[All variants] Best early-game find?

[HugoVirtuoso]

Doesn't Smeagol have like a 1% chance to drop the One Ring in that variant? I mean, it's still really rare, but not as rare as if he had to get it "naturally".

AFAIK - In PosChengband, Smeagol actually has 1 in 666 chance of dropping The One Ring.

[AnonymousHero]

AFAIK - In PosChengband, Smeagol actually has 1 in 666 chance of dropping The One Ring.

Indeed:

   case MON_SMEAGOL:
            if (one_in_(666))
            {
                a_idx = ART_POWER;
                chance = 100;
            }
            break;

in monster_death() in xtra2.c.

[DanielKennethRego]

I just scored a pair of Hard Leather Boots of Speed (+8 to speed) off a Princess quest on dungeon level 5 in the Barrow-Downs, in ToME 2.3.8. My character level was 8. I'm still grinning with excitement at my luck.