Bounty Run Act III - Levels 58 to 60

Note: A Purest Challenge is not to twink any character, use paragon points, or use any outside help and progress in Hardcore.  Inspired by a post on d2jsp by Bubonic.  I chose to start at Expert difficulty and do Bounties (RNG selected) and Rift runs. 

Nothing too exciting to report on this Bounty run, just a couple of minor upgrades and some more crafting shenanigans.

The Bounty run starts off with a ring upgrade.  I need the boost to CHD and this ring provides it.

Fighting Andy for the Bounty.  A Legendary beam pierces his dying carcass.  Thanks, Andy!

Zooming in for a closer look.

Yes, indeed, Andy, thank you very much.  A huge boost to DPS.

I transmute the Vitality into something better; the best I can do is 4% damage. Sigh.

My new Legendary sword gives me an Angel-buddy.  Here he is following along.  He isn't much in a fight and serves as fodder and dies quickly.

A streak begins with several rare plans dropping.

Like this...

...and this.

Double beam!!  Gottaluv that green beam!!!  Who cares if it's a plan.

Sorry, Butcher.  Your toy isn't good enough today.

Another beam!  Nice image of an elite exploding and dropping a legendary mace for the trouble.

Angel-buddy is dutiful and points out the legendary beam on the off-chance that I missed it.

Well, at least I get another transmog.

Fire of Heaven is wonderful for tacking out closely packed mobs in confined spaces.

The Level 60 milestone.  Prior to ROS, this was a major deal.  Now with the level-cap being 70 and the various ways to power-level a character to 70 and shared Paragon points, it's just another number on the way to Torment.

Well, my Skycutter is retired on the same Bounty Run.  You hit Level 60 and Level 60 rares can outshine legendary items <60.  My DPS is increased by nearly 2.5x in this session alone.

End of session stats.

End Gold: 1,415,825

DPS: 43,818

Toughness: 564,460

Bounty Run Act III - Levels 56 to 58

Note: A Purest Challenge is not to twink any character, use paragon points, or use any outside help and progress in Hardcore.  Inspired by a post on d2jsp by Bubonic.  I chose to start at Expert difficulty and do Bounties (RNG selected) and Rift runs. 

Nothing too exciting to report on this Bounty run, just a couple of minor upgrades and some more crafting shenanigans.

Here's a good ring upgrade.  It's been awhile.  Most of the rings I've been finding were given to Mr. Templar.

I went for the defense in All Resists.  The sheet DPS went up slightly, but the losing the Sweep damage didn't make me particularly happy.  Again, though, the elites are coming with more affixes and elemental damage it becoming worrisome.

I wanted to craft these gloves.  The Magefists are growing long in the tooth and I want to start gathering Critical Hit Damage.  Replacing the armor is the obvious choice.

I get the STR main stat on the 2nd try.  Huzzah!

End of sessions stats.

End Gold: 1,242,631

DPS: 19,739

Toughness: 418,105

Bounty Run Act V and Rift - Levels 53 to 56 - Megapost

Note: A Purest Challenge is not to twink any character, use paragon points, or use any outside help and progress in Hardcore.  Inspired by a post on d2jsp by Bubonic.  I chose to start at Expert difficulty and do Bounties (RNG selected) and Rift runs. 

Yeah, I went a little crazy with the screenshots for this post.  Plans kept dropping and dropping and I was under the mistaken impression I'd actually be using them to equip Scrubsader - not so much.  Skip along if you aren't interested in seeing pictures of plans dropping.  There were a couple of exciting fights though!

Here's once of them.  Definitely a rectum clincher toward the end.  Those annoying blood blobs filled the screen and I kept getting boxed in and then Adria would spin and smash into me.  A couple of timely heals by the Templar were crucial.  Monsters are starting to hit hard.

This is what was waiting for me at the start of this bounty.  Yuck!

A plan!

A legendary plan!

Me pulling an elite pack and a champion together!

Meh.  The legendary plan doesn't feel so legendary.  I'll keep my Magefists.

Yep.  This amulet plan sucks too.

Starting the Rift and here's another Plan!

It's not an upgrade for me, but it's good enough for the Templar.

What's this?  Another Plan!

Ooooooo....

Hmmmm...wonder what they could be.

No time to check them out as I'm accosted!  Yep, that's me summoning the Rift Boss and I'm still whittling away at a Yellow Champion.

Ohooooo!!!  Firewalkers!  Perfect for a fire-based Crusader build.

End of session stats.

End Gold: 1,140,459

DPS: 17,301

Toughness: 340,103

Yeah, still looking badass.

Rift Run - Levels 52 to 53

Note: A Purest Challenge is not to twink any character, use paragon points, or use any outside help and progress in Hardcore.  Inspired by a post on d2jsp by Bubonic.  I chose to start at Expert difficulty and do Bounties (RNG selected) and Rift runs. 

One of the best features added to D3 was the legendary beam of glory.  It's exciting and always causes my breath to catch and heart to beat a little faster.  Early in the Rift run, I open up a stone cache usually found in the Act I tileset and boom....beam!!!

A flail!  It hasn't been very long since I found my last legendary flail and wonder if it's a duplicate but with higher level stats.

Apparently not!  Holy smoly!  A massive upgrade and my DPS is doing a happy dance.

The Rift run is complete.  The Butcher makes an appearance.  Here's me dodging his main attack by pure luck while taking a screenshot.

After completing the run, I gambled for a few chests because of the 500 shard limitation.  No luck and the rare chests are salvaged for scrap and crafting materials.

End of session stats.

End Gold: 942,054

DPS: 15,400.0

Toughness: 265,124

Bounty Run Act V - Levels 49 to 52

Note: A Purest Challenge is not to twink any character, use paragon points, or use any outside help and progress in Hardcore.  Inspired by a post on d2jsp by Bubonic.  I chose to start at Expert difficulty and do Bounties (RNG selected) and Rift runs. 

YOLO Mal!!!

I did an Act V bounty run.  No kidding given the post title.

Mal was one of the bounties and a bonus bounty.  I thought awhile before deciding to go ahead and get Mal.  I love the look of the entrance to Mal.  Kudos to the graphic designers.

Whew!  What a fight!  Several sphincter-clenching moments.  Level 50!  Quite an achievement doing this challenge.  I didn't think I was going to make it this far.

End of session stats.

End Gold: 906,901

DPS: 8,995.60

Toughness: 249,120