FOFC Crawl Comp #5-Octopode Venom Mage

[CrimsonFox]

LOL that didn't last long.

Ran into a kobold/rat/goblin congaline

[CrimsonFox]

okay the fact that you can join a religion and get benefits from it is just awesome.

So far Septopus V has made it the furthest in the family. Had a ring, got an enchanted tentacle and was looking good, but then on level 2 ran into some asshat thief named Sigmund who stole from him then pelted him with fire from afar.

[thesloppy]

Sigmund is one of the toughest early-game uniques, and your best bet is probably just to run, every time you see him.

[Thomkal]

Originally Posted by CrimsonFox

can /should you eat corpses in this game?

You absolutely should eat corpses. Many spells cost Food to cast and so you will go hungry fairly quickly. You'll find a lot of regular food in the dungeon, but eating corpses are a necessity as well.

But eat the right ones-some will make you sick and weak, or poison you amongst other things. the 'v' key will let you examine things-and doing that on a corpse will tell you if its safe to eat or not.

You have to wait until you are hungry to eat corpses, as an act of last resort. Many races are like this, a few can eat them anytime. A magic item or two will as well (amulet of gourmand is often found early on). The strategy here is to save your "real" food till you have no other choice but to eat them, so stock up on cut up corpses-they will rot quickly and don't provide as much food as most food items, but they will keep you from dying from starvation unless you are very unlucky.

[CrimsonFox]

HAHAHAHA

I just used a scroll of identify on a scroll of identify. The same one I think. That was a neat trick.

[CrimsonFox]

yeah I realized it wasn't letting me eat corpses. Not even the bats and newts which are usually safe in other games. Thanks!

Is there a "cut up corpse" option?

[Thomkal]

Originally Posted by CrimsonFox

okay the fact that you can join a religion and get benefits from it is just awesome.

So far Septopus V has made it the furthest in the family. Had a ring, got an enchanted tentacle and was looking good, but then on level 2 ran into some asshat thief named Sigmund who stole from him then pelted him with fire from afar.

Sif Muna and Vehumet are the two main gods for magic users-Vehumet probably is the better god for a venom mage. Yeah what Sloppy said about Sigmund-you don't want anything to do with him until you have Mephitic Cloud. If you are new to the game, its probably best to try to avoid all of the named mobs just to be safe.

[Thomkal]

Originally Posted by CrimsonFox

yeah I realized it wasn't letting me eat corpses. Not even the bats and newts which are usually safe in other games. Thanks!

Is there a "cut up corpse" option?

Yep, its c. There's a nice in-game help in crawl if you hit ? then 4 for list of keys and commands.

[CrimsonFox]

my corpses are rotting away. :P

[Thomkal]

Originally Posted by CrimsonFox

HAHAHAHA

I just used a scroll of identify on a scroll of identify. The same one I think. That was a neat trick.

Nice trick. With scrolls I usually wait till I get two or more of one then read one. If you get an item list to use the scroll on, you use the scroll and get some kind of message about it not working on that item, its likely a scroll of remove curse if you find it early on. There are scrolls of detect curse out there too. I usually stockpile a bunch of un'ID'ed items then read a scroll of detect curse on them to get the most benefit from them.

It took me a long time to come around to this strategy-but use your initial identify scrolls on potions. there's quite a few that can save your life and not just healing ones. So try to get them ID'ed as soon as possible.

[CrimsonFox]

all these skeletons ...haha this game is awesome. It is amazing that you SEE things before you can pick them up. And it tells you what they are just by seeing them

[CrimsonFox]

So far i've been lucky to drink cure potions when i was low on hp

[CrimsonFox]

i have batflesh. And so does bruce wayne.

[CrimsonFox]

ah okay now i can eat that flesh.

[CrimsonFox]

I never expected to ever hear:
"Some of the skeletons in your inventory have completely rotted away."

[CrimsonFox]

Septopus VI was mauled to death by a pack of jackals. :P

[CrimsonFox]

what about weapons. I'm really liking the tenatcle thing and the constriction. IS there a time when I should eventually use a weapon?

[CrimsonFox]

I'm feelling really good about Septopus VII
Mainly because the name
Drank a potion of porridge and got really full
Made it to level 3 killing a jelly cube and such .

[CrimsonFox]

crap. This is why I can only play so much of these. Went down to level 3. a bunch of slaves. They ALL follow me up and ALL hit me before I can do ANYTHING I die. :P

[CrimsonFox]

Septopus VIII drank a potion of blood. I hope he isn't a vampire squid now.

[CrimsonFox]

Question...what do I do with a dried up fountain (earlay in the morn-ing)

[CrimsonFox]

found a room FULL of minortaur flesh and beef jerky and red floors and walls. SCORE!

[CrimsonFox]

Septopus XVII is no fool. He's done well against the jellycubes and kobolds of the 1st level, taking things cautiously, not like his wrecklace ancestors before him. And he is the first since Septopus II to see Signmund on the second level. But having read Sept II's journal, he does the smart thing and closes the door.

[CrimsonFox]

Then he gets poisoned by Septopus XIII and dies. He never liked his relatives that's for sure.

[CrimsonFox]

I figured I'd better play through some tutorials at this point. Wow they REALLY focus on getting rest a LOT as well as ranged combat! Pint taken.

I've been using my tentacles mostly but I guess I should get into other weapons more.

But these are the best tutorials for a rogue game I've ever seen!

[Thomkal]

Originally Posted by CrimsonFox

So far i've been lucky to drink cure potions when i was low on hp

Yep a last second "I've got to drink this and hope its a healing potion or I die" is also something you should do early on Again early on if you find multiples of a potion, odds are its a healing potion.

[Thomkal]

Originally Posted by CrimsonFox

Septopus VI was mauled to death by a pack of jackals. :P

Dying often and dying early are the expected results for a new player. Jackals can be tough if found on the first level of the dungeon. When you get a pack like that, the idea is to try to lead them into a corridor so you can take them on one at a time. Once you get your Mephitic Cloud spell jackals won't be much of a problem anymore.

[CrimsonFox]

I basically drink every potion I can when I find them because I'll need to know what they are later.

I tried your stockpiling scrolls method and that does work. Eventually you run into the idientify although the FIRST time I tried this, of the 6 different scrolls I had (with multiples even) not one of them was an identify hahaha. It was mocking me. It's gone better since.

But man I keep getting screwed on level 2 or 3 by room situations. And I haven't ever gotten cure poison of cloud to work. It usually helps to kill me when i cast those

This character isn't easy

[CrimsonFox]

As if worms aren't bad enough (the hardest most deadly monster on the 1st/2nd level!), Septopus XX STARTED the game right next to a double attack Worm Zombie.


My best character so far was Septopus XIX. who did awesome until he met Grinder the mage who paralyzed him, teleported away then chased him with spells.

[Thomkal]

Originally Posted by CrimsonFox

what about weapons. I'm really liking the tenatcle thing and the constriction. IS there a time when I should eventually use a weapon?

The good thing is even with a weapon in hand...er tentacle, you will still be able to constrict something with the other tentacles. So you should try to find a weapon. Look for something that adds damage to the normal weapon-like flame, cold, or venom. Creatures that are vulnerable to that will take extra damage. And comes in handy when facing poison resistant creatures. Probably shouldn't use a weapon of chaos till your more comfortable with what it can do. Be looking for artifact weapons (and other kinds) too. They are bright white when you see one so you will know its an artifact right away.

By all means get some kind of missile weapon. Darts and stones are found in great numbers usually early on. hit the = key to "reletter" your items. Put your missile weapon as b, your hand to hand weapon in c. Then hit the ' key to cycle between weapons. This will only let you switch between your tentacles and your missile weapon, so you will have to hit the w button to wield the hand to hand weapon. Slings, bows, and crossbows will be found, usually slings first. Be on the lookout for javelins and spears you can throw too. You can change what's in your quiver with the q or Shift-q key can't remember which right now. So you can have say darts in one of your other tentacles when carrying a hand to hand weapon or using your tentacles to attack with so you have a distance weapon until they get close enough to attack hand to hand.

[Thomkal]

Originally Posted by CrimsonFox

Question...what do I do with a dried up fountain (earlay in the morn-ing)

Nothing that I am aware of-some fountains contain healing, most just water, and some poison I think. I usually just leave them alone unless I'm hurt.

[Thomkal]

Originally Posted by CrimsonFox

found a room FULL of minortaur flesh and beef jerky and red floors and walls. SCORE!

Yeah you will find a lot of theme rooms like that, just adds to the fun of the game.

[Thomkal]

Originally Posted by CrimsonFox

Septopus XVII is no fool. He's done well against the jellycubes and kobolds of the 1st level, taking things cautiously, not like his wrecklace ancestors before him. And he is the first since Septopus II to see Signmund on the second level. But having read Sept II's journal, he does the smart thing and closes the door.

See, you're learning!

[Thomkal]

Originally Posted by CrimsonFox

Then he gets poisoned by Septopus XIII and dies. He never liked his relatives that's for sure.

Yeah player ghosts are another must run from-they normally are quite tough to beat, and in a venom mage's case, especially if you don't have the cure poison spells or cure poison potions.

[Thomkal]

Originally Posted by CrimsonFox

I figured I'd better play through some tutorials at this point. Wow they REALLY focus on getting rest a LOT as well as ranged combat! Pint taken.

I've been using my tentacles mostly but I guess I should get into other weapons more.

But these are the best tutorials for a rogue game I've ever seen!

yeah the tutorials are well done and a must really for anyone who wants to try the game. The good thing is you can keep playing them after the tutorial is over with the nice start it gives you. There's also a hints mode you can try which will give your more advanced tips as you play.

[CrimsonFox]

Speaking of spears, Septopus XXI found a spear of venom. Stupidly he picked it up and carried it around. THen he put it down just in time.

[CrimsonFox]

How do I sacrifice? I just joined Nemelex and I'm going to sacrifice all of my armor to him I can't wear

[Thomkal]

Originally Posted by CrimsonFox

I basically drink every potion I can when I find them because I'll need to know what they are later.

I tried your stockpiling scrolls method and that does work. Eventually you run into the idientify although the FIRST time I tried this, of the 6 different scrolls I had (with multiples even) not one of them was an identify hahaha. It was mocking me. It's gone better since.

But man I keep getting screwed on level 2 or 3 by room situations. And I haven't ever gotten cure poison of cloud to work. It usually helps to kill me when i cast those

This character isn't easy

That was my initial strategy when I first started playing but there are some nasty and potentially nasty potions out there that will poison you, drop your stats, or give you a mutation that can be pretty nasty. And you really don't want to drink a potion of paralyzation and have something come up you didn't see come up and beat the crap out of you either.

For improving your spell chance of successfully being cast, raise your INT when you get the choice to raise one of your stats starting at level 3. Also training your spellcasting skill will help here and raising both will help with spell hunger from casting so many of them. the m key is the skills key. Hit the letter of the spellcasting spell until it is highlited in white to train it more than your other skills. Turn off things like traps and doors training by hitting the letter until they turn black. Poison Magic obviously should be highlighted too.

Just be patient-the more you get to know the game, the better you will be able to handle situations on level 2 and 3 and beyond. And get Mephitic Cloud as soon as possible-you won't believe how much it makes life easier for you. Running away is always an option you should consider when faced with an unfamilar foe(s) till you either get in a better position to attack them or to avoid what you think might be a difficult encounter.

[CrimsonFox]

Never mind I found it.

[CrimsonFox]

yeah I have no patience. I wanna rocket through levels 1-3 now and that is doom. and yeah I was raising my strength just to help me survive but I'm gonna try INT now. I bet that's a big problem with my spells.

[CrimsonFox]

oooooooooooooh my god gave me a deck of cards hahaha

[CrimsonFox]

now how do I use these...hmmmm.

[Thomkal]

Originally Posted by CrimsonFox

As if worms aren't bad enough (the hardest most deadly monster on the 1st/2nd level!), Septopus XX STARTED the game right next to a double attack Worm Zombie.


My best character so far was Septopus XIX. who did awesome until he met Grinder the mage who paralyzed him, teleported away then chased him with spells.

Wow starting next to a worm zombie? I wouldn't have thought that possible. The strategy with the worms to remember? You are faster than them. By the time you usually encounter then, your Sting spell should be strong enough to handle them. Get them poisoned, then take a step away and poison/ranged weapon them/repeat-get low on hit points? run away from them entirely.

Yeah Grinder is a bastard. I was playing another character, a troll barbarian who was just ruling the dungeon, met up with him, he was carrying a weapon of displacement-those weapons have a chance of sending a person/mob to the Abyss-someplace you do not want to go and it was shortly game over. You just have to kind of shrug when you die to a mob you've never faced before and accept it as a learning experience.

[Thomkal]

Originally Posted by CrimsonFox

Speaking of spears, Septopus XXI found a spear of venom. Stupidly he picked it up and carried it around. THen he put it down just in time.

what's wrong with using a spear of venom? especially because (I think) you can attack from one extra square away with it and other polearm weapons. Use the v key (i think) to evoke it to attack from that extra square. It can save your mana if you poison something with your spear first.

[Thomkal]

Originally Posted by CrimsonFox

yeah I have no patience. I wanna rocket through levels 1-3 now and that is doom. and yeah I was raising my strength just to help me survive but I'm gonna try INT now. I bet that's a big problem with my spells.

STR is not a bad thing because yours starts out so low, and I do raise mine along the way, but for spellcasters INT should be your first priority.

[Thomkal]

Originally Posted by CrimsonFox

oooooooooooooh my god gave me a deck of cards hahaha

I would have cautioned you not to choose that god had I known. His thing is decks of cards-its a very different way to play the game and not for the beginner. And some of the cards can be nasty. I can't remember the key to use the deck-maybe v? go into inventory and read the description of the deck, it may tell you the command to use.

Maybe a Nemelex worshipper should be our next comp.

[Thomkal]

Okay going to breakfast now, someone else can answer your questions till I get back

[CrimsonFox]

dammit this is twice now. I get nasueas for no reason AND hungry at the same time. So it won't let me eat *kicks the game across the field*

[Thomkal]

Originally Posted by CrimsonFox

dammit this is twice now. I get nasueas for no reason AND hungry at the same time. So it won't let me eat *kicks the game across the field*

did you drink an UN'Id'ed potion, or eat something that caused you to get sick and nauseated? (ok really going now)

[CrimsonFox]

I drew 5 cards and didn't die hehehehehe but hounds killed me. too much shit at once that just kept coming.