Ziggurat Zagger
Posts: 3037
Joined: Sunday, 2nd January 2011, 02:06
Hell Effect Paralysis
The specific impetus for this thread is a 14-Rune death I had today. I had fairly reasonable demonspawn earth elementalist of Ashenzari going, and was looting the very last Rune from Gehenna. I had no trouble killing any post-endgame target up to this point save Cerebov, who I bypassed because neither Crystal Spear nor Summon Horrible Things were getting the job done. The creature detection divine feature told me where Asmodeus was, and I killed his entourage from outside the room with Rapid Deconstruction. Then I moved back and used Regeneration and an Orb of Energy to top off my hp and mp. Then I returned, buffed up with Swiftness, Fly, and Haste, and skirted around the edge of Asmodeus' line-of-sight towards the Rune. I took one step, entered Asmodeus' line-of-sight, and the Hell Effect that causes paralysis hit.
Remember, I was Fly-Swift-Hasted up, and at full hit points. My fire resistance was likewise set up for Gehenna. No fiends were present or summoned, so there was no Torment in play. The only two other monsters present when the paralysis hit were two flying skulls, which didn't do anything. I still ran through 228hp and got killed before coming out of paralysis.
The paralysis effect is so overwhelmingly crippling on the rare occasion that it hits that it can arbitrarily declare you dead. The only way to prevent it is to self-cripple with an amulet of stasis, which prevents you from either fighting or evading challenging monsters and is spoilery besides. I'm all for real difficulty, but Hell Effect paralysis is an entirely luck-based challenge. It ought to be removed, replaced with some other effect, or at the very least dropped in duration to 1 or 2 ticks.
Here's the dump in the likelihood that somebody wants to quibble with my build or tactics:
- Code:
Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup version 0.9-a1-1292-g2654608 character file.
956098 Wrath the Archmage (level 27, -5/223 (230) HPs)
Began as a Demonspawn Earth Elementalist on Aug 7, 2011.
Was the Champion of Ashenzari.
Slain by a sun demon (12 damage)
... summoned by Asmodeus
... while paralysed
... on Level 7 of Gehenna on Aug 20, 2011.
The game lasted 16:06:08 (259855 turns).
Wrath the Archmage (DsEE) Turns: 259855, Time: 16:06:09
HP -5/223 (230) AC 25 Str 11 Exp: 27/3666025 (124)
MP 36/49 EV 2 Int 28 God: Ashenzari [******]
Gold 14496 SH 0 Dex 20 Spells: 17 memorised, 9 levels left
Res.Fire : + + . See Invis. : + c - staff of earth
Res.Cold : + . . Warding : . . T - +7 swamp dragon armour (curse)
Life Prot.: . . . Conserve : + g - +3 large shield {AC+3} (curse)
Res.Acid. : + . . Res.Corr. : + p - +1 helmet of the Many Ghosts {Dex+3 Int+3
Res.Poison: + Clarity : + o - +2 cloak {rCorr, Cons} (curse)
Res.Elec. : + Spirit.Shd : . a - +2 pair of gloves {Dex+3}
Sust.Abil.: . . Stasis : . (boots unavailable)
Res.Mut. : + Ctrl.Telep.: x q - amulet "Tekhlahe" {rMut rF+ MR Dex-2}
Res.Rott. : . Levitation : + P - ring of teleport control
Saprovore : . . . Ctrl.Flight: + z - ring "Noiloq" {Wiz rF+ Dam+3}
@: paralysed, flying, very slightly glowing, hasted, very quick,
extraordinarily resistant to hostile enchantments, extraordinarily
stealthy
A: hooves 3, blurry vision 1, cold resistance 1, conserve potions,
deformed body 2, electricity resistance, slow healing 1, spiny 3, 60%
torment resistance, AC +4, SH +4
a: Scrying, Transfer Knowledge, Renounce Religion
}: 14/15 runes: serpentine, barnacled, slimy, silver, golden, iron, icy,
bone, abyssal, demonic, glowing, magical, fiery, dark
You were on level 7 of Gehenna.
You worshipped Ashenzari.
Ashenzari was exalted by your worship.
You were very full.
You visited 18 branches of the dungeon, and saw 113 of its levels.
You visited Pandemonium 3 times, and saw 29 of its levels.
You visited the Abyss 3 times.
You visited 1 Labyrinth.
You visited 2 bazaars.
You visited 3 portal chambers: sewer, spiders nest, trove.
You collected 21959 gold pieces.
You spent 7483 gold pieces at shops.
Inventory:
Missiles
M - 39 +4 darts of dispersal (quivered)
Armour
a - a +2 pair of gloves of dexterity (worn)
g - a cursed +3 large shield of protection (worn)
o - a cursed +2 cloak of preservation (worn)
p - the cursed +1 helmet of the Many Ghosts (worn) {Dex+3 Int+3 Acc+2 Dam+2}
(You found it on level 21 of the Dungeon)
It affects your intelligence (+3).
It affects your dexterity (+3).
It affects your accuracy (+2).
It affects your damage-dealing abilities (+2).
It has a curse placed upon it.
T - a cursed +7 swamp dragon armour (worn)
Magical devices
d - a wand of healing (7)
f - a wand of teleportation (10)
j - a wand of teleportation (8)
m - a wand of cold (6)
x - a wand of disintegration (12)
C - a wand of hasting (9)
H - a wand of digging (15)
I - a wand of fire (8)
Comestibles
h - 4 royal jellies
y - 6 bread rations
Jewellery
b - the brooch of Shielding {Ward AC+4 EV+4}
(You found it in a Labyrinth)
[amulet of warding]
It affects your AC (+4).
It affects your evasion (+4).
Back in the good old days, every adventurer had one of these handy devices.
That, and a pony.
e - an uncursed ring of regeneration
i - the ring of Temptation {SustAb Dex+2 Stlth++}
(You found it on level 7 of Cocytus)
[ring of sustain abilities]
It affects your dexterity (+2).
It makes you much more stealthy.
k - the amulet of Stiac {rCorr Str+5 Dex+2}
(You found it in a treasure trove)
[amulet of resist corrosion]
It affects your strength (+5).
It affects your dexterity (+2).
l - the amulet of the Ego {Stasis Dex+5}
(You found it on level 7 of Tartarus)
[amulet of stasis]
It affects your dexterity (+5).
q - the amulet "Tekhlahe" (around neck) {rMut rF+ MR Dex-2}
(You found it on level 7 of the Iron City of Dis)
[amulet of resist mutation]
It affects your dexterity (-2).
It protects you from fire.
It increases your resistance to enchantments.
v - the amulet of the Two Names {Cons rElec}
(You acquired it on level 5 of the Realm of Zot)
[amulet of conservation]
It insulates you from electricity.
z - the ring "Noiloq" (left hand) {Wiz rF+ Dam+3}
(You bought it in a shop on level 4 of the Orcish Mines)
[ring of wizardry]
It affects your damage-dealing abilities (+3).
It protects you from fire.
O - the ring of Rasmal Gupeo {rC+ rN+ SInv}
(You found it on level 5 of the Elven Halls)
[ring of life protection]
It protects you from cold.
It enhances your eyesight.
P - a ring of teleport control (right hand)
S - the ring of Equivalence {Hunger- +Blink +Lev rPois rF+ Acc+4}
(You found it on level 6 of the Vaults)
[ring of sustenance]
It affects your accuracy (+4).
It protects you from fire.
It protects you from poison.
It lets you levitate.
It lets you blink.
Magical staves
c - a staff of earth (weapon)
s - a +4 rod of destruction [ice] (10/10)
(You found it on level 7 of Gehenna)
Miscellaneous
u - a crystal ball of energy
You had 124 experience left.
Skills:
- Level 22 Fighting
- Level 1 Short Blades
- Level 1 Maces & Flails
- Level 12 Staves
- Level 1 Slings
- Level 1 Bows
- Level 1 Throwing
- Level 1 Armour
- Level 15(17) Dodging
- Level 17 Stealth
- Level 1 Stabbing
- Level 25 Shields
- Level 4 Traps & Doors
- Level 1 Unarmed Combat
O Level 27 Spellcasting
- Level 21 Conjurations
- Level 12 Charms
- Level 18 Summonings
- Level 11 Necromancy
- Level 15 Translocations
- Level 10 Transmutations
- Level 8 Air Magic
- Level 22 Earth Magic
+ Level 15 Evocations
You had 9 spell levels left.
You knew the following spells:
Your Spells Type Power Success Level Hunger
a - Controlled Blink Tloc N/A Excellent 7 None
b - Blink Tloc N/A Perfect 2 None
c - Stone Arrow Erth/Conj ####### Perfect 3 None
d - Lee's Rapid Deconstr Erth #########. Perfect 5 None
e - Abjuration Summ ########.. Perfect 3 None
f - Summon Horrible Thin Summ ########.. Excellent 8 Choko
h - Iron Shot Erth/Conj #########. Excellent 6 None
i - Dispel Undead Necr #######.. Excellent 4 None
j - Regeneration Chrm/Necr ########.. Excellent 3 None
k - Apportation Tloc ########.. Perfect 1 None
l - Animate Skeleton Necr N/A Excellent 1 None
n - Haste Chrm ########. Excellent 6 None
o - Flight Air/Chrm ######.... Excellent 4 None
p - Stoneskin Erth/Trmt #########. Perfect 2 None
q - Deflect Missiles Air/Chrm ######.... Excellent 6 None
r - Swiftness Air/Chrm ######.... Excellent 2 None
s - Lehudib's Crystal Sp Erth/Conj #########. Excellent 8 Choko
Innate Abilities, Weirdness & Mutations
You have hooves in place of feet.
You are completely covered in large bone plates (AC +4, SH +4).
Your flesh is cold resistant.
You are very good at protecting items from cold.
A meltable icy envelope protects you from harm and freezing vapours (AC +0).
You are completely covered in sharp spines.
You are rather able to resist unholy torments (3 in 5 success).
Your vision is a little blurry.
Armour fits poorly on your deformed body.
You are resistant to electric shocks.
You heal slowly.
Message History
* * * LOW HITPOINT WARNING * * *
The burst of hellfire engulfs the sun demon.
The sun demon completely resists.
The burst of hellfire engulfs the sun demon.
The sun demon completely resists. The sun demon hits you!
You are engulfed in flames.
Your icy envelope dissipates!
* * * LOW HITPOINT WARNING * * *
The sun demon hits you. You are engulfed in flames!
Your icy envelope dissipates!
* * * LOW HITPOINT WARNING * * *
The sun demon hits you but does no damage.
The sun demon completely misses you.
The sun demon is struck by your spines.
The sun demon dodges your spines.
The sun demon hits you but does no damage.
Helpless, you fail to dodge the sun demon's attack.
The sun demon hits you! You are engulfed in flames.
Your icy envelope dissipates!
You die...