YASD: something not to do in orc

[advil]

So, you know that orc ending with the giant temple area? Really, really don't risk pulling a card from a deck of destruction in the final part of that. Two turns of ~70HP damage each.

  Code:

Evoke which item? (* to show all) (? for menu, Esc to quit)
You draw a card... It is the Orb.
You have drawn the Orb.
Press: ? - help, Shift-Dir - straight line, f/p - Saint Roka
Aim: Saint Roka, wielding a long sword and wearing a chain mail (flame, lightly wounded)
The idol screams as its substance crumbles away!
Beogh curses everyone not orcish, especially Humans.
Beogh smites you!
Ouch! That really hurt!
* * * LOW HITPOINT WARNING * * *
Your orb of destruction hits a metal wall. x2
Saint Roka is engulfed in roaring flames.
The orb of destruction hits Saint Roka.
Saint Roka is heavily wounded.
Your orb of destruction hits an orcish idol.
The idol screams as its substance crumbles away!
Your arrogance infuriates Beogh. Beogh smites you!
Ouch! That really hurt!
You die...

Full tv can be seen at:

  Code:

!lg advil 459 -tv

[le_nerd]

Man, orcish idol destruction wrath is so incredibly nethack-y that I wonder why its still in the game.

[Sar]

I would argue that YASD is something to not do in any branch

[dynast]

You could have cancelled the card while aiming, but then again, who cancels a awesome card like orb?
Also, damn, you would have never had hit those idols unless it was a valid target there, the orbs would problaby hit each other and explode on your face instead.

[4Hooves2Appendages]

It's a bit annoying that Nem can backfire with stuff liks this. My personal pet hate in destructions is degeneration. It does 'helpful' things like turn vault sentinels into ghost moths.

[advil]

You could have cancelled the card while aiming, but then again, who cancels a awesome card like orb?
Also, damn, you would have never had hit those idols unless it was a valid target there, the orbs would problaby hit each other and explode on your face instead.

This whole event was sort of a perfect storm of ignorance (it being literally my 2nd nemelex game ever): I didn't know what Orb did (though I guess I should have looked this up), I didn't know that destroying idols had that effect, and I didn't know until reading this that you could cancel a card.

I am maybe still feeling slightly whiny about the spoileryness of the idol thing though, that character had just gotten really fun after a fairly painful early game of overcoming adversity

Edit: though on the plus side I'm hoping to be the only one with this death message this tournament! (There are only about ~70 ever in online games.)

[njvack]

It does 'helpful' things like turn vault sentinels into ghost moths.

I'd take a ghost moth over a sentinel in most circumstances.

[byrel]

It does even more helpful things like replace gastronok with a shard shrike...

[CanOfWorms]

It does even more helpful things like replace gastronok with a juggernaut...

[byrel]

I'll take the juggernaut, thanks. The shard shrikes are twice the speed of the jugg and have a 3d30 ranged attack. I probably won't survive a blink->TP out vs a shard shrike. Vs. a juggernaut, there's a good chance I survive a single hit, and I'm basically guaranteed to survive if I pop haste/blink+tele.

[CanOfWorms]

Fear will usually work in 2 tries on shard shrikes.