10+ Years playing ADOM, I finally got my first Pre-Crowning!

[daft inquisitor]

...and it was Nature's Companion. On a Troll Monk.

Now, you make look at that at first and think, "Well, that's kind of awful." But, actually, it suited my needs pretty well. I managed to crown on the dungeon underneath the Small Cave, at level 8, having gone through the dungeon to High Mountain Village and back again.

At that point in the game, I had already found a Tower Crystal Shield and a Dagger Of Death, so I was using them instead of going bare-handed. And trolls start with Heavy Furs anyway, meaning I was using them instead of going by the usual Monk armor weight limit. So, it was a pretty amazing upgrade.

Still, my stats are pretty weird for a monk, I have to say. 45/18 at level 8, with my Dagger getting me +18 / 5d5+12 on attack/damage.

I think I'm the most non-traditional monk that ever lived right now.

[Blasphemous]

I love playing monks and I always play them armed and armored.
They have a great skillset and class powers, I can do perfectly fine playing them classically, wielding eternium two-handers and wearing amw.
Nature's Companion is a very fine artifact, I wouldn't mind getting it on any char. 15 to speed, 8 PV and two immunities is a lot.

[_Ln_]

Playing a troll monk with monk bonuses is counter-productive anyway because of the slow leveling. Even worse in later prereleases where xp is scarce.

[daft inquisitor]

I've played a Troll Monk a couple times now, and I mostly do it so the food budget events itself out. (Trolls use more food than usual, Monks use less food than usual, so together they use approximately "regular" food amounts.) Plus, the INSANELY high Strength and Toughness help out before you get some good gear. (Started with 30 St and 22 To).

Still, I would rather use them as a "traditional" monk if I can, but I don't think that's really viable until much higher levels.

[JellySlayer]

Nature's companion is the second (maybe third) best armor in the game. Why would you be upset about it?

[Phoobnahr]

My first ever win was with a Troll monk, and he didn't play traditional monk-style either. Armed and Armored.

[daft inquisitor]

Well, that gives me some hope. I still haven't won yet myself. Maybe this will do it for me.

The closest I got recently was a Drakeling Duelist. But, as soon as he got to the Tower of Eternal Flames, it was pretty much game-over. I have no idea how people get through that with a drake...

[StViers]

spenseweed, and quickly

[mewmew]

or regen items
my drakeling had enough regen from a couple of them not to use spenseweed at all

also monks aren't the best unarmed fighters in the game, i would personally play them armed... but beastfighter class don't go well with troll slow leveling at all
so, trolls kind of have to fight armed