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Hell 101 - a Guide for all Classes - by Charis 
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This Diablo Guide is for players entering Hell for the first time, or who are having a difficult time making it through safely. It covers the 23 monsters you will face, new items and artifacts you may find, and some tips for survival. First, ask yourself the question - are you ready for Hell? You may be level 17 and have access via the crack behing Pipin's hut, but if you are a sorcerer without mana shield (or stone curse), a warrior without good blocking Dex or AC, a rogue with limited ability to damage monsters, or anyone with out decent fire and magic resistance, you should think twice about entering hell. The technical info given below may be found, with much more detail, in the essential Jarulf's Guide to Diablo and Hellfire v1.40.

General Strategies / Tips
First, go slowly when you're in new territory, whether Normal, Nightmare or Hell difficulty!

- Be aware of the monster mix, and their immunities. Some combinations are very easy, ie. Black Knights, Cave Vipers, Succubus/Snow Witch, which all take full dmg from the same attack (fire). On the other hand, a killer combo is: Lava Maws (fast melee attack, fire immune), Storm Lords (lightning immune) and a Witch or Mage that won't stand still. With Knights, Witches, Vipers and Mages, there is no one attack mode you can use all the time.

- On entering the level, go extremely slow, trying to activate minimal creatures, so you can find out what is on the level. As soon as you see something, retreat to an area near but not right at the stairs. You may have to do this several times to see what the different opponent types are. Once you see what is on the level, adjust jewels/resists and hotkeys accordingly. Cast a town portal away from the stairs; the easiest item recoveries are those you are prepared for in advance.

- Hotkeys: stone curse is extremely important, no matter what class. Be consistent in your use of hotkeys, for example I always use: F5=fire, F6=lightning, F7=multiple enemies key, F8=emergency key, so in Hell, that's almost always: fireball, (chain)lightning, stone curse, and heal/teleport.

- Separate the melee mobs from the ranged attackers. Why pound on blood knights in the presence of advocates, when the latter won't give chase? Lure the blood knights away, and deal with them first, then chase down or flame the advocates.

- Learn how to 'corner' witches and advocates. It's completely essential for warriors - see Bolty's Guide to High level warriors for a clear explanation.

- Warriors with a speed weapon and a rogue with a bow can stunlock mages (and witches) to keep them from getting away, as long as damage and hitting chances are high enough

- Terrain - the layout and features in hell will be different from what you are used to. Learn the symmetries of the layouts to guess where the stairs will be. Use the branches, crosses and other obstacles to limit how many creatures can attack you at once. With proper use of terrain you can face no more than two melee creatures at once, even though there migth be a dozen trying to close on you. These special setups are as important as doors were in the catacombs,
and should be sought out.

- Cauldrons - are almost always to be avoided. The three effects that permanently lower your mana are unacceptable.

- The opponents on lvl 16 are always blood knights and advocates, so fire resistances is the only one that is important, and fireball is a great spell to use. Also, on lvl 16, if you die, you keep your gear!

Monsters
Monters you might have seen in the caves

Monster dlvl Avg. HP Resistances (MFL) Similar to...
Lava Maw 12-14 62 RI- Pit beasts, other spitting dogs
Storm Lord 11-13 52 R-I Red Storm, Lightning Demons
Maelstrom 12-14 60 R-I also Lightning Demon
Guardian 11-13 75 RI- Slayer, Fire Demons
Vortex Lord 12-14 85 RI- Fire Demon (Balrog type)
Cave Viper 11-13 62 I-- first type of 'Viper' (Drake) seen
Fire Drake 12-14 72 IR- Cave Vipers, Gold Vipers
Succubus 12-14 67 R-- first Succubi (Witch) seen
Black Knight 12-14 75 R-R first Knight you may see

* The Lava Maw is the only 'animal' in hell, so blunt weapons won't work well on him. He is feared even my high level sorcerers because his fast attacks can 'stunlock' even the powerful. Lightning is your best defense, and getting him before he gets close to you.
* Storm Lords and Maelstroms will be zapping you with electricity, but take FULL damage from fire.
* Guardians and Vortex Lords are, on the other hand, immune to fire, but full dmg from lightning. They use a dancing approach and an inferno attack, and can be quite annoying to rogues.
* Cave Viper and Fire Drake take an ambling approach, but dart the last few feet to attack. Lightning works very well against them, although they are immune to 'magic' (Flash, Bone Spirit).
* Succubus and Black Knight are prime fireball bait.
* The witches attack form, in varying colors, is 'magic', as are the attacks of spitting dogs, so be sure to get some magic resistance. Fire resistance, likewise becomes crucial due to the Balrogs and (soon to come) Mages

Lvl 13 - showing up for the first time

Monster dlvl Avg. HP Resistances (MFL) Similar to...
Balrog 13-15 95 RI- toughest of fire demons
Snow Witch 13-15 77 --R Witches
Gold Viper 13-14 75 I-R Vipers
Doom Guard 13-15 82 RR- Knights
Blood Knight 13,14,16 100 IRI Knights
Counselor 13-14 35 RRR first type of Mage ('lawyer')

Five Bosses: Blackskull (Balrog), Doomcloud(Maelstrom), Gorefeast(Vortex Lord), Rustweaver (Doom Guard), and Witchmoon (Snow Witch) are found on lvl 13, but only Blackskull comes with a companion pack.

* Note the Doom Guard takes full dmg from Electricity unlike other knights.
* The Blood Knight is deceptive - he's the toughest knight, who also populates lvl 16, but sometimes shows up early. He hits very hard, multiple fireballs are a good way to go against the 'BK'.
* The Counselor resists everthing but has 0 AC and few hit points. He attacks with firebolts.
* Snow witches, as you would guess from their name, are hurt badly by fireballs.
* Gold Viper, like the Cave Viper, is hurt fully by fire (although lightning will do some damage)
* Balrogs, like all their brethren, take full dmg from lightning, so chain lightning away

Lvl 14 - showing up for the first time

Monster dlvl Avg. HP Resistances (MFL) Similar to...
Hell Spawn 14-15 87 R-I Witches
Steel Lord 14-15 90 RIR Knights
Magistrate 14-15 42 RIR Mages

Five bosses: Dreadjudge (Magistrate) and Fankskin (Gold Viper) come with a pack. Alone are Graywar the Slayer (Doom Guard), Stareye the Witch (Hell Spawn), Steelskin the Hunter (Steel Lord).

* Note Steel Lords are immune to Fire (unlike other Knights), and resist other forms. Remember this by thinking that 'steel' (your sword) is the best way to kill them, or they're like a lightning rod.
* Likewise the magistrate. For both, lightning is a good option. This will be confusing because they are _using_ lightning (charged bolts) against you
* Hell Spawn, unfortunately are immune to lightning (cast on Steelies, Magistrates and Soulies). They are hit hard by fire however (until Hell difficulty, then they reverse (IIR).
* You may also see Lava Maw, Maelstrom, Vortex Lord, Fire Drakes, Succubus, Black Knights, Snow Witches, Gold Vipers, Doom Guards, Blood Knights and Counselors, for a staggering number of combinations.

Lvl 15 - showing up for the first time

Monster dlvl Avg. HP Resistances (MFL) Similar to...
Azure Drake 15 90 -RR Vipers
Cabalist 15 60 RRI Mages
Soul Burner 15 86 RIR Witches
Advocate 15 -16 72 IRI Mages

Bosses: Three in Lazarus chamber (he and Black Jade and Red Vex, Hell Spawn), and two others possible on the level: Bloodlust (Hell Spawn) who appears in every game, by herself, and if Cabalists are present, Vizier will lead a pack.

* Azure Drakes are _the_ best creature in the game to use a certain neglected spell on... Flash! They (along with Snow Witches) take full dmg from magic, unlike anything else in hell (even other vipers), although in Hell difficulty even these two become immune to magic. To get from a distance, either fire or lightning will work, with resistance.
* Cabalists shoot withering streams of lightning, and are immune to lightning. Hit 'em with fire.
* Advocates appear in two places in the game: in Lazarus' chamber on 15 (four of them, plus Laz), and all throughout lvl 16. They hurl nasty fireballs, but are themselves partially affected by fire.
* Soul Burners, feared for being 'triple immune' in hell difficulty (as are Advocates), are susceptible to Flash and Lightning, with resistance. Their damage is almost twice that done by the succubus.
* Some people yet love soulies and advocates, as well as Blood Knights, for a different reason... they are 'lvl 30' monsters, and can drop some of the best items in the game (including Zodiac items).
* You will no longer see any creatures found in the caves, and no animals, but may still see: Snow Witch, Doom Guard, Hell Spawn, Steel Lords, and Magistrates.

Lvl 16 - the final showdown
Creatures: Always Blood Knights and Advocates, plus a single Black Knight in Diablo's Lair.

Bosses: Gorash, a Blood Knight, and a special opponent, Diablo himself, are the prime targets.

Drops: The only monsters in the game capable of dropping Emerald items are these bosses:
Lazarus, Gorash, Red Vex and Black Jade, Vizier, Dreadjudge, Stareye, Steelskull, Blackjade. These, plus the three lvl30 monsters, and Witchmoon, Blackskull, Rustweaver and Graywar, can drop Zodiac jewels.

Key point on lvl 16 - when you die you do NOT drop your wielded items or gold. So if you can make
it down to 16 and don't lose your portal, there's no reason you can't kill Diablo.

Unique Items
Within the depths of Hell you can find almost any artifact with two special differences:
I) Several item types have better artifacts available, and so can NOT ever be found in Hell, for example (incl. what is dropped instead): Bloodslayer (Stonecleaver), Celestial Axe (Hellslayer), Sharp Beak (Wicked Axe), Constricting Ring or Bleeder (Ring of Engagement)
II) Several new items which are only found in hell (or rarely, in deep caves) begin to appear: Demonspike Coat, Messerschmidt's Reaver, Eaglehorn (no more Bow of the Dead), Dreamflange (no more Civerb's Cudgel), and the highest lvl artifacts: Royal Circlet and the Grandfather. Also, easier to find now are the Gotterdamerung, Stormshield, (also Grizzly, Mindcry, Rod of Onan, and Doombringer).

* The Demonspike Coat is decent, but most players prefer an Awesome Full Plate.
* Messerschmidt's Reaver does massive damage and is fun for mid level players, but giving up the shield is not usually an option for Warriors on higher difficulty settings.
* Eaglehorn is a solid bow, indestructible, with good damage
* Dreamflange is a favorite items for 'artillery' mages, due to its +30 magic, +50 mana, and +1 to spell levels. A definite keeper.
* Royal Circlet - the best all around helm in the game for most players, combining +10 to all stats with AC 40, +40 mana, with the mixed effect of +10% light.
* Grandfather is a very nice mid-level weapon - it's a great sword (10-20) that can be used one-handed, allowing a shield. The GF (aka Granny) is +5 all, +20 hp, +20%/+70% tohit/dmg. It is an excellent choice until a good +ToHit/+DMG one handed sword of haste is found.
* The Gotterdamerung (aka Gotter) is quite nice, with +20 to all stats. However some actually use it in its unidentified form to get AC 60, because of a major drawback -- it forces all resistances to zero.
* Stormshield - the premiere shield for non-warrior melee characters due to its fast block, AC 40, and +10 strength. Two flavors: Tower, requiring Str of 60, and Gothic, requiring Str of 80.

High value items now available in Hell
Prefixes found only in Hell: Diamond, Ruby, Sapphire, Dragon's, Awesome, King's, Master's, Emerald.
Suffixes found only in Hell: of haste, of the lion, of the zodiac

Also, more common in hell than elsewhere: Obsidian, Arch-angels, heavens, gore, life, perfection, titans, wizardry.

* Zodiac items may only be jewelry, and can have only the following prefix, if any: Serpent, Crimson, Ivory, Lapis, Jade, Cobalt, Crystal, Garnet, Drake's, Obsidian, Diamond, Ruby, Sapphire. Of these, the Obsidian Jewel of the Zodiac is one of the most treasured in the game.
* Wizardy jewels are also very popular, especially Dragon's, Drake's, Obsidian. Drag/Wiz is a great find.
* Emerald, as mentioned above, can only be dropped by nine monsters in the game, all bosses. It can only be found on a bow, weapon, shield or staff. Emerald Bow of Heavens, Emerald Sword of Speed/Haste, Emerald Shield of the Tiger, and Emerald Staff of Wizardry are outstanding items.

Equipping yourself
As a mid level character, you won't really have many problems. If you find a zod or emerald item, you will likely wear no matter what. Eventually you will struggle with having to juggle items. At that point, there are 'best' slots for the rare finds. Here is a list, and why:
* Weapon - King's like (+TH/+DMG) prefix, suffix of speed (sometimes heavens, blood, vampires, slaughter). No other slot can hold this vital prefix, so it must be on the weapon. And on higher difficulty settings you will need both the extra to hit and damage.

* Bow - at mid lvls, a good damage prefix and/or suffix is best, but at higher levels, many opt for Emerald Bow of Heavens or similar, freeing up a resistance slot, or a good swiftness bow.

* Armor - if you plan to melee, or avoid getting hit in melee, AC is important, and there is no better way to increase AC than with +ACvalue prefix on a hefty piece of armor. Other classes may choose something like Naj's Light Plate, an Obsidian Armor of Deflection, or Scavenger's Carapice.

* Helm - unique helm. There are so many outstanding helms that the Royal Circlet (RC), or sometimes the Gotter or Thinking Cap (TC), that you're not likely to use a different one. Until then, or for certain characters, something like an Obsidan Helm of Absorption or an Awesome Great Helm of Tiger are very nice.

* Shield - depends alot on the class. For warriors there is not much better than an Awesome or Emerald Tower Shield of the Tiger. For other classes who melee or want Fast Block, Stormshield is great. Pure 'artillery' sorcerers who attack from afar would love an Emerald Shield, or Obsidian Absorption.

* Staff - seldom used past mid-levels, as it gives up the use of a shield, with its prefix and suffix chances. At mid levels, a few staves, such as Dragon's Wizardry, Arch-Angels Wizardry or Apoc, Mindcry and a few Bountiful staves, are quite nice.

* Jewelry - since you can't really count on resistances on the other items one or often two jewels must be resistances jewels. For a suffix, the best is zodiac, and for spell casters, wizardry. Hence the obsession people seem to have with obs/zod and drag/wiz. At the high levels where you would debate these a few extra hit points from tiger/lion won't help. Perfection is also extremely nice for some classes on a jewel, and for batlle/muscle mages, titans is indepensible.

AC and To-Hit in Hell
There is a large increase in the armor class, to hit, damage, and hit points when you go from Normal
to Nightmare difficulty, and another sizeable increase on Hell. Here are my recommended values
for each difficulty setting, where you will be comfortable facing even Blood Knights. These values
depend on your character's level (clvl), and examples are shown as well.

Monster AC min Dex (to Block) To Hit (displayed)* Damage (to Stun)
Normal 195 - 2*clvl 160 - 2*clvl 205 - clvl % 33
Nightmare 310 - 2*clvl 190 - 2*clvl 265 - clvl % 48
Hell 375 - 2*clvl 220 - 2*clvl 305 - clvl % 63
Examples
25th lvl Normal 145 110 180% 33
30th lvl on NM 250 130 235% 48
35th lvl on Hell 305 150 270% 63

Note that in Hell/Hell AC 200 is about as useful as no armor at all. Some bosses need more dmg to stun.
*Warriors need 20% less than this value. Again these values are for max effectiveness vs. Blood
Knights. You will do fine with up to 30 or 40 pts less throughout most of hell.
For comparison's sake, the numbers for 'Caves' are about 30 pts less for AC, 10 pts less for others.




 

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