Has anyone actually managed to get a hybrid all the way through to lvl 100?

It seems as though though that specilisations are better in the long run, but hybrids are ok for the lower levels.

Might be just the way I am building mine - but I keep going back to "pure" mage rather than fighter/mage.

I've seen people go BattleMage and Mage/Ranger all the way so yes, I'd say they work. Mage/Ranger combo is a bit more useful though, as you can go Ice or Poison ranger. But even BattleMages work great, although they're a bit harder to stick too since it's real easy one tends to go more and more Fighter or Mage after a while.

fighter/mage combos or "battlemages" tend to be a bit ineffective in general, the fighter part is really the weakness, since a fighter needs to distribute points over 3 stats, rather than 1 or 2, adding in the mage makes it all 4 stats, so it gets spread a little thin and becomes ineffective, and like LM said, you tend to start leaning one way or the other.

Fighter class isn't really my forte any more so i've become a little detached from playing a fighter much at all, let alone toying with builds like i do for rangers and mages.

Ranger/mage builds when done right can be very effective, even in pvp. With just enough agility to make hits consistantly and some endurance for survival you can put a good bit into intel and do massive damage with poison and aoe skills.

Let me preface with the fact that most of my info is fairly out of date.
ranger mages tend to work fairly well if you work them correctly, but it can be a very fine balance to get the stats well rounded. Magnus hit it right on the head with fighter/mages.

I'd tend to use specific other-class skills to suppliment my existing combat routine. You can technically specialize on two fronts like fighter-mage but if you split your points evenly you can do either class's abilites half as good, which makes you half as strong as anyone who super-specilizes. However a fighter with a half decent mana pool and a few AOE spells is a minor hybrid with some handy supplimental powers to help with massive numbers of monsters. Or perhaps an ice bolt on a ranger to slow people down that are chasing you, then have holy stomp to knock people off of you when you're surounded.

I just tried the Divineadin ('Almost' Full INT Fighter with +Divine gear) whom you can read about here and I gotta say that it worked surprisingly well. That makes me think that a ranger using +Ice gear and lots of INT and +Ice gear could easily be really good, though perhaps some Poison to back him up with.

My noobie self is using a Battlemage, hopping between Divine/Fire and Divine/Shadow as the mood takes me. I focus most of my skill points into AGI and INT, add a little STR when I feel like it (probably should be putting that into INT), and get all my END from equipment (As I tend to find stuff that gives INT/END and AGI/END).

I use a shield and mostly heavy armor, drooling over those rare gear bits that give +Melee, +Slashing (I like my tiny dagger! it makes soul rend super-fast!), and +Divine.
... looks of the equipment is significant in choosing what I use. >_>
Currently it's all Heavy except for Body and Feet, with jewelry covering a little of everything.

For passives, I'm running Way of the Roo (I like hitting), Gym Freak (I can survive!), Bookworm (Who needs mana potions?), and that Spellpower one (Damageplzkthxbai). (they cancel each other out a little, but I use few activated spells so far, so it's overall a nice benefit)

Most Hybrids are somewhat ineffective, making it rare to stick to a Hybrid class through to 100, notably most passive spells cancel each other out making it hard not to be one sided.
however fighter with intel/spells works well at low levels when intel mage is hard.

I have actually experimented with a Templar, combining Divine, Shadow, Fire and Poison alike. I can't remember which setup/gear I used, but I know it was dual wielding, due to lower AGI. You have to, more or less, even up your STR and INT and search for items that give you boosts to your mana pool.

It would be rather ridiculous to rely on one class' EQP. I reckon the setup should sound something like this;

a) Mage Helm (+INT)
b) Warrior Armor (+STR)
c) Ranger Shoulders (+AGI, END)
c) Mage Gloves (+INT)
d) Ranger Boots (+AGI, END)

Left hand weapon - I'd personally use a fast warrior one-handed weapon with a decent bonus to STR and AGI

Right hand weapon - preferably a mage cane/mace/wand with a good bonus to either INT only, or to both INT and END

As for Jewelry...well, to make up for whichever stat you're lacking most or feel is the most important for your style of play.

Skills (passives)

You'll need HP. Along with that, you'll need mana. And attack speed as well. Generally, Templar hybrids use the following passive skill setup;

Gym Freak
Average BMI
Way Of The Roo
Bookworm
Mental Prowess

I know it sounds ridiculous, but this setup is what puts hybrids on a level of a somewhat normal playability, the rest is up to the player.

Edited by Villainz (08/24/08 08:16 AM)

I started as a pure mage, mostly int, little bit of end. I respeced to mage-fighter around level 31 (i'm 35 now), trying for better damage to single monsters. I'm killing more slowly now, but still really effective. Stats are 40 into agi, rest into int; some agi and end from equip, a lot more into int. Shadow Light or Crispy in left, soul rend in right, ring of fire, gaseous blast, right stomp, monster bait, mad melee mastery, bsol (of-freakin-course), bookworm, mental prowess. I'm really acting like a mage in big armor. I'm sure i'll go back to pure mage eventually, but the class names kick OH-SO much ass, and that's worth it for now.

Sounds like you're a Templar or something...try Witch Doctor though.