Is there any point in potions of life?

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  • Pondlife
    Apprentice
    • Mar 2010
    • 78

    Is there any point in potions of life?

    Potions of life are the best healing potions in the game. But they are so rare that I rarely end up using them, because I can't amass enough to make it worth an inventory slot.

    I tend to end up with one or two by the time I meet Morgy. And at that point, I'm not worried about exp or stat drain; and *Healing* will invariably bring me to full HP anyway. Perhaps it helps that I always play mage, and so don't get 4-figure hitpoints.

    I don't think I've ever needed a !Life, and I've never used one in my final fight because I have a stack of Healing and *Healing*.

    Does anyone actually find them useful?
    Playing roguelikes on and off since 1984.
    rogue, hack, moria, nethack, angband & zangband.
  • Derakon
    Prophet
    • Dec 2009
    • 9022

    #2
    If you melee Morgoth, they can be useful for restoring drained stats. It's possible they also clear some status effects that *Healing* doesn't touch (e.g. slowing from brain smash), but I admit I haven't checked.

    They're pretty niche, but if you have a spare slot going into the Morgoth fight, you might as well bring 'em.

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    • Pondlife
      Apprentice
      • Mar 2010
      • 78

      #3
      You may have a point there, because I never melee Morgy. Maybe they're of use for a warrior who ends up going toe-to-toe, so perhaps my view is a bit mage specific.
      Playing roguelikes on and off since 1984.
      rogue, hack, moria, nethack, angband & zangband.

      Comment

      • Sky
        Veteran
        • Oct 2016
        • 2321

        #4
        Depends if you have sSTR and sCON. If you dont, they are vital. Restore stats and heal all in 1 action. If you dont plan to melee Morgoth AND actually manage to not melee Morgoth, well, you are too skilled for !Life.
        "i can take this dracolich"

        Comment

        • Pete Mack
          Prophet
          • Apr 2007
          • 6883

          #5
          Mushrooms of vigor are a bit more common. Meleeing M without primary sustains is not a usual choice in any case. I generally keep a crown of might or a shield of permanence just in case.

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          • PowerWyrm
            Prophet
            • Apr 2008
            • 2987

            #6
            Potions of Life were in the game to be the exact opposite of potions of Death: cure 5k hps instead of causing 5k damage. I guess with the disappearance of the latter, the former can go too.
            PWMAngband variant maintainer - check https://github.com/draconisPW/PWMAngband (or http://www.mangband.org/forum/viewforum.php?f=9) to learn more about this new variant!

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            • Werbaer
              Adept
              • Aug 2014
              • 182

              #7
              Originally posted by Pondlife
              I don't think I've ever needed a !Life, and I've never used one in my final fight because I have a stack of Healing and *Healing*.
              I usually have 4-6 collected when i go against Morgoth.

              My most common use is with a padadin who melees Morgoth. Fighting stats are sustained with a shield of preservation, but wisdom gets drained badly.

              In some cases, i didn't have all fighting stats sustained. Life allows restoring and healing at the same time.

              Once, a chaos vortex managed to breath on me. Life cures hallucination. *Heal* doesn't.

              With classes that don't melee Morgoth (mage, priest, ranger), i carry Life with me for emergencies in the late game, and stockpile *Heal* at home.

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