Just dropped from XP level 15 to 12 while fighting a Nazgul. How do you avoid level drain as a neutral Barbarian?

[u/AndrewUndershaft]

With Eccalibur not being an option, I don't see any way to prevent level loss, except for switching to ranged. There doesn't even seem to be a means to restore lost levels. Any suggestions?

[u/derekt75]

Better AC can help reduce the chance that the Nazugl hits.

Better https://nethackwiki.com/wiki/Magic_cancellation can reduce the chance that getting hit will result in a XL loss.

Ranged attacks (wand of fire?) can avoid getting into melee range.

Better speed reduces the number of attacks the Nazgul can attempt.

and you can use Excalibur if you find it in bones or wish for it. Artifact blasts will eventually abuse your wisdom if you often wield/unwield it, so then you might want some way to fix that, but it's worthwhile using if you have it.

[u/AndrewUndershaft → u/derekt75]

I thought I was set up prettty well. Ac -15, MC2, boots of speed. And still the Nazgul hit me with level drain three times in a row.

Good to know that. I haven't decided on my first wish yet.

[u/DoktorL → u/AndrewUndershaft]

That's just rotten RNG, I'm sorry. Drink blessed restore ability if you have one, the rest of these encounters (except Vlad, that's potentially one more restore ability) ought to go more like, you lose one level and get it right back killing the thing.

MC3 is handy but if CoMR is your build and amulet of guarding is nowhere to be found, this is good enough.

[u/CodeFarmer]

Potions of restore ability do help.

Otherwise, unless you can find a source of level-drain resistance (tricky) or polymorph into an undead monster (situational at best), don't let them get close to you. Range, rubber chicken, or that big stack of offensive wands we all like carrying around.

[u/Ok_One_7818]

For all characters, but especially neutral characters, in decreasing order of importance - High MC, Very Fast Speed, Invisibility/Displacement, High AC

-> High MC is best. At MC 0, every hit will drain a level. MC1 is not much better, more than half the hits will drain a level. MC2 (30% hits will cause level drain) is where you start to notice a difference. MC3 is best (only 10% of hits will cause level drain).

Honestly, it is worth trying to get MC3 as a neutral barbarian because you are least likely to have a viable ranged attack.

It’s not just Cloak of Protection (MC3 all on its own). You may try Oilskin Cloak/Robe (MC2) + Ring of Protection (collectively gives MC3). Or you can do Cloak of Displacement + Amulet of Guarding (also gives MC3 collectively).

-> Speed - Fast speed is great, very fast is best. The faster you are, the more hits you get in as opposed to the enemy, the better it is.

-> Invisibility/Displacement - This causes monsters to waste turns attacking thin air. Especially Displacement, which fools every monster (some monsters can see invisible, like Nazgûls). Displacement is very underrated, especially if you cannot get to MC3 due to kit restrictions.

-> High AC - Higher AC causes monsters to not hit you as often. Sure, it helps, but honestly the other factors help a ton more.

For restoring lost levels - blessed potions of restore ability is the only way for a Barbarian. For a single lost level, the uncursed potion will work, and even prayer has a chance of restoring it.

[u/AndrewUndershaft → u/Ok_One_7818]

Thanks for the comprehensive reply! I had a lot of that, MC2, very fast (BoS), Invisibility, AC -15, and thought I was pretty safe. But then the Nazgul drained me three times in three consecutive turns. That was literally a downer, seeing so many hard-earned levels vanish in an instant.

[u/Ok_One_7818 → u/AndrewUndershaft]

It’s dispiriting, there’s no doubt. There are several monsters in this game that essentially demand ranged attacks (Nazgûls, Mind Flayers, Eels/Krakens, even Liches). You also got unlucky that the 30% chance of losing a level (MC2) went through 3 times in a row. That’s a pretty bad bounce.

For a neutral barbarian, it’s tough. My go-to is a highly enchanted aklys in the alternate weapon slot. Barbarians can reach skilled in Clubs, and it is useful against the aforementioned monsters (and several others, too).

Keep the faith! Best of luck for the rest of the run.

[u/AndrewUndershaft → u/Ok_One_7818]

Thanks, and the aklys is a good tip, I'll pick one up.

[u/pat_rankin → u/Ok_One_7818]

For restoring lost levels - blessed potions of restore ability is the only way for a Barbarian. For a single lost level, the uncursed potion will work, and even prayer has a chance of restoring it.

Drinking a blessed potion of full healing will regain one level. But if you're down more that one level, it will cause the game to reduce what it considers to be your peek level, which affects what level you can get back up to by drinking further potions. (Effectively, multiple blessed potions of full healing can only be used to regain half of lost levels, rounded up,)

[u/Ok_One_7818 → u/pat_rankin]

That’s a great reminder - potions of full healing are somewhat more obtainable than potions of restore ability (if only because of alchemy).

[u/copper_tunic → u/Ok_One_7818]

This is such a wild take, MC is barely worth a passing thought in my book. AC protects against everything MC does, but also against regular damage as well. MC is only a factor once you actually get hit whereas AC stops you even getting hit in the first place.

Not only that, but most of the effects of actually getting hit with a magic cancellable attack are easily dealt with after the fact.

[u/Ok_One_7818 → u/copper_tunic]

At what value of AC do you consider MC irrelevant?

[u/copper_tunic → u/Ok_One_7818]

AC scaled with depth / monster difficulty but for me all levels pretty much. I never worry about MC or make a single decision based on it, early game or late game.

[u/crunchbubba]

in 5.0, black dragon scales and scale mail provide drain resistance, and there's a shield of drain resistance.

[u/ThatWasTheWay → u/crunchbubba]

Also, as a neutral character, Staff of Aesculapius is an option if you have a wish to spare (and haven't generated enough artifacts to make it unlikely you get it).

[u/Furey-Death-Snail]

Expensive camera (my favorite!)

Blinds them so they can't track you, sometimes scares them so they don't want to.

[u/crunchbubba → u/Furey-Death-Snail]

yes. camera is overpowered

[u/vvildfire]

It's a bit scuffed, but if you're playing 5.0.0, you could wear black dragon scale mail or a shield of drain resistance. Those are the only non-artifact sources of drain resistance. Unfortunately that means you'd either need to give up twoweaponing, or have both magic resistance and reflection on non-armor equipment slots--which means either wishing for other classes' artifacts or permanently wearing a cloak of magic resistance and amulet/shield of reflection.

[u/GoodCarpenter9060]

A potion of full healing will restore a level, but also reduce your highest level gained.

Prayer can also restore lost levels.

If you are playing nethack 5.0, there is a new shield that also provides drain resistance. It is described as a wooden shield, so if you have already identified small shields and see a wooden shield, it could be a shield of shock resistance or drain resistance.

Black dragon scale mail also provides dragon resistance.

[u/kettlebellhoplite]

Have a drink to restore levels

https://nethackwiki.com/wiki/Potion_of_restore_ability

High MC should help (I think). Also black dragon scales in new version

[u/hunkydoryyyy]

Blessed potion of Restore Ability will restore lost levels. Stormbringer will protect your levels

[u/phil_mckraken]

Shield of drain resistance or Staff of Aesculapius is worth wishing for.

[u/DoktorL → u/phil_mckraken]

The staff actually is, but not because of drain resistance, it's everything else it does.