Class: Sorcerer
Tag: NM
The Naked Mage is a brilliantly simple variant. It also has a rather amusing role. Moreover, it's an excellent character to play in public games as it has nothing to lose if you die.
While the original author (if there was a single one) of the Naked Mage is unknown to me, the rules of the variant are well-known to most long-time Diablo gamers, in particular, to the Diablo Strategy Forum regulars. To the best of my knowledge, the Naked Mage originated at the DSF, and still to this day they act as the keepers of it. They provide the rules to those that would like them, and they make addendums to the rules. So, for purposes of credit, I am attributing the Naked Mage's creation and longevity to the regulars of the Diablo Strategy Forum (DSF).
One question commonly asked is, "Is the Naked Mage a variant?" My answer is simple. It has a set of rules to follow. It also has a unique role (one that shuns equipment). Because of the fact that it has rules, and on top of that it has a role, I consider it a variant.
Without further ado, I present to you the DSF's Naked Mage.
-Lemming
You may not use items that can be equipped. And that's all! It's the simplest rule set in existance.
What follows are comments that have been topics of discussion over the NM. For such a simple variant, you wouldn't think there'd be much to discuss, but there were many intricacies to the Naked Mage that warranted discussion. So that you do not miss them, I have provided them for you.
Autoequip
"Autoequip" is a term used to describe what happens when a character picks up an item and it is automatically equipped. This only happens when a character is not using a weapon and the character has high enough base statistics to equip the picked-up item.
Many Naked Mage dislike autoequip and, for sake of convenience, they will find a weapon that they cannot equip, use +Statistic gear to equip it, and then remove the +Statistic gear. This causes the item to be equipped, but it turns "red" because it cannot be used. With this item in place, autoequip will not occur. Note that if the Naked Mage is afterwards slain by a monster, item will be dropped.
Reading Glasses
"Reading Glasses" is a term used to describe items with +Magic that are used to help read books. The Naked Mage is allowed to use reading glasses if it wishes to. This allows the Naked Mage to easily maximize his spells.
However, some Naked Mages do not use reading glasses. They consider it item useage and they want nothing to do with it.
Enchanted Shrine
For Naked Mages that do not use reading glasses, these shrines are the only way that they can maximize most of their spells.
Bad Shrines
Most Naked Mages will never touch the following shrines.
Fascinating
Ornate
Sacred
They are known as the FOS Shrines. Using one will take 10% of your maximum base mana. This is permanent. If you have 200 maximum mana, using one of these will lower it to a maximum of 180. Since you will live off of your mana, it is advised to steer clear of these evil shrines.
Cauldrons and Goat Shrines are usually avoided as well, for they have completely random effects. They can, for example, randomly have the effect of one of the FOS shrines.
Being Stunned
"Stun" is a term commonly used to describe "hit recovery," or what happens to a character when it takes damage greater than or equal to its character level. The character will stop its current action to do an animation showing that it has been hit. That is "stun."
Because of a Mage's low life total, in later difficulties he can easily escape being stunned. (This has to do with what the game checks for before putting a character into a hit recovery animation.) This is because of a bug. Knowing this, many Naked Mages have begun to pump their Vitality statistic early on. This helps them to be stunned in later difficulties. You may wish to consider pumping your Naked Mage's vitality so that he does not passively abuse this bug.
Another way some Naked Mages avoid this bug is to use +Life and +Vitality jewelry. (The jewelry may not have a prefix.)
Getting your Life to around 126 is sufficient to be stunned most of the time in Hell/Hell.
Has your mage taken BD hits? Use this formula from Jarulf's Guide to find out.
(Vit Stat) + (Vit from Items) + (Clvl) + 9 = Total Life