What's your favorite character?

[DSTheHermit]

I play charged bolt sorcies constantly. I like them, assassins, and babas because they can actually spend skill points before level 30 without crippling themselves. Normal is a snorefest anyhow, and if it weren't for the clvl/mlvl curve, I'd just as happily start in NM at level 1. Yeah, killing those first few monsters would suck, but I'm up to it.

So far as variants, I think my favourite is actually one I cooked up myself and so far as I can tell, no one else has done - the "true" D1 rogue/assassin. Start an assassin, pick up a bow, start cranking burst of speed to get your firing rate up to D1 levels, pump Cloak of Shadows to effectively boost your AR, pop a point into dragon flight (targetting your golem - Shadow Warrior - using the unsummon trick) for teleport, and go to town. You can throw in a trap or two for support - I chose Death Sentry not only for effectiveness, but because only it and Wake of Inferno have a short enough range to act like Hellfire runes; sure, DS does lightning damage, but the real damage is the CE charges, which go off at "you almost stepped on me" range. It's incredibly fun, and it will raise your skill as a bow user - you learn much better aim when you don't have 50 autohit spray-n-pray skills. Fade and Venom can also get points for Chaos Sanc and LEBs, respectively. I eventually found the Demon Machine - which is the perfect weapon for this char, for fun factor if not damage.

I've toyed with the idea of a "passives" sorcie, but not actually gone out and done it. She would be relying on physical attacks until level 12. Her main skills would be Shiver Armour, Blaze, and Tstorm - no direct kills. I think I'd have to allow Blizzard though, just because of the (bloody cuss cuss cuss) immunes. The idea is that the sorcie keeps her passives running and lets them do the killing, but I'm thinking certain situations will crop up where you just need to do more damage quickly - primarily councilofendlesshealing members. I sort of wish the cold tree had a hydra, that would fit the bill nicely. High stamina-r/w boots would be in order for this build. (Aldur's advance is ideal. But then that goes true for most every build, IMO.)

I've done a complete game clear with a summons ONLY necro - Bones Jones - probably the most patience-requiring character I ever played, and very possibly the most fun. If I had to do it over, I'd suggest a Thorns merc once you get to A2 NM - I took a Defiance merc to keep my skels from getting pasted by every swing, and because I thought Thorns might be overpowered. And it might be, but with no curse support, and no arty spells - even from items - it's almost crucial. You can do without, but that's really over-crippling yourself. Although you could make an Ember story of it and go mercless -shiver-. If you're stumped as to how the build is possible, it's all about Iron Golem vs. act bosses. Andariel is weak enough to can rely on your army to actually kill her, but you need slvl 2 IG on hand before Duriel - clvl 24 + Graverobber's wand. Yeah, it's sandbagging, but without curse support it's the only viable way to solve the Duriel puzzle. See if you can match me and get only one personal kill (your first in the Blood Moor.)

I've considered a golem-and-curses only necro, but I think that might take even longer to get through. You'd probably eventually be doing Iron Golem and Amp Damage, with occasional use of Terror, Dim Vision, and Attract. Fire Golem for phys immunes. Phys/fire immunes? Yeah, I'm gonna have to say we're looking at unrestricted merc use for this build. But since you won't be using corpses, an A3 cold merc is a viable option.

Then there's druids. Any druids, really. They're all variants in Hell difficulty.

Hope this was wacky enough, so sayeth The Hermit.

"Grinning wide and comforting me with his three warm and wild eyes." Tool - Third Eye

[LemmingofGlory]

...anything that's not mainstream has been dubbed "variant." And to that I say

Bah!

Variants of old were written out, which made them far easier to critique as "variant," "collection of unrelated restrictions," or "Using an axe does not a variant make." You drew an important disctinction with this:

Every variant has a build as the base of it - if it did not, then it would be kind of difficult to play.

I'd be more generic and say every character has a build -- variants included -- but doing something weird does not a variant make. It makes you different, sure, but remember: Some people are weird, but some people think they're Richard Nixon. In days of yore, those people had rooms at Woody's Asylum.

A Mageazon, if played as a Sorceress, is a variant.

Generalized:
A variant is composed of *linked* ideas. The author (or, in these days of non-written vars, I suppose the player) decides how to interpret the concept into the game. The concept dictates the rules, but everyone can still have a slightly different take.

Insofar as roleplaying goes (which is probably quite scant in D2, but nevertheless), rules can be bent, broken, or discarded as necessary for the role. And what is the role? Whatever you're trying to play plus any personality/inherited/racial traits.

Written variants are very nice when it comes to combinations. You start with two independent concepts and blend them, already having the restrictions on paper -- a template. Far easier, IMO, than starting with a blended concept and trying to think up all applicable rules. I wish people would get back to this. :p

Of couse, you could play simply any old Amazon and use Immolating Arrow and Freezing Arrow for your primary attacks, but if you base your build as trying to imitate the Sorceress, then it's a variant.

I'd still want to see the written version before I called it a real variant. <i>Ex:</i> "I'm playing an Amazon pretending she's a Sorceresss-playing-as-an-Amazon and, as a result, I play no differently from normal at every stage of the game."

[o: *LEMMING* :o]

[Rhydderch Hael]

I just bought the expansion pack two days ago, and I figure I'll make my first storyline run-through with a Paladin Ranger. Considering that I had the whole game uninstalled prior to this day, this means I'm starting the boy up right from level 1. My first char's been warted with too many Defensive auras, so I'll re-start the fellow tonight.

First impressions: the switch weps key is awful nifty. I ultimately am thinking of swapping between two high quality crossbows instead of a crossbow/melee switch, but that's a bridge long yet to be crossed.

I've been out of it for long, but dangit, were crossbows always this slow in the shot? I went through the whole of Act II with a self bow due to two reasons: I switched out to this self bow (a Rare Composite Bow) for the faster firing rate, and when I sought a replacement for that—Fara was in no mood to go selling me any sort of bow-type weapons at all! Rarely would she ever put up a self bow in the window, and never bothered selling any kind of crossbow. Did I get the bad roll of the Murphy generator, or is Fara simply a melee wep junkie?

Ashera supplied me with the replacement crossbows fine enough, and I noted with some contempt that my Act III cold sorc was killing more enemies than I actually did.

Am I to assume that, from my one and only play-through of the Black Book quest, that even in the late incarnation of Diablo II: Lord of Destrcution v1.09 the Tome of Lann Esau will forever remain lodged inside the Ruined Temple of Lower Kurast? Blizzard might as well re-work the texture bitmaps for the Ruined Temple entrance to include a blinking neon sign that says "Cocktails, Girls, Forbidden Books of Skatsimi Sages Inside!"

I've still yet to see what offers awaits me in Act IV in LoD, to say nothing of Act V. I'll dare to put the Lone Ranger through the game, to see how viable he may be there (and into Nightmare). Given the other character classes, the only other that interests me is the Assassin (after playing the Ranger, an archer Amazon would be easy to the point of boring; the other classes serve even less interest than the Amazon for me at the moment). The thing is, I have no idea what stands and what fails an Assassin, as I have yet to see all the skills and disciplines employed yet.

But by far, the Paladin Ranger is my fave, and if you doubt my sincerity to the Rangers, know this: I've read the Ranger variant rules at RBD, and I think they're too loose ;) .

From what meager information I have gathered from Arreat, I'm shooting for 160 in Strength tops, to pull on that Elite version of Chain Mail. This puts him in line to wear the Elite Full Helm and the Elite Repeater Crossbow as well. Rest of the stats go to Dexterity and Vitality. Crossbows, not self bows, for the weapon(s), and thanks to the item swap, I daresay a large two-handed sword would serve nicely. Back in the stock version of D2, I opted best for a 1x4 two-handed sword (Claymore or Bastard Sword-type) to stick in one side of my Inventory. In LoD, it gets a bit easier.

Alas, I cannot go online. I moved some three months ago, and currently reside where there is no broadband connection. I'm on a 40K dialup at the moment, and until I secure an apartment closer to town (where DSL/cable is available) I'm sticking to the adventures of the Lone Ranger, with only his trusty sidekick Tonto beside him (though I daresay Tonto looks awful strange in red hair and a brown leather bikini).

[Wyrm]

I had a Sacrifice Pally from 1.04, it was always interesting when I'd kill myself in public games and people would be confused as to how it happened.

All I do nowadays is pretty much "odd" builds. Did an Elemental druid and a Phoenix assassin (although those might actually become useful...), made an Axe/Dagger barb, Necro that used lr and just kept blowing up fire golems in the enemies faces (I call him my necro bomber), a meteor/blizzard sorc that doesn't use weapons, or anything that changes her appearance from her non-armor self, and have a Chain lit sorc that I'm hoping will get a bit better in 1.10, but not holding my breath.

[Maximus]

My favorite character is Druid, and i have a lvl70 Werewolf and lvl32 Werebear and both have been fun to play. Im going to make an Elementalist when 1.10 comes out, because it seems that they dont suck anymore :).

I havent yet made a Variant of anykind but Roguemage's Hungry hunter(Druid) seems like a fun build, and i just might make a one, but right now i dont feel like a starting a new character :)

[Sporky Smurf]

I've been out of it for long, but dangit, were crossbows always this slow in the shot? I went through the whole of Act II with a self bow due to two reasons: I switched out to this self bow (a Rare Composite Bow) for the faster firing rate, and when I sought a replacement for that—Fara was in no mood to go selling me any sort of bow-type weapons at all! Rarely would she ever put up a self bow in the window, and never bothered selling any kind of crossbow. Did I get the bad roll of the Murphy generator, or is Fara simply a melee wep junkie?

Asheara normally doesn't sell bows... Try Ezlix (sp?).



Or maybe I've been playing too much Seven Lances.

[Rhydderch Hael]

Fara, the Act II smith (and healer) certainly doesn't seem to be selling bows. Then again, I hit Elzix as an alternative, but he offered me nothing but Light Crossbows.

I mean, there were practically no crossbow choices from the vendors in Act II. I had such selections in Act I, and such choices returned to me in Act III, but Lut Gholein was a virtual doldrum for this Ranger.

All my best wep choices were being dropped by the baddies in battle, and I was sure as heck not going to use up the Charsi imbue on a Normal-class Crossbow.

[kandrathe]

I wonder if it would help to get a bow with the "Screaming" prefix. I've been finding a bunch lately, but I sell them to Larz.

[ShadowHM]

Hats with the 'Visionary' prefix. One of those is saving my Bow Assassin from complete ineptitude at the moment.

[Elric of Grans]

Hail Rhydderch,

Gambling in LoD is quite different to vanilla DII: do it a lot early on! Throughout Normal difficulty, I gamble for all my equipment: that way I generally have all-Rare equipment, and I have the base-types I wanted :) It's the BEST way to get Crossbows in Act II! Hmm... thinking about Act II, I seem to remember Fara selling Crossbows on occation - Elzix is pretty useless, as he mostly sells Act I gear.

PS Totally off topic, but someone on the Radio is going to win $500 if he lets someone slap him with a trout ;)

[kandrathe]

I'm having quite a bit of fun with a lvl 54 convertadin in hell. Other than 20 in thorns, and 9 in conversion. I have a point dabbled in every skill on combat and offensive auras. With a few extra in zeal, fanaticism, and conviction. I'm using Darkglow with Irathra's set for 90% resists in hell (with salvation), and because I want to get hit. I want the wimpiest weapon I could find, so angelic sabre with angelic halo ring. My swap weapon is the Demon Machine socketed with a Shael for stand off with LEB's and other nasties I don't want to close with. The other ring I have is Great Wyrm of the Whale (+87mana, +92life) I found a Priest's Protector of the Mammoth, paladin shield with +2 skills, +37 life, socketed with a perfect diamond for +47 resist total. Then all the charms I've found that have +resist with + life for an additional 182 life from charms. Not much, I know, but I swap them out as I find better. I'm using an Act 3 Cold Iron Wolf, which works great. I convert a few bad guys, and the Iron wolf blasts away from behind them. Once they convert back, he pops them.

Adjusted Str 113, Dex 143, Vit 122, Nrg 20 -- the only notable is my life is now up over 800. I'm aiming at around 1000.
Then, I keep Aldur's mace and switch over if the occasional physical immune boss that stubbornly kills all my converts.

It is a hard build to play with others as the occasional 1090% dmg returned when they hit a recently unconverted hurts to death at times.

[Rhydderch Hael]

Hail Rhydderch,

Gambling in LoD is quite different to vanilla DII: do it a lot early on! Throughout Normal difficulty, I gamble for all my equipment: that way I generally have all-Rare equipment, and I have the base-types I wanted :) It's the BEST way to get Crossbows in Act II! Hmm...

I took you advice when I restarted with Roderec the Ranger, and gambled for his gun. Picked up a Sharp Light Crossbow of Readiness, so that was a pretty nice haul for early Act I.

He managed to pry a Vicious Light Crossbow of Readiness late in the Act (as I recall, it was culled from Andy herself) which he's now shooting in Act II. Wow, those Act II mercenaries really picked up a boost in constitution, didn't they? Never remembered a "meat shield" from stock D2 being quite so able to handle punishment.

I called together the whole stable of characters, but the only one I'm playing so far is the Paladin. I did run up the Druid for a quick dash into the Den of Evil, but had to quit before I laughed myself (or hisself) to death as I mutter, "Friend. You friend!" in a Frankenstien-esque voice as I watch the Druid walk and fight.

I swear, first time I make a Druid on Battle.net, I'm naming him Herman_Munster. Then again, I don't think I'd be the first...

[Occhidiangela]

I started one about two years ago. :) She used poison on her bows, and a variety of other stuff.

Occhidiangela is at 67 or 69 and pretty much done, a Matriarch.

Build? Nothing fancy.

True D1 Rogue uses no traps. No claws. She uses curved sword. She uses bows.

She uses Burst of speed, Fade, Venom, Shadow Master (she used a Rogue Sister named Aliza) and then she used Tiger Strike, Cobra Strike, and belatedly Phoenix Strike, so that she could to elemental damage. (And because I was getting bored). She uses a point in mind blast and one in psychic hammer, since she had to retrain as an Assassin after the Rogue Citadel went down. She's so pretty that monsters just stand there stunned now and again, just like the rubes in Ogden's bar used to. :)

Sword and Shield ended up with an Ancient King's Grace and some rare bone shield. Tiger Strike is pretty good with a sword, except against PI and when your To Hit curve gets shakey.

Hell Ancients were a royal pain.

[bschultz]

I had a smiteadin back in the day of classic d2 before you could get +damage on shields. people would always laugh at me. but they did like that I stunned everything.

I also had a ranger for awhile but he only got to act 4 in normal. they arnt very usefull unless you are grouped with a few others so that your auras can stack.

and I had a sf and frost nova only sorc. that was back before they nerfed sf to stop at half damage or whatever it was.

and I had a pure barbarian. he could only use non magic items. so no blues, greens, yellows or golds. I did let him use superior items though.

[whereagles]

I only play barbarians. Tried all chars, but babos are what I really enjoy playing. Whirlwind and frenzy are really entretaining.

[Fragbait]

I disagree, sir.

Have played 5 Sorcs, 3 Barbs, 3 Amas, 2 Palas, 2 Druids, 1 Assa and 1 Necro.
If I had to choose my favourite skills out of these that I tried at least once, whirlwind and frenzy wouldn't be looked at at all.
Sorry, but there's just no challenge (outside the Chaos Sanctuary at least) when using these skills. Combined with the very powerful masteries tree that the Barb has (x mastery, ironskin, faster run, natural resistance), they could have made the usage of his main attack skills a bit harder.

If I were to choose, my choice would fall upon:

1) Frostnova - incredible fun to play.

2) dodge/avoid/evade - very neat skills, standing in diablo's torch of death and not getting hit is surely fun.

3) Leap Attack - very useful, especially that it's counted as a ranged attack.

4) Sacrifice - finally a non-mana-based attack with damage multiplier. Gives some variety.

5) Maul - nice animations and not overpowered.


Which character? Oh...

Every non-cookie-cutter sorceress, I think. Teleport sure is a hell of fun.


Just my 0.02$.

Greetings, Fragbait


Edit: forgot that I deleted my chars once. I probably had 7 Sorcs, 5 Barbs, 5 Amas, 4 Palas, 3 Necros, 3 Druids and 3 Assas... Well. Long gone.

[whereagles]

Well, I have *my* fun with WW and frenzy. Good thing you prefer sorcies. Gives color to the game, eheh.

Actually, I find corpse explosion the most entretaining of skills, but I'm not into necs ;)

[Ignatz]

Hrm, I'd agree. A variant isn't a variant without something to vary from. Unless you're distorting the term's denotation, that's the way it is.

[Nebuul]

I've always enjoyed a character who focuses on one skill and maxes it to its pinnacle of effectiveness.

Examples:

NinjaPuss had a level 52 iron golem
NinjaSoup had a level 47 blizzard
NinjaSauce had a level 47 volcano, level 45 fissure

You can do some amazing things when skills that high of a level. NinjaPuss's iron golem (dubbed "IronRod") could *solo* lister's entire pack in 8ppl hell games when crafted with a paladin shield (resists for quadrouple immune). A level 47 blizzard does 1785-1815 damage a hit, and with that tremendous +cold skills, nobody had any resist against it. Level 47 volcano does about 490 damage a hit -- enough to stunlock those irritating zons and sorcs with its 13 boulders per second -- instant death to anything that doesn't have good resists and high life. The fissure did a ton as well, and that would absolutely terrorize anything that ran over it.


Try maximizing a skill like that. Pick bone spear or poison nova, or maybe another minion like Grizzly Bear and Heart of Wolverine. I wouldn't recommend a multi-summon though (skelemage/revive/etc) -- the lag is really bad. Believe me, I tried it :)

[Obi2Kenobi]

Odd.. Nova is normally a larger cause of lag than minions.