That goddamn Mara!

[ChokingPuppies]

My current character:

  Code:

 Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup version 0.9.1 character file.

Ghorghor the Severer (Minotaur Berserker)                          Turns: 24608, Time: 02:14:57

HP 129/130       AC 20     Str 32      XL: 14   Next: 79%
MP   7/7         EV 17     Int  4      God: Trog [*****.]
Gold 751         SH  0     Dex 10      Spells:  0 memorised, 15 levels left

Res.Fire  : + . .   See Invis. : .    b - +4,+6 dwarf executioner's axe (chop) {god
Res.Cold  : + + .   Warding    : . .  V - +1 dwarf banded mail
Life Prot.: + . .   Conserve   : +    (no shield)
Res.Acid. : . . .   Res.Corr.  : .    D - +2 wizard hat
Res.Poison: +       Clarity    : .    N - +0 cloak of Starlight {rElec rC+ EV+4 Stlt
Res.Elec. : +       Spirit.Shd : .    A - +0 pair of dwarf gauntlets
Sust.Abil.: . .     Stasis     : .    H - +0 pair of boots
Res.Mut.  : .       Ctrl.Telep.: .    f - amulet of conservation
Res.Rott. : .       Levitation : .    s - ring "Bipiahip" {rElec rPois rF+ rN+ EV+6}
Saprovore : . . .   Ctrl.Flight: .    m - cursed ring "Ovoaj" {rC+ Str+6 Dex-1 Stlth

@: somewhat resistant to hostile enchantments, extremely unstealthy
A: horns 2
a: Burn Spellbooks, Berserk, Trog's Hand, Brothers in Arms, Renounce Religion


You are on level 4 of the Snake Pit.
You worship Trog.
Trog is extremely pleased with you.
You are not hungry.

You have visited 4 branches of the dungeon, and seen 23 of its levels.

You have collected 1205 gold pieces.
You have spent 474 gold pieces at shops.

Inventory:

Hand weapons
 b - a +4,+6 dwarven executioner's axe of chopping (weapon) {god gift}
 B - the +2,+7 flail of Pestilence {holy, rPois rF+ SInv}
   (You found it on level 8 of the Lair of Beasts)   
   
   It has been blessed by the Shining One to cause great damage to the undead
   and demons.
   
   
   It protects you from fire.
   It protects you from poison.
   It enhances your eyesight.
Missiles
 e - 5 +0 javelins (quivered)
Armour
 A - a +0 pair of dwarven gauntlets (worn)
 D - a +2 wizard hat (worn)
 H - a +0 pair of boots (worn)
 N - the +0 cloak of Starlight (worn) {rElec rC+ EV+4 Stlth--}
   (You found it on level 7 of the Dungeon)   
   
   
   It affects your evasion (+4).
   It protects you from cold.
   It insulates you from electricity.
   It makes you much less stealthy.
   
   A cloak woven of pure light beams.
 V - a +1 dwarven banded mail (worn)
Magical devices
 a - a wand of lightning {zapped: 4}
 h - a wand of cold {zapped: 2}
 j - a wand of enslavement {zapped: 2}
 r - a wand of slowing {zapped: 3}
 u - a wand of draining {zapped: 3}
 w - a wand of healing {recharged}
 C - a wand of invisibility {zapped: 3}
 K - a wand of confusion {zapped: 2}
 U - a wand of fireball
 Y - a wand of teleportation {zapped: 2}
Comestibles
 v - 12 meat rations
 E - 3 pears
 F - 3 rotting chunks of naga flesh
 G - 2 chokos
 L - 11 bread rations
 S - a snozzcumber
Scrolls
 c - 2 scrolls of enchant armour
 o - 4 scrolls of teleportation
 p - 7 scrolls of detect curse
 t - 4 scrolls of remove curse
 z - a scroll labeled UMIJIS CAEKH {tried}
 J - a scroll of magic mapping
 P - a scroll of identify
Jewellery
 f - an amulet of conservation (around neck)
 m - the cursed ring "Ovoaj" (left hand) {rC+ Str+6 Dex-1 Stlth++}
   (You found it on level 6 of the Lair of Beasts)   
   
   [ring of strength]
   It affects your strength (+6).
   
   It affects your dexterity (-1).
   It protects you from cold.
   It makes you much more stealthy.
   It has a curse placed upon it.
 s - the ring "Bipiahip" (right hand) {rElec rPois rF+ rN+ EV+6}
   (You found it on level 8 of the Lair of Beasts)   
   
   [ring of evasion]
   It affects your evasion (+6).
   
   It protects you from fire.
   It insulates you from electricity.
   It protects you from poison.
   It protects you from negative energy.
 x - an uncursed ring of see invisible
 y - an uncursed ring of sustain abilities
 O - an uncursed ring of protection from cold
 T - an uncursed ring of teleportation
 W - an uncursed ring of life protection
Potions
 d - 7 potions of healing
 g - a slimy green potion
 n - 5 potions of magic
 q - 2 potions of might
 I - a potion of restore abilities
 M - a potion of heal wounds
 X - a potion of resistance
Books
 i - a metal-bound book   
   
   Trog disapproves of the use of such an item.
 R - a paperback book   
   
   Trog disapproves of the use of such an item.


   Skills:
 + Level 17 Fighting
 + Level 20 Axes
 + Level 3 Maces & Flails
 - Level 4 Throwing
 + Level 14 Armour
 - Level 2 Dodging
 - Level 1 Stealth
 - Level 2 Stabbing
 + Level 3 Traps & Doors
 - Level 2 Unarmed Combat
 - Level 1 Spellcasting
 - Level 4 Evocations


Encountered Mara on snake:4 and I've tried everything in my book. Nuking away with wands, mass summon Brothers, trying to lure the 3 editions of him away from eachother... Any tricks to killing this guy? Or do I just swallow my pride and leave him be..

EDIT: Also, since I'm an idiot who doesn't read forum rules, this should be moved to YASD etc.

[njvack]

Well, if you can leave him be, do. But it can be an unpleasant surprise to flee, wounded, back to the Snake:5 stairs -- only to find Mara waiting right at the top. So it's pretty defensible to decide he needs to be dealt with, unless you plan to wait on Snake:5 until it's not a threat.

If I have summons available, that's usually a pretty effective trick. They don't get misled or cloned, and I'm pretty sure Mara doesn't clone himself or blink out of melee if you're out of LOS. Getting a couple brothers interested in him and running or teleporting away usually leads to "You feel more experienced." If you can get him pinned in a corridor, that helps too -- there's less space for him to blink to.

As an aside: don't carry scrolls of enchant armour around! Fire attacks love to burn 'em.

[XuaXua]

Getting a couple brothers interested in him and running or teleporting away usually leads to "You feel more experienced."

This. Summon 2 brothers. Read your teleport scroll right before viewing Mara. view mara.
't' 'a' click Mara.
Summon more brothers.
have another teleport scroll or ring ready just in case you are put next to him.

[Kate]

ta is a waste of a turn with BiA. They're berserk and couldn't care less who you want them to attack.

[XuaXua]

ta is a waste of a turn with BiA. They're berserk and couldn't care less who you want them to attack.

I've just been getting annoyed with the whole "I attack a monster at range with ranged weapons WHY ARENT MY ALLIES LEAVING MY SIDE TO ATTACK AS WELL?"

[eeviac]

You're only level 14, what are you doing running around Snake:5? You should leave branch ends / rune grabbing until much later unless you know exactly what you're doing. I learned this after dieing in the Orc Mines a few times


Related: I've noticed that crawl never notes / reminds the player of the floor that Mara is on. I'm guessing this is on purpose, because he's tricky like that?

[XuaXua]

You're only level 14, what are you doing running around Snake:5?

He Joined Tavern Dec. 24th. New player.

[Wereox]

One thing to keep in mind is that how effective Mara is varies wildly based on his AI. If you do the Teleport/BiA strategy listed above, he might firebolt something a few times, move up into melee, or clone himself and then you. Always be ready to try again later against him; if you are able to flee reliably, sooner or later his AI will derp and you'll be able to kill him.

[Pteriforever]

You're only level 14, what are you doing running around Snake:5?

Destroying greater nagas with ease? Idk.

[ChokingPuppies]

You're only level 14, what are you doing running around Snake:5? You should leave branch ends / rune grabbing until much later unless you know exactly what you're doing. I learned this after dieing in the Orc Mines a few times

Guess I was lucky with items. Besides Mara I tore through snake with no real problems. Swamp was a breeze, same with orcish afterwards. Got cocky, smashed my way through elven halls 1-4... yeah.. elven 5 is a bitch...

[greepish]

Yeah general snake is easy with rPois (well .9 snake anyways), BUT they get some NASTY uniques. I've seen mara, nikola, and Mennas all in one branch run.

[tormodpwns]

Yeah, Snake is really the easiest rune to get in 0.9. Even Greater Nagas don't pose much threat when you have MR and a shield (hopefully of reflection, to poison the nagas with poison arrow). I haven't gotten a Snake generation 0.10 but I can imagine that Constriction kills melee characters.