[evilhack] Questions on forging atifacts

[Janis Papanagnou]

It happened that in my current game I got both, Fire Brand
and Frost Brand from sacrifices! So there'd be (in principle)
the option to forge the powerful Sword of Annihilation from
these two artifacts.

I suppose that forging that artifact long sword would *not*
unrestrict that weapon slot, right? (Since the two artifact
Brands are both short swords I yet don't have the long sword
slot available.) Would it, in EvilHack, make sense to use it
in that case?

My Monk could try to get crowned while wielding a long sword;
would that work in EvilHack (to get unrestricted)? - The Monk
_spellcaster_ role might not have that option.

Do I need to _learn_ forging by reading the The Blacksmith's
Cookbook from the Goblin King's branch (or any other book; I
seem to recall that there's some artifact-forging reference
in the Blacksmith's Cookbook)? - There was no access to that
book in the current game so is that probably a (permanent?)
hindrance?

Anything else that I need or have to consider when forging?

Janis

[Janis Papanagnou]

Answering my own questions (from a trial and error approach)...

Post by Janis Papanagnou
It happened that in my current game I got both, Fire Brand
and Frost Brand from sacrifices! So there'd be (in principle)
the option to forge the powerful Sword of Annihilation from
these two artifacts.

First; forging that artifact was possible given these two
artifact blades and the heavy war hammer named Ogresmasher
(that I found somewhere lying around) as a forging hammer
tool.

Post by Janis Papanagnou
I suppose that forging that artifact long sword would *not*
unrestrict that weapon slot, right? (Since the two artifact
Brands are both short swords I yet don't have the long sword
slot available.) Would it, in EvilHack, make sense to use it
in that case?

Forging does *not* unrestrict the forged wapon class (as
expected).

Using the restricted artifact weapon gives "you are doing
something wrong" message.

Post by Janis Papanagnou
My Monk could try to get crowned while wielding a long sword;
would that work in EvilHack (to get unrestricted)? - The Monk
_spellcaster_ role might not have that option.

Incidentally my Monk is Neutral, so on crowning he had
received the Vorpal Blade, a long sword, and its skill
slot freed. (So the question could not generally be
answered.)

Post by Janis Papanagnou
Do I need to _learn_ forging by reading the The Blacksmith's
Cookbook from the Goblin King's branch (or any other book; I
seem to recall that there's some artifact-forging reference
in the Blacksmith's Cookbook)? - There was no access to that
book in the current game so is that probably a (permanent?)
hindrance?

That book (or any other book) isn't necessary to forge
artifacts.

Post by Janis Papanagnou
Anything else that I need or have to consider when forging?

Not as far as this case goes. Only I was confused by
the Blacksmith's Cookbook[*] saying
"Put both of those objects into the forge
whilst wielding your hammer (#forge)."
Dropping the items onto the forge doesn't work. All
items you handle from having them in your inventory,
and the forging hammer wielded.

Now I hope that fighting with that long sword artifact
weapon won't spoil my permanent alignment record per se;
it's already "moderately abused" (that's 5..14 points)
from only two mishaps (eating a floating eye and - I
think - by canceling a peaceful monster that was in the
line of fire behind some hostile monster).

Janis

[*] Text copied here from another game.