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Thread: Merchant

  1. #1
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    Default Merchant

    While merchants are considered to be the worst class in ADOM by many, some others consider them simply a harder level of the game, bearing in mind some interesting features they possess.

    In my opinion, merchants hold some trump cards on hand. Those are:

    1. Decent class skill on lvl 12 - carrying capacity doubled (especially, when combined with carrying talents).
    2. Specialization in items - they identify one of four item classes: rings, scrolls, wands and potions. In case of the last one, alchemy skill is also added to their skillset.
    3. Quite good set of gifts from crowning: 50% for good item (boots of divine messenger, crowns), 33% for fair item (trusted one, staff of wanderer) and ony 17% for trash item (Shezestriakis).
    4. Also lvl 18 / 32 skills - reducing shop prices by 40% / 60% - can be nice. Thinking about purchasing artifacts in Casino.
    5. They can use coins as missiles. Doppelgangers cannot deflect it.

    Overall, merchants are interesting option for more demanding players. What is your opinion? Any hints for those who would like to try playing merchant?

  2. #2
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by zymnos View Post
    While merchants are considered to be the worst class in ADOM by many, some others consider them simply a harder level of the game, bearing in mind some interesting features they possess.

    In my opinion, merchants hold some trump cards on hand. Those are:

    1. Decent class skill on lvl 12 - carrying capacity doubled (especially, when combined with carrying talents).
    2. Specialization in items - they identify one of four item classes: rings, scrolls, wands and potions. In case of the last one, alchemy skill is also added to their skillset.
    3. Quite good set of gifts from crowning: 50% for good item (boots of divine messenger, crowns), 33% for fair item (trusted one, staff of wanderer) and ony 17% for trash item (Shezestriakis).
    4. Also lvl 18 / 32 skills - reducing shop prices by 40% / 60% - can be nice. Thinking about purchasing artifacts in Casino.
    5. They can use coins as missiles. Doppelgangers cannot deflect it.

    Overall, merchants are interesting option for more demanding players. What is your opinion? Any hints for those who would like to try playing merchant?
    1. none that affect offense/defense.
    2. Useful in early game, alchemy are sometimes useful in lategame.
    3. No, The staff and trusted one are both crap, maybe you could have use for trusted on an archery focused merchant but ... yeah.
    None provide any offense.
    4. yes handy for buying things in early game and at entry in dt but mid late game any character that carry items back will swim in gold.
    5. wands are better and available.

    If you're used to play a melee character then you can play a merchant, basically the same but without find weakness, archery, dodge, class abilities that affect melee.
    As you see they lack in landing a punch, but with some luck you find a few wishes for find weakness, gogs or something like that.
    My best dwarf merchant was running with mino axe and well thats a ridiculous weapon.

    The good thing is if you're also lucky with shop generation since prices stay the same at restock, misc shop in ud is maybe the best you can get.
    The mentioned lvl 12 ability can be quite handy, especially for weaker merchants.
    Last edited by blunk; 12-16-2016 at 01:40 AM.

  3. #3
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    Default

    If I remember correctly, they get pretty good skill dice for thieving skills, so if you like to pick pocket, they're pretty decent. As far as the crowning gift goes... mostly crap. But at least it's not that hard getting by without non-guaranteed artifacts. BP and ankh are pretty awesome.

  4. #4
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    Merchants do have the option of a rushed (pre)crown... Dwarf merchant can start in the 45k+ gold range, so you can get precrown in <5000 turns if you want.

    Wand merchants can have a pretty strong start if you get some damage wands or teleport... can kill Hotz or rob a shop or something. Scroll merchants with SoFS can raid the crumbling cave with a bit of luck. Other classes of course have access to these items too, though. Despite starting with Alchemy, potion merchants actually have the toughest early game.

    Most of their skills and class powers are pretty weak though. Extra carrying capacity is good. Thrown coins are okay in a pinch, but rocks are better usually due to the slowness problem. In terms of skills, well, you have detect item status at least.
    Hoping to win with every class, doomed. Archer, Barbarian, Bard, Beastfighter, Druid, Elementalist, Farmer, Fighter, Monk, and ULE Priest down.

  5. #5
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    Dwarf merchant are probably best.
    They can somewhat easy grind gold for a precrown.
    They start with a chainmail.
    They have decent physical stats.

  6. #6
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    I actually recommend hurthling merchants.

    Their archery skill (even low as it is) makes coin throwing as good as any early game weapon.
    Though coin throwing doesn't train archery so grab some rocks also(since hurthlings start with some skill with rocks) and just play as an archer for low levels (1-13) use rocks for low level critters like goblins and rats, and coins for anything else until you get either decent gear or decent stats.

    And the prices they get make farming shops ridiculous.

    "you are the only cactus in the garden of my life" Gomez - Adams Family

  7. #7
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    Shezestriakis can be pretty damn good.

    I tend to scum for potion merchants, the others are flat out weaker. I'd like to see the other versions buffed in some way (and maybe selectable rather than die-roll).

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by auricbond View Post
    Shezestriakis can be pretty damn good.

    I tend to scum for potion merchants, the others are flat out weaker. I'd like to see the other versions buffed in some way (and maybe selectable rather than die-roll).
    I disagree about the others being weaker, there's a pretty large difference in the early game between potion and others. Wand merchants can kill bandit town boss or kranach at lvl 1 if they want. Ring merchants often get rings of dmg or mental stability among others which is a decent boost early on. Scroll merchants are pretty weak, but it's pretty guaranteed that you can id everything often early on which can help a lot.

  9. #9
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    Yeah, merchants are so OP. People keep playing with them the whole time, so boring. I wish the weaker classes like wizard saw some more play.
    You steal a scroll labelled HITME. The orc hits you.

  10. #10
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    Not nearly as OP as thieves, man. These guys start with mighty 2 PV and an uber-awesome dagger 1d4-1.
    "Hell is empty and all the devils are here."

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