resistances where to get boosters

[vmxa]

Just finished Nightmare (SP mode) and with the -100 to all resistances in Hell, I need to be very careful. I have a Wolf Druid at level 69. Max Lycan and Werewolf, but even with a prismatic amulet, I have -43 or there abouts on some resistances.

I have been cruising around Nightmare looking for items to help me, but no luck so far. I am not using a shield as I have not found a decent one handed weapon. The best one I found was normal speed, so that is not going to be useful.

What is my best move at this point?

[Baajikiil]

The move from NM to Hell can be quite an awakening for many characters. You appear to be mostly untwinked, so you may want to hit a few NM Baal or Mephisto runs to try to farm up some equipment. Druids often have a deficit in resists, due to using a 2 handed weapon.

I have been cruising around Nightmare looking for items to help me, but no luck so far. I am not using a shield as I have not found a decent one handed weapon. The best one I found was normal speed, so that is not going to be useful.

A 1 hander is not usually a great choice for a wolf(fury); they are in general much slower than a 2 hander with decent WIAS, besides hitting so much lighter. Also, wolves have a very poor base blocking %, as well as very slow blocking animations. It can be useful for resists or Iron Maiden in a pinch, but not recommended for regular use.

As for buget resist gear, look for a 4 socket armor of some kind. Fill it with ral/ort/tal/thul to taste. you can easily create a +30 all resists armor this way. The same goes for helms. If you are lucky, you can end up with a druid pelt with bonuses to a skill you use, as well as good resists. Gambling rings/ammys/circlets/boots/gloves can yeild some decent resist gear as well.

You may want to read Wereform Central for some equipment ideas, as well as useful attack speed tables.

EDIT: I suppose I should mention that the page I linked to hasn't been updated in a while, but most if not all of it is still accurate; equipment has a few more good options at the higher lvls, but what he has listed is useful.

[Crystalion]

As for buget resist gear, look for a 4 socket armor of some kind.  Fill it with ral/ort/tal/thul to taste.  you can easily create a +30 all resists armor this way.  The same goes for helms.  If you are lucky, you can end up with a druid pelt with bonuses to a skill you use, as well as good resists.  Gambling rings/ammys/circlets/boots/gloves can yeild some decent resist gear as well.

At clvl 69 with crummy resists one might assume your ammy/rings are soso and cubing new ones might make sense...

Every 3 junk rings, cube into a new ammy (blue aka magic only). Ditto for junk ammys to ring.

Alternately you can directly cube high individual resist rings and a high resist all ammy ala:

6 Perfect Gems (1 of each type) + 1 Amulet (any quality) = Prismatic Amulet
Use this formula to create an Amulet with Resistance to all. ilvl = 50. The amulet will always have the Prismatic prefix (All Resistancs +16-20) and has a chance at getting a suffix as well.
1 Magic Ring + 1 Perfect Emerald + 1 Antidote Potion = 1 Jade Ring
Use this formula to create a Poison Resistance Ring. The Jade Ring has a random percentage (21-30%) of Poison Resistance. You may also receive an additional Magic Suffix. ilvl=30.
1 Magic Ring + 1 Perfect Ruby + 1 Exploding Potion = 1 Garnet Ring
Use this formula to create a Fire Resistance Ring. The Garnet Ring has a random percentage (21-30%) of Fire Resistance. You may also receive an additional Magic Suffix. ilvl=30.
1 Magic Ring + 1 Perfect Topaz + 1 Rejuvenation Potion = 1 Coral Ring
Use this formula to create a Lightning Resistance Ring. The Coral Ring has a random percentage (21-30%) of Lightning Resistance. You may also receive an additional Magic Suffix. ilvl=30.
1 Magic Ring + 1 Perfect Sapphire + 1 Thawing Potion = 1 Cobalt Ring
Use this formula to create a Cold Resistance Ring. The Cobalt Ring has a random percentage (21-30%) of Cold Resistance. You may also receive an additional Magic Suffix. ilvl=30.

From nightmare act 3 on (including nm cows) you can save Grand Charms to reroll (charm plus any 3 perf gems) to try to get +1 skill tree... you'll "accidentally" come up with ~27% single resist charms that way.

Don't forget that antidote and thawing potions are cheap and give you half a minute (iirc) of +50% resist poison and cold (respectively). Because of this, and LEBs and Inferno/Firewall/Meteor monsters I tend to focus on resists in the following order: Lightning, MDR, Fire, Cold, Poison, other (if I played a lot of melee builds I'd no doubt put physical resist on the list before "other").

Gambling for boots/belt/gloves rares with resists occasionally nets some great ones... I've had some with over 80% total net resist (triples). Since you can gamble for these on low base items when you are in your 20s there really is no reason for hopeless resists as advanced as you are.

Good Luck.

[vmxa]

Thanks for the respinse. I had forgot about Mephisto. I did not even get a drop from Baal, so I was reluctant to go back. The whole Worldkeep was a dud.

I have a nice Set armor that is 701 defense that has precluded replacing with anything I have managed to find. I have not seen any 4 socket armor, just weapons.

I have done a bunch of gambling, but you know how that goes. Get a good item once in great while, but not good enough to use.

I will check out the page. The big disappointment to me has been so little updates are available for strats. Most are pre 1.09 or older. Some of the tactics are defunct now, not all.

[vmxa]

Yes I had decided to start rolling 3 amulets every chance I get to see if I get lucky. I have a 9 resist all ring now, so I doubt I could risk it.

I may be able to roll some rings as I find them to see if I can get a better one. My other ring is a rare that will be hard to let go.

I did roll two charms, but nothing much came form them and I have not found any lately.

So in short I need to just keep plugging away until I get a break? I know there is no sense running around in Hell mode with my current numbers, as an unqiue will probably be to hard for my grizz and I can't afford to assist.

[Crystalion]

I did roll two charms, but nothing much came form them and I have not found any lately.

The beauty of Grand Charms of sufficient ilvl (i.e. nm act 3 or later) is that you can continue to reroll them with 3 perf gems over and over *until* you get something you like. Once you find such a GC you're set, provided you have a steady supply of gems... for that I think you'll notice that flawless gems drop quite frequently, so you merely have to dedicate 2 + 2*7 = 16 slots max in your stash or on a mule (up to 2 perfs, since at 3 you'd use them to reroll, and up to 7 gem types times 2 flawless each, since at 3 you'd cube to a perf). Additionally you'd use a 3x slots for the GCs you'd want to keep on hand to reroll.

Naturally some will object that Skulls are rarer than the other 6 gem types, and have a valuable rare reroll recipe, but you should do whatever works for you (e.g. some people trade "great" stuff for "good" stuff that they actually need, and I think that's just fine).

BTW, if you can kill the nm Council in Trav quickly, they seem to drop GCs quite often.

[vmxa]

This is an SP game, so I don't know anything about mules or trading. I have a tough time trying to figure out what I can do away with to fit a new item into the stash. It is always full. I guess I will have to sell off some of my full rejuvs.

And yes skulls are much harder to come by than gems. I have been holding a SOJ with the idea of trying to do a transmute, but have not come up with the third perfect skull.

I have not been back to do the council as I really hate that place, but I probably would not have to worry now. It is quite easy to kill the council members in the Durance of Hate. It is just a big pain to work your way down to it.

[vmxa]

BTW I found the Werewolf Central to be quite interesting, thanks.

[Grayloch]

This is an SP game, so I don't know anything about mules or trading. I have a tough time trying to figure out what I can do away with to fit a new item into the stash. It is always full. I guess I will have to sell off some of my full rejuvs.

If you want to mule your stuff in SP, I have one word for you: ATMA

I have been holding a SOJ with the idea of trying to do a transmute

AAAUUUGH! Don't do that! SOJ's are way too rare in SP to waste one on a cube formula. You'd be way better off trying to gamble a better rare than trying to transmute an old one. Save the SOJ for another character if your Druid doesn't want to use it.

-G.

[vmxa]

Actually I meant try for a better rare and was too lazy to look up the correct term. I looked at the mule app and it seems impressive. It did not mention XP, but I suppose it works there as well.

I like the idea of looking at the characters without the game being up, I just have not made my mind up if it is too strong to mule. One of the things that is good is the forcing players to chose one thing or another and not be able to hold everything.

I have already been forced to let items go, I wish I could have kept. Anyway thanks for the tips.

[vmxa]

You know what, I double checked the item and it is a Superior Jared's Stone. So I tried to find a picture of an SoJ and could not. So I guess I do not know what it is even, let alone where to find one.

[adeyke]

SoJ = The Stone of Jordan. A unique ring. It requires clvl 29 to use, and has +1 skills, +20 mana, +25% mana, and +1-12 lightning damage.

[vmxa]

I see it now, thanks.