TOPIC: Grind?

Here's the Utility List my party has put together so far:

Universal Solvent
Steel Mirror
Rope
Dust of Appearance
Featherfall effects
Status Removal (disease, charm, petrification)
Polymeric Decoys and Turkey Legs
Machine Oil
Magnifying Glass
Bottles of Rum Yo-Ho-Ho!

I have other charms I can use, but I wanted to keep the Charm of Heroism in there in case I need to switch out weapon.

I have to look through rings I have and see what others I can use, the Ring of Protection +1 was the first thing I saw. If I can find no others, I will drop the Gloves and use Gauntlets of Ogre Power.

I don't have Orb, and I need a good shield, I will see what I can do to shore this part up.

I do want a ranged weapon and some alternate weapons just in case of rust or other monster damage.

Incognito wrote: The Charm of Heroism is redundant with your four-piece Might set. You can either choose a different Charm, or swap out some of your Might items.

If your third ring is only going to be a Ring of Protection +1, then the Gloves of Glory might not be worth it. Try a better ring or go with different gloves/gauntlets.

Wild Vestments are only useful if you really plan on polymorphing. If so, you might want to focus your build on upping + hit/damage. If you are not emphasizing polymorph, you can choose a different shirt (Sacred Vestments, Health, Shielding, Silverweave).

Do you have an offhand item? You could fit a shield or Orb of Might into the build.

Kristine_Kochanski wrote: I have other charms I can use, but I wanted to keep the Charm of Heroism in there in case I need to switch out weapon.

I have to look through rings I have and see what others I can use, the Ring of Protection +1 was the first thing I saw. If I can find no others, I will drop the Gloves and use Gauntlets of Ogre Power.

I don't have Orb, and I need a good shield, I will see what I can do to shore this part up.

I do want a ranged weapon and some alternate weapons just in case of rust or other monster damage.

Incognito wrote: The Charm of Heroism is redundant with your four-piece Might set. You can either choose a different Charm, or swap out some of your Might items.

If your third ring is only going to be a Ring of Protection +1, then the Gloves of Glory might not be worth it. Try a better ring or go with different gloves/gauntlets.

Wild Vestments are only useful if you really plan on polymorphing. If so, you might want to focus your build on upping + hit/damage. If you are not emphasizing polymorph, you can choose a different shirt (Sacred Vestments, Health, Shielding, Silverweave).

Do you have an offhand item? You could fit a shield or Orb of Might into the build.

if you switch a weapon, you still have 3 items for 5 level
Crown of Might
Girdle of Might
Boots of Might

so the charm is still overkill

For sure on the charm. Drop it from the build. Add on a charm of broaching and another cloak. If not maybe a cadaver charm for free healing each room.

Ring +1 is weak, need +2 or regeneration for more healing each room or add on a frost ring for more damage, but if your considering that, you might want to drop the hand of glory and put on Ogre Power for +1/+1. +hit matters if its not high enough or if you run nightmare.

4piece might set is good. Use scepter and if you get forcably disarmed then use your +3 rod. Can't willing switch if you are using all 4 pieces for set bonus. Remember builders will likely add that in automatically.
You could use a ranged weapon and a backup ranged.

Can anybody give me the basics on True Grind? It says you get no XP from it. What is the point in going? Just for fun, or do you get treasure or the like?

Kirk Bauer wrote: Can anybody give me the basics on True Grind? It says you get no XP from it. What is the point in going? Just for fun, or do you get treasure or the like?

one treasure chip..one completion token. no other rewards .
Just satisfaction of doing it. It is all combat no puzzles

How do I figure out if I have enough strength to survive, or at least a good chance of doing so? I've never done anything besides regular Puzzle-Oriented TDA on normal difficulty, but this year I really ramped up my tokens (especially my AC).

quoting from last year's True Grind FAQ:

---

For True Grind, there are three difficulty levels to choose from: Normal, Hardcore, or Nightmare.

• Normal: For casual players who are most concerned about "winning" and not "dying." Normal monsters are designed assuming you have the access to the best Common and Uncommon tokens, so if you have lots of Rares and Uncommons, it might be on the easy side for you. Last year, 48% of parties chose Normal difficulty. Of these, every single party was victorious and 99% of players lived to see another day—there was only a single player death (which was an anomaly).
• Hardcore: For experienced players who want more of a challenge. Hardcore monsters are designed assuming you have access to the best Common, Uncommon, and Rare tokens. Having access to Ultra Rares will definitely give you a leg up, but won't guarantee success. Last year, 43% of parties chose Hardcore difficulty. Of these, 80% of parties were victorious, 10% ran out of time, and 10% had a total party kill (TPK). Of players, 75% survived, 5% ran out of time, and 20% died.
• Nightmare: For the best players, tokenholics who are well-equipped, and gluttons for punishment! Don't go into Nightmare expecting to win, though that is always a possibility. Go in with the expectation that you will die, but that you will have a fun and memorable time doing so. This difficulty level is for those who want the ultimate challenge, along with the exclusive bragging rights if they succeed. Nightmare monsters are designed assuming you have the access to the best Rare, and Ultra Rare tokens. You do not need any Relics, Legendaries, or Artifacts, though at this level every little advantage will help. Last year, a mere 9% of parties were brave enough to step up to Nightmare. Half of the parties ran out of time, while half of the parties died. In terms of individual players, the lethality rate 84%, while 16% of players were still standing when time ran out.

Looks like I should try Hardcore, but all of the True Grinds are full this year, so maybe next time?

Try are some folks still looking for grind people I believe. Check the Grind section of the formula to be sure.

Kirk Bauer wrote: Can anybody give me the basics on True Grind? It says you get no XP from it. What is the point in going? Just for fun, or do you get treasure or the like?

In terms of material rewards, you get:

- One treasure coin for participating
- One Grind-exclusive token for participating
- In the past there were Survivor pins for surviving players and Ghost pins for players whose characters died. This year there will only be Survivor pins though.

In terms of intangibles:

- It is a lot of FUN!
- Some players like the intense combats. Grind monsters tend to be a lot more challenging than normal adventure monsters.
- Grind also allows a lot more creative solutions. Though you can treat Grind as a straight hack-n-slash, there are many little easter eggs and puzzles that you can find with the combat encounters.
- It is also an additional opportunity to use your tokens. Players who buy lots of tokens like having an extra event where they can use them.

Kirk Bauer wrote: How do I figure out if I have enough strength to survive, or at least a good chance of doing so? I've never done anything besides regular Puzzle-Oriented TDA on normal difficulty, but this year I really ramped up my tokens (especially my AC).

Historically, the group and individual survival rate for Normal difficulty is 100% and 99%.

On Hardcore, group survival rate is about 84% and player survival rate is 69%.

On Nightmare (small sample size), group survival rate is about 50% and player survival rate 10%.

Kirk Bauer wrote: Looks like I should try Hardcore, but all of the True Grinds are full this year, so maybe next time?

Try the forum and you might still find have some openings.

Also, historically about 7% of players don't actually show up. So if you have a flexible schedule and are willing to be on a wait list (or go on standby), you may be able to find a spot that way.

Thanks, this is helpful. I will keep +3 rod as back up if disarmed. I will use Ogre power. I will look at other charms and see what I can do.

I have to figure out what to do for ranged and back up ranged. Any good suggestions for these?

I have a good stock of polymorph potions and will probably make good use of these.

valetutto wrote: For sure on the charm. Drop it from the build. Add on a charm of broaching and another cloak. If not maybe a cadaver charm for free healing each room.

Ring +1 is weak, need +2 or regeneration for more healing each room or add on a frost ring for more damage, but if your considering that, you might want to drop the hand of glory and put on Ogre Power for +1/+1. +hit matters if its not high enough or if you run nightmare.

4piece might set is good. Use scepter and if you get forcably disarmed then use your +3 rod. Can't willing switch if you are using all 4 pieces for set bonus. Remember builders will likely add that in automatically.
You could use a ranged weapon and a backup ranged.