Monday, 12th December 2011, 17:02 by cerebovssquire
Reciting in front of an Ancient Lich is a really silly thing to do (3 turns where he might do anything, including summoning 3 1s or Crystal Spearing you 3 times) and won't oneshot it. If I remember correctly, Orbs of Fire are unaffected because they are unliving.
Recite is barely useful at all. The passive protection effects and Sanctuary and Imprison are what make Zin a sort-of-decent god before and a great god in extended.
Passive protection is piety/200 (200 is max piety) for rRot, rHell-Effect, rMut. For very reliable life saving Elyvilon is what you want.
Uh... sInv and rN are both unimportant and definitely don't give TSO an edge over Nemelex, Makhleb and Elyvilon, even if you believe you can do without Okawaru and Trog. The game isn't about unseen horrors and shadow dragons so gods who are actually useful against everything in the game without being weak (the ones I named) are much stronger than TSO or Zin. Consider the ability to heal whenever you like and to smite-oneshot-"kill" even stuff like titans and ancient liches, and dragons and hydrae with ease, the broad powers of Nemelex who has some of the best summoning, healing and escape options of the game, or Makhleb's healing-for-kills and demons.
"I might be lower level after V:8" isn't really an argument, but very minor, and at least before Tomb and Tartarus rN is merely a convenience. Dangerous invisible enemies... well, Elyvilon, Nemelex and Makhleb all offer ways to counteract that which are just as good and much broader. It justifies swapping in rN rings or amulets of warding against shadow dragons. It doesn't justify a god choice that affects the whole game including large parts before and after V:8.
Also "lower level after Zot" is entirely incorrect. I usually don't even have rN and play loads of melee and somehow I still gain roughly 3 levels every time I clear it. One XL more or less makes little difference on non-Felids, it is _mainly_ the skills that define a character's strength and the game has so much EXP anyway.
Nothing stops you from abandoning Trog, or Okawaru especially; but Regeneration and MR, Brothers in Arms are still very useful in Zot (and the occasional Berserk with passing out protection). I also fail to see how doubled melee speed under Okawaru loses its shine anywhere, he is a great MDFi god before extended by when TSO becomes clearly superior. In addition, the executioner's axe you are basically guaranteed over the course of the game makes Zot easier too, of course, and you might be stuck with a battleaxe, broad axe or something with the others.