Diablo II: Lord of Destruction Manual

The Diablo II: Lord of Destruction Manual is transcribed here. All the manuals of the Diablo games contain a lot of lore of the world of Sanctuary, and is one of our primary sources of information. They contain texts that are meant to be excerpts from books and tomes written in the actual in-world existence of characters, but as a reader you need to be aware of the fact that much of the actual years written down have been "retconed", and is no longer canon. This means that we currently don't know exactly what yearly calendar is actually canon information. However, the actual events that take place are usually somewhat correct, so if you are adding material from the manuals to an article, feel free to add years and events into the article, and we will have to update the article when more accurate information comes out from Blizzard.

Some words have been wiki-linked for easy information navigation, and in some cases the formatting has been changed to work with the wiki. No words below the introduction (this text) has been altered.

Make sure to read all of the manuals:

• Diablo I Manual
• Diablo I: Hellfire Manual
• Diablo II Manual
• Diablo II: Lord of Destruction Manual
• Diablo III Manual

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The Wanderer

(Page 3)

So spoke the Wanderer, mindful of hardships and of cruel slaughters:

Each dawn, I rise alone, mired in ancient sorrows. Wretched and deprived of my

native land, I have had my mind bound with fetter. For many years, I lay hidden in

the concealment of the earth, buried deep in stone. From there, I went, abject and

winter-grieving, over the surface of the waves. I sought the prison of my noble

kinsman. Sorrow is a cruel companion to one who can afford few friends, and the

path of exile attends this mournful spirit.

And so this world, every day, is crumbling and falling. The rulers lie dead,

deprived of revelry, bands of warriors lie fallen proud by the wall. War destroyed

some, carried them away; a sorrowful man hid one deep within a grave. Thus the

creator of men laid waste this dwelling-place, until the old works of giants stood

vacant, without the noise of their inhabitants.

So said the Wanderer, set apart in secret meditations.

The kingdom of the earth is full of miseries, and the decree of the fates shall

change the course of the heavens.

Inspired by

The Wanderer (Anonymous),

from the Exeter Book, ca. 10th century.

What's New In the Expansion?

(Page 9)

Diablo II: Lord of Destruction contains a number of new features and exciting enhancements to the original Diablo II:

Two new character classes – Command the forces of nature as the Druid, or use stealth and cunning as the Assassin. Each class possesses 30 unique new skills, offering totally different game-playing tactics.

An entire new Act – Explore the mysterious Barbarian Highlands, battle new monsters, and complete six exhilarating quests as you delve further into the epic Diablo mythos. Whether you are starting anew or continuing on with an established character, defeating Diablo at the end of Act IV opens the portal to new adventures in Act V.

Increased Character Stash – The Stash chest has doubled in size! Each Expansion Character can now store twice as much loot as before.

Higher resolution – By accessing the “Video Options,” you now have the choice of playing Diablo II in either 640x480 or 800x600 mode. (Note: Playing Diablo II in 800x600 resolution can reduce system performance and is recommended only for higher-end systems.)

New treasure types:

Class-Specific Items – This class of items, new to Diablo II: Lord of Destruction, offers properties and powers specific to the seven different character classes.

Improved Item Sets – There are many fantastic new Set Items to be collected, endowing the wearer with even greater powers.

New Insertable Items – Jewels and Runes add even more magical possibilities when you insert them into items with sockets.

New Exceptional Items – Advanced players should be on the lookout for additions to the existing Exceptional Items.

Elite Items – This new class of items is similar to the Exceptional Items found in the higher difficulty levels of Diablo II...only better.

New Unique Items – More than a hundred mysterious ancient artifacts, including Exceptional and Elite Uniques, are just waiting to be discovered.

Hundreds of new magical properties – Items of all levels can now possess greater and more diverse magical powers.

Improved hirable NPC interface – Players now have the ability to heal hirable NPCs as well as equip them. Additionally, these NPCs now gain their own experience points and improve their abilities as they gain levels.

New Horadric Cube recipes – Numerous additional recipes for the Horadric Cube are just waiting to be discovered.

Item swapping – Quickly alternate between two sets of weapon/shield configurations (equipment outfitted in the left and right hands) with a click of the mouse or through a convenient keyboard shortcut.

Eight new skill hotkeys – Additional hotkeys double the number of skills you can call upon with the lightning-fast stroke of a key.

Interactive environments – Carve your own path through Act V by destroying breakable wall sections, barricades, and siege towers.