sanka wrote:Hunger is not really an issue for most characters. Really. You can rest with them just as well every time you are injured if you wish.
Several vulnerabilities combined with the lack of the help of potions like heal wound or speed makes them really hard.
Hunger is an issue for some races, put it that way, and it really depends on the available food supply. I have noticed lately that 10.2 has ample food even for Trolls and Spriggans, so maybe you are right in general. But with a Mummy, you can rest and recover often and with little or no concern except for discovery by wandering monsters. The absence of digestion also comes in very handy for spellcasting during melee.
Yeah, that's the main problem I've noticed as well, not being able to heal. The only thing Mummies can do, and I don't know whether this is a bug or not, but in 10.2 stable they can cast Vampire Draining and acquire HP from the living. The reason I thought it might be a bug is that in one of the screens, the game indicates that Vampire Draining can't be memorized, but it can. I think that when the developers created the Vampire, they then realized that, logically, Mummies should be allowed to drain as well via Necromancy, since Vampires acquire HP from blood. At any rate, Vampire Draining completely transformed Mummies from an unplayable species into a viable one, but even so the inability to use a potion of healing or heal wounds, or even the Regen spell, really hurts. However, rings of regeneration do work! (Hope I'm not revealing a bug here.) I don't know why rings of regeneration work, but the Necromancy spell, Regeneration, cannot be memorized. A bit of a logical inconsistency. Well, maybe I shouldn't have mentioned this.
I changed my mind now about the optimal class for Mummies. Scratch Necromancer. Again, it's Stalker. Actually Stalker may be a bit overpowered, and I really dread the next version of Crawl because I strongly suspect the developers are going to clip the wings of Stalkers. That Evaporate spell just wipes monsters out. My Mummy is carrying right now 34 potions of Confusion, 12 of poison, 6 of strong poison, 6 of degeneration, 5 of decay, and some others as well because they can also produce freezing clouds or flame clouds at random. And did you know that a potion of Berserk Rage creates a cloud either of flame or steam? Nice to counter ice creatures, eh? Again, Mummies have a little advantage as Stalkers because they can dispense with food, so they can carry a little bit more. I think I erred in trying to wear a Shield, though, because their aptitude at shields sux so badly. Probably a buckler is the optimal defense until much later in the game... oh yes, and as a Stalker, I transitioned to Necromancer ASAP by worshiping Kiku and letting him lay the "good" books on me. There is absolutely no doubt that Kiku / Necromancy is the right combo for Mummies, but starting out as a Stalker really brings big benefits.