Setting the Ballroom song probably is worth it maybe I GUESS

1,000,000 trials

Setting the Ballroom song
NC:	+0%	+5%	+10%	+15%	+20%	+25%
mean:	15.61	10.21	 7.50	 5.88	 4.79	 4.01
stddev:	13.81	 8.90	 6.42	 4.95	 3.95	 3.23

After delay:
NC:	+0%	+5%	+10%	+15%	+20%	+25%
mean:	11.61	 6.21	 3.50	 1.88	 0.79	 0.01
stddev:	13.81	 8.90	 6.42	 4.95	 3.95	 3.23

================================================================================
WHERE -COMBAT HELPS
================================================================================

Deep Fat Friars
NC:	+0%	+5%	+10%	+15%	+20%	+25%
mean:	36.98	33.46	30.04	26.87	24.08	21.64
stddev:	 5.08	 5.64	 5.78	 5.66	 5.32	 4.90

Defiled Cranny (13 beeps/non-combat)
NC:	+0%	+5%	+10%	+15%	+20%	+25%
mean:	11.57	 9.81	 8.49	 7.45	 6.63	 5.97
stddev:	 4.70	 4.19	 3.78	 3.37	 2.99	 2.62

Twin Peak (+100% items)
NC:	+0%	+5%	+10%	+15%	+20%	+25%
mean:	14.97	12.94	11.37	10.13	 9.13	 8.29
stddev:	 5.79	 4.90	 4.20	 3.64	 3.18	 2.79

Penultimate Fantasy Airship (Immateria only)
NC:	+0%	+5%	+10%	+15%	+20%	+25%
mean:	40.34	34.96	31.95	30.13	29.02	28.29
stddev:	11.45	 8.10	 5.92	 4.42	 3.42	 2.73

Giants Castle Basement (with amulet)
NC:	+0%	+5%	+10%	+15%	+20%	+25%
mean:	 7.39	 6.13	 5.12	 4.33	 3.70	 3.20
stddev:	 2.61	 3.02	 3.02	 2.85	 2.61	 2.34

Giants Castle Top Floor (with mohawk wig, including Sky Hole unlock)
NC:	+0%	+5%	+10%	+15%	+20%	+25%
mean:	16.05	13.01	10.72	 8.93	 7.55	 6.48
stddev:	 4.26	 4.82	 4.71	 4.37	 3.92	 3.46

Obligatory Pirate's Cove (25-pound Slimeling, +100% items)
NC:	+0%	+5%	+10%	+15%	+20%	+25%
mean:	10.82	10.22	 9.69	 9.20	 8.77	 8.38
stddev:	 4.94	 4.54	 4.18	 3.86	 3.58	 3.32

Palindome (olfacting Bob)
NC:	+0%	+5%	+10%	+15%	+20%	+25%
mean:	15.91	15.04	14.61	14.41	14.32	14.28
stddev:	 4.05	 3.10	 2.67	 2.52	 2.48	 2.48

Starting the Island War
NC:	+0%	+5%	+10%	+15%	+20%	+25%
mean:	15.02	11.24	 9.00	 7.51	 6.43	 5.63
stddev:	12.35	 9.08	 7.15	 5.86	 4.92	 4.22

(Not included: Spooky Forest)

================================================================================
WHERE -COMBAT HURTS
================================================================================

Ninja Snowman Assassins (meeting 1)
C:	+5%	+10%	+15%	+20%	+25%
mean:	 7.48	 6.74	 6.09	 5.53	 5.03
stddev:	 3.26	 3.37	 3.36	 3.29	 3.17

Barrrney's Barrr (Myst class, 0 drunk, 6 insults, ignoring map)
C:	+0%	+5%	+10%	+15%	+20%
mean:	12.09	11.65	11.23	10.85	10.50
stddev:	 3.62	 3.45	 3.27	 3.11	 2.95

F'c'le (capped drop, cocktail napkin, no other banish)
C:	+0%	+5%	+10%	+15%	+20%
mean:	 7.47	 6.98	 6.55	 6.17	 5.83
stddev:	 3.05	 2.78	 2.55	 2.33	 2.13

Whitey's Grove (+200% items, olfaction, no banish)
C:	+0%	+5%	+10%	+15%
mean:	 2.67	 2.52	 2.39	 2.27
stddev:	 1.96	 1.82	 1.68	 1.56

Lobsterfrogmen (meeting 1)
C:	-10%	-5%	+0%	+5%	+10%	+15%	+20%	+25%
mean:	13.00	 9.74	 7.46	 5.86	 4.72	 3.90	 3.30	 2.84
stddev:	 0.00	 4.23	 4.47	 4.12	 3.61	 3.10	 2.64	 2.24

================================================================================
CONCLUSION THAT IS CORRECT BECAUSE IT IS PRESENTED IN A TABLE
================================================================================

If the best you can manage is X +combat and Y -combat before setting the
Ballroom song, setting it will save this many turns:

	+10% C	+15% C	+20% C	+25% C
+0% NC	  7.77	  8.28	  8.77	  9.68
+5% NC	  6.74	  7.26	  7.74	  8.66
+10% NC	  5.66	  6.17	  6.66	  7.57
+15% NC	  4.60	  5.11	  5.60	  6.51
+20% NC	  3.82	  4.33	  4.82	  5.73