[CiP] HECj of Dith just starting Lair

[Cacophonie]

Hello Tavern,

Since last month, I've began playing DCSS again after a months-long hiatus. I have 3 wins under my belt, all melee. While I've attempted (and splatted) a number of spell-casting characters, they usually don't last long enough to attempt Lair, aside from one MfTm of Chei that managed to reach the Depths. So far, I've been lucky enough to find a staff of wizardry and have been training hexes in addition to conjurations to boost my Fulminant Prism, as well as spellcasting for more MP and less spell hunger for Battlesphere. I have also found a Book of the Sky (as well as a Book of Beasts and Necronomicon), and the Conjure Ball Lightning, Silence, and Deflect Missiles spells are looking mightly tempting. So my question is, should I learn some Air Magic spells and train up for that or should I continue attempting to boost Fulminant Prism? Or is Battlesphere enough already? Or something else entirely?

General caster character advice is also greatly appreciated.

  Code:

Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup version 0.19-a0-1170-g18f0c96 (webtiles) character
 file.
 
Cacophonie the Infuser (High Elf Conjurer)         Turns: 17212, Time: 01:27:28
 
Health: 74/74      AC:  8    Str:  7    XL:     11   Next: 47%
Magic:  24/24      EV: 18    Int: 23    God:    Dithmenos [*****.]
Gold:   821        SH: 10    Dex: 19    Spells: 5 memorised, 13 levels left
 
rFire  . . .      SeeInvis .    N - staff of wizardry
rCold  . . .      Gourm    .    x - +2 robe {rN+}
rNeg   + . .      Faith    .    r - +0 buckler
rPois  .          Spirit   .    G - +2 hat
rElec  .          Dismiss  .    e - +1 cloak
rCorr  .          Reflect  +    (no gloves)
MR     +....      Harm     .    (no boots)
Stlth  ++++......               u - +4 amulet of reflection
                                k - +5 ring of dexterity
                                E - -2 ring of dexterity (curse)
 
@: wreathed by umbra
A: horns 1
a: Shadow Step, Shadow Form, Renounce Religion
 
 
You are on level 1 of the Lair of Beasts.
You worship Dithmenos.
Dithmenos is extremely pleased with you.
You are very hungry.
 
You have visited 3 branches of the dungeon, and seen 14 of its levels.
You have also visited: Sewer.
 
You have collected 875 gold pieces.
You have spent 54 gold pieces at shops.
 
Message History
 
You must enter the number of times for the command to repeat!
Cast which spell? (? or * to list)
Okay, then!
Okay, then!
Firing (i - inventory): No suitable missiles!
Press: ? - help, Shift-Dir - straight line, f - you
Okay, then!
You offer a prayer to Dithmenos!
Dithmenos is extremely pleased with you!
m - 2 blue potions (gained 1)
You are feeling very hungry!
There is a stone staircase leading down here!
Things that are here:
a book of Beasts; a Necronomicon; a book of Conjurations
Unknown command!
Saving game!!! please wait!
Welcome back, Cacophonie the High Elf Conjurer!
Dithmenos says: Spread the eternal night!
Press ? for a list of commands and other information!
Char dumped successfully!
 
.#           ###..##  #####..#..#
.#           ###...####..P.......
.#           #..........^....P##.
.#           #.#..P#########.###.
.#           #....##       #.# #>
.#    ###    #.#..#        #.# #.
.#   ##.######....####    ##.###.
##   #.........(/?##.######....#.
    ##.######...@!...............
    #..#    ##....####.#.##P.####
######.########..##  ######P..#
.................##    #####.##
######.##.#.###..P######.###.#
.#.P#...#####...>.........##.#
......#.#   #.#####..#....#..#
##.P#...#   #.#   #.####..##.#
#######.#   #.##  #..........####
 
 
There are no monsters in sight!
 
Inventory:
 
Hand Weapons
 l - a +1 rapier
Armour
 e - a +1 cloak (worn)
 r - a +0 buckler (worn)
 x - a +2 robe of positive energy (worn)
 G - a +2 hat (worn)
Magical Staves
 N - an uncursed staff of wizardry (weapon)
Jewellery
 k - a +5 ring of dexterity (right hand)
 u - a +4 amulet of reflection (around neck)
 y - an uncursed ring of protection from fire
 C - a +4 ring of dexterity
 E - a cursed -2 ring of dexterity (left hand)
 L - an uncursed amulet of the gourmand
Wands
 h - a wand of teleportation (4/9)
 i - a wand of paralysis
 A - a wand of acid
 W - a wand of iceblast
 Z - a wand of disintegration (14/24)
Scrolls
 f - 2 scrolls of fear
 g - 8 scrolls of teleportation
 B - 2 scrolls of fog
Potions
 a - 2 potions of brilliance
 j - a viscous ruby potion
 m - 2 blue potions
 p - 4 potions of cancellation
 q - a ruby potion
 w - 2 potions of berserk rage
 z - 3 potions of curing
 D - a pink potion
 F - 4 potions of resistance
 Q - 2 potions of might
Books
 I - a book of Debilitation   
   
    Spells                             Type                      Level
    a - Corona                       Hexes                         1
    b - Slow                         Hexes                         2
    c - Gell's Gravitas              Hexes/Translocation           3
    d - Inner Flame                  Hexes/Fire                    3
    e - Cause Fear                   Hexes                         4
    f - Leda's Liquefaction          Hexes/Earth                   4
 R - a book of the Sky   
   
    Spells                             Type                      Level
    a - Summon Lightning Spire       Summoning/Air                 4
    b - Airstrike                    Air                           4
    c - Silence                      Hexes/Air                     5
    d - Deflect Missiles             Charms/Air                    6
    e - Conjure Ball Lightning       Conjuration/Air               6
    f - Tornado                      Air                           9
Comestibles
 c - 9 bread rations
 n - 6 meat rations
 H - 4 beef jerkies
 U - 11 slices of pizza
 
 
   Skills:
 + Level 6.9 Fighting
 - Level 3.8 Staves
 + Level 7.7 Dodging
 - Level 2.1 Stealth
 - Level 4.0 Shields
 + Level 8.1 Spellcasting
 + Level 9.3 Conjurations
 + Level 5.2 Hexes
 - Level 10.0 Charms
 
 
You have 13 spell levels left.
You know the following spells:
 
 Your Spells              Type           Power        Failure   Level  Hunger
a - Magic Dart            Conj           ####         1%          1    None
b - Searing Ray           Conj           ######       1%          2    None
c - Iskenderun's Battles  Conj/Chrm      ######..     1%          5    #####..
d - Fulminant Prism       Conj/Hex       #####.....   1%          4    ###....
e - Summon Butterflies    Summ           #.......     4%          1    None
 
 
 
Innate Abilities, Weirdness & Mutations
 
You have a pair of small horns on your head.
 
 
Dungeon Overview and Level Annotations
 
Branches:
Dungeon (12/15)            Temple (1/1) D:6            Lair (1/6) D:10
   Orc: D:9-12     
 
Altars:
Ashenzari
Cheibriados
Dithmenos
Elyvilon
Fedhas
Gozag
Hepliaklqana
Kikubaaqudgha
Makhleb
Nemelex Xobeh
Okawaru
Pakellas
Qazlal
Ru
Sif Muna
Trog
Uskayaw
Vehumet
Xom
Yredelemnul
Zin
The Shining One
 
Shops:
D:5 [   D:8 (
 
Annotations:
D:9 Intox's ghost, novice MiBe
D:11 Sonja
 
Vanquished Creatures
  The ghost of TrogTrogTrog the Carver, a novice MiGl of Dithmenos (D:8)
  A hill giant (D:11)
  A spiny frog (Lair:1)
  2 komodo dragons (Lair:1)
  2 trolls
  2 two-headed ogres (D:10)
  A wyvern (D:8)
  A hog (D:7)
  A human (D:8)
  15 yaks
  A hungry ghost (D:7)
  A basilisk (D:10)
  2 hippogriffs (D:10)
  A steam dragon (D:9)
  The ghost of Belboz the Slasher, an amateur HEWr of Makhleb (D:3)
  A porcupine (Lair:1)
  2 water moccasins
  3 sky beasts
  2 phantoms
  4 black bears
  An ice beast (D:10)
  3 orc warriors
  2 necrophages
  An ogre (D:4)
  7 centaurs
  A crocodile (Sewer)
  6 giant frogs
  2 big kobolds
  7 scorpions
  5 killer bees (D:10)
  2 wights (D:11)
  2 centaur zombies
  3 crimson imps
  4 jellies
  A centaur skeleton (D:10)
  An orc priest (D:7)
  3 hounds
  7 orc wizards
  3 giant frog skeletons
  5 iguanas
  9 worker ants
  A killer bee zombie (D:9)
  4 sheep
  A hound zombie (D:5)
  2 hound skeletons
  A worker ant zombie (D:8)
  8 adders
  4 shadow imps
  2 adder skeletons
  6 worms
  A dart slug (D:1)
  7 giant geckos
  23 orcs
  A ball python (D:3)
  4 giant cockroaches
  11 goblins
  8 hobgoblins
  13 jackals
  6 quokkas
  10 bats
  5 giant newts
  A jackal skeleton (D:6)
  30 kobolds
  A quokka zombie (D:5)
  14 rats
284 creatures vanquished.
 
Vanquished Creatures (others)
  18 fulminant prisms
18 creatures vanquished.
 
Grand Total: 302 creatures vanquished
 
Notes
Turn   | Place    | Note
-------+----------+-------------------------------------------
     0 | D:1      | Cacophonie the High Elf Conjurer began the quest for the
     Orb.
     0 | D:1      | Reached XP level 1. HP: 11/11 MP: 4/4
     8 | D:1      | Upgraded the game from 0.19-a0-1128-gc4a0c12 to
     0.19-a0-1155-gb6eeeff
    15 | D:1      | Upgraded the game from 0.19-a0-1155-gb6eeeff to
    0.19-a0-1169-g4149f68
   302 | D:1      | Reached XP level 2. HP: 17/17 MP: 1/6
   305 | D:1      | Reached skill level 5 in Conjurations
  1067 | D:2      | Reached XP level 3. HP: 21/21 MP: 5/7
  1176 | D:2      | Found a sparkling altar of Nemelex Xobeh.
  1211 | D:2      | Found an oddly glowing altar of Pakellas.
  1698 | D:2      | Found a shadowy altar of Dithmenos.
  1708 | D:2      | perfect
  1709 | D:2      | Became a worshipper of Dithmenos the Shadowed
  1819 | D:2      | Learned a level 2 spell: Searing Ray
  1914 | D:2      | Found a sacrificial altar of Ru.
  2122 | D:2      | Reached XP level 4. HP: 27/27 MP: 3/8
  2422 | D:3      | Noticed Belboz's ghost (amateur HEWr)
  2615 | D:3      | Found a shimmering altar of Xom.
  2615 | D:3      | Found a white marble altar of Elyvilon.
  2884 | D:3      | Found a glowing silver altar of Zin.
  2965 | D:3      | Reached * piety under Dithmenos
  2985 | D:3      | Found a glowing drain.
  2994 | Sewer    | Entered a sewer
  3089 | Sewer    | Noticed a crocodile
  3095 | Sewer    | Killed a crocodile
  3095 | Sewer    | Reached XP level 5. HP: 31/31 MP: 3/9
  3102 | Sewer    | Learned a level 5 spell: Iskenderun's Battlesphere
  3127 | Sewer    | ez
  3771 | D:3      | Killed Belboz's ghost
  3771 | D:3      | Reached skill level 3 in Charms
  3771 | D:3      | Reached XP level 6. HP: 30/36 MP: 3/10
  3958 | D:3      | Found a glowing golden altar of the Shining One.
  4046 | D:4      | Reached skill level 4 in Charms
  4231 | D:4      | Reached skill level 5 in Charms
  4651 | D:4      | Reached skill level 6 in Charms
  4651 | D:4      | Reached XP level 7. HP: 41/41 MP: 3/11
  4775 | D:4      | Found an opulent altar of Gozag.
  5000 | D:4      | Found a blossoming altar of Fedhas.
  5166 | D:5      | Entered Level 5 of the Dungeon
  5187 | D:5      | Reached skill level 7 in Charms
  5275 | D:5      | Found a deep blue altar of Sif Muna.
  5323 | D:5      | Found an iron altar of Okawaru.
  5411 | D:5      | Found Moneq's Armour Boutique.
  5414 | D:5      | Bought a +0 buckler for 54 gold pieces
  5719 | D:5      | Reached skill level 8 in Charms
  5723 | D:5      | thank you BATTLESPHERE
  5900 | D:5      | Reached ** piety under Dithmenos
  6494 | D:6      | Reached XP level 8. HP: 39/47 MP: 4/13
  6594 | D:6      | Found a staircase to the Ecumenical Temple.
  6599 | D:6      | Reached skill level 1 in Shields
  6599 | D:6      | Reached skill level 9 in Charms
  6623 | Temple   | Entered the Ecumenical Temple
  6988 | D:6      | Reached skill level 1 in Fighting
  7122 | D:6      | Found a radiant altar of Vehumet.
  8021 | D:7      | perfect
  8249 | D:7      | Gained mutation: You have a pair of small horns on your
  head. [potion of beneficial mutation]
  8250 | D:7      | I guess that's beneficial
  8601 | D:7      | Reached XP level 9. HP: 54/55 MP: 6/16
  8841 | D:7      | Learned a level 4 spell: Fulminant Prism
  9077 | D:6      | Reached skill level 10 in Charms
  9402 | D:7      | Reached *** piety under Dithmenos
 10055 | D:8      | Reached skill level 5 in Spellcasting
 10491 | D:8      | Reached skill level 5 in Dodging
 10565 | D:8      | Reached skill level 1 in Hexes
 10739 | D:8      | Reached **** piety under Dithmenos
 10990 | D:8      | aw yiss
 10990 | D:8      | shadow mimic
 11134 | D:8      | Learned a level 1 spell: Summon Butterflies
 11164 | D:8      | Noticed TrogTrogTrog's ghost (novice MiGl)
 11182 | D:8      | Killed TrogTrogTrog's ghost
 11182 | D:8      | Reached XP level 10. HP: 43/65 MP: 3/20
 11401 | D:8      | Found Lekoq's Antique Weapon Boutique.
 11679 | D:9      | Reached skill level 5 in Fighting
 11718 | D:9      | Noticed Intox's ghost (novice MiBe)
 13948 | D:10     | Entered Level 10 of the Dungeon
 14173 | D:10     | Found a sacrificial altar of Ru.
 14345 | D:10     | Reached skill level 1 in Staves
 14931 | D:10     | Found a staircase to the Lair.
 14984 | D:10     | Reached XP level 11. HP: 72/72 MP: 7/23
 15492 | D:10     | You fall through a shaft for 2 floors!
 15536 | D:11     | Noticed a skeletal warrior
 15536 | D:11     | Noticed a skeletal warrior
 15539 | D:11     | Noticed a skeletal warrior
 15547 | D:11     | Noticed Sonja
 15547 | D:11     | aw hell no
 15550 | D:11     | Noticed a hill giant
 15550 | D:11     | slightly better
 15558 | D:11     | Killed a hill giant
 15706 | D:11     | Noticed a death knight
 15724 | D:11     | Noticed a phantasmal warrior
 15740 | D:11     | Reached skill level 5 in Hexes
 16031 | D:10     | Reached ***** piety under Dithmenos
 16299 | Lair:1   | Entered Level 1 of the Lair of Beasts
 16570 | Lair:1   | Noticed a six-headed hydra
 16573 | Lair:1   | that was a well timed tele-trap
 16863 | Lair:1   | Found a shadowy altar of Dithmenos.
 17212 | Lair:1   | Upgraded the game from 0.19-a0-1169-g4149f68 to
 0.19-a0-1170-g18f0c96


[and into]

I would only train dodging for a while, and maybe a bit more fighting.

I bet a better 1-handed weapon than a +1 rapier has dropped somewhere. You should be carrying that around instead of the rapier. Throw at least a few skill levels into that weapon type, the first 4/5 levels will be incredibly cheap by this point in the game regardless of your aptitudes. Handy for conserving MP or when you run out with an almost-dead enemy, seriously.

If you are worshipping Dith, you should get enough invocations to get shadow form to a reasonable success level.

After that, sure, get some air magic for spells from book of sky if you want to.

EDIT: note that silence prevents you from casting as well while in effect, so don't bother getting that unless and until you have decent melee skill with a good weapon.

[Cacophonie]

I would only train dodging for a while, and maybe a bit more fighting.

I bet a better 1-handed weapon than a +1 rapier has dropped somewhere. You should be carrying that around instead of the rapier. Throw at least a few skill levels into that weapon type, the first 4/5 levels will be incredibly cheap by this point in the game regardless of your aptitudes. Handy for conserving MP or when you run out with an almost-dead enemy, seriously.

If you are worshipping Dith, you should get enough invocations to get shadow form to a reasonable success level.

After that, sure, get some air magic for spells from book of sky if you want to.

EDIT: note that silence prevents you from casting as well while in effect, so don't bother getting that unless and until you have decent melee skill with a good weapon.

There's an artifact in one of the shops, which turns out to be:
b - the +7 dagger of Destiny (weapon) {pierce, +Fly Str+4}
which seems good for something to finishing off almost-dead and weak enemies.

Edit: After dipping into Lair, I also found a quarterstaff of freezing off of Fannar.

[Sandman25]

Dagger has the lowest base damage in the game, it is very bad without electro/distortion/venom.
As High Elf I usually go for Long Blades, it crosstrains with Short Blade also.
Don't train staves for staff of wizardry, it is awful weapon.