low ilvl max sockets and LH enchant

[LavCat]

When shopping at Drognan's in act II normal, I understand there is a cap on ilvl of the merchandise, even when a high level character is shopping. I further understand that for many types of items a low ilvl will prevent the socket quest from giving the maximum number of sockets.

Specifically what I am looking for is a nice gnarled staff or battle staff that I can socket for making memory. Memory requires four sockets, and I'm wondering if Drognan will ever part with one?

If I am using Adeyke's calculator correctly (thanks again, Adeyke!), a normal act II Drognan gnarled or battle staff should be allowed all four sockets. But I am not sure I am using the calculator correctly.

For one thing, in hundreds of visits Drognan has never shown me a four socket staff for sale. If they were possible, I would think that they would show up eventually?

Does anyone have any thoughts?

Part two of the question for extra credit: I want the memory staff for boosting skills including enchant. If I enchant an act I rogue who uses lightning hose, will enchant add fire damage on each frame of the lightning hose? Or will enchant only add fire damage on her arrows?

Thanks for any help. These questions pertain to 1.09.

[adeyke]

You interpreted correctly that those types of staves will always have 4 sockets possibles.

Items at vendor normally have ilvl = clvl + 5, with caps for vendors in normal difficulty (ilvl 28 in act 3 normal, for example).

So, if you did find a socketed staff for sale, I think it would have the possibility of 4 sockets.

With the vendors, however, there's a tendency towards magical items instead of plain/socketed ones later in the game (with a higher clvl, probably). I'm not sure how exactly this works, but this would explain why there aren't any socketed staves available anymore there. Someone else will probably be able to fill you in with the details of this.

For the extra credit question, I'd guess that it only affects the arrows, but I'm not sure about that.

[Guest]

For one thing, in hundreds of visits Drognan has never shown me a four socket staff for sale. If they were possible, I would think that they would show up eventually?

since there's a max of 3 in normal with spawning, that shouldn't happen.

[adeyke]

I thought this applied only to items dropped by monsters. It's very possible that I was mistaken, though.

[Occhidiangela]

Enchant does not add to, for example, chain Lightning cast by a sorceress, so you would not expect it to so the same for the Lightning hose.

And, while I am thinking of this, did not someone report that the Lightning hose "feature" had been removed?

[adeyke]

The +skills rogue bug has indeed been fixed for 1.10. However, the questions were specifically about 1.09, so I didn't mention that. As it is a bug and not a planned feature, it's not obvious that the normal logic of enchant not working with spells would apply. After all, the rogue isn't actually casting a spell; she's firing her bow and just launching the wrong missile.

[Ruvanal]

I thought this applied only to items dropped by monsters. It's very possible that I was mistaken, though.

It is part of the games random spawning process for normal difficulty. The vendors generate their items through part of the same process, they just have some the input variables (item code, magical quality, ilvl and the ilvl cap) determined differently than what would come from the TC's. Also the cap on randomly dropped socketed items in nightmare is 4 for those that are not aware of this.

As it is a bug and not a planned feature, it's not obvious that the normal logic of enchant not working with spells would apply. After all, the rogue isn't actually casting a spell; she's firing her bow and just launching the wrong missile.

And it is the missile that calls the sorc Lightning skill for its damage. That skill will not reference the the adder effects like enchant.

[Ferengi]

1) The staff is in TC12weapons. In 1.09, the best place will be in Cows. Just search old games. Lacking Cow access, anyplace in NM that you can kill masses of ordinary monsters while wearing 0 MF.

2) It only affects arrows.

[LavCat]

I thought this applied only to items dropped by monsters. It's very possible that I was mistaken, though.

It is part of the games random spawning process for normal difficulty. The vendors generate their items through part of the same process, they just have some the input variables (item code, magical quality, ilvl and the ilvl cap) determined differently than what would come from the TC's. Also the cap on randomly dropped socketed items in nightmare is 4 for those that are not aware of this.

Does this cap of three sockets in normal apply only to spawning of items with sockets, or is it also an additional cap on the number of sockets that can be granted by the socket quest on items found or purchased in normal?

As it is a bug and not a planned feature, it's not obvious that the normal logic of enchant not working with spells would apply. After all, the rogue isn't actually casting a spell; she's firing her bow and just launching the wrong missile.

And it is the missile that calls the sorc Lightning skill for its damage. That skill will not reference the the adder effects like enchant.

I tested this as best I could, and you were right. (Not that I ever suspected you were wrong.)

I went down to pain with the lightning hose rogue, and observed that against the lightning immune creatures the lightning hose had no effect. I then applied a level 34 enchant, went back down to pain and observed the lightning hose still had no effect.

The arrows sure did though.

[LavCat]

1) The staff is in TC12weapons. In 1.09, the best place will be in Cows.  Just search old games.  Lacking Cow access, anyplace in NM that you can kill masses of ordinary monsters while wearing 0 MF.

2)  It only affects arrows.

I know it is not statistically significant, but I did a normal cow run keeping track of what staves I found. There were only two: both long staves, one cracked, one damaged.

I figured it is much quicker, as long as gold is not an issue, just to shop at Drognan's. I bought a two socket battle staff with plus three to enchant, and made Leaf. I never used it though. Instead I took an orb with plus two to sorceress skills and plus three to enchant and combined it with a Visceratuant.

That got the enchant up to 34. Too bad it does not work with lightning hose.

[Ferengi]

in 1.09 Realm games, it only takes patience and a weekend (i.e. lots of games) to pick up a free rush to Hell Cows. I always had a sorc for that, since I learned when I was a poor accountholder that there are piles and piles of valuable items for low level characters ignored by Cow runners. I should have been more clear that I did not mean Normal Cows (I go there once in a blue moon actually). NM cows has similar useful items, but usually has more competition for them.

Lighting hose is great up to the moment you obtain a good bow for the rogue. Kuko and Witchwild socketed with Nef rather than using Skystrike make a more useful Rogue IMO...outside of Pindleskin that is.

[adeyke]

Does this cap of three sockets in normal apply only to spawning of items with sockets, or is it also an additional cap on the number of sockets that can be granted by the socket quest on items found or purchased in normal?

It applies only when the items are spawned with sockets. If you add sockets afterwards, only the caps from itemtype at a given ilvl, base item and item size matter.

[LavCat]

in 1.09 Realm games, it only takes patience and a weekend (i.e. lots of games) to pick up a free rush to Hell Cows.  I always had a sorc for that, since I learned when I was a poor accountholder that there are piles and piles of valuable items for low level characters ignored by Cow runners.  I should have been more clear that I did not mean Normal Cows (I go there once in a blue moon actually).  NM cows has similar useful items, but usually has more competition for them.

Lighting hose is great up to the moment you obtain a good bow for the rogue.   Kuko and Witchwild socketed with Nef rather than using Skystrike make a more useful Rogue IMO...outside of Pindleskin that is.

She is using a hydra bow. I do have Witchwild String and Kuko Shakaku on other rogues. The lightning hose was not intentional. I gave her Skullder's Ire for the mf, and was taken aback when she started using lightning hose.

I had played with lightning hose when it was first reported, but it did not seem to do much. It is effective at high level though, particularly on Lister's friends.

Is it correct that in 1.10, plus to skill items increase the rogue's base skills, rather than selecting a different skill? I know the LH was considered a bug that was fixed in 1.10.

Related to this, in 1.10 do the mercenary cross character skills on the same skill tab still work, or was this considered a bug that was fixed? I cannot find this one on the official patched bug list.