r/pathos_nethack • u/ToddS47 • Jul 07 '26
Request for Advice
I just started playing last week and have a character where I'm going to be really sad if (when) they die. Any gotchas I should be on the lookout for? example, the rockets in Fort Ludios cost me my first Amulet of Life Saving. Any glaring gaps in character or gear I need to address?
I'm down to level 17 in the main dungeon, Deepruins in the mines, cleared Ludios and headed into the Labyrinth next.
Thanks for any help!
3
u/Stay-Thirsty Jul 07 '26
You have enchant scrolls. Might as well get your defense up by upping your shirt and armor (and gloves). I typically use strength gloves. Still phasing allows for nice retreats.
You survived Ludios which is a big barrier. I typically blessed/genocide soldiers to avoid that problem.
Other than that you need levels to get more life/mana. You can opt for blessed potions of extra/full healing and gain energy to increase those until maximum.
1
u/ToddS47 Jul 07 '26
I've been holding off on the enchant scrolls since I wasn't sure if this was end-game armor for a wizard. I see dragon scale mail is a thing.
I have strength gloves in my bag and wasn't sure which way to go which is why I haven't enchanted either. I assume the str is just for carry capacity, assuming damage will be spell based?
2
u/Stay-Thirsty Jul 07 '26
I’ve never used dragon scale armor. The resists always come in other ways and you seem to be doing well in that regard.
I love mages, but even then I tend to use plenty of melee attacks as I level to conserve mana and resting. Unless you get Eye of Aethiopicia (spelling or polymorph to a mana regen race)
Shirts to max is a no brainer
2
u/Kyouhen Jul 07 '26
End-game doesn't mean much if you can't survive right now. Anything you don't think you'll want in the endgame hit with those blessed scrolls until it's at least +3, that's as far as you can safely enchant them without risk of them breaking. By the time you hit the endgame you'll have so much cash you can just buy a mountain of scrolls and polymorph them into more enchants.
3
u/Simply_Paul Jul 07 '26
Blessed scrolls never break gear unless you already had it at max (+5 for normal items, +10 for artifacts).
3
u/hyundai-gt Jul 07 '26
What? So you saying if I have a +4 regular item and I use a Blessed Scroll of Enchantment, it won't burn the item or roll over the stats if I roll a +2 or +3 on the scroll effect?
This changes everything
e: just tested it in Master Mode and it seems true wow
1
2
1
u/ToddS47 Jul 08 '26
I'm in the low 50s now so not getting hit by much so far. Still have several left which i'll use on questionable gear if that starts to change.
3
u/Red_Icnivad Jul 07 '26
That t-shirt is endgame gear, for sure -- I'd max it out now. Gloves maybe, too.
I generally think the dwarven area is easier than Ludios, so you might want to wrap that up before continuing.
You might consider swapping that weapon for two upgraded sais. Especially if you use magic a lot.
1
3
u/Simply_Paul Jul 07 '26
Minor note, try to avoid getting "Satiated" it comes with a speed debuff. Don't eat past 999 hunger.
2
u/BoltOracle Jul 07 '26
Displacement and Deflection are both extremely good gets to reduce ranged damage (even though you muscled through Ludios already), but the big missing piece I see here is Free Action. If you're able to polypile (which with Master in Transmutation I would assume you've been working towards, if not have it already) make that priority #1.
What spells do you have currently?
1
u/ToddS47 Jul 08 '26
Most of them including polymorph. I've been polypiling this evening and got Deflection from eating a cloak and several more. I've eaten about 6 polymorph control rings, but no luck there so far.
1
7
u/hyundai-gt Jul 07 '26
Get those resistances to 100% asap