User:Kernigh/pallas/53

My last SLASH'EM game before this one was my 52nd game at Pallas, then I played 2 games of NetHack brass. At 22 September 2006 I decided that it was again time for SLASH'EM.


 * SLASH'EM 0.0.7E7F2 + SLethe 1.5
 * Kernigh the chaotic female droven Necromancer
 * Score: 11080
 * My past Necromancers died quickly because I did not understand their role. This time, I played well enough to die at the mall of Dlvl6.

Gameplay
I started with four blessed spellbooks, including the usual spellbook of summon undead, spellbook of command undead and spellbook of drain. The only one that became useful to me was the spellbook of knock to open locked doors. (I forgot that knock also opens locked chests!) I did have some use for the wand of draining and my pet ghoul.

I do not like the quarterstaff, but its blessed +1 status tempted me to wield it and not my +0 pick-axe. At turn 690 I enter a general store (after the required dropping my pick-axe). I use Elbereth to ward off a small mimic, then I try on some uncursed jackboots. They are +1. I buy them for 22 zorkmids. I also buy a food ration for 45 zorkmids. My ghoul kills the mimic.

Gnomish Mines
In the Gnomish Mines at Dlvl3, I hear the wailing of the Banshee twice. I retreat behind a zorkmid-on-Elbereths and heal (passing the time by finger some spare Elbereths to help increase wisdom), then proceed to explore the Mines Dlvl3 and Dlvl4. By now, I am using my +0 pick-axe because I need the additional hit dice (and hope for a dwarvish mattock). Soon after entering Dlvl5, I become overwhelmed. I now feel that I use Elbereth too much, so I retreat to the Dungeons of Doom.

Thinking that my spells are too useless, I choose to wear metal armor and fight in melee with my pick-axe. I plan to eventually switch to nonmetal armor and start spellcasting. My armor now consists of:
 * a +0 dwarvish mithril-coat {150}
 * a +0 large round shield {100}
 * a blessed +2 hooded cloak {10}
 * a +0 iron skull cap {30}
 * a blessed +1 pair of hard shoes {50}

In the Dungeons of Doom, I continue Elbereth frequently, but the monsters are easier. There is another general store on Dlvl4, and decide that I can afford 105 zorkmids to buy that cram ration and end my hunger. I ignore the cursed club named Skullcrusher, kill a small mimic with my bare-handed sleep attack (as I do not use pick-axe inside shops), loot a bag of tricks, and buy a gray stone for 45 zorkmids, knowing that it is not a loadstone. I find that it is a whetstone.

At the mall
There are wood-elves on Dlvl5; I zap my wand of draining against them for I cannot use Elbereth, then I take some of their armor to help me transition away from metal. I use a tripe ration to tame a dog. It feels as if I was not a Necromancer! The mall at Dlvl6 has a lighting shop and a general store. A weight test reveals that Angmagssalik is selling a bag of holding; I buy it for 100 zorkmids.

My ghoul decides to fight Angmagssalik (despite always missing) and I am unable to remove my ghoul from the shop; even a tin whistle fails to call it out. Without my ghoul, I am at a disadvantage and think about starting some actual necromancy sooner.

At turn 7866, I stumble through a trap door to Dlvl7. Though without pets, I manage to return to Dlvl6. My dog falls through the same trap door, so I again take the door to Dlvl7, retrieving my dog. Then I make my fatal mistake. The mall now has a white unicorn and a gray unicorn, and I want my pet large dog to kill one. I chase the unicorns to get my pet nearby, but they always teleport away before the large dog can make the kill. The last time, some Wood-elves trapped me in a room after the unicorn teleported out.

Then I make my fatal mistake. The bolt from my wand of draining hits not only an elf but the watch captain behind it. In a last manuever, I read an unidentified scroll, hoping that it is a scroll of teleportation, but it instead a scroll of enchant armor. The watch captain gives me a DYWYPI but I have +1 low boots!

For my next Necromancer, I expect to start wiki articles for Necromancer, ghoul, raise zombies (the #technique), summon undead and command undead.

Dump and recordings

 * Dump
 * Recordings: 2006-09-22.23:39:02.ttyrec to 2006-09-23.00:09:31.ttyrec