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Act I Walk-through
Diablo II's single- and multiplayer adventure begins in the rogue encampment.
Kashya's rogue scouts currently patrol the surrounding wilderness and have
encountered an evil rising from the ashes. In Act I, you'll explore the area
surrounding the rogue encampment.
Your journey takes you into the rogue burial grounds to defeat Blood Raven and
to
ruined Tristram to rescue the wise Horadrim sage, Deckard Cain. Your (and your
party if applicable) quests eventually take you into the catacombs to face an
evil known as Andariel, whose presence could signal the return of Diablo.
The rogue encampment, like other future towns, contains several nonplayer
characters that both offer quests and assist with weapons, armor, healing items,
and repair. In the rogue encampment you'll find:
Akara: Speak with Akara upon each return to the rogue encampment to instantly
regenerate your health and mana points. Akara also offers trade in healing
potions, scrolls, and magical staffs and wands.
Kashya: The leader of the rogues offers the Blood Raven quest. Complete this
quest, and Kashya provides a free rogue mercenary; further, you can spend gold
to
hire other rogues as needed.
Charsi: The blacksmith offers weapons and armor for buying and selling. You'll
also find a selection of magical items. Charsi also serves an important role,
especially to Barbarians - Charsi repairs damaged weapons and armor for a gold
fee.
Gheed: Find Gheed for a secondary source of weapons, armor, and magical items.
Also, players can gamble with Gheed on magical items, which will either be
magical, rare, unique or set items.
Warriv: Once you complete the sixth quest in Act I, Warriv will transport you
east into Act II.
Deckard Cain: You can choose to rescue Deckard Cain in the third quest of Act I.
If you rescue Cain, he'll identify items for free (for the remainder of the
game). If you skip quest three, Cain will automatically be rescued once the
sixth
quest is activated, and he'll charge for item identification.
Act I, Quest I Log Entry #2: Kill all the monsters in the den.
As soon as you enter the den of evil, you're provided with your next objective
in
the quest log. Just as Akara said, it's time to rid the den of the massing evil
creatures. Explore the den, a single-level dungeon, and eliminate all the
creatures inside.
Act I, Quest I Log Entry #3: Monsters remaining: 5
Your quest log will update you once you're nearing completion of the den of evil
quest. Once five monsters remain inside the den of evil, a quest entry
notification appears on the screen. Your quest log will continue to count down
until there's one monster remaining. Expect to encounter a few unique and
champion creatures inside the den. Be prepared for a tough fight if you decide
to
proceed into the den before taking time to gain experience, levels, skills, and
equipment.
NOTE:
Sometime during your exploration of Act I, you'll encounter your first
"Champion"
monster; these enhanced versions of standard monsters typically travel in small
packs (with other similar type champions). The champion attribute provides
several modifies to the standard monster - these include double minimum and
maximum damage, double to hit, 20 percent increased velocity, 120 percent
increased attack rate, six times hit points, level plus four, and experience
points times three.
UNIQUE MONSTER: Inside the den of evil, you'll find Corpsefire, a unique monster
with a spectral hit attack. Spectral hit provides 20 percent elemental
resistances to the unique monster, plus the monster's damage includes a random
elemental attack in addition to standard damage. Corpsefire also has double
chance to hit and is quite durable - expect quite a battle!
Act I, Quest I Log Entry #4: Return to Akara for a reward.
The lighting inside the den changes once the final monster is eliminated. Your
quest log indicates a new objective - head back to Akara to receive your reward
for completing the den of evil quest. Exit the den of evil and return to the
rogue encampment. Alternatively, you could use a town portal scroll, but you're
so close to town it's wiser to save the scroll.
Act I, Quest I Completed from Akara
"You have cleansed the Den of Evil. You've earned my trust and may yet restore
my
faith in humanity. Your reward is training in the skill of your choice."
Act I, Quest I Reward
Follow your quest log and return to the rogue encampment to speak with Akara
once
you have eliminated all the monsters in the den of evil. Akara provides a
significant reward for completing the first quest - Akara rewards the player
with
a bonus skill point. It's one of a very few opportunities to gain an additional
skill point (other than the one you gain from leveling up), so honor the reward
with a wise skill selection or enhancement!
TIP:
In a multiplayer game, the +1 skill point award is given to all players who
complete the quest - which are all players (and party members) who were in the
den when the last monster was killed. Keep in mind, however, that players cannot
receive the +1 skill award multiple times.
Act I, Quest II: Sisters' Burial Grounds
Activate Diablo II's second quest, sisters burial grounds, by speaking with
Kashya in the rogue encampment after completing the den of evil quest.
Alternatively, you can explore the wilderness around the rogue encampment and
discover the burial grounds area just off the cold plains. Discover the cemetery
here to activate the sisters' burial grounds quest.
Act I, Quest II Objective from Kashya
"My rogue scouts have reported an abomination in the Monastery graveyard!
Apparently, Andariel is not content on taking only our living. Blood Raven, one
of our finest captains in the battle against Diablo at Tristram, was also one of
the first corrupted by Andariel. Now, you'll find her in the Monastery graveyard
raising our dead as zombies! We cannot abide this defilement! If you truly our
ally you will help us destroy her!"
Act I, Quest II Location
Blood Raven can be found in the cemetery amongst a horde of undead skeletons and
zombie creatures. The cemetery is located in the burial grounds, which can be
found by following the maps from the rogue encampment to the blood moor to the
cold plains and finally to the burial grounds. You'll know you're close to Blood
Raven when you hear her distinct taunt.
UNIQUE MONSTER: Search the cold plains for Bishibosh, a fire-enchanted unique
monster with magic resistance. Magic resistance gives Bishibosh 75 percent
resistance to elemental attacks. Fire enchanted gives Bishibosh 75 percent
resistance to fire damage, double to hit chance, and additional fire damage.
Recommended Level to Complete Act I, Quest II
Blood Raven offers a significant challenge. Not only is she fast and tough with
her arrow and flame arrow attacks, but she continues to summon undead skeletons
and zombies to protect her. Before heading into the burial grounds' cemetery, an
area overflowing with undead creatures, take time to explore the cold plains
(and
perhaps even the stony field) thoroughly to gain experience, levels, skills, and
equipment. You should strive to be around level 4 or 5 before taking on Blood
Raven.
TIP:
Clubs and maces offer 150 percent damage against undead creatures, which could
prove useful in the fight against the skeleton, zombie, and hungry dead in the
cemetery.
Act I Bestiary: One of the tougher Act I beasts you'll encounter are in
the "Wendigo" class. These lumbering beasts, the brute, gargantuan beast, and
yeti, are durable (especially the brute and yeti). Furthermore, the yeti
possesses 20 percent resistance to cold.
Act I, Quest II Log Entry #1: Look for the Blood Raven in the burial grounds
next
to the cold plains.
If you receive the quest from Kashya, you're told to explore the cold plains and
search for the entrance to the burial grounds. The cold plains lead to both the
burial grounds and the stony field area. Though not necessary, it's possible to
explore the stony field and gain additional experience, levels, and items for
your battle in the burial grounds. The creatures found in the stony field
provide
quite a challenge, however; be prepared if you decide to bypass the burial
grounds for the dangers that lie beyond!
NOTE:
Blood Raven possesses 50 percent resistance to magic, cold, fire, lightning, and
poison.
You'll find Blood Raven near the center of the burial grounds, likely surrounded
by many skeletons, zombies, and hungry dead. Maces and clubs could help against
the undead-heavy force, but you must still deal with Blood Raven, who's very
quick and retreats often to attack with ranged weapons. Blood Raven also raises
additional undead creatures; keep that in mind if you leave her alone to amass
stronger undead protection. A weak Sorceress will likely have the toughest time
with Blood Raven; it's difficult to deal with her ranged attack. Hit and run and
heal as necessary. Get a clean shot on Blood Raven with your spells and avoid
the
undead as much as possible. Combat-oriented classes should have a less difficult
time, as you can get inside her ranged attacks and confront her head-on.
UNIQUE MONSTER: Search the optional dungeon, the crypt, inside the burial
grounds
for Bonebreaker, who's extra strong and possesses magic resistance. Extra strong
increases minimum and maximum damage three-fold and adds 25 percent damage to
each hit. Bonebreaker's magic resistance gives him a 75 percent resistance to
elemental attacks.
TIP:
When you defeat Blood Raven, the resulting lightning effects destroy all the
monsters in the cemetery. If you want to receive additional experience, fight
the
undead creatures first, then deal with Blood Raven. Zombies and hungry dead are
quite durable and could be tough if you're a low-level character. Should you
choose not to deal with the undead, defeat Blood Raven as soon as possible to
clear out the cemetery.
Act I, Quest II Log Entry #3: Return to Kashya for a reward.
Defeating Blood Raven triggers her death animation (with lightning effects) that
clears out remaining undead monsters in the cemetery. Return to the rogue
encampment and speak with Kashya, who initially gave you the quest. Use a town
portal scroll if you wish, but be sure to replenish your supply; town portal
scrolls are essential in times of extreme danger.
Act I, Quest II Completed Message from Kashya
"I can hardly believe you defeated Blood Raven! Though she was once my closest
friend, I pray that her tortured spirit remains banished forever. You have
earned
my respect, stranger...and the allegiance of the rogues. I have placed several
of
my best warriors at your disposal."
Act I Bestiary: You may encounter tiny spike fiends, which include the razor
spine, thorn beast, and the quill rat, scattered around the Act I landscape.
There's nothing extraordinary about the critters, though some launch the painful
quills as a ranged weapon. Scan the screen and spot when quills are striking you
from offscreen. Seek out the offending spike fiend and eliminate him and its
friends!
Act I, Quest II Rewards
After you return to the rogue encampment and speak with Kashya, the Hire choice
is added to her dialogue menu. For acts I, II, and III, you can hire mercenaries
from Kashya. Additionally, Kashya provides you with a free mercenary to use
immediately. For multiplayer, all players who were in the cemetery when Blood
Raven was killed receive the award upon returning to Kashya.
Act I, Quest III: The Search for Cain
To activate Diablo II's third quest in Act I, you must complete the sisters'
burial ground quest and return to the rogue encampment and speak with Akara.
Act I Bestiary: Fallen and carvers crowd the wilderness surrounding the rogue
encampment. Though the small demonic creatures aren't especially tough, they're
usually accompanied by a shaman, which possesses a fire attack and the ability
to
raise dead fallen or carvers. If you notice fallen or carvers being resurrected,
scout around quickly for the shaman and eliminate it. You don't receive extra
experience for killing raised fallen or carvers (and their similar relatives
later in Act I); raised creatures are just troublesome. Eliminate the shaman
quickly to reduce the extra work.
Act I, Quest III Objective from Akara
"It is clear that we are facing an Evil difficult to comprehend, let alone
combat. There is only one Horadrim Sage, schooled in the most arcane history and
lore, who could help us...his name is Deckard Cain. You must travel to Tristram,
I pray that he still lives. Tristram is too far to journey by foot... Cain would
likely be dead when you arrived. However, there is a magical portal that will
take you there instantly. To open it, one must stand within the circle of Cairn
Stones and touch them in a certain order. The proper order can be found in the
runes written on the bark of the Tree of Inifuss. You must find the sacred Tree
of Inifuss and bring back its bark. I will translate the runes to unlock the
Stones' mystic pattern."
UNIQUE MONSTER: Search the stony field for Rakanishu, who's lightning enchanted
and extra fast. Extra fast doubles attack rate, and lightning enchanted supplies
lightning damage while making Rakanishu 75 percent more resistant to lightning
attack. Lightning damage is extremely powerful, especially this early in the
game
(if this is your first play through). Don't venture into the stony field and
face
off against Rakanishu unless you're well-prepared! He's not alone either; he's
surrounded by other fallen shamen and a host of pesky fallen.
Act I, Quest III Location
The third quest in the Act I is divided into several segments, each located in a
different area of the wilderness. Your first goal is to locate the Tree of
Inifuss to recover the bark scroll, which contains the runes that reveal the
correct order of cairn stones to open the portal to Tristram. The Tree of
Inifuss
is found in the dark wood. From the rogue encampment, head into the blood moor,
then the cold plains, into the stony field, into the underground passage (levels
1 and 2) and into the dark wood. The cairn stones can be found in the stony
field.
TIP:
Explore the burial grounds, central to the sisters' burial grounds quest and
explore the crypt and mausoleum. Though the areas aren't essential to complete
quests, you will find plenty of creatures to gain experience and chests to
accumulate gold and equipment.
Recommended Level to Complete Act I, Quest III
The underground passage and dark wood are dangerous areas in Act I. Take time to
gain experience, levels, skills, and equipment before diving headfirst into this
long, tough quest. Spend time in the optional dungeons (crypt and mausoleum in
the burial grounds and the cave in the stony field) to advance levels and gain
more powerful equipment. Ideally, you should be level 6 or 7 before venturing
into Tristram to free Deckard Cain.
UNIQUE MONSTER: Explore the optional dungeon, the cave, inside the stony field
for a unique beast, the cold enchanted ranger Coldcrow. Cold enchantment
supplies
Coldcrow with cold damage (in addition to standard damage), a 75 percent
resistance to cold attack, double chance to hit, and a +20 freeze duration.
Act I, Quest III Log Entry #1: Go through the underground passage to the dark
wood, search for the Tree of Inifuss, and recover the scroll.
Once you receive the quest from Akara (you must complete the sisters' burial
grounds quest first), head out of the rogue encampment into the blood moor.
Follow the blood moor and locate the entrance to the cold plains. The cold
plains
can take you to the burial grounds or the stony field - head into the stony
field. It's possible that you'll spot the cairn stones on your travels; to
discover the correct sequence of the stones, you need the bark scroll off the
Tree of Inifuss. You may also spot the moldy tome in the stony field - it
activates the fourth quest in Act I. Once you are in the stony field, look for
the entrance to the underground passage, level 1, positioned against the outer
wall.
TIP:
The wilderness surrounding the rogue encampment can be a confusing place. If
you're having trouble locating the important quest landmarks, find the path, or
road, and remain on it, following it to its destination. Most of the landmarks
in
Act I can be found near or at the end of the roads.
Follow the underground passage through two subterranean levels. Exit the tunnel
into the dark wood. Search the dark wood for an unusual tree, which will be
clearly marked on the automap; it's the Tree of Inifuss, which Akara revealed
contains the cairn stones runes that can open the portal into Tristram. Once you
locate the tree, click on it and grab the dropped bark scroll. Place the scroll
into your inventory.
Act I Bestiary: Corrupt rogues litter the landscape surrounding the rogue
encampment. The corrupt rogues appear in many formats (hunter, lancer, and
archer - depending on the weapon held - prefixed each with black, dark, or vile)
and resemble the tough Act I possess Blood Raven and The Countess. Alone the
corrupt rogues aren't too tough, but they're often in groups - further, the
archers are often supporting the hunter and lancer melee rogues! Lure the hunter
and lancers away from the ranged attackers if possible.
Act I, Quest III Log Entry #2: Take the scroll of Inifuss to Akara.
With the bark scroll in hand, it's time to return to the rogue encampment and
show the scroll to Akara. You're fairly far from town, so it's much more likely
that you'll want to use a shortcut, either a town portal scroll or a waypoint.
Since your next destination (after the rogue encampment) is the stony field, a
town portal won't be as cost effective as simply finding the waypoint. If you
are
healthy enough (and have health potions available), consider exploring dark wood
to locate the waypoint and defeat the native creatures. Tristram is tough; the
higher your level and the better your equipment, the easier your journey to
Tristram will be.
UNIQUE MONSTER: In the dark wood, you'll encounter Treehead Woodfist, an extra
fast and extra strong unique monster. Extra fast doubles Treehead's (and its
minions) attack rate, while extra strong increases damage and to-hit percentage
by 25.
The bark scroll is useless until you return and show it to Akara. Once inside
the
rogue encampment, approach Akara and speak with her. Akara translates the runes
and returns the scroll to you. Right-click on it to read the correct sequence of
cairn stones to open the portal to Tristram.
Act I, Quest III Log Entry #3: Go to the cairn stones in the stony field.
Touch the stones in the order found on the scroll. Enter the portal to Tristram,
but beware the danger that lies ahead.
Once you return the bark scroll to Akara, you have the information required to
activate the portal to Tristram. Locate the cairn stones formation, positioned
in
the stony field. Open your inventory while standing near the cairn stones.
Right-
click on the bark scroll to watch the correct sequence of stones. Click on the
cairn atones in the correct order to open a portal to Tristram. Should you enter
the incorrect sequence, the portal will not be opened. Start over again and
complete the full, correct sequence to open the portal.
Act I, Quest III Log Entry #4: Find and rescue Deckard Cain.
Tristram is deadly - be prepared! Search Tristram to locate Cain's gibbet near
the monster-infested center. Deckard Cain is currently kept in a hanging cage.
Defeat the monsters surrounding the cage and touch the cage to release the
Horadrim sage. Once Cain is rescued, a town portal opens to the rogue
encampment.
Follow Cain or remain and finish off the tough monsters crowding Tristram.
TIP:
The third quest in Act I, the search for Cain, isn't necessary to complete in
your eventual goal to advance to Act II. However, there are some important
consequences if you choose not to rescue Deckard Cain yourself. If you choose
not
to rescue Cain, rogues automatically rescue him when quest six is activated.
Should rogues rescue him, Deckard Cain will charge you to identify items in the
remainder of the Act I and all of acts II, III, and IV. If you do rescue Cain,
though, he'll identify items for free. There's no need to rush through Act I -
take the time to rescue Cain and reap the rewards of free item identification!
UNIQUE MONSTER: You'll find cursed Griswold defending Deckard Cain's cage in
Tristram.
Act I, Quest III Log Entry #5: Visit Cain and Akara in the rogue encampment.
Rescuing Deckard Cain opens a town portal to the rogue encampment. Follow Cain
into the portal to return to town. Locate Cain in the rogue encampment and speak
with him to learn his story.
Cain reveals "our greatest fears," that Diablo has once again been set loose
upon
the world. Diablo was slain beneath Tristram, and although there was a great
celebration for the hero who slew the lord of terror, the hero became
increasingly depressed and eventually quite disturbed and tormented. Eventually,
the hero simply left; shortly thereafter, Tristram was attacked by demons. Cain
theorizes that Diablo has taken possession of the hero who sought to slay him,
which, if true, would make Diablo more powerful than ever before.
After speaking with Cain, locate Akara and initiate conversation to receive your
reward for rescuing the Horadrim sage.
Act I, Quest III Rewards
Completing the search for Cain grants both immediate and long-term rewards.
Speak
with Akara and receive a magic ring. Rescuing Deckard Cain also means he won't
charge the player to identify magic items for the remainder of the game. Simply
return to town (via town portal, waypoint, or walking) and locate Deckard Cain.
Speak with him and select Identify Items, and he'll identify all items in your
inventory at no cost. Fail to complete the search for Cain quest by the time the
sixth quest in Act I is activated means that Deckard Cain will charge for item
identification for the remainder of the game.
Act I, Quest IV: The Forgotten Tower
To activate the fourth quest in Act I, locate the moldy tome, which you'll find
in the stony field. The moldy tome appears on the automap, appearing like a
smaller version of its real self on the game screen. Scout the stony field and
locate the moldy tome. The quest is activated as soon as you click on the moldy
tome and read its contents. You can also activate the quest by locating the
entrance to the forgotten tower, found in the black marsh.
Act I, Quest IV Objective from the Moldy Tome
"...And so it came to pass that the Countess, who once bathed in the
rejuvenating
blood of a hundred virgins, was burned alive. And the castle in which so many
cruel deeds took place feel rapidly to ruin. Rising over the buried dungeons in
that god-forsaken wilderness, a solitary tower, like some monument to Evil, is
all that remains. The Countess' fortune was believed to be divided among the
clergy, although some say that more remains unfound, still buried alongside the
rotting skulls that bear mute witness to the inhumanity of the human creature."
Act I, Quest IV Location
You'll find the moldy tome, which activates the quest, in the stony field. The
tower entrance, which can also activate the quest, is located in the black
marsh.
To reach the black marsh from the rogue encampment, head into the blood moor,
then the cold plains, then the stony field (where the moldy tome is located),
through the underground passages, into the dark wood, and finally into the black
marsh. Naturally, your journey can be shortened considerably by activating the
waypoints, particularly the one in the dark wood during your search for the Tree
of Inifuss. Finally, your eventual target, the Countess, is found inside the
tower cellar, level 5.
Recommended Level to Complete Act I, Quest IV
Five dungeon levels inside the forgotten tower provide quite a challenge,
especially considering your nearest waypoint lies back in the black marsh.
Unless
you're prepared to use many town portal scrolls, advance to around level 8 or 9
before venturing inside the forgotten tower. The tower cellar levels provide a
lot of area to spend eliminating monsters and gaining experience. Don't rush
through the tower; take the time to eliminate as many creatures as possible to
gain as much experience, levels, and equipment as possible.
Act I, Quest IV Log Entry #1: Look for the tower in the black marsh beyond the
dark wood.
After activating the quest in the stony field by reading the moldy tome, use the
waypoints to return to the dark wood (if you activated the waypoint during the
search for Cain quest). Once in the dark wood, locate the path into the black
marsh and find the forgotten tower entrance along the rocky boundary.
Alternatively, you can simply follow the path from the stony field into the
black
marsh; from the stony field, head into the underground passage, emerge in the
dark wood, and enter the black marsh.
Once inside the forgotten tower, explore the dungeon cellar levels and continue
to descend until you reach the bottom floor, level 5. Don't rush through the
tower; take time to acquire experience points and advance levels before your
confrontation with the Countess. Backtracking out of the tower cellar levels can
be fairly time consuming, so be prepared to use town portal scrolls to return to
town for healing (speak with Akara), identifying new items (speak with Deckard
Cain, if you completed quest three), trading found items for gold, and
purchasing
new weapons, armors, potions, and scrolls.
Act I, Quest IV Log Entry #2: Dispose of the evil Countess.
As soon as you enter level 5 of the tower cellar dungeon, you receive a new
entry
in your quest log: Eliminate the Countess. The Countess is a powerful unique
dark
hunter and located in a dead-end room of the fifth tower cellar level. Behind
the
Countess lies a special chest activated as soon as you eliminate the evil dark
hunter. Attempt to lure out the beasts protecting the Countess before
confronting
her. The Countess' close-range fire attacks are deadly; if you're not equipped
with range or spell weaponry, prepare to use hit and run attacks to stay alive
and healthy.
UNIQUE MONSTER: The Countess is fire enchanted, giving her fire damage and a 75
percent resistance to fire attacks.
Completing the fourth quest in Act I isn't necessary to advance into Act II, but
with five levels of tower cellar to explore, you'd miss out on an enormous
amount
of experience and potential equipment. Bypassing quests such as "The Forgotten
Tower" could make completing Act I more difficult because you won't be powerful
enough to take on the first act's final boss, Andariel. Further, to activate
quest five, you must complete "The Forgotten Tower".
Act I, Quest IV Reward
Though you won't receive any rewards in the rogue encampment for defeating the
Countess, a special chest, located in the tower room which houses the Countess,
activates upon the Countess' death offering a wealth of reward.
Act I Bestiary: Beware of the ghosts and wraiths in Act I; these spectral beasts
can drain mana with hits, potentially deadly to a mana-dependent character such
as the sorceress. Ghosts and wraiths are damage resistant (20 and 30 percent
respectively), magical resistant (20 and 30 percent respectively) and poison
resistant (both 50 percent).
Act I, Quest V: Tools of the Trade
To activate the fifth quest in Act I, speak with Charsi, the blacksmith, in the
rogue encampment. You must have completed quest four, the forgotten tower, to
activate the fifth quest.
Act I, Quest V Objective from Charsi
"When I fled the Monastery, I left behind my Horadric Malus, an enchanted
smithing hammer. If you retrieve it for me, I will use its magic to strengthen
your equipment."
Act I, Quest V Location
Completing this quest is quite an undertaking and takes you far from the rogue
encampment into the wilderness and finally into the monastery and its barracks.
To reach the monastery, you must first return to the black marsh. If you've
previously activated the waypoints in the black marsh or dark wood, which is
positioned just adjacent to the black marsh, use the waypoint system to
instantly
travel from the rogue encampment into the black marsh. Should you need to make
the journey on foot, head from the rogue encampment into the blood moor, to the
cold plains, the stony field, through the underground passage, into the dark
wood, and finally the black marsh. From the black marsh, locate the entrance
into
the Tamoe highland then into the monastery gate, the outer cloister, and finally
the barracks. You'll find the Horadric malus protected by the Smith in the
barracks.
Recommended Level to Complete Act I, Quest V
Recovering the Horadric malus is a long, difficult journey that takes you
through
several dangerous new areas, the Tamoe highlands, monastery gate, outer
cloister,
and barracks. Activate the waypoint in the outer cloister to make a return to
the
rogue encampment (for healing, identifying items, or buying and selling items)
much easier. Otherwise, be prepared with town portal scrolls in case the danger
becomes too great. Ideally, you should strive to be between level 10 and 12
before taking the journey into the monastery.
NOTE:
The tools of the trade quest will only be activated if your character is level 8
or higher. Though you could possibly complete the quest at level 8, recovering
the Horadric malus will prove quite difficult.
Act I, Quest V Log Entry #1: Look for the Horadric malus in the monastery
barracks. Beware of the Smith that guards it.
Make the journey into the monastery, which lies adjacent to the Tamoe highlands.
Use the waypoint system to journey from the rogue encampment into the black
marsh. From there, proceed into the Tamoe highlands, through the monastery gate,
and into the outer cloister. Locate the waypoint in the outer cloister before
proceeding into the barracks; that way, you can retreat out of the barracks and
use the waypoint to return to the rogue encampment without using town portal
scrolls. Alternatively, just stock up on town portal scrolls and use them once
inside the barracks to prepare for your battle against the Smith.
UNIQUE MONSTER: The intimidating Smith protects the Horadric malus. The Smith is
extra strong, giving him additional damage and to hit-percentage.
The Smith protects the forge setpiece that contains Charsi's Horadric malus. The
Smith, a large unique monster, is classified as extra strong, making him quite
durable to your weaponry. His size and strength make him a bit sluggish,
however;
your best option is to use hit-and-run (or ranged, as the case may be) attacks
against him. Trying to stand in toe to toe will prove quite difficult because of
the Smith's durability. As you should against any unique boss monster, attempt
to
clear out the area of lower beasts and minions before tackling the tough boss.
Once you take down the Smith, locate the forge behind his starting location and
grab the Horadric malus. Make sure you have the inventory slots available to
hold
the hammer weapon.
Act I, Quest V Log Entry #2: Return the Horadric malus to Charsi.
After defeating the Smith, you can recover the Horadric malus from the forge.
Use
a town portal scroll to head back into the rogue encampment and speak with
Charsi. Alternatively, use the waypoint in the outer cloister to instantly
travel
back into the rogue encampment.
Act I, Quest V Log Entry #3: Charsi will imbue an item with magical power.
Returning the Horadric malus to Charsi activates the final entry in the fifth's
quest log. Charsi tells you, "Oh, thanks so much for returning the Horadric
Malus. I will now imbue one of your items with magical power." Speak with Charsi
and carefully select one of your items to receive magical abilities. Naturally,
you should choose something useful to your current character. For instance, if
you're a Barbarian using skill points in sword mastery, you should imbue a
sword.
Or, if you're an Amazon concentrating on bow and crossbow skills over javelin
and
spear skills, you should select a bow or crossbow to imbue.
Act I, Quest V Reward
Upon returning the Horadric malus to Charsi, she will add magical abilities to
one item, which could include a weapon, shield, gloves, boots, armor, or helmet.
You can't imbue unique, rare, set, thrown, or jewelry items. In multiplayer
games, everyone in the party when the Horadric malus is returned receives the
reward.
Act I Bestiary: You'll find Goatmen scattered around Act I - moon clan, night
clan, and blood clan. Expect quite a fight as each carries double-digit hit-
points and they're frequently in groups.
TIP:
It's not mandatory to return the Horadric malus to Charsi or receive the reward.
In fact, you can hold onto the Horadric malus and your reward until a later act
where you would have access to bigger and more powerful weapons, armor, and
items. Certainly choosing to receive the reward and imbue the item now will make
the battle against Andariel, which completes the sixth quest and Act I,
potentially easier.
Act I, Quest VI: Sisters to the Slaughter
Activate the sixth quest in Act I by speaking with Deckard Cain, who will appear
in the rogue encampment if you rescue him from Tristram in the third quest or by
the rogues once you complete the other quests.
Act I, Quest VI Objective from Cain
"It is certain that we face the demon queen Andariel, who has corrupted the
rogue
sisterhood and defiled their ancestral monastery. This does not bode well for
us,
my friend. Ancient Horadric texts record that Andariel and the other lesser
evils
once overthrew the three prime evils, Diablo, Mephisto, and Baal banishing them
from Hell to our world. Here, they caused mankind untold anguish and suffering
before they were finally bound within the soulstones. Andariel's presence here
could mean that the forces of Hell are once again aligned behind Diablo and his
brothers. If this is true, then I fear for us all. You must kill her before the
Monastery becomes a permanent outpost of hell and the way east lost forever."
Act I, Quest VI Location
Andariel can be found deep inside the cathedral catacombs beyond the monastery.
It's a long journey from the rogue encampment (and even from the monastery
barracks), but one that should prepare you well for Andariel - the long journey
lets you gain experience and advance levels to give you a fighting chance
against
the powerful Act I boss.
UNIQUE MONSTER: On the first level of the jail (enter through the barracks),
you'll find Pitspawn Fouldog, a cursed, cold-enchanted unique tainted. With a 75
percent resistance to cold attacks, don't expect cold-enchanted weapons to have
much effect on Pitspawn. The unique tainted can also dish out heavy cold damage;
prepare to take countermeasures if you're frozen, either with a thawing potion
or
simply retreating!
To reach Andariel, you must first return to the monastery. Use the waypoint
system to return to the outer cloister, positioned between the barracks and
monastery gate. Head into the barracks and venture through the jail (three
levels), into the inner cloister (a waypoint's located here), through the
cathedral, and into the catacombs (four levels). Andariel can be found on the
fourth level of the catacombs.
The full journey from the rogue encampment to Andariel is as follows: Rogue
Encampment to the blood moor to the cold plains to the stony plain to the
underground passages (two levels) to the dark wood to the black marsh to the
Tamoe highlands to the monastery gate to the outer cloister to the barracks to
the jail (three levels) to the inner cloister to the cathedral to the catacombs
(four levels).
Recommended Level to Complete Act I, Quest VI
Andariel is extremely powerful and certainly the toughest foe you have faced
thus
far. Since the journey to Andariel takes you through many areas and dungeons,
you
should have plenty of opportunity to improve your character's experience, level,
skills, and equipment. You should ideally be around level 15 before facing off
against the powerful Act I boss. Consider exploring any areas you have
overlooked
thus far, such as the optional dungeons in the stony field (the cave) and the
burial grounds (the crypt and mausoleum) before venturing into the barracks.
Naturally, advancing additional levels could potentially make the battle even
easier as long as you have adequate weapons, armor, and useful skills.
UNIQUE MONSTER: Search for Flame Spike the Crawler inside the inner cloister.
Flame Spike's cursed and fire enchanted, giving him a 75 percent resistance to
fire attack as well as bonuses to fire damage.
Act I, Quest VI Log Entry #1: Find Andariel's Lair in the depths of the
monastery
catacombs.
Activate the quest from Deckard Cain, then use the waypoint system to travel
from
the rogue encampment to as far as possible. If you completed the previous
quests,
you should have activated the waypoints in either the black marsh or the outer
cloister. Follow the maps from either into the monastery and its barracks. Work
your way through the crowded jail and catacombs levels until you reach the
fourth
level of the catacombs, where you'll find Andariel's lair.
Act I, Quest VI Log Entry #2: Kill Andariel.
As soon as you reach the fourth level of the catacombs, a new entry appears in
your quest log - Andariel is nearby, and it's your duty to eliminate the
abomination and clear the path east into the second act of Diablo II. When you
reach the fourth level of the catacombs, consider using a town portal scroll to
return to the rogue encampment to replenish your health, mana, and healing
potions. You should also prepare yourself for the battle with Andariel by
improving your weapons and armor.
UNIQUE MONSTER: Though the cathedral area is somewhat short, you'll still face
off against a tough beast. Search for the unique monster Bone Ash, who's cold
enchanted, extra strong, and carries magic resistance. The combination creates
quite a monster! Don't expect elemental attack to have much effect. If you're
relying on such attacks, be prepare to hit and run with abandon. Should you go
toe-to-toe with a melee attack, carry plenty of healing potions and retreat
occasionally to replenish your health and mana and to wait out a frozen state.
Andariel implements a poison attack, so it's possible to improve your odds by
using pieces of armor that carries a resistance to poison. Also, any items that
reduce the duration of poison effects can also help alleviate the damaging
results of Andariel's attacks.
Andariel isn't immune to anything specific, so all attacks will be effective.
It's defending yourself against her aggression that is often the problem. Make
sure you're well-stocked with healing potions; if you're heavily dependent on
mana, take along mana or rejuvenation potions to keep your mana supply high.
NOTE:
Andariel possesses a 50 percent resistance to fire, lightning, and cold. She
also
possesses an 80 percent resistance to poison.
Perhaps the most important aspect of your battle against Andariel is to make
every attempt to clear out the creatures protecting her before advancing against
Andariel herself. Lure the creatures away from Andariel and eliminate them
before
advancing against the Act I boss. Trying to take on Andariel while all the other
minions are thrashing about and causing you damage will be much more difficult
than taking on Andariel alone.
Act I, Quest VI Log Entry #3: Return to Warriv to take the caravan east.
After defeating Andariel, clear out her lair and collect the discarded items and
gold. Finish off any remaining creatures on the fourth level catacombs if you
wish and return to the rogue encampment through the town portal created upon
Andariel's death.
Act I Bestiary: Encountered a throbbing nest and not sure what to do? That's
likely a foul crow nest, which you'll find during your travels in Act I. The
foul
crow nests periodically spurts out foul crow, which aren't especially tough
(single-digit hit-points) but could overwhelm an unprepared character. When you
spot the foul crow nest, eliminate it quickly to avoid additional foul crows.
TIP:
Before speaking with Warriv and heading east, take time to explore more of Act
I,
including any optional dungeons or quests you overlooked before defeating
Andariel. Act II's dangers are considerably greater; if you can spend time
gaining more levels (and potentially better equipment), don't hesitate to do so.
At a minimum, you should be level 15 or higher before taking the caravan east.
Act I, Quest VI Completed Message from Cain
"This is a great victory indeed, but many more battles await. I will accompany
you on your journey, lending what assistance I can... Remember, Diablo is still
out there, seeking something in the desert. I'm afraid this nightmare will not
end until you find what it is he seeks."
Act I, Quest VI Reward
Other than the items dropped upon Andariel's death, you also receive a town
portal returning you back to the rogue encampment. Upon your return, speak with
Deckard Cain and the others. Head over to Warriv and speak with him to discover
a
new choice in his dialogue menu: Go East. Select it, watch the Act II cinematic,
and prepare for the next stage in your adventure!
Act II Walk-through
After defeating Andariel and taking Warriv's caravan east, you arrive at the
desert town of Lut Gholein. The desert contains far more dangers than the
wilderness that surrounded the rogue encampment.
Your quests in Act II begin with Atma, a kind woman who recently lost her
husband
and son to a demon making its lair in Lut Gholein's sewer system. Discovering a
way inside Tal Rasha's tomb consumes most of the other Act II quests. In piecing
together the Horadric staff, said to be the key to entering Tal Rasha's tomb,
you'll explore dungeons filled with undead creatures, caverns overflowing with
rampant bug infestations, and an unusual world found beneath Lut Gholein's
palace.
Lut Gholein, like other towns, is occupied by several nonplayer characters to
offer quests and information and assist with weapons, armor, healing items, and
repair. Explore Lut Gholein to find:
Atma: Speak with Atma to receive the first quest in Act II, Radament's Lair.
Radament is a demon occupying the sewers beneath Lut Gholein and killed Atma's
family.
Geglash: Geglash offers conversation and information.
Greiz: Use Greiz to hire mercenaries to assist your battles and quests in Act
II.
Elzix: Talk with Elzix to purchsae new weapons, armor, or magical weapons or
armor. Check with Elzix upon each return back to Lut Gholein to examine his
current inventory. Also, players can gamble with Elzix on magical items, which
will either be magical, rare, unique or set items.
Lysander: Should you need healing and attacking potions (such as gas and
exploding potions), speak with Lysander. He also offers keys for sale should you
discover any locked chests.
Fara: Find Fara upon each return to Lut Gholein for she will instantly heal your
wounds and replenish your mana supply. You can also purchase new weapons, armor,
and magical weapons and armor from Fara. Lastly, use Fara to repair damaged
weapons and armor.
Drognan: Speak with Drognan if you need healing potions, town portal, and
identity scrolls as well as magic items, such as wands and staffs.
Meshif: Talk with Meshif at the end of Act II to take the transport into Act
III.
Meshif can also provide additional information and dialogue about current
quests.
Deckard Cain: Cain follows you from the rogue encampment and can be used to
identify items (for free, if you rescued him during the third quest of Act I).
Act II, Quest I: Radament's Lair
Activate the first quest in Act II by speaking with Atma in Lut Gholein.
Completing this first quest not only offers a substantial rewards, it also
provides an easy bridge into the second - and most important - quest in he act.
Act II, Quest I Objective from Atma
"In the sewers below our city, there lurks a horrid creature that hungers for
human flesh. The creature has killed many, including my son and my husband. If
you destroy it, I will reward you. Please be careful though, that beast has
taken
enough from us already. The sewer entrance is through the trap door just up the
street."
Act II, Quest I Location
The sewers below Lut Gholein can be accessed in a couple of locations. You can
use the trap door inside town to reach the sewers. Or, look for the entrance at
the edge of town that also leads directly into the dangerous sewers. Radament
will be found on the sewers' third level.
Act II Bestiary: The undead inhabiting Act II are significantly more impressive
than their Act I counterparts. Most include resistances to various elements and
poison and some employ powerful ranged weaponry. For instance, prepare to
encounter the bone mage, burning dead mage, and horror mage in fire, ice,
poison,
and lightning varieties. Each carries 50 percent resistance to poison (a staple
of the undead) while others carry resistances to their respective elements.
You'll find them employing special elemental attacks (depending on their type)
and often supporting melee undead, making them even more deadly and tough to
reach.
Recommended Level to Complete Act II, Quest I
Assuming you met the recommendation of level 15 upon defeating Andariel, you're
in fairly good shape to head into the sewers and seek out Radament. Ideally, you
should be around level 16 or 17 before facing off against the sewer boss. Should
you desire to level up, head out into the desert surrounding Lut Gholein before
diving into the sewers.
Act II, Quest I Log Entry #1: Find Radament's Lair in the Lut Gholein sewers.
Activate the quest by speaking with Atma, then locate your preferred entrance
into the sewers - either through the trap door inside Lut Gholein or the
entrance
just on the edge of town. Both are sufficient and will take you to your eventual
goal, Radament's lair on the third sewer level.
There's a lot of undead in the sewers. If you plan on using melee attacks, equip
clubs or maces (which do extra damage against undead monsters). Also, many
undead
creatures have poison effects (including gas emissions upon death); wearing
armor
with poison resistance could help considerably in keeping you healthy. Stock up
on healing potions while in Lut Gholein to prepare for your exploration of the
large sewers.
UNIQUE MONSTER: Radament is extra fast, giving him bonuses to attack rate and
velocity.
Carefully explore the second level of the sewers to locate the waypoint marker.
Once you reach the waypoint, head back into Lut Gholein and replenish your
supply
of potions and improve your weaponry by speaking with Fara or Elzix. Radament's
highly magic resistant and, if you let him cast spells, will continue to raise
additional undead warriors. Cold weapons and spells can be used to slow down his
actions while you finish him off with more powerful spells or melee and ranged
weapons.
Act II Bestiary: Most of the dungeons in Act II contain mummies and greater
mummies (hollow one, unraveler, and so on) that operate much like the fallen and
carvers in Act I. The greater mummy will raise dead mummies (for which you won't
receive experience in a second kill). To make matters especially tough, the
greater mummies are typically holed up behind a large wall of mummy warriors.
Eliminate the greater mummies as quickly as possible, not only to prevent the
raising of mummies, but to avoid the greater mummies' ranged spell, the unholy
bolt.
Act II, Quest I Log Entry #2: Kill Radament.
Once you reach the third sewer level, your quest log is updated with a new entry
-
Radament's lair is near, and it's time to terminate the demonic beast that
killed Atma's husband and son. Clear out most of the sewer's third level, but
realize that a large force of undead mummies and zombies will protect Radament.
Further, Radament can raise the undead, blocking your path to the sewer boss
even
more.
Melee fighters will likely have to pummel their way through the chunk of undead
warriors to reach Radament. Ranged players can stay out of Radament's range and
work on terminating the bulk of undead that surround the sewer boss. Spell
casters might have an easier time, but Radament is magic resistant, posing
additional problems. Cold spells and weapons could be an option, if they're
available. Slowing down Radament's spell casting and his speed (he's extra fast)
can keep him within your melee attacks and spells and prevent him from raising
additional undead. Be prepared to protect yourself against poison effects unless
you've boosted your resistance with a piece of magic armor or jewelry.
Act II, Quest I Log Entry #3: Return to Atma for a reward.
Defeating Radament offers several rewards and important items. First, grab the
book of skill dropped upon Radament's death. Use the book to receive an
additional skill point to use on the skill tree. Second, look for the chest
inside Radament's lair (you may have to defeat additional undead to reach the
chest). Inside, you'll find the Horadric scroll, an integral part of Act II's
second quest - plus, picking up the Horadric scroll sets the second quest in
motion.
Return up to the sewers' second level and use the waypoint to return to Lut
Gholein. Naturally, you can forgo the waypoint system and simply use a town
portal scroll to appear in town, but there's no reason to return to the sewers'
third level, so it's unlikely you'd want to return. If you found the waypoint on
the sewers' second level, it's the best and most cost-efficient option.
Act II, Quest I Completed Message from Atma
"They say that the taste of vengeance is bittersweet, but I find it to my
liking.
In addition to my undying gratitude, I have spoken on your behalf with the rest
of the townspeople. The merchants have agreed to show their gratitude by
offering
their wares at lower rates."
Act II, Quest I Reward
Pick up the book of skill dropped by Radament upon his death. Use the book to
receive a free skill point to use on the skill tree. Speak with Atma, and the
Lut
Gholein merchants give discounts on their merchandise. For multiplayer games,
the
discounts are given to all players who were in Radament's lair when he was
killed. Finally, search for the marked chest in Radament's lair to acquire the
Horadric scroll, an important piece of Act II's second quest and one that will
set the quest in motion.
Act II, Quest II: The Horadric Staff
The second quest in Act II (also, the most important in the act) can be
activated
by locating any pieces of the Horadric staff and returning them to Deckard Cain
in Lut Gholein. The easiest way to activate the quest is by completing the first
quest in Act II, Radament's lair, and obtaining the Horadric scroll from the
marked chest on the third level of the sewers. Return the scroll to Deckard Cain
to activate the quest.
Act II Bestiary: The "Swarm" monster class can be found in some of Act II's
outer
deserts. These tight clusters of insects - including Act II's itches, black
locusts, and plague bugs - are highly resistant to physical damage with 60, 70,
and 80 percent damage resistance respectively.
Act II, Quest II Objective from Cain
"Ahh... The lost Horadric Scroll! What a fortunate turn of events... As the last
living Horadrim, I alone have knowledge of its meaning. Now, to read the
Horadric
runes it bears... Hmmm... The Horadric Mages, after binding Baal within Tal
Rasha, magically sealed off his Burial Chamber from the mortal realm. Those same
Mages also crafted fearsome Horadric Staves and imbued them with the special
power to open the Chamber's hidden door. After nearly losing one to the thievery
of a rogue sorcerer, they divided all the Horadric Staves into two parts -
wooden
shaft and metal headpiece - hiding them separately to safeguard them. The
Horadrim foresaw our current plight and designed the hiding places to reveal
themselves to worthy heroes like you. Collect both parts of a Horadric Staff and
unite them using a Horadric Cube. Then, you may enter Tal Rasha's Burial
Chamber."
Act II, Quest II Location
The Horadric staff quest takes you all through the Act II maps. In fact, many
elements of the Horadric staff quest overlap with other quests you'll discover
throughout the act.
The Horadric staff carries several important pieces, all located in a different
area of Act II.
The Horadric Scroll: Though the scroll doesn't form part of the eventual staff,
it's still the easiest way to activate the quest. Locate the Horadric scroll in
a
marked chest near Radament's lair on the third sewer level. Take the scroll to
Deckard Cain to activate the Horadric staff quest.
The Horadric Cube: The cube is used to transmute the parts of the Horadric staff
into a complete whole. You can also use the Horadric cube to hold inventory
items
and transmute other items (other than the staff items) into better items -
you'll
find some basics of transmuting with the Horadric cube described later in this
section. Locate the Horadric cube inside the halls of the dead, level 3. To
reach
the halls of the dead dungeon starting in Lut Gholein, head into the rocky
waste,
then the dry hills, then locate the staircase into the second portion of the dry
hills, and find the entrance into the halls of the dead. Descend to the third
level to find the Horadric cube.
UNIQUE MONSTER: Inside the halls of the dead, level 3 protecting the Horadric
cube, you'll encounter Bloodwitch the Wild, an extra strong (increasing damage
by
three-fold and to hit percentage) and cursed huntress.
The Horadric Shaft (also known as The Staff of Kings): The wooden shaft Deckard
Cain spoke of in the quest objective, the Horadric shaft, can be found in a
marked chest inside the maggot lair, level 3. To reach the maggot lair starting
in Lut Gholein, head into the rocky waste, then the dry hills, and into the far
oasis. You'll find the entrance to the maggot lair in the far oasis area.
Horadric Amulet: Also known as the metal headpiece that Deckard Cain spoke of in
the quest objective, the Horadric amulet is found on the claw viper altar. You
must destroy the claw viper altar to acquire the Horadric amulet. Locate the
claw
viper altar (and hence, the Horadric amulet) inside the claw viper temple, level
2. To reach the temple from Lut Gholein, proceed into the rocky waste, then the
dry hills, then into the far oasis, then the lost city, then the lost city's
second area (use the staircase), then the valley of the snakes, and finally the
claw viper temple. Descend to the second level of the claw viper temple to find
the altar and the amulet.
Recommended Level to Complete the Segments of Act II, Quest II
Since the second quest in Act II is divided into segments, it's important to
realize that each segment offers unique challenges and escalating character
strength. Many of this quest's goals overlap with other quests in Act II;
realize
that before attempting to complete all the goals in the second quest. Further,
follow the order presented in the second quest log to basically follow the level
of difficulty in the quest. To finish the halls of the dead, you should be
around
level 17 or 18; look to be level 18 or 19 before venturing inside the maggot's
lair; and strive to be level 19 or 20 before exploring the lost city. Naturally,
these are just recommendations, and if you spend additional time gaining
experience, levels, and skills, you could have an easier time completing the
dungeons. On the other hand, it's possible to complete the quest at a lower
level, but expect quite a challenge.
UNIQUE MONSTER: Search the far oasis for Beetleburst, who's magic resistant (a
75
percent resistance against elemental attack).
Act II Bestiary: The leapers! Though small and relatively harmless, these tiny
critters can put up quite a fight! The sand leaper, tomb creaper, and cave
leaper
are quite agile and can actually leap over your character making melee attack
(and even other means of attack) quite difficult. In numbers, be prepared for a
lot of back and forth attacking. One positive note, though, is that the leapers
can potentially take damage with each leap making your job easier if you can
eventually strike the target!
Act II, Quest II Log Entry #1: Show the scroll to Cain in Lut Gholein
After you defeat Radament in the sewers, level 3, search for the marked chest
and
grab the Horadric scroll inside. Return to Lut Gholein, either via the waypoint
on the second sewer level, town portal scroll, or by ascending out of the sewers
and back into Lut Gholein. Speak with Deckard Cain with Horadric scroll in hand
to complete the entry and learn the quest's objective.
Act II, Quest II Log Entry #2: Search the halls of the dead under the dry hills
for the Cube Search the maggot's lair under the far oasis for the shaft. Search
the claw viper temple for the headpiece.
Returning the Horadric scroll to Deckard Cain activates the second entry in the
second quest's log. The entry includes all the goals to complete the Horadric
staff, which will be used to enter Tal Rasha's tomb.
The cube should be your first destination, as its location is the closest and
least dangerous of the dungeons; you'll find the cube in the halls of the dead
dungeon located in the second area of the dry hills. Descend into the halls of
the dead and locate the marked chest on level three; open the chest and acquire
the Horadric cube inside.
The Horadric cube is required to construct the Horadric staff that will open Tal
Rasha's tomb. By placing the Horadric staff's shaft and headpiece into the cube
and pressing the transmute button, you'll recreate the Horadric staff, letting
you enter the final area of the act.
Returning the Horadric cube to Deckard Cain reveals its purpose and other uses.
Cain will tell you how to use the cube to restore the staff, but he also
indicates its other purpose - the cube can be used to transmute other items as
well. At its basic level, the cube can be used as additional inventory storage.
Keep the cube in your main inventory and open it up with a right-click. If your
main inventory is crowded, slide items into the open cube for additional storage
space.
Cain reveals that the cube can be used to improve gem quality. By placing gems
of
inferior quality into the cube and hitting the transmute button, you can create
a
single gem of higher quality. You can also combine gems with weapons and even
change arrows into bolts. Keep in mind that the results of transmutation isn't
always positive, so don't experiment haphazardly unless you're willing to
potentially lose important items.
Your next goal is the shaft, which lies in the maggot's lair found in the far
oasis area of the desert surrounding Lut Gholein. Descend to the third level of
the maggot lair's and find the marked chest in the dead-end room protected by a
horde of sand maggots. These sand maggots offer a unique challenge. You must
eliminate the sand maggots quickly; the sand maggots lay eggs that sprout sand
maggot young. It's easy to get overwhelmed with monsters if you neglect the sand
maggots. Also, look for the sand maggot eggs and destroy them before they sprout
the sand maggot young. The sand maggots also feature a poisonous attack; wear
armor with resistances to poison to help counter the effects.
UNIQUE MONSTER: A unique sand maggot, Coldworm the Burrower, protects the shaft;
Coldworm is cold enchanted and magic resistant making it a tough customer
against
all elemental attacks; melee attacks should prove much more effective. Clear out
Coldworm's lair (littered with sand maggots, sand maggot young, and eggs) before
moving against the unique beast.
The final piece of the staff puzzle lies in the claw viper temple. Locate the
claw viper temple by heading from the far oasis into the lost city section. From
the second level of the lost city (just locate the staircase), proceed into the
valley of the snakes, and find the claw viper temple. When you enter the lost
city section for the first time, the sun dims, and the desert falls under
darkness - this also activates the third quest in Act II, which contains the
same
goal as locating the Horadric amulet.
Act II Bestiary: The gigantic Blunderbore are impressive beasts - and quite
durable! Each Blunderbore type - which include the blunderbore, gorbelly, and
mauler - feature stun and knockback attacks. Attempting to duke it out with
these
mammoth creatures could prove deadly. Carry plenty of healing potions and
prepare
to take defensive (and evasive) measures at a moment's notice.
TIP:
Should you desire additional exploration (as well as additional experience and
items), locate the ancient tunnels area inside the lost city section of the
desert. Exploring the ancient tunnels area isn't necessary to complete any
quests; use the ancient tunnels to improve your character for the tough battles
ahead. Thorough exploration of the desert surrounding Lut Gholein will reveal
another optional dungeon: the stony tomb, which contains the unique monster
Creeping Feature, who's extra strong and cold enchanted - don't expect cold
weapons to work against the durable beast!
Descend the claw viper temple into level two. Locate and destroy the altar to
acquire the final piece of the Horadric staff, the headpiece or Horadric amulet.
Act II, Quest II Log Entry #3: Use the Horadric cube to restore the staff.
Once you have acquired all pieces to the Horadric staff (cube, shaft, and
headpiece), a new entry appears in the second quest's log. You could acquire the
pieces in any order, though the order presented above would be the most desired,
as the areas further out from Lut Gholein are far more dangerous.
Open the Horadric cube by right-clicking on the cube. Place the shaft and amulet
inside the cube's inventory slots. With both inside, press the transmute button.
As a result, the Horadric staff will be created.
Act II, Quest II Log Entry #4: Take the staff into Tal Rasha's tomb
Other quests in Act II must be completed before you can venture into Tal Rasha's
Tomb. There are several different entrances leading to Tal Rasha's tomb; only
one, though, will take you to the circle of seven symbols, where you'll place
the
Horadric staff to open the passage into Tal Rasha's burial chamber. Solve the
arcane sanctuary quest to recover Horazon's journal, which reveals the correct
entrance into Tal Rasha's tomb and takes you to the canyon of the magi.
Act II, Quest II Completed Message from Cain
"Excellent! You have a Horadric Staff. Carry it with you into Tal Rasha's Tomb.
Find within the Tomb the chamber whose floor is inset with the Circle of Seven
Symbols. Place the Staff into the receptacle you find there. That will open the
secret passage into Tal Rasha's Burial Chamber."
Act II, Quest III: Tainted Sun
Activate the third quest in Act II by venturing inside the lost city. Entering
the lost city area triggers the desert darkness. Return to Drognan to receive
your quest objective.
Act II, Quest III Objective from Drognan
"I've been researching this phenomenon, and I believe it to be work of Claw
Vipers. Find their temple beneath the desert sands and you may find the source
of
this curse."
Act II, Quest III Location
Drognan points you toward the claw viper temple, which is found beyond the lost
city and valley of the snakes areas. Traveling from Lut Gholein, you'll proceed
into the rocky waste, then into the dry hills, into the far oasis, then into the
lost city, then into the lost city's second level (use the staircase), then
through the valley of the snakes, and into the claw viper temple. Your eventual
destination lies on the second level of the claw viper temple dungeon; destroy
the altar here to end the curse and the desert darkness.
UNIQUE MONSTER: Search the lost city for the Dark Elder unique monster; Dark
Elder is extra fast and magic resistant giving it double attack speed and 75
percent resistance to elemental attack.
NOTE:
Destroying the altar inside the claw viper temple influences two quests: the
second and third quests in Act II. Eliminate the altar to receive the Horadric
amulet, required for the Horadric staff and end the tainted sun curse and the
darkness overwhelming the desert.
Recommended Level to Complete Act II, Quest III
The lost city, valley of the snakes, and the claw viper temple are dangerous
areas of Act II. You should ideally be nearly level 20 before attempting to
complete the tainted sun quest (which also will include recovering the Horadric
amulet for the second quest). Naturally, you could find success at a lower
level;
however, take time to explore all the lost city, valley of the snakes, and even
the ancient tunnels (an optional dungeon in the lost city) before venturing
inside the claw viper temple.
Act II Bestiary: The claw vipers, primarily found within the Claw Viper Temple,
appear in several different forms, including tomb viper, claw viper, salamander,
and pit viper. All claw vipers feature freezing charge attacks, so be prepared
to
counteract cold effects with resistant armor, auras, and thawing potions. In
addition to the attacks, claw vipers and salamanders possess cold and fire
resistance respectively and the pit viper carries 60 percent resistance to
poison
and cold.
Act II, Quest III Log Entry #1: Ask Drognan about the strange darkness.
After venturing inside the lost city area (and observing the darkness envelope
the desert), the tainted sun quest will be activated, and a new entry appears in
the quest log. You're told to speak with Drognan back in Lut Gholein about the
strange desert darkness. Return to Lut Gholein using the waypoint system or
simply use a town portal to open a route back to town. Speak with Lut Gholein to
receive the quest objective: explore the claw viper temple and discover the
source of the curse.
Act II, Quest III Log Entry #2: Destroy the serpent altar in the claw viper
temple beneath the valley of snakes.
After receiving the objective from Drognan in Lut Gholein, use the waypoint
system to return to the lost city area (or the far oasis if you haven't already
activated the lost city waypoint). Alternatively, you can make the long journey
on foot from Lut Gholein. Take Lut Gholein into the rocky waste, then through
the
dry hills, past the far oasis, into the lost city and its second section (use
the
staircase), and through the valley of the snakes to locate the entrance to the
claw viper temple. If you used a town portal scroll to return to Lut Gholein,
simply use the portal to return into the shrouded desert.
UNIQUE MONSTER: Fangskin, a unique salamander, protects the claw viper altar.
Both lightning enchanted and extra fast, Fangskin provides quite a challenge.
The
lightning element is extremely powerful; couple that with Fangskin's double
attack rate and increased velocity and you're in for quite a battle. Lure his
minions away, if possible, before dealing with Fangskin.
Once you enter the claw viper temple, make your way down to its second level and
locate the altar. Destroy the altar to complete the tainted sun quest. Be sure
to
recover the Horadric amulet, which completes part of the Horadric staff quest,
the second quest in Act II.
Act II, Quest III Log Entry #3: Speak with the townsfolk in Lut Gholein.
Destroying the altar ends the curse and the desert darkness. Return to Lut
Gholein at your first opportunity (by waypoint, town portal scroll, or by foot)
and speak with Drognan, Cain, and the other townsfolk in Lut Gholein to complete
the quest.
Act II, Quest III Completed Message from Drognan
"You did well in destroying the Claw Vipers. We are all glad to see the sun
returned to its former glory."
Act II, Quest IV: Arcane Sanctuary
To activate the fourth quest in Act II, you must have previously activated the
sixth quest in Act II, the seven tombs. To activate that quest, simply talk to
Jheryn, who stands near the palace in Lut Gholein, sometime after starting the
Horadric staff quest. Jerhyn indicates you should speak with Drognan, who has
more information regarding the arcane sanctuary and its importance.
Act II, Quest IV Objective from Drognan
"I've been researching the old records, trying to find the location of Tal
Rasha's Tomb. Though I haven't found the Tomb itself, I may have a good lead for
you. The great Vizjerei Summoner, Horazon, built this Arcane Sanctuary somewhere
around here. He was a powerful spellcaster and kept demons as slaves within the
Sanctuary. He kept a close eye on great events, too - such as the imprisonment
of
Baal within Tal Rasha's Tomb. If you could find Horazon's Sanctuary, I'm sure
that it would hold some clue as to the Tomb's location. Though I doubt Horazon
is
still alive, you must proceed with caution. There's no telling what could be
waiting inside. When I spoke of this with Lord Jerhyn, he asked that I send you
to him. Perhaps he knows of a secret entrance or the like."
Completing the arcane sanctuary quest is essential to discovering the correct
entrance into Tal Rasha's tomb, which helps complete the second and sixth quests
in Act II.
After speaking with Drognan, talk to Jerhyn about a possible secret entrance
into
the sanctuary. He tells you a story about demons pouring into a rift in his
palace and rampaging through his harem. Jerhyn's guards have tried to hold the
demons off, attempting to push them back through the mysterious rift from which
they came. Jerhyn, with Drognan's information, theorizes that these demons could
be coming from the arcane sanctuary, perhaps buried underneath the palace.
Jerhyn
opens the palace and welcomes you to explore its dangers.
Act II, Quest IV Location
Your initial goal is the palace located inside Lut Gholein. Speak with Jerhyn
and
Drognan to activate the quest. Speak with Jerhyn to gain access to the palace.
Once inside, you must fight your way through many levels of demons and dangers
to
reach your eventual goal, the arcane sanctuary. The path to the arcane sanctuary
from Lut Gholein is as follows. Proceed into the palace and enter the harem's
first level, descend to the second level of the harem and locate the entrance
into the palace cellar. Once inside the palace cellar, descend to its third
level
and locate the portal. Walk into this portal to enter the arcane sanctuary.
Act II Bestiary: Sand maggot young breed like mad! If you encounter a sand
maggot
(or its devourer and rock worm cousins), eliminate the beast quickly. The sand
maggots lay eggs which produce sand maggot young. On their own, the young aren't
much of a threat; however, several eggs hatching several sand maggot youngs each
and you're quickly surrounded by creatures. Also, beware of the sand maggot's
poison spit, though its young don't possess an equivalent attack.
Recommended Level to Complete Act II, Quest IV
The journey to the arcane sanctuary is long and dangerous. Further, the arcane
sanctuary itself offers a difficult windy path filled with powerful demons and a
unique boss, the Summoner. It's wise to advance above level 20 before attempting
the difficult trek to and through the arcane sanctuary.
Act II, Quest IV Log Entry #1: Talk to Drognan.
You're told to speak with Drognan to learn more about Horazon, the sanctuary,
and
its importance to the quests in Act II. Drognan provides your quest objective
and
the first clue to locating the entrance into Horazon's sanctuary: Speak with
Jerhyn. Locate Jerhyn in front of the palace (located in Lut Gholein) and speak
with him to learn more about the entrance into the sanctuary.
Act II, Quest IV Log Entry #2: Look for the arcane sanctuary within the palace.
Jerhyn reveals that demons have entered the underbelly of his palace through a
mysterious rift. It's believed that this rift could take you into Horazon's
sanctuary, otherwise known as the arcane sanctuary. After you have spoken with
Jerhyn, enter the palace and proceed into the harem levels.
UNIQUE MONSTER: Encounter Fire Eye, a unique monster, located on the third level
of the palace cellar. Fire Eye is fire enchanted (giving him 75 percent
resistance to fire damage and bonuses to fire attack damage and to hit
percentage) and extra fast (providing a velocity increase and doubled attack
rate).
The area beneath the palace is extensive. You'll descend through two levels of
the harem and an additional three levels of the palace cellar. Be sure to
explore
the first level of the palace cellar thoroughly to locate the waypoint. Use the
waypoint here to quickly return to Lut Gholeim to replenish your supply of
healing potions, identify items, or upgrade your weaponry and armor.
Locate the portal into the arcane sanctuary on the palace cellar, level 3.
The third level of the palace cellar contains the portal leading into the arcane
sanctuary. Proceed into the portal. The arcane sanctuary is an extremely
difficult area; the walkways are quite cramped and don't offer much opportunity
to retreat. Consider dropping a town portal scroll to provide a quick exit back
to Lut Gholein. Also, explore the arcane sanctuary thoroughly and locate the
waypoint market; use it to return to Lut Gholein and recover health and mana
points, replenish healing potions, identify items, or upgrade weaponry and
armor.
Act II, Quest IV Log Entry #3: Find Horazon's journal.
Your goal inside the arcane sanctuary is Horazon's journal, positioned on a
pedestal and guarded by a unique monster, the Summoner, a powerful magic user
guarded by various common demons. Defeat the Summoner and the surrounding
monsters and recover Horazon's journal. Completing the arcane sanctuary quest is
essential to moving forward in Act II. Upon acquiring Horazon's journal, a
portal
opens to the canyon of the magi, which takes you to Tal Rasha's tomb. Further,
Horazon's journal reveals the correct symbol that corresponds to the correct
entrance into Tal Rasha's tomb.
Act II, Quest IV Completed Message from Drognan
"You have found Horazon's Journal? Excellent! I must caution you. The
information
that you hold, the mark of the True Tomb of Tal Rasha, is sought, if not already
known, by Diablo. I needn't elaborate on the implications of that."
Act II, Quest IV Rewards
Acquiring Horazon's journal from the arcane sanctuary reveals a glowing sigil,
which indicates the correct symbol into Tal Rasha's tomb. Also, a portal is
created to the canyon of the magi. Advance into the portal and locate the
entrance into Tal Rasha's tomb.
Act II, Quest V: The Summoner
To activate the fifth quest in Act II, locate the Summoner, who protects
Horazon's journal, inside the arcane sanctuary. As you approach, a new entry
appears in your quest log.
Act II Bestiary: The panther women inhabit the deserts of Act II and come in
several different forms, many with different attacks. For instance you'll
encounter the spear cat and night slinger, which can use standard attack or toss
exploding or poison potions respectively. Usually found in large panther women
groups, you'll also find hell cats, hell slingers, saber cats, and huntresses
during your stay in the desert.
Act II, Quest V Location
The Summoner is located in the arcane sanctuary. During your trip inside the Lut
Gholein palace to complete the fourth quest in Act II, arcane sanctuary, you
assuredly encounter The Summoner, who protects your eventual goal, Horazon's
journal. To reach the Summoner from Lut Gholein, venture into the palace and
down
two harem levels. Enter the palace cellar and head down three levels to the
portal that takes you into the arcane sanctuary. You'll find the Summoner
protecting Horazon's journal.
Recommended Level to Complete Act II, Quest V
Since the fifth act of Act II is intertwined with the previous quest, arcane
sanctuary, it carries a similar level recommendation. Venturing through the
tough
underbelly of the palace and defeating the Summoner requires a sturdy character.
Be prepared to be above level 20 before attempting to complete the Summoner
quest
and rid the palace underbelly of its nefarious demons.
Act II, Quest V Log Entry #1: Kill the Summoner.
Once you spot and approach the Summoner inside the arcane sanctuary, the quest
activates, and you're presented with a quite direct quest log entry: Kill the
Summoner. A tough spell-caster specializing in cold spells, the Summoner stands
protected behind hordes of common creatures. Attempt to lure the creatures away
from the Summoner to clear your path to the magic user. It's the minions that
provide the most complications; once you reach the Summoner, he'll fall fairly
quickly to your melee, ranged, or spell-based weaponry. Just be prepared to
counter with thawing potions or cold resistant items if you venture within the
Summoner's spell radius. Defeat the Summoner and collect any dropped items. Grab
Horazon's journal from behind the Summoner to complete the fourth quest in Act
II, arcane sanctuary.
Act II, Quest V Log Entry #2: Return to town for more information.
When you defeat the Summoner and grab Horazon's journal, a portal opens to the
canyon of the magi, which takes you to the entrances into Tal Rasha's tomb.
Before venturing into the canyon, consider using a town portal scroll to return
to Lut Gholein and speak with the townsfolk to complete the Summoner quest. It's
also advisable to restore your health and mana points by speaking with Fara,
replenish your healing potions, identify items, and upgrade weapons and armor.
Act II, Quest V Completed Message from Jerhyn
"The demonic force that was emanating from the corrupted sanctuary has
dissipated. I thank you profusely for your help; now we can look to rebuilding
our lives. All will be for nothing, though, if you do not stop the greater evil
which is rapidly gaining ground."
Act II Bestiary: The sand raiders provide some of the toughest battles in Act
II.
Possessing high hit points and flaming sword attacks, be careful when facing the
sand raider (which include marauder and invaders as well) in large groups.
Act II, Quest V Rewards
Eliminating the Summoner provides access to Horazon's journal, which reveals a
glowing sigil indicating the correct symbol into Tal Rasha's tomb. Also, a
portal
is created to the canyon of the magi. Advance into the portal and locate the
entrance into Tal Rasha's tomb.
NOTE:
Defeating the Summoner and acquiring Horazon's journal completes two quests: the
fourth quest, the arcane sanctuary, and the fifth quest, the Summoner.
Act II, Quest VI: The Seven Tombs
Activate the final quest in Act II by speaking with Jerhyn after returning from
Radament's lair, the first quest in Act II. Even though it's possible to
activate
the quest early in Act II, you can't reach the goal without the Horadric staff
(acquired by completing quest two) or by obtaining Horazon's journal (acquired
by
completing quest four), which reveals the symbol of the true tomb of Tal Rasha
and opens the portal to the canyon of the magi.
Act II, Quest VI Objective from Jerhyn
"I have heard of your many deeds of skill and bravery. I feel I can trust you
with something I have been hesitant to speak of... Drognan and I have concluded
that the Dark Wanderer who passed through here recently was Diablo, himself!
Drognan believes that Diablo is searching the desert for the secret tomb where
the great Horadrim, Tal Rasha, keeps Baal imprisoned. You must find Diablo and
put an end to the terrible evil that has fallen upon our city! Drognan is wise
and is sure to have some helpful advice for you as to how Tal Rasha's tomb may
be
found."
Act II, Quest VI Objective from Drognan
"Tal Rasha's tomb is hidden deep in the desert among six others. Tal Rasha's
symbol marks the true tomb. If you want to know what that symbol is, you should
find it in the legendary Arcane Sanctuary."
Act II, Quest VI Location
Reaching Tal Rasha's tomb requires you to complete the arcane sanctuary quest to
open the portal into the canyon of the magi. Proceed into the portal and explore
the canyon of the magi to locate the seven entrances into Tal Rasha's tomb. Only
one entrance leads to the Horadric staff orifice needed to open Tal Rasha's
chamber. Acquiring Horazon's journal from the arcane sanctuary quest reveals the
correct entrance into Tal Rasha's tomb (by revealing the symbol corresponding to
the correct tomb). Enter the correct tomb and use the Horadric staff in the
orifice (located in the center of the circle of seven symbols) to open the
passage into Tal Rasha's burial chamber.
Recommended Level to Complete Act II, Quest VI
The monsters inside Tal Rasha's tomb and chamber, not to mention the Act II
boss,
Duriel, are the most powerful you have faced thus far. You should have eclipsed
level 20 by now. It's recommended that you advance into the early 20s (levels 21
through 23) before facing Duriel.
Act II, Quest VI Log Entry #1: Find Tal Rasha's tomb.
After speaking with Jerhyn, you receive the quest and the first entry in the
quest log. Since it's likely you will have activated this quest early in Act II,
you can't locate Tal Tasha's tomb until you have solved subsequent quests,
namely
the arcane sanctuary quest, which opens a portal to the canyon of the magi,
where
you'll find the entrances into Tal Tasha's tomb.
Act II, Quest VI Log Entry #2: The symbol of the true tomb of Tal Rasha.
Upon acquiring Horazon's journal (which lies inside the arcane sanctuary,
protected by the Summoner), a new entry appears in the sixth quest's log. The
entry displays the correct symbol corresponding to the true tomb of Tal Rasha.
Exploration of the canyon of the magi area reveals seven separate entrances into
Tal Rasha's tomb. Spot the symbol next to each tomb and match it with the symbol
in your quest log, revealed by Horazon's journal.
UNIQUE MONSTER: Tal Rasha's tomb contains the unique monster Ancient Kaa the
Soulless, a unique unraveler. A tough beast typically surrounded with other
powerful greater mummies, Ancient Kaa the Soulless is magic resistant, extra
strong, and lightning enchanted - an impressive combination to say the least!
Magic and lightning enchanted gives Kaa high resistance to elemental attack and
extra strong provides bonuses to damage and to hit percentage. If you're able to
lure the minions away, brute force or a powerful ranged attack could prove more
successful than a spell or elemental attack. If cold attacks are available, use
them, certainly over lightning.
Explore the true tomb of Tal Rasha and locate the circle of seven symbols, where
you'll find an area marked "orifice." Once you clear out the surrounding
minions,
take the Horadric staff from your inventory (make sure you have combined the
shaft and headpiece with the Horadric cube) and use the staff on the orifice to
open the passage into Tal Rasha's chamber.
Act II, Quest VI Log Entry #3: Explore Tal Rasha's chamber.
Once inside Tal Rasha's burial chamber, explore the caverns and eliminate the
creatures inside. Your eventual goal is Duriel, the Act II boss. Duriel's
strongest asset is a powerful melee attack. Try to avoid going toe to toe with
the beast. Use ranged and spell attacks if available (this would include a
Barbarian's leap attack). Duriel also possesses cold attacks, which can slow you
down making you even more vulnerable to the powerful melee attack.
Act II Bestiary: If you wish to remain poison-free, be careful when
participating
in melee combat with Act II undead. Many of Act II's undead release poison upon
death. Step carefully around the corpses to avoid the effects of poison. Expect
to encounter plague bearers (50 percent resistant to magic and poison) and
various forms of the mummy during your exploration of Act II dungeons. You'll
find the decayed, dried corpse, embalmed, and preserved dead in Act II - all
carry 70 percent resistance to poison and use poison attacks.
NOTE:
Duriel possesses 100 percent resistance to cold attacks. Fortunately, Duriel
only
possesses 20 percent resistance to fire, lightning, and poison.
Once you have defeated Duriel, locate the archangel Tyrael nearby. Speak with
Tyrael, in essence, rescuing him from the depths of Tal Rasha's tomb. A portal
opens back to Lut Gholein once you have spoken with Tyrael. Finish out Tal
Rasha's chamber if you wish; make sure you collect any and all useful items.
Act II, Quest VI Log Entry #4: Talk to Jerhyn.
Upon returning to Lut Gholein, through the portal opened after speaking with
Tyrael, head over to the palace and talk with Jerhyn, who notifies you that
Meshif can take you east into Kurast, your next destination.
Act II, Quest VI Log Entry #5: Talk to Meshif.
Complete quest six and Act II by speaking with Meshif positioned near the city
walls. Select the choice Sail East to complete Act II and begin the next stage
of
your adventure.
Act II, Quest VI Completed Message from Jerhyn
"You have done very well. Few could have come this far, let alone discover the
True Tomb of Tal Rasha. Unfortunately, I hear that the Lords of Evil have eluded
your grasp. This is most unfortunate...If you wish to travel East, I have
notified Meshif to give you passage by sea. I imagine he should be anxious to
leave by now. Good luck on your quest, and thank you again for all your help.
You
will always be welcome in Lut Gholein, my friend."
Act II, Quest VI Rewards
Speaking and rescuing Tyrael opens a town portal back to Lut Gholein. Completing
the quest adds Sail East to Mestif's dialogue menu. Speak with Mestif to sail
east to Kurast and begin the third act of Diablo II.
Act III Walk-through
Defeating Duriel and rescuing Tyrael concludes Diablo II's second act. After
speaking with Meshif, you're transported to the Kurast docks to begin the next
stage of Diablo II and the game's third act.
The third act, much like the second act, contains a large, sweeping quest to
search for items hidden all over the Kurast landscape. You must locate Khalim's
relics, which include his eye, heart, and brain, and use them to form Khalim's
will, a powerful weapon built to destroy the compelling orb protecting the
entrance into the durance of hate and the third act's boss, Mephisto.
You'll find several nonplayer characters inhabiting the Kurast docks. Speak with
the various nonplayer characters to gain quests, acquire information, and
purchase new weapons, armor, healing items, and repair. Explore the Kurast docks
and find:
Alkor: Speak with Alkor to purchase a wide variety of potions. Alkor is also an
integral part of the third act's first quest, the golden bird. Solve this quest
to receive a potion reward from Alkor. Also, players can gamble with Alkor on
magical items, which will either be magical, rare, unique or set items.
Ormus - Talk with Ormus upon each return to the Kurast docks; he'll restore your
health and mana points instantly. Ormus also sells magic items and healing
potions.
Meshif - Meshif, who brought you by transport to the Kurast docks and the third
act, can be used to sail back west to Lut Gholein.
Asheara - Speak with Asheara, Act III's source of mercenaries for hire. Asheara
also sells weapons, armor, and magical items.
Hratli - Hratli offers a secondary source of weapons, armor, and magical items.
Further, Hratli will repair your damaged weapons and armor for a cost.
Cain - Talk with Deckard Cain when you have unidentified items in your
inventory.
If you rescued Cain during Act I, he'll identify the items for free; if not,
expect to pay for the service.
Natalya - Speak with Natalya for information about your current quest.
Quest I: The Golden Bird
To activate the first quest in the third act, you must venture to the spider
forest, the area adjacent to the Kurast docks. Battle the creatures here until
you defeat the first unique Act III monster. Look carefully at the ground and
spot the jade figurine. Place the jade figurine in your inventory to activate
the
quest.
Act III, Quest I Objective from Cain
"Back in Lut Gholein, Meshif told me he had a fondness for jade figurines. On
his
trading voyages he collected an odd assortment of such small statues. I would
show him your figurine."
Act III, Quest I Location
The golden bird quest doesn't require much travel; most of the legwork is
accomplished inside the Kurast docks. To activate the quest, simply venture out
into the area adjacent to the Kurast docks, designated the spider forest. Upon
defeating the first unique monster, the jade figurine is dropped. Pick up the
jade figurine to activate the quest.
Recommended Level to Complete Act III, Quest I
The golden bird doesn't require much combat. You shouldn't have to venture too
far into the spider forest to locate a unique monster and gain the jade
figurine.
Once you obtain the jade figurine, the rest of the quest takes place in the
Kurast docks. Your character's level should be in the early 20s by the time you
reach the third act; that should be sufficient to complete the golden bird.
Act III Bestiary: The shamans are back! As you encountered during the first act,
you'll find several types of shamans (and their respective minions) inside the
jungle surrounding Kurast. You'll likely encounter the fetish and its shaman
first. The fetish can have a number of attacks, including melee and blow darts
(look closely to see the dart coming from off screen). The fetish shaman, like
its earlier counterparts, can raise dead fetish and possesses an inferno fire
attack. During Act III, you'll also encounter flayers, soul killers, stygian
dolls, their shaman, and undead versions of each.
Act III, Quest I Log Entry #2: Show Meshif the figurine.
Find Meshif near your starting location in the Kurast docks. Speak with Meshif
to
automatically show him the jade figurine. Receiving the jade figurine excites
Meshif to no end; in exchange, Meshif hands you a golden bird. Meshif calls the
trade "a fair exchange."
Act III, Quest I Log Entry #3: Ask Cain about the golden bird.
With a mysterious, golden bird in hand, it's time to return to Deckard Cain and
discover the secrets of the small figurine. Cain mentions that he's read legends
about a sage named Ku Y'leh, who studied the mysteries of life beyond death.
Cain
claims that Ku Y'leh's ashes are ensconced within the golden bird statuette.
Others in the Kurast docks mention that you should show the golden bird to
Alkor.
Act III, Quest I Log Entry #4: Give the golden bird to Alkor.
Walk over to Alkor's shop and speak with him with the golden bird in hand.
Obviously excited, Alkor recognizes the statue as the golden bird of Ku Y'leh.
He
mentions that he plans to experiment with the ashes inside the statuette and
possibly concoct something useful. Check back with Alkor later to receive a
possible reward.
Act III, Quest I Log Entry #5: Return to Alkor for a reward.
After speaking with Alkor, you receive the next entry in your quest log: to
return to Alkor for your reward. You don't need to waste any time. Speak with
Alkor again immediately. Alkor, having experimented with the ashes of Ku Y'leh,
has created your reward for completing the first quest: a potion of life. Drink
the potion to permanently add an additional 20 points to your life statistic.
Act III, Quest I Completed Message from Alkor
"Ah, the Golden Bird of Ku Y'leh. Thank you, my friend. Busy yourself while I
experiment with the ashes within it. Then, return and see what I have made for
you."
Act III, Quest I Reward
Give Alkor the golden bird to receive a unique potion - the potion of life.
Drink
the potion to instantly receive 20 additional points to your life statistic.
Act III, Quest II: Blade of the Old Religion
To activate the second quest in Act III, speak with Hratli, the Kurast
blacksmith
who can sell you weaponry and armor as well as repair damaged items.
Act III, Quest II Objective from Hratli
"As I told you before, I placed an enchantment upon the dockside in order to
keep
the demons at bay. But lately, the enchantment seems to be weakening. If memory
serves me correctly, there is a holy Skatsimi blade that could revitalize the
enchantment. The blade is called Gidbinn. Find it and our sanctuary here will
remain safe."
Act III Bestiary: The vampire monster class, which includes the night lord, dark
lord, and extremely powerful blood lords, possesses resistance to physical
damage
(40, 50, 60 percent respectively) and cold (all 50 percent). Their most powerful
ability, though, are the vampires' cold and fire spells and the ability to steal
life. If you're facing off against several blood lords, be prepared to monitor
your health status closely as damage combined with life steal could empty your
reserve in a matter of seconds. Don't do anything that will waste time in
destroying these beasts - for instance, knockback or "fear" weapons could prove
disasterous because the vampire could just regenerate life if it returns from
knockback or fear with successful strikes.
Act III, Quest II Location
You'll find the Gidbinn blade inside the flayer jungle. From the Kurast docks,
proceed into the spider forest, then into the great marsh, and finally into the
flayer jungle. The forest and marsh areas surrounding the Kurast docks are
extremely large, much larger than the areas you explored in the first and second
act. Your character's level should be around the early- to mid-20s - it takes a
significant amount of time to gain new levels at this point! The larger areas of
Act III provide enough monsters to supply enough experience to gain additional
levels.
TIP:
During your trek through the spider forest, great marsh, and flayer jungle, seek
out each area's waypoint marker. Since the areas are so big and quite dangerous,
it's likely that you must return to the Kurast docks several times to replenish
supplies and improve weaponry and armor. Locate the waypoints to make travel
between the areas and the Kurast docks much easier; otherwise, you must stock up
on town portal scrolls for your journey back to the Kurast docks.
Recommended Level to Complete Act III, Quest II
Advancing levels will take much longer during Act III. But, the areas in Act III
are larger, providing many more monsters and potential experience. Take time to
explore the areas around the Kurast docks - the spider forest, the great marsh,
and the flayer jungle - as you make your way to the Gidbinn blade. Your
character's level should be in the mid-twenties to take on the dangers that
await
in the forest, marsh, and jungles around Kurast.
Act III, Quest II Log Entry #1: Look for the Gidbinn in the flayer jungle.
Upon receiving the quest from the Kurast blacksmith Hralti, venture out into the
spider forest surrounding the Kurast docks. Locate the entrance to the great
marsh and thoroughly explore the swampland to find a way into your destination,
the flayer jungle. As you move through the very large areas, seek out the
waypoint markers to shorten your trip back to the Kurast docks (and subsequent
trips back into the spider forest and flayer jungle).
Act III, Quest II Log Entry #2: Return the Gidbinn to Ormus.
The Gidbinn is located somewhere in the flayer jungle. The weapon's symbol
appears on the automap; search the jungle thoroughly to locate the blade,
protected by tough, unique creatures. Defeat the Gidbinn guards and pick up the
blade. Head back to the Kurast docks, either with a town portal scroll or by
using the waypoint markers. Locate Ormus near Deckard Cain and speak with him to
return the blade.
Act III, Quest II Log Entry #3: Talk to Asheara.
Once you've handed over the Gidbinn blade to Ormus, head over to Asheara, who
can
provide you with new weapons, armor, magical items, and mercenaries. Asheara
states that since the Gidbinn blade has been returned, fewer iron wolves are
needed to guard the dockside. You receive a free mercenary from Asheara for
completing the quest.
Act III Bestiary: The thorned hulk, first seen in Act III, resembles the size of
the blunderbore first seen in the second act. Like the blunderbore, the thorned
hulk (and its cousins, the bramble hulk and thrasher) features a stun attack,
which can be particularly devastating considering the hulk's destructive power.
Each type of hunk could potentially eclipse 100 hit points - prepare your
attacks
accordingly, with ample room for hit and run or ranged to avoid the stun
attacks.
Act III, Quest II Completed Message from Ormus
"You have done well, noble hero. Ormus congratulates you. The old spirits of
Skatsimi will watch over you for returning their sacred blade. Now, after all
these years, Ormus will once again use his powers to protect the innocent from
the shadow. The spell that protects the dockside shall now be reinforced."
Act III, Quest II Rewards
Return the Gidbinn to Ormus in exchange for a rare ring. You're also instructed
to speak with Asheara to receive an additional reward; Asheara, who supplies
weapons and mercenaries, provides you with a free mercenary.
Act III, Quest III: Khalim's Will
Activate the third quest in Act III by speaking with Cain after completing the
golden bird quest or by finding one of Khalim's relics (eye, brain, heart, and
flail) in the jungle surrounding the Kurast docks. Khalim's will is a large,
sweeping quest that covers nearly all areas of Act III, much like the Horadric
staff quest from Act II. Also, Khalim's will overlaps with another quest, the
blackened temple, similar to the arcane sanctuary and the Summoner from the
second act.
Act III, Quest III Objective from Cain
"Never forget that your ultimate purpose here in Kurast is to destroy Mephisto.
The ancient Horadrim imprisoned the Lord of Hatred inside the Guardian Tower
that
is located within the Temple City of Travincal. Know this, friend - the only way
to gain entry to Mephisto's prison is to destroy the artifact known as the
Compelling Orb. Mephisto used this device to control the Zakarum Priests and
their followers. The Orb can only be destroyed with an ancient flail imbued with
the spirit of one incorruptible priest. Soon after his imprisonment, Mephisto
worked his evil corruption on the Zakarum priesthood. All were turned to his
dark
ways, save one - Khalim, the Que-Hegan of the High Council. Mephisto directed
the
other Council priests to slay and dismember Khalim and then scatter his remains
across the Kingdom. The Priest Sankekur succeeded Khalim as Que-Hegan,
eventually
becoming the embodiment of Mephisto here on the mortal plane. The corrupted High
Council fashioned an Orb to control the rest of the Zakarum faithful and used
their powers to hide the lair of their master from mortals. Your task is to
collect the scattered relics of Khalim - his Heart, his Brain, and his Eye.
Then,
using the Horadric Cube, transmute Khalim's Flail with his relics. Once this is
accomplished, you must destroy the Compelling Orb with Khalim's Will to open the
way into the corrupt sanctum of Mephisto."
Act III, Quest III Location
The third quest in the third act, Khalim's Will, takes you through nearly every
section of Act III.
Khalim's relics are scattered all across Kurast. Below lists all the relics and
where you'll find them:
Khalim's Eye: You'll find Khalim's eye in a chest inside the spider cavern, a
single-level dungeon somewhere in the spider forest. From the Kurast docks,
simply venture into the adjacent spider forest and search thoroughly for the
entrance into the spider cavern.
UNIQUE MONSTER: You'll encounter a unique spider, Sszark the Burning, inside the
spider cavern. Sszark the Burning is extra strong, providing bonuses to damage
potential and to hit percentage, and is cursed.
Khalim's Brain: Search for Khalim brain in the flayer dungeon, level 3. To reach
the flayer dungeon, head out from the Kurast docks into the spider forest, then
into the great marsh, and finally the flayer jungle. You'll find the entrance
into the flayer dungeon somewhere in the flayer jungle. Descend to the third
level of the flayer dungeon to find Khalim's brain in a marked chest.
UNIQUE MONSTER: On the third level of the flayer dungeon, you'll face off
against
the Witch Doctor Endugu, a unique shaman who's magic resistant, providing 75
percent resistance to elemental attack and fire enchanted, providing fire
resistance, bonus to fire damage, and to hit percentage.
Khalim's Heart: You'll find Khalim's heart deep into the third act inside the
sewers of the Kurast bazaar. To reach the sewers from the Kurast docks, proceed
into the spider forest, then into the great marsh, through the flayer jungle,
into lower Kurast, through the Kurast bazaar, and into the sewers' entrance.
Khalim's heart can be found in a chest on the second level of the sewers.
Act III, Quest I Log Entry #1: Ask Cain about the jade figurine.
After defeating the first unique monster in the third act, grab the jade
figurine
and acquire the quest. A new entry appears in the quest log; take the jade
figurine back to Deckard Cain to learn about its origin and its significance.
Cain mentions that he heard back in Lut Gholein that Meshif, who transported you
from Lut Gholein to the Kurast docks, has a fondness for jade figurines. He
suggests you take the figurine and show it to Meshif.
Act III Bestiary: Look out for the tentacles while exploring the Kurast sewers!
The tentacles, or "water watchers," come in two varieties: either the tentacle
head or its limb. Both are powerful and durable; beware of the water watcher
(also in stygian watcher and river stalker form) head and its ability to spit
poison.
Khalim's Flail: To acquire Khalim's flail, you must defeat the high council and
its unique member inside the Travincal. Khalim's flail will be dropped by the
unique high council member. To reach Travincal from Kurast docks, head into the
spider forest, then through the great marsh, into the flayer jungle, into lower
Kurast, through the Kurast bazaar, through upper Kurast, past the Kurast
causeway, and finally into the Travincal.
Recommended Level to Complete Act III, Quest III
Since this third quest spans most of the third act, its various stages carry
different level recommendations. The enemy monsters escalate in difficulty the
farther you travel from the Kurast docks. Your character's level should be in
the
mid-twenties as you advance through Act III. Travincal is an extremely difficult
area of both Diablo II and the third act; strive to be as high level as possible
before venturing into the extremely dangerous area of Kurast.
TIP:
Should you desire to explore optional areas of Act III for both experience and
potential treasure, seek out the arachnid lair in the spider forest and the
swamp
pit in the flayer jungle.
Act III, Quest III Log Entry #1: Find Khalim's relics. Search for his eye in the
spider cavern.
After receiving the quest from Cain, your first trip should be into the spider
forest to seek out the entrance into the spider cavern. Even if you know the
location of Khalim's other relics, you should acquire them in the order
presented
by the quest log entries. The farther you venture out from the Kurast docks, the
tougher the monsters become. Once inside the spider cavern, search thoroughly
for
the marked chest containing Khalim's eye.
TIP:
As its name suggests, the spider cavern is littered with spiders. Since the
arachnids feature a poison attack, it's to your benefit to prepare with poison
resistance, either with armor, jewelry, or other means.
Act III, Quest III Log Entry #2: Search for Khalim's brain in the flayer
dungeon.
Your search for Khalim's second relic, Khalim's brain, takes you far from the
Kurast docks into the flayer jungle. Search the flayer jungle (which, like other
areas in the third act, is extremely large) for the entrance into the flayer
dungeon. Descend to the third level of the flayer dungeon to locate the marked
chest containing Khalim's brain.
Act III, Quest III Log Entry #3: Search for Khalim's heart in the sewers under
the Kurast bazaar.
The task gets more difficult when you're called to search for Khalim's heart in
the Kurast bazaar sewers. To reach the Kurast bazaar, you must venture very far
out from the Kurast docks. Be prepared to face some of the most difficult
creatures yet. Fully scour the areas between the Kurast docks and Kurast bazaar
before proceeding into the sewer. Complete these areas to gain experience and,
potentially, better equipment for the task ahead.
Locate the sewer entrance inside the Kurast bazaar. Search the first level of
the
sewers for the sewer lever, which opens the entrance into the sewers' second
level. Search for the entrance to level two. Once in the sewer, level 2, search
for the marked chest that contains the Khalim's third relic, Khalim's heart.
Act III Bestiary: Travincal is littered with magic users and zealots, found
either as the zakarumite, faithful, or, the potentially most powerful, zealot.
The zealots can inflict massive amounts of damage with their polearm weaponry;
and the presence of nearby spell casters could make dealing with the zealots
that
much tougher. Stay out of melee combat unless you're well-equipped and prepared
with damaging Barbarian skills, Amazon's critical strike and dodging skills, and
superior ranged attacks and weaponry.
Act III, Quest III Log Entry #4: Search for Khalim's flail in Travincal. Beware
the high council.
The most difficult task yet lies in the area beyond the Kurast causeway -
Travincal. Proceed into lower Kurast, through the Kurast bazaar, into upper
Kurast, past the Kurast causeway, and finally into Travincal. Once in Travincal,
you'll find the final Khalim relic inside the blackened temple protected by the
high council, a vicious collection of monstrous beasts. Defeat the unique high
council member to obtain Khalim's flail. The high council members also protect
the compelling orb, a key element in completing the third act.
UNIQUE MONSTER: Travincal is one of the toughest areas in the game. Here, you'll
encounter three unique monsters, Ismail Vilehand (extra fast, cursed), Geleb
Flamefinger (extra strong, fire enchanted), and Toorc Icefist (cold enchanted,
stone skin, increasing physical resistance by 80 percent and multiplying defense
rating by three). Attempt to deal with the minions before facing off against the
powerful high council. Certainly clear out as much of the zealots and lords from
Travincal as possible before tackling the high council.
Act III, Quest III Log Entry #5: Ask Cain about Khalim's relics.
Return to Cain once you have obtained all the relics - Khalim's eye, brain,
heart, and flail - and speak with him about the next stage in the quest. Cain
tells you that Khalim's flail must be properly imbued. To do so, place the
flail,
along with the eye, brain, and heart, into the Horadric cube (which should still
be in your inventory or stash from Act II) and press the transmute button to
create Khalim's will.
Act III, Quest III Log Entry #6: Transmute Khalim's relics - the flail, eye,
heart, and brain - with the Horadric cube.
Though Cain provides the instructions, you must carry out the order. Open your
inventory and right-click on the Horadric cube to reveal its contents. If you're
storing items in the cube, remove them and place them in your regular inventory,
your stash, or the ground. Place Khalim's relics - the flail, eye, heart, and
brain - inside the empty Horadric cube. Press the transmute button to complete
the quest and create the unique item, Khalim's will.
Act III, Quest III Completed Message from Cain
"Masterfully done, hero! You have crafted Khalim's Will. Employ it to destroy
the
Compelling Orb and open the way to Mephisto. May the true Light guide your way."
Act III, Quest III Reward
Though this third quest doesn't feature a reward, per se, creating the Khalim's
will from Khaim's relics lets you destroy the compelling orb, providing access
to
the durance of hate, part of the third act's sixth and final quest.
Act III, Quest IV: Lam Esen's Tome
Activate the fourth quest in the third act by speaking with Alkor. Though not a
required task, recovering Lam Esen's tome carries worthwhile rewards and,
through
the many monsters you'll face along the way, helps advance your character's
level
and skills through experience.
Act III Bestiary: The cantor is an interesting creature found scattered around
the third act. The cantor, which includes the base cantor, heirophant, and
sexton, possesses the ability to heal other monsters. Eliminate the cantors
first, if possible, to eliminate the cantor's power to heal its comrades.
Act III, Quest IV Objective from Alkor
"It pains me to waste time with you, so I'll get right to the point. There is a
very special book which you must find for me. It was written long ago by a sage
known as Lam Esen, who studied Skatsimi magic and the effects of the Prime Evils
on the mortal world. The Black Book was lost when the Children of Zakarum took
over this land. Now, you must reclaim it without delay! Its knowledge may aid us
in this dark time ahead."
Act III, Quest IV Location
Lam Esen's tome is always located in the ruined temple. There are six different
temples located in Kurast: Two are found in the Kurast bazaar, two are located
in
upper Kurast, and another two can be found in the Kurast causeway.
To reach the various areas of Kurast from the Kurast docks, proceed into the
spider forest, then the great marsh, past the flayer jungle, into lower Kurast,
through the Kurast bazaar (two temples are located here), then into upper Kurast
(two temples are located here), and finally into the Kurast causeway (two
temples
can be found here).
Recommended Level to Complete Act III, Quest IV
If you have already completed most of "Khalim's Will" quest, you should be well-
prepared to explore the temples of Kurast. Seek out the Ruined Temple if you
wish
to immediately locate Lam Esen's Tome. Otherwise, you can venture inside the
other temples and battle the monsters within. As in most of the third act, your
character's level should continue to advance through the mid-twenties to survive
the dangers of Kurast.
Act III, Quest IV Log Entry #1: Search the six temples in the bazaar, upper
Kurast, and the causeway for Lam Esen's tome.
Upon receiving the quest from Alkor, proceed into the far regions of Kurast to
locate the six temples, one of which houses your goal item, Lam Esen's tome. If
you have completed previous third act quests or even most of the Khalim's will
quest, you should have marked the waypoints in the flayer jungle or lower
Kurast.
UNIQUE MONSTER: You'll encounter a unique monster inside the ruined temple.
Battlemaid Sarina, a unique hunter, is extra fast (increasing velocity and
doubling attack rate) and features spectral hit (20 percent resistance to fire,
lightning, and cold and random elemental damage added to standard damage).
Travel to lower Kurast, either by waypoint or by foot. Search the two temples in
lower Kurast for the ruined temple. Proceed into the Kurast bazaar and causeway
until you locate the ruined temple. Head inside and search the underground
temple
thoroughly until you locate Lam Esen's tome.
Act III, Quest IV Log Entry #2: Talk to Alkor.
Once you have acquired Lam Esen's tome, return to Alkor to receive your reward.
Use the waypoints in lower Kurast or the Kurast bazaar to quickly return to the
Kurast docks; alternatively, simply open up a town portal scroll, especially if
you need to return to the Kurast grounds to complete another third act quest.
Act III, Quest IV Completed Message from Alkor
"You have found the book! Hopefully we can use it to gain some insight into the
nature of the Prime Evils. As payment, I'll talk to the other merchants about
lowering their prices for you."
Act III, Quest IV Rewards
Much like other optional quests, you receive a substantial reward for returning
Lam Esen's tome to Alkor. First, you receive five points to put toward your
attributes (much like you receive when you gain a new level, though without the
skill point). Also, Alkor makes good on his claim and talks the Kurast docks
merchants into giving you a 10 percent discount on their items.
Act III, Quest V: The Blackened Temple
The quest is activated by Ormus once the player enters the Travincal for the
first time. This fifth quest in Act III shares the same goal as Khalim's will.
Both quests essentially require you to eliminate the high council inside
Travincal's blackened temple. In Khalim's will, you must eliminate the high
council (and its unique) to recover Khalim's flail, one of Khalim's relics that
forms Khalim's will. In this fifth quest, the blackened temple, your goal is
simply to eliminate the high council that occupies the Travincal blackened
temple.
Act III, Quest V Objective from Ormus
"You have done well, my friend. Your courage and valor are an inspiration to us
all. But now the time has come to face those responsible for the evil that has
stifled our land. You must destroy the High Council of Zakarum! Long ago, these
elders were charged with the stewardship of Mephisto, the Lord of Hatred, who
was
imprisoned within the Guardian Tower. Through the generations, these pious men
slowly fell more and more under the sway of Mephisto's malevolent power and the
Council become an evil mockery of its former glory. It is Mephisto's Hatred that
has corrupted Zakarum and turned its devout followers into paranoid fanatics.
That is why you must travel to the Temple City of Travincal and slay the
Council.
Once they are gone, Mephisto's hold over this land and its people will be
broken!"
Act III Bestiary: Act III's assortment of flying beasts include the bat demon
monster class consisting of desert wings, fiends, gloom bats, and blood divers.
Despite their agile nature and small stature, the bat demons are fairly durable
and possesses a "shocking hit" attack delivering a quick bolt of electricity
into
their foe - otherwise known as you and your party!
Act III, Quest V Location
The high council is located in Travincal, the same area you must explore to
recover Khalim's flail and complete the Khalim's will quest. From the Kurast
docks, you'll proceed through the spider forest, into the great marsh, past the
flayer jungle, into lower Kurast, through the Kurast bazaar, into upper Kurast,
past the Kurast causeway, and into Travincal. Nearly every major area of the
third act contains a waypoint marker, so you should have no trouble quickly
reaching your destination.
UNIQUE MONSTER: Stormtree, an extra-fast, lightning-enchanted unique thrasher,
resides in Lower Kurast. Lightning resistance (75 percent) and lightning damage
added to its standard damage makes Stormtree quite a foe - especially since he's
a unique thrasher making him already durable and powerful! Stormtree's extra
fast
attribute provides a velocity increase to him and his minions; further,
Stormtree
receives double the standard attack rate.
Recommended Level to Complete Act III, Quest V
Travincal is one of the farthest points from the Kurast docks, so by the time
you
make your way there, your character should have achieved the recommended level,
which would be somewhere in the mid-twenties. You should make every effort to
complete the majority of the Khalim's will quest before attempting to dive into
Travincal, certainly one of the toughest areas of the third act. Further, if you
can procure Khalim's eye, brain, and heart, you can snag the flail and defeat
the
high council, completing both the Khalim's will quest and the blackened temple
quest nearly simultaneously.
Act III, Quest V Log Entry #1: Find the blackened temple within Travincal.
When you step foot in Travincal for the first time, the quest activates, and
you're presented with the first quest log entry. You must search for the
blackened temple. You'll find the temple in Travincal's central area; difficult
monsters, known as the high council, protect the temple (along with other Act
III
minions). The blackened temple also contains the compelling orb, an item you
must
destroy with Khalim's will (see the Khalim's will quest) to reach the durance of
hate, the final area of the third act.
Act III, Quest V Log Entry #2: Kill the High Council.
Reaching the blackened temple and the high council is difficult enough -
eliminating the high council will be one of your toughest challenges yet.
Attempt
to clear out the area of other Act III monsters and take on the high council
without worry of additional attacks. You're likely to face tough spell casters
inside Travincal; depending on the spells used, consider returning to the Kurast
docks and look for resistances for any elements working against you. For
instance, if you're showered with meteor spells, seek out items that boost your
resistance to fire.
Act III Bestiary: Pesky mosquitos - especially mosquito demons - are deceptively
tough. The mosquito demon, either in the feeder or sucker variety, possesses the
ability to drain your mana and stamina. Without mana, you can't cast spells or
use most skills. And without stamina, you can't flee to regenerate that mana!
Stamina potions can help you make a quick getaway; otherwise, attempt to kill
off
the mosquito demons with ranged or spell weaponry and don't allow them to get
close.
Look for ways of assaulting the high council from a distance. The unique high
council member will prove the toughest challenge. Try to eliminate the unique
high council member's minions before attempting to battle him. Killing the high
council and its unique member helps complete segments of two quests: the unique
high council member drops Khalim's flail, required to complete the Khalim's will
quest and eliminating the entire high council completes the main portion of this
quest, the blackened temple.
Act III, Quest V Log Entry #3: Ask Cain for help.
Once you have defeated the high council, spot the compelling orb inside the
temple. You must destroy the compelling orb with Khalim's will, a weapon created
as a result of completing the Khalim's will quest. If you are unsure how to
proceed, return to Cain in the Kurast docks and ask him for assistance.
Act III, Quest V Completed Message from Ormus
"Ormus is grateful to you, stranger. You have broken the long, dark reign of
Zakarum and delivered the first paralyzing blow against the Three. Yet still,
the
true test lies ahead. For he whom the Council guarded still lives within the
Blackened Tower."
Act III, Quest V Rewards
Defeating the high council, including the unique council member, nets you
Khalim's flail, an integral part of the Khalim's will quest. Combine the flail
with other Khalim relics to create Khalim's will, a weapon powerful enough to
destroy the compelling orb (an item the high council protects). Destroying the
compelling orb opens the passage into the durance of hate, the final area of the
third act.
Act III, Quest VI: The Guardian
Speak with Ormus to activate the sixth and final quest in the third act, the
Guardian. To proceed into the quest's area, the durance of hate, you must
complete Khalim's will and (at least some of) the blackened temple, so you can
gather all Khalim's relics and create Khalim's will.
Act III, Quest VI Objective from Ormus
"Diablo and Baal have surely found the Temple City by now. They seek to free
their brother, Mephisto, who was imprisoned by the Horadrim in the Temple's
Guardian Tower. You must reach him before his brothers do and prevent them from
releasing Hatred upon the world."
Act III, Quest VI Location
The final quest in the third act begins in Travincal, an area of Kurast integral
to completing two previous quests, Khalim's will and the blackened temple.
Return
to Travincal, with the Khalim's will weapon in hand, to destroy the compelling
orb and open the passage to the durance of hate. To reach Travincal, use the
waypoint markers (there's one located in Travincal). Should you choose to make
the journey by foot from the Kurast docks, proceed into the spider forest,
through the great marsh, into the flayer jungle, into lower Kurast, past the
Kurast bazaar, into upper Kurast, over the Kurast causeway, and into Travincal.
Once inside Travincal, locate the blackened temple (where you battled the high
council) and the compelling orb inside.
Your main target in quest six, however, is Mephisto, the third act's boss
monster
who waits for you in the durance of hate. You'll find Mephisto on the third
level
of the durance of hate. Be sure to search the second level of the durance of
hate
thoroughly and find the waypoint marker. Use the waypoint to travel between the
durance of hate and the Kurast docks quickly to replenish health, mana, and
weaponry.
Recommended Level to Complete Act III, Quest VI
It takes quite awhile to level up during the third act; ideally you should be
advancing through the mid- to high 20s by the time you reach the durance of hate
and Mephisto. If you're having trouble or desire additional experience, consider
completing any optional quests you chose not to complete or exploring any
optional dungeons you bypassed, such as the Kurast temples, the arachnid lair in
the spider forest, or the swamp pit in the flayer jungle.
Act III, Quest VI Log Entry #1: Smash the compelling orb with Khalim's will to
open the way to Mephisto's durance.
In order to destroy the Compelling Orb found in the Blackened Temple inside
Travincal, you must complete the "Khalim's Will" quest. You must recover all of
Khalim's relics (his Eye, Heart, Brain, and Flail), and transmute them inside
your Horadric Cube. Once you have created Khalim's Will, equip the weapon and
attack the Compelling Orb to destroy the device. Destroying the Compelling Orb
opens the passage into the Durance of Hate, where you'll find the Act III boss,
Mephisto, waiting on the third level. For more information on Khalim's Will,
head
over to Act III, Quest III.
Act III Bestiary: The third act contains many upgrades to previous act
creatures,
including the tree lurker, a variety of the sand leaper that possesses 20
percent
fire resistance and 40 percent lightning resistance. You'll also encounter the
wailing beast, a wendigo-class creature with 60 percent magic resistance and 20
percent fire resistance. Others include the flesh archer, flesh hunter, and
flash
lancer, which are corrupt rogues with 20 percent physical resistance; giant
lamprey and its unique, a higher level sand maggot; and the cadaver and drowned
carass, higher level mummy and zombie respectively - the drowned carass
possesses
20 percent physical resistance, 50 percent fire resistance, and 50 percent
poison
resistance.
Act III, Quest VI Log Entry #2: Search for Mephisto in his Durance.
After destroying the compelling orb with Khalim's will, you can proceed into the
durance of hate. You must reach the third level of the durance, so begin
searching for the entrance to level 2 immediately. Once you reach the durance of
hate, level 2, search the floor thoroughly to find the waypoint marker. Use the
marker here to return to the Kurast docks as needed. Prepare to face Mephisto by
stocking up on healing potions and searching the vendors for helpful weaponry,
armor, magical items, or jewelry.
UNIQUE MONSTER: Prepare for a tough battle in the durance of hate, level 3. Not
only will you face the third act boss, Mephisto, but you must deal with three
unique council members: Wyand Voidfinger (mana burn, teleportation), Maffer
Dragonhand (extra fast, extra strong, teleportation), and Bremm Sparkfist (aura
enchanted, lightning enchanted). Mana burn provides 75 percent elemental
resistance, the ability to drain mana with attacks, and increases attack
strength. Aura enchanted provides the unique monster with auras or spells based
on level; the possibilities include Might, Holy Fire, Thorns, Blessed Aim, Holy
Freeze, Holy Shock, Conviction, or Fanaticism.
Act III, Quest VI Log Entry #3: Kill Mephisto.
Upon arriving in the durance of hate, level 3, you receive a new entry in your
quest log. It's time to take out Mephisto, the third act's boss monster. Clear
out any extraneous monsters before battling Mephisto himself. Be prepared to
retreat frequently to replenish health and mana points with potions. Use town
portal scrolls as needed to return to town for full rejuvenation and to stock up
on additional potions. Mephisto's lightning attacks carry the most damage
potential; attempt to arrive with lightning resistance (either through equipment
or a paladin's aura) to survive the electrical volley. Mephisto's 100 percent
resistance to poison gives him poison damage attack as well. Once you defeat
Mephisto, his soulstone is dropped (pick it up), and the infernal gate is
opened,
leading into the fourth and final act of Diablo II.
NOTE:
Mephisto possesses 100 percent resistance to poison. You'll have more success
with cold; Mephisto is only 25 percent resistant to cold attacks. Other
resistances include 50 percent resistant to both fire and lightning.
Act III, Quest VI Completed Message from Ormus
"You have defeated a Prime Evil in combat. Ormus is impressed beyond words. But
staying here will not end this conflict. You must enter the Infernal Gate and
stop Diablo once and all on his home ground."
Act III, Quest VI Rewards
Defeating Mephisto opens the infernal gate, letting you proceed into Diablo II's
fourth and final act. Also, once you defeat Mephisto, you can pick up Mephisto's
soulstone, an important quest item for Act IV. If you forget to pick up the
soulstone, don't worry - Deckard Cain will hand it to you in Act IV when it's
needed.
Chapter 9 - Act IV Walk-through
After destroying the compelling orb with Khalim's will and killing Mephisto in
the durance of hate, you walked into the infernal gate to enter Diablo II's
fourth and final act. You begin in the pandemonium fortress, accompanied by the
archangel Tyrael and Deckard Cain.
During Act IV, you'll rescue a tortured soul, a fallen angel named Izual, and
proceed to the hellforge to destroy Mephisto's soulstone, acquired either at the
end of Act III or from Deckard Cain in Act IV. Finally, you will cross the river
of flame and enter the chaos sanctuary to face Diablo himself.
Only a few nonplayer characters accompany you on your trip into the infernal
gate. Like the towns from previous acts, the pandemonium fortress contains
nonplayer characters to provide quests, dish out information, identify items,
and
trade weapons, armor, and healing items. In the pandemonium fortress, you'll
find:
Tyrael: The archangel Tyrael accompanies your journey into the fourth act. Speak
with Tyrael to open Act IV quests.
Deckard Cain: As he did in previous acts, Deckard Cain will identify items for
free as long as you rescued him in the Act I quest, the search for Cain. If you
failed to rescue Cain, he'll charge to identify items.
Jamella: Return to the pandemonium fortress and speak with Jamella to instantly
restore health and mana points. Jamella also offers weapons, armor, magical
items, and healing potions for sale. Further, Also, players can gamble with
Jamella on magical items, which will either be magical, rare, unique or set
items.
Halbu: Speak with Halbu to purchase weapons, armor, magical items. Halbu also
repairs damaged weapons and armor for a cost.
Act IV, Quest I: The Fallen Angel
Activate the first quest in the fourth act by speaking with the archangel
Tyrael,
found in the pandemonium fortress.
Act IV, Quest I Objective from Tyrael
"There is a dark, tortured soul who was trapped within this forsaken realm long
ago. He was called Izual by mortal men, and in ages past he was my most trusted
Lieutenant. Yet against my wishes he led an ill-fated assault upon the fiery
Hellforge itself. Despite his valor and strength, Izual was captured by the
Prime
Evils and twisted by their perverse power. They forced him to betray his own
kind
and give up Heaven's most guarded secrets. He became a corrupt shadow of his
former self; a fallen angel trusted neither by Heaven nor Hell. For his
transgressions, Izual's spirit was bound within the form of a terrible creature
which was summoned from the Abyss. His maddened spirit has resided within that
tortured husk for many ages now. It seems to me that he has suffered long
enough.
I implore you, hero, find Izual and release him from his cruel imprisonment. Put
an end to his guilt and suffering."
Act IV, Quest I Location
Izual can be found in the plains of despair. From the pandemonium fortress, head
down the staircase into the outer steppes and locate the entrance into the
plains
of despair. There are no waypoint markers in the outer steppes or the plains of
despair, so be sure to stock up on town portal scrolls before heading out from
the pandemonium fortress. Talk to Jamella upon leaving town for your healing
potion and scroll needs. The areas of Act IV are quite large, though not as
expansive as the areas in Act III (such as the spider forest and great marsh).
Be
prepared to make several trips back to town to restore health and mana points or
purchase improve weaponry or armor.
Recommended Level to Complete Act IV, Quest I
You should be in the mid-20s as you complete Act III and begin Act IV. It would
be wise to at least have access to the level 24 skills before facing off against
Izual. If you've spent time in each act improving your character and exploring
optional areas, you should be approaching the high 20s as you work through the
fourth act. Take the time to thoroughly explore the outer steppes and the plains
of despair to gain as much experience, levels, and skills as possible before
facing off against Izual.
Act IV, Quest I Log Entry #1: Look for Izual in the plains of despair.
Activate the quest by speaking with the archangel Tyrael upon your arrival to
the
pandemonium fortress. Each quest in the fourth act is required to proceed into
the chaos sanctuary to locate and battle Diablo. Once you receive the quest,
locate the staircase exit from the pandemonium fortress into the outer steppes.
Act IV Bestiary: One of Act IV's more pesky beasts is the regurgitator class,
which consists of the corpulent and maw fiend. These monsters possess both a
melee attack and a ranged attack... of sorts. The regurgitator spits out corpses
that assist in melee attacks. If left alone, the regurgitator can continue to
spit out corpses. Coupled with the Act IV presence of blood maggots and leapers,
you can't afford to become overwhelmed. As soon as you see the regurgitator,
ignore the corpses and eliminate the regurgitator as soon as possible.
Explore the outer steppes, but keep in mind that there's no waypoint marker
here,
so take along plenty of town portal scrolls if you must quickly return to the
pandemonium fortress. You'll find the entrance into the plains of despair
somewhere in the outer steppes. Head into the plains of despair and search for
Izual. As you get close, you'll hear Izual's speech.
Act IV, Quest I Log Entry #2: Destroy the demon that holds Izual's soul.
Make an attempt to clear out the beasts that accompany Izual. As it happens with
most boss monsters, it's tougher to eliminate the boss if you must contend with
dozens of other common creatures as well. Take out Izual; make sure your supply
of health, mana, or rejuvenation potions is high. Izual is a tough adversary
with
powerful cold and melee attacks, but the battles continue to get tougher
throughout Act IV. If you handle Izual well, you should be nearly prepared to
take on the remaining Act IV beasts; if you struggle against Izual, spend
additional time exploring the outer steppes and the plains of despair to
accumulate as much experience and levels as possible.
Act IV, Quest I Log Entry #3: Talk to Izual's spirit.
Defeating Izual triggers the arrival of Izual's spirit. Speak with Izual's
spirit
to fulfill the quest objective. Once complete, proceed back to the pandemonium
fortress. Since there aren't any waypoint markers, use a town portal scroll;
you'll be returning to the plains of despair for the next quest, so simply
return
through the portal to resume your trek through the fourth act.
Act IV, Quest I Log Entry #4: See Tyrael for you reward.
Once you have defeated Izual and spoken with Izual's spirit, return to the
pandemonium fortress and speak with the archangel Tyrael. The archangel bestows
quite a reward for completing the quest: You receive two additional skill
points.
Choose your skill selection wisely; pick skills that will help in your battles
again, particularly against Diablo.
TIP:
If you're nearing level 30, consider saving the two skill points awarded by
Tyrael. Once you reach level 30, dump these extra skill points into the powerful
skills that require level 30 or higher. For instance, the Barbarian's whirlwind
skill requires level 30 and can prove effective against Diablo, particularly
coupled with the Barbarian's leap and leap attack skills (to avoid Diablo's fire
and lightning attacks). If you're a Necromancer, you could select Revive; an
Amazon could pump additional points into Valkyrie; and a Sorceress could select
the high-level spell of her choice (as long as its prerequisites are met).
Act IV Bestiary: Finger mages are powerful Act IV creatures. Seen in doom
caster,
strangler, and storm caster varities, the finger mage possesses resistances to
fire (40, 50, 60 percent respectively) and lightning (40, 50, 60 percent
respectively) as well as homing missile attacks and the ability to drain mana.
Act IV, Quest I Completed Message from Tyrael
"Thank you, hero, for putting Izual's tortured spirit to rest. But, if what you
tell me is true, then I fear that we have been played for fools all along. Izual
helped Diablo and his brothers trick me into using the Soulstones against
them...
Now the Stones' powers are corrupted. With the combined powers of the Soulstones
under their control, the Prime Evils will be able to turn the mortal world into
a
permanent outpost of Hell! May the Light protect you and the powers of Heaven
shine upon your path."
Act IV, Quest I Reward
Speak with Tyrael after freeing and speaking with Izual's spirit. All players
completing the quest receive two skill points.
Act IV, Quest II: Hell's Forge
To activate the second quest in Act IV, speak with Deckard Cain after completing
the fallen angel quest. You'll need Mephisto's soulstone to complete the quest.
If you picked up the soulstone after defeating Mephisto in the durance of hate,
you're prepared. If not, Deckard Cain will supply Mephisto's soulstone required
to complete the quest.
Act IV, Quest II Objective from Cain
"The time has come for you to destroy Mephisto's Soulstone Take the Stone to the
Hellforge. Place it upon the forge and strike it soundly with the Hammer. Only
by
doing this can you prevent Mephisto from manifesting in this world ever again."
Act IV, Quest II Location
The hellforge is located in the river of flame, quite a long trek from the
pandemonium fortress. To reach the hellforge starting in town, proceed into the
outer steppes, then into the plains of despair, then past the city of the
damned,
and finally into the river of flame. There are waypoint markers located in the
city of the damned and river of flame areas. Search these areas thoroughly and
activate the markers; should you die at the hellforge, activating these waypoint
markers will save you a lot of travel time in returning to the hellforge and
your
corpse.
TIP:
During your exploration of the river of flame, you might bump into Hadriel, who
guards the entrance into the chaos sanctuary. Hadriel won't let you pass until
the hell's forge quest is completed. Remember Hadriel's location, however,
because the chaos sanctuary she guards is also your destination in Diablo II's
final quest, terror's end.
UNIQUE MONSTER: The Armorer is extra strong, cursed, and magic resistant.
Recommended Level to Complete Act IV, Quest II
Facing the minions in the city of the damned, the river of flame, and finally
the
Armorer who guards the hellforge requires a character's level in the mid-to-late
20s. The closer you are to level 30, the better; certainly, it pays to have
eclipsed level 24 for the improved skills alone.
Act IV, Quest II Log Entry #1: Take Mephisto's soulstone to the hellforge.
At the end of the third act, upon defeating the boss monster Mephisto, you could
acquire Mephisto's soulstone, a small gem-like item that takes up a single slot
in your character's inventory. If you failed to grab Mephisto's soulstone before
advancing through the infernal gate and into Act IV, don't worry. Upon gaining
the quest - by speaking with Deckard Cain after the fallen angel quest is
completed - Deckard Cain will hand you Mephisto's soulstone if you failed to
grab
the item in the previous act.
Act IV Bestiary: The undead horrors in Act IV provide one of the toughest
challenges so far; these beasts typically appear in groups and can include the
doom knight, abyss knight and oblivion knight. Doom and abyss knights possess
powerful melee attacks coupled with high hit points and resistances to fire (80,
40), lightning (20, 80), cold (20, 40), and poison (40, 40). The oblivion
knights
resist those elements 60 percent each and employ the Necromancer's bone spirit
and various curses.
Act IV, Quest II Log Entry #2: Use the hellforge hammer on the forge.
Once you reach the hellforge, you'll encounter, amongst other common Act IV
beasts, Hephasto the Armorer, who closely resembles the Smith you battled to
recover Charsi's malus in a previous act. The Armorer is extremely durable and
packs quite a punch. Employ hit-and-run attacks and try to avoid going toe to
toe
with the thick-skinned giant.
Recover the hellforge hammer once you have eliminated the surrounding monsters.
Equip the hammer and use the hellforge hammer on the hellforge.
Act IV, Quest II Log Entry #3: Destroy Mephisto's soulstone on the hellforge.
After using the hellforge hammer on the forge, it's time to destroy Mephisto's
soulstone to complete the quest. You acquired Mephisto's soulstone either from
picking it up at the end of the third act or from Deckard Cain when you were
given the quest. Place the soulstone on the hellforge and finish off the quest
by
destroying the stone.
Observe the destruction animation and don't miss the gems that appear and drop
around the hellforge. Smashing Mephisto's soulstone nets you three to seven
flawless or perfect gems (which could include skulls). Place them in your
inventory and return to the pandemonium fortress to replenish your health and
mana points and resupply your healing potions (and to see if you can put the
gems
or skulls you just collected to use). Use the waypoint marker in the river of
flame or open a town portal - your next quest lies beyond the river of flame, so
you will be making a return trip.
Act IV, Quest II Completed Message from Cain
"Congratulations, hero! Surely... Even Diablo, himself, sensed the fury
unleashed
when you smashed his brother's Soulstone."
Act IV, Quest II Reward
After using the hellforge hammer on the forge and destroying Mephisto's
soulstone
on the hellforge, four gems (2 flawless, 1 perfect, and 1 standard quality) are
created for each member of the party. Make sure you collect each before moving
on.
· Introduction
· Amazon
· Barbarian
· Necromancer
· Paladin
· Sorceress
· Act I
· Act II
· Act III
· Act IV
· Appendices
· Guide Contents
Act IV, Quest III: Terror's End
Activate the final quest in Act IV by speaking with the archangel Tyrael after
completing the fallen angel quest. However, Hadriel, guarding the entrance to
the
chaos sanctuary (where Diablo waits), won't let players pass if the hell's forge
quest is not completed. Speak with Deckard Cain after the fallen angel quest to
activate the hell's forge quest.
Act IV Bestiary: The spike fist, an Act IV thorned hulk, is extrodinarily
powerful with very high hit points and stun attack. Be careful when battling the
spike fist around other beasts (especially the undead horror); one successful
stun attack and you're surrounded in a matter of moments. A similar monster
class
(at least in size and power) you'll find in the fourth act is the megademon, the
balrog, pit lord, and venom lord. These demons feature resistances to fire (each
carries 100 percent) and the venom lord compounds the resistance with 100
percent
resistance to poison.
Act IV, Quest III Objective from Tyrael
"The time has come to hunt down and destroy Diablo himself. But beware, the Lord
of Terror is not to be underestimated. He single-handedly destroyed the town of
Tristram and corrupted the last noble hero who tried to stop him. This time, you
must defeat him for good. Only by destroying the Soulstone, which he carries,
will his spirit be banished forever. Good luck. Though this may be our darkest
hour, it may yet be your greatest moment!"
Act IV, Quest III Location
Diablo awaits inside the chaos sanctuary. To reach the chaos sanctuary quickly,
use the waypoint markers and proceed to the river of flame. From there, look for
Hadriel, who stands at the entrance to the chaos sanctuary. If you haven't
completed the hell's forge quest, Hadriel will turn you back and only let you
inside the chaos sanctuary once that quest has been completed. To reach the
chaos
sanctuary from the pandemonium fortress, descend the staircase into the outer
steppes, proceed into the plains of despair, then into the city of the damned,
then down into the river of flame, and finally past Hadriel into the chaos
sanctuary.
Recommended Level to Complete Act IV, Quest III
This is your final battle - and what a battle it is. Before you tackle Diablo,
you must face off against three unique Act IV monsters as well as their tough
minions. And this isn't even including the common monsters you'll face as you
travel along the catwalks that lead into the chaos sanctuary. It's best to be
well prepared. If you're nearing level 30, consider exploring other areas of the
game to try and reach the coveted level; that way you can implement level 30
skills, such as the Barbarian's whirlwind, Amazon's valkyrie, or Necromancer's
revive. A well-equipped character, both in inventory and skills, can defeat
Diablo and his minions even in the mid-20s. Just realize, as with most aspects
of
Diablo II, the stronger you are, the quicker they'll fall.
Act IV, Quest III Log Entry #1: Find Diablo in his sanctuary.
Proceed past the river of flame into the chaos sanctuary. Hadriel lets you pass
if you've completed the hell's forge quest. Make your way through the chaos
sanctuary (there are extremely tough monsters here, so be prepared to use your
town portal scrolls often) and search for the seals positioned in three corners
of the chaos sanctuary.
There are a total of five seals inside the chaos sanctuary. One is positioned
alone, while the other are positioned together in couples. Approach two of the
seals. Touch the seal, and it opens. Touch the other seal nearby, and a unique
monster will appear surrounded by minions. It's likely that the unique monster
and its minions will trap you near the seals; consider opening a town portal
scroll before using the seals in case you must retreat. Position the town portal
scroll near the seal you used to release the monsters; that way you have at
least
one escape route should you need to flee.
UNIQUE MONSTER: The seals in the chaos sanctuary release three unique monsters:
Infector of Souls (extra fast, spectral hit), Lord De Seis (extra fast,
thieving,
aura enchanted), and Grand Vizier of Chaos (extra strong, fire enchanted). Lord
De Seis' thieving ability allows him to steal potions out of your character's
belt.
Defeat the unique monster and its minions and approach the other set of two
seals. Open each seal and prepare for another tough battle. Once you have opened
four seals and cleared out two unique monsters, locate the fifth and final seal.
Open the seal to summon a third unique monster and its minions. Once you defeat
the third unique monster, Diablo appears near the pentagram.
NOTE:
Diablo possesses 50 percent resistance to fire, lightning, and cold and 75
percent resistance to poison.
Obviously Diablo is the toughest foe you have faced thus far. Diablo summons
fire, lightning, and cold attacks, but it's his lightning attack that poses the
most threat. If you're inside the bolt when Diablo attacks, you'll witness your
health bar decreasing at an alarming rate. Be prepared to hit and run against
Diablo and use town portal scrolls to return to the pandemonium fortress for
healing and to resupply your healing potions.
An Amazon equipped with high-level jab, critical strike, and a powerful javelin
can pound Diablo into submission, particularly coupled with the passive
defensive
skills: dodge, avoid, and evade. Avoid Diablo's lightning and fire attacks with
hit and run bursts using jab - perhaps even impale if you're prepared to spend
money restoring the spear or javelin's durability. Diablo's elemental
resistances
negate some of the Amazon's lightning and poison javelin attacks. A ranged
Amazon
player should implement high-level fire arrows (or powerful standard arrows)
combined with critical strike and passive defensive skills.
As a Barbarian, leap attack and whirlwind make an effective combination (as long
as you have reached level thirty and attained the whirlwind skill). Use the
standard leap to avoid Diablo's lightning and fire attacks then close in with
the
whirlwind attack. Alternatively, you can combine the leap attack with double
swing - two hands, each with powerful magical weaponry, can take down Diablo
with
repeated hit and run attacks.
A Necromancer could use an enchanted Iron Golem (improved above the first skill)
combined with the Iron Maiden skill. The combination causes damage to Diablo
when
the Act IV boss retaliates against the Iron Golem's attack. Save an impressive
magical metallic item to create the Iron Golem (it retains properties of the
item) and enhance with an Amplify Damage curse. High-powered Bone Spear could
prove effective along with an Iron or Blood Golem attack. If you've eclipsed
level 30, use revive to bring along some Act IV minions to greet Diablo. If
you've pumped up Skeleton Mastery, the points will pay off increasing the
revived
monsters' potency.
The Paladin should switch elemental resistances on the fly to counter Diablo's
powerful attacks - put those fire, cold, and lightning resistances on
easy-to-use
hotkeys! Zeal can be extremely powerful - if elevated to higher skill levels.
Additionally, Thorns can provide the Paladin with additional protection; with
each strike against the Paladin, Diablo takes damage (depending on the Thorns
skill level).
Sorceress can implement Static Field to knock off a large chunk of Diablo's hit
points. Follow up the field with the high-level elemental spells of your choice
(Blizzard, Thunder Storm, Meteor, etc). Stay away from Diablo and avoid his
powerful elemental strikes. Stock up on mana or rejuvenation potions (should
start saving up during Act IV) to counter the high cost of the Sorceress' skills
-
if you run out of mana, you're likely dead! But, town portal scrolls will do
also; open a town portal scroll as soon as you spot Diablo and return to The
pandemonium fortress for rejevenation when necessary.
After defeating Diablo, gather the dropped reward (unique, rare, or set item),
and return to Tyrael in the pandemonium fortress to complete the quest.
Act IV, Quest III Completed Message from Tyrael
"Praise be to the Light! You have accomplished the impossible! Diablo and
Mephisto have been banished back into the Black Abyss that spawned them and the
corrupted Soulstones are no more. You have done well, hero."
Act IV, Quest III Reward
Defeat Diablo and receive a rare, set, or unique item. Also, your character is
granted a surname and additional difficulty levels become available (hardcore,
nightmare, and hell).
Diablo II's single- and multiplayer adventure begins in the rogue encampment.
Kashya's rogue scouts currently patrol the surrounding wilderness and have
encountered an evil rising from the ashes. In Act I, you'll explore the area
surrounding the rogue encampment.
Your journey takes you into the rogue burial grounds to defeat Blood Raven and
to
ruined Tristram to rescue the wise Horadrim sage, Deckard Cain. Your (and your
party if applicable) quests eventually take you into the catacombs to face an
evil known as Andariel, whose presence could signal the return of Diablo.
The rogue encampment, like other future towns, contains several nonplayer
characters that both offer quests and assist with weapons, armor, healing items,
and repair. In the rogue encampment you'll find:
Akara: Speak with Akara upon each return to the rogue encampment to instantly
regenerate your health and mana points. Akara also offers trade in healing
potions, scrolls, and magical staffs and wands.
Kashya: The leader of the rogues offers the Blood Raven quest. Complete this
quest, and Kashya provides a free rogue mercenary; further, you can spend gold
to
hire other rogues as needed.
Charsi: The blacksmith offers weapons and armor for buying and selling. You'll
also find a selection of magical items. Charsi also serves an important role,
especially to Barbarians - Charsi repairs damaged weapons and armor for a gold
fee.
Gheed: Find Gheed for a secondary source of weapons, armor, and magical items.
Also, players can gamble with Gheed on magical items, which will either be
magical, rare, unique or set items.
Warriv: Once you complete the sixth quest in Act I, Warriv will transport you
east into Act II.
Deckard Cain: You can choose to rescue Deckard Cain in the third quest of Act I.
If you rescue Cain, he'll identify items for free (for the remainder of the
game). If you skip quest three, Cain will automatically be rescued once the
sixth
quest is activated, and he'll charge for item identification.
Act I, Quest I Log Entry #2: Kill all the monsters in the den.
As soon as you enter the den of evil, you're provided with your next objective
in
the quest log. Just as Akara said, it's time to rid the den of the massing evil
creatures. Explore the den, a single-level dungeon, and eliminate all the
creatures inside.
Act I, Quest I Log Entry #3: Monsters remaining: 5
Your quest log will update you once you're nearing completion of the den of evil
quest. Once five monsters remain inside the den of evil, a quest entry
notification appears on the screen. Your quest log will continue to count down
until there's one monster remaining. Expect to encounter a few unique and
champion creatures inside the den. Be prepared for a tough fight if you decide
to
proceed into the den before taking time to gain experience, levels, skills, and
equipment.
NOTE:
Sometime during your exploration of Act I, you'll encounter your first
"Champion"
monster; these enhanced versions of standard monsters typically travel in small
packs (with other similar type champions). The champion attribute provides
several modifies to the standard monster - these include double minimum and
maximum damage, double to hit, 20 percent increased velocity, 120 percent
increased attack rate, six times hit points, level plus four, and experience
points times three.
UNIQUE MONSTER: Inside the den of evil, you'll find Corpsefire, a unique monster
with a spectral hit attack. Spectral hit provides 20 percent elemental
resistances to the unique monster, plus the monster's damage includes a random
elemental attack in addition to standard damage. Corpsefire also has double
chance to hit and is quite durable - expect quite a battle!
Act I, Quest I Log Entry #4: Return to Akara for a reward.
The lighting inside the den changes once the final monster is eliminated. Your
quest log indicates a new objective - head back to Akara to receive your reward
for completing the den of evil quest. Exit the den of evil and return to the
rogue encampment. Alternatively, you could use a town portal scroll, but you're
so close to town it's wiser to save the scroll.
Act I, Quest I Completed from Akara
"You have cleansed the Den of Evil. You've earned my trust and may yet restore
my
faith in humanity. Your reward is training in the skill of your choice."
Act I, Quest I Reward
Follow your quest log and return to the rogue encampment to speak with Akara
once
you have eliminated all the monsters in the den of evil. Akara provides a
significant reward for completing the first quest - Akara rewards the player
with
a bonus skill point. It's one of a very few opportunities to gain an additional
skill point (other than the one you gain from leveling up), so honor the reward
with a wise skill selection or enhancement!
TIP:
In a multiplayer game, the +1 skill point award is given to all players who
complete the quest - which are all players (and party members) who were in the
den when the last monster was killed. Keep in mind, however, that players cannot
receive the +1 skill award multiple times.
Act I, Quest II: Sisters' Burial Grounds
Activate Diablo II's second quest, sisters burial grounds, by speaking with
Kashya in the rogue encampment after completing the den of evil quest.
Alternatively, you can explore the wilderness around the rogue encampment and
discover the burial grounds area just off the cold plains. Discover the cemetery
here to activate the sisters' burial grounds quest.
Act I, Quest II Objective from Kashya
"My rogue scouts have reported an abomination in the Monastery graveyard!
Apparently, Andariel is not content on taking only our living. Blood Raven, one
of our finest captains in the battle against Diablo at Tristram, was also one of
the first corrupted by Andariel. Now, you'll find her in the Monastery graveyard
raising our dead as zombies! We cannot abide this defilement! If you truly our
ally you will help us destroy her!"
Act I, Quest II Location
Blood Raven can be found in the cemetery amongst a horde of undead skeletons and
zombie creatures. The cemetery is located in the burial grounds, which can be
found by following the maps from the rogue encampment to the blood moor to the
cold plains and finally to the burial grounds. You'll know you're close to Blood
Raven when you hear her distinct taunt.
UNIQUE MONSTER: Search the cold plains for Bishibosh, a fire-enchanted unique
monster with magic resistance. Magic resistance gives Bishibosh 75 percent
resistance to elemental attacks. Fire enchanted gives Bishibosh 75 percent
resistance to fire damage, double to hit chance, and additional fire damage.
Recommended Level to Complete Act I, Quest II
Blood Raven offers a significant challenge. Not only is she fast and tough with
her arrow and flame arrow attacks, but she continues to summon undead skeletons
and zombies to protect her. Before heading into the burial grounds' cemetery, an
area overflowing with undead creatures, take time to explore the cold plains
(and
perhaps even the stony field) thoroughly to gain experience, levels, skills, and
equipment. You should strive to be around level 4 or 5 before taking on Blood
Raven.
TIP:
Clubs and maces offer 150 percent damage against undead creatures, which could
prove useful in the fight against the skeleton, zombie, and hungry dead in the
cemetery.
Act I Bestiary: One of the tougher Act I beasts you'll encounter are in
the "Wendigo" class. These lumbering beasts, the brute, gargantuan beast, and
yeti, are durable (especially the brute and yeti). Furthermore, the yeti
possesses 20 percent resistance to cold.
Act I, Quest II Log Entry #1: Look for the Blood Raven in the burial grounds
next
to the cold plains.
If you receive the quest from Kashya, you're told to explore the cold plains and
search for the entrance to the burial grounds. The cold plains lead to both the
burial grounds and the stony field area. Though not necessary, it's possible to
explore the stony field and gain additional experience, levels, and items for
your battle in the burial grounds. The creatures found in the stony field
provide
quite a challenge, however; be prepared if you decide to bypass the burial
grounds for the dangers that lie beyond!
NOTE:
Blood Raven possesses 50 percent resistance to magic, cold, fire, lightning, and
poison.
You'll find Blood Raven near the center of the burial grounds, likely surrounded
by many skeletons, zombies, and hungry dead. Maces and clubs could help against
the undead-heavy force, but you must still deal with Blood Raven, who's very
quick and retreats often to attack with ranged weapons. Blood Raven also raises
additional undead creatures; keep that in mind if you leave her alone to amass
stronger undead protection. A weak Sorceress will likely have the toughest time
with Blood Raven; it's difficult to deal with her ranged attack. Hit and run and
heal as necessary. Get a clean shot on Blood Raven with your spells and avoid
the
undead as much as possible. Combat-oriented classes should have a less difficult
time, as you can get inside her ranged attacks and confront her head-on.
UNIQUE MONSTER: Search the optional dungeon, the crypt, inside the burial
grounds
for Bonebreaker, who's extra strong and possesses magic resistance. Extra strong
increases minimum and maximum damage three-fold and adds 25 percent damage to
each hit. Bonebreaker's magic resistance gives him a 75 percent resistance to
elemental attacks.
TIP:
When you defeat Blood Raven, the resulting lightning effects destroy all the
monsters in the cemetery. If you want to receive additional experience, fight
the
undead creatures first, then deal with Blood Raven. Zombies and hungry dead are
quite durable and could be tough if you're a low-level character. Should you
choose not to deal with the undead, defeat Blood Raven as soon as possible to
clear out the cemetery.
Act I, Quest II Log Entry #3: Return to Kashya for a reward.
Defeating Blood Raven triggers her death animation (with lightning effects) that
clears out remaining undead monsters in the cemetery. Return to the rogue
encampment and speak with Kashya, who initially gave you the quest. Use a town
portal scroll if you wish, but be sure to replenish your supply; town portal
scrolls are essential in times of extreme danger.
Act I, Quest II Completed Message from Kashya
"I can hardly believe you defeated Blood Raven! Though she was once my closest
friend, I pray that her tortured spirit remains banished forever. You have
earned
my respect, stranger...and the allegiance of the rogues. I have placed several
of
my best warriors at your disposal."
Act I Bestiary: You may encounter tiny spike fiends, which include the razor
spine, thorn beast, and the quill rat, scattered around the Act I landscape.
There's nothing extraordinary about the critters, though some launch the painful
quills as a ranged weapon. Scan the screen and spot when quills are striking you
from offscreen. Seek out the offending spike fiend and eliminate him and its
friends!
Act I, Quest II Rewards
After you return to the rogue encampment and speak with Kashya, the Hire choice
is added to her dialogue menu. For acts I, II, and III, you can hire mercenaries
from Kashya. Additionally, Kashya provides you with a free mercenary to use
immediately. For multiplayer, all players who were in the cemetery when Blood
Raven was killed receive the award upon returning to Kashya.
Act I, Quest III: The Search for Cain
To activate Diablo II's third quest in Act I, you must complete the sisters'
burial ground quest and return to the rogue encampment and speak with Akara.
Act I Bestiary: Fallen and carvers crowd the wilderness surrounding the rogue
encampment. Though the small demonic creatures aren't especially tough, they're
usually accompanied by a shaman, which possesses a fire attack and the ability
to
raise dead fallen or carvers. If you notice fallen or carvers being resurrected,
scout around quickly for the shaman and eliminate it. You don't receive extra
experience for killing raised fallen or carvers (and their similar relatives
later in Act I); raised creatures are just troublesome. Eliminate the shaman
quickly to reduce the extra work.
Act I, Quest III Objective from Akara
"It is clear that we are facing an Evil difficult to comprehend, let alone
combat. There is only one Horadrim Sage, schooled in the most arcane history and
lore, who could help us...his name is Deckard Cain. You must travel to Tristram,
I pray that he still lives. Tristram is too far to journey by foot... Cain would
likely be dead when you arrived. However, there is a magical portal that will
take you there instantly. To open it, one must stand within the circle of Cairn
Stones and touch them in a certain order. The proper order can be found in the
runes written on the bark of the Tree of Inifuss. You must find the sacred Tree
of Inifuss and bring back its bark. I will translate the runes to unlock the
Stones' mystic pattern."
UNIQUE MONSTER: Search the stony field for Rakanishu, who's lightning enchanted
and extra fast. Extra fast doubles attack rate, and lightning enchanted supplies
lightning damage while making Rakanishu 75 percent more resistant to lightning
attack. Lightning damage is extremely powerful, especially this early in the
game
(if this is your first play through). Don't venture into the stony field and
face
off against Rakanishu unless you're well-prepared! He's not alone either; he's
surrounded by other fallen shamen and a host of pesky fallen.
Act I, Quest III Location
The third quest in the Act I is divided into several segments, each located in a
different area of the wilderness. Your first goal is to locate the Tree of
Inifuss to recover the bark scroll, which contains the runes that reveal the
correct order of cairn stones to open the portal to Tristram. The Tree of
Inifuss
is found in the dark wood. From the rogue encampment, head into the blood moor,
then the cold plains, into the stony field, into the underground passage (levels
1 and 2) and into the dark wood. The cairn stones can be found in the stony
field.
TIP:
Explore the burial grounds, central to the sisters' burial grounds quest and
explore the crypt and mausoleum. Though the areas aren't essential to complete
quests, you will find plenty of creatures to gain experience and chests to
accumulate gold and equipment.
Recommended Level to Complete Act I, Quest III
The underground passage and dark wood are dangerous areas in Act I. Take time to
gain experience, levels, skills, and equipment before diving headfirst into this
long, tough quest. Spend time in the optional dungeons (crypt and mausoleum in
the burial grounds and the cave in the stony field) to advance levels and gain
more powerful equipment. Ideally, you should be level 6 or 7 before venturing
into Tristram to free Deckard Cain.
UNIQUE MONSTER: Explore the optional dungeon, the cave, inside the stony field
for a unique beast, the cold enchanted ranger Coldcrow. Cold enchantment
supplies
Coldcrow with cold damage (in addition to standard damage), a 75 percent
resistance to cold attack, double chance to hit, and a +20 freeze duration.
Act I, Quest III Log Entry #1: Go through the underground passage to the dark
wood, search for the Tree of Inifuss, and recover the scroll.
Once you receive the quest from Akara (you must complete the sisters' burial
grounds quest first), head out of the rogue encampment into the blood moor.
Follow the blood moor and locate the entrance to the cold plains. The cold
plains
can take you to the burial grounds or the stony field - head into the stony
field. It's possible that you'll spot the cairn stones on your travels; to
discover the correct sequence of the stones, you need the bark scroll off the
Tree of Inifuss. You may also spot the moldy tome in the stony field - it
activates the fourth quest in Act I. Once you are in the stony field, look for
the entrance to the underground passage, level 1, positioned against the outer
wall.
TIP:
The wilderness surrounding the rogue encampment can be a confusing place. If
you're having trouble locating the important quest landmarks, find the path, or
road, and remain on it, following it to its destination. Most of the landmarks
in
Act I can be found near or at the end of the roads.
Follow the underground passage through two subterranean levels. Exit the tunnel
into the dark wood. Search the dark wood for an unusual tree, which will be
clearly marked on the automap; it's the Tree of Inifuss, which Akara revealed
contains the cairn stones runes that can open the portal into Tristram. Once you
locate the tree, click on it and grab the dropped bark scroll. Place the scroll
into your inventory.
Act I Bestiary: Corrupt rogues litter the landscape surrounding the rogue
encampment. The corrupt rogues appear in many formats (hunter, lancer, and
archer - depending on the weapon held - prefixed each with black, dark, or vile)
and resemble the tough Act I possess Blood Raven and The Countess. Alone the
corrupt rogues aren't too tough, but they're often in groups - further, the
archers are often supporting the hunter and lancer melee rogues! Lure the hunter
and lancers away from the ranged attackers if possible.
Act I, Quest III Log Entry #2: Take the scroll of Inifuss to Akara.
With the bark scroll in hand, it's time to return to the rogue encampment and
show the scroll to Akara. You're fairly far from town, so it's much more likely
that you'll want to use a shortcut, either a town portal scroll or a waypoint.
Since your next destination (after the rogue encampment) is the stony field, a
town portal won't be as cost effective as simply finding the waypoint. If you
are
healthy enough (and have health potions available), consider exploring dark wood
to locate the waypoint and defeat the native creatures. Tristram is tough; the
higher your level and the better your equipment, the easier your journey to
Tristram will be.
UNIQUE MONSTER: In the dark wood, you'll encounter Treehead Woodfist, an extra
fast and extra strong unique monster. Extra fast doubles Treehead's (and its
minions) attack rate, while extra strong increases damage and to-hit percentage
by 25.
The bark scroll is useless until you return and show it to Akara. Once inside
the
rogue encampment, approach Akara and speak with her. Akara translates the runes
and returns the scroll to you. Right-click on it to read the correct sequence of
cairn stones to open the portal to Tristram.
Act I, Quest III Log Entry #3: Go to the cairn stones in the stony field.
Touch the stones in the order found on the scroll. Enter the portal to Tristram,
but beware the danger that lies ahead.
Once you return the bark scroll to Akara, you have the information required to
activate the portal to Tristram. Locate the cairn stones formation, positioned
in
the stony field. Open your inventory while standing near the cairn stones.
Right-
click on the bark scroll to watch the correct sequence of stones. Click on the
cairn atones in the correct order to open a portal to Tristram. Should you enter
the incorrect sequence, the portal will not be opened. Start over again and
complete the full, correct sequence to open the portal.
Act I, Quest III Log Entry #4: Find and rescue Deckard Cain.
Tristram is deadly - be prepared! Search Tristram to locate Cain's gibbet near
the monster-infested center. Deckard Cain is currently kept in a hanging cage.
Defeat the monsters surrounding the cage and touch the cage to release the
Horadrim sage. Once Cain is rescued, a town portal opens to the rogue
encampment.
Follow Cain or remain and finish off the tough monsters crowding Tristram.
TIP:
The third quest in Act I, the search for Cain, isn't necessary to complete in
your eventual goal to advance to Act II. However, there are some important
consequences if you choose not to rescue Deckard Cain yourself. If you choose
not
to rescue Cain, rogues automatically rescue him when quest six is activated.
Should rogues rescue him, Deckard Cain will charge you to identify items in the
remainder of the Act I and all of acts II, III, and IV. If you do rescue Cain,
though, he'll identify items for free. There's no need to rush through Act I -
take the time to rescue Cain and reap the rewards of free item identification!
UNIQUE MONSTER: You'll find cursed Griswold defending Deckard Cain's cage in
Tristram.
Act I, Quest III Log Entry #5: Visit Cain and Akara in the rogue encampment.
Rescuing Deckard Cain opens a town portal to the rogue encampment. Follow Cain
into the portal to return to town. Locate Cain in the rogue encampment and speak
with him to learn his story.
Cain reveals "our greatest fears," that Diablo has once again been set loose
upon
the world. Diablo was slain beneath Tristram, and although there was a great
celebration for the hero who slew the lord of terror, the hero became
increasingly depressed and eventually quite disturbed and tormented. Eventually,
the hero simply left; shortly thereafter, Tristram was attacked by demons. Cain
theorizes that Diablo has taken possession of the hero who sought to slay him,
which, if true, would make Diablo more powerful than ever before.
After speaking with Cain, locate Akara and initiate conversation to receive your
reward for rescuing the Horadrim sage.
Act I, Quest III Rewards
Completing the search for Cain grants both immediate and long-term rewards.
Speak
with Akara and receive a magic ring. Rescuing Deckard Cain also means he won't
charge the player to identify magic items for the remainder of the game. Simply
return to town (via town portal, waypoint, or walking) and locate Deckard Cain.
Speak with him and select Identify Items, and he'll identify all items in your
inventory at no cost. Fail to complete the search for Cain quest by the time the
sixth quest in Act I is activated means that Deckard Cain will charge for item
identification for the remainder of the game.
Act I, Quest IV: The Forgotten Tower
To activate the fourth quest in Act I, locate the moldy tome, which you'll find
in the stony field. The moldy tome appears on the automap, appearing like a
smaller version of its real self on the game screen. Scout the stony field and
locate the moldy tome. The quest is activated as soon as you click on the moldy
tome and read its contents. You can also activate the quest by locating the
entrance to the forgotten tower, found in the black marsh.
Act I, Quest IV Objective from the Moldy Tome
"...And so it came to pass that the Countess, who once bathed in the
rejuvenating
blood of a hundred virgins, was burned alive. And the castle in which so many
cruel deeds took place feel rapidly to ruin. Rising over the buried dungeons in
that god-forsaken wilderness, a solitary tower, like some monument to Evil, is
all that remains. The Countess' fortune was believed to be divided among the
clergy, although some say that more remains unfound, still buried alongside the
rotting skulls that bear mute witness to the inhumanity of the human creature."
Act I, Quest IV Location
You'll find the moldy tome, which activates the quest, in the stony field. The
tower entrance, which can also activate the quest, is located in the black
marsh.
To reach the black marsh from the rogue encampment, head into the blood moor,
then the cold plains, then the stony field (where the moldy tome is located),
through the underground passages, into the dark wood, and finally into the black
marsh. Naturally, your journey can be shortened considerably by activating the
waypoints, particularly the one in the dark wood during your search for the Tree
of Inifuss. Finally, your eventual target, the Countess, is found inside the
tower cellar, level 5.
Recommended Level to Complete Act I, Quest IV
Five dungeon levels inside the forgotten tower provide quite a challenge,
especially considering your nearest waypoint lies back in the black marsh.
Unless
you're prepared to use many town portal scrolls, advance to around level 8 or 9
before venturing inside the forgotten tower. The tower cellar levels provide a
lot of area to spend eliminating monsters and gaining experience. Don't rush
through the tower; take the time to eliminate as many creatures as possible to
gain as much experience, levels, and equipment as possible.
Act I, Quest IV Log Entry #1: Look for the tower in the black marsh beyond the
dark wood.
After activating the quest in the stony field by reading the moldy tome, use the
waypoints to return to the dark wood (if you activated the waypoint during the
search for Cain quest). Once in the dark wood, locate the path into the black
marsh and find the forgotten tower entrance along the rocky boundary.
Alternatively, you can simply follow the path from the stony field into the
black
marsh; from the stony field, head into the underground passage, emerge in the
dark wood, and enter the black marsh.
Once inside the forgotten tower, explore the dungeon cellar levels and continue
to descend until you reach the bottom floor, level 5. Don't rush through the
tower; take time to acquire experience points and advance levels before your
confrontation with the Countess. Backtracking out of the tower cellar levels can
be fairly time consuming, so be prepared to use town portal scrolls to return to
town for healing (speak with Akara), identifying new items (speak with Deckard
Cain, if you completed quest three), trading found items for gold, and
purchasing
new weapons, armors, potions, and scrolls.
Act I, Quest IV Log Entry #2: Dispose of the evil Countess.
As soon as you enter level 5 of the tower cellar dungeon, you receive a new
entry
in your quest log: Eliminate the Countess. The Countess is a powerful unique
dark
hunter and located in a dead-end room of the fifth tower cellar level. Behind
the
Countess lies a special chest activated as soon as you eliminate the evil dark
hunter. Attempt to lure out the beasts protecting the Countess before
confronting
her. The Countess' close-range fire attacks are deadly; if you're not equipped
with range or spell weaponry, prepare to use hit and run attacks to stay alive
and healthy.
UNIQUE MONSTER: The Countess is fire enchanted, giving her fire damage and a 75
percent resistance to fire attacks.
Completing the fourth quest in Act I isn't necessary to advance into Act II, but
with five levels of tower cellar to explore, you'd miss out on an enormous
amount
of experience and potential equipment. Bypassing quests such as "The Forgotten
Tower" could make completing Act I more difficult because you won't be powerful
enough to take on the first act's final boss, Andariel. Further, to activate
quest five, you must complete "The Forgotten Tower".
Act I, Quest IV Reward
Though you won't receive any rewards in the rogue encampment for defeating the
Countess, a special chest, located in the tower room which houses the Countess,
activates upon the Countess' death offering a wealth of reward.
Act I Bestiary: Beware of the ghosts and wraiths in Act I; these spectral beasts
can drain mana with hits, potentially deadly to a mana-dependent character such
as the sorceress. Ghosts and wraiths are damage resistant (20 and 30 percent
respectively), magical resistant (20 and 30 percent respectively) and poison
resistant (both 50 percent).
Act I, Quest V: Tools of the Trade
To activate the fifth quest in Act I, speak with Charsi, the blacksmith, in the
rogue encampment. You must have completed quest four, the forgotten tower, to
activate the fifth quest.
Act I, Quest V Objective from Charsi
"When I fled the Monastery, I left behind my Horadric Malus, an enchanted
smithing hammer. If you retrieve it for me, I will use its magic to strengthen
your equipment."
Act I, Quest V Location
Completing this quest is quite an undertaking and takes you far from the rogue
encampment into the wilderness and finally into the monastery and its barracks.
To reach the monastery, you must first return to the black marsh. If you've
previously activated the waypoints in the black marsh or dark wood, which is
positioned just adjacent to the black marsh, use the waypoint system to
instantly
travel from the rogue encampment into the black marsh. Should you need to make
the journey on foot, head from the rogue encampment into the blood moor, to the
cold plains, the stony field, through the underground passage, into the dark
wood, and finally the black marsh. From the black marsh, locate the entrance
into
the Tamoe highland then into the monastery gate, the outer cloister, and finally
the barracks. You'll find the Horadric malus protected by the Smith in the
barracks.
Recommended Level to Complete Act I, Quest V
Recovering the Horadric malus is a long, difficult journey that takes you
through
several dangerous new areas, the Tamoe highlands, monastery gate, outer
cloister,
and barracks. Activate the waypoint in the outer cloister to make a return to
the
rogue encampment (for healing, identifying items, or buying and selling items)
much easier. Otherwise, be prepared with town portal scrolls in case the danger
becomes too great. Ideally, you should strive to be between level 10 and 12
before taking the journey into the monastery.
NOTE:
The tools of the trade quest will only be activated if your character is level 8
or higher. Though you could possibly complete the quest at level 8, recovering
the Horadric malus will prove quite difficult.
Act I, Quest V Log Entry #1: Look for the Horadric malus in the monastery
barracks. Beware of the Smith that guards it.
Make the journey into the monastery, which lies adjacent to the Tamoe highlands.
Use the waypoint system to journey from the rogue encampment into the black
marsh. From there, proceed into the Tamoe highlands, through the monastery gate,
and into the outer cloister. Locate the waypoint in the outer cloister before
proceeding into the barracks; that way, you can retreat out of the barracks and
use the waypoint to return to the rogue encampment without using town portal
scrolls. Alternatively, just stock up on town portal scrolls and use them once
inside the barracks to prepare for your battle against the Smith.
UNIQUE MONSTER: The intimidating Smith protects the Horadric malus. The Smith is
extra strong, giving him additional damage and to hit-percentage.
The Smith protects the forge setpiece that contains Charsi's Horadric malus. The
Smith, a large unique monster, is classified as extra strong, making him quite
durable to your weaponry. His size and strength make him a bit sluggish,
however;
your best option is to use hit-and-run (or ranged, as the case may be) attacks
against him. Trying to stand in toe to toe will prove quite difficult because of
the Smith's durability. As you should against any unique boss monster, attempt
to
clear out the area of lower beasts and minions before tackling the tough boss.
Once you take down the Smith, locate the forge behind his starting location and
grab the Horadric malus. Make sure you have the inventory slots available to
hold
the hammer weapon.
Act I, Quest V Log Entry #2: Return the Horadric malus to Charsi.
After defeating the Smith, you can recover the Horadric malus from the forge.
Use
a town portal scroll to head back into the rogue encampment and speak with
Charsi. Alternatively, use the waypoint in the outer cloister to instantly
travel
back into the rogue encampment.
Act I, Quest V Log Entry #3: Charsi will imbue an item with magical power.
Returning the Horadric malus to Charsi activates the final entry in the fifth's
quest log. Charsi tells you, "Oh, thanks so much for returning the Horadric
Malus. I will now imbue one of your items with magical power." Speak with Charsi
and carefully select one of your items to receive magical abilities. Naturally,
you should choose something useful to your current character. For instance, if
you're a Barbarian using skill points in sword mastery, you should imbue a
sword.
Or, if you're an Amazon concentrating on bow and crossbow skills over javelin
and
spear skills, you should select a bow or crossbow to imbue.
Act I, Quest V Reward
Upon returning the Horadric malus to Charsi, she will add magical abilities to
one item, which could include a weapon, shield, gloves, boots, armor, or helmet.
You can't imbue unique, rare, set, thrown, or jewelry items. In multiplayer
games, everyone in the party when the Horadric malus is returned receives the
reward.
Act I Bestiary: You'll find Goatmen scattered around Act I - moon clan, night
clan, and blood clan. Expect quite a fight as each carries double-digit hit-
points and they're frequently in groups.
TIP:
It's not mandatory to return the Horadric malus to Charsi or receive the reward.
In fact, you can hold onto the Horadric malus and your reward until a later act
where you would have access to bigger and more powerful weapons, armor, and
items. Certainly choosing to receive the reward and imbue the item now will make
the battle against Andariel, which completes the sixth quest and Act I,
potentially easier.
Act I, Quest VI: Sisters to the Slaughter
Activate the sixth quest in Act I by speaking with Deckard Cain, who will appear
in the rogue encampment if you rescue him from Tristram in the third quest or by
the rogues once you complete the other quests.
Act I, Quest VI Objective from Cain
"It is certain that we face the demon queen Andariel, who has corrupted the
rogue
sisterhood and defiled their ancestral monastery. This does not bode well for
us,
my friend. Ancient Horadric texts record that Andariel and the other lesser
evils
once overthrew the three prime evils, Diablo, Mephisto, and Baal banishing them
from Hell to our world. Here, they caused mankind untold anguish and suffering
before they were finally bound within the soulstones. Andariel's presence here
could mean that the forces of Hell are once again aligned behind Diablo and his
brothers. If this is true, then I fear for us all. You must kill her before the
Monastery becomes a permanent outpost of hell and the way east lost forever."
Act I, Quest VI Location
Andariel can be found deep inside the cathedral catacombs beyond the monastery.
It's a long journey from the rogue encampment (and even from the monastery
barracks), but one that should prepare you well for Andariel - the long journey
lets you gain experience and advance levels to give you a fighting chance
against
the powerful Act I boss.
UNIQUE MONSTER: On the first level of the jail (enter through the barracks),
you'll find Pitspawn Fouldog, a cursed, cold-enchanted unique tainted. With a 75
percent resistance to cold attacks, don't expect cold-enchanted weapons to have
much effect on Pitspawn. The unique tainted can also dish out heavy cold damage;
prepare to take countermeasures if you're frozen, either with a thawing potion
or
simply retreating!
To reach Andariel, you must first return to the monastery. Use the waypoint
system to return to the outer cloister, positioned between the barracks and
monastery gate. Head into the barracks and venture through the jail (three
levels), into the inner cloister (a waypoint's located here), through the
cathedral, and into the catacombs (four levels). Andariel can be found on the
fourth level of the catacombs.
The full journey from the rogue encampment to Andariel is as follows: Rogue
Encampment to the blood moor to the cold plains to the stony plain to the
underground passages (two levels) to the dark wood to the black marsh to the
Tamoe highlands to the monastery gate to the outer cloister to the barracks to
the jail (three levels) to the inner cloister to the cathedral to the catacombs
(four levels).
Recommended Level to Complete Act I, Quest VI
Andariel is extremely powerful and certainly the toughest foe you have faced
thus
far. Since the journey to Andariel takes you through many areas and dungeons,
you
should have plenty of opportunity to improve your character's experience, level,
skills, and equipment. You should ideally be around level 15 before facing off
against the powerful Act I boss. Consider exploring any areas you have
overlooked
thus far, such as the optional dungeons in the stony field (the cave) and the
burial grounds (the crypt and mausoleum) before venturing into the barracks.
Naturally, advancing additional levels could potentially make the battle even
easier as long as you have adequate weapons, armor, and useful skills.
UNIQUE MONSTER: Search for Flame Spike the Crawler inside the inner cloister.
Flame Spike's cursed and fire enchanted, giving him a 75 percent resistance to
fire attack as well as bonuses to fire damage.
Act I, Quest VI Log Entry #1: Find Andariel's Lair in the depths of the
monastery
catacombs.
Activate the quest from Deckard Cain, then use the waypoint system to travel
from
the rogue encampment to as far as possible. If you completed the previous
quests,
you should have activated the waypoints in either the black marsh or the outer
cloister. Follow the maps from either into the monastery and its barracks. Work
your way through the crowded jail and catacombs levels until you reach the
fourth
level of the catacombs, where you'll find Andariel's lair.
Act I, Quest VI Log Entry #2: Kill Andariel.
As soon as you reach the fourth level of the catacombs, a new entry appears in
your quest log - Andariel is nearby, and it's your duty to eliminate the
abomination and clear the path east into the second act of Diablo II. When you
reach the fourth level of the catacombs, consider using a town portal scroll to
return to the rogue encampment to replenish your health, mana, and healing
potions. You should also prepare yourself for the battle with Andariel by
improving your weapons and armor.
UNIQUE MONSTER: Though the cathedral area is somewhat short, you'll still face
off against a tough beast. Search for the unique monster Bone Ash, who's cold
enchanted, extra strong, and carries magic resistance. The combination creates
quite a monster! Don't expect elemental attack to have much effect. If you're
relying on such attacks, be prepare to hit and run with abandon. Should you go
toe-to-toe with a melee attack, carry plenty of healing potions and retreat
occasionally to replenish your health and mana and to wait out a frozen state.
Andariel implements a poison attack, so it's possible to improve your odds by
using pieces of armor that carries a resistance to poison. Also, any items that
reduce the duration of poison effects can also help alleviate the damaging
results of Andariel's attacks.
Andariel isn't immune to anything specific, so all attacks will be effective.
It's defending yourself against her aggression that is often the problem. Make
sure you're well-stocked with healing potions; if you're heavily dependent on
mana, take along mana or rejuvenation potions to keep your mana supply high.
NOTE:
Andariel possesses a 50 percent resistance to fire, lightning, and cold. She
also
possesses an 80 percent resistance to poison.
Perhaps the most important aspect of your battle against Andariel is to make
every attempt to clear out the creatures protecting her before advancing against
Andariel herself. Lure the creatures away from Andariel and eliminate them
before
advancing against the Act I boss. Trying to take on Andariel while all the other
minions are thrashing about and causing you damage will be much more difficult
than taking on Andariel alone.
Act I, Quest VI Log Entry #3: Return to Warriv to take the caravan east.
After defeating Andariel, clear out her lair and collect the discarded items and
gold. Finish off any remaining creatures on the fourth level catacombs if you
wish and return to the rogue encampment through the town portal created upon
Andariel's death.
Act I Bestiary: Encountered a throbbing nest and not sure what to do? That's
likely a foul crow nest, which you'll find during your travels in Act I. The
foul
crow nests periodically spurts out foul crow, which aren't especially tough
(single-digit hit-points) but could overwhelm an unprepared character. When you
spot the foul crow nest, eliminate it quickly to avoid additional foul crows.
TIP:
Before speaking with Warriv and heading east, take time to explore more of Act
I,
including any optional dungeons or quests you overlooked before defeating
Andariel. Act II's dangers are considerably greater; if you can spend time
gaining more levels (and potentially better equipment), don't hesitate to do so.
At a minimum, you should be level 15 or higher before taking the caravan east.
Act I, Quest VI Completed Message from Cain
"This is a great victory indeed, but many more battles await. I will accompany
you on your journey, lending what assistance I can... Remember, Diablo is still
out there, seeking something in the desert. I'm afraid this nightmare will not
end until you find what it is he seeks."
Act I, Quest VI Reward
Other than the items dropped upon Andariel's death, you also receive a town
portal returning you back to the rogue encampment. Upon your return, speak with
Deckard Cain and the others. Head over to Warriv and speak with him to discover
a
new choice in his dialogue menu: Go East. Select it, watch the Act II cinematic,
and prepare for the next stage in your adventure!
Act II Walk-through
After defeating Andariel and taking Warriv's caravan east, you arrive at the
desert town of Lut Gholein. The desert contains far more dangers than the
wilderness that surrounded the rogue encampment.
Your quests in Act II begin with Atma, a kind woman who recently lost her
husband
and son to a demon making its lair in Lut Gholein's sewer system. Discovering a
way inside Tal Rasha's tomb consumes most of the other Act II quests. In piecing
together the Horadric staff, said to be the key to entering Tal Rasha's tomb,
you'll explore dungeons filled with undead creatures, caverns overflowing with
rampant bug infestations, and an unusual world found beneath Lut Gholein's
palace.
Lut Gholein, like other towns, is occupied by several nonplayer characters to
offer quests and information and assist with weapons, armor, healing items, and
repair. Explore Lut Gholein to find:
Atma: Speak with Atma to receive the first quest in Act II, Radament's Lair.
Radament is a demon occupying the sewers beneath Lut Gholein and killed Atma's
family.
Geglash: Geglash offers conversation and information.
Greiz: Use Greiz to hire mercenaries to assist your battles and quests in Act
II.
Elzix: Talk with Elzix to purchsae new weapons, armor, or magical weapons or
armor. Check with Elzix upon each return back to Lut Gholein to examine his
current inventory. Also, players can gamble with Elzix on magical items, which
will either be magical, rare, unique or set items.
Lysander: Should you need healing and attacking potions (such as gas and
exploding potions), speak with Lysander. He also offers keys for sale should you
discover any locked chests.
Fara: Find Fara upon each return to Lut Gholein for she will instantly heal your
wounds and replenish your mana supply. You can also purchase new weapons, armor,
and magical weapons and armor from Fara. Lastly, use Fara to repair damaged
weapons and armor.
Drognan: Speak with Drognan if you need healing potions, town portal, and
identity scrolls as well as magic items, such as wands and staffs.
Meshif: Talk with Meshif at the end of Act II to take the transport into Act
III.
Meshif can also provide additional information and dialogue about current
quests.
Deckard Cain: Cain follows you from the rogue encampment and can be used to
identify items (for free, if you rescued him during the third quest of Act I).
Act II, Quest I: Radament's Lair
Activate the first quest in Act II by speaking with Atma in Lut Gholein.
Completing this first quest not only offers a substantial rewards, it also
provides an easy bridge into the second - and most important - quest in he act.
Act II, Quest I Objective from Atma
"In the sewers below our city, there lurks a horrid creature that hungers for
human flesh. The creature has killed many, including my son and my husband. If
you destroy it, I will reward you. Please be careful though, that beast has
taken
enough from us already. The sewer entrance is through the trap door just up the
street."
Act II, Quest I Location
The sewers below Lut Gholein can be accessed in a couple of locations. You can
use the trap door inside town to reach the sewers. Or, look for the entrance at
the edge of town that also leads directly into the dangerous sewers. Radament
will be found on the sewers' third level.
Act II Bestiary: The undead inhabiting Act II are significantly more impressive
than their Act I counterparts. Most include resistances to various elements and
poison and some employ powerful ranged weaponry. For instance, prepare to
encounter the bone mage, burning dead mage, and horror mage in fire, ice,
poison,
and lightning varieties. Each carries 50 percent resistance to poison (a staple
of the undead) while others carry resistances to their respective elements.
You'll find them employing special elemental attacks (depending on their type)
and often supporting melee undead, making them even more deadly and tough to
reach.
Recommended Level to Complete Act II, Quest I
Assuming you met the recommendation of level 15 upon defeating Andariel, you're
in fairly good shape to head into the sewers and seek out Radament. Ideally, you
should be around level 16 or 17 before facing off against the sewer boss. Should
you desire to level up, head out into the desert surrounding Lut Gholein before
diving into the sewers.
Act II, Quest I Log Entry #1: Find Radament's Lair in the Lut Gholein sewers.
Activate the quest by speaking with Atma, then locate your preferred entrance
into the sewers - either through the trap door inside Lut Gholein or the
entrance
just on the edge of town. Both are sufficient and will take you to your eventual
goal, Radament's lair on the third sewer level.
There's a lot of undead in the sewers. If you plan on using melee attacks, equip
clubs or maces (which do extra damage against undead monsters). Also, many
undead
creatures have poison effects (including gas emissions upon death); wearing
armor
with poison resistance could help considerably in keeping you healthy. Stock up
on healing potions while in Lut Gholein to prepare for your exploration of the
large sewers.
UNIQUE MONSTER: Radament is extra fast, giving him bonuses to attack rate and
velocity.
Carefully explore the second level of the sewers to locate the waypoint marker.
Once you reach the waypoint, head back into Lut Gholein and replenish your
supply
of potions and improve your weaponry by speaking with Fara or Elzix. Radament's
highly magic resistant and, if you let him cast spells, will continue to raise
additional undead warriors. Cold weapons and spells can be used to slow down his
actions while you finish him off with more powerful spells or melee and ranged
weapons.
Act II Bestiary: Most of the dungeons in Act II contain mummies and greater
mummies (hollow one, unraveler, and so on) that operate much like the fallen and
carvers in Act I. The greater mummy will raise dead mummies (for which you won't
receive experience in a second kill). To make matters especially tough, the
greater mummies are typically holed up behind a large wall of mummy warriors.
Eliminate the greater mummies as quickly as possible, not only to prevent the
raising of mummies, but to avoid the greater mummies' ranged spell, the unholy
bolt.
Act II, Quest I Log Entry #2: Kill Radament.
Once you reach the third sewer level, your quest log is updated with a new entry
-
Radament's lair is near, and it's time to terminate the demonic beast that
killed Atma's husband and son. Clear out most of the sewer's third level, but
realize that a large force of undead mummies and zombies will protect Radament.
Further, Radament can raise the undead, blocking your path to the sewer boss
even
more.
Melee fighters will likely have to pummel their way through the chunk of undead
warriors to reach Radament. Ranged players can stay out of Radament's range and
work on terminating the bulk of undead that surround the sewer boss. Spell
casters might have an easier time, but Radament is magic resistant, posing
additional problems. Cold spells and weapons could be an option, if they're
available. Slowing down Radament's spell casting and his speed (he's extra fast)
can keep him within your melee attacks and spells and prevent him from raising
additional undead. Be prepared to protect yourself against poison effects unless
you've boosted your resistance with a piece of magic armor or jewelry.
Act II, Quest I Log Entry #3: Return to Atma for a reward.
Defeating Radament offers several rewards and important items. First, grab the
book of skill dropped upon Radament's death. Use the book to receive an
additional skill point to use on the skill tree. Second, look for the chest
inside Radament's lair (you may have to defeat additional undead to reach the
chest). Inside, you'll find the Horadric scroll, an integral part of Act II's
second quest - plus, picking up the Horadric scroll sets the second quest in
motion.
Return up to the sewers' second level and use the waypoint to return to Lut
Gholein. Naturally, you can forgo the waypoint system and simply use a town
portal scroll to appear in town, but there's no reason to return to the sewers'
third level, so it's unlikely you'd want to return. If you found the waypoint on
the sewers' second level, it's the best and most cost-efficient option.
Act II, Quest I Completed Message from Atma
"They say that the taste of vengeance is bittersweet, but I find it to my
liking.
In addition to my undying gratitude, I have spoken on your behalf with the rest
of the townspeople. The merchants have agreed to show their gratitude by
offering
their wares at lower rates."
Act II, Quest I Reward
Pick up the book of skill dropped by Radament upon his death. Use the book to
receive a free skill point to use on the skill tree. Speak with Atma, and the
Lut
Gholein merchants give discounts on their merchandise. For multiplayer games,
the
discounts are given to all players who were in Radament's lair when he was
killed. Finally, search for the marked chest in Radament's lair to acquire the
Horadric scroll, an important piece of Act II's second quest and one that will
set the quest in motion.
Act II, Quest II: The Horadric Staff
The second quest in Act II (also, the most important in the act) can be
activated
by locating any pieces of the Horadric staff and returning them to Deckard Cain
in Lut Gholein. The easiest way to activate the quest is by completing the first
quest in Act II, Radament's lair, and obtaining the Horadric scroll from the
marked chest on the third level of the sewers. Return the scroll to Deckard Cain
to activate the quest.
Act II Bestiary: The "Swarm" monster class can be found in some of Act II's
outer
deserts. These tight clusters of insects - including Act II's itches, black
locusts, and plague bugs - are highly resistant to physical damage with 60, 70,
and 80 percent damage resistance respectively.
Act II, Quest II Objective from Cain
"Ahh... The lost Horadric Scroll! What a fortunate turn of events... As the last
living Horadrim, I alone have knowledge of its meaning. Now, to read the
Horadric
runes it bears... Hmmm... The Horadric Mages, after binding Baal within Tal
Rasha, magically sealed off his Burial Chamber from the mortal realm. Those same
Mages also crafted fearsome Horadric Staves and imbued them with the special
power to open the Chamber's hidden door. After nearly losing one to the thievery
of a rogue sorcerer, they divided all the Horadric Staves into two parts -
wooden
shaft and metal headpiece - hiding them separately to safeguard them. The
Horadrim foresaw our current plight and designed the hiding places to reveal
themselves to worthy heroes like you. Collect both parts of a Horadric Staff and
unite them using a Horadric Cube. Then, you may enter Tal Rasha's Burial
Chamber."
Act II, Quest II Location
The Horadric staff quest takes you all through the Act II maps. In fact, many
elements of the Horadric staff quest overlap with other quests you'll discover
throughout the act.
The Horadric staff carries several important pieces, all located in a different
area of Act II.
The Horadric Scroll: Though the scroll doesn't form part of the eventual staff,
it's still the easiest way to activate the quest. Locate the Horadric scroll in
a
marked chest near Radament's lair on the third sewer level. Take the scroll to
Deckard Cain to activate the Horadric staff quest.
The Horadric Cube: The cube is used to transmute the parts of the Horadric staff
into a complete whole. You can also use the Horadric cube to hold inventory
items
and transmute other items (other than the staff items) into better items -
you'll
find some basics of transmuting with the Horadric cube described later in this
section. Locate the Horadric cube inside the halls of the dead, level 3. To
reach
the halls of the dead dungeon starting in Lut Gholein, head into the rocky
waste,
then the dry hills, then locate the staircase into the second portion of the dry
hills, and find the entrance into the halls of the dead. Descend to the third
level to find the Horadric cube.
UNIQUE MONSTER: Inside the halls of the dead, level 3 protecting the Horadric
cube, you'll encounter Bloodwitch the Wild, an extra strong (increasing damage
by
three-fold and to hit percentage) and cursed huntress.
The Horadric Shaft (also known as The Staff of Kings): The wooden shaft Deckard
Cain spoke of in the quest objective, the Horadric shaft, can be found in a
marked chest inside the maggot lair, level 3. To reach the maggot lair starting
in Lut Gholein, head into the rocky waste, then the dry hills, and into the far
oasis. You'll find the entrance to the maggot lair in the far oasis area.
Horadric Amulet: Also known as the metal headpiece that Deckard Cain spoke of in
the quest objective, the Horadric amulet is found on the claw viper altar. You
must destroy the claw viper altar to acquire the Horadric amulet. Locate the
claw
viper altar (and hence, the Horadric amulet) inside the claw viper temple, level
2. To reach the temple from Lut Gholein, proceed into the rocky waste, then the
dry hills, then into the far oasis, then the lost city, then the lost city's
second area (use the staircase), then the valley of the snakes, and finally the
claw viper temple. Descend to the second level of the claw viper temple to find
the altar and the amulet.
Recommended Level to Complete the Segments of Act II, Quest II
Since the second quest in Act II is divided into segments, it's important to
realize that each segment offers unique challenges and escalating character
strength. Many of this quest's goals overlap with other quests in Act II;
realize
that before attempting to complete all the goals in the second quest. Further,
follow the order presented in the second quest log to basically follow the level
of difficulty in the quest. To finish the halls of the dead, you should be
around
level 17 or 18; look to be level 18 or 19 before venturing inside the maggot's
lair; and strive to be level 19 or 20 before exploring the lost city. Naturally,
these are just recommendations, and if you spend additional time gaining
experience, levels, and skills, you could have an easier time completing the
dungeons. On the other hand, it's possible to complete the quest at a lower
level, but expect quite a challenge.
UNIQUE MONSTER: Search the far oasis for Beetleburst, who's magic resistant (a
75
percent resistance against elemental attack).
Act II Bestiary: The leapers! Though small and relatively harmless, these tiny
critters can put up quite a fight! The sand leaper, tomb creaper, and cave
leaper
are quite agile and can actually leap over your character making melee attack
(and even other means of attack) quite difficult. In numbers, be prepared for a
lot of back and forth attacking. One positive note, though, is that the leapers
can potentially take damage with each leap making your job easier if you can
eventually strike the target!
Act II, Quest II Log Entry #1: Show the scroll to Cain in Lut Gholein
After you defeat Radament in the sewers, level 3, search for the marked chest
and
grab the Horadric scroll inside. Return to Lut Gholein, either via the waypoint
on the second sewer level, town portal scroll, or by ascending out of the sewers
and back into Lut Gholein. Speak with Deckard Cain with Horadric scroll in hand
to complete the entry and learn the quest's objective.
Act II, Quest II Log Entry #2: Search the halls of the dead under the dry hills
for the Cube Search the maggot's lair under the far oasis for the shaft. Search
the claw viper temple for the headpiece.
Returning the Horadric scroll to Deckard Cain activates the second entry in the
second quest's log. The entry includes all the goals to complete the Horadric
staff, which will be used to enter Tal Rasha's tomb.
The cube should be your first destination, as its location is the closest and
least dangerous of the dungeons; you'll find the cube in the halls of the dead
dungeon located in the second area of the dry hills. Descend into the halls of
the dead and locate the marked chest on level three; open the chest and acquire
the Horadric cube inside.
The Horadric cube is required to construct the Horadric staff that will open Tal
Rasha's tomb. By placing the Horadric staff's shaft and headpiece into the cube
and pressing the transmute button, you'll recreate the Horadric staff, letting
you enter the final area of the act.
Returning the Horadric cube to Deckard Cain reveals its purpose and other uses.
Cain will tell you how to use the cube to restore the staff, but he also
indicates its other purpose - the cube can be used to transmute other items as
well. At its basic level, the cube can be used as additional inventory storage.
Keep the cube in your main inventory and open it up with a right-click. If your
main inventory is crowded, slide items into the open cube for additional storage
space.
Cain reveals that the cube can be used to improve gem quality. By placing gems
of
inferior quality into the cube and hitting the transmute button, you can create
a
single gem of higher quality. You can also combine gems with weapons and even
change arrows into bolts. Keep in mind that the results of transmutation isn't
always positive, so don't experiment haphazardly unless you're willing to
potentially lose important items.
Your next goal is the shaft, which lies in the maggot's lair found in the far
oasis area of the desert surrounding Lut Gholein. Descend to the third level of
the maggot lair's and find the marked chest in the dead-end room protected by a
horde of sand maggots. These sand maggots offer a unique challenge. You must
eliminate the sand maggots quickly; the sand maggots lay eggs that sprout sand
maggot young. It's easy to get overwhelmed with monsters if you neglect the sand
maggots. Also, look for the sand maggot eggs and destroy them before they sprout
the sand maggot young. The sand maggots also feature a poisonous attack; wear
armor with resistances to poison to help counter the effects.
UNIQUE MONSTER: A unique sand maggot, Coldworm the Burrower, protects the shaft;
Coldworm is cold enchanted and magic resistant making it a tough customer
against
all elemental attacks; melee attacks should prove much more effective. Clear out
Coldworm's lair (littered with sand maggots, sand maggot young, and eggs) before
moving against the unique beast.
The final piece of the staff puzzle lies in the claw viper temple. Locate the
claw viper temple by heading from the far oasis into the lost city section. From
the second level of the lost city (just locate the staircase), proceed into the
valley of the snakes, and find the claw viper temple. When you enter the lost
city section for the first time, the sun dims, and the desert falls under
darkness - this also activates the third quest in Act II, which contains the
same
goal as locating the Horadric amulet.
Act II Bestiary: The gigantic Blunderbore are impressive beasts - and quite
durable! Each Blunderbore type - which include the blunderbore, gorbelly, and
mauler - feature stun and knockback attacks. Attempting to duke it out with
these
mammoth creatures could prove deadly. Carry plenty of healing potions and
prepare
to take defensive (and evasive) measures at a moment's notice.
TIP:
Should you desire additional exploration (as well as additional experience and
items), locate the ancient tunnels area inside the lost city section of the
desert. Exploring the ancient tunnels area isn't necessary to complete any
quests; use the ancient tunnels to improve your character for the tough battles
ahead. Thorough exploration of the desert surrounding Lut Gholein will reveal
another optional dungeon: the stony tomb, which contains the unique monster
Creeping Feature, who's extra strong and cold enchanted - don't expect cold
weapons to work against the durable beast!
Descend the claw viper temple into level two. Locate and destroy the altar to
acquire the final piece of the Horadric staff, the headpiece or Horadric amulet.
Act II, Quest II Log Entry #3: Use the Horadric cube to restore the staff.
Once you have acquired all pieces to the Horadric staff (cube, shaft, and
headpiece), a new entry appears in the second quest's log. You could acquire the
pieces in any order, though the order presented above would be the most desired,
as the areas further out from Lut Gholein are far more dangerous.
Open the Horadric cube by right-clicking on the cube. Place the shaft and amulet
inside the cube's inventory slots. With both inside, press the transmute button.
As a result, the Horadric staff will be created.
Act II, Quest II Log Entry #4: Take the staff into Tal Rasha's tomb
Other quests in Act II must be completed before you can venture into Tal Rasha's
Tomb. There are several different entrances leading to Tal Rasha's tomb; only
one, though, will take you to the circle of seven symbols, where you'll place
the
Horadric staff to open the passage into Tal Rasha's burial chamber. Solve the
arcane sanctuary quest to recover Horazon's journal, which reveals the correct
entrance into Tal Rasha's tomb and takes you to the canyon of the magi.
Act II, Quest II Completed Message from Cain
"Excellent! You have a Horadric Staff. Carry it with you into Tal Rasha's Tomb.
Find within the Tomb the chamber whose floor is inset with the Circle of Seven
Symbols. Place the Staff into the receptacle you find there. That will open the
secret passage into Tal Rasha's Burial Chamber."
Act II, Quest III: Tainted Sun
Activate the third quest in Act II by venturing inside the lost city. Entering
the lost city area triggers the desert darkness. Return to Drognan to receive
your quest objective.
Act II, Quest III Objective from Drognan
"I've been researching this phenomenon, and I believe it to be work of Claw
Vipers. Find their temple beneath the desert sands and you may find the source
of
this curse."
Act II, Quest III Location
Drognan points you toward the claw viper temple, which is found beyond the lost
city and valley of the snakes areas. Traveling from Lut Gholein, you'll proceed
into the rocky waste, then into the dry hills, into the far oasis, then into the
lost city, then into the lost city's second level (use the staircase), then
through the valley of the snakes, and into the claw viper temple. Your eventual
destination lies on the second level of the claw viper temple dungeon; destroy
the altar here to end the curse and the desert darkness.
UNIQUE MONSTER: Search the lost city for the Dark Elder unique monster; Dark
Elder is extra fast and magic resistant giving it double attack speed and 75
percent resistance to elemental attack.
NOTE:
Destroying the altar inside the claw viper temple influences two quests: the
second and third quests in Act II. Eliminate the altar to receive the Horadric
amulet, required for the Horadric staff and end the tainted sun curse and the
darkness overwhelming the desert.
Recommended Level to Complete Act II, Quest III
The lost city, valley of the snakes, and the claw viper temple are dangerous
areas of Act II. You should ideally be nearly level 20 before attempting to
complete the tainted sun quest (which also will include recovering the Horadric
amulet for the second quest). Naturally, you could find success at a lower
level;
however, take time to explore all the lost city, valley of the snakes, and even
the ancient tunnels (an optional dungeon in the lost city) before venturing
inside the claw viper temple.
Act II Bestiary: The claw vipers, primarily found within the Claw Viper Temple,
appear in several different forms, including tomb viper, claw viper, salamander,
and pit viper. All claw vipers feature freezing charge attacks, so be prepared
to
counteract cold effects with resistant armor, auras, and thawing potions. In
addition to the attacks, claw vipers and salamanders possess cold and fire
resistance respectively and the pit viper carries 60 percent resistance to
poison
and cold.
Act II, Quest III Log Entry #1: Ask Drognan about the strange darkness.
After venturing inside the lost city area (and observing the darkness envelope
the desert), the tainted sun quest will be activated, and a new entry appears in
the quest log. You're told to speak with Drognan back in Lut Gholein about the
strange desert darkness. Return to Lut Gholein using the waypoint system or
simply use a town portal to open a route back to town. Speak with Lut Gholein to
receive the quest objective: explore the claw viper temple and discover the
source of the curse.
Act II, Quest III Log Entry #2: Destroy the serpent altar in the claw viper
temple beneath the valley of snakes.
After receiving the objective from Drognan in Lut Gholein, use the waypoint
system to return to the lost city area (or the far oasis if you haven't already
activated the lost city waypoint). Alternatively, you can make the long journey
on foot from Lut Gholein. Take Lut Gholein into the rocky waste, then through
the
dry hills, past the far oasis, into the lost city and its second section (use
the
staircase), and through the valley of the snakes to locate the entrance to the
claw viper temple. If you used a town portal scroll to return to Lut Gholein,
simply use the portal to return into the shrouded desert.
UNIQUE MONSTER: Fangskin, a unique salamander, protects the claw viper altar.
Both lightning enchanted and extra fast, Fangskin provides quite a challenge.
The
lightning element is extremely powerful; couple that with Fangskin's double
attack rate and increased velocity and you're in for quite a battle. Lure his
minions away, if possible, before dealing with Fangskin.
Once you enter the claw viper temple, make your way down to its second level and
locate the altar. Destroy the altar to complete the tainted sun quest. Be sure
to
recover the Horadric amulet, which completes part of the Horadric staff quest,
the second quest in Act II.
Act II, Quest III Log Entry #3: Speak with the townsfolk in Lut Gholein.
Destroying the altar ends the curse and the desert darkness. Return to Lut
Gholein at your first opportunity (by waypoint, town portal scroll, or by foot)
and speak with Drognan, Cain, and the other townsfolk in Lut Gholein to complete
the quest.
Act II, Quest III Completed Message from Drognan
"You did well in destroying the Claw Vipers. We are all glad to see the sun
returned to its former glory."
Act II, Quest IV: Arcane Sanctuary
To activate the fourth quest in Act II, you must have previously activated the
sixth quest in Act II, the seven tombs. To activate that quest, simply talk to
Jheryn, who stands near the palace in Lut Gholein, sometime after starting the
Horadric staff quest. Jerhyn indicates you should speak with Drognan, who has
more information regarding the arcane sanctuary and its importance.
Act II, Quest IV Objective from Drognan
"I've been researching the old records, trying to find the location of Tal
Rasha's Tomb. Though I haven't found the Tomb itself, I may have a good lead for
you. The great Vizjerei Summoner, Horazon, built this Arcane Sanctuary somewhere
around here. He was a powerful spellcaster and kept demons as slaves within the
Sanctuary. He kept a close eye on great events, too - such as the imprisonment
of
Baal within Tal Rasha's Tomb. If you could find Horazon's Sanctuary, I'm sure
that it would hold some clue as to the Tomb's location. Though I doubt Horazon
is
still alive, you must proceed with caution. There's no telling what could be
waiting inside. When I spoke of this with Lord Jerhyn, he asked that I send you
to him. Perhaps he knows of a secret entrance or the like."
Completing the arcane sanctuary quest is essential to discovering the correct
entrance into Tal Rasha's tomb, which helps complete the second and sixth quests
in Act II.
After speaking with Drognan, talk to Jerhyn about a possible secret entrance
into
the sanctuary. He tells you a story about demons pouring into a rift in his
palace and rampaging through his harem. Jerhyn's guards have tried to hold the
demons off, attempting to push them back through the mysterious rift from which
they came. Jerhyn, with Drognan's information, theorizes that these demons could
be coming from the arcane sanctuary, perhaps buried underneath the palace.
Jerhyn
opens the palace and welcomes you to explore its dangers.
Act II, Quest IV Location
Your initial goal is the palace located inside Lut Gholein. Speak with Jerhyn
and
Drognan to activate the quest. Speak with Jerhyn to gain access to the palace.
Once inside, you must fight your way through many levels of demons and dangers
to
reach your eventual goal, the arcane sanctuary. The path to the arcane sanctuary
from Lut Gholein is as follows. Proceed into the palace and enter the harem's
first level, descend to the second level of the harem and locate the entrance
into the palace cellar. Once inside the palace cellar, descend to its third
level
and locate the portal. Walk into this portal to enter the arcane sanctuary.
Act II Bestiary: Sand maggot young breed like mad! If you encounter a sand
maggot
(or its devourer and rock worm cousins), eliminate the beast quickly. The sand
maggots lay eggs which produce sand maggot young. On their own, the young aren't
much of a threat; however, several eggs hatching several sand maggot youngs each
and you're quickly surrounded by creatures. Also, beware of the sand maggot's
poison spit, though its young don't possess an equivalent attack.
Recommended Level to Complete Act II, Quest IV
The journey to the arcane sanctuary is long and dangerous. Further, the arcane
sanctuary itself offers a difficult windy path filled with powerful demons and a
unique boss, the Summoner. It's wise to advance above level 20 before attempting
the difficult trek to and through the arcane sanctuary.
Act II, Quest IV Log Entry #1: Talk to Drognan.
You're told to speak with Drognan to learn more about Horazon, the sanctuary,
and
its importance to the quests in Act II. Drognan provides your quest objective
and
the first clue to locating the entrance into Horazon's sanctuary: Speak with
Jerhyn. Locate Jerhyn in front of the palace (located in Lut Gholein) and speak
with him to learn more about the entrance into the sanctuary.
Act II, Quest IV Log Entry #2: Look for the arcane sanctuary within the palace.
Jerhyn reveals that demons have entered the underbelly of his palace through a
mysterious rift. It's believed that this rift could take you into Horazon's
sanctuary, otherwise known as the arcane sanctuary. After you have spoken with
Jerhyn, enter the palace and proceed into the harem levels.
UNIQUE MONSTER: Encounter Fire Eye, a unique monster, located on the third level
of the palace cellar. Fire Eye is fire enchanted (giving him 75 percent
resistance to fire damage and bonuses to fire attack damage and to hit
percentage) and extra fast (providing a velocity increase and doubled attack
rate).
The area beneath the palace is extensive. You'll descend through two levels of
the harem and an additional three levels of the palace cellar. Be sure to
explore
the first level of the palace cellar thoroughly to locate the waypoint. Use the
waypoint here to quickly return to Lut Gholeim to replenish your supply of
healing potions, identify items, or upgrade your weaponry and armor.
Locate the portal into the arcane sanctuary on the palace cellar, level 3.
The third level of the palace cellar contains the portal leading into the arcane
sanctuary. Proceed into the portal. The arcane sanctuary is an extremely
difficult area; the walkways are quite cramped and don't offer much opportunity
to retreat. Consider dropping a town portal scroll to provide a quick exit back
to Lut Gholein. Also, explore the arcane sanctuary thoroughly and locate the
waypoint market; use it to return to Lut Gholein and recover health and mana
points, replenish healing potions, identify items, or upgrade weaponry and
armor.
Act II, Quest IV Log Entry #3: Find Horazon's journal.
Your goal inside the arcane sanctuary is Horazon's journal, positioned on a
pedestal and guarded by a unique monster, the Summoner, a powerful magic user
guarded by various common demons. Defeat the Summoner and the surrounding
monsters and recover Horazon's journal. Completing the arcane sanctuary quest is
essential to moving forward in Act II. Upon acquiring Horazon's journal, a
portal
opens to the canyon of the magi, which takes you to Tal Rasha's tomb. Further,
Horazon's journal reveals the correct symbol that corresponds to the correct
entrance into Tal Rasha's tomb.
Act II, Quest IV Completed Message from Drognan
"You have found Horazon's Journal? Excellent! I must caution you. The
information
that you hold, the mark of the True Tomb of Tal Rasha, is sought, if not already
known, by Diablo. I needn't elaborate on the implications of that."
Act II, Quest IV Rewards
Acquiring Horazon's journal from the arcane sanctuary reveals a glowing sigil,
which indicates the correct symbol into Tal Rasha's tomb. Also, a portal is
created to the canyon of the magi. Advance into the portal and locate the
entrance into Tal Rasha's tomb.
Act II, Quest V: The Summoner
To activate the fifth quest in Act II, locate the Summoner, who protects
Horazon's journal, inside the arcane sanctuary. As you approach, a new entry
appears in your quest log.
Act II Bestiary: The panther women inhabit the deserts of Act II and come in
several different forms, many with different attacks. For instance you'll
encounter the spear cat and night slinger, which can use standard attack or toss
exploding or poison potions respectively. Usually found in large panther women
groups, you'll also find hell cats, hell slingers, saber cats, and huntresses
during your stay in the desert.
Act II, Quest V Location
The Summoner is located in the arcane sanctuary. During your trip inside the Lut
Gholein palace to complete the fourth quest in Act II, arcane sanctuary, you
assuredly encounter The Summoner, who protects your eventual goal, Horazon's
journal. To reach the Summoner from Lut Gholein, venture into the palace and
down
two harem levels. Enter the palace cellar and head down three levels to the
portal that takes you into the arcane sanctuary. You'll find the Summoner
protecting Horazon's journal.
Recommended Level to Complete Act II, Quest V
Since the fifth act of Act II is intertwined with the previous quest, arcane
sanctuary, it carries a similar level recommendation. Venturing through the
tough
underbelly of the palace and defeating the Summoner requires a sturdy character.
Be prepared to be above level 20 before attempting to complete the Summoner
quest
and rid the palace underbelly of its nefarious demons.
Act II, Quest V Log Entry #1: Kill the Summoner.
Once you spot and approach the Summoner inside the arcane sanctuary, the quest
activates, and you're presented with a quite direct quest log entry: Kill the
Summoner. A tough spell-caster specializing in cold spells, the Summoner stands
protected behind hordes of common creatures. Attempt to lure the creatures away
from the Summoner to clear your path to the magic user. It's the minions that
provide the most complications; once you reach the Summoner, he'll fall fairly
quickly to your melee, ranged, or spell-based weaponry. Just be prepared to
counter with thawing potions or cold resistant items if you venture within the
Summoner's spell radius. Defeat the Summoner and collect any dropped items. Grab
Horazon's journal from behind the Summoner to complete the fourth quest in Act
II, arcane sanctuary.
Act II, Quest V Log Entry #2: Return to town for more information.
When you defeat the Summoner and grab Horazon's journal, a portal opens to the
canyon of the magi, which takes you to the entrances into Tal Rasha's tomb.
Before venturing into the canyon, consider using a town portal scroll to return
to Lut Gholein and speak with the townsfolk to complete the Summoner quest. It's
also advisable to restore your health and mana points by speaking with Fara,
replenish your healing potions, identify items, and upgrade weapons and armor.
Act II, Quest V Completed Message from Jerhyn
"The demonic force that was emanating from the corrupted sanctuary has
dissipated. I thank you profusely for your help; now we can look to rebuilding
our lives. All will be for nothing, though, if you do not stop the greater evil
which is rapidly gaining ground."
Act II Bestiary: The sand raiders provide some of the toughest battles in Act
II.
Possessing high hit points and flaming sword attacks, be careful when facing the
sand raider (which include marauder and invaders as well) in large groups.
Act II, Quest V Rewards
Eliminating the Summoner provides access to Horazon's journal, which reveals a
glowing sigil indicating the correct symbol into Tal Rasha's tomb. Also, a
portal
is created to the canyon of the magi. Advance into the portal and locate the
entrance into Tal Rasha's tomb.
NOTE:
Defeating the Summoner and acquiring Horazon's journal completes two quests: the
fourth quest, the arcane sanctuary, and the fifth quest, the Summoner.
Act II, Quest VI: The Seven Tombs
Activate the final quest in Act II by speaking with Jerhyn after returning from
Radament's lair, the first quest in Act II. Even though it's possible to
activate
the quest early in Act II, you can't reach the goal without the Horadric staff
(acquired by completing quest two) or by obtaining Horazon's journal (acquired
by
completing quest four), which reveals the symbol of the true tomb of Tal Rasha
and opens the portal to the canyon of the magi.
Act II, Quest VI Objective from Jerhyn
"I have heard of your many deeds of skill and bravery. I feel I can trust you
with something I have been hesitant to speak of... Drognan and I have concluded
that the Dark Wanderer who passed through here recently was Diablo, himself!
Drognan believes that Diablo is searching the desert for the secret tomb where
the great Horadrim, Tal Rasha, keeps Baal imprisoned. You must find Diablo and
put an end to the terrible evil that has fallen upon our city! Drognan is wise
and is sure to have some helpful advice for you as to how Tal Rasha's tomb may
be
found."
Act II, Quest VI Objective from Drognan
"Tal Rasha's tomb is hidden deep in the desert among six others. Tal Rasha's
symbol marks the true tomb. If you want to know what that symbol is, you should
find it in the legendary Arcane Sanctuary."
Act II, Quest VI Location
Reaching Tal Rasha's tomb requires you to complete the arcane sanctuary quest to
open the portal into the canyon of the magi. Proceed into the portal and explore
the canyon of the magi to locate the seven entrances into Tal Rasha's tomb. Only
one entrance leads to the Horadric staff orifice needed to open Tal Rasha's
chamber. Acquiring Horazon's journal from the arcane sanctuary quest reveals the
correct entrance into Tal Rasha's tomb (by revealing the symbol corresponding to
the correct tomb). Enter the correct tomb and use the Horadric staff in the
orifice (located in the center of the circle of seven symbols) to open the
passage into Tal Rasha's burial chamber.
Recommended Level to Complete Act II, Quest VI
The monsters inside Tal Rasha's tomb and chamber, not to mention the Act II
boss,
Duriel, are the most powerful you have faced thus far. You should have eclipsed
level 20 by now. It's recommended that you advance into the early 20s (levels 21
through 23) before facing Duriel.
Act II, Quest VI Log Entry #1: Find Tal Rasha's tomb.
After speaking with Jerhyn, you receive the quest and the first entry in the
quest log. Since it's likely you will have activated this quest early in Act II,
you can't locate Tal Tasha's tomb until you have solved subsequent quests,
namely
the arcane sanctuary quest, which opens a portal to the canyon of the magi,
where
you'll find the entrances into Tal Tasha's tomb.
Act II, Quest VI Log Entry #2: The symbol of the true tomb of Tal Rasha.
Upon acquiring Horazon's journal (which lies inside the arcane sanctuary,
protected by the Summoner), a new entry appears in the sixth quest's log. The
entry displays the correct symbol corresponding to the true tomb of Tal Rasha.
Exploration of the canyon of the magi area reveals seven separate entrances into
Tal Rasha's tomb. Spot the symbol next to each tomb and match it with the symbol
in your quest log, revealed by Horazon's journal.
UNIQUE MONSTER: Tal Rasha's tomb contains the unique monster Ancient Kaa the
Soulless, a unique unraveler. A tough beast typically surrounded with other
powerful greater mummies, Ancient Kaa the Soulless is magic resistant, extra
strong, and lightning enchanted - an impressive combination to say the least!
Magic and lightning enchanted gives Kaa high resistance to elemental attack and
extra strong provides bonuses to damage and to hit percentage. If you're able to
lure the minions away, brute force or a powerful ranged attack could prove more
successful than a spell or elemental attack. If cold attacks are available, use
them, certainly over lightning.
Explore the true tomb of Tal Rasha and locate the circle of seven symbols, where
you'll find an area marked "orifice." Once you clear out the surrounding
minions,
take the Horadric staff from your inventory (make sure you have combined the
shaft and headpiece with the Horadric cube) and use the staff on the orifice to
open the passage into Tal Rasha's chamber.
Act II, Quest VI Log Entry #3: Explore Tal Rasha's chamber.
Once inside Tal Rasha's burial chamber, explore the caverns and eliminate the
creatures inside. Your eventual goal is Duriel, the Act II boss. Duriel's
strongest asset is a powerful melee attack. Try to avoid going toe to toe with
the beast. Use ranged and spell attacks if available (this would include a
Barbarian's leap attack). Duriel also possesses cold attacks, which can slow you
down making you even more vulnerable to the powerful melee attack.
Act II Bestiary: If you wish to remain poison-free, be careful when
participating
in melee combat with Act II undead. Many of Act II's undead release poison upon
death. Step carefully around the corpses to avoid the effects of poison. Expect
to encounter plague bearers (50 percent resistant to magic and poison) and
various forms of the mummy during your exploration of Act II dungeons. You'll
find the decayed, dried corpse, embalmed, and preserved dead in Act II - all
carry 70 percent resistance to poison and use poison attacks.
NOTE:
Duriel possesses 100 percent resistance to cold attacks. Fortunately, Duriel
only
possesses 20 percent resistance to fire, lightning, and poison.
Once you have defeated Duriel, locate the archangel Tyrael nearby. Speak with
Tyrael, in essence, rescuing him from the depths of Tal Rasha's tomb. A portal
opens back to Lut Gholein once you have spoken with Tyrael. Finish out Tal
Rasha's chamber if you wish; make sure you collect any and all useful items.
Act II, Quest VI Log Entry #4: Talk to Jerhyn.
Upon returning to Lut Gholein, through the portal opened after speaking with
Tyrael, head over to the palace and talk with Jerhyn, who notifies you that
Meshif can take you east into Kurast, your next destination.
Act II, Quest VI Log Entry #5: Talk to Meshif.
Complete quest six and Act II by speaking with Meshif positioned near the city
walls. Select the choice Sail East to complete Act II and begin the next stage
of
your adventure.
Act II, Quest VI Completed Message from Jerhyn
"You have done very well. Few could have come this far, let alone discover the
True Tomb of Tal Rasha. Unfortunately, I hear that the Lords of Evil have eluded
your grasp. This is most unfortunate...If you wish to travel East, I have
notified Meshif to give you passage by sea. I imagine he should be anxious to
leave by now. Good luck on your quest, and thank you again for all your help.
You
will always be welcome in Lut Gholein, my friend."
Act II, Quest VI Rewards
Speaking and rescuing Tyrael opens a town portal back to Lut Gholein. Completing
the quest adds Sail East to Mestif's dialogue menu. Speak with Mestif to sail
east to Kurast and begin the third act of Diablo II.
Act III Walk-through
Defeating Duriel and rescuing Tyrael concludes Diablo II's second act. After
speaking with Meshif, you're transported to the Kurast docks to begin the next
stage of Diablo II and the game's third act.
The third act, much like the second act, contains a large, sweeping quest to
search for items hidden all over the Kurast landscape. You must locate Khalim's
relics, which include his eye, heart, and brain, and use them to form Khalim's
will, a powerful weapon built to destroy the compelling orb protecting the
entrance into the durance of hate and the third act's boss, Mephisto.
You'll find several nonplayer characters inhabiting the Kurast docks. Speak with
the various nonplayer characters to gain quests, acquire information, and
purchase new weapons, armor, healing items, and repair. Explore the Kurast docks
and find:
Alkor: Speak with Alkor to purchase a wide variety of potions. Alkor is also an
integral part of the third act's first quest, the golden bird. Solve this quest
to receive a potion reward from Alkor. Also, players can gamble with Alkor on
magical items, which will either be magical, rare, unique or set items.
Ormus - Talk with Ormus upon each return to the Kurast docks; he'll restore your
health and mana points instantly. Ormus also sells magic items and healing
potions.
Meshif - Meshif, who brought you by transport to the Kurast docks and the third
act, can be used to sail back west to Lut Gholein.
Asheara - Speak with Asheara, Act III's source of mercenaries for hire. Asheara
also sells weapons, armor, and magical items.
Hratli - Hratli offers a secondary source of weapons, armor, and magical items.
Further, Hratli will repair your damaged weapons and armor for a cost.
Cain - Talk with Deckard Cain when you have unidentified items in your
inventory.
If you rescued Cain during Act I, he'll identify the items for free; if not,
expect to pay for the service.
Natalya - Speak with Natalya for information about your current quest.
Quest I: The Golden Bird
To activate the first quest in the third act, you must venture to the spider
forest, the area adjacent to the Kurast docks. Battle the creatures here until
you defeat the first unique Act III monster. Look carefully at the ground and
spot the jade figurine. Place the jade figurine in your inventory to activate
the
quest.
Act III, Quest I Objective from Cain
"Back in Lut Gholein, Meshif told me he had a fondness for jade figurines. On
his
trading voyages he collected an odd assortment of such small statues. I would
show him your figurine."
Act III, Quest I Location
The golden bird quest doesn't require much travel; most of the legwork is
accomplished inside the Kurast docks. To activate the quest, simply venture out
into the area adjacent to the Kurast docks, designated the spider forest. Upon
defeating the first unique monster, the jade figurine is dropped. Pick up the
jade figurine to activate the quest.
Recommended Level to Complete Act III, Quest I
The golden bird doesn't require much combat. You shouldn't have to venture too
far into the spider forest to locate a unique monster and gain the jade
figurine.
Once you obtain the jade figurine, the rest of the quest takes place in the
Kurast docks. Your character's level should be in the early 20s by the time you
reach the third act; that should be sufficient to complete the golden bird.
Act III Bestiary: The shamans are back! As you encountered during the first act,
you'll find several types of shamans (and their respective minions) inside the
jungle surrounding Kurast. You'll likely encounter the fetish and its shaman
first. The fetish can have a number of attacks, including melee and blow darts
(look closely to see the dart coming from off screen). The fetish shaman, like
its earlier counterparts, can raise dead fetish and possesses an inferno fire
attack. During Act III, you'll also encounter flayers, soul killers, stygian
dolls, their shaman, and undead versions of each.
Act III, Quest I Log Entry #2: Show Meshif the figurine.
Find Meshif near your starting location in the Kurast docks. Speak with Meshif
to
automatically show him the jade figurine. Receiving the jade figurine excites
Meshif to no end; in exchange, Meshif hands you a golden bird. Meshif calls the
trade "a fair exchange."
Act III, Quest I Log Entry #3: Ask Cain about the golden bird.
With a mysterious, golden bird in hand, it's time to return to Deckard Cain and
discover the secrets of the small figurine. Cain mentions that he's read legends
about a sage named Ku Y'leh, who studied the mysteries of life beyond death.
Cain
claims that Ku Y'leh's ashes are ensconced within the golden bird statuette.
Others in the Kurast docks mention that you should show the golden bird to
Alkor.
Act III, Quest I Log Entry #4: Give the golden bird to Alkor.
Walk over to Alkor's shop and speak with him with the golden bird in hand.
Obviously excited, Alkor recognizes the statue as the golden bird of Ku Y'leh.
He
mentions that he plans to experiment with the ashes inside the statuette and
possibly concoct something useful. Check back with Alkor later to receive a
possible reward.
Act III, Quest I Log Entry #5: Return to Alkor for a reward.
After speaking with Alkor, you receive the next entry in your quest log: to
return to Alkor for your reward. You don't need to waste any time. Speak with
Alkor again immediately. Alkor, having experimented with the ashes of Ku Y'leh,
has created your reward for completing the first quest: a potion of life. Drink
the potion to permanently add an additional 20 points to your life statistic.
Act III, Quest I Completed Message from Alkor
"Ah, the Golden Bird of Ku Y'leh. Thank you, my friend. Busy yourself while I
experiment with the ashes within it. Then, return and see what I have made for
you."
Act III, Quest I Reward
Give Alkor the golden bird to receive a unique potion - the potion of life.
Drink
the potion to instantly receive 20 additional points to your life statistic.
Act III, Quest II: Blade of the Old Religion
To activate the second quest in Act III, speak with Hratli, the Kurast
blacksmith
who can sell you weaponry and armor as well as repair damaged items.
Act III, Quest II Objective from Hratli
"As I told you before, I placed an enchantment upon the dockside in order to
keep
the demons at bay. But lately, the enchantment seems to be weakening. If memory
serves me correctly, there is a holy Skatsimi blade that could revitalize the
enchantment. The blade is called Gidbinn. Find it and our sanctuary here will
remain safe."
Act III Bestiary: The vampire monster class, which includes the night lord, dark
lord, and extremely powerful blood lords, possesses resistance to physical
damage
(40, 50, 60 percent respectively) and cold (all 50 percent). Their most powerful
ability, though, are the vampires' cold and fire spells and the ability to steal
life. If you're facing off against several blood lords, be prepared to monitor
your health status closely as damage combined with life steal could empty your
reserve in a matter of seconds. Don't do anything that will waste time in
destroying these beasts - for instance, knockback or "fear" weapons could prove
disasterous because the vampire could just regenerate life if it returns from
knockback or fear with successful strikes.
Act III, Quest II Location
You'll find the Gidbinn blade inside the flayer jungle. From the Kurast docks,
proceed into the spider forest, then into the great marsh, and finally into the
flayer jungle. The forest and marsh areas surrounding the Kurast docks are
extremely large, much larger than the areas you explored in the first and second
act. Your character's level should be around the early- to mid-20s - it takes a
significant amount of time to gain new levels at this point! The larger areas of
Act III provide enough monsters to supply enough experience to gain additional
levels.
TIP:
During your trek through the spider forest, great marsh, and flayer jungle, seek
out each area's waypoint marker. Since the areas are so big and quite dangerous,
it's likely that you must return to the Kurast docks several times to replenish
supplies and improve weaponry and armor. Locate the waypoints to make travel
between the areas and the Kurast docks much easier; otherwise, you must stock up
on town portal scrolls for your journey back to the Kurast docks.
Recommended Level to Complete Act III, Quest II
Advancing levels will take much longer during Act III. But, the areas in Act III
are larger, providing many more monsters and potential experience. Take time to
explore the areas around the Kurast docks - the spider forest, the great marsh,
and the flayer jungle - as you make your way to the Gidbinn blade. Your
character's level should be in the mid-twenties to take on the dangers that
await
in the forest, marsh, and jungles around Kurast.
Act III, Quest II Log Entry #1: Look for the Gidbinn in the flayer jungle.
Upon receiving the quest from the Kurast blacksmith Hralti, venture out into the
spider forest surrounding the Kurast docks. Locate the entrance to the great
marsh and thoroughly explore the swampland to find a way into your destination,
the flayer jungle. As you move through the very large areas, seek out the
waypoint markers to shorten your trip back to the Kurast docks (and subsequent
trips back into the spider forest and flayer jungle).
Act III, Quest II Log Entry #2: Return the Gidbinn to Ormus.
The Gidbinn is located somewhere in the flayer jungle. The weapon's symbol
appears on the automap; search the jungle thoroughly to locate the blade,
protected by tough, unique creatures. Defeat the Gidbinn guards and pick up the
blade. Head back to the Kurast docks, either with a town portal scroll or by
using the waypoint markers. Locate Ormus near Deckard Cain and speak with him to
return the blade.
Act III, Quest II Log Entry #3: Talk to Asheara.
Once you've handed over the Gidbinn blade to Ormus, head over to Asheara, who
can
provide you with new weapons, armor, magical items, and mercenaries. Asheara
states that since the Gidbinn blade has been returned, fewer iron wolves are
needed to guard the dockside. You receive a free mercenary from Asheara for
completing the quest.
Act III Bestiary: The thorned hulk, first seen in Act III, resembles the size of
the blunderbore first seen in the second act. Like the blunderbore, the thorned
hulk (and its cousins, the bramble hulk and thrasher) features a stun attack,
which can be particularly devastating considering the hulk's destructive power.
Each type of hunk could potentially eclipse 100 hit points - prepare your
attacks
accordingly, with ample room for hit and run or ranged to avoid the stun
attacks.
Act III, Quest II Completed Message from Ormus
"You have done well, noble hero. Ormus congratulates you. The old spirits of
Skatsimi will watch over you for returning their sacred blade. Now, after all
these years, Ormus will once again use his powers to protect the innocent from
the shadow. The spell that protects the dockside shall now be reinforced."
Act III, Quest II Rewards
Return the Gidbinn to Ormus in exchange for a rare ring. You're also instructed
to speak with Asheara to receive an additional reward; Asheara, who supplies
weapons and mercenaries, provides you with a free mercenary.
Act III, Quest III: Khalim's Will
Activate the third quest in Act III by speaking with Cain after completing the
golden bird quest or by finding one of Khalim's relics (eye, brain, heart, and
flail) in the jungle surrounding the Kurast docks. Khalim's will is a large,
sweeping quest that covers nearly all areas of Act III, much like the Horadric
staff quest from Act II. Also, Khalim's will overlaps with another quest, the
blackened temple, similar to the arcane sanctuary and the Summoner from the
second act.
Act III, Quest III Objective from Cain
"Never forget that your ultimate purpose here in Kurast is to destroy Mephisto.
The ancient Horadrim imprisoned the Lord of Hatred inside the Guardian Tower
that
is located within the Temple City of Travincal. Know this, friend - the only way
to gain entry to Mephisto's prison is to destroy the artifact known as the
Compelling Orb. Mephisto used this device to control the Zakarum Priests and
their followers. The Orb can only be destroyed with an ancient flail imbued with
the spirit of one incorruptible priest. Soon after his imprisonment, Mephisto
worked his evil corruption on the Zakarum priesthood. All were turned to his
dark
ways, save one - Khalim, the Que-Hegan of the High Council. Mephisto directed
the
other Council priests to slay and dismember Khalim and then scatter his remains
across the Kingdom. The Priest Sankekur succeeded Khalim as Que-Hegan,
eventually
becoming the embodiment of Mephisto here on the mortal plane. The corrupted High
Council fashioned an Orb to control the rest of the Zakarum faithful and used
their powers to hide the lair of their master from mortals. Your task is to
collect the scattered relics of Khalim - his Heart, his Brain, and his Eye.
Then,
using the Horadric Cube, transmute Khalim's Flail with his relics. Once this is
accomplished, you must destroy the Compelling Orb with Khalim's Will to open the
way into the corrupt sanctum of Mephisto."
Act III, Quest III Location
The third quest in the third act, Khalim's Will, takes you through nearly every
section of Act III.
Khalim's relics are scattered all across Kurast. Below lists all the relics and
where you'll find them:
Khalim's Eye: You'll find Khalim's eye in a chest inside the spider cavern, a
single-level dungeon somewhere in the spider forest. From the Kurast docks,
simply venture into the adjacent spider forest and search thoroughly for the
entrance into the spider cavern.
UNIQUE MONSTER: You'll encounter a unique spider, Sszark the Burning, inside the
spider cavern. Sszark the Burning is extra strong, providing bonuses to damage
potential and to hit percentage, and is cursed.
Khalim's Brain: Search for Khalim brain in the flayer dungeon, level 3. To reach
the flayer dungeon, head out from the Kurast docks into the spider forest, then
into the great marsh, and finally the flayer jungle. You'll find the entrance
into the flayer dungeon somewhere in the flayer jungle. Descend to the third
level of the flayer dungeon to find Khalim's brain in a marked chest.
UNIQUE MONSTER: On the third level of the flayer dungeon, you'll face off
against
the Witch Doctor Endugu, a unique shaman who's magic resistant, providing 75
percent resistance to elemental attack and fire enchanted, providing fire
resistance, bonus to fire damage, and to hit percentage.
Khalim's Heart: You'll find Khalim's heart deep into the third act inside the
sewers of the Kurast bazaar. To reach the sewers from the Kurast docks, proceed
into the spider forest, then into the great marsh, through the flayer jungle,
into lower Kurast, through the Kurast bazaar, and into the sewers' entrance.
Khalim's heart can be found in a chest on the second level of the sewers.
Act III, Quest I Log Entry #1: Ask Cain about the jade figurine.
After defeating the first unique monster in the third act, grab the jade
figurine
and acquire the quest. A new entry appears in the quest log; take the jade
figurine back to Deckard Cain to learn about its origin and its significance.
Cain mentions that he heard back in Lut Gholein that Meshif, who transported you
from Lut Gholein to the Kurast docks, has a fondness for jade figurines. He
suggests you take the figurine and show it to Meshif.
Act III Bestiary: Look out for the tentacles while exploring the Kurast sewers!
The tentacles, or "water watchers," come in two varieties: either the tentacle
head or its limb. Both are powerful and durable; beware of the water watcher
(also in stygian watcher and river stalker form) head and its ability to spit
poison.
Khalim's Flail: To acquire Khalim's flail, you must defeat the high council and
its unique member inside the Travincal. Khalim's flail will be dropped by the
unique high council member. To reach Travincal from Kurast docks, head into the
spider forest, then through the great marsh, into the flayer jungle, into lower
Kurast, through the Kurast bazaar, through upper Kurast, past the Kurast
causeway, and finally into the Travincal.
Recommended Level to Complete Act III, Quest III
Since this third quest spans most of the third act, its various stages carry
different level recommendations. The enemy monsters escalate in difficulty the
farther you travel from the Kurast docks. Your character's level should be in
the
mid-twenties as you advance through Act III. Travincal is an extremely difficult
area of both Diablo II and the third act; strive to be as high level as possible
before venturing into the extremely dangerous area of Kurast.
TIP:
Should you desire to explore optional areas of Act III for both experience and
potential treasure, seek out the arachnid lair in the spider forest and the
swamp
pit in the flayer jungle.
Act III, Quest III Log Entry #1: Find Khalim's relics. Search for his eye in the
spider cavern.
After receiving the quest from Cain, your first trip should be into the spider
forest to seek out the entrance into the spider cavern. Even if you know the
location of Khalim's other relics, you should acquire them in the order
presented
by the quest log entries. The farther you venture out from the Kurast docks, the
tougher the monsters become. Once inside the spider cavern, search thoroughly
for
the marked chest containing Khalim's eye.
TIP:
As its name suggests, the spider cavern is littered with spiders. Since the
arachnids feature a poison attack, it's to your benefit to prepare with poison
resistance, either with armor, jewelry, or other means.
Act III, Quest III Log Entry #2: Search for Khalim's brain in the flayer
dungeon.
Your search for Khalim's second relic, Khalim's brain, takes you far from the
Kurast docks into the flayer jungle. Search the flayer jungle (which, like other
areas in the third act, is extremely large) for the entrance into the flayer
dungeon. Descend to the third level of the flayer dungeon to locate the marked
chest containing Khalim's brain.
Act III, Quest III Log Entry #3: Search for Khalim's heart in the sewers under
the Kurast bazaar.
The task gets more difficult when you're called to search for Khalim's heart in
the Kurast bazaar sewers. To reach the Kurast bazaar, you must venture very far
out from the Kurast docks. Be prepared to face some of the most difficult
creatures yet. Fully scour the areas between the Kurast docks and Kurast bazaar
before proceeding into the sewer. Complete these areas to gain experience and,
potentially, better equipment for the task ahead.
Locate the sewer entrance inside the Kurast bazaar. Search the first level of
the
sewers for the sewer lever, which opens the entrance into the sewers' second
level. Search for the entrance to level two. Once in the sewer, level 2, search
for the marked chest that contains the Khalim's third relic, Khalim's heart.
Act III Bestiary: Travincal is littered with magic users and zealots, found
either as the zakarumite, faithful, or, the potentially most powerful, zealot.
The zealots can inflict massive amounts of damage with their polearm weaponry;
and the presence of nearby spell casters could make dealing with the zealots
that
much tougher. Stay out of melee combat unless you're well-equipped and prepared
with damaging Barbarian skills, Amazon's critical strike and dodging skills, and
superior ranged attacks and weaponry.
Act III, Quest III Log Entry #4: Search for Khalim's flail in Travincal. Beware
the high council.
The most difficult task yet lies in the area beyond the Kurast causeway -
Travincal. Proceed into lower Kurast, through the Kurast bazaar, into upper
Kurast, past the Kurast causeway, and finally into Travincal. Once in Travincal,
you'll find the final Khalim relic inside the blackened temple protected by the
high council, a vicious collection of monstrous beasts. Defeat the unique high
council member to obtain Khalim's flail. The high council members also protect
the compelling orb, a key element in completing the third act.
UNIQUE MONSTER: Travincal is one of the toughest areas in the game. Here, you'll
encounter three unique monsters, Ismail Vilehand (extra fast, cursed), Geleb
Flamefinger (extra strong, fire enchanted), and Toorc Icefist (cold enchanted,
stone skin, increasing physical resistance by 80 percent and multiplying defense
rating by three). Attempt to deal with the minions before facing off against the
powerful high council. Certainly clear out as much of the zealots and lords from
Travincal as possible before tackling the high council.
Act III, Quest III Log Entry #5: Ask Cain about Khalim's relics.
Return to Cain once you have obtained all the relics - Khalim's eye, brain,
heart, and flail - and speak with him about the next stage in the quest. Cain
tells you that Khalim's flail must be properly imbued. To do so, place the
flail,
along with the eye, brain, and heart, into the Horadric cube (which should still
be in your inventory or stash from Act II) and press the transmute button to
create Khalim's will.
Act III, Quest III Log Entry #6: Transmute Khalim's relics - the flail, eye,
heart, and brain - with the Horadric cube.
Though Cain provides the instructions, you must carry out the order. Open your
inventory and right-click on the Horadric cube to reveal its contents. If you're
storing items in the cube, remove them and place them in your regular inventory,
your stash, or the ground. Place Khalim's relics - the flail, eye, heart, and
brain - inside the empty Horadric cube. Press the transmute button to complete
the quest and create the unique item, Khalim's will.
Act III, Quest III Completed Message from Cain
"Masterfully done, hero! You have crafted Khalim's Will. Employ it to destroy
the
Compelling Orb and open the way to Mephisto. May the true Light guide your way."
Act III, Quest III Reward
Though this third quest doesn't feature a reward, per se, creating the Khalim's
will from Khaim's relics lets you destroy the compelling orb, providing access
to
the durance of hate, part of the third act's sixth and final quest.
Act III, Quest IV: Lam Esen's Tome
Activate the fourth quest in the third act by speaking with Alkor. Though not a
required task, recovering Lam Esen's tome carries worthwhile rewards and,
through
the many monsters you'll face along the way, helps advance your character's
level
and skills through experience.
Act III Bestiary: The cantor is an interesting creature found scattered around
the third act. The cantor, which includes the base cantor, heirophant, and
sexton, possesses the ability to heal other monsters. Eliminate the cantors
first, if possible, to eliminate the cantor's power to heal its comrades.
Act III, Quest IV Objective from Alkor
"It pains me to waste time with you, so I'll get right to the point. There is a
very special book which you must find for me. It was written long ago by a sage
known as Lam Esen, who studied Skatsimi magic and the effects of the Prime Evils
on the mortal world. The Black Book was lost when the Children of Zakarum took
over this land. Now, you must reclaim it without delay! Its knowledge may aid us
in this dark time ahead."
Act III, Quest IV Location
Lam Esen's tome is always located in the ruined temple. There are six different
temples located in Kurast: Two are found in the Kurast bazaar, two are located
in
upper Kurast, and another two can be found in the Kurast causeway.
To reach the various areas of Kurast from the Kurast docks, proceed into the
spider forest, then the great marsh, past the flayer jungle, into lower Kurast,
through the Kurast bazaar (two temples are located here), then into upper Kurast
(two temples are located here), and finally into the Kurast causeway (two
temples
can be found here).
Recommended Level to Complete Act III, Quest IV
If you have already completed most of "Khalim's Will" quest, you should be well-
prepared to explore the temples of Kurast. Seek out the Ruined Temple if you
wish
to immediately locate Lam Esen's Tome. Otherwise, you can venture inside the
other temples and battle the monsters within. As in most of the third act, your
character's level should continue to advance through the mid-twenties to survive
the dangers of Kurast.
Act III, Quest IV Log Entry #1: Search the six temples in the bazaar, upper
Kurast, and the causeway for Lam Esen's tome.
Upon receiving the quest from Alkor, proceed into the far regions of Kurast to
locate the six temples, one of which houses your goal item, Lam Esen's tome. If
you have completed previous third act quests or even most of the Khalim's will
quest, you should have marked the waypoints in the flayer jungle or lower
Kurast.
UNIQUE MONSTER: You'll encounter a unique monster inside the ruined temple.
Battlemaid Sarina, a unique hunter, is extra fast (increasing velocity and
doubling attack rate) and features spectral hit (20 percent resistance to fire,
lightning, and cold and random elemental damage added to standard damage).
Travel to lower Kurast, either by waypoint or by foot. Search the two temples in
lower Kurast for the ruined temple. Proceed into the Kurast bazaar and causeway
until you locate the ruined temple. Head inside and search the underground
temple
thoroughly until you locate Lam Esen's tome.
Act III, Quest IV Log Entry #2: Talk to Alkor.
Once you have acquired Lam Esen's tome, return to Alkor to receive your reward.
Use the waypoints in lower Kurast or the Kurast bazaar to quickly return to the
Kurast docks; alternatively, simply open up a town portal scroll, especially if
you need to return to the Kurast grounds to complete another third act quest.
Act III, Quest IV Completed Message from Alkor
"You have found the book! Hopefully we can use it to gain some insight into the
nature of the Prime Evils. As payment, I'll talk to the other merchants about
lowering their prices for you."
Act III, Quest IV Rewards
Much like other optional quests, you receive a substantial reward for returning
Lam Esen's tome to Alkor. First, you receive five points to put toward your
attributes (much like you receive when you gain a new level, though without the
skill point). Also, Alkor makes good on his claim and talks the Kurast docks
merchants into giving you a 10 percent discount on their items.
Act III, Quest V: The Blackened Temple
The quest is activated by Ormus once the player enters the Travincal for the
first time. This fifth quest in Act III shares the same goal as Khalim's will.
Both quests essentially require you to eliminate the high council inside
Travincal's blackened temple. In Khalim's will, you must eliminate the high
council (and its unique) to recover Khalim's flail, one of Khalim's relics that
forms Khalim's will. In this fifth quest, the blackened temple, your goal is
simply to eliminate the high council that occupies the Travincal blackened
temple.
Act III, Quest V Objective from Ormus
"You have done well, my friend. Your courage and valor are an inspiration to us
all. But now the time has come to face those responsible for the evil that has
stifled our land. You must destroy the High Council of Zakarum! Long ago, these
elders were charged with the stewardship of Mephisto, the Lord of Hatred, who
was
imprisoned within the Guardian Tower. Through the generations, these pious men
slowly fell more and more under the sway of Mephisto's malevolent power and the
Council become an evil mockery of its former glory. It is Mephisto's Hatred that
has corrupted Zakarum and turned its devout followers into paranoid fanatics.
That is why you must travel to the Temple City of Travincal and slay the
Council.
Once they are gone, Mephisto's hold over this land and its people will be
broken!"
Act III Bestiary: Act III's assortment of flying beasts include the bat demon
monster class consisting of desert wings, fiends, gloom bats, and blood divers.
Despite their agile nature and small stature, the bat demons are fairly durable
and possesses a "shocking hit" attack delivering a quick bolt of electricity
into
their foe - otherwise known as you and your party!
Act III, Quest V Location
The high council is located in Travincal, the same area you must explore to
recover Khalim's flail and complete the Khalim's will quest. From the Kurast
docks, you'll proceed through the spider forest, into the great marsh, past the
flayer jungle, into lower Kurast, through the Kurast bazaar, into upper Kurast,
past the Kurast causeway, and into Travincal. Nearly every major area of the
third act contains a waypoint marker, so you should have no trouble quickly
reaching your destination.
UNIQUE MONSTER: Stormtree, an extra-fast, lightning-enchanted unique thrasher,
resides in Lower Kurast. Lightning resistance (75 percent) and lightning damage
added to its standard damage makes Stormtree quite a foe - especially since he's
a unique thrasher making him already durable and powerful! Stormtree's extra
fast
attribute provides a velocity increase to him and his minions; further,
Stormtree
receives double the standard attack rate.
Recommended Level to Complete Act III, Quest V
Travincal is one of the farthest points from the Kurast docks, so by the time
you
make your way there, your character should have achieved the recommended level,
which would be somewhere in the mid-twenties. You should make every effort to
complete the majority of the Khalim's will quest before attempting to dive into
Travincal, certainly one of the toughest areas of the third act. Further, if you
can procure Khalim's eye, brain, and heart, you can snag the flail and defeat
the
high council, completing both the Khalim's will quest and the blackened temple
quest nearly simultaneously.
Act III, Quest V Log Entry #1: Find the blackened temple within Travincal.
When you step foot in Travincal for the first time, the quest activates, and
you're presented with the first quest log entry. You must search for the
blackened temple. You'll find the temple in Travincal's central area; difficult
monsters, known as the high council, protect the temple (along with other Act
III
minions). The blackened temple also contains the compelling orb, an item you
must
destroy with Khalim's will (see the Khalim's will quest) to reach the durance of
hate, the final area of the third act.
Act III, Quest V Log Entry #2: Kill the High Council.
Reaching the blackened temple and the high council is difficult enough -
eliminating the high council will be one of your toughest challenges yet.
Attempt
to clear out the area of other Act III monsters and take on the high council
without worry of additional attacks. You're likely to face tough spell casters
inside Travincal; depending on the spells used, consider returning to the Kurast
docks and look for resistances for any elements working against you. For
instance, if you're showered with meteor spells, seek out items that boost your
resistance to fire.
Act III Bestiary: Pesky mosquitos - especially mosquito demons - are deceptively
tough. The mosquito demon, either in the feeder or sucker variety, possesses the
ability to drain your mana and stamina. Without mana, you can't cast spells or
use most skills. And without stamina, you can't flee to regenerate that mana!
Stamina potions can help you make a quick getaway; otherwise, attempt to kill
off
the mosquito demons with ranged or spell weaponry and don't allow them to get
close.
Look for ways of assaulting the high council from a distance. The unique high
council member will prove the toughest challenge. Try to eliminate the unique
high council member's minions before attempting to battle him. Killing the high
council and its unique member helps complete segments of two quests: the unique
high council member drops Khalim's flail, required to complete the Khalim's will
quest and eliminating the entire high council completes the main portion of this
quest, the blackened temple.
Act III, Quest V Log Entry #3: Ask Cain for help.
Once you have defeated the high council, spot the compelling orb inside the
temple. You must destroy the compelling orb with Khalim's will, a weapon created
as a result of completing the Khalim's will quest. If you are unsure how to
proceed, return to Cain in the Kurast docks and ask him for assistance.
Act III, Quest V Completed Message from Ormus
"Ormus is grateful to you, stranger. You have broken the long, dark reign of
Zakarum and delivered the first paralyzing blow against the Three. Yet still,
the
true test lies ahead. For he whom the Council guarded still lives within the
Blackened Tower."
Act III, Quest V Rewards
Defeating the high council, including the unique council member, nets you
Khalim's flail, an integral part of the Khalim's will quest. Combine the flail
with other Khalim relics to create Khalim's will, a weapon powerful enough to
destroy the compelling orb (an item the high council protects). Destroying the
compelling orb opens the passage into the durance of hate, the final area of the
third act.
Act III, Quest VI: The Guardian
Speak with Ormus to activate the sixth and final quest in the third act, the
Guardian. To proceed into the quest's area, the durance of hate, you must
complete Khalim's will and (at least some of) the blackened temple, so you can
gather all Khalim's relics and create Khalim's will.
Act III, Quest VI Objective from Ormus
"Diablo and Baal have surely found the Temple City by now. They seek to free
their brother, Mephisto, who was imprisoned by the Horadrim in the Temple's
Guardian Tower. You must reach him before his brothers do and prevent them from
releasing Hatred upon the world."
Act III, Quest VI Location
The final quest in the third act begins in Travincal, an area of Kurast integral
to completing two previous quests, Khalim's will and the blackened temple.
Return
to Travincal, with the Khalim's will weapon in hand, to destroy the compelling
orb and open the passage to the durance of hate. To reach Travincal, use the
waypoint markers (there's one located in Travincal). Should you choose to make
the journey by foot from the Kurast docks, proceed into the spider forest,
through the great marsh, into the flayer jungle, into lower Kurast, past the
Kurast bazaar, into upper Kurast, over the Kurast causeway, and into Travincal.
Once inside Travincal, locate the blackened temple (where you battled the high
council) and the compelling orb inside.
Your main target in quest six, however, is Mephisto, the third act's boss
monster
who waits for you in the durance of hate. You'll find Mephisto on the third
level
of the durance of hate. Be sure to search the second level of the durance of
hate
thoroughly and find the waypoint marker. Use the waypoint to travel between the
durance of hate and the Kurast docks quickly to replenish health, mana, and
weaponry.
Recommended Level to Complete Act III, Quest VI
It takes quite awhile to level up during the third act; ideally you should be
advancing through the mid- to high 20s by the time you reach the durance of hate
and Mephisto. If you're having trouble or desire additional experience, consider
completing any optional quests you chose not to complete or exploring any
optional dungeons you bypassed, such as the Kurast temples, the arachnid lair in
the spider forest, or the swamp pit in the flayer jungle.
Act III, Quest VI Log Entry #1: Smash the compelling orb with Khalim's will to
open the way to Mephisto's durance.
In order to destroy the Compelling Orb found in the Blackened Temple inside
Travincal, you must complete the "Khalim's Will" quest. You must recover all of
Khalim's relics (his Eye, Heart, Brain, and Flail), and transmute them inside
your Horadric Cube. Once you have created Khalim's Will, equip the weapon and
attack the Compelling Orb to destroy the device. Destroying the Compelling Orb
opens the passage into the Durance of Hate, where you'll find the Act III boss,
Mephisto, waiting on the third level. For more information on Khalim's Will,
head
over to Act III, Quest III.
Act III Bestiary: The third act contains many upgrades to previous act
creatures,
including the tree lurker, a variety of the sand leaper that possesses 20
percent
fire resistance and 40 percent lightning resistance. You'll also encounter the
wailing beast, a wendigo-class creature with 60 percent magic resistance and 20
percent fire resistance. Others include the flesh archer, flesh hunter, and
flash
lancer, which are corrupt rogues with 20 percent physical resistance; giant
lamprey and its unique, a higher level sand maggot; and the cadaver and drowned
carass, higher level mummy and zombie respectively - the drowned carass
possesses
20 percent physical resistance, 50 percent fire resistance, and 50 percent
poison
resistance.
Act III, Quest VI Log Entry #2: Search for Mephisto in his Durance.
After destroying the compelling orb with Khalim's will, you can proceed into the
durance of hate. You must reach the third level of the durance, so begin
searching for the entrance to level 2 immediately. Once you reach the durance of
hate, level 2, search the floor thoroughly to find the waypoint marker. Use the
marker here to return to the Kurast docks as needed. Prepare to face Mephisto by
stocking up on healing potions and searching the vendors for helpful weaponry,
armor, magical items, or jewelry.
UNIQUE MONSTER: Prepare for a tough battle in the durance of hate, level 3. Not
only will you face the third act boss, Mephisto, but you must deal with three
unique council members: Wyand Voidfinger (mana burn, teleportation), Maffer
Dragonhand (extra fast, extra strong, teleportation), and Bremm Sparkfist (aura
enchanted, lightning enchanted). Mana burn provides 75 percent elemental
resistance, the ability to drain mana with attacks, and increases attack
strength. Aura enchanted provides the unique monster with auras or spells based
on level; the possibilities include Might, Holy Fire, Thorns, Blessed Aim, Holy
Freeze, Holy Shock, Conviction, or Fanaticism.
Act III, Quest VI Log Entry #3: Kill Mephisto.
Upon arriving in the durance of hate, level 3, you receive a new entry in your
quest log. It's time to take out Mephisto, the third act's boss monster. Clear
out any extraneous monsters before battling Mephisto himself. Be prepared to
retreat frequently to replenish health and mana points with potions. Use town
portal scrolls as needed to return to town for full rejuvenation and to stock up
on additional potions. Mephisto's lightning attacks carry the most damage
potential; attempt to arrive with lightning resistance (either through equipment
or a paladin's aura) to survive the electrical volley. Mephisto's 100 percent
resistance to poison gives him poison damage attack as well. Once you defeat
Mephisto, his soulstone is dropped (pick it up), and the infernal gate is
opened,
leading into the fourth and final act of Diablo II.
NOTE:
Mephisto possesses 100 percent resistance to poison. You'll have more success
with cold; Mephisto is only 25 percent resistant to cold attacks. Other
resistances include 50 percent resistant to both fire and lightning.
Act III, Quest VI Completed Message from Ormus
"You have defeated a Prime Evil in combat. Ormus is impressed beyond words. But
staying here will not end this conflict. You must enter the Infernal Gate and
stop Diablo once and all on his home ground."
Act III, Quest VI Rewards
Defeating Mephisto opens the infernal gate, letting you proceed into Diablo II's
fourth and final act. Also, once you defeat Mephisto, you can pick up Mephisto's
soulstone, an important quest item for Act IV. If you forget to pick up the
soulstone, don't worry - Deckard Cain will hand it to you in Act IV when it's
needed.
Chapter 9 - Act IV Walk-through
After destroying the compelling orb with Khalim's will and killing Mephisto in
the durance of hate, you walked into the infernal gate to enter Diablo II's
fourth and final act. You begin in the pandemonium fortress, accompanied by the
archangel Tyrael and Deckard Cain.
During Act IV, you'll rescue a tortured soul, a fallen angel named Izual, and
proceed to the hellforge to destroy Mephisto's soulstone, acquired either at the
end of Act III or from Deckard Cain in Act IV. Finally, you will cross the river
of flame and enter the chaos sanctuary to face Diablo himself.
Only a few nonplayer characters accompany you on your trip into the infernal
gate. Like the towns from previous acts, the pandemonium fortress contains
nonplayer characters to provide quests, dish out information, identify items,
and
trade weapons, armor, and healing items. In the pandemonium fortress, you'll
find:
Tyrael: The archangel Tyrael accompanies your journey into the fourth act. Speak
with Tyrael to open Act IV quests.
Deckard Cain: As he did in previous acts, Deckard Cain will identify items for
free as long as you rescued him in the Act I quest, the search for Cain. If you
failed to rescue Cain, he'll charge to identify items.
Jamella: Return to the pandemonium fortress and speak with Jamella to instantly
restore health and mana points. Jamella also offers weapons, armor, magical
items, and healing potions for sale. Further, Also, players can gamble with
Jamella on magical items, which will either be magical, rare, unique or set
items.
Halbu: Speak with Halbu to purchase weapons, armor, magical items. Halbu also
repairs damaged weapons and armor for a cost.
Act IV, Quest I: The Fallen Angel
Activate the first quest in the fourth act by speaking with the archangel
Tyrael,
found in the pandemonium fortress.
Act IV, Quest I Objective from Tyrael
"There is a dark, tortured soul who was trapped within this forsaken realm long
ago. He was called Izual by mortal men, and in ages past he was my most trusted
Lieutenant. Yet against my wishes he led an ill-fated assault upon the fiery
Hellforge itself. Despite his valor and strength, Izual was captured by the
Prime
Evils and twisted by their perverse power. They forced him to betray his own
kind
and give up Heaven's most guarded secrets. He became a corrupt shadow of his
former self; a fallen angel trusted neither by Heaven nor Hell. For his
transgressions, Izual's spirit was bound within the form of a terrible creature
which was summoned from the Abyss. His maddened spirit has resided within that
tortured husk for many ages now. It seems to me that he has suffered long
enough.
I implore you, hero, find Izual and release him from his cruel imprisonment. Put
an end to his guilt and suffering."
Act IV, Quest I Location
Izual can be found in the plains of despair. From the pandemonium fortress, head
down the staircase into the outer steppes and locate the entrance into the
plains
of despair. There are no waypoint markers in the outer steppes or the plains of
despair, so be sure to stock up on town portal scrolls before heading out from
the pandemonium fortress. Talk to Jamella upon leaving town for your healing
potion and scroll needs. The areas of Act IV are quite large, though not as
expansive as the areas in Act III (such as the spider forest and great marsh).
Be
prepared to make several trips back to town to restore health and mana points or
purchase improve weaponry or armor.
Recommended Level to Complete Act IV, Quest I
You should be in the mid-20s as you complete Act III and begin Act IV. It would
be wise to at least have access to the level 24 skills before facing off against
Izual. If you've spent time in each act improving your character and exploring
optional areas, you should be approaching the high 20s as you work through the
fourth act. Take the time to thoroughly explore the outer steppes and the plains
of despair to gain as much experience, levels, and skills as possible before
facing off against Izual.
Act IV, Quest I Log Entry #1: Look for Izual in the plains of despair.
Activate the quest by speaking with the archangel Tyrael upon your arrival to
the
pandemonium fortress. Each quest in the fourth act is required to proceed into
the chaos sanctuary to locate and battle Diablo. Once you receive the quest,
locate the staircase exit from the pandemonium fortress into the outer steppes.
Act IV Bestiary: One of Act IV's more pesky beasts is the regurgitator class,
which consists of the corpulent and maw fiend. These monsters possess both a
melee attack and a ranged attack... of sorts. The regurgitator spits out corpses
that assist in melee attacks. If left alone, the regurgitator can continue to
spit out corpses. Coupled with the Act IV presence of blood maggots and leapers,
you can't afford to become overwhelmed. As soon as you see the regurgitator,
ignore the corpses and eliminate the regurgitator as soon as possible.
Explore the outer steppes, but keep in mind that there's no waypoint marker
here,
so take along plenty of town portal scrolls if you must quickly return to the
pandemonium fortress. You'll find the entrance into the plains of despair
somewhere in the outer steppes. Head into the plains of despair and search for
Izual. As you get close, you'll hear Izual's speech.
Act IV, Quest I Log Entry #2: Destroy the demon that holds Izual's soul.
Make an attempt to clear out the beasts that accompany Izual. As it happens with
most boss monsters, it's tougher to eliminate the boss if you must contend with
dozens of other common creatures as well. Take out Izual; make sure your supply
of health, mana, or rejuvenation potions is high. Izual is a tough adversary
with
powerful cold and melee attacks, but the battles continue to get tougher
throughout Act IV. If you handle Izual well, you should be nearly prepared to
take on the remaining Act IV beasts; if you struggle against Izual, spend
additional time exploring the outer steppes and the plains of despair to
accumulate as much experience and levels as possible.
Act IV, Quest I Log Entry #3: Talk to Izual's spirit.
Defeating Izual triggers the arrival of Izual's spirit. Speak with Izual's
spirit
to fulfill the quest objective. Once complete, proceed back to the pandemonium
fortress. Since there aren't any waypoint markers, use a town portal scroll;
you'll be returning to the plains of despair for the next quest, so simply
return
through the portal to resume your trek through the fourth act.
Act IV, Quest I Log Entry #4: See Tyrael for you reward.
Once you have defeated Izual and spoken with Izual's spirit, return to the
pandemonium fortress and speak with the archangel Tyrael. The archangel bestows
quite a reward for completing the quest: You receive two additional skill
points.
Choose your skill selection wisely; pick skills that will help in your battles
again, particularly against Diablo.
TIP:
If you're nearing level 30, consider saving the two skill points awarded by
Tyrael. Once you reach level 30, dump these extra skill points into the powerful
skills that require level 30 or higher. For instance, the Barbarian's whirlwind
skill requires level 30 and can prove effective against Diablo, particularly
coupled with the Barbarian's leap and leap attack skills (to avoid Diablo's fire
and lightning attacks). If you're a Necromancer, you could select Revive; an
Amazon could pump additional points into Valkyrie; and a Sorceress could select
the high-level spell of her choice (as long as its prerequisites are met).
Act IV Bestiary: Finger mages are powerful Act IV creatures. Seen in doom
caster,
strangler, and storm caster varities, the finger mage possesses resistances to
fire (40, 50, 60 percent respectively) and lightning (40, 50, 60 percent
respectively) as well as homing missile attacks and the ability to drain mana.
Act IV, Quest I Completed Message from Tyrael
"Thank you, hero, for putting Izual's tortured spirit to rest. But, if what you
tell me is true, then I fear that we have been played for fools all along. Izual
helped Diablo and his brothers trick me into using the Soulstones against
them...
Now the Stones' powers are corrupted. With the combined powers of the Soulstones
under their control, the Prime Evils will be able to turn the mortal world into
a
permanent outpost of Hell! May the Light protect you and the powers of Heaven
shine upon your path."
Act IV, Quest I Reward
Speak with Tyrael after freeing and speaking with Izual's spirit. All players
completing the quest receive two skill points.
Act IV, Quest II: Hell's Forge
To activate the second quest in Act IV, speak with Deckard Cain after completing
the fallen angel quest. You'll need Mephisto's soulstone to complete the quest.
If you picked up the soulstone after defeating Mephisto in the durance of hate,
you're prepared. If not, Deckard Cain will supply Mephisto's soulstone required
to complete the quest.
Act IV, Quest II Objective from Cain
"The time has come for you to destroy Mephisto's Soulstone Take the Stone to the
Hellforge. Place it upon the forge and strike it soundly with the Hammer. Only
by
doing this can you prevent Mephisto from manifesting in this world ever again."
Act IV, Quest II Location
The hellforge is located in the river of flame, quite a long trek from the
pandemonium fortress. To reach the hellforge starting in town, proceed into the
outer steppes, then into the plains of despair, then past the city of the
damned,
and finally into the river of flame. There are waypoint markers located in the
city of the damned and river of flame areas. Search these areas thoroughly and
activate the markers; should you die at the hellforge, activating these waypoint
markers will save you a lot of travel time in returning to the hellforge and
your
corpse.
TIP:
During your exploration of the river of flame, you might bump into Hadriel, who
guards the entrance into the chaos sanctuary. Hadriel won't let you pass until
the hell's forge quest is completed. Remember Hadriel's location, however,
because the chaos sanctuary she guards is also your destination in Diablo II's
final quest, terror's end.
UNIQUE MONSTER: The Armorer is extra strong, cursed, and magic resistant.
Recommended Level to Complete Act IV, Quest II
Facing the minions in the city of the damned, the river of flame, and finally
the
Armorer who guards the hellforge requires a character's level in the mid-to-late
20s. The closer you are to level 30, the better; certainly, it pays to have
eclipsed level 24 for the improved skills alone.
Act IV, Quest II Log Entry #1: Take Mephisto's soulstone to the hellforge.
At the end of the third act, upon defeating the boss monster Mephisto, you could
acquire Mephisto's soulstone, a small gem-like item that takes up a single slot
in your character's inventory. If you failed to grab Mephisto's soulstone before
advancing through the infernal gate and into Act IV, don't worry. Upon gaining
the quest - by speaking with Deckard Cain after the fallen angel quest is
completed - Deckard Cain will hand you Mephisto's soulstone if you failed to
grab
the item in the previous act.
Act IV Bestiary: The undead horrors in Act IV provide one of the toughest
challenges so far; these beasts typically appear in groups and can include the
doom knight, abyss knight and oblivion knight. Doom and abyss knights possess
powerful melee attacks coupled with high hit points and resistances to fire (80,
40), lightning (20, 80), cold (20, 40), and poison (40, 40). The oblivion
knights
resist those elements 60 percent each and employ the Necromancer's bone spirit
and various curses.
Act IV, Quest II Log Entry #2: Use the hellforge hammer on the forge.
Once you reach the hellforge, you'll encounter, amongst other common Act IV
beasts, Hephasto the Armorer, who closely resembles the Smith you battled to
recover Charsi's malus in a previous act. The Armorer is extremely durable and
packs quite a punch. Employ hit-and-run attacks and try to avoid going toe to
toe
with the thick-skinned giant.
Recover the hellforge hammer once you have eliminated the surrounding monsters.
Equip the hammer and use the hellforge hammer on the hellforge.
Act IV, Quest II Log Entry #3: Destroy Mephisto's soulstone on the hellforge.
After using the hellforge hammer on the forge, it's time to destroy Mephisto's
soulstone to complete the quest. You acquired Mephisto's soulstone either from
picking it up at the end of the third act or from Deckard Cain when you were
given the quest. Place the soulstone on the hellforge and finish off the quest
by
destroying the stone.
Observe the destruction animation and don't miss the gems that appear and drop
around the hellforge. Smashing Mephisto's soulstone nets you three to seven
flawless or perfect gems (which could include skulls). Place them in your
inventory and return to the pandemonium fortress to replenish your health and
mana points and resupply your healing potions (and to see if you can put the
gems
or skulls you just collected to use). Use the waypoint marker in the river of
flame or open a town portal - your next quest lies beyond the river of flame, so
you will be making a return trip.
Act IV, Quest II Completed Message from Cain
"Congratulations, hero! Surely... Even Diablo, himself, sensed the fury
unleashed
when you smashed his brother's Soulstone."
Act IV, Quest II Reward
After using the hellforge hammer on the forge and destroying Mephisto's
soulstone
on the hellforge, four gems (2 flawless, 1 perfect, and 1 standard quality) are
created for each member of the party. Make sure you collect each before moving
on.
· Introduction
· Amazon
· Barbarian
· Necromancer
· Paladin
· Sorceress
· Act I
· Act II
· Act III
· Act IV
· Appendices
· Guide Contents
Act IV, Quest III: Terror's End
Activate the final quest in Act IV by speaking with the archangel Tyrael after
completing the fallen angel quest. However, Hadriel, guarding the entrance to
the
chaos sanctuary (where Diablo waits), won't let players pass if the hell's forge
quest is not completed. Speak with Deckard Cain after the fallen angel quest to
activate the hell's forge quest.
Act IV Bestiary: The spike fist, an Act IV thorned hulk, is extrodinarily
powerful with very high hit points and stun attack. Be careful when battling the
spike fist around other beasts (especially the undead horror); one successful
stun attack and you're surrounded in a matter of moments. A similar monster
class
(at least in size and power) you'll find in the fourth act is the megademon, the
balrog, pit lord, and venom lord. These demons feature resistances to fire (each
carries 100 percent) and the venom lord compounds the resistance with 100
percent
resistance to poison.
Act IV, Quest III Objective from Tyrael
"The time has come to hunt down and destroy Diablo himself. But beware, the Lord
of Terror is not to be underestimated. He single-handedly destroyed the town of
Tristram and corrupted the last noble hero who tried to stop him. This time, you
must defeat him for good. Only by destroying the Soulstone, which he carries,
will his spirit be banished forever. Good luck. Though this may be our darkest
hour, it may yet be your greatest moment!"
Act IV, Quest III Location
Diablo awaits inside the chaos sanctuary. To reach the chaos sanctuary quickly,
use the waypoint markers and proceed to the river of flame. From there, look for
Hadriel, who stands at the entrance to the chaos sanctuary. If you haven't
completed the hell's forge quest, Hadriel will turn you back and only let you
inside the chaos sanctuary once that quest has been completed. To reach the
chaos
sanctuary from the pandemonium fortress, descend the staircase into the outer
steppes, proceed into the plains of despair, then into the city of the damned,
then down into the river of flame, and finally past Hadriel into the chaos
sanctuary.
Recommended Level to Complete Act IV, Quest III
This is your final battle - and what a battle it is. Before you tackle Diablo,
you must face off against three unique Act IV monsters as well as their tough
minions. And this isn't even including the common monsters you'll face as you
travel along the catwalks that lead into the chaos sanctuary. It's best to be
well prepared. If you're nearing level 30, consider exploring other areas of the
game to try and reach the coveted level; that way you can implement level 30
skills, such as the Barbarian's whirlwind, Amazon's valkyrie, or Necromancer's
revive. A well-equipped character, both in inventory and skills, can defeat
Diablo and his minions even in the mid-20s. Just realize, as with most aspects
of
Diablo II, the stronger you are, the quicker they'll fall.
Act IV, Quest III Log Entry #1: Find Diablo in his sanctuary.
Proceed past the river of flame into the chaos sanctuary. Hadriel lets you pass
if you've completed the hell's forge quest. Make your way through the chaos
sanctuary (there are extremely tough monsters here, so be prepared to use your
town portal scrolls often) and search for the seals positioned in three corners
of the chaos sanctuary.
There are a total of five seals inside the chaos sanctuary. One is positioned
alone, while the other are positioned together in couples. Approach two of the
seals. Touch the seal, and it opens. Touch the other seal nearby, and a unique
monster will appear surrounded by minions. It's likely that the unique monster
and its minions will trap you near the seals; consider opening a town portal
scroll before using the seals in case you must retreat. Position the town portal
scroll near the seal you used to release the monsters; that way you have at
least
one escape route should you need to flee.
UNIQUE MONSTER: The seals in the chaos sanctuary release three unique monsters:
Infector of Souls (extra fast, spectral hit), Lord De Seis (extra fast,
thieving,
aura enchanted), and Grand Vizier of Chaos (extra strong, fire enchanted). Lord
De Seis' thieving ability allows him to steal potions out of your character's
belt.
Defeat the unique monster and its minions and approach the other set of two
seals. Open each seal and prepare for another tough battle. Once you have opened
four seals and cleared out two unique monsters, locate the fifth and final seal.
Open the seal to summon a third unique monster and its minions. Once you defeat
the third unique monster, Diablo appears near the pentagram.
NOTE:
Diablo possesses 50 percent resistance to fire, lightning, and cold and 75
percent resistance to poison.
Obviously Diablo is the toughest foe you have faced thus far. Diablo summons
fire, lightning, and cold attacks, but it's his lightning attack that poses the
most threat. If you're inside the bolt when Diablo attacks, you'll witness your
health bar decreasing at an alarming rate. Be prepared to hit and run against
Diablo and use town portal scrolls to return to the pandemonium fortress for
healing and to resupply your healing potions.
An Amazon equipped with high-level jab, critical strike, and a powerful javelin
can pound Diablo into submission, particularly coupled with the passive
defensive
skills: dodge, avoid, and evade. Avoid Diablo's lightning and fire attacks with
hit and run bursts using jab - perhaps even impale if you're prepared to spend
money restoring the spear or javelin's durability. Diablo's elemental
resistances
negate some of the Amazon's lightning and poison javelin attacks. A ranged
Amazon
player should implement high-level fire arrows (or powerful standard arrows)
combined with critical strike and passive defensive skills.
As a Barbarian, leap attack and whirlwind make an effective combination (as long
as you have reached level thirty and attained the whirlwind skill). Use the
standard leap to avoid Diablo's lightning and fire attacks then close in with
the
whirlwind attack. Alternatively, you can combine the leap attack with double
swing - two hands, each with powerful magical weaponry, can take down Diablo
with
repeated hit and run attacks.
A Necromancer could use an enchanted Iron Golem (improved above the first skill)
combined with the Iron Maiden skill. The combination causes damage to Diablo
when
the Act IV boss retaliates against the Iron Golem's attack. Save an impressive
magical metallic item to create the Iron Golem (it retains properties of the
item) and enhance with an Amplify Damage curse. High-powered Bone Spear could
prove effective along with an Iron or Blood Golem attack. If you've eclipsed
level 30, use revive to bring along some Act IV minions to greet Diablo. If
you've pumped up Skeleton Mastery, the points will pay off increasing the
revived
monsters' potency.
The Paladin should switch elemental resistances on the fly to counter Diablo's
powerful attacks - put those fire, cold, and lightning resistances on
easy-to-use
hotkeys! Zeal can be extremely powerful - if elevated to higher skill levels.
Additionally, Thorns can provide the Paladin with additional protection; with
each strike against the Paladin, Diablo takes damage (depending on the Thorns
skill level).
Sorceress can implement Static Field to knock off a large chunk of Diablo's hit
points. Follow up the field with the high-level elemental spells of your choice
(Blizzard, Thunder Storm, Meteor, etc). Stay away from Diablo and avoid his
powerful elemental strikes. Stock up on mana or rejuvenation potions (should
start saving up during Act IV) to counter the high cost of the Sorceress' skills
-
if you run out of mana, you're likely dead! But, town portal scrolls will do
also; open a town portal scroll as soon as you spot Diablo and return to The
pandemonium fortress for rejevenation when necessary.
After defeating Diablo, gather the dropped reward (unique, rare, or set item),
and return to Tyrael in the pandemonium fortress to complete the quest.
Act IV, Quest III Completed Message from Tyrael
"Praise be to the Light! You have accomplished the impossible! Diablo and
Mephisto have been banished back into the Black Abyss that spawned them and the
corrupted Soulstones are no more. You have done well, hero."
Act IV, Quest III Reward
Defeat Diablo and receive a rare, set, or unique item. Also, your character is
granted a surname and additional difficulty levels become available (hardcore,
nightmare, and hell).