A compilation of questions on using items

[Stavis_L]

Originally Posted by shard

1) How risky are using items that curse or horror-mark you? For example the dimensional rod or forbidden light. Is it worth using these items in battle, or is it better off to use them for forging/rituals? Can these items be taken from you during battle or will they just 'disappear' to be reforgeable?

One thing to note is that a lot of these are no-drop cursed, so there's really no option to remove them/swap them around. Dimensional rod also causes insanity, which makes the wielder less useful over time (besides getting more and more marked.)

Originally Posted by shard

2) Whats the best use of the ark? Can you place them on your pretender/sc and rely on it to kill everything on the battlefield?

It's effective, but slow because the effects are resistable. You need a porter with high MR and some staying power, but I wouldn't give it to my pretender. Since they're likely SC material anyway, its added benefit is debatable; if you can catch a huge/expensive army it can make more of the troops your were going to route anyway non-useful to their owner until/unless they can be healed up.

Originally Posted by shard

4) Is the 'trollification' effect of the pebble skin suit 'bad'? Or is it just more hp, regen etc?

With regards to standard human mages, its biggest disadvantage is that it has a precision of only 8. Otherwise, it's frequently an improvement both in terms of survivability and upkeep costs. Also, remember that the suit is no-drop cursed.