+Skills or +Nature skills items in Normal

[Thundersquall]

Hello all,

I have read about folks having +boosts to their skills through use of certain items. I would like to know how to accuire these items, though mind you i am still in normal mode. I hear vendors can sell them, but typically the best i have gotten from them so far are Beastcaller beads, etc. Having a third wolf would really put me over the top, so is it possible to find these rareitys in normal?

[Thundersquall]

On a updated note, i am currently in the Minoan Labrynth or whatever it is called. As i understand they can drop here, but from what?

[Thundersquall]

On a further updated note, after typing that last reply and zoning into the Labrynth, immediately upon killing a Gorgon that was right by my respawn, the SBC dropped o.O barely walked five steps. Figures, my strength isnt high enough to wear tho =/

[defboy99]

Good job finding those SBCs right off the bat! Sometimes they can be very elusive.

As for +skills items, you can find an array of them in the shops, covering all the classes (example: shields with +Defense skills or bows/spears with +Hunting skills, etc.). You can also purchase amulets that grant +all skills (Sacred, Divine). Generally, the best you'll find in Normal is +1 to all skills or +1 to skills in a specific class. Those SBCs you found are a good example of +1 to all skills, and you can farm the Minoan Labyrinth and the Pythian Caves in each difficulty to get those (Normal: +1 to all skills, Epic: +2, Legendary: +3). Also, you'll find Uniques (blues, purples) that will also occasionally grant +all skills or +skills in specific classes. Obviously, you can't purchase Uniques in shops, so you'll have to farm areas/bosses for those, but they can be godly when you find certain specific ones.

Back to the Stonebinder's Cuffs... They only drop from Gorgon heros, champions and bosses like Medusa and her sisters. So, they're well worth the effort to farm for them, although I never farm for them in Normal myself--I prefer to go after them in Epic and especially in Legendary.

[Irma2]

Other than SBC, early Normal is not a good place to hunt for +skills items. Hallowed helms and Divine amulets (the two most common vendor-bought +skills items) only start to appear in Act III Normal - and rarely even then. You can get Wanderer's (+1 to Nature) amulets or staves before that, though, so keep an eye out for those.

You can also find the odd unique, such as Harmony (armgear that gives +1 to Nature and Storm) quite early, from Act II onwards. But, as a general rule, the best items will drop from Epic onwards.

Of course, Mastery shrines are just as common in Normal as any other difficulty. Those will provide the major boost to your Wolves for now. Alas, the Wolves die quite easily in the latter parts of Normal so you'll need to find quite a few Mastery shrines if you want to keep Wolves at their buffed level.

[Medea Fleecestealer]

Well done on getting the SBC's so soon. Congratulations.

Petmancer staves range between levels 8 and 12 for the early ones, though most will be level 12. Jewellery for specific +1 to a mastery start at level 12 while Divine +1 to all skills is a level 18 item. Merchants can have a fair selection, though probably not until you get into Acts 2/3, but these items can drop as well. You can get green Petmancer items as well so keep an eye out for them.

The best thing to do is download and install the TQVault program if you haven't done so already. Then you can make numerous vaults to store all these good items in when you find them, ready for use by any toon who needs them (providing you don't consider passing items around as a cheat).

Unless you're really lucky with shopping/drops you're unlikely to manage to get 3 wolves until at least Epic or even Legednary I would think depending on where else you're putting points, but don't forget the Nymph can be quite useful. See Tyr's Wanderer's guide in the Nature section of the Classes part of the forum for more info.