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[guessingo]

other than identify scrolls what do you do for ID purposes? i am having alot of trouble getting anywhere in this game. go down a few levels and then dead. tried several race/class combos from the wiki.

[Mr Space Cat]

One thing I do that sorta helps in early game is (i)nscribing on unidentified scrolls/potions what floor I first found it on. for example, a scroll would be (i)nscribed "DL:1" if found on level 1. This helps me to determine what scrolls or potions are more likely to be helpful than other un-ID consumables.

This follows the logic that generally, the game will give you a collection of ID and remove curse scrolls, as well as potions of curing or healing. Most of the time, you wouldn't get a scroll of immolation on DL:1. Usually. After I get down a couple levels, usually around DL:5 or whenever I have a bunch of scrolls, then I start reading them, starting from the single scrolls found deepest down and going up. That way, if I id a curse scroll of some kind then I could potentially remove it when I id the remove curse scrolls.

This system may not work at all in realty, but it's at least slightly better than collecting tons of un-id scrolls and potions and then having to pick one at random when you're in a pinch.

Helpful tip is that when you have more than 5 scrolls of some kind it will probably be an id or remove curse scroll.

[tompliss]

yeap, about that, when I begin to get a little stock or potions and/or scrolls, or just evaded a hard situation (go up the stairs to escape a bunch of ennemies you don't know whether you can beat), I tend to try and ID things.
Usually, it's when I have around 10 or so potions and the  same for scrolls.
For potions, the most common seems to be Curing, so if you have a stock much higher than the others, it is "safe" to assume they're "Curing". However, this doesn't mean you should always use-to-ID them right away : I usually try a couple other potions, the ones for which I have more than 2 potions (but the 2 highest stocks), at first (to be able to use them, afterwards). If you find "Hea Wounds" in those, I try the second highest too (as that's usually them). If I find "Curing", I try the highest too.
For scrolls, it's nearly the same, but with "Identify" and "Remove curse" as the 2 most commons. Thing is, you may want to try a few ID-scrolls on your wands/rings/glowing items, depending on your situation.
I also try to use-to-ID the wands on weak monsters when they are alone, with a wall behind, and not all they're HP. this will ID any defensive wand and any offensive that was not resisted. You may want to inscribe (or simply remember) that the "tried" (but resisted) wands are offensive ones.

[monk12]

Helpful tip is that when you have more than 5 scrolls of some kind it will probably be an id or remove curse scroll.

This is usually what I go with, assuming I'm not in a situation where I had to panic-read scrolls earlier to figure things out. ID, Remove Curse, and Teleportation are all very common scrolls, and none of them have bad effects (provided you don't try reading that Tele scroll on an unexplored floor, anyway.)

As tompliss mentioned, Curing is far and away the most common potion unless the RNG is really giving you the finger.

[Delta Foxtrot]

Considering how plentiful RemoveCurse scrolls are, I usually wear ID jewellery and equipment. Once you have a small pile of stuff, find a quiet place and put them all on. Even if all of them were cursed you can uncurse them with a single scroll. Merely handy if you find stuff like gourmand, or potentially game winning if you find highly enchanted slaying equipment.

[Leafsnail]

The only non-artifact jewellery that could potentially be bad to wear-ID if you have remove curse is the Amulet of Faith, and even that is usually desirable.  Artifacts can do bad things though.

[Akhier the Dragon hearted]

I am apparently a saint

[guessingo]

is there an ability to throw potions? in Adom you can chuck potions at mobs and use that to ID them based on what they do.

[Rex_Nex]

No. There used to be an evaporate spell that did something similar, but you can't throw potions. Use ID scrolls, at least until you identify the major potions (curing, heal wounds, cure mut, mut, strong poison {if you dont have some curing ID'd already}). I tend to ID all of the potions, but chugging them in a safe place after you've got mut ID'd isn't exactly dangerous.

[monk12]

Your orc throws an uncursed orcish hand axe.
 The uncursed orcish hand axe hits the giant spore.
 The giant spore explodes!
 A fungus suddenly grows.
 The explosion of spores engulfs the ballistomycete.
 A fungus suddenly grows.
 The explosion of spores engulfs the ballistomycete.
 Bogric appears confused.
 The explosion of spores engulfs Bogric.
 Bogric dies!
 Your orc priest shouts, "Fear not, monk12! Beogh smiles on those who fall in battle!"
 You offer a prayer to Beogh.
 The orc corpse of Bogric slowly crumbles into the ground.
 Beogh is exalted by your worship.

... I need to get the Orb of Zot now. Your death shall not have been in vain, Bogric!

[Mr Space Cat]

So skalds got reworked in 0.13 Much more capable of surviving past early game. They can buff themselves with Song of Slaying so each kill grants bonuses, conjure a duplicate weapon of what they're wielding to fight with them, and buff their damage by spending 1 MP with every swing. All spells in the spellbook use charms, letting you train a single school to get most spells running well, and act as a gateway towards haste.

Axes are useful, cleaving combined with slaying and imbue lets you potentially kill a bunch of enemies in one swing, meaning you spend less mp and get more slay buffs during one song. Imagine a skald of Okawaru with an executioner's axe, heroism, finesse, haste, and song of slaying fighting a swarm of dudes. It'd be like a whirlwind of carnage that just gets stronger the more you kill. Fun times.

Also a thing to note with Ok is that your spirit weapon dying will not trigger penalties. That's useful.

Testing in Trunk, lava orcs work really well as skalds, their heat aura combined with axes gives a huge area of damage. Kills from heat add to slaying, giving another method of killing everything quickly.

[Leafsnail]

I'd have to disagree about Song of Slaying, that spell is a death trap.  It attracts all of the monsters.

[Mr Space Cat]

Not really. I only use it when it's really gonna be helpful, like if I run into a yak pack or orc pack with several priests and wizards. When there's already a bunch of enemies boring down on you there's really no reason to try and stay quiet. That way, if more monsters do show up, you already got the bonuses from killing the last pack.

Maybe in the later levels when monster density is higher it's dangerous, but in early game it's pretty useful. Compared to the previous skald book of spells, it's waaaay more useful. If you want to stay quiet, then use imbue or heroism or conjure weapon instead.

[freeformschooler]

Does Song of Slaying last longer than Infusion? When I do both at once, I notice infusion running out about halfway through a big pack of monsters.

[Mr Space Cat]

I assume it's based on your charms skill. I dunno if one lasts longer than the other. Infusion's length is less important than Slaying anyway, since if you run out of MP infusion's buff is worthless. With Slaying, once it runs out of time any bonuses from killing mobs are gone. Hence why it encourages killing quickly.

Skalds are still pretty hard to get going. Out of all the skalds I've splat so far, the best one (Lava Orc) only got to Lair:3 due to finding the Glaive of the Guard to carry him for a while. All the other ones I've tried get murdered by a unique or a player ghost.