During-action-report of Saleya the dark elven wizard

[GordonOverkill]

Since we were talking about it on another thread, I decided to play a run with a wizard. Rolled a sword-born dark elven girl who started with Long Stride and Alert, Darkness and Lightning Bolt, learning 14, ring of cold resistance and ring of mental stability. Called her Saleya because I always lost with female elves of that name so far and someday I want to end that streak ;-) To really test her power, I decided to try a Lithium challange game.

The way to the CoC was already rather dangerous, being encountered by hobgoblins and jackals, but thanks to Long Stride Saleya managed to escape without having to attack them.
On D2 the first important event: An enemy drops a spellbook of Acid Ball! Amazing! Saleya reads it once and keeps the book for book-casting... well, at least that was the plan. On D4 a river blocks the level, so she completely reads the book and then drowns through the river. One prayer is needed to get to the other side. Well, bad surprise, the downstairs are not on the other side, so she has to cross again at another space. Although she uses her last prayer, she is down to 2 HP when she reaches the other side. There she finds an altar at least and converts to neutral allignment. Sadly there is too little space on this side of the river to consider excessive live-saccing.
So she dives further, kills some nasties on the way, buys a whole lot of lizards from the ratling traders, learns the Miser and Treasure Hunter talents, skips a level with a bee hive and finally reaches the big room. There she secures a 2x2 patch with stomaphilia e.a. but directly heads for the downstairs when a blink dog appears and starts to multiply.
Finally in Dwarftown Saleya is told to prove her valor by slaying a kobold. At Waldis shop she finds a whole lot of interesting items, in particular a spellbook of Magic Missile, a ring of acid resistance, a longbow of accuracy (+8/+4), a wand of webbing and a wooden shield (+2) [+6/+3]. Sooner or later she wants to buy all of that!
But at first she has to earn some money, so she dives deeper. D11 has got a lesser vault and an ant hive, so the level is skipped for the moment. D12 suddenly throws a kobold at our heroine, so she finishs the first quest and then decides to take a closer look at the special features from D11. There are already quite some ants around, so she retreats into a corridor and fights them one by one. After a short time she gets a corpse to eat and a pair of Mithril boots and bracers of Toughness +4 to wear. Instead of dealing with the remaining ants, Saleya decides to close a door between them and at first scout the rest of the level.
It turns out that the vault contains spiders... nasty! Soon she finds herself out of power points, so she uses her wand of magic missile to get away. But bad luck, when she tries to take out a single spider that was chasing her, that damn beast manages to poison her. So she eats her only antidote and decides to leave that dangerous area (too bad, still no poison resistance). The escape is quite threatening, since she is down to 20 HP and has to pass the ants again, but luckily she manages to panic the ant queen and maneuver around the rest with coward speed.
Back in Dwarftown Saleya sells her loot and buys the spellbook of Magic Missile. Too bad it disappears after two readings, so no book casting again. At this time she has got 94 points of Acid Ball, 44 points of Lightning Bolt and 156 points of Magic Missile... not quite enough to feel save, if you ask me.
So she decides to scout the higher levels at first, since the deeper ones were apparently too hard for her to handle. But well, D9 was not better either with a troll threat room. After killing a whole lot of them she is out of power points and also down to about 30 hp, so she retreats to regenerate a little. When she has finally finished off the last troll, she is down to 46 points of Magic Missile. But at least she finds some nice gauntlets and a leather armor, increasing her PV to 9.
Again she sells her loot, buys the wand of webbing this time and explores further, untill she gets double-critted by an invisible stalker on D8... down to 2 hp! The stalker gets annihilated by an acid ball, Saleya reaches Level 10 and I decide to call it a day.

All in all that was quite an exciting session! Of course Lithium is somehow special conditions, but still I did not feel like being overpowered in any way. There was a whole lot of situations where I had to retreat and although I was very lucky with the spellbooks of Darkness, Acid Ball and Magic Missile, I was in fear of running out of castings for most of the time... that's the reason why I tried to melee the invisible stalker at first. In comparison I definitely think that the Elementalist has a clear advantage during the early game, especially for a player like me who doesn't like to see halve a dozen characters dying just to get one through to the mid game.

(I play her on prerelease 5 because I want to keep the surprises of the new versions for my youtube series ;-) )

[Blasphemous]

Poor choice of a race for lithium man - the only guaranteed shop before casino has a shopkeeper that hates dark elves
Also, dark elves don't exactly start off with a lot of learning so understandably you'll be short in the spell charges department.
Though I understand find weakness and alertness can be quite useful, so maybe you break even.
I once started with Le 25 and spellbooks of strength of atlas, acid bolt and invisibility.
That was fun but I guess it's on the other spectrum of difficulty from what you're doing.
Good luck with that.

[GordonOverkill]

Actually I did not think of effectiveness when I picked the race. I just think that female dark elves are somehow sexy ;-)

[Stingray1]

And they get to eat spiders.

[GordonOverkill]

...which is a little less sexy, to be honest x-D

[Stingray1]

Oh, I love chicks that are willing to put ugly things in their mouths.

[gym21]

If eating spiders is wrong, I don't want to be right

[Stingray1]

Are you recording Saleya? Oh, never mind stupid question.

[Singbird]

Well, I rolled a gray elven necromancer, read the frost bolt book twice before it disappeared and I have now 600 castings of frost bolt. I rolled a gray elven wizard, read a book of acid bolt and have 700 castings. Read the book death ray and got 300 castings.

If you want to experience the true power of a class then of course you need to use a race that allows to realize this (a dark elf does later on of course). You wouldn't want a troll for your beastfighter either, would you. : )

[GordonOverkill]

So this is what happened in her second session:

Saleya continues to scout the upper CoC levels in order to increase her experience and equipment. After just afew turns she finds a spellbook of Slow monster... nice! Due to constant shortage of offensive spells, she starts seriously training her melee skills. At this time she wields a very good orcish spear (+1) 1d8+4 and a medium mithril shield [+1/+5]. She also finds the Si on the same level.
Next is the big room again, which turns out to contain a spider factory in addition to the blink dogs. Saleya tries to kill them carefully at the stairs and actually gets rather lucky with the drops: Spellbook of Ice Ball... yes! Spider corpse... yesyes!! Blink dog corpse... yesyesyes!!! Anyway, at this point she was down to 23 hp, so she decides to return to Dwarftown at once to sell some stuff and regenerate.
A chasing blink dog drops another corpse which is sold to Waldi. Very nice, because our heroine had already found a pool at a higher level. While regenerating she tries to increase her piety a little by luring chaotic beings from the level above to dwarftown. Directly meets a cave tiger... shall the dwarves care about it! Well, in hindsight I guess that this decision ruined Saleya's karma, but who would have guessed? However, the tiger turned out to be quite a tough one, killing one dwarf after another. It's not untill Saleya magically slows him down, when a guard is finally able to kill the beast.
Next monster to be lured to town is a goblin slavemaster... and he directly kills a dwarven child :-( Oh my god, sorry!!! At least now I should have known that Saleya had a serious karma problem. But she went back up, got directly sickened by a mummy. Curaria mancox cured her, but one of the very next enemies was a lesser daemon that insta-killed her with a bolt for more than 40 points of damage. Honestly didn't know they could hit so hard.

Well, that's yet another Saleya to fail on her quest... cursed be this goddamn name! Guess I should have been a little less miserly with the ball spells... just didn't want to waste them. At the moment of her death she had 74 points of Acid Ball, 6 points of Ice Ball (wanted to book-cast that one when she had enough mana), 27 points of Lightning Bolt and 24 points of Magic Missile.

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Saleya        St:12  Le:15  Wi:20  Dx:21  To:19  Ch: 5  Ap:12  Ma:24  Pe:16 N-
DV/PV: 19/9    H: -11(84)     P: 135(135)    Exp: 11/29975      D: 9  M: 6124
Strained
------------------------------------------------------------------------------


----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                            Background Information
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Name: Saleya              Race: female Dark Elf     Class: Wizard
Eye color: blue           Hair color: white         Complexion: black
Height: 5'2"              Weight: 97 pounds
Age: 133 (grown-up)
Star sign: Sword          Birthday: 25/Sword (day 205 of the year)

YOUR HISTORY:
        Your parents were poor people. They loved you and cared for you,
 although you had to hunger more than once.
        During your childhood one of your uncles taught you a lot of things
 about the history of your people. Your vast knowledge on the legends and
 the lore of your people made you very popular with your friends because of
 all the exciting stories you knew.
        In your youth you enjoyed competition against others to the
 fullest. You were a very active kid.
        Your young adulthood was characterized by hard and long work. You
 had decided to study under a renowned master. To your great disappointment
 you had to find out, that he was a hard, unjust and tyrannic man,
 embittered by his old age. Your apprentice years were quite terrible.
        You decided to become a Wizard.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                  Inventory
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total weight: 1419 stones                Carrying capacity: 1200 stones

Head          : -
Neck          : uncursed amulet of perseverance {Wi+3}                 [3s]
Body          : uncursed leather armor [+0, +3]                      [150s]
Girdle        : -
Cloak         : -
Right Hand    : uncursed orcish spear (+1, 1d8+4)                     [75s]
Left Hand     : uncursed medium mithril shield [+5, +1]               [80s]
Right Ring    : uncursed ring of cold resistance                       [1s]
Left Ring     : uncursed ring of mental stability [+0, +1] {Le+1}      [1s]
Bracers       : uncursed bracers of toughness [+0, +0] {To+4}         [10s]
Gauntlets     : uncursed gauntlets (-1, +0) [+0, +2]                  [10s]
Boots         : cursed mithril boots [-1, +2]                         [96s]
Missile Weapon: -
Missiles      : heap of 6 uncursed rocks (+0, 1d4)                    [30s]
Tool          : -


----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                    Stuff
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Total weight: 963 stones   Carrying capacity: 1200 stones

Shields ('[')
   uncursed small shield [+2, +0]                                     [50s]
Necklaces (''')
   blessed amulet of health                                            [3s]
Missile weapons ('}')
   uncursed short bow (+1, +0)                                        [20s]
Missiles ('*')
   heap of 4 cursed rocks (+0, 1d4)                                   [20s]
   bundle of 2 uncursed arrows of thunder (+0, 1d6)                    [4s]
   uncursed arrow of slaying (+0, 1d6)                                 [2s]
   bundle of 15 uncursed quarrels (+1, 2d6+2)                         [30s]
   bundle of 20 uncursed arrows (+0, 1d6)                             [40s]
   heap of 4 blessed rocks (-1, 1d4)                                  [20s]
   uncursed arrow (+0, 1d6+3)                                          [2s]
   heap of 2 uncursed rocks (+0, 1d4+1)                               [10s]
   heap of 2 blessed rocks (+0, 1d4)                                  [10s]
   heap of 12 uncursed rocks (+0, 1d4)                                [60s]
   bundle of 3 uncursed quarrels (+4, 2d6)                             [6s]
   uncursed rock (+3, 1d4)                                             [5s]
   uncursed dark elven quarrel (+3, 1d4+3)                             [2s]
   uncursed rock (+1, 1d4)                                             [5s]
   uncursed quarrel of thunder (+1, 2d6)                               [2s]
   bundle of 12 uncursed quarrels (+1, 2d6)                           [24s]
   bundle of 4 cursed arrows (+0, 1d6)                                 [8s]
   bundle of 2 blessed arrows (+0, 1d6)                                [4s]
   uncursed arrow (+3, 1d6+2)                                          [2s]
   uncursed balanced arrow (+4, 1d6)                                   [2s]
Tools (']')
   uncursed si                                                        [10s]
Rings ('=')
   cursed ring of stun resistance                                      [1s]
Wands ('\')
   uncursed wand of magic missiles (1 charge)                          [3s]
   uncursed wand of door creation (6 charges)                          [3s]
   uncursed wand of cold (1 charge)                                    [4s]
   uncursed wand of poison (4 charges)                                 [3s]
   uncursed wand of webbing (2 charges)                                [3s]
Potions ('!')
   uncursed potion of healing                                          [4s]
   heap of 2 uncursed potions of carrot juice                          [8s]
   uncursed potion of insight                                          [2s]
   uncursed potion of invisibility                                     [4s]
   uncursed potion of extra healing                                    [2s]
   heap of 3 potions of holy water                                    [12s]
   uncursed potion of boost dexterity                                  [2s]
   uncursed potion of potential toughness                              [4s]
Scrolls ('?')
   uncursed scroll of increase melee accuracy                          [2s]
   blessed scroll of balance                                           [2s]
   uncursed scroll of identify                                         [2s]
Books ('"')
   uncursed spellbook of Ice Ball                                    [100s]
Food ('%')
   heap of 90 uncursed cooked lizards                                [270s]
   cursed pepper petal                                                 [2s]
   heap of 2 cursed stomafillia herbs                                  [4s]
   heap of 5 uncursed stomacemptia herbs                              [10s]
   uncursed stomafillia herb                                           [2s]
   blessed pepper petal                                                [2s]
   cursed displacer beast corpse                                     [120s]
   blessed stomafillia herb                                            [2s]
   uncursed alraunia antidote                                          [2s]
   heap of 2 blessed curaria mancox herbs                              [4s]
   heap of 5 blessed spenseweeds                                      [10s]
   blessed alraunia antidote                                           [2s]
   cursed devil's rose                                                 [2s]
   heap of 2 blessed devil's roses                                     [4s]
   heap of 2 cursed curaria mancox herbs                               [4s]
   uncursed devil's rose                                               [2s]
   heap of 3 uncursed spenseweeds                                      [6s]
   cursed spenseweed                                                   [2s]
Valuables ('$')
   1031 gold pieces                                                   [10s]
Gems ('*')
   uncursed crystal of light                                           [1s]


----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                Weapon Skills
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Melee weapon           Lvl   Hit   Dam   DV   Level          Required marks
---------------------  ---   ---   ---   --   -------------  --------------
Unarmed fighting         0    +0    +0   +0   unskilled            22
Daggers & knives         0    +0    +0   +0   unskilled            6
Clubs & hammers          0    +0    +0   +0   unskilled            24
Maces & flails           0    +0    +0   +0   unskilled            24
Swords                   0    +0    +0   +0   unskilled            10
Axes                     0    +0    +0   +0   unskilled            24
Whips                    0    +0    +0   +0   unskilled            24
Pole arms                3    +3    +1   +2   basic                56
Twohanded weapons        0    +0    +0   +0   unskilled            24
Staves                   0    +0    +0   +0   unskilled            24

Missile weapon         Lvl   Hit   Dam   Ra   Level          Required marks
---------------------  ---   ---   ---   --   -------------  --------------
Slings                   0    +0    +0   +0   unskilled            14
Bows                     0    +0    +0   +0   unskilled            14
Crossbows                0    +0    +0   +0   unskilled            14
Thrown axes & hammers    0    +0    +0   +0   unskilled            14
Thrown daggers           0    +0    +0   +0   unskilled            14
Thrown rocks & clubs     1    +2    +1   +0   basic                19
Thrown spears            0    +0    +0   +0   unskilled            14
Boomerangs & scurgari    0    +0    +0   +0   unskilled            14

Shields                Lvl   DV               Level          Required marks
---------------------  ---   ---              -------------  --------------
Shields                  2    +4              basic                13


Damage caused with your melee weapons:
--------------------------------------
Right hand: +14 bonus to hit, 1d8+6 damage


Damage caused with your missile weapons:
----------------------------------------
Ammunition: 6, base range: 2, +10 bonus to hit, 1d4+6 damage




----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                   Skills
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

  Alchemy .............. 93    (superb)       [+2d4]
  Alertness ............ 62    (good)         [+1d5]
  Climbing ............. 40    (fair)         [+2d4]
  Concentration ........100    (superb)       [+2d4]
  Find weakness ........ 55    (good)         [+1d5]
  First aid ............ 28    (mediocre)     [+3d4]
  Haggling ............. 23    (mediocre)     [+3d4]
  Healing .............. 53    (good)         [+1d5]
  Herbalism ............100    (superb)       [+2d4]
  Listening ............ 47    (fair)         [+3d5]
  Literacy .............100    (superb)       [+2d4]
  Stealth .............. 51    (good)         [+1d5]
  Ventriloquism ........ 38    (fair)         [+3d3]


----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                   Spells
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

   Acid Ball     :    74,  40pp     (Effectivity: +3)
   Darkness      :   286,   4pp     (Effectivity: +1)
   Ice Ball      :     6,  44pp     (Effectivity: +1)
   Light         :   197,   3pp     (Effectivity: +3)
   Lightning Bolt:    27,  16pp     (Effectivity: +10)
   Magic Missile :    24,  12pp     (Effectivity: +8)
   Slow Monster  :   306,   7pp     (Effectivity: +1)





----------------------------------------------------------------------------
              Her achievements during her adventures:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saleya, the dark elven wizard, was torched by a lesser daemon.
She scored 34376 points and advanced to level 11.
She survived for 0 years, 6 days, 0 hours, 27 minutes and 20 seconds (6124
turns).
Saleya visited 13 places.
Her strength score was modified by +4 during her career.
Her mana score was modified by +3 during her career.
Her perception score was modified by +2 during her career.
She ended her adventuring life on level 9 of the caverns of chaos.
220 monsters perished under her attacks.
The following artifact was generated during her adventure:
  the si
She possessed the following intrinsics:
  She was poison resistant.
  She was cold resistant (gained through an item).
  She was acid resistant.
  She was able to control teleportation.
  She was able to resist confusion attacks (gained through an item).
She had the following talents: Alert, Long Stride, Miser, Shield Specialist,
Treasure Hunter.
She had a final speed score of 92 (final base speed: 102).
She was a fervent follower of Anssaria.
She asked for 2 divine interventions.
She was neutrally aligned.
She was slightly tainted by Chaos.

The following monsters were vanquished:
      1 bandit
      1 barbarian
      1 barbarian leader
      3 black hurthlings
     28 blink dogs
      1 carrion crawler
     11 cave fishers
      1 cave lizard
      1 caveman
      1 claw bug
      1 corpse fiend
      1 dark elven archer
      1 dark elven wizard
      1 dark sage
      1 displacer beast
      4 fire beetles
      1 fire lizard
      1 flesh golem
      1 floating eye
      1 gelatinous cube
      1 ghost
      1 ghost bat
      3 ghuls
      2 giant ant warriors
      4 giant ant workers
      1 giant bat
      3 giant lizards
      6 giant rats
      1 giant spider
      1 gnoll
      7 goblins
      1 goblin berserker
      1 goblin chieftain
      2 goblin rockthrowers
      4 goblin slavemasters
      5 gray oozes
      1 gremlin
      1 harpy
      1 hill orc
      1 hill orc sergeant
      3 hobgoblins
      1 hobgoblin chief
      1 homunculus
      1 huge bat
      1 invisible stalker
     13 kobolds
      3 kobold chieftains
      3 kobold shamans
      6 large bats
      1 large gnoll
      7 large kobolds
      2 large orcs
      4 large spiders
      2 leucrottas
      1 master swordsman
      1 mimic
      1 mummy
      5 ochre jellies
      6 orcs
      2 orc scorchers
      1 owlbear
      6 pit vipers
      1 quasit
      1 raider
      5 rats
      2 ratling archers
      3 ratling thieves
      2 ratling warriors
      1 shadow centipede
     21 trolls
      1 white worm
      1 wolf
      2 wraiths


----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                            Version Information
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ancient Domains Of Mystery
Version 1.2.0
Windows Prerelease 5
Build: Nov 14 2012 20:36:30