Newbie takes on D2 for the first time

[haphazard1]

Also wanted to mention that I really enjoy the audio of Diablo (both 1 and 2). They did a really good job with the music and atmosphere, and the individual sound effects are also good. I like how you can tell what a monster has dropped just from the sound, and can catch key info during a fight from the sound effects.

Some of the item-specific sound effects are also great. I recently found a necromancer item, a zombie head. From the stats I guess it is used like a shield? Anyway, if you move it it makes this perfect squishy splat kind of sound -- you can almost feel the mushy rotting heft of it. And imagine the smell!

Little things like that really add to the flavor of the game.

[KingOfPain]

More progress in Act II. The Horadric Staff is complete, and next up is entering the palace and dealing with whatever is going on inside.

One more death, by Fangskin. Extra fast lightning enchanted with a pack of minions in a small space is not a good match up for my lightning sorceress. She came back and finisherd off Fangskin using her melee configuration: a rare mace with cold damage and life steal plus a rare shield with some useful bonuses. Not often that she resorts to melee, but this was a perfect time for it. A veteran would have known Fangskin was waiting down the stairs, but surprises like this are part of being a newbie. The first level of the Viper Claw temple had been so easy, I got over confdent. 

We had a nickname for it, it's ...skin but not Fangskin.

Today's question: how is blocking calculated in D2? Going to melee configuration is not common, but I noted that block chance is tiny even with the rare shield having a bonuis to block chance. I am guessing that much more dexterity is probably required? Dex has not been a priority for my sorceress.

And worse yet, shields are class biased, and the Sorceress ranks the lowest on chance to block. The Stormshield for example, it is 77% chance to block for a paladin but only 67% for the Sorceress.

Being a melee Sorc is something one has to commit to. There are skills to choose and stat points to allocate. Things has changed since Patch 1.13 with Respecs feature.

One thing to note, contrary to popular believes - A melee sorc in caster mode is not much weaker than your normal spell casting Sorc, and excels in certain areas.

I know this is somewhat counter intuitive people don't know until they try.

So lets talk melee sorc without getting into minor details.....


Look at the stat sheet


There are enough points for Str and Dex, after a little bit in Nrg and base Vit. Still have 50 points left that I don't see the point in using.
This gave her the strength to wield the badest 2 handed axe and wear the heaviest armor even Barbs have trouble with. Not that she needed to, but because she could. She had enough Dex to have a good attack rating and a half decent blocking percentage. Blocking is overrated, well, sort of. There are many things to take into account here:
Don't get mobbed
Clvl vs Mlvl - If you out class the monsters, they have less a chance of hitting you.
You can dodge a hit. Sirain's write up on Ember does a great job on this.
Frozen Armor - gives defense bonus and freeze attacker
Merc - You can hire an Act 2 merc who can help you aim better or hit harder. A Defiance merc will boost your armor even more.
Meat shield - is better than any shields. Always Teleport. Your merc teleports with you and move in front of you faster than your internet connection. He will be the preferred target.

With certain setup while she was running around having fun, she was practically better than Light and Fire immune. Such attacks healed her. ATM, McTyraelGirl is Fire Immune in Hell Diff.

With the 1.13 Respecs feature. I would suggest you give melee sorc a try when you get a few items that would make it easier. You can also try an Enchanted Bow Babe for fun. Pumping Enchant can give you very decent damage with a melee weapon or a bow. It is especially satisfying when you can Pierce thru a line of monsters. Pierce can come from a belt or certain missile weapons. A Enchanted Bow Babe is much easier to make. But keep to the theme and only use single target offensive spells, if at all.


In the mean time. McTyraelGirl has retired a couple of her items since Hell Diff. You can have them if you want them. But be warned, it will change your game, for better or worse

[Boro]

that +5 to firebolt looks bothersome

[T-hawk]

I honestly have no idea how that character works. 1000 attack rating is terrible, Hell monsters have armor upwards of 2000, that's a 33% chance to hit, unless you've got a weapon that pierces/ignores defense. 350 life is like two hits and dead. Frozen Armor stinks, the freeze duration gets quartered on hell difficulty to less than a second, and cold resist/immunity applies on top of that. I have a hard time believing that character really does much work in actual melee, compared to casting spells and the mercenary's melee.

[haphazard1]

Lut Gholein apparently has a fantastic PR department. What you hear: 'Jewel of the East.' The reality: the sewers are full of undead, the historic palace district is architecturally impressive but is also full of demons, and the surrounding area is a rocky, arid wasteland. The city just does not live up to the hype.

Visit Lut Gholein -- the city so wonderful you will never leave! (Alive)
Lut Gholein -- our night life is unmatched! (Also, now 24 hours per day!)
Lut Gholein -- just a short day trip from historic Horadric tombs!
Lut Gholein -- you won't believe how affordable housing is here! It is almost as if current residents are desperate to sell, or something....

The advertising slogans practically write themselves!

[KingOfPain]

I have a hard time believing that character really does much work in actual melee, compared to casting spells and the mercenary's melee.

I would be lying if I say she can process monsters as fast as a normal toon while in melee mode.

I honestly have no idea how that character works.  1000 attack rating is terrible, Hell monsters have armor upwards of 2000, that's a 33% chance to hit,

Did you notice the Attack Rating and Defense stats are white letters base stats?

350 life is like two hits and dead.

I don't enjoy dying left and right. If that was the case, I know where to put points, no?

unless you've got a weapon that pierces/ignores defense.

Now you are starting to explore possibilities.

[Boro]

what is enchant's %attack rating bonus here? the calculator says +191% at slvl 20, and +254% at slvl 27 (leaf staff + lore helm), resulting in a total attack rating of 3801.96

unless that attack rating already has enchant factord in. never mind that is without any buffs.

[KingOfPain]

what is enchant's %attack rating bonus here? the calculator says +191% at slvl 20, and +254% at slvl 27 (leaf staff + lore helm), resulting in a total attack rating of 3801.96

unless that attack rating already has enchant factord in. never mind that is without any buffs.

That's another great way to go! Maybe why I hinted at Hapzard1 to play an Enchanted Bow Babe before trying a melee sorc  
The Reaper's Toll or the Light Sabre plus some crushing blow can be quite fun too.

[KingOfPain]

Now, if I tell you about a naked Amazon, FireEngineRed (yeah, that's right, -80 res all in Hell Diff), with no attack skills tanking Hell Dury, Meph, Diablo when she was in the 50s then Ancients and Baal after hitting 60... Would you believe me?

[T-hawk]

Completely solo (and not multiplayer), no. If it was done by hiding behind a Decoy and Valkyrie, yes, those can soak up basically unlimited amounts of damage.