Secret tech? (Or, "Did you know?")

[BlueFish]

What are some subtle things you've come across that maybe not everybody knows?

1) Some non-unique monsters that drop items 100% of the time:

* Mewlip
* Green, blue, and red orcs. Note that green orcs can drop cursed stuff even if they won't pick them up.
* All wraiths (though they are standing on their item rather than carrying it).

This single-handedly makes Mewlips palatable to me. Even while I continue to hate their maprot effect.

2) Confusion trap effect, which is a globe of radius 2 or 3 (not sure), will affect monsters. So that confusion trap can be a potent and inexhaustible defensive bunker if you have a helm of clarity.

[locus]

Dropping glowing items at your feet to increase your darkness resistance is a classic example.

[krazyhades]

Manually targeting projeciles lets you hit squares that the auto-targeter does not realize can be hit. It can't find a path that ends on the square, but it can find a path through it.

[taptap]

You can put escorted uniques to flight by affecting their escort (as long as it is in sight) even if your song / will is not high enough to affect the unique directly.

[T-Mick]

An archer standing in the corner of an "L" shaped corridor will not run away as you approach, making for an easy kill. It's an archer grinder!

[HugoTheGreat2011]

Giants are susceptible to Poison. So, stock up Poisoned Arrows and have them ready, especially for the unique Giants.

[wobbly]

Throwing weapons never land on traps. A few stacks will highlight the trap squares in a maze.

Tapping Elbereth on & off with an archer will keep a Troll in bow range.

Many fleeing enemies try to "hide" in the dark vs an archer with keen senses.

[debo]

Originally Posted by HugoTheGreat2011

Giants are susceptible to Poison. So, stock up Poisoned Arrows and have them ready, especially for the unique Giants.

This can be dangerous if you have low evasion. Giants often choose to throw boulders at range, and these are even more powerful than their melee attacks (although also less accurate).

[wobbly]

Originally Posted by debo

This can be dangerous if you have low evasion. Giants often choose to throw boulders at range, and these are even more powerful than their melee attacks (although also less accurate).

If your shooting from a doorway you get step out of sight-line to heal-up though. Fleeing from melee range can mean copping a boulder in the head.

Edit: Looking at a giant now with lore-master & the accuracy is the same & the melee attack does more damage. Less damage dice on the melee attack too, which by my understanding means it should critical more often & harder.

[locus]

Opportunity attacks for ranged attacks in melee happen after the original attack, and if you kill the enemy they don't happen at all. Real useful when birds and insects get in your face.