Westside story challenge

[Stingray1]

Warning: May become very grindy

Go directly to Gremlin cave then go directly to TotHK leaving climbing set in wilderness. You may not ascend until the ring has been retrieved. That means no use of '<' on any level.

Retrieve the climbing set from library and Axe of the Minotaur Emperor whichever order you prefer.

You may not cross the pass until you have both the axe and climbing set. Challenge complete.

Edit - Try to avoid fighting in wilderness, you may fight if there is no other option. Edit 3. Definately no picking up of items or eating off the ground during wilderness encounters.

Edit2 - Warning: Extremely hardcore, you have been warned.

Edit3 - If you want to try a lighter version - you may move between levels prior to ring retrieval.

Also a very light version - You may also fight and collect in the wilderness en route to dungeons.

Also extremely light version - You may also do whatever to the northwest of the pass prior retrieving the ring, even walk around the wilderness and fight for all eternity.

In all versions you must drop lose the climbing set after crossing the pass and may only cross the pass after the challenge is complete.

[JellySlayer]

Warning: May become very grindy

I think this is an understatement.

[_Ln_]

I'd say that's pretty easy. Just roll a gnomish/hurthling wizard.

[JellySlayer]

Getting 100 climbing will be quite painful with a wizard. I guess if you're lucky and a climbing set drops randomly, you can at least wander around the hills and train your climbing that way. Without it... you may need wishes or something.

[Stingray1]

Yeah, I thought you'd say that it is an understatement.

Extra points for doing it with a character rolled today.

[grobblewobble]

Getting climbing to 100 can be solved by choosing a class with high skill values, so not really a problem.

Getting the ring can be done with help from an ogre magus, so not too bad.

Getting 50k gold is bad, but sort of doable.

But getting to level 23 for access to the mino maze.. ugh.

[JellySlayer]

Getting climbing to 100 can be solved by choosing a class with high skill values, so not really a problem.

Sure, but _Ln_ was suggesting a wizard. Archer might be a better choice. They have pretty decent climbing IIRC.

Getting the ring can be done with help from an ogre magus, so not too bad.

Getting 50k gold is bad, but sort of doable.

Considering the amount of grinding that you'll need to do, I think both of these will probably solve themselves. Gold is really not an issue at all, IMHO. Most likely, you'll want to take Miser anyway.

But getting to level 23 for access to the mino maze.. ugh.

Well... in my wilderness/Steelman game, it took me ~16 hours to get to level 25 by pure grinding. XPs in high kings should be better than wilderness and the odds of getting a wish are better (I didn't get enough scrolls of danger to reach DL8 until I was over level 20). If you're lucky, you could be in position to do the maze with a couple hours' work.

[edit]

You may not ascend until the ring has been retrieved.

Does this mean you can't ascend at all? Or you can't leave the High Kings cave? The latter is pretty brutal, since you can't leave the cavernous levels to recover/eat/whatever if you get in trouble.

[edit]Tempted to try it
[edit2]Didn't realize it was Friday 13th today! We need a challenge game!
[edit3]Off to an epic start. Got luck on my 3rd PC and the climbing set was in the first room of gremlin cave. UC:1 had a threat room of hill giants that dropped an adamantium spear and crystal plate armor. It also has a general store so I can buy and sell stuff. I'm going to assume that I can't leave the dungeon, but can move up and down the levels freely.
[edit4]And... killed by werewolf lord.

[Stingray1]

My original idea was that you may not ascend any staircase to make it extra difficult, but if you think it is too brutal we can adjust it to not leave the dungeon.

I had the climbing set on two characters, but was greedy for the awesome phial, I think I'll just ignore it now.

I'll try my rule of not ascending to see how bad it gets and get back with an opinion a bit later.

Edit - Man, I hate being cursed, I don't know how you manage being doomed.

[JellySlayer]

I've been meaning to write a guide on it

Here's the condensed version:

You will die. A lot.

[Stingray1]

Had the phial and set then get confused to death by the first mouther, can't wait for this dreadful day to pass.