Weapon choice advice

[VictorG]

I'm playing a gargoyle melee fighter of Okawaru, currently level 12 and I just entered the Lair. Early on in the game, I found a vampiric trident, which I've been using ever since. I spent my enchant weapon scrolls on it, and it is currently +5/+5.

I've now come across a +4/+10 artifact longsword with draining, rPois and +stealth. The rPois is useless to me, and the stealth isn't great, but +10 damage bonus and draining sounds very nice. Should I switch?

[Sar]

No. It would be a decent weapon for a long blades character who hadn't found a demon blade / double sword yet, but not for you.

I had three characters who used a vampiric trident (not demon trident, just a regular one) with similar enchantment for a very long time. One dropped it in Vaults (MfIE), one got two Lair runes and cleaned D:27 with it (MfSu) and one cleaned Depths and got Lair runes IIRC (DsVM). The first and the last are probably not the best examples since they also had attack spells, but MfSu was mostly meleeing dudes after I joined Oka on D:3. You will want to switch eventually, but you don't need to right now.

[variouselite]

+10 damage is nice but the base damage on a longsword is pretty low so its not really as good as you might imagine. Vampiric is a really great brand. I agree with Sar.

[VictorG]

Thanks!

[VictorG]

My Gargoyle is still going strong, now level 23 (cleared Swamp, Snake, Orc, Dungeon op to 26). I'm still using the vampiric trident, which is currently at +7/+9. I don't seem to have found many good polearms yet. A +4/+0 demon trident, a +6/+0 demon trident of venom, that's basically it. (Some non-stellar glaives and bardiches as well, but I'm using a shield, and they don't seem to be better than my trident. Vampiric remains an awesome brand.) Any good advice? Wait and see if something better turns up eventually? Try to brand and enchant a good demon trident?

I'm also wondering about the best armour for my character. I'm playing a melee fighter, but I've trained spellcasting and charms a bit (to 10 and 12 at the moment), and can cast Haste with a 21% chance of failure while wearing
* +8 chain mail of Blue Skies {Str+1 Int+2}
I also have a bunch of other armours, but find it really hard to weigh the armour classes, resistances, spell failure rates, and other traits against each other:
* +0 ice dragon armour "Throudigh" {rF- rC++ Dex+2 Dam+4}
* +2 plate armour of Evolution {rC- rN+ MR++ Dam+3 SInv}
* +4 plate armour of cold resistance
* mottled dragon armour; ice dragon hide; storm dragon hide (and scrolls of enchant armour)
I guess that the +8 chain mail I'm wearing is still the best armour (it definitely gives the highest AC), though those slaying bonuses do look good. Am I making the right choice?

Character dump:

Spoiler: show

VictorG the Warrior (Gargoyle Skald) Turns: 66413, Time: 12:13:36

HP 136/136 AC 53 Str 21 XL: 23 Next: 14%
MP 37/37 EV 8 Int 26 God: Okawaru [******]
Gold 5089 SH 29 Dex 12 Spells: 7 memorised, 23 levels left

Res.Fire : + + . See Invis. : + u - +7,+9 trident (vamp)
Res.Cold : . . . Warding : . P - +8 chain mail of Blue Skies {Str+1 Int+2}
Life Prot.: + + . Conserve : + f - +0 shield {rF+}
Res.Poison: + Res.Corr. : + n - +1 helmet {SInv}
Res.Elec. : + Clarity : + v - +2 cloak {rCorr, Cons}
Sust.Abil.: . . Spirit.Shd : + m - +1 pair of gloves {Dex+3}
Res.Mut. : . Stasis : . p - +2 pair of boots of Vexation {Str+3 Dam+3}
Res.Rott. : + Flight : + F - amulet of guardian spirit
Saprovore : . . . a - ring of positive energy
X - ring of protection from fire

@: flying, quite resistant to hostile enchantments, extremely unstealthy
A: large and strong wings, fangs 1, talons 2, clarity, -10% hp, life protection
1, electricity resistance, slow metabolism 1, unbreathing, petrification
resistance, AC +17, Int +2
a: Stop Flying, Heroism, Finesse, Renounce Religion
}: 2/15 runes: decaying, serpentine


You are on level 1 of the Lair of Beasts.
You worship Okawaru.
Okawaru is exalted by your worship.
You are not hungry.

You have visited 6 branches of the dungeon, and seen 50 of its levels.
You have visited the Abyss 2 times.
You have also visited: Labyrinth.

You have collected 5377 gold pieces.
You have spent 308 gold pieces at shops.

Inventory:

Hand weapons
u - a +7,+9 vampiric trident (weapon)
Missiles
l - 21 stones (quivered)
Armour
f - a +0 shield of fire resistance (worn)
m - a +1 pair of gloves of dexterity (worn)
n - a +1 helmet of see invisible (worn)
p - the +2 pair of boots of Vexation (worn) {Str+3 Dam+3}
(You found it on level 23 of the Dungeon)

It affects your strength (+3).
It affects your damage-dealing abilities (+3).
v - a +2 cloak of preservation (worn)
P - the +8 chain mail of Blue Skies (worn) {Str+1 Int+2}
(You found it in a labyrinth)

It affects your strength (+1).
It affects your intelligence (+2).
Magical devices
d - a wand of teleportation (4)
t - a wand of teleportation
y - a wand of polymorph
D - a wand of digging (7)
I - a wand of enslavement
K - a wand of lightning {zapped: 1}
N - a wand of disintegration {zapped: 4}
V - a wand of fire
Comestibles
w - 3 bread rations
B - 5 meat rations
Scrolls
e - a scroll of blinking
i - 5 scrolls of remove curse
k - 9 scrolls of teleportation
s - a scroll of immolation
x - 3 scrolls of magic mapping
z - 2 scrolls of summoning
H - 2 scrolls of enchant weapon I
L - a scroll of enchant weapon II
M - 3 scrolls of fear
O - 7 scrolls of identify
W - a scroll of fog
Jewellery
a - a ring of positive energy (right hand)
b - an uncursed ring of ice
c - an uncursed ring of positive energy
j - a +6 ring of evasion
C - an uncursed ring of protection from magic
F - an amulet of guardian spirit (around neck)
R - the amulet of Xom's Recklessness {Clar Str+4 Int+4}
(You found it on level 5 of the Snake Pit)

[amulet of clarity]
It affects your strength (+4).
It affects your intelligence (+4).
U - an uncursed ring of sustenance
X - a ring of protection from fire (left hand)
Z - an uncursed ring of protection from cold
Potions
g - 5 potions of curing
h - 4 potions of speed
A - 3 potions of heal wounds
G - 2 potions of resistance
Q - 3 potions of berserk rage
S - 4 potions of might
Books
r - a book of Minor Magic

Spells Type Level
Magic Dart Conjuration 1
*Blink Translocation 2
Call Imp Summoning 2
*Repel Missiles Charms/Air 2
Slow Hexes 2
Conjure Flame Conjuration/Fire 3
Mephitic Cloud Conjuration/Poison/Air 3
Miscellaneous
o - a legendary deck of war {the Warp}
q - a stone of tremors


Skills:
+ Level 18.8 Fighting
Level 3.4 Maces & Flails
+ Level 16.7 Polearms
+ Level 18.4 Armour
+ Level 7.1 Dodging
+ Level 17.1 Shields
- Level 10.1 Spellcasting
- Level 2.9 Hexes
- Level 11.9 Charms
- Level 0.2 Necromancy
- Level 3.7 Translocations


You have 23 spell levels left.
You know the following spells:

Your Spells Type Power Failure Level Hunger
a - Infusion Chrm ###### 1% 1 None
b - Song of Slaying Chrm ######.... 1% 2 None
c - Regeneration Chrm/Necr #####..... 4% 3 None
d - Spectral Weapon Hex/Chrm ######.. 2% 3 None
e - Haste Chrm ######.. 21% 6 #####..
f - Blink Tloc N/A 6% 2 None
g - Repel Missiles Chrm/Air #####..... 2% 2 None

[Sar]

Please post dump in code tags, not spoiler tags.

I probably wouldn't enchant that weapon so much but what's done is done.
Rings: I would wear rings of EV+6 (this is a great ring btw) and of MR since rN doesn't do anything good most of the time and you have one pip of rF from your shield and can swap in rF vs. things that hit really hard with fire (so pretty much orbs of fire).
Skills: I would turn off Shields, forever (unless I find a really really good large shield, so probably forever), Armour, Polearms if you won't use two-handed ones, and get enough Charms to get Haste to 8-6% failure.
Armour choice: depends on how much scrolls you have. MDA is usually good, not sure if it's that good with your Dex (IMO your statpoints should've gone there and not in Int), since you won't have great EV. Try enchanting auxiliary armour first. That chain isn't great but should probably work.
Demon trident will do more damage if you enchant a bit and affix a brand with a scroll of brand weapon, however you can probably win with a +9 trident and slaying from your boots.

[VictorG]

Thanks! I seem to recall people telling me that INT is almost always the best choise for your stat points, since DEX and STR do not do much; is this false? (It's also the suggestion of this guide.)

A completely different question: is there a way to get this Wizard's Laboratory? The walls are all stone and there is no direct passage (all 3 stairs up and down have been accounted for), so I guess I'm out of luck because I lack magic strong enough to get through stone walls. But perhaps there is some trick to getting into this vault?

[stickyfingers]

Int is best when fighting with offensive magic, which you're not. Train Dex, otherwise your dodging training is not worth much. And there's almost always a route to all parts of the level, maybe there's deep water in the way? If not, and you're sure there's no way through stairs, I'd try some random teleportation.

[VictorG]

Nope, no deep water. Here's an updated screenshot (all walls are stone walls):

[Mankeli]

Nope, no deep water. Here's an updated screenshot (all walls are stone walls):

Controlled teleport. However, that looks to me like a bug, I have never seen a wizard laboratory which was completely blocked off by walls.

[Sar]

I've seen similar bugs with portal gen. I believe it is reported on mantis already.

[Mankeli]

I've seen similar bugs with portal gen. I believe it is reported on mantis already.

I had a similar problem with shoals entrance on shoals:1 (no way out of the starting room), I guess the problems are persisting.

EDIT and reported it.

[VictorG]

Oh well, having no teleport control and no powerful earth magic spell, I guess I'll just have to miss out on the Wizard's Lab.

[Lasty]

My understanding of the "always buff Int" advice is that it is based on the premise that 1) all characters want spells, and 2) the more int you have, the more experience you can save on magic skills.

I believe that this advice is not always the best rule of thumb in trunk. Strength damage bonus has been doubled and its impact on armour evasion penalties has a wider range of use, making it a decent investment up to a few points over the old strength breakpoints. Dexterity is also useful for its impact on stealth and dodging, though depending on how many spells you expect to pick up and what sort of armour you're wearing, it may or may not be useful during the period of the game where you don't have much XP to spare.

To elaborate on that last point, the more dex you get, the less XP you need to put into Dodging/Stealth to achieve a given EV / stealth value. The more int you get, the less XP you need to put into every spell school to get spells of that school castable. So, to determine which one to use, you should consider the following:

1: how many spell schools do you plan to acquire, and what level of spells will you be getting in those schools?
2: how soon will you be investing in magic skills?
3: how will EV factor into your defense, and how quickly do you need it?
4: how will stealth factor into your offense/defense, and how quickly do you need it?

Generally speaking, if you need EV and/or stealth early in the game, or if you will only be investing in a single magic school, I would be inclined to go for dex, whereas if your defenses are good enough early or you plan to invest in a lot of magic, I would probably want to go for int.

Edit: fixed syntax in first paragraph

[and into]

Lasty's breakdown is good. I'd simply clarify that point 2 is important, and (though it should be obvious) you shouldn't wait for stat ups before putting experience into spells you want to get online in order to "save experience," because the impact of one or two points of int is not big.

Another way to look at it is that, with the recent buffs to strength, a dude who is into heavier-than-leather armor and also wants to cast some spells can capitalize on any stat increases and use them to an advantage.