DiabloFans

UPDATE: Xago posted a quick video showing a few seconds of new cinematic from the anniversary video.
UPDATE2: It seems the following parts in the video below have now been edited out on the live page.

Diablo's 15 Year Anniversary Page Up
"A little fun" page was added to the Diablo 3 website. Here we get a overview of which each diablo game brought us, a timeline of all the diablo events, as well as three videos, enjoy!

All Hell breaks loose...
was one of the original advertising slogans for Diablo, and to this day it feels appropriately prophetic. When we unleashed Diablo at the end of 1996, we were proud of the game and eager to share it with anyone willing to delve into the deepest, darkest dungeons on a quest to destroy a legendary evil.

The series is now 15 years old, and it’s changed and grown in a number of ways, some of which we couldn’t have possibly anticipated when we started work on our first action-RPG. Diablo’s continued legacy is due, first and foremost, to a great community that embraced the series’ unique brand of multiplayer gaming -- a community that continues to find ways to coax more secrets and power out of the world of Sanctuary.

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South Korea Rating and Bashiok on Delay
Another mark in this hot topic hit today. First it looks like the rating for D3 in South Korea has not been decided and now looks like we will not know until Friday the 6th (www.dualshockers.com). However once again Bashiok has come out and said this means nothing and you really shouldn't care if it gets a rating soon or not, as it will not effect a release date in any shape.

If you’re following the endless saga of the rating of Diablo III in South Korea, you were probably expecting a result by today. Or maybe, based on previous experience, you were expecting it not to happen at all.

In fact it didn’t happen. The decision by the local Game Rating Board about the controversial (at least in Korea) game by Blizzard was postponed, and the next meeting will happen on Friday the 6th, marking the third delay for the official certification of Diablo III in the extremely profitable Asian market.

Officials of the Game Rating Board commented that at this point the final outcome of this troubled situation is still unknown.

Considering that the average waiting time for a game’s certification in South Korea is inferior to 15 days and Diablo III’s case has gone way over that timeframe, things seem to be taking a grim turn.

Will we be able to see a final decision by Friday? I guess all we can do is waiting for the next episode of the saga.

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Monk - Lashing Tail Kick Runed
Today we have the Monk's Lashing Tail Kick spell runed. Please keep in mind that this was made using what is available at this time, and may be missing some effects or graphics. What you see here does not 100% reflect what we may see live. PS: give Dokaroth a big hug, he was a massive help in getting these videos to you guys.

Wizard - Teleport Runed

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Blizzard Beta Contest - Round 2
If you have entered into the Blizzard Twitter contest, make sure to check your emails tonight, as the accounts should become active today! Remember, don't forget to send a new tweet for week three, it will add to your chances!

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No Act Updates
It looks like we will not be seeing any updates on the official site about act 2, 3, or 4. They wish to keep anything on the game guide spoiler free until release.

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Bashiok On No Stats, Level 60 Cap, and Rewards
It looks like the blues have returned from vacation and Bashiok is posting away about the level cap, stats, and rewards!

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Curse Weekly News Update
Curse has come out with this week's news update!

UPDATE - "Fun" 15 Year Anniversary Is Not a Wallpaper or Release Date.
Good news on this hot topic, the "fun" thing will NOT be a wallpaper! However it will most likely not be a release date.

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Hardcore PVP - Final Death?
One again, pikke has pointed out some good blue posts from the Italian forums. Remember these are roughly translated, so please keep this in mind.

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Wizard - Meteor Runed
We have put together a video of the Wizard's runed Meteor spell. Please keep in mind this is put together from the beta and does not reflect how it will look live.

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Book of Cain Signing
For anyone who has or wishes to get a copy of the Book of Cain, now is a good time. On January 7th you can get it signed!

If you have been keeping up with the Big Blue's news lately, then you may have heard about a little product called the Book of Cain. This definitive Diablo source book compounds the franchise's major lore with stunning artwork provided by many of the industry's greatest illustrators.

Heavyweights like; John Howe, Alan Lee, Gerald Brom, Ian McCaig and Adrian Smith to name a few. And also our very own Red Knuckle Welshman, Mark Gibbons!

To celebrate the release, the authors of the book (Chris Metzen, Micky Neilson and Flint Dille) together with artist Mark Gibbons have set up a panel and signing in a Los Angeles book store. Here are the details:

Date: Saturday January 7, 2012
Time: 2:00 PM
Location: Book Soup - 8818 Sunset Boulevard - West Hollywood, CA 90069

Want to meet the Thundergod and the Red Knuckle in person? Here's your chance!

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Beta Screenshots
Today we have a Wizard casting Disintegrate into a group of skeletons, a group taking on a Harvester with Grasp of the Dead and Firebomb, and an unlucky Barbarian about to meet his maker after an exploding Grotesque.

Diablo's 15 year Anniversary Surprise "Soon".
It looks like bashiok over on twitter replied about when we will get our surprise.

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Random Map Generation.
Apoc has written a small article on map generation in diablo 3, expect to hear some more on this subject!
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Examples of the "Exact" would be places like New Tristram or the Defiled Crypt Level 2 where the layout will always be the same. "Fixed border" areas, like The Weeping Hollow, will always have the same shape and size, but the tiles inside can be arranged differently. "Variable" layouts are built by taking map tiles and connecting them together, which can produce unpredictable arrangements but still follow some consistency.

The selection of monsters for a given area is determined separately from the map generation, however there are tiles that can spawn monsters to supplement that. It is impossible to get an encounter that introduces a monster where they don't normally belong. For example, there is an encounter that makes 5 Skeletal Archers pop up if you loot a nearby corpse - this encounter can't appear on Cathedral Level 2 because Skeletal Archers don't appear until level 4. Encounters can also reward the player, so it might take a couple runs before you find that Resplendent Chest that always appears on the SW tile (hint, hint).

The Variable layout method is used in several maps in the beta including: Defiled Crypts, Cathedral Levels 1, 2, and 4, and the Den of the Fallen. It's the most interesting method because it's not as predictable as the other areas which can translate to a higher replay value. Cathedral Level 4 is a prime example since it's the single largest generated area in the beta.

The areas are composed of pre-generated tiles that snap to a grid. Like a puzzle, each tile has to be connected by at least one cardinal point side, where North is the top-right corner of the screen. Usually the tiles are connected seamlessly by doorways or bridges. To correlate with the lore, every floor's map must also have a meteor tile.


The map generation process follows a set of rules. Imagine starting with a blank grid. The formation of the map would then follow these steps for Cathedral Level 4:

1. setup a 3x3 tile grid, leaving out the center tile.
2. randomly pick the placement for an exit tile, entrance tile, meteor tile (m), and 2 extra tiles to any open edge. These tiles cannot replace the tiles in step 1 nor attach to themselves.
3. the entrance must always be placed as a West tile
4. if the meteor tile is placed on the outside of the ring in step 1, then one of the extra tiles in step 2 must be attached to its end.
5. draw in the tiles that are eligible for each spot on the above defined layout

(There are entrance tiles for Cathedral that face different directions, so it's possible the constraint of #3 is a bug)

And so we get something like:



This consistently produces a map of 14 tiles (or 13 if the meteor tile ends up in the center). The other levels of the Cathedral and Defiled Crypt use different algorithms and are about 1/4 the size.

It's likely that each level will have its own set of rules for generation, and the algorithm behind the present ones may yet change before release. I imagine it will become important to understand the generation process behind these maps, since it definitely makes players more efficient navigators and as a result more efficient farmers.

Additional reading:
Force Strategy Gaming
Map Generation

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Beta Screenshots
and here are todays new beta screenshots!

Diablo 15 Year Anniversary
Don't forget, Bashiok posted letting us know something 'fun' would happen, but a week after the anniversary so keep your eyes open!

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Bookshelves
CherubDown asked Bashiok about other items possibly dropping from bookshelves. It seems blizzard wants to keep them "fun" and not be mandatory to click each one.

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Followers Can Use a Few More Weapons
It looks like with patch 8, the Enchantress and Scoundrel can equip a few more weapons.

IAR_ScoundrelCannotUseWeapon
Your Scoundrel can only use two-handed crossbows or bows.

IAR_EnchantressCannotUseWeapon
Your Enchantress can only use staves, two-handed swords, two-handed maces, or two-handed axes

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Behind-the-Scenes Loot at the Book of Cain
James Gurney, one of the artists involved with the Book of Cain, has posted a short video of some of his work on the book, the Pandemonium Fortress.

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Beta Screenshots
We have some new screenshots of the beta for you today as well!

Diablo 3 South Korea Rating
It looks like this hot topic might be settling down come next week. Dualshockers.com posted a quick article given us a little bit of information on the second delay of the South Korea rating for Diablo 3. It looks like we should have answer by January 4th.

The endless saga of the rating of Diablo III in South Korea continues. Several local news sources reported today that the final decision on the certification of the game has been delayed for the second time, as representatives of the Korean Game Rating Board explained that “a more thorough review is necessary”.

The final decision was initially delayed a few days before Christmas, as the Game Rating Board requested Blizzard to submit more information about the real money auction house that will be included in the game.
According to the legal consultants of the South Korean branch of Blizzard the game and it’s auction house don’t conflict with the rather strict regulations enforced in the Asian country, especially due to changes made to the system after the first delay, but the second delay seems to indicate that a problem does exist, considering that games are normally given a local rating after no more than two weeks.

A final decision is expected to come by January the 4th. It’s safe to assume that many at Activision Blizzard will wait for that date quite anxiously, considering that the Korean market is extremely profitable for them.

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New Unique Flavor Text
It looks like some more uniques got flavor text with patch 8. Here is the full list.

Weapons

• Wizardspike - The energies of forbidden magics course through this blade.
• ThunderfuryThe son of Al'Akir wielded this mighty weapon during his ill fated battle with the Lord of Fire.
• Unique_Sword_1H_019 Griswold labored and studied for years to devise the perfect sword. Sadly, he died a horrible death before he himself could forge it.
• Blackguard The power of this sword drove the warrior Rothat to unspeakable acts.
• Longshot Many a hero has wielded this bow through many an age, and the tales sung of it can be heard from one end of the world to the other.
• The Raven's Wing The spirit of the raven is contained within this bow. Its arrows fly straight and true, and strike with unmatched ferocity.
• Balance "We must walk the middle way between chaos and order, and not allow our emotions to sway us." — Tenets of the Veradani
• Calamity Slender and refined, this weapon is the antithesis of a traditional, rough-hewn and unwieldy crossbow. Obviously the result of loving craftsmanship by a master armsmaker.
• Unending WarOnly the dead have seen the end of war.

Armor

• Things of the Deep A terrifying being spawned from the primordial depths. To gaze upon it is enough to drive one mad. Currently disguised as a frog.
• Broken Crown The ancient crown of Rakkis, first ruler of Westmarch.
• Giant Skull Rethald boasted he could control any demon he summoned. This is the skull of the one that ate him.
• The Helm of Command Worn by General Raylend while he stormed Yshrald's fortress during the War of the Hounds.
• Frostburn Gauntlets These gauntlets drain the warmth from anything they touch.
• Pendergrasps Only the wisest adventurer is fit to don these powerful gauntlets.
• Tasker and Theo All that was left of the hound master were these gloves. He died fighting beside his favorite dog, just the way he would have wanted it.
• Gladiator Gauntlets Worn by the combatants in the arenas of Emperor Vaught.
• Ice Climbers Worn by the famous explorer Theradonn, known for his sunny disposition.
• Heart of Iron It is said that those who wear this breastplate will display extraordinary valor in even the direst of circumstances.
• Gehennas These pants are the result of an unfortunate bargain struck between the demon Skelon and an unwitting human.
• Split Tusk Carved to evoke the power of the great tusked pack beasts of the Teganze.
• Tiklandian Visage The fierce visage of Enobakhare, the spirit father of the small remote village of Tiklan.
• Visage of Giyua It is said that when a spirit passes from this life, it is greeted by the eternal Giyua, the guardian of the Unformed Land.
• The Grin Reaper Death wears many faces.
• The Swami Bestows upon the wearer both formidable power and an unsurpassed statement of fashion.
• Storm Crow "When the sky was torn from the sea, Storm Crow appeared from within the thundering clouds to grant mankind dominion over the living flame." — Legends of the Forgotten World
• Cape of the Dark Night "Those who seek to do evil are a cowardly and superstitious lot." — Demon hunter Bayne
• Beckon Sail Favored by those who do their fighting in the underworld.
• The Inquisitor No spawn of Hell can hide from the gaze of the Inquisitor, no matter what form it takes.
• Wanderlust The road goes ever on...
• Mempo of Twilight The helmet of the last of the honor-bound warriors. He roamed the far east long ago and lived and died by his code of honor.
• Robes of the Rydraelm The Rydraelm, a shadowy group of mages, concerned itself with the most arcane forms of magic until its mysterious and grisly demise.
• Screaming Chain The primal force of a thousand screaming souls calls forth from this ring.
• Band of Fallen Heroes The names of those who have given their lives to fight the scourge of the Burning Hells are inscribed on this band, each one giving its power to the wearer.
• Seven Sins The alchemist Lyekurn spent many years formulating the exact shape and nature of this armor so that it would draw upon the power of Fetlock, yet keep the wearer safe from his corrupting influence.

Grouped

• Aquila Cuirass Ceremonial armor commemorating the chieftain Ghaold's victory over the wild men from the east.
• Born's Carapace This armor is designed after that worn by the famed warrior Born, who was known to rush headlong into battle against superior numbers with no thought for his own safety.
• Born's Seething Rage Born often carried the day on nothing more than his unrelenting fury.
• Born's Pauldrons Many have tried and failed to duplicate the subtle qualities of Born's intricate armor — until now.
• Cain's Laurel This laurel represents the wisdom of the scholar Deckard Cain.
• Cain's Robes Inspired by Deckard Cain's Horadric robes, these pants are perfect for those who, like Cain, have dedicated themselves to eradicating the demons's threat from this world.
• Cain's Slippers Deckard Cain spent the last twenty years of his life traveling the world, in search of information needed to defeat the Lords of Hell.
• Cain's Warmers These wrappings are covered with Horadric symbols and runes, and are perfect for keeping your arms warm while you search for elusive arcane knowledge.
• Captain Crimson's Deck Boots Captain Crimson, scourge of the Twin Seas, claimed his numerous victories were the result of sensible — yet fashionable — footwear.
• Captain Crimson's Brace Patterned after the famed belt where Captain Crimson buckled his swash.
• Captain Crimson's Codpiece Captain Crimson was known for his flamboyant dress, particularly his prodigious codpiece.
• Aughild's Triumph Aughild was the only warlord to successfully lay siege to Entsteig. But, in the end, it proved to be his undoing.
• Aughild's Demands Aughild had 50 demands that had to be met before he would spare the lives of the nobles. Those demands are written in the wrappings of these bracers.
• Aughild's Vestments Aughild's vestments were originally crafted to reflect both his savagery and his nobility.
• Aughild's Brow A detailed recreation of the ceremonial helmet Aughild used when he was crowned king of Entsteig.
• Guardian's Watch Fashioned after the helmet of the notorious Guardian, which was made to protect his mind from those that would try to subvert it.
• Guardian's Bands The enigmatic sorcerer known only as the Guardian was convinced the world would one day turn against magic users, and he prepared himself accordingly.
• Guardian's Scabbard Many believe the symbol emblazoned on the Guardian's scabbard represents a brotherhood he founded to implement his unfathomable plans.
• Asheara's Cradle Asheara envisioned this armor as a testament to the might of the Iron Wolves.
• Asheara's Vigilance Asheara vows that no harm will ever befall one who is under the sworn protection of her Iron Wolves.
• Asheara's Clasp These gloves represent the unspoken bond between Asheara and her mercenaries.
• Asheara's Lock The Iron Wolves have traveled far and done much in the last twenty years. From the docks of Kurast to the palaces of Caldeum, they upheld their duty until they were driven from the emperor's side by the Imperial Guard.
• Demon's Flesh Patterned after the work of Sulam, the armorer who followed in the path of the warrior Myrdgar and collected the skins of fallen demons in order to craft a nearly impenetrable suit of armor.
• Demon's Cage Sulam had a vision of creating a suit of armor, crafted from the flesh of demons, in order to use their power against them.
• Demon's Wings Sulam knew that encountering armor made from the flesh of their fallen brethren would infuriate the demons, and this brought him great joy.
• Demon's Binding The original version of this belt was composed of the flesh and teeth of five different demons.
• Demon's Manacles Sulam met an unfortunate end when he tried to harvest the flesh of a demon that was not actually dead. He was never able to complete this, the last piece of his set. Fortunately he left the plans for its construction.
• Sage's Grasp Patterned after Imris's unique circle of protection, which was powered by his own magic to not only ward off attackers but also strengthen his mind.
• Sage's Seekers The ancient sage Imris crafted the original version of these boots to protect him while he traveled the world, seeking a way to retune the Worldstone to restore the power of the nephalem.
• Sage's Stones Imris designed these gloves to help him channel the awesome forces at his command.
• Hallowed Avenger (hand crossbow) An angelic weapon re-forged to suit the needs of a hero wielding the powers of the nephalem.
• Hallowed Touch An angelic weapon re-forged to suit the needs of a hero wielding the powers of the nephalem.
• Hallowed Sacrifice An angelic weapon re-forged to suit the needs of a hero wielding the powers of the nephalem.
• Hallowed Avenger (mighty weapon) An angelic weapon re-forged to suit the needs of a hero wielding the powers of the nephalem.
• Hallowed Rod An angelic artifact re-forged to suit the needs of a hero wielding the powers of the nephalem.
• Hallowed Barrier Based upon a damaged angelic shield recently unearthed and subsequently identified as dating from the very earliest days of the world.
• Hallowed Divide This axe derives its awesome and majestic power from the High Heavens.

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New Rare Follower Prefixes
The following 20 rare prefixes appeared in patch 8. Though we know followers can equip amulets, this might mean amulets that have follower specific prefixes can drop.

• Amulet001 Token
• Amulet002 Legacy
• Amulet003 Loyalty
• Amulet004 Faithful
• Amulet005 Honor
• Amulet006 Companion, Beguiling
• Amulet007 Devotion
• Amulet008 Follower, Entrancing
• Amulet009 Patron, Fascinating
• Amulet010 Adjunct
• Amulet011 Cohort
• Amulet012 Squire
• Amulet013 Confidant, Forefathers'
• Amulet014 Disciple, Councilor's
• Amulet015 Prize
• Amulet016 Praise
• Amulet017 Virtue
• Amulet018 Idol
• Amulet019 Adept
• Amulet020 Counsel

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Beta Screenshots
Today we have another round of beta screenshots!

Diablo's 15 Year Anniversary is Tomorrow
Just a friendly reminder that tomorrow, the 31st, is our beloved franchises' 15th anniversary. Who knows what fun might pop up from blizzard.

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ANZ Beta Invites
It looks like the next wave of invites have gone out and the last wave should go out next week! Good luck!

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Blue Posts on Release Delay
Zhydaris, over on the Italian forums, has responded about the release delay once again emphasizing the delay has nothing to do with Korea. The posts were roughly translated by our very own pikke and a run over with Google by us to verify, so keep this in mind.

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Beta Screenshots
Today we bring you another set of Diablo 3 beta screenshots!



Curse is Hiring
is LFM! We’re growing quickly and actively hiring for our Engineering, Sales, Content, IT and Marketing teams!

At Curse, you will have the opportunity to work with a young, growing team of passionate and talented individuals making a living doing what they love. Read on for a list of the available positions.

.NET Team Manager
Are you interested in leading the development team behind some of the most popular .NET-based sites in the world? We’re looking for a skilled technical manager to help organize and inspire our Live team.
More Info Apply Now


Senior System Administrator
Do you have experience with large-scale server clusters, virtualization and disaster recovery? We’re expanding our quickly growing IT group, and we’re looking for an experienced sys admin to help implement our infrastructure improvement plans in 2012.
More Info Apply Now


PHP Web Developer
Are you an IPB or MediaWiki pro? At Curse, we operate the largest IPB-based site in the world, and some of the largest MediaWiki sites. Join us and help continue to build the largest online game communities in the world.
More Info Apply Now


.NET Web Developer
Do you write Linq expressions and threadsafe singleton classes in your sleep? We need your help creating awesome new web properties at Curse. We have big plans for 2012, and we’re looking for rockstar developers to join our growing team.
More Info Apply Now


Video Content Editor
Like creating and editing exciting videos? Join a rapidly growing team of content creating professionals as we use our industry and content connections in 2012 to create amazing content to grow our YouTube channel!
Apply Now

First Wave of Twitter Contest Invites
The first wave of the invites from the Twitter beta contest have gone out yesterday, make sure to check your email for a possible invite. Though you do not need to reenter each week, doing so does help your chances. It's also not to late to sign up! Don't forget to use the email tied to your battle.net account when you submit your tweet!

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Runed Bola Shot & Grenades
It looks like dokaroth has brought us another fantastic video showing off Bola Shot with a Indigo rune, and Grenades with an Obsidian rune.

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Polls Polls Polls
We have quite a few polls around the community on almost any topic you can think of when it comes to diablo 3. Take the time to vote!

Gameplay

• What class is your favorite?
• What is your least favorite class?
• Which artisan do you want the most?
• Which follower will you use?
• Rare/Champions dropping better loot than bosses, good or bad?
• How will you play your first run of Diablo 3?

Hardcore

• Will you play hardcore of softcore?
• What will your hardcore character be?
• Do you want a hardcore ladder?

PvP

• Should pvp have a visible ranking/ladder?
• What class do you think will be 'best' in pvp?

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Beta Screenshots
Today we bring you some more beta screenshots!

Monk With Thorns lolrofllol posted a unique video of the skeleton king basically killing himself while attacking his monk, bringing a fresh new way to kill the skeleton king.

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Welcome back to the second Lore Quiz. If you missed it, you should check out the first one in the link above. Same deal as last time, five questions for each difficulty and one last tough one to round it off.

The book reference is also expanded, this time with Scales of the Serpent. In addition to featuring the same kind of information as last time, the important points now feature page numbers as well for easy lookup and confirmation. They've also been structured for easier perusing.

And here are the questions!

Spoiler Warning: Don't even read the questions unless you've already read, or don't care, about the books.

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Here's a rundown of what the difficulties mean. Five questions for each except for master.
Easy: These questions shouldn't be impossble to answer correctly even for people who haven't read the series.
Medium: Slightly harder, these deal more with events in the book and probably require you to have read the books, though you might perhaps complete a few if you've gotten some info from forums and wikis.
Hard: These are hardcore nerd details. Unless you've scoured the books you probably can't answer these.
Master: If you nail this one, I'll be impressed. Requires cross-referencing to answer.

Here are the average scores of the five staffies who tested them for me again. One guy in particular is dragging down the score here a bit

Easy: 5/5
Medium: 1.2/5
Hard: 0.8
Master: 0/5

Easy

[*]1: A dragon is the deity/leader of the necromancers. What's his name?
Trag'Oul (120)
[*]2: Who is the nephalem that guards Mount Arreat?
Bul-Kathos (160)
[*]3: Which Prime Evil is the only one to make an appearance in this book?
Diablo (74)
[*]4: Which angel, other than Inarius, do we see in this book?
Tyrael (251)
[*]5: Where is the Worldstone located?
Inside Mount Arreat (190)

Medium

[*]6: What was Rathma's birthname?
Linarian (227)
[*]7: Which of Uldyssian's followers is possessed by Lilith for most of the book?
Serenthia (174)
[*]8: What demon does Uldyssian fight during the final battle against the Triune?
Thonos (288)
[*]9: Which of the following cities is not visited in the book: Istani, Kalinash, Partha.
Kalinash (265)
[*]10: What are the white-skinned people from around Seram and Partha called?
Ascenian (42)

Hard

[*]11: What colors are the robes of the followers of the Triune?
Azure, black and gold (4)
[*]12: What does Trag'Oul mean?
The One Who is Forever (120)
[*]13: Who was Uldyssian's great grandfather?
Hedayssian (123).
[*]14: Tomo is a scout under Uldyssian's command. Where does he die and how?
In Hashir, killed by a morlu (205&285)
[*]15: Bala carries a hammer and the seeds of creation, and Dialon carries the Tablets of Order, but what does Mefis carry?
Nothing, he merely cups his hands. (12)

Master

[*]16: A spirit eminates hatred towards Serenthia and tries to kill her in the jungles. Why?
The spirit is a remnant of a rebel demon that Lilith murdered in the past. Serenthia is at that time possessed by Lilith, which the spirit senses.(85&88, Birthright 256) I was thinking of making this the final question: "Which is the second largest towm Uldyssian has visited so far in the series?" Originally I think it's probably better, the problem is that the references aren't entirely clear which town that is.
It's probably Hashir, but it could be Istani as well. The exact quote is "Istani might have been smaller than Toraja or Hashir." However since Toraja is earlier said to be half again as big as Hashir, that makes the first quote quite confusing. It's like saying a city might have been smaller than Tokyo or Philadelphia, which doesn't make any sense given the size difference between the two.

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Screenshots Here are today's Diablo 3 beta screenshots, enjoy.

Demon Hunter - Rain of Vengeance Runed.
It looks like we now have a first look of the Demon Hunter skill Rain of Vengeance with all five runes!

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Blue Post
We only have one blue post today, Blizzard will be on vacation this week and things will probably be very quiet.

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Beta Screenshots
Starting today to keep you entertained during the holidays, we'll be bringing you new screenshots from the Diablo 3 beta on a regular basis, enjoy!

Happy Holidays From DiabloFans
Everyone here at Dfans wishes you the best of times during the holidays. Enjoy your time with your friends, family, or your Diablo 3 beta!

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Blizzard's Holiday Wishes and Vacation.

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The Sword of Justice
If you haven't heard, DC Comics has released the first issue of a 5 issue Diablo mini series titled: The Sword of Justice.

From the world and legends of Sanctuary, the setting for the award-winning Diablo video game, comes the tale of a hero's birth. Jacob has fled from his homeland in the north, hunted by his kinsmen for the crime of murder. Led by the visions of an ancient prophet, pursued by his childhood friend, Jacob finds his destiny in a desert cave at the foot of a mountain carved in two by the sword of an archangel – Tyrael. But will Jacob be able to claim the sword that could save his people, if not the world, before he's brought to "justice"?

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Aaron Williams - Writer Interview

DiabloFans: Very little is known about the first installment in the Diablo series. Jacob, the protagonist, sets out after the Tyrael's sword to save his people. Can you tell us a little more about who his people are?

Aaron: They’re a decent-sized community living in the Dreadlands in a city called Staalbreak. Outsiders would see them as hard-working people who have a curiously uncommon view that barbarians are bloodthirsty raiders, and not the noble protectors of Arreat that most people see them as. Their history is entwined with the barbarians, and there was even some intermingling of bloodlines, trade, etc., but recent history has wiped any goodwill from ages past away. The primary keeper and dispenser of law in Staalbreak is the Constable, which is often a hereditary position, with the approval of the city’s nobility. Jacob’s father was first and foremost a man of the law, and he tried to instill a sense of both the law and the nuances of justice in his son, which made (to the average Staalbreaker, anyway) the death of Jacob’s father all the more surprising.

DiabloFans: Can you tell us something about the antagonists that Jacob will be facing throughout his journey?

Aaron: Readers have probably already met Ivan, his chief pursuer, childhood friend, and city executioner. Ivan is a fun bad guy to write dialog for, he’s cunning, he’s ruthless, and his arc is one that almost could have carried a novel on its own. Another is Varik, who has taken over as Staalbreak’s Constable after the death of Jacob’s dad. Varik isn’t quite himself, though I have to think he was a bit of a scheming weasel before he became “corrupted.” He’s another guy that’s going to be a major source of pain for Jacob and company, and he’s delightfully evil about it. Of course, there’s the MAIN baddie, but that’s firmly in spoiler territory, I fear.

DiabloFans: How familiar were you with the Diablo franchise and lore before working on this project? How much lore was needed to be known in order to write this series?

Aaron: Other than the basic lore, I didn’t have to know too much else, it turns out. I think the goal was to not only help fill in the time between Diablo II and III, but to also introduce new players/readers to the idea of the lore the game has built around it. Thus, they didn’t want it to get too “in school,” I think. For example, the Horadrim were considered for some early drafts as either part of the adventuring cast and perhaps having an arc where his following Jacob restores interest in the order, which had been waning. I did have to be aware of newer lore and game mechanics (like the new wizard class) to make sure they were applied properly.

DiabloFans: How did your work with Blizzard and this project differ from the other comics you have written?

Aaron: The biggest one had to have been when I heard over a conference call that the developers were going to have fun with some of the concepts we were kicking around. I’ve written things here and there for some characters people have probably heard of, but none were going to see their story elements put into a major-release game! I could also fire up previous game titles on my computer and claim I was “working” or “doing research.” J The script approval process had a few more people in it than on other projects, but Blizzard has their teams pretty tightly knit; If I ignored any initials on the script notes, I would have thought I was reading a single editor’s instructions.

DiabloFans: How was working with Joseph LaCroix? Did you ever find your writing influencing his art or vice versa?

Aaron: Joseph’s been given free reign on the scripts, and I couldn’t be happier with the result. As when I worked with Fiona Staples on “North 40,” I found letting the artist do their thing worked the best. Joseph’s work has blown me away so far, and I love that I’m seeing it for the first time when it’s printed along with everyone else. I don’t think I would have given any advice to him had I seen his work as it progressed. Thus far, it’s all turned out even better-looking than I’d imagined.

DiabloFans: What did you enjoy about this project that was different from other projects you have worked on?

Aaron: Having the established world is something that some might find hindering, but I liked playing with the nooks and crannies left in places “between the stories.” It’s kind of like a writing version of Tetris, where you’ve got these story elements and you’re trying to find where they might fit perfectly where they meet with the established stuff. It’s almost like seeing a longish news story and coming up with “what REALLY happened.” Without giving away too much, the barbarians were united under Bul-Kathos, but that’s a pretty broad way of putting it. Generally, to keep a bunch of formerly rowdy tribes in line, someone has to do “necessary things,” and we find out who that was and what became of them to the present day…

…but perhaps I’ve said too much.

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Joseph Lacroix - Artist Interview

DiabloFans: How much art did you look at from Blizzard to help inspire you with your own unique take on the art and characters?

Joseph: I had access to many pictures and graphic works of Diablo III and I was quite impressed. I refer to them every day. The game is truly magnificent and breathtaking, from the details of the characters and monsters to the sets and backgrounds – they are like a painting. So the art from the game or the Blizzard artists is very inspiring, and I try to stay close but of course I draw everything my way.

DiabloFans: How much freedom were you given in designing the looks of the characters? Particularly those who Blizzard already art for like Tyrael?

Joseph: Certain characters are directly and a 100 % inspired by the characters of Diablo III: a sorcerer, monsters and many others... I am forced to remain vague because these characters will appear in the issues to follow. They are a direct emanation of the universe of Diablo, so I must be faithful to the anatomical details, the attitudes, the clothes, etc. So I had not much freedom for the characters already existing in the game, but a lot on the new characters for the comics.

DiabloFans: How did you give each character personality while keeping the same pre-existing style?

Joseph: There is not a lot of pre-existing characters in the comics, most of the characters are new from what I know. Tyrael though, is appearing in the comics, but he is more of an iconic figure, I don’t have to make him talk or walk. I take from the game what I need, more or less details of outfits etc… and I make it mine.

DiabloFans: The second comic takes us to Dreadlands. How did you choose to represent the bleak darkness of this area?

Joseph: For the Dreadlands, I have looked at a lot of pictures from Iceland: ice, snow, geysers and volcanoes. It is a very hostile, desolated and frozen land.

DiabloFans: How much does color play into setting the mood and atmosphere of Sanctuary? Did you try to represent each region differently?

Joseph: Of course the color is the best source of information for the mood and atmosphere. And I am so lucky to have the great Dave Stewart working on the comics. For Lut Gholein, he worked some very warm colors. The sun does not shine often in Sanctuary and when it does, it burns. At the opposite, the colors he used for Staalbreak, Jacob’s village in the Dreadlands, are pretty cold: all grey and blue. I use a lot of black: on faces, foreground and background. Sanctuary is a universe made of dust, ruins, darkness and shadows so I really want the reader to experience a long descent into hell.

DiabloFans: What was your favorite character, area, or monster to draw and why?

Joseph: I like Jacob – he is a young man that I would like to be: direct, passionate and violent! I also like monsters, and the beastmen are my favorites and I think that it is because there is something very grotesque in a human body with an animal face, I like that.

DiabloFans: What did you enjoy about this project that was different from other projects you have worked on?.

Joseph: Before Diablo, I was working for French comics (bande dessinée) which is a very different way of storytelling. I have always dreamed to try American comics, and I love dark fantasy. I was in the middle of a big illustration before working on Diablo, where I was piling tiny skulls on a huge paper sheet. My inspirations are very morbid, but I still hold back a little in Diablo; but I think that I’ll let loose my inspiration more and more in the issues to come. It was really a dream opportunity for me to work on a comic in a genre I adore.

New Beta Key Contest.
Blizzard has just started another Diablo 3 beta key contest, make sure to try your luck!

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Blue Posts

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The Name Deckard Cain
A few days ago, a kid by the name of "Deckard Cain Elder" posted his story over on Reddit stating that Deckard Cain was indeed named after him. Today his story was confirmed by Bashiok.

My name is Deckard Cain Elder, and I am 16 years old. When I was just a baby, Blizzard had a surprise drawing for Diablo with very vague details. All anyone knew was that if they wanted to be a part of the drawing, they had to send a postcard to Blizzard with their name on it, and after a said date, they would pick a card at random to win the prize. Being a very big Blizzard fan, my father decided to take part in this. He thought about it for a while, and decided that since my name is so unique, he would send the postcard in with my name on it instead of his. My first name comes from the Harrison Ford's character in the movie Blade Runner, my middle name is my mother's maiden name, and my last name is my fathers family name.

It had been about 4 or 5 months after my father had sent in this postcard with my name on it to Blizzard, and he had begun to forget about it, and accepted that, because of the period of time since he had sent the card in, we hadn't won this unknown prize. About 6 months after the drawing, a box arrived at my parents apartment in South Dakota. Not having ordered anything, they were curious as to why it had shown up. When they opened the box there were five things inside. A long yellow envelope, a copy of Diablo, a black hat with Blizzard in blue printed on the front, a very large Diablo T-shirt, and a blue statue of Diablo that stood a little over a foot tall. Inside the envelope was a letter from Bill Roper, the producer of Diablo, that explained that I had been chosen for the drawing prize. (I will have an imgur link to pictures of the Diablo statue, me holding the letter, and the letter up close for you to read.) The letter basically explained that the prize for being chosen in this drawing, was to have your name in the game. I honestly feel that, because of my unique name, Blizzard saw my name on the postcard and thought it suited the character they were looking to name. But either way, it's seriously cool. So if you ever wondered how Blizzard named Deckard Cain, you now know.
Picture of Letter | Identification

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Curse - World First Exclusive Video for Reckoning.
Curse was able to get a world first exclusive release video for Reckoning, take a look below!

Beta Patch 9 - Official Patch Notes
Blizzard has just released the patch 9 notes, a simple bug fix patch.

Diablo 3 - Beta Patch 8
The new beta patch hit the download servers and we're digging through it for changes, stay tuned for more updates.

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Quest Selection Screens
Quest selection screens for all 4 acts have been added to the interface files, they are extremely similar to the loading screen shown earlier.
Spoilers Alert

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Unofficial Class Changes
These changes are NOT OFFICIAL and are the results of patch files comparison. Take them with a grain of salt and don't hesitate to point out anything weird in comments, it might be an error on our side.

Barbarian

• Superstition now has a chance to grant you 3 Fury instead of a 100% chance.
• Juggernaut now has a chance to recover 15% of your life instead of a 100% chance.
• Bash (Alabaster Rune) now deals 24% weapon damage, up from 20%.
• Bash (Crimson Rune) now removes the chance to knock enemies back.
• Bash (Obsidian Rune) now removes the chance to knock enemies back.
• Cleave now deals 115% weapon damage to all enemies caught in the arc instead of 120% to the primary target and 90% to any other enemy in range.
• Cleave (Indigo Rune) now reduces the movement speed of enemies cleaved by 58% for 3 secs instead of drawing enemies in from 20 yards away before the strike lands.
• Cleave (Obsidian Rune) now inflicts 65% weapon damage to enemies when they land, down from 100%.
• Cleave (Crimson Rune) now deals 149% weapon damage to all enemies caught in the swing instead of 157% to the primary target and 118% to any other enemy in range.
• War Cry now last for 60 seconds, down from 120.
• War Cry (Indigo Rune) now grants a 16% dodge bonus to your War Cry, down from 21%.
• Threatening Shout now lasts 15 seconds, down from 30 seconds.
• Ground Stomp now generates fury regardless if an enemy is hit.
• Ground Stomp (Crimson Rune) now deals 136% weapon damage, down from 138%
• Ground Stomp (Obsidian Rune) now deals 156% weapon damage, down from 157%
• Hammer of the Ancients (Crimson Rune) now deals 234% weapon damage, down from 236%
• Hammer of the Ancients (Indigo Rune) now deals 208% weapon damage, down from 210%
• Hammer of the Ancients (Obsidian Rune) now deals 54% weapon damage, down from 56%
• Sprint (Obsidian Rune) tornadoes now inflict 58% weapon damage, up from 33% weapon damage.
• Sprint (Alabaster Rune) now does 97% weapon damage, down from 98%
• Ancient Spear now has unlimited range up from 45 yards.
• Ancient Spear (Alabaster Rune) now does 149% weapon damage, down from 151%.
• Furious Charge now seems to generate Fury even if you do not hit an enemy. ("Only generates Fury if you hit an enemy." removed from the description)
• Furious Charge (Crimson Rune) Increase weapon damage by 234% down from 236%
• Battle Rage now lasts for 30 seconds, down from 60 seconds.
• Battle Rage (Crimson Rune) now increases damage bonus to 40% up from 36%.
• Battle Rage (Indigo Rune) now has only has a chance to proc instead of a 100% chance
• Battle Rage (Obsidian Rune) now has 6% chance to proc, down from 27%. Can now happen more than once every 10 secs.
• Battle Rage (Golden Rune) now gives your critical hits a chance to generate 4 additional fury instead of a 100% chance.
• Battle Rage (Alabaster Rune) now gives your critical hits a chance to cause an explosion of blood dealing 21% weapon damage instead of a 100% chance.
• Wrath of the Berserker (Indigo Rune) now deals 455% weapon damage, down from 458%
• Wrath of the Berserker (Alabaster Rune) now deals 78% weapon damage, down from 79.
• Earthquake now deals 1200% weapon damage as Fire over 8 seconds, down from 240% weapon damage + 150% damage per second for 8 second.
• Leap Attack now seems to generate Fury even if you do not hit an enemy. ("Only generates Fury if you hit an enemy." removed from the description)
• Leap Attack (Indigo Rune) now deals 30% weapon damage, down from 31%.
• Leap Attack (Obsidian Rune) now deals 182% weapon damage, down from 183%.
• Weapon Throw (Crimson Rune) now deals 269% weapon damage, dowm from 271%
• Rend now does 210% weapon damage as bleed damage over 3 seconds, up from 70 bleed damage every second for 3 seconds.
• Rend (Crimson Rune) increases damage by 91% weapon damage, down from 92%.
• Rend (Indigo Rune) now deals 95% weapon damage, down from 96%.
• Frenzy (Golden Rune) now has a 11% chance to call down a bolt of lightning, down from 22%.
• Frenzy (Alabaster Rune) now procs from an enemy kill instead of a creature kill. (Now works in PvP?)
• Call of the Ancients (Golden Rune) now increases duration by 24 secs, down from 55 secs.
• Seismic Slam (Crimson Rune) now increases damage by 466% weapon damage, down from 474%
• Seismic Slam (Indigo Rune) now deals 30% weapon damage, down from 31%.
• Seismic Slam (Alabaster Rune) now deals 466% weapon damage, down from 474%.
• Whirlwind now seems to deal 110% weapon damage every 3 secs but that seems kinda low/weird, so I'm going to assume it's a parsing bug. The in-game tooltip says "Deliver multiple attacks to everything in your path for 110% weapon damage."
• Whirlwind (Crimson Rune) now deals 110% weapon damage, up from 38%.
• Whirlwind (Indigo Rune) now deals 80% weapon damage, up from 25%.
• Revenge now inflicts enemies within 11 yards, up from 8 yards.
• Revenge (Crimson Rune) now increase damage to 234% weapon damage, down from 236%
• Overpower (Indigo Rune) now does 78% weapon damage, down from 79%

Demon Hunter

• Night Stalker now has a chance to proc from critical hits, instead of a 100% chance.
• Multishot now deals 182% weapon damage, down from 183%
• Multishot (Crimson Rune) now increases the damage done by 182% weapon damage, down from 183%
• Multishot (Indigo Rune) now deals 143% weapon damage as arcane, down from 144%
• Multishot (Obsidian Rune) now deals 156% weapon damage as fire, down from 157%
• Multishot (Golden Rune) now deals 182% weapon damage as lightning, down from 183%
• Fan of Knives (Crimson Rune) now deals 526% weapon damage, down from 531%
• Fan of Knives (Alabaster Rune) now deals 468% weapon damage, down from 472%
• Bola Shot now generates 3 Hatred, up from 2. Deals 100% weapon damage, down from 105%. Deals an additional 62% weapon damage to all other targets within 7 yards, down from 65%. Damage of all the runed versions reduced slightly by the same % as well.
• Bola Shot (Obsidian Rune) now deals 100% damage as Lightning, down from 105%
• Bola Shot (Alabaster Rune) now deals 107% addition weapon damage, down from 113%
• Vault (Crimson Rune) now deals its damage as Fire damage and now deals 143%, down from 144%
• Vault (Obsidian Rune) now deals 78% weapon damage, down from 79%
• Spike Trap now generates 5 Hatred, down from 6.
• Spike Trap (Crimson Rune) now deals 156% weapon damage, down from 157%.
• Spike Trap (Golden Rune) now deals 117% weapon damage, up from 111%
• Grenades now generate 3 Hatred, up from 2 Hatred.
• Grenades (Golden Rune) now generates 7 Hatred, down from 10 Hatred.
• Grenades (Alabaster Rune) now has a 10% chance to stun, down from 15%
• Grenades (Crimson Rune) now deals 88% weapon damage as fire, up from 80%
• Grenades (Indigo Rune) now has a 10% chance to stun, down from 100%
• Grenades (Obsidian Rune) now deals 144% weapon damage, up from 136%
• Chakram (Crimson, Indigo, Golden, Alabaster Rune) all had damage reduced by 1%
• Marked for Death (Golden Rune) now generates 2 Hatred whenever you attack the marked enemy, down from 8 Hatred. However it seem to no longer have a cooldown. (*This effect cannot occur more than once every 2 seconds. was removed)
• Hungering Arrow now generates 3 Hatred, up from 2 Hatred. Now deals 85% weapon damage, down from 90%.
• Elemental Arrow now costs 10 Hatred, up from 5 Hatred. Now deals 145% weapon damage as Fire, up from 125%.
• Rapid Fire now costs 20 Hatred, down from 30 Hatred. Now costs an additional 10 Hatred while channeling up from 1.5.
• Rapid Fire (Golden Rune) now reduces the initial Hatred cost by 6, down from 16.
• Preparation (Crimson Rune) now costs 21 Discipline to cast, down from 26.
• Strafe now costs 14 Hatred while channeling instead of 10 Hatred per second and an additional 1 Hatred per shot. Now allows you to move at 65% of your movement speed, down from 75% and every shot deals 35% weapon damage, down from 60%
• Evasive Fire Tooltip now reads if enemy is in front of you, compared to if enemy is near you.

Monk

• Chant of Resonance Duration of all Mantras increased by 7 minutes, up from 60 seconds.
• Guiding Light now increases damage by 16% for 15 seconds, up from 10 seconds.
• Fists of Thunder (Alabaster Rune) now increases your dodge chance by a flat 11% for 2 secs instead of 2.5% stacking up to 5 times.
• Deadly Reach (Crimson Rune) now increases damage of all attacks by 30% for 30 seconds instead of 10% for 11 seconds stacking up to 3 times.
• Breath of Heaven now costs 50 Spirit, up from 25 Spirit. Healing value increased by 60%.
• Breath of Heaven (Indigo Rune) had its healing value increased by 60%.
• Breath of Heaven (Obsidian Rune) now increases damage done by 12% for 45 secs after Breath of Heaven is used instead of 20% for 8 secs.
• Crippling Wave now slows down enemies by 60%, up from 50%.
• Crippling Wave (Obsidian Rune) now makes enemies hit by Crippling Wave inflict 40% less damage for 5 seconds instead of 50% less damage for 6 seconds.
• Crippling Wave (Alabaster Rune) now makes affected targets take 15% additional damage from all attacks for 5 seconds instead of 20% more damage over 6 seconds.
• Serenity has changed from total damage, to damage dealt to each enemy cannot exceed 100% of your maximum life.
• Crippling Wave now lasts for 5 seconds, up from 4.5
• Crippling Wave (Alabaster Rune) targets take 15% additional damage for 5 seconds, down from 20% for 6 seconds.
• Crippling Wave (Indigo Rune) now also increases the movement speed slowing effect by 60%
• Crippling Wave (Obsidian Rune) Enemies now deal 40% less damage for 5 seconds, down from 50% for 6 seconds.
• Mantra of Healing no longer has a cooldown but now costs 25 Spirit. Now lasts 3 minutes instead of 1 minute.
• Dashing Strike (Obsidian Rune) now has a 32% increased change to dodge for 2 seconds, up from 21% for 9 seconds.
• Mantra of Conviction no longer has a cooldown but now costs 25 Spirit. Now lasts 3 minutes instead of 1 minute.
• Mantra of Conviction (Golden Rune) now says “up to” 30%.
• Mantra of Retribution no longer has a cooldown but now costs 25 Spirit. Now lasts 3 minutes instead of 1 minute.
• Mantra of Retribution (Crimson Rune) now increases the amount of damage reflected by the mantra to 70%. Down from 84%.
• Mantra of Retribution (Golden Rune) now has a chance to restore 4 Spirit when reflecting damage, instead of a 100% chance.
• Exploding Palm (Obsidian Rune) now procs from the third hit and increases damage by 15% for 3 seconds No longer stacks. up from 10% for 2 seconds.
• Wave of Light now deals 450% weapon damage + 450% additional weapon damage to all enemies in a line. Up from 150% + 330% damage.
• Wave of Light (Crimson Rune) now increases damage of the initial impact to 585%, up from 196%.
• Dashing Strike (Obsidian Rune) now increases dodge by 32% for 2 secs instead of 21% for 9 secs.
• Mantra of Evasion no longer has a cooldown but now costs 25 Spirit. Now lasts 3 minutes instead of 1 minute.
• Mantra of Evasion (Crimson Rune) now has a chance to create a burst of flame instead of a 100% chance to proc.
• Tempest Rush now costs 15 Sprit plus an additional 15 Spirit while channeling, down from 15 Spirit plus 20 Spirit per second.
• Tempest Rush (Golden Rune) now reduces costs to 14 Sprit per second, down from 16 Spirit.
• Mystic Ally (Crimson Rune) now gives the ally the ability to fire kick for 60% weapon damage,up from 52%.
• Blinding Flash (Crimson Rune) now lasts 5 seconds, down from 10 seconds.
• Lethal Decoy Removed
• Cyclone Strike *New* - Cost: 75 Spirit / Pull all enemies within 24 yards towards you followed by a furious blast of energy that deals 275% weapon damage as Holy.
• Cyclone Strike (Crimson Rune) - Changes the blast into an explosion of fire that deals 322% weapon damage as Fire and causes affected enemies to be feared for 2 seconds.
• Cyclone Strike (Indigo Rune) - Increases the distance enemies will be yanked to 34 yards and increases the blast damage to 322% weapon damage.
• Cyclone Strike (Obsidian Rune) - The initial cast will also heal you and all allies within 24 yards for 2924 Life.
• Cyclone Strike (Golden Rune) - Reduces the cost to 64 Spirit.
• Cyclone Strike (Alabaster Rune) - After using this ability you also gain a 32% chance to dodge attacks for 3 seconds.

Witch Doctor

• Rush of Essence now returns 125% mana cost, down from 200%.
• Summon Zombie Dogs (Crimson Rune) now burns nearby enemies for 8% of your weapon damage per second, down from 36%.
• Poison Dart (Crimson Rune) now does 211% weapon damage, down from 212%.
• Poison Dart (Indigo Rune) now does 59% weapon damage, up from 58%.
• Corpse Spiders (Crimson and Obsidian Rune) now do 54% weapon damage, down from 55%.
• Haunt (Alabaster Rune) now does 309% weapon damage as Arcane over 5 seconds, rather than 236% weapon damage per second.
• Grasp of the Dead (Crimson Rune) now does 104% weapon damage, down from 105%.
• Grasp of the Dead (Indigo Rune) now does 24% weapon damage, down from 25%.
• Hex (Crimson Rune) now does 30% weapon damage, down from 31%.
• Hex (Indigo Rune) now does 182% weapon damage, down from 183%.
• Hex (Obsidian Rune) now does 156% weapon damage, down from 157%.
• Hex (Alabaster Rune) now increases the damage taken by hexed targets to 50%, down from 60%.
• Soul Harvest now has a 15 second cooldown, up from 13 seconds.
• Soul Harvest (Alabaster Rune) now affected enemies take 273% weapon damage, down from 275%.
• Locust Swarm (Crimson Rune) now does 78% weapon damage, down from 79%.
• Locust Swarm (Alabaster Rune) now does 27% weapon damage, down from 28%. Now leaves behind a cloud of locusts rather than a cloud of disease.
• Spirit Barrage (Indigo Rune) now does 36% weapon damage, down from 37%.
• Spirit Barrage (Obsidian Rune) now does 33% weapon damage, down from 34%.
• Spirit Barrage (Alabaster Rune) now does 78% weapon damage, down from 79%.
• Horrify now has a 20 second cooldown, up from 18 seconds.
• Firebomb (Crimson Rune) now does 47% weapon damage, down from 48%.
• Firebomb (Indigo Rune) now does 121% weapon damage, down from 122%.
• Firebomb (Obsidian Rune) now does 24% weapon damage, down from 25%.
• Firebomb (Golden Rune) now does 21% weapon damage, down from 22%.
• Acid Cloud (Crimson Rune) now does 211% weapon damage, down from 213%.
• Acid Cloud (Indigo Rune) now does 146% weapon damage, down from 147%.
• Mass Confusion (Crimson Rune) now does 30% weapon damage, down from 31%.
• Mass Confusion (Obsidian Rune) now does 36% weapon damage, down from 37%.
• Spirit Walk now has a 15 second cooldown, up from 13 seconds. Now grants 2 seconds in the spirit realm, down from 3.
• Spirit Walk (Crimson Rune) now does 455% weapon damage, up from 157%.
• Spirit Walk (Indigo Rune) now grants 3.2 more seconds of Spirit Walk, down from 7.
• Spirit Walk (Obsidian Rune) now does 234% weapon damage, down from 236%.
• Spirit Walk (Golden Rune) now grants 11% of your maximum Mana, up from 8%.
• Spirit Walk (Alabaster Rune) now grants 11% of your maximum Life, up from 6%.
• Fetish Army (Crimson Rune) now does 286% weapon damage, down from 288%.
• Fetish Army (Indigo Rune) now does 34% of your weapon damage, up from 32%.
• Fetish Army (Obsidian Rune) now does 32% of your weapon damage, down from 33%.
• Fetish Army (Alabaster Rune) now does 38% of your weapon damage, down from 40%.
• Zombie Charger (Crimson, Indigo, and Alabaster Rune) now does 28% weapon damage, down from 29%.
• Firebats now costs 295 mana, rather than 591 Mana per second. Now does 100% weapon damage, rather than 100% weapon damage per second.
• Firebats (Crimson Rune) now does 208% of your weapon damage, down from 210%.
• Firebats (Indigo Rune) now does 273% of your weapon damage, down from 275%.
• Firebats (Obsidian Rune) now does 162% of your weapon damage, up from 139%.
• Firebats (Alabaster Rune) now does 162% of your weapon damage, down from 164%.
• Plague of Toads (Crimson Rune) now does 195% weapon damage, down from 196%.
• Plague of Toads (Indigo Rune) now does 143% weapon damage, down from 144%.
• Plague of Toads (Alabaster Rune) now does 175% weapon damage, down from 177%.
• Big Bad Voodoo now increases the damage of all allies in the area by 30%, down from 31%.
• Wall of Zombies (Crimson Rune) now does 31% weapon damage, down from 36%.
• Wall of Zombies (Obsidian Rune) now does 117% weapon damage, down from 118%.
• Wall of Zombies (Alabaster Rune) now does 221% weapon damage, down from 223%.
• Blood Spatter new skill. Only a fool tries to cheat death. The wise offer a fair trade. Whenever an enemy dies within 8 yards, regain 1% of your maximum Life and Mana and the cooldown on all of your abilities is reduced by 1 second. This range is extended by items that increase your gold and pickup radius.

Wizard

• Critical Mass now has a chance to proc from critical hits, instead of 100% chance.
• Prodigy now grants Arcane Power when you deal damage, rather than when you cast.
• Spectral Blade now strikes once for 105% damage instead of three times for 35% damage and is free to cast.
• Spectral Blade (Obsidian Rune) now has a 21% chance to cause knock back and slow, down from 36%.
• Shock Pules is now free to cast.
• Ice Armor (Crimson and Alabaster Rune) now affects melee attacks only, rather than all attacks.
• Wave of Force now deals 266% weapon damage, down from 269%.
• Mirror Image now has a 15 second cooldown, down from 25 seconds. Now lasts 9 seconds, down from 15 seconds.
• Mirror Image (Golden Rune) now increases duration to 15 seconds, down from 25 seconds.
• Frost Nova (Golden Rune) now reduces cooldown to 8.5 seconds, up from 8 seconds.
• Electrocute now deals 80% weapon damage at normal attack speed, rather than 40% weapon damage at double the normal attack speed. Now hits enemies at full damage after jumping, up from 30% reduced damage per jump. This is also now free to cast.
• Explosive Blast now causes 140% weapon damage, down from of 165% weapon damage.
• Explosive Blast (Alabaster Rune) now deal 55% weapon damage, down from 65%.
• Explosive Blast (Crimson Rune) now deal 164% weapon damage, down from 195%.
• Explosive Blast (Indigo Rune) now deal 146% weapon damage, down from 173%.
• Explosive Blast (Obsidian Rune) now deal 173% weapon damage, down from 205%.
• Diamond Skin now has a 15 second cooldown, down from 25 seconds. Now lasts 3 seconds, down from 5 seconds.
• Diamond Skin (Indigo Rune) now increases duration to 9 seconds, down from 15 seconds.
• Slow Time (Alabaster Rune) now increases attack speed only, rather than both attack and cast speed.
• Hydra now costs 40 Arcane Power, down from 60. Now lasts 15 seconds, up from 9 seconds.
• Storm Armor (Obsidian and Alabaster Runes) now have a chance to proc, down from 100% chance.
• Magic Weapon (Crimson Rune) now deals Poison damage instead of Fire damage.
• Magic Weapon (Indigo Rune) now has a chance to proc, down from 100% chance.
• Magic Weapon (Golden Rune) now has a chance to restore 7 Arcane Power, down from 100% chance to restore 7% of maximum Arcane Power.
• Meteor (Alabaster Rune) now lasts 8 seconds, up from 6 seconds.
• Disintegrate now costs 25 Arcane Power and cannot be channeled.
• Ray of Frost now costs 20 Arcane Power and cannot be channeled.
• Ray of Frost (Golden Rune) now reduces casting cost to 0 Arcane Power, down from 6 Arcane Power.
• Energy Armor now lasts 120 seconds, down from 240.
• Energy Armor (Golden Rune) Now has a chance to proc from hits, instead of 100% chance.
• Arcane Torrent now is no longer channeled. Cost reduced to 20 Arcane Power, down from 200 Arcane Power per second.
• Archon (Alabaster Rune) now does 520% weapon damage, down from 524%.
• Teleport (Crimson Rune) now does 208% weapon damage, down from 210%.