[PROTIPS] Secret Tricks

[Grimm]

Speaking of levitation, another way to break mesmerization is to levitate and fly out to the mermaid and turn her into sushi. That trick saved me once.

[Zuboki]

Speaking of levitation, another way to break mesmerization is to levitate and fly out to the mermaid and turn her into sushi. That trick saved me once.

FR: Instead of chunks, aquatic creatures are instead cut into sushi. It is functionally identical unless your character has the Seafood Allergy mutation.

[Grimm]

Gives double nutrition to octopodes and merfolk.

[galehar]

The win/win combo: inner flame + enslavement.

[MyOtheHedgeFox]

Well, this is that Camikaze-Cuddle Attack which mageykun was afraid of.

[Happy Corner]

Play online, if you can. If you get any spectators, you can try asking them for advice if you get in a bad place.

[MyOtheHedgeFox]

Sometimes it is helpful to have a spectator or two with you in advance. Ask somebody whom you know at least for a bit to spectate your game, in the IRC channel or in somebody else's game (if you are sure the gameplayer and the spectator will not mind it).

By the way, what is your alias there?

[Stormfox]

If you are at mimic depth and you find a portal or a branch entry staircase, immediately look at your game notes (? : ). If the portal/entrance hasn't just been notated, you've got yourself a mimic.

(Who finds two entrances to the Hive on the same level?)

[XuaXua]

If you are at mimic depth and you find a portal or a branch entry staircase, immediately look at your game notes (? : ). If the portal/entrance hasn't just been notated, you've got yourself a mimic.

(Who finds two entrances to the Hive on the same level?)

I just throw a dart at every store/portal/artefact I find.

[Stormfox]

If you are at mimic depth and you find a portal or a branch entry staircase, immediately look at your game notes (? : ). If the portal/entrance hasn't just been notated, you've got yourself a mimic.

(Who finds two entrances to the Hive on the same level?)

I just throw a dart at every store/portal/artefact I find.

I do that too to make sure, but checking your notes doesn't expend a turn.

[DivineHammer]

Maybe this is a well-known fact, but Alistair's Intoxication is good. Like, really really good. To the point of seeming kind of overpowered to me. Uniques that would otherwise be quite intimidating, like Agnes, Norris, and Saint Roka, become almost trivial in the face of it. It also affects the entirety of Elven Halls, which means you can do it much earlier than normal, and is a funny way to take out vault guards. (Also, you only need clarity to cast it safely, not clarity+rpois. For some reason I only just realised this after having used it on several different characters.)

[njvack]

Don't just grab and wield Sonja's glowing dagger thinking "Sweet: Venom!" Because: Distortion.

[XuaXua]

Don't just grab and wield Sonja's glowing dagger thinking "Sweet: Venom!" Because: Distortion.

The more appropriate thread for that tip is this one.

[XuaXua]

Maybe this is a well-known fact, but Alistair's Intoxication is good. Like, really really good. To the point of seeming kind of overpowered to me. Uniques that would otherwise be quite intimidating, like Agnes, Norris, and Saint Roka, become almost trivial in the face of it. It also affects the entirety of Elven Halls, which means you can do it much earlier than normal, and is a funny way to take out vault guards. (Also, you only need clarity to cast it safely, not clarity+rpois. For some reason I only just realised this after having used it on several different characters.)

Doesn't it permanently damage your own intelligence?

[galehar]

Maybe this is a well-known fact, but Alistair's Intoxication is good. Like, really really good. To the point of seeming kind of overpowered to me. Uniques that would otherwise be quite intimidating, like Agnes, Norris, and Saint Roka, become almost trivial in the face of it. It also affects the entirety of Elven Halls, which means you can do it much earlier than normal, and is a funny way to take out vault guards. (Also, you only need clarity to cast it safely, not clarity+rpois. For some reason I only just realised this after having used it on several different characters.)

Doesn't it permanently damage your own intelligence?

Not permanently, it's just normal stat drain.

[jejorda2]

But the duration of the confusion from Alistair's is very short, and I assume it isn't affected by spell power because the power is listed as "N/A" on the stat screen. If you're used to getting three or four stabs from casting Mephitic Cloud or Evaporation, not being able to walk up to the enemy before it recovers requires a big change in strategy. If you can cast it along with a cloud, you're golden.

[Stormfox]

It's exceedingly useful to shut down masses of humanoid ranged attackers, like in Elf and most baileys. But yes, the duration is too short to use it as a substitute for Mephitic/Confuse/Evaporate and the like.

[DivineHammer]

You can easily chain-cast it though. Yeah, you have to deal with single interstitial turns where the enemy can act, but that's far better than having to deal with what could be an arbitrarily large number of turns waiting for confuse, or mephitic, or hibernation to get past the enemy's MR. I use it all the time against single monsters (particularly uniques, but also, say, frost giants).

[Brain]

non-large Earth elementalists take note - if you find large rocks, even though you can't use them effectively, you can throw them via F one square or against a wall and they will eventually shatter into a bunch of stones (for sandblast)

[Zuboki]

non-large Earth elementalists take note - if you find large rocks, even though you can't use them effectively, you can throw them via F one square or against a wall and they will eventually shatter into a bunch of stones (for sandblast)

"eventually" being a 1 in 25 chance. Hope you've got some macros ready.

[Brain]

non-large Earth elementalists take note - if you find large rocks, even though you can't use them effectively, you can throw them via F one square or against a wall and they will eventually shatter into a bunch of stones (for sandblast)

"eventually" being a 1 in 25 chance. Hope you've got some macros ready.

Yep, I macro it.

Hey about macro protips for saving lots of keystrokes or time?

[mrbobbyg]

Can't you use large rocks for MEGA SANDBLAST?

[XuaXua]

Can't you use large rocks for MEGA SANDBLAST?

Only if you can wield them; many species cannot (Deep Dwarves, the best race for EE, for example, is too small).

[dassem]

This one is in the wiki, but not obvious to spot:
Ignite poison works on mephitic clouds too.
Confusing your enemies then watching them stagger into flaming clouds is amusing.
I think it also works on poisonous corpses, to make little firey pillars...

[XuaXua]

Jeremiah gets credit for this one where he posted it here.

If you are using necromancy, there are occasions when you want to carry corpses around, and in these cases your carrying capacity might matter.

(eg you want to carry that hydra corpse to the next level so you can animate it as a zombie there.)

Summary: Drag a valuable corpse downstairs from an upper level to animate it on a new level as a new partner!

[dassem]

Jeremiah gets credit for this one where he posted it here.
If you are using necromancy, there are occasions when you want to carry corpses around, and in these cases your carrying capacity might matter.
(eg you want to carry that hydra corpse to the next level so you can animate it as a zombie there.)

Summary: Drag a valuable corpse downstairs from an upper level to animate it on a new level as a new partner!

Lol! I was just about to post almost exactly the same tip!
I got both Mara and Mennas in the swamp, while playing an ice/poison based DS mage... Luckily on different levels at least.
I think I got Mara to severely wounded twice, but just couldn't finish him. Similarly Mennas chased me off with a nasty blessed scimitar, and was just itching to provide me with YASD.
So I just dodged them and returned to the main dungeon. Later, I killed Xtahua and thought, "hmmm"... One ring of str and a couple of hydras later, and no more Mara.
Same for Mennas, but with cyclopses lugged from the shoals.

Another related tip is that you can spam summon shadow creatures while just out of sight, wait until you get a hydra or dragon (instead of bats!), then move in for the kill.

[Deimos]

Don't just grab and wield Sonja's glowing dagger thinking "Sweet: Venom!" Because: Distortion.

Made that mistake before. The next time I saw her, I casted Mephitic Cloud and laughed my ass of when she took it off and killed herself.

[vintermann]

I think I got Mara to severely wounded twice, but just couldn't finish him. Similarly Mennas chased me off with a nasty blessed scimitar, and was just itching to provide me with YASD.
So I just dodged them and returned to the main dungeon. Later, I killed Xtahua and thought, "hmmm"... One ring of str and a couple of hydras later, and no more Mara.

A story there: I had an ice caster who had real trouble with Mennas (they usually do). Right after escaping from him, I ran into a storm dragon. Hmmm.

* Memorize simulacrum
* Butcher dragon corpse
* Walk up to Mennas with seven storm dragon simulacra. Bye bye!

Simulacrum really shines with corpses producing many chunks, like Hydras, Giants or Dragons. The transport is easier, too.

[dassem]

A story there: I had an ice caster who had real trouble with Mennas (they usually do). Right after escaping from him, I ran into a storm dragon. Hmmm.

* Memorize simulacrum
* Butcher dragon corpse
* Walk up to Mennas with seven storm dragon simulacra. Bye bye!

Simulacrum really shines with corpses producing many chunks, like Hydras, Giants or Dragons. The transport is easier, too.

Awesome! 7 dragons is about the most efficient use of MP I've ever seen.
I wish I'd tried getting that spell instead of animate dead...

Simulcra:
How long do they last?
Can they use stairs?

I'd guess animate skeleton is an efficient way to make chunks too...

[Kate]

They last quite a long time - long enough to explore quite a bit or to rest up and heal once or twice (as long as summon dragon/ice beast/horrible things, the summoning spells with the longest durations, but additionally they can't be abjured). They can't use stairs, though.

For extra unnecessary awesomeness, kill a dragon with death channel active, cast animate skeleton on its corpse, then simulacrum on the chunks.

[dpeg]

Simulacrum really shines with corpses producing many chunks, like Hydras, Giants or Dragons. The transport is easier, too.

If your food reform materialises, there'll fewer chunks all of a sudden. (Yes, we need to look at all the chunk-using spells then.)

[galehar]

  Code:

W _ spectral dragon
ZZZZ  4 dragon simulacra
Z _ dragon skeleton


That's fun

[dpeg]

Monsters should be able to appeal to an abuse panel if they feel those heros are overdoing it. Killing is completely okay but what Marvin is doing to themm...

[JeffQyzt]

Waste not, want not...

[FailBot]

Zombie dancing: If you cast conjure flame beside you, and you step diagonally "behind it" the zombie will conveniently step into the flame. Works on skeletons, most undead, and generallly brainless beings that like to step into fires.

[Stormfox]

Zombie dancing: If you cast conjure flame beside you, and you step diagonally "behind it" the zombie will conveniently step into the flame. Works on skeletons, most undead, and generallly brainless beings that like to step into fires.

Also works distressingly well on your own mindless undead slaves.

[njvack]

Haste, rC+++, and Ozo's Refrigeration make for the easiest Vaults:8 welcoming committee ever. Never have I killed so many vault guards so fast.

[njvack]

Also! Just because you can kill all the vault guards in a few moments does NOT mean the rest of the level isn't friggin' dangerous.

[Happy Corner]

Yeah, the vault guards are like doormen. They may be there to keep low-level punks out, but the things behind them are the real high rollers of the Vault.

[MADDOGmjb]

Zombie dancing: If you cast conjure flame beside you, and you step diagonally "behind it" the zombie will conveniently step into the flame. Works on skeletons, most undead, and generallly brainless beings that like to step into fires.

Also works distressingly well on your own mindless undead slaves.

Not to mention some of your demonic summons. I've been attacked by more than one "friendly" demon due to similar... misunderstandings.

[AtT]

The win/win combo: inner flame + enslavement.

So could you cast inner flame on your own zombies and use them as a chainbomb? Say be a fire elementalist of Yredelemnul, take a few zombies, stack up inner flames on them (idk how long it lasts, until death? could be done during a fight) by putting flames on as many as possible, surround large scary mob, they kill one or you kill one, all blow up = insta kill? If that is at all possible I am forever playing fire eles of yred.

[AtT]

I think realistically it could only be used to make small numbers of zombies effective. I'm sure swarming would be better than just detonating everything but its a nice image haha. Still though I think it's worth trying to see if zombies can be used as bombs in small numbers if needed until you build a larger force. I find my biggest turn off for necro style characters is first entering a level is very difficult without much help except from bodies carried down. I also think the fire elementalist book is good for a lot longer so there wouldn't be this huge NEED for sif/veh. maybe kiku would work too. i'll give it a go soon and post how it works (keep in mind i'm a relativity new player but i usually get through the lair w/ combos im good at- have a few saves at L7 on various types. then i get excited about another idea and have to try it lol)

[Eji1700]

Only ones i've got-
Transumter tricks:
Mummy curses (used to?) give you a TON of potions of degen for your evaporate spell. Find an early mummy vault, load up on some potions of water, and go to town.
I've sometimes used wand of polymorph to swap creatures into something that would give me a more useful corpse. I suppose this could work for Necro's too. Of course not actually being pro and knowing all the hitdice stuff this has more often killed me.

Actually i feel like polymorph and enslave are both heavily underused spells with major potential if you start thinking tactically instead of "Find and kill". Enslave has saved me a few times simply by charming something like a bat to serve as a meat shield while i flee through a hallway.

Still awesome topic. Did not know more than half of this, and the enslave summoner thing both makes me happy, and cry on the inside when i think back to some deaths.

[XuaXua]

If you can kill earth elementals easily (looking at you, non-magic-using Fighters), the stone of earth elementals is a poor strong man's wand of digging/disintegration/dig spell.

All my heavily armored HOPr's have been carrying them.

[Jabberwocky]

Hand axes are quiverable, throwable items, like daggers, or spears. If you have to throw it awkwardly, throwing doesn't appear to reveal pluses. But you do discover the pluses of ammo when you throw it.

(tested in WIZ with 27 Throwing and an enchanted longsword, with and without targets)

How do you throw a longsword? I can't figure it out.

[XuaXua]

Hand axes are quiverable, throwable items, like daggers, or spears. If you have to throw it awkwardly, throwing doesn't appear to reveal pluses. But you do discover the pluses of ammo when you throw it.

(tested in WIZ with 27 Throwing and an enchanted longsword, with and without targets)

How do you throw a longsword? I can't figure it out.

List inventory 'i' and mark the letter for your longsword. Exit to game.

Hit 'F' not 'f', then type the letter for your longsword, aim and fire.

[XuaXua]

If you can kill earth elementals easily (looking at you, non-magic-using Fighters), the stone of earth elementals is a poor strong man's wand of digging/disintegration/dig spell.

All my heavily armored HOPr's have been carrying them.

It's the second-least useless of those elemental-like artefacts for non-spellcasters (Disc of Storms (lightning) / Fan of Air Elementals / Lantern of Fire / Lantern of Shadows).

Wonder why there's no true water artefact (Robe of Clouds?)

[hayenne]

The Storm Bow may leave some puddles of water around too.