PC/CD Gamer UK 44/PCGAMER44.bin/walkthru/diablo.txt

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Diablo - Playing Guide

More of a role-playing game than a hack ænÆ slash-æem-up, BlizzardÆs Diablo is
nonetheless a lot of fun. It can also be a tad hard at times. Because of the way
Diablo randomly generates the levels every time you start a new game, a step-by-
step walkthrough is impossible. Instead, what follows contains hints and tips on
the various characters, and details of all the quests, spells, and shrines
in the game.

CHARACTERS WITH CLASS
The first decision you have to make when playing Diablo is which character class
to play. Although any class can, in theory, use any spell or item in the game, each
has its own strengths and weaknesses which will affect the strategy you need to
win. The key differences between the classes lie in their maximum attributes,
and how many health and mana points they gain as their vitality and magic
attributes increase. As ever, your choice will affect the way you play the game.
The choices are particularly important in the multi-player game, where a good
party (if youÆre co-operating) mix is essential.

Attributing the gains
The most important decisions you have to make about your character once the
game begins are which equipment to use and which attributes to raise as you go
up levels. Equipment is largely a matter of taste, and every game of Diablo
features a vast range of magical weapons, armour, and other items which you can
choose to concentrate on a variety of types of bonus. A Sorcerer, for example,
might choose items that give magic and mana boosts, to maximise their spell
casting abilities, or could concentrate on items which make up for their
weaknesses in close combat.
Likewise, there are a variety of strategies for attribute raises. The first is simply to
put all five points into your primary attribute. Although this is simple, itÆs not
particularly effective - it doesnÆt matter how strong your Warrior is; if he canÆt
take enough damage, heÆs still going to be dying often.
The second strategy is the æwhatever I need at the timeÆ plan, in which you put the
points where theyÆll have the most effect in the short term. For example, if youÆve
found a book teaching a great spell but your magic
attribute isnÆt high enough, you keep putting points into it until it is. The problem
with this idea is that itÆs short sighted - what looks like a good idea now might
prove less sensible later on.
Perhaps the best of the simple strategies is to put two points into your primary
attribute and one into the other three every time you go up a level. This approach
will result in a balanced set of attributes that still emphasises your character classÆ
strength. If you need a higher magic to learn a spell, for example, keep your eye
out for attribute-raising magical items.

Warriors
Warriors are the hand-to-hand combat experts of Diablo, and excel at beating on
monsters with any melee weapon they can find. The most important attribute for
Warriors is strength, which can be raised to a maximum of 250 (before magical
bonuses are taken into account), allowing them to do awesome amounts
of damage with their blows. Warriors also tend to have higher health scores, as
they gain more health from increases in vitality than any other class. On the
downside, Warriors gain the least mana from increasing magic.
Warriors are, as usual, the easiest character class to play at the start of the game.
They initially outclass the earlier monsters and can kill the Butcher (which tends
to be the first quest) without too much trouble. As the game progresses and the
monsters get tougher, the Warrior can still hold their own, provided you find and
use decent weapons and armour. Monsters with ranged attacks cause the most
problems for Warriors, and for this reason itÆs a good idea to carry a decent bow
as a secondary weapon, or learn a couple of damage
spells.

Sorcerers
Sorcerers are the opposite of Warriors. While the Warrior is a close-combat
expert, Sorcerers are best at range, and while the Warrior can soak up lots of
damage but canÆt cast many spells, the Sorcerer is physically weak but excels at
magic. The most important attribute for Sorcerers is, unsurprisingly, magic, which
can be raised to 250 before any magical bonuses. Sorcerers also gain more mana
points from increases in magic than any other class, and these two abilities
combined allow them to both learn any spell in the game and cast them lots of
times before running low on mana. The key weakness of Sorcerers is their health
score, which tends to be low as they gain the least health points from increases in
vitality.
Sorcerers tend to have the hardest time at the start of the game, as their initial
repertoire of spells is very limited, and their hand-to-hand combat ability is very
weak. Once they find some decent spells, though, the situation reverses. No other
class has the sheer destructive potential of a Sorcerer with area-effect spells like
Fireball and Chain Lightning, with which entire rooms full of monsters can be
cleared in seconds.

Rogues
As well as being expert archers, Rogues are the most flexible of DiabloÆs
character classes. Stronger in close combat than a Sorcerer and much better with
magic than a Warrior, a Rogue is a Jack-of-all-trades. The most important
attribute for Rogues is dexterity, which can reach a maximum of 250 before
magical bonuses are applied. Their high scores in this attribute make Rogues
fantastically accurate and blindingly fast with both bows and melee weapons.
Rogues tend to have fairly balanced health and mana scores, as they gain a
moderate amount of each from increases in vitality and magic - not as much
health as a Warrior, but more than a Sorcerer, and vice versa with mana.
Rogues tend to be fairly easy to play for most of the game, easier at the start than
Sorcerers, but not quite as effective at later levels. Their only real weakness lies in
their weapons of choice, bows. Although bows can hit enemies at range and never
run out of ammunition, they donÆt do as much damage as a WarriorÆs melee
attacks or a SorcererÆs spells. To defeat the later monsters, a Rogue needs to learn
some good spells, or carry an effective melee weapon and find some good
armour.

IN SEARCH OF A QUEST
Throughout each game of Diablo, your character will be set a number of quests by
other characters you meet (most often the residents of the town), and by books
found in the dungeon. The gameÆs random level design means that few, if any,
games will feature all of the quests, but youÆll certainly come across quite a
few. What follows is an alphabetical list of the quests in the game, complete with
how to solve them where the quest is given, and what level they tend to appear on
(bear in mind this may vary from game to game). Dungeons can have up to 16
levels.

Anvil of Fury
From: Griswold the Blacksmith
Level: 9 or 10
Reward: GriswoldÆs Edge (unique sword)
On one of the cave levels, youÆll find a peninsula in the middle of a lake of lava,
with a lot of monsters on it. The Anvil lies on the ground in the centre of the
peninsula. Take it back to Griswold to get GriswoldÆs Edge.

Archbishop Lazarus
From: Cain the Elder
Level: 14 or 15
Reward: At least three magical items
Get the quest by taking LazarusÆ Staff to Cain. Then go back and find the red
portal (normally on Level 15) which takes you to his lair. Kill all the monsters and
grab the books. Step on the grey circles and use the books to teleport to different
areas. Eventually youÆll come to Lazarus himself. Kill him, and the red portal
taking you back to the dungeon will reappear.

Black Mushroom
From: Adria the Witch
Level: 9 or 10
Reward: Spectral Elixir (permanent +3 to all attributes when drunk)
On Level 9 you may find a book called the Fungal Tome. Take this Adria and she
will tell you she needs a black mushroom. Go back to the dungeon and search for
a mushroom patch - click on it to get the black mushroom. Take this back to
Adria, and she will tell you that the healer needs a Demon brain. Somewhere
on Level 9 or 10 youÆll kill a monster and its brain will æpop outÆ. Take this to
Pepin the Healer, and heÆll give you the Spectral Elixir. Take this to Adria, and
sheÆll tell you she doesnÆt need it any more, so you can drink it.

The Butcher
From: Wounded man outside the Church entrance
Level: 2
Reward: The ButcherÆs Cleaver (unique weapon)
The Butcher is not very tough to find - just look for a medium-sized room full of
blood and bodies. Once you open the door heÆll charge out and start hacking at
you. Warriors should be able to beat him face to face, while Sorcerers and Rogues
are best off running for a room with a door and barred windows. Make
sure the Butcher is following, then run in and close the door. The Butcher is too
stupid to open doors, and so you can happily sit and pepper him with arrows or
spells. Alternatively, make for the stairs to the next level, and run behind them.
The Butcher will get stuck at the top of the stairs, and you can fire away.

Chamber of Bone
From: Book in dungeon
Level: 6
Reward: Lots of magic items and the Guardian spell
Look for the stairs leading to the Chamber, which should be on the same level as
the book. Then just pull all the levers, kill all the monsters, and finally read the
book on the pedestal to learn the Guardian spell.

Curse of King Leoric
From: Ogden the Tavern Owner
Level: 3
Reward: Undead crown
The entrance to the Tomb of Leoric should be on the third level. Once inside
there are two rooms to either side, and a barred gate leading to the tomb itself.
The lever in the room to the east opens a secret door leading to some magic items
and books. The lever in the west room opens the gate. Go through until you
see the king (a massive skeleton with a huge sword), and then run back through
into the entrance area. The King can summon skeletons, so you have to deal with
him before killing his minions. DonÆt try fighting him up close, heÆs far too tough
- use the Holy Bolt spell. Once youÆve killed him, mop up the rest of his
followers, and then destroy the crucified skeletons in each corner of the main
tomb to open another secret area with more magical goodies.

Garbad the Weak
From: Garbad the Weak
Level: 4
Reward: Two magic items
Garbad is a ægoatmanÆ, who you canÆt attack or hurt with spells. Click to talk to
him and he will plead with you not to hurt him. He says that if you donÆt hurt him,
he will give you some special items in exchange. Leave him for a while, then go
back and heÆll give you a magic item. Go away again, and then come back and
heÆll say that the new item heÆs made is too powerful for you, and youÆll have to
kill him to get it. Do so (heÆs far from tough).

Halls of the Blind
From: Book in dungeon
Level: 7
Reward: The Optic Amulet (unique amulet)
Somewhere on the same level as the book that gives you the quest should be a
four-room area full of ælurkerÆ monsters - the ones which fight then disappear into
the shadows. Kill them all and search the rooms for the amulet.

Lachdanan
From: Lachdanan
Level: 14
Reward: Veil of Steel (unique helmet)
Lachdanan is a huge knight who may be found on Level 14. Talk to him and he
will ask you to find a golden potion with which he can lift the curse that has
befallen him. The potion should be lying around on Level 15 somewhere. Bring it
back to him to get the Veil.

Magic Rock
From: Griswold the Blacksmith
Level: 5
Reward: The Empyrean Band (unique ring)
Somewhere on the fifth level you should find a large rock sitting on a pedestal,
guarded by a large pack of monsters. Kill all the monsters and get the rock, then
take it to Griswold to get the ring.

OgdenÆs Sign
From: Ogden the Tavern Owner
Level: 4
Reward: Harlequin Crest (unique helmet)
There are two ways to complete this quest. The sign can be found in a chest on
Level 4, in a room with some of the large demon monsters. Once you have it, you
can either take it back to Ogden and get the helmet, or give it to Snotspill, the
Dark One boss guarding the stairs to Level 5. Either way you end up having to
fight Snotspill and his cronies, so giving it to Ogden is the best solution.

Poisoned Water Supply
From: Pepin the Healer
Level: 3
Reward: The Ring of Truth (unique ring)
The entrance to the water supply is on Level 3, and is a large æcrackÆ in the wall of
the dungeon. Once inside the caverns, just kill all the monsters (the yellow-green
water will turn blue again), and return to Pepin for the ring.

Valor
From: Book in dungeon
Level: 5
Reward: ArkaineÆs Valour (unique armour)
Behind the room where you find the book is another room with a bloodstone lying
on the floor and a small altar. Get the stone, then click on the altar. This opens
another room in the same area (look at your automap to see it), containing another
bloodstone. Get this, then click on the altar again. Another room will open. Get
the last bloodstone from here, take it to the altar, and a passage will open up
behind it, leading to the armour.

War Lord of Blood
From: Book in dungeon
Level: 12 or 13
Reward: Inferno (unique sword) plus lots of magical items
The War Lord should be on the same level as the æSteel TomeÆ which gives you
the quest - his room contains the stairs down to the next level. Kill him to
complete the quest.

Zhar the Mad
Level: 8
Reward: Magical item and books or scrolls
Zhar is a wizard who can be found in a library - room on Level 8. When you step
up to him and talk to him, he says heÆs too busy to talk to you and gives you a
magic item. Take everything else in the room, and eventually he will attack you.
Kill him to complete the quest.

And... Diablo
From: Cain the Elder
Level: 16
Reward: Winning the game!
Somewhere on the last level you should find a teleporter to DiabloÆs Lair ╨
getting to it normally requires you to pull several levers. Once there, just kill him
to finish the game and see the ending cinematics. For the big boss of the whole
dungeon, heÆs very easy to kill with just about any method you care to use.


THE SHRINES
Scattered throughout the dungeon you will come across a wide variety of shrines.
Each has a unique effect on you. HereÆs a list of all the shrines, the message they
give, and their effects. For simplicity, this list also includes the various fountains,
pools and other fixtures which have similar effects.

Abandoned Shrine
æThe hands of men are guided by fate.Æ
+2 to your dexterity attribute.

Blood Fountain
Restores lost health at a rate of one point per click - can be used multiple times.

Cauldron
Has the same effect as one other shrine, selected at random.

Creepy Shrine
æStrength is bolstered by heavenly faith.Æ
+2 to your dexterity attribute.

Cryptic Shrine
æArcane power brings destruction.Æ
A Nova spell erupts from the shrine, damaging you, but your mana is completely
replenished.

Divine Shrine
æDrink and be refreshed.Æ
Completely replenishes your health and mana, and gives two full mana, health, or
restoration potions.

Eerie Shrine
æKnowledge and wisdom come at cost of self.Æ
Increases mana and reduces health.

Eldritch Shrine
æCrimson and azure becomes the sun.Æ
All potions of health or mana are turned into equivalent strength restoration
potions.

Enchanted Shrine
æMagic is not what it seems to be.Æ
One random spell loses a level, while all the rest are increased one level.

Fascinating Shrine
æIntensity comes at the cost of wisdom.Æ
Gain two levels of the Firebolt spell at the cost of a permanent reduction in mana
(5 points for Warriors, 7 for Rogues, 10 for Sorcerers).

Fountain of Tears
+1 to one random attribute and -1 to another.

Glimmering Shrine
æMysteries are revealed in the light of wisdom.Æ
All items in your inventory are identified.

Gloomy Shrine
æThose who defend seldom attack.Æ
All armour and shields carried gain +2 armour class, while all weapons lose one
point from their maximum damage.

Goat Shrine
Has the same effect as one other shrine, selected at random.

Hidden Shrine
æNew strength flows from destruction.Æ
One item carried is selected at random, and has its maximum durability reduced
by 10. The maximum durability of all other items is increased by 10.

Holy Shrine
æWherever you go, there you are.Æ
Casts the Phasing spell on you, teleporting you to a nearby spot at random.

Imposing Shrine
æA surge of blood interrupts your thoughts.Æ
Drains some of your mana and replenishes your health.

Magical Shrine
æWhile the spirit is vigilant, the body thrives.Æ
Casts the Mana Shield spell on you.

Murky Pool
Casts the Infravision spell on you.

Mysterious Shrine
æSome grow weaker as one grows strong.Æ
One of your attributes increases by five, while all the others drop by one.

Mystic Shrine
æYour skill increases, but at a price.Æ
Lose all gold carried but one, and gain experience points.

Ornate Shrine
æSalvation comes at the cost of wisdom.Æ
Gain two levels of the Holy Bolt spell at the cost of a permanent reduction in
mana (5 points for Warriors, 7 for Rogues, 10 for Sorcerers).

Purifying Spring
Restores lost mana at a rate of one point per click - can be used multiple times.

Quiet Shrine
æThe essence of life flows from within.Æ
+2 to your vitality attribute.

Religious Shrine
æOnly time can diminish the power of steel.Æ
All items carried are fully repaired.

Sacred Shrine
æEnergy comes at the cost of wisdom.Æ
Gain two levels of the Charged Bolt spell at the cost of a permanent reduction in
mana (see Fascinating Shrine).

Secluded Shrine
æThe way is made clear when viewed from above.Æ
Gives you a full map of the level.

Spiritual Shrine
æRiches abound when least expected.Æ
All empty slots in your inventory are filled with some gold, the amount depending
on the dungeon level.

Spooky Shrine
æWhere avarice fails, patience grows.Æ
Health is fully replenished.

Stone Shrine
æThe power of mana refocused renews.Æ
All staffs carried are fully recharged.

Thaumaturgic Shrine
æEverything that once was open, is now closed.Æ
All opened chests on the level are closed and refilled.

Weird Shrine
æThe sword of justice is swift and sharp.Æ
All edged weapons carried gain +1 to their maximum damage.

THE SPELLS
Although the Diablo manual details some of the more common spells available,
itÆs far from comprehensive. As you progress through the game you will come
across far more powerful (and useful) magic. Here are all the spells available in
the single-player game, arranged in alphabetical order. Some of these are very
hard to find, and because of the random level design, you may not find them all in
a single game. All of these spells increase in effect as you learn them to higher
levels.  Apocalypse: The most powerful spell in the game, Apocalypse is very rare
and requires a very high Magic attribute to learn or use. Casting it will engulf all
monsters on the screen in exploding balls of fire, inflicting heavy damage.

Bloodstar: This is the spell used by the Witches found in the Hell levels of the
dungeon. It casts a ball of red energy at the target, and will affect monsters
immune to fire or lightning. Unfortunately, Bloodstar costs health as well as mana
to cast.

Bone Spirit: Summons a ghostly being that zooms at the target and removes 1/3 of
its hit points. Like the Elemental spell, the Bone Spirit can turn once in flight to
track its target. Like Bloodstar, it costs health as well as mana to cast.

Chain Lightning: One of the best æroom clearingÆ spells in the game, Chain
Lightning casts multiple bolts of electrical energy at groups of creatures, and
inflicts very heavy damage.

Charged Bolt: Creates a number of small bolts of lightning which spread out,
bouncing off walls and damaging any monster hit. As the spellÆs level increases,
more bolts are formed and they last longer.

Elemental: Summons a fire elemental which charges the target and explodes,
doing a lot of damage. The elemental can turn once as it charges, homing in on its
target.

Fireball: When cast, Fireball appears to be a normal Firebolt, but upon hitting the
target it explodes, damaging anything in the surrounding eight squares.

Firebolt: The basic damage spell, Firebolt is the standby spell for all Sorcerers.
Although it only affects one target, at higher levels it does a lot of damage, is fast
to use, and costs very little mana.

Firewall: Summons a wall of fire that will damage anything passing through or
standing in it, and lasts for a variable amount of time based on the spell level.

Flame Wave: Summons a wall of fire similar to Firewall, which then moves away
from you in the direction you cast it. Although not as damaging as the Firewall
spell, it can mow down a room full of smaller monsters with ease.

Flash: An electricity-based spell that damages any monsters in the eight squares
next to you. Just the thing if you get surrounded by monsters.

Golem: One of the neatest spells in the game, Golem summons a creature of stone
to fight for you. The golem will attack any monsters it finds, and lasts until you
leave the level or itÆs destroyed. The golem is fairly intelligent, and will wander
off in search of monsters when all nearby ones are killed.

Guardian: Another very handy æindependentÆ spell, Guardian summons a three-
headed dragon in the target square, which will spit fireballs at any monsters near
to it. Can be used to block doorways, or cast into the centre of a group of
monsters.

Healing: No surprises here. Nonetheless, Healing is a very, very useful spell to
have.

Holy Bolt: Casts a ball of energy at the target, which will only damage undead
monsters (skeletons and zombies). By far the best way to deal with the Skeleton
King.

Identify: Casting Identify automatically opens your inventory screen, allowing
you to select a magical item to be, well, identified. Cheaper than paying the old
bloke to tell you what youÆve found, and allows you to make use of magical items
immediately - they have no effect until identified.

Inferno: A jet of flame shoots out in the direction chosen, damaging any monsters
caught in it. The length of the jet increases as the spell level rises.

Infravision: While the Infravision spell lasts, any monsters on screen but outside
your line of sight and ælight radiusÆ will be highlighted red. Useful for seeing how
many monsters are behind a door, or targeting creatures you canÆt æseeÆ.

Lightning: A great attack spell, Lightning throws a bolt of electricity at the target,
which will damage the target but then continue in a straight line, hitting anything
in front or behind of the monster you cast it on. Great for using in doorways.

Mana Shield: For as long as the Mana Shield spell lasts (as signified by the
golden globe above your characterÆs head), any damage done will be taken from
your mana instead of your health. Not much use for Warriors, but Sorcerers, with
their high manas, can effectively double or triple the amount of damage they
can take before dying.

Nova: Another great electricity spell, which forms an expanding ring or lightning
centred on your character. Like the Lightning spell, the ring will damage monsters
and continue through them, only stopping when it hits a wall.

Phasing: Casting this spell will randomly teleport you about half a screen away.
Not the most useful of spells, but it can get you out of a sticky situation fast.

Sentinel: Similar to the Guardian spell, Sentinel summons a floating eye which
will cast bolts of fire at any monsters near to it.

Stone Curse: The best spell for taking on big, tough monsters, Stone Curse turns
its target to stone for a few seconds, freezing it in place. The petrified monster is
very fragile, and will shatter after only a few hits.

Telekinesis: This spell can be used to open chests from a distance, or can be cast
on monsters to push them back a short distance. Not a very useful spell, if the
truth be told.

Teleport: Casting this spell will teleport you to the spot you target, allowing you
to move through walls, and traverse a level at great speed.

Town Portal: One of the most time-saving spells in the game. This creates a
shining blue door at the target square. Walking through this door teleports you to
the town, and will teleport you back to the same spot in the dungeon when youÆve
finished buying, selling, and repairing items.