Class-Specific Weapons

Numerous types of weapons (but not armor) are restricted to certain classes in Diablo III. The developers have given two reasons for this limitation. They want weapons to be appropriate for the classes that can use them, and it would be a huge amount of more work to make animations for every item on every character, and as seldom as some classes would use some item types, the development time is better spent working on other aspects of the game.

Who Can't Use What?

This list is incomplete and subject to change as the game's development continues and more information is released. It was compiled from various developer comments and from what fans have observed in the playable demos. See the weapons page for a full list of weapon types in Diablo III.

• Barbs can't use daggers, orbs, fists, wands, daggers, caster staves, or combat staves.
• Monks can't use orbs, daggers, wands, 1H or 2H maces, 1H or 2H axes, 2H swords, spears, or caster staves. (Shields were out previously, but a Monk used one in the Artisan Video.)
• Wizards can’t use fists, 2H swords, 2H axes, or combat staves.
• Witch Doctors can’t use orbs, fists, 1H axes, or combat staves.

Only Wizards can use orbs. Only Monks can use fists (and combat staves?) Only Monks and Barbs can dual wield weapons. We don’t know about crossbows or bows or throwing items yet. Might be that only the fifth character can use them?

Armor Limitations?

Armor is not limited the way weapons are. All characters can use different types of armor.[1]

Each type of armor will look different and appropriate on each class, as well.[2]

The Witchdoctor’s thematic palette is proving to be very broad. He can wear a lot of cool armor and still look like a Witchdoctor.

Monk Weapon Choices

All of the classes in Diablo III are limited in their weapon choices, the Monk more than most. [3]

Bashiok: Currently our list of weapons the monk class can use is one handed swords, polearms, combat staves, and fist weapons. That could potentially change, but its probably pretty likely those will be the weapons the monk can equip. The flavor of the monk we’re working on now is a very strong connection between a small and focused group of weapon types, and the skills that use them.

This rules out axes, two-handed swords, spears, wands, daggers, orbs, maces, and possibly bows and crossbows. Monks could not use shields as of April 2010,[4] but by August 2010 that had changed, and a Monk was seen using a shield in the Artisan Video.

Explanations

The developers and their proxies have spoken about this issue at length. The most detailed explanations came from Diablo III Community Manager Bashiok in a pair of posts in July 2009[5][6], and another long one in March 2010[7].

July 2009:[8]

Bashiok: we do now have some restrictions on weapon types usable by each class. It’s been part of the game for a while now. Allowing every class to use every weapon type was actually going to require a huge amount of time and effort and it would have meant cutting out or cutting into other features. We evaluated really how often people would want to have their class holding a weapon type that (traditionally) contradicted their class-style versus that work going in to other features - specifically having a lot more skills and a lot more skill-rune effects.

July 2009: [9]

Bashiok: The list of what weapon types are or aren’t allowed for each class aren’t final and could change. They’re fairly logical choices and what is most commonly seen as closely tied to the hero archetypes. In our current game the wizard can’t wield a two-handed sword for instance, but can still use a one handed sword and shield if so desired.

March 2010:[10]

Bashiok: It’s important to note that we aren’t going to just slap on animations. We’ll do it right or we won’t do it. There is some overlap in weapon animations, but generally every weapon needs a full range of adaptation to the character. We can’t animate a 1h sword and then equip a 1h axe and be happy with it being wielded in the same manner. In addition we don’t want weapons disappearing whenever the hero does anything but a basic attack, so they have to be animated into emotes, idles, and a lot of skills and abilities. Every weapon. Some people noticed weapons disappear during some of the monk abilities. We don’t like that. Most of that was due to time constraints to get that demo finished. Again there is some overlap - staves share a lot of the same animation with the other 2h weapons, but to dismiss it as “just animate it and slap it on and it works!” is seriously oversimplifying our processes. Maybe some other games do it that way.

Evolution and Changes

The list of what can and can't be used continues to evolve. Monks could not use shields as of March 2010, but by August of that year the Monk was seen using one in the Artisan Video.[11]

Like, whoa…whoa…whoa….a shield is not a class specific item. A shield is something that any sane person would carry into battle, regardless of gender or class…and it’s quite an unreasonable restriction if you ask me.

Bashiok: Bruce Lee would not use a shield, and neither would the monk.

Expect additional changes as development continues, and quite likely there will be more such changes in expansion packs as well.