Duck and Cover

I can't really be bothered to read the numerous spoiker sites, so any hint and tips you have would be greatly apprecciated.

I'm aware of that, there's simply far too much text. I'm just looking for small hints and tips that people here use.

People here don't play Nethack.

just keep rerolling a wizard until you get a wand of polymorph

I guess reading some of those spoilers is easier way to get a bit better in the game than dying in the dungeons for a million times... if you can't be bothered to read all of that shit (I know I can't) at least read those beginner's guides etc. and guidebook.txt in your Nethack directory.

This just in hombres: just as I had become expert in long swords and was wielding a +2 long sword in one hand, and Frost Brand in another (and Mjollnir in the backpack, just in case), someone shoots me with a dart that was poisoned, insta-death! The joys of Nethack...

Lasse
1390 Au
Killed by a dart

Shit happens sometimes.

Don't go a-kicking fountains unless you're packing heat.

Nicolai wrote:Don't go a-kicking fountains unless you're packing heat.

Anybody remember being drunk in Telengard?

Can't seem to find anything on this, when I sacrafice things as a chaotic barbarian, demons occasionally appear and seem to follow me around on that dungeon level. Any ideas.

Sacrificing of the same species ? Rather useful when chaotic.

Uninstall Nethack and play Gearhead instead for the betterment of mankind (or ADOM if you're a dirty ratfink eurotrash commie).

boywoos wrote:Can't seem to find anything on this, when I sacrafice things as a chaotic barbarian, demons occasionally appear and seem to follow me around on that dungeon level. Any ideas.

well, what are you sacrificing, and on whose altar? yo!

On my own altar and just random lower level things. One of the demons is called Jubilex. If I try and #chat I get nada.

Keep going until you get old Demogorgon, in the spirit of fell dual headed mandrills/hyenas/unmentionables everywhere he'll even give you a <deleted> !

C'mon man, is it a bad or good thing, all they seem to do is follow me around and get in my way?

Neither. You can only interact through violence, no conversation, boons or potential lackeys. Though as you are chaotic, pissing on and off the demons may not be the best of ideas. Might be as fun as consuming the remains of DEATH, though. On the other limb, white unicorns are a legitimately good choice.

Why don't you just like, play D&D with your friends or something to avoid all this hideousness?

Have you ever ascended Blargh?

here are some tips.
Drop stuff on doorways to see if they're cursed. if your pet walks over them then they're ok.
Engrave Elbereth on ground (with a hard gem or a magic wand or a sword or something) and the monsters won't attack you when you're standing there
Sacrifice a lot. You can try converting a cross-aligned altar by sacrificing there
Drop stuff on altars. If there's an amber flash, the item is blessed. If the flash is black, it's cursed.
Clear potions are always water
The cheapest scrolls in shops should be identify scrolls
Apply an unicorn horn to get rid of sickness, confusion, stunning etc. Also try dipping it in potions.
Engrave with gems. If it says "you engrave" instead of "you write to dust", it's worth something. Note that many soft gems are good too, this is just a easy way to identify some of them.
Throw gems at co-aligned unicorns to gain luck.
Bless your scrolls if possible (blessed identify can identify your whole inventory, blessed enchant weapon make it even better, etc)
Try praying at altars if you've sacrificed a lot and spot clovers. Put your water bottles on the altar when praying and they'll convert to holy water (used for blessing).
If amulets and wands aren't cursed, you should try them on - some identify themselves immediately, and some are pretty easy to guess after a while.
Throw some tripe rations to your pets and let her steal a ton of shit from the shops, just stand on the doorway and wait.
Kill floating eyes by throwing shit at it (preferably a weapon), when it moves towards you you can just pick the item up and throw it again. Eat the corpse and you'll see the monsters when blind
Use the command #enhance to upgrade your combat abilities
Engrave with wands to identify some of them (first engrave with fingers "foo" or whatever, then with a wand, add "Elbereth").
If you find a way to that small room with a lot of money, when the guard comes the answer is "Croesus" (he'll leave you there though so you better have a scroll of teleport or something)
If you're levitating and can't get down, levitate over a sink.
If you're lawful and at least level 5, you can get Excalibur by dipping a long sword in fountains. You could also summon a water demon, so be wary.

(Note that I've been playing Nethack on-off for about ten years, and have never ascended a character, so... I suck. Take everything I say with a pint of salt)

atoga wrote:Why don't you just like, play D&D with your friends or something to avoid all this hideousness?

Well considering we're talking about a 19 year old game on a forum for a 9 year old game, the answer should be obvious. (Hint: something to do with those "friends" you mentioned)

At last some RNG love, my Lvl 9 monk just found a blessed magic lamp and a Spellbook of finger of Death and some sweet rings at the bottom of Minetown. I also have a Djinn as a pet and a second appeared to grant me a wish. I just wonder how many turns it will be before I choke to death or some shit like that?