I've been enjoying my first game of DCSS (playing as a minotaur fighter), and with the help of Ultraviolent4's guide I've just entered the Lair. The Lair entrance was located on D:11, and I've cleared D:1 to D:11.
Shortly after entering the lair, I've spotted an eight headed hydra. I've been using long blades (along with some thrown weapons) for all my combat so far, and these sound like a poor choice based on the ability of the hydra to grow new heads. I do not have any flaming weapons, which seem to be a commonly recommended approach.
I could throw my javelins / tomahawks, but as I've found that this typically only weaken enemies (and as the hydra is poison resistant), this sounds unlikely to be effective to me. I also have a bunch of scrolls and wands, however I have not really used any of these in my run so far, and so I have very little intuition as to whether they would kill the hydra, or even be safe to use at this point.
Alternatively, I could run back to the stairs and try to clear D:12 and hope to find a flaming weapon. This potentially sounds like the safest choice, assuming that D:12 is not much harder than D:10 or D:11. However, if I don't find a flaming weapon I'm then in a similar scenario as before.
Any insight on general strategy in this case (or cases like it), as well as some intuition as to whether any of my wands or scrolls might be appropriate to this case would be greatly appreciated. (I've included the character file below). Thanks!
- Code:
Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup version 0.22.1-2-g9c5b331 (webtiles) character file.
millsmess the Carver (Minotaur Fighter) Turns: 16797, Time: 06:31:54
Health: 101/101 AC: 20 Str: 23 XL: 11 Next: 40%
Magic: 10/10 EV: 7 Int: 5 God: Trog [***...]
Gold: 927 SH: 12 Dex: 15 Spells: 10/10 levels left
rFire . . . SeeInvis . o - +0 scimitar
rCold . . . Gourm . c - +1 shield
rNeg . . . Faith . R - +0 plate armour
rPois . Spirit . N - +1 hat
rElec . Reflect . P - +1 cloak
rCorr . Harm . s - +1 pair of gloves
MR +.... (no boots)
Stlth .......... (no amulet)
HPRegen 0.26/turn m - +4 ring of dexterity
MPRegen 0.12/turn G - ring of protection from magic
@: no status effects
A: retaliatory headbutt, horns 2
a: Berserk, Trog's Hand, Renounce Religion
You are on level 1 of the Lair of Beasts.
You worship Trog.
Trog is most pleased with you.
You are not hungry.
You have visited 3 branches of the dungeon, and seen 13 of its levels.
You have collected 927 gold pieces.
Inventory:
Hand Weapons
a - a +2 long sword
o - a +0 scimitar (weapon)
q - an uncursed dagger
K - a great sword of freezing
Missiles
n - 29 sling bullets
B - 325 stones
E - 92 bolts
F - 80 poisoned needles
U - 3 poisoned javelins (quivered)
X - 12 tomahawks
Armour
b - a +1 scale mail
c - a +1 shield (worn)
s - a +1 pair of gloves (worn)
N - a +1 hat (worn)
P - a +1 cloak (worn)
R - a +0 plate armour (worn)
Jewellery
e - an uncursed ring of fire
j - an uncursed ring of flight
m - a +4 ring of dexterity (left hand)
A - an uncursed ring of ice
G - a ring of protection from magic (right hand)
Wands
h - a wand of acid (10)
p - a wand of disintegration (8)
x - a wand of paralysis (20)
y - a wand of polymorph (7)
L - a wand of iceblast (17)
O - a wand of scattershot (7)
S - a wand of flame (24)
Scrolls
g - 5 scrolls of teleportation
r - 2 scrolls of remove curse
v - 2 scrolls of fear
w - 5 scrolls of fog
D - a scroll of blinking
T - 4 scrolls of immolation
Potions
d - a potion of might
k - 2 potions of cancellation
l - a bubbling silvery potion
t - 2 potions of mutation
u - 2 potions of flight
z - a murky cyan potion
C - 2 potions of heal wounds
H - 3 potions of agility
I - 2 metallic cyan potions
J - a fuming amethyst potion
Comestibles
f - 13 rations
i - a chunk of flesh
Skills:
+ Level 10.4 Fighting
+ Level 12.4 Long Blades
+ Level 7.4 Throwing
+ Level 9.2 Armour
+ Level 2.3 Dodging
+ Level 1.7 Stealth
+ Level 7.7 Shields
+ Level 1.0 Evocations
You have 10 spell levels left.
You don't know any spells.
Your spell library is empty.
Dungeon Overview and Level Annotations
Branches:
Dungeon (11/15) Temple (1/1) D:6 Lair (1/6) D:11
Orc: D:9-12
Altars:
Ashenzari
Cheibriados
Dithmenos
Elyvilon
Fedhas
Gozag
Hepliaklqana
Kikubaaqudgha
Makhleb
Nemelex Xobeh
Okawaru
Qazlal
Ru
Sif Muna
Trog
Uskayaw
Vehumet
Wu Jian
Xom
Yredelemnul
Zin
The Shining One
Annotations:
D:6 3 runed doors, grinrain's ghost, novice HuAM
D:7 1 runed door, 4 exclusions, adso's ghost, novice MiFi
D:9 4 exclusions
Innate Abilities, Weirdness & Mutations
You reflexively headbutt those who attack you in melee.
You have a pair of horns on your head.
Message History
The porcupine is almost dead.
You block the porcupine's attack.
You miss the porcupine. Your headbutt misses the porcupine.
The porcupine is almost dead.
You block the porcupine's attack.
You hit the porcupine. You headbutt the porcupine.
You kill the porcupine!
Trog accepts your kill.
Found 17 gold pieces.
You see here a porcupine corpse.
You butcher the porcupine corpse.
i - a chunk of flesh
You start resting.
HP restored.
An eight-headed hydra comes into view.
The eight-headed hydra roars!
Press: ? - help, v - describe, . - travel
Here: an eight-headed hydra
The floor.
Unknown command.
#.#...... .#
#....... ..#
#...... ...#
##.##..+##+#....#
#................
##.......<.......
#................
#...............
#?@###+.P##.....
#...............
#..#..........##
#..#......#.....
#..P......#...#.
.......$..# ..
#..# ..D.#
#..# .#.#
You can see an eight-headed hydra.
Vanquished Creatures
2 two-headed ogres (D:10)
Pikel (D:8)
Maurice (D:10)
A gargoyle (D:10)
A komodo dragon (D:11)
2 trolls
Grinder (D:5)
A hornet (D:9)
3 hippogriffs
A wyvern (D:9)
A steam dragon (D:9)
3 water moccasins
A porcupine (Lair:1)
7 orc warriors
2 slaves
An eye of draining (D:11)
3 ice beasts
2 sky beasts
A black bear (D:9)
A necrophage (D:10)
4 ogres
2 centaurs (D:9)
A crocodile (D:9)
A big kobold (D:7)
9 bullfrogs
A gnoll sergeant (D:7)
A wyvern zombie (D:7)
A water moccasin zombie (D:7)
4 scorpions
7 killer bees
A howler monkey (D:6)
5 wights (D:10)
A bullfrog zombie (D:10)
2 centaur zombies
3 crimson imps
7 orc priests
7 hounds
3 centaur skeletons
2 jellies
2 bullfrog skeletons
5 iguanas
7 worker ants
12 orc wizards
A worker ant zombie (D:10)
A howler monkey skeleton (D:8)
A howler monkey zombie (D:6)
13 gnolls
7 adders
4 shadow imps
2 oozes
4 adder skeletons
A worm (D:2)
2 dart slugs
2 leopard geckos
39 orcs
A ball python (D:4)
6 giant cockroaches
9 hobgoblins
11 jackals
6 quokkas
5 bats
4 frilled lizards
16 goblins
2 jackal zombies
9 kobolds
A leopard gecko skeleton (D:8)
A quokka skeleton (D:6)
A quokka zombie (D:6)
5 rats
278 creatures vanquished.
Vanquished Creatures (others)
An adder (D:9)
A fungus (Lair:1)
6 plants (D:11)
2 withered plants (D:7)
10 creatures vanquished.
Grand Total: 288 creatures vanquished
Notes
Turn | Place | Note
-------+----------+-------------------------------------------
0 | D:1 | millsmess the Minotaur Fighter began the quest for the Orb.
0 | D:1 | Reached XP level 1. HP: 19/19 MP: 0/0
317 | D:1 | Reached XP level 2. HP: 23/27 MP: 1/1
946 | D:2 | Reached XP level 3. HP: 33/33 MP: 2/2
1101 | D:2 | Reached skill level 3 in Long Blades
2404 | D:3 | Noticed an ogre
2447 | D:3 | Reached XP level 4. HP: 40/40 MP: 3/3
2822 | D:1 | HP: 1/40 [gnoll/spear (7)]
3262 | D:4 | Noticed an ogre
3546 | D:4 | Noticed an ogre
3567 | D:4 | Reached skill level 4 in Long Blades
3747 | D:4 | Reached XP level 5. HP: 42/47 MP: 4/4
4371 | D:4 | Killed an ogre
4371 | D:4 | Reached skill level 5 in Fighting
4371 | D:4 | Reached skill level 5 in Long Blades
4371 | D:4 | Reached XP level 6. HP: 56/56 MP: 5/5
4459 | D:4 | Got a faintly humming ring mail
4503 | D:4 | Found a radiant altar of Vehumet.
4751 | D:5 | Entered Level 5 of the Dungeon
4791 | D:5 | Noticed Grinder
5325 | D:5 | Reached skill level 6 in Long Blades
5406 | D:5 | Reached XP level 7. HP: 63/63 MP: 6/6
6200 | D:6 | Reached skill level 7 in Long Blades
6427 | D:6 | Found a staircase to the Ecumenical Temple.
6434 | Temple | Entered the Ecumenical Temple
6665 | Temple | Became a worshipper of Trog the Wrathful
6844 | D:6 | Found a runed gate.
6845 | D:6 | Found a runed gate.
6845 | D:6 | Found a runed gate.
6846 | D:6 | Noticed grinrain's ghost (novice HuAM)
6846 | D:6 | Noticed a troll
7080 | D:7 | Reached XP level 8. HP: 36/74 MP: 7/7
7257 | D:7 | Reached skill level 8 in Long Blades
7481 | D:7 | Reached skill level 5 in Armour
7481 | D:7 | Reached skill level 1 in Dodging
7785 | D:7 | Reached skill level 1 in Throwing
7785 | D:7 | Reached skill level 5 in Shields
7883 | D:7 | Found a runed door.
7884 | D:7 | Noticed adso's ghost (novice MiFi)
7953 | D:7 | Noticed a hippogriff
7963 | D:7 | Killed a hippogriff
7963 | D:7 | Reached skill level 9 in Long Blades
8438 | D:7 | Reached * piety under Trog
8536 | D:7 | Reached XP level 9. HP: 82/82 MP: 8/8
8627 | D:7 | Reached skill level 1 in Stealth
8990 | D:5 | Killed Grinder
8990 | D:5 | Reached skill level 10 in Long Blades
10225 | D:8 | Reached ** piety under Trog
10777 | D:8 | Reached skill level 11 in Long Blades
11155 | D:9 | Reached XP level 10. HP: 86/91 MP: 9/9
11632 | D:9 | Reached skill level 5 in Throwing
11884 | D:9 | Noticed Pikel
11917 | D:9 | Paralysed by a hornet for 3 turns
11924 | D:9 | Paralysed by a hornet for 1 turns
12172 | D:8 | Killed Pikel
13423 | D:10 | Entered Level 10 of the Dungeon
13683 | D:10 | Noticed a gargoyle
13691 | D:10 | Killed a gargoyle
13973 | D:10 | Reached skill level 10 in Fighting
14103 | D:10 | Reached *** piety under Trog
14474 | D:10 | Noticed a two-headed ogre
14498 | D:10 | Killed a two-headed ogre
14498 | D:10 | Reached skill level 12 in Long Blades
14498 | D:10 | Reached XP level 11. HP: 100/100 MP: 10/10
14745 | D:10 | Noticed a two-headed ogre
14890 | D:10 | Noticed Maurice
15092 | D:10 | Killed Maurice
15361 | D:10 | Reached skill level 1 in Evocations
15475 | D:10 | Found a sparkling altar of Nemelex Xobeh.
15905 | D:10 | Killed a two-headed ogre
16416 | D:11 | Found a staircase to the Lair.
16756 | Lair:1 | Entered Level 1 of the Lair of Beasts
16796 | Lair:1 | Noticed an eight-headed hydra
Skill XL: | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 |
---------------+----------------------------------+-----
Armour | 4 5 7 8 9 | 9.2
Fighting | 4 5 6 8 9 10 | 10.4
Shields | 4 5 6 7 | 7.7
Long Blades | 3 4 5 6 7 9 11 12 | 12.4
Dodging | 1 2 | 2.3
Throwing | 1 4 6 7 | 7.4
Stealth | 1 | 1.7
Evocations | 1 | 1.0
Action | 1- 3 | 4- 6 | 7- 9 | 10-12 || total
-------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------++-------
Melee: Long sword | 108 | 100 | 5 | || 213
Headbutt | 15 | 15 | 70 | 48 || 148
Scimitar | | | 313 | 201 || 514
Throw: Stone | 12 | 8 | | 44 || 64
Javelin | | 3 | 88 | 90 || 181
Throwing net | | | | 2 || 2
Tomahawk | | | | 14 || 14
Invok: Berserk | | | 4 | 4 || 8
Evoke: Wand | | | 3 | 4 || 7
Use: Scroll | | 12 | 3 | 8 || 23
Potion | | | 4 | 1 || 5
Eat: Chunk | 3 | 4 | 7 | 6 || 20
Ration | 1 | 1 | 5 | 4 || 11
Armor: Scale mail | 42 | 42 | 2 | || 86
Chain mail | | | 145 | 40 || 185
Plate armour | | | | 29 || 29
Dodge: Dodged | 30 | 33 | 63 | 45 || 171
Block: Shield | 44 | 65 | 134 | 112 || 355
Rpst.: Long sword | 5 | 7 | 1 | || 13
Scimitar | | | 18 | 9 || 27