YAVP #2: Hurthling Bard

[sterjs]

Another win right on the heels of my first.

Hurthling Bard is a great combo. I am a big fan of Food Preservation, Cooking makes it relatively painless to raise piety and the talents from Archery are great.

Really a pretty standard game. Started with heir gift, alert and a ridic skillset that included concentration and find weakness. I got three precrowns using cooked corpses--Hammerhead, Black Tome and Nature's Companion(!). Eventually got crowned with Whirlwind(yuck... bards have terrible crowning gifts).

I had to use Hammerhead until I was ready to clear darkforge, where I got the awesome Skullcrusher(!) from a surge of power(maybe one of these days I'll win without a humanoid slayer!). Drained pools in Darkforge, yielding a wish to save Khelly as well as Intrinsic Invisibility(!) and Teleportitis. Also managed to save the Cat Lord(pretty easy if you're just a bit careful as a bard). Also got nice spells via the Bard power(Teleportation and Darkness).

Found another wand of wishing(4 charges) and Ring of Djinni Summoning post Khelly that I didn't need at all--bizarre how it works out that way. I went ahead and used 3 on Books of Acid Ball, Farsight and Rings of Slaying. Got the sulfur breath mutation until the unicorn quest, which allowed me to scum strength up a lot with Ogres and Giants.

Bosses were generally taken out with slaying ammo and cursed potions of invisibility. I was able to clear D:50 without killing a Balor--when they're blind they go teleporting off to nowhere. Teleport and /Destruction on the levers and I was out without ever being in danger. I was disappointed that I missed grandmastery in my weapon as well as the tasty L50 Bard Power, but my speed was so high that I didn't gain nearly enough XP for that.

All in all, seems like I got pretty lucky again.
________
Dc Marijuana Dispensary

[sterjs]

Truncated Dump:

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                          ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Cutpurse      St:55  Le:30  Wi:36  Dx:61  To:31  Ch:19  Ap:10  Ma:19  Pe:22 L+
DV/PV:159/47     H:591(591)    P:314(314)    Exp: 43/11734667   DrCh  Sp: 173
Blessed Invisible Satiated Coward
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----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                            Background Information
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Name: Cutpurse            Race: male Hurthling      Class: Bard
Eye color: blue           Hair color: brown         Complexion: tanned
Height: 3'                Weight: 1 pound           Scars: 3
Age: 46 (grown-up, 5 years of unnatural aging added in)
Star sign: Candle         Birthday: 10/Candle (day 280 of the year)

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                                  Inventory
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total weight: 5143 stones                Carrying capacity: 12375 stones

He: blessed eternium cap [+0, +6]                                     [28s]
Ne: uncursed sapphire amulet (named) [+4, +4] {Wi+7}                   [3s]
Bo: blessed fine leather armor (named) (+2, +0) [+2, +8] (+15 spd)   [120s]
Gi: blessed girdle of giant strength [+2, +2] {St+12}                 [30s]
Cl: uncursed hooded cloak [+1, +3]                                    [40s]
RH: blessed rune-covered club (named) (+12, 3d6+2) [-3, +0] {St+4}   [120s]
LH: uncursed tower eternium shield (-1) [+13, +4]                     [70s]
RR: uncursed ring of slaying (+6 melee damage, +6 missile damage)      [1s]
LR: blessed ring of the master cat [+0, +5] {Dx+16} (+16 spd)          [1s]
Br: blessed bracers of regeneration [+2, +3]                          [18s]
Ga: uncursed elemental gauntlets (-1, +0) [+0, +3]                    [10s]
Bo: blessed seven league boots (+1, +1) [+1, +2]                      [30s]
MW: -
Mi: uncursed dagger of returning (+3, 1d4+1)                          [10s]
Tl: uncursed dwarven pick axe (named) (+2, 2d10+4) [+2, +2] {To+3}    [90s]

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                                Weapon Skills
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Melee weapon           Lvl   Hit   Dam   DV   Level          Required marks
---------------------  ---   ---   ---   --   -------------  --------------

Clubs & hammers         13   +14   +10   +4   Mastery              6713

Missile weapon         Lvl   Hit   Dam   Ra   Level          Required marks
---------------------  ---   ---   ---   --   -------------  --------------
Bows                     8   +16   +12   +2   excellent            357
Crossbows                7   +14   +10   +2   skilled              191
Thrown rocks & clubs     7   +14   +10   +2   skilled              142

Shields                Lvl   DV               Level          Required marks
---------------------  ---   ---              -------------  --------------
Shields                 10   +20              excellent            1568

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                                   Skills
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  Appraising ................100    (superb)       [+2d4]
  Archery ...................100    (superb)       [+1d3]
  Athletics .................100    (superb)       [+2d4]
  Backstabbing ..............100    (superb)       [+1d5]
  Climbing ..................100    (superb)       [+2d4]
  Concentration .............100    (superb)       [+2d4]
  Cooking ...................100    (superb)       [+1d5] (ma)
  Detect item status ........100    (superb)       [+1d3]
  Detect traps ..............100    (superb)       [+2d4]
  Dodge .....................100    (superb)       [+1d5]
  Find weakness .............100    (superb)       [+1d3]
  First aid .................100    (superb)       [+2d4]
  Food preservation .........100    (superb)       [+2d4]
  Healing ...................100    (superb)       [+2d4]
  Herbalism .................100    (superb)       [+2d4]
  Literacy ..................100    (superb)       [+1d5]
  Music .....................100    (superb)       [+3d4]
  Pick locks ................100    (superb)       [+2d4]
  Pick pockets ..............100    (superb)       [+2d4]
  Smithing ..................100    (superb)       [+2d4]
  Stealth ...................100    (superb)       [+1d3]
  Tactics ...................100    (superb)       [+1d3]
  Two weapon combat ......... 78    (great)        [+1d3]
  Ventriloquism .............100    (superb)       [+2d4]

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                                   Spells
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   Acid Ball     :   940,  35pp     (Effectivity: +3)
   Darkness      :  1427,   4pp     (Effectivity: +0)
   Farsight      :   798,  17pp     (Effectivity: +4)
   Lightning Ball:   608,  30pp     (Effectivity: +1)
   Mystic Shovel :   743, 100pp     (Effectivity: +0)
   Teleportation :  1566,  21pp     (Effectivity: +6)

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                            Effects of Corruption
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Your corrupted tissue seems to heal much faster.
You have become very light (1/10 weight, St: -6, Dx: +4, To: -6, Ap: -6, +20
speed).
Your antennae explore the details of your environment (Ap: -4).
You have become extremely thin and nimble (1/2 weight, DV: +6).

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                              His further life:
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After he leaves the Drakalor Chain he is welcomed by his people with great
honors. They acknowledge his noble deeds, his valor, his cunning and his
great skills that helped to prevent the complete destruction of the world he
knows. He is crowned to be the king of all hurthlings and lives a long and
prosperous life full of love, happiness and pleasure.

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              His achievements during his adventures:
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Cutpurse, the hurthling bard, saved the world with his brave efforts and
became a great ruler while saving himself 108 times.
He scored 14910508 points and advanced to level 43.
He survived for 0 years, 126 days, 9 hours, 40 minutes and 56 seconds
(200029 turns).

He had the following talents: Alert, Basher, Boon to the Family, Charming,
Eagle Eye, Good Learner, Good Shot, Heir, Keen Shot, Lightning Shot, Mighty
Strike, Miser, Powerful Strike, Quick, Quick Shot, Shield Expert, Shield
Specialist, Treasure Hunter.

________
Buy Vaporizer

[vogonpoet]

Those balors are not actually Captain Scarlets you know. Skullcrusher would have dealt with them, your slaying ammo would have dealt with them, and you would have your level 50. Nice win though -I have still not had the patience to win with a bard.

[JellySlayer]

I agree with vogenpoet: Considering your stats, speed, spells, and weapon, the balors shouldn't have given you any trouble. Don't be afraid to fight them.