GrGl Weapon

[cloud4ge]

I'm having a nice early game with GrGl (gargoyle gladiator).

I began training staves, but switched to long blades after finding a +3 Flaming Demon Blade (enchanted to +5)
Later, Oku granted me a +2 Great Sword of Holy Wrath.

My long blade skill is currently near 14.

Should I keep my skill where it is and simply continue to use the Demon Blade, or should I continue to pump long blades and switch to the Great Sword, and just hang on to the Flaming Demon Blade for Hydras and Ice Beasts?

I'm still new and learning this game, so any advice you can give me is greatly appreciated.

Thanks. cloud4ge-

[Sar]

Holy wrath is literally useless unless you hit something that is undead or a demon, and most things in the normal game are neither.

[Siegurt]

A demon blade of flaming is pretty damn sweet, you're at the perfect stage of the game to take advantage of it too.

I'd use that for the rest of the game, and keep your long blades at 14, and use the XP that you don't have to spend on long blades on fighting, dodging, and/or armour.

It might even be worth it to use shields if you find a decent one.

[cloud4ge]

I have already pumped armor up to 9, but I havn't touched dodge..

Honestly I really don't understand the benefits of armor.. Does it improve my AC or EV in any way? I'm currently wearing a simple full plate because it gives me the highest AC. I havn't touched my dodge because of the -2 gargoyle has. Though, I think it shouldn't be hard to pump up a bit now that I'm a little deeper. My AC is 28 and my EV is 6..

On the topic of Armor, the jewelry shop contains an Evasion +6 ring and a dex +4 ring. There is also a +2 helm in the shop. I havn't decided which to buy yet, due to limited gold. I needed to buy several potions early game (berserk and heal pots saved my tail).

[Siegurt]

The Armour skill increases your AC by 1/23 of your total base armour (The armour's value without enchantment) per point of armour skill, So 10 for plate armour, +1 for boots, gloves, helmets (not hats) and cloaks.

Armour also reduces the penalty that body armour imposes to your EV, at 27 Armour skill it reduces the penalty by 60% (So at 9 Armour skill you've reduced the penalty imposed by your armour by 20%) The penalty to your EV is also reduced by strength.

You get a bonus to your EV based on your Dexterity and dodging skill, so typically you'll need to train some amount of dodging to overcome the penalty given by your armour (You'll train dodging for a while with no gain) before you start to see some increase in dodging.

[crate]

The Armour skill increases your AC by 1/23 of your total base armour

technically 1/22 (not a big deal)

You get a bonus to your EV based on your Dexterity and dodging skill, so typically you'll need to train some amount of dodging to overcome the penalty given by your armour (You'll train dodging for a while with no gain) before you start to see some increase in dodging.

the italicised is no longer true in trunk, though it is true in 0.15

[Sar]

6 EV ring is the best possible EV ring you can find (barring the ring of Shaolin fixedart, which is +8) and an amazing find/buy, possible endgame material.

-2 aptitude on a skill doesn't mean "you should never train that", especially not when other skills that you will train on that character have positive or neutral aptitudes.

typically you'll need to train some amount of dodging to overcome the penalty given by your armour (You'll train dodging for a while with no gain) before you start to see some increase in dodging

That was recently changed (in trunk), but of course we have no information about what version cloud4ge is playing.

[cloud4ge]

I'm play .15.. Is .16 downloadable at the moment?

[crate]

http://crawl.develz.org/trunk/

[cloud4ge]

Seems like beta testing for DCSS.

[notcluie]

thats exactly what it is