Treasure Trove and Stats?

[arandomperson12]

The treasure trove wants 14 potions of heal wounds; I have 8. Should I try to save them up to enter? Also, should I try to get strength to 8 to avoid stat zero?

[duvessa]

no to both questions

whatever you get inside the trove will be worse than 14 heal wounds potions so keep them

[Sprucery]

Don't try to save them up. Better to use them than die. If at some point of the game you are in a situation where you have a wand of heal wounds, several scrolls of recharging and 14 potions of heal wounds...

...you are most probably already so late in the game that you can just go and win not care about the Trove.

Also, should I try to get strength to 8 to avoid stat zero?

What character is this? Are you planning to do extended or just 3 runes? In a 3-rune game personally I don't raise stats just to avoid stat zero (my SpWz had 3 Str and GhGl had 3 Int).

[arandomperson12]

Just planning 3 rune, but probably going to have a YASD. Also, how dangerous is spider:4? Is it more dangerous than 1-3? I have 4 potions of invisibility for ghost moths.

[Sprucery]

The rune vault in Spider:4 typically has a few emperor scorpions and ghost moths. Otherwise it's the same. (Some nasty uniques, e.g. Mara, can appear on Spider:3 or 4.)

[Reptisaurus]

It's (almost) always quite a bit easier than the shoals or snake:4 and I see it as tad easier than swamp:4. Honestly if I clear Spider 1-3 without much trouble I just head for 4. Just stick your head in to the end vault, kill some stuff, retreat, heal... Don't just charge in and get surrounded by berserk emperor scorpions and you'll be fine.

Except there is one ending where you open a door and there's a room full of spark wasps and moths or wrath and scorpions and lots of things that are faster than you. In that case open the door, teleport, wait for the pack to disperse a bit and kill them one by one.

Note: I will always do spider before shoals.

Note 2: I will generally do spider before swamp, unless I can fly or swim.