In
Nethack, a Valkyrie is IMHO the best
character class for
newbies, for three reasons.
- She starts with a good shield which she can keep wearing until late in the game as extra armour.
- She also starts with a decent weapon - if she's lawful she can convert it into Excalibur - and the first gift she gets from her deity is Mjollnir.
- Her quest artifact halves the damage she takes from any source! This made the difference between success and failure in my first ascension.