PVM for total NOOB

[CarbonAtom]

Hi, I'm a beginner at Diablo, when I went to check out all the Character guides, everyone had different Gears suggested. How am I suppose to get such "hard to find" gear, when I'm a total noob and have no items.

Can someone give me a build for noobs, that will help me get started in Diablo, something that will help me get all the items, and have an effective PVM character (Druid).

[Bjam]

Dirt Cheap Windy Druid:

Weapon: Spirit
Shield: Spirit
Armor: Vipermagi
Gloves: Magefist
Helm: Peasant Cap
Ammy: Rare/Craft/Magic with +skills and resists
Belt: Whatever holds your pants up...seriously, whatever fills in the gaps
Rings: resists, stats, FCR if needed

OR

You can even use the Aldur's set with a Spirit shield, Magefists, FCR rings and an FCR ammy. It's hardly optimal, but it will work (I did it last ladder).

[JME]

A few countess runs and a handful of pgems should be all you need to acquire the above listed items (If you don't already have them). Just throw up a FT list in the trade forums listing your iso and ask their price in pgems. It's the the best cheapest currency there is.

[Hefeweizen]

If you're starting out as a druid, I highly recommend going the fire/summoner route and get spirit wolves and dire wolves as soon as possible. Then get him to the point where you can run nightmare Andariel and Mephisto solo to start building up a little bit of wealth. A fire/summon druid is so easy to level even with absolute crap for equipment. And I found it pretty viable until I got into hell where it was a chore to kill anything so I remade a windy.

But I wouldn't start with the windy first until you have a little wealth built up. The reason being is that, from my experience, its rough leveling a windy druid even after you get tornado since you won't have the mana to use it effectively. You'll almost have to join public games and just tag along until you get hurricane. But that's ok because it gives you a chance to make some friends, etc. Once you get decent equipment, your windy druid will be able to pretty much solo where ever you want to go.

[CarbonAtom]

Well, it sounds like druid may not be the best character to start out with. Does anyone know which is the easiest character to start out with?

I heard the Meteor Sorceress is pretty good for noobs? are there any other ones?

Please list skills, and attributes, but not gear, I need someone who can kickass without amazing gear.

[Lich Lord Soth]

Well, it sounds like druid may not be the best character to start out with. Does anyone know which is the easiest character to start out with?

I heard the Meteor Sorceress is pretty good for noobs? are there any other ones?

Please list skills, and attributes, but not gear, I need someone who can kickass without amazing gear.

untwinked, softcore, if you don't want your character dying all the time? I'd say the necromancer is a good start. He'll have some trouble in the later stages of "Normal", but beyond that he can sail through without any super-special equipment. In my humble opinion.

A sorc without gear might prove fragile in many areas of the game.

[CarbonAtom]

untwinked, softcore, if you don't want your character dying all the time? I'd say the necromancer is a good start. He'll have some trouble in the later stages of "Normal", but beyond that he can sail through without any super-special equipment. In my humble opinion.

A sorc without gear might prove fragile in many areas of the game.

What kind of necromancer should I build? Skills? Attributes?

[Kirah]

Warning OT:

Welcome to the wild, wild world of the Undead!

I'm currently playing HC untwinked Ladder US West with my summoner. Please check out the necro forum for the guides, pay special attention to the guide by Nightfish called the "fishymancer". Basically the build suceeds with little or in many cases easy to find equipment. The basic skill layout is max raise skelletons, skeleton mastery, and you could max corpse explosion. Many will max skeleton mages also (some will argue not to - your personal choice). Consider putting one point into your favorite curse, summon resists, revive (maybe a few points here), golem mastery (could max this if you wanted), and one point into whichever golem(s) you like. I personally use the clay but may make an insight golem.

On-Topic:

Awooooo!!!! Make a PvM Vita / Fury wolf!!! Massive hit points, fast killing speed, a little bit dependent on your weapon choice, but certainly able to survive just about everything that diablo sends at you. If you're in a party then make a Party Wolf (tm)! Sorcs will love you for your ability to double their hit points and how you're able to protect them! Pally auras will make your minions more buffed! Necros will swear at you when your vines each all of their corpses!!... oh wait... um... maybe you should unsummon that vine with necromancers... Your massive grizzly will lead those puny skellies and show them the meaning of stun and massive damage! Barbs will love how your Oak Sage and their BO manages to quadriple people's red globes! Amazons will love sniping from behind you and your minions as you tear through groups of monsters like paper!

Ok, enough with the advertising. Consider making yourself a wolf. You'll have fun! Oh, did I mention that I'm very biased toward wolves? Typical build is like Lycan maxxed, fury maxxed, ww maxxed or around 10 points, feral rage 1 or around 10 points, oak sage maxxed, grizzley close to maxxed as possible. One points wonders into prereqs and vine of choice. Carry a high elemental damage weapon on the side for those pesky physical immunes, of course if you're in a party then let that poor sorc finally shine and get a little of the glory. You'll be able to shred 90% of the enemy quickly and the remaining 10% a bit slower. But you'll have thousands of hit points. Nothing, repeat nothing should be able to one hit kill you.

good luck and good hunting!
Kirah

ps: did I mention how biased I am toward wolves?