I'd like to take a moment to thank all of you for your continued support of Ask Gheed. Without you pestering me each week to answer your questions and comment on your theories, my column would be nothing. It's thanks to you that Ask Gheed has been so active and interesting! Once again, thank you for all your support, and keep reading! An unfortunate part of Ask Gheed's success, however, is that PlanetDiablo's Mailbag is really running quite thin each week. Root would really appreciate some extra attention from all you Diablo series fans, as he really works hard to bring you interesting topics each week to express your opinions on. Don't forget to read up about next week's topic, and take some time to contribute your ideas!
For once in my life, I will actually admit that I am wrong. What about? The issue of Horazon, the Summoner. The Sorcerer you meet in the Arcane Sanctuary of Act II is actually not the real Horazon, rather it is an imposter. Now, I've heard rumors of this from fans of Ask Gheed, and there is also evidence I hear from other townsfolk through my trading travels, that this is the original Sorcerer who battled the Lord of Terror back at Tristram. Additionally, the Rogue who battled Diablo at Tristram became Blood Raven, who was unfortunately corrupted by the Maiden of Anguish, also known as Andariel. The Warrior "defeated" the Lord of Terror and became the Wanderer (in essence, Diablo). This accounts for all three characters who originally fought Diablo at Tristram.
Now, I'd like to complain about general weather issues I'm having to deal with. Since the Rogue Monastery is not too distant from the Gulf of Westmarch, it's usually quite nice in the summertime-- not too hot since the sea cools the area down, but not too cold. But, now that we're deep in the winter season, it's freezing. Dealing with snow isn't a problem; it's not cold enough for the snow to stay on the ground for long, but it's still too chilly for my taste. I hate to leave the Rogues, but I really can't stand this cold weather-- I'm moving to Lut Gholein for the winter. Besides, I'd love to give that old rat Elzix some real competition. The city's Harem is also a nice hangout for a stout and successful man such as I.
Plenty of Narlat weed in supply, too.
Enough of my blabbering. Onto more of my blabbering while answering your questions.
From: Glauck007
Subject: unique rings
dear gheed,
i am looking for the manald heal unique ring. i heard from somewhere that you have to have the ring below it in rank (naglerring) in order to get manald heal, i got naglerring but i had two better rings so i just transmuted it with my next batch of 3 in my horadric cube. now, my question is, am i now eligible to get the manald heal or do i have to have naglerring in my possesion to gain the manald heal?
Also, could i gain enough +X regeneration items to the point where i could regenerate before monsters kill me or is there a limit? your answer is greatly appreciated
Glauck007 (necrophiliac and proud of it)
Glauck,
You slimy, little necrophiliac, how can you be so foolish? Well, I must say that I'm not sure on this issue either. I've heard that adventurers have still came across the later unique rings even without the supposed prerequisites. However, I still believe that you still will need Nagelring to get the next unique ring, Manald Heal. Your second query depends on the amount of defense you have, the strength of the monsters you are fighting, as well as your regeration rate. I can't provide you with a concrete answer without specific details of one specific situation.
From: Onslaught
Subject: Stuff
Mr. Gheed,
Just how do you stay in business? The others in far away lands offer much better items than you, and unlike you, they have actually given some good things (Stone of Jordan, Frostburns, Bonesnap, unique chain mail, and some good rare things). Besides, you don't rate necromancers that high. Anyway, since you're the only one offering advice (thank god it's free), I want to know a couple things:
1. Those -2 magic damage type things don't really affect Bone Spirit, do they? I know it has a positive effect on something like firewall (which does continual damage over a certain amount of time), but BS does instant damage in one frame, right?
2. My paladin (clvl 42) seems to die in two or three hits from those d*** fire spiders in the Spider Cavern. Since hell mode lowered my fire resist to -35%, what should I do? I want to keep Concentration on and Salvation doesn't help to much anyway (that's when I survive a second hit).
3. Since experience is ramping up REAL slowly, should I just go ahead and kill Diablo every time my necro (clvl 72) is done clearing out the River of Flame and Chaos Sanctuary (easy), or is that to big a risk with 7 million points of experience hanging in the balance?
4. What's the best way to deal with the high council (in hell mode) with an amazon that is really half spearazon and bowazon? She's does decent damage (87-247) with the pike but abysmal damage with the rare Cho-Nu-Ku (or whatever it's called).
5. How do you think the Druid will do in the expansion? Lacking curses (which is the main reason golems are good), the sheer power of revives (and a curse to make them invincible), and corpse explosion, he isn't that powerful a summoner. He also doesn't have special attacks for weapons and his elemental attacks will suffer the fate of the sorceress' spells in hell mode (i.e. become ineffective unless you have Cold Mastery). To add more insult to his attack spells, he doesn't get static field, the one spell that lets my sorceress barely make it by in Act III nightmare mode, or warmth. Just how is he going to survive?
Onslaught
Onslaught,
There are four other character classes, you know, and Barbarians are the most populous, anyway; I have plenty of business even if necrophiliacs turn to someone else for your trading and gambling needs. As for your bad luck getting good items from me, I've heard reports from many an adventurer that they're quite happy with what I've provided for a humble price. Speaking of prices, I'm surprised that I haven't got to raising them yet. I must do that. As for your other questions, here are my answers:
1 and 2. I'm not sure what you're asking. The "-2 Magic Damage" effect does not affect the damage you deal, rather the elemental damage dealt to you from monsters is slightly decreased. If the Spider Cavern is too tough an area for you, then you probably need to spend some more time in late Act II, leveling up. If the other monsters in Act III aren't being as much of a pain as the spiders for you, then you need to find a way to increase your fire resistance. Equip an item (or get several) that increase your fire resistances (or all of your resistances, for that matter), and I assure you that it will be easier.
3. If killing Diablo has been a lot of trouble for you in the past, even on earlier difficulty levels, I would advise against going against him, since you lose a large chunk of experience from death. However, if you've done well against him in the past, go for it. You might even consider going against Diablo still-- except making sure that you have several melee-attacking party members. I know Diablo's red lightning attack can cause death in an instant-- keep that focused on other players.
4. Well, the more damage, the better. It was a bad idea to go half-and-half (as it would be with any character class), since specilization is so important if you want the most effective character. My shining advice, again, is to get party members to help you out when going against these baddies, as the Council are quite tough.
5. The thing about the Druid is that I believe he will turn out to be stronger than you might think, his height disregarded. His shapeshifting skills sound quite powerful, and combined with his elemental attacks (such as Volcano), he should still be at least as strong as the other spell-based character classes (Necro and Sorc). I guess that we'll just have to wait and find out.
From: The Crimson King
Subject: A long overdue letter...
Dear Gheed,
I believe I should start off by thanking you for the items you've given me (I.E. Magefist, Blinkbat, and Ice Blink) and my friend. I have a few quick
questions then I'm out of your way for atleast a week. ok, first question: What determines what Diablo drops when you kill him? My friend killed him
and got rare items and I killed him and got nothing but crappy magical items. I feel cheated :(
Next question:
If the soulstone needed to be contained within a human being to keep them at bay why was I able to just drag Mephisto's soul stone around like it were a rock? and why was Marius able to just carry it around? P.S. Baal's soul stone looked like a refer :D but I guess thats just meand my final question:
Why don't you ever have any of the set items I want? you always seem to give me the part I already have. but I'm not holding that against you because of course you are a buisness man and I guess thats just smart buisness. Anyway thats all from me!
-The Crimson King
Crimson King,
I have no problem providing adventurers with the items that they want as long as they keep up a healthy pattern of gambling and give me enough gold. Now to your questions. The items you receive off any monster are based on the monster's level as well as the level of the area you are in, but the four super-unique boss monsters of Diablo II will always drop magic items (magical, rare, set, or unique items). Diablo doesn't drop the same few items all the time, and he may provide you with no rare or unique items sometimes. I would say that I believe you just were unlucky this time around.
You have to consider that the Prime Evils had help from the corrupted Izual, who informed them all about the secrets of the soulstones. They were able to exploit these secrets. And, once the soul of one of the Prime Evils is injected into a human (by shoving the stone in them somehow), it is only trapped by the body, not the stone. Mephisto's soulstone allowed him to take some stationary form after being slain by heroes, as result of the Prime Evils' exploiting of the soulstones, and that's why you needed to carry it to be destroyed at the Hell Forge. The reason Baal was released from his prison in Tal Rasha's Chamber when Marius removed Baal's soulstone is that it was an integral part of the magic of the prison that binded the demon; once it was removed, the prison was broken.
If you're looking for specific set items (or specific unique items), you must gamble for the corresponding item sub-class. What does that mean? Well, for instance, if you are looking for Vidala's Fetlock (Light Plated Boots), you have to gamble for Light Plated Boots, and not another sub-class of boots (i.e. Greaves).
From: res06cix
Subject: Dear Gheed
Ok this has bigged me since I got this god-forsaken game (that I spend too much time on anyway ;D)
I've wanted silks for a LONG time, but im not about to trade my soj ring for one, I thought maybe I could gamble 1...WRONG! They cost 800k?!
Im a lvl 48 "necrophiliac". I cant even HOLD 800k, is that there too tease the hell out of me or is there someway u can really gamble that piece of fecal matter :P.
In the expansion It will be pretty interesting to see what will happen to the characters that have beat hell difficulty, act 5 in all 3 difficulties means they will slide on through all three unless these new baddies are REALLY bad guys. how exactly is this gonna work?
It's a FREAKIN INVASION! this game is becoming FLOODED with Barbarians, seems like everywhere I go a lvl 96 barb is around the corner apparently trying to get more cash from me than even YOU! (by slaughtering me with 1 whirl-wind.)is there a way to protect myself from these idiots other than leaving or taking a town portal and going on to the next room?
P.S.: Ur shop RULES!
Hello, you dirty, little death lover!
Wares such as high-quality armor cost so much to gamble for because of the cost to produce them, plus the Gheed tax, and extra gold needed to maintain my mansions, gold-plated cars, and etc. Yes, I am trying to tease you, and I'm also preventing you from getting Silks of the Victor until a higher level (where you can actually hold 800,000 gold). You still, also, have to deal with the possibility that you won't receive Silks from your first attempt. My advice? Die. Well, besides that, you can attempt to trade for it, or just wallow in your self-pity.
The transition for certain characters to Act V will be interesting, especially those at levels in the 80s and 90s-- they should be able to get through the new areas in no time; maybe Blizzard North will come up with an innovative way to still make it challenging for them-- we would hope. We'll see. As for this Barbarian issue, I have no problem with them, except sometimes they do stink. Well, they give me good business, so I'll survive. As for their attempts (or successes) in killing you, mind if I throw a party? Well, if you really want avoidance advice, just leave the game if you are threatened. The quick "Save and Exit" method always works, if you're just about to die. Just pray that you don't end up in a spot of lag suddenly, causing your character to stay in the game and die.
Be amazed and amused as Gheed provides more wisdom...
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