[Entro] Ninja weapon proficiency

[Donald Jonker]

So I'm working a comp64 ninja (dump, reproduced below) and I'm curious:

Can a ninja become "comfortable" with all the weapons in which he can gain proficiency in the hengband spoiler table, if he trains enough? Can I ever wield Theoden?

I'm dual wielding presently, and one of the weapons I'm uncomfortable with (a sabre). So my to_hit penalty is enormous. But I'm hitting things, and quite well - in the dragon cave. Is this normal? Will I eventually become a badass in both dual wielding and sabres?

Finally, I have a helm of darkness. It says it reduces my light radius by 1 - what does this mean exactly? I haven't noticed a cloud of darkness following me around...

Thanks and cheers, J.

 [Entroband 1.7.1 Character Dump]

                          Name  : Combat Cain2

 Sex      : Male             Age               114   STR :  18/131
 Race     : Vampire          Height             69   INT :      17
 Class    : Ninja            Weight            185   WIS :       7
                             Social Class        4   DEX :  18/109
                             Align            Evil   CON :   18/66
                                                     CHR :      16

 Right hand      (-24,+21)   Hit point    216/ 241   Fighting   : Heroic
 Left hand       (-89,+18)   SP (Mana)      0/   0   Bows/Throw : Heroic
 Blows/Round           4+2                           SavingThrow: Superb
 AverageDmg/Rnd      94+44   Level              25   Stealth    : Heroic
                             Experience      27675
 Shooting          (-3,+0)   Max Exp         27675   Perception : Excellent
 Multiplier          x0.00   Exp to Adv      38500   Searching  : Excellent
 Shots/Round          0.00   Gold            29668   Disarming  : Superb
                                                     MagicDevice: Superb
 AC               [11,+69]   Time      Day 4  4:25
 Speed                (+5)   Play time    01:30:48   Infra-Vision: 50 feet


                         (Character Background)
          In life you were a powerful noble.  You have a hairless
          head, blank white eyes, and a deathly pale complexion.



          ...Now, you are exploring level 35 of Dragon's lair.


                                                               Modification
 Sex   : Male          Stat    BaseRacClaPerMod ActualCurrent  abcdefghijkl@
 Race  : Vampire       STR :  18/91  3  0  1  0 18/131         .............
 Class : Ninja         INT :     16  3 -1 -1  0     17         .............
 Level : 25            WIS :      8 -1 -1 -2  3      7         3............
 Hits  : 216/241       DEX :  18/69 -1  3  2  0 18/109         ............s
 Mana  : 0/0           CON :  18/36  1  2  0  0  18/66         .............
                       CHR :     13  2 -1  1  1     16         .....1.......
         || ==" ((]]              || ==" ((]]                  || ==" ((]]
         abcdefghijkl@            abcdefghijkl@                abcdefghijkl@
 Acid  : .............    Sound : .............    Speed     : ............+
 Elec  : .............    Nether: ............+    FreeAction: ............+
 Fire  : ....+........    Nexus : .............    SeeInvisi.: +............
 Cold  : ............+    Chaos : .............    Hold Life : ............+
 Poison: ............+    Disnch: .............    Warning   : .............
 Light : ...+.........v   Fear  : +...........+    SlowDigest: ............+
 Dark  : ...+.....+..*    Reflct: .............    Regene.   : .............
 Shard : .............    AuFire: .............    Levitation: .............
 Blind : .............    AuElec: .............    Perm Lite : .........+...
 Conf  : .............    AuCold: .............    Cursed    : ........+....

             ||                 || ==" ((]]                    || ==" ((]]
             ab@                abcdefghijkl@                  abcdefghijkl@
 Slay Evil : +..    Telepathy : .............    Add Blows   : .+...........
 Slay Und. : +..    ESP Evil  : .............    Add Tunnel  : .............
 Slay Demon: +..    ESP Noliv.: .............    Add Infra   : .............
 Slay Drag.: ...    ESP Good  : .............    Add Device  : .............
 Slay Human: ...    ESP Undead: .............    Add Stealth : .............
 Slay Anim.: ...    ESP Demon : .............    Add Search  : .............
 Slay Orc  : ...    ESP Dragon: .............
 Slay Troll: ...    ESP Human : .............    Riding      : .+...........
 Slay Giant: ...    ESP Animal: .............    Throw       : .............
 Acid Brand: ...    ESP Orc   : .............    Blessed     : +............
 Elec Brand: ...    ESP Troll : .............    No Teleport : .............
 Fire Brand: ...    ESP Giant : .............    Anti Magic  : .............
 Cold Brand: ...                                 Econom. Mana: .............
 Poison Brd: ...    Sust Str  : .............
 Sharpness : ...    Sust Int  : .............    Drain Exp   : .............
 Quake     : ...    Sust Wis  : .............    Rnd.Teleport: .............
 Vampiric  : ...    Sust Dex  : ............+    Aggravate   : .............
 Chaotic   : ...    Sust Con  : .............    TY Curse    : .............
 Force Wep.: ...    Sust Chr  : .............

   
  [Option Settings]

 Preserve Mode:      ON
 Small Levels:       ENABLED
 Arena Levels:       ENABLED


  [Recall Depth]

    Angband         : level  13
   !Yeek cave       : level  13
    Dragon's lair   : level  35


  [Quest Information]

< Completed Quest >
  Thieves Hideout                          (Danger  level:   5) - level  3
  Warg problem                             (Danger  level:   5) - level 10
  Robin Hood, the Outlaw                   (Dungeon level:   6) - level 12
  Nar, the Dwarf                           (Dungeon level:  12) - level 13
  Orc Camp                                 (Danger  level:  15) - level 15
  Doom Quest 1                             (Danger  level:  15) - level 17
  Old Man Willow Quest                     (Danger  level:  22) - level 18
  Dark Elven Lords Quest                   (Danger  level:  25) - level 20
  The Mimic's Treasure                     (Danger  level:  25) - level 21

< Failed Quest >
  Nothing.


 Arena:  0 Victory


  [Defeated Monsters]

You have defeated 510 enemies including 13 unique monsters in total.

< Unique monsters top 10 >
  Mime, the Nibelung                       (level  24)
  Old Man Willow                           (level  22)
  Lugdush, the Uruk                        (level  21)
  Nar, the Dwarf                           (level  17)
  Ulfast, Son of Ulfang                    (level  16)
  Boldor, King of the Yeeks                (level  13)
  Golfimbul, the Hill Orc Chief            (level  12)
  Meng Huo, the King of Southerings        (level  12)
  Hobbes the Tiger                         (level  10)
  Robin Hood, the Outlaw                   (level   8)


  [Virtues]

Your alighnment : Evil

You have strayed from the path of Patience.
You are very virtuous in Knowledge.
You are somewhat virtuous in Faith.
You are somewhat virtuous in Unlife.
You have strayed from the path of Valour.
You have strayed from the path of Justice.
You are a bitter enemy of Honour.
You are a bitter enemy of Compassion.


  [Character Equipment]

a) a Dagger (Holy Avenger) (1d4) (+9,+10) [+2] (+3)
b) a Sabre of Extra Attacks (1d7) (+8,+8) (+1 attack)
c) (nothing)
d) a Ring of Light and Darkness Resistance
e) a Ring of Flames [+10]
f) an Amulet of Charisma and Monster Turning (+1)
g) (nothing)
h) Cord Armour [6,+7]
i) a Cloak of Protection [1,+13] {cursed}
j) a Metal Cap of Darkness [3,+9]
k) a Set of Leather Gloves of Slaying (+5,+6) [1,+5]
l) (nothing)


  [Character Inventory]

a) a Daemon Spellbook [Immortal Rituals]
b) 5 Potions of Speed {!k}
c) 13 Potions of Cure Critical Wounds
d) 10 Scrolls of Teleportation
e) a Scroll of Teleport Level
f) 4 Scrolls of Word of Recall {!*!*}
g) a Scroll of Identify {@r1}
h) a Scroll of Magic Mapping {@r0}
i) a Wand of Stone to Mud (7 charges)
j) an Aluminum Wand
k) a Staff of Teleportation (10 charges)
l) a Bamboo Staff
m) a Spruce Staff
n) a Ring of Levitation
o) a Quartz Ring
p) a Swastika Amulet
q) a Cloak [1] {excellent}
r) a War Hammer (3d3)
s) an Orcish Pick (1d3) {good}
t) 83 Iron Spikes (39/52) {@v0}


  [Home Inventory]

 ( page 1 )
a) a Ring of See Invisible
b) a Ring of Nexus Resistance
c) a Ring of Confusion Resistance
d) The Phial of Galadriel (+1 to searching)
e) an Elven Cloak [4,+5] (+2 to stealth)
f) a Metal Cap of Seeing [3,+7] (+6 to searching) {25% off}
g) The Beaked Axe of Theoden (2d6) (+8,+10) (+3)

[chem]

Originally Posted by Donald Jonker

So I'm working a comp64 ninja (dump, reproduced below) and I'm curious:

Can a ninja become "comfortable" with all the weapons in which he can gain proficiency in the hengband spoiler table, if he trains enough? Can I ever wield Theoden?

I'm dual wielding presently, and one of the weapons I'm uncomfortable with (a sabre). So my to_hit penalty is enormous. But I'm hitting things, and quite well - in the dragon cave. Is this normal? Will I eventually become a badass in both dual wielding and sabres?

Your huge -to-hit is partially from dual wielding at moderate level / dual wield skill, and partially from using a sabre. Ninjas _can_ use weapons like that, but they'll just never be as effective as others. Fortunately, they have good +to-hit anyway and you can still hit stuff! You'll probably find better weapons than Theoden. I'm not sure if I would keep it around, I guess maybe for a while.

Helm of darkness: it's useful if you also have an item that gives +light radius, as it will cancel that out (by an amount of 1). Ninjas need darkness for superstealth. To non-ninjas, a helm of darkness is useless.