>But I personally think having to have
>potions, scrolls, roots, pills, and about a bazillion other
>concoctions on you just to survive every situation imaginable
>is a big waste of time. You spend lots of time going to get
>them, lots of money buying many of them, just to have them all
>sac'd when you die.

For the most part, I agree with you.

That said:

1) There are a few basic things that you really should always have on hand. I'd put recall potions and probably teleport potions on this list.

2) Other players are your ultimate preparation for almost any situation. If you're maledicted, a healer ally of yours may be able to save you. If you're put to sleep, a warrior ally of yours (who'd probably have to be in the same group or cabal for you to be able to communicate with them at that point, in most cases) might be able to charge in and give the necromancer something to worry about besides killing you. I could come up with things like this all day.

Roleplay, interact, make friends. I'm not saying wander around in an enormous gang at all times, but the friends you make can definitely save your life in times of trial.


>Refresh items: Having never used any of them, I'm assuming
>they do things like restore mana and movement right?

The refresh spell restores movement.

>If you
>have one on you and you are slept, plagued, cursed and all
>that good stuff (you know, like what hero necros do to you).
>Are you still actually capable of using them?

If they're potions and in your inventory, yes.

>I mean, I tried
>quaff recall potion after waking up from a necro sleep and I
>was maledicted BIG TIME and it said the potion failed. Tried
>it again...same thing. I couldn't move so I couldn't flee. I
>had some scrolls, but I figured with my mana like -47 I
>wouldn't be able to recite them anyway since my brain was
>gone.

You can (at least currently) recite without mana, FYI.

>I'm sure there must be ways of surviving this stuff, but
>learning it all is really hard, must take literally years of
>experimentation. I

Again, making friends can help you out here. Join a cabal if you can, form strong relationships with other players you group with. Figure out who seems to know more than you and ask them questions. If you group with a paladin who seems really on the ball, ask him what he'd do in situation X.