Diablo III - Auction House Tips

Version: 1.0.2.9858

General
Tool tips for the following class abilities have been updated to reflect changes made in patch 1.0.2 and previous hot fixes:

Classes
 Demon Hunter
  Smoke Screen (Skill Rune – Lingering Fog)

 Monk
  Fists of Thunder (Skill Rune – Quickening)
  Mantra of Healing (Skill Rune – Boon of Inspiration)

 Wizard
  Energy Armor (Skill Rune – Force Armor)
       
Nigel Cutthroat has recently fallen on hard times and will now drop lower quality items when slain
Gold and quest experience rewards for replaying "Heart of Sin: Get the Soul of Azmodan" have been reduced
Gold and quest experience rewards for replaying "Heart of Sin: Go to the Keep" have been removed

Auction House
The maximum duration for posted auctions has been reduced from 48 hours to 36 hours

Rare and Legendary Errors

 Some people might call these "Rare" or "Legendary" errors.  I just call them annoying!

 

Version: 1.0.2.9749

Classes
  Monk
    Serenity Skill Rune - Tranquility
    Duration of immunity granted to nearby allies from crowd control effects reduced from 2 seconds to 1 second

  Witch Doctor
    Spirit Vessel (Passive) no longer clears debuffs when using waypoints or changing equipment

Bug Fixes
    For a full list of documented game and service bugs, please review the Known Issues sticky located in the Bug Report forum.

General
    Players should no longer receive an "Error 14009" when logging in
    The "Select a Hero" menu will now also display the difficulty level for each character
    Several speed improvements have been made to the streaming downloader

Achievements
    All players in a party should now receive "Till Death Do Us Part" even if they don’t have Haedrig Eamon as their active follower

Acts
    Act IV
    Witch Doctors should no longer receive an error if they kill a Shadow Clone with a Damage-Over-Time (DoT) skill after it's launched a Firebomb but before it's reached its target
   
Auction House
   The auction log in the Completed tab will now display a player's activity (bids, buyouts, sales, etc) in the proper order
  When placing a new bid over a previous bid on the same auction, players will now be provided with the correct warning message: "Raising your maximum bid on an Auction you are already winning raises your current bid to just above your previous maximum bid. Are you sure you want to continue?"
  Players will now receive an error message if they attempt to purchase an item after the 50 item limit has been reached in the Completed tab
  The "Physical Damage" Preferred Stats option for rings has been renamed to "Bonus Minimum Physical Damage"
  The "All Damage" Preferred Stats option for weapons and armor has been removed and replaced with bonuses of specific damage types
  Items which have been purchased from a vendor and equipped by the player can now be sold on the Auction House
  Listing items on the Auction House from a different character than the one currently selected should no longer cause item display issues
   
Battle.net
    The public chat list will now sort alphabetically

Tal Rasha's Horadric Crest

I just gotta give a shout out to this guy Krankalank.  This is the reason I tell everyone to open all the barrels haha.  He got this beauty out of a sarcophagus.  Grats man!

Game Design Update

Blizzard released a huge post today about the upcoming changes and issues that are arising. 

With Diablo III out for nearly two weeks now, millions of players around the world are storming Sanctuary and joining the battle against the Burning Hells. At the same time, we continue to work around the clock to make sure you have an epic online gaming experience.

• On average players have created 3 characters each
• 80% of characters are between levels 1 and 30
• 1.9% of characters have unlocked Inferno difficulty
• 54% of Hardcore players chose a female character
• The majority of Hardcore deaths (35%) occur in Act I Normal
• The most common level 60 build in the game is only used by 0.7% of level 60 characters of that class (not including Passive diversity)
• The most used runes for each class at level 60 are Barbarian: Best Served Cold, Demon Hunter: Lingering Fog, Wizard: Mirror Skin, Monk: Peaceful Repose, Witch Doctor: Numbing Dart

Read the full write up here.

Feeling Lonely?

Improve your solo Wizard

"Wizards are renegade spellcasters who use their bodies as vessels for arcane energy, forsaking the more careful path favored by other magic users. They manipulate all manner of forces to disintegrate, burn, and freeze their foes, and they can control time and light to teleport, create powerful illusions, and deflect oncoming attacks."  -Blizzard

In Diablo III, the Wizard specializes in four different types of magic, they are as follows.

Elemental Mastery - Ray of Frost, Arcane Orb, Disintegrate, Arcane Torrent
Area Attacks - Wave of Force, Energy Twister, Hydra, Meteor, Blizzard
Protective Spells - Frost Nova, Diamond Skin, Slow Time, Teleport
Endless Energy - Magic Missile, Shock Pulse, Spectral Blade, Electrocute


Creating Builds

Before we get started I would like you to read this quote from wikipedia.org on Synergy.  Synergy is two or more things functioning together to produce a result not independently obtainable.  The term synergy comes from the Greek word synergia from synergos, meaning "working together".  Basically, our focus as a Wizard is to allow for the most damage while keeping our Arcane Power from running dry.  No Arcane Power means no damage and if you aren't killing, then you are the one being killed.

I will not going to go into detail about every single spell and its benefits, rather, I will try to show you how to make your build viable for every situation you may encounter.

Here are a couple of examples of effective use of synergy.  If you do run out of Arcane Power before a group is killed then you would use your signature spells to refill your Arcane pool.

Fire - http://us.battle.net/d3/en/calculator/wizard#UiXRSm!YXe!aZZaZc
If you like a challenge and want to just utterly destroy things, this build is for you! Cast Disintegrate for a hard hitting nuke and Meteors / Electrocute for massive fire damage while keeping your armor spells active. Not really much else to say other than you will just destroy everything. This is a very effective nuke build for farming and co-op play.  Do not use this for boss fights.

Frost - http://us.battle.net/d3/en/calculator/wizard#ZlYRfS!abW!bacYZZ
This frost build is tuned to slow enemies to a crawl while nuking with a reduced Ray of Frost and using Blizzard / Frost Hydra to debuff mobs with Cold Blooded. This effect is further enhanced by Magic Weapon / Force Weapon. This build is a powerful nuke that works well in multiplayer situations giving it an effective slow as well. Melee classes will be overjoyed by your ability to slow enemy attack speed giving them a higher chance to survive. Works quite well in solo as well!  -submitted by Drothvader

Arcane - http://us.battle.net/d3/en/calculator/wizard#clXROj!XfU!YbZaYY
This is a very easy build for solo play.  This build is designed to slow your enemies down to a crawl giving you plenty of kiting ability and a hard nuke.  This build really shines with a slow hard hitting two-handed weapon, as your Arcane Orb is a hard hitting nuke.  This is the one build that is viable without much gear. You can expect to easily solo Hell or Inferno with this build. The effect is simple, your hydra slows the enemies to 30% while you cast Blizzard to slow them even more. Blizzard will pretty much act as a DoT (Damage over Time) spell while you nuke them with Arcane Orbs.  I recommend placing 2 or so blizzards in a row and kite the enemies through them.  This build also does not utilize a signature spell.  However, you won't need one when you utilize Astral Presence and Familiar / Arcanot. You don't need much DPS to play this build either.  3,000 DPS will get you through Hell.  -submitted by Drothvader

Lightning - http://us.battle.net/d3/en/calculator/wizard#UbXdRT!abV!acYZZY
This build is based around speed! The purpose is to try and take a single hit while Diamond Skin is active then use Wave of Force to throw the enemies around.  You will now be buffed with immense speed from your Storm Armor.  Summon a Lightning Hydra in your kite path and throw out some Living Lightnings and Electrocute when you gain some distance.  Everything will literally just die on their way to you. Rinse and repeat when all cool-downs are up.  I would recommend use a shield and fast hitting wand / dagger for this build as you'll want to be able to cast as fast as possible!  Have fun, Speedy Gonzales!  This is extremely effective in Act II.  -submitted by Drothvader


Notes on Difficulty

Now that you have seen what I mean by synergy it's time to talk about the game and its difficulty.

Diablo III is difficult.  You're not meant to just waltz through the game and be able to complete inferno in a day.  In fact, it makes me sad to see so many players with this zerg mentality.  Think of the game as dungeon tiers.  You can't expect to proceed to the next tier wearing gear that you got 2 tiers ago.  So, why do you expect to do that with Inferno?

Your focus with this game should not be "How much damage can I pump out?" as well, "How can I avoid damage and survive?"  I see so many people talking about their massive DPS and I look at them with an inquisitive look on my face.  How can a player that is dead do any DPS? They can't.  With that in mind, here are a few tips to make you a better player.

// If you die on normal packs, it's your fault! //
Don't assume that since the content is hard that the game is broken.  You're broken as a player.  Cry about how hard the game is all you want but you won't appreciate it until you can master it.  If you die it's because you did something wrong that allowed you to die. You either didn't play defensively, got careless, or just didn't have the right build for the situation.  You're only going to stack Nephalem Valor bonuses if you stay alive.

// Bosses are easy, champions are not! //
The bread and butter of the Nephalem Valor system is the fact that bosses are pointless for gear. Cry all you want about it, but I personally don't think you should just kill Diablo 23092834098 times to get the gear you want.  Diablo is easy.  Hell, every boss is easy (except maybe Belial because he can be cheap).  Once you've learned how to kill a boss you don't have to relearn anything.  The boss fights become static and dull.  Once you can overcome a Vampiric | Shielding | Molten | Mortar pack then you have finally mastered your class.  If you can't get it the first time don't fret.  It's not meant to be easy.

// Stop trying to max your DPS in favor of maxing your health! //
A dead DPS doesn't do DPS. However, one who lives will surely win the encounter. If you see a piece of gear that has + Vitality on it that will net you 2k HP but lowers your DPS by 50... take it.  Who cares if you do 50 less DPS.  That's 2,000 more damage you can take. Better chance of survival = more champions killed in a row = better loot.  It's like running around out in the open with a grenade launcher wearing nothing but what you came into the world with.  A single bullet will take you out even though you have the capability to level an entire building.

// Learn how to kite! //
Kiting is the act of keeping distance between you and your enemies. Try to always keep a gap between you and what you're killing. If enemies get too close use a defensive ability to get away. Just because you have Diamond Skin doesn't mean you can take 2982739487234 damage.

// Stay out of the fire! //
It burns... in every game!  If you die to something because you're standing in it, it's your fault.  Learn how to move away, when an enemy is going to strike, and when you should get the hell out of their path.  Don't stand in pools of acid... or anything for that matter.


Leveling from 1 to 60

When playing Diablo you should keep in mind that certain difficulties are meant for certain levels.  Here are the approximate levels for the types of content.

Normal - Level 1 to high 20's, early 30's
Nightmare - High 20's, early 30's to high 40's, early 50's
Hell - Early 50's to 60
Inferno - 60

Normal Mode
This is the part of the game where you try on the outfit before you buy it. Pretty much any play style will work here.  Try every spell you get. See what it does.  If you can't figure out how to beat Normal then maybe the Wizard isn't quite for you.

Nightmare Mode
Here's where the real game begins. By now you should be in your 30s and have at least some understanding of how spells work.  Here are some builds to try out.

Mage Tank - http://us.battle.net/d3/en/calculator/wizard#WcXYOS!abc!aaaZaZ

Electrical Beams of Death - http://us.battle.net/d3/en/calculator/wizard#UiXROS!abc!aZaaaZ

Meteor Build - http://us.battle.net/d3/en/calculator/wizard#bkYXOS!WcX!bYZabZ

High Damage - http://us.battle.net/d3/en/calculator/wizard#ajXmSO!TYf!aaacZY

Inferno Build - http://us.battle.net/d3/en/calculator/wizard#UcXSOj!fYX!baaZYa

Ice - http://us.battle.net/d3/en/calculator/wizard#akYgXj!WcX!YYcZZY

Twister - http://us.battle.net/d3/en/calculator/wizard#UVdYXf!cY!aZaZZa

Fire - http://us.battle.net/d3/en/calculator/wizard#bkQjRX!eYT!ZaYacb

Suicide - http://us.battle.net/d3/en/calculator/wizard#acXYhg!bca!ZaaZbZ

Another Meteor - http://us.battle.net/d3/en/calculator/wizard#UkYTSj!eYT!ac.ZZa

Hell Mode
Hell is considerably harder than Nightmare so you will have to start thinking about the aforementioned synergistic builds.  During the beginning of Act I, use the build you had when you killed Diablo, until you reach level 50.  This shouldn't take long I was well into the 50's before I started hell.

Arcane Snaresman - http://us.battle.net/d3/en/calculator/wizard#clXROj!XfU!.baabY
This build seems to be the best jack of all trades for Hell. The concept behind this build is to Summon a Hydra to debuff enemies with slow, cast Blizzard to slow them even further, then nuke with Arcane Orbs. Be sure to bring along a Templar specced with life regen and AP regen as he will be invaluable in your conquest.  Gear for Vitality / Intellect usually a 3:2 ratio of Intellect to Vitality and you will be able to kill almost anything. I haven't had a single issue with this build yet.

The Flash - http://us.battle.net/d3/en/calculator/wizard#UbXdRT!abV!acYZZY
This build is really helpful in Act II when there are tons of fast enemies that you can't quite control.  Summon a Hydra, throw a Living Lightning behind you, use wave of force when anything comes close and just kite like your life depends on it.  Stack lots of Vitality and equip a shield with a fast one-handed weapon.  The less damage you can take the better.  While this build doesn't have quite a high damage output, it is pretty easy to get away from fast enemies.

The Untrappable - http://us.battle.net/d3/en/calculator/wizard#iQXdRO!XdU!ZYaZaY
Find yourself getting trapped a lot? Try this build out. You will almost ALWAYS have a defensive ability to play.  Caught in jail or in a wall, blink out of it.  Caught in the middle of a swarming horde, knock them back.  See a puddle and you just want to run by it, use Diamond Skin.  Use your Arcane Hydra to slow enemies while blinking effortlessly away to nuke with Disintegrate.


Inferno Mode
This guide isn't yet meant for Inferno as it is a level 60 mode already. More to come in this section later.

Version: 1.0.1.9558

General
Players will now receive an error message when attempting to remove a gem from an item with no sockets (rather than disconnecting)
Players will now properly have their casting interrupted when attacked while performing resurrect on a fallen group member
Resolved over 30 game and service crashes affecting players

Classes
Demon Hunter
Active Skills
Smoke Screen     
Duration reduced from 2 seconds to 1 second (tooltip will still show 2 seconds)
Skill Rune - Lingering Fog
Now increases the duration of Smoke Screen to 1.5 seconds (tooltip will still show 3 seconds)

Monk
Active Skills
Fists of Thunder
Skill Rune - Quickening
Fixed an issue that was causing spirit regeneration to incorrectly trigger off critical hits from other sources, such as Sweeping Wind

Mantra of Healing
Mantra of Healing will now correctly provide only two times the base healing effect for the first 3 seconds after activation, down from four times the base healing effect     (tooltip will still show the old value)

Skill Rune - Boon of Protection
A maximum absorption amount has been set to 1000 Life.  This skill will be redesigned in an upcoming patch.

Wizard
Active Skills
Arcane Torrent
Skill Rune - Cascade
Fixed an issue that was causing Arcane Torrent to fire 3 new missiles per kill instead of only 1 new missile per kill
Number of new missiles generated from this rune will now cap at 10 missiles

Energy Armor
Skill Rune - Force Armor
Amount of damage absorbed from a single attack will now cap at 100% of a player’s maximum Life

Items
The rare chest in the Town Cellar in Alcanus will now only spawn 50% of the time, down from 100%
 Players can no longer dual-wield two-handed weapons

There is no cow level!

No, really, there is no cow level.  Wanna know how to get to the new "Cow Level"?  Then follow these simple steps to make your key to Whimsyshire and, soon, you'll be on your way to riches and fame.  NOTICE:  Some steps take a really really long time!

Items required for Staff of Herding:

• Black Mushroom
• Leoric's Shinbone
• Liquid Rainbow
• Gibbering Gemstone
• Wirt's Bell
• Plans: Staff of Herding

The Black Mushroom can be found in Act 1 - Cathedral

Leoric's Shinbone can be found in Act 1 - Leoric's Manor, in the fire place.

 

Liquid Rainbow can be found in Act 2 - Dhalgur Oasis.  Talk to the Alchemist on the southern part of the map.  He will open a pathway to a cave where you will find a mysterious chest.  Inside the chest is the Liquid Rainbow.

Gibbering Gemstone can be found in Act 3 - The Caverns of Frost Level 2.  You can enter this cave from the Fields of Slaughter. (Not the Caves of Ice) Find the Epic mop named Chiltara and slay him.  I would start on the Heart of Sin quest and then use the waypoint to go to The Bridge of Korsikk.  The caves are very easy to find.  They entrance lays in a circle about one full screen from the edge of the map.  You can also use the Destroyer locations on your map to narrow down the search area.

Wirt's Bell can be bought at any time in Act 2, from Squirt the Pedler, for 100,000 gold.

Plans: Staff of Herding are dropped by Izual in Act 4.

Next, talk to your Blacksmith and then right click on the plans to teach him how to make the staff.
You will need 50,000 gold and the above items to craft the staff.

Now go talk to the Cow King, west of Old Tristram Road.  Whimsyshire will now be unlocked!

Version: 1.0.1.9558

Classes
 Monk
  Serenity Skill Rune - Tranquility
  Duration of immunity granted to nearby allies from crowd control effects reduced from 2 seconds to 1 second

Encounters
 Players will no longer remain invulnerable to attacks after defeating Diablo. Players can no longer become stuck during Diablo’s Shadow Grab ability if a player blinds Diablo while Shadow Grab is being cast.

Items
 Equipping a shield on a follower as a demon hunter will no longer disconnect you from the game.
  
Quests
 Act I
 Players can now always interact with Karyna during the quest and quest step "Trailing the Coven : Talk to Karyna" when they resume from a save.

Act II
 The Enchantress will now always appear during the quest and quest step "Shadows in the Desert : Disrupt the Hidden Conclave."

Act IV
 Tyrael will now always be present for the in-game cut-scene during the quest and quest step "Prime Evil: Climb to the Pinnacle of Heaven in the Silver Spire."

May 15, 2012

The day is finally here.  That's right, May 15 and that means only 10 more days until the LONG WEEKEND!!  W00oooOO!  Oh, and Diablo 3 comes out today.  I have to admit I have been acting like a little school girl with her first crush, ever since I saw that Barbarian over at E3 in like 2008.  As the days grew near and I finished up the rest of the books, yes, I went and bought and read them all.  Sin War was awesome... the rest, not so good.  Decard Cains journal was pretty good though.  I still haven't finished that one yet.  Anyways, as we neared May 15 I started to distance my self from the whole universe of Sanctuary.

Why?  Well you cant miss something if its never gone right.  I was decided the take the patient route as well for when I bought the game.  I ordered the collectors edition online at EBgames and expected a late week arrival at my door step.  HAHA, I didn't last long.  It must of been no later than 8am and I was already back home with an original copy of Diablo III.  Here are some of the pictures of my un-boxing.

Version: 1.0.1.9558

Official Release day.