Soooo close x-)

[GordonOverkill]

My most successful run just found a sad ending. I played a Minotaur Berserker and he actually became my first character to get his hands on the Orb of Zot. He got three runes from the Snake Pit, the Swamp and the Slime Pits (where he had to drink three potions of cure mutation). Also he successfully did the Crypt and the Elven Halls, which I never managed to do before. During his quest he got banished to the Abyss twice and both times managed to reach a portal back. Somehow Trog did never really favor him. In the whole run he did not make use of a single God's gift, just being spammed with branded battleaxes and missile weapons from the beginning to the end. However, in the end he got some nice equipment anyway, wielding a freezing Executioner's Axe +9, wearing a Crystal Plate Armor +9 and alot of nice jewelry for resistance. However, he didn't find any nice boots or gloves.
In the end he died on the way back up on Z1. Stupidly I used berserk against a Pandaemonium Lord. Just after the rage was gone, an Executioner appeared and I just wasn't able to get away from him. Should rather have cast haste and run away from the Lord in the first place. Well, next time I'll be a little bit smarter. And well, somehow it's really cool that I got that close for the first time

[notcluie]

for the record, it is basically impossible to outspeed an executioner

RIP though, hope you have better luck on the ascent next time (oh and imo vaults is easier than slime for new players, slime is really easy to mess up)

[GordonOverkill]

Actually I did clear the Vaults, but I just didn't pick up any rune down there. Guess that means that my trip to the bottom of the Slime Pits was not really necessary...

[Tristian]

Just for future reference, for next time you run into an executioner, summons might make a difference.
By that time in the game, you have a powerful option with BiA (Brothers in Arms).
Even one or two of those could have helped turn the tide.
Even if it was to let you run like hell!

[Lyrick]

The only thing that matters after you get the orb of zot is making it to the surface!

Unless the pan lord was blocking the only way

If you have potions of haste, wands of haste, use them! Who cares if you hit yellow contam, if you can go a little faster it'll all be worth it.

If you're really paranoid, pick up all those wands of digging/disint you dropped and carve straight tunnels between the stairs you'll be using, to minimize your exposure to pan lords.

[GordonOverkill]

Thanks alot for the hints! I'll give it another try this weekend

[nago]

About pan lords: they have random stats, spells and notably speed. Not always is worthy to kill them, often is better just to run away, but notice that you can outrun some with haste, while others not. Use xv to see their see their speed and react accordly.
Wand of digging/disint are especially useful to block los when tormentors and other dangerous stuff appear. Scrolls of fog and holy word are even much more valuable

[kroki]

whenever i run into a panlord during orb run i read tele or evoke a tele wand.