[2012] Tournament - The Most Useless [by SunsetVista]

[Grisu]

DISCLAIMER: Please do NOT post in this thread yet. We still need to migrate all posts from the old thread on diabloii.net to this thread. If you want to help, feel free to do so


This tournament has already ended. It was originally started by @SunsetVista on Sep 5, 2012. The last post was made May 28, 2013.
(link to original thread on diabloii.net) ​

There have been many opinions expressed in the recently revived [thread=140506]"What do you think is the most useless thing in D2"[/thread] thread.

This tournament will give you a chance to prove just how useless some of those things are, or are not.

There are skill and gear restrictions so that you must think outside the box and find a use for some of those useless things. Points will be awarded for using useless things.

Rules:
1. Version 1.13, Untwinked, HC, Single Pass, FAM. You may play SC but please retire the character upon death. You may use GoMule or ATMA as an extended stash.
2. You may alter the players setting as desired, but please refrain from killing on /p1 and then opening things on /p8.
3. Follow the restrictions outlined below. Be creative.
4. Update your score fairly regularly so we can see how useless your character is! That's a good thing, here.
5. The tournament begins on September 15 in your timezone. The tournament will last until someone makes a Useless Guardian or people lose interest.

Mercenary Restrictions:
*No Act 2 mercs.
*The merc may use any equipment, with the exception of Banned Runewords (see below).
*You get more points if your merc uses useless gear (see Scoring, below).

Useless Skills/Banned Skills:
Some skills are more useless than others...
Choose a Useless Skill when you create your character. That Useless Skill must have 20 hard points put into it by the time you finish Nightmare. Other Useless Skills may have any number of points. Skills not listed as Banned may have any number of points and may be used freely.

Banned Skills may only have 1 point if used as a prerequisite. Banned skills may not be used as synergies beyond 1 point. Banned skills may never be used.

[b]Amazon:[/b]
Useless - Jab, Poison Javelin, Impale, Lightning Bolt, Lightning Strike, Inner Sight, Magic Arrow, Fire Arrow, Cold Arrow, Immolation Arrow
Banned - Charged Strike, Plague Javelin, Lightning Fury, Valkyrie, Multiple Shot, Strafe, Freezing Arrow

[b]Assassin:[/b]
Useless - Dragon Claw, Fists of Fire, Dragon Tail, Blades of Ice, Dragon Flight, Psychic Hammer, Fire Blast, Shock Web, Blade Sentinel, Charged Bolt Sentry, Wake of Inferno, Blade Shield
Banned - Dragon Talon, Phoenix Strike, Shadow Master, Lightning Sentry, Death Sentry

[b]Barbarian:[/b]
Useless - Howl, Find Potion, Shout, Taunt, Battle Cry, Grim Ward, Spear Mastery, Increased Stamina, Iron Skin, Bash, Stun
Banned - Battle Orders, Battle Command, Frenzy, Whirlwind, Berserk

[b]Druid:[/b]
Useless - Arctic Blast, Twister, Armageddon, Hunger, Raven, Poison Creeper, Summon Spirit Wolf, Carrion Vine, Solar Creeper, Spirit of Barbs
Banned - Tornado, Fury, Oak Sage, Heart of Wolverine, Summon Grizzly

[b]Necromancer:[/b]
Useless - Golem Mastery, Skeletal Mage, Blood Golem, Iron Golem, Fire Golem, Teeth, Poison Dagger, Poison Explosion, Bone Armor, Weaken, Iron Maiden, Terror, Confuse
Banned - Raise Skeleton, Clay Golem, Revive, Corpse Explosion, Poison Nova, Bone Spear, Amplify Damage, Decrepify

[b]Paladin:[/b]
Useless - Prayer, Resist Fire, Resist Lightning, Resist Cold, Defiance, Cleansing, Vigor, Meditation, Holy Fire, Thorns, Blessed Aim, Sacrifice, Smite, Holy Bolt, Conversion
Banned - Might, Fanaticism, Holy Shock, Holy Freeze, Conviction, Zeal, Blessed Hammer, Holy Shield

[b]Sorceress:[/b]
Useless - Ice Bolt, Frozen Armor, Frost Nova, Shiver Armor, Chilling Armor, Charged Bolt, Nova, Thunder Storm, Fire Bolt, Inferno, Blaze, Hydra
Banned - Blizzard, Frozen Orb, Static Field, Lightning, Chain Lightning, Fireball, Meteor, Enchant

Gear Restrictions:

The following Armor and Weapons are not Useless and cannot be used (but see below):

[b]Circlet-class Helms:[/b]
Circlet, Coronet, Tiara, Diadem

[b]Light Armor:[/b]
Quilted Armor/Ghost Armor/Dusk Shroud
Leather Armor/Serpentskin Armor/Wyrmhide
Hard Leather Armor/Demonhide Armor/Scarab Husk
Studded Leather/Trellised Armor/Wire Fleece
Breastplate/Cuirass/Great Hauberk
Light Plate/Mage Plate/Archon Plate

[b]Belt:[/b]
All belts with 4 potion rows

[b]Light Shields:[/b]
Buckler/Defender/Heater
Small Shield/Round Shield/Luna
Kite Shield/Dragon Shield/Monarch
Spiked Shield/Barbed Shield/Blade Barrier
Bone Shield/Grim Shield/Troll Nest

[b]1-handed Axes:[/b]
Berserker Axe

[b]2-handed Axes:[/b]
Large Axe

[b]Bows:[/b]
Crusader Bow, Hydra Bow

[b]Maces:[/b]
Morning Star, Flail

[b]Hammers:[/b]
Maul, Great Maul

[b]Polearms:[/b]
Poleaxe, Halberd, Bill, Partizan, Bec-de-Corbin, Grim Scythe, Thresher, Cryptic Axe, Great Poleaxe, Giant Thresher

[b]1-handed Swords:[/b]
Phase Blade

[b]2-handed Swords:[/b]
Balrog Blade, Champion Sword, Colossus Sword, Colossus Blade

[b]Amazon Weapons:[/b]
Matriarchal Bow, Grand Matron Bow

[b]Assassin Weapons:[/b]
Feral Claws, Runic Talons, Scissors Suwayyah

The Following Runewords are not Useless and therefore cannot be used, either by you or the merc:

Beast
Black
Breath of the Dying
Call to Arms
Chains of Honor
Crescent Moon
Death
Delirium
Dream
Duress
Edge
Enigma
Exile
Faith
Fortitude
Grief
Harmony
Heart of the Oak
Infinity
Insight
Leaf
Lionheart
Lore
Oath
Pride
Rhyme
Smoke
Spirit
Stealth
Treachery

There are no restrictions on Sets and Uniques. If you find them, you may use them.

You may socket runes, gems, and jewels as you wish, as long as you don't make any banned runewords.

The following quest rewards may always be used, in fact, their use is encouraged:
Charsi Imbue
Larzuk Socket
Anya class item reward
Anya Personalization reward

This means that anything you imbue, socket, or personalize is forever considered useless! Hurray!

Additionally, you may use a light armor or a light shield provided one or more of the following Useless conditions apply:
*Item has only one socket
*Item is cracked, crude, damaged, or low quality


Scoring

Points are awarded for the following useless things:
*Bonus Gear Score points for wearing useless things (see below).

*Collecting the Horadric Scroll from the chest next to Radament (this means you must not have the Horadric Cube when you open that chest): +5 points in each difficulty

*Activating the following waypoints: Jail 1, Sewers 2, Halls of the Dead 2, Palace Cellars 1, Great Marsh. +1 point for each one activated.

*Posting a screenshot of your character talking to Flavie, Geglash, Natalya, Lysander, and/or Hadriel: +1 point for each per difficulty.

*Each personalized piece of gear worn: +1 point

*Killing the Cow King: +5 points in each difficulty.

*Completion of each difficulty: +5 normal, +10 nightmare, +20 hell

Gear Score:
At the end of each Act, calculate your character's gear score. Do this by adding up all the Useless Gear Mod Bonuses described below for each item worn. Only gear you used to kill the Act Boss counts. You may add your merc's gear score to yours. Gear on Weapon Switch counts.

Sets, Uniques, and banned items rendered usable by a quest reward do not get gear score bonuses.

Your score for the Act is the sum of points earned in that Act from useless things (waypoints, NPC screenshots, difficulty completion, killing the cow king, getting the horadric scroll) plus your gear score at the end of that Act. Your total score is the sum of each of the Act scores.

Useless Gear Mod Bonuses:

[b]General:[/b]
Item has only one socket: +1
Item is cracked, crude, damaged, or low quality: +1
Item is broken, and thus completely useless: +5
Item is ethereal and worn by the character rather than the merc: +1
Each piece of Isenhart's Armory worn: +5
Each piece of crafted gear worn: +1
Weapon is an elemental throwing potion: +5
No weapons equipped on either weapon switch (punching things): +1

[b]Armor:[/b]
Adds % to defense or Faithful or defense vs. missile: +1
Adds to Stamina: +1
Adds to light radius: +1
Attacker takes damage of: +1
Bonus to class skills worn by another class: +1
Mnemonic, of Memory, of the Centaur, of the Elephant: +1
of Thawing: +1
of Flame: +1
Chance to Cast: +1
Charges: +1
Charges of Useless Skill: +1 (in addition to the point for charges)
Staff mod for Useless Skill: +1
Self-repairing and indestructible combo: +5

[b]Weapons:[/b]
Adds to defense (%, added defense, defense vs. missile): +1
Adds to light radius: +1
Adds AR and Damage against Demons: +1
Adds AR and Damage against Undead (not just a blunt weapon): +1
Bonus to class skills worn by another class: +1
Prevent Monster Heal worn by merc: +1
Chance to Cast (not Amplify Damage): +1
Charges (not Lifetap, Lower Resist, Enchant, or Teleport): +1
Charges of Useless Skill: +1 (in addition to the point for charges)
Staff mod for Useless Skill: +1
Increased Stack Size: +1
Self-repairing and indestructible combo: +5

[b]Jewelry (Rings and Amulets):[/b]
Adds to Stamina: +1
Adds to light radius: +1
of Thawing: +1
of Flame, Shock, Frost, or Blight: +1
of Memory, of the Centaur: +1
Bonus to class skills worn by another class: +1
+1 (and only one) to max damage, life, mana, str, dex, energy, damage reduction or magic damage reduction: +1
Chance to Cast: +1
Charges (not Teleport): +1
Charges of Useless Skill: +1 (in addition to the point for charges)

[b]Jewel Socketed into something:[/b]
Adds to Defense: +1
Adds to Stamina or reduces stamina drain: +1
Adds to Attack Rating: +1
Adds AR and Damage to Demons or Undead: +1
Attacker takes damage of: +1
of Avarice: +1
Adds both maximum and %ED, socketed in a helm/armor/shield: +5

[b]Charms:[/b]
Adds to Defense: +1
Adds to Stamina: +1
Adds fire damage and nothing else: +1
of Greed: +1
Adds just 1% mf: +1
Bonus to class skills worn by another class: +1

Scoring Example:
Say I've got a theoretical sorceress named Tetris whose useless skill is Frost Nova. In Act 1, she activated the Jail 1 waypoint (+1), took a screenshot talking to Flavie (+1), and defeated Andariel wearing some useless stuff (say, +7 total for her gear and the merc's). Her score at the end of Act 1 would be 9.

Act 2 is kind to Tetris. She activates 3 more useless waypoints and gets photo ops with 2 more useless NPCs. Her gear score when she kills Duriel is, let's just say 13, maybe she found some more useless rings. Her score for Act 2 is (3 waypoints) + (2 NPC screenshots) + (13 gearscore bonus) = 18. Her total score is the sum of all her Act scores, so that would be 27.

I decided to sum the Act scores to encourage questing with the useless gear. If only the latest boss kill's gear score counted, it would make more sense to always wear mf gear for bosses early on, and that wouldn't be nearly as useless.

FAQ

Q: You didn't say anything about stat points!
A: That's right. You can allocate stat points however you want. You might even put some into Energy, just for kicks.

Q: Some skills are missing from the Useless/Banned List!
A: That's true. Some skills are neither completely useless nor completely overpowered. Skills that aren't on the list can have any number of points spent on them but they cannot be chosen as a Useless Skill at the beginning.

Q: Can I use the 1.13 respec?
A: Um... within reason I guess. Please don't change your Useless Skill though.

Q: What if I make a mistake and don't have 20 hard points in my Useless Skill when I kill Nightmare Baal?
A: In this case, you must use a respec to get those 20 hard points in your Useless Skill before you kill Nightmare Cows or move on to Hell. Please plan carefully so that you don't have to do this.

Q: If I die, can I re-enter?
A: Yes. You may enter as many times as you like, with any combination of characters.

Q: Can I return to previous Acts or difficulties for any reason?
A: Yes. You may return to collect the Imbue, Socket and Personalization quest rewards even if you have moved on to the next difficulty. You may return to previous Acts or difficulties to shop or hire a new mercenary, however you may not leave town if you do. Try to minimize the size of areas you must reclear if you change maps this way. If you must reclear an area, always reclear on /players 1 and don't open chests and such on your way back to where you were.

Q: Do I get points for socketing runes or gems?
A: No. Only jewels in sockets give points. Exception: If an allowed Runeword has one of the Useless Gear mods that give points, you do get those points for using that Runeword.

Q: What about a Runeword that gives negative light radius?
A: That mod would be worth +1 point.

Q: Do I get points for Set Bonuses?
A: No.

Q: If I leave an inventory space blank, do I get points for it?
A: No. There is an exception though. If you have no weapons equipped on either weapon switch (you are punching things), you get +1 point.

Q: But that's almost the same as leaving a broken item in an armor slot!
A: Functionally, yes. Flavor-wise, no.

Q: Do I get points for the extra defense on Superior versions of armor?
A: No. 'Superior' is like the opposite of 'useless', even though the distinction in-game is quite fine.

Q: Do I get the '+class skills worn by another class' bonus if my merc wears an item with +class skills?
A: No.

Q: If an item has charges of a banned skill, can I still use the item?
A: Yes.

Q: Can I activate the charges of a banned skill?
A: Yes. Most charged items are at such a low level that it is likely not a problem. Plus, most charged items are useless.

Q: What about a staffmod for a banned skill?
A: You can still use the item, but don't use the banned skill.

Q: If an item has a banned skill staffmod, do I get a point for it if the banned skill is one of my class skills?
A: No.

Q: Can I use an item with chance to cast a banned skill?
A: Yes. Most of those are Uniques or expensive runewords. If you find them, feel free to use them.

Q: Can I use an item with a banned skill oskill?
A: Yes, but don't use the banned skill at all.

Q: Couldn't I just use regular gear through an Act and then switch to useless stuff for the boss?
A: There's no way for us to tell if you do this, but it's against the spirit of the thing. Quest through in your Useless gear or there is no point.

Q: Couldn't I just choose a Useless Skill and then wait to put points into it until the rest of my unrelated build is complete?
A: You could, but that would defeat the entire point of the tournament. So please do not do this.

Q: Can I mule off my Horadric Cube before Radament so that I can pick up the Horadric Scroll?
A: Yes, you could do it that way. But notice that you get points for the useless Halls of the Dead waypoint as well. Why not delete the cube and get another one in each difficulty?

Q: Can I imbue a white plated belt/phase blade/circlet and then use it?
A: Yes.

Q: Can I use the Larzuk reward to socket a staff and then make Insight in it?
A: No.

Q: Can I use the Larzuk reward to socket a Low Quality Phase Blade which I have altered in the cube to be Normal quality so that it gets 3 sockets and then make King's Grace in it?
A: Yes.

Q: Can I use Thundergod's Vigor/Azurewrath/M'avina's True Sight?
A: Yes, if those happen to drop.

Q: Why is Breath of the Dying banned in a Single Pass tournament?
A: It isn't useless, however unlikely it is.

Q: Psst. Indestructible is a blue only suffix, and the self-repairing mods are also suffixes. The only item other than a phaseblade (which is banned anyway) that can get the 5 points for that combo is something socketed with a Zod. Is this right?
A: Oops. Knew I made a mistake somewhere. (5 points here is nothing. If you find a Zod in this tourney, use it for something else. Or in the Zod God tourney.) Thanks for catching this mistake WoRG.

Item Scoring Examples:

-----
Frostburn
Gauntlets
Defense: 48
Durability: 12 of 24
Required Level: 29
Required Strength: 60
Fingerprint: 0x76f82862
Item Level: 86
Version: Expansion 1.10+
5% Enhanced Damage
Adds 1 - 6 Cold Damage Over 2 Secs (50 Frames)
+14% Enhanced Defense
+30 Defense
Increase Maximum Mana 40%
-----
Even though it has added defense, Frostburn isn't worth any points because it is unique.  There are some useless uniques out there, but in untwinked, single pass it wasn't worth making a big list of them.

-----
Ghoul Track
Demonhide Boots
Defense: 95
Durability: 7 of 7
Required Level: 37
Required Strength: 10
Fingerprint: 0xc3d35c9c
Item Level: 80
Version: Expansion 1.10+
+20% Faster Run/Walk
Adds 1 - 16 Lightning Damage
+77% Enhanced Defense
+12 Maximum Stamina
Fire Resist +23%
18% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items
Ethereal
-----
These boots are worth 3 points.  They have added defense, added stamina, and they are ethereal and not worn by the merc.  Overall, they are far from useless, but I wanted this tournament to actually be possible.

-----
Corruption Eye
Ring
Required Level: 15
Fingerprint: 0xd63e15ce
Item Level: 85
Version: Expansion 1.10+
Unidentified
+3 to Minimum Damage
+1 to Energy
+21 to Mana
Cold Resist +18%
Lightning Resist +7%
Damage Reduced by 1
-----
This ring is worth 2 points: 1 each for the +1 to energy and the 'damage reduced by 1' mods.

-----
hypothetical awesome circlet that Larzuk punched 1 hole in
-----
This isn't worth any points, because Circlets are banned.  Adding the socket with the quest allows you to wear it, but you don't get any points.

-----
Ancient's Pledge
hypothetical shield
Ral+Ort+Tal
+43% Cold Resistance
+48% Fire/Lightning/Poison Resistance
10% Damage Taken Goes to Mana
+50% Enhanced Defense
-----
Ancient's Pledge is worth 1 point because it adds defense.

The following example was provided by Grisu (thanks!):
-----
Skull Cowl
Giant Conch
Defense: 248
Durability: 57 of 90
Required Level: 60
Required Strength: 142
Fingerprint: 0xccb34629
Item Level: **
Version: Expansion 1.10+
14% Chance to cast level 5 Nova when struck (+1)
+2 to Shadow Discipline Skills (Assassin Only) (+1 for Non-Assassins)
+60% Enhanced Defense (+1)
+6 to Energy
+38 to Life
1 Sockets (0 used) (+1)

This helm would give an Assassin 3 points and every other character class 4 points.

Now, if you'd socket it with this jewel

Blood Eye
Jewel
Required Level: 12
Fingerprint: 0x3846a702
Item Level: 87
Version: Expansion 1.10+
7% Enhanced Damage
+6 to Maximum Damage (+5)
+10 Defense (+1)
Lightning Resist +12%

you would get an additional 6 points:
+1 for the Defense mod
+5 because it is a +MaxDmg/+%ED jewel in a helmet

That would make for a total of 10 points for Non-Assassins and 9 points for an Assassin.
-----

How many points is my Runeword worth?

[b]Runeword Scores in the Useless Tournament[/b]

Ancient's Pledge: +1 (enhanced defense)
Beast: banned
Black: banned
Bone: +2 on necro, +3 on other class (2 chance to cast effects, +class skills)
Bramble: +3 (defense, charges, useless skill charges)
Brand: +3 on char, +4 on merc (2 chance to cast, damage to demons, prevent monster heal)
Breath of the Dying: banned
Call to Arms: banned
Chains of Honor: banned
Chaos: +2 (2 chance to cast)
Crescent Moon: banned
Death: banned
Delirium: banned
Destruction: +4 on char, +5 on merc (4 chance to cast, prevent monster heal)
Doom: +1 on char, +2 on merc (chance to cast, prevent monster heal)
Dragon: +4 (2 chance to cast, +defense, defense vs. missile)
Dream: banned
Duress: banned
Edge: banned
Enigma: banned
Enlightenment: +3 on sorc, +4 on other class (2 chance to cast, %def, +class skills)
Eternity: +1 (charges)
Exile: banned
Faith: banned
Famine: +0 on char, +1 on merc (prevent monster heal)
Fortitude: banned
Fury: +0 on barb, +1 on merc, +1 on other class (prevent monster heal, +class skills)
Gloom: +4 (chance to cast, %def, half freeze duration, light radius)
Grief: banned
Hand of Justice: +2 (2 chance to cast)
Harmony: banned
Heart of the Oak: banned
Holy Thunder: +1 (chance to cast)
Honor: +1 (light radius)
Ice: +2 (chance to cast)
Infinity: banned
Insight: banned
King's Grace: +2 (ar and damage to undead, ar and damage to demons)
Kingslayer: +0 on char, +1 on merc (prevent monster heal)
Last Wish: +3 on char, +4 on merc (3 chance to cast, prevent monster heal)
Lawbringer: +2 (chance to cast, defense vs. missile)
Leaf: banned
Lionheart: banned
Lore: banned
Malice: +0 on char, +1 on merc (prevent monster heal)
Melody: +1 on amazon, +2 on other class (damage to undead, +class skills)
Memory: +1 on sorc, +2 on other class (%def, +class skills)
Myth: +4 on barb, +5 on other class (2 chance to cast, defense vs. missile, attacker takes damage, +class skills)
Nadir: +5 (charges, %def, light radius, +def, def vs. missile)
Oath: banned
Obedience: +2 (chance to cast, +def)
Passion: +2 (damage and ar to undead, charges)
Peace: +3 on amazon, +4 on other class (2 chance to cast, attacker takes damage, +class skills)
Phoenix: +3 (2 chance to cast, def vs. missile)
Pride: banned
Principle: +2 on paladin, +3 on other class (chance to cast, +class skills, damage to undead)
Prudence: +2 (%def, light radius)
Radiance: +3 (%def, def vs. missile, light radius)
Rain: +2 on druid, +3 on other class (2 chance to cast, +class skills)
Rhyme: banned
Rift: +4 (2 chance to cast, charges, useless charges)
Sanctuary: +3 (%def, def vs. missile, charges)
Silence: +1 (damage and ar to undead)
Smoke: banned
Spirit: banned
Splendor: +2 (%def, light radius)
Stealth: banned
Steel: +1 (light radius)
Stone: +4 (%def, def vs. missile, 2 charges)
Strength: +0
Treachery: banned
Venom: +3 on char, +4 on merc (2 charges, useless charges, prevent monster heal)
Voice of Reason: +5 (2 chance to cast, damage to demons, damage and ar to undead, light radius)
Wealth: +0
White: +1 on necro, +2 on other class (+class skills, useless staff mod)
Wind: +4 (chance to cast, light radius, charges, useless charges)
Wrath: +4 on char, +5 on merc (2 chance to cast, damage and ar to demons, damage to undead, prevent monster heal)
Zephyr: +2 (chance to cast, added defense)

The Score Table:

Forum Name:     Char Name:     Class:    Useless Skill:      Level:     Location:           Score:
SunsetVista     ????           ????      ????                1          Rogue Camp (N)      0

Also, when you update the table, please post a readout or summary of the most useless item you have found so far. It doesn't have to be the highest scoring item, just something you think is the most useless.

So, any interest?