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#1
Apr 30 2009 05:24pm
Upgrading





Contents
Recipes
Requirements
Damage and Defense
Commonly Upgraded Armor


ONLY Normal and Exceptional rare and unique items may be upgraded

(aside from the trivial 3:1 Rejuvenation Potion and Gem upgrades)

Rune Words are NOT upgradeable; they are NOT unique items.



Recipes


Ort Rune + Amn Rune + Perfect Sapphire + Rare Weapon (Normal) --> Rare Weapon (Exceptional)

Ral Rune + Thul Rune + Perfect Amethyst + Rare Armor (Normal) --> Rare Armor (Exceptional)

Fal Rune + Um Rune + Perfect Sapphire + Rare Weapon (Exceptional) --> Rare Weapon (Elite)

Ko Rune + Pul Rune + Perfect Amethyst + Rare Armor (Exceptional) --> Rare Armor (Elite)

Ral Rune + Sol Rune + Perfect Emerald + Unique Weapon (Normal) --> Unique Weapon (Exceptional)

Tal Rune + Shael Rune + Perfect Diamond + Unique Armor (Normal) --> Unique Armor (Exceptional)


Single Player or Ladder Only

Lum Rune + Pul Rune + Perfect Emerald + Unique Weapon (Exceptional) --> Unique Weapon (Elite)

Ko Rune + Lem Rune + Perfect Diamond + Unique Armor (Exceptional) --> Unique Armor (Elite)


Classification of Items
  • Armor
    Circlets, Helms, Barbarian Helms, Druid Pelts
    Body Armor
    Shields, Necromancer Shrunken Heads, Paladin Shields
    Gloves
    Belts
    Boots
  • Circlets
    Normal: Circlet, Coronet
    Exceptional: Tiara
    Elite: Diadem
The Horadric Cube upgrade recipes were taken from the Arreat Summit: http://classic.battle.net/diablo2exp/items/cube.shtml and compared to the recipes in CubeMain.txt. No mismatch.


Only the base rare / unique item is upgraded (Normal --> Exceptional ; Exceptional --> Elite).

Magic modifiers, Sockets, and "Ethereal" status on the rare / unique item remain.

Gems, Jewels, and Runes inserted into the rare / unique item remain.


Notice, upgrading is the only way to create an ethereal Phase Blade.


Requirements

Upgrading comes at the cost of increasing the item requirements; the base item is upgraded and the recipes themselves carry an additional levelreq penalty, as stated in CubeMain.txt.

Required Strength (rstr) and Dexterity (rdex)If both are present: -X % first, then -10.

Required Level (rlvl)
  • levelreq_exc: levelreq of Exceptional base item.
  • levelreq_eli: levelreq of Elite base item.
  • levelreq_mod: highest levelreq from modifiers (affix, Gem, Jewel, Rune).
These are purely for notational convenience (not standard). The higher levelreq is used to calculate the rlvl,

Code
Normal -> Exceptional
(1) rlvl = max{levelreq_exc, levelreq_mod} + 5

Exceptional -> Elite
(2) rlvl = max{levelreq_eli, levelreq_mod} + 7

Normal -> Elite (2 upgrades in succession)
(3) rlvl = max{levelreq_eli, levelreq_mod} + 12

Twitchthroe Studded Leather
Suppose we have inserted a Shael Rune (levelreq_mod = 29) for another +20% FHR. The first upgrade takes Studded Leather to Trellised Armor (levelreq_exc = 25). A two-stage upgrade would take Studded Leather via Trellised Armor to Wire Fleece (levelreq_eli = 53). Since max{25,29} = 29 and max{53,29} = 53, we get

(1) rlvl = 29 + 5 = 34
(3) rlvl = 53 + 12 = 65

Notice, the Required Level of the exceptional version of Twitchthroe is higher than it would have been (30) without the Shael Rune. This is particularly relevant in the case of LLD (Low-Level Dueling) and MLD (Mid-Level Dueling), due to character level restrictions.


Since upgrading is an irreversible process, work out item requirements before you upgrade !


Damage and Defense

The game applies percentage bonuses first, then integer bonuses. Fractions are truncated (floor rounding). In detail,
  • Weapons
    1. Look up the base damage of the base item.
    2. "Ethereal": add 50 % and truncate the result. Otherwise, skip to 3.
    3. +% Enhanced Damage: apply and truncate the result. Otherwise, skip to 4.
    4. + to Minimum/Maximum Damage or "Adds Y-Z Damage" (+Y to Minimum Damage, +Z to Maximum Damage).
  • Armor
    1. Look up the min and max Defense of the base item.
    2. "Ethereal": add 50% and truncate the result. Otherwise, skip to 3.
    3. +% Enhanced Defense: apply and truncate the result. Otherwise skip to 4.
    4. +Defense.
Normally, any Armor with +% Enhanced Defense spawns invariably at max Defense + 1. This is no longer the case when you upgrade, because the upgrading process rerolls the base Defense. You get a random number between the min and max Defense (including both). Subsequent Defense modifiers (including the 50 % from "Ethereal") are then applied as usual.

Titan's Revenge Ceremonial Javelin
1. Ceremonial Javelin: Throw Damage: 18 to 54, One-Hand Damage: 18 to 35
2. [{18,54} * 1.5] = {27,81}, [{18,35} * 1.5] = {27,52}
3. +200 % ED: [{27,81} * 3] = {81,243}, [{27,52} * 3] = {81,156}
4. Adds 25-50 Damage: {81,243} + {25,50} = {106,293}, {81,156} + {25,50} = {106,206}

+200 % ED: Throw Damage: 106 to 293 (ø199.5), One-Hand Damage: 106 to 206 (ø156)

Titan's Revenge Matriarchal Javelin {upgrade}
+200 % ED: Throw Damage: 181 to 347 (ø264), One-Hand Damage: 160 to 293 (ø226.5)

In other words, a ~ 30-45 % increase in average weapon damage.

Vampire Gaze Grim Helm
1. Base Defense: 60-125
2. [(125 + 1) * 1.5] = 189
3. +100 % ED: [189 * 2] = 378

Defense: 378

Vampire Gaze Bone Visage {upgrade}
1. Base Defense: 100-157
2. [{100,157} * 1.5] = {150,235}
3. +100 % ED: [{150,235} * 2] = {300,470}

Min Defense: 300, Max Defense: 470

Upgrading Vampire Gaze involves a rather high risk (26/58 ~ 45 %) of rolling lower Defense.


Commonly Upgraded Armor

Results based on the preceding sections. Including only the most popular upgrades. Listing odds of rolling a specific value of Base Defense. Assuming maximum +% Enhanced Defense and +Defense when applicable. For other values, follow the calculation order outlined in the previous section. For items that allow sockets, the maximum rlvl is obtained by inserting a Zod Rune (levelreq_mod = 69).

Values for ethereal versions of interest are given in ( ).

Code
Unique Item           Defense Modifier(s)    Base Item {upgrade}    Base Defense    odds     min (eth)    max (eth)    rstr (eth)   rlvl  2)

Arreat's Face             +200% ED             Guardian Crown         117-168       1:52     351 (525)    504 (756)    196  (186)   72,76
Crown of Thieves          +200% ED                 Corona             111-165       1:55     333 (498)    495 (741)    174  (164)   73,76
Jalal's Mane              +200% ED              Dream Spirit          109-159       1:51     327 (489)    477 (714)    118  (108)   73,76
Kira's Guardian         +120 Defense               Diadem              50-60        1:11     170 (195)    180 (210)     -           71,76
Vampire Gaze              +100% ED               Bone Visage          100-157       1:58     200 (300)    314 (470)    106  (96)    70,76

Twitchthroe              +25 Defense           Trellised Armor        138-153       1:16     163 (232)    178 (254)     61  (51)    30,74
                                                 Wire Fleece          375-481       1:107    400 (587)    506 (746)    111  (101)   65,81
Duriel's Shell        +200% ED, +X Def  1)      Great Hauberk         395-501       1:107   1297 (1888)  1615 (2365)   118  (108)   63,76
Guardian Angel            +200% ED             Hellforge Plate        421-530       1:110   1263 (1893)  1590 (2385)   196  (186)   66,76
Shaftstop                 +220% ED                Boneweave           399-505       1:107   1276 (1913)  1616 (2422)   158  (148)   54,76
Skin of the Vipermagi     +120% ED                Wyrmhide            364-470       1:107    800 (1201)  1034 (1551)    84  (74)    57,76
Skullder's Ire            +200% ED               Balrog Skin          410-517       1:108   1230 (1845)  1551 (2325)   165  (155)   64,76
Toothrow              +220% ED, +60 Def         Kraken Shell          417-523       1:107   1394 (2060)  1733 (2568)   174  (164)   68,76

Herald of Zakarum         +200% ED             Zakarum Shield         169-193       1:25     507 (759)    579 (867)    142  (132)   68,76
Homunculus                +200% ED             Bloodlord Skull        103-148       1:46     309 (462)    444 (666)    106  (96)    72,76

Bloodfist              +20% ED, +10 Def       Sharkskin Gloves         33-39        1:7       49           56           20          30
                                             Vampirebone Gloves        56-65        1:10      77           88           50          59
Chance Guards          +30% ED, +15 Def        Heavy Bracers           37-44        1:8       63           72           58          30
                                                 Vambraces             59-67        1:9       91          102          106          63
Magefist               +30% ED, +10 Def       Battle Gauntlets         39-47        1:9       60           71           88          30
                                             Crusader Gauntlets        59-68        1:10      86           98          151          69
Frostburn              +20% ED, +30 Def        War Gauntlets           43-53        1:11      81           93          110          30
                                               Ogre Gauntlets          62-71        1:10     104          115          185          76

Goldwrap               +60% ED, +25 Def         Battle Belt            37-42        1:6       84           92           88          30
                                                 Troll Belt            59-66        1:8      119          130          151          74

Goblin Toe             +60% ED, +15 Def         Battle Boots           39-47        1:9       77           90           95          30
                                               Mirrored Boots          59-68        1:10     109          123          163          72
Hotspur                +20% ED,  +6 Def       Demonhide Boots          28-35        1:8       39           48           20          29
                                               Wyrmhide Boots          54-62        1:9       70           80           50          57
Gore Rider                +200% ED            Myrmidon Greaves         62-71        1:10     186          213          156          72
Infernostride         +150% ED, +15 Def        Wyrmhide Boots          54-62        1:9      150          170           50          52
Waterwalk                 +210% ED           Scarabshell Boots         56-65        1:10     173          201           91          56


1) X = [1.25 * clvl]; min and max calculated at clvl 90: +112 Defense.
2) Minimum and and maximum values, e.g. "72,76" means at least rlvl 72 and at most rlvl 76 ('Zod').
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#2
Apr 30 2009 05:25pm
another amazing quality guide :D
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#3
May 1 2009 09:13am
Up.
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#4
May 1 2009 09:14am
franek told me he found some errors :huh:
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#5
May 1 2009 09:16am
reporting in i found an error
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#6
May 1 2009 11:08am
Quote (Faelwen @ Fri, May 1 2009, 11:13am)
Up.


downed fgt
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#7
May 1 2009 11:45am
thx4infoz
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#8
May 1 2009 11:55am
Up for nice guide
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#9
May 1 2009 12:01pm
Quote (Dumpling @ Fri, 1 May 2009, 19:08)
downed fgt

:cry:
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#10
May 2 2009 06:07pm
Nice guide..

Gave me a headache reading it.
:rofl:
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