CIP: Luckiest DE ever

Monday, 26th January 2015, 14:52 by BaronMunchausen

I just rolled a DECj to play around with, and wasn't taking him too seriously (drank a D:1 mut potion, for example) until he found a potion of Experience on D:3, and another on D:4. Found a staff of conjuration fairly early as well, and Acquired +1 boots of running in Lair. I was casting Orb of Destruction and Poison Arrow at single-digit fail rates by the end of Lair, and cleared the ogre/giant Orc ending with the help of a spellforged servitor. I have never had a caster this powerful before, but I'm worried by how poor my defenses are. Should I train more fighting/dodging? Which of Vehumet's last three gifts (Fstorm, Glaciate, Shatter) should I pursue (I've found the other fire spellbooks, but didn't get any of the spells)? I'd like to get as many runes as I can; what do you guys think?

Code:: Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup version 0.15.1 (tiles) character file. Albrecht the Eclecticist (Deep Elf Conjurer) Turns: 29792, Time: 03:06:06 HP 105/105 AC 13 Str 5 XL: 16 Next: 96% MP 45/45 EV 21 Int 23 God: Vehumet [******] Gold 2085 SH 0 Dex 20 Spells: 10 memorised, 5 levels left rFire + . . SeeInvis . W - staff of conjuration rCold + . . Clarity + S - +2 robe {rC+ rF+} rNeg . . . rCorr . (no shield) rPois + rRot . f - +2 helmet rElec . Spirit . n - +2 cloak SustAb . Warding . d - +0 pair of gloves rMut . Stasis . F - +1 pair of boots {run} Gourm . (no amulet) MR +.... m - ring of magical power M - ring of poison resistance @: quick, somewhat resistant to hostile enchantments, unstealthy A: clarity, low mp 1, robust 1 a: Renounce Religion You are on level 12 of the Dungeon. You worship Vehumet. Vehumet is exalted by your worship. You are not hungry. You have visited 3 branches of the dungeon, and seen 24 of its levels. You have also visited: Ossuary. You have collected 2447 gold pieces. You have spent 362 gold pieces at shops. Inventory: Hand weapons p - an uncursed blowgun Missiles s - 59 poisoned needles Armour d - a +0 pair of gloves (worn) f - a +2 helmet (worn) n - a +2 cloak (worn) x - the +2 leather armour of Vexation {+Inv} (You acquired it on level 10 of the Dungeon) It lets you turn invisible. F - a +1 pair of boots of running (worn) S - a +2 robe of resistance (worn) Magical devices g - a wand of enslavement {zapped: 1} q - a wand of fire {zapped: 1} r - a wand of fire E - a wand of lightning (7) P - a wand of invisibility Q - a wand of paralysis {zapped: 1} Comestibles b - 11 bread rations Y - 3 meat rations Z - a rotting chunk of elf flesh Scrolls l - 2 scrolls of fog o - 6 scrolls of teleportation v - 9 scrolls of remove curse y - 3 scrolls of identify I - a scroll of enchant weapon K - 2 scrolls of magic mapping N - 5 scrolls of blinking R - a scroll of vulnerability V - 3 scrolls of fear Jewellery i - a ring of protection from magic m - a ring of magical power (right hand) t - a ring of positive energy G - an uncursed ring of see invisible L - an uncursed ring of protection from magic M - a ring of poison resistance (left hand) O - a +2 ring of protection U - a ring of protection from magic Potions a - 2 potions of magic e - 2 potions of might h - a potion of cancellation k - 2 potions of heal wounds u - 8 potions of agility w - 4 potions of curing A - 3 potions of resistance B - 2 potions of restore abilities C - a potion of porridge H - 4 potions of brilliance J - a potion of haste X - a potion of berserk rage Books c - a book of Conjurations Spells Type Level *Magic Dart Conjuration 1 *Searing Ray Conjuration 2 Dazzling Spray Conjuration/Hexes 3 Fulminant Prism Conjuration/Hexes 4 *Iskenderun's Mystic Blast Conjuration 4 *Iskenderun's Battlesphere Conjuration/Charms 5 j - a book of Changes Spells Type Level Beastly Appendage Transmutation 1 Sticks to Snakes Transmutation 2 Spider Form Transmutation/Poison 3 Ice Form Ice/Transmutation 4 Blade Hands Transmutation 5 z - a book of Power Spells Type Level Fulminant Prism Conjuration/Hexes 4 *Iskenderun's Mystic Blast Conjuration 4 Venom Bolt Conjuration/Poison 5 Bolt of Magma Conjuration/Fire/Earth 5 Iron Shot Conjuration/Earth 6 *Orb of Destruction Conjuration 7 Magical staves W - an uncursed staff of conjuration (weapon) Miscellaneous D - a phial of floods T - a crystal ball of energy Skills: - Level 9.0 Fighting - Level 10.0 Dodging - Level 2.4 Stealth - Level 16.1 Spellcasting - Level 14.1 Conjurations - Level 9.7 Charms * Level 12.6 Summonings - Level 0.4 Fire Magic - Level 7.1 Poison Magic - Level 15.2 Evocations You have 5 spell levels left. You know the following spells: Your Spells Type Power Failure Level Hunger a - Magic Dart Conj #### 0% 1 None b - Searing Ray Conj ###### 0% 2 None c - Iskenderun's Battles Conj/Chrm #######. 1% 5 None d - Iskenderun's Mystic Conj #######. 1% 4 None e - Sting Conj/Pois #### 1% 1 None f - Sticky Flame Conj/Fire ######.. 1% 4 None g - Bolt of Draining Conj/Necr ######.... 1% 5 None h - Poison Arrow Conj/Pois #######... 2% 6 ####... i - Orb of Destruction Conj #######... 2% 7 ######. j - Spellforged Servitor Conj/Summ #######... 4% 7 ######. Dungeon Overview and Level Annotations Branches: Dungeon (12/15) Temple (0/1) D:7 Orc (4/4) D:9 Elf (0/3) Orc:4 Lair (8/8) D:9 Swamp (0/5) Lair:6 Snake (0/5) Lair:5 Slime (0/6) Lair:7 Altars: Cheibriados Elyvilon Kikubaaqudgha Makhleb Nemelex Xobeh Okawaru Trog Vehumet Xom Yredelemnul Beogh Shops: D:6 * D:7 ! Orc:1 % Orc:2 ( Orc:3 ( Orc:4 ([(:* Innate Abilities, Weirdness & Mutations You possess an exceptional clarity of mind. Your magical capacity is low (-10% MP). You are robust (+10% HP).

Monday, 26th January 2015, 15:09 by njvack

Yes, you want more EV and HP. You're killing dudes just fine (you can clear three runes just fine with this spell set) but getting more 'not dying to dudes' will be key. In particular, you probably want to not get pincushioned by yaktaurs and later, stone giants.

Also, picking up some kind of melee weapon will serve you well. Killing everything with spells is quite possible but really annoying. Melee never runs out.

Final spell-wise, choose whatever sounds most fun. I haven't used Glaciate, but both Fire Storm and Shatter are fine for getting all the runes. Getting them online before the end of your three runes is probably not a great use of XP.

Monday, 26th January 2015, 19:58 by BaronMunchausen

Ok, picked up a buckler and bastard sword from my stash. I've cleared elf now, and I put the xp into Long Blades (10) and Shields (5). Elf 3 was full of books; I pretty much have access to any spell I want.

Code:: Albrecht the Eclecticist (Deep Elf Conjurer) Turns: 40011, Time: 04:22:51 HP 117/117 AC 16 Str 5 XL: 18 Next: 27% MP 36/36 EV 28 Int 23 God: Vehumet [******] Gold 2460 SH 6 Dex 21 Spells: 10 memorised, 7 levels left rFire + + + SeeInvis . e - +5 bastard sword (freeze) rCold + . . Clarity + i - +2 robe {rC+ rF+} rNeg . . . rCorr . I - +0 buckler {AC+3} rPois + rRot . X - +2 helmet rElec . Spirit . n - +2 cloak SustAb . Warding . d - +0 pair of gloves rMut . Stasis . F - +1 pair of boots {run} Gourm . (no amulet) MR +.... f - ring "Neilofil" {rF++ EV+5} M - ring of poison resistance

I suppose now I need to get either the swamp or snake rune. Not sure where to go first, and I still feel a little squishy. Should I get some different support spells (Dmsl, Swiftness, Blink, etc.), or just keep training fighting and dodging? Should I train my sword skill some more?

Monday, 26th January 2015, 20:36 by and into

More fighting skill (even on DE "blasters" I usually aim for 14 or 15 before depths) and more dodging will help with the squishiness. The +5 EV from the ring is a boon, but you can get 4 or 5 more EV by training dodging up a bit. Beware your low MR, however.

I'd memorize haste, deflect missiles is fine eventually but I wouldn't delay fighting/dodging for it (in the mean time repel missiles will do fine). Go ahead and pick up blink. Then phase shift and regeneration and the like are helpful spells, too. None of these except maybe deflect missiles will require much experience investment.

Swamp would be your easiest rune, and in fact is much less dangerous than Elf. (Don't let your guard down, all the same, as you can still die anywhere in Crawl if you start being careless.) In Swamp, spriggans are fast and can hit surprisingly hard, and they have very high EV but low HP/AC, so use very accurate attacks or (ideally) attacks that bypass EV. You've seen hydrae before, but remember they become fast when they are in the water. Treants and (in particular) thorn hunters can be nasty, fight those things one-on-one. Ditto for uniques, obviously. Otherwise there isn't much that is more frightening on Swamp 1 to 4 than the heavy hitters from Lair. For swamp 5, it depends on how nasty the rune vault is; proceed carefully, but Swamp is less dangerous than Snake nearly always. (If you get scary uniques crowding a level, though, don't hesitate to switch over to Snake instead.)

Monday, 26th January 2015, 21:30 by njvack

and into wrote:In Swamp, spriggans are fast and can hit surprisingly hard, and they have very high EV but low HP/AC, so use very accurate attacks or (ideally) attacks that bypass EV.

Notably, if you have cloud spells available... or OOD in the open. Fireball wands will work in a pinch.

Monday, 26th January 2015, 21:37 by XuaXua

and into wrote:Otherwise there isn't much that is more frightening on Swamp 1 to 4 than the heavy hitters from Lair.

I just ran into a tentacled monstrosity on Swamp: 3. Naga of Chei though, so I'm thinking it must have been due to the timer.

Monday, 26th January 2015, 23:58 by nago

I think monstrosity can very rarely spawn in swamp - not counting the vaults in the end where it's guaranteed.
And likewise I believe the timer for ood monster is based on number of turn, not aut per action

Tuesday, 27th January 2015, 00:42 by BaronMunchausen

Thanks for all the help guys!

Swamp was indeed fairly easy; the Lernean hydra almost got me, but I managed to blink away, grab the rune and escape while he ran around smashing trees. Spriggan druids and riders I just shot with Orb of Destruction until they got close enough to finish off with sticky flame and my sword. Also I found another scroll of acquirement (4th in one game for this guy!) and got some rad gloves:

Code:: Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup version 0.15.1 (tiles) character file. Albrecht the Spry (Deep Elf Conjurer) Turns: 56084, Time: 05:56:32 HP 136/136 AC 21 Str 5 XL: 20 Next: 19% MP 38/38 EV 35 Int 24 God: Vehumet [******] Gold 3274 SH 7 Dex 21 Spells: 10 memorised, 9 levels left rFire + + + SeeInvis + e - +6 bastard sword (freeze) rCold + . . Clarity + i - +2 robe {rC+ rF+} rNeg . . . rCorr + I - +1 buckler {AC+3} rPois . rRot . X - +2 helmet rElec . Spirit . n - +2 cloak SustAb . Warding . k - +4 pair of gloves "Yttadyal" {+Blink +Inv rF+ Slay+4} rMut . Stasis . F - +2 pair of boots {run} Gourm . j - amulet of resist corrosion MR ++... f - ring "Neilofil" {rF++ EV+5} G - ring of see invisible @: quick, very resistant to hostile enchantments, fairly stealthy A: clarity, low mp 1, robust 1 a: Renounce Religion, Evoke Blink, Evoke Invisibility }: 1/15 runes: decaying You are on level 2 of the Lair of Beasts. You worship Vehumet. Vehumet is exalted by your worship. You are not hungry. You have visited 7 branches of the dungeon, and seen 41 of its levels. You have also visited: Ossuary. You have collected 4271 gold pieces. You have spent 997 gold pieces at shops. Inventory: Hand weapons e - a +6 bastard sword of freezing (weapon) Armour i - a +2 robe of resistance (worn) k - the +4 pair of gloves "Yttadyal" (worn) {+Blink +Inv rF+ Slay+4} (You acquired it on level 2 of the Swamp) It affects your accuracy and damage with ranged weapons and melee attacks (+4). It protects you from fire. It lets you turn invisible. It lets you blink. n - a +2 cloak (worn) F - a +2 pair of boots of running (worn) I - a +1 buckler of protection (worn) X - a +2 helmet (worn) Magical devices m - a wand of enslavement q - a wand of fire (6) x - a wand of digging {zapped: 1} E - a wand of lightning (5) P - a wand of lightning Q - a wand of fireball (4) Comestibles b - 9 bread rations s - a rotting chunk of yaktaur flesh R - a rotting chunk of yaktaur flesh S - a chunk of troll flesh Y - 10 meat rations Scrolls l - 6 scrolls of fog o - 9 scrolls of teleportation v - 14 scrolls of remove curse y - 8 scrolls of identify B - a scroll of summoning K - 4 scrolls of magic mapping N - 3 scrolls of blinking V - 5 scrolls of fear Jewellery f - the ring "Neilofil" (right hand) {rF++ EV+5} (You took it off a deep elf fighter on level 3 of the Elven Halls) [ring of evasion] It affects your evasion (+5). It greatly protects you from fire. j - an amulet of resist corrosion (around neck) G - a ring of see invisible (left hand) M - an uncursed ring of poison resistance U - an uncursed ring of protection from magic Z - an uncursed ring of flight Potions a - a potion of magic g - 3 potions of heal wounds h - 2 potions of cancellation p - 3 potions of flight u - 8 potions of agility w - 10 potions of curing A - 3 potions of resistance H - 7 potions of brilliance J - 3 potions of haste Books c - a book of Conjurations Spells Type Level *Magic Dart Conjuration 1 *Searing Ray Conjuration 2 Dazzling Spray Conjuration/Hexes 3 Fulminant Prism Conjuration/Hexes 4 *Iskenderun's Mystic Blast Conjuration 4 *Iskenderun's Battlesphere Conjuration/Charms 5 z - a book of Power Spells Type Level Fulminant Prism Conjuration/Hexes 4 *Iskenderun's Mystic Blast Conjuration 4 Venom Bolt Conjuration/Poison 5 Bolt of Magma Conjuration/Fire/Earth 5 Iron Shot Conjuration/Earth 6 *Orb of Destruction Conjuration 7 Magical staves W - an uncursed staff of conjuration Miscellaneous D - a phial of floods T - a crystal ball of energy Skills: - Level 13.0 Fighting - Level 10.0 Long Blades * Level 18.3 Dodging - Level 2.4 Stealth - Level 5.0 Shields - Level 17.0 Spellcasting - Level 14.1 Conjurations - Level 9.7 Charms - Level 12.7 Summonings - Level 0.4 Fire Magic - Level 7.1 Poison Magic - Level 15.2 Evocations You have 9 spell levels left. You know the following spells: Your Spells Type Power Failure Level Hunger a - Magic Dart Conj #### 0% 1 None b - Searing Ray Conj ###### 0% 2 None c - Iskenderun's Battles Conj/Chrm ######.. 1% 5 None d - Iskenderun's Mystic Conj ######.. 1% 4 None f - Sticky Flame Conj/Fire ######.. 1% 4 None g - Bolt of Draining Conj/Necr ######.... 1% 5 None h - Poison Arrow Conj/Pois ######.... 2% 6 ####... i - Orb of Destruction Conj ######.... 2% 7 #####.. j - Spellforged Servitor Conj/Summ ######.... 3% 7 #####.. k - Ozocubu's Armour Chrm/Ice #####... 1% 3 None Dungeon Overview and Level Annotations Branches: Dungeon (15/15) Temple (0/1) D:7 Orc (4/4) D:9 Elf (3/3) Orc:4 Lair (8/8) D:9 Swamp (5/5) Lair:6 Snake (5/5) Lair:5 Slime (0/6) Lair:7 Vaults (1/5) D:14 Depths: D:15 Altars: Cheibriados Elyvilon Fedhas Kikubaaqudgha Makhleb Nemelex Xobeh Okawaru Sif Muna Trog Vehumet Xom Yredelemnul Zin Beogh Shops: D:6 * D:7 ! D:15 ([:} Orc:1 % Orc:2 ( Orc:3 ( Orc:4 ([(:* Elf:2 ? Elf:3 * Vaults:1 ( Annotations: D:15 1 exclusion Swamp:5 Lernaean hydra Innate Abilities, Weirdness & Mutations You possess an exceptional clarity of mind. Your magical capacity is low (-10% MP). You are robust (+10% HP).

With Ozo's armor and my EV ring I don't feel nearly as bad about melee, but the snake pit is still tricky (Naga poison really highlights how low my hp is). I dipped into the Vaults, and the wide corridors make OOD very effective, but the vault wardens and convokers can make easy encounters suddenly very hard. I'll probably just go after the snake rune for now.
Also, I have this crystal ball I found in the lair, but I'm hesitant to use it because it sounds dangerous. Is this generally considered a good item (and is it safe to use), or should I stash it/get rid of it?
My bastard sword should be at 1.0 delay; is this good enough, or should I try to get it to 0.7?

Tuesday, 27th January 2015, 16:51 by BaronMunchausen

Picked up the Serpentine rune, then cleared Vaults 1-4. I might do some of Crypt before I try to tackle V:5.

Code:: Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup version 0.15.1 (tiles) character file. Albrecht the Spry (Deep Elf Conjurer) Turns: 70882, Time: 07:36:48 HP 154/154 AC 21 Str 5 XL: 22 Next: 13% MP 39/39 EV 36 Int 24 God: Vehumet [******] Gold 3886 SH 8 Dex 22 Spells: 11 memorised, 6 levels left rFire + + + SeeInvis . e - +6 bastard sword (freeze) rCold + . . Clarity + i - +2 robe {rC+ rF+} rNeg . . . rCorr + I - +2 buckler {AC+3} rPois + rRot . X - +2 helmet rElec . Spirit . n - +2 cloak SustAb . Warding . k - +4 pair of gloves "Yttadyal" {+Blink +Inv rF+ Slay+4} rMut . Stasis . F - +2 pair of boots {run} Gourm . j - amulet of resist corrosion MR ++... f - ring "Neilofil" {rF++ EV+5} M - ring of poison resistance @: quick, very resistant to hostile enchantments, fairly stealthy A: clarity, low mp 1, robust 1 a: Renounce Religion, Evoke Blink, Evoke Invisibility }: 2/15 runes: decaying, serpentine You are on level 2 of the Lair of Beasts. You worship Vehumet. Vehumet is exalted by your worship. You are hungry. You have visited 7 branches of the dungeon, and seen 44 of its levels. You have also visited: Ossuary. You have collected 4883 gold pieces. You have spent 997 gold pieces at shops. Inventory: Hand weapons e - a +6 bastard sword of freezing (weapon) Armour i - a +2 robe of resistance (worn) k - the +4 pair of gloves "Yttadyal" (worn) {+Blink +Inv rF+ Slay+4} (You acquired it on level 2 of the Swamp) It affects your accuracy and damage with ranged weapons and melee attacks (+4). It protects you from fire. It lets you turn invisible. It lets you blink. n - a +2 cloak (worn) F - a +2 pair of boots of running (worn) I - a +2 buckler of protection (worn) X - a +2 helmet (worn) Magical devices m - a wand of enslavement q - a wand of fire (3) r - a wand of lightning {zapped: 3} x - a wand of digging {zapped: 1} E - a wand of fire P - a wand of lightning Q - a wand of fireball (3) Comestibles b - 6 bread rations B - 5 rotting chunks of yaktaur flesh Y - 10 meat rations Scrolls l - 6 scrolls of fog o - 10 scrolls of teleportation v - 17 scrolls of remove curse y - 10 scrolls of identify K - 4 scrolls of magic mapping N - 2 scrolls of blinking V - 5 scrolls of fear Jewellery f - the ring "Neilofil" (right hand) {rF++ EV+5} (You took it off a deep elf fighter on level 3 of the Elven Halls) [ring of evasion] It affects your evasion (+5). It greatly protects you from fire. j - an amulet of resist corrosion (around neck) G - an uncursed ring of see invisible M - a ring of poison resistance (left hand) U - an uncursed ring of protection from magic Z - an uncursed ring of flight Potions a - a potion of magic g - 3 potions of heal wounds h - 2 potions of cancellation p - 3 potions of flight u - 8 potions of agility w - 10 potions of curing A - 3 potions of resistance H - 8 potions of brilliance J - 3 potions of haste Books c - a book of Conjurations Spells Type Level *Magic Dart Conjuration 1 *Searing Ray Conjuration 2 Dazzling Spray Conjuration/Hexes 3 Fulminant Prism Conjuration/Hexes 4 *Iskenderun's Mystic Blast Conjuration 4 *Iskenderun's Battlesphere Conjuration/Charms 5 z - a book of Power Spells Type Level Fulminant Prism Conjuration/Hexes 4 *Iskenderun's Mystic Blast Conjuration 4 Venom Bolt Conjuration/Poison 5 Bolt of Magma Conjuration/Fire/Earth 5 Iron Shot Conjuration/Earth 6 *Orb of Destruction Conjuration 7 Magical staves d - an uncursed staff of energy W - an uncursed staff of conjuration Miscellaneous D - a phial of floods T - a crystal ball of energy Skills: - Level 15.0 Fighting * Level 12.7 Long Blades - Level 18.3 Dodging - Level 2.4 Stealth - Level 5.0 Shields * Level 17.5 Spellcasting - Level 14.1 Conjurations - Level 9.7 Charms - Level 12.7 Summonings - Level 8.0 Fire Magic - Level 7.1 Poison Magic - Level 18.0 Evocations You have 6 spell levels left. You know the following spells: Your Spells Type Power Failure Level Hunger a - Magic Dart Conj #### 0% 1 None b - Searing Ray Conj ###### 0% 2 None c - Iskenderun's Battles Conj/Chrm ######.. 1% 5 None d - Iskenderun's Mystic Conj ######.. 1% 4 None e - Bolt of Fire Conj/Fire ######.... 1% 6 ####... f - Sticky Flame Conj/Fire ######.. 1% 4 None g - Fireball Conj/Fire ######.... 1% 5 None h - Poison Arrow Conj/Pois ######.... 1% 6 ####... i - Orb of Destruction Conj ######.... 2% 7 #####.. j - Spellforged Servitor Conj/Summ ######.... 3% 7 #####.. k - Ozocubu's Armour Chrm/Ice #####... 1% 3 None Dungeon Overview and Level Annotations Branches: Dungeon (15/15) Temple (0/1) D:7 Orc (4/4) D:9 Elf (3/3) Orc:4 Lair (8/8) D:9 Swamp (5/5) Lair:6 Snake (5/5) Lair:5 Slime (0/6) Lair:7 Vaults (4/5) D:14 Crypt (0/3) Vaults:3 Depths: D:15 Altars: Cheibriados Elyvilon Fedhas Kikubaaqudgha Makhleb Nemelex Xobeh Okawaru Sif Muna Trog Vehumet Xom Yredelemnul Zin Beogh Shops: D:6 * D:7 ! D:15 ([:} Orc:1 % Orc:2 ( Orc:3 ( Orc:4 ([(:* Elf:2 ? Elf:3 * Snake:5 } Vaults:1 ( Vaults:2 ( Vaults:3 [ Annotations: D:15 1 exclusion Swamp:5 Lernaean hydra Innate Abilities, Weirdness & Mutations You possess an exceptional clarity of mind. Your magical capacity is low (-10% MP). You are robust (+10% HP).

I feel like I should forget some spells to make room for stuff like regeneration, rmsl, etc. but I don't know which ones to get rid of. Searing ray, probably, but that would only give me 2 spell levels. I don't want to overtrain spellcasting...
Still haven't used the crystal ball, but I picked up a staff of energy. Even with 18 Evo, it only gives me about 2 mp per turn. Is sublimation of blood any good (it seems like it would be better on characters with high hp)? This is the farthest I've ever made it with a spellcaster, so there's a ton of spells and items I don't really know how to use.

Tuesday, 27th January 2015, 17:08 by Sandman25

I would forget Isk. Mystic Blast (OoD deals non-elemental damage too) and Ozocubu's Armour (it is melded by fire, including your spells).

Tuesday, 27th January 2015, 17:43 by nago

Ozo's armour ins't melded by casting fire spells, you shouldn't forget it and keep using in every combat - even if hit by fire attack it doesn't melt instantly, at least at good spellpower.

Searing ray and magic dart are okay to be forgot at this moment. Eventually also sticky flames and mystic blast - for the latter, it depends if you're keen to use ood every time you require irresistible damage (also parrow works fine with most monsters from this point of view).
Anyway, I'd say that for other races 17.5 spellcasting is fine, but as DE you can train certainly a little more - 20ish is kinda okay.

Finally the staff of energy is a safe way to channel few mp each turn - it's useful to get back some mp while some monsters are still alive but don't present an immediate threat, so you can blast them with another parrow and so on.
If you want to get back lot of mp in a turn, then yes you have to use either sub of blood (at high spellpower!) or c. ball of energy. With 18 evo the latter is kinda okay to use, but keep in mind you will sometimes suffer heavy miscast effect (mp loss, confusion, int drain) so don't use it in a live or death situation

Tuesday, 27th January 2015, 17:56 by Sar

why would you ever forget Ozo (except for a situation where you have a really really good incompatible armour)

Just why, Sandman? Whyyyyyyy???

Tuesday, 27th January 2015, 18:10 by Sandman25

Sar wrote:why would you ever forget Ozo (except for a situation where you have a really really good incompatible armour)

Just why, Sandman? Whyyyyyyy???

I've just tested in wizmode, you are right. Ozo Armour stays when character casts fire spells. Condensation Shield is not melded either. Was it changed at some point or do I have wrong memories?

Tuesday, 27th January 2015, 18:23 by Sar

It wouldn't actually matter if it was melded because fire attacks are not that common and it's a spell that you cast once and it gives you like 10 AC (now that it's keyed to spellpower). Even in Zot, it won't help you vs. oofs but versus, say, orb guardians it's neat. And if you do postend, Pan has floors without much fire demons, Hell has branches without much hellfire, etc.

Tuesday, 27th January 2015, 19:06 by Sandman25

Sar wrote:It wouldn't actually matter if it was melded because fire attacks are not that common and it's a spell that you cast once and it gives you like 10 AC (now that it's keyed to spellpower). Even in Zot, it won't help you vs. oofs but versus, say, orb guardians it's neat. And if you do postend, Pan has floors without much fire demons, Hell has branches without much hellfire, etc.

My mistake was that I was thinking that when character casts fire spells the armour melds, OP has lots of fire spells. Monster spells have nothing to do with my mistake, I like Ozo too, even in Zot 5.

Tuesday, 27th January 2015, 21:20 by BaronMunchausen

Yeah, Ozo's armor is super helpful, even with zero ice skill, and it doesn't melt immediately even when I get hit by a fire spell. I wonder if that has something to do with my rF+++ though.

Crypt has been cleared (except for a couple of curse skulls), and I found a neat amulet:

Code:: Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup version 0.15.1 (tiles) character file. Albrecht the Fetichist (Deep Elf Conjurer) Turns: 81430, Time: 08:44:04 HP 144/144 AC 21 Str 5 XL: 23 Next: 26% MP 44/46 EV 35 Int 24 God: Vehumet [******] Gold 5043 SH 8 Dex 22 Spells: 9 memorised, 16 levels left rFire + + + SeeInvis + t - +3 demon blade (vamp) rCold + + + Clarity . i - +2 robe {rC+ rF+} rNeg . . . rCorr . I - +2 buckler {AC+3} rPois . rRot . X - +2 helmet rElec . Spirit + n - +2 cloak SustAb . Warding . k - +4 pair of gloves "Yttadyal" {+Blink +Inv rF+ Slay+4} rMut . Stasis . F - +2 pair of boots {run} Gourm . b - amulet "Klicexko" {Spirit rC++ MR+} MR +++.. G - ring of see invisible f - ring "Neilofil" {rF++ EV+5} @: drained, quick, extremely resistant to hostile enchantments, fairly stealthy A: no striking features a: Renounce Religion, Evoke Blink, Evoke Invisibility }: 2/15 runes: decaying, serpentine You are on level 2 of the Lair of Beasts. You worship Vehumet. Vehumet is exalted by your worship. You are not hungry. You have visited 8 branches of the dungeon, and seen 47 of its levels. You have also visited: Ossuary. You have collected 6040 gold pieces. You have spent 997 gold pieces at shops. Inventory: Hand weapons e - a +6 bastard sword of freezing t - a +3 vampiric demon blade (weapon) Armour i - a +2 robe of resistance (worn) k - the +4 pair of gloves "Yttadyal" (worn) {+Blink +Inv rF+ Slay+4} (You acquired it on level 2 of the Swamp) It affects your accuracy and damage with ranged weapons and melee attacks (+4). It protects you from fire. It lets you turn invisible. It lets you blink. n - a +2 cloak (worn) F - a +2 pair of boots of running (worn) I - a +2 buckler of protection (worn) X - a +2 helmet (worn) Magical devices c - a wand of lightning {zapped: 1} m - a wand of enslavement q - a wand of fire (3) r - a wand of lightning {zapped: 3} s - a wand of draining (4) x - a wand of digging {zapped: 1} z - a wand of disintegration (10) C - a wand of digging E - a wand of fire P - a wand of lightning Q - a wand of fireball (8) R - a wand of frost {zapped: 4} Comestibles N - 5 beef jerkies Y - 10 meat rations Scrolls l - 6 scrolls of fog o - 12 scrolls of teleportation v - 15 scrolls of remove curse y - 12 scrolls of identify K - 4 scrolls of magic mapping V - 5 scrolls of fear Jewellery b - the amulet "Klicexko" (around neck) {Spirit rC++ MR+} (You found it on level 3 of the Crypt) [amulet of guardian spirit] It causes incoming damage to be split between your health and magic. It greatly protects you from cold. It affects your resistance to hostile enchantments. f - the ring "Neilofil" (left hand) {rF++ EV+5} (You took it off a deep elf fighter on level 3 of the Elven Halls) [ring of evasion] It affects your evasion (+5). It greatly protects you from fire. j - an uncursed amulet of resist corrosion G - a ring of see invisible (right hand) L - the ring "Golom" {rN+ Dex+2} (You found it on level 3 of the Crypt) [ring of positive energy] It affects your dexterity (+2). It protects you from negative energy. M - an uncursed ring of poison resistance S - an uncursed ring of sustain abilities U - an uncursed ring of protection from magic Z - an uncursed ring of flight Potions a - a potion of magic g - 2 potions of heal wounds h - 2 potions of cancellation p - 3 potions of flight u - 8 potions of agility w - 11 potions of curing A - 3 potions of resistance H - 8 potions of brilliance J - 3 potions of haste Magical staves d - an uncursed staff of energy W - an uncursed staff of conjuration Miscellaneous D - a phial of floods T - a crystal ball of energy Skills: - Level 15.0(14.1) Fighting - Level 14.0(13.2) Long Blades - Level 18.3(17.4) Dodging - Level 2.4(1.8) Stealth - Level 5.0(4.3) Shields + Level 19.0(18.0) Spellcasting - Level 14.1(13.3) Conjurations - Level 9.7(8.9) Charms - Level 12.7(11.9) Summonings - Level 8.0(7.3) Fire Magic - Level 7.1(6.4) Poison Magic - Level 20.8(19.8) Evocations You have 16 spell levels left. You know the following spells: Your Spells Type Power Failure Level Hunger a - Magic Dart Conj #### 0% 1 None c - Iskenderun's Battles Conj/Chrm ######.. 1% 5 None e - Bolt of Fire Conj/Fire ######.... 2% 6 ###.... f - Sticky Flame Conj/Fire ######.. 1% 4 None g - Fireball Conj/Fire ######.... 1% 5 None h - Poison Arrow Conj/Pois ######.... 2% 6 ###.... i - Orb of Destruction Conj ######.... 3% 7 #####.. j - Spellforged Servitor Conj/Summ ######.... 3% 7 #####.. k - Ozocubu's Armour Chrm/Ice #####... 1% 3 None

Probably lots of spells I need to pick up before V:5 (or should I try depths first?) Up to now all of my characters who have cleared V:5 have been heavily-armored dwarves and minotaurs with huge axes and swords; I'm guessing I need to use some different tactics on this guy.

Tuesday, 27th January 2015, 21:30 by ThreeInvisibleDucks

The easiest time I've had with clearing V:5 was with DE blasters casting Fire Storm, but I built those characters in the opposite land during the opposite day.

Thursday, 29th January 2015, 18:28 by BaronMunchausen

I just finished clearing Depths (except for Mara, who I left on U:4), and I'm trying to decide which rune I should pursue for #3. It pretty much has to be Abyss, Slime or Vaults, all of which are scary for various reasons. I feel like Abyss would be the safest of the three, since I can outrun most things, or slow them them down/distract them with a spellforged servitor. Still, there are plenty of fast beasties and potentially nasty encounters; I guess I fear a potentially nasty encounter less than the guaranteed nasty encounters in V:5 and Slime:6. I'd like to hear your opinions before I do anything stupid.

Code:: Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup version 0.15.1 (tiles) character file. Albrecht the Fetichist (Deep Elf Conjurer) Turns: 92952, Time: 10:04:24 HP 148/148 (150) AC 21 Str 5 XL: 24 Next: 84% MP 46/46 EV 37 Int 25 God: Vehumet [******] Gold 5583 SH 10 Dex 25 Spells: 11 memorised, 1 level left rFire + + + SeeInvis . e - +6 bastard sword (freeze) rCold + + + Clarity . i - +2 robe {rC+ rF+} rNeg + . . rCorr . I - +3 buckler {AC+3} rPois . rRot . X - +2 helmet rElec . Spirit + n - +2 cloak SustAb . Warding . k - +4 pair of gloves "Yttadyal" {+Blink +Inv rF+ Slay+4} rMut . Stasis . F - +2 pair of boots {run} Gourm . b - amulet "Klicexko" {Spirit rC++ MR+} MR +++.. L - ring "Golom" {rN+ Dex+2} f - ring "Neilofil" {rF++ EV+5} @: quick, extremely resistant to hostile enchantments, fairly stealthy A: no striking features a: Renounce Religion, Evoke Blink, Evoke Invisibility }: 2/15 runes: decaying, serpentine You are on level 2 of the Lair of Beasts. You worship Vehumet. Vehumet is exalted by your worship. You are not hungry. You have visited 9 branches of the dungeon, and seen 52 of its levels. You have also visited: Ossuary. You have collected 6580 gold pieces. You have spent 997 gold pieces at shops. Inventory: Hand weapons e - a +6 bastard sword of freezing (weapon) Armour i - a +2 robe of resistance (worn) k - the +4 pair of gloves "Yttadyal" (worn) {+Blink +Inv rF+ Slay+4} (You acquired it on level 2 of the Swamp) It affects your accuracy and damage with ranged weapons and melee attacks (+4). It protects you from fire. It lets you turn invisible. It lets you blink. n - a +2 cloak (worn) F - a +2 pair of boots of running (worn) I - a +3 buckler of protection (worn) N - the +0 buckler of a Thousand Realms {rElec rF++} (You took it off a deep elf knight on level 5 of the Depths) It greatly protects you from fire. It insulates you from electricity. X - a +2 helmet (worn) Magical devices q - a wand of fire (3) s - a wand of draining (4) z - a wand of disintegration (10) C - a wand of digging E - a wand of fire P - a wand of lightning Q - a wand of fireball (8) Comestibles B - a bread ration Y - 11 meat rations Scrolls l - 6 scrolls of fog o - 10 scrolls of teleportation v - 16 scrolls of remove curse y - 19 scrolls of identify K - 4 scrolls of magic mapping V - 6 scrolls of fear Jewellery b - the amulet "Klicexko" (around neck) {Spirit rC++ MR+} (You found it on level 3 of the Crypt) [amulet of guardian spirit] It causes incoming damage to be split between your health and magic. It greatly protects you from cold. It affects your resistance to hostile enchantments. f - the ring "Neilofil" (left hand) {rF++ EV+5} (You took it off a deep elf fighter on level 3 of the Elven Halls) [ring of evasion] It affects your evasion (+5). It greatly protects you from fire. r - a +5 ring of intelligence G - an uncursed ring of see invisible L - the ring "Golom" (right hand) {rN+ Dex+2} (You found it on level 3 of the Crypt) [ring of positive energy] It affects your dexterity (+2). It protects you from negative energy. M - an uncursed ring of poison resistance U - an uncursed ring of protection from magic Z - an uncursed ring of flight Potions a - a potion of magic g - 2 potions of heal wounds h - 2 potions of cancellation u - 12 potions of agility w - 13 potions of curing A - 3 potions of resistance H - 10 potions of brilliance J - 2 potions of haste Magical staves d - an uncursed staff of energy W - an uncursed staff of conjuration Miscellaneous D - a phial of floods T - a crystal ball of energy Skills: - Level 15.0 Fighting - Level 14.0 Long Blades - Level 18.3 Dodging - Level 2.4 Stealth - Level 5.0 Shields - Level 19.0 Spellcasting - Level 18.2 Conjurations + Level 15.0 Charms - Level 12.7 Summonings + Level 13.0 Fire Magic - Level 7.1 Poison Magic - Level 20.8 Evocations You have one spell level left. You know the following spells: Your Spells Type Power Failure Level Hunger a - Magic Dart Conj #### 0% 1 None b - Ring of Flames Chrm/Fire #######... 8% 7 #####.. c - Iskenderun's Battles Conj/Chrm #######. 1% 5 None d - Fire Storm Conj/Fire #######... 82% 9 ####### e - Bolt of Fire Conj/Fire #######... 1% 6 ###.... f - Sticky Flame Conj/Fire #######. 1% 4 None g - Fireball Conj/Fire #######... 1% 5 None h - Poison Arrow Conj/Pois ######.... 1% 6 ###.... i - Orb of Destruction Conj #######... 1% 7 #####.. j - Spellforged Servitor Conj/Summ #######... 1% 7 #####.. k - Ozocubu's Armour Chrm/Ice ######.. 1% 3 None

Thursday, 29th January 2015, 19:33 by Sandman25

Sorry, I have no opinion about runes (I did Vaults 5 with my DEFE with Vehumet but I cannot advise it) but I want to suggest ignoring Charms school, eventually you will get Ring of Flames castable from Fire Magic. 15 levels in Charms is already overkill.

Friday, 30th January 2015, 00:52 by BaronMunchausen

Nooooo

Code:: Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup version 0.15.1 (tiles) character file. 571453 Albrecht the Fetichist (level 26, -27/159 (160) HPs) Began as a Deep Elf Conjurer on Jan 25, 2015. Was the Champion of Vehumet. Annihilated by a titan (36 damage) ... on Level 5 of the Vaults on Jan 29, 2015. The game lasted 11:52:24 (104424 turns). Albrecht the Fetichist (Deep Elf Conjurer) Turns: 104424, Time: 11:52:25 HP -27/159 (160) AC 18 Str 5 XL: 26 Next: 14% MP 0/47 EV 36 Int 25 God: Vehumet [******] Gold 7204 SH 6 Dex 23 Spells: 11 memorised, 3 levels left rFire + + + SeeInvis . e - +6 bastard sword (freeze) rCold + + . Rnd*Rage + i - +2 robe {MR+} rNeg . . . rCorr . N - +0 buckler of a Thousand Realms {rElec rF++} rPois . rRot . X - +2 helmet rElec + Spirit + n - +2 cloak SustAb . Warding . k - +4 pair of gloves "Yttadyal" {+Blink +Inv rF+ Slay+4} rMut . Stasis . F - +2 pair of boots {run} Gourm . b - amulet "Klicexko" {Spirit rC++ MR+} MR ++++. g - ring of teleport control f - ring "Neilofil" {rF++ EV+5} @: about to teleport, controlling teleports, very slightly contaminated, invisible, quick, incredibly resistant to hostile enchantments, fairly stealthy A: berserk 1, placid magic 1 a: Renounce Religion, Evoke Blink, Turn Visible, Evoke Teleport Control }: 2/15 runes: decaying, serpentine You were on level 5 of the Vaults. You worshipped Vehumet. Vehumet was exalted by your worship. You were hungry. You visited 10 branches of the dungeon, and saw 54 of its levels. You visited the Abyss 2 times. You also visited: Ossuary. You collected 9022 gold pieces. You spent 1818 gold pieces at shops. Inventory: Hand weapons e - a +6 bastard sword of freezing (weapon) Armour i - a +2 robe of magic resistance (worn) k - the +4 pair of gloves "Yttadyal" (worn) {+Blink +Inv rF+ Slay+4} (You acquired it on level 2 of the Swamp) It affects your accuracy and damage with ranged weapons and melee attacks (+4). It protects you from fire. It lets you turn invisible. It lets you blink. n - a +2 cloak (worn) F - a +2 pair of boots of running (worn) I - a +3 buckler of protection N - the +0 buckler of a Thousand Realms (worn) {rElec rF++} (You took it off a deep elf knight on level 5 of the Depths) It greatly protects you from fire. It insulates you from electricity. X - a +2 helmet (worn) Magical devices s - a wand of draining (1) z - a wand of disintegration (6) C - a wand of digging (17) E - a wand of fire (10) P - a wand of lightning (3) Q - a wand of fireball (8) Comestibles c - 5 slices of pizza t - 2 chunks of yaktaur flesh Y - 11 meat rations Scrolls j - a scroll of amnesia l - 8 scrolls of fog o - 6 scrolls of teleportation v - 16 scrolls of remove curse y - 17 scrolls of identify K - 4 scrolls of magic mapping S - 3 scrolls of immolation V - 5 scrolls of fear Jewellery b - the amulet "Klicexko" (around neck) {Spirit rC++ MR+} (You found it on level 3 of the Crypt) [amulet of guardian spirit] It causes incoming damage to be split between your health and magic. It greatly protects you from cold. It affects your resistance to hostile enchantments. f - the ring "Neilofil" (left hand) {rF++ EV+5} (You took it off a deep elf fighter on level 3 of the Elven Halls) [ring of evasion] It affects your evasion (+5). It greatly protects you from fire. g - a ring of teleport control (right hand) r - a +5 ring of intelligence G - an uncursed ring of see invisible L - the ring "Golom" {rN+ Dex+2} (You found it on level 3 of the Crypt) [ring of positive energy] It affects your dexterity (+2). It protects you from negative energy. M - an uncursed ring of poison resistance Potions a - a potion of magic h - a potion of cancellation q - 6 potions of might u - 13 potions of agility w - 15 potions of curing A - 3 potions of resistance B - 5 potions of restore abilities H - 10 potions of brilliance J - 3 potions of haste Magical staves d - an uncursed staff of energy x - an uncursed staff of wizardry W - an uncursed staff of conjuration Miscellaneous p - the horn of Geryon (inert) D - a phial of floods (inert) O - a disc of storms R - a fan of gales (inert) T - a crystal ball of energy Skills: - Level 15.0 Fighting - Level 14.0 Long Blades - Level 18.3 Dodging - Level 2.4 Stealth - Level 5.0 Shields - Level 19.0 Spellcasting + Level 19.5 Conjurations - Level 16.0 Charms - Level 12.7 Summonings - Level 19.0 Fire Magic - Level 7.1 Poison Magic - Level 20.8 Evocations You had 3 spell levels left. You knew the following spells: Your Spells Type Power Failure Level Hunger a - Magic Dart Conj #### 0% 1 None b - Ring of Flames Chrm/Fire ######.... 1% 7 #####.. c - Iskenderun's Battles Conj/Chrm ######.. 0% 5 None d - Fire Storm Conj/Fire ######.... 11% 9 ####### e - Bolt of Fire Conj/Fire ######.... 0% 6 ###.... f - Sticky Flame Conj/Fire ######.. 0% 4 None g - Fireball Conj/Fire ######.... 0% 5 None h - Poison Arrow Conj/Pois ######.... 1% 6 ###.... i - Orb of Destruction Conj ######.... 1% 7 #####.. j - Spellforged Servitor Conj/Summ ######.... 1% 7 #####.. k - Ozocubu's Armour Chrm/Ice #####... 1% 3 None

Ah, well. In retrospect I guess I shouldn't have tried to rush Ring of Flames/Fire storm. All that xp and those spell slots could have been put to much better use defensively. I also should have probably gone after the Slimy rune, instead of the other two. I tried to get the abyssal rune, but Abyss:3 was really hairy, with ancient liches all over the place, hellions, etc. I thought I'd clear the Vestibule of Hell for a little xp boost, and that nearly got me killed too. But both of those were nothing compared to V:5. I cTele'd, went down the stairs and read a scroll of immolation to take care of the guards. Blinked outside the circle and Orbed them to death. Some nasty storm dragons came to investigate, and although I maybe could have fought them, I decided to control teleport to the north side of the map, outside the northwest quadrant. Instead I got randomly teleported into the middle of the southeast quadrant, next to a titan, stone giant, and shadow dragon. I got pretty seriously beat up and control teleported again (successfully, this time) to the southeast corner of the map. Since I was in the red, I read a summoning scroll to deal with the warden and wolf spider that were there, and then a sphinx comes into view. I panicked and ran into the quadrant where there were little houses with doors I could use to break LOS. But the noise had apparently woken everything up, all the doors were open and a bunch of titans were wandering around. One of them got me.

Still, I had fun, and I like to think I'm a little wiser. Thanks guys for your help! This was my best caster yet; hopefully the next one won't meet such an ignominious fate.

Friday, 30th January 2015, 01:08 by Sandman25

I am sorry. Your defenses were quite good. I would probably use robe of archmagi or Mottled Dragon Armour instead of the robe (MR+++ is usually enough and I hope you could find a ring of protection from magic vs Sphinx and other paralyzers). Vaults 5 can be scary indeed, but Slime without rCorr can be very dangerous too, it would not be a cakewalk either so don't feel too bad. Now you got some very valuable experience, good luck in next games!

Friday, 30th January 2015, 02:29 by Aule

The last time I went for the Abyssal rune, it was nothing short of miraculous that my character survived. This was on 4, where the rune was, and I was greedily going for it too early because that rune was the trove fare. Sounds to me like you were on your way to finding the rune on 3, and maybe shouldn't have bailed out. Sorry about your loss, though. Going for the same character again?

Friday, 30th January 2015, 03:52 by BaronMunchausen

Thanks guys

I'm not too broken up about it, I've had characters die on V:5 before. What I should have done is memorize regeneration or swiftness (maybe by forgetting sticky flame, which is pretty redundant with Ring of Flames) and use those in the abyss. I had fair stealth and boots of running, so there were actually very few things in the abyss that I had to fight - while I was there I ran away from lots of dangerous critters. So I think that would have been a slightly easier third rune. I also had an amulet of rCorr, but I have no idea how to tackle the royal jelly as a caster. (It would probably not be too terrible with ring of flames, should have thought of that)

No Archmagi in this game, and I tried on every glowing/randart robe I found. But you're right, once I had most of my spells castable I should have changed into a better armor. I'm sure I could have found some mottled/swamp dragon hides, and in fact I had a nice ring mail in my stash.

No, usually after I lose a high-level caster I like to roll a few dozen Trolls and just destroy everything as a cathartic exercise. But someday I am going to get Fire Storm (or glaciate, or tornado, I'm not picky) and get those 15 runes!

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