Using sling/rocks?

[kupiko]

Now i've got sweet idea! Did anyone try using Huge rock in melee? I didn't yet have a chance but if it provides the same bonuses and you're strong enough it might be fun Hope it doesn't crumble after few hits.

Anyway using rocks in melee doesn't train any weapon category.

[Zeno]

You can find thousands of rocks in ADOM, especially if you let the ants do their work. That means, an unlimited number of rocks. That's why they are a great choice for slaying weaker enemies, against whom you don't want to use "real" missiles.

In ToEF, my equipment is usually fire resistant stuff + rocks. This way you won't burn up your good missiles, and rocks (which melt very slowly) are good enough to defeat most enemies in ToEF.

If you train your rockthrowing, you will get an increased range for your huge rock throws, which sometimes can be useful. For example, you can throw a huge rock at the door to HK's tomb, which makes the fight easier.

[Elone]

Back when I was a newbie, I'd find Rocks with Metal Veins while digging, and I thought that they are nothing other than lv.2 rocks (in between small rocks and huge rocks). For rocks, you can get the Strong Thrower talent to help you. I usually get the same talent for any other thrown weapon, my favourites being boomerangs. it's quite easy to get level 6 in a Missiles cathegory, which adds the obvious two ranges more. You get enough to kill a single creature before it gets to you, or at least sever it. But still...

............#...
..H....-..@.#+##
................

You're dead. Crossbow range and damage still beats yours at all times. Dont remain on rocks too long.

[Doalag]

I feel the "no training" when using rock as hand weapon quite a big disadvantage. About range I have been chocked to quote that sling of long range (that you find quite often) are the best range I remember to have seen : 13(!) even heavy crossbow has shorter range. This is a point for using sling and rocks with sling.

So take your sling against crossbow and they are dead! :-p

Anyway I quited rocks for sling but when I'll have better PP (hoping the game won't steal me more PP!) I'll go for crossbow.

[Zeno]

Those things you can shoot from slings sometimes explode in fireballs...

[Elone]

Zeno reminded me of something that I keep forgetting. You can place various stuff into a sling, including gems of fire, 16000s statues, gloves of ice, and most shockingly, sling bullets(!). Anyway. I have 12 range on my boomerang and 13 range on my light crossbow. I remember having a winged boomerang stored somewhere. I didnt exactly understand their calculation, but it gave me 90 range (it should have been only 3x range). I STILL find rocks to grow obsolete quickly enough. Even my Healer knows enough magic to obliterate thousands of monsters. Not to mention her DV of 114 on very aggressive and 220 on Coward, she can handle melee easily. Plus three blessed boomerangs of slaying (they stack, and they're from a single wish); which all leaves very little place for 1d4 damage of rocks.

[Doalag]

Im' not sure but if I remember well at the level of my char dex/st and weapon skill have I won't have a range of 13, even with a heavy crossbow. But yep there's no winged rocks. :-) Boomerangs are so rare that it's difficult to go to it, I'll keep them for some future play.

[Zeno]

Slings can really shoot all these? I only knew about rocks, bullets, and gems... I also don't know how range is calculated, but crossbow range can reach values close to 1000 (Far Slayer + winged quarrel + training + talents).

[Doalag]

Ok ok I could be wrong about ranges. :-) I'll check another game where I'm specialized in crossbow, I used them because I made range comparison, I had a great sigh range.

[Elone]

Doalag, do I have to correct you thruout all your posts? =P

But yep there's no winged rocks. :-)

WINGED ROCKS >EXIST<, believe it or not!! Hurtling Archers get them as Heir, if I remember well.

Does any of you get an image of a (very certain) guy with glasses with rocks flying around him?