The Tavern

Current discussion about Hu, As and Mo in the GDD made me think of this again. There are extreme STR and INT starts; but no extreme DEX start. Really high Dex would make optimal play training dodging and not using anything with much of an ER for a pretty good while (longer than Gl or current Mo); it'd also likely be one of the most powerful starts for races that don't use armour at all (Dr, Fe, Op). But there isn't an EXTREME DEX start like there are for the other two stats:

Berserker (Highest STR)
+9 STR, -1 INT, +4 DEX

Wizard (Highest INT)
-1 STR, +10 INT, +3 DEX

Monk (Highest DEX)
+3 STR, +2 INT, +7 DEX

What I'm wanting to see:
-1 STR, +3 INT, +10 DEX

Thoughts?

Because Dex is the best stat.

???

For some character builds he's right. It varies though.

STR - Easier to wear heavier armour. Bonus to-dam on all weapons. Increases the odds of doing Aux Attacks; increases Constriction damage. Increases damage of all Transmuter forms. (Multiplies with armour skill; additive to all weapons; straight bonus to Aux).

INT - Lower spell hunger. Lower spell fail rate. Higher spell power. (Multiplies with SplCasting and Spell School skills)

DEX - Bonus to-hit on all weapons. Dodging bonus. Shield hand bonus. Stealth bonus. Decreases chance of making loud noise when opening a door. Boosts Blade Hands. (Multiplies with Stealth and Dodging skills; additive bonus to Shields and weapons).

[Not all the effects; most the important ones; though.]

!!!

Crawl is just too, like, circumstantial maan.

But really.

At least it's not circumcisual.

I understand the importance of DEX in crawl but I have to say for a starting stat I always seem to want to STR or INT more.

This is because I immediately want to either wear heavier armor and not miss since AC is superior early game to EV or because I want to cast spells with out failure since a miscast is actually pretty awful (low mp).

As for Felids and Octopodes I much rather prefer INT over DEX. Ironically for those 0 AC chars I much rather hex, summon, conjure, buff, over direct melee dodging and even when I don't start with spells I think I still shoot for INT with those types of species in the hope I get some book.

Yeah, well, the removal of MDs was more like a sander to the testicles.