I need help from Nibbe on Howdy Ho! challenge

[Phyre]

I need help, maybe not from Nibbe but anyone that has an idea. I think maybe now after wasting my time in a game forever, trying to either find an amulet pestilence or get the Ryan Trickster challenge, I realized any polymorph counts as starting the challenge. The reason being first I tried to polymorph myself earlier in the game, and it showed two symbols saying I could find Ken'nih, but once I got encounter it now only showed one. I polymorphed myself because he wouldn't seem to do it so maybe that matters. I looked everywhere and didn't see Ken'nih during encounter, or after I polymorphed myself again with his Amulet of Pestilence. I also realized if you only get one polymorph in a game you probably want a Masters scroll of Polymorph so you get around 200 turns, or more if hasted. I died with Amulet of Pestilence by the way because then I did use a Masters scroll of Polymorph on myself, with rats appearing and lots of turns as a rat, yeah....

So yes any help would be appreciated, mainly can I do it anytime in a game without worrying about encounters or Amulet of Pestilence? If so is he just on a random floor? Can I polymorph myself to start challenge? I want this challenge very badly, it's my final challenge to complete, and I'm a completion Wh***

Thanks.


~Stevezor/Nabon

[Phyre]

Seriously how do you even begin this challenge? I can't figure out and no one else seems to know anything. Maybe I was right about Trickster, but I don't feel like repeating the Meticulous One for another time trying to get him again and then it might have nothing to do with the challenge. I tried polymorphing myself through multiple dungeons and maybe that's the problem, in that it has to be something polymorphing you and not yourself doing it, but there was that one time I did see two symbols instead of one saying I could find Ken'nih, maybe that was a bug, in the previous game.

[nibbe]

Well, I suppose I can open this up a bit (since Ken'nih has been hidden in the game for a few years now).

If you get polymorphed by Ryan the Trickster, the corpse of Ken'nih is spawned somewhere in the level (looks like a human corpse and it's easy to miss). All it takes after that is to survive the encounter and you can choose to complete one of the two challenges:

1. Eat Ken'nih while polymorphed and you become somewhat cursed and Dark Shroud is completed (this was a little secret for those who didn't want to farm black soul gems).

2. Resurrect Ken'nih with Blessed Scroll of Animation and Howdy Ho is completed.

[Phyre]

OMG Thanks! Yeah I'm pretty sure when I got Ryan the Trickster, I didn't know this, but it seems when useing shapeshifting you're immune to polymorph, I thought he only used one of his polymorphs on me and shapeshifted out but he wouldn't seem to cast polymorph on me then but maybe I missed his other casts, because I always find three scrolls on him. I'll have to make sure I get small floors for my encounters, I assumed it was an encounter but thought maybe there was a new encounter released in 1.12 that I had never got. Glad you mentioned Animation scroll, I thought about that but had forgot to try for one in current game.

Also are rats Str based by the way? Was curious while polymorph what was best way to do most damage, and I thought I saw when I had tamed rats in past Str was their high stat.

Again thanks Nibbe for response!

[nibbe]

Rats use strength or agility depending which is higher and Silent Cast is the best way to do most damage while polymorphed.

[Phyre]

I've come to like Silent Cast talent, but for the life of me I have no idea why that would increase damage when polymorphed? How does that mechanic work? I've noticed in the past Dawid the Paladin has hit me for like 15 life while polymorphed, does he have that talent and is that why? When I had either 13 or 14 Str at level 20 I was hitting for only 6-7 on rats as a rat myself, but I was a shapeshifting build with some spell trees and Shield Bash talents.

Actually will only a Blessed Scroll of Animation work? What about Blessed Amulet of Necromancy? Been trying to get blessed scroll for while in my game. It's feeling like blessed animation is as rare as blessed enchanting, which I feel I have to spend about 30,000 gold on average in shop resets I would say for the enchanting one. I do know about Blessed Amulet of Divination, never use on scrolls but I assume it probably works there too.

I appreciate your help Nibbe=)

[nibbe]

It's what you can do with the Silent Cast that makes it good, such as removing the polymorph with Dispel Magic. Orb spells also benefit from buffs and talents even when you're polymorphed.

Blessed Scroll of Animation is the only thing that works. Others will give you an undead Ken'nih but that one gives you a live one.

[Mustardoish]

Finally the Dispel spell is useful!

[Phyre]

So yeah I think everytime in past I either just killed Archmage Gyffendale either with good all around resistance and brute force, or useing an Excavation Wand on him and killing him while he's stuck in a pit. I just fought him and Polymorphed him, still had my dog so I wanted to play it safe because I wanted dog for Howdy Ho challenge, and I now see the amazingness of Silent Cast, which he must have. I had fine resistances, but he Phase Shifted in rat form behind me and killed Woof, sob.

If I fail challenge in current game(which would make me cry I have done over 20 encounters already) I am definitely doing as mage, I did not know all this about Silent Cast, it's like almost mandatory now as a mage build. You don't even have to dispel it, of course I doubt you can still use items, but I will have to test now and see what I can and can't do with it.

[Phyre]

Yay!

Thanks again Nibbe for the responses! I did have to do the Meticulous One again just to find Ryan the Trickster, lol! Gotta love randomly generated numbers, it's like Crack, only slightly more healthy, maybe. At least it only took me one try once I knew what to do.

Of course Ken'nih had to be wearing the color orange too, hahaha!

[Wyrtt]

good job

[Epix]

nice 100% steve:D

[Phyre]

Thanks guys!

[Dopefisher]

HAXXOR!

[Phyre]

TO THE MAXXOR!!!!