Bone Necro Advice
Over winter break, I'm going to have some time to kill. What better way to do so than playing some D2X? My friend and I should have a nice LAN setup going, and I think that I'm going to try a Bone Necro.
This guide refers to a single-player, softcore, necromancer who will be playing with an unknown accomplice (hopefully a melee variant). Totally untwinked, et cetera. I'm used to playing hardcore, and will build and play this character as if he's hardcore, so things might seem a little odd.
Please critique my current thoughts:
Stats:
STR - 100 (This allows for a useful choice of equipment, while not overly taxing VIT/ENE).
DEX - Base (I don't know what kind of shield I'll be using, I'm not a big fan of maxing block, and I'll have BA/Revives/CG/Merc/Partner cover).
VIT - Max (Life is awesome, no?)
ENE - 50-100, depending on need. (I may not find many + or +% mana items, so it's best to play it safe.)
Skills:
Curses: AI, Decrepify, and prerequisites. The AI curses seem like they'll be mighty handy, Amp is needed for CE, and decrep is useful to protect. I'll spend the extra 3 for LR if my friend decides to pursue an elemental character.
Summons: Revive, Summon Resist, and prerequisites. Revive(s) are very hearty tanks, and a CG is invaluable as an extra meatshield and boss-slowing machine. SR/GM help increase the longevity of your summons, and thus you. I'm only planning on one point in each.
Bone Spirit: max. Duh.
Bone Spear: max. Duh.
Bone Prison: max. Useful skill, useful synergy, and I dislike the MW bug.
Bone Wall: max. A synergy for BS/BA. Very nice.
Teeth: Where my extra points will go.
Items:
(Note: I'm looking for reasonable endgame items. I realize that enigma, HOTO, etc are sweet, but the odds of achieving them in SP are very, very low.)
Wand:
White (Dol-Io): amazing bonuses for a boner. +3PnB, +10 Vit, +3BA, +2BS, +4 SM (useful for revives), MDR, FCR, +mana, and gravy. Wow! If I could find a two-socket wand with +3BS/BS/(BA, Revive, or CG), I'd have an excellent endgame weapon. Dol and Io are very easy to get.
Rare Wand: There is a chance for very useful mods on one of these. ID them all!
Unique Wands: There are several excellent unique wands.
Helm:
+3PnB rare circlet: very, very good. Very, very rare.
Magic Circlets: Excellent possible mods.
Lore/Peasant/etc: all viable.
Helm with 3 PSkulls: if needed.
Ammy:
Rare/Crafted +3PnB or +2 skill: very, very good/rare. Crafted amulets are easy to make and can yield amazing mods.
Magic Amulets: can be good. +3PnB and 20% FCR probably ideal.
+skill unique amulets: useful placeholders.
Shield/Head:
Rare +3PnB or +2 Skill: Very good possible mods. I found a +2skill, 2-socket, good mod rare head on HCL, once. Perhaps I'll get lucky again.
Trang's: +2PnB, good resists, +STR. Not bad at all.
Rhyme in a +3BS/BS/?: resists/useful skills/MF.
Splendor in the same: Hah! Keeping you on your toes. This is single-player. We can't make those.
Lidless: Useful mods, ok +1skill, can be socketed for resists.
Wall of the eyeless/lesser shields: good placeholders.
Armor:
Vipermagi: Insane Bone mods. +1 skills, FCR, etc. The gold standard.
Que-Hegan's: Vipermagi sans resists with a bit more gravy.
Smoke: Good for boosting resists.
Lionheart: Resists, life, STR. Mmm..
Stealth: I'll probably be using this for a while.
Gloves:
Frostburn: fewer points in mana mean more in life!
Magefists: FCR and mana regen: excellente.
Trang's: More curses and FCR is never bad. FR works.
Caster gloves: might as well.
Belt:
Gloom's/Uped lenymo/Up'd nightsmoke: Extra mana and other nifty mods.
Caster Belt: Mana, regen, and FCR? Well played.
Any unique/set/rare/magic belt with FCR, +mana, +regen, +life, +resists: useful.
Rings:
SoJs would be ideal and actually findable. Otherwise Unique/rare/magic rings with mana/life/FCR/resists.
Boots:
Silkweaves/Waterwalk: good for mana/life, resists.
Caster boots: excellent mana source.
Any boots that add life, mana, resists, FRW, MF, etc.
Any thoughts/suggestions/reactions/feelings/concerns?
Over winter break, I'm going to have some time to kill. What better way to do so than playing some D2X? My friend and I should have a nice LAN setup going, and I think that I'm going to try a Bone Necro.
This guide refers to a single-player, softcore, necromancer who will be playing with an unknown accomplice (hopefully a melee variant). Totally untwinked, et cetera. I'm used to playing hardcore, and will build and play this character as if he's hardcore, so things might seem a little odd.
Please critique my current thoughts:
Stats:
STR - 100 (This allows for a useful choice of equipment, while not overly taxing VIT/ENE).
DEX - Base (I don't know what kind of shield I'll be using, I'm not a big fan of maxing block, and I'll have BA/Revives/CG/Merc/Partner cover).
VIT - Max (Life is awesome, no?)
ENE - 50-100, depending on need. (I may not find many + or +% mana items, so it's best to play it safe.)
Skills:
Curses: AI, Decrepify, and prerequisites. The AI curses seem like they'll be mighty handy, Amp is needed for CE, and decrep is useful to protect. I'll spend the extra 3 for LR if my friend decides to pursue an elemental character.
Summons: Revive, Summon Resist, and prerequisites. Revive(s) are very hearty tanks, and a CG is invaluable as an extra meatshield and boss-slowing machine. SR/GM help increase the longevity of your summons, and thus you. I'm only planning on one point in each.
Bone Spirit: max. Duh.
Bone Spear: max. Duh.
Bone Prison: max. Useful skill, useful synergy, and I dislike the MW bug.
Bone Wall: max. A synergy for BS/BA. Very nice.
Teeth: Where my extra points will go.
Items:
(Note: I'm looking for reasonable endgame items. I realize that enigma, HOTO, etc are sweet, but the odds of achieving them in SP are very, very low.)
Wand:
White (Dol-Io): amazing bonuses for a boner. +3PnB, +10 Vit, +3BA, +2BS, +4 SM (useful for revives), MDR, FCR, +mana, and gravy. Wow! If I could find a two-socket wand with +3BS/BS/(BA, Revive, or CG), I'd have an excellent endgame weapon. Dol and Io are very easy to get.
Rare Wand: There is a chance for very useful mods on one of these. ID them all!
Unique Wands: There are several excellent unique wands.
Helm:
+3PnB rare circlet: very, very good. Very, very rare.
Magic Circlets: Excellent possible mods.
Lore/Peasant/etc: all viable.
Helm with 3 PSkulls: if needed.
Ammy:
Rare/Crafted +3PnB or +2 skill: very, very good/rare. Crafted amulets are easy to make and can yield amazing mods.
Magic Amulets: can be good. +3PnB and 20% FCR probably ideal.
+skill unique amulets: useful placeholders.
Shield/Head:
Rare +3PnB or +2 Skill: Very good possible mods. I found a +2skill, 2-socket, good mod rare head on HCL, once. Perhaps I'll get lucky again.
Trang's: +2PnB, good resists, +STR. Not bad at all.
Rhyme in a +3BS/BS/?: resists/useful skills/MF.
Splendor in the same: Hah! Keeping you on your toes. This is single-player. We can't make those.
Lidless: Useful mods, ok +1skill, can be socketed for resists.
Wall of the eyeless/lesser shields: good placeholders.
Armor:
Vipermagi: Insane Bone mods. +1 skills, FCR, etc. The gold standard.
Que-Hegan's: Vipermagi sans resists with a bit more gravy.
Smoke: Good for boosting resists.
Lionheart: Resists, life, STR. Mmm..
Stealth: I'll probably be using this for a while.
Gloves:
Frostburn: fewer points in mana mean more in life!
Magefists: FCR and mana regen: excellente.
Trang's: More curses and FCR is never bad. FR works.
Caster gloves: might as well.
Belt:
Gloom's/Uped lenymo/Up'd nightsmoke: Extra mana and other nifty mods.
Caster Belt: Mana, regen, and FCR? Well played.
Any unique/set/rare/magic belt with FCR, +mana, +regen, +life, +resists: useful.
Rings:
SoJs would be ideal and actually findable. Otherwise Unique/rare/magic rings with mana/life/FCR/resists.
Boots:
Silkweaves/Waterwalk: good for mana/life, resists.
Caster boots: excellent mana source.
Any boots that add life, mana, resists, FRW, MF, etc.
Any thoughts/suggestions/reactions/feelings/concerns?
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