Near-death experience, need info on 'trices

[Manuel]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.nethack (More info?)

I am playing Wordas-Wiz-Hum-Mal-Cha, now at the Gnome King's
Wine Cellar. I found a blindfold, but I had no free slots in
my inventory, so I left it lying there to pick it up later.
Only a few tens of turns later, I face a *trice in the cellar.
I was drunk -hey, it's a cellar!- and I lacked every single
item that could help, even gloves. I didn't have ESP or a blind-
fold.

I knew the spells of force bolt, Magic Missile and healing (use-
less here, I bet), but nothing better.

I saw my salvation in the Ring of Teleport Control: I read an
unidentified ?oTelePort:

Being confused, you mispronounce the magic words... --More--
To which level do you want to teleport? 10 [Cellar was 11]
Oops. You shudder for a moment.

....and I remained where I were, facing a scary c. I thought I
should try teleporting IT away, and I zapped a wand of teleport:

What do you want to zap? [cBE or ?*] B
Nothing happens. The cockatrice bites! The cockatrice touches you!

....but I didn't petrify! I thought I was dead. Then I tried again
teleporting myself away, so I read an uncursed scroll of teleport:

Being confused, you mispronounce the magic words... --More--
To which level do you want to teleport? 9 (tried a bit farther
just in case)
Oops.

Now I am in DL 8 instead, no worries though. I think I am safe
for a while, now it is time to search for some lizards... oh wait...
as I am writing this, I make a couple of moves in the game and watch
in horror... another c!! right next to me! Is it the same one?
Or a different one? What do I do? Try to run? (Z)ap it a magic
missile? Is there a way I can exploit the turns system?

"At moments like this cowardice was an exact science. There were
times that called for mindless, terror-filled panic, and times that
called for measured, considered, /thoughtful/ panic".
- Terry Pratchett, "The Last Continent"

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.nethack (More info?)

Manuel wrote:

> I am playing Wordas-Wiz-Hum-Mal-Cha, now at the Gnome King's Wine
> Cellar. I found a blindfold, but I had no free slots in my inventory, so
> I left it lying there to pick it up later.

You hadn't even found a sack at this point? Too bad. Had you done Sokoban
yet? I always do Sokoban before descending below minetown, and sometimes
before entering the mines at all.

> Only a few tens of turns later, I face a *trice in the cellar. I was
> drunk -hey, it's a cellar!- and I lacked every single item that could
> help, even gloves. I didn't have ESP or a blind- fold.

I'm surprised you didn't have a unicorn horn at this point, and I'm even
more surprised you didn't have a lizard corpse yet.

> Now I am in DL 8 instead, no worries though. I think I am safe
> for a while, now it is time to search for some lizards... oh wait...
> as I am writing this, I make a couple of moves in the game and watch
> in horror... another c!! right next to me! Is it the same one?
> Or a different one? What do I do? Try to run? (Z)ap it a magic
> missile? Is there a way I can exploit the turns system?

Cockatrices only have a speed of 6. Assuming you're not burdened, you
should have at least speed 12; just run away and come after you've found a
lizard. Or dance around it and force-bolt it to death.

--
Benjamin Lewis

A small, but vocal, contingent even argues that tin is superior, but they
are held by most to be the lunatic fringe of Foil Deflector Beanie science.

 

[Manuel]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.nethack (More info?)

Benjamin Lewis wrote:
> Manuel wrote:
>
> > I am playing Wordas-Wiz-Hum-Mal-Cha, now at the Gnome King's Wine
> > Cellar. I found a blindfold, but I had no free slots in my
inventory, so
> > I left it lying there to pick it up later.
>
> You hadn't even found a sack at this point? Too bad. Had you done
Sokoban
> yet? I always do Sokoban before descending below minetown, and
sometimes
> before entering the mines at all.

No sack, no BoH, nothing. I also do Sokoban first /usually/. I am
trying
a different approach, since I am still a beginner and I need to learn.
And
no doubt this will teach me more than one lesson.

> > Only a few tens of turns later, I face a *trice in the cellar. I
was
> > drunk -hey, it's a cellar!- and I lacked every single item that
could
> > help, even gloves. I didn't have ESP or a blind- fold.
>
> I'm surprised you didn't have a unicorn horn at this point, and I'm
even
> more surprised you didn't have a lizard corpse yet.

I do have a *cursed* unihorn from a bones pile, and the few lizards I
met
didn't leave a corpse behind. Or perhaps it was cute little Rex who ate
them.


> > [...] Is there a way I can exploit the turns system?
>
> Cockatrices only have a speed of 6. Assuming you're not burdened,
you
> should have at least speed 12; just run away and come after you've
found a
> lizard. Or dance around it and force-bolt it to death.
>

Thank you very much. I'll wait for more opinions before trying
anything,
though. You know, it's time for /thoughtful/ panic.

 

[Manuel]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.nethack (More info?)

Boudewijn Waijers wrote:
> Gloves don't help against cockatrices, unless you're fighting
> bare-handed (only a monk would normally do that). If you have a
> weapon, you don't need gloves.
>
> Gloves *do* help to prevent accidents with cockatrice *corpses*.

And that's why I include them in the list of "useful items when
dealing with cockatrices".

> > I knew the spells of force bolt, Magic Missile and healing (use-
> > less here, I bet), but nothing better.
>
> Nothing better? You must be kidding. Magic Missile is the *best*
> attack spell for a wizard. It's more efficient in the cost/effect
> ratio than any other attack spell, including finger of death.

I meant something like "nothing better suited to the situation".
Jumping would probably be of much help. Perhaps charm monster
(has anyone had a pet cockatrice?), or even better, sleep, would
be great for this, IMVHO. Level Teleport promised to save my life,
but it has not been exactly so.

> > What do you want to zap? [cBE or ?*] B
> > Nothing happens. The cockatrice bites! The cockatrice touches you!
>
> Which is the *normal* effect. You don't get petrified easily. You are
> *way* too paranoid about those creatures.

Indeed, since I only know a little about them, and most of what I know
comes from the "More info? (y/n)" in the game -which is often
misleading- and from YASD posts. Maybe someone could enlighten me
about this. Can cockatrices petrify you with a gaze attack? Can they
be killed by their reflection? What about their hissing? The only time
a character of mine heard it, he was wearing a ring of Free Action.

> > Another c!! right next to me! [...] What do I do? Try to run?
> > (Z)ap it a magic missile?
>
> It all depends on the armour you're wearing. If you have armour with
> MC (magic cancellation factor) 3, you should probably try to soften
> it with magic missile (this will usually kill it before it can reach
> you), and then just engage in hand-to-hand combat. [...]
> If your MC is 2, I'd refrain from engaging in hand-to-hand combat,
> though. In this case, I'd just zap it with magic missile. Two hits
> should suffice for a wizard.

For Magic Resistance I only have a +0 Cloak of MR. How do I find out
the
MC factor?

One other doubt remains: Can it be that I have brought the cockatrice
with me when teleporting while confused? Or must it be the Real Nethack
God (RNG) having fun playing with me?

--
Manuel

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.nethack (More info?)

Manuel wrote:

> I was drunk -hey, it's a cellar!- and I lacked every single
> item that could help, even gloves. I didn't have ESP or a blind-
> fold.

Gloves don't help against cockatrices, unless you're fighting
bare-handed (only a monk would normally do that). If you have a weapon,
you don't need gloves.

Gloves *do* help to prevent accidents with cockatrice *corpses*.

> I knew the spells of force bolt, Magic Missile and healing (use-
> less here, I bet), but nothing better.

Nothing better? You must be kidding. Magic Missile is the *best* attack
spell for a wizard. It's more efficient in the cost/effect ratio than
any other attack spell, including finger of death.

> What do you want to zap? [cBE or ?*] B
> Nothing happens. The cockatrice bites! The cockatrice touches you!

Which is the *normal* effect. You don't get petrified easily. You are
*way* too paranoid about those creatures.

> ...but I didn't petrify! I thought I was dead. Then I tried again
> teleporting myself away, so I read an uncursed scroll of teleport:
>
> Being confused, you mispronounce the magic words... --More--
> To which level do you want to teleport? 9 (tried a bit farther
> just in case)
> Oops.

You must have been confused before you read that scroll.

> Another c!! right next to me! [...] What do I do? Try to run?
> (Z)ap it a magic missile?

It all depends on the armour you're wearing. If you have armour with MC
(magic cancellation factor) 3, you should probably try to soften it with
magic missile (this will usually kill it before it can reach you), and
then just engage in hand-to-hand combat. I usually don't even take the
trouble of casting spells at them first: they're easy to kill.

Note that when your armour class is good (-10 or better), they don't
have much chance to hit you to start with. And even when they do hit
you, they still have to defeat the MC factor of your armour (with an MC
of 3, there's no more than a 1% chance that the stoning effect will take
place).

If your MC is 2, I'd refrain from engaging in hand-to-hand combat,
though. In this case, I'd just zap it with magic missile. Two hits
should suffice for a wizard.

--
Boudewijn Waijers (kroisos at home.nl).

The garden of happiness is surrounded by a wall so low only children
can look over it. - "the Orphanage of Hits", former Dutch radio show.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.nethack (More info?)

On 2005-03-14, Boudewijn Waijers <kroisos@REMOVETHISWORD.home.nl> wrote:

> Note that when your armour class is good (-10 or better), they don't
> have much chance to hit you to start with. And even when they do hit
> you, they still have to defeat the MC factor of your armour (with an MC
> of 3, there's no more than a 1% chance that the stoning effect will take
> place).

There is a 1/3 chance that you will here the hissing, then
there is a 1/10 chance it will stone you unless its a full moon and
you dont have a lizard. So the chance is 1/30 regardless of anything
but the moon phase/lizard thing.

--
Andrew D. Hilton
UPenn Phd Student

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.nethack (More info?)

On 2005-03-15, Manuel <manuel.matias@gmail.com> wrote:
> I meant something like "nothing better suited to the situation".
> Jumping would probably be of much help. Perhaps charm monster
> (has anyone had a pet cockatrice?), or even better, sleep, would
> be great for this, IMVHO. Level Teleport promised to save my life,
> but it has not been exactly so.
>

They can be risky- i.e turning a flesh golem into a stone golem
may not be good for you..

> Indeed, since I only know a little about them, and most of what I know
> comes from the "More info? (y/n)" in the game -which is often
> misleading- and from YASD posts. Maybe someone could enlighten me
> about this. Can cockatrices petrify you with a gaze attack? Can they
> be killed by their reflection? What about their hissing? The only time
> a character of mine heard it, he was wearing a ring of Free Action.
>

They dont have a gaze attack. Their hissing has a 1/30 chance of starting
petrification if its not a full moon or you have a lizard. If its a full
moon and you dont have a lizard corpse in your main inventory, then
you have a 1/3 chance of starting petrification from their hissing
(everytime you hear it, which happens 1/3 times).
Starting petrification doesnt kill you instantly-- you have a few turns
to eat a lizard corpse, acidic corpse, cast stone to flesh on yourself,
successfully pray, or any of several other remedies.
Free action has no effect on it.

Otoh, picking up a corpse barehanded, eating one, etc will stone you
instantly.

>
> For Magic Resistance I only have a +0 Cloak of MR. How do I find out
> the
> MC factor?
>

Magic resistance and Magic cancellation are two different things.
MC comes in values of 0-3. Cloaks of MR, cloaks of protection,
oilskin cloaks, elvent cloaks, and mithril armor provide MC 3.
Cloaks of invisibility, plate mail (crystal+regular), cloaks of displacement,
coranthums, orcish cloaks, and dwarvish cloaks provide MC 2. Most other
cloaks and a few types of armor provide MC 1.

MC governs how likely many special attacks are-- mostly fire (fire ants,
etc), cold, electricity, sleep (like from a homonoculous), paralyzation,
level drain, cons drain, getting stuck (mimics), getting lycanthropy, being
teleported (Quantum mechanics), being slowed, energy drain, getting slimed,
and disenchantment (when attacked- not when you are attacking).

--
Andrew D. Hilton
UPenn Phd Student

 

[Manuel]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.nethack (More info?)

> Lars Kecke <kecke@physik.uni-freiburg.de> wrote:
> >
> >
> >Manuel wrote:
> >> I am playing Wordas-Wiz-Hum-Mal-Cha, now at the Gnome King's
> >> Wine Cellar. I found a blindfold, but I had no free slots in
> >> my inventory, so I left it lying there to pick it up later.
> >
> >Bad idea. What did you use your inventory slots on? books? wands?
rare
> >scrolls?

Just about anything, both useful and useless. I didn't care about the
blindfold since I didn't have ESP, and anyway I would have to come by
the same place soon. I thought that, at that moment, a blindfold would
be one more useless item occupying an inventory slot.

james wrote:
> It follows that he was not only drunk, but also burdened (or worse).

No, even though my inventory slots were full, actually I was just
below burdened. When I picked up a pick-axe, though, I got burdened
and had to drop a few useless potions.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.nethack (More info?)

Manuel wrote:
> I am playing Wordas-Wiz-Hum-Mal-Cha, now at the Gnome King's
> Wine Cellar. I found a blindfold, but I had no free slots in
> my inventory, so I left it lying there to pick it up later.

Bad idea. What did you use your inventory slots on? books? wands? rare
scrolls?

> Only a few tens of turns later, I face a *trice in the cellar.

> I knew the spells of force bolt, Magic Missile and healing (use-
> less here, I bet), but nothing better.

The 'trice (5 HD, speed 6) should be easy with MM (6*(XL/2+1) damage,
half if resisted) and normal speed (12).

Those c's (excluding pyroliscs) are more dangerous dead than alive.
Actually, using a blindfold vs a 'trice is just an accident waiting to
happen. Nehack's 'trices (again excluding pyroliscs) don't have a gaze
but a touch attack which even petrifies you after their death. So
wearing a blindfold but no gloves you'd get: You try to feel what's on
the floor ... DYWYPI?

Lars, petrified by a cockatrice corpse

 

[James]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.nethack (More info?)

In article <d15543$ffo$1@news3.zwoll1.ov.home.nl>,
Boudewijn Waijers <kroisos@REMOVETHISWORD.home.nl> wrote:

>> Being confused, you mispronounce the magic words... --More--
>> To which level do you want to teleport? 9 (tried a bit farther
>> just in case)
>> Oops.
>
>You must have been confused before you read that scroll.

He said he was drunk.

That's why the spell failed, and why he couldn't aim the /oT

 

[James]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.nethack (More info?)

In article <1110844994.557076.279700@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com>,
Manuel <manuel.matias@gmail.com> wrote:

>I meant something like "nothing better suited to the situation".
>Jumping would probably be of much help. Perhaps charm monster
>(has anyone had a pet cockatrice?), or even better, sleep, would

Yes, they are easy to tame, and quite commonly hatch from eggs.
They are very slow, and not really a good choice for a pet, since
the RNG will see to it that whatever monster kills it out of sight
of you, is wearing gloves.

Nesta, petrified by an ogre king
` - a statue or boulder (statue of an elf named Nesta)

 

[James]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.nethack (More info?)

In article <42371383.4050309@physik.uni-freiburg.de>,
Lars Kecke <kecke@physik.uni-freiburg.de> wrote:
>
>
>Manuel wrote:
>> I am playing Wordas-Wiz-Hum-Mal-Cha, now at the Gnome King's
>> Wine Cellar. I found a blindfold, but I had no free slots in
>> my inventory, so I left it lying there to pick it up later.
>
>Bad idea. What did you use your inventory slots on? books? wands? rare
>scrolls?

It follows that he was not only drunk, but also burdened (or worse).

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.nethack (More info?)

Martin Read wrote:

> raisse@valdyas.org wrote:
>> Does not seeing the pyrolisk really protect against damage to your
>> *stuff*? Does the gaze attack on scrolls etcetera depend on your seeing
>> it? (Yellow lights explode regardless, and umber hulks affect only you
>> and not your stuff)
>
> Yes. There's an invocation of "canseemon()" in the fiery gaze resolution
> code; this checks that you can actually *see* the monster (as opposed to
> merely sensing it).

Geez. So it's so stupid that if you can't see it, then it assumes that it
can't see you? (a la Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal).

--
Benjamin Lewis

A small, but vocal, contingent even argues that tin is superior, but they
are held by most to be the lunatic fringe of Foil Deflector Beanie science.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.nethack (More info?)

Quoting Manuel <manuel.matias@gmail.com>:
>Just about anything, both useful and useless. I didn't care about the
>blindfold since I didn't have ESP, and anyway I would have to come by
>the same place soon. I thought that, at that moment, a blindfold would
>be one more useless item occupying an inventory slot.

Blindfolds are also useful when blinding monsters approach. A yellow light
will explode harmlessly if you are blindfolded.
--
David Damerell <damerell@chiark.greenend.org.uk> Kill the tomato!
Today is First Brieday, March.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.nethack (More info?)

David Damerell wrote:

> Blindfolds are also useful when blinding monsters approach. A yellow
> light will explode harmlessly if you are blindfolded.

Not to mention that you can safely attack a floating eye when you
finally meet one. Kill it without any danger, and eat it.

--
Boudewijn Waijers (kroisos at home.nl).

The garden of happiness is surrounded by a wall so low only children
can look over it. - "the Orphanage of Hits", former Dutch radio show.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.nethack (More info?)

David Damerell wrote:

> Blindfolds are also useful when blinding monsters approach. A yellow light
> will explode harmlessly if you are blindfolded.

And don't forget my most hated mid-game monster, the pyrolisk. That fire
gaze atack is a killer if you are bagless.

Lars

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.nethack (More info?)

Lars Kecke wrote:

> David Damerell wrote:
>
>> Blindfolds are also useful when blinding monsters approach. A yellow
>> light will explode harmlessly if you are blindfolded.
>
> And don't forget my most hated mid-game monster, the pyrolisk. That fire
> gaze atack is a killer if you are bagless.

Does not seeing the pyrolisk really protect against damage to your
*stuff*? Does the gaze attack on scrolls etcetera depend on your seeing
it? (Yellow lights explode regardless, and umber hulks affect only you
and not your stuff)

Raisse, killed by a pyrolisk

--
irina@valdyas.org LegoHack: http://www.valdyas.org/irina/nethack/
Status of Raisse (piously neutral): Level 8 HP 63(67) AC -3, fast.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.nethack (More info?)

raisse@valdyas.org wrote:
>Does not seeing the pyrolisk really protect against damage to your
>*stuff*? Does the gaze attack on scrolls etcetera depend on your seeing
>it? (Yellow lights explode regardless, and umber hulks affect only you
>and not your stuff)

Yes. There's an invocation of "canseemon()" in the fiery gaze resolution
code; this checks that you can actually *see* the monster (as opposed to
merely sensing it).
--
Martin Read - my opinions are my own. share them if you wish.
My roguelike games page (including my BSD-licenced roguelike) can be found at:
http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~mpread/roguelikes.html

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.nethack (More info?)

"james" <fishbowl@conservatory.com> wrote in message
newsxIZd.3284$ZE5.3253@fed1read03...
> In article <1110844994.557076.279700@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com>,
> Manuel <manuel.matias@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>>I meant something like "nothing better suited to the situation".
>>Jumping would probably be of much help. Perhaps charm monster
>>(has anyone had a pet cockatrice?), or even better, sleep, would
>
> Yes, they are easy to tame, and quite commonly hatch from eggs.
> They are very slow, and not really a good choice for a pet, since
> the RNG will see to it that whatever monster kills it out of sight
> of you, is wearing gloves.

Keep it nearby with a magic whistle.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.nethack (More info?)

"Manuel" <manuel.matias@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1110834530.576173.117250@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
>I am playing Wordas-Wiz-Hum-Mal-Cha, now at the Gnome King's
> Wine Cellar. I found a blindfold, but I had no free slots in
> my inventory, so I left it lying there to pick it up later.
> Only a few tens of turns later, I face a *trice in the cellar.
> I was drunk -hey, it's a cellar!- and I lacked every single
> item that could help, even gloves. I didn't have ESP or a blind-
> fold.
>
> I knew the spells of force bolt, Magic Missile and healing (use-
> less here, I bet), but nothing better.
>
> I saw my salvation in the Ring of Teleport Control: I read an
> unidentified ?oTelePort:
>
> Being confused, you mispronounce the magic words... --More--
> To which level do you want to teleport? 10 [Cellar was 11]
> Oops. You shudder for a moment.
>
> ...and I remained where I were, facing a scary c. I thought I
> should try teleporting IT away, and I zapped a wand of teleport:
>
> What do you want to zap? [cBE or ?*] B
> Nothing happens. The cockatrice bites! The cockatrice touches you!
>
> ...but I didn't petrify! I thought I was dead. Then I tried again
> teleporting myself away, so I read an uncursed scroll of teleport:
>
> Being confused, you mispronounce the magic words... --More--
> To which level do you want to teleport? 9 (tried a bit farther
> just in case)
> Oops.
>
> Now I am in DL 8 instead, no worries though. I think I am safe
> for a while, now it is time to search for some lizards... oh wait...
> as I am writing this, I make a couple of moves in the game and watch
> in horror... another c!! right next to me! Is it the same one?
> Or a different one? What do I do? Try to run? (Z)ap it a magic
> missile? Is there a way I can exploit the turns system?
>
> "At moments like this cowardice was an exact science. There were
> times that called for mindless, terror-filled panic, and times that
> called for measured, considered, /thoughtful/ panic".
> - Terry Pratchett, "The Last Continent"
>

Keep your distance, and #pray if "you feel your limbs stiffening" from
hearing the hissing. I think having high luck reduces the chance of melee
petrification, but if you just want to get away, prayer should be enough.
Sorry if someone's mentioned that already.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.nethack (More info?)

"legopowa" <legopowa@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:wbQ%d.54404$ZO2.28790@edtnps84...
>
> "Manuel" <manuel.matias@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:1110834530.576173.117250@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
>>I am playing Wordas-Wiz-Hum-Mal-Cha, now at the Gnome King's
>> Wine Cellar. I found a blindfold, but I had no free slots in
>> my inventory, so I left it lying there to pick it up later.
>> Only a few tens of turns later, I face a *trice in the cellar.
>> I was drunk -hey, it's a cellar!- and I lacked every single
>> item that could help, even gloves. I didn't have ESP or a blind-
>> fold.
>>
>> I knew the spells of force bolt, Magic Missile and healing (use-
>> less here, I bet), but nothing better.
>>
>> I saw my salvation in the Ring of Teleport Control: I read an
>> unidentified ?oTelePort:
>>
>> Being confused, you mispronounce the magic words... --More--
>> To which level do you want to teleport? 10 [Cellar was 11]
>> Oops. You shudder for a moment.
>>
>> ...and I remained where I were, facing a scary c. I thought I
>> should try teleporting IT away, and I zapped a wand of teleport:
>>
>> What do you want to zap? [cBE or ?*] B
>> Nothing happens. The cockatrice bites! The cockatrice touches you!
>>
>> ...but I didn't petrify! I thought I was dead. Then I tried again
>> teleporting myself away, so I read an uncursed scroll of teleport:
>>
>> Being confused, you mispronounce the magic words... --More--
>> To which level do you want to teleport? 9 (tried a bit farther
>> just in case)
>> Oops.
>>
>> Now I am in DL 8 instead, no worries though. I think I am safe
>> for a while, now it is time to search for some lizards... oh wait...
>> as I am writing this, I make a couple of moves in the game and watch
>> in horror... another c!! right next to me! Is it the same one?
>> Or a different one? What do I do? Try to run? (Z)ap it a magic
>> missile? Is there a way I can exploit the turns system?
>>
>> "At moments like this cowardice was an exact science. There were
>> times that called for mindless, terror-filled panic, and times that
>> called for measured, considered, /thoughtful/ panic".
>> - Terry Pratchett, "The Last Continent"
>>
>
> Keep your distance, and #pray if "you feel your limbs stiffening" from
> hearing the hissing. I think having high luck reduces the chance of melee
> petrification, but if you just want to get away, prayer should be enough.
> Sorry if someone's mentioned that already.

I find that if I am lucky I almost never get hissed. I keep a lizard about
but just slug it out with
them - with the odds I seem to be getting it is a waste of scrolls and wands
to try to run.