YASD: KoBe... totally not ready.

[hart]

EDIT: So in the end I just kept going through. Tore through the maces and dodging skills. Eventually discovered the entrance to Lair, guarded by a crapload of sheep, yaks, and some other things that were all rather easy. Once all that stuff died I came across some skeletal warriors. I hadn't actually seen that before, not even in 0.4, so I just treated the like the zombies I'd seen before. Big mistake. After I got hit really hard by just one, I retreated, but I didn't take note early enough and before I knew it I was being attacked on 4 sides. A shame, he was doing rather well with that whip.

Any comments or critisms? On a similar note, I also found a manticore sleeping somewhere else on that level. Would that have been too hard to take on?

Dump goes here:

  Code:

 Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup version 0.9.1 character file.

15325 Hurtz the Nimble (level 12, 0/70 HPs)
             Began as a Kobold Berserker on Dec 6, 2011.
             Was an Elder of Trog.
             Slain by a skeletal warrior
             ... wielding a +1,+2 long sword
              (8 damage)
             ... on Level 13 of the Dungeon.
             The game lasted 02:08:21 (16422 turns).

Hurtz the Nimble (Kobold Berserker)                                                                                                                Turns: 16422, Time: 02:08:21

HP   0/70        AC  8     Str 17      XL: 12   Next: 41%
MP  14/14        EV 26     Int  5      God: Trog [****..]
Gold 553         SH  0     Dex 19      Spells:  0 memorised, 13 levels left

Res.Fire  : . . .   See Invis. : .    H - +1,+2 whip (elec)
Res.Cold  : . . .   Warding    : . .  D - +2 leather armour
Life Prot.: . . .   Conserve   : .    (no shield)
Res.Acid. : . . .   Res.Corr.  : .    (no helmet)
Res.Poison: .       Clarity    : .    P - +0 cloak
Res.Elec. : .       Spirit.Shd : .    g - +0 pair of gloves
Sust.Abil.: . .     Stasis     : .    S - +0 pair of boots
Res.Mut.  : .       Ctrl.Telep.: .    (no amulet)
Res.Rott. : .       Levitation : .    f - ring of regeneration
Saprovore : + + .   Ctrl.Flight: .    I - ring of levitation

@: exhausted, slowed, very slow, somewhat resistant to hostile enchantments, quite stealthy
A: disease resistance, carnivore 3, saprovore 2
a: Burn Spellbooks, Berserk, Trog's Hand, Brothers in Arms, Renounce Religion, Evoke Levitation


You were on level 13 of the Dungeon.
You worshipped Trog.
Trog was extremely pleased with you.
You were full.

You visited 2 branches of the dungeon, and saw 14 of its levels.
You visited 1 portal chamber: ossuary.

You collected 533 gold pieces.

Inventory:

Hand weapons
 H - a +1,+2 whip of electrocution (weapon)
 N - a +2,+0 sling of frost
 Q - a +1 blowgun
Missiles
 h - 12 +3 sling bullets
 r - 7 +3 sling bullets of flame {god gift}
 s - a +0 dart of frost (quivered)
 w - 49 +0 stones
 C - 55 poisoned +0 needles
 M - 9 poisoned +4 needles
Armour
 g - a +0 pair of gloves (worn)
 D - a +2 leather armour (worn)
 P - a +0 cloak (worn)
 S - a +0 pair of boots (worn)
Magical devices
 e - a wand of polymorph other (0) {unknown}
 i - a wand of invisibility (1)
 k - a wand of slowing (15)
 o - a wand of teleportation (7)
 O - a wand of digging (0)
 R - a wand of disintegration (5)
 T - a wand of draining (5)
 X - a wand of magic darts (8)
 Z - a wand of draining (8)
Comestibles
 c - 4 meat rations
Scrolls
 d - a scroll of enchant weapon II
 j - 2 scrolls of enchant weapon I
 n - 5 scrolls of remove curse
 q - 4 scrolls of detect curse
 x - a scroll of identify
 J - a scroll of enchant armour
 K - 3 scrolls of teleportation
 V - 3 scrolls of recharging
Jewellery
 b - an uncursed ring of magical power
 f - a ring of regeneration (right hand)
 l - an uncursed ring of protection from magic
 E - an uncursed ring of teleport control
 F - an uncursed ring of sustain abilities
 G - an uncursed ring of see invisible
 I - a ring of levitation (left hand)
 L - an uncursed ring of fire
 W - an uncursed ring of protection from fire
Potions
 a - a potion of heal wounds
 m - a potion of speed
 p - 4 potions of healing
 t - a potion of agility
 u - a potion of porridge
 v - a potion of restore abilities
 y - 2 potions of levitation {unknown}
 z - a potion of cure mutation
 B - 2 potions of might
 U - a potion of invisibility
 Y - a potion of brilliance


   Skills:
 - Level 6 Fighting
 - Level 3 Short Blades
 * Level 10 Maces & Flails
 + Level 9 Slings
 - Level 2 Throwing
 - Level 3 Armour
 + Level 14 Dodging
 + Level 5 Stealth
 - Level 1 Stabbing
 - Level 2 Traps & Doors
 - Level 1 Spellcasting
 - Level 1 Evocations


You had 13 spell levels left.
You didn't know any spells.

Dungeon Overview and Level Annotations

Branches:
Dungeon (13/27)            Temple (1/1) D:6             Orc (0/4) D:6
   Lair (0/8) D:13       
  Hive: D:11-16     

Altars:
Ashenzari
Cheibriados
Elyvilon
Fedhas
Kikubaaqudgha
Makhleb
Nemelex Xobeh
Okawaru
Sif Muna
The Shining One
Trog
Vehumet
Xom
Yredelemnul
Zin

Shops:
D:8: !  D:13: /(


                    Innate Abilities, Weirdness & Mutations

You recuperate from illness quickly.
You are small and have problems with some larger weapons.
You are carnivorous and can eat meat at any time.
You can eat rotten meat.


Message History

The skeletal warrior misses you.
You barely miss the skeletal warrior. The skeletal warrior misses you.
The skeletal warrior completely misses you.
You closely miss the skeletal warrior.
The skeletal warrior hits you with a hand axe!
The skeletal warrior barely misses you. The skeletal warrior misses you.
The skeletal warrior hits you with an orcish great mace.
The skeletal warrior hits you with a hand axe!
* * * LOW HITPOINT WARNING * * *
The skeletal warrior hits you with a long sword.
* * * LOW HITPOINT WARNING * * *
The skeletal warrior throws its bony arms wide while chanting.
An orc zombie comes into view.
The dead are walking!
The skeletal warrior closely misses you.
The skeletal warrior hits you with a long sword!
* * * LOW HITPOINT WARNING * * *
The skeletal warrior hits you but does no damage.
The skeletal warrior hits you with a long sword!
You die...

..####...............###...#######.......
###  #....#..........# #...#      .......
     #....#..........# #...#      ....5.
     ####......[.....# #...#      ...).
#       #.#..........# #...#      ##..
#       #.#..........#  ...#
#       #.########.#.#  ...#
#       #.#    ###.#)###...###
#       #.#    #.....)...)....
#      ##.###  #...........###
#      #....#  #.<###zz.####
#      #....#  #..##.....##
#      #.(..#  #..#...@a..#
#      #....#  #..#...zz..##
########..).#  #....P.zz...#
............#  ##..........##
#.######....#   #.....>.....#
#.#    #....#   ##..........#
#.###########    #......P...#
..........      ..#.......#.......
#.#################.......#######
.........^)..)<%..##.....##
......##n.........###...##
......##.#########.....#.
......##.#         ....


You could see 4 skeletal warriors, a worker ant and 2 orc zombies.

Vanquished Creatures
  A death yak (D:13)
  Pikel (D:4)
  Urug (D:11)
  A weapon mimic (D:12)
  The ghost of Hurtz the Ducker, an experienced KoBe of Trog (D:6)
  An elephant slug (D:13)
  An elephant (D:13)
  5 slime creatures (D:13)
  Grinder (D:6)
  2 giant toads
  A two-headed ogre (shapeshifter) (D:11)
  A troll (D:12)
  A wyvern (D:12)
  5 sharks (D:12)
  A hippogriff (D:13)
  A hungry ghost (D:9)
  4 yaks (D:9)
  3 necrophages
  Edmund (D:5)
  Menkaure (D:6)
  A soldier ant (D:11)
  6 orc warriors
  3 ice beasts
  2 sky beasts
  4 ogres
  4 giant goldfish (D:12)
  A big kobold (D:10)
  A crocodile (D:13)
  A phantom (D:11)
  Sigmund (D:7)
  Duvessa (D:8)
  A basilisk zombie (D:9)
  3 centaurs
  9 giant frogs
  Blork the orc (D:6)
  6 killer bees
  A water moccasin (D:10)
  2 killer bee zombies
  2 jellyfish (D:12)
  6 imps
  A shadow (D:8)
  3 bog mummies (Port)
  Dowan (D:8)
  2 goliath beetles
  A big kobold skeleton (D:8)
  2 hound zombies (Port)
  4 orc priests
  6 hounds
  Crazy Yiuf (D:3)
  6 iguanas
  A sheep (D:13)
  3 scorpions
  10 orc wizards
  5 worker ants
  A worker ant zombie (D:13)
  3 jellies
  Jessica (D:3)
  8 mummies (Port)
  14 gnolls
  9 snakes
  2 snake zombies
  A giant centipede zombie (D:8)
  2 giant mites
  3 worms
  2 snake skeletons
  4 bat zombies (Port)
  2 giant eyeballs (D:7)
  2 oozes
  39 orcs
  10 giant cockroaches
  18 hobgoblins
  14 kobolds
  A small snake (D:3)
  13 bats
  A giant cockroach zombie (Port)
  4 giant geckos
  2 giant gecko zombies (Port)
  4 giant newts
  12 goblins
  A goblin zombie (D:8)
  A hobgoblin skeleton (D:3)
  3 hobgoblin zombies (Port)
  3 jackals (D:7)
  2 kobold zombies (Port)
  2 orc zombies (Port)
  3 quokkas
  2 quokka zombies
  18 rats
  2 fungi
  A plant (Port)
  5 toadstools
351 creatures vanquished.

Vanquished Creatures (collateral kills)
  A hydra (D:12)
  A troll (D:10)
  A giant toad (D:9)
  2 hippogriffs
  A giant goldfish (D:12)
  An iguana (D:9)
  A mummy (D:9)
  2 gnolls (D:9)
10 creatures vanquished.

Vanquished Creatures (others)
  2 slime creatures (D:13)
  A hound (D:4)
  A human (D:2)
  A gnoll (D:4)
  7 orcs
  A hobgoblin (D:6)
  A kobold (D:4)
  9 toadstools
23 creatures vanquished.

Grand Total: 384 creatures vanquished

Notes
Turn   | Place    | Note
--------------------------------------------------------------
     0 | D:1      | Hurtz, the Kobold Berserker, began the quest for the Orb.
     0 | D:1      | Reached XP level 1. HP: 14/14 MP: 0/0
   418 | D:1      | Reached skill level 4 in Fighting
   418 | D:1      | Reached XP level 2. HP: 17/20 MP: 1/1
   888 | D:2      | Found an ancient bone altar of Kikubaaqudgha.
   892 | D:2      | Noticed a human zombie
   943 | D:2      | Reached XP level 3. HP: 22/24 MP: 2/2
  1392 | D:3      | Found a shimmering altar of Xom.
  1398 | D:3      | Reached skill level 1 in Slings
  1699 | D:3      | Reached skill level 1 in Short Blades
  1746 | D:3      | Found an iron altar of Okawaru.
  2027 | D:3      | Acquired Trog's second power
  2036 | D:3      | Noticed Crazy Yiuf
  2050 | D:3      | Defeated Crazy Yiuf
  2050 | D:3      | Reached XP level 4. HP: 5/29 MP: 3/3
  2445 | D:3      | Noticed Jessica
  2458 | D:3      | Defeated Jessica
  2468 | D:3      | Reached skill level 1 in Stealth
  2468 | D:3      | Reached skill level 1 in Traps & Doors
  2468 | D:3      | Reached XP level 5. HP: 33/33 MP: 4/4
  2992 | D:4      | Noticed Pikel
  3004 | D:4      | Defeated Pikel
  3004 | D:4      | Reached skill level 5 in Dodging
  3004 | D:4      | Reached XP level 6. HP: 18/39 MP: 5/5
  3004 | D:4      | Reached XP level 7. HP: 19/43 MP: 6/6
  3038 | D:4      | Found a shattered altar of Ashenzari.
  3509 | D:4      | Reached skill level 6 in Dodging
  3509 | D:4      | Reached XP level 8. HP: 41/48 MP: 7/7
  4036 | D:5      | Entered Level 5 of the Dungeon
  4168 | D:5      | Noticed Edmund
  4184 | D:5      | Defeated Edmund
  4526 | D:5      | Reached skill level 1 in Stabbing
  4770 | D:5      | Reached skill level 7 in Dodging
  4844 | D:6      | Found an ancient bone altar of Kikubaaqudgha.
  4874 | D:6      | Found a staircase to the Orcish Mines.
  4883 | D:6      | Noticed Hurtz's ghost (experienced KoBe)
  4908 | D:6      | Defeated Hurtz's ghost
  4908 | D:6      | Reached skill level 5 in Fighting
  4908 | D:6      | Reached XP level 9. HP: 53/53 MP: 8/8
  4944 | D:6      | Noticed Menkaure
  5023 | D:6      | Defeated Menkaure
  5023 | D:6      | Reached skill level 8 in Dodging
  5123 | D:6      | Noticed Grinder
  5128 | D:6      | Paralysed by Grinder for 5 turns
  5139 | D:6      | Paralysed by Grinder for 3 turns
  5146 | D:6      | Defeated Grinder
  5146 | D:6      | Reached skill level 1 in Throwing
  5146 | D:6      | Reached skill level 1 in Spellcasting
  5277 | D:6      | Found a staircase to the Ecumenical Temple.
  5310 | Temple   | Entered the Ecumenical Temple
  5448 | D:6      | Noticed Blork the orc
  5455 | D:6      | Defeated Blork the orc
  5592 | D:6      | Acquired Trog's third power
  6401 | D:7      | Found a snail-covered altar of Cheibriados.
  6519 | D:7      | Reached skill level 5 in Maces & Flails
  6519 | D:7      | Reached skill level 9 in Dodging
  6585 | D:7      | Reached XP level 10. HP: 60/60 MP: 11/11
  6685 | D:7      | Paralysed by a giant eyeball for 2 turns
  6732 | D:7      | Noticed Sigmund
  6742 | D:7      | Defeated Sigmund
  6743 | D:7      | Paralysed by a giant eyeball for 4 turns
  6974 | D:8      | Noticed Duvessa
  6975 | D:8      | Noticed Dowan
  6989 | D:8      | Defeated Duvessa
  7001 | D:8      | Defeated Dowan
  7097 | D:8      | Found a sand-covered staircase.
  7151 | ossuary  | Entered a tomb
  7373 | ossuary  | Reached skill level 10 in Dodging
  7864 | D:8      | Found Thuysm's Distillery.
  7871 | D:8      | Reached skill level 1 in Evocations
  8469 | D:8      | Reached skill level 11 in Dodging
  9588 | D:9      | Found a glowing golden altar of the Shining One.
  9756 | D:9      | Found a radiant altar of Vehumet.
 10116 | D:10     | Entered Level 10 of the Dungeon
 10401 | D:10     | Reached skill level 5 in Slings
 10401 | D:10     | Reached skill level 12 in Dodging
 10401 | D:10     | Reached XP level 11. HP: 51/64 MP: 12/12
 12117 | D:11     | Noticed Urug
 12137 | D:11     | Defeated Urug
 13343 | D:11     | You fall through a shaft!
 13848 | D:12     | Reached skill level 13 in Dodging
 15102 | D:13     | Found Kuang's Antique Weapon Shop.
 15134 | D:13     | Reached XP level 12. HP: 64/70 MP: 14/14
 15158 | D:13     | Reached skill level 10 in Maces & Flails
 15206 | D:13     | Reached skill level 14 in Dodging
 15206 | D:13     | Reached skill level 5 in Stealth
 15246 | D:13     | Found Ghucvu Follo's Magical Wand Boutique.
 16233 | D:13     | Found a staircase to the Lair.
 16250 | D:13     | Received a gift from Trog
 16422 | D:13     | Slain by a skeletal warrior


Okay, so, I've played much earlier versions of Stone Soup (0.4 was the version I played last), but I came back after getting tired of big, AAA RPG's like Skyrim. I was never very successful in the past, usually reaching Lair or something, and then getting overconfident and dying horribly. The best example of this was the Orcish Mines, which usually saw me getting completely destroyed by priests and wizards while their grunts pinned me down. I never bothered after the third death to orcs..

[s]So, is this guy ready for some spelunking? Any input on general direction would be appreciated. I noticed I got the Spellcasting skill totally out of the blue, so if its a possibility to reject Trogg at some point, I'd be interested in hearing any thoughts.[/s]

[Blade]

First: Don't go to the Orcish Mines until you've completed the Lair.

Second: Don't abandon Trog until you are much, much more experienced with the game.

Third: Your skills are far too spread out; it is much better to focus on one or two offensive skills early-game and bring the rest up later.

Fourth: You have a ton of un-ID'd potions/scrolls. Identify them. The general recommendation is to read-ID scrolls and to use ID scrolls on potions until you find mutation and cure mutation, at which point you can quaff-ID the rest. Zap your wands to find out what they are also; my usual method is to first aim them at a wall (at least two blocks away and at an angle to avoid blasting yourself with specific ones), and then aim them at myself in a safe place. The only one that remains un-ID'd in this situation is polymorph other.

[Lantier]

Do not go into Orc. You are not ready. Keep exploring the main dungeon and do Lair when you find it.

Orc was beefed up in the last version or two. There are some really nasty caster types (Sorcerer, High Priests) and some brutes (Warlords) that will tear you to shreds.

I suggest you focus your skills. Stick with that electro whip until you find a demon one. Ditch the other weapons, except your sling and the blowgun. Focus on slings, turn off throwing. Turn off casting too. Ditching Trog is really hard. I wouldn't try it at your level of experience with the game.

Also, you gotta id your gear soon. Read this http://crawl.chaosforge.org/index.php?title=Identification -- it is a bit outdated but still generally helpful. Pretty much all scrolls are safe to read-ID. Potions can be dangerous due primarily to mutation. Still, not knowing which scrolls and potions do what will really narrow your escape options.

Oh, abuse the heck out of beserk and brothers. With those, you won't miss magic (much).

Good luck!

Edit: ninja'd!!!

[defen]

Way too much YASD potential. Wait till you have at least reliable BIA to cover you if things get bad.

Edit - turn off your spellcasting. I believe it pisses Trog off.

[hart]

You're right, and you're right. I've switched off everything except M&F, slings, and dodging.

Stuff that's been ID'd:
Potions
t - 2 potions of agility
v - 2 potions of restore abilities
B - a potion of might
U - a potion of invisibility
Y - a potion of brilliance

A new question though: I've discovered a tomb! Is exploring this too risky? I'd just hate to pass up the opportunity...

[cerebovssquire]

If by "tomb" you mean "ossuary" (sand-covered staircase) this character will have absolutely no problems in there. These vaults are usually easy.
Be aware that there will be some secret doors, so if you don't manage to get to the loot search for more.

If you meet bog mummies, watch out, these can be nasty. Otherwise it's just boring and usually slow melee monsters.
Oh, and since you're from 0.4, potion mummy curses have semi-recently been removed.

[Blade]

Whenever you see portals (be it a portal to a sewer, ossuary, bailey, ice cave, or more), peek your head in. An exit is almost always very close to the entrance, and if you start to feel overwhelmed, just get out.

So yes, go in. Ossuaries are usually fairly tame, and they provide some nice items.

EDIT: this time I was ninja'd

[TehDruid]

Whenever you see portals (be it a portal to a sewer, ossuary, bailey, ice cave, or more), peek your head in. An exit is almost always very close to the entrance, and if you start to feel overwhelmed, just get out.

So yes, go in. Ossuaries are usually fairly tame, and they provide some nice items.

EDIT: this time I was ninja'd

Exceptions may apply:

Once In entered a portal to what I'm fairly certain was a wizlab I think. I ended up in a hellhole monastery-themed place with human and iron troll(!) monks coming out of the walls and they looked like paper or statues (also says "they were summoned" so no XP). It was the scariest thing I've ever encountered in the game. I barely managed to get out and didn't even get to see what was inside.

[Blade]

Whenever you see portals (be it a portal to a sewer, ossuary, bailey, ice cave, or more), peek your head in. An exit is almost always very close to the entrance, and if you start to feel overwhelmed, just get out.

So yes, go in. Ossuaries are usually fairly tame, and they provide some nice items.

EDIT: this time I was ninja'd

Exceptions may apply:

Once In entered a portal to what I'm fairly certain was a wizlab I think. I ended up in a hellhole monastery-themed place with human and iron troll(!) monks coming out of the walls and they looked like paper or statues (also says "they were summoned" so no XP). It was the scariest thing I've ever encountered in the game. I barely managed to get out and didn't even get to see what was inside.

Barely managing is still managing. Also, you missed out on some absolutely incredible loot (think staff of wucad mu, useful manuals, potion of experience).

It isn't 100% safe to enter portals, but it's safe enough that, under normal circumstances, you should always do it

[hart]

Edited for recent updates.

[TehDruid]

Barely managing is still managing. Also, you missed out on some absolutely incredible loot (think staff of wucad mu, useful manuals, potion of experience).

It isn't 100% safe to enter portals, but it's safe enough that, under normal circumstances, you should always do it

I don't remember the character it was on and what I could do, but I couldn't rest without a new bunch of them coming at me every time I did. It was nightmarish I'm telling you! And the Iron Troll Monks hit like trucks.

[TehDruid]

The portal out of that one is very close to the entrance just like it is for pretty much every other portal vault; just head in a straight line wherever the door out of the first room is "pointing."

The thing is it was my first time there and I'm fairly positive that the character was unprepared to face such things, so I freaked out because of the iron troll at the entrance that hit me hard, I just randomly teleported away with a scroll (got to the top of the map, an equal distance from the entrance and the exit) I mgic mapped the level and tried to rest my lost HP but then a human and 2 trolls spawned from thin air, so I had to tp away again. Luckily I managed to reach the exit after burning through like 3-4 tele scrolls (and some blinking ones too, I think). So, what level should one be to enter a wizlab safely (assuming you have decent resists for the cases where you need them)?

[cerebovssquire]

Manticores are slow and don't deal that much damage... a level 12 KoBe would have had absolutely no problems taking one out even without berserk.

Also, this wouldn't have saved you from death or anything but always drop Enchant Weapon I/II/III, Enchant Armour and Recharging scrolls immediately when you find them. If you're willing to carry them to your stash do so but this is absolutely unnecessary.
Carrying them is just risking the destruction of valuable items with no benefit to it.

Also yeah, almost dying to the Wucad Mu wizlab especially if you were carrying scrolls of blinking sounds like freaking out over a speed 7(!) monster and making big mistakes on your part and doesn't mean you shouldn't always enter.

[TehDruid]

@cerebovssquire: I didn't state anywhere that you shouldn't enter... Just tread lightly and be prepared. And it is not always the case that there's an exit portal next to the entrance of a portal vault (like in this case).

First of all, I don't see why you are being so judgemental. Take a chill pill.

It was my first wizlab ever and it happened months ago, before I learned much more about the game (and I haven't managed to go into another wizlab yet since then, not out of choice but it doesn't happen that I find one and/or make it that far so that one spawns. )

The character was very weak and couldn't handle these things like taking a crapload of damage from the iron trolls, and even if you say they're slow (which I didn't notice frankly, maybe I was worshipping Chei - I did play an awful lot of Chei characters and still do) at the point when I entered, I didn't know where to go since I hadn't seen the place before, besides there was an iron troll and a human monk almost right next to the entrance blocking the way to the exit of that little room and there was no portal nearby, as I was used to expect. Maybe I didn't have blinking scrolls, but then again I didn't want to spend them blinking to the unknown, possibly pulling more monsters like this or even worse.

[njvack]

Also yeah, almost dying to the Wucad Mu wizlab especially if you were carrying scrolls of blinking sounds like freaking out over a speed 7(!) monster and making big mistakes on your part and doesn't mean you shouldn't always enter.

Sounds like the entry vault has its intended effect, then. Were I that character in real life, I'd be freaking out and probably make big mistakes, too.

Really, knowing vault layouts and monster speeds, or even that portal vaults will always give standard characters a safe escape* counts as really really deeply spoiled. There are certainly non-portal vaults that are incredibly dangerous and not easily escapable. How would TehDruid reasonably have known there was going to be a portal out just ahead?

* Well, except Labyrinths, which don't, and some characters probably shouldn't enter.

[cerebovssquire]

1) Monster speeds don't count as "deeply spoiled". While xv doesn't give an exact number it does say fast/very fast/slow/very slow/extremely slow, etc.
2) Whatever the cause of his mistakes were, such as being unspoiled, that doesn't mean he could have played better if he had been spoiled. If one had known how the vault is made up or that there is an exit nearby, one could have probably played better, if only by using Blink, ?blink, using speed if he wasn't with Chei, Step from Time or other means to get to the exit.
This isn't a personal attack against his playstyle, if you want to be unspoiled go ahead, only:

Whenever you see portals (be it a portal to a sewer, ossuary, bailey, ice cave, or more), peek your head in. An exit is almost always very close to the entrance, and if you start to feel overwhelmed, just get out.

Exceptions may apply:

which is simply wrong re: wizlab. If we're debating with the premise that one is unspoiled or should be unspoiled here, that's new to me; it seems rather out-of-place to do this in a thread where the OP is explicitly asking for spoilers, though.
I think it's pretty reasonable to assume that one is willing to use the sources of information available to "spoil" yourself so your character survives. If we're talking about unspoiled play, then... well, why are we even debating the matter because saying "if you're unspoiled don't go in" is a spoiler too.
also:

I didn't state anywhere that you shouldn't enter...

Okay...

I guess the exception of the Labyrinth may apply sometimes, that sometimes being a troll at Hungry with a cursed ring of hunger and two rations left, basically.

[njvack]

I guess the exception of the Labyrinth may apply sometimes, that sometimes being a troll at Hungry with a cursed ring of hunger and two rations left, basically.

The other sometimes would be not having a way to deal with the Minotaur. There are lots of ways to deal with him, but you might not have any when you find the portal.

[TehDruid]

@cerebovssquire No hard feelings man. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. Speaking about being spoiled/nonspoiled, I understand that. For example, depending on the layout of Sewers I enter, I know what I'm going to be facing. I've learned that because I've been there countless times, while only once in a wizlab. Entering a wizlab is probably going to be a thrilling experience to me for years to come, even considering the number of times I've managed to enter one. I prefer to learn stuff by experiencing it and I'm never asking directions on the forums before I go into unknown territory, simply because I don't like getting spoiled just to make sure I perform optimally. It's my attitude towards the game. It does lead to many YASDs but at least I can blame the factor of the unknown.