Diablo 3 Blog

Oxhorn Plays Diablo 3 - Barbarian - Diablo 3 Beta Gameplay Footage

2011-09-28T21:46:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Oxhorn for sending me this video of him trying out the Barbarian in the Diablo 3 beta. Don't forget to go to his video on Youtube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24amccLi_Sw) and upvote, favorite and subscribe to his channel.

Diablo 3 Beta is Now Live!

2011-09-20T18:36:00.000-07:00

The fiery gates leading to the Burning Hells have begun to swing open, and the Diablo III beta test is officially underway. Invitations to participate in the beta test are now being delivered to the chosen heroes. As with beta tests for other Blizzard Entertainment games, the testing process for Diablo III will occur in phases. In addition to selecting players who have opted in via their Battle.net accounts, we’ll also be providing keys through beta promotions and giveaways -- stay tuned for more info. We welcome those invited to provide feedback or report bugs on the official forums.

If you have a beta license, you are free to show, share, or talk about any portion of the beta content to which you have access, as this beta test is not confidential.

We’d like to remind those looking forward to an invite to be wary of phishing attempts. If you believe you’ve received an invite to the Diablo III beta test, it’s best to refrain from clicking on any links in the email, and instead log in to your Battle.net account to see if a Diablo III beta game account was granted. Or, if you were sent a key, attempt to add it manually by going to the Add or Upgrade a Game section of the Battle.net account management page.

For those who have received an invite to the beta test, we thank you for helping us test out our server stability and hardware. For those of you still hoping for an invite, we wish you the best of luck and hope you’ll keep an eye out for some of the beta-key giveaways and promotions we’ll have right here on the Diablo III community site.

Source: http://us.battle.net/d3/en/blog/3542796

Diablo III on Playstation 3?

2011-06-06T13:23:00.001-07:00

On the Blizzard job website is a vacancy for a "Playstation 3 Specialist" in the Diablo III section.

"Blizzard Entertainment is seeking an enthusiastic senior software engineer to be a key contributor on the Diablo team," the job posting read. "This position is responsible for overseeing PlayStation 3 (PS3) architecture design as well as other PS3-specific game code development to maximise platform performance. Responsibilities are to "design, implement, and maintain game systems to work on the Playstation 3".

Monk

2011-02-25T17:41:00.001-08:00

This is the future page of the Diablo III Monk.

Demon Hunter

2011-02-25T17:40:00.000-08:00

This is the future page of the Diablo 3 Demon Hunter.

3 Wizard Videos

2008-10-12T23:14:00.000-07:00

Here is some Diablo 3 Wizard footage:

Diablo 3 Facts Sheet

2008-07-06T01:07:00.000-07:00

Since our information FAQ is a little unorganized, I decided to also add this collection of everything we know about the Diablo 3 gameplay facts sheet. Please let me know if I missed anything.

Also check out the Barbarian and Witchdoctor pages which have been updated with the known moves and skills that are confirmed.

I wanted to say that we have fixed the Commenting system on this blog, and it should be MUCH easier to post a comment, as you are allowed to do it annonymously. Please feel free to post a comment on any of the articles, as we love to hear feedback from the visitors of the blog...

Table of Contents:

General Overview

Storyline / Lore

Gameplay Features

Multiplayer

Quests

Section 1: General Overview

The game largely follows in the Style of the previous Diablo games.

The development team consists of 50-55 employees.

The game uses a new 3D engine which also has the Havok physics engine.

Controls are simple so that you can play with just a mouse, but at the same time gameplay depth is enhanced.

The Camera is also simple and easy to use, with no hassles. Can be zoomed in, but not too far out.

The game has been in development for four to five years. It was restarted after Blizzard North shut down in March of 2005.

Scripted events can occur at random so as you go through the game multiple times you don't see the same thing.

The length of Diablo 3 will be similar to Diablo 2, which had four acts.

Blizzard stated that the game is "really far along", and that it is "really fun to play already."

Diablo 3 will ship for the PC and MAC simultaneosly. There are no current plans for a console version.

It is not yet known whether Hardcore mode will be included in the game. Hopefully that will answer some of the "Is hardcore in the game?!" topics. Though it will most likely return, seeing as how popular it was in Diablo 2.

Loot is now generated per player. You only see the loot that you can pick up, which Blizzard hopes will create a spirit of cooperation.

Section 2: Diablo 3 Storyline and Lore

The story takes place 20 years after the events of Diablo II.

(Spoilers for previous Diablo games.)

About Diablo 3 from Blizzard:

"It has been twenty years since the events of Diablo II. Of those who faced the Lords of Hatred, Terror, and Destruction in the battle over the fate of Sanctuary, there are few still living who can bear to remember the horrors that the Prime Evils wrought upon the world. And of those who did not witness the terrible events firsthand, most believe the stories to be little more than myth. But something evil is stirring once again in Tristram, and it may already have claimed its first victim: Deckard Cain."

"In the previous two games, Diablo and his two brothers, Mephisto and Baal, were the three Prime Evils of a world called Sanctuary. Where we start off in Diablo III, it's twenty years later and the brothers are gone, they've been vanquished. Essentially everyone was kind of geared for Hell to actually invade. At the end of Lord of Destruction, the Worldstone was destroyed, it left a giant crater and everyone was expecting the hordes to come pouring out of it and nothing happened. So, Deckard Cain is one of our main characters from the first two games, he's spent the last two decades trying to find out where the last two Evils are, what they're doing and why the invasion didn't happen. A lot of the rest of the story focuses on Tyrael, the Angel of Justice, and what's happened to him since that event as he was actually the angel who destroyed the world."

Other Diablo 3 story notes:

Old characters like Deckard Cain return.

The player character can now interact with characters in dialogue scenes.

There is greater emphasis placed on character-driven story.

Character classes will have a voice, which Blizzard believes gives them more personality.

Section 3: Gameplay Features

The difficulty levels have been ramped up.

There is now a heavy focus on cooperative play.

Scripted events can occur at random so as you go through the game multiple times you don't see the same thing. Random items, random monsters, and random adventures. It allows Blizzard to place random scripted events almost anywhere, and it keeps the game fresh every time you play.

As stated by Blizzard, because of Diablo's random nature, it is difficult to support mods / map editors.

The game will mix random and static maps, such as in Diablo 2. What is known now is that the overworld maps outside, will be static, but dungeons, caves, etc. will be randomized.

NPC helpers and bodyguards are back.

Mounts will not be included.

Booby traps return.

New health globes will not replace potions, but instead be more useful. As you fight enemies they will drop instant health globes which will heal you. Potions are still in the game though, but blizzard wants to emphasize skill over potions. When one player picks up a health globe, all players benefit from its restorative effects. This is in cooperative play.

The trading system will be improved over Diablo 2. Though an "auction house" system has not been confirmed.

Destructible environments, that can either work for or against the player character.

The town portal system will be kept, but upgraded even more to speed up the gameplay.

Section 4: Diablo 3 Multiplayer

Blizzard is looking into making the game more fair for everyone. In the past too many people tried and succeeded in ruining the game for others, with leeching, duping, and all the other problems of Diablo 2. They are working very hard on trying to keep the multiplayer from becoming as abused as Diablo 2s.

The same drop in/drop out cooperative play over Battle.net.

Diablo 3 can support about 8 players in multiplayer, as stated by the devs, but it plays better with around five. They have not decided on the maximum players yet.

Battle.net will receive the some upgrades which will also be seen in Starcraft II.

There will be a single realm/region for North America.

Blizzard stated a WoW like Armory is being made for Diablo 3. If you are not familiar with that, it is a website that allows you to view your Diablo 3 character and share it outside of the game.

Section 5: Diablo 3 Quests Information

A new "Adventure" system will power randomly generated scripted events. An example provided was an area the player would come across, such as an old abandoned house, that may have a story behind it and enemies to dispatch.

There will be class-based quests in addition to main storyline quests.

A new conversation system will see fully-voiced characters interacting with each other.

If this list is missing anything, please let me know. Enjoy and hopefully we will have more Diablo 3 information announced soon!

Diablo 3 Graphics Explained by Lead Producer Keith Lee

2008-07-02T20:14:00.001-07:00

We all know by now that some people went as far as to make a petition for Blizzard to change the graphics, even only after 3 days of seeing the very first screenshots of Diablo 3. Why did Blizard choose a different art style for Diablo 3 than the previous games in the series? When asked, lead Diablo 3 producer Keith Lee, stated that in Diablo 2, and 1, they featured darker landscapes and dungeons which fit great with the whole theme of the games. Since the very first screenshots were released, people have blamed them to look a lot like World of Warcraft, and complained that they were too bright and colorful for a Diablo game.

Keith Lee stated the following about this: “One of the things that we considered when we were working on the visuals for ‘Diablo III’ is the fact that color is your friend. We feel that color actually helps to create a lot of highlights in the game so that there is contrast. A great analogy is like in ‘Lord of the Rings’ — not everything is dark. It allows you to see what a creepy dungeon can be like but if everything is dark it doesn’t allow you to have a lot of contrast. Diablo I and Diablo II are darker, and I think that the one of the main reasons why is the fact that in ‘Diablo I,’ you’re basically in a dungeon the whole time. And in contrast to ‘Diablo III,’ you’ll be exploring outdoors, you’ll be in dungeons, you’ll be experiencing so many different areas."

"We want to bring as much variety as we can when you’re playing the game so that you’re excited to check out new environments. We don’t want everything to look the same and that’s really what we’re trying to aim for. What we also tried to do is create very clean textures so that you can really focus on them. It’s a stylized feel and in that sense, it’s very sort of a Blizzard philosophy. It’s just really pushing the envelope in terms of the visuals so that everyone is excited about how everything looks. We think that ‘Diablo III’ is going to be better in so many different ways. We’re just building and improving upon the the first and second ‘Diablo’ games.”

Kieth also stated, "We’re very involved, because everyone’s very passionate about our games. Blizzard employees spend a lot of time actually iterating on [the game], and so in terms of the next phase, what we’ll try to do is a proof on concept on lot of different gameplay aspects. And we really want to get as much feedback as possible so that we can improve on the game and ensure that we meet Blizzard quality for our fans and for ourselves as players.”

So I want to apologize in advance for my "graphics" post. I was just outraged that people did not appreciate just the fact Diablo 3 was announced, and instead complained. It seems as Blizzard will be listening and making the graphics as the people want them to be. Which is good to hear, but at the same time, I would still love to see them done by a professional, and not only by what some people want them to do.

But really, this is great news, as it means that Diablo 3 will feature both great colors for some areas, that will include waterfalls, and other vibrant textures, but in other parts of the game, such as dungeons, caves, etc. the game will bring back the dark and shadowy Diablo 2 feel that the series is so used to.

Diablo 3 Paladin, maybe?

2008-07-02T19:43:00.000-07:00

On the official Blizzard site, in cains journal, there are many concept art pictures. One of them was this one, that is seen on the left of this post (click the picture to see the full image). Now, is it me, or does this look like a Paladin?

On page 13 of Cain's Journal which can be found here: Deckard Cains Journal, there is a knight which is dual wielding two swords. This makes me think that there is a Paladin in Diablo 3 and that he or she will be able to dual wield weapons, unlike in Diablo 2.

As we can see from the concept image, it does not look that similar to the Barbarian:

Which leads me to think that this has to be a Paladin in Diablo 2 that can dual wield.

Diablo 3: Player Killing. PKing is probably out. Official news from Blizzard.

2008-07-02T19:30:00.000-07:00

This was posted on the World of Warcraft forums, by Bashiok, an official at Blizzard:

We're - in general - not big fans of griefing for any game. It's really only "fun" for one person, and that definition of fun isn't generally something we're going to want to encourage. It's far more positive to encourage and support meaningful and skillful options and systems within a game, than a mechanic for people to instantly turn against one another for no meaningful gameplay reasons.

I definitely remember running with my friends, and someone toggles it, and bam everyone is dead and your one friend is laughing. Ok, ok, good joke I guess, and then you run back and *bam*, you've toggled it to get them back. After a while everyone usually agrees to a truce because it's just a waste of time. But I also remember running with random players and losing extremely nice items because of it, not cool. I'm sure that it was a feature that was right up some people's alleys, I won't deny there are some that would enjoy nothing more than to see others frustrated, but is that truly something that should be encouraged through design - if not directly opposed?

We have a large focus on cooperative play for Diablo III, and the mechanics and design decisions related to multiplayer are likely going to be based on supporting and encouraging it as much as possible, and not breaking it down.

That doesn't mean that PvP won't have its own focus, but those are details and features we aren't yet discussing.

In my opinion, this is a great move by blizzard. This will allow for more fair PVP and less killing sprees by those people just trying to ruin the game for others. The PVP system of Diablo 2 was good, but after this many years, and World of Warcraft, I think it was time for it to get an upgrade. And here we can see that that is exactly what hey are doing. Games should always mainly be about fun, and this new change is all about keeping that fun, and keeping the annoying people who toggled PVP just to kill you for no reason.

Frustration has no place in video games. Game designers work night and day to make sure it stays out of their games, mainly in todays competitive games. With this new PVP system, hopefully that will change. Blizzard should release some more information about this in the coming weeks, and we will update you on it as soon as it is available.

Diablo 3: What We Know About The User Interface

2008-07-01T15:26:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Diablo 3 User Interface information page. Here you will find all the latest information about the Diablo 3 UI, and many little details that we now know. This FAQ will be updated over time, so your feedback is much appreciated.

Table of Contents:

Mana and Frenzy Bars

Buffs

Monster Targeting/Combat Log

Comparing Equipment

The Inventory

Item Drops

Mini-Map

Mana Bar

Let's start with the mana and frenzy bars. In Diablo 3, instead of everyone having a mana bar, the fighter classes, or at least the barbarian will use a different bar than the mage classes. As you can see here, the mage classes, such as the Witch Doctor, use this mana bar.

Frenzy Bar
On the other hand, melee classes, will use this new bar, called a Frenzy Bar. I imagine that the Frenzy Bar probably regenerates faster than the Mana bar, and has much different mechanics. Such as the energy bars and mana bars in World of Warcraft.

Buffs Buffs in Diablo 3 will appear on the bottom left side of the screen as you can see in this image (Barbarian's Battle Cry Buff Can Be Seen):

Monster Targeting and Mini Combat Log
In Diablo 3, when you attack an enemy, the damage you do will appear above the enemies head. This is a great change from the past, where you could not see the damage you were doing to an enemy during the fight (only if you checked your character page. which was of course distracting while in a fight), or any other important information that helps you during a fight. Here are some examples:

Equipment Comparing

In Diablo 3, when selecting a weapon, to make it easier to choose a new weapon for yourself, you will be able to see the weapon you currently have equipped, next to the weapon you are looking at. Whether this is the same with all equipment, it is not confirmed, but I am sure that this is the logical case.

On Weapon Speed: In D3, weapon speed will be shown as "Attack per Second". Also there will be a calculated result for "Damage per Second" based on the damage and speed. With lightning damage having it's damage points ranging from 1 - x.

The Inventory

In the gameplay videos, and the inventory pictures, we can see room for 30 items. The new inventory system will be a bit similar to World of Warcraft where you will be able to carry variable sizes of bags. (There will be 4 grayed out slots for bags.)
Items will take one inventory slot regardless of their size, and some of the items will be stackable. This will allow you to carry a lot more of the same item. Adding bags also allows you to carry many more items than ever before.

(Note: Some gear icons do not look like they would on the actual player character.)

Gear Slots:

- Head
- Shoulders
- Neck
- Hands
- Chest
- Leggings

- Waist
- Feet
- Finger R
- Finger L
- Weapon 1
- Weapon 2

Item Drops
- Runes will be included, but will have a different system than Diablo 2.
- Gems, and Scrolls of Identify are back.
- The item rarity system of Diablo 2 is making a comeback as well.
- Throwing knives are back.
- Elixrs are also in the game.
- Bags are included. Allowing you to store more items in each one, and carry up to 4 bags.
- Orbs that drop after enemies are defeated than replenish your health will be acompanied by potions.
- Gold will now be picked up automatically.

Mini-Map

The mini-map will be on the top right side of the screen, along with the name of the area that you are currently in right above it.

Legend:

Yellow Dot - Hero
Purple Dot - Heros Mercenary, pet, and allies.
Orange Dot - NPCs (Like Deckard Cain, etc.)

NPC Portraits located top left of the UI:

Diablo 3 Graphics Complainers!

2008-07-01T14:09:00.000-07:00

This just makes me sick. It has been only 3 days or so, since we saw the first footage and screenshots of Diablo 3, and already we have many kids who are complaining!

Are you that ungrateful? And tell me, are you serious? Do you know how hard Blizzard is working on this game and how much work they have already put in? It disgusts me that instead of enjoying and discussing the game, many diablo fans are dissing it, and saying they don't like the graphics and want them to change.

Well you know what? That is a perfect example that society nowadays has become way too spoiled. Nothing is ever enough for people. All of this GREAT Diablo 3 information gets released, and many people, all they can do is whine about it! It's a joke really.

The graphics of Diablo 3 are fine. To those telling blizzard to change them, please, kindly shut your mouth. If any of you knew how much time and work it takes to make and design a game like this, from scratch, nobody would be saying anything but praising Diablo 3.

Now I know many of you here do not feel this way, and I apologize for this post in advance, but I have to get this out there!

Even G4 linked to a stupid petition telling Blizzard to change the graphics! Is this a joke? Seriously? 3 Days...and theres a PETITION to change the graphics? People are way too ungrateful! And it makes me sick honestly.

I just hope Blizzard doesn't see the petition at all, and that they keep on course with what they have planned for the game. They don't need all of these stupid kids trying to tell them how to make THEIR game. Blizzard delivered Diablo 2, they delivered Diablo 1. They delivered World of Warcraft, Starcraft. All were done perfectly. Now what makes you think they won't do the same for Diablo 3? Please, let them work on it, let them release more footage, and I can promise you that over time you see see the polished game they have been working on for the past 4+ years.

Stop complaining! Just stop. Please. And enjoy the very first footage and information!

Thanks for reading.

Diablo 3 Druid or Amazon?

2008-07-01T03:57:00.000-07:00

This shot was taken from one of the developer videos. It looks like a druid with a spear! It could also be an old witch doctor concept. Thought they probably would not show a concept in their announcement video of the gameplay. Not sure.

Some other ideas are that this could be a druid/summoner combo, which would be very interesting. Also, it could be a Hunter class. Or even a druid/amazon combo.

But all signs honestly point to druid. Main reason is because if you look at it's helmet, it is a wolf type helmet, and as we know, this is the same type of helmet that druids used in Diablo 2. Any ideas on which class this might be?

Great Things About Diablo 3

2008-07-01T02:39:00.000-07:00

There are many many reasons why Diablo 3 is great, here some of them.

Graphics.
Let's start with the graphics. They have been upgraded to fully 3D from the older sprites. We now have a fast 3D rendering engine, that gives us great graphics, at great frames per second. With the new graphics engine, come great new visual effects. From the moves, to the enemies, everything looks much better, and more visually satisfying. Especially when you are hacking away at many many enemies, it is very gory, as we have seen from the gameplay footage.

Interactive Environments.

Diablo 3 features interactive environments that can either help or do harm to your character. In some parts of the game for example, you can use the environment to your advantage by smashing a part of the environment, and having the parts of it fall on all of the enemies standing directly next to it. Killing them instantly. Though in some parts, the environment can work against you. In one example we were shown, as many of you have seen, there will be chests that will instead of giving you loot, activate a device which makes enemies come out of nowhere, and attack you.

Amazing Skill Effects.
I know this should go into graphics, but it deserves it's own part. The visual effects on the skills are great. From what we have seen, it will be very satisfying using all of the skills, and we have only seen a few. There are still many more, as well as other classes to see. Each with their own unique look, this was a great move by Blizzard. Giving all of the skills great, unique effects. Sort of like in Diablo 2, but improved, a lot. Even the enemies use skills with amazing visuals.

The Improved User Interface
Diablo 2 had a great user interface, but Diablo 2 is also many years old. Blizzard took the original interface and upgraded the heck out of it. And I think they did a great job. It is just as before, when it comes to the health and mana bars, but a few things were changed to make it easier for you to play. As stated by the developers, the potions belt was replaced by a skill bar, allowing you to use your skills quickly and easily.

Customized Gear for Each Class
Each piece of gear is custom designed for each class. Barbarians put on demonic style garb, with devil horns. The other classes will have awesome gear that will make them stand out, and look unique.

Unique Looking Enemies..everywhere!

As you can see from our monsters page, the monsters in Diablo 3 are very unique looking. They range from ghost type creatures, to weird blobs, and even more bizarre creations, you won't ever get bored of slaying countless of these monsters.

Huge Bosses!

If you thought the bosses in Diablo 2 were big, you will love the bosses in Diablo 3. They are stated to be six or seven times larger than the player character. This makes all of the boss battles that much more epic, and challenging. As well as satisfying, when you finally beat them and visually.

Scripted and Random Events

As stated earlier, scripted events can occur at random so as you go through the game multiple times you don't see the same thing. This along with all the other random systems such as items, dungeons, maps, etc. make for a incredibly repayable game. If you thought Diablo 2 had replay value, you will love Diablo 3. They took the random system from Diablo 2 and improved a lot on it. Random items, random monsters, and random adventures. This allows Blizzard to place random scripted events almost anywhere, and it keeps the game fresh every time you play.

The Witch Doctor!
The Witch Doctor is a new class type in Diablo 3, it can cast out locus swarm, which spreads between targets and deals damage. It can also summon mongrel things that it can cast locust swarm on. Locust swarm buffs their damage. The Witch Doctor can also use a fire bomb spell. Can summon a wall of zombies that stays stationary, but the zombies in the wall flail their arms and do damage to their opponents. This has to be one of the coolest ideas for a skill, ever.

There are many other great things about Diablo 3, but I hope I covered at least some of the great ones. If you have some other things you would like to add, please post a comment. Thanks for reading!

Diablo 3 and Diablo 2 Early Graphics Comparison

2008-07-01T02:19:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures comparing Diablo 2 to early Diablo 3. Click each one to see the full size.

New Drop System in Diablo 3

2008-07-01T01:22:00.001-07:00

As stated by the Blizzard developers, the new drop system in Diablo 3 will make monsters drop several items specific to each person in the game. That means no more ninja looting of items at the moment that you see them. This is a huge change from the Diablo 2's quick "loot or lose out" system we are all so used to.

Will this make the game any less fun? Probably not. In Diablo 2, it was kind of annoying when you got to a some good drops with your party, and some guy ends up getting them all because he was right next to where they dropped, and clicked the screen quickly. So now this new system will be able to balance the items out for everyone. There will finally be no more leeching for items in Diablo multiplayer.

Part 1 of the Diablo 3 Developer Footage

It is sort of like in the MMORPGs, where you also get to split the items between the people, so hopefully everyone gets something good. Of course nobody wants Diablo 3 to be an MMORPG, I'm sure. That is what World of Warcraft is for. Diablo should stick to it's roots, and continue what it did before, but of course with a lot of upgrades. And this is what we seem to have on our hands here, which is great.

This new drop system will help avoid some of the problems in the past and make for a more enjoyable game. Also hopefully they will add a system where the part leader can choose what type of looting is allowed, so it can either the master looter can take the item, or whoever rolls the highest number for it. This type of system is much better than before, because it allows each party to customize how they want the drops to work. Of course this is a MMORPG feature, but I think everyone will agree that it is a step forward from the older Diablo 2 drop system.

Of course I am sure many will not be pleased with this new system, and will want the old system back, where anyone can pick up anything that drops at any time. But you have to realize that games always improve all of their features, in a series, so in the long run, this will be better for most people, and I am glad Blizzard is implementing it.

Diablo 3 Release Date

2008-06-30T19:22:00.000-07:00

Many people want to know when Diablo 3 will be released. Here, we have gathered information on as to when that might be.

Let's look at this for a second:

On a certain gaming site, a release date is shown as 12/31/08.

Now as much as we would love to believe that it is true, we don't know. The thing is, this gaming site has release dates wrong for many games. So how can we trust that? We can't.

Now let's have a look at this.

On a certain game shopping site, they say that there is 150 days until release.

Let's do some math here, in 150 days it will be November 28th, 2008.

Now this date is close to the gamespot date, so this is very interesting. But still, not confirmed at all.

Blizzard has not yet told us when the game will be released, or even hinted to a release date.

A theory is that Blizzard will release Diablo 3 at around the same time as Starcraft 2 and Wrath of the Lich king, for a triple attack. How true this theory is, we are not sure.

Now we would love to hear some of your thoughts on this. When do you think Diablo 3 will be released? What is the most logical release date for Blizzard, and how long do you guys think it SHOULD take to release Diablo 3?

Thank you for any and all comments. Also thank you for visiting our blog. We are here to keep you updated on any and all new information for Diablo 3.

We were here on day one, when it was announced, and will be here throughout this annoying wait for Diablo 3.

Please post your thoughts.

Diablo 3 User Interface and In Depth Picture

2008-06-30T06:40:00.000-07:00

Here is the Diablo 3 interface/(U.I.), zoomed up close and explained.

Click the interface image to see the full size.

Diablo 3 Empty Inventory Image

Lower quality Inventory Image

Diablo 3 Monsters Images

2008-06-30T05:58:00.001-07:00

Diablo 3 monsters. More information will be updated soon here.

Diablo 3 Items

2008-06-30T05:09:00.000-07:00

A huge compilation of many items, etc. Click the picture for the full image.

Guns in Diablo 3?

Blizzard has plans for making the inventory a lot better. In the gameplay videos, and the inventory pictures, we can see room for 30 items. The new inventory system will be a bit similar to World of Warcraft where you will be able to carry variable sizes of bags. (There will be 4 grayed out slots for bags.)

Armor - Gauntlets, Plate Leggings, Gothic Helm, Plated Greaves, Gothic Plate, Plated Pauldrons, Inferior Leather Gloves, Inferior Quilted Pants [x2], Quilted Pants [x2], Chest Armor [Gold], Sash, Leather Gloves
Weapons - Throwing Knife, Short Bow, Short Staff, Two Handed Axe [Purple], Unknown Axe [only seen on ground], Short Staff [Purple]
Miscellaneous - Health Globe, Gold, Elixir of Vitality I, Scroll of Identify [x3], Small Bag, Elixir of Willpower I
Rings and Amulets - Ancient Medallion, Amulet [Gold]
Gems and Runes - Minor Power Rune, Minor Energy Rune, Chipped Star Topaz, Minor Power Rune, Minor Lethality Rune
Potions - Minor Health Potion

List of KNOWN items in Diablo III.

*Note all items have been proved with screenshots/game footage.

Will Keep Updated!

ANNIHILATOR MAUL OF IMMOLATION [Two Handed Mace]

109.6 Damage Per Second

Attacks Per Second: 0.80

Damage 107-167

+25-27 Fire Damage

Sell Value 531

GAFF [Axe]

51.6 DPS

Attacks Per Second 1.20

Damage: 35-51

Sell Value 187

SPITZE [Axe]

56.4 Damage Per Second

Attacks Per Second: 1.20

Damage: 39-55

Sell Value: 193

HEAVY AXE OF STORMS [Axe]

27.6 Damage Per Second

Attacks Per Second 1.20

Damage: 15-31

+1-42 Lightning Damage

Sell Value: 249

DOUBLE AXE OF FROST [Axe]

23.4 Damage Per Second

Attacks Per Second 1.20

Damage: 12-27

+25-27 Cold Damage

Sell Value: 246

Amulet [Gold]

Short Staff [Blue]

Two-Handed Axe [Blue]

Chest Armor [White]

Gauntlets [White]

Plate Leggings [White]

Gothic Helm [White]

Plated Greaves [White]

Gothic Plate [White]

Plated Pauldrons [White]

Ancient Medallion [White]

Throwing Knife [White]

Inferior Leather Gloves [White]

Sash [White]

Short Bow [White]

Small Bag [White ?]

Scroll of Town Portal

Scroll of Indentity

Elixir Of Vitality

Minor Health Potion

Minor Energy Rune

Minor Lethality Rune

Minor Power Rune

Chipped Star Topazll

Diablo 3 Skills Information with Images

2008-06-30T04:58:00.000-07:00

Barbarian Skills:

Witchdoctor Skills:

Furious Charge

Rank 1/1

Charge Directly at an enemy, smashing everything in the way.

Current Level: 1

Fury:20

Primary Damage: 110%

Scondary Damage: 100%

Range: 85 Feet

Hammer of the Ancients

Rank 4/5

A massive attack that has increased chance to critically hit.

Stamina: 16

Deals 225% weapon damage plus an additional 14 physical damage

+25% chance to critical hit

Whirlwind

Rank 1/20

Swirl in a cyclone, delivering attacks to everything in his path

Current Level: 1

Fury: 1

Hits for 25% of weapon damage

Next Level: 2

Fury: 1

Hits for 30% of weapon damage

Here is a list of KNOWN and confirmed Witch Doctor skills

Horrify

Rank 3/5

A spectral mask that horrifies all enemies in proximity, causing them to run in fear.

Mana Cost: 10

Radius: 20

Fear Duration: 1-2 seconds

Mask Duration: 5

Wall of Zombies

Rank 4/5

Zombies erupt from the earth to attack your enemies

Current Level: 4

Zombies attack for 15 damage.

Next Level: 5

Zombies attack for 15 damage.

Diablo 3 World Map

2008-06-30T04:08:00.000-07:00

Here is the Diablo 3 World Map. Click the map for the full image.

Caldeum

* Rivals Diablo II's Kurast in size.
* Located in Kehijstan.
* Began to decay after Kurast's nobles fled their city and took up residence in Caldeum and brought with them a sense of entitlement.
* When the unifying Emperor of Kehjistan became ill and died, the Zakarum returned and the city fell into chaos.

New Tristram

* Fell into decrepitude after the cathedral was looted.
* Now comprised of shacks and the old inn.
* Town formed by merchants looking to make a profit off of the legends of riches found in the cathedral.
* Cain says that there is still value in the cathedral in the form of ancient tomes.

Confirmed Zones: Leoric Highlands (More will be posted here soon!)
Confirmed Dungeons: Forgotten Tombs

Diablo 3 Developer Panel

2008-06-30T02:18:00.000-07:00

Diablo 3 Developers talk about the game. A full one hour length video all about Diablo 3. More updates on the way.

Part 2 is here:

Part two

Diablo 3 Screenshots

2008-06-29T23:23:00.000-07:00

Click each screenshot to see a huge, full high resolution version.

Diablo 3 Full World Invitational Footage

2008-06-29T23:02:00.000-07:00

Enjoy this full 6 part video of the whole Blizzard World Invitational opening ceremony.

Part 1:

Parts 2 through 6.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUPIFQ0ahwE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdJDKVZ3VBA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0c9FAVfZUI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZnaChLDGtw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPQ0Fa-hgKs

Diablo 3 Facts and Information FAQ

2008-06-29T16:40:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Diablo 3 Facts and Information FAQ.

As we all know by now, Diablo 3 was announced on June 28th, 2008 by Blizzard at the Worldwide Invitational event in Paris, France.

"It has been twenty years since the events of Diablo II. Of those who faced the Lords of Hatred, Terror, and Destruction in the battle over the fate of Sanctuary, there are few still living who can bear to remember the horrors that the Prime Evils wrought upon the world. And of those who did not witness the terrible events firsthand, most believe the stories to be little more than myth. But something evil is stirring once again in Tristram, and it may already have claimed its first victim: Deckard Cain."

"In the previous two games, Diablo and his two brothers, Mephisto and Baal, were the three Prime Evils of a world called Sanctuary. Where we start off in Diablo III, it's twenty years later and the brothers are gone, they've been vanquished. Essentially everyone was kind of geared for Hell to actually invade. At the end of Lord of Destruction, the Worldstone was destroyed, it left a giant crater and everyone was expecting the hordes to come pouring out of it and nothing happened. So, Deckard Cain is one of our main characters from the first two games, he's spent the last two decades trying to find out where the last two Evils are, what they're doing and why the invasion didn't happen. A lot of the rest of the story focuses on Tyrael, the Angel of Justice, and what's happened to him since that event as he was actually the angel who destroyed the world."

The information we now have: (Will be updated over time.)

- Diablo 3 looks and sounds, similar to it's previous games. Which is great to hear.

- Diablo 3 Multiplayer information! Multiplayer will work over battle.net as before.

- In Diablo 3 Huge bosses are in the game, much bigger than Diablo 2. Around six or seven times taller than the players character!

- Hardcore mode may or may not be included in the game.

- About respecing your character: They made it sound like you'll probably be able to respec your character skills. Which is great!

- Witch doctor is not the evolved version of Diablo II's necromancer.

- Scripted events can occur at random so as you go through the game multiple times you don't see the same thing. Talking about the conversation system. Character classes will have a voice, which Blizzard believes gives them more personality.

- Some monsters will miss players and get their weapons stuck in the ground.

- When one player picks up a health globe, all players benefit from its restorative effects. This is in cooperative play

- About potions: They are still in the game, just not as important as before. There's also a new health system. They said that they at one point tried to add a halo like health system, but did not put it in because it encouraged players to leave combat. They did not want to implement a WoW-style health which ecnourages people to get away from combat and drink/heal up. They want the health system to ensure combat, which is where health globes were implemented.

- Blizzard is making sure that players have more entertaining skills to use. "Les s spam and more depth", says Wilson.

- The hotbar is very important. It promotes skills over potions.

- Co-op is key to Diablo 2, as we all know. Diablo 3 will take full advantage of the new updated Battle.net, like Starcraft 2.

- Overhead isometric view is the key for Diablo. Wilson said "If you can click a mouse, you can play Diablo". He says the game must have a smooth difficulty curve, like in Diablo 2. Blizzard wants to attract casual users to the game too.

- Blizzard wants to make characters the players will want to be. Large scale battles with lots of enemies on the screen should feel unique every battle. They will do they by giving players strong, unique archetypes. Blizzard says the Witch Doctor is a good example of this.

Diablo 3 Developer Panel

Diablo 3 Gameplay

- On mods: They stated that because of Diablo's random nature, it is difficult to support mods / map editors.

- Diablo 3 System Requirements Info: The team is trying to make the game be able to run on as broad a range of systems as possible. Diablo 3 will not require DirectX 10 to run.

- No plans currently to have items that drop for groups only. Any item that drops for a group can drop for individual players.

- About cheating: Blizzard is trying to prevent cheating over battle.net. Wilson says it's a big focus and the new version of battle.net should have features that work to stop cheaters.

- About the gear system: How is the "gear system" different from Diablo 2? Not quite sure what that means. Wilson says there'll be new ways to make items better, but won't provide any specifics.

- Wilson says the witch doctor is NOT the evolved version of Diablo II's necromancer!

- Random Random Random! Random items, random monsters, and random adventures, which is a new feature. It allows Blizzard to place random scripted events almost anywhere, and it keeps the game fresh every time you play.

- Diablo 3 will retain the overhead perspective that the series is used to. If it isn't broken, don't fix it, right?

- It will still be an action-RPG.

- Diablo 3 will feature 5 classes. Two are currently known: The new Witch Doctor and the Classic Barbarian. (You can learn more about each one by clicking on their names in the menu)

- Footage was shown of large scale battles, comets streaking across the sky, demons, as Diablo 3 was officially announced.

- Same interface style: red health and blue orbs, skill bar at bottom, 3/4 overhead perspective. Also a character with 2 axes hacking at demons in what appears to be a foggy cathedral. Has a jumping attack where he smashes the two axes into the ground.

- The axe guy is the barbarian class. Improvements have been made, like the hotbar for skills. Using the mouse wheel and tab key you can quickly switch between skills. There are still slot limits. Using enchanted axes with frost and lighting ,which stuns and freezes opponents. Whoing inventory.

- Red orbs that drop from enemies will replenish health without you having to use items. Demon foes have a summon ability. Barbarian's jumping attack covers a lot of distance. Was shown flying up a staircase. Also some kind of shockwave attack will be part at the Barbarians disposal.

- Blizzard is touting interactive environments as an important feature.

- Each piece of gear is custom designed for each class. Barbarians put on demonic style garb, with devil horns. They can also hop across the map.

- A Barbarian was shown disloging a rock wall and dropping it on zombies, killing them.

- A demo was shown of the whirlwind attack.

- Deckard Cain is in the game. When talking to NPCs, the game appears to switch interfaces. The changed interface highlights the character model. Having to rescue Cain from this cathedral.

- More barbarian skills. A barbarian can use a ground stomp attack to get skeleton warriors to drop their shields, making them easier to take out.

- Cultist enemies have the ability to transform into a more destructive force, so they must be taken out quickly.

- There are scripted events, like walls breaking appart, and cultists summoning a fat demon who's shock waves shatter stone pillars in the environment.

- More witch doctor information: It can cast out locus swarm, which spreads between targets and deals damage. Can summon mongrel things that he can cast locust swarm on. This also buffs their damage. can use a fire bomb spell. Can summon a wall of zombies that stays stationary, but the zombies in the wall flail their arms and do damage to their opponents.

Witch Doctor Attacks

- Outdoor environments are great looking! Very vibrant and slightly cartoonish Blizard graphical style. As with Starcraft 2, it's very similar in style to Diablo 2.

- They are focusing on making D3 very replayable. As well as making the combat feel epic, and accessible. While also keeping a focus on co-operative play. There will be random environments in the game, as in Diablo 2, and many many random dungeons!

- Focus on keeping the action flowing while expanding the role playing elements all the while staying true to the original concepts of Diablo 2. There will be some major reveals of features and more over the coming months! Stay tuned on our blog for more information soon.

- Diablo was one of the first to do random dungeons, random items and a general random gameplay environment for a mainstream game. Diablo 2 added a huge world, bigger environments, and focused on more unique character classes. They stress tha the tree skill system is a key to it's success.

Diablo 3 Opening Ceremony

Joystick Diablo 3 Interview

Joystiq Chats With Jay Wilson On Diablo

Do you have any plans for Diablo on consoles?
We don’t have any plans.

Are there an plans for mobile or any other platforms, or is it purely PC/Mac?
Right now we’re just focused on PC/Mac. I believe we’ve got people who are focused on mobile stuff and I’m sure we’re going to be having conversations with them on some point on what we can do, but in terms of taking Diablo 3 as a game to mobile … I doubt it.

Looking at the gameplay footage, Diablo 3 looks very similar to Diablo 2. What are you doing to differentiate it from Diablo 2?

We’re trying to balance satisfying the fans and also creating a game that feels like our own. A lot of the stuff that we’ve done already, that we’ve shown today, from a gameplay standpoint makes it play dramatically different and better than Diablo 2. The health system, monster design, environment interaction, being able to put scripted events anywhere in the world… those all have big impacts. I can say we have a lot of other features that we’re gong to talk about over the coming months, some of which are pretty big.

There is some other stuff that I think may have a bigger exclamation point in terms of diversification. But we felt if we take this game and did these improvements, we’d actually have a better game. Because when you get right down to it, it plays. It plays better.

You mentioned earlier that Diablo 3 would be playable online with Battle.net but there would be some improvements coming to Battle.net. Can you say anything about what improvements might be coming? [Ed: See WoW Insider's liveblog of the Worldwide Invitational's opening ceremony for full notes on Jay's presentation]

No, I can’t. I’ll give your our goal, which is that we really focus on online service and online experience as one of our top priorities at Blizzard. We want to provide the best online experience you can get anywhere. People will really get their first taste of the next version of Battle.net with Starcraft 2. And I don’t want to steal their thunder. We’ll be focusing on getting players together easily, matchmaking will be a big part.

Is there a reason you decided to go with a Battle.net model instead of an MMO model?

The simplest reason is that’s the game we wanted to play. A lot of the time that’s how we make our decisions at Blizzard — as gamers and fans, because we like our games too. So what we really want is … a game kind of like Diablo 2 but better. And we feel like the genre … some genres have a lot of progression in them. With RPGs and FPSs you get a ton of them! But this genre has not had a ton of games in it. So we felt like there’s still so much to say here. And there’s so much to say on the WoW side for MMOs, but we’ve got that and don’t necessarily need another one right away.

So we felt like it was really important to do the true Diablo sequel. As players, that’s just what we wanted to play.

How did you wind up working on the Diablo project?

Well, I was working at Relic Entertainment. I started on RTSs originally and I interviewed at Blizzard … I was actually very happy at Relic, but I had friends who had moved to Blizzard and they got me an interview. I was like, “Cool, Rob Pardo! I get to be interviewed by him and he’s an idol of mine!” For me, it was just a cool experience to be able to talk to Rob for an hour. And we continued to talk and I went to the first BlizzCon [October 2005] and they just talked me into it. Essentially, I’ve always been a huge fan of Blizzard and it just felt like a natural fit.

Did you feel like possibly working on Starcraft 2 from you background in Dawn of War? Is it that you just wanted a change?

How do you not say yes to Diablo 3? Starcraft 2 was really appealing, but I’d made a few RTSs and I’d made RTSs that were trying to be different than Starcraft, with some similarities. We already had Dustin [Browder, lead designer for Starcraft 2] and that guy’s way smarter than me. So it seemed like a good place … and there was no way I was going to say no. That’s the chance of a lifetime.

Have you noticed any difference from working on FPS/RTSs and moving into this more hack-n-slash genre?

What’s funny is I started in FPSs, the first five years of my career, and moved to RTSs. What’s interesting is the actual math, stat-oriented nature of an RTS actually blends nicely into a game like Diablo. And a lot of the action elements of an FPS blend nicely with Diablo. So I kind of felt like my background was custom designed. It’s not like I could have worked on all of those Diablo clones out there because there just weren’t very many of them. So while it doesn’t seem like the obvious path, it’s really been a good set of skills for this project.

Can you tell us anything about how far into development the project is or when we might see more of the game?

I think with any other company that might be a question someone could answer, but it’s really hard to answer with a Blizzard game because we don’t look at it as a linear scale. We could look at it and say we’re this percent complete, but the last whatever percentage could take ten times longer than the previous, depending on how much iteration it requires. I can say we have a game we love to play. That’s always the first goal. We’re really happy with the art style and a lot of what we’re doing right now is trying to build all the content and make decisions about the vast number of systems needed.

In terms of the engine and its current state, where do you see the maximum number of co-op joint players?

Right now we support the same number as Diablo 2, which is 8. We can actually do more if we wanted — it’s not a technical problem, it’s a gameplay issue. What we’ve found is that the game is actually better with a smaller number of players, even smaller than 8. When we play, we have the most fun with about 4 — and that’s because of the camera and the nature of the game. So we’re gearing towards that and really trying to encourage that. But whether we enforce it or not [with a strict limit on the number of players] … it’s hard for us to say at this point.

Will you get the same number of monsters with 8 players as you would with 4 players?

We don’t change the number of monsters that spawn. That way we can make sure that even if you’re playing by yourself, you can still have a crazy giant pile of monsters to fight. So no, we play with difficulty in other ways.

You mentioned two classes today … can you tell us how many you plan to have in the final game?

No. Several more, but I can’t tell you precisely. [Ed: The FAQ currently lists the number at 5.]

From a lore perspective, when is the game set? [Ed: Warning, spoilers below if you haven't played through Diablo 2: Lord of Destruction!]

It’s about 20 years after Lord of Destruction. Essentially since then, if you’re familiar with the lore, Tyreal destroyed the worldstone and the general consensus was that this was going to be the big Hell invasion because the worldstone’s keeping everything back. And essentially that invasion never happened and one of the many questions is … why? And we aren’t going to answer that today, but that’s what the story addresses. What’s happened to Tyreal since then? What’s happened to Deckard Cain?

We bring back a lot of characters, not just from Diablo 2 but Diablo 1 as well. We’re also bringing back some characters in kind of unconventional ways. For example, the barbarian we showed today is actually meant to be the same barbarian from Diablo 2. So we’re planning on doing a lot of cool stuff to make a richer storyline.

Is there a chance of another Deckard Cain Rap?

I think that Michael Gough, the actor who plays Deckard Cain, is up for it. But no promises!

You’ve probably heard this a hundred times already today, but is there a cow level?

Secret cow level? Secret! I will say that we think the idea of putting secrets and things into the game is really cool. That doesn’t mean it’s going be in the game, though!

From playing earlier Diablo titles … did you ever dupe to get items?

I never did. I knew people who did. Something in Diablo 3: our new Battle.net is a lot more secure. We’ve learned a lot since Diablo 2. With the amount of experience we got from Diablo 2 and the amount of experience we’ve gotten from WoW, we feel like we should be able to make it very secure.

Diablo Lore

BOOK I: OF HEAVEN AND HELL

THE GREAT CONFLICT

Since the beginning, the forces of Light and Darkness have engaged in an eternal war : The Great Conflict, whose victor will rise from the apocalyptic ashes to hold sway over all creation. To this end, the Angels of the High Heavens adhere to strict militaristic disciplines Seraphim warriors strike at the enemies of Light with swords imbued with righteous wrath and justice. The Angels believe that only absolute discipline can properly restore order to the myriad realms, while the demonic denizens of the Burning Hells hold that absolute chaos is the true nature of all things.

The battles of the Great Conflict rage across both time and space, often infringing upon the very fabric of reality itself. From the Crystal Arch at the very heart of the High Heavens to the arcane hellforge of the Underworld, the warriors of these eternal realms journey to wherever their timeless conflict carries them. The legendary deeds of the heroes of the realms beyond elicit both veneration and insight.

The greatest of these heroes was Izual, ieutenant to the Arch-Angel Tyrael and bearer of the Angelic Runeblade Azurewrath. He once led a fierce attack upon the Hellforge as the creation of the dark demonblade Shadowfang was nearing completion. His quest was to destroy both wielder and weapon - a charge that he was destined never to complete. Izual was overcome by the legions of chaos and, tragically, was lost to the Darkness. His fate stands as testament to the fact that Angels and Demons alike shall fearlessly enter into any domain -so long as their hated enemies dwell within.

Although the Great Conflict burned hotter and longer than any of the stars in the sky, neither side could gain dominion over the other for long. Both factions sought some way to turn the tides of the war to their favour. With the ascension of Man and his mortal realm, the Great Conflict ground to a mysterious halt. Both armies paused in a breathless stalemate, waiting to see to whose side Man would eventually turn.

Mortals had the unique ability to choose between Darkness and Light, and it was held that this would be the deciding factor in the outcome of the Great Conflict. Thus, the agents of the nether-realms descended to the mortal realm to vie for the favour of Man...

THE SIN WAR

The coming of the Great Conflict to the mortal realm is known as the Sin War. Angels and Demons, disguising themselves while travelling amongst men, attempted to secretly lure mortals to their respective causes. Over time, the forces of Darkness discovered that mortals responded much more to brute force than to subtle coercion, and so began to terrorize Man into submission. The Angels fought to defend humanity against this demonic oppression, but all too often their austere methods and severe punishments succeeded only in alienating those whom they sought to protect.

The violent battles of the Sin War occurred often, but they were seldom witnessed by the prying eyes of Man. Only a few "enlightened" souls were aware of the supernatural beings that walked amongst the huddled masses of humanity. Powerful mortals arose and accepted the challenge of the Sin War, allying themselves with both sides in the Great Conflict. The legendary deeds of these great mortal warriors served to earn both the respect and hatred of the netherworlds. Although lesser demons kneeled before those possessing power and strength, they also cursed the very existence of mortal man. Many of these fiends believed that the deadlock brought about by the emergence of Man was a perverse offense to their "higher" role in the great scheme of things.

This jealousy of Man led to harsh, atrocious acts of violence by the demons against the mortal realm. Some men learned of this deep hatred and used it against the denizens of the Underworld. One such mortal, Horazon the Summoner, delighted in summoning demons and then breaking them to his will. Horazon, along with his brother Bartuc, were members of the Eastern mage clan known as the Vizjerei. This mystic clan studied the ways of demons and had catalogued their lore for generations. Empowered by this knowledge, Horazon was able to take the work of the Vizjerei and pervert it for his demented purposes. The denizens of Hell sought revenge against this bold mortal,but Horazon managed to keep himself well protected within his arcane sanctuary.

Bartuc, the brother of Horazon, was eventually lured to the side of Darkness. He was granted exceptional strength and longevity, and fought alongside the legions of Hell against the cursed Vizjerei, and eventually his own brother during the Sin War. Although Bartuc was renowned amongst the warriors of many realms, his dominance in battle came with a terrible price. An insatiable lust for mortal blood pervaded his every thought and deed. Bartuc soon became as fond of bathing in the blood of his enemies as he did of shedding it, and in time he came to be known only as the Warlord of Blood.

THE DARK EXILE

"Seven is the number of the powers of Hell,
and Seven is the number of the Great Evils."

Duriel, the Lord of Pain

Andariel, the Maiden of Anguish

Belial, the Lord of Lies

Azmodan, the Lord of Sin

These are the true names of the lesser of the Great Evils. For ages uncounted each have ruled over their own domains within the Burning Hells,
Seeking absolute dominion over their infernal brethren. As the Lesser Four continuously vied for the control of those forces that dwelled within their realms, the Greater Three held absolute power over the whole of Hell. The Lesser Four used dark and evil measures in their quest for power, and herein begins the legend of the Exile.

Mephisto, the Lord of Hatred

Baal, the Lord of Destruction

Diablo, the Lord of Terror

These are the Prime Evils of Hell that wielded their power as a dark, sovereign triumvirate. The Three Brothers ruled over the Lesser Four by brutal force and malicious cunning. Being the eldest and strongest of the Evils, the Three Brothers were responsible for countless victories against the armies of the Light. Although they never held sway over the High Heavens for long, the Three were justly feared by enemies and subjects alike.

With the ascension of Man and the subsequent standstill of the Great Conflict, the Three Brothers began to devote their energies to the perversion of mortal souls. The Three realized that Man was the key to victory in the war against Heaven, and thus altered their rigid agendum that they had propagated since the Beginning. This change caused many of the Lesser Evils to question the authority of the Three, and so brought about a great rift between the Prime Evils and their servitors.

In their ignorance, the Lesser Evils began to believe that the Three were afraid to continue the war with Heaven. Frustrated by the cessation of the
war, Azmodan and Belial saw the situation as their chance to overthrow the Prime Evils and take control of Hell for themselves. The two demon lords made a pact with their minor brethren, assuring them that the wretched plague of humanity would not deter the ultimate victory of the sons of Hell. Azmodan and Belial devised a plan to end the stalemate, achieve victory in the Sin War and ultimately ride the bloody crest of the Great Conflict straight into the very arms of Armageddon. Thus, a great revolution was set into motion as all of Hell went to war against the Three Brothers...

The Brothers fought with all of the savagery of the Underworld, and to their credit, annihilated a third of Hell's treacherous legions. In the end, however, they were overcome by the Horned Death led by the traitors Azmodan and Belial. The Prime Evils, weakened and bodiless were banished to the mortal realm where Azmodan hoped that they would remain trapped forever. Azmodan believed that with the Three set loose upon humanity, the Angels would be forced to turn their focus upon on the mortal plane - thus leaving the Gates of Heaven abandoned and defenseless. Those few demons who still pledged allegiance to the Three Brothers fled the wrath of Azmodan and Belial, escaping to the realm of Man to seek out their lost Masters.

As the warfires died out upon the battlefields of Hell, Azmodan and Belial began to argue over which of them held the higher authority. The pact that they had made quickly fell to ashes as the two demon lords took up arms against each other. The legions of Hell that remained were polarized behind either warlord, launching themselves into a bloody civil war that has lasted to this day...

THE BINDING OF THE THREE

In the ancient days, before the rise of the Western Empires, the dark and terrible entities known as the Three Evils were exiled to the world of Man.
These eternal entities wandered throughout the waking world and fed upon the lusts of men, leaving chaos and attrition in their wake. The Evils turned father against son and prompted many great nation into brutal and petty wars. Their Exile from Hell left them with an insatiable hunger to bring suffering and pain to all who would not kneel before them, and so the Three Brothers ravaged the lands of the Far East for countless centuries.

Eventually, a secretive order of mortal magi was gathered together by the enigmatic Arch-Angel Tyrael. These sorcerers were to hunt the Three Evils and put an end to their vicious rampage. The order, known as the Horadrim, consisted of wizards from the diverse and numerous mage-clans of the East. Employing disparate magical practices and disciplines, this unlikely Brotherhood succeeded in capturing two of the Brothers within powerful artifacts called Soulstones. Mephisto and Baal, trapped within the swirling, spiritual constraints of the Soulstones, were then buried beneath the dunes of the desolate Eastern Sands.

The powers of Hatred and wanton Destruction seemed to diminish in the East as a nervous peace began to settle over the land. Yet, for many decades the Horadrim continued their grim search for the third Brother, Diablo. They knew that if the Lord of Terror was left untamed there could never be any lasting peace within the realm of humanity.

The Horadrim followed in the wake of terror and anarchy that spread throughout the Western lands. After a great battle which claimed the lives of many brave souls, the Lord of Terror was captured and imprisoned within the last of the Soulstones by a group of Horadrim monks led by the Initiate Jered Cain. These monks carried the cursed stone to the land of Khanduras and buried it within a secluded cave near the river Talsande. Above this cave the Horadrim constructed a great Monastery from which they could continue to safeguard the Soulstone. As ages passed, the Horadrim constructed a network of catacombs beneath the Monastery to house the earthly remains of the martyrs of their Order.

Generation passed in Khanduras, and the numbers of the Horadrim slowly dwindled. With no quests left to undertake, and too few sons to sustain their guardianship, the once powerful Order faded into obscurity. Eventually, the great Monastery that they had built fell to ruins as well. Although villages grew and thrived around the shell of the old Monastery, no one knew of the dark, secret passageways that stretched into the cold earth beneath it. None could have dreamed of the burning red gem that pulsed within the labyrinth's heart...

BOOK II: THE RETURN OF TERROR

THE LANDS OF KHANDURAS

Years after the last of the Horadrim had died, a great and prosperous society grew in the lands of the West. As time wore on, many Eastern pilgrims
settled in the lands surrounding Khanduras and soon establish small, self contained kingdoms. A few of these kingdoms bickered with Khanduras over holdings of property or routes of trade. These squabbles did little to upset the lasting peace of the West,and the great Northern kingdom of Westmarch proved to be a strong ally of Khanduras as the two lands steadily engaged in ventures of barter and commerce.

During this time, a bold, new religion of the Light known as Zakarum began to spread throughout the kingdom of Westmarch and into many of its northern principalities. Zakarum, founded in the Far East, implored followers to enter into the Light and forsake the darkness that lurked within their souls. The people of Westmarch adopted the statues of Zakarum as their sacred mission in the world. Westmarch began to turn towards its neighbors, expecting them to embrace this "New Beginning" as well. Tensions rose between the kingdoms of Westmarch and Khanduras as the priests of Zakarum began to preach their foreign dogma whether they were welcomed or not.

It was then that the great northern lord Leoric came unto the lands of Khanduras and, in the name of Zakarum, declared himself King, Leoric was a deeply religious man and had brought many Knights and Priests with him that comprised his Order of the Light.Leoric and his trusted advisor, the Arch Bishop Lazarus, made their way to the city of Tristram. Leoric appropriated the ancient, decrepit Monastery on the outskirts of the town for his seat of power and renovated it to match its time-lost glory. Although the free people of
Khanduras were not pleased with being placed under the sudden rule of a foreign King, Leoric served them with justice and might. Eventually, the people of Khanduras grew to respect the kind Leoric,sensing that he sough only to guide and protect them against the oppression of Darkness.

THE AWAKENING

Not long after Leoric took possession of Khanduras, a power long asleep awakened within the dark recesses beneath the Monastery. Sensing that freedom was within his grasp, Diablo entered the nightmares of the Arch Bishop and lured him into the dark, subterranean labyrinth. In his terror, Lazarus raced throughout the abandoned hallways until he at last came to the chamber of the burning Soulstone. No longer in command of his body or spirit, he raised the stone above his head and uttered words long forgotten in the realms of mortals. His will destroyed, Lazarus shattered the Soulstone upon the ground. Diablo once again came into the world of Man. Although he was released from his imprisonment within the Soulstone, the Lord of Terror was still greatly weakened from his long sleep and required an anchor to the world. Once he had found a mortal form to wear, he could begin to reclaim his vastly depleted power. The great demon weighed the souls residing in the town above, and chose to take the strongest of them - that of King Leoric.

For many months King Leoric secretly fought the evil presence that twisted his thoughts and emotions. Sensing that he had been possessed by some unknown evil. Leoric hid his dark secret from his Priests, hoping that somehow his own devout righteousness would be enough to exorcise that corruption growing inside him - he was sorely mistaken. Diablo stripped away the core of Leoric's being, burning away all honor and virtue from his soul. Lazarus too, had fallen under the sway of the Demon, keeping close to Leoric at all times. Lazarus worked to conceal the plans of his new Master from the Order of Light, hoping that the demon's power would grow, well concealed amongst the servants of Zakarum.

The priests of Zakarum and the citizenry of Khanduras recognized the disturbing change within their liege. His once proud and rugged form became distorted and deformed. King Leoric became increasingly deranged and ordered immediate executions of any who dared to question his methods or authority. Leoric began to send his Knights to other villages to bully their own people into submission. The people of Khanduras who had once grown to see great honor in their ruler began to call Leoric the Black King.

Driven to the brink of madness by the Lord of Terror, King Leoric slowly alienated his closest friends and advisors, Lachdanan, Captain of the Knight of the Order of Light and honored Champion of Zakarum, tried to discern the nature of his King's deteriorating spirit. Yet at every turn the Arch-Bishop Lazarus would waylay Lachdanan and admonish him from questioning the actions of the King. As tensions grew between the two, Lazarus charged Lachdanan with treason against the Kingdom. To the Priests and Knights of Leoric's court, the prospect of Lachdanan committing treason was ridiculous. Lachdanan's motives were honorable and just, and soon many began question thereason of their once beloved King.

Leoric's madness was growing more obvious with each passing day. Sensing that the advisors of the court were becoming increasingly suspicious of foul treachery, Lazarus desperately sought to contain the eroding situation. The Arch-Bishop masterfully convinced the delusional Leoric that the kingdom of Westmarch was plotting against him, secretly planning to dethrone him and annex Khanduras into its own lands. Leoric flew into a rage and summoned his advisors to his side. Manipulated by the Arch-Bishop, the paranoid King declared a state of war between the kingdoms of Khanduras and Westmarch.

Leoric ignored the warnings and admonishments of his advisors and the royal army of Khanduras was ordered to the North to engage in a war that they did not believe in. Lachdanan was appointed by Lazarus to lead the armies of Khanduras into Westmarch. Although Lachdanan argued against the necessity of the coming conflict, he was honor-bound to uphold the will of his King. Many of
the high-priests and officials were forced to travel to the North as emissaries on errands of diplomatic urgency, as well. The desperate ploy of
Lazarus had succeeded in sending many of the King's more 'troublesome' advisors to their certain deaths...

THE DARKENING OF TRISTRAM

The absence of prying advisors and inquisitive Priests left Diablo free to assume total control over the King's battered soul. As the Lord of Terror attempted to strengthen his hold upon the maddened King, he found that the lingering spirit of Leoric fought with him still. Although the control over
Leoric that Diablo held was formidable, the Demon knew that in his weakened state he could never take complete possession of his soul as long as a glimmer of his will remained. The demonlord sought a fresh and innocent host upon which to build his Terror.

The demon relinquished his control over Leoric, but the King's soul was left corrupted and his mind crazed. Diablo began to search throughout Khanduras for the perfect vessel to act as his focus, and found such a soul easily within his reach. Enjoined by his dark master, Lazarus kidnapped Albrecht - the only son of Leoric - and dragged the terrified youth down into the blackness of the labyrinth. Flooding the boy's defenseless mind with the essence of pure Terror, Diablo easily took possession of the young Albrecht.

Pain and fire raced through the child's soul. Hideous laughter filled his head and clouded his thoughts. Paralyzed with fear, Albrecht felt the presence of Diablo within his mind as it seemed to push him down, deeper and deeper into darkness and oblivion. Diablo gazed upon his surroundings through the eyes of the young prince. A lustful hunger still tortured the demon after his frustrating bout for control over Leoric, but the nightmares of the boy provided ample substance to sate him. Reaching deep into Albrecht's subconscious, Diablo ripped the greatest fears of the child from their hiding places and gave them breath.

Albrecht watched, as if out of a dream, twisted and disfigured forms appeared all around him. Unholy, writhing visages of terror danced about him chanting choruses of obscenities. All of the 'monsters' that he had ever imagined or believed that he had seen in his life became flesh and were given life before him. Large bodies comprised of living rock erupted from the walls and bowed to their dark master. The ancient, skeletal corpses of the Horadrim arose from archaic crypts and lumbered off into the red washed corridors beyond. As the cacophony of madness and nightmares hammered its final blow against Albrecht's scattered and scrambled maniacally into the lengthening passageways of his waking Nightmare.

The ancient catacombs of the Horadrim had become a twisted labyrinth of raw, focused Terror. Empowered by Diablo's possession of young Albrecht, the creatures of the boy's own imagination had gained corporeal form. So strong was the terror that grew inside of Albrecht, that the borders of the Mortal realm began to warp and tear. The Burning Hell began to seep into the world of Man and take root within the labyrinth. Beings and occurrences displaced by time and space, and long lost to the history of Man were pulled s creaming into the ever-expanding domain.

The body of Albrecht, fully possessed by Diablo, began to distort and change. The small boy grew and his eyes blazed as tendril-like spines ripped through his flesh. Great, arched horns erupted from albrecht's skull as Diablo altered the form of a child to match that of his demonic body. Deep within the recesses of the labyrinth, a growing power was being harnessed. When the moment was right, Diablo would venture once more into the mortal world and free his captive Brothers Mephisto and Baal. The Prime Evils would be reunited, and together they would reclaim their rightful place in Hell.

THE FALL OF THE BLACK KING

The war against the zealous armies of Westmarch ended with a horrible slaughter. With the army of Khanduras ripped to shreds by the superior
numbers and defensive positions of Westmarch, Lachdanan quickly gathered together those who were not captured or killed and ordered a retreat back to the safety of Khanduras. They returned to find the town of Tristram in shambles.

King Leoric, deep within the throes of madness, went into a rage when he learned that his son was missing. After scouring the village with the few guards that remained within at the monastery, Leoric had decided that the townsfolk had abducted his son and hidden him somewhere. Although the townsfolk denied any knowledge of Prince Albrecht's whereabouts, Leoric insisted that they had crafted a conspiracy against him, and that they would pay the price forsuch treachery.

The mysterious disappearance of the Arch-Bishop Lazarus left no one in Tristram with whom the King would take council. Overcome by grief and dementia,
Leoric had many of the townsfolk executed for the crime of high treason.

As Lachdanan and his fellow survivors returned to confront their King, Leoric sent his few remaining guards against them. Believing that Lachdanan was somehow part of the townsfolk's conspiracy. Leoric decreed that he and his party
were to die. Lachdanan, finally realizing that Leoric was beyond salvation, ordered his men to defend themselves. The ensuing battle carried them down into the very halls of the darkened Monastery, bringing a final desecration to the once holy sanctum of the Horadrim. Lachdanan won a bittersweet victory as his men were forced to kill all of Leoric's deceived protectors. They cornered the ravenous King within his own sanctuary and begged him to explain the atrocities he had committed. Leoric only spat at them and cursed them for traitors against both his crown and the Light.

Lachdanan walked slowly towards his King and sorrowfully drew his sword. Full of grief and rage, all honor having been cast to the winds, Lachdanan ran his blade through Leoric's shrivelled, blackened heart. The once noble King screamed an unearthly death-cry, and as his madness finally overtook him, he brought down a curse upon those who had so betrayed him. Calling upon the forces of Darkness that he had spent his entire life combating, Leoric condemned Lachdanan and the others to eternal damnation. In that last, fleeting moment within the heart of the Monastery, all that was ever virtuous or honorable about the stewards of Khanduras was shattered forever.

THE REIGN OF DIABLO

The Black King lay dead, slain at the hands of his own Priests and Knights. The young Prince Albrecht was still missing, and the proud defenders of Khanduras were no more. The people of Tristram looked about their lifeless town and were greatly dismayed. Awash in feelings of both relief and Remorse, they soon realize that their troubles had merely begun. Strange, eerie lights appeared in the darkened windows of the Monastery. Misshapen, leathery-skinned creatures were seen venturing forth from the shadows of the church. Horrible, wounded cries seemed to linger on the wind, emanating from deep underground. It became apparent that something quite unnatural had infested the once holy sight...

Travelers on the roads surrounding Tristram were accosted by cloaked riders that seemed to now constantly roam the deserted countryside. Many villagers fled Tristram, making their way to other towns or kingdoms, fearing some unnamed evil that seemed to wait in the shadows all around them. Those few chose to remain seldom ventured out at night, and never tread foot upon the grounds of the cursed Monastery. Whispered rumors of poor, innocent people being abducted in the night by wicked, nightmarish creatures filled the halls of the local inn. With no King, no law, and no army left to defend them, many of the townsfolk began to fear an attack from the things that now dwelt beneath their town.

The Arch-Bishop Lazarus, frayed and dishevelled, returned from his absence and assured the townsfolk that he too had been ravaged by the growing evil of the Monastery. With their desperate need for reassurance clouding their good judgement, Lazarus whipped the townspeople into a frenzied mob. Reminding them that Prince Albrecht was still unaccounted for; he persuaded many of the men to follow him into the depths of the Monastery to search for the boy. They gathered torches and soon the night air glowed with the flickering light of hope. They armed themselves with shovels, picks and scythes and so prepared, they boldly followed the treacherous Arch-Bishop straight into the fiery maw of Hell itself...

The few who survived the horrible fate that awaited them returned to Tristram and recounted what they could of the ordeal. Their wounds were terrible, and even the skills of the healer could not save some of them. As the stories of demons and devils spread, a stifling, primal Terror began to consume the hearts of all the town's inhabitants. It was a Terror that none of them had ever known...

Deep beneath the foundations of the ruined Monastery, Diablo gorged himself upon the fears of the mortals above him. He slowly sank back into the welcoming shadows and began to harness his depleted power.

He smiled to himself in the sheltering darkness, for he knew that the time of his final victory was fast approaching...

Chronology of Events of the games

Diablo 1

-Diablo is revived by using the body of the young prince Albrecht, unbenownst to the villages of tristram, after the unsuccessful attempt to use the king. Lazarus concocts a story that the prince was kidnapped.
-Many heroes seeking fame and fortune come to tristram to fight the evils beneath the Cathedral, a search part if formed to find the lost prince, virtually all members of the party are killed by the demon know as the butcher save 2 Farhnam, and Lazarus.
-a nameless warrior comes to tristram, he is stronger and more determined than most, and is able to brave the dangers of the labyrinth.
-while searching the deeper recesses of the labyrinth he comes across the famed warlord of blood, otherwise known as the brother of the great mage Horazon
-he comes across the once great Knight Lachdanan, and subsequently frees him from his torment.
-journing further into the labyrinth he happens across the abode of the arch bishop Lazarus, who is performing some sort of ritual on a young child (The child is later revealed to not be the prince)who the warrior is unable to save.
-finally the warrior faces of with the Lord of Terror, Diablo himself
-after defeating Diablo thinking himself strong enough to contain the essence of Diablo, now held within the crimson soulstone the warrior has removed from the head of the beast, causing Diablos body to revert back to that of the young prince who subsequently dies, the warrior then proceeds to shove the soulstone into his forehead.
-after which he spends sometime in the village of Tristram, but soon takes his leave, towards the east.

Diablo II/LOD

Now the chronology of the movies and the D2 games are a litte weird, the seem weave in and out of each other making it somewhat hard to place the exact timeline of event, but basically you are following marius, but the exact time delay between the two of you seems to vary or at least it appears that way.

Marius in the asylum is after you killed diablo and mephisto, as he says "i had heard later he had been defeated and the soulstones destroyed at the Hell forge, all except one...", and he is at the rogue citadel before you were in act 1, same goes for his being at lut gohlein and Kurast, he was there before you, when you are in kurast and Hell marius is either in the asylum or hiding before he ends up there, still possessing Baal's stone.

Rough/hazy events of D2.

-marius at the rogue citadel
-Marius at lut gohlein
-You at act 1
-you at act 2
-you at act 3 (and find a being called the Dark Wanderer aka Diablo)
-Marius at Kurast
-The Three summon the Gate to Hell
-Diablo assumes his true form
-marius goes into hiding then enters the asylum, or goes there without hiding
-you kill Mephisto
-you at act 4
-you kill Diablo
-you destroy the two soulstones you have collected, returning the essenses of Mephisto and Diablo to the abyss. One prime evil and soulstone eludes you
-alternatively marius who is still in hiding enters the asylum
-Marius still holding Baals soulstone learns of diablos death
-marius recounts the events of his travels and your adventures to who he thinks is the arch Angel Tyrael but is really Baal Lord of Destruction
-Marius dies
-You enter act 5
-you kill Baal
-Tyrael destroys the world stone

Diablo 3 Dungeons: Tristram Cathedral

2008-06-29T14:48:00.000-07:00

After seeing the remains of Tristram for myself, I felt the need to search out further information on what it was about the corridors and dungeons underneath its old cathedral that held such mystique.

Originally built as a Horadric monastery sometime around 912 (see my entries pertaining to ancient mystical traditions for more information on the secretive Horadric order), the building was later converted to a Zakarum cathedral. Legend has it that the original monastery was built over the vault where the mythical Diablo was imprisoned, and that his supposed release led to the horrors we all now associate with the name Tristram.

In order to shed light on the many mysteries of the old cathedral, I sought out an old adventurer who had braved its ancient passageways, which were said to lead to the Hells themselves.

Tristram Cathedral Concept Art

"We'd all heard about the weird goings-on in Tristram, but we were drawn by the prospect of getting our hands on some of that loot we heard they were bringing up by the cartload." He paused thoughtfully for a moment and scratched the stub where his left arm had once been. "It ever strike you as strange that wherever monsters are stirring up trouble, that's where you'll find the most treasure? Why can't there ever be a big haul in a safe place?" Obviously he was attempting to ease his tension by making light of the whole event.

"It ever strike you as strange that wherever monsters are stirring up trouble, that's where you'll find the most treasure? Why can't there ever be a big haul in a safe place?""

"When we got to Tristram, we took our time before we got down to the business of actually going into the cathedral. Town had a nice inn, if I recollect. Truth is, there was something evil coming out of that old church: you could feel it. Now, me and my mates, we didn't want to admit we were scared, so after we ran out of excuses to avoid it, we made our way inside. And let me tell you, I never smelled death like I did in that place. Once inside, we were set upon by the undead," and he paused to see if I would laugh in disbelief at this.

When I didn't, he continued, "That's right, undead. I've faced the undead several times, but you never get used to it. You think you're prepared, but there's just something that sticks in your gut, this horrible feeling. Your hands get slick with sweat, and your sword is hard to grasp correctly...you really doubt your sanity in being down there, facing something like that. And the stench is unimaginable. But we were pulling ourselves through – I had started to come out the other side, where you start to ease into that unsettled feeling and use it to drive yourself forward."

It was at this point that his mood noticeably darkened. I found myself easing a bit closer so as not to miss a single detail.

""I admit it: I ran, left my fellows to die. I couldn't face that thing; it was all just too horrible."

"Then it started to go wrong. We began encountering these, these dark...things...imps or demons...or fallen, I think they're called. There were so many of them, all horns and flashes of red, attacking us from all sides. I don't think you could ever really be prepared for something like that. We got disoriented, which was easy to do. It was so dark....

Diablo 3 Environments: Caldeum

2008-06-29T14:42:00.000-07:00

Caldeum was once the proudest city in all of Kehjistan, the trade capital of the entire world. Caldeum was never seen as the heart of the empire, even though it rivaled Viz-jun, and later Kurast, in size, and those who called Caldeum their home liked it that way. Even when the Mage Clan Wars erupted, the battles were never tolerated to affect trade in Caldeum, for while politics and magic may be important, trifling with trade is a serious matter. Let Kurast see itself as the center of the world, they would say. We'll keep our free exchange of goods, currency, and ideas, thank you very much.

But the pride I once held in this great city has become tarnished and dull. In looking back on it all, now, I would have to say that this rot infecting our city started when a good number of Kurast's nobles fled their homes and took up residence in Caldeum. I have heard all the horrific and unbelievable rumors as to why they fled their great city, but the reasons did not concern us. It was their attitude that held our concern. As relief at being safe from whatever drove them here faded, their mood changed to entitlement and then, ultimately, to arrogance. They had no trouble demanding their "rightful" place on the trade consortium council governing our city, and they were prepared to use their wealth to hire the mercenaries needed to see their ambitions through.

I was initially dubious when the emperor of Kehjistan emerged to confront this quickly deteriorating situation. But the charm, leadership, and intelligence that he brought to bear as he quickly resolved the conflict between our council and the Kurast nobles were nothing less than masterful. When the people fully supported him in his role as our emperor, I saw this achievement as nothing short of a miracle. Though we had always been part of the empire of Kehjistan, and therefore under his rule, we had always behaved as if we were a free entity, beholden to no one but ourselves. It truly seemed at the time that catastrophe had been averted, but now it has become all too apparent that it was merely hidden beneath a thin veneer of civility.

Caldeum Concept Art

This veneer began to shred when Emperor Hakan became ill. His influence started to wane, and the mood in Caldeum changed with his health. As he got worse, so did our once fair city.

When he died and his ineffectual child heir took the throne, Caldeum began to circle the abyss. Our list of ills seems never-ending: the state of our downtrodden and the slums they are forced to live in, our incompetent leadership, the reemergence of the intolerant Zakarum, and their quarrels with our mage class...I could go on for pages.

Diablo 3 Environments: New Tristram

2008-06-29T14:26:00.000-07:00

We have all heard the tales associated with Tristram. The very mention of its name brings to mind images of undead monstrosities, demonic possession, monarchy driven to lunacy, and, of course, the greatest legend of all: the Lord of Terror unleashed. Although many now claim that a peculiar mold upon the bread or perhaps a fouling of the water drove the populace mad with visions, I have seen too much in my varied travels to dismiss such stories out of hand. It is within this context, then, that I have to say my journey to what is now called "New Tristram" was somewhat of a disappointment.

New Tristram has been in existence for several years, though the exact date of its founding is unclear. Originally simply a collection of merchants looking to profit on adventurers and travelers drawn by legends of riches within the old cathedral, it slowly set down roots and became an established town. As soon as the cathedral was looted bare, however, the adventurers and travelers stopped coming, and New Tristram found itself in decline. The town is now comprised mostly of depressing shacks; the inn is the only building that looks even the least bit habitable.

Before I took my leave of this dreary place, I was cornered by an eccentric old man who seemed to have an endless supply of anecdotes and folksy wisdom to impart. He went on about there still being much of value deep within the cathedral in the form of tomes of ancient origin and wisdom. I will have to take his word for it, for I must admit that while I did explore the burnt remains of the "old" Tristram, I lacked the intestinal fortitude to do much more than take a few hesitating steps within that infamous cathedral of legend.

New Tristram Concept Image

Diablo 3 Beastiary: Dark Cultists

2008-06-29T06:39:00.000-07:00

I knew the cultists had found me when I saw the bloody, curved knife stabbed violently into my door this morning. I have spent months trying to ease the fevered imaginings that have tormented me since that encounter a scant few months past, but to no avail. And now they know who I am.

There is an absolute and oppressive darkness to be found only in the deep wilderness at night. Thus, when I saw the distant light of fire while making my way through the thick Tristram forest, I welcomed the company of fellow travelers. As I approached, however, something even darker than the unlit forest crept over me. So horrendous was this feeling that I thought to turn away until the sound of chanting reached my ears and drew me onward. I thank whatever gods blessed me with the presence of mind to stop short of entering that unholy place whence the sound originated. Instead, I sought out a well-hidden vantage point from which I could look upon the frigid clearing that seemed violently torn from the depths of the forest.

That was when I first saw them, the dark cultists, arrayed in a circle. Their torches lit the macabre proceedings in a pallid light that danced over their garish rune-covered robes. I had heard tales of these hooded cultists and their depraved rituals, and I must admit to some curiosity upon seeing them. As their chanting droned on, I thought to make my escape lest they see me, but my attention was riveted by a pale, vacant-eyed supplicant being led forward. I do not know if he was of limited mental capacity, lost in religious mania, or simply drugged, but he was definitely not sound of mind as he knelt in the center of the thrumming circle.

The chanting stilled as the leader, face shadowed by a heavily gilded hood, stepped forward and began to intone a ritual in some indecipherable tongue. A large, thickly muscled and leather-masked cultist draped a black, eyeless hood over the victim's head before pulling a foot-long spike from his sash. My mind searched for any possible use for this cursed nail when I noticed the immense stygian hammer grasped in his other hand. With one swift motion, he raised it above his head and drove the spike into the supplicant's back with fierce intensity. I almost screamed... but the victim made no sound.

As another spike was readied, I knew I could watch no more. I trembled with the thought of those nails being driven into me should I be caught. I averted my gaze as I heard the revolting squish of another spike sunk into willing flesh. My eyes fell on the robe of the lead cultist. The intricate runes woven into his robe undulated and swirled in sickening movement. As I watched, horrified, I could feel my sanity crumbling away. I began to back away from the wicked tableau, forcing myself to move slowly while my mind screamed for me to flee with abandon. When I could contain myself no longer, I broke into a full run, not caring what sound I made. I ran until I collapsed. And then, as soon as I was able, I staggered to my feet and ran some more.

Not long ago, I wrote of my disappointment that New Tristram lacked the palpable dread its reputation led one to expect. I wish that I had not tempted fate with my quick words. Disappointment is much preferable to stark terror, and terror was what I stumbled into that night.

Since returning home, I have been feverishly researching those demon-enthralled cultists in an effort to ease my mind, to assure myself that I had not actually seen what I had, but every whispered, frightened tale only deepens the chill that has seized me. I do not know which of my actions alerted them, but my worst fears have been realized. I have been marked.

This is the last known writing of Abd al-Hazir. Known for his compilation of weird and wonderful facts about our unique world, he has unfortunately been missing since late last year.

Diablo 3 Beastiary: Gnarled Walkers

2008-06-29T06:23:00.000-07:00

As beautiful as a walk through the Tristram wilderness is, with its lush fields and picturesque rivers, the air seems to take on an otherworldly foreboding as one approaches the fishing village of Wortham. My search to catalog the weird, the fabulous, and the all-too-often-dangerous inhabitants of our world had led me there. I hoped to find a guide who could bring me safely into the Festering Wood and back, for I had come to see for myself the strange creatures that are the "gnarled walkers".

What then, you may ask, is a gnarled walker? Is it simply an ensorcelled walking tree – a wood wraith – or is it something more? Does it truly live? These are the questions I sought to answer as I strode into the village of Wortham that bright day, which had somehow turned dark and dreary while my attention was elsewhere. But the few people I encountered in Wortham were a taciturn lot, unwilling to answer my inquiries.

As I inspected my way around the moribund town, it was impossible to ignore the fact that the bridge I hoped to take to the Festering Wood had been destroyed, burned beyond repair. My questions about this circumstance went unanswered. I likewise found it odd that there seemed to be only elderly people in the village, with the exception of one beautiful young woman whose father was quite insistent I keep my distance from her. Though he was rude on this point, I found him to be a rather sociable sort once convinced I was not interested in his daughter. He introduced himself as Pablo DeSoto, and as luck would have it, he was very knowledgeable about several topics in regards to magic and the object of my search.

According to Master DeSoto, the Festering Wood derives its name from the fact that everything in it seethes and roils with evil intent: even the ground itself has been known to rise up and devour a person. When pushed further in regards to the gnarled walkers specifically, he pontificated at length as to their true nature. He maintained they are vile mystical creatures from another realm who can only sustain their existence in our world by sapping life energy from men or animals. These heinous beings have shifted their appearance to that of trees, thereby luring their prey close so as to consume it whole and enrich their reserves of dark power. These beastly things move ponderously, and some are known to exude a foul stench that poisons their victims. Master DeSoto is certain the origin of the walkers, and of the Festering Wood itself, can be traced to the foul doings of necromancers, who he claims are responsible for much of the evil that has befallen our world. He expounded in full to me his theory that the "whole Diablo incident", as he called it, was tied up in their dark arts as well.

Regardless as to whether that is the truth of the matter or not, I felt fortunate that I was unable to find a guide to bring me into the Festering Wood. Upon hearing of what transpires there, I have decided it is far better suited to the adventuring temperament than my own.

Diablo 3 Beastiary: Khazra

2008-06-29T06:09:00.000-07:00

The khazra (colloquially known as "goatmen") were long thought to be natural inhabitants of our world, akin to the lacuni "panther-men" tribes of the desert and mountain regions, but I have recently discovered evidence revealing that nothing could be further from the truth. The history of the khazra is much more complex and disturbing than has been previously imagined.

According to ancient carvings that I have succeeded in translating, the khazra were originally human, part of the umbaru race found in the thick Torajan jungles in the Teganze region of the eastern continent. At some point in the distant past, the five clans that would come to be known as the khazra migrated to higher elevations and began developing along different lines than the clansmen they left behind. They lived in relative peace and began the transition from a hunter-gatherer society to a farming one. This state of affairs changed dramatically when they encountered the Vizjerei about two thousand years ago (if my translations prove to be correct).

This was the height of the Mage Clan Wars, and even the mighty Vizjerei mage clan was showing signs of stress brought about by the prolonged struggle. A faction of the Vizjerei resolved to construct an army using demon-possessed victims, and the peaceful umbaru clans seemed to fit the Vizjerei's needs. It is unknown how the clans first came into contact with the Vizjerei, but within the span of a decade or so, some of the future khazra clans had turned from their peaceful existence to all-out warfare with the Vizjerei. This was surely the result of seeing their brothers being painfully transformed into savage goat-like creatures by the Vizjerei.

Diablo 3 Beastiary: The Undead

2008-06-29T05:30:00.000-07:00

Undead Information

The undead are a pox upon our world, yet no one sees fit to look into their existence and find a way to rid us of them once and for all. How long until we are confronted by the terrifying specter of an undead army of skeletal warriors raised by some crazed sorcerer or would-be demigod? Do not let the scarce reports of skeleton attacks lull you into assuming we are safe; we are never safe from these unholy legions. They are coming, mark my words.

Despite the fact that skeletons seem mischievous or imbecilic, they are nothing to scoff at. We should neither dismiss them from our consideration, nor ignore the problem they represent. It is far past the time for serious inquiry into their exact nature. Since I am overly qualified on many subjects pertinent to this area of inquiry, apparently it falls to me to rectify this lack of understanding. After completing many months of long, arduous study, I now present the information I have gleaned from my research into these unholy monstrosities.

Contrary to what I had assumed, a reanimated skeleton is actually constructed from bits and pieces of any number of different skeletons, not a single one. Their diverse composition gives them the ability to form and reform, and makes them easily summoned, permitted there is adequate raw material at hand. Still, this is not to say that a skilled necromancer could not call forth a cadre of skeletal warriors to do his bidding anywhere he chooses. He merely requires less effort to construct a skeleton army in a graveyard than in the middle of a forest.

Furthermore, I have come to believe that a skeleton's intelligence is limited by the power and scope of the spell used in the creature's creation. Theoretically one could have a single astute skeleton servant or a rather dense army of a hundred for the same expenditure of magical energy. I am at a loss to explain the average skeleton's somewhat ludicrous mental predisposition, however. Perhaps the implausibility of its own existence makes the skeleton think it hilarious to hide in a barrel, cackling intermittently for some three hundred years until a victim happens by?

In contrast to the other undead horrors our world has been plagued with – namely the mindless zombies and the pack-hunting ghouls – skeletons are much more dangerous as a whole because of their ability to be organized and directed. Based on the evidence, it takes only slightly more energy to imbue skeletons with enough intelligence to use shields to defend themselves and their allies. These "shield skeletons", as I like to call them, are alarmingly common, though not as numerous as a basic skeletal warrior.

If my aforementioned points do not convince the skeptic of the gravity of this issue, consider the case of the skeletal summoner. This advanced skeletal warrior is specifically created with a higher intelligence that gives it the ability to replenish the undead ranks as needed. Yes, adding summoners to the unholy, undead mix results in a nauseating recipe for a self-sustaining army, capable of renewing itself in perpetuity so as to fulfill whatever diabolical ends its master called it forth to pursue.

It should be apparent to all intelligent readers that any madman needs only the raw material of skeletal remains to create these armies of the undead. The obvious solution is to disinter the graveyards and begin burning the skeletons posthaste. Only then can we be certain that we have removed this deadly threat from the arsenal of those who would do us harm.

Diablo 3 WitchDoctor Class

2008-06-29T05:09:00.000-07:00

Witch Doctor Facts:

- The Witch Doctor hails from the Teganze, an area of the Torajan jungles. They are a self-sacrificing people that believe in an alternate reality called the Unformed Land, which the Witch Doctors are able to tap into for their powers.

- The Witch Doctor is similar to Necromancer in function, but not intended as a replacement.

Conirmed Witch Doctor Abilities:

- Locust Swarm: Summons a swarm of insects that literally devour clusters of enemies, leaving nothing but bones.
- Wall of Zombies: Firewall-like spell that summons a line of zombies which stand and swing at nearby enemies.
- Firebomb: Grenade-like AoE (Area of Effect) fire spell.
- Horrify: AoE fear spell, causes most creatures to run away)
- Mongrel: Summons a demon dog from a skeleton. Casting locust swarm on a mongrel adds disease damage to its attacks. Intentionally destroying the mongrel damages nearby enemies.
- Mass Confusion: Temporarily turns a group of enemies against each other.
- Soul Harvest: AoE spell that kills an enemy and converts it into mana.

WitchDoctor Biography

Most believe the fearsome witch doctor of the umbaru race a legend, but I have seen one in battle with my own eyes. And it was difficult to believe, even then. He dispatched his opponent with terrifying precision, assaulting his victim's mind and body with elixirs and powders that evoked fires, explosions, and poisonous spirits. As if these assaults were not enough, the witch doctor also had at his command the ability to summon undead creatures from the netherworld to rend the flesh from his enemy's body.

Witchdoctor Skills:

Witch Doctor in Action on Youtube

I came upon this rare display as I ventured deep into the interior of the dense Torajan jungles that cover the southern tip of the great eastern continent, in the vast area known as the Teganze, with the goal of seeking out the tribes that reside there. This area is extremely secluded, and heretofore unseen by foreign eyes. I was fortunate to befriend the witch doctor I saw in battle, and, through him, his tribe: the Tribe of the Five Hills.

The culture of the umbaru of the lower Teganze is fascinating and perplexing to those hailing from more civilized walks of life. For instance, the Tribe of the Five Hills frequently engages in tribal warfare with both the Clan of the Seven Stones and the Tribe of the Clouded Valley, but these are matters of ritual and not of conquest. I had heard tales that these wars are waged in order that the victors may replenish their supply of raw materials for the human sacrifices that their civilization revolves around, and when I timidly asked my hosts more about this topic, I must admit their laughter made me fear for my safety. However, through stumbled attempts at communication of such complex topics as what constitutes heroism and honor in their society, I gathered that only those taken in battle are considered worthy of the ritual sacrifice, much to my relief.

Upon further discussions with my hosts, I discovered that these tribes define themselves by their belief in the Mbwiru Eikura, which roughly translates to "The Unformed Land" (this is an imprecise translation, as this concept is completely foreign to our culture and language). This belief holds that the true, sacred reality is veiled behind the physical one we normally experience. Their vitally important public ceremonies are centered upon sacrifices to the life force that flows from their gods, who inhabit the Unformed Land, into this lesser physical realm.

The witch doctors are finely attuned to this Unformed Land and are able to train their minds to perceive this reality through a combination of rituals and the use of selected roots and herbs found in the jungles. They call the state in which they interact with this other world the Ghost Trance.

Alongside the primacy of the belief in the life force and the Unformed Land, the second most sacred belief of the tribes is their philosophy of self-sacrifice and non-individuality, of suppressing one's self-interest for the good of the tribe. This idea, so foreign to our culture, struck me as something I wished to delve into much more deeply.

Unfortunately, there was intense social upheaval among the tribes due to an incident involving their most current war (inasmuch as I could discern in the ensuing bedlam), and the charged atmosphere warranted my quick departure before I could ask anything further of my hosts

Diablo 3 Barbarian Class

2008-06-29T05:08:00.000-07:00

Barbarian Facts:

- The Mount Arreat area, home of the barbarians, was devastated in Diablo II: Lord of Destruction. The barbarian people have subsequently fallen into decline.

Confirmed Barbarian Abilities:

- Whirlwind: a reckless spinning attack that takes out any enemy in the Barbarian's path.
- Leap: precision jump that destroys enemies on landing.
- Cleave: hits multiple enemies in one swing.
- Ground Stomp: a thundering AoE stun.
- Seismic Slam: the Barbarian slams the ground, creating a directed shockwave that can hit multiple enemies in a line.

Barbarian Biography

In my journey to catalogue the various denizens, civilizations, and fauna of our world, I have traveled far and wide, but never before have I been struck with such dismay as when standing upon the ramparts of the ancient fortress of Bastion's Keep. I came to see firsthand the barbarians, those near-legendary, immense, relentless, dual-wielding furies of combat dwelling upon their sacred Mount Arreat.

Barbarian Skills:

Barbarian Battlecry Skill

Barbarian Attacks!

Instead, I stand here looking at a mountain that has been torn asunder by some extraordinary force. The sight, I must confess, is incomprehensible. Yet what I see before me cannot be denied.

What truly happened here? Where are those majestic warriors of old?

Though they were once misunderstood as simple, bloodthirsty invaders, the long and noble history of these proud people is now rightly acknowledged. And therein lies the greater tragedy here, for those of us familiar with the nobility of the barbarians remember too what they call their "vigil", the concept that lay at the very heart of their culture. The barbarians consider it their sworn duty to protect Mount Arreat and the mysterious object within. They believe that if they fail to uphold their duty to the great mount, or are not given a proper burial upon its slopes, they will be denied a true warrior's death, and their spirits shall roam the land without honor for all eternity.

If there are any barbarians left alive, they must truly be without hope. Perhaps this is the genesis of the rumors of monstrous things reported to resemble the barbarians in size and ferocity, but that are in reality nothing more than unreasoning, inhuman beasts. Could the destruction of not only their home but also their very beliefs have actually brought this magnificent race so low?

Diablo 3 Skills

2008-06-28T21:56:00.000-07:00

Furious Charge

Rank 1/1

Charge Directly at an enemy, smashing everything in the way.

Current Level: 1

Fury:20

Primary Damage: 110%

Scondary Damage: 100%

Range: 85 Feet

Hammer of the Ancients

Rank 4/5

A massive attack that has increased chance to critically hit.

Stamina: 16

Deals 225% weapon damage plus an additional 14 physical damage

+25% chance to critical hit

Whirlwind

Rank 1/20

Swirl in a cyclone, delivering attacks to everything in his path

Current Level: 1

Fury: 1

Hits for 25% of weapon damage

Next Level: 2

Fury: 1

Hits for 30% of weapon damage

Here is a list of KNOWN and confirmed Witch Doctor skills

Horrify

Rank 3/5

A spectral mask that horrifies all enemies in proximity, causing them to run in fear.

Mana Cost: 10

Radius: 20

Fear Duration: 1-2 seconds

Mask Duration: 5

Wall of Zombies

Rank 4/5

Zombies erupt from the earth to attack your enemies

Current Level: 4

Zombies attack for 15 damage.

Next Level: 5

Zombies attack for 15 damage.

Diablo 3 FAQ

2008-06-28T21:36:00.001-07:00

What is Diablo III?

Blizzard is developing Diablo III to be the definitive action role-playing game, and a true continuation of the Diablo series. Players will create a hero from one of five distinct classes, such as barbarian or witch doctor, each equipped with an array of spells and abilities. As these heroes adventure through rich and varied settings, unraveling an epic storyline and engaging in combat with hordes of monsters and challenging bosses, they’ll grow in experience and ability and acquire items of incredible power.

The game takes place on Sanctuary, a world of dark fantasy. Unbeknownst to most of its inhabitants, Sanctuary was saved some twenty years ago from the demonic forces of the underworld by a few brave and powerful heroes. Most of those warriors who directly faced the armies of the Burning Hells — and were fortunate enough to survive — went mad from their experiences. And most of the others have buried their haunted memories and pushed the horrors from their thoughts. In Diablo III, players will return to Sanctuary to confront evil in its many forms once again.

Diablo III will be a fitting sequel to Diablo II, with the easy interface, fast-paced action, and visceral gameplay that Diablo players have come to expect and enjoy. It will also include many new features that will take the Diablo action-RPG experience to the next level. We look forward to going into much more detail on our plans for Diablo III as development on the game progresses.

What’s new about Diablo III compared to the previous Diablo games?

Exciting new classes like the witch doctor bring new gameplay options to the table. Returning classes, like the barbarian, have been completely redone with new skills to give them a feel unique to Diablo III. New customization options will provide for an even greater level of character specialization than the previous Diablo games, allowing the player to create unique characters brimming with power.

Diablo III is powered by a new graphics engine that can display characters and hordes of monsters in lush, fully 3D environments. Powerful special-effects systems and Havok-powered physics allow the player to lay waste to the Hells’ minions in spectacular ways.

Also, Diablo III builds on the random environments of the previous Diablo games by introducing a host of new ways to create random scripted events throughout the game. This creates a dense and exciting world alive with quests, NPCs, dynamic encounters, and viciously challenging new monsters and bosses. Diablo III’s environments add a great deal of interactivity to the game, including destructible elements and environmental obstacles that can be turned against your enemies.

In addition, Diablo III will benefit from Battle.net upgrades that will provide some exciting new features for players. Cooperative online play remains a primary focus, with multiple enhancements being planned to make connecting with your friends easier and cooperative gameplay even more fun. We’ll have more details on all these aspects as well as other exciting new features at a later date.

Can you give an overview of Diablo III’s storyline?

It has been twenty years since the events of Diablo II. Of those who faced the Lords of Hatred, Terror, and Destruction in the battle over the fate of Sanctuary, there are few still living who can bear to remember the horrors that the Prime Evils wrought upon the world. And of those who did not witness the terrible events firsthand, most believe the stories to be little more than myth. But something evil is stirring once again in Tristram, and it may already have claimed its first victim: Deckard Cain.

Will there be any other familiar faces in Diablo III (other than Deckard Cain)?

Yes. Players will encounter several new characters as well as a number of characters from the previous games.

Will players be visiting any familiar locations in Diablo III, such as Tristram?

Yes, definitely. Players will return to Tristram and certain other locations from the previous games, and they’ll be exploring new areas of Sanctuary as well.

How many character classes are included in Diablo III? What are they?

Five character classes will be included in the game, two of which, the barbarian and witch doctor, were revealed when the game was announced at the 2008 Blizzard Entertainment Worldwide Invitational. The other classes will be announced at a later date.

Will players be able to choose the gender of their character, regardless of class?

Yes. Players will be able to create male and female characters for all five classes.

Will Diablo III be playable over Battle.net? What new features can we expect?

Yes, Diablo III will be playable over Battle.net, and Battle.net will offer some exciting new features to enhance players’ Diablo III experience. We’ll announce specifics and go into much more detail at a later date.

Will there be a single-player component in addition to multiplayer?

Yes. In addition to battling the hordes of the Burning Hells cooperatively with friends over Battle.net, players will be able to adventure through the world of Diablo III solo. More details on both the single-player and multiplayer experience will be revealed at a later date.

What will questing be like in Diablo III? Will it be similar to Diablo II?

Our plans for the story and quest mechanics are still under wraps. We’ll go into detail on those elements of the game at a later date. We can say, however, that we expect to have class-based quests in addition to the main story-line quests.

What engine is Diablo III running on? What graphical enhancements are included?

Diablo III runs on a custom 3D game engine for rendering full-3D characters and environments. The 3D game engine not only simulates advanced animation sequences and sound effects, but also uses a custom physics engine that allows for realistic object dynamics and cloth simulation.

What are the system requirements for Diablo III?

We’ll announce specific system requirements at a later date.

When will Diablo III be released?

It’s too early to estimate Diablo III’s release date. As with all Blizzard Entertainment games, our goal is to create a game that is as fun, balanced, and polished as possible. We intend to take as much time developing Diablo III as is necessary to ensure the game meets our own high expectations and those of our players.

Will the game be released in multiple countries? Will the release be simultaneous? Which countries and what languages will Diablo III be localized in?

As with all of our games, our goal with Diablo III is to release the game simultaneously in as many regions as possible, and to localize the game in several languages. We’ll have more details to share about countries, languages, and specific dates as we get closer to release.

Will Diablo III be available on Windows and Mac simultaneously?

Yes. As with all of Blizzard Entertainment’s recent releases, Diablo III will ship for both Windows and Mac simultaneously.

How much will Diablo III cost? Where can I buy this game?

Pricing and availability for Diablo III will be determined and announced closer to the release of the game.

List of KNOWN items in Diablo III

2008-06-28T19:45:00.000-07:00

Armor - Gauntlets, Plate Leggings, Gothic Helm, Plated Greaves, Gothic Plate, Plated Pauldrons, Inferior Leather Gloves, Inferior Quilted Pants [x2], Quilted Pants [x2], Chest Armor [Gold], Sash, Leather Gloves
Weapons - Throwing Knife, Short Bow, Short Staff, Two Handed Axe [Purple], Unknown Axe [only seen on ground], Short Staff [Purple]
Miscellaneous - Health Globe, Gold, Elixir of Vitality I, Scroll of Identify [x3], Small Bag, Elixir of Willpower I
Rings and Amulets - Ancient Medallion, Amulet [Gold]
Gems and Runes - Minor Power Rune, Minor Energy Rune, Chipped Star Topaz, Minor Power Rune, Minor Lethality Rune
Potions - Minor Health Potion

Diablo 3 Classes and Predictions

2008-06-28T19:21:00.000-07:00

Diablo 3 Class Information

Five total character classes.
Each class will have a female or male variant.

Choose a class:

This section is being built as more information is released about the game.

Quick Classes Overview:

Barbarian:

- The Mount Arreat area, home of the barbarians, was devastated in Diablo II: Lord of Destruction. The barbarian people have subsequently fallen into decline.

Confirmed Barbarian Abilities:

- Whirlwind: a reckless spinning attack that takes out any enemy in the Barbarian's path.
- Leap: precision jump that destroys enemies on landing.
- Cleave: hits multiple enemies in one swing.
- Ground Stomp: a thundering AoE stun.
- Seismic Slam: the Barbarian slams the ground, creating a directed shockwave that can hit multiple enemies in a line.

Witch Doctor:

- The Witch Doctor hails from the Teganze, an area of the Torajan jungles. They are a self-sacrificing people that believe in an alternate reality called the Unformed Land, which the Witch Doctors are able to tap into for their powers.

- The Witch Doctor is similar to Necromancer in function, but not intended as a replacement.

Conirmed Witch Doctor Abilities:

- Locust Swarm: Summons a swarm of insects that literally devour clusters of enemies, leaving nothing but bones.
- Wall of Zombies: Firewall-like spell that summons a line of zombies which stand and swing at nearby enemies.
- Firebomb: Grenade-like AoE (Area of Effect) fire spell.
- Horrify: AoE fear spell, causes most creatures to run away)
- Mongrel: Summons a demon dog from a skeleton. Casting locust swarm on a mongrel adds disease damage to its attacks. Intentionally destroying the mongrel damages nearby enemies.
- Mass Confusion: Temporarily turns a group of enemies against each other.
- Soul Harvest: AoE spell that kills an enemy and converts it into mana.

Diablo 3 is Announced!

2008-06-28T03:34:00.000-07:00

Diablo 3 has been officially announced on June 28th at the Blizzard's Worldwide Invitational 2008. The long wait is finally over! This blog will be covering all the latest information about Diablo 3 as it comes out. Stay tuned.

Some features and facts of Diablo 3:

- Footage was shown of large scale battles, comets streaking across the sky, demons, as Diablo 3 was officially announced.

- It is apparently still an action RPG. Same interface: red health and blue orbs, skill bar at bottom, 3/4 overhead perspective. Also a character with 2 axes hacking at demons in what appears to be a foggy cathedral. Has a jumping attack where he smashes the two axes into the ground.

- The axe guy is the barbarian class. Improvements have been made, like the hotbar for skills. Using the mouse wheel and tab key you can quickly switch between skills. There are still slot limits. Using enchanted axes with frost and lighting ,which stuns and freezes opponents. Whoing inventory.

- Red orbs that drop from enemies will replenish health without you having to use items. Demon foes have a summon ability. Barbarian's jumping attack covers a lot of distance. Was shown flying up a staircase. Also some kind of shockwave attack will be part at the Barbarians disposal.

- Blizzard is touting interactive environments as an important feature!

- Each piece of gear is custom designed for each class. Barbarians put on demonic style garb, with devil horns. They can also hop across the map.

- A Barbarian was shown disloging a rock wall and dropping it on zombies, killing them.

- A demo was shown of the whirlwind attack.

- Deckard Cain is in the game. When talking to NPCs, the game appears to switch interfaces. The changed interface highlights the character model. Having to rescue Cain from this cathedral.

- More barbarian skills. A barbarian can use a ground stomp attack to get skeleton warriors to drop their shields, making them easier to take out.

- Cultist enemies have the ability to transform into a more destructive force, so they must be taken out quickly.

- There are scripted events, like walls breaking appart, and cultists summoning a fat demon who's shock waves shatter stone pillars in the environment.

- Diablo 3 is first and foremost a co-operative game, says Blizzard.

- New Witch Doctor Class! Can summon pets, control minds of his enemies, and cast various diseases.

- More witch doctor information: It can cast out locus swarm, which spreads between targets and deals damage. Can summon mongrel things that he can cast locust swarm on. This also buffs their damage. can use a fire bomb spell. Can summon a wall of zombies that stays stationary, but the zombies in the wall flail their arms and do damage to their opponents.

- Outdoor environments are great looking! Very vibrant and slightly cartoonish Blizard graphical style. As with Starcraft 2, it's very similar in style to Diablo 2.

- Diablo 3 looks and sounds, similar to it's previous games. Which is great to hear.

- Diablo 3 Multiplayer information! Multiplayer will work over battle.net as before.

- In Diablo 3 Huge bosses are in the game, much bigger than Diablo 3. Around six or seven times taller than the players character!

Diablo 3 Gameplay Footage Videos!

Diablo 3 Gameplay footage part 1 10 minutes with audio high quality

Diablo 3 Gameplay footage part 2 10 minutes with audio high quality

Diablo 3 Gameplay:

Diablo 3 Gameplay:

Diablo 3 trailer: