Melee Sorceress

[Solfege]

EZ NAV
Abbreviations – Build Core – Mercenary – Early Game – Mid Game – End Game – Challenges – Dungeons and Rifts

Official Documentation

INTRODUCTION

Think of the Melee Sorceress as the angry, rebellious, and often neglected younger sibling to her more refined and beloved Caster sistren. She’s not as powerful, or as popular, and things don’t come as easy for her, but what she lacks in raw talent and divine favor, she makes up for in dogged determination and stubborn tenacity.

Melee Sorc is an okay build, but it doesn’t do anything that can’t be done better by other builds. Due to its skill mechanics, it simply lacks the DPS to make it competitive with the top tier, especially when farming. Nevertheless, it can take you all the way to Scosglen and mid to upper Labs. Just don’t expect miracles.

PROS AND CONS

► EXPAND

PROS:

• Can complete all content except Samael and Diemoss.
• 600+ Life regen, 470+ LoMA, and a 5 fpa attack speed let you facetank a lot of stuff.
• Decent boss killer.
• Base skillplan lets players opt for a Phys, Hybrid, or Elemental kit without having to respec or learn a new playstyle.

NEUTRAL:

• Moderate skill-switching.
• Requires an aggressive, melee-heavy playstyle.
• Middling farming speed due to lackluster DPS+AoE.

CONS:

• Overall, a Sorc’s melee skills aren’t very good (small AoE, uncontrollable targeting, can only damage a few enemies at a time, DPS drops like a stone when more enemies are within range).
• No access to any good melee oskills without using Relics.
• Hits a DPS plateau hard by around clvl 130 (see: Cons 1 and 2).

ABBREVIATIONS

► EXPAND

A handy list of some common abbreviations used in the guide.

Attribute
STR = Strength
DEX = Dexterity
VIT = Vitality
NRG = Energy

Speed
AS = Attack Speed
BP = Breakpoint
BS = Block Speed
CS = Cast Speed
FPA = Frames Per Animation
HR = Hit Recovery
MS = Movement Speed

Sustain
LaeK = Life after each Kill
LL = Life Leech (Life Stolen per Hit)
LoMA = Life on Melee Attack
Maek = Mana after each Kill
ML = Mana Leech (Mana Stolen per Hit)
MoMA = Mana on Melee Attack

Gear
AR = Attack Rating
BtD = Bonus to Defense
CB = Crushing Blow
CtB = Chance to Block
CtC = Chance to Cast
DS = Deadly Strike
DR = Damage Reduction
ECR = Enemy Cold Resistance (or Cold Pierce)
ED = Enhanced Damage or Enhanced Defense
EWD = Enhanced Weapon Damage
GF = Gold Find
IED = Innate Elemental Damage
MF = Magic Find
Res = Resistance

Miscellaneous
AC = Arcane Crystal
Alvl = Area Level
Clvl = Character Level
CD = Cooldown
DPS = Damage Per Second
F/C/L = Fire/Cold/Lightning a.k.a Rainbow
Ilvl = Item Level
LCS = Lying Character Sheet
MO = Mystic Orb
SU = Sacred Unique (SSU and SSSU = higher “tiers” of SU)
T = Tier (for example, T4 = Tier 4)
TU = Tiered Unique
UMO = Unique Mystic Orb
WDM = Weapon Damage Modifier

ATTRIBUTE POINTS

STR = Enough for gear
DEX = Everything else
VIT = None
NRG = None

BASE SKILLPLAN

MELEE

• Moonstrike [25]
• Bladestorm [10]
• Fusillade [10]
• Arcane Sustenance [1]

ARCANE

• Immersion [1]
• Arcane Torrent [1]
• Raven Familiar [1]

COVEN

• Living Flame [25]
• Warp Armor [25]
• Nova Charge [6]

REWARD

• Baneblade [15]
• Symbol of Esu [5]
• Force Blast [1]

MASTERY

• Melee Devotion [1]
• Meditation [3] → Tenacity [5]
• Endurance [10]

You’ll complete the base skillplan at clvl 129. Spec into Paradigm Shift when you've assembled the End Game Base Kit. You can consider Cold Blooded if/when you go full Elemental. Remaining points can go to Premonition for higher Max CtB potential and/or Raven Familiar for more +Skills.

► NOTES ON SKILLS

INNATE

• Mana Shield
  Although this will be a key survivability buff, the Mana drain from taking Elemental damage is much higher than from Phys damage. Because of this, you won’t use Mana Shield for every encounter. Additionally, if you lose all your Mana due to damage taken, the shield will break and you’ll have to recast it.

MELEE

• Moonstrike
  The additional Max Life and damage only kick in while the buff is active. Despite its impressive damage numbers, it’s actually a pretty terrible skill on its own.
• Paradigm Shift
  Taking this won’t automatically eliminate your ability to deal Phys Damage. The % reduction to your weapon’s Phys Damage is basically a reduction to your EWD.
• Cold Blooded
  The innate Cold Pierce only kicks in while Moonstrike is active.
• Bladestorm
  Decent skill, but DPS drops as more enemies come into range.
• Fusillade
  Since its targeting is random, just treat it as a supplemental damage skill. Its CD timer will always be 1 second longer than the duration, so use it all the time.
• Arcane Sustenance
  A key upgrade that helps keep Mana Shield active.
• Premonition
  Somewhat deceptive. This doesn’t actually increase your CtB. Instead, it gives you the potential to push past the 50% Max Block limit (up to 80%) while Fusillade is active. You'll still need enough DEX to actually hit 80% CtB. In other words, it’s completely useless until End Game.
  
  DEX needed per +x% Increased Base CtB for a clvl 135 character with Baneblade active to hit 80% CtB:
  
  • +0% Base CtB = 5415 DEX
  • +1% Base CtB = 4335 DEX
  • +2% Base CtB = 3615 DEX

COVEN

• Living Flame
  Life+regen to help keep you alive when you can’t sustain melee.
• Warp Armor
  Core skill for any Melee Sorc spec. The Defense bonus is nice, but 17% Avoid is nicer.
• Nova Charge
  Another key skill to help keep Mana Shield active. You’re putting 6 points here to hit the 50% DEX to NRG conversion cap. Every time you put points into DEX, you’ll need to recast the buff to get the new NRG values.

ARCANE

• Raven Familiar
  Initially, you’re taking this for the Mana boost. In End Game, you can spend extra points here for more +Skills. Summon this before activating any of your buffs so they benefit from the +Skills.

MASTERY

• Melee Devotion
  The skill’s damage reduction is discrete from other forms of DR, so it won’t show up in your character sheet.
• Meditation
  You’ll spec into this early on to help with Mana problems.
• Tenacity
  +5% Phys Res isn't much, but every little bit helps.
• Endurance
  +10% Max Life is more helpful than you may think.

REWARD

• Baneblade
  Ultimate Skill. Your big buff. More damage, more defense, and more CtB—but more importantly, innate LoMA. Each time you put points into it, you’ll have to deactivate, then reactivate, it for the new values to take effect.
• Symbol of Esu
  Ennead Challenge Reward Skill. You’re only putting points here for the innate Fire/Cold/Lightning Absorb.
• Force Blast
  Black Road Reward Skill. Super-fast debuff nova that’s incredibly useful against enemies dealing Phys damage, especially rangers. Costs a lot of Mana, though. Save it for emergencies or against specific enemies.

OSKILLS

• Spiral Dance
  This skill is only being mentioned because you’ll have access to it during most of your playthrough. It has a higher WDM, a lower Phys-to-Magic conversion, and a larger AoE than Bladestorm. None of that matters though, because its single nova per swing and 2 second delay make its DPS significantly lower than Bladestorm’s.
• Mind Control
  Intended for the Triune boss fight, but you can actually charm all sorts of monsters with it. Dropping a Mind Control in the middle of a huge mob can save your bacon when you’re about to get swarmed (e.g. Scosglen). Just be aware that it doesn’t work on every monster.
• Charged Strike
  Oskill used specifically for the Astrogha fight. It’s not great, but it’s better than Moonstrike (which is your only other option besides Normal Attack).

RELICS (optional)

• Divine Judgment
  It has a very small AoE, but its high WDM and multi-hit mechanic make this a better single-target skill than anything Melee Sorc has access to. Sad.

BREAKPOINTS

ATTACK SPEED (Warp Blade) = 6 / 23 / 56 / 129 (5 fpa)
ATTACK SPEED (Crystal Sword) = 15 / 46 / 109 (5 fpa)
HIT RECOVERY = 5 / 11 / 20 / 35 / 60 / 109 / 280 (3 fpa)
BLOCK SPEED = 3 / 7 / 13 / 20 / 32 / 48 / 75 / 129 / 280 (4 fpa)
CAST SPEED (Staves) = 6 / 19 / 42 / 83 / 194 (5 fpa)
CAST SPEED (1H swing Weapons) = 8 / 22 / 42 / 78 / 157 (6 fpa)

THE BASICS

► OFFENSE

DAMAGE:

The type of damage you deal, as well as how to boost it, will depend on the type of gear kit you use.

• Phys kits
  You’ll have multiple sources of Phys damage multipliers from skills and items. Think of these as a foundation to build from. Combined, they can reach 1000% or more. This means even a small amount of additional flat Phys damage will go a long way to boosting your overall damage output. To push it further, you can add a source of Deadly Strike, which has a chance to double your damage. And since you’ll attack so quickly, and launch so many projectiles, even a small amount of DS can make a noticeable difference.
  
  Main foci: Max Damage, DEX, DS

• Elemental kits
  Similar to Phys kits, but with Elemental damage. Innate Elemental Damage will be your multiplier for whatever flat Fire/Cold/Lightning (a.k.a. Rainbow) damage you can stack. Your %IED values won’t be as high as your Phys Damage multipliers, so you’ll need to focus more on stacking flat Rainbow damage. To push damage further, you’ll add sources of -x% Enemy Elemental Resistances (or -x% Enemy Fire/Cold/Lightning Res individually) to pierce and enemy’s Elemental Res.
  
  Main foci: Flat Rainbow damage, IED, Elemental pierce, DEX

Regardless of which kit type you choose, do not base gear choices solely on LCS damage numbers. Elemental Spell Damage boosts flat Elemental damage, but only on a direct melee hit. It does not carry to any projectiles or your Warp Blade’s AoE. This is important because direct melee hit damage is what LCS will show. Your effective DPS will be lower.

► DEFENSE

COVEN PASSIVE COMBOS:

For Melee Sorcs, there are 3 main combos to consider:

• Fire/Lightning
  Focused on Life Regen, this combo is arguably the worst of the 3 early on, but ends up being the most versatile. High regen can serve as a counter to both Phys and Elemental damage (especially Poison and Burn damage). This allows you to sacrifice more traditional defensive mods in favor of other beneficial mods.
• Poison/Lightning
  Focused on Phys Res, this combo is arguably the best all-rounder. It’s not as effective against mixed Phys/Ele mobs or mobs composed mostly of Elemental damage dealers, but it shines against monsters dealing high Phys Damage. It also leaves you with a lot of extra Skill Points to play around with.
• Cold/Lightning
  Focused on Defense, this combo is arguably the best of the 3 early on. However, as your CtB increases, the reduced importance of high Defense reduces this combo’s overall effectiveness.

SURVIVABILITY:

Since this build will use a Fire/Lightning combo, your primary survivability layer will be Life sustain (especially LoMA), supplemented by Life regen. Your secondary survivability layer will be a combination of Block, Defense, Avoid, Phys Res, and other sources of damage reduction, such as Mana Shield and Force Blast. The secondary layer’s job is to take pressure off the primary layer by reducing or mitigating damage so you’re replenishing Life faster than you’re losing it. In order to stay alive, you’ll need to engage in melee as much as you can, and stay in melee for as long as you can.

Main foci: LoMA, DEX, Chance to Block, Phys Res, Life Regen

► SPECIFIC DANGERS

Things that are especially dangerous:

• Slow/Chill
  Anything that reduces your Attack Speed will significantly reduce the effectiveness of your LoMA. Realistically, there isn’t much you can do about Slow, but equipping something with the “Cannot Be Frozen” mod will make all those Cold-based enemies a lot less annoying
• Poison
  Poison's degenerative nature will reduce the effectiveness of your Life regen. Since some Poison attacks/spells are too powerful to counter with regen and Poison Res, Poison Length Reduction will at least reduce the amount of time you'll stay poisoned.
• Running out of Mana
  Mana is not only required to use your skills, but it fuels Mana Shield. If Mana Shield breaks, the damage you’ll take will often be more than your sustain+regen can handle. Boosting Mana/NRG and adding sources of MoMA and Mana Regen can help.

THE TL;DR ON HOW TO PLAY:

• Summon Raven Familiar, then buff with Nova Charge, Mana Shield, Baneblade, and any oskill buffs.
• Buff with Moonstrike and keep it active at all times during combat.
• Deploy Fusillade, then go nuts with Bladestorm.
• Debuff with Force Blast, as needed.
• Attempt to charm monsters with Mind Control when you’re desperate.

You can use whichever merc you want, but I prefer a Rogue Priestess. She can spread damage over a broad range, which is nice, but her Vindicate skill's Life Regen is ridiculously helpful while leveling, making the Priestess an exceptional companion. If you’re interested in other mercs, see NotCube’s The Hireling Handbook for more info.

► CLASS-SPECIFIC BONUSES

CLASS-SPECIFIC BONUSES

Defensive Harmony:
Slows Attackers by 25%, with an additional +1% slow per 5 clvls

Heroic Strength:
+1% Enhanced Weapon Damage per DEX point
+1 Life Regeneration per DEX point
+0.25 Energy Factor per DEX point

Other Bonuses:
+1% Phys Res per 4 clvls
+1% chance to avoid melee attacks per 40 DEX (capped at 60%)

► GEAR

Your merc doesn’t need specific gear when starting out. Just equip her with whatever decent Rares you find.

GEAR
Weapon:

Banshee

Banshee
Bows
'Eth'
Runeword Level: 15
1% Chance to cast level 7 Abyss on Striking
20% Attack Speed
5% Movement Speed
+0.25 to Maximum Damage (Based on Character Level)
Adds 3-7 Cold Damage
+(18 to 35)% Enhanced Damage
+5% to Cold Spell Damage
Cold Absorb 5%
10% Gold Find

→

Shockwave

Shockwave
Bows
'IthShael'
Runeword Level: 35
50% Chance to cast level 14 Punishers on Kill
+15% Bonus to Poison Skill Duration
+(11 to 15) to Maximum Damage
+(58 to 72)% Enhanced Damage
+10% to Poison Spell Damage
(3 to 5)% Chance of Crushing Blow
Slow Target (11 to 15)%
+(21 to 40) to Dexterity
+(21 to 40) to Energy

in a Short or Long War Bow →

Herald of Skartara

Herald of Skartara
Reflex Bow (4)
Two-Hand Damage: (20 - 25) to (34 - 45)
(Amazon Only)
Required Level: 11
Required Dexterity: 103
Item Level: 18
Dexterity Damage Bonus: (0.15 per Dexterity)%
1% Chance to cast level 3 Phalanx on Kill
1% Chance to cast level 6 Celerity on Kill
15% Attack Speed
Adds (11 to 15)-(21 to 30) Damage
+(35 to 57)% Enhanced Damage
10% Magic Find
Socketed (2)
Two-Hand Damage: (57 - 71) to (88 - 102)
(Amazon Only)
Required Level: 30
Required Dexterity: 150
Item Level: 33
Dexterity Damage Bonus: (0.15 per Dexterity)%
2% Chance to cast level 7 Phalanx on Kill
2% Chance to cast level 10 Celerity on Kill
25% Attack Speed
Adds (25 to 35)-(41 to 50) Damage
+(81 to 103)% Enhanced Damage
20% Magic Find
Socketed (4)
Two-Hand Damage: (124 - 142) to (173 - 204)
(Amazon Only)
Required Level: 48
Required Dexterity: 290
Item Level: 53
Dexterity Damage Bonus: (0.15 per Dexterity)%
3% Chance to cast level 11 Phalanx on Kill
3% Chance to cast level 14 Celerity on Kill
35% Attack Speed
Adds (36 to 45)-(51 to 70) Damage
+(126 to 149)% Enhanced Damage
30% Magic Find
Socketed (5)
Two-Hand Damage: (168 - 187) to (230 - 263)
(Amazon Only)
Required Level: 57
Required Dexterity: 570
Item Level: 90
Dexterity Damage Bonus: (0.15 per Dexterity)%
4% Chance to cast level 13 Phalanx on Kill
4% Chance to cast level 20 Celerity on Kill
40% Attack Speed
Adds (51 to 60)-(71 to 90) Damage
+(149 to 171)% Enhanced Damage
40% Magic Find
Socketed (6)

→

Fire

Fire
Reflex Bow (Sacred)
Two-Hand Damage: (159 - 192) to (200 - 237)
(Amazon Only)
Required Level: 80
Required Dexterity: 680
Item Level: 1
Dexterity Damage Bonus: (0.15 per Dexterity)%
5% Chance to cast level 1 Arrow on Striking
Adds 25-50 Damage
+150 to Maximum Fire Damage
+150 to Maximum Lightning Damage
+150 to Maximum Cold Damage
+(100 to 150)% Enhanced Damage
Socketed (6)

Pantheon
(Amazon Bow Set)

→

Askarbydd

Askarbydd
Reflex Bow (Sacred)
Two-Hand Damage: (230 - 311) to (330 - 455)
(Amazon Only)
Required Level: 100
Required Dexterity: 1020
Item Level: 105
Dexterity Damage Bonus: (0.15 per Dexterity)%
50% Attack Speed
Adds (70 to 110)-(150 to 230) Damage
15% Life stolen per Hit
+(140 to 200)% Enhanced Damage
+(1 to 10) to Rapid Wyrmshot
Maximum Poison Resist +2%
Poison Length Reduced by 25%
Requirements +50%
Socketed (6)

Body Armor:

Akara's Robe (1)

Akara's Robe
Quilted Armor (1)
Defense: 74 to 100
Required Level: 10
Required Strength: 10
Item Level: 255
+50 Defense
+(6 to 10) to all Attributes
+50 to Life
Elemental Resists +(11 to 15)%
Cannot be Upgraded
Socketed (2)

→

Akara's Robe (3)

Akara's Robe
Quilted Armor (3)
Defense: 496 to 599
Required Level: 50
Required Strength: 175
Item Level: 255
+1 to All Skills
+250 Defense
+(11 to 20) to all Attributes
+100 to Life
Elemental Resists +(21 to 25)%
Cannot be Upgraded
Socketed (5)

→

Leather of Aut

Leather of Aut
Hard Leather Armor (4)
Defense: (66 - 75) to (132 - 151)
Required Level: 2
Required Strength: 28
Item Level: 4
+(2 to 4) to Whirlpool
+(18 to 35)% Enhanced Defense
(3 to 5)% to Strength
(3 to 5)% to Dexterity
(3 to 5)% to Vitality
(11 to 20)% Bonus to Defense
Socketed (2)
Defense: (267 - 297) to (449 - 500)
Required Level: 19
Required Strength: 55
Item Level: 22
+(5 to 8) to Whirlpool
+(52 to 69)% Enhanced Defense
(9 to 11)% to Strength
(9 to 11)% to Dexterity
(9 to 11)% to Vitality
(21 to 30)% Bonus to Defense
Socketed (4)
Defense: (701 - 761) to (1131 - 1228)
Required Level: 37
Required Strength: 193
Item Level: 43
+(9 to 12) to Whirlpool
+(87 to 103)% Enhanced Defense
(15 to 17)% to Strength
(15 to 17)% to Dexterity
(15 to 17)% to Vitality
(31 to 40)% Bonus to Defense
Socketed (5)
Defense: (1052 - 1135) to (1691 - 1823)
Required Level: 45
Required Strength: 385
Item Level: 75
+(13 to 16) to Whirlpool
+(104 to 120)% Enhanced Defense
(18 to 20)% to Strength
(18 to 20)% to Dexterity
(18 to 20)% to Vitality
(41 to 50)% Bonus to Defense
Socketed (6)

→

Earth

Earth
Chain Mail (Sacred)
Defense: (5050 - 6312) to (5712 - 7140)
Required Level: 80
Required Strength: 402
Item Level: 1
15% Hit Recovery
Adds 13-25 Damage
(3 to 6)% Life stolen per Hit
+(100 to 150)% Enhanced Defense
(16 to 20)% to Dexterity
Lightning Resist +(31 to 50)%
Requirements -33%
Socketed (6)

Pantheon
(Amazon Bow Set)

→

Strength Beyond Strength

Strength Beyond Strength
Gothic Plate (Sacred)
Defense: (8339 - 9198) to (10115 - 11157)
Required Level: 100
Required Strength: 675
Item Level: 120
1% Chance to cast level 36 Pyroblast on Striking
Adds 25-38 Damage
150% Bonus to Attack Rating
+90% Damage to Demons
25% Life stolen per Hit
10% Deadly Strike
+(172 to 200)% Enhanced Defense
1% Reanimate as: Random Monster
-5 to Light Radius
Socketed (6)

Helm:

Honor

Honor
Helms
'Tal'
Runeword Level: 20
7% Movement Speed
+7% to Spell Damage
Elemental Resists +7%
Poison Length Reduced by (10 to 15)%
-7% to All Vendor Prices

→

Topspin

Topspin
Skull Cap (4)
Defense: (76 - 83) to (115 - 125)
Required Level: 3
Required Strength: 28
Item Level: 4
5% Attack Speed
+(31 to 50)% Enhanced Defense
+(31 to 50) Defense
(3 to 5)% to Dexterity
(3 to 5)% to Energy
Maximum Elemental Resists +1%
10% Bonus to Defense
Socketed (1)
Defense: (277 - 301) to (365 - 397)
Required Level: 20
Required Strength: 55
Item Level: 23
15% Attack Speed
+(61 to 80)% Enhanced Defense
+(71 to 100) Defense
(6 to 8)% to Dexterity
(6 to 8)% to Energy
Maximum Elemental Resists +1%
20% Bonus to Defense
Socketed (3)
Defense: (704 - 760) to (876 - 943)
Required Level: 37
Required Strength: 192
Item Level: 43
25% Attack Speed
+(91 to 110)% Enhanced Defense
+(151 to 200) Defense
(9 to 11)% to Dexterity
(9 to 11)% to Energy
Maximum Elemental Resists +2%
30% Bonus to Defense
Socketed (4)
Defense: (1182 - 1258) to (1471 - 1564)
Required Level: 47
Required Strength: 384
Item Level: 78
30% Attack Speed
+(121 to 140)% Enhanced Defense
+(301 to 400) Defense
(12 to 14)% to Dexterity
(12 to 14)% to Energy
Maximum Elemental Resists +2%
40% Bonus to Defense
Socketed (4)

→

Witchhunter's Hood

Witchhunter's Hood
Cap (Sacred)
Defense: (2136 - 2611) to (2161 - 2642)
Required Level: 90
Required Strength: 250
Item Level: 1
+(80 to 120)% Enhanced Defense
10% to Strength
10% to Dexterity
Maximum Elemental Resists +2%
Elemental Resists +(31 to 40)%
Physical Resist 5%
(16 to 20)% Bonus to Defense
Requirements -50%
Socketed (4)

Witchhunter's Attire
(Assassin Claw Set)

→

Royal Circlet

Royal Circlet
Tiara (Sacred)
Defense: (1740 - 1957) to (1968 - 2214)
Required Level: 100
Required Dexterity: 392
Item Level: 105
+2 to All Skills
+50% Damage to Demons
+50% Damage to Undead
+(140 to 170)% Enhanced Defense
(21 to 25)% to All Attributes
Elemental Resists +(25 to 30)%
Physical Resist 5%
(21 to 25)% Magic Find
Socketed (4)

Belt:

Rainbow

Rainbow
Belts
'Eth'
Runeword Level: 15
+5% to Spell Damage
+(6 to 10)% to Summoned Minion Resistances
Regenerate Mana +(5 to 10)%
Elemental Resists +(10 to 15)%
(6 to 8)% Magic Find
+2 to Light Radius

→

Wormtongue

Wormtongue
Light Belt (4)
Defense: (53 - 58) to (71 - 78)
Required Level: 3
Required Strength: 26
Item Level: 5
(31 to 50)% Bonus to Attack Rating
Adds 5-13 Poison Damage over 2 seconds
(2 to 4)% Life stolen per Hit
+(18 to 29)% Enhanced Defense
+(11 to 15) to Dexterity
Socketed (1)
Defense: (214 - 231) to (259 - 279)
Required Level: 21
Required Strength: 55
Item Level: 24
(71 to 90)% Bonus to Attack Rating
Adds 19-50 Poison Damage over 2 seconds
(8 to 10)% Life stolen per Hit
+(41 to 52)% Enhanced Defense
+(21 to 25) to Dexterity
Socketed (2)
Defense: (544 - 581) to (649 - 693)
Required Level: 38
Required Strength: 192
Item Level: 45
(111 to 130)% Bonus to Attack Rating
Adds 75-150 Poison Damage over 2 seconds
(14 to 16)% Life stolen per Hit
+(64 to 75)% Enhanced Defense
+(31 to 35) to Dexterity
Socketed (2)
Defense: (801 - 851) to (946 - 1006)
Required Level: 46
Required Strength: 384
Item Level: 77
(131 to 150)% Bonus to Attack Rating
Adds 100-250 Poison Damage over 2 seconds
(17 to 19)% Life stolen per Hit
+(75 to 86)% Enhanced Defense
+(36 to 40) to Dexterity
Socketed (2)

→

The Endless Loop

The Endless Loop
Light Belt (Sacred)
Defense: 1101 to 1143
Required Level: 100
Required Strength: 550
Item Level: 105
40% Combat Speeds
+(10 to 19) to Charged Strike
Slow Target 10%
+50 to all Attributes
+50 Life Regenerated per Second
+(0 to 1) Mana on Striking
Socketed (2)

Gloves:

Enlightenment

Enlightenment
Gloves
'El'
Runeword Level: 6
10% Combat Speeds
2% Life stolen per Hit
2% Mana stolen per Hit
+5 to all Attributes
+(2 to 3) Life Regenerated per Second
Lightning Resist +15%
+(4 to 6) to Light Radius

→

Featherclaw

Featherclaw
Chain Gloves (4)
Defense: (28 - 30) to (49 - 54)
Required Level: 5
Required Strength: 28
Item Level: 8
5% Attack Speed
(21 to 50)% Bonus to Attack Rating
+(18 to 29)% Enhanced Defense
+(6 to 10) to Dexterity
Socketed (1)
Defense: (149 - 161) to (203 - 218)
Required Level: 22
Required Strength: 57
Item Level: 26
15% Attack Speed
(81 to 110)% Bonus to Attack Rating
+(41 to 52)% Enhanced Defense
+(16 to 20) to Dexterity
Socketed (2)
Defense: (393 - 420) to (519 - 554)
Required Level: 40
Required Strength: 201
Item Level: 46
25% Attack Speed
(141 to 170)% Bonus to Attack Rating
+(64 to 75)% Enhanced Defense
+(26 to 30) to Dexterity
Socketed (3)
Defense: (581 - 617) to (759 - 807)
Required Level: 48
Required Strength: 402
Item Level: 80
30% Attack Speed
(171 to 200)% Bonus to Attack Rating
+(75 to 86)% Enhanced Defense
+(31 to 35) to Dexterity
Socketed (4)

→

Water

Water
Leather Gloves (Sacred)
Defense: (940 - 1175) to (954 - 1192)
Required Level: 80
Required Strength: 335
Item Level: 1
+(100 to 150)% Enhanced Defense
(11 to 15)% to Strength
(11 to 15)% to Dexterity
Fire Resist +(31 to 50)%
(13 to 19)% Gold Find
Requirements -33%
Socketed (4)

Pantheon
(Amazon Bow Set)

→

Rogue Foresight

Rogue Foresight
Heavy Gloves (Sacred)
Defense: 492 to 522
Required Level: 100
Required Strength: 525
Item Level: 120
+1 to All Skills
5% Deadly Strike
-10% to Strength
20% to Dexterity
Physical Resist 5%
Socketed (4)

Boots:

Epicenter

Epicenter
Boots
'Ith'
Runeword Level: 18
0.0625% Chance of Crushing Blow (Based on Character Level)
+(4 to 15)% Enhanced Defense
+(40 to 60) to Life
Elemental Resists +(3 to 5)%

→

Death Spur

Death Spur
Heavy Boots (4)
Defense: 27 to 39
Required Level: 3
Required Strength: 27
Item Level: 5
1% Chance to cast level 6 Spike Nova on Kill
(0 to 40)% Movement Speed
+0.09375 to Maximum Damage (Based on Character Level)
+(11 to 15) to Strength
+(11 to 15) to Dexterity
Socketed (1)
Defense: 109 to 141
Required Level: 20
Required Strength: 55
Item Level: 24
1% Chance to cast level 10 Spike Nova on Kill
(0 to 40)% Movement Speed
+0.15625 to Maximum Damage (Based on Character Level)
+(21 to 25) to Strength
+(21 to 25) to Dexterity
Socketed (2)
Defense: 248 to 310
Required Level: 38
Required Strength: 193
Item Level: 44
1% Chance to cast level 14 Spike Nova on Kill
(0 to 40)% Movement Speed
+0.21875 to Maximum Damage (Based on Character Level)
+(31 to 35) to Strength
+(31 to 35) to Dexterity
Socketed (3)
Defense: 346 to 427
Required Level: 46
Required Strength: 386
Item Level: 77
1% Chance to cast level 16 Spike Nova on Kill
(0 to 40)% Movement Speed
+0.25 to Maximum Damage (Based on Character Level)
+(36 to 40) to Strength
+(36 to 40) to Dexterity
Socketed (4)

→

Frost

Frost
Boots (Sacred)
Defense: (1302 - 1627) to (1342 - 1677)
Required Level: 80
Required Strength: 335
Item Level: 1
(0 to 40)% Movement Speed
30% Hit Recovery
+(100 to 150)% Enhanced Defense
(11 to 15)% to Strength
(11 to 15)% to Dexterity
Cold Resist +(31 to 50)%
(11 to 13)% Magic Find
Requirements -33%
Socketed (4)

Pantheon
(Amazon Bow Set)

→

Wind Runner

Wind Runner
Boots
'SilElqSilGul'
Runeword Level: 100
+(0 to 1) to All Skills
50% Attack Speed
10% Movement Speed
Adds 25-68 Damage
250% Bonus to Attack Rating
(12 to 15)% Life stolen per Hit
+(171 to 200)% Enhanced Defense

Amulet: Rare with +Skills and any combination of DEX, AS, Life, or a Reanimate →

Scarab of Death

Scarab of Death
Amulet
Required Level: 40
Item Level: 70
50% Attack Speed
50% Cast Speed
50% Hit Recovery
Elemental Resists +25%
Physical Resist -5%
5% Reanimate as: Random Monster

SOCKET FILLERS
Weapon: Skulls → Jah Runes
Armor: Res Gems → Amethysts

MYSTIC ORBS
Weapon: ED to cap → Max Damage → AS (if needed)
Armor: Elemental Res → HR → Max Damage
Amulet: Phys DR → Poison Length Reduction → MF

► BREAKPOINTS

BREAKPOINTS

Attack Speed (AS):
6/15/26/40/65/102/180 (8 fpa) – Short, Hunter's, Composite, Short Battle, Short War Bows
5/10/18/29/42/60/92/142/259 (8 fpa) – Long, Long Battle, Long War Bows
5/11/22/34/50/78/120/215 (8 fpa) – Stag and Reflex Bows
Hit Recovery (HR):
6/13/20/32/52/86/174/600 (3 fpa)

► NOTES ON MERCS

The following applies to all mercs. They...

• Have an innate +70% Elemental Res.
• Suffer from the same Res penalties in Nightmare and Hell that you do.
• Inherit both your Gold Find and Magic Find, on top of any they get from gear, as long as they get the kill (it does not work the other way around).
• Benefit from the +Skills mod on their gear. However, they do not benefit from "+x to skill y" mods.
• Cannot use oskills.
• Frequently get stuck. Teleporting or returning to town usually fixes this. But if you try this, and they still refuse to fight, teleporting right next to a monster will almost always reactivate their AI.

GEAR

► expand

GEAR
Weapon: Any Sorc Orb →

Shark

Shark
Weapons
Except Necromancer Daggers, Assassin Claws
'Eld'
Runeword Level: 8
5% Chance to cast level 9 Bloodlust on Kill
+(7 to 9)% Bonus Damage to Bloodlust
20% Attack Speed
+5 to Maximum Damage
+0.125 to Maximum Damage (Based on Character Level)
1.5% Bonus to Attack Rating (Based on Character Level)
+(24 to 35)% Enhanced Damage
-1 to Mana

in a Warp Blade (not Crystal Sword) →

The Warped Blade

The Warped Blade
Warp Blade (4)
One-Hand Damage: (6 - 7) to (22 - 36)
(Sorceress Only)
Required Level: 12
Required Dexterity: 39 to 41
Item Level: 19
Dexterity Damage Bonus: (0.13 per Dexterity)%
Area Effect Attack
5% Chance to cast level 12 Energy Beam on Melee Attack
15% Attack Speed
+(13 to 25) to Maximum Damage
+(24 to 46)% Enhanced Damage
+(16 to 25) to Dexterity
2% Reanimate as: Random Monster
Requirements -(11 to 15)%
Socketed (2)
One-Hand Damage: (20 - 23) to (73 - 90)
(Sorceress Only)
Required Level: 33
Required Dexterity: 53 to 56
Item Level: 36
Dexterity Damage Bonus: (0.13 per Dexterity)%
Area Effect Attack
10% Chance to cast level 20 Energy Beam on Melee Attack
25% Attack Speed
+(38 to 50) to Maximum Damage
+(69 to 92)% Enhanced Damage
+(36 to 45) to Dexterity
4% Reanimate as: Random Monster
Requirements -(21 to 25)%
Socketed (4)
One-Hand Damage: (49 - 54) to (157 - 179)
(Sorceress Only)
Required Level: 52
Required Dexterity: 91 to 96
Item Level: 58
Dexterity Damage Bonus: (0.13 per Dexterity)%
Area Effect Attack
15% Chance to cast level 28 Energy Beam on Melee Attack
35% Attack Speed
+(63 to 75) to Maximum Damage
+(115 to 137)% Enhanced Damage
+(56 to 65) to Dexterity
6% Reanimate as: Random Monster
Requirements -(31 to 35)%
Socketed (5)
One-Hand Damage: (69 - 75) to (202 - 225)
(Sorceress Only)
Required Level: 62
Required Dexterity: 166 to 177
Item Level: 90
Dexterity Damage Bonus: (0.13 per Dexterity)%
Area Effect Attack
20% Chance to cast level 36 Energy Beam on Melee Attack
40% Attack Speed
+(76 to 88) to Maximum Damage
+(138 to 160)% Enhanced Damage
+(66 to 75) to Dexterity
8% Reanimate as: Random Monster
Requirements -(36 to 40)%
Socketed (6)

Armor:

Akara's Robe (1)

Akara's Robe
Quilted Armor (1)
Defense: 74 to 100
Required Level: 10
Required Strength: 10
Item Level: 255
+50 Defense
+(6 to 10) to all Attributes
+50 to Life
Elemental Resists +(11 to 15)%
Cannot be Upgraded
Socketed (2)

→

Wedding Dress of the Zann

Wedding Dress of the Zann
Ceremonial Armor (4)
Defense: (352 - 409) to (706 - 821)
(Sorceress Only)
Required Level: 12
Required Dexterity: 97
Item Level: 20
15% Attack Speed
+(2 to 3) to Spiral Dance
4% Deadly Strike
+(35 to 57)% Enhanced Defense
+(16 to 25) to Strength
+(16 to 25) to Dexterity
Socketed (2)
Defense: (1131 - 1268) to (2161 - 2423)
(Sorceress Only)
Required Level: 31
Required Dexterity: 143
Item Level: 35
30% Attack Speed
+(4 to 5) to Spiral Dance
6% Deadly Strike
+(81 to 103)% Enhanced Defense
+(36 to 45) to Strength
+(36 to 45) to Dexterity
Socketed (4)
Defense: (2818 - 3105) to (5286 - 5824)
(Sorceress Only)
Required Level: 48
Required Dexterity: 300
Item Level: 55
45% Attack Speed
+(6 to 7) to Spiral Dance
8% Deadly Strike
+(126 to 149)% Enhanced Defense
+(56 to 65) to Strength
+(56 to 65) to Dexterity
Socketed (5)
Defense: (4203 - 4574) to (7888 - 8585)
(Sorceress Only)
Required Level: 55
Required Dexterity: 622
Item Level: 90
60% Attack Speed
+(7 to 8) to Spiral Dance
10% Deadly Strike
+(149 to 171)% Enhanced Defense
+(66 to 75) to Strength
+(66 to 75) to Dexterity
Socketed (6)

Shield: Any decent Rare →

Cloudladder

Cloudladder
Spiked Shield (4)
Defense: (102 - 116) to (203 - 230)
Chance to Block: Class%
Required Level: 7
Required Dexterity: 55
Item Level: 12
+1 to All Skills
+1 to Druid Skill Levels
+1 to Sorceress Skill Levels
+(41 to 60)% Enhanced Defense
+20 to all Attributes
+10 Life Regenerated per Second
Socketed (1)
Defense: (372 - 414) to (629 - 699)
Chance to Block: Class%
Required Level: 24
Required Dexterity: 81
Item Level: 29
+(1 to 2) to All Skills
+(1 to 2) to Druid Skill Levels
+(1 to 2) to Sorceress Skill Levels
+(71 to 90)% Enhanced Defense
+30 to all Attributes
+20 Life Regenerated per Second
Socketed (4)
Defense: (920 - 1007) to (1503 - 1645)
Chance to Block: Class%
Required Level: 42
Required Dexterity: 170
Item Level: 49
+2 to All Skills
+2 to Druid Skill Levels
+2 to Sorceress Skill Levels
+(101 to 120)% Enhanced Defense
+40 to all Attributes
+30 Life Regenerated per Second
Socketed (5)
Defense: (1443 - 1687) to (2346 - 2743)
Chance to Block: Class%
Required Level: 51
Required Dexterity: 353
Item Level: 84
+2 to All Skills
+2 to Druid Skill Levels
+2 to Sorceress Skill Levels
+(131 to 170)% Enhanced Defense
+50 to all Attributes
+40 Life Regenerated per Second
Socketed (6)

Helm:

Honor

Honor
Helms
'Tal'
Runeword Level: 20
7% Movement Speed
+7% to Spell Damage
Elemental Resists +7%
Poison Length Reduced by (10 to 15)%
-7% to All Vendor Prices

→

Haareis

Haareis
Diadem (4)
Defense: 36 to 80
Required Level: 10
Required Dexterity: 28
Item Level: 17
1% Chance to cast level 1 Shackles of Ice on Melee Attack
Adds 5-7 Cold Damage
(2 to 4)% Life stolen per Hit
(4 to 6)% to Strength
(4 to 6)% to Dexterity
(4 to 6)% to Vitality
Cold Resist +(16 to 25)%
Socketed (2)
Defense: 103 to 194
Required Level: 28
Required Dexterity: 57
Item Level: 32
2% Chance to cast level 5 Shackles of Ice on Melee Attack
Adds 18-20 Cold Damage
(8 to 10)% Life stolen per Hit
(7 to 9)% to Strength
(7 to 9)% to Dexterity
(7 to 9)% to Vitality
Cold Resist +(36 to 45)%
Socketed (2)
Defense: 215 to 386
Required Level: 46
Required Dexterity: 137
Item Level: 53
3% Chance to cast level 9 Shackles of Ice on Melee Attack
Adds 55-65 Cold Damage
(14 to 16)% Life stolen per Hit
(10 to 12)% to Strength
(10 to 12)% to Dexterity
(10 to 12)% to Vitality
Cold Resist +(56 to 65)%
Socketed (3)
Defense: 296 to 523
Required Level: 54
Required Dexterity: 294
Item Level: 90
4% Chance to cast level 11 Shackles of Ice on Melee Attack
Adds 175-190 Cold Damage
(17 to 19)% Life stolen per Hit
(13 to 15)% to Strength
(13 to 15)% to Dexterity
(13 to 15)% to Vitality
Cold Resist +(66 to 75)%
Socketed (4)

Belt:

Rainbow

Rainbow
Belts
'Eth'
Runeword Level: 15
+5% to Spell Damage
+(6 to 10)% to Summoned Minion Resistances
Regenerate Mana +(5 to 10)%
Elemental Resists +(10 to 15)%
(6 to 8)% Magic Find
+2 to Light Radius

→

Wormtongue

Wormtongue
Light Belt (4)
Defense: (53 - 58) to (71 - 78)
Required Level: 3
Required Strength: 26
Item Level: 5
(31 to 50)% Bonus to Attack Rating
Adds 5-13 Poison Damage over 2 seconds
(2 to 4)% Life stolen per Hit
+(18 to 29)% Enhanced Defense
+(11 to 15) to Dexterity
Socketed (1)
Defense: (214 - 231) to (259 - 279)
Required Level: 21
Required Strength: 55
Item Level: 24
(71 to 90)% Bonus to Attack Rating
Adds 19-50 Poison Damage over 2 seconds
(8 to 10)% Life stolen per Hit
+(41 to 52)% Enhanced Defense
+(21 to 25) to Dexterity
Socketed (2)
Defense: (544 - 581) to (649 - 693)
Required Level: 38
Required Strength: 192
Item Level: 45
(111 to 130)% Bonus to Attack Rating
Adds 75-150 Poison Damage over 2 seconds
(14 to 16)% Life stolen per Hit
+(64 to 75)% Enhanced Defense
+(31 to 35) to Dexterity
Socketed (2)
Defense: (801 - 851) to (946 - 1006)
Required Level: 46
Required Strength: 384
Item Level: 77
(131 to 150)% Bonus to Attack Rating
Adds 100-250 Poison Damage over 2 seconds
(17 to 19)% Life stolen per Hit
+(75 to 86)% Enhanced Defense
+(36 to 40) to Dexterity
Socketed (2)

Gloves:

Enlightenment

Enlightenment
Gloves
'El'
Runeword Level: 6
10% Combat Speeds
2% Life stolen per Hit
2% Mana stolen per Hit
+5 to all Attributes
+(2 to 3) Life Regenerated per Second
Lightning Resist +15%
+(4 to 6) to Light Radius

→

Toorc's Gift

Toorc's Gift
Heavy Gloves (4)
Defense: (15 - 18) to (30 - 34)
Required Level: 3
Required Strength: 26
Item Level: 5
2% Chance to cast level 1 Glacial Nova on Melee Attack
5% Attack Speed
Stun Attack
+(12 to 29)% Enhanced Defense
Cold Resist +(11 to 15)%
Socketed (1)
Defense: (129 - 143) to (160 - 177)
Required Level: 20
Required Strength: 52
Item Level: 24
3% Chance to cast level 2 Glacial Nova on Melee Attack
15% Attack Speed
Adds (11 to 15)-(16 to 25) Cold Damage
Stun Attack
+(47 to 63)% Enhanced Defense
Cold Resist +(21 to 25)%
Socketed (2)
Defense: (376 - 409) to (448 - 488)
Required Level: 38
Required Strength: 183
Item Level: 44
4% Chance to cast level 3 Glacial Nova on Melee Attack
25% Attack Speed
Adds (36 to 45)-(46 to 63) Cold Damage
Stun Attack
+(81 to 97)% Enhanced Defense
Cold Resist +(31 to 35)%
Socketed (3)
Defense: (568 - 614) to (685 - 740)
Required Level: 46
Required Strength: 366
Item Level: 77
5% Chance to cast level 3 Glacial Nova on Melee Attack
30% Attack Speed
Adds (81 to 100)-(101 to 125) Cold Damage
Stun Attack
+(98 to 114)% Enhanced Defense
Cold Resist +(36 to 40)%
Socketed (4)

Boots:

Epicenter

Epicenter
Boots
'Ith'
Runeword Level: 18
0.0625% Chance of Crushing Blow (Based on Character Level)
+(4 to 15)% Enhanced Defense
+(40 to 60) to Life
Elemental Resists +(3 to 5)%

→

Death Spur

Death Spur
Heavy Boots (4)
Defense: 27 to 39
Required Level: 3
Required Strength: 27
Item Level: 5
1% Chance to cast level 6 Spike Nova on Kill
(0 to 40)% Movement Speed
+0.09375 to Maximum Damage (Based on Character Level)
+(11 to 15) to Strength
+(11 to 15) to Dexterity
Socketed (1)
Defense: 109 to 141
Required Level: 20
Required Strength: 55
Item Level: 24
1% Chance to cast level 10 Spike Nova on Kill
(0 to 40)% Movement Speed
+0.15625 to Maximum Damage (Based on Character Level)
+(21 to 25) to Strength
+(21 to 25) to Dexterity
Socketed (2)
Defense: 248 to 310
Required Level: 38
Required Strength: 193
Item Level: 44
1% Chance to cast level 14 Spike Nova on Kill
(0 to 40)% Movement Speed
+0.21875 to Maximum Damage (Based on Character Level)
+(31 to 35) to Strength
+(31 to 35) to Dexterity
Socketed (3)
Defense: 346 to 427
Required Level: 46
Required Strength: 386
Item Level: 77
1% Chance to cast level 16 Spike Nova on Kill
(0 to 40)% Movement Speed
+0.25 to Maximum Damage (Based on Character Level)
+(36 to 40) to Strength
+(36 to 40) to Dexterity
Socketed (4)

Amulet: Rare with +Skills, Life, Res, and MF →

Vizjerei Judgment

Vizjerei Judgment
Amulet
(Sorceress Only)
Required Level: 90
Item Level: 80
+1 to Sorceress Skill Levels
(20 to 30)% Cast Speed
+(800 to 1200) to Mana
Elemental Resists +(20 to 30)%

Vizjerei Dominion
(Sorceress Arcane Set)

Rings: Rare with +Skills, Life, Res, and MF or

Ring of Regha

Ring of Regha
Ring
Item Level: 1
Adds 3-5 Damage
+5% to Spell Damage
+(5 to 15) to Strength
+(5 to 15) to Dexterity
Elemental Resists +10%

On Switch:

Pax Mystica

Pax Mystica
Staves
'ElTir'
Runeword Level: 10
+1 to All Skills
+7% to Spell Damage
+(2 to 5) to Blink
+3 to all Attributes
Elemental Resists +(11 to 15)%
(11 to 13)% Magic Find

(Blink oskill)

SOCKET FILLERS
Weapon: Rubies → Sapphires → Skulls
Armor (except Shield): Res Gems (Amber, Bloodstone, Onyx, Turquoise) → Amethysts
Armor (Shield): Res Gems (Emerald, Ruby, Sapphire, Topaz)
All RWs: Any Jewels with decent mods (as needed)

MYSTIC ORBS*
Weapon (TU): ED to cap → Max Damage → LoMA
Armor (TU Helm): HR → STR → Max Damage → Life Regen
Armor (TU Body Armor, Gloves, Belt, Shield): ED to cap → DEX → Max Damage → Life Regen
Armor (TU Boots): DEX → Max Damage → Life Regen
Jewelry: Poison Length Reduction → MF. Add Mana Regen if you feel you need it.

*Only orb TU gear at T4 to save gold.

NORMAL (CLVL 1-55)

ATTRIBUTE POINT DISTRIBUTION:
Put 20 points into STR → put 25 points into DEX → hold 50 Points → put everything else into DEX.

The points you’re holding will function as a reserve that you can draw from when you need more STR to equip gear. This way, you don’t have to waste a respec just to redistribute Attribute Points.

SKILL POINT DISTRIBUTION:
Generally, you’ll want to distribute Skill Points evenly among your skills as you level; however, you have some leeway to boost skills according to your needs (e.g. focusing on Coven skills if you feel too squishy, or Melee skills if your damage feels too low). Just be aware that your Melee skills cost a lot of Mana, and those costs will be severe if you boost your Melee skills too quickly. To help offset this, spec into Meditation once you unlock Bladestorm. Spec out of Meditation before moving on to Act 5.

GEARING:
When equipping found armor, don’t focus exclusively on a piece’s Defense rating. Instead, prioritize gear with Life, Life sustain, Life regen, Poison Res, Fire Res, DEX, and MF.

RANDOM WORLD DROPS:
Keep an eye out for the following items, which can drop at any point during your playthrough:

• Belladonna Extracts
  Single-use potions that let you respec at any time.
• Relics
  Rare drops that give you access to a random oskill plus some secondary benefits. You can carry up to 3 different Relics at a time. See this page for the full list of Relics.

PROGRESSION NOTES:

• Complete all main storyline quests. The rewards are actually helpful now.
• Collect a few Jewels.
• Collect all Runes.
• Collect and upgrade all Gems.
• You can create containers for Runes, Gems, Shrines, and Arcane Crystals by cubing one with an Oil of Craft. To put an item into its container, simply right-click it. To pull an item out, cube the container.
• Akara offers unlimited respecs to characters below clvl 50 (basically, the beginning of Act 5), so don’t worry if you mess something up early on.

► WALKTHROUGH

ACT 1

Eat your money token and gamble a Smoked Sphere from Gheed (Sorc Orbs have much faster attack speeds than Staves). If you get one that’s clvl requirement is too high, just hold onto it and switch to it when you can. Upgrade to better Orbs or a Warp Blade as you go.

If you haven’t found a Warp Blade (not Crystal Sword) naturally by the time you reach the Monastery, gamble one. Cube it with an Oil of Renewal to reroll it as a Superior base. If it rolls with 2 sockets, insert a Jewel, then an Eld Rune to make

Shark

Shark
Weapons
Except Necromancer Daggers, Assassin Claws
'Eld'
Runeword Level: 8
5% Chance to cast level 9 Bloodlust on Kill
+(7 to 9)% Bonus Damage to Bloodlust
20% Attack Speed
+5 to Maximum Damage
+0.125 to Maximum Damage (Based on Character Level)
1.5% Bonus to Attack Rating (Based on Character Level)
+(24 to 35)% Enhanced Damage
-1 to Mana

. If it rolls with no sockets, cube it with a Jewel to add a socket, then insert an Eld Rune.

ANDARIEL
Her Hive can deal decent damage, and your low HR makes her full-screen Meteor Shower extremely dangerous. Retreat immediately when you see it telegraphed.

Andariel has a guaranteed 1x TU drop. She also drops the Catalyst of Disenchantment. Use it to turn any spare TUs (except quest items) into Arcane Shards. Cubing 5 Shards will create an Arcane Crystal, which will be useful throughout the game. Don’t use this Catalyst on Unique Amulets, Rings, or Jewels. You can turn those into something more valuable later.

ACT 2

Have

Rainbow

Rainbow
Belts
'Eth'
Runeword Level: 15
+5% to Spell Damage
+(6 to 10)% to Summoned Minion Resistances
Regenerate Mana +(5 to 10)%
Elemental Resists +(10 to 15)%
(6 to 8)% Magic Find
+2 to Light Radius

made before starting out. You’ll want the extra Res. Some additional Poison Res is also recommended.

DURIEL
He’s fast and aggressive, and the falling rocks will deal a lot of damage and can hit-lock you. Reposition yourself when they’re about to start falling on your head.

Before leaving the Act, speak with Jerhyn and he’ll reward you with an Arcane Crystal.

ACT 3

As you put more points into DEX, the increasing NRG boost from Nova Charge will gradually make Mana costs less annoying.

Ormus will reward you with random Shrines upon completing the Gidbinn quest. Hold any Abandoned Shrines you may get.

Speak to Cain after killing the High Council, but before entering Mephisto’s Durance, and he’ll give you a second Arcane Crystal.

MEPHISTO
As long as you don’t just stand in his nova ring thing like an idiot, you can just melee him. Mephisto has a guaranteed 2x TU drop.

If you’ve found

The Warped Blade

The Warped Blade
Warp Blade (4)
One-Hand Damage: (6 - 7) to (22 - 36)
(Sorceress Only)
Required Level: 12
Required Dexterity: 39 to 41
Item Level: 19
Dexterity Damage Bonus: (0.13 per Dexterity)%
Area Effect Attack
5% Chance to cast level 12 Energy Beam on Melee Attack
15% Attack Speed
+(13 to 25) to Maximum Damage
+(24 to 46)% Enhanced Damage
+(16 to 25) to Dexterity
2% Reanimate as: Random Monster
Requirements -(11 to 15)%
Socketed (2)
One-Hand Damage: (20 - 23) to (73 - 90)
(Sorceress Only)
Required Level: 33
Required Dexterity: 53 to 56
Item Level: 36
Dexterity Damage Bonus: (0.13 per Dexterity)%
Area Effect Attack
10% Chance to cast level 20 Energy Beam on Melee Attack
25% Attack Speed
+(38 to 50) to Maximum Damage
+(69 to 92)% Enhanced Damage
+(36 to 45) to Dexterity
4% Reanimate as: Random Monster
Requirements -(21 to 25)%
Socketed (4)
One-Hand Damage: (49 - 54) to (157 - 179)
(Sorceress Only)
Required Level: 52
Required Dexterity: 91 to 96
Item Level: 58
Dexterity Damage Bonus: (0.13 per Dexterity)%
Area Effect Attack
15% Chance to cast level 28 Energy Beam on Melee Attack
35% Attack Speed
+(63 to 75) to Maximum Damage
+(115 to 137)% Enhanced Damage
+(56 to 65) to Dexterity
6% Reanimate as: Random Monster
Requirements -(31 to 35)%
Socketed (5)
One-Hand Damage: (69 - 75) to (202 - 225)
(Sorceress Only)
Required Level: 62
Required Dexterity: 166 to 177
Item Level: 90
Dexterity Damage Bonus: (0.13 per Dexterity)%
Area Effect Attack
20% Chance to cast level 36 Energy Beam on Melee Attack
40% Attack Speed
+(76 to 88) to Maximum Damage
+(138 to 160)% Enhanced Damage
+(66 to 75) to Dexterity
8% Reanimate as: Random Monster
Requirements -(36 to 40)%
Socketed (6)

naturally, cube it with an AC to uptier it to Tier 2. If not, gamble a T2 Warp Blade and cube it with an Oil of Enhancement and 2x ACs to create it. Socket it with Rubies.

ACT 4

Have at least +35% Elemental Res. Additional Fire Res is recommended.

In the Chaos Sanctuary, three of the seals will release a Superunique enemy:

• Magdha (west) is the most dangerous. Though its casting speed is slower than your HR, its Flamefront is a spread, so there’s a chance it will hit-lock you to death before you can get out of it.
• Ghom (east) is moderately tanky and its Tremor and Fortress can deal decent damage.
• Iceclaw the Merciless (north) summons minions and attacks from a distance.

DIABLO
His Flamestrike can deal decent damage if your Fire Res is low. Otherwise, just melee him.

Spec out of Meditation before moving on to Act 5. Put those extra points into Nova Charge.

ACT 5

Have at least +45% Elemental Res. Additional Lightning Res is recommended.

Shenk the Overseer will drop a Mark of Infusion, which is used to create Honorific and Sacred Honorific items. Hold onto it.

Nihlathak has a guaranteed 2x TU drop.

Killing Lister the Tormentor in Baal’s throne room will open a rift to Tran Athulua. Before facing Baal, enter the rift and complete the Level Challenge. Once completed, cube the Charm you craft with the Scroll of Elemental Resistance you got from Malah for rescuing Anya.

BAAL
He’s fast, aggressive, and teleports. His cold wave will Chill you, and his beam attack will rapidly drain your Mana (and later, your Life). Avoid that. The black circles he spawns on the ground will erupt into large AoE novas that can deal a lot of damage. Avoid those, too. Other than that, just chase him around and melee.

A 20 minute quest lockout warning will pop up when you enter the Worldstone Chamber. A lockout means you’ll have free access to enter and leave the area only for the time allotted (in this case, for the next 20 minutes). You can stay in the area as long as you want, but if you leave after the timer, you won’t be able to reenter the area in that game. In SP, the timer still counts down while the game is paused.

PREPARING FOR NIGHTMARE

After killing Baal and taking the red portal, make a new game in Normal. Farm Mephisto and Nihlathak for ACs until you have the following:

• The Warped Blade

  

  The Warped Blade
  Warp Blade (4)
  One-Hand Damage: (6 - 7) to (22 - 36)
  (Sorceress Only)
  Required Level: 12
  Required Dexterity: 39 to 41
  Item Level: 19
  Dexterity Damage Bonus: (0.13 per Dexterity)%
  Area Effect Attack
  5% Chance to cast level 12 Energy Beam on Melee Attack
  15% Attack Speed
  +(13 to 25) to Maximum Damage
  +(24 to 46)% Enhanced Damage
  +(16 to 25) to Dexterity
  2% Reanimate as: Random Monster
  Requirements -(11 to 15)%
  Socketed (2)
  One-Hand Damage: (20 - 23) to (73 - 90)
  (Sorceress Only)
  Required Level: 33
  Required Dexterity: 53 to 56
  Item Level: 36
  Dexterity Damage Bonus: (0.13 per Dexterity)%
  Area Effect Attack
  10% Chance to cast level 20 Energy Beam on Melee Attack
  25% Attack Speed
  +(38 to 50) to Maximum Damage
  +(69 to 92)% Enhanced Damage
  +(36 to 45) to Dexterity
  4% Reanimate as: Random Monster
  Requirements -(21 to 25)%
  Socketed (4)
  One-Hand Damage: (49 - 54) to (157 - 179)
  (Sorceress Only)
  Required Level: 52
  Required Dexterity: 91 to 96
  Item Level: 58
  Dexterity Damage Bonus: (0.13 per Dexterity)%
  Area Effect Attack
  15% Chance to cast level 28 Energy Beam on Melee Attack
  35% Attack Speed
  +(63 to 75) to Maximum Damage
  +(115 to 137)% Enhanced Damage
  +(56 to 65) to Dexterity
  6% Reanimate as: Random Monster
  Requirements -(31 to 35)%
  Socketed (5)
  One-Hand Damage: (69 - 75) to (202 - 225)
  (Sorceress Only)
  Required Level: 62
  Required Dexterity: 166 to 177
  Item Level: 90
  Dexterity Damage Bonus: (0.13 per Dexterity)%
  Area Effect Attack
  20% Chance to cast level 36 Energy Beam on Melee Attack
  40% Attack Speed
  +(76 to 88) to Maximum Damage
  +(138 to 160)% Enhanced Damage
  +(66 to 75) to Dexterity
  8% Reanimate as: Random Monster
  Requirements -(36 to 40)%
  Socketed (6)
  
  [3]
• Cloudladder

  

  Cloudladder
  Spiked Shield (4)
  Defense: (102 - 116) to (203 - 230)
  Chance to Block: Class%
  Required Level: 7
  Required Dexterity: 55
  Item Level: 12
  +1 to All Skills
  +1 to Druid Skill Levels
  +1 to Sorceress Skill Levels
  +(41 to 60)% Enhanced Defense
  +20 to all Attributes
  +10 Life Regenerated per Second
  Socketed (1)
  Defense: (372 - 414) to (629 - 699)
  Chance to Block: Class%
  Required Level: 24
  Required Dexterity: 81
  Item Level: 29
  +(1 to 2) to All Skills
  +(1 to 2) to Druid Skill Levels
  +(1 to 2) to Sorceress Skill Levels
  +(71 to 90)% Enhanced Defense
  +30 to all Attributes
  +20 Life Regenerated per Second
  Socketed (4)
  Defense: (920 - 1007) to (1503 - 1645)
  Chance to Block: Class%
  Required Level: 42
  Required Dexterity: 170
  Item Level: 49
  +2 to All Skills
  +2 to Druid Skill Levels
  +2 to Sorceress Skill Levels
  +(101 to 120)% Enhanced Defense
  +40 to all Attributes
  +30 Life Regenerated per Second
  Socketed (5)
  Defense: (1443 - 1687) to (2346 - 2743)
  Chance to Block: Class%
  Required Level: 51
  Required Dexterity: 353
  Item Level: 84
  +2 to All Skills
  +2 to Druid Skill Levels
  +2 to Sorceress Skill Levels
  +(131 to 170)% Enhanced Defense
  +50 to all Attributes
  +40 Life Regenerated per Second
  Socketed (6)
  
  [3]
• Haareis

  

  Haareis
  Diadem (4)
  Defense: 36 to 80
  Required Level: 10
  Required Dexterity: 28
  Item Level: 17
  1% Chance to cast level 1 Shackles of Ice on Melee Attack
  Adds 5-7 Cold Damage
  (2 to 4)% Life stolen per Hit
  (4 to 6)% to Strength
  (4 to 6)% to Dexterity
  (4 to 6)% to Vitality
  Cold Resist +(16 to 25)%
  Socketed (2)
  Defense: 103 to 194
  Required Level: 28
  Required Dexterity: 57
  Item Level: 32
  2% Chance to cast level 5 Shackles of Ice on Melee Attack
  Adds 18-20 Cold Damage
  (8 to 10)% Life stolen per Hit
  (7 to 9)% to Strength
  (7 to 9)% to Dexterity
  (7 to 9)% to Vitality
  Cold Resist +(36 to 45)%
  Socketed (2)
  Defense: 215 to 386
  Required Level: 46
  Required Dexterity: 137
  Item Level: 53
  3% Chance to cast level 9 Shackles of Ice on Melee Attack
  Adds 55-65 Cold Damage
  (14 to 16)% Life stolen per Hit
  (10 to 12)% to Strength
  (10 to 12)% to Dexterity
  (10 to 12)% to Vitality
  Cold Resist +(56 to 65)%
  Socketed (3)
  Defense: 296 to 523
  Required Level: 54
  Required Dexterity: 294
  Item Level: 90
  4% Chance to cast level 11 Shackles of Ice on Melee Attack
  Adds 175-190 Cold Damage
  (17 to 19)% Life stolen per Hit
  (13 to 15)% to Strength
  (13 to 15)% to Dexterity
  (13 to 15)% to Vitality
  Cold Resist +(66 to 75)%
  Socketed (4)
  
  [3]
• Wedding Dress of the Zann

  

  Wedding Dress of the Zann
  Ceremonial Armor (4)
  Defense: (352 - 409) to (706 - 821)
  (Sorceress Only)
  Required Level: 12
  Required Dexterity: 97
  Item Level: 20
  15% Attack Speed
  +(2 to 3) to Spiral Dance
  4% Deadly Strike
  +(35 to 57)% Enhanced Defense
  +(16 to 25) to Strength
  +(16 to 25) to Dexterity
  Socketed (2)
  Defense: (1131 - 1268) to (2161 - 2423)
  (Sorceress Only)
  Required Level: 31
  Required Dexterity: 143
  Item Level: 35
  30% Attack Speed
  +(4 to 5) to Spiral Dance
  6% Deadly Strike
  +(81 to 103)% Enhanced Defense
  +(36 to 45) to Strength
  +(36 to 45) to Dexterity
  Socketed (4)
  Defense: (2818 - 3105) to (5286 - 5824)
  (Sorceress Only)
  Required Level: 48
  Required Dexterity: 300
  Item Level: 55
  45% Attack Speed
  +(6 to 7) to Spiral Dance
  8% Deadly Strike
  +(126 to 149)% Enhanced Defense
  +(56 to 65) to Strength
  +(56 to 65) to Dexterity
  Socketed (5)
  Defense: (4203 - 4574) to (7888 - 8585)
  (Sorceress Only)
  Required Level: 55
  Required Dexterity: 622
  Item Level: 90
  60% Attack Speed
  +(7 to 8) to Spiral Dance
  10% Deadly Strike
  +(149 to 171)% Enhanced Defense
  +(66 to 75) to Strength
  +(66 to 75) to Dexterity
  Socketed (6)
  
  [3]
• Wormtongue

  

  Wormtongue
  Light Belt (4)
  Defense: (53 - 58) to (71 - 78)
  Required Level: 3
  Required Strength: 26
  Item Level: 5
  (31 to 50)% Bonus to Attack Rating
  Adds 5-13 Poison Damage over 2 seconds
  (2 to 4)% Life stolen per Hit
  +(18 to 29)% Enhanced Defense
  +(11 to 15) to Dexterity
  Socketed (1)
  Defense: (214 - 231) to (259 - 279)
  Required Level: 21
  Required Strength: 55
  Item Level: 24
  (71 to 90)% Bonus to Attack Rating
  Adds 19-50 Poison Damage over 2 seconds
  (8 to 10)% Life stolen per Hit
  +(41 to 52)% Enhanced Defense
  +(21 to 25) to Dexterity
  Socketed (2)
  Defense: (544 - 581) to (649 - 693)
  Required Level: 38
  Required Strength: 192
  Item Level: 45
  (111 to 130)% Bonus to Attack Rating
  Adds 75-150 Poison Damage over 2 seconds
  (14 to 16)% Life stolen per Hit
  +(64 to 75)% Enhanced Defense
  +(31 to 35) to Dexterity
  Socketed (2)
  Defense: (801 - 851) to (946 - 1006)
  Required Level: 46
  Required Strength: 384
  Item Level: 77
  (131 to 150)% Bonus to Attack Rating
  Adds 100-250 Poison Damage over 2 seconds
  (17 to 19)% Life stolen per Hit
  +(75 to 86)% Enhanced Defense
  +(36 to 40) to Dexterity
  Socketed (2)
  
  [2]
• Death Spur

  

  Death Spur
  Heavy Boots (4)
  Defense: 27 to 39
  Required Level: 3
  Required Strength: 27
  Item Level: 5
  1% Chance to cast level 6 Spike Nova on Kill
  (0 to 40)% Movement Speed
  +0.09375 to Maximum Damage (Based on Character Level)
  +(11 to 15) to Strength
  +(11 to 15) to Dexterity
  Socketed (1)
  Defense: 109 to 141
  Required Level: 20
  Required Strength: 55
  Item Level: 24
  1% Chance to cast level 10 Spike Nova on Kill
  (0 to 40)% Movement Speed
  +0.15625 to Maximum Damage (Based on Character Level)
  +(21 to 25) to Strength
  +(21 to 25) to Dexterity
  Socketed (2)
  Defense: 248 to 310
  Required Level: 38
  Required Strength: 193
  Item Level: 44
  1% Chance to cast level 14 Spike Nova on Kill
  (0 to 40)% Movement Speed
  +0.21875 to Maximum Damage (Based on Character Level)
  +(31 to 35) to Strength
  +(31 to 35) to Dexterity
  Socketed (3)
  Defense: 346 to 427
  Required Level: 46
  Required Strength: 386
  Item Level: 77
  1% Chance to cast level 16 Spike Nova on Kill
  (0 to 40)% Movement Speed
  +0.25 to Maximum Damage (Based on Character Level)
  +(36 to 40) to Strength
  +(36 to 40) to Dexterity
  Socketed (4)
  
  [2]
• Toorc's Gift

  

  Toorc's Gift
  Heavy Gloves (4)
  Defense: (15 - 18) to (30 - 34)
  Required Level: 3
  Required Strength: 26
  Item Level: 5
  2% Chance to cast level 1 Glacial Nova on Melee Attack
  5% Attack Speed
  Stun Attack
  +(12 to 29)% Enhanced Defense
  Cold Resist +(11 to 15)%
  Socketed (1)
  Defense: (129 - 143) to (160 - 177)
  Required Level: 20
  Required Strength: 52
  Item Level: 24
  3% Chance to cast level 2 Glacial Nova on Melee Attack
  15% Attack Speed
  Adds (11 to 15)-(16 to 25) Cold Damage
  Stun Attack
  +(47 to 63)% Enhanced Defense
  Cold Resist +(21 to 25)%
  Socketed (2)
  Defense: (376 - 409) to (448 - 488)
  Required Level: 38
  Required Strength: 183
  Item Level: 44
  4% Chance to cast level 3 Glacial Nova on Melee Attack
  25% Attack Speed
  Adds (36 to 45)-(46 to 63) Cold Damage
  Stun Attack
  +(81 to 97)% Enhanced Defense
  Cold Resist +(31 to 35)%
  Socketed (3)
  Defense: (568 - 614) to (685 - 740)
  Required Level: 46
  Required Strength: 366
  Item Level: 77
  5% Chance to cast level 3 Glacial Nova on Melee Attack
  30% Attack Speed
  Adds (81 to 100)-(101 to 125) Cold Damage
  Stun Attack
  +(98 to 114)% Enhanced Defense
  Cold Resist +(36 to 40)%
  Socketed (4)
  
  [2]

If you’ve found any of these TUs naturally, simply uptier them. If not, gamble the appropriately tiered bases and create them (use the gamble filter to help). If you don’t find

Herald of Skartara

Herald of Skartara
Reflex Bow (4)
Two-Hand Damage: (20 - 25) to (34 - 45)
(Amazon Only)
Required Level: 11
Required Dexterity: 103
Item Level: 18
Dexterity Damage Bonus: (0.15 per Dexterity)%
1% Chance to cast level 3 Phalanx on Kill
1% Chance to cast level 6 Celerity on Kill
15% Attack Speed
Adds (11 to 15)-(21 to 30) Damage
+(35 to 57)% Enhanced Damage
10% Magic Find
Socketed (2)
Two-Hand Damage: (57 - 71) to (88 - 102)
(Amazon Only)
Required Level: 30
Required Dexterity: 150
Item Level: 33
Dexterity Damage Bonus: (0.15 per Dexterity)%
2% Chance to cast level 7 Phalanx on Kill
2% Chance to cast level 10 Celerity on Kill
25% Attack Speed
Adds (25 to 35)-(41 to 50) Damage
+(81 to 103)% Enhanced Damage
20% Magic Find
Socketed (4)
Two-Hand Damage: (124 - 142) to (173 - 204)
(Amazon Only)
Required Level: 48
Required Dexterity: 290
Item Level: 53
Dexterity Damage Bonus: (0.15 per Dexterity)%
3% Chance to cast level 11 Phalanx on Kill
3% Chance to cast level 14 Celerity on Kill
35% Attack Speed
Adds (36 to 45)-(51 to 70) Damage
+(126 to 149)% Enhanced Damage
30% Magic Find
Socketed (5)
Two-Hand Damage: (168 - 187) to (230 - 263)
(Amazon Only)
Required Level: 57
Required Dexterity: 570
Item Level: 90
Dexterity Damage Bonus: (0.15 per Dexterity)%
4% Chance to cast level 13 Phalanx on Kill
4% Chance to cast level 20 Celerity on Kill
40% Attack Speed
Adds (51 to 60)-(71 to 90) Damage
+(149 to 171)% Enhanced Damage
40% Magic Find
Socketed (6)

, make

Shockwave

Shockwave
Bows
'IthShael'
Runeword Level: 35
50% Chance to cast level 14 Punishers on Kill
+15% Bonus to Poison Skill Duration
+(11 to 15) to Maximum Damage
+(58 to 72)% Enhanced Damage
+10% to Poison Spell Damage
(3 to 5)% Chance of Crushing Blow
Slow Target (11 to 15)%
+(21 to 40) to Dexterity
+(21 to 40) to Energy

in a Short or Long War Bow for your merc. Equip her with any other useful TUs that may drop.

NIGHTMARE (CLVL 55-104)

ATTRUBUTE POINT DISTRIBUTION:
Put an additional 25 points into STR → increase your reserve to 75 points → everything else into DEX.

SKILL POINT DISTRIBUTION:
Continue distributing points evenly, but do not put any points into Premonition yet.

GEARING:
From here on, start collecting the following items as you find them:

• All Sacred Warp Blades, Sacred Ceremonial Armor, and Sacred Sashes.
  Use Oils of Renewal to reroll them as you find them. Keep only the best versions of each, and replace them with better versions as they roll. Ideal rolls are:
  
  • Weapons = +60% ED
  • Armor = +50% ED and +1% Phys Res
• 1x Magic Sacred Leather Gloves
• 3x-4x Magic Sacred Boots
• 1x Sacred or T4 Jared's Stone
• All pieces to
  The Mysteries

  The Mysteries
  (Sorceress Melee Set)
  
  Cauldron
  Pentacle
  Sacred Circle
  Witchblade
  
  Set Bonus with 2 or more set items:
  +2 to Sorceress Skill Levels
  +50 to Dexterity
  
  Set Bonus with 3 or more set items:
  +21 to Spiral Dance
  Physical Resist 10%
  
  Set Bonus with complete set:
  +100 Damage
  +4 to Ward of Fate
  10% Chance of Crushing Blow
  Enhanced Weapon Damage +100%
  +4000 Defense
  5% Chance to Avoid Damage
  
  
• All pieces to
  Pantheon

  Pantheon
  (Amazon Bow Set)
  
  Earth
  Fire
  Frost
  Water
  
  Set Bonus with 2 or more set items:
  50% Attack Speed
  Elemental Resists +50%
  
  Set Bonus with 3 or more set items:
  Enhanced Weapon Damage +60%
  +150 to Life
  
  Set Bonus with complete set:
  3% Chance to cast level 40 Trinity Nova on Kill
  5% Chance to cast level 11 Time Strike on Striking
  Adds 63-125 Damage
  -45% to Enemy Elemental Resistances
  Enhanced Weapon Damage +60%
  +200 to Dexterity
  
  
  (for your merc)
• Witchhunter's Hood

  

  Witchhunter's Hood
  Cap (Sacred)
  Defense: (2136 - 2611) to (2161 - 2642)
  Required Level: 90
  Required Strength: 250
  Item Level: 1
  +(80 to 120)% Enhanced Defense
  10% to Strength
  10% to Dexterity
  Maximum Elemental Resists +2%
  Elemental Resists +(31 to 40)%
  Physical Resist 5%
  (16 to 20)% Bonus to Defense
  Requirements -50%
  Socketed (4)
  

  
  Witchhunter's Attire
  (Assassin Claw Set)
  
• 1x Abandoned Shrine. You can collect all Shrine types if you want, but Abandoned will be the most important.

PROGRESSION NOTES:

• A -30% Elemental Res penalty will be applied to you and your merc.
• All Act bosses will now heal 5% of their Max Life if they kill you.
• The side areas in all Acts are now filled with Veteran monsters. They’re tougher to kill, but the XP gains and drops are (supposedly) better than in normal areas.

► WALKTHROUGH

ACT 1

+30% Elemental Res is sufficient, but +60% Poison Res is recommended by the time you reach the Monastery. Add a few Sapphires to your weapon if you have Mana problems.

ACT 2

+40% Elemental Res is sufficient, but at least +60% Lightning and Poison Res is recommended.

The Summoner in the Arcane Sanctuary will drop the Catalyst of Learning. Use this to turn spare Set pieces, Sacred Uniques (SUs), and Unique Rings, Amulets, and Jewels into Signets of Learning. SoL give you 1 free Attribute Point per Signet used (up to 400).

Use the Arcane Crystal you get from Jehryn to uptier your weapon to T4. Cube it with an Oil of Luck, then orb it with %ED until you hit the damage cap (200% ED). Resocket with 4x Rubies and 2x Sapphires.

ACT 3

Have +60% Elemental Res. As you level, add Max Damage MOs to your weapon when your clvl allows.

Use the Arcane Crystal you’ll get from Cain to uptier your shield to T4.

After killing Mephisto, a rift will open to Kurast 3000 B.A. Enter the rift and complete the Ennead Challenge. Once you get your Class Charm, continue clearing K3KBA until you reach clvl 90 and find a

Vizjerei Judgment

Vizjerei Judgment
Amulet
(Sorceress Only)
Required Level: 90
Item Level: 80
+1 to Sorceress Skill Levels
(20 to 30)% Cast Speed
+(800 to 1200) to Mana
Elemental Resists +(20 to 30)%

Vizjerei Dominion
(Sorceress Arcane Set)

.

ACT 4

Boost your Fire and Poison Res to +75%. Now that you have an innate source of LoMA via Baneblade, socket your weapon with Skulls for more damage (Gems and Runes can push gear beyond their natural ED limits).

Izual will drop the Catalyst of Jewelcraft. You’ll use this to—you guessed it—craft Jewels.

ACT 5

Have +75% Elemental Res and boost your merc’s Res with whatever Res Gems you have left.

Nihlathak has a guaranteed Signet of Learning drop.

BAAL
Much harder and more obnoxious. He now summons Minions of Destruction, which mostly exist to annoy you by getting in your way and keeping you Slowed. If you have trouble engaging Baal in melee due to Slow and Mana drain, you can just lead him through Fusillades. Keep an eye on your merc and teleport to pull her back so she doesn’t get 1-shot by a black circle. Teleport to the center peninsula, near the Worldstone, when you need a break.

PREPARING FOR HELL

After killing Baal and taking the red portal, make a new game in Normal. Farm Mephisto, Nihlathak, and Andariel for ACs until you have the following:

• The Warped Blade

  

  The Warped Blade
  Warp Blade (4)
  One-Hand Damage: (6 - 7) to (22 - 36)
  (Sorceress Only)
  Required Level: 12
  Required Dexterity: 39 to 41
  Item Level: 19
  Dexterity Damage Bonus: (0.13 per Dexterity)%
  Area Effect Attack
  5% Chance to cast level 12 Energy Beam on Melee Attack
  15% Attack Speed
  +(13 to 25) to Maximum Damage
  +(24 to 46)% Enhanced Damage
  +(16 to 25) to Dexterity
  2% Reanimate as: Random Monster
  Requirements -(11 to 15)%
  Socketed (2)
  One-Hand Damage: (20 - 23) to (73 - 90)
  (Sorceress Only)
  Required Level: 33
  Required Dexterity: 53 to 56
  Item Level: 36
  Dexterity Damage Bonus: (0.13 per Dexterity)%
  Area Effect Attack
  10% Chance to cast level 20 Energy Beam on Melee Attack
  25% Attack Speed
  +(38 to 50) to Maximum Damage
  +(69 to 92)% Enhanced Damage
  +(36 to 45) to Dexterity
  4% Reanimate as: Random Monster
  Requirements -(21 to 25)%
  Socketed (4)
  One-Hand Damage: (49 - 54) to (157 - 179)
  (Sorceress Only)
  Required Level: 52
  Required Dexterity: 91 to 96
  Item Level: 58
  Dexterity Damage Bonus: (0.13 per Dexterity)%
  Area Effect Attack
  15% Chance to cast level 28 Energy Beam on Melee Attack
  35% Attack Speed
  +(63 to 75) to Maximum Damage
  +(115 to 137)% Enhanced Damage
  +(56 to 65) to Dexterity
  6% Reanimate as: Random Monster
  Requirements -(31 to 35)%
  Socketed (5)
  One-Hand Damage: (69 - 75) to (202 - 225)
  (Sorceress Only)
  Required Level: 62
  Required Dexterity: 166 to 177
  Item Level: 90
  Dexterity Damage Bonus: (0.13 per Dexterity)%
  Area Effect Attack
  20% Chance to cast level 36 Energy Beam on Melee Attack
  40% Attack Speed
  +(76 to 88) to Maximum Damage
  +(138 to 160)% Enhanced Damage
  +(66 to 75) to Dexterity
  8% Reanimate as: Random Monster
  Requirements -(36 to 40)%
  Socketed (6)
  
  [4]
• Cloudladder

  

  Cloudladder
  Spiked Shield (4)
  Defense: (102 - 116) to (203 - 230)
  Chance to Block: Class%
  Required Level: 7
  Required Dexterity: 55
  Item Level: 12
  +1 to All Skills
  +1 to Druid Skill Levels
  +1 to Sorceress Skill Levels
  +(41 to 60)% Enhanced Defense
  +20 to all Attributes
  +10 Life Regenerated per Second
  Socketed (1)
  Defense: (372 - 414) to (629 - 699)
  Chance to Block: Class%
  Required Level: 24
  Required Dexterity: 81
  Item Level: 29
  +(1 to 2) to All Skills
  +(1 to 2) to Druid Skill Levels
  +(1 to 2) to Sorceress Skill Levels
  +(71 to 90)% Enhanced Defense
  +30 to all Attributes
  +20 Life Regenerated per Second
  Socketed (4)
  Defense: (920 - 1007) to (1503 - 1645)
  Chance to Block: Class%
  Required Level: 42
  Required Dexterity: 170
  Item Level: 49
  +2 to All Skills
  +2 to Druid Skill Levels
  +2 to Sorceress Skill Levels
  +(101 to 120)% Enhanced Defense
  +40 to all Attributes
  +30 Life Regenerated per Second
  Socketed (5)
  Defense: (1443 - 1687) to (2346 - 2743)
  Chance to Block: Class%
  Required Level: 51
  Required Dexterity: 353
  Item Level: 84
  +2 to All Skills
  +2 to Druid Skill Levels
  +2 to Sorceress Skill Levels
  +(131 to 170)% Enhanced Defense
  +50 to all Attributes
  +40 Life Regenerated per Second
  Socketed (6)
  
  [4]
• Haareis

  

  Haareis
  Diadem (4)
  Defense: 36 to 80
  Required Level: 10
  Required Dexterity: 28
  Item Level: 17
  1% Chance to cast level 1 Shackles of Ice on Melee Attack
  Adds 5-7 Cold Damage
  (2 to 4)% Life stolen per Hit
  (4 to 6)% to Strength
  (4 to 6)% to Dexterity
  (4 to 6)% to Vitality
  Cold Resist +(16 to 25)%
  Socketed (2)
  Defense: 103 to 194
  Required Level: 28
  Required Dexterity: 57
  Item Level: 32
  2% Chance to cast level 5 Shackles of Ice on Melee Attack
  Adds 18-20 Cold Damage
  (8 to 10)% Life stolen per Hit
  (7 to 9)% to Strength
  (7 to 9)% to Dexterity
  (7 to 9)% to Vitality
  Cold Resist +(36 to 45)%
  Socketed (2)
  Defense: 215 to 386
  Required Level: 46
  Required Dexterity: 137
  Item Level: 53
  3% Chance to cast level 9 Shackles of Ice on Melee Attack
  Adds 55-65 Cold Damage
  (14 to 16)% Life stolen per Hit
  (10 to 12)% to Strength
  (10 to 12)% to Dexterity
  (10 to 12)% to Vitality
  Cold Resist +(56 to 65)%
  Socketed (3)
  Defense: 296 to 523
  Required Level: 54
  Required Dexterity: 294
  Item Level: 90
  4% Chance to cast level 11 Shackles of Ice on Melee Attack
  Adds 175-190 Cold Damage
  (17 to 19)% Life stolen per Hit
  (13 to 15)% to Strength
  (13 to 15)% to Dexterity
  (13 to 15)% to Vitality
  Cold Resist +(66 to 75)%
  Socketed (4)
  
  [4]
• Wedding Dress of the Zann

  

  Wedding Dress of the Zann
  Ceremonial Armor (4)
  Defense: (352 - 409) to (706 - 821)
  (Sorceress Only)
  Required Level: 12
  Required Dexterity: 97
  Item Level: 20
  15% Attack Speed
  +(2 to 3) to Spiral Dance
  4% Deadly Strike
  +(35 to 57)% Enhanced Defense
  +(16 to 25) to Strength
  +(16 to 25) to Dexterity
  Socketed (2)
  Defense: (1131 - 1268) to (2161 - 2423)
  (Sorceress Only)
  Required Level: 31
  Required Dexterity: 143
  Item Level: 35
  30% Attack Speed
  +(4 to 5) to Spiral Dance
  6% Deadly Strike
  +(81 to 103)% Enhanced Defense
  +(36 to 45) to Strength
  +(36 to 45) to Dexterity
  Socketed (4)
  Defense: (2818 - 3105) to (5286 - 5824)
  (Sorceress Only)
  Required Level: 48
  Required Dexterity: 300
  Item Level: 55
  45% Attack Speed
  +(6 to 7) to Spiral Dance
  8% Deadly Strike
  +(126 to 149)% Enhanced Defense
  +(56 to 65) to Strength
  +(56 to 65) to Dexterity
  Socketed (5)
  Defense: (4203 - 4574) to (7888 - 8585)
  (Sorceress Only)
  Required Level: 55
  Required Dexterity: 622
  Item Level: 90
  60% Attack Speed
  +(7 to 8) to Spiral Dance
  10% Deadly Strike
  +(149 to 171)% Enhanced Defense
  +(66 to 75) to Strength
  +(66 to 75) to Dexterity
  Socketed (6)
  
  [4]
• Wormtongue

  

  Wormtongue
  Light Belt (4)
  Defense: (53 - 58) to (71 - 78)
  Required Level: 3
  Required Strength: 26
  Item Level: 5
  (31 to 50)% Bonus to Attack Rating
  Adds 5-13 Poison Damage over 2 seconds
  (2 to 4)% Life stolen per Hit
  +(18 to 29)% Enhanced Defense
  +(11 to 15) to Dexterity
  Socketed (1)
  Defense: (214 - 231) to (259 - 279)
  Required Level: 21
  Required Strength: 55
  Item Level: 24
  (71 to 90)% Bonus to Attack Rating
  Adds 19-50 Poison Damage over 2 seconds
  (8 to 10)% Life stolen per Hit
  +(41 to 52)% Enhanced Defense
  +(21 to 25) to Dexterity
  Socketed (2)
  Defense: (544 - 581) to (649 - 693)
  Required Level: 38
  Required Strength: 192
  Item Level: 45
  (111 to 130)% Bonus to Attack Rating
  Adds 75-150 Poison Damage over 2 seconds
  (14 to 16)% Life stolen per Hit
  +(64 to 75)% Enhanced Defense
  +(31 to 35) to Dexterity
  Socketed (2)
  Defense: (801 - 851) to (946 - 1006)
  Required Level: 46
  Required Strength: 384
  Item Level: 77
  (131 to 150)% Bonus to Attack Rating
  Adds 100-250 Poison Damage over 2 seconds
  (17 to 19)% Life stolen per Hit
  +(75 to 86)% Enhanced Defense
  +(36 to 40) to Dexterity
  Socketed (2)
  
  [3]
• Death Spur

  

  Death Spur
  Heavy Boots (4)
  Defense: 27 to 39
  Required Level: 3
  Required Strength: 27
  Item Level: 5
  1% Chance to cast level 6 Spike Nova on Kill
  (0 to 40)% Movement Speed
  +0.09375 to Maximum Damage (Based on Character Level)
  +(11 to 15) to Strength
  +(11 to 15) to Dexterity
  Socketed (1)
  Defense: 109 to 141
  Required Level: 20
  Required Strength: 55
  Item Level: 24
  1% Chance to cast level 10 Spike Nova on Kill
  (0 to 40)% Movement Speed
  +0.15625 to Maximum Damage (Based on Character Level)
  +(21 to 25) to Strength
  +(21 to 25) to Dexterity
  Socketed (2)
  Defense: 248 to 310
  Required Level: 38
  Required Strength: 193
  Item Level: 44
  1% Chance to cast level 14 Spike Nova on Kill
  (0 to 40)% Movement Speed
  +0.21875 to Maximum Damage (Based on Character Level)
  +(31 to 35) to Strength
  +(31 to 35) to Dexterity
  Socketed (3)
  Defense: 346 to 427
  Required Level: 46
  Required Strength: 386
  Item Level: 77
  1% Chance to cast level 16 Spike Nova on Kill
  (0 to 40)% Movement Speed
  +0.25 to Maximum Damage (Based on Character Level)
  +(36 to 40) to Strength
  +(36 to 40) to Dexterity
  Socketed (4)
  
  [3]
• Toorc's Gift

  

  Toorc's Gift
  Heavy Gloves (4)
  Defense: (15 - 18) to (30 - 34)
  Required Level: 3
  Required Strength: 26
  Item Level: 5
  2% Chance to cast level 1 Glacial Nova on Melee Attack
  5% Attack Speed
  Stun Attack
  +(12 to 29)% Enhanced Defense
  Cold Resist +(11 to 15)%
  Socketed (1)
  Defense: (129 - 143) to (160 - 177)
  Required Level: 20
  Required Strength: 52
  Item Level: 24
  3% Chance to cast level 2 Glacial Nova on Melee Attack
  15% Attack Speed
  Adds (11 to 15)-(16 to 25) Cold Damage
  Stun Attack
  +(47 to 63)% Enhanced Defense
  Cold Resist +(21 to 25)%
  Socketed (2)
  Defense: (376 - 409) to (448 - 488)
  Required Level: 38
  Required Strength: 183
  Item Level: 44
  4% Chance to cast level 3 Glacial Nova on Melee Attack
  25% Attack Speed
  Adds (36 to 45)-(46 to 63) Cold Damage
  Stun Attack
  +(81 to 97)% Enhanced Defense
  Cold Resist +(31 to 35)%
  Socketed (3)
  Defense: (568 - 614) to (685 - 740)
  Required Level: 46
  Required Strength: 366
  Item Level: 77
  5% Chance to cast level 3 Glacial Nova on Melee Attack
  30% Attack Speed
  Adds (81 to 100)-(101 to 125) Cold Damage
  Stun Attack
  +(98 to 114)% Enhanced Defense
  Cold Resist +(36 to 40)%
  Socketed (4)
  
  [3]

Lucky all T4 gear, then orb your helm with HR+STR and cap the ED on your shield+body armor.

It’s highly recommended you continue farming for ACs until all your merc’s TU gear is made (gamble T4 bases for everything). Lucky it all, then orb all armor pieces with 5x Elemental Res. Socket all armor pieces with Amethysts and her weapon with Skulls.

HELL (CLVL 104+)

ATTRIBUTE POINT DISTRIBUTION:
Put another 25 points into STR → increase your reserve to 100 points → everything else into to DEX.

SKILL POINT DISTRIBUTION:
Max Baneblade → max Moonstrike → hold the rest

AREA LEVELS:
All Area Levels (alvls) in Hell are 100+. Items that drop here will have an Item Level (ilvl) of 99 or higher. When looking for Rare Sacred equipment or Jewels for crafting, look for them in Hell for a chance at the best possible rolls.

SACRED UNIQUES:
There are 3 "tiers" of SUs (colloquially, SU, SSU, and SSSU). Tiers only indicate how rare an SU is, not how good it may be. The places in which they can drop depend on Area Level:

• SU = alvl 105+
• SU+SSU = alvl 120+
• SU+SSU+SSSU = alvl 130+

RANDOM WORLD DROPS:
You may find certain random world drops unique to Hell. These include:

• Oils of Augmentation, Conjuration, Intensity, and Greater Luck
  Special oils that do various things, but Greater Luck are the only ones you’ll care about.
• Whispers of the Damned
  Tiny skulls needed to access the Legion of the Damned quest.
• Enchanted Runes
  Powerful versions of regular Runes. Collect them all.

DUNGEONS AND RIFTS:

• All Dungeons and Rifts have a minimum clvl requirement you must meet before you can enter the area.
• Many Dungeons have lockout timers. You’ve already experienced this with Baal, but most of the upcoming lockouts are short (often only 20 seconds). Be prepared before entering and make sure your gear is fully repaired.
• Some bosses have a chance to drop a Trophy Fragment (usually 6%, but some are lower). Cubing 3 Fragments together will create a Trophy, which will add bonuses to its corresponding Charm. You can also create Fragments by cubing 20x of the same Charm. Unless otherwise noted, farm for a perfect version of a Charm before cubing it with its Trophy.
• Some Charms can be used to potentially add a Lottery bonus to a particular item type. A Lottery bonus has a 3% chance of success, and the attempt will consume the Charm. Items cannot be both Lotteried and Luckied.

PROGRESSION NOTES:

• A -70% Elemental Res penalty will be applied to you and your merc.
• All Act bosses now regain 10% of their Max Life if they kill you.
• Activate all Waypoints.
• Journey through Hell only up to the Worldstone Keep Waypoint. Hell Baal is a proper boss now. You won’t be ready for that fight until End Game.

► WALKTHROUGH

ACT 1

Have at least +50% Elemental Res before leaving the Rogue Encampment.

Horror Under Tristram (Tristram)
Infernal Machine (Tamoe Highlands) – Tenacity is unlocked upon completion.

ACT 2

Island of the Sunless Sea (Rocky Wastes) – Grind Island of the Sunless Sea until you’re clvl 110 and get the Sunless Crystal Bird.
Invasion I (Jehryn's Palace)
The Binding of Baal (Tal Rasha’s Tomb)

ACT 3

The first tier of Sacred Uniques have a chance to start dropping in regular areas from here on.

Torajan Jungles (Kurast Docks) – Activate the Torajan Jungles Waypoint.
Inquisitor of the Triune (Torajan Jungles)
Lord Aldric Jitan (Torajan Jungles)
Akarat (Torajan Jungles)
Death Projector (Flayer Jungle)
Horizon's Sanctum (Caldeum) – Activate the Caldeum Waypoint.

ACT 4

Pick up the Key of Sin from Ghom and the Key of Lies from Magdha.

ACT 5

Assault on Mount Arreat (Arreat Summit)

PREPARING FOR MID GAME
Before moving on, make sure you’ve done the following:

• Reach clvl 115 (grind the Torajan Jungles if you need XP).
• Have all gear at T4 and fully orbed, as your clvl allows (farm in Normal if you need ACs).
• Have all merc gear fully orbed.
• Have all Charms from the quests listed above.

GEAR

► expand

GEAR
Weapon:

Shaula

Shaula
Sorceress Crystal Swords
'BerMalLum'
Runeword Level: 78
+(1 to 2) to Sorceress Skill Levels
40% Attack Speed
Adds (30 to 40)-(60 to 70) Damage
+(141 to 171)% Enhanced Damage
Slow Target (5 to 10)%
3% to All Attributes
+(3 to 5)% to Experience Gained

in a Sacred Warp Blade (not Crystal Sword) →

Witchblade

Witchblade
Warp Blade (Sacred)
One-Hand Damage: (183 - 197) to (333 - 358)
(Sorceress Only)
Required Level: 100
Required Dexterity: 400
Item Level: 1
Dexterity Damage Bonus: (0.13 per Dexterity)%
Area Effect Attack
1% Chance to cast level 25 Sanguine Covenant on Melee Attack
Adds 50-100 Damage
Stun Attack
+(172 to 200)% Enhanced Damage
+100 Life Regenerated per Second
+(51 to 100) Life on Melee Attack
Socketed (6)

The Mysteries
(Sorceress Melee Set)

Armor:

Erawan

Erawan
Body Armors
'LemKoCham'
Runeword Level: 83
15% Combat Speeds
5% Chance of Crushing Blow
+(144 to 171)% Enhanced Defense
(27 to 30)% to Strength
(27 to 30)% to Vitality
Physical Resist (13 to 15)%
(15 to 20)% Bonus to Defense

in Sacred Ceremonial Armor →

Pentacle

Pentacle
Gambeson (Sacred)
Defense: (6091 - 6852) to (6492 - 7303)
(Sorceress Only)
Required Level: 100
Required Dexterity: 486
Item Level: 1
+3 to Sorceress Skill Levels
Adds 25-50 Damage
5% Chance of Crushing Blow
+(140 to 170)% Enhanced Defense
+(31 to 50) to all Attributes
Physical Resist 10%
(21 to 25)% Bonus to Defense
Socketed (6)

The Mysteries
(Sorceress Melee Set)

Shield:

Cloudladder

Cloudladder
Spiked Shield (4)
Defense: (102 - 116) to (203 - 230)
Chance to Block: Class%
Required Level: 7
Required Dexterity: 55
Item Level: 12
+1 to All Skills
+1 to Druid Skill Levels
+1 to Sorceress Skill Levels
+(41 to 60)% Enhanced Defense
+20 to all Attributes
+10 Life Regenerated per Second
Socketed (1)
Defense: (372 - 414) to (629 - 699)
Chance to Block: Class%
Required Level: 24
Required Dexterity: 81
Item Level: 29
+(1 to 2) to All Skills
+(1 to 2) to Druid Skill Levels
+(1 to 2) to Sorceress Skill Levels
+(71 to 90)% Enhanced Defense
+30 to all Attributes
+20 Life Regenerated per Second
Socketed (4)
Defense: (920 - 1007) to (1503 - 1645)
Chance to Block: Class%
Required Level: 42
Required Dexterity: 170
Item Level: 49
+2 to All Skills
+2 to Druid Skill Levels
+2 to Sorceress Skill Levels
+(101 to 120)% Enhanced Defense
+40 to all Attributes
+30 Life Regenerated per Second
Socketed (5)
Defense: (1443 - 1687) to (2346 - 2743)
Chance to Block: Class%
Required Level: 51
Required Dexterity: 353
Item Level: 84
+2 to All Skills
+2 to Druid Skill Levels
+2 to Sorceress Skill Levels
+(131 to 170)% Enhanced Defense
+50 to all Attributes
+40 Life Regenerated per Second
Socketed (6)

→

Cauldron

Cauldron
Large Shield (Sacred)
Defense: (3474 - 4342) to (3904 - 4880)
Chance to Block: 1% + Class%
Required Level: 100
Required Strength: 420
Required Dexterity: 423
Item Level: 1
+150% Bonus to Miasma Haunt Duration
10% Chance to cast level 25 Spike Nova when Attacked
+1 to Sorceress Skill Levels
1% Base Block Chance
35% Block Speed
+(100 to 150)% Enhanced Defense
Requirements -20%
Socketed (4)

The Mysteries
(Sorceress Melee Set)

Helm:

Witchhunter's Hood

Witchhunter's Hood
Cap (Sacred)
Defense: (2136 - 2611) to (2161 - 2642)
Required Level: 90
Required Strength: 250
Item Level: 1
+(80 to 120)% Enhanced Defense
10% to Strength
10% to Dexterity
Maximum Elemental Resists +2%
Elemental Resists +(31 to 40)%
Physical Resist 5%
(16 to 20)% Bonus to Defense
Requirements -50%
Socketed (4)

Witchhunter's Attire
(Assassin Claw Set)

→

Sacred Circle

Sacred Circle
Coronet (Sacred)
Defense: (1452 - 1633) to (1641 - 1846)
Required Level: 100
Required Dexterity: 327
Item Level: 1
+2 to Sorceress Skill Levels
25% Block Speed
25% Hit Recovery
+(140 to 170)% Enhanced Defense
+(31 to 50) to all Attributes
Maximum Life +2%
Maximum Mana +(11 to 15)%
Elemental Resists +(31 to 40)%
Socketed (4)

The Mysteries
(Sorceress Melee Set)

Belt:

Truce

Truce
Belts
'Jah'
Runeword Level: 80
5% Combat Speeds
Stun Attack
Slows Attacker by 5%
+(172 to 200)% Enhanced Defense
Physical Resist 10%

Gloves: Sacred Honorific Leather Gloves (Abandoned-bless)
Boots:

Death Spur

Death Spur
Heavy Boots (4)
Defense: 27 to 39
Required Level: 3
Required Strength: 27
Item Level: 5
1% Chance to cast level 6 Spike Nova on Kill
(0 to 40)% Movement Speed
+0.09375 to Maximum Damage (Based on Character Level)
+(11 to 15) to Strength
+(11 to 15) to Dexterity
Socketed (1)
Defense: 109 to 141
Required Level: 20
Required Strength: 55
Item Level: 24
1% Chance to cast level 10 Spike Nova on Kill
(0 to 40)% Movement Speed
+0.15625 to Maximum Damage (Based on Character Level)
+(21 to 25) to Strength
+(21 to 25) to Dexterity
Socketed (2)
Defense: 248 to 310
Required Level: 38
Required Strength: 193
Item Level: 44
1% Chance to cast level 14 Spike Nova on Kill
(0 to 40)% Movement Speed
+0.21875 to Maximum Damage (Based on Character Level)
+(31 to 35) to Strength
+(31 to 35) to Dexterity
Socketed (3)
Defense: 346 to 427
Required Level: 46
Required Strength: 386
Item Level: 77
1% Chance to cast level 16 Spike Nova on Kill
(0 to 40)% Movement Speed
+0.25 to Maximum Damage (Based on Character Level)
+(36 to 40) to Strength
+(36 to 40) to Dexterity
Socketed (4)

for questing, Sacred Honorific Boots (Abandoned-bless) for farming
Amulet:

Vizjerei Judgment

Vizjerei Judgment
Amulet
(Sorceress Only)
Required Level: 90
Item Level: 80
+1 to Sorceress Skill Levels
(20 to 30)% Cast Speed
+(800 to 1200) to Mana
Elemental Resists +(20 to 30)%

Vizjerei Dominion
(Sorceress Arcane Set)

→

Athulua's Oracle

Athulua's Oracle
Amulet
Required Level: 60
Item Level: 60
+(1 to 2) to All Skills
40% Attack Speed
(150 to 250)% Bonus to Attack Rating
Cannot Be Frozen

Rings: 2x

Ripstar

Ripstar
Ring
Required Level: 60
Item Level: 60
+0.5625 to Maximum Damage (Based on Character Level)
+20 Life on Melee Attack

, or 1x Ripstar +

Bloodbond

Bloodbond
Ring
Required Level: 50
Item Level: 50
1% Chance to cast level 50 Burning Veil on Kill
+50 Life Regenerated per Second
Physical Resist 2%
+1% to Experience Gained

or Assur's Bane
On Switch:

Kabbalah

Kabbalah
Sorceress Orbs
'Cham'
Runeword Level: 83
+3 to Sorceress Skill Levels
-1% Base Block Chance
60% Hit Recovery
+(6 to 16) to Divine Apparition
20% to Energy
Maximum Life and Mana +5%
+(100 to 200) Life when Struck by an Enemy

in a T4 or Sacred Jared’s Stone (Divine Apparition oskill). Pair with

Cloudladder

Cloudladder
Spiked Shield (4)
Defense: (102 - 116) to (203 - 230)
Chance to Block: Class%
Required Level: 7
Required Dexterity: 55
Item Level: 12
+1 to All Skills
+1 to Druid Skill Levels
+1 to Sorceress Skill Levels
+(41 to 60)% Enhanced Defense
+20 to all Attributes
+10 Life Regenerated per Second
Socketed (1)
Defense: (372 - 414) to (629 - 699)
Chance to Block: Class%
Required Level: 24
Required Dexterity: 81
Item Level: 29
+(1 to 2) to All Skills
+(1 to 2) to Druid Skill Levels
+(1 to 2) to Sorceress Skill Levels
+(71 to 90)% Enhanced Defense
+30 to all Attributes
+20 Life Regenerated per Second
Socketed (4)
Defense: (920 - 1007) to (1503 - 1645)
Chance to Block: Class%
Required Level: 42
Required Dexterity: 170
Item Level: 49
+2 to All Skills
+2 to Druid Skill Levels
+2 to Sorceress Skill Levels
+(101 to 120)% Enhanced Defense
+40 to all Attributes
+30 Life Regenerated per Second
Socketed (5)
Defense: (1443 - 1687) to (2346 - 2743)
Chance to Block: Class%
Required Level: 51
Required Dexterity: 353
Item Level: 84
+2 to All Skills
+2 to Druid Skill Levels
+2 to Sorceress Skill Levels
+(131 to 170)% Enhanced Defense
+50 to all Attributes
+40 Life Regenerated per Second
Socketed (6)

if using the Set. Otherwise, pair with

Cauldron

Cauldron
Large Shield (Sacred)
Defense: (3474 - 4342) to (3904 - 4880)
Chance to Block: 1% + Class%
Required Level: 100
Required Strength: 420
Required Dexterity: 423
Item Level: 1
+150% Bonus to Miasma Haunt Duration
10% Chance to cast level 25 Spike Nova when Attacked
+1 to Sorceress Skill Levels
1% Base Block Chance
35% Block Speed
+(100 to 150)% Enhanced Defense
Requirements -20%
Socketed (4)

The Mysteries
(Sorceress Melee Set)

.

SOCKET FILLERS*
Weapon (Set): Crafted Jewels with +15% AS/HR/BS (as needed) → Jah Runes
Weapon (RW Sorc Orb): 2x Jewels with CS
Armor (Set Chest, Circlet): Crafted Jewels or Res Gems (as needed) → Amethysts
Armor (All Shields): Crafted Jewels or Res Gems (as needed) → Fal Runes
Armor (RW Belt): Crafted Jewel with +15% HR

MYSTIC ORBS
Weapon (RW): 5x ED on the base → 5x LoMA on the RW
Weapon (Set): ED to cap → Max Damage → LoMA
Armor (RW Body Armor): 5x ED on the base → DEX on the RW
Armor (Set): DEX → Max Damage
Armor (Sacred Honorifics): DEX → Max Damage → Life Regen → MF → Elemental Res
Armor (RW Belt): 5x ED on the base → HR on the RW
Armor (TU Boots): DEX → Life Regen → Max Damage → MF
Armor (TU Shield): ED to cap → DEX → Life Regen → Max Damage
Jewelry: Poison Length Reduction → MF → Flat Defense. Add Mana Regen at any time, if you feel you need it.
Sorc Orb: CS (if needed)

*Use a Max Damage Catalyst for Crafted Jewels.

ATTRIBUTE POINT DISTRIBUTION:
Use your reserve points to boost STR as-needed to equip new gear. Once all your Mid Game gear is equipped, you won’t need to hold points anymore. Put them all into DEX. Any additional points you may need for STR will come from SoL.

SKILL POINT DISTRIBUTION:
Put 1 point into Force Blast → max Tenacity → max Endurance

PROGRESSION NOTES:

• From here on, the guide will be divided into quest groupings. These groupings will be based on your clvl, not necessarily the clvl requirements of the quests. Although the 2 will often align, most “DPS check” quests are behind the End Game gear wall. You simply won’t have high enough DPS to reasonably complete them without End Game gear.
• Even after you’ve made your Mid Game RW gear, continue collecting and rerolling the Sacred bases you’ll need for End Game RWs.

► WALKTHROUGH

CLVL 115

The Black Road (Act 1, Warriv’s caravan) – Force Blast is unlocked upon completion.
Legacy Of Blood (Act 3, Torajan Jungles) – Endurance is unlocked upon completion.
Kurast 3000 B.A. (Act 3, Torajan Jungles)
Rathma Square (Act 3, Caldeum)
Library of Fate (Act 4, Plains of Despair) – Activate the Silver City Waypoint.
The Veiled Prophet (Act 4, Library of Fate)
Bull Prince Rodeo (cube Wirt’s leg, found in Tristram)
Tran Athulua (Act 2, Halls of the Dead) – Activate both the Tran Athulua Waypoint and the Island of Skartara Waypoint.
Heart of Sin (use the Key of Sin)
Invasion II (Realm of Sin, northwest) – It’s ok if you don’t get the upgrade now. You can come back for it once you have the Set.

THE CLVL 115-120 GRIND
Make your Sacred Honorific Leather Gloves, resurrect your merc, and grind K3KBA and TA until you’re clvl 120. While there, look for the following:

• K3KBA = pieces of
  The Mysteries

  The Mysteries
  (Sorceress Melee Set)
  
  Cauldron
  Pentacle
  Sacred Circle
  Witchblade
  
  Set Bonus with 2 or more set items:
  +2 to Sorceress Skill Levels
  +50 to Dexterity
  
  Set Bonus with 3 or more set items:
  +21 to Spiral Dance
  Physical Resist 10%
  
  Set Bonus with complete set:
  +100 Damage
  +4 to Ward of Fate
  10% Chance of Crushing Blow
  Enhanced Weapon Damage +100%
  +4000 Defense
  5% Chance to Avoid Damage
  
  
  ,
  Pantheon

  Pantheon
  (Amazon Bow Set)
  
  Earth
  Fire
  Frost
  Water
  
  Set Bonus with 2 or more set items:
  50% Attack Speed
  Elemental Resists +50%
  
  Set Bonus with 3 or more set items:
  Enhanced Weapon Damage +60%
  +150 to Life
  
  Set Bonus with complete set:
  3% Chance to cast level 40 Trinity Nova on Kill
  5% Chance to cast level 11 Time Strike on Striking
  Adds 63-125 Damage
  -45% to Enemy Elemental Resistances
  Enhanced Weapon Damage +60%
  +200 to Dexterity
  
  
  , and
  Witchhunter's Hood

  

  Witchhunter's Hood
  Cap (Sacred)
  Defense: (2136 - 2611) to (2161 - 2642)
  Required Level: 90
  Required Strength: 250
  Item Level: 1
  +(80 to 120)% Enhanced Defense
  10% to Strength
  10% to Dexterity
  Maximum Elemental Resists +2%
  Elemental Resists +(31 to 40)%
  Physical Resist 5%
  (16 to 20)% Bonus to Defense
  Requirements -50%
  Socketed (4)
  

  
  Witchhunter's Attire
  (Assassin Claw Set)
  
• TA = ACs, better Sunstones, Trophy Fragments, an Askari Call.

Using a Max Damage Catalyst, craft 3x Jewels with +15% AS, and 4x Jewels with +15% HR (don’t forget to lucky them). Then, make the following RWs (don’t forget to orb the bases with ED before making the RWs):

• Use the AS Jewels to make
  Shaula

  
  
  

  Shaula
  Sorceress Crystal Swords
  'BerMalLum'
  Runeword Level: 78
  +(1 to 2) to Sorceress Skill Levels
  40% Attack Speed
  Adds (30 to 40)-(60 to 70) Damage
  +(141 to 171)% Enhanced Damage
  Slow Target (5 to 10)%
  3% to All Attributes
  +(3 to 5)% to Experience Gained
  
  in a Sacred Warp Blade.
• Use the HR Jewels to make
  Erawan

  
  

  Erawan
  Body Armors
  'LemKoCham'
  Runeword Level: 83
  15% Combat Speeds
  5% Chance of Crushing Blow
  +(144 to 171)% Enhanced Defense
  (27 to 30)% to Strength
  (27 to 30)% to Vitality
  Physical Resist (13 to 15)%
  (15 to 20)% Bonus to Defense
  
  in Sacred Ceremonial Armor.
• Use the last HR Jewel to make
  Truce

  

  Truce
  Belts
  'Jah'
  Runeword Level: 80
  5% Combat Speeds
  Stun Attack
  Slows Attacker by 5%
  +(172 to 200)% Enhanced Defense
  Physical Resist 10%
  
  in a Sacred Sash.

Switch to

Witchhunter's Hood

Witchhunter's Hood
Cap (Sacred)
Defense: (2136 - 2611) to (2161 - 2642)
Required Level: 90
Required Strength: 250
Item Level: 1
+(80 to 120)% Enhanced Defense
10% to Strength
10% to Dexterity
Maximum Elemental Resists +2%
Elemental Resists +(31 to 40)%
Physical Resist 5%
(16 to 20)% Bonus to Defense
Requirements -50%
Socketed (4)

Witchhunter's Attire
(Assassin Claw Set)

as your Helm.

CLVL 120

Athulua (Act 2, Island of Skartara)
Judgment Day (Act 4, Silver City) – It’s ok if you don’t get the upgrade now. You can come back for it once you have the Set.
Kabraxis (Act 1, Church of Dien-Ap-Sten)
Duncraig (Act 1, Church of Dien-Ap-Sten) – Activate the Duncraig Waypoint.
Quov Tsin (Act 3, Caldeum)
Kingdom of Shadow (Act 3, Vizjerei Temple)
The Triune (Act 3, Caldeum)
Toraja (Act 3, Torajan Jungles)
Teganze (Act 3, Torajan Jungles)

THE CLVL 120-125 GRIND
You’ll hit one of Median’s infamous gear walls here—the point at which many non-meta builds can’t (or in your case, shouldn’t) progress without specific gear. For you, it’s the complete Melee Sorc Set.

Use the Sacred Magic Boots you’ve been collecting to make Sacred Honorific Boots with at least +25% Movement Speed. After they’re Blessed and orbed, get to farming and grinding.

This time, you’ll have 6 areas to choose from:

• Duncraig = XP, SUs/SSUs
  While there, farm Assur for a Demonsbane with +2 Sorc Skills and Trophy fragments. You’re not expected to have the Trophy before moving on.
• Triune = XP, Cycles
  Any small or medium DEX, VIT, Combat Speeds, and MF Cycles can be added to your Charm. Hold any large DEX and +1 Sorc Skills Cycles (you’ll use these to make a better Triune Charm later). You’re not expected to have anything added to your Triune Charm before moving on.
• Teganze = XP, Essences, Runestones
  Hold onto the reagents needed for 1x Fire, 1x Ice, and 1x Arcane Rune. Anything else can be cubed with your Teganze Charm. You’re not expected to have anything added to your Teganze Charm before moving on.
• K3KBA = Sets, occasional SUs
• Troajan Jungles = SoL
• Tran Athulua = ACs, a perfect Sunstone, and the Trophy

You’ll need some Crafted Jewels to hit your AS and HR breakpoints while using the Set. Try to get some of them to also roll with +1% All Attributes so you don’t have to use too many SoL for STR.

PREPARING FOR END GAME

Before moving on, make sure you’ve done the following:

• Reach clvl 125
• Have at least 300 points from SoL into DEX
• Have the complete Melee Sorc Set (
  The Mysteries

  The Mysteries
  (Sorceress Melee Set)
  
  Cauldron
  Pentacle
  Sacred Circle
  Witchblade
  
  Set Bonus with 2 or more set items:
  +2 to Sorceress Skill Levels
  +50 to Dexterity
  
  Set Bonus with 3 or more set items:
  +21 to Spiral Dance
  Physical Resist 10%
  
  Set Bonus with complete set:
  +100 Damage
  +4 to Ward of Fate
  10% Chance of Crushing Blow
  Enhanced Weapon Damage +100%
  +4000 Defense
  5% Chance to Avoid Damage
  
  
  )
• Hit at least 129% AS and 109% HR.
• Have
  Athulua's Oracle

  

  Athulua's Oracle
  Amulet
  Required Level: 60
  Item Level: 60
  +(1 to 2) to All Skills
  40% Attack Speed
  (150 to 250)% Bonus to Attack Rating
  Cannot Be Frozen
  
• Have at least 1x
  Ripstar

  

  Ripstar
  Ring
  Required Level: 60
  Item Level: 60
  +0.5625 to Maximum Damage (Based on Character Level)
  +20 Life on Melee Attack
  
• Have
  The Endless Loop

  

  The Endless Loop
  Light Belt (Sacred)
  Defense: 1101 to 1143
  Required Level: 100
  Required Strength: 550
  Item Level: 105
  40% Combat Speeds
  +(10 to 19) to Charged Strike
  Slow Target 10%
  +50 to all Attributes
  +50 Life Regenerated per Second
  +(0 to 1) Mana on Striking
  Socketed (2)
  
  with +1 Mana on Striking (optional, but helpful).
• Have a
  Soul of Kabraxis

  

  Soul of Kabraxis
  Required Level: 120
  Keep in Inventory to Gain Bonus
  +1 to All Skills
  Maximum Fire Resist +(1 to 3)%
  Maximum Lightning Resist +(1 to 3)%
  Maximum Cold Resist +(1 to 3)%
  Maximum Poison Resist +(1 to 3)%
  
  with at least +2% Max Elemental Res.
• Have a perfect
  Sunstone of the Twin Seas

  

  Sunstone of the Twin Seas
  Required Level: 50
  Keep in Inventory to Gain Bonus
  +2 to All Skills
  10% Combat Speeds
  -5% to Enemy Fire Resistance
  -5% to Enemy Lightning Resistance
  -5% to Enemy Cold Resistance
  10% to All Attributes
  Elemental Resists +10%
  +5% to Experience Gained
  
  +Trophy
• Have all Charms up to this point, and their upgrades (e.g. J-Day, Invasion II).
• Switch back to
  Death Spur

  

  Death Spur
  Heavy Boots (4)
  Defense: 27 to 39
  Required Level: 3
  Required Strength: 27
  Item Level: 5
  1% Chance to cast level 6 Spike Nova on Kill
  (0 to 40)% Movement Speed
  +0.09375 to Maximum Damage (Based on Character Level)
  +(11 to 15) to Strength
  +(11 to 15) to Dexterity
  Socketed (1)
  Defense: 109 to 141
  Required Level: 20
  Required Strength: 55
  Item Level: 24
  1% Chance to cast level 10 Spike Nova on Kill
  (0 to 40)% Movement Speed
  +0.15625 to Maximum Damage (Based on Character Level)
  +(21 to 25) to Strength
  +(21 to 25) to Dexterity
  Socketed (2)
  Defense: 248 to 310
  Required Level: 38
  Required Strength: 193
  Item Level: 44
  1% Chance to cast level 14 Spike Nova on Kill
  (0 to 40)% Movement Speed
  +0.21875 to Maximum Damage (Based on Character Level)
  +(31 to 35) to Strength
  +(31 to 35) to Dexterity
  Socketed (3)
  Defense: 346 to 427
  Required Level: 46
  Required Strength: 386
  Item Level: 77
  1% Chance to cast level 16 Spike Nova on Kill
  (0 to 40)% Movement Speed
  +0.25 to Maximum Damage (Based on Character Level)
  +(36 to 40) to Strength
  +(36 to 40) to Dexterity
  Socketed (4)
  

GEAR

► BASE KIT

BASE KIT (PHYS/ELEMENTAL HYBRID)

GEAR
Weapon:

Starhawk

Starhawk
Warp Blade (Sacred)
One-Hand Damage: 49 to 86
(Sorceress Only)
Required Level: 100
Required Dexterity: 400
Item Level: 105
Dexterity Damage Bonus: (0.13 per Dexterity)%
Innate Tri-Elemental Damage: (40.0% of Dexterity)
Area Effect Attack
25% Chance to cast level 50 Magic Missiles on Melee Attack
+(3 to 5) to Sorceress Skill Levels
50% Attack Speed
Adds 400-500 Magic Damage
Adds 400-500 Fire Damage
Adds 400-500 Lightning Damage
Adds 400-500 Cold Damage
-(25 to 35)% to Enemy Elemental Resistances
10% Chance to Avoid Damage
Socketed (6)

Body Armor:

Pentacle

Pentacle
Gambeson (Sacred)
Defense: (6091 - 6852) to (6492 - 7303)
(Sorceress Only)
Required Level: 100
Required Dexterity: 486
Item Level: 1
+3 to Sorceress Skill Levels
Adds 25-50 Damage
5% Chance of Crushing Blow
+(140 to 170)% Enhanced Defense
+(31 to 50) to all Attributes
Physical Resist 10%
(21 to 25)% Bonus to Defense
Socketed (6)

The Mysteries
(Sorceress Melee Set)

Shield:

Wheel of Fortune

Wheel of Fortune
Large Shield (4)
Defense: 85 to 162
Chance to Block: Class%
Required Level: 4
Required Strength: 27
Required Dexterity: 45
Item Level: 6
+(21 to 30) to Vitality
Maximum Elemental Resists +1%
Elemental Resists +(6 to 10)%
Fire Absorb 1%
Lightning Absorb 1%
Cold Absorb 1%
(4 to 7)% Gold Find
(5 to 10)% Magic Find
Socketed (1)
Defense: 240 to 405
Chance to Block: Class%
Required Level: 21
Required Strength: 53
Required Dexterity: 67
Item Level: 25
+(31 to 40) to Vitality
Maximum Elemental Resists +1%
Elemental Resists +(11 to 20)%
Fire Absorb 2%
Lightning Absorb 2%
Cold Absorb 2%
(9 to 12)% Gold Find
(11 to 20)% Magic Find
Socketed (3)
Defense: 501 to 817
Chance to Block: Class%
Required Level: 39
Required Strength: 184
Required Dexterity: 139
Item Level: 46
+(41 to 50) to Vitality
Maximum Elemental Resists +2%
Elemental Resists +(21 to 30)%
Fire Absorb 2%
Lightning Absorb 2%
Cold Absorb 2%
(14 to 17)% Gold Find
(21 to 30)% Magic Find
Socketed (4)
Defense: 684 to 1113
Chance to Block: Class%
Required Level: 48
Required Strength: 368
Required Dexterity: 288
Item Level: 80
+(51 to 60) to Vitality
Maximum Elemental Resists +2%
Elemental Resists +(31 to 40)%
Fire Absorb 3%
Lightning Absorb 3%
Cold Absorb 3%
(17 to 19)% Gold Find
(31 to 40)% Magic Find
Socketed (4)

Helm:

Royal Circlet

Royal Circlet
Tiara (Sacred)
Defense: (1740 - 1957) to (1968 - 2214)
Required Level: 100
Required Dexterity: 392
Item Level: 105
+2 to All Skills
+50% Damage to Demons
+50% Damage to Undead
+(140 to 170)% Enhanced Defense
(21 to 25)% to All Attributes
Elemental Resists +(25 to 30)%
Physical Resist 5%
(21 to 25)% Magic Find
Socketed (4)

Belt:

The Endless Loop

The Endless Loop
Light Belt (Sacred)
Defense: 1101 to 1143
Required Level: 100
Required Strength: 550
Item Level: 105
40% Combat Speeds
+(10 to 19) to Charged Strike
Slow Target 10%
+50 to all Attributes
+50 Life Regenerated per Second
+(0 to 1) Mana on Striking
Socketed (2)

Gloves:

Rogue Foresight

Rogue Foresight
Heavy Gloves (Sacred)
Defense: 492 to 522
Required Level: 100
Required Strength: 525
Item Level: 120
+1 to All Skills
5% Deadly Strike
-10% to Strength
20% to Dexterity
Physical Resist 5%
Socketed (4)

Boots:

Zealot Rush

Zealot Rush
Light Plated Boots (4)
Defense: (67 - 78) to (102 - 119)
Required Level: 6
Required Strength: 31
Item Level: 10
5% Attack Speed
(0 to 40)% Movement Speed
(11 to 25)% Bonus to Attack Rating
+(21 to 40)% Enhanced Defense
(3 to 5)% to Dexterity
1% Reanimate as: Random Monster
Socketed (1)
Defense: (248 - 281) to (338 - 384)
Required Level: 24
Required Strength: 62
Item Level: 27
10% Attack Speed
(0 to 40)% Movement Speed
(41 to 55)% Bonus to Attack Rating
+(41 to 60)% Enhanced Defense
(9 to 11)% to Dexterity
2% Reanimate as: Random Monster
Socketed (2)
Defense: (613 - 685) to (817 - 914)
Required Level: 41
Required Strength: 218
Item Level: 48
20% Attack Speed
(0 to 40)% Movement Speed
(71 to 85)% Bonus to Attack Rating
+(61 to 80)% Enhanced Defense
(15 to 17)% to Dexterity
3% Reanimate as: Random Monster
Socketed (3)
Defense: (944 - 1044) to (1247 - 1378)
Required Level: 50
Required Strength: 436
Item Level: 83
30% Attack Speed
(0 to 40)% Movement Speed
(86 to 100)% Bonus to Attack Rating
+(81 to 100)% Enhanced Defense
(18 to 20)% to Dexterity
4% Reanimate as: Random Monster
Socketed (4)

Amulet:

Athulua's Oracle

Athulua's Oracle
Amulet
Required Level: 60
Item Level: 60
+(1 to 2) to All Skills
40% Attack Speed
(150 to 250)% Bonus to Attack Rating
Cannot Be Frozen

(if you need Cannot be Frozen) →

Klaatu Barada Nikto

Klaatu Barada Nikto
Amulet
Required Level: 110
Item Level: 105
30% Enhanced Damage vs. Necrobots
10% Chance to cast level 40 Nova Bomb on Melee Attack
+2 to All Skills
25% Attack Speed
Adds 1-188 Lightning Damage
+650 Poison Damage over 2 seconds
Stun Attack
+(11 to 16) to Hive
Lightning Resist +(40 to 50)%
Poison Resist +(40 to 50)%

Rings: 2x

Ripstar

Ripstar
Ring
Required Level: 60
Item Level: 60
+0.5625 to Maximum Damage (Based on Character Level)
+20 Life on Melee Attack

On Switch:

Circe

Circe
Sorceress Orbs
'RhalArc'
Runeword Level: 100
+3 to All Skills when using an Apple
+3% Bonus to Spell Focus
+44% to Lightning Spell Damage
+44% to Poison Spell Damage
+24 to Bloodlust
(61 to 75)% to Energy
Fire Resist +40%

+

Cloudladder

Cloudladder
Spiked Shield (4)
Defense: (102 - 116) to (203 - 230)
Chance to Block: Class%
Required Level: 7
Required Dexterity: 55
Item Level: 12
+1 to All Skills
+1 to Druid Skill Levels
+1 to Sorceress Skill Levels
+(41 to 60)% Enhanced Defense
+20 to all Attributes
+10 Life Regenerated per Second
Socketed (1)
Defense: (372 - 414) to (629 - 699)
Chance to Block: Class%
Required Level: 24
Required Dexterity: 81
Item Level: 29
+(1 to 2) to All Skills
+(1 to 2) to Druid Skill Levels
+(1 to 2) to Sorceress Skill Levels
+(71 to 90)% Enhanced Defense
+30 to all Attributes
+20 Life Regenerated per Second
Socketed (4)
Defense: (920 - 1007) to (1503 - 1645)
Chance to Block: Class%
Required Level: 42
Required Dexterity: 170
Item Level: 49
+2 to All Skills
+2 to Druid Skill Levels
+2 to Sorceress Skill Levels
+(101 to 120)% Enhanced Defense
+40 to all Attributes
+30 Life Regenerated per Second
Socketed (5)
Defense: (1443 - 1687) to (2346 - 2743)
Chance to Block: Class%
Required Level: 51
Required Dexterity: 353
Item Level: 84
+2 to All Skills
+2 to Druid Skill Levels
+2 to Sorceress Skill Levels
+(131 to 170)% Enhanced Defense
+50 to all Attributes
+40 Life Regenerated per Second
Socketed (6)

SOCKET FILLERS*
Weapon: Jah Runes
Weapon (Sorc Orb): Any Jewels with CS
Armor: Amethysts, Res Gems, or Crafted Jewels with AS/HR/BS
Shield: Fal Runes

MYSTIC ORBS
Weapon: LoMA → Innate Elemental Damage
Armor: DEX → Max Damage
Jewelry: Poison Length Reduction → MF → flat Defense. Add Mana Regen at any time, if you feel you need it.
Orb: FCR

*Use a Max Damage Catalyst for Crafted Jewels.

► UPGRADE KIT

UPGRADE KIT (ELEMENTAL)

GEAR
Armor:

Lachdanan's Visage

Lachdanan's Visage
Banded Plate (Sacred)
Defense: (8973 - 10165) to (14769 - 16229)
(Sorceress Only)
Required Level: 100
Required Dexterity: 627
Item Level: 120
Mana Shield: 95% less Mana Drained when Hit
You may Only use Melee, Summon and Support Skills
Indestructible
Adds 200-300 Magic Damage
Adds 150-200 Fire Damage
Adds 150-200 Lightning Damage
Adds 150-200 Cold Damage
-30% to Enemy Elemental Resistances
+(161 to 200)% Enhanced Defense
+(1000 to 5000) Defense
Socketed (6)

(recommended option), or

Hellfire Plate

Hellfire Plate
Body Armors
'IgnJahGurRhal'
Runeword Level: 115
+1% Innate Elemental Damage per 250 Strength and Dexterity
15% Chance to cast level 9 Life Spark on Melee Attack
20% Attack Speed
+250 Fire Damage
-(14 to 18)% to Enemy Fire Resistance
-(11 to 15)% to Enemy Lightning Resistance
-(11 to 15)% to Enemy Cold Resistance
-(11 to 15)% to Enemy Poison Resistance
+(171 to 200)% Enhanced Defense
Maximum Life +(3 to 5)%
Maximum Elemental Resists +(1 to 2)%
Fire Resist +(10 to 20)%
Lightning Resist +(10 to 20)%
Cold Resist +(10 to 20)%
Poison Resist +(10 to 20)%
Physical Resist (7 to 10)%

in Sacred Ceremonial Armor (alternative option until you find Lachdanan's)
Shield:

Svalinn

Svalinn
Shields
'RhalLoOhn'
Runeword Level: 115
-1% to Enemy Elemental Resistances per 150 Dexterity
8% Chance to cast level 7 Life Spark when Blocking
1% Base Block Chance
15% Block Speed
20% Hit Recovery
+(151 to 200)% Enhanced Defense
+(30 to 40) to all Attributes
(15 to 20)% to Dexterity
+200 to Life
Fire Resist +(50 to 55)%
Lightning Resist +(20 to 25)%
Cold Resist +(20 to 25)%
Poison Resist +(20 to 25)%
Fire Absorb (3 to 5)%
Physical Resist 5%

in a Sacred Spiked Shield
Belt:

Doomcloud Spine

Doomcloud Spine
Plated Belt (Sacred)
Defense: 4089 to 4479
Required Level: 100
Required Strength: 675
Item Level: 120
Adds 100-150 Lightning Damage
+25% to Lightning Spell Damage
-15% to Enemy Lightning Resistance
+200% Enhanced Defense
+50 to Vitality
15% to Vitality
Maximum Lightning Resist +2%
+5 Lightning Absorb
Socketed (2)

Henchmen Trophies
(Legendary Set)

Gloves:

Stareye's Claws

Stareye's Claws
Gauntlets (Sacred)
Defense: 1674 to 1959
Required Level: 100
Required Strength: 625
Item Level: 120
Adds 100-150 Cold Damage
+25% to Cold Spell Damage
-15% to Enemy Cold Resistance
+200% Enhanced Defense
+50 to Dexterity
15% to Dexterity
Maximum Cold Resist +2%
+5 Cold Absorb
Socketed (4)

Henchmen Trophies
(Legendary Set)

Boots:

Fangskin Scales

Fangskin Scales
Greaves (Sacred)
Defense: 2481 to 2799
Required Level: 100
Required Strength: 650
Item Level: 120
(0 to 40)% Movement Speed
Adds 6-8 Poison Damage over 1 seconds
+25% to Poison Spell Damage
-15% to Enemy Poison Resistance
+200% Enhanced Defense
+50 to Energy
15% to Energy
Maximum Poison Resist +2%
Socketed (4)

Henchmen Trophies
(Legendary Set)

Amulet:

Quov Tsin's Talisman

Quov Tsin's Talisman
Amulet
Required Level: 110
Item Level: 110
15% Innate Elemental Damage
-(20 to 30)% to Enemy Elemental Resistances

Rings: 2x

Bad Mood

Bad Mood
Ring
Required Level: 100
Item Level: 120
-20% Cast Speed
Adds 50-100 Fire Damage
Adds 50-100 Lightning Damage
Adds 50-100 Cold Damage
-(5 to 20)% to Enemy Fire Resistance
-(5 to 20)% to Enemy Lightning Resistance
-(5 to 20)% to Enemy Cold Resistance

SOCKET FILLERS*
Weapon: Rainbow Stones
Armor: Amethysts
All Runewords: Crafted Jewels with +1% All Attributes or +2% DEX (if min/maxing) and +15% AS, HR, or BS (whichever you need)

MYSTIC ORBS
Armor: DEX → Life Regen
Jewelry: Poison Length Reduction

*Use a Flat Attributes Catalyst for Crafted Jewels.

ATTRIBUTE POINT DISTRIBUTION:
Go all in on DEX. Hold nothing back.

SKILL POINT DISTRIBUTION:
Continue maxing Endurance. Spec into Paradigm Shift when your Base Kit is complete. Consider Cold Blooded only when your Upgrade Kit is complete. Distribute remaining points wherever you want.

GEARING:
Use Oils of Greater Luck on high-end weapons, armor, and amulets. Lottery your rings.

► WALKTHROUGH

CLVL 125

Eve of Destruction (Act 5, Worldstone Keep)
Astrogha (Act 3, Torajan Jungles)
Vizjun (Act 3, Flayer Jungle) – Activate the Vizjun Waypoint
Belial (use the Key of Lies)
Yshari Sanctum (Act 3, Caldeum)
Fauztinville (use the Mind Warp scroll)
Ghosts of Old Bremmtown (Fauztinville, west of the entrance)

THE CLVL 125-135 GRIND
Welcome to the End Game gear wall. You’re entirely at the mercy of RNG for practically everything now. From here on, the game is pure grindfest.

Grinding spots:

• Fauzt = XP, Great Runes, SUs/SSUs/SSSUs
• Dunc = Less XP, SUs/SSUs, Dunc Trophy
• Teganze = Essences, Runestones, SUs/SSUs
• Triune = Cycles, SUs/SSUs, and a second Wormhole Charm (use this one for large Cycles)

Focus first on building the Base Kit listed in the Gear section. Since all the SUs listed there are Tier 1 (except

Rogue Foresight

Rogue Foresight
Heavy Gloves (Sacred)
Defense: 492 to 522
Required Level: 100
Required Strength: 525
Item Level: 120
+1 to All Skills
5% Deadly Strike
-10% to Strength
20% to Dexterity
Physical Resist 5%
Socketed (4)

), farm any alvl 105+ rifts you can clear quickly (Dunc isn’t the SU fountain it used to be, and Fauzt SU drops just suck in general). If you manage to find

Lachdanan's Visage

Lachdanan's Visage
Banded Plate (Sacred)
Defense: (8973 - 10165) to (14769 - 16229)
(Sorceress Only)
Required Level: 100
Required Dexterity: 627
Item Level: 120
Mana Shield: 95% less Mana Drained when Hit
You may Only use Melee, Summon and Support Skills
Indestructible
Adds 200-300 Magic Damage
Adds 150-200 Fire Damage
Adds 150-200 Lightning Damage
Adds 150-200 Cold Damage
-30% to Enemy Elemental Resistances
+(161 to 200)% Enhanced Defense
+(1000 to 5000) Defense
Socketed (6)

or collect everything you need for

Hellfire Plate

Hellfire Plate
Body Armors
'IgnJahGurRhal'
Runeword Level: 115
+1% Innate Elemental Damage per 250 Strength and Dexterity
15% Chance to cast level 9 Life Spark on Melee Attack
20% Attack Speed
+250 Fire Damage
-(14 to 18)% to Enemy Fire Resistance
-(11 to 15)% to Enemy Lightning Resistance
-(11 to 15)% to Enemy Cold Resistance
-(11 to 15)% to Enemy Poison Resistance
+(171 to 200)% Enhanced Defense
Maximum Life +(3 to 5)%
Maximum Elemental Resists +(1 to 2)%
Fire Resist +(10 to 20)%
Lightning Resist +(10 to 20)%
Cold Resist +(10 to 20)%
Poison Resist +(10 to 20)%
Physical Resist (7 to 10)%

, use either of those instead of

Pentacle

Pentacle
Gambeson (Sacred)
Defense: (6091 - 6852) to (6492 - 7303)
(Sorceress Only)
Required Level: 100
Required Dexterity: 486
Item Level: 1
+3 to Sorceress Skill Levels
Adds 25-50 Damage
5% Chance of Crushing Blow
+(140 to 170)% Enhanced Defense
+(31 to 50) to all Attributes
Physical Resist 10%
(21 to 25)% Bonus to Defense
Socketed (6)

The Mysteries
(Sorceress Melee Set)

.

Before continuing on, have the following:

• The entire End Game Base Kit.
• Completed
  Umbaru Treasure

  

  Umbaru Treasure
  Required Level: 120
  Keep in Inventory to Gain Bonus
  Cube with Essence/Runestone to Roll Stat
  +(6 to 10)% to Spell Damage
  Essence Slots: 20
  
  with satisfactory rolls.
• Completed
  Corrupted Wormhole

  

  Corrupted Wormhole
  Required Level: 100
  Keep in Inventory to Gain Bonus
  
  (the one you’ve been filling with small and medium Cycles) + a second Wormhole (for large DEX and +Sorc Skills Cycles)
• Perfect, or near perfect,
  Soul of Kabraxis

  

  Soul of Kabraxis
  Required Level: 120
  Keep in Inventory to Gain Bonus
  +1 to All Skills
  Maximum Fire Resist +(1 to 3)%
  Maximum Lightning Resist +(1 to 3)%
  Maximum Cold Resist +(1 to 3)%
  Maximum Poison Resist +(1 to 3)%
  
• Perfect, or near perfect, versions of Charms that give Attributes, +Skills, and/or +Sorc Skills
• Dunc Trophy
• All 400 SoL eaten
• J-Day Trophy (helpful, but not required)

CLVL 135+

Legion of the Damned (cube 3x Whispers of the Damned)
Xazax (Act 2, Island of Skartara)
Nymyr’s Light (Act 3, Ureh)
Spirit World (Act 3, Teganze)

From here on, how you tackle the rest of the content is pretty open-ended. Everything from Void to Scosglen is doable with the Base Kit, but the limitations and mechanics of the Sorc’s melee skills make completing them really tough without at least a body armor upgrade. I’d recommend completing the Void, then going back to grinding Fauzt/Dunc until you have

Lachdanan's Visage

Lachdanan's Visage
Banded Plate (Sacred)
Defense: (8973 - 10165) to (14769 - 16229)
(Sorceress Only)
Required Level: 100
Required Dexterity: 627
Item Level: 120
Mana Shield: 95% less Mana Drained when Hit
You may Only use Melee, Summon and Support Skills
Indestructible
Adds 200-300 Magic Damage
Adds 150-200 Fire Damage
Adds 150-200 Lightning Damage
Adds 150-200 Cold Damage
-30% to Enemy Elemental Resistances
+(161 to 200)% Enhanced Defense
+(1000 to 5000) Defense
Socketed (6)

, or at least

Hellfire Plate

Hellfire Plate
Body Armors
'IgnJahGurRhal'
Runeword Level: 115
+1% Innate Elemental Damage per 250 Strength and Dexterity
15% Chance to cast level 9 Life Spark on Melee Attack
20% Attack Speed
+250 Fire Damage
-(14 to 18)% to Enemy Fire Resistance
-(11 to 15)% to Enemy Lightning Resistance
-(11 to 15)% to Enemy Cold Resistance
-(11 to 15)% to Enemy Poison Resistance
+(171 to 200)% Enhanced Defense
Maximum Life +(3 to 5)%
Maximum Elemental Resists +(1 to 2)%
Fire Resist +(10 to 20)%
Lightning Resist +(10 to 20)%
Cold Resist +(10 to 20)%
Poison Resist +(10 to 20)%
Physical Resist (7 to 10)%

.

The Void (Act 4, Cathedral of Vanity)
Invasion III (Act 4, Realm of Lies)
Nephalem’s Sacrifice (Act 4, Silver Spire)
Archbishop Lazarus (Act 3, Vizjun)
Scosglen (Act 5, Arreat Summit) – Activate the Scosglen Waypoint.

I’m considering Scosglen the endgame for this build. Diemoss and Herald of the End might theoretically be doable as a Melee Sorc, but the time investment required to even attempt them simply isn’t worth it to me, especially as someone who plays SP/SSF.

LEVEL CHALLENGE - CLVL 45 TO 60

► More Info

Location: Act 5 Normal → Worldstone Keep Antechamber (kill Lister the Tormentor to open the rift) → Tran Athulua

Before you begin:

• Your merc will be helpful.

Notable enemies:

• Amazon Warriors: Rangers that deal Phys damage, attack in groups, and flee when you get close. If you carelessly follow, they’ll lead you into an ambush.

Your low HR can make this tough if you try to take on multiple mobs. Otherwise, you won’t have much trouble.

The goal here is to find and kill the 3 Amazon Priestesses:

• Philios (Fire): located in the large, open area in the northeast corner of the map.
• Lycander (Lightning): located in the large, rectangular area in the south-central part of the map.
• Skovos (Ice): located in the long, rectangular area in the north-central part of the map.

The Priestesses hit harder and their arrows deal Elemental damage according to their respective Elements. They also cast a unique Elemental spell. Their flee mechanic can sometimes make them tough to hit, but they’re not too dangerous as long as you stay away from their spells.

Upon death, each Priestess will drop an Elemental Shard. Cube all 3 Shards when you’re at clvl 59 or below to create the

Sunstone of the Twin Seas

Sunstone of the Twin Seas
Required Level: 50
Keep in Inventory to Gain Bonus
+2 to All Skills
10% Combat Speeds
-5% to Enemy Fire Resistance
-5% to Enemy Lightning Resistance
-5% to Enemy Cold Resistance
10% to All Attributes
Elemental Resists +10%
+5% to Experience Gained

(if you’re at clvl 60 or higher, you’ll need to add 2x ACs per 10 clvls to create the Sunstone).

ENNEAD CHALLENGE - CLVL 80+

► More Info

Location: Act 3 Nightmare → Durance of Hate (kill Mephisto to open the rift) → Kurast 3000 B.A.

Before you begin:

• Have at least +60% Elemental Res.

Notable enemies:

• Skeleton Archers: Fire Elementally-enhanced arrows that can deal decent damage in large groups.
• Skeleton Mages: Cast various Elemental spells that will quickly drain your Mana if Mana Shield is active.
• Hawks: Tanky melee fighters that swarm.
• Shadowgate Totems: Stationary totems whose swirling Hammer of Zarae can deal moderate damage. They also emit a long-range aura that boosts enemies’ Life by +100%.

Generally, you won’t have much trouble here, but keep an eye on your Life when going after Totems. A Totem’s Thunder Hammer won’t do much damage on its own, but the cumulative damage you’ll take from Hammers+Skeletons will quickly drop your Life, especially when Chilled. Rush in when you have an opening, hit a Totem with Fusillade, then retreat.

The goal is to find and kill an Ennead Necromancer.

ENNEAD NECROMANCERS
They cast Miasma and will summon more Skeletons, but they’re otherwise harmless. There are 3 in total (1 in the northwest, 1 in the north-central, and 1 in the northeast parts of the map), but you’ll only need to kill 1 to get the Heroic Torch. Cubing it will create your Class Charm (for Sorcs, it’s a Nexus Crystal). It requires clvl 90 to activate, so don’t panic if you don’t see any immediate benefits.

[Solfege]

Dungeons and Rifts will be grouped into 3 tiers based on gear requirements, number of SoL needed, and strategy/player skill required. They are listed in Documentation order.

• Easy
  Needs only basic gear (T3+T4 TUs), 0 SoL eaten, and little strategy/skill.
• Medium
  Generally requires decent gear (T4 TUs, mid-level RWs, partial or full Set), 100 to 300 SoL eaten, and moderate strategy/skill.
• Hard
  Generally requires good gear (SUs, high-level RWs), 300 to 400 SoL eaten, and high strategy/skill.

This symbol indicates a quest has a corresponding Trophy.
This symbol indicates a quest’s Charm can used for a Lottery roll.

DUNGEON

Horror Under Tristram - clvl 105, 20 second lockout

► More Info

Location: Act 1 → Tristram → The Butcher's Lair (inside the large, burning house near the southwest part of the map)
Reward:

The Butcher's Tooth

The Butcher's Tooth
Required Level: 105
Keep in Inventory to Gain Bonus
+10 to all Attributes
20% Magic Find
+1 to Light Radius

The Butcher hits hard and gains more speed the more damage he takes. Each hit he lands has a chance to trigger a powerful rolling fire wave from the Sacrificial Shrines in the corners. Regardless, you can just melee the Butcher.

Invasion - clvl 105, 20 second lockout

► More Info

Location: Act 2 → Jehryn’s Palace → Harem (Level 1) → Storm Oasis
Reward:

Riftwalker's Eye

Riftwalker's Eye
Required Level: 105
Keep in Inventory to Gain Bonus
+1 to All Skills
+15% to Experience Gained
Bonus Quest I
(cube charm only on completion)
Defeat the Greater Riftwalker
- without taking damage from the Rift Storm
Bonus Quest II
(cube charm only on completion)
Defeat the Ascendant Riftwalker
- with at least one Frozen Shambler alive
- without taking damage from the Rift Storm

INVASION I (CLVL 105)
Before you begin:

• Have at least +75% Max Lightning Res

The only monster is a stationary Lesser Riftwalker. It summons lightning bolts from the sky and uses a swirling lightning attack on occasion. The swirling lightning is only really dangerous if you get stuck in it, but the sky lighting) will hurt. With 80% Max Lightning Res and Mana Shield active, it will take 40% of your Life and 90% of your Mana (it will 1-shot your merc). A large lightning ring will telegraph the strike, giving you time to move. The arena itself also spawns sky lightning, so you’ll have a lot to dodge.

When you enter, rush to the Riftwalker and just melee it. As long as you avoid the sky lightning, you’ll be fine.

INVASION II (CLVL 115)
Location: Act 4 → Chaos Sanctuary → Realm of Sin → Storm Cave (rift in the northwest corner of the map)
Reward: Greater Riftwalker Essence

Before you begin:

• Have at least +85% Max Lightning Res.

This time, you’ll be fighting a Greater Riftwalker. It’s tankier, and its swirling lightning will deal more damage. It also occasionally summons Frozen Shamblers. These annoying bastards have the same Cold aura that Dark Sovereigns have, but the damage can be nullified if you stand in the Shambler’s blue circle. You’ll also have to deal with the possibility of a lightning circle overlapping with the blue circle and the Riftwalker using it’s swirling lightning.

Generally, the strat is the same as Invasion I; however, when a Shambler appears, stand inside the blue circle and kill it (you can just let it walk into a Fusillade). When it’s dead, go back and melee the Riftwalker. Avoid sky lightning and use potions as-needed.

You’re guaranteed the Greater Riftwalker Essence for completing the quest. If you’ve also managed to avoid taking any damage from the sky lightning (i.e. Rift Storm), cube your Riftwalker’s Eye while you have the red swirly overlay to add +2% Max Life/Mana to the Charm.

INVASION III (CLVL 130)
Location: Act 4 → Chaos Sanctuary → Realm of Lies → Storm Pit (rift in the south-center part of the map)
Reward: Ascended Riftwalker Essence

Before you begin:

• Have
  Lachdanan's Visage

  

  Lachdanan's Visage
  Banded Plate (Sacred)
  Defense: (8973 - 10165) to (14769 - 16229)
  (Sorceress Only)
  Required Level: 100
  Required Dexterity: 627
  Item Level: 120
  Mana Shield: 95% less Mana Drained when Hit
  You may Only use Melee, Summon and Support Skills
  Indestructible
  Adds 200-300 Magic Damage
  Adds 150-200 Fire Damage
  Adds 150-200 Lightning Damage
  Adds 150-200 Cold Damage
  -30% to Enemy Elemental Resistances
  +(161 to 200)% Enhanced Defense
  +(1000 to 5000) Defense
  Socketed (6)
  
  equipped
• Have at least +83% Max Fire and Lightning Res

Basically, the same as Invasion II, except with an Ascended Riftwalker. It’s super tanky and uses a powerful Fire aura when it summons a Shambler. As with Invasion II, standing inside the blue circle will make you immune to the aura. The Riftwalker also turns invincible for a short time (look for the little red globe over its head). After which, it will use a nova that deals massive damage when you’re outside melee range, but does nothing while inside melee range. Consider this nova a 1-shot. Consider the sky lightning a 1-shot, too.

As long as you have

Lachdanan's Visage

Lachdanan's Visage
Banded Plate (Sacred)
Defense: (8973 - 10165) to (14769 - 16229)
(Sorceress Only)
Required Level: 100
Required Dexterity: 627
Item Level: 120
Mana Shield: 95% less Mana Drained when Hit
You may Only use Melee, Summon and Support Skills
Indestructible
Adds 200-300 Magic Damage
Adds 150-200 Fire Damage
Adds 150-200 Lightning Damage
Adds 150-200 Cold Damage
-30% to Enemy Elemental Resistances
+(161 to 200)% Enhanced Defense
+(1000 to 5000) Defense
Socketed (6)

equipped and Mana Shield active, you can tank the Riftwalker for (almost) the entire fight. If you need to disengage to avoid lightning circles, but a Shambler is present, drink a Healing pot to survive the fire aura. If you can’t avoid a lightning circle (e.g. because the Riftwalker is about to use it’s 1-shot nova), continue attacking and drink a Healing pot.

You’re guaranteed the Ascended Riftwalker Essence upon completion. If you’ve also managed to avoid taking any damage from the sky lightning and 1 Shambler is still alive, cube your Riftwalker’s Eye while you have the red swirly overlay to add +1% Max Res. The easiest way to do this is to almost kill the Riftwalker, wait for it to summon a Shambler, then kill the Riftwalker. You must cube the Charm while inside the Storm Pit to get the bonus.

Death Projector - clvl 105, 20 second lockout

► More info

Location: Act 3 → Flayer Jungle → Swampy Pit (Level 3) a.k.a. The Proving Grounds
Reward:

Laser Focus Crystal

Laser Focus Crystal
Required Level: 105
Keep in Inventory to Gain Bonus
Maximum Life +3%
Maximum Mana +10%
+(6 to 10)% to Experience Gained

Notable enemies:

• Death Mechanic: Untargetable and unkillable. They move slowly, but deal moderate damage. Their AS is faster than your HR.

The Death Projector is located near the center of the map. It constantly fires a clockwise-rotating Spinning Mind Flay that won’t really hurt, but it will Chill you. The Projector is also invulnerable unless at least 1 Death Mechanic is nearby.

You’re fast enough to outmaneuver both the Projector’s beam and the Mechanics. When you have a clear shot, activate Moonstrike, then just walk circles around the Projector, hitting it with Fusillade.

The only variable mod on the Charm is the XP gain.

Infernal Machine - clvl 105

► More Info

Location: Act 1 → Tamoe Highland → The Pit → Infernal Cave
Reward:

Optical Detector

Optical Detector
Required Level: 105
Keep in Inventory to Gain Bonus
Unlocks Mastery Skill: Tenacity
+5% to Summoned Minion Resistances
Elemental Resists +(11 to 15)%

The difficulty of this quest depends heavily on which monsters initially spawn. Open a TP before entering.

The Infernal Machine is located in the southwest corner of the map and periodically spawns packs of Elite mobs. Most monsters won't be a problem, but Wereowls will make this a lot harder than it should be.

With a low-density map roll, you can just walk up to the Machine and melee. Your sustain will keep you alive. Otherwise, clear out nearby monsters first, then target the Machine. Keep Fusillade active for Arcane Sustenance and use Healing/Mana pots as-needed. Retreat if Mana Shield breaks. Dodge Wereowls as best you can.

The Elemental Res is the only variable mod on the Charm.

The Binding of Baal - clvl 110, 20 second lockout

► more info

Location: Act 2 → Canyon of the Magi → Tal Rasha's Tomb (kill Zoltun Kulle to open the rift)
Reward:

Scroll of Kings

Scroll of Kings
Required Level: 110
Keep in Inventory to Gain Bonus
+(8 to 10)% to Spell Damage
(16 to 20)% to All Attributes

Before you begin:

• Have at least +75% F/C/L Res.

Notable enemies:

• Horadric Mage: Cast Fire, Cold, and Lightning spells. +75% F/C/L Res is enough to protect you, but the multi-hitting fiery Elemental spell will drop your Mana quickly.

When you enter the portal, a Baal morph is applied. Its movement speed is fast, but its attack and cast speeds are slow.

The Mages won’t be a problem, so just walk the parameter of the map and kill them. Once they’re dead, Tal Rasha will become vulnerable. He’s fast, tanky, and teleports a lot. His fire can deal some damage, but otherwise, he’s not any more dangerous than a Mage.

Eventually, you'll want a +20% All Attributes version of the Charm.

Horazon's Sanctum - clvl 110, 20 second lockout

► more info

Location: Act 3 → Lower Kurast (near the entrance, kill Stormtree to open a rift) → Caldeum → Dimensional Sanctum (southeast part of Caldeum)
Reward:

Horazon's Focus

Horazon's Focus
Required Level: 110
Keep in Inventory to Gain Bonus
(3 to 5)% Life stolen per Hit
(3 to 5)% Mana stolen per Hit
-50 Defense
+(21 to 25) to all Attributes

The Creature of Flame flits around casting spells that you’ll ignore. It also summons monsters and monster-spawning gates that you’ll also ignore. Just focus on killing the Creature. It’s hard to hit with Fusillade, so try to trap it in a corner. Keep an eye on your Mana pool. Destroy gates and kill monsters if too many spawn.

Akarat - clvl 110

► more info

Location: Act 3 → Torajan Jungles → Northwest part of the Jungle
Reward:

Visions of Akarat

Visions of Akarat
Required Level: 110
Keep in Inventory to Gain Bonus
+(201 to 250) Defense
+(21 to 25) to all Attributes

Akarat looks similar to his Followers, except he has a visible aura and is immune to all damage. He’ll lose his immunity for a short time if he’s hit by a Follower’s on-death nova proc.

When you reach Akarat’s location, kill the Followers in front of him with Bladestorm, then hit Akarat with Fusillade, followed by Bladestorm spam. You should be able to kill him in 1 go, but if he regains his shield and you’ve killed all the Followers around him, just lead him to any of the other Followers scattered across the map and try again.

You’ll eventually want a +25 All Attributes version of the Charm.

Assault on Mount Arreat - clvl 110, 120 second lockout

► more info

Location: Act 5 → Arreat Summit (kill Narthal to open a rift)
Reward:

Sacred Worldstone Key

Sacred Worldstone Key
Required Level: 110
Keep in Inventory to Gain Bonus
Enhanced Weapon Damage +(25 to 30)%
(21 to 30)% Bonus to Defense

Notable enemies:

• Shadow Wolf Warrior: Slow and defensively weak, but numerous. Their Hawk Talons and Guard Towers can deal decent damage if you get swarmed.

Similar to the Binding of Baal quest, except this time, a Diablo morph will be applied. Its movement speed is slower, but its AS is much faster.

Your lack of Phys Res makes this somewhat dangerous. Your LoMA will generally keep you alive as long as you’re attacking, but try to only take on a handful of Warriors at a time. Avoid areas with high concentrations of Guard Towers.

Bul Kathos is mixed in somewhere among the mobs. Like Jitan, he’s basically a souped-up version of his minions. He’s not immune like Tal Rasha, but it’s better if you kill all his Warriors first.

Eventually, you'll want a perfect version of this Charm.

Lord Aldric Jitan - clvl 110

► more info

Location: Act 3 → Torajan Jungles → West-central part of the map
Reward:

Moon of the Spider

Moon of the Spider
By Richard Knaak

Required Level: 110
Keep in Inventory to Gain Bonus
+(21 to 25) Spell Focus
+1 to Jitan's Gate
Half Freeze Duration

Trophy bonus: +25% EWD
Lottery bonus (Amulet): +5% Magic Res

Notable enemies:

• Rakkis Guardsman: Spam Guard Towers and use a tri-Elemental melee attack. Guard Tower spam makes them dangerous in large groups.

As you approach Jitan's location, Rakkis Guardsmen will be spawned amongst the regular mobs. Kill them before fighting Jitan.

Lord Aldric Jitan is basically a souped-up Guardsman that also uses Pestilence when his Life drops below 50%. You can generally ignore Pestilence, but his chilling Fortress spam—when coupled with Guardsmen’s Guard Tower spam—will do ridiculous cumulative damage.

Teleport to keep your merc near you and draw Jitan back to a clear area. Eliminate any Guardsmen with Fusillade as you do. Once you have Jitan isolated, you can rush in and melee (he won’t use Fortress in melee range). As long as your Mana hold out, your sustain will keep you alive.

Inquisitor of the Triune - clvl 110

► more info

Location:Act 3 → Torajan Jungles → Chamber of Offering (south-central part of the map)
Reward: Signet of Skill

Before you begin:

• Have at least +75% Max Poison Res

Notable enemies:

• Thonos: Tentacles that line the arena on the west, north, and east. They’ll attack if you get close. It’s possible to kill them, but don’t bother.
• Infested Growth: A nest in the northeast corner of the arena that spits out a Diseased Bloodsucker when you get near it.
• Diseased Bloodsucker: Hostile monsters that heal you for 3000 Life when killed.

The Inquisitor of the Triune is ridiculously tanky, and will occasionally become immune to all damage. He uses a variety of large AoE Poison spells, but the only one you need to watch out for is the large Poison Nova (a green orb will appear above his head before he uses it). Additionally, rocks will start falling on your head if you stand in one place for too long. Avoid those.

Try to keep the fight contained to the southeast corner of the map. When rocks start falling, reposition yourself to avoid them. The Inquisitor’s large Poison nova will quickly drain your Life, but your regen+sustain is enough to counter it as long as you never stop attacking. If, for some reason, your Life drops below 60%, move toward the Infested Growth and kill a Diseased Bloodsucker to heal.

Bull Prince Rodeo - clvl 110 (Secret Cow Level), clvl 115 (Corral of Corruption)

► more info

Location: Act 1 → Rogue Encampment (cube Wirt’s Leg to open a rift) → Secret Cow Level (kill the Cow King, then cube Wirt’s Other Leg to open a rift) → Corral of Corruption
Reward:

Fool's Gold

Fool's Gold
Moo moo moo Moooo! Moo!

Required Level: 115
Keep in Inventory to Gain Bonus
+(0 to 38) to Strength
+(0 to 38) to Dexterity
+(0 to 38) to Vitality
+(0 to 38) to Energy
(11 to 15)% Bonus to Defense
-10% Gold Find
(16 to 20)% Magic Find

The Cow King always spawns in the large, fenced area of the map. He’s tougher than a regular Cow, but no more dangerous. Once you kill him, cube Wirt’s Other Leg to open the rift to the Corral of Corruption (killing the Cow King does not prevent you from reentering the Cow Level).

Bull Prince Rodeo is both ugly and stupid. All his attacks deal moderate damage, but his spammy Hoof Stomp nova will constantly knock you back. His Stampeding Herd (which will be out nearly 100% of the time) can deal significant damage.

Melee BPR until he uses Stampeding Herd. At that point, quickly position yourself halfway between the east barricade and the eastern wall. From here, it’s a waiting game. If he teleports on top of you, melee him. Otherwise, wait until he comes within Fusillade range. Never leave your current spot. If Hoof Stomp knocks you back, move back into position asap. Don’t let Mana Shield break. Use Healing and Mana pots as-needed.

Rathma Square - clvl 115

► more info

Location: Act 3 → Caldeum → Rathma Square (southwest corner of Caldeum)
Reward:

Spirit Trance Herb

Spirit Trance Herb
Required Level: 115
Keep in Inventory to Gain Bonus
10% Attack Speed
10% Cast Speed
(21 to 150)% Bonus to Attack Rating
+(2 to 4) Life Regenerated per Second

Lottery bonus (Ring): +1 Skills

Notable enemies:

• Gore Crawlers: Spam projectiles that deal only moderate Phys damage, but their numbers can make them a problem. They also respawn after 10 seconds.

Head south from the entrance, then east, killing Gore Crawlers along the way. When you hit an unpassable wall, teleport over it to find Primus.

Primus is fast, debuffs you with Chronofield, and his Bladestorm hits hard. He’s also surrounded by more Gore Crawlers. After teleporting in, immediately debuff the room with Force Blast. Quickly lock onto Primus, then just spam him with Bladestorm and Fusillade. Your regen+sustain will let you tank everything, but drink a potion if your Mana or Life ever drops below half. Ignore Gore Crawlers. You can kill them once Primus is dead.

You’ll want a Charm with at least +100% AR.

The Black Road - clvl 115

► more info

Location: Act 1 → Rogue Encampment → Warriv’s Caravan → Bramwell → Church of Dien-Ap-Sten
Reward:

The Black Road

The Black Road
Required Level: 115
Keep in Inventory to Gain Bonus
Unlocks your Black Road Skill
+150 to Life
+75 to Mana

Notable enemies:

• Possessed Cultist: Their spammy, homing Slayer Bolts can deal decent damage if you’re hit by multiple shots. Kill them all on your way to the boss.
• Wayfinder’s Acolyte: Weak, but fast. Their shear numbers can overwhelm you.

Buyard Cholik is located at the back of the Church, in the room with the fire circle. He’s fast and tanky. Dodging his Pyroblast won’t be a problem, but his melee attack can hurt. He’s also immune to all damage, and will summon hordes of Wayfinder’s Acolytes.

The trick is to lure Buyard Cholik inside the fire circle, at which point, he becomes vulnerable (just stand inside and he’ll come after you). Once he’s inside, your regen+sustain will let you tank everything as long as you never stop attacking. Ignore Acolytes until the boss is dead.

Legacy of Blood - clvl 115, 20 second lockout

► more info

Location: Act 3 → Torajan Jungles → Chamber of Blood (southeast corner of the map)
Reward:

Legacy of Blood

Legacy of Blood
By Richard Knaak

Required Level: 115
Keep in Inventory to Gain Bonus
Unlocks Mastery Skill: Endurance
(3 to 5)% Life stolen per Hit
(3 to 5)% Mana stolen per Hit

Trophy bonus: +20% BtD
Lottery bonus (Weapon): Ignore Target’s Defense

Before you begin:

• Have +80% Max Fire Res.

Notable enemies:

• Blood Golem: Immune to all damage, but lose their immunity for 1 second when they attack. The missiles they spam can deal moderate Phys damage. They also proc Immolation Bomb on-death that can deal heavy Fire damage if you’re close to the center of multiple Bombs. The proc always spawns at your feet.

Bartuc is immune to all damage, but loses his shield temporarily each time he uses Wychwind. He'll also keep summoning more Blood Golems.

Kill all Golems near the entrance, then rush straight to Bartuc. Decent Fire Res and your regen+sustain will let you sustain melee, even with Golems around, but don’t let Mana Shield break.

Phys and Hybrid builds will eventually want a perfect version of the Charm. The Trophy is helpful, but not crucial.

The Veiled Prophet - clvl 115, 30 second lockout

► more info

Location: Act 4 → Silver City → Library of Fate (south corridor of the city) → Cathedral of Vanity (northwest part of the Library)
Reward:

Idol of Vanity

Idol of Vanity
Required Level: 115
Keep in Inventory to Gain Bonus
Unlocks Mastery Skill: Continuity
15% Combat Speeds

Trophy bonus: +20% Summoned Minion Life, +10% Summoned Minion Res
Lottery bonus (Armor): +2% Max Life

Before you begin:

• Have at least +80% Max Cold Res.
• Athulua's Oracle

  

  Athulua's Oracle
  Amulet
  Required Level: 60
  Item Level: 60
  +(1 to 2) to All Skills
  40% Attack Speed
  (150 to 250)% Bonus to Attack Rating
  Cannot Be Frozen
  
  is helpful.
• Your merc is helpful.

Notable enemies:

• Nun of Vanity: Fast melee fighters that can deal decent damage in a group. However, they’re harmless when debuffed with Force Blast.
• Simulcrum: Casters that spam Mind Flay, which takes 30%-40% of your Life per hit and can hit-lock you to death. They also curse you. Very dangerous. Avoid them.
• Crystal Ball Totem: Emits an aura that makes all enemies invulnerable. It also periodically fires a multi-directional Mind Flay that deals heavy damage.

When you enter the portal, Nuns will swarm and the Totem will fire off its Mind Flay. Despite that, don’t move. The center pillar will block Mind Flay. Let Nuns swarm, then debuff them with Force Blast. If you’re still taking damage, constantly attack with Bladestorm (you won’t deal damage, but LoMA will still replenish your Life). Once the Totem’s Mind Flay cycle is done, rush to the center of the room and destroy the Totem. When the Totem is destroyed, go back near the entrance and kill all the Nuns.

Inarius will appear as soon as the Totem is destroyed. He’s fast and uses Iron Spiral, some kind of spammy Bone Spear, and Frozen Orb. You can tank all of this as long as you’re attacking; however, Frozen Orb will quickly drop your Mana pool, and its Chill will slow your LoMA. Make liberal use of Mana pots and heal immediately if your Life ever drops below 60%. If, for whatever reason, you need to retreat, never go south beyond the Totem. The Simulcrums are actually more dangerous than Inarius.

Heart of Sin - clvl 115

► more info

Location: Act 4 → Chaos Sanctuary (kill Ghom, then use the Key of Sin to open a rift. The key can be used anywhere.)
Reward:

Azmodan's Heart

Azmodan's Heart
Required Level: 115
Keep in Inventory to Gain Bonus
Maximum Elemental Resists +2%
Elemental Resists +(11 to 20)%
-5% to All Vendor Prices

Trophy bonus: +150 Life, +75 Mana
Lottery bonus (Quiver): +50% MF

Before you begin:

• Have at least +80% Max Fire Res.
• Avoid teleporting to unexplored parts of the map so you don’t get ambushed and die.

Notable enemies:

• Dark Sovereign: Has a Cold-damage aura that will wreck you if there are multiple Sovereigns around. Also throws Bone Spears, but whatever.

Azmodan is located in the southwest corner of the map, at the end of a long causeway. He has a large Life pool, uses Flamestrike, Fortress, and fills the area with fire mines. He also summons untargetable Balrogs, but Balrogs will quickly die on their own. The unkillable Firebloods that spawn in the area will stay forever. Try to avoid their slow-moving molten boulders.

Despite Azmodan’s attacks, you can just melee as long as your Mana holds out. If Mana Shield breaks, retreat immediately across the southern bridge and walk a small circuit around the western part of the area. This will give you time to recast and regen. By the time you get back to the north bridge, Azmodan’s little platform should be mostly clear. Walk back to the causeway any time you need to heal, fully regen, or restock your belt. Debuff with Force Blast to take some of the sting out of Fortress.

Judgment Day – clvl 120, 20 second lockout (Pools/Halls)

► more info

Location: Act 4 → Silver City → Silver Spire (north corridor of the City) → Crystal Arch → Pools of Wisdom (Malthael) and Halls of Valor (Imperius)
Reward:

Crystalline Flame Medallion

Crystalline Flame Medallion
Required Level: 120
Keep in Inventory to Gain Bonus
+1 to Summon Edyrem
Fire Absorb 5%
Lightning Absorb 5%
Cold Absorb 5%
Cube after Killing Imperius and Malthael
(Max: 1 minute from each other)

Trophy bonus: +5% All Attributes

Before you begin:

• Have +80% Max Cold Res.
• Equip
  Athulua's Oracle

  

  Athulua's Oracle
  Amulet
  Required Level: 60
  Item Level: 60
  +(1 to 2) to All Skills
  40% Attack Speed
  (150 to 250)% Bonus to Attack Rating
  Cannot Be Frozen
  
  . If you don’t have it, make
  Stone

  

  Stone
  Shields
  'Thul'
  Runeword Level: 28
  +1 to All Skills
  25% Hit Recovery
  +(3 to 5) to Maximum Damage
  5% to All Attributes
  +(30 to 40) to Life
  Cold Resist +25%
  Cannot Be Frozen
  
  in any Shield and orb it with 5x STR, DEX, Life regen, and Max Damage.
• Make sure your cube is empty.

In both areas, you’ll encounter untargetable/unkillable Edyrem. They’re little more than a nuisance in small numbers, but become more dangerous as Imperius and Malthael summon more.

POOLS OF WISDOM (Malthael):

Malthael uses a Psicrown-like spell that fires numerous homing missiles that only do minor damage, but are difficult to dodge. He teleports a lot and uses Singularity in melee range. His Edyrem use Tremor (which reduces your Life by a percentage, but never kill you) and Deathstrike (which is a telegraphed attack that’s easy to avoid, but will take about 90% of your Life if you try and tank it).

HALLS OF VALOR (Imperius):

Imperius uses the same Psicrown-like spell and teleports, but he also uses MIRV, which is a delayed attack that has a large AoE dealing heavy Fire and Poison damage. Getting clipped by it won’t kill you, but trying to tank it will. When you hear the audio cue (a buzz, followed by “nuclear launch detected”), you’ll have about 5 seconds to move out of the way. His Edyrem use Tremor and Frozen Breath (a Cold spell that does minor to moderate damage and Chills you). Imperius also tends to summon Edyrem much more often than Malthael.

JUDGMENT DAY
Both bosses will drop the Charm, so you’ll have 2 chances to get it; however, it’s entirely possible to get the Charm+Upgrade at this stage in a single go as long as you have something with the “Cannot Be Frozen” mod equipped (it’s possible to do it at this stage without that mod, too, but it’s a huge pain).

The Imperius fight is more dangerous, but the Malthael fight will take longer. Since time is a bigger concern than danger, kill Malthael first.

Malthael’s constant teleporting and his Edyrem’s Deathstrikes will make it hard to melee him consistently, so don’t bother. Just keep Moonstrike active and use Fusillade. When he dies, the 60 second countdown starts. Quickly grab the Charm, teleport past Edyrem, and sprint to the exit portal. Put the Charm in your Cube, then enter the Halls of Valor.

Once inside, sprint to Imperius, name-lock him, and relentlessly melee him. You’ll take a lot more damage from Imperius and his Edyrem, but your regen+sustain can counter it as long as you’re not Chilled. Drink a potion any time your Life or your Mana drops below half. When Imperius is dead, teleport past his Edyrem, sprint to the exit portal, and quickly cube the Crystalline Flame Medallion. If you were fast enough, your CFM will have a nice +1 Skills and +40 All Attributes bonus.

Twin Seas – clvl 120

► more info

Location: Act 2 → Island of Skartara → Heart of Skartara (small platform in the northern part of the Isle. Use the Askari Call to summon her)
Reward:

Weather Control

Weather Control
Required Level: 120
Keep in Inventory to Gain Bonus
Jitan's Gate Cooldown Reduced by 1 seconds
(2 to 5)% Innate Elemental Damage
+10 to all Attributes

, Deity’s Bow (20% chance to drop)

Before you begin:

• Have at least 109% HR.
• Requires an Askari Call.

Notable enemies:

• Pirate of the Twin Seas: Their poison can hurt, but otherwise, they’re not dangerous. Kill any you meet so they don’t interfere.

Head west from the Island of Skartara Waypoint, then north to the Heart of Skartara. Stand on the platform in the center and use the Askari Call to summon Athulua.

Most attacks Athulua uses are designed to pester you and slowly whittle away your Life and your patience. You’ll be under constant attack from her Guided Arrows, which can stun you. If you move too far away, she’ll pounce on you with Sky Siege. In melee range, she’ll use a hard-hitting Tantrum. Finally, Athulua has a nasty habit of teleporting.

Your regen+sustain are high enough to let you tank all her attacks (even Tantrum) as long as you don’t go too long without engaging in melee. The easiest way to do this is just name-lock her after she spawns and hold RMB the entire fight. Roll your fingers across the keyboard when you need to reactivate Moonstrike. Don’t bother with Fusillade unless you’re losing Mana. Athulua teleports so often, Fusillade will never hit her, but you can still benefit from Arcane Sustenance.

You’ll eventually want a +5% IED version of the Charm.

Quov Tsin - clvl 120

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Location: Act 3 → Caldeum → Vizjerei Temple (northeast corner of Caldeum, kill Kentril Dumon to open a rift)
Reward:

Silver Seal of Ureh

Silver Seal of Ureh
Required Level: 120
Keep in Inventory to Gain Bonus
+1 to All Skills
+(21 to 30) Spell Focus
+(11 to 13)% to Summoned Minion Damage
+(11 to 15)% to Summoned Minion Resistances
+(11 to 20) to Strength
+(11 to 20) to Dexterity
+(11 to 20) to Vitality
+(11 to 20) to Energy

Trophy bonus: +10% Spell Damage

Before you begin:

• Have at least +82% Max F/C/L Res.
• Do not use Mana Shield.

Before facing Quov Tsin, you’ll need to go through Gorst and Kentril Dumon. Neither are a threat, so just kill them.

Quov Tsin constantly spams Trinity Beam—a tri-elemental, multi-hitting deathbeam that deals heavy F/C/L damage from a distance. It’s effectiveness can be greatly reduced thanks to a special “buff” you can get when you’re in melee range. Quov Tsin counters this by having a chance to fire off a slow-moving Bone Spear nova that will take half your Life per hit (look for a little globe to appear above his head). He may also poison you. Additionally, he has the Soulstealer ability, which heals 7% of his max Life whenever he kills you. Finally, he has a very high chance to teleport when struck.

Normally, you’d want as close to +90% Max F/C/L Res as you can get, but +82% is enough thanks to your regen+sustain and the beam damage reduction buff thing you get wile in melee range. You can generally just chase him around and Bladestorm (dodge his beam as best you can). Retreat beyond his beam’s range if you get poisoned, if your Life drops below half, or if he uses his nova. As with the Athulua fight, Fusillade is practically useless here, so just stick with Bladestorm. Later, when you’re stronger, you can just name-lock him the entire fight.

Eventually, you’ll want a version of the Charm with high DEX+STR rolls.

Kingdom of Shadow - clvl 120, 90 second lockout

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Location: Act 3 → Caldeum → Vizjerei Temple (northeast corner of Caldeum. Kill Kentil Dumon to open a rift) → Kingdom of Shadow (rift on the opposite end of the Temple)
Reward:

Eternal Bone Pile

Eternal Bone Pile
Required Level: 120
Keep in Inventory to Gain Bonus
+(1 to 2) to Sorceress Skill Levels
+(1 to 2) to Paladin Skill Levels
+(1 to 2) to Necromancer Skill Levels
+(1 to 2) to Druid Skill Levels
+(1 to 2) to Barbarian Skill Levels
+(1 to 2) to Assassin Skill Levels
+(1 to 2) to Amazon Skill Levels
10% Movement Speed

Trophy bonus: +10% Movement Speed

Before you begin:

• Have at least +85% Max Poison Res.
• Have
  Kabbalah

  

  Kabbalah
  Sorceress Orbs
  'Cham'
  Runeword Level: 83
  +3 to Sorceress Skill Levels
  -1% Base Block Chance
  60% Hit Recovery
  +(6 to 16) to Divine Apparition
  20% to Energy
  Maximum Life and Mana +5%
  +(100 to 200) Life when Struck by an Enemy
  
  and
  Cauldron

  

  Cauldron
  Large Shield (Sacred)
  Defense: (3474 - 4342) to (3904 - 4880)
  Chance to Block: 1% + Class%
  Required Level: 100
  Required Strength: 420
  Required Dexterity: 423
  Item Level: 1
  +150% Bonus to Miasma Haunt Duration
  10% Chance to cast level 25 Spike Nova when Attacked
  +1 to Sorceress Skill Levels
  1% Base Block Chance
  35% Block Speed
  +(100 to 150)% Enhanced Defense
  Requirements -20%
  Socketed (4)
  

  
  The Mysteries
  (Sorceress Melee Set)
  
  on-switch (recommended, but not required).
• To make it to the other side of the Vizjerei Temple unscathed, start your sprint about a second after Quov Tsin’s Life bar pops up on screen.

Notable enemies:

• Citizen: Fast, untargetable, and unkillable Zombies that hit hard and hit really fast. They’ll poison you and occasionally use Bloodstar (I think). Their numbers will quickly overwhelm you. Never stop moving.
• Dark Warden: Fat and slow, but their Retaliate will stun and knock you back, giving Citizens a chance to swarm. They also cast a slow-moving Detonate (I think) on-death, but it’s really easy to avoid.
• Mazi’s Eidolon: Stationary units that spit a spiral of Punishers. Extremely weak, defensively. Ignore them or deploy Fusillade as you walk by.

If you have

Kabbalah

Kabbalah
Sorceress Orbs
'Cham'
Runeword Level: 83
+3 to Sorceress Skill Levels
-1% Base Block Chance
60% Hit Recovery
+(6 to 16) to Divine Apparition
20% to Energy
Maximum Life and Mana +5%
+(100 to 200) Life when Struck by an Enemy

+

Cauldron

Cauldron
Large Shield (Sacred)
Defense: (3474 - 4342) to (3904 - 4880)
Chance to Block: 1% + Class%
Required Level: 100
Required Strength: 420
Required Dexterity: 423
Item Level: 1
+150% Bonus to Miasma Haunt Duration
10% Chance to cast level 25 Spike Nova when Attacked
+1 to Sorceress Skill Levels
1% Base Block Chance
35% Block Speed
+(100 to 150)% Enhanced Defense
Requirements -20%
Socketed (4)

The Mysteries
(Sorceress Melee Set)

equipped on-switch, enter the Kingdom with your on-switch gear. This way, you can use Divine Apparition to quickly teleport over walls and past enemies without needing to constantly weapon-switch. Teleporting past mobs will be essential. If you get surrounded, you’re dead.

Other than his ability to summon more Citizens, Juris Khan uses a short-range AoE skill that can deal a lot of Cold damage and Chill you. Melee won’t really be an option because of all the Citizens, so just hit him with Fusillade. Stay out of melee range to avoid his AoE and let Citizens chase you around between Fusillades.

The Charm can spawn with up to +2 Sorc Skills, but +1 is fine for now.

Banisher of Light - clvl 120

► more info

Location: Act 1 Town → Warriv’s Caravan → Bramwell → Church of Dien-Ap-Sten (kill Buyard Cholik to open a rift) → Path to Enlightenment
Reward:

Soul of Kabraxis

Soul of Kabraxis
Required Level: 120
Keep in Inventory to Gain Bonus
+1 to All Skills
Maximum Fire Resist +(1 to 3)%
Maximum Lightning Resist +(1 to 3)%
Maximum Cold Resist +(1 to 3)%
Maximum Poison Resist +(1 to 3)%

Trophy bonus: Adds 5-10 Damage

Before you begin:

• Have at least 80% Max Fire and 85% Max Poison Res.
• Fill your entire belt with Healing pots, and have a lot of extras in your inventory.

Notable enemies:

• Shadow Self: Their Elemental-enhanced melee attacks can deal decent damage if you get swarmed. Otherwise, not dangerous.
• Pillar of Skulls: Stationary pillar that uses Graveyard to periodically spit Punishers at you.

Open a TP near the red portal through which you entered, then walk the parameter of the arena and kill all Shadow Selves. When they’re dead, destroy Pillar in the center of the room to release Kabraxis.

Kabraxis uses a medium-AoE custom Whirlpool attack in melee range. Its damage can quickly add up when his Chronofield is active. From a distance, he’ll spam Balefire, which can deal decent Magic damage, but is easy enough to dodge. He can also pounce on you from across half the arena. Each time he does, he’ll mass-summon more Shadow Selves. Occasionally, he’ll use some kind of Punisher Barrage (which is a massive nova of dozens of Punishers). He also uses a retaliatory Flamestrike, which deals instakill-levels of Fire and Poison damage if you’re at the center of the blast. Finally, Kabraxis has Soulstealer, which will heal 7% of his max Life if he kills you.

Your regen, sustain, Mana Shield, and Force Blast will let you tank a lot of what Kabraxis throws at you as long as you’re attacking. Unfortunately, his teleporting and his Flamestrike make uninterrupted melee combat impossible. Instead, hit him about 4 times with Bladestorm, deploy Fusillade, then step away to avoid Flamestrike (it usually procs after about 4 Bladestorm hits. Fusillade will likely proc additional Flamestrikes, so look out for those as well). If Kabraxis teleports, follow him and repeat the process. If he doesn’t, wait for Fusillade to finish before going back in for another melee run. Dodge Balefire and kill Shadow Selves as-needed, or melee them when you need to quickly restore your Life. Drink a Healing pot any time your Life drops below 50%. Drink one immediately if you get clipped by Flamestrike (the Poison from Flamestrike is a lot more dangerous than the Poison from his Punisher Barrage thing).

You’re extremely vulnerable when you’re not in melee. If Kabraxis teleports to a hard to reach place (e.g. behind a pillar) or has surrounded himself with Shadow Selves, drop a Fusillade into a mob of Shadow Selves to leech, then move away into a more open area. This will usually bait a Pounce out of Kabraxis, putting you in a more favorable position.

When you need to restock your belt, teleport+sprint as far away as you can, then keep going until you can’t see Kabraxis’ Life bar anymore. There’s a high chance you’ll fail at this since Kabraxis can sense you from so far away, so don’t wait until you’re out of Healing pots to restock your belt.

The %Max F/C/L/P Res mods on the Charm are individually variable. You’ll be fine with whatever you get, for now. But eventually, you’ll want perfect, or near perfect, rolls (in this case, “near perfect” means 3 Elements at +3% and 1 Element at +2%).

Legion of the Damned - clvl 120, 10 second lockout

► more info

Location: Anywhere. Cube 3x Whisper of the Damned to create a Call of the Damned. Right-click the Call to open a rift to the Court of the Damned.
Reward:

Bone Chimes

Bone Chimes
Required Level: 120
Keep in Inventory to Gain Bonus
Equipping multiple chimes removes all bonuses
Gives stats based on the sum of your bonus damage to Undead and Demons
(Various bonuses)

Before you begin:

• Have at least 84% Max Poison Res.
• Have a few extra Healing and Mana pots in your inventory.

Around the parameter of the map are 9 Trapped Soul pillars. Each one has a unique modifier that will increase the difficulty of the battle in a specific way if it’s destroyed, but also give you better rewards. Don’t be greedy. Avoid destroying these.

Manoruk is a stationary monster in the middle of the map. He’s immune to all damage and periodically summons increasingly difficult waves of monsters. At some point after the final wave is summoned, he becomes vulnerable.

Stay near the portal and lure the monsters to you so you avoid destroying any pillars. Bladestorm’s residual blades will move through the crowd, eventually killing monsters far away from you. If a large, stationary mob is causing problems, move in just close enough to deploy Fusillade, then move back near the portal. When the Radamant-looking monsters spawn, hunt them down and kill them asap. Their Lorenadoes will cause the most problems until the final wave spawns. Use Moonstrike to kill the ones near pillars. Use potions as-needed and refill your belt and/or rebuff between waves.

The final wave is the most dangerous (you’ll know it’s the final wave because your framerate will drop to 3-5 fps). When monsters appear, debuff them with Force Blast, keep them debuffed, and be ready with Healing and Mana pots. Don’t let Mana Shield break. When your framerate starts increasing again, you can move into the map and finish off the rest of the wave (destroying pillars at that point won’t really matter).

The mods on the Charm seem really hit-or-miss (at least with a Melee Sorc). All but 1 of the Chimes I’ve gotten had some useless Spell Damage boost. It’s probably best just to consider this a place to farm for potentially decent stuff.

Toraja - clvl 120

► more info

Location: Act 3 → Torajan Jungles → Torajan Cemetery (northeast part of the Jungles) → Toraja (southwest corner of the Cemetery. Kill the Symbol of Time to open a rift)
Reward:

Lylia's Curse

Lylia's Curse
Required Level: 120
Keep in Inventory to Gain Bonus
+(11 to 25)% Bonus to Summoned Edyrem Life
+10 Life Regenerated per Second
Elemental Resists +10%

Drop bias: Runes, but not the good ones.

Before you begin:

• Resurrect your merc to help.

Inside the Torajan Cemetery, look for the Symbol of Time, a simple Rogue located near the southwestern corner of the map. The summoned Edyrem from your CFM are the only ones who can remove its immunity shield. When it's dead, a rift to Toraja will open.

Notable enemies:

• Celebrant: Rangers similar to the Amazons in TA. Dangerous in a swarm.
• Morlu: Melee fighters. Not really dangerous since there aren’t a lot of them. Their job is to hold you in place while Celebrants snipe you.
  
  Basically, you’ll focus on keeping Edyrem summoned and keeping everything debuffed with Force Blast while your merc Barrages everything to death. From the portal, move south to the corner, then east to the corner, then north to Lilith. When you see her, teleport and draw her back to a cleared area. Once her shield is down, you can just melee her.
  
  All enemies here are immune to everything all the time. As with the Symbol of Time, only Edyrem can remove their immunity shields. Unfortunately, Edyrem are incredibly weak, and it takes a second for their AI to kick in once they’re summoned. You’ll be taking on a support role here. Basically, you’ll focus on keeping Edyrem summoned on top of enemies and keeping everything debuffed with Force Blast while your merc Barrages everything to death. Teleport to pull back your stupid merc when she walks into a swarm of Celebrants.
  
  From the entrance portal, move south to the corner, then east to the corner, then north. Kill everything along the way.
  
  Lilith will be located in a small fenced-in area in the east-central part of the map. Her Iron Spiral can do decent damage, but her poison is more dangerous. When you see her Life bar, summon an Edyrem far ahead of you to bait her. When she pops out of her cage, teleport to gather your army and lead her back to a clear area. When you’re safe, debuff her, then summon Edyrem on top of her. Once her shield is broken, just rush in and melee her.
  
  The bonus to Edyrem Life is the only variable mod on the Charm.

Eve of Destruction - clvl 125, 20 minute lockout

► more info

Location: Act 5 → Worldstone Keep
Reward:

Spirit of Creation

Spirit of Creation
Required Level: 120
Keep in Inventory to Gain Bonus
Unlocks Mastery Skill: Specialization
+25 to Strength
Maximum Mana +(1 to 5)%
Regenerate Mana +10%
Elemental Resists +(1 to 10)%

, Relic Orb
Trophy bonus: +10% Elemental Res

Before you begin:

• Have some extra Healing and Mana pots in your inventory.
• Deactivate, then reactivate Baneblade before entering the Worldstone Chamber to refresh its buff timer.

Notable enemies:

• Minion of Destruction: Even more obnoxious. They’re tankier, and now, they constantly pounce on you.
• Vision of [...]: Super tanky versions of the other Prime Evils and Lesser Evils occasionally summoned by Baal (at least, I assume. I’ve only ever seen him summon Diablo). They grant Baal full damage immunity when they’re near him.

Keep Baal confined to the east and west parts of the map so you can teleport to the peninsula when he summons Minions. Your regen+sustain is high enough that you can tank almost all of Baal’s attacks (even the black circles) as long as you’re engaged in melee. However, his Mana-draining beam is extremely dangerous. Not only will it drop your Mana to zero in about a second, it will also do the same to your Life once your Mana is gone. When you get hit by it, retreat immediately to regen. If Baal summons a Vision do your best to lure Baal and the Vision to opposite sides of the map so you can kill it in peace.

You and Baal are both at comparably higher power levels, so the fight will feel much as it did in Nightmare. The main difference with this fight is in how much more annoying Minions are. There’s also a nonzero chance Baal will summon multiple Minions at a time, which will make this fight a huge pain since you may not be able to move close enough to the peninsula for a teleport. When that happens, just kill enough Minions to break free so you can get to the peninsula and kill the rest. Be ready with Healing and Mana pots (incidentally, if you ever need to restock your belt, teleport+sprint outside Baal’s AI range so you can do that in peace).

If Baal still has more than 1/4 Life by the time the lockout timer reaches 5 minutes, find a safe spot to deactivate, then reactivate, Baneblade to refresh its buff timer. You don’t need Baneblade poofing on you during a critical moment.

The mods on the Charm may not seem that great, but the Mana regen is rather helpful. The Trophy adds +10% Elemental Res.

Lord of Lies – clvl 125, 20 second lockout

► more info

Location: Act 4 → Chaos Sanctuary (kill Magdha, then use the Key of Lies to open a rift) → Realm of Lies
Reward:

The Book of Lies

The Book of Lies
Required Level: 125
Keep in Inventory to Gain Bonus
+(100 to 500) to Life
+(50 to 250) to Mana

Trophy bonus: +20% EWD

Before you begin:

• Have at least +80% and Max Cold Res
• Have a few extra Healing and Mana pots in your inventory.

The Realm is filled with Elite mobs, but poison damage is the only thing that’s really dangerous. Always be leeching. Clear the entire map before fighting Belial.

Belial is located in the northeastern corner of the map. He spawns with a number of illusions that all cast a number of spells. They’re not too dangerous on their own, but the volume of projectiles can deal significant cumulative damage (especially the Phalanx-like spell). The ice ball meteor can also deal heavy damage if your Cold Res is low and you’re at the center of the blast.

The real Belial is a tiny rat, almost impossible to see in the chaos, but he’s the only enemy that makes noise (grunts when damaged, villainous speeches). Run around attacking Illusions until you hear Belial’s grunts. This will give you an idea where he is. If you can lock onto him, you can just melee until he’s dead. Despite all the spells flying around, you won’t lose much Life as long as you’re attacking, but your Mana pool will drain rapidly. Keep Fusillade deployed for Arcane Sustenance, and drink Mana pots as-needed.

The flat Life/Mana rolls on the Charm have a wide range (+100 to +500), but anything above +300 Life is fine.

Ghosts of Old Bremmtown – clvl 125

► more info

Location: Enter Fauztinville, then head west until you see another red portal.
Reward:

Dragon Claw

Dragon Claw
Required Level: 125
Keep in Inventory to Gain Bonus
Unlocks Mastery Skill: Chemistry
+(50 to 150) to Life
+(25 to 75) to Mana
Cube after Killing Dark Star Dragon in Under 1 Minute and 30 Seconds

Trophy bonus: +10% XP Gained

Before you begin:

• Resurrect your merc to help.

Notable enemies:

• Howling Spirit: Pounce on you in hordes. They have incredibly small hitboxes, so holding RMB won’t work here. You’ll have to target them manually. They’re defensively weak, but can do decent damage.

You’ll be constantly swarmed with Howling Spirits as you progress through the level. Hit the mobs with Fusillade, then click furiously and finish them off with Bladestorm. Your sustain will keep you healthy, but drink a Healing pot if your Life drops below 60%.

The Dark Star Dragon can summon more Howling Spirits and uses Spinning Mind Flay, but its defenses are incredibly weak. Your residual blades will likely kill it before you even enter melee range.

Both the Life and Mana values on the Charm are variable, but anything above +100 Life is fine.

Dragon Claw Upgrade:

If you manage to kill the Dragon within 90 seconds of entering the level, quickly cube the Charm to upgrade it. The upgrade bonus for Sorcs is +50 Spell Focus, which is really lame, considering the bonuses other Classes get. Unfortunately, you need the upgrade if you intend to cube the Charm with the Trophy.

Yshari Sanctum – clvl 125

► more info

Reward:

The Ancient Repositories

The Ancient Repositories
Required Level: 125
Keep in Inventory to Gain Bonus
+(0 to 1) to All Skills
(101 to 150)% Bonus to Attack Rating
+(11 to 15)% to Spell Damage
(6 to 10)% Chance of Crushing Blow
Fire Resist +(5 to 20)%
Lightning Resist +(5 to 20)%
Cold Resist +(5 to 20)%

Trophy bonus: +2% Max Life, +5% Max Mana

This quest is split into 2 parts. First, you must navigate a series of mazes to acquire 2 quest-specific Sets from 5 Mini-bosses. Second, once you have all 10 Set pieces, you can face Valthek himself in the Yshari Sanctum.

PART 1

Location: Act 3 → Caldeum → Spectre of Hatred (northwest part of Caldeum)

Before you begin:

• Teleport does not work here.
• Have
  Athulua's Oracle

  

  Athulua's Oracle
  Amulet
  Required Level: 60
  Item Level: 60
  +(1 to 2) to All Skills
  40% Attack Speed
  (150 to 250)% Bonus to Attack Rating
  Cannot Be Frozen
  
• Have
  Starhawk

  

  Starhawk
  Warp Blade (Sacred)
  One-Hand Damage: 49 to 86
  (Sorceress Only)
  Required Level: 100
  Required Dexterity: 400
  Item Level: 105
  Dexterity Damage Bonus: (0.13 per Dexterity)%
  Innate Tri-Elemental Damage: (40.0% of Dexterity)
  Area Effect Attack
  25% Chance to cast level 50 Magic Missiles on Melee Attack
  +(3 to 5) to Sorceress Skill Levels
  50% Attack Speed
  Adds 400-500 Magic Damage
  Adds 400-500 Fire Damage
  Adds 400-500 Lightning Damage
  Adds 400-500 Cold Damage
  -(25 to 35)% to Enemy Elemental Resistances
  10% Chance to Avoid Damage
  Socketed (6)
  
  on-switch (recommended, but not necessary).
• Keep a TP open at all times, moving it as you go.
• Clear out all mobs in each Scholar’s arena before fighting the Scholar itself.
• Yshari Set pieces cannot be repaired.
• Yshari Set pieces can be turned into SoL.
• The Mysterious Companion near the beginning of each new area will open a portal to the beginning of the previous area. The portals are not permanent (i.e. you can’t complete half the maze, then come back the next day, hop through a few portals, and pick up where you left off).
• Be prepared for a substantial time investment if this is your first time (60-90 minutes just to gather the Sets).

Spectre of Hatred

Nothing here is much of a threat, but Subterranean Predators’ melee attacks can deal decent Poison damage, and Gilded Gigas cast Tremor on-death.

Scholar of Hatred
Set Pieces:

• Bartuc's Blood – Mana Belt (belt)
• Tal Rasha's Talisman – Necklace (amulet)

The Scholar of Hatred uses Avalanche, a fire wave, and summons Veil Kings. The Veil Kings are probably the most dangerous. They only deal moderate damage, but they can wreck you if you lose Mana Shield. Nova Charge will heal the Scholar thanks to its absorb, but you’ll still deal more overall damage, so just melee it.


Dream of Anguish

There are a few enemies to watch out for here. Scorned are fast and deal decent damage. [color]Occult Flagellants[/color] are also fast, but their melee attacks deal ridiculous Poison damage that will drop your Life to 1 in a few seconds. Sustain can help reduce the Life drain, but Healing pots will do nothing.

Scholar of Anguish
Set Pieces:

• Quov Tsin's Crown – Sorcerer's Mask (helm)
• Deckard Cain's Gem – Arcane Seal (ring)

The Scholar of Anguish is faster, tankier, and regens. It uses primarily Poison-based spells. You won’t take much damage from them unless you’re hit with Banish. That said, with your sustain, you can still just melee.


Phantasm of Terror

Most enemies here are more obnoxious than dangerous, but you’ll still have to deal with Occult Flagellants. Silver Golems are Physical/Magic-immune and constantly spam Lifeblood. They’re unkillable as a Phys build without

Starhawk

Starhawk
Warp Blade (Sacred)
One-Hand Damage: 49 to 86
(Sorceress Only)
Required Level: 100
Required Dexterity: 400
Item Level: 105
Dexterity Damage Bonus: (0.13 per Dexterity)%
Innate Tri-Elemental Damage: (40.0% of Dexterity)
Area Effect Attack
25% Chance to cast level 50 Magic Missiles on Melee Attack
+(3 to 5) to Sorceress Skill Levels
50% Attack Speed
Adds 400-500 Magic Damage
Adds 400-500 Fire Damage
Adds 400-500 Lightning Damage
Adds 400-500 Cold Damage
-(25 to 35)% to Enemy Elemental Resistances
10% Chance to Avoid Damage
Socketed (6)

. Polar Worms spawn hordes of Ice Clan on-death. Vulture Harpies are fast and can travel through some walls. Chimeras use a number of different attacks, but the only one that matters is Trinity Beam. While not as powerful as Quov Tsin’s version, it’s still dangerous.

Scholar of Terror
Set Pieces:

• Nor Tiraj's Safeguard – Divine Guard (shield)
• Warkeepers – Warkeepers (gloves)

The Scholar of Terror summons Fireheart Totems, uses a fiery blast spell, and can launch multiple MIRVs. The Totems can be ignored, but avoid MIRVs and the fire spell. Do not melee the Scholar. Its own melee attack will 1-shot you. Just let it chase you and lead it through Fusillades. When it flees, try to corner it so Fusillade can hit.


Figment of Pain

Nothing here will be a threat as long as you’re attacking. Aguares are really annoying. They’re tanky, and they’ll constantly knock you back. Saurian Deacons will resurrect Scincid Rogues.

Scholar of Pain
Set Pieces:

• Horazon's Guard – Mage's Plate (body armor)
• Radament's Greaves – Winged Feet (boots)

The Scholar of Pain is a pure melee fighter. You can stand there and melee no sweat, but it’s faster you just lead it through Fusillades (there’s less chance it will become immune to all damage).


Snare of Destruction

Red Armed Soldiers are the most dangerous enemy here. They use a long-range AoE nova attack that bounces off walls. The damage it deals isn’t much on its own, but you can easily get hit with 7-8 novas at a time. What’s worse, thanks to all the half-walls in this area, they can safely spam you from behind a wall and there’s nothing you can do about it because you’re a melee build. Celestial Descendants use Stormcrows and Elemental attacks. They also seem to have an attack that deals massive damage (possibly 1-shotting you), but I don’t know what it is. Gemini Hunters are incredibly tanky and use Tremor. Thokolas are just annoying af.

Scholar of Destruction
Set Pieces:

• Valthek's Blade – Mystical Blade (weapon)
• Jered Cain's Diamond – Arcane Seal (ring)

The Scholar of Destruction is incredibly annoying. Its fast, tanky, spams Fortress, uses Arrowside, summons Augmented Inquisitors, constantly teleports, and Chills you (don’t even bother with this unless you have Athulua’s Oracle equipped). You can generally melee the Scholar, but only as long as your sustain (Life and Mana) can outpace its Fortress spam. When you start losing too much Life and Mana, retreat to an area outside Fortress’ seek range and resume attacking.

At some point, the Scholar will flee, which makes this fight supremely annoying (it will flee→you’ll chase→you’ll corner it→it will teleport over you and flee to another corner, or worse, into the maze). Just do your best to corner it and deal whatever damage you can, whenever you can.

PART 2

Location: Act 3 → Caldeum → Yshari Sanctum (center part of Caldeum)

Before you begin:

• The Set-granted spells are only usable when a Mystic Aegis is nearby.
• The Set-granted spells can be used while Baneblade is active.
• You can teleport here.

Spells:

• Arcane Blast
  A multi-directional, auto-targeting spell that’s used to kill Mystic Aegis.
• Holybolt
  Basically, Purify. It’s used to damage Valthek.

There’s a Crystal Ball Totem in the center of the map. Hit it once with Normal Attack to destroy it and release Valthek.

From a distance, Valthek summons shadowy Paladin-like apparitions that cast long-range novas. These novas deal heavy damage if you’re near the center, and he’ll often summon multiple shadows at a time. In melee range, he’ll use a Broadside-like attack that deals so much cumulative damage so quickly you should treat it as an instakil. Valthek will also Pounce, after which, he’ll use a multi-directional Mind Flay that will take about 15% of your Life per hit. and summon Mystic Aegis in a wide circle around him. Aegis aren’t particularly dangerous. Their entire purpose is to get in your way, either to block your Holybolt, or to hold you in place so Valthek can wreck you with Broadside or a Paladin statue.

A slow (but easy) way to do this is to let Valthek Pounce on you. Immediately hit him with Holybolt, then quickly retreat to avoid taking damage or getting trapped by a ring of summoned Aegis. Once you’re outside Valthek’s AI range, regen to full if you’ve taken any damage, then move back to Valthek slowly, thinning out the mobs of Aegis along the way. Get Valthek to Pounce on you again, and repeat until success.

With good aim and some luck, you can do this in a reasonable amount of time. Mana Shield is a life-saver here, so recast it and Nova Charge periodically. Additionally, you can use your innate LoMA to regen Life from Aegis. Just pull one back to a safe spot and melee. You won’t deal any damage, but it’s a handy trick if you don’t want to waste a Healing pot (or you’ve run out).

Multiple mods on the Charm are variable, but as long as you get one with +1 Skills, it’s fine. It can roll with 0 Skills.

[Solfege]

Xazax - clvl 125, 4 minute lockout

► more info

Location: Act 2 → Island of Skartara → Maggot Passage (just northwest of the Waypoint) → Maggot Depths → Wretched Sands
Reward:

Xazax's Illusion

Xazax's Illusion
Required Level: 125
Keep in Inventory to Gain Bonus
+(0 to 2) to Necromancer Skill Levels
+(0 to 2) to Paladin Skill Levels
+(0 to 2) to Sorceress Skill Levels
+(0 to 2) to Barbarian Skill Levels
+(0 to 2) to Druid Skill Levels
+(0 to 2) to Amazon Skill Levels
+(0 to 2) to Assassin Skill Levels
+(10 to 25) Life Regenerated per Second
Poison Resist +(26 to 50)%

, Ancient Book
Trophy bonus: +4% Slows Target

Before you begin:

• Have at least +80% Max Cold Res

Notable enemies:

• Ghost Worm: Untargetable and unkillable maggots located in the first 2 areas. Their poisonous melee attacks will drop your Life to 1 HP in about a second, and keep it there for a long time. Their curse/aura also prevents Healing pots from healing. RIP.
• Penitent: Summoned by Xazax, they’re unkillable, but they are targetable. Their Death Blossom deals minor to moderate Fire damage and will inflict Slow.

Just rush through the first 2 levels. If you get poisoned, immediately TP to town and have a town healer cure you.

In the third level, you’ll find Xazax. He attacks with a short-duration Poison wave (that you’ll ignore) and a full-screen Meteor Shower (that you’ll avoid). Each hit from his ice comet nova will take about 40% of your Life, so try to avoid that, too. Xazax also has a chance to teleport-when-struck, which is inconvenient. But what really makes Xazax a pain in the ass is his ability to summon Penitent, which he’ll do at random intervals. These fat, unkillable bastards’ ability to be targeted severely reduces Fusillade’s usefulness (it’s more likely to target them than Xazax simply because there are more of them).

Xazax is a damage check, but everything about the fight severely restricts your ability to deal any meaningful damage. About all you can do is rush in and melee until Xazax summons Penitent. When that happens, lead it/them away, then sprint back to Xazax and unload on him. When Penitent come back or Xazax uses Meteor Shower, deploy Fusillade and retreat. If too many Penitent are near Xazax to comfortably melee, just deploy Fusillade as close to Xazax as possible and hope at least some blades hit him.

Ideally, you’ll want a Charm with +2 Sorc Skills, but +1 is fine for now. The Charm can roll with 0 Sorc Skills, just in case you weren’t feeling demotivated enough up to this point. Seriously, why is this still a thing?

The Book of Cain that may drop with the Charm is a reagent for the Archbishop Lazarus Charm upgrade.

Astrogha - clvl 125

► More Info

Location: Act 3 → Torajan Jungles → Web of Deceit (west-central part of the map, past Jitan
Reward:

Astrogha's Venom Stinger

Astrogha's Venom Stinger
Required Level: 125
Keep in Inventory to Gain Bonus
+1 to All Skills
Jitan's Gate Cooldown Reduced by 1 seconds
+(100 to 500) to Life
Poison Length Reduced by 50%

Trophy bonus: -5% Enemy Elemental Res

Before you begin:

• Unequip any gear with an AoE proc or a reanimate.
• Don’t activate Nova Charge or any other AoE damage-dealing oskill.
• Equip
  The Endless Loop

  

  The Endless Loop
  Light Belt (Sacred)
  Defense: 1101 to 1143
  Required Level: 100
  Required Strength: 550
  Item Level: 105
  40% Combat Speeds
  +(10 to 19) to Charged Strike
  Slow Target 10%
  +50 to all Attributes
  +50 Life Regenerated per Second
  +(0 to 1) Mana on Striking
  Socketed (2)
  
  ,
  Akarat's Trek

  

  Akarat's Trek
  Light Plated Boots (Sacred)
  Defense: (1960 - 2352) to (2170 - 2604)
  Required Level: 100
  Required Strength: 625
  Item Level: 120
  2% Chance to cast level 30 Hammertime on Melee Attack
  2% Chance to cast level 30 Thunder Wave on Melee Attack
  2% Chance to cast level 30 Thunder Hammer Nova on Melee Attack
  (0 to 40)% Movement Speed
  +(15 to 20) to Charged Strike
  Enhanced Weapon Damage +(60 to 90)%
  +(150 to 200)% Enhanced Defense
  10% to All Attributes
  +10 to Light Radius
  Socketed (4)
  
  , or a Rare Amulet with the Charged Strike oskill, if you have it (you only need 1 source).

Notable enemies:

• Moon Arachnid: Typical giant spiders, but these have a CtC a powerful Punisher Barrage on death.
• Darkling: Summoned by Astrogha’s Statues. They’re practically harmless, but they’ll swarm and hold you in place. They also have a CtC Deathstrike on death.

Kill all Moon Arachnids before facing Astrogha.

Astrogha is located in the northwest part of the map (you’ll know he’s nearby because he has a long-range aura that reduces your Movement Speed). When Astrogha sees you, he’ll throw seeds at you that summon Statues. These Statues, in turn, summon Darklings. The Statues quickly crumble on their own. But if you destroy one, it curses you with Culling of the Herd. This drastically slows your Movement Speed and makes it so any damage you take while cursed will instantly kill you. Additionally, destroying a Statue will heal 5% of Astrogha’s max Life. In melee range, Astrogha uses Frozen Orb. Each bolt from this will deal heavy damage. And finally, Astrogha has a high chance to teleport when struck.

There’s no good way to do this as a Melee Sorc. Just rush to Astrogha, hit 3x with Moonstrike (or Charged Strike, if you have access to it), then retreat outside his AI range so he stops spam-summoning Statues and you avoid Frozen Orb. Kill Darkspawn as-needed. Repeat. Try not to die of boredom. Instead, use the 30+ minutes this fight will take to reflect on things—to ponder life’s mysteries—mysteries such as: why is Moonstrike such a shit single-target skill; why do Sorcs still not have access to a melee oskill that’s actually useful against bosses such as Astrogha and Xazax; why am I even doing this anymore…

If you’re lucky, and Astrogha teleports to an open area, you may be able to attack multiple times per run. If you’re unlucky, and Astrogha holes up in a corner, come at him head-on rather than trying to flank him. He’ll always throw seeds toward you, so a direct attack will reduce the chance he’ll throw seeds against a wall, which would otherwise spawn Statues right on top of him.

The flat Life is the only variable mod on the Charm, and it has a wide range (+100 to +500). +300 Life or more is recommended, but whatever roll you get is fine. Asking you to suffer through this long, tedious, boring slog of a quest more than once is asking too much.

Nymyr’s Light - clvl 125, 20 second lockout

► more info

Location: Act 3 → Caldeum (northeast corner, kill Kentril Dumon to open a rift) → Vizjerei Temple → Kingdom of Shadow (east side of the Temple) → Nexus Bridge (east of the entrance portal)→World Nexus
Reward:

The Sleep

The Sleep
Required Level: 125
Cube with Trophy to Awaken
Keep in Inventory to Gain Bonus
Maximum Fire Resist +(0 to 1)%
Maximum Lightning Resist +(0 to 1)%
Maximum Cold Resist +(0 to 1)%
Maximum Poison Resist +(0 to 1)%

Before you begin:

• Fill your entire belt with Healing pots, and have a lot of extras in your inventory

Notable enemies:

• Mini Witches: Untargetable, unkillable, stationary witches that cast a slow-moving fire trail when you get close. It stuns, knocks you back, and tracks you. Getting clipped by it won’t kill you, but it can deal heavy cumulative damage. They also spawn in random locations.

From the Ureh entrance portal, head east and a little south. On your map, you’ll see 2 half circles of pillars. In the center is the Lost Traveler. Touch/attack him to open the rift.

Enter the Nexus Bridge, then just hunt around for the portal to the next area. Open a TP before entering.

The difficulty of this fight will depend heavily on where, and how many, Mini Witches spawn.

Atanna Khan is tanky, attacks with Magic-based spells, has a high chance to teleport when struck, and Pounces. At a distance, she’ll use a sort of glyph shotgun and Pounce. Both can take up to 30% of your Life per hit. In melee range, she’ll use an expanding glyph minefield and a glyph nova. These won’t deal much damage per hit, but their cumulative damage will add up. The nova is especially dangerous. The glyphs will burst into slow-moving beams that travel in an east-west direction. These can deal rapid cumulative damage if you stand in them. Finally, she occasionally puts up a glyph wall—a short barrier that stuns, deals damage, and bounces you back. If she uses this when you’re next to an area wall, you’ll get trapped there and almost instantly die.

Draw Atanna back to an area free from Mini Witches so you can chase her around with Bladestorm. When the area gets too full of glyphs, deploy Fusillade, then retreat far outside Atanna’s AI range and let them dissipate. Also retreat if Atanna teleports close to a Mini Witch. If your Life ever drops below 60%, retreat to heal, regen, and/or restock your belt. Drink a Healing pot immediately if your Life drops below half.

You’ll want perfect +1% Max F/C/L/P Res rolls when you add a Trophy. Otherwise, +1% Max to any 3 elements is fine.

Trophy bonuses:

• Lord of Lies
  +250 Life/Mana, 50% GF, -20% Vendor Prices
• Legacy of Blood
  10% LL/ML, +25 All Attributes
• Judgement Day
  +50% Minion Life, +25% Minion Damage, +20% Minion Res
• Yshari Sanctum
  +15% Spell Damage, +10% Max Mana, +50 Mana when Struck
• Kingdom of Shadow
  +20% MS, +50% BS, +50% HR
• Duncraig
  +60% Damage to Demons/Undead, +75 LoMA/MoMA
• Xazax
  10% CB, 25% Poison Length Reduction, +40% MF
• The Veiled Prophet
  +50 Spell Focus, +5% Bonus to Spell Focus, +50% Summoned Edyrem Life
• Tran Athulua
  +100% AR, +750 AR, flat 50 Phys DR
• Quov Tsin
  +20% Elemental Damage to Bloodlust, +20% Elemental Res, flat 20 Elemental/Magic DR
• Astrogha
  +1 Skills, 10% Slows Target, 30% Curse Length Reduction
• Heart of Sin
  +100 Life regen, Cannot Be Frozen
• Viz-jun
  +500 Defense, +5% Phys Res, +50% BtD
• Archbishop Lazarus
  +50% Combat Speeds, +5% Max Life
• The Triune
  Adds 20-25 Damage, +15% All Attributes
• Nephalem's Sacrifice
  +8% IED, +6% DS
• Banisher of Light
  -10% Enemy Elemental Resistances, +10 Max Stamina
• Ghosts of Old Bremmtown
  +75 LaeK, +10 MaeK, 1% Reanimate as Random Monster
• The Void
  0.5 second Teleport Cooldown Reduction, +5% Magic Res, +5 Light Radius
• Eve of Destruction
  +15% EWD, +50% Mana regen, +10% XP Gained

Spirit World - clvl 125, 20 second lockout

► more info

Location: Act 3 → Teganze → Mbwiru Eikura (center of Teganze)
Reward: Ghost Trance

Notable Enemies:

• Harvester of Souls: Large nests that emit an enemy invulnerability aura over a huge radius. They’re tanky and regularly summon Lanterns.
• Lantern: Untargetable, unkillable, and very slow moving. Not dangerous in small numbers, but a massive swarm can hit/block-lock you to death, as well as prevent you from moving.

Start by clearing the map of all Harvesters to limit the places in which the boss can become invulnerable, and to reduce Lantern spawn potential.

The Spirit of Giyua is located in the east-center part of the map. It’s invisible most of the time, teleports, spawns more Harvesters, and uses a Charged Bolt-like spell that isn’t dangerous from a distance, but can deal a lot of damage up close. Sometimes, the Spirit will teleport on top of you, at which point, it spawns a ring of tornadoes that can deal massive cumulative damage. Teleporting past them or waiting them out is ideal, but you’re generally okay to quickly walk between them as long as you’re aware of their damage potential.

For most of the fight, you can keep the Spirit contained to a single area and just chase it around with Bladestorm and Fusillade (use your Raven to help you locate it). When it spawns a Harvester, destroy it immediately, then go back to chasing the Spirit. Eventually, there will be too many Lanterns in the area to handle. At that point, lure the Spirit to a new area and resume the fight until the swarm of Lanterns catches up with you. Repeat until success.

This fight is a huge pain and can take a long time. Not only are Harvesters really tanky, but the Spirit can spawn them across gaps and behind walls (sometimes, even inside walls). When the Spirit goes immune, but you don’t see any Harvesters, check the adjacent platforms and both sides of all walls.

The Void - clvl 130, 3 minute lockout (planes), 8 minute lockout (boss fight)

► More Info

Location: Act 4 → Silver City → Library of Fate → Chapel of Vanity → Black Abyss (kill Inarius to open the rift)
Reward:

Books of Kalan

Books of Kalan
Required Level: 130
Keep in Inventory to Gain Bonus
+1 to All Skills
+(3 to 15) to Teleport
+25 to Life
+50 to Mana

Trophy bonus: +1 Skills

This quest is divided into 2 parts: gathering stuff for the boss fight, and the actual boss fight.

PART 1

Before you begin:

• Have a lot of extra Healing pots in your inventory, and restock your belt before entering a new Plane.
• Have your weapon socketed with an Indestructible jewel.
• Bring your Amber, Bloodstone, and Turquoise clusters, a few Oils of Disjunction, and
  Wheel of Fortune

  

  Wheel of Fortune
  Large Shield (4)
  Defense: 85 to 162
  Chance to Block: Class%
  Required Level: 4
  Required Strength: 27
  Required Dexterity: 45
  Item Level: 6
  +(21 to 30) to Vitality
  Maximum Elemental Resists +1%
  Elemental Resists +(6 to 10)%
  Fire Absorb 1%
  Lightning Absorb 1%
  Cold Absorb 1%
  (4 to 7)% Gold Find
  (5 to 10)% Magic Find
  Socketed (1)
  Defense: 240 to 405
  Chance to Block: Class%
  Required Level: 21
  Required Strength: 53
  Required Dexterity: 67
  Item Level: 25
  +(31 to 40) to Vitality
  Maximum Elemental Resists +1%
  Elemental Resists +(11 to 20)%
  Fire Absorb 2%
  Lightning Absorb 2%
  Cold Absorb 2%
  (9 to 12)% Gold Find
  (11 to 20)% Magic Find
  Socketed (3)
  Defense: 501 to 817
  Chance to Block: Class%
  Required Level: 39
  Required Strength: 184
  Required Dexterity: 139
  Item Level: 46
  +(41 to 50) to Vitality
  Maximum Elemental Resists +2%
  Elemental Resists +(21 to 30)%
  Fire Absorb 2%
  Lightning Absorb 2%
  Cold Absorb 2%
  (14 to 17)% Gold Find
  (21 to 30)% Magic Find
  Socketed (4)
  Defense: 684 to 1113
  Chance to Block: Class%
  Required Level: 48
  Required Strength: 368
  Required Dexterity: 288
  Item Level: 80
  +(51 to 60) to Vitality
  Maximum Elemental Resists +2%
  Elemental Resists +(31 to 40)%
  Fire Absorb 3%
  Lightning Absorb 3%
  Cold Absorb 3%
  (17 to 19)% Gold Find
  (31 to 40)% Magic Find
  Socketed (4)
  
  with you.
• Have an item with the “Slain Monsters Rest in Peace” mod. You can add this to any item by cubing the item with an Oil of Renewal and an Arcane Crystal. Adding this to one of your Ripstar Rings would probably be the best option.
• Open a TP in each new area, in case you make a mistake and die before the lockout timer expires.

For this part, you’ll need to navigate 7 Planes and kill 7 sub-bosses. 6 sub-bosses will drop a unique scroll, with the 7th dropping a Ring. Cubing all 7 reagents together will create a Ring of Virtue. This is needed to access the boss fight.

Notable Enemies:

• Darkspawn: Invisible, fast, tanky, and hit hard. They spawn when you get too close to the floating chests. They’re manageable in small numbers, but they’ll be a problem if you let too many spawn.
• Eternal Guard: Defensively weak, but their ranged attack deals decent damage. Kill any in the area before fighting a sub-boss.

Plane of Sloth
Sloth does nothing but respawn and cast a trap on-death that will deal critical damage. Kill it with Fusillade, then quickly move away and walk the parameter of the area to avoid the massive swarm of tracking projectiles from the trap. Repeat until the scroll drops.

Plane of Gluttony
Gluttony will only take any noticeable damage if you fight it on the small platform in the center of the map. However, everything seems to deal a lot more damage there, so kill all Eternal Guard before fighting Gluttony. After that, you can just tank as long as you never stop attacking.

Plane of Greed
Greed will curse you and drain your Mana to zero instantly. Clear out the monsters in one of the corners of the large platform. Then, sprint to Greed and use Fusillade before you’re cursed. If it survives, go back to the area you cleared and outside Greed’s AI range until the curse wears off. Once your Mana is back to full, try again.

Plane of Lust
Lust is surrounded by a horde of Vacuous Conjectures, which will poison you and respawn. However, you can just ignore them and melee Lust as long as you keep attacking. Avoid its tornado-themed Avalanche.

Plane of Wrath
Wrath is immune to your attacks, but damages itself with its constant fire spam. Just tank and spam Bladestorm. Your sustain will keep you alive. Use Fusillade occasionally for Arcane Sustenance.

Before moving on, have your RIP item equipped.

Plane of Envy
Envy is basically Nihlathak, but with a Mind Flay that will take nearly half your Life per hit. The RIP Ring will prevent Envy from exploding the corpses of his summoned Slaves.

Keep Envy just at the edge of your screen so it keeps summoning Slaves rather than using Mind Flay. Wait for at least 3 Slave to spawn, then kill the closest one with Bladestorm. Its residual blades will track through the other Slaves and eventually hit Envy. Heal as needed.

Before moving on, boost your Max Lightning Res to about +88%.

Plane of Pride
The teleport pads are mostly linear, but when you get to an area with no more pads, go back through the one you entered and it will take you to a new location. Open a new TP once you reach the boss’s platform.

Pride spawns with more Souls of Pride, and it will keep summoning them. The only way to damage the real Pride is to let Souls damage you while it’s nearby. With enough sustain and Lightning Res, you can just melee Souls, but you’ll need to supplement with Healing pots in heavy combat.

Before moving on, boost your Max Poison and Fire Res to +86%. You can replace the Ambers with Amethysts.

PART 2

Basically, you need to kill Inarius without killing Lilith (or without Inarius killing her).

Inarius is immune to all damage. In melee range, he uses some kind of exploding corpse spell that can deal moderate to heavy Fire damage. He also throws out a spinning ring of ice orbs that explode into ice novas that deal decent damage, but walking through the orbs before they explode will nullify them. His spammy short-range bone spear thing is just a nuisance that will slow you down.

Lilith uses a Poison wave like Xazax, but it actually hurts. She’ll occasionally spawn small Ritual circles. Luring Inarius into these circles will make him vulnerable for a short time.

Lilith is incredibly weak defensively, so keep Inarius focused on you and away from Lilith until she spawns a Ritual circle. Inarius will almost always throw an ice orb ring once a Ritual circle is spawned. You’ll have a few seconds before the actual Ritual is active, so sprint to pop all orbs near Lilith, then rush back to the circle. Once Inarius is inside, hit him with Fusillade and spam him with Moonstrike to keep your Life globe full. If procs are hitting Lilith (e.g. Magic Missiles from Starhawk), stop attacking and use Healing pots to regen as needed. If Lilith wanders off screen while you’re attacking Inarius, switch to Bladestorm (just make sure none of your blades track toward Lilith).

Nephalem's Sacrifice - clvl 130

► more info

Location: Act 4 → Silver City → Silver Spire (east side of the City) → Crystal Arch → Edyrem’s Path (x10) → Uldyssian’s Tomb
Reward:

Neutrality Pact

Neutrality Pact
Required Level: 130
Keep in Inventory to Gain Bonus
+(1 to 2) to All Skills
+(61 to 100)% Bonus to Summoned Edyrem Life
+(2 to 5) to Purify

Trophy bonus: Adds 100-150 Fire/Cold/Lightning Damage

Before facing Uldyssian, you’ll need to complete 10 stages in which you’ll face a powerful version of a specific quest boss (or bosses). Killing the stage boss opens a rift to the next stage. Open a new TP in each completed stage before moving on.

Before you begin:

• Have the RIP Ring you made for the Void quest.
• Have an Indestructible Jewel in your Weapon.

Notable Enemies:

• Edyrem: Obnoxious enemies that appear in almost every stage. They’re aggressive, tanky, spam an invulnerability shield, and have a CtC Deathstrike on-death. You can generally just melee them, but their hits will devastate your Mana pool.

PART 1: STAGES

• Blood Raven: Kill the group of Toxotes she spawns with, then just melee her.
• The Countess – Her minions’ Magic Missiles can deal a lot of damage, and will kill you if they all hit at the same time. Pop your head in the door to get the Countess’ attention, then lead her into the main room so you can fight her alone.
• Radamant – Kill all the minions first so you can 1v1 Radamant. His poison will hurt and lasts a long time. Drink a Healing pot if your sustain can’t keep up with the Life drain.
• The Summoner – Annoying. Rush in and hit the Summoner with Fusillade, then lead Edyrem back to the portal and kill them. Avoid their ctc Deathstrike on-death, and the Summoner’s devastating Whirlpool-like spell. Repeat.
• The High Council – Aside from minions, there are 3 main enemies here: Sankekur the Revered, Deathshade Fleshmaul, and Zhar the Mad. Lure each of them to a safe area so you can kill them 1v1. Zhar opens the rift to the next area. Equip your RIP Ring before moving on.
• Nihlathak – Generally, you can just chase him around and melee, but try to avoid his Hunting Banshee so you don’t lose all your Mana.
• The Ancients – Bugged. Korlic opens the rift, but kill all Edyrem and the other 2 Ancients first. Korlic is bugged, and Fusillade often won’t target him, so killing him can take a long time.
• Pain and Anguish (Duriel and Andariel) – Stay near the portal and 1v1 Duriel. He can deal a lot of cumulative damage, so keep him debuffed with Force Blast and try to avoid the falling rocks. When he’s dead, kill Andariel. Her poison hurts, but your sustain is enough to counter.
• Lies and Sin (Belial and Azmodan): Azmodan opens the rift, but the fight is a lot less obnoxious if you kill Belial first.
• The Prime Evils (Mephisto, Diablo, and Baal) – Mephisto and Baal are to the east and west, respectively. Baal will overwhelm you and Mephisto will 1-shot you. Do not go near their locations. Instead, sneak into the center of town where Diablo is hiding (he opens the protal). You can just tank him.

PART 2: ULDYSSIAN

TBA, probably.

Archbishop Lazarus - clvl 130, 15 second lockout

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Location: Act 3 → Vizjun → Genesis (portal southwest from the Waypoint, inside the small area surrounded by water)
Reward:

The Glorious Book of Median

The Glorious Book of Median
Required Level: 130
Keep in Inventory to Gain Bonus
+1 to All Skills
Adds 10-15 Damage
+(24 to 45)% Damage to Demons
Elemental Resists +(5 to 15)%

Trophy bonus: +1% Max Elemental Res

Before you begin:

• Don’t summon Raven Familiar.
• Don’t activate Nova Charge or any other buff with an auto AoE damage component.
• Don’t have anything equipped with reanimates.
• Fill your belt with Healing pots, and have extras in your inventory.
• Requires the Purify skill.

Notable Enemies:

• Groupie: Weak defensively, but their attacks deal decent damage. Their job is to block your Purify and bait you into attacking so you’ll accidentally destroy Black Hand Totems.
• Black Hand Totem: Stationary totems that use a powerful Tremor that will take huge chunks of your Life when you get close. Totems also heal any monster nearby when they’re destroyed and have a small chance to curse you Culling of the Herd (the Astrogha statue curse).

Archbishop Lazarus is located just north of the portal. He’s immune to all damage except Purify. He uses Deathstrike from a distance and a hard-hitting Singularity in melee range. He’ll also aggressively Pounce on you and immediately hit you with Retaliate each time, which takes about 20% of your Life per hit. Finally, he regularly summons Groupies and Black Hand Totems.

Basically, you’re going to walk a circuit around the northern part of the map. The map layout is the same as the Proving Grounds, so head north a bit until Laz Pounces on you. When he does, hit him with Purify, then head north into the corridors. Laz will follow, Pouncing on you as you go. Follow the corridor east, then south, and finally, west—hitting Laz with Purify whenever it’s off CD. When you get near the large, open area again (where you entered the map), sprint+teleport beyond Laz’ AI range. From here, slowly walk the circuit again, 1-shotting Groupies with Moonstrike and destroying Totems with Fusillade. When Laz’ life bar pop back up on screen, inch toward him to bait out a Pounce. Hit him with Purify, then repeat the whole process, this time in reverse (i.e. travel the circuit east, north, west, then south). That’s pretty much it. This quest is more about patience and not making a mistake than anything else. As you get better, you can adjust this “circuit” strat to be more efficient.

You don’t really need a perfect Charm, even if you’re going for the Trophy, but you will want the Book of Cain upgrade for the additional +1 Skills. Go kill Xazax until he drops it.

RIFTS

Island of the Sunless Sea - clvl 105

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Location: Act 2 → Rocky Waste → Stony Tomb → Treasure Vault (kill Grubber to open a rift) → Island of the Sunless Sea
Reward:

Six Angel Bag

Six Angel Bag
Required Level: 105
Keep in Inventory to Gain Bonus
(3 to 5)% Innate Elemental Damage
Fire Resist +(21 to 25)%
Lightning Resist +(21 to 25)%
Cold Resist +(21 to 25)%

, Sunless Crystal Bird
Drop Bias: Gold

Notable enemies:

• Feyr: Fat, slow, tanky, and spit an ice ball from a distance. They also have Cold-enhanced melee attacks, which will drain your Mana quickly when Mana Shield is active.
• Dark Templars: Invisible until they attack, and attack in large packs. Not dangerous on their own, but can cause problems if you get ambushed while Chilled.

There are 6 Sunless Angels scattered throughout the map. They look similar to Dark Templars, but have a light beam overlay. They’re tanky and will curse you with Amplify Damage. From a distance, they’ll throw ice meteors that explode into novas. Each Angel will drop an Angel Bag. Cube 6 to make the Charm. They also have a 1/6 chance to drop a Sunless Crystal Bird, which will add a bonus to the Charm when they’re cubed together.

The only real danger here is fighting a Sunless Angel while chilled and surrounded by mobs, but it’s not life-threatening as long as you don’t lose Mana Shield.

You’ll eventually want perfect +5% IED and -5% Enemy Elemental Res rolls.

Torajan Jungles - clvl 110

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Location: Act 3 Town→Torajan Jungles (through the rift east of Hratli’s forge)
Reward: None
Drop Bias: Signets

The Torajan Jungles serve as a hub for many Dungeons and Rifts. It’s the best place to find Signets of Gold and Signets of Learning.

Notable enemies:

• Khazra Clan: Spawn in packs and throw hammers that deal moderate damage.
• Crippling Swarm: Their attacks will drain huge chunks of your Mana.
• Forrest Keepers: Tanky, and their buff nova deals damage.
• Moon Arachnids: Cast a poisonous cloud spell on death.
• Followers of Akarat: Use Hammertime, which is a rapid stream of hammers dealing moderate to heavy Phys damage, depending on how many hits you take per volley. They also use Inner Fire on themselves, which is basically an instaheal.

Kurast 3000 B.A. - clvl 115

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Location: Act 3 → Torajan Jungles → Kurast 3000 B.A. (rift at the northwestern part of the Jungles, north of Akarat)
Reward:

Hammer of the Taan Judges

Hammer of the Taan Judges
Required Level: 115
Keep in Inventory to Gain Bonus
+1 to All Skills
+1 to Necromancer Skill Levels
+(21 to 25) Spell Focus
Enhanced Weapon Damage +0.1875% (Based on Character Level)

Plays the same as the Ennead Challange, but tougher. Make liberal use of Fusillade.

Each Necromancer has a 1/3 chance to drop the Charm. Good luck with that.

High Heavens - clvl 115

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Location: Act 4 → Silver City → Library of Fate (south corridor of the city)
Reward:

Zakarum's Ear

Zakarum's Ear
Required Level: 115
Keep in Inventory to Gain Bonus
(6 to 10)% to All Attributes
+(6 to 15)% to Experience Gained

Drop Bias: Rare items

Before you begin:

• Have +80% Max Poison Res.

Notable enemies:

• Lightwell Totems: Untargetable and unkillable. They periodically shoot Punisher waves that deal Poison damage. With enough Max Poison Res, and some Life regen/sustain, they won’t be a problem.
• Ethereals: Zakarum that hit hard, hit fast, and swarm in large mobs.

Six Zakarun’s Avatars are scattered throughout the Library. They’re tanky, but harmless until you destroy them. Upon death, they’ll cast a full-screen Meteor Shower. With Mana Shield active and 80% Max Fire Res, each meteor hit will take 40% of your Life and 90% of your Mana.

You’ll have enough regen+sustain to just melee everything here, but as soon as you kill an Avatar, teleport away to avoid Meteor Shower. Your merc will survive well enough as long as she doesn’t get nuked by a Meteor.

Each Avatar has a 1/6 chance to drop the Charm. Good luck with that.

Eventually, you’ll want to farm for a perfect Charm.

Tran Athulua - clvl 115

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Location: Act 2 → Dry Hills → Halls of the Dead, Level 3 (kill Kethreys to open a rift) → Tran Athulua.
Reward:

Sunstone of the Gods

Sunstone of the Gods
Required Level: 115
Keep in Inventory to Gain Bonus
(3 to 5)% Innate Elemental Damage
Maximum Life +(3 to 5)%
Maximum Mana +(11 to 15)%

Trophy bonus: +5% Phys Res
Lottery bonus (Jewel): +10% Elemental Res

Notable enemies:

• Amazon Defender: Tankier Amazon Warriors that cast a devastating Arrowside on death. Defenders have a 2.5% chance to spawn and are distinguishable by their heavy armor. Good luck actually spotting them.
• Tree of Fire: Tanky, and their Fire spells can do decent damage.

Mostly plays the same as the Level Challenge, except enemies are faster, more dangerous, more numerous, and the map is different.

You can do this fairly comfortably as long as you’re always leeching and not trying to tank Arrowside. Use Force Blast to debuff if you feel it’s necessary. Try to fight Priestesses 1v1. Their Phalanx is dangerous.

Each Priestess will drop an elemental Sunstone. Cube all 3 to create the Charm. They also have a 1/6 chance to drop an Askari Call scroll, which is needed for a later quest. They have a 4% chance to drop a Trophy Fragment.

Eventually, you'll want a perfect +5% IED/+5% Max Life/+15% Max Mana version of the Charm. The Trophy adds +5% Phys Res. You’ll also want this.

Teganze - clvl 120

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Location: Act 3 → Torajan Jungles → Torajan Cemetery (east side of the Jungles) → Teganze (northern part of the Cemetery)
Reward:

Umbaru Treasure

Umbaru Treasure
Required Level: 120
Keep in Inventory to Gain Bonus
Cube with Essence/Runestone to Roll Stat
+(6 to 10)% to Spell Damage
Essence Slots: 20

Drop Bias: Essences and Runestones

Before you begin:

• Have at least +80% Max Elemental Res.
• Resurrect your merc to help.
• Teganze is the only place to find Elemental Essences and Runestones, which are used to create Elemental Runes. Essence and Runestone drops are not affected by MF.

Notable enemies:

• Umbaru Spirits: Slow-moving demons that fire slow-moving missiles dealing either Fire, Cold, Lightning, Poison, Phys, or Magic damage. Each missile will only take roughly 5%-10% of your Life, but the shear volume of missiles flying at you makes them dangerous, especially if your Elemental Res is below 80%.

Not much to say about clearing the map. As long as you’re in melee, your sustain will keep you healthy enough, but don’t try to tank a massive volume of projectiles. You may find Mana Shield more annoying than helpful here, so you may want to skip using it. You’ll be more vulnerable, but at least you’ll be able to use your skills.

In the center of Teganze, you’ll find Zagraal’s Shadow. He’s fast, teleports, and hits hard. He also morphs into a bat, which makes him immune to all damage. And finally, he has Soulstealer.

To be honest, I’m not sure how best to do this. I can’t distinguish the boss’ missiles from the tileset, so I can’t tell you how best to avoid them. I’m also not sure what (if anything) triggers his bat form, or if it’s random. Regardless, I simply lead him to an area I had already cleared, then just relentlessly spammed Bladestorm+Fusillade. You’ll lose Mana quickly, so you’ll need some Mana pots, but as long as Mana Shield doesn’t break, you won’t have any problem surviving the encounter.

The only mod on the Charm is a variable Spell Damage roll. In order to make it worth something, you have to cube it with Essences and Runestones. Doing this will possibly add Attribute bonuses, but the outcome is random within a set range, and the Charm can roll with negative Attribute values. Since each attempt consumes the reagent, you could end up burning 20 valuable reagents for a Charm that’s actually harmful (and yes, it can happen). It’s a good thing you’ll be spending so much time farming this place, I guess.

The Triune - clvl 120

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Location: Act 3 → Caldeum → Rathma Square (southwest corner of Caldeum, kill Primus to open a rift) → Bastion of the Triune
Reward:

Corrupted Wormhole

Corrupted Wormhole
Required Level: 100
Keep in Inventory to Gain Bonus

Trophy bonus: +30% MF

Before you begin:

• The Triune is the only place to find Cycles. They come in 3 varieties: small, medium, and large. Larger Cycles offer better benefits, but increase the Charm’s clvl req more than smaller Cycles. There’s also a very small chance you may find a rare Golden Cycle. Cycle drops are not affected by MF.

Notable enemies:

• Impaler Archons: Fast, fly in erratic patterns, and are dangerous in groups. They take pot shots at you from a distance, and can hole themselves up in places your skills can’t reach.
• Primal Clays: Tanky golems whose poisonous melee attacks deal moderate damage. They spawn in packs and serve mostly to hold you in place while Archons snipe you.
• Kraken Guards: Use a multi-hitting Cold beam that can do decent damage if your Cold res is low. It also Chills you.
• Temple Spires: When in range, they fire off 2 Meteors in rapid succession that explode into a small AoE. Each hit will take almost 50% of your Life and about 80% of your Mana with Moonstrike and Mana Shield active. The Meteors are telegraphed, and there’s a delay between volleys. Rush in, Fusillade, then retreat.

You won’t have much trouble clearing the map as long as you don’t get nuked by a Meteor, so make your way to the northwest and find Durram. He’s tanky and deals moderate to heavy damage. He’ll drop the Tome of Possession, which gives you access to the Mind Control oskill needed for the boss fight (as an aside, Mind Control can be used on all sorts of monsters, not just Lucion, and not just in Triune).

Exit the building to the east. When you get near the end of the narrow causeway, Malic will start firing missiles that deal Burn damage (Burn damage is basically Poison damage, but with Fire. Malic’s missiles will drain your Life down to 1 HP in a few seconds, but activating a Resist Fire Shrine will make you immune). Malic will also occasionally summon more enemies (including Spires) and uses a form of Blast Wave that will spawn Deathbats and teleport you all over the place. He’s also invincible (you can never kill him).

Rush across the courtyard and into the building on the other side. Quickly open a TP in case you die, then kill all mobs in the area (building and courtyard).

In the back of the building, you'll find Lucion. He’s slow and will hit you with a curse that will slow your movement speed and drain your Life. When you’ve killed all the mobs, lead Lucion back to Malic. When they’re both in the same area, hit Lucion with Mind Control. This will convert Lucion into an ally for a short time, allowing him to take damage from Malic’s missiles. Try to position yourself opposite Malic, with Lucion in the middle, to increase the chance of Malic’s missiles hitting Lucion. Kill Deathbats as-needed. Use Fusillade to leech; melee if you need to restore Life faster. Just be careful. Deathbats deal ridiculous Poison damage.

When Lucion’s Life hits 50%, he’ll become “enraged.” During this time, his movement speed drastically increases and he spams some spell (I still have no idea what it does, but it can damage/kill you). Lucion’s extra speed will make him harder to hit with Mind Control, but it will also make it easier to get him close to Malic. If you can get Lucion to engage Malic in melee, you’ll be able to hang back and safely reapply Mind Control the instant it wears off. Unfortunately, since Mind Control’s duration is variable, and its CD timer is static, you won’t be able to do the whole fight this way.

Overall, this will be a very inconsistent fight. It simply relies too heavily on RNG (as do way too many things in Median). At least your regen will help make the fight suck less.

The Charm is blank, and requires you to cube Cycles with it to add bonuses. Lucion has a guaranteed chance to drop Cycles, but you’re better off just farming mobs for them.

Corrupted Abbey - clvl 120

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Location: Act 1 Town → Warriv’s Caravan → Bramwell → Church of Dien-Ap-Sten → Subterranean Corridor (northwest corner of the Church) → Duncraig → Corrupted Abbey
Reward: Assur's Bane,

Demonsbane

Demonsbane
By Robert Marks

Required Level: 120
Keep in Inventory to Gain Bonus
+(0 to 2) to Sorceress Skill Levels
+(0 to 2) to Paladin Skill Levels
+(0 to 2) to Necromancer Skill Levels
+(0 to 2) to Druid Skill Levels
+(0 to 2) to Barbarian Skill Levels
+(0 to 2) to Assassin Skill Levels
+(0 to 2) to Amazon Skill Levels
+5 Life Regenerated per Second

Trophy bonus: +10% Combat Speeds

Before you begin:

• Athulua's Oracle

  

  Athulua's Oracle
  Amulet
  Required Level: 60
  Item Level: 60
  +(1 to 2) to All Skills
  40% Attack Speed
  (150 to 250)% Bonus to Attack Rating
  Cannot Be Frozen
  
  will be helpful for clearing the map.
• Have at least +83% Max Fire Res for the boss fight.
• Requires the Purify skill.

Notable enemies:

• Slain Soul (Magic-absorb): Throws a barrel that explodes after a short time. The large AoE explosion will take 40% of your Life with Moonstrike active. Watch for the spark trail leading to the barrel rather than looking for the barrel itself.
• Slain Soul (Poison-absorb): Throws a seed that erupts into a poison cloud. Only dangerous if you’re also taking damage from other sources.
• Slain Soul (Cold-absorb): Chills you.
• Necromorb: The most hated enemy type here. They won’t deal much damage on their own, but the damage from multiple Necromorbs all spamming their missiles at you can quickly add up. Their AI also makes them painfully frustrating to melee. And they can hole up in places off the map where you can’t reach, but they can still spam you.
• Sub-bosses: Skinrender, Spinecracker, Bonehexer, Eyegouger, and Fleshcutter. They’re tankier than Slain Souls, but no more dangerous. Each one will drop a specific Sigil. Cubing all 5 Sigils with a Ring of the Five (which any monster can drop) will create Assur's Bane. It’s a decent Ring on its own, and its Purify oskill is required to complete the quest (the ring must be equipped in order to use Purify. Also, since it’s marked as a quest item, it can’t be orbed).

You won’t be strong enough your first time through to cruise through this place. Only take on small mobs at a time. Kite larger mobs and lead them through Fusillades. You can melee once their numbers have been thinned. Be ready to use Jitan’s Gate at any time to teleport away from barrels. When you get Chilled, you won’t be fast enough to flee, so just lean into it and keep attacking. Your LoMA will keep you alive (most of the time). If you get chilled when surrounded, immediately teleport away. If you can’t teleport, drink a Healing pot. As for Necromorbs, don’t bother trying to melee them. Either let Bladestorm’s residual blades deal with them, or deploy a Fusillade, then walk away and hope they float through it.

You’ll find Assur near the northwest part of the map. He constantly spams Flamefront, Flamestrike, and Cataclysm (+90% Max and +400% stacked Fire Res has traditionally been the norm for surviving his attacks, but your regen lets you get away with less). Assur will also Pounce on you, and can do so from long distances and through walls. He's immune to all damage, and only Purify can harm him. Purify is slow, hard to aim, and annoying to use. You may need to get in close to hit him.

Clear out all the mobs leading up to Assur’s area so you fight him 1v1. Get him to pounce on you, then draw him back to a clear area. From here, you can just run circles around him and hit him with Purify. 2 shots will kill him.

Ideally, you’ll want a Charm with +2 Sorc Skills, but +1 is fine for now. Unfortunately, the Charm can roll with 0 Sorc Skills, which means the 20+ minutes you just spent here were a complete waste of your time.

Vizjun - clvl 125

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Location: Act 3 → Swampy Pit → The Proving Grounds → Vizjun (rift in the northwest corner of the map)
Reward:

Cold Fusion Schematics

Cold Fusion Schematics
Required Level: 125
Keep in Inventory to Gain Bonus
1% Chance to cast level 10 Time Strike on Striking
+(11 to 30) to Strength
+(11 to 30) to Dexterity
+(11 to 30) to Vitality
+(11 to 30) to Energy

Trophy bonus: +15 All Attributes
Drop Bias: Jewels

Before you begin:

• Equip Assur's Bane and have Purify bound to a hotkey before entering (you won’t have time to do this once inside Vizjun).
• Open a TP immediately after entering Vizjun. You’ll be locked out of the Proving Grounds thanks to stupid quest lockouts, so a TP is the only other way to reenter until you’ve activated the Waypoint.
• Requires the Purify skill.

The mob density makes this place kind of tough, especially when you get slowed. New mobs are constantly being spawned, so don’t bother trying to clear the map. The level will also occasionally deploy rapid-firing Sentries, MIRVs, and, Minefields.

Your sustain will generally keep you healthy as long as you constantly attacking and don’t lose Nova Charge and/or Mana Shield. Deploy Fusillade as much as possible for the extra Mana sustain from Arcane Sustenance. If you get clipped by a MIRV, drink a Healing pot. Your sustain can’t keep up with the poison while in heavy combat. The same goes if you’re stuck in a Minefield (mines take big chunks of your Life when they detonate).

The Master Control System is located in the southeast corner of the map (a small patio between 2 groves of trees). It’s immune to all damage except Purify. It’s a stationary target, so it won’t be hard to hit. A single Purify will destroy it.

Eventually, you’ll want a Charm with high DEX and STR rolls.

Fauztinville - clvl 125

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Location: Act 1 Town → Warriv’s Caravan → Bramwell → Church of Dien-Ap-Sten (kill Buyard Cholik to open a rift) → Path to Enlightenment (teleport outside Kabraxis’ area to find the Seal Totems.)
Reward: Black Road upgrade
Drop Bias: Runes, Fauztinville Great Runes (Taha, Ghal, Qor), Shrines

THE ROAD TO FAUZTINVILLE:

Around the perimeter of Kabraxis’ chamber are 5 Seal Totems that spam-summon Shadow Selves (you’ll need to teleport to reach the area. You do not have to fight Kabraxis again). Destroying a Totem will release an Elemental Spirit. The Spirits are Electrum (Lightning), Stone (Physical), Wizardry (Magic), Hell (Fire), and Frost (Cold). Killing a Spirit will net you a Great Gem. Cubing all 5 Great Gems with your Black Road Charm will allow you to cube your Charm with any Rune, which will create a scroll that will open a rift to Fauztinville.

Each Spirit spawns with a horde of minions, all of whom are tanky and deal decent damage. The Spirit itself summons more minions and is immune to all damage as long as any minions are around. However, once its immunity is gone, its really squishy.

The easiest way to do this is to separate groups of minions and melee the smaller groups rather than taking them all on at once. When you’ve killed all but 1-2 minions, rush the Spirit and spam it with Bladestorm and Fusillade. The remaining minions will follow you. Your sustain will keep you alive, so just let your residual blades kill them. Once the Spirit’s shield drops, it will quickly die. And now that you’ve killed one Spirit, you can draw the minions of the next Spirit back to the previous one’s location and more safely kill them.

This is much easier with Starhawk than with the Set, but you’ll still be able to do it with a Phys build. Mana Shield will take a beating against the elemental-based Spirits. Keep Fusillade deployed for Arcane Sustenance.

FAUZTINVILLE:

Before you begin:

Klaatu Barada Nikto

Klaatu Barada Nikto
Amulet
Required Level: 110
Item Level: 105
30% Enhanced Damage vs. Necrobots
10% Chance to cast level 40 Nova Bomb on Melee Attack
+2 to All Skills
25% Attack Speed
Adds 1-188 Lightning Damage
+650 Poison Damage over 2 seconds
Stun Attack
+(11 to 16) to Hive
Lightning Resist +(40 to 50)%
Poison Resist +(40 to 50)%

is helpful, but not required.

Notable enemies:

• Harpydisk: Spam bouncing shuriken that deal decent damage. They’re also tough to hit because their flight patterns are erratic and they can fly to places you can’t reach.
• Necrobot: Spawn in packs, spam you from a distance, and have high Phys absorb. Having Nova Charge active, and Klaatu Barada Nikto equipped, will help.

Probably the most obnoxious area in the game. You’ll be constantly swarmed by enemies after only taking a few steps beyond the portal. Most enemies deal heavy Phys Damage, so decent Phys Res is important. That said, your sustain will let you cruise through the map fairly comfortably as long as you keep attacking.

There are 5 Necrobot Generals spread across the map. They’re tougher than standard Necrobots, but no more dangerous. They have an increased chance to drop Runes (supposedly), including Great Runes (also, supposedly), which are only found in Fauztinville. That’s pretty much it. Get used to this place, because you’ll be spending a lot of time here.

Scosglen – clvl 135

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Location: Act 5→Arreat Summit (kill Narthal to open a rift)→Arreat Summit, again (kill Bul-Kathos to open a rift)→Scosglen.
Reward: Corrupted Treasure,

Dulra Aegis

Dulra Aegis
Required Level: 140
Keep in Inventory to Gain Bonus

Drop Bias: Runes, Enchanted Runes, all those super rare Oils, stuff you wanted before you got here.

Before you begin:

• Have at least +82% Max Elemental Res.
• Don’t use Mana Shield unless you’re using
  Lachdanan's Visage

  

  Lachdanan's Visage
  Banded Plate (Sacred)
  Defense: (8973 - 10165) to (14769 - 16229)
  (Sorceress Only)
  Required Level: 100
  Required Dexterity: 627
  Item Level: 120
  Mana Shield: 95% less Mana Drained when Hit
  You may Only use Melee, Summon and Support Skills
  Indestructible
  Adds 200-300 Magic Damage
  Adds 150-200 Fire Damage
  Adds 150-200 Lightning Damage
  Adds 150-200 Cold Damage
  -30% to Enemy Elemental Resistances
  +(161 to 200)% Enhanced Defense
  +(1000 to 5000) Defense
  Socketed (6)
  
  .
• You can resurrect your merc to help, but only if she has a full set of End Game gear. She’ll still die, though.
• Open a TP as soon as you enter. Since the Bul-Kathos quest has a lockout, this will be the only way to reenter Scosglen until you’ve activated the Waypoint (which is in the southeast part of the map).

Notable enemies:

• Sapling Guard: Probably the most dangerous. When they’re not hitting you from a distance with a strong Poison cloud, they’re filling the area with Living Eggs. Their Magic Absorb also makes them tougher to kill than the other enemies. You can tank them as long as there aren’t too many other enemies around, but you may need to drink a Healing pot occasionally. They seem more likely to drop Enchanted Runes.
• Etherborn: Teleporting spirits that use Cold and Lightning spells. Their Blizzard-like spell won’t do much damage, but their freeze breath thing can do heavy cumulative damage. Similarly, their cast lightning is pretty weak, but bolts from their Weather Storm take about 30% of your Life per hit and are almost impossible to dodge. You can generally just chase them around with Bladestorm, but keep an eye on your Life. They seem more likely to drop Arcane Shards/Crystals
• Spriggen: Has a Holy Fire aura that’s really annoying, but not dangerous unless there are multiple Spriggens around. Their Fire Punch spell can deal insane cumulative damage when multiple spells are stacked, so watch your Life. Spriggens are the most likely to kill your merc.
• Scytheclaw: Their poisonous attacks can hit hard, but they’re generally not dangerous on their own or in small mobs. They will be a problem in large swarms, however. They have very small hitboxes, which make them hard to hit. Tank smaller mobs, but Mind Control huge swarms and let other monsters deal with them.
• Dryad Spawn: Rangers with Crushing Blow. They’re faster than you and their AI makes them extremely annoying to kill. Otherwise, they’re not really dangerous. Melee or Fusillade them, depending on how their AI is behaving. They can also be Mind Controlled, for whatever good it does.
• Living Egg: Static units spawned by Sapling Guards. Destroying one will spawn another Sapling Guard, but this version doesn’t have the Poison attack or Magic Absorb. They also give you nothing. You can tank them.
• Ominous Guardian: Rare monsters that spawn randomly across the map. They emit a damage reduction aura and curse you with Spellbind, which reduces your damage, speed, Defense, and Phys Res. Be wary, since killing a Guardian will spawn a Corrupted Druid. Try to kill most/all monsters near a Guardian before engaging.

PART 1: THE DULRA AEGIS ITEM DESIGN

Rather than fighting a boss and getting a Charm, you’ll be collecting Tenets, which are essentially pieces of the Charm that you can assemble into something useful. But first, you need to know what it is you’re making.

Scattered across the map are 4 Protected Chests. They look like the stone chests you’ll see scattered across the map, but these are targetable and must be destroyed.

• Chest 1
  Northwest part of the map, in the snowy area. It’s in front of a large, illuminated stone that’s hard to miss.
• Chest 2
  South of the first chest, in a grassy area with some wickiups (those thatched huts you’ve seen in Teganze). On the map, you’ll see 2 small rectangular fences. Look for the wickiup next to the corner of the south fence (the one with the fire next to it) The chest is a few steps to southwest, hidden behind a tree.
• Chest 3
  Go back north past the wickiups and across the small bridge, then cross the bridge directly to the east. On your map, just to the southeast, you’ll see a Shrine tucked inside a grove of trees. The chest is a few steps southwest of the Shrine, hidden by the trees’ canopies.
• Chest 4
  As the third scroll says, it’s in the southwest corner of the map, in (behind) the wickiup just southwest of the entrance portal. If you entered Scosglen via Waypoint, it’s faster just to take the Ancients’ Way Waypoint, then reenter Scosglen via the Assault on Mount Arreat quest portal.

If you think you’re in the right area, but can’t find a particular chest, watch your Raven to see if it’s attacking something.

Once you’ve found all 4 diary entries, cube them together to create the Dulra Aegis Item Design. Now, go hunt Corrupted Druids.

PART 2: ASSEMBLING THE DULRA AEGIS

Each Corrupted Druid has a 20% chance to drop a specific Tenet Design, and a 1% chance to drop a completed Tenet. There are 6 Tenets in total.

Corrupted Druids:

• Corrupted Hunter (Design/Tenet of Conflict):
  Spawns with a Bear Companion. The bear is tanky and its Shower of Rocks can deal a lot of cumulative damage. Avoid that. The Hunter shoots fire arrows and uses a type of Phalanx, but doesn’t really seem that dangerous. Just kill the bear, then namelock the Hunter with Bladestorm.
• Corrupted Naturist (Design/Tenet of Harmony):
  Constantly summons Harvesters and lowers your Elemental Res with Mythal. Harvesters’ AoE deals way too much Poison damage to let you tank, so lure them away, then sprint back to the Druid. Melee until Harvesters return, then deploy Fusillade and lure them away again. When too many Harvesters have been summoned, lure as many as you can away from the Druid and kill them. Repeat until success. Side note: if you’re buffed by a Resist Poison Shrine, you can just stand there and melee.
• Corrupted Seer (Design/Tenet of Wisdom):
  Spawns with Etherborn. Caster that uses a fiery Elemental-like spell and a chilling Banshee-like spell. It also debuffs you with Mythal. The Seer’s spells can deal a lot of damage and hit-lock you to death, so always be moving. Try to separate the Etherborn from the Seer (either by forcing Etherborn to teleport, or by forcing the Seer to flee). Once separated, kill the Etherborn. As for the Seer, walk circles around him and use Fusillade. Only go into melee range to reactivate Moonstrike.
• Corrupted Werebear (Design/Tenet of Restraint):
  Spawns with Spriggens. Aggressive, tanky, and its medium AoE spike things can deal a lot of cumulative Phys damage. Regardless, once you kill the Spriggens, you can just melee the Werebear. Debuff with Force Blast and use Mana Shield for extra protection.
• Corrupted Wereowl (Design/Tenet of Vigor):
  Spawns with Dryad Spawn. Similar to the Werebear, but not as aggressive. You can ignore the Dryad Spawn and chase the Wereowl around with Bladestorm. Again, Force Blast+Mana Shield if you need extra protection. Use Mind Control on Dryad Spawn if they annoy you.
• Corrupted Werewolf (Tenet/Design of Judgment):
  Spawns with Spirit Wolves. The wolves are really tanky, but really slow. Ignore them. The Werewolf, on the other hand, is ridiculous. It constantly pounces on you, and it’s melee attack deals so much Cold damage, so quickly, your sustain cannot counter. What’s worse, it has a Mana-draining aura. There isn’t much you can do against this asshole. Lead him away from wolves, then melee and chug Healing+Mana pots until one of you dies. Fortunately, he’s not very tanky.

Each Tenet Design needs to be cubed with a specific list of expensive items to create a Tenet. Once you have all 6 Tenets created, cube them with the Item Design to create the

Dulra Aegis

Dulra Aegis
Required Level: 140
Keep in Inventory to Gain Bonus

.

PART 3: UILELOSCADH MOR (SESCHERON’S DESTROYER)

Near the center of the map, you’ll find Eleventh Eye. It has an aura that makes nearby monsters look like other Beholders, but doesn’t actually change anything else about them. It has 2 main attacks: first, that annoying, spammy, short-range Bone Spear thing that Inarius uses; second, a multi-directional, multi-hitting Bone Spear nova that eventually explodes into a more dense, single-shot nova (the multi-directional part fires in the same six-directional pattern as Valthek’s Mind Flay). The spammy Bone Spear will do decent damage if you stand still, but isn’t too dangerous if you keep moving. As for the nova, the single-shot explosion at the end isn’t dangerous, but the multi-directional part will likely kill you if you get caught in it. The Bone Spear nova is on a 2 second delay, so move away from Eleventh Eye when you see a pool of magic form underneath it.

As long as you’re always moving, and you avoid the nova, you can just chase Eleventh Eye around and melee. Upon death, it will drop a random number of Conjuring Eyes and Corrupted Shards (needed to make Corrupted Crystals). Once you’ve collected 11x Conjuring Eyes, cube them all with your Dulra Aegis to create a Reality Piercer. Finally, go to the northwest corner of the map. There, you’ll find an area that looks like the Ancients’ alter from the Arreat Summit. Once inside the circle, cube the Reality Piercer with the Dulra Aegis to open a rift to the Frozen Crest.

EMISSARY OF DESTRUCTION

TBA, probably.

The forum is a graveyard, and we’re just the ghosts haunting it, unable to move on, because we’re unwilling to let go.

Thanks for reading. Burn in Hell, Discord.

[Magisch]

Do you reckon the defense of Sorc is anything to write home about? I was doing this before rerolling Hammerzon and it just felt incredibly weak. I was getting near oneshot in IOTSS and barely breaking 250k defense with all TCD MO's on my TU gear. It honestly felt weak as hell.

[Heisenberg]

The order you have multiple items listed in is it 1st is the best or going left to right in order of upgrades?

[Solfege]

@Magisch
It depends on your spec, but you'll never get insane amounts of ACD (I think the most I ever got while still being able to kill stuff was 600k a few patches back). Melee Sorcs aren't Barbs. They don't rely on just 1 or 2 layers of defense. They rely on stacking multiple layers of different defensive mods, with the spec you choose determining which layers are more important. If you're only looking at your ACD number, you're not seeing the whole picture.

@Heisenberg
Order of upgrades. So, for example, when it says "Shark -> The Warped Blade," it means use Shark, then upgrade to The Warped Blade.

[Magisch]

@Magisch
It depends on your spec, but you'll never get insane amounts of ACD (I think the most I ever got while still being able to kill stuff was 600k a few patches back). Melee Sorcs aren't Barbs. They don't rely on just 1 or 2 layers of defense. They rely on stacking multiple layers of different defensive mods, with the spec you choose determining which layers are more important. If you're only looking at your ACD number, you're not seeing the whole picture.

@Heisenberg
Order of upgrades. So, for example, when it says "Shark -> The Warped Blade," it means use Shark, then upgrade to The Warped Blade.

How much health do you have, and how important is that actually? Even with 84 all res 50 phys res 350k def and 40% block my hammerzon feels like it's made of paper with 15k hp, I think sorc will be on way less then that, how do you survive higher ubers?

[Solfege]

As with ACD, total Life will depend on spec, as will how important it is (I think I have about 11k with Moonstrike active atm).

It also doesn't really work doing straight numbers comparisons between 2 different builds from 2 different classes. There are other factors beyond just a numbers game (e.g. character skills, playstyle, etc.). Not sure what Ubers you consider "higher Ubers," but aside from that fairly low CtB, those are decent mid-game numbers for a Melee Sorc.

[GRANDLarsony]

First page!

[Fenrils]

How much health do you have, and how important is that actually? Even with 84 all res 50 phys res 350k def and 40% block my hammerzon feels like it's made of paper with 15k hp, I think sorc will be on way less then that, how do you survive higher ubers?

My melee sorc currently has 17k health, 75% block, 50% physical resistance, 80% all res, 69% life steal, ~200 life on attack, and damage avoidance. As well, we get a lot of natural movespeed so it's pretty easy to get around and dodge things. Not to even mention that sorc gets delicious moon cookies. When it comes to facetanking things, this build has only really felt below barb personally but it takes more finesse to get to that point than barb, pally, or even assassin. I've personally downed 120s and most 125s and will be looking to take this build all the way to the end, sans Samael because fuck that. I can already run Fauz blindfolded, for what it's worth, so your survivability later on is certainly up there.