The Tavern

Just wondering how people deal with lack of rMut amulets for doing extended in 0.18?

For a 3-runer I don't think it's too much of a problem - there'll probably be enough cure mutation potions to deal with OOF malmutations.

For the extended I'm thinking:

1) Butterflies for meat shield, and smite target anything that could malmulate you (air strike, portal projectile spring to mind)
2) Before you do extended, gather together as many mutation , cure mutation and beneficial mutation potions as you can. Keep downing the mutation potions until you get mutation resistance. If things are looking crappy, down the cure mutation potions, then drink the beneficial mutation potions, then maybe switch to Zin (which is a bit of a problem if you're playing a DD)
3) Don't bother with the warlock's mirror - it doesn't seem to block malmutate.

The reason I ask is that I had this nice DDFi^TSO going on a greater orb run, but picked up berzerkitis in the abyss, and died from it in Pan. I managed to get the abyssal rune, so maybe I should have just settled for a great orb run...

1. Stealth
Get enough Stealth so that you can make the decision whether you want to retreat or fight. A Cacoademon who cannot see you cannot harm you

2. Haunt
It's smite-targted, so you'll have very good chances to block LOS even if someone noticed you. They can even kill things but most important Haunt-monster will slow others

3. Any meat shield except for butterflies.
Butterflies move around which is bad. They are good for retreating/blocking OS once but that's it.
Any harmless monster is better

4. Fire Storm
It deals a lot of damage *and* gives you summons to distract/break LOS to a Cacaodemon


I've done Mnolegs rune 4 times now in 0.18 and didn't get a mutation.
I get a mutation somewhen while looking for a portal in plain Pan.

Awesome ranged attacks, and use of the now plentiful !curemut. In any given 3-rune game I find 3-6, if I dip into the ten first levels of a ziggurat I find 5 more, and thats plenty for extended (where you should find even more!). Of course dont quaff it at weak 1, use it on berserkitis/teleportitis etc.

Its a shame to play without any mutations, but whats one to do?

OK, thanks Neb. Looks like I went for the wrong approach on my Deep Dwarf Greaterorbrunner. Should have stuck with Makhleb (not switched to TSO who doesn't like Haunt), got necro (DDs have a good aptitude for this) and pushed stealth harder (DDs have a great aptitude for this, and you need it anyway to balance out the lack of stealth from carrying the orb)

I put a line in rcfile recently to force me to press space when a mutator coming into view is reported.

Necromutation works. Or play only Ghouls (or Mummies, ick).

Darkness reduces LOS.

On (non-DD) melee characters, Zin works great. I'll often go with Zin if I don't need rN from TSO. High-Invo Recite is awesome.

Jiyva is probably ok (for non-DD).

Silver and penetration javelins with lots of Throwing are helpful.