Seeking MuSk advice


Ask fellow adventurers how to stay alive in the deep, dark, dangerous dungeon below, or share your own accumulated wisdom.

Halls Hopper

Posts: 66

Joined: Thursday, 24th May 2012, 14:36

Post Thursday, 24th December 2015, 02:28

Seeking MuSk advice

I really am not sure why I am having so much trouble with the Skald. I've won with MuFi and MuGl...plus most Mucasters...I'm expecting to have trouble with the warrior-mages, as mummies (in my experience) have specialize a lot.

So far, I've tried playing Skald as pure melee, turning off spells and just using them until I find suitable armor making casting impossible.I've tried keeping low armor and getting the spells from the book online. I've gotten some good loot, some terrible loot. I've done everything I can think of, but after 100 failures, I'm looking for some sort of ideas.

I've tried Oka, Gozag, and Yred. I just can't get anything to work. My most successful was a gozag follower with maces....who never could find our buy a single decent weapon or armor after setting up 6 shops.

Hopefully you crawling experts can pass along something that'll stop me from splatting another 100 skalds (and warpers & enchanters).

Thanks very much in advance.
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Barkeep

Posts: 1788

Joined: Saturday, 29th June 2013, 16:52

Post Thursday, 24th December 2015, 04:08

Re: Seeking MuSk advice

Skalds, warpers, and enchanters all encourage the player to train a bunch of skills at once, and that's sorta fine when you've got good apts, but a lot harder with mummy's terrible apts. I'd abuse infusion until I found good armor, and focus on getting melee and defences up. Maces are a good idea (especially a good branded whip), as is Gozag; I bet MuSk is good with Oka and Ash too, but Gozag is particularly helpful for mummies. Try to take advantage of all the zero-skill stuff you can do, like blowguns and wands, and consider bringing spectral weapon online sometime in lair.

Mostly though the problem is that you're a mummy, and mummies are terrible. Lure aggressively and learn to love pillar dancing.

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Halls Hopper

Posts: 66

Joined: Thursday, 24th May 2012, 14:36

Post Thursday, 24th December 2015, 04:54

Re: Seeking MuSk advice

Not exactly good news, but I certainly appreciate the advice. I'll keep working at it. Maybe I'll get lucky at some point.
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Pandemonium Purger

Posts: 1386

Joined: Sunday, 5th April 2015, 22:37

Post Thursday, 24th December 2015, 05:14

Re: Seeking MuSk advice

Once you can cast it (character level 2) shroud of Golubria is amazing and probably better than infusion. It might even be good enough to delay going heavy armour for at least a little while.
http://crawl.akrasiac.org/scoring/playe ... speon.html. I started playing in 0.16.1
I achieved greatplayer in less than a year.
Remove food

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Sar

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Ziggurat Zagger

Posts: 6418

Joined: Friday, 6th July 2012, 12:48

Post Thursday, 24th December 2015, 14:52

Re: Seeking MuSk advice

Kiku is probably at least worth considering IMO

Swamp Slogger

Posts: 137

Joined: Wednesday, 14th December 2011, 16:11

Location: Australia

Post Thursday, 24th December 2015, 17:37

Re: Seeking MuSk advice

It so happens that I just completed a MuAs of Gozag yesterday: https://crawl.project357.org/morgue/zzx ... 160652.txt

The As start is a bit different (and stronger) than the Sk start but by lair it should be much the same. I highly recommend Gozag as almost certainly the best Mu god right now. Train sblades (there is often a venom/elec one in the early game) and at ~2k gold, order an armour merchant (antique ideally). Lair is largely a mix of gold stabbing and wand use. 6k+ gold for Zot makes it extremely smooth with bribe branch (you won't have to fight (m)any OOFs/aliches).

Potion petition is very strong and gold should be saved for its use (don't make new shops unless you have a lot of gold).

Polearms are also good for a more traditional Sk approach and eventual spectral weapon.

Halls Hopper

Posts: 66

Joined: Thursday, 24th May 2012, 14:36

Post Friday, 25th December 2015, 02:34

Re: Seeking MuSk advice

Thanks to watching Makemeasandwich spend some time on a MuSk taught me enough to muddle my way through.

  Code:
Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup version 0.18-a0-904-g0fe6e0c (webtiles) character file.

1305997 Avigdore the Phalangite (level 27, 233/233 (240) HPs)
             Began as a Mummy Skald on Dec 24, 2015.
             Was an Initiate of Gozag.
             Escaped with the Orb
             ... and 3 runes on Dec 25, 2015!
             
             The game lasted 05:36:34 (151805 turns).

Avigdore the Phalangite (Mummy Skald)             Turns: 151805, Time: 05:36:34

HP:   233/233 (240) AC: 24    Str: 21    XL:     27
MP:   35/35         EV: 23    Int: 16    God:    Gozag
Gold: 5727          SH:  0    Dex: 20    Spells: 13 memorised, 6 levels left

rFire  + + .      SeeInvis .    a - +9 bardiche (flame)
rCold  + . .      Gourm    .    C - +2 ring mail of Indemnity {+Fly rElec rF+}
rNeg   + + +      Faith    .    (shield currently unavailable)
rPois  ∞          Spirit   .    f - +1 helmet of an ice cave {rF++}
rElec  +          Dismiss  .    V - +2 cloak {+Inv}
rCorr  .          Reflect  .    h - +2 pair of gloves {Str+3}
SustAt .          Harm     .    v - +2 pair of boots {run}
MR     ++++.                    l - amulet of regeneration
Stlth  +.........               p - ring of Spite {Wiz Int+3 Slay+5}
                                R - ring "Tesiamyik" {*Contam +Fly MR+ Slay+2}

@: repel missiles, bribing [the Dungeon], quick, incredibly resistant to hostile
enchantments, very unstealthy
A: no food or potions, fire vulnerability, cold resistance 1, negative energy
resistance 3, torment resistance, unbreathing, in touch with death 2, restore
body
a: Self-Restoration, Potion Petition, Call Merchant, Bribe Branch, Renounce
Religion, Evoke Invisibility, Evoke Flight
0: Orb of Zot
}: 3/15 runes: barnacled, silver, gossamer


You escaped.
You worshipped Gozag.
Gozag was noncommittal.
You were not hungry.

You visited 11 branches of the dungeon, and saw 55 of its levels.
You also visited: Ice Cave and Volcano.

You collected 37137 gold pieces.
You spent 10253 gold pieces at shops.
You paid 21157 gold pieces to Gozag.

Inventory:

Hand Weapons
 a - a +9 bardiche of flaming (weapon)
 b - the +8 spear of Unlid {pain, rF+ SInv}
   (You bought it in a shop on level 1 of the Lair of Beasts)   
   
   In the hands of one skilled in necromantic magic, it inflicts extra damage
   on living creatures.
   
   It protects you from fire.
   It lets you see invisible.
 g - a +0 blowgun
 I - a +5 bardiche of freezing
Missiles
 d - 72 javelins (quivered)
 n - 16 curare-tipped needles
 Q - 14 throwing nets
Armour
 e - the +2 cloak of Mebbudos {Regen+ Str+4}
   (You found it on level 5 of the Vaults)   
   
   It affects your strength (+4).
   It increases your rate of regeneration.
 f - the +1 helmet of an ice cave (worn) {rF++}
   (You bought it in a shop on level 1 of the Lair of Beasts)   
   
   It greatly protects you from fire.
 h - a +2 pair of gloves of strength (worn)
 v - a +2 pair of boots of running (worn)
 C - the +2 ring mail of Indemnity (worn) {+Fly rElec rF+}
   (You bought it in a shop on level 1 of the Lair of Beasts)   
   
   It protects you from fire.
   It insulates you from electricity.
   It lets you fly.
 J - a +2 fire dragon armour
 V - a +2 cloak of invisibility (worn)
Jewellery
 l - an amulet of regeneration (around neck)
 p - the ring of Spite (right hand) {Wiz Int+3 Slay+5}
   (You found it on level 7 of the Lair of Beasts)   
   
   [ring of wizardry]
   
   It improves your spell success rate.
   It affects your intelligence (+3).
   It affects your accuracy and damage with ranged weapons and melee attacks
   (+5).
 D - an uncursed amulet of resist corrosion
 F - the ring "Majuiz" {rElec rC+ rN+ Dex+4}
   (You took it off an ancient champion on level 3 of the Crypt)   
   
   [ring of positive energy]
   
   It affects your dexterity (+4).
   It protects you from cold.
   It insulates you from electricity.
   It protects you from negative energy.
 L - an uncursed ring of see invisible
 R - the ring "Tesiamyik" (left hand) {*Contam +Fly MR+ Slay+2}
   (You found it on level 2 of the Depths)   
   
   [ring of flight]
   
   It affects your accuracy and damage with ranged weapons and melee attacks
   (+2).
   It affects your resistance to hostile enchantments.
   It lets you fly.
   It causes magical contamination when unequipped.
Wands
 k - a wand of fire (1/15)
 m - a wand of draining (8/15)
 q - a wand of draining (6/15)
 u - a wand of teleportation (6/9)
 w - a wand of cold (7/15)
 G - a wand of disintegration (6/24)
 H - a wand of lightning (4/15)
 N - a wand of hasting (3/9)
 O - a wand of lightning (10/15)
 T - a wand of digging (5/24)
 X - a wand of fire (11/15)
 Z - a wand of digging (11/24)
Scrolls
 c - 2 scrolls of amnesia
 j - 17 scrolls of fog
 r - 28 scrolls of remove curse
 s - 3 scrolls of blinking
 t - 18 scrolls of teleportation
 y - 2 scrolls of fear
 z - a scroll of magic mapping
 B - 5 scrolls of immolation
 M - a scroll of recharging
 U - 4 scrolls of torment
 Y - 28 scrolls of identify
Miscellaneous
 i - a lamp of fire
 o - a box of beasts {used: 2}
 x - a box of beasts
 A - a fan of gales
 E - a stone of tremors
 K - a plain deck of war {drawn: 1}
 P - a plain deck of wonders {drawn: 1}
 S - a disc of storms
 W - a phial of floods


   Skills:
 + Level 24.4 Fighting
 - Level 26.0 Polearms
 - Level 16.0 Armour
 + Level 13.5 Dodging
 - Level 6.0 Stealth
 - Level 8.0 Spellcasting
 - Level 6.0 Hexes
 - Level 6.0 Charms
 - Level 8.0 Necromancy
 - Level 10.2 Translocations
 - Level 4.0 Transmutations
 - Level 5.0 Air Magic
 - Level 5.0 Earth Magic
 - Level 11.1 Evocations


You had 6 spell levels left.
You knew the following spells:

 Your Spells              Type           Power        Failure   Level  Hunger
a - Infusion              Chrm           ####..       1%          1    N/A
b - Shroud of Golubria    Chrm/Tloc      ####......   1%          2    N/A
c - Spectral Weapon       Hex/Chrm       ####....     1%          3    N/A
d - Cause Fear            Hex            ####......   6%          4    N/A
e - Animate Skeleton      Necr           N/A          1%          1    N/A
f - Swiftness             Chrm/Air       ###.....     1%          2    N/A
g - Agony                 Necr           ######..     7%          5    N/A
h - Repel Missiles        Chrm/Air       ###...       1%          2    N/A
i - Blink                 Tloc           N/A          1%          2    N/A
j - Passage of Golubria   Tloc           N/A          1%          4    N/A
k - Song of Sleighing     Chrm           ####....     1%          2    N/A
l - Phase Shift           Tloc           #####.....   4%          5    N/A
m - Passwall              Trmt/Erth      ###.......   4%          3    N/A


Dungeon Overview and Level Annotations

Branches:
Dungeon (15/15)            Temple (1/1) D:6            Lair (8/8) D:10
 Shoals (4/4) Lair:3       Spider (4/4) Lair:4        Slime (0/6) Lair:7
    Orc (2/2) D:11            Elf (3/3) Orc:2        Vaults (5/5) D:14
  Crypt (3/3) Vaults:2       Tomb (0/3) Crypt:3      Depths (5/5) D:15
    Zot (5/5) Depths:5   

Altars:
Ashenzari
Cheibriados
Dithmenos
Elyvilon
Fedhas
Gozag
Nemelex Xobeh
Okawaru
Qazlal
Sif Muna
Vehumet
Yredelemnul
Zin
The Shining One
Beogh

Shops:
D:4 ?   D:12 (   Orc:1 }   Orc:2 %!([   Elf:1 !(*   Elf:3 %=:}   Lair:1 [=[[=[:*(}
Shoals:4 }   Vaults:3 [

Portals:
Hell: Depths:1 Depths:2 Depths:3 Depths:4 Depths:5
Abyss: Depths:1 Depths:2 Depths:4 Depths:5
Pandemonium: Depths:3 Depths:5
Ziggurat: Depths:4
Trove: Vaults:1 (give 2 scrolls of acquirement)

Annotations:
D:2 Sigmund
D:5 Eustachio
Spider:2 Louise
Spider:4 2 exclusions
Elf:1 exclusion: orange crystal statue
Elf:2 3 runed doors
Elf:3 1 exclusion
Depths:5 exclusion: 5 doors
Zot:2 exclusion: 2 oklob plants
Zot:4 3 exclusions


Innate Abilities, Weirdness & Mutations

You do not eat or drink.
Your flesh is vulnerable to fire.
You are immune to poison.
Your flesh is cold resistant.
You are immune to negative energy.
You are immune to unholy pain and torment.
You can survive without breathing.
You are strongly in touch with the powers of death.
You can restore your body by infusing magical energy.


The lessons I learned that got me through it were:
Don't sweat having min delay weapon so much.
The original spell-book for Sk really is quite good. Even without being able to learn Regeneration.
Infuse + Spectral weapon + smarter positioning makes for a much stronger character.
You can spend a TON of money on Gozag and still not get the gear you're looking for.
I didn't end up using my potion generation ability at all (maybe I used the free one once on accident due to my channeling macro).
Bribing the dungeon on your orb run out is pretty silly. Ancient liches and orb guardian pets for your run out are a bit OP.


So thanks tons to everyone who stopped in to give a supporting word. Much appreciated!

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