The ultimate challenge...

[PowerWyrm]

Let's start a fun challenge thread: brave bookless artifactless Hobbit Mage!

Check here for tips by the person who first tried this challenge: http://angband.oook.cz/ladder-show.php?id=1362

This combo is really difficult for many reasons: -7 STR at start, lowest possible HP dice (1d7), no spells, 4 bpr max (and of course only one life). The only good advantage comes from Hobbits' natural high skill values (stealth, shooting, magic device...), which will open the door to many alternate strategies to killing aside melee and spells.

If you try the challenge, post here your best result!

[schroeder]

why oh why am i tempted...I have finals in a few weeks. I tried doing a brave artless bookless half troll mage, but i just couldn't kill stuff. I suppose that the hobbit would help because of shooting ability, but you still can't hit stuff cus your a mage...And then their is the worst part. You have slow week sudo-id (imo thats the worst) and yet you will never have the spell ID.

Just one question, may we party to get through earlygame? Cus I think that I may be able to get through some of the other parts if i JUST get through earlygame... I fell like the answer should be no, simply because this is meant to be the ultimate challenge.

One last not...Just realized how rediculusly you would have to be concered about con. You need combat +2 gloves, might +3 crown, a kolla+2, and an orcish shield of the avari with 3 con, unless you want to wear dwarver armor, or use a westernees weapon. Personally, I disagree with useing a westerness weapon if you can get away with not useing it. A fury weapon would be much better. Up to +30+30 for the +s, and 2 extra BPR and str. That is the only weapon for me... Screw ringil. It sucks hardcore...
Your'e really gonna need those high +s or a MoD to take the strong stuff, since you will probably need to wear two speed rings, since +10 from boots, +4 from trickery, and +x from one ring will probably not get you to +30, unhasted. I miss dual weilding +17 damage rings with domiano...

One final question to the admins if they have any idea... When will the next reset be? Cus i do not wanna be partway into this character in the summer, then be told that i need to win within a few days! That would suck royaly...

[PowerWyrm]

A few starting tips if you can't kill stuff:
- starting stats are STR DEX CON CHR WIS INT (probably 10 STR 18/20 DEX 15 CON)
- scum 50ft to get funds
- as soon as you can, buy a katana and a bow/arrows
- kill everything you can with the katana, shoot anything you can't melee
- buy staff of perception/scrolls of recharging for ID
- all your starting cash will go into buying STR rings and gloves of power... once your STR is above 18/10, you'll get 2 bpr with a light weapon and things will become easier
You can party if you want, but that spoils the fun of the challenge... it's like giving cash to your character at start. The main problem in this challenge is to survive the early game and to accumulate funds for some important stuff (STR rings/pots, gloves of power, westernesse/EA/HA weapon, ES shooter, ESP item...). In particular, ESP will be *vital* in this challenge, since you really want to avoid some monsters at all cost.
BTW you can start a char without fearing server reset... the next version isn't even out, and it won't require a server reset (I don't even think it'll require a client update). Only 1.2 will probably require a server reset... and I don't think we can expect that release before a *long* time...

[Billsey]

One final question to the admins if they have any idea... When will the next reset be? Cus i do not wanna be partway into this character in the summer, then be told that i need to win within a few days! That would suck royally...

As far as I know, there are no plans for a server reset. We certainly don't need one for 1.1.2, and I can't think of much in the 1.2.0 plans that would require a reset. That's not to say there won't be something we have to do that totally revamps the save files, just nothing currently planned. :-)

[PowerWyrm]

Wanderer, the brave bookless artifactless Hobbit Mage, is now level 26. After a difficult start, he has now bought/found:
- a STR ring +5 bought from player shop
- a ring of speed +6 found in a lesser vault at 1000ft (!)
- a beaked axe of extra attacks +2 bought from shop 3
- gloves of free action bought from player shop
Still diving at 1000ft trying to get base resist and SI. Res conf/blind would be a must.

EDIT: found a potion of Experience at 1000ft at clevel 27... now I need to get 160k more xp to benefit fully from the potion, which will probably not happen... we'll see

EDIT: many progresses made the past days... character is now level 29 with more good stuff
- shield of resistance bought from player shop
- replaced gloves of free action by gloves of power +5 bought from player shop
- boots of mirkwood bought from player shop
- helm of seeing found as random drop
- bronze DSM found as random drop
- kolla of stealth +1 +2 found in a small room at 1200ft(!)
- feanorian lamp bought from BM

EDIT: character is now level 33
- quaffed the potion of Experience that was stored in my house when I finally got 200k xp
- replaced STR ring +5 by damage ring +15 found around 1200ft
- replaced beaked axe (2d6) of extra attacks (+9,+9) (+2) by scimitar (2d5) of extra attacks (+9,+13) (+2) found around 1200ft
- amulet of ESP bought from player shop... now I can avoid the nasties!
- rods of detection and enlightenment found around 1200ft
- rod of recall bought from BM
Working on improving CON now to be able to dive deeper, and sparing cash for an avari res sound.

EDIT: character is now level 40!
- bought a shield of avari res sound
- INT, DEX, CON maxed (CON at 18/120, which gives 386 HPs)
- found a light crossbow of numenor (+15, +15) to shoot stuff from afar

[Warrior]

Trying this in ironman.
:)

[edit]
This was awesome!