Diablo 2 "quick" guide:Running D2 on newer computers (windows vista/7 only)D2 is old, and doesnt like running on newer hardware (or maybe newer hardware doesnt like running it)
You could get weird colored graphics, crashes, long start times, or the inability to alt-tab
The easiest way to fix stuff like that is to do this:
1. Go to your D2 installation folder (default is Program Files\Diablo II)
2. Run D2VidTst.exe
3. Follow what it says, it will mess with the screen a bit for a little while, once its done youll be given a choice
4. Choose Direct3D (not directdraw)
5. Finish that up and right click on Diablo II.exe
6. Go to Properties and once there click on the Compatibility tab
7. Check all the boxes
except for "Run in 256 colors" and "Run in 640x480 screen resolution"
8. In the drop down box select "Windows XP (Service Pack 2)"
9.Hit Ok
Now start up d2 like you normally would and it should work 100% as it should all the time
Skill HotkeysYou can put you skills/spells on hotkeys with the F keys (F1, F2, F3, etc)
Just open up the skill/spell selector at the bottom left or right, hover over your skill and hit the F key you want to use
When you hit the F key assigned to that skill it will select it as your mouse button power
You can also do that for both mouse buttons by choosing it on the left or right
Item qualityItems have colored names, the color determines its quality
Ill list them here in order from worst to best
White items are normal regular items
Blue items are magic, the properties it has are random and can be anything like stat boosts to better defense or more gold from killing
Yellow items are rare, they are the same as blue items, but have more properties to them
Green items are set items, these items work with other items in the set to gain even more bonuses, set items are usually only worth using if you can complete the set, each item will tell you what the other items are called that you need to complete that set
Gold items are unique, these items arent randomly generated, and have far more powerful properties then yellow items, they can also have properties that are never found on yellow items
Gray items are socketed, these items can have gems jewels or runes put into them to make them more powerful, their quality depends on whats put into them
Ethereal items are unrepairable, once they break they are gone forever, these items can be any of the above colors (except green, and maybe gold) but the name will be more transparent, sometimes these items have the magical property of repairing durability over time, making them nearly unbreakable
Gems/JewelsGems and jewels can be put into socketed weapons
Jewels are essentially useless
Gems can be used to upgrade other gems and many other things using the cube that you get in act 2
The cubeThe cube can combine many different things allowing you to craft to some extent
It can be used to give sockets to armor/weapons, to remove stuff from sockets, to create new items, to upgrade items and to create portals to new areas as well as upgrade runes and gems
For a full list of the cube recipes see here:
http://classic.battle.net/diablo2exp/items/cube.shtmlMagic FindMagic find (or mf) is your bonus chance to find more magical items (blue to gold)
You have 0% mf by default and it can only be increased by certain items (or gems/runes)
0% mf doesnt mean youll never find magical items, it just means you dont have any bonus to finding more magical items
For a basic example: if a boss has a 10% chance to drop a yellow item, with 0%mf theres a 10% chance to get that item, with 100% mf theres 20% chance to get that item
This means that 100% mf doesnt mean youll always get magical items and you can have more then 100% mf
Although theres a certain limit at which mf stops helping you (i beleive its around 350%), so having something like 600% mf wont help you and would just be a waste
Mf is only factored in if the person with that mf gets the last hit (and gets the kill)
If you have 100% mf and someone else has 0%, and they get the kill, it counts as 0% mf
RunesRunes can also be put into socketed items, but they are far more powerful then gems
All rune effects stack up
Poison effects are added together for the period of time it says, so if you stack 2 Tal runes on 1 weapon the 75 poison damage from both is added then applied over 5 seconds
Tir runes give +2 mana per kill, this effect doesnt care who gets the kill, as long as they are in your party when it dies youll get +2 mana for its death
Runes can also be used to make Runewords
RunewordsRunewords create some of the most powerful items in the game
They are made by putting certain runes in sockets in a specific order
A full list of Runewords, and rules on how to use/make them are here:
http://www.d2tomb.com/rune_words.shtmlThe level required to use an item that has a runeword attached to it is equal to that of the highest level required to use the rune that went into making the runeword, so if you use a rune that requires you to be level 65 to use, then putting it into a runeword will make that item at least level 65 to use
Finding runesYour mf does not effect your ability to find runes
Nothing can increase your chance at finding runes
You can however increase your chance at getting drops from chests by decreasing the chance that a chest will be empty by playing in a game with 8 people, chests in act 4 and 5 have the good runes
The only monster in the whole game that reliably drops runes is the Countess in the forgotten tower in act 1
But you cant get good runes from her, though you can get many many lower level runes and upgrade them with the cube, although doing that would take 100s, maybe 1000s of runes (and 100s of various gems) to get the really good runes like Jah Ber or Zod
Skill planning and synergySynergy gives bonuses to a skill for having points in other, related, skills
This is shown at the bottom of the skill when you put your mouse over it in the skill tree
Dont go crazy putting points into a skill just because it gives you bonuses to another skill your currently using, sometimes saving your extra points for later is a good idea, that way once you hit level 18 24 or 30 you can put 1 point in many different skills and have access to all of them right away, including their synergies
Most of the 1st level or 6th level skills only need 1 point as a requirement for getting stuff later down the tree
The best way to allocate skills is to decide what level 30/24 skill you want to use as your main ability and put points into what gives that synergy while only putting 1 point into the stuff thats required for the tree and putting extra points into another area that supplements your main tree
You can use this site to get an idea for how to allocate your skill points:
http://www.diablofans.com/page/tools/skill/Although with the skill reset you can get from Akara in act 1 now, it doesnt really matter since you can just fix it if you screw it up
MercenariesMercs can be hired in any act except act 4
Mercs have special abilities depending on what act you get them in -
Act 1 is a basic archer
Act 2 is a melee fighter with an aura (like a paladin, but not really)
Act 3 is a spell caster, you can choose between fire ice or lightning
Act 5 is a melee dps/tank (like a barbarian, but not really)
Mercs can be equipped with body armor, a helm and a weapon/shield
If they meet the requirements to wield the item they can use it (even runewords)
Mercs have infinite mana so items that help with mana are wasted on them (unless its an aura)
Items equipped on mercs do not take damage to durability, so ethereal items can be equipped to them forever
Mercs follow you everywhere and can be resurrected when killed (for a fee)
Items that give auras equipped to them will effect you as well
For more detailed infoSee this site for more info on D2:
http://diablo2.diablowiki.net/