I think we learned an important lesson today.

[TwilightPhoenix]

I'd just stand on the staircase and put !All the stairs suck.

[Kerslake]

"Within the 'X' command, you can use '[' and ']' to switch levels -- to descend into a branch, put the cursor on its entry stair before using ']'."
http://crawl.chaosforge.org/index.php?t ... and_tricks
This should let you peek down staircases to see which were the most dangerous. Disclaimer: I actually haven't tried this--I just use exclusions for the staircases I don't want to go back down.

This will help loads in Slime, thanks!

[Mankeli]

Armed with holy scourge, daevas and +30 slaying, the population of a given pan floor tends to rapidly decrease in numbers.

[Kerslake]

Summon Horrible Things takes away a point or three of INT with every casting. Adds up over time.

[rebthor]

Summon Horrible Things takes away a point or three of INT with every casting. Adds up over time.

2 sources of sustab will prevent any stat loss. 1 will prevent most.

[Kate]

The stat loss from SHT happens on 1/5 of casts, not all (although it definitely still adds up, yeah). And it's 1d3 points of int so one source of sustab is enough to reduce it to 0-1, as rebthor said.

[CryptoCactus]

The mightiest berserker might find himself in trouble if he's turned into a pig and surrounded by (very) ugly things. Careful around Kirke.

[SinCosTan]

Thinking you're invincible and being invincible are kind of different.
And don't ignore Hellions just because they're fragile, for reasons that pertain to the above statement.

[TehDruid]

SHT happens

I lol'd.

[cursednobleman]

A summoner mummy of sif with summon dragon can still die to a shaft trap over a pit of yaktaurs.

[Stormfox]

No matter how easily you are pacifying your way through Spider, the ghost moths in the rune vault are more than able to kick your ass.

[BlackSheep]

Thankfully, they've recently been toned down a bit.

[Kerslake]

When you can cast Fire Storm reliably, you ascend to a higher plane.
Saved Elven Halls:5 for that baby and it paid for itself with Vehumet.

[cursednobleman]

When playing a centaur hunter pack leftover arrows on floors, and conserve the damn things, you never know when your supply will plummet.

*Learned after his first centaur run and making 3 backtracks because of supply and a jelly vault in zot:1.

[Grimm]

When playing a centaur hunter pack leftover arrows on floors, and conserve the damn things, you never know when your supply will plummet.

Put

  Code:

ae = <arrow

in autopickup_exceptions.txt to make the arrow collection process vastly easier.

[cursednobleman]

Teleport away from tormentors, don't run.

Also, how can I set an alert when I find a torment capable monster?

[Pteriforever]

If you're frustrated, play a game entirely by mashing tab, O, and the numpads. Then, when you die, you can compare it to a normal game and think "Welp, at least I'm better than a monkey with a typewriter"

[Deimos]

...that awkward moment when your only win was a tabber.

[Kerslake]

Going into The Tomb with Teleportitis will land you in a swarm of Mummies of all kinds.

[cerebovssquire]

Also, how can I set an alert when I find a torment capable monster?

Copy this into your rcfile. This is from memory so maybe I missed someone or something.

  Code:

force_more = mummy priest comes into view
force_more = greater mummy comes into view
force_more = Khufu comes into view
force_more = Menkaure comes into view
force_more = Brimstone Fiend comes into view
force_more = Ice Fiend comes into view
force_more = Gloorx Vloq comes into view
force_more = Shadow Fiend comes into view
force_more = Ereshkigal comes into view
force_more = tormentor comes into view
force_more = curse skull comes into view
force=more = curse toe comes into view


[CommanderC]

s/Ignacio/Ereshkigal/

[rchandra]

for super paranoia you can replace "comes" with

  Code:

.*comes?

[MyOtheHedgeFox]

Master Miller will tell the player not to envision the Game Over screen upon making a mistake while describing the power of positive thinking. He will also advise the player not to drink too much soda while playing nor play the game immediately after eating in order to avoid loss of concentration.

-- Taken from Metal Gear Wiki

[MyOtheHedgeFox]

If the description tells you that this unique is extremely dangerous, take it extremely seriously.

[SinCosTan]

An uncontrolled blink is only capable of relocating you right next to the most dangerous thing on the screen.

[danr]

Nikola can one-shot you on his first turn even if you are at full HP (for an L19 Spriggan).

So, umm, stay away from him if you are an L19 Spriggan.

[pratamawirya]

Nikola can one-shot you on his first turn even if you are at full HP (for an L19 Spriggan).

So, umm, stay away from him if you are an L19 Spriggan.

And that's why some top players really like Chain Lightning.

[Deimos]

Binding Sticky Flame and Inner Flame right next to each other is probably not a good idea. A goldfish in a well is cute; an exploding goldfish in a well is not.

[Stormfox]

Seeing an orc wizard turn invisible and remembering where he was to pacify him...good move.

Blindly walking into him while he's still invisible and getting slapped with penance for attacking a neutral...not so good move.

(Ely penance is easy to pacify your way out of, though.)

[cursednobleman]

Vaults:8 can go to hell. Do not stairdance as a summoner, do not screw around. Blink into the corridors.

[Hiltar]

Sometimes RNG just hates you.

Playing a Demigod Fighter. I chance upon an Amulet of Rage on DL2.
DL3: I open a door and am instantly blast by an Orc Priest sitting in the middle of the room. Between me and him, 4 regular orcs.
I still have 35 HP. I inspect my amulet of rage : 50% fail.

No problem i think.
I close the door, eat a chunk to leave hungry state, and "Evoke Berserk Rage"
You fail to use your ability.
The door is opened by an Orc

Evoke Berserk Rage
You fail to use your ability.

Evoke Berserk Rage
You fail to use your ability.

Evoke Berserk Rage
You fail to use your ability.

To make a long story short, I was able to activate my 50% rate success on my amulet at my 7th attempt. 7TH ATTEMPT
Meanwhile i was of course being whacked by the orc before me and occasionnaly blasted by the priest behind it. Down to 10 Hps when Berserk kicked in.
I one shoted the 4 orcs in 5 turns...and was blasted one final time by the priest just as i closed in melee range....


Sigh.....

[white_noise]

Don't push too hard.
Don't think twice before run/teleport out of danger.
If something seems too scary, just leave it for a while and return later to crush it.
Actually, I need to print it with big red letters somewhere near...

[Shearov]

Playing with tiles, don't use a Wand of Healing and then click on the Yaktuar next to you instead of yourself whilst very low on health.

It was my first time with three runes, I so wanted to just hold the Orb, let alone escape with it.

[SinCosTan]

When your character moves in a direction different from the one you expected, don't just assume you pressed the wrong key. Confusion is a thing.

[MyOtheHedgeFox]

Playing with tiles, don't use a Wand of Healing and then click on the Yaktuar next to you instead of yourself whilst very low on health.

It was my first time with three runes, I so wanted to just hold the Orb, let alone escape with it.

Usually it helps to use inscriptions on rare things like this wand.
On Webtiles, you can edit your rc-file. There is a section devoted to autoinscriptions: you can auto-inscribe rare or bad potions or scrolls, or any items, like potions of poison or cure mutation. Once you identify them, however you do that, they all will get inscription on them once you see them.
It is much easier to find the rc-file on Webtiles; however, you can do that on your local game, too.

If you don't know what inscriptions are, read the manual (press ? in the game, and look at the right column).

[Ezehiel]

Lesson for today:
"DCSS is like real life here and there vegetarianism is a pesky mutation"

[KoboldLord]

From my current game's message log, emphasis added:

You start butchering the brain worm corpse with your executioner's axe.
You continue butchering the corpse.
Your shedu beseeches the Shining One to heal its mate!
You stop butchering the corpse. You feel much better.

This casts a new light on the worship of The Shining One. I knew she was a crusader goddess, but I did not know that she was a fertility goddess as well.

[MyOtheHedgeFox]

"A mate" also means "a friend; one of a pair, either of two matched objects".
Sometimes I just want to swear at people who see(k) only suggestive meanings in the words.

[caddybear]

Actually, isn't it because Shedus always come in pairs? I just assumed that they were, in fact, mates in the marital sense. It's probably the message breaking down because they're supposed to heal each other.

[Grimm]

shedu rule 34

[MyOtheHedgeFox]

Learn how to breathe correctly. Learn how to control your mood, to subdue your rage, to calm yourself down by breathing in a certain pattern. It helps a lot.

And again:
Learn how to breathe correctly. It helps a lot.

There are a great plenty of books, on spirituality or not, that include basic calm-through-breathing exercises. In some books, you may discard almost all the rest of the text: this, this, this, is one of the most important pieces of information.
It helps almost everywhere. In any situation to which "stop and count to ten" applies, use "breathe according to those exercises for a minute" instead. It clears your mind of blind aggression better than Elyvilon's Pacification.

Learn how to calm down through breathing correctly.

It also brings the sensations that some people would equalize to receiving a sweet warm kiss from a beautiful and shy girl, to finally getting to lie in a warm fresh bed after a long and arduous day, or to an hour-long walk in the best and the most quiet park you have ever seen.

[BlackSheep]

Zen and the Art of Crawl

[Grimm]

In Soviet Russia, beautiful and shy girl receive sweet warm kiss from YOU!

[MyOtheHedgeFox]

Zen and the Art of Crawl

Try before laughing at it.

[cursednobleman]

Cast all defensive spells before running downstairs, a tribe of yaktaurs/centaurs/ranged jerks might just be there.

[MyOtheHedgeFox]

Make pauses every hour.

[varsovie]

Don't play while watching the Olympics *(women beach volleyball).

[smock]

A Spriggan Druid that had make the forest come to life can KO a XL13 Naga from nearly full health in one turn. Root grab + 40 from ray of light. Wow. 40?!

[robotron1971]

A Spriggan Druid that had make the forest come to life can KO a XL13 Naga from nearly full health in one turn. Root grab + 40 from ray of light. Wow. 40?!

Conjure flame helps clear the Spriggan forest end of the Lair very nicely.

[darksquall]

Don't play while watching the Olympics *(women beach volleyball).

I can play with one hand