Big rooms

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

Faux_Pseudo wrote:

> What tricks can be used to actually survive the room. I don't want to
> ditch it by digging my way out of there. I want to clear it.

Stand on the down stairs (which may entail digging down and going back
up). Don't get burdened.

Write the E-word with a wand of fire, digging or lightning, or the
Magicbane, on the down stairs in the big room as well as the up stairs in
the room below.

Fight.

Whenever your HP drop to a scary level (that's below 10 for me; mileage
may vary) go down and heal up.

When you've thinned out the monsters in the big room to something
acceptable, you can make little forays to pick up items. Most of the
items will be brought to you by monsters anyway. Beware of wands of
lightning, cold, death, etcetera that may be lying around: it's a good
idea to have reflection.

> Free action? Scare monster? Earth? confusion/charm? Lots of pets?
> any ideas?

All of those could be useful (though I don't use earth much myself, only
to cross water) depending on your playing style.

Raisse, killed by a wand


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

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

Faux_Pseudo wrote:
> I have a habit of playing a wizard. And a bad habit of dying in the
> big room.
>
> What tricks can be used to actually survive the room. I don't want to
> ditch it by digging my way out of there. I want to clear it.
>
> Is there a recomended XP level to be at before attempting?
>
> Free action? Scare monster? Earth? confusion/charm? Lots of pets?
> any ideas?

Unless there's a monster I can't handle 1-on-1, the first thing I
always do when I hit a big room is read a ?oEarth. (Except once when
the big room had the Sokoban entrance, then I did the mines first.) If
it's blessed, just push a boulder out a square and take the monsters 1
at a time. And since you're a wizard, you can just force bolt one of
them if it's uncursed so you won't have to leave the stairs.

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

Faux_Pseudo <Faux.Pseudo@gmail.com> wrote in
news:c%Wue.18176$FP2.14325@lakeread03:

> I have a habit of playing a wizard. And a bad habit of dying in the
> big room.
>
> What tricks can be used to actually survive the room. I don't want to
> ditch it by digging my way out of there. I want to clear it.
>
> Is there a recomended XP level to be at before attempting?
>
> Free action? Scare monster? Earth? confusion/charm? Lots of pets?
> any ideas?
>

Another thing that I find usefull for wizards is the sleep spell. Works
REALLY good if there's lots of monsters. Beware though, it doesn't always
seem to work first time.

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

Leon Coles wrote:
> In message <1119642076.083159.133060@g49g2000cwa.googlegroups.com>,
> T-Bone <g56789@hotmail.com> writes
>
> <Snip comments about big room hazards>
>
>> (Except once when
>> the big room had the Sokoban entrance, then I did the mines first.)
>>
> OK Its late and I'm tired and on dialup, I can't be bothered to search
> for dungeon layout spoilers. Do bigroom and sokoban upstairs level
> ranges really overlap? I thought the bigroom was lower.

Yes they do...

LEVEL: "oracle" "O" @ (5, 5)
CHAINBRANCH: "Sokoban" "oracle" + (1, 0) up
RNDLEVEL: "bigrm" "B" @ (10, 3) 40 5

....possibly at level 10.

Janis

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

Faux_Pseudo wrote:
> I have a habit of playing a wizard. And a bad habit of dying in the
> big room.
>
> What tricks can be used to actually survive the room.

Go down stay on the staircase, go back up to rest (since a few monsters
follow you, maybe write the E-word on the down staircase).
If swarmed by monsters, teleport/dig down, repeat with the downstairs,
or go up and dig down to land somewhere else.
Carry fortune cookies for cats/dogs.
Beware of pyrolisks. Remember that they can't hurt you if you don't see
them.
Beware of wands, remember the fixed firing angle, make use of skilled
cone of cold/firebolt if applicable.
Keep track of your mana supply.
Try to get those monsters lining up behind you.
Be fast (wands of speed can help. Don't be burdened).
If you are no friend of running, just wait it out in your instant fort
(scroll of earth+E-word).

Lars

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

Faux_Pseudo <Faux.Pseudo@gmail.com> writes:

> I have a habit of playing a wizard. And a bad habit of dying in the
> big room.
>
> What tricks can be used to actually survive the room. I don't want to
> ditch it by digging my way out of there. I want to clear it.
>
> Is there a recomended XP level to be at before attempting?

You should have reflection, or be fire/cold/shock resistant.
Also, you should have means of emergency escape. And finally
note that you don't have to clear the room in one sweep.
Stand on some stairs, and lure monsters which follow upstairs
to deal with them separately. If you're scared of being surrounded,
use teleport and a /oDigging freely.

Best,
Jakob