Diablo 2 Characters
by LemmingofGlory

Class: Any
Amazon = Rogue
Necromancer/Sorceress = Sorcerer
Barbarian/Paladin = Warrior

Tag: D2C

Introduction

These are characters that behave as if Diablo 1 is Diablo 2.

Rules

The four different areas in Diablo are treated like the four different acts of Diablo 2.

A D2C may not advance an Act if it has not yet completed the previous Act. To complete an Act the D2C must kill all bosses on the final level of the Act in a single game. (Not all possible bosses, just the ones that appear when you're getting Act credit.)

A D2C may not advance difficulties if it has not yet killed Diablo on the previous difficulty. (Dots must be gotten.) To advance difficulties the D2C must kill Diablo on the previous difficulty level.

No shrines that have permanent effects may be used. (For this reason Cauldrons and Goat Shrines should not be used.)

No elixirs may be used. You may not buy Rejuvenation Potions of any type.

Items

No base item type that does not appear in D2 may be used.
List
Rags, Capes, Cloaks, Robes, Small Axes, Composite Staves

Certain base items in D2 are different from in D1. For this reason, these items are treated as if they're D2 items.
List
A Blade is a dagger class weapon. (This might have some impact on dual-class variants, so I list it.) Claymores and Bastard Swords require two hands, except to the Barbarian.

Magical enchantments similar in D1 and D2 are allowed. Magical items, however, do not have clvl restrictions as they do in D2.

As for uniques, it should be a given that if the base type is disallowed the unique is, too. Aside from this, uniques are allowed if the base type is.

Civerb's Cudgel alone may not be used outside of Normal Difficulty, because this is where its usefulness wears off in D2.

Spells

Innate character skills are discouraged: Repair Item, Disarm Trap, Recharge Staff.

1 Spell level may be learned per character level. Spells are not restricted by character level in any other way.

All characters may cast Town Portals and Identify. However, Town Portal may not be a learned spell. Resurrect may also be cast if requested by companions, but a D2C should not be resurrected.

Amazons can learn Lightning (Lightning Bolt), Chain Lightning (Lightning Strike/Fury), Charged Bolt (Charged Strike), Golem (Valkyrie), Stone Curse (Freezing Arrow), Bone Spirit (Guided Arrow), Fire Ball (Exploding Arrow), Fire Bolt (Fire Arrow), Fire Wall (Immolation Arrow), Blood Star (Magic Arrow).

Barbarians can learn and cast Teleport (Leap/Leap Attack), Stone Curse (Stun), slvl 1 Elemental/BSpirit (Taunt), Find Potion (Healing/Heal Other), Mana Shield (Battle Orders). Barbarians can also cast Apocalypse (War Cry). Barbarians may not Leap/Leap Attack over walls.

Paladins can learn and cast Charged Bolt (FoH), Stone Curse (Vengeance/Charge/Holy Freeze), Blood Star (Sacrifice), Mana Shield (Holy Shield), Flame Wave (Holy Fire), Holy Bolt (Duh...), Healing (Redemption), Heal Other (Prayer). [Sorry, folks, there's just no spell crappy enough to take the place of Holy Shock. And Charged Bolt is pushing it as a replacement for Fist of the Heavens.]

Necromancers can learn and cast Bone Spirit (Duh), Charged Bolt (Teeth), Mana Shield (Bone Armor), Elemental (Fire Golem), Golem (Clay Golem), Lightning (Bone Spear), Stone Curse (Bone Prison), Fire Wall (Bone Wall + Iron Maiden), Skeleton Mage (Guardian). Fire Bolt may be learned (but not cast) for Guardian purposes. Fire Bolt learned by the Necromancer in this way does not count as a spell learned for a character level. Necro's Mana Shield/Bone Armor is not like that of other spell casters. The Necro may not drink Mana/Rejuv potions while Mana Shield is active. [It's too easy otherwise.]

Sorceresses can learn and cast Fire Bolt, Inferno, Fire Ball, Fire Wall, Guardian (Hydra), Charged Bolt, Flash (Static Field), Telekinesis, Lightning, Chain Lightning, Teleport, Mana Shield (Energy Shield), Stone Curse (Ice Blast). She may also cast Nova. The Sorceress, too, must follow the Necromancer's Mana Shield restriction.

Still, there are clvl restrictions on when a spell may be learned and cast. These are noted in parenthesis. There is also notation of something like "Skill 1 -> Skill 2." This means that Skill 1 is a prerequisite for Skill 2 (at least point must be in Skill 1 before Skill 2 may be learned).

Quests

Here is where this variant noticeably veers off away from D2: NO QUESTS. Period. D2 quests, for the most part, were annoying. Who wants to collect Khalim's parts? Horadric Staff? Wanna go to that wonderful stair trap that is Lame Esen's Tome? "Hey, folks, it's Duriel time!" *vomit* Also, quests would make this variant too big. The skill restrictions are already almost too much to remember. :)

Now, if you want to do D2 quest-ish things, that's perfectly fine- but I'd recommend giving rewards only if the quest is truly challenging. (Something like "Kill the butcher for a free spell level" would not be a challenge since Butcher is easy to begin with... maybe if it was "At clvl 1, kill the Butcher"... :)