The 'Questions too small to need their own thread' thread

[Jeremiah]

Does anything other than artifacts and storm dragon armour give rElec?

[KoboldLord]

Does anything other than artifacts and storm dragon armour give rElec?

Wield a staff of air, quaff a potion of resistance, or cast Insulation. Most sources of electric damage also respect some other defense, like Repel Missiles against electric eels and storm dragons, and of course every source of electric damage respects giant axe to the face.

[Jeremiah]

Ah, thanks, I didn't know about the staff of air.

New question: is it too risky to try casting Fire Storm at very good?

[joellercoaster]

ones that their initial book can last a while?

enchanters, ice/earth elementalists, conjurers, transmuters...

Necromancers!

[Galefury]

lolwut?

Anyway: conjuration and fire miscasts can cause pretty high damage (but not much else, fire will burn scrolls, but that's it), and 80-90% success is not that great. It never misses, so it will kill things just fine at Very Good. It might just kill you too. I wouldn't cast it at low HP or in situations where you cant take a failed Firestorm, but it will be just fine for dealing with most stuff. Note that at that success rate a double fail will still occasionally happen, so be prepared to deal with that. Also wear fire resistance.

[Jeremiah]

Is the number of jellies spawned by the royal jelly determined by the amount of damage done to it? I used a scroll of torment and it produced about 10 jellies.

Also, after killing the royal jelly, I found a group of slime creatures inside one of the treasure vaults. Is this intended? If they had been jellies they could have eaten all the loot.

[XuaXua]

Also, after killing the royal jelly, I found a group of slime creatures inside one of the treasure vaults. Is this intended? If they had been jellies they could have eaten all the loot.

That was supposed to have been fixed. What precise version of Crawl are you playing?

[Jeremiah]

That was supposed to have been fixed. What precise version of Crawl are you playing?

Webtiles online.

[galehar]

That was supposed to have been fixed. What precise version of Crawl are you playing?

Webtiles online.

The fix has been pushed to the 0.8 branch (0.8.0-18-g1b5ccbd). I think webtiles will get the fix when 0.8.1 is released.

[akira]

Got some newbie level questions (i used to play this game a long time ago but don't remember much).

currently playing a SPAr (Spriggan Artificer), and things have gone well. Ran around like a coward killing things with my rod after turning of stealth training. (i never liked stealth)

Got to the temple and worshiped Namlex and dropped 3 useless meat rations to get a deck of wonders and started pulling cards like mad. Got lucky and pulled two experience cards and 2 good helix cards (scales and regen) while whiffing on the wild magic cards (phew!).

Now the deck has run out and I'm sitting over leveled with a very (very!) large free experience pool and not sure what to do with it. I could victory dance my evocations, spells or something else but i don't know what is best at this point. I have a book of conjurations (fire).

1) What do you recommend I victory dance to?
2) Is there a cap on skill levels? If there isn't whats a reasonable extended game skill number (curious).
3) Should I pick up a weapon and turn stealth back on and stop casting and start stabbing?

[Tiber]

Got some newbie level questions (i used to play this game a long time ago but don't remember much).

currently playing a SPAr (Spriggan Artificer), and things have gone well. Ran around like a coward killing things with my rod after turning of stealth training. (i never liked stealth)

Got to the temple and worshiped Namlex and dropped 3 useless meat rations to get a deck of wonders and started pulling cards like mad. Got lucky and pulled two experience cards and 2 good helix cards (scales and regen) while whiffing on the wild magic cards (phew!).

Now the deck has run out and I'm sitting over leveled with a very (very!) large free experience pool and not sure what to do with it. I could victory dance my evocations, spells or something else but i don't know what is best at this point. I have a book of conjurations (fire).

1) What do you recommend I victory dance to?
2) Is there a cap on skill levels? If there isn't whats a reasonable extended game skill number (curious).
3) Should I pick up a weapon and turn stealth back on and stop casting and start stabbing?

1) Depends what you want your character to be good at.
2) Skills can go up to 27, but you probably won't get them up that high unless you grind pan/abyss and/or do a 15 rune + zig game.
3) Being a caster is much easier and less luck-dependent than being a stabber, but a caster gets less benefit from nemelex.

[akira]

tack on another question to my list:

4) is it possible (with some luck of course) to run a pure evoker game? 3 runes and out? If so what path should i take?

[mageykun]

Nemelex is ridiculously powerful. My first SpAr was my first all rune-er. You could probably pretty handily steamroll a 3 rune rune win with just card abilities, but it would be easier if you branched into casting for buffs and defense spells as well (especially in Zot). Neme does offer the some of the most powerful panic buttons in the game, but it's nice to have lesser, non-luck dependent ones on hand as well. Best strategy is to get the hang of decks of summoning early- they're ridiculously awesome. Blink and abjuration are good to have if a summon goes wrong, and recall is great once you get your power up and get longer summons, or permanent crusade charmed allies.

Stealth/stabbing and casting are not exclusive. There's more to magic than conjurations, after all.

Also, sure blade. Nearly every spriggan should know sure blade.

Eidt: ^I'm assuming a 'pure' artificer can still make mele attacks. I'm guessing he means replacing spells entirely with evocations.

[akira]

yeah what i meant by pure was not picking up spell casting and just running around with cards and evocable items. looks like i'm going to dance evocations and some magic for blink & abjur (when i find them). What i really want to get my hands on is swiftness for the sheer retardation of my ground speed.

[mageykun]

Swiftness doesn't make spriggans any faster. The only way you can run faster than your already ridiculous spriggan speed is with haste, or controlled blinking or teleporting.

The only reason a sprigg would ever learn it was if you had nothing else on hand to start victory dancing up charms and air.

[t0d]

Stupid noob question: I just got a giant club from killing the Ogre on Sprint (with a TrEE). I have trained neither Unarmed nor M&F - yet. Should I use it, or are my claws better? (Stats are Str 16, Int 12, Dex 10)

[moekitten]

most of trolls use their claws

[t0d]

Yes, but so do 1.000 monkeys on 1.000 typewriters.

From what I figured out, my claws do 9 damage; the club Dmg 20 Acc -6 Delay 17, but that the claws are faster - by how much, I don't know.

[Galefury]

According to the bots:

UC base damage: 3 + UC + 6 for trolls (so probably more than 9 unless your UC skill is 0)
UC delay: 10-UC/5, so 100% at 0-4 skill, 90% at 5-9, etc.
UC base Acc is 2 + 4 for trolls

[slowcar]

using a giant club without any m&f skill is a good way to get yourself killed as you need a skill of 20 to get it to minimum delay.
note that weapon speed is also part of the spell success formula:
weaponPenalty = 3 * (weaponSpeed - 120) / 20
There is no way to mitigate this penalty.
http://crawl.chaosforge.org/index.php?t ... ll_success
(not a big factor, but still)

[XrBob]

I'm in a bailey portal. You start in a small room with lots of alarm traps, you open the door north and there are kobolds throwing shit at you across a one tile wide moat. Beyond that there is a medium room with a couple orcs and gnolls. My question is where is the treasure? I have ashenzari and the item symbol shows up in 3 places beyond the starting room next to the wall. I've looked for secret doors, but I can't find any. Am I missing something?

[mageykun]

I believe this is the bailey you mean? There isn't much in the way of loot.

  Code:

############################################################################
# A bailey.
#
# It's not human and it's got an axe.
#                 -- The Prey (1981)
#
# Loot consists of approximately six good items.
NAME:   bailey_axe_1
WEIGHT: 10
ORIENT: encompass
TAGS:   bailey_axe no_rotate no_item_gen no_monster_gen
LFLAGS: no_tele_control
#
ITEM:   any good_item w:10 / nothing w:5
#
: kobold_axe_returning(_G)
: easy_axe_fighter(_G)
: hard_axe_fighter(_G)
#
# Starting room flavour. You cannot actually get the axes.
SUBST:  Y = ccn
SUBST:  X : ccn
KITEM:  Z = good_item broad axe w:5 / broad axe / war axe /\
            good_item war axe w:5 / good_item executioner's axe w:1
KFEAT:  Z = teleport trap
#
# Traps are alarm on the entrance and alarm/net near the loot. Yes, I want
# everyone to wake up.
KFEAT: ~ = alarm trap / floor
#
# There is only one way up. You have to pass near the axe-throwing kobolds
# twice. This is intended. Teleportation traps ensure you won't get
# stranded.
NSUBST: s = 1:T / *:.
NSUBST: t = 1:T / *:.
KFEAT:  T = teleport trap
: bailey_setup(_G)
epilogue{{
bailey_milestone(_G)
}}
MAP
  ccccccccc
  ccccZcccc
  ccccYcccc
  ccc~A~ccc
  cZX~~~XZc
  ccc~<~ccc
cccccc+cccccc
ct1..w.w..1sc
c=cccw.wccc=c
ct1..w.w..1sc
c=cccw.wccc=c
ct1..w.w..1sc
c=cccw.wccc=c
ct1..w.w..1sc
c=cccw.wccc=c
ct1..w.w..1sc
c=cccw.wccc=c
ct1..w.w..1sc
c=cccw.wccc=c
ct1..w.w..1sc
c=cccw.wccc=c
ct1..w.w..1sc
cccccc+cccccc
    c...c
    c.3.c
    c222c
cccccc+cccccc
cd.2c...c2.dc
cd.23.I.32.dc
cd.2c...c2.dc
cccccc3cccccc
    c222c
    c...c
    cdddc
    ccccc
ENDMAP

If this isn't the one you want, go to your crawl folder and open dat/des/portals and dig around in the bailey file with a text editor.

[XrBob]

that does look like the one I'm at, it's just odd that ash tells me there items next to the walls with no way to get there, thanks though.

Edit: I found a staff of conjuration, but I remembered that if I curse it I won't be able to use my sword to cut meat into chunks. Is there a way around this? Are there some spells that I can use to cut up food?

[mageykun]

I don't know if Ash still has a special way to butcher while wielding a cursed blunt weapon- he did at one point.

The spell animate skeleton, if cast over a corpse with a skeleton, will rip said skeleton out of the corpse, leaving behind yummy chunks. There's also wands of disintegration and orb of destruction for exploding fleshy bodies, before they even become corpses!

Question: just how severe is the penalty for using a crossbow with a shield, instead of sticking to my trusty slings? I'm seriously considering going xbow this game for variety, but I'm unsure how badly I may be hurting myself.

[t0d]

Aren't crossbows 2h?

just curious, does a staff of energy reduce the hunger cost of invocation-based abilities (specifically, Sif Muna's channeling?)

[Ququman]

Do daggers hinder spellcasting ? and bucklers ?
Also, how the heck are you supposed to deal with undead and jellies with a Naga Venom. early on ?

[joellercoaster]

Do daggers hinder spellcasting ? and bucklers ?

No. And yes - but you don't need many levels of Shields to get rid of the penalty.

Also, how the heck are you supposed to deal with undead and jellies with a Naga Venom. early on ?

You aren't

[MyOtheHedgeFox]

How well must one train one's skills to have Fair chances of casting Ice Storm?

[asdu]

I always thought Vehumet's first gift for conjurers depended on earth and air skills as well as fire and ice. However I'm not so sure anymore, since my wizard with 5 in air magic, 3 in fire and no ice or earth skill was given the fire + earth book (which is extra lame now that it doesn't have bolt of fire in it anymore :S).
So, do only fire and ice count? Or is there some randomness involved?

[Galefury]

How well must one train one's skills to have Fair chances of casting Ice Storm?

This depends on int and spellcasting skill, equipment (heavy armor, shield, heavy weapon), armor and shield skill (if wearing heavy armor or a shield) and whether you have a wizardry bonus (ring, staff, vehumet). You will definitely need an average of Ice and Conjurations of over 20, unless you have a lot of wizardry. Generally once you're past useless and into Terrible territory it's about four more levels (of the relevant spell skills, each, conj and ice in this case)to get to fair.

Casting Ice Storm at Fair is not really recommended by the way, just use Freezing Cloud instead. If you want to do it anyway bring good cold resistance and have some spare HP (conjuration miscasts are irresistible). Potions may get frozen by the ice miscasts.

[Denniz]

Treasure trove wants a +6 Demon Whip. I have a +6/+5 Demon Whip and know where I can buy a Enchant Weapon III. If I do and I end up with +7/+6 would the Trove accept it?

[mageykun]

Yes. When the troves ask for +n/+m enchantment, n and m are the minimum it will take. Also, it will accept any brand.

Edit:

Crossbows do not require 2 hands to wield. The wiki's wrong there, I'm afraid. There is some penalty for using them with a shield, and that's what I'd like explained.

[Ququman]

Also, how the heck are you supposed to deal with undead and jellies with a Naga Venom. early on ?

You aren't

Another target for my fleeing policy I see, thanks !

[Jeremiah]

Fleeing doesn't work so well with a Naga due to their slow movement - you'd better hope that whatever you want to run from hasn't seen you and head for the stairs. Your good stealth aptitude should help with this.

[Ququman]

AN other quick question, sorry.
How can you prevent those damn elf demonologists from banishing you ? Is there a resist for that ?

[Jeremiah]

High magic resistance helps, but there is no way to be completely safe from banishment - so the only answer is don't go to Elf until you have very good MR or are prepared for a trip to the Abyss

[slowcar]

AN other quick question, sorry.
How can you prevent those damn elf demonologists from banishing you ? Is there a resist for that ?

Silence. Or Alistairs Intoxication. (or high MR, but sometimes it does not help)

[Jeremiah]

Or Mephitic Cloud - and I hear that killing them before they banish you works as well - but with any of these things there's always a chance they'll banish you before you get time to do whatever it is.

[Ququman]

Hm okay. I already got the Abyssal rune from my first trip (lucky !) but my berserker troll is getting annoyed by the banishing. I just got out of a second trip. Can a resistance potion help ? I have no MR armor yet, nor do I have poison resistance which is a problem for snake pit x_x

[Galefury]

Gaining levels raises MR. If you're having that much trouble with getting banished you probably shouldn't even be on Elf:5. Being a Troll doesn't help of course, they have low MR.

[sxoz]

So, do only fire and ice count? Or is there some randomness involved?

I'm not 100% positive, but I was under the impression that it's just Fire skill that counts. So if you have any Fire skill at all, you'll get the fire+earth book, and otherwise you'll get the ice+air book.

Edit: Ok, I just checked the code, here's how it works: You get the ice+air book if ice > fire, or if ice = fire and air > earth. Otherwise, you get the fire+earth book. Also, if you somehow have 0 in all four elemental skills, the book you get depends on the aptitudes for your race, with some randomness.

[asdu]

So, do only fire and ice count? Or is there some randomness involved?

I'm not 100% positive, but I was under the impression that it's just Fire skill that counts. So if you have any Fire skill at all, you'll get the fire+earth book, and otherwise you'll get the ice+air book.

Edit: Ok, I just checked the code, here's how it works: You get the ice+air book if ice > fire, or if ice = fire and air > earth. Otherwise, you get the fire+earth book. Also, if you somehow have 0 in all four elemental skills, the book you get depends on the aptitudes for your race, with some randomness.

Yeah, did some testing in wizard mode and figured as much.
IMO air and earth should matter just as much as fire and ice. Currently getting the ice book as a wizard means not using Conjure Flame (often not an option unless you find an early book with useful non-fire/earth spells or start doing some serious melee).
Also, I think Vehumet should gift Bolt of Fire somehow. I can understand why it was removed from the conjurer starting book, but it's a shame Vehumet doesn't give fire mages one of their staple late game attacks, especially when he gives a couple spells of dubious usefulness to conjurers, and Orb of Destruction twice.

[Phlimm]

OK I am a 100% n00b for Dungeon Crawl, but an old old master veteran on Nethack/Slash'Em, so I am very familiar with the standard Roguelike form. I have several questions in regard to some mechanics and general how to do stuff. I want to avoid being spoiled as much as possible though, so I will forgo some of my questions.

A) What do the different text colors on items mean? I got that dark gray means I can't use it and white is mundane, and blue is a cool magic item (maybe cursed). What of green? Are there other colors that mean something?

B) What is Victory Dance and how/why do I do it?

C) My current character is an Ogre Wizard. It says I am not religious. I have found at least one altar. Can I pray at it to become religious? What is a good choice and why and how? Can I change my mind later?

D) My one spoily question: Can a wand be recharged or should I just throw them away?

[Tiber]

A) What do the different text colors on items mean? I got that dark gray means I can't use it and white is mundane, and blue is a cool magic item (maybe cursed). What of green? Are there other colors that mean something?

B) What is Victory Dance and how/why do I do it?

C) My current character is an Ogre Wizard. It says I am not religious. I have found at least one altar. Can I pray at it to become religious? What is a good choice and why and how? Can I change my mind later?

D) My one spoily question: Can a wand be recharged or should I just throw them away?

A) https://crawl.develz.org/tavern/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=1716

B) When you kill monsters, exp goes into a pool, which can then be spent to raise your skills. Victory dancing is purposefully performing actions to train specific skills after you kill a monster and have points to spend. There are plans to do away with the pool system though.

C) Yes. http://crawl.chaosforge.org/index.php?title=God. You can leave a god, but that god will periodically punish you.

D) Yes, with a scroll of recharging. If you use an unknown scroll and it prompts you to select an item, the scroll is either identify (most common), recharging, or enchant armour. They're best saved for rods or wands of healing, haste, or teleportation though.

[Phlimm]

B) When you kill monsters, exp goes into a pool, which can then be spent to raise your skills. Victory dancing is purposefully performing actions to train specific skills after you kill a monster and have points to spend. There are plans to do away with the pool system though.

How do I do this? I have 48 points of unallocated experience.

[Tiber]

Cast a spell, even if it doesn't hit anything. Attack a plant to get fighting and weapon skills to level 1 (but no further). Let a weak monster attack you to raise defensive skills. Read scrolls to gain spellcasting if you don't have it (but only to level 1). Run around a sleeping monster to train stealth. Try and disarm traps for traps & doors (don't try this on blade traps though).

Use <m> to turn training a skill on or off. Skills can still train while turned off, but this happens much less frequently.

[Regnix]

How come Jellies can understand commands when enslaved? I told it to "wait here'. Whilst I ran away. It was handy, but I wasn't expecting it to work..

[MyOtheHedgeFox]

Even the mindless can understand some basic commands or feel the difference in the tone of your voice.