newbie questions

[Shaman]

Hello everyone!
I've been digging may way into Angband and I like the game, but I've two question that I hope you could answer:

1. at a moment in the game my STR has been decreased, point by point, from 17 to 14 and now the number is yellow; what I've done? And there is a way to recover it?

2. the only way to go from the dungeons to the surface is walking from level to level or there is a spell that you learn somewhere in the game?

I've a little Dwarf Priest for the moment!

Thanks in advance!!!

Matteo

[andrewas]

1) Various monsters can hit to damage statistics. You can avoid this by finding an item which sustains the stat in question, or by avoiding melee combat with monsters which deal stat damage.

To repair it, check the shops for a potion of restore strength, or dive deeper in the hopes of finding a potion of strength which will not only restore you to full strength, but boost your maximum strength by one point.

2) You should have started with a word of recall scroll. Further such scrolls can be bought from the general store. Later in the game, you may find a rod of recall which can be cast for the recall spell every so often. I dont play priests, but you will probably find the recall spell in one of the dungeon prayer books, but the chances of finding one this early in the game are remote.

[Mondkalb]

Your stats can be reduced by traps and monsters (some of them are invisible).
You can buy a potion of restore strength in the alchemy shop, but it is not always available. They can be found in the dungeon, but probably deeper than you are at the moment.
There are also mushrooms of vigor which restore all stats (in the latest releases).
You can use scrolls of word of recall. Read in town they teleport you to your deepest level so far. Read in the dungeon they teleport you back into town.
It takes some turns after reading for the effect to kick in.
These scrolls can be found in the dungeon also. Later you will find a priest book which contains the spell.

Edit
Too slow (-10)

[Shaman]

Thanks all for the quick answer!!!

Keep playing... I think I'm going to be addicted to Angband

[Nile]

Remember to always have a backup scroll of Word of Recall in case one gets burned, leaving you stranded in the dungeon. Nothing is more painful than crawling from dlev 40 back to the surface =/

[ClaytonAguiar]

Hi,

just a tip from an old player:
Start playing with a Half-troll Warrior. You'll have to deal only with Strength, Constitution and a little amount of Dexterity.

You don't have to win the game with him. But their strength initial bonus make them a good choice to learn the "look-and-feel" of Angband, and it's very difficult (but not impossible) to get a half-troll warrior killed before reaching level 10 or even 20.

More experienced players tend to priests, mages, paladins or rangers, as they are "pure magic" or (the later 2) a balance of them.

Just to avoid flames from veterans: I'm not telling fighters are better or worse than any other class. But they are simpler, and a good choice for beginners.

[PowerDiver]

Originally Posted by ClaytonAguiar

it's very difficult (but not impossible) to get a half-troll warrior killed before reaching level 10 or even 20.

unless ...

you forget how much food they metabolize and starve to death

[ClaytonAguiar]

Originally Posted by PowerDiver

unless ...

you forget how much food they metabolize and starve to death

Hi,

no, I didn't. I was just focusing on the simplicity of building the first 20 levels of this combination of race and class. With this amount of strength, carrying a bit more food than usual isn't a greater matter. And word-of-recall every 10 or even more levels would refill the food stock. And don't forget the amulets and rings of slow digestion, a must-have item for a half-troll.

The high pseudo-id and toughness allow a warrior to start diving with relatively few items equipped.

Playing with a very low INT-rated lowers the "Magic device", too. This is big handicap for deeper dives, where your enemies are less "physically" and more "magically" powerful. Against ringwraiths, I do prefer ranged attacks over melee attacks.

I remember how many times I had to restart because of a single breath of ancient dragons and dracolisks.

[PowerDiver]

Originally Posted by ClaytonAguiar

no, I didn't. I was just focusing on ....

You misunderstood me. I agree with your point that beginners should play tanks. It's just that I have heard the anguish of someone [skilled] playing a half-troll and starving to death because of being used to chars that don't use so much food. So do not say that does not happen!