ToME: the Tales of Maj'Eyal

I'm confused. Why in the world would you want Chronomancy?

Foresight gives extra defense, and you can contingency time shield I guess.

If you are playing Roguelike you want something to 'save' you from accidents. That is unless you are very good at not making accidents.

I am not very good at not making accidents (so I like contingency and heroism and so on).

But shadowviel means you aren't in control of your character, and the reason people don't like it is because when you aren't controlling your character there can be accidents (if you are the type that doesn't have accidents).

So you get contingency.

Foresight is just a 'bonus'.

JM

With a PM I did TimeStop. I don't have TimeStop here, is TimeSheild obviously better than controlled phase shift?

JM
(I would not have my rogue like normal PM win without contingency)

Well, I have a Skeleton.

Done with 3/4 of the T2 dungeons but not the Fortress yet.

I have nice equipment, and Light is waiting for the lvl36 point (I got Temporal at 10 and will get Ambush at 20).

I am having a hard time getting enough mana to run Essence and still have mana left for Time Shield/etc. Should I start upping Will? I have found some very nice Str and Cun and Mag items... and the Eye.

Generics is really difficult, it looks like
Combat Training 5/0/5/0/0/5
Skeleton 4/5/5/5
Conveyance 5/1/0/0
Mobility 1/1/1/2
Light 1/1/1/5
Chronomancy 1/1/1/0

That is 56... and I might want to adjust some of the points to better use light. Hopefully I get some nice escorts (6 to go, so far have Light/Vitality/Arcane Eye (should have got Vision?)).

I am currently thinking about prodigies.

Not sure what to take: Tricks of the Trade? Worldly Knowledge? Eye of the Tiger? Swift Hands? Endless Woes? Unbreakable Will? Armor of Shadows?

What is different this time? A bit of luck, a bit of focusing on other things than Skeleton Generics, a bit of prep (I go in the shadows and put on time shield/rune of reflection before attacking usually).

JM

I forgot to link my character.
https://te4.org/characters/66232/tome/7 ... 2e828bb058

The bunny dungeon was pretty intense. Not to kill the boss, but to kill all the uniques/etc afterwards.

I really like being able to run away, stealth and run further... rest up and return.

I am about ready to start running shadowviel. Basically I want to have a little more mana first. Is it worth putting another 2-4 points into Will to get the mana? Or should I find some item that boosts Mana further? I am already running a light source that isn't ideal except it adds to my will.

I have finished all T2 dungeons. I need to get blood caller, which I intend to run with my ran dart (although I also have other good rings).

JM

So I think I have reached the point where Cornac would be stronger than Skeleton and am quickly reaching the point where Shalor would be stronger.

I actually almost died to an AM patrol (got to -36 health). Using Shadowviel saved me, the huge amount of darkness damage got through the enemies resists/shields, while I hadn't really made a dent (and got heavily injured) using flurry. I had originally thought I would use flurry primarily against strong opponents but shadowviel is in many ways better.

It can lead to accidents though. And it is hard to remember to run time shield and reflection rune before every shadowviel (sometimes I run just the rune, and have lost health a couple of times).

I can see that providence and contingency will be useful... I hope I can last the 4-10 levels until I get them.

The escaping, stealthing, healing and returning is really nice (despite the complaints I hear about stealth).

JM

https://te4.org/characters/66232/tome/7 ... 2e828bb058

Lorurand? Brodydurak? Spellblaze Shard? Crystalline Dwarves-Steel dagger?

What should I be using? It can be hard to tell.

JM

Decided to do the giant vault before facing the master. Tried Shadowviel... without contingency. Died to 1000 boulders...
.
JM

Mb its not best idea to use shadowveil on roguelike? Was using it after last category and with regen/heroism/shield prebuff. Its actually very fun skill once u can afford to safely use it. Heard that cauterize is good prodigy for roguelike.

I think at Nightmare is still ok... I think the problem I had was that you have to be careful about vaults and bet careful about what is in them... I wasn't.

I also don't think that skeleton is the best for >20 shadowviel shadow blade... I should be doing cornac or shalor next or maybe do something else for a bit.

JM

It has been a year since I posted? I have continued to play sometimes, but probably a lot less as I have a new addition to the house.

Recently I was playing a cornac SB. It went very well, I only died because I went into the crypt. I had been very strong on all the T2 dungeons and against zigur patrols. As usual I forgot to use the special (the time strings) which maybe could have saved me. My character:
https://te4.org/characters/66232/tome/e ... cf976c8f01

The key was an early Temporal for the time shield but no attempt at speed. I did get Chronomancy second, but I possibly should have done an inscription instead. I think Ambush at 20 is still right.

A problem with cornac and Chronomancy is that I didn't know where to put generics.

I also don't know how I would do a shalor. I think Temporal at 10 but still Ambush at 20?

I think next cornac might be:
Temporal
Light or Inscription
Ambush
Inscription or Chronomancy or Light
Chronomancy or Light.

JM

Level 10, Cornac. I have Chronomancy available. Do I stick with my earlier decision to do Inscription? Do I wait and look for Light (so I have something to do with my generics)? Do I decide to try Chronomancy again?

https://te4.org/characters/66232/tome/d ... 9c1f18341a

JM

Been playing recently. Mostly Orge SBs and Adventurers.

I tried a Shalore SB... and didn't die in the first dungeons (Well, I did once but had a Blood). My strategy has been to get Light, Temporal, Chronomancy and Ambush and possibly 1 extra inscription. (generally Light with a Prodigy). I think that I am a bit lucky with drops (2 randart daggers and a Rune of Reflection). I am level 20.

So... do I get an inscription for a nice 7 turn Heal or a 13 turn Movement? I currently have a 12 turn Wild (Physical), 15 turn Rune of Reflection and 27 turn Heroism. Currently, my only healing comes from Earth Beads and a Totem that I usually am not using (should I be?). I think that I probably need get Device Mastery next?

https://te4.org/characters/66232/tome/a ... 9dfd3dfcff

I failed my first Escort due to getting mobbed (despite being high level, it was on the return from defeating the boss... level 2?) and have only had two Escorts, so I am getting 8? in Dreadfall?

I also need to do Essence of Speed, I have held off due to not enough Willpower.

So my big question (and I will try to hold off for a couple of days of playing to see if anyone has a good point), is what to do for the 20th Category Point?

Ambush? (the goal of the build is ShadowVeil with the idea of using Contingency to escape (and to have up Timeless, Heroism, Blade Furry, Grace, Providence))
Movement?
Heal?
Wait to see if I can get Chronomancy from an Escort in Dreadfall (I am probably not going straight to Dreadfall).


JM