ToME Wiki(Ent, of course, because they're the closest thing to a dinosaur in ToME as far as I'm able to tell. Besides dragons, but you can't play as those, can you?)
(98 quests, no god. Who needs gods when you're a machine?)
(Finally, keep in mind that while I'm not new to roguelikes I'm still very new to ToME. Very.)
Bree
Rawrf! Well, I've been dumped here by an artificer to test the effectivity of his creations. Or save the world or something like that. Apparantly this is Bree.
First thing's first. You can call me Rex. I'm a toweringly huge steampunk dinosaur (since electricity hasn't been invented yet; nevermind the fact that mages fling lighting balls around every day). As can be expected, I'm clunky, noisy and smoggy, which is why my stealth is so awful. And my speed...oh -my-. Better switch exploration to running before I forget. That drives my subtlety even lower but at this point it shouldn't be a big deal at all.
I've been tossed some spare parts along with me too. Lesse. Slot the chain mail into my hide, the broad sword into one of my claws, fiddle with installing this fear resistor into my clockwork brain. I guess I'll keep these firesticks around for now (What do you MEAN, no glowing eye-beams?!) but I can't see myself combusting those rations -ever-. Bye with you. All my gears 'n stuff are visible, I'll need to pick up some armour...say, where does that pretty yellow staircase lead?
*THUNK*
Thieves Quest
Ow. Hull analysis reports no damage, though, so I'm good to go. And they were stupid enough to keep my parts around for me, haha. Slot them back on and I'm ready to face the inhabitants.
*thoom, thoom, thoom*
4 levels up and much clunky, thunky battling later Rex's hull is suddenly as thick as a TANK. 100 hp already? I'm impressed!
Bree
Something about that dagger looked fishy, so I brought a scroll of identify and...aw, no ego on it. Sells for 262 anyway which isn't bad. Sold these pitiful firesticks they call torches and bought a brass lantern in its place (which I install behind my eye-lenses for effect) and 5 flasks of oil. They look appetizing, but I musn't drink them! I also pick up a pick which slots nicely into the claw opposite my sword-bearing one, a cloak, an iron helm (I special-order it to fit over my draconic snout, of course), a pair of hard leather boots, fitting them all over my framework. Feel a bit more covered now, although I don't know if I can ever stop that loud whirring and creaking.
Lastly I get two scrolls of identify, a potion of cure light wounds and a potion of cure serious wounds. I'm hoping they'll work despite my artifical nature, of course. With that done, Barrow Downs is looking like a promising place to play...I'm not taking this too lightly just because I'm three stories tall and made of iron, am I?
Barrow Downs, Level 1 You hear someone shouting: 'Leave me alone, stupid Scruffy-looking hobbit' This level can't be all that bad...
I learn later that princess get captured -all the time- around here. Huh. They should build them more like me, then they'd be safer!
Looking around, I find my ability to march through trees effortlessly quite useful. Too bad I can't knock them down and fuel my furnace with em. Mostly it's just familiarizing myself with the wildlife and how boring early-level loot can be.
Problem though; mapping the entire level, even breaking down a few suspicious walls and a princess is no where in sight! And that means no downstair. I let the dungeon re-arrange by heading up and down once.
Barrow Downs, Level 1 You hear someone shouting: 'Leave me alone, stupid Scruffy-looking hobbit' Looks like any other level.
But 5 steps away I meet one of these hobbits. Then another, and another...I've only barely seen the princess before they all line up to fall at my claws. That was quick!
It's between a Kopesh, War Hammer and Bolts; I don't see why I'd need use for any so I go with bolts, which I hear sell for heaps when enchanted.
Mumble a few words of magic and hey, 23 Bolts of Flame (1d5) (+9,+2). Not bad huh? I don't feel like going through level 1 once over again so down we go. *thunk thunk thunk down the stairs*
Barrow Downs, Level 2 You hear someone shouting: 'Leave me alone, stupid Hunting hawk' Looks like any other level.
So now even non-sentient, ARMLESS creatures can capture a princess? Weak. Nevermind, I'll free her anyway.
I was momentarily amused when the act of picking a lock caused me to hit level 6. Those doors are tough!
A bit of wandering around yielded me the quest room. I was impressed by their hitting abilities (I was taken down to 71/163 HP by a line of three), but their inability to open the doors and group up properly apon me proved their downfall. Oh, they also took me to level 7 and 8.
Princess quest was between arrows, sabre and beaked axe; again, the ammo for selling aptitude. The turn out to be 21 Arrows of Venom (1d4) (+4,+6). Quick break to sell the two rewards here and properly stock up.
Barrow Downs, Level 1 You like the looks of this place...
Just find some new potion/scroll types as I pass through
Bree
Okay. ...Woah! The ego ammo alone gives me tens of thousands of gold! I pick up a rod tip of disarming (50 mana/cast) from the black market for later use. I swipe a bastard sword, fur cloak, bar chain mail, so on and so forth, new potions and scrolls. I also picked up some fire-retardant (ring of fire resistance) and anti-corrosive (amulet of acid resistance) paint, which happened to come in a nice deep red colour. Nice. At this point I'm running out of things to actually buy so it's back to the barrow downs with me.
*thunk, thunk, hissss*
Barrow Downs, Level 1 This level can't be all that bad...
Your light is growing faint. Crackle, sputter! I stop to oil myself, happy to find out that flasks of oil add a -lot- of time.
Barrow Downs, Level 2 This level can't be all that bad...
I get hungry for the first time. Firebox must be running low! Food is nutritionless for me so I read a scroll of satisfy hunger to deposit coal in my belly.
A large white snake kill brings me to level 9. Weaponmastery goes above 10, which I think is good. In addition, my spell points go from 0 to... (wait for it!) 2!
Barrow Downs, Level 3 You hear someone shouting: 'Leave me alone, stupid Dark elf' You have a very good feeling...
Hm, an aimless looking merchant, here? I thought they stuck to towns.
Quest room located; The hardest part was getting the doors open. Also, I hit level 10 while mowing the dark elves down. Drove sword mastery to 10 points. Reward was between a wooden boomerang, broad spear and lucerne hammer; meh, I go with the boomerang. It's a Wooden Boomerang of Power (1d8) (+15,+11). I explore the rest of the level on the offchance that a town exists (none does) and venture downstairs.
Barrow Downs, Level 4 A strange man wrapped in a dark cloak steps out of the shadows: 'Oh, please help me! A horrible Novice ranger stole my sword! I'm nothing without it.' This level can't be all that bad...
Later I also learn that this guy has dozens of swords and loses them all over the place to all kinds of horrors and not-so-horrors. At least this time it's humanoid again. What a strange world I've been built in.
A novice ranger kill brings me to level 11. I bring magic device over 10 points this time, and my magical powers are high enough to grow trees. Pretty impressive for a metal hulk huh? And I got a big surprised when a mound of coins lept up and rammed against my hull. Didn't last long, but I'm impressed that even currency is trying to stand up against me.
Working my way across the barrow downs, another novice ranger drops 32 exploding arrows which pseudo-id as {good}. Curiously reading a scroll of identify I find it's (+4,+2).
When the quest finishes, I get him to be my companion.
...You mean you're not supposed to do that? Daaang. Why didn't anyone tell me earlier?
A novice mindcrafter kill brings me to level 12 and I stomp to the stairs with a comparitively tiny human following.
Barrow Downs, Level 5 You hear someone shouting: 'Leave me alone, stupid Brodda, the Easterling' You have a very good feeling...
First room I enter has an oak staff. I blindly test it, it's door detection. Er, Reveal Ways, formally. Also, I kill ol' Fumblefingers for the fun of it. (Don't tell anyone.)
Hi, Smeagol! Boy, you're fast. All I have to do is stand still and stick out my claw every time he darts past and he's down. If I know Smeagol the ring is invisibility, so I keep it around. He's also carrying a broad sword which is {special}, definitely a keeper. Burning a scroll of *ID* reveals it to be The Broad Sword of Armelros. Awesome! I slot it into my paw and brandish it confidently.
Later Brodda's little room shows, and this new armament of mine proves useful. It's between a lead-filled mace, a long bow and a pike, I shrug my steam-powered shoulders and go with the long bow. Pseudo ids as excellent so even though I don't arch...er, practice archery, I fasten it to my wrist to make space. I head down to level 6 (lost sword quest for white wolves) and read a scroll of recall.
Bree Nothing exciting happened; mostly just sold loot and stocked up on potions and scrolls and oil. And picked up Melinda Proudfoot's quest. I also decide to get Farmer Maggot's mushrooms now rather than later.
Farmer Maggot's Farm Despite being 30 feet tall, weighing several tons and being heavily clunky and smokey, all it takes is a good cloaking device to be dog-proof. I grab the shrooms and scoot.
Bree I remember to unfasten the cloaking device for the fear capacitor, since it's still my only source of resistance.
Where is Farmer Maggot? On second thought I guess I'll just sell the mushrooms. That done I'll recall down once more.
Barrow Downs, Level 6 A strange man wrapped in a dark cloak steps out of the shadows: 'Oh, please help me! A horrible White wolf stole my sword! I'm nothing without it.' You feel strangely lucky...
By the way, since I didn't tell you earlier:
'a) The Broad Sword of Armelros (2d5) (+10,+18) (+4) It provides light (radius 1) forever. It increases your strength, dexterity and charisma by 4. It does extra damage from electricity. It drains life from your foes. It is especially deadly against trolls. It strikes at demons with holy wrath. It cannot be harmed by acid, cold, lightning or fire. You found it in the remains of Smeagol on level 5 of Barrow-Downs.
A snaga brings me to level 13. I find a ring left strewn in a room, but it's weakness. Later delving reveals another one of those wooden firesticks from earlier, but this one doesn't appear smouldered at all! (everburning) I'll stick this in my home, since my current weapon gives radius 1 light anyway I don't need it now.
Later, taking only two strikes to fell Bullroarer the Hobbit pleases me. He drops a special dagger which IDs as The Dagger 'Narthanc'. Nice. He also left a set of gauntlets which pseudo-id as good but are only +1. Aw. Still better then my current pair so I slot them on and fasten them up.
A white wolf kill brings me to level 14. I meet my first disenchanter mold, but artifacts resist. Gone!
The level becomes completely infested with irritating white lice as I track down the final wolf. It's between mimicry, monster-lore, sneakiness and symbiosis. The first two don't interest me, nor does the thought of corrupting machine by adding flesh, so as laughable as it seems I train sneakiness a little. I head downstairs before the louse fill every square that exists.
Barrow Downs, Level 7 You hear someone shouting: 'Leave me alone, stupid Owlbear' You have a good feeling...
There's a corridor I start in stretching about 100 tiles along the very bottom, which amused me. At the end of it and up a bit is the quest room found quickly and smartly.
I don't open it up just yet, however, chasing a fruit bat into the next room which is filled with crypt creeps. And one giant slug. I get a -1 to my headpiece and a curse on my lantern. And killing the giant slug brings me to level 15. Worst of all, the bat got away! Dang.
Back to the quest room. That fruit bat taunts me as I take the usual several hundred turns to fiddle with each lock, screams of agony bouncing off my audio sensors from some place far or near. The owlbears each fall in one hit from my artifact weapon and I take no damage at all. I did see a message about 'It bites The Princess. The Princess dies.' but she's there to give me a reward so I'm not disputing it. It's between mouse fur, spear and pike, I take the mouse fur. (And there was an insect swarm in with the owlbears, so I'm guessing there's a glitch that lets insect swarms 'kill' princesses.) It identifys as a Mouse Fur of Immolation [1, +7], so I don it. What could be cooler then a giant iron t-rex with a flaming body?
I explore the level further because I'm a completionist. I keep hearing things scream and die, and can't help but wonder what. I come across a bred-out-of-control group of giant fruit flies and suspect those are the creatures being fell, and am also amused by my fiery presence turning them into ash as they draw in to attack.
A ruby ring is dropped in a tree-lined corridor; it's aggravate monster.
Before exiting the level I get a fate. Robots with fate? I guess I can check it out later anyway. Time to stomp downstairs into...
Barrow Downs, Level 8 You hear someone shouting: 'Leave me alone, stupid Dark elven mage' You feel strangely lucky...
A novice mindcrafter kill gives me level 16 as I begin the search, ganged up apon by a group of novice warriors and mindcrafters in the first room. I then follow a looooong trail of silver mice, leading into one that's a zombie. Hmm.
And it appears the dark elven mages have met me before I meet them. One dropped a staff of summoning, which naturally isn't useful at all. Noe all of them came to me so I'll have to keep looking for the quest room.
Oops, stepped on a trap of no return. I still have no way of detecting traps, how am I supposed to not fall for things like this? I return to the same corridor the silver mice were in to find it's now filled up with nether worm masses.
As luck would have it, a void jumpgate takes me straight into the middle of the lava-ringed princess room, where the princess 'dies', my eye sockets are damaged and something alkaline is poured all over me. I retreat back, armed with the knowledge of the location. I'll just tunnel through the granite walls to get to the corners. (Hmm, they say cats have nine lives, perhaps they're cat princesses? Or phoenix princesses. Or robot princesses from the future!)
One corner falls, then the next in order, and the reward is split between light war axe, bolts and sabre. I go with the bolts for something to sell. I can't identify them right now but I will later.
Barrow Downs, Level 9 A strange man wrapped in a dark cloak steps out of the shadows: 'Oh, please help me! A horrible Uruk stole my sword! I'm nothing without it.' You feel your luck is turning...
What's a Uruk? I agree though, they do sound quite horrible. The second one takes me to level 17, and now they don't seem too bad after all. I've now got three extra ring types I'll need to identify too. Got hungry again so I read a scroll of satisfy hunger to deposit coal in my firebox again for a nice furnace blaze. I've already found two copies of two of the ring types I found on the level so I suspect they aren't super awesome. However, I stumble apon my first random rod tip, nice! Now all I need is, uh, a rod. Two rods if this one's as good as disarming traps. Wait, hold on, another tip!
Lost sword quest finishes after the usual bit of trudging around; conveyance, disarming, archery and stealth. I go with, uhhh, disarming. As long as I'm stuck here with no return I may as well hit the final level of the barrow downs.
Barrow Downs, Level 10 A strange man wrapped in a dark cloak steps out of the shadows: 'Oh, please help me! A horrible sasquatch stole my sword! I'm nothing without it.' You feel your luck is turning...
These aren't impressive either; one attack sequence does them in each. I find my first random amulet here, probably not something good but worth the attempt. While plowing into a group of assorted snotlings I hit level 18, and later while incinerating a sasquatch I hit level 19. Amazingly, my stealth is now ABOVE 0 (this is only amazing once you realize that I'm made of iron and weigh several tons, of course) instead of below it. I also pick up on a curiousity; the rooms get greener and greener as you descend.
Tracking down the last sasquatch I get a choice between mimicry, combat, barehand-combat and necromancy; no choice here, combat wins. I find my second random amulet under a pile of rubble and scat upstairs.
Barrow Downs, Level 9 You like the looks of this place...
I hope I find another scroll of recall before I have to trudge all the way up the downs. (Wait, hold on...)
I find yet another ring type (A double ring? Does that mean I can wear it on both clawfingers?) and one tile away is a bowel cramps trap; oooch! There goes all my coal, better resupply. *reads a scroll*
I spot Wormtongue in a tree-lined corridor. I spring under cover then spring back out at him, and it takes three attack cycle to fell him. Level 20 is acquired and he drops a cutlass which I suspect will be ego or artifact. It is, it pseudo-ids as excellent.
Barrow Downs, Level 8 You have a good feeling...
Aha, a scroll of identify! One of my rod tips identifies as sleep monster. Will that be any use? Anyway, staircase up in the same room so I can move on.
Barrow Downs, Level 7 Looks like any other level.
Indeed it does. Moving on!
Barrow Downs, Level 6 You feel strangely lucky...
On a giant white louse-infested level? I don't think so. I locate the upstairs as quickly as possible but not before my clumsy metal bulk trips over yet another trap of bowel cramps. Okay, that's another satisfy hunger scroll gone.
Barrow Downs, Level 5 You like the look of this place...
Dirt/grass ratio indeed appears to be roughly 50/50 here. Oh, and I got another fate. And much to my dismay I find the place to be Yet Another Lice Level (YALL). Right, moving on.
Barrow Downs, level 4 This level can't be all that bad...
Found the upstairs.
Barrow Downs, Level 3 This level can't be all that bad...
YALL. Found the upstairs.
Barrow Downs, Level 2 This level can't be all that bad...
Found the upstairs.
Barrow Downs, Level 1 You feel that you will meet your fate here. You like the look of this place...
That's helpful and all, except I have no clue what my fate is. I guess I'm obliged to explore nevertheless. In the end, if there was anything super-special on the level I didn't find it. Back to Bree!
Bree
Rawrf? I find myself thunked down square in Bree instead of where the Barrow Downs should be. The downstairs for them still exist. Nevermind.
The black market has a rod tip of enlightenment but I'm a good 10k short. Maybe I can accumulate a bit more cash. I snatch up 22 scrolls of identity and begin reading. That new iron snout-helm I picked up is +5, those bolts are 18 Bolts of Venom (+1,+2), the cutlass is of Slay Undead (+4,+3), the remaining rod tip is trap detection/8 mana (YES!). Selling the bolts and scimitar gives me enough, but my optical sensors are drawn away by a very nice looking-set of dwarven mithril plate mail (-3) [35,+22] (+2 to str, con, infra) {75% off}!!! plus sustains to str and con, free action, fear resistance, dark resistance, invulnerability...SOLD! Wow, what a bargain. My hull looks stunning in mithril! I obviously don't need the fear capacitor ring any more so I remove it and sell it, going for now with a sensor (searching) ring. I restock on potions and scrolls, enchanting some pieces of my plating.
Finally, I get my other fate identified; it's for a potion of cure light insanity on level 11. How plain.
Wilderness
I begin a long, boring trek to Gondolin. The most noteworthy event was that I took a wrong turn, duked it out with a storm giant and won, reaching level 21.
Gondolin
Incidently, my long, boring trek to Gondolin also finished. Wow, this place is much more pleasing on the optical sensors then Bree. Wonder what I can find...
I don't have cold resistance, so I get some strategic steam vents installed over my body (ring of cold resistance), swapping out the jump jets in my footpaws (ring of levitation). Nothing in the black market there caught my attention. My finish got scratched earlier, so I brought and applied a potion of restore charisma (metal polish?). There's another house with glowing yellow stairs; another potential home?
Dragons Quest
That's a lot of dragons. Oops, a dragon confuses me and I'm promptly surrounded. As soon as I'm unconfused I read teleport, word of recall and quaff a few cure criticals. Leveling to 22, I realize I'm not doing -too- badly, just that confusion and a lack of a few resists bothers me. Level 23... I read another scroll of recall to cancel it, since I'm almost done here anyway. Wow, I'm impressed yet again. Life-draining weapons are awesome. Level 24... Level 25... I finish off the last of the dragons, letting my furnace cool back down to decide what to do with all the loot/junk. (And I'm over 500 max hp now too, nice.)
I decide not to bring back any weaponry or armour that isn't excellent. I begin to read scrolls of identify...ring of sustain intelligence, ring of stupidity, ring of negative protection, ring of sound resistance (one is *indestructible*!), ring of sustain dexterity, amulet of nothing, ring of sustain charisma, amulet of spell, indestructible cursed amulet of teleportation, ring of confusion resistance! Just what I needed.
Gondolin
Well, it was hard work but now this home is mine. I drop one set of jump jets (ring of levitation) in, the indestructible volume control attachment (indestructible ring of sound resistance) and the logic capacitor (indestructible ring of confusion resistance). Oh, and I did find one excellent armour, IDs as leather scale mail of resist lightning [11, +8]. I pick up a wooden rod of nothing (10/10) while selling things, which doesn't look like it'll do me much good but I'll use it if I must. I'm back up to a respectable 22k in funds and check out the black market again; hmm. There's a ring of damage +17. I might want it eventually so I pick it up. Right now confusion resistance intrests me more then cold resistance so I swap accessories.
Wilderness
Time for the orc caves, I guess.
Orc Caves, Level 10 You feel strangely lucky...
Orcs in an orc cave? Who could have guessed? The new dungeon layout is a refreshing change of pace from the downs. With the extra sensory perception I've set up it's fun watching orcs and dark elves and whatever else milling about aimlessly across walls. I'm surprised when a trap triggers and makes me grow another storey tall! (that's four for those who aren't counting). Barely even realizing it's happened I've slain Ufthak of Cirith Ungol, so that's another unique under my belt. Down we go to...
Orc Caves, Level 11 You feel that you will meet your fat here. You feel your luck is turning...
The fate, if you've forgotten, is for a potion of Cure Light Insanity. I land in a room with dark hounds, novice mindcrafters and a few other things, including what appears to be the fate item.
Later I'm forced to blow a scroll of remove curse when a trap silently switches a cursed cutlass onto me. The level is awkwardly small, but I loathe secret door hunts so I head down.
Orc Caves, Level 12 You have a superb feeling about this level.
I stumble over a fumbling fingers trap; I'm getting sick of traps already. I also find a mountain I can see and walk through, is that normal?
The superb feeling seemed to have been generated by a lesser vault with a checkerboard pattern, though it didn't have anything of intrest, excluding a few traps (one of growing; that makes 5 storeys!) Maybe it's because of this greater basilisk, who brings me down 400 hit points in one turn? Yeah, I'm not staying on -this- level any longer then I need to. Bye!
Orc Caves, Level 13 You feel your luck is turning...
Peeking through a void jumpgate, this level has a lesser vault too. (or whatever the heck they're called) I grasp an excellent dagger in the first room, I'll ID later. (Somehow, all my scrolls left are of *ID*). While mowing through blue worm masses I hit level 26.
Heading into the lesser vault's outer corridor from the north wall, I'm amused when I see blue worm masses down the left and red worm masses down the right. Almost as if they were rallying for a war between red and blue. The lesser checkerboard vault is filled with blue worm masses, a couple of jellies and a jumping fireball. Looks like time to head downstairs again.
Orc Caves, Level 14 You feel your luck is turning...
I get a new fate on this level after plowing through huge hordes of orcs and ogres.
I find my first junkart and *ID*; it activates for stun. Damn.
I'm a bit tired of sifting through junk now, so I recall to figure out some things.
Orc Caves, Level 15 You feel your luck is turning...
The air around you becomes charged...
Wilderness
Lothlorien
Selling a ring of protection -16 to the poor shopkeeper for 378 gold brings a smile to my mechanical muzzle. The black market has a potion of strength, once I'm done selling I should be able to afford it. Absoutely no one is selling identify though, so I *ID* the excellent dagger instead; it's of Westernesse (+9,+9) (+2 str, dex, con) It sells for a good 8k and I buy the potion, using it instantly. Now my strength is at 36. The lack of normal ID is really getting to me now but I guess I'll just recall back now.
Orc Caves, Level 15 You have a good feeling...
I start in a room full of yeeks. There's Orfax, must be his escorts. I beeline to him and take him out in a single blow, but not before he summons ogres. Just more to clean up, I guess.
In the next room, while mindcrafters pour in from one end and kobolds/orcs for another, Mughash the kobold lord dies before he knew what was coming. His dagger was {special}, *ID*ing it it's The Dagger of Earmen (1d4) (+5,+13) (+1 dex), frost brand, drain life, dragon bane, demon bane, undead bane, evil bane, natural bane. Nice, too bad I'm not a dagger user. I find a rod tip on the floor outside a lesser vault and another in the corridors.
Down we go!
Orc Caves, Level 16 You feel strangely lucky...
Usual mindless killing. I find a rod tip of trap location that takes only 8 mana to cast and immediately slap it on my wooden rod of nothing.
I find an adjacent set of rooms with scattered walls and sandwalls in them; was there a cave-in?
I annoyingly clear through a room of blue icky things while constantly blind. And, of course, once I'm done with them hummerhorns infest the place. I also meet the icky queen; she was carrying a potion of cure critical wounds and an ego double ring mail.
A bit more carnage and it's down a level again.
Orc Caves, Level 17 You feel your luck is turning...
I'm going to build up a persistant habit to detect traps with this rod of mine everywhere I go.
While sifting through junk I find a spare scroll of identify; the excellent double ring mail is of resist cold [15, +4]. Not an improvement but it'll sell well. Slaughtering orcs I reach level 27. I also find and ID staves of identify, and this one's doing my whole inventory at once, cool. My other two rod tips are of door/stair location and of light.
Okay, down again...
Orc Caves, Level 18 You have a good feeling...
I find an excellent main gauche, it's spectral (+4,+3). I also find excellent iron shots, 18 of Slay Dragon (+3,+9). As well as an excellent long bow, Of Power (+13,+8). I find and destroy the rat king in a lesser vault. Then later I get an excellent khopesh, venomous and (+7,+4) My inventory is filling up; time to recall to...
Lothlorien
I zap my rod tip of door/stair location to a spare wooden rod then sell loot. Black Market has a Feanorian Lamp but it seems far out of reach. (as well as an elven thunderlord coat, [9, +10] (+1 to stealth) with a bunch of cool resistances and orc telepathy and indestructability, selling for a bit over 100k!) Hm, but after I finish selling things I'm only 3000 gold away...I ditch a randart dagger to bridge the gap, fasten the Feanorian Lamp behind my eye-sockets and ditch the lantern/flasks of oil. I snatch up 10 scrolls of identify and I'm on my way again. Recalling...
Orc Caves, Level 18 You feel strangely lucky...
I find a dwarven lantern on the floor; oh well. I guess I can sell it. I also find an excellent rapier which IDs as *Slay Animal* (1d6) (+7,+3) (+1 to stealth). An excellent awl pike, Slay Evil (1d8) (+6,+2).
Man, wading through rooms and corridors of waist-high neekerbreekers and giant fleas is getting irritating. One thing they can do is block more nasty summons/inhibit more nasty enemy movement, though.
I find 19 excellent bolts; they're of slay animal (1d8) (+3, +6). I meet up with Ulfast alone and slay him. No loot? Oh well.
I read a fireproof scroll of enchant armour I found earlier. Up a level, down a level.
Orc Caves, Level 19 You feel strangely lucky...
First thing's first, zap my rods. With my extra sensory perception I spy a corridor filled with forest trolls and ogrillons to the south, and a corridor filled with master yeeks and Boldor to the north east, whom I beeline towards. Amusingly, before I can get the locked door separating us open (and I can see them lined up on the other side, tensed for battle, having more trouble opening it then I!) a line of novices approaches from the west, I dispatch them first. It also brings those forest trolls and ogrillons I mentioned earlier into the fight.
Finally left alone, the master yeeks' noxious clouds prove more effective then the average melee monster but they and Boldor are taken out with ease. Oh, and he leaves his corpse; now, what do I do with -this-? Probably leave it laying in the dungeon. He was carrying a Double Ring Mail of Resist Lightning (-2 to accuracy) [15. +3]
I spy a junkart! a Parchment titled "Household Magic", activates for cure confusion every 500 turns. Meh.
Oh, random excellent hatchet; it's fire branded and +3,+8. I head downstairs and drag poor Boldor with me.
Orc Caves, Level 20 You have a superb feeling about this level.
Hmm, surrounded by mindcrafters and orcs, with white wolves further away in the southwest of the room. Then wolves and dark hounds gang on me. Good thing I'm such a tank, huh? (And, yes, dropping Boldor's corpse -was- my first action.)
Excellent lucern hammer identifies as *Slay Orc* (2d5) (+9,+4) (+1).
I stumble across the legendary acquirement trap, which drops a Shocking Beaked Axe (2d6) (+1, +5). There's also an excellent hatchet laying around, Slay Undead (1d5) (+4,+4).
Where do all these different colours of dragon worms come from, anyway? Combined with nether worm masses multiplying out of control in a room full of lava, ice and shallow water isn't fun.
The superb feeling was likely being generated by a vault, which happens to have void jumpgates going in and out of it. Lugdush the Uruk was in it, he wasn't a hard kill. If he had a death drop it was hosed by acid though, darn. Ugluk was also in there.
Another junkart drops; I have no *ID* left so it'll have to wait until I get back. An {excellent} tulwar and {excellent} wooden boomerang will similarly have to wait.
Ick, a black dragon worm destroys the double ring mail of resist lightning. Nevermind.
I recall out, picking up Boldor's poor corpse on the way.
Lothlorien
Boldor goes into my home for now, as does the one junkart I've got *ID*'d and the spare rod tip of trap detection.
The skullcap junkart is Baalzebub's Tormented Skullcap (cure blindness/100). Oh boy. Sarcasm aside, it will come in handy until I get blindness resistance.
I grab some identify; the tulwar is of Slay Giant (2d4) (+8, +4). The small metal boomerang is Frozen (3d4) (+8,+4)
After selling everything I'm just under 60k in gold. Okay, back to the caves.
Orc Caves, Level 20 You have a good feeling...
Nar the Dwarf is around, he goes down in three turns. No drop, aw.
A light hound kill brings me to level 28. Oh, and then a lose memories trap brings me down to level 26. Go figure.
The loot for the level was good: a Venomous Dagger of Slay Troll (1d4) (+8,+2), an Acidic Long Sword (2d5) (+4,+3), 25 Rounded Pebbles of Slay Demon (1d2) (+10,+6), 24 Iron Shots of Slay Dragon (1d4) (+6,+6) and a randart pebble; The Rounded Pebble 'Travak' (3d6) (+8,+5). Down a level we go.
Deathwatch This level looks filled with evilness.
Hmm, where's this? It doesn't look like the orc caves. Same old enemies though. Lagduf the Snaga is around and dies promptly, leaving a {good} katana, {good} dagger and {good} leather scale mail. Don't bother with any of it. Grishnakh the hill orc dies before I realize he's there. Golfimbul, the Hill Orc Chief is also around; he drops {special} leather gauntlets, which I can't ID right now but feel safe slotting onto my claws.
There's an inlet in the level with a {special} main gauche. Ooh, wonder what it is. An {excellent} lucern hammer drops off a random eneny. There's a similar inlet on the other side with {special} leather scale mail.
One problem now; I don't know how to get further down! I see the stairs but not a pathway to them. Oh, no, wait, some of the tiles are non-permanent so I'll just trek around to check them one by one. And there we go!
Orc Caves, Level 22 You have a good feeling...
Yep, usual line up of orcs in the starting corridors. (What did you expect?)
I find 27 {excellent} iron shots. I meet up with Azog, King of the Uruk-Hai. He's no match, as always, and I'm hoping there's some excellents or specials among my drop. And it is so; an {excellent} ring mail. Also, I get another fate. {excellent} cloak... An ogre kill restores me to level 27. {excellent} sling...
Uch; scary! A corridor-full of Crebains hurling frost bolts brings me closer to destruction then I've been in a while.
Inventory's getting crowded, guess it's time to go home once more.
Lothlorien
I get potions to restore my dexterity and intellect. I make sure to get my fate checked out. (It's for a scroll of recall on level 10, whatever.)
On my claws I have The Set of Leather Gloves 'Cammithrim' [1, +10]. it activates for magic missile every 2 turns, gives lite1, sustains con, gives free action, gives light res. Not bad. That rod tip I was hauling up was of nothing (which, amusingly, takes 1 mana to cast; nothing for something!). The leather scale mail is 'Thalkettoth' (-1 acc) [11, +25] (+3). Dex and speed +3, acid, blind, shards res. The speed looks tempting, so I slip it on; woah, my speed is positive for the first time in the game!
Moving on, I had a ring mail of resistance [12, +17], a venomous lucerne hammer (2d5) (+7,+2), a fiery morning star (2d6) (+4,+2) and a cloak of stealth [1, +10] (+1 to stealth). And a bunch of ammo but I'm selling it all anyway.
Equipment re-arranging time; I dump everything I don't need and look at my resists. I have two sources of resist acid and now have resist blind, so I dump my junkart of cure blindness and corrosion-proofed paint coat (amulet of acid resistance), attaching instead a lightning rod (amulet of lightning resistance). I don't have resist fear any more, so I uninstall my coolant tank (ring of fire resistance) for...hmm, where'd I leave my fear capacitor? Maybe it's back in Bree.
Bree
Nope, not here. And the shops here don't have one either While I'm here though I grab a couple of things to transport them to Lothlorien. Oh, and Farmer Maggot's back so I go to do his quest quickly.
Farmer Maggot's Farm
Oops, I killed one of his dogs. Eh-heh. Nevermind then.
Lothlorien
The black market restocked, nothing good though. But the fear capacitor somehow jumped into my inventory; maybe I mistook it for a ring of fire resistance? Wouldn't have been the first time. I carefully install it.
Since I never *ID*'d my artifact pebble I do it now; it's fire, cold, electricity, acid and poison branded. And totally indestructible. That's one tough little pebble.
Orc Caves, Level 22 You feel strangely lucky...
The world's smallest monster pit is on this level; 5x5 room with a 3x3 pit; that's one free tile, containing only one elite uruk and a ring mail.
I meet up with Sangahyando of Umbar in a more respectably-sized pit. Annoyingly, he wipes my memory tapes before I take him out. He was carrying a spear and a tulwar; merely {good} so I throw them away.
Sweet, ogre mage magiced up an acquirement trap for me; gives {excellent} paper armour.
After a pause to rid the level of a blue icky thing infestation, I identify the loot I have left; a Paper Armour of Resist Acid [4,+5], a Padded Armour of Resist Fire [4,+9], a Beaked Axe of Slay Undead (2d6) (+3,+7). I can't see a staircase down, so I presume none exist. Back to Lothlorien then to find a new dungeon to delve.
Lothlorien
Best the Black Market has to offer today is an Amulet of the Serpents [+5] (+4). Naah.
I guess I'll check out the Old Forest now.
Old Forest, Level 13 You feel your luck is turning...
A dungeon with natural water? That's a first. Nice touch, good thing I'm not rusting up from it. Found a shocking tulwar (2d4) (+1,+5) and a shocking awl-pike (1d8) (+3,+7). And a rod tip of trap detection.
Old Forest, Level 14 You feel your luck is turning...
I got a small leather shield of reflection [2,+11] which doesn't look too bad, but that's it. Oh, and a rod tip of light.
Old Forest, Level 15 You feel your luck is turning...
Again? Grabbed another rod tip of light and a staff of identify [1|19] which is at the identify inventory level. The level also yielded a Spectral Morning Star (2d6) (+7,+2).
Old Forest, Level 16 You feel your luck is turning...
Fid yet another rod tip of trap detection, plus a spectral main gauche (1d5) (+16,+18). Big numbers there. Also a Vampiric Rapier (1d6) (+7,+4) (-40%).
Old Forest, Level 17 You have a superb feeling about this level.
Superb, alright. Maybe this level will have something exotic. Grab another tip of trap detection straight away. Another rod tip of light later on from a moaning spirit.
Hmm, a walled up room, here? Must be a vault of some sort. Digging through, it has the shape of two intertwining spirals and is about 12x12 tiles. It yields a kill of Ibun, Son of Mim, an {excellent} pair of metal shod boots, an {excellent} long bow, an {excellent} gnomish shovel, an {excellent} broad sword, a {special} cloak of mist, an {excellent} hard studded leather, a silver rod of quickness (!), a silver ring.
A quick identify and whappow:
A Ring of Speed (+3) (aww)
a Pair of Metal Shod Boots of Jumping [6,+4] (equipped)
a Hard Studded Leather of Resist Lightning (-1 to acc) [7,+13]
The Cloak of Mist of Siliad [1,+8] (I'll *ID* when I get home)
a Long Bow of Extra Shots (x3) (+15,+6)
a Gnomish Shovel of Digging (+6) (nice, equipped this too)
a Broad Sword of Slay Animal (2d5) (+10,+5)
a Silver Rod of Quickness of Nothing (100/100) (I'll stuff my disarming rod tip on this one)
Not too bad. I clear the level out in case I've missed anything else then head back up.
Lothlorien
Black market has nothing of interest, except for that rod tip of acid bolts which I grab. I create a silver rod of quickness of disarming, buy a potion of charisma to use and then a scroll of *ID* for my randart cloak, as follows:
The Cloak of Mist of Siliad [1,+8]
Str and dex sustain, fire immunity (!!!), hold life, confuse res, sound res, invulnerability
Fire immunity? I'm sold! I'll miss fire aura but that's okay. I no longer need a logic capacitor (ring of confusion resistance) which leaves an accessory slot open. Out of the basic resistances I lack cold, poison and dark. I have sustains for the three physical stats, reflect/free act/hold life, see invisible. Eh, I'll install some steam vents (ring of cold resistance) for now.
After selling off loot I have an impressive 150k gold at my disposal.
I'll stop for now and take a dump: http://angband.oook.cz/ladder-show.php?id=6373