I bought two clubs from the AH with 2% life leech to add to my 3% life leech passive skills for 7% life leech. In practice, when doing 4-5k per hit and 10k crits I realized this only replenishes 200-250HP per hit with occasional 500HP hits. When I have like 18k HP and it drops 25% per second on Hell...that's such miniscule healing I don't even think it matters. So I think I'm going to go for other stats on my weapons in the future. Maybe Crit chance % or something.
Remember, though, in MP games you will be hitting 8-12 guys at once, so that's more like a few thousand per second. If it's the difference between dying in 2 seconds and dying in 5 seconds, that gives you time to pop a potion, get healed, or even just run away and recover. It definitely matters, and as I said before, life leech is an expected stat for any high-level Barb build.
Also bought a few rings with attack speed +15% and magic find +16% to switch between. Two attack speed +15% rings adds about 1-2k damage extra per hit.
Attack speed is definitely one of the best DPS stats, especially for melee. Remember, you're not just doing more DPS, you're building Rage/Spirit faster.
Does DEX effect attack speed for Barbarian? Because I had two identical pieces of shoulder armor, one with magic find +10% and the other with DEX+32 and the DPS comparison said the DEX one would add 230DPS. If so, I need to start getting pieces with ATK+DEX instead of ATK+VIT.
It shouldn't. In any case, going ATK+DEX is stupid. Go ATK+VIT or you will be one-shot by everything in creation.
Also, I am still confused about the 4-12 damage equip. Sometimes it's higher DPS than STR+70, sometimes it's lower. When I buy from AH I don't know if I want a +x-y damage or STR+z piece if I just want to boost my ATK. The things that seem to increase my DPS output are weapon DPS, STR, x-y damage, Atk Speed +%.
The good thing about +damage is that while each individual strike is randomized, +damage is guaranteed. A rising tide lifts all boats, etc. Remember, though, that core stats have other benefits - STR increases your armor, while DEX increases your dodge chance. Don't focus on DPS over all else. Down that path lies death and madness. Focus on building DPS while increasing your core stats and overall survivability (Armor, Life Leech, etc.)
Does the big DPS number on top of a weapon include the stats under it? Like if there is +12-30 Fire damage, is that included in the item DPS number or is it the item DPS number + the added stats of the item?
Elemental damage is included in the big number.
I think for our Hell group it's better that I focus on highest DPS possible rather than DEF so that I can help you guys stun and kill mobs quickly instead of tanking out the fight. Treesong & PD seem pretty good at holding the front so I can just add to the damage and stunning while Viz beams damage from behind.
If you want to be a DPS Barb, that's cool, but don't neglect your overall character just to get that one number up.
Is your damage reduction on equip or skills? When I have IGNORE PAIN active skill on, which is 60% damage reduction, I do not die. It would be nice to get some damage reduction % going on, but all I find in equips are like "physical/arcane resistance 20" since that's "20" and not "20%" I don't have any idea how useful a +20 boost to physical resistance is. Are there actual equips with "resistance + x%"?
Monks have a God-tier passive "One With Everything" that sets all resistances to my highest resistance. I'm focusing on +Cold Resist gear and by taking that passive, I get a huge overall survivability boost.
