Diablo Wiki - User contributions [en]

Monk traits

2011-01-30T02:35:13Z

Dragonfriend: /* Level requirement: Under 10 */

[[Traits]] are passive skills. Points spent in these grant bonuses that affect other aspects of the character. Traits are not displayed in the skill listing, but are on their own separate Traits menu.

Unlike skill points, which are earned at every level up, Trait points are only awarded every other level. Only on odd numbered levels: 1, 3, 5, 7, and so on, up to 59.

==Known Monk Traits==

This listing comes from the Blizzcon 2010. It should be considered preliminary and subject to change and revision. In fact, the D3 Team said at Blizzcon that traits were very new and still undergoing development, and that with over 30 Traits for the established characters, there were probably too many of them at this point for players to make informed choices.

Click to the individual Traits pages for more details about the particular trait. Many common traits are available to more than one class. Traits become available in bunches, every 4 levels.

==Level requirement: Under 10==

The level requirements of the earliest Traits are not known, since they were observed on level 9+ characters, for whom they were all already available.

[[Precision_(Monk_trait)|Precision]]
* '''Max points:''' 5
* '''Description:''' Increases melee damage for each point in dexterity.
* '''Lore: ''' Not yet known.

[[Toughness]]
* '''Max points:''' 5
* '''Description:''' Increases your vitality by 20%.
** Level One: +20% vitality
** Level One: +40% vitality
** Level One: +60% vitality
** Level One: +80% vitality
** Level One: +100% vitality
* '''Lore: ''' Not yet known.

[[True Spirit]]
* '''Max points:''' 5
* '''Description:''' : Increases Spirit regeneration.
* '''Lore: ''' Not yet known.

[[Superior Skill]]
* '''Max points:''' 5
* '''Description:''' Increases your dexterity.
* '''Lore: ''' Not yet known.

[[Healer]]
* '''Max points:''' 3
* '''Description:''' Increases the amount healed by your healing skills.
* '''Lore: ''' Not yet known.

[[Lucky]]
* '''Max points:''' 3
* '''Description:''' Monsters drop higher amounts of gold.
* '''Lore: ''' Not yet known.

==Level requirement: 11==

[[Sixth Sense]]
* '''Max points:''' 3
* '''Description:''' Increases your chance to dodge attacks.
* '''Lore: ''' Not yet known.

[[Intimidation]]
* '''Max points:''' 3
* '''Description:''' Increases damage done and reduces vendor costs.
* '''Lore: ''' Not yet known.

==Level requirement: 15==

[[Die by the Sword]]
* '''Max points:''' 3
* '''Description:''' Increases damage done when the Monk is wielding a sword.
* '''Lore: ''' Not yet known.

==Level requirement: 23==

[[Beast Hunter]]
* '''Max points:''' 3
* '''Description:''' Damage bonus against Beasts.
* '''Lore: ''' Not yet known.

[[Demonsbane]]
* '''Max points:''' 3
* '''Description:''' Damage bonus against Demons.
* '''Lore: ''' Not yet known.

[[Just... Stay... Dead!]]
* '''Max points:''' 3
* '''Description:''' Damage bonus against Undead.
* '''Lore: ''' Not yet known.

==Level requirement: 27==

[[Cruelty]]
* '''Max points:''' 5
* '''Description:''' Increases your chance of dealing critical strikes.
* '''Lore: ''' Not yet known.

[[Fleet ]]
* '''Max points:''' 3
* '''Description:''' Increases your base movement speed.
* '''Lore: ''' Not yet known.

==Level requirement: 35==

[[Weak Spot]]
* '''Max points:''' 3
* '''Description:''' Increases critical strike damage.
* '''Lore: ''' Not yet known.

[[Natural Leader]]
* '''Max points:''' 3
* '''Description:''' Unknown.
* '''Lore: ''' Not yet known.

==Level requirement: 39==

[[Pound of Flesh]]
* '''Max points:''' 5
* '''Description:''' Increases your chance to get a [[health globe]] from normal monsters by 20%. Also increases the amount of healing provided by 10%.
** Level One: +20% increased chance
** Level Two: +40% increased chance
** Level Three: +60% increased chance
** Level Four: +80% increased chance
** Level Five: +100% increased chance
* '''Lore: ''' Not yet known.

Presumably the +10% more healing is granted from the shared benefit when other characters hit health globes as well. The +% to score a health globe increases each level, but the % increase does not.

[[Rapid Strikes]]
* '''Max points:''' 3
* '''Description:''' Increases your attack speed
* '''Lore: ''' Not yet known.

==Level requirement: 43==

[[Thunderous Blows]]
* '''Max points:''' 5
* '''Description:''' Increases damage done when the Monk is wielding a two-handed weapon.
* '''Lore: ''' Not yet known.

[[Frenzied Attacks]]
* '''Max points:''' 3
* '''Description:''' Increases your chance to deal critical strikes and increases critical strike damage.
* '''Lore: ''' Not yet known.

==Level requirement: 47==

[[Temperature Control]]
* '''Max points:''' 3
* '''Description:''' Reduces lightning, fire and frost damage taken by the monk.
* '''Lore: ''' Not yet known.

==References==
* [http://www.diablowiki.net/Gameplay_Panel_Blizzcon_2010 BlizzCon 2010 Diablo 3 Gameplay Panel].
* [http://diablo.incgamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=783812 Monk traits translated from French].

{{Slave_navbox_Diablo_III|Monk_Trait}}

[[Category:Skills]]
[[category:traits]]
[[category:Monk]]
[[category:Monk traits]]
[[category:Monk skills]]

Traits

2011-01-30T02:33:31Z

Dragonfriend: /* Traits Master List */

'''Traits''' are a separate set of [[skills]], all of which are passive, that provide strong bonuses for the [[active skills]] and general character abilities. Characters do not earn enough points to use every trait, or even most traits. Choosing which traits to spend point in allows each character to specialize their play style in unique fashion.

Every trait in the game is described in its own wiki article. View them all on the Traits master list further down this page, or click to any of the individual class traits pages to see which are available.
* [[Barbarian traits]]
* [[Demon Hunter traits]]
* [[Monk traits]]
* [[Witch Doctor traits]]
* [[Wizard traits]]

==Overview==

[[image:Prismatic_cloak.png|right|thumbnail|400px|The Prismatic Cloak trait, shown as an example during BlizzCon 2010]]Traits implemented into the game during 2010, when all [[passive]] skills were removed from the skill trees. Many existing passive skills were (more or less) directly transformed into traits, while lots of others were added to fill character needs. Traits were first revealed during the Diablo 3 [[Gameplay Panel Blizzcon 2010|Gameplay Panel in Blizzcon 2010]] by [[Jay Wilson]]. Traits provide substantial bonuses to all active skills and stats, essentially allowing a player to upgrade a specific skill or playstyle which defines them and their build.

Jay explained the logic behind moving passive skills out of the skill trees and into a traits tree in an interview in the Blizzcon 2010 show program:<ref>[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/jay-wilson-interview-blizzcon-program/ Jay Wilson Interview @ Blizzcon 2010 Program] - IncGamers October 25, 2010</ref>

::'''Jay Wilson: '''The skill system has been totally revamped, and we’ve added an all-new traits system. The skill system we showed last year was fairly Diablo II-like. We knew at the time that the basic mechanics were sound, but we felt it was intimidating, and that it overly encouraged spreading your points around into as many different skills as possible instead of focusing on the skills that fit your play style. If you’ve spread your points into 30 different skills, then you’ve broken your character. The system wasn’t facilitating playing the game well.

::We also moved passive skills into their own UI, and renamed then traits—because no matter how good a passive skill is, it’s hard to pass up picking an active skill instead. The traits tree allows us to expand the number of passives and focus on core character customization ideas like, “I want more health,” or “I want more damage.” It replaces attribute-point spending, which we didn’t consider to be a very good customization system because there was always a *correct* way to spend points. With traits, players will find there are a lot more choices to make that will be better balanced against one another, and will include flavorful or role-playing choices to cater to a broader group of players.

As of October 2010, trait points are awarded every other level (1, 3, 5, etc). There are about 30 traits per character, though this number may be reduced/condensed in further development. Traits can have 1, 3, or 5 points placed in them, with the number varying between traits.

Traits are not all unique to each character. About one-third of the traits are found on two or more classes, with a fair number spread across all five classes, though their Clvl requirements may vary between classes. Many traits are unique to individual classes, and have special bonuses that are only of use to that class.

==Traits Allow Customization==

The main goal of traits is to allow players to really customize the build of their character. This is accomplished by the large number of traits providing a lot of bonuses, and the fact that each trait makes a considerable difference. They're not just +1% minor passive bonuses; they're all big chunks of effect, usually +20% or more, per point.

Jay Wilson spoke to this fact in an interview from Blizzcon 2010.
<ref>[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/blizzcon-interview-jay-wilson-g4tv/ Jay Wilson Interview @ BlizzCon 2010] - IncGamers transcript of G4TV interview, October 25, 2010</ref>

::Jay Wilson: We wanted more customization, and we wanted customization that really spoke to the idea that, ‘I’m going to roleplay my character and focus in one area.’ Skills are really awesome, but when players think of who they are as a character, they don’t tend to think of, “I like to Whirlwind.’ They’ll use [[Whirlwind]] with their Barbarian, but it’s not how they define themselves. They think, ‘I’m a Barbarian who’s exceptionally strong or exceptionally tough!’ And that’s what traits are. The affect the core attributes of your character to let you customize and expand them.

::For the [[Barbarian]] we can focus on [[Inner Rage]], which really defines who he is. For the [[Wizard]] we can focus on something more magical in nature. So it’s a great opportunity to tell the player more about their character.

==Traits Master List==

An alphabetical listing of all known traits. There were 81 traits seen at Blizzcon 2010, though some of the highest level traits were not recorded, and the newly-revealed [[Demon Hunter]] class had only five traits. All of these traits are listed on the various class traits pages.

* [[Barbarian traits]]
* [[Demon Hunter traits]]
* [[Monk traits]]
* [[Witch Doctor traits]]
* [[Wizard traits]]

{| width="100%"
! Trait Name
! Effect/Bonus
! Available to
|-
| [[Anti-Magic Shield]]
| Reduces magical damage taken.
| Wizard
|-
| [[Arcane Channeling]]
| Increases the regeneration of her [[Arcane Power]].
| Wizard
|-
| [[Assassin]]
| Doubles the class' melee damage when equipped with a [[dagger]].
| Witch Doctor
|-
| [[Axe Murderer]]
| Increases the character's damage while wielding [[axes]].
| Barbarian
|-
| [[Bad Temper]]
| Increases [[Fury]] generation and decreases Fury decay.
| Barbarian
|-
| [[Ball of Lightning]]
| Creates ball of lightning that strikes nearby enemies.
| Wizard
|-
| [[Battering Ram]]
| Enables the Barbarian to resist the [[debuff]] dealt by various slowing effects.
| Barbarian
|-
| [[Beast Hunter]]
| Enables bonus damage against all [[beast]] type monsters.
| Barbarian, Monk, Witch Doctor, Wizard
|-
| [[Black Ice]]
| Causes target frozen by the Wizard to take additional damage.
| Wizard
|-
| [[Blood Rites]]
| Enables the class to increase spell damage for a short time after hitting a [[health globe]].
| Witch Doctor
|-
| [[Blur]]
| Reduces the damage taken from melee attacks.
| Wizard
|-
| [[Brain Basher]]
| Grants increased damage while the character is wielding any type of [[mace]].
| Barbarian
|-
| [[Care of the Master]]
| Increases the health of his summoned pets.
| Witch Doctor
|-
| [[Conjured Armor]]
| Increases the Wizard's [[armor]] (defense), as well as boosting the effect of [[Ice Armor]] or [[Storm Armor]].
| Wizard
|-
| [[Cruelty]]
| Enables a character to increase their chance of dealing [[critical strike]]s during combat.
| Barbarian, Monk, Witch Doctor, Wizard
|-
| [[Death Pact]]
| Enables the class to take less damage when low on hit points.
| Witch Doctor
|-
| [[Demonsbane]]
| Provides bonus damage to [[Demon]] type monsters.
| Barbarian, Monk, Witch Doctor, Wizard
|-
| [[Die by the Sword]]
| Enables those classes to boost their damage while wielding a [[sword]].
| Barbarian, Monk
|-
| [[Disbelief]]
| Reduces the damage taken from magical attacks.
| Barbarian
|-
| [[Drain Power]]
| Transfers damage dealt to health and [[Arcane Power]], essentially giving the Wizard dual [[leech]] from spells, in Diablo II terms.
| Wizard
|-
| [[Energy Reserves]]
| Enables Arcane Power to regenerate when [[health orbs]] are consumed.
| Wizard
|-
| [[Expanded Mind]]
| Increases the class' [[Arcane Power]].
| Wizard
|-
| [[Ferocity]]
| Increase the damage done by the Witch Doctor's summoned pets.
| Witch Doctor
|-
| [[Fetish Leader]]
| Increases the damage done by the class' various Fetish skills.
| Witch Doctor
|-
| [[Fleet]]
| Increases the class' base movement speed.
| Monk
|-
| [[Flight Before Fight]]
| Increase in movement speed when one of the Wizard's melee attacks is blocked.
| Wizard
|-
| [[Frenzied Attacks]]
| Enables class to deal more [[critical strike]]s and make them more damaging, while dual wielding weapons.
| Barbarian, Monk
|-
| [[Glass Cannon]]
| Increases spell damage while reducing armor.
| Wizard
|-
| [[Healer]]
| Enhances the amount of healing provided by the class' healing skills.
| Monk
|-
| [[Inner Rage]]
| Increases [[Fury]] gain and reduces Fury loss while attacking the same target.
| Barbarian
|-
| [[Insane Courage]]
| Enables the Barbarian to take less damage when his health is below 50%.
| Barbarian
|-
| [[Intimidation]]
| Increases damage done to monsters as well as reducing vendor costs.
| Barbarian, Monk, Wizard
|-
| [[Iron Skin]]
| Boosts the characters' armor.
| Barbarian
|-
| [[Just...Stay...Dead!]]
| Provides bonus damage against undead type monsters.
| Barbarian, Monk, Witch Doctor, Wizard
|-
| [[Leader of the Pack]]
| Adds damage to his pet [[Mongrels]].
| Witch Doctor
|-
| [[Legendary Might]]
| Boosts the character's [[strength]] by an unknown amount.
| Barbarian
|-
| [[Lightning Reflexes]]
| Enables the character to increase her [[dexterity]].
| Demon Hunter
|-
| [[Lucky]]
| Allows character to find more gold from monster drops only.
| Barbarian, Monk, Witch Doctor, Wizard
|-
| [[Mana Regeneration]]
| Regenerate mana at an increased rate.
| Witch Doctor
|-
| [[Massive Blow]]
| Grants Barbarians using two-handed [[weapon]]s a chance of spontaneously striking all nearby enemies with any attack.
| Barbarian
|-
| [[Meditation]]
| Regenerates some of the [[mana]] cost of spells cast.
| Witch Doctor
|-
| [[Mind and Body]]
| Regenerates [[health]].
| Witch Doctor
|-
| [[Natural Leader]]
| Unknown
| Barbarian, Monk, Witch Doctor, Wizard
|-
| [[Natural Resistance]]
| Adds resistance against all types of magical attack.
| Barbarian
|-
| [[Penetrating Spells]]
| Reduces resistance of the Wizard's enemies.
| Wizard
|-
| [[Pig Sticker]]
| Increased damage to a Barbarian while wielding a [[polearm]] or [[spear]], or while throwing weapons.
| Barbarian
|-
| [[Plagued]]
| Increases the damage done by his various "Animal and Plague" skills.
| Witch Doctor
|-
| [[Pound of Flesh]]
| Increases the likelihood that a [[health globe]] will drop from a monster they kill.
| Barbarian, Demon Hunter, Monk
|-
| [[Power Surge]]
| Increases [[critical strike]] damage.
| Wizard
|-
| [[Precision_(Monk_trait)|Precision]]
| Increases the Monk's melee damage for each point in [[dexterity]].
| Wizard
|-
| [[Prismatic Cloak]]
| Increases the effect of [[Ice Armor]] and [[Storm Armor]], two defensive skills.
| Wizard
|-
| [[Quickening]]
| Enables faster spell casting speed.
| Witch Doctor, Wizard
|-
| [[Ranged Weapon Specialization]]
| Enables her to boost her weapon and skill damage while using ranged weapons ([[bows]] and [[crossbows]]).
| Demon Hunter
|-
| [[Rapid Strikes]]
| Increases the class' attack speed.
| Monk
|-
| [[Right-Handed]]
| Enhances skill damage when the character is wielding a weapon in their right hand. (Not using a two-handed weapon. See [[Staff Specialization]].)
| Witch Doctor
|-
| [[Ritual of Blood]]
| Transfer 50% of mana costs to health, allowing for more spell-casting, with a slightly increased risk of death.
| Witch Doctor
|-
| [[Rituals]]
| Increases spell damage by a percentage of the character's [[Vitality]].
| Witch Doctor
|-
| [[Second Wind]]
| Steadily regenerates hit points.
| Barbarian
|-
| [[Shield of Iron]]
| Improves the Barbarian's blocking when he has a shield equipped.
| Barbarian
|-
| [[Shield Slam]]
| Chance to strike melee attackers with his shield, interrupting their attacks.
| Barbarian
|-
| [[Sixth Sense]]
| Increases the class' chance to dodge attacks of all types.
| Monk
|-
| [[Slaughter]]
| Enables melee attacks to sometimes strike additional nearby targets.
| Barbarian
|-
| [[Soul Split]]
| Defensive trait that enables the Wizard to automatically create a short-term decoy when her health drops below 50%.
| Wizard
|-
| [[Spirit Link]]
| Lessens damage taken by the Witch Doctor by redirecting a percentage of it to his summoned pets.
| Witch Doctor
|-
| [[Spiritual Attunement]]
| Enables the class to increase their maximum [[mana]].
| Witch Doctor
|-
| [[Spirit Vessel]]
| Enables the class to gain [[mana]] from each [[health globe]], whether the character gains any health or not.
| Witch Doctor
|-
| [[Staff Specialization]]
| Boosts the damage done by spells while a character has a staff equipped.
| Witch Doctor, Wizard
|-
| [[Superior Skill]]
| Enables a character to boost their [[dexterity]].
| Barbarian, Monk, Witch Doctor, Wizard
|-
| [[Telekinesis]]
| Improves the Wizard's chance to dodge projectiles.
| Wizard
|-
| [[Temperature Control]]
| Reduce the damage the class takes from [[Lightning]], [[Fire]], and [[Cold]] damage. (But not [[Arcane]] or [[Poison]]/[[Disease]].)
| Monk
|-
| [[Temporal Flux]]
| Slowing effect to enemies who she hits for Arcane spell damage.
| Wizard
|-
| [[The Wall]]
| Reduces damage taken from melee attacks.
| Barbarian
|-
| [[Thunderous Blows]]
| Enhances their damage while wielding a two-handed melee weapon.
| Barbarian, Monk
|-
| [[Toughness]]
| Increases a character's [[Vitality]].
| Barbarian, Demon Hunter, Monk, Witch Doctor, Wizard
|-
| [[True Spirit]]
| Increase the rate of [[spirit]] regeneration.
| Monk
|-
| [[Unbreakable Will]]
| Enables a character to boost their [[willpower]].
| Demon Hunter, Witch Doctor, Wizard
|-
| [[Unrelenting Assault]]
| Gives dead [[Mongrels]] a chance to spontaneously return to life.
| Witch Doctor
|-
| [[Wand Specialization]]
| Increases the damage done by spells and weapons when the Wizard is wielding a [[wand]].
| Wizard
|-
| [[Weak Spot]]
| Enables them to increase their [[critical strike]] damage.
| Barbarian, Monk
|-
| [[Weapon Master]]
| Increases the damage done by spells and weapons when wielding a [[sword]], [[axe]], or [[mace]].
| Wizard
|-
| [[Zombie Master]]
| Enhances the damage of his zombie type skills.
| Witch Doctor
|}

==References==

* [http://www.diablowiki.net/Gameplay_Panel_Blizzcon_2010 BlizzCon 2010 Diablo 3 Gameplay Panel]
<references/>


{{Template:Skill navbox}}

[[Category:Skills]]
[[category:traits]]

Way of the Hundred Fists

2011-01-30T02:31:48Z

Dragonfriend: /* Synergies */

'''Way of the Hundred Fists''' is a Tier 4 [[skill]] which requires a [[clvl]] of 10. This is a [[combo]] skill. 
Enhance the combat speed of the Monk significantly, and pound your enemies with your fist.

==Background==
{{Skillbox
|game= Diablo III
|portrait= Monk_-_Way_of_a_hundred_fists.jpg

|active= Active

|ranks= 5
|user= Monk
|tree= Tier 4
|description= A fast series of attacks strikes enemies in front of you.
|type= Damage

|effect= Self
|school= Physical
|resource= None
|cost= None
|cast-time= Instant
|duration= Unknown
|cooldown= 1.5 sec
|synergies= None
}}
As part of a Monk's training they strive to become more than just a fighter, focusing their mental energies to enhance combat speed.

==Skill Design==
This one was a blast to use, and was about the most fun Monk skill. It's just straight out of an action movie, or some game like Tekken 3. The Monk does a short dash to the first punch, throws a flurry of blows for the second stage, and then blasts an explosive, AoE attack. It's an excellent crowd killer, and when used on a monster marked with the Explosive Palm 3rd stage, it's almost certain to clear the room. [http://www.diii.net/blog/comments/full-monk-skill-tree-discussion-and-status/]

==Skill Rank Table==
'''Rank:''' 1/5
* '''First hit:''' A short range dashing attack that deals 100% weapon damage. Grants X [[spirit]] points.
* '''Second hit:''' Attack rapidly 6 times for 8% of weapon damage. Grants X [[spirit]] points.
* '''Third hit:''' Attack all enemies near the monk for 85% of weapon damage. Grants X [[spirit]] points.

'''Rank:''' 2/5
* '''First hit:''' A short range dashing attack that deals 108% weapon damage. Grants X [[spirit]] points.
* '''Second hit:''' Attack rapidly 7 times for 8% of weapon damage. Grants X [[spirit]] points.
* '''Third hit:''' Attack all enemies near the monk for 85% of weapon damage. Grants X [[spirit]] points.

'''Rank: 3/5'''
* '''First hit:''' A short range dashing attack that deals 116% weapon damage. Grants X [[spirit]] points.
* '''Second hit:''' Attack rapidly 8 times for 8% of weapon damage. Grants X [[spirit]] points.
* '''Third hit:''' Attack all enemies near the monk for 90% of weapon damage. Grants X [[spirit]] points.

==Synergies==
Various [[Monk traits]] augument this skill.(Since most Monk skills depend on base weapon damage and probably attack speed, traits which enhance those, and not the skill specifically, are also listed here) 
* [[Precision_(Monk_trait)|Precision]] :Increase melee damage for each point in dexterity. 
* [[Intimidation]] :Increases damage done and reduces vendor costs. 
* [[Cruelty]] :Increases chance of critical strikes. 
* [[Weak Spot]] :Increases critical strike damage. 
* [[Rapid Strikes]] :Increases attack speed. 
* [[Frenzied Attacks]] :Increases chance of critical strikes as well as their damage. 

==Synergies==
* None known.

==Runestone Effects==
[[File:Monk-100-hands01.jpg|thumb|right|400px|Monk dashes towards his first target.]]
None are yet known. It's easy to envision the [[Crimson rune]] adding damage, and the [[Golden rune]] increasing [[Spirit]] generated, but it's unclear what the [[Indigo]], [[Alabaster]], or [[Obsidian]] runes will do.

==Development==
This skill was first shown at [[BlizzCon 2009]] as one of the originals when the [[Monk]] was unveiled.

==Media==
You can find pictures in the Diablo 3 screenshot and picture gallery:
* [http://www.diii.net/gallery/ Diablo 3 screenshots and pictures]
* [http://www.diii.net/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=all&si=Way+of+the+Hundred+Fists Way of the Hundred Fists-specific gallery contents]

<gallery>
Image:Monk_-_Way_of_a_hundred_fists.jpg|There will be [[blood]].
File:Monk-100-hands01.jpg|Dashing to the first hit.
</gallery>

==References==
[http://www.diii.net/blog/comments/full-monk-skill-tree-discussion-and-status/ Full Monk Skill Tree stats and discussion]

[[category:combo skills]]

{{Slave navbox Diablo III|Monk}}

Seven-Sided Strike

2011-01-30T02:30:23Z

Dragonfriend: /* Synergies */

'''Seven Sided Strike''' is a [[Tier]] 7 [[skill]], which requires a [[clvl]] of 26. This is a [[spirit]] skill. 
The Monk uses [[holy]] [[magic]] to attack multiple enemies at once.

==Background==
{{Skillbox
|game= Diablo III
|portrait= Monk_-_Seven_Sided_Strike02.jpg

|active= Active

|ranks= 5
|user= Monk
|tree= Tier 7
|description= Dash at your enemies, striking several times in succession for 50% of your weapon damage.
|type= Direct Damage
|quantity= 50% weapon damage
|effect= Multi Targets
|school= Physical/Holy (?)
|resource= Spirit
|cost= X
|cast-time= Instant
|duration= None
|cooldown= 1.5 sec

}}
The [[Monk]] transcends, calling the holy Light to gain supernatural speed, hitting multiple foes in the timespace of a second.

==Skill Design==
A very fun skill. Much like a finishing move in a fighter. [[Jay Wilson]] described it as "Human Chain Ligtning."

The Monk teleports to his target, Dragon Flight style, and commences to strike multiple times. As best I could tell, the Monk was invulnerable, or perhaps intangible, during this attack. He's not visible except as flashing series of human shapes, all shining gold and two-dimensional. You can see a screenshot in this article, or see it featured in the Blizzcon B-roll gameplay footage. The evolution of the skill was described in detail during the Monk design panel as well.

The hits always seemed to land, and did considerable damage in total. If this one was cast on an empty space, the monk would do three flashing hits before stopping. He’d also stop short of 6 if the target died along the way. If there were multiple targets in the area, he seemed to select targets randomly, hitting each of them some number of times out of his total of 6.

This one was best used on single or double targets, ideally a boss that needed finishing off, especially a teleporter or another elusive one, since all the hits would go to it in rapid succession, and hit it no matter how it squirmed.

Fun and effective. What more do you want?

==Skill Rank Table==
* '''Rank 1:''' 6 strikes. X spirit.
* '''Rank 2:''' 7 strikes. X spirit.
* '''Rank 3:''' 8 strikes. X spirit. (presumed)
* '''Rank 4:''' 9 strikes. X spirit. (presumed)
* '''Rank 5:''' 10 strikes. X spirit. (presumed)

==Synergies==
[[File:Monk-7-sided-strike01.jpg|thumb|400px|Seven Sided Strike in action.]]
Various [[Monk traits]] augument this skill.(Since most Monk skills depend on base weapon damage and probably attack speed, traits which enhance those, and not the skill specifically, are also listed here) 
[[Precision_(Monk_trait)|Precision]] :Increase melee damage for each point in dexterity. 
[[Intimidation]] :Increases damage done and reduces vendor costs. 
[[Cruelty]] :Increases chance of critical strikes. 
[[Weak Spot]] :Increases critical strike damage. 
[[Rapid Strikes]] :Increases attack speed. 
[[Frenzied attacks]] :Increases chance of critical strikes as well as their damage. 

==[[Rune|Skill Rune]] Effects==

No skill rune properties are yet known for SSS. [[Crimson]] boosting the damage is a safe bet, as is [[Golden]] lowering the Spirit cost, but it's not known how the [[Indigo rune]] might work multishot into the skill effect, when the main benefit of more points is more hits. More hits per each target?

What special effects the [[Obsidian]] and [[Alabaster]] runes might provide is entirely unknown.

==Development==
This skill was first shown at [[BlizzCon 2009]] as one of the original [[Signature Skills]] revealed with the [[Monk]]'s debut.



==Media==
You can find pictures in the Diablo 3 screenshot and picture gallery:
* [http://www.diii.net/gallery/ Diablo 3 screenshots and pictures]
* [http://www.diii.net/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=all&si=Seven+Sided+Strike Seven Sided Strike-specific gallery contents]

<gallery>
Image:Monk_-_Seven_Sided_Strike02.jpg|Male Monk using Seven Sided Strike.
</gallery>



==References==
* [[Writings of Abd al-Hazir: Entry no. 0032|Writings of Abd al-Hazir: Entry no. 0032: Monk]]
* [http://www.diii.net/blog/comments/full-monk-skill-tree-discussion-and-status/ Full Monk Skill Tree Stats and Discussion]

{{Slave navbox Diablo III|Monk}}

Monk

2011-01-30T02:28:07Z

Dragonfriend: /* Monk Traits */

The '''Monk''' is a [[melee]] fighter, with an emphasis on speed, combos, and tactics, rather than the brute force of the [[Barbarian]]. The Monk's skills have an Eastern martial arts influence, though his appearance is a mixture of European medieval monks with saffron robes and fashions drawing from the Eastern, Shao Lin style influence.

The Monk was the fourth playable class revealed for Diablo III and was announced in October 2009 at Blizzcon.

Though the Monk shares a name and some properties with the {{iw|monk Monk}} from Diablo I's expansion pack Hellfire, Blizzard has disowned that expansion pack and claims no connection between the characters. [http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/bashiok-on-the-monk-and-cluttered-visuals/]

==Background==
{|cellpadding="2" width="250px" align="right" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none; background: #2D0606; clear:left; margin-top: 5px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 10px; line-height: 10px; font-size: 10px;"
!colspan="2" style="text-align: center; line-height: 12px; font-size: 14px;"|'''[[Diablo III Class]]'''
|-
|colspan="2" style="text-align: center;"|[[File:Monk1.jpg|150px]]
|-
!colspan="2" style="text-align: center; line-height: 14px; font-size: 16px;"| The Monk
|-
| [[Skills]]:
| [[Monk skills]]
|-
| [[Traits]]:
| [[Monk traits]]
|-
| [[Resource]]:
| [[Spirit]]
|-
! colspan="2" | Common [[builds]]:
|-
| colspan="2" | Unknown.
|-
! colspan="2" |
<center>Background</center>
|-
| Origin:
| [[Sanctuary]].
|-
| Affiliation:
| Monks of [[Ivgorod]]
|-
| Friends:
| Unknown
|-
| Foes:
| Unknown.
|}

The male Monk character comes from the Monasteries of [[Ivgorod]] in the Foothills. They are taken into the Monastery at a young age, where they are taught ancient knowledge; they believe in 1001 gods that dwell within everything (one god in water, one god in fire, one god in the air, etc.), martial arts, and meditation to purify the body and soul.

The Monks have a fondness for structure and creativity, which is why they have various symbols on their bodies. Their light magic is brought to life through runes, symbols that invoke the light to aid them. It is said that each Monk has a tattoo on his back, that chronicles their lifetime/adventures (needs confirmation), and that it may take a monk an entire lifetime to complete the tattoo on his back.

The monk serves the Elder Monks of the monastery, who seek to destroy evil in all forms. He thinks of himself as the weapon of the gods against all that is evil. He is a peaceful, patient and good man who aids those who suffer, with no hatred against anyone, in contrast to the [[Barbarian]]. He is adept in Martial Arts, being able to defeat multiple foes without the aid of weapons.

[[Leonard Boyarsky]], Diablo 3's lead story designer, discussed this in an August 2009 interview.[http://www.atomicmpc.com.au/Feature/153717,diablo-iii-qa.aspx]

::(The Monk) comes from a place called Ivgorod, you know when we started looking at a story about a monk we didn't want to just have what would be considered the standard monk. At Blizzard we love to put a little twist on things and do things a little bit differently. So we thought it would be interesting to take some kind of 13th century... well not factual, but some kind of Eastern European 13th century monk and combine it with the more Eastern style; not only in terms of the look but also in terms of the philosophical. So he has the Eastern philosophy integrated into him, the movement has a lot to do with life and the gods mixed in with a very theocratic, organised religious belief system.

::But he's very devout, he's fighting the good fight; he's a holy warrior. He's very straight-ahead in what he does, there's no gray area for him and it's not that he's inflexible -- he does what he thinks is right. If he has to meditate on that for two days he'll do it because he's got to do the right thing - his fighting is his way of worshiping. That's how we approached him, which gives him a very different feel. The [[Barbarian]] has a good mythology; we gave the [[Witch Doctor]] a very rich mythology. In the game they have a very different experience as different characters, but also, possibly come into conflict with each other because of their different belief systems.

==Skills and Traits==
The Monk's skills were first revealed at Blizzcon 2009, when only 8 of them were in the game, assigned randomly to three skill trees. The entire [[skill tree]] system was reworked during 2010, and at Blizzcon 2010 the Monk's skills were seen again, in a very different form.

Skill listings now house only active skills, with all the passive skills moved to traits. The following is a very brief listing; see the [[Monk skills]] page for a more detailed list, or any of the individual skill pages for full details.

Tier One Skills
* [[Hands of Lightning]] -- Unleashes a series of increasingly powerful lightning infused punches that deal bonus weapon damage as lightning damage, and has a higher chance than normal to interrupt enemy attacks.
* [[Lashing Tail Kick]] -- The Monk unleashes a deadly roundhouse kick, causing knockback and bonus damage.
* [[Long Reach]] -- The Monk projects lines of pure force that allow him to hit several enemies a short distance away.

Tier Two Skills
* [[Circle of Wrath]] -- Creates a blast of holy energy that heals the Monk and nearby allies, while also hitting enemies for considerable holy damage.
* [[Lethal Decoy]] -- The Monk creates an illusion of himself composed of pure holy energy. This illusion attracts enemies to it, before exploding, dealing holy damage.
* [[Serenity]] -- The Monk creates a shield that protects him from all incoming damage for a short duration.

Tier Three Skills
[[Image:Monk_-_Seven_Sided_Strike02.jpg|thumb|400px|Seven Sided Strike.]]
* [[Blinding Flash]] -- Creates a flash of light that blinds all nearby enemies for a short duration. Blinded enemies will not attack unless they are attacked first, and also suffer a reduced chance to hit.
* [[Crippling Wave]] -- A series of large sweeping attacks that damage and debilitate enemies.
* [[Holy Aura]] -- An [[aura]] that boosts the Monk's health. Also grants increased health regeneration to the Monk and all his nearby allies.

Tier Four Skills
* [[Dashing Strike]] -- The Monk dashes quickly at the targeted enemy or location, dealing weapon damage and bonus physical damage.
* [[Dominate Aura]] -- Creates an [[aura]] that causes all nearby enemies to take additional damage.
* [[Way of the Hundred Fists]] -- A [[Combo skill]] that deals multiple hits to any targets in front of the Monk.

Tier Five Skills
* [[Exploding Palm]] -- A [[combo skill]] that hits twice for low damage, before a powerful third hit that sets a pulsing heart over the enemy's head. When they die they explode, dealing heavy damage to anything in the vicinity.
* [[Inner Sanctuary]] -- Creates a protected region on the ground for a short duration, shielding the monk from melee attackers.

Tier Six Skills
* [[Breath of Heaven]] -- The Monk banishes any harmful effects from himself and his allies, including stun, slowing, and effects that reduce defensive or offensive abilities.
* [[Retribution Aura]] -- Creates an [[aura]] that reflects damage back at enemies, dealing holy damage upon them. Also deals holy damage to every enemy in range, whether they're attacking or not.
* [[Sweeping Wind]] -- The Monk sweeps his weapon in a circle, forming a barrier of force that deals damage to every enemy hit. Can hit enemies multiple times.

Tier Seven Skills
* [[Resist Aura]] -- The Monk creates an [[aura]] that protects him and his allies, increasing all resistances. For the first fw seconds after this aura is activated, all resistances are granted an additional increase.
* [[Seven Sided Strike]] -- A powerful attack that allows the Monk to teleport to a target, then strike it or something nearby multiple times.
* [[Wave of Light]] -- The Monk summons a rolling wave of holy fire that scorches everything in its path, dealing holy damage.

===Spirit===
The Monk's [[resource pool|resource]] is [[Spirit]]. Combo moves generate spirit, which is used for the other skills. Combos fill up Spirit fairly slowly, so expect to do a lot of those between the other skills.

==Monk Traits==

A very quick listing. Consult the [[Monk Traits]] article for more detail, or click on any of the individual traits listed. These are the traits revealed at Blizzcon 2010; there will be some removed and others added in the final game.

Level required: Under 10
* [[Precision_(Monk_trait)|Precision]] -- Increases melee damage for each point in dexterity.
* [[Toughness]] -- Increases [[vitality]].
* [[True Spirit]] -- Increases [[Spirit]] regeneration.
* [[Superior Skill]] -- Increases [[dexterity]].
* [[Healer]] -- Increases the amount healed by your healing skills.
* [[Lucky]] -- Causes monsters to drop larger amounts of gold.

Level requirement: 11
* [[Sixth Sense]] -- Increases the Monk's chance to dodge attacks.
* [[Intimidation]] -- Increases damage done and reduces vendor costs.

Level requirement: 15
* [[Die by the Sword]] -- Increases damage done when the Monk is wielding a sword.

Level requirement: 23
* [[Beast Hunter]] -- Damage bonus against [[Beasts]].
* [[Demonsbane]] -- Damage bonus against [[Demons]].
* [[Just... Stay... Dead!]] -- Damage bonus against [[Undead]].

Level requirement: 27
* [[Cruelty]] -- Increases the Monk's chance of dealing [[critical hit]]s.
* [[Fleet]] -- Increases the Monk's movement speed.

Level requirement: 35
* [[Weak Spot]] -- Increases critical hit damage.
* [[Natural Leader]] -- Effect Unknown.

Level requirement: 39
* [[Pound of Flesh]] -- Increases the Monk's chance to get a [[health globe]] from normal monsters by 20%. Also increases the amount of healing provided by 10%.
* [[Rapid Strikes]] -- Increases attack speed

Level requirement: 43
* [[Thunderous Blows]] -- Increases damage done when the Monk is wielding a two-handed weapon.
* [[Frenzied Attacks]] -- Increases your chance to deal critical strikes and increases critical strike damage.

Level requirement: 47
* [[Temperature Control]] -- Reduces lightning, fire and frost damage taken by the monk.

==Class Design==
The "theme" of the Society of Monks is a mix of "spiritual" Buddhism and "eradication of evil" of the European churches while maintaining an Asian/Indian visual theme. [[Abd al-Hazir]] writes about an encounter with a Monk in a tavern, in his [[Writings of Abd al-Hazir: Entry no. 0032|32nd entry]] of the [[Writings of Abd al-Hazir]].

The monk was partly made as an opposite to the [[Barbarian]], with more focused gameplay. He is also relatively weak, so a lot of the class design is built upon the monk [[debuff]]ing his foes, to receive less damage himself.

[[Jay Wilson]] mentioned that [[D3 Team]] wanted to make a character that isn't necessarily one of the easiest characters to start with, but the Monk will even out with the other classes later on in both power and difficulty.

::With the Monk, we really wanted another melee class, but we wanted him to be the polar opposite of the Barbarian. Somebody who focused on speed over toughness, who could use magic where the Barbarian really doesn’t, and who had a combat style that required a little bit more finesse. He’s kind of the opposite of the, “I’m going to run in and try to overwhelm all my enemies with my sheer ferocity.”

::For the Monk, we really were inspired by fighting game characters and games like God of War, where we wanted a character that could do really cool moves in rapid succession. So, we decided to do a combo system for him where many of his combat skills have different stages to them so as you use them, you move from stage 1 to stage 2 to stage 3. You can mix and match abilities as well and put them together.

::So with the other classes [in multiplayer], the Monk moves forward because he’s faster than everyone else, and gets in front of the fight. He tends to disable enemies a lot. He can blind them. He can [[debuff]] them. If he stays, however, he could be in trouble because he’s a lot more fragile than the [[Barbarian]]. So, then he’ll step back and then all of his friends can come in. He can certainly do a lot of damage. If used right, he’s ridiculously powerful. We have a lot of skills that focus on placing something on a monster. For example, we have the [[Exploding Palm]] skill where the third stage will place a bleed damage-over-time (DoT) effect on the monster. If the monster dies while this DoT is on him, and there’s a high chance that he will, the monster explodes and does damage to everyone around him. So it really supports this idea of, “He runs in. He does something and then he backs off or goes after another monster because he knows the first monster is already dead.”
-- [http://g4tv.com/games/pc/28197/diablo-iii/articles/68225/BlizzCon-2009-Diablo-III-Game-Director-Interview/ Jay Wilson interview]

===The Female Monk===

[[File:Monk-female-con2.jpg|left|thumb|111px|Heavy armor.]]
The Monk debuted at Blizzcon 2009 with just the male version in concept art or playable. There was no sign of the female monk at that point, though Blizzard always stressed that every character in the game would be playable, with identical stats and abilities, in either gender. Aside from spawning numerous, "wouldn't she be the 'nun?'" jokes, the female Monk existed only in rumor and various pieces of fan-made concept art until late January 2010, when Blizzard requested that fans create their own versions of what the character might look like, as a fun diversion before the real artwork was released.

[[File:Monk-female-con1.jpg|thumb|255px|Light armor action pose.]]
There were no prizes offered for this feat, but fan artists enjoyed the experience, and other fans liked to see what they came up with, as well as wagering which one would most accurately reflect the official version. Blizzard was taking something of a risk with this; after all, what if some of the fan art had been wildly popular, and the official version not very well-liked by the community. (This was not out of the question; see [[Wizard#Appearance|the male Wizard controversy]], for example.)

The official version of the female monk finally reared her head on February 5, 2010, when concept art for the character was seen in an episode of the Jace Hall Show.[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/female-monk-revealed/] High quality versions of that artwork[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/female-monk-revealed1/] were released the next week, and after some fairly intense debate,[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/female-monk-design-criticism/] the official art was widely approved.

For instance, fansite Diii.net ran two votes; one to pick the best of the fan art,[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/vote-for-the-best-female-monk-fan-concept-art/] and then a second with the top 3 pieces of fan art against the official version. The official version won handily.[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/vote-best-female-monk-concept-art/]

==Combat System==
[[Image:Monk - Way of a hundred fists.jpg|thumb|right|[[Way of the Hundred Fists]] in action.]]
The Monk's concept was that of a fighting game character, where the player could create combos by pressing the right buttons at the right time. This being not so different with the Monk, as almost all skills have 3 stages. Each stage of each skill performs a specific action. The player can chain these stages into a combo, being able to create 64 different combos from only 4 spells. In addition to that, many custom combos can be made that fit the player's style of combat.

Using a skill will cast the first stage of that skill. The player has a 0.6 second window to press the skill again to advance to the next stage of that (or a different) skill, that may lead to the 3rd stage of said skill. Alternatively, the player can wait for the 0.6 second window to pass, to re-use the first stage of the skill.

'''An Example:'''

*Use/Objective of Skill(s): Easy for Beginners, Depth for veterans.
**Stage One: Way of the Hundred Fists, move in close to the enemies.
**Stage Two: Crippling Wave, lower the damage of the enemies.
**Stage Three: Exploding Palm, Apply the [[DoT]] to a damaged enemy and watch the bunch of monsters go boom! (make sure the enemy dies before the bleed ends)

[[Julian Love]] described the theory behind the Monk's combat design in an October 2009 interview. [http://www.planetdiablo.com/features/articles/jlove101309/jlove_b.shtml]

::''PD: So you think it'll be inviting to brand new players as well as experienced players? Because it seems like it could make him more challenging for people who, you know, aren't used to the game.''
::Julian: Yeah, there is an intent that he will be a little bit more challenging, that he is a little bit more for the not-beginner user. That doesn't mean you won't be able to jump right in with him and still be successful. I think that the intent here is that there is just enough of a learning curve that people who want to master that character have some place to go with that idea and become really good at it.

::...But somebody who's more of a master might really follow the intricacies of how to combo multiple skills together, so something that they might do might be rather than just clicking away and having fun with that, they might be doing things like where they rush in, hit a combo that sort of stuns monsters, position themselves in the middle of that pack, then let off the big [[AoE]] [Area of Effect attack]; they're a little more efficient with their moves and maybe taking a little bit less damage as a result of it.

During the [[BlizzCon_2009_Panel:_Diablo_3_Heroes_and_Monsters| BlizzCon 2009 Diablo 3 Heroes and Monsters panel]], it was said that the combat style was influenced by the combat styles of the [[Assassin]] in Diablo 2: Lord of Destruction and the [http://wow.incgamers.com/wiki/Rogue | Rogue class in World of Warcraft].

==Equipment==

Only a few details have thus far been revealed about the Monk's equipment needs. He will specialize two types of weapons; staves and "fist" weapons, which are something like a cross between brass knuckles and the Assassin's claws from Diablo 2. He will also be able to wear heavy armor of all types, defying the tradition of lightly-armored Monks seen in many other RPGs.

===Monk Weapons===

[[File:Monk-weapons-fist-concept.jpg|thumb|350px|Monk "[[fist]]" weapon concepts.]]
Most of what we know about the Monk's weapons was observed while playing the character in the Blizzcon 2009 demo build. How far those observations will translate to the final game is unknown, but it's fairly clear we were only shown a small fraction of the character's talents and abilities.

That issue was explored in a Blizzcon 2009 interview with Kevin Martens and Leonard Boyarsky.[http://www.joystiq.com/2009/08/31/blizzard-interview-leo-boyarsky-and-kevin-martens-on-diablo-3/]

::''Joystiq.com: The Monk has a very limited weapon set. In the demo, nearly every weapon the Monk picked up had a big red X on it because he can't use it. Is that how he will be in the final game?''
::Leonard: Not quite as limited as it is now but yeah.

::''Joystiq.com: Right now the staff he comes with is the only thing I've been able to use.
::'''Leonard:''' He's got fist weapons too, like fist knives, pretty cool-looking stuff.
::'''Kevin:''' But it's just not all done yet. So we wanted to make sure what we did have on the demo is of the same quality as the other classes. We had to limit that.
::'''Leonard:''' And the difference between him and the other characters is that his stuff will probably take a lot longer to percolate into the game because his skills are very much based on his weapon choices, kind of like how the Assassin in D2 was very much defined by her weaponry. That's kind of how he is. When he has a staff, he has a lot of skills available to him. If you've picked them and bought them I guess, they're very sweeping. Whereas if he has fist weapons, his skills are based on quick hits and stuff.

::So that's kind of the way we're going with him. So as you can imagine, it's not as easy as just putting a sword in a character's hand that disappears when he does all his skills and stuff. With the caveat, of course, that if we decide that's not the way we're going to go, we're going to give him 20 weapons, you know. [laughs]

====Monk Weapon Skills====

[[File:Monk-concept1.jpg|thumb|333px|Monk posing dramatically.]]
Further information about the Monk's weapon skills came from Jay Wilson, in an October 2009 interview: [http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/jay-wilson-exclusive-full-transcript/]

::''Diii.net: The Monk has a staff and the fist weapons. Will he have any weapon specific skills? Like dual wielding with just the fist weapons?''
::'''Jay Wilson:''' We're talking about that. One of the things we’ve talked about with the Monk is that a lot of his skills don’t really use his weapons. So he’s doing melee skills with his weapons almost holstered. For instance, Debilitating ... I think it’s called [[Crippling Wave]] now. We change them a lot and I get mixed up on the titles. Anyway, the Crippling Wave skill seems like it should be a staff skill. It’s kind of AoE, he does it and affects a lot of guys around him. So it’s a possibility that we’ll do skills and redefine them based on combat styles and have those styles have a weapon preference.

===Class-Specific Weapons===

All of the classes in Diablo III are limited in their weapon choices, the Monk more than most. See the [[Class-Specific Weapons]] article for more details:[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/699367]

::[[Bashiok]]: Currently our list of weapons the monk class can use is one handed [[swords]], [[polearms]], combat [[staves]], and [[fist]] weapons. That could potentially change, but its probably pretty likely those will be the weapons the monk can equip. The flavor of the monk we’re working on now is a very strong connection between a small and focused group of weapon types, and the skills that use them.

This seemed to rule out [[axes]], two-handed [[swords]], [[spears]], [[wands]], [[daggers]], [[orbs]], [[maces]], and possibly [[bows]] and [[crossbows]]. Later posts clarified that the Monk was much less limited in his weapon choices.

Monks could not use [[shields]] as of April 2010, but by August 2010 that had changed, and a Monk was seen using a shield in the [[Artisan Video]]. [http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/blizzard-on-diablo-3-class-specific-weapons/]

::A shield is not a class specific item. A shield is something that any sane person would carry into battle, regardless of gender or class…and it’s quite an unreasonable restriction if you ask me.
::'''Bashiok: '''Bruce Lee would not use a shield, and neither would the monk.

Expect additional changes as development continues, and quite likely there will be more such changes in expansion packs as well.

===Monk Armor===

In terms of armor, the Monk is set to be just like all of the other characters in the Diablo series (aside from the disavowed {{iw|Monk Hellfire Monk}}, whose defense was boosted in light and penalized in heavy armor). The D3 Monk will wear the heaviest armor possible to achieve the most defense possible, an approach that runs counter to the usual RPG trope. Jay Wilson confirmed this in an October 2009 interview. [http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/jay-wilson-exclusive-full-transcript/]

::''Diii.net: A question from our forums; can the monk use heavy plate mail and still do all of his high motion combo attacks?
::'''Jay Wilson: '''Well we do different versions of armor for every character. The Diablo II Sorceress could use heavy plate mail without actually looking like she was covered in heavy plate mail. For us, our focus is to make sure that every character has armor that they look cool in. So the Monk’s armor isn’t going to look like heavy plate armor. It’s going to look like a shirt, what our imagination of what the Monk’s armor could be. It’s definitely going to be equipment, but he’s not going to look like he’s covered in metal, like the barb is likely to look.

::''Diii.net: One other question on the Monk’s armor. Traditionally in RPGs, Monks have bonuses to light armor and penalties to heavy armor. Is that something you guys are looking at? ''
::'''Jay Wilson: '''No. We’re an item based game. The idea of a character that doesn’t use items is foreign to our basic game philosophy. So one of the things we decided when we were creating the Monk was that we were not going to explore that aspect of the character. We’re going to make a Diablo Monk, and the Diablo Monk uses items.

==Class Philosophy and Religion==

The D3 Team has thus far only revealed bits and pieces of the Monk's story and lore. They are said to be holy and pure, "lawful/good" to use the D&D terminology. They have a vivid cosmology with 1001 gods, and some of their skills will be directly inspired by one or more of these deities. The first information we received about the Monk came from lead story designer [[Leonard Boyarsky]] at the Blizzcon 2009 Character Panel.

::They're really religious holy men, they are raised from childhood in secluded monasteries where they are taught to be pure expressions of their deities through perfection of their fighting techniques. They have 1001 gods and they go so far as to tattoo a symbolic representation of them all over their backs, it's this intricate design and it takes their whole life to complete... When they're not fighting they're training to fight, they spend their time in deep meditation to cleanse sin from themselves... They're equally feared and respected, even by their own citizens, because they are a little bit - you know, they dedicate their whole lives to this. The guy who dedicates his whole life to fighting in the service of God is not a guy you want to see coming down the street for you.

===Official Lore===

The Monk's background was related in the [[Writings of Abd al-Hazir: Entry no. 0032|32nd journal entry]] of [[Abd al-Hazir]].

<blockquote>The last weeks of autumn had settled upon [[Ivgorod]], and the first breath of winter had crept into the air. As night fell and the sun dipped below the horizon, I was all too grateful to take refuge in a tavern. As I entered, I noted a certain tension in the room. Despite the hour, it was not busy, with only scattered, small groups huddled at the tables around the edges of the room. The benches at the center of the room were empty except for one man.
 
 
The man seemed ignorant of the cold. He was dressed like a beggar, wearing little more than an orange sheet wound around his body, leaving half of his chest exposed. A garland of large wooden beads hung around his thick neck. His head was completely shaved, with the exception of a wild bushy beard. Then, recognition struck me: upon his forehead he had a tattoo of two red dots, one larger than the other. As any informed student of the peoples and cultures of this world must also realize, this man was one of the [[Monk]]s of Ivgorod, the secretive and reclusive holy warriors of the country.
 
 
I had heard countless fantastic stories about the monks, tales that were surely the beneficiary of significant embellishment. The monks’ skin, the accounts said, was as hard as iron, impenetrable by the blade of any sword or by the point of any arrow, and their fists could break stone as easily as you or I would snap a twig. Though the unassuming man before me seemed miles away from what I had heard and read of the monks, I approached cautiously, sliding down onto the bench across from him, eager to take his measure. He beckoned me forward with a small wave of his hand.
 
 
"Ah, a soul brave enough to sit with me. Come, friend."
 
 
Food was placed before me, but I had little hunger for it, focusing instead on recording the details of the monk's life. He told me of his belief in the existence of a thousand and one gods, gods he believed could be found in all things: the fire in the hearth, the water in the river and the air that we breathed. Pretty enough for a story, perhaps. But any reasoned individual must surely, as I did, scoff at such a view of the world as little more than superstition. He went on to describe his intense mental and physical training, his unending quest to hone his mind and body into an instrument of divine justice. Though I do wonder for what need his thousand gods would require a mortal man to implement their will. When I asked him why he did not carry a sword or, indeed, any weapon at all, he simply replied, "My body is my weapon." Then raising his hand and tapping his forehead, he added, "As is my mind."
 
 
Most unexpectedly, I would be treated to a display of this mastery.
 
 
A group of men approached our table, knocking my book to the floor and shoving me out of the way, producing knives and other weapons as they advanced. They were focused only on the solitary figure of the monk seated across from me. I scrabbled beneath the table, having an inkling of what was to come. I watched as at some unseen signal, they attacked.
 
 
Without rising from his seat, the monk met the first man's lunging slash, grabbing his wrist and tossing him carelessly over his shoulder, throwing him into a table with a loud crash. The suddenness of the monk's attack momentarily stunned the men, and as they stood there, he rose.
 
 
That was when chaos broke out.
 
 
The monk was a fluid mass of restrained energy, meeting every attack with hardly a moment's distress. He fought with hands and feet in a way I had never seen before. In my days, I have witnessed my share of drunken bar brawls, but this was something else altogether. The sound of bones crunching with each of his strikes mixed with something I could not quite believe: the monk was laughing as he fought. One by one, he dispatched his foes until only one remained.
 
 
That one picked up a chair and hurled it toward the monk. The monk swung his arm forward and struck the incoming projectile, meeting the solid oak of the chair with his closed fist. The wood broke apart, splinters filling the air as the shattered pieces of the stool fell harmlessly to the ground around him.
 
 
"You don't fool me, demon," the monk spat. He pulled his arms back to his sides, then extended his hands before him and began to chant. A nimbus of white light appeared around his head, growing larger and more intense until it completely encompassed the monk’s body. He roared, and the light blew outward. As it washed over the other man, his skin peeled away, revealing a red-skinned demon beneath and threw the creature through the front doors of the tavern.
 
 
The monk hurtled forward, but his individual movements were too fast for my eyes to track. It seemed as though there were seven of him raining blows upon the demon from every side. Staggered, the demon stumbled. The monk grabbed the demon by the neck, grinning as he pulled his free arm back, crackling energy glowing on his open hand. He shoved his palm forward, and when it struck the demon, its body exploded: muscle, skin and bones tore apart, and the smell of burning flesh filled the air.
 
 
I would not have believed it if I had not seen it with my own two eyes. It seems the stories of these peerless warriors might not have been as exaggerated as I first thought.</blockquote>

==Early Development==
The Monk was the Fourth [[class]] to be revealed by Blizzard, debuting during the opening ceremony of [[BlizzCon 2009]], in front of 26,000 cheering fans and countless DirecTV viewers. As with much of Diablo III, the [[D3 Team]] took inspiration from old Pen and Paper RPGs and from Fighting Games/Console Brawlers.

The female version of the Monk was revealed on February 5th, 2010.

===Hellfire Monk?===

[[File:Monk-hellfire.jpg|frame|Hellfire Monk]]
Despite the fact that the official expansion pack for Diablo, {{iw|Hellfire Hellfire}}, added a fourth character called the {{iw|Monk Monk}}, the D3 Team has repeatedly insisted that there is no connection between the two characters, either in design or lore.

Here's what Julian Love and Kevin Martens said on that topic at Blizzcon 2009. [http://www.gameplanet.co.nz/pc/games/156898.Diablo-III/features/133759.20090831.BlizzCon-Diablo-III-devs-discuss-design-decisions-direction-depth-drops/]

::''GamePlanetNZ: Diablo: Hellfire (the 1997 expansion by Synergistic Software) was obviously not a Blizzard game, but I have to ask about the Monk, because it appeared in Hellfire - did you guys look at Hellfire and draw any kind of inspiration from what they did with the Monk in that?''
::'''Julian Love:''' We can't really talk about non-Blizzard games usually...
::''GP: So it's no relation at all?''
::'''Kevin Martens:''' No, the monk is much more inspired by... - it's a pretty disparate group of influences, but for example on the gameplay side a pen-and-paper monk from D&D (Dungeons & Dragons), it's kinda like that for the early inspiration. And obviously kung fu movies, Jackie Chan all that sort of stuff, Once Upon a Time in China, many, many things from there. He's a got a bit of that Eastern European monastic thing, as far as cultural development goes.

::There's the fighting game mechanic, his combo system. So the way we try to do it is we take something that's archetypal - in this case, a fast but weaker melee character - but we try to put twists on it, with the culture, with the moves, with every aspect of this we can, we try to give it something fresh and interesting. So if we're going to introduce a new class, you know, it's not just the "assassin" by another name, it has some similarities to that but there's enough different about it that he not only plays differently but he feels different, and looks and fits into the world differently as well. We have't met anyone from his part of the world in the game before, so he's actually expanding the universe and the story as well.

Diablo 3 community manager [[Bashiok]] drove this point home a month later: [http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/bashiok-on-the-monk-and-cluttered-visuals/]

::''However they announce the Monk... He’s from Diablo Hellfire, while technically not a Diablo 2 character (and I think Hellfire was someone else’s project) hes still known in the Diablo universe. So why did blizzard tell us no more old classes then throw us a curve ball in the Monk?

::'''Bashiok:''' It’s not a recognized part of the Diablo franchise, and to be honest it is so much so not recognized, that when people asked about returning classes in the Q&A’s and in some of the press interviews the Hellfire expansion just wasn’t in anyone’s minds.

::Plus, it isn’t the same class. We aren’t taking an old class and updating it. The monk from Hellfire, and in fact the story and content of Hellfire, doesn’t exist as far as game lore and story is concerned going into Diablo III.

::They happen to share a name, the same as all of the other monk classes that have existed in all other RPG’s since the beginning of time. It doesn’t mean they’re related kit/story/flavor wise.

==Trivia==
The monks symbol is the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsudomoe mitsudomoe], a triple tomoe. It's used in family crests but also associated with Okinawa where many martial arts originated.

==Media==
You can find every sort of Diablo III screenshot and artwork [http://www.diii.net/gallery/ in the picture gallery].
* Monk [http://diablo.incgamers.com/gallery/search.php?keywords=monk&cat=560&x=0&y=0 Act One screenshots]
* Monk [http://diablo.incgamers.com/gallery/search.php?keywords=monk&cat=561&x=0&y=0 Act Two screenshots]
* Monk [http://diablo.incgamers.com/gallery/search.php?keywords=monk&cat=509&x=0&y=0 Character Artwork]
* Monk [http://diablo.incgamers.com/gallery/search.php?keywords=monk&cat=510&x=0&y=0 Wallpapers]

<gallery>
Image:Monk1.jpg|The Monk
Image:Monk_-_Seven_Sided_Strike02.jpg|Monk using [[Seven Sided Strike]].
Image:Monk_-_Impeneterable_Defense3.jpg|A bubble of his own: [[Impenetrable Defense]].
Image:Monk-exploding-palm.jpg|[[Exploding Palm]]
Image:Monk_-_Way_of_a_hundred_fists.jpg|[[Way of the Hundred Fists]]
Image:Monk_-_Crippling_Wave.jpg|[[Crippling Wave]]
Image:monk_trailer_innerS|From the Monk Trailer
Image:Monk_concept1.jpg|Concept art for a battle-ready Monk.
Image:Monk_concept2.jpg|Monk in battle.
</gallery>

==References==
* [http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/full-monk-skill-tree-discussion-and-status/ Full Monk Skill Tree Stats and Discussion]
* [http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/exclusive-jay-wilson-interview/ Exclusive Jay Wilson Interview]
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsudomoe Wikipedia: mitsudomoe]
* [http://diablo.incgamers.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=3183&cat=563 Monk Concept art]
* [[Writings of Abd al-Hazir: Entry no. 0032]]

{{Master Nav|d3|Monk}}

[[category:Monk]]
[[category:Classes]]
[[category:Basics]]
[[Category:Featured articles]]

Diablo 3 Basics

2011-01-30T02:25:29Z

Dragonfriend: /* Stats/Attributes */

[[Image:Diablo III Logo.jpg|left|150px]]
This is the '''Diablo 3 Basics''' page, which is the main '''Fact Sheet''' of known '''Diablo III''' information. This much anticipated sequel to Diablo and Diablo II was announced at [[Blizzard]]'s [[WWI 2008]] in Paris, during 27-28 June 2008. Regardless if you just heard that Diablo III is announced, or if you have been following some of the {{wl|[http://diablo.incgamers.com Diablo 3 news]}}, this page will get you up to speed!

If you are looking for the '''Basics Section''' of the wiki, you can find that in the '''[[:Category:Basics|Basics Category]]'''.

==Introduction==
Diablo III, while featured completely in '''3D''' with a 3D environment, will follow closely in Diablo II's track by using the classic isometric view, fast gameplay and randomised content for high replayability. Some changes have been made in order to make the game faster and more flexible as well as making players choose and employ tactics rather than mindless mouseclicking. Besides taking well learned lessons from WoW, the developers have been inspired by games such as ''Zelda'' and ''God of War''. Regardless, the game will be possible to play with a mouse alone, if a player so wishes (but you would be a lot less efficient).

Remember that if you're a newcomer to Diablo you can find more related articles in the '''[[:Category:Basics|Basics Category]]'''
 
 

== Character Classes ==

Blizzard have confirmed that the game will ship with five characters. These are the [[Barbarian]], [[Demon Hunter]], [[Monk]], [[Witch Doctor]], and [[Wizard]]. All five classes will be playable in male or female versions. The gender difference is purely cosmetic; male and female characters have identical stats and abilities. The classes are very distinct from one another; all armor appears different depending on which character is using it, the characters have completely unique [[skills]], largely unique [[traits]], and each has their own [[resource]] type.

Though all five classes for Diablo III have been revealed, more are expected in the [[expansion]]s. See the [[Other classes]] article for Blizzard quotes on their additional character ideas.

{|
! colspan="3" | Barbarian
|-
| [[File:Barbfemale.jpg|85px]]
| [[File:Barbmale.jpg|80px]]
| '''The [[Barbarian]]''' - The same character you played in [[Diablo II]], but with some [[Barbarian skills|new skills]], and backed with power of the [[ancient]]s.
* [[Barbarian Skills]]
* [[Barbarian Traits]]
* [[Resource]]: - [[Fury]]
|-
! colspan="3" | Demon Hunter
|-
| colspan="2" | [[File:Demon-hunter-art4.jpg|center|130px]]

| '''The [[Demon Hunter]]''' - The last class revealed is a ranged weapon specialist with a grudge against all demon kind, sexy style, and deadly traps and demonic gadgets to go with her glowing eyes.
* [[Demon Hunter Skills]]
* [[Demon Hunter Traits]]
* [[Resource]]: - Unknown
|-
! colspan="3" | Monk
|-
| [[File:Monkfemale.jpg|85px]]
| [[File:Monkmale.jpg|85px]]
| '''The [[Monk]]''' - A new fellow from [[Ivgorod]]. Combining martial arts of our eastern cultures with a holy strike from the western disciplines he takes names and kicks in faces.
* [[Monk Skills]]
* [[Monk Traits]]
* [[Resource]]: [[Spirit]]
|-
! colspan="3" | Witch Doctor
|-
| [[File:Witchfemale.jpg|85px]]
| [[File:Witchmale.jpg|70px]]
| '''The [[Witch Doctor]]''' - A new class that comes from the jungle region of [[Teganze]], and uses [[Witch Doctor skills|voodoo magic]] to do his bidding. One of his highlights is the [[Wall of Zombies]] spell.
* [[Witch Doctor Skills]]
* [[Witch Doctor Traits]]
* [[Resource]]: [[Mana]]
|-
! colspan="3" | Wizard
|-
| [[File:Wizardfemale.jpg|85px]]
| [[File:Wizardmale.jpg|70px]]
| '''The [[Wizard]]''' - A new class that is a pure spell caster harnessing arcane and elemental magic to do her bidding. Very similar to the [[Sorcerer]] and [[Sorceress]] of previously Diablo games. One of the highlights is the [[Wizard_skills#Slow_Time|Slow Time]] spell which warps space and time, slowing nearby monsters and projectiles.
* [[Wizard Skills]]
* [[Wizard Traits]]
* [[Resource]]: [[Arcane Power]]
|-
|}

=== Skills ===
The skills and their presentation evolved greatly during the game's development. See the [[skill tree]] article for a full pictorial history. As of Blizzcon 2010 skills are presented in a list, sorted into seven tiers which are unlocked at various character levels. All skills are [[active]], there are no prerequisites other than character level, and no synergies.

[[Traits]] were added during development in 2010, when all [[passive]] skills were removed from the skill trees. Traits are passives or masteries and boost general character traits, or specific skills. While many traits are shared between the classes, granting bonuses to [[attributes]] or other common properties such as [[Lucky]] (increased gold drops), or [[Pound of Flesh]] (increased [[health orb]] benefit, about half of the traits are unique to each class, providing specific bonuses just for that class.

==== Skill Tree Respecs/Resets ====
In Diablo II prior to v1.13, a character was unable to change their skills and stats once they were allocated. If you made any mistake, the only solution was to [[reroll]]. This is changed in Diablo III, and it will be fairly easy for characters to "[[respec]]," to remove and reassign points from [[skills]] and [[traits]].

The exact methods have not yet been revealed, but the developers have said it will be fairly easy to do, though not entirely free or instant, to prevent exploitation.

====Stats/Attributes====
One major change announced early in Diablo III's development was the elimination of player-assigned stat points. In Diablo III, each class gains various [[attribute]] points in [[Attack_(Attribute)|attack]], [[Precision_(Attribute)|precision]], [[vitality]], [[defense]], and [[willpower]], when they level up, and these are automatically-assigned. The Diablo III developers felt the stat allocation in Diablo II was a poor way to provide character customization, since players almost always followed an established [[build]], which was always the best choice for a character. This removed any variety or individuality.

Stats can be modified in Diablo III in various ways. By [[traits]], via [[charms]] in the [[talisman]], and with equipment bonuses, including socketing [[gems]].

==== Skill Runes ====
[[File:Runes-hydra-all.jpg|thumb|350px|Hydra runestone effects.]]
While gems return for item [[sockets]], [[runes]] in Diablo III are not used in items. There are five types of runes, [[crimson]], [[alabaster]], [[indigo]], [[golden]], and [[obsidian]], which are socketed into active skills, where they modify the skill in various beneficial ways.

[[Runestones]] are a huge aspect of the game, always improving skills to the point that virtually any socketed runestone, even of the lowest level, will make an immediate and obvious difference in a skill's efficacy. Only a few skill rune functions are known at this point, and all are subject to change as development continues.

The first complete known skill permutations was the [[Wizard]]'s [[Hydra]] skill. The basic skill is much as it was in Diablo II, a three-headed flame dragon that pokes out of a manhole in the ground, spitting firebolts at enemies. Each rune changes this effect quite notably. The effects revealed for Hydra changed considerably even between August and October 2010, when the slide to the right was presented at Blizzcon 2010:

* Crimson rune: Turns the dragons blue, and they attack with a chilling/slowing breath.
* Alabaster rune: Turns the dragons purple, and they attack with Arcane damage bolts.
* Golden rune: The dragons remain red, but spit out firewalls, which deal higher damage and leave an [[AoE]] wall of flame on the ground.
* Indigo rune: The dragons turn blue and spit clusters of lightning.
* Obsidian rune: The dragons turn green and spit out poison damaging acid balls.

==Monsters==
[[Image:Goatmen surround a Siegebreaker.jpg|thumb|right|150px|[[Goatmen]] & [[Siegebreaker]].]]
Diablo III will have a great array of '''[[monster]]s''', and they will employ more intelligent behaviour, and effects as well. There will be more 'mini-boss' encounters that make for more epic gameplay, an example is the [[Thousand Pounder]], who isn't really a [[boss]], but a unit type. Other 'effects' include skeletons with large shields that can block and protects archers, [[ghoul]]s that climb up sheer walls to attack you, or [[Grotesque]]s that explode into a hundred [[Lamprey]] monsters. We can expect many unique attack patterns and behaviours from the Diablo III monsters.

The scale of monsters is greatly increased in Diablo III; demons like the Siegebreaker are not uncommon, and appear in sizes unimagined in previous games in the series. And Siegebreak isn't even an especially big boss or Act boss.

* '''The [[Monster|Monsters Article]]''' has much more information on the dozens of known monsters.
* Monster [[bosses]] are much improved and varied in Diablo III.
** [[Boss modifiers]] are new and improved as well, and there are many new and dangerous properties.

==Death==
Death is less of an obstacle to success in Diablo III than in previous games in the series. Dead players in Diablo III do not lose equipment or gold. They must merely wait a few seconds, before waiting to be resurrected by another player in their party, or restarting at the last [[checkpoint]] (not [[waypoint]]) they passed over.

[[Hardcore]] mode is an option in the game, and as in Diablo II, dead HC characters stay dead forever.

Death will even look better. There are many more monster death animations, [[critical hit]] deaths come with bonus gore, and even players get to enjoy the death variety, since some of the special monsters have special fatality animations they'll use if they kill a player during a battle.

==Difficulty Levels==

There are going to be three [[difficulty]] levels in Diablo III, as in other games in the series. The normal difficulty level will not be very difficult, and characters are expected to rise to about Clvl 30 working their way through it. Then 50 after Nightmare and 60 (max level) after Hell. There will not be grinding required to reach the max level in Diablo III; as in World of Warcraft it will be achieved simply by working through the normal content.

The difficulty will increase substantially on Nightmare, and the developers have talked about Hell as a much greater challenge, though they are committed to allowing solo players to defeat everything in the game. Nothing will be so hard that a group is required to pass it, and there no no plans to include [[raid]] style content.

==End Game==

The focus of the [[end game]] will be much changed in Diablo III. The developers have not revealed many details, but they say it will be much more compelling than simply running the same bosses over and over again. That characters will be at or nearly to the max level by the time they finish Hell difficulty (barring rushing or other activities to take a character well outside the normal level progression) makes a big difference, since gaining experience will not be part of the end game.

There are talks about [[Achievements]] being incorporated, or special online-only challenges. The team regards the item hunting game as the ultimate goal of a character in Diablo III.

Another end game activity is PvP play in the [[Arena]], as characters could respec and switch around their equipment to build a character entirely focused on PvP play.

==Items==
[[Image:Barbarian swing.jpg|thumb|right|[[Barbarian]] swinging two magical axes.]]
Armor is arranged in [[gear sets]] in Diablo III. There are 18 of them, increasing in quality/appearance from simple cloth to ornate plate mail. The items do not repeat with different names/stats; there are no exceptional/elite versions of items in Diablo III. This means there is a wider variety of total item types, and that players will see a steady progression throughout the game of increasingly-dramatic looking armor.

Weapons are the same, and will increase from plain to fancy, with stats to match.

Most items are rare or magical, as before. Sockets are not a special feature of white items; sockets may occur on any type of item, and there will not be plain socketed items, nor would you want one since there are no [[Runewords]] to put into them. [[Uniques]] return, though they are apparently going to be called "[[Legendary]]" in Diablo III. [[Item sets]] are also likely returning, though they may differ in function somewhat, to make them more useful and/or easier to assemble.

A very popular type of item will be the [[crafted]] items, magical or rare items made by the NPC [[Artisans]] from various [[recipes]].

===Armor and Weapon Types===

*[[Armor]]: [[helms]], [[shields]], [[body armor]], [[gloves]], [[boots]], [[rings]], [[amulets]], and [[belts]] return. Belts are now just another piece of armor; they do not have any special potion-holding function.
** New armor types: [[Shoulders]], [[bracers]], and [[pants]].

* [[Weapons]]: [[Axes]], [[Spears]], [[Polearms]], [[Swords]], [[Clubs]], [[Bows]], [[Crossbows]], [[Wands]], [[shields]],
** New weapons: [[Fists]], [[Daggers]] (no longer a type of sword), [[Orbs]], [[Pistol crossbows]], [[short staves]] for casters only, [[battle staves]] for the Monk only,
** Removed weapons: There are no [[throwing weapons]] or throwing [[potions]] yet seen in Diablo III.

===Other Items Information===
* [[Runes]] no longer socketed into items, [[runewords]] are no more. Runes are objects that get socketed into [[skills]].
* The [[inventory]] is much larger than it was in Diablo II, and after numerous permutations it's settled on a large grid with all items either 1x1 or 1x2 in size.
* The [[stash]] in town is huge, and will be shared between characters on the same account.
* Items will now drop '''per character'''; you only see items you can pick up, and no other players see or can grab them.
* Trading will be improved and there will be some sort of auction house, though details have not been revealed.
* [[Potion]]s are much less common than in previous Diablo games. There are no mana or rejuvenation potions, just health, and they come with a long cooldown between uses. Basically potions are for emergency use, and will only tide a character over briefly; with the cool down they will not keep you alive through reckless behavior.

==NPCs==
[[Image:Cain-concept1.jpg|thumb|right|75px|[[Cain]]]]
As in previous games in the series, [[NPCs]] will feature large in Diablo III. Much of the game [[story]] will be given by the NPCs, and they will be more interactive, while their speeches will be shorter, more to the point, and can be listened to while playing; you are no longer forced to "stay awhile" while you "listen."

[[Followers]]: More NPCs are found out in the dungeons than in past games, and mini-quests such as [[Escort Mission]]s are common throughout the game.

[[Mercenaries]]: The developers have talked about wanting to make mercs better and more useful than they were in Diablo II, but nothing has yet been revealed.

[[Artisans]]: "Vendors 2.0," these NPCs are merchants, quest-givers, and information sources. They follow the player throughout the game, traveling in a [[caravan]] between the acts, and in addition to the standard item buying and selling, they can [[craft]] new semi-random items from special [[recipes]], as well as [[enchant]], [[socket]], and [[repair]] items. Artisans can even be [[trained]] up to higher levels, giving them better skills.

==Locations==
[[Image:Sanctuary World Map.jpg|thumb|225px|[[world map|Sanctuary world map]], with locations noted.]]The [[world map]] of [[Sanctuary]] was actually released with the second Diablo game's manual, but a new and improved map has been made by Blizzard, outlining the continents and the major [[settlement]]s. Many of these locations will be visited in [[Diablo III]] including [[Tristram]]. Areas close by that were never visited in the previous games will also have a chance, like the [[Leoric Highlands]] and [[Westmarch]], and it's known that much of Act Three takes place in the Barbarian Lands around the [[Arreat Crater]].

We have been shown detailed pictures of [[Skovos]] (the land of the [[Amazon]]s), as well as [[Caldeum]] and Tristram. Skovos is confirmed to be excluded from the game, but the level of detail they are putting in to the universe suggests either a big expansion pack, MMOs or a film.

Outdoor areas will be less randomised than dungeons, and the terrain will for the most part be static. Instead a lot of random scripted events will take place, some will even be really advanced. It can vary from an escort [[quest]], to a mouldy tome, or a big bad [[boss]] monster. You will also find interactive environments with dangerous traps and obstacles, and [[destructible]] elements. There will be "numerous" outdoor locations.

==Dungeons==
The land is filled with dungeons, as in Diablo II. Dungeons vary widely in size and design, and are promised to offer better randomization and variety than they did in Diablo II.

<gallery>
Image:Screenshot 20.jpg|[[Dark Berserker]]s and a [[Grotesque]] in the [[Forgotten Tombs]].
Image:Screenshot 19.jpg|Several [[Walking Corpse]]s. [[Follower]]s can be seen as well.
Image:Screenshot 16.jpg|[[Witch Doctor]] who's [[Skull of Flame|flameskulling]] some [[Walking Corpse]]s.
</gallery>

==Transportation==
As in Diablo II, travel is on foot. There are no [[mounts]] in Sanctuary. Nor are there any [[Town Portal]]s, in a major change from earlier games in the series. The developers felt that Town Portals made it too easy for players to escape danger and made it impossible to offer compelling, dangerous combat.

To replace town portals, there are more waypoints, frequent checkpoints, and a new item, the [[Scroll of Wealth]] that allows players to sell their items remotely, without returning to to town. The new [[salvage cube]], an essential element of [[crafting]], is another addition meant to obviate the need for regular town returns.

==Easter Eggs==
While no [[Easter Eggs]] in Diablo III have been confirmed, (though we've seen plenty of Diablo III Easter Eggs in Starcraft II), Blizzard has given plenty of hints about some sort of [[secret level]] in the game.

===Cow Level===
The [[Cow Level]] is a very distinct piece of content in Diablo 2, but is as of yet unconfirmed for Diablo 3. Cows and Diablo have been closely linked in fan's minds since Diablo 1, and it's not unlikely that we'll get a secret Cow Level in Diablo 3 as well, even if it likely will be very different from the Diablo 2 version.

===Rainbow Level===
This is a rumour started by the [[art controversy]] (see below), and all the hub-hub about the colour in Diablo 3 that came after the announcement might inspire the dev team to make a rainbow level with unicorns and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carebear Carebears].
* [http://forums.diii.net/showthread.php?t=708777 Rainbow Level forum thread]

==Art Changes==
Some fans were very upset that [[Diablo III]] is seemingly full of much more colour than the predecessor [[Diablo II]]. While the settings in general now include a lot more colour, Blizzard argues that Diablo II was more colourful than people remember. Some fans have also expressed fears that Diablo III will become too much like [[World of WarCraft]]. You can read more about concerns and responses here:
* '''[[Art controversy|Diablo III Art Controversy]]'''

==Story Line==
[[Image:Cinematic 10.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Mystical comet overlooking a settlement in the western part of [[Sanctuary]].]]The [[story line]] of the game takes place twenty years after a few powerful heroes saved [[Sanctuary]] from the demonic onslaught in [[Diablo II]]. Those events took place out of the sight of the common populace, and have become myth or legend over the intervening years. Most of the principles are dead or insane, and no one has seen any sight of the Archangel [[Tyrael]] since he destroyed the Worldstone, triggering an explosion that erased [[Mount Arreat]] and shattered the Barbarians' civilization.

Since the destruction of the [[Worldstone]], those few humans (such as [[Deckard Cain]]) who did know of the danger to the world have been expecting an imminent demonic invasion, without the Worldstone to keep them in the [[Burning Hells]]. This has not happened because, and players will eventually learn, the two remaining lords of Hell (presumably [[Belial]] and [[Asmodean]]) have been building armies for a full on invasion, intended to utterly destroy humanity.

Players will see small scale demonic events, as in previous games, but the developers have promised that the scale of some aspects of the game, such as the siege on [[Bastion's Keep]], will be amazingly large; far bigger than anything ever previously seen in the series.

===Character Personalities===

Unlike the blank cyphers that all characters were in previous games in the series, the individual characters in Diablo III will have personalities. The Wizard is young, brash, and headstrong. The Monk is powerful and quietly confident. The Barbarian is strong and stoic. The Demon Hunter is angry and reckless in her need for vengeance. And the Witch Doctor is spiritual, mysterious, and misunderstood by the populace at large.

The characters will behave accordingly, and inspire different replies and behavior from the NPCs, though the only known examples came from [[Captain Rumford]]'s dialogues as heard at Blizzcon 2008.

==Quests==
[[Quests]] in Diablo III are largely similar in form to those of Diablo II. The changes are to greatly increase the number of quests, and to vary them in type and style. Numerous smaller events or adventures are randomly added in each game, amidst the main plot-skeleton quests.

Most large areas of the game, surface and dungeon, will also vary in content and form between games. Though the surface areas are non-random in their overall shape, there are randomized elements within them, which can yield mini-quests, bonus dungeons, or just open space and random monsters, depending on how the spawn works in a given game.

==Single Player and Multiplayer==
The main focus of Diablo III is co-op [[PvE]] style play. Up to four players (yes, just four) will join up in a game and play together, and players in the same game are now always friendly and in the same party. There is no non-consensual PvP in Diablo III, and no way to "go hostile" in a normal PvE game.

Game creation and group formation should be easier in Diablo III. Though the details have not been revealed, the developers hope it will be very easy to join up and play. Their hope is that players in one game can simply click an option to start another one, and as everyone accepts it they'll immediately appear in a new game and continue playing, almost seamlessly.

All multiplayer Diablo III gaming will take place over Battle.net. Diablo III is following in Starcraft's footsteps and will not include LAN support. Though Blizzard never explicitly terms it as such, this is primarily a security measure; requiring players to buy a retail copy and have a valid Battle.net account and CD-Key to play multiplayer is their way of fighting piracy.

===Battle Arena===

[[File:Battle-arena-new-round1.jpg|frame|350px|A new round begins in the Battle Arena.]]
The outlet for PvP in Diablo III is the [[Arena]], a special game type that exists only for head-to-head combat. Players can join up and fight their friends in 1v1 or 2v2 games, but the main design is for players to take part in 3v3 battles, either in teams or as singles who will be sorted together via the game's [[matchmaking]] system.

Arena play debuted at Blizzcon 2010 and was wildly-popular, even with just 3 pre-made characters available to choose from, and limited skills all pre-set.

Hardcore Arena will be supported, and the initial plans of the team is for it to be regular Hardcore rules; you die, you stay dead. This approach has many critics, who ask for some sort of non-lethal HC version, and point out that virtually no one plays PvP in D2 Hardcore since the penalty for death is so severe, both in emotional pain and in the play hours required to build up another character to PvP level. It also seems like any sort of team play would be impossible, since even if a team won, one or two of the players on it would lose their character.

===Battle.net 2.0===
Blizzard have promised very big changes in [[Battle.net 2.0]], and besides removing the [[LAN]] functionality, the idea is to encourage people to play online with [[Achievement]]s, handy friends/foes lists and community support. You can read more about confirmed Battle.net features here:
* [http://www.diii.net/articles/689867/definite-battlenet-20-features Definite Battle.net 2.0 Features]

==Other Changes==
Among the things that are not listed under their own headline, there are a few other things to highlight about Diablo III:
* '''[[Chest]]s''' will no longer be locked.
* Monster corpses are no longer something that players can interact with. There are no corpse skills like Diablo II's {{iw|Corpse_Explosion Corpse Explosion}} or {{iw|Find_Item Find Item}}, and bodies on the ground dissolve and vanish after a moment or two.
** There are no player corpses either, in the sense of lootable objects as they were in Diablo II. Like monsters, dead players are subject to the game's physics and can be blasted aside or out of sight by spells, and will vanish after a few minutes.

==Release Information==
This is a collection of all information available pertaining to the release of Diablo. Including [[release date]], [[system requirements]], [[Beta Test|beta testing]], price/payment methods and age [[rating]].

=== Release Date ===
As usual, the [[Release Date|release date]] for any Blizzard production is kept under wraps for as long as possible. While Blizzard has shown playable builds of Diablo III at conventions and press events, the level of polish makes it harder to estimate development time left. Any other dates or rumours, which are constantly provided by game retailers, are just rumors and should not be given any credence.

More information on the '''[[Diablo III release date]]''' article.

=== System Requirements ===
* Windows XP compatible
* Windows Vista compatible
* Mac OSX compatible
Read more on the [[Diablo III System Requirements]] page. Diablo III is made completely in 3D, using custom in-house tools. The game is currently native to DirectX 9, and will not require DirectX 10 or 11 to run.[http://ablegamers.com/Disabled-Gamers-News/AbleGamers-Interviews-the-Diablo-III-Team.html] The game will probably use a slightly higher level of system requirements than [[StarCraft II]], which also uses Havok & DirectX 9, and is the closest thing we can compare the game to. You can read more on StarCraft II's requirements and DirectX compatibilities as well as shader info here:
* [http://www.starcraftwire.net/articles/954/starcraft-2-graphics-requirements-confirmed Graphics Requirements Confirmed] - The most prominent part of the system requirements, the graphics requirements released from Blizzard document.
* [http://www.starcraftwire.net/articles/675/starcraft-2-system-requirements StarCraft II System Requirements] - System requirements analyse from available information.
* [http://www.starcraftwire.net/articles/735/kalos-chronicles Kalos' Chronicles] - Technical articles for StarCraft II.

===Diablo Beta Testing===
As with the release date, a time for beta is currently unknown. Jay Wilson has estimated that the release will occur about six months after the beta test begins. No dates or estimates for the beta have been given, but Blizzard did say that 1000 randomly-selected ticket buyers to Blizzcon 2010 will win a beta slot. Many fans have taken this to mean that Blizzard hopes to start the Diablo III beta before Blizzcon 2011, which would likely be in the August-October time frame, as it has been each year thus far.

General information on Blizzard beta tests can be seen on the '''[[Beta Test]]''' page.

===Retail Price===
The retail price for Diablo III is unknown and will be stated closer to release. It's likely that the game will be "boxed" (no monthly fees, just a one-off price) and priced similar to other AAA titles. Starcraft II (and other recent AAA titles by Activision) retailed for $60, up $10 from the traditional $50 price tag, and it's virtually certain Diablo III will follow that route.

All online game retailers are listing $60 as their estimated price, at least.

===Game Age Rating===
The '''[[rating]]''' of [[Diablo III]] is estimated to be aimed for gamers above the age of 15, while still trying to avoid USK 18+ in Germany, or other similar ratings that would hamper the sales of the game in that country. [[Blizzard]] have stated that they will censor out blood and other gore, as required to avoid "adult" ratings in various countries with more restrictive gore requirements than those found in the US.
* '''America ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entertainment_Software_Rating_Board ERSB])''' - "M" Mature Rating (player should be at least 17 years old). No law enforcement.
* '''Europe ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PEGI PEGI])''' - 16+ (player should be at least 16 years old). No law enforcement (for most countries).
* '''Germany ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unterhaltungssoftware_Selbstkontrolle USK])''' - USK 16+ (player should be at least 16 years old). Law enforcement of USK.
* '''Read more''' in the '''[[rating]]s''' article.

===Copy Protection and DRM===
It's unknown what type of copy protection (DRM) will be used on Diablo III, but with the new Battle.net changes and new Battle.net accounts, the game will likely only use a very light form of copy protection since the license is associated with the account. Online play will most likely not require a DVD in the drive, and offline play is unknown.

==Who's in Charge?==
Naturally, [[Blizzard]] are the guys making Diablo III, but that isn't a surprise. The important people for this production is the relatively new Blizzard employee Diablo III Lead Designer [[Jay Wilson]], besides the regular team. For fans, you might want to keep a look out for [[Bashiok]], the new Diablo Community Manager and [[Leonard Boyarsky]] who is the Lead World Designer for Diablo III, and head of [[quest]]s & [[lore]] as well as designing the world of [[Sanctuary]].

==Expansions, MMO or Diablo Movie==
Whatever will come after [[Diablo III]] is unknown, but it seems apparent that Blizzard are confident [http://www.incgamers.com/Games/1935/features/90/Diablo-III-Inforview] that there '''WILL''' be expansions. They have mentioned that the story line will have a more "final" ending than in Diablo II, which possibly means to make it better for an expansion, or perhaps a future MMO or a [[Diablo movie]]. Regardless, [[Jay Wilson]] has said that there are lots of potential for expanding the universe. What types of media this will come in is unknown: books, comics, manga, expansions, games or a movie...

[[Mike Morhaime]] said that they would like to make '''Diablo III expansions annually'''[http://www.diii.net/blog/comments/diablo-3-will-have-several-expansions], and confirming plans for multiple expansions for the game.

==Further Information==
You can follow the links to each specific section for further details on Diablo III development and information. You can also use one of the following links for further information:
* {{wl|[http://www.diii.net/news Diablo III news]}} - The most coherent news listing for Diablo III.
* [[Media Coverage]] - All Interviews, Previews, Pictures, Videos and Articles from around the web.
* [[:Category:Basics|Diablo III Basics]] - A listing of articles with good information if you are new to Diablo III.
* [[Diablo III FAQ]] - Frequently Asked Questions
* [[Diablo 3 History]] - The history of Diablo III up until the announcement.

==References==
* [http://www.blizzard.com/us/press/080628.html Blizzard Press Release]

[[Category:Diablo III]]
[[Category:Basics]]
[[Category:Featured articles]]

Diablo 3 Basics

2011-01-29T18:50:22Z

Dragonfriend: /* Stats/Attributes */

[[Image:Diablo III Logo.jpg|left|150px]]
This is the '''Diablo 3 Basics''' page, which is the main '''Fact Sheet''' of known '''Diablo III''' information. This much anticipated sequel to Diablo and Diablo II was announced at [[Blizzard]]'s [[WWI 2008]] in Paris, during 27-28 June 2008. Regardless if you just heard that Diablo III is announced, or if you have been following some of the {{wl|[http://diablo.incgamers.com Diablo 3 news]}}, this page will get you up to speed!

If you are looking for the '''Basics Section''' of the wiki, you can find that in the '''[[:Category:Basics|Basics Category]]'''.

==Introduction==
Diablo III, while featured completely in '''3D''' with a 3D environment, will follow closely in Diablo II's track by using the classic isometric view, fast gameplay and randomised content for high replayability. Some changes have been made in order to make the game faster and more flexible as well as making players choose and employ tactics rather than mindless mouseclicking. Besides taking well learned lessons from WoW, the developers have been inspired by games such as ''Zelda'' and ''God of War''. Regardless, the game will be possible to play with a mouse alone, if a player so wishes (but you would be a lot less efficient).

Remember that if you're a newcomer to Diablo you can find more related articles in the '''[[:Category:Basics|Basics Category]]'''
 
 

== Character Classes ==

Blizzard have confirmed that the game will ship with five characters. These are the [[Barbarian]], [[Demon Hunter]], [[Monk]], [[Witch Doctor]], and [[Wizard]]. All five classes will be playable in male or female versions. The gender difference is purely cosmetic; male and female characters have identical stats and abilities. The classes are very distinct from one another; all armor appears different depending on which character is using it, the characters have completely unique [[skills]], largely unique [[traits]], and each has their own [[resource]] type.

Though all five classes for Diablo III have been revealed, more are expected in the [[expansion]]s. See the [[Other classes]] article for Blizzard quotes on their additional character ideas.

{|
! colspan="3" | Barbarian
|-
| [[File:Barbfemale.jpg|85px]]
| [[File:Barbmale.jpg|80px]]
| '''The [[Barbarian]]''' - The same character you played in [[Diablo II]], but with some [[Barbarian skills|new skills]], and backed with power of the [[ancient]]s.
* [[Barbarian Skills]]
* [[Barbarian Traits]]
* [[Resource]]: - [[Fury]]
|-
! colspan="3" | Demon Hunter
|-
| colspan="2" | [[File:Demon-hunter-art4.jpg|center|130px]]

| '''The [[Demon Hunter]]''' - The last class revealed is a ranged weapon specialist with a grudge against all demon kind, sexy style, and deadly traps and demonic gadgets to go with her glowing eyes.
* [[Demon Hunter Skills]]
* [[Demon Hunter Traits]]
* [[Resource]]: - Unknown
|-
! colspan="3" | Monk
|-
| [[File:Monkfemale.jpg|85px]]
| [[File:Monkmale.jpg|85px]]
| '''The [[Monk]]''' - A new fellow from [[Ivgorod]]. Combining martial arts of our eastern cultures with a holy strike from the western disciplines he takes names and kicks in faces.
* [[Monk Skills]]
* [[Monk Traits]]
* [[Resource]]: [[Spirit]]
|-
! colspan="3" | Witch Doctor
|-
| [[File:Witchfemale.jpg|85px]]
| [[File:Witchmale.jpg|70px]]
| '''The [[Witch Doctor]]''' - A new class that comes from the jungle region of [[Teganze]], and uses [[Witch Doctor skills|voodoo magic]] to do his bidding. One of his highlights is the [[Wall of Zombies]] spell.
* [[Witch Doctor Skills]]
* [[Witch Doctor Traits]]
* [[Resource]]: [[Mana]]
|-
! colspan="3" | Wizard
|-
| [[File:Wizardfemale.jpg|85px]]
| [[File:Wizardmale.jpg|70px]]
| '''The [[Wizard]]''' - A new class that is a pure spell caster harnessing arcane and elemental magic to do her bidding. Very similar to the [[Sorcerer]] and [[Sorceress]] of previously Diablo games. One of the highlights is the [[Wizard_skills#Slow_Time|Slow Time]] spell which warps space and time, slowing nearby monsters and projectiles.
* [[Wizard Skills]]
* [[Wizard Traits]]
* [[Resource]]: [[Arcane Power]]
|-
|}

=== Skills ===
The skills and their presentation evolved greatly during the game's development. See the [[skill tree]] article for a full pictorial history. As of Blizzcon 2010 skills are presented in a list, sorted into seven tiers which are unlocked at various character levels. All skills are [[active]], there are no prerequisites other than character level, and no synergies.

[[Traits]] were added during development in 2010, when all [[passive]] skills were removed from the skill trees. Traits are passives or masteries and boost general character traits, or specific skills. While many traits are shared between the classes, granting bonuses to [[attributes]] or other common properties such as [[Lucky]] (increased gold drops), or [[Pound of Flesh]] (increased [[health orb]] benefit, about half of the traits are unique to each class, providing specific bonuses just for that class.

==== Skill Tree Respecs/Resets ====
In Diablo II prior to v1.13, a character was unable to change their skills and stats once they were allocated. If you made any mistake, the only solution was to [[reroll]]. This is changed in Diablo III, and it will be fairly easy for characters to "[[respec]]," to remove and reassign points from [[skills]] and [[traits]].

The exact methods have not yet been revealed, but the developers have said it will be fairly easy to do, though not entirely free or instant, to prevent exploitation.

====Stats/Attributes====
One major change announced early in Diablo III's development was the elimination of player-assigned stat points. In Diablo III, each class gains various [[attribute]] points in [[attack]], [[precision]], [[vitality]], [[defense]], and [[willpower]], when they level up, and these are automatically-assigned. The Diablo III developers felt the stat allocation in Diablo II was a poor way to provide character customization, since players almost always followed an established [[build]], which was always the best choice for a character. This removed any variety or individuality.

Stats can be modified in Diablo III in various ways. By [[traits]], via [[charms]] in the [[talisman]], and with equipment bonuses, including socketing [[gems]].

==== Skill Runes ====
[[File:Runes-hydra-all.jpg|thumb|350px|Hydra runestone effects.]]
While gems return for item [[sockets]], [[runes]] in Diablo III are not used in items. There are five types of runes, [[crimson]], [[alabaster]], [[indigo]], [[golden]], and [[obsidian]], which are socketed into active skills, where they modify the skill in various beneficial ways.

[[Runestones]] are a huge aspect of the game, always improving skills to the point that virtually any socketed runestone, even of the lowest level, will make an immediate and obvious difference in a skill's efficacy. Only a few skill rune functions are known at this point, and all are subject to change as development continues.

The first complete known skill permutations was the [[Wizard]]'s [[Hydra]] skill. The basic skill is much as it was in Diablo II, a three-headed flame dragon that pokes out of a manhole in the ground, spitting firebolts at enemies. Each rune changes this effect quite notably. The effects revealed for Hydra changed considerably even between August and October 2010, when the slide to the right was presented at Blizzcon 2010:

* Crimson rune: Turns the dragons blue, and they attack with a chilling/slowing breath.
* Alabaster rune: Turns the dragons purple, and they attack with Arcane damage bolts.
* Golden rune: The dragons remain red, but spit out firewalls, which deal higher damage and leave an [[AoE]] wall of flame on the ground.
* Indigo rune: The dragons turn blue and spit clusters of lightning.
* Obsidian rune: The dragons turn green and spit out poison damaging acid balls.

==Monsters==
[[Image:Goatmen surround a Siegebreaker.jpg|thumb|right|150px|[[Goatmen]] & [[Siegebreaker]].]]
Diablo III will have a great array of '''[[monster]]s''', and they will employ more intelligent behaviour, and effects as well. There will be more 'mini-boss' encounters that make for more epic gameplay, an example is the [[Thousand Pounder]], who isn't really a [[boss]], but a unit type. Other 'effects' include skeletons with large shields that can block and protects archers, [[ghoul]]s that climb up sheer walls to attack you, or [[Grotesque]]s that explode into a hundred [[Lamprey]] monsters. We can expect many unique attack patterns and behaviours from the Diablo III monsters.

The scale of monsters is greatly increased in Diablo III; demons like the Siegebreaker are not uncommon, and appear in sizes unimagined in previous games in the series. And Siegebreak isn't even an especially big boss or Act boss.

* '''The [[Monster|Monsters Article]]''' has much more information on the dozens of known monsters.
* Monster [[bosses]] are much improved and varied in Diablo III.
** [[Boss modifiers]] are new and improved as well, and there are many new and dangerous properties.

==Death==
Death is less of an obstacle to success in Diablo III than in previous games in the series. Dead players in Diablo III do not lose equipment or gold. They must merely wait a few seconds, before waiting to be resurrected by another player in their party, or restarting at the last [[checkpoint]] (not [[waypoint]]) they passed over.

[[Hardcore]] mode is an option in the game, and as in Diablo II, dead HC characters stay dead forever.

Death will even look better. There are many more monster death animations, [[critical hit]] deaths come with bonus gore, and even players get to enjoy the death variety, since some of the special monsters have special fatality animations they'll use if they kill a player during a battle.

==Difficulty Levels==

There are going to be three [[difficulty]] levels in Diablo III, as in other games in the series. The normal difficulty level will not be very difficult, and characters are expected to rise to about Clvl 30 working their way through it. Then 50 after Nightmare and 60 (max level) after Hell. There will not be grinding required to reach the max level in Diablo III; as in World of Warcraft it will be achieved simply by working through the normal content.

The difficulty will increase substantially on Nightmare, and the developers have talked about Hell as a much greater challenge, though they are committed to allowing solo players to defeat everything in the game. Nothing will be so hard that a group is required to pass it, and there no no plans to include [[raid]] style content.

==End Game==

The focus of the [[end game]] will be much changed in Diablo III. The developers have not revealed many details, but they say it will be much more compelling than simply running the same bosses over and over again. That characters will be at or nearly to the max level by the time they finish Hell difficulty (barring rushing or other activities to take a character well outside the normal level progression) makes a big difference, since gaining experience will not be part of the end game.

There are talks about [[Achievements]] being incorporated, or special online-only challenges. The team regards the item hunting game as the ultimate goal of a character in Diablo III.

Another end game activity is PvP play in the [[Arena]], as characters could respec and switch around their equipment to build a character entirely focused on PvP play.

==Items==
[[Image:Barbarian swing.jpg|thumb|right|[[Barbarian]] swinging two magical axes.]]
Armor is arranged in [[gear sets]] in Diablo III. There are 18 of them, increasing in quality/appearance from simple cloth to ornate plate mail. The items do not repeat with different names/stats; there are no exceptional/elite versions of items in Diablo III. This means there is a wider variety of total item types, and that players will see a steady progression throughout the game of increasingly-dramatic looking armor.

Weapons are the same, and will increase from plain to fancy, with stats to match.

Most items are rare or magical, as before. Sockets are not a special feature of white items; sockets may occur on any type of item, and there will not be plain socketed items, nor would you want one since there are no [[Runewords]] to put into them. [[Uniques]] return, though they are apparently going to be called "[[Legendary]]" in Diablo III. [[Item sets]] are also likely returning, though they may differ in function somewhat, to make them more useful and/or easier to assemble.

A very popular type of item will be the [[crafted]] items, magical or rare items made by the NPC [[Artisans]] from various [[recipes]].

===Armor and Weapon Types===

*[[Armor]]: [[helms]], [[shields]], [[body armor]], [[gloves]], [[boots]], [[rings]], [[amulets]], and [[belts]] return. Belts are now just another piece of armor; they do not have any special potion-holding function.
** New armor types: [[Shoulders]], [[bracers]], and [[pants]].

* [[Weapons]]: [[Axes]], [[Spears]], [[Polearms]], [[Swords]], [[Clubs]], [[Bows]], [[Crossbows]], [[Wands]], [[shields]],
** New weapons: [[Fists]], [[Daggers]] (no longer a type of sword), [[Orbs]], [[Pistol crossbows]], [[short staves]] for casters only, [[battle staves]] for the Monk only,
** Removed weapons: There are no [[throwing weapons]] or throwing [[potions]] yet seen in Diablo III.

===Other Items Information===
* [[Runes]] no longer socketed into items, [[runewords]] are no more. Runes are objects that get socketed into [[skills]].
* The [[inventory]] is much larger than it was in Diablo II, and after numerous permutations it's settled on a large grid with all items either 1x1 or 1x2 in size.
* The [[stash]] in town is huge, and will be shared between characters on the same account.
* Items will now drop '''per character'''; you only see items you can pick up, and no other players see or can grab them.
* Trading will be improved and there will be some sort of auction house, though details have not been revealed.
* [[Potion]]s are much less common than in previous Diablo games. There are no mana or rejuvenation potions, just health, and they come with a long cooldown between uses. Basically potions are for emergency use, and will only tide a character over briefly; with the cool down they will not keep you alive through reckless behavior.

==NPCs==
[[Image:Cain-concept1.jpg|thumb|right|75px|[[Cain]]]]
As in previous games in the series, [[NPCs]] will feature large in Diablo III. Much of the game [[story]] will be given by the NPCs, and they will be more interactive, while their speeches will be shorter, more to the point, and can be listened to while playing; you are no longer forced to "stay awhile" while you "listen."

[[Followers]]: More NPCs are found out in the dungeons than in past games, and mini-quests such as [[Escort Mission]]s are common throughout the game.

[[Mercenaries]]: The developers have talked about wanting to make mercs better and more useful than they were in Diablo II, but nothing has yet been revealed.

[[Artisans]]: "Vendors 2.0," these NPCs are merchants, quest-givers, and information sources. They follow the player throughout the game, traveling in a [[caravan]] between the acts, and in addition to the standard item buying and selling, they can [[craft]] new semi-random items from special [[recipes]], as well as [[enchant]], [[socket]], and [[repair]] items. Artisans can even be [[trained]] up to higher levels, giving them better skills.

==Locations==
[[Image:Sanctuary World Map.jpg|thumb|225px|[[world map|Sanctuary world map]], with locations noted.]]The [[world map]] of [[Sanctuary]] was actually released with the second Diablo game's manual, but a new and improved map has been made by Blizzard, outlining the continents and the major [[settlement]]s. Many of these locations will be visited in [[Diablo III]] including [[Tristram]]. Areas close by that were never visited in the previous games will also have a chance, like the [[Leoric Highlands]] and [[Westmarch]], and it's known that much of Act Three takes place in the Barbarian Lands around the [[Arreat Crater]].

We have been shown detailed pictures of [[Skovos]] (the land of the [[Amazon]]s), as well as [[Caldeum]] and Tristram. Skovos is confirmed to be excluded from the game, but the level of detail they are putting in to the universe suggests either a big expansion pack, MMOs or a film.

Outdoor areas will be less randomised than dungeons, and the terrain will for the most part be static. Instead a lot of random scripted events will take place, some will even be really advanced. It can vary from an escort [[quest]], to a mouldy tome, or a big bad [[boss]] monster. You will also find interactive environments with dangerous traps and obstacles, and [[destructible]] elements. There will be "numerous" outdoor locations.

==Dungeons==
The land is filled with dungeons, as in Diablo II. Dungeons vary widely in size and design, and are promised to offer better randomization and variety than they did in Diablo II.

<gallery>
Image:Screenshot 20.jpg|[[Dark Berserker]]s and a [[Grotesque]] in the [[Forgotten Tombs]].
Image:Screenshot 19.jpg|Several [[Walking Corpse]]s. [[Follower]]s can be seen as well.
Image:Screenshot 16.jpg|[[Witch Doctor]] who's [[Skull of Flame|flameskulling]] some [[Walking Corpse]]s.
</gallery>

==Transportation==
As in Diablo II, travel is on foot. There are no [[mounts]] in Sanctuary. Nor are there any [[Town Portal]]s, in a major change from earlier games in the series. The developers felt that Town Portals made it too easy for players to escape danger and made it impossible to offer compelling, dangerous combat.

To replace town portals, there are more waypoints, frequent checkpoints, and a new item, the [[Scroll of Wealth]] that allows players to sell their items remotely, without returning to to town. The new [[salvage cube]], an essential element of [[crafting]], is another addition meant to obviate the need for regular town returns.

==Easter Eggs==
While no [[Easter Eggs]] in Diablo III have been confirmed, (though we've seen plenty of Diablo III Easter Eggs in Starcraft II), Blizzard has given plenty of hints about some sort of [[secret level]] in the game.

===Cow Level===
The [[Cow Level]] is a very distinct piece of content in Diablo 2, but is as of yet unconfirmed for Diablo 3. Cows and Diablo have been closely linked in fan's minds since Diablo 1, and it's not unlikely that we'll get a secret Cow Level in Diablo 3 as well, even if it likely will be very different from the Diablo 2 version.

===Rainbow Level===
This is a rumour started by the [[art controversy]] (see below), and all the hub-hub about the colour in Diablo 3 that came after the announcement might inspire the dev team to make a rainbow level with unicorns and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carebear Carebears].
* [http://forums.diii.net/showthread.php?t=708777 Rainbow Level forum thread]

==Art Changes==
Some fans were very upset that [[Diablo III]] is seemingly full of much more colour than the predecessor [[Diablo II]]. While the settings in general now include a lot more colour, Blizzard argues that Diablo II was more colourful than people remember. Some fans have also expressed fears that Diablo III will become too much like [[World of WarCraft]]. You can read more about concerns and responses here:
* '''[[Art controversy|Diablo III Art Controversy]]'''

==Story Line==
[[Image:Cinematic 10.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Mystical comet overlooking a settlement in the western part of [[Sanctuary]].]]The [[story line]] of the game takes place twenty years after a few powerful heroes saved [[Sanctuary]] from the demonic onslaught in [[Diablo II]]. Those events took place out of the sight of the common populace, and have become myth or legend over the intervening years. Most of the principles are dead or insane, and no one has seen any sight of the Archangel [[Tyrael]] since he destroyed the Worldstone, triggering an explosion that erased [[Mount Arreat]] and shattered the Barbarians' civilization.

Since the destruction of the [[Worldstone]], those few humans (such as [[Deckard Cain]]) who did know of the danger to the world have been expecting an imminent demonic invasion, without the Worldstone to keep them in the [[Burning Hells]]. This has not happened because, and players will eventually learn, the two remaining lords of Hell (presumably [[Belial]] and [[Asmodean]]) have been building armies for a full on invasion, intended to utterly destroy humanity.

Players will see small scale demonic events, as in previous games, but the developers have promised that the scale of some aspects of the game, such as the siege on [[Bastion's Keep]], will be amazingly large; far bigger than anything ever previously seen in the series.

===Character Personalities===

Unlike the blank cyphers that all characters were in previous games in the series, the individual characters in Diablo III will have personalities. The Wizard is young, brash, and headstrong. The Monk is powerful and quietly confident. The Barbarian is strong and stoic. The Demon Hunter is angry and reckless in her need for vengeance. And the Witch Doctor is spiritual, mysterious, and misunderstood by the populace at large.

The characters will behave accordingly, and inspire different replies and behavior from the NPCs, though the only known examples came from [[Captain Rumford]]'s dialogues as heard at Blizzcon 2008.

==Quests==
[[Quests]] in Diablo III are largely similar in form to those of Diablo II. The changes are to greatly increase the number of quests, and to vary them in type and style. Numerous smaller events or adventures are randomly added in each game, amidst the main plot-skeleton quests.

Most large areas of the game, surface and dungeon, will also vary in content and form between games. Though the surface areas are non-random in their overall shape, there are randomized elements within them, which can yield mini-quests, bonus dungeons, or just open space and random monsters, depending on how the spawn works in a given game.

==Single Player and Multiplayer==
The main focus of Diablo III is co-op [[PvE]] style play. Up to four players (yes, just four) will join up in a game and play together, and players in the same game are now always friendly and in the same party. There is no non-consensual PvP in Diablo III, and no way to "go hostile" in a normal PvE game.

Game creation and group formation should be easier in Diablo III. Though the details have not been revealed, the developers hope it will be very easy to join up and play. Their hope is that players in one game can simply click an option to start another one, and as everyone accepts it they'll immediately appear in a new game and continue playing, almost seamlessly.

All multiplayer Diablo III gaming will take place over Battle.net. Diablo III is following in Starcraft's footsteps and will not include LAN support. Though Blizzard never explicitly terms it as such, this is primarily a security measure; requiring players to buy a retail copy and have a valid Battle.net account and CD-Key to play multiplayer is their way of fighting piracy.

===Battle Arena===

[[File:Battle-arena-new-round1.jpg|frame|350px|A new round begins in the Battle Arena.]]
The outlet for PvP in Diablo III is the [[Arena]], a special game type that exists only for head-to-head combat. Players can join up and fight their friends in 1v1 or 2v2 games, but the main design is for players to take part in 3v3 battles, either in teams or as singles who will be sorted together via the game's [[matchmaking]] system.

Arena play debuted at Blizzcon 2010 and was wildly-popular, even with just 3 pre-made characters available to choose from, and limited skills all pre-set.

Hardcore Arena will be supported, and the initial plans of the team is for it to be regular Hardcore rules; you die, you stay dead. This approach has many critics, who ask for some sort of non-lethal HC version, and point out that virtually no one plays PvP in D2 Hardcore since the penalty for death is so severe, both in emotional pain and in the play hours required to build up another character to PvP level. It also seems like any sort of team play would be impossible, since even if a team won, one or two of the players on it would lose their character.

===Battle.net 2.0===
Blizzard have promised very big changes in [[Battle.net 2.0]], and besides removing the [[LAN]] functionality, the idea is to encourage people to play online with [[Achievement]]s, handy friends/foes lists and community support. You can read more about confirmed Battle.net features here:
* [http://www.diii.net/articles/689867/definite-battlenet-20-features Definite Battle.net 2.0 Features]

==Other Changes==
Among the things that are not listed under their own headline, there are a few other things to highlight about Diablo III:
* '''[[Chest]]s''' will no longer be locked.
* Monster corpses are no longer something that players can interact with. There are no corpse skills like Diablo II's {{iw|Corpse_Explosion Corpse Explosion}} or {{iw|Find_Item Find Item}}, and bodies on the ground dissolve and vanish after a moment or two.
** There are no player corpses either, in the sense of lootable objects as they were in Diablo II. Like monsters, dead players are subject to the game's physics and can be blasted aside or out of sight by spells, and will vanish after a few minutes.

==Release Information==
This is a collection of all information available pertaining to the release of Diablo. Including [[release date]], [[system requirements]], [[Beta Test|beta testing]], price/payment methods and age [[rating]].

=== Release Date ===
As usual, the [[Release Date|release date]] for any Blizzard production is kept under wraps for as long as possible. While Blizzard has shown playable builds of Diablo III at conventions and press events, the level of polish makes it harder to estimate development time left. Any other dates or rumours, which are constantly provided by game retailers, are just rumors and should not be given any credence.

More information on the '''[[Diablo III release date]]''' article.

=== System Requirements ===
* Windows XP compatible
* Windows Vista compatible
* Mac OSX compatible
Read more on the [[Diablo III System Requirements]] page. Diablo III is made completely in 3D, using custom in-house tools. The game is currently native to DirectX 9, and will not require DirectX 10 or 11 to run.[http://ablegamers.com/Disabled-Gamers-News/AbleGamers-Interviews-the-Diablo-III-Team.html] The game will probably use a slightly higher level of system requirements than [[StarCraft II]], which also uses Havok & DirectX 9, and is the closest thing we can compare the game to. You can read more on StarCraft II's requirements and DirectX compatibilities as well as shader info here:
* [http://www.starcraftwire.net/articles/954/starcraft-2-graphics-requirements-confirmed Graphics Requirements Confirmed] - The most prominent part of the system requirements, the graphics requirements released from Blizzard document.
* [http://www.starcraftwire.net/articles/675/starcraft-2-system-requirements StarCraft II System Requirements] - System requirements analyse from available information.
* [http://www.starcraftwire.net/articles/735/kalos-chronicles Kalos' Chronicles] - Technical articles for StarCraft II.

===Diablo Beta Testing===
As with the release date, a time for beta is currently unknown. Jay Wilson has estimated that the release will occur about six months after the beta test begins. No dates or estimates for the beta have been given, but Blizzard did say that 1000 randomly-selected ticket buyers to Blizzcon 2010 will win a beta slot. Many fans have taken this to mean that Blizzard hopes to start the Diablo III beta before Blizzcon 2011, which would likely be in the August-October time frame, as it has been each year thus far.

General information on Blizzard beta tests can be seen on the '''[[Beta Test]]''' page.

===Retail Price===
The retail price for Diablo III is unknown and will be stated closer to release. It's likely that the game will be "boxed" (no monthly fees, just a one-off price) and priced similar to other AAA titles. Starcraft II (and other recent AAA titles by Activision) retailed for $60, up $10 from the traditional $50 price tag, and it's virtually certain Diablo III will follow that route.

All online game retailers are listing $60 as their estimated price, at least.

===Game Age Rating===
The '''[[rating]]''' of [[Diablo III]] is estimated to be aimed for gamers above the age of 15, while still trying to avoid USK 18+ in Germany, or other similar ratings that would hamper the sales of the game in that country. [[Blizzard]] have stated that they will censor out blood and other gore, as required to avoid "adult" ratings in various countries with more restrictive gore requirements than those found in the US.
* '''America ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entertainment_Software_Rating_Board ERSB])''' - "M" Mature Rating (player should be at least 17 years old). No law enforcement.
* '''Europe ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PEGI PEGI])''' - 16+ (player should be at least 16 years old). No law enforcement (for most countries).
* '''Germany ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unterhaltungssoftware_Selbstkontrolle USK])''' - USK 16+ (player should be at least 16 years old). Law enforcement of USK.
* '''Read more''' in the '''[[rating]]s''' article.

===Copy Protection and DRM===
It's unknown what type of copy protection (DRM) will be used on Diablo III, but with the new Battle.net changes and new Battle.net accounts, the game will likely only use a very light form of copy protection since the license is associated with the account. Online play will most likely not require a DVD in the drive, and offline play is unknown.

==Who's in Charge?==
Naturally, [[Blizzard]] are the guys making Diablo III, but that isn't a surprise. The important people for this production is the relatively new Blizzard employee Diablo III Lead Designer [[Jay Wilson]], besides the regular team. For fans, you might want to keep a look out for [[Bashiok]], the new Diablo Community Manager and [[Leonard Boyarsky]] who is the Lead World Designer for Diablo III, and head of [[quest]]s & [[lore]] as well as designing the world of [[Sanctuary]].

==Expansions, MMO or Diablo Movie==
Whatever will come after [[Diablo III]] is unknown, but it seems apparent that Blizzard are confident [http://www.incgamers.com/Games/1935/features/90/Diablo-III-Inforview] that there '''WILL''' be expansions. They have mentioned that the story line will have a more "final" ending than in Diablo II, which possibly means to make it better for an expansion, or perhaps a future MMO or a [[Diablo movie]]. Regardless, [[Jay Wilson]] has said that there are lots of potential for expanding the universe. What types of media this will come in is unknown: books, comics, manga, expansions, games or a movie...

[[Mike Morhaime]] said that they would like to make '''Diablo III expansions annually'''[http://www.diii.net/blog/comments/diablo-3-will-have-several-expansions], and confirming plans for multiple expansions for the game.

==Further Information==
You can follow the links to each specific section for further details on Diablo III development and information. You can also use one of the following links for further information:
* {{wl|[http://www.diii.net/news Diablo III news]}} - The most coherent news listing for Diablo III.
* [[Media Coverage]] - All Interviews, Previews, Pictures, Videos and Articles from around the web.
* [[:Category:Basics|Diablo III Basics]] - A listing of articles with good information if you are new to Diablo III.
* [[Diablo III FAQ]] - Frequently Asked Questions
* [[Diablo 3 History]] - The history of Diablo III up until the announcement.

==References==
* [http://www.blizzard.com/us/press/080628.html Blizzard Press Release]

[[Category:Diablo III]]
[[Category:Basics]]
[[Category:Featured articles]]

Attack

2011-01-29T04:23:20Z

Dragonfriend:

Which '''attack''' are you looking for?

* The core attribute [[Attack_(Attribute)|Attack]]
* The control ability [[Attack_(Ability)|Attack]]

If you were sent here from a link in an article, please update that link to go directly to its intended destination.

[[Category:Disambiguations]]

Attack (Ability)

2011-01-29T04:14:10Z

Dragonfriend: Created page with "'''Attack''' is the default control ability on the left click in Diablo III, as it was in Diablo I and Diablo II. Attack causes a character to run to a location, ..."

'''Attack''' is the default control [[ability]] on the left click in [[Diablo III]], as it was in [[Diablo I]] and [[Diablo II]]. Attack causes a character to run to a location, when clicked. It causes the character to attempt a [[melee]] attack on a valid target, when clicked.

As was the case in Diablo II, most characters will want to substitute a more powerful special skill for Attack, at higher levels. [[caster|Spell casters]] will likely want to put a [[range]]d attack spell on the left click, so they do not run up to engage in the melee combat for which they are not suited.

* See the {{iw|Attack Attack}} page in the Diablo II wiki for more details.

[[category:abilities]]
[[category:reference]]

Attributes

2011-01-29T00:09:55Z

Dragonfriend: per core attribute changes

'''Attributes''' in [[Diablo III]] consist of '''[[Attack_(Attribute)|Attack]]''', '''[[Precision_(Attribute)|Precision]]''', '''[[Vitality]]''', '''[[Defense]]''', and '''[[Willpower]]'''. Each attribute affects a single property in Diablo III. See the respective character class pages for [[Barbarian]], [[Witch Doctor]], [[Wizard]], [[Monk]], and the [[Demon Hunter]] for more specific details.

Although attributes are automatically-placed in Diablo III, [[traits]], [[charms]] in the [[talisman]], and the ability to [[socket]] very high level [[gems]] should allow for as much or more character variety as was possible in [[Diablo II]], where attributes could be placed wherever a player desired.

==Core Attributes==
The core attributes have undergone significant changes since conception. Originally, each attribute affected more character properties in Diablo III than in [[Diablo I|D1]] or [[Diablo II|D2]]. This was part of the [[D3 Team]]'s design goal; to make all of the attributes useful to all of the classes. On December 20, 2010, all of that changed when D3 Community Manager [[Bashiok]] made an announcement[http://forums.battle.net/thread.html?topicId=27795769376&pageNo=1&sid=3000#0]on the Battle.net forums of the new attribute system in which each core attribute affects a single property. This is the current list:

===Attack===
[[Attack_(Attribute)|Attack]] governs how much [[damage]] a character does in all attacks, physical and magical.

'''Each point of Attack gives:'''
*+x% [[Damage]] Bonus (based on [[Classes|class]])

===Precision===
[[Precision_(Attribute)|Precision]] governs the chance that a character will make a [[critical hit]] in all attacks, physical and magical.

'''Each point of Precision gives:'''
*+x% [[Critical hit|Critical Strike]] Chance (based on [[Classes|class]])

===Vitality===
[[Vitality]] governs the amount of [[life]] a character has.

'''Each point of Vitality gives:'''
*+x [[Life]] (based on [[Classes|class]])

===Defense===
[[Defense]] governs the amount of [[damage]] a character takes from all attacks, physical and magical.

'''Each point of Defense gives:'''
*+x [[Damage]] Reduction (based on [[Classes|class]])

===Willpower===
[[Willpower]] governs the amount of [[resource]] a character has.

'''Each point of Willpower gives:'''
*Varies greatly bases on each [[Classes|class]] and its specific [[resource]].

===Retired Attributes===
See the respective pages on [[Strength]], [[Dexterity]], [[Vitality]], and [[Willpower]] (renamed from [[Energy]] in [[Diablo II|D2]]) to see what attributes originally looked like.

==No Customizable Attributes==

The biggest change about attributes in Diablo III is that they will no longer be player-assigned on level up. This means that two "[[naked]]" characters of the same class and of the same level will have the exact same attack, precision, vitality, defense, and willpower, as well as the same hit points, resource value, damage, and etc. Except that they won't, since differences in their [[skills]], [[skillrunes]], and [[traits]], not to mention [[equipment]], including [[charms]]/[[talisman]], will make them very different.

Though this seems a settled issue as of late 2010, it was highly-controversial when it was first revealed, back in late 2009. Jay Wilson explained it, as best he could in those days long before charms, the talisman, gems, or traits had been revealed. [http://g4tv.com/games/pc/28197/diablo-iii/articles/68225/BlizzCon-2009-Diablo-III-Game-Director-Interview/]

::'''Jay Wilson:''' Stat progression as a system is very difficult for a lot of players to understand because you get these 5 points, but you don’t exactly know where to put them or what benefit you’re getting with them. You might make some obvious choices, for example, with Diablo II’s Sorceress, you might put all of your points into energy because that’s the obvious choice, right? Except that for almost every build out there, you’ve just made the wrong choice. Any system where you have to go up onto the Internet to figure out what the right answer is, is not a good customization system. Any system where there’s a “right” answer is not a good system for customization. The truth is, with stat point systems, they are simple math. It’s not hard to figure out what the absolute best choice is so we decided we didn’t want that as a customization system.

::With that being said, we do have another system we’re working on. The specific intent of it is to capture the imagination of what stat point spending was supposed to do, which is, “I want to be stronger. I want to be tougher.” These kind of simple ideas are not contextualized well within a skill system. The skill system is about what the player is doing, not higher ideals about what their character is. So, we’re going to work on a system that really satisfies that feeling, but is way easier to understand and also has some true customization to it.

==Pre-Set Attribute Argument==

Much digital ink has been spilled on this issue, since it was revealed at Blizzcon, in October 2008. (The first word came from an interview by Diii.net, and immediately [http://forums.diii.net/showthread.php?t=699000 resulted in a 30-page forum] thread.) Some portion of that hew and cry was spurred by an initial misunderstanding; reporters assumed items would still have strength, dexterity, and other attribute requirements (they do not), but even with that issue clarified shortly after, the topic of pre-set attributes has remained a contentious one.

There are a variety of arguments on each side of the issue. The debate was nicely encapsulated in an [[On the Drawing Board]] column about pre-set attributes, from which the following bullet points are taken: [http://www.diii.net/blog/comments/on-the-drawing-board-4-preset-attributes]

===Pros===
* Manual setting is no longer needed, as there are no stat requirements on [[item]]s any more.

* It's beginner friendly. New players won't ruin their characters with poor stat allocation.

* Attributes were largely irrelevant in D2, since all characters with the same build used identical equipment and stat allocation. {{iw|Category:D2_strategy Typical D2 guide}} advice, "Enough strength for your heaviest item, then all the rest into vitality."

* Enables easier/better game balancing for the developers, since they can know about how powerful characters will be.

* Prevents twinking and other exploits by low level characters.

* World of Warcraft uses auto-attributes, and it's the most popular RPG ever.

* No need for attribute [[respec]]s, which would otherwise have to be incorporated since skill respecs will be.

* It boosts the importance of items, since those and skills are what differentiates characters.

* High level characters can use the items they find, since they won't, for example, be built with far too little strength for that cool new item they just found.

* It respects traditional RPG philosophy of archetype characters in the sense of how a physical and mental ability of a class is supposed to be depending on its role. A Barbarian with ''very high'' Willpower or a Wizard with ''too much'' Strength really makes no sense from roleplaying perspective in a fantasy game.

* It completely eliminates situations when people find a better items with more points in stat X and realize that they have one or more unnecessary invested points ''right now'' in stat X just because of these new items and those points ''could be'' relocated in other stat for better purpose. Maybe later on they will need those ''permanently invested points'' in stat X, but not ''right now''. The problem is that it will never end, until they will find all items perfect and reroll their characters.

* Rerolling is fun but rerolling ''because of'' messed stats is not fun.

===Cons===

* Reduced Character Variety. Unusual and non-cookie cutter builds need to allocate their attributes differently.

* We won’t be noobs forever. Why gimp a major aspect of game play individuality when it won't be necessary once gamers have some experience?

* No Attributes = No skill required. If players want to mainline strength and ignore vitality because they're good enough to survive with fewer hit points, or vice versa so they can play with a weaker, specialized build, why take away that option?

* Rerolling is fun. Making new characters is a hallmark of the Diablo series. This isn't WoW where one high level character takes months to build, and then lasts forever with respecs.

* What about [[hardcore]]? HC chars want/need to be built very differently than SC, since death is forever.

==Blizzard's Response==

The [[D3 Team]] never issued a formal, multi-point rebuttal, but they have commented on this issue a few times, being careful not to give away their plans for stat customization via systems, such as gems, traits, and the talisman, that they weren't yet ready to reveal.

::'''Jay Wilson:''' For the most part attribute spending in Diablo II was a great way, when you didn’t know how to play the game, to break your character. Most people didn’t know where to put them and when they found out the answer was always kind of weird like "Put 5 points in Energy and then all the rest of the points in Vitality." [http://www.diii.net/blog/comments/diiinet-jay-wilson-video-interview/]

The longest comment came from D3 Community Manager [[Bashiok]] who offered a detailed argument in a forum post in December 2008. [http://www.diii.net/blog/comments/the-next-gen-attributesystem/]

Loss of character customization:

::With the current skill system, runes, and item affixes, as well as other unmentionables, there’s not going to be any issue with not having enough customization. If there is, bottom line, we’ll add more. We’re not going to release a game we’re not happy with, and a lack of character customization options would make us unhappy. But, even right now we have a lot more variety and ability to customize a character than Diablo II had.

Odd character builds:

::Similarly is being able to create “off-spec” builds, or characters that aren’t just cookie cutter ideals of the class you’re playing. This is important to the game, and we will ensure that it doesn't get "tuned out" of the game. ...Manual attributes were not what made them possible in Diablo II. The ability to make these types of characters relies solely on the complexity and diversity of the the options available to steer your character, and not that they come in the form of a "+" button.

Less feeling of level up achievement:
::The loss of a feeling of a leveling achievement is actually something we recognize and intend to address.

We've always assigned our own points in Diablo games:
::The nostalgia of simply having points, and spending them on base stats is probably the most difficult. Liking something because it’s familiar is difficult to argue with, but it’s also probably the easiest to overcome. Since we can’t force your memories out of you, we just have to make the best game we can and hope you realize that manual attribute assignment isn’t the best, most engaging or entertaining form of character customization possible, and that we’re offering an even deeper and richer game without those buttons.

[[category:basics]]
[[category:character]]
[[category:statistics]]
[[category:attributes]]

Strength

2011-01-28T22:47:34Z

Dragonfriend:

'''This page archives an original attribute that was changed during development. This is for future curiosity and reference. This page is not to be updated with current info; see the [[Attributes]] article for the latest information.'''

[[Strength]] governed a character's damage, armor rating, and [[block]]ing percentage.

'''1 point of Strength gave:''' (based on [[Classes|Class]])
*+x% [[Melee]] and [[Ranged]] [[Physical]] Damage Bonus
*x% Armor Bonus
*+x% Block Amount

[[category:attributes archive]]

Dexterity

2011-01-28T22:16:13Z

Dragonfriend:

'''This page archives an original attribute that was changed during development. This is for future curiosity and reference. This page is not to be updated with current info; see the [[Attributes]] article for the latest information.'''

Dexterity governed a character's chance to [[Critical hit|critically hit]] a target, chance to dodge an attack, and chance of being interrupted by getting hit.

'''1 point of Dexterity gave:''' (based on [[classes|Class]])
*+x% [[Critical hit|Critical Strike]] Chance
*+x% Dodge Chance
*Lowered chance of being interrupted by getting hit.

[[category:attributes archive]]

Precision (Attribute)

2011-01-28T22:15:18Z

Dragonfriend:

Precision is one of the core [[attributes]] for [[characters]] in [[Diablo III]]. It governs the chance of making a [[critical hit]] when a character attacks.

All attributes have changed since their original conception. [[Bashiok]] made an announcement[http://forums.battle.net/thread.html?topicId=27795769376&pageNo=1&sid=3000#0]about these changes on the Battle.net forums on December 20, 2010:

<blockquote>'''Precision: Increases crit chance''' - This will be tuned to be comparable in power to Attack increases for the most part. - So why have Precision? Mainly so we can play into it with affixes, runes, and traits. Linking effects to crits gives us another hook for designing skills and gives the player options to create ‘crit builds’ that play different than normal attack builds. Examples of the kind of crit effects we 'could' do (not saying we are, these are examples): - - Cleave crits cause monsters to explode and do damage to those around them. - - Lifesteal could be an ‘on crit only’ affix. - This is a more finesse stat, and we’re fine with that. Most people will want Attack by default, but they won’t mind getting precision. - This stat has no secondary effect.</blockquote>

More details on exactly how Precision will work in Diablo III are not yet known. What is known is that attribute points are not assigned by the player; they are auto-assigned. See the relevant [[Attributes#No Customizable Attributes|section]] in the attributes article.

===History===
Originally, Precision was part of [[Dexterity]] which governed a character's chance to [[Critical hit|critically hit]] a target, doing more damage. Dexterity also increased the character's chance to dodge an attack and lowered the character's chance of being interrupted by getting hit.

'''1 point of Dexterity gave:''' (based on [[classes|Class]])
*+x% [[Critical hit|Critical Strike]] Chance
*+x% Dodge Chance
*Lowered chance of being interrupted by getting hit.

[[category:basics]]
[[category:character]]
[[category:attributes]]

Category:Attributes archive

2011-01-28T21:58:36Z

Dragonfriend: Created page with "This is a list of all Attributes that are no longer in the game. category:attributes category:archives"

This is a list of all [[Attributes]] that are no longer in the game.

[[category:attributes]]
[[category:archives]]

Energy

2011-01-28T21:55:57Z

Dragonfriend:

Energy is one of the core attributes in Diablo II.

[[Willpower]] in [[Diablo III]] is comparable to [[Diablo II]]'s {{iw|Energy Energy}}. See the [[Attributes]] article for current information.

[[category:attributes_archive]]

Willpower

2011-01-28T21:26:22Z

Dragonfriend:

Willpower is one of the core [[attributes]] for [[characters]] in [[Diablo III]]. It governs the amount of [[resource]] a character has.

All attributes have changed since their original conception. [[Bashiok]] made an announcement[http://forums.battle.net/thread.html?topicId=27795769376&pageNo=1&sid=3000#0]about these changes on the Battle.net forums on December 20, 2010:

<blockquote>'''Willpower: Affects resource in class-specific ways''' - The effects of this stat will change from class to class. It will be our goal to make it roughly equivalently valuable across classes and versus other attributes. - Basically this stat will give you more access to whatever restricts your resource by default: capacity, regen rate, degeneration rate, generation rate, etc.
</blockquote>

More details on exactly how Willpower will work in Diablo III are not yet known. What is known is that attribute points are not assigned by the player; they are auto-assigned. See the relevant [[Attributes#No Customizable Attributes|section]] in the attributes article.
* Willpower is comparable to [[Diablo II]]'s {{iw|Energy Energy}}.

===History===
Originally, Willpower governed the amount of spell damage bonus and extra health the consumption of a [[health globe]] will grant a character.

'''1 point of Willpower gave:''' (based on [[Classes|Class]])
*+x% Spell Damage Bonus
*+x% [[Health Globe]] Bonus

[[category:basics]]
[[category:character]]
[[category:attributes]]

Vitality

2011-01-28T20:23:30Z

Dragonfriend:

Vitality is one of the core [[attributes]] for [[characters]] in [[Diablo III]]. It governs the amount of [[life]] a character has.

All attributes have changed since their original conception. [[Bashiok]] made an announcement[http://forums.battle.net/thread.html?topicId=27795769376&pageNo=1&sid=3000#0]about these changes on the Battle.net forums on December 20, 2010:

<blockquote>'''Vitality: Increases health''' - And it's staying that way! - This stat has no secondary effect (seeing the pattern here?).</blockquote>

More details on exactly how Vitality will work in Diablo III are not yet known. What is known is that attribute points are not assigned by the player; they are auto-assigned. See the relevant [[Attributes#No Customizable Attributes|section]] in the attributes article.
* Read more about [[Diablo II]]'s {{iw|vitality Vitality}}.

===History===
Originally, Vitality governed a character's [[life]] and [[mana]] regeneration.

'''1 point of Vitality gave:''' (based on [[classes|Class]])
*+x [[Life]]
*[[Mana]] Regeneration of +x per second

[[category:basics]]
[[category:character]]
[[category:attributes]]

Precision (Attribute)

2011-01-28T19:32:26Z

Dragonfriend:

Precision is one of the core [[attributes]] for [[characters]] in [[Diablo III]]. It governs the chance of making a [[critical hit]] when a character attacks.

All attributes have changed since their original conception. [[Bashiok]] made an announcement[http://forums.battle.net/thread.html?topicId=27795769376&pageNo=1&sid=3000#0]about these changes on the Battle.net forums on December 20, 2010:

<blockquote>'''Precision: Increases crit chance''' - This will be tuned to be comparable in power to Attack increases for the most part. - So why have Precision? Mainly so we can play into it with affixes, runes, and traits. Linking effects to crits gives us another hook for designing skills and gives the player options to create ‘crit builds’ that play different than normal attack builds. Examples of the kind of crit effects we 'could' do (not saying we are, these are examples): - - Cleave crits cause monsters to explode and do damage to those around them. - - Lifesteal could be an ‘on crit only’ affix. - This is a more finesse stat, and we’re fine with that. Most people will want Attack by default, but they won’t mind getting precision. - This stat has no secondary effect.</blockquote>

More details on exactly how Precision will work in Diablo III are not yet known. What is known is that attribute points are not assigned by the player; they are auto-assigned. See the relevant [[Attributes#No Customizable Attributes|section]] in the attributes article.

===History===
Originally, Precision was part of [[Dexterity]] which governed a character's chance to [[Critical hit|critically hit]] a target, doing more damage. Dexterity also increased the character's chance to dodge an attack and lowered the character's chance of being interrupted by getting hit

'''1 point of Dexterity gave:''' (based on [[classes|Class]])
*+x% [[Critical hit|Critical Strike]] Chance
*+x% Dodge Chance
*Lowered chance of being interrupted by getting hit.

[[category:basics]]
[[category:character]]
[[category:attributes]]

Defense

2011-01-28T19:22:46Z

Dragonfriend:

Defense is one of the core [[attributes]] for [[characters]] in [[Diablo III]]. It governs the amount of damage a character takes from all attacks, physical and magical.

All attributes have changed since their original conception. [[Bashiok]] made an announcement[http://forums.battle.net/thread.html?topicId=27795769376&pageNo=1&sid=3000#0]about these changes on the Battle.net forums on December 20, 2010:

<blockquote>'''Defense: Decreases all damage taken''' - This stat is separate from armor and resistances, each of which effects different damage types. This stat effects ‘all’ damage. - This stat will allow players to control incoming damage rather than increasing health capacity, which is useful to reduce the need for health globes and pots, and allows players to double down on defense for survival focused builds. - This stat is also useful for PVP, and likely will be valued in the arenas, but isn't tuned to be a 'PVP' only stat. - This stat has no secondary effects.</blockquote>

More details on exactly how Defense will work in Diablo III are not yet known. What is known is that attribute points are not assigned by the player; they are auto-assigned. See the relevant [[Attributes#No Customizable Attributes|section]] in the attributes article.
* Defense is a secondary attribute governed by [[Diablo_II|Diablo II]]'s {{iw|Dexterity Dexterity}}.

===History===
Defense is a new attribute for Diablo III, comparable to the Armor bonus granted by [[Strength]]. See [[Attack_(Attribute)|Attack]] for more details on how Strength changed.

[[category:basics]]
[[category:character]]
[[category:attributes]]
[[category:combat]]
[[category:Reference]]

Attack (Attribute)

2011-01-28T19:12:36Z

Dragonfriend:

Attack is one of the core [[attributes]] for [[characters]] in [[Diablo III]]. It governs the amount of [[damage]] a character does in all attacks, physical and magical.

All attributes have changed since their original conception. [[Bashiok]] made an announcement[http://forums.battle.net/thread.html?topicId=27795769376&pageNo=1&sid=3000#0]about these changes on the Battle.net forums on December 20, 2010:

<blockquote>'''Attack: Increases damage''' - This stat will be a universal damage increasing stat for all classes to prevent confusion about what you should increase to do more damage. - We realize that ‘Attack’ is less flavorful than ‘Strength’ and ‘Willpower’, but we feel the pros of understanding clearly how to build your character outweigh that con. - This stat has no secondary effects.</blockquote>

More details on exactly how Attack will work in Diablo III are not yet known. What is known is that attribute points are not assigned by the player; they are auto-assigned. See the relevant [[Attributes#No Customizable Attributes|section]] in the attributes article.
* Attack is comparable to [[Diablo_II|Diablo II]]'s {{iw|Strength Strength}}.

===History===
Originally, Attack was called [[Strength]] and governed a character's damage, armor rating, and [[block]]ing percentage.

'''1 point of Strength gave:''' (based on [[Classes|Class]])
*+x% [[Melee]] and [[Ranged]] [[Physical]] Damage Bonus
*x% Armor Bonus
*+x% Block Amount

[[category:basics]]
[[category:character]]
[[category:attributes]]

Energy

2011-01-28T06:47:47Z

Dragonfriend: Created page with "{{stub}}"

Dexterity

2011-01-28T06:47:07Z

Dragonfriend:

Strength

2011-01-28T06:46:31Z

Dragonfriend:

Precision

2011-01-28T06:22:29Z

Dragonfriend: converted to disambiguation page

Which '''precision''' are you looking for?

* The Monk trait [[Precision_(Monk_trait)|Precision]]
* The core attribute [[Precision_(Attribute)|Precision]]

If you were sent here from a link in an article, please update that link to go directly to its intended destination.

[[Category:Disambiguations]]

Template:Trait navbox Monk

2011-01-28T06:05:18Z

Dragonfriend:

{|align="center" class="navbox"
!colspan="6"| [[Monk|The Monk]] - [[Monk skills]] - [[Auras]] - [[Combos]] - [[Monk traits]] - [[Spirit]] - [[Monk skill archive]] {{editlink|Template:Trait_navbox_Monk|e|www|A|A}}

|-
|'''Level Req: Under 10''' 
• [[Precision_(Monk trait)|Precision]] 
• [[Toughness]] 
• [[True Spirit]] 
• [[Superior Skill]] 
• [[Healer]] 
• [[Lucky]]

|'''Lvl Req: 11''' 
• [[Sixth Sense]] 
• [[Intimidation]] 

'''Lvl Req: 15''' 
• [[Die by the Sword]] 

|'''Lvl Req: 23''' 
• [[Beast Hunter]] 
• [[Demonsbane]] 
• [[Just... Stay... Dead!]]

'''Lvl Req: 27''' 
• [[Cruelty]] 
• [[Fleet]]

|'''Lvl Req: 35''' 
• [[Weak Spot]] 
• [[Natural Leader]]

'''Lvl Req: 39''' 
• [[Pound of Flesh]] 
• [[Rapid Strikes]]

|'''Lvl Req: 43''' 
• [[Thunderous Blows]] 
• [[Frenzied Attacks]] 

'''Level requirement: 47''' 
• [[Temperature Control]]
|}
<noinclude>[[Category:Navboxes]] [[Category:Templates]]</noinclude>

Precision (Monk trait)

2011-01-28T06:03:44Z

Dragonfriend: Created page with "Precision is a trait possessed by the Monk. It increases the Monk's melee damage for each point in dexterity. ==Precision Properties== '''Precision''' * '''Clvl Re..."

Precision is a [[trait]] possessed by the [[Monk]]. It increases the Monk's melee damage for each point in [[dexterity]].

==Precision Properties==

'''Precision'''
* '''Clvl Req:''' Under 10
* '''Description:''' Increases melee damage for each point in dexterity.
* '''Max points:''' 5
** '''Rank One:''' Unknown.
** '''Rank Two:''' Unknown.
** '''Rank Three:''' Unknown.
** '''Rank Four:''' Unknown.
** '''Rank Five:''' Unknown.
* '''Lore: '''Not yet known.

==Classes==
This is a [[Monk traits|Monk]]-only trait.

==Synergies==

None known.

{{Slave_navbox_Diablo_III|Monk_Trait}}

[[category:traits]]
[[category:Monk traits]]

Precision (Attribute)

2011-01-28T05:37:36Z

Dragonfriend: per core attribute changes

Precision is one of the core [[attributes]] for [[characters]] in [[Diablo III]]. It governs the chance of making a [[critical hit]] when your character attacks.

All attributes have changed since their original conception. [[Bashiok]] made an announcement[http://forums.battle.net/thread.html?topicId=27795769376&pageNo=1&sid=3000#0]about these changes on the Battle.net forums on December 20, 2010:

<blockquote>'''Precision: Increases crit chance''' - This will be tuned to be comparable in power to Attack increases for the most part. - So why have Precision? Mainly so we can play into it with affixes, runes, and traits. Linking effects to crits gives us another hook for designing skills and gives the player options to create ‘crit builds’ that play different than normal attack builds. Examples of the kind of crit effects we 'could' do (not saying we are, these are examples): - - Cleave crits cause monsters to explode and do damage to those around them.
- - Lifesteal could be an ‘on crit only’ affix. - This is a more finesse stat, and we’re fine with that. Most people will want Attack by default, but they won’t mind getting precision. - This stat has no secondary effect.</blockquote>

More details on exactly how Precision will work in Diablo III are not yet known. What is known is that attribute points are not assigned by the player; they are auto-assigned. See the relevant [[Attributes#No Customizable Attributes|section]] in the attributes article.

===History===
Originally, Precision was part of [[Dexterity]] which governed your chance to critically strike a target, and so doing more damage. Dexterity also influenced your chance to dodge an attack and lowered the chance that your character will be interrupted by getting hit.

'''1 point of Dexterity gave:''' (based on [[classes|Class]])
*+x% [[Critical hit|Critical Strike]] Chance
*+x% Dodge Chance
*Higher Dexterity lowered chance you will be interrupted by getting hit.

[[category:basics]]
[[category:character]]
[[category:attributes]]

Attack (Attribute)

2011-01-28T05:03:16Z

Dragonfriend: per core attribute changes

Attack is one of the core [[attributes]] for [[characters]] in [[Diablo III]]. It governs the amount of [[damage]] your character does in all attacks, physical and magical.

All attributes have changed since their original conception. [[Bashiok]] made an announcement[http://forums.battle.net/thread.html?topicId=27795769376&pageNo=1&sid=3000#0]about these changes on the Battle.net forums on December 20, 2010:

<blockquote>'''Attack: Increases damage''' - This stat will be a universal damage increasing stat for all classes to prevent confusion about what you should increase to do more damage. - We realize that ‘Attack’ is less flavorful than ‘Strength’ and ‘Willpower’, but we feel the pros of understanding clearly how to build your character outweigh that con. - This stat has no secondary effects.</blockquote>

More details on exactly how Attack will work in Diablo III are not yet known. What is known is that attribute points are not assigned by the player; they are auto-assigned. See the relevant [[Attributes#No Customizable Attributes|section]] in the attributes article.
* Attack is comparable to Strength in Diablo II. Read more about the effects and bonuses of {{iw|Strength Strength}} in Diablo II.

===History===
Originally, Attack was called [[Strength]] and governed how much damage you do and how high your armor rating is.

'''1 point of Strength gave:''' (based on [[Classes|Class]])
*+x% [[Melee]] and [[Ranged]] [[Physical]] Damage Bonus
*x% Armor Bonus
*+x% Block Amount

[[category:basics]]
[[category:character]]
[[category:attributes]]

Defense

2011-01-28T03:50:49Z

Dragonfriend: per core attribute changes

Defense is one of the core [[attributes]] for [[characters]] in [[Diablo III]]. It governs the amount of damage your character takes from all attacks.

All attributes have changed since their original conception. [[Bashiok]] made an announcement[http://forums.battle.net/thread.html?topicId=27795769376&pageNo=1&sid=3000#0]about these changes on the Battle.net forums on December 20, 2010:

<blockquote>'''Defense: Decreases all damage taken''' - This stat is separate from armor and resistances, each of which effects different damage types. This stat effects ‘all’ damage. - This stat will allow players to control incoming damage rather than increasing health capacity, which is useful to reduce the need for health globes and pots, and allows players to double down on defense for survival focused builds. - This stat is also useful for PVP, and likely will be valued in the arenas, but isn't tuned to be a 'PVP' only stat. - This stat has no secondary effects.</blockquote>

More details on exactly how Defense will work in Diablo III are not yet known. What is known is that attribute points are not assigned by the player; they are auto-assigned. See the relevant [[Attributes#No Customizable Attributes|section]] in the attributes article.
* Defense is a secondary attribute in Diablo II, governed by Dexterity. Read more about the effects and bonuses of {{iw|Dexterity Dexterity}} in Diablo II.

===History===
Defense is a new attribute for Diablo III, equivalent to the Armor bonus granted by [[Strength]]. See [[Attack_(Attribute)|Attack]] for more details on how Strength changed.

[[category:basics]]
[[category:character]]
[[category:attributes]]
[[category:combat]]
[[category:Reference]]

Vitality

2011-01-28T03:25:39Z

Dragonfriend:

Vitality is one of the core [[attributes]] for [[characters]] in [[Diablo III]]. It governs the amount of [[life]] your character has.

All attributes have changed since their original conception. [[Bashiok]] made an announcement[http://forums.battle.net/thread.html?topicId=27795769376&pageNo=1&sid=3000#0]about these changes on the Battle.net forums on December 20, 2010:

<blockquote>'''Vitality: Increases health''' - And it's staying that way! - This stat has no secondary effect (seeing the pattern here?).</blockquote>

More details on exactly how Vitality will work in Diablo III are not yet known. What is known is that attribute points are not assigned by the player; they are auto-assigned. See the relevant [[Attributes#No Customizable Attributes|section]] in the attributes article.
* Read more about the effects and bonuses of {{iw|vitality Vitality}} in Diablo II.

===History===
Originally, Vitality governed the amount of [[life]] your character has and how fast its [[mana]] regenerated.

'''1 point of Vitality gave:''' (based on [[classes|Class]])
*+x [[Life]]
*[[Mana]] Regeneration of +x per second

[[category:basics]]
[[category:character]]
[[category:attributes]]

Willpower

2011-01-28T03:21:38Z

Dragonfriend: per core attribute changes

Willpower is one of the core [[attributes]] for [[characters]] in [[Diablo III]]. It governs the amount of [[resource]] your character has.

All attributes have changed since their original conception. [[Bashiok]] made an announcement[http://forums.battle.net/thread.html?topicId=27795769376&pageNo=1&sid=3000#0]about these changes on the Battle.net forums on December 20, 2010:

<blockquote>'''Willpower: Affects resource in class-specific ways''' - The effects of this stat will change from class to class. It will be our goal to make it roughly equivalently valuable across classes and versus other attributes. - Basically this stat will give you more access to whatever restricts your resource by default: capacity, regen rate, degeneration rate, generation rate, etc.
</blockquote>

More details on exactly how Willpower will work in Diablo III are not yet known. What is known is that attribute points are not assigned by the player; they are auto-assigned. See the relevant [[Attributes#No Customizable Attributes|section]] in the attributes article.
* Willpower is equivalent to Energy in Diablo II. Read more about the effects and bonuses of {{iw|Energy Energy}} in Diablo II.

===History===
Originally, Willpower governed the amount of spell damage bonus and extra health the consumption that a [[health globe]] will grant your character.

'''1 point of Willpower gave:''' (based on [[Classes|Class]])
*+x% Spell Damage Bonus
*+x% [[Health Globe]] Bonus

[[category:basics]]
[[category:character]]
[[category:attributes]]

Vitality

2011-01-28T02:49:17Z

Dragonfriend: per core attribute changes

Vitality is one of the core [[attributes]] for [[characters]] in [[Diablo III]]. It governs the amount of [[life]] your character has.

All attributes have changed since their original conception. [[Bashiok]] made an announcement[http://forums.battle.net/thread.html?topicId=27795769376&pageNo=1&sid=3000#0]about these changes on the Battle.net forums on December 20, 2010:

<blockquote>'''Vitality: Increases health''' - And it's staying that way! - This stat has no secondary effect (seeing the pattern here?).</blockquote>

More details on exactly how vitality will work in Diablo III are not yet known.
* Read more about the effects and bonuses of {{iw|vitality Vitality}} as it exists in Diablo II.

===History===
Originally, vitality governed the amount of [[life]] your character has and how fast its [[mana]] regenerated.

'''1 point of Vitality gave:''' (based on [[classes|class]])
*+x [[Life]]
*[[Mana]] Regeneration of +x per second

[[category:basics]]
[[category:character]]
[[category:attributes]]

Attack (Attribute)

2011-01-28T01:47:30Z

Dragonfriend: Created page with "{{stub|the other attribute pages have not been created yet}} category:basics category:character category:attributes"

{{stub|the other [[attribute]] pages have not been created yet}}

[[category:basics]]
[[category:character]]
[[category:attributes]]

Precision (Attribute)

2011-01-28T01:22:40Z

Dragonfriend: Created page with "{{stub|the other attribute pages have not been created yet}} category:basics category:character category:attributes"

{{stub|the other [[attribute]] pages have not been created yet}}

[[category:basics]]
[[category:character]]
[[category:attributes]]

Defense

2011-01-28T01:06:06Z

Dragonfriend: added categories

Defense (or Armor Class) is a rating of how hard a monster or player is to hit with physical attacks, or, as in [[Diablo II]], whether an attack hits or not. Exactly how defense will work in [[Diablo III]] is not yet known.

* Read more about the effects and bonuses of {{iw|defense Defense}} as it existed in Diablo II.

[[category:basics]]
[[category:character]]
[[category:attributes]]
[[category:combat]]
[[category:Reference]]

Willpower

2011-01-28T01:02:41Z

Dragonfriend:

{{stub|the other [[attribute]] pages have not been created yet}}

[[category:basics]]
[[category:character]]
[[category:attributes]]

DiabloWiki Crew

2011-01-27T23:56:43Z

Dragonfriend:

This is a list of all users that are somewhat active on the Diablo I and Diablo II portion of the DiabloWiki. Feel free to join up, just add your name to the list!

*[[User:Flux|Flux]] - Admin
*[[User:Elly|Elly]] - Admin
*[[User:Rushster|Rushster]] - Admin
*[[User:Holyknight3000|Holyknight3000]] - Sysop
*[[User:Adree|Adree]] - Contributor
*[[User:Azymn|Azymn]] - Contributor
*[[User:Melianor|Melianor]] - Contributor
*[[User:Mouseman|Mouseman]] - Contributor
*[[User:Mizantrop|Mizantrop]] - Contributor
*[[User:Drakk|Drakk]] - Contributor
*[[User:TheWanderer|TheWanderer]] - Contributor
*[[User:WizardGurl|WizardGurl]] - Contributor
*[[User:Rampa|Rampa]] - Contributor
*[[User:Arkadier|Arkadier]] - Contributor
[[Category:DiabloWiki]]

Attributes

2011-01-27T23:50:09Z

Dragonfriend: added attributes category

'''Attributes''' in [[Diablo]] 3 consist of '''Strength''', '''Dexterity''', '''Vitality''', '''Willpower'''. Each attribute affects multiple values in Diablo III; making points in each attribute valuable to all characters. See the respective character class page for [[Barbarian]], [[Witch Doctor]], [[Wizard]], [[Monk]] and the [[Other classes|Other Class]] for more specific details.

Although attributes are automatically-placed in Diablo III, [[traits]], [[charms]] in the [[talisman]], and the ability to [[socket]] very high level [[gems]] should allow for as much or more character variety as was possible in Diablo II, where attributes could be placed wherever a player desired.

==Attribute Bonuses==
Each attribute affects more character properties in Diablo III than in D1 or D2. This is part of the [[D3 Team]]'s design goal; to make all of the attributes useful to all of the classes.

===Strength===
Strength governs how much damage you do and how high your armor rating is. Whether the effect of each point in Strength on the secondary attributes is the same for every character class is unclear as of yet.

'''1 point of Strength gives:'''
*+x% [[Melee]] and [[Ranged]] [[Physical]] Damage Bonus
*x% Armor Bonus
*+x% Block Amount

===Dexterity===
Dexterity governs your chance to critically strike a target, and so doing more damage. Dexterity influences your chance to dodge an attack and lowers the chance that your character will be interrupted by getting hit.

'''1 point of Dexterity gives:'''
*+x% [[Critical hit|Critical Strike]] Chance
*+x% Dodge Chance
*Higher Dexterity lowers chance you will be interrupted by getting hit.

===Vitality===
Vitality governs the amount of life your character has and how fast its [[mana]] regenerates.

'''1 point of Vitality gives:'''
*+x Life
*[[Mana]] Regeneration of +x per second

===Willpower===
Willpower governs the amount of spell damage bonus and extra health the consumption that a [[health globe]] will grant your character.

'''1 point of Willpower gives:'''
*+x% Spell Damage Bonus
*+x% [[Health Globe]] Bonus

==No Customizable Attributes==

The biggest change about attributes in Diablo III is that they will no longer be player-assigned on level up. This means that two "[[naked]]" characters of the same class and of the same level will have the exact same strength, dexterity, vitality, and willpower, as well as the same hit points, resource value, damage, and etc. Except that they won't, since differences in their [[skills]], [[skillrunes]], and [[traits]], not to mention [[equipment]], including [[charms]]/[[talisman]], will make them very different.

Though this seems a settled issue as of late 2010, it was highly-controversial when it was first revealed, back in late 2009. Jay Wilson explained it, as best he could in those days long before charms, the talisman, gems, or traits had been revealed. [http://g4tv.com/games/pc/28197/diablo-iii/articles/68225/BlizzCon-2009-Diablo-III-Game-Director-Interview/]

::'''Jay Wilson:''' Stat progression as a system is very difficult for a lot of players to understand because you get these 5 points, but you don’t exactly know where to put them or what benefit you’re getting with them. You might make some obvious choices, for example, with Diablo II’s Sorceress, you might put all of your points into energy because that’s the obvious choice, right? Except that for almost every build out there, you’ve just made the wrong choice. Any system where you have to go up onto the Internet to figure out what the right answer is, is not a good customization system. Any system where there’s a “right” answer is not a good system for customization. The truth is, with stat point systems, they are simple math. It’s not hard to figure out what the absolute best choice is so we decided we didn’t want that as a customization system.

::With that being said, we do have another system we’re working on. The specific intent of it is to capture the imagination of what stat point spending was supposed to do, which is, “I want to be stronger. I want to be tougher.” These kind of simple ideas are not contextualized well within a skill system. The skill system is about what the player is doing, not higher ideals about what their character is. So, we’re going to work on a system that really satisfies that feeling, but is way easier to understand and also has some true customization to it.

==Pre-Set Attribute Argument==

Much digital ink has been spilled on this issue, since it was revealed at Blizzcon, in October 2008. (The first word came from an interview by Diii.net, and immediately [http://forums.diii.net/showthread.php?t=699000 resulted in a 30-page forum] thread.) Some portion of that hew and cry was spurred by an initial misunderstanding; reporters assumed items would still have strength, dexterity, and other attribute requirements (they do not), but even with that issue clarified shortly after, the topic of pre-set attributes has remained a contentious one.

There are a variety of arguments on each side of the issue. The debate was nicely encapsulated in an [[On the Drawing Board]] column about pre-set attributes, from which the following bullet points are taken: [http://www.diii.net/blog/comments/on-the-drawing-board-4-preset-attributes]

===Pros===
* Manual setting is no longer needed, as there are no stat requirements on [[item]]s any more.

* It's beginner friendly. New players won't ruin their characters with poor stat allocation.

* Attributes were largely irrelevant in D2, since all characters with the same build used identical equipment and stat allocation. {{iw|Category:D2_strategy Typical D2 guide}} advice, "Enough strength for your heaviest item, then all the rest into vitality."

* Enables easier/better game balancing for the developers, since they can know about how powerful characters will be.

* Prevents twinking and other exploits by low level characters.

* World of Warcraft uses auto-attributes, and it's the most popular RPG ever.

* No need for attribute [[respec]]s, which would otherwise have to be incorporated since skill respecs will be.

* It boosts the importance of items, since those and skills are what differentiates characters.

* High level characters can use the items they find, since they won't, for example, be built with far too little strength for that cool new item they just found.

* It respects traditional RPG philosophy of archetype characters in the sense of how a physical and mental ability of a class is supposed to be depending on its role. A Barbarian with ''very high'' Willpower or a Wizard with ''too much'' Strength really makes no sense from roleplaying perspective in a fantasy game.

* It completely eliminates situations when people find a better items with more points in stat X and realize that they have one or more unnecessary invested points ''right now'' in stat X just because of these new items and those points ''could be'' relocated in other stat for better purpose. Maybe later on they will need those ''permanently invested points'' in stat X, but not ''right now''. The problem is that it will never end, until they will find all items perfect and reroll their characters.

* Rerolling is fun but rerolling ''because of'' messed stats is not fun.

===Cons===

* Reduced Character Variety. Unusual and non-cookie cutter builds need to allocate their attributes differently.

* We won’t be noobs forever. Why gimp a major aspect of game play individuality when it won't be necessary once gamers have some experience?

* No Attributes = No skill required. If players want to mainline strength and ignore vitality because they're good enough to survive with fewer hit points, or vice versa so they can play with a weaker, specialized build, why take away that option?

* Rerolling is fun. Making new characters is a hallmark of the Diablo series. This isn't WoW where one high level character takes months to build, and then lasts forever with respecs.

* What about [[hardcore]]? HC chars want/need to be built very differently than SC, since death is forever.

==Blizzard's Response==

The [[D3 Team]] never issued a formal, multi-point rebuttal, but they have commented on this issue a few times, being careful not to give away their plans for stat customization via systems, such as gems, traits, and the talisman, that they weren't yet ready to reveal.

::'''Jay Wilson:''' For the most part attribute spending in Diablo II was a great way, when you didn’t know how to play the game, to break your character. Most people didn’t know where to put them and when they found out the answer was always kind of weird like "Put 5 points in Energy and then all the rest of the points in Vitality." [http://www.diii.net/blog/comments/diiinet-jay-wilson-video-interview/]

The longest comment came from D3 Community Manager [[Bashiok]] who offered a detailed argument in a forum post in December 2008. [http://www.diii.net/blog/comments/the-next-gen-attributesystem/]

Loss of character customization:

::With the current skill system, runes, and item affixes, as well as other unmentionables, there’s not going to be any issue with not having enough customization. If there is, bottom line, we’ll add more. We’re not going to release a game we’re not happy with, and a lack of character customization options would make us unhappy. But, even right now we have a lot more variety and ability to customize a character than Diablo II had.

Odd character builds:

::Similarly is being able to create “off-spec” builds, or characters that aren’t just cookie cutter ideals of the class you’re playing. This is important to the game, and we will ensure that it doesn't get "tuned out" of the game. ...Manual attributes were not what made them possible in Diablo II. The ability to make these types of characters relies solely on the complexity and diversity of the the options available to steer your character, and not that they come in the form of a "+" button.

Less feeling of level up achievement:
::The loss of a feeling of a leveling achievement is actually something we recognize and intend to address.

We've always assigned our own points in Diablo games:
::The nostalgia of simply having points, and spending them on base stats is probably the most difficult. Liking something because it’s familiar is difficult to argue with, but it’s also probably the easiest to overcome. Since we can’t force your memories out of you, we just have to make the best game we can and hope you realize that manual attribute assignment isn’t the best, most engaging or entertaining form of character customization possible, and that we’re offering an even deeper and richer game without those buttons.

[[category:basics]]
[[category:character]]
[[category:attributes]]

Category:Attributes

2011-01-27T23:47:50Z

Dragonfriend:

Articles about the [[Attributes]] used by the player's character.

Attributes, while serving essentially the same functions they did in Diablo II, have been re-vamped for Diablo III. See the main article for full details.

[[category:basics]]
[[category:character]]

Category:Attributes

2011-01-27T23:40:12Z

Dragonfriend: Created page with "Attributes, while serving essentially the same functions they did in Diablo II, have been re-vamped for Diablo III. See the Attributes article for full details. [[category:b..."

[[Attributes]], while serving essentially the same functions they did in Diablo II, have been re-vamped for Diablo III. See the Attributes article for full details.

[[category:basics]]
[[category:character]]

Vitality

2011-01-27T23:31:11Z

Dragonfriend: creating a stub

{{stub|the other attribute pages have not been created yet}}

[[category:basics]]
[[category:character]]
[[category:attributes]]

DiabloWiki Crew

2011-01-27T21:07:35Z

Dragonfriend:

This is a list of all users that are somewhat active on DiabloWiki. Feel free to join up, just add your name to the list!

*[[User:Flux|Flux]] - Admin
*[[User:Elly|Elly]] - Admin
*[[User:Rushster|Rushster]] - Admin
*[[User:Leord|Leord]] - Sysop/community manager
*[[User:Holyknight3000|Holyknight3000]] - Sysop
*[[User:Adree|Adree]] - Contributor
*[[User:Azymn|Azymn]] - Contributor
*[[User:Melianor|Melianor]] - Contributor
*[[User:Mouseman|Mouseman]] - Contributor
*[[User:Mizantrop|Mizantrop]] - Contributor
*[[User:Drakk|Drakk]] - Contributor
*[[User:TheWanderer|TheWanderer]] - Contributor
*[[User:WizardGurl|WizardGurl]] - Contributor
*[[User:Rampa|Rampa]] - Contributor
*[[User:Arkadier|Arkadier]] - Contributor
*[[User:Dragonfriend|Dragonfriend]] - Contributor
[[Category:DiabloWiki]]

Class-Specific Weapons

2011-01-23T15:29:38Z

Dragonfriend: Daggers listed twice

Numerous types of [[weapons]] (but not [[armor]]) are restricted to certain classes in Diablo III. The developers have given two main reasons for this limitation: they want weapons to be appropriate for the classes that can use them, and it would be a huge amount of more work to make animations for every item on every character, and as seldom as some classes would use some item types, the development time is better spent working on other aspects of the game.

The limitations on class weapons have changed repeatedly during the game's development, and will likely continue to evolve right up until release. As recently as November 2010 the Monk was granted the ability to dual wield virtually all one-handed weapons.
<ref>[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/the-monks-weapon-options-continue-to-evolve/ Bashiok forum post] - IncGamers November 25, 2010</ref>

==Who Can't Use What?==

This list is incomplete and subject to change as the game's development continues and more information is released. It was compiled from various developer comments and from what fans have observed in the playable demos. See the [[weapons]] page for a full list of weapon types in Diablo III.

* Barbs can't use [[daggers]], [[wands]], [[caster staves]], [[combat staves]], or ranged weapons: [[bows]] and [[crossbows]].
** Barb class-specific: Unknown. Perhaps some of the largest types of axes or other melee weapons?
** Barbs can [[dual-wield]] all one-handed weapons, barring a few class-specifics.
* Demon Hunters can't use: Unknown. Likely no wands or daggers. Heavy 2H weapons, perhaps?
** DH class-specific: [[Pistol crossbow]]s.
* Monks can't use two-handed [[maces]], 2H [[axes]], wands, or ranged weapons: bows and crossbows. (The class was limited to far fewer weapons earlier in development. See below.)
** Monk class-specific: [[Fist]]s, possibly [[combat staves]].
** Monks can dual wield all one-handed weapons, barring a few class-specifics.
* Wizards can’t use 2H swords, 2H axes.
** Wiz class-specific: [[Orbs]]. Only Wizards and WDs can use wands and daggers.
* Witch Doctors can’t use 1H axes, or combat staves.
** WD class-specific: Only Wizards and WDs can use wands and daggers.

Only Wizards can use [[orbs]]. Only Monks can use [[fists]] (and combat staves?) Barbs and Monks can dual wield 1H melee weapons, but can not use ranged weapons.

===Armor Limitations?===

Armor is not limited the way weapons are. All characters can use different types of armor.<ref>[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/bashiok-on-class-specific-items-part-two/ Bashiok forum post] - IncGamers August, 2010</ref>

Each type of armor will look different and appropriate on each class, as well.<ref>[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/wds-wont-just-wear-leaves-after-all/ Bashiok forum post] - IncGamers February, 2010</ref>
::The Witchdoctor’s thematic palette is proving to be very broad. He can wear a lot of cool armor and still look like a Witchdoctor.

===Monk Weapon Choices===

While all of the classes in Diablo III are somewhat limited in their weapon choices, the Monk was greatly restricted during early development, though that's changed over time.<ref>[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/699367 Bashiok forum post] - IncGamers February, 2010</ref>

::[[Bashiok]]: Currently our list of weapons the monk class can use is one handed [[swords]], [[polearms]], combat [[staves]], and [[fist]] weapons. That could potentially change, but its probably pretty likely those will be the weapons the monk can equip. The flavor of the monk we’re working on now is a very strong connection between a small and focused group of weapon types, and the skills that use them.

At the time that ruled out [[axes]], two-handed [[swords]], [[spears]], [[wands]], [[daggers]], [[orbs]], [[maces]], and possibly [[bows]] and [[crossbows]]. Monks couldn't even use shields, at that point: <ref>[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/blizzard-on-diablo-3-class-specific-weapons/ Bashiok forum post] - IncGamers March 2010</ref>

<blue>Bashiok: Bruce Lee would not use a shield, and neither would the monk.</blue>

Apparently Mr. Lee came to his senses, since just a few months later the Monk was seen using a shield in the [[Artisan Video]], in August 2010.

The changes kept coming, and in early October 2010 we got word that the Monk's weapon restrictions had been further eased.<ref>[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/more-on-class-weapon-restrictions/ Bashiok forum post] - IncGamers June 2010</ref>
<blue>Bashiok: He can’t use 2handed axes and maces, uh, wands, orbs, I think that’s about it.</blue>

By the next month the Monk had come full circle, and could not only wield everything, he could dual wield!<ref>[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/the-monks-weapon-options-continue-to-evolve/ Bashiok forum post] - IncGamers November 25, 2010</ref>
<blue>Bashiok: Monk and barbarian can dual wield all 1-handed weapons.</blue>

No official explanations have been offered for these changes, but presumably it's all based on play testing and fun factor, and the Monk must have been boring or no fun with just a few weapons to choose from.

==Explanations==

The developers and their proxies have spoken about this issue at length. The most detailed explanations came from Diablo III Community Manager [[Bashiok]] in a pair of posts in July 2009
<ref>[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/bashiok-on-class-specific-items/ Bashiok forum post] - IncGamers July 2009</ref><ref>[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/bashiok-on-class-specific-items-part-two/ Bashiok forum post] - IncGamers July 2009</ref>, and another long one in March 2010<ref>[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/blizzard-on-diablo-3-class-specific-weapons Bashiok forum post] - IncGamers March 2009</ref>.

July 2009:<ref>[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/bashiok-on-class-specific-items/ Bashiok forum post] - IncGamers July 2009</ref>
<blue>Bashiok: we do now have some restrictions on weapon types usable by each class. It’s been part of the game for a while now. Allowing every class to use every weapon type was actually going to require a huge amount of time and effort and it would have meant cutting out or cutting into other features. We evaluated really how often people would want to have their class holding a weapon type that (traditionally) contradicted their class-style versus that work going in to other features - specifically having a lot more skills and a lot more skill-rune effects. </blue>

July 2009: <ref>[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/bashiok-on-class-specific-items-part-two/ Bashiok forum post] - IncGamers July 2009</ref>
<blue>Bashiok: The list of what weapon types are or aren’t allowed for each class aren’t final and could change. They’re fairly logical choices and what is most commonly seen as closely tied to the hero archetypes. In our current game the wizard can’t wield a two-handed sword for instance, but can still use a one handed sword and shield if so desired.</blue>

March 2010:<ref>[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/blizzard-on-diablo-3-class-specific-weapons/ Bashiok forum post] - IncGamers March 2010</ref>
<blue>Bashiok: It’s important to note that we aren’t going to just slap on animations. We’ll do it right or we won’t do it. There is some overlap in weapon animations, but generally every weapon needs a full range of adaptation to the character. We can’t animate a 1h sword and then equip a 1h axe and be happy with it being wielded in the same manner. In addition we don’t want weapons disappearing whenever the hero does anything but a basic attack, so they have to be animated into emotes, idles, and a lot of skills and abilities. Every weapon. Some people noticed weapons disappear during some of the monk abilities. We don’t like that. Most of that was due to time constraints to get that demo finished. Again there is some overlap - staves share a lot of the same animation with the other 2h weapons, but to dismiss it as “just animate it and slap it on and it works!” is seriously oversimplifying our processes. Maybe some other games do it that way.</blue>

==References==

<references/>


[[category:items]]
[[category:weapons]]

Diablo 3 Basics

2011-01-14T00:27:12Z

Dragonfriend: /* Story Line */

[[Image:Diablo III Logo.jpg|left|150px]]
This is the '''Diablo 3 Basics''' page, which is the main '''Fact Sheet''' of known '''Diablo III''' information. This much anticipated sequel to Diablo and Diablo II was announced at [[Blizzard]]'s [[WWI 2008]] in Paris, during 27-28 June 2008. Regardless if you just heard that Diablo III is announced, or if you have been following some of the {{wl|[http://diablo.incgamers.com Diablo 3 news]}}, this page will get you up to speed!

If you are looking for the '''Basics Section''' of the wiki, you can find that in the '''[[:Category:Basics|Basics Category]]'''.

==Introduction==
Diablo III, while featured completely in '''3D''' with a 3D environment, will follow closely in Diablo II's track by using the classic isometric view, fast gameplay and randomised content for high replayability. Some changes have been made in order to make the game faster and more flexible as well as making players choose and employ tactics rather than mindless mouseclicking. Besides taking well learned lessons from WoW, the developers have been inspired by games such as ''Zelda'' and ''God of War''. Regardless, the game will be possible to play with a mouse alone, if a player so wishes (but you would be a lot less efficient).

Remember that if you're a newcomer to Diablo you can find more related articles in the '''[[:Category:Basics|Basics Category]]'''
 
 

== Character Classes ==

Blizzard have confirmed that the game will ship with five characters. These are the [[Barbarian]], [[Demon Hunter]], [[Monk]], [[Witch Doctor]], and [[Wizard]]. All five classes will be playable in male or female versions. The gender difference is purely cosmetic; male and female characters have identical stats and abilities. The classes are very distinct from one another; all armor appears different depending on which character is using it, the characters have completely unique [[skills]], largely unique [[traits]], and each has their own [[resource]] type.

Though all five classes for Diablo III have been revealed, more are expected in the [[expansion]]s. See the [[Other classes]] article for Blizzard quotes on their additional character ideas.

{|
! colspan="3" | Barbarian
|-
| [[File:Barbfemale.jpg|85px]]
| [[File:Barbmale.jpg|80px]]
| '''The [[Barbarian]]''' - The same character you played in [[Diablo II]], but with some [[Barbarian skills|new skills]], and backed with power of the [[ancient]]s.
* [[Barbarian Skills]]
* [[Barbarian Traits]]
* [[Resource]]: - [[Fury]]
|-
! colspan="3" | Demon Hunter
|-
| colspan="2" | [[File:Demon-hunter-art4.jpg|center|130px]]

| '''The [[Demon Hunter]]''' - The last class revealed is a ranged weapon specialist with a grudge against all demon kind, sexy style, and deadly traps and demonic gadgets to go with her glowing eyes.
* [[Demon Hunter Skills]]
* [[Demon Hunter Traits]]
* [[Resource]]: - Unknown
|-
! colspan="3" | Monk
|-
| [[File:Monkfemale.jpg|85px]]
| [[File:Monkmale.jpg|85px]]
| '''The [[Monk]]''' - A new fellow from [[Ivgorod]]. Combining martial arts of our eastern cultures with a holy strike from the western disciplines he takes names and kicks in faces.
* [[Monk Skills]]
* [[Monk Traits]]
* [[Resource]]: [[Spirit]]
|-
! colspan="3" | Witch Doctor
|-
| [[File:Witchfemale.jpg|85px]]
| [[File:Witchmale.jpg|70px]]
| '''The [[Witch Doctor]]''' - A new class that comes from the jungle region of [[Teganze]], and uses [[Witch Doctor skills|voodoo magic]] to do his bidding. One of his highlights is the [[Wall of Zombies]] spell.
* [[Witch Doctor Skills]]
* [[Witch Doctor Traits]]
* [[Resource]]: [[Mana]]
|-
! colspan="3" | Wizard
|-
| [[File:Wizardfemale.jpg|85px]]
| [[File:Wizardmale.jpg|70px]]
| '''The [[Wizard]]''' - A new class that is a pure spell caster harnessing arcane and elemental magic to do her bidding. Very similar to the [[Sorcerer]] and [[Sorceress]] of previously Diablo games. One of the highlights is the [[Wizard_skills#Slow_Time|Slow Time]] spell which warps space and time, slowing nearby monsters and projectiles.
* [[Wizard Skills]]
* [[Wizard Traits]]
* [[Resource]]: [[Arcane Power]]
|-
|}

=== Skills ===
The skills and their presentation evolved greatly during the game's development. See the [[skill tree]] article for a full pictorial history. As of Blizzcon 2010 skills are presented in a list, sorted into seven tiers which are unlocked at various character levels. All skills are [[active]], there are no prerequisites other than character level, and no synergies.

[[Traits]] were added during development in 2010, when all [[passive]] skills were removed from the skill trees. Traits are passives or masteries and boost general character traits, or specific skills. While many traits are shared between the classes, granting bonuses to [[attributes]] or other common properties such as [[Lucky]] (increased gold drops), or [[Pound of Flesh]] (increased [[health orb]] benefit, about half of the traits are unique to each class, providing specific bonuses just for that class.

==== Skill Tree Respecs/Resets ====
In Diablo II prior to v1.13, a character was unable to change their skills and stats once they were allocated. If you made any mistake, the only solution was to [[reroll]]. This is changed in Diablo III, and it will be fairly easy for characters to "[[respec]]," to remove and reassign points from [[skills]] and [[traits]].

The exact methods have not yet been revealed, but the developers have said it will be fairly easy to do, though not entirely free or instant, to prevent exploitation.

====Stats/Attributes====
One major change announced early in Diablo III's development was the elimination of player-assigned stat points. In Diablo III, each class gains various [[attribute]] points, [[strength]], [[dexterity]], [[vitality]], and [[willpower]], when they level up, and these are automatically-assigned. The Diablo III developers felt the stat allocation in Diablo II was a poor way to provide character customization, since players almost always followed an established [[build]], which was always the best choice for a character. This removed any variety or individuality.

Stats can be modified in Diablo III in various ways. By [[traits]], via [[charms]] in the [[talisman]], and with equipment bonuses, including socketing [[gems]].

==== Skill Runes ====
[[File:Runes-hydra-all.jpg|thumb|350px|Hydra runestone effects.]]
While gems return for item [[sockets]], [[runes]] in Diablo III are not used in items. There are five types of runes, [[crimson]], [[alabaster]], [[indigo]], [[golden]], and [[obsidian]], which are socketed into active skills, where they modify the skill in various beneficial ways.

[[Runestones]] are a huge aspect of the game, always improving skills to the point that virtually any socketed runestone, even of the lowest level, will make an immediate and obvious difference in a skill's efficacy. Only a few skill rune functions are known at this point, and all are subject to change as development continues.

The first complete known skill permutations was the [[Wizard]]'s [[Hydra]] skill. The basic skill is much as it was in Diablo II, a three-headed flame dragon that pokes out of a manhole in the ground, spitting firebolts at enemies. Each rune changes this effect quite notably. The effects revealed for Hydra changed considerably even between August and October 2010, when the slide to the right was presented at Blizzcon 2010:

* Crimson rune: Turns the dragons blue, and they attack with a chilling/slowing breath.
* Alabaster rune: Turns the dragons purple, and they attack with Arcane damage bolts.
* Golden rune: The dragons remain red, but spit out firewalls, which deal higher damage and leave an [[AoE]] wall of flame on the ground.
* Indigo rune: The dragons turn blue and spit clusters of lightning.
* Obsidian rune: The dragons turn green and spit out poison damaging acid balls.

==Monsters==
[[Image:Goatmen surround a Siegebreaker.jpg|thumb|right|150px|[[Goatmen]] & [[Siegebreaker]].]]
Diablo III will have a great array of '''[[monster]]s''', and they will employ more intelligent behaviour, and effects as well. There will be more 'mini-boss' encounters that make for more epic gameplay, an example is the [[Thousand Pounder]], who isn't really a [[boss]], but a unit type. Other 'effects' include skeletons with large shields that can block and protects archers, [[ghoul]]s that climb up sheer walls to attack you, or [[Grotesque]]s that explode into a hundred [[Lamprey]] monsters. We can expect many unique attack patterns and behaviours from the Diablo III monsters.

The scale of monsters is greatly increased in Diablo III; demons like the Siegebreaker are not uncommon, and appear in sizes unimagined in previous games in the series. And Siegebreak isn't even an especially big boss or Act boss.

* '''The [[Monster|Monsters Article]]''' has much more information on the dozens of known monsters.
* Monster [[bosses]] are much improved and varied in Diablo III.
** [[Boss modifiers]] are new and improved as well, and there are many new and dangerous properties.

==Death==
Death is less of an obstacle to success in Diablo III than in previous games in the series. Dead players in Diablo III do not lose equipment or gold. They must merely wait a few seconds, before waiting to be resurrected by another player in their party, or restarting at the last [[checkpoint]] (not [[waypoint]]) they passed over.

[[Hardcore]] mode is an option in the game, and as in Diablo II, dead HC characters stay dead forever.

Death will even look better. There are many more monster death animations, [[critical hit]] deaths come with bonus gore, and even players get to enjoy the death variety, since some of the special monsters have special fatality animations they'll use if they kill a player during a battle.

==Difficulty Levels==

There are going to be three [[difficulty]] levels in Diablo III, as in other games in the series. The normal difficulty level will not be very difficult, and characters are expected to rise to about Clvl 30 working their way through it. Then 50 after Nightmare and 60 (max level) after Hell. There will not be grinding required to reach the max level in Diablo III; as in World of Warcraft it will be achieved simply by working through the normal content.

The difficulty will increase substantially on Nightmare, and the developers have talked about Hell as a much greater challenge, though they are committed to allowing solo players to defeat everything in the game. Nothing will be so hard that a group is required to pass it, and there no no plans to include [[raid]] style content.

==End Game==

The focus of the [[end game]] will be much changed in Diablo III. The developers have not revealed many details, but they say it will be much more compelling than simply running the same bosses over and over again. That characters will be at or nearly to the max level by the time they finish Hell difficulty (barring rushing or other activities to take a character well outside the normal level progression) makes a big difference, since gaining experience will not be part of the end game.

There are talks about [[Achievements]] being incorporated, or special online-only challenges. The team regards the item hunting game as the ultimate goal of a character in Diablo III.

Another end game activity is PvP play in the [[Arena]], as characters could respec and switch around their equipment to build a character entirely focused on PvP play.

==Items==
[[Image:Barbarian swing.jpg|thumb|right|[[Barbarian]] swinging two magical axes.]]
Armor is arranged in [[gear sets]] in Diablo III. There are 18 of them, increasing in quality/appearance from simple cloth to ornate plate mail. The items do not repeat with different names/stats; there are no exceptional/elite versions of items in Diablo III. This means there is a wider variety of total item types, and that players will see a steady progression throughout the game of increasingly-dramatic looking armor.

Weapons are the same, and will increase from plain to fancy, with stats to match.

Most items are rare or magical, as before. Sockets are not a special feature of white items; sockets may occur on any type of item, and there will not be plain socketed items, nor would you want one since there are no [[Runewords]] to put into them. [[Uniques]] return, though they are apparently going to be called "[[Legendary]]" in Diablo III. [[Item sets]] are also likely returning, though they may differ in function somewhat, to make them more useful and/or easier to assemble.

A very popular type of item will be the [[crafted]] items, magical or rare items made by the NPC [[Artisans]] from various [[recipes]].

===Armor and Weapon Types===

*[[Armor]]: [[helms]], [[shields]], [[body armor]], [[gloves]], [[boots]], [[rings]], [[amulets]], and [[belts]] return. Belts are now just another piece of armor; they do not have any special potion-holding function.
** New armor types: [[Shoulders]], [[bracers]], and [[pants]].

* [[Weapons]]: [[Axes]], [[Spears]], [[Polearms]], [[Swords]], [[Clubs]], [[Bows]], [[Crossbows]], [[Wands]], [[shields]],
** New weapons: [[Fists]], [[Daggers]] (no longer a type of sword), [[Orbs]], [[Pistol crossbows]], [[short staves]] for casters only, [[battle staves]] for the Monk only,
** Removed weapons: There are no [[throwing weapons]] or throwing [[potions]] yet seen in Diablo III.

===Other Items Information===
* [[Runes]] no longer socketed into items, [[runewords]] are no more. Runes are objects that get socketed into [[skills]].
* The [[inventory]] is much larger than it was in Diablo II, and after numerous permutations it's settled on a large grid with all items either 1x1 or 1x2 in size.
* The [[stash]] in town is huge, and will be shared between characters on the same account.
* Items will now drop '''per character'''; you only see items you can pick up, and no other players see or can grab them.
* Trading will be improved and there will be some sort of auction house, though details have not been revealed.
* [[Potion]]s are much less common than in previous Diablo games. There are no mana or rejuvenation potions, just health, and they come with a long cooldown between uses. Basically potions are for emergency use, and will only tide a character over briefly; with the cool down they will not keep you alive through reckless behavior.

==NPCs==
[[Image:Cain-concept1.jpg|thumb|right|75px|[[Cain]]]]
As in previous games in the series, [[NPCs]] will feature large in Diablo III. Much of the game [[story]] will be given by the NPCs, and they will be more interactive, while their speeches will be shorter, more to the point, and can be listened to while playing; you are no longer forced to "stay awhile" while you "listen."

[[Followers]]: More NPCs are found out in the dungeons than in past games, and mini-quests such as [[Escort Mission]]s are common throughout the game.

[[Mercenaries]]: The developers have talked about wanting to make mercs better and more useful than they were in Diablo II, but nothing has yet been revealed.

[[Artisans]]: "Vendors 2.0," these NPCs are merchants, quest-givers, and information sources. They follow the player throughout the game, traveling in a [[caravan]] between the acts, and in addition to the standard item buying and selling, they can [[craft]] new semi-random items from special [[recipes]], as well as [[enchant]], [[socket]], and [[repair]] items. Artisans can even be [[trained]] up to higher levels, giving them better skills.

==Locations==
[[Image:Sanctuary World Map.jpg|thumb|225px|[[world map|Sanctuary world map]], with locations noted.]]The [[world map]] of [[Sanctuary]] was actually released with the second Diablo game's manual, but a new and improved map has been made by Blizzard, outlining the continents and the major [[settlement]]s. Many of these locations will be visited in [[Diablo III]] including [[Tristram]]. Areas close by that were never visited in the previous games will also have a chance, like the [[Leoric Highlands]] and [[Westmarch]], and it's known that much of Act Three takes place in the Barbarian Lands around the [[Arreat Crater]].

We have been shown detailed pictures of [[Skovos]] (the land of the [[Amazon]]s), as well as [[Caldeum]] and Tristram. Skovos is confirmed to be excluded from the game, but the level of detail they are putting in to the universe suggests either a big expansion pack, MMOs or a film.

Outdoor areas will be less randomised than dungeons, and the terrain will for the most part be static. Instead a lot of random scripted events will take place, some will even be really advanced. It can vary from an escort [[quest]], to a mouldy tome, or a big bad [[boss]] monster. You will also find interactive environments with dangerous traps and obstacles, and [[destructible]] elements. There will be "numerous" outdoor locations.

==Dungeons==
The land is filled with dungeons, as in Diablo II. Dungeons vary widely in size and design, and are promised to offer better randomization and variety than they did in Diablo II.

<gallery>
Image:Screenshot 20.jpg|[[Dark Berserker]]s and a [[Grotesque]] in the [[Forgotten Tombs]].
Image:Screenshot 19.jpg|Several [[Walking Corpse]]s. [[Follower]]s can be seen as well.
Image:Screenshot 16.jpg|[[Witch Doctor]] who's [[Skull of Flame|flameskulling]] some [[Walking Corpse]]s.
</gallery>

==Transportation==
As in Diablo II, travel is on foot. There are no [[mounts]] in Sanctuary. Nor are there any [[Town Portal]]s, in a major change from earlier games in the series. The developers felt that Town Portals made it too easy for players to escape danger and made it impossible to offer compelling, dangerous combat.

To replace town portals, there are more waypoints, frequent checkpoints, and a new item, the [[Scroll of Wealth]] that allows players to sell their items remotely, without returning to to town. The new [[salvage cube]], an essential element of [[crafting]], is another addition meant to obviate the need for regular town returns.

==Easter Eggs==
While no [[Easter Eggs]] in Diablo III have been confirmed, (though we've seen plenty of Diablo III Easter Eggs in Starcraft II), Blizzard has given plenty of hints about some sort of [[secret level]] in the game.

===Cow Level===
The [[Cow Level]] is a very distinct piece of content in Diablo 2, but is as of yet unconfirmed for Diablo 3. Cows and Diablo have been closely linked in fan's minds since Diablo 1, and it's not unlikely that we'll get a secret Cow Level in Diablo 3 as well, even if it likely will be very different from the Diablo 2 version.

===Rainbow Level===
This is a rumour started by the [[art controversy]] (see below), and all the hub-hub about the colour in Diablo 3 that came after the announcement might inspire the dev team to make a rainbow level with unicorns and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carebear Carebears].
* [http://forums.diii.net/showthread.php?t=708777 Rainbow Level forum thread]

==Art Changes==
Some fans were very upset that [[Diablo III]] is seemingly full of much more colour than the predecessor [[Diablo II]]. While the settings in general now include a lot more colour, Blizzard argues that Diablo II was more colourful than people remember. Some fans have also expressed fears that Diablo III will become too much like [[World of WarCraft]]. You can read more about concerns and responses here:
* '''[[Art controversy|Diablo III Art Controversy]]'''

==Story Line==
[[Image:Cinematic 10.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Mystical comet overlooking a settlement in the western part of [[Sanctuary]].]]The [[story line]] of the game takes place twenty years after a few powerful heroes saved [[Sanctuary]] from the demonic onslaught in [[Diablo II]]. Those events took place out of the sight of the common populace, and have become myth or legend over the intervening years. Most of the principles are dead or insane, and no one has seen any sight of the Archangel [[Tyrael]] since he destroyed the Worldstone, triggering an explosion that erased [[Mount Arreat]] and shattered the Barbarians' civilization.

Since the destruction of the [[Worldstone]], those few humans (such as [[Deckard Cain]]) who did know of the danger to the world have been expecting an imminent demonic invasion, without the Worldstone to keep them in the [[Burning Hells]]. This has not happened because, and players will eventually learn, the two remaining lords of Hell (presumably [[Belial]] and [[Asmodean]]) have been building armies for a full on invasion, intended to utterly destroy humanity.

Players will see small scale demonic events, as in previous games, but the developers have promised that the scale of some aspects of the game, such as the siege on [[Bastion's Keep]], will be amazingly large; far bigger than anything ever previously seen in the series.

===Character Personalities===

Unlike the blank cyphers that all characters were in previous games in the series, the individual characters in Diablo III will have personalities. The Wizard is young, brash, and headstrong. The Monk is powerful and quietly confident. The Barbarian is strong and stoic. The Demon Hunter is angry and reckless in her need for vengeance. And the Witch Doctor is spiritual, mysterious, and misunderstood by the populace at large.

The characters will behave accordingly, and inspire different replies and behavior from the NPCs, though the only known examples came from [[Captain Rumford]]'s dialogues as heard at Blizzcon 2008.

==Quests==
[[Quests]] in Diablo III are largely similar in form to those of Diablo II. The changes are to greatly increase the number of quests, and to vary them in type and style. Numerous smaller events or adventures are randomly added in each game, amidst the main plot-skeleton quests.

Most large areas of the game, surface and dungeon, will also vary in content and form between games. Though the surface areas are non-random in their overall shape, there are randomized elements within them, which can yield mini-quests, bonus dungeons, or just open space and random monsters, depending on how the spawn works in a given game.

==Single Player and Multiplayer==
The main focus of Diablo III is co-op [[PvE]] style play. Up to four players (yes, just four) will join up in a game and play together, and players in the same game are now always friendly and in the same party. There is no non-consensual PvP in Diablo III, and no way to "go hostile" in a normal PvE game.

Game creation and group formation should be easier in Diablo III. Though the details have not been revealed, the developers hope it will be very easy to join up and play. Their hope is that players in one game can simply click an option to start another one, and as everyone accepts it they'll immediately appear in a new game and continue playing, almost seamlessly.

All multiplayer Diablo III gaming will take place over Battle.net. Diablo III is following in Starcraft's footsteps and will not include LAN support. Though Blizzard never explicitly terms it as such, this is primarily a security measure; requiring players to buy a retail copy and have a valid Battle.net account and CD-Key to play multiplayer is their way of fighting piracy.

===Battle Arena===

[[File:Battle-arena-new-round1.jpg|frame|350px|A new round begins in the Battle Arena.]]
The outlet for PvP in Diablo III is the [[Arena]], a special game type that exists only for head-to-head combat. Players can join up and fight their friends in 1v1 or 2v2 games, but the main design is for players to take part in 3v3 battles, either in teams or as singles who will be sorted together via the game's [[matchmaking]] system.

Arena play debuted at Blizzcon 2010 and was wildly-popular, even with just 3 pre-made characters available to choose from, and limited skills all pre-set.

Hardcore Arena will be supported, and the initial plans of the team is for it to be regular Hardcore rules; you die, you stay dead. This approach has many critics, who ask for some sort of non-lethal HC version, and point out that virtually no one plays PvP in D2 Hardcore since the penalty for death is so severe, both in emotional pain and in the play hours required to build up another character to PvP level. It also seems like any sort of team play would be impossible, since even if a team won, one or two of the players on it would lose their character.

===Battle.net 2.0===
Blizzard have promised very big changes in [[Battle.net 2.0]], and besides removing the [[LAN]] functionality, the idea is to encourage people to play online with [[Achievement]]s, handy friends/foes lists and community support. You can read more about confirmed Battle.net features here:
* [http://www.diii.net/articles/689867/definite-battlenet-20-features Definite Battle.net 2.0 Features]

==Other Changes==
Among the things that are not listed under their own headline, there are a few other things to highlight about Diablo III:
* '''[[Chest]]s''' will no longer be locked.
* Monster corpses are no longer something that players can interact with. There are no corpse skills like Diablo II's {{iw|Corpse_Explosion Corpse Explosion}} or {{iw|Find_Item Find Item}}, and bodies on the ground dissolve and vanish after a moment or two.
** There are no player corpses either, in the sense of lootable objects as they were in Diablo II. Like monsters, dead players are subject to the game's physics and can be blasted aside or out of sight by spells, and will vanish after a few minutes.

==Release Information==
This is a collection of all information available pertaining to the release of Diablo. Including [[release date]], [[system requirements]], [[Beta Test|beta testing]], price/payment methods and age [[rating]].

=== Release Date ===
As usual, the [[Release Date|release date]] for any Blizzard production is kept under wraps for as long as possible. While Blizzard has shown playable builds of Diablo III at conventions and press events, the level of polish makes it harder to estimate development time left. Any other dates or rumours, which are constantly provided by game retailers, are just rumors and should not be given any credence.

More information on the '''[[Diablo III release date]]''' article.

=== System Requirements ===
* Windows XP compatible
* Windows Vista compatible
* Mac OSX compatible
Read more on the [[Diablo III System Requirements]] page. Diablo III is made completely in 3D, using custom in-house tools. The game is currently native to DirectX 9, and will not require DirectX 10 or 11 to run.[http://ablegamers.com/Disabled-Gamers-News/AbleGamers-Interviews-the-Diablo-III-Team.html] The game will probably use a slightly higher level of system requirements than [[StarCraft II]], which also uses Havok & DirectX 9, and is the closest thing we can compare the game to. You can read more on StarCraft II's requirements and DirectX compatibilities as well as shader info here:
* [http://www.starcraftwire.net/articles/954/starcraft-2-graphics-requirements-confirmed Graphics Requirements Confirmed] - The most prominent part of the system requirements, the graphics requirements released from Blizzard document.
* [http://www.starcraftwire.net/articles/675/starcraft-2-system-requirements StarCraft II System Requirements] - System requirements analyse from available information.
* [http://www.starcraftwire.net/articles/735/kalos-chronicles Kalos' Chronicles] - Technical articles for StarCraft II.

===Diablo Beta Testing===
As with the release date, a time for beta is currently unknown. Jay Wilson has estimated that the release will occur about six months after the beta test begins. No dates or estimates for the beta have been given, but Blizzard did say that 1000 randomly-selected ticket buyers to Blizzcon 2010 will win a beta slot. Many fans have taken this to mean that Blizzard hopes to start the Diablo III beta before Blizzcon 2011, which would likely be in the August-October time frame, as it has been each year thus far.

General information on Blizzard beta tests can be seen on the '''[[Beta Test]]''' page.

===Retail Price===
The retail price for Diablo III is unknown and will be stated closer to release. It's likely that the game will be "boxed" (no monthly fees, just a one-off price) and priced similar to other AAA titles. Starcraft II (and other recent AAA titles by Activision) retailed for $60, up $10 from the traditional $50 price tag, and it's virtually certain Diablo III will follow that route.

All online game retailers are listing $60 as their estimated price, at least.

===Game Age Rating===
The '''[[rating]]''' of [[Diablo III]] is estimated to be aimed for gamers above the age of 15, while still trying to avoid USK 18+ in Germany, or other similar ratings that would hamper the sales of the game in that country. [[Blizzard]] have stated that they will censor out blood and other gore, as required to avoid "adult" ratings in various countries with more restrictive gore requirements than those found in the US.
* '''America ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entertainment_Software_Rating_Board ERSB])''' - "M" Mature Rating (player should be at least 17 years old). No law enforcement.
* '''Europe ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PEGI PEGI])''' - 16+ (player should be at least 16 years old). No law enforcement (for most countries).
* '''Germany ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unterhaltungssoftware_Selbstkontrolle USK])''' - USK 16+ (player should be at least 16 years old). Law enforcement of USK.
* '''Read more''' in the '''[[rating]]s''' article.

===Copy Protection and DRM===
It's unknown what type of copy protection (DRM) will be used on Diablo III, but with the new Battle.net changes and new Battle.net accounts, the game will likely only use a very light form of copy protection since the license is associated with the account. Online play will most likely not require a DVD in the drive, and offline play is unknown.

==Who's in Charge?==
Naturally, [[Blizzard]] are the guys making Diablo III, but that isn't a surprise. The important people for this production is the relatively new Blizzard employee Diablo III Lead Designer [[Jay Wilson]], besides the regular team. For fans, you might want to keep a look out for [[Bashiok]], the new Diablo Community Manager and [[Leonard Boyarsky]] who is the Lead World Designer for Diablo III, and head of [[quest]]s & [[lore]] as well as designing the world of [[Sanctuary]].

==Expansions, MMO or Diablo Movie==
Whatever will come after [[Diablo III]] is unknown, but it seems apparent that Blizzard are confident [http://www.incgamers.com/Games/1935/features/90/Diablo-III-Inforview] that there '''WILL''' be expansions. They have mentioned that the story line will have a more "final" ending than in Diablo II, which possibly means to make it better for an expansion, or perhaps a future MMO or a [[Diablo movie]]. Regardless, [[Jay Wilson]] has said that there are lots of potential for expanding the universe. What types of media this will come in is unknown: books, comics, manga, expansions, games or a movie...

[[Mike Morhaime]] said that they would like to make '''Diablo III expansions annually'''[http://www.diii.net/blog/comments/diablo-3-will-have-several-expansions], and confirming plans for multiple expansions for the game.

==Further Information==
You can follow the links to each specific section for further details on Diablo III development and information. You can also use one of the following links for further information:
* {{wl|[http://www.diii.net/news Diablo III news]}} - The most coherent news listing for Diablo III.
* [[Media Coverage]] - All Interviews, Previews, Pictures, Videos and Articles from around the web.
* [[:Category:Basics|Diablo III Basics]] - A listing of articles with good information if you are new to Diablo III.
* [[Diablo III FAQ]] - Frequently Asked Questions
* [[Diablo 3 History]] - The history of Diablo III up until the announcement.

==References==
* [http://www.blizzard.com/us/press/080628.html Blizzard Press Release]

[[Category:Diablo III]]
[[Category:Basics]]
[[Category:Featured articles]]

Diablo 3 Basics

2011-01-14T00:26:22Z

Dragonfriend: /* Story Line */

[[Image:Diablo III Logo.jpg|left|150px]]
This is the '''Diablo 3 Basics''' page, which is the main '''Fact Sheet''' of known '''Diablo III''' information. This much anticipated sequel to Diablo and Diablo II was announced at [[Blizzard]]'s [[WWI 2008]] in Paris, during 27-28 June 2008. Regardless if you just heard that Diablo III is announced, or if you have been following some of the {{wl|[http://diablo.incgamers.com Diablo 3 news]}}, this page will get you up to speed!

If you are looking for the '''Basics Section''' of the wiki, you can find that in the '''[[:Category:Basics|Basics Category]]'''.

==Introduction==
Diablo III, while featured completely in '''3D''' with a 3D environment, will follow closely in Diablo II's track by using the classic isometric view, fast gameplay and randomised content for high replayability. Some changes have been made in order to make the game faster and more flexible as well as making players choose and employ tactics rather than mindless mouseclicking. Besides taking well learned lessons from WoW, the developers have been inspired by games such as ''Zelda'' and ''God of War''. Regardless, the game will be possible to play with a mouse alone, if a player so wishes (but you would be a lot less efficient).

Remember that if you're a newcomer to Diablo you can find more related articles in the '''[[:Category:Basics|Basics Category]]'''
 
 

== Character Classes ==

Blizzard have confirmed that the game will ship with five characters. These are the [[Barbarian]], [[Demon Hunter]], [[Monk]], [[Witch Doctor]], and [[Wizard]]. All five classes will be playable in male or female versions. The gender difference is purely cosmetic; male and female characters have identical stats and abilities. The classes are very distinct from one another; all armor appears different depending on which character is using it, the characters have completely unique [[skills]], largely unique [[traits]], and each has their own [[resource]] type.

Though all five classes for Diablo III have been revealed, more are expected in the [[expansion]]s. See the [[Other classes]] article for Blizzard quotes on their additional character ideas.

{|
! colspan="3" | Barbarian
|-
| [[File:Barbfemale.jpg|85px]]
| [[File:Barbmale.jpg|80px]]
| '''The [[Barbarian]]''' - The same character you played in [[Diablo II]], but with some [[Barbarian skills|new skills]], and backed with power of the [[ancient]]s.
* [[Barbarian Skills]]
* [[Barbarian Traits]]
* [[Resource]]: - [[Fury]]
|-
! colspan="3" | Demon Hunter
|-
| colspan="2" | [[File:Demon-hunter-art4.jpg|center|130px]]

| '''The [[Demon Hunter]]''' - The last class revealed is a ranged weapon specialist with a grudge against all demon kind, sexy style, and deadly traps and demonic gadgets to go with her glowing eyes.
* [[Demon Hunter Skills]]
* [[Demon Hunter Traits]]
* [[Resource]]: - Unknown
|-
! colspan="3" | Monk
|-
| [[File:Monkfemale.jpg|85px]]
| [[File:Monkmale.jpg|85px]]
| '''The [[Monk]]''' - A new fellow from [[Ivgorod]]. Combining martial arts of our eastern cultures with a holy strike from the western disciplines he takes names and kicks in faces.
* [[Monk Skills]]
* [[Monk Traits]]
* [[Resource]]: [[Spirit]]
|-
! colspan="3" | Witch Doctor
|-
| [[File:Witchfemale.jpg|85px]]
| [[File:Witchmale.jpg|70px]]
| '''The [[Witch Doctor]]''' - A new class that comes from the jungle region of [[Teganze]], and uses [[Witch Doctor skills|voodoo magic]] to do his bidding. One of his highlights is the [[Wall of Zombies]] spell.
* [[Witch Doctor Skills]]
* [[Witch Doctor Traits]]
* [[Resource]]: [[Mana]]
|-
! colspan="3" | Wizard
|-
| [[File:Wizardfemale.jpg|85px]]
| [[File:Wizardmale.jpg|70px]]
| '''The [[Wizard]]''' - A new class that is a pure spell caster harnessing arcane and elemental magic to do her bidding. Very similar to the [[Sorcerer]] and [[Sorceress]] of previously Diablo games. One of the highlights is the [[Wizard_skills#Slow_Time|Slow Time]] spell which warps space and time, slowing nearby monsters and projectiles.
* [[Wizard Skills]]
* [[Wizard Traits]]
* [[Resource]]: [[Arcane Power]]
|-
|}

=== Skills ===
The skills and their presentation evolved greatly during the game's development. See the [[skill tree]] article for a full pictorial history. As of Blizzcon 2010 skills are presented in a list, sorted into seven tiers which are unlocked at various character levels. All skills are [[active]], there are no prerequisites other than character level, and no synergies.

[[Traits]] were added during development in 2010, when all [[passive]] skills were removed from the skill trees. Traits are passives or masteries and boost general character traits, or specific skills. While many traits are shared between the classes, granting bonuses to [[attributes]] or other common properties such as [[Lucky]] (increased gold drops), or [[Pound of Flesh]] (increased [[health orb]] benefit, about half of the traits are unique to each class, providing specific bonuses just for that class.

==== Skill Tree Respecs/Resets ====
In Diablo II prior to v1.13, a character was unable to change their skills and stats once they were allocated. If you made any mistake, the only solution was to [[reroll]]. This is changed in Diablo III, and it will be fairly easy for characters to "[[respec]]," to remove and reassign points from [[skills]] and [[traits]].

The exact methods have not yet been revealed, but the developers have said it will be fairly easy to do, though not entirely free or instant, to prevent exploitation.

====Stats/Attributes====
One major change announced early in Diablo III's development was the elimination of player-assigned stat points. In Diablo III, each class gains various [[attribute]] points, [[strength]], [[dexterity]], [[vitality]], and [[willpower]], when they level up, and these are automatically-assigned. The Diablo III developers felt the stat allocation in Diablo II was a poor way to provide character customization, since players almost always followed an established [[build]], which was always the best choice for a character. This removed any variety or individuality.

Stats can be modified in Diablo III in various ways. By [[traits]], via [[charms]] in the [[talisman]], and with equipment bonuses, including socketing [[gems]].

==== Skill Runes ====
[[File:Runes-hydra-all.jpg|thumb|350px|Hydra runestone effects.]]
While gems return for item [[sockets]], [[runes]] in Diablo III are not used in items. There are five types of runes, [[crimson]], [[alabaster]], [[indigo]], [[golden]], and [[obsidian]], which are socketed into active skills, where they modify the skill in various beneficial ways.

[[Runestones]] are a huge aspect of the game, always improving skills to the point that virtually any socketed runestone, even of the lowest level, will make an immediate and obvious difference in a skill's efficacy. Only a few skill rune functions are known at this point, and all are subject to change as development continues.

The first complete known skill permutations was the [[Wizard]]'s [[Hydra]] skill. The basic skill is much as it was in Diablo II, a three-headed flame dragon that pokes out of a manhole in the ground, spitting firebolts at enemies. Each rune changes this effect quite notably. The effects revealed for Hydra changed considerably even between August and October 2010, when the slide to the right was presented at Blizzcon 2010:

* Crimson rune: Turns the dragons blue, and they attack with a chilling/slowing breath.
* Alabaster rune: Turns the dragons purple, and they attack with Arcane damage bolts.
* Golden rune: The dragons remain red, but spit out firewalls, which deal higher damage and leave an [[AoE]] wall of flame on the ground.
* Indigo rune: The dragons turn blue and spit clusters of lightning.
* Obsidian rune: The dragons turn green and spit out poison damaging acid balls.

==Monsters==
[[Image:Goatmen surround a Siegebreaker.jpg|thumb|right|150px|[[Goatmen]] & [[Siegebreaker]].]]
Diablo III will have a great array of '''[[monster]]s''', and they will employ more intelligent behaviour, and effects as well. There will be more 'mini-boss' encounters that make for more epic gameplay, an example is the [[Thousand Pounder]], who isn't really a [[boss]], but a unit type. Other 'effects' include skeletons with large shields that can block and protects archers, [[ghoul]]s that climb up sheer walls to attack you, or [[Grotesque]]s that explode into a hundred [[Lamprey]] monsters. We can expect many unique attack patterns and behaviours from the Diablo III monsters.

The scale of monsters is greatly increased in Diablo III; demons like the Siegebreaker are not uncommon, and appear in sizes unimagined in previous games in the series. And Siegebreak isn't even an especially big boss or Act boss.

* '''The [[Monster|Monsters Article]]''' has much more information on the dozens of known monsters.
* Monster [[bosses]] are much improved and varied in Diablo III.
** [[Boss modifiers]] are new and improved as well, and there are many new and dangerous properties.

==Death==
Death is less of an obstacle to success in Diablo III than in previous games in the series. Dead players in Diablo III do not lose equipment or gold. They must merely wait a few seconds, before waiting to be resurrected by another player in their party, or restarting at the last [[checkpoint]] (not [[waypoint]]) they passed over.

[[Hardcore]] mode is an option in the game, and as in Diablo II, dead HC characters stay dead forever.

Death will even look better. There are many more monster death animations, [[critical hit]] deaths come with bonus gore, and even players get to enjoy the death variety, since some of the special monsters have special fatality animations they'll use if they kill a player during a battle.

==Difficulty Levels==

There are going to be three [[difficulty]] levels in Diablo III, as in other games in the series. The normal difficulty level will not be very difficult, and characters are expected to rise to about Clvl 30 working their way through it. Then 50 after Nightmare and 60 (max level) after Hell. There will not be grinding required to reach the max level in Diablo III; as in World of Warcraft it will be achieved simply by working through the normal content.

The difficulty will increase substantially on Nightmare, and the developers have talked about Hell as a much greater challenge, though they are committed to allowing solo players to defeat everything in the game. Nothing will be so hard that a group is required to pass it, and there no no plans to include [[raid]] style content.

==End Game==

The focus of the [[end game]] will be much changed in Diablo III. The developers have not revealed many details, but they say it will be much more compelling than simply running the same bosses over and over again. That characters will be at or nearly to the max level by the time they finish Hell difficulty (barring rushing or other activities to take a character well outside the normal level progression) makes a big difference, since gaining experience will not be part of the end game.

There are talks about [[Achievements]] being incorporated, or special online-only challenges. The team regards the item hunting game as the ultimate goal of a character in Diablo III.

Another end game activity is PvP play in the [[Arena]], as characters could respec and switch around their equipment to build a character entirely focused on PvP play.

==Items==
[[Image:Barbarian swing.jpg|thumb|right|[[Barbarian]] swinging two magical axes.]]
Armor is arranged in [[gear sets]] in Diablo III. There are 18 of them, increasing in quality/appearance from simple cloth to ornate plate mail. The items do not repeat with different names/stats; there are no exceptional/elite versions of items in Diablo III. This means there is a wider variety of total item types, and that players will see a steady progression throughout the game of increasingly-dramatic looking armor.

Weapons are the same, and will increase from plain to fancy, with stats to match.

Most items are rare or magical, as before. Sockets are not a special feature of white items; sockets may occur on any type of item, and there will not be plain socketed items, nor would you want one since there are no [[Runewords]] to put into them. [[Uniques]] return, though they are apparently going to be called "[[Legendary]]" in Diablo III. [[Item sets]] are also likely returning, though they may differ in function somewhat, to make them more useful and/or easier to assemble.

A very popular type of item will be the [[crafted]] items, magical or rare items made by the NPC [[Artisans]] from various [[recipes]].

===Armor and Weapon Types===

*[[Armor]]: [[helms]], [[shields]], [[body armor]], [[gloves]], [[boots]], [[rings]], [[amulets]], and [[belts]] return. Belts are now just another piece of armor; they do not have any special potion-holding function.
** New armor types: [[Shoulders]], [[bracers]], and [[pants]].

* [[Weapons]]: [[Axes]], [[Spears]], [[Polearms]], [[Swords]], [[Clubs]], [[Bows]], [[Crossbows]], [[Wands]], [[shields]],
** New weapons: [[Fists]], [[Daggers]] (no longer a type of sword), [[Orbs]], [[Pistol crossbows]], [[short staves]] for casters only, [[battle staves]] for the Monk only,
** Removed weapons: There are no [[throwing weapons]] or throwing [[potions]] yet seen in Diablo III.

===Other Items Information===
* [[Runes]] no longer socketed into items, [[runewords]] are no more. Runes are objects that get socketed into [[skills]].
* The [[inventory]] is much larger than it was in Diablo II, and after numerous permutations it's settled on a large grid with all items either 1x1 or 1x2 in size.
* The [[stash]] in town is huge, and will be shared between characters on the same account.
* Items will now drop '''per character'''; you only see items you can pick up, and no other players see or can grab them.
* Trading will be improved and there will be some sort of auction house, though details have not been revealed.
* [[Potion]]s are much less common than in previous Diablo games. There are no mana or rejuvenation potions, just health, and they come with a long cooldown between uses. Basically potions are for emergency use, and will only tide a character over briefly; with the cool down they will not keep you alive through reckless behavior.

==NPCs==
[[Image:Cain-concept1.jpg|thumb|right|75px|[[Cain]]]]
As in previous games in the series, [[NPCs]] will feature large in Diablo III. Much of the game [[story]] will be given by the NPCs, and they will be more interactive, while their speeches will be shorter, more to the point, and can be listened to while playing; you are no longer forced to "stay awhile" while you "listen."

[[Followers]]: More NPCs are found out in the dungeons than in past games, and mini-quests such as [[Escort Mission]]s are common throughout the game.

[[Mercenaries]]: The developers have talked about wanting to make mercs better and more useful than they were in Diablo II, but nothing has yet been revealed.

[[Artisans]]: "Vendors 2.0," these NPCs are merchants, quest-givers, and information sources. They follow the player throughout the game, traveling in a [[caravan]] between the acts, and in addition to the standard item buying and selling, they can [[craft]] new semi-random items from special [[recipes]], as well as [[enchant]], [[socket]], and [[repair]] items. Artisans can even be [[trained]] up to higher levels, giving them better skills.

==Locations==
[[Image:Sanctuary World Map.jpg|thumb|225px|[[world map|Sanctuary world map]], with locations noted.]]The [[world map]] of [[Sanctuary]] was actually released with the second Diablo game's manual, but a new and improved map has been made by Blizzard, outlining the continents and the major [[settlement]]s. Many of these locations will be visited in [[Diablo III]] including [[Tristram]]. Areas close by that were never visited in the previous games will also have a chance, like the [[Leoric Highlands]] and [[Westmarch]], and it's known that much of Act Three takes place in the Barbarian Lands around the [[Arreat Crater]].

We have been shown detailed pictures of [[Skovos]] (the land of the [[Amazon]]s), as well as [[Caldeum]] and Tristram. Skovos is confirmed to be excluded from the game, but the level of detail they are putting in to the universe suggests either a big expansion pack, MMOs or a film.

Outdoor areas will be less randomised than dungeons, and the terrain will for the most part be static. Instead a lot of random scripted events will take place, some will even be really advanced. It can vary from an escort [[quest]], to a mouldy tome, or a big bad [[boss]] monster. You will also find interactive environments with dangerous traps and obstacles, and [[destructible]] elements. There will be "numerous" outdoor locations.

==Dungeons==
The land is filled with dungeons, as in Diablo II. Dungeons vary widely in size and design, and are promised to offer better randomization and variety than they did in Diablo II.

<gallery>
Image:Screenshot 20.jpg|[[Dark Berserker]]s and a [[Grotesque]] in the [[Forgotten Tombs]].
Image:Screenshot 19.jpg|Several [[Walking Corpse]]s. [[Follower]]s can be seen as well.
Image:Screenshot 16.jpg|[[Witch Doctor]] who's [[Skull of Flame|flameskulling]] some [[Walking Corpse]]s.
</gallery>

==Transportation==
As in Diablo II, travel is on foot. There are no [[mounts]] in Sanctuary. Nor are there any [[Town Portal]]s, in a major change from earlier games in the series. The developers felt that Town Portals made it too easy for players to escape danger and made it impossible to offer compelling, dangerous combat.

To replace town portals, there are more waypoints, frequent checkpoints, and a new item, the [[Scroll of Wealth]] that allows players to sell their items remotely, without returning to to town. The new [[salvage cube]], an essential element of [[crafting]], is another addition meant to obviate the need for regular town returns.

==Easter Eggs==
While no [[Easter Eggs]] in Diablo III have been confirmed, (though we've seen plenty of Diablo III Easter Eggs in Starcraft II), Blizzard has given plenty of hints about some sort of [[secret level]] in the game.

===Cow Level===
The [[Cow Level]] is a very distinct piece of content in Diablo 2, but is as of yet unconfirmed for Diablo 3. Cows and Diablo have been closely linked in fan's minds since Diablo 1, and it's not unlikely that we'll get a secret Cow Level in Diablo 3 as well, even if it likely will be very different from the Diablo 2 version.

===Rainbow Level===
This is a rumour started by the [[art controversy]] (see below), and all the hub-hub about the colour in Diablo 3 that came after the announcement might inspire the dev team to make a rainbow level with unicorns and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carebear Carebears].
* [http://forums.diii.net/showthread.php?t=708777 Rainbow Level forum thread]

==Art Changes==
Some fans were very upset that [[Diablo III]] is seemingly full of much more colour than the predecessor [[Diablo II]]. While the settings in general now include a lot more colour, Blizzard argues that Diablo II was more colourful than people remember. Some fans have also expressed fears that Diablo III will become too much like [[World of WarCraft]]. You can read more about concerns and responses here:
* '''[[Art controversy|Diablo III Art Controversy]]'''

==Story Line==
[[Image:Cinematic 10.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Mystical comet overlooking a settlement in the western part of [[Sanctuary]].]]The [[story line]] of the game takes place twenty years after a few powerful heroes saved [[Sanctuary]] from the demonic onslaught in [[Diablo II]]. Those events took place out of the sight of the common populace, and have become myth or legend over the intervening years. Most of the principles are dead or insane, and no one has seen any sight of the Archangel [[Tyrael]] since he destroyed the Worldstone, triggering an explosion that erased [[Mount Arreat]] and shattered the Barbarians' civilization.

Since the destruction of the [[Worldstone]], those few humans (such as [[Deckard Cain]]) who did know of the danger to the world have been expecting an imminent demonic invasion, without the Worldstone to keep them in the [[Burning Hells]]. This has not happened because, and players will eventually learn, the two remaining lords of Hell (presumably [[Belial]] and [[Asmodean]]) have been building armies for a full on invasion, intended to utterly destroy humanity.

Players will see small scale demonic events, as in previous games, but the developers have promised that the scale of some aspects of the game, such as the siege on [[Bastion's Keep]], will be amazingly large; far bigger than anything ever previously seen in the series.

===Character Personalities===

Unlike the blank cyphers that all characters were in previous games in the series, the individual characters in Diablo III will have personalities. The Wizard is young, brash, and headstrong. The Monk is powerful and quietly confident. The Barbarian is strong and stoic. The Demon Hunter is angry and reckless in her need for vengeance. And the Witch Doctor is spiritual, mysterious, and misunderstood by the populace at large.

The characters will behave accordingly, and inspire different replies and behavior from the NPCs, though the only known examples came from [[Captain Rumford]]'s dialogues as heard at Blizzcon 2008.

==Quests==
[[Quests]] in Diablo III are largely similar in form to those of Diablo II. The changes are to greatly increase the number of quests, and to vary them in type and style. Numerous smaller events or adventures are randomly added in each game, amidst the main plot-skeleton quests.

Most large areas of the game, surface and dungeon, will also vary in content and form between games. Though the surface areas are non-random in their overall shape, there are randomized elements within them, which can yield mini-quests, bonus dungeons, or just open space and random monsters, depending on how the spawn works in a given game.

==Single Player and Multiplayer==
The main focus of Diablo III is co-op [[PvE]] style play. Up to four players (yes, just four) will join up in a game and play together, and players in the same game are now always friendly and in the same party. There is no non-consensual PvP in Diablo III, and no way to "go hostile" in a normal PvE game.

Game creation and group formation should be easier in Diablo III. Though the details have not been revealed, the developers hope it will be very easy to join up and play. Their hope is that players in one game can simply click an option to start another one, and as everyone accepts it they'll immediately appear in a new game and continue playing, almost seamlessly.

All multiplayer Diablo III gaming will take place over Battle.net. Diablo III is following in Starcraft's footsteps and will not include LAN support. Though Blizzard never explicitly terms it as such, this is primarily a security measure; requiring players to buy a retail copy and have a valid Battle.net account and CD-Key to play multiplayer is their way of fighting piracy.

===Battle Arena===

[[File:Battle-arena-new-round1.jpg|frame|350px|A new round begins in the Battle Arena.]]
The outlet for PvP in Diablo III is the [[Arena]], a special game type that exists only for head-to-head combat. Players can join up and fight their friends in 1v1 or 2v2 games, but the main design is for players to take part in 3v3 battles, either in teams or as singles who will be sorted together via the game's [[matchmaking]] system.

Arena play debuted at Blizzcon 2010 and was wildly-popular, even with just 3 pre-made characters available to choose from, and limited skills all pre-set.

Hardcore Arena will be supported, and the initial plans of the team is for it to be regular Hardcore rules; you die, you stay dead. This approach has many critics, who ask for some sort of non-lethal HC version, and point out that virtually no one plays PvP in D2 Hardcore since the penalty for death is so severe, both in emotional pain and in the play hours required to build up another character to PvP level. It also seems like any sort of team play would be impossible, since even if a team won, one or two of the players on it would lose their character.

===Battle.net 2.0===
Blizzard have promised very big changes in [[Battle.net 2.0]], and besides removing the [[LAN]] functionality, the idea is to encourage people to play online with [[Achievement]]s, handy friends/foes lists and community support. You can read more about confirmed Battle.net features here:
* [http://www.diii.net/articles/689867/definite-battlenet-20-features Definite Battle.net 2.0 Features]

==Other Changes==
Among the things that are not listed under their own headline, there are a few other things to highlight about Diablo III:
* '''[[Chest]]s''' will no longer be locked.
* Monster corpses are no longer something that players can interact with. There are no corpse skills like Diablo II's {{iw|Corpse_Explosion Corpse Explosion}} or {{iw|Find_Item Find Item}}, and bodies on the ground dissolve and vanish after a moment or two.
** There are no player corpses either, in the sense of lootable objects as they were in Diablo II. Like monsters, dead players are subject to the game's physics and can be blasted aside or out of sight by spells, and will vanish after a few minutes.

==Release Information==
This is a collection of all information available pertaining to the release of Diablo. Including [[release date]], [[system requirements]], [[Beta Test|beta testing]], price/payment methods and age [[rating]].

=== Release Date ===
As usual, the [[Release Date|release date]] for any Blizzard production is kept under wraps for as long as possible. While Blizzard has shown playable builds of Diablo III at conventions and press events, the level of polish makes it harder to estimate development time left. Any other dates or rumours, which are constantly provided by game retailers, are just rumors and should not be given any credence.

More information on the '''[[Diablo III release date]]''' article.

=== System Requirements ===
* Windows XP compatible
* Windows Vista compatible
* Mac OSX compatible
Read more on the [[Diablo III System Requirements]] page. Diablo III is made completely in 3D, using custom in-house tools. The game is currently native to DirectX 9, and will not require DirectX 10 or 11 to run.[http://ablegamers.com/Disabled-Gamers-News/AbleGamers-Interviews-the-Diablo-III-Team.html] The game will probably use a slightly higher level of system requirements than [[StarCraft II]], which also uses Havok & DirectX 9, and is the closest thing we can compare the game to. You can read more on StarCraft II's requirements and DirectX compatibilities as well as shader info here:
* [http://www.starcraftwire.net/articles/954/starcraft-2-graphics-requirements-confirmed Graphics Requirements Confirmed] - The most prominent part of the system requirements, the graphics requirements released from Blizzard document.
* [http://www.starcraftwire.net/articles/675/starcraft-2-system-requirements StarCraft II System Requirements] - System requirements analyse from available information.
* [http://www.starcraftwire.net/articles/735/kalos-chronicles Kalos' Chronicles] - Technical articles for StarCraft II.

===Diablo Beta Testing===
As with the release date, a time for beta is currently unknown. Jay Wilson has estimated that the release will occur about six months after the beta test begins. No dates or estimates for the beta have been given, but Blizzard did say that 1000 randomly-selected ticket buyers to Blizzcon 2010 will win a beta slot. Many fans have taken this to mean that Blizzard hopes to start the Diablo III beta before Blizzcon 2011, which would likely be in the August-October time frame, as it has been each year thus far.

General information on Blizzard beta tests can be seen on the '''[[Beta Test]]''' page.

===Retail Price===
The retail price for Diablo III is unknown and will be stated closer to release. It's likely that the game will be "boxed" (no monthly fees, just a one-off price) and priced similar to other AAA titles. Starcraft II (and other recent AAA titles by Activision) retailed for $60, up $10 from the traditional $50 price tag, and it's virtually certain Diablo III will follow that route.

All online game retailers are listing $60 as their estimated price, at least.

===Game Age Rating===
The '''[[rating]]''' of [[Diablo III]] is estimated to be aimed for gamers above the age of 15, while still trying to avoid USK 18+ in Germany, or other similar ratings that would hamper the sales of the game in that country. [[Blizzard]] have stated that they will censor out blood and other gore, as required to avoid "adult" ratings in various countries with more restrictive gore requirements than those found in the US.
* '''America ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entertainment_Software_Rating_Board ERSB])''' - "M" Mature Rating (player should be at least 17 years old). No law enforcement.
* '''Europe ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PEGI PEGI])''' - 16+ (player should be at least 16 years old). No law enforcement (for most countries).
* '''Germany ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unterhaltungssoftware_Selbstkontrolle USK])''' - USK 16+ (player should be at least 16 years old). Law enforcement of USK.
* '''Read more''' in the '''[[rating]]s''' article.

===Copy Protection and DRM===
It's unknown what type of copy protection (DRM) will be used on Diablo III, but with the new Battle.net changes and new Battle.net accounts, the game will likely only use a very light form of copy protection since the license is associated with the account. Online play will most likely not require a DVD in the drive, and offline play is unknown.

==Who's in Charge?==
Naturally, [[Blizzard]] are the guys making Diablo III, but that isn't a surprise. The important people for this production is the relatively new Blizzard employee Diablo III Lead Designer [[Jay Wilson]], besides the regular team. For fans, you might want to keep a look out for [[Bashiok]], the new Diablo Community Manager and [[Leonard Boyarsky]] who is the Lead World Designer for Diablo III, and head of [[quest]]s & [[lore]] as well as designing the world of [[Sanctuary]].

==Expansions, MMO or Diablo Movie==
Whatever will come after [[Diablo III]] is unknown, but it seems apparent that Blizzard are confident [http://www.incgamers.com/Games/1935/features/90/Diablo-III-Inforview] that there '''WILL''' be expansions. They have mentioned that the story line will have a more "final" ending than in Diablo II, which possibly means to make it better for an expansion, or perhaps a future MMO or a [[Diablo movie]]. Regardless, [[Jay Wilson]] has said that there are lots of potential for expanding the universe. What types of media this will come in is unknown: books, comics, manga, expansions, games or a movie...

[[Mike Morhaime]] said that they would like to make '''Diablo III expansions annually'''[http://www.diii.net/blog/comments/diablo-3-will-have-several-expansions], and confirming plans for multiple expansions for the game.

==Further Information==
You can follow the links to each specific section for further details on Diablo III development and information. You can also use one of the following links for further information:
* {{wl|[http://www.diii.net/news Diablo III news]}} - The most coherent news listing for Diablo III.
* [[Media Coverage]] - All Interviews, Previews, Pictures, Videos and Articles from around the web.
* [[:Category:Basics|Diablo III Basics]] - A listing of articles with good information if you are new to Diablo III.
* [[Diablo III FAQ]] - Frequently Asked Questions
* [[Diablo 3 History]] - The history of Diablo III up until the announcement.

==References==
* [http://www.blizzard.com/us/press/080628.html Blizzard Press Release]

[[Category:Diablo III]]
[[Category:Basics]]
[[Category:Featured articles]]

Diablo 3 Basics

2011-01-14T00:21:35Z

Dragonfriend: /* Dungeons */

[[Image:Diablo III Logo.jpg|left|150px]]
This is the '''Diablo 3 Basics''' page, which is the main '''Fact Sheet''' of known '''Diablo III''' information. This much anticipated sequel to Diablo and Diablo II was announced at [[Blizzard]]'s [[WWI 2008]] in Paris, during 27-28 June 2008. Regardless if you just heard that Diablo III is announced, or if you have been following some of the {{wl|[http://diablo.incgamers.com Diablo 3 news]}}, this page will get you up to speed!

If you are looking for the '''Basics Section''' of the wiki, you can find that in the '''[[:Category:Basics|Basics Category]]'''.

==Introduction==
Diablo III, while featured completely in '''3D''' with a 3D environment, will follow closely in Diablo II's track by using the classic isometric view, fast gameplay and randomised content for high replayability. Some changes have been made in order to make the game faster and more flexible as well as making players choose and employ tactics rather than mindless mouseclicking. Besides taking well learned lessons from WoW, the developers have been inspired by games such as ''Zelda'' and ''God of War''. Regardless, the game will be possible to play with a mouse alone, if a player so wishes (but you would be a lot less efficient).

Remember that if you're a newcomer to Diablo you can find more related articles in the '''[[:Category:Basics|Basics Category]]'''
 
 

== Character Classes ==

Blizzard have confirmed that the game will ship with five characters. These are the [[Barbarian]], [[Demon Hunter]], [[Monk]], [[Witch Doctor]], and [[Wizard]]. All five classes will be playable in male or female versions. The gender difference is purely cosmetic; male and female characters have identical stats and abilities. The classes are very distinct from one another; all armor appears different depending on which character is using it, the characters have completely unique [[skills]], largely unique [[traits]], and each has their own [[resource]] type.

Though all five classes for Diablo III have been revealed, more are expected in the [[expansion]]s. See the [[Other classes]] article for Blizzard quotes on their additional character ideas.

{|
! colspan="3" | Barbarian
|-
| [[File:Barbfemale.jpg|85px]]
| [[File:Barbmale.jpg|80px]]
| '''The [[Barbarian]]''' - The same character you played in [[Diablo II]], but with some [[Barbarian skills|new skills]], and backed with power of the [[ancient]]s.
* [[Barbarian Skills]]
* [[Barbarian Traits]]
* [[Resource]]: - [[Fury]]
|-
! colspan="3" | Demon Hunter
|-
| colspan="2" | [[File:Demon-hunter-art4.jpg|center|130px]]

| '''The [[Demon Hunter]]''' - The last class revealed is a ranged weapon specialist with a grudge against all demon kind, sexy style, and deadly traps and demonic gadgets to go with her glowing eyes.
* [[Demon Hunter Skills]]
* [[Demon Hunter Traits]]
* [[Resource]]: - Unknown
|-
! colspan="3" | Monk
|-
| [[File:Monkfemale.jpg|85px]]
| [[File:Monkmale.jpg|85px]]
| '''The [[Monk]]''' - A new fellow from [[Ivgorod]]. Combining martial arts of our eastern cultures with a holy strike from the western disciplines he takes names and kicks in faces.
* [[Monk Skills]]
* [[Monk Traits]]
* [[Resource]]: [[Spirit]]
|-
! colspan="3" | Witch Doctor
|-
| [[File:Witchfemale.jpg|85px]]
| [[File:Witchmale.jpg|70px]]
| '''The [[Witch Doctor]]''' - A new class that comes from the jungle region of [[Teganze]], and uses [[Witch Doctor skills|voodoo magic]] to do his bidding. One of his highlights is the [[Wall of Zombies]] spell.
* [[Witch Doctor Skills]]
* [[Witch Doctor Traits]]
* [[Resource]]: [[Mana]]
|-
! colspan="3" | Wizard
|-
| [[File:Wizardfemale.jpg|85px]]
| [[File:Wizardmale.jpg|70px]]
| '''The [[Wizard]]''' - A new class that is a pure spell caster harnessing arcane and elemental magic to do her bidding. Very similar to the [[Sorcerer]] and [[Sorceress]] of previously Diablo games. One of the highlights is the [[Wizard_skills#Slow_Time|Slow Time]] spell which warps space and time, slowing nearby monsters and projectiles.
* [[Wizard Skills]]
* [[Wizard Traits]]
* [[Resource]]: [[Arcane Power]]
|-
|}

=== Skills ===
The skills and their presentation evolved greatly during the game's development. See the [[skill tree]] article for a full pictorial history. As of Blizzcon 2010 skills are presented in a list, sorted into seven tiers which are unlocked at various character levels. All skills are [[active]], there are no prerequisites other than character level, and no synergies.

[[Traits]] were added during development in 2010, when all [[passive]] skills were removed from the skill trees. Traits are passives or masteries and boost general character traits, or specific skills. While many traits are shared between the classes, granting bonuses to [[attributes]] or other common properties such as [[Lucky]] (increased gold drops), or [[Pound of Flesh]] (increased [[health orb]] benefit, about half of the traits are unique to each class, providing specific bonuses just for that class.

==== Skill Tree Respecs/Resets ====
In Diablo II prior to v1.13, a character was unable to change their skills and stats once they were allocated. If you made any mistake, the only solution was to [[reroll]]. This is changed in Diablo III, and it will be fairly easy for characters to "[[respec]]," to remove and reassign points from [[skills]] and [[traits]].

The exact methods have not yet been revealed, but the developers have said it will be fairly easy to do, though not entirely free or instant, to prevent exploitation.

====Stats/Attributes====
One major change announced early in Diablo III's development was the elimination of player-assigned stat points. In Diablo III, each class gains various [[attribute]] points, [[strength]], [[dexterity]], [[vitality]], and [[willpower]], when they level up, and these are automatically-assigned. The Diablo III developers felt the stat allocation in Diablo II was a poor way to provide character customization, since players almost always followed an established [[build]], which was always the best choice for a character. This removed any variety or individuality.

Stats can be modified in Diablo III in various ways. By [[traits]], via [[charms]] in the [[talisman]], and with equipment bonuses, including socketing [[gems]].

==== Skill Runes ====
[[File:Runes-hydra-all.jpg|thumb|350px|Hydra runestone effects.]]
While gems return for item [[sockets]], [[runes]] in Diablo III are not used in items. There are five types of runes, [[crimson]], [[alabaster]], [[indigo]], [[golden]], and [[obsidian]], which are socketed into active skills, where they modify the skill in various beneficial ways.

[[Runestones]] are a huge aspect of the game, always improving skills to the point that virtually any socketed runestone, even of the lowest level, will make an immediate and obvious difference in a skill's efficacy. Only a few skill rune functions are known at this point, and all are subject to change as development continues.

The first complete known skill permutations was the [[Wizard]]'s [[Hydra]] skill. The basic skill is much as it was in Diablo II, a three-headed flame dragon that pokes out of a manhole in the ground, spitting firebolts at enemies. Each rune changes this effect quite notably. The effects revealed for Hydra changed considerably even between August and October 2010, when the slide to the right was presented at Blizzcon 2010:

* Crimson rune: Turns the dragons blue, and they attack with a chilling/slowing breath.
* Alabaster rune: Turns the dragons purple, and they attack with Arcane damage bolts.
* Golden rune: The dragons remain red, but spit out firewalls, which deal higher damage and leave an [[AoE]] wall of flame on the ground.
* Indigo rune: The dragons turn blue and spit clusters of lightning.
* Obsidian rune: The dragons turn green and spit out poison damaging acid balls.

==Monsters==
[[Image:Goatmen surround a Siegebreaker.jpg|thumb|right|150px|[[Goatmen]] & [[Siegebreaker]].]]
Diablo III will have a great array of '''[[monster]]s''', and they will employ more intelligent behaviour, and effects as well. There will be more 'mini-boss' encounters that make for more epic gameplay, an example is the [[Thousand Pounder]], who isn't really a [[boss]], but a unit type. Other 'effects' include skeletons with large shields that can block and protects archers, [[ghoul]]s that climb up sheer walls to attack you, or [[Grotesque]]s that explode into a hundred [[Lamprey]] monsters. We can expect many unique attack patterns and behaviours from the Diablo III monsters.

The scale of monsters is greatly increased in Diablo III; demons like the Siegebreaker are not uncommon, and appear in sizes unimagined in previous games in the series. And Siegebreak isn't even an especially big boss or Act boss.

* '''The [[Monster|Monsters Article]]''' has much more information on the dozens of known monsters.
* Monster [[bosses]] are much improved and varied in Diablo III.
** [[Boss modifiers]] are new and improved as well, and there are many new and dangerous properties.

==Death==
Death is less of an obstacle to success in Diablo III than in previous games in the series. Dead players in Diablo III do not lose equipment or gold. They must merely wait a few seconds, before waiting to be resurrected by another player in their party, or restarting at the last [[checkpoint]] (not [[waypoint]]) they passed over.

[[Hardcore]] mode is an option in the game, and as in Diablo II, dead HC characters stay dead forever.

Death will even look better. There are many more monster death animations, [[critical hit]] deaths come with bonus gore, and even players get to enjoy the death variety, since some of the special monsters have special fatality animations they'll use if they kill a player during a battle.

==Difficulty Levels==

There are going to be three [[difficulty]] levels in Diablo III, as in other games in the series. The normal difficulty level will not be very difficult, and characters are expected to rise to about Clvl 30 working their way through it. Then 50 after Nightmare and 60 (max level) after Hell. There will not be grinding required to reach the max level in Diablo III; as in World of Warcraft it will be achieved simply by working through the normal content.

The difficulty will increase substantially on Nightmare, and the developers have talked about Hell as a much greater challenge, though they are committed to allowing solo players to defeat everything in the game. Nothing will be so hard that a group is required to pass it, and there no no plans to include [[raid]] style content.

==End Game==

The focus of the [[end game]] will be much changed in Diablo III. The developers have not revealed many details, but they say it will be much more compelling than simply running the same bosses over and over again. That characters will be at or nearly to the max level by the time they finish Hell difficulty (barring rushing or other activities to take a character well outside the normal level progression) makes a big difference, since gaining experience will not be part of the end game.

There are talks about [[Achievements]] being incorporated, or special online-only challenges. The team regards the item hunting game as the ultimate goal of a character in Diablo III.

Another end game activity is PvP play in the [[Arena]], as characters could respec and switch around their equipment to build a character entirely focused on PvP play.

==Items==
[[Image:Barbarian swing.jpg|thumb|right|[[Barbarian]] swinging two magical axes.]]
Armor is arranged in [[gear sets]] in Diablo III. There are 18 of them, increasing in quality/appearance from simple cloth to ornate plate mail. The items do not repeat with different names/stats; there are no exceptional/elite versions of items in Diablo III. This means there is a wider variety of total item types, and that players will see a steady progression throughout the game of increasingly-dramatic looking armor.

Weapons are the same, and will increase from plain to fancy, with stats to match.

Most items are rare or magical, as before. Sockets are not a special feature of white items; sockets may occur on any type of item, and there will not be plain socketed items, nor would you want one since there are no [[Runewords]] to put into them. [[Uniques]] return, though they are apparently going to be called "[[Legendary]]" in Diablo III. [[Item sets]] are also likely returning, though they may differ in function somewhat, to make them more useful and/or easier to assemble.

A very popular type of item will be the [[crafted]] items, magical or rare items made by the NPC [[Artisans]] from various [[recipes]].

===Armor and Weapon Types===

*[[Armor]]: [[helms]], [[shields]], [[body armor]], [[gloves]], [[boots]], [[rings]], [[amulets]], and [[belts]] return. Belts are now just another piece of armor; they do not have any special potion-holding function.
** New armor types: [[Shoulders]], [[bracers]], and [[pants]].

* [[Weapons]]: [[Axes]], [[Spears]], [[Polearms]], [[Swords]], [[Clubs]], [[Bows]], [[Crossbows]], [[Wands]], [[shields]],
** New weapons: [[Fists]], [[Daggers]] (no longer a type of sword), [[Orbs]], [[Pistol crossbows]], [[short staves]] for casters only, [[battle staves]] for the Monk only,
** Removed weapons: There are no [[throwing weapons]] or throwing [[potions]] yet seen in Diablo III.

===Other Items Information===
* [[Runes]] no longer socketed into items, [[runewords]] are no more. Runes are objects that get socketed into [[skills]].
* The [[inventory]] is much larger than it was in Diablo II, and after numerous permutations it's settled on a large grid with all items either 1x1 or 1x2 in size.
* The [[stash]] in town is huge, and will be shared between characters on the same account.
* Items will now drop '''per character'''; you only see items you can pick up, and no other players see or can grab them.
* Trading will be improved and there will be some sort of auction house, though details have not been revealed.
* [[Potion]]s are much less common than in previous Diablo games. There are no mana or rejuvenation potions, just health, and they come with a long cooldown between uses. Basically potions are for emergency use, and will only tide a character over briefly; with the cool down they will not keep you alive through reckless behavior.

==NPCs==
[[Image:Cain-concept1.jpg|thumb|right|75px|[[Cain]]]]
As in previous games in the series, [[NPCs]] will feature large in Diablo III. Much of the game [[story]] will be given by the NPCs, and they will be more interactive, while their speeches will be shorter, more to the point, and can be listened to while playing; you are no longer forced to "stay awhile" while you "listen."

[[Followers]]: More NPCs are found out in the dungeons than in past games, and mini-quests such as [[Escort Mission]]s are common throughout the game.

[[Mercenaries]]: The developers have talked about wanting to make mercs better and more useful than they were in Diablo II, but nothing has yet been revealed.

[[Artisans]]: "Vendors 2.0," these NPCs are merchants, quest-givers, and information sources. They follow the player throughout the game, traveling in a [[caravan]] between the acts, and in addition to the standard item buying and selling, they can [[craft]] new semi-random items from special [[recipes]], as well as [[enchant]], [[socket]], and [[repair]] items. Artisans can even be [[trained]] up to higher levels, giving them better skills.

==Locations==
[[Image:Sanctuary World Map.jpg|thumb|225px|[[world map|Sanctuary world map]], with locations noted.]]The [[world map]] of [[Sanctuary]] was actually released with the second Diablo game's manual, but a new and improved map has been made by Blizzard, outlining the continents and the major [[settlement]]s. Many of these locations will be visited in [[Diablo III]] including [[Tristram]]. Areas close by that were never visited in the previous games will also have a chance, like the [[Leoric Highlands]] and [[Westmarch]], and it's known that much of Act Three takes place in the Barbarian Lands around the [[Arreat Crater]].

We have been shown detailed pictures of [[Skovos]] (the land of the [[Amazon]]s), as well as [[Caldeum]] and Tristram. Skovos is confirmed to be excluded from the game, but the level of detail they are putting in to the universe suggests either a big expansion pack, MMOs or a film.

Outdoor areas will be less randomised than dungeons, and the terrain will for the most part be static. Instead a lot of random scripted events will take place, some will even be really advanced. It can vary from an escort [[quest]], to a mouldy tome, or a big bad [[boss]] monster. You will also find interactive environments with dangerous traps and obstacles, and [[destructible]] elements. There will be "numerous" outdoor locations.

==Dungeons==
The land is filled with dungeons, as in Diablo II. Dungeons vary widely in size and design, and are promised to offer better randomization and variety than they did in Diablo II.

<gallery>
Image:Screenshot 20.jpg|[[Dark Berserker]]s and a [[Grotesque]] in the [[Forgotten Tombs]].
Image:Screenshot 19.jpg|Several [[Walking Corpse]]s. [[Follower]]s can be seen as well.
Image:Screenshot 16.jpg|[[Witch Doctor]] who's [[Skull of Flame|flameskulling]] some [[Walking Corpse]]s.
</gallery>

==Transportation==
As in Diablo II, travel is on foot. There are no [[mounts]] in Sanctuary. Nor are there any [[Town Portal]]s, in a major change from earlier games in the series. The developers felt that Town Portals made it too easy for players to escape danger and made it impossible to offer compelling, dangerous combat.

To replace town portals, there are more waypoints, frequent checkpoints, and a new item, the [[Scroll of Wealth]] that allows players to sell their items remotely, without returning to to town. The new [[salvage cube]], an essential element of [[crafting]], is another addition meant to obviate the need for regular town returns.

==Easter Eggs==
While no [[Easter Eggs]] in Diablo III have been confirmed, (though we've seen plenty of Diablo III Easter Eggs in Starcraft II), Blizzard has given plenty of hints about some sort of [[secret level]] in the game.

===Cow Level===
The [[Cow Level]] is a very distinct piece of content in Diablo 2, but is as of yet unconfirmed for Diablo 3. Cows and Diablo have been closely linked in fan's minds since Diablo 1, and it's not unlikely that we'll get a secret Cow Level in Diablo 3 as well, even if it likely will be very different from the Diablo 2 version.

===Rainbow Level===
This is a rumour started by the [[art controversy]] (see below), and all the hub-hub about the colour in Diablo 3 that came after the announcement might inspire the dev team to make a rainbow level with unicorns and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carebear Carebears].
* [http://forums.diii.net/showthread.php?t=708777 Rainbow Level forum thread]

==Art Changes==
Some fans were very upset that [[Diablo III]] is seemingly full of much more colour than the predecessor [[Diablo II]]. While the settings in general now include a lot more colour, Blizzard argues that Diablo II was more colourful than people remember. Some fans have also expressed fears that Diablo III will become too much like [[World of WarCraft]]. You can read more about concerns and responses here:
* '''[[Art controversy|Diablo III Art Controversy]]'''

==Story Line==
[[Image:Cinematic 10.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Mystical comet overlooking a settlement in the western part of [[Sanctuary]].]]The [[story line]] of the game takes place twenty years after a few powerful heroes saved [[Sanctuary]] from the demonic onslaught in [[Diablo II]]. Those events took place out of the sight of the common populace, and have become myth or legend over the intervening years. Most of the principles are dead or insane, and no one has seen any sight of the Archangel [[Tyrael]] since he destroyed the Worldstone, triggering an explosion that erased [[Mount Arreat]] and shattered the Barbarians' civilization.

Since the destruction of the [[Worldstone]], those few humans (such as [[Deckard Cain]] who did know of the danger to the world have been expecting an imminent demonic invasion, without the Worldstone to keep them in the [[[Burning Hells]]. This has not happened because, and players will eventually learn, the two remaining lords of Hell (presumably [[Belial]] and [[Asmodean]]) have been building armies for a full on invasion, intended to utterly destroy humanity.

Players will see small scale demonic events, as in previous games, but the developers have promised that the scale of some aspects of the game, such as the siege on [[Bastion's Keep]], will be amazingly large; far bigger than anything ever previously seen in the series.

===Character Personalities===

Unlike the blank cyphers that all characters were in previous games in the series, the individual characters in Diablo III will have personalities. The Wizard is young, brash, and headstrong. The Monk is powerful and quietly confident. The Barbarian is strong and stoic. The Demon Hunter is angry and reckless in her need for vengeance. And the Witch Doctor is spiritual, mysterious, and misunderstood by the populace at large.

The characters will behave accordingly, and inspire different replies and behavior from the NPCs, though the only known examples came from [[Captain Rumford]]'s dialogues as heard at Blizzcon 2008.

==Quests==
[[Quests]] in Diablo III are largely similar in form to those of Diablo II. The changes are to greatly increase the number of quests, and to vary them in type and style. Numerous smaller events or adventures are randomly added in each game, amidst the main plot-skeleton quests.

Most large areas of the game, surface and dungeon, will also vary in content and form between games. Though the surface areas are non-random in their overall shape, there are randomized elements within them, which can yield mini-quests, bonus dungeons, or just open space and random monsters, depending on how the spawn works in a given game.

==Single Player and Multiplayer==
The main focus of Diablo III is co-op [[PvE]] style play. Up to four players (yes, just four) will join up in a game and play together, and players in the same game are now always friendly and in the same party. There is no non-consensual PvP in Diablo III, and no way to "go hostile" in a normal PvE game.

Game creation and group formation should be easier in Diablo III. Though the details have not been revealed, the developers hope it will be very easy to join up and play. Their hope is that players in one game can simply click an option to start another one, and as everyone accepts it they'll immediately appear in a new game and continue playing, almost seamlessly.

All multiplayer Diablo III gaming will take place over Battle.net. Diablo III is following in Starcraft's footsteps and will not include LAN support. Though Blizzard never explicitly terms it as such, this is primarily a security measure; requiring players to buy a retail copy and have a valid Battle.net account and CD-Key to play multiplayer is their way of fighting piracy.

===Battle Arena===

[[File:Battle-arena-new-round1.jpg|frame|350px|A new round begins in the Battle Arena.]]
The outlet for PvP in Diablo III is the [[Arena]], a special game type that exists only for head-to-head combat. Players can join up and fight their friends in 1v1 or 2v2 games, but the main design is for players to take part in 3v3 battles, either in teams or as singles who will be sorted together via the game's [[matchmaking]] system.

Arena play debuted at Blizzcon 2010 and was wildly-popular, even with just 3 pre-made characters available to choose from, and limited skills all pre-set.

Hardcore Arena will be supported, and the initial plans of the team is for it to be regular Hardcore rules; you die, you stay dead. This approach has many critics, who ask for some sort of non-lethal HC version, and point out that virtually no one plays PvP in D2 Hardcore since the penalty for death is so severe, both in emotional pain and in the play hours required to build up another character to PvP level. It also seems like any sort of team play would be impossible, since even if a team won, one or two of the players on it would lose their character.

===Battle.net 2.0===
Blizzard have promised very big changes in [[Battle.net 2.0]], and besides removing the [[LAN]] functionality, the idea is to encourage people to play online with [[Achievement]]s, handy friends/foes lists and community support. You can read more about confirmed Battle.net features here:
* [http://www.diii.net/articles/689867/definite-battlenet-20-features Definite Battle.net 2.0 Features]

==Other Changes==
Among the things that are not listed under their own headline, there are a few other things to highlight about Diablo III:
* '''[[Chest]]s''' will no longer be locked.
* Monster corpses are no longer something that players can interact with. There are no corpse skills like Diablo II's {{iw|Corpse_Explosion Corpse Explosion}} or {{iw|Find_Item Find Item}}, and bodies on the ground dissolve and vanish after a moment or two.
** There are no player corpses either, in the sense of lootable objects as they were in Diablo II. Like monsters, dead players are subject to the game's physics and can be blasted aside or out of sight by spells, and will vanish after a few minutes.

==Release Information==
This is a collection of all information available pertaining to the release of Diablo. Including [[release date]], [[system requirements]], [[Beta Test|beta testing]], price/payment methods and age [[rating]].

=== Release Date ===
As usual, the [[Release Date|release date]] for any Blizzard production is kept under wraps for as long as possible. While Blizzard has shown playable builds of Diablo III at conventions and press events, the level of polish makes it harder to estimate development time left. Any other dates or rumours, which are constantly provided by game retailers, are just rumors and should not be given any credence.

More information on the '''[[Diablo III release date]]''' article.

=== System Requirements ===
* Windows XP compatible
* Windows Vista compatible
* Mac OSX compatible
Read more on the [[Diablo III System Requirements]] page. Diablo III is made completely in 3D, using custom in-house tools. The game is currently native to DirectX 9, and will not require DirectX 10 or 11 to run.[http://ablegamers.com/Disabled-Gamers-News/AbleGamers-Interviews-the-Diablo-III-Team.html] The game will probably use a slightly higher level of system requirements than [[StarCraft II]], which also uses Havok & DirectX 9, and is the closest thing we can compare the game to. You can read more on StarCraft II's requirements and DirectX compatibilities as well as shader info here:
* [http://www.starcraftwire.net/articles/954/starcraft-2-graphics-requirements-confirmed Graphics Requirements Confirmed] - The most prominent part of the system requirements, the graphics requirements released from Blizzard document.
* [http://www.starcraftwire.net/articles/675/starcraft-2-system-requirements StarCraft II System Requirements] - System requirements analyse from available information.
* [http://www.starcraftwire.net/articles/735/kalos-chronicles Kalos' Chronicles] - Technical articles for StarCraft II.

===Diablo Beta Testing===
As with the release date, a time for beta is currently unknown. Jay Wilson has estimated that the release will occur about six months after the beta test begins. No dates or estimates for the beta have been given, but Blizzard did say that 1000 randomly-selected ticket buyers to Blizzcon 2010 will win a beta slot. Many fans have taken this to mean that Blizzard hopes to start the Diablo III beta before Blizzcon 2011, which would likely be in the August-October time frame, as it has been each year thus far.

General information on Blizzard beta tests can be seen on the '''[[Beta Test]]''' page.

===Retail Price===
The retail price for Diablo III is unknown and will be stated closer to release. It's likely that the game will be "boxed" (no monthly fees, just a one-off price) and priced similar to other AAA titles. Starcraft II (and other recent AAA titles by Activision) retailed for $60, up $10 from the traditional $50 price tag, and it's virtually certain Diablo III will follow that route.

All online game retailers are listing $60 as their estimated price, at least.

===Game Age Rating===
The '''[[rating]]''' of [[Diablo III]] is estimated to be aimed for gamers above the age of 15, while still trying to avoid USK 18+ in Germany, or other similar ratings that would hamper the sales of the game in that country. [[Blizzard]] have stated that they will censor out blood and other gore, as required to avoid "adult" ratings in various countries with more restrictive gore requirements than those found in the US.
* '''America ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entertainment_Software_Rating_Board ERSB])''' - "M" Mature Rating (player should be at least 17 years old). No law enforcement.
* '''Europe ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PEGI PEGI])''' - 16+ (player should be at least 16 years old). No law enforcement (for most countries).
* '''Germany ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unterhaltungssoftware_Selbstkontrolle USK])''' - USK 16+ (player should be at least 16 years old). Law enforcement of USK.
* '''Read more''' in the '''[[rating]]s''' article.

===Copy Protection and DRM===
It's unknown what type of copy protection (DRM) will be used on Diablo III, but with the new Battle.net changes and new Battle.net accounts, the game will likely only use a very light form of copy protection since the license is associated with the account. Online play will most likely not require a DVD in the drive, and offline play is unknown.

==Who's in Charge?==
Naturally, [[Blizzard]] are the guys making Diablo III, but that isn't a surprise. The important people for this production is the relatively new Blizzard employee Diablo III Lead Designer [[Jay Wilson]], besides the regular team. For fans, you might want to keep a look out for [[Bashiok]], the new Diablo Community Manager and [[Leonard Boyarsky]] who is the Lead World Designer for Diablo III, and head of [[quest]]s & [[lore]] as well as designing the world of [[Sanctuary]].

==Expansions, MMO or Diablo Movie==
Whatever will come after [[Diablo III]] is unknown, but it seems apparent that Blizzard are confident [http://www.incgamers.com/Games/1935/features/90/Diablo-III-Inforview] that there '''WILL''' be expansions. They have mentioned that the story line will have a more "final" ending than in Diablo II, which possibly means to make it better for an expansion, or perhaps a future MMO or a [[Diablo movie]]. Regardless, [[Jay Wilson]] has said that there are lots of potential for expanding the universe. What types of media this will come in is unknown: books, comics, manga, expansions, games or a movie...

[[Mike Morhaime]] said that they would like to make '''Diablo III expansions annually'''[http://www.diii.net/blog/comments/diablo-3-will-have-several-expansions], and confirming plans for multiple expansions for the game.

==Further Information==
You can follow the links to each specific section for further details on Diablo III development and information. You can also use one of the following links for further information:
* {{wl|[http://www.diii.net/news Diablo III news]}} - The most coherent news listing for Diablo III.
* [[Media Coverage]] - All Interviews, Previews, Pictures, Videos and Articles from around the web.
* [[:Category:Basics|Diablo III Basics]] - A listing of articles with good information if you are new to Diablo III.
* [[Diablo III FAQ]] - Frequently Asked Questions
* [[Diablo 3 History]] - The history of Diablo III up until the announcement.

==References==
* [http://www.blizzard.com/us/press/080628.html Blizzard Press Release]

[[Category:Diablo III]]
[[Category:Basics]]
[[Category:Featured articles]]

Diablo 3 Basics

2011-01-14T00:15:03Z

Dragonfriend: /* NPCs */

[[Image:Diablo III Logo.jpg|left|150px]]
This is the '''Diablo 3 Basics''' page, which is the main '''Fact Sheet''' of known '''Diablo III''' information. This much anticipated sequel to Diablo and Diablo II was announced at [[Blizzard]]'s [[WWI 2008]] in Paris, during 27-28 June 2008. Regardless if you just heard that Diablo III is announced, or if you have been following some of the {{wl|[http://diablo.incgamers.com Diablo 3 news]}}, this page will get you up to speed!

If you are looking for the '''Basics Section''' of the wiki, you can find that in the '''[[:Category:Basics|Basics Category]]'''.

==Introduction==
Diablo III, while featured completely in '''3D''' with a 3D environment, will follow closely in Diablo II's track by using the classic isometric view, fast gameplay and randomised content for high replayability. Some changes have been made in order to make the game faster and more flexible as well as making players choose and employ tactics rather than mindless mouseclicking. Besides taking well learned lessons from WoW, the developers have been inspired by games such as ''Zelda'' and ''God of War''. Regardless, the game will be possible to play with a mouse alone, if a player so wishes (but you would be a lot less efficient).

Remember that if you're a newcomer to Diablo you can find more related articles in the '''[[:Category:Basics|Basics Category]]'''
 
 

== Character Classes ==

Blizzard have confirmed that the game will ship with five characters. These are the [[Barbarian]], [[Demon Hunter]], [[Monk]], [[Witch Doctor]], and [[Wizard]]. All five classes will be playable in male or female versions. The gender difference is purely cosmetic; male and female characters have identical stats and abilities. The classes are very distinct from one another; all armor appears different depending on which character is using it, the characters have completely unique [[skills]], largely unique [[traits]], and each has their own [[resource]] type.

Though all five classes for Diablo III have been revealed, more are expected in the [[expansion]]s. See the [[Other classes]] article for Blizzard quotes on their additional character ideas.

{|
! colspan="3" | Barbarian
|-
| [[File:Barbfemale.jpg|85px]]
| [[File:Barbmale.jpg|80px]]
| '''The [[Barbarian]]''' - The same character you played in [[Diablo II]], but with some [[Barbarian skills|new skills]], and backed with power of the [[ancient]]s.
* [[Barbarian Skills]]
* [[Barbarian Traits]]
* [[Resource]]: - [[Fury]]
|-
! colspan="3" | Demon Hunter
|-
| colspan="2" | [[File:Demon-hunter-art4.jpg|center|130px]]

| '''The [[Demon Hunter]]''' - The last class revealed is a ranged weapon specialist with a grudge against all demon kind, sexy style, and deadly traps and demonic gadgets to go with her glowing eyes.
* [[Demon Hunter Skills]]
* [[Demon Hunter Traits]]
* [[Resource]]: - Unknown
|-
! colspan="3" | Monk
|-
| [[File:Monkfemale.jpg|85px]]
| [[File:Monkmale.jpg|85px]]
| '''The [[Monk]]''' - A new fellow from [[Ivgorod]]. Combining martial arts of our eastern cultures with a holy strike from the western disciplines he takes names and kicks in faces.
* [[Monk Skills]]
* [[Monk Traits]]
* [[Resource]]: [[Spirit]]
|-
! colspan="3" | Witch Doctor
|-
| [[File:Witchfemale.jpg|85px]]
| [[File:Witchmale.jpg|70px]]
| '''The [[Witch Doctor]]''' - A new class that comes from the jungle region of [[Teganze]], and uses [[Witch Doctor skills|voodoo magic]] to do his bidding. One of his highlights is the [[Wall of Zombies]] spell.
* [[Witch Doctor Skills]]
* [[Witch Doctor Traits]]
* [[Resource]]: [[Mana]]
|-
! colspan="3" | Wizard
|-
| [[File:Wizardfemale.jpg|85px]]
| [[File:Wizardmale.jpg|70px]]
| '''The [[Wizard]]''' - A new class that is a pure spell caster harnessing arcane and elemental magic to do her bidding. Very similar to the [[Sorcerer]] and [[Sorceress]] of previously Diablo games. One of the highlights is the [[Wizard_skills#Slow_Time|Slow Time]] spell which warps space and time, slowing nearby monsters and projectiles.
* [[Wizard Skills]]
* [[Wizard Traits]]
* [[Resource]]: [[Arcane Power]]
|-
|}

=== Skills ===
The skills and their presentation evolved greatly during the game's development. See the [[skill tree]] article for a full pictorial history. As of Blizzcon 2010 skills are presented in a list, sorted into seven tiers which are unlocked at various character levels. All skills are [[active]], there are no prerequisites other than character level, and no synergies.

[[Traits]] were added during development in 2010, when all [[passive]] skills were removed from the skill trees. Traits are passives or masteries and boost general character traits, or specific skills. While many traits are shared between the classes, granting bonuses to [[attributes]] or other common properties such as [[Lucky]] (increased gold drops), or [[Pound of Flesh]] (increased [[health orb]] benefit, about half of the traits are unique to each class, providing specific bonuses just for that class.

==== Skill Tree Respecs/Resets ====
In Diablo II prior to v1.13, a character was unable to change their skills and stats once they were allocated. If you made any mistake, the only solution was to [[reroll]]. This is changed in Diablo III, and it will be fairly easy for characters to "[[respec]]," to remove and reassign points from [[skills]] and [[traits]].

The exact methods have not yet been revealed, but the developers have said it will be fairly easy to do, though not entirely free or instant, to prevent exploitation.

====Stats/Attributes====
One major change announced early in Diablo III's development was the elimination of player-assigned stat points. In Diablo III, each class gains various [[attribute]] points, [[strength]], [[dexterity]], [[vitality]], and [[willpower]], when they level up, and these are automatically-assigned. The Diablo III developers felt the stat allocation in Diablo II was a poor way to provide character customization, since players almost always followed an established [[build]], which was always the best choice for a character. This removed any variety or individuality.

Stats can be modified in Diablo III in various ways. By [[traits]], via [[charms]] in the [[talisman]], and with equipment bonuses, including socketing [[gems]].

==== Skill Runes ====
[[File:Runes-hydra-all.jpg|thumb|350px|Hydra runestone effects.]]
While gems return for item [[sockets]], [[runes]] in Diablo III are not used in items. There are five types of runes, [[crimson]], [[alabaster]], [[indigo]], [[golden]], and [[obsidian]], which are socketed into active skills, where they modify the skill in various beneficial ways.

[[Runestones]] are a huge aspect of the game, always improving skills to the point that virtually any socketed runestone, even of the lowest level, will make an immediate and obvious difference in a skill's efficacy. Only a few skill rune functions are known at this point, and all are subject to change as development continues.

The first complete known skill permutations was the [[Wizard]]'s [[Hydra]] skill. The basic skill is much as it was in Diablo II, a three-headed flame dragon that pokes out of a manhole in the ground, spitting firebolts at enemies. Each rune changes this effect quite notably. The effects revealed for Hydra changed considerably even between August and October 2010, when the slide to the right was presented at Blizzcon 2010:

* Crimson rune: Turns the dragons blue, and they attack with a chilling/slowing breath.
* Alabaster rune: Turns the dragons purple, and they attack with Arcane damage bolts.
* Golden rune: The dragons remain red, but spit out firewalls, which deal higher damage and leave an [[AoE]] wall of flame on the ground.
* Indigo rune: The dragons turn blue and spit clusters of lightning.
* Obsidian rune: The dragons turn green and spit out poison damaging acid balls.

==Monsters==
[[Image:Goatmen surround a Siegebreaker.jpg|thumb|right|150px|[[Goatmen]] & [[Siegebreaker]].]]
Diablo III will have a great array of '''[[monster]]s''', and they will employ more intelligent behaviour, and effects as well. There will be more 'mini-boss' encounters that make for more epic gameplay, an example is the [[Thousand Pounder]], who isn't really a [[boss]], but a unit type. Other 'effects' include skeletons with large shields that can block and protects archers, [[ghoul]]s that climb up sheer walls to attack you, or [[Grotesque]]s that explode into a hundred [[Lamprey]] monsters. We can expect many unique attack patterns and behaviours from the Diablo III monsters.

The scale of monsters is greatly increased in Diablo III; demons like the Siegebreaker are not uncommon, and appear in sizes unimagined in previous games in the series. And Siegebreak isn't even an especially big boss or Act boss.

* '''The [[Monster|Monsters Article]]''' has much more information on the dozens of known monsters.
* Monster [[bosses]] are much improved and varied in Diablo III.
** [[Boss modifiers]] are new and improved as well, and there are many new and dangerous properties.

==Death==
Death is less of an obstacle to success in Diablo III than in previous games in the series. Dead players in Diablo III do not lose equipment or gold. They must merely wait a few seconds, before waiting to be resurrected by another player in their party, or restarting at the last [[checkpoint]] (not [[waypoint]]) they passed over.

[[Hardcore]] mode is an option in the game, and as in Diablo II, dead HC characters stay dead forever.

Death will even look better. There are many more monster death animations, [[critical hit]] deaths come with bonus gore, and even players get to enjoy the death variety, since some of the special monsters have special fatality animations they'll use if they kill a player during a battle.

==Difficulty Levels==

There are going to be three [[difficulty]] levels in Diablo III, as in other games in the series. The normal difficulty level will not be very difficult, and characters are expected to rise to about Clvl 30 working their way through it. Then 50 after Nightmare and 60 (max level) after Hell. There will not be grinding required to reach the max level in Diablo III; as in World of Warcraft it will be achieved simply by working through the normal content.

The difficulty will increase substantially on Nightmare, and the developers have talked about Hell as a much greater challenge, though they are committed to allowing solo players to defeat everything in the game. Nothing will be so hard that a group is required to pass it, and there no no plans to include [[raid]] style content.

==End Game==

The focus of the [[end game]] will be much changed in Diablo III. The developers have not revealed many details, but they say it will be much more compelling than simply running the same bosses over and over again. That characters will be at or nearly to the max level by the time they finish Hell difficulty (barring rushing or other activities to take a character well outside the normal level progression) makes a big difference, since gaining experience will not be part of the end game.

There are talks about [[Achievements]] being incorporated, or special online-only challenges. The team regards the item hunting game as the ultimate goal of a character in Diablo III.

Another end game activity is PvP play in the [[Arena]], as characters could respec and switch around their equipment to build a character entirely focused on PvP play.

==Items==
[[Image:Barbarian swing.jpg|thumb|right|[[Barbarian]] swinging two magical axes.]]
Armor is arranged in [[gear sets]] in Diablo III. There are 18 of them, increasing in quality/appearance from simple cloth to ornate plate mail. The items do not repeat with different names/stats; there are no exceptional/elite versions of items in Diablo III. This means there is a wider variety of total item types, and that players will see a steady progression throughout the game of increasingly-dramatic looking armor.

Weapons are the same, and will increase from plain to fancy, with stats to match.

Most items are rare or magical, as before. Sockets are not a special feature of white items; sockets may occur on any type of item, and there will not be plain socketed items, nor would you want one since there are no [[Runewords]] to put into them. [[Uniques]] return, though they are apparently going to be called "[[Legendary]]" in Diablo III. [[Item sets]] are also likely returning, though they may differ in function somewhat, to make them more useful and/or easier to assemble.

A very popular type of item will be the [[crafted]] items, magical or rare items made by the NPC [[Artisans]] from various [[recipes]].

===Armor and Weapon Types===

*[[Armor]]: [[helms]], [[shields]], [[body armor]], [[gloves]], [[boots]], [[rings]], [[amulets]], and [[belts]] return. Belts are now just another piece of armor; they do not have any special potion-holding function.
** New armor types: [[Shoulders]], [[bracers]], and [[pants]].

* [[Weapons]]: [[Axes]], [[Spears]], [[Polearms]], [[Swords]], [[Clubs]], [[Bows]], [[Crossbows]], [[Wands]], [[shields]],
** New weapons: [[Fists]], [[Daggers]] (no longer a type of sword), [[Orbs]], [[Pistol crossbows]], [[short staves]] for casters only, [[battle staves]] for the Monk only,
** Removed weapons: There are no [[throwing weapons]] or throwing [[potions]] yet seen in Diablo III.

===Other Items Information===
* [[Runes]] no longer socketed into items, [[runewords]] are no more. Runes are objects that get socketed into [[skills]].
* The [[inventory]] is much larger than it was in Diablo II, and after numerous permutations it's settled on a large grid with all items either 1x1 or 1x2 in size.
* The [[stash]] in town is huge, and will be shared between characters on the same account.
* Items will now drop '''per character'''; you only see items you can pick up, and no other players see or can grab them.
* Trading will be improved and there will be some sort of auction house, though details have not been revealed.
* [[Potion]]s are much less common than in previous Diablo games. There are no mana or rejuvenation potions, just health, and they come with a long cooldown between uses. Basically potions are for emergency use, and will only tide a character over briefly; with the cool down they will not keep you alive through reckless behavior.

==NPCs==
[[Image:Cain-concept1.jpg|thumb|right|75px|[[Cain]]]]
As in previous games in the series, [[NPCs]] will feature large in Diablo III. Much of the game [[story]] will be given by the NPCs, and they will be more interactive, while their speeches will be shorter, more to the point, and can be listened to while playing; you are no longer forced to "stay awhile" while you "listen."

[[Followers]]: More NPCs are found out in the dungeons than in past games, and mini-quests such as [[Escort Mission]]s are common throughout the game.

[[Mercenaries]]: The developers have talked about wanting to make mercs better and more useful than they were in Diablo II, but nothing has yet been revealed.

[[Artisans]]: "Vendors 2.0," these NPCs are merchants, quest-givers, and information sources. They follow the player throughout the game, traveling in a [[caravan]] between the acts, and in addition to the standard item buying and selling, they can [[craft]] new semi-random items from special [[recipes]], as well as [[enchant]], [[socket]], and [[repair]] items. Artisans can even be [[trained]] up to higher levels, giving them better skills.

==Locations==
[[Image:Sanctuary World Map.jpg|thumb|225px|[[world map|Sanctuary world map]], with locations noted.]]The [[world map]] of [[Sanctuary]] was actually released with the second Diablo game's manual, but a new and improved map has been made by Blizzard, outlining the continents and the major [[settlement]]s. Many of these locations will be visited in [[Diablo III]] including [[Tristram]]. Areas close by that were never visited in the previous games will also have a chance, like the [[Leoric Highlands]] and [[Westmarch]], and it's known that much of Act Three takes place in the Barbarian Lands around the [[Arreat Crater]].

We have been shown detailed pictures of [[Skovos]] (the land of the [[Amazon]]s), as well as [[Caldeum]] and Tristram. Skovos is confirmed to be excluded from the game, but the level of detail they are putting in to the universe suggests either a big expansion pack, MMOs or a film.

Outdoor areas will be less randomised than dungeons, and the terrain will for the most part be static. Instead a lot of random scripted events will take place, some will even be really advanced. It can vary from an escort [[quest]], to a mouldy tome, or a big bad [[boss]] monster. You will also find interactive environments with dangerous traps and obstacles, and [[destructible]] elements. There will be "numerous" outdoor locations.

==Dungeons==
The land if filled with dungeons, as in Diablo II. Dungeons vary widely in size and design, and are promised to offer better randomization and variety than they did in Diablo II.

<gallery>
Image:Screenshot 20.jpg|[[Dark Berserker]]s and a [[Grotesque]] in the [[Forgotten Tombs]].
Image:Screenshot 19.jpg|Several [[Walking Corpse]]s. [[Follower]]s can be seen as well.
Image:Screenshot 16.jpg|[[Witch Doctor]] who's [[Skull of Flame|flameskulling]] some [[Walking Corpse]]s.
</gallery>

==Transportation==
As in Diablo II, travel is on foot. There are no [[mounts]] in Sanctuary. Nor are there any [[Town Portal]]s, in a major change from earlier games in the series. The developers felt that Town Portals made it too easy for players to escape danger and made it impossible to offer compelling, dangerous combat.

To replace town portals, there are more waypoints, frequent checkpoints, and a new item, the [[Scroll of Wealth]] that allows players to sell their items remotely, without returning to to town. The new [[salvage cube]], an essential element of [[crafting]], is another addition meant to obviate the need for regular town returns.

==Easter Eggs==
While no [[Easter Eggs]] in Diablo III have been confirmed, (though we've seen plenty of Diablo III Easter Eggs in Starcraft II), Blizzard has given plenty of hints about some sort of [[secret level]] in the game.

===Cow Level===
The [[Cow Level]] is a very distinct piece of content in Diablo 2, but is as of yet unconfirmed for Diablo 3. Cows and Diablo have been closely linked in fan's minds since Diablo 1, and it's not unlikely that we'll get a secret Cow Level in Diablo 3 as well, even if it likely will be very different from the Diablo 2 version.

===Rainbow Level===
This is a rumour started by the [[art controversy]] (see below), and all the hub-hub about the colour in Diablo 3 that came after the announcement might inspire the dev team to make a rainbow level with unicorns and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carebear Carebears].
* [http://forums.diii.net/showthread.php?t=708777 Rainbow Level forum thread]

==Art Changes==
Some fans were very upset that [[Diablo III]] is seemingly full of much more colour than the predecessor [[Diablo II]]. While the settings in general now include a lot more colour, Blizzard argues that Diablo II was more colourful than people remember. Some fans have also expressed fears that Diablo III will become too much like [[World of WarCraft]]. You can read more about concerns and responses here:
* '''[[Art controversy|Diablo III Art Controversy]]'''

==Story Line==
[[Image:Cinematic 10.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Mystical comet overlooking a settlement in the western part of [[Sanctuary]].]]The [[story line]] of the game takes place twenty years after a few powerful heroes saved [[Sanctuary]] from the demonic onslaught in [[Diablo II]]. Those events took place out of the sight of the common populace, and have become myth or legend over the intervening years. Most of the principles are dead or insane, and no one has seen any sight of the Archangel [[Tyrael]] since he destroyed the Worldstone, triggering an explosion that erased [[Mount Arreat]] and shattered the Barbarians' civilization.

Since the destruction of the [[Worldstone]], those few humans (such as [[Deckard Cain]] who did know of the danger to the world have been expecting an imminent demonic invasion, without the Worldstone to keep them in the [[[Burning Hells]]. This has not happened because, and players will eventually learn, the two remaining lords of Hell (presumably [[Belial]] and [[Asmodean]]) have been building armies for a full on invasion, intended to utterly destroy humanity.

Players will see small scale demonic events, as in previous games, but the developers have promised that the scale of some aspects of the game, such as the siege on [[Bastion's Keep]], will be amazingly large; far bigger than anything ever previously seen in the series.

===Character Personalities===

Unlike the blank cyphers that all characters were in previous games in the series, the individual characters in Diablo III will have personalities. The Wizard is young, brash, and headstrong. The Monk is powerful and quietly confident. The Barbarian is strong and stoic. The Demon Hunter is angry and reckless in her need for vengeance. And the Witch Doctor is spiritual, mysterious, and misunderstood by the populace at large.

The characters will behave accordingly, and inspire different replies and behavior from the NPCs, though the only known examples came from [[Captain Rumford]]'s dialogues as heard at Blizzcon 2008.

==Quests==
[[Quests]] in Diablo III are largely similar in form to those of Diablo II. The changes are to greatly increase the number of quests, and to vary them in type and style. Numerous smaller events or adventures are randomly added in each game, amidst the main plot-skeleton quests.

Most large areas of the game, surface and dungeon, will also vary in content and form between games. Though the surface areas are non-random in their overall shape, there are randomized elements within them, which can yield mini-quests, bonus dungeons, or just open space and random monsters, depending on how the spawn works in a given game.

==Single Player and Multiplayer==
The main focus of Diablo III is co-op [[PvE]] style play. Up to four players (yes, just four) will join up in a game and play together, and players in the same game are now always friendly and in the same party. There is no non-consensual PvP in Diablo III, and no way to "go hostile" in a normal PvE game.

Game creation and group formation should be easier in Diablo III. Though the details have not been revealed, the developers hope it will be very easy to join up and play. Their hope is that players in one game can simply click an option to start another one, and as everyone accepts it they'll immediately appear in a new game and continue playing, almost seamlessly.

All multiplayer Diablo III gaming will take place over Battle.net. Diablo III is following in Starcraft's footsteps and will not include LAN support. Though Blizzard never explicitly terms it as such, this is primarily a security measure; requiring players to buy a retail copy and have a valid Battle.net account and CD-Key to play multiplayer is their way of fighting piracy.

===Battle Arena===

[[File:Battle-arena-new-round1.jpg|frame|350px|A new round begins in the Battle Arena.]]
The outlet for PvP in Diablo III is the [[Arena]], a special game type that exists only for head-to-head combat. Players can join up and fight their friends in 1v1 or 2v2 games, but the main design is for players to take part in 3v3 battles, either in teams or as singles who will be sorted together via the game's [[matchmaking]] system.

Arena play debuted at Blizzcon 2010 and was wildly-popular, even with just 3 pre-made characters available to choose from, and limited skills all pre-set.

Hardcore Arena will be supported, and the initial plans of the team is for it to be regular Hardcore rules; you die, you stay dead. This approach has many critics, who ask for some sort of non-lethal HC version, and point out that virtually no one plays PvP in D2 Hardcore since the penalty for death is so severe, both in emotional pain and in the play hours required to build up another character to PvP level. It also seems like any sort of team play would be impossible, since even if a team won, one or two of the players on it would lose their character.

===Battle.net 2.0===
Blizzard have promised very big changes in [[Battle.net 2.0]], and besides removing the [[LAN]] functionality, the idea is to encourage people to play online with [[Achievement]]s, handy friends/foes lists and community support. You can read more about confirmed Battle.net features here:
* [http://www.diii.net/articles/689867/definite-battlenet-20-features Definite Battle.net 2.0 Features]

==Other Changes==
Among the things that are not listed under their own headline, there are a few other things to highlight about Diablo III:
* '''[[Chest]]s''' will no longer be locked.
* Monster corpses are no longer something that players can interact with. There are no corpse skills like Diablo II's {{iw|Corpse_Explosion Corpse Explosion}} or {{iw|Find_Item Find Item}}, and bodies on the ground dissolve and vanish after a moment or two.
** There are no player corpses either, in the sense of lootable objects as they were in Diablo II. Like monsters, dead players are subject to the game's physics and can be blasted aside or out of sight by spells, and will vanish after a few minutes.

==Release Information==
This is a collection of all information available pertaining to the release of Diablo. Including [[release date]], [[system requirements]], [[Beta Test|beta testing]], price/payment methods and age [[rating]].

=== Release Date ===
As usual, the [[Release Date|release date]] for any Blizzard production is kept under wraps for as long as possible. While Blizzard has shown playable builds of Diablo III at conventions and press events, the level of polish makes it harder to estimate development time left. Any other dates or rumours, which are constantly provided by game retailers, are just rumors and should not be given any credence.

More information on the '''[[Diablo III release date]]''' article.

=== System Requirements ===
* Windows XP compatible
* Windows Vista compatible
* Mac OSX compatible
Read more on the [[Diablo III System Requirements]] page. Diablo III is made completely in 3D, using custom in-house tools. The game is currently native to DirectX 9, and will not require DirectX 10 or 11 to run.[http://ablegamers.com/Disabled-Gamers-News/AbleGamers-Interviews-the-Diablo-III-Team.html] The game will probably use a slightly higher level of system requirements than [[StarCraft II]], which also uses Havok & DirectX 9, and is the closest thing we can compare the game to. You can read more on StarCraft II's requirements and DirectX compatibilities as well as shader info here:
* [http://www.starcraftwire.net/articles/954/starcraft-2-graphics-requirements-confirmed Graphics Requirements Confirmed] - The most prominent part of the system requirements, the graphics requirements released from Blizzard document.
* [http://www.starcraftwire.net/articles/675/starcraft-2-system-requirements StarCraft II System Requirements] - System requirements analyse from available information.
* [http://www.starcraftwire.net/articles/735/kalos-chronicles Kalos' Chronicles] - Technical articles for StarCraft II.

===Diablo Beta Testing===
As with the release date, a time for beta is currently unknown. Jay Wilson has estimated that the release will occur about six months after the beta test begins. No dates or estimates for the beta have been given, but Blizzard did say that 1000 randomly-selected ticket buyers to Blizzcon 2010 will win a beta slot. Many fans have taken this to mean that Blizzard hopes to start the Diablo III beta before Blizzcon 2011, which would likely be in the August-October time frame, as it has been each year thus far.

General information on Blizzard beta tests can be seen on the '''[[Beta Test]]''' page.

===Retail Price===
The retail price for Diablo III is unknown and will be stated closer to release. It's likely that the game will be "boxed" (no monthly fees, just a one-off price) and priced similar to other AAA titles. Starcraft II (and other recent AAA titles by Activision) retailed for $60, up $10 from the traditional $50 price tag, and it's virtually certain Diablo III will follow that route.

All online game retailers are listing $60 as their estimated price, at least.

===Game Age Rating===
The '''[[rating]]''' of [[Diablo III]] is estimated to be aimed for gamers above the age of 15, while still trying to avoid USK 18+ in Germany, or other similar ratings that would hamper the sales of the game in that country. [[Blizzard]] have stated that they will censor out blood and other gore, as required to avoid "adult" ratings in various countries with more restrictive gore requirements than those found in the US.
* '''America ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entertainment_Software_Rating_Board ERSB])''' - "M" Mature Rating (player should be at least 17 years old). No law enforcement.
* '''Europe ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PEGI PEGI])''' - 16+ (player should be at least 16 years old). No law enforcement (for most countries).
* '''Germany ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unterhaltungssoftware_Selbstkontrolle USK])''' - USK 16+ (player should be at least 16 years old). Law enforcement of USK.
* '''Read more''' in the '''[[rating]]s''' article.

===Copy Protection and DRM===
It's unknown what type of copy protection (DRM) will be used on Diablo III, but with the new Battle.net changes and new Battle.net accounts, the game will likely only use a very light form of copy protection since the license is associated with the account. Online play will most likely not require a DVD in the drive, and offline play is unknown.

==Who's in Charge?==
Naturally, [[Blizzard]] are the guys making Diablo III, but that isn't a surprise. The important people for this production is the relatively new Blizzard employee Diablo III Lead Designer [[Jay Wilson]], besides the regular team. For fans, you might want to keep a look out for [[Bashiok]], the new Diablo Community Manager and [[Leonard Boyarsky]] who is the Lead World Designer for Diablo III, and head of [[quest]]s & [[lore]] as well as designing the world of [[Sanctuary]].

==Expansions, MMO or Diablo Movie==
Whatever will come after [[Diablo III]] is unknown, but it seems apparent that Blizzard are confident [http://www.incgamers.com/Games/1935/features/90/Diablo-III-Inforview] that there '''WILL''' be expansions. They have mentioned that the story line will have a more "final" ending than in Diablo II, which possibly means to make it better for an expansion, or perhaps a future MMO or a [[Diablo movie]]. Regardless, [[Jay Wilson]] has said that there are lots of potential for expanding the universe. What types of media this will come in is unknown: books, comics, manga, expansions, games or a movie...

[[Mike Morhaime]] said that they would like to make '''Diablo III expansions annually'''[http://www.diii.net/blog/comments/diablo-3-will-have-several-expansions], and confirming plans for multiple expansions for the game.

==Further Information==
You can follow the links to each specific section for further details on Diablo III development and information. You can also use one of the following links for further information:
* {{wl|[http://www.diii.net/news Diablo III news]}} - The most coherent news listing for Diablo III.
* [[Media Coverage]] - All Interviews, Previews, Pictures, Videos and Articles from around the web.
* [[:Category:Basics|Diablo III Basics]] - A listing of articles with good information if you are new to Diablo III.
* [[Diablo III FAQ]] - Frequently Asked Questions
* [[Diablo 3 History]] - The history of Diablo III up until the announcement.

==References==
* [http://www.blizzard.com/us/press/080628.html Blizzard Press Release]

[[Category:Diablo III]]
[[Category:Basics]]
[[Category:Featured articles]]

Diablo 3 Basics

2011-01-13T23:23:35Z

Dragonfriend: /* NPCs */

[[Image:Diablo III Logo.jpg|left|150px]]
This is the '''Diablo 3 Basics''' page, which is the main '''Fact Sheet''' of known '''Diablo III''' information. This much anticipated sequel to Diablo and Diablo II was announced at [[Blizzard]]'s [[WWI 2008]] in Paris, during 27-28 June 2008. Regardless if you just heard that Diablo III is announced, or if you have been following some of the {{wl|[http://diablo.incgamers.com Diablo 3 news]}}, this page will get you up to speed!

If you are looking for the '''Basics Section''' of the wiki, you can find that in the '''[[:Category:Basics|Basics Category]]'''.

==Introduction==
Diablo III, while featured completely in '''3D''' with a 3D environment, will follow closely in Diablo II's track by using the classic isometric view, fast gameplay and randomised content for high replayability. Some changes have been made in order to make the game faster and more flexible as well as making players choose and employ tactics rather than mindless mouseclicking. Besides taking well learned lessons from WoW, the developers have been inspired by games such as ''Zelda'' and ''God of War''. Regardless, the game will be possible to play with a mouse alone, if a player so wishes (but you would be a lot less efficient).

Remember that if you're a newcomer to Diablo you can find more related articles in the '''[[:Category:Basics|Basics Category]]'''
 
 

== Character Classes ==

Blizzard have confirmed that the game will ship with five characters. These are the [[Barbarian]], [[Demon Hunter]], [[Monk]], [[Witch Doctor]], and [[Wizard]]. All five classes will be playable in male or female versions. The gender difference is purely cosmetic; male and female characters have identical stats and abilities. The classes are very distinct from one another; all armor appears different depending on which character is using it, the characters have completely unique [[skills]], largely unique [[traits]], and each has their own [[resource]] type.

Though all five classes for Diablo III have been revealed, more are expected in the [[expansion]]s. See the [[Other classes]] article for Blizzard quotes on their additional character ideas.

{|
! colspan="3" | Barbarian
|-
| [[File:Barbfemale.jpg|85px]]
| [[File:Barbmale.jpg|80px]]
| '''The [[Barbarian]]''' - The same character you played in [[Diablo II]], but with some [[Barbarian skills|new skills]], and backed with power of the [[ancient]]s.
* [[Barbarian Skills]]
* [[Barbarian Traits]]
* [[Resource]]: - [[Fury]]
|-
! colspan="3" | Demon Hunter
|-
| colspan="2" | [[File:Demon-hunter-art4.jpg|center|130px]]

| '''The [[Demon Hunter]]''' - The last class revealed is a ranged weapon specialist with a grudge against all demon kind, sexy style, and deadly traps and demonic gadgets to go with her glowing eyes.
* [[Demon Hunter Skills]]
* [[Demon Hunter Traits]]
* [[Resource]]: - Unknown
|-
! colspan="3" | Monk
|-
| [[File:Monkfemale.jpg|85px]]
| [[File:Monkmale.jpg|85px]]
| '''The [[Monk]]''' - A new fellow from [[Ivgorod]]. Combining martial arts of our eastern cultures with a holy strike from the western disciplines he takes names and kicks in faces.
* [[Monk Skills]]
* [[Monk Traits]]
* [[Resource]]: [[Spirit]]
|-
! colspan="3" | Witch Doctor
|-
| [[File:Witchfemale.jpg|85px]]
| [[File:Witchmale.jpg|70px]]
| '''The [[Witch Doctor]]''' - A new class that comes from the jungle region of [[Teganze]], and uses [[Witch Doctor skills|voodoo magic]] to do his bidding. One of his highlights is the [[Wall of Zombies]] spell.
* [[Witch Doctor Skills]]
* [[Witch Doctor Traits]]
* [[Resource]]: [[Mana]]
|-
! colspan="3" | Wizard
|-
| [[File:Wizardfemale.jpg|85px]]
| [[File:Wizardmale.jpg|70px]]
| '''The [[Wizard]]''' - A new class that is a pure spell caster harnessing arcane and elemental magic to do her bidding. Very similar to the [[Sorcerer]] and [[Sorceress]] of previously Diablo games. One of the highlights is the [[Wizard_skills#Slow_Time|Slow Time]] spell which warps space and time, slowing nearby monsters and projectiles.
* [[Wizard Skills]]
* [[Wizard Traits]]
* [[Resource]]: [[Arcane Power]]
|-
|}

=== Skills ===
The skills and their presentation evolved greatly during the game's development. See the [[skill tree]] article for a full pictorial history. As of Blizzcon 2010 skills are presented in a list, sorted into seven tiers which are unlocked at various character levels. All skills are [[active]], there are no prerequisites other than character level, and no synergies.

[[Traits]] were added during development in 2010, when all [[passive]] skills were removed from the skill trees. Traits are passives or masteries and boost general character traits, or specific skills. While many traits are shared between the classes, granting bonuses to [[attributes]] or other common properties such as [[Lucky]] (increased gold drops), or [[Pound of Flesh]] (increased [[health orb]] benefit, about half of the traits are unique to each class, providing specific bonuses just for that class.

==== Skill Tree Respecs/Resets ====
In Diablo II prior to v1.13, a character was unable to change their skills and stats once they were allocated. If you made any mistake, the only solution was to [[reroll]]. This is changed in Diablo III, and it will be fairly easy for characters to "[[respec]]," to remove and reassign points from [[skills]] and [[traits]].

The exact methods have not yet been revealed, but the developers have said it will be fairly easy to do, though not entirely free or instant, to prevent exploitation.

====Stats/Attributes====
One major change announced early in Diablo III's development was the elimination of player-assigned stat points. In Diablo III, each class gains various [[attribute]] points, [[strength]], [[dexterity]], [[vitality]], and [[willpower]], when they level up, and these are automatically-assigned. The Diablo III developers felt the stat allocation in Diablo II was a poor way to provide character customization, since players almost always followed an established [[build]], which was always the best choice for a character. This removed any variety or individuality.

Stats can be modified in Diablo III in various ways. By [[traits]], via [[charms]] in the [[talisman]], and with equipment bonuses, including socketing [[gems]].

==== Skill Runes ====
[[File:Runes-hydra-all.jpg|thumb|350px|Hydra runestone effects.]]
While gems return for item [[sockets]], [[runes]] in Diablo III are not used in items. There are five types of runes, [[crimson]], [[alabaster]], [[indigo]], [[golden]], and [[obsidian]], which are socketed into active skills, where they modify the skill in various beneficial ways.

[[Runestones]] are a huge aspect of the game, always improving skills to the point that virtually any socketed runestone, even of the lowest level, will make an immediate and obvious difference in a skill's efficacy. Only a few skill rune functions are known at this point, and all are subject to change as development continues.

The first complete known skill permutations was the [[Wizard]]'s [[Hydra]] skill. The basic skill is much as it was in Diablo II, a three-headed flame dragon that pokes out of a manhole in the ground, spitting firebolts at enemies. Each rune changes this effect quite notably. The effects revealed for Hydra changed considerably even between August and October 2010, when the slide to the right was presented at Blizzcon 2010:

* Crimson rune: Turns the dragons blue, and they attack with a chilling/slowing breath.
* Alabaster rune: Turns the dragons purple, and they attack with Arcane damage bolts.
* Golden rune: The dragons remain red, but spit out firewalls, which deal higher damage and leave an [[AoE]] wall of flame on the ground.
* Indigo rune: The dragons turn blue and spit clusters of lightning.
* Obsidian rune: The dragons turn green and spit out poison damaging acid balls.

==Monsters==
[[Image:Goatmen surround a Siegebreaker.jpg|thumb|right|150px|[[Goatmen]] & [[Siegebreaker]].]]
Diablo III will have a great array of '''[[monster]]s''', and they will employ more intelligent behaviour, and effects as well. There will be more 'mini-boss' encounters that make for more epic gameplay, an example is the [[Thousand Pounder]], who isn't really a [[boss]], but a unit type. Other 'effects' include skeletons with large shields that can block and protects archers, [[ghoul]]s that climb up sheer walls to attack you, or [[Grotesque]]s that explode into a hundred [[Lamprey]] monsters. We can expect many unique attack patterns and behaviours from the Diablo III monsters.

The scale of monsters is greatly increased in Diablo III; demons like the Siegebreaker are not uncommon, and appear in sizes unimagined in previous games in the series. And Siegebreak isn't even an especially big boss or Act boss.

* '''The [[Monster|Monsters Article]]''' has much more information on the dozens of known monsters.
* Monster [[bosses]] are much improved and varied in Diablo III.
** [[Boss modifiers]] are new and improved as well, and there are many new and dangerous properties.

==Death==
Death is less of an obstacle to success in Diablo III than in previous games in the series. Dead players in Diablo III do not lose equipment or gold. They must merely wait a few seconds, before waiting to be resurrected by another player in their party, or restarting at the last [[checkpoint]] (not [[waypoint]]) they passed over.

[[Hardcore]] mode is an option in the game, and as in Diablo II, dead HC characters stay dead forever.

Death will even look better. There are many more monster death animations, [[critical hit]] deaths come with bonus gore, and even players get to enjoy the death variety, since some of the special monsters have special fatality animations they'll use if they kill a player during a battle.

==Difficulty Levels==

There are going to be three [[difficulty]] levels in Diablo III, as in other games in the series. The normal difficulty level will not be very difficult, and characters are expected to rise to about Clvl 30 working their way through it. Then 50 after Nightmare and 60 (max level) after Hell. There will not be grinding required to reach the max level in Diablo III; as in World of Warcraft it will be achieved simply by working through the normal content.

The difficulty will increase substantially on Nightmare, and the developers have talked about Hell as a much greater challenge, though they are committed to allowing solo players to defeat everything in the game. Nothing will be so hard that a group is required to pass it, and there no no plans to include [[raid]] style content.

==End Game==

The focus of the [[end game]] will be much changed in Diablo III. The developers have not revealed many details, but they say it will be much more compelling than simply running the same bosses over and over again. That characters will be at or nearly to the max level by the time they finish Hell difficulty (barring rushing or other activities to take a character well outside the normal level progression) makes a big difference, since gaining experience will not be part of the end game.

There are talks about [[Achievements]] being incorporated, or special online-only challenges. The team regards the item hunting game as the ultimate goal of a character in Diablo III.

Another end game activity is PvP play in the [[Arena]], as characters could respec and switch around their equipment to build a character entirely focused on PvP play.

==Items==
[[Image:Barbarian swing.jpg|thumb|right|[[Barbarian]] swinging two magical axes.]]
Armor is arranged in [[gear sets]] in Diablo III. There are 18 of them, increasing in quality/appearance from simple cloth to ornate plate mail. The items do not repeat with different names/stats; there are no exceptional/elite versions of items in Diablo III. This means there is a wider variety of total item types, and that players will see a steady progression throughout the game of increasingly-dramatic looking armor.

Weapons are the same, and will increase from plain to fancy, with stats to match.

Most items are rare or magical, as before. Sockets are not a special feature of white items; sockets may occur on any type of item, and there will not be plain socketed items, nor would you want one since there are no [[Runewords]] to put into them. [[Uniques]] return, though they are apparently going to be called "[[Legendary]]" in Diablo III. [[Item sets]] are also likely returning, though they may differ in function somewhat, to make them more useful and/or easier to assemble.

A very popular type of item will be the [[crafted]] items, magical or rare items made by the NPC [[Artisans]] from various [[recipes]].

===Armor and Weapon Types===

*[[Armor]]: [[helms]], [[shields]], [[body armor]], [[gloves]], [[boots]], [[rings]], [[amulets]], and [[belts]] return. Belts are now just another piece of armor; they do not have any special potion-holding function.
** New armor types: [[Shoulders]], [[bracers]], and [[pants]].

* [[Weapons]]: [[Axes]], [[Spears]], [[Polearms]], [[Swords]], [[Clubs]], [[Bows]], [[Crossbows]], [[Wands]], [[shields]],
** New weapons: [[Fists]], [[Daggers]] (no longer a type of sword), [[Orbs]], [[Pistol crossbows]], [[short staves]] for casters only, [[battle staves]] for the Monk only,
** Removed weapons: There are no [[throwing weapons]] or throwing [[potions]] yet seen in Diablo III.

===Other Items Information===
* [[Runes]] no longer socketed into items, [[runewords]] are no more. Runes are objects that get socketed into [[skills]].
* The [[inventory]] is much larger than it was in Diablo II, and after numerous permutations it's settled on a large grid with all items either 1x1 or 1x2 in size.
* The [[stash]] in town is huge, and will be shared between characters on the same account.
* Items will now drop '''per character'''; you only see items you can pick up, and no other players see or can grab them.
* Trading will be improved and there will be some sort of auction house, though details have not been revealed.
* [[Potion]]s are much less common than in previous Diablo games. There are no mana or rejuvenation potions, just health, and they come with a long cooldown between uses. Basically potions are for emergency use, and will only tide a character over briefly; with the cool down they will not keep you alive through reckless behavior.

==NPCs==
[[Image:Cain-concept1.jpg|thumb|right|75px|[[Cain]]]]
As in previous games in the series, [[NPCs]] will feature large in Diablo III. Much of the game [[story]] will be given by the NPCs, and they will be more interactive, while their speeches will be shorter, more to the point, and can be listened to while playing; you are no longer forced to "stay awhile" while you "listen."

[[Followers]]: More NPCs are found out in the dungeons than in past games, and mini-quests such as [[Escort Mission]]s are common throughout the game.

[[Mercenaries]]: The developers have talked about wanting to make mercs better and more useful than they were in Diablo II, but nothing has yet been revealed.

[[Artisans]]: "Vendors 2.0," these NPCs are merchants, quest-givers, and information sources. They follow the player throughout the game, traveling in a [[caravan]] between the acts, and in addition to the standard item buying and selling, they can [[craft]] new semi-random items from special [[recipes]], as well as [[enchant]], [[socket]], and [[repair]] items Artisans can even be [[trained]] up to higher levels, giving them better skills.

==Locations==
[[Image:Sanctuary World Map.jpg|thumb|225px|[[world map|Sanctuary world map]], with locations noted.]]The [[world map]] of [[Sanctuary]] was actually released with the second Diablo game's manual, but a new and improved map has been made by Blizzard, outlining the continents and the major [[settlement]]s. Many of these locations will be visited in [[Diablo III]] including [[Tristram]]. Areas close by that were never visited in the previous games will also have a chance, like the [[Leoric Highlands]] and [[Westmarch]], and it's known that much of Act Three takes place in the Barbarian Lands around the [[Arreat Crater]].

We have been shown detailed pictures of [[Skovos]] (the land of the [[Amazon]]s), as well as [[Caldeum]] and Tristram. Skovos is confirmed to be excluded from the game, but the level of detail they are putting in to the universe suggests either a big expansion pack, MMOs or a film.

Outdoor areas will be less randomised than dungeons, and the terrain will for the most part be static. Instead a lot of random scripted events will take place, some will even be really advanced. It can vary from an escort [[quest]], to a mouldy tome, or a big bad [[boss]] monster. You will also find interactive environments with dangerous traps and obstacles, and [[destructible]] elements. There will be "numerous" outdoor locations.

==Dungeons==
The land if filled with dungeons, as in Diablo II. Dungeons vary widely in size and design, and are promised to offer better randomization and variety than they did in Diablo II.

<gallery>
Image:Screenshot 20.jpg|[[Dark Berserker]]s and a [[Grotesque]] in the [[Forgotten Tombs]].
Image:Screenshot 19.jpg|Several [[Walking Corpse]]s. [[Follower]]s can be seen as well.
Image:Screenshot 16.jpg|[[Witch Doctor]] who's [[Skull of Flame|flameskulling]] some [[Walking Corpse]]s.
</gallery>

==Transportation==
As in Diablo II, travel is on foot. There are no [[mounts]] in Sanctuary. Nor are there any [[Town Portal]]s, in a major change from earlier games in the series. The developers felt that Town Portals made it too easy for players to escape danger and made it impossible to offer compelling, dangerous combat.

To replace town portals, there are more waypoints, frequent checkpoints, and a new item, the [[Scroll of Wealth]] that allows players to sell their items remotely, without returning to to town. The new [[salvage cube]], an essential element of [[crafting]], is another addition meant to obviate the need for regular town returns.

==Easter Eggs==
While no [[Easter Eggs]] in Diablo III have been confirmed, (though we've seen plenty of Diablo III Easter Eggs in Starcraft II), Blizzard has given plenty of hints about some sort of [[secret level]] in the game.

===Cow Level===
The [[Cow Level]] is a very distinct piece of content in Diablo 2, but is as of yet unconfirmed for Diablo 3. Cows and Diablo have been closely linked in fan's minds since Diablo 1, and it's not unlikely that we'll get a secret Cow Level in Diablo 3 as well, even if it likely will be very different from the Diablo 2 version.

===Rainbow Level===
This is a rumour started by the [[art controversy]] (see below), and all the hub-hub about the colour in Diablo 3 that came after the announcement might inspire the dev team to make a rainbow level with unicorns and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carebear Carebears].
* [http://forums.diii.net/showthread.php?t=708777 Rainbow Level forum thread]

==Art Changes==
Some fans were very upset that [[Diablo III]] is seemingly full of much more colour than the predecessor [[Diablo II]]. While the settings in general now include a lot more colour, Blizzard argues that Diablo II was more colourful than people remember. Some fans have also expressed fears that Diablo III will become too much like [[World of WarCraft]]. You can read more about concerns and responses here:
* '''[[Art controversy|Diablo III Art Controversy]]'''

==Story Line==
[[Image:Cinematic 10.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Mystical comet overlooking a settlement in the western part of [[Sanctuary]].]]The [[story line]] of the game takes place twenty years after a few powerful heroes saved [[Sanctuary]] from the demonic onslaught in [[Diablo II]]. Those events took place out of the sight of the common populace, and have become myth or legend over the intervening years. Most of the principles are dead or insane, and no one has seen any sight of the Archangel [[Tyrael]] since he destroyed the Worldstone, triggering an explosion that erased [[Mount Arreat]] and shattered the Barbarians' civilization.

Since the destruction of the [[Worldstone]], those few humans (such as [[Deckard Cain]] who did know of the danger to the world have been expecting an imminent demonic invasion, without the Worldstone to keep them in the [[[Burning Hells]]. This has not happened because, and players will eventually learn, the two remaining lords of Hell (presumably [[Belial]] and [[Asmodean]]) have been building armies for a full on invasion, intended to utterly destroy humanity.

Players will see small scale demonic events, as in previous games, but the developers have promised that the scale of some aspects of the game, such as the siege on [[Bastion's Keep]], will be amazingly large; far bigger than anything ever previously seen in the series.

===Character Personalities===

Unlike the blank cyphers that all characters were in previous games in the series, the individual characters in Diablo III will have personalities. The Wizard is young, brash, and headstrong. The Monk is powerful and quietly confident. The Barbarian is strong and stoic. The Demon Hunter is angry and reckless in her need for vengeance. And the Witch Doctor is spiritual, mysterious, and misunderstood by the populace at large.

The characters will behave accordingly, and inspire different replies and behavior from the NPCs, though the only known examples came from [[Captain Rumford]]'s dialogues as heard at Blizzcon 2008.

==Quests==
[[Quests]] in Diablo III are largely similar in form to those of Diablo II. The changes are to greatly increase the number of quests, and to vary them in type and style. Numerous smaller events or adventures are randomly added in each game, amidst the main plot-skeleton quests.

Most large areas of the game, surface and dungeon, will also vary in content and form between games. Though the surface areas are non-random in their overall shape, there are randomized elements within them, which can yield mini-quests, bonus dungeons, or just open space and random monsters, depending on how the spawn works in a given game.

==Single Player and Multiplayer==
The main focus of Diablo III is co-op [[PvE]] style play. Up to four players (yes, just four) will join up in a game and play together, and players in the same game are now always friendly and in the same party. There is no non-consensual PvP in Diablo III, and no way to "go hostile" in a normal PvE game.

Game creation and group formation should be easier in Diablo III. Though the details have not been revealed, the developers hope it will be very easy to join up and play. Their hope is that players in one game can simply click an option to start another one, and as everyone accepts it they'll immediately appear in a new game and continue playing, almost seamlessly.

All multiplayer Diablo III gaming will take place over Battle.net. Diablo III is following in Starcraft's footsteps and will not include LAN support. Though Blizzard never explicitly terms it as such, this is primarily a security measure; requiring players to buy a retail copy and have a valid Battle.net account and CD-Key to play multiplayer is their way of fighting piracy.

===Battle Arena===

[[File:Battle-arena-new-round1.jpg|frame|350px|A new round begins in the Battle Arena.]]
The outlet for PvP in Diablo III is the [[Arena]], a special game type that exists only for head-to-head combat. Players can join up and fight their friends in 1v1 or 2v2 games, but the main design is for players to take part in 3v3 battles, either in teams or as singles who will be sorted together via the game's [[matchmaking]] system.

Arena play debuted at Blizzcon 2010 and was wildly-popular, even with just 3 pre-made characters available to choose from, and limited skills all pre-set.

Hardcore Arena will be supported, and the initial plans of the team is for it to be regular Hardcore rules; you die, you stay dead. This approach has many critics, who ask for some sort of non-lethal HC version, and point out that virtually no one plays PvP in D2 Hardcore since the penalty for death is so severe, both in emotional pain and in the play hours required to build up another character to PvP level. It also seems like any sort of team play would be impossible, since even if a team won, one or two of the players on it would lose their character.

===Battle.net 2.0===
Blizzard have promised very big changes in [[Battle.net 2.0]], and besides removing the [[LAN]] functionality, the idea is to encourage people to play online with [[Achievement]]s, handy friends/foes lists and community support. You can read more about confirmed Battle.net features here:
* [http://www.diii.net/articles/689867/definite-battlenet-20-features Definite Battle.net 2.0 Features]

==Other Changes==
Among the things that are not listed under their own headline, there are a few other things to highlight about Diablo III:
* '''[[Chest]]s''' will no longer be locked.
* Monster corpses are no longer something that players can interact with. There are no corpse skills like Diablo II's {{iw|Corpse_Explosion Corpse Explosion}} or {{iw|Find_Item Find Item}}, and bodies on the ground dissolve and vanish after a moment or two.
** There are no player corpses either, in the sense of lootable objects as they were in Diablo II. Like monsters, dead players are subject to the game's physics and can be blasted aside or out of sight by spells, and will vanish after a few minutes.

==Release Information==
This is a collection of all information available pertaining to the release of Diablo. Including [[release date]], [[system requirements]], [[Beta Test|beta testing]], price/payment methods and age [[rating]].

=== Release Date ===
As usual, the [[Release Date|release date]] for any Blizzard production is kept under wraps for as long as possible. While Blizzard has shown playable builds of Diablo III at conventions and press events, the level of polish makes it harder to estimate development time left. Any other dates or rumours, which are constantly provided by game retailers, are just rumors and should not be given any credence.

More information on the '''[[Diablo III release date]]''' article.

=== System Requirements ===
* Windows XP compatible
* Windows Vista compatible
* Mac OSX compatible
Read more on the [[Diablo III System Requirements]] page. Diablo III is made completely in 3D, using custom in-house tools. The game is currently native to DirectX 9, and will not require DirectX 10 or 11 to run.[http://ablegamers.com/Disabled-Gamers-News/AbleGamers-Interviews-the-Diablo-III-Team.html] The game will probably use a slightly higher level of system requirements than [[StarCraft II]], which also uses Havok & DirectX 9, and is the closest thing we can compare the game to. You can read more on StarCraft II's requirements and DirectX compatibilities as well as shader info here:
* [http://www.starcraftwire.net/articles/954/starcraft-2-graphics-requirements-confirmed Graphics Requirements Confirmed] - The most prominent part of the system requirements, the graphics requirements released from Blizzard document.
* [http://www.starcraftwire.net/articles/675/starcraft-2-system-requirements StarCraft II System Requirements] - System requirements analyse from available information.
* [http://www.starcraftwire.net/articles/735/kalos-chronicles Kalos' Chronicles] - Technical articles for StarCraft II.

===Diablo Beta Testing===
As with the release date, a time for beta is currently unknown. Jay Wilson has estimated that the release will occur about six months after the beta test begins. No dates or estimates for the beta have been given, but Blizzard did say that 1000 randomly-selected ticket buyers to Blizzcon 2010 will win a beta slot. Many fans have taken this to mean that Blizzard hopes to start the Diablo III beta before Blizzcon 2011, which would likely be in the August-October time frame, as it has been each year thus far.

General information on Blizzard beta tests can be seen on the '''[[Beta Test]]''' page.

===Retail Price===
The retail price for Diablo III is unknown and will be stated closer to release. It's likely that the game will be "boxed" (no monthly fees, just a one-off price) and priced similar to other AAA titles. Starcraft II (and other recent AAA titles by Activision) retailed for $60, up $10 from the traditional $50 price tag, and it's virtually certain Diablo III will follow that route.

All online game retailers are listing $60 as their estimated price, at least.

===Game Age Rating===
The '''[[rating]]''' of [[Diablo III]] is estimated to be aimed for gamers above the age of 15, while still trying to avoid USK 18+ in Germany, or other similar ratings that would hamper the sales of the game in that country. [[Blizzard]] have stated that they will censor out blood and other gore, as required to avoid "adult" ratings in various countries with more restrictive gore requirements than those found in the US.
* '''America ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entertainment_Software_Rating_Board ERSB])''' - "M" Mature Rating (player should be at least 17 years old). No law enforcement.
* '''Europe ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PEGI PEGI])''' - 16+ (player should be at least 16 years old). No law enforcement (for most countries).
* '''Germany ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unterhaltungssoftware_Selbstkontrolle USK])''' - USK 16+ (player should be at least 16 years old). Law enforcement of USK.
* '''Read more''' in the '''[[rating]]s''' article.

===Copy Protection and DRM===
It's unknown what type of copy protection (DRM) will be used on Diablo III, but with the new Battle.net changes and new Battle.net accounts, the game will likely only use a very light form of copy protection since the license is associated with the account. Online play will most likely not require a DVD in the drive, and offline play is unknown.

==Who's in Charge?==
Naturally, [[Blizzard]] are the guys making Diablo III, but that isn't a surprise. The important people for this production is the relatively new Blizzard employee Diablo III Lead Designer [[Jay Wilson]], besides the regular team. For fans, you might want to keep a look out for [[Bashiok]], the new Diablo Community Manager and [[Leonard Boyarsky]] who is the Lead World Designer for Diablo III, and head of [[quest]]s & [[lore]] as well as designing the world of [[Sanctuary]].

==Expansions, MMO or Diablo Movie==
Whatever will come after [[Diablo III]] is unknown, but it seems apparent that Blizzard are confident [http://www.incgamers.com/Games/1935/features/90/Diablo-III-Inforview] that there '''WILL''' be expansions. They have mentioned that the story line will have a more "final" ending than in Diablo II, which possibly means to make it better for an expansion, or perhaps a future MMO or a [[Diablo movie]]. Regardless, [[Jay Wilson]] has said that there are lots of potential for expanding the universe. What types of media this will come in is unknown: books, comics, manga, expansions, games or a movie...

[[Mike Morhaime]] said that they would like to make '''Diablo III expansions annually'''[http://www.diii.net/blog/comments/diablo-3-will-have-several-expansions], and confirming plans for multiple expansions for the game.

==Further Information==
You can follow the links to each specific section for further details on Diablo III development and information. You can also use one of the following links for further information:
* {{wl|[http://www.diii.net/news Diablo III news]}} - The most coherent news listing for Diablo III.
* [[Media Coverage]] - All Interviews, Previews, Pictures, Videos and Articles from around the web.
* [[:Category:Basics|Diablo III Basics]] - A listing of articles with good information if you are new to Diablo III.
* [[Diablo III FAQ]] - Frequently Asked Questions
* [[Diablo 3 History]] - The history of Diablo III up until the announcement.

==References==
* [http://www.blizzard.com/us/press/080628.html Blizzard Press Release]

[[Category:Diablo III]]
[[Category:Basics]]
[[Category:Featured articles]]