean Ossë it's useful, but full-strength nether is so rare that you don't really need it. Just avoid Dracoliches.

[Shany]

I would throw nether away unless it gives something else.

Thank you. It gives only +4 AC difference, it's not important I think.

[Derakon]

I would throw nether away unless it gives something else. As a resist you don't really need it, can't rely on it (471 max with resist 550 without), and for side-effects it doesn't really give you anything else than imm to XP drain from nether attacks.

As swap against Azriel...I mean Ossë it's useful, but full-strength nether is so rare that you don't really need it. Just avoid Dracoliches.

If shards breath is important for the damage reduction, then nether breath is even moreso. Sure, it doesn't reduce the maximum damage you can take from a nether breath all that much, because its damage reduction is variable. But its average damage reduction is quite significant, which will in general reduce the number of healing potions you'll need to use and/or the likelihood that you'll need to bail on a fight. And nether is incredibly common later in the game; basically every high-tier undead monster uses it.

[Shany]

Derakon, thank you too. Now I have nether and shards resist equip in one slot, and chaos resist in another slot. So I can wear one of two, and have the second in my backpack to change fast.

Is it true that rNether prevents xp draining by nether attacks also?

[krazyhades]

Yeah, resists to an element protect you from the side-effects of that element.

So for example, resisting sound protects you from stunning caused by sound (but not other sources of stunning).

[Timo Pietilä]

And nether is incredibly common later in the game; basically every high-tier undead monster uses it.

But the actual nether breath that makes huge damage is not common. I think, barring uniques, only Dracolich reach max damage. All others have too low HP to max out the damage. Nightcrawler comes close, but not quite that high. Then there are Carcharoth, and Ossë, but all others make small damage.

However Gelugons are very common, very fast and summon more Gelugons. That monster alone makes shard more important. Also max shard monsters are also more common than max nether, and three of them tend to summon more shard breathers.

Nether bolt and nether ball do hurt (no shard -based spells I think), but do not do enough damage to be real threat.

It is close call between the two, both have almost harmless side-effects, and both are relatively rare sources of significant damage. Without Gelugons I would go with nether, with them I go with shard (if I have to choose just one).

[Estie]

But the actual nether breath that makes huge damage is not common. I think, barring uniques, only Dracolich reach max damage. All others have too low HP to max out the damage. Nightcrawler comes close, but not quite that high. Then there are Carcharoth, and Ossë, but all others make small damage.

However Gelugons are very common, very fast and summon more Gelugons. That monster alone makes shard more important. Also max shard monsters are also more common than max nether, and three of them tend to summon more shard breathers.

Nether bolt and nether ball do hurt (no shard -based spells I think), but do not do enough damage to be real threat.

It is close call between the two, both have almost harmless side-effects, and both are relatively rare sources of significant damage. Without Gelugons I would go with nether, with them I go with shard (if I have to choose just one).

Gelugon is well on my "stay away from" list, mostly because they summon. I guess I would value shard resist more if I were in the habit of fighting them.
If I happen to have a *slay demon* big weapon, that may change and I am happy they summon more xp for me.

BTW, can we get the *slay* back ? "slay powerfully" is cumbersome, long, politically correct and boring.
Everyone understands *slay* immediately; its concise, short and somewhat of a feature of Angband.

[Ingwe Ingweron]

BTW, can we get the *slay* back ? "slay powerfully" is cumbersome, long, politically correct and boring.
Everyone understands *slay* immediately; its concise, short and somewhat of a feature of Angband.

I kind of like the change to "plain English" in the descriptions. And for newbies it is certainly more informative.

[Nick]

I kind of like the change to "plain English" in the descriptions. And for newbies it is certainly more informative.

Another option is to give the multiplier - eg slays demons(x5) and dragons(x3).

[Derakon]

Another option is to give the multiplier - eg slays demons(x5) and dragons(x3).

Yes. If for no other reason than because some "slays" are x2 and some x3 and they otherwise have identical text. Sure the damage display shows different numbers, but it's still misleading.