Completely new to ADOM

[Twinge]

My first game winner started with 4 strength =)

The game is actually somewhat friendly in that regard - especially low strengths and toughnesses get bonuses training every level up until they get to a more reasonable level, so they go up fairly quickly.

[Evil Knievel]

I always figure any character that can't suvive a quick visit to bandit burg probably isn't going to survive much else either. But then I seldom play any character without at least a 16 st and 15 learning. Stats become easier and easier to fix as the game progresses but early on low strength and learning make characters rather tedious to play as you've got so many important skills and your inability with low strength - assming you aren't running a wizard or other character that has good spell capabilities early on - to damage even cheese monsters like fire worms can get you killed in rather ignominous fashion.

Adom's like riding on a wave in that respect. Try to adapt playstyle to the given game situation, not vice versa. I believe it is more fun.

[Erik Piper]

Also the bandit town contains enemies that can easily kill many weak starting characters. Better to beef up a few levels and find some missiles in one of the early dungeons first.

Coward + leading baddies to Hotzenplotz for him to dispatch = you can survive there most of the time no matter what the combo. But not all the time, that's true.

BTW besides first kill (some players DO like going for a first-win Ultra -- I was one) there is the shop, which bears with it the chance of identifying ID, Invisirobbing via a lucky starting potion, buying some cheap rocks, etc., and there's the ability to learn pick pockets immediately (at the cost of losing your two-prayer buffer if you're initially lawful of course). Plus keys, if you're into that.

[gut]

> The game is actually somewhat friendly in that regard - especially low
> strengths and toughnesses get bonuses training every level up until
> they get to a more reasonable level,

Indeed, that's one of the nice things about exploiting a corruption
trap early in the game. To:1, Dx:1 will increase very quickly, then
if the dwarven mystic cooperates, you get all your original stats
back to boot. Good luck surviving with To:1 though : )

[RndmNumGenerator]

the ability to learn pick pockets immediately (at the cost of losing your two-prayer buffer if you're initially lawful of course). Plus keys, if you're into that.

He won't teach you Pick Pockets if you're lawful. Unless you mean changing alignment, but that's a whole different thing... and not exactly "learning PP immediately".

[Twinge]

Unless you mean changing alignment, but that's a whole different thing... and not exactly "learning PP immediately".

It's very quick and easy to go from lawful to neutral; simply do that and then learn pick pockets. That's why he said you'd lose your prayers if lawful.

[Grey]

Especially quick in a town full of beggars.

[spectre]

Last time I checked, you need to be LN to learn PP. Doesn't always work, I suppose may depend on birthsign effects.
I played a few hurtling bards recently, so I tend to use this method a lot for the important thieving skills and tie it together with the Healing quest - it fits nicely together, you get higher skill from herr doktor and killing the healer drops your alignement close to what is needed.

My first game winner started with 4 strength =)

The game is actually somewhat friendly in that regard - especially low strengths and toughnesses get bonuses training every level up until they get to a more reasonable level, so they go up fairly quickly.

Noticed the same, y'know, it's them hurtlings I played. It's really quite easy to train strength up to 16, just make sure to keep well stocked on food (Food Pres+Cooking helps). Above that value you need to resort to expoiting game features.

[garyd]

Problem is I mostly play human bards. You don't survive much of anything if you don't have decent beginning stats at least strength and learning and a good skill set. If you can't kill anything it's very difficult to level up...

Everybody has there own style of play and I began with D&D back in 1972 when I first got out of the army and followed that up with Runquest.

I also don't mind spending inordinate amounts of time on character generation if it means I don't have to spend a lot of time just screwing around trying to get there.

[spectre]

Yep, human bards just... don't give you much to work with (except maybe for the longsword). Best way to start seemed to be find yourself a tame grizzly and use it for support in the ID until you find half decent gear. In the meantime, you slowly train yourself on tghe weak stuff you encounter.