Hamster
by LemmingofGlory

Class: Amazon, Assassin, Barbarian, Druid, Paladin
Tag: HAM

Introduction
by King Batham of Gotham, Gothic Hamster

I am writing this because I have been informed that the containment of Diablo has failed. This greatly worries me because I was on the battle field with him once before, and he was fearsome though he had not yet even attained his full power. I plead with the Kingdom of Hamsters, set forth and do your best to stop whomever is attempting to release him. I do not know the current details, but I know that any attempt to empower Diablo must be stopped. This is a call to arms, my friends.

Before you begin preparing for battle (or hiding your hide), listen to my experiences with Diablo in Tristram. This knowledge may help you in your fight. Those who hide their hides should hope that their countryhams are powerful enough, or else all could be lost.

Not long ago the town of Tristram was in peril. Heroes of all sorts answered the call. Some sought glory, some sought power, and others sought fortune... some sought simply recognition. We, the Hamsters, sought this recognition.

Humanfolk seemed to have control of the world. Because of their power, they tended to look at us as if we were some sort of less-than-sentient creature. It was only when their chain of power was disrupted by Diablo that the Hamsters could truly have recognition as an important and intelligent race of beings.

We have one human to thank for our rise in importance, Deckard Cain. This human was the last of the Horadrim and very wise. Often it has been speculated why Cain even bothered with us. Some say that what he learned from the Horadrim taught him to not underestimate any creature, no matter how small. Another theory is that he was so senile that he had begun speaking to anything that he perceived to listen. Yet another theory suggests that a mind-altering substance known as "Pixips" cause him to speak with us. At any rate, he helped our race when no one else would, so I believe all Hamsters are in his debt.

Cain's help was not limited to simply paying us heed. He also provided valuable knowledge about the labyrinth of Tristram and the horrors within it. Still, not even he had a suitable solution to Diablo. His advice was rather simple: Kill Diablo before he attains his full might. In light of what has occurred since, I can see the error in that advice... He failed to tell us about how to deal with the soulstone.

A soulstone is any one of three magical rocks that was given to the humans. These stones were meant to imprison the spirits of the three Prime Evils. And apparently the stones worked, but the power of the Prime Evils was so great that not even these holy prisons could fully contain and subdue them. When Diablo was vanquished, the host body that he had used was seen to have one of these glowing stones impaled in its skull. We, those that slew Diablo, knew what it was, but we feared that we had little time to make a decision about what to do with it.

Many heroes were present at the time of the Vanquishing -- as was I -- but only one was chosen to thrust the soulstone into their head. We thought that since the previous vessel of Diablo was unable to contain him, perhaps a strong hero could do it. I now suspect that we were wrong...

It is unclear as to who made this sacrifice, but it is said that the soulstone was too big to fit into the skull of a rodent, so we suspect that one of the larger species accepted the responsibility. This is all the information that I have on the matter. Good Wheecht, Kingdom of Hamsters.

King of Gotham,
Batham
[o: *HAMSTER* :o]

World Changes
by King Batham of Gotham

The world has changed much since last I was on the battlefield. Hamster Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) are free clinics that teach healers how to heal Hamsters. There is one (though usually only one) HOMO doctor in just about every city nowadays, so you shouldn't have too much trouble finding the particular one in the city that you're currently exploring. (D1 Healer did not autoheal so Hamsters had to teach them how to heal animals. I had to provide an explanation on why autoheal now exists and if it's allowed to be used. -Lem)

Hamsters now are not just the generic "warrior" that they once were. In earlier days, Hamsters were rather rugged and telling their exact gender was difficult for humans. Today the humanfolk can actually differentiate Hamster gender and class where previously they couldn't. Amazon and Assassin are female. Barbarian is male. Druid's Werehamster form and Paladins are either male or a really masculine female. (La-la-la-la-la I can't hear you. -Lem)

Some Hamsters have learned to use their frequent need to make hraka into a skill used in battle. The red-coated female Hamsters (AMAs) in particular are adept at this and can send a javelin through the air leaving a trail of stench in its wake. (I didn't think Hamster should fear either Poison or Cold so I included the reasoning in this section as to why they are able to use Poison and Cold but not Fire and Lightning. And, yes, I know predators use poison, but smart Hamsters can use an enemy's power against it. -Lem)

Other Hamsters have learned to harness temperature and freeze their enemies while still keeping safe beneath their warm, fuzzy coat.

Rules

You require 2x the strength requirement listed on an item to use it. (Examples: 30 strength for a buckler, 80 for a Bardiche, 200 for Ancient Armor, 340 for Ornate Plate, etc.)

Hamster characters may not be played on 800x600 resolution.

Mercenary Rules: The Hammercenary

Fire Mages, Fire Arrow Rogues, and Lightning Mages may not be hired. (They're scary!) Mercenaries need not play by Hamster rules.

Classes
Cold Arrow Rogues, all Greizmen, and Barbarians may play by Hamster rules.

Rules
Strength requirement restriction is lowered to 1.5x as mercenaries get fewer statistic points per level than you do. Other item rules are the same for Merc-HAMs as they are for normal HAMs.

HAM mercs need not do quests 1, 3, or 4. Quests 2, 5, and 6 must be done in order to access the rewards, but doing these quests is optional. Merc need not be alive during the entire quest, but (s)he must get the killing blow in order to get credit.

Items

Base Items
Hunter's Bows may not be used. Exceptional and Elite versions may be used, however.

Insertables
Insertables with Fire or Lightning damage may not be used so that the Hamster gains fire or lightning damage.

Enchanteds and Rares

- Items with the name of a creature that is bigger than a Hamster are banned. (Examples: Giant, Eagle, Colossus, Tiger, etc.)
- Items "of Howling" may not be used.
- Item names with indistinguishable or variable creature size are allowed. (Examples: Isenhart, Vidala, Imp, Spider, Wraith, Goblin, Ghoul, Vampire, etc.)
- Items named "shock," "thunder," "flame," burning," or having fire/lightning damage are disallowed.
- Hunter's Bows are banned, as Hunters are vile.
- Nobility titles are restricted based on a Hamster's rank. Warrior's enchantment, however, may always be used.
- A Hamster may have no greater than +1 Light Radius at all times. Hamsters are nocturnal and prefer tunnels to open ground. As one might expect, the excess light makes them feel uneasy as it reminds them of being above ground. If a Hammy uses an item that provides blinding (on strike or as charges), however, any amount of Light Radius may be used.

Uniques, Crafteds, Rune Word, and Set Items As with enchanteds and rares, these may not have predatory names, stormy/fiery names, stormy/fiery effects, or rank names (unless specified rank is allowed).

Predatory Uniques: ShadowFANG, RAVEN's Claw, SERPENT Lord, The Salamander, BlinkBAT's Form, HAWKmail, SNAKEcord, Howl TUSK

Predatory Set Items: Vidala's Snare (Some HAMs may go so far as to not use any of Vidala the Hunter's equipment)

Elemental Uniques: Hellcast (Fball-ish), STORMstrike, Raven's Claw (Fball-ish), Torch of Iro (Torch = Fire = Light = Bad), STORM Eye

Elemental Set Items: Infernal Torch (Torch = Fire = Light = Bad)

Skills

Skills that provide lightning damage are banned from use. Intelligent animals, such as Hamsters, know that Lightning is dangerous. Only fools that wish their own demise toy with it cough Lemmings cough.

Lightning Skills
Paladin: Fist of the Heavens, Holy Shock, Vengeance.
Hamazon: Power Strike, Lightning Bolt, Lightning Strike, Lightning Fury.
Assassin: Claws of Thunder, Phoenix Strike, Shock Web, Charged Bolt Sentry, Lightning Sentry.

Skills that provide fire damage are banned from use. No wild animal likes forest fires!

Fire Skills
Paladin: Holy Fire, Vengeance.
Hamazon: Fire Arrow, Exploding Arrow, Immolation Arrow.
Assassin: Fists of Fire, Dragon Tail, Phoenix Strike, Fire Blast, Wake of Fire, Wake of Inferno.
Druid: Fire Claws, Firestorm, Molten Boulder, Fissure, Volcano, Armageddon.

The Barbarian's "Howl" skill may not be used. What would run from a Hamster's squeal? All other War Cries are allowed, however.

The Assassin's Shadow Master skill may not be used. She is known to be a pyromaniac and an elecromaniac.

Druid's Twister, Tornado, and Hurricane may not be used as such wind storms would easily blow a Hammy to unknown regions! (Basically, the only things you can use on the whole Elemental tree are Arctic Blast and Cyclone Armor.) Furthermore, Werewolf form may not be used. He may, however, mutate himself into a "Werehamster."

Quests

Quests are all optional, but know that if you do not do some particular quests you will be very restricted. Plus, the quests are fun. :o]

1) The Quest for Respect
As with the Classic Hamster (D1), you will begin your life by selling your items to the townsfolk. The Hamsters that came before you did it, and in their honor you shall suffer as they did even though they did all that suffering long ago in hopes that future generations would never have to suffer. Bet they're rolling in their graves about now, eh?... Actually, they're not dead yet, so you're all just a buncha ungrateful youngins! :o]

The people of Tristram, excluding Cain, dislike rodents. Cain, for a reason that may or may not have to do with Pixips, will always be there to identify things for you. The others, however, must have their respect earned. To be more clear, here are some "Do"s and "Don't"s.

- You may sell things to townies.
- You may not purchase goods (includes gambling).
- You may not get repairs.
- You may not talk to town healers at all until they respect you.
- You may not get quest rewards if the giving townsperson still lacks respect for you.
- Cain will always be there for you to talk your ear off, so you may use him freely at any time.

Why can you sell things? They'll think there're item gnomes running around and leave out the appropriate sum of money for you.

Winning Respect
For each townsperson you wish to talk to/use, you must slay two boss (not champion) creatures in that person's name. You may not slay the same unique creature twice and free up two townspeople. (This applies to Superuniques, which always appear, and to Single Player where re-playing the same map can result in running into a unique creature multiple times in the same area.)

Once you have won everyone's respect in a particular difficulty, you can use them any time you wish. You do not have to win everyone's respect as a whole before you can use everyone, it's two unique creatures per person and you can use them individually.

Be sure that you don't forget Flavie in Act 1, Tyrael for Act 2, and Hadriel for Act 3. Impressing these three only requires one boss kill, however, as they're already slightly impressed with you.

Townies that re-appear in later acts do not have to have their respect re-won. These people are Warriv in Act 2, Meshif in Act 3, and Tyrael in Acts 4 and 5.

This quest repeats the first time you enter a new town. This includes higher difficulty towns.

List of those that lack respect

- Act 1: Flavie, Akara, Kashya, Charsi, Warriv, Gheed. (11 bosses)
- Act 2: Jerhyn, Fara, Lysander, Meshif, Atma, Greiz, Geglash, Elzix, Tyrael, Drognan, and Kaelan. (21 bosses)
- Act 3: Hratli, Ormus, Natalya, Asheara, Alkor. (10 bosses)
- Act 4: Jamella, Halbu, Hadriel. (6 bosses)
- Act 5: Larzuk, Malah, Qual-Kehk, Anya. (8 bosses) Nihlathak is a scheming, stuck-up weasel and cannot be impressed.

2) Andariel, Maiden of Anguish
Suit up and head to the 4th level of the Catacombs. When ready, go to the 2nd set of double doors (the ones that Andy hides behind), dash inside and get to the Throne. You must slay Andariel with the Throne in view. During this quest you may not retreat to town until either you or Andariel lies dead. If she slays you, you may not return to the 4th level of the Catacombs until you start a new game.

Reward
Title of Tesrochochteepcer Hamster
The Centurion, unique Hard Leather Armor, may be used.

3) Greiz's Survival Training
Greiz will not allow you to enter the sewers of Lut Gholein. He thinks you're a pansy. He says he'll let you run around the sewers as much as you like if you prove to him that you're up to it, so he gives you two choices. Do one of the tasks (or both, if you like) and you may enter the sewers.

One: Clear the Stony Tomb of all bosses.

Two: Find someone and challenge their Greizman to a duel. (The owner may help the Greizman as much as they wish, but the owner may not harm you directly.) You win if you slay the Greizman.

Reward
The Sewers of Lut Gholein may be entered.

3) Duriel, the Lord of Pain
Open Tal Rasha's Chamber and prepare to battle Duriel, the Lord of Pain. This fiend is rumored to possess an aura about him that terrifies his victim so much that their knees turn to jelly. Because of this, it is also rumored that Laage, Lord of Time, is trapped inside the belly of this beast. Your goal is to take out Duriel skillfully. At least once, you must use every combat skill/aura that you know against him. It would be good if you could kill him with a balanced use of all your skills. (i.e. Don't just use 1 skill the entire match.)

Reward
Title of Watheerwat Hamster
Soldier's enchantment may be used, The General's Tan Do Li Ga, and The Cheiftan may be used.

4) Assassin Training
While not extensively used, assassination is a valuable skill to learn. Should at any time a Hamster be in dire need of a weapon, he or she can confidently make deadly use of even the smallest dagger. When the Hamster enters Kurast, it begins this training.

Outfit Restrictions
At this time, no medium or heavy armor may be worn. Use a dagger class weapon until you get Gidbinn, and once that is in hand, gut your enemies with it until you bring back one of their brains!

You must also assassinate two fiendish enemies: Szzark the Burning (within the Spider Cavern) and Witch Doctor Endugu (within the Flayer Dungeon)

Should you accidentally give the Gidbinn to Ormus, you must fight with your paws until you retrieve the brain.

Reward
You may use the ring that Ormus gives you, regardless of the enchantments or name.
You may choose whether or not to re-do this in higher difficulties.

5) The Corrupted One

Part 1
Rumors are flying around Kurast. They speak of a rodent, a Lemming, that occupied one of the top positions of the High Council of Zakarum. Undoubtably, the Lord of Hatred twisted this Lemming to Darkness. You must find him in the Durance of Hate and destroy him. The name? Bremm Sparkfist. (He's a Bread Lemming.)

Reward for Part 1
You may do Part 2.

Part 2
Destroy Mephisto without using ANY non-passive skills (defensive auras are ok, but no offensive auras).

Reward for Part 2
Word gets back to the Lemmings that one of their own was slain... permanently. This causes panic in the Lemming population, and the Prime Lemmister calls upon you to explain yourself. Humbly relaying your story, the Prime Lemmister squeals and hurls himself off of a cliff which was conveniently located behind his throne. One of his aides retrieves a circlet that fell from the Prime Lemmister's head when he leapt and gives it to you. He then follows his master over the cliff side.

Long story short...

- Normal: You may now use Crowns and Circlets!
- Nightmare: You may now use Grand Crowns and Coronets!
- Hell: You may now use Tiaras, Diadems, and Coronas! Title of Slytiveech.

6) True Terror
Find Diablo in his Sanctuary and open all but 1 of the 5 seals. Go back and find Hephasto if he isn't already with you. Bring Hephasto to the Chaos Sanctuary and open the last seal.

Fight D and Fatso at the same time! Both must fall! Or wimp out and lead Fatso away to kill him. :P But be VERY careful here: If D's loose and you lose sight of Fatso, Fatso will disappear. You do NOT want this to happen. Keep Fatso on-screen at all times.

Reward
-Normal: Title of Rehaetromeh and King's enchantment may be used on non-rares.
-Nightmare: Title of Cathpehericnemepsesre (male)/Wathpehericnesssmart (female) and King's enchantment may be used on a rare.
-Hell: Title of Kahengstrim (m)/Sequeehtramn (f)

7) Act 5 Quests Coming Soon...