This walkthrough also assumes that you're playing the single player variant of Diablo II. If you're playing on Battle.net on LAN, or via LAN with an mod the walkthrough won't provide any value for you, however there may be things such as muling and receiving assistance with other players (as well as things such as speed grinding with Tristram runs) which could change your playstyle a bit.
The walkthrough also gives general information. If you need advice specific to certain classes of particular monsters like Duriel go through the individual articles as many of them have tactics that are specific to individual character classes.
After selecting a class from the Character Screen, you find yourself in an area known as the Rogue Encampment. These initial starting points in every Act are referred to"towns" or "towns" also known as "sanctuaries." While within the borders of these areas, players as well as monsters are not able to cause any harm. In these towns there are characters with whom players can interact with to obtain quests and buy/sell/repair/gamble or hire mercenaries, depending on their purpose within the town walls. Each character has information of varying importance in the game, and when playing this game in the beginning, they are often able to provide valuable tips to help you succeed in your quests.
At the Rogue Camp, Charsi and Gheed will offer basic armor and weapons. Charsi additionally provides the service of fixing the armor and weapons. Akara can sell staves wands and sceptres as well as scrolls, potions, tomes and other items of magic. Akara will also treat the character and their companions, as well as initiating the first quest. Like in the original Diablo game, players begin with just a weapon and possibly a shield, depending on the class of their character as well as a Scroll of Identify and a Scroll of Town Portal. The starting items are sold in one gold Piece which means that should you encounter a weapon or shield that is more valuable than your starting one then you can simply put the start item on the ground instead of heading to the town to sell it.
Attributes are the set of values that determine the various stats. For example, the amount of strength determines (naked) amount of melee damage that a character takes and the strength of the armor and weapons they can equip. Every time a character reaches a certain level, they receive five attribute points, which can be used for Vitality, Strength, Dexterity, or Energy.
In the beginning the Strength and Dexterity levels are initially increased only in order to help meet the demands of better and better equipment, and the remaining points are then incorporated into Vitality. In the future, there's a variations on this system however, for the initial up to five levels splitting points into Strength and Vitality is a smart choice. For certain characters, such as such as the Bow Amazon, increasing dexterity when necessary is a good option. There may be a variations to this concept However, at the start it's a secure investment. Energy is regarded as a dump stat even for spellcasters because it just increases the maximum mana level and does nothing other than that. Maximum Mana is also increased with the the level of equipment and with certain levels, mana regeneration and leech are common atributes of items and mana potions aren't costly and are often dropped by monsters. This contributes to the stat getting less and efficient over time and therefore it's best to get it if your build depends on Maximum Mana, like the Melee Sorceress that has maximum Telekinesis and Energy Shield.
Skill points allow players to unlock new spells or capabilities referred to as Skills. Each time a character levels up they earn the equivalent of one point. Some skills require a certain minimum level before a player can access that ability. For instance, the Necromancer can not learn Clay Golem before level 6. In addition, some skills require one or more prerequisite skills like a Druid cannot learn Feral Rage until level 12 and then after having acquired the Werewolf ability. Some skills add bonuses to other skills , which are referred to as Synergies that boost other abilities.
Skills become more powerful with more points invested into them . While it is best to concentrate, every character has their "one point wonders" that are useful with a one or minimal investment of points and, in particular, when playing at low levels. In this regard it is important to look through the build and character section for more information about what suits a particular playstyle and then consider what factors make the character useful. For instance that the Necromancer is equipped with Summon Resist which gives an impressive resistance bonus in the beginning the minions of his. The extra points you invest in this type of build will give very little bonus, so many players (providing they're playing a minions-based build) can invest only one point in it, depending on item bonuses to boost the value of it. Another one is Leap Attack, which will let the Barbarian to jump over most obstacles within a few inches away at the expense of one skill point.
When you enter the city, Warriv would be the one who will approach the character. Kashya will be just a few steps away, but she won't permit you to hire anyone until you've finished the Sisters Burial Grounds quest or are above level 8. You can talk with Charsi and Gheed, but they'll have no money and will be unable to purchase any items from them. Also, talking with Akara will give you the first quest.
Take a trip out to your Blood Moor and follow the road that leads to your first adventure. A player can choose to take on all the creatures in the area for experience points or leave them out and continue on with the quest. What ever you decide to do, the road will eventually split. Not too far from that junction you will find a cave known as The Den of Evil. If the cave happens to be a little distant, you will eventually meet a rogue called Flavie. If you've travelled all this way, it's an excellent idea to be cautious wander into your Cold Plains and activate the routepoint here. This will save travelling to the back of the area once the quest is completed.
Magic armor and weapons are somewhat risky to get back and sell at this point in the game, as they could sell for less than the cost of an identification scroll (specially in the case of specific items that are ethereal or class-specific, and even worse when the item can't have innate skill bonuses like those of the Assassin Katars) and, therefore, until at least 5000 gold has been gained (which shouldn't take too long) make sure you have the Identify scrolls to better decide if an item is worth selling in the town. Additional mana and healing potions are useful however it's not a good idea to stock your inventory with them. Rings, amulets, jewels and chipped gems also sell for a decent amount of gold if you choose that you do not want to store them. Sceptres, staves and orbs also have value. considerable amounts in the event that they are equipped with skill bonuses.
The player can also decide to keep the second best armor helmet, and bow in their stash so gold does not need to be spent to purchase the equipment of the Hireling. You can also purchase an Long Bow from Gheed unless they find a better model prior to the purchase.
When you are ready to enter the cave, you can allocate any points you have to your stats and abilities. If you are unsure then take a look through the builds section for a broad idea of what skills would be an appropriate choice. There are also "one point skills" for every character that are worth considering as well as the respecialization option can be useful if you commit a grave error in the allocation of skills. Keep in mind that respecs do not have an infinite number of possibilities and you should take care before choosing for resetting your character's score.
Fallen, Fallen Shamans Gargantuan Zombie and Beasts. Fallen Shamans won't waste time resurrecting the dead Fallen therefore make them the top prioritization. If they are surrounded by too many minions, you can choose to take out a couple of monsters to disperse the masses of Fallen in case they interfere in your quest to eliminate the Shamans. There are instances when Shamans come back to Fallen off screen, which can slow your completion of the quest.
There's a truly unique Zombie named Corpsefire. It can cause quite a challenge for a beginner player. The best strategy to take on the enemy is by yourself which is why you should either draw him off specifically or eliminate the nearby monsters so attention won't have to be diverted from him.
Other Advice
Continue to clear the cave, perhaps needing to retrace your steps in case the Fallen Shamans may have resurrected a Fallen from the player's vision. When every monster within the area is defeated, a brief piece of music is played and beams of light can be visible through the caves. The town can be returned either by town portal, going back to town, or continuing in the direction of the waypoint within the Cold Plains. At any rate, speak with Akara to grant a bonus skill point and also provide an option to reset the stat and skill points for the character which can be redeemed anytime, however it is only awarded once per difficulty level outside of creating a token of Absolution.
A great choice at this point is the Tome of Town Portal, since the route to the cemetery could be very long. Additionally, you should purchase one of these belts should you not have one and it can double the potions that are available.
After it is clear that the Den of Evil is complete, Kashya will have the next mission open to you. The Blood Raven, a being that is named Blood Raven is raising up an army of Zombies within the Burial Grounds and Kashya would like you to stop her. It is believed that the Burial Grounds are located just behind The Cold Plains, and are accessible via the road close to the waypoint. The road has three destinations which include a dungeon known as the Caves as well as the Stony Field and the Burial Grounds themselves. There may be significant running around until you reach the Burial Grounds. The third area, which is the Stony Field, has the waypoint created in a random spot on the generation that preceded it, so it's a good idea to backtrack for now rather than going forward to the next location to find it.
Interactions
The same monsters you encountered in the last quest along with a new form of Corrupt Rogues that are known as Dark Hunters and Dark Spearwomen. This area also has one of the most unique Fallen Shaman named Bishibosh who can revive the Fallen Shamans in close proximity if they've been killed, so if you encounter Bishibosh give him the top spot or stay clear of him completely. If you are finding the mobs of Fallen to be overwhelming and you want to kill one or two of them in order in order to scatter them temporarily until you take out Bishibosh.
Once you reach the Burial Grounds, it would be best to walk around the cemetery's walls to defeat those who are Hungry Dead as well as Skeletons as Blood Raven will often run across the ground making it difficult for the player to take on them in the end. Blood Raven is a superunique Corrupt Rogue Archer, and makes it difficult for beginners. Blood Raven prefers to remain at range and will often raise Hungry Dead to distract the player. But, if you stay in the right direction and your strategy, you will eventually be able to beat her.
Once you return to city, Akara gives you her next quest. Akara will inform you that it is necessary to locate Deckard Cain so that you can better confront the terror that has been ravaging the monastery. The man is located in Tristram in the Tristram area, which is far for a walk to reach You are then tasked to open the portal at the Cairn Stones, found inside the Stony Field. It is necessary to touch them in a certain order that is written onto the bark of the Tree of Inifuss. Finally, although it is not mandatory to complete this quest, Deckard Cain will identify the items you have that are in your inventory free of cost.
It's not a tough job, but there will be some walking involved. First, take a look at your character's stat points or skill points and assign them as you require. Dressing your rogue in a few things can also be beneficial. Return to Cold Plains and follow the route to the Stony Field. Continue on the road to the entry point of the Underground Passage, engaging enemies as necessary, but before you can enter the cave take some time to explore your surroundings and locate the waypointsince you'll need to return to the area in order to finish the quest. As you travel along the route, you'll likely come across the circle of stones that will trigger the portal. Their security guardian Rakanishu which will also be detailed in the section of encounters.
In the Stony Field will have Moon Clan Goatmen, Hungry Dead Skeletons Fallen, Fallen Shamans and Dark Archers. Also, there will be an entirely new foe, the Carver, who is slightly tougher than the Fallen and, more importantly, in this particular area, they will not have Shamans to help them after they are slain. Additionally, there's the Lightning Enchanted Carver Rakanishu, famous for the lightning bolts he emits when struck can cause fatal harm at lower levels. It's not a bad idea to build up a bit on lightning resistance, taking potions in the event of need and fleeing into town is also a good idea should you be at risk of being soaked by too much of them. There are Foul Crows as well as their spawners called Foul Crow Nests. They can be quite tough to eliminate in the beginning, but it is usually wise to attempt to do so as they are likely to produce many Foul Crows before self-destructing..
Once you're ready, return to the cave and go to the inside. The monsters in the passage aren't a problem in and of their own right. Keep looking to find the exit. There's a second stage to this location where you'll need confront Carver Shamans and the loot from the golden chest will probably not be worth the hassle of getting into a fight with the monsters in this zone. Once you've found the exit, put an Town Portal there prior to leaving to ensure that, if you are killed, you will not need to walk all the distance from the point of exit located in Stony Field.
