Helping pick a starting character

In Diablo 2 Lord f Destruction there are 2 new characters, a druid and an Assassin. Joining them are 5 other unique characters each with 30 skills. Each person specializes in different fields of combat.

Amazon: An Amazon is good with Bows and Spears. Her 3 skill trees are Spear and Javalin skills, Bows and crossbows and Passive. Passive offers any were from the ability to increase attack damage to being able to dodge attacks. Bows and Spears skill provide added elemental damage and special attributes.

Assassin: An Assassin uses no Magic and Specializes in Martial arts Shadow masteries and traps. An Assassins Martial art skill provides her with close range attacks that charge up damage and then there is a finishing move that releases the charged damage. The shadow skill provides her the ability to make shadow doubles of her self, use psychic energy to attack and the ability to cloak herself. The traps consist of having a monster walk over it inflicting damage and Sentinels that shoot out elements and ninja stars.

barbarian: a barbarian is the best in hand to hand contact. he has the ability to use two handed weapons in one hand. he has combat masteries, Combat skills and War cries. Combat skills increase attack damage and rating of any of the six given weapon classes and increases stamina, defense and resistance. Combat masteries give the Barbarian fighting moves such as double swing and concentrate.

Druid: a new character to the Diablo realm a Druid summons animals he has elemental magic attacks, and he can shape shift.
The druid summons animals from the wild such as ravens to grizzly bears and vines. Each has so much life and does damage. The elemental magic summons the power from the earth. he has Ice wind and Fire. His shapeshifting gives him the ability to turn into a werewolf or a werebear. After those he has fighting abilities only useable in the shifted form. He can't use magic in shifted form but he can summon an animal like his form like in werewolf he can summon a dire wolf.

Pros and Cons of Characters

You can never say that a class is "perfect". Here are the pros and cons of each class:

Barbarians have a super high strength and vitality, meaning they won't get tired easily. Their great strength is an advantage towards armor and weapons. However, they won't be able to do their skills frequently because of their low level of mana. They also can't hit using bows or crossbows.

Necromancers have an equal level of dexterity and energy. They can use a bow and arrow or crossbow and bolt with ease. But their weak strength makes them impossible to use strong armors or weapons, making them vulnerable to any melee attacks. They make it up in their strong magic and free alliance.

Sorceresses have super strong magic that will either work in long or short ranges. Their only drawback is that their weak strength and vitality make them unable to run in long distances or wear powerful armor.

Amazons, like what the computer describes them, is a versatile fighter. Their great strength, vitality and dexterity is no match for Diablo's minions. If only they have a high mana level, they would become the most powerful class in Diablo II history.

Paladins have an advantage towards the undead and demons. Their ability to use any mace class weapons make Radament look like an idiot. Even their Zeal skill will make Diablo look stupid. Their only drawback is their mana is low, so you can't use Zeal immediately when you get to level 12.

Druids, which has a skill of necromancy and sorcery, will make it one of the most complicated characters to train. Har har, you say. Well, since its their vitality, and not their energy or their dexterity, is their highest attribute, it will be very difficult to master all its skills.

Assassins never go around undefended. Their skills can be mastered anytime, for their highest attribute is the energy. Using traps and martial arts, you'll only die rarely.

How to make Great socrs Staff

ok listen up if your a socrs and you want to have the best staff u need to find a 2 socketed and only 2 socketed staff.

In order put the TIR then place the RAL rune in.

The best place to find a staff with almost no problem is to go to act 1 and go to alkra and she will alwas have a staff with 2 sockets..

Trust me this staf is well worth it..
3 to all fire skills 3 to fire ball 3 to warmth... 2 mana stolen after each kill. and many more mods

Mercenary Items

Etheral items cannot be repaired, but are better than the non-etheral versions.(Like higher damage or defense.) However, mercenaries' items cannot be damaged! So you never have to repiar their stuff! Which means you can give them etheral items that are better than normal items without having to worry about durability

Baal's minions skip

When you first find Baal he will keep summoning different demons to fight you. Eventually he will summon his lords of destruction which are extremely powerful. If you don't want to face them, have them follow you towards the entrance, then run as fast as you can back towards Baal. If you do it fast enough, they will disappear and Baal will then go into the portal and you can go face him

Crafting Items

What you need, Ort Rune, any kind of jewel, and a Perfect ruby or a perfect emerald, and the weapon that you chose(Has to have blue or have a white text). You put those Four items in your Cube and click the transmute button. Look in your iventory and there you have a crafted item

Rune Words

Rune Word Allowed Items Rune Order Completed Stats

Ancient's Pledge 3 Socket Shields Ral + Ort + Tal +50% Enhanced Defense
All Resistances +43%
10% Damage Goes To Mana

Black 3 Socket Clubs/Hammers/Maces Thul + Po + Nef +120% Enhanced Damage
40% Chance Of Crushing Blow
+200 To Attack Rating
Adds 3-14 Cold Damage - Cold Duration 3 Seconds
+10 To Vitality
+19 Poison Damage Over 2 Seconds
15% Increased Attack Speed
Knockback
Magic Damage Reduced By 2
Level 4 Corpse Explosion (12 Charges)
Fury 3 Socket Melee Weapons Jo + Gul + Eth +209% Enhanced Damage
40% Increased Attack Speed
Prevent Monster Heal
66% Chance Of Open Wounds
33% Chance Of Deadly Strike
Freeze Target
-25% Target Defense
20% Bonus To Attack Rating
6% Life Stolen Per Hit
+5 To Frenzy (Barbarian Only)
Holy Thunder 4 Socket Scepters Eth + Ral + Ort + Tal +60% Enhanced Damage
-25% Target Defense
Adds 5-30 Fire Damage
Adds 21-110 Lightning Damage
+20 Poison Damage Over 1 Second
+10 To Maximum Damage
Lightning Resistance +60%
+5 To Maximum Lightning Resistance
+3 To Holy Shock (Paladin Only)
Level 7 Chain Lightning (60 Charges)

Honor 5 Socket Melee Weapons Amn + El + Ith + Tir + Sol +160% Enhanced Damage
+9 To Minimum Damage
+9 To Maximum Damage
25% Deadly Strike
+250 To Attack Rating
+1 to All Skills
7% Life Stolen Per Hit
Replenish Life +10
+10 To Strength
+1 To Light Radius
+2 To Mana After Each Kill

King's Grace 3 Socket Swords/Scepters Amn + Ral + Thul +100% Enhanced Damage
+200% Damage vs. Demons
+50% Damage vs. Undead
Adds 5-30 Fire Damage
Adds 3-14 Cold Damage - 3 Second Duration
+150 To Attack Rating
+100 To Attack Rating vs. Demons
+100 To Attack Rating vs. Undead
7% Life Stolen Per Hit

Leaf 2 Socket Staves Tir + Ral Adds 5-30 Fire Damage
+3 To Fire Skills
+3 To Fire Bolt (Sorceress Only)
+3 To Inferno (Sorceress Only)
+3 To Warmth (Sorceress Only)
+2 To Mana After Each Kill
Cold Resist +33%

Lionheart 3 Socket Body Armor Hel + Lum + Fal +20% Enhanced Damage
Requirements -15%
+25 To Strength
+10 To Energy
+20 To Vitality
+15 To Dexterity
+50 To Life
All Resistances +30%
Lore 2 Socket Helms Ort + Sol +1 To All Skill Levels
+10 To Energy
+2 To Mana After Each Kill
Lightning Resist +30%
Damage Reduced By 7
+2 To Light Radius

Malice 3 Socket Melee Weapons Ith + El + Eth +33% Enhanced Damage
+9 To Maximum Damage
100% Chance Of Open Wounds
-25% Target Defense
-100 To Monster Defense Per Hit
Prevent Monster Heal
+50 To Attack Rating
Drain Life -5
Melody 3 Socket Missile Weapons Shae + Ko + Nef +50% Enhanced Damage
300% Damage vs Undead
+3 To Bow and Crossbow Skills (Amazon Only)
+3 To Critical Strike (Amazon Only)
+3 To Dodge (Amazon Only)
+3 To Slow Missiles (Amazon Only)
20% Increased Attack Speed
+10 To Dexterity
Knockback
Memory 4 Socket Staves Lum + Po + Sol + Eth +3 to Sorceress Skills
33% Faster Cast Rate
Increase Maximum Mana 20%
+3 Energy Shield (Sorceress Only)
+2 Static Field (Sorceress Only)
+10 To Energy
+10 To Vitality
+9 To Minimum Damage
-25% Target Defense
Magic Damage Reduced By 7
+50% Enhanced Defense

Nadir 2 Socket Helms Nef + Tir +50% Enhanced Defense
+10 Defense
+30 Defense vs. Missile
Level 13 Cloak of Shadows (9 Charges)
+2 To Mana After Each Kill
+5 To Strength
-33% Extra Gold From Monsters
-3 To Light Radius

Radiance 3 Socket Helms Nef + Sol + Ith +75% Enhanced Defense
+30 Defense Vs. Missile
+10 To Energy
+10 To Vitality
15% Damage Goes To Mana
Magic Damage Reduced By 3
+33 To Mana
Damage Reduced By 7
+5 To Light Radius

Rhyme 2 Socket Shields Shae + Eth 20% Increased Chance of Blocking
40% Faster Block Rate
All Resistances +25%
Regenerate Mana 15%
Cannot Be Frozen
50% Extra Gold From Monsters
25% Better Chance Of Getting Magic Items
Silence 6 Socket Weapons Dol + Eld + Hel + Ist + Tir + Vex 200% Enhanced Damage
175% Damage vs. Undead
Requirements -20%
20% Increased Attack Speed
+50 Attack Rating vs. Undead
+2 To All Skill Levels
All Resistances +75%
20% Faster Hit Recovery
11% Mana Stolen Per Hit
Hit Causes Monster To Flee 25%
Hit Blinds Target [33]
+2 To Mana Per Kill
30% Better Chance Of Getting Magic Items
Smoke 2 Socket Body Armor Nef + Lum +75% Enhanced Defense
+280 Defense Vs. Missile
All Resistances +50%
20% Faster Hit Recovery
Level 6 Weaken (18 Charges)
+10 To Energy
-1 To Light Radius

Stealth 2 Socket Body Armor Tal + Eth Magic Damage Reduced By 3
+6 To Dexterity
+15 To Maximum Stamina
Poison Resist +30%
Regenerate Mana 15%
25% Faster Run/Walk
25% Faster Cast Rate
25% Faster Hit Recovery

Steel 2 Socket Swords/Axes/Maces Tir + El 20% Enhanced Damage
+3 To Minimum Damage
+3 To Maximum Damage
+50 To Attack Rating
50% Chance Of Open Wounds
25% Increased Attack Speed
+2 To Mana After Each Kill
+1 To Light Radius

Strength 2 Socket Melee Weapons Amn + Tir 35% Enhanced Damage
25% Chance Of Crushing Blow
7% Life Stolen Per Hit
+2 To Mana Per Kill
+20 To Strength
+10 To Vitality

Venom 3 Socket Weapons Tal + Dol + Mal Hit Causes Monster To Flee 25%
Prevent Monster Heal
Ignore Target's Defense
7% Mana Steal
Level 15 Poison Explosion (27 Charges)
Level 13 Poison Nova (11 Charges)
400 Poison Damage Over 8 seconds
Wealth 3 Socket Body Armor Lem + Ko + Tir 300% Extra Gold From Monsters
100% Better Chance Of Getting Magic Items
+2 To Mana After Each Kill
+10 To Dexterity

White 2 Socket Wand Dol + Po Hit Causes Monster To Flee 25%
+10 To Vitality
+3 To Poison And Bone Spells (Necromancer Only)
+3 To Bone Armor (Necromancer Only)
+3 To Bone Spear (Necromancer Only)
+3 To Skeleton Mastery (Necromancer Only)
Magic Damage Reduced By 4
20% Faster Cast Rate
+13 To Mana

Zephyr 2 Socket Missile Weapons Ort + Eth +33% Enhanced Damage
+66 To Attack Rating
Adds 1-50 Lightning Damage
-25% Target Defense
+25 Defense
25% Faster Run/Walk
25% Increased Attack Speed
7% Chance To Cast Level 1 Twister When Hit

Getting More Rare Items

Equip as much magic find to your character as possible and go kill stuff and open chests, loose rocks, barrels, ect. Also kill Champion and Unique monsters for a better chance of getting good and rare items. If you have 100% or more magic find does not mean you will always get rare items, if you have 100% magic find, then you have 2x better chance of getting good items. Champion, Enchanted, Unique, Super Unique, and Bosses have a higher chance of dropping Rare, Unique, and Set items then regular enemies. Try getting to a very high level(45+0 and get really good magic find and kill Baal on normal by yourself(So other people cant take your items) a few times, you should get at least 3 rare items if your magic find is very high(150%+). There is NO limit to how much magic find you can have, but sometimes magic find items can be weak