Never beat Crawl? Enter here! :-)

[Dedastary]

Update: 2966665 fetus 2 the Annihilator (level 27, 21/21 HPs)
             Began as a Demonspawn Wizard on Jan 29, 2010.
             Was the Champion of Sif Muna.
             Escaped with the Orb
             ... and 11 runes (of 10 types) on Feb 14, 2010!
             
             The game lasted 2 days08:08:23 (642415 turns).


I had something like 80 runes but trying to take them all almost cost me the game. Had to deal with some fiends and 2 pan lords on DL1.

642035 | D:1     | Noticed Byqiun Ulive the pandemonium lord
642314 | D:1     | Noticed Shifonod the pandemonium lord
642353 | D:1     | Gained mutation: Your body is slowly deteriorating.
642376 | D:1     | Defeated Shifonod the pandemonium lord
642415 | D:$     | Escaped with the Orb!



 ..####..##.###.#
.###.#.##..#..##
v..v}#........#.
####.#.######1..
#  #.%.#  ##...#
## ##.## ##...##
.###...###...##.
..#..<..#...##h.
}..<.).@...##..#
##........##..##
.####.#####.....
...h............
................
############....
           #....
############....
...3............

There were round 70 runes under my feet but imagine if that fiend hellfired me on the stairs. How hilarious would that be?

[Dedastary]

Here is the video. This really made me feel like I acomplished something:)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0Pk_13WBSs

[Omnivorous]

Haha, that character is sick. How could you level all the skills that high without starving to death?

[Dedastary]

There is normal amount of food in Pan like in any normal dungeon level. I'd come in with about 7-8 food rations and got out with almost double of that after 10 or so levels. And I used staff of energy for casting spells. It's not a problem. I think I entered something like 15 Ziggurats and only there I had to actualy spend some rations. Skills were pain to train though. But when you play for 600 000 turns you get there:) And after you do get there, you have to make some serious mistakes to die. Even on Zig: 27 Angel floor you can easily just get of the floor in stead of fighting them. This char could have go on and on. I didn't know what to do with it any more. I even planed to do Zot:5 with 21hp and naked. Good thing that I didn't though, becouse I still managed to suck up 2 fireballs from orbs. But it was my mistake and its definitely possible to do something like that.   

[sausage]

The highest ive gotten is Lv8 with a Hill Dwarf Fighter, and a Deep Elf Ice Elementalist.

Now their ghosts' lurk in Lv 5 of the dungeon and they two shot my new adventurers making it extremely difficult for me to get past them anymore =(

[corremn]

The highest ive gotten is Lv8 with a Hill Dwarf Fighter, and a Deep Elf Ice Elementalist.

Now their ghosts' lurk in Lv 5 of the dungeon and they two shot my new adventurers making it extremely difficult for me to get past them anymore =(

I usually skip levels with ghosts on them if I cannot destroy them. Gain a couple of levels and come back.  Wands, potions of haste and berzerk will usually kill them.  They are there for the extra challenge, but since they cannot follow you down levels you can easily clear the ghost level by going up and down a lot until only the ghost if left on the level.

Patience is what this game is about and keep focused, each encounter needs to be analysed before a decision is made.  Unfortunately I usually make that decision after I have tried hacking it apart  

[Fenrir]

Patience is what this game is about and keep focused, each encounter needs to be analysed before a decision is made.  Unfortunately I usually make that decision after I have tried hacking it apart  

Yeah, my play sessions usually go like so:
ATTAAAACK! You died. Damn, I should remember not to do that again.
ATTAAAACK! You died. I should remember not to do that either.
ATTAAAACK! You died. Oh, wait.... I wasn't supposed to do that.

[Dedastary]

Yea, running away is the best option and very simple one. As for patience, this game by itself is really not that hard. What is really hard is to stay focused and patient for all those hours playing. And to be able to recognize and expect potential problems.

[sausage]

Yea, running away is the best option and very simple one. As for patience, this game by itself is really not that hard. What is really hard is to stay focused and patient for all those hours playing. And to be able to recognize and expect potential problems.

haha, whenever I try to run away, they stay right behind me and follow me the whole way, until I run into other enemies who then proceed to mutilate me.

[Dedastary]

Never run into unexplored teritory if possible. Use berserk for running away if you don't have any other means of haste. Running away usually means run to previous level using known path and use other stairs down. Use teleport scrolls sometimes and do it before situation gets crittical. If you have any means of summoning anything do it and use it as a shield while running away. I know this may aswel be just babling, its not that simple, I'm just trying to help.

To be honest I never seriously played melee class. But I know for sure that once you learn to play with casters you realize how much easier it is. So if you really just want to finish the game, try with demonspawn or deep elf wizard. You'll get some really cool spells that will help you a lot to just run away when you need to - which is the key to this game. Blink, mephitic cloud, summon small mammals, conjure flame, slow...all in the same spellbook you start with. There is also a video tutorial. All you need to do is allways be at full hp and mp when exploring and use those spells when you need to. If you decide to give it a try lemme know how it went. 

[Fenrir]

YASD: Yak Attack!


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

3149 Grand Axe the Cleaver (level 9, -5/75 HPs)
             Began as a Minotaur Berserker on Feb 25, 2010.
             Was a High Priest of Trog.
             Slain by a yak (11 damage)
             ... on Level 9 of the Dungeon.
             The game lasted 00:32:01 (8231 turns).

Grand Axe the Cleaver (Minotaur Berserker)          Turns: 8231, Time: 00:32:01

HP  -5/75        AC  8     Str 24      Exp: 9/3477 (130), need: 1996
MP   4/4         EV  6     Int  5      God: Trog *****
Gold 716         SH  6     Dex 10      Spells:  0 memorised,  8 levels left

Res.Fire  : . . .   See Invis. : .   a - +1,+2 hand axe
Res.Cold  : . . .   Warding    : .   m - +0 chain mail
Life Prot.: . . .   Conserve   : .   A - +0 shield
Res.Poison: .       Res.Corr.  : .   (helmet restricted)
Res.Elec. : .       Clarity    : .   n - -2 cloak
                                     (no gloves)
Sust.Abil.: .       Rnd.Telep. : .   p - +0 pair of boots
Res.Mut.  : +       Ctrl.Telep.: .   G - amulet of resist mutation
Res.Slow  : .       Levitation : .   w - ring of invisibility
Saprovore : . . .   Ctrl.Flight: .   N - ring of protection from magic

@: exhausted, very slow, slowed, quite resistant to magic, extremely unstealthy
A: horns 2
a: Burn Spellbooks, Berserk, Trog's Hand, Brothers in Arms, Renounce Religion,
Evoke Invisibility


You were on level 9 of the Dungeon.
You worshipped Trog.
Trog was exalted by your worship.
You were not hungry.

You visited 2 branches of the dungeon, and saw 10 of its levels.

You collected 696 gold pieces.

Inventory:

Hand weapons
 a - a +1,+2 hand axe (weapon)
 b - a +0,+0 bow
 u - a +0,+2 hammer
 C - a +2,+0 spear of reaching (quivered)
Missiles
 x - 15 +0 arrows
 D - 20 poisoned +0 orcish arrows
Armour
 m - a +0 chain mail (worn)
 n - a -2 cloak (worn)
 p - a +0 pair of boots (worn)
 A - a +0 shield (worn)
Magical devices
 d - a wand of draining (
 v - a wand of fire (12)
 I - a wand of digging (7)
Comestibles
 c - a bread ration
 f - 2 pears
 i - a sausage
 l - 2 apples
 q - 5 meat rations
 y - 5 grapes
 O - a choko
Scrolls
 j - 4 scrolls of identify
 k - a scroll of teleportation
 t - 3 scrolls of remove curse
 z - 4 scrolls of detect curse
 E - 2 scrolls of magic mapping
 F - 2 scrolls of fog
 K - a scroll of recharging
 M - a scroll of enchant armour
Jewellery
 g - an uncursed ring of see invisible
 o - an uncursed ring of protection from fire
 w - a ring of invisibility (right hand)
 B - an uncursed ring of invisibility
 G - an amulet of resist mutation (around neck)
 N - a ring of protection from magic (left hand)
Potions
 e - 4 potions of healing
 h - a potion of restore abilities
 r - a potion of heal wounds
 H - 2 potions of slowing
 J - a potion of magic
 L - a potion of berserk rage
Books
 s - a book of Divinations   
   Spells                             Type                      Level
   Detect Secret Doors                Divination                   1
   Detect Creatures                   Divination                   2
   Detect Items                       Divination                   2
   Detect Curse                       Divination                   3
   See Invisible                      Enchantment/Divination       4
   Forescry                           Divination                   5
   Identify                           Divination                   6
   Trog disapproves of the use of such an item.


 You had 130 experience left.

   Skills:
 + Level 7 Fighting
 + Level 10 Axes
 + Level 2 Polearms
 + Level 1 Bows
 + Level 4 Armour
 + Level 2 Dodging
 + Level 4 Shields
 + Level 2 Unarmed Combat


You had 8 spell levels left.
You didn't know any spells.

Overview of the Dungeon

Branches:
Temple: D:6       Lair  : D:8       

Shops:
D:6: /


                    Innate Abilities, Weirdness & Mutations

You have a pair of horns on your head.


Message History

You feel your anger subside.
You feel yourself slow down.
You feel a little less mighty now.
You are no longer berserk.
Trog's vigour flows through your veins.
You are exhausted.
The yak misses you.

                #
                ...
         #######..## #####     #
      ####.#.##....###.#.##   ##
     ##.#.....#...###.....#####.
    ............................
   .. ..........................
  ...........g..................
 ....#  ##..#.Y@.....<#.####....
 .....###..YY#............#...>.
.  #.........##..........)....#.
...##...%.....###.........##.###
..........##.## ##...#....#...##
...##....#####   ##.##.#.###...#
?......###       ##.#...## ##.##
.......         ##...#.##   ###
.<.#...         #.<.....#


You could see 3 yaks and a hobgoblin.

Vanquished Creatures
  The ghost of Gorg the Cleaver, an experienced MiBe of Trog (D:5)
  A hippogriff (D:
  A yak (D:9)
  A manticore (D:
  2 ogres (D:6)
  A centaur (D:5)
  Sigmund (D:7)
  A giant frog (D:
  An orc warrior (D:
  A giant frog zombie (D:6)
  6 imps
  2 giant beetles
  2 orc priests
  5 hounds
  7 giant ants
  A killer bee zombie (D:
  4 orc wizards
  A scorpion (D:6)
  A giant ant zombie (D:
  3 jellies
  11 snakes
  9 gnolls
  A giant mite (D:5)
  Terence (D:3)
  2 oozes (D:2)
  A giant eyeball (D:
  17 giant bats
  6 giant cockroaches
  4 giant geckos
  17 goblins
  16 hobgoblins
  7 jackals
  26 orcs
  3 quokkas
  10 rats
  A giant gecko zombie (D:5)
  9 giant newts
  17 kobolds
  An orc zombie (D:
202 creatures vanquished.

Notes
Turn   | Place   | Note
--------------------------------------------------------------
     0 | D:1     | Grand Axe, the Minotaur Berserker, began the quest for the Orb.
     0 | D:1     | Reached XP level 1. HP: 17/17 MP: 0/0
   152 | D:1     | Reached skill 4 in Axes
   368 | D:1     | Reached XP level 2. HP: 19/25 MP: 0/0
   568 | D:1     | Acquired Trog's second power
   922 | D:2     | Reached XP level 3. HP: 22/29 MP: 1/1
  1695 | D:3     | Reached XP level 4. HP: 39/39 MP: 1/1
  1800 | D:3     | Noticed Terence
  1819 | D:3     | Defeated Terence
  2358 | D:3     | Reached skill 5 in Axes
  2865 | D:4     | Reached XP level 5. HP: 37/46 MP: 2/2
  2981 | D:4     | Acquired Trog's third power
  3225 | D:5     | Entered Level 5 of the Dungeon
  3545 | D:5     | Reached skill 1 in Shields
  3645 | D:5     | Reached skill 6 in Axes
  3733 | D:5     | HP: 1/46 [centaur (6)]
  3735 | D:5     | Reached XP level 6. HP: 4/51 MP: 2/2
  3909 | D:5     | Noticed Gorg's ghost
  4109 | D:5     | Defeated Gorg's ghost
  4109 | D:5     | Reached XP level 7. HP: 29/57 MP: 3/3
  4215 | D:5     | Reached skill 7 in Axes
  4253 | D:5     | Reached skill 5 in Fighting
  4588 | D:6     | Reached skill 8 in Axes
  4727 | D:6     | Reached skill 1 in Unarmed Combat
  5069 | D:6     | Reached skill 1 in Bows
  5102 | D:6     | Reached XP level 8. HP: 56/65 MP: 3/3
  5174 | D:6     | Reached skill 9 in Axes
  5954 | Temple  | Entered the Ecumenical Temple
  6220 | D:7     | Noticed Sigmund
  6227 | D:7     | Defeated Sigmund
  7153 | D:8     | Reached skill 10 in Axes
  7220 | D:8     | Reached skill 1 in Polearms
  7613 | D:8     | Reached XP level 9. HP: 70/73 MP: 4/4
  8231 | D:9     | Slain by a yak


That's embarrassing. There was no reason for that character to die. Goodbye, Grand Axe! You died an ignoble death for no purpose.

[Omnivorous]

Haha, well in a way there is seldom any -reason- for a char to die.. But due to acts of carelessness, one ends up in situations where there's no reason for the char to live through it either xD

I've become addicted to trying out "exotic" class/race combinations, but the score-system in Crawl is so demotivating, if you can't even get to the first rune.. It's like, you feel like the char finally is strong enough to maybe start doing some damage, but then you die, and you get 3k or something as score. When if you'd just get abit further and pickup a rune, you'd be at 100k right away

I try to make some runs now and then, but gotten so addicted to chess atm, so it's hard to find time.

[sausage]

can anyone tell me what a lantern does? I found a bone lantern but could never figure out how to use it, upon death it said it was a latern of shadows.

[Omnivorous]

I think they are magical "tools" that you only can use once. Some can be very dangerous too from what I understand :X I'm sure someone has a better explainationxD I remember reading about it on a Wiki-site for Crawl when I found two lanterns.

[Rabiat]

The bone lantern can be wielded. [spoiler]It reduces your field of view, it'll occasionally summon friendly shadows, and it'll also negate stealth (bad if you're stealthy, good if you're unstealthy). It's necromantic, so good gods will dislike it.[/spoiler]

I've been playing the 0.6.0 version recently. The upper levels of the main dungeon and the Lair/Swamp have definitely become more interesting. The early game also seems to be even harder than before (with an increased possibility of meeting some early uniques that rival Sigmund). In the new version I only got one rune (Swamp) and visited the Shoals once (just the upper level). Somehow I keep dying in the Elven Halls, although the upper levels are a breeze if you have magic resistance, Mephitic Cloud and a bow of flame.