silly angband question #3

[Sky]

Rune Of Protection ... how does it work?

I just found one of these on DL1 (feeling 1-6; considering these are native to DL70+, i think it should have been a 1-9), and i realized, i do not know how they work.

I remember reading a long time ago how someone got a ranger win by creating a corridor of RoP and then nuking morgoth with his bow of extra shots, but i have never managed to get more than five or six scrolls of RoP, so the corridor is out of question.
I also tried once to make a box with them, but morgoth was on me after about 5 game turns so i had to abandon the idea, and also, he did a destruction effect (earthquake?) which removed the RoPs almost immediately.

So . how does it work?

Do i just cast it, and then stand on it? Do i cast it and then stand behind it? How long does it last? Is it turns, damage, or chance, that makes it expire?

And finally ... do you guys use these on any other uniques? Or just save them for morgoth?

[Pete Mack]

1-9 only happens for "good" OOD objects. Rune makes a square that cannot be accessed by monsters (no physical attack, no move) until they break it, with probability mlev/550

[Ingwe Ingweron]

Generally, I save RoP for Sauron and Morgoth, though if @ happens to have one and a powerful unique becomes a target of opportunity, I sometimes will use a RoP.

My usual method is to stand on the rune/glyph until it is broken. However, in the right terrain, I will sometimes use them as a block to a monster and stand behind it whilst using missiles or magic against the monster.

[PowerWyrm]

Runes were used to create a non-summoning area around the character to kill summoners easily. Now that summons occur near the caster, their use has been reduced to avoiding melee attacks while they stand. Mainly useful against Morgoth to avoid his quakes.

[Pete Mack]

That's for the scrolls. The spell remains crazy powerful in short range fighting

[Sky]

so, i stand on it? i assume ranged attacks still hit me?

[Derakon]

As noted, Rune of Protection creates a tile that monsters cannot walk on, summon on, or make melee attacks into. If they try to walk or attack into such a tile, then they have a chance to break it which depends on the monster's level (Morgoth is level 100, small kobolds are level 1).

I honestly don't have much use for the scrolls, so I'd say carry it until you run into one of the myriad melee-only uniques in the first 1000' that you don't feel confident taking on otherwise, and use it then. I bet it'd make short work of Azog, for example.

[Sky]

well, while i was waiting for replies, i did a bit of shopping (12 CCW), and i found a staff of summoning AND five scrolls of recharge.

so i went back down to DL30 and did a bit of summoning ...

one of the summons was Boldor, King of the Yeeks; easy kill when alone and in a tight corridor.
(also, easy kill because i'm CL25 and i have a main gauche of extra attacks)

Two games ago his son dropped the Trident of Wrath (on DL32), and now his dad did no less by dropping a friggin RING OF SPOOOOOD +10.

EDIT: OMG this DL just keeps on giving. The Boots of Feanor, dropped by Nar The Dwarf. i am CL26, DL30, and just went from +0 to +25 base speed in 5 minutes.

[Pete Mack]

So, another vote for rough progression in speed!

[Grotug]

So, another vote for rough progression in speed!

I've never seen the boots of Feanor. I think Sky got *extremely* lucky.

[Pete Mack]

G-
Not Feanor so much as advancing piecemeal by a few points at a time is just less interesting or exciting

[bio_hazard]

That's not typical at least if my last game was any measure. I think my first speed boots were +4, and my first speed ring was +7.

Related to the other thread, I found no Power DSM, 1 MHDSM (of craftsmanship I think), and no DSM of speed at all.

I haven't seen Ringel or Feanor since the '90s

People don't usually post here about how average their game was...

[Pete Mack]

Power DSM is very rare anyway. I think I found one set ever.