What could I have done?

[ZZ]

I'm used to dying in Crawl (who isn't), but this really came from nowhere: absolutely
in no danger a couple of turns before nor even at Elf:3 (from where I got banished to
the Abyss) and then:

  Code:

                                     ZZ the Severer
                                     Formicid of Cheibriados ******
                                     Health: 82/138    ==============----------
            ##  ###                  Magic:  43/43     ========================
           ...   .. ..               AC: 32            Str: 36
          ##..##..##. #.#            EV: 13            Int: 25
         ........... ..##            SH: 22            Dex: 28
         ............... #           XL: 19 Next: 24%  Place: Abyss:4
          #.....#.....##. #          Gold: 3408        Time: 50281.5 (1.4)
        ...#.....#.....#. .          b) +0 arbalest
        (.((....@........ .          l) 115 bolts
        .(.(.....§L.....#            -cTele
         ...(.....§(.... #
         (.(#.....#§....#            L   lich
         .. ##...###§.(#
        #    ##### ##(#
               #    .. .
            .. #        .
         .      # .   #
       #           .    #
                    ..
Aim: a lich (lightly damaged, fast)
 You shoot a bolt. The bolt hits the lich!
 The lich is moderately damaged.
 The orb of destruction hits you!
 Ouch! That really hurt!
 * * * LOW HITPOINT WARNING * * *
 The lich gestures at you while chanting.
 The orb of energy hits you!
 You die...
 --more--


Notice that I didn't have any chance to do anything between firing at the lich several squares away, at 80+ HP, and dying. How could I have avoided it, other than not following Cheibriados in the first place?

[Sar]

Step from Time, maybe? 80HP isn't much when we're talking about a lich who can cast spells that can deal over a hundred points of damage easily. Probably shooting at it with a +0 arbalest wasn't the best course of action.

Edit: 138 maxHP also seems really low for a level 19 character with normal HP aptitude.

[ajon]

Why are you on abyss 4? If you were banished from Elf, just find an out exit on abyss 1 and don't dive down. If you were diving for the rune, I think XL 19 is too early. Probably shouldn't have fought that lich in the first place. Slouch him if you have to, but if you can get away, that's your best option.

[Siegurt]

Well, this didn't have anything to do with Chei, this was just your arbelest was firing slow enough to give the lich 2 turns, this happens with any and all creatures when you're using a crossbow at less than min delay.

Liches are just damn dangerous at range, and crossbows generally don't reduce your risk as much as a faster ranged attack (or one that was at least consistently 1.0 turns) would.

Stuff that you might possibly have been able to do improve your chances:

1. Not been in Abyss:4, there's no reason to do so, and it increases your risk with no real benefits other than turncount.
2. Not been in Elf:3 until I was damn sure there was no way I was going to be banished.
3. Used silence against the lich (I don't know if you had it available or not)
4. Not dived in Abyss at all if I wasn't rune-hunting, XL19 is probably what I would call slightly low for rune hunting in the abyss, doable, but you need caution and lots of things to get out of sticky situations, I would want to be higher level than 19 while using Chei.
5. Not engaged a lich at less than full hps (That's harder in the abyss, things that help are stealth and regeneration)

[Sar]

The lich was also hasted so yeah, even mindelayed xbow would be able to give it two turns.

[ZZ]

Yes, not going down to Abyss:4 is kind of an obvious answer and, retrospectively, it would have obviously been a better choice.

But in my recollections (I haven't played since quite some time, so maybe things have changed since then) Elf:3 was worse than Abyss, so seeing how I didn't have any problems there, I thought I could manage it. The character just seemed ridiculously overpowered (except for -10% HP mutation...), until this happened I was starting to think that Chei was too good to be true.

I guess the real lesson is indeed to avoid arbalests in this situation, thanks.

[ZZ]

The lich was also hasted [...]

Yes, that was the other mistake, I didn't notice it. I probably would have used Slouch if I had.

[duvessa]

I'm used to dying in Crawl (who isn't), but this really came from nowhere: absolutely
in no danger a couple of turns before

A chei character in abyss, especially a formicid, is always in danger. I don't think there's any worse race/god combination for surviving abyss (maybe naga of chei is worse?).
Arbalests are fine, but a +0 unbranded arbalest against a lich is a pretty terrible idea, even if you had 27 skill. +0 unbranded weapons don't do very much damage. You needed to use consumables or step from time (which is really dangerous in abyss as Fo) here.

[Magipi]

Yeah, the +0 arbalest and the Abyss:4 aspects are really baffling, and let me add another one: EV 13 (with cheistats!).

[ZZ]

and let me add another one: EV 13 (with cheistats!).

Really? What do you do to get better EV, absent any items with EV bonuses (which I never had)? I was training dodging since the very beginning of the game, so I'm not sure how was it supposed to be higher...

[rockygargoyle]

Can you post the full dump?

[radinms]

Worst abyss god is obviously Qazlal.
Chei is op god for abyss.

[bel]

Qazlal is horrible in Abyss. I haven't tried Chei in Abyss except on OP characters.