ARCHIVED BlueCrake`s VSTr of Ash guide
A Guide on Transmutive Stalkers and the Curse
This is a guide for Vine Stalker Transmuters going for Ashenzari as a god. Other options will be discussed, but the guide mainly focuses on the peculiar details of this specific build.
Contents
Starting Options
You can skip this part if you just want to follow the guide. Read it if you want to learn about similar options.
Races
Merfolk
Great aptitude for transmuting, UC and Dodging, the ability to cross water and balanced stats make merfolk one of the easiest picks with a transmuter.
Draconians
Biting and Tailslapping opponents around is generally awesome for UC. A strong breath attack later on helps with problematic situations during the midgame. Draconians also have high AC through their scales and enjoy a slightly greater Dragon Form.
Demonspawn
Despite their lack of aptitudes Demonspawn make great transmuters during the mid and engame, when their own mutations start to stack up. Most of these mutations are not supressed by changes in form gaining them some unique advantages.
Other
Spriggan have good aptitudes but lack hp. One can always play a human. Vampires have nice aptitudes but have problems staying well-fed enough for transmutations. Naga are slow and already have See Invisible so they`ll be better off with cheibriados.
Vine Stalkers
Mediocre Aptitudes and a lack of HP make Vine Stalkers seem like an even worse choice than spriggans. But this race has some unique advantages
- Regeneration 1 (upgrade to Regeneration 2 at level 6 and Regeneration 3 at level 12.); the effect is noticeable from the start, but at level 12 you will gain around 1 HP per action. This makes attrition from groups of enemies (orc and yaks in the beginning draconians and demonspawn later) much less of a problem.
- Permanent Spirit shield helps to offset your low HP; What were you going to do with that MP anyway? During a usual fight you won`t need more than one or two forms. (MP regenerate in addition to your normal hitpoints meaning your effective regeneration is even higher.)
- Fangs 2 (upgrade to 3 at level 8) an auxilary attack that starts on par with draconian tail-slaps and only gets stronger. Can be used to kill even Tier-2 demons, though you shouldn`t try this.
- And an Antimagic Bite that gains you MP. The more damage your bite dealt and the more MP you were missing the more you gain. Vine stalkers are the true vampires of crawl! Gaining life by biting things is nice in general, but do not rely on it to get you out of bad situations.
- Also the bite works like it has the antimagic brand. Those high end casters just lost a lot of their deadliness, even if they falter only once or twice that will net you time to land those important hits.
- Rotting resistance; kind of a niche, but makes fighting ghouls and plaque shamblers easier. Also prevents you from loosing max HP (Which is good cause you can`t use normal means to regain them)
- No HP from potions or wands; kind of bad, but usually you should avoid situations where you have to rely on these anyway. (Barring the very early game where your regeneration achives much of to the sam effect) Potions of Magic will add as much to your resilence as a potion of heal wounds for other characters. Keep one or more on your person if possible.
Races
Transmuter
The obvious choice start with your book and all the forms you need for the dungeon, lair and orc. If you have particularly bad luck Blade hands and Ice form can carry you all the way through Zot.
Monk
Gain a headstart in killing things barehanded (or is is bare-vined?) and in Ashenzari piety, but you have to rely on luck to find the transmutations that are vital for your build. Though you can just go for an unarmed medium-heavy armour fighter if no suitable books turn up.
Other
One can build a Transmuter out of most backgrounds as you will generally need all stats and all skills aside from the weapon skills. It is generally a waste of XP to start as something else as monk or transmuter for this build, but should your wizard happen upon some early book of changes and no conjurations at all by all means turn your build around and go with it. (Use your own judgement)
Gods
Okawaru
Heroism and Finesse are great. Gifts are mostly useless as they`ll be either weapons or (mostly) useless armour. Not that Heroism and Haste won`t stack with UC on highest levels, though this will be more of a luxus issue by the time you are able to get both.
Makhleb
Gain ranged attacks and demonic reinforcements, also health on kills. Very nice for all those midgame branch ends. The HP on kills is a bit overkill, Vine Stalkers have problems with max HP and being one shot-ed, not with attrition.
TSO
Gain effectively See invis, more Accuracy and protection from negative energy. Also Cleansing Flame and Holy allys for your extended killing sprees. On the downside you will lose most of your stealth as well as the option to use such nice things as Necromutation and Regeneration. Makes for a nice switch from Makhleb or Oka as noted in his/her page.
Cheibriados
Great Invocations including slowing opponent, irresistible damage on every opponent in LOS and a ok escape ability. Also adds lots of stats to your character, which will translate into easier spellcasting, monstrous damage and better evasion. The slowed movement and the ban on being hasty is quite detrimental to this build though. If you find yourself with acess to reliable translocations early (Teleport control+blink/teleport rings; Controlled blink) you might want to give chei a try.
Jiyva
Theoretically the god of transmuting, but his/her altar appears much to late and unreliable.
Other
Many of the other gods can be quite useful for a transmuter; do not pick Trog or Zin though.
Ashenzari
Ash has some major and some minor things going for her/him:
- Skill boosts for cursed gear (Awesome)
- See invis and Clarity (Great)
- Identify Foo (Nice but more of a luxury)
- Detect Opponents at range (Huge)
- Scrying (seldom usefull, but when it is, it`s generally life-saving.)
- Transfer knowledge (I can not see any real use for this with the new XP-system.)
Ash is rather passive in his/her demands as well as in her/his boosts. No need (or option) to train Invocations, no restrictions in behaviour.
The idea behind picking Ash was, the general magical boost one gains by being fully bound in jewellery. This allows to have a skill trained to 5 be effectively at 10 on high piety. This allows you to spread your experience over all the magical skills you will need as an Transmuter and still get enough out of that levelwise. (The skillboost is retained when the equipment is melded)
Detecting opponents will allow you to recover in dangerous areas by avoiding opponents (mostly). Knowing the exact location and number of your opponent before the battle starts will also allow you to position yourself much better for the ensuing slaughter.
Add 2 free and important intrinsics (both of wich Vine Stalkers lack) and pile the free identification on top and you have a great deity to worship.
--BlueCrake (talk) 04:19, 23 May 2014 (CEST) Work in progress
