[Beginner] Best Race/Class to Start

[Nevermore]

What are the best races and classes combinations to begin the ADOM experience? Thank you from a novice player.

[grobblewobble]

Of course it depends on what sort of things you'd like to try, but some ideas..

Elementalist (for example gnome)

Elementalists are spellcasters. They are very nice for beginners because they automatically learn offensive spells (fire and cold based). They don't have to worry about spellbooks or anything and they can easily blast their way through the early to midgame. Advanced players tend to dislike them because they are also a bit limited and may run out of steam later, but when you're just learning the game these are perfect.


Archer (for example high elf)

Archers are a very strong class. Many monsters are dangerous when you engage them in melee, but shooting them from a distance is safe. Any race is good for them. High elves are popular because they have nice starting items and begin with good dexterity.


Dwarf Paladin

If you like melee, these guys start out with very good armor (PV is important for melee characters).

[sytar6]

I'm thinking I will get a lot of disagreement from folks here, but I just finished playing a Ratling Assassin. It was honestly one of the easiest games I've had. You can play them like an archer. And, they've got really great starting stats and can hit pretty damn hard. Most people seem to think Assassin is one of the hardest classes, and I usually agree. The other assassins I've played had a struggle staying alive, but it seems like Ratlings can make Assassins work.

Drakelings are a great race. A drakeling archer would probably be quite easy. My first win was with an archer.

[Soirana]

If you just want to try out probably something like troll barbarian [just not healer - healer does not ad much to troll]. Or gnome elementalist because of fast leveling, good mana and some bones under skin. Hurthling archer is good either.

Once one gets idea of what he is trying to do I suggest switching to less extremes [and less drawbacks] - like orc barbarian, dwarf wizard, drakeling melee classes or some ratling archers.

I would also suggest not touching elves with 50ft pole especially in prereleases cause they not only start with low toughness but it also ratehr hard to improve it.

[gosos]

I have the most success with drakeling paladins. This is because I can go coward and use the 'spit' as a range weapon (m). It will hit multiple targets. It is not negatively affected by coward. This does make you hungry, but gets me out of alot of situations where I screw up. by mid level 12-14 I have my literacy maxxed and I can read spellbooks to get some magic. These are also very good for early Crowning and going to SMC/UD.

first off you get a holy symbol and this limits your piety loss while waiting for new mobs to generate to offer. Plus you have a 50/50 chance to get justifier. if you get justifier you can cruse through Dwarven Graveyard and the pyramid.
It can be annoying to spend alot of time crowning and not get justifier... but the other items are quite good for the early to mid part of the game. Its also worth taking the time to sacrifice and get 1 post crown. Then kill the oracle, bless the corpse and eat it for the learning bonus to get more trains/level. Drakelings are supposed to have alot of trouble in the mid game in the Temple of Eternal Flame, however, you need to actually learn enough to get there in the first place.

One note, since you wont get herbalism to start in UD, if your on a dungeon level with herbs get off the floor immediately and come back to it after you do the Guthalik quest and get herbalism.

[_Ln_]

I'm thinking I will get a lot of disagreement from folks here, but I just finished playing a Ratling Assassin. It was honestly one of the easiest games I've had. You can play them like an archer. And, they've got really great starting stats and can hit pretty damn hard. Most people seem to think Assassin is one of the hardest classes, and I usually agree. The other assassins I've played had a struggle staying alive, but it seems like Ratlings can make Assassins work.

Drakelings are a great race. A drakeling archer would probably be quite easy. My first win was with an archer.

Assassins are far from being hardest classes. Excellent skillset, excellent crowning gifts. Heir gift can easily last to middle game. Using thrown daggers as early game offense is remarkably powerful and can get you out of tough spots.

If you just want to try out probably something like troll barbarian [just not healer - healer does not ad much to troll]. Or gnome elementalist because of fast leveling, good mana and some bones under skin. Hurthling archer is good either.

Once one gets idea of what he is trying to do I suggest switching to less extremes [and less drawbacks] - like orc barbarian, dwarf wizard, drakeling melee classes or some ratling archers.

I would also suggest not touching elves with 50ft pole especially in prereleases cause they not only start with low toughness but it also ratehr hard to improve it.

I don't really get why people advice new players to use trolls. You don't really see the best out of class defining things (skillset) and novice-crushing food problems are multiplied by two.

Drakes are a much better choice especially for their ability to breeze through ToEF which is the deal out there.

[Silfir]

I'm thinking I will get a lot of disagreement from folks here, but I just finished playing a Ratling Assassin. It was honestly one of the easiest games I've had. You can play them like an archer. And, they've got really great starting stats and can hit pretty damn hard. Most people seem to think Assassin is one of the hardest classes, and I usually agree. The other assassins I've played had a struggle staying alive, but it seems like Ratlings can make Assassins work.

Drakelings are a great race. A drakeling archer would probably be quite easy. My first win was with an archer.

I have my doubts that a novice would have access to the most current prereleases where ratlings are available.

Drakelings are quite excellent, but relatively speaking poor fits for archers. Since they start with scurgars, they don't get a lot of ammo, and ammo is pretty much the only limiting factor to an archer's early game - they straight up murder everything they shoot, as long as they can shoot.

I'd nominate orcish barbarians for being beastly murderators with tons of HP, without the food and XP problems of trolls.

[Stingray1]

This guy is a new player, he probably doesn't know about in game locations and abbreviations for them.

He did not ask to be spoiled about them either.

Edit - Anyway. I'd suggest you play something that starts with Literacy as a skill, after you've played something that just bashes everything into a mangled heap( to learn the basic mechanics ). There is more than sufficient ingame clues to not need outside assistance, the ingame manual is a great source of information too. I don't know you, obviously, but for me it was an awesome experience doing the adventuring part of ADOM. Which I don't regret in the least.

[Soirana]

I don't really get why people advice new players to use trolls. You don't really see the best out of class defining things (skillset) and novice-crushing food problems are multiplied by two.

Drakes are a much better choice especially for their ability to breeze through ToEF which is the deal out there.

If you are thinking what do in tower you are not novice in my book. Trolls do fine as introduction thing while you still try to figure how to equip bow on inventory page or WTF holy water is meant for. Troll barbs use stuff like mighty blows [or whatever it is called] very good too

[_Ln_]

If you are thinking what do in tower you are not novice in my book. Trolls do fine as introduction thing while you still try to figure how to equip bow on inventory page or WTF holy water is meant for. Troll barbs use stuff like mighty blows [or whatever it is called] very good too

The ToEF was probably far-fetched, but bashing everything with your starting 2hander is not the best introduction I see:
1. Hey, an interesting bow I've found with some ammo - let me try it... What, I miss 70% of the time and do little damage compared to my melee. I guess I'll continue using twohander.
2. Hmm, a spellbook! Should I read it? Damn it, no success... and now it exploded! Oh well, going back to my 2hander.
3. I'm so tough as a troll and I regen health very quickly, I'm pretty sure I can tackle that group of monsters in the open room! ... Hey, that wasn't so bad, I've only prayed twice (thanks to the in-game manual). It's good to be a tank, right?

Hope you are getting my drift.