Read before you equip
Equipment is a collection of decisions, not a ladder of bigger numbers. Start with the item description. For weapons and armour, compare the strength requirement with your hero before deciding that a new find is immediately usable. Then ask which problem the item would solve.
| Equipment | Journal prompt |
|---|---|
| Melee weapons | Can I use this effectively, and does its reach or speed suit my approach? |
| Armour | What am I trading for this protection? |
| Wands | Which encounters justify spending a charge? |
| Rings & artifacts | Does the effect support what this run is already doing? |
Keep the distinction between a promising find and a dependable tool. Unknown details are a reason to investigate, not a reason to build the entire next fight around an assumption.
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Pack for the unexpected
Think in jobs: a way to deal damage, a way to change a bad position and a way to recover from a mistake. One item may cover several jobs, but spending it for one purpose removes it from the others. That tradeoff is easiest to see before the emergency begins.
Potions and scrolls belong in the plan too. Keep known effects mentally separate from things you still need to identify. If you want to experiment, choose a moment when an unexpected result is manageable and read the feedback afterward.
An upgrade question
Will this investment make the next difficult encounter safer, or am I saving it for a future item I may never find? There is no single answer for every run; make the choice with the current pack in view.
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