Diablo Wiki - User contributions [en]

Greater Rifts

2014-11-21T12:37:21Z

Omeganian: /* Difficulty */

[[File:Greater-rift-completion27.jpg|thumb|250px|Greater Rift Complete banner.]]
Greater Rifts (GRs or GRifts, initially known as '''Tiered Rifts''') are a higher level of [[Nephalem Rift]], added in [[Patch 2.1]]. Grifts are designed to provide an [[end game]] play mode with progressively increasing difficultly, and rewards to match.

Each Greater Rift is equivalent to a Nephalem Rift in size, layout, and monster density. The difference is that Greater Rifts must be completed within 15 minutes (to advance), and are scaled to their own 1-100 levels of difficulty (GR 25 is roughly equivalent to [[Torment 6]]). When players complete each Greater Rift by moving the progress bar to 100% and then killing the Guardian that appears, before the 15m timer runs out, they receive a token for a higher level Greater Rift. (Faster clears earn bigger jumps up in the Grift key level.)

Other game aspects tied to Greater Rifts include [[Legendary Gems]], which are only found and upgraded (via [[Urshi]]) in Greater Rifts, and the [[Realm of Trials]] which exists as a way for players to earn higher level [[Greater Rift Keystones]]. (Saving them time over clearing multiple lower level Grifts as they work their way up.)

Quick notes:
* There are very few [[shrines]] in Grifts and [[Pylons]] last only 15 seconds.
* [[Treasure Goblins]] are not found in Grifts. Early on the PTR they were present, and would drop [[Progress Orbs]] when killed.
* No loot or gold drops in Grifts, and there are no chests and very few destructibles.
* Respecs and gear changes are not permitted during a Grift. In early PTR testing players could return to town and change gear, but this is no longer permitted.
* Greater Rifts are found only in [[Adventure Mode]] and as such are only in [[Reaper of Souls]] or [[Ultimate Evil Edition]].

==Difficulty==

[[File:Keystone-of-trials1.jpg|thumb|320px|Enter the [[Realm of Trials]] to earn higher level [[GRK]]s.]]
Greater Rifts do not use usual Diablo 3 [[difficulty]] system. GRs are numbered from 1-100 in ascending difficulty, and as players clear rifts they will earn Greater Rift Keys (GRKs) to enter higher level Rifts.

It's impossible to directly compare difficulty levels<ref>[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blizzard-tracker/devthread/us/13271628029 Greater Rift Difficulty] - Blizzard CM, 04/06/14</ref> due to vagaries in monster spawn and density, but the approximate levels agreed upon by testers are:<ref>[http://www.reddit.com/r/Diablo/comments/2942zw/ptr_early_greater_rift_tips/ Greater Rift early feedback] - Sidereel via Reddit, 27/06/2014</ref> <ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoN3B3T7ES4 Greater Rift playthrough video] - ZiggyD gaming stream, 27/06/2014</ref>

Approximate Greater Rift Level = [[Difficulty]]
* Greater Rift Level 1 = [[Hard]]
* Greater Rift Level 4 = [[Expert]]
* Greater Rift Level 7 = [[Master]]
* Greater Rift Level 10 = [[Torment 1]]
* Greater Rift Level 13 = [[Torment 2]]
* Greater Rift Level 16 = [[Torment 3]]
* Greater Rift Level 19 = [[Torment 4]]
* Greater Rift Level 22 = [[Torment 5]]
* Greater Rift Level 25 = [[Torment 6]]
* Greater Rift Level 25+ = Harder and harder.

GR30 was about the limit for a very well-equipped (softcore) character entering the Patch 2.1 testing on the PTR. Shortly after Patch 2.1 players with improved gear began to clear up through GR35 routinely, with the first groups into the low 40s. As gear and strategy improves, higher and higher levels are reached, with 54 being the maximum as of November 21st 2014.

Early in Patch 2.1, Demon Hunters were considerably stronger than other classes thanks to their Sentries acting as the best "pets" and dealing non-stop damage. A fan-tabulated survey of the average clear times for the top 1000 ranked players showed approximately:<ref name=preview>[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/greater-rift-leaderboards-show-diablo-3-clagreater-rift-leaderboards-show-diablo-3-class-imbalance Greater Rift top 1000 best times averaged] - Diablo.IncGamers.com, 09/09/2014</ref>

* Demon Hunters: GR 38
* Wizards: GR 36
* Barbs/Monks/Crusaders/Witch Doctors: GR 33

==Accessing Greater Rifts==

[[File:Progress-orbs1.jpg|thumb|300px|Progress Orbs boost completion speed.]]
The series of steps to enter Greater Rifts:

# Find a [[Keystone of Trials]], which can be dropped by any Nephalem Rift Guardian.
# Use the Keystone of Trials at the Nephalem Obelisk in town to enter the [[Realm of Trials]].
## In the Trial fight waves of enemies, killing as many as possible to earn a higher level [[Greater Rift Key]].
# Use your Greater Rift Key to open a Greater Rift of that level.
# Clear the Grift and kill the Guardian within 15m to earn a higher level GRK.
# GRKs are upgraded via [[Urshi]], and a higher level GRK will be created based on how fast the rift was cleared.
# Use the new GRK to enter a Grift of that level, and repeat until you can not finish a Grift in time.

Prior to the introduction of the Realm of Trials, players simply found GRK 1 and started on level one, moving up quickly to higher levels via very quick completions of the low difficulty GRifts. This was boring for well-geared characters though, having to repeatedly rush through the equivalent of Normal difficulty Grifts, hence Blizzard implemented the Realm of Trials to provide higher level GRks that could be earned fairly quickly.

==Progress Bar and Rift Speed==

The progress bar in a Greater Rift is electric purple in color, and adds an extra hourglass icon below the bar, showing the progression of the 15m timer. The initial design did not incorporate the bright purple coloration, and can be seen in the images here.

[[File:Greater-rift-progress-bar2.JPG|left|thumb|200px|Ahead of the progress time.]]
[[File:Grift-progress-bar1sml.JPG|right|thumb|200px|Behind the progress time.]]

When players are battling through a Rift that's just at the limit of their killing power, they will often see their progress dropping behind, or moving slightly ahead of the timer bar, depending on the monster density and their relative speed. Since the Rift Guardian appears last and has very high hit points, players must be some distance ahead of the end time on the progress bar to have time to finish the Guardian as well, and most Rifts "fail" while players are locked in fevered battle with the GRG.

Since the speed will vary quite a bit depending on the monster spawn, players can get unlucky and fail to complete a Rift due to poor enemy density. The opposite can be true as well, and players are advised not to beat a Rift too quickly if they're approaching the limit of their ability. For example, if you get a very easy spawn on a level 20 rift, you might want to stall for a few minutes before beating the Rift Guardian, so your rift key will only upgrade to 21 or 22, instead of jumping all the way up to say level 25, where you'd be over your head and unable to complete in time. (Or in danger of death if you're playing [[Hardcore]].)

Players can judge their speed in a rift and know if they need to go faster or slower depending on the progress bar. Characters who are well ahead of the time but coming close to death should look to improve their Toughness and defensive properties/skills. Characters who are having no trouble surviving but are not killing fast enough to keep up with the timer should look to raise their DPS, perhaps by trading off some Toughness or defensive buffs. (These changes can not be made in any given rift, and must be made between games.)

When characters fail to complete a rift in time they can still earn the item and gold rewards for killing the Greater Rift Guardian. They just fail to earn more [[Greater Rift Keystones]] and thus can not progress to a higher level Rift. If they have no more GRKs they must restart at a level one GR (or go clear normal Rifts until they find a GRK) and work their way back up.

==Rewards==

[[File:Grg-drop1-lrg.jpg|thumb|350px|Typical Guardian drop.]]
All gold and item rewards in Greater Rifts are granted by the [[Greater Rift Guardian]] at the end of the level, who pops with a massive shower of gold, items, and materials, including usually at least one legendary item.

No gold or items are meant to drop (early in the PTR Patch testing some were still from destructibles) from normal or Elite enemies in a Greater Rift, there are no chests or clickables (loose floor tiles, dead bodies, armor/weapon racks, etc) and very few destructibles. Monster kills do grant experience as well as Rift Progress, but the gold and item and material rewards come entirely from the Greater Rift Guardian.

==Strategy Tips==

Greater Rifts require a balance of gear, since they must be defeated within the 15m time limit, and since dying means no restart from corpse option. Players thus can't die much (or at all solo), but players also can't be too conservative with lots of toughness but not enough killing power.

Each Rift Guardian is guaranteed to drop a Legendary Gem, if your character + stash does not have that type. LGems equipped on other characters on your account, or just in their inventories, will be dropped by Guardians. Players who want more than one of a given Legendary Gem, so they can level up a second one for another character or to have a spare (a wise precaution in Hardcore) must stick their first LGem on another character, to get a second one of that type to drop.

Players who want to get lots of LGems in a row, or repeated quality drops from the Guardian, often choose to advance slowly. For instance, if a player capable of clearing Torment 1 clears GR5 to 95% completion in just a few minutes, they might choose to wait until 10:30 or later to finish the rift, so their next GR Key will only be level 6. (Beating a rift by more than 4:30 will advance the GR Key more than one level. Players need not wait in the Greater Rift for the timer to count; they can portal back to town and go play elsewhere in the game while the Greater Rift timer keeps running (although players will not be able to see the time left for finishing GRift if they are out of GRift). Their inventory and stash items will remain inaccessible while the Greater Rift is open, but they can complete bounties, pick up gold and items (just not put them down), upgrade gems with the Jeweler, etc... and then return to the Greater Rift to finish off the Guardian at 10:30 or later, get the item drops, and only advance to the next highest GRift level. (Rather than killing the GRG quickly and thus advancing multiple GR levels at once, thus reducing the total number of Grifts they can complete without needing to spend another GR Key.)

Be sure '''not''' to cast a town portal while clearing other areas, or it will replace the portal you left from the Greater Rift, and you'll have to run back through all the cleared out areas to find where you were when you first returned to town.

==Greater Rift Reveal==

Blizzard revealed the first details about Greater Rifts in a [[Patch 2.1]] preview blog on June 17, 2014.<ref name=preview>[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/blizzard-reveals-diablo-3-patch-2-1-preview Greater Rift Reveal] - Blizzard Entertainment, 17/06/2014</ref>

<blue>To access a Greater Rift, simply complete a regular Nephalem Rift in any difficulty. When you defeat the Rift Guardian, they’ll have a chance to drop a Greater Rift Key. You can then use this new key at the Nephalem Obelisk, similar to other Rift Fragments — this will open a Greater Rift. If you have members in your party, each player will be prompted to use one of their own Greater Rift keys to join the fun!

...

While Greater Rifts are a type of Nephalem Rift, there are some key differences between the two features. In Greater Rifts:
* You’ll race against a clock to fill a progress bar by accruing monster kills.
* Most monsters do not drop loot; rewards have been completely shifted to the Rift Guardian.
* This removes conflicting pressure from attaining a better time versus picking up all your loot.
* Monsters grant differing amounts of progress for your progress bar; the tougher the monster, the more they fill up your progress bar.
* You cannot resurrect at your corpse or in town while in a Greater Rift -- only at the last checkpoint.
* Note that, currently, if you die in a Greater Rift on a Hardcore character, that death will be permanent.
* You cannot use player banners or the Teleport option if the target player is in a Greater Rift.
* Higher Greater Rifts levels are progressively more difficult.
* This difficulty is separate from the standard difficulty settings (Master, Torment I-VI, etc.)

If you complete a Greater Rift before time expires you’ll advance to the next difficulty level. Should your time be exceptionally good, you might even skip a few levels! If time instead expires, you’ll have reached the end of your current Greater Rift journey and your best results will be posted to the appropriate Leaderboards.
</blue>

===Greater Rift Leaderboards===

The top characters and teams during each [[Season]] will be ranked on Leaderboards, giving bragging rights and [[epeen]] to the most dedicated players.<ref name=preview/>
<blue>Greater Rift Leaderboards

Greater Rift leaderboards will be split between both Hardcore and Normal gameplay modes as well as Seasonal and Non-Seasonal characters. To help encourage a variety of play styles and allow you to measure yourself against similar competitors, we’ve also broken up Greater Rift leaderboards into the following categories:

* Solo play for each class (e.g. top players for Barbarian, Demon Hunter, Crusader, etc.)
* 2-Player Groups
* 3-Player Groups
* 4-Player Groups
</blue>

==Media==

Screenshots and videos from Greater Rifts.

<gallery>
File:Greater-rift-guardian-drop1.JPG|Guardian drop.
File:Grift-orbs1.jpg|Early version of progress orbs.
File:Greater-rift-death1.jpg|Death in a Rift = no restart at corpse.
File:Grift-exit-obelisk1.jpg|Exit obelisks do exist in Greater Rifts.
</gallery>

{|
|
<youtube>BoN3B3T7ES4</youtube>
ZiggyD with a very informative video showing his Demon Hunter progressing from L1 up to a L27 Greater Rift in a party.
|
<youtube>8oPg27IyhrQ</youtube>
Solo Barbarian Greater Rift play from Eisenheim TVfans.
|}

==References==

<references/>

[[category:Nephalem Rifts]]
[[category:Reaper of Souls]]
[[category:Greater Rifts]]
[[category:Adventure Mode]]

{{Template:Items navbox|basics}}

__NOTOC__

Health Globe

2013-10-21T18:11:47Z

Omeganian:

[[File:Health-orbs3.jpg|left|thumb|200px|Two health orbs.]]
Health Globes (AKA Orbs) are red, floating globes of life energy that "[[drop]]" from slain monsters or spawn in certain locations (including in the [[Arena]]). Health globes are "used" when a character passes through or near one, and grant the same full bonus of healing (hit points) to all friendly characters and minions in the immediate vicinity. Each orb refills a character's health globe for a set percentage of their maximum hit points, with the same bonus granted whether a character uses the orb themselves or shares the benefit from a friendly player activating it.

Health globes are the main source of life replenishment in Diablo III. There are some hit point refilling bonuses on equipment (such as [[LAEK]]), but nothing like the omnipresent and overpowered life [[leech]] of Diablo II. There are also healing potions which grant instant life replenishment, but they are only for use in emergencies, since they have a considerable [[cool down]] time between uses.

During the early development of Diablo III, there were blue [[Mana Globe]]s as well as red Health Globes, but these were removed in mid-2009, and the classes were given skills that could enable them to gain [[resource]] from health globes. Currently, the [[Witch Doctor]], [[Wizard]] and [[Demon Hunter]] each have a passive skill enabling that.

==Game Mechanics==
Health gain varies with the type of health globe, but it is always some percentage (25%, 33%, 40%, etc) of a character's maximum hit points. The hit points are not added instantly, but fill up gradually, over a few seconds. Health globes are thus not an instant cure for death, so an embattled, near-dead character should drink a potion for the instant life boost, since they could still die to an attack taken right after using a health orb.

[[Image:Health Orb2.jpg|thumb|150px|Health orb.]]
Health globes only add hit points to a character's maximum life and provide no benefit or bonus above that level. A health globe has no effect when used by a character with full health, though Witch Doctors can receive a boost to their mana from a health globe, if they have enabled one of the [[traits]] that grants this bonus. A character with full health can still grant the full bonus to other characters though, so if a companion is low on health and stuck in combat, it's wise to use a health orb to assist them.

The healing effect of a health orb is shared by all friendly players and pets in the immediate area (a radius of perhaps 10 yards; characters who are at the far corners of the screen may not be close enough to benefit). Health orbs are community drops, unlike item drops in Diablo III; all players in the game see all health orbs when they appear, and they can be used by anyone.

Each health orb is consumed completely when used, vanishing from the world. Health orbs cannot be moved; rather, they simply float where they spawned. If no player uses one, however, they will remain floating there for some time, and can be returned to for a later health boost.

Health orbs come in various quality levels. The ones dropped by normal monsters are lower quality and will refill just 25% of a character's hit points. Other orbs will refill more; the ones that spawned in the [[Arena]] demo at Blizzcon 2010 were worth 40% of a character or minion's hit points, and Blizzard has hinted that there may even be 100% health orbs out there, dropped only by the most powerful monsters.[http://us.blizzard.com/diablo3/world/systems/health.xml]

<blue>More powerful health globes, capable of completely restoring your health even at death's door, might exist somewhere in the world of Sanctuary. Of course, that's probably wishful thinking.</blue>
 

==Gameplay and Challenge==
Health orbs are a major part of Diablo III's gameplay design. The [[D3 Team]] has worked to remove the easy ways of healing and escaping from trouble that were so common in Diablo II: no more can characters count life leech equipment, or belts full of potions that can be used instantly and repeatedly, or [[Town Portals]] for quick town returns. These changes allow the developers to make the game more consistently challenging unlike Diablo II, where the only way things were hard was if a monster could kill a character in an instant, and that wasn't hard, it was cheesy.

In Diablo III the goal is for a more consistently challenging play experience, and for players to have to stick it out in battles to earn a health globe, rather than just popping back to town. Jay Wilson spoke about this design philosophy in an interview from Blizzcon 2009. [http://pc.ign.com/articles/101/1017305p2.html]

<blue>We changed the health model, so that players don't rely on potions. Instead they can pick up health power-ups from enemies. It doesn't change the basic way the game plays, but it gives it a little bit more depth. You don't have one answer to healing in combat – "I'm in trouble, I hit a potion." Instead, "I'm in trouble, there's a health globe over there, and there's a 20-foot demon standing between me and it." That's a really interesting situation for the player, but it works with the same complexity of interface and gameplay that we had.
 
...We did put health potions back in, but they play a very different role. You can't spam them like you used to, you can only use them about once a map. The purpose of those is to take the edge off the loss of health. "I don't have health, or I've got half health, do I want to use a health potion, or do I want to risk it? Ooh, I've got 10% health, it's not even a decision." That's a really interesting decision, and it makes potion use a fun part of the game.</blue>

==Boss Battles==
Boss monsters drop health orbs during the battle, generally at set percentages of their hit points. For instance, once you knocked a monster down to 75% of its maximum life, it would drop a globe or globes. [[Jay Wilson]] commented on this in 2009, [http://uk.pc.ign.com/articles/101/1017305p2.html] "[bosses] would drop health globes at percentages of their health. Rares in particular are almost guaranteed to drop about every 25%."

The Systems: Health page on the official Diablo III site used to include some hypothetical examples of how health globes might have to be utilized in a boss battle.

<blue>When you do battle with stronger foes like "rare" and "champion" monsters, you're likely to see medium-sized health globes emerge as they reach certain health percentages or are stripped of their defenses before death. Medium globes restore a sizable percentage of your health, and you'll need the extra boost to survive when dealing with these formidable enemies. 

Major boss fights make unique use of health globes. Each boss battle includes a custom-designed means of utilizing these globes to regain health. For example, in one fight, you might have to split your attention between weakening a dangerous boss and slaying its irritating but ultimately less-dangerous minions in order to get enough health globes to stay standing. In another fight, the boss itself might drop health globes when it takes damage, or you might have to hunt for hidden caches of globes in the midst of battle.</blue>

==Arena Health Orbs==

[[File:Health-orbs-tutorial-pvp1.jpg|thumb|300px|Health orb Arena sequence.]]
Health orbs appear in the Arena every so often, on pre-set points. There were four such points in the arena map seen at Blizzcon 2010, all located around the center of the arena. Orbs appeared there, always on all 4 spots, 30 seconds after the start of each round. (Assuming the round wasn't already over.)

Health orbs grabbed in the arena grant their full benefit (40% of max hit points) to all nearby members of the team, as well as minions. This dynamic can be seen in the three-shot series to the right, where the blue team Witch Doctor gets an orb that grants a health bonus to his Mongrels, as well as the blue team Barbarian.

Characters and minions need to be nearby to share in this health bonus; a character off the visible screen will not partake of the healing bonus.

Health Orbs were a strategic factor in the Arena matches; getting them was obviously a benefit, but it was also helpful to grab them even if you weren't low on health, simply to deny the heal to the enemy team.

That the health orb spawn points were right in the middle of the arena (at least on the one map available at Blizzcon 2010) forced the action into the center of the level. Many rounds ended with the last survivor of one team dodging attacks around the perimeter of the level, and while this could extend a round for some time, it was very seldom a way to win, since the pursuers tended to be in the middle and would therefore score some health orbs, while the character running for it had no chance to heal up as they hid.

Blizzard commented on this via @Diablo in April 2011.[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/diablo-on-synergies-health-orobs-in-the-arena-and-d1s-story/]

<blue>Will the health globes in the Arena be on a timer and set locations or will it be more random in their appearance? --Scyberdragon 
They’re on timers right now, which actually makes for interesting gameplay. If they were random you’d probably hover there. With set timers you can go off and game people a little more knowing that they won’t spawn again for X time. --Diablo</blue>

==Appearance==
[[Image:newhealthglobe.png|left|frame|2010 look.]]
The appearance of health globes has improved during development. They were initially just red orbs, like a huge drop of blood floating in the air. Over time this look was stylized, and health orbs now wear a golden frame, almost like a jewel setting or a crown on the top and bottom of the orb, a change that gives them a more oval shape.

==Health Globes and Mana==
[[Mana Globe]]s were removed in 2009, with some skills changed to give the Wizard and Witch Doctor mana from using health orbs. Currently, the Wizard, Demon Hunter and Witch Doctor can all receive [[resource]] from the globes (through the [[Power Hungry]], [[Vengeance]] and [[Gruesome Feast]] passive skills, respectively).

==Controversy==
If the developers have sketched out some lore for health orbs, they have not made it public. An in-game explanation for health orbs isn't essential, but after all, there were no such things in Diablo I or Diablo II.

There were some player complaints shortly after health globes were revealed, as some players felt they were cheesy; too reminiscent of "power-ups" as found in fighting games or other RPGs. The developers never wavered in their support of this gameplay mechanic though, and this issue seems to have been put to bed, in terms of player complaints.

==Development History==
The first Health Globe was shown at [[WWI 2008]] with the announcement of [[Diablo III]] and the [[Barbarian]]/[[Witch Doctor]]. It was originally just a floating red "blob", but has since received a graphics update (as of [[BlizzCon 2008]]) with a little golden crown on the top and bottom.

Health Globes as well as [[Mana globe]]s were present in the Blizzcon 2008 demo, where fans first got a chance to play the game.

By [[BlizzCon 2009]], the Mana Globes had been removed and the function of Health Globes had been modified a bit, with a few [[Wizard skills]] (such as [[Stability Control]]) and [[Witch Doctor skills]] (such as [[Spirit Vessel]]) modified to allow mana gains from the consumption of health globes.

This changed further in early 2010, when the Wizard's new resource, [[Instability]] was revealed. [http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/monk-resource-system-complete/] This resource, later changed to [[Arcane Power]], was not affected by health globes. The Witch Doctor, on the other hand, continued to gain mana from health globes.

==Media==

<gallery>
Image:Health Orbs1.jpg|Two health orbs in early artwork.
</gallery>

==References==

<references/>
* [[Wizard Gameplay Blizzcon 2008]]
* [[GamesCom 2009 demo]]
* [http://www.diii.net/blog/comments/full-wizard-skill-trees/ Full Wizard Skill Trees, Blizzcon 2009]
* [http://us.blizzard.com/diablo3/world/systems/health.xml Health Systems: Diablo3.com]
* [[Witch Doctor traits]]


[[Category:Basics]]
[[Category:Items]]
[[Category:Gameplay]]
[[Category:Controversies]]

Health Globe

2013-10-21T18:10:13Z

Omeganian: /* Health Globes and Mana */

[[File:Health-orbs3.jpg|left|thumb|200px|Two health orbs.]]
Health Globes (AKA Orbs) are red, floating globes of life energy that "[[drop]]" from slain monsters or spawn in certain locations (including in the [[Arena]]). Health globes are "used" when a character passes through or near one, and grant the same full bonus of healing (hit points) to all friendly characters and minions in the immediate vicinity. Each orb refills a character's health globe for a set percentage of their maximum hit points, with the same bonus granted whether a character uses the orb themselves or shares the benefit from a friendly player activating it.

Health globes are the main source of life replenishment in Diablo III. There are some hit point refilling bonuses on equipment (such as [[LAEK]]), but nothing like the omnipresent and overpowered life [[leech]] of Diablo II. There are also healing potions which grant instant life replenishment, but they are only for use in emergencies, since they have a considerable [[cool down]] time between uses.

During the early development of Diablo III, there were blue [[Mana Globe]]s as well as red Health Globes, but these were removed in mid-2009, and the classes were given skills that could enable them to gain mana from health globes. As only the [[Witch Doctor]] still uses mana, that is the only class with such a bonus, now granted by [[Witch Doctor traits|traits]].

==Game Mechanics==
Health gain varies with the type of health globe, but it is always some percentage (25%, 33%, 40%, etc) of a character's maximum hit points. The hit points are not added instantly, but fill up gradually, over a few seconds. Health globes are thus not an instant cure for death, so an embattled, near-dead character should drink a potion for the instant life boost, since they could still die to an attack taken right after using a health orb.

[[Image:Health Orb2.jpg|thumb|150px|Health orb.]]
Health globes only add hit points to a character's maximum life and provide no benefit or bonus above that level. A health globe has no effect when used by a character with full health, though Witch Doctors can receive a boost to their mana from a health globe, if they have enabled one of the [[traits]] that grants this bonus. A character with full health can still grant the full bonus to other characters though, so if a companion is low on health and stuck in combat, it's wise to use a health orb to assist them.

The healing effect of a health orb is shared by all friendly players and pets in the immediate area (a radius of perhaps 10 yards; characters who are at the far corners of the screen may not be close enough to benefit). Health orbs are community drops, unlike item drops in Diablo III; all players in the game see all health orbs when they appear, and they can be used by anyone.

Each health orb is consumed completely when used, vanishing from the world. Health orbs cannot be moved; rather, they simply float where they spawned. If no player uses one, however, they will remain floating there for some time, and can be returned to for a later health boost.

Health orbs come in various quality levels. The ones dropped by normal monsters are lower quality and will refill just 25% of a character's hit points. Other orbs will refill more; the ones that spawned in the [[Arena]] demo at Blizzcon 2010 were worth 40% of a character or minion's hit points, and Blizzard has hinted that there may even be 100% health orbs out there, dropped only by the most powerful monsters.[http://us.blizzard.com/diablo3/world/systems/health.xml]

<blue>More powerful health globes, capable of completely restoring your health even at death's door, might exist somewhere in the world of Sanctuary. Of course, that's probably wishful thinking.</blue>
 

==Gameplay and Challenge==
Health orbs are a major part of Diablo III's gameplay design. The [[D3 Team]] has worked to remove the easy ways of healing and escaping from trouble that were so common in Diablo II: no more can characters count life leech equipment, or belts full of potions that can be used instantly and repeatedly, or [[Town Portals]] for quick town returns. These changes allow the developers to make the game more consistently challenging unlike Diablo II, where the only way things were hard was if a monster could kill a character in an instant, and that wasn't hard, it was cheesy.

In Diablo III the goal is for a more consistently challenging play experience, and for players to have to stick it out in battles to earn a health globe, rather than just popping back to town. Jay Wilson spoke about this design philosophy in an interview from Blizzcon 2009. [http://pc.ign.com/articles/101/1017305p2.html]

<blue>We changed the health model, so that players don't rely on potions. Instead they can pick up health power-ups from enemies. It doesn't change the basic way the game plays, but it gives it a little bit more depth. You don't have one answer to healing in combat – "I'm in trouble, I hit a potion." Instead, "I'm in trouble, there's a health globe over there, and there's a 20-foot demon standing between me and it." That's a really interesting situation for the player, but it works with the same complexity of interface and gameplay that we had.
 
...We did put health potions back in, but they play a very different role. You can't spam them like you used to, you can only use them about once a map. The purpose of those is to take the edge off the loss of health. "I don't have health, or I've got half health, do I want to use a health potion, or do I want to risk it? Ooh, I've got 10% health, it's not even a decision." That's a really interesting decision, and it makes potion use a fun part of the game.</blue>

==Boss Battles==
Boss monsters drop health orbs during the battle, generally at set percentages of their hit points. For instance, once you knocked a monster down to 75% of its maximum life, it would drop a globe or globes. [[Jay Wilson]] commented on this in 2009, [http://uk.pc.ign.com/articles/101/1017305p2.html] "[bosses] would drop health globes at percentages of their health. Rares in particular are almost guaranteed to drop about every 25%."

The Systems: Health page on the official Diablo III site used to include some hypothetical examples of how health globes might have to be utilized in a boss battle.

<blue>When you do battle with stronger foes like "rare" and "champion" monsters, you're likely to see medium-sized health globes emerge as they reach certain health percentages or are stripped of their defenses before death. Medium globes restore a sizable percentage of your health, and you'll need the extra boost to survive when dealing with these formidable enemies. 

Major boss fights make unique use of health globes. Each boss battle includes a custom-designed means of utilizing these globes to regain health. For example, in one fight, you might have to split your attention between weakening a dangerous boss and slaying its irritating but ultimately less-dangerous minions in order to get enough health globes to stay standing. In another fight, the boss itself might drop health globes when it takes damage, or you might have to hunt for hidden caches of globes in the midst of battle.</blue>

==Arena Health Orbs==

[[File:Health-orbs-tutorial-pvp1.jpg|thumb|300px|Health orb Arena sequence.]]
Health orbs appear in the Arena every so often, on pre-set points. There were four such points in the arena map seen at Blizzcon 2010, all located around the center of the arena. Orbs appeared there, always on all 4 spots, 30 seconds after the start of each round. (Assuming the round wasn't already over.)

Health orbs grabbed in the arena grant their full benefit (40% of max hit points) to all nearby members of the team, as well as minions. This dynamic can be seen in the three-shot series to the right, where the blue team Witch Doctor gets an orb that grants a health bonus to his Mongrels, as well as the blue team Barbarian.

Characters and minions need to be nearby to share in this health bonus; a character off the visible screen will not partake of the healing bonus.

Health Orbs were a strategic factor in the Arena matches; getting them was obviously a benefit, but it was also helpful to grab them even if you weren't low on health, simply to deny the heal to the enemy team.

That the health orb spawn points were right in the middle of the arena (at least on the one map available at Blizzcon 2010) forced the action into the center of the level. Many rounds ended with the last survivor of one team dodging attacks around the perimeter of the level, and while this could extend a round for some time, it was very seldom a way to win, since the pursuers tended to be in the middle and would therefore score some health orbs, while the character running for it had no chance to heal up as they hid.

Blizzard commented on this via @Diablo in April 2011.[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/diablo-on-synergies-health-orobs-in-the-arena-and-d1s-story/]

<blue>Will the health globes in the Arena be on a timer and set locations or will it be more random in their appearance? --Scyberdragon 
They’re on timers right now, which actually makes for interesting gameplay. If they were random you’d probably hover there. With set timers you can go off and game people a little more knowing that they won’t spawn again for X time. --Diablo</blue>

==Appearance==
[[Image:newhealthglobe.png|left|frame|2010 look.]]
The appearance of health globes has improved during development. They were initially just red orbs, like a huge drop of blood floating in the air. Over time this look was stylized, and health orbs now wear a golden frame, almost like a jewel setting or a crown on the top and bottom of the orb, a change that gives them a more oval shape.

==Health Globes and Mana==
[[Mana Globe]]s were removed in 2009, with some skills changed to give the Wizard and Witch Doctor mana from using health orbs. Currently, the Wizard, Demon Hunter and Witch Doctor can all receive [[resource]] from the globes (through the [[Power Hungry]], [[Vengeance]] and [[Gruesome Feast]] passive skills, respectively).

==Controversy==
If the developers have sketched out some lore for health orbs, they have not made it public. An in-game explanation for health orbs isn't essential, but after all, there were no such things in Diablo I or Diablo II.

There were some player complaints shortly after health globes were revealed, as some players felt they were cheesy; too reminiscent of "power-ups" as found in fighting games or other RPGs. The developers never wavered in their support of this gameplay mechanic though, and this issue seems to have been put to bed, in terms of player complaints.

==Development History==
The first Health Globe was shown at [[WWI 2008]] with the announcement of [[Diablo III]] and the [[Barbarian]]/[[Witch Doctor]]. It was originally just a floating red "blob", but has since received a graphics update (as of [[BlizzCon 2008]]) with a little golden crown on the top and bottom.

Health Globes as well as [[Mana globe]]s were present in the Blizzcon 2008 demo, where fans first got a chance to play the game.

By [[BlizzCon 2009]], the Mana Globes had been removed and the function of Health Globes had been modified a bit, with a few [[Wizard skills]] (such as [[Stability Control]]) and [[Witch Doctor skills]] (such as [[Spirit Vessel]]) modified to allow mana gains from the consumption of health globes.

This changed further in early 2010, when the Wizard's new resource, [[Instability]] was revealed. [http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/monk-resource-system-complete/] This resource, later changed to [[Arcane Power]], was not affected by health globes. The Witch Doctor, on the other hand, continued to gain mana from health globes.

==Media==

<gallery>
Image:Health Orbs1.jpg|Two health orbs in early artwork.
</gallery>

==References==

<references/>
* [[Wizard Gameplay Blizzcon 2008]]
* [[GamesCom 2009 demo]]
* [http://www.diii.net/blog/comments/full-wizard-skill-trees/ Full Wizard Skill Trees, Blizzcon 2009]
* [http://us.blizzard.com/diablo3/world/systems/health.xml Health Systems: Diablo3.com]
* [[Witch Doctor traits]]


[[Category:Basics]]
[[Category:Items]]
[[Category:Gameplay]]
[[Category:Controversies]]

Horadrim

2013-09-15T04:03:05Z

Omeganian: /* Fate of the Horadrim */

'''The Horadrim''' was a brotherhood of mages formed by the [[Archangel]] [[Tyrael]] to combat the Three [[Prime Evils]]: [[Diablo]], [[Mephisto]] and [[Baal]] on the mortal realm. A century after their apparent victory and success in imprisoning the Prime Evils, the brotherhood faded into history and legend.

==Background==
Around 1004, the Horadrim was formed from the major [[mage clan]]s in the East by [[Tyrael]] to defeat [[the Three]] who were wreaking havoc in the mortal realm. The Horadrim received three [[Soulstone]]s from Tyrael, which would serve as devices for the imprisonment of the Prime Evils.

Though their ranks would increase with time, the founding members of the Horadrim were seven in number. They represented each of the extant mage clans, pulling upon individuals from the Vizjerei, Ammuit, Taan and Ennead clans among others. Among the original founders were Jered Cain, Zoltun Kulle, Nor Tiraj and their leader, Tal Rasha.

===Hunting the Three===
[[Image:Horadrim_Sigil.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The sigil of the Horadrim.]]
Together, the disparate mage clans that formed the Horadrim proved to be a formidable force. The brotherhood easily captured [[Mephisto]], the Lord of Hatred, in [[Kehjistan]] and imprisoned him beneath the [[Temple of Light]] in [[Kurast]].

[[Diablo]] and [[Baal]] escaped Kehjistan, and ventured West across the sea to [[Aranoch]]. Led by [[Tal Rasha]], the Horadrim pursed [[Baal]] to the city of [[Lut Gholein]], where the Lord of Destruction took refuge for three days. Baal eventually emerged from Lut Gholein, and headed north into the Aranoch desert toward [[Scosglen]]. The Horadrim quickly descended upon him and a great battle ensued. Baal was overwhelmed by the determined magi, but in a last-ditch effort to destroy Tal Rasha, he succeeded in shattering the soulstone that was meant to serve as his prison.

While the Horadrim managed to subdue the Lord of Destruction, the shattered pieces of the soulstone were not able to contain the demon. They realized that a mortal vessel was needed in conjunction to bind Baal; the Ennead mage Zoltun Kulle hypothesized that a mortal heart could serve as a surrogate soulstone. It was [[Tal Rasha]] who selflessly volunteered to serve as that vessel and wrestle with the demon for all eternity.

Despite capturing Baal, Diablo managed to escape. For the next nine years, [[Jered Cain]] and the remaining Horadrim followed Diablo's wake of terror. In 1019, the Horadrim caught up to Diablo and a great battle unfolded that claimed the lives of many members of the brotherhood. Nevertheless, they were triumphant and the Lord of Terror was finally captured and imprisoned within the last of the soulstones. The Horadrim carried the cursed soulstone to the land of [[Khanduras]], where they buried it within a secluded cave near the river Talsande. Above the cave, they built a monastery from which they continued to guard the soulstone. Around this monastery was founded the town of [[Tristram]].

===Fate of the Horadrim===
With the threat seemingly gone, and no great quest to drive them, the Horadrim's numbers dwindled. The order eventually faded into history. The last known descendant of the Horadric brotherhood is [[Deckard Cain]], the great grandson of Jered Cain, a mere scholar with no experience in magic or battle. He would pass his teachings on to his adopted daughter Leah and others... if only they would sit a while and listen.

In the [[Reaper of Souls]] intro, [[Tyrael]] addresses the people accompanying him as Horadrim, so it is likely he attempted to restore the Order in case of future invasions.

[[File:Horadrim-BC2011.jpg |center|thumb|600px|Artwork shown during the Diablo III Lore panel at [[Blizzcon 2011]]. During the segment that this was shown, [[Leonard Boyarsky]] described the [[Dark Exile]] and the role the [[Horadrim]] played in hunting down the [[Prime Evils]] and their minions. The image seems to depict a Horadric mage leading chained demons. The demon to the right appears to have been blasted by magical energy (perhaps for not keeping withdrawn like his companion).]]

==Hierarchy within the Order==
[[Image:The_Horadrim.jpg|thumb|right|300px|The Horadrim.]]
*'''[[Initiate]]''' was one of the highest ranks a Horadrim mage could have. Known initiates included [[Tal Rasha]] and [[Jered Cain]].

*'''[[Acolyte]]''' seems to have been a lower rank than Initiate, though what characteristics or privileges distinguished this rank from Initiate are largely unknown.

==Traditions==
The Horadrim used to mummify their highest mages, and infuse them with spells that would allow them to protect their tombs, even after death,[http://www.diablowiki.net/Deckard_Cain_dialogue] possibly using magic from the [[Priests of Rathma]].

When Diablo travelled through [[Lut Gholein]], he managed to corrupt one such mage, who terrorized the city. This was only possible since the ancient guardian spells had begun to unravel.

==Known Members==
* [[Tal Rasha]] - [[Initiate]] and leader of the Horadrim. He sacrificed himself for the imprisonment of [[Baal]].
* [[Jered Cain]] - [[Initiate]] of the Horadrim. He led the group of Horadrim monks who successfully captured [[Diablo]].
* [[Nor Tiraj]] - [[Acolyte]] whose journal describes the capture of Diablo, which occurred around year 1019 in the [http://us.blizzard.com/diablo3/world/timeline.xml Diablo timeline].
* [http://diablo2.diablowiki.net/Radament%27s_Lair Radament the Fallen] - A mummified member of the Horadrim who was stirred into unrest by the passage of [[Diablo]] through [[Lut Gholein]].
* [[Zoltun Kulle]] - One of the founding members of the Horadrim. He later turned to the path of evil.

:[[Deckard Cain]], while merely a descendant of Jered Cain, believes himself to be the last of the Horadrim.

==Trivia==
The Norwegian black metal band '''Ancient''' composed a song called "The Ancient Horadrim" that seems to borrow heavily from the lore of the [[Diablo Universe]] for its lyrics. The song was released with their fifth album, ''Proxima Centauri''.

==Media==
<gallery>
File:Horadrim_Sigil.jpg |Sigil of the Horadrim.
File:Horadrim-BC2011.jpg |Pursuit of the Prime Evils.
File:The_Horadrim.jpg |The Horadrim.
</gallery>

==References==
* [[Diablo I Manual]]
* [[Diablo II Manual]]
* [[Deckard Cain dialogue]]s
* [[The Nature of the Soulstones]] by [[Jered Cain]]

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{{Lore navbox|manual}}

[[Category:Factions]]
[[Category:Horadrim]]