03-19-2003, 11:50 AM
Sounds like fun, so I started a softcore single-player paladin inspired somewhat by this. Here's my plan:
Skills, in approximage order of allocation:
Sacrifice - main attack. Nice physical damage boost, cool blood-from-back effect, and a good reason to have unreasaonably high leech.
Holy Shield - Primary defensive skill, Keeps that block % topped off.
Redemption - Main Aura. Health-for-kills goes along with the leech theme, and I've never had a character use it full-time before.
Vengence - Non-physical alternative attack.
I'll use 1 point in smite and defensive auras leading up to redemption situationally.
Hireling: An act II combat town guard (prayer), with no restrictions on gear.
Stat points:
Strength, not counting items, at roughly 2*clvl. Maybe more If I find good high-str elites later.
Dex sufficent to have 75% block when using my shield and Holy Shield. (enough for 60% block until I get lvl 24) -- may not be feasible with blood craft shield being 40% base block for norm/excep.
The few remaining points will go in vit. The plan is quick health recovery from leech, redemption, and prayer rather than a big health-bowl, hopefully most of those one-hit-kills will run afowl of smite and blocking.
Equipment:
Blood crafts, once I have the reagents and the clvl. I'll wear the first ones I make of each, then roll new ones and excep/elite base item ones as I get the chance. Three exeptions: charms (unrestricted), my 1-handed sacrifice weapon (axes just don't seem dignified, I'll probably wind up with a three-chip sword), and any equipment in slots I don't yet have a wearable blood craft for. I may need to give the blood craft reagents to a lower-level character for the actual crafting in order to get output items I can wear. No twinking/trading, except for 1:1 trades from other perfect gems to perfect rubies, as long as my other characters' supply holds out.
Play style:
Sacrifice, Sacrifice, Sacrifice, and try not to kill myself more than the monsters do. Switch to a two-handed blood craft axe and vengence for monsters with too much physical resist/immune. Walk in combat to keep blocking % high. I don't plan on attempting a full-clear, but no skipping or running-through areas. Item runs as necessary to get blood craft base items. "players 8".
So far, I've defeated act one normal, and in the catacombs I came across the unique mace, Crushflange. I have a weakness for low-level uniques, and I'll probably use this one long past the ideal time to upgrade, but for those of you who've managed to read this far, a question: How does crushing blow (crushflange has 33%) interact with Sacrifice? Hitting Andariel seemed to hurt more than usual, but it might have just been her poison. I'll have a bit of it on the gloves, as well, so if it does hurt me for 8% of the possibly huge crush damage, things could get, um, interesting.
comments? flames?
- frink
Skills, in approximage order of allocation:
Sacrifice - main attack. Nice physical damage boost, cool blood-from-back effect, and a good reason to have unreasaonably high leech.
Holy Shield - Primary defensive skill, Keeps that block % topped off.
Redemption - Main Aura. Health-for-kills goes along with the leech theme, and I've never had a character use it full-time before.
Vengence - Non-physical alternative attack.
I'll use 1 point in smite and defensive auras leading up to redemption situationally.
Hireling: An act II combat town guard (prayer), with no restrictions on gear.
Stat points:
Strength, not counting items, at roughly 2*clvl. Maybe more If I find good high-str elites later.
Dex sufficent to have 75% block when using my shield and Holy Shield. (enough for 60% block until I get lvl 24) -- may not be feasible with blood craft shield being 40% base block for norm/excep.
The few remaining points will go in vit. The plan is quick health recovery from leech, redemption, and prayer rather than a big health-bowl, hopefully most of those one-hit-kills will run afowl of smite and blocking.
Equipment:
Blood crafts, once I have the reagents and the clvl. I'll wear the first ones I make of each, then roll new ones and excep/elite base item ones as I get the chance. Three exeptions: charms (unrestricted), my 1-handed sacrifice weapon (axes just don't seem dignified, I'll probably wind up with a three-chip sword), and any equipment in slots I don't yet have a wearable blood craft for. I may need to give the blood craft reagents to a lower-level character for the actual crafting in order to get output items I can wear. No twinking/trading, except for 1:1 trades from other perfect gems to perfect rubies, as long as my other characters' supply holds out.
Play style:
Sacrifice, Sacrifice, Sacrifice, and try not to kill myself more than the monsters do. Switch to a two-handed blood craft axe and vengence for monsters with too much physical resist/immune. Walk in combat to keep blocking % high. I don't plan on attempting a full-clear, but no skipping or running-through areas. Item runs as necessary to get blood craft base items. "players 8".
So far, I've defeated act one normal, and in the catacombs I came across the unique mace, Crushflange. I have a weakness for low-level uniques, and I'll probably use this one long past the ideal time to upgrade, but for those of you who've managed to read this far, a question: How does crushing blow (crushflange has 33%) interact with Sacrifice? Hitting Andariel seemed to hurt more than usual, but it might have just been her poison. I'll have a bit of it on the gloves, as well, so if it does hurt me for 8% of the possibly huge crush damage, things could get, um, interesting.
comments? flames?
- frink