Bridge Building

[Lich]

The bridge building skill has always been a source of frustration for my non-spellcaster characters who are not lucky enough to find a wand of cold (strangely, that's the vast majority of them).

First, I always have trouble advancing the skill. I usually manage to get it in the 60's range by the time I reach the tomb, not enough. If the character has enough learning so that he has skill increases to spare, I might as well just scum for a book of frost bolt.

Second, the overhead cost for the skill is simply too much for my characters. To be able to increase the skill at all means the character has to carry the tome, whose weight is significant if the character is low level, especially for the more dexterity-oriented classes. If that tome gets destroyed, then no further skill increases are possible. When it comes to actually building the bridges, at least 4 logs are needed, which weigh a hefty 3200s, and that's for a success rate of 100%. My character has ended up hauling 20000+ stones worth of logs going back and forth through the levels of the tomb.

If anyone has any advice on this issue, I would greatly appreciate it.

[gut]

> The bridge building skill has always been a source of frustration

I couldn't have said it better myself.

> characters who are not lucky enough to find a wand of cold

The quest reward for doing the druid quest includes a wand of cold.
If you are playing PC's that start with niether the 'healing' or
'herbalism' skill, you could consider rolling a few PC's to get
the 'candle' star sign. This will allow you to chose the druid's
quest instead of the elder's.

Alternatively, you could lure an ogre magi from the previous level
to freeze some water for you. Other possibilities include potions
and wands of wonder, in hopes of getting just a few ice spells.
You can re-charge the wand with endless beggar juice.

> at least 4 logs are needed

Only three bridge sections are needed, but that still means a lot
of logs.

> If anyone has any advice on this issue, I would greatly appreciate

I have some advise, but not on bridge building, as I never do it.
Consider skipping the RotHK's. If it is making the game boring, just
skip it. Even though it is really nice, it isn't needed to win the
game. You will have to pass a hostile Eternal Guardian, but he won't
follow you down the stairs. You will have to give up the Darkforge
shortcut, so you should try to do your final dive all in one shot.
It is possible to return to the surface after looting the casino,
but that means passing two hostile EG's. It's safe enough, but you
probably should limit your surface trips.

[Grey]

When it comes to actually building the bridges, at least 4 logs are needed, which weigh a hefty 3200s, and that's for a success rate of 100%. My character has ended up hauling 20000+ stones worth of logs going back and forth through the levels of the tomb.


Yep, but that can still be quicker than trying to scum for a wand of cold. The skill may be awful and frustrating, but as a last resort and with a bit of patience it is at least guaranteed to work.

[Molach]

It is hard to advance, I'll give you that. The weight problem is indeed a problem only if you are so unpowerful (not weak, but not yet a walking tank) that passing through the TotHK cavernous levels is hazardous. Guess you could carry the logs in relays through the cavernous level (1-2 at a time) or something.

If you have a river (for instance in the early CoC) it is easy to chop some logs and try to make a bridge, and this will both rise the skill automatically, and let you do it when you level up. And mabye that bridge is semi-useful, as you don't have to swim anymore.

Frustrating, but at least it will get the job done. My last character who had to build ended up using 15-20 logs.

[Silfir]

The loot and XP you get in the cavernous levels of the High Kings Dungeon is pretty good. Chances are while you carry the logs you suddenly get that wand of cold dropped...

[Ars]

Also having TH increases the chances of getting a wand of cold tremendously.

[gut]

> having TH increases the chances of getting a wand of cold

You're just baiting me : )

[meh]

> characters who are not lucky enough to find a wand of cold

The quest reward for doing the druid quest includes a wand of cold.
If you are playing PC's that start with niether the 'healing' or
'herbalism' skill, you could consider rolling a few PC's to get
the 'candle' star sign. This will allow you to chose the druid's
quest instead of the elder's.


Even if you do the druid's quest, you will still have to choose between herbalism and the wand+spellbook. I consider the skill more important, so usually only the classes that start with both healing and herbalism end up getting the wand and book.

[gut]

It's a personal choice. Herbalism is very convenient, but not strictly
needed. One can gather herbs without it, and uncurse all of them
with a blessed ? of uncursing. I usually decide to get the skill though,
as I figure that finding a wand of cold would be less hassle, than
harvesting without the skill.

[Grey]

Yeah, I think it'd be silly to forgo the skill in favour of a guaranteed way of getting across the pirahnas. Of course if you do the druid quest and choose herbalism you have no guarantee at all, and have to rely entirely on luck to find the appropriate wand or book. Still, infinite charges from a wand of wonder is always a possibility. And in all my years of playing I've only once had to use bridge building to cross the lake (admittedly I play mainly casters though).

[Subconscious]

Hey.. wait a sec. DOES wand of wonder have infinite charges?
Sorry, havent ever payed attention to such thing.

[Grey]

If you have infinite booze to keep recharging it, yes. Beggars in the bandit town can provide. Never bothered doing this myself I must say.

[Alavir]

If you did save the carpenter, you can talk with him back in the village and get some training... much easier to level up bridge building..

[Silfir]

I've never had to resort to Bridge Building yet...

[vogonpoet]

My trollish merchant winner built a bridge - trained the skill by bridging the pond in terinyo and the river in HMV. Its not that much of a hassle.