CIP: HoPr: RoR or Orc Plate?

[njvack]

  Code:

Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup version 0.13-a0-207-ge113bd6 (console) character file.

njvack the Severer (Hill Orc Priest)               Turns: 35375, Time: 03:32:50

HP 116/116       AC 15     Str 16      XL: 14   Next: 11%
MP  27/27        EV 19     Int 12      God: Beogh [******]
Gold 2104        SH  0     Dex 16      Spells:  2 memorised,  9 levels left

Res.Fire  : + . .   See Invis. : .   a - +2,+7 dwarf battleaxe (drain)
Res.Cold  : + . .   Warding    : .   r - +1 orc robe {rC+ rF+}
Life Prot.: . . .   Conserve   : .   (no shield)
Res.Poison: .       Res.Corr.  : .   s - +0 plumed helmet
Res.Elec. : .       Clarity    : .   U - +2 cloak
Sust.Abil.: + .     Spirit.Shd : .   E - +2 pair of orc gloves
Res.Mut.  : .       Stasis     : .   y - +2 pair of dwarf boots
Res.Rott. : .       Ctrl.Telep.: .   W - amulet of faith {!P}
Saprovore : + . .   Flight     : .   F - ring of sustain abilities
                                     k - +1 ring of dexterity

@: somewhat resistant to hostile enchantments, unstealthy
A: walk on water, saprovore 1, Dex +1
a: Smiting, Recall Orcish Followers, Renounce Religion


You are on level 14 of the Dungeon.
You worship Beogh.
Beogh is exalted by your worship.
You are not hungry.

You have visited 4 branches of the dungeon, and seen 27 of its levels.
You have also visited: Labyrinth.

You have collected 2753 gold pieces.
You have spent 669 gold pieces at shops.


Innate Abilities, Weirdness & Mutations

You can walk on water.
You can tolerate rotten meat.
You are agile (Dex +1).


   Skills:
 - Level 10.5 Fighting
 - Level 17.2 Axes
 - Level 6.3 Armour
 - Level 10.0 Dodging
 + Level 13.9 Charms
 - Level 10.1 Invocations


You have 9 spell levels left.
You know the following spells:

 Your Spells              Type           Power        Failure   Level  Hunger
d - Repel Missiles        Chrm/Air       ####......   3%          2    ###....
s - Swiftness             Chrm/Air       ####......   3%          2    ###....


Inventory:

Hand weapons
 a - a +2,+7 dwarven battleaxe of draining (weapon)
 b - an uncursed orcish crossbow
Missiles
 d - 50 bolts
 o - 3 javelins (quivered)
 L - 5 javelins of penetration
Armour
 r - a +1 orcish robe of resistance (worn)
 s - a +0 plumed helmet (worn)
 y - a +2 pair of dwarven boots (worn)
 E - a +2 pair of orcish gloves (worn)
 U - a +2 cloak (worn)
Magical devices
 f - a wand of flame {zapped: 1}
 j - a wand of polymorph
 A - a wand of teleportation {zapped: 1}
 G - a wand of polymorph {zapped: 7}
 J - a wand of fireball {zapped: 1}
 M - a wand of disintegration (14)
 V - a wand of draining {zapped: 1}
Comestibles
 c - 2 meat rations
 q - 2 bread rations
 z - 3 chunks of griffon flesh {@*1}
 H - an apple
Scrolls
 l - a scroll of summoning
 m - a scroll of fear
 x - 3 scrolls of fog
 I - a scroll of blinking
 R - 2 scrolls of teleportation
 T - a scroll of identify
Jewellery
 k - a +1 ring of dexterity (left hand)
 B - an uncursed amulet of guardian spirit
 F - a ring of sustain abilities (right hand)
 K - an uncursed ring of invisibility
 W - an amulet of faith (around neck) {!P}
Potions
 e - a potion of magic
 g - a potion of brilliance
 h - 3 potions of might
 i - 2 potions of agility
 n - 2 potions of speed
 p - 2 potions of restore abilities
 t - 4 potions of curing
 u - a potion of invisibility
 C - 3 potions of berserk rage
 Y - 2 potions of heal wounds
Rods
 w - a +3 rod of destruction [ice] (9/9) {!a}
   (You found it in a labyrinth)


Rolled up a HOPr to see the changes to recall (which I quite like -- I can leave my allies off-level so they don't get in the way and still call 'em in for help in a tough spot. Also, I don't need to actively manage who gets kills) and planned going the whole "let's wear some orc plate and use a big choppy orc axe" route. But! I found me a book with Haste in it, and figured that not only will it make me more awesome, but my support team.

Training up Charms enough to cast Haste in plate, though, looks to be a tall order. It's just about within reach when I'm wearing my Robes of Resistance, though...

So, the question: do I keep the robes, train some dodging, and spend my stored Enchant Armour scrolls on my current gear? Or plate it up and spend more time training for Haste and get some Armour?

[dassem]

Well, I'm not sure I can help, but I'll be interested to see how you do. I once had a stealthy-stabbing-dodging orc priest who could have won, and that combination worked surprisingly well. - If the stab fails then recall followers (or at least that used to work)...

Definitely the main targets for haste are your followers. A few warlords in plate mail with decent weapons will decimate most foes if you can surround them, but don't forget that they are still vulnerable one-on-one.

To me, the deciding factor is how you plan to deal with a tough situation where you've lost all your orcs or don't want to bring them in. (One thing I lost a lot of followers to was confusing clouds near water.) Plate would probably be better in that case unless you go for lots of magic. Similarly, I occasionally found myself drawing fire away from my approaching army - if you've got high EV instead of AC, then you may want to position yourself differently.

[mikee]

The plate is much better in the long run, particularly orcish plate with beogh. Some quick suggestions:
1) Stop raising dexterity and raise intelligence instead.
2) Stop raising charms and get at least a few levels of spellcasting.
2) Get an orcish plate armour, preferably with an ego you want, and give it to one of your stronger orcs. Eventually, beogh will have enchanted it to +10 and you can get the orc killed.
3) Aim for something like this: 8 spellcasting, 16-18 charms, 15 armour.

This would give you 40-50 ac, strong enough melee to kill anything, and haste.

[HenryFlower]

2) Get an orcish plate armour, preferably with an ego you want, and give it to one of your stronger orcs. Eventually, beogh will have enchanted it to +10 and you can get the orc killed.

O.M.G.

HOPr run coming up.

[njvack]

The "Beogh enchantments are permanent" trick is, alas, as tedious as it is powerful :/

[adozu]

also it's never pretty having to wait for your best orc to get killed. you might really want the armor but you also end up liking your disciples. they have a name, a NAME.

[HenryFlower]

also it's never pretty having to wait for your best orc to get killed. you might really want the armor but you also end up liking your disciples. they have a name, a NAME.

Yes, and that name is always "expendable"

[adozu]

you clearly aren't a true orc jesus.

[dassem]

Well, if people are into mistreating orcs, the other fun way to abuse your orcish followers is to polymorph them. IIRC it's not a good idea to do it yourself, but it's hardly your fault if they happen to stand between you and a Neqoxec...
A tough orc can easily end up as a hydra or dragon. And yes the hydra heads do grow back, which can make the elven halls fairly amusing.

Edit: I don't recall if that makes them drop their items too or not...

[Psieye]

It ought to, as that's what happens when you (as a non-HOPr) polymorph an orc with equipment.

Yeah it used to be you'd have your orc dudes walk through polymorph gas until you were satisfied with the results. Back then, they didn't know to hate you for it either, so you'd travel with your merry band of WTF MONSTERS.