Ironman first attempt, first level, first scroll is....

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So, I decided to dive into the deep end of the Angband pool, and work a half orc fighter on an ironman.
First level. Mangle a couple of centipedes ..
First scroll I find.... save for later? Read now? Meh, Int 7. Me read now.

"The air around you starts to swirl ...."

I suppose it's best to get that over with early. Shoulda waited until I'd scummed the dungeon, tho.

[Sphara]

I turn on 'know all flavors from birth' option. Doing so doesn't make an ironman game much more easy but does make it much less annoying.

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I turn on 'know all flavors from birth' option. Doing so doesn't make an ironman game much more easy but does make it much less annoying.

Well, the lesson I learned there (that game ended right fast - four lemures) is that one reads scrolls and tries potions after beating up on a few mushroom patches and gaining some HP.

Take two working better. Well, still alive and punching at DL4.

[Pete Mack]

Alternatively, buy a !Hero to help you out in emergencies like this. or even ?Bless. It'll let you kill the first lemure, then you'll be DL 7, and the rest will drop fast. You can get more money by giving up a point or two of stats.

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Alternatively, buy a !Hero to help you out in emergencies like this. or even ?Bless. It'll let you kill the first lemure, then you'll be DL 7, and the rest will drop fast. You can get more money by giving up a point or two of stats.

Second time through: spate of just awful luck. Twice hit trapdoors, hit the descent, then ona 2-9, buggered it up by reading a scroll of teleport into the second 9-2 of the journey.

[Grotug]

I don't read scrolls on good levels for this reason. I feel yer pain.

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I don't read scrolls on good levels for this reason. I feel yer pain.

Well, learning curves, right? So now the protocol is pretty simple: try all new scrolls at the top of the stairs going down to the next level on the understanding that
a) If it's a DD, you only really lose four levels, not five
b) if it's a Teleport Level, you lose nothing
c) If you end up summoning something nasty, you just step downstairs and avoid it
d) if it's actually not something that will kill you, and may actually help, you can step into the next level buffed with whatever goodness you have.

I'm enjoying (in a frustrated way) this recent challenge.

-take three died wretchedly due to lack of armor.... mainly due to having various black dragons, black dragonflies, acid traps and ochre jellies reducing its armor to dust. Try wandering anywhere south of DL10 with an AC of 6.

Now trying for a fifth time, same setup.

[Pete Mack]

What is your starting setup?

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What is your starting setup?

Factory half-orc fighter; purchasing gear as available. This time went in with light leather armor, six CLW, one CCW (no CSWs for sale), cap, shield, dagger, 10 iron shots (throw 'em if you got 'em) and 10 PD scrolls. Started this morn (sick, but what the heck) and now CL22/DL17. Nicest pickup so far was white dragon scale of quality, dropped in a nasty running battle with Orfax on L10 - a battle that chewed up a large portion of my PD scrolls.

It's interesting how different these games can be, depending on what the randomizer throws out. Normally, at this point in a dungeon, there's been a wand of mm, want of stinking cloud .... but nothing.

[Derakon]

Don't bother buying armor; you'll find plenty in the dungeon. Spend the money on Heroism, CLW, Phase Door, more light, etc.

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Don't bother buying armor; you'll find plenty in the dungeon. Spend the money on Heroism, CLW, Phase Door, more light, etc.

That was my philosophy a while back until, well,.... see the above comment about a character wandering out essentially butt naked (AC5) at DL25. went in with a shield, and the best armor he found was a +2 robe.

[Derakon]

That was my philosophy a while back until, well,.... see the above comment about a character wandering out essentially butt naked (AC5) at DL25. went in with a shield, and the best armor he found was a +2 robe.

At that depth, any armor you bought in the store would not make a significant difference anyway. I guess sometimes the RNG just doesn't like you!

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At that depth, any armor you bought in the store would not make a significant difference anyway. I guess sometimes the RNG just doesn't like you!

Attempt number six died on DL 23 or thereabouts. Ibun - at quadruple hit points, with no missile weapons, potions depleted, and no "bail me outta here" scrolls left.

Man, this be tough.

Attempt number seven: loaded up on PDs, no armor, no weapons. Tryiing it that way.

[Estie]

Yeah PD scrolls are the worst bottleneck. It is much easier with a class that gets it as spell, preferably early.

[Grotug]

I like playing Ironman with Half Troll Warrior for the hitpoints and damage output. I generally buy as many PD scrolls as I can. Sometimes I don't even buy a weapon. The shields provide the most AC for the buck so they aren't a terrible choice, but otherwise I buy PD in lieu of armor. The problem is phase doors are quite rare and in all my ironman games (which is only a few) I always run dangerously low on them. I posted a detailed account of my Ironman HT/Warrior game in AAR (maybe you've seen it). I actually didn't follow my advice above in that game and struggled with phase doors for much of it.