Advice on playing a Symbiant?

[Ithulta]

Some of the Loremaster subclasses look pretty weird but cool, so I've been playing around with them recently. Anybody have advice on playing a Symbiant? What kinda race and sub-race combinations would be good, and what should I aim for early on? Should I put some points into corpse-preservation and possession if I get a decent skill rate from a FF quest, etc.? I might also try one as a LostSoul, so advice about that would be good. On a side note, anyone ever gotten far with a mimic? There doesn't seem to be a whole lot on them.

[Derakon]

I haven't played either class, but here's my thoughts:

* Symbiants' big advantage is getting access to monster spells cheaply. Depending on how you take this, that either means lots of summoning (Master Quylthulgs are good), or finding a monster that has lots of attack spells (like a druj). Their secondary advantage is that their symbiants can take hits for them (more likely as your skill increases). You're still going to need to be able to kill things yourself to get to those endgame symbiants, though. That probably means pumping weaponmastery.

* Mimics are kinda weird. They have a lot of potential for power, because they have abilities that can give them extra equipment slots (arms and legs mimicry, for example); the problem is that when the mimicry runs out all the gear on those slots gets dumped on the floor. For obvious reasons you also can't travel when using these powers; unfortunately there's no way to turn them off prematurely, so you just have to wait for the timer to expire. I haven't played with the shapeshifting cloaks, so I can't comment on them.

In either case, I'd recommend going with a different class and picking up the relevant core skill (symbiosis, or mimicry) via Fumblefingers. Loremasters get crappy skill selections and don't learn any secondary abilities; compare them to, say, a Swordmaster, who starts with both Extra Max Blow abilities, Spread Blows, and excellent combat boosts.

Of course, you may consider Fumblefingers to be scummy. He certainly does screw with the concept of classes in general.

[Shoob]

when I play symbiants, I generally play lost souls, because you have a high chance of getting a good symbiant right off the bat.

you could also play a regular one and hope to get a death sword (you do have a store that sells the scrolls in town so that makes it easier.

keep in mind symbiants do NOT level when you are wearing them (imo they should), so a tactic I use is the pump up symbiosis and monster lore. then make a death sword a companion and then scum mountains and whatnot, leveling it up so it does decent damage. I guess you could also go to angband when you get your level high enough too and get better symbiants too.

basically symbiants are more cheese and less hack and slash (they let their summons do the dirty work). also if you have a symbiant on they wont attack unless you attack, and they wont cast spells either (unless you choose the spell). so stay back and let your minions fight... the hardest point of a symbiant is the last turn of mt. doom... I have died there multiple times because of breath weapons of my own summons. everything up to there is pretty easy (if you dont count dying multiple times because you didnt get the right symbiant)

[Derakon]

the hardest point of a symbiant is the last turn of mt. doom... I have died there multiple times because of breath weapons of my own summons.

Solution: wear the One Ring.

[Ithulta]

What happens if the uber-powerful symbiote you get as a lost soul breaks out of you hypnosis?

[Shoob]

What happens if the uber-powerful symbiote you get as a lost soul breaks out of you hypnosis?

if a monster breaks out of the hypnosis it can just melee you not use any of its powers... hence summoners are fine to wear.

normally I just let them summon (if they are summoners), and then hypnotize them as the summoners cant attack. (eye druj, and most Q's)

if it is a death mold switching places with the mold to bring it near a entrance and just rest if I am in an easily accessible room, and hope the death mold kills whatever and try to get to clvl 26 (so symbiosis gets to lvl 30), if nothing comes, hypnotize it and get it (dont wear it) and take it down.

anything else you are doomed with really, so just quit and restart.

[Shoob]

the hardest point of a symbiant is the last turn of mt. doom... I have died there multiple times because of breath weapons of my own summons.

Solution: wear the One Ring.

I dont think I have ever worn the one ring on purpose ... I just haven't felt like wearing the one ring and being evil.

[paboperfecto]

I dont think I have ever worn the one ring on purpose ... I just haven't felt like wearing the one ring and being evil.

If you wear the one ring and THEN go to mount doom....well, I guess you're a glutton for punishment.

[Ithulta]

Does the summon never-moving pet power have the exact same effect as the scroll?

[Shoob]

yes, except that it costs mana and has a fail chance

[Ithulta]

After many, many incarnations, my lostsoul symbiant finally made it out of the Halls of Mandos (actually my first lostsoul to do so). He clvl 42 right now (no god quests I suppose ). Any recommendations as to what dungeons I should go to?

EDIT:
I found a source of cold immunity (a few, actually) so I decided to dive down Helcaraxe and I've cleared out most of Galleon, but I've yet to find any kinda reward. Is there a reward for Galleon?

EDIT:
I checked the spoilers, answering my own question, and now I've spotted the reward, but I have no idea how to get it. It's surrounded by a bunch of permanent walls! The only way I spotted it was detection.

EDIT:
Never mind. Ho ho, bury it in an ice wall, huh. That took a while.

EDIT:
Gah! Stupid trap of curse weapon! No more Dragonbane .

[Deathmold LostSoul]

Anybody have advice on playing a Symbiant? What kinda race and sub-race combinations would be good, and what should I aim for early on? Should I put some points into corpse-preservation and possession if I get a decent skill rate from a FF quest, etc.?

Well, I tried once to put some point into Possession and got Great Byle Wyrm's body... and found out that this body have only 16 SP which is not enough to use powers of my Master Q symbiant. I guess it's possible to find a body with good HP and SP, but I don't really know who it might be. Greater Balrog?

[Yottle]

Possessing another body generally whacks your SP. You might try the Necromancer or Eol, if you can get them to leave a corpse. You could also wield a mage staff of mana to up your SP. If you are going with both Possession and Symbiosis you don't need a good weapon.