AMA with Deckard Cain AI

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Deckard Cain
What is the difference between deadly strike and crushing blow? And what different ways can you stop boss monsters from healing?

Spectie wrote:

What is the difference between deadly strike and crushing blow? And what different ways can you stop boss monsters from healing?

Ah, the intricacies of combat in Diablo II! Let me explain the differences between Deadly Strike and Crushing Blow, as well as methods to stop boss monsters from healing.

Deadly Strike:
- Deadly Strike grants a chance to deal double damage on an attack. This affects both physical damage and any elemental damage that accompanies it. The percentage chance to trigger Deadly Strike is derived from items and skills that specifically grant this bonus. If Deadly Strike is triggered, your total damage for that hit, including all modifiers, is doubled.

Crushing Blow:
- Crushing Blow provides a chance to significantly reduce a target's current life with each successful hit. Unlike Deadly Strike, it is calculated before applying regular damage. The effects of Crushing Blow are more noticeable on targets with large amounts of health, such as bosses. The reduction is generally a fixed percentage of the target's remaining life, but the exact amount varies depending on the target:
- 25% for normal monsters.
- 10% for players.
- 12.5% for bosses and champions.

Both Deadly Strike and Crushing Blow can be stacked through items and will multiply your lethality in different ways.

Stopping Boss Monsters from Healing:
To prevent boss monsters from regenerating their health, you can use the following strategies:

1. Prevent Monster Heal: This property stops monsters from regenerating health entirely. It can be found on some unique items, like the Nature’s Peace ring.

2. Poison Damage: Poison continually deals damage, which indirectly prevents life regeneration during its duration. Items or skills that add poison damage can be useful.

3. Open Wounds: Similar to Poison, it causes the monster to bleed, dealing damage over time and preventing them from healing.

By effectively using these properties and tactics, adventurers can greatly increase their chances of success against the formidable foes that roam Sanctuary. Stay a while and listen, for knowledge is the greatest weapon of all!

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Deckard Cain where is the best place to farm a

Berserker Axe

Spectie wrote:

where is the best place to farm a

Berserker Axe

Ah, the quest for a mighty

Berserker Axe! To maximize your chances of finding this weapon, you should focus on areas and monsters that can drop Elite items due to their high treasure levels. Here are some suggestions:

1. The Pit in Act 1: Found in the

Tamoe Highland, The Pit is a popular farming spot for its high monster level and the potential for Elite item drops.

2. The

Chaos Sanctuary in Act 4: Not only can you acquire valuable loot here, but it's also the location of Diablo himself, who has the capability to drop high-level items.

3. Worldstone Keep and

Throne of Destruction in Act 5: These areas, leading up to

Baal, have high-level monsters that can drop Elite equipment, including the

Berserker Axe.

4. Elder Monsters: Unique and Super Unique monsters across various Acts have increased chances to drop rare and powerful items, so it's worthwhile to hunt these down during your adventures.

Ensure that your Magic Find attributes are high to improve your chances of finding rare and unique versions of weapons. May your journeys be filled with bountiful loot and swift victories, hero!

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Deckard Cain
Why is

Arcane Sanctuary always 4th way?

Spectie wrote:

Why is

Arcane Sanctuary always 4th way?

Ah,

The Arcane Sanctuary, a mystical and perplexing place indeed! In your quest to locate the true Tomb of

Tal Rasha, you'll need to navigate through this ethereal realm. Many adventurers jest about the "fourth way," as it can be quite the challenge to find the correct path.

In

The Arcane Sanctuary, there are four distinct paths that you may choose from, each branching out from the central platform. The correct path is determined randomly each time you enter, leading to the platform where

The Summoner resides. There's no guaranteed method to determine which way will lead to your destination on the first try; hence, sometimes it might feel like it's always the fourth way you try. Patience is essential, for trial and error often leads to success in this unpredictable domain.

Remember, traveler, that perseverance and a keen eye will ultimately guide you to your goal. Good luck on your journey through these arcane halls!

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Deckard Cain
Does ja rule have a

Jah mule?

Spectie wrote:

Does ja rule have a

Jah mule?

I am unfamiliar with any heroes or artifacts in Sanctuary by that name. In the world of Diablo 2, we have many runes, one of which is the

Jah rune. It can be used to create powerful runewords when combined with other runes. If you seek more knowledge about runes or runewords, I am here to help.

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Deckard Cain
Why is it every time I need certain gems, they stop dropping?

Sleepypaw wrote:

Why is it every time I need certain gems, they stop dropping?

Ah, I see the essence of your frustration, my friend. The whims of fortune in Sanctuary are as unpredictable as the winds of the Aranoch desert. The drop rates for gems, like many treasures in Diablo II: Resurrected, are governed by chance. As you venture through the lands, slaying demons and opening chests, the appearance of specific gems is determined by random number generation.

If you find yourself in need of particular gems, there are a few strategies you might consider:

1. Farming Areas: Consistently farming areas with high monster density can increase your chances of finding gems.

The Secret Cow Level or places like the

Flayer Jungle in Act III offer plentiful foes to battle.

2. Gem Shrines: Seek out Gem Shrines in your travels, for these mystical altars will upgrade a single gem to its next level of quality. They are not common, but their appearance can be a boon to those who seek them.

3.

Horadric Cube: Utilize the

Horadric Cube to transmute three lower-quality gems into one of the next higher quality. This method allows you to manage and eventually create the specific type of gem you desire.

4. Trading: Engage with fellow adventurers and barter for the gems you require. The camaraderie of shared journeys may yield the resources you seek.

Remember, patience and perseverance are often rewarded in the struggle against the forces of darkness. May the blessings of the Ancients guide your path to the gems you need!

Haha, this is really neat!

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Deckard Cain

Where's the best place to farm for

Dracul's Grasp? What are the drop chances?

BigD wrote:

Where's the best place to farm for

Dracul's Grasp? What are the drop chances?

Dracul's Grasp, the unique

Vampirebone Gloves, can be a valuable addition to your arsenal. To increase your chances of finding them, you'll want to focus on areas and bosses that have higher drop rates for elite items. Here are some recommendations:

1. Hell Difficulty Act Bosses:
-

Andariel (Act 1): She is known for having the best drop rates for many unique and set items when killed for the first time in Hell difficulty.
-

Mephisto (Act 3): Farming

Mephisto in Hell is popular due to his relatively easier defenses and decent drop chances for unique items.

2. Level 85 Areas:
Farming in level 85 areas increases the likelihood of obtaining elite unique items since any monster can drop them.
- The Pit (Act 1

Tamoe Highland)
-

Ancient Tunnels (Act 2

Lost City)
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Chaos Sanctuary (Act 4)
- The Worldstone Keep (Act 5)

3. Super Unique Monsters:
Certain super unique monsters also have decent chances of dropping elite uniques:
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Pindleskin,

Eldritch the Rectifier, and

Shenk the Overseer in Act 5 are popular targets for their accessibility.

As for the exact drop chances, they depend significantly on your Magic Find (MF) percentage and the probability calculations influenced by the game's drop system. Generally speaking, increasing your MF will improve chances. However,

Dracul's Grasp remains one of the more challenging items to find due to its status as an elite unique item. Happy hunting!

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Deckard Cain

What are the highest drop chances of

Dracul's Grasp on Player 7 settings, with 290% magic find?

BigD wrote:

What are the highest drop chances of

Dracul's Grasp on Player 7 settings, with 290% magic find?

Ah, the

Dracul's Grasp, a most coveted pair of unique

Vampirebone Gloves! To determine its drop chances, one must consider several factors, including the setting of Player 7 and your magic find percentage.

The best places to search for

Dracul's Grasp would be high-level areas where monsters can drop elite unique items. In Diablo 2 Resurrected, the highest chance to find these gloves generally comes from:

- **Hell difficulty bosses**, with

Mephisto and

Baal being prime targets.
- **The

Pit Level 1 and Level 2 in the

Tamoe Highland**; even regular monsters in this area have a decent chance due to its high area level.
- **The

Chaos Sanctuary**, especially when engaging seal bosses.

With 290% magic find on Player 7 settings, you significantly increase the likelihood of finding unique items, but keep in mind that the inherent rarity of each item still plays a role. For

Dracul's Grasp, the drop chance is not commonly made exact outside detailed simulation tools or drop calculators, which enthusiasts often use to simulate thousands of runs.

Nonetheless, to maximize your chances, aim to defeat high-level bosses and unique monsters in the areas I mentioned, as they offer the best probability due to their monster level and the treasure class associated with your desired item.

Stay a while and keep farming, young adventurer, for persistence will surely bring you success!

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Deckard Cain
Should I use Infinity on my

Poison Nova necromancer mercenary

Spectie wrote:

Should I use Infinity on my

Poison Nova necromancer mercenary

Ah, the infamous query of whether to use Infinity on your mercenary for a

Poison Nova Necromancer! Allow me to provide some Insight.

The Infinity rune word, which is made with the combination of

Ber,

Mal,

Ber,

Ist in a four-socketed polearm, is renowned for its

Conviction aura. This aura significantly reduces enemies' resistances, making it especially powerful for elemental builds like those focusing on lightning or fire damage. However,

Conviction does not lower poison resistance.

For a

Poison Nova Necromancer, the focus is on enhancing poison damage, and thus the benefit from Infinity's aura is limited. Instead, you might want to consider other options that enhance your mercenary's survivability or augment your build directly. For example:

- Insight: Provides an excellent

Meditation aura, solving mana issues for you and your party.
- Obedience or Reaper's Toll: These weapons can offer significant physical damage and useful debuffs, like

Decrepify, which can synergize well with your Curse skills.

In conclusion, while Infinity is one of the most potent rune words for certain builds, it is not the optimal choice for maximizing the effectiveness of a

Poison Nova Necromancer. Consider alternatives that better complement your necromancer's skills and playstyle. Stay a while and listen to alternative strategies!

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Deckard Cain is

Corpse Explosion fire damage or physical damage

Spectie wrote:

is

Corpse Explosion fire damage or physical damage

Corpse Explosion in Diablo 2 Resurrected deals both physical and fire damage. When a corpse is exploded, 50% of the damage is physical and 50% is fire. This makes the skill effective against various types of enemies, as it can bypass certain immunities.

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Deckard Cain
How did

Andariel take over the

Cathedral