Vestibule Violator
Posts: 1533
Joined: Thursday, 16th December 2010, 20:52
Most Natural Combinations
The catch is that I'm not allowing for any overlap - each background can only be matched to one species. Why? I don't know. Because I'm a big dork. So here is my list, with brief comments about why I came up with each combination.
EDIT: Here's the main reason: this is a manageable way to try to experience the full range of character options that the game provides. If you play through this list, you will have played every species and most backgrounds.
EDIT 2: This is for DCSS 0.7.1.
Halfling Hunter. Slings + shields + short blades + stealth + stabbing + dodging = awesome. Make actual use of all those sling gifts from Okawaru (btw, Might is awesome with a short blade of speed).
Demonspawn Chaos Knight. Invocations + Demon summons + cool mutations. Flavourwise I like Lugonu more, but have more success with Makhleb.
Deep Dwarf Necromancer. Damage resistance + necro healing abilities + whip of pain = fun!
Hill Orc Priest. Good fighter + hordes of allies + a racial god + plentiful racial equipment.
Mountain Dwarf Fighter – Excellent at fighting and armour, and start with all dwarven equipment with racial bonuses.
Minotaur Gladiator – A legendary combination. Use throwing for ranged (esp. javelins, needles), works well with shield, any melee weapon you find, and choose AC / EV depending on equipment you find. Trident really fits the theme and is a very effective starting weapon and cross-trains axes.
Deep Elf Wizard. Total magical power.
Naga Stalker. Stealth + Poison Magic + decent HP for melee range after stab attempt.
Kobold Assassin – throwing + short blades + stealth = natural combo. Also, w/ Trog: berserk + carnivore 3 saprovore 2.
Spriggan Enchanter: spellcasting + enchantments + short blades + stabbing + stealth + dodging.
Sludge Elf Transmuter. Unarmed combat + spellcasting + transmutations
Troll Berserker. Total ravenous melee painbringer meat shredder.
Kenku Conjurer. As squishy as Deep Elves, but Conjurations + Flight help to keep out of harms way, better at fighting than DE if you get close.
Merfolk Crusader. Polearms + magical buffs + good EV = powerful melee.
High Elf Arcane Marksman. Bows + Magic! What could be more elvish?
Draconian Venom Mage: VMs have to branch out from poison before endgame. Draconians can do so once they know their flavour. Natural AC is good boost for spellcasters.
Ogre Warper Portal Projectile with boulders anyone? Blink helps with low AC to escape in tough spots. Okay Throwing aptitude to go with starting +1 darts. Warper spellbook pretty confined to one school, and warper is mostly a melee/ranged support school anyway.
Vampire Summoner - nice theme - turns into a bat and can call other bats / rats etc.
Centaur Wanderer - the ability to run away can really help a wanderer, as can the ability to fire things from a distance. And really, who would wander further than a Centaur?
Ghoul Monk - Use that unarmed aptitude!
Mummy Ice Elementalist. Freeze makes D1 easy. Hunger-free casting lets you use higher level spells earlier. Not having potions on you makes freezing cloud and ozocubu's armour safe to use.
Human / Demigod - do random. Skills are undifferentiated so they are very versatile. You just choose between better stats but no god, or better aptitudes and the ability to choose a god.