need simple advice for d2 character building

[DragonChi]

need simple advice for d2 character building

Ok, so..I have been playing D2 since its release and im 26 years old, so im not a total newb to the game by any stretch. however, when it comes to a proper build, the ones i make on my own always has major flaws late game.

I have looked all over the internet for a very simple instruction on how to build certain classes properly but most if not all of them either give way to little information because they assume you know it or they give you WAY too much information assuming that ur an elitist.

So can someone give me some pointers on a proper generic and successful build for a barbarian and a sorceress. I'm not looking for any specific build per se. just an ordinary one that works in late normal game. I don't go past normal anyways and this is an offline build so no trading or ladders are involved.

What I would like to know is:

1. where to put points into (and how many) for main stats and skills and at what times
2.what the character should be at in terms of stats by lvl 30ish as a future reference
3.What armors and armor stats are best for both classes.

basically simple but informative.

If anyone can guide me in the right direction id be very grateful. Thanks

 

[Nexo]

Re: need simple advice for d2 character building

1. the stats depends on the items you want to wear (or the items you find if you play by yourself with no external help), therefore, just use the points you need to wear your items as you level up. Ultimately, what you should do is put as much points in strengh as needed, and rest in vitality.

Playing sorc you only need str to wear items and rest in vitality.

Playing barb, str will improve weapons damage, dex will improve your attack rating, therefore the chances you have to hit your enemies and vitality will get you more health points. It's a matter of balance and there are different opinions wether how you should spend points. Untwinked, i'd go for str (enough to wear equipment) dex (enough to get 75% chances to hit a mob of your level (mouse up on the attack rating number in your character stats window)), and rest in vita.

Later on you can respect (act 1 akara gives one respect of stats and skills in each difficulty for completing the 1st quest of act 1) and train differently according to items you found. Don't hurry to do this tho, wait until you have some pretty decent gear before so you don't waste the respect with gear you are not going to keep.

2. Again, there is no reference, i usually keep a lot of points unspent until level 45 (mid/end of nightmare difficulty), then when things get tougher i get arround 100 str and rest in vita (+ i always keep something like 10 stat points unspent).

3. as a starting char, a whirlwind or concentration Ik barb is fun and pretty cheap to gear. The most expensive part is ik armor and it's worth somewhere arround um/ist rest is just pgems. Your nm and hell forge should give you enough wealth to afford end gear.

Fire sorc (Fire ball) are the cheapest sorcs and they are still doing pretty good until hell difficulty and imunes I'd start out with this. Second choice would be Cold (blizzard as main skill) when you reach hell to farm mephisto until you get some good gear to equip your toons. Ultimately, light sorc is the most devastative, but costs a lot of in game currency to make it a viable hell runner (you need several high runes for it).

Gear depends on the choice you do.
Fire sorc : they are easy to gear up at low levels : get yourself a staff with +1 or 2 fireball and two sokets and make a Leaf runeword in it (lv 19 tir+ral). Grab magefists when you reach lv23 (fast cast, 1 to fire skills). Skin of the vipermagi is a great armor at low level (get one as low as possible will cost just pgems in a few time) while waiting on getting one, you can make a cheap and still very effective Stealth runeword in any 2 sokets armor (tal eth level 17). Make yourself a Lore runeword helm (ort + sol) when level 27 for the +1 skill. Assuming you play ladder, as soon as you can get your hands on a 4 sokets sword (crystal or large sword, one handed with low requirements, you need nightmare difficulty to drop that sword, max sokets is 3 in normal) make yourself a spirit sword (tal thul ort amn runeword), get a 3 sokets shield and make a pact of the ancients shield (ral ort tal).
You are now pretty much set for nightmare...
I let you discover the rest and make your own experiences.


One tip, if you choose sorc, try and run countess a lot 1st in normal then in nightmare difficulty this will provide you the runes you need to make the above listed runewords, and some trading currency for further purchase.

Keep running countess in hell, it's a pretty easy target for a fire sorc, like andarielle, and both those will get you enough wealth to start in the game.

Regards,

Nexo.

 

[enginekid]

Re: need simple advice for d2 character building

you have played diablo 2 since 2000 (10 years), and say you are not a newb by any stretch, thus you are a highly seasoned player, and you also say you never play past normal

then you say you cannot create a build that does well in normal setting?

is this a joke? i played diablo for 2 weeks, and got through normal setting with a character that had about the worst skill choices possible.

in ten years i could figure out every iteration on my own.

 

[DragonChi]

Re: need simple advice for d2 character building

you have played diablo 2 since 2000 (10 years), and say you are not a newb by any stretch, thus you are a highly seasoned player, and you also say you never play past normal

then you say you cannot create a build that does well in normal setting?

is this a joke? i played diablo for 2 weeks, and got through normal setting with a character that had about the worst skill choices possible.

in ten years i could figure out every iteration on my own.

i only said that my builds aren't the best late game...they have been decent enough to finish...but I figure that my builds probably needed adjusting. thats all.

and about not going past normal, that is a personal choice. i play for story. after normal ur just repeating it. that is a personal preference for playing style.

This isnt any kind of joke..i just need a little adjusting details.

so dont criticize me harshly,i know how to play just fine, i just need fine-tuning. i just never cared to ask for advice in the past.

 

[enginekid]

Re: need simple advice for d2 character building

if, as you say, NM and hell modes repeat the same things as normal, and that is your reason for sticking to normal mode, then your reason is a logical fallacy.
normal mode also repeats the exact same story. therefore, staying in normal mode changes nothing, and adds nothing new to the experience, whereas moving on to
NM and Hell modes actually adds new items that only spawn there.

it would be like me living in a house with three rooms that are identical in every way except the drawers in two of the rooms have more variety of clothing. and then when asked why i never enter those rooms, i say, "because they are exactly the same as the room i am in, so no point in even opening the door". but, i was wrong, they are not the same, the drawers contain new things.

 

[nurman]

Re: need simple advice for d2 character building

if, as you say, NM and hell modes repeat the same things as normal, and that is your reason for sticking to normal mode, then your reason is a logical fallacy.
normal mode also repeats the exact same story. therefore, staying in normal mode changes nothing, and adds nothing new to the experience, whereas moving on to
NM and Hell modes actually adds new items that only spawn there.

it would be like me living in a house with three rooms that are identical in every way except the drawers in two of the rooms have more variety of clothing. and then when asked why i never enter those rooms, i say, "because they are exactly the same as the room i am in, so no point in even opening the door". but, i was wrong, they are not the same, the drawers contain new things.

 

[Draxal]

Re: need simple advice for d2 character building

Ive been playing for 5 years and i still cant work out why this game is called diablo..

 

[DragonChi]

Re: need simple advice for d2 character building

if, as you say, NM and hell modes repeat the same things as normal, and that is your reason for sticking to normal mode, then your reason is a logical fallacy.
normal mode also repeats the exact same story. therefore, staying in normal mode changes nothing, and adds nothing new to the experience, whereas moving on to
NM and Hell modes actually adds new items that only spawn there.

it would be like me living in a house with three rooms that are identical in every way except the drawers in two of the rooms have more variety of clothing. and then when asked why i never enter those rooms, i say, "because they are exactly the same as the room i am in, so no point in even opening the door". but, i was wrong, they are not the same, the drawers contain new things.

k well, i dont appreciate being told that how I play my game is wrong. so im not going to say anymore more in this thread. close it off. all i wanted was a little help with character building and i get hostility. so pass. ill find it elsewhere.

However, Nexo, you were nice and helpful, so thank you for that.