CrawlWiki - User contributions [en]

ARCHIVED Buddy23Lee's Minotaur Staff-Madness guide

2014-07-29T20:34:56Z

WigglingFerns: /* Stat increases */ I added a question for clarification about the proportionality suggestions for str and dex

{{character guide}}
{{version014}}

A melee-focused [[minotaur]], you might ask, who needs a guide for that? Isn’t it just as straightforward as 'heavy weapon + heavy armor = point him at a monster and smash'?

Maybe so, but a one-dimensional minotaur will perish in the dungeon with almost as much regularity as any other character. There are, however, a number of particular ways in which this monstrous species can be optimized. In this guide we sample but one, somewhat peculiar example.

'''Character build:''' ''MiGl with staves'' [[File:Minotaur.png]] [[File:Quarterstaff.png]]

Although the minotaur fighter is probably the most no-fuss, tried-and-true character build, this strategy uses a [[gladiator]] [[background]] instead. No, this is not just because he gets to start with a cool, easily enchantable [[hat]], or even a basic [[throwing]] skill to help round you out a bit. No, the primary reason for selecting the gladiator is to have access to a [[quarterstaff]] as a starting weapon.

Now, I know what you’re thinking; that piece of wood lacks any fun cleaving, piercing, or smashing implements affixed to it, so why even bother? As you’ll see, we’ll eventually develop this simple broomstick into arguably the most capable weapon one can wield in the dungeon crawl universe.

The overarching strategy here is that you’ll ideally be wielding a different version of weapon for each phase of the game: a quarterstaff for the early game, a [[lajatang]] for the mid-game, and a [[staff of earth]] for the late game. Obviously, you are somewhat at the mercy of the dungeon [[Item generation|item generator]] as to whether or not you can pull this off, but most often this progression will be achievable.

Finally, if you're left wondering why a staff of earth and not some other type, remember that the minotaur’s least-worst magic [[aptitude]] is [[Earth Magic|earth magic]], making it slightly easier to learn. Also, as rightly pointed out in the [[weapon choice]] article, the staff of earth deals ''non-resistible'' physical damage, allowing no monster to be particularly immune to your onslaught. This is all the more relevant in the end game, when you’ll actually be using it.

==Starting out==

First and foremost, focus all your effort on your ‘''staves''’ skill; you’re only going to need it to reach level '''14'''. With the minotaur’s great aptitude for it, this is generally achievable fairly early on. Once it reaches 14, turn it off, as we’ll need that experience to go elsewhere.

Turn off your ‘''throwing''’ skill right away too, at least for now. It starts out high enough for what we’ll need it for.

Although you’re generally going to pursue progressively heavier armors, you’ll want to focus both your ‘''armor''’ and ‘''dodging''’ skills right from the beginning.

Also, make sure you don’t learn any ‘''evocations''’ for now. This may sound silly but it will affect which [[Acquirement|acquirements]] you’ll get later in the game.

===Stat increases===

As a staff user, you’re probably going to want to put a fair amount of your stat increases into [[dexterity]] as, especially with the lajatang, dexterity is a boon to its use. Don’t worry though, your minotaur will likely gain some of these increases automatically. Try to keep [[strength]] and dexterity stats somewhat proportional (what proportion?) with one another.

==Early game==

As a powerful, melee-savvy species wielding a strong, early-game weapon, you will be a terror to all the unfortunate dungeon denizens you encounter. All that might stop you early on is an ill-timed [[Sigmund]] or pack of orcs. Once you’ve started acquiring some levels and better armor however, even these will be at your mercy.
Speaking of Sigmund, save your [[Throwing net|throwing nets]] for such uniques and early [[orc warrior|orc warriors]]. You’ll get some surprising mileage of out these, even farther into the game.

===God selection===

Your [[god]] selection won’t matter much for this build, so select whomever makes sense to you. The only consideration you may want to account for is how much skill investment you’ll need to put into things like [[invocations]] to make your god practical. In this sense, a god like [[Makhleb]] is a little less choice than normal, whereas [[Okawaru]] may be more so. Don’t pick [[Nemelex]] for now, as again we still want to hold off on those evocations for a while.

Also, as was wisely pointed out, you probably don't want to pick [[Trog]] for this build, as he'll take exception to your dabbling in magic, even as much as you will never actually use it.

==Mid-game==

===Transition to the lajatang===

Barring a very nice quarterstaff find, hopefully by or during the mid-game you make the transition to a lajatang. You may be gifted one by Trog or [[Okawaru]]. You may strip one off a dead [[unique]], such as [[Agnes]]. You may get one from an unidentified [[scroll of acquirement]] (the odds are good). Or you may just find one lying around. Whatever the means, now is a good time to wield one. Just like your quarterstaff, its maximum speed is achieved at ‘''staves''’ skill level 14, so no need to train any extra for it.

Speaking of scrolls of acquirement, once you’d identified them, and unlike normal, you’ll want to save them for later. There are also two other items you want to be on the lookout for, fairly unusual to the minotaur: a staff of earth and any [[spellbooks]] which contain low to mid-level earth magic spells. The first of these is fairly unlikely unless you’re lucky. If you do find a staff of earth, obviously save it. In that case, you can even go ahead and start training ‘''evocations''’ if you’d like, but don’t worry about wielding it just yet. That’s where the spellbook comes in.

Once you find a spell book with not-too-ridiculously-high-level earth spells, go stake out somewhere safe and memorize one. You’ll likely have to strip naked (at least of [[body armor]]) and possibly even wear a [[ring of wizardry]] or [[Ring of intelligence|intelligence]] to accomplish this. Those otherwise useless [[Potion of brilliance|potions of brilliance]] work brilliantly for this task, as well.

As soon as you’ve memorized one, put your armor back on and go back to the normal method of slaughter. The only difference now is the experience you’d normally be putting into your weapon skill, you’re now going to be focusing into earth magic. I know, it seems really silly at the moment, but eventually it will pay its dividends.

'''Things to acquire and save:'''

*Scrolls of acquirement [[File:Scroll of acquirement.png]]

*Spellbooks containing low to mid-level earth magic spells [[File:Sandblast.png]][[File:Stoneskin.png]][[File:Stone arrow.png]]

*Staff of earth [[File:Staff of earth.png]]

In sum, once you've maxed out your ''staves'' skill, memorize an earth spell and start training your earth magic skill in lieu of that staves skill. Don’t worry about ever, '''ever''' casting that spell. Being naked, using wizardry items, and drinking potions of brilliance will all help you memorize otherwise impossibly difficult spells.

==Late game==

Having a highly-enchanted [[randart]] or [[Speed (brand)|speed-branded]] lajatang is a potentially [[ascension]]-worthy item, particularly if you are going for a simple 3-[[rune]] win. However, if you do want to collect some difficult runes or even just max out your characters awesome damage potential, consider making the switch to the staff of earth. Admittedly, you’ll need to gain decent levels of both earth magic and evocations to pull it off but gaining that experience takes more time than difficulty to achieve. Since you probably have by now a pretty decent lajatang and are looking at me skeptically about this switch, consider that your staff of earth will eventually exceed your lajatang in damage, no matter how enchanted it is. The staff is likely already is more accurate and (unless your lajatang has the speed brand) slightly faster. Also, you will get the use of your [[shield]] slot to equip a [[buckler]] or shield which can make up for any benefits you might lose by not having an artifact weapon, and gaining 5 levels in shields is quick and easy for a minotaur.

Wait, you still don’t have a staff of earth? If you reach level 6+ earth magic skill and you still don’t have one, it’s time to consider using those scrolls of acquirement. I’m not gunna lie, this strategy is not guaranteed, but it may be your only option available. Usually I wait until earth magic 6, or even 8, and sometimes even 10. It just depends how many scrolls you are willing to burn through if you happen to be unlucky. Keep in mind, depending on the greatness of your lajatang, you’re likely not going to be actually using your staff of earth until your earth magic and evocations are around level 10 anyway, so try not to get too impatient.

Although a level 10 evocations and earth magic skill will produce results comparable to a nice lajatang, once they both hit 20 the damage is considerable higher. If you manage to get 27 in both, you’ll get a whopping 50+ of extra damage on your hardest hits.

Remember, if you are going for a quick 3-rune win, all this staff of earth work might be superfluous if you have a really nice lajatang. However, this build is great for an extended game, especially as you raise your earth magic and evocations to high levels.

By the time you ascend, your skills might well look something like this

:Fighting -> 27
:Staves -> 14
:Throwing ->2
:Armor-> 27
:Dodging -> 27
:Shields ->10
:Invocations ->3
:Evocations-> 20
:Earth magic ->22

===Late-game overview===

*If you reach earth magic level 6 (the higher the better) and still haven’t randomly found a staff of earth, consider reading a scroll of acquirement. Remember that you have at best a 50% chance of receiving one, although having identified staves of other kinds should, in theory, increase your chances.

*Once you have an earth staff in you possession, begin training your evocations so it eventually gains some parity with your earth magic skill. Keep training both as high as possible.

*Once your evocations and earth magic hit about level 10, consider wielding the staff of earth. If you do, wear a nice buckler or shield with it and start training a [[Shields (skill)|shields skill]] as well. Remember, you only need 5 levels for a buckler and 10 for a shield to negate the penalty.

*If you need extra [[experience]] before heading to the [[Realm of Zot]], consider wandering [[The Abyss|the abyss]] for a while. At level 3 and lower, you can look for the rune and also gain a steady stream of experience.

The next time you want a melee-based character with a little twist, consider this type of build. You’ll be pleasantly surprised with the amount of damage your oddly-armed minotaur will inflict!

ARCHIVED MistyMan's Deep Elf Conjurer of Vehumet guide

2014-07-19T01:20:50Z

WigglingFerns: /* Early game */

{{Character guide}}
{{version014}}

[[Deep Elf]] [[Conjurer]]s are quintessential glass cannons, their offensive capabilities vastly making up for what they lack in innate defences. After recent reworking of [[Book of Conjurations]] they are more beginner-friendly while providing great diversity in branching possibilities and strong extended endgame potential. This guide assumes you are worshiping [[Vehumet]] and branching into fire magic from mid-game on. It is partly based on [[Mr. K's Deep Elf Fire Elementalist guide]].

==Strategy==
===Equipment===
You won't require anything too fancy, although nice early randarts will help. [[See invisible]] should preferably be always kept on, other slots a mixture of resistances, spell enhancers and convenience items like [[amulet of the gourmand]]. Use nothing heavier than [[robe]]s/[[animal skin]]s. Don't ignore [[scrolls of immolation]]: this free mass [[Inner Flame]] source will make short work of the sturdiest Lair packs and Vaults:5 welcoming party. Just be careful not to get fried yourself.

===Early game===

Always rest to fill up MP and HP. You will want to cast [[Iskenderun's Battlesphere]] reliably as early as possible. Until then, try to avoid early threats like [[Sigmund]], [[Grinder]], player ghosts, centaurs, killer bees, strong orc warbands. Get your [[Strength]] to 7-8, then put everything in [[Intelligence]]. At first, turn off all skill training except Conjurations, then add Charms after learning the Battlesphere. When you reach 15% failure rate you should start always having the sphere up, and may wish to add the following lines to your init file:

runrest_stop_message += Your battlesphere wavers and loses cohesion.
runrest_stop_message += You feel your bond with your battlesphere wane.

Now begin training Spellcasting, Dodging, Fighting to 6-7, focusing Conjurations. Learn the first [[Fire Magic|fire school]] spell you find and start focusing Fire Magic. When you find a [[buckler]] put a level in Shields. Evocations are optional, you can get a few levels if you find [[ring of flight]], [[staff of energy]] or some good [[rod]]s. Turn off Charms around 11.

Other spells in the Book of Conjurations:
*[[Magic Dart]]: The best friend of the Battlesphere due to its minimal cost and maximum range. This obscenely deadly combo will annihilate pretty much everything from afar throughout early branches.
*[[Searing Ray]]: Essential early on, try to line enemies up for maximum efficiency.
*[[Dazzling Spray]]: Interesting multi-target option if you're willing to fiddle with targeting.
*[[Iskenderun's Mystic Blast]]: Can be useful until Vehumet begins gifting you powerful spells or you find convenient early spellbooks, later outclassed both in single-target and AOE damage.
*[[Fulminant Prism]]: Situational, may help against early [[statue]]s or [[Oklob plant]]s.
You will find Vehumet's altar in the [[temple]] or early Dungeon floors and begin worshiping. He doesn't require Invocations training, will restore your MP on kills, increase spell range, success rate and offer knowledge of 15 damage-dealing spells across all levels. Before his ultimate gift be mindful of your available [[Spell memorisation|spell levels]], it can be very frustrating to miss the opportunity to learn something good if you're unlucky with [[scrolls of amnesia]].

===Mid game===

If you haven't found a book containing fire school spells yet learn the first one Vehumet offers and begin focusing Fire Magic. Other goodies to look out for:
*[[Mephitic Cloud]]: Will make early branches even more of a breeze.
*[[Throw Icicle]]: Even with no Ice Magic training it will eventually attain maximum power, where it boasts respectful 3d20 combination of cold and physical damage. Useful for taking out fire-resistant, cold-vulnerable or just random weaker pests.
*[[Fireball]]: Mid-game AOE immolation.
*[[Force Lance]]: Good for keeping nasty things away from you.
*[[Bolt of Fire]]: Default remover of middle-level threats. Line 'em up.
*[[Iron Shot]]: Poor man's Lehudib's Crystal Spear.
*[[Delayed Fireball]]: No such thing as excessive fireballs.
*[[Orb of Destruction]]: Hard to use effectively, but can also double as [[Disintegration]] source.
Since you've been training Fire Magic the final gift will almost certainly contain [[Fire Storm]], the crown jewel of Conjurations, and, if you're lucky, the [[Lehudib's Crystal Spear]], which again is possible to boost to high power without Earth Magic training. If you can find it, [[Ring of Flames]] awesomely complements Fire Storm.

You will also want to augment your spell set with some utility magic from the usual suspects list: [[Apportation]], [[Summon Butterflies]]/[[Summon Small Mammal|Small Mammal]] (also lets you start training Summonings), [[Blink]], [[Cure Poison]], [[Swiftness]], [[Shroud of Golubria]], [[Repel Missiles|Repel]]/[[Deflect Missiles]], [[Sublimation of Blood]], [[Regeneration]] (these two work great in conjunction), [[Abjuration]], [[Flight]], [[Control Teleport]], [[Haste]], etc. If you find [[Necronomicon]] or plan to switch to [[Kikubaaqudgha]] for the Tomb you may consider investing in Necromancy/Transmutations, although it's not essential.

===Late game===

When you become able to cast Fire Storm reliably the Battlesphere has earned its retirement. Instead, from now on, you should always, wherever possible, command instant access to [[teleport control|(semi)-controlled blinks]]. Eventually you will max out Conjurations, Fire Magic and Spellcasting, and can resume Fighting training.

Progression generally follows the [[Walkthrough]]. With appropriate resistances, healthy caution and a bit of luck you will be able to take on everything the game has to offer, including entire [[Ziggurat]]s, the hardest challenges being the [[Tomb]] and [[Cerebov]]. For clearing the Tomb you may wish to either switch to Kiku (incurring Vehumet's wrath) or learn high level [[Summonings]] (which will still leave you having to soak plenty of punishment in congested areas).

[[Category:Character guides]]

Control Undead

2014-07-16T06:06:38Z

WigglingFerns:

{{Spell
|name=Control Undead
|level=4
|school1={{Necromancy}}
|school2=
|school3=
|sources=<div>
* [[Book of Necromancy]]
* [[Book of Unlife]]
* [[Book of Control]]
</div>
|castingnoise=3
|spellnoise=0
}}

{{Flavour|This spell attempts to enslave any undead in the vicinity of the caster.}}

'''Control Undead''' is a level 4 [[Necromancy]] spell, which causes all nearby [[undead]] to be affected as if by [[enslavement]]. Being a mass enchantment, it has a +50% bonus to the final spellpower, which makes this spell much more effective than enslavement. The effect is temporary, and can be shrugged off by [[magic resistance]].

==History==
Prior to [[0.10]], Control Undead was a level 5 Hexes-Necromancy spell.

ARCHIVED Vigrid's Hill Orc Fighter Guide

2014-07-09T18:07:03Z

WigglingFerns: /* Gods */

{{Character guide}}
{{version013}}

A [[Hill Orc]] [[Fighter]] is listed in the "builds for beginners" section of the wiki. While it's true that playing a melee-centric Hill Orc is much simpler and easier than most builds, there's something the wiki doesn't tell you: punching your way through your problems will only get you so far. In the end, you need to be just as strategic with your decisions as every other build.

Which is why I wrote this guide: to help your orc carve its bloody path through the underworld to get to the Orb of Zot.

==Strategy==
===Skills===
'''Things that should be maxed out''':

*Fighting. Fighting gives you HP. HP directly translates into survivability for any melee character. You are, primarily, a melee character. Focus it.
*Your primary weapon skill. Focus it until you reach the max [[weapon speed]] for your weapon of choice, then leave it on. Even after your weapon speed's been maximized, weapon skill will still scale up your damage. Damage is good.
*Armour. With a high armour skill, your armour becomes less encumbering, making you more accurate and a bit lighter on your feet.

'''Things that are recommended''':

*A ranged weapon skill, any kind. You're likely to get Throwing, but hold out for a bow. It scales very well with your skills. Go to 7 if you don't want any ammunition from Trog or Okawaru, and go no higher than ten.
*Shields. Shields add an extra layer of protection to your character, although wearing a shield does take away a few good weapon choices (triple swords and the best variety of axes). Train until around ten.
*Short Blades, Maces & Flails or Polearms. Assuming you aren't using any of these as your main weapon, both are good in circumstances where slashing damage can be catastrophic, (cough hydra cough) or, if you're a big fan of [[cleaving]], in situations where you're better off dealing with an enemy piecemeal. In either case, only level the weapon's skill up to its minimum delay.
*Evocations. Evocations is very, very, very highly recommended, especially since most magical skills are too mediocre to bother with. A good collection of wands, rings, and amulets will make up for the versatility you'd lose by foregoing magic.
*Invocations. Invocations are good for most gods' abilities, and essential for some gods (here's looking at you, Makhleb). You rarely have to put much into it, however. Put in enough to bring your abilities' failure rates into the single digits, then turn the skill off.

'''Options that aren't recommended, but are optional''':

*Most Magic Skills. Chances are, you won't get very far in any of the schools, due to your mediocre aptitudes and very low Spellcasting aptitude. Find a few choice ones, like [[Regeneration]] or [[Shroud of Golubria]], and get those to low failure rates before turning off the skills.
*Stealth. Stealth is not really conducive to a heavily armoured fighter's strategy. Even if you do decide to build into it, you'd have to sacrifice some/a lot of protection before it's effective.
*Evasion. Much like stealth, evasion is hampered by all of the best armors you can get.

===Stats===
For this character, the lion's share of stat points should go into Strength. Dexterity should be added every other time, until it's around 13-15. Only add to intelligence if you're going for a hybrid build, and cap it before 12.

===Gods===
There are a large variety of gods in Dungeon Crawl, but there are a few in particular your character will want to choose between.

*[[Trog]] - Trog gives some of the best weapons in the game, and the first two abilities he gives you cost a relatively small amount of food and no piety. Burning spellbooks even increases your piety, along with effectively giving you a fiery landmine. However, if you choose Trog, you're effectively cutting out magic from your repertoire until you abandon him, and he doesn't give you the armor that Okawaru grants.
*[[Okawaru]] - Okawaru's gifts and skill bonus, as well as Finesse, are all worthwhile. But there really isn't much in terms of support that Okawaru provides, outside of his two passives and the gear he drops. It's often a good decision to stick with him until you have a good pick of weapons and armor, and drop him afterwards.
*[[Makhleb]] - Health on kills, piety-powered destructive blasts and the ability to summon demons. Makhleb makes up for your lack of magic, and can even supplant the need for ranged weapons. The main downsides are the fact that his summons have a chance to turn hostile, and the lack of any endowments.
*[[Beogh]] - Beogh is an odd duck. He gives you Smite which, while not obscenely powerful, will hit pretty much anything at full damage. He gives heavy bonuses to orcish weapons and armor, which can give plate mail protection comparable to crystal plate mail with a lower encumbrance, and orcish variants exist of nearly every weapon. And he gives you the chance to gain orcish minions, which is itself a double-edged sword, since they will often block you from engaging your foes in melee, but do provide a very nice meat shield. The main problem comes with actually reaching him, and building up enough piety that he becomes useful, since his gear bonuses are relatively low to start and Smite doesn't unlock until ** Piety.

To summarize: if you run into an altar to Trog, Okawaru, or Makhleb before the Temple, join up immediately. If you want to go through the game with Beogh, avoid killing all the enemies and skim across the floors until you find an [[orc priest]], then work your way through the previous levels. Otherwise, wait until you reach a temple.

In the late game, switching to The Shining One is advised, especially if you're're going for more than 3 runes. Most of your enemies will be demonic by that point.

===Strategy Overview===

*''Know thy enemy''. Examine every foe you encounter. If they look dangerous, they probably are, and you shouldn't wade into an entire horde of them. Anything the game doesn't tell you, the wiki is more than happy to divulge.
*''Blink is your friend''. Getting scrolls of blink or teleport control is a very, very good thing. The ability to make a controlled blink, either right next to a particularly nasty wizard or right outside of the combat zone, is valuable. Try your best to not waste any scrolls, and if you're going to get any Translocations at all, get Blink.
*''Soften up hard targets''. Trolls, giants, any highly-competent melee combatant should be smacked at range before they get too close for comfort. Never engage them in straight melee.
*''Better them than you''. If you have allies, such as a summons or Beogh's army, generally you want them to take hits for you, or at the very least, distract the weaker enemies while you mop up the rest. The game will continue if they're dead. It'll stop if you're dead.
*''Items are the best''. If you have less than 5 varieties of scroll, wand, ring, amulet and potion on your person, chances are you're woefully under-prepared for the challenges ahead.

===Additional Reading===

Other than these points, stick to the [[Walkthrough]], and . Both of these guides will take you far, but in the end, only a good deal of skill and a little luck will get you to the end of the game.

ARCHIVED Vigrid's Hill Orc Fighter Guide

2014-07-09T18:01:02Z

WigglingFerns: /* Gods */ add [[]] links

{{Character guide}}
{{version013}}

A [[Hill Orc]] [[Fighter]] is listed in the "builds for beginners" section of the wiki. While it's true that playing a melee-centric Hill Orc is much simpler and easier than most builds, there's something the wiki doesn't tell you: punching your way through your problems will only get you so far. In the end, you need to be just as strategic with your decisions as every other build.

Which is why I wrote this guide: to help your orc carve its bloody path through the underworld to get to the Orb of Zot.

==Strategy==
===Skills===
'''Things that should be maxed out''':

*Fighting. Fighting gives you HP. HP directly translates into survivability for any melee character. You are, primarily, a melee character. Focus it.
*Your primary weapon skill. Focus it until you reach the max [[weapon speed]] for your weapon of choice, then leave it on. Even after your weapon speed's been maximized, weapon skill will still scale up your damage. Damage is good.
*Armour. With a high armour skill, your armour becomes less encumbering, making you more accurate and a bit lighter on your feet.

'''Things that are recommended''':

*A ranged weapon skill, any kind. You're likely to get Throwing, but hold out for a bow. It scales very well with your skills. Go to 7 if you don't want any ammunition from Trog or Okawaru, and go no higher than ten.
*Shields. Shields add an extra layer of protection to your character, although wearing a shield does take away a few good weapon choices (triple swords and the best variety of axes). Train until around ten.
*Short Blades, Maces & Flails or Polearms. Assuming you aren't using any of these as your main weapon, both are good in circumstances where slashing damage can be catastrophic, (cough hydra cough) or, if you're a big fan of [[cleaving]], in situations where you're better off dealing with an enemy piecemeal. In either case, only level the weapon's skill up to its minimum delay.
*Evocations. Evocations is very, very, very highly recommended, especially since most magical skills are too mediocre to bother with. A good collection of wands, rings, and amulets will make up for the versatility you'd lose by foregoing magic.
*Invocations. Invocations are good for most gods' abilities, and essential for some gods (here's looking at you, Makhleb). You rarely have to put much into it, however. Put in enough to bring your abilities' failure rates into the single digits, then turn the skill off.

'''Options that aren't recommended, but are optional''':

*Most Magic Skills. Chances are, you won't get very far in any of the schools, due to your mediocre aptitudes and very low Spellcasting aptitude. Find a few choice ones, like [[Regeneration]] or [[Shroud of Golubria]], and get those to low failure rates before turning off the skills.
*Stealth. Stealth is not really conducive to a heavily armoured fighter's strategy. Even if you do decide to build into it, you'd have to sacrifice some/a lot of protection before it's effective.
*Evasion. Much like stealth, evasion is hampered by all of the best armors you can get.

===Stats===
For this character, the lion's share of stat points should go into Strength. Dexterity should be added every other time, until it's around 13-15. Only add to intelligence if you're going for a hybrid build, and cap it before 12.

===Gods===
There are a large variety of gods in Dungeon Crawl, but there are a few in particular your character will want to choose between.

*[[Trog]] - Trog gives some of the best weapons in the game, and the first two abilities he gives you cost a relatively small amount of food and no piety. Burning spellbooks even increases your piety, along with effectively giving you a fiery landmine. However, if you choose Trog, you're effectively cutting out magic from your repertoire until you abandon him, and he doesn't give you the armor that Okawaru grants.
*[[Okawaru]] - Okawaru's gifts and skill bonus, as well as Finesse, are all worthwhile. But there really isn't much in terms of support that Okawaru provides, outside of his two passives and the gear he drops. It's often a good decision to stick with him until you have a good pick of weapons and armor, and drop him afterwards.
*[[Makhleb]] - Health on kills, piety-powered destructive blasts and the ability to summon demons. Makhleb makes up for your lack of magic, and can even supplant the need for ranged weapons. The main downsides are the fact that his summons have a chance to turn hostile, and the lack of any endowments.
*[[Beogh]] - Beogh is an odd duck. He gives you Smite which, while not obscenely powerful, will hit pretty much anything at full damage. He gives heavy bonuses to orcish weapons and armor, which can give plate mail protection comparable to crystal plate mail with a lower encumbrance, and orcish variants exist of nearly every weapon. And he gives you the chance to gain orcish minions, which is itself a double-edged sword, since they will often block you from engaging your foes in melee, but do provide a very nice meat shield. The main problem comes with actually reaching him, and building up enough piety that he becomes useful, since his gear bonuses are relatively low to start and Smite doesn't unlock until ** Piety.

To summarize: if you run into an altar to Trog, Okawaru, or Makhleb before the Temple, join up immediately. If you want to go through the game with Beogh, avoid killing all the enemies and skim across the floors until you find an orc priest, then work your way through the previous levels. Otherwise, wait until you reach a temple.

In the late game, switching to The Shining One is advised, especially if you're're going for more than 3 runes. Most of your enemies will be demonic by that point.

===Strategy Overview===

*''Know thy enemy''. Examine every foe you encounter. If they look dangerous, they probably are, and you shouldn't wade into an entire horde of them. Anything the game doesn't tell you, the wiki is more than happy to divulge.
*''Blink is your friend''. Getting scrolls of blink or teleport control is a very, very good thing. The ability to make a controlled blink, either right next to a particularly nasty wizard or right outside of the combat zone, is valuable. Try your best to not waste any scrolls, and if you're going to get any Translocations at all, get Blink.
*''Soften up hard targets''. Trolls, giants, any highly-competent melee combatant should be smacked at range before they get too close for comfort. Never engage them in straight melee.
*''Better them than you''. If you have allies, such as a summons or Beogh's army, generally you want them to take hits for you, or at the very least, distract the weaker enemies while you mop up the rest. The game will continue if they're dead. It'll stop if you're dead.
*''Items are the best''. If you have less than 5 varieties of scroll, wand, ring, amulet and potion on your person, chances are you're woefully under-prepared for the challenges ahead.

===Additional Reading===

Other than these points, stick to the [[Walkthrough]], and . Both of these guides will take you far, but in the end, only a good deal of skill and a little luck will get you to the end of the game.