HE mage approaches the mid-game

[bio_hazard]

I'm playing for the first time in a long while. After a few really boring games when I didn't find anything fun I finally have a mage going who's had fantastic luck with his kit so far. I'm back in town because some jerk burned my book 3 and poke my head in the BM. There's both a !Int and a TO rod. Which would you buy? Or just save my money in case a book shows up.

Also, I guess while I'm pausing here... Is the ring of the mouse helping me at all or should I ditch that and just wear the Ring of Damage or Digging? And I had decided to leave the artifact torch at home because I figured the activation on the star was more useful and I could just double-resist if I was going to mix it up with cold monsters.

http://angband.oook.cz/ladder-show.php?id=25496

[PowerDiver]

Which choice might save your game the next time you unexpectedly find yourself in serious trouble?

Which choice will best help you get to a special item in the dungeon, say an arkentstone in a vault?

Those are the questions you should consider IMO.

As to the ring of digging, I would not carry it as a swap. My advice is to use the inventory slot for wands of stone to mud, or commit to wielding the ring.

[Estie]

Originally Posted by PowerDiver

As to the ring of digging, I would not carry it as a swap. My advice is to use the inventory slot for wands of stone to mud, or commit to wielding the ring.

Why is that ? I wouldnt want to give up the stealth, but a quick switch to activate the digging ring isnt a big deal. And when youre digging through layers of granite, things likely wake up mouse ring or no.

Theres nothing wrong with carrying wands, but carrying ring also seems fine.

[PowerDiver]

It's just a slot management mindset, combined with forgetting to keep track when having to wear the ring to recharge. I know I've paid an [admittedly not huge] price for screwing up with regards to recharging a ring.

If it's worth a slot to have stone to mud, just carry wands instead. Often enough, you want to use it twice in a row without waiting for a recharge. If that's not viable because you don't have any wands and the magic store doesn't either, I believe you should wear the digging ring and use the slot for resist potions or ?bless or something else for a trip or two.

I suppose I could be wrong for some play styles, especially since I am not well versed in 4.*, but in my experience it is clear enough that I thought it worth making the suggestion.

[ewert]

I usually use the =Dig to just dig normally instead of carrying a much heavier pickaxe on low STR characters in the early game. I always play no_sell so digging multiple squares for veins is the main reason I carry it. If I only used it on vaults etc., sure a wand is arguably better in that scenario.

To be honest, I would probably get the potion if you are already at (raw stat) 18 but below like 18/30, as the boost is big. Wands of teleport other come around often enough, and the rod won't be enough by itself always.

[Estie]

Just to be clear, my point was between wands and ring of digging. When it comes to !int vs rod of TO, let me reinforce what PowerDiver carefully suggested: rod all the way.

[sffp]

I love the extra stealth the Mouse gives you.
How often does your character melee?

And rods of TO are endgame material so the buy choice is easy for me.

[PowerDiver]

Originally Posted by ewert

I usually use the =Dig to just dig normally instead of carrying a much heavier pickaxe on low STR characters in the early game. I always play no_sell so digging multiple squares for veins is the main reason I carry it.

I can't argue with that. I never mine for money, so that never even occurred to me. If I have a spell and plenty of mana and the money wall is adjacent to me I might grab the gold, but I just don't think of it otherwise.

Obviously, this is in the context of no_sell, as I am the instigator of that idea. Perhaps I should consider early mining, but it seems unlikely I will make that part of my game.

[bio_hazard]

I got the rod of TO, and then promptly found another one in the dungeon.

I'm back in town often enough to make the extra $$ from a bit of mining worthwhile.

Anyway, I'm down to 3100' CL 30.

http://angband.oook.cz/ladder-show.php?id=25496

Finally got ESP from a helm of Telepathy. The randarts have been really good this game. Still haven't found any dungeon books. I'd like to get rNether and rConf but otherwise it's a pretty stress-free dive right now since I can either TO or avoid pretty much anything.

[Estie]

Some nice boots there!

Digging up veins has become a routine for me in the early game; I buy a shovel or pick (unless I am dwarf, of course). There's usually something to buy if you have cash and at the very least you can always afford all the consumables you ever want.