The Tavern

Ice dragon scales on d1. should I wear them (I am an Hill orc Monk, going to do Beogh)

Try them on. Are your defenses better in ids than they were without? If you are concerned about rf- don't be, unless the benefit to defenses is trivial. just take extra care around orc wizards and enemies w/ flaming brand. (Also keep in mind you will probably find better heavy armor soon)

Wear it now, switch to plate armor when you find plate armor.

Some early uniques (Sigmund, Ijyb) might surprise you with wands of flame.

More of the same mostly:

1. Squish fast, ranged bomb, or run from anything that spits fire. This may be easier said than done in some fights.

2. It's a pretty heavy kind of armor. The general physical protection is great and you may not suffer too terribly in average fights for it at the start I imagine, but watch how often your attacks are forced to miss and how much more often enemies seem to be damaging you than before (how often, not how much - this is about attack speed versus hits you can score and how bad your dodging is with this thing on - because eventually you'll start meeting faster and meaner things). Start raising Armor or later put on something rather less bulky, whenever these start to become a serious issue.

I find plate kind of risky even on Orcs in early game, myself btw. It's kind of easy to get your attacks gimped and your evasion smacked at the same time, where after a few levels the sole centaur or ogre/random wand wielder will just randomly blast you. I'd be happier with enchanted scale or chain by early Lair (or usually by say D:10-12 at worst if skilling farther in Dungeon, as I often do first) and a stronger offense during the early levels (unless you find some absolutely amazing magicked plate sitting around). Maybe others' mileage varies, but such has been my experience.