Re: Another soon-to-be-dead char

On Mar 5, 1:58 am, Eddie Grove <eddiegr...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> Timo Pietil=E4 <timo.piet...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> writes:
> > Eddie Grove wrote:
> > > Given the option to trade your blue DSM for
> > > staff of tele****t self
> > > light weapon (+9,+9)
> > > longbow x3 (+9,+9)
>
> > In 3.0.9 it costs about 4000 gp to _make_ those, so no, I wouldn't
trade=
.. I
> > would also assume that when you find that DSM (unless it is your very
fi=
rst
> > trip) you already have enchanted bow and weapon. You get money easy
enou=
gh
> > that you don't need to sell your DSM to get that staff, and getting
equa=
lly
> > good bodyarmor takes time.
>
> > > and one group from
> > > 2 rings of int [mages]
> > > amulet of wisdom + 2 rings protection(or something else) [priests]
> > > 2 rings of damage [everybody else]
>
> The premise was 150', presumably the very first trip, so probably less
tha=
n 1K
> gold.  Nevertheless, I am interested that you think it is not an obvious
s=
wap.
> I'll have to think about it some more.  I always view the main threat of
d=
eath
> to be breathers, or perhaps a pack of novice paladins cursing me on the
ea=
rly
> levels, and AC doesn't help much against either of those.  Perhaps I can
> improve my game a bit if I figure out why it's not a totally obvious
[IMO]=
 swap.

I don't actually know which side has the stronger arguments.  I've
played both ways, depending more or less on whim.  (I would probably
keep the DSM for variety's sake, and not worry about whether it's
optimal.)

There are two possible considerations:

1. Part of the calculus is connected stairs.  With disconnected
stairs, getting tele****tation early is significantly more valuable,
since you can't dodge up stairs if you come down in a death-trap.
Other than those death-traps, groups of novice paladins and early
breathers aren't much danger.  (If you are playing a priest, you can
blow them all away with DSM breath.  If you are playing Warrior, you
can take them in melee.)

2. By and large in a fast dive, most games you do not lose before dl
20.  If you assume that you won't lose, then you are possibly losing
the chance of an even faster dive.  The extra AC, the breath
(especially for Blue DSM), and the (double) resistance could
conceivably give you a melee boost compared with the loss of
Tele****tation.  What I don't know is if the boost is as much as you
would get from immediately enchanting all your weapons to +7, rather
than having to wait a few more levels. In any case, the chance of
finding some unusable Slay Orc weapon remains constant--you will still
get that bow enchanted fairly soon no matter what.