======= === === ======= === ======= ¦ \ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ \ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ -- ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ --- ¦ ¦ ¦\ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦/ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ \ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ = ¦ ¦ / ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ( ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ / ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ = ¦ ¦ \ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦/ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦\ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ -- ¦ ¦ ¦==== ¦ --- ¦ ¦ / ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ / ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ======= === === === ======= ======= ======= === === ======= === === ======= === ======= ======= ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ==== ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ --- ¦ ¦ ==== ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ --- ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ --- ¦ ¦ == ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ --/ ¦ == ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ -- ¦ ¦ ¦ \ ¦ ¦ ¦ --- ¦ ¦ == ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ \ ¦ == ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ -- ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦\ \ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ==== ¦ ¦==== ¦ ¦==== ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ \ \ ¦ ==== ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ \ \¦ ¦ === === ======= ======= ======= === === === ========= Dedicated to Jan and Frank, David and Eileen. ============================================================================= ¦ This walkthrough is copyrighted to Mister Sinister (2007) ¦ ¦ I don't mind it being lifted in its entireity, but if you do so, please ¦ ¦ make sure you give credit to the author (me) and DON'T pass it off as ¦ ¦ your own. Thanks ! ¦ ============================================================================= ============================================================================= ¦ ¦ ¦ INDEX ¦ ¦ ¦ ============================================================================= PART ONE CHOOSING YOUR CHARACTER PART TWO THE TOWN OF TRISTRAM PART THREE THE HELLFIRE EXPANSION PACK PART FOUR HELLFIRE-SPECIFIC QUESTS PART FIVE HELLFIRE-SPECIFIC SPELLS PART SIX HELLFIRE-SPECIFIC SHRINES PART SEVEN HELLFIRE-SPECIFIC BESTIARY AND CAPTAINS PART EIGHT HELLFIRE-PLOT ACCORDING TO THE SCRIBES PART NINE HINTS AND TIPS PART TEN ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ============================================================================= ¦ ¦ ¦ BEFORE WE GET STARTED ¦ ¦ ¦ ============================================================================= Yes, before we get started I just wanted to say a quick thank you to you for choosing to read my guide for Diablo: Hellfire. I try and put as much work and detail into my walkthroughs as possible, and it is always nice to get (ideally positive) feedback, so if you do have any questions, queries or HELPFUL suggestions (as sending me UNhelpful suggestions will just result in you getting ignored - perhaps after a chiding), then feel free to contact me by e-mailing me at shadowpath@hotmail.com. So - the game at hand. Diablo: Hellfire. Fantastic Game. The End. Wait a minute - you want ... what ? You want MORE ? Ok then ... Diablo and the Hellfire Expansion pack are simple-interface point-and-click, hack-and-slash adventure games where you select a character from one of the three that is on offer in the Diablo regular game, or the four available in the Hellfire Expansion Pack, and then get a' hackin' !! Your adventure starts in the town of Tristram, a town which has more than its fair share of secrets let me tell you. You arrive and swiftly learn that a lot has changed since last you were there ... little do you know just HOW much ... or what a huge part you will have to play in shaping forthcoming events. The game itself is very, VERY easy to play. You simply left-click on the things you want to hit, pick up, open or move, and right-click on the things you want to fry or heal with magic spells. What could be simpler !! ) Obviously it's a BIT more complex than that, but not much ... honest !! Here are the basic commands ... all of which can be found by pressing the F1 key at any time during play ... F1 Opens the Help Screen Escape Displays the Main Menu Tab Displays the Auto-Map Space Hides all Information Screens S Open your Spells and Skills Speedbook B Open your Spellbook I Open your Inventory C Open your Character Screen Q Open your Quest Log F Reduce Screen Brightness (aka Gamma Correction) G Increase Screen Brightness (aka Gamma Correction) Z Zoom Game Screen + / - Zoom In/Out of the Auto-Map 1 - 8 Use Belt Item 1 - 8 F5 - F8 Set Hot Key for Skill or Spell To move, simply click-and-hold the left mouse button to move in a given direction. If you want your character to move to an object/enemy, etc., then just click on that object/enemy. To interact with a character (which means to either speak with a friendly player, or strike an enemy character), simply left-click on them. To pick up an object, simply left-click on it. To strike at a target without moving, hold Shift and left-click the object or character you wish to strike at. To drop a specific amount of gold, right-click on a pile of gold in your inventory, and select how much of it you want to drop, in GP (Gold Pieces). HOT-KEYING You can "hot key" up to four skills or spells using the F5-F8 commands. To use this functionality (which is VERY very helpful I must admit), press S to call up your Spells and Skills Speedbook, and then move the mouse over the skill you want to hot key, and press either F5, F6, F7 or F8 to bind that command to that key. When you are in-game, pressing that key will make the bound skill or spell available to you immediately. Simply repeat the process (S, hover, press the key) to bind another skill to the same key (should you pick up more powerful spells, etc., etc.) ============================================================================= ¦ ¦ ¦ PART ONE ¦ ¦ CHOOSING YOUR CHARACTER ¦ ¦ ¦ ============================================================================= Obviously the single most important decision you will make in any game of this ilk is one of the very first - choosing your character. This is because you cannot change your player once you have started them. You can make new ones, sure ... and you probably will, but you cannot change this one ... So, without further ado, here are your choices !! ========================= - T H E W A R R I O R - ========================= The Warrior is a very strong, brutish and capable fighter. He likes to get stuck hip-deep in enemies and then slice them to pieces, wading through their battered corpses and bloodied bodies as he goes. In short, he's a nasty pig. Capable of wielding the most demanding of weapons, and heaviest of suits of armour the Warrior loves nothing more than the taste of battle, and the sound of his enemies screaming in agony as they expire upon his blades. STARTING ATTRIBUTES Strength 30 Magic 10 Dexterity 20 Vitality 25 Life 70 Mana 19 Armour Class 04 To Hit 60% Damage 1-1 MAXIMUM ATTRIBUTES Strength 250 Magic 50 Dexterity 60 Vitality 100 EFFECTS OF BOLSTERING ATTRIBUTES Strength +1 damage per 3 points Magic +1 mana per 1 points Dexterity +1 to Hit per 2 points, +0 Damage, +1 AC per 5 points Vitality +2 Life per 1 point BONUSES WHEN LEVELLING UP Life +2 Life per level Mana +1 Mana per level SPECIAL SKILL Repair This skill enables the warrior to perform repairs to his weapons and armour, thus negating the need to have Griswold repair them for you. HOWEVER, this skill comes at a high price, for every time you repair an item, its overall durability decreases. Griswold repairs items up to their original durability (but he cannot replace maximum durability lost as a result of your having used this skill), so use it wisely. WHY CHOOSE A WARRIOR ? Well the most OBVIOUS reason to choose a warrior would be because you like to hit things ..... a lot. You would be the type of person that would rather just pummel something into millions of little pieces with your fists and THEN ask it for directions than to begin with a nice cup of tea and cucumber sandwich. The Warrior's near TOTAL lack of skill with magic makes it an absolute necessity for him to be THE best when it comes to hand-to-hand combat, and I must say he does hold his own very well. A high-level warrior will be able to be completely surrounded by powerful enemies and batter them one-by-one with his combat skills. Statistically-speaking, the warrior gets the best benefits from the strength attribute when compared with the other character classes. This will enable your warrior character to wear the best suits of armour comparatively quickly when contrasted with the other classes. DRAWBACKS OF CHOOSING THE WARRIOR His near total lack of skill in magic is the most obvious. He will be able to learn the bulk of spells in the game, but his limited maximum mana means he will never be able to do so at higher levels - he just won't have the skill points needed to be able to read the tomes !! ===================== - T H E R O G U E - ===================== Mistress of Stealth and Subterfuge, the Rogue excels at anything involving a high degree of dexterity and nimbleness of finger and foot. She is swift to draw her bow, and swift to launch volleys of pain and death upon her enemies from afar. Though she lacks the absolute mastery of either weapon or magic (as the Warrior and Sorceror have already taken those areas), her power comes from her ability to blend the two elements into one. Thus, she is a formidable warrior both at close-quarters, at range, and with a magic spell in her midst. Her forte is undoubtedly her ranged attacking powers, however. Give her a bow, and she'll turn herself into a minigun awaiting your command to fire. STARTING ATTRIBUTES Strength 20 Magic 15 Dexterity 30 Vitality 20 Life 45 Mana 22 Armour Class 06 To Hit 65% Damage 1-1 MAXIMUM ATTRIBUTES Strength 55 Magic 70 Dexterity 255 Vitality 80 EFFECTS OF BOLSTERING ATTRIBUTES Strength +0 Damage Magic +3 Mana per 2 points Dexterity +1 to Hit per 2 points, +0 Damage, +1 AC per 5 points Vitality +3 Life per 2 points BONUSES WHEN LEVELLING UP Life +2 Life per level Mana +2 Mana per level SPECIAL SKILL Disarm Traps The Rogue has the power to disarm any trapped chests, sarcophagi, etc., that she encounters during her travels in the game. Beware, however, as it is only a CHANCE to disarm these items - it is not guaranteed. WHY CHOOSE A ROGUE ? Representing balance between the other two extremes - the Warrior and the Sorceror, the Rogue is a fierce character when armed with a bow and arrow, and can hold her own pretty well in close-quarters combat. However her general emphasis is on speed, and keeping her distance where possible from her enemies. She can blend magic and regular attacks in a good, solid balance, and with a potential maximum Dexterity (before modifiers) of 255, her chances of hitting enemies are virtually guaranteed, and her Armour Class should be VERY healthy indeed. So ... you would probably choose the Rogue if you wanted to be a jack of all trades and master of none ... or if you just wanted to play the only female character in the game. The Rogue is a balanced character, to be sure. DRAWBACKS OF CHOOSING THE ROGUE It is her balanced approach as a character that is both her greatest asset and her greatest downfall. Since she lacks the insanely high Magic Attribute of the Sorceror, and the insanely high Strength Attribute of the Warrior, her power comes from her pinpoint accuracy and resilience to being struck, meaning you have generally got to play her with your head or you'll get MUTHERED in close-quarters combat later on in the game. =========================== - T H E S O R C E R O R - =========================== The Sorceror is an absolutely dreadful hand-to-hand combatant. He can't swing a staff for beans, and gets battered every time he tries to defend himself. Give him a few magic books to leaf through, however, and you get the Sherman Tank of the game. Bolstered by the Mana Shield Spell, the Sorceror becomes a virtually undefeatable force of magic energy, able to stand up to Diablo himself with a smirk on his face. Focus on his strengths and you will have a weapon of mass destruction. Focus on his weaknesses, and you might as well be grabbing your ankles. STARTING ATTRIBUTES Strength 15 Magic 35 Dexterity 15 Vitality 20 Life 30 Mana 70 Armour Class 03 To Hit 57% Damage 1-1 MAXIMUM ATTRIBUTES Strength 45 Magic 250 Dexterity 85 Vitality 80 EFFECTS OF BOLSTERING ATTRIBUTES Strength +0 damage Magic +2 mana per point Dexterity +1 to Hit per 2 points, +0 damage, +1 AC per 5 points Vitality +1 Life per point BONUSES WHEN LEVELLING UP Life +1 Life per level Mana +2 Mana per level SPECIAL SKILL Recharge The Sorceror has the power to recharge staves, thus increasing their longevity during play. The only other character that can do this in the game is Adria, the Witch on the far-eastern side of the town. Be careful when using this power, however, as every time you recharge your staff, the maximum number of charges of whatever spell the staff is imbued with decreases, so you are ultimately damaging the staff as well as regenerating its power. Adria does NOT do this - she replenishes a staff up to its maximum number of charges with no penalty (aside from the cash it costs of course !!). WHY CHOOSE A SORCEROR ? Well, you definitely SHOULDN'T choose a sorceror because you like to hit things with your big staff - that really ISN'T his best selling point. Oh no. You would play the sorceror if you were more the "ah-HAH !! KABOOOOOOOOOOOOM !!" kinda "I like to click on things and watch them burst into flames" kinda dude. The Sorceror should be kept out of hand-to-hand combat (particularly earlier on in the game) AT ALL COSTS, or he WILL become mincemeat, guaranteed. Once he has learned the infamous Mana Shield Spell, however, the worm turns, and with his HUGE Magic Attribute, he can DECIMATE huge numbers of enemies in very short order with his magical powers. DRAWBACKS OF CHOOSING THE SORCEROR Well, basically he's CR@P at hand-to-hand combat !! He's slow, he has two left-feet, he doesn't know how to fight, he just smacks things as hard as he can and makes a poor "dink" kinda noise ... he's just pants basically. However if you can look past this and see him for what he is - basically a HUGE mana resource with a potentially LIMITLESS arsenal of magic powers at his disposal, then I think you might find him worth the time it takes to get used to him ;) ... and ... in the Hellfire Expansion Pack =================== - T H E M O N K - =================== The Monk - a character introduced purely for the Diablo: Hellfire Expansion Pack is a purebred fighting machine. He shuns the use of armour and weapons wherever possible, preferring to rely upon his own martial arts prowess instead. He has the gift of searching, enabling him to identify those items which fall to the floor and which might otherwise be lost to players for all time, and his ability to defend himself in hand-to-hand combat knows no equal amongst the other players. STARTING ATTRIBUTES Strength 25 Magic 15 Dexterity 25 Vitality 20 Life 45 Mana 22 Armour Class 07 To Hit 62% Damage 1-1 MAXIMUM ATTRIBUTES Strength 150 Magic 80 Dexterity 150 Vitality 80 EFFECTS OF BOLSTERING ATTRIBUTES Strength +1 damage per 3 points Strength no effect Magic +1 mana per point Dexterity +1 to Hit per 2 points, +x Damage per X points, +1 AC per 5 points Vitality +1 Life per 1 points BONUSES WHEN LEVELLING UP Life +2 Life per level Mana +2 Mana per level Damage +1 max damage per level (1-1, 1-2, 2-4) Mana +2 AC per level SPECIAL SKILL Search Identical to the spell of the same name, the Monk is able to highlight all the items that are lying on the ground for a short while, making them easier to spot, and thereby big-upping his profit-making potential. Who says monks have no concept of commerce !?!?! :) WHY CHOOSE A MONK ? Well in addition to the "wow, look ! A new character !!" feel that you will get from playing the monk initially, he does have a completely different ethic than the other players - his strength stemming from his martial arts prowess. He is actually better unarmed, and unarmoured believe it or not, and you will see him absolutely BATTER the enemies on the lower levels of the dungeon before he starts to get a pasting ... In addition, he benefits from having the Search Skill as a default option, and it certainly has to rank as one of the best skills considering it does not cost him anything to use it. DRAWBACKS OF CHOOSING THE MONK Well, whilst he is a completely different type of character, little can be done to change the fact that he is trying to muscle-in on an already well catered- for group in the Warrior, Rogue and Sorceror. Consequently he doesn't really offer THAT much that you cannot get from the others. However he does give that LITTLE bit of extra flavour to the game, and is certainly a welcome addition in my humble opinion ............. even if I never play him ... 'coz the Sorceror ROCKS ... ;) ========================= MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION ========================= Higher Strength means - more damage - you can wear better armour and wield cooler weapons Higher Magic means - normal mana potions restore more mana - you can read more spell books - spells have a greater effect, such as casting faster, lasting longer, or doing more damage Hence, if you have the option of an increase in mana or an item that increases magic so that mana goes up by the same amount, the second item (an increase in magic) is definitely better. Higher Dexterity means - better AC - higher to-hit - more damage - can wield the heavier bows Higher Vitality means - more hit points - normal heal potions (not full healing potions) restore more HP per potion ============================================================================= ¦ ¦ ¦ PART TWO ¦ ¦ THE TOWN OF TRISTRAM ¦ ¦ ¦ ============================================================================= Tristram - the town in which you start the game - was once a great place. They had a carnival, and regular fêtes where people would come and drop off their children, and elderly ladies would make jam and everybody would smile and be happy ... ... then, just recently, demons descended upon it and destroyed the vast majority of it. Over half the townsfolk were slain in a demented slaughterfest that swept the town, much like chuck-out down the town centre round our way. Now there are only eight villagers left in the town of Tristram .............. .................. nine in the Hellfire Expansion Pack ... so let's waste no time and introduce ourselves to them eh !! ============== CAIN THE ELDER ============== Also known as Deckard Cain, the Elder, or the creepy old guy that hangs around by the well, Cain can be found right in the centre of Tristram, standing by the well (whether it be brown or blue). He is a deceptively knowledgeable character who knows HEAPS about the denizens of the dungeon, the legends and tales you will encounter therein, the other townsfolk ... in fact pretty much anything !! If you can put up with his dodgy Scottish accent for long enough that is ... =./ Cain is able to identify any unidentified magic or unique items you pick up in the game at a cost of 100 Gp per item. Usually this works out as being a good investment, but smart money says save BEFORE shelling out to have him identify the item/s, as those which are negatively enchanted (e.g. the WEAK staff of bla or the BENT shield of ka-ching), can only be sold for 1 Gp, meaning you lose 99 Gp a pop on those. If you save before you speak with him, get him to ID everything, and then if you DID come a cropper and find out that he identified one or more items as being total POO, reload your game, drop those items and then only have him ID the ones that are worth selling on. Voilà !! Cain is responsible for giving you both the "Archbishop Lazarus" and "Diablo" Quests. USEFULNESS : 5/5 ANNOYANCE : 2/5 ======================= GRISWOLD THE BLACKSMITH ======================= Another Scottish resident of Tristram, bless him. Griswold is the resident Smith, and can rustle up quite a few tasty treats for you as the game moves along. His shop is just to the north-east of Cain, in the main square of Tristram. The only downside to dealing with Griswold (aside from his only marginally better than Cain's Scottish accent) is the PRICE of the things that he wants to sell you. I mean fine, I can appreciate that we are like ... his only living customer and everything ? But we're not MADE of money, y'know !?!?! Anyhow - aside from that Griswold is sound. As a tradesman, Griswold will buy any regular, magic or unique weapons (with the exception of magic staves, which he does not deal in), or armour from you. He can also repair any damaged weapons or armour that you have on your person, making him a VERY handy lad to know indeed !! Griswold is responsible for giving you both the "Magic Rock" and "The Anvil of Fury" Quests. USEFULNESS : 5/5 ANNOYANCE : 2/5 ================ PEPIN THE HEALER ================ Pepin the Healer has set up his shop on the western-side of the main square in Tristram, and you should pay him a quick visit if ever you come back to the town and are injured, as he will immediately replenish your health to its maximum amount free of charge, just as a thank you for speaking to him ! Sweet eh !! Pepin peddles an assortment of wares, all centred around healing. He sells potions of healing, potions of full healing, potions of rejuvenation, potions of full rejuvenation, and scrolls of healing. Later on in the game (as in when you enter Hell), Pepin will begin selling you elixirs as well (but we shall come to those later on). Pepin gives you the "Poisoned River Water Supply" Quest, and is instrumental in progressing Adria's "Black Mushroom" Quest later on in the game. USEFULNESS : 5/5 ANNOYANCE : 1/5 =============== ADRIA THE WITCH =============== Adria the Witch is the most removed member of the townsfolk you will be visiting on a regular basis. Her shack is aaaaaaaaaaaall the way to the east of the town, and you'll have to walk quite a distance to get there. In the Hellfire Expansion Pack, I would suggest you make good use of the "Jog" option they have thoughtfully popped into the town options menu for you, as it makes your character peg it like they're on fire, thus cutting down what is otherwise a rather arduous walk to make on a repeat basis. Adria will gladly buy any staves and potions you have on your person, and will sell you spellbooks, scrolls, potions of mana, potions of full mana, magic staves and (in the Hellfire Expansion only) runes. When you enter Hell, she will begin peddling (along with Pepin) elixirs for your use as well, but we'll come to that in due course. Adria can also replenish any magical staves you have on your possession, so if you find one that you like but you run out of charges in it ? Bring it to her and, for a fee, she will gladly replenish it to its maximum number of charges for you ... Adria is responsible for giving you the "Black Mushroom" Quest. USEFULNESS : 5/5 ANNOYANCE : 4/5 (just from having to walk as far in Diablo !!) 1/5 (in Hellfire ... 'coz you can jog) ====================== OGDEN THE TAVERN OWNER ====================== Ogden and his wife Garda run the "Tavern of the Rising Sun" - the Tristram Inn, located on the northern-side of the main square in Tristram and, not surprisingly, he appears to have had rather a downturn in his business of late. Ogden is a pleasant-enough chap, but there is no point in speaking with him beyond picking up quests from him, as he cannot sell you anything, nor can he buy anything off you. Ogden is responsible for giving you the "Curse of King Leoric" and "Ogden's Sign" Quests. USEFULNESS : 2/5 ANNOYANCE : 1/5 ======================= WIRT THE PEG-LEGGED BOY ======================= Wirt, the peg-legged boy, is a Wheeler Dealer who buys and sells goods of dubious origin (as quoted by Griswold). He used to be a nice, playful kid, but having lost his leg in a painful altercation with some demons, he has lost that side of his personality and become a money-grubbing little wide boy. You can find Wirt all the way to the west of Tristram, amidst the rocks past the church to the west. Wirt will trade items with you, but whatever he tries to sell you will be fantastically expensive. Sometimes his goods are worth the price, but much of the time you WILL get ripped-off, so ALWAYS save before buying anything from him or risk CONSIDERABLY annoyance. Wirt gives you no quests. He's greedy like that. USEFULNESS : 1/5 ANNOYANCE : 3/5 =================== GILLIAN THE BARMAID =================== Gillian the Barmaid cares for her psychic grandmother, in a house to the west of the Tavern of the Rising Sun. She is a pleasant girl, who serves absolutely NO useful purpose WHATSOEVER. She doesn't give you any quests, she doesn't sell you anything, she doesn't buy anything from you - there is only one character more annoying than Gillian in the game and that is Farnham, as at least Gillian talks sense, and gives you her honest opinion about anything you discuss with her. Gillian doesn't give you any quests. Perhaps she's too busy tending to her grandmother, poor love. USEFULNESS : 0/5 ANNOYANCE : 4/5 ================= FARNHAM THE DRUNK ================= This USELESS b@stard can be found sitting by himself, getting tanked, to the south-east of the main square of Tristram. Granted, Farnham has had his fair share of troubles in his time - he was part of the party that the Archbishop Lazarus tried to rustle up to accompany him down into the dungeons to save Prince Albrecht - King Leoric's son who had apparently been kidnapped by the demons, but Farnham lost his mind when he saw his friends and fellows being hewn to pieces by the demonic Butcher Demon that lives underneath the Chapel, and it has driven him to drink quite a bit. Now I'm not an unsympathetic kind of guy ... but that does NOT excuse the fact that Farnham is a COMPLETELY USELESS DOODOOHEAD with absolutely NOTHING useful OR interesting to say about ANYTHING. If I could choose to erase one video games character from existence for all time ? It would be one of the Power Rangers for SURE ... but if I could choose to erase TWO ? The second would be Farnham, GUARANTEED. Farnham doesn't give you any quests BECAUSE HE'S USELESS. USEFULNESS : -500/5 ANNOYANCE : 5000/5 ================= LESTER THE FARMER ================= Lester, the Farmer, is only available for interaction with in the Hellfire Expansion Pack. He is a friendly but slightly dim farmer that tends his herd of cows (who are CONSIDERABLY more fun to be around than him) to the north-west of Adria's shack, east of Tristram. You can speak with him at your leisure, but he will not give you the quest he has to one side for you - "the Farmer's Orchard" Quest - until you have at least cleared the Catacombs of monsters, as he doesn't want to trouble you with it ... basically he doesn't have any confidence that you won't screw it up !!!!! USEFULNESS : 2/5 ANNOYANCE : 2/5 ============================================================================= ¦ ¦ ¦ PART THREE ¦ ¦ THE HELLFIRE EXPANSION PACK ¦ ¦ ¦ ============================================================================= In an effort to beef up the Diablo Title (did it NEED any more beef !?!?!), the Hellfire Expansion Pack was released by Sierra. Boasting another player character, the addition of another level of Spells, as well as Oils and Runes, additional missions, new levels and badder monsters to face-off against to name but a few, it is really quite a decent Expansion Pack (and is an OFFICIAL Expansion Pack for anybody that's curious about that) ;) So !! Once the Hellfire Expansion Pack is installed you will find that you have the option of porting across any of your existing Diablo Characters, if you wish. ================== VERY IMPORTANT TIP ================== In order to "convert" your existing character from Diablo to Hellfire, you will need to change the file extension of the file that represents your character's save file. I would STRONGLY suggest that you take a copy of the original file so that you can have both your original Diablo Character available for play in regular Diablo, AND your newly-ported Hellfire Character available to you - just in case you think Hellfire is a pile of plop, and want to go back to Diablo. Once you have ported a character from Diablo to Hellfire, you CANNOT bring them back to regular Diablo - that just won't work. So, without further ado, let's run through the modifications that Hellfire brings to the Diablo experience !! ============= NEW CHARACTER ============= Although I have already gone through him in reasonable detail, just to recap, the Monk is the additional player-character that is introduced in the Hellfire Expansion Pack. ========= NEW NPC'S ========= Lester the Farmer has been introduced into Tristram to facilitate the new missions you will be able to undertake as a part of the Hellfire experience. ==== OILS ==== In Hellfire, you have the ability to pick up oils which are dropped in little jars either by monsters or from chests, etc. Here is a list of the oils and their effects :- Blacksmith's Oil - Restores 20% of the durability of an item/weapon Oil of Accuracy - Increases a weapon's chance to hit Oil of Sharpness - Increases a weapon's damage potential Oil of Death - Increases a weapon's damage potential, but does not have any effect on bows Oil of Fortitude - Increases a weapon's current and max. durability Oil of Mastery - Greatly increases a weapon's chance to hit Oil of Skill - Reduces attributes needed to use armour/weapon Oil of Hardiness - Increases the Armour Class of Armour and Shields Oil of Hardening - Increases the Armour Class of Armour and Shields Oil of Imperviousness - Greatly increases the Armour Class of Armour and Shields ===== RUNES ===== Another new addition in Hellfire are runes. Similar to oils insofar as they are dropped either by monsters or from chests and other receptacles, runes can be placed on the screen as traps, which are activated by somebody coming into contact with them. BE WARNED THIS COULD BE YOU if you're not careful ! You don't throw runes per se - you set them, so you can set one and place it on a monster in your line of sight no problem at all - bear that in mind ;) Here are the runes and their effects Rune of Fire - Sets Fire Trap Greater Rune of Fire - Sets Immolation Trap Rune of Lightning - Sets Lightning Trap (Single square wall of lightning) Greater Rune of Lightning - Sets Nova Trap Rune of Stone - Sets Petrification Trap ============ NEW MISSIONS ============ Whilst I will go into far greater detail about these in section ten - quests, it is worth mentioning that there are THREE new missions for you to undertake in Hellfire, being :- The Farmer's Orchard; The Defiler; and Na-Krul ========== NEW LEVELS ========== You are able to venture into the Hive (aka the Nest) - an area under Tristram where weird tentacles have started growing out of the ground (see Lester to get into that area), and the Crypt (aka the Tomb) - the resting place of Na-Krul - a BADASS dude with a BADASS attitude. I will go into more detail about these in section ten - quests, as you cannot technically get into the areas without starting the Hellfire Quests, so it is something of a moot point at this time. =========== NEW ENEMIES =========== There are a fair few new enemies in Hellfire as well. I have included them in a separate Bestiary at the end of my regular Diablo Bestiary, and again in the Captains Section, but to give you a smattering, there are Hellboar (which you see in the introduction to Hellfire), Stingers (which are, again, visible in the introduction), Felltwin (twin-headed mutants), Liches and a whole host of others. ========== NEW BOSSES ========== The Defiler and Na-Krul are the new bosses of Hellfire, and compliment the existing bosses - Archbishop Lazarus and Diablo - very well indeed. =============== NEW STORY TOMES =============== I have written these into section fourteen for you. ============================================================================= ¦ ¦ ¦ PART FOUR ¦ ¦ HELLFIRE-SPECIFIC QUESTS ¦ ¦ ¦ ============================================================================= ==================== THE FARMER'S ORCHARD ==================== INDICATOR There is no indicator for this quest per se, as the quests in Hellfire are all mandatory if you want to complete the Expansion Pack itself. The best I can say is that you need to go to Lester the Farmer and he will start you off ... TRIGGER Speaking with Lester the Farmer will see him give you one of an assortment of answers, depending on how far through regular Diablo's quests and levels you have progressed. If you are still in the Dungeons or the Catacombs, he will not give you the quest. He says that you must clear out the Catacombs of monsters before he will divulge what his problem is to you ... ... I can tell you what his problem is right now if you like - it's those CLOTHES !?!?! Anyhow. Once you have cleared out the Catacombs, Lester will tell you that he has got a problem insofar as some very strange vine-like tentacles have started growing out of the ground to the south-west of his present position, and that they are SERIOUSLY hampering his ability to tend to his flock of cows. The cows won't go near them, and it's all just a big mess. He wants to know whether you would be able to take a Rune Bomb (which he gives you to), and blow up the tentacles. SOLUTION Take the Rune Bomb Lester gives you, walk to the south-west, and use the Rune Bomb on the tentacles. Then go back and speak with Lester, to get ... PRIZE The Auric Amulet. It is an amulet which enables the person wearing it to carry twice as much gold as they normally would be able to, so instead of a maximum of 5,000 Gp per square in your inventory, you will be able to carry 10,000 Gp per square, as long as you keep wearing the amulet. The amulet can be sold for a MASSIVE 25 Gp, and is not all that good in my humble (but jaded) opinion. =========== THE DEFILER =========== INDICATOR As with the Farmer's Orchard, this is a mandatory quest - you don't get an indicator for it per se - it kicks off as soon as you descend into the Hive from Lester's Orchard. TRIGGER Entering the Hive triggers this quest, as the Defiler - the ruler of the Hive - speaks to you directly. SOLUTION You must work your way down into the Hive until you reach level four. I would suggest paying particular attention to whichever level (and it is usually level three) that you find the Hork Spawn on. This is because there will be a unique monster kicking about called the Hork Demon that towers above you, and can prove to be quite a challenging opponent in his own right to be honest. Once you reach level four, the Defiler calls out with a threat to you again, and you should be forewarned that he (the Defiler) is NOT bound in any sort of area on level four - he's just waiting for you somewhere random ... =========== THE DEFILER =========== The Defiler is a very large, Preying Mantis-like monster with very sharp and pointy claws which he uses to strike at you. He is quite stupid, however, and has difficult navigating around pods on the level, so if you have left a few it may be possible to actually trap him and make this one of the easiest boss fights in the entire game !! He is vulnerable to fire, so I pelt him with Fireballs until he dies, poor lad. He scuttles around reasonably quickly, so I would suggest you avoid letting him pin you in a corner personally ... but whatever turns you on !! ;) PRIZE Once the Defiler has fallen, he drops a Cathedral Map which is a very handy map that probably came from Alice in Wonderland somewhere - open it up if you don't believe me ... see ?? It even tells you where to put it !!!!! :) The Cathedral Map is the only way to get into the Crypt, which is where you should be going next ... ======= NA-KRUL ======= INDICATOR Again, as with the previous two Hellfire quests, this is a mandatory quest, and must be completed in order to finish the Hellfire Expansion Pack. TRIGGER Hokay - you have the Cathedral Map yep ? You need to Town Portal back to Tristram, and then head into the graveyard to the north-west of Lester and his cows. There you will find (and you can double-check exactly where on the map should the fancy take you) a crypt upon which you should place the Cathedral Map. Once the Map has been used, the crypt will swing open to reveal a set of steps leading down. Take them !! You can activate the Na-Krul quest by either reading one of the many journals in the Crypt, picking up and reading the torn note to the Cornerstone of the World (which you will find lying around in the Crypt), or failing that, by reading the reconstructed Cornerstone of the World note, which is created when all three of the torn notes are reunited. SOLUTION The solution is very simple - find and kill Na-Krul !! He's on the fourth level of the crypt, and there are three ways of getting in there to do battle with him :- A) The fair way - play through the whole of the crypt, learn the secret to opening up his lair and weakening him, and beating him DOWN; B) The harder-than-necessary road - just walk up to his lair, yank the three levers outside in any old order, and battle him; or C) The sinister way - head up (on level four) to his lair, and activate the levers in the following order :- 1) In Spiritu Sanctum 2) Praedictum Otium 3) Efficio Obitus ut Inimicus Doing so will release Na-Krul from his lair, but weaken him considerably so that you can beat him down with comparative ease. ======= NA-KRUL ======= As with Diablo before him, Na-Krul is not immune to fire, and I would urge you to keep this in mind as you're readying your Fireball Spell. A few good shots after the right combination of lines to gain access to his lair in the first place, and this boy is going DOWN. Unfortunately if you've made the job of taking him out harder on yourself by botching up the lines of text above, then you are in for quite a surprise, as Na-Krul at full strength is hard as nails, not to put too fine a point on it ... He attacks with fists, and the nasty tentacles on his shoulders, and can quite easily turn you into human paste if you're not careful. PRIZE Once he has fallen you can pick up the THREE random magical items or weapons that he drops and, most precious of all, the Tome of Apocalypse (which will add that VERY very nice and powerful spell to your repertoire !!) ============================================================================= ¦ ¦ ¦ PART FIVE ¦ ¦ HELLFIRE-SPECIFIC SPELLS ¦ ¦ ¦ ============================================================================= - L E V E L F I V E - Please note that Level Five Spells are ONLY available in Hellfire - regular Diablo only has four levels of Spells. NAME : LIGHTNING WALL DESCRIPTION : Identical to the Fire Wall spell, except with Lightning instead of fire. It has the same benefits, and the same pitfalls of the Fire Wall spell, so be warned ;) SINISTER RATING : 4/5 NAME : IMMOLATION DESCRIPTION : This is the flaming equivalent of the Nova Spell. It releases an ever-expanding circle of fireballs that spell certain DEATH to anybody foolish enough to be standing in close proximity to you when they go off. Unleash them in confined spaces to maximise the damage. SINISTER RATING : 5/5 NAME : WARP DESCRIPTION : The Warp spell is REALLY quite handy to be honest. It will teleport you to the nearest exit from your level, based on your present location (so always check your minimap before you cast it). This can enable you to leg it away from your enemies in MORE than double-quick time ... coolies !! :) SINISTER RATING : 5/5 NAME : REFLECT DESCRIPTION : Causes a percentage of damage sustained to be returned to the attacker, which is GREAT against those bullies that like to get up close and batter you ... SINISTER RATING : 4/5 NAME : BERSERK DESCRIPTION : Causes any monster that has this spell cast upon it to enter a blood frenzy, and attack anybody nearby - whether that be you or another monster. Unfortunately its duration is short, but you can put it to good use in certain circumstances - like when there are HEAPS of monsters around ;) SINISTER RATING : 3/5 NAME : RING OF FIRE DESCRIPTION : Generates a ring of fire around your character (there's a clue in the name, granted) which lasts much like a Wall of Fire spell, but is MUCH cooler to look at in my humble opinion, as you can pretend you're in Mortal Kombat or something !! Just whack that CD into the player and away you go !! Doo doo DOO DOO Doo doo DOO DOO. SINISTER RATING : 5/5 NAME : SEARCH DESCRIPTION : One of the most useful spells in the game to be honest with you - this highlights any items that are lying on the ground with a blue aura, making them easier to see (although still IMPOSSIBLE to see if they are behind the non-fading earthen walls of the Caves - grrrrrrrr). You will find you make a fair bit more money if you use this spell judiciously, as you'll pick up on objects that you'd just walk straight past without it ! This spell, incidentally, is IDENTICAL to the Monks' natural power, so if you're a Monk ? This spell is USELESS to you. SINISTER RATING : 5/5 ============================================================================= ¦ ¦ ¦ PART SIX ¦ ¦ HELLFIRE-SPECIFIC SHRINES ¦ ¦ ¦ ============================================================================= ... or should that say SHRINE - there's only one as far as I'm aware !! ;) Shimmering Shrine QUOTE : Spiritual energy is restored EFFECT : Mana is restored to full (I believe this shrine is only available in the Hellfire Expansion Pack) ============================================================================= ¦ ¦ ¦ PART SEVEN ¦ ¦ HELLFIRE-SPECIFIC BESTIARY AND CAPTAINS ¦ ¦ ¦ ============================================================================= Here is a list of all the races that I have found whilst playing Diablo: Hellfire, together with notes on their resistances, immunities and average hit points. If you can fill in any of the blanks, please let me know and I shall give you full credit for your submissions =) ============================================================================= ¦ RACE ¦ RESISTANCES ¦ IMMUNITIES ¦ AVG HP ¦
=============================================================================
¦                        ¦                   ¦                   ¦          ¦
¦ Arachnon               ¦                   ¦                   ¦          ¦
¦ Arch Lich              ¦                   ¦                   ¦          ¦
¦ Biclops                ¦                   ¦                   ¦          ¦
¦ Bone Demon             ¦                   ¦                   ¦          ¦
¦ Brute                  ¦                   ¦                   ¦          ¦
¦ Crypt Demon            ¦                   ¦                   ¦          ¦
¦ Devil Kin              ¦                   ¦                   ¦          ¦
¦ Felltwin               ¦                   ¦                   ¦          ¦
¦ Firebat                ¦                   ¦                   ¦          ¦
¦ Flesh Thing            ¦                   ¦                   ¦          ¦
¦ Grave Digger           ¦                   ¦                   ¦          ¦
¦ Hellbat                ¦                   ¦                   ¦          ¦
¦ Hellboar               ¦                   ¦                   ¦          ¦
¦ Hork Spawn             ¦                   ¦                   ¦          ¦
¦ Lashworm               ¦                   ¦                   ¦          ¦
¦ Lich                   ¦                   ¦                   ¦          ¦
¦ Necromorb              ¦                   ¦                   ¦          ¦
¦ Psychorb               ¦                   ¦                   ¦          ¦
¦ Reaper                 ¦                   ¦                   ¦          ¦
¦ Satyr Lord             ¦                   ¦                   ¦          ¦
¦ Skullwing              ¦                   ¦                   ¦          ¦
¦ Spider Lord            ¦                   ¦                   ¦          ¦
¦ Stinger                ¦                   ¦                   ¦          ¦
¦ The Shredded           ¦                   ¦                   ¦          ¦
¦ Tomb Rat               ¦                   ¦                   ¦          ¦
¦ Torchant               ¦                   ¦                   ¦          ¦
¦ Venomtail              ¦                   ¦                   ¦          ¦
¦                        ¦                   ¦                   ¦          ¦
=============================================================================

Kill 15 of a given enemy and you learn their resistances and immunities
Kill 30 of a given enemy and you learn their hit points

=============================================================================
¦                                                                           ¦
¦                                  CAPTAINS                                 ¦
¦                                                                           ¦
=============================================================================

So ... we have covered the various races that you may well encounter during
your travels in Diablo, but now let's take a look at their Captains.  To the
best of my knowledge, each race has one or more captains.  That being said
my list is not complete, so it may be that SOME races don't actually have a 
captain ... but ANYWAY - here is my list ...

=============================================================================
¦ CAPTAIN'S RACE         ¦ CAPTAIN'S NAME              ¦   FOUND ON LEVEL   ¦
=============================================================================
¦                        ¦                             ¦                    ¦
¦ Arachnon               ¦                             ¦                    ¦
¦ Arch Lich              ¦                             ¦                    ¦
¦ Biclops                ¦                             ¦                    ¦
¦ Bone Demon             ¦                             ¦                    ¦
¦ Brute                  ¦                             ¦                    ¦
¦ Crypt Demon            ¦                             ¦                    ¦
¦ Devil Kin              ¦                             ¦                    ¦
¦ Felltwin               ¦                             ¦                    ¦
¦ Firebat                ¦                             ¦                    ¦
¦ Flesh Thing            ¦                             ¦                    ¦
¦ Grave Digger           ¦                             ¦                    ¦
¦ Hellbat                ¦                             ¦                    ¦
¦ Hellboar               ¦                             ¦                    ¦
¦ Hork Spawn             ¦ Hork Demon                  ¦                    ¦
¦ Lashworm               ¦                             ¦                    ¦
¦ Lich                   ¦                             ¦                    ¦
¦ Necromorb              ¦                             ¦                    ¦
¦ Psychorb               ¦                             ¦                    ¦
¦ Reaper                 ¦                             ¦                    ¦
¦ Satyr Lord             ¦                             ¦                    ¦
¦ Skullwing              ¦                             ¦                    ¦
¦ Spider Lord            ¦                             ¦                    ¦
¦ Stinger                ¦                             ¦                    ¦
¦ The Shredded           ¦                             ¦                    ¦
¦ Tomb Rat               ¦                             ¦                    ¦
¦ Torchant               ¦                             ¦                    ¦
¦ Venomtail              ¦                             ¦                    ¦
¦                        ¦                             ¦                    ¦
=============================================================================


=============================================================================
¦                                                                           ¦
¦                                PART EIGHT                                 ¦
¦                  HELLFIRE-PLOT ACCORDING TO THE SCRIBES                   ¦
¦                                                                           ¦
=============================================================================


Journal       The Meeting

I have tried spells, threats, abjuration and bargaining with this foul creature,
to no avail.  My methods of enslaving lesser demons seem to have no effect on 
this fearsome beast.

Journal       The Tirade

My home is slowly becoming corrupted by the vileness of this unwanted prisoner.
The crypts are full of shadows that move just beyond the corners of my vision.  
The faint scrabble of claws dances at the edges of my hearing.  They are 
searching, I think, for this journal.

Journal       His Power Grows

In its ranting the creature has let slip its name - Na-Krul.  I have attempted 
to research the name, but the smaller demons have somehow destroyed my library.
Na-Krul... the name fills me with a cold dread.  I prefer to think of it only as
the creature, rather than ponder its true name.

Journal       Na-Krul

The entrapped creature's howels of fury keep me from gaining much needed sleep.
It rages against the one who sent it to the void, and it calls foul curses upon 
me for trapping it here.  Its words fill my heart with terror and yet I cannot 
block out its voice.

Journal       The End

My time is quickly running out.  I must record the ways to weaken the demon, and
then conceal that text, lest his minions find some way to use my knowledge to 
free their lord.  I hope that whoever finds this journal will seek the 
knowledge.

The Torn Note in Hellfire reads ...

And in the year of the Golden Light, it was so decreed that a great cathedral be
raised.  The cornerstone of this holy place was to be carved from the 
translucent stone Antyrael, named for the Angel who shared his power with the 
Horadrim.

In the year of drawing shadows, the ground shook and the cathedral shattered and
fell.  As the building of catacombs and castles began, and man stood against the
ravages of the Sin War, the ruins were scavenged for their stones, and so it was
that the cornerstone vanished from the eyes of man.

The stone was of this world, and of all worlds, as the light is both within all 
things and beyond all things.  Light and unity are the products of this holy 
foundation, a unity of purpose and a unity of possession.

The Reconstructed Note in Hellfire reads ...

Whoever finds this scroll is charged with stopping the demonic creature that 
lies within these walls.  My time is over ... even now, its hellish minions claw
at the frail door behind which I hide.

I have hobbled the demon with arcane magic and encased it within great walls, 
but I fear that will not be enough.

The spells found in my three grimoires will provide you protected entrance to 
his domain, but only if cast in their proper sequence.  The levers at the 
entryway will remove the barriers and free the demon; touch them not!  Use only 
these spells to gain entry, or his power may be too great for you to defeat.

=============================================================================
¦                                                                           ¦
¦                                PART NINE                                  ¦
¦                              HINTS AND TIPS                               ¦
¦                                                                           ¦
=============================================================================

===========
TOWN PORTAL
===========

   Do your best to try and learn the Town Portal Spell as soon as possible,
   as it will save you HUGE amounts of time in the long-run walking back to
   the town and selling all your clobber.  Always make sure you carry at least
   one full mana recharge potion on your person (unless you are playing the 
   Sorceror, in which case a regular mana recharge potion will suffice), so 
   that you can cast Town Portal and get the HELL outta thar when you need to.

===============================
PLEASE STAND CLEAR OF THE DOORS
===============================

   Take care when slaying your enemies, as the bodies of fallen foes can block
   doorways, meaning you can no longer close the doors over them.  This can 
   pose a number of problems for you, as lower-level enemies cannot open doors
   and can be routed around the dungeon on that basis.

   Therefore, wherever possible, stand IN the doorway to prevent enemies from
   blocking the door, and then fall back and CLOSE the door behind you when
   you go to prevent them from following you.  Doesn't work on ALL enemy types,
   granted, but even in the caves there are some enemies that just can't open
   doors - like the serpents, for example.

===============
WATCH YOUR STEP
===============

   Some enemies, most commonly the dogs you encounter in the caves and in hell,
   have the ability to spit acid which remains on the ground for a period of 
   time.  Be fleet of foot, and don't stand in it - it does unnecessary damage
   to your character.

===================
RANDOMISE INVENTORY
===================

   If ever you go to - particularly Pepin or Adria and think "I WISH you sold
   (x)", then you can force them to re-jig their inventory by viewing what 
   they have for sale, exiting your dialogue with them, saving the game and
   then reloading it.  Their inventory will be revamped and you might find what
   you're after !  If not, just rinse and repeat !!
   
=========================
I CAN'T CARRY ANY MORE !!
=========================

   If you get tired of your player WHINING that he or she cannot carry any more
   in their inventory, don't forget that you can always drop things in the town
   and they WILL be there when you save and exit and then reload the game ...
   
   Just make sure you pick them up before you complete the game or start a new
   game ;)
   
=====================
SAVING WITH PRECISION
=====================

   If you save the game, when next you reload it you will be in EXACTLY the 
   same location as you were.  This is a trick you should use whenever you're 
   about to fight a boss, as it can save you a HUGE amount of trouble.  Just 
   remember that you only have ONE save at a time with each character, so 
   saving at a poor time can make your life EXTREMELY more complicated than it 
   needs to be ;)

==================
TRY BEFORE YOU BUY
==================

   Sometimes when you run out of space it is tempting to drop whatever you are
   carrying wherever you are, and to adorn yourself with unidentified magic 
   items for the trip back to Tristram.  This is all well and good, but beware
   as not all magic items are for your betterment.  Some are really quite CR@P
   as it happens, and as soon as Cain identifies each item, the full force of
   its enchantments is brought to bear (be they good or bad).  Therefore if I 
   were you, I would only ever have Cain identify magic items in your INVENTORY
   and NOT on your person.  Transfer items to your inventory from your person
   before he identifies them ;)
   
   Plus, this means that you won't forget to sell them off afterwards, as I 
   always seem to.  I get back to the caves wearing everything I'd so 
   painstakingly put on my body, having forgotten to sell any of it !!  Grrrr.

=============================================================================
¦                                                                           ¦
¦                                 PART TEN                                  ¦
¦                             ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS                              ¦
¦                                                                           ¦
=============================================================================

This guide is dedicated to Jan and Frank, and David and Eileen - my best 
friends' parents.  Thank you for always looking after me while my parents are
away, thank you for taking me into your homes and into your lives, and thank
you for your unwavering support of everything I do.  I love you x