Hardcore Assassin
by Esau

Class: Any
Tag: None.

Introduction

This is a proposed variant for Diablo 2 players. Any character class may attempt Hardcore Assassin, but you will immediately recognize that some classes are easier than others to play in this fashion.

Your goal is to make it to Diablo’s Lair and slay him with as low a level character as possible.

Note that in D2X, you can attempt to kill Baal at as low a character level as possible as well, even though this variant was written pre-D2X. Know, however, that in order to get past the Ancients (i.e. receive credit for the quest) you must be clvl 20 (Normal), clvl 40 (Nightmare), and clvl 60 (Hell). -Lem

Rules

Start a new character as a Hardcore Assassin.

- Your "Hardcore Assassin" must be hardcore character.
- It need not be Assassin class. That's just the variant name.
- You are allowed to spend both skill and attribute points as you see fit.
- You need not complete every quest.
- You may NOT use hirelings or mercenaries.
- You MUST be solo.
- You must live to tell your tale.

Tips

I’ve started a Paladin attempting this. Why call him an “Assassin”? Because that’s pretty much all he does -- run around, locate a boss monster, and then assassinate that monster and that monster only! This keeps him from leveling up, and still gets you nice drops of arms and armor which could be helpful. You think Hardcore is tough? Try taking a Hardcore level TWO character and freeing Cain. Now THAT’S tough!

The most important shrine of all? -- Stamina shrine, hands down. With this, you can run to and activate your waypoints, and also park pursuing monsters somewhere out of the way. Also, you can run around opening chests and scooping up the drops quickly. That’s the only way you’re going to be making money -- that, and assassinating bosses. Next most important shrine? Poison shrine. All those gas potions mean you can take out LEBs finally. (NOTE! Poison Shrine drops Choking Gas Potions, which now have a level requirement of 14! -Lem)

Most important early buy? Boots of Pacing -- $438 from Charsi (at the time of this writing).

When you level up (if Paladin), what should your first skill point go into? Prayer. With this aura activated, you can heal yourself while running around getting hit by the hordes. Next skill? Sacrifice. You want to hit quickly, accurately, and hit HARD. Sacrifice.

Best weapon? Something with Poison. You run in, hit the target, and run out again. Repeat as needed. Stay away from bad guys that explode when they die; poison can help you here. Until you can afford a Blight weapon, stick with your original issue short sword. It costs only $1 to repair, regardless of how much durability it has left. Ditto on the buckler.

You can stow the short sword when you finally get Wirt’s leg; it’s a better weapon. It hits harder, swings faster, does more damage versus undead, and best of all it only costs $1 or $2 to repair regardless of how low its durability. If you can get a socketed Wirt’s leg, you may be set, depending on your gem drops.

Game Skills You’ll Have to Refine

The “Stutter Step”
With the run option on, you’ll have to learn to run a few steps, foiling attackers, and then wait while your stamina recharges. Using stutter-step you can recharge your stamina back to max -- for when you meet up with that LEB -- and still not get hit by melee or magic attacks.

“Burst” Running
With burst running, you have to evaluate just how far you can go running all out before you lose all your mana. Why do this? At many points in the game you will be being pursued by a horde of critters, and you need to lose them somehow. Note on the overlay screen where your nearest waypoint is. Then move so that you believe you can somehow reach it, just barely, while running all out. Do so. You will lose many (but not all) of your pursuers as you hit the waypoint and disappear from their map just before you drop from exhaustion. Go to Akara to get recharged. When you re-enter the map, put on ANOTHER burst of speed going in the same direction as before. You’ll lose the rest of your pursuers.

“Parking” Critters
As in Classic Diablo, you’ll have to learn how to park hordes of creatures. Difficult but not impossible. They aren’t parked permanently -- you run by them again, and they’ll pursue.

Testing Your Assassin Skills
Two simple tests to see if you have what it takes to be an assassin.

Test #1
With a beginning character, dive in to the Den of Evil and pick up every item there--from chests and corpses -- without killing a single creature, and without using a single potion. Use of shrines is allowed.

Test #2
Next, with your level one character, run all the way to Burial Grounds (use stutter step when you run out of stamina) and dive into each of the Crypt and Mausoleum. Access each gold chest and it’s contents. Kill the bosses -- and ONLY the bosses. (You need not kill the boss if it is an LEB -- Lightning Enchanted Boss. But you will have to avoid them, and still get the chest!)

Act 1 Tips

- In Single Player, don't use Players 8! It'll give you way too much experience.
- Non-magical Throwing Knives now repair for only 1 gold no matter how many are used up - and they stack up to 160! They can be a very cheap, safe, and powerful weapon. Javelins, which are a tad more powerful, repair for up to 59 gold and stack up to 60.
- Skip the Den of Evil credit when starting out - it gives you way too much experience.
- Do NOT go after Blood Raven, she’ll just put you down.
- On LEBs (such as Rakanishu), use Poison Gas Potions (they don't cause 'em to spark).
- In the Underground Passage, you could get mobbed very easily - be extra careful here.
- In Tristram, don't forget to pick up Wirt's Leg!
- Doing the Countess could be very dangerous - good luck if you go for her!
- You cannot even pick up the Horadric Malus until a certain character level, so don't go for it until later.
- At Andariel, use either a Bow of some sort or Throwing Weapons. They do good damage, and if you miss her you can get away faster than if you were meleeing her.