CIP TrMo^Makh: Crossbow for Troll?

[MainiacJoe]

So I splatted so many Vine Stalkers, even after I started trying Assassins instead of Air elementalists, that I got discouraged and chose something that has an easy early game. Now I have an XL:7 TrMo^Makh on DL:6 who just found a +1 hand crossbow and then went back and collected 86 normal bolts and 21 bolts of flame. Meanwhile, I've found 4 tomahawks. I should just ignore the -4 aptitude and go with crossbows for ranged, right?

  Code:

 Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup version 0.16.1 (tiles) character file.

Joe the Grappler (Troll Monk)                       Turns: 4646, Time: 00:26:04

Health: 78/78      AC:  8    Str: 20    XL:     8   Next: 10%
Magic:  7/7        EV: 10    Int: 10    God:    Makhleb [****..]
Gold:   335        SH:  0    Dex: 14    Spells: 0 memorised, 7 levels left

rFire  . . .     SeeInvis .       - Unarmed
rCold  . . .     Clarity  .     a - +1 robe
rNeg   . . .     SustAb   .     (shield restricted)
rPois  .         Gourm    +     t - +2 hat
rElec  .         Spirit   .     (no cloak)
rCorr  .         Warding  .     (gloves unavailable)
rMut   .         Stasis   .     (boots unavailable)
MR     .....                    (no amulet)
Stlth  ++........               (no ring)
                                u - +4 ring of intelligence (curse)

@: not resistant to hostile enchantments, unstealthy
A: unfitting armour, claws 3, fast metabolism 3, gourmand, regeneration 2,
shaggy fur 1, tough skin 2
a: Minor Destruction, Lesser Servant of Makhleb, Major Destruction, Renounce
Religion


You are on level 6 of the Dungeon.
You worship Makhleb.
Makhleb is greatly pleased with you.
You are full.

You have visited 1 branch of the dungeon, and seen 6 of its levels.

You have collected 335 gold pieces.

Inventory:

Hand weapons
 b - a club
 n - a +1 hand crossbow
Missiles
 e - 8 needles of frenzy
 h - 4 tomahawks (quivered)
 i - 174 stones
 k - 21 bolts of flame
 w - 86 bolts
Armour
 a - a +1 robe (worn)
 t - a +2 hat (worn)
Jewellery
 u - a cursed +4 ring of intelligence (left claw)
 v - an uncursed ring of fire
Magical devices
 l - a wand of magic darts {recharged}
Scrolls
 p - a scroll of teleportation
Potions
 g - a potion of cure mutation
 j - 7 potions of curing
 q - a sedimented yellow potion
 r - a potion of might
Books
 o - a book of Alchemy   
   
    Spells                             Type                      Level
    a - Sublimation of Blood         Necromancy                    2
    b - Alistair's Intoxication      Transmutation/Poison          4
    c - Condensation Shield          Ice                           4
    d - Petrify                      Transmutation/Earth           4
    e - Ignite Poison                Fire/Transmutation            5
    f - Irradiate                    Conjuration/Transmutation     5
Comestibles
 c - 6 meat rations
 f - 2 slices of pizza
 m - 6 bread rations


   Skills:
 + Level 4.2 Fighting
 - Level 2.4 Dodging
 - Level 1.1 Stealth
 * Level 8.8 Unarmed Combat
 + Level 3.1 Invocations


You have 7 spell levels left.
You don't know any spells.

Dungeon Overview and Level Annotations

Branches:
Dungeon (6/15)             Temple (0/1) D:4         

Altars:
Gozag
Makhleb
Nemelex Xobeh
Qazlal
Ru
Xom
Yredelemnul
Zin

Shops:
D:5 %

Annotations:
D:6 Cray Yiuf, 1 exclusion


Innate Abilities, Weirdness & Mutations

You are too large for most types of armour.
You have claws for hands.
Your metabolism is lightning-fast.
You like to eat raw meat.
You heal very quickly.
You are covered in fur (AC +1).
You have very tough skin (AC +2).


Message History

There is an open door here.
HP restored.
There is an open door here.
There is an open door here.
You see here an arrow.
Things that are here:
a vampiric whip; an orc corpse
There is an open door here.
You open the door.
There is an open door here.
There is an open door here.
There is an open door here.
Found a hammer.
Press: ? - help, v - describe, . - travel
The floor.
Placed new exclusion.
You see here an uncursed whip.
Partly explored, can't reach some places.
New annotation for D:6 (include '!' for warning): Cray Yiuf
Saving game... please wait.

      ########
     ##...#..#
     #.).....#
     #....>..#
     #.......#
  #####.##)#####
 ##..##.##..#..#
 #.....@.......#
 #.............#
##.............#
#..............#
#..).###.......#
#....# #####..####
?.P.P? #####..#..#
??P..? #...#.....#
 ??.?? #...'.....#
  ??.? #...#.....#
  ?.?? #...#.....#
 *?.*  #...#.....#


There are no monsters in sight!

Vanquished Creatures
  Menkaure (D:6)
  An ogre (D:4)
  A sky beast (D:6)
  2 centaurs (D:6)
  A giant frog (D:6)
  4 crimson imps
  A giant frog skeleton (D:4)
  An iguana (D:5)
  An orc priest (D:6)
  A jelly (D:5)
  2 hounds
  An orc wizard (D:4)
  Ijyb (D:6)
  Terence (D:2)
  A hound skeleton (D:4)
  6 adders
  4 gnolls (D:2)
  A shadow imp (D:5)
  A giant mite (D:2)
  3 worms (D:2)
  An ooze (D:1)
  23 orcs
  2 ball pythons
  A bat skeleton (D:6)
  A bat zombie (D:6)
  4 giant cockroaches
  18 goblins
  11 hobgoblins
  11 jackals
  3 quokkas
  12 bats
  2 giant geckos
  A giant gecko zombie (D:5)
  6 giant newts
  7 kobolds
  13 rats
  A fungus (D:4)
152 creatures vanquished.

Notes
Turn   | Place    | Note
--------------------------------------------------------------
     0 | D:1      | Joe, the Troll Monk, began the quest for the Orb.
     0 | D:1      | Reached XP level 1. HP: 22/22 MP: 1/1
   181 | D:1      | Reached XP level 2. HP: 29/29 MP: 1/1
   439 | D:2      | Reached skill level 5 in Unarmed Combat
   454 | D:2      | Reached XP level 3. HP: 17/36 MP: 2/2
   548 | D:2      | Noticed Terence
   556 | D:2      | Killed Terence
   671 | D:2      | Found a basalt altar of Yredelemnul.
   675 | D:2      | Reached XP level 4. HP: 37/44 MP: 2/2
   863 | D:2      | Reached skill level 6 in Unarmed Combat
  1096 | D:2      | Reached XP level 5. HP: 50/50 MP: 2/2
  1131 | D:2      | Found a burning altar of Makhleb.
  1406 | D:3      | Found a sparkling altar of Nemelex Xobeh.
  1406 | D:3      | Found an opulent altar of Gozag.
  1407 | D:3      | Found a stormy altar of Qazlal.
  1926 | D:2      | Became a worshipper of Makhleb the Destroyer
  1926 | D:2      | Acquired Makhleb's first power
  1926 | D:2      | Acquired Makhleb's second power
  2178 | D:4      | Found a staircase to the Ecumenical Temple.
  2383 | D:4      | Found a sacrificial altar of Ru.
  2464 | D:4      | Noticed an ogre
  2475 | D:4      | Killed an ogre
  2475 | D:4      | Reached skill level 7 in Unarmed Combat
  2475 | D:4      | Reached skill level 1 in Invocations
  2475 | D:4      | Reached XP level 6. HP: 56/59 MP: 4/4
  2645 | D:4      | Acquired Makhleb's third power
  2665 | D:4      | Found a burning altar of Makhleb.
  2743 | D:5      | Entered Level 5 of the Dungeon
  2832 | D:5      | Noticed an angel
  2833 | D:5      | Found a glowing silver altar of Zin.
  2834 | D:5      | Found a shimmering altar of Xom.
  3037 | D:5      | Reached XP level 7. HP: 67/67 MP: 5/5
  3204 | D:5      | Found Naxtugra's Food Shop.
  3722 | D:6      | Reached skill level 8 in Unarmed Combat
  3743 | D:6      | HP: 3/67 [sky beast (5)]
  3743 | D:6      | HP: 1/67 [centaur (2)]
  3747 | D:6      | Acquired Makhleb's fourth power
  3912 | D:6      | Noticed Menkaure
  3918 | D:6      | Killed Menkaure
  4309 | D:6      | Noticed Ijyb
  4315 | D:6      | Killed Ijyb
  4495 | D:6      | Reached XP level 8. HP: 76/78 MP: 6/6


Action                   |  1- 3 |  4- 6 |  7- 9 || total
-------------------------+-------+-------+-------++-------
Melee: Unarmed           |    63 |   220 |   130 ||   413
 Fire: Hunting sling     |     2 |       |       ||     2
  Use: Scroll            |       |     9 |     5 ||    14
       Potion            |       |       |     2 ||     2
 Stab: Sleeping          |     1 |       |     2 ||     3
  Eat: Chunk             |    11 |    21 |    12 ||    44



[starless]

It's not worth it. Giant rocks, javelins and even tomahawks will do much more damage than any crossbow with much less skill investment.

[mps]

Skill throwing, throw rocks later in the game.

A troll should stomp the early game easily enough that 0 skill hand xbow isn't worth screwing around with, so I'd say forget about xbows.

[MainiacJoe]

A troll should stomp the early game easily enough that 0 skill hand xbow isn't worth screwing around with, so I'd say forget about xbows.

Well seeing how it was your comments in the DCA "Who Like xbows?" thread that was making me consider it, I'll take your comments here as a big fat DON"T DO IT!

Shucks. I still want to try your crossbows idea. Some other character, then.