DCSSYAAP: Erik the demigod transmuter

Erik the Demigod Sensei

This is my second ever DCSS ascension! For a while now I've been wanting to play a transmuter whose late game was all dragon form + haste. Success! Mostly when playing transmuters I play sludge elves, but every so often I throw in a demigod. The stat bonuses works well with transmuter combat spells, but the slow level gain usually means early game death.

This time, I happened across a staff of energy early on. This was huge, because it meant that I could cast blade hands indiscriminately without keeping an eye on my food supply. I found a spellbook with dragon form fairly early; the main difficulty was getting my skills to the point that I could cast it reliably. I wasn't there yet by the midgame, so I started clearing dungeon branches using blade hands and ice form (and pumping all my experience into transmutations and fire magic). Somewhere along the way I picked up agony (thanks, fulsome distillation, for training necromancy) so my standard tactic for picking off a big bad was to agonize them a couple times and then go in with blades (or ice) a-blazing. This was enough to finish off Swamp:5 and Shoals:5. Important lesson: I learned that running across the water in ice form was not nearly as fast or as safe as flying.

Between the Lair branches and the Vault I decided to clear Elf:5. I managed to get banished to the abyss twice by two deep elf sorcerers, but fortunately I had swiftness + flight and I was able to find my way out. Joke's on them: on my second visit I picked up the abyssal rune of Zot.

I finally got dragon form to "very good" (thanks to a ring of wizardry) before tackling Vault:8. Immediately after I learned the spell, I was a little disappointed. Vault:8 is all titans and shadow dragons, so dragon form was a mixed bag because it negated any armor-based resistances. But I managed to get by with dragon form and blade hands, with generous helpings of swiftness, flight, repel missiles, and condensation shield.

By the time I got to the realm of Zot it was a different story. I don't know if it was stat increase or revised expectations, but dragon form started to feel more and more badass. This is only my second ascension, but I've reached Zot:5 a few times. Never have I been less intimidated by golden dragons: it was incredibly satisfying to trample one and see it fall back.

On Zot:5 my modus operandi was deflect missiles + swiftness + dragon form for most enemies. For an orb of fire I would haste myself. For an ancient lich I would go haste + deflect missiles + condensation shield + blade hands because my armor provided some resistance to negative energy. I managed to draw out enemies in small groups and overpower them: patience won the day. The ascension was uneventful.

That's about it! I'd be happy to discuss early game transmuter play if anyone's interested (it's a blast).

Edit: abbreviated morgue file here.