Never beat Crawl? Enter here! :-)

[AmnEn]

True

Actually there's something I've been wondering about. One or two versions ago, I remember a type of scroll, Enchant Weapon III which would have a higher success rate for upgrades past +4. Now was that scroll a fidget of my imagination? Or did I grab an unofficial edit or was that a Developer Version? I remember it dropping quite frequently on the deeper levels but on my recent playthroughs with the newest version there just was no trace and thus I'm confused.

[dweller]

I have compiled the game from official source 0.52 and saw and used the scroll too, so don't worry
Don't know what it exactly do though.

[corremn]

III upgrades both to hit and dam.

[Omnivorous]

I've discovered that scroll too in the last version. Just never been able to id it, as I've only ever found one.

[Dedastary]

Scroll of enchant weapon III is not very common, you can sometimes find it in shops (>300 gold I remember corectly) and at higher depths. Its a bit more common in Pan I'd say. It has higher chance to work than I and II if your weapon is allready enchanted to +5/+5 or so. Scroll of enchant weapon I and II never worked for me after around +7/+7.

[Omnivorous]

AhhhrrrgFS¤QT#! YASD.
I had been playing a Merfolk Crusader on and off for several weeks. It was actually looking great (potential wise) because of a ring of magic energy (or something like that, that gave me tons more mp) and early discoveries of several neat spellbooks. PLUS, I found a hefty trident right away!

However, I managed to get my trident cursed and ruined by a mummy. I didn't care too much, because I had also found a new, artifact-trident. However, I could NOT find any freakin scrolls of remove curse. I had 2 rations of bread left when I finally found one scroll. I equipped the new trident, and was back in business, finally able to switch to my knife to chop up corpses again. Then I decided to throw away the knife, and rather use this dagger for chopping. Turns out, this dagger is cursed too. With -2 and some other ugly effects, and 0 fighting skill with daggers, this was the end of this char.

I should've quit and played later when that happened, instead of throwing a tantrum by diving down, recklessly into certain death.

[corremn]

I am always tempted to pick up that cool looking dagger when i come across it, but my better judgment kicks in.  Only pick up artifact ones and use a scroll of detect curse first because they are more abundant than remove curse.
Dont attack mummies without ample RC scrolls, it is best to have a summoned ally to deal with it, or ignore it. 

Good luck with the merfolk, they can be really powerful once you get to mid game.

[AmnEn]

/edit:
Oh boy do I know cursed weapon deaths. Hilarious, but painfull.

Also does anyone else share my deep hatred for the Swamp Branch? It's wide open so no proper Auto Explore, you have to navigate tile by tile and if you're a melee fighter you get to enjoy fumbling constantly in the water while the enemies mock you by attacking and zooming away the second you even as much scratch them. Gnaaarrrrr.

I've also reached the point where I'm about to say "screw this game to hell". I currently don't feel like there's any way I can improve at this game and not get my ass handed to me the second I step into the Realm of Zot. Berserker Rage ended one turn after I activated it (wtf!?) and left me slowed and exhausted in front of Draconians that stepped up to the challenge and obliberated me that very same turn. Fun.
Still, up until that point it was a very decent character even though I paid dearly for entering the Tomb (for no real gain either :|). I call him the "Mutatortron" aka "Don't sleep near Nuclear Power Plants". And curse my habit of just using the same name all the time, makes it really irritating to meet your own ghost and not know which one it is the ghost off.

 Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup version 0.5.2 (crawl-ref) character file.

488106 AmnEn the Heavyweight Champion (level 25, -3/187 (239) HPs)
             Began as a Troll Berserker on Jan 17, 2010.
             Was a Priest of Trog.
             Killed from afar by a black draconian (22 damage)
             ... with a bolt of lightning
             ... on Level 1 of the Realm of Zot on Jan 18, 2010.
             The game lasted 06:37:32 (118506 turns).

AmnEn the Heavyweight Champion (Troll Berserker)              Turns: 118506, Time: 06:37:32

HP  -3/187 (239) AC 23     Str 38      Exp: 25/1038919 (1), need: 86830
MP  14/14        EV 25     Int 12      God: Trog ***
Gold 5323        SH 10     Dex 13      Spells:  0 memorised, 26 levels left

Res.Fire  : + + .   See Invis. : +   j - +6,+9 broad axe (chop) {god gift}
Res.Cold  : . . .   Warding    : .   a - +6 robe {rC+ rF+}
Life Prot.: . . .   Conserve   : +   x - +2 shield {AC+3}
Res.Poison: .       Res.Corr.  : +   e - +2 elf wizard hat
Res.Elec. : .       Clarity    : +   y - -1 orc cloak {rCorr, Cons}
                                     (gloves unavailable)
Sust.Abil.: +       Rnd.Telep. : .   (boots unavailable)
Res.Mut.  : .       Ctrl.Telep.: .   g - amulet of the Thirteen Seas {Clar -CAST EV
Res.Slow  : .       Levitation : .   h - ring of Saviour {MR AC+4 Dex+2 Int+4 SInv
Gourmand  : +       Ctrl.Flight: .   K - ring of Ymokh {SustAb rF+ rC- AC+3 Str+2 I

@: exhausted, very slow, slowed, very resistant to magic, very stealthy
A: unfitting armour, regeneration 2, fast metabolism 3, saprovore 2, gourmand, AC +3
a: Burn Spellbooks, Berserk, Trog's Hand, Renounce Religion

Miscellaneous
 c - an ornate deck of war
 n - a golden rune of Zot
 D - the horn of Geryon
 E - a decaying rune of Zot
 F - a silver rune of Zot
 G - a serpentine rune of Zot

   Skills:
 + Level 16 Fighting
 + Level 3 Axes
 + Level 1 Armour
 + Level 19 Dodging
 + Level 9 Stealth
 + Level 6 Stabbing
 + Level 12 Shields
 + Level 5 Traps & Doors
 * Level 27 Unarmed Combat
 + Level 1 Spellcasting
 + Level 3 Evocations


You had 26 spell levels left.
You didn't know any spells.

Overview of the Dungeon

Branches:
Temple: D:6       Orc   : D:9       Elf   : Orc:4     Lair  : D:10  
Swamp : Lair:5    Slime : Lair:8    Snake : Lair:5    Hive  : D:14  
Vault : D:17      Blade : Vault:5   Crypt : Vault:2   Tomb  : Crypt:3
Coc   : Hell      Zot   : D:27      

Altars:
Trog: Swamp:4
The Shining One: D:17
Kikubaaqudgha: Lair:6
Yredelemnul: Crypt:4, Crypt:5
Xom: Elf:7
Vehumet: Orc:4
Okawaru: Swamp:2
Makhleb: Elf:7
Elyvilon: D:15

Shops:
D:10: ?+[*(  D:20: (  D:22: /  D:27: !  Orc:3: [=  Elf:1: !  Lair:2: =  Swamp:2: [(*+
Snake:1: (  Snake:4: !  Vault:3: *  Vault:5: !  Vault:8: +

Portals:
Hell: D:21 D:22 D:23 D:24 D:25 D:26
Abyss: D:25
Pan: D:22 D:24 D:26

                    Level Annotations

Dungeon
10: Stash

Slime Pits
 6: Forgot means of Teleport Control... slime says *slurp* =(

Snake Pit
 1: Holy Wrath - Shop Reminder


                    Innate Abilities, Weirdness & Mutations

You have claws for hands.
Your body does not fit into most forms of armour.
You have very tough skin (AC +2).
You heal very quickly.
Your metabolism is lightning-fast.
You can eat rotten meat.
You like to eat raw meat.
You are covered in fur (AC +1).


  3091 | D:3     | Gained mutation: You can breathe flames.
  3091 | D:3     | Gained mutation: You are partially covered in supple grey scales (AC +1).
 26845 | D:10    | Lost mutation: You can breathe flames.
 26845 | D:10    | Lost mutation: You are partially covered in supple grey scales (AC +1).
 30563 | D:14    | Gained mutation: Armour fits poorly on your deformed body.
 32193 | D:16    | Lost mutation: Armour fits poorly on your deformed body.
 32193 | D:16    | Gained mutation: You are partially covered in purple scales (AC +2).
 32428 | D:16    | Gained mutation: Your muscles are strong (Str +1).
 32428 | D:16    | Gained mutation: Your magical capacity is low (-10% MP).
 32428 | D:16    | Gained mutation: You have hooves in place of feet.
 47465 | D:27    | Gained mutation: Your muscles are strong (Str +2).
51943 | Snake:4 | Gained mutation: You are partially covered in black scales (AC +1).
 51943 | Snake:4 | Gained mutation: You have a pair of small horns on your head.
 52479 | Snake:4 | Lost mutation: You have a pair of small horns on your head.
 52760 | Snake:5 | Gained mutation: Your muscles are strong (Str +1), but stiff (Dex -1).
 52761 | Snake:5 | Lost mutation: Your magical capacity is low (-10% MP).
 61683 | Vault:5 | Gained mutation: You are resistant to magic.
 63503 | Vault:6 | Gained mutation: Your system is resistant to poisons.
 66101 | Vault:7 | Gained mutation: Your flesh is cold resistant.
 67774 | Vault:8 | Gained mutation: Your vision is a little blurry.
 67775 | Vault:8 | Lost mutation: Your vision is a little blurry.
 87497 | D:10    | Gained mutation: You occasionally shout uncontrollably.
 87497 | D:10    | Gained mutation: You are highly resistant to magic.
 87497 | D:10    | Gained mutation: You have a pair of small horns on your head.
 99827 | Slime:3 | Gained mutation: Armour fits poorly on your deformed body.
 99924 | Slime:3 | Gained mutation: Your vision is a little blurry.
100123 | Slime:4 | Gained mutation: You sometimes yell uncontrollably.
108767 | Tomb:1  | Gained mutation: Your vision is quite blurry.
108776 | Tomb:1  | Gained mutation: You are frail (-10% HP).
109824 | Tomb:2  | Gained mutation: Your digestive system is specialised to digest meat.
109872 | Tomb:2  | Lost mutation: Your vision is quite blurry.
109975 | Tomb:2  | Gained mutation: You are clumsy (Dex -1).
110058 | Tomb:2  | Gained mutation: Your body is slowly deteriorating.
110221 | Tomb:2  | Lost mutation: You have a pair of small horns on your head.
110241 | Tomb:2  | Gained mutation: You frequently scream uncontrollably.
113701 | Tomb:3  | Gained mutation: Space occasionally distorts in your vicinity.
115513 | D:10    | Lost mutation: Your vision is a little blurry.
115513 | D:10    | Lost mutation: You are frail (-10% HP).
115513 | D:10    | Lost mutation: You frequently scream uncontrollably.
115513 | D:10    | Lost mutation: You sometimes yell uncontrollably.
115514 | D:10    | Lost mutation: Your body is slowly deteriorating.
115514 | D:10    | Lost mutation: Your muscles are strong (Str +2).
115514 | D:10    | Lost mutation: Your muscles are strong (Str +1).
115514 | D:10    | Lost mutation: Armour fits poorly on your deformed body.
115515 | D:10    | Lost mutation: You are highly resistant to magic.
115515 | D:10    | Lost mutation: You are clumsy (Dex -1).
115515 | D:10    | Lost mutation: You are partially covered in black scales (AC +1).
115515 | D:10    | Lost mutation: You are resistant to magic.
115516 | D:10    | Lost mutation: Space occasionally distorts in your vicinity.
115516 | D:10    | Lost mutation: You occasionally shout uncontrollably.
115516 | D:10    | Lost mutation: Your system is resistant to poisons.
115516 | D:10    | Lost mutation: Your muscles are strong (Str +1), but stiff (Dex -1).
115517 | D:10    | Lost mutation: You are partially covered in purple scales (AC +2).
115517 | D:10    | Lost mutation: Your digestive system is specialised to digest meat.
115517 | D:10    | Lost mutation: Your flesh is cold resistant.
115518 | D:10    | Lost mutation: You have hooves in place of feet.

[corremn]

Also does anyone else share my deep hatred for the Swamp Branch? It's wide open so no proper Auto Explore, you have to navigate tile by tile and if you're a melee fighter you get to enjoy fumbling constantly in the water while the enemies mock you by attacking and zooming away the second you even as much scratch them. Gnaaarrrrr.

Malhkeb helps here, as do polearms or spells to attack those hiding water critters (I guess weapons of reaching as well).  Wait to they hide and smack them for free .

I've also reached the point where I'm about to say "screw this game to hell". I currently don't feel like there's any way I can improve at this game and not get my ass handed to me the second I step into the Realm of Zot. Berserker Rage ended one turn after I activated it (wtf!?) and left me slowed and exhausted in front of Draconians that stepped up to the challenge and obliberated me that very same turn. Fun.

 

1 turn rage should no happen.

Anyway, some tips.
Your equipment did not seem that great. - Not your fault though. 
You really want equipment that boosts EV for this char.
Trogs best gifts are great weapons, so an unarmed troll misses out, maybe try Mi or MD.
Berzerk is not Trogs only ability use them all. Regeneration is a great ability, although you are a troll already, did you have regen on? 
Allies take the heat off you as well.
Berzerk should be a last option in Zot unless you are standing on stairs, it will nearly always lead to your death.  Unless you have an amulet of Resist slowing, an absulute must (until it gets nurfed in the next version).  A potion of haste taken after you berzerk will cure you, plus it lasts longer than slow effect does, Plus if you have the aformentioned amulet you will be faster for longer.

Also why are you wielding an axe when you have level 3 in axes.

Scrolls of fog and summon allies will get you out of a lot of trouble, as long as you are not slowed .
I dont see your inventory so I cant give you any other clues how to avoid this death.

I dont think your EV was high enough.  I dont play trolls much but I would of though DEX would be better than STR. 
Also you should have fighting skill higher to increase hitpoints.  Dont get them drained either. Maybe spend time in Pan to increase you skills as long as you have the right resistances.

Try Oki instead of Trog, or have a break altogether.

[AmnEn]

Thanks for the advice, at the moment I'm somewhat too frustrated to give it another try though.
I did try to go for a high EV but that was the best the game came up with. Still, the high strength was nice while it lasted, tearing dragons apart with one swipe was somewhat satisfying, although probably in honor to the Random Number God (not you Xom, I hate you).
Curious thing about that Axe, even though I didn't have a lot of Skill in it, it was about as strong as my unarmed attacks but in Retrospective, that's probably thanks to the high strength of the character. I'll keep in mind about not using Berserker down in Zot anymore. And yes I used Trogs Hand, didn't know that the Regen would stack (nice to know), but the bonus in Magic Resistance was always welcome.

[Omnivorous]

Well take a break. Or take a break from melee chars and try out some whacky combo. It's harder, but very fun when you feel you've accomplished something with!

And on the positive side, that's another nice run I gotta get one of these damn Merfolk Crusaders to survive till midgame so I can see about knocking one of your scores down a notch!

Lots of good advice btw for Berserker. I think one of the biggest mistakes (as for things you can affect/control) is that weapon too. 3 is horribly low. If you really wanted to adapt to that Axe, I think you would've been forced to practice it some in safer areas first. My last Merfolk Crusader was tearing things up easily with a normal Trident. Got a much better Dagger bound to me by curse (and both weapons rely on DEX I think) and it made my melee close to useless!

[AmnEn]

Well I tried a Chaos Knight of Xom. It was quite funny, they really added lots of flair to him. Well, it's always fun and jokes until he drops you off right in front of Sigmund and paralyzes you while commenting your death with manic laughter.

//On an Off Topic Sidenote, I quite like how this place has livened up a bit lately. Much more activity going 'round.

[Dedastary]

Try a caster really. Its hard in the begining but when you get a hang of it its really fun to play and easier mid and late game. With right tactics you can down practicly anything not resistant to fire with conjure flame and summon mammels/butterflies.  And you'll have blink, mephitic cloud and stuff. By the time you meet really hard mobs you will allready have iron bolt/dispell undead or something not elemental related. Combined with haste for hairy situations and some skills in fighting for hp, resistances...you become hard to kill.

Just want to add something about equping weapons that are not ID-ed. Curse is not you're only potential problem. Have in mind that every time you try branded weapon it can be weapon of distortion. Unequiping it can result in abbys tour. Abbys tours for most chars is a 90% death tour unless you are allready quite powerfull and hopefully have haste. Weapons of distortion can be found from DL1 on.

[Omnivorous]

Well my problem with casters is that....I've played too many bashers =P My MAIN problem is ofcourse that my fragile casters don't make it that far usually. But I have made some casters that managed to get pretty powerful before they died. Thing is; the caster is tough to kill aslong as he uses his spells correct. I usually get careless or underestimate a mob, you can never really afford to do much mistakes on a caster xD And I always do mistakes at some point in these big roguelikes. :-/

[Dedastary]

Well, yea...its hard to stay focused all the time and I see how you lose you're patience if you played bashers before:) With casters you need much more thinking and you need more time to kill something. It gets anoying sometimes. My advice to you is stop playing and save when you start to feel like you're rushing becouse thats the reason you die. Come back to it later. Another good option is to start to train fighting with caster. This way you will be able to bash with it all you want and still have spells for hardest mobs. It only needs time to develop. Check this out.

869283 fetus2 the Annihilator (level 27, 196/196 HPs)
             Began as a Demonspawn Wizard on Dec 30, 2009.
             Was the Champion of Sif Muna.
             Got out of the dungeon alive.
             The game lasted 15:45:55 (217211 turns).

HP 196/196       AC 22     Str  8      Exp: 27/2942011 (22)
MP  45/45        EV 44     Int 29      God: Sif Muna ******
Gold 5881        SH  6     Dex 16      Spells: 13 memorised, 11 levels left

@: incredibly resistant to magic, extremely stealthy
A: repel missiles, electricity resistance, life protection 3, call
torment, draw strength from death and destruction, AC +3, EV +5,
Str -1, Dex -2

 c - a +7,+9 dwarven sabre of slicing (weapon)
 C - the +1,+6 falchion of Light {vamp, rF+ rC++ EV+3}
   (You found it on level 18 of a ziggurat)

   Skills:
 + Level 14 Fighting
 + Level 19 Short Blades
 + Level 21 Dodging

* Level 27 Conjurations

Hows that for a power char? I bashed into executioners with this one, only needed to use spells sometimes on fiends and pan lords. Zot:5 was a faceroll trip. However, this char was not created to just finish the game (it actually failed to do what it was created for:) and you don't need to be anywhere near it to do it. I just wanted to point out the direction you might be headed since higher hp granted by training fighting and weapons might be more suitable for you're playstyle and allow more mistakes.