Lvl 20 Orc Barbarian killed by... a water snake.

[AssDriller]

Okay, I think I'm done playing ADOM for a while. I've become a master at gettting a character past the early/midgame level, but once I get to the ToEF, I end up making some stupid decision. I thought that "Grunt" would be the exception to this. Grunt was a level 20 orc barbarian. This was my best character yet: He had >30 st, 12 le, ~12 wi, 26 dx, ~30 to, and ~ 25 pe. ~320 hp. Raven startsign; talents were alert, miser, treasure hunter, quick, careful, defensive fighter, and dodger. He was crowned the Champion of Balance with lightning immunity and was given the vanquisher as his crowning gift. He also acquired the rune-covered trident and had found a two-handed eternium sword of devestation with stats ~+24 to hit and 10d5+21 damage. Master weapon skills in both pole arms and two-handed weapons. He had bracers of regeneration, white dragon scale mail (found in Darkforge), elemental guantlets, tons of amulets and rings (including ankh, rapid healing, ring of ice, ring of damage, ring of slaying w/ 7m; 6r) He got a wish from a pool early on and used it to get an AoLS to save Khelevaster and get the scrolls of chaos resistance. Also got extra scrolls from the mystic dwarf. He also had intrinsic invisibility, and his speed was 128! The only downside was the fact that he had 3 incredible two-handed weapons and no worthwhile one-handed weapons. It was definitely a double-edged sword, as it left him with a DV/PV at ~25/18 with Vanquisher (obviously more DV with rune-covered trident). This was the main thing that was stopping him from taking on the ACW. So, I decided to take him to drink from some of the pools at the Darkforge and take a chance at a wish. Had a drink of ale, +1 dx, -1 wi and then got a wish. Wished for wands of paralyzation (for taking on ACW) and then I made the stupid decision to take another drink. Aged into "old." Drank a potion of youth, but was still middle-aged. Took another drink, lost invisibility. Cursed, doomed, water snakes. Water snakes were hitting him hard for some reason; might have lost my poision resistance from a drink as well. Kept getting down to ~70 hp. I put on his amulet of rapid healing and kept drinking. Bad stuff keeps happening and more snakes! I kept having to waste his extra healing potions and it was pissing me off. But I REALLY wanted his intrinsic invisibility back. He finally got invisibility! But it was only temporary. More aging (old again). Then, the corruption kicks in (stiffened muscles). I try another drink; more snakes appear, and they are getting good hits on him for some reason. Killed all except 1, and then realize he has ~30 hp. He has no potions of cure poison. I didn't want to waste anymore of his healing potions since I need them for the ToEF, so I figure that my blessed amulet of rapid healing and blessed bracers of regeneration will pull through. Snake hits me, poison courses through my veins, -4hp.

Lesson learned: never take another drink after getting a wish; I was lucky enough to get one wish in a game, let alone two. And fuck snakes.