Impressions on first time back to Angband since 2.8.3

[tom]

So I haven't played Angband since winning with a cheesy orb of invulnerability Mage on v2.8.3, probably in the late 90s or early 2000s.

Firstly I have to say that the game feels way way more fleshed out and multi-dimensional. I can smell the influence of variants all over the place, very tastefully blended into modern vanilla angband. The very early game seems slightly more forgiving than 2.8.3 (which was brutal). I'm playing without WoR, and I find that a much larger range of items are regularly useful. There are many clever ways to escape battles, where in 2.8.3 it was pretty much just teleport or phase door. I love rune ID. The quantity of essentials (food, light, phase door scrolls, healing, etc) dropped in the dungeon seems well balanced to make this Ironman style playable.

I'm playing a high-elf rogue in V 4.2.1. I've reached character level 27, and have found Forasgil and the beaked axe of Theoden (which by 2.8.3 standards seems extemely lucky -- though prior to the Forasgil find I was starved of any nice gear, and Free Action took a while to appear).

So a question to more experienced folks. I am inclined to leave Theoden on the floor of the dungeon, because it does half the damage of Forasgil (I am pre- stat-gain). But will I regret this post stat-gain? It is heavy and makes me -1 speed...

[Sphara]

Hi.

Short answer to your question:
Theoden has telepathy, so unless you don't have ESP from anywhere else, it's the probably the last item you want to drop from your inventory. Especially on an ironman game. Wield it all the time, switch to Forasgil when fighting.

PS: Theoden has also slow-recharging, but powerful drain-life activation.

[Selkie]

I'd keep Theoden for the ESP alone. My Angband games I tend to think of in two halves pre-telepathy and post-telepathy; it feels like things only really get cooking once I get ESP.

Honestly -1 speed is nothing, I know it's a mental hurdle but in the later versions of Angband it doesn't make quite such a difference. However, the advantages of seeing nearly all the enemies and their movement (or not) is vital in surviving. You can either safely kill an enemy in Angband or you can't. ESP gives you the time to make these decisions and pick off what you can kill, and avoid that which you can't. Just look out for ants and other mindless monsters

[sffp]

Keep and wear Theoden.(ESP is awesome)
Drop armor that you're wearing that doesn't add resistance/special ability.
Try to get your speed do at least even.

[Grotug]

You'll find better weapons than Theoden in terms of damage later on, but until you do (and another source of telepathy) I agree with others that it should be the last item you drop from your inventory presently for its providing of Telepathy.