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Den of Evil:
Recommended Level: 1-2
Quest Given By: Akara
Location: Blood Moor
Difficulty: Easy
Reward: Extra Skill Point
Objectives: Kill All Monsters in Den
Getting There:
The Den of Evil is your first quest in Diablo II, and is available as soon as
you
create a new game. To receive the quest, simply talk to Akara located on the
South Eastern corner of the Rogue Encampment.
The Den of Evil is located somewhere within the middle of Blood Moor, surrounded
by numerous fallen, zombies and quill beasts. There is no hurry in reaching the
place, so the best way to go is to search around the wilderness till you find
the
entrance in to the Den. Once you’re confident of your abilities in character
control, enter the Den. By now your character should be level 2 and equipped
with
some broken pieces of armor.
Completing the Quest:
The Den of Evil resembles the caves of Diablo I, populated by Fallen, Fallen
Shamen and Zombies. If you are using a warrior class, a missile weapon here is
extremely helpful, so equip any Javelins or Daggers you find.
Using the minimap, navigate through the Den and slowly clear out the monsters.
If
you are ever faced with an overwhelming amount of Fallen, retreat to a safe
place
so you can kill any that’s foolhardy enough to follow you with ease. Warriors
should use throwing daggers or Javelins to eliminate Fallen Shamans on sight,
the
rest should be easy.
Due to the fact that you do not start with any mana potions, it is recommended
that you cast spells sparingly if you’re the Sorceress. Only launch firebolts at
enemy Shamen or when faced with many Fallen at once. A Necromancer should be
easily able to kill fallen and zombies with its skeletal minion’s help, and
Shamen can be eliminated with the ‘Teeth Spell’. In this fashion, begin clearing
out the Den.
Killing Corpsefire:
Everything should be dead simple till you meet up with the boss of the Den, a
hero Zombie by the name of Corpsefire. He’s mean and tough, and has a nasty
habit
of freezing you with each hit. His only significant weakness is his slow speed,
which you should use to your full advantage.
Corpsefire is surrounded by a bunch of equally slow Zombies, so your best bet is
a ranged attack. Warriors should equip themselves with daggers or javelins, and
run back if the Zombies ever get within range to hit you. This way, you should
be
able to kill him without even getting blood on your hands (or body.)
The Sorceress has a fairly easy job here. If you have charged bolt, fire it
several times to eliminate Corpsefire’s minions, then use Firebolts on
Corpsefire
himself. Retreat if he ever gets near you. The Necromancer should use his
skeletons to slow the pack of Zombies, while firing Teeth into the midst of
battle. Once Corpsefire is dead, collect the handy magic item he drops.
Keep clearing out the rest of the Den as you did before. The Quest tab should
come up once there’s only five monsters left. Once they’re all dead, you are
treated a nice piece of special effects. Run out of the Den, back to the
Encampment for your reward.
To Kill Blood Raven:
Recommended Level: 6-8
Quest Given By: Kashya
Location: Burial Grounds
Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Reward: Free Rogue Mercenary, Enables Mercenary Hire
Objectives: Kill Blood Raven
Preparations:
The Burial Grounds are fairly simple to locate, being one of the two areas that
branches out from the Cold Plains. Simply scout around the outer edges of the
Cold Plains or follow the dirt road. If you happen to stumble into the Stony
Fields, backtrack and find the second exit.
Blood Raven is reasonably tough, and may prove to be almost impossible to defeat
for those who are level 6 or less. It is recommended that you first explore the
caves found in the middle of the Cold Plains before attempting this quest. Once
you’re ready, travel to the entrance of the Burial Grounds.
Before blindly charging in, we suggest that you make sure you have a couple of
Health Potions in your Belt, as well as Mana potions if you’re a mage. Conjure a
town portal here, so that if you find yourself in a loosing battle, you can
quickly retreat to town to restock and get healed. When your ready, proceed.
Killing Blood Raven:
Blood Raven is located in the center of the graveyard, waiting for you under a
withered tree. As you approach the gates, a dozen or so Hungry Dead will attack
you. They shouldn’t prove to be a big problem, and can be dispatched either by
using area-of-affect spells or combat.
Upon breaking through the gates, Blood Raven will meet you along with more dead
guys. She’s an intelligent foe, shooting at you with fire arrows while her
minions block your way. She can run at great speeds, making it difficult to
engage in melee combat. The best approach to lure her zombies away from her, and
dispatch them without having do dodge a volley of flaming arrows.
Blood Raven will seek to raise more zombies from the grave, but one or two
should
prove to be little more than distraction. Missile weapons are again the best
approach, and use them to aim for Blood Raven herself. Many skills for various
characters will come in handy, and details on which ones to use can be found
below in our class specific tips. Once she’s dead, all her minions automatically
perish. Not only are you treated to a spectacular light show, but you’ll also
find a magic item. Make sure you use the alt key here, since the dead zombies
will litter the ground with various useful items and potions.
The Search for Cain:
Recommended Level: 8-10
Quest Given By: Akara
Location: Stony Field to Tristram
Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Reward: Free Item Identification, Wirt’s Leg
Objectives: Locate and Rescue Cain
Preparations:
Before embarking upon the search for Cain, it is recommended that you have
killed
Blood Raven and explored the crypts in the Burial Grounds. This allows you to
hire a mercenary, which proves to be quite useful, especially for spellcasters.
Throughout the quest, you’ll get plenty of items, so keep town portal scrolls
handy and use them whenever your inventory gets full. The quest is quite long,
and is set in four different areas.
Finding the Tree:
Remember the second exit to the Cold Plains? Now is the time to take it. Upon
leaving the Cold Plains, you’ll find yourself in Stony Field, which looks pretty
much the same with the exception of some extra boulders. The monsters here
shouldn’t prove to be much trouble, consisting of Fallen, Carvers (Tougher
Fallen), Foul Crows and Skeleton Archers.
Scout the area thoroughly, there are four features that you should find before
moving on. The first is a Runestone formation found around the center of Stony
Field, this will teleport you to Tristram Later. The second is a Tome on a
stand,
which one read, will give you the fourth quest (more on that later). The third
is
a waypoint, which should be activated. Finally around the far edge, you’ll find
an entrance to the Underground Passageway that’ll lead you to the ‘Tree of
Inifuss’ Once you find all three, take the passageway.
The Underground Passageway looks similar to the Den of Evil, this time populated
by Misshapen, Skeleton Archers and Carvers. A few random hero monsters are also
around, but most of it is simple hack and slash. Navigate through the caverns
till you find a second exit or an entrance to ‘Underground Passageway Level 2’
The second level to the passageway resembles the second level to the caves and
is
entirely optional, however it does offer some nice magic items and experience.
There are two random hero monsters in the center, and so the battle isn’t too
easy, but worth your time. After getting the treasures, take the second exit,
which will lead you to Dark Wood.
Dark Wood is well populated by Vile Hunters, Vile Lancers, Carvers, Quill Fiends
(Quill Beasts that shoot 3 spikes) and more Undead. You’ll find area of effect
spells to be most useful here, as they make short work on monster swarms.
Explore
the area till you find the Tree of Inifuss, it should be located somewhere near
the far end.
Using the tree
Guarding the tree of Inifuss is ‘TreeHead Woodfist’ and three Brutes, heroes and
tougher variations of the Gargantuan Beast. Watch out, although these guys are
not exceptionally tough, they deal out a lot of damage. Spell casters and
Amazons
should keep clear of their huge fists. Your mercenary comes in handy here, and
makes excellent cannon fodder. Warriors should use their skills to enhance their
damage.
When the guardians are all dead, click on the tree and get the scroll. It is a
massive 2x2 in size and can’t be used till you bring it back to Akara. Before
you
cast a town portal, make sure you have activated the waypoint to Dark Wood.
You’ll need to come back here later and you don’t want to waste time going
underground again.
Freeing Cain:
Once you’ve talked to Akara, your scroll will be translated to decent numerals
that you can read. Now travel back to Stony Field and relocate the Runestones.
Click on each Runestone in the order that is prescribed on your Scroll. Once
done, you’ll be treated some spectacular lighting effects as a portal to
Tristram
is conjured. Step through the portal
Tristram is a small area, and looks nothing like what it was in Diablo 1 (When
did the creek that that big?). Now avoid that dead cow you see next to you, or
it’ll explode, dealing significant damage to spellcasters.
You won’t have to take more than a few steps before meeting up with the whole
swarm, Carvers, the Returned (Tougher Skeletons), Skeleton Archers and Night
Clans (tougher Goatmen). Leading them will be a Night Clan and a Skeleton Archer
hero. As you start fighting, Griswold, now an undead, will also join in to kill
you.
Thankfully, Griswold is nothing more than a Zombie with a few hundred hit
points.
He’s slow and deals little damage, so you can ignore him while you deal with the
other monsters. Both of the two random heroes don’t have much hit points but
deal
a lot of damage, so target them with all you’ve got first, then proceed to get
rid of the Carver Shamans and everything else. Don’t worry too much if your
Rogue
Mercenary dies here, she served her purpose.
Once only Griswold is left lumbering towards you at zombie speed, pull out a
missile weapon and shoot him from range. While weak in everything else, Griswold
has hell of a lot of hit points, even in singleplayer. But his slow speed makes
him of little threat. (Think of him as an Ultralisk in SC, doing little damage
but sucking up your fire).
Once Griswold is dead, proceed to the town center. Kill the Skeleton Archer and
Carver Shamans there and free Cain. The Sage will take the initiative and
transport himself to the Rogue Encampment. However before you portal back to get
your reward, make sure to explore the rest of Tristram.
On the Top left of the burnt town, you’ll find the dead body of Wirt, the boy
who
always ripped you off in Diablo (Now it’s your turn). Clicking on him will
reveal
a whole cache of gold as well as his Pegleg, a unique item! While the Pegleg is
nothing more than a slotted mace, it is required for you to enter the secret Cow
Level, so keep it safe in your stash. Now back to Akara for your reward.
The Forgotten Tower:
Recommended Level: 10-12
Quest Given By: Ancient Tome
Location: Black Marsh
Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Reward: Approx. 5000 Gold Worth of Treasure
Objectives: Kill the Evil Countess
Preparations:
Unlike other quests, this one is completely for your own interest. It’s not
something dire to the rogues, just a tower that hosts a whole bunch of treasure.
As such, the quest isn’t given to you by an NPC, but rather an ancient tomb that
you can find at Stony Field (See Previous Mission). Now that Cain is saved, it
is
time to reap in the cash.
Locating the Tower:
The Forgotten Tower is fairly simple to find, use waypoint to go back to Dark
Wood and Search for an exit on the other side. This will bring you to Black
Marsh, inhabited by Blood Crows, Carver, Night Clans and Vile Hunters. While
there are some hero monsters present, they should all be fairly simply. Either
hack, slash, or let your minions and spells do the work.
Search carefully through Black Marsh, you’ll find a waypoint somewhere near the
entrance. Before you open the chests, make sure you have, at least, around 10
life, as most of them are trapped. Sooner or later, you’ll come across your
destination, a tower in bad shape.
Exploring the Tower:
The Forgotten Tower Consists of five separate cellar levels, and the first four
are all small. Despite their size, they host some tough monsters. You’ll find
that on every level, there are half a dozen Blood Clan lead by a Blood Clan
Hero.
These guys are tough, fast and deal a lot of damage. If you’re a mage, you’ll
want to summon some Armor and try your best not to get surrounded. Their fast
attack make it easy for them to disrupt your spells. Either slow them down with
cold or minions, so you can stand back and cast your magic. Warriors should arm
themselves with melee weapons rather than missiles, since the small areas make
it
difficult for you to attack from any distance. The good thing is that the level
exits are usually right next to you, so you can easily retreat if required.
Other monsters may also be around, including Dark Archers or Ghosts. However
they
should not to be much of a problem. Just make sure that if you ever go into a
room full of archers, retreat out the door so they chase you in a single file.
Kill Ghosts first if you’re a mage, although they have little hit points, their
mana drain can be a real problem. Navigate through the levels till you reach
Level 5.
Death of the Countess:
The 5th level is slightly larger than the rest, and hosts a mountain of
treasures. Kill the Dark Archers and Blood Clans in the center room and proceed
across to the side chambers. Kill the guards and you’ll find gold simply
lettered
on the ground, as well as a chest in each of the two rooms. That’s around 1000-
2000 gold, not including the gold you get for selling the items in the chests.
Return to town (use Town Portal), sell your items, deposit you gold and return
the chamber.
Venture up from either of the two chambers. As you approach the door at the
center side of the room, you’ll hear the countess scream something similar
to ‘I’ll boil your blood.” Wait and let her Dark Stalkers charge out of the room
in single file, eliminate them one at a time.
Once all the Dark Stalkers are dead, charge into the room, now it’s just you and
countess. In fact your foe is surprisingly weak when compared to all the Blood
Clan heroes you’ve fought. She only has around 150 hit points (In Singleplayer)
and can be easily killed using skills or spells. Once she’s dead, open up the
chest in the room, and more gold is yours. Quest completed.
Tools of the Trade:
Recommended Level: 12-14
Quest Given By: Charsi
Location: Rogue Barracks
Difficulty: Normal
Reward: Enchants One Item
Objectives: Retrieve the Horadric Malus
Preparations:
There’s quite a way to get to the Rogue Barracks. Return to Black Marsh and
proceed to find an exit on the far end. This will lead you to Tamoe Highland.
Throughout your adventures, you may find an entrance to two dungeons, The Hole
and Hell Pit. Both of which are there to supply you with EXP and items. If you
haven’t reached level 14, it’s highly suggested that you explore them. There’s
nothing inside that you can’t handle, but I managed to find Arctic Furs inside.
Locating the Barracks:
Nova is a great new addition for the Sorceress, but only use it instead of Frost
Nova once you got 2 skill points on the spell.
Once that done, your out and on your way towards the Monastery Gate. Tamoe
Highland consists of Returned Mages, Death Clan (About the same power as Blood
Clan), Devil Kin (Tougher Carvers) and Dark Stalkers. They are all fairly
simple,
always kill the Mages first, followed by Shamans before anything else. In this
fashion proceed towards the opposite side of the Highlands, you’ll reach the
monastery Gate.
Storm through the Monastery Gates, your best bet is to either charge in at the
mages or use a series of area effect spells. A necromancer can let his minions
suck the Bone Magi fire as he stands back with Corpse Explosion and Teeth. After
passing the gate, you’ll find yourself in the Outer Cloister.
Devilkin, Thorned Devils, Yetis, Dark Stalkers and more Returned Magi populate
the Outer Cloister. Yetis are tough, but slow and hence simple to defeat.
Thorned
Devils and the Bone Magi are another matter. Make sure you keep moving when
engaging them, they have low hit points and therefore should be destroyed first.
Find the Waypoint, explore the side chambers and proceed ahead. The door to the
Barracks will be in front of you.
Navigating the Barracks:
The Barracks is a confusing metropolis of corridors and rooms filled with stacks
of barrels. A hero Bone Mage and his minions guard the entrance, charging in
headfirst could prove fatal. Instead try to lead most of the devilkin into the
out Cloister, before engaging with the Mages.
As you navigate through the Barracks, use the stacks of barrels to your
advantage. As the primary threat you’ll face are Bone Magi (tougher Returned
Mage), you’ll find the cover that the barrels offer to be a blessing. Warriors
can hide behind the barrels till the Bone mage walk around the stack, and finish
it off in one or two hits. You’ll need to use this tactic when you face two
random Bone Mage heroes in the third chamber of the Barracks
When you stumble into the chamber, you’ll be faced with over a dozen firebolts.
Retreat back through the doorway and knock out the Death Clans and Dark Stalkers
that follow you. Proceed inside and take cover amongst the barrels. Mages should
use hit and run tactics, while warriors can run and kill any Bone Mage stupid
enough to wonder into your hiding place. Use doorways and narrow corridors in
the
same fashion as you explore the barracks.
There will be other monsters, and we’ve seen Black Rogues, Bone Archers and
their
various champion forms. Whatever they are, always lead the melee combatants out
of the Join and kill them without having to worry about missile cover, then
eliminate the archers and mages using the technique above.
Retrieving the Malus:
At one of the corners in the very far end will be the Horadric Malus, Guarded by
one angry Smith and a dozen Black Rogues and Bone Magi. As soon as you hear the
sound of ‘I’ll make something from your bones…” launch a portal and restock.
Once you’re ready, try your best to the lead the Smiths minions away into
another
room and kill them first. Mages should try and use area of effect spells to
eliminate the weaker enemies. The Smith himself resembles a fast oversized
butcher from Diablo I. He’s tough, his mean, and he knows how to use his hammer
as an Axe.
The Smith has around 300hp and does around 30-40 damage with each blow, so
mages…
stay away! If you use missile weapons, your goal is to make sure he never
reaches
you. Details on killing him are featured in our character tips. Whatever the
case, keep potions handy as you fight a hit and run battle through the maze of
corridors. Once he’s dead, return to where you found him and retrieve the Malus.
(You’ll find it on a stand in he’s room)
Utilizing Your Reward:
Once you return to Charsi and give her the Hammer, she will offer to enchant an
item of your choice. The choice you make here could alter the rest of the game,
so think carefully! She’ll enchant only non-magical, non socketed, non jewelry
items. What she does is simply turn the item of your choice into a rare, imbued
with 3-5 random bonuses.
Whatever class you are, don’t choose a piece of Armor as there’ll be a lot of
better ones in Act II. Spellcasters should definitely choose the wand or the
staff, preferably a yew wand or a long staff. All the spell bonuses it gives
will
be altered, so don’t worry about what bonus’s the staff gives (Just Buy the
cheapest Long Staff and Yew Wand from Akara).
Warriors have more options, so choose whatever item you desperately need a
better
version of. Whether it’s your boot, weapon or helmet. Quest Completed.
Sisters to the Slaughter:
Recommended Level: 13-16
Quest Given By: Cain
Location: Monastery Catacombs
Difficulty: Moderately Hard
Reward: Allows Act II
Objectives: Find and Kill Andariel
Introduction:
’Sisters to the Slaughter,’ the last quest of Act I, is both difficult and long,
qw it spans a total of 9 different levels and is nearly as large as the whole of
Diablo 1. Your mission is simple; to reach the deepest level of the Catacombs
and
slay the Maiden of Anguish; however getting there is a quest in itself.
Mercenaries are no longer useful, as they are slain in 3-4 hits.
To Reach the Catacombs:
Now that you have a new rare item from Charsi, return to the Barracks. Take the
stairs to the Jails to begin your long journey. The Jails consist of three
levels, each one large and expansive. The monsters you’ll be facing include Bone
Warriors, Wraith (Tougher Ghosts), Devil Kin, Bone Archers and Bone Magi. Just
keep using the tactics you performed throughout the barracks (see previous
mission) and you should have little problem
Explore each level as throughly as possible, you’ll need all the experience you
can. Warriors should watch out for Bone Mage that are behind bars, and it’s
suggested you keep a secondary missile weapon of some sort. Meanwhile mages
should avoid Wraith, their mana drain coupled with their speed are dangerous. In
this fashion you’ll finally find an exit to the Inner Cloister the level 3 Jail.
When you get out of Jail, you’ll be in a small courtyard (or near it). Take the
waypoint in the center and then dispose of the quill fiends that are around.
Search till you find the entrance to the Cathedral. Whatever you do, don’t just
stride in. You’ll be met with a barrage of bolts shot by the Tainted (powerful
Misshapen) and a swarm of Wraith. Holy Bolt and Area of effect spells will be
extremely handy. Fight gorilla style, retreating whenever they begin to swarm
you
so that you face the minimal amount of foes at once. The hero Tainted and Wraith
will be more difficult, go for the Tainted first if you’re a warrior, the Wraith
first if you’re a mage.
When the monsters are cleared, stride in and search around. You’ll encounter
Dark
Ones (Tougher Devilkin), who shouldn’t be a problem. Clear the Cathedral and
you’ll find an exit down to the Catacombs.
Navigating the Catacombs:
If you had trouble through the Jail, the Catacombs will be hell. It consists of
four levels, where the top two contains the same types of monsters as those in
the Cathedral. The confined space here allows you to hit and run quite
effectively. Keep in mind that many monsters such as the Tainted have no idea
how
to open doors, allowing you short reprieves. While Wraith are fast and can float
through bars, they tend to get trapped in rooms like your mercenary, so running
away is usually an option.
Explore the first two levels thoroughly, you’ll find another Waypoint on the
level 2 catacomb. Take the stairway and you’ll be on level 3. This new level
hosts some tough new monsters, including Ratmen, The Banished, Arachs (Giant
Spiders) and Ghouls (Tougher Zombies). While the latter two should be of no
problem, you’ll need to watch out for the first two.
The Banished resembles hovering mages, and are the most powerful monsters you
face in Act I. While a single one is not much of a threat, you’ll probably
chance
upon a roomful of them led by a hero. In this case, retreat! Their fireballs
deal
enormous damage, while they still have decent hit points (around 60). They
attack
cold in melee, making it just that much harder to retreat after being engaged.
Your best chance here is to run through the explored rooms, causing them to
separate. This way you can beat them in one’s or twos. Even mages here should
engage in melee combat, especially if you have a good staff from the Blacksmith
quest.
Ratmen are another danger, they’re tiny, but hell fast. Mages will find
themselves surrounded and dead in no time. Areas of effect spells are essential
here, since their small size and fast speeds make it difficult for you to
target.
Necromancers should make sure they have minions around, as you won’t have time
to
summon them on the spot. However warriors, being tough, should have little
problem.
Navigate through the third level and take the staircase down. This final level
is
short and hosts Andariel. Your is quest is nearly complete…
The Slaughter of Andariel:
Andariel will be the toughest boss you have faced to date. Before going any
further on level 4, portal to town and purchase least 20 healing and 5 antidote
potions. If you don’t have one already, hire a Mercenary. While they are no
match
for Andariel, they are good for distraction. When you’re all set, return to the
Catacombs and launch a second portal. This will provide a quick escape.
It will not take long to locate Andariel, you’ll find her throne room to be 1-3
doors away. Move forward by the inch and kill monsters with a missile weapon, so
that you can destroy all the minions before she enters combat. Once you hear her
scream, draw your best weapon… the fight begins.
Andariel is fairly fast, hosts nearly 1000 hit points and deals around 65
damage.
While her primary attack is melee, she’ll also launch a modified version of
Poison Nova as well as a poison bolt. Each of these deals around 20 damage, but
an enormous amount of poison damage.
We’ll leave specific skill use to our character tips, but no matter what, keep
your healing and antidote potions handy. While your rogue friend will be killed
in one hit, she’ll buy some time for you to cast spells and auras. You might
even
be able to throw a few poison potions at her.
If ever the potions in your belt run out, flee through the portal and rearrange
your inventory in town. Akara will automatically remove all poisons and heal
you,
so she’s a must to talk to. When you return, always hire a new Rogue from
Kashya.
Once through portal, Andariel will be on you in an instant, run away and let her
go after your rogue. This will give you precious time cast a second portal and
gather your wits. Repeat the above till she’s dead. With the Sorceress, it took
about 7 portals… but she didn’t get hit in melee once. With the Paladin, it took
only 2.
Once she’s dead, you’re treated with spectacular display. Take the portal back
to
town and talk to the townsfolk, they’ll all love you. Talk to Warriv, and you’re
on Act II!
Radament’s Tomb:
Recommended Level: 14-17
Quest Given By: Atma
Location: Lut Gholein Sewers
Difficulty: Normal
Reward: Extra Skill, Cheaper Wares
Objectives: Find and Kill the Radament
Introduction:
Rudament’s Lair, the first quest of Act II, helps players readjust to the new
set
of NPC’s and monsters. After marveling at suddenly enhanced graphics, talk to
Atma on the east side of town. There will be a lot more poison-based attacks in
Act II, so it might pay for you to visit Lysander and get half a dozen antidote
potions. With the mercenaries now at a much higher level (I’ve seen up to lvl.
18), they are again useful, so be sure to hire one.
Another thing to note is that the person who heals you is Fara, so portal to her
if you are ever in trouble. Now that you know the basics, it’s time to begin.
Locating Radament’s Lair:
There are three levels of sewers under Lot Gholein, and Radament is located on
the deepest. You’ll be able to find entrances to sewer either next to the docks,
or as a trap door on the streets. It’s preferable to use the trap door; as it’s
located in the center of town, so that you don’t need to walk as far.
Each level of the Sewers is a large, sprawling labyrinth, populated by Sand
Raiders, Burning Dead (Soldier, Archer, Mage variations) and dried corpses. All
the monsters have fairly low hit points, so it’s best to use area of effect
spells. Nova, Corpse Explosion, Thorns and Inner Site are all fairly effective.
When engaging with the Dried Corpses, step back when they die. The poisonous
vapors their corpses release is a drain on both health and potions.
Unfortunately
your mercenary won’t be as smart, so when you hire them, select those that can
resist Poison.
The Burning dead resist fire, so cold and lightning spells are strongly
preferred. Their Archers variations launch fire arrows, where’s their mages
attack with firebolts. Both have weak hit points but can do significant damage,
so target them first.
Throughout your explorations in the sewers, you’ll find piles of green goo, the
equivalence of rocks in Act I. They mostly contain just junk, an may release
poison is touched… so ain’t worth the bother.
In this fashion, search each level for the staircase downwards. Sooner or later
on Level 3, a quest icon will pop up, signaling that the Radament is near.
Launch
a portal and but more antidote and healing potions, and prepare for the fight.
Killing the Radament:
The Radament is fairly tough, and has ability to raise skeleton mages at
astonishing speeds. He can attack with shadow bolts, poison bolts as well as a
poison strike. With a wide variety of missile weapons at his disposal, the age-
old trick of running around no longer works so well. Lead out his minions first
and eliminate as much as them as you can before engaging the boss himself.
Warriors here should immediately charge at the Radament and seek to engage him
to
melee combat. This will deny him the opportunity to raise more minions as well
as
use his missile attacks. Even so, his still a tough opponent with a few hundred
hit points. However the Radament’s primary attack is poison, so as long as you
have antidote potions on your belt, he can’t do too much. Here mercenaries and
minions can prove to be a great distraction, allowing mages to prepare their
spells.
Once the Radament is dead, another great in game sequence is played. Before you
leave you collect your reward, make sure to pick up the Book of Skill he drops.
Also click on the glowing chest in his lair, it’ll contain on scroll necessary
for you to get your next mission. Now that everything’s done, go talk to Atma to
collect your second Reward.
The Horadric Cube and Shaft:
Recommended Level: 15-18
Quest Given By: Atma
Location: Dry Hills, Far Oasis
Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Reward: Staff of Kings, Horadric Cube
Objectives: Find the Horadric Cube and Shaft
Introduction:
The Horadric Staff is probably one of the longest missions in Diablo II,
spanning
a total of three dungeons; each of which contains one of the components you need
to piece together the Horadric Staff. The Horadric Cube is located in the Halls
of the Dead, the Shaft in the Maggot Lair and the Headpiece in the Claw Viper
Temple.
This mission guide will brief you on how to obtain the first two of the
artifacts
above. You’ll get the Head Piece at the same time as you complete the third
quest, Tainted Sun and hence it’ll be covered in our next guide. Unlike Act I,
the wilderness of Act II contains a huge amount of monsters which deal poison
attacks, so keep plenty of Antidote Potions Ready.
Locating Halls of the Dead:
Now the easiest of three artifacts to obtain in the Horadric Cube, which rests
in
the Halls of the Dead and above Dry Hills. To reach it, take the gate out of Lut
Gholein and start exploring the Rocky Wasteland.
The Rocky Wasteland hosts a whole new set of monsters, Saber Cats, Spear Cats,
Giant Vultures and Leapers being the most abundant. While they are all fast and
deal significant damage, they have comparatively small hitpoints and can be
destroyed via any mass damage skill. There’s also a non-quest dungeon in the Dry
Hills, which you should pay a visit to if you’re on the lower side of the
recommended level. Once that done, proceed to find an exit into the Dry Hills.
The Dry Hills encompasses a large area, featuring two separate terrain levels.
You’ll be fighting more Spear and Saber Cats here, as well as Undead Scavengers
(Tougher Vultures). The Spear Cats now throw exploding potions, and can prove
quite dangerous in groups, so make sure to either keep moving, or kill them
first. Search around the Wasteland, and you’ll find a ramp upward somewhere on
the opposite side.
The Upper level contains the same monsters, but also a waypoint and an entrance
into the Halls of the Dead. Once you find both, take the entrance to the
dungeon,
you’re now well on your way in retrieving the first artifact.
Locating the Horadric Cube:
There are three levels of similar size in the Halls of the Dead, where the
Horadric Cube is located at the very end. Each level is excessively large, so
it’ll take a while to navigate through. You’ll be faced with Dessert Wings,
Decayed (Tougher Dried Corpses), Spear Cats, Hollow ones and in some cases,
Death
Beetles, Burning Dead Archers and Horrors.
The Monsters are tough here, so make sure you use the terrain to your advantage.
Never charge right into an unexplored room unless you’re going to use a spell
like Nova. Instead lead the monsters out so they face you one at a time. When
combating Hollow ones, try to destroy their minions with cold so they can’t be
resurrected. Cold also works well on the Hollow Ones themselves, slowing them
down so you can deal with the lesser minions.
Somewhere around level 2, you’ll encounter a room full of Hollow Ones that are
led by a hero, this is perhaps the toughest part of the dungeon. There’ll be two
shrines in the room, which can significantly help you out… so be sure to use
them. Lead the monsters outside the room and deal with them without worry of the
Hollow Ones before charging in. Then use the shrines to boost yourself, before
engaging the dozen mummies or so. Before exiting the level, make sure to find
the
Waypoint, it’ll prove quite helpful if you die.
Once that’s done, the third level is comparatively easy. The Horadric Cube is
guarded by a few dozen Cat Warriors and a random hero, but can be easily
annihilated via any area of effect spell. If you’re a warrior, lead them
outside,
so they don’t have a chance to throw their javelins. The hero himself has only
around 150 hitpoints or so, and can be easily dealt with. After you clear the
monsters, enter the room, open the glowing chest, and collect the Horadric Cube.
Launch a portal from your location and talk to Cain. He’ll give you some rather
useful formulae for the Horadric Cube. However there’s another useful one he
failed to mention. Three gems of one kind and quality can be transmuted to one
Gem of higher quality. With flawed gems being so much more abundant than the
rest, here’s you’re chance to get some better ones. Other formulae are also
available, but they ain’t exactly useful.
The Horadric Cube also helps enlarge your inventory, as it takes up four squares
but offer 12 squares inside. So keep it in your inventory and get ready to
retrieve the Horadric Shaft
Locating the Maggot Lair:
The Shaft of the Horadric Staff is located in the Maggot Lair, a dungeon found
in
the Far Oasis. Use the waypoint to get you back to the Bitter Hills and search
for a second exit, it’ll most likely be located on the upper level of the Hill.
Take the exit and you’ll be in Far Oasis.
The Far Oasis is populated with Black Raptors (like Tougher Blood Hawks), more
Saber and Spear cats, as well as Scarab Beetles and Itches. Scarab Beetles of
tough things that spit acid, and can deal Poison Damage in melee. These guys are
probably best dealt with via far range. The Itches, consist entirely of Insect
Swarms, are quite deadly in numbers. They can stack up, deal massive damage and
drain your stamina. For mages, it’s essential you don’t get near them or they’ll
tear you apart. Warriors have more options, although a bow is preferred.
Like the Bitter Hills, Far Oasis is also split into two defiant heights. The
waypoint is usually found on the lower level while the entrance to the maggot
layer in on the upper one. If you stumble across a second exit (it leads to The
Lost City), it’s recommended you don’t take it. As soon as you enter that area,
you’ll enable the Tainted Sun quest. This will curse the whole outside area with
eternal darkness, which can hinder you quite a bit if you’re a mage. Instead
stay
away and search for a whole in sand.
Locating the Maggot Lair:
Once you find the entrance, proceed down cautiously. It may pay now to make sure
you have enough antidote potions since many of the monsters you’ll be fighting
dead little physical, but serious poison damage. Always have the antidotes on
your belt for quick access. Once ready, start exploring.
The Maggot Layout consists of a huge network of passageways, dug out by the
Mother of all Scarab Beetles. They are so narrow that you’ll only be able to fit
single file. This is a mission where you should not hire mercenaries, as they’ll
serve only to block your escape. There is however one advantage to tight fit,
and
that is you always know where your enemy is going to be. If you use a missile
weapon, retreat after sighting enemies and then attack the ground in front of
you. Your missiles always fly straight, and will hit the monsters that are well
beyond your viewscreen! Necromancers will have a hard time, and should perhaps
only summon Golems for on spot battles. More on that in our character tips…
The monsters here are Scarab Beetles, Rock Worms (Tougher Scarab Beetles) and
Black Locusts (Tougher Itches). As a Dozen Locust Swarms can fit into one
square,
do not be fooled by appearances. Shoot them down with an area of effect skill or
spell immediately. Both the Scarabs and Rock Worms lay eggs, and so are tough
opponents.
In this fashion, explore each level till your on level 3. After more
exploration,
you’ll come across a chamber that’s filled to brim with beetles. You’ll
recognize
it as soon as you see the gigantic borrower worm that’s in the center.
The entrance of the room is trapped, and will poison you as soon as you enter.
The poison is deadly, and will take down more than 70hp of life, so make sure
you
have antidote potions ready. Leading out the beetles this time won’t work so
well, since the adults release a continuos stream of young beetles at you.
Instead, charge in and deal mayhem! Details are in our character tips.
Once everyone is dead, you’ll find the Horadric Shaft in the room. Upon being
identified, it’ll be renamed to the ‘Staff of Kings.’ It’s a powerful artifact,
acting as a Battle Staff, which attacks at very fast speeds. It’s an ideal
weapon
for your Sorceress.
Launch a portal and talk to Cain, you are now missing only the Headpiece. Now
take the exit to the Lost City via the waypoint to Far Oasis, you’ll get your
third quest. Its reward is the headpiece, so information in completing both
quests can be found in our next walkthrough.
Tainted Sun:
Recommended Level: 16-19
Quest Given By: Drognan
Location: Valley of Snakes
Difficulty: Moderately Hard
Reward: The Horadric Staff
Objectives: Destroy the Claw Viper Temple
Introduction:
The Tainted Sun is a quest, which has a two-fold purpose. First it’ll allow you
to complete the third quest and their banish the unnatural night, secondly it’ll
give you the headpiece for your Horadric Staff (You can obtain the other two
pieces via our previous walkthrough). The quest itself is of moderate length,
but
the final boss, ‘Fangskin,’ may prove to be quite difficult. Many of the
monsters
use poison attacks and hence Antidote potions are vital. Lightning Resistance
will also help when you face Fangskin.
To Reach to Claw Viper Temple:
To receive the quest, you’ll need to take the waypoint back to Far Oasis. From
here find its second exit, this will lead you to the Lost City. As soon as you
enter the new area, a strange darkness will befall the whole place. Clicking on
you’re your quest log will reveal that the Tainted Sun quest is now available.
Cast a town and portal back to Lut Golein.
After talking to Drognan, you’ll be given the task of destroying the Claw Viper
Temple. Go back to the Lost City and start to explore it, there’ll be a waypoint
somewhere around the area. The place is again split into an upper and a lower
level, so go take the ramp up one the lower level is fully explored.
The Lost City is Populated by Night Slingers (Spear Cats who Throw Poison
Potions), Night Tigers (Powerful Saber Cats), Marauders (Tougher Sand Raiders),
Tome Raider (Tougher Leapers) and Disease Carriers (Power Decayed). Due to the
Night Slingers, you’ll be poisoned excessively here. However if you keep
running,
most of them will miss you. Always eliminate the Night Slingers first, as their
poison has a capacity to do serious damage.
During your explorations, you’ll probably find an entrance to a non-quest
dungeon, “Ancient Tunnels”. Clear it if you wish, as there’s the usual prospect
of some magical items. Once done, keep searching the upper levels till you find
a
passageway leading you to the Valley of Snakes.
The Valley of Snakes is an extremely small area, featuring a large entrance to
the Claw Viper Temple and a Flame Cannon that guards it. The Flame Cannon here’s
quite tough, it has the ability to shoot three deadly balls of fire at once. The
best way to kill it is by using missiles, and to sidestep whenever it shoots. If
done correctly, you can kill the cannon with 0 damage. Alternatively, you may
just run past the cannon to enter the temple.
Navigating the Claw Viper Temple:
The Claw Viper Temple hosts mostly Snake Demons. There are two variations, gray
Claw Vipers and crimson Salamanders. Don’t be fooled by their apparently slow
speeds, as they can charge at you from a fair distance, both stunning and
knocking you back. Due to this, low-ranged missiles are quite ineffective, and
hence either use melee or attacks which have a long range. Salamanders are the
tougher of the two, and resists fire, therefore Lightning, Cold and physical
attacks are your best bet.
There may also be Guardians (Tougher Hollow Ones) and their undead kin (Bone
Warriors, Bone Magi, Disease Carriers), in this case use cold spells or weapons
to shatter their minions is the best solution. You can use the same tactics
against them as you did when fighting Radament (See here).
The Temple is split into two levels, the first is of considerable size while the
second contains a single room. As always, it’s best for you to lead out the
monsters rather than the monsters leading you in. It is suggested that you
explore the first level thoroughly before venturing into the second as it
contains a few shrines, which you’ll find quite helpful. If there is a lightning
resistance shrine, you’ve struck gold. Save it till you are about to venture
onto
the second level.
Once you’re ready to venture down, summon a Portal and refill your belt. The
boss
you are going to fight is lightning enchanted, and hence any form of lightning
resistance will help greatly. Once preparations are made, descend down the
steps.
Destroying the Temple:
A Dozen Claw Vipers and Salamanders will rush to attack you as soon as you’re on
level 2. However it’s their lead viper, Fangskin, that’ll prove to be the
problem. While not exceptionally tough, the boss is lightning enchanted and will
unleash a multitude of Charged Bolts if attacked. These do significant damage,
and can even kill a warrior within a minute or so.
Your best chance here is to avoid fighting Fangskin and focus on his minions.
Fangskin himself doesn’t deal nearly as much damage with his claws as he would
with his lightning. Once all the minions are dead, run towards the temple
(forwards) and kill more Vipers and perhaps a Guardian that’s stationed there.
Now face Fangskin alone. Mages and the Amazon should stay back from him and
launch far range spells or missiles, this way his charged bolts will scatter
before they reach you.
Throughout the siege, the staircase back to level 1 offers a quick retreat. Use
it whenever your mana or health is down, it’s much safer to drink potions
without
the company of the snakes. Once your foes are all dead, click on the center of
the temple. The headpiece for your Horadric Staff will be revealed, and the
temple itself sent to oblivion. Quest completed.
Arcane Sanctuary:
Recommended Level: 17-20
Quest Given By: Jerhyn
Location: Arcane Sanctuary
Difficulty: Hard
Reward: None, Essential Quest
Objectives: Find Horazon’s Journal
Introduction:
The Arcane Sanctuary is one of the toughest dungeons in Act II, featuring a
nasty
network of narrow catwalks suspended in the middle of space. It’s mix tough
monsters and confusing portals form a deadly concoction that can fell the
unprepared adventurer. Completing the quest actually fulfills two, as The
Summoner, a boss you’ll need to kill for quest five, guards Horizon’s Journal.
Many of the monsters you fight here will attack with fire, and hence any auras
or
items that protect you against such a elemental will be most helpful. By now,
there’s no longer need to hire mercenaries, they’ll die far too fast.
The Harems:
When you proceed down the spiral staircase from the ground level of the palace,
you’ll be in the Harems. The first level is small, full of cushions and other
luxuries, but no monsters. Take either the staircase on the left or right and
you’ll be in level 2. From here you’ll see pools of blood, impaled corpses and
lots of other gruesome things. The monsters are near.
Hulking Blunderbores, Dune Beasts, Invaders (tougher Marauders) and a variety of
Horrors populate the level 2 Harem. Blunderbores can deal and take significant
damage, and hence it’s best to deal to them via missiles. The Horror Magi and
the
Horror Archers fire deadly lightning, it is best to kill them first. You’ll find
a staircase on one of the corners of the level, take it and you’ll be in the
Palace Cellars.
The Cellars:
The Palace Cellars hosts the same monsters, but you’ll find that the Horror magi
and Archers now frequently shoot at you from behind the protection of bars.
Horrors resist lightning in general and hence you should avoid the use of
lightning spells. They’re however quit weak against physical as well as fire or
ice strikes. The first level here will contain a waypoint, get it before
proceeding downwards.
There are three levels of cellars, and the staircase downwards is usually found
on the corners. As long as you avoid fighting a dozen archers behind bars or
rushing headlong into a room, they should give you no problems. Explore each
level fully before proceeding to the next, you’ll need all the experience you
get. You’ll also find a waypoint
The Portal to Arcane Sanctuary lies in the center of the level 3 cellars. Once
you reach the room, a dozen Invaders and Blunderbores lead by ‘Fire Eye’ will
face you. All of them including their hero are melee attacks, so the best way is
to fight them at the doorway. This way only a few can attack you at once. None
of
them are too tough, and you can break through easy. Click on the portal at the
center of the room to activate it, and teleport yourself into the Arcane
Sanctuary.
Navigating the Arcane Sanctuary:
Now the hard part begins, the Arcane Sanctuary is a series of narrow walkways
suspended in the void. You’ll see a waypoint directly below the portal, activate
it before doing anything else. There are four routs from the Waypoint, each
leads
toward a corner of the Sanctuary. Horizon’s Journal lies at the end of one of
these passages, while the other three leads to 3 glowing and gold (all well
guarded of course).
Three of these walkways are nearly identical, while the fourth hosts a series of
teleportation portals. The journal’s location is randomly generated, and could
be
at the end of any of the four walkways. Due to the nature of each walkway, I
suggest you explore the three passages that lacks portals before exploring the
fourth (Basically retreat and try another if you see a Red Portal).
The Walkways without Portals:
As you explore any of these walkways, they’ll branch out in different
directions.
Always choose the one that leads as far away from the waypoint as possible,
choosing another will simply lengthen the time required to reach your
destination. The Place is guarded by Hell Clans (Tougher Blood Clans), Ghoul
Lords (Tougher Banished) and Specters (Tougher Wraiths). Each of the three
monsters are dangerous, so beware.
If your are Warrior, you won’t have to worry about the Specters. The Blood Clans
are tough fighters, but due to the nature of the walkways, only 2 or 3 can fight
you at a time. The Ghoul Lords, however are another matter. These deadly mages
can cast powerful forms of Fireball and Firewall, the latter making it hard for
you to stay in one spot. They’ll often be attacking from secondary platforms,
and
hence a missile weapon is extremely helpful. Retreat if ever outnumbered, so
that
the monsters leave their platforms and follow you onto the narrow walkways, this
way you can kill them one at a time. Always engage the Ghouls Lords first if you
possibly can.
Mages have a tougher time, as the Ghoul Lords are partially resistant to all
elemental magic. It’s probably best to curse them with cold or Iron Maiden and
engaging them by physical combat, as they are quite weak against physical
attacks. Long Range spells such as Bone Spear and Lightning Bolt are
particularly
useful against Hell Clans, for the same reasons as the Maggot Lair (see here).
Also avoid using fire spells, as both Ghoul Lords and Hell clans are highly
resistant.
In this fashion, explore each walkway till you reach the end platform. You can
recognize it from the fact it has three glowing chests and a symbol that looks
much like a waypoint imprinted in its center. These platforms will be guarded by
Lightning Towers, which are tough, but have a slow attack rate. Always engage
the
tower in melee, as their melee attack does significantly less than their
missiles. After collecting the items, return to the center waypoint to explore
another walkway.
In ever while exploring one of the walkways, you hear evil laughter, you’ve
found
The Summoner and the Horizons Journal. To find out how to fight the boss, scroll
down to the heading ‘The Summoner.’ If all three walkways end in platforms like
the one mentioned above, you’ll need to explore the fourth, the one with many
portal.
The Walkway with Portals:
This is the most difficult of the four walkways, filled with a network of
confusing Portals that teleport you from one place to another. Missile weapons
are essential, as Ghoul Lords will burn you with Firewalls and Fireballs while
you decided which portal to take to reach their platform. Bone Magi, Bone Spear,
Arrows or Glacial Spikes are your best bets.
Before teleporting through a portal with an unknown exit, make sure to kill all
the monsters on your screen, especially if you’re a mage. You might end up on a
platform surrounded by Hell Clan, and be taken down in Seconds. Bone or Shiver
armor are exceptionally useful in remedying the situation.
The Portals however has one advantage, and that is dodging enemy spells. When
having a ranged duel with the Ghoul Lords, stand next to a portal. This way you
can beam away if they ever cast Firewall or Fireball at you. It’s a great way to
dodge enemy fire. Once the Ghoul Lords are dead, you can take out the Fire Clans
on the platform with ease, as they have no missile retaliation. In this fashion,
explore the last walkway. If the three other are already explored, Horizons
Journal will be located at the end of this one. As before, stop as soon as you
hear an evil laugh.
Killing the Summoner:
When you hear the evil laugh, the quest icon will appear signaling that ‘The
Summoner’ quest is now available for you to complete. Take a portal to town and
feel free to inquire about who he ism; Drognan will yield the most information.
Buy plenty of healing potions and portal back to face the boss. Launch a portal
here in case you die.
The Summoner has extremely long range, and will attack you with a barrage of
Fire
Walls, Fireballs and Glacial Spikes if you proceed any further. Run in and run
out to lead his minions away, and face them when you are out of the Summoner’s
range. These are just hell, and are easily vanquished.
The Summoner is located at a ramp far above you, and you’ll need to take the
staircase to reach him. His spells deal horrendous damage, and you’ll find 100
hit points go down in a flash when standing on his walls of fire. However he has
very little hitpoints (About 100), and will die almost instantly once you reach
him.
The best way here is to simply charge, even if you’re a mage. His missiles and
firewalls will miss you as long as you keep moving. Blaze through the walkway,
up
the stair and onto his platform. Drink a healing potion if he hits you with
anything and attack. He’ll die after a few hits… In this case, do not hesitate
or
be cautious, it’ll only get you killed.
You’ll find Horizons Journal on a stand in the same Platform. Reading it will
reveal the truth of Tal Rasha’s Tomb. A Portal is Launched, enter and you’ll
find
yourself in The Canyon of the Magi. Get the Waypoint before returning to down.
Only one more quest and Act II is complete.
The Seven Tombs:
Recommended Level: 18-22
Quest Given By: Jerhyn
Location: Tal Rasha’s Tomb
Difficulty: Hard
Reward: Allows Act III
Main Objectives: Kill Duriel
Introduction:
The Seven Tombs is the final quest for Act II. While the monsters or dungeons
are
not exceptionally hard, the boss you’ll fight is deadly. Throughout the quest,
you’ll meet with various creatures that deal Poison or Fire damage, so it’s a
good idea to have plenty of Antidote Potions and a high Fire Resistance. Once
you’re ready, proceed to Canyon of the Magi to begin the quest.
Locating Tal Rasha’s Tomb:
The Canyon of the Magi is a fairly large area featuring two types of enemies,
Devourers and Hell Slingers. The former will spit poison and lay eggs, while the
latter are fast and can deal significant damage. When engaging hell slingers,
attempt to destroy them as quickly as possible. Meanwhile, Devourers can be
combated with either long range attacks or close melee combat. Don’t hang around
at mid range, as their poison is a nuisance.
Explore the Canyon by following its edge, the Tomb of Tal Rasha will be located
somewhere on a cliff side. There are seven near identical entrances, and each
will display ‘Tal Rasha’s Tomb’ when it’s highlighted. However, only one of them
is the true tomb, while the others will contain a bunch of monsters and a
glowing
chest.
To find the true tomb, open your quest log and highlight ‘The Seven Tombs’
quest.
It will display the true symbol of Tal Rasha’s Tomb there. Find the entrance,
which has a matching, symbol to the one in your quest log, it’ll be the real
one.
However if you are not yet level 20, it is highly suggested that you explore
some
of the fake tombs for experience. They are all single level dungeons that give
some decent stuff. Once you’re ready, enter the true tomb.
Tal Rasha’s Tomb:
Tal Rasha’s tomb is much like ‘Halls of the Dead,’ except it now features
powerful versions of the original monsters; Burning Dead, Unravelers (Powerful
Hollow Ones), Preserved Corpses (Tougher Decayed Corpses) and Ghoul Lords, Gore
Bellies, and some cases, Specters and Steel Beetles (tougher Death beetles).
You will have met variations of most of these monsters before, so use the same
tactics against them as you did before. Cold works well against Unravelers,
Burning Dead and Preserved Corpses, shattering them so there are no corpses to
raise. Lightning and Physical damage is best against Ghoul Lords, while mages
should stay well away from Specters. Everyone should give Steel Beetles a wide
birth, and Gore Bellies are best dealt with by range.
There is one unique monster here, Ancient Kai the Soulless. He’s lightning
Enchanted, magic resistant and extra strong do beware. The best way to take the
guy down is by firing cold attacks from firing or Brute Physical force. Once
should of course eliminate his minions first.
Although Tal Rasha’s tomb contains only a single level, the level itself is
quite
large. You’ll often find Gore Bellies and Specters waiting directly behind a
door, so it’s best not to open one unless you have some life to spare. Watch out
for traps, and use area of effect skills whenever possible. Hack your way
throughout the tomb till you find a circular rune formation that resembles the
waypoint for Canyon of the Magi.
This is the place where you’ll need to say goodbye to the Horadric Staff. Click
on the ruins and drag The Horadric Staff onto the required slot and click OK.
After being treated to some interesting visuals, the door in front you will
crack
open, revealing a passageway to the true tomb of Tal Rasha. Be careful, and do
not enter till you’re ready. There is no going back.
Fighting Duriel:
Duriel, the Prince of Pain, waits upon the other side. He’s another minor evil,
but much more powerful than Andariel. Before you enter, buy plenty of health
potions to fill up your belt, you’ll need it. When you’re finally ready, launch
a
second portal incase you die (and you’ll almost certainly die once).
As soon as you descend down the crack in the wall, Duriel will be upon you.
There’s no retreating from this fight, since there’s no way back. Duriel is a
massive beast, able to deal rapid blows simultaneously with his two huge claws.
You’ll find that he can take down about 100 hitpoints in a second. He is also
quite resistant to all elemental attacks, and can deal a nasty chill attack
that’ll slow you down.
Due to the fact that you’ll be blue while combating Duriel, and that he’ll be
frozen for only about a second by a cold attack, hit and run tactics will not
work on him. It’s a pity, since Duriel has no missile weapons. Mercenaries may
help slightly here in distracting him so you can gather your wits, but they’ll
die in about 2 seconds. Make sure you always have a portal at the entrance of
his
lair, so that you can return with ease if you die. We’ll cover more on killing
the boss in our character tips.
Once Duriel is dead (make sure to get the items he drops first), you’ll be able
to walk through to door to the top left. Here you’ll learn the truth of what has
transpired and be given a portal back to Lut Gholein. Talk to Jerhyn and the
Massif, and you’re on your way to Act III.
The Golden Bird:
Recommended Level: 19-23
Quest Given By: A Jade Figurine
Location: Spider Forest
Difficulty: Easy
Reward: +20 to Max Life
Main Objectives: Kill Any Unique Monster
Introduction:
The Golden Bird is a short and easy quest, designed to get players adjusted to
the new set of NPCs. It involves just one area, and a minimal amount of combat.
Players are not given the quest, but rather it’ll pop up once you have the Jade
Figurine in your possession. With the new act, Mercenary mages are extremely
helpful. Their elemental attacks deal serious damage, and are definitely worth
the cost! Necromancers should avoid hiring cold mages though, since they’ll be
left with no corpses to raise.
To Find the Figurine:
The Jade Figurine is located somewhere within Spider Forest, in the possession
of
a ransom unique monster. In fact, the first Unique Monster you kill in Spider
Forest will drop the Figuring.
After exploring the town of Kurast, venture out into the wilderness. The Spider
Forest involves a confusing network of bridges, streams and trees. The most
common monsters here are Bramble Hulks, Thorned Hulks, the Fetish and Jungle
Hunters (Tougher Dune Hunters). You may also meet a few Glaoms (Tougher Wraith)
and Suckers.
Perhaps the most deadly of the above monsters are the Fetish, who can deal
surprising amounts of damage despite their size. Normal Fetish move at lightning
speeds, jabbing you with knives twice their size and shooting darts through
blowguns. The Shamans will attack with a high level Inferno, so avoid going near
them. Always kill the Shamans first, and then engage any Fetish that gets near
you. Area of effect spells are the most effective way to kill these guys, as
they
have a tendency to dodge targeted spells.
Treat the Thorned Hulks as the Gore Bellies you fought in act II, it’s
preferable
to deal with them using ranged attacks. The Jungle Hunters are no problem, while
Suckers should be killed as soon as possible.
In this fashion, explore the Spider Jungle. You will come across a hero monster
that sooner or later (yes any hero monster, the first one you fight). When he
dies, you’ll ‘quest tab’ will pop-up. Use the alt key and locate the Figurine
and
pick up. Now that you got what you want, return to town. You should only need to
explore around a quarter of Spider Forest.
Finishing the Quest:
Once you arrive in town, talk to Cain, he’ll tell you Meshif collects such
Figurines. Have a talk with Meshif at the docks, he’ll trade a Golden Bird for
the Jade Figurine. Now go talk to Cain again, and he’ll tell you to take the
Golden Bird to Alkor the alchemist.
Now go talk to Alkor, he’s located at the top of the town, The alchemist will be
overjoyed. Talk to him a second time and he’ll produce a unique potion on the
spot. The potion will grant you a permanent increase of 20 life, so drink it.
Quest completed.
Eye of Khalim:
Recommended Level: 20-23
Quest Given By: Cain
Location: Spider Forest
Difficulty: Normal
Reward: None
Main Objectives: Find Khalim’s Eye
Introduction:
’Khalim’s Will,’ while being the third quest of Act III, should actually be
attempted before the second quest. It spans nearly the whole of Act III much
like
the quest, ‘Horadric Staff,’ in Act II and hence will intertwine with a number
of
other missions. This short walkthrough will guide you to Khalim’s Eye.
Once you’ve completed the Golden Bird, return to Cain to get the quest. Once
again mercenaries will be helpful, as will poison resistance and antidote
potions.
To Find The Spider Cavern:
The Spider Cavern is located somewhere with Spider Forest, the first area of Act
III. Simply explore the area by moving upstream. There will be openings in the
thick jungle on either side, make sure to explore each of them. One of these
openings will contain the Waypoint to Spider Forest as well as non quest
dungeon, ‘Arachnid’s Lair.” The other will contain the entrance to ‘Spider
Cavern.’ The monsters here are exactly the same as those in the previous
mission,
so refer to it for killing the monsters.
Feel free to explore ‘Arachnid’s Lair’ if you wish, its a one level dungeon that
looks like and hosts the exact same monsters as Spider Cavern, allowing you to
prepare yourself and get experience. Keep moving upstream, and you’ll find
another break in the Jungle; this will lead you to the Spider Cavern.
Exploring the Spider Cavern:
The Spider Cavern hosts a two types of Giant Spiders inside, Flame Spiders and
Poison Spinners. Both are quite fast, and will engage you in an instant. Flame
Spiders are resistant to fire while Poison Spiders attack with poison (non too
serious though). They are fairly strong in combat, so it’s a good idea for mages
to avoid being surrounded. Fighters, however, will have no problem.
The Cavern itself is a one level dungeon of moderate size. Khalim’s eye will be
located in the ‘glowing chest’ of this dungeon. A dozen spiders and a unique
flame spider, ‘Sszark the Burning’, guards it.
‘Sszark the Burning’ resists fire, is extra strong and cursed. The best way to
tackle such a beast is with lightning or cold fired from afar. He’ll take a
decent number of hits, but shouldn’t prove to be a huge problem. It’s best to
lead out his minions first, so that you can deal with the boss alone.
Once Sszark is dead, go back town and Talk to Cain. The sage will be overjoyed
at
your new prize, but you still have three more things to find. Now your ready to
start Quest II.
Blade of the Old Religion:
Recommended Level: 20-24
Quest Given By: Hratli
Location: Flayer Jungle
Difficulty: Moderately Hard
Reward: Rare Ring, Free Mercenary
Main Objectives: Find and Retrieve the Gidbinn
Introduction:
’Blade of the Old Religion,’ is a quest of mediocre length. The whole of it is
set outdside, and hence you’ll be doing a lot of running and exploring. The
monsters you will fight can deal a large amount of fire damage, so fire
resistance will be helpful.
Once you have found the Eye of Khalim, talk to Hratli the Blacksmith. He’ll tell
you about the Gidbinn, which needs to be retrieved. Once your ready, return to
Spider Forest.
Locating Flayer Jungle:
A Necromancer sends a Bone Spear at a deadly foe.
While the Flayer jungle looks to be the third area on your waypoint list, it is
actually directly connected to Spider Forest. Explore upstream from Spider
Forest
and you’ll find a fork in the stream. One of the forks will lead to Flayer
Jungle
while the other goes to Great Marsh. Retreat if you enter Great Marsh, and
venture into Flayer Forest.
You will find the areas of Act III to be much less defined than those of the two
previous acts. The areas are no longer roughly square, and there is no narrow
passageway between one area and another. This makes navigation confusing, and
hence the auto-map is essential.
Exploring Flayer Jungle:
Flayer Jungle is very similar in layout to Great Marsh. You again walk along the
stream, and beside thick jungles. The Waypoint here is again located in side
passageway, so keep an eye out for openings in the jungle on either side
(basically make sure you explore both sides of a stream). You’ll also find an
entrance to a non-quest dungeon named ‘swamp pit,’ feel free to explore it for
extra experience.
While this place hosts many of the monsters in Spider Forest, you’ll find that
Flayers and Soul Killers now replace the Fetish. These tougher counterparts are
truly dangerous, and possess inhuman speed. Especially beware of the Shamans,
who’s Inferno can deal around 100 damage in 2 seconds. Never go near them unless
you can kill them outright. Hero variations of the shamans must be treated with
extreme caution. When fighting them, it’s a good idea to switch to a missile
weapon even if you are a warrior. You’ll also find Winged Nightmares and Slime
Princes, but they shouldn’t be a problem.
Continue your way upstream, as you look for more opening in the jungle. These
are
not too hard to find, and will always have two large stone columns at their
entrance. One of these openings will lead you to your destination, the Gidbinn.
Keep an eye out on the auto map, the weapon’s location is actually marked on it.
If it’s the correct opening, you’ll find a bunch of thatched huts after a little
walk. Here’s the entrance to the Flayer Dungeon, which you’ll need to visit for
Khalim’s Brain in the next mission, so note where it is for future reference.
A little more exploring around here and you’ll find an unlit bonfire that upon
being highlighted, will say, “The Gidbinn.” Prepare yourself for a fight and
light the fire. You’ll be faced with a Dozen Ratmen and a Unique Monster, ‘Haze
Growler the Hungry.’ The hero is surprisingly weak, and you can dispatch them
without any problems. Once ‘Haze Growler’ is dead, the Gidbinn will appear
Completing the Quest:
Take the Gidbinn and launch a Portal back to Town. Talk to Ormis, he’ll be
extremely happy and tell you to find Asheara. She’ll let you hire a mercenary
free of charge and direct you back to Ormis. Talk to Ormis again to receive a
randomly generated rare ring.
Brain of Khalim:
Recommended Level: 21-25
Quest Given By: Cain
Location: Flayer Dungeon
Difficulty: Moderately Hard
Reward: None
Main Objectives: Retrieve Khalim’s Brain
Introduction:
The Brain of Khalim is the second part of the quest ‘Khalim’s Will.” Located in
the Flayer dungeon, it is difficult, but shouldn’t take too long to complete.
Fire and Poison resistance are helpful in the completion of this quest.
You should have found the entrance to the Flayer Dungeon in our previous mission
guide. If not, search around where the Gidbinn was; it will be located somewhere
in close proximity.
Navigating the Flayer Dungeon:
As you would expect from its name, the Flayer dungeon contains mostly Flayers.
There’s also one new type of Flayer, the Undead Flayer. These tiny skeletons are
fast and deadly, as well as being a little tougher than their living
counterparts. You’ll be thankful that all undead Flayers attack with melee
weapons and there are no undead shamans. Despite this, treat Undead Flayers with
outmost caution, and never get yourself surrounded.
Other monsters you might face in the dungeon include Soul Killers, Gloom Bats
and
Water Watchers. Water Watchers are giant serpents that live in stagnant pools
within the dungeon. When you venture near, they’ll rear up from the water and
send bolts of poison flying your way. These guys are tough, but their poison
won’t do much if you have antidote potions around. Lightning Damage works the
best against the serpents. Gloom Bats are weak, and won’t be a problem.
The biggest threat however, is still the Flayers. It is foolish to rush into a
room filled with them. Instead lead them into confined passageways, so you can
deal with each on it’s own. The Shamans pose the most threat, shoot them down on
sight.
In this fashion slowly make your way through each level. The Flayer dungeon
consists of three separate levels of moderate size. The glowing chest that holds
Khalim’s brain is located somewhere on the third level. It is guarded by a horde
of Flayers as well as a leading hero, Witch Doctor Endugu.
Securing the Brain:
’Witch Doctor Endugu’ is deadly, and his Shamans minions only make things
harder.
The best idea here is to use a range weapon to lead them outside then retreat.
You should be able to single them out through the twisting passageways so each
can be dealt with alone. The Witch Doctor himself is Magic Resistant and fire
Enchanted, making him also invulnerable to fire and 75% resistant to all other
elemental attacks.
When you fight the Witch Doctor, take care. Mages will find certain death if
they
venture into the range of his Inferno. Instead stand back to launch spells or
use
minions. While this may take a while to kill him, it’s certainly better than
dying. Warriors should generally use missile weapons, but some classes have
other
options (see below).
Once the Witch Doctor is dead, you won’t have many problems clearing the rest of
dungeon. The glowing chest will contain various magic items along with Khalim’s
Brain. Launch a portal to town and talk to Cain. Half of Quest 3 is now
complete.
Lam Esen’s Tome:
Recommended Level: 21-25
Quest Given By: Cain
Location: Kurast Bazaar
Difficulty: Moderately Hard
Reward: +5 Attribute Points, Lower Prices
Main Objectives: Retrieve Lam Esen’s Tomb
Introduction:
This walkthrough is set on the basis that you have already retrieved the Brain
of
Khalim, and have found the waypoint in the Flayer Jungle. Resistance to any
elemental attack here will be conductive to long life… If your are level 23 or
lower, it is suggested that you first go back to Spider Forest and explore Great
Marsh before you embark on this quest. While Great Marsh doesn’t lead anywhere,
it offers two glowing chests of magical items and whole heap of experience.
To Reach the Kurast:
Once you’re ready, go back to Flayer Jungle and explore upstream. You’ll still
be
facing the Flayers and Soul Killers as before, so use the same tactics to kill
them as with the previous walkthrough. The area is large, but you will
eventually
reach Lower Kurast.
Thrashers, deadly variations of the Thorned Hulk, guard the Gate of Kurast.
Leading the team is Stormtree, who’s not only tough, but also lightning
enchanted
and slightly faster than his brethren. Retreat slightly so that Stormtree, being
faster, gets separated from his minions so you can tackle him alone. It’s best
to
use, but if that’s not possible, retreat to a narrow bridge so that you can
fight
them one at a time. Once they’re defeated, you can proceed to lower Kurast.
Navigating Kurast:
The city of Kurast is exceptionally large, split into three separate areas,
lower
Kurast, Kurast Bazaar and Upper Kurast. Once you’re in lower Kurast, be sure to
search the whole place, many of the abandoned cottages will have chests that
hold
magic items. In addition, you’ll be able to find a waypoint somewhere in this
part of the city.
You’ll be glad to know that you’re no longer fighting Flayers, instead Tree
Lurkers (Tougher Sand Leapers), Faithful, Doom Apes (Tougher Jungle Hunters,
Hell
Buzzards (Powerful Vulture Demons) and Zakarumites populate the place. The
Faithful and Zakarumites are both melee warriors of melee speed and will prove
no
problem. Hell Buzzards, Doom Apes and Tree Lurkers can be killed like their
counterparts. Simply make sure you have plenty of running space and not get
stuck
in rooms and you’ll have no problems.
Once the place is explored, proceed to Kurast Bazaar. Now launch a portal back
to
town to talk to Alkor. Once you’ve activated the quest, return to Kurast Bazaar
to finish it.
You’ll be fighting more Faithful, Zakarumites and Thrashers as well as the
possibility of Hell Swarms (Tougher Black Locusts). Use previous methods for
defeating them as you search for the waypoint to the Bazaar. Ignore the
entrances
to the sewer if you find it, the quest should be done later.
Retrieving the Tomb:
While the Tomb you need is said to be in one of the temples at Kurast Bazaar, it
is always located in The Ruined Temple. You’ll be able to find its entrance in
one of the large stone structures in Bazaar. Finding the right structure is
easy,
it’s the one guarded by tons of monsters and a bunch of deadly mages, the
Sextons.
The Sextons have three spells at their disposal, Blizzard, Lightning Bolt and
Teleportation. Guarding the Ruined Temple will be a dozen of these guys with
either a few champions or one hero sextant. Fighters should seek to engage in
melee combat as soon as possible, while mages may choose to attack from range.
Whatever the case, be sure to side-step whenever you hear the sound of
lightning,
this will allow you dodge most of their missiles. Details on defeating these
guys
are in our character tips.
Once the Sextons are dead, proceed into the Ruined Temple. The Ruined Temple is
a
very small dungeon populated by tough monsters, Wailing Beasts (Tougher
Gargantuan Beasts), Flesh Hunters (Tougher Corrupted Rogues) and Night Lords
(Tougher Ghoul Lords). The hero here is ‘Battle Maid Sarina’.
While Sarina and her minions are tough, you’ll have no problem as long as you
don’t charge into the chamber. Instead lead them out to the doorway, where you
can face them one on one. Watch for the Night Lords, these guys can cast Meteor,
dealing heavy damage. However it takes a while for the spell to land, so as soon
as you see a fiery flicker underneath you, move!
Once all the monsters are dead, take Lam Esen’s tomb. Cast a portal and talk
Alkor. Not only will he get all the merchants to sale their staff to you at a
cheaper price, but you’ll also get 5 free attributes points to distribute.
The Heart of Khalim:
Recommended Level: 22-26
Quest Given By: Cain
Location: Upper Kurast
Difficulty: Moderate
Reward: None
Main Objectives: Retrieve Khalim’s Heart
Introduction:
The Heart of Khalim is located within the Kurast sewers, which are below both
the
Kurast Bazaar and Upper Kurast. While there are four entrances to the sewers
(two
for each area), it’s easiest to enter via Kurast Bazaar. By now you should have
explored the Bazaar and retrieved the tome for Alkor.
You’ll be fighting plenty of monsters that deal Poison damage, so stock your
belt
of antidote potions. Take the waypoint to Kurast Bazaar and search the rest of
the area if you haven’t yet found an entrance to the sewers.
Navigating the Sewers:
The Sewers consist of two levels: the first is random and quite large, and the
second is preset and very small in size. Search through the first level of the
sewers; it features a complex of narrow streams and bridges.
The monsters that inhabit the sewers include Horadrim Ancients (tougher
Unravelers), Horrors, Gloombats, Undead Flayers and Stygian Watchers (tougher
Water Watchers). The horrors are simple, and often can’t reach you due to
streams
in the way. The Horadrim Ancients are barely tougher than the Unravelers in Act
2, and will be no match for your increased skills. Gloombats are fast, but have
little hit points while Undead Flayers can be killed the same way as their
living
counterparts.
The Stygian watchers are the most dangerous monsters here, they are quite tough
and can launch deadly poison at range. However these serpents are particularly
vulnerable to lightning, so any lightning-based attack is much preferred.
The entrance to Level 2 is guarded by a unique Gloombat, Icehawk Riftwing. He’s
cold enchanted and can teleport, providing extra resistance to cold spells and a
cold attack. Use area of effect skills to kill his minions. Icehawk himself is
fairly weak and will prove to be no problem for fighters. Mages should weaken
him
with spells before engagement. Once he’s dead, activate the sewer lever. The
entrance to level 2 will appear.
Taking of the Heart:
Level 2 of the sewers is small, a typical and most common layout is shown on the
right. Dried Corpses, Undead Flayers and Stygian Watchers guard the chest. Take
care not to get too near to the pool, so that you can lead out all the monsters
beside the pool. Destroy as many as them as possible first before venturing
further. This will save you from dodging all the Poison Bolts that those giant
serpents will launch at you.
Once you’re halfway around the pool, all the serpents will emerge. Antidote
potions here are extremely helpful. The best things against these serpents are
lightning-based spells or attacks, although any other missile attack will be
helpful. Once they are disposed of, proceed to the glowing chest. Inside is
Khalim’s Heart.
When exiting the sewers, you can easily take the original route or a different
exit. Take care though, as two of them will lead you to Upper Kurast, and you’ll
need to find its waypoint if you wish to save your progress. Talk to Cain to
complete the quest. Now there’s just one item left to collect: the flail.
The Blackened Temple:
Recommended Level: 22-26
Quest Given By: Ormis
Location: Travincal
Difficulty: Moderately Hard
Reward: None
Main Objectives: Kill All the Council Members
Introduction:
Killing the council members here actually completes two quests, ‘The Blackened
Temple’ and ‘Khalim’s Will.’ Finally it allows you to gain entry to the Durance
of Hate, which completes the first part of Quest 6.
This quest is dangerous due to the sheer amount of monsters that’ll be thrown at
you. You’ll be bombarded with Fire, Ice, Lightning and Poison, so all
resistances
will be a big help.
To Reach the Travincal:
There are two areas that you’ll need to navigate to reach Travincal, Upper
Kurast
and the Kurast Causeway. The former is populated by much the same monsters as
those is Kurast Bazaar, as well as Cantors (tougher Sextons) and (Zealots
(tougher Faithful). Kill the same way as you did before as you search through
the
area. There’s a waypoint as well as a few temples that you can explore, should
you need more experience. Once ready, proceed to the far side, here’s a passage
to Travincal.
The passage is the Kurast Causeway, a small area that features a few temple
Guards (tougher Jungle Hunters) and Heirophants (Tougher Cantors). It’s best to
kill the Heirophants first due to their ability to heal monsters. There’s
another
temple on either side for more experience. Simply proceed along the Causeway and
you’ll soon be in Travincal.
Navigating Travincal:
Travincal is a medium sized area that contains a dozen fairly large buildings.
Inside each resides Night Lords, Heirophants (Tougher Cantors) and Zealots.
Navigate the area with caution, you’ll know monsters are near is you get by any
comets our Blizzards.
It is usually best to simply charge at the mages, at least till they’re in your
viewscreen. Destroy the Zealots first if you’re a mage, the Heirophants and
Night
lords first if you’re a fighter. Keep yourself moving so that they can’t hit you
with their spells. If you have money to spare, a mercenary here is always good
for cannon fodder. Attempt to engage enemy spell casters in melee combat, even
if
you’re a mage.
Travincal houses many shrines, and it’s recommend that you make use of them.
There will usually be a Fire, Lightning or Ice Resistance shrine, they are
highly
useful, as they make one of your enemies nearly powerless.
It’s best to clear out as much monsters as you can before going to the Blackened
Temple. Explore the sides of Travincal first to find the waypoint, then proceed
towards to center of the far wall. Here lies the blackened temple, be prepared
for a fight.
Siege of Blackened Temple:
You’ll know you’re near blackened temple, it’s the largest structure around and
is surrounded by a stream. Within are around a dozen Water Watchers. The largest
threat however is the Horde on a monsters that’ll charge out from the temple.
There will be Night Lords, Heirophants and Zealot but most importantly, the
dozen
council members you are sent here to kill. Leading the council members are three
council heroes, Toorc Icefist (Cold Enchanted, Stone Skin), Geleb Flamefinger
(Extra Strong, Fire Enchanted), Ismail Vilehand (Extra Fast, Cursed). All three
are fairly strong and deadly. The other council members are no less dangerous,
and will be able to summon up to 3 hydras at once to annihilate you.
The best thing here to do is retreat! This will single the out so you don’t need
to take on everything at once. Ismail, being fast, will be singled out from the
crowd, kill him first followed by the fast Zealots before you face the rest of
the council members. Retreat from any summoned hydras and use gorilla warfare.
Both of the other two hero monsters will explode upon death, and can deal over
100 damage. If you’re a mage, make sure you are standing well away when you deal
the killing blow. Fighters should avoid engaging the council members and kill
the
supporting Heirophants first. Night Lords can be ignored, their comets are far
too easy to dodge.
One of the Council Members you kill will drop Khalim’s Flail, pick it up and
portal to town as soon as you see it. Talk to Cain and then merge it with other
artifacts of Khalim. The resulting flail is quite powerful, use it for the
duration of this battle if you wish.
Completing the Quest:
Once all the council members are dead, return to the Blackened temple and finish
off the rest of the monsters. Proceed inside and you’ll see the Compelling Glob.
Arm yourself with Khalim’s Will and destroy it. The entrance to the ‘Durance of
Hate will Appear.’ Go back to town and talk to Cain, both Quest 3 and Quest 5
are
now complete.
The Guardian:
Recommended Level: 22-27
Quest Given By: Ormis
Location: Durance of Hate
Difficulty: Moderately Hard
Reward: Allows Act IV
Main Objectives: Find and Kill Mephisto.
Introduction:
The last quest of Act IV is rather difficult, mainly due to the monsters rather
than the final boss. While Mephisto still poses significant threat, it is his
servants that you’ll need to beware of the most. Mephisto himself is tough, but
the poor AI allows you to destroy him with ease.
In order to kill Mephisto, a missile weapon is almost essential. If you’re not a
mage, it is suggested that you keep a lookout for a decent bow, just for this
quest. The walkthrough starts on the basis that the Compelling Orb is destroyed,
and that you have found the entrance to the Durance of Hate.
Navigating the Upper Levels:
The Durance of Hate consists of three levels, with Mephisto located on the
third.
Each level is of mediocre size, but may be slightly twisted and hence a little
more time consuming to navigate than other dungeons of the same size.
The upper levels (levels 1 and 2) host of Dark Lords, Undead Stygian Dolls
(Tough
Undead Flayers), Warped Ones (Tough Fallen), Cadavers (Tougher Plague Carriers)
and perhaps Wailing Beasts (Tougher Gargantuan Beasts). There are few monsters
in
the first level, but more in the second.
Attack each species as you would in previous quests. Keep moving to dodge
Firewall and Comets, engage Dark Lords first and avoid being surrounded by
Stygian Dolls or walking over a newly dead Cadaver. None of the monsters will
pose a big problem and you’ll find your war to level 2 in no time.
Here, search for a waypoint before proceeding to level 3. When you find the
staircase down, it is recommended that you summon a portal. The monsters below
are extremely tough, and there’s a chance that you could die.
Mephisto’s Minions:
Killing the monsters guarding Mephisto are perhaps the toughest aspect of the
quest, you’ll be faced with a Dozen Blood Lords (Tougher Night Lords) the moment
you enter Level 3. These guys are deadly, and extremely resistant to cold.
Engage
each lords separately and kill it before moving onto the next. You may need to
retreat back to level 2 several times before you can kill them all.
Once all the Blood Lords are dead, proceed to the top left. The doorway here
will
lead into a large chamber, which hosts the Hell Portal, your gateway to Act IV.
A
dozen Council led by three unique monsters guard the portal, they are fast and
deadly.
You’ll be facing three heroes at once, Bremm Sharkfist (Aura Enchanted,
Lightning
Enchanted), Maffer Dragonhand (Extra Strong, Extra Fast) and Wyand Voidfinger
(Mana Burn, Teleportation).
There’s very little chance of being able to take them all out at once, so your
best option is to retreat. Make sure you aren’t forwards toward the portal
(unless you have teleportation), or you’ll find yourself with nowhere to go.
Instead run back the Blood Lord Chamber in an effort to isolate Dragonhand. Kill
him first before you engage the rest. Leave Sharkfist till last, he only gets
dangerous when you hit him.
Summoned hydras will pose a big problem here, and it’s best to retreat if a
Council Member ever summons one. Your goal here is to separate them as much as
possible and to kill each one when he’s on his own.
Once all the Council members are dead, proceed cautiously through the doorway on
the left-hand side. Follow the chamber upwards as you skirt around the lake of
fire. Be prepared, Mephisto is just around the corner.
To Kill Mephisto:
Proceed into the chamber very slowly, you want to lead out just Mephisto, not
the
Blood Lords that reside in his treasury. As soon as you hear his chilling voice,
flee back to chamber . As long as you are fast enough, Mephisto’s poor AI will
cause him to get stuck at point X (see Minimap). He’ll be pacing back and forth,
unable to reach you.
Now retreat as far away from Mephisto as possible, until you can just see him on
the corner of your screen. Arm yourself with either a bow or long ranges spells
and attack him till he dies. Due to Ai Problems, Mephisto won’t cast any spells
as long as you don’t venture near him. It may take a while to kill him,
especially if the bow is not your best weapon, but it’s definitely the safest
way.
On to Act IV:
When Mephisto is dead, proceed into his chamber and go to where the treasury is
marked on our map. Dispose of the Blood Lords that guard it and open each chest,
they’ll be filled with gold and magical items. When you’re ready, step through
the portal to Act IV.
Fallen Angel:
Recommended Level: 23-28
Quest Given By: Archangel Tyriel
Location: Plain of Despair
Difficulty: Moderately Hard
Reward: 2 Extra Skill Points
Main Objectives: Find and Defeat Izual.
Introduction:
Act IV is not easy, featuring a deadly set of monsters. While it is shorter than
the other three, each of the three quests it contains will take more time. There
are only two areas with waypoint throughout the Act, and hence you’ll have to
play for a good amount of time if you want to make any progress. You may want to
leave a Town Portal when you enter a new area, so that you’ll not waste a long
time to retrieve your corpse.
Activate the first quest by talking to Tyriel. Now you’re ready for some fun.
The Outer Steppes:
Once you leave the Pandemonium, you’ll be in the Out Steppes. The area is
expansive, and has no waypoints, so keep plenty of Town Portal Scrolls. The
monsters you’ll face include Copulants, Doom Knight Fighters, Flesh Beasts, Doom
Casters, Venom Lords and Cliff Hangers (Tougher Tree Lurker). Treat the Doom
Knights and Venom Lords as regular melee warriors and deal to the Cliff Hangers
as you would to Tree Lurkers in Act 3.
If you have no Area of Effect spell handy, the Flesh Spawners will be a big
problem. Able to spawn little Flesh Beasts at an incredible rate, you can easily
overwhelm you. Meanwhile, the Copulates can spit corpses that deal great damage,
so they’re also a prime target.
Search the edge of the Outer Steppes for an exit to Plain of Despair, this may
take a while, and you’ll gain significant experience on the way. If you’re still
under level 24, it’s highly suggested that you explore the rest of the area as
well. Once you think you’re ready, take the staircase and proceed to the Plain
of
Despair.
Plain of Despair:
The Plain of Despair is equally large, and Izual is locate in a random position
within. Through your search, you’ll face more Doom Casters, Copulants, Doom
Knights and pretty much everything you’ve faced in Outer Steppes.
There may also be Burning Souls (Tougher Glooms). These horrors are extremely
dangerous, and will be visible only when they cast Lightning Bolt. Make sure
that
if you ever see one, kill it. They’re weak but can deal horrendous damage. When
they’re invisible, you can still detect their presence due to the fact that they
shed light. Keep a lookout, their invisible forms can be targeted.
In this fashion, search through the Plain of Despair. Again there is no
waypoint,
so you’ll have a long walk if you die. Explore cautiously, the last thing you
want to happen is to get surrounded.
Death of Izual:
Izual is a tough boss, surrounded by a swarm of monsters. While he walks at a
moderately slow speed, he is able to slow you down greatly with either Frost
Nova
or his Cold Attack. Make sure that you Dispose these guys before you attack
Izual.
If you have a ranged attack, it would be your best option. His Frost Nova has a
limited range, so you’ll have no problem evading him as long as you stay a fair
distance away. Do not bother much with Cold Spells or Missiles against Izual,
they are highly ineffective.
Aftermath:
Once Izual is dead, talk to his spirit. Cast a Town Portal and talk to Tyriel,
who’ll reward you with two extra skill points. Quest Completed. Before you exit
the game, it’s suggested that you proceed to the City of the Damned. There
you’ll
find a waypoint to save your progress.
This quest gives an indicator on how prepared you are to face the rest of Act
IV.
If you killed Izual without much trouble, then you’ll know that your are ready
to
proceed. However if Izual killed you half a dozen times first, gain more
experience in the Plain of Despair. The monsters you’ll face next are a lot
harder.
The Flesh Beasts are blessing rather than a curse to the Necromancer. These guys
provide ample corpses for you to explode. Use either a Blood Golem and Iron
Maiden, or a Iron Golem and Amplify Damage to clear the swarms of monsters. Kill
the Copulants first and save the Flesh Beasts till last.
When you face Izual, it’s prudent to kill his minions first. A great way to do
this is to use Attract, forcing Izual to kill his own men. The Corpses here are
great for inflicting serious damage on Izual. Once all the minions are dead,
your
Blood Golem will be able to deal to Izual himself (Iron Maiden will help).
Most of the monsters are easily destroyed with Glacial Spike. You may want to
switch to either Firewall or Nova against the Doom Knights, who are resistant to
cold. Nova’s also a great way to kill the annoying Flesh Beasts and their
spawns.
Hell's Forge:
Recommended Level: 24-28
Quest Given By: Cain
Location: River of Flame
Difficulty: Hard
Reward: Gems
Main Objectives: Destroy Mephisto's Soulstone
Introduction:
The second quest of Act IV is where danger starts to escalate, where you’ll be
faced with monsters more deadly than any you’ve faced before. The greatest
danger
here is the abyss knights, who can attack with fire, poison, cold or lightning.
All resistances will be highly helpful.
Again there will not be a second waypoint till you end the quest, and the areas
are expansive. A good supply of town portal scrolls is recommended. Due to the
reward for this quest, you may want to keep an eye out socketed items.
City of the Damned:
After you killed Izual, you should of located an exit from the Plain of Despair
into the City of the Damned and found a waypoint near the entrance of this area.
The City (or what remains of it) is another huge area. Next the waypoint will be
the entrance to the River of Fire. If you beat Izual without any trouble, then
proceed through. If not, you’ll want to scour the City for experience.
The City of the Damned hosts a horde of monsters similar to that of the previous
areas. New monsters in the area include the Damned (Toughest Misshapen) and Doom
Knights (Fighter Mage). Both of these monsters can shoot at range as well as
attack at close quarters combat, making them both equally deadly. The Doom
Knights come in four variations and can hurl either poison, ice, fire, or
lightning. The trick is to dodge their missiles and squirm into a good position
in which you can dispose of them with ease. With each able to do around 50
damage, you don’t want to be hit too much. Even though all Doom Knights attack
with poison in melee, your better off engaging them in hand to hand combat.
Once you feel that you have all experience you need, return to the waypoint; the
entrance to the River of Fire will be in close vicinity. Cast any defensive
enchantments you have before stepping into the hellhole. Better prepared then
dead.
River of Flame:
The River of Flame is one of toughest areas in the game, rivaling that of the
Arcane Sanctuary. It consists of several series of plateaus situated a fraction
above a sea of magma. The lava itself shoots periodic fireballs, which can set
the ground on fire. Why it can do this is completely unknown...
The monsters you’ll face here include the Abyss Knights (Tougher Doom Knights
with magical powers), Stranglers (Tougher Doom Casters), Grotesque (Tougher
Flesh
Spawners), possibly Urdas (Tougher BlunderBores), possibly Pit Lords (Slightly
Tougher Venom Lords), and Corpse Spitters (Tougher Copulants).
The Abyss Knights are your worst nightmare come true as they are able to deal
incredible damage with their elemental attacks. Often they will launch missiles
from the other side of the magma or from behind their brethren. If possible, run
up and kill these guys first. If you see their fire, keep moving. The minute you
stop, you’ll be a pincushion for magical needles.
Navigate the river of flame slowly, and explore every fork one at a time. Don’t
hesitate to retreat if things get tough. Chances are you’ll probably have to do
so a few dozen times. Kill the Abyss Knights first followed by the Grotesque
(More is explained for each character later in the character tips). The area
itself is extremely large, and it will take you a significant amount of time to
find the Hellforge.
If you come across an angel who commands you to wait then you have taken the
wrong road and completely missed the Hellforge. Backtrack and explore all the
side-forks. Caution will not be needed, but a hasty retreats will be required.
Overall it is fairly easy to find the hellforge, given time. If you don't know
if
it is the right place you soon will if a monster looking much like the Smith of
Act I comes charging at you with his knife at the ready. Consider yourself lucky
that he didn't bring his fork to help him with his snack.
Defeating the Armorer | Destroying the Soulstone:
The Hellforge is guarded by a swarm of monsters and Hephasto the Armorer (Extra
Strong, Cursed, Magic Resistant). As with all bosses, he is much easier to
defeat
without his minions. Try to lead out and kill as many of the minions as you can
first before you engage Hephasto. As soon as you enter the area and spot the
Armorer and his minions lead a hasty retreat and kill whatever follows you.
Slowly move back into the area and kill whatever spots you after it runs into
the
range of your weapon. If you do not dispose of everything before you reach the
Armorer, then repeat the process or draw the armorer out himself and kill him.
Hephasto himself is much faster than the smith in Act I, barely slower than your
run speed in fact. He has a incredible amount of hitpoints, and can deal up to
130 damage when you get cursed by amplify damage. It is a given that you will be
cursed if fighting him at close range. Magical Resistance provides him with 75%
resistance to all elements, rendering elemental attacks nearly useless. Again,
tips on how to kill him are included in our character tips.
Once Hephasto is dead, take the hammer he drops and do your best not to drop it
yourself on the way back to the hellforge, if your not already there. Eliminate
all the other monsters near the Hellforge. If you dont have Mephisto's Soulstone
with you then create a town portal and grab it from your stash before you hurry
back to complete your quest.Cast a town portal and take Mephisto’s Soulstone
from
your stash. If you don't have an identity scroll on you then you also need to
return to town in order to identify the hammer you picked up fromt he Armorer.
Once you have the soulstone and the Identified hammer you will need to place the
Soulstone on the Hellforge stand and hit it with the hammer. 3-5 Gems will be
dropped onto the surrounding area as a reward. You’ll receive at least one
Perfect Gem while the rest will range between normal to flawless in quality.
Once
you pick up the gems, the quest is complete. If you don't pick up the gems the
quest will still be over.
Before exiting the game, you’ll want to keep exploring the River of Flame.
You’ll
find a waypoint somewhere in the area, make sure you activate it before leaving
the game.
Recommended Level: 1-2
Quest Given By: Akara
Location: Blood Moor
Difficulty: Easy
Reward: Extra Skill Point
Objectives: Kill All Monsters in Den
Getting There:
The Den of Evil is your first quest in Diablo II, and is available as soon as
you
create a new game. To receive the quest, simply talk to Akara located on the
South Eastern corner of the Rogue Encampment.
The Den of Evil is located somewhere within the middle of Blood Moor, surrounded
by numerous fallen, zombies and quill beasts. There is no hurry in reaching the
place, so the best way to go is to search around the wilderness till you find
the
entrance in to the Den. Once you’re confident of your abilities in character
control, enter the Den. By now your character should be level 2 and equipped
with
some broken pieces of armor.
Completing the Quest:
The Den of Evil resembles the caves of Diablo I, populated by Fallen, Fallen
Shamen and Zombies. If you are using a warrior class, a missile weapon here is
extremely helpful, so equip any Javelins or Daggers you find.
Using the minimap, navigate through the Den and slowly clear out the monsters.
If
you are ever faced with an overwhelming amount of Fallen, retreat to a safe
place
so you can kill any that’s foolhardy enough to follow you with ease. Warriors
should use throwing daggers or Javelins to eliminate Fallen Shamans on sight,
the
rest should be easy.
Due to the fact that you do not start with any mana potions, it is recommended
that you cast spells sparingly if you’re the Sorceress. Only launch firebolts at
enemy Shamen or when faced with many Fallen at once. A Necromancer should be
easily able to kill fallen and zombies with its skeletal minion’s help, and
Shamen can be eliminated with the ‘Teeth Spell’. In this fashion, begin clearing
out the Den.
Killing Corpsefire:
Everything should be dead simple till you meet up with the boss of the Den, a
hero Zombie by the name of Corpsefire. He’s mean and tough, and has a nasty
habit
of freezing you with each hit. His only significant weakness is his slow speed,
which you should use to your full advantage.
Corpsefire is surrounded by a bunch of equally slow Zombies, so your best bet is
a ranged attack. Warriors should equip themselves with daggers or javelins, and
run back if the Zombies ever get within range to hit you. This way, you should
be
able to kill him without even getting blood on your hands (or body.)
The Sorceress has a fairly easy job here. If you have charged bolt, fire it
several times to eliminate Corpsefire’s minions, then use Firebolts on
Corpsefire
himself. Retreat if he ever gets near you. The Necromancer should use his
skeletons to slow the pack of Zombies, while firing Teeth into the midst of
battle. Once Corpsefire is dead, collect the handy magic item he drops.
Keep clearing out the rest of the Den as you did before. The Quest tab should
come up once there’s only five monsters left. Once they’re all dead, you are
treated a nice piece of special effects. Run out of the Den, back to the
Encampment for your reward.
To Kill Blood Raven:
Recommended Level: 6-8
Quest Given By: Kashya
Location: Burial Grounds
Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Reward: Free Rogue Mercenary, Enables Mercenary Hire
Objectives: Kill Blood Raven
Preparations:
The Burial Grounds are fairly simple to locate, being one of the two areas that
branches out from the Cold Plains. Simply scout around the outer edges of the
Cold Plains or follow the dirt road. If you happen to stumble into the Stony
Fields, backtrack and find the second exit.
Blood Raven is reasonably tough, and may prove to be almost impossible to defeat
for those who are level 6 or less. It is recommended that you first explore the
caves found in the middle of the Cold Plains before attempting this quest. Once
you’re ready, travel to the entrance of the Burial Grounds.
Before blindly charging in, we suggest that you make sure you have a couple of
Health Potions in your Belt, as well as Mana potions if you’re a mage. Conjure a
town portal here, so that if you find yourself in a loosing battle, you can
quickly retreat to town to restock and get healed. When your ready, proceed.
Killing Blood Raven:
Blood Raven is located in the center of the graveyard, waiting for you under a
withered tree. As you approach the gates, a dozen or so Hungry Dead will attack
you. They shouldn’t prove to be a big problem, and can be dispatched either by
using area-of-affect spells or combat.
Upon breaking through the gates, Blood Raven will meet you along with more dead
guys. She’s an intelligent foe, shooting at you with fire arrows while her
minions block your way. She can run at great speeds, making it difficult to
engage in melee combat. The best approach to lure her zombies away from her, and
dispatch them without having do dodge a volley of flaming arrows.
Blood Raven will seek to raise more zombies from the grave, but one or two
should
prove to be little more than distraction. Missile weapons are again the best
approach, and use them to aim for Blood Raven herself. Many skills for various
characters will come in handy, and details on which ones to use can be found
below in our class specific tips. Once she’s dead, all her minions automatically
perish. Not only are you treated to a spectacular light show, but you’ll also
find a magic item. Make sure you use the alt key here, since the dead zombies
will litter the ground with various useful items and potions.
The Search for Cain:
Recommended Level: 8-10
Quest Given By: Akara
Location: Stony Field to Tristram
Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Reward: Free Item Identification, Wirt’s Leg
Objectives: Locate and Rescue Cain
Preparations:
Before embarking upon the search for Cain, it is recommended that you have
killed
Blood Raven and explored the crypts in the Burial Grounds. This allows you to
hire a mercenary, which proves to be quite useful, especially for spellcasters.
Throughout the quest, you’ll get plenty of items, so keep town portal scrolls
handy and use them whenever your inventory gets full. The quest is quite long,
and is set in four different areas.
Finding the Tree:
Remember the second exit to the Cold Plains? Now is the time to take it. Upon
leaving the Cold Plains, you’ll find yourself in Stony Field, which looks pretty
much the same with the exception of some extra boulders. The monsters here
shouldn’t prove to be much trouble, consisting of Fallen, Carvers (Tougher
Fallen), Foul Crows and Skeleton Archers.
Scout the area thoroughly, there are four features that you should find before
moving on. The first is a Runestone formation found around the center of Stony
Field, this will teleport you to Tristram Later. The second is a Tome on a
stand,
which one read, will give you the fourth quest (more on that later). The third
is
a waypoint, which should be activated. Finally around the far edge, you’ll find
an entrance to the Underground Passageway that’ll lead you to the ‘Tree of
Inifuss’ Once you find all three, take the passageway.
The Underground Passageway looks similar to the Den of Evil, this time populated
by Misshapen, Skeleton Archers and Carvers. A few random hero monsters are also
around, but most of it is simple hack and slash. Navigate through the caverns
till you find a second exit or an entrance to ‘Underground Passageway Level 2’
The second level to the passageway resembles the second level to the caves and
is
entirely optional, however it does offer some nice magic items and experience.
There are two random hero monsters in the center, and so the battle isn’t too
easy, but worth your time. After getting the treasures, take the second exit,
which will lead you to Dark Wood.
Dark Wood is well populated by Vile Hunters, Vile Lancers, Carvers, Quill Fiends
(Quill Beasts that shoot 3 spikes) and more Undead. You’ll find area of effect
spells to be most useful here, as they make short work on monster swarms.
Explore
the area till you find the Tree of Inifuss, it should be located somewhere near
the far end.
Using the tree
Guarding the tree of Inifuss is ‘TreeHead Woodfist’ and three Brutes, heroes and
tougher variations of the Gargantuan Beast. Watch out, although these guys are
not exceptionally tough, they deal out a lot of damage. Spell casters and
Amazons
should keep clear of their huge fists. Your mercenary comes in handy here, and
makes excellent cannon fodder. Warriors should use their skills to enhance their
damage.
When the guardians are all dead, click on the tree and get the scroll. It is a
massive 2x2 in size and can’t be used till you bring it back to Akara. Before
you
cast a town portal, make sure you have activated the waypoint to Dark Wood.
You’ll need to come back here later and you don’t want to waste time going
underground again.
Freeing Cain:
Once you’ve talked to Akara, your scroll will be translated to decent numerals
that you can read. Now travel back to Stony Field and relocate the Runestones.
Click on each Runestone in the order that is prescribed on your Scroll. Once
done, you’ll be treated some spectacular lighting effects as a portal to
Tristram
is conjured. Step through the portal
Tristram is a small area, and looks nothing like what it was in Diablo 1 (When
did the creek that that big?). Now avoid that dead cow you see next to you, or
it’ll explode, dealing significant damage to spellcasters.
You won’t have to take more than a few steps before meeting up with the whole
swarm, Carvers, the Returned (Tougher Skeletons), Skeleton Archers and Night
Clans (tougher Goatmen). Leading them will be a Night Clan and a Skeleton Archer
hero. As you start fighting, Griswold, now an undead, will also join in to kill
you.
Thankfully, Griswold is nothing more than a Zombie with a few hundred hit
points.
He’s slow and deals little damage, so you can ignore him while you deal with the
other monsters. Both of the two random heroes don’t have much hit points but
deal
a lot of damage, so target them with all you’ve got first, then proceed to get
rid of the Carver Shamans and everything else. Don’t worry too much if your
Rogue
Mercenary dies here, she served her purpose.
Once only Griswold is left lumbering towards you at zombie speed, pull out a
missile weapon and shoot him from range. While weak in everything else, Griswold
has hell of a lot of hit points, even in singleplayer. But his slow speed makes
him of little threat. (Think of him as an Ultralisk in SC, doing little damage
but sucking up your fire).
Once Griswold is dead, proceed to the town center. Kill the Skeleton Archer and
Carver Shamans there and free Cain. The Sage will take the initiative and
transport himself to the Rogue Encampment. However before you portal back to get
your reward, make sure to explore the rest of Tristram.
On the Top left of the burnt town, you’ll find the dead body of Wirt, the boy
who
always ripped you off in Diablo (Now it’s your turn). Clicking on him will
reveal
a whole cache of gold as well as his Pegleg, a unique item! While the Pegleg is
nothing more than a slotted mace, it is required for you to enter the secret Cow
Level, so keep it safe in your stash. Now back to Akara for your reward.
The Forgotten Tower:
Recommended Level: 10-12
Quest Given By: Ancient Tome
Location: Black Marsh
Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Reward: Approx. 5000 Gold Worth of Treasure
Objectives: Kill the Evil Countess
Preparations:
Unlike other quests, this one is completely for your own interest. It’s not
something dire to the rogues, just a tower that hosts a whole bunch of treasure.
As such, the quest isn’t given to you by an NPC, but rather an ancient tomb that
you can find at Stony Field (See Previous Mission). Now that Cain is saved, it
is
time to reap in the cash.
Locating the Tower:
The Forgotten Tower is fairly simple to find, use waypoint to go back to Dark
Wood and Search for an exit on the other side. This will bring you to Black
Marsh, inhabited by Blood Crows, Carver, Night Clans and Vile Hunters. While
there are some hero monsters present, they should all be fairly simply. Either
hack, slash, or let your minions and spells do the work.
Search carefully through Black Marsh, you’ll find a waypoint somewhere near the
entrance. Before you open the chests, make sure you have, at least, around 10
life, as most of them are trapped. Sooner or later, you’ll come across your
destination, a tower in bad shape.
Exploring the Tower:
The Forgotten Tower Consists of five separate cellar levels, and the first four
are all small. Despite their size, they host some tough monsters. You’ll find
that on every level, there are half a dozen Blood Clan lead by a Blood Clan
Hero.
These guys are tough, fast and deal a lot of damage. If you’re a mage, you’ll
want to summon some Armor and try your best not to get surrounded. Their fast
attack make it easy for them to disrupt your spells. Either slow them down with
cold or minions, so you can stand back and cast your magic. Warriors should arm
themselves with melee weapons rather than missiles, since the small areas make
it
difficult for you to attack from any distance. The good thing is that the level
exits are usually right next to you, so you can easily retreat if required.
Other monsters may also be around, including Dark Archers or Ghosts. However
they
should not to be much of a problem. Just make sure that if you ever go into a
room full of archers, retreat out the door so they chase you in a single file.
Kill Ghosts first if you’re a mage, although they have little hit points, their
mana drain can be a real problem. Navigate through the levels till you reach
Level 5.
Death of the Countess:
The 5th level is slightly larger than the rest, and hosts a mountain of
treasures. Kill the Dark Archers and Blood Clans in the center room and proceed
across to the side chambers. Kill the guards and you’ll find gold simply
lettered
on the ground, as well as a chest in each of the two rooms. That’s around 1000-
2000 gold, not including the gold you get for selling the items in the chests.
Return to town (use Town Portal), sell your items, deposit you gold and return
the chamber.
Venture up from either of the two chambers. As you approach the door at the
center side of the room, you’ll hear the countess scream something similar
to ‘I’ll boil your blood.” Wait and let her Dark Stalkers charge out of the room
in single file, eliminate them one at a time.
Once all the Dark Stalkers are dead, charge into the room, now it’s just you and
countess. In fact your foe is surprisingly weak when compared to all the Blood
Clan heroes you’ve fought. She only has around 150 hit points (In Singleplayer)
and can be easily killed using skills or spells. Once she’s dead, open up the
chest in the room, and more gold is yours. Quest completed.
Tools of the Trade:
Recommended Level: 12-14
Quest Given By: Charsi
Location: Rogue Barracks
Difficulty: Normal
Reward: Enchants One Item
Objectives: Retrieve the Horadric Malus
Preparations:
There’s quite a way to get to the Rogue Barracks. Return to Black Marsh and
proceed to find an exit on the far end. This will lead you to Tamoe Highland.
Throughout your adventures, you may find an entrance to two dungeons, The Hole
and Hell Pit. Both of which are there to supply you with EXP and items. If you
haven’t reached level 14, it’s highly suggested that you explore them. There’s
nothing inside that you can’t handle, but I managed to find Arctic Furs inside.
Locating the Barracks:
Nova is a great new addition for the Sorceress, but only use it instead of Frost
Nova once you got 2 skill points on the spell.
Once that done, your out and on your way towards the Monastery Gate. Tamoe
Highland consists of Returned Mages, Death Clan (About the same power as Blood
Clan), Devil Kin (Tougher Carvers) and Dark Stalkers. They are all fairly
simple,
always kill the Mages first, followed by Shamans before anything else. In this
fashion proceed towards the opposite side of the Highlands, you’ll reach the
monastery Gate.
Storm through the Monastery Gates, your best bet is to either charge in at the
mages or use a series of area effect spells. A necromancer can let his minions
suck the Bone Magi fire as he stands back with Corpse Explosion and Teeth. After
passing the gate, you’ll find yourself in the Outer Cloister.
Devilkin, Thorned Devils, Yetis, Dark Stalkers and more Returned Magi populate
the Outer Cloister. Yetis are tough, but slow and hence simple to defeat.
Thorned
Devils and the Bone Magi are another matter. Make sure you keep moving when
engaging them, they have low hit points and therefore should be destroyed first.
Find the Waypoint, explore the side chambers and proceed ahead. The door to the
Barracks will be in front of you.
Navigating the Barracks:
The Barracks is a confusing metropolis of corridors and rooms filled with stacks
of barrels. A hero Bone Mage and his minions guard the entrance, charging in
headfirst could prove fatal. Instead try to lead most of the devilkin into the
out Cloister, before engaging with the Mages.
As you navigate through the Barracks, use the stacks of barrels to your
advantage. As the primary threat you’ll face are Bone Magi (tougher Returned
Mage), you’ll find the cover that the barrels offer to be a blessing. Warriors
can hide behind the barrels till the Bone mage walk around the stack, and finish
it off in one or two hits. You’ll need to use this tactic when you face two
random Bone Mage heroes in the third chamber of the Barracks
When you stumble into the chamber, you’ll be faced with over a dozen firebolts.
Retreat back through the doorway and knock out the Death Clans and Dark Stalkers
that follow you. Proceed inside and take cover amongst the barrels. Mages should
use hit and run tactics, while warriors can run and kill any Bone Mage stupid
enough to wonder into your hiding place. Use doorways and narrow corridors in
the
same fashion as you explore the barracks.
There will be other monsters, and we’ve seen Black Rogues, Bone Archers and
their
various champion forms. Whatever they are, always lead the melee combatants out
of the Join and kill them without having to worry about missile cover, then
eliminate the archers and mages using the technique above.
Retrieving the Malus:
At one of the corners in the very far end will be the Horadric Malus, Guarded by
one angry Smith and a dozen Black Rogues and Bone Magi. As soon as you hear the
sound of ‘I’ll make something from your bones…” launch a portal and restock.
Once you’re ready, try your best to the lead the Smiths minions away into
another
room and kill them first. Mages should try and use area of effect spells to
eliminate the weaker enemies. The Smith himself resembles a fast oversized
butcher from Diablo I. He’s tough, his mean, and he knows how to use his hammer
as an Axe.
The Smith has around 300hp and does around 30-40 damage with each blow, so
mages…
stay away! If you use missile weapons, your goal is to make sure he never
reaches
you. Details on killing him are featured in our character tips. Whatever the
case, keep potions handy as you fight a hit and run battle through the maze of
corridors. Once he’s dead, return to where you found him and retrieve the Malus.
(You’ll find it on a stand in he’s room)
Utilizing Your Reward:
Once you return to Charsi and give her the Hammer, she will offer to enchant an
item of your choice. The choice you make here could alter the rest of the game,
so think carefully! She’ll enchant only non-magical, non socketed, non jewelry
items. What she does is simply turn the item of your choice into a rare, imbued
with 3-5 random bonuses.
Whatever class you are, don’t choose a piece of Armor as there’ll be a lot of
better ones in Act II. Spellcasters should definitely choose the wand or the
staff, preferably a yew wand or a long staff. All the spell bonuses it gives
will
be altered, so don’t worry about what bonus’s the staff gives (Just Buy the
cheapest Long Staff and Yew Wand from Akara).
Warriors have more options, so choose whatever item you desperately need a
better
version of. Whether it’s your boot, weapon or helmet. Quest Completed.
Sisters to the Slaughter:
Recommended Level: 13-16
Quest Given By: Cain
Location: Monastery Catacombs
Difficulty: Moderately Hard
Reward: Allows Act II
Objectives: Find and Kill Andariel
Introduction:
’Sisters to the Slaughter,’ the last quest of Act I, is both difficult and long,
qw it spans a total of 9 different levels and is nearly as large as the whole of
Diablo 1. Your mission is simple; to reach the deepest level of the Catacombs
and
slay the Maiden of Anguish; however getting there is a quest in itself.
Mercenaries are no longer useful, as they are slain in 3-4 hits.
To Reach the Catacombs:
Now that you have a new rare item from Charsi, return to the Barracks. Take the
stairs to the Jails to begin your long journey. The Jails consist of three
levels, each one large and expansive. The monsters you’ll be facing include Bone
Warriors, Wraith (Tougher Ghosts), Devil Kin, Bone Archers and Bone Magi. Just
keep using the tactics you performed throughout the barracks (see previous
mission) and you should have little problem
Explore each level as throughly as possible, you’ll need all the experience you
can. Warriors should watch out for Bone Mage that are behind bars, and it’s
suggested you keep a secondary missile weapon of some sort. Meanwhile mages
should avoid Wraith, their mana drain coupled with their speed are dangerous. In
this fashion you’ll finally find an exit to the Inner Cloister the level 3 Jail.
When you get out of Jail, you’ll be in a small courtyard (or near it). Take the
waypoint in the center and then dispose of the quill fiends that are around.
Search till you find the entrance to the Cathedral. Whatever you do, don’t just
stride in. You’ll be met with a barrage of bolts shot by the Tainted (powerful
Misshapen) and a swarm of Wraith. Holy Bolt and Area of effect spells will be
extremely handy. Fight gorilla style, retreating whenever they begin to swarm
you
so that you face the minimal amount of foes at once. The hero Tainted and Wraith
will be more difficult, go for the Tainted first if you’re a warrior, the Wraith
first if you’re a mage.
When the monsters are cleared, stride in and search around. You’ll encounter
Dark
Ones (Tougher Devilkin), who shouldn’t be a problem. Clear the Cathedral and
you’ll find an exit down to the Catacombs.
Navigating the Catacombs:
If you had trouble through the Jail, the Catacombs will be hell. It consists of
four levels, where the top two contains the same types of monsters as those in
the Cathedral. The confined space here allows you to hit and run quite
effectively. Keep in mind that many monsters such as the Tainted have no idea
how
to open doors, allowing you short reprieves. While Wraith are fast and can float
through bars, they tend to get trapped in rooms like your mercenary, so running
away is usually an option.
Explore the first two levels thoroughly, you’ll find another Waypoint on the
level 2 catacomb. Take the stairway and you’ll be on level 3. This new level
hosts some tough new monsters, including Ratmen, The Banished, Arachs (Giant
Spiders) and Ghouls (Tougher Zombies). While the latter two should be of no
problem, you’ll need to watch out for the first two.
The Banished resembles hovering mages, and are the most powerful monsters you
face in Act I. While a single one is not much of a threat, you’ll probably
chance
upon a roomful of them led by a hero. In this case, retreat! Their fireballs
deal
enormous damage, while they still have decent hit points (around 60). They
attack
cold in melee, making it just that much harder to retreat after being engaged.
Your best chance here is to run through the explored rooms, causing them to
separate. This way you can beat them in one’s or twos. Even mages here should
engage in melee combat, especially if you have a good staff from the Blacksmith
quest.
Ratmen are another danger, they’re tiny, but hell fast. Mages will find
themselves surrounded and dead in no time. Areas of effect spells are essential
here, since their small size and fast speeds make it difficult for you to
target.
Necromancers should make sure they have minions around, as you won’t have time
to
summon them on the spot. However warriors, being tough, should have little
problem.
Navigate through the third level and take the staircase down. This final level
is
short and hosts Andariel. Your is quest is nearly complete…
The Slaughter of Andariel:
Andariel will be the toughest boss you have faced to date. Before going any
further on level 4, portal to town and purchase least 20 healing and 5 antidote
potions. If you don’t have one already, hire a Mercenary. While they are no
match
for Andariel, they are good for distraction. When you’re all set, return to the
Catacombs and launch a second portal. This will provide a quick escape.
It will not take long to locate Andariel, you’ll find her throne room to be 1-3
doors away. Move forward by the inch and kill monsters with a missile weapon, so
that you can destroy all the minions before she enters combat. Once you hear her
scream, draw your best weapon… the fight begins.
Andariel is fairly fast, hosts nearly 1000 hit points and deals around 65
damage.
While her primary attack is melee, she’ll also launch a modified version of
Poison Nova as well as a poison bolt. Each of these deals around 20 damage, but
an enormous amount of poison damage.
We’ll leave specific skill use to our character tips, but no matter what, keep
your healing and antidote potions handy. While your rogue friend will be killed
in one hit, she’ll buy some time for you to cast spells and auras. You might
even
be able to throw a few poison potions at her.
If ever the potions in your belt run out, flee through the portal and rearrange
your inventory in town. Akara will automatically remove all poisons and heal
you,
so she’s a must to talk to. When you return, always hire a new Rogue from
Kashya.
Once through portal, Andariel will be on you in an instant, run away and let her
go after your rogue. This will give you precious time cast a second portal and
gather your wits. Repeat the above till she’s dead. With the Sorceress, it took
about 7 portals… but she didn’t get hit in melee once. With the Paladin, it took
only 2.
Once she’s dead, you’re treated with spectacular display. Take the portal back
to
town and talk to the townsfolk, they’ll all love you. Talk to Warriv, and you’re
on Act II!
Radament’s Tomb:
Recommended Level: 14-17
Quest Given By: Atma
Location: Lut Gholein Sewers
Difficulty: Normal
Reward: Extra Skill, Cheaper Wares
Objectives: Find and Kill the Radament
Introduction:
Rudament’s Lair, the first quest of Act II, helps players readjust to the new
set
of NPC’s and monsters. After marveling at suddenly enhanced graphics, talk to
Atma on the east side of town. There will be a lot more poison-based attacks in
Act II, so it might pay for you to visit Lysander and get half a dozen antidote
potions. With the mercenaries now at a much higher level (I’ve seen up to lvl.
18), they are again useful, so be sure to hire one.
Another thing to note is that the person who heals you is Fara, so portal to her
if you are ever in trouble. Now that you know the basics, it’s time to begin.
Locating Radament’s Lair:
There are three levels of sewers under Lot Gholein, and Radament is located on
the deepest. You’ll be able to find entrances to sewer either next to the docks,
or as a trap door on the streets. It’s preferable to use the trap door; as it’s
located in the center of town, so that you don’t need to walk as far.
Each level of the Sewers is a large, sprawling labyrinth, populated by Sand
Raiders, Burning Dead (Soldier, Archer, Mage variations) and dried corpses. All
the monsters have fairly low hit points, so it’s best to use area of effect
spells. Nova, Corpse Explosion, Thorns and Inner Site are all fairly effective.
When engaging with the Dried Corpses, step back when they die. The poisonous
vapors their corpses release is a drain on both health and potions.
Unfortunately
your mercenary won’t be as smart, so when you hire them, select those that can
resist Poison.
The Burning dead resist fire, so cold and lightning spells are strongly
preferred. Their Archers variations launch fire arrows, where’s their mages
attack with firebolts. Both have weak hit points but can do significant damage,
so target them first.
Throughout your explorations in the sewers, you’ll find piles of green goo, the
equivalence of rocks in Act I. They mostly contain just junk, an may release
poison is touched… so ain’t worth the bother.
In this fashion, search each level for the staircase downwards. Sooner or later
on Level 3, a quest icon will pop up, signaling that the Radament is near.
Launch
a portal and but more antidote and healing potions, and prepare for the fight.
Killing the Radament:
The Radament is fairly tough, and has ability to raise skeleton mages at
astonishing speeds. He can attack with shadow bolts, poison bolts as well as a
poison strike. With a wide variety of missile weapons at his disposal, the age-
old trick of running around no longer works so well. Lead out his minions first
and eliminate as much as them as you can before engaging the boss himself.
Warriors here should immediately charge at the Radament and seek to engage him
to
melee combat. This will deny him the opportunity to raise more minions as well
as
use his missile attacks. Even so, his still a tough opponent with a few hundred
hit points. However the Radament’s primary attack is poison, so as long as you
have antidote potions on your belt, he can’t do too much. Here mercenaries and
minions can prove to be a great distraction, allowing mages to prepare their
spells.
Once the Radament is dead, another great in game sequence is played. Before you
leave you collect your reward, make sure to pick up the Book of Skill he drops.
Also click on the glowing chest in his lair, it’ll contain on scroll necessary
for you to get your next mission. Now that everything’s done, go talk to Atma to
collect your second Reward.
The Horadric Cube and Shaft:
Recommended Level: 15-18
Quest Given By: Atma
Location: Dry Hills, Far Oasis
Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Reward: Staff of Kings, Horadric Cube
Objectives: Find the Horadric Cube and Shaft
Introduction:
The Horadric Staff is probably one of the longest missions in Diablo II,
spanning
a total of three dungeons; each of which contains one of the components you need
to piece together the Horadric Staff. The Horadric Cube is located in the Halls
of the Dead, the Shaft in the Maggot Lair and the Headpiece in the Claw Viper
Temple.
This mission guide will brief you on how to obtain the first two of the
artifacts
above. You’ll get the Head Piece at the same time as you complete the third
quest, Tainted Sun and hence it’ll be covered in our next guide. Unlike Act I,
the wilderness of Act II contains a huge amount of monsters which deal poison
attacks, so keep plenty of Antidote Potions Ready.
Locating Halls of the Dead:
Now the easiest of three artifacts to obtain in the Horadric Cube, which rests
in
the Halls of the Dead and above Dry Hills. To reach it, take the gate out of Lut
Gholein and start exploring the Rocky Wasteland.
The Rocky Wasteland hosts a whole new set of monsters, Saber Cats, Spear Cats,
Giant Vultures and Leapers being the most abundant. While they are all fast and
deal significant damage, they have comparatively small hitpoints and can be
destroyed via any mass damage skill. There’s also a non-quest dungeon in the Dry
Hills, which you should pay a visit to if you’re on the lower side of the
recommended level. Once that done, proceed to find an exit into the Dry Hills.
The Dry Hills encompasses a large area, featuring two separate terrain levels.
You’ll be fighting more Spear and Saber Cats here, as well as Undead Scavengers
(Tougher Vultures). The Spear Cats now throw exploding potions, and can prove
quite dangerous in groups, so make sure to either keep moving, or kill them
first. Search around the Wasteland, and you’ll find a ramp upward somewhere on
the opposite side.
The Upper level contains the same monsters, but also a waypoint and an entrance
into the Halls of the Dead. Once you find both, take the entrance to the
dungeon,
you’re now well on your way in retrieving the first artifact.
Locating the Horadric Cube:
There are three levels of similar size in the Halls of the Dead, where the
Horadric Cube is located at the very end. Each level is excessively large, so
it’ll take a while to navigate through. You’ll be faced with Dessert Wings,
Decayed (Tougher Dried Corpses), Spear Cats, Hollow ones and in some cases,
Death
Beetles, Burning Dead Archers and Horrors.
The Monsters are tough here, so make sure you use the terrain to your advantage.
Never charge right into an unexplored room unless you’re going to use a spell
like Nova. Instead lead the monsters out so they face you one at a time. When
combating Hollow ones, try to destroy their minions with cold so they can’t be
resurrected. Cold also works well on the Hollow Ones themselves, slowing them
down so you can deal with the lesser minions.
Somewhere around level 2, you’ll encounter a room full of Hollow Ones that are
led by a hero, this is perhaps the toughest part of the dungeon. There’ll be two
shrines in the room, which can significantly help you out… so be sure to use
them. Lead the monsters outside the room and deal with them without worry of the
Hollow Ones before charging in. Then use the shrines to boost yourself, before
engaging the dozen mummies or so. Before exiting the level, make sure to find
the
Waypoint, it’ll prove quite helpful if you die.
Once that’s done, the third level is comparatively easy. The Horadric Cube is
guarded by a few dozen Cat Warriors and a random hero, but can be easily
annihilated via any area of effect spell. If you’re a warrior, lead them
outside,
so they don’t have a chance to throw their javelins. The hero himself has only
around 150 hitpoints or so, and can be easily dealt with. After you clear the
monsters, enter the room, open the glowing chest, and collect the Horadric Cube.
Launch a portal from your location and talk to Cain. He’ll give you some rather
useful formulae for the Horadric Cube. However there’s another useful one he
failed to mention. Three gems of one kind and quality can be transmuted to one
Gem of higher quality. With flawed gems being so much more abundant than the
rest, here’s you’re chance to get some better ones. Other formulae are also
available, but they ain’t exactly useful.
The Horadric Cube also helps enlarge your inventory, as it takes up four squares
but offer 12 squares inside. So keep it in your inventory and get ready to
retrieve the Horadric Shaft
Locating the Maggot Lair:
The Shaft of the Horadric Staff is located in the Maggot Lair, a dungeon found
in
the Far Oasis. Use the waypoint to get you back to the Bitter Hills and search
for a second exit, it’ll most likely be located on the upper level of the Hill.
Take the exit and you’ll be in Far Oasis.
The Far Oasis is populated with Black Raptors (like Tougher Blood Hawks), more
Saber and Spear cats, as well as Scarab Beetles and Itches. Scarab Beetles of
tough things that spit acid, and can deal Poison Damage in melee. These guys are
probably best dealt with via far range. The Itches, consist entirely of Insect
Swarms, are quite deadly in numbers. They can stack up, deal massive damage and
drain your stamina. For mages, it’s essential you don’t get near them or they’ll
tear you apart. Warriors have more options, although a bow is preferred.
Like the Bitter Hills, Far Oasis is also split into two defiant heights. The
waypoint is usually found on the lower level while the entrance to the maggot
layer in on the upper one. If you stumble across a second exit (it leads to The
Lost City), it’s recommended you don’t take it. As soon as you enter that area,
you’ll enable the Tainted Sun quest. This will curse the whole outside area with
eternal darkness, which can hinder you quite a bit if you’re a mage. Instead
stay
away and search for a whole in sand.
Locating the Maggot Lair:
Once you find the entrance, proceed down cautiously. It may pay now to make sure
you have enough antidote potions since many of the monsters you’ll be fighting
dead little physical, but serious poison damage. Always have the antidotes on
your belt for quick access. Once ready, start exploring.
The Maggot Layout consists of a huge network of passageways, dug out by the
Mother of all Scarab Beetles. They are so narrow that you’ll only be able to fit
single file. This is a mission where you should not hire mercenaries, as they’ll
serve only to block your escape. There is however one advantage to tight fit,
and
that is you always know where your enemy is going to be. If you use a missile
weapon, retreat after sighting enemies and then attack the ground in front of
you. Your missiles always fly straight, and will hit the monsters that are well
beyond your viewscreen! Necromancers will have a hard time, and should perhaps
only summon Golems for on spot battles. More on that in our character tips…
The monsters here are Scarab Beetles, Rock Worms (Tougher Scarab Beetles) and
Black Locusts (Tougher Itches). As a Dozen Locust Swarms can fit into one
square,
do not be fooled by appearances. Shoot them down with an area of effect skill or
spell immediately. Both the Scarabs and Rock Worms lay eggs, and so are tough
opponents.
In this fashion, explore each level till your on level 3. After more
exploration,
you’ll come across a chamber that’s filled to brim with beetles. You’ll
recognize
it as soon as you see the gigantic borrower worm that’s in the center.
The entrance of the room is trapped, and will poison you as soon as you enter.
The poison is deadly, and will take down more than 70hp of life, so make sure
you
have antidote potions ready. Leading out the beetles this time won’t work so
well, since the adults release a continuos stream of young beetles at you.
Instead, charge in and deal mayhem! Details are in our character tips.
Once everyone is dead, you’ll find the Horadric Shaft in the room. Upon being
identified, it’ll be renamed to the ‘Staff of Kings.’ It’s a powerful artifact,
acting as a Battle Staff, which attacks at very fast speeds. It’s an ideal
weapon
for your Sorceress.
Launch a portal and talk to Cain, you are now missing only the Headpiece. Now
take the exit to the Lost City via the waypoint to Far Oasis, you’ll get your
third quest. Its reward is the headpiece, so information in completing both
quests can be found in our next walkthrough.
Tainted Sun:
Recommended Level: 16-19
Quest Given By: Drognan
Location: Valley of Snakes
Difficulty: Moderately Hard
Reward: The Horadric Staff
Objectives: Destroy the Claw Viper Temple
Introduction:
The Tainted Sun is a quest, which has a two-fold purpose. First it’ll allow you
to complete the third quest and their banish the unnatural night, secondly it’ll
give you the headpiece for your Horadric Staff (You can obtain the other two
pieces via our previous walkthrough). The quest itself is of moderate length,
but
the final boss, ‘Fangskin,’ may prove to be quite difficult. Many of the
monsters
use poison attacks and hence Antidote potions are vital. Lightning Resistance
will also help when you face Fangskin.
To Reach to Claw Viper Temple:
To receive the quest, you’ll need to take the waypoint back to Far Oasis. From
here find its second exit, this will lead you to the Lost City. As soon as you
enter the new area, a strange darkness will befall the whole place. Clicking on
you’re your quest log will reveal that the Tainted Sun quest is now available.
Cast a town and portal back to Lut Golein.
After talking to Drognan, you’ll be given the task of destroying the Claw Viper
Temple. Go back to the Lost City and start to explore it, there’ll be a waypoint
somewhere around the area. The place is again split into an upper and a lower
level, so go take the ramp up one the lower level is fully explored.
The Lost City is Populated by Night Slingers (Spear Cats who Throw Poison
Potions), Night Tigers (Powerful Saber Cats), Marauders (Tougher Sand Raiders),
Tome Raider (Tougher Leapers) and Disease Carriers (Power Decayed). Due to the
Night Slingers, you’ll be poisoned excessively here. However if you keep
running,
most of them will miss you. Always eliminate the Night Slingers first, as their
poison has a capacity to do serious damage.
During your explorations, you’ll probably find an entrance to a non-quest
dungeon, “Ancient Tunnels”. Clear it if you wish, as there’s the usual prospect
of some magical items. Once done, keep searching the upper levels till you find
a
passageway leading you to the Valley of Snakes.
The Valley of Snakes is an extremely small area, featuring a large entrance to
the Claw Viper Temple and a Flame Cannon that guards it. The Flame Cannon here’s
quite tough, it has the ability to shoot three deadly balls of fire at once. The
best way to kill it is by using missiles, and to sidestep whenever it shoots. If
done correctly, you can kill the cannon with 0 damage. Alternatively, you may
just run past the cannon to enter the temple.
Navigating the Claw Viper Temple:
The Claw Viper Temple hosts mostly Snake Demons. There are two variations, gray
Claw Vipers and crimson Salamanders. Don’t be fooled by their apparently slow
speeds, as they can charge at you from a fair distance, both stunning and
knocking you back. Due to this, low-ranged missiles are quite ineffective, and
hence either use melee or attacks which have a long range. Salamanders are the
tougher of the two, and resists fire, therefore Lightning, Cold and physical
attacks are your best bet.
There may also be Guardians (Tougher Hollow Ones) and their undead kin (Bone
Warriors, Bone Magi, Disease Carriers), in this case use cold spells or weapons
to shatter their minions is the best solution. You can use the same tactics
against them as you did when fighting Radament (See here).
The Temple is split into two levels, the first is of considerable size while the
second contains a single room. As always, it’s best for you to lead out the
monsters rather than the monsters leading you in. It is suggested that you
explore the first level thoroughly before venturing into the second as it
contains a few shrines, which you’ll find quite helpful. If there is a lightning
resistance shrine, you’ve struck gold. Save it till you are about to venture
onto
the second level.
Once you’re ready to venture down, summon a Portal and refill your belt. The
boss
you are going to fight is lightning enchanted, and hence any form of lightning
resistance will help greatly. Once preparations are made, descend down the
steps.
Destroying the Temple:
A Dozen Claw Vipers and Salamanders will rush to attack you as soon as you’re on
level 2. However it’s their lead viper, Fangskin, that’ll prove to be the
problem. While not exceptionally tough, the boss is lightning enchanted and will
unleash a multitude of Charged Bolts if attacked. These do significant damage,
and can even kill a warrior within a minute or so.
Your best chance here is to avoid fighting Fangskin and focus on his minions.
Fangskin himself doesn’t deal nearly as much damage with his claws as he would
with his lightning. Once all the minions are dead, run towards the temple
(forwards) and kill more Vipers and perhaps a Guardian that’s stationed there.
Now face Fangskin alone. Mages and the Amazon should stay back from him and
launch far range spells or missiles, this way his charged bolts will scatter
before they reach you.
Throughout the siege, the staircase back to level 1 offers a quick retreat. Use
it whenever your mana or health is down, it’s much safer to drink potions
without
the company of the snakes. Once your foes are all dead, click on the center of
the temple. The headpiece for your Horadric Staff will be revealed, and the
temple itself sent to oblivion. Quest completed.
Arcane Sanctuary:
Recommended Level: 17-20
Quest Given By: Jerhyn
Location: Arcane Sanctuary
Difficulty: Hard
Reward: None, Essential Quest
Objectives: Find Horazon’s Journal
Introduction:
The Arcane Sanctuary is one of the toughest dungeons in Act II, featuring a
nasty
network of narrow catwalks suspended in the middle of space. It’s mix tough
monsters and confusing portals form a deadly concoction that can fell the
unprepared adventurer. Completing the quest actually fulfills two, as The
Summoner, a boss you’ll need to kill for quest five, guards Horizon’s Journal.
Many of the monsters you fight here will attack with fire, and hence any auras
or
items that protect you against such a elemental will be most helpful. By now,
there’s no longer need to hire mercenaries, they’ll die far too fast.
The Harems:
When you proceed down the spiral staircase from the ground level of the palace,
you’ll be in the Harems. The first level is small, full of cushions and other
luxuries, but no monsters. Take either the staircase on the left or right and
you’ll be in level 2. From here you’ll see pools of blood, impaled corpses and
lots of other gruesome things. The monsters are near.
Hulking Blunderbores, Dune Beasts, Invaders (tougher Marauders) and a variety of
Horrors populate the level 2 Harem. Blunderbores can deal and take significant
damage, and hence it’s best to deal to them via missiles. The Horror Magi and
the
Horror Archers fire deadly lightning, it is best to kill them first. You’ll find
a staircase on one of the corners of the level, take it and you’ll be in the
Palace Cellars.
The Cellars:
The Palace Cellars hosts the same monsters, but you’ll find that the Horror magi
and Archers now frequently shoot at you from behind the protection of bars.
Horrors resist lightning in general and hence you should avoid the use of
lightning spells. They’re however quit weak against physical as well as fire or
ice strikes. The first level here will contain a waypoint, get it before
proceeding downwards.
There are three levels of cellars, and the staircase downwards is usually found
on the corners. As long as you avoid fighting a dozen archers behind bars or
rushing headlong into a room, they should give you no problems. Explore each
level fully before proceeding to the next, you’ll need all the experience you
get. You’ll also find a waypoint
The Portal to Arcane Sanctuary lies in the center of the level 3 cellars. Once
you reach the room, a dozen Invaders and Blunderbores lead by ‘Fire Eye’ will
face you. All of them including their hero are melee attacks, so the best way is
to fight them at the doorway. This way only a few can attack you at once. None
of
them are too tough, and you can break through easy. Click on the portal at the
center of the room to activate it, and teleport yourself into the Arcane
Sanctuary.
Navigating the Arcane Sanctuary:
Now the hard part begins, the Arcane Sanctuary is a series of narrow walkways
suspended in the void. You’ll see a waypoint directly below the portal, activate
it before doing anything else. There are four routs from the Waypoint, each
leads
toward a corner of the Sanctuary. Horizon’s Journal lies at the end of one of
these passages, while the other three leads to 3 glowing and gold (all well
guarded of course).
Three of these walkways are nearly identical, while the fourth hosts a series of
teleportation portals. The journal’s location is randomly generated, and could
be
at the end of any of the four walkways. Due to the nature of each walkway, I
suggest you explore the three passages that lacks portals before exploring the
fourth (Basically retreat and try another if you see a Red Portal).
The Walkways without Portals:
As you explore any of these walkways, they’ll branch out in different
directions.
Always choose the one that leads as far away from the waypoint as possible,
choosing another will simply lengthen the time required to reach your
destination. The Place is guarded by Hell Clans (Tougher Blood Clans), Ghoul
Lords (Tougher Banished) and Specters (Tougher Wraiths). Each of the three
monsters are dangerous, so beware.
If your are Warrior, you won’t have to worry about the Specters. The Blood Clans
are tough fighters, but due to the nature of the walkways, only 2 or 3 can fight
you at a time. The Ghoul Lords, however are another matter. These deadly mages
can cast powerful forms of Fireball and Firewall, the latter making it hard for
you to stay in one spot. They’ll often be attacking from secondary platforms,
and
hence a missile weapon is extremely helpful. Retreat if ever outnumbered, so
that
the monsters leave their platforms and follow you onto the narrow walkways, this
way you can kill them one at a time. Always engage the Ghouls Lords first if you
possibly can.
Mages have a tougher time, as the Ghoul Lords are partially resistant to all
elemental magic. It’s probably best to curse them with cold or Iron Maiden and
engaging them by physical combat, as they are quite weak against physical
attacks. Long Range spells such as Bone Spear and Lightning Bolt are
particularly
useful against Hell Clans, for the same reasons as the Maggot Lair (see here).
Also avoid using fire spells, as both Ghoul Lords and Hell clans are highly
resistant.
In this fashion, explore each walkway till you reach the end platform. You can
recognize it from the fact it has three glowing chests and a symbol that looks
much like a waypoint imprinted in its center. These platforms will be guarded by
Lightning Towers, which are tough, but have a slow attack rate. Always engage
the
tower in melee, as their melee attack does significantly less than their
missiles. After collecting the items, return to the center waypoint to explore
another walkway.
In ever while exploring one of the walkways, you hear evil laughter, you’ve
found
The Summoner and the Horizons Journal. To find out how to fight the boss, scroll
down to the heading ‘The Summoner.’ If all three walkways end in platforms like
the one mentioned above, you’ll need to explore the fourth, the one with many
portal.
The Walkway with Portals:
This is the most difficult of the four walkways, filled with a network of
confusing Portals that teleport you from one place to another. Missile weapons
are essential, as Ghoul Lords will burn you with Firewalls and Fireballs while
you decided which portal to take to reach their platform. Bone Magi, Bone Spear,
Arrows or Glacial Spikes are your best bets.
Before teleporting through a portal with an unknown exit, make sure to kill all
the monsters on your screen, especially if you’re a mage. You might end up on a
platform surrounded by Hell Clan, and be taken down in Seconds. Bone or Shiver
armor are exceptionally useful in remedying the situation.
The Portals however has one advantage, and that is dodging enemy spells. When
having a ranged duel with the Ghoul Lords, stand next to a portal. This way you
can beam away if they ever cast Firewall or Fireball at you. It’s a great way to
dodge enemy fire. Once the Ghoul Lords are dead, you can take out the Fire Clans
on the platform with ease, as they have no missile retaliation. In this fashion,
explore the last walkway. If the three other are already explored, Horizons
Journal will be located at the end of this one. As before, stop as soon as you
hear an evil laugh.
Killing the Summoner:
When you hear the evil laugh, the quest icon will appear signaling that ‘The
Summoner’ quest is now available for you to complete. Take a portal to town and
feel free to inquire about who he ism; Drognan will yield the most information.
Buy plenty of healing potions and portal back to face the boss. Launch a portal
here in case you die.
The Summoner has extremely long range, and will attack you with a barrage of
Fire
Walls, Fireballs and Glacial Spikes if you proceed any further. Run in and run
out to lead his minions away, and face them when you are out of the Summoner’s
range. These are just hell, and are easily vanquished.
The Summoner is located at a ramp far above you, and you’ll need to take the
staircase to reach him. His spells deal horrendous damage, and you’ll find 100
hit points go down in a flash when standing on his walls of fire. However he has
very little hitpoints (About 100), and will die almost instantly once you reach
him.
The best way here is to simply charge, even if you’re a mage. His missiles and
firewalls will miss you as long as you keep moving. Blaze through the walkway,
up
the stair and onto his platform. Drink a healing potion if he hits you with
anything and attack. He’ll die after a few hits… In this case, do not hesitate
or
be cautious, it’ll only get you killed.
You’ll find Horizons Journal on a stand in the same Platform. Reading it will
reveal the truth of Tal Rasha’s Tomb. A Portal is Launched, enter and you’ll
find
yourself in The Canyon of the Magi. Get the Waypoint before returning to down.
Only one more quest and Act II is complete.
The Seven Tombs:
Recommended Level: 18-22
Quest Given By: Jerhyn
Location: Tal Rasha’s Tomb
Difficulty: Hard
Reward: Allows Act III
Main Objectives: Kill Duriel
Introduction:
The Seven Tombs is the final quest for Act II. While the monsters or dungeons
are
not exceptionally hard, the boss you’ll fight is deadly. Throughout the quest,
you’ll meet with various creatures that deal Poison or Fire damage, so it’s a
good idea to have plenty of Antidote Potions and a high Fire Resistance. Once
you’re ready, proceed to Canyon of the Magi to begin the quest.
Locating Tal Rasha’s Tomb:
The Canyon of the Magi is a fairly large area featuring two types of enemies,
Devourers and Hell Slingers. The former will spit poison and lay eggs, while the
latter are fast and can deal significant damage. When engaging hell slingers,
attempt to destroy them as quickly as possible. Meanwhile, Devourers can be
combated with either long range attacks or close melee combat. Don’t hang around
at mid range, as their poison is a nuisance.
Explore the Canyon by following its edge, the Tomb of Tal Rasha will be located
somewhere on a cliff side. There are seven near identical entrances, and each
will display ‘Tal Rasha’s Tomb’ when it’s highlighted. However, only one of them
is the true tomb, while the others will contain a bunch of monsters and a
glowing
chest.
To find the true tomb, open your quest log and highlight ‘The Seven Tombs’
quest.
It will display the true symbol of Tal Rasha’s Tomb there. Find the entrance,
which has a matching, symbol to the one in your quest log, it’ll be the real
one.
However if you are not yet level 20, it is highly suggested that you explore
some
of the fake tombs for experience. They are all single level dungeons that give
some decent stuff. Once you’re ready, enter the true tomb.
Tal Rasha’s Tomb:
Tal Rasha’s tomb is much like ‘Halls of the Dead,’ except it now features
powerful versions of the original monsters; Burning Dead, Unravelers (Powerful
Hollow Ones), Preserved Corpses (Tougher Decayed Corpses) and Ghoul Lords, Gore
Bellies, and some cases, Specters and Steel Beetles (tougher Death beetles).
You will have met variations of most of these monsters before, so use the same
tactics against them as you did before. Cold works well against Unravelers,
Burning Dead and Preserved Corpses, shattering them so there are no corpses to
raise. Lightning and Physical damage is best against Ghoul Lords, while mages
should stay well away from Specters. Everyone should give Steel Beetles a wide
birth, and Gore Bellies are best dealt with by range.
There is one unique monster here, Ancient Kai the Soulless. He’s lightning
Enchanted, magic resistant and extra strong do beware. The best way to take the
guy down is by firing cold attacks from firing or Brute Physical force. Once
should of course eliminate his minions first.
Although Tal Rasha’s tomb contains only a single level, the level itself is
quite
large. You’ll often find Gore Bellies and Specters waiting directly behind a
door, so it’s best not to open one unless you have some life to spare. Watch out
for traps, and use area of effect skills whenever possible. Hack your way
throughout the tomb till you find a circular rune formation that resembles the
waypoint for Canyon of the Magi.
This is the place where you’ll need to say goodbye to the Horadric Staff. Click
on the ruins and drag The Horadric Staff onto the required slot and click OK.
After being treated to some interesting visuals, the door in front you will
crack
open, revealing a passageway to the true tomb of Tal Rasha. Be careful, and do
not enter till you’re ready. There is no going back.
Fighting Duriel:
Duriel, the Prince of Pain, waits upon the other side. He’s another minor evil,
but much more powerful than Andariel. Before you enter, buy plenty of health
potions to fill up your belt, you’ll need it. When you’re finally ready, launch
a
second portal incase you die (and you’ll almost certainly die once).
As soon as you descend down the crack in the wall, Duriel will be upon you.
There’s no retreating from this fight, since there’s no way back. Duriel is a
massive beast, able to deal rapid blows simultaneously with his two huge claws.
You’ll find that he can take down about 100 hitpoints in a second. He is also
quite resistant to all elemental attacks, and can deal a nasty chill attack
that’ll slow you down.
Due to the fact that you’ll be blue while combating Duriel, and that he’ll be
frozen for only about a second by a cold attack, hit and run tactics will not
work on him. It’s a pity, since Duriel has no missile weapons. Mercenaries may
help slightly here in distracting him so you can gather your wits, but they’ll
die in about 2 seconds. Make sure you always have a portal at the entrance of
his
lair, so that you can return with ease if you die. We’ll cover more on killing
the boss in our character tips.
Once Duriel is dead (make sure to get the items he drops first), you’ll be able
to walk through to door to the top left. Here you’ll learn the truth of what has
transpired and be given a portal back to Lut Gholein. Talk to Jerhyn and the
Massif, and you’re on your way to Act III.
The Golden Bird:
Recommended Level: 19-23
Quest Given By: A Jade Figurine
Location: Spider Forest
Difficulty: Easy
Reward: +20 to Max Life
Main Objectives: Kill Any Unique Monster
Introduction:
The Golden Bird is a short and easy quest, designed to get players adjusted to
the new set of NPCs. It involves just one area, and a minimal amount of combat.
Players are not given the quest, but rather it’ll pop up once you have the Jade
Figurine in your possession. With the new act, Mercenary mages are extremely
helpful. Their elemental attacks deal serious damage, and are definitely worth
the cost! Necromancers should avoid hiring cold mages though, since they’ll be
left with no corpses to raise.
To Find the Figurine:
The Jade Figurine is located somewhere within Spider Forest, in the possession
of
a ransom unique monster. In fact, the first Unique Monster you kill in Spider
Forest will drop the Figuring.
After exploring the town of Kurast, venture out into the wilderness. The Spider
Forest involves a confusing network of bridges, streams and trees. The most
common monsters here are Bramble Hulks, Thorned Hulks, the Fetish and Jungle
Hunters (Tougher Dune Hunters). You may also meet a few Glaoms (Tougher Wraith)
and Suckers.
Perhaps the most deadly of the above monsters are the Fetish, who can deal
surprising amounts of damage despite their size. Normal Fetish move at lightning
speeds, jabbing you with knives twice their size and shooting darts through
blowguns. The Shamans will attack with a high level Inferno, so avoid going near
them. Always kill the Shamans first, and then engage any Fetish that gets near
you. Area of effect spells are the most effective way to kill these guys, as
they
have a tendency to dodge targeted spells.
Treat the Thorned Hulks as the Gore Bellies you fought in act II, it’s
preferable
to deal with them using ranged attacks. The Jungle Hunters are no problem, while
Suckers should be killed as soon as possible.
In this fashion, explore the Spider Jungle. You will come across a hero monster
that sooner or later (yes any hero monster, the first one you fight). When he
dies, you’ll ‘quest tab’ will pop-up. Use the alt key and locate the Figurine
and
pick up. Now that you got what you want, return to town. You should only need to
explore around a quarter of Spider Forest.
Finishing the Quest:
Once you arrive in town, talk to Cain, he’ll tell you Meshif collects such
Figurines. Have a talk with Meshif at the docks, he’ll trade a Golden Bird for
the Jade Figurine. Now go talk to Cain again, and he’ll tell you to take the
Golden Bird to Alkor the alchemist.
Now go talk to Alkor, he’s located at the top of the town, The alchemist will be
overjoyed. Talk to him a second time and he’ll produce a unique potion on the
spot. The potion will grant you a permanent increase of 20 life, so drink it.
Quest completed.
Eye of Khalim:
Recommended Level: 20-23
Quest Given By: Cain
Location: Spider Forest
Difficulty: Normal
Reward: None
Main Objectives: Find Khalim’s Eye
Introduction:
’Khalim’s Will,’ while being the third quest of Act III, should actually be
attempted before the second quest. It spans nearly the whole of Act III much
like
the quest, ‘Horadric Staff,’ in Act II and hence will intertwine with a number
of
other missions. This short walkthrough will guide you to Khalim’s Eye.
Once you’ve completed the Golden Bird, return to Cain to get the quest. Once
again mercenaries will be helpful, as will poison resistance and antidote
potions.
To Find The Spider Cavern:
The Spider Cavern is located somewhere with Spider Forest, the first area of Act
III. Simply explore the area by moving upstream. There will be openings in the
thick jungle on either side, make sure to explore each of them. One of these
openings will contain the Waypoint to Spider Forest as well as non quest
dungeon, ‘Arachnid’s Lair.” The other will contain the entrance to ‘Spider
Cavern.’ The monsters here are exactly the same as those in the previous
mission,
so refer to it for killing the monsters.
Feel free to explore ‘Arachnid’s Lair’ if you wish, its a one level dungeon that
looks like and hosts the exact same monsters as Spider Cavern, allowing you to
prepare yourself and get experience. Keep moving upstream, and you’ll find
another break in the Jungle; this will lead you to the Spider Cavern.
Exploring the Spider Cavern:
The Spider Cavern hosts a two types of Giant Spiders inside, Flame Spiders and
Poison Spinners. Both are quite fast, and will engage you in an instant. Flame
Spiders are resistant to fire while Poison Spiders attack with poison (non too
serious though). They are fairly strong in combat, so it’s a good idea for mages
to avoid being surrounded. Fighters, however, will have no problem.
The Cavern itself is a one level dungeon of moderate size. Khalim’s eye will be
located in the ‘glowing chest’ of this dungeon. A dozen spiders and a unique
flame spider, ‘Sszark the Burning’, guards it.
‘Sszark the Burning’ resists fire, is extra strong and cursed. The best way to
tackle such a beast is with lightning or cold fired from afar. He’ll take a
decent number of hits, but shouldn’t prove to be a huge problem. It’s best to
lead out his minions first, so that you can deal with the boss alone.
Once Sszark is dead, go back town and Talk to Cain. The sage will be overjoyed
at
your new prize, but you still have three more things to find. Now your ready to
start Quest II.
Blade of the Old Religion:
Recommended Level: 20-24
Quest Given By: Hratli
Location: Flayer Jungle
Difficulty: Moderately Hard
Reward: Rare Ring, Free Mercenary
Main Objectives: Find and Retrieve the Gidbinn
Introduction:
’Blade of the Old Religion,’ is a quest of mediocre length. The whole of it is
set outdside, and hence you’ll be doing a lot of running and exploring. The
monsters you will fight can deal a large amount of fire damage, so fire
resistance will be helpful.
Once you have found the Eye of Khalim, talk to Hratli the Blacksmith. He’ll tell
you about the Gidbinn, which needs to be retrieved. Once your ready, return to
Spider Forest.
Locating Flayer Jungle:
A Necromancer sends a Bone Spear at a deadly foe.
While the Flayer jungle looks to be the third area on your waypoint list, it is
actually directly connected to Spider Forest. Explore upstream from Spider
Forest
and you’ll find a fork in the stream. One of the forks will lead to Flayer
Jungle
while the other goes to Great Marsh. Retreat if you enter Great Marsh, and
venture into Flayer Forest.
You will find the areas of Act III to be much less defined than those of the two
previous acts. The areas are no longer roughly square, and there is no narrow
passageway between one area and another. This makes navigation confusing, and
hence the auto-map is essential.
Exploring Flayer Jungle:
Flayer Jungle is very similar in layout to Great Marsh. You again walk along the
stream, and beside thick jungles. The Waypoint here is again located in side
passageway, so keep an eye out for openings in the jungle on either side
(basically make sure you explore both sides of a stream). You’ll also find an
entrance to a non-quest dungeon named ‘swamp pit,’ feel free to explore it for
extra experience.
While this place hosts many of the monsters in Spider Forest, you’ll find that
Flayers and Soul Killers now replace the Fetish. These tougher counterparts are
truly dangerous, and possess inhuman speed. Especially beware of the Shamans,
who’s Inferno can deal around 100 damage in 2 seconds. Never go near them unless
you can kill them outright. Hero variations of the shamans must be treated with
extreme caution. When fighting them, it’s a good idea to switch to a missile
weapon even if you are a warrior. You’ll also find Winged Nightmares and Slime
Princes, but they shouldn’t be a problem.
Continue your way upstream, as you look for more opening in the jungle. These
are
not too hard to find, and will always have two large stone columns at their
entrance. One of these openings will lead you to your destination, the Gidbinn.
Keep an eye out on the auto map, the weapon’s location is actually marked on it.
If it’s the correct opening, you’ll find a bunch of thatched huts after a little
walk. Here’s the entrance to the Flayer Dungeon, which you’ll need to visit for
Khalim’s Brain in the next mission, so note where it is for future reference.
A little more exploring around here and you’ll find an unlit bonfire that upon
being highlighted, will say, “The Gidbinn.” Prepare yourself for a fight and
light the fire. You’ll be faced with a Dozen Ratmen and a Unique Monster, ‘Haze
Growler the Hungry.’ The hero is surprisingly weak, and you can dispatch them
without any problems. Once ‘Haze Growler’ is dead, the Gidbinn will appear
Completing the Quest:
Take the Gidbinn and launch a Portal back to Town. Talk to Ormis, he’ll be
extremely happy and tell you to find Asheara. She’ll let you hire a mercenary
free of charge and direct you back to Ormis. Talk to Ormis again to receive a
randomly generated rare ring.
Brain of Khalim:
Recommended Level: 21-25
Quest Given By: Cain
Location: Flayer Dungeon
Difficulty: Moderately Hard
Reward: None
Main Objectives: Retrieve Khalim’s Brain
Introduction:
The Brain of Khalim is the second part of the quest ‘Khalim’s Will.” Located in
the Flayer dungeon, it is difficult, but shouldn’t take too long to complete.
Fire and Poison resistance are helpful in the completion of this quest.
You should have found the entrance to the Flayer Dungeon in our previous mission
guide. If not, search around where the Gidbinn was; it will be located somewhere
in close proximity.
Navigating the Flayer Dungeon:
As you would expect from its name, the Flayer dungeon contains mostly Flayers.
There’s also one new type of Flayer, the Undead Flayer. These tiny skeletons are
fast and deadly, as well as being a little tougher than their living
counterparts. You’ll be thankful that all undead Flayers attack with melee
weapons and there are no undead shamans. Despite this, treat Undead Flayers with
outmost caution, and never get yourself surrounded.
Other monsters you might face in the dungeon include Soul Killers, Gloom Bats
and
Water Watchers. Water Watchers are giant serpents that live in stagnant pools
within the dungeon. When you venture near, they’ll rear up from the water and
send bolts of poison flying your way. These guys are tough, but their poison
won’t do much if you have antidote potions around. Lightning Damage works the
best against the serpents. Gloom Bats are weak, and won’t be a problem.
The biggest threat however, is still the Flayers. It is foolish to rush into a
room filled with them. Instead lead them into confined passageways, so you can
deal with each on it’s own. The Shamans pose the most threat, shoot them down on
sight.
In this fashion slowly make your way through each level. The Flayer dungeon
consists of three separate levels of moderate size. The glowing chest that holds
Khalim’s brain is located somewhere on the third level. It is guarded by a horde
of Flayers as well as a leading hero, Witch Doctor Endugu.
Securing the Brain:
’Witch Doctor Endugu’ is deadly, and his Shamans minions only make things
harder.
The best idea here is to use a range weapon to lead them outside then retreat.
You should be able to single them out through the twisting passageways so each
can be dealt with alone. The Witch Doctor himself is Magic Resistant and fire
Enchanted, making him also invulnerable to fire and 75% resistant to all other
elemental attacks.
When you fight the Witch Doctor, take care. Mages will find certain death if
they
venture into the range of his Inferno. Instead stand back to launch spells or
use
minions. While this may take a while to kill him, it’s certainly better than
dying. Warriors should generally use missile weapons, but some classes have
other
options (see below).
Once the Witch Doctor is dead, you won’t have many problems clearing the rest of
dungeon. The glowing chest will contain various magic items along with Khalim’s
Brain. Launch a portal to town and talk to Cain. Half of Quest 3 is now
complete.
Lam Esen’s Tome:
Recommended Level: 21-25
Quest Given By: Cain
Location: Kurast Bazaar
Difficulty: Moderately Hard
Reward: +5 Attribute Points, Lower Prices
Main Objectives: Retrieve Lam Esen’s Tomb
Introduction:
This walkthrough is set on the basis that you have already retrieved the Brain
of
Khalim, and have found the waypoint in the Flayer Jungle. Resistance to any
elemental attack here will be conductive to long life… If your are level 23 or
lower, it is suggested that you first go back to Spider Forest and explore Great
Marsh before you embark on this quest. While Great Marsh doesn’t lead anywhere,
it offers two glowing chests of magical items and whole heap of experience.
To Reach the Kurast:
Once you’re ready, go back to Flayer Jungle and explore upstream. You’ll still
be
facing the Flayers and Soul Killers as before, so use the same tactics to kill
them as with the previous walkthrough. The area is large, but you will
eventually
reach Lower Kurast.
Thrashers, deadly variations of the Thorned Hulk, guard the Gate of Kurast.
Leading the team is Stormtree, who’s not only tough, but also lightning
enchanted
and slightly faster than his brethren. Retreat slightly so that Stormtree, being
faster, gets separated from his minions so you can tackle him alone. It’s best
to
use, but if that’s not possible, retreat to a narrow bridge so that you can
fight
them one at a time. Once they’re defeated, you can proceed to lower Kurast.
Navigating Kurast:
The city of Kurast is exceptionally large, split into three separate areas,
lower
Kurast, Kurast Bazaar and Upper Kurast. Once you’re in lower Kurast, be sure to
search the whole place, many of the abandoned cottages will have chests that
hold
magic items. In addition, you’ll be able to find a waypoint somewhere in this
part of the city.
You’ll be glad to know that you’re no longer fighting Flayers, instead Tree
Lurkers (Tougher Sand Leapers), Faithful, Doom Apes (Tougher Jungle Hunters,
Hell
Buzzards (Powerful Vulture Demons) and Zakarumites populate the place. The
Faithful and Zakarumites are both melee warriors of melee speed and will prove
no
problem. Hell Buzzards, Doom Apes and Tree Lurkers can be killed like their
counterparts. Simply make sure you have plenty of running space and not get
stuck
in rooms and you’ll have no problems.
Once the place is explored, proceed to Kurast Bazaar. Now launch a portal back
to
town to talk to Alkor. Once you’ve activated the quest, return to Kurast Bazaar
to finish it.
You’ll be fighting more Faithful, Zakarumites and Thrashers as well as the
possibility of Hell Swarms (Tougher Black Locusts). Use previous methods for
defeating them as you search for the waypoint to the Bazaar. Ignore the
entrances
to the sewer if you find it, the quest should be done later.
Retrieving the Tomb:
While the Tomb you need is said to be in one of the temples at Kurast Bazaar, it
is always located in The Ruined Temple. You’ll be able to find its entrance in
one of the large stone structures in Bazaar. Finding the right structure is
easy,
it’s the one guarded by tons of monsters and a bunch of deadly mages, the
Sextons.
The Sextons have three spells at their disposal, Blizzard, Lightning Bolt and
Teleportation. Guarding the Ruined Temple will be a dozen of these guys with
either a few champions or one hero sextant. Fighters should seek to engage in
melee combat as soon as possible, while mages may choose to attack from range.
Whatever the case, be sure to side-step whenever you hear the sound of
lightning,
this will allow you dodge most of their missiles. Details on defeating these
guys
are in our character tips.
Once the Sextons are dead, proceed into the Ruined Temple. The Ruined Temple is
a
very small dungeon populated by tough monsters, Wailing Beasts (Tougher
Gargantuan Beasts), Flesh Hunters (Tougher Corrupted Rogues) and Night Lords
(Tougher Ghoul Lords). The hero here is ‘Battle Maid Sarina’.
While Sarina and her minions are tough, you’ll have no problem as long as you
don’t charge into the chamber. Instead lead them out to the doorway, where you
can face them one on one. Watch for the Night Lords, these guys can cast Meteor,
dealing heavy damage. However it takes a while for the spell to land, so as soon
as you see a fiery flicker underneath you, move!
Once all the monsters are dead, take Lam Esen’s tomb. Cast a portal and talk
Alkor. Not only will he get all the merchants to sale their staff to you at a
cheaper price, but you’ll also get 5 free attributes points to distribute.
The Heart of Khalim:
Recommended Level: 22-26
Quest Given By: Cain
Location: Upper Kurast
Difficulty: Moderate
Reward: None
Main Objectives: Retrieve Khalim’s Heart
Introduction:
The Heart of Khalim is located within the Kurast sewers, which are below both
the
Kurast Bazaar and Upper Kurast. While there are four entrances to the sewers
(two
for each area), it’s easiest to enter via Kurast Bazaar. By now you should have
explored the Bazaar and retrieved the tome for Alkor.
You’ll be fighting plenty of monsters that deal Poison damage, so stock your
belt
of antidote potions. Take the waypoint to Kurast Bazaar and search the rest of
the area if you haven’t yet found an entrance to the sewers.
Navigating the Sewers:
The Sewers consist of two levels: the first is random and quite large, and the
second is preset and very small in size. Search through the first level of the
sewers; it features a complex of narrow streams and bridges.
The monsters that inhabit the sewers include Horadrim Ancients (tougher
Unravelers), Horrors, Gloombats, Undead Flayers and Stygian Watchers (tougher
Water Watchers). The horrors are simple, and often can’t reach you due to
streams
in the way. The Horadrim Ancients are barely tougher than the Unravelers in Act
2, and will be no match for your increased skills. Gloombats are fast, but have
little hit points while Undead Flayers can be killed the same way as their
living
counterparts.
The Stygian watchers are the most dangerous monsters here, they are quite tough
and can launch deadly poison at range. However these serpents are particularly
vulnerable to lightning, so any lightning-based attack is much preferred.
The entrance to Level 2 is guarded by a unique Gloombat, Icehawk Riftwing. He’s
cold enchanted and can teleport, providing extra resistance to cold spells and a
cold attack. Use area of effect skills to kill his minions. Icehawk himself is
fairly weak and will prove to be no problem for fighters. Mages should weaken
him
with spells before engagement. Once he’s dead, activate the sewer lever. The
entrance to level 2 will appear.
Taking of the Heart:
Level 2 of the sewers is small, a typical and most common layout is shown on the
right. Dried Corpses, Undead Flayers and Stygian Watchers guard the chest. Take
care not to get too near to the pool, so that you can lead out all the monsters
beside the pool. Destroy as many as them as possible first before venturing
further. This will save you from dodging all the Poison Bolts that those giant
serpents will launch at you.
Once you’re halfway around the pool, all the serpents will emerge. Antidote
potions here are extremely helpful. The best things against these serpents are
lightning-based spells or attacks, although any other missile attack will be
helpful. Once they are disposed of, proceed to the glowing chest. Inside is
Khalim’s Heart.
When exiting the sewers, you can easily take the original route or a different
exit. Take care though, as two of them will lead you to Upper Kurast, and you’ll
need to find its waypoint if you wish to save your progress. Talk to Cain to
complete the quest. Now there’s just one item left to collect: the flail.
The Blackened Temple:
Recommended Level: 22-26
Quest Given By: Ormis
Location: Travincal
Difficulty: Moderately Hard
Reward: None
Main Objectives: Kill All the Council Members
Introduction:
Killing the council members here actually completes two quests, ‘The Blackened
Temple’ and ‘Khalim’s Will.’ Finally it allows you to gain entry to the Durance
of Hate, which completes the first part of Quest 6.
This quest is dangerous due to the sheer amount of monsters that’ll be thrown at
you. You’ll be bombarded with Fire, Ice, Lightning and Poison, so all
resistances
will be a big help.
To Reach the Travincal:
There are two areas that you’ll need to navigate to reach Travincal, Upper
Kurast
and the Kurast Causeway. The former is populated by much the same monsters as
those is Kurast Bazaar, as well as Cantors (tougher Sextons) and (Zealots
(tougher Faithful). Kill the same way as you did before as you search through
the
area. There’s a waypoint as well as a few temples that you can explore, should
you need more experience. Once ready, proceed to the far side, here’s a passage
to Travincal.
The passage is the Kurast Causeway, a small area that features a few temple
Guards (tougher Jungle Hunters) and Heirophants (Tougher Cantors). It’s best to
kill the Heirophants first due to their ability to heal monsters. There’s
another
temple on either side for more experience. Simply proceed along the Causeway and
you’ll soon be in Travincal.
Navigating Travincal:
Travincal is a medium sized area that contains a dozen fairly large buildings.
Inside each resides Night Lords, Heirophants (Tougher Cantors) and Zealots.
Navigate the area with caution, you’ll know monsters are near is you get by any
comets our Blizzards.
It is usually best to simply charge at the mages, at least till they’re in your
viewscreen. Destroy the Zealots first if you’re a mage, the Heirophants and
Night
lords first if you’re a fighter. Keep yourself moving so that they can’t hit you
with their spells. If you have money to spare, a mercenary here is always good
for cannon fodder. Attempt to engage enemy spell casters in melee combat, even
if
you’re a mage.
Travincal houses many shrines, and it’s recommend that you make use of them.
There will usually be a Fire, Lightning or Ice Resistance shrine, they are
highly
useful, as they make one of your enemies nearly powerless.
It’s best to clear out as much monsters as you can before going to the Blackened
Temple. Explore the sides of Travincal first to find the waypoint, then proceed
towards to center of the far wall. Here lies the blackened temple, be prepared
for a fight.
Siege of Blackened Temple:
You’ll know you’re near blackened temple, it’s the largest structure around and
is surrounded by a stream. Within are around a dozen Water Watchers. The largest
threat however is the Horde on a monsters that’ll charge out from the temple.
There will be Night Lords, Heirophants and Zealot but most importantly, the
dozen
council members you are sent here to kill. Leading the council members are three
council heroes, Toorc Icefist (Cold Enchanted, Stone Skin), Geleb Flamefinger
(Extra Strong, Fire Enchanted), Ismail Vilehand (Extra Fast, Cursed). All three
are fairly strong and deadly. The other council members are no less dangerous,
and will be able to summon up to 3 hydras at once to annihilate you.
The best thing here to do is retreat! This will single the out so you don’t need
to take on everything at once. Ismail, being fast, will be singled out from the
crowd, kill him first followed by the fast Zealots before you face the rest of
the council members. Retreat from any summoned hydras and use gorilla warfare.
Both of the other two hero monsters will explode upon death, and can deal over
100 damage. If you’re a mage, make sure you are standing well away when you deal
the killing blow. Fighters should avoid engaging the council members and kill
the
supporting Heirophants first. Night Lords can be ignored, their comets are far
too easy to dodge.
One of the Council Members you kill will drop Khalim’s Flail, pick it up and
portal to town as soon as you see it. Talk to Cain and then merge it with other
artifacts of Khalim. The resulting flail is quite powerful, use it for the
duration of this battle if you wish.
Completing the Quest:
Once all the council members are dead, return to the Blackened temple and finish
off the rest of the monsters. Proceed inside and you’ll see the Compelling Glob.
Arm yourself with Khalim’s Will and destroy it. The entrance to the ‘Durance of
Hate will Appear.’ Go back to town and talk to Cain, both Quest 3 and Quest 5
are
now complete.
The Guardian:
Recommended Level: 22-27
Quest Given By: Ormis
Location: Durance of Hate
Difficulty: Moderately Hard
Reward: Allows Act IV
Main Objectives: Find and Kill Mephisto.
Introduction:
The last quest of Act IV is rather difficult, mainly due to the monsters rather
than the final boss. While Mephisto still poses significant threat, it is his
servants that you’ll need to beware of the most. Mephisto himself is tough, but
the poor AI allows you to destroy him with ease.
In order to kill Mephisto, a missile weapon is almost essential. If you’re not a
mage, it is suggested that you keep a lookout for a decent bow, just for this
quest. The walkthrough starts on the basis that the Compelling Orb is destroyed,
and that you have found the entrance to the Durance of Hate.
Navigating the Upper Levels:
The Durance of Hate consists of three levels, with Mephisto located on the
third.
Each level is of mediocre size, but may be slightly twisted and hence a little
more time consuming to navigate than other dungeons of the same size.
The upper levels (levels 1 and 2) host of Dark Lords, Undead Stygian Dolls
(Tough
Undead Flayers), Warped Ones (Tough Fallen), Cadavers (Tougher Plague Carriers)
and perhaps Wailing Beasts (Tougher Gargantuan Beasts). There are few monsters
in
the first level, but more in the second.
Attack each species as you would in previous quests. Keep moving to dodge
Firewall and Comets, engage Dark Lords first and avoid being surrounded by
Stygian Dolls or walking over a newly dead Cadaver. None of the monsters will
pose a big problem and you’ll find your war to level 2 in no time.
Here, search for a waypoint before proceeding to level 3. When you find the
staircase down, it is recommended that you summon a portal. The monsters below
are extremely tough, and there’s a chance that you could die.
Mephisto’s Minions:
Killing the monsters guarding Mephisto are perhaps the toughest aspect of the
quest, you’ll be faced with a Dozen Blood Lords (Tougher Night Lords) the moment
you enter Level 3. These guys are deadly, and extremely resistant to cold.
Engage
each lords separately and kill it before moving onto the next. You may need to
retreat back to level 2 several times before you can kill them all.
Once all the Blood Lords are dead, proceed to the top left. The doorway here
will
lead into a large chamber, which hosts the Hell Portal, your gateway to Act IV.
A
dozen Council led by three unique monsters guard the portal, they are fast and
deadly.
You’ll be facing three heroes at once, Bremm Sharkfist (Aura Enchanted,
Lightning
Enchanted), Maffer Dragonhand (Extra Strong, Extra Fast) and Wyand Voidfinger
(Mana Burn, Teleportation).
There’s very little chance of being able to take them all out at once, so your
best option is to retreat. Make sure you aren’t forwards toward the portal
(unless you have teleportation), or you’ll find yourself with nowhere to go.
Instead run back the Blood Lord Chamber in an effort to isolate Dragonhand. Kill
him first before you engage the rest. Leave Sharkfist till last, he only gets
dangerous when you hit him.
Summoned hydras will pose a big problem here, and it’s best to retreat if a
Council Member ever summons one. Your goal here is to separate them as much as
possible and to kill each one when he’s on his own.
Once all the Council members are dead, proceed cautiously through the doorway on
the left-hand side. Follow the chamber upwards as you skirt around the lake of
fire. Be prepared, Mephisto is just around the corner.
To Kill Mephisto:
Proceed into the chamber very slowly, you want to lead out just Mephisto, not
the
Blood Lords that reside in his treasury. As soon as you hear his chilling voice,
flee back to chamber . As long as you are fast enough, Mephisto’s poor AI will
cause him to get stuck at point X (see Minimap). He’ll be pacing back and forth,
unable to reach you.
Now retreat as far away from Mephisto as possible, until you can just see him on
the corner of your screen. Arm yourself with either a bow or long ranges spells
and attack him till he dies. Due to Ai Problems, Mephisto won’t cast any spells
as long as you don’t venture near him. It may take a while to kill him,
especially if the bow is not your best weapon, but it’s definitely the safest
way.
On to Act IV:
When Mephisto is dead, proceed into his chamber and go to where the treasury is
marked on our map. Dispose of the Blood Lords that guard it and open each chest,
they’ll be filled with gold and magical items. When you’re ready, step through
the portal to Act IV.
Fallen Angel:
Recommended Level: 23-28
Quest Given By: Archangel Tyriel
Location: Plain of Despair
Difficulty: Moderately Hard
Reward: 2 Extra Skill Points
Main Objectives: Find and Defeat Izual.
Introduction:
Act IV is not easy, featuring a deadly set of monsters. While it is shorter than
the other three, each of the three quests it contains will take more time. There
are only two areas with waypoint throughout the Act, and hence you’ll have to
play for a good amount of time if you want to make any progress. You may want to
leave a Town Portal when you enter a new area, so that you’ll not waste a long
time to retrieve your corpse.
Activate the first quest by talking to Tyriel. Now you’re ready for some fun.
The Outer Steppes:
Once you leave the Pandemonium, you’ll be in the Out Steppes. The area is
expansive, and has no waypoints, so keep plenty of Town Portal Scrolls. The
monsters you’ll face include Copulants, Doom Knight Fighters, Flesh Beasts, Doom
Casters, Venom Lords and Cliff Hangers (Tougher Tree Lurker). Treat the Doom
Knights and Venom Lords as regular melee warriors and deal to the Cliff Hangers
as you would to Tree Lurkers in Act 3.
If you have no Area of Effect spell handy, the Flesh Spawners will be a big
problem. Able to spawn little Flesh Beasts at an incredible rate, you can easily
overwhelm you. Meanwhile, the Copulates can spit corpses that deal great damage,
so they’re also a prime target.
Search the edge of the Outer Steppes for an exit to Plain of Despair, this may
take a while, and you’ll gain significant experience on the way. If you’re still
under level 24, it’s highly suggested that you explore the rest of the area as
well. Once you think you’re ready, take the staircase and proceed to the Plain
of
Despair.
Plain of Despair:
The Plain of Despair is equally large, and Izual is locate in a random position
within. Through your search, you’ll face more Doom Casters, Copulants, Doom
Knights and pretty much everything you’ve faced in Outer Steppes.
There may also be Burning Souls (Tougher Glooms). These horrors are extremely
dangerous, and will be visible only when they cast Lightning Bolt. Make sure
that
if you ever see one, kill it. They’re weak but can deal horrendous damage. When
they’re invisible, you can still detect their presence due to the fact that they
shed light. Keep a lookout, their invisible forms can be targeted.
In this fashion, search through the Plain of Despair. Again there is no
waypoint,
so you’ll have a long walk if you die. Explore cautiously, the last thing you
want to happen is to get surrounded.
Death of Izual:
Izual is a tough boss, surrounded by a swarm of monsters. While he walks at a
moderately slow speed, he is able to slow you down greatly with either Frost
Nova
or his Cold Attack. Make sure that you Dispose these guys before you attack
Izual.
If you have a ranged attack, it would be your best option. His Frost Nova has a
limited range, so you’ll have no problem evading him as long as you stay a fair
distance away. Do not bother much with Cold Spells or Missiles against Izual,
they are highly ineffective.
Aftermath:
Once Izual is dead, talk to his spirit. Cast a Town Portal and talk to Tyriel,
who’ll reward you with two extra skill points. Quest Completed. Before you exit
the game, it’s suggested that you proceed to the City of the Damned. There
you’ll
find a waypoint to save your progress.
This quest gives an indicator on how prepared you are to face the rest of Act
IV.
If you killed Izual without much trouble, then you’ll know that your are ready
to
proceed. However if Izual killed you half a dozen times first, gain more
experience in the Plain of Despair. The monsters you’ll face next are a lot
harder.
The Flesh Beasts are blessing rather than a curse to the Necromancer. These guys
provide ample corpses for you to explode. Use either a Blood Golem and Iron
Maiden, or a Iron Golem and Amplify Damage to clear the swarms of monsters. Kill
the Copulants first and save the Flesh Beasts till last.
When you face Izual, it’s prudent to kill his minions first. A great way to do
this is to use Attract, forcing Izual to kill his own men. The Corpses here are
great for inflicting serious damage on Izual. Once all the minions are dead,
your
Blood Golem will be able to deal to Izual himself (Iron Maiden will help).
Most of the monsters are easily destroyed with Glacial Spike. You may want to
switch to either Firewall or Nova against the Doom Knights, who are resistant to
cold. Nova’s also a great way to kill the annoying Flesh Beasts and their
spawns.
Hell's Forge:
Recommended Level: 24-28
Quest Given By: Cain
Location: River of Flame
Difficulty: Hard
Reward: Gems
Main Objectives: Destroy Mephisto's Soulstone
Introduction:
The second quest of Act IV is where danger starts to escalate, where you’ll be
faced with monsters more deadly than any you’ve faced before. The greatest
danger
here is the abyss knights, who can attack with fire, poison, cold or lightning.
All resistances will be highly helpful.
Again there will not be a second waypoint till you end the quest, and the areas
are expansive. A good supply of town portal scrolls is recommended. Due to the
reward for this quest, you may want to keep an eye out socketed items.
City of the Damned:
After you killed Izual, you should of located an exit from the Plain of Despair
into the City of the Damned and found a waypoint near the entrance of this area.
The City (or what remains of it) is another huge area. Next the waypoint will be
the entrance to the River of Fire. If you beat Izual without any trouble, then
proceed through. If not, you’ll want to scour the City for experience.
The City of the Damned hosts a horde of monsters similar to that of the previous
areas. New monsters in the area include the Damned (Toughest Misshapen) and Doom
Knights (Fighter Mage). Both of these monsters can shoot at range as well as
attack at close quarters combat, making them both equally deadly. The Doom
Knights come in four variations and can hurl either poison, ice, fire, or
lightning. The trick is to dodge their missiles and squirm into a good position
in which you can dispose of them with ease. With each able to do around 50
damage, you don’t want to be hit too much. Even though all Doom Knights attack
with poison in melee, your better off engaging them in hand to hand combat.
Once you feel that you have all experience you need, return to the waypoint; the
entrance to the River of Fire will be in close vicinity. Cast any defensive
enchantments you have before stepping into the hellhole. Better prepared then
dead.
River of Flame:
The River of Flame is one of toughest areas in the game, rivaling that of the
Arcane Sanctuary. It consists of several series of plateaus situated a fraction
above a sea of magma. The lava itself shoots periodic fireballs, which can set
the ground on fire. Why it can do this is completely unknown...
The monsters you’ll face here include the Abyss Knights (Tougher Doom Knights
with magical powers), Stranglers (Tougher Doom Casters), Grotesque (Tougher
Flesh
Spawners), possibly Urdas (Tougher BlunderBores), possibly Pit Lords (Slightly
Tougher Venom Lords), and Corpse Spitters (Tougher Copulants).
The Abyss Knights are your worst nightmare come true as they are able to deal
incredible damage with their elemental attacks. Often they will launch missiles
from the other side of the magma or from behind their brethren. If possible, run
up and kill these guys first. If you see their fire, keep moving. The minute you
stop, you’ll be a pincushion for magical needles.
Navigate the river of flame slowly, and explore every fork one at a time. Don’t
hesitate to retreat if things get tough. Chances are you’ll probably have to do
so a few dozen times. Kill the Abyss Knights first followed by the Grotesque
(More is explained for each character later in the character tips). The area
itself is extremely large, and it will take you a significant amount of time to
find the Hellforge.
If you come across an angel who commands you to wait then you have taken the
wrong road and completely missed the Hellforge. Backtrack and explore all the
side-forks. Caution will not be needed, but a hasty retreats will be required.
Overall it is fairly easy to find the hellforge, given time. If you don't know
if
it is the right place you soon will if a monster looking much like the Smith of
Act I comes charging at you with his knife at the ready. Consider yourself lucky
that he didn't bring his fork to help him with his snack.
Defeating the Armorer | Destroying the Soulstone:
The Hellforge is guarded by a swarm of monsters and Hephasto the Armorer (Extra
Strong, Cursed, Magic Resistant). As with all bosses, he is much easier to
defeat
without his minions. Try to lead out and kill as many of the minions as you can
first before you engage Hephasto. As soon as you enter the area and spot the
Armorer and his minions lead a hasty retreat and kill whatever follows you.
Slowly move back into the area and kill whatever spots you after it runs into
the
range of your weapon. If you do not dispose of everything before you reach the
Armorer, then repeat the process or draw the armorer out himself and kill him.
Hephasto himself is much faster than the smith in Act I, barely slower than your
run speed in fact. He has a incredible amount of hitpoints, and can deal up to
130 damage when you get cursed by amplify damage. It is a given that you will be
cursed if fighting him at close range. Magical Resistance provides him with 75%
resistance to all elements, rendering elemental attacks nearly useless. Again,
tips on how to kill him are included in our character tips.
Once Hephasto is dead, take the hammer he drops and do your best not to drop it
yourself on the way back to the hellforge, if your not already there. Eliminate
all the other monsters near the Hellforge. If you dont have Mephisto's Soulstone
with you then create a town portal and grab it from your stash before you hurry
back to complete your quest.Cast a town portal and take Mephisto’s Soulstone
from
your stash. If you don't have an identity scroll on you then you also need to
return to town in order to identify the hammer you picked up fromt he Armorer.
Once you have the soulstone and the Identified hammer you will need to place the
Soulstone on the Hellforge stand and hit it with the hammer. 3-5 Gems will be
dropped onto the surrounding area as a reward. You’ll receive at least one
Perfect Gem while the rest will range between normal to flawless in quality.
Once
you pick up the gems, the quest is complete. If you don't pick up the gems the
quest will still be over.
Before exiting the game, you’ll want to keep exploring the River of Flame.
You’ll
find a waypoint somewhere in the area, make sure you activate it before leaving
the game.