Shopping

[Cave]

Hello!

Iam little unsure how shopping works.
Used "search" but none of the topics really answered what I was looking for.

Iam looking for wands and claws but I don't know what lvl I should be to maximize my chances.
Let's take claws, witch-hunters(+2 assassin) is lvl45 on weapons.
I read somewhere ilvl is clvl+5, is that correct? Does that mean, if I want a claw with +2 assassin, I'll go to nm/hell anya at lv40 and start shopping?

And what about those other +skills? Like, +2 mind blast etc. How do they fit in the calculation? Are they limited somehow or randomly added ?

Looking for trapper/summoner type items.
+3 summoning, +3 SM / +3 RS, etc
or +2 assassin/+3 traps, +other mods like LS, FB, DS

[Humphrey]

I read somewhere ilvl is clvl+5, is that correct? Does that mean, if I want a claw with +2 assassin, I'll go to nm/hell anya at lv40 and start shopping?

And what about those other +skills? Like, +2 mind blast etc. How do they fit in the calculation? Are they limited somehow or randomly added ?

1. Yes. Yes, if you don't want higher level secondary mods.
2. Those are staff mods, you can have up to three on one item. I don't know the required ilvls or where to find them out.

[jiansonz]

Complex question.

A shopped item is clvl+5, correct (with certain item level caps in the Normal acts).

Let´s take wands first, since their affix levels are easier to explain than for claws.

A shopped wand (that is not elite, but what sane summoner necromancer would specifically want an elite wand anyway?) will have an affix level of clvl+6. Simple as that. So you need to be at least character level 54 (and shop in NM or Hell) to be able to shop a Golemlord´s wand (+3 summoning skills). Clvl 44 for Necromancer´s (+2 necro skills).
But a wand with such high item level can´t get the level 1 skills you desire.

Staffmods have the following base tiers, at different item levels:

Level 1 skill: ilvl 1-11
Level 6 skill: ilvl 12-18
Level 12 skill: ilvl 19-24
Level 18 skill: ilvl 25-36
Level 24 skill: ilvl 37+

Each staffmod will then have
20% chance to add 1 tier
50% chance to stay unmodified
20% chance to subtract 1 tier
10% chance to subtract 2 tiers

So an ilvl 1-11 wand will have 80% chance that a particular staffmod is a level 1 skill. Ilvl 12-18 wands will have 30% chance, ilvl 19-24 wands will have 10% chance, and wands with ilvl 25+ will never have them.
The last part also means that the chipped/normal/flawless gem rerolling recipes are useless if you must have the level 1 staffmods.

So how do you get a wand with high affix level, but low item level (so you can get the level 1 staffmods)?
Not easy.
* One way is to use a rare high-end elite wand and reroll it repeatedly with perfect skulls, using a really low-level character. Rare Tomb-, Lich- and Unearthed Wands can always get +2 summoning skills no matter the item level. Lich- and Unearthed Wands can get +2 necro skills as well.
* Imbue an elite wand (those mentioned above) with a low-level character. The lowest ilvl you can get with this method is 12 (since you need to be level 8 to finish the imbue quest) So you only reach the second best territory. But it´s still a good start for the method above!

Of course, this is for rare wands, so no +3 summoning.

A popular alternative is a 'White' wand with good staffmods. It gives +3 P&B skills and +4 Skeleton Mastery. Two ways to get it:
* Buy a 2-socketed or unsocketed Bone Wand in act 2 Normal with level 13 character.
* 'Fix' a Crude/Cracked/Low Quality wand of the types that support 2 sockets with the Normalizing recipe. This sets the item level to 1 and rerolls the staffmods. If you like the staffmods, make two sockets in it (Larzuk reward (100% chance) or socketing recipe (5/6 chance)) and 'White' it.


Claws:
First, a correction. Witch-Hunter´s has affix level 50.
Cunning (+3 traps) has alvl 60.

The type of claw determines what the ilvl needs to be to support +2 assassin skills or +3 Traps. A Katar only needs ilvl 50 to support Witch-Hunters, whereas a Suwayyah needs to be as high as ilvl 75. Use this tool (http://www.diabloii.nu/affixcalc/) to check the item level you need (choose Monster Drop Magic Item, and insert the item level you want to test). Look here (http://www.diabloii.nu/affixcalc/) to see which vendor can sell what item types.

Then you have the staffmods. Only claws that are Hand Scythes or "higher" can have staffmods. The lowest level/place you can buy a +2 Assassin skills claw with staffmods is a Hand Scythe from NM Fara with a level 65 character. To shop +3 Traps claws that can have staffmods, you need to be level 75.

To get bonus to Fire Blast will require the same manipulation of rares as I described for wands (you need Battle Cestus or higher for +2 Traps). Lightning Sentry is in the most common tier for high ilvl claws, and Death Sentry is only possible if the ilvl is 37+.

[jgreg7]

Look here (http://www.diabloii.nu/affixcalc/) to see which vendor can sell what item types.
This (http://members.iinet.net.au/%7Edcarson/shopcalc.html) is another handy vendor guide.

[jiansonz]

@jgreg7:
Thanks! It was the very link I wanted to insert, but I screwed up and linked to the affix calculator in both places! :bonk:

[XXVII]

Then you have the staffmods. Only claws that are Hand Scythes or "higher" can have staffmods. The lowest level/place you can buy a +2 Assassin skills claw with staffmods is a Hand Scythe from NM Fara with a level 65 character. To shop +3 Traps claws that can have staffmods, you need to be level 75.

I need to be level 75 or atleast 75? So its possible to shop a +2 Assassin with +3 Traps? Lets say I want to get a +2 Assassin, +3 Traps, +40 IAS, and 2 sockets, is that possible to buy or did I add too many mods?

[thegiantturtle]

I need to be level 75 or atleast 75? So its possible to shop a +2 Assassin with +3 Traps? Lets say I want to get a +2 Assassin, +3 Traps, +40 IAS, and 2 sockets, is that possible to buy or did I add too many mods?

+2 Assassin and +3 traps cannot both spawn on the same item.
You could get either of those properties and up to 3 staffmods (+1-3 individual skill).

Also, you would not be able to shop a claw with both 2 sockets and either +2 assassin or +3 traps. You could though shop a claw and then socket it with larzuk and have a 50% chance at 2 sockets (assuming the item type is allowed 2 sockets).