Please, don't be briefer! Your story-telling is wonderful; I much prefer your updates when they're in storybook format, as opposed to just brief descriptions and text. Looking forward to the next one.
Golemancer Attempt No.1
- Thread starter LozHinge the Unhinged
- Start date
Please, don't be briefer! Your story-telling is wonderful; I much prefer your updates when they're in storybook format, as opposed to just brief descriptions and text. Looking forward to the next one.
LozHinge the Unhinged
Active member
Never go underground or into graveyards or into the woods or ...
Baboa glanced around the dreary Rogue Encampment. His gaze also took in his companions, a shiny Malice Iron Golem and a haggard and worn mercenary - much more at home in the Deserts, by the look of him. "It's not much, but it will have to do", he thought to himself and - for perhaps the thousandth time in his career, he asked himself why he had slept through the skeleton raising lessons back at the Necromancer College (a.k.a. The Unearthed University).
We stepped through the Waypoint into the Cold Plains and made our way to The Cave. Once underground, we drew upon our experiences in the Den of Evil to good effect. Minions and bosses alike fell to our curses and of course, the two fighters. Crushing Blow and Open Wounds make for a very complementary joint attack. We were jolted out of our routine by Coldcrow, who demanded a lot of time, patience and craftiness to subdue. Balboa cast Attract on one of the minions to draw Clodcrow's fire - her arrows did extraordinary amounts of damage - Dim Vision on the other minions to take them out of the equation and then Decrepify on Coldcrow herself to try to hold her in position for the two fighters to engage. This worked well except when the Attracted minion decided to take a powder and run off - whereupon the carefully crafted strategy would collapse like a house of cards. The battle raged across half of the length of the first level - at one point Balboa wondered if they were going to be driven from the Cave. After what seemed like hours but was probably only (!) ten minutes, only Coldcrow and a single minion remained. It didn't take long after that.
Many of the other bosses we encountered were tough in their own ways. It was shortly after meeting Blight Fester that Rusty disappeared without trace. A portal was needed to return to base and to raise another Malice. Balboa raged inwardly, the strain obvious in his face but we pressed on. The second level of The Cave was located and cleansed.
I reminded Balboa of a pressing matter in the Rogue's ancestral Burial Grounds - the snappishness of the Necromancer's response betrayed his concern and unease. I was informed of the plan to deal with Blood Raven - circle the grounds to pick off any stray monsters, then strike hard and fast against the turned Rogue. Any undead that tried to interfere would be Terrored away. A simple plan, and the best ones always are.
Almost always - Balboa tried every trick he knew to pin down the Demon Rogue whilst holding back the hoards of undead she raised. With "My army will destroy you" ringing in his ears, Balboa led the charge only to be driven back by sheer weight of numbers. We attempted to draw the zombies away to the South and race back around to the North, trying always to isolate Blood Raven. Attract, Confuse, Bone Wall, Decrepify, every trick in the book was attempted. Slowly (but not so surely!) Blood Raven was hurt as the battle raged for perhaps an hour. The mercenary needed reviving more than once, we ran out of potions several times ... it was a war of attrition. Another Rusty was lost as well, such was the fury of the battle. Balboa's third and last available Malice was prepared and we hurled ourselves back into the fray. At one point, we thought we had all but won the struggle, only to be once again overwhelmed by the undead army. And then, unexpectedly, having once more cleared the grounds of stray undead, we happened upon the former Rogue in an ideal position. Ichor gushed from her many wounds and, try as she might, she could not escape. We had beaten her. Savage joy!
Balboa allowed us very little rest after the most difficult battle imaginable. He was determined to rescue some old fellow called Cain - I think Akara has some kind of hold over our leader, he always seems to follow her suggestions. In any event, we needed to locate an Underground Passage. "Terrific, more underground adventures", I said to Razan, who merely glared at me. The mercenary has beem acting oddly recently, standing around moodily when there's fighting to be done, or charging into battle when Balboa sounds a retreat. Stupid spear-boy. Anyway ...
We located the passage, and that's when things went well and truly squirrely. The entire Carver nation appeared to be down that hole - yet they were tamed with Confuse with little damage done to our side. The Misshapen we encountered were cut from a very different cloth - Confuse held them back for a few minutes but when the dam burst, we were swept back before the flood. Razan was for some reason very vulnerable to these creatures and required several revives back at base. We were getting pushed back, dangerously close to the entrance, but Balboa's tactics of Attract, Decrepify, Dim Vision and use of landscape features won through in the end. I have to hand it to that Necro sometimes ... though I'll never tell him that. Unfortunately, after the main danger had been met and defeated, and whilst searching for the passage's second level, our last Rusty was lost in the maze. There are few sights I can recall that have affected me as deeply as Balboa's show of rage when he realised what he'd lost. A brief experiment with a fire golem was tried but with many fire immunes in the Passage, it was never going to work. Welcome back, Gumby!
The second level was effectively a stair trap. It was nearly a disaster as well, with both mercenary and necromancer barely escaping back up the stairs with their lives. Balboa decided he would put off a return visit for later in the day. Yeah, right. Discretion is the better part of getting your *** handed to you on a plate.
The other side of the passage led to a Wood, populated by Spike Fiends, Carvers, Vile Hunters and Brutes, plus other assorted nasties. Chief amongst these was Treehead Woodfist and his minions. We encountered them shortly after we found a scroll which made Balboa rather excited. Treehead himself was, no other word for it, handled. Gumby held him in place, Balboa AmpDamaged him and cast Terror at his minions, whilst Razan put the hurt upon him. Worked liked a dream. Eventually we cleared the woods of enemies and found the Dark Wood waypoint, and I thought we were done for the day. Balboa, with righteous fury in his eyes, lead us back to the Underground Passage. Oh no, I thought, not that.
Balboa was stocked up with red and blue potions and led us down the Passage to the second level. When we stepped out from the stairs, we were swamped. Balboa's nerve held and he spammed Decrepify and Terror onto the hoard that were pressed up against us. Decrepify slowed the bosses and Terror drove back their minions and, somehow, we survived the onslaught. I cannot express my astonishment at that simple fact.
We are resting up now as Balboa says he has an important date next with some high-born girly he's heard about. Yeah, right.
Stats and such
139 Stats and 5 Skill points unspent - the Skills are likely going to be needed for DV for Gloams, assuming I survive to Act 3. Hah, I'm not going to make it past Andariel if I stay at P8. The pressure to lower the /players setting is growing - kill speeds are slo-o-ow.
I am nearly out of Malice runes and out of half-way decent 3os weapons. Losing Malice Rustys is driving me mad - three in one day, FCOL! It's not as if they're getting killed, most of the time. The ones in Balboa's stash now are just about the bottom of the barrel.
Skills check: 1 in all Curses except LR, 1 each in BA/BW, 20 each in GM, CG and BG, 8 in IG, 1 each in FG and SR. Still using the Wands and Heads picked up or shopped in Normal difficulty!
Champion GumbyBalboa - Level 78, Act 1, Dark Wood
Baboa glanced around the dreary Rogue Encampment. His gaze also took in his companions, a shiny Malice Iron Golem and a haggard and worn mercenary - much more at home in the Deserts, by the look of him. "It's not much, but it will have to do", he thought to himself and - for perhaps the thousandth time in his career, he asked himself why he had slept through the skeleton raising lessons back at the Necromancer College (a.k.a. The Unearthed University).
We stepped through the Waypoint into the Cold Plains and made our way to The Cave. Once underground, we drew upon our experiences in the Den of Evil to good effect. Minions and bosses alike fell to our curses and of course, the two fighters. Crushing Blow and Open Wounds make for a very complementary joint attack. We were jolted out of our routine by Coldcrow, who demanded a lot of time, patience and craftiness to subdue. Balboa cast Attract on one of the minions to draw Clodcrow's fire - her arrows did extraordinary amounts of damage - Dim Vision on the other minions to take them out of the equation and then Decrepify on Coldcrow herself to try to hold her in position for the two fighters to engage. This worked well except when the Attracted minion decided to take a powder and run off - whereupon the carefully crafted strategy would collapse like a house of cards. The battle raged across half of the length of the first level - at one point Balboa wondered if they were going to be driven from the Cave. After what seemed like hours but was probably only (!) ten minutes, only Coldcrow and a single minion remained. It didn't take long after that.
Many of the other bosses we encountered were tough in their own ways. It was shortly after meeting Blight Fester that Rusty disappeared without trace. A portal was needed to return to base and to raise another Malice. Balboa raged inwardly, the strain obvious in his face but we pressed on. The second level of The Cave was located and cleansed.
I reminded Balboa of a pressing matter in the Rogue's ancestral Burial Grounds - the snappishness of the Necromancer's response betrayed his concern and unease. I was informed of the plan to deal with Blood Raven - circle the grounds to pick off any stray monsters, then strike hard and fast against the turned Rogue. Any undead that tried to interfere would be Terrored away. A simple plan, and the best ones always are.
Almost always - Balboa tried every trick he knew to pin down the Demon Rogue whilst holding back the hoards of undead she raised. With "My army will destroy you" ringing in his ears, Balboa led the charge only to be driven back by sheer weight of numbers. We attempted to draw the zombies away to the South and race back around to the North, trying always to isolate Blood Raven. Attract, Confuse, Bone Wall, Decrepify, every trick in the book was attempted. Slowly (but not so surely!) Blood Raven was hurt as the battle raged for perhaps an hour. The mercenary needed reviving more than once, we ran out of potions several times ... it was a war of attrition. Another Rusty was lost as well, such was the fury of the battle. Balboa's third and last available Malice was prepared and we hurled ourselves back into the fray. At one point, we thought we had all but won the struggle, only to be once again overwhelmed by the undead army. And then, unexpectedly, having once more cleared the grounds of stray undead, we happened upon the former Rogue in an ideal position. Ichor gushed from her many wounds and, try as she might, she could not escape. We had beaten her. Savage joy!
Balboa allowed us very little rest after the most difficult battle imaginable. He was determined to rescue some old fellow called Cain - I think Akara has some kind of hold over our leader, he always seems to follow her suggestions. In any event, we needed to locate an Underground Passage. "Terrific, more underground adventures", I said to Razan, who merely glared at me. The mercenary has beem acting oddly recently, standing around moodily when there's fighting to be done, or charging into battle when Balboa sounds a retreat. Stupid spear-boy. Anyway ...
We located the passage, and that's when things went well and truly squirrely. The entire Carver nation appeared to be down that hole - yet they were tamed with Confuse with little damage done to our side. The Misshapen we encountered were cut from a very different cloth - Confuse held them back for a few minutes but when the dam burst, we were swept back before the flood. Razan was for some reason very vulnerable to these creatures and required several revives back at base. We were getting pushed back, dangerously close to the entrance, but Balboa's tactics of Attract, Decrepify, Dim Vision and use of landscape features won through in the end. I have to hand it to that Necro sometimes ... though I'll never tell him that. Unfortunately, after the main danger had been met and defeated, and whilst searching for the passage's second level, our last Rusty was lost in the maze. There are few sights I can recall that have affected me as deeply as Balboa's show of rage when he realised what he'd lost. A brief experiment with a fire golem was tried but with many fire immunes in the Passage, it was never going to work. Welcome back, Gumby!
The second level was effectively a stair trap. It was nearly a disaster as well, with both mercenary and necromancer barely escaping back up the stairs with their lives. Balboa decided he would put off a return visit for later in the day. Yeah, right. Discretion is the better part of getting your *** handed to you on a plate.
The other side of the passage led to a Wood, populated by Spike Fiends, Carvers, Vile Hunters and Brutes, plus other assorted nasties. Chief amongst these was Treehead Woodfist and his minions. We encountered them shortly after we found a scroll which made Balboa rather excited. Treehead himself was, no other word for it, handled. Gumby held him in place, Balboa AmpDamaged him and cast Terror at his minions, whilst Razan put the hurt upon him. Worked liked a dream. Eventually we cleared the woods of enemies and found the Dark Wood waypoint, and I thought we were done for the day. Balboa, with righteous fury in his eyes, lead us back to the Underground Passage. Oh no, I thought, not that.
Balboa was stocked up with red and blue potions and led us down the Passage to the second level. When we stepped out from the stairs, we were swamped. Balboa's nerve held and he spammed Decrepify and Terror onto the hoard that were pressed up against us. Decrepify slowed the bosses and Terror drove back their minions and, somehow, we survived the onslaught. I cannot express my astonishment at that simple fact.
We are resting up now as Balboa says he has an important date next with some high-born girly he's heard about. Yeah, right.
Stats and such
139 Stats and 5 Skill points unspent - the Skills are likely going to be needed for DV for Gloams, assuming I survive to Act 3. Hah, I'm not going to make it past Andariel if I stay at P8. The pressure to lower the /players setting is growing - kill speeds are slo-o-ow.
I am nearly out of Malice runes and out of half-way decent 3os weapons. Losing Malice Rustys is driving me mad - three in one day, FCOL! It's not as if they're getting killed, most of the time. The ones in Balboa's stash now are just about the bottom of the barrel.
Skills check: 1 in all Curses except LR, 1 each in BA/BW, 20 each in GM, CG and BG, 8 in IG, 1 each in FG and SR. Still using the Wands and Heads picked up or shopped in Normal difficulty!
Champion GumbyBalboa - Level 78, Act 1, Dark Wood
Fists of War
New member
Congrats on the current progress, it must hard to have the self-determination not to break your self-imposed rules...
I was trying a similar build in classic Diablo 2, singleplayer...but twinked with all +skill gear. As IG's in classic are next to impossible to use well (they disappear after games) I used a fire golem. My skill allocation was max fire golem, max mages, max golem mastery, 15 or so points in skelly mastery, with the rest in random bone skills/curses (including a total of level 10 lower resist).
I must say that it's very fun just starting off in hell and trying to get the kill with Fire Golem and lower res...considering he only does around 750-800 fire damage. But once I get my 11 mages, I can kinda kill in Hell. Solo NM chaos sancuary was fun as well. Some hard differences in classic are
- no viable merc, no merc at all in A4
- hard to get good items for Sparky
- Mr. IG doesn't stay around between games
- NO summons or mercs stick around between act changes
Still fun, many would argue that it's unviable, but I know better
I was trying a similar build in classic Diablo 2, singleplayer...but twinked with all +skill gear. As IG's in classic are next to impossible to use well (they disappear after games) I used a fire golem. My skill allocation was max fire golem, max mages, max golem mastery, 15 or so points in skelly mastery, with the rest in random bone skills/curses (including a total of level 10 lower resist).
I must say that it's very fun just starting off in hell and trying to get the kill with Fire Golem and lower res...considering he only does around 750-800 fire damage. But once I get my 11 mages, I can kinda kill in Hell. Solo NM chaos sancuary was fun as well. Some hard differences in classic are
- no viable merc, no merc at all in A4
- hard to get good items for Sparky
- Mr. IG doesn't stay around between games
- NO summons or mercs stick around between act changes
Still fun, many would argue that it's unviable, but I know better
LozHinge the Unhinged
Active member
By the skin of my teeth ...
Balboa woke up in the night, having gone to sleep with the idea that he'd forgotten something. We discussed the issue briefly - it was a simple matter of reviewing our adventures to date. "Of course", said Balboa, "There's a Crypt and a Mausoleum in the burial grounds that we failed to give the once over." "Damn", I thought, hoping that these would remain over-looked. "We'll swing by the 'Grounds again before we go looking for the old duffer Akara mentioned and still have time to see the Countess." "Do what?", I thought, and then asked, "Did I just say that out loud?", but Balboa was already packing up his rucksack. Razan was already to go and Rusty was, well, you know, Rusty (it hadn't stopped raining in a while).
The Crypt was fairly taxing, I have to say. Razan simply could not tank the Hungry Dead that infested the tunnels, he needed help from Decrepify and the Iron Golem every time. That said, he tends to kill three monsters for every one that Rusty puts down, by and large. We found a Legend Sword down there with three free sockets - this will do very nicely for a Malice Rusty!
If the Crypt was taxing, the Mausoleum was Hell on Earth. So many zombie-type bosses - it took all of Balboa's guile to keep the merc alive (and even that wasn't enough on more than one occasion) and even Rusty struggled to survive on occasion.
We were glad to leave the 'Grounds, despite the Necromancer's natural affinity for graveyards - the memories of Blood Raven and of the tunnels beneath will haunt us for some time to come. We almost looked forward to creating the portal to the village of Tristram to pick up Cain. Unfortunately, Tristram was now populated by many Skeleton Archers, Moon Clan, Carvers and their Shamans. We had to work very hard indeed to make progress. It was necessary to draw the hoards of Carvers off to the North East, away from the influence of the Shamans. Methodical, patient work all the way. We were thorough, as we didn't want to be surprised by any lingering monsters when we located Cain and looked for the former blacksmith, Griswold. Despite his fearsome reputation, Griswold turned out to be surprisingly easy to take down. Cain made good his escape - you know, he didn't even have the courtesy to leave his Portal open for us, he just yelled over his shoulder that we should get lost, or something. Sheesh.
Just when you thought things couldn't get more surreal, Balboa knelt down by the side of a body and - I kid you not - took a wooden leg from the corpse and put it in his backpack. Words fail me.
Well, we put Cain's rudeness and Tristram's dreary ruination behind us and struck out for the Black Marsh. Brutes now ruled this land, in large bands with powerful leaders. We were compensated for our trouble - a unique crossbow called Demon Machine. Balboa liked the look of it but it is well beyond his skill. Anyway, more Brutes followed, with Goat Clan followers. Things gradually got worse, Black Hawks made our lives miserable. Then, light at the end of the tunnel - we'd searched the entire 'Marsh from end to end, and found the Waypoint next to the ruins of an old forgotten tower.
The first dungeon level of the tower was tricky, but manageable. Preparing for a stairtrap which didn't come, we descended to the second level, and were soon used for target practice by a boss Dark Archer and her minions. An elaborate and difficult game of chess ensued, we attempted to Dim Vision the minions and Decrepify the boss, but Blood Clan and Devilkin hampered our efforts. Razan and even Rusty were far from immune from the shafts of the archers - this was very dangerous. Many portals back to town were used to repair Rusty and heal Razan. Finally, we got there, but it had been terribly hard. More archers followed, accompanied by Ghosts - a nasty combination, but we cleared the second level. Interestingly, Rusty kills Ghosts faster than Razan.
My hand shakes as I attempt to relate the tale of the third level. We took our normal stairtrap preparations, with Decrepify and Terror primed and ready. Slowly, very slowly we descended the stairs - and into the most horrific stairtrap it has been my misfortune to see. Balboa managed to cast his Decrepify and Terror, and was nearly dead in that time, He managed to crawl up the stairs, shaken by the ferocity of the attack. There just hadn't been any time to take in what was happening - he found that his Rejuvenation potions were all gone, though he didn't remember drinking them. Red and blue potions were downed, Bone Armour recast, and - incredibly - Balboa ordered us down again. Was he mad?
Balboa spammed Terror and Decrepify again, and once again, we barely escaped with our lives. This time, we took in a few details - there were Ghosts, Devilkin and Blood Clan down there. A facing wall meant that the Terrored creatures were instantly rebounding back into the fight. Time and time again, Balboa descended the stairs in an incredible show of bravado and courage - and then, astonishingly - we found that there was space to move down there, that the monsters were not jam-packed in front of us. Balboa's Terror had been doing its job on the previous descents and now we could set to work, establishing a foothold on the level. I'd considered the situation hopeless, but Balboa had shown faith and fortitude.
When we finally turned the corner, we found where the Ghosts had gone - but we isolated them, one from the other and slew them one or two at a time. Further along on the third level, we encountered a particularly vicious Ghost and his crew. We managed to split them up, which is essential when dealing with these awful things.
Nervous exhaustion meant that Balboa had to call a halt before we go any further - I think I know what we will be dreaming of tonight.
Stats and that ...
119 Stats and 6 Skill points spare - after the stairtrap on level three was dealt with, it suddenly occurred to me that I should put another 25 pts into Vitality. I sometimes wonder what I use for a brain. Life is up to 767 now.
I can safely say that this stairtrap was the very worst one I have ever survived. I've never felt so afraid while playing a game! :laughing:
I have level 4 and 5 of the Forgotten Tower to do yet - please, no more stairtraps! I hope the Countess can supply some useful runes - funnily enough, I need Iths and Eths more than anything higher but we'll see.
Some answers
@Fists of War - I think I really like under-powered builds, it's a different game when every single encounter has the potential to kill you. The control you need to keep yourself alive ... you don't know you're doing it until something comes along and gets you out of position. Then you realise just how much everything is hanging by a thread.
@dutes - thanks for that - but don't blame me if you go insane playing yours. You can't say you weren't warned. :grin:
Champion GumbyBalboa - Level 79, Act 1, The Forgotten Tower
Balboa woke up in the night, having gone to sleep with the idea that he'd forgotten something. We discussed the issue briefly - it was a simple matter of reviewing our adventures to date. "Of course", said Balboa, "There's a Crypt and a Mausoleum in the burial grounds that we failed to give the once over." "Damn", I thought, hoping that these would remain over-looked. "We'll swing by the 'Grounds again before we go looking for the old duffer Akara mentioned and still have time to see the Countess." "Do what?", I thought, and then asked, "Did I just say that out loud?", but Balboa was already packing up his rucksack. Razan was already to go and Rusty was, well, you know, Rusty (it hadn't stopped raining in a while).
The Crypt was fairly taxing, I have to say. Razan simply could not tank the Hungry Dead that infested the tunnels, he needed help from Decrepify and the Iron Golem every time. That said, he tends to kill three monsters for every one that Rusty puts down, by and large. We found a Legend Sword down there with three free sockets - this will do very nicely for a Malice Rusty!
If the Crypt was taxing, the Mausoleum was Hell on Earth. So many zombie-type bosses - it took all of Balboa's guile to keep the merc alive (and even that wasn't enough on more than one occasion) and even Rusty struggled to survive on occasion.
We were glad to leave the 'Grounds, despite the Necromancer's natural affinity for graveyards - the memories of Blood Raven and of the tunnels beneath will haunt us for some time to come. We almost looked forward to creating the portal to the village of Tristram to pick up Cain. Unfortunately, Tristram was now populated by many Skeleton Archers, Moon Clan, Carvers and their Shamans. We had to work very hard indeed to make progress. It was necessary to draw the hoards of Carvers off to the North East, away from the influence of the Shamans. Methodical, patient work all the way. We were thorough, as we didn't want to be surprised by any lingering monsters when we located Cain and looked for the former blacksmith, Griswold. Despite his fearsome reputation, Griswold turned out to be surprisingly easy to take down. Cain made good his escape - you know, he didn't even have the courtesy to leave his Portal open for us, he just yelled over his shoulder that we should get lost, or something. Sheesh.
Just when you thought things couldn't get more surreal, Balboa knelt down by the side of a body and - I kid you not - took a wooden leg from the corpse and put it in his backpack. Words fail me.
Well, we put Cain's rudeness and Tristram's dreary ruination behind us and struck out for the Black Marsh. Brutes now ruled this land, in large bands with powerful leaders. We were compensated for our trouble - a unique crossbow called Demon Machine. Balboa liked the look of it but it is well beyond his skill. Anyway, more Brutes followed, with Goat Clan followers. Things gradually got worse, Black Hawks made our lives miserable. Then, light at the end of the tunnel - we'd searched the entire 'Marsh from end to end, and found the Waypoint next to the ruins of an old forgotten tower.
The first dungeon level of the tower was tricky, but manageable. Preparing for a stairtrap which didn't come, we descended to the second level, and were soon used for target practice by a boss Dark Archer and her minions. An elaborate and difficult game of chess ensued, we attempted to Dim Vision the minions and Decrepify the boss, but Blood Clan and Devilkin hampered our efforts. Razan and even Rusty were far from immune from the shafts of the archers - this was very dangerous. Many portals back to town were used to repair Rusty and heal Razan. Finally, we got there, but it had been terribly hard. More archers followed, accompanied by Ghosts - a nasty combination, but we cleared the second level. Interestingly, Rusty kills Ghosts faster than Razan.
My hand shakes as I attempt to relate the tale of the third level. We took our normal stairtrap preparations, with Decrepify and Terror primed and ready. Slowly, very slowly we descended the stairs - and into the most horrific stairtrap it has been my misfortune to see. Balboa managed to cast his Decrepify and Terror, and was nearly dead in that time, He managed to crawl up the stairs, shaken by the ferocity of the attack. There just hadn't been any time to take in what was happening - he found that his Rejuvenation potions were all gone, though he didn't remember drinking them. Red and blue potions were downed, Bone Armour recast, and - incredibly - Balboa ordered us down again. Was he mad?
Balboa spammed Terror and Decrepify again, and once again, we barely escaped with our lives. This time, we took in a few details - there were Ghosts, Devilkin and Blood Clan down there. A facing wall meant that the Terrored creatures were instantly rebounding back into the fight. Time and time again, Balboa descended the stairs in an incredible show of bravado and courage - and then, astonishingly - we found that there was space to move down there, that the monsters were not jam-packed in front of us. Balboa's Terror had been doing its job on the previous descents and now we could set to work, establishing a foothold on the level. I'd considered the situation hopeless, but Balboa had shown faith and fortitude.
When we finally turned the corner, we found where the Ghosts had gone - but we isolated them, one from the other and slew them one or two at a time. Further along on the third level, we encountered a particularly vicious Ghost and his crew. We managed to split them up, which is essential when dealing with these awful things.
Nervous exhaustion meant that Balboa had to call a halt before we go any further - I think I know what we will be dreaming of tonight.
Stats and that ...
119 Stats and 6 Skill points spare - after the stairtrap on level three was dealt with, it suddenly occurred to me that I should put another 25 pts into Vitality. I sometimes wonder what I use for a brain. Life is up to 767 now.
I can safely say that this stairtrap was the very worst one I have ever survived. I've never felt so afraid while playing a game! :laughing:
I have level 4 and 5 of the Forgotten Tower to do yet - please, no more stairtraps! I hope the Countess can supply some useful runes - funnily enough, I need Iths and Eths more than anything higher but we'll see.
Some answers
@Fists of War - I think I really like under-powered builds, it's a different game when every single encounter has the potential to kill you. The control you need to keep yourself alive ... you don't know you're doing it until something comes along and gets you out of position. Then you realise just how much everything is hanging by a thread.
@dutes - thanks for that - but don't blame me if you go insane playing yours. You can't say you weren't warned. :grin:
Champion GumbyBalboa - Level 79, Act 1, The Forgotten Tower
good jobI've got to admit, it's getting harder and harder to wait for new "episodes" of this thread. I find myself checking about once an hour now to see if you've updated. Have you given any thought to trying out another character when you're done with this one? I could see you wanting to take a break from this style of gameplay, but it would be interesting to see some of the other typically non-feasible builds, such as Ranger paladins, dual-elemental druid, charged boltress, etc.
LozHinge the Unhinged
Active member
The Tower and The Gate
With a degree of trepidation, Balboa led us down the stairs to the fourth cellar level of the Tower. The sensation of anti-climax when we found the way before us clear was palpable, but we needn't have worried. A long, long running battle with ghosts in the corridor outside the stair room taxed us to the limit - a particularly strong boss and his minions drove us back to the stairs where Balboa was maintaining an emergency portal. We'd no sooner defeated the ghosts when a powerful band of Dark Archers assailed us - yet again, we were driven back to the stairs and - worse yet - Rusty was lost to them! We quickly returned to Camp and made a new Malice Rusty from the Legend Sword we'd found previously. Recharged, we broke the 'Archers eventually and then happened upon a Boss pack of Devilkin - although fearsome in demeanour, they were by comparison a trifling matter.
I was beginning to wonder if we were actually going to make it through to wherever it was the Countess was lurking but Balboa was confident. Well, he was until we found some stairs leading down to the fifth level. Sweat beaded across the Necromancer's forehead as we crept stealthily down the steps and into an ambush ... of four Devilkin. We laughed as we slew the paltry creatures.
After the trials and tribulations in the cellar levels, our meeting with the Countess and her retinue of Dark Stalkers was an almost trivial matter. Our reward for ending the Rogue Sisterhood's secret shame was reasonable.
Balboa deliberated for a time as to our next course of action - the cave in the Black Marsh known as "The Hole" or explore the Tamoe Highland. We all agreed that we'd had our fill of underground passages for the moment so the 'Highland was next. We were very soon up to our hips in Thorn Beasts - the place was filthy with them. And with Skeletal Mages and Archers, too. Balboa was soon irritated by the hit'n'run tactics of the 'Mages - he took extreme (and oddly effective) measures to counteract this behaviour. Even Boss Mages were subjected to the ignominy of this treatment. In remarkably good time, the 'Highland was cleared of all evil creatures, down to the last few stragglers. We stopped at the Monastery Gate.
A rest is next, then we go pot-holing down The Hole. We can't wait. :shocked:
Stats and ... Bloody Windows
124 Stats and 7 Skill points spare - pressure is mounting to spend more points in DV as I am getting slightly owned by off-screen ranged enemies. The loss of a Rusty in the FT to archers was annoying but I was struggling to keep all the balls in the air and all the plates spinning. I cannot afford slow starts these days!
As part of the preparation for Hell Difficulty, I had, as previously mentioned, transferred my Save from my laptop to my desktop PC. This allows me to leave the game running overnight if I choose. Very handy. If you're thinking of doing the same, you must remember to turn off automatic installation of Windows updates overnight. I forgot to do this, so this morning I found that the PC had re-booted and that I had to re-run the FT levels 1 to 3. I didn't burst into tears, but I wasn't dancing for joy either.
I re-ran 1, 2 and 3 at P1 and ignored all drops, chests etc. I got stair-trapped at Level 3 again, but it was somewhat easier this time than it was at /players 8! The creatures I met were all very similar to those I met on the first run, so little or no change in gameplay was experienced. I am treating this incident as a non-issue in terms of the overall mission.
The Hole is going to be very hard, but The Pit is going to be a complete mare of a job. I'll need to be very lucky.
And in reply ...
@kertin$ - thank you, you're very kind. I wouldn't call Balboa "mighty" though. :wink3:
@kykle - thanks for that thought. I feel like I've gone some way towards paying my dues for the WSK fiasco.
@Ishmayl - I've no plans for any particular build next, whether it will be a cookie-cutter or an oddball. I'll see what inspires me when I have gone as far as I can with this fella.
And now is a good time to again pay homage to Insane Wayne and his Crazy Naked Druid, Cosmo. Wayne's adventures and postings on the SPF make up a good portion of the inspiration for this thread - plus an honourable mention is due for Quickdeath and his Golem-mancer Tournament.
Champion GumbyBalboa - Level 80, Act 1, The Hole (in Black Marsh)
With a degree of trepidation, Balboa led us down the stairs to the fourth cellar level of the Tower. The sensation of anti-climax when we found the way before us clear was palpable, but we needn't have worried. A long, long running battle with ghosts in the corridor outside the stair room taxed us to the limit - a particularly strong boss and his minions drove us back to the stairs where Balboa was maintaining an emergency portal. We'd no sooner defeated the ghosts when a powerful band of Dark Archers assailed us - yet again, we were driven back to the stairs and - worse yet - Rusty was lost to them! We quickly returned to Camp and made a new Malice Rusty from the Legend Sword we'd found previously. Recharged, we broke the 'Archers eventually and then happened upon a Boss pack of Devilkin - although fearsome in demeanour, they were by comparison a trifling matter.
I was beginning to wonder if we were actually going to make it through to wherever it was the Countess was lurking but Balboa was confident. Well, he was until we found some stairs leading down to the fifth level. Sweat beaded across the Necromancer's forehead as we crept stealthily down the steps and into an ambush ... of four Devilkin. We laughed as we slew the paltry creatures.
After the trials and tribulations in the cellar levels, our meeting with the Countess and her retinue of Dark Stalkers was an almost trivial matter. Our reward for ending the Rogue Sisterhood's secret shame was reasonable.
Balboa deliberated for a time as to our next course of action - the cave in the Black Marsh known as "The Hole" or explore the Tamoe Highland. We all agreed that we'd had our fill of underground passages for the moment so the 'Highland was next. We were very soon up to our hips in Thorn Beasts - the place was filthy with them. And with Skeletal Mages and Archers, too. Balboa was soon irritated by the hit'n'run tactics of the 'Mages - he took extreme (and oddly effective) measures to counteract this behaviour. Even Boss Mages were subjected to the ignominy of this treatment. In remarkably good time, the 'Highland was cleared of all evil creatures, down to the last few stragglers. We stopped at the Monastery Gate.
A rest is next, then we go pot-holing down The Hole. We can't wait. :shocked:
Stats and ... Bloody Windows
124 Stats and 7 Skill points spare - pressure is mounting to spend more points in DV as I am getting slightly owned by off-screen ranged enemies. The loss of a Rusty in the FT to archers was annoying but I was struggling to keep all the balls in the air and all the plates spinning. I cannot afford slow starts these days!
As part of the preparation for Hell Difficulty, I had, as previously mentioned, transferred my Save from my laptop to my desktop PC. This allows me to leave the game running overnight if I choose. Very handy. If you're thinking of doing the same, you must remember to turn off automatic installation of Windows updates overnight. I forgot to do this, so this morning I found that the PC had re-booted and that I had to re-run the FT levels 1 to 3. I didn't burst into tears, but I wasn't dancing for joy either.
I re-ran 1, 2 and 3 at P1 and ignored all drops, chests etc. I got stair-trapped at Level 3 again, but it was somewhat easier this time than it was at /players 8! The creatures I met were all very similar to those I met on the first run, so little or no change in gameplay was experienced. I am treating this incident as a non-issue in terms of the overall mission.The Hole is going to be very hard, but The Pit is going to be a complete mare of a job. I'll need to be very lucky.
And in reply ...
@kertin$ - thank you, you're very kind. I wouldn't call Balboa "mighty" though. :wink3:
@kykle - thanks for that thought. I feel like I've gone some way towards paying my dues for the WSK fiasco.
@Ishmayl - I've no plans for any particular build next, whether it will be a cookie-cutter or an oddball. I'll see what inspires me when I have gone as far as I can with this fella.
And now is a good time to again pay homage to Insane Wayne and his Crazy Naked Druid, Cosmo. Wayne's adventures and postings on the SPF make up a good portion of the inspiration for this thread - plus an honourable mention is due for Quickdeath and his Golem-mancer Tournament.
Champion GumbyBalboa - Level 80, Act 1, The Hole (in Black Marsh)
Ack, I missed an update :undecided:
Great work though, nice tactic for the bone mages :thumbsup:
Good to see you got a bit of compensation (from the countess) for the PitA that the FT must have been.
Like Ishmayl - after finding I missed an update I think i'll be checking in hourly as well :wink3:
Great work though, nice tactic for the bone mages :thumbsup:
Good to see you got a bit of compensation (from the countess) for the PitA that the FT must have been.
Like Ishmayl - after finding I missed an update I think i'll be checking in hourly as well :wink3:
LozHinge the Unhinged
Active member
LozHinge the Unhinged
Active member
Down a deep Hole
Balboa held us back a moment and considered the dark entrance to The Hole. Little was known about the cave system beneath our feet, but rumours abound. It was time to see if imagination matched fact.
We were rushed, the instant stepped off the stairs - a couple of Misshapen at first, but more piled in. Razan simply cannot live with these monsters, he can barely tank them one to one and here we all were, outnumbered by perhaps three to one. Balboa spammed Terror and led us back up the stairs. Healing and repairs were carried out and we descended once again. The pattern was repeated half a dozen times before we managed to hold our ground at last. Even then, we were repeatedly pushed back by Misshapen and Dark Archers. Inch by inch, we started to make up some ground - until the Dark Archer Boss stepped up. She dropped Razan in the blink of an eye, and whilst the Necromancer was assailed by Misshapen, and all the while dodging the shafts of unseen Archers in the shadows, Rusty was felled. Balboa barely escaped with his life.
Back at camp, a new Rusty was made, from the last of the Malice weaponry we have readily available. Returning to the Hole, we fought fiercely to gain more ground. Using Dim Vision and Terror, the 'Archers were drawn off and isolated, where they became easy prey. We next finished off the Misshapen and their powerful boss, Blade Bite, but then the remaining archers were joined by Brutes. Our lives were held in the balance at all times - two or three arrows would have killed Balboa - so an emergency Portal was always in place in case we needed to flee. It was in regular use ... we'd jump through the portal back to camp, then return via the Black Marsh Waypoint and then the stairs. When we could finally strike at Bone Fist, the Archer Boss, we started to feel like we might be able to make some progress.
That feeling was rather premature - another Misshapen boss arrived on the scene, requiring some deft Cursing and positioning of troops, harried as we were by Carvers. Stone Thirst was gone, but a Brute boss appeared straight away. We dealt with him only for another one to appear, Storm Sludge. He was Decrepified whilst his minions were Terrored away.
We'd encountered perhaps six boss packs in no more than thirty yards of territory, in the fiercest, most demanding fighting we'd yet experienced. Potions were thankfully plentiful, as they were desperately needed almost the whole time, especially on the occasions when Razan was poisoned. In time, we found the Shamans who had been reviving the Carvers that made our lives difficult - they were light relief in comparison to what we'd been through.
And still we weren't done - another Misshapen boss rained charged bolts of lightning upon us whilst still more Archers were Dim Visioned and Brutes Terrored away.
Exhaustion threatened to dull our reactions, endangering us even further, so Balboa decided to take a break and look for the Waypoint that was said to be located on the other side of the Monastery Gate. We found the Waypoint with little difficulty, and slew the monsters lurking in the outer cloister - a trivial matter.
Returning to The Hole, we located the second level and played a fearsome game of cat and mouse with the Misshapen, Carvers and Dark Archers therein. The strain had been tremendous, but the Hole has been cleansed. It had taken us three hours.
Stats, etc
104 Stats and 8 Skill points spare - After very nearly being slain so soon after setting foot in The Hole, I allocated another 25 points to Vitality, making 300 in total. Life is now 820.
Three hours to clear The Hole (plus the Outer Cloister)! My little team was badly over-mastered - it was only through extensive cursing, regularly escaping via TP or Stairs and copious potion-chugging that we could survive. This has to have been the hardest sustained fighting yet. Every single monster down there could hurt us or even kill us - even the Carvers were a little too strong for the merc on his own. I'm done in. And I've still got The Pit to do! OMG.
Replies
@boodah - thanks! :smiley:
Champion GumbyBalboa - Level 81, Act 1, The Pit (in Tamoe Highland)
Balboa held us back a moment and considered the dark entrance to The Hole. Little was known about the cave system beneath our feet, but rumours abound. It was time to see if imagination matched fact.
We were rushed, the instant stepped off the stairs - a couple of Misshapen at first, but more piled in. Razan simply cannot live with these monsters, he can barely tank them one to one and here we all were, outnumbered by perhaps three to one. Balboa spammed Terror and led us back up the stairs. Healing and repairs were carried out and we descended once again. The pattern was repeated half a dozen times before we managed to hold our ground at last. Even then, we were repeatedly pushed back by Misshapen and Dark Archers. Inch by inch, we started to make up some ground - until the Dark Archer Boss stepped up. She dropped Razan in the blink of an eye, and whilst the Necromancer was assailed by Misshapen, and all the while dodging the shafts of unseen Archers in the shadows, Rusty was felled. Balboa barely escaped with his life.
Back at camp, a new Rusty was made, from the last of the Malice weaponry we have readily available. Returning to the Hole, we fought fiercely to gain more ground. Using Dim Vision and Terror, the 'Archers were drawn off and isolated, where they became easy prey. We next finished off the Misshapen and their powerful boss, Blade Bite, but then the remaining archers were joined by Brutes. Our lives were held in the balance at all times - two or three arrows would have killed Balboa - so an emergency Portal was always in place in case we needed to flee. It was in regular use ... we'd jump through the portal back to camp, then return via the Black Marsh Waypoint and then the stairs. When we could finally strike at Bone Fist, the Archer Boss, we started to feel like we might be able to make some progress.
That feeling was rather premature - another Misshapen boss arrived on the scene, requiring some deft Cursing and positioning of troops, harried as we were by Carvers. Stone Thirst was gone, but a Brute boss appeared straight away. We dealt with him only for another one to appear, Storm Sludge. He was Decrepified whilst his minions were Terrored away.
We'd encountered perhaps six boss packs in no more than thirty yards of territory, in the fiercest, most demanding fighting we'd yet experienced. Potions were thankfully plentiful, as they were desperately needed almost the whole time, especially on the occasions when Razan was poisoned. In time, we found the Shamans who had been reviving the Carvers that made our lives difficult - they were light relief in comparison to what we'd been through.
And still we weren't done - another Misshapen boss rained charged bolts of lightning upon us whilst still more Archers were Dim Visioned and Brutes Terrored away.
Exhaustion threatened to dull our reactions, endangering us even further, so Balboa decided to take a break and look for the Waypoint that was said to be located on the other side of the Monastery Gate. We found the Waypoint with little difficulty, and slew the monsters lurking in the outer cloister - a trivial matter.
Returning to The Hole, we located the second level and played a fearsome game of cat and mouse with the Misshapen, Carvers and Dark Archers therein. The strain had been tremendous, but the Hole has been cleansed. It had taken us three hours.
Stats, etc
104 Stats and 8 Skill points spare - After very nearly being slain so soon after setting foot in The Hole, I allocated another 25 points to Vitality, making 300 in total. Life is now 820.
Three hours to clear The Hole (plus the Outer Cloister)! My little team was badly over-mastered - it was only through extensive cursing, regularly escaping via TP or Stairs and copious potion-chugging that we could survive. This has to have been the hardest sustained fighting yet. Every single monster down there could hurt us or even kill us - even the Carvers were a little too strong for the merc on his own. I'm done in. And I've still got The Pit to do! OMG.
Replies
@boodah - thanks! :smiley:
Champion GumbyBalboa - Level 81, Act 1, The Pit (in Tamoe Highland)
LozHinge the Unhinged
Active member
@dutes - you're not kidding, it was insane. Thanks!
@kykle - Confuse currently lasts less than 5 seconds per cast, and seems to be less effective in Hell than it was in earlier difficulties. It has its uses still, but not often.
Dim Vision is the true saviour here, it stabilises the situation for seven or so seconds per cast until you can figure out a strategy. With +skills, DV is level 8 - not quite high enough, I think, for when I encounter larger groups of ranged enemies. My skill plan allows me to put up to 10 hard points in DV, I'm thinking of sinking a few in there before I try the Pit. I need the wider coverage and longer duration, because all too often monsters are rushing in from off-screen and driving me back. I'm also being hit by arrows from archers that are out of range for me.
The problem I have is if I put ten points into DV, I cannot max IG until I'm level 92. This may not be crucial, maxing IG may not be necessary, but it is one of my goals. However, survival must be the main driving force.
:scratch:
@kykle - Confuse currently lasts less than 5 seconds per cast, and seems to be less effective in Hell than it was in earlier difficulties. It has its uses still, but not often.
Dim Vision is the true saviour here, it stabilises the situation for seven or so seconds per cast until you can figure out a strategy. With +skills, DV is level 8 - not quite high enough, I think, for when I encounter larger groups of ranged enemies. My skill plan allows me to put up to 10 hard points in DV, I'm thinking of sinking a few in there before I try the Pit. I need the wider coverage and longer duration, because all too often monsters are rushing in from off-screen and driving me back. I'm also being hit by arrows from archers that are out of range for me.
The problem I have is if I put ten points into DV, I cannot max IG until I'm level 92. This may not be crucial, maxing IG may not be necessary, but it is one of my goals. However, survival must be the main driving force.
:scratch:
Great stuff dude - been reading avidly in the last week or two (it's the first thing I check when I get into work in the morning! heh)
As to your current dilemma... I'd sink a few more points into DV first, see if the duration is enough for a safer and more comfortable run through the pits and if it is, through the rest in IG, if not, keep pumping DV. Nothing fancy, but it seems like the best bet overall.
I'll be cheering from the fences. Good luck!
As to your current dilemma... I'd sink a few more points into DV first, see if the duration is enough for a safer and more comfortable run through the pits and if it is, through the rest in IG, if not, keep pumping DV. Nothing fancy, but it seems like the best bet overall.
I'll be cheering from the fences. Good luck!
Ed from Russia
New member
I'm with you on DV; 10 hard points would double the duration, which may be crucial to get any further in Hell.
LozHinge the Unhinged
Active member
The Pit
Balboa was encouraged by our success in The Hole, but was under no illusiuons that The Pit would easy - or even possible. It's reputation was in fact the worst of anywhere in the region.
Our first tentative steps led us into a band of Devilkin and their boss. Once again, Razan was somewhat over-mastered and needed all the help he could get from Rusty and Balboa's Decrepify curse. We pushed on regardless though, into the arms of a Bone Warrior group led by Rust Froth. They were bottle-necked on a short flight of steps and dealt with. Blight Fester's band were similarly dispatched, and Balboa began to wonder what was so bad about this Pit.
Gut Brow became our next victim but things went decidedly hinky after that. A Bone Warrior boss send a stream of charged bolts at Balboa which, combined with the shafts of some unseen archer, nearly caused a disaster. As it was, we lost Rusty somewhere during our flight to safety. That was the last of our readily accessible Malice runewords - and so Balboa found a rare war axe of some sort in his stash with enhanced damage, Poison and CTC Nova. A fairly decent piece of kit which would do for now.
And so it did do for us, for a time anyway. Using Dim Vision and Decrepify, we managed to slay Blight Shield, a very powerful Archer who with her minions had chased us almost the length of The Pit. Another archer boss, Devil Hack, proved slightly easier to deal with - and I do enjoy watching archers pinned against Balboa's Bone Wall. However, the struggle to split this boss from her minions had cost us another Rusty. A rare blade was located in the stash, with cold damage and, interestingly, a CTC Chain Lightning feature. I really enjoyed watching that one trigger! :grin:
Through cautious advance, judicious retreat and a couple or so Mercenary resurrections, we had cleared the entire first level of the Pit. A second level beckoned ...
Mindful of a stairtrap, we proceeded cautiously. A constriction in the cave a few yards from the stairwell promised a defendable bottleneck and we took full advantage of this. Dark Stalkers, including a boss of some sort, plus Bone Warriors and Devilkin hurled themselves at us, but with the help of the Decrepify curse, we held them back ... until the tell-tale sound of an Amp Damage curse split the air. I had time to think, "Ooh, we're in trouble" and a split second later, Razan went down. The position was untenable, a slightly underpowered Iron Golem had no chance of holding back the tide of creatures arrayed against us.
We fled back up the stairs. Razan was resurrected, Balboa readied his Terror and Decrepify curses and we descended the stairs once more. The end result was never in any real doubt ...
[more to follow]
Champion GumbyBalboa - Level 81, Act 1, The Pit (in Tamoe Highland)
Balboa was encouraged by our success in The Hole, but was under no illusiuons that The Pit would easy - or even possible. It's reputation was in fact the worst of anywhere in the region.
Our first tentative steps led us into a band of Devilkin and their boss. Once again, Razan was somewhat over-mastered and needed all the help he could get from Rusty and Balboa's Decrepify curse. We pushed on regardless though, into the arms of a Bone Warrior group led by Rust Froth. They were bottle-necked on a short flight of steps and dealt with. Blight Fester's band were similarly dispatched, and Balboa began to wonder what was so bad about this Pit.
Gut Brow became our next victim but things went decidedly hinky after that. A Bone Warrior boss send a stream of charged bolts at Balboa which, combined with the shafts of some unseen archer, nearly caused a disaster. As it was, we lost Rusty somewhere during our flight to safety. That was the last of our readily accessible Malice runewords - and so Balboa found a rare war axe of some sort in his stash with enhanced damage, Poison and CTC Nova. A fairly decent piece of kit which would do for now.
And so it did do for us, for a time anyway. Using Dim Vision and Decrepify, we managed to slay Blight Shield, a very powerful Archer who with her minions had chased us almost the length of The Pit. Another archer boss, Devil Hack, proved slightly easier to deal with - and I do enjoy watching archers pinned against Balboa's Bone Wall. However, the struggle to split this boss from her minions had cost us another Rusty. A rare blade was located in the stash, with cold damage and, interestingly, a CTC Chain Lightning feature. I really enjoyed watching that one trigger! :grin:
Through cautious advance, judicious retreat and a couple or so Mercenary resurrections, we had cleared the entire first level of the Pit. A second level beckoned ...
Mindful of a stairtrap, we proceeded cautiously. A constriction in the cave a few yards from the stairwell promised a defendable bottleneck and we took full advantage of this. Dark Stalkers, including a boss of some sort, plus Bone Warriors and Devilkin hurled themselves at us, but with the help of the Decrepify curse, we held them back ... until the tell-tale sound of an Amp Damage curse split the air. I had time to think, "Ooh, we're in trouble" and a split second later, Razan went down. The position was untenable, a slightly underpowered Iron Golem had no chance of holding back the tide of creatures arrayed against us.
We fled back up the stairs. Razan was resurrected, Balboa readied his Terror and Decrepify curses and we descended the stairs once more. The end result was never in any real doubt ...
[more to follow]
Champion GumbyBalboa - Level 81, Act 1, The Pit (in Tamoe Highland)
