Two days ago I genned a 1050 year large-size world with 43.02.
Began a hammerdwarf: Bim Fieldapple
the Bread of Ales. I went with a full name before the RNG could inflict some sort monstrosity.
Again, I went with the RPish above avg STR/avg AGIL/above avg TOU/avg END/high RECUP/high DIS RES, etc, etc.
- Overall dwarven agility is comparatively so low, any attempt at initial improvement provides diminishing returns on a peasant.
[PHYS_ATT_RANGE:STRENGTH:450:950:1150:1250:1350:1550:2250]
[PHYS_ATT_RANGE:AGILITY:150:600:800:900:1000:1100:1500]
[PHYS_ATT_RANGE:TOUGHNESS:450:950:1150:1250:1350:1550:2250]
[MENT_ATT_RANGE:ANALYTICAL_ABILITY:450:950:1150:1250:1350:1550:2250]
[MENT_ATT_RANGE:FOCUS:700:1200:1400:1500:1600:1800:2500]
[MENT_ATT_RANGE:CREATIVITY:450:950:1150:1250:1350:1550:2250]
[MENT_ATT_RANGE:PATIENCE:450:950:1150:1250:1350:1550:2250]
[MENT_ATT_RANGE:MEMORY:450:950:1150:1250:1350:1550:2250]
[MENT_ATT_RANGE:SPATIAL_SENSE:700:1200:1400:1500:1600:1800:2500]
- Average dwarven endurance is the same as average human endurance. Also not worth improving. Easy enough to manage as is. Or to train.
- Mechanically, it's better to go with the STR/Toughness synergy.
- Temporary lung issues due to drinking occurred once last run on the Ud character due to the high disease resistance. On a character with above average disease resistance, the lung issues were much more frequent. Not a relevant issue mechanically, but I like the idea of a resilient, hardy adventurer, so high RECUP/high DIS RES fits in nicely. Sometimes role play trumps all else.
Bim started off as a peasant in a fortress. He went to the warehouse to swap out the bronze war hammer for silver, picked up iron chain leggings, a copper mail shirt, and a copper cap. For some reason he was also able to pick up an iron great axe. These were all of standard quality. The 1050 year history did increase the number of clothing masterworks. Bim elected to not load up on those. There was a masterwork suit of gorlak leather armor, but Bim couldn't bring himself to wear the skin of a sentient.
Bim stepped out of the ramp spiral in cavern level 1 and decided to work a very normal old school opening. Found a static 7 flow area to move swimming from novice to adequate under the safest conditions away from any trees or beneath the block highway to avoid the drowning status effect.
When I first began running cavern crawling dwarves, I had forgotten how the drowning mechanic worked, as the Mafol character from late March/early April needed to enter a vast water network dotted with trees. It sounds counterintuitive to adventuring, because adventure is about risk, but rogue run worlds prohibit savescumming and thus when no educated guess will suffice and there's no previous forum info, the cautious route is used. So I set up a brief test world. Drowning status functions differently depending on whether you're passing 10 ticks with the period button or are engaged in directional movement. I vaguely recall it's around 400-500 ticks if you're just waiting, but only 13 directional movements with an adequate swimmer skill and toughness at above average and endurance at average.
Both the Mafol and Ud characters went with a more organic attribute method as they simply chose to dedicate hunting time to pond grabbers and other watery denizens, often near trees, thus coming under the drowning status effect. This run however, I had Bim train more directly by swimming with the drowning status effect under the dwarven underground highway:
- Upon reach competent swimmer, endurance advanced from avg to ABV avg.
- 1/5 way after competent swimmer, toughness advanced from ABV avg to high.
- 1/5 way after skilled swimmer, endurance advances from ABV avg to high.
- No visible change at proficient swimmer while using drowning status effect.
Next up for Bim is some cavern level 1 slow travel, with sneak mode on so as to see the GCS before it sees him, first to level and also to have a look around to decide where to build. Bim does want to head down to cavern level 2 as there's different wood available there. Wouldn't want the bowyer's shop restricted to fungiwood and tower-cap bows.