Interesting story...my possessor in the Halls of Mandos managed to find an Ent kicking around and followed him around. Sat back and watched him pummel a Marilith, which I then possessed. And I had a Defender and a sentient dagger to try out. Sweet.
Here's the kicker, though...also managed to collect several scrolls of Summon Never-Moving Pet, and (after three molds) managed to get a Master Q out of the deal! After pumping 12 quick points into lormastery, I made him my companion, and he summoned a bunch of nasties to take out a bunch of dragons. Sorting through the corpses, I find a GWoP! Special thanks go out to the RNG for falling asleep and not noticing me.
Here's the dilemma, though: I dunno whether to boost weaponmastery and stick with the Marilith (and potentially Da Watcha in da Wata), or to get Barehand from FF and boost that in my GWoP. Narthanc is not too powerful yet (nor will it be in the future, if RNG wakes up). I know this has been debated several times before in many threads, but I need expert opinions on this situation in particular. I've never seen so much potential with one char before (since many of mine end up in the ground by clvl 20 or so) and I wanna take it slow and plan ahead.
Course, I might also find DarkGod...
"Consummate V's! I SAID CONSUMMATE! Sheesh! You wouldn't know majesty if it came up and bit you in the face!" - SB
Arguments could be made either way as to whether the Watcher or a Greater Wyrm of Power is the better body in the long run, but i suppose your concern is staying alive in th short run.
Two ways to look at it:
1)Spend those points on weaponmastery right away. More damage now means better chances to live, and right now the marilith with a few weapons and some points in both Combat and Weaponmastery is going to hit a lot more often and do a lot more damage than a GWoP with points in Combat only and no Barehanded. If you want to go barehanded, you'll want to keep those points in reserve until you have the .5 modifer, but it would be sad to die before you ever had the chance.
2) With a Master Quylthulg summoning for you, you don't need to do any damage. You just need to stay alive. Three times as many hit points, and more innate resistances, your odds of not dying are a lot better in the GWoP. You won't be spending those points on barehanded anytime soon, so you can bide your time and wait to decide until you know for sure that you'll get the Watcher's corpse, or .5 barehanded, or both.
Personally, I'd lean towards #2, but my summoners tend to have pets turn on them, so i don't like depending on them. Plus, as Lord Dimwit says, "hit pionts keep you alive." Though, I suppose I would also consider resistance coverage. Even though the GWoP has more naturally, it might be easier to fill the holes with a Marilith. Though...if it came down to something like "1000hp and resist everything," with a marilith or "2000hp and resist everything except nexus" with the GWoP I'd probably still take the Wyrm.
How high were you planning on taking Corpse preservation? Thinking long-term, if you don't actually get the Watcher's body, I'd almost always take the Wyrm over a kraken or a Maralith.
as a possessor, go for the hands, if you were a lore-master I would go for the bare-handed GWoP, only because it can get you ancalagon, who is even more powerful! but if you're a possessor, stick with weaponmastery.
Eyes burning, reaction rate diminished, vocabulary deteriorating...you have just been infected with the TOME addiction bug causing you to stay up to the wee hours of the morning playing this great game!
Good point...but how much more powerful is Ancalagon? Is there an HP boost over what the Wyrm gives me? I'm assuming he's got similar powers in the "call for your kids" department...and what about Glaurung? I would imagine that the Father of the Dragons would be infinitely more powerful than anything across the board.
I guess I'm just a little wary of Unique dragons. I possessed Smaug a while back and was disappointed. Not a huge HP bonus, powers paling in comparison to GWoP, etc. Can I expect similar results from the others?
"Consummate V's! I SAID CONSUMMATE! Sheesh! You wouldn't know majesty if it came up and bit you in the face!" - SB
well, here is a dump with Ancalagon I don't have one with a GWoP anymore, anyway, he can breathe and summon for massive destruction. Made the game relatively easy really.
Eyes burning, reaction rate diminished, vocabulary deteriorating...you have just been infected with the TOME addiction bug causing you to stay up to the wee hours of the morning playing this great game!
Just today I battled all three of those dragons mentioned above. Smaug was child's play, Glaurung was.. like some other wyrm, but Ancalagon.. sheesh! That reptile sure was tough. I'd go with A if I had to pick one of those 3.
Of course everyone remembers their run-ins with those dragons, but I just had to say that cause I had just met 'em.
Stronk is a potent combatant with a terrifying appearance.
Smaug
a) 1 Breathe Fire
b) 3 Cause Critical Wounds
c) 1 Confusion
Ancient Multi-Hued Dragon
a) 1 Breathe Acid
b) 1 Breathe Lightning
c) 1 Breathe Fire
d) 1 Breathe Cold
e) 1 Breathe Poison
f) 1 Scare
g) 1 Blindnses
h) 1 Confusion
Glaurung, Father of all Dragons
a) 1 Breathe Fire
b) 1 Breathe Poison
c) 3 Breathe Sound
d) 1 Scare
e) 1 Blindness
f) 1 Confusion
g) 9 Summon High Dragon
Ancalagon the Black
a) 1 Breathe Acid
b) 1 Breathe Fire
c) 3 Breathe Time
d) 3 Breathe Force
e) 4 Breathe Disintegration
f) 8 Summon Kin
g) 9 Summon High Dragon
Greater Wyrm of Power
a) 1 Breathe Acid
b) 1 Breathe Lightning
c) 1 Breathe Fire
d) 1 Breathe Cold
e) 1 Breathe Poison
f) 3 Breathe Nether
g) 2 Breathe Light
h) 2 Breathe Dark
i) 1 Breathe Confusion
j) 3 Breathe Sound
k) 3 Breathe Chaos
l) 3 Breathe Disenchantment
m) 3 Breathe Nexus
n) 3 Breathe Time
o) 3 Breathe Inertia
p) 3 Breathe Gravity
q) 3 Breathe Shards
r) 3 Breathe Plamsa
s) 3 Breathe Force
t) 4 Breathe Mana
u) 4 Breathe Nuke
v) 4 Breathe Disintegration
w) 8 Summon Kin
x) 7 Summon Dragon
y) 9 Summon High Dragon
And innate powers/resistances:
Glaurung, Father of all Dragons
Resist: Fire and Poison
Other: Levitation
Smaug, the Golden
Resist: Fire
Other: Reflection, Levitation
Ancalagon the Black
Resist: Base4, Poison and Confusion
Other: Levitation
Greater Wyrm of Power
Resist: Base4, Poison, Confusion, Nether, Nexus, Disenchantment
Other: Reflection, Free action, Levitate, Aura Fire, Aura Electricity
Summary
So...Smaug is only barely better than an AMHD, and even then, only if you have the right equipment. I can easily see taking an AHMD over Smaug.
Glaurung is much better than either of them, but sorely lacking in resistances.
A GWoP a easily better than any of the previous three, hands down, in every way.
Ancalagon has half again more hit points, and 10 more speed than a GWoP, but is a bit lacking is resistances which you'll need equipment to make up for. I can see choosing a GWoP over Ancalagon because of resistance holes, but the choice might be t ough.
nice job lord Bucket! taking all that time to find out that info!
and yes, mckelly, that should be with a 50 in possession, your hp would be considerably less if you didn't have 50.
Eyes burning, reaction rate diminished, vocabulary deteriorating...you have just been infected with the TOME addiction bug causing you to stay up to the wee hours of the morning playing this great game!
Special thanks go out to the RNG for falling asleep and not noticing me.