Dumb AM Ranger 15: Scroll, potions, rings and things

[grinrain]

Starting out, what is the right strategy for discovering unknown scrolls, potions, armor, jewelry and such?

My current strategy is to keep gathering until I get to the 3rd level of the dungeon. Standing on the bottom step, I put on rings/amulets until I have a usable set and same with any armor I have collected. I then start reading one of each scroll stack starting with the biggest stacks. When I get identity scrolls, I use them to identify potions. I never try on a weapon until I have remove curse scrolls, though that has turned out to be painful on at least one run when I equipped a -2 longsword of distortion.

After that, I use identity scrolls on potions as I find them, the rest I read on the steps of the next lower level of the dungeon (after clearing the immediate area).

What is a better strategy?

[Sprucery]

I don't know what is a good strategy, but here's what I do:

Whenever I find an identify scroll, I see if I have an unidentified potion. If I do, I identify it.
I take a risk and wear the first two rings I find. This is surely not optimal, but I don't care. If I have two usable rings, I don't put others on until I have a remove curse scroll.

When I have cleared a level, I check If I have id scrolls and use them in this order: potions, scrolls, amulets, weapons.

When I descend to a new level, I check if I have unidentified scrolls and use them, starting with the biggest stack. If it's teleportation, I climb back up.

I might wield an enchanted weapon in the early game, if the base type is good. Later I don't do it if I don't want distortion, which I usually don't.

I never wear unidentified amulets if I haven't found harm yet.

Later when I have a big stack of id scrolls I use them on artifact armour and rings as well, to avoid annoying *drain and *contam.

[Airwolf]

Distortion is very rare and *Drain gets recovered pretty easily.

[petercordia]

I usually read double Scrolls as soon as i remember to, and ID single Scrolls until I've found remove curse. After that I'll switch between IDing Scrolls and potions. I usually try to avoid read IDing ?amnesia, and ?entchant, and I don't quaf-id stacks of less than 4 until I've found !mut.
I don't care much about *Drain (including harm) or !degeneration (they go away pretty quickly with xp), but I sometimes avoid new amulets because of*faith. Before my first uncurse scroll I'll wear ID equipment which could be a significant upgrade (eg the first 2 rings or a scale mail armour or gloves), and later in the game I'll wear ID everything which looks like it could be useful. I don't worry about distortion, because there are enough brand weapon Scrolls. I've never been truly messed up by a distortion weapon.
With monster equipment being IDed in recent versions I find weapon IDing and body armour IDing get rare really quickly.

[sanka]

On most characters, I personally identify scrolls first, at least until I have blink, teleport and fear identified. I found those more useful to save me than most potions, and I also think that I have a smaller chance to find good potions than these three scrolls.