09-01-2003, 06:56 PM
If I get positive feedback (and I am stubborn, so even if I get negative) I am going to make this a real guide... and add some more stuff to the vague parts. Even an overall assessment of each item that I think is fairly good. :P
I don't really want to use FoH, since my cleric will play with other players who kill stuff... :) I just make it easier.
If I plan for a peak of level 80 (doesn't seem that hard from what I have heard) then I will end up with 91 (right?) skill points for distribution. (prereqs. in gray) (optional in red) (synergies in green)
Max Prayer (for a lot of healing)
1 point Cleansing (for getting Mediation, and to be used until then, unless you want the larger radius you would have with Prayer...)
Max Meditation (I am one of the few people [Ok, the only one] who advocates maxing this... I have plenty of skill points without FoH. It gives a huge radius, and allows you to spam your Holy Bolts + Blessed Hammer non stop with minimal energy investment, which means more dex for blocking/strength if you want to wear something like Griswold's Heart/vitality for life)
1 point Defiance (only if you want...)
1 point Vigor (one of my favorite 1 point wonders. :) )
Max Holy Bolt (for a lot of healing + undead damage)
Max/10ish [depending on how much you want in Holy Shield...) Blessed Hammer (for the Holy Bolt synergy, plus the ability to damage non-undead monsters [which won't be much, so it is more for the Holy Bolt synergy])
1 point Smite
Holy Shield (remaining points here)
The main thing you will have to do with this guy is get him into a party. Amazon Basin games will (hopefully, unless a lot of them make these guys, since only 2 can work together, unless at least one doesn't have a prayer merc, then you just use that instead) be good for that. Unless you don't mind not getting thanked that often (I can count on 1 finger the amount of times I have been thanked for saving some one), then random public games will work.
For items (the title says just, not that there isn't one. :P) you want as many plus skills as you can. Although combat or defensive auras are almost as good (unless you get both, then it is as good). Your weapon damage doesn't matter, so a scepter is just as good as an elite war scepter (unless you really want to whack things every now and then).
This section is incomplete... but I will finish it as soon as I get my own website. :P (if you are appalled at the quality of this guide, don't worry... there will be more than this (and even more than Diablo II stuff) on it. :) )
For good armor (some "top end" gear, some poor man's solutions) there is (with my thoughts on some abilities):
Chains of Honor
+2 To All Skills Very good. Can't go wrong with more +skills.
+200% Damage To Demons Fairly useless, except maybe getting in some damage vs. Act End bosses if you aren't too busy healing others.
+100% Damage To Undead
8% Life Stolen Per Hit
+70% Enhanced Defense More defense=less hits. ;)
+20 To Strength Allows more points into dex or vitality.
Replenish Life +7 To help make up for the fact that you can't Holy Bolt yourself.
All Resistances +65 Magical attacks are the ones you will be hit by most...
Damage Reduced By 8% To help against the few missile attacks that get through your blocking/defense. And if you chose to whack some act end bosses with your weapon.
25% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items
Enigma
+2 To All Skills Very good.
+45% Faster Run/Walk Allows you to flee from danger easier.
+1 To Teleport In case you get trapped.
+757 Defense Less likely to be hit=less time spent blocking/recovering.
+ (0.75 Per Character Level) +1-74.25 To Strength (Based On Character Level) More for dex/vitality.
Increase Maximum Life 5% Your high healing rate will help keep you full with your increased life. :)
Damage Reduced By 8% In case some attacks get through.
+14 Life After Each Kill The closest thing you'll have to life leech.
15% Damage Taken Goes To Mana In case med can't keep you full (read as: mana burn boss)
+ (1 Per Character Level) +1-99% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items (Based On Character Level)
Guardian Angel
+180-200% Enhanced Defense
+20% Increased Chance Of BlockingAllows for less dex, meaning more life, or if you need it, strength.
+30% Faster Block Rate
+ (2.5 Per Character Level) 2.5-247.5 To Attack Rating Against Demons (Based On Character Level)
+1 To Paladin Skill Levels Good mod here.
+4 To Light Radius
15% To Maximum Resist All Since Paladin shields have inate resists (sometimes) this allows you to send it to the max, which is good since elemental is probably your biggest weakness. (or rather the potentially biggest weakness)
Skin of the Vipermagi
+120% Enhanced Defense
+1 To All Skills Important
30% Faster Cast Rate Allows you to get those holy bolts off faster, or if you wish, fill the screen with BH.
Magic Damage Reduced By 9-13 That's important. :)
All Resistances +20-35 In case your shield doesn't fill these up.
The Spirit Shroud
+150% Enhanced Defense
Cannot Be Frozen You need to maneuver a little to get those holy bolts in, and being frozen would make that difficult.
+1 To All Skills Important for this Paladin.
Replenish Life +10 You can't Holy Bolt yourself.
Magic Damage Reduced By 7-11 For anything left over from your resists (or is it to make it easier on your resist... I forgot which one goes first)
Helms need pretty much the same mods as armor. :)
Radiance
+75% Enhanced Defense
+30 Defense Vs. Missile
+10 To Energy Not very important with your high levels of mediation, but usefull none the less.
+10 To Vitality Allows more points into vitality. :P
15% Damage Goes To Mana In case of mana burn boss, use this helm. :)
Magic Damage Reduced By 3 Not terribly important when this low...
+33 To Mana Read energy comment
Damage Reduced By 7 Good, I guess.
+5 To Light Radius
Lore
+1 To All Skill Levels Important
+10 To Energy Good, I guess
+2 To Mana After Each Kill Your mana leech.
Lightning Resist +30% Good against those conviction LEBs.
Damage Reduced By 7 OK mod.
+2 To Light Radius
More later... :)
P.S. What do you think? Instead of say, "it sucks" say that it's OK. :P
I don't really want to use FoH, since my cleric will play with other players who kill stuff... :) I just make it easier.
If I plan for a peak of level 80 (doesn't seem that hard from what I have heard) then I will end up with 91 (right?) skill points for distribution. (prereqs. in gray) (optional in red) (synergies in green)
Max Prayer (for a lot of healing)
1 point Cleansing (for getting Mediation, and to be used until then, unless you want the larger radius you would have with Prayer...)
Max Meditation (I am one of the few people [Ok, the only one] who advocates maxing this... I have plenty of skill points without FoH. It gives a huge radius, and allows you to spam your Holy Bolts + Blessed Hammer non stop with minimal energy investment, which means more dex for blocking/strength if you want to wear something like Griswold's Heart/vitality for life)
1 point Defiance (only if you want...)
1 point Vigor (one of my favorite 1 point wonders. :) )
Max Holy Bolt (for a lot of healing + undead damage)
Max/10ish [depending on how much you want in Holy Shield...) Blessed Hammer (for the Holy Bolt synergy, plus the ability to damage non-undead monsters [which won't be much, so it is more for the Holy Bolt synergy])
1 point Smite
Holy Shield (remaining points here)
The main thing you will have to do with this guy is get him into a party. Amazon Basin games will (hopefully, unless a lot of them make these guys, since only 2 can work together, unless at least one doesn't have a prayer merc, then you just use that instead) be good for that. Unless you don't mind not getting thanked that often (I can count on 1 finger the amount of times I have been thanked for saving some one), then random public games will work.
For items (the title says just, not that there isn't one. :P) you want as many plus skills as you can. Although combat or defensive auras are almost as good (unless you get both, then it is as good). Your weapon damage doesn't matter, so a scepter is just as good as an elite war scepter (unless you really want to whack things every now and then).
This section is incomplete... but I will finish it as soon as I get my own website. :P (if you are appalled at the quality of this guide, don't worry... there will be more than this (and even more than Diablo II stuff) on it. :) )
For good armor (some "top end" gear, some poor man's solutions) there is (with my thoughts on some abilities):
Chains of Honor
+2 To All Skills Very good. Can't go wrong with more +skills.
+200% Damage To Demons Fairly useless, except maybe getting in some damage vs. Act End bosses if you aren't too busy healing others.
+100% Damage To Undead
8% Life Stolen Per Hit
+70% Enhanced Defense More defense=less hits. ;)
+20 To Strength Allows more points into dex or vitality.
Replenish Life +7 To help make up for the fact that you can't Holy Bolt yourself.
All Resistances +65 Magical attacks are the ones you will be hit by most...
Damage Reduced By 8% To help against the few missile attacks that get through your blocking/defense. And if you chose to whack some act end bosses with your weapon.
25% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items
Enigma
+2 To All Skills Very good.
+45% Faster Run/Walk Allows you to flee from danger easier.
+1 To Teleport In case you get trapped.
+757 Defense Less likely to be hit=less time spent blocking/recovering.
+ (0.75 Per Character Level) +1-74.25 To Strength (Based On Character Level) More for dex/vitality.
Increase Maximum Life 5% Your high healing rate will help keep you full with your increased life. :)
Damage Reduced By 8% In case some attacks get through.
+14 Life After Each Kill The closest thing you'll have to life leech.
15% Damage Taken Goes To Mana In case med can't keep you full (read as: mana burn boss)
+ (1 Per Character Level) +1-99% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items (Based On Character Level)
Guardian Angel
+180-200% Enhanced Defense
+20% Increased Chance Of BlockingAllows for less dex, meaning more life, or if you need it, strength.
+30% Faster Block Rate
+ (2.5 Per Character Level) 2.5-247.5 To Attack Rating Against Demons (Based On Character Level)
+1 To Paladin Skill Levels Good mod here.
+4 To Light Radius
15% To Maximum Resist All Since Paladin shields have inate resists (sometimes) this allows you to send it to the max, which is good since elemental is probably your biggest weakness. (or rather the potentially biggest weakness)
Skin of the Vipermagi
+120% Enhanced Defense
+1 To All Skills Important
30% Faster Cast Rate Allows you to get those holy bolts off faster, or if you wish, fill the screen with BH.
Magic Damage Reduced By 9-13 That's important. :)
All Resistances +20-35 In case your shield doesn't fill these up.
The Spirit Shroud
+150% Enhanced Defense
Cannot Be Frozen You need to maneuver a little to get those holy bolts in, and being frozen would make that difficult.
+1 To All Skills Important for this Paladin.
Replenish Life +10 You can't Holy Bolt yourself.
Magic Damage Reduced By 7-11 For anything left over from your resists (or is it to make it easier on your resist... I forgot which one goes first)
Helms need pretty much the same mods as armor. :)
Radiance
+75% Enhanced Defense
+30 Defense Vs. Missile
+10 To Energy Not very important with your high levels of mediation, but usefull none the less.
+10 To Vitality Allows more points into vitality. :P
15% Damage Goes To Mana In case of mana burn boss, use this helm. :)
Magic Damage Reduced By 3 Not terribly important when this low...
+33 To Mana Read energy comment
Damage Reduced By 7 Good, I guess.
+5 To Light Radius
Lore
+1 To All Skill Levels Important
+10 To Energy Good, I guess
+2 To Mana After Each Kill Your mana leech.
Lightning Resist +30% Good against those conviction LEBs.
Damage Reduced By 7 OK mod.
+2 To Light Radius
More later... :)
P.S. What do you think? Instead of say, "it sucks" say that it's OK. :P