by Sidestepper on Mon Jan 28, 2013 5:03 am
Vineform can work out very similar to Absolution. Six Vineforms by level 2 is easily accomplished and at the cost of less popcorn than 6 absolutions. If you are lucky with your plant spawns, you can sometimes get away with no popcorn sacrifices. I will sometimes prep Earthmother specifically to benefit from her 'penalty.'
Clearance on the other hand plays out like Bloodswell, but for magic instead of health and without the complicated effects of curse. That's pretty good.
Entanglement is functionally very similar to Tikki's Learning boon if used properly, and is practically free.
The problem is that Earthmother is extremely map dependent. I compared Vineform to Absolution, but Absolution clears hallways whereas Vineform cramps them. This is tolerable in some maps and disastrous in others. If you could prep ENDISWAL she would be good on any dungeon, but you can't so she isn't.
Her other issue is that unlike all of the other deities, Earthmother doesn't have a single enduring OMGWTFBBQ power that you can dip into her religion to seize. This is probably deliberate, since piety is so easy with her. All the same, I wouldn't mind some kind of 80 piety mega boon for her, but that's just a pipe dream.