Yesterday's Qud daily is really giving me an appreciation for flaming ray? Clairvoyance really works well with it; the jungle and flower fields are way easier to survive. Time dialation got me out of a very tense situation with maybe 2 dozen Naphtaali. And having night vision means I just get to smack things to pieces with a carbide zweihander...
It is really scary to be in crowded melee situations, even though my willpower bonus lets me flaming ray basically every seven turns. I gave up quills for poision sting tail since I wanted to go into long blades anyways (despite poor agility), because I just really want body armor for Bethesda Susa. I'm staying out of Golgotha until I have more shade oils because I know as soon as I see a chute crab or run into more than two oozes I'm going to be finished. I did manage to improve my reputation with girsh, so perhaps some caving stuff will be a good diversion.
