Advice requested for racial dwarf

Greetings r.g.r.n.,

My interest in Nethack waxes and wanes like the moon's phases, and I
think I'm regaining my passion now. After becoming addicted to the
excellent and also ASCII-based Dwarf Fortress by Bay 12 games, I've
been itching to play a dwarf in a more personal fashion. To this end I
plan to play a racial dwarf. I usually play Slash'Em, but I figure
general nethack advice would be good as well and frankly I need all
the help I can get.

There's three classes I could play (A, C and V), each with their good
and bad points, and three weapons I could focus on (dwarvish short
sword, spear and mattock), which are a little less balanced. Since
neither the short sword nor the spear are worth the weight they take
to carry, that leaves me with the dwarvish mattock, unfortunately
cutting me off from the dwarvish roundshield but at least affording me
some opportunity to cause damage. You'd think there'd be a dwarvish
artifact, hell, even the ORCS have an artifact for their weapons...

My weapon choice forces me into the Arch class, but I figure I can
pass myself off as a miner anyway. Even without the shield my AC
should be at least respectable and my mattock can hand out some pain.
With that in mind:

1. Would it be acceptable to wield a pickaxe until I can find a
mattock? I mean I know it doesn't have "dwarvish" in the name, but
does anyone else even WIELD the pickaxe among the monster population?

2. What pitfalls will I have to watch out for?

3. Any other advice for a nethack novice such as myself?

On 2008-02-06, Nick van Rjin <snikers000.RemoveThis@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Greetings r.g.r.n.,
>
> My interest in Nethack waxes and wanes like the moon's phases, and I
> think I'm regaining my passion now. After becoming addicted to the
> excellent and also ASCII-based Dwarf Fortress by Bay 12 games, I've
> been itching to play a dwarf in a more personal fashion. To this end I
> plan to play a racial dwarf. I usually play Slash'Em, but I figure
> general nethack advice would be good as well and frankly I need all
> the help I can get.
>
> There's three classes I could play (A, C and V), each with their good
> and bad points, and three weapons I could focus on (dwarvish short
> sword, spear and mattock), which are a little less balanced. Since
> neither the short sword nor the spear are worth the weight they take
> to carry, that leaves me with the dwarvish mattock, unfortunately
> cutting me off from the dwarvish roundshield but at least affording me
> some opportunity to cause damage. You'd think there'd be a dwarvish
> artifact, hell, even the ORCS have an artifact for their weapons...
>
> My weapon choice forces me into the Arch class, but I figure I can
> pass myself off as a miner anyway. Even without the shield my AC
> should be at least respectable and my mattock can hand out some pain.
> With that in mind:
>
> 1. Would it be acceptable to wield a pickaxe until I can find a
> mattock? I mean I know it doesn't have "dwarvish" in the name, but
> does anyone else even WIELD the pickaxe among the monster population?

You set the standards if you want to run a conduct that's not enforced by the
game. From the racial ascension posts I've seen in the past, I think having a
non-racial item is acceptable.

>
> 2. What pitfalls will I have to watch out for?
>

Biggest one that pops to mind is that a mattock is two handed. No shields,
and sticks to *both* hands if it catches a curse. That means you can't cast
spells or loot containers, and if you're in Gehennom, you're in Hell.

Dwarvish Mithril means no dragon scale. Um. Dwarvish Cloak? Ok, reflection
from amulet. MR from... er, Quest arti only. That's bad. Strike that, it's
.... challenging

> 3. Any other advice for a nethack novice such as myself?

Good luck.. Die and learn.

--
Justin Hiltscher