11-02-2003, 02:49 AM
Actually I just started one in hardcore ladder. I was playing my old hammerdin from 1.09 and he still killed decently so that got me thinking that a new one with synergies maxed would kill even better. So I'm thinking the following:
20 Blessed Hammer
20 Concentration
20 Vigor
20 Blessed Aim
01 Redemption
01 Holy Shield
07 Prereqs
Thats 89 points. So counting the 12 skill quest points that means finishing at level 78. Anything after that I figure to add to Holy Shield. I also am thinking a defiance merc would be a good choice as well.
So then that gives me lots of magic damage from hammers. For a while I was considering only the vigor synergy and then getting charge for magic immunes. After some research though I found that this isn't necessary. Blessed hammer ignores resists and does more damage to undead and demons. Those just so happen to also be the majority of magic immune things. The only magic immune animal that I know of is the Abominable Snowmen type guys in the ruined temple (I don't know their actual name). So might have trouble with them, everything else should be killable.
Of course the high damage value that you end up with for your hammers is offset by the fact that they are hard to use in tight places. So I think it works out nicely as far as balance goes.
Also there seems to be some question about how much concentration adds to blessed hammer's damage. Here are some numbers from my old paly to show how it works now in 1.10.
Blessed Hammer: 471-476 (I forgot to write down what level)
With concentration: 1634-1651 (level 30 concentration, 495%)
Thats about a 346% increase, so 70% of what concentration lists. Asssuming I max both synergies at 14% per level that gives 560% more. So a total of 906%. So with the damage listed for my old paladin that would result in 4267-4312 damage.
That should kill things pretty quickly I figure. I'm pretty excited about the build actually. Its perfect for me what with my name being swirly and the hammers being thrown in a swirly fashion. : )
20 Blessed Hammer
20 Concentration
20 Vigor
20 Blessed Aim
01 Redemption
01 Holy Shield
07 Prereqs
Thats 89 points. So counting the 12 skill quest points that means finishing at level 78. Anything after that I figure to add to Holy Shield. I also am thinking a defiance merc would be a good choice as well.
So then that gives me lots of magic damage from hammers. For a while I was considering only the vigor synergy and then getting charge for magic immunes. After some research though I found that this isn't necessary. Blessed hammer ignores resists and does more damage to undead and demons. Those just so happen to also be the majority of magic immune things. The only magic immune animal that I know of is the Abominable Snowmen type guys in the ruined temple (I don't know their actual name). So might have trouble with them, everything else should be killable.
Of course the high damage value that you end up with for your hammers is offset by the fact that they are hard to use in tight places. So I think it works out nicely as far as balance goes.
Also there seems to be some question about how much concentration adds to blessed hammer's damage. Here are some numbers from my old paly to show how it works now in 1.10.
Blessed Hammer: 471-476 (I forgot to write down what level)
With concentration: 1634-1651 (level 30 concentration, 495%)
Thats about a 346% increase, so 70% of what concentration lists. Asssuming I max both synergies at 14% per level that gives 560% more. So a total of 906%. So with the damage listed for my old paladin that would result in 4267-4312 damage.
That should kill things pretty quickly I figure. I'm pretty excited about the build actually. Its perfect for me what with my name being swirly and the hammers being thrown in a swirly fashion. : )