Zealer dmg help

[dejavoodoo]

Ok, so I have a level 82 zealer. I guess that I'm maxed out in damage right now, well almost. I can add a few more points to zeal as I level but I have maxed out fant, sacrifice, and have several points in holy shiled and defiance. Zeal only goes up like 6 percent each level. So is just slowly adding points to that now and hoping that I come across a better weapon my only choice. I can handle hell decently but without mf for the most part, thought it gets relatively slow to kill any kind of group. Should I just hope a better weapon than my my 2 to pally skills 55-150(something like that, I dont have in written down) Fetid Holy Sprinkler(Sorry don't know exact name) will drop somewhere in NM or should I use less mf gear and focus on hell? I'm not welathy and do not have the recommended gear for zealots. I use what I can find. Thanks

[maiku]

If you have an Um and a few other runes, I'd suggest making a Crescent Moon in a 3-socketed phase blade. Static and Chain Lightning proccing all the time? Yes, please. With some Crushing Blow and Deadly Strike, enemies should scream and tear their hair out when they see you.

If you can get an ethereal 4-socketable weapon like a cryptic sword, small crescent, etc., you could consider an Oath. With a good roll, you have an incredible weapon.

If no decent runes, I'd suggest trying to trade a few perfect gems for a Plaguebearer. The listed damage is up to 150, but it also has 10-45 damage added on top of that. From my understanding, that little addition makes it deal a whole lot more damage than it would look like. Butcher's Pupil is another option. This has some really nice stats on it, including 35-50 damage added. I think both of these could get some very nice damage if upgraded via a Pul rune, although perhaps if you had a Pul, it would be better to trade for an Azurewrath. Azurewrath is a really nice sword.

Lightsaber, IMO, is not worth it, except when you're taking on Gloams in hell difficulty. Lightsaber doesn't hit very hard, and for a regular Zealot running Fanaticism, you don't have to worry about IAS or base weapon speed as much. IAS is a huge concern if you're not using Fanaticism.

[williesteele]

Im using Crescent Moon and for the price of an Um this weapon is simply incredible cuz of static field and the max fpa with out any other source of ias (when You use fana). I also have drac's, duress, t-gods and gore riders which means im virtualy unkillable in pvm. I can stand in throne room and let lister etc spawn on top of me and I never see my hp go down more then to 75%. The crushing blow from this gear + the static field from Crescent moon makes monsters go down very fast so eventhough Your dmg on your char sheet seems pathetic(mine is around 1300-2000) your actual dmg is rly good. This is by far my prefered weapon until I can get my hands on a Lo rune for Grief. Other choices that er nice is Nord's tendericer(the + freeze is nice and it has ok dmg, though i hate the 1 range on Clubs. I seem to hit air alot when zealing grps with this. Socket it with a sheal and you will reach max fpa without other sources of ias) and Stormlash(also have static and 33% crushing blow).

[dejavoodoo]

Ok Thanks. I'll start looking for runes and gems. Is there a particular good place for gems? I know for runes, there is forge and countess. I may be forgetting one or something. Having just come back to diablo, I don't really have any experience rerolling items or rune finding. Finding gems for me has always just been picking one up whenever I saw it drop.

Edit: I wanted to mention that I am nonladder. That eliminates a couple of options.

[maiku]

One of my favorite places to run for gems or items is Travincal and the Council in NM and Hell. In Hell, I usually get 1-2 flawless gems dropping per run. Do several runs, you can start to pile up perfect gems pretty quick. Sometimes other neat stuff or runes drop off of them. Other options are NM and Hell Cows. Lots and lots of items usually drop, and some include flawless or perfect gems.