A diary of a necromancer

so a couple of hours wasted today (well technically not wasted; invested) in fault finding my RWM. Sorted now but only brief play time tonight as real life happens. Cleared the sewer and up to Dry Hill WP. Not looking forward to Maggot Lair tomorrow but at least I have a rough tough Mighty merc dealing over 1k of dmg so should be a help.

Made a Lore helm as well to help with upping golem, will look to change it out though as MF needs to be a consideration and I have Topazs aplenty
 
Well that's a bit of a wake up call. Had to do a nightly quick s&e today. In the arcane, managed to get myself in range of a spire and while my Merc was off playing hide and seek, a random ghost pack cut me off from my horde.

Mana drained so unable to cast attract to allow escape followed by a very quick draining of life pool. Lesson: if not casting have attract selected.

Managed to get to town with a grand total of 18 hp left. Bit too close
 
Some advice for Normal Duriel: (albeit late, but might help someone else)

Shop a wand with +Iron Maiden, minions and hirelings take like x21 damage from act bosses, so some 1-200% damage return can really shine, especially if you are playing on a lower /p setting. 'Edge' bow (if available) can be REALLY fantastic, since you can then run Amplify Damage and keep the Thorns flowing.
 
As I have been working nights all weekend and trying to get some family time, D2 time has been limited. But, hurrah, managed a good portion today and managed to kill Duriel NM and am now in LK. I actually managed to get a nice Flayer Jungle map - I never knew such a thing existed.

Game play has changed a bit due to my now increasing experience within HC. I cast attract in first instance and then Amp Damage. This seems to stop any over excited or ranged attackers trying to get through to me. While attract will never kill its target, it seems great for crowd control.

Managed to purchase an artisans bone helm and have thrown 3 Ptopaz in - this now gives me a MF of about 200% - it shows. Green and gold drops are more frequent and a kindly monster or two dropped me Aldurs Gaze and Bonesnap. Need to find a couple of +skill heads to boost my summons now; they are slowing down in their kill rate - any idea when they start dropping?


Edit: Bizarre thing, I managed to drop two Tancred helms in the same game. One from Duriel and one from a boss en route there so wasnt identified. Never seen that before
 
Your summons will never kill fast no matter how many +skills you have. CE is what kill fast... when you get the first couple of corpses.
 
Baltha said:
Your summons will never kill fast no matter how many +skills you have. CE is what kill fast... when you get the first couple of corpses.
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Hmm, I guess the issue I have then is that I'm a moron. I thought CE would only come in to play really in hell when scaled down from p8. Time to start spamming it properly now then I guess.

Thank you
 
Basicbhoy said:
Well that's a bit of a wake up call. Had to do a nightly quick s&e today. In the arcane, managed to get myself in range of a spire and while my Merc was off playing hide and seek, a random ghost pack cut me off from my horde.

Mana drained so unable to cast attract to allow escape followed by a very quick draining of life pool. Lesson: if not casting have attract selected.

Managed to get to town with a grand total of 18 hp left. Bit too close
Click to expand...

Yes, either that or Terror. But I do love watching them get preoccupied with each other more than I do watching them run away. :-)
 
@sanguillen I have found terror to be very useful at choke points such as doors/bridges and attract for all other points. A well placed and timed attract negates the need for dim vision as well.
 
Basicbhoy said:
@sanguillen I have found terror to be very useful at choke points such as doors/bridges and attract for all other points. A well placed and timed attract negates the need for dim vision as well.
Click to expand...

I've always thought of Terror as the same as Howl for the Barbarian, so I used to have that programmed under my "escape" finger key in case of emergencies. But since I recently discovered Attract, I've become very fond of it and it has taken Terror's spot. The sight of Death Lords swinging away at each other brings a smile to my face. :)

I tried using Dim Vision for the first time not too long ago, but figure that if you're going to click a curse on something, why not have them taking damage from each other at the same time, instead of just sitting there?
 
So, NM Mephisto is dead, his drops were pretty rubbish but the map is oh so good to run him; going to push on just now though and will look at running him before I move to hell (if all works out)

Couple of nice drops in act III
Tal Rasha's Fine-Spun Cloth - a massive boost from the rubbish I had
Mesh Belt
Defense: 37
Durability: 14 of 16
Required Level: 53
Required Strength: 38
Fingerprint: 0x593d817c
Item Level: 52
Version: Expansion 1.10+
+20 to Dexterity
+30 to Mana
37% Damage Taken Goes To Mana
15% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items
Requirements -20%
Set (2 items): +60 Defense
Set (3 items): +10% Faster Cast Rate

Witchwild String
Short Siege Bow
Two Hand Damage: 34 - 80
Durability: 27 of 40
Required Level: 39
Required Strength: 65
Required Dexterity: 80
Fingerprint: 0x2b5dac95
Item Level: 57
Version: Expansion 1.10+
2% Chance to cast level 5 Amplify Damage on striking
Fires Magic Arrows
169% Enhanced Damage only 1% off perfect
63% Deadly Strike (Based on Character Level)
All Resistances +40
2 Sockets (0 used)
Not much use to necro but not too shabby, need to check on the roll but happy me
 
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Managed a fair bit today, although had a couple of NDE but there are learnings I have taken so that's good.

Blasted thru act 4; only one NDE here. Walked up in to the plains of despair to be greeted by boss venom lord and black souls. Now my resistances are pretty low so stay well clear of door and cast attract then amp and wait. Only thing was the black soul attack was hitting me as well as the new target. Man they punch hard. Survived, just. Got a Fal from HM and not much else tbh.

Pushed through all the way to rescue Anya and picked up aldurs weapon and IK belt as well as some minor uniques.

Only issue I had, missed a left click and selected evil urn. Oh boy, strong and fast with an aura. I ran. Learning, stay away from urns. Also , have a spell on left click so I can not move at times. Have lvl 3 bone spear granted from wand so that'll do.

Might try and complete act 5 tonight once kids in bed, might run Meph a bit.
 
So decided to Conquer Act 5 and managed without too many issues. Reasonable WSK map but had those little soul killers with the darts on WSK2 - man there are loads of them, currently at Lvl73 having maxed out CE, RS and SM, one point wonder in some curses (+4 from equipment) and now leveling GM and Summon Resist. CG still very fragile. Merc is doing fine but will need an elite polearm soon. With 4os socket. Ethereal would be nice too.

A few SU drops and few Set, got another Fal and Io. Best of the drops are below - now at 264 MF

Shimmering Small Charm of Vita
Small Charm
Required Level: 39
Fingerprint: 0x48e408df
Item Level: 63
Version: Expansion 1.10+
+20 to Life
All Resistances +3


Bartuc's Cut-Throat
Greater Talons
One Hand Damage: 77 - 137
Durability: 44 of 69
Required Level: 42
Required Strength: 79
Required Dexterity: 79
Fingerprint: 0x41ed80f6
Item Level: 63
Version: Expansion 1.10+
+1 to Martial Art Skills (Assassin Only)
+2 to Assassin Skill Levels
+30% Faster Hit Recovery
151% Enhanced Damage
Adds 25 - 50 Damage
20% Bonus to Attack Rating
5% Life stolen per hit
+20 to Strength
+20 to Dexterity


Nice wee charm, not perfect but reasonable and nice claws - makes me want to build an assassin next - blade fury perhaps???

The real question is though, do I push on and try and get guardian or run Meph as have a pretty sweet map? Now, I'll be honest here, I build this necro with an aim of twinking out others as I have always found summoners a bit dull. Mind you, that was bnet days with SC. HC is something else, I am loving it. There is actually a rush when you see a pack of monsters that gets you thinking ' Oh {insert curse}' and as for tatics; oh so many.

So guardian or NM runner?
 
I'm a bit confused. Are you in NM or in Hell? The title for completing NM is Conqueror, not Guardian.

Anyway, the summoner is not that great running bosses, and relies on crushing blow. I'd kill NM Baal (well I think you are in NM!) and reach Hell Pits or something like that if you really want to MF seriously with him. Summoners are more reasonable at area running, but I tend to use them to MF only sparingly to break the monotony.
 
Sorry, Ive just killed NM Baal but havent moved to hell. I initially wasn't sure if I was going to kill him but decided too. Now the decision is hell or NM mf.

Looking to kit out an avenger from scratch so I need to consider goals.
 
So I flipped a coin and went into hell. Turned down to P1. Clearing most areas to farm as many runes as possible. Up to the outer cloister and may clear act 1 when kids go to bed.

What a difference CE has now the settings are lower. To be honest, after what I've gone through I could have left the setting a bit higher, maybe not 8 but 3 maybe 5 for sure.

Countess was tackled and dropped three runes!!! Ort Eth and Eth. Lucky me........

Couple of questions for the forum

Are rune drops affected by player settings?
What ilvl do I need for skiller rolls and what is the cube receipe for rolling charms?
Final one. My resists are horribly negative. Do I need to sacrifice some mf and put in some resists?
 
Basicbhoy said:
So I flipped a coin and went into hell. Turned down to P1. Clearing most areas to farm as many runes as possible. Up to the outer cloister and may clear act 1 when kids go to bed.

What a difference CE has now the settings are lower. To be honest, after what I've gone through I could have left the setting a bit higher, maybe not 8 but 3 maybe 5 for sure.

Countess was tackled and dropped three runes!!! Ort Eth and Eth. Lucky me........

Couple of questions for the forum

Are rune drops affected by player settings?
What ilvl do I need for skiller rolls and what is the cube receipe for rolling charms?
Final one. My resists are horribly negative. Do I need to sacrifice some mf and put in some resists?
Click to expand...

I wouldn't go any higher than p3 using CE. I find that's just enough to get the dominoes falling on the second explosion, or perhaps the third. Any higher, and it's just too slow.

As far as I know (and someone else can correct me if I'm wrong), rune drops are not affected by player settings. But the likelihood of a monster dropping anything at all is increased, hence the likelihood of a rune dropping technically increases as well. As for skillers, I believe any skiller from NM Great Marsh onward is capable of getting a +skills tree on a reroll (charm + 3 perfect gems).

As for resists, my personal preference would be to have much higher resists than what you have, but that's just me. A two socket armor + Nef + Lum will get you Smoke, which is +50 resist all. That alone would be a huge boost for you, though I'm not sure how much MF% you'd be sacrificing.
 
@sanguillen thanks for that, I was looking at smoke. I'd lose 72 mf but much more likely to stay alive. Probably a good idea, might try and get some caster gloves with shimmering suffix as well. I have a magic +2 curse demon head which could be sacrificed for something like exile I think.....or socket it and hope there are two and stick some diamond in there

Edit: spirit shield not exile
 
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Basicbhoy said:
@sanguillen thanks for that, I was looking at smoke. I'd lose 72 mf but much more likely to stay alive. Probably a good idea, might try and get some caster gloves with shimmering suffix as well. I have a magic +2 curse demon head which could be sacrificed for something like exile I think.....or socket it and hope there are two and stick some diamond in there
Click to expand...

Right away, I'd say find anything two socket (head/shield) and make Rhyme (Shael + Eth):

20% Increased Chance of Blocking
40% Faster Block Rate
All Resistances +25
Regenerate Mana 15%
Cannot Be Frozen
50% Extra Gold From Monsters
25% Better Chance Of Getting Magic Items

Perfect for your needs. :) Between that and Smoke, I'd wager your problem is solved (and yes, I'd sacrifice 72% MF for resistances anyday in HC Hell).
 
sanguillen said:
Right away, I'd say find anything two socket (head/shield) and make Rhyme (Shael + Eth):

20% Increased Chance of Blocking
40% Faster Block Rate
All Resistances +25
Regenerate Mana 15%
Cannot Be Frozen
50% Extra Gold From Monsters
25% Better Chance Of Getting Magic Items

Perfect for your needs. :)
Click to expand...

Groan, why did I not see that one before......
 
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