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Diablo 3 Basics

2012-06-14T12:56:15Z

ThatGuyJoe1982: /* Item Modification Information */

[[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 randomized content for high replayability. Some changes have been made in order to make the game more welcoming to new players, to ramp up the difficulty more smoothly, and to create a "deep and engaging" combat system. The Diablo III developers took inspiration from previous games in the series, as well as [[World of Warcraft]], and other different games such as ''Zelda'' and ''God of War''.

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

== Character Classes ==

Blizzard confirmed that the game would ship with five characters, then introduced them over the first three years of development. They 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 in look and function. All items of armor have a different appearance on each class (there are even some inter-class gender differences, mainly in the chest armor for obvious reasons). The skills are even more different, with around 25 entirely unique [[active skills]] for each class. Many of the [[passive skills]] were shared between classes during development, but over time they all differentiated as well.

Though all five classes for Diablo III have been revealed, additional classes will be added 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 one returning class is still a mighty brawler, but he's gained countless new tricks, with only a few skills returning, and all of them modified in various ways.
* [[Barbarian Skills]]
* [[Barbarian passive skills]]
* [[Resource]]: - [[Fury]]
|-
! colspan="3" | Demon Hunter
|-
| [[File:Demon-hunter-art4.jpg|center|125px]]
| [[File:Demon-hunter-male.jpg|90px]]
| '''The [[Demon Hunter]]''' - The game's ranged weapon specialist, Demon Hunters are fast-moving archers with devastating offensive capabilities and a wide variety of tactical traps and demonic gadgets.
* [[Demon Hunter Skills]]
* [[Demon Hunter passive skills]]
* [[Resource]]: - [[Hatred]] & [[Discipline]]
|-
! colspan="3" | Monk
|-
| [[File:Monkfemale.jpg|85px]]
| [[File:Monkmale.jpg|85px]]
| '''The [[Monk]]''' - The follower of a thousand Gods, Monks from [[Ivgorod]] are holy warriors. Combining fast-hitting, melee-ranged martial arts with holy magics, auras, and defensive tactics.
* [[Monk Skills]]
* [[Monk passive skills]]
* [[Resource]]: [[Spirit]]
|-
! colspan="3" | Witch Doctor
|-
| [[File:Witchfemale.jpg|85px]]
| [[File:Witchmale.jpg|70px]]
| '''The [[Witch Doctor]]''' - A mysterious class from the jungles of [[Teganze]], the Witch Doctor wields a huge array of magical attacks, as well as the ability to mind control enemies and summon up pets to fight alongside him.
* [[Witch Doctor Skills]]
* [[Witch Doctor passive skills]]
* [[Resource]]: [[Mana]]
|-
! colspan="3" | Wizard
|-
| [[File:Wizardfemale.jpg|85px]]
| [[File:Wizardmale.jpg|70px]]
| '''The [[Wizard]]''' - An evolutionary improvement from the Sorcerer and Sorceress seen in previous Diablo titles. Wizards boast an impressive array of offensive spells that are useful for every situation, as well as defensive spells and escape abilities that combine to create this murderous [[glass cannon]].

* [[Wizard Skills]]
* [[Wizard passive skills]]
* [[Resource]]: [[Arcane Power]]
|-
|}

=== Skills ===
The [[skills]] and their presentation evolved greatly during the game's development, with the largest change coming late in the beta test, shortly before release. See the [[skill tree]] article for a full history. Characters can use up to six skills at once, and may cycle between them with only minimal [[cooldown]]s.

The biggest change from Diablo 2 comes from the [[runestone]] system, which enables every skill to be modified into five different forms, most of which are radically different in function from the base skill. This creates a vast number of possible builds, and with the easy [[respec]] system, players can try out all of the skills and rune effects, and switch between them as needed.

Each class has around 25 unique skills, which are unlocked at the rate of about one per level, from level 1 until level 30. Each skill has five rune effects which are unlocked every 5 or 6 levels, thus granting at least one and often three of four new abilities to try out every level up until the maximum level 60.

[[Passive skills]] are also unique to each class, and starting at level 10, they are unlocked one every few levels, all the way up to level 60. Characters can have up to 3 passive skills active, adding an additional [[passive skill slot]] at level 10, 20, and 30.

==== 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 characters can change around their skills as desired, with only minimal cooldowns to prevent this being done exploitatively.

====Stats/Attributes====
The biggest change to Diablo III [[attributes]] is their change to an automatically-allocated system. Players can not set their skill points, and instead gain 1 or 2 points in the four attributes with every level up. The Diablo III developers felt the stat allocation in Diablo II was a poor way to provide character customization since players either experimented and "ruined' their character with sub-optimal choices, or else followed a [[cookie cutter]] style of [[build]]. (This is less of a problem after v1.13 added stat and skill respecs to Diablo II.)

In the early days of Diablo III, an inventory-like game system called the [[Talisman]] was stocked with items called [[charms]], which added large bonuses to stats, but that system was shelved during development. Another system to add specific attributes was the [[enchants]] provided by the [[Mystic]], but that system and the Mystic were also removed during development. As a result, players can only modify their stats with equipment bonuses, including those from [[socket]]ed [[gems]].

The names and function of the stats changed several times during development as well. (See the [[attributes]] article for details.) Ironically, after experimentation with up to five attributes, including a system where each attribute granted more or less identical bonuses to each class, the developers returned to the classic four attributes of [[Strength]], [[Vitality]], [[Dexterity]], and [[Intelligence]]. The bonuses provided by these four differ considerably from their Diablo II form.

==== Skill Runes ====

[[File:Runes-hydra-all.jpg|thumb|350px|Hydra runestone effects.]]
Another system that underwent numerous changes during development; skill runes were items for most of Diablo III's development. These runes were small objects that were placed in skills, each of which had one socket. Once seated, the runestones changed the function of the skills, always improving them, in five different ways. Those runestones were called [[crimson]], [[alabaster]], [[indigo]], [[golden]], and [[obsidian]].

Though the skill rune effects remained, the item-based runestone system was entirely removed during the beta, and replaced with a system where all of the rune effects are built into skills. They are thus part of the interface, and are "unlocked" one at a time, usually around 5-9 levels apart. Thus a base skill such as the [[Demon Hunter]]'s [[Vault]] is unlocked at level 12, and the rune effects become available one at a time at levels 23, 31, 40, 48, and 53. (Figures subject to yet further change.)

==Monsters==
[[Image:Goatmen surround a Siegebreaker.jpg|thumb|right|150px|The [[Siegebreaker]].]]
Diablo III has a great array of '''[[monster]]s''', which can employ more intelligent behaviour to force players to use strategy during combat. In addition to the random [[boss]] encounters the series has made great use of, Diablo III adds numerous "mini-boss" encounters that make for more epic gameplay; an example is the scripted appearance of the [[Thousand Pounder]] as seen in the [[WWI 2008]] gameplay movie.

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.

* '''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 wait a mere few seconds before waiting to be resurrected by another player in their party or restarting at the last [[checkpoint]] (not [[waypoint]]) they passed over. In addition, a player will lose a set percentage of their [[durability]] upon death (currently 10%) which will need to be repaired either at the [[Blacksmith]] or an appropriate vendor.

[[Hardcore]] mode is an option in the game, and as in Diablo II, dead HC characters stay dead forever. This will not be the case in the Arena, where Hardcore players will be able to duel as much as they like, without having to create softcore characters just to enjoy the arena fully.

One planned feature that didn't make it into the game were specially gruesome player fatalities, which some bosses were to have the ability to inflict when they killed players.

==Difficulty Levels==

There are four [[difficulty]] levels in Diablo III, [[Normal difficulty]], [[Nightmare difficulty]], [[Hell difficulty]], and [[Inferno difficulty]]. Each difficulty level repeats the same game content, but with monsters, items, and everything else increased in level to keep scaling up the challenge. Normal is designed to be fairly easy, especially early on, to usher new players into the game and teach them the ropes without too much challenge. Difficulty starts to increase in Nightmare and Hell, and characters should max out at level 60 around the end of Hell. This controversial design choice removes the [[grinding]] to [[max level]] play system seen in Diablo and Diablo II.

Inferno is where the developers are planning to make things really interesting, with the entire difficulty level vastly harder than Hell, and all balanced to a largely "flat" curve. This should allow players to find challenging and rewarding [[end game]] content anywhere in the game, rather than forcing players to [[run]] the same few end bosses over and over again, as was the case in Diablo II.

==End Game==

Diablo III was designed with the [[end game]] in mind. The entire Inferno difficulty level is meant as one big PvE end game, with a flat difficulty curve opening up the entire game to high level play. The developers have also considered various systems to reward players for playing normal areas, rather than simply "running" the same few bosses over and over again.

While Inferno is meant to be quite challenging, and best played in co-op parties, nothing in Diablo III is being designed to require parties, such as the raid content seen in [[WoW]]. Other end game goodies include special [[Achievements]], crafting recipes and items found only in Inferno, and the possible addition of additional high-end content via patches.

As Diablo III will *not* launch with any form of PvP, the long-anticipated [[Arena]] will not serve as an end game activity.

==Items==

[[Image:Barbarian swing.jpg|thumb|right|[[Barbarian]] swinging two magical axes.]]
Armor and weapons function much as they did in previous games in the series. Players find low level gear early on, and one of the major goals/enjoyments of playing is to find better quality gear and thus improve your character's performance. One big change to the appearance of armor is the elimination of exception and elite versions of gear. Unlike in Diablo II, Diablo III characters will not find the exact same looking armor repeated on each difficulty level. Instead there are 18 "tiers" of armor, organized into something the developers call [[gear sets]].

Each gear set has a distinctive, organized look, and thus a character wearing all (or most) of say, gear set 14, would have a cohesive, coherent appearance as the items would match each other. The developers have released numerous screenshots of the classes in complete gear sets, and they are stylish indeed. It's less clear, in advance of playing the higher levels, just how often (if ever) a character will have most or all of the same gear set on, or if characters will always be clad in a mixture of different level equipment.

Item quality is similar to that of Diablo II, with item scarcity progressing [[normal]] > [[magical]] > [[rare]] > [[set]] > [[legendary]] (the new name for unique items). There should be more mixing and matching at the highest levels, with rare, set, and legendary items of approximately-equivalent quality, depending on the random mods they spawn with.

As there are no [[runes]] to socket into equipment, there are no [[runeword]] items, at least in [[D3v]].

===Item Crafting===

[[Crafting]] returns in Diablo III, in a major game system that combines elements of the item crafting and item gambling systems from Diablo II. Players use the [[Blacksmith]] NPC [[Artisan]] to create semi-random weapons and armor, including (eventually) set items and legendary items. Each crafted item requires [[gold]] and [[materials]], and crafted items all have some pre-set and some random mods, making the item creation a gamble that player may wish to repeat many times, in hopes of spawning an item with better [[modifier]]s.

The Blacksmith must first know the [[recipe]] to create the item, and these are taught to the Artisans by [[training]] them to higher levels, as well as by finding crafting [[plans]], including rare ones, as drops from monsters and chests.

===Armor and Weapon Types===

*[[Armor]]: [[helms]], [[shields]], [[Chest Armor|chest armor]], [[Hands|gloves]], [[Feet|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: [[pauldrons (item type)|Shoulders]], [[Wrists|bracers]], and [[pants]].
** New class-specific armor types: [[Mighty Belts]] for the Barbarian; [[Cloaks]] for the Demon Hunter; [[Spirit Stones]] (helms) for the Monk; [[Voodoo Masks]] for the Witch Doctor, and [[Wizard Hats]] for the Wizard.

* [[Weapons]]: [[Axes]], [[Spears]], [[Polearms]], [[Swords]], [[Maces]], [[Bows]], [[Crossbows]], [[Wands]], [[Shields]]. (There are no throwing weapons in D3v, and many of these weapon types have class limitations -- Monks can not use bows/xbows, only Wizards and Witch Doctors can use wands, etc. See the individual items pages for full details.)
** New types of weapons: [[Fists]], [[Daggers]] (no longer a type of sword).
** New class-specific weapons: [[Mighty Weapons]] for Barbarians; [[Hand Crossbows]] for the Demon Hunter, [[Daibos]] and [[Fist]]s for the Monk, and [[Ceremonial Knives]] for the Witch Doctor.
*** Class specific weapons, off-hand only: [[Mojos]] for the Witch Doctor, [[Orbs]] for the Wizard, [[Quiver]]s for the Demon Hunter.

===Item Modification Information===
This is a compilation of what mods you can search for in the Auction House within the Game. This information does not include the mods that can be sometimes found on Set or Legendary Pieces. Also, Please note that some item modifications require a class specific item in order to obtain the mod. Considering that only that class should be looking for that modification I did not see the necessity of making this distinction.

*All Resistance: Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Arcane Power on Crit: 1-Hand, Off-Hand, Helm,
*Arcane Resistance: Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Armor: Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Attack Speed: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Amulet, Gloves, Ring,

*Barbarian Skill Bonus: Bash: Belt,
*Barbarian Skill Bonus: Cleave:Belt,
*Barbarian Skill Bonus: Frenzy: Belt,
*Barbarian Skill Bonus: Hammer of the Ancients: 2-Hand, Off-Hand,
*Barbarian Skill Bonus: Overpower: 2-Hand, Off-Hand,
*Barbarian Skill Bonus: Rend: Belt,
*Barbarian Skill Bonus: Revenge: Belt,
*Barbarian Skill Bonus: Seismic Slam: 2-Hand, Off-Hand,
*Barbarian Skill Bonus: Weapon Throw: Belt,
*Barbarian Skill Bonus: Whirlwind: 2-Hand, Off-Hand,

*Bleed Chance: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand,
*Block %: Off-Hand,
*Bonus Min Arcane Weapon Dmg: 1-Hand, 2-Hand,
*Bonus Min Cold Weapon Dmg: 1-Hand, 2-Hand,
*Bonus Min Fire Weapon Dmg: 1-Hand, 2-Hand,
*Bonus Min Holy Weapon Dmg: 1-Hand, 2-Hand,
*Bonus Min Lightning Weapon Dmg: 1-Hand, 2-Hand,
*Bonus Min Physical Dmg: Amulet, Ring,
*Bonus Min Poison Weapon Dmg: 1-Hand, 2-Hand,
*Bonus Min Weapon Dmg: 1-Hand, 2-Hand,
*Bonus vs Elites: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand,
*Chance to Blind on hit: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand,
*Chance to Chill on hit: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand, Shoulders,
*Chance to Fear on hit: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand, Helm,
*Chance to Freeze on hit: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand, Belt,
*Chance to Immobilize on hit: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand, Boots,
*Chance to Knockback on hit: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand, Bracers,
*Chance to Slow on hit: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand, Pants,
*Chance to Stun on hit: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand, Gloves,
*Cold Resistance: Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Crit Hit Chance: Off-Hand, Amulet, Bracers, Gloves, Helm, Ring,
*Crit Hit Dmg: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Amulet, Gloves, Ring,
*Crowd Control Reduction: Off-Hand, Amulet, Helm, Ring,

*Demon Hunter Skill Bonus: Bola Shot: Off-Hand,
*Demon Hunter Skill Bonus: Chakram: Chest Armor,
*Demon Hunter Skill Bonus: Elemental Arrow: Off-Hand,
*Demon Hunter Skill Bonus: Entangling Shot: Off-Hand,
*Demon Hunter Skill Bonus: Evasive Fire: Chest Armor,
*Demon Hunter Skill Bonus: Grenades: Chest Armor,
*Demon Hunter Skill Bonus: Hungering Arrow: Off-Hand,
*Demon Hunter Skill Bonus: Impale: Chest Armor,
*Demon Hunter Skill Bonus: Multishot: Off-Hand,
*Demon Hunter Skill Bonus: Rapid Fire: Off-Hand,
*Demon Hunter Skill Bonus: Spike Trap: Chest Armor,

*Dexterity: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Experience: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Extra Health from Globes: Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Fire Resistance: Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Gold Find: Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Has Sockets: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Bracers, Chest Armor, Helm, Pants, Ring,
*Hatred Regeneration: 1-Hand, Off-Hand, Chest Armor,
*Indestructible: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Shoulders,
*Intelligence: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Life %: Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Chest Armor, Helm, Ring, Shoulders,
*Life Regeneration: Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Life Steal: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Belt,
*Life after Kill: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Amulet, Ring,
*Life on Hit: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Amulet, Ring,
*Life per Spirit Spent: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Helm,
*Lightning Resistance: Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Magic Find: Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Mana Regeneration: 1-Hand, Off-Hand, Helm,
*Max Arcane Power: 1-Hand, Off-Hand, Helm,
*Max Discipline: 1-Hand, Off-Hand, Chest Armor,
*Max Fury: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Belt,
*Max Mana: 1-Hand, Off-Hand, Helm,
*Min Bleed Dmg: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand,

*Monk Skill Bonus: Crippling Wave: Helm,
*Monk Skill Bonus: Cyclone Strike: Helm,
*Monk Skill Bonus: Deadly Reach: Helm,
*Monk Skill Bonus: Exploding Palm: Helm,
*Monk Skill Bonus: Fists of Thunder: Helm,
*Monk Skill Bonus: Lashing Tail Kick: 2-Hand,
*Monk Skill Bonus: Sweeping Wind: Helm,
*Monk Skill Bonus: Tempest Rush: 2-Hand,
*Monk Skill Bonus: Way of the Hundred Fists: Helm,
*Monk Skill Bonus: Wave of Light: 2-Hand,

*Movement Speed: Boots,
*Physical Dmg to Attacker: Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Physical Resistance: Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Pickup Radius: Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Shoulders,
*Poison Resistance: Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Reduced Dmg from Elites: Off-Hand, Chest Armor,
*Reduced Dmg from Melee Attacks: Off-Hand, Amulet, Bracers, Chest Armor,
*Reduced Dmg from Ranged Attacks: Off-Hand, Amulet, Bracers, Chest Armor,
*Reduced Level Requirement: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Shoulders,
*Spirit Regeneration: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Helm,
*Strength: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Vitality: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Weapon Dmg %: 1-Hand, 2-Hand,

*Witch Doctor Skill Bonus: Acid Cloud: Helm,
*Witch Doctor Skill Bonus: Fire bats: Helm,
*Witch Doctor Skill Bonus: Firebomb: 1-Hand, 2-Hand,
*Witch Doctor Skill Bonus: Haunt: 1-Hand, 2-Hand,
*Witch Doctor Skill Bonus: Plague of Toads: 1-Hand, 2-Hand,
*Witch Doctor Skill Bonus: Poison Darts: 2-Hand, Off-Hand,
*Witch Doctor Skill Bonus: Spirit Barrage: 2-Hand, Off-Hand,
*Witch Doctor Skill Bonus: Summon Zombie Dogs: Helm,
*Witch Doctor Skill Bonus: Wall of Zombies: 2-Hand, Off-Hand,
*Witch Doctor Skill Bonus: Zombie Charger: 2-Hand, Off-Hand,

*Wizard Skill Bonus: Arcane Orb: Off-Hand,
*Wizard Skill Bonus: Arcane Torrent: Helm,
*Wizard Skill Bonus: Blizzard: Off-Hand,
*Wizard Skill Bonus: Disintegrate: Helm,
*Wizard Skill Bonus: Electrocute: Helm,
*Wizard Skill Bonus: Energy Twister: 1-Hand, 2-Hand,
*Wizard Skill Bonus: Explosive Blast: Helm,
*Wizard Skill Bonus: Hydra: Helm,
*Wizard Skill Bonus: Magic Missile: 1-Hand, 2-Hand,
*Wizard Skill Bonus: Meteor: Off-Hand,
*Wizard Skill Bonus: Ray of Frost: Helm,
*Wizard Skill Bonus: Shock Pulse: Off-Hand,
*Wizard Skill Bonus: Spectral Blade: Off-Hand,

===Other Items Information===

* [[Runes]] are no longer found in Diablo III. They were never item socketables, but were socketed into skills, until a major system overhaul in early 2012.
* 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 large (though it shrunk from 5 to 3 pages during beta testing), and is shared between all characters on the same account. (But not HC and normal characters.)
* All gold and item drops from monsters, chests, quests, etc, are specific to your character. You only see items you can pick up, and do not see items for other characters, nor do they see yours.
** Items dropped by a character are seen by all.
* Trading is supported, both between characters and in a much larger way through the Battle.net [[Auction House]], which has two version, the gold and the [[real money]] version.
* [[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. Potions are intended for emergency use only, and players must learn to survive with life leech, hit point regeneration from equipment, and by using the [[health globes]] that monsters drop. Successful players must be a bit more cautious than they were in previous games of the series.

==NPCs==

[[Image:Cain-concept1.jpg|thumb|right|75px|[[Cain]]]]
As in previous games in the series, [[NPCs]] will feature importantly 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" to "listen."

[[Followers]]: Diablo III's answer to mercenaries from D2, the followers will have their own skillset and inventory that the player can customize.

[[Artisans]]: Are special NPCs who craft items and provide other essential services, as well as much dialogue and information about the game world and quests. They are the [[Blacksmith]] and [[Jeweler]], after the [[Mystic]] was removed during beta testing.

==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]].

The scorching deserts of the [[Aranoch]] will be revisited by the player when they have the opportunity to visit one of the largest capital cities in Sanctuary: [[Caldeum]]. The player will also explore the depths of the [[Archives of Zoltun Kulle]], ex-horadric mage.

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 into the universe suggests either a big expansion pack, MMOs, or a film. [[Ureh]] is another area that has been shown off by the development team (and was showcased in the original cinematic trailer) which will not be in the release version of Diablo III.

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

==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. Perhaps more critically, the development team has also stated that there will be many more varieties of dungeons than what was seen 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.
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. Unlike Diablo II, there is only one movement speed, rather than a walk and run option. This speed can be increased with item mods and some skills, and there is no stamina drain while moving. There are no [[mounts]] in Sanctuary, to ride about the world at a higher rate of speed.

The main method of speedy transportation in the game comes from [[waypoint]]s, of which there are dozens per act, many more than were found in Diablo II. Waypoints are tied to quests and there are multiple waypoints in connected areas, tied to each quest. For instance, a player can only use the waypoint to the start of an area, and then while clearing that area and deeper dungeons within it, additional waypoints will be encountered, for easy returns to town. This allows for more travel without cluttering up the waypoints menu with dozens of them, as well as preventing players from warping right to the end of a quest, Diablo 2 boss run style.

The [[town portal]] system evolved repeatedly during Diablo III's development. TPs were in as [[scroll]]s, then out entirely, then back in via the [[Stone of Recall]] system, then changed back to a town portal activated directly from the [[belt interface]]. See those pages for more details.

==Easter Eggs==

There are numerous small [[Easter Eggs]] already seen in Diablo III during the beta testing. These include funny item and monster names, developer names carved on headstones, inside jokes via the [[Achievements]], and more. There are certain to be many other discovered in the full game.

==Secret Level?==

It seems quite likely that some sort of [[Secret Level]] will be found in Diablo III, as an homage to the [[Secret Cow Level]] of Diablo II. Numerous hints have been seen, with jokes about rainbows and unicorns abounding in the game and from the developers, much of it spurred by the early [[art controversy]].
* [http://diablo.incgamers.com/forums/showthread.php?708777-The-secret-rainbow-level Rainbow Level forum thread from 2008]

==Art Changes==

Diablo III uses more color, or at least uses color more obviously, than previous games in the series, and this spawned numerous fan debates shortly after the title was revealed in June 2008. The early screenshots and gameplay movies sparked the [[art controversy]] and angry online petitions, which Blizzard reacted to by defending their design choices.
* The [[Art controversy]] article goes into great detail on this topic.

==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 had 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, [[Belial]] and [[Azmodan]], 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.

Additional information on the story line can be seen within the [[Black Soulstone Cinematic]].

===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. The [[Followers]] such as the [[Templar]] and [[Enchantress]] each have a distinct personality with a fleshed-out background and will not only banter to the player character, but also to other NPCs (and even to each other within the camp or town). The same holds true for other NPCs, such as [[Leah]], who may on occasion follow the player into the fray during a quest.

==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, and to create a sense that they were being "played" and not "told about". Numerous smaller [[events]] and adventures are spotted throughout the game, many of them randomly-generated each game, to add color and change up the gameplay.

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, which are called either [[adventures]] or [[events]], depending upon their magnitude.

Quests can be repeated in Diablo III through the game creation menu.

==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 PvE game. (All PvP takes place in the Arena, a feature that will not be ready for use upon Diablo 3's launch.)

Game creation and group formation will be easier in Diablo III than in the past: it is mostly automated. Diablo III, being on "battle.net 2", is using a match-making system very similar to that which is seen in ladder play in [[StarCraft II]] or the dungeon finder in [[World of WarCraft]]. A player can choose a few options for their game, including whether or not they want it to be private, and which quest they would like to start on (if they don't wish to simply resume the quest they were last playing). Players can instantly join games in which people on their [[Friends List]] are playing.

Diablo III will take place over Battle.net. There is no offline mode: the game is online only. Diablo III is following in Starcraft's footsteps and will not include LAN support. Though Blizzard always claims that this is a benefit, enabling greater player connectedness, most players regard it as an annoyance implemented as a security feature, since all Diablo III play requires players to possess a Battle.net account and valid cd-key.

===Battle Arena===

[[File:Battle-arena-new-round1.jpg|frame|350px|A new round begins in the Battle Arena.]]
All [[PvP]] in Diablo III takes place in the [[Arena]]. Unfortunately, this feature will not be included when Diablo III ships, as the developers could not get it ready in time for the launch.[http://eu.battle.net/d3/en/blog/3828550/Diablo_III_PvP_Update-09_03_2012#blog] Players loved the PvP demos at Blizzcon 2010 and 2011, so there are high hopes for this system once it's enabled.

===Battle.net 2.0===

Battle.net 2.0 for Diablo III includes a [[Friends List]], numerous matchmaking and automatic game joining options, and limited [[chat channel]] support.

==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 will vanish after certain criteria have been met. However, dead bodies can be affected by [[physics]].
** 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 ===

Diablo III will be released on May 15, 2012. This date was revealed on March 15, 2012, after several delays that pushed the initial release window back from the "second half of 2011" and then "early 2012."

* See the [[release date]] article for full details.

=== System Requirements ===

See the [[System Requirements]] article for full details on minimum and recommended system specs for PC and Mac.

<center>
{|
| Windows Minimum Requirements:
* Windows® XP/Vista/7 (latest service packs) with DX 9.0c
* Intel Pentium® D 2.8 GHz or AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 4400+
* NVIDIA® GeForce® 7800 GT or ATI Radeon™ X1950 Pro or better
* 1 GB RAM (XP), 1.5 GB (Vista/7)
* 12 GB available HD space
* DVD-ROM (required for retail disc versions only)
* Broadband* Internet connection
* 1024x748 minimum resolution

| Mac Minimum Requirements
* Mac® OS X 10.6.8, 10.7.x or newer
* Intel® Core 2 Duo
* NVIDIA® GeForce® 8600M GT or ATI Radeon™ HD 2600 or better
* 2 GB RAM
* 12 GB available HD space
* DVD-ROM (required for retail disc versions only)
* Broadband* Internet connection1024x768 minimum resolution
|}
</center>

<center>
{|
|
PC Recommended System Requirements
* Windows® Vista/7 (latest service packs)
* Intel® Core 2 Duo 2.4 GHz or AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 5600+ 2.8 GHz
* 2 GB RAM
* NVIDIA® GeForce® 260 or ATI Radeon™ HD 4870 or better

|
Mac Recommended System Requirements
* Mac® OS X 10.7.x or newer
* Intel® Core 2 Duo
* 2 GB RAM
* NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 330M or ATI Radeon™ HD 4670 or better

|}
</center>

===Diablo Beta Testing===

The [[Diablo 3 beta]] test began in early September, 2011, and continued through the end of the year and into 2012. The frequency of patches and number of beta testers increased dramatically in early 2012, as the game neared completion and balancing changes grew more frequent. The beta test is expected to continue until a week or two before the release on May 15, 2012.

Prior to the start of the test, the developers had repeatedly said it would be a quick beta test, devoted largely to technical issues and Battle.net stress testing. That turned out to be very untrue.

===Retail Price===

The retail price for Diablo III is variable by region. It will be a "boxed" retail product (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 USD, up $10 from the traditional $50 price tag, and it's virtually certain Diablo III will follow that route. Any pre-order for the game, currently, follows this trend.

The [[Collector's Edition]] of the game is retailing for $100 USD, plus any applicable taxes or service fees.

===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. There is no offline play, and the odds of Blizzard requiring a player to have the disc in the drive is exceedingly minimal.

Blizzard hasn't bothered with much copy protection in the past, and will likely not bother with it at all in the future, in lieu of bringing their games completely onto battle.net. The only "piracy" that can occur in such a system is an emulation of the server, which makes for a pale imitation of the actual game. Once a player ties a game to their battle.net account, they can then download the game to install on their local machine at any point in time as well, circumventing the need for physical media, such as discs.

==Who's in Charge?==

Naturally, [[Blizzard Entertainment]] 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]].
* See the [[D3 Team]] article for info on dozens of Diablo III's developers.

==Expansions, MMO or Diablo Movie==

Whatever will come after [[Diablo III]] is unknown, but it seems apparent that Blizzard is 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 making it better for an expansion, or perhaps a future MMO or a [[Diablo movie]]. Regardless, [[Jay Wilson]] has said that there is 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 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]]

Items/Archive

2012-06-12T04:02:43Z

ThatGuyJoe1982: /* More Item Information */

[[Image:Paper-doll-annotated-2010.jpg‎|thumb|250px|[[Paper doll]], August 2010, sans [[Talisman]].]]
'''Item''' hunting is the biggest joy in playing the [[Diablo games]] for many players. The item system in [[Diablo III]] is bigger and better, but it's a refinement on the system used in Diablo II, not a radical change.

The [[D3 Team]] has not yet revealed many specifics about items in D3, but we do know a few things at this point, from playing at [[BlizzCon 2008]], and from what the team has said in interviews.

For a list of items, check out the [[Known Items Listing]].

==Item Retrieval and Storage==

[[File:Inv-aug-2010.jpg|thumb|250px|Inventory semi-final, August 2010.]]
Finding items is nothing if you don't have anywhere to put them, and after numerous redesigns during a lengthy evolution, the near-final[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/jay-wilson-interview-pcgames.de/] Diablo III [[inventory]] and [[paper doll]] are seen to the right. This image is from August 2010, and the large open space is where the [[Talisman]] is displayed. It wasn't shown in August, but was in October 2010 at Blizzcon, where the inventory remained the same.

The current inventory design is a 10x6 grid, with all items taking either 1x1 or 1x2 spaces. Most like items (scrolls, gems, potions) stack up to 10, for greater space savings. This is a much larger inventory than Diablo II offered. It's impossible to compare directly between the games, since D2 items that were 2x1, 2x2, 2x3, and 2x4 are all 1x2 in D3. That said, a typical Diablo II inventory might have held 5 large items (spears, bows, body armor, etc) and six 1x1 objects. The Diablo III inventory can hold those items and still have 44 open spaces, capable of holding, for instance, 20 more large items, plus 4 small ones.

In addition to the huge inventory, Diablo III characters will enjoy a huge [[stash]] (dimensions and visuals have not yet been revealed), plus a [[shared stash]][http://twitter.com/Diablo/status/25339141738729472], which all of the characters on an account have access to. This will make it easy to pass items between your characters, either for use or to [[mule]] them.

Picking up items is much the same in Diablo III, with one great improvement. [[Gold]] is now picked up automatically; characters need just walk near a stack to grab it. Items are not picked up automatically, since the developers think that choosing what you want to grab is an integral part of the game.[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/why-not-a-pick-everything-up-button-in-d3/]

===Personal Item Drops===

One improvement there is the private drops; each character in a multiplayer game only sees the items drop that they can pick up. No other players sees "your" items, and you do not see theirs, so there will be no more "ninja-looting," where quick players dart in and grab everything before you get a chance.

As a result of that feature, players will actually see a lot fewer items drop in multiplayer games, so there will be less overall ground clutter. You won't see 1/4 the items in a 4-player game, since almost all players will still see an item drop from every boss, but you will see fewer items from regular monsters. This isn't necessarily a bad thing in terms of useful items, since those mostly come from bosses and chests. It just means we'll see less junk, with fewer cracked sashes and many, many fewer [[potions]] dropping.

===Items on the Ground===

[[File:Item quality - different glow colors.png|thumb|420px|Items glow color-coded on the ground.]]
Locating items once they're dropped is easier in Diablo III. Items show a hover tag when they first fall, and while that goes away after a few seconds, it can be brought back by using the Alt key to show the hover tag for every item within visual range. Players can change those default settings, as well as make other modifications to the display and function. Bashiok explained some of these controls in a forum post in July 2011.[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/blizzard-on-diablo-3s-controls-and-options]

<blue>We have a few different options you can pick from to display item names while they’re on the ground.

The default option is that names will show for 10 seconds when the item drops, and then the name fades out. You can hit Alt again to show them for another 10 seconds. (Diablo III default)

You can also forgo showing item names automatically when they drop and choose to just use Alt to show item names while it’s held down. (classic functionality)

You can also choose to always show item names, and hold Alt to hide them. (I’m not sure how useful this is, but it’s there)
There’s also an option to make Alt toggle showing item names on/off. (my personal favorite)

We’re also looking to bring back the /nopickup option from Diablo II, but it’s currently a nice-to-have feature and so may not make initial release.

Additionally you can rebind any and all keys in the game, so you can easily make something like the Tab (for example) key show item names instead of Alt, if you prefer.</blue>

There will not be an auto-pickup option, or any way to block the display of "junk" items, as the developers feel that pausing to view the gear on the ground, and clicking to pick up the good stuff, is part of the gameplay and skill, and they do not want to automate everything. Nor will they be allowing player-made [[mods]] to do this.

Besides the hover tag names on items, the actual items themselves have a glow of the appropriate color, making them more visible, especially in darker dungeons. Rare items glow yellow, magical glow blue, and so on, as seen in the screenshot collage to the right.

==Item Buying and Selling==

[[File:Npc-interface-blizzcon2010a.jpg|thumb|420px|NPC merchant interface, Blizzcon 2010.]]
Little has been revealed thus far about item buying and selling. The basic interface is similar to what was seen in Diablo II, with the items pictured in a grid in the [[NPC]] merchant's inventory; the item graphic is displayed, along with the stats.

It was thought that only [[Artisans]] would buy or sell items, but a roaming, minor-quest NPC was seen in the Blizzcon 2010 demo. After the player completed a short quest for his benefit, he offered to buy and sell items, right out in the dungeon. His interface is seen to the right. This quest will differ in the final game from what it was in the Blizzcon demo, but it seems that this is a preview of the sort thing players will see in the game, with portable item sales out in the dungeon for speed and convenience.

Nothing is yet known about the quality of items that will be sold by the NPC merchants. In Diablo and Diablo II it was possible to obtain some very good quality items (even high quality [[end game]] gear) from merchants, on the rare occasion that a desired modifier turned up on a good item type. This may or may not be the case in Diablo II; the developers have said that they want a variety of item types to be top items in the game, including set, legendary, rare, and crafted items. Crafted items are made by the [[Artisan]] NPCs, but it's not known if items for sale by the Artisans, or other NPCs, will be good enough to use long term, or will just fill gaps in equipment in the short term, for low/mid level characters.

==Item Quality and Color==
The [[D3 Team]] has confirmed that there will be magical, rare, and unique items (now called "legendary") will be found in Diablo III. [[Set Items]] were on the fence for a long time, but were finally confirmed as in the game in early 2011, though with some major changes in their types and function. [[Runewords]] will not return in Diablo III, as [[runes]] are placed in [[skills]], not items.

Crafted items were hinted at for a long time, but not until August 2010 was Diablo III's [[crafting]] system and [[salvage cube]] revealed, as part of the [[Artisan]] NPC operations. Crafted items do not have a special color in Diablo II, as they become categorized as magical, rare, set, or legendary items, depending upon the recipe and the results.

Final item colors were revealed in early 2011, and they show considerable changes from the development process:

* [[Runes]]: Purple
* [[Legendary]] Items: Orange
* [[Rare]] Items: Yellow
* [[Set]] Items: Orange
** (Set items do not exist as a special sub-type of item in Diablo III. They are simply legendary items with some added bonuses when other items in the same set are equipped.) [http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/diablo-iiis-item-colors/]
* [[Magical]] Items: Blue
* [[Normal]] Items: White
* [[Junk]] Items: Gray
* [[Quest]]/[[Lore]] items: Green

[[Socketed]] items do not display a special color in Diablo III, since sockets are granted by and treated like item modifiers. In theory any item with sockets would therefore be at least magical, in classification.

===Item Color Changes During Development===

[[Jay Wilson]] spoke on this issue in Blizzcast #8, in March 2009. [http://www.diii.net/blog/comments/blizzcast-8-live-with-diablo-iii-goodies] His comments on color confirmed various item types, while opening a whole new can of worms on the color scheme.

::'''Jay Wilson: '''We've kind of gone round and round on color scheme. I know with World of Warcraft when they decided on a color scheme to fit quality, they were taking that from Diablo 2 and other MMOs, but they chose a color set that they felt was easier to read. We actually tried to emulate that for awhile, I think actually our announcement build or maybe our BlizzCon build was actually using a color scheme very similar to World of Warcraft and we generally found we just didn’t like it, it didn’t feel Diablo. So something as simple as that didn’t feel Diablo anymore.

::Color scheme is pretty solid right now, it follows very closely to the Diablo 2 color scheme. We slightly shifted some of the hues to help, especially with color blindness, to try and get some of the more problematic combinations. We took out, for example, uniques were gold, we’ve changed their color I think we did purple which is a bit of a nod to World of Warcraft but the problem was gold and yellow were really close. Even though the gold lettering was unique and everything it was often very difficult to tell the two apart. So we just did that not to get away from Diablo but to try and fix that kind of readability issue. What we found is that if we try and get too far from Diablo it doesn't feel right, so right now magic items are blue, rare items are yellow, unique items I think they're purple – I'm operating off memory here but they might be different actually because I think we use purple for something else for an item type we haven’t announced yet. Then if we do set items they'll be green, we haven't made a call on set items yet.

Fans reaction was quite negative to the color change of Uniques. Most fans thought they should stay the traditional, classic gold, and that if something must change color it should be rares, switching to purple or pink or some other color that won't be confused with gold.

Fans do not always get what they want.

===Top End Items===

[[File:I-item-ground1.jpg|frame|Blue (magical) item found.]]
What type of items will make up the end game gear is always [http://www.diii.net/blog/comments/on-the-drawing-board-1-rares-vs-uniques/ a popular topic for fan debate]. This issue came up in the March 2009 Blizzcast, in a question to Jay Wilson. [http://www.diii.net/blog/comments/blizzcast-8-live-with-diablo-iii-goodies]

::'''Bornakk: '''Will there be a diverse selection of items that are viable for the end-game or will it follow the WoW-type style where there is more like one end-all-be-all set for each class?
::'''Jay Wilson: '''It’s definitely diverse and it’s diverse on a lot of different fronts. When you think about Diablo 2, all the different ways you can build your character, we really expanded all the ways you can customize your character by adding in the rune system. Not only can you completely customize your skill set, much more so than you can in game like most MMOs like World of Warcraft, because of that, the items you want are based upon the skill set that you’ve chosen or the type of build that you are trying to create.

::And items, one of the things we are trying to do is focus on this even greater element of defining your build. So really it's up to the player on what kind of stats they want on their character, but we're definitely not shooting for a, "oh here's the barbarian armor", there is a set and when you get the full set you're done. That's just not very Diablo and it's not really the kind of gameplay we're going for. If anything we’d like the item set to be a lot more diverse than it was in Diablo 2.

Jay said much the same thing during a Blizzcon 2009 interview: [http://g4tv.com/games/pc/28197/diablo-iii/articles/68225/BlizzCon-2009-Diablo-III-Game-Director-Interview/]

::'''Jay Wilson: '''We’d like to get a mix. We would like uniques to be valuable for some builds and rares to be valuable for some builds. Ideally, we’d love to look at an in-game character and see a mix of uniques and rares. There are a couple of ways we can accomplish that. One is to look at the constraints of what a rare item could be and create some space for those items to exist that it makes them superior to uniques. Then, look at uniques and give them some specific attributes that are very hard or almost impossible to show up on rares, but then keep those item bases separate. So you go, “This unique item is really awesome for this, but there’s no belt, for example, that goes with it and so I’m going to look for a rare item to fill that slot, whatever it might be.” The other way is to really focus on unique items having a very specific roll and filling a very specific function.

Other D3 developers said much the same thing at Blizzcon 2009. [http://www.diii.net/blog/comments/exclusive-blizzcon-interview-julian-love-and-kevin-martens/] These are all noted so that when the final game arrives, and everyone is wearing nothing but rares, or uniques, or set items for the first six months, you can point to these quotes in the wiki and shake them overhead, like angry villagers with torches, on the heels of Frankenstein's monster.

==Artisans and Crafting==

August 2010 brought a major announcement, as the [[crafting]] system and [[Artisans]] were introduced. Characters in Diablo III will spend much of their time breaking down unwanted items in the [[salvage cube]], then using the raw [[materials]] created by that process to craft new items from the [[recipes]] offered by the various artisans.

There are three artisans, each offering a wide variety of types of items, as well as crafting recipes and other item-related services. The Artisans will also give [[quests]] and information, and they travel with the player from act to act, providing the same "town" (called the [[Caravan]]) throughout the game.

Click the various linked words in this section for much more info about everything related to the Artisans.

===Item Buyback===

[[File:Buyback1.jpg|thumb|300px|The item buyback interface.]]
One added feature sure to please players is the item buyback option. Anything you sell to the NPC merchants can be bought back. This isn't something players will use often, or on purpose, but that one time you misclick and accidentally sell something you wanted to keep, the buyback will be a blessing.

There does not seem to be any un-salvage option though, so be careful what you stick into the [[salvage cube]].

==Item Durability==

During most of the development process there was no durability in Diablo III. The development team said they might do without it; that it was a needless inconvenience. Their thinking changed at some point, since as of the [[Artisan]] reveal in August 2010, durability was back in the game and a major factor in item values. Durability was also said to be the only real [[death]] penalty, with a loss of it leading to heavy repair costs upon each death.

Durability is a major aspect of the [[end game]] [[economy]] though, and can function as a major [[gold sink]].

* See the [[Durability]] page for much more discussion of this issue.

==Item Rarity==

Another key question about items and item components in Diablo 3: just how scarce will they be? Diablo 2 did a fairly good job making the top items hard-but-not-impossible to find, until {{iw|Runes Runes}} were added in D2X and blew the curve, with the higher level runes incredibly rare; far too scarce given their enormous utility in {{iw|Runewords Runewords}}.

Though we won't have an answer to this until much later in the development process, at least in theory, we will not see useful items with such astronomical drop odds in Diablo 3. [http://www.gameplanet.co.nz/pc/games/156898.Diablo-III/features/133759.20090831.BlizzCon-Diablo-III-devs-discuss-design-decisions-direction-depth-drops/]

::'''''GamePlanet:''' So we're still going to see the same level of rarity - like with the Zod Rune that nobody ever really picks up?
::'''[[Kevin Martens]]:''' That's yet to be determined. I'm not exactly sure if we're going to make it a little less rare or not. Hard to say yet, we'll keep tweaking the numbers and we'll have to do a lot of testing to find out if we're happy with things. Even if we do change it in one direction or the other, we may change it back as we're testing it.

==Item Variety==

A few new item types have been seen so far. Characters now wear shoulder pads and pants, in addition to all the other types of armor found in Diablo II. See the [[paper doll]] for screenshots and details.

The Monk is known to use various "fist" type weapons, reminiscent of the Diablo 2 Assassin's claws. It also appears that the Monk's melee staves may be a new variety of staff, with their thicker, studded hitting ends. The Wizard-only short staves (which can be dual wielded with an orb in the off-hand) are a separate type of item in Diablo 3; not just the lowest level type of staff.

Other than those, no new weapons have been seen thus far.

There are many changes to small items. Charms, runes, and jewels appear to be gone, but there are many more types of [[gems]]. Another new item are the [[skill runes]], which are socketed into active skills and add bonus effects of various types. These items can not be used in items and provide no benefit except when socketed into a skill.

Bags of holding can also be found, which add additional inventory slots when equipped in special bag slots. (This feature may or may not last into the final game. Inventory space issues have changed repeatedly during development.)

If there are other new item types, new varieties of weapons or multiple levels of jewelry, it's not been announced. However, lots of the item types so popular in Diablo II were not added until the expansion; there were no jewels, charms, runes, or runewords in regulation Diablo II; those all came in the expansion pack. It is therefore conceivable that a similar amount of item types and/or varieties could be added by the team in D3 and its expansion(s).

Jay Wilson (sort of) confirmed that we would see new item types in an October 2009 interview. [http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/jay-wilson-exclusive-full-transcript/]

::'''''Diii.net: '''Are there going to be any completely new item types?
::'''Jay Wilson: '''Will there be any completely new item types?... Yes. *laughs* That’s all I’m going to say.

::'''''Diii.net: '''Does that mean the Monk’s fist items? Or something else.
::'''Jay Wilson: '''*pauses* That’s all I’m going to say. You asked the question. “Are there going to be any new item types?” That’s all I’m going to say.

==Class Specific Weapons==

There are a lot of class-specific weapons in Diablo 3. There are more types of items than in Diablo 2, but a lot of them are limited to one character type, or exclude some character types. Full details have not yet been determined, but the general theory is that characters can only use items that they would normally be able to use. Barbarians can't use magical items, mage characters can't use axes, and so forth.

* Which characters can use, or not use, which types of items has changed repeatedly during development. See the [[Class-Specific Weapons]] page for an up-to-the-minute tally, with extensive developer quotes.

Bashiok spoke on this issue, from a design standpoint, in July 2009.[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/bashiok-on-class-specific-items/]

::...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. We made the obvious choice which is making sure there are a ton of awesome skills and rune effects to choose from.

::Because I can see the conclusions being jumped to RIGHT NOW in my old cranium - let me state that weapon types do not dictate stats. At least not wholly (barbarians can’t use staves so there’s no point in allowing fury related stats on them). We understand that the game is about variation, customization, and experimentation in class builds. We’re not World of Warcraft, we’re not looking to make weapon stats “optimal” for the types and classes that will use them. Which is to say, we’re not going to put specific stats in specific amounts on each weapon of a specific type because we’re making assumptions about what each class wants out of their stats. We want variation, and experimentation, and all that good stuff. These restrictions don’t affect those goals, it really just means you probably won’t see a wizard lugging around a two-handed axe. Kind of a bummer, but then think about what it affords us to work on with more and better looking skills, a more robust rune-skill system, etc. We want to spend our time and effort on what makes sense to making the game better.

Blizzard has also stressed that the selections are made carefully and distinctly, and that the lists are not yet finalized.[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/bashiok-on-class-specific-items-part-two/]

::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.

Proving their point, this has [http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/more-on-d3s-limited-weapon-types/ since been changed] and Wizards '''can''' now use two-handed swords.

===Class Specific Armor===

It's not known if there are similar limits to armor, but if so none have yet been seen, and the [[D3 Team]] has stressed that all characters will be able to wear heavy plate as well as light armor. [http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/bashiok-on-class-specific-items-part-two/]

::There still aren’t any armor restriction planned. Armor is a different issue as it’s shown in much the same way as Diablo II, so more types don’t actually increase the animation/modeling costs like weapon types would.

The Diablo 2 Expansion added class-specific armors; helms that only the Druid and Barbarian could wear, as well as shields that were Paladin only. Unlike the class-specific weapons added in the expansion, the armors were cosmetic and fairly illogical; there were plenty of other helms and shields in the game, and it's not like there was something special about the shape of the Druid's or Barbarian's head.

====Shields====

[[File:Shield-barb1.jpg|frame|Barbarian with shield.]]
[[Shield]]s are generally considered armor, even though they are equipped in the off-hand weapon slot. Shields will be a useful item in Diablo III, but far less useful (overpowered) than they were in Diablo II. In D3, shields work like the "absorb" property on magical items; they absorb some set amount of damage from incoming attacks, with the amount varying by the type of shield, the shield's magical properties, and other factors. This means that a small shield will only absorb something like 4-6 damage, so if your character takes a hit of 50 damage, the shield will hardly help you at all.

This is '''very''' different than the Diablo 2 system, where any successful block absorbed 100% of the physical damage of the hit. Most characters in Diablo 2 used shields since the ability to completely block up to 75% (or more with a Paladin) of incoming physical damage was enormously useful. Much more useful than the added damage from using a two-handed weapon. Without shields working so fantastically in Diablo 3, two-handed weapons should be a much more viable option.

====Shield Class Limits====

Which classes can and can not use shields has changed during development, and you should consult the [[shield]]s page for the most up to date information.

At one point Monks could not use shields, for reasons expressed by [[Bashiok]] in a pair of forum posts in early March 2010. [http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/blizzard-on-diablo-3-class-specific-weapons/] [http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/blizzard-on-diablo-3-class-specific-weapons/]

::Bruce Lee would not use a shield, and neither would the monk.
::We have shields. Everyone but monk can wield them.
::Of course that’s subject to change.

It changed quite quickly, as a Monk was seen using [[socket]]ing and wielding a shield in the [[Artisan Video]] demonstration in August 2010.

==Item (Set) Visualization==
[[File:Armor-sets-comparison.jpg|350px|thumb|comparison of the same set on wiz and barb]]
[[Gear sets]] are not [[Item Sets]], i.e. the green-named collections of matching items with the same name and complimentary bonuses.

Gear sets is a term the Diablo III developers use for a matched outfit, with all the items of the same general quality level. There are 18 such gear sets in Diablo III, all of which look very different on each class. Blizzcon 2010's "Crafting Sanctuary" panel provided the example as seen on the right. See the [[Gear sets]] page for full details.

==Bind on Pick-Up/Equip==

The items in Diablo 3 will not "bind on pickup" ([[BoP]]). In other words, there won't be any items that are untradable, and that can not be dropped by a character without destroying them. The D3 Team feels that item trading and [[twinking]] is an indispensable part of the Diablo play experience, and they want to encourage trading.

That said, they are considering making the very highest end items Bind on Equip ([[BoE]]). That means that once such an item is equipped it can not be traded to or used by any other character. The point of this feature is to create some turn over amongst the [[end game]] gear. If the best items can be passed around and reused, then players will just use the same item on all of their characters, and eventually the trading market becomes clogged with the item as more and more of them are found and none are ever removed from the economy. (This is less of an issue with Hardcore characters, since there items are removed from the economy with unlooted character deaths.)

The D3 Team has said that BoE items might be bind to account, rather than to character. (It's not yet been determined.) This would let players transfer them between characters on the same account. It's unclear how useful this would be; from what we've seen of the character design thus far, items are fairly exclusive, either by class-specific type or just by only being useful for one of the classes, so it's unlikely that a player would have more than one character who could or would want to use a given high level weapon anyway. But with BoE:Account, it would at least be useful to pass around a super item between characters of the same class, with different builds. [http://g4tv.com/games/pc/28197/diablo-iii/articles/68225/BlizzCon-2009-Diablo-III-Game-Director-Interview/]

::'''Jay Wilson: '''We have no “Soulbound” or bind-on-pickup, except for quest items. We do have bind-on-equip for the highest end items in the game. We targeted, roughly, any item above level 85. These we will do as bind-on-equip. The reason for this is that we want people to be able to trade them, but we also want to remove the high-end items from the economy. One of the greatest ways that you can do that is with bind-on-equip. What we don’t want is to have a situation where you find something on the ground like, “Oh, man. This would be a perfect weapon for my Monk. Oh, but I just picked it up and now it’s on the wrong character.” We don’t want that at all.

::Most of our focus on Diablo 3 is as a [[trading]] game. So, if you take trading out of the item space, you ruin the core of the game. Finding a really great item that is not for you is still a great event because it means you have a bartering tool to get the item that you do want. We definitely want to make sure that that still exists.

===Quest Items BoP===

There's been a fair amount of confusion about how Quest Items will bind on pickup, after [[Bashiok]] gave several unclear explanations of the feature in a series of forum posts. [http://www.diii.net/blog/comments/bashiok-on-boe-items/]

This is not a big deal; characters in Diablo 3 have a Quest Items tab in their inventory menu. Only quest items are stored in that window, they are automatically slotted there when picked up or received from an NPC, and they are automatically removed/used when required by the quest. The point in making them BoP is that a clueless new player might drop or throw away a quest item which would make that quest unfinishable.

Quest items can be removed, permanently, by abandoning quests. When a quest is dropped in that way, the items associated with it will vanish from the inventory window.

==Inventory==
[[Image:Item-hover1.jpg|frame|Item hover information.]]
The Diablo III [[inventory]] system has been overhauled repeatedly during the development process. It changed a great deal between the game's debut in June 2008, and the Blizzcon build in October 2008. Many more changes were noted in screenshots released in March 2009, and more changes can be expected before the final game.

See the inventory page for the latest updates and screenshots.

==Item Sockets==
There are item [[socket]]s in Diablo III. [[Runewords]] are not returning, but magical and rare and unique (and other yet-unannounced item types?) will have sockets.

Not much is yet known about what can be put into sockets; [[gem]]s of various types have been seen in the gameplay movies and in the [[BlizzCon 2008]] demos, but their bonus properties are unknown. No {{iw|jewels jewels}} have been seen, and [[runes]] in Diablo III are for socketing into [[skill]]s, not items. There may be (and probably are) other things to put into item sockets, but no info has been released about them.

The [[Caravan]] [[Blacksmith]], is an [[Artisan]] that can add sockets to [[shields]], [[helms]], [[Wrists|bracers]], [[belts]] and [[pants]], but not [[weapons]], [[rings]], [[amulets]] or [[pauldrons (item type)|pauldrons]]. However, these latter items may be accessible through the blacksmith's later upgrades. The upgrade is hugely expensive compared to crafting a new item, and can be done multiple times. It does not increase their sell value but does seem to alter the appearance of the item.

===Official Comments===
[[Bashiok]] commented briefly on item sockets in February, 2009.[http://www.blizzblues.com/us/itemcustomizing-in-d3-14990774292.html]

::''We haven't released any information on our site, but it was possible to collect socketed [[item]]s as well as [[gem]]s in the [[BlizzCon 2008|BlizzCon]] demo... The gem stats at this point are more or less just the basics {{iw|gems yanked from Diablo II}} to get the system running and have something to play around with.''

==Individual Drops==

One major change to items is that players only see items drop that are theirs, and theirs alone. No more of the "ninja looting" of D2, where everything that dropped was first come, first served. This results in more total items dropping, since bosses drop an item or two for every character in the area, but each character only sees their items. If that boss dropped four items in a four player game, each player would only see their item. Trading or giving items away is easy; simply pick them and then drop them. Once a character drops an item any other player can see it and may pick it up.

==Official Item Comments==

One of the few specific comments about items yet made by the D3 Team was made by [[Jay Wilson]] in a December 2008 [http://www.1up.com/do/previewPage?pager.offset=2&cId=3172030&p=1 interview with 1up.com].

::'''''Jay:''' I believe I mentioned in the past that we are considering crafting systems. But we're not really announcing anything about that right now. But we took a few things out, like Rune Words, essentially because Rune Words is a very simple crafting system, and we're planning to do something different there. I'd say that most of the changes are minor. We've made lots of statistical changes. For example, with the more magical classes, like the Sorceress, their items were in some ways less valuable to them because they didn't have a lot of effect on their damage output, so we've added more attributes that control magic damage and things that allow Wizards to get items that do more damage and bolster their defenses and health. We have more [weapon name] affixes that play into the broader set of resources; the Barbarian has fury, so we added affixes that play with that. We generally tried to expand our approach to affixes to make them smarter.

::''Those are fairly simple, though. There are other things, like how we've changed the way that [[gem]]s work. In Diablo 2, gems could only go on white -- or nonmagic -- items, while gems are now a separate chance for a weapon, meaning that we roll the item's base attributes, and we roll for its chance to have gem slots. So now any item, even legendary ones, can have gem slots. That plays a lot into the core of the item system [...] even if you find the best item in the game, the stats on that item have some randomness to them that means there could be a better version of that item. Well, now, if you find the best item in the game but it doesn't have any gem [[socket]]s, then it's not the best version of that item. In terms of creating item variance, we're looking to enhance that within Diablo 3.

::''There're still a few things that we haven't made decisions on yet -- set items, for one. I didn't like the way they worked in Diablo 2, as by the time you finally got a set together, you generally leveled beyond the use for it. So you might save them for alts, which is OK, but I'd rather that they be useful for you to begin with. We haven't really decided how we're going to fix that. We also have some new item types that we haven't announced yet that are related to some systems that we're planning. But I don't think they vastly change the system -- they mostly play into the strengths of it.

Jay's comments on "gems" are a little confusing, since he seems to be using "gems" as a synonym for "sockets" in the whole answer. Apparently the only things to socket in D3 will be gems, rather than gems, jewels, and runes as in D2?

==Other Item Reports ==
None of the many Diablo III previews have spent much time on items, or given us any specific details about them, yet. The most detailed commentary on items so far came from [http://www.diii.net/blog/comments/wizard-gameplay-report/P2/ Flux's Wizard gameplay report], written after his [[BlizzCon 2008|BlizzCon]] experience:

::''All the low level armor was equivalent to what we’re all familiar with from D2. Blue (magical) gear with minor bonuses to attributes, [[mana]], [[life]], and so forth. I never saw any jewelry in the Blizzcon build (not enabled or the [[monster]]s weren’t high enough level to drop it), and since I wasn’t taking many hits (or at least trying not to) with my wizard, I wasn’t much worried about defense or defensive bonuses on armor.''

::''I did find a few nifty wands and other light weapons, with useful mods. As was the case with my [[Witch Doctor]], I found weapons with +% damage (around 11%) and +% experience gain (7 or 8%). Those didn’t greatly change the gameplay, but I did notice the improved damage, once I had it. Eventually (D2 style) my [[Wizard]] transitioned to magic find equipment, and while the % I had from boots, shield, and chest armor with MF on it wasn’t more than about 40%, it did seem to increase the number of rares I found. Not greatly, and not to my benefit, since I kept wearing the magic items I had found earlier, but it was fun to see more shinies drop.''

::''I didn’t find any uniques with the Wizard, nor any of the crystal ball-looking items she uses in the BlizzCon gameplay and most of her screenshots; I assume those are a higher level item type. I ended up using odd weapons; wands and clubs and short swords and the like, based entirely on their magical bonuses. And they served well enough.''

==More Item Information==
* [[Known Items Listing]]
* [[:Category:Items|Items Category]]

{{Template:Items navbox|basics}}

[[category:Items]]
[[category:Basics]]

===Item Modification Information===
This is a compilation of what mods you can search for in the Auction House within the Game. This information does not include the mods that can be sometimes found on Set or Legendary Pieces. Also, Please note that some item modifications require a class specific item in order to obtain the mod. Considering that only that class should be looking for that modification I did not see the necessity of making this distinction.

*All Resistance: Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Arcane Power on Crit: 1-Hand, Off-Hand, Helm,
*Arcane Resistance: Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Armor: Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Attack Speed: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Amulet, Gloves, Ring,

*Barbarian Skill Bonus: Bash: Belt,
*Barbarian Skill Bonus: Cleave:Belt,
*Barbarian Skill Bonus: Frenzy: Belt,
*Barbarian Skill Bonus: Hammer of the Ancients: 2-Hand, Off-Hand,
*Barbarian Skill Bonus: Overpower: 2-Hand, Off-Hand,
*Barbarian Skill Bonus: Rend: Belt,
*Barbarian Skill Bonus: Revenge: Belt,
*Barbarian Skill Bonus: Seismic Slam: 2-Hand, Off-Hand,
*Barbarian Skill Bonus: Weapon Throw: Belt,
*Barbarian Skill Bonus: Whirlwind: 2-Hand, Off-Hand,

*Bleed Chance: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand,
*Block %: Off-Hand,
*Bonus Min Arcane Weapon Dmg: 1-Hand, 2-Hand,
*Bonus Min Cold Weapon Dmg: 1-Hand, 2-Hand,
*Bonus Min Fire Weapon Dmg: 1-Hand, 2-Hand,
*Bonus Min Holy Weapon Dmg: 1-Hand, 2-Hand,
*Bonus Min Lightning Weapon Dmg: 1-Hand, 2-Hand,
*Bonus Min Physical Dmg: Amulet, Ring,
*Bonus Min Poison Weapon Dmg: 1-Hand, 2-Hand,
*Bonus Min Weapon Dmg: 1-Hand, 2-Hand,
*Bonus vs Elites: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand,
*Chance to Blind on hit: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand,
*Chance to Chill on hit: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand, Shoulders,
*Chance to Fear on hit: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand, Helm,
*Chance to Freeze on hit: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand, Belt,
*Chance to Immobilize on hit: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand, Boots,
*Chance to Knockback on hit: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand, Bracers,
*Chance to Slow on hit: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand, Pants,
*Chance to Stun on hit: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand, Gloves,
*Cold Resistance: Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Crit Hit Chance: Off-Hand, Amulet, Bracers, Gloves, Helm, Ring,
*Crit Hit Dmg: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Amulet, Gloves, Ring,
*Crowd Control Reduction: Off-Hand, Amulet, Helm, Ring,

*Demon Hunter Skill Bonus: Bola Shot: Off-Hand,
*Demon Hunter Skill Bonus: Chakram: Chest Armor,
*Demon Hunter Skill Bonus: Elemental Arrow: Off-Hand,
*Demon Hunter Skill Bonus: Entangling Shot: Off-Hand,
*Demon Hunter Skill Bonus: Evasive Fire: Chest Armor,
*Demon Hunter Skill Bonus: Grenades: Chest Armor,
*Demon Hunter Skill Bonus: Hungering Arrow: Off-Hand,
*Demon Hunter Skill Bonus: Impale: Chest Armor,
*Demon Hunter Skill Bonus: Multishot: Off-Hand,
*Demon Hunter Skill Bonus: Rapid Fire: Off-Hand,
*Demon Hunter Skill Bonus: Spike Trap: Chest Armor,

*Dexterity: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Experience: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Extra Health from Globes: Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Fire Resistance: Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Gold Find: Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Has Sockets: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Bracers, Chest Armor, Helm, Pants, Ring,
*Hatred Regeneration: 1-Hand, Off-Hand, Chest Armor,
*Indestructible: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Shoulders,
*Intelligence: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Life %: Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Chest Armor, Helm, Ring, Shoulders,
*Life Regeneration: Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Life Steal: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Belt,
*Life after Kill: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Amulet, Ring,
*Life on Hit: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Amulet, Ring,
*Life per Spirit Spent: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Helm,
*Lightning Resistance: Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Magic Find: Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Movement Speed: Boots,
*Mana Regeneration: 1-Hand, Off-Hand, Helm,
*Max Arcane Power: 1-Hand, Off-Hand, Helm,
*Max Discipline: 1-Hand, Off-Hand, Chest Armor,
*Max Fury: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Belt,
*Max Mana: 1-Hand, Off-Hand, Helm,
*Min Bleed Dmg: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand,

*Monk Skill Bonus: Crippling Wave: Helm,
*Monk Skill Bonus: Cyclone Strike: Helm,
*Monk Skill Bonus: Deadly Reach: Helm,
*Monk Skill Bonus: Exploding Palm: Helm,
*Monk Skill Bonus: Fists of Thunder: Helm,
*Monk Skill Bonus: Lashing Tail Kick: 2-Hand,
*Monk Skill Bonus: Sweeping Wind: Helm,
*Monk Skill Bonus: Tempest Rush: 2-Hand,
*Monk Skill Bonus: Way of the Hundred Fists: Helm,
*Monk Skill Bonus: Wave of Light: 2-Hand,

*Physical Dmg to Attacker: Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Physical Resistance: Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Pickup Radius: Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Shoulders,
*Poison Resistance: Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Reduced Dmg from Elites: Off-Hand, Chest Armor,
*Reduced Dmg from Melee Attacks: Off-Hand, Amulet, Bracers, Chest Armor,
*Reduced Dmg from Ranged Attacks: Off-Hand, Amulet, Bracers, Chest Armor,
*Reduced Level Requirement: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Shoulders,
*Spirit Regeneration: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Helm,
*Strength: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Vitality: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Weapon Dmg %: 1-Hand, 2-Hand,

*Witch Doctor Skill Bonus: Acid Cloud: Helm,
*Witch Doctor Skill Bonus: Fire bats: Helm,
*Witch Doctor Skill Bonus: Firebomb: 1-Hand, 2-Hand,
*Witch Doctor Skill Bonus: Haunt: 1-Hand, 2-Hand,
*Witch Doctor Skill Bonus: Plague of Toads: 1-Hand, 2-Hand,
*Witch Doctor Skill Bonus: Poison Darts: 2-Hand, Off-Hand,
*Witch Doctor Skill Bonus: Spirit Barrage: 2-Hand, Off-Hand,
*Witch Doctor Skill Bonus: Summon Zombie Dogs: Helm,
*Witch Doctor Skill Bonus: Wall of Zombies: 2-Hand, Off-Hand,
*Witch Doctor Skill Bonus: Zombie Charger: 2-Hand, Off-Hand,

*Wizard Skill Bonus: Arcane Orb: Off-Hand,
*Wizard Skill Bonus: Arcane Torrent: Helm,
*Wizard Skill Bonus: Blizzard: Off-Hand,
*Wizard Skill Bonus: Disintegrate: Helm,
*Wizard Skill Bonus: Electrocute: Helm,
*Wizard Skill Bonus: Energy Twister: 1-Hand, 2-Hand,
*Wizard Skill Bonus: Explosive Blast: Helm,
*Wizard Skill Bonus: Hydra: Helm,
*Wizard Skill Bonus: Magic Missile: 1-Hand, 2-Hand,
*Wizard Skill Bonus: Meteor: Off-Hand,
*Wizard Skill Bonus: Ray of Frost: Helm,
*Wizard Skill Bonus: Shock Pulse: Off-Hand,
*Wizard Skill Bonus: Spectral Blade: Off-Hand,

Modifier

2012-06-09T20:40:46Z

ThatGuyJoe1982: /* Appropriate Modifiers */

Item modifiers are the magical properties that modify base items and make them delicious. Not much is known about the [[prefixes]], [[suffixes]], and [[special modifiers]] that will modify Diablo III items, and the game system is far from complete at this point.

==Diablo III Affixes==

Few specifics have been given yet. The design team always says that [[itemization]] is one of the last steps in game design, since all the other features need to be nail down before the subtle balancing of item modifiers can be worked on.

From what we've seen on items in the Blizzcon demos, the item modifier system is fairly similar to what was done in Diablo I and Diablo II. Magical items are blue and have either a [[prefix]], a [[suffix]], or both. Rare items are yellow and may have multiple prefixes and suffixes. No set items have been seen yet, nor unique/legendary items.

Item modifiers are available on [[crafted]] items made from various [[recipes]]. The crafted items thus far seen have been blue (magical) or yellow (rare), depending on how many modifiers they have. The simpler recipes only produce magical items with one or two mods, while the better recipes make rares with multiple modifiers.

===+Skill Level===

Jay Wilson has said that +skill level modifiers will be uncommon in Diablo III. The team thought such mods were overdone in Diablo II, as they became so common that characters were almost expected to have +10 or more to all stats, or at least to their main [[skill tree]]. This devalued skill points, and made skills with just one point quite useful. The D3 Team wants skill points to be very valuable and important, and they want to reward skill point investments.

===Leech===

There will be very little life or mana ([[resource]]) leech in Diablo III. These mods, very common in Diablo II, allowed characters to gain back a % of the damage they dealt, and did much to remove the challenge from playing Diablo II. Leech, along with potion use, made characters essentially unkillable, except to monsters that could deal enough damage to kill in one or two hits.

Dying to a single hit feels cheap and unfair, so the D3 Team is working to avoid any such kills in Diablo III, whether intentionally or from bugs. By not giving characters an easy way to constantly remain full health, they can make monsters challenging without them being supremely damaging.

===Magic Find===

There will be [[magic find]] modifiers in Diablo III, and items with MF have been seen in all three Blizzcon demo builds to date. How high the values will go, how widely the modifier will be distributed, and how powerful they will be ([[diminishing returns]]?) is unknown.

One limiting factor for Magic Find is the need for mage characters to use equipment to boost their spell damage.

===+%Magical Damage===

One big change to the combat and item systems of Diablo III are +%magical damage item modifiers. These are very common, and will be essential for mage characters. In the Blizzcon demos magical and rare items such as staves, wands, daggers, and even body armor and helms were seen with +10-50% magical damage mods. It was not hard for a character, even by just lvl 14 or so in a demo, to have over +200% magical damage.

This made a big difference, the displayed spell damage in the [[character window]] increased proportionately, and spells were just obviously more damaging in use.

This modifier will be as important for mage characters in Diablo III as +%weapon damage is for combat characters. A high level [[Wizard]] or [[Witch Doctor]] in Diablo III would no more play without +%magical damage than a high level [[Barbarian]], [[Demon Hunter]] or [[Monk]] would use a plain "white" weapon.

How much +%magical damage a high level character will want or need is not yet known, but it will be an essential property to strive for from item bonuses. This gives more of an [[end game]] item game to the Wizard and Witch Doctor, and also limits their Magic Find, since such characters can not just stock up on MF gear, knowing their base spells will be enough to kill quickly.

===Appropriate Modifiers===

The developers have said that they hope to have more useful modifiers and less useless ones, but there's a balance to strike on this issue. Every item can't have good mods or characters would quickly have all great equipment and the item game wouldn't be any fun. However, no one likes finding useless mods on items; useless because they provide properties of no value, or even things your character can't use.

Julian Love spoke about this in an interview from Blizzcon 2010. [http://www.blizzplanet.com/blog/comments/blizzcon-2010-interview-with-diablo-3-art-director-and-lead-world-designer]

::'''''Question: '''In Diablo 1 there was some useless prefixes and suffixes on a lot of the items, have you cleaned a lot of that up a bit to make sure everyone can use everything?'' 
::'''Julian Love: '''We agonize about this every day. We’re constantly looking at the affixes and their value. There are some affixes that are better than others, but you really just have to make choices. When you see an axe drop and it has 3 affixes to it you have to decide if those affixes are right for you, for your build, or your class. That’s crucial, because otherwise all the loot is the same. So some affixes are by definition [not as useful], but maybe they’re nice to have. So there’s a sort of a pecking order in the usefulness in some of the affixes.

::We definitely don’t want affixes though that you dread, that you see and are like “oh geez, what a waste of time!” We look at this every day, and as we add more affixes in — because of new game mechanics that come in — we look at them again to see if it changes the balance of ones that are rolled up. We’re always looking at the classes to make sure they’re evenly distributed so like the wizard doesn’t always just use one affix all the time. It’s just an ongoing topic of conversation at work for us.

===Item Modification Information===
This is a compilation of what mods you can search for in the Auction House within the Game. This information does not include the mods that can be sometimes found on Set or Legendary Pieces. Also, Please note that some item modifications require a class specific item in order to obtain the mod. Considering that only that class should be looking for that modification I did not see the necessity of making this distinction.

*All Resistance: Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Arcane Power on Crit: 1-Hand, Off-Hand, Helm,
*Arcane Resistance: Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Armor: Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Attack Speed: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Amulet, Gloves, Ring,

*Barbarian Skill Bonus: Bash: Belt,
*Barbarian Skill Bonus: Cleave:Belt,
*Barbarian Skill Bonus: Frenzy: Belt,
*Barbarian Skill Bonus: Hammer of the Ancients: 2-Hand, Off-Hand,
*Barbarian Skill Bonus: Overpower: 2-Hand, Off-Hand,
*Barbarian Skill Bonus: Rend: Belt,
*Barbarian Skill Bonus: Revenge: Belt,
*Barbarian Skill Bonus: Seismic Slam: 2-Hand, Off-Hand,
*Barbarian Skill Bonus: Weapon Throw: Belt,
*Barbarian Skill Bonus: Whirlwind: 2-Hand, Off-Hand,

*Bleed Chance: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand,
*Block %: Off-Hand,
*Bonus Min Arcane Weapon Dmg: 1-Hand, 2-Hand,
*Bonus Min Cold Weapon Dmg: 1-Hand, 2-Hand,
*Bonus Min Fire Weapon Dmg: 1-Hand, 2-Hand,
*Bonus Min Holy Weapon Dmg: 1-Hand, 2-Hand,
*Bonus Min Lightning Weapon Dmg: 1-Hand, 2-Hand,
*Bonus Min Physical Dmg: Amulet, Ring,
*Bonus Min Poison Weapon Dmg: 1-Hand, 2-Hand,
*Bonus Min Weapon Dmg: 1-Hand, 2-Hand,
*Bonus vs Elites: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand,
*Chance to Blind on hit: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand,
*Chance to Chill on hit: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand, Shoulders,
*Chance to Fear on hit: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand, Helm,
*Chance to Freeze on hit: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand, Belt,
*Chance to Immobilize on hit: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand, Boots,
*Chance to Knockback on hit: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand, Bracers,
*Chance to Slow on hit: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand, Pants,
*Chance to Stun on hit: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand, Gloves,
*Cold Resistance: Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Crit Hit Chance: Off-Hand, Amulet, Bracers, Gloves, Helm, Ring,
*Crit Hit Dmg: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Amulet, Gloves, Ring,
*Crowd Control Reduction: Off-Hand, Amulet, Helm, Ring,

*Demon Hunter Skill Bonus: Bola Shot: Off-Hand,
*Demon Hunter Skill Bonus: Chakram: Chest Armor,
*Demon Hunter Skill Bonus: Elemental Arrow: Off-Hand,
*Demon Hunter Skill Bonus: Entangling Shot: Off-Hand,
*Demon Hunter Skill Bonus: Evasive Fire: Chest Armor,
*Demon Hunter Skill Bonus: Grenades: Chest Armor,
*Demon Hunter Skill Bonus: Hungering Arrow: Off-Hand,
*Demon Hunter Skill Bonus: Impale: Chest Armor,
*Demon Hunter Skill Bonus: Multishot: Off-Hand,
*Demon Hunter Skill Bonus: Rapid Fire: Off-Hand,
*Demon Hunter Skill Bonus: Spike Trap: Chest Armor,

*Dexterity: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Experience: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Extra Health from Globes: Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Fire Resistance: Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Gold Find: Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Has Sockets: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Bracers, Chest Armor, Helm, Pants, Ring,
*Hatred Regeneration: 1-Hand, Off-Hand, Chest Armor,
*Indestructible: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Shoulders,
*Intelligence: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Life %: Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Chest Armor, Helm, Ring, Shoulders,
*Life Regeneration: Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Life Steal: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Belt,
*Life after Kill: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Amulet, Ring,
*Life on Hit: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Amulet, Ring,
*Life per Spirit Spent: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Helm,
*Lightning Resistance: Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Magic Find: Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Movement Speed: Boots,
*Mana Regeneration: 1-Hand, Off-Hand, Helm,
*Max Arcane Power: 1-Hand, Off-Hand, Helm,
*Max Discipline: 1-Hand, Off-Hand, Chest Armor,
*Max Fury: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Belt,
*Max Mana: 1-Hand, Off-Hand, Helm,
*Min Bleed Dmg: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand,

*Monk Skill Bonus: Crippling Wave: Helm,
*Monk Skill Bonus: Cyclone Strike: Helm,
*Monk Skill Bonus: Deadly Reach: Helm,
*Monk Skill Bonus: Exploding Palm: Helm,
*Monk Skill Bonus: Fists of Thunder: Helm,
*Monk Skill Bonus: Lashing Tail Kick: 2-Hand,
*Monk Skill Bonus: Sweeping Wind: Helm,
*Monk Skill Bonus: Tempest Rush: 2-Hand,
*Monk Skill Bonus: Way of the Hundred Fists: Helm,
*Monk Skill Bonus: Wave of Light: 2-Hand,

*Physical Dmg to Attacker: Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Physical Resistance: Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Pickup Radius: Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Shoulders,
*Poison Resistance: Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Reduced Dmg from Elites: Off-Hand, Chest Armor,
*Reduced Dmg from Melee Attacks: Off-Hand, Amulet, Bracers, Chest Armor,
*Reduced Dmg from Ranged Attacks: Off-Hand, Amulet, Bracers, Chest Armor,
*Reduced Level Requirement: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Shoulders,
*Spirit Regeneration: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Helm,
*Strength: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Vitality: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Weapon Dmg %: 1-Hand, 2-Hand,

*Witch Doctor Skill Bonus: Acid Cloud: Helm,
*Witch Doctor Skill Bonus: Fire bats: Helm,
*Witch Doctor Skill Bonus: Firebomb: 1-Hand, 2-Hand,
*Witch Doctor Skill Bonus: Haunt: 1-Hand, 2-Hand,
*Witch Doctor Skill Bonus: Plague of Toads: 1-Hand, 2-Hand,
*Witch Doctor Skill Bonus: Poison Darts: 2-Hand, Off-Hand,
*Witch Doctor Skill Bonus: Spirit Barrage: 2-Hand, Off-Hand,
*Witch Doctor Skill Bonus: Summon Zombie Dogs: Helm,
*Witch Doctor Skill Bonus: Wall of Zombies: 2-Hand, Off-Hand,
*Witch Doctor Skill Bonus: Zombie Charger: 2-Hand, Off-Hand,

*Wizard Skill Bonus: Arcane Orb: Off-Hand,
*Wizard Skill Bonus: Arcane Torrent: Helm,
*Wizard Skill Bonus: Blizzard: Off-Hand,
*Wizard Skill Bonus: Disintegrate: Helm,
*Wizard Skill Bonus: Electrocute: Helm,
*Wizard Skill Bonus: Energy Twister: 1-Hand, 2-Hand,
*Wizard Skill Bonus: Explosive Blast: Helm,
*Wizard Skill Bonus: Hydra: Helm,
*Wizard Skill Bonus: Magic Missile: 1-Hand, 2-Hand,
*Wizard Skill Bonus: Meteor: Off-Hand,
*Wizard Skill Bonus: Ray of Frost: Helm,
*Wizard Skill Bonus: Shock Pulse: Off-Hand,
*Wizard Skill Bonus: Spectral Blade: Off-Hand,

==Diablo II Affixes==

In Diablo II there were various set rules for item modifiers.
* {{iw|Modifiers Diablo II Modifiers}}

Diablo III will not repeat Diablo II's system exactly, but there may be a continuation of some of the rules, as there was from Diablo I to Diablo II.

Diablo II item modifer rules:
* Magical items could have 1 prefix, 1 suffix, or both.
* Rare items could have up to 6 affixes -- 3 prefixes and 3 suffixes -- though most had just 2-4 total affixes.
* Crafted items had a few preset mods, and could roll up to additional 2 prefixes and 2 suffixes, though this varied slightly between recipes. Crafted items also had some [[Special Modifiers]] that were never found on magical or rare items.
* Set Items and Unique Items were entirely custom designed, and could have any number of modifiers that didn't necessarily correspond to any of the affixes.

[[category:modifiers]]
[[category:items]]

{{Template:Items navbox}}

Diablo 3 Basics

2012-06-09T20:31:52Z

ThatGuyJoe1982: /* Item Modification Information */

[[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 randomized content for high replayability. Some changes have been made in order to make the game more welcoming to new players, to ramp up the difficulty more smoothly, and to create a "deep and engaging" combat system. The Diablo III developers took inspiration from previous games in the series, as well as [[World of Warcraft]], and other different games such as ''Zelda'' and ''God of War''.

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

== Character Classes ==

Blizzard confirmed that the game would ship with five characters, then introduced them over the first three years of development. They 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 in look and function. All items of armor have a different appearance on each class (there are even some inter-class gender differences, mainly in the chest armor for obvious reasons). The skills are even more different, with around 25 entirely unique [[active skills]] for each class. Many of the [[passive skills]] were shared between classes during development, but over time they all differentiated as well.

Though all five classes for Diablo III have been revealed, additional classes will be added 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 one returning class is still a mighty brawler, but he's gained countless new tricks, with only a few skills returning, and all of them modified in various ways.
* [[Barbarian Skills]]
* [[Barbarian passive skills]]
* [[Resource]]: - [[Fury]]
|-
! colspan="3" | Demon Hunter
|-
| [[File:Demon-hunter-art4.jpg|center|125px]]
| [[File:Demon-hunter-male.jpg|90px]]
| '''The [[Demon Hunter]]''' - The game's ranged weapon specialist, Demon Hunters are fast-moving archers with devastating offensive capabilities and a wide variety of tactical traps and demonic gadgets.
* [[Demon Hunter Skills]]
* [[Demon Hunter passive skills]]
* [[Resource]]: - [[Hatred]] & [[Discipline]]
|-
! colspan="3" | Monk
|-
| [[File:Monkfemale.jpg|85px]]
| [[File:Monkmale.jpg|85px]]
| '''The [[Monk]]''' - The follower of a thousand Gods, Monks from [[Ivgorod]] are holy warriors. Combining fast-hitting, melee-ranged martial arts with holy magics, auras, and defensive tactics.
* [[Monk Skills]]
* [[Monk passive skills]]
* [[Resource]]: [[Spirit]]
|-
! colspan="3" | Witch Doctor
|-
| [[File:Witchfemale.jpg|85px]]
| [[File:Witchmale.jpg|70px]]
| '''The [[Witch Doctor]]''' - A mysterious class from the jungles of [[Teganze]], the Witch Doctor wields a huge array of magical attacks, as well as the ability to mind control enemies and summon up pets to fight alongside him.
* [[Witch Doctor Skills]]
* [[Witch Doctor passive skills]]
* [[Resource]]: [[Mana]]
|-
! colspan="3" | Wizard
|-
| [[File:Wizardfemale.jpg|85px]]
| [[File:Wizardmale.jpg|70px]]
| '''The [[Wizard]]''' - An evolutionary improvement from the Sorcerer and Sorceress seen in previous Diablo titles. Wizards boast an impressive array of offensive spells that are useful for every situation, as well as defensive spells and escape abilities that combine to create this murderous [[glass cannon]].

* [[Wizard Skills]]
* [[Wizard passive skills]]
* [[Resource]]: [[Arcane Power]]
|-
|}

=== Skills ===
The [[skills]] and their presentation evolved greatly during the game's development, with the largest change coming late in the beta test, shortly before release. See the [[skill tree]] article for a full history. Characters can use up to six skills at once, and may cycle between them with only minimal [[cooldown]]s.

The biggest change from Diablo 2 comes from the [[runestone]] system, which enables every skill to be modified into five different forms, most of which are radically different in function from the base skill. This creates a vast number of possible builds, and with the easy [[respec]] system, players can try out all of the skills and rune effects, and switch between them as needed.

Each class has around 25 unique skills, which are unlocked at the rate of about one per level, from level 1 until level 30. Each skill has five rune effects which are unlocked every 5 or 6 levels, thus granting at least one and often three of four new abilities to try out every level up until the maximum level 60.

[[Passive skills]] are also unique to each class, and starting at level 10, they are unlocked one every few levels, all the way up to level 60. Characters can have up to 3 passive skills active, adding an additional [[passive skill slot]] at level 10, 20, and 30.

==== 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 characters can change around their skills as desired, with only minimal cooldowns to prevent this being done exploitatively.

====Stats/Attributes====
The biggest change to Diablo III [[attributes]] is their change to an automatically-allocated system. Players can not set their skill points, and instead gain 1 or 2 points in the four attributes with every level up. The Diablo III developers felt the stat allocation in Diablo II was a poor way to provide character customization since players either experimented and "ruined' their character with sub-optimal choices, or else followed a [[cookie cutter]] style of [[build]]. (This is less of a problem after v1.13 added stat and skill respecs to Diablo II.)

In the early days of Diablo III, an inventory-like game system called the [[Talisman]] was stocked with items called [[charms]], which added large bonuses to stats, but that system was shelved during development. Another system to add specific attributes was the [[enchants]] provided by the [[Mystic]], but that system and the Mystic were also removed during development. As a result, players can only modify their stats with equipment bonuses, including those from [[socket]]ed [[gems]].

The names and function of the stats changed several times during development as well. (See the [[attributes]] article for details.) Ironically, after experimentation with up to five attributes, including a system where each attribute granted more or less identical bonuses to each class, the developers returned to the classic four attributes of [[Strength]], [[Vitality]], [[Dexterity]], and [[Intelligence]]. The bonuses provided by these four differ considerably from their Diablo II form.

==== Skill Runes ====

[[File:Runes-hydra-all.jpg|thumb|350px|Hydra runestone effects.]]
Another system that underwent numerous changes during development; skill runes were items for most of Diablo III's development. These runes were small objects that were placed in skills, each of which had one socket. Once seated, the runestones changed the function of the skills, always improving them, in five different ways. Those runestones were called [[crimson]], [[alabaster]], [[indigo]], [[golden]], and [[obsidian]].

Though the skill rune effects remained, the item-based runestone system was entirely removed during the beta, and replaced with a system where all of the rune effects are built into skills. They are thus part of the interface, and are "unlocked" one at a time, usually around 5-9 levels apart. Thus a base skill such as the [[Demon Hunter]]'s [[Vault]] is unlocked at level 12, and the rune effects become available one at a time at levels 23, 31, 40, 48, and 53. (Figures subject to yet further change.)

==Monsters==
[[Image:Goatmen surround a Siegebreaker.jpg|thumb|right|150px|The [[Siegebreaker]].]]
Diablo III has a great array of '''[[monster]]s''', which can employ more intelligent behaviour to force players to use strategy during combat. In addition to the random [[boss]] encounters the series has made great use of, Diablo III adds numerous "mini-boss" encounters that make for more epic gameplay; an example is the scripted appearance of the [[Thousand Pounder]] as seen in the [[WWI 2008]] gameplay movie.

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.

* '''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 wait a mere few seconds before waiting to be resurrected by another player in their party or restarting at the last [[checkpoint]] (not [[waypoint]]) they passed over. In addition, a player will lose a set percentage of their [[durability]] upon death (currently 10%) which will need to be repaired either at the [[Blacksmith]] or an appropriate vendor.

[[Hardcore]] mode is an option in the game, and as in Diablo II, dead HC characters stay dead forever. This will not be the case in the Arena, where Hardcore players will be able to duel as much as they like, without having to create softcore characters just to enjoy the arena fully.

One planned feature that didn't make it into the game were specially gruesome player fatalities, which some bosses were to have the ability to inflict when they killed players.

==Difficulty Levels==

There are four [[difficulty]] levels in Diablo III, [[Normal]], [[Nightmare]], [[Hell]], and [[Inferno]]. Each difficulty level repeats the same game content, but with monsters, items, and everything else increased in level to keep scaling up the challenge. Normal is designed to be fairly easy, especially early on, to usher new players into the game and teach them the ropes without too much challenge. Difficulty starts to increase in Nightmare and Hell, and characters should max out at level 60 around the end of Hell. This controversial design choice removes the [[grinding]] to [[max level]] play system seen in Diablo and Diablo II.

Inferno is where the developers are planning to make things really interesting, with the entire difficulty level vastly harder than Hell, and all balanced to a largely "flat" curve. This should allow players to find challenging and rewarding [[end game]] content anywhere in the game, rather than forcing players to [[run]] the same few end bosses over and over again, as was the case in Diablo II.

==End Game==

Diablo III was designed with the [[end game]] in mind. The entire Inferno difficulty level is meant as one big PvE end game, with a flat difficulty curve opening up the entire game to high level play. The developers have also considered various systems to reward players for playing normal areas, rather than simply "running" the same few bosses over and over again.

While Inferno is meant to be quite challenging, and best played in co-op parties, nothing in Diablo III is being designed to require parties, such as the raid content seen in [[WoW]]. Other end game goodies include special [[Achievements]], crafting recipes and items found only in Inferno, and the possible addition of additional high-end content via patches.

As Diablo III will *not* launch with any form of PvP, the long-anticipated [[Arena]] will not serve as an end game activity.

==Items==

[[Image:Barbarian swing.jpg|thumb|right|[[Barbarian]] swinging two magical axes.]]
Armor and weapons function much as they did in previous games in the series. Players find low level gear early on, and one of the major goals/enjoyments of playing is to find better quality gear and thus improve your character's performance. One big change to the appearance of armor is the elimination of exception and elite versions of gear. Unlike in Diablo II, Diablo III characters will not find the exact same looking armor repeated on each difficulty level. Instead there are 18 "tiers" of armor, organized into something the developers call [[gear sets]].

Each gear set has a distinctive, organized look, and thus a character wearing all (or most) of say, gear set 14, would have a cohesive, coherent appearance as the items would match each other. The developers have released numerous screenshots of the classes in complete gear sets, and they are stylish indeed. It's less clear, in advance of playing the higher levels, just how often (if ever) a character will have most or all of the same gear set on, or if characters will always be clad in a mixture of different level equipment.

Item quality is similar to that of Diablo II, with item scarcity progressing [[normal]] > [[magical]] > [[rare]] > [[set]] > [[legendary]] (the new name for unique items). There should be more mixing and matching at the highest levels, with rare, set, and legendary items of approximately-equivalent quality, depending on the random mods they spawn with.

As there are no [[runes]] to socket into equipment, there are no [[runeword]] items, at least in [[D3v]].

===Item Crafting===

[[Crafting]] returns in Diablo III, in a major game system that combines elements of the item crafting and item gambling systems from Diablo II. Players use the [[Blacksmith]] NPC [[Artisan]] to create semi-random weapons and armor, including (eventually) set items and legendary items. Each crafted item requires [[gold]] and [[materials]], and crafted items all have some pre-set and some random mods, making the item creation a gamble that player may wish to repeat many times, in hopes of spawning an item with better [[modifier]]s.

The Blacksmith must first know the [[recipe]] to create the item, and these are taught to the Artisans by [[training]] them to higher levels, as well as by finding crafting [[plans]], including rare ones, as drops from monsters and chests.

===Armor and Weapon Types===

*[[Armor]]: [[helms]], [[shields]], [[Chest Armor|chest armor]], [[Hands|gloves]], [[Feet|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: [[pauldrons (item type)|Shoulders]], [[Wrists|bracers]], and [[pants]].
** New class-specific armor types: [[Mighty Belts]] for the Barbarian; [[Cloaks]] for the Demon Hunter; [[Spirit Stones]] (helms) for the Monk; [[Voodoo Masks]] for the Witch Doctor, and [[Wizard Hats]] for the Wizard.

* [[Weapons]]: [[Axes]], [[Spears]], [[Polearms]], [[Swords]], [[Maces]], [[Bows]], [[Crossbows]], [[Wands]], [[Shields]]. (There are no throwing weapons in D3v, and many of these weapon types have class limitations -- Monks can not use bows/xbows, only Wizards and Witch Doctors can use wands, etc. See the individual items pages for full details.)
** New types of weapons: [[Fists]], [[Daggers]] (no longer a type of sword).
** New class-specific weapons: [[Mighty Weapons]] for Barbarians; [[Hand Crossbows]] for the Demon Hunter, [[Daibos]] and [[Fist]]s for the Monk, and [[Ceremonial Knives]] for the Witch Doctor.
*** Class specific weapons, off-hand only: [[Mojos]] for the Witch Doctor, [[Orbs]] for the Wizard, [[Quiver]]s for the Demon Hunter.

===Item Modification Information===
This is a compilation of what mods you can search for in the Auction House within the Game. This information does not include the mods that can be sometimes found on Set or Legendary Pieces. Also, Please note that some item modifications require a class specific item in order to obtain the mod. Considering that only that class should be looking for that modification I did not see the necessity of making this distinction.

*All Resistance: Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Arcane Power on Crit: 1-Hand, Off-Hand, Helm,
*Arcane Resistance: Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Armor: Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Attack Speed: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Amulet, Gloves, Ring,

*Barbarian Skill Bonus: Bash: Belt,
*Barbarian Skill Bonus: Cleave:Belt,
*Barbarian Skill Bonus: Frenzy: Belt,
*Barbarian Skill Bonus: Hammer of the Ancients: 2-Hand, Off-Hand,
*Barbarian Skill Bonus: Overpower: 2-Hand, Off-Hand,
*Barbarian Skill Bonus: Rend: Belt,
*Barbarian Skill Bonus: Revenge: Belt,
*Barbarian Skill Bonus: Seismic Slam: 2-Hand, Off-Hand,
*Barbarian Skill Bonus: Weapon Throw: Belt,
*Barbarian Skill Bonus: Whirlwind: 2-Hand, Off-Hand,

*Bleed Chance: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand,
*Block %: Off-Hand,
*Bonus Min Arcane Weapon Dmg: 1-Hand, 2-Hand,
*Bonus Min Cold Weapon Dmg: 1-Hand, 2-Hand,
*Bonus Min Fire Weapon Dmg: 1-Hand, 2-Hand,
*Bonus Min Holy Weapon Dmg: 1-Hand, 2-Hand,
*Bonus Min Lightning Weapon Dmg: 1-Hand, 2-Hand,
*Bonus Min Physical Dmg: Amulet, Ring,
*Bonus Min Poison Weapon Dmg: 1-Hand, 2-Hand,
*Bonus Min Weapon Dmg: 1-Hand, 2-Hand,
*Bonus vs Elites: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand,
*Chance to Blind on hit: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand,
*Chance to Chill on hit: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand, Shoulders,
*Chance to Fear on hit: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand, Helm,
*Chance to Freeze on hit: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand, Belt,
*Chance to Immobilize on hit: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand, Boots,
*Chance to Knockback on hit: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand, Bracers,
*Chance to Slow on hit: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand, Pants,
*Chance to Stun on hit: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand, Gloves,
*Cold Resistance: Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Crit Hit Chance: Off-Hand, Amulet, Bracers, Gloves, Helm, Ring,
*Crit Hit Dmg: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Amulet, Gloves, Ring,
*Crowd Control Reduction: Off-Hand, Amulet, Helm, Ring,

*Demon Hunter Skill Bonus: Bola Shot: Off-Hand,
*Demon Hunter Skill Bonus: Chakram: Chest Armor,
*Demon Hunter Skill Bonus: Elemental Arrow: Off-Hand,
*Demon Hunter Skill Bonus: Entangling Shot: Off-Hand,
*Demon Hunter Skill Bonus: Evasive Fire: Chest Armor,
*Demon Hunter Skill Bonus: Grenades: Chest Armor,
*Demon Hunter Skill Bonus: Hungering Arrow: Off-Hand,
*Demon Hunter Skill Bonus: Impale: Chest Armor,
*Demon Hunter Skill Bonus: Multishot: Off-Hand,
*Demon Hunter Skill Bonus: Rapid Fire: Off-Hand,
*Demon Hunter Skill Bonus: Spike Trap: Chest Armor,

*Dexterity: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Experience: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Extra Health from Globes: Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Fire Resistance: Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Gold Find: Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Has Sockets: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Bracers, Chest Armor, Helm, Pants, Ring,
*Hatred Regeneration: 1-Hand, Off-Hand, Chest Armor,
*Indestructible: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Shoulders,
*Intelligence: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Life %: Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Chest Armor, Helm, Ring, Shoulders,
*Life Regeneration: Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Life Steal: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Belt,
*Life after Kill: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Amulet, Ring,
*Life on Hit: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Amulet, Ring,
*Life per Spirit Spent: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Helm,
*Lightning Resistance: Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Magic Find: Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Movement Speed: Boots,
*Mana Regeneration: 1-Hand, Off-Hand, Helm,
*Max Arcane Power: 1-Hand, Off-Hand, Helm,
*Max Discipline: 1-Hand, Off-Hand, Chest Armor,
*Max Fury: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Belt,
*Max Mana: 1-Hand, Off-Hand, Helm,
*Min Bleed Dmg: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand,

*Monk Skill Bonus: Crippling Wave: Helm,
*Monk Skill Bonus: Cyclone Strike: Helm,
*Monk Skill Bonus: Deadly Reach: Helm,
*Monk Skill Bonus: Exploding Palm: Helm,
*Monk Skill Bonus: Fists of Thunder: Helm,
*Monk Skill Bonus: Lashing Tail Kick: 2-Hand,
*Monk Skill Bonus: Sweeping Wind: Helm,
*Monk Skill Bonus: Tempest Rush: 2-Hand,
*Monk Skill Bonus: Way of the Hundred Fists: Helm,
*Monk Skill Bonus: Wave of Light: 2-Hand,

*Physical Dmg to Attacker: Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Physical Resistance: Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Pickup Radius: Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Shoulders,
*Poison Resistance: Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Reduced Dmg from Elites: Off-Hand, Chest Armor,
*Reduced Dmg from Melee Attacks: Off-Hand, Amulet, Bracers, Chest Armor,
*Reduced Dmg from Ranged Attacks: Off-Hand, Amulet, Bracers, Chest Armor,
*Reduced Level Requirement: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Shoulders,
*Spirit Regeneration: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Helm,
*Strength: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Vitality: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Weapon Dmg %: 1-Hand, 2-Hand,

*Witch Doctor Skill Bonus: Acid Cloud: Helm,
*Witch Doctor Skill Bonus: Fire bats: Helm,
*Witch Doctor Skill Bonus: Firebomb: 1-Hand, 2-Hand,
*Witch Doctor Skill Bonus: Haunt: 1-Hand, 2-Hand,
*Witch Doctor Skill Bonus: Plague of Toads: 1-Hand, 2-Hand,
*Witch Doctor Skill Bonus: Poison Darts: 2-Hand, Off-Hand,
*Witch Doctor Skill Bonus: Spirit Barrage: 2-Hand, Off-Hand,
*Witch Doctor Skill Bonus: Summon Zombie Dogs: Helm,
*Witch Doctor Skill Bonus: Wall of Zombies: 2-Hand, Off-Hand,
*Witch Doctor Skill Bonus: Zombie Charger: 2-Hand, Off-Hand,

*Wizard Skill Bonus: Arcane Orb: Off-Hand,
*Wizard Skill Bonus: Arcane Torrent: Helm,
*Wizard Skill Bonus: Blizzard: Off-Hand,
*Wizard Skill Bonus: Disintegrate: Helm,
*Wizard Skill Bonus: Electrocute: Helm,
*Wizard Skill Bonus: Energy Twister: 1-Hand, 2-Hand,
*Wizard Skill Bonus: Explosive Blast: Helm,
*Wizard Skill Bonus: Hydra: Helm,
*Wizard Skill Bonus: Magic Missile: 1-Hand, 2-Hand,
*Wizard Skill Bonus: Meteor: Off-Hand,
*Wizard Skill Bonus: Ray of Frost: Helm,
*Wizard Skill Bonus: Shock Pulse: Off-Hand,
*Wizard Skill Bonus: Spectral Blade: Off-Hand,

===Other Items Information===

* [[Runes]] are no longer found in Diablo III. They were never item socketables, but were socketed into skills, until a major system overhaul in early 2012.
* 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 large (though it shrunk from 5 to 3 pages during beta testing), and is shared between all characters on the same account. (But not HC and normal characters.)
* All gold and item drops from monsters, chests, quests, etc, are specific to your character. You only see items you can pick up, and do not see items for other characters, nor do they see yours.
** Items dropped by a character are seen by all.
* Trading is supported, both between characters and in a much larger way through the Battle.net [[Auction House]], which has two version, the gold and the [[real money]] version.
* [[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. Potions are intended for emergency use only, and players must learn to survive with life leech, hit point regeneration from equipment, and by using the [[health globes]] that monsters drop. Successful players must be a bit more cautious than they were in previous games of the series.

==NPCs==

[[Image:Cain-concept1.jpg|thumb|right|75px|[[Cain]]]]
As in previous games in the series, [[NPCs]] will feature importantly 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" to "listen."

[[Followers]]: Diablo III's answer to mercenaries from D2, the followers will have their own skillset and inventory that the player can customize.

[[Artisans]]: Are special NPCs who craft items and provide other essential services, as well as much dialogue and information about the game world and quests. They are the [[Blacksmith]] and [[Jeweler]], after the [[Mystic]] was removed during beta testing.

==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]].

The scorching deserts of the [[Aranoch]] will be revisited by the player when they have the opportunity to visit one of the largest capital cities in Sanctuary: [[Caldeum]]. The player will also explore the depths of the [[Archives of Zoltun Kulle]], ex-horadric mage.

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 into the universe suggests either a big expansion pack, MMOs, or a film. [[Ureh]] is another area that has been shown off by the development team (and was showcased in the original cinematic trailer) which will not be in the release version of Diablo III.

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

==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. Perhaps more critically, the development team has also stated that there will be many more varieties of dungeons than what was seen 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.
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. Unlike Diablo II, there is only one movement speed, rather than a walk and run option. This speed can be increased with item mods and some skills, and there is no stamina drain while moving. There are no [[mounts]] in Sanctuary, to ride about the world at a higher rate of speed.

The main method of speedy transportation in the game comes from [[waypoint]]s, of which there are dozens per act, many more than were found in Diablo II. Waypoints are tied to quests and there are multiple waypoints in connected areas, tied to each quest. For instance, a player can only use the waypoint to the start of an area, and then while clearing that area and deeper dungeons within it, additional waypoints will be encountered, for easy returns to town. This allows for more travel without cluttering up the waypoints menu with dozens of them, as well as preventing players from warping right to the end of a quest, Diablo 2 boss run style.

The [[town portal]] system evolved repeatedly during Diablo III's development. TPs were in as [[scroll]]s, then out entirely, then back in via the [[Stone of Recall]] system, then changed back to a town portal activated directly from the [[belt interface]]. See those pages for more details.

==Easter Eggs==

There are numerous small [[Easter Eggs]] already seen in Diablo III during the beta testing. These include funny item and monster names, developer names carved on headstones, inside jokes via the [[Achievements]], and more. There are certain to be many other discovered in the full game.

==Secret Level?==

It seems quite likely that some sort of [[Secret Level]] will be found in Diablo III, as an homage to the [[Secret Cow Level]] of Diablo II. Numerous hints have been seen, with jokes about rainbows and unicorns abounding in the game and from the developers, much of it spurred by the early [[art controversy]].
* [http://diablo.incgamers.com/forums/showthread.php?708777-The-secret-rainbow-level Rainbow Level forum thread from 2008]

==Art Changes==

Diablo III uses more color, or at least uses color more obviously, than previous games in the series, and this spawned numerous fan debates shortly after the title was revealed in June 2008. The early screenshots and gameplay movies sparked the [[art controversy]] and angry online petitions, which Blizzard reacted to by defending their design choices.
* The [[Art controversy]] article goes into great detail on this topic.

==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 had 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, [[Belial]] and [[Azmodan]], 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.

Additional information on the story line can be seen within the [[Black Soulstone Cinematic]].

===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. The [[Followers]] such as the [[Templar]] and [[Enchantress]] each have a distinct personality with a fleshed-out background and will not only banter to the player character, but also to other NPCs (and even to each other within the camp or town). The same holds true for other NPCs, such as [[Leah]], who may on occasion follow the player into the fray during a quest.

==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, and to create a sense that they were being "played" and not "told about". Numerous smaller [[events]] and adventures are spotted throughout the game, many of them randomly-generated each game, to add color and change up the gameplay.

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, which are called either [[adventures]] or [[events]], depending upon their magnitude.

Quests can be repeated in Diablo III through the game creation menu.

==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 PvE game. (All PvP takes place in the Arena, a feature that will not be ready for use upon Diablo 3's launch.)

Game creation and group formation will be easier in Diablo III than in the past: it is mostly automated. Diablo III, being on "battle.net 2", is using a match-making system very similar to that which is seen in ladder play in [[StarCraft II]] or the dungeon finder in [[World of WarCraft]]. A player can choose a few options for their game, including whether or not they want it to be private, and which quest they would like to start on (if they don't wish to simply resume the quest they were last playing). Players can instantly join games in which people on their [[Friends List]] are playing.

Diablo III will take place over Battle.net. There is no offline mode: the game is online only. Diablo III is following in Starcraft's footsteps and will not include LAN support. Though Blizzard always claims that this is a benefit, enabling greater player connectedness, most players regard it as an annoyance implemented as a security feature, since all Diablo III play requires players to possess a Battle.net account and valid cd-key.

===Battle Arena===

[[File:Battle-arena-new-round1.jpg|frame|350px|A new round begins in the Battle Arena.]]
All [[PvP]] in Diablo III takes place in the [[Arena]]. Unfortunately, this feature will not be included when Diablo III ships, as the developers could not get it ready in time for the launch.[http://eu.battle.net/d3/en/blog/3828550/Diablo_III_PvP_Update-09_03_2012#blog] Players loved the PvP demos at Blizzcon 2010 and 2011, so there are high hopes for this system once it's enabled.

===Battle.net 2.0===

Battle.net 2.0 for Diablo III includes a [[Friends List]], numerous matchmaking and automatic game joining options, and limited [[chat channel]] support.

==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 will vanish after certain criteria have been met. However, dead bodies can be affected by [[physics]].
** 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 ===

Diablo III will be released on May 15, 2012. This date was revealed on March 15, 2012, after several delays that pushed the initial release window back from the "second half of 2011" and then "early 2012."

* See the [[release date]] article for full details.

=== System Requirements ===

See the [[System Requirements]] article for full details on minimum and recommended system specs for PC and Mac.

<center>
{|
| Windows Minimum Requirements:
* Windows® XP/Vista/7 (latest service packs) with DX 9.0c
* Intel Pentium® D 2.8 GHz or AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 4400+
* NVIDIA® GeForce® 7800 GT or ATI Radeon™ X1950 Pro or better
* 1 GB RAM (XP), 1.5 GB (Vista/7)
* 12 GB available HD space
* DVD-ROM (required for retail disc versions only)
* Broadband* Internet connection
* 1024x748 minimum resolution

| Mac Minimum Requirements
* Mac® OS X 10.6.8, 10.7.x or newer
* Intel® Core 2 Duo
* NVIDIA® GeForce® 8600M GT or ATI Radeon™ HD 2600 or better
* 2 GB RAM
* 12 GB available HD space
* DVD-ROM (required for retail disc versions only)
* Broadband* Internet connection1024x768 minimum resolution
|}
</center>

<center>
{|
|
PC Recommended System Requirements
* Windows® Vista/7 (latest service packs)
* Intel® Core 2 Duo 2.4 GHz or AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 5600+ 2.8 GHz
* 2 GB RAM
* NVIDIA® GeForce® 260 or ATI Radeon™ HD 4870 or better

|
Mac Recommended System Requirements
* Mac® OS X 10.7.x or newer
* Intel® Core 2 Duo
* 2 GB RAM
* NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 330M or ATI Radeon™ HD 4670 or better

|}
</center>

===Diablo Beta Testing===

The [[Diablo 3 beta]] test began in early September, 2011, and continued through the end of the year and into 2012. The frequency of patches and number of beta testers increased dramatically in early 2012, as the game neared completion and balancing changes grew more frequent. The beta test is expected to continue until a week or two before the release on May 15, 2012.

Prior to the start of the test, the developers had repeatedly said it would be a quick beta test, devoted largely to technical issues and Battle.net stress testing. That turned out to be very untrue.

===Retail Price===

The retail price for Diablo III is variable by region. It will be a "boxed" retail product (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 USD, up $10 from the traditional $50 price tag, and it's virtually certain Diablo III will follow that route. Any pre-order for the game, currently, follows this trend.

The [[Collector's Edition]] of the game is retailing for $100 USD, plus any applicable taxes or service fees.

===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. There is no offline play, and the odds of Blizzard requiring a player to have the disc in the drive is exceedingly minimal.

Blizzard hasn't bothered with much copy protection in the past, and will likely not bother with it at all in the future, in lieu of bringing their games completely onto battle.net. The only "piracy" that can occur in such a system is an emulation of the server, which makes for a pale imitation of the actual game. Once a player ties a game to their battle.net account, they can then download the game to install on their local machine at any point in time as well, circumventing the need for physical media, such as discs.

==Who's in Charge?==

Naturally, [[Blizzard Entertainment]] 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]].
* See the [[D3 Team]] article for info on dozens of Diablo III's developers.

==Expansions, MMO or Diablo Movie==

Whatever will come after [[Diablo III]] is unknown, but it seems apparent that Blizzard is 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 making it better for an expansion, or perhaps a future MMO or a [[Diablo movie]]. Regardless, [[Jay Wilson]] has said that there is 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 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

2012-06-09T19:57:47Z

ThatGuyJoe1982:

[[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 randomized content for high replayability. Some changes have been made in order to make the game more welcoming to new players, to ramp up the difficulty more smoothly, and to create a "deep and engaging" combat system. The Diablo III developers took inspiration from previous games in the series, as well as [[World of Warcraft]], and other different games such as ''Zelda'' and ''God of War''.

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

== Character Classes ==

Blizzard confirmed that the game would ship with five characters, then introduced them over the first three years of development. They 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 in look and function. All items of armor have a different appearance on each class (there are even some inter-class gender differences, mainly in the chest armor for obvious reasons). The skills are even more different, with around 25 entirely unique [[active skills]] for each class. Many of the [[passive skills]] were shared between classes during development, but over time they all differentiated as well.

Though all five classes for Diablo III have been revealed, additional classes will be added 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 one returning class is still a mighty brawler, but he's gained countless new tricks, with only a few skills returning, and all of them modified in various ways.
* [[Barbarian Skills]]
* [[Barbarian passive skills]]
* [[Resource]]: - [[Fury]]
|-
! colspan="3" | Demon Hunter
|-
| [[File:Demon-hunter-art4.jpg|center|125px]]
| [[File:Demon-hunter-male.jpg|90px]]
| '''The [[Demon Hunter]]''' - The game's ranged weapon specialist, Demon Hunters are fast-moving archers with devastating offensive capabilities and a wide variety of tactical traps and demonic gadgets.
* [[Demon Hunter Skills]]
* [[Demon Hunter passive skills]]
* [[Resource]]: - [[Hatred]] & [[Discipline]]
|-
! colspan="3" | Monk
|-
| [[File:Monkfemale.jpg|85px]]
| [[File:Monkmale.jpg|85px]]
| '''The [[Monk]]''' - The follower of a thousand Gods, Monks from [[Ivgorod]] are holy warriors. Combining fast-hitting, melee-ranged martial arts with holy magics, auras, and defensive tactics.
* [[Monk Skills]]
* [[Monk passive skills]]
* [[Resource]]: [[Spirit]]
|-
! colspan="3" | Witch Doctor
|-
| [[File:Witchfemale.jpg|85px]]
| [[File:Witchmale.jpg|70px]]
| '''The [[Witch Doctor]]''' - A mysterious class from the jungles of [[Teganze]], the Witch Doctor wields a huge array of magical attacks, as well as the ability to mind control enemies and summon up pets to fight alongside him.
* [[Witch Doctor Skills]]
* [[Witch Doctor passive skills]]
* [[Resource]]: [[Mana]]
|-
! colspan="3" | Wizard
|-
| [[File:Wizardfemale.jpg|85px]]
| [[File:Wizardmale.jpg|70px]]
| '''The [[Wizard]]''' - An evolutionary improvement from the Sorcerer and Sorceress seen in previous Diablo titles. Wizards boast an impressive array of offensive spells that are useful for every situation, as well as defensive spells and escape abilities that combine to create this murderous [[glass cannon]].

* [[Wizard Skills]]
* [[Wizard passive skills]]
* [[Resource]]: [[Arcane Power]]
|-
|}

=== Skills ===
The [[skills]] and their presentation evolved greatly during the game's development, with the largest change coming late in the beta test, shortly before release. See the [[skill tree]] article for a full history. Characters can use up to six skills at once, and may cycle between them with only minimal [[cooldown]]s.

The biggest change from Diablo 2 comes from the [[runestone]] system, which enables every skill to be modified into five different forms, most of which are radically different in function from the base skill. This creates a vast number of possible builds, and with the easy [[respec]] system, players can try out all of the skills and rune effects, and switch between them as needed.

Each class has around 25 unique skills, which are unlocked at the rate of about one per level, from level 1 until level 30. Each skill has five rune effects which are unlocked every 5 or 6 levels, thus granting at least one and often three of four new abilities to try out every level up until the maximum level 60.

[[Passive skills]] are also unique to each class, and starting at level 10, they are unlocked one every few levels, all the way up to level 60. Characters can have up to 3 passive skills active, adding an additional [[passive skill slot]] at level 10, 20, and 30.

==== 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 characters can change around their skills as desired, with only minimal cooldowns to prevent this being done exploitatively.

====Stats/Attributes====
The biggest change to Diablo III [[attributes]] is their change to an automatically-allocated system. Players can not set their skill points, and instead gain 1 or 2 points in the four attributes with every level up. The Diablo III developers felt the stat allocation in Diablo II was a poor way to provide character customization since players either experimented and "ruined' their character with sub-optimal choices, or else followed a [[cookie cutter]] style of [[build]]. (This is less of a problem after v1.13 added stat and skill respecs to Diablo II.)

In the early days of Diablo III, an inventory-like game system called the [[Talisman]] was stocked with items called [[charms]], which added large bonuses to stats, but that system was shelved during development. Another system to add specific attributes was the [[enchants]] provided by the [[Mystic]], but that system and the Mystic were also removed during development. As a result, players can only modify their stats with equipment bonuses, including those from [[socket]]ed [[gems]].

The names and function of the stats changed several times during development as well. (See the [[attributes]] article for details.) Ironically, after experimentation with up to five attributes, including a system where each attribute granted more or less identical bonuses to each class, the developers returned to the classic four attributes of [[Strength]], [[Vitality]], [[Dexterity]], and [[Intelligence]]. The bonuses provided by these four differ considerably from their Diablo II form.

==== Skill Runes ====

[[File:Runes-hydra-all.jpg|thumb|350px|Hydra runestone effects.]]
Another system that underwent numerous changes during development; skill runes were items for most of Diablo III's development. These runes were small objects that were placed in skills, each of which had one socket. Once seated, the runestones changed the function of the skills, always improving them, in five different ways. Those runestones were called [[crimson]], [[alabaster]], [[indigo]], [[golden]], and [[obsidian]].

Though the skill rune effects remained, the item-based runestone system was entirely removed during the beta, and replaced with a system where all of the rune effects are built into skills. They are thus part of the interface, and are "unlocked" one at a time, usually around 5-9 levels apart. Thus a base skill such as the [[Demon Hunter]]'s [[Vault]] is unlocked at level 12, and the rune effects become available one at a time at levels 23, 31, 40, 48, and 53. (Figures subject to yet further change.)

==Monsters==
[[Image:Goatmen surround a Siegebreaker.jpg|thumb|right|150px|The [[Siegebreaker]].]]
Diablo III has a great array of '''[[monster]]s''', which can employ more intelligent behaviour to force players to use strategy during combat. In addition to the random [[boss]] encounters the series has made great use of, Diablo III adds numerous "mini-boss" encounters that make for more epic gameplay; an example is the scripted appearance of the [[Thousand Pounder]] as seen in the [[WWI 2008]] gameplay movie.

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.

* '''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 wait a mere few seconds before waiting to be resurrected by another player in their party or restarting at the last [[checkpoint]] (not [[waypoint]]) they passed over. In addition, a player will lose a set percentage of their [[durability]] upon death (currently 10%) which will need to be repaired either at the [[Blacksmith]] or an appropriate vendor.

[[Hardcore]] mode is an option in the game, and as in Diablo II, dead HC characters stay dead forever. This will not be the case in the Arena, where Hardcore players will be able to duel as much as they like, without having to create softcore characters just to enjoy the arena fully.

One planned feature that didn't make it into the game were specially gruesome player fatalities, which some bosses were to have the ability to inflict when they killed players.

==Difficulty Levels==

There are four [[difficulty]] levels in Diablo III, [[Normal]], [[Nightmare]], [[Hell]], and [[Inferno]]. Each difficulty level repeats the same game content, but with monsters, items, and everything else increased in level to keep scaling up the challenge. Normal is designed to be fairly easy, especially early on, to usher new players into the game and teach them the ropes without too much challenge. Difficulty starts to increase in Nightmare and Hell, and characters should max out at level 60 around the end of Hell. This controversial design choice removes the [[grinding]] to [[max level]] play system seen in Diablo and Diablo II.

Inferno is where the developers are planning to make things really interesting, with the entire difficulty level vastly harder than Hell, and all balanced to a largely "flat" curve. This should allow players to find challenging and rewarding [[end game]] content anywhere in the game, rather than forcing players to [[run]] the same few end bosses over and over again, as was the case in Diablo II.

==End Game==

Diablo III was designed with the [[end game]] in mind. The entire Inferno difficulty level is meant as one big PvE end game, with a flat difficulty curve opening up the entire game to high level play. The developers have also considered various systems to reward players for playing normal areas, rather than simply "running" the same few bosses over and over again.

While Inferno is meant to be quite challenging, and best played in co-op parties, nothing in Diablo III is being designed to require parties, such as the raid content seen in [[WoW]]. Other end game goodies include special [[Achievements]], crafting recipes and items found only in Inferno, and the possible addition of additional high-end content via patches.

As Diablo III will *not* launch with any form of PvP, the long-anticipated [[Arena]] will not serve as an end game activity.

==Items==

[[Image:Barbarian swing.jpg|thumb|right|[[Barbarian]] swinging two magical axes.]]
Armor and weapons function much as they did in previous games in the series. Players find low level gear early on, and one of the major goals/enjoyments of playing is to find better quality gear and thus improve your character's performance. One big change to the appearance of armor is the elimination of exception and elite versions of gear. Unlike in Diablo II, Diablo III characters will not find the exact same looking armor repeated on each difficulty level. Instead there are 18 "tiers" of armor, organized into something the developers call [[gear sets]].

Each gear set has a distinctive, organized look, and thus a character wearing all (or most) of say, gear set 14, would have a cohesive, coherent appearance as the items would match each other. The developers have released numerous screenshots of the classes in complete gear sets, and they are stylish indeed. It's less clear, in advance of playing the higher levels, just how often (if ever) a character will have most or all of the same gear set on, or if characters will always be clad in a mixture of different level equipment.

Item quality is similar to that of Diablo II, with item scarcity progressing [[normal]] > [[magical]] > [[rare]] > [[set]] > [[legendary]] (the new name for unique items). There should be more mixing and matching at the highest levels, with rare, set, and legendary items of approximately-equivalent quality, depending on the random mods they spawn with.

As there are no [[runes]] to socket into equipment, there are no [[runeword]] items, at least in [[D3v]].

===Item Crafting===

[[Crafting]] returns in Diablo III, in a major game system that combines elements of the item crafting and item gambling systems from Diablo II. Players use the [[Blacksmith]] NPC [[Artisan]] to create semi-random weapons and armor, including (eventually) set items and legendary items. Each crafted item requires [[gold]] and [[materials]], and crafted items all have some pre-set and some random mods, making the item creation a gamble that player may wish to repeat many times, in hopes of spawning an item with better [[modifier]]s.

The Blacksmith must first know the [[recipe]] to create the item, and these are taught to the Artisans by [[training]] them to higher levels, as well as by finding crafting [[plans]], including rare ones, as drops from monsters and chests.

===Armor and Weapon Types===

*[[Armor]]: [[helms]], [[shields]], [[Chest Armor|chest armor]], [[Hands|gloves]], [[Feet|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: [[pauldrons (item type)|Shoulders]], [[Wrists|bracers]], and [[pants]].
** New class-specific armor types: [[Mighty Belts]] for the Barbarian; [[Cloaks]] for the Demon Hunter; [[Spirit Stones]] (helms) for the Monk; [[Voodoo Masks]] for the Witch Doctor, and [[Wizard Hats]] for the Wizard.

* [[Weapons]]: [[Axes]], [[Spears]], [[Polearms]], [[Swords]], [[Maces]], [[Bows]], [[Crossbows]], [[Wands]], [[Shields]]. (There are no throwing weapons in D3v, and many of these weapon types have class limitations -- Monks can not use bows/xbows, only Wizards and Witch Doctors can use wands, etc. See the individual items pages for full details.)
** New types of weapons: [[Fists]], [[Daggers]] (no longer a type of sword).
** New class-specific weapons: [[Mighty Weapons]] for Barbarians; [[Hand Crossbows]] for the Demon Hunter, [[Daibos]] and [[Fist]]s for the Monk, and [[Ceremonial Knives]] for the Witch Doctor.
*** Class specific weapons, off-hand only: [[Mojos]] for the Witch Doctor, [[Orbs]] for the Wizard, [[Quiver]]s for the Demon Hunter.

===Item Modification Information===
This is a compilation of what mods you can search for in the Auction House within the Game. This information does not include the mods that can be sometimes found on Set or Legendary Pieces.

*All Resistance: Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Arcane Power on Crit: 1-Hand, Off-Hand, Helm,
*Arcane Resistance: Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Armor: Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Attack Speed: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Amulet, Gloves, Ring,

*Barbarian Skill Bonus: Bash: Belt,
*Barbarian Skill Bonus: Cleave:Belt,
*Barbarian Skill Bonus: Frenzy: Belt,
*Barbarian Skill Bonus: Hammer of the Ancients: 2-Hand, Off-Hand,
*Barbarian Skill Bonus: Overpower: 2-Hand, Off-Hand,
*Barbarian Skill Bonus: Rend: Belt,
*Barbarian Skill Bonus: Revenge: Belt,
*Barbarian Skill Bonus: Seismic Slam: 2-Hand, Off-Hand,
*Barbarian Skill Bonus: Weapon Throw: Belt,
*Barbarian Skill Bonus: Whirlwind: 2-Hand, Off-Hand,

*Bleed Chance: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand,
*Block %: Off-Hand,
*Bonus Min Arcane Weapon Dmg: 1-Hand, 2-Hand,
*Bonus Min Cold Weapon Dmg: 1-Hand, 2-Hand,
*Bonus Min Fire Weapon Dmg: 1-Hand, 2-Hand,
*Bonus Min Holy Weapon Dmg: 1-Hand, 2-Hand,
*Bonus Min Lightning Weapon Dmg: 1-Hand, 2-Hand,
*Bonus Min Physical Dmg: Amulet, Ring,
*Bonus Min Poison Weapon Dmg: 1-Hand, 2-Hand,
*Bonus Min Weapon Dmg: 1-Hand, 2-Hand,
*Bonus vs Elites: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand,
*Chance to Blind on hit: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand,
*Chance to Chill on hit: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand, Shoulders,
*Chance to Fear on hit: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand, Helm,
*Chance to Freeze on hit: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand, Belt,
*Chance to Immobilize on hit: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand, Boots,
*Chance to Knockback on hit: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand, Bracers,
*Chance to Slow on hit: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand, Pants,
*Chance to Stun on hit: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand, Gloves,
*Cold Resistance: Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Crit Hit Chance: Off-Hand, Amulet, Bracers, Gloves, Helm, Ring,
*Crit Hit Dmg: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Amulet, Gloves, Ring,
*Crowd Control Reduction: Off-Hand, Amulet, Helm, Ring,

*Demon Hunter Skill Bonus: Bola Shot: Off-Hand,
*Demon Hunter Skill Bonus: Chakram: Chest Armor,
*Demon Hunter Skill Bonus: Elemental Arrow: Off-Hand,
*Demon Hunter Skill Bonus: Entangling Shot: Off-Hand,
*Demon Hunter Skill Bonus: Evasive Fire: Chest Armor,
*Demon Hunter Skill Bonus: Grenades: Chest Armor,
*Demon Hunter Skill Bonus: Hungering Arrow: Off-Hand,
*Demon Hunter Skill Bonus: Impale: Chest Armor,
*Demon Hunter Skill Bonus: Multishot: Off-Hand,
*Demon Hunter Skill Bonus: Rapid Fire: Off-Hand,
*Demon Hunter Skill Bonus: Spike Trap: Chest Armor,

*Dexterity: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Experience: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Extra Health from Globes: Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Fire Resistance: Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Gold Find: Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Has Sockets: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Bracers, Chest Armor, Helm, Pants, Ring,
*Hatred Regeneration: 1-Hand, Off-Hand, Chest Armor,
*Indestructible: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Shoulders,
*Intelligence: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Life %: Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Chest Armor, Helm, Ring, Shoulders,
*Life Regeneration: Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Life Steal: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Belt,
*Life after Kill: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Amulet, Ring,
*Life on Hit: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Amulet, Ring,
*Life per Spirit Spent: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Helm,
*Lightning Resistance: Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Magic Find: Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Movement Speed: Boots,
*Mana Regeneration: 1-Hand, Off-Hand, Helm,
*Max Arcane Power: 1-Hand, Off-Hand, Helm,
*Max Discipline: 1-Hand, Off-Hand, Chest Armor,
*Max Fury: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Belt,
*Max Mana: 1-Hand, Off-Hand, Helm,
*Min Bleed Dmg: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand,

*Monk Skill Bonus: Crippling Wave: Helm,
*Monk Skill Bonus: Cyclone Strike: Helm,
*Monk Skill Bonus: Deadly Reach: Helm,
*Monk Skill Bonus: Exploding Palm: Helm,
*Monk Skill Bonus: Fists of Thunder: Helm,
*Monk Skill Bonus: Lashing Tail Kick: 2-Hand,
*Monk Skill Bonus: Sweeping Wind: Helm,
*Monk Skill Bonus: Tempest Rush: 2-Hand,
*Monk Skill Bonus: Way of the Hundred Fists: Helm,
*Monk Skill Bonus: Wave of Light: 2-Hand,

*Physical Dmg to Attacker: Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Physical Resistance: Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Pickup Radius: Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Shoulders,
*Poison Resistance: Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Reduced Dmg from Elites: Off-Hand, Chest Armor,
*Reduced Dmg from Melee Attacks: Off-Hand, Amulet, Bracers, Chest Armor,
*Reduced Dmg from Ranged Attacks: Off-Hand, Amulet, Bracers, Chest Armor,
*Reduced Level Requirement: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Shoulders,
*Spirit Regeneration: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Helm,
*Strength: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Vitality: 1-Hand, 2-Hand, Off-Hand, Amulet, Belt, Boots, Bracers, Chest Armor, Gloves, Helm, Pants, Ring, Shoulders,
*Weapon Dmg %: 1-Hand, 2-Hand,

*Witch Doctor Skill Bonus: Acid Cloud: Helm,
*Witch Doctor Skill Bonus: Fire bats: Helm,
*Witch Doctor Skill Bonus: Firebomb: 1-Hand, 2-Hand,
*Witch Doctor Skill Bonus: Haunt: 1-Hand, 2-Hand,
*Witch Doctor Skill Bonus: Plague of Toads: 1-Hand, 2-Hand,
*Witch Doctor Skill Bonus: Poison Darts: 2-Hand, Off-Hand,
*Witch Doctor Skill Bonus: Spirit Barrage: 2-Hand, Off-Hand,
*Witch Doctor Skill Bonus: Summon Zombie Dogs: Helm,
*Witch Doctor Skill Bonus: Wall of Zombies: 2-Hand, Off-Hand,
*Witch Doctor Skill Bonus: Zombie Charger: 2-Hand, Off-Hand,

*Wizard Skill Bonus: Arcane Orb: Off-Hand,
*Wizard Skill Bonus: Arcane Torrent: Helm,
*Wizard Skill Bonus: Blizzard: Off-Hand,
*Wizard Skill Bonus: Disintegrate: Helm,
*Wizard Skill Bonus: Electrocute: Helm,
*Wizard Skill Bonus: Energy Twister: 1-Hand, 2-Hand,
*Wizard Skill Bonus: Explosive Blast: Helm,
*Wizard Skill Bonus: Hydra: Helm,
*Wizard Skill Bonus: Magic Missile: 1-Hand, 2-Hand,
*Wizard Skill Bonus: Meteor: Off-Hand,
*Wizard Skill Bonus: Ray of Frost: Helm,
*Wizard Skill Bonus: Shock Pulse: Off-Hand,
*Wizard Skill Bonus: Spectral Blade: Off-Hand,

===Other Items Information===

* [[Runes]] are no longer found in Diablo III. They were never item socketables, but were socketed into skills, until a major system overhaul in early 2012.
* 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 large (though it shrunk from 5 to 3 pages during beta testing), and is shared between all characters on the same account. (But not HC and normal characters.)
* All gold and item drops from monsters, chests, quests, etc, are specific to your character. You only see items you can pick up, and do not see items for other characters, nor do they see yours.
** Items dropped by a character are seen by all.
* Trading is supported, both between characters and in a much larger way through the Battle.net [[Auction House]], which has two version, the gold and the [[real money]] version.
* [[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. Potions are intended for emergency use only, and players must learn to survive with life leech, hit point regeneration from equipment, and by using the [[health globes]] that monsters drop. Successful players must be a bit more cautious than they were in previous games of the series.

==NPCs==

[[Image:Cain-concept1.jpg|thumb|right|75px|[[Cain]]]]
As in previous games in the series, [[NPCs]] will feature importantly 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" to "listen."

[[Followers]]: Diablo III's answer to mercenaries from D2, the followers will have their own skillset and inventory that the player can customize.

[[Artisans]]: Are special NPCs who craft items and provide other essential services, as well as much dialogue and information about the game world and quests. They are the [[Blacksmith]] and [[Jeweler]], after the [[Mystic]] was removed during beta testing.

==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]].

The scorching deserts of the [[Aranoch]] will be revisited by the player when they have the opportunity to visit one of the largest capital cities in Sanctuary: [[Caldeum]]. The player will also explore the depths of the [[Archives of Zoltun Kulle]], ex-horadric mage.

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 into the universe suggests either a big expansion pack, MMOs, or a film. [[Ureh]] is another area that has been shown off by the development team (and was showcased in the original cinematic trailer) which will not be in the release version of Diablo III.

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

==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. Perhaps more critically, the development team has also stated that there will be many more varieties of dungeons than what was seen 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.
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. Unlike Diablo II, there is only one movement speed, rather than a walk and run option. This speed can be increased with item mods and some skills, and there is no stamina drain while moving. There are no [[mounts]] in Sanctuary, to ride about the world at a higher rate of speed.

The main method of speedy transportation in the game comes from [[waypoint]]s, of which there are dozens per act, many more than were found in Diablo II. Waypoints are tied to quests and there are multiple waypoints in connected areas, tied to each quest. For instance, a player can only use the waypoint to the start of an area, and then while clearing that area and deeper dungeons within it, additional waypoints will be encountered, for easy returns to town. This allows for more travel without cluttering up the waypoints menu with dozens of them, as well as preventing players from warping right to the end of a quest, Diablo 2 boss run style.

The [[town portal]] system evolved repeatedly during Diablo III's development. TPs were in as [[scroll]]s, then out entirely, then back in via the [[Stone of Recall]] system, then changed back to a town portal activated directly from the [[belt interface]]. See those pages for more details.

==Easter Eggs==

There are numerous small [[Easter Eggs]] already seen in Diablo III during the beta testing. These include funny item and monster names, developer names carved on headstones, inside jokes via the [[Achievements]], and more. There are certain to be many other discovered in the full game.

==Secret Level?==

It seems quite likely that some sort of [[Secret Level]] will be found in Diablo III, as an homage to the [[Secret Cow Level]] of Diablo II. Numerous hints have been seen, with jokes about rainbows and unicorns abounding in the game and from the developers, much of it spurred by the early [[art controversy]].
* [http://diablo.incgamers.com/forums/showthread.php?708777-The-secret-rainbow-level Rainbow Level forum thread from 2008]

==Art Changes==

Diablo III uses more color, or at least uses color more obviously, than previous games in the series, and this spawned numerous fan debates shortly after the title was revealed in June 2008. The early screenshots and gameplay movies sparked the [[art controversy]] and angry online petitions, which Blizzard reacted to by defending their design choices.
* The [[Art controversy]] article goes into great detail on this topic.

==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 had 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, [[Belial]] and [[Azmodan]], 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.

Additional information on the story line can be seen within the [[Black Soulstone Cinematic]].

===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. The [[Followers]] such as the [[Templar]] and [[Enchantress]] each have a distinct personality with a fleshed-out background and will not only banter to the player character, but also to other NPCs (and even to each other within the camp or town). The same holds true for other NPCs, such as [[Leah]], who may on occasion follow the player into the fray during a quest.

==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, and to create a sense that they were being "played" and not "told about". Numerous smaller [[events]] and adventures are spotted throughout the game, many of them randomly-generated each game, to add color and change up the gameplay.

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, which are called either [[adventures]] or [[events]], depending upon their magnitude.

Quests can be repeated in Diablo III through the game creation menu.

==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 PvE game. (All PvP takes place in the Arena, a feature that will not be ready for use upon Diablo 3's launch.)

Game creation and group formation will be easier in Diablo III than in the past: it is mostly automated. Diablo III, being on "battle.net 2", is using a match-making system very similar to that which is seen in ladder play in [[StarCraft II]] or the dungeon finder in [[World of WarCraft]]. A player can choose a few options for their game, including whether or not they want it to be private, and which quest they would like to start on (if they don't wish to simply resume the quest they were last playing). Players can instantly join games in which people on their [[Friends List]] are playing.

Diablo III will take place over Battle.net. There is no offline mode: the game is online only. Diablo III is following in Starcraft's footsteps and will not include LAN support. Though Blizzard always claims that this is a benefit, enabling greater player connectedness, most players regard it as an annoyance implemented as a security feature, since all Diablo III play requires players to possess a Battle.net account and valid cd-key.

===Battle Arena===

[[File:Battle-arena-new-round1.jpg|frame|350px|A new round begins in the Battle Arena.]]
All [[PvP]] in Diablo III takes place in the [[Arena]]. Unfortunately, this feature will not be included when Diablo III ships, as the developers could not get it ready in time for the launch.[http://eu.battle.net/d3/en/blog/3828550/Diablo_III_PvP_Update-09_03_2012#blog] Players loved the PvP demos at Blizzcon 2010 and 2011, so there are high hopes for this system once it's enabled.

===Battle.net 2.0===

Battle.net 2.0 for Diablo III includes a [[Friends List]], numerous matchmaking and automatic game joining options, and limited [[chat channel]] support.

==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 will vanish after certain criteria have been met. However, dead bodies can be affected by [[physics]].
** 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 ===

Diablo III will be released on May 15, 2012. This date was revealed on March 15, 2012, after several delays that pushed the initial release window back from the "second half of 2011" and then "early 2012."

* See the [[release date]] article for full details.

=== System Requirements ===

See the [[System Requirements]] article for full details on minimum and recommended system specs for PC and Mac.

<center>
{|
| Windows Minimum Requirements:
* Windows® XP/Vista/7 (latest service packs) with DX 9.0c
* Intel Pentium® D 2.8 GHz or AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 4400+
* NVIDIA® GeForce® 7800 GT or ATI Radeon™ X1950 Pro or better
* 1 GB RAM (XP), 1.5 GB (Vista/7)
* 12 GB available HD space
* DVD-ROM (required for retail disc versions only)
* Broadband* Internet connection
* 1024x748 minimum resolution

| Mac Minimum Requirements
* Mac® OS X 10.6.8, 10.7.x or newer
* Intel® Core 2 Duo
* NVIDIA® GeForce® 8600M GT or ATI Radeon™ HD 2600 or better
* 2 GB RAM
* 12 GB available HD space
* DVD-ROM (required for retail disc versions only)
* Broadband* Internet connection1024x768 minimum resolution
|}
</center>

<center>
{|
|
PC Recommended System Requirements
* Windows® Vista/7 (latest service packs)
* Intel® Core 2 Duo 2.4 GHz or AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 5600+ 2.8 GHz
* 2 GB RAM
* NVIDIA® GeForce® 260 or ATI Radeon™ HD 4870 or better

|
Mac Recommended System Requirements
* Mac® OS X 10.7.x or newer
* Intel® Core 2 Duo
* 2 GB RAM
* NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 330M or ATI Radeon™ HD 4670 or better

|}
</center>

===Diablo Beta Testing===

The [[Diablo 3 beta]] test began in early September, 2011, and continued through the end of the year and into 2012. The frequency of patches and number of beta testers increased dramatically in early 2012, as the game neared completion and balancing changes grew more frequent. The beta test is expected to continue until a week or two before the release on May 15, 2012.

Prior to the start of the test, the developers had repeatedly said it would be a quick beta test, devoted largely to technical issues and Battle.net stress testing. That turned out to be very untrue.

===Retail Price===

The retail price for Diablo III is variable by region. It will be a "boxed" retail product (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 USD, up $10 from the traditional $50 price tag, and it's virtually certain Diablo III will follow that route. Any pre-order for the game, currently, follows this trend.

The [[Collector's Edition]] of the game is retailing for $100 USD, plus any applicable taxes or service fees.

===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. There is no offline play, and the odds of Blizzard requiring a player to have the disc in the drive is exceedingly minimal.

Blizzard hasn't bothered with much copy protection in the past, and will likely not bother with it at all in the future, in lieu of bringing their games completely onto battle.net. The only "piracy" that can occur in such a system is an emulation of the server, which makes for a pale imitation of the actual game. Once a player ties a game to their battle.net account, they can then download the game to install on their local machine at any point in time as well, circumventing the need for physical media, such as discs.

==Who's in Charge?==

Naturally, [[Blizzard Entertainment]] 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]].
* See the [[D3 Team]] article for info on dozens of Diablo III's developers.

==Expansions, MMO or Diablo Movie==

Whatever will come after [[Diablo III]] is unknown, but it seems apparent that Blizzard is 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 making it better for an expansion, or perhaps a future MMO or a [[Diablo movie]]. Regardless, [[Jay Wilson]] has said that there is 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 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]]