So I started playing this, and I'm still pretty much a complete newb, as I am still learning a ton of what goes into surviving and how spells and all function. It is somewhat slow going because, although the wiki is helpful, its information is infrequently little more than what you can get out of the game itself - especially for spells. I guess I'm doing okay, clearing Lair:6 at level 13 with a deep dwarf necromancer of kiku, probably my fiftieth character.
Anyway, I had some question if you folks are amenable to helping out a newb:
Many necromancer spells say that Kiku appreciates their use, but I don't see any piety gains when I'm nuking things with, for example, bolt of draining - unless I or my minions kill them, anyway. Is the text flavor that was removed/bugged, or does it indirectly increase the piety from kills, if the spell lands the killing blow?
Do enemies dying indirectly (e.g. from traps, falling into deep water, but most especially killing each other or themselves when confused by Mephetic Cloud) provide experience, or is it only if you're directly responsible, e.g. your own attacks, minions, or poison?
What sort of spells should I be planning for down deep? I don't imagine my poison and draining spells would be particularly useful against demons. Physical/earth spells? Lightning? I imagine Bone Shards is physical damage, will it be sufficient late game? Does the size (weight?) of the skeleton you wield make a difference in its damage?