What's a good way to level a character who avoids combat

[Petoften]

I was playing a gnome mage and they're greatly encouraged to avoid combat.

Then I played a warrior who killed everything and it was amazing how fast he leveled.

If I'm playing a mage or a stealth character and avoiding combat, what's a good way to get levels?

[Derakon]

You should avoid melee, not avoid killing things. Killing monsters is by far the easiest and most reliable way to gain experience. Mages use spells and magic devices as their primary means of killing things.

[Petoften]

You should avoid melee, not avoid killing things. Killing monsters is by far the easiest and most reliable way to gain experience. Mages use spells and magic devices as their primary means of killing things.

OK - but lots of advice said for mages to 'run away' all the time.

[Pete Mack]

The trick is to pick and choose targets carefully. The trouble with this is you need to learn which those are. Obvious examples are Mumak and Vrock, which come in big groups, move at normal speed, and have no distance attack. Other early "major" demons are good, too--their distance attacks are fairly weak, and they don't summon very often. Earlier in the game: various dark elves, but no Lords and Sorcerors. First few groups of hounds. Wolves. Weak uniques.

However: to follow this technique, you have to dive hard, so that individual kills are worth a lot for your character level. And you have to know what to avoid.

[wobbly]

Some that haven't been mentioned are light vulnerable packs: snaga, wraith, troll, vampire. Later vampires are a bit tougher and need a fire bolt or similar. Individual trolls aren't worth much, but a line and a rod stack makes it easy work. Trolls drop by depth(like all things) & by endgame will drop artifacts. There's a trick with mixed undead pits. Skeles block dangerous bolt spells and resist light, so they can be used like a shield.

[Mondkalb]

Mages are quite hard, at least in my experience.

Try a rogue. If you choose one of the races with stealth bonus you are able to avoid most fights you don't want. On higher levels the rogue can sneak around and grab useful stuff. And they know where to find the good stuff because their detection spell shows not only where to find things but also what they are.

[PowerWyrm]

Would it be possible to create a character and win the game by only killing Sauron and Morgoth? I know there was someone who tried to do such a challenge not too long ago, but I don't recall exactly the outcome...

[Mondkalb]

That would need a lot of luck for finding enough experience potions ...

[Pete Mack]

Pretty much no. It might be possible in Sil to win with no kills at all. But it would be very, very difficult. There's just no way to get EXP reliably in Angband without killing monsters. Although technically...if you stick to EvGVLWsUug and a handful of oddball undead (vampire bat and Dracolich), you aren't killing anything. You're only destroying them.

Would it be possible to create a character and win the game by only killing Sauron and Morgoth? I know there was someone who tried to do such a challenge not too long ago, but I don't recall exactly the outcome...

[wobbly]

Pretty much no. It might be possible in Sil to win with no kills at all. But it would be very, very difficult. There's just no way to get EXP reliably in Angband without killing monsters. Although technically...if you stick to EvGVLWsUug and a handful of oddball undead (vampire bat and Dracolich), you aren't killing anything. You're only destroying them.

Sil absolutely. Pacifist has been done. Angband absolutely doable if you don't mind tedium. Another locked doors will level you it just wont be fun. I'm tempted to add encounter xp if I get something up and running. I think 1st sighting of each monster type would solve most issues telepathy and detect add.

[PowerWyrm]

Would it be possible to create a character and win the game by only killing Sauron and Morgoth? I know there was someone who tried to do such a challenge not too long ago, but I don't recall exactly the outcome...

Found it: http://angband.oook.cz/forum/showthread.php?t=7083

[Pete Mack]

Thanks for that Powerwyrm. He'd have had a perfect game if he had inscribed his weapon !a. (IIRC, that is what you are supposed to put on a digger, but with Delving ring, it's been a long.time since I used one.)

[Petoften]

Thanks for that Powerwyrm. He'd have had a perfect game if he had inscribed his weapon !a. (IIRC, that is what you are supposed to put on a digger, but with Delving ring, it's been a long.time since I used one.)

What is inscribing about, how do you know what to put on what, what does it do?

[wobbly]

The { command. You can write a note on an item but usually it's about special inscriptions. !a is prompt before attack. @m1 on a spellbook, means the book will always be at 1 when you use the m command (stops confusion when items move in the inventory). Same with @w1 or @a1 for wield and aim etc. List in help files ?. Probably in a menu about macros

[Petoften]

The { command. You can write a note on an item but usually it's about special inscriptions. !a is prompt before attack. @m1 on a spellbook, means the book will always be at 1 when you use the m command (stops confusion when items move in the inventory). Same with @w1 or @a1 for wield and aim etc. List in help files ?. Probably in a menu about macros

Thanks.

Why would !a be an improvement there?