Newbie-ness

C Elegans · Post by **C Elegans** » Mon Jun 23, 2003 1:53 pm

@Chanak: The Amazon, when played as a Bowazon, is IMO the most powerful (actually, overpowered

) class in the game. Despite this, she is very fun to play

What builds do you plan to make of your Barb and Ass? I played a dual-claw Ass up to lvl 50ish, but sort of lost interest after that...then I recently started a Samurai Ass (ie an Ass with a sword), which may sounds strange but it very fun to play!
I really like the Barb, they have many funny skills...Find item is one of my favorites - obviously, since I only play MF-barbs

@Silver Knight: Hello and welcome to the board

You reach Arcane Sanctuary from a red portal at the 3rd level of the Palace in Lut Golein (in the west end). You must speak to some NPC first, Jerhyn I think, who is standing outside the palace.

Regarding the henchmen, I often play with a Merc, they are actually quite useful sometimes, but they need attendance like babies. First, you must equip your merc with the best possible equipment you can find save that you use for yourself. Keep their resistances and defence high, and make sure they have plenty of life-steal. Second, you must be quick to feed them with healing potions all the time, personally I always use the shift-number key - that's much faster than using the mouse.

Wirt's leg is needed for something special, later...after you have beaten the final boss. But you don't need to save it in your inventory, since you can just pop back to Tristram and get a new one later when you need it. I'll tell more if you want to get spoiled!

Robnark · Post by **Robnark** » Mon Jun 23, 2003 2:56 pm

Originally posted by Chanak
@rob: You know, those little jungle dudes remind me of you in an odd sort of way. Hanging out near the trees, shooting at passers-by with blowguns...

damn you. you realise that I'll never be able to bring myself to kill one again?

oh, and yes, the amazon/bowazon is stunningly good if you get a good bow (such as skystrike a couple of days ago, a unique edge bow which had me jumping up and down in my chair with glee). those passive skills are incredibly cool, not only do you never have to get in close combat, but you can be impossible to hit as well. and getting one of those arrows that explode and cause a huge area of flame to penetrate several enemies in a row, filling a corridor with fire, is a joy. the first character I completed the 4 (and later the 5th) acts with, the bowazon is a very strong character.

especially since dexterity is a magical stat that increases both chance to hit and damage inflicted, and you should hardly ever need to repair your kit, and never have to repair your bow.

unfortunately I lost my game after completing normal difficulty and act 1 of the next, and my current one's only at level 14. have to get to work...

garazdawi · Post by **garazdawi** » Mon Jun 23, 2003 4:19 pm

Many ppl have told me that I'm missing half the game by playing without LoD, and it indeed seem very tempting....however a students buget is very tight, especially since I'm probably moving out on my own during summer

I might borrow a friends but then I first have to find a friend to borrow from

Anyway.... back to topic.....

I never actually played very far with an amazon..... I got to Hell difficulty with one playing on Battle.Net (which is really not that hard....) My fav character is the Necromancer. I love being able to just watch my foes being chopped and served for me

I usually biuld as a summoner but I had a lvl 89 poisonmancer at Battle.Net once..... it has however "died" now

as my days at BNet has ended (for now)

Silver Knight · Post by **Silver Knight** » Tue Jun 24, 2003 11:38 am

@ C Elegans: Thanks for your help, It was getting somewhat frustrating wandering through the wilderness looking for something that wasn't actually there.

I am progressing through the lower level of the Palace now and finding new and interesting things to bludgeon to death. I found a mace which has various enchantments including knockback and crushing blow. It seems to do the business.

C Elegans · Post by **C Elegans** » Tue Jun 24, 2003 5:21 pm

@Garaz: I do hope you get LoD and take up playing again when the new patch 1.10 is released. Like Stilgar suggested in another thread, we should really try to party together at B-net

Seeing almost all of us have a different favorite class (also in another thread), it would be mighty fun!

@Silver Knight: The Palace is quite good for XP, although I am not altogether fond of the lay out.

Good to hear you found a nice weapon, personally I don't like Knockback at melee weapons since you have to run after the monsters, but I like it on a bow when I play solo Bowazon.

garazdawi · Post by **garazdawi** » Wed Jun 25, 2003 4:00 am

Originally posted by C Elegans
@Garaz: I do hope you get LoD and take up playing again when the new patch 1.10 is released. Like Stilgar suggested in another thread, we should really try to party together at B-net Seeing almost all of us have a different favorite class (also in another thread), it would be mighty fun!

Indeed

It's not possible for like u and me to play together b/c I don't have the expansion......Yet another reason for me to buy LoD, especially now that I've started playing tha game again....... it's a very addictive game once you start......

Chanak · Post by **Chanak** » Wed Jun 25, 2003 4:04 am

@rob: Take it as a compliment.

Those little jungle dudes become tougher as you go deeper in the jungle.

Ugh, I am beginning to hate the Flayer Jungle. I've died a few times already.

@CE: Congrats on the modship.

It's rather nice to visit a forum that isn't cluttered up with hundreds of new posts daily. It makes keeping up that much easier.

After kicking the bucket a few times in the Flayer jungle, I decided to take a break and re-visit the old stomping grounds in the previous Acts. I rather like this feature of the game. It was pretty amusing to go the Burial Grounds in Act 1 once again. Killing Blood Raven the first time around was a bit of a challenge...this time, though, I toasted her with one swing.

Nightmare · Post by **Nightmare** » Wed Jun 25, 2003 8:32 pm

I hate the Fetishs/Flayers so much because of their Shamens. Their inferno attack is so deadly to my characters...

garazdawi · Post by **garazdawi** » Thu Jun 26, 2003 7:17 am

Originally posted by Nightmare
I hate the Fetishs/Flayers so much because of their Shamens. Their inferno attack is so deadly to my characters...

especially when you go down in the Flayer dungeon and meet the boss there.......all those shamans frying you at once can really toast you up big time....... loads of fire resits really helps then.......which is why I LOVE Hot Spurse

Chanak · Post by **Chanak** » Fri Jun 27, 2003 4:48 am

I think I may have lucked out. My bowazon is wearing two parts of the Arctic gear, which grants her a bonus to all resistances, plus the helm portion of the Berserker gear, which offers a substantial boost to fire resistance.

You know, the cold-casting mercenary in Act III clearly rules. That merc goes nuts freezing all the creeps in sight, which makes it a piece of cake to shatter them with a single arrow. Now I know why it costs more to hire them over the others. I think I'll have my paladin drop the lightning caster for a cold caster.

A newbie sort of question: do item effects stack? My bowazon wears two items which halve freeze duration...I was wondering if both were cumulative or not.

C Elegans · Post by **C Elegans** » Fri Jun 27, 2003 12:04 pm

@Nightmare: Sounds like you need more Fire resistance then! Lightining and fire are the most important resistances.

@Chanak: Most item effects stack, such as skill levels, resistances, damage enhancement etc, but Half freeze duration always cuts the duration in half only once - unfortunately, since it would be nice if it stacked. One has to look out for the Cannot be frozen modifier if Half freeze is not enough.

Chanak · Post by **Chanak** » Fri Jun 27, 2003 1:03 pm

@CE: "Cannot be frozen" sounds like it would have helped my Bowazon against Duriel, who toasted her pretty quick the first time. This was where my paladin had an advantage; I actually found that boss fight easier for him.

Agreed re: fire and lightning resistance, I've discovered this for myself in Acts 2 and 3. Though I would add being freeze resistant also doesn't hurt.

One thing I have noticed....my bowazon, for some reason, has come across nicer loot and more monsters in her game than my paladin has in his game. She already has 3 components of two different set items, while my paladin hasn't found one yet.

I suppose this is random?

Silver Knight · Post by **Silver Knight** » Fri Jun 27, 2003 1:18 pm

In Act 2 my Paladin has one item from each of three different sets.

Has anyone done much gambling to get good loot. I lucked out and got a really nifty pair of boots on my first gamble. Since then I haven't done so well, I have gambled away hundreds of thousands on nothing. Even if you get something really good it seems that no trader in Act 2 will pay more than 10k gold for anything.

I definitely need more lightning resistance and more poison resistance. I hate those Unravellers and those beetles. And why, oh why, when clearing out the false tombs of Tal Rasha did I have to pick the one with Ancient Kaa the Indestructible in it first? He and his unraveller buddies kicked my butt well and good. Several times. In the end I had to lure them out one by one and dance round them, out of range of their poison and lightning whilst peppering them with arrows. Not very dignified tactics for a Paladin but at least I was alive at the end of it.

At least fire resistance is not a problem, I have a mace that gives plus 50%.

C Elegans · Post by **C Elegans** » Fri Jun 27, 2003 5:09 pm

@Chanak: Unfortunately Duriel has a Holy Freeze aura at Nightmare and Hell, same as the Pally skill, and that is magic cold, why Cannot be frozen does not help. Nothing helps against Holy Freeze. Cannot be frozen is however good against many other monsters, especially in Act VI.

Item drops are random, although if you wear a set item you have a higher chance of getting another item from the same set. At least in theory. I always end up wearing 1736 not so good set items (you have to have them equiped) because I want another item from those sets, but I don't think it has ever worked

The higher level the monster has, the more likely it is that it drops a better item, and you can only wear items with Magic Find to increase your chances of getting Magic, Rare, Set and Unique items.

@Silver Knight: I gamble as soon as I have plenty of money. The odds aren't very good, but as you character increase in level odds to get good items improve. The best stuff to gamble are IMO boots, gloves and lower level weapons. Armour, rings and amulets are seldom worth it since they are so terribly expensive. Remember though that Magic find does not affect gambling. In each act there is a fix level of how much money you get by selling items to the shops, and the limit is 10k in act II normal, just as you have noticed.

Heh, Ancient Kaa the Soulless

He is my favorite monster in the entire game, he can be tremendously difficult

Silver Knight · Post by **Silver Knight** » Fri Jun 27, 2003 5:58 pm

Ancient Kaa the Soulless. Maybe I should have remembered the name after he had nearly broken his foot off kicking my butt several times. Duriel was a weenie compared to him.

I was a bit gutted to lose the Horadric Staff, it was great for scything through crowds of burning dead to get to the unravellers. Before I go on to the next Act I think I shall don all my equipment which improves the chances of finding magic items and clean out the rest of the tombs. Sometimes I think I only play these games to acquire loot

C Elegans · Post by **C Elegans** » Sun Jun 29, 2003 2:54 am

@Silver Knight: I thought Ancient Kaa the Indestructable was a very apt name

Finding good items is a large part of the game. Once a character has beaten Baal at Hell difficulty, I always turn them into MF (magic find) characters. High MF is always a trade off, but if you are very lucky you can find these very good items that has both high MF and high resistances, + to skills etc.

Silver Knight · Post by **Silver Knight** » Sun Jun 29, 2003 5:02 am

Help, please! I can't find Khalim's eye. I know it is supposed to be in the spider cavern but I have been through that place twice and I cannot find it. I presume that what is referred to in the quest log as the "spider cavern" is in fact the arachnid lair in the spider forest? Am I missing something.

On a similar note I also seem to have misplaced the great marsh. Hard to do, maybe, but I have managed it. I note that the waypoint for the great marsh is listed before those in Kurast. I have been right through the spider forest and the flayer jungle but I can't seem to locate the great marsh. Doesn't sound like a particularly nice place but there may be lots of things to kill there

Silver Knight · Post by **Silver Knight** » Sun Jun 29, 2003 10:27 am

Ok, I feel very silly. I just hadn't been looking at the map properly. I was right though, lots of things to kill in the great marsh

garazdawi · Post by **garazdawi** » Sun Jun 29, 2003 1:17 pm

if the quest log sais you have to go to the spider cavern then why should you go to the aranrchid lair? I know that aranarnichids are spiders as well, but still.......

so as you can understand by the above you are in the wrong place

, on the automat there is a clear mark to help you see where in the cavern the eye is.......the fact that tehre are two dungeons in the spider jungle has caused great confusion for many players including me.......

C Elegans · Post by **C Elegans** » Mon Jun 30, 2003 6:37 am

LOL

Yes, you have the Spider Cavern and the Arachnid Lair, then in the Flayer Jungle area you have the Flayer Dungeon (with a quest item) and the other dungeon with no quest item (I can't remember the name right now, I never go there since I hate dungeons).