Baalrunning Guide

[Galatia]

Whether you are going for lvl 99, or a ladder rank or even a decent level, Baalrunning is the way to go in 1.10. Clearing the Throne of Destruction gives the most experience points in the game and the more players in the party the better.

Baalrunning is all about team work. When the party is well balanced and no one tries to be a smartass, dying is rare. When the party is full of low levels that lead the monsters to their fellow players or the town portals and use all the wrong skills, dying is guaranteed.

The goal of Baalrunning is gaining experience. Therefore dying is almost the worst that can happen. Dying and losing your body is by far the worst, especially after lvl 95. Losing 35 million in lvl 93 requires 35 runs to get them back. Losing 35 million in lvl 97 requires 350 runs. Many high level characters have quit D2 all together after dying and losing their bodies due to lag/chicken mode/realm down combination.

In order to start Baalrunning in Normal, you need to reach lvl 20 and kill the Ancients. There is one thing to remember during Normal (and NM ) Baalrunning: Don't Kill Baal. Leave the game when the Throne is cleared, right before Baal walks into the Worldstone Chamber. Unless you want to die countless humiliating deaths by Fallens in Nightmare, stay in Normal until lvl 40-45. After this point the experience you get is reduced so its time to move on.

In Nightmare you have to reach lvl 50 in order to kill Ancients and start Baalrunning. It is advised to stay in NM until lvl 75-80, making sure you don’t kill Baal.

And then you land in Hell. Literally. Fortunately, dying makes no real difference before lvl 93-94, so don’t despair if you are constantly dying. Everybody does. Just keep joining runs and sooner or later (or much later) your goal will be achieved.

Don’t leave Harrogath without:

Resistances: They should be your top priority before going down to the Throne. First Fire and Lightning (souls can kill you in half a hit), then Cold and then Poison. Until reaching maximum resistances go for lightning, fire and cold absorb. Cannot be Frozen is a must against Baal.

Full Rejuvenation potions: They save your life.

Town portals: Dying in the Throne or the Worldstone Chamber while everyone leaves the game is quite common, especially if you are a low lvl in a high lvl game. Make sure you open a tp as soon as you go down.

Staying Alive:

When trying to stay alive in the Throne, the most important factors are the company you keep and the speed with which you jump into the town portals.

• Join high lvl games. Games full of low lvl players (70-90) are usually death traps. Until reaching lvl 90 try to join games with hammerdins, barbs and the occasional brave teleporting sorceress. A game full of low lvl, hammerless and BO-less *ladies* (Zons, Sorcs, Assas) will most likely end up in a massacre.

• Think before you jump. Bad town portals are the most common cause of death in Baalurns. The only way to avoid dying before you even know what hit you is to wait before you jump. Don’t be the first one to walk into the tp, especially after reaching lvl 94. Baaling bots usually type *tp up* when their portals are pretty much safe but even then it’s better if you wait a few more seconds.

• Open safe town portals. If you jump into a bad tp and you manage to stay alive, run as far away as you can and open another one. When surrounded by knights or dolls, Baaling bots have the nasty habit of leaving the game a few moments after they make their tps. Those who were quick to jump into those town portals are usually left dead in the Throne, without a tp and not much hope of getting their bodies – and their experience points - back.

• Don’t run alone. When the tp is opened at the Throne’s entrance, don’t walk away from the party. Stay close to the others and don’t run around panicked, leading monsters to your fellow warriors.

• Don’t talk too much. The more you type the less you concentrate on the game and this is how you get slain by Bartuc the Bloody.


After lvl 90

As you reach lvl 90 and you wish to go further, you understand the importance of having a number of serious baalers in your f/list. Whether Baalrunning bots (usually Palladins) or not, high level friends with high leveling ambitions are necessary to any serious baaler. In order to stay in their groups, be active and follow the rules:


• Don’t start yelling *ppp* right after you join a game. The more players in the party the more difficult the monsters get and the more dangerous the walk to the Throne becomes for the one who teleports. Help the brave teleporter to reach the Throne with as little risk as possible. Party right after the tp is made.

• If you are the lowest lvl in the party, you are usually requested to *glitch* when the game is full. Leave the party right after the first wave of minions is killed and join back when the second wave is over. If there are more than one low levels in the game alternate glitching works better.

• When joining a *top2* or *top4* game, don’t kill Baal. For lvl 97 and especially 98, Baal represents almost 80% of the experience they gain from the whole run, while at the lower levels Baal experience is not worth the time and potions spent in the Worldstone Chamber. Leave party if asked to do so, don’t kill Baal and stay for the drops. In most top2/4 games, high levels take the last hit and low levels take the drops.

• If you are a low level in a high level run and you die in a bad tp, don’t start yelling *chicken* and the like if no one helps you get your body back. If you ever reach lvl 95+ you will understand why there is no way a high level will risk a week’s work to save a lvl 90-93 from a few more runs.

• Respect the one who teleports. Don’t grab the rejuvenation potions and the gold (repairing Enigmas costs 500k), don’t yell, don’t be impatient and don’t even think of typing LOL in case the brave teleporter dies. Help him/her get the body back and offer rejuvs, gold and words of sympathy.

[Guest]

Pretty nice guide gal :grunt.

[minny]

Good guide, but needs minor corrections.
Norm baal starts reducing exp points after lvl 21.
you need to be lvl 40 not 50 to do nm ancients.

Thats about it :P

[Guru]

Only thing I would change is the "don't talk too much" part...I think it's nice to have soemthing to read while doing baal runs otherwise it can get boring.

Also, you might consider suggesting you get a barb who utilizes the flamebellow bug...have him run though the tp to the steps and execute it, and it gives the rest of the party a nice meat sheild and decoy

[Shadow-Hunter]

Flamebellow bug?? what is that?

[G37Z]

Originally Posted by Shadow-Hunter

Flamebellow bug?? what is that?

rather crappy sword

[CelestialBadger]

I would call this "The must-read guide of 2005", I shall remember it as "The Baal guide that changed the world"!

I dunno about conversation to read while you're running, but you might want to fire up your favorite media player so you have some nice background music.

[drax]

Nice guide. A must-read for anyone who knows practically nothing about Baal runs.

[ZConnor]

Fresh thread!

I would add one small detail, mostly for the norm baal runs: Get yourself an antidote potion for the second wave. If that poison hits you, you'll be draining life quickly, even with 75 res to psn.

The potion just allows you to continue without making a TP and going to town for healing as many peeps do in norm baal runs.

ZConnor

[Urban_Lectro]

Also to avoid being killed by bartuc the bloody you can stand behind a pillar. The pillar blocks the lightening. This work esspecially well for me cuz im an assasin. I just throw down a few Lightening Sentries and wait behind the pillar till bartuc is dead. Hope This Helps =)

[Ntrik_]

Originally Posted by Guru

Only thing I would change is the "don't talk too much" part...I think it's nice to have soemthing to read while doing baal runs otherwise it can get boring.

Also, you might consider suggesting you get a barb who utilizes the flamebellow bug...have him run though the tp to the steps and execute it, and it gives the rest of the party a nice meat sheild and decoy

yea I agree, talking too much doesnt really do anything, in fact, there is no positive or negative side effect of this.

Nice guide gally, but it seems like common sense in playing d2 to me.

[Galatia]

This guide needs some serious updating. I will be back with more.

[Ntrik_]

Originally Posted by Galatia

This guide needs some serious updating. I will be back with more.

ah sorries ma'am didnt notice the 2-08 date. :grunt

[Magius]

I didn't understand a word of ^... THe whole "Runs" concept is just not sinking in. Minions of Destruction at level 21? That just ain't computing, man...

[Death's the name...]

hmmmm u should cow at lvl 20-25 then baal 25-40....then go to nm

[HispanicPaulo]

.........................

[Hamtaro]

Thanks for the bump that was completely useless, no seriously, ~banned

[drax]

Hmm...what exactly does "glitching" by leaving before the 2nd wave and rejoining after accomplish?

[Xice_God]

giving more xp to the pally mayb

[drax]

How does it work though? Is the second wave the most experience or something...?