Decisions, Decisions

[tprice]

Well the RNG decided that my High-Elf Ranger MerryJohn needed to be FAST! http://angband.oook.cz/ladder-show.php?id=18435

I found a RoS+10 at DL30, RoS+6 at DL38, and now on DL40 it dropped me a pair of Boots of Speed +4 near the entrance then in the vault i found a second pair at +8 and an Amulet of Trickery for +2 more!

I got a bunch of other nice stuff on that floor and now i need to figure out how to swap it around.

My new Amulet of Trickery has rPoison so i can finally change out my body armor (the only OTHER rPoison I've found all game) Just not sure which one to take.

While that executioners sword does about 50% more damage per round to normal monsters than my whip the ESP is really proving useful. I might have to carry both for swapping.

I'm even pondering stashing the lesser RoS to add the damage or slaying ring. Not sure on the math on that one though.

Advice would be much appreciated!

ps. that Rod of Acid Balls is starting to not be that effective but it's my only reliable AoE damage (and finding it at DL23 was a BIG power boost at the time) I think i need to keep it until i can cast reliably to kill breeders.

Thomas Price
aka The Bookworm

[Bimbul]

rDamage is way better than rSlaying in my experience, I'd ditch the rSlaying.

Do not lose the telepathy. If you can afford the weight, yeah, keep the swap weapon for when needed. it's what I'd do.

I had a game recently where it gave me up to speed +34 for a while but I ended up much less than that with other things needed - didn't harm me - ended up dying to the Tarrasque on DL97 - best game ever for me. The extra speed was not the problem with the Tarrasque, just my own inexperience with that particular monster.

I think you can take a hit on speed for a while but don't chuck it all forever, you will want it eventually.

I'd lose the armour for Arvedui myself for the moment. Great crystal drakes have been my bane more than once - resist shards is cool and rNexus others pooh pooh around here but I've been killed by a nexus breath by a greater basilisk before now.

Good luck, looks like this one has major potential

I shall now let the real experts give much better advice.

[Estie]

Id use the other elven armor with +2 stealth. +20 speed is "enough", damage ring or str ring for the sustain.

[tprice]

http://angband.oook.cz/ladder-show.php?id=18435

So i went with Arvedui and the damage ring for now. Another dive in the dungeon and the RNG really likes me to be fast. I found a pair of speed boots +6 that i left since i had +8, and a staff of speed along with a bunch of !speed

My first Time Vortex that i ever remember (i usually die shallower than this) drained all my stats, scary little trick that!, but luckily about 2 minutes later i found a mushroom of vigor on the ground.

I'm liking ranger a lot, i never played them much and didn't understand the power of the bow until reading some threads on the forum recently. WOW you can get a lot of damage per shot and between my speed and being a ranger i get a lot of shots per turn. Now if i can only get a better bow...

[tprice]

Well THAT was a fun level. 2 medium sized vaults had lots of nice loot. a few uniques that I TOed and a few i battled. i think the best stuff was the Tensors Transformation dropped by a Fire Drake. Ammo Upgrades! and a Rod of ID. goodbye heavy stack of ID Staves!

When i went back to town to use Tensors I found the BM had an ESP helm and a 2nd TO rod for me to buy. That let me swap around my gear to upgrade my weapon without loosing ESP.

[tprice]

Man the RNG really wants me to be fast this game I just upgraded my BoS +8 to Boots of Feanor +15 speed (plus activate for haste) no it wasn't dropped by the Balrog of Moria, but by one of his basic troll followers...

the Leather Shield of the Haradrim with its activate for Berserk Rage was appropriately dropped by a Berserker :-)

I'm starting to really plow through the Uniques and have never felt this strong with a character. I need to really watch myself before I have a stupid death from overconfidence!

I need to do some more gear swapping and inventory management at home. I've already dumped the boots of Wormtongue and the Elven Cloak since i updated the ladder. I'm pondering dumping Angueirel due to the Aggravate on it. I'm enjoying my stealth to much.

not sure what shield to carry though... need to think on it a bit.

Thomas

[AnonymousHero]

Man the RNG really wants me to be fast this game I just upgraded my BoS +8 to Boots of Feanor +15 speed (plus activate for haste)

How you should feel right about now.
EDIT: Not even my luckiest char EVAR found that.

I'm starting to really plow through the Uniques and have never felt this strong with a character. I need to really watch myself before I have a stupid death from overconfidence!

One thing I've found helpful is to post the dump to the ladder and sort of come up with a little "next few levels; need to do X, need to watch out for Y" plan for each dump. It sort of keeps you on your toes... and perhaps people watching the ladder have enough time to chime in, if relevant.

GL... and above all HF!

[tprice]

updated the ladder again with the newest version of MerryJohn. The RNG is overdoing it on keeping me speedy when I'm not bothering to keep the RoS+8 and i'm only in the mid DL50's

The find of scythe Avavir was nice. Decent weapon AND the activation lets me open up a backpack slot from leaving the WoR rod at home.

I'm having fun using Tensers to make better arrows by the bundle though with my int/level I've wasted a bunch of turns resting to repeatedly caste back in town. But then again I'm not going for a speed win here. its letting me just machine gun down things when combined with high stealth and usually have an unresisted arrow type as well. Just make up another 120+ each time i go back to town.

Time Hounds, need to watch out for Time Hounds! They were scary and i just teleported away after figuring out there wasn't anything useful past them on the map. BUUUUT its making me ponder swapping my amulet for the Sustenance one for basically Sustain EVERYTHING. I don't really need the minor speed boost or Dex from Trickery. It would loose me rPoison so i would have to juggle other gear. Probably swap to the Haradrim shield which looses me Immunity to Acid and rSound, rChaos but those high resists aren't THAT needed

Thoughts?

[Derakon]

Sustains don't protect against time attacks.

[tprice]

Sustains don't protect against time attacks.

And that is why I post to the ladder and forum

[Estie]

You dont want to lose res poison either. Theres a gazillion things that breathe for 1k+ poison.

[PowerWyrm]

You dont want to lose res poison either. Theres a gazillion things that breathe for 1k+ poison.

Poison damage is limited to 800

[Timo Pietilä]

You dont want to lose res poison either. Theres a gazillion things that breathe for 1k+ poison.

Not that many actually. Poison is capped at 800 and AMHD and Drolem gets to about 700 (drolem a bit more than AMHD), Many Colors, Bile Demon and Great Swamp + 7 uniques 800.

Too many for comfortable adventuring without it though. Also lower level breaths are really common and resist cuts those to minor nuisance.

[tprice]

I've learned my lesson about rPoison the hard way over the years. I consider it a Must Have and try to get a source of it as soon as possible. Usually i first get it from a Ring of rPoison from the BM. (and even after replacing it will keep it as a swap item for ages)

This go around i kept an otherwise lousy light armor of Elvenkind on for ages until i got the Amulet of Trickery.

After Derakon's post letting me know Sustains dont help with Time Breaths i just left the gear alone and dived back down for another couple levels.

My other big lesson this game (besides the joys of Ranger Archery) is actually making myself stop playing when i start yawning even if i'm in the middle of clearing out an area. A Tired Thomas makes for a Dead Character! I've had way to many deaths caused by "yawn!, I'll just finish clearing this floor then stop, -More- You Die" ;-)

[tprice]

Updated the ladder dump again. http://angband.oook.cz/ladder-show.php?id=18435

THAT was an interesting level. my first large vault. A few good zaps with my stack of TO Rods made if fairly easy. Best upgrade i think was the improved amulet of Trickery though finding Kelek's to round out the complete set of dungeon books at only DL61 is rather nice. To bad I'm a ranger and cant take full advantage.

I also brought back a better ESP weapon to replace my stashed Whip that i used for so long. I'd loose a bit of h2h damage but be able to do some major swaps on my gear. I need to ponder this. Any advice?