Idea: More uses for altars?

[Lyrick]

Dozens of floors down, and still seeing altars pop up.

Yet the only thing they're going to be useful is changing religion, and you don't usually find yourself doing that much (two or three times maybe)

You'll use an altar one more time if you are worshipping Zin, TSO, Kiku, or Lugonu (or other gods that give some altar ability).

Why not have more altar-reliant abilities? Although I can imagine there may be some game-balancing issues or scumming issues coming from that altars at the moment are no more interesting than the floor that you are walking around on.

Maybe, for example, praying on Trog's altar grants indefinite berserking, for as long as you are standing on the altar! Stepping off would begin the turncount for a normal berserk. Ending your berserk on the altar also negates the hunger cost! (Trog fills you with the reap of your harvest!)

Or praying on Zin's altar gives you regen and status immunity (while taking away some gold per turn, of course)

And praying on Ashenzari's altar lets you see the entire level!

Anyone got some other ideas?

[dpeg]

I think it's very hard to come up something like you want without substantial drawbacks. For your Trog example, you'd have to find a way of players not luring monsters to the altar (and it might even be worthwhile across levels).

As I see it, one-off uses of altars for strategic purposes is alright (like weapon branding), and that's it. Note that Lugonu altars in the Abyss also have tactical value.

With the current wrath reform under way, I have some hope to dust off the plans for changing Lugonu piety (at least partially) from kills to altar desecration: this would imply that, for one religion, altars become a resource.

[Maynot]

It would be fun if Xom gave you a completely useless ability that allowed you to change the color of anything that you are standing on or next to, including altars. How hilarious would it be if you made an altar of Elyvilon into a nice crimson color.

[Lyrick]

It would be fun if Xom gave you a completely useless ability that allowed you to change the color of anything that you are standing on or next to, including altars. How hilarious would it be if you made an altar of Elyvilon into a nice crimson color.

Trog roars with delight!

Xom high-fives Trog!

A red film covers Elyvilon's eyes! Elyvilon feels mighty! Elyvilon speeds u--- oops

[Sandman25]

Altars have some tactical meaning sometimes. I was playing with Trog and accidentally almost joined Elyvilon when trying to sacrifice some corpse which happened to fall on her altar. If it was a dead Phoenix or Shedu, it could cause some tactical issues.

[Hirsch I]

how the hell could you possibly do that?
its like the guy that suicided his character by mistake.
EDIT: oh, just understod what you meant, sorry.