Ponderings on Unbelievers

[Lord Estraven]

Unbelievers are fun; there's no denying how cool it is to get that message about a skull druj's spell failing, or whatever. But they're also kind of a pain to play... Mostly because you have to carry tons of scrolls and potions to detect anything that isn't a trap. Either that or explore the dungeon inch by inch.

My solution: generalize the Trap Detection ability.

a) Allow it to be used at a lower level to start with.
b) Allow it to detect monsters of various sorts. Some ideas there:
- Start with detection of living creatures, which is what most low-level monsters are. If Unbelievers can sense the magic of traps, why not of living creatures?
- As the skill level increases, add detection of demons, undead, and nonliving monsters. (In game this can be explained as being due to the different nature of their magical auras.)

Unfortunately I'm wondering if this would make the game too easy and/or too bland. IMHO unbelievers do need some reliable detection ability for things other than traps, but they should also be unique in some way. Maybe the magical items that unbelievers can make use of could be further diminished to compensate for this?

[Yottle]

I think unbelievers are easy to play (at least once they get trap detection).

Magic mapping can be obtained from the Eol quest artifact. If I have looted a potion store I will have a stack of enlightenment potions for FF levels.

Telepathy allows detection of most monsters (since unbelievers are usually warriors, I don't worry about the occasional drolem popping up unexpectedly).

I usually carry the Glass Golem's headgear as a swap so that I don't have to worry about ID.

The only scrolls I have to carry are Recall and Satisfy Hunger. I always carry some sort of healing potions in addition to Enlightenment. That isn't much.

[AnonymousHero]

Just wondering... does ESP Nonliving detect vortices and drolems and such? (And can ESP Nonliving even be generated on any items? I don't think I've ever seen it in quite a few years of playing.)

[Lord Estraven]

I think unbelievers are easy to play (at least once they get trap detection).

Magic mapping can be obtained from the Eol quest artifact. If I have looted a potion store I will have a stack of enlightenment potions for FF levels.

Magic map isn't really my concern.

Telepathy allows detection of most monsters (since unbelievers are usually warriors, I don't worry about the occasional drolem popping up unexpectedly).

Telepathy isn't something you can get reliably though, AFAIK.

I usually carry the Glass Golem's headgear as a swap so that I don't have to worry about ID.

Stone of Lore also works and is guaranteed.