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Diablo offers three classes for players to choose from, and there actually are noticeable,
non cosmetic differences between the character archetypes. There is a Warrior, who beginners or those who favor melee combat and are not
that excited by spells should use. There is a Rogue who is a combination of the Warrior and
the Sorcerer, able to use both spells and weapons decently, and she also has her own abilities.
She is the undisputed master of the bow, in addition she can see farther than the other characters
as well as possessing a disarm trap skill. There is also of course, a Sorcerer who while
being the absolute lord of magic, is not very skilled with weapons, which can make this
class difficult for new players. However, in the hands of a skilled player, a high level
Sorcerer can be an utterly devastating force. From these basics, you can customize your
character to your liking with skill points gained with every experience level. It also should
be noted that while the classes are defining, they are not the final word, there is nothing
stopping a Sorcerer cracking a few skulls with a mace or a warrior toasting some Vortex
Lords with a few rounds of chain lightning. The "classes" are truly not classes in the
traditional sense, they are more of an archetype.
Hellfire adds three additional character classes:
Each character class has their advantages. The Sorcerer can fire spells left and right,
but can die quickly if he gets swamped. The Warrior has to face everyone hand-to-hand,
but usually has a high enough Armor Class (AC) that he doesn't get beaten into a fine pulp
as quickly as the Rogue and Sorcerer--and hence can usually go farther down in the
dungeon. The Rogue is somewhere between the other two, with the ranged attacks and
spells of the Sorcerer but a higher AC like the Warrior.
The characters each change appearance depending what they're using. If you equip
your warrior with field plate, it looks different than when he is wearing scale, which is
different from leather. Their appearance also changes according to shields, helmets
and weapons. The heroes each possess several thousand frames of animation giving
them a fluid motion, which looks truly realistic.
Each piece of armor adds a bit to your armor class (AC). The better (and more expensive)
the armor, the more it adds to your AC. With a high AC, attacks against your character
are less likely to succeed, which means you miss the effects of the attack entirely.
Arrows pass you by; swings of an axe or sword bounce ineffectively off of your armor;
claws and bites fail to find their mark. Missile attacks (including arrows, bile from acid
spitters, and the various bolt spells, among others) will proceed through the defenders
square when they miss, possibly striking anything behind. A shield further assists
defensive efforts, since a blow might bounce off of the shield instead of striking the
victim. Some magic items will also add points to AC, and having a high dexterity will
also raise your armor class.
Villagers
The village of Tristram is populated by eight villagers. Evidently, the crowds
disappeared when Lazarus took most of the villagers adventuring, or were scared
off shortly thereafter. The only remaining villagers are the retailers.
Griswold the Blacksmith, conveniently located in thecenter of the village, will sell you whatever armor and weapons you might want, although
usually not in the specific configuration (and definitely not the price) that you might hope for.
Pepin sells healing potions and related paraphernalia from his shopon the west side of the town square, while
Cain, who is found by the town fountain, can identify those weird magical items that you retrieve from the depths.
Adria is located to the east, across the river, and will buy your unwanted staves and sell you new ones, as well as mana potions, scrolls, and books.
Wirt, the peg-leg boy, can be found to the north of the center of town, and will sell you cool stuff, but only for absurdly high prices.
Gillian, the barmaid, is found in the center of town, and can provide information. 
Ogden, who owns the tavern in town, also provides information. 
Farnum, the town drunk, just provides somewhat confusing conversation.In both the solo and multi-player games, quests are often started by talking to particular
villagers. The mortally wounded townsman laying just outside of the church is a good
example of a conversation that starts a quest (although he dies immediately thereafter
and then disappears when the Butcher is killed). Although quests aren't as important in
multi-player games as in the solo game, the quests do differ a bit and can be entertaining.
Hence, you might want to chat with your neighbors on occasion. When a villager has a
quest, merely walking up to them and starting the conversation will get the quest rolling,
so there is no need to chat with a villager (that is, click on them and then go to the "chat"
submenu) unless you really want to see what they say about a particular quest, or just in
general. Although often chatty, their gossip spiels sometimes contain nuggets of useful
playing hints. Farnham, the drunkard, is the most uninformed villager of the lot, but he is
by far the most entertaining. The remaining villagers can provide useful game information,
specifically pertaining to any current quests, even if they are not initiating a quest for you.
Character Skills/Special Abilities
Due to training, as well as other things, characters have abilities which they can use at
any time (actually, these are disabled in the town). These skills allow characters to perform
feats that not everybody is capable of.
Spellcasting
This skill is usable by all adventurers. The sorcerer, however, is the best at it.
Repairing
All warriors, in their close relationship with weapons, have learned some smithing and
armor fabrication. This allows them to quickly patch up or bend into shape worn-out
armor and weapons. Of course, since it is a rushed job without the benefit of proper
tools and a forge, the weapons or armor will be damaged, and will never be quite the
same. Usually, this ability is used only as a last-ditch attempt, when a strong weapon
is needed quickly, and the blacksmith's shop is nowhere in sight.
Disarming
Rogues, with their sharp eyes and quick fingers, are often able to detect and disarm deadly
traps without harm. Whenever you, as a rogue, select a trapped item, its name will show
up in red type, rather than white. To disarm a trap, you simply 'cast' the disarm skill, and
activate the trapped item. There is always the chance that you will muff the attempt, and
set off the trap, but it's better safe than sorry. Disarming a trapped item also opens it
(assuming that it is a container type object.)
Recharging
Sorcerers, with their detailed knowledge of magical devices, are able to recharge their
magical staves. Of course, field work can never be quite as precise as that conducted
in a laboratory, so the intricate magical fabric of the staff will be slightly warped. Often
this is not too large a price to pay for the ability to recharge a staff without the witch's aid.
Character Statistics
When you pull up the character window, you will see a set of statistics representing your
character. At the top, your name is listed, and beside it are boxes with your experience
information, as well as your gold counter. Further down, on the left, you will see your ability
stats, with base values and current values. To the right are your combat stats. At the
bottom, you will see your power statistics on the left, and your resistances on the right.
Experience Points/Levels
As you play the game, your character gains experience from various things. The most
common way to do this is by defeating creatures. Each creature you kill gives you a few
experience points. These points add up, and eventually you reach a new experience level.
Each time you gain a level, your life points and mana points increase, based on your vitality
and magic, respectively. You also get five points to distribute among your abilities. As
you keep gaining levels, the next level gets progressively more difficult to attain.
Gold
This one is pretty self-explanatory. It is simply a counter of the gold your character is
carrying. Gold takes up one inventory square per 5000 g.p., and is the only item that
can be 'stacked' or combined with others of its kind.
Abilities
Each character has four statistics which represent his or her physical and mental
aptitudes. Strength represents sheer muscle-power and hugeness of the body. It
allows you to wield heavier weapons, and inflict extra damage with each swing.
Warriors have the best initial strength. Magic is a combination of brains and cosmic
in-tune-ness. It lets you comprehend more complex magical spells and gives you
better mana. Sorcerers have the best initial magic rating. Dexterity is quickness;
lightness of foot, nimbleness of fingers. High dexterity allows you to use better bows
and increases your accuracy (to-hit). Rogues are the leaders in the dexterity stat.
Vitality indicates health and general hardiness. It governs the amount of life points
you get. Vitality is generally higher in warriors and lower in sorcerers.
Combat Statistics
There are three statistics which affect what happens when you engage in combat.
These statistics can be affected by equipment or abilities. Armor class determines
how easy it is to hit you. Higher armor classes are generally better. Armor class is
simply a summation of the AC values of your armor, with magical modifiers taken
into account. The to-hit field represents your accuracy with weapons. You get a
basic to-hit value based on your dexterity. Your to-hit can be augmented (or dulled)
by various enchanted items. Your damage rating reflects the amount of destruction
you can inflict on enemies. It is given as a range of values, determined by your weapon,
your strength, and any magical modifiers, as well as your dexterity, to a certain extent.
Power Ratings
All characters have two forces flowing through them; life force and mana. Life points
represent the amount of blood in your system, or how much damage you can take before
dying. Mana is the magical power which is drawn upon to cast spells. As you gain
experience, each of these forces grows stronger in your character. When each force
runs low, it may be replenished by potions or magical spells.
Resistances
Your character has three resistance values: resist general magic, resist fire, and resist
lightning. Normally, these are all at zero, meaning that your character is at the mercy
of these hazards. Certain magical items can grant resistances to some or all of the
aforementioned things. A resistance of 100% means that you are virtually immune to
whatever the resistance is against.
The Inventory
When you click the INV button, or press I, the inventory window comes up in the left
half of your screen. The inventory screen consists of pack locations and body locations.
Pack Locations
The pack is divided into a 10 x 4 grid of squares. Each inventory item takes up a certain
number of squares. Gold takes up one square per 5000 pieces. Potions, scrolls, and
rings all take up one square apiece. Other items, such as armor and weapons, take
up varying amounts of room.
Body Locations
Above the pack area is a representation of your character's body. There are several boxes,
showing where you can put certain items. The main body area in the center is for body
armor, and the head is for helmets. The two larger boxes to the sides can hold weapons
or shields. If a weapon takes up both hands, the off-hand will be filled with a shaded
image of the weapon. The small boxes near the hands and neck are for magical rings
and amulets.
| STARTING STATS | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CLASS | STRENGTH | MAGIC | DEXTERITY | VITALITY | LIFE | MANA | LEVEL |
| Warrior | 30 | 10 | 20 | 25 | 70 | 10 | +2 Life, +1 Mana |
| Rogue | 20 | 15 | 30 | 20 | 45 | 22 | +2 Life, +2 Mana |
| Sorcerer | 15 | 35 | 15 | 20 | 30 | 70 | +1 Life, +2 Mana |
| Monk | 25 | 15 | 25 | 20 | 45 | 22 | +2 Life, +2 Mana |
| Bard | 20 | 20 | 25 | 20 | 45 | 35 | +2 Life, +2 Mana |
| Barbarian | 40 | 0 | 20 | 25 | 70 | 0 | +2 Life |
| MAXIMUM STATS | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CLASS | STRENGTH | MAGIC | DEXTERITY | VITALITY | LIFE | MANA |
| Warrior | 250 | 50 | 60 | 100 | 316 | 98 |
| Rogue | 55 | 70 | 250 | 80 | 201 | 173 |
| Sorcerer | 45 | 250 | 85 | 80 | 138 | 596 |
| Monk | 150 | 80 | 150 | 80 | 201 | 183 |
| Bard | 120 | 120 | 120 | 100 | 221 | 231 |
| Barbarian | 255 | 0 | 55 | 150 | 416 | 0 |
| Warrior | Rogue | Sorcerer |
| Monk | Bard | Barbarian |
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HELLFIRE is a trademark of Sierra On-Line/Synergistic Software.