See I was thinking 156 for STR. Guess I remember something after all, lol.
So base Energy? She'll be some kind of orb sorc. Haven't decided yet if I want to do Meteor or just Fireball.
Base energy if you're not going to use Energy Shield.
This will suck until level 29 (when you can get your mercenary an Insight for some meditation aura); luckily, before level 24 you can generally get away with hitting things with a sword and normal attack - maybe with a Leaf in a +3 enchant staff for prebuff to speed things up.
See I was thinking 156 for STR. Guess I remember something after all, lol.
So base Energy? She'll be some kind of orb sorc. Haven't decided yet if I want to do Meteor or just Fireball.
Base energy if you're not going to use Energy Shield.
This will suck until level 29 (when you can get your mercenary an Insight for some meditation aura); luckily, before level 24 you can generally get away with hitting things with a sword and normal attack - maybe with a Leaf in a +3 enchant staff for prebuff to speed things up.
Honestly if you're going bog standard Meteorb you're pretty good from 16 on if you get a 3 stack belt and load it up almost entirely with mana and use it on fireball. Get a leaf with fireball in it for extra fun, the slightly increase on the blast is worth the extra mana pain.
No. In fact as soon as you hit 30 put points in Fire Mastery, Frozen Orb, and Frost Mastery, and then giggle as you just made any remaining normal and most of Nightmare a gigantic joke. Max orb first and make sure you get the range down.
If meteor is your main skill: max meteor, fireball, fire mastery, rest in fire bolt.
If fireball is your main skill: max meteor, fireball, fire bolt, rest in fire mastery.
What about FI's?
On my sorc I use fireball and forb mostly, meteor for tougher guys/bosses.
Huh.
Meteor has a 1.2 second cast delay, this is 30 frames. With 105% fcr, you can get a 9 frame attack to toss fireballs out. 105% is not difficult to reach with equipment like Spirit so it's almost always the case that fireball delivers more damage per second than meteor. Plus, you don't have to wait for the meteor to hit.
(the cost is that it requires more mana and 105% fcr, but well these aren't difficult)
Of course, optimally one would cast Meteor, then three fireballs, then Meteor again.
As for which to max first: whether you put points into fire mastery or fire bolt actually depends on how many +skills you intend to have. If you envision getting more +skills from equipment, fire bolt turns out to be a better investment. A sample of the math is here. Chen's works as a rule of thumb, but for maxing fire mastery before firebolt or firebolt before fire mastery is generally non-ideal.
Meteorbs also need 20 in Frozen Orb and 7~ in Cold Mastery.
The FO synergy is absolutely worthless, it only adds 1% per hard point. So 20 hard points in FO, enough to get to lv. 17 Cold Mastery, and then pick a skill tree you like (Meteor/Fireball, Chain-Lightning/Lightning). I personally like the Fireball spam, especially if you can hit the 105 fcr bp.
what HRs do you guys think i can get away with with a 20/15 zon torch?
Maybe a Gul if you're lucky? I speak based on JSP, in that there's a TON of people selling torches. Unless you have a perfect one, or a high pally/storch you won't be approaching HR territory.
e: I'm so slow. I believe I was better off going with a 50/50 split between Fire Bolt/Fire Mastery when I went Blizzard/Fire Ball, but I had no points in Meteor, which is another great build if you plan on MFing Mephisto 24/7 as well as other lv. 85 areas.
Meteor versus Fireball depends on the situation. If shit needs to die right away its fireball, if my merc is tanking or they are slow have no range I'll use Meteor, especially if grouped.
what HRs do you guys think i can get away with with a 20/15 zon torch?
Maybe a Gul if you're lucky? I speak based on JSP, in that there's a TON of people selling torches. Unless you have a perfect one, or a high pally/storch you won't be approaching HR territory.
thanks man, i'm pretty cool with gul and below for a ztorch. was kinda hoping for a vex for my paladin's someday-dual-dreams which will never happen but i'll definitely take pul+
guess i misunderstood what i meant when i said HR, so like, pul to gul are "midrunes"?
Ist used to be a HR sometimes (but not Gul), but I think Vex is the cut-off now with the increased drop rates. Even then, on JSP the prices are different based on usage.
Vex ~20
Ohm ~40
Lo ~60
Sur ~ 30 (mostly Ber material)
Ber ~ 75
Jah ~ 70
Cham ~ 20
Zod ~ 60
Wait, so base energy means no points in it, right? So you're telling me as a sorc I shouldn't put any points into energy?
I'm confused, I think.
Right now I'm level 15ish and I've put almost all my points into energy and I'm still running out of mana. I'm also finding that I don't do shit for damage with either Ice Bolt or Ice Blast.
Yes, don't put any points in energy unless you're rolling an Energy Shield sorceress. It's never enough anyway, as you've seen, and Vitality is simply too important.
Spending 14 * 5 = 70 stat points into Energy probably merits using your first restat, I think. Put them into strength for equipment and vitality instead.
Neither Ice Bolt or Ice Blast do much damage, in lieu of slowing enemies instead. Just pick up a sword and hit things, mixed with an occasional ice bolt/whatever when mana permits.
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Goose!That's me, honeyShow me the way home, honeyRegistered Userregular
edited May 2010
Wow a Lo is 60 now? Jesus.
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BeastehTHAT WOULD NOTKILL DRACULARegistered Userregular
edited May 2010
still iso a sorc torch (have a 13/11 necro torch to trade)
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admanbunionize your workplaceSeattle, WARegistered Userregular
edited May 2010
So I'm playing this game... again. 'cause why not, right?
Anyways, I never really got into the online thing before (odd, I know) so it's all a bit overwhelming. The goal is to basically rush through the story and then level up later, right? Are there any guidelines for the whole thing? I'm about to get through Act I as we speak... at level 3.
My assassin rolls Trapsin now, and after tossing down 5x lightning trap shit just explodes unless it's lightning immune
At which point I turn tail and run for the goddamn hills
That's what merc/shadow + fire blast is for.
And/or Death Sentry.
There's an interesting post on the Amazon Basin called "Playing with Fire" where the author explores a few builds that use elemental/poison adders in conjunction with Dragon Talon to deal with [insert element] immunes. I found it inspiring.
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admanbunionize your workplaceSeattle, WARegistered Userregular
Skeletons and bone spear/spirit both consume a lot of points each, so generally there isn't a way to comfortably combine the two. Spear/spirit main with a few skeletons as disposable meatshields is might be viable.
For skeletons: 20 raise skeleton 20 skeleton mastery 20 corpse explosion. Skeletons get a first kill, CE finishes off the mob. Remaining points can go into Golem Mastery (for Iron Golem items) or Skeleton Mage (for elemental damage). Curses: 1pt everything, all the curses have uses. 1pt Revives and Summon Resist, too. Fire golem is useless, don't take it. Take blood only if you're intending to use iron golem in the future. If no iron golem, clay is always good.
For bone: 20 spear 20 spirit 20 prison 20 wall remaining teeth. 1pting skeletons or Decrepify or AI curses may help too.
Bone is more equipment-dependent for viability, due to weaker meatshields. Also, need for tons of FCR.
For both, strength for equipment, dexterity base or enough for max block depending on how you want to play it, base energy, rest vitality.
Someone else can sketch out the equipment options, I'm going to bed. Night! :P
Posts
People are still click fiends who disregard someone saying "I'm actually going to use 'X'"?
Diablo, never change. And thanks for reminding me never to do a pub run so I don't blow an artery in my brain out of e-rage.
If fireball is your main skill: max meteor, fireball, fire bolt, rest in fire mastery.
Steam id: skoot LoL id: skoot
What about FI's?
On my sorc I use fireball and forb mostly, meteor for tougher guys/bosses.
To the best of my recollection I went 20 Forb, 20 meteor, 20 fireball, 20 fire mastery. 1 point fire bolt.
Well, when it comes to other PAers we generally wont fuck each other over, will give each other items / let them take drops if they need it.
Random people on bnet though? Its pure cutthroat.
Some people are just doing it for the exp.
Base energy if you're not going to use Energy Shield.
This will suck until level 29 (when you can get your mercenary an Insight for some meditation aura); luckily, before level 24 you can generally get away with hitting things with a sword and normal attack - maybe with a Leaf in a +3 enchant staff for prebuff to speed things up.
That leaves 20 in Frozen Orb, 6-10 in Cold Mastery (it has diminishing returns after 18), rest in Fire Mastery/Fire Bolt.
Honestly if you're going bog standard Meteorb you're pretty good from 16 on if you get a 3 stack belt and load it up almost entirely with mana and use it on fireball. Get a leaf with fireball in it for extra fun, the slightly increase on the blast is worth the extra mana pain.
Same with 1 point hammers or holy fire/freeze for paladins.
Nothing like standing in front of baal sipping some tea and let the aura do the work.
Huh.
Meteor has a 1.2 second cast delay, this is 30 frames. With 105% fcr, you can get a 9 frame attack to toss fireballs out. 105% is not difficult to reach with equipment like Spirit so it's almost always the case that fireball delivers more damage per second than meteor. Plus, you don't have to wait for the meteor to hit.
(the cost is that it requires more mana and 105% fcr, but well these aren't difficult)
Of course, optimally one would cast Meteor, then three fireballs, then Meteor again.
As for which to max first: whether you put points into fire mastery or fire bolt actually depends on how many +skills you intend to have. If you envision getting more +skills from equipment, fire bolt turns out to be a better investment. A sample of the math is here. Chen's works as a rule of thumb, but for maxing fire mastery before firebolt or firebolt before fire mastery is generally non-ideal.
Meteorbs also need 20 in Frozen Orb and 7~ in Cold Mastery.
Maybe a Gul if you're lucky? I speak based on JSP, in that there's a TON of people selling torches. Unless you have a perfect one, or a high pally/storch you won't be approaching HR territory.
e: I'm so slow. I believe I was better off going with a 50/50 split between Fire Bolt/Fire Mastery when I went Blizzard/Fire Ball, but I had no points in Meteor, which is another great build if you plan on MFing Mephisto 24/7 as well as other lv. 85 areas.
fuck you ethreal.
Steam id: skoot LoL id: skoot
thanks man, i'm pretty cool with gul and below for a ztorch. was kinda hoping for a vex for my paladin's someday-dual-dreams which will never happen but i'll definitely take pul+
guess i misunderstood what i meant when i said HR, so like, pul to gul are "midrunes"?
Vex ~20
Ohm ~40
Lo ~60
Sur ~ 30 (mostly Ber material)
Ber ~ 75
Jah ~ 70
Cham ~ 20
Zod ~ 60
Perhaps not coincidentally, it's also where Countess rune drops end (her rune drop goes up to Ist).
I'm confused, I think.
Right now I'm level 15ish and I've put almost all my points into energy and I'm still running out of mana. I'm also finding that I don't do shit for damage with either Ice Bolt or Ice Blast.
What am I doing wrong? Tell me how to play. :P
Spending 14 * 5 = 70 stat points into Energy probably merits using your first restat, I think. Put them into strength for equipment and vitality instead.
Neither Ice Bolt or Ice Blast do much damage, in lieu of slowing enemies instead. Just pick up a sword and hit things, mixed with an occasional ice bolt/whatever when mana permits.
Anyways, I never really got into the online thing before (odd, I know) so it's all a bit overwhelming. The goal is to basically rush through the story and then level up later, right? Are there any guidelines for the whole thing? I'm about to get through Act I as we speak... at level 3.
Also, any good Necro guides out there?
If you want to walk it, walk it. Don't let anybody stop you.
Necromancer: depends what you want to do. Summon skeletons?
I think I have some necro gear I can send over as well. I dunno how useful it will be at a low level though...
There's an interesting post on the Amazon Basin called "Playing with Fire" where the author explores a few builds that use elemental/poison adders in conjunction with Dragon Talon to deal with [insert element] immunes. I found it inspiring.
Skeletons and/or bony death, depending on what's viable.
And yeah I've finished the game an infinite number of times, so I have no particular drive to see it all again.
"go lightning and make me infinity"
but by calling i mean mocking because i will never ever see a ber in my life
For skeletons: 20 raise skeleton 20 skeleton mastery 20 corpse explosion. Skeletons get a first kill, CE finishes off the mob. Remaining points can go into Golem Mastery (for Iron Golem items) or Skeleton Mage (for elemental damage). Curses: 1pt everything, all the curses have uses. 1pt Revives and Summon Resist, too. Fire golem is useless, don't take it. Take blood only if you're intending to use iron golem in the future. If no iron golem, clay is always good.
For bone: 20 spear 20 spirit 20 prison 20 wall remaining teeth. 1pting skeletons or Decrepify or AI curses may help too.
Bone is more equipment-dependent for viability, due to weaker meatshields. Also, need for tons of FCR.
For both, strength for equipment, dexterity base or enough for max block depending on how you want to play it, base energy, rest vitality.
Someone else can sketch out the equipment options, I'm going to bed. Night! :P
in patrist at the moment
ztorch and btorch
storches don't exist btw
smiting being done in pawang1
also. i just got tamp baned but i left a bunch of free crap from hell baal runs under the fire in pamule