Never give up!
The old topic's several pages down, so I figured I'd try making a new discussion from scratch.
I'd need some time to refresh myself on playing Diablo 2 with the Paladin, but I recently came up with a strategy revision.
Quests:
I'm tempted to deal with either Radament in Act 2 or Izual in Act 4 (the former takes longer, the latter is more difficult). If I can hit level 17 before fighting Duriel (heck, even if I can't), then the Countess is also a possibility (at least if I can harvest Tal runes that way - Duriel has only 20% poison resistance so it'd help that fight, and few of the important monsters in general are completely immune to poison). Since my strategy relies on socketed items, if I find myself with inadequate stuff in Act 4 I'll do the Hellforge quest. The only other considered optional quest would be the first one in Act 5, if I need to make something socketed.
Outside of that, only the mandatory stuff.
Required Items:
Unfortunately, the Paladin can't escape the fact that for a speedrun, he's VERY item-dependent. In order to reduce my need for VERY specific drops somewhat, I'm going to aim for getting a lot of socketable items.
Armor: I need to get decent armor only for Acts 1 and 2. Preferably Breast Plate armor - it's the lowest-requirement armor out there that has any chance of having 3 sockets. I might have to get weaker armor in Act 1 to tide me over.
Shield: Only necessary for really early and really late. It needs to be either a Bone Shield, Kite Shield, or Large Shield - the former has very high block chance, the latter two have the possibility of 3 sockets.
Helm: A Mask, easily - potential for another 3 sockets.
Gloves: Not important - I'll prefer resistance bonuses, reduced freeze duration, mana/life steal, or increased attack speed.
Boots: If I can't get one that adds to run speed, one that adds to stamina regeneration is the next best(?) thing.
Belt: Only need this for the potions, so I don't care what magic bonuses this gets.
Weapons: Early on I need to use a 1-handed sword. Later I can switch to 2-handed, but when fighting Diablo and then Baal, I need to go back to 1-handed because my shield bears my resistances. The Crystal Sword has some range to it compared to the other 1-handed swords, and has potential for a lot of sockets (at least according to Arreat Summit), while a Broad Sword (with requirements I'd barely reach) does a little more average damage and its socket count isn't much lower, so either would be a choice for late-game (if I got Tal runes, the 1-handed sword is where I'd put them). However, if I can reach them quickly enough, a Falchion would be what I'd want early-game, due to it having the second-highest average damage of all 1-handed swords in Normal difficulty. For 2-handed swords, the Claymore is preferred - the next sword with higher average damage has a strength requirement with which I don't want to waste my time.
Gems/Socketing: Weapons should get amethysts and emeralds, shields should get rubies and topazes, and helms and armor should get rubies, diamonds, and sapphires. Skulls should be sold. I need either a ruby or amethyst from Andariel (amethyst would go to a weapon, ruby in this case would go to armor). If I do the Hellforge quest, the perfect gem I get MUST be a ruby - both Diablo AND Baal use fire to some degree, but only Diablo uses lightning and only Baal uses ice.
Stat Points:
Strength is only going up to... about 48. I only need to build up to roughly 35 early on - I can worry about hitting my max strength sometime in Act 2.
My item plan doesn't need to touch Dexterity, because amethysts and diamonds will help with my abysmal attack rating, but I may put some points in here to give Zeal something to build from.
Energy stays at 15. I'll socket a sapphire or use magic items if I need more mana.
Vitality is where everything else goes.
Skills:
I don't know the odds of a strategy that only reaches level 21 for a PALADIN, but I'm not counting on those odds.
I need to save a point or two for Resist Lightning. This aura might only marginally help against Mephisto, but it will save my rear end when fighting Diablo. With high enough health I should be able to eat an entire Lightning Inferno attack head-on without healing (I've done it before with lightning resistance between 60% and 70%), which would be useful if I get caught off guard by him or if he just plain doesn't cooperate. It's either get Resist Lightning or manipulate for a Lightning Resist Shrine, and I'm not sure I want to take my chances on shrine manipulation in a place as difficult as the Chaos Sanctuary. The other auras aren't needed - I'm going to try and manipulate for fire resistance, our need for cold resistance will be handled by thawing potions, and poison resistance (not available by an aura, unless you count reduced duration as 'resistance' in which case Cleansing would be the aura) should be fine with antidote potions.
I may want Charge for the mid- to late-game, since it works with 2-handed weapons as well as with shields and I can use it as the first hit in combat with tough enemies, but Smite's critical regardless. If nothing else, I should be able to knock a frustrating enemy out of the way just long enough for me to pass.
Besides Resist Lightning, the only auras I'd want are Might (my primary aura) or MAYBE Thorns. I don't need to pour tons of points into Thorns, but one point would help against certain situations (*coughDurielcough*). I don't need to spend huge amounts in Might either, but even one point increases my damage noticeably. I'll examine Concentration, but I doubt I'd use that, as I'd have to waste a point in Blessed Aim (which didn't work as well as advertised when I last used it). The Holy auras are out also - if I wanted one I'd go for Holy Freeze, but I'd still have to waste a skill point on Holy Fire. Vigor is out too because I'd have to waste three points - too much of a cost for me.
Beyond that, I need four points in Zeal, and I'm going to want at least four points in Sacrifice (which boosts Zeal's damage by 12% per point). I can probably pump one or the other after that. Vengeance, a skill I considered a while back, might not help much because of enemy resistances that late in the game, although it might find occasional use.
I'll take ideas from there.
I'd need some time to refresh myself on playing Diablo 2 with the Paladin, but I recently came up with a strategy revision.
Quests:
I'm tempted to deal with either Radament in Act 2 or Izual in Act 4 (the former takes longer, the latter is more difficult). If I can hit level 17 before fighting Duriel (heck, even if I can't), then the Countess is also a possibility (at least if I can harvest Tal runes that way - Duriel has only 20% poison resistance so it'd help that fight, and few of the important monsters in general are completely immune to poison). Since my strategy relies on socketed items, if I find myself with inadequate stuff in Act 4 I'll do the Hellforge quest. The only other considered optional quest would be the first one in Act 5, if I need to make something socketed.
Outside of that, only the mandatory stuff.
Required Items:
Unfortunately, the Paladin can't escape the fact that for a speedrun, he's VERY item-dependent. In order to reduce my need for VERY specific drops somewhat, I'm going to aim for getting a lot of socketable items.
Armor: I need to get decent armor only for Acts 1 and 2. Preferably Breast Plate armor - it's the lowest-requirement armor out there that has any chance of having 3 sockets. I might have to get weaker armor in Act 1 to tide me over.
Shield: Only necessary for really early and really late. It needs to be either a Bone Shield, Kite Shield, or Large Shield - the former has very high block chance, the latter two have the possibility of 3 sockets.
Helm: A Mask, easily - potential for another 3 sockets.
Gloves: Not important - I'll prefer resistance bonuses, reduced freeze duration, mana/life steal, or increased attack speed.
Boots: If I can't get one that adds to run speed, one that adds to stamina regeneration is the next best(?) thing.
Belt: Only need this for the potions, so I don't care what magic bonuses this gets.
Weapons: Early on I need to use a 1-handed sword. Later I can switch to 2-handed, but when fighting Diablo and then Baal, I need to go back to 1-handed because my shield bears my resistances. The Crystal Sword has some range to it compared to the other 1-handed swords, and has potential for a lot of sockets (at least according to Arreat Summit), while a Broad Sword (with requirements I'd barely reach) does a little more average damage and its socket count isn't much lower, so either would be a choice for late-game (if I got Tal runes, the 1-handed sword is where I'd put them). However, if I can reach them quickly enough, a Falchion would be what I'd want early-game, due to it having the second-highest average damage of all 1-handed swords in Normal difficulty. For 2-handed swords, the Claymore is preferred - the next sword with higher average damage has a strength requirement with which I don't want to waste my time.
Gems/Socketing: Weapons should get amethysts and emeralds, shields should get rubies and topazes, and helms and armor should get rubies, diamonds, and sapphires. Skulls should be sold. I need either a ruby or amethyst from Andariel (amethyst would go to a weapon, ruby in this case would go to armor). If I do the Hellforge quest, the perfect gem I get MUST be a ruby - both Diablo AND Baal use fire to some degree, but only Diablo uses lightning and only Baal uses ice.
Stat Points:
Strength is only going up to... about 48. I only need to build up to roughly 35 early on - I can worry about hitting my max strength sometime in Act 2.
My item plan doesn't need to touch Dexterity, because amethysts and diamonds will help with my abysmal attack rating, but I may put some points in here to give Zeal something to build from.
Energy stays at 15. I'll socket a sapphire or use magic items if I need more mana.
Vitality is where everything else goes.
Skills:
I don't know the odds of a strategy that only reaches level 21 for a PALADIN, but I'm not counting on those odds.
I need to save a point or two for Resist Lightning. This aura might only marginally help against Mephisto, but it will save my rear end when fighting Diablo. With high enough health I should be able to eat an entire Lightning Inferno attack head-on without healing (I've done it before with lightning resistance between 60% and 70%), which would be useful if I get caught off guard by him or if he just plain doesn't cooperate. It's either get Resist Lightning or manipulate for a Lightning Resist Shrine, and I'm not sure I want to take my chances on shrine manipulation in a place as difficult as the Chaos Sanctuary. The other auras aren't needed - I'm going to try and manipulate for fire resistance, our need for cold resistance will be handled by thawing potions, and poison resistance (not available by an aura, unless you count reduced duration as 'resistance' in which case Cleansing would be the aura) should be fine with antidote potions.
I may want Charge for the mid- to late-game, since it works with 2-handed weapons as well as with shields and I can use it as the first hit in combat with tough enemies, but Smite's critical regardless. If nothing else, I should be able to knock a frustrating enemy out of the way just long enough for me to pass.
Besides Resist Lightning, the only auras I'd want are Might (my primary aura) or MAYBE Thorns. I don't need to pour tons of points into Thorns, but one point would help against certain situations (*coughDurielcough*). I don't need to spend huge amounts in Might either, but even one point increases my damage noticeably. I'll examine Concentration, but I doubt I'd use that, as I'd have to waste a point in Blessed Aim (which didn't work as well as advertised when I last used it). The Holy auras are out also - if I wanted one I'd go for Holy Freeze, but I'd still have to waste a skill point on Holy Fire. Vigor is out too because I'd have to waste three points - too much of a cost for me.
Beyond that, I need four points in Zeal, and I'm going to want at least four points in Sacrifice (which boosts Zeal's damage by 12% per point). I can probably pump one or the other after that. Vengeance, a skill I considered a while back, might not help much because of enemy resistances that late in the game, although it might find occasional use.
I'll take ideas from there.
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