I have been playing since this was a game on Windows XP, was excited to see it released with updated graphics, but am dismayed to find that poison dagger is still mechanically screwed, it’s not been fixed yet!
Here’s how it is broken!
Instead of Poison dagger damage over time stacking when you repeatedly stab an enemy, the duration timer simply resets.
Subsequent stabs do not have the damage increased, it just deals that base weapon damage and resets the timer.
There is no item that reduces the duration of your poison damage, instead you get enemies that seem to shake off the poison effect and nullify it after a while.
The playstyle where you just have poison dagger, bone armor, a blood golem, and lower resist should have a way to gain survivalistic viability, (That doesn’t mean make it so it clears mobs competitively) but it doesn’t because bone armor does not add any protection beyond melee, poison dagger doesn’t stack damage, and the blood golem attack is half the speed of what could help.
I have been playing around with this for days now just as I did back when this game was for Windows XP.
It’s still broken!
You know the saying “If it’s not broken, don’t fix it”? Well, this IS broken, has been for far too long, and should be fixed.
I ran into a video researching this matter, and apparently a fan server acknowledged the need for improvements (Project Diablo 2) and modified the poison dagger some, please try to learn from them, you can do better!
I am betting each class has a playstyle like this that has something keeping it from being viable, but I don’t know because I am a Necromancer player who just doesn’t enjoy other classes as I can’t relate to the other classes any.
There are many ways the developers could fix this, however my recommendation is a runeword!
A two rune runeword specifically for necromancers, shield or Voodoo head, I actually spent hours figuring out how this could be balanced, below is my conclusion.
Um Ber
+40-65 to all resistances
+5% to cast level 8 fade when struck
+250 defense to missile
+3 to poison and bone spells
Enemy poison damage now heals you
Monster Poison Immunity is Sundered
Poison Dagger Damage Stacks up to five times
Poison Dagger Damage Duration reduced by 50-70%
+15% Life Steal