Talk:Octopode

shield logic?

How come that you can train shields as an octopode without even having one (not even condensation shield)? Do tentacles count as natural shield as well? -- Bwijn 09:28, 9 March 2013 (CET)

Oops, I got it myself: carrying a Rod of warding is enough to make you train-worthy. -- Bwijn 09:45, 9 March 2013 (CET)

Difficulty of Play

IMO the present profile "easy" in "Difficulty of Play" is completely wrong. It should be "hard". Octopodes have (like merfolk) the aquatic advantage in the branches Shoals, Swamp and Abyss (free escape routes, no water delay). The availability of "wish list" rings is mostly *very bad* for a long stretch of road in early and mid game. To get a decent wizard hat or randart buckler (the only possible armour pieces) you probably need to use several scrolls of acquirement. Resistances are a big problem. - Your trump is a high stealth value (Aptitude of "3") as soon as possible so you can assasinate most menacing brutes. Sum up: quite difficult to survive as an octopode character! -- Bwijn 12:53, 3 April 2013 (CEST)

I would agree with you on this, except that the current profile is already set to Hard :P I don't think anyone short of the best players out there would consider Octopode an easy race to win with. I can see why you thought it was Easy, as the font size is larger for Easy than for the other two options, but it's the bold text that matters in this case. Ugh. Does anyone know where that template is hidden? UPDATE: Nevermind, found it. --MoogleDan 13:51, 3 April 2013 (CEST)

Beastly Appendage

I've read with much interest the contributions of Spudwalt as for Beastly Appendage - Diff. I've tried out octopodes 3-4 times, leading those to harvest "easy" runes. The Beastly Appendage spell I used to learn in early game to train Unarmed combat and transmutations magic and replace it in midgame by more effectful spells. Anybody out there who is able to give reliable experience on the usefulness of "Beastly Appendage" in mid game sandard situations? Do the added auxiliary attacks (claws, horns, talons) provided by Beastly Appendage and Unarmed combat are really worth it to carry on with the spell? -- Bwijn 13:07, 3 April 2013 (CEST)

Beastly Appendage isn't bad later on. The additional attacks can give a nice little boost to your melee damage output, and the headbutt and claws have minor additional effects (a brief delay on the enemy's next action and bleeding). Also, as a level 1 spell, almost anyone can afford it and learning to cast it at even modest spell power is both effective for single battles and doable by pretty much any background. That being said, if you're wearing gloves, boots, and helmet, you're not going to get any use out of it, and if you don't particularly want to be in melee, this isn't enough of a boost to change your mind. --MoogleDan 13:51, 3 April 2013 (CEST)

Hey, we talk "Octopode" here. That's not a particular melee avatar but regularly if the stealth randomly slips you have to fight in melee or flee. You tell me it makes indeed a sharp enough difference? Well, I've still have doubts that "Beastly" deserves one of the rare slots but I'm considering to try it out. "Evaluation" is on my agenda now. -- Bwijn 14:45, 3 April 2013 (CEST)