Exceptional class-specific uniques

[Harleyquin]

I've been running baal in NM until my runner sorc has hit 75, and I can't still get the bloody oculus to drop. I can't play beyond /players 1 since I'm not skilled enough to survive the extra monster hit points. I always make sure I switch to mf gear (current killing mf=297) in town before dealing the fatal blow to baal but I still haven't received anything better than uniques with 1:300ish odds per kill. I take it the only way to finally get the sodding item to drop is to run baal until I get sick of him or try hell mode.

Isn't this case for the other six classes and their exceptional class-specific unique items? Is this because of the drop mechanics and the limitation on class-specific drops?

[jiansonz]

Isn't this case for the other six classes and their exceptional class-specific unique items? Is this because of the drop mechanics and the limitation on class-specific drops?

They are all pretty rare finds, since many of them are in crowded TCs and have the 1/3 chance of dropping (although they do have an increased chance of being unique once the game picks the right item type).

Ceremonial Javelin is only 1/47 to drop in their TC, but since it´s that TC is quite low, Titian´s is not that rare anyway. I think Homunculus and Jalal´s are the rarest, since their TC is pretty high. HoZ is also rare, because there is only a 4% chance of a Gilded Shield in that TC.

Personally, I have played for several years (OK, so it´s untwinked single-pass, but still...) and I have never seen Arreat´s, Jalal´s, Oculus or Homunculus (and only one HoZ, during my Duriel runs experiment).

[Harleyquin]

As for my D2 career, I can count off one hand the number of exceptional uniques I've found over a period of 4+ years.

Oculus: Unique monster in Act 1 Hell
Bartuc's Cutthroat: Hell Meph
Lycander's Aim: Two hours ago while hunting for the Oculus. NM Meph

[krischan]

If you reach L75 and you still have no Occy, switch to nightmare Meph. He has a higher chance to drop one and what's more important, it's far quicker, in particular on single player by rerolling maps until you have one where you just have to go around the corner to reach him.

As already said, class-specific items just have 1/3 of the normal chance to occur (except claws for which it's 2/3) and the chance also depends on the TC it's in and how crowded it is.

[Harleyquin]

This is the runner's current mf approach in NM:

1. Durance of Hate level 2: Half a bulb of teleporting to durance 3 entrance
2. Kills entrance vampire pack, kills bremm and friends, kills maffer dragonhand, says hi to meph, brings meph to near death, portals back for mf gear, kills meph with mf gear, kills vampire pack guarding special chest, takes portal to act 4
3. Proceeds to malah for sale proceeds, takes 1 minute to say hi to shenk and eldritch
4. Goes to WSK2, 10 second walk to WSK3, 30 second walk to throne, kills along the way.
5. Clears entire throne area before slaughtering waves
6. Says hi to Baal, lots of static, orb and lightning. Portals back with Baal nearly dead, puts on mf gear then finishes Baal. Collects chamber gold then saves and exit.

Average run: 15-20 minutes

[Romasm]

If ur looking for specific items badly, dont search for them in the game. Trade them.. U only find those by coincidence, like all items anyway