The best laid plans. 2nd verse is a whole lot worse.

[gut]

New goal is 14,000 turns. No elf is safe.

I've had several contenders lately, but no
winners. I'm not being careful enough, and so
thought it might help me if I posted some info
on each PC that has a shot. That's why I'm
reviving the 'best laid plans' thread.

I will keep any wizard that starts with a Le
score of 23, because they will have the ability
to use ball spells should they surface. These
PC's will have to utilize the corruption trap in
the pyramid, in hopes of acquiring the 'astral
planes' corruption. Likely they will get poison
hands first and end up starving, but that's ADOM.

I will keep any wizard that starts with a TP
book, or can steal one quickly from the BM. Also
I will keep any wizard that starts with either
strength of atlas or invisibility. They are of
strategic importance of raiding DF and shaving
turns, respectively.

[gut]

OK, here's the first official PC:

Winky 1    St:10  Le:22  Wi:14  Dx:20  To: 4  Ch:12  Ap:20  Ma:18  Pe:19  N=
DV/PV: 15/3   H: 14(14)   P: 42(42)   Exp: 1/0   M: 94

I'm naming them all 'Winky' in honor of a certain house
elf : ) I strongly expect to render them nearly extict
over the next few weeks (months?). This one started with
lightning ball and a Le stat of 22, so gets to live for a while.
We'll see what happens...

EDIT: Dead via Hotz. Next:

Well, I said I'd play any PC that started with a
TP book, so the RNG gave me this:

Winky 2    St:11  Le:13  Wi:11  Dx:18  To: 9  Ch: 7  Ap:21  Ma:20  Pe:17  N=
DV/PV: 14/1   H: 15(15)   P: 32(32)   Exp: 1/0   M: 1
   spellbook of Teleportation

SMC, here I come. I'll see if I can keep this one alive
longer than 5 minutes.

EDIT: Died in SMC. I think I'm getting worse : )
Next:

Winky 3    St:10  Le:26  Wi:14  Dx:17  To: 9  Ch: 9  Ap:23  Ma:24  Pe:17  N=
DV/PV: 13/1   H: 16(16)   P: 35(35)   Exp: 1/0   M: 1

This one feels like a winner : )

Dead do to poison. Here comes Winky 4:

Winky 4    St:11  Le:27  Wi:14  Dx:18  To:10  Ch: 6  Ap:16  Ma:22  Pe:16  N+
DV/PV: 14/1   H: 17(17)   P: 44(44)   Exp: 1/0   M: 1

Nice Le, nice spells. I'll hope for a good corruption order.

EDIT: Had to restart, stupid bandit town took too long.

Winky 5    St:11  Le:20  Wi:14  Dx:19  To:11  Ch:11  Ap:21  Ma:20  Pe:19  N=
DV/PV: 14/1   H: 17(17)   P: 35(35)   Exp: 1/0   M: 1

Winky 5 started with a way to rob the BM, so
lived. The BM was nicely stocked with spellbooks
of invisibility, SoA, and light. Strangely, it
also held a BD corpse. First time for everything
I suppose.

EDIT: Dead in SMC, despite invisibility and acid bolt.

Winky 6    St:11  Le:22  Wi:15  Dx:18  To:11  Ch: 6  Ap:16  Ma:19  Pe:18  N=
DV/PV: 14/1   H: 18(18)   P: 43(43)   Exp: 1/0   M: 1
   spellbook of Lightning Bolt     
   spellbook of Cure Light Wounds

I mainly just let winky 6 live because she was
born in the month of candle.

Edit: Dead to Hotz. Again.

Winky 7    St: 9  Le:21  Wi:14  Dx:17  To: 7  Ch:12  Ap:22  Ma:21  Pe:19  N=
DV/PV: 13/1   H: 14(14)   P: 34(34)   Exp: 1/0   M: 1
   spellbook of Fire Bolt      
   spellbook of Darkness
   spellbook of Lightning Bolt

BM, here I come. Die Barnabus, die!

EDIT: Great start, then died in BUGWIL due to stupidity.

Winky 8    St:13  Le:15  Wi:17  Dx:17  To:10  Ch:10  Ap:21  Ma:23  Pe:18  N+
DV/PV: 13/1   H: 19(19)   P: 46(46)   Exp: 1/0   M: 1
   potion of invisibility 
   spellbook of Teleportation

EDIT: I didn't keep an eye on my castings in BUGWIL.
I actually cast invisibility on a killer bug. Goodness : (

Winky 9!    St:12  Le:26  Wi:11  Dx:19  To: 6  Ch: 9  Ap:16  Ma:20  Pe:15 N=
DV/PV: 14/2   H: 14(14)   P: 35(35)   Exp: 1/0   M: 1
   spellbook of Fire Bolt      
   spellbook of Teleportation  
   spellbook of Teleportation

Check out this girl! Le 26 and two (!) spellbooks of TP.
I've got to be REEALY careful.

[Grey]

Good to see this thread revived - it was very entertaining before. Might have to join in the fun myself

But your new char... To 4? That's just not gonna work, man. I always found low To was more of a hindrance than low Le in speedrun attempts, unless you get very lucky with herbs. Even if you get lucky with herbs then the effects of low To potential are very sorely felt too. That's why I was more successful with drakelings and gnomes. Gnomes can still get very high Le (20+), and drakelings can still read well enough with even Le 16. The extra HP really makes a difference with early boss fights (graveyard especially) and close situations. And drakelings obviously get it easy in the Tower.

Edit: Just saw your new char - Le 26 is quite astounding.

[vogonpoet]

Sub 14k turns eh? You really are a glutton for punishment gut 8-)

So what's the approach, something like the following?

-->Bandit town, steal books if avail, possibly level up a bit
-->SMC, get blanket for book casting
-->ID for blink corpse
-->BUGVIL for XP
-->Pyramid, Griffyard, DF raid
-->Water then Fire Orbs, or vice versa?
-->No herb farming, just pick any morgia you see whilst passing through.

Or are you hoping to skip some of these, maybe do DF raid right after ID then head straight for WaterOrb?


Edit: wow yeah, a combined Le+Ma of 50??? Thats amazing

[vogonpoet]

Ooops - good to see its not just me who has a high attrition rate when trying for a speed run

I might suicide a few gnomes to the cause later

[gut]

I'm killing the suckers off faster than I can generate them,
but here's the theory for advancement:

1. Get SMC blankey by ~200 turns.
2. Get bandit town business done by ~400.
3. Get BUGWIL business done by ~1200.
4. Get BD corpse in ID by ~3500 or re-start.
5. Get 'astral planes' in pyramid if needed by ~4000.
6. If SoA, then raid DF, and get 'lucky' or even 'fate smiles' at DT by ~6000.
7. If not, TP thrundarr and get Water Orb immediately by ~8000.
8. Elemental guantlets via teleport and being lucky by ~8500.
9. Probably skip the pyramid completely and find the ACW by ~9500.
10. Have the ACW dead by ~10,000 turns or re-start.
11. The rest by ~14,000, somehow.

EDIT: Everyone's welcome to join this thread of course!
The more death, the better : )

[Soirana]

just for sake of interest that is current speed record?

[vogonpoet]

Well I don't think gut has beaten 15.6 k yet, but I am not sure

[Grey]

16000 or so, by gut of course.

Am thinking of trying a Platinum speedrun, only problem of course being TP control (hopefully a pool will provide or I'll find the right ring). Got a high elf started, now level 8 on D4 with Darkness, Teleport and 2 bolt spells on 946 turns. Likely to die soon of course.

I tried a few runs going through the SMC and it seems to just be a deathtrap. Blanket isn't worth it in my opinion - I'll just read the starting books to death and happily paddle across the river.

[vogonpoet]

Well I have seen BD corpse in the BM a total of two times methinks - never with a speed wizard attempt of course... pretty cool though