Random Skills Challenge!

Hand to hand can give you awesome defenses due to the dual shields, and knock-back attacks. That said, it can go a lot slower than other builds since the trade-off is that you don't do as much damage.

 

I'm currently running a random with these skills: Archery / Unarmed / Master of Arms / Mathemagics / Necronomiconomics / Ley Walker / Fungal Arts. So far, playing as straight-up unarmed/fungal; I'm on dungeon level 2 and have maxed unarmed and one point in fungal. That's obviously not going to last me the entire game though. I'm wondering if I should put points into Archery -- Unarmed still boosts crossbow bolts in 1.0.5 so it should be pretty powerful, but I can't make new bolts very well (and, heck, haven't even seen a tinkering kit yet).

I should probably start boosting Necronomiconomics next, for Pact if nothing else.

EDIT: well, I killed this guy. Not the dungeon, oh no. I did. Would've been fine if I hadn't clicked on that Big Red twice instead of once; the first round of combat took me to low health and the second killed me. Durp.

I had over 300 fairy wodgers and 100 inky hoglanterns in inventory, so health was never really a problem. Strategy build-wise was to max unarmed, get fungal to level 3, get Rift from necro (Pact is nearly useless with 0 magic power, but Rift still does some useful area damage), then start boosting Master of Arms pretty much purely so I'm getting warrior levels instead of mage levels. Going into level 9 I had two caketown shields, archmage robes (best body armor I'd found), artifact sabotons, an overclockworked power limb, and crappy other ring / amulet / helmet. Not nearly enough absorb; I dipped down to level 10 and was taking 25 from archdiggles on normal hits. Still, with full plate or serpentine plate, and a better helmet, I would've been fine to do some melee. Worst case, rift -> invisible -> chug booze / eat boozeshrooms -> repeat. That strategy's pretty invincible since you only spend one turn visible between rift castings.

For most of the game I was basically only using unarmed and fungal arts. Not the greatest combination in the world but I'm convinced that it's winnable with just those skills if you play carefully. Fungal arts gives you truly absurd amounts of healing and invisibility in exchange for making the game about 30% more tedious.

 

I'm into level 7 with my axes/necro random roll and surviving despite not finding an artifact axe at all. I lucked out to an interdimensional axe in the first level and that carried me all the way to level 5. I've maxed out necro, axes and working my way through alchemy and MoA now.. I've got pretty good armor so I think I'm going to try and go all the way melee/necro.

EDIT: Aaaaaaand.. I'm dead. Monster zoo, level 7.. counter-crit'ed again.

 

OK, I finished my non-random game (won my very first GR/PD with a Psionics build last night -- never played Psionics before). So I'm back in the challenge with the following random build:
Sword
Thrown
Berserker
Dodge
Deadshot
Viking
Promethean

Wish me luck .

 

And I'm dead at level one -- opened a door to find about 8 or more diggles just waiting for me.
Next try:

Ok this could be better:
Sword
Mace
Staff
Dodge
Vampirism
Astrology
Fungal

I guess I'll choose which weapon to specialize in based on what I can pick up. Assuming I last long enough lol.

 

Just rolled up the MYSTERY BALL with the following skills:
Axes
Unarmed
Shields
Vampirism
Wand Lore
Archaeology
Smithing

Unarmed+Shields is a strong combo, but I feel like Vampirism is just going to get me killed.

 

Vampirism + dual shields is unstoppable, actually. Especially with smithing, and archaeology. You should be able to make huge armor, and throw it on Krong altars with nigh impunity. You can enchant crossbows for proc attacks with your unarmed too. And wand lore will give you coral wand heals. I'd say that was an incredibly lucky roll.

 

Yeah, after messing around enough to hit level 3, this roll does seem kind of bonkers. I guess I just never played vampirism correctly before. Once I find some chalk, I will transform into some sort of moving blood-fueled steel wall. Brilliant!

edit: oh my god i just keep getting stronger i am death machine

 

Actually you inspired me to make that build (never played it before). I dropped axes for burglary, but everything else is the same. I can see special mobs being a problem, but otherwise, it's great. I was really lucky with the RNG, and walked to floor two with fine bronze greaves, runed iron hjalmr, fine bronze aspis, and a iron skjoldr. Nothing is hurting me unless it has special damage, and I'm staying pretty full on health. Just had a crash when trying to lube a coral wand.

 

Other than having both unarmed and axes, your build is pretty good. Personally, I'd take yours over mine. I'm actually doing ok -- recently cleared level 1. I just know I'm going to peter out at the usual point (level 6 or 7).

 

Alchemy
Assassination
Staff
Psionic
Fungal
Wands
Smithing

Pretty good random, 3 bling wands was pretty lame though. Prolly won't even use smithing, staff, assassination though.

 

I didn't manage to find much in the way of smithing materials on the first floor, but I'm more or less steamrolling the second floor with random crap I've grabbed off the ground. The really hard decisions have been which skills to try and raise first. Smith for better gear once I find some ingots/ore? Unarmed for better murder regardless of what I find? Arch to reroll/recharge enchantments? Wand Lore to turn these Stony/Arcane wands into Coral/something that solves things I don't want to melee? I am basically spoiled by the randomness machine and will likely perish as soon as the dungeon's hubris detector starts working again.

 

@medibot I'd go unarmed -> smithing. If you explore every single nook and cranny on DL 1-2 you should make it to level 9 which gives you 4 points in smithing. Use bronze for shields, for helm find a rusty viking helm and upgrade it with iron, and use aluminum for chest until you can make better (but that probably wont be till DL 5 or so that you can get enough steel).

Update: My random build is slogging along. Viking magic is a decent casting skill with artic vortex. I'm on DL 5 and already fully geared out with a magic sombrero/magic sandals/armored mage/stary orbs so I might start diving. Beyond archmage gear and orbs of nothing, there isn't much in the way of upgrades for me and I have no skills to upgrade. I'm at 43 magic power, which is pretty weak, but without a mage build it's hard to get magic power up. 45 is the sweet spot as vortex will cost 3 mana. I think I'll clear DL 6 and then dive. Maybe clear DL 8 too. Those levels are far easier than 7/9.

 

Well I gave it a try. My skills:

Swords
Archery
Psiconics
Perception
Blood mage
Smithing
Assasination

I died in the 2nd room because of 3 bats and no arrows. (I also usually play on "dwarfish moderation" not "going rouge")

 

Going rouge is a tough look to pull off.

 

Agreed. Especially if you're a guy.

 

I did it! ChaosEyebrows IV has vanquished Lord Dredmor!

My random build was Throwing / Shields / Psionics / Viking Wizardry / Magic Training / Burglary / Alchemist. So, you know, almost but not quite a classic mage build. Psionics is still broken, most of my killing power came from Arctic Vortex (which, as it turns out, is arbitrarily stackable), alchemy is a horrendous enabler for mages, and I even had the convenience of burglary on my side! Dredmor went down to four hits from a tentacular wand, which is really kinda sad.

Random point of amusement: the ammo recovery for the Throwing skill applies to explosive ammo, like hand grenades. I don't know if this works for archery and squid bolts (nor if the ammo retention from throwing and archery stack).

 

I got swords, axes, berserker rage, magic training, dragon knight, Equestrian expatriate, and Atheist monk.

EDIT: got to level two, completed a side quest and leveled up.

 

Dual Wielding, Fungal Arts, Alchemy, Archaeology, Big Game Hunter, QiJong, and Meteorology. Let's give it a shot.

Edit: Bah, crashed on the first floor and lost the save, that's no good. =P

 

Use the "Last" button to restore your last skillset.