What’s your build, Chronos, and what is your primary aura? I’d probably recommend a Defiance merc. But if you plan on getting an “Exile” runeword shield, a Might merc. I play single player with a vengeance/conviction pally, and I’m just in NM as of right now, but my Might merc with Grim’s Reaper and wearing Boneflesh just doesn’t die. My ultimate goal is to have 6 auras going at the same time:
The only thing I know they changed for the druid is the element damages and the fact that druids can now cast Armegeddon while in wolf or bear form. I’m going to do an elemental druid (soon, if I get tired trying to get my barb to actually be worth something), I guess I’ll find out then.
Check diabloii on it. I’ll probably check it out before I try the druid.
This might be the most intelligent thing I’ve seen posted in a very long time (and this having read all of this thread several times and lots of D2.net stuff). Let’s explore this a bit:
This ignores Helmets, as well as amulets, rings and other non-socketable items. This means that you could add, reasonably, +3 skills to each of these (assuming the magic item is +all skills or +paladin skills) aurae.
Now, being intelligent folk (or, like me, a damn good faker), let’s run some numbers. First, the easy. What runes will you need?
Bramble: Ral Ohm Sur Eth. Two rather low levels, two very high levels (though I could make this in non-ladder, and … hey, there’s something to do with one of those four-socket armors I was saving back in 109 because I figured they HAD to add some 4-socket words).
Exile: Vex Ohm Ist Dol. Can’t make this one until ladder becomes non-ladder, because I have a Vex but on Ohm in Ldr and an Ohm and Ist but no Vex off ldr.
Beast: Ber Tir Um Mal Lum. This will be difficult to get because most people do not keep their Bers (or their Jahs, for the same reason); they use them for Enigma. However, the recent spamming in-channel for Enigmas for sale (price, last I saw, was $5) might drive people away from using legit gear and … anyway. One might try trading for a Ber, though I don’t know what would get one. Arachnid and something else, probably.
Doom: Hel + Ohm + Um + Lo + Cham. Er … good luck there, chief. This one requires three very high runes. I wouldn’t know a Lo if it hit me upside the head, and same with Cham. I’ve simply never seen them in-game.
Now let’s run some slightly more complicated numbers. I would assume +skills to those aurae, but I don’t know (because I haven’t seen it posted saying for sure) that those aurae from items can be ameliorated from +skills on other items. So let’s just go with lvl 12 HF, 9 Fanat, 16 Defiance and 18 Thorns (avg. 15-21). And let’s assume level 25 conviction (+5 skills is not all that hard to assemble, and if we can accomplish this on-ladder, I can almost guaran-damn-TEE you +5 skills) and 20 Might.
At level 20 Conviction (which is as high as the stat page here goes), you’re getting 90% knocked off enemy defense and 125 off resists. So, for example, my barb with ~5K defense and 75/75/75/61 resists would be at a defense of about 500 and resists of roughly … well, a lot less. My ltg would be near 0 (it’s DAMN high), the rest decently negative.
At level 20 Might you’re getting 230% dmg. But let’s not figure that into basic weapon damage yet. Level 9 Fanat gives 29% IAS (almost 30, but I would not round that up without looking at breakpoints), 80% to AR and 186% to dmg, for an incomplete total of 416% dmg. That’s basically like using a BOTD weapon in terms purely of IAS and dmg, assuming you can finagle some IAS from gloves or your weapon is halfway decent.
Lvl 12 HF means enemies are slowed by half. I could have sworn that the patch added damage to this aura (coulda sworn I’d felt it), but perhaps I am wrong. Lvl 18 Thorns returns 930% dmg, so a hit of 1 will return 9.3 dmg. A hit of 300 (from, say, those incredibly annoying axe-wielding frenzy guys that still scare me) will return … almost 3K? And lastly, lvl 16 Defiance means 220% defense bonus. But that doesn’t mean you’ll never be hit. You’ll be hit … you’ll just most likely block that hit because you’ll have very high %block.
Now let’s take your weapon … your berserker axe. 24-71 dmg naked. But at 255% dmg (240-270, middle is 255), that’s 85-252. At least. Someone will have to check my math there, because I am not so great at calculating those things. To get my numbers I multipled the naked dmg by 3.55, which is 2.55 (255%) plus another hundred percent. I don’t remember why it works, but I know it does. See here and the naked item here for a comparison.
So 85-252 weapon damage. Naked. Assuming 200 str (oh, hell, we’re having fun, why not?), that becomes 170-504. 5.16 times that (fanat and might) give us 877-2600. That’s with 69% IAS from that item alone (throw in a Highlord’s and Laying of Hands and you’ve got another … 40% IAS (not to mention damage to demons…). All this of course assuming you haven’t gone and gotten 160/60 armor, which would require yet more calculations. And my head hurts already. I am not a math major.
Now … your merc. :: Already taken more than 20 minutes to figure all this out, and I probably made an error somewhere. 184-508 naked. Assuming 200 str, that becomes 368-1016. 5.16 times that gives us ~1900-10485. If I’m not making a gross error in here somewhere, your merc is a fucking beast, especially when you remember that Doom gives 45% IAS to what is already not a slow weapon for a paladin.
Oh, and a few other things. First: anything you hit freezes. You also do Prevent Monster Heal, Open Wounds, have a 15% to cast level 5 Lifetap, … so not only can nothing you’re around move too fast, you also freeze anything you touch (except cold immunes but for conviction, I bet), and even if you only hit them once, not only can they not heal, they bleed freely for a while, too. And you could also put a Delirium on your merc, which would cast confuse every once in a while. That would be entertaining.
That’s some kinda combo. But it’ll take a good bit of time to make it.
Wanna start today? It’ll probably have to be completed after the ladder season is over, mainly because we have our headstart in Bramble (seriously. I can make it when I get on the other computer. I just have to find the pieces).
You probably don’t want to put Delirium on your merc, because you don’t have a source of leech with your weapon and armor. A Tal’s Crest or a good rare circlet with leech and +skills is probably the way to go. Maybe even Steelskull or Vamp. Gaze for the DR.
I didn’t know you could do that with a missile weapon! That’s really neat. And thanks for the offered belt; the mana leech is sorely needed. I’m using a pair of perfect Manalds right now, but now that my Strafeazon is in Hell, I’m discovering that resists matter even when you’re not in melee and I need the ring space for some +lightning resist.
My Paladin is in much better shape, as he owns a RalOrtTal Paladin shield with natural +35 resists. It’s like having Salvation always on. I also have a Crown Shield with 4 sockets that someone (read: Fenris, probably) can make Exile out of. I know it’s only an exceptional shield, but this one gives a natural +41 resist all.
What with all the freezing and slowing and general havoc being wreacked, I am not sure that a level 80 merc will need all that much leech…and the paladin’s weapon will do lifetap anyway.
I enjoyed yesterday evening immensely. The 6 person hell rush was … well, a rush! Soloing in hell, or actually any other level is boring. Having one or two people you trust in game with you is fun, having a bunch is great.
I did start an elemental druid yesterday, before anybody was in SDMB games. He’s up to level 7 or 8 now and I’ll be playing him when no one else is around and I get tired of Pit runs.
As for Forge quests. My irritatingly bad barb is still in Act1 hell, my first try at druid is in Act4 NM. So if we get a good group together we can rush them up to do the forge. I’m looking at getting a zod with one of them… ok, not.
A 6-person Hell-rushing party for my first real foray into Hell…I’m totally jaded.
It took 3-ish hours, but I went from 0 quests Hell to watching Baal whimper and die like a leetle beech. It helps having friends around.
Once again, that buriza is amazing w/ the WB druid setup w/ Maul @22. I thin that highest dmg I saw was 2972 or somesuch, which just blows my doors off. Add various aura to that and things start getting interesting.
I need to decided on a merc now. I’ve got an Hell:A3 Offensive, but I think the suggestion I’d heard of getting a bow-girl might be a good one, given that I’m a melle character and my tendency to rush in to those big groups of death dealers.
Druid summons can kick ass, but be prepared to devote a lot of points to them. At the very least, plan on maxing dire wolf and grizzly. Dumping points into Spirit Wolf can also be helpful, but it might be more worthwhile to max HoW. This is what I learned from taking my summoner druid into nightmare. Since your friend’s summons and merc will be taking a lot of the load for you, he can get by with not putting too many points werebear, maul or lyc. Getting shockwave up there will help a great deal, I think–it’s a great skill.
You should also consider using a Holy Freeze merc. I’ve seen a lot of recommendations for them for WBs, since they (the WBs) are so slow. Really paces the enemies down.
Dang it…I missed the Hell rush? Grr…must have been durring my eating break or something. Oh well. Hopefully I can catch the next one.
A WB isn’t slow when you give it a Buriza or a fast mace. I found my first Buriza last night too and it is crazy fast. My Rythm mace is fast too, but not near as much damage.
I like the bow merc and the holy freeze merc about the same. I have a HF merc right now because I had a really good polearm to give it. I might switch to a bow merc when I hit hell with the druid though since I have that crazy rare elite bow.
Munch, on that aura guy you’re building, you might also want a Wisp Projector ring. Even if you have some other jewelry you want to wear, I think that you can cast a spirit in town and then take off the ring. Which would also mean that in a party, you can loan the ring to others to let them cast the other two spirits.
I’ve often wondered, along the same lines, about a party of five paladins, a barbarian, and a necro. The paladins (along with mercs) would have every good aura covered, the barbarian would contribute his warcries, and the necro would do curses. It seems like things would really start adding up, there.
I detailed my build several posts up, there, but my primary aura will probably be Conviction, and my shield will almost have to be four diamonds. This guy is going to desparately need resistances, and shield is the only place I have room to put them. Using anything else would require Salvation aura, and I really need that Conviction.
And no leech on crushing blow is bad news, to me. Looks like I may have to re-run my calculations with the assumption of a few gallons of potions.
Yeah, MDSL, vol, punha, and vol’s friend showed up right about the time thinksnow, Fenris, and I were getting to the Summoner. I had to sacrifice my zon a few times to get through the Serpent mages’ trap in the Viper Temple, but she was eventually successful after dying two or three times. That was about the time you left.
Hopefully, we can get it to a 7 person hell game this weekend, or even an 8 person if one of the Dopers who I only see on-line occasionally show up.
: Already taken more than 20 minutes to figure all this out, and I probably made an error somewhere. 184-508 naked. Assuming 200 str, that becomes 368-1016. 5.16 times that gives us ~1900-10485. If I’m not making a gross error in here somewhere, your merc is a fucking beast, especially when you remember that Doom gives 45% IAS to what is already not a slow weapon for a paladin.
It’ll probably have to be completed after the ladder season is over, mainly because we have our headstart in Bramble (seriously. I can make it when I get on the other computer. I just have to find the pieces).