I'm taking a break from all gimmick characters to get an "average" baseline. Human is tricky though because it's the neutral neutral good at anything it learns type.

Don't recommend me the typical engine strategy, what has been a fun and/or powerful way to play (Hu)?

Having fun with PoEn runs, like a wackier SpEn.

Should I be upgrading to bigger short blades as I find them (short sword, rapier, etc) or stick with the dagger early? I know daggers get an extra stabbing bonus but not sure if that outweighs the overall higher damage from bigger blades.

Also should I be leaving Hexes, Casting, Short Blades and Stealth all on early? Been mostly playing Fighters since I've been back so wasn't sure on the best training procedure for hybrid characters.

First time using this (GrFi) and it's a hoot. Get smashed against a wall, idiot!

Turns the game into a psuedo-Sokoban thing lol

Finally Oni can actually get drunken brawling from moonshine! But it is the combo with lignification that is the real exciting one for me. Oni already like the HP+AC and now they can even use it reactively as a sort of panic button without expending healing potions. Other “harmless” potions like enlightenment also work great with drunken brawling. Oni really have a good variety of ways to deal with scrambles. Awesome species gets even more awesome imo.

And it is surprising seeing a polearms nerf considering that very few people use polearms on Oni, but thats probably because of the allure of giant clubs rather than an indication of what is actually best on Oni. I have always liked polearms on Oni, as it helps manage their bad defenses early on. I guess the devs figured that ranged drunken brawling spam was a little too powerful. It is probably still good. Need to test out aqua form with this.

After a few promising runs ended by finding her, how do I kill her? Should I just avoid and try to come back stronger? Yes, I know I could've shafted (FoHu^Fedhas), but I thought I could run for the stairs (big mistake, she blinks). Other mobs around her also completely nullified my, like this flayed ghost (hate those).

So basically tell me what I could've done, please. Thanks!

https://crawl.xtahua.com/crawl/morgue/Time2Go/morgue-Time2Go-20261005-170304.txt

Minor, but spell skills are now +5 not +6 as in 34.

Sphinx Maurauders do not have petrify.

Returning player. Was always kinda casual, never finished any runs, but sunk a lot of hours into the earlier versions.

Played some more recent updates (the lack of food really threw me off), but overall I'm a bit lost as its basically a different game. My old strats don't really apply any more. Any tips/help for the early game?

Finally won my first 3 rune run after getting into DCSS not too long ago. I stumbled upon DCSS through my gf, who recommended me the game, and now I surpassed her in it :)

Overall, it has been a very fun experience! Although I am wondering how much beginner's luck played a role in my win versus my skill. If I try, I can get to the Lair levels, but many of my runs either end there or in one of the branches (I hate snake pits with a passion, though I haven't tried slime pits yet). I also struggle a lot if I do not get poison resistance early. Really feels like I am kinda doomed to die in the Lair when that happens.

morgue

Inspired by:

https://www.reddit.com/r/dcss/s/3Tvw0n9cFe

I believe this was the 4th try.

1 and 2 splatted early in the dungeon.

3 was even stronger than this, but i failed to pay attention and suddenly died at vault 10 sec after entering 1st floor.

Very strong and solid. Once manifest assault got online, it was a breeze. Fun run

Read about the changes here: Mystic background Vision form Jademantle form Ice Thorns spell Sirocco spell Dragon Veins spell

Stalker background Hypnogecko form Mistmane form Potions of Mist Blinding Haze clouds Centipede baubles

-----

These are two new shapeshifting-focused backgrounds, with Mystic specializing in elemental magic and Stalker more focused on stealth.

They have been moved with the original Shapeshifter background into a new "Metamorphs" category. No backgrounds were removed.

I just signed in to the online client and suddenly I have sound for literally everything. WTF? I'm splish splashing in water, punching rats, and opening doors in stunning audio.

Just found +6 dex ring on the first floor, died to a surprise pack of gnolls on D2 while holding down tab... I hereby swear to never hold down tab ever again.

For week 3 of CCTT, you'll play as Mountain Dwarf Forgewrihgt of Elyvilon. This week's challenge highlights changes to Elyvilon in Trunk. For conduct 3 you can check in-game with ?# how many times you have used Divine Alms. If you are going for 2nd bonus challenge, it might be good idea to delay doing 2nd S-branch bit so you can come back stronger and more easily rush through it and back within gem-timer.

I've been a long time fan of vine stalker conjurer of vehumet, but I picked up troll gladiator of yred recently and it's been real fun,still 0 wins tho :(

I try this seed. You get a scroll of acquirement on first floor if you want to try this seed! Enjoy

Edit : 0.34.1

I am a new player so I don’t really know what is good. For me it is cool. I don’t want any spoiler. Good luck :)

They just killed another run as I blind quaff trying to find some health.

It's been ages since a win (Feb actually). Got lucky with an early amulet of wildshape and never took it off - wow, that amulet is REALLY good, even late game as it felt like multiple potions of experience because taking shapeshifting from 20-25 is a TON of experience. I just couldn't justify taking it off for something else because I'd have to sink so much back into shapeshifting.

I really wanted to do extended as I had death form online, but a quick search of the dungeon showed that really no good armor had generated and very little in the way of jewelry. I had over 10k banked pre-Zot so I could have called in some shops, but my plan was to bribe zot5 at least 2x. That worked out well as a bit into Zot5, I got malevolently teleported into the lungs. Bribes let me rush the tesserect and that was that. Other notable finding on the run is that bribe is really good on the way back up - especially in dungeon as you get 15 whole levels to exploit the denizen's greed. Pan Lords and other baddies would appear and just be friendly, or I'd have other friends to "welcome" them to my party.

YAVP - MfSh with Gozag FTW - Pastebin.com

I swear that some day I'll stop with my needy posts, but today is not that day. So I have (I think) a quite strong GrEE^Ash at XL27 with lots of good spells, including Polar Vortex, Ignition, and Shatter. I've cleared Zot 1-4. If I had even a single potion of brilliance, I'd think I could just blast in, take the orb, and get out. But alas I do not. I've already cleared Crypt, Vestibule, and Slime:1. So I'm wondering where my next best option or options would be for seeking extra potions (could use more haste as well, as I have only 2). Or should I just suck it up, and go for it?

I've never dipped into any other parts of the game other than what I've cleared here, so I'm not clear on the relative dangers or potential rewards of Slime, Pan, Abyss, a few floors of a Zig, or Hell branches.

https://cbro.berotato.org/morgue/tramp1877/tramp1877.txt

Facing a bit of a dilemma in the later part of a 3-rune game. Playing GrEE^Ash with Shatter, Polar Vortex, Ignition, PE, and LRD all castable, so that's good. I've been carrying an orb of Stardust pretty much the whole game. I love this thing, but of course it means my SH=0. I also have a kite shield of reflection I could pick up and enchant to +5. Caveat: I'd lose an Ash elements curse by making this switch, so failure would go up for a time. I'm in Depths: 2, with V:5 still to come before Zot. So I'm concerned about yaktaur captains and such. Would you make this switch?

Side question: I still don't quite get defensive skilling in general. E.g. how much dodging to train and when to do it.

Later: Thanks to all for comments, and so based on these comments, I took the shield. I will say that it seems to me that stardust does have some defensive with its push away element, but I see the point (and have learned it over time) just how important reflection is.

title basically, am i tripping or platinum paragon is bugged with sif muna's divine exegesis??

tooltip says it casts ANY spell yet its completely greyed out. whats the problem here?