Mage without MS?

[NuurAbSaal]

I'd be okay with certain retcons, like if D2 was actually the daydream of an autistic boy.

D3 is then, logically, going be the imagined coming-of-age story of a space squid therapist that is, actually, already dead.

I'll still play it.

Also I agree about the brilliant feel of D1's control scheme in combat. Oddly enough that made moving around in town seem weird for me. Like I was locked in a very deliberate combat-movement mode.

take care
Tarabulus

[weakwarrior]

BTW, speaking of Lava Maws... strange thing happened on level 14: I was melee attacked by a single Lava Maw ( I know, I know... should have warned me of what was to come later, when I met a pack of his friends ) I tried to run away, but I couldn't because it had me stunlocked. I managed to stay alive by using hot keys to drink my belt empty. Then, suddenly, while I am down to my last potion and frantically clicking on some empty space to break away, knowing I will die …. it drops dead! Huh???
Did it suicide because I was to pitiful for it to bear? I have no idea what happened, but it certainly wasn't me that killed it!?!

Were you wearing a ring of engagement (or some other item that does damage to attacker)?

[lyyn]

I don't think so, I don't have anything offensive. My setup is all wizard stuff:
- Wizardspike (well then it was, now it's Dreamflange)
- Thinking Cap
- Naj's Light Plate
- 3(!) Jewels of Wizardry (Did I mention how this is my lucky “find stuff” char? Now where is that #§&$%!!#! Royal Circlet )

The only “non-wizard” item I use is a Holy Defender. I don't have much use for it, but it looks stylish
I'm still looking for a shield that helps my setup but so far no luck. After all this searching I'd be happy to settle for some Buckler Of the Mind. Griz keeps insisting on offering me at least 2 Bows Of Sorcery per game just to taunt me. Oh, and btw, my tiara is way too tight...

Can fast-blocking be offensive? Somehow hit the opponent? Or was that Lava Maw just depressed?

[lyyn]

So I took up Hammerskjold's suggestion, went back and looked for the feature list for HF:Fixed. Turns out it's right here on LurkerLounge – I should have known
*thanks LemmingOfGlory*
Probably was too hasty in my first “no stone curse scrolls - no me” reaction.
More bosses plus uniques that can actually drop? I'm downloading as we speak...

[LemmingofGlory]

Can fast-blocking be offensive? Somehow hit the opponent? Or was that Lava Maw just depressed?

Fast-block just speeds up the block animation. It's valuable for the occasions when your mage does happen to block something.

Re: Shield choice. The best +Magic you can get on shields is "Brilliance", so you could go looking for something like that. It does involve item-hunting in Cats/Caves, though. Personally, I always valued fast-block more because mage block animation is dangerously slow otherwise. This makes Stormshield and Holy Defender nice, because on the rare occasions that a mage blocks something he shouldn't be made more vulnerable by having to hang around his attacker for longer than is necessary.

-Lem

[lyyn]

I'm pretty much de-equipped right now anyway.

Like I said earlier, I downloaded and installed HF:Fixed.
Importing my mage worked nicely (except my staves, but I don't use them anyway) so I took her for what I thought would be a little walk to look around. Next thing I know I'm in the middle of playing and having way too much fun to take the time to stop and build a new character.
It seems like every boss that can appear, will appear. Kicking Mrs. Leoric's behind is just more fun then disposing some anonymous Arch-Lich.

It started to feel a little unfair (I'm lvl 33 and currently just halfway through Nightmare difficulty) so I dropped my stuff and started decking myself out in everything Of Radiance I could find. That way I get to see more (=more fun) and have a little adrenaline rush when half the Evil Hordes on a level get alerted to presence at once – not that it does them any good
I'm loving all the little touches: the brain, the soulstone, the LWB that finally looks impressive (of course I had to find something Of Giants so I could actually see it and not just get blinded by bright red :-P, I'm still wussy). I especially love the convenience of being able to jog around town again, almost went back to single player because of that.
Little question on the side: I know that -80% is the lowest a light radius can get but I couldn't find an upper limit. Is there one at all? It still keeps getting brighter with each guardian I cast...

Oh, and one of the HF:Fixed improvements (seeing your opponents HP) solved the Strange And Mysterious Case Of The Depressed Lava Maw:
I didn't realise that the spell Reflect does more than just ward off damage to you, it also inflicts it back on your attacker.
So basically I just outlasted that Lava Maw. In Hell/Hell(!). Wow! That's some spell...

Edit: I have GOT to try that on Diablo... lots and lots of potions... who knows

[LemmingofGlory]

Little question on the side: I know that -80% is the lowest a light radius can get but I couldn't find an upper limit. Is there one at all? It still keeps getting brighter with each guardian I cast...

+50% is the max light radius will go. Also keep in mind that the maximum light radius you have while on a level (until you exit/re-enter) is your effective light radius. So if you wanted to be more of a masochist, you could become a "blind searchlight" by equipping +50% light when you enter a level, and then re-configuring your equipment to go down to -80% light. Then everything sees you, but you don't see them coming.

I didn't realise that the spell Reflect does more than just ward off damage to you, it also inflicts it back on your attacker.

I'd completely forgotten about that spell. Good to see the mystery's been resolved.

-Lem

[sedrosken]

I've heard that with Diablo 3, Buzzard's one-upping their previous missteps by changing the ending to D1. The dude in the end cinematic is allegedly no longer the hero of Tristram: it's Justin Bieber! ...wait, no. Close, but no. It's Prince Albrecht!

^ I lol'd

Close, but no: The Warrior is still the hero of Tristram, but he just happens to be Leoric's long lost son and Albrecht's older brother. Makes sense when you think about the really REALLY early descriptions for Diablo which describe you as coming back to Tristram to figure out both why and how your entire family's been killed.

Also supports the fact that there was originally only one character class planned, along with no multiplayer, and the fact that your character class became more profound as you played the game.