Struggling Newbie

[BoostedCruiser]

Well, I just started playing this game a few days ago and have made it to level 12 so far with my first character. The character is a Meteorb Sorc, which I read was a good class/build for a new player. Anyways, I am struggling to play the game and am dieing constantly. I just don't understand what I am doing wrong. What should be my primary spells and what order should I use them? Very confused here.

Thanks

[dryzalizer]

The game is actually pretty hard for any sorc early on, mostly because of mana issues. In the beginning, you are actually better off swinging a 2h staff about half the time and drinking lots of blue pots. You want a point in warmth, as well as all the prereq fire spells for meteor. Also a point into static field, telekinesis, ice bolt, and ice blast. Some people also like frost nova, and it is a prereq anyway so you can try it. Only 1 point in all these skills, the one you want to pump is fireball. So that gives you 3 or 4 points in fireball, which you should continue to pump until you reach level 18 when you get glacial spike and teleport. Then you just keep going with a point in GS until you get FO, which you max and use as a primary spell through Nightmare while putting points into Meteor and its synergies. Smooth sailing once you get FO.

Early in the game is hard, look for equipment that adds to your mana regeneration (you shouldn't put any stat points in energy, you won't need it later) or total mana (rings and amulets), or socket armor/helms with chipped skulls or sapphires. You might also try a staff with +to warmth, that can help. Most people rely on a merc carrying an Insight runeword, but you can't get a poleaxe w/enough sockets unless you have already been to Hell difficulty w/another character. I did it without, it just makes it a bit more challenging. Keep an eye out for wells, mana shrines, mana regen shrines.

Stat points should be enough strength to wear your gear, the rest vit. No dex, no NRG. Keep an eye out for Naj's set items, Arcanna's set items, Cathan's set items, all good stuff for a young sorc. I also play on /players 8, more monster hp but you level quickly and soon are using powerful spells to kill Act I monsters. Good luck!

[Tuhnu]

Why pump glacial spike if you're going to spec frozen orb? I'd say you should put one point into all frozen orb's pre-req skills and pick one from the three cold armors. Then max frozen orb and about 17 points cold mastery (I just heard this is a good amount, anyone can confirm?). From fire you should max fireball and meteor, rest into fire mastery and if you still have any points, they should go to fireball.

I don't know exactly at which order you should put the points in, but a good bet, if you're not sure where to put a point, is to save it until you know where you want it. I wouldn't recommend maxing ice bolt even if it's a synergy of frozen orb, since it doesn't give much bonus to the damage after all. with cold mastery, your frozen orb lowers the target's resist, which increases the damage enough.

Oh and for the dying part: you should try to 'kite' the mobs, which means doing damage to them when they can't hit you a.k.a. hit and run :) it might be a bit slower than just face-to-face-BANGBANG -style but at least you'll stay alive longer and that's what matters.

[dryzalizer]

My grammar wasn't very good I guess, I meant go along w/a single point in GS until you get FO.

[BoostedCruiser]

Well I made it through ACT 1 the other day and am now sitting in Lut Gholein for ACT 2. It seems like with the defensive merc now, it takes forever to kill the monsters. Any advice for Act 2?

[lionheartthebrave]

Use the cube recipe (any staff + any diamond +any kris +any belt) to create a weapon for him, and let him kill everything

Or just stick with your rogue

[Dodgydave]

Get hold of the best melee weapon you can get you hands on (Civerbs cudgel would be useful or the Generals Tan Do Li Ga is also good) and pummel the crap out of monsters until level 30.

Once there you can get Frozen Orb and start to kick butt!

[dang79]

You may want to do some tristram runs to level up some if you're not close to 18 yet.
It will be tough to do duriel if your level is low.
Also, there is an alternative build to

"Stat points should be enough strength to wear your gear, the rest vit. No dex, no NRG."

which is "enough str to wear gear, enough dex for max block, rest vit, no nrg"

I prefer to have max block so that I can block 60% of physical attacks including those arrows that come from burning dead archers.

Sorcs get a poor deal in life per point in vit (Only 2?) so points there aren't that helpful.

[BoostedCruiser]

I did in fact hit lvl 18 today, so lvl shouldnt be an issue.

[Deathrock]

erm i wanna know what w/ means!

[Deathrock]

Use the cube recipe (any staff + any diamond +any kris +any belt) to create a weapon for him, and let him kill everything

Or just stick with your rogue

i dont get who is him, the sorc is a girl!
or du ya mean the guy u get in lut gholein?!

[dryzalizer]

Yes, lhtb has given you the cube recipe to create a powerful polearm to give to an act II merc. Hence the rogue (act I merc) followup. And w/ means with. I'll stop using that, not much of a time saver ;)

[Tuhnu]

I think "w/" means "with"

edit: Oh, the question was answered already :P

[BoostedCruiser]

Well thanks to the great advice here, I made a weapon for the defensive merc using the cube recipe and let him melee everything. It worked pretty well although he needed to be revived many times due to newb mistakes from me. I made it through all the ACT 2 quests and am ready to fight Duriel. Any advice on how to kill Duriel? Duriel has killed me too many times and now I dont have anymore gold to revive the merc. What should I do?

[Deuterium]

Duri is a real tough nut (to be polite ;)). Try to find items with +Cold resist and half freeze duration. When I face him I usually have the first 2 slots of my belt as health potions, the 3rd mana pots and the 4th comprised of 1 tp scroll and 2 (or 3 depending on the belt) thawing potions.

As soon as I enter I hit the TP. Let you merc tank for you and keep hitting him with the toughest spells you have. Dont be afraid to guzzle those blues to keep up the damage.

As soon as your merc's health is dipping into the last third Shift+Right Click one of the health potions in your belt to keep his health up. If you get frozen and Duri starts gunning for you and not your merc hit the thaw potions and position your merc between you and it. If he continues to target you keep running as best you can giving your merc free hits. As soon as he locks onto him again continue as normal.

Don't be afraid to take multiple trips back to town! Especially if you don't have that much gold try to keep your merc alive. Depending on how well you've allocated your stat/skill points you may not need any return trips or you may need 10+!

The harder you find it the more you should damage==>TP==>damage==>TP, or go hit up the various Tombs of Tal Rasha for extra experience and levels for you and your merc. If it is still immensely difficult then you may just have to grind a bit more to get your skills and stats up.

Good luck mate and keep at it ;)

[dryzalizer]

Don't forget to use...static field! Best boss killer in the entire game. Get close enough to Duriel for it to take effect, and static him while your merc is taking hits. Then the two of you should be able to finish him off when static doesn't do any further dmg.

[Benalishhero]

Early on using a Sorc I equipt as follows:
Lore
Rhyme
Tirs in staff or orb(preferred)
Smoke/Stealth -earlier use a skulled or sapphired armor.
Gloves- anything with resists, mana and hopefully FCR

edit: Give your merc a Malice(very cheap) polearm and find a helm for him that has life leech.

my two cents

Cheers! Bhero

[Ladvarian]

Um, I thought that thawing potions wouldn't work on Duriel? Since he uses the Holy Freeze aura. It might help you get unfrozen, but you'll still be slowed down by the aura. Or so I've heard.

[Mursilis]

Thawing potions work to negate Duriel's cold damage when she lands a hit. That way you and your mercenary aren't damaged nearly as much and can tank longer.

Static Field is the way to take out Normal Duriel, or any Normal boss for that matter. In Normal there isn't a point where SF stops doing damage, that only starts in NM/Hell. So you can basically bring Duriel down to a sliver with SF and then let the Merc poke her once to finish the job.