Bonemancer questions

[CoffeeAngel]

Well, I know these questions have been answered, but wasn't sure if it was pre 1.11, so I thought I'd bring em up again.
1.What is the optimal gear I should be looking for?
2.I know to pump enough str for my equipment, and then the rest vit, but what about energy? Won't I run dry pretty fast if I don't throw some into energy?
3.Should I only put 1 into clay golem and golem mastery, and then pick up a nightmare act 2 merc? Are there there other summons worth picking up for a bonemancer?

Thats all I can really think of at the moment. If there's anything else you feel I should know I'd be glad to hear it. Thanks.

[FrostBurn]

1. +skills, FCR, resistances, then the rest.

2. Nothing into energy. You can equip your merc with the Insight runeword.

3. To fully synergise your bone spells, you won't have enough to get minions. However, 1 into Gumby and GM is do-able, and proves to be a good tank against monsters and bosses. I like to have a HF merc for boners.

[CoffeeAngel]

Should I max out bone armour for the synergies, or not because I'm a caster? Any specific gear like trang's that I should wear?

[FrostBurn]

You won't have any points left to max BArmour after you max the other five main bone spells. Have you read the guide?

http://strategy.diabloii.net/news.php?id=511

[CoffeeAngel]

Which one? Oh, right....99 skill points +12 from quests. Right right. So would I pump the rest into bone armour then neways and forget a golem+mastery?

[Phesto]

In PvM your gear basically doesn't matter, you only need reasonable resistances (pretty much only because of bosses). I beat Normal and Nightmare with a stealthed breast plate and a few rares that had resistances. In Hell you can use a kite shield with perfect diamonds or the Ancient's Pledge rune word as your main source of resistances.

People will of course mention Insight, but if you're just getting started or simply don't have any runes / runes beyond Thul, INSIGHT IS NOT CHEAP AND YOU PROBABLY WON'T HAVE THE RUNES FOR IT UNTIL YOU'VE GOTTEN TO HELL, AT LEAST. For example, I got one Amn-drop on my first run through all 3 difficulties with my Bonemancer; Amn is just before Sol, which is the highest rune required for Insight. The only runes that you MIGHT get somewhat regularly in Nightmare are Tal and Ral; I hate numbers but the bottom line is that that's a lifetime of cubing to get a Sol.

If you're good / smart skill-wise and nobody gives you Insight, simply add a point to energy each time you level up, or be cool like me and add two.

As far as skills go, the only one you should get besides the obvious is a one-point Clay Golem, which is used to draw fire wherever you want it by chain-casting 'im all over the place while you fire away.

If you use a merc and Insight and all of that, prepare to lose all of your gold unless you're willing to weaken your offense and invest in a curse to keep your merc alive. To make a long story short, I had an epiphany one day and decided to stop using a merc, and suddenly all of my problems went away.

I also recommend saving any good lifers you get as they mean a lot to this character / build.

[FrostBurn]

Insight
Ral + Tir + Tal + Sol

I don't see a Ber in there... not even a Pul. :rolleyes:

Shouldn't be too difficult to pick up a pgem or four and trade them for a Sol.

Ral and Tal from the second quest in Act 5 normal.

Tir... now that might be difficult. :rolleyes:

Even if you were flat out broke, running the Countess a few dozen times will easily net you the necessary runes. And it isn't even necessary to roll a slvl 17 Meditation aura...

In any case, CoffeeAngel, read the guide. If you are untwinked, then you may want to invest in Energy. You're the player, so do what is right for you. +skills to up your spell damage, 75% FCR for quick spamming, resistances for elemental attacks, and a golem/merc to keep the melee'ers away from you.

[Phesto]

:tongue: :shocked: Trading?! But that's cheating!

Just get energy; relying on a mercenary that gets owned all the time is senseless.

Bonemancers are more powerful defensively than any other caster, so you really don't need a merc. The ONLY thing you need to keep in mind if you invest in energy is that you should keep your health at least 1 notch above your mana (I did this with the lifers I'd collected) because when you fight Baal he'll cast Blood Mana on you if you have more mana than life, which causes you to lose life instead of mana when you cast spells, and that's not good times.

The only things you need to stop threats in melee form are your golem / Bone Prison / Wall.

Oh ya, and :prop::jig:.

[FrostBurn]

:tongue: :shocked: Trading?! But that's cheating!
Hey, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. But iirc, they preferred to pillage, conquer, destroy, subjugate and sell all into slavery... uh, forget that analogy...

I suppose CoffeeAngel can either pump energy, or trade for a duped Sol rune and be forever tainted! :grin:

You could always spam Bone Prison and throw a merc and golem in there and theme it after Gladiator... name your boner Maximus Aurelius...blah blah blah.

[Phesto]

Ya, do as the Romans do and get owned. :grin::evil:

:thumbsup:He doesn't need to trade for one, he can just run Nightmare Countess.:afro:

[FrostBurn]

Ya, do as the Romans do and get owned. :grin:
Pretty much like not using a merc. :wink3:

:thumbsup:He doesn't need to trade for one, he can just run Nightmare Countess.
Pretty much like what I said. :tongue:

[Phesto]

Pretty much like not using a merc. :wink3:

Pretty much like what I said. :tongue:

I guess when you abort reality anything can become true.

Oh, did you? I must've missed it.

[FrostBurn]

I guess when you abort reality anything can become true.
I wouldn't know, but I'll take it from the horse's mouth. :laugh:

Oh, did you? I must've missed it.
Even if you were flat out broke, running the Countess a few dozen times will easily net you the necessary runes.
There you go! :wink3:

[Phesto]

I wouldn't know, but I'll take it from the horse's mouth. :laugh:

I hope that's not a racist phrase.

[FrostBurn]

I hope that's not a racist phrase.
Not unless if you have a particular affinity or have great empathy with horses.

[Phesto]

Not unless if you have a particular affinity or have great empathy with horses.

I'm serious. Is it?

[FrostBurn]

Not in the least.

[Thyiad]

I'm serious. Is it?

Are you serious? Forgive me for butting in but the phrase "from the horse's mouth" is older than Freet. In other words "from the source". Unless you object to that because you're a river. :prop:

Edit: See (http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/41/messages/460.html) May be we could start a thread in OTF - find a saying with a source?

[CoffeeAngel]

Well runes really aren't a problem for me because whenever I run through act4 with my sorc in normal I always seem to get nice rune drops. Plus, I've been farming gems and runes since lvl1 with my sorc so I've got plenty on hand. So, it sounds like a merc would not be the greatest option for pvp, and I'd like to keep myself as legit as possible, so I think I'll get my synergies and throw 1 into golem/mastery. I should then have 9 skill points left, and I could get decrep which would knock me to 5, then throw the rest into bone armour. Sounds like a decent plan for now, but I don't think I'll be gettin to 99 with this char neways, but ya never now. Thanks though for the help though. I appretiate it very much. Lets just hope it builds well enough.