Slime Squisher
Posts: 392
Joined: Wednesday, 7th December 2011, 20:06
Multiple stabber-related Short Q's
1.) Daggers reach the base-stabbing-damage cap faster than any other blade type, since there's a doubling somewhere in the formula (or a lower threshhold). That said, the stab-bonus damage does NOT suffer due to using a dagger rather than a sabre or long-blade, as long as your dex*stabbing thingy-mabaob is greater than the 300/600 cutoff.
True?
2.) The increased accuracy - at least theoretically- helps increase your stabbing opportunities by making you less likely to miss. The increased damage from enchant weapon II / slaying bonuses is *NOT* factored into the formula that determines your stabbing damage.
True?
3.) Skill level 10 with short blades gives you min-delay with daggers. For invisi-stabbing/confuse-stabbing where it may take multiple attempts to actually get a stab in, this is important.
True?
4.) *serious question*: Invisibility against enemies that cannot see invisible makes them LESS LIKELY to wake up when I approach.
Is this true? It definitely *feels* true, but I'm not certain. Obviously once they wake up I still have tier-2 stab opportunities as well.
5.) My zombie/skeleton allies walking either have ridiculously good stealth checks, or are not a factor in being detected.
I'm iffy on this one; my instinct is to say they would be, but in actual playing I find it hard to call whether or not that's true. How do summoned/zombied allies play in to being detected for the purposes of getting in a sleep-stab?
6.) Does an unbranded quick blade and a dagger of speed give the same min-delay?
My math says yes; but my brain says 'ow'.
7.) Passwall and Dig are both silent spells. If I am behind a 1-thickness wall and dig towards an enemy, do they get a chance to detect me the moment I finish digging? Or do I get one 'free turn' as it were. Same question for passwall.
8.) When using darkness or some ability that decreases LOS, do enemies get alerted or awoken?
I've never trained for this skill specifically because I believe the answer to be yes. But if Ashenzari provides me enemy locations outside my vision, then that coupled with diminished LOS on them could be phenomenal.
9.) One of the most irritating things for a 'pure-stabber' to run across is The large golem-type enemies. Immune to hostile enchantments, Immune/Highly Resistant to elemental damage, and HD=22 so immune to confusing touch. Also see invisible. How do I force them into a stabbable state?
Thusfar I've used mass-summons and tried to ankle-stab when they were momentarily distracted. I've killed crystal-golems with this tactic, so i know it can work; but I'm hopeful I'm overlooking something.
10.) Does flame/freeze/pain/distortion/chaos/elec/stab brand bonus damage take effect BEFORE or AFTER the stabbing multiplier? That is to say, is my pitiful ~4dmg being turned into 36 flame damage on a high-level tier1 stab, or not.
11.) What spells should I stop overlooking and give a real try to? I primarily use invis/high Stealth training for my first bunch of free tier-1 stabs. Next I switch to EH for juicy vulnerable targets or Confuse for undead/harder to EH targets. If I'm dealing with several awakened creatures I'll use mephitic cloud +stab for mid-tier or Invisibility/Mass Confusion for higher tier (think Vault-level) enemies. I use confusing touch for enemies that I suspect have ridiculously good MR and that I think I can survive a turn or two against mano-a-mano. Passwall+Dig make for EXCELLENT assassination and escape tools; especially for Ashenzari. And finally I like keeping shadow creatures, blink, and teleport for 'when shit goes wrong'.
And despite this massive kit there are still several enemies that force me into a "fine, spam shadow creatures and win" mode.
That's about it for now.
-AHMAD
15-runer: OPWz, DECj, DEWz x2, VpWz
Other: DEWz, DrWz, DjWz, GnIE, KeCj, SpEn, SpWz, SpCj, MuWz, FeWzx2, MiBe x7.
Crawl Stream: https://www.twitch.tv/BountyHunterSAx2
or vids: http://www.youtube.com/user/BountyHunterSAx <--