Ancient Domains Of Mystery, forum overview / ADOM / Reducing newbie death rate...
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psy_wombats Registered user Untitled Last page view: 5339 days, 12 hours, 26 minutes and 8 seconds ago. |
I've been playing ADOM for about a month now, highest character got to to dwarftown, no one over level 13. I've read the most of the guidebook except late and midgame strategies, ultra endings, etc... Although I can play most any character to level eight or so, I'm constantly dying after that, mainly by pure chance. (Door traps, sickness, hags cursing my blessed girdle of carrying!) I'm now playing mainly troll healers, merchants, and h. elf priests. Couple of questions on all of them. Healers: Are they intended to be magic casters or fighters as played by trolls? I have concentration but never any spells... A white mage thing or a monk thing? Merchants: What are they supposed to DO? Earn money? If so, I'm very unlucky at finding things to buy in the early game. Is there any point to cash before Waldenbrook's? General strategy tips appreciated. Priests: I pretty much know these well, its what I play as most. Spellcasters with Detect Item Status, arrows, and decent physical stats. Anything I should be aware of? WHEN WOMBATS STRIKE! Enjoy your last days... |
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Maelstrom Registered user The Knight of the Black Rose Last page view: 3120 days, 9 hours, 58 minutes and 56 seconds ago. |
Healers are universal characters with little offense early on, but they can learn spells just fine. A hint - drakelings have a healing rate almost as good as trolls, but they're better when it comes to magic. They also have the acid spit under "m". Merchants are supposed to be a challange. They can throw coins with an added bonus. Priests are decent melee warriors too, don't forget to train your weapon skills. A pessimist sees a dark tunnel. An optimist sees a light at the end of that tunnel. A realist sees a train. And the train driver sees three idiots on the tracks. |
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Battle bunny Registered user I'm just that cool Last page view: 5830 days, 10 hours, 47 minutes and 23 seconds ago. |
Merchants are a bit of a challenge, but (I think) they can identify any item they are specialized in, which is nice as finding a load of unID'd potions is annoying (they might help you, but you might either find a very bad one or waste a good one [like drinking an uncursed PoGA]). Merchants can also hit dopplegangers with coins, but coins are nothing special and they can't be trained. Healers, I would recommend you to go mainly melee, but a general tip for ALL characters, especially for melee characters: train at least two kinds of offensive attacks. If you go melee, you will still need missiles and/or magic later on because you can't defeat every monster you come across in melee. I have little advice for priests, but a little tip: don't be afraid to turn undead, whether by using holy symbols or using your class ability. The piety loss incurred is minimal, especially if you sacrifice regularly. And as for dying, to avoid dying you need HP. To get HP you need toughness and to get toughness you need herbs. As you have already read the GB you probably know this but this is very important even early on. Get those wands of door creation, pacify the big room and harvest. (\_/) (o.0) (> <) ( / \ ) Don't click this http://www.mindistortion.net/iwantyoursoul/?i_am=Darkcutter |
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Silfir Registered user Writer of Overly Long Guides Last page view: 4071 days, 15 hours, 11 minutes and 54 seconds ago. |
Just for the sake of completeness, Maelstrom: Drakelings don't have troll levelup rates - biggest bonus in my book. Also nice: orcish healers. I have gotten two of these off the ground, one is still a savegame, the other died to a Death Ray in the Mana temple. Yes, I forgot to equip an amulet. Grr. Merchants are very hard to get off the ground, but at least they accumulate weapon skill marks at the rate of any fighting class. Priests usually have very nice starting equipment and find spellbooks almost like wizards... I don't see how they should be difficult to keep alive. You drop the golden ball. You kick the golden ball. It slides to the west. Suddenly Harry Potter, the apprentice wizard, appears! "That's not how you play Quidditch! are you even listening?" Which direction? (123456789) 4 Harry Potter, the apprentice wizard, is hit by a bolt of acid! Harry Potter, the apprentice wizard, is annihilated. You hear the ecstatic cries of a large crowd! |
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Battle bunny Registered user I'm just that cool Last page view: 5830 days, 10 hours, 47 minutes and 23 seconds ago. |
"I don't see how they should be difficult to keep alive." While Wizards always have offensive spells (or at least one) at startup, Priests don't. When I start with Magic Lock and Light, I always accurse the RNG, and proceed to do so again when the first spellbook I manage to find at D:8 would be Knock. (\_/) (o.0) (> <) ( / \ ) Don't click this http://www.mindistortion.net/iwantyoursoul/?i_am=Darkcutter |
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Mewto Registered user Last page view: 3602 days, 16 hours, 52 minutes and 11 seconds ago. |
Lol battle bunny I'd laugh at my luck and generate a new char :) For the Horde! |
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Battle bunny Registered user I'm just that cool Last page view: 5830 days, 10 hours, 47 minutes and 23 seconds ago. |
And as for me, I still enjoy a challenge. For the most part, at least. (\_/) (o.0) (> <) ( / \ ) Don't click this http://www.mindistortion.net/iwantyoursoul/?i_am=Darkcutter |
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Mewto Registered user Last page view: 3602 days, 16 hours, 52 minutes and 11 seconds ago. |
I'll probably play more challenging chars after I win for the first time :D For the Horde! |
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Silfir Registered user Writer of Overly Long Guides Last page view: 4071 days, 15 hours, 11 minutes and 54 seconds ago. |
Okay, no character is "easy" to keep alive per se, but priests at least aren't particularly "difficult" :P You drop the golden ball. You kick the golden ball. It slides to the west. Suddenly Harry Potter, the apprentice wizard, appears! "That's not how you play Quidditch! are you even listening?" Which direction? (123456789) 4 Harry Potter, the apprentice wizard, is hit by a bolt of acid! Harry Potter, the apprentice wizard, is annihilated. You hear the ecstatic cries of a large crowd! |
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psy_wombats Registered user Untitled Last page view: 5339 days, 12 hours, 26 minutes and 8 seconds ago. |
Bleh... Had a preist alive to Dwarftown... Stumbled into the Dwarven Halls before I knew what they were, cast Ethereal Bridge and was instakilled by a red dragon... And I had managed to survive two stone giant lords and a berserker emperor at full health. And had an amulet of lifesaving sitting in my inventory... WHEN WOMBATS STRIKE! Enjoy your last days... |
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Molach Registered user Lord of DurisMud Last page view: 5144 days, 20 hours, 24 minutes and 7 seconds ago. |
My advice for spellusers, especially book-finding ones like wizards and priests is *Fanfare* Stay in the ID, go up and down 8-9, collect a nice library of books. When you spell-list takes up more than a full page, you may move on. Or you could wait for it to fill two pages. And of course, having a high toughness score is even more important to the weakling magic users. Training your spells by casting them is the equivalent to warriors using weapons. I recommend training weapons for magic-users too, and shields as well. The three things I listed there take some investment in time (your time more than the character's) but should increase life-expectancy drastically. Of course levelling up whenever you can, but that I think everyone knows and does... |
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psy_wombats Registered user Untitled Last page view: 5339 days, 12 hours, 26 minutes and 8 seconds ago. |
I've always tried to avoid casting spells whenever possible to preserve spellbooks; offensive ones have a tendency to vanish on me. I suppose these just need to be replaced? Is the cost of the book worth the knowledge of the spell? Anyways, my current strategy now is to make a rush through the small cave to village on the other side rather than stick to Terinyo for the first part. Although I suppose the ID can be revisited later, anyways. WHEN WOMBATS STRIKE! Enjoy your last days... |
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Silfir Registered user Writer of Overly Long Guides Last page view: 4071 days, 15 hours, 11 minutes and 54 seconds ago. |
I don't think there is a reason to keep books around if you're a spellcaster with halfway sufficient learning. If you're a wizard or a priest, bookcasting just isnt your metier. Read that thing through! You drop the golden ball. You kick the golden ball. It slides to the west. Suddenly Harry Potter, the apprentice wizard, appears! "That's not how you play Quidditch! are you even listening?" Which direction? (123456789) 4 Harry Potter, the apprentice wizard, is hit by a bolt of acid! Harry Potter, the apprentice wizard, is annihilated. You hear the ecstatic cries of a large crowd! |
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Battle bunny Registered user I'm just that cool Last page view: 5830 days, 10 hours, 47 minutes and 23 seconds ago. |
Bookcast spells like Teleportation, Invisibility etc., not offensive spells. Many offensive spells are common enough, but that's not the most important reason: the most important one is that bookcasting costs more energy points. (\_/) (o.0) (> <) ( / \ ) Don't click this http://www.mindistortion.net/iwantyoursoul/?i_am=Darkcutter |
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Mewto Registered user Last page view: 3602 days, 16 hours, 52 minutes and 11 seconds ago. |
I never read the whole book when I have books like Earthquake, Create Item or Identify. Lots of PP used when bookcasting = mana training = one happy spellcaster For the Horde! |
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psy_wombats Registered user Untitled Last page view: 5339 days, 12 hours, 26 minutes and 8 seconds ago. |
I didn't realize spell knowledge stacked... I used to read it once, forget it, and then go back to my 'library' room and read it again. That's a better way to go. Anyways, I'm now doomed from a pool... Crap. Will the gods remove dooming through prayer if there aren't any pressing needs, (full hp/pp, no cursed items, etc), or will I have to trek from puppy cave to dwarftown for that altar and pary the old-fashioned way? WHEN WOMBATS STRIKE! Enjoy your last days... |
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Mewto Registered user Last page view: 3602 days, 16 hours, 52 minutes and 11 seconds ago. |
I think you'll have to do it the old fashioned way :) Good luck on staying alive. For the Horde! |
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Molach Registered user Lord of DurisMud Last page view: 5144 days, 20 hours, 24 minutes and 7 seconds ago. |
I think you mean sacrifice :). But that is what you need, give a nice offering to your gods and they just might help you. About books, yes, as a wizard/priest read them through and through till you see the writing on the wall. They are indeed replacable. Offensive might get low at times, but this using is the only way to gain spell ranks. And that is very useful, more damage, long duration, increased range, that sort of effect. Between reading the manual and looking at your spell list you should be able to work out the effect of increasing spell-skilld. Damage spells tend to get more damaging, healing spells tend to get more ...heal-ing. So use your offensive spells, vary between the various as you get more and less knowledge in them. And also work up weapon skills, at least to get some +DV from wielding your weapon. Darn, lotta work being a successful spellcaster. |
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psy_wombats Registered user Untitled Last page view: 5339 days, 12 hours, 26 minutes and 8 seconds ago. |
I really hate pools... I now have intrinsic invisibility and a quest to win in the arena; which, coincidentally, I can't get into now. Is there a way around this by any chance? I realize there's such a thing as a potion of visibility, but I haven't found any. I wouldn't mind completely losing the intrinsic alltogether though. How exactly might a pot of visibility work? WHEN WOMBATS STRIKE! Enjoy your last days... |
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Mewto Registered user Last page view: 3602 days, 16 hours, 52 minutes and 11 seconds ago. |
It makes you visible for a short time. If you hurry you might take 2-3 monsters down before it wears off. I think you'll have to start pool draining again, I don't know of any other way to get rid of invisibility. For the Horde! |
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Soirana Registered user Chaos Freak Last page view: 4152 days, 19 hours, 46 minutes and 35 seconds ago. |
if you use blessed potion and simply teleport monsters away instead of stupid bashing you might pull whole 20fights with couple potions. i actually heard someone managed to do with one... A root is a flower that disdains fame. Kahlil Gibran(1883-1931) |
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Silfir Registered user Writer of Overly Long Guides Last page view: 4071 days, 15 hours, 11 minutes and 54 seconds ago. |
The invisibility intrinsic is the reason why I fight 19 fights in the arena before drinking from any pool... You drop the golden ball. You kick the golden ball. It slides to the west. Suddenly Harry Potter, the apprentice wizard, appears! "That's not how you play Quidditch! are you even listening?" Which direction? (123456789) 4 Harry Potter, the apprentice wizard, is hit by a bolt of acid! Harry Potter, the apprentice wizard, is annihilated. You hear the ecstatic cries of a large crowd! |
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psy_wombats Registered user Untitled Last page view: 5339 days, 12 hours, 26 minutes and 8 seconds ago. |
I've done ~15 fights and know Ethereal Bridge with about 700 knowledge, so that should be moderately simple. Come to think of it, there might have been a potions shop around Dwarftown; I'll just have to restock it... WHEN WOMBATS STRIKE! Enjoy your last days... |