When To Respec And What Exactly Constitutes Endgame?

I have my bowazon up to level 70 ( a lot from doing

Baal runs in normal, and now in Nightmare). I am just about to do my first re-spec. That will leave me with two.
What actually constitutes endgame which many guides use as a

Key point.

You focus on just one (sometimes two) main skills that do your damage. You max them and the synergies. Use a guide if you are unsure about how to do this.
You try to get items with +skills for this main damage skill. Melee builds want to get charms with damage, attack rating and life.
Melee builds aim for high attack speed and caster builds for a high faster cast rate.
In late-game, you strenghen your defenses to survive hell difficulty (resistances, life, faster hit recovery, sometimes defense).
You get a merc that fits to your build. Some mercs mainly tank damage, some mercs are less tanky but provide multiple useful auras (like

Prayer+Cure+Insight).
You get an

Annihilus and a

Hellfire Torch for your class.
Then you have pretty much reached endgame.

Slapshot wrote: 1 week ago

I am just about to do my first re-spec. That will leave me with two.

The respecs are unlimited; after you use the free ones, you can still respec with the

Token of Absolution.
Just make sure that your third build is hell-viable, so you can farm Essences if needed.

I did a respec after getting a torch, then another after getting

Annihilus.

And I keep small/large/grand charms in stash, if I ever need to push for that extra point or two I might not have for a weapon I found. Those with +4-6 str/dex for grands mostly.

+4 also have no lvl requirement, so I use them for newly created chars to use sets, which have low lvl req but high stat reqs.

Technically, I guess "endgame" is after you've completed hell and all of your quests.

More subjectively, for the purpose of "respeccing to endgame", I would see endgame as "enough gear for the desired build to be valid and high enough level to make it work". When that really is depends highly on the build.

I do respec usually few times throughout the game.
First after changing from most powerful and easiest to get through acts build / leveling build to main build once some "main" items are ready to use.
Might do one respec in the middle if new items obtained which would require doing so.
Last respec goes when I have my endgame proper gear which wont most likely change anymore and I can focus my stats to have just enough str / dex to wear the gear and rest into vitality. Ofc depending on a character / build, dexterity up to maximum block if thats the case.

Suppose its much about how you feel like it. Respecs are basically infinite, you can somewhat easily farm the essences from main bosses and then combine them into Token to reset again.

Endgame is how you see it. Personally see endgame when ive done all acts and main quests in all difficulties plus have the very endgame gear which no longer is changing.

Thanks for everyone's thoughts on this. The perspective is appreciated. But I've seen comments that the

Token of Absolution is nearly impossible to get?

Slapshot wrote: 1 week ago

Thanks for everyone's thoughts on this. The perspective is appreciated. But I've seen comments that the

Token of Absolution is nearly impossible to get?

The only "nearly impossible" to get is the Green from

Baal. I get every other essence just fine, but the green one really hides away.