Digging for non-diggers

[starstealer]

Okay - so I am very accustomed to playing a Wizard of some sort. Digging for a wizard, essentially, boils down to shovel until CL9 then spell. On the rare occasions that I have played other classes, I usually didn't bother with a digger if I had a Str >17, but most of them get some sort of digging option other than warriors.

With the recent competition, I was running my warrior around and found a greater vault. Unfortunately, I had no digger. Figuring I had the strength though - I just started digging and eventually found my way in. However, as I went deeper and deeper - I found that really - I was succeeding at digging very often.

This led me to wonder about what warriors do when faced with the need to dig through granite. So - to sum up - what do warriors use in order to tackle the task of digging through granite? A good digger? Rod/Wand of Stone to Mud? Ignore vaults entirely until you get incredibly strong?

I've since looked up the formula on it - and it appears my warrior should have succeeded at digging about 3% of the time - but he had a couple of them that took 2200+ turns...

[rdermyer]

I never carry around picks/shovels. When I start running into stone to mud, I like to carry around a wand or three in case I run into a vault. I don't think digging is worth it in really any other case.

[Jungle_Boy]

Originally Posted by rdermyer

I never carry around picks/shovels. When I start running into stone to mud, I like to carry around a wand or three in case I run into a vault. I don't think digging is worth it in really any other case.

This is my approach as well when playing someone without the stone to mud spell

[vorondil]

A +3 digger does my warrior fine versus granite walls.

[DavidMedley]

What do people do in 4.2 about digging? Only Druids and Rangers have the Stone to Mud spell. Carry a ring or wand? Or just accept there will be vaults they can't get into? Or can they get in using some diabolical trick I'm not aware of?

[Ingwe Ingweron]

Originally Posted by DavidMedley

What do people do in 4.2 about digging? Only Druids and Rangers have the Stone to Mud spell. Carry a ring or wand? Or just accept there will be vaults they can't get into? Or can they get in using some diabolical trick I'm not aware of?

Ring, Wand, Pick, or heavy weapon.

[DavidMedley]

I'm not quite clear if you're answering my question or not... you're saying everyone should carry one of those 4 choices? Or are you simply explaining what can be used to tunnel?

[Ingwe Ingweron]

Originally Posted by DavidMedley

I'm not quite clear if you're answering my question or not... you're saying everyone should carry one of those 4 choices? Or are you simply explaining what can be used to tunnel?

If @ can recharge, I tend to go with a wand. Otherwise, I tend to go with a ring, plus a wand if there's inventory room. Until I get those, then pick or heavy weapon.

[Sphara]

I ALWAYS carry a digging wand(s) if it is possible (it usually is). Ring of Digging is good getting into vaults but its otherwise clearly inferior.

Shovels and Picks I do carry sometimes, if there is not a better alternative for digging and as long as they do not cause much slowing. I don't think I have finished many games without Stone-to-mud wand in the inventory all the way to the end (if playing a warrior, they're dropped before melee with chargedrainers/Sauron/Morgoth).

[emulord]

I never carry digging weapons.

For classes with StM as a spell, either the book that has it, or a wand.
All other classes I bring a wand, refilling it in town.

I dig short anti-summoning corridors against tough uniques, otherwise just for cracking open vaults.
If I am running low on charges I manually dig magma/quartz.