Want to make a Vampire build...

[reignman40]

OK so I did my minion build on my last Necromancer and while that was fun and pretty god-like towards the end I found I was standing around quite a bit allowing my minions to simply take everything out.

This time I would LOVE to create a Vampire build. My main idea is 100% I MUST utilize the full Trang-Oul's set to make myself into a Vampire. Beyond that simply a lot of life regen and life steal. My first thought was to make this one sort of like a meeleemancer in that I would plan on jumping into the battle with the assistance of curses.

Now I am not a master at Diablo by no means. I just think this would be a really fun build and am wondering if anyone could shoot me some opinions or ideas that I might incorporate before starting.

[AnimeCraze]

I personally think it's probably a bad idea. Vampire attacks slow and casts slow. I have read that someone made a zealpire before and they say it doesn't work.

[reignman40]

I totally realize the downside of the atk and cast speed. I still think it could be accomplished. With a good Merc and a few minions to detract attention from me. I don't play PvP so I mainly will be playing just PvM.

[DyetCoque]

I use the vamp. Essentially I'm a fast-moving, slow casting fishymancer. Also the penalty when breaking barrels and jugs kinda blows, too.

But no mana and stamina issues, that's for sure. Amp damage and CE are my primary attacks, though I use the fireball for my left-click attack. And I have been known to throw up a firewall from time to time when the conentration of physical immune enemies warrant it.

Finally, I put an um in my shield and my armor, a ptopaz in my helm and a +resist/+mf jewel in my Arm of King Leoric. Now I carry mostly MF and +gold charms, + a couple of attack recovery charms.

Basically, I can solo everything I've tried to this point. Still working on the keys for an uber run.

-DC.

[Myrakh-2]

I've always used full trangs for my skelemancers, but a "vampire" isn't feasible, IMHO. The fireattacks are slow, and firewall is really the only one that does real damage --- if the monsters are standing in it.

You don't have any "vampire" things anyway --- no bat transformation (ok, maybe Trang Oul was too young), no feeding on enemies, no superhuman strength, far too vulnerable.

If you want vampire, play some Bloodrayne instead.

[reignman40]

Wow I was actually hoping to get the opinion of someone who could think out of the box and give some contructive advice/suggestions. Instead I end up getting a few people who just say it can't be done, give it up.

I wonder if certain people got the same reaction when the first person logged onto the sorceress forum and said, "Hey, I'm thinking of creating a melee sorceress build." For that matter I wonder if the first few people who tried a meleemancer were shunned with the same criticisms. Can't be done, give it up, go play a different game.

Like I said I'm not a Diablo expert or anything I just thought it would be a fun build to try out. I realize all the downsides of Trang Oul's set and was trying to come up with ways to counteract that. Be it a lot of items, jewels, etc to up atk speed or cast speed. Be it creating some distractions, skele's, golem, whatever to take some of the heat off. I was just looking for some... *expert* advice on possible items I may not have thought of, or skill/stat choices.

Just to comment on what the last person said. There are plenty of ways to relate to a vampire. First and foremost your character turns into one with the Trang Ouls set. Blood Items are another way. Life/Mana leeching. Heck you could even get certain items to transform you into a werewolf, giving you that "super human" strength so to speak. Just throwing my own thinking patterns out there for y'all.

[AnimeCraze]

I wonder if certain people got the same reaction when the first person logged onto the sorceress forum and said, "Hey, I'm thinking of creating a melee sorceress build." For that matter I wonder if the first few people who tried a meleemancer were shunned with the same criticisms. Can't be done, give it up, go play a different game.Melee enchantress works, with zeal or bear. The thing is, you are better off meleeing WITHOUT the set then with. This way, you can actually gear up on items that increases damage and such. It's called commandmancer, I think.Heck you could even get certain items to transform you into a werewolf, giving you that "super human" strength so to speak. Just throwing my own thinking patterns out there for y'all.It's called wolf howl (barb only), and it rocks compared to the problems with the trang set.

[MikeFord]

Play what you like, its a GAME, have some fun with it.

MFing and running, making some cookie cutter build, thats the really twisted waste of time. Forgeting about items, levels, experience, and just working through tough spots with skill and persistence is FUN.

[Mad Mantis]

It's called commandmancer, I think.

Actually it is just called a Meleemancer. A Commandomancer is someone who uses Skellies and Mages in addition to meleeing.



Like I said I'm not a Diablo expert or anything I just thought it would be a fun build to try out. I realize all the downsides of Trang Oul's set and was trying to come up with ways to counteract that. Be it a lot of items, jewels, etc to up atk speed or cast speed. Be it creating some distractions, skele's, golem, whatever to take some of the heat off. I was just looking for some... *expert* advice on possible items I may not have thought of, or skill/stat choices.

Welcome Newcomer to The Darkness. Grab a brew (http://www.lgl.bayern.de/de/left/fachinformationen/lebensmittel/warencodes/_images/bier.jpg) and feel free to raise some corpses.

If you decide you want to use Skellies things become much easier. With some good cursing the Skellies can take almost all of the heat. You’ll be darting in and out when they already have things under control. Careful use of AI curses and Decrep can make things really safe for you. Things like IAS etc. become less important since you’ll have ample protection.

If you want to melee with only the help of a Merc and your Golem things change. The really slow Attack Speed really hurts. You can find the IAS bp’s on Vamps in The Mouldy Tome: Necromancer Guides, Tips and Tests (http://forums.diabloii.net/showthread.php?t=366742). You’ll only have your Weapon, Boots, two Rings and an Amulet to get a decent amount of IAS. And you are limited to using one-handed weapons. If you don’t use PDagger as a melee skill you’ll also loose one ring and the ammy slot. This means that you’ll need to use something with an inherent good amount of IAS. Most likely high level runewords since they tend to come with CB and/or DS. You’ll be looking to get at least 52% IAS.

The Golem and curses will be needed to survive and to distribute the amount of damage. They don’t make up for poor FHR and a slow attack speed. They help, but are not a replacement.

It can be done with relative success, but you’ll have to understand that it will take some funds and you’ll not be the fastest thing on the block.

[Dazuni]

I made a left hand zealot before, that is a full trang necro using passion’s zeal.

It is left handed coz the paper doll of vampire hits with left hand.

Apart from ornamental purpose, trang zealot is not very useful, the hit rate is slow, the vamp would zeal but at slooooow rate. As my build was a summoner, I left all the hard work for skelly. And just focus on casting firewall.

On the other hand, if you are keen, I have also made a trang oul poison summoner before, simply max poison tree, skelly and skelly mastery. Grab a dagger and off you go.

Out of all the necro that I have tried (boner, (pure, TO) summoner, melee summoner, (TO) poison summoner necro) Poison/summon necro was the most fun and powerful necro that I have made.

Most of the time, skelly army plus merc can handle themselves and everything in sight. Your attacks are to speed things up and to inflict damage in the way that you like.

Think about it, you can use firewall (from trang) or poison nova, or poison explosion, or the original CE or even poison dagger on the buggers.

With 2 types of elemental damages and physical damage form skelly and merc, you basically will not have problem any immune.

Did we mentioned poison dagger? It is your choice, if you get the infamous freshriper, get it, else, use wizspike when you need mana or resist, or just get the cheap cheap rune word malice on a kris, and watch them bleed. I have been into so many pubby with this build to kill hell acients.

All in all, poison / summoner is a good build to use Trang oul. Fire wall, poison and bleeding wounds inflict damage over time anyway so the attack rate is not really an issue.

[harley98]

check out my post "necro, merc, and golem" it's a few pages back. it works very good, still working on getting the trang set tho. i do hell baal runs with little to no difficulty, but i do use everthing i have to accomplish this. but it is fun!!!!!

[Stompwampa]

Wow I was actually hoping to get the opinion of someone who could think out of the box and give some contructive advice/suggestions. Instead I end up getting a few people who just say it can't be done, give it up.


I made a trang mancer who uses bone skills as the primary attack...he sucked! Even when I have fcr boostes way up there, it still wasn't as fast as when i just used boneflame instead of the trang shield.

It's not that we're telling you to give up on the build, it's just that we've done it before, and know it doesn't work too well...

[nickedoff]

This thread makes me nostalgic for my OMGTRANGS! days.

Trang Oul
He's a dragon, not a vampire. So, in essence, he can't 'turn into a bat'

I think the ideal curses for a vampire would be Life Tap and Terror.
Since they're said to have mind control abilities, perhaps Attract.

[lCE]

The daggermancer Trangs build isnt actually such a bad idea. Since pdagger is a sort of a stab once and forget type skill, ias will not be very relevant. U could rely on your curses (confuse, attract, lower resist) and bone walls/prisons to contain monsters, then stab them one by one. This isnt really a Vampire per se, instead think of it as an undead Lich. Your only touch is fatally poisonous, yet u can also steal life force from your enemies to revitalize yourself (Life Tap). A great theme build IMO.

[Mad Mantis]

Since pdagger is a sort of a stab once and forget type skill, ias will not be very relevant.

Still you'll need some IAS to get a decent attack speed. If you take a long time doing your one stab you'll be very vulnerable to attack.

[reignman40]

Oh most definitely I will find ways to get IAS and hopefully Faster blocking as well. So far I've concentrated on Blood Golem, Life Tap and Bone Armor for defense. (1 pt in Armor and I'm up to 11 in Bone Wall) Also put 1 pt in Revive just because I thought Revives sort of went with the Vampire theme.

Also I picked up the Prayer aura merc from Act II and trying to find Replenish Life and Damage reduction type mods and of course Life Steal but less concentrated on that since it has dimishing returns in NM and Hell. But Life regeneration could come in quite handy. I do plan on using Bone Wall/Prison. I'm torn on a 2nd curse to concentrate on. Terror would go with the theme but is a little annoying. Any assistance here would be appreciated. As of this try I will be going for primarily a melee based build but this may change depending upon how effective he is in Hell.

Thanks all so far for the ideas. Much to think about. I'm guessing I'll end up building this thing a few times before getting it just right. Keep the ideas coming guys.