Newbie Questions

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sokol815
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Re: Newbie Questions

Post by sokol815 » Wed Aug 30, 2017 6:36 pm

You need more CHoMs! Summons at this point are particularly strong. You could get the "Skull" ChoM (chipped skull) or the "Summoner" ChoM (chipped skull + chipped diamond). Ideally, you would have at least 4 ChoMs by this point. It's not unusual to have more than that. If you're still missing elixirs to make more ChoMs, you can usually farm bishbosh or another unique for said elixirs... just get the enemy down to low life, then switch to players 8 before killing it. (remember to switch back, unless you can regularly handle players 8, which would actually be better to play on.)

Unfortunately, it looks like that poster is not so great on the damage front... you would do better with a poster that deals any other kind of damage. =( If you find yourself with obscene amounts of the same part of a poster, you can start cubing 3 parts together to get another random poster part. This could give you album pieces too, though. (Albums are stronger, larger posters)

A Morose runeword (thul-thul-thul) bow would give you a pretty good elemental damage boost.
30-60 cold damage
att%: 15 to 50
dmg%: 10 to 20
dmg-mag: 15 to 55
openwounds: 20 to 60
light: 2 to 5

openwounds is a very useful attribute for a weapon... it immediately prevents all life regeneration and actually saps life. It is extremely useful if it's on a bow and you're using multishot. (Although some research has told me that only the 2 middle arrows would carry the open wounds effect... YMMV)

You might also look at switching out more of your gear for runewords that give mana on kill. There's also a runeword "Amity" for 3 socket quad charms that gives exactly that:

att-undead: 100
dmg-undead: 100
mana-kill: 2
freeze: 1
dmg-cold(75): 3 to 15
regen: 2 to 3
slow: 10 to 15
runes: (r10)Thul[35] + (r03)Tir[6] + (r02)Eld[4]

You'll actually get 4 mana-on-kill from this word, the stats here don't include the effects given by the runes themselves.
It looks like it might actually freeze your enemies, too... that could be very useful for a multi-shot bow-a-zon.

You could also just cube the scrolls that give socketed charms and put tir runes in them. The end-goal being to get back enough mana from a kill to keep killing!

I just hit level 68 with my sorceress. Unlocking nova was a huge boost to her killing power. I'm about 3/4 done with act II. I think I finished act I around level 56 or so.

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gogodanny
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Re: Newbie Questions

Post by gogodanny » Wed Aug 30, 2017 8:19 pm

Howdy,

this might seem annoying, but you WILL need at least 1-3 minor posters and some Charms of Makings (ChoMs).

Enemies hit really hard and have insane armor already. 1k is next to nothing - they also seem to sometimes spawn with dodge or block. Getting a few minor posters will add to your damage substantially. Also don't forget you can reroll pieces to perhaps yield some useful ones.

Don't forget Zy-EL is THE hoarder and grinder mod. No pain, no gain ;-)
only 2 things are infinite - the universe and human stupidity ... although i'm not sure yet about the universe (c) Albert Einstein
http://miyoshino.la.coocan.jp/eswiki/?p ... hot051.jpg (WOW)

vitiyalis
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Re: Newbie Questions

Post by vitiyalis » Thu Aug 31, 2017 12:44 am

I feel like I'm ok on damage since I can sometimes even 1 shot mobs, the other type of mobs I have 0 problems with ... but it's those skeletons man... I made another summoner ChoM and tried to switch it to skull too but both of them feel useless (the summons just die instantly). Completed my windows sux! poster so I have around another 500~ cold dmg now but feels the same.. I still one shot shamans/fallens/zombies and such but skeletons... I can barely hit :/
btw what is Ignore AC from the Slayer CHOM? Is it worth switching to?

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gogodanny
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Re: Newbie Questions

Post by gogodanny » Thu Aug 31, 2017 8:46 am

Ignore AC = Ignore Armor Class = Same as JAH rune - this would basically make you hit 95% on normal mobs

1 more thing: You should try and complete a Poster that adds +xxx to physical damage. Thing is - physical Damage gets further increased by your dex/str ratings and therefore enhances your maxdmg by much more than 500.

Last but not least: Are you not using the version with the cards? You should try to cash out hands (all 2s or something) as the rings/amulets/charms etc u get there are obscenely good.
only 2 things are infinite - the universe and human stupidity ... although i'm not sure yet about the universe (c) Albert Einstein
http://miyoshino.la.coocan.jp/eswiki/?p ... hot051.jpg (WOW)

vitiyalis
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Re: Newbie Questions

Post by vitiyalis » Thu Aug 31, 2017 3:07 pm

Yes, my own amulet is from cashout hand :D its actually pretty good for a magic amulet(+3 skills, really high defence). Would Ignore AC ChoM help me vs those skeleton monsters? (to hit them easier) Since you said it makes your hit 95% on normal mobs, do they qualify as normal mobs? Some of the mobs I have trouble with are: Bone Golem, Horror, Bone Warrior, Burning Dead, Magog(or smth like that). When I do hit them I actually do okay-ish damage. The problem is hiting them in the first place :D
Also, can someone confirm 100% that the Open Wounds effect works for the two middle arrows only (from multi shot)? That's kinda making it a lot less efficient.

Edit: And I have my 3rd ChoM now thinking if I should merge them into the next tier one? Someone told me the 3rd one actually gives less stats than 3 small and kinda requires more space than 1 small but less space than 3 small. Idk if that makes sense but what would you guys advise me?

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gogodanny
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Re: Newbie Questions

Post by gogodanny » Thu Aug 31, 2017 4:44 pm

Ok cool!

Most importantly, I would just farm tbh. Make sure to get a couple more levels. Ignore AC does precisely what you require. I would go for it. Also do not shy from using scrolls on your equipment. Stuff like +10maxdmg etc provide a significant boost early on but is negligible later. I found it out the hard way - also loot isn't really scarce in this mod ;)

I usually go with 3-4 minor CHoMs and upgrade only if I feel I got enough ressources to ditch some other equipment and get the space and effects worthwhile of the ditch.

I feel like i didn't play this mod in far too long :P
only 2 things are infinite - the universe and human stupidity ... although i'm not sure yet about the universe (c) Albert Einstein
http://miyoshino.la.coocan.jp/eswiki/?p ... hot051.jpg (WOW)

vitiyalis
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Re: Newbie Questions

Post by vitiyalis » Thu Aug 31, 2017 5:29 pm

Hmm, thanks tho it seems Ignore AC isn't present in this version or something... I made the slayer ChoM and got only those stats:
5% chance to cast Iron Maiden
5% chance to cast Amplify Damage
Adds 50-100 magic damage
40% chance of crushing blow
slain monsters rest in peace

And quick question, do the vanilla Diablo 2 runewords work? I'm particularly interested in Faith / Fortitude / Enigma.
And do they have the same stats / modifiers as in classic?

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Re: Newbie Questions

Post by sokol815 » Thu Aug 31, 2017 11:43 pm

Sounds like Montex modified the slayer ChoM to no longer give ignore AC... not sure about that. It is a very powerful ChoM.

As for the other stats:
Iron Maiden is awesome... it returns physical damage to enemy melee attacks... if you can get some summons up and running, melee attacks against them by enemies will result in even more damage being reflected to the enemies.
Amplify Damage is also really good... especially if you can increase your physical damage like gogodanny suggested.
Crushing Blow is basically casting static on the enemy to reduce their current hit points by a percentage. That's very useful, too.
Slain monsters rest in peace is extremely useful vs Act I and Act II.

Only the Runewords you see in zerb work. There aren't any runewords that grant ignore-ac, unfortunately. You can get cube scrolls that reduce enemy ac on attack, though.

vitiyalis
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Re: Newbie Questions

Post by vitiyalis » Fri Sep 01, 2017 12:09 am

in zerb, the Panic runeword was said to give Ignore AC but when I built it, it gave "Slain monsters rest in peace" so I have in total like 3 times this effect now XD looks like Montex replaced "Ignore AC" modifier with "Slain monsters rest in peace" I managed to somehow kill Andy tho. Got the penetrate passive skill which really helped and got another poster. Also a unique bow with 4 sockets from the Andy floor "Legolis Accuracy" which is super strong. Also switched the Slayer ChoM to Destroyer, feel like it's stronger.

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gogodanny
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Re: Newbie Questions

Post by gogodanny » Fri Sep 01, 2017 7:00 am

Great Job there vitiyalis - keep it up :)
only 2 things are infinite - the universe and human stupidity ... although i'm not sure yet about the universe (c) Albert Einstein
http://miyoshino.la.coocan.jp/eswiki/?p ... hot051.jpg (WOW)

sokol815
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Re: Newbie Questions

Post by sokol815 » Sat Sep 02, 2017 10:47 pm

Sorry to hear that about the runeword. To be fair, we haven't had a good runeword browser for this version... until now. I just finished building a runeword list: http://www.exilania.com/zyel/ (It should say "D2D - Runewords" in the page header)

Congrats on finishing A1! My Sorceress finished A2 at level 82 a couple of days ago. I haven't played as much in the last few days, though... I've been spending my time putting together better reference materials for this mod. The Legolis bow is amazing. Congrats!

vitiyalis
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Re: Newbie Questions

Post by vitiyalis » Mon Sep 04, 2017 2:28 am

Great work, sokol!
Also, I'm thinking going to a Sorc as well. Might move back to Amazon when I have more lategame and stronger stash...
Sorc seems weak at early levels tho, I had one and left her at 20 or so :D but now that I gathered some stuff with the amazon I hope I can powerspike.
PS: And sorry that this thread has kind of become "My zy-el adventures" but I really do appreciate all the help since I'm still noob at this :D

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Re: Newbie Questions

Post by sokol815 » Mon Sep 04, 2017 1:51 pm

The sorceress is a lot of fun. There are a lot of good runewords for Orbs. 'Lamia' being one of those (+6-10 to sorc skill levels). I usually make 2 or 3 orbs of a given runeword before I get one I like... the +sorc skill levels attribute has quite a large range.

I just cleared Act III and hit level 107. This is the really fun part, because my Sorceress is now hitting the "power-curve" where she gains levels rapidly. I'm not even running bosses or anything. Going from 82 to 107 in Act III was just me purely trying to complete all quests in Act III and get out of there. I made some 'Bulldog' boots for my sorceress. +75% to walking/running speed and 70 vitality is amazing. I also created my crafted belt. The first craft I went with for it was 4.5 mana/character level. I'll have to wait until I have access to Zy runes for further crafting, though.

I like hearing about your ZyEl adventures. Makes it feel like part of a community again. Things have gotten pretty quiet in these forums, but there used to be lots of active people in ZyEl even 3 years ago.

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Re: Newbie Questions

Post by gogodanny » Tue Sep 05, 2017 9:22 am

ZyEl is a pretty nifty mod, however once you successfully plowed through all of it, the somewhat tedious start can divert you from starting from scratch. Twinked, this mod just isn't fun as there's next to no hardship with dozens of posters to chose from.

Make sure to farm Mephi for quite a while, as his drops even in normal are the best bang for your efforts.
I'd always spend a couple hours farming him for items, craftables etc.
only 2 things are infinite - the universe and human stupidity ... although i'm not sure yet about the universe (c) Albert Einstein
http://miyoshino.la.coocan.jp/eswiki/?p ... hot051.jpg (WOW)

vitiyalis
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Re: Newbie Questions

Post by vitiyalis » Tue Sep 05, 2017 4:55 pm

Does bosses drop items later into the game? I was just about to say that this mod is fun so far but the only downside is that bosses give only Elixirs + Pgems :( I farmed Andy like 5-6 times and she dropped only Pgems and Elixir. I miss the feeling from original Diablo where I can't wait to see what those drops are, but now I know that it'll always be Elixir + Pgem. My friend that I sometimes play TCP/IP Lan with killed Duriel but he only drops Elixir + Pgem as well :/ Is Mephisto any different?
Last edited by vitiyalis on Wed Sep 13, 2017 3:12 am, edited 1 time in total.

sokol815
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Re: Newbie Questions

Post by sokol815 » Wed Sep 06, 2017 6:50 pm

So, Andariel and Duriel are the worst. They are set to always drop an elixir and a Gem. Duriel has a 2.5% (1 - ((163/164)^4)) or so chance of even thinking about dropping a unique item.. Duriel's treasureclass that can drop a unique item also appears to have an abysmal chance of actually doing so.

For Mephisto, the chance to drop Unique and set items exists, but it's really not that likely. Mephisto drops 7 items allegedly... (I believe the actual max is 6?). Rare items have a 100% chance of dropping if he rolls to drop an item and misses the unique/set checks.(He should roll for 3 items in this group) Mephisto should have about a 27% chance of dropping a Zy rune.

Zy Runes + Imperial gems(9 perfect gems) are used to make cube locks, which allow you to further upgrade your crafted belt... That means more life, more mana and more +skills. Upgrading those 3 things easily gives you a big strength boost. Zy runes are also used for end-game crafting. I just got a Zy Rune + perfect gem drop from Mephisto.

vitiyalis
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Re: Newbie Questions

Post by vitiyalis » Wed Sep 06, 2017 11:09 pm

Nice, does that mean that I cant get Mephisto to drop any good Set / Unique items like in vanilla? Cuz so far the only Set items I've got are really really bad. Like they give only 1-2 stats and are so low.
Like +50 hp +5 replenish life. At what point of the game are actually sets viable and are there even any good sets in this mod? Does Diablo or Baal on normal drop Set and/or Uniques?
Edit: So far I'm only rerolling all set items I get into uncommon scrolls (3 set items in cube) they are literally weaker than even the magic items on act 3 (and yey we killed Duriel! :D, he gave us Demon key too which is nice tho idk what to do with it)

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Re: Newbie Questions

Post by sokol815 » Thu Sep 07, 2017 3:16 am

Yeah, Mephisto can drop some uniques, but you're more likely to get uniques from killing the council... I feel like they give me one every other run. I'm not sure about set items, I've never done much with them. But I believe the mods have been somewhat changed... not by much, though. Things you craft will be much better.

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Re: Newbie Questions

Post by gogodanny » Thu Sep 07, 2017 9:54 am

Sets/Uniques etc in this mod are pretty much useless. You can add ALL mods through scrolls, so every item you find is potential lategame material. Of course some items are better than others and you'll occasionally find something worthwhile. I think Kato did a splendid job this way, as you can chose whether to grind infinitely or just do whatever you feel like.

@Demon Key - there's a list of Demon Boxes and what they net you. I would advice you to check the list first as DKeys are hard to come by and wasting one is quite painful early on.

Crafting really is the way to go in this mod!
only 2 things are infinite - the universe and human stupidity ... although i'm not sure yet about the universe (c) Albert Einstein
http://miyoshino.la.coocan.jp/eswiki/?p ... hot051.jpg (WOW)

vitiyalis
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Re: Newbie Questions

Post by vitiyalis » Tue Sep 12, 2017 2:05 am

Thanks. Wanted to ask if there is a way to remove this modifier "Slain monsters rest in peace" since I'm playing with a friend necro and he can't raise skeletons and stuff almost never.
I know there's stat / modifiers / etc reduction recipes but the closest thing I found on the pdf guide is to remove monsters heal and I've read it all : / it's really annoying since the best orbs for sorcs from runewords have this modifier. I was planning to make another runeword orb +sorc skills but it has this Monsters RIP thing too so I'm not sure if I should do it...

Edit: and another thing.. I wanted to make runeword on boots that wants 4 runes but when I use the socketing recipe 4 rare jewels + 4 flawless gems the boots only get 3 sockets... how can I even make a runeword with 4 sockets on a boots only runeword when the boots themselves have limit for 3 sockets only.. O.o

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Re: Newbie Questions

Post by sokol815 » Tue Sep 12, 2017 3:48 pm

I don't know of any way to remove the slain monsters rest in peace mod. Sorry.

Sounds like you used some lower quality boots? I don't think all boots can get 4 sockets... try exceptional or elite boots for 4 sockets.

vitiyalis
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Re: Newbie Questions

Post by vitiyalis » Wed Sep 13, 2017 3:08 am

okay will try it, btw as reading the Zy El guide pdf file I noticed something weird that made me think if I was playing my sorc wrong. So far I thought that the more I add into energy the more damage my spells will deal but it seems that strength increases spell damage? Or not? I am confused about those particular lines:

"Strength boosts skill physical damage that do not use weapon damage (Teeth, Volcano, etc) by 1% / 4 str"

"Energy boosts fire, cold, lightning and poison damage by 1% / 4 enr both for skill and weapon damage. Magic damage is
boosted for skills only. It should be boosted for weapons as well but that part is bugged atm."

Does that suggest that energy only affects elemental WEAPON damage based skills? Like for example Amazon's Fire Arrow? And sorc spells (considering they don't use weapon damage) scale from strength actually? It says that strength boosts PHYSICAL damage but I don't see how Teeth and Volcano are physical damage spells? Does sorc spells fall under the same category?

Edit: and I have some spare points that I just tried on both of these stats (like just put 20 in each) and nothing changes on the spell tooltip. It legit stays the same number. Or it does not affect the tooltip?

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Re: Newbie Questions

Post by sokol815 » Fri Sep 15, 2017 12:47 am

I feel like I have seen energy enhance spell damage, but it requires a levelup to be shown in the plugy tab? You might also try looking at a skills damage, putting a few points into energy and looking at that skills damage again, then reloading and checking for a 3rd time.

There might be some issues with stats being refreshed. I've seen my faster cast suddenly jump to what it should be (warmth + item based fcr) when I level up.... maybe you could try that with the %damage? It might be some issue with how the stats are saved/loaded. At this point, though... I think you basically have to just live with what you find. =/

vitiyalis
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Re: Newbie Questions

Post by vitiyalis » Sat Sep 16, 2017 5:59 pm

Okay but why does the guide say Volcano and Teeth's damage scale from Strength? Shouldn't sorc's spells interact the same way with stats as those 2 spells? Teeth is magic damage as far as I know, not physical.
Edit: Also what mercenary should I get and from which difficulty?
I remember in diablo 2's older patches (like this mod is on 1.10) there was an actual "bug" or "trick" and it's that normal diff mercs actually have higher stats per lvl gain.
Is that still the case in zy-el or are they tweaked? I mean stats as in: Str, Dex, Vit, Enr not the Skills. I know the devs made some changes on the skills and health gain / exp gain per lvl etc, but haven't read anywhere about the difficulty stat gain thing. Anyone tested this?

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Re: Newbie Questions

Post by sokol815 » Thu Sep 21, 2017 2:01 pm

I just realized I read your post a few days ago, but didn't answer. In-short... I have no idea. Sounds like a good opportunity to test. I've been playing Diablo III Season 11 the last couple of weeks, so I haven't been in ZyEl.

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