Asteria continued her run through Act 5 NM, still doing p8. Some of my monster rolls were pretty easy. For example, three areas had goats. I also saw lots of of boars/imps. ID scroll shortage never became an issue, because I drew ghosts/wraiths three times, and CS tore through them popping scrolls left and right. Assisting me was an uber-valk, who had cold and poison immunity in addition to poison damage for PMH. I kept her alive the entire session.
Frozen River was the first real challenge, due to multiple scary snake packs. I found my first evil urn, and the possibility for snakes convinced me to open it with my telekinesis ring. Fittingly, an LE LI snake pack spawned directly
around the urn! I would've been helpless to fight back. Another urn contained Fanaticism snakes, too close for comfort. And it happened again, in the
Glacial Trail! This ring has already proven its worth.
The red portal areas had additional dangers, with amp damage witches, fire snakes, undead dolls, frenzytaurs, and knights. I lost my uber-valk to a 1-hit IM from an Oblivion Knight. The timing was OK, because I was quitting the session anyway (at the Arreat Plateau WP). Behold the worst
door misalignment ever! It was funny, I couldn't go through until the door was wrecked.
Next session, I made a major gear change after a goat boss dropped the unique Double Bow,
Endless Hail. I ditched my spare javs and a 3-socket tower shield. I've been planning for eventual use of low-level Frozen Arrow, for corpse disposal and crowd control. There are other unique bows I'd prefer, but Endless Hail has some advantages:
- it's very fast (and I have 35% off-weapon IAS)
- useful mana boost (+40, now I can easily top 500)
- cold damage with improved duration = increased freeze length
- big cold resist (my weakest primary resist)
- free access to Strafe (with +skill boost, I get 8 arrows)
Ancient's Way had rogue jabbers and LI Afflicted. Again, I used telekinesis for the urns, which contained Afflicted. Icy Cellar was a mess. We were met by a boss pack of dolls, some snakes, and LI
gloams. Champion gloams added to the tense situation, but with good resists I survived. Asteria obliterated Snapchip's gang.
The Ancients spawned LE, Holy Fire, and Stone Skin. Annoying, but not at all dangerous, unlike the WSK levels. Each level had a mix of tough monsters including snakes, flayers, heirophants, more amping witches, and a scary intro to
level 3. Frenzytaurs are actually the least dangerous. As long as the valk can hold out for 10+ seconds, I can take them down. Throne level was another tough draw: vampires, frenzytaurs, and burning souls. A
Fanat gloam was the worst of it. The remaining gloams were frozen solid with freezing arrows until the valk killed them.
I had one problem with Baal's minions; Achmel at p8 had insane regeneration. I had to blast him with sustained CS while popping a few rejuvs to counter his
super-poison. Very few replacement mana potions dropped from the remaining minions, and I was forced to tackle Baal with only one blue and four purples. I took a few breaks to regen life/mana. No big deal. His drop was crap. My Goldwrap belt made it all the way through the Act! After NM Daiblo, it had 2 durability, and it still does! My other armors lost a few points. That says a lot about how rarely Asteria is hit behind her valk.
Items I left behind:
Lem rune (from random WSK monster)
Jewel of Thunder (1-74)
Preserver's GC of Winter
[highlight]Conqueror Asteria, 1.11 CS Amazon, level 74, Act 1 Hell, Rogue Camp[/highlight]
Str 85, Dex 133, Vitality 223 (886 life), Energy 47 (371 mana, can go up to 512)
CS Damage: 7 bolts, 1-796 damage per bolt
Javelin
skills.
Passive
skills.
Bow
skills.
Resists: 75/35/65/-12
Chance to block: 55%
[highlight]Gear:[/highlight]
Maiden Javelin of Replenishing
Maiden Javelin
One Hand Damage: 8 - 14
Quantity: 80
Required Level: 17
Required Strength: 33
Required Dexterity: 47
Fingerprint: 0x3e7edb35
Item Level: 30
Version: Expansion 1.10+
Properties:
+1 to Javelin and Spear Skills (Amazon Only)
Replenishes quantity
Rhyme
Tower Shield
Defense: 23
Durability: 53 of 60
Required Level: 29
Required Strength: 75
Fingerprint: 0xbcfd152
Item Level: 31
Version: Expansion 1.10+
Properties:
All Resistances +25
20% Increased Chance of Blocking
50% Extra Gold from Monsters
25% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items
40% Faster Block Rate
Cannot Be Frozen
15% Regenerate Mana
2 Sockets (2 used)
Socketed: Shael Rune
Socketed: Eth Rune
Endlesshail
Double Bow
Two Hand Damage: 33 - 79
Durability: 19 of 36 <--- no clue why GoMule shows this. (GoMule is still awesome)
Required Level: 36
Required Strength: 58
Required Dexterity: 73
Fingerprint: 0x4589238f
Item Level: 63
Version: Expansion 1.10+
Properties:
+40 to Mana
207% Enhanced Damage
+50 Defense vs. Missile
Cold Resist +35%
+15 - 30 cold damage with 3 sec Duration
+3 to Strafe (Amazon Only)
Sazabi's Mental Sheath
Basinet
Defense: 183
Durability: 29 of 30
Required Level: 43
Required Strength: 82
Fingerprint: 0x322dbe0c
Item Level: 52
Version: Expansion 1.10+
Properties:
+100 Defense
Fire Resist +20%
Lightning Resist +17%
+1 to All Skills
Gemmed Full Plate Mail
Full Plate Mail
Defense: 152
Durability: 42 of 70
Required Level: 31
Required Strength: 80
Fingerprint: 0x67b63f9e
Item Level: 49
Version: Expansion 1.10+
Properties:
Lightning Resist +37%
+38 to Life
Cold Resist +30%
15% Increased Attack Speed
4 Sockets (4 used)
Socketed: Ort Rune
Socketed: Perfect Ruby
Socketed: Thul Rune
Socketed: Camphor Jewel of Fervor
Nightsmoke
Mesh Belt
Defense: 64
Durability: 14 of 16
Required Level: 20
Required Strength: 58
Fingerprint: 0x118982a1
Item Level: 37
Version: Expansion 1.10+
Properties:
+20 to Mana
30% Enhanced Defense
+15 Defense
Damage Reduced by 2
Required Lvl +5
+50 Damage Taken Goes To Mana
All Resistances +10
Soul Hold
Chain Gloves
Defense: 8
Durability: 8 of 16
Required Level: 35
Required Strength: 25
Fingerprint: 0x4bd07126
Item Level: 49
Version: Expansion 1.10+
Properties:
+2 to Strength
+14 to Mana
Fire Resist +21%
Poison Resist +16%
23% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items
20% Increased Attack Speed
Hailstone Shank
Greaves
Defense: 24
Durability: 14 of 24
Required Level: 18
Required Strength: 70
Fingerprint: 0xeb85298d
Item Level: 46
Version: Expansion 1.10+
Properties:
56% Enhanced Defense
Lightning Resist +34%
Poison Resist +19%
9% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items
Half Freeze Duration
Prismatic Amulet of Enlightenment
Amulet
Required Level: 33
Fingerprint: 0xd5cb313e
Item Level: 45
Version: Expansion 1.10+
Properties:
+26 to Energy
Fire Resist +18%
Lightning Resist +18%
Cold Resist +18%
Poison Resist +18%
Bahamut's Ring of the Mind
Ring
Required Level: 37
Fingerprint: 0x1e244df2
Item Level: 49
Version: Expansion 1.10+
Properties:
+6 to Energy
+114 to Mana
Garnet Ring of Protection
Ring
Required Level: 13
Fingerprint: 0x8df50fa0
Item Level: 46
Version: Expansion 1.10+
Properties:
Damage Reduced by 2
Fire Resist +29%
Charms:
Cobalt (25) Grand Charm of Pestilence (+25 poison damage / 5 sec)
Garnet (25) Grand Charm
Ruby (27) Grand Charm
Serpent's (51) Grand Charm of Dex (4)
Crimson (4) Small Charm of Life (10)
Russet Small (7) Charm of Greed
Ocher (7) Small Charm of Life (6)
Ocher (6) Small Charm of Dexterity (2)
Ocher (6) Small Charm
Tangerine (5) Small Charm of Flame
Cobalt (8) Small Charm of Strength (2)
Lapis (7) Small Charm of the Icicle (2-4)
Lapis (6) Small Charm of Strength (1)
Lapis (6) Small Charm
Bronze Small Charm of Sustenance (14)
Small Charm of Sustenance (13)
In storage:
Acrobat's Amulet
Great Wyrm's Ring of Telekinesis (17/25 charges)
Snake's Amulet of Regrowth (Replenish Life 10, for emergencies)
Ocher (17) Ring of the Wolf (16)
Tin Jewel of Fervor
Runes: Shael, Ort, Ral (2)
ID Tome (8 scrolls)