This little text is intended as a pointer on how to spend those early
level-up points to best effect and most immediate gain. It is intended
for the *newcomer* to Diablo, and many experienced players may have an
entirely different method...
How to distribute level up points is a science in itself, and there
are at least two philosophies about it. One, that mostly the
experienced players tend to use, is to be as economical as possible
about it and get a character to maxed stats as early as possible. I do
NOT recommend this approach to people new to this game, as that will
mean making a lot of compromises and sacrifing A LOT of immediate gain
for a long-term goal. As I play a lot of variant characters (check out
http: //www.win.net/homefield/diablo for all the possibilities), and
LOVE to raise new chars anyway, I tend to use the other approach: I
try to get the maximum possible IMMEDIATE benefit from every level-up
point I spend. I highly recommend this approach to every newcomer ;)
And, most important: I'm not going to give EXACT instructions on how
to spend your points. No "4:1 between DEX and VIT for level 1-6, then
3:1:1 for 7 levels, the 1:1:3 then..." as, IMHO, there are too many
random elements in Diablo to make this a working approach. There's
always a call for some common sense to be made ;) Many things do
depend HEAVILY on the items you find, the enemies you face, and the
books and shrines you find early up. And, on a side note, I think it's
more important to know what you're doing and WHY, than following
pre-cast rules ;) (Note, also, that most requirements for items
increase in increments of 5 - thus it has no use to raise by 2 or
3...unless it's a magic requirement of 17, for instance ;)
So, first things first. One has to realize just WHAT the stats really
do...
STRENGTH...
...in Diablo is only good for two things: dealing damage and using
heavy armor and weapons. Unlike in certain other RPG systems, you
gain NO to-hit chance from it ;)
The equations for dealing damage are:
Warrior: DAM=(STR*LVL)/100 - as you see, at low levels STR is
USELESS for that ;)
Rogue: DAM=((STR+DEX)*LVL)/200 - even more useless for a rogue AND
can be substituted with DEX
Sorcerer: DAM= (STR*LVL)/100 - I THINK... to be honest: I haven't
looked at my sorcerers' melee damage in AGES. Max STR of 45
won't give much of a damage boost... ever. ;)
The requirements for weapon and armor can be seen in the info screen
or looked up in Jarulf's guide. (URL below)
DEXTERITY...
...is good for three things: to-hit, AC, and blocking chance if
you're using a shield (and damage for rogues)
To-hit: 1% per 2 DEX
AC: 1 point of AC per 5 DEX
Blocking: roughly 1% per DEX point (depends on level difference to
attacker as well)
MAGIC...
...gives the ability to HIT with spell attacks, MANA (1 per MAG
point for warriors and rogues, 2 for sorcerers) and the ability to
read more books and raise your spell levels. Remember: magic attacks
are by far the most powerful ones in Diablo.
VITALITY...
... gives hitpoints. Nothing more nothing less.
And, an important thing to keep in mind: Once level 26 (in multi) or in
hell (dungeon levels 13+, single player) you can BUY STR, DEX and MAG
in form of elixiers. But not VIT.
Now: how to distribute the points for each of the classes for maximum
IMMEDIATE profit:
Warrior:
Golden rule for young warriors: when in doubt raise DEX! To-hit
chance is THE most important stat for a warrior (no matter what your
damage is, it's exactly zero if you miss...), BLOCKING with a shield
can actually be a substitute for armor and, early on, 1 AC from a
level up is nothing to be looked down on. STR should ONLY be raised
in order to wear better armor (IF you find some) or use a bigger
weapon. You will do well for quite some time with a STR of 30, later
40. Full plate and the like won't appear until quite far into the
game. So, I generally put just enough points into STR to use the
best available items, and start pumping points into it AFTER DEX is
maxed (which usually happens before lvl 15 anyways =). MAG for a
young warrior means basically four spells: healing (17 MAG
required), holy bolt (20, for Black Deaths ;) town portal (20) and
firewall (27). If you have the requirements to read those books from
items - fine. If not, it pays to invest in MAG a bit - but no more.
VIT gives something a young warrior already has in abundance:
hitpoints. I personally hate to be hit. Thus, I strongly prefer
avoiding hits to being able to take one or two more. I don't put
level ups into VIT until lvl 26, when all other stats can be raised
by Elixiers. Up to then I can live (and live well IMHO) on the hp
gained from items and level ups. Also, +hitpoint items seem to be
the most abundant ones at low levels (at least they have been for me
the last 2 years ;)
Rogue:
Again, DEX is paramount, with a bit more care to be taken for magic
as a rogue can use it to very good effect. As rogues even gain
damage from DEX (in addition to the other benefits), STR gets even
more useless. Raise it to use a better bow or to wear a good set of
mail, should you find it, but don't waste a single extra point for
it. MAG is much more useful. A rogue should always be able to read
books of useful spells she comes upon, so make sure you meet the
requirements for a book of Stone Curse (51), Fireball (48), CL (54)
or Mana Shield (25) when you find them (and of course for the spells
mentioned in the warrior section before ;). If you have the MAG from
items, fine - otherwise, every point in magic pays. VIT, IMHO, is
pointless for a young rogue. She can kill with her short bow from a
safe distance from the very start, and can use Mana Shield once the
going gets tough. Points spent for VIT before lvl 26 are wasted.
Sorcerer:
To put it harshly: Every single point NOT put into magic in early
levels is a waste. Only exception: if you gain MORE magic by some
item if you raise STR in order to wear it. So, if, for example, you
find a set of chain mail that raises MAG by 10, but requires 5 more
STR to wear, by all means raise STR ;) Even if you plan to wear
heavy armor later and be a Battle Mage - early on, EVERY sorcerer is
an Arti Mage. The old myth that sorcerers are hard to get started
comes from people raising STR, DEX and VIT and trying to actually
BEAT monsters with sticks ;) A lvl 1 sorcerer comes fully equipped
with the most devastating weapon that ANY of the chracters have
until VERY much later - a lvl 2 firebolt spell. Add in a staff with
40 (!!) free charges of charged bolt (can even be recharged by
himself) he's ready to kill everything with ONE shot! And each level
up gives 10 more mana from magic (up to 3 shots ;) in addition to
the lvl up mana bonus. AND MAG increases damage of these spells. AND
the to-hit chance. PLUS you can read every book you find (or buy
from the witch). MUCH later, once you actually have a chance to find
the items for it (which is basically in hell), you can start to
consider going battle mage and raising STR (maxes quickly once you
are 26 and buy elixiers), then DEX later. A sorcerer NEVER needs STR
for damage or DEX for to-hit. Arty mages NEVER need STR or DEX at
all. A battle mage needs to wear full plate, and can profit a little
bit from blocking. Vitality is completely useless. At early levels 1
hp per VIT won't help a bit, at later levels you'll be using Mana
Shield. Raise VIT if all other stats are maxed... not a second
sooner ;)
WEll, it's my utterly biased point of view, but it has worked fine for
several dozen characters so far ;)
And, a word about my bias against vitality: IMHO, the difficulty of the
game is NOT affected by how many hits you can survive on one life
ball. It's affected by how often you get hit, and how often you hit
back. A few hitpoints *might* prolong the dying process in a tight
spot for a second, or two at best. In a tight spot, it takes A LOT of
experience to use this little second to rescue yourself. It makes the
game MUCH easier if you avoid getting into a tight spot in the first
place. Hitting the enemies more often helps with that, blocking more
often helps, better AC helps. More hitpoints don't. They don't prevent
getting swarmed, or getting stunlocked. As soon as you learned the
absolute basics - that is, to advance carefully and when to drink a
pot - you'll notice the only thing hitpoints do is determine how long
you can stay down on one inventory (or belt) full of pots.
Have fun :-)
Armin
How Important Is Art To The Mission Of The Church?
I’ll be the first to admit, I love art. I also love the church.
For a long time, these worlds have been at odds. Some pastors embrace the arts. Others fear it.
Some artists embrace the church. Others hate it with a passion.
Can these two worlds be reconciled? Should they be?
If you’re a creative, I’m sure you’ve wondered if your arts fits within the four walls of the church.
If you’re a pastor, you’ve probably asked the same question regarding the artists in your congregation.
We’re going to explore two views today. Then, I want to hear your take in the comments.
Matter of fact, you should tweet this post to your followers so they can discuss as well.
Ready? This is going to get good…
View #1: Art Is Beautiful, but not Essential
I’ve been having many conversations surrounding this idea recently.
If the office of an “artist” was so essential to the mission of the church, why didn’t Jesus add it to the list of apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, and teacher?
Why isn’t there a separate category for the artist?
The New Testament is about people. It’s about discipleship.
Art, by itself, does not equip people to do ministry, which is the main purpose of the church.
So while art it beautiful, it simply can’t be an end in itself.
View #2: Art Is An Essential Part of God’s Purpose and Plan
On the other side are those in favor of the arts. Often I hear phrases like this:
- Why does the devil have to have all the good music?
- The church should be at the forefront of creativity
- Since God is a creative being and we’re made in His image, we’re made to create.
There’s something beautiful about art. It’s completely human, yet it reveals the mystery of the Gospel in unique ways.
Arts captures attention. It invites people into a story.
While artist may not have been included as one of the fivefold ministry gifts, artists can function as an apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, or teacher.
It could even be argued that this generation can only be reached through the arts.
Without art, our ministry wouldn’t engage culture. We’d sit in our church buildings, clench our theology and watch as the world passes us by.
Where Are You?
I don’t think anyone would say that art isn’t important – that it has no place.
But how important is it to the mission of the church? I know art has a significant place in the Old Testament, but where do you see it in the New?
I need your feedback. How important is art to the mission of the church? You can leave a comment by clicking here.
I would love to hear some feedback from other creatives and pastors that you know. If you think this discussion is necessary and helpful, please share the post via the social network icons below. Thank you so much!
This is why when I see people who are seriously gifted in the arts, I sing a little song of thankfulness and maybe even do a little happy dance.
A film or videogame that is fictional and communicates some aspect of how the Kingdom of God works in the world in a way that requires a deep understanding to fully grasp, yet draws people in with its intrigue or unexpected nature.
To God AT Play, be thankful there is enough of a market to support some art. (I do not believe in uncontrolled capitalism, but it is a very! important ingredient in a very delicate balancing act). With 7 billion people in the world now, 6 billion would change places with us in a heart beat. How much art can we create living in 3rd world poverty. But, to whom much is given , much is required.Which now ties in. Art can make us aware through second hand experience that so much of the world is dying in poverty with out Christ. Words alone usually don’t move us. But art in its various forms can. We talk a lot about worship nowadays, we are called to worship our Creator. But, the Church was “commanded” to go into all the world. Are we doing that, or is our art a distraction. (Another balancing act).
In studying history, we often come to the conclusion that something omitted meant that it was universally important and understood. We can ask, is food and water important to the mission of the Church?
Back to God AT PLAY, about mystery. Deuteronomy 29:29 The secret things belong to the Lord our God,,, Mystery is part of being a Christian. You are also very correct to say that Christ met people where they were, and spoke to them using things in their world they could relate to. It won’t be long before those 7 billion people all have smart phones. The art and science capable of changing the world is now in your hands.
Some type of creativity is in all of us, God placed it there.
http://iparanastudio.blogspot.com.br/2017/06/the-duel-between-heaven-and-hell.html