Merchant class

[Sradac]

So I've never really played a merchant past like level 10. Are they any fun? All they seem like to me are either weaker fighters that get better prices, or stronger farmers that get better prices. Anything really special about them? I know they can throw coins with bonuses and thats kinda cool but other than that they just never really impressed me. Anyone got valid points they could point out that they're a fun class? Never played a weaponsmith either, blah i dont want to craft weapons in a roguelike if I wana do that i'll go play an MMO lol.

[Sian]

automatic identification in their 'choosen' field as far as i've seen

[Grey]

Merchants are extremely weak - perhaps the weakest class of all. They're more a challenge to play then anything. The coin-tossing helps survive the early game, but by the mid-game they're fairly underpowered. You need to play very very carefully with them to get very far. The lower shop prices is pretty worthless in ADOM, so essentially they are just weak fighters with poor skills. They're also really bad with magic. Potion-specialising merchants are the best - they start with alchemy, which can come in handy sometimes.

[kupiko]

merchants is the most frequent class I ever play always choosing scroll specialty so I have that scroll of identify, luck, uncursing, chaos resistance and so on ready whenever I might need it. Then surviving is the tough challenge ... I go for halflings and their rocks for missile attacks and mellee. Summoning strong familiar in small cave when I'm high enough lvl. I gotta say I never survive past my 18 lvl my familiar killing me pretty often and the game crashs a lots of times(maybe merchants are bugged) :-) I like tough games though and without save scumming. I believe it's possible to win barely but possible. Did anyone ever win playing merchant?

[Pustka]

im going to win with a merchant ^.^ had a troll merchant lvl20. he saved Kelly. did water and fire temple and was after casino when my pc crashed >_>

lower shop prices worthless ? with cash from casino yes, without no.

good side of merchants is they have more shops generated in dungeons ( i base that on observing couple merchants i played lately). my trolish merchant had 2 general stores, wand store, potion store, spellbook store and scroll store generated :) next time i wont pick a troll cos learning spells with him was pain in the ass.

[Macros]

good side of merchants is they have more shops generated in dungeons ( i base that on observing couple merchants i played lately)

I've heard such rumours, but actually I'm not convinced if it's true. I was playing with few merchants(one of them even managed to win the game), and I didn't noticed that they had more shops generated.

As for playing with merchants, Grey already said everything - they're one of weakest classes. Hurtling merchants are not bad though - low physical stats, but on the other hand they start with thrown rocks at level 4(which in early game is really useful).

[Mad Minstrel]

If merchants would have higher shop generation, it would be a nice class. Now I choose it only for challenge.

[Grey]

I got a troll merchant to level 50 in the ID and got 15 precrowns with him - now that took a long time. Then the game crashed when I gave the amulet to Khelly :( Otherwise I'd have had one of the most powerful characters ever... as a merchant.

gut on the Hall of Fame forums got through the game with a merchant using throwing gold coins as his primary attack, even killing greater molochs and all the guardians with coin-tossing. Damned fine achievement, and proof that merchants needn't be all that bad if you take care of them.

[Sradac]

does coin tossing train any weapon skill or does the to hit and damage only go up with level?

[Pustka]

only lvlup. but if memory serves talnets like God Shot etc. affect coing throwing :) (Stronge thrower doesn not -.-')