Paladin Tips by Joseph Delgado (Updated 7/19/08)
(*'s updated in this posting)

Diablo III* (7/19/08)
When I started to see a surge in stats for this page, I thought ok something is going on. Diablo III is indeed coming. It's been five and half years since I updated this page and it's apparent how much how work is involved to get my site current again.

Anyway back to Diablo III, I watched part of the game play video and it sucks it's too damn long and it doesn't have chapters since I would like to watch the whole thing, but don't want to do it one sitting.

Looks very good and they kept what works and didn't try to make it 3D or anything. So far they only have the Barbarian and Witch Doctor on the classes page. Where's the Paladin? There better be a Paladin!!

Page Dropped*
I didn't buy the expansion pack for Diablo II, it's no longer installed on my system, and the game's old. So I'm going to stop updating this page. I'll still post submitted sites, but that's about it.

Diablo II Expansion end of June?
The latest guess is 6/28/01, so twenty some odd days from now a new Diablo adventure. I'm not too hot on the idea since it only adds a new act to the game. I know it adds some classes, items, and spells, but I can't take the repetitiveness even if it is random. I went through the game with one class the Paladin and I had a great time, but I can't bring myself to do it again, even in multiplayer.

Yeah I'm saying this now, when it comes out it'll be a different story. I'll use the Assassin, who said that?.

Can't Blizzard be like Nintendo and release a whole new adventure using the same engine? Like Zelda? *sigh*

Diablo Destroyed?
Took a lot of healing potions and running away like a "Paladin" out of hell, but in the end Zeal, Thorns, Holy Freeze, and Resist Fire all came in handy.

Getting to Diablo was especially hard, five sets of mini-bosses and a host of minions. I died once and had to go back with almost no armor and a magical bow to get my stuff. I always find that entertaining when I have to white-knuckle a situtation.

Compared to the first Diablo, he had a lot more attacks and used them fairly well. Shame it comes down to a click fest. I hope my mouse is ok. I'll probably try to win with the Barbarian next.

By accident, I found something interesting about the Horadric cube, you can store items in it by right clicking on it. It can store a lot more than the space it takes up.

Overall Game Experience
The movies were incredible. The monsters challenging. The classes unique and well done. The game play was sometimes difficult but balanced. The quests were easy to follow with the quests window.

Diablo II is strictly a character development game, you're not presented with many paths or other RPG elements. You listen, explore, slay monsters, gain gold, buy equipment, and advance your character's skills, and do it all over again.

Diablo II is awesome and if you're into hack and slash games you'll enjoy every step of the way.

I noticed only minor problems. Some monsters didn't move when they were shot with a bow and others just massed together when they couldn't get to me, and the NPCs weren't much smarter, but no game is perfect.

Version Info*
Before you start playing the single player campaign, download at least the V1.01 patch! Current release is V1.06b available from Blizzard's website or when you connect to Battle.net.

Best of the Classes IMHO
I've played a Paladin, Sorceress, and Necromancer so far in single & multi player. I like the Paladin the best so far, because he offers the most flexibility between armor, weapons, and magic.

Armor
It was a little difficult to sell off a magic armor that added seven to my dexterity, but I've had it since the first Act and the second Act monsters are just wiping the floor with me. So I found a non-magical breast plate. I guess with armor, all you're looking for is the defense bonus and how much pluses the armor gives you is not that important.

Auras
The Paladin has a lot of useful auras that affect him and the entire party. I find myself using Prayer almost always. I've read in newsgroups that people like Concentration and Thorns, but after a minor scrape, I like having prayer on just so I don't have to waste a healing potion.

I also like to have Cleansing and Defense just in case I get poisoned or I'm facing a lot of tough monsters.

Belts & Potions
Probably the best piece of equipment in the game. Without one you can only carry four potions, crowd up your inventory, and be forced to keep using the mouse to drink potions. I use one with four rows and set healing potions in the first two columns, antidote in the third, and mana in the fourth.

I normally keep the weakest (minor) potions to the top of the belt, I know most of the damage I'll suffer will be at the beginning of a fight. I keep them at the top of the belt, because the minor potions don't recover HP or Mana fast enough to avoid being killed.

I wouldn't want to put them in the belt at all, but before Act II, I was lucky to find anything beside minor potions.

Skills & Spells
Just using the hotkey "S" for skills can get you in trouble. You have two skill slots, if you just use "S" you're setting the right slot. You need to click on the slot you want to set. I use offensive skills and spells on the left side and defensive auras on the right side. Normally I just have Zeal and Prayer going at the same time. I also have a resist aura for common monster attacks on the level.

Weapon Damage and Speed
I found a nice Falchion sword that steals life, reduces a monster's defense, and does some other stuff. Nice right? But, I find myself missing the speed of the mace.

The sword deals more damage, but with Zeal I'm not sure of the benefit since it's slower. I have three attacks with Zeal now, if I'm attacking a boss I can probably keep interrupting its attacks with the Mace. No sure with the sword.

I guess it all comes down to how you play. I like the fact that I can interrupt attacks with speed, but what good is speed; if you can't kill monsters fast enough to get them off you.

Monster Tactics
Some monsters can actually raise other monsters from the dead, which makes for some interesting battles. I normally sacrifice everything to kill the Shamans first. No sense killing a monster only to have it come back.

The mini-bosses along with their minions can do some serious damage. I try to find a doorway or something that limits the amount of monsters that can attack me. If I can't, I normally try to get the boss first, because he can deal the most damage and often has additional spell effects.

I also like to use a magic mace with a fast attack. Most of the monsters I've fought have been undead of some sort and the 150% to damage comes in handy. I like the fast attack since every hit interrupts the monster's attack. Works amazingly well with a Paladin's Zeal spell.

Way points
Since Diablo II doesn't have an in-game save feature, you're forced to exit and all the monsters respawn. So if you need to get to Catacombs level 2, find the way point first, so you don't have to go through all the levels again when you reload.

Town Portal and Identify
Having Town Portal and Identify scrolls in your inventory can really limit the amount of potions and magic items you can carry. So very early in the game, I bought books of town portal and identify. They can hold 20 scrolls each and I just keep them to the far right of my inventory.

Take a break
After clearing a level, I normally use town portal or a way point to get back to town. Repair equipment, deposit or sell off magical items I can't use or don't want. Put money in the stash, restock some potions. There's a lot of equipment to be sold and leaving it in the dungeon to rot doesn't do you any good.

Misc. Tips
Pezboy and I found a nice trick. Basically if you buy all the healing potions in town and need more. Just exit the town and come back in and the Rogue Leader will be restocked.

If you're given the chance to enchant an item (Act I), think about waiting a bit. As the monsters get tougher the magical items you have in Act I may not be all that good in the later acts. You can always ask Warriv to take you back to the Rogue Encampment later.

Comments
Until the expansion pack comes out I'm probably not going to play Diablo II. If you have any comments or hints of your own, please email me and I'll see about posting them here.

Also if you have a Diablo II page and would like it listed here. Use our submit form and include any information about you or your site.

Diablo II Sites

Recently Diablo II Sites

Someone posted www.blizzard.com through ID submit and yes he or she got me. Blizzard created Diablo II and the least I can do is offer them a link from their own game to their site.

Naturally you can get patches and support from Blizzard as well as news on upcoming games. (01/19/03)

Diablo II Sites

If you have visited a planet site before then Diablo II should be pretty easy to navigate with its sidebars on both sides of the main screen and links across the top. The first thing I looked at was the Horadric Cube recipes, which among other things tells you how to go to the Cow level. The item database has the damage, price, and duration of all the non-magical, magical, and unique weapons in the game. Each of the classes is broken down by skills, equipment, and advice with some screenshots.

The walkthroughs are broken down by Acts with a giant flowchart of locations and quests. It would have been nice to click on each block and get a description of the area and any bosses. It’s a good reference if you beat the game and want to make sure you got all the quests. I take that back, Diablo II was pretty much a railroad ride anyway. A great site with a lot of info. (02/03/01)