Diablo 2

[vmxa1]

Are you talking about the Tools of the trade quest from Charsi? The smith in the barracks to get the Malus?

He is a Super Unique and has the trait of extra strong. In NM or Hell they will have addition abilities.

Anyway I like to put up a TP outside of any location that may get ugly. If you are in normal mode IIRC you lose no XP and I think no items, just gold if you save and exit.

In NM you will lose XP as well as gold and all your inventory. Hell is the same as I recall. The difference is that you could recover some XP by recovering the body and a bit less in Hell.

If you want to recover your body you must get all of them. Rehire you merc, buy some equipment to aid in the battle, put up a TP before going back in.

Let the NPC help, well in normal Act I they have only a bow, so not much of a shield. Pick off all the minions first, do not take a chance on dying, get out when it gets hairy.

Put the portal in a safe place and not next to the door, where it can get surrounded.

I just started the other day as a Hammerdin and smoked the Smith. I killed him before I realize it was him. Just going out to the Tal Rasha tombs next.

I got a paladin shield with 4 sockets and they have diamonds for resistance.

Since I have played so many times with other characters, I know the maps and the monsters.

I have not died once, but I rarely die in normal anyway. It is NM and Hell that I really try to not die or at least not in a spot that will be hard to recover the body.

Diablo is one of the place it is most dangerous. He cast bone cage and can trap you and the fire wave can make it tough if oyu do not have all your best stuff.

I found the Sorcoress the hardest to play. In fact I only got to levle 83 and not done the last quest yet. I just got bored with it.

I take it you are not talking about the Hellforge are you. That is Hephasto and is the Smiths big brother. Now that is more dangerous and he is much tougher. You definetly want to clear it out and then take him on alone.

What type of a barb are you using? What skills are you going to work on?

[Dis]

I believe he's talking about Hephisto. The guy in act 4 just before the final building. And that smith thingy (can't think of the name now ) you click on gives you all those gems.

[vmxa1]

Hellforge, where you bust the Soul Stone. The reason I think he was talking about the Smith in Act I is he mentioned Andrieal.

They are both smiths, but I don't think he has gotten all the way to Act IV yet.

[vmxa1]

Heresson the Spider Cavern should be easy to find. Look for a lot of white cacoons. In there midst you will see a pink oval. This is the cavern.

[vmxa1]

BTW the Arachnid Lair look the same, but it will have the Way Point.

[Dis]

no he's almost done. He said he already took out Mephisto.

[vmxa1]

Wait I am missing something. On the 11th he had not yet found the Spider Cavern, now you say he is almost done? How can you go from early Act III to almost done in one day.

I mean I played about 10 hrs today and made it into Act II and a chink (brain and eye) of Act III, but I have played through scores of times. And I meant 10 hrs of play solid. Stop to that the boss lady to dinner only, but that is not part of the 1o. I am only counting play time.

Well if you do not have LoD, maybe. Anyway he has the low down either way now. Going to try to go some Civ4 tomorrow and I may be up in two Moo SG's tomorrow.

I just hate Act III as it seems to not have many good breaking points. It is also easy to have to back track to find some bridge you forgot to cross.

I do want to see how the Hammerdin fares with the Ancients though. Some characters do poorly and some are a breeze. It often depends on what attributes the Barbs have.

Extra Strong and Extra Fast is the one I have the most trouble with.

[Dis]

I meant almost to Diablo. Act 5 takes quite a bit longer. But act 4 is fairly short. I am surprised he got through act 3 so fast. That one can take a while if you do every quest.

[vmxa1]

At that point a barb should be able to at least leap out of any tight spots. It is not like the barracks where there is no room to leap to, if you even have that skill.

[Heresson]

I'm done since yesterday night.
It was hell for a moment, though; You see, I was in a point where You go to the River of Flames or whatever, with the magical passage next to it. I've went directly to the river and done all necessary stuff there, which was a giant mistake; I lures hundreds of creatures next to the passage... I've died... then I tried to get there through the passage and died some times again, because I was immediatelly surrounded by a mob of evil creatures. I've lost ALL my equipement and thought it's the end. So I've spent my last money on a good sword and a good plate and decided that if I go through the passage, I'm dead, I have to be calm and patient. I've went step by step again by land, not by the passage. It was hard, because i've had no shield, nothing but the sword and the plate and what I've wfound on my way. I had to do one of my old tacticts which I've aboundoned since I've became strong, what Dis has said: I kept luring the creatures into the passage, where not too many of them could attack me at one moment. It was very important, since Izual or whatever somehow lived again. I've succeeded and found my stuff but two: gemmed maul and one of my helmets. I've searched for it a lot, inch by inch all the halls, but without success. I've earned another level this way, though, killing all the creatures again. Eventually I got to the point with all these seals. It was very late and I thought I should get to sleep, but decided to continue - otherwise I'd have to get through all these troubles again. And I've died again. It's always this way, I have problems when I think I should stop. But I've suceeded again, finally. I didn't expect Diablo to appear. I thought I'd have to get into some place. But I decided that if he's appeared, I may try it. And I did. I did run away once and buy more potions, because I was left with only three; but I've finally killed him. I was dumb enough not to save the game in the minute left (I wanted to check the items he's left, but ran out of scrolls of identity, so I opened a passage - portal to the fortress etc), but I'm done anyway.
i must take now a rest from the game.
Thank You all for your answers and comments. You were very helpful.

[vmxa1]

Yeah you have to be careful about Oblivion Knights, especially Lord De seis. They have Iron Maiden and it will cause you damage when you hit them.

This is hard on barbs as they will hit hard at that point and may kill themselves.

Lord De Seis will pop out of one of the seals in Diablos sanctuary. Always clear the sanctuary out before popping seals. You can let the merc take the IM spell and then hit them or hit them after it wears of.

I will chew them up with Blessed Hammers and be out of the range of their spell.

[self biased]

i might just go pick this up again...

[Lul Thyme]

Originally posted by self biased
i might just go pick this up again...

Diablo II is one of those games I keep going back too. (last time I came back was for 1.10 when I was pretty near the top of hardcore useast with my necro at some point)
It's sad they don't make many of that genre anymore.
They are great multiplayer games to play with friends over the net or on LANs.

[vmxa1]

Yeah it is easy to pick back up. I start a new one every now and then. I tell myself I will only place so many levels. Then maybe just this act. Next thing I know I finished the normal and say may as well take a pick at NM.

Pretty soon you wanting to get to the cows in hell.

[Heresson]

Originally posted by vmxa1
Yeah you have to be careful about Oblivion Knights, especially Lord De seis. They have Iron Maiden and it will cause you damage when you hit them.

This is hard on barbs as they will hit hard at that point and may kill themselves.

Lord De Seis will pop out of one of the seals in Diablos sanctuary. Always clear the sanctuary out before popping seals. You can let the merc take the IM spell and then hit them or hit them after it wears of.

I will chew them up with Blessed Hammers and be out of the range of their spell.

Ah, I recall that point. I was very unpleasantly suprised with that some army popped out of the seal... I've died there because of that.