Unique Drops

[Khuzdul]

After killing some early uniques on lower dungeon levels, I noticed that the drops they gave deeper down were heaps better than what they would usually give on their natural level. e.g, Killing Mughash on dlvl 75 gave me the Arkenstone when I'd previously gotten magical robes and such like from him on dlvl 8.

Has anyone else found this? Do unique drops get better deeper down?

Once again, thanks!

[Carnivean]

Derakon keeps posting the formula. I think it's the average of the current level and the monster's native level that becomes the base level for item generation. So, yes, the drops are better down further.

On the other hand, all kinds of drops are better down further. There is no meaningful strategic advantage to avoiding them to kill at a deeper level. If you can kill them on their native level, you're not playing deep enough in the dungeon.

[Derakon]

Close; it's max(monster's native depth, average(current depth, monster native depth)). So you don't get penalized for killing a unique before you're "supposed" to, but you do get "rewarded", kind of, for killing them later. Keep in mind that you need good gear to survive until later though, so for the same reason that I read Acquirement scrolls as soon as I find them, I kill uniques as soon as I feel like I can handle them.

[Khuzdul]

Close; it's max(monster's native depth, average(current depth, monster native depth)). So you don't get penalized for killing a unique before you're "supposed" to, but you do get "rewarded", kind of, for killing them later. Keep in mind that you need good gear to survive until later though, so for the same reason that I read Acquirement scrolls as soon as I find them, I kill uniques as soon as I feel like I can handle them.

But should you try to wait for them deeper down in order to get the better drops?

[MattB]

But should you try to wait for them deeper down in order to get the better drops?

Well, you need the 'better' drops as early as possible. So waiting until later probably means there won't be a later!

And there's no guarantee that the later drop will actually be better - just potentially better.

Or, to put it another way, a good Mughash drop at dlvl75 is not appreciably better than an AMHD crop at dlvl75. But a Mughash drop at dlvl5 is appreciably better (on average) than a cutpurse drop on dlvl5.

[Carnivean]

But should you try to wait for them deeper down in order to get the better drops?

No. You'll find better drops on the floor of vaults than trying to game the uniques.

[Ingwe Ingweron]

But should you try to wait for them deeper down in order to get the better drops?

Some people pass up on the lower level uniques for one of two reasons, either to acquire "better" drops from them deeper down, or to leave them for Sauron and Morgoth to summon in order to increase the possibility of summons posing little threat. But, as has been mentioned, the RELATIVE quality of the drops doesn't favor waiting. Personally, I look for targets of opportunity. If I think a unique is killable by @ and the terrain is favorable, I do it. If not, I avoid, TO, or downright run.

E.g., my latest @ on DL 12. With a level feeling of 1-2, ordinarily I'd just take the next down stairs, but there is Brodda, the Easterling. "I can take him," I think, so I wade into battle. A shot from Narthanc activation, several shots from a sling, and Brodda goes down leaving me the Phial. A useful drop and I'm glad I didn't wait.

[MattB]

Some people pass up on the lower level uniques...to leave them for Sauron and Morgoth to summon in order to increase the possibility of summons posing little threat.

However, playing for the end game when on dlvls 5-20, in my experience at least, inevitably leads to death by hubris!