The FINAL Solution to +Levels

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Karz#3338 wrote:

I would really like if they brought back the +skill system from Diablo 2, with a cap of +3 per skill. Weapons could have up to three different skills, with a maximum of +3 to each. Magic amulets would have a +3 maximum to skills, while rare amulets would offer up to +2. This would be great for niche builds and could make some blue items competitive.

So example for a mace with max +lvl roll:

+3 boneshatter
+3 leap slam
+3 supercharged slam

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Aarius#6495 wrote:

What are these images you ask? This is my answer to the title. But first a little preamble to the little question known as... Why?

I and quite a few others it seems find that +Levels is simply too powerful of an affix on rare weapons. IMO it should be either changed or removed entirely from them. This would open up builds to using unique weapons that really are quite interesting. The Earthbound staff, the Doomfletch bow, Spire of Ire spear, The Sentry quarterstaff, The Empty Roar mace. I can go on but the glaring issue with these uniques are that they don't have +Levels. Ergo they are for the most part dead uniques that no one will use other than maybe leveling in the campaign. Anyway...

BESIDES having +Levels completely removed, the solution I found is really quite simple.
Put +Level nodes in the Passive Tree. Starting on the 7th passive node, see images above for reference. From that 7th point every other passive node along the MAIN pathway will be a +Level node. Not to copy everyone's favorite meme Todd Howard but, "It Just Works." It doesn't screw up sockets and it fits all the way around the outside ring.
This solves the issue of +Levels being a must have on weapons and would allow unique weapons to ACTUALLY have a fighting chance to be used. Wands and staffs still have all the "Gain as Extra" and flat "Spell Damage" rolls that some Uniques don't, BUT with the +Levels in the passive tree, it will be a LOT easier for GGG to update the Uniques that don't have any damage rolls on them. Looking at you Lifesprig.

In total there will be 48 +Level passive nodes. Sounds like a lot. And it is, HOWEVER there is no reason to grab all of them because the cap skill level is 40, you get 21 from the skill gems alone already. You CAN get +Level from your Amulet but let's face it. You won't bother with it and can finally get something else on the Amulet OR even better, ACTUALLY be able to use a UNIQUE Amulet, which is a HUGE deal since there are a LOT of interesting Amulets but no one can use them because we need +Levels. Needless to say, this opens up a LOT of potential and I would love to see GGG take a step in this direction if not take it entirely. If they did... When it comes to give our characters just a little more ooOMPH... It would literally be only 2 points away...