Classic Diablo Characters
by Foxbat and LemmingofGlory
with much valuable input, ideas, and help from Charis, Grarrrg, and McFrugal

Classes & Tags
Barbarian | Warrior | CDW
Barbarian | Monk | CDM
Paladin | Warrior | CDW
Paladin | Monk | CDM
Amazon | Rogue | CDR
Sorceress | Sorcerer | CDS
Assassin | Bard | CDB

Introduction

Classic Diablo Characters (CDCs) are variants based on the 3 character classes of Diablo, and the Monk and Bard of Hellfire. The goal of the variant is to make Diablo 2 gameplay more like Diablo 1, at least from the character's point of view.

Rules

For Barb CDW, no dual-wielding. Also, items that are two handed must always be used in two hands. (i.e. no using two-handed stuff in one hand) The Bastard Sword, which was a one-handed item in D1, may be wielded in one hand even though it is two-handed in D2.

For Pal CDM, staff, hand-to-hand, or wand/non-hammer graphic scepter must be used for combat. No other weapons are allowed. For Barb CDM, dual wield Wands is allowed. Wand + Shield is also allowed.

Axes are always two-handed, so using an Axe excludes use of a shield.

You may put no more than 8 heal/mana/rejuv potions into a belt, but you may use any size belt. Any type potion (health, mana, rejuv, stamina, antidote, thawing, life) may be used. (Note that extra belt slots may be filled with Thawing, Stamina, and Antidote potions.)

Any type of book may be used. So, yes, you may read Radament's Book of Skill. You may also read Malah's Resistance Scroll.

The CDC insists that no matter how much training that you do, you just can't improve some things in short periods of time. CDC had max stats in D1 and so shall they be in D2! Because CDC has twice the leveling capacity in D2, CDC may have twice the maximum statistics.

| Bard | Monk | Rogue | Sorcerer | Warrior
Strength | 240 | 300 | 110 | 90 | 500
Magic (Energy) | 240 | 160 | 140 | 500 | 100
Dexterity | 240 | 300 | 500 | 170 | 120
Vitality | 160 | 160 | 160 | 160 | 200

Mercenary Rules: "Classic Diablo Coop Partners"

Greiz mercenaries, Cold Arrow Rogues, and Cold Mages may not be used by CDCs.

Aside from that, Fire Arrow Rogues, Fire and Lightning Sorcerers, and Warriors (Act 1/3/5 mercs) may be used, but they must follow CDC rules. They're treated as cooperative partners. (And you don't have to worry about them being greedy, cheating, or PKing you. ;)

Classes
Fire Arrow Rogues, Fire Sorcerers, Lightning Sorcerers, and Barbarians (Warriors) may play by CDC rules.
Ignore statistic restrictions. Mercenary statistics cannot be regulated.

Items

General
No Superior, Low Quality, Cracked, Crude, etc. items.

No basic items may be used if the name didn't exist in D1. For example, you can use a Great Axe but not a War Axe or a Giant Axe. Exceptional and Elite items are allowed if the normal item type is allowed. (e.g. Gothic Axe is ok, because it is an exceptional Great Axe. Nagas are disallowed, because they are exceptional War Axes.)

Due to the above rule, Crossbow class, Polearm class, and Spear class weapon, Orbs, Scepters, Wands, Primal Helms, Auric Shields, and Amazon-Only Bows/Javelins/Spears cannot be used.

Gloves/Boots
Gloves and Boots may be used if they either correspond to the current armor or if they are lighter than the current armor. Light gloves\boots are worn with any type of armor. Chain are worn with medium and heavy. Plated are worn with heavy. Only light gloves or boots may be used if you're armorless.

Weapons
The CDM (Barbarian) may use Wands and Scepters to dual wield. (Scepters with a hammer graphic when equipped may not be used for this.) He considers this to be a special type of staff that readily snaps in half to whomp enemies.

Staves with +Spell may be used. They are the new form of spell staff. If the Spell is unacceptable, however, it may not be used.

CDWs may use Gnarled Staves (and Except./Elite versions) if he is wearing plate armor. (His Staff & Plate pic in D1 was a Gnarled Staff. ;) Note that other CDCs cannot wield Gnarled Staves.

Barbarian CDWs may wield Bastard Swords in one hand (so you may use a shield with it). They were one-handed in Diablo 1, after all. No other two-handed sword may be wielded in one hand. And they are still prohibited from dual-wielding.

CDBs may dual-wield with Katars, Wrist Blades, and Scissors Katars. (Think of them as different types of swords, with Scissors Katars being Bastard Swords.) Other Claw Class weapons are disallowed. CDBs is still permitted to use other forms of weaponry.

Fulminating, Exploding, and Oil Potions are allowed to all CDCs. (Think of them as scrolls of Inferno, Fireball, and Flame Wave.)

Other throwing weapons may not be used, except by the CDR. Javelin class weapons (save Amazon-only javelins) are allowed to CDR only. These Javelins may not be magical, unless the enchantment adds Lightning Damage, Stack Replenishing, or Increased Stack Size. These Javelins are for her use of Chain Lightning.

Socketed and Derived Items
Socketed items may not be used.
Gems and Runes may not be inserted into items. Thus, Gemmed, Runed, and Rune Word items cannot be used.
Crafted items cannot be used.

Remember, in D1 the people who made their own items were called cheaters! If you meet somebody on realms who uses items with holes drilled in them, be sure to tell them that cheating on realms isn't allowed and to turn their trainer off. ;)

Magical Items

- Enchantments that have effects that have no counterpart in D1 are disallowed. (e.g. +Life regeneration, monster flees, cold damage, poison damage, prevent monster heal)
- Enchantments used must appear on items that they could appear on in D1. (e.g. Mana/Life steal rings are a no-no.)
- Despite the fact that you couldn't get magical belts, gloves, or boots in D1, you may use such magical items so long as the enchantment on it existed on armor-type items in D1. (e.g. Resists, Hps, and Armor Class are ok, but attack speed or damage bonuses are a no-no.)
- Any item with the name of a D1 unique is considered to be unique and may be used even if other CDC restrictions would disallow it.
- You may not use items that were hacked items in D1! (e.g. GPoWs) Unless, of course, you want to be a CDCC: Classic Diablo Cheated Character. ;)
- Charged items may be used only if the charges are on a staff and are acceptable charges for any CDC to use.

Rares/Sets/Uniques
Rares may be used only if the name is that of a D1 unique item. (For example, it's possible to find "Eagle Horn" and "Storm Shield.")

Uniques may be used if the base item is allowed, or if it existed in D1.
If a unique item grants a specific skill (e.g. +"Skill Name" or Charges of "Skill"), the skill granted may be used even if it is normally disallowed. However, you may not devote points into the skill - it is to be used only as it is granted from the item.

Your imbue at Charsi is considered a quest item. You may also socket and personalize an item after Larzuk and Anya respectively.

Set items based on characters introduced in D1 are allowed. Naj's items, Griswold's items, Civerb's items, etc. are allowed. Other set items are disallowed.

Spells

The CDC insists on using old D1 abilities to defeat Diablo, so none of these newfangled abilities will do! Also, the CDC refers to D2 skills as "spells."

Any prerequisite may be learned in order to get a useable higher level spell (such as learning Blaze to get Fire Wall). Reasons why some newer spells\skills are allowed and other notes on spells\skills are provided when necessary.

Classic Diablo Sorcerer

Fire Spells: Fire Bolt, Fire Ball, Inferno, Fire Wall, Slvl 15 Fire Ball (Meteor), Guardian (Hydra)
Lightning Spells: Charged Bolt, Lightning, Chain Lightning, Nova
Magic Spells: Mana (Energy) Shield, Telekinesis, Teleport, Flash (Static Field), Stone Curse (Ice Blast)
Miscellaneous: Warmth, Fire Mastery, Lighting Mastery, Magic Mastery (Cold Mastery)

- Meteor was not originally allowed, but through playtesting I found that Fire Ball's damage just wasn't cutting it. The D1 Sorcerer had the obscenely powerful Fire Ball, after all, so disallowing the heaviest-hitting fire spell in D2 would be like nerfing him.
- Though Nova was not a learned spell in D1, the CDC may learn and use it. Nova is allowed to be learned because it can hit almost a whole room full of targets, much like the Chain Lightning of old. D2's Chain Lit is pathetic and can only hit up to 5 targets.
- Flash is limited to slvl 1. This is to preserve Flash's tiny radius.
- Warmth is allowed because mana used to be buyable, but now it is not. Warmth replaces Adria's always-full potion stock.
- Masteries are allowed because the Sorc had uber spell power in D1, and so shall it be in D2.
- Due to Fire Wall's enormous power, it should only be used as a last resort. The Sorcerer much prefers the missile spells to Fire Wall.

Classic Diablo Rogue

Fire Spells: Fire Bolt (Fire Arrow), Fire Ball (Exploding Arrow), Fire Wall (Immolation Arrow)
Lightning Spells: Lightning (Lightning Bolt), Chain Lightning (Lightning Fury)
Magic Spells: Blood Star (Magic Arrow), Bone Spirit (Guided Arrow), Golem (Decoy/Valkyrie), Stone Curse (Ice Arrow)
Miscellaneous: Strafe, Critical Strike, Penetrate

- Strafe is allowed vs small enemies only (Grotesque Wyrms, Fallens, Maggot Young, Fetishes) because they're highly irritating and deserve to be machine-gunned. Strafe is limited to slvl 1, however.
- Both Valkryie and Decoy take the place of Golem. Only one Golem may be alive at one time, however. So your Valk must die before you can set up a Decoy. Also, Valk is limited to slvl 1 because in D1 Golem's hps were based on a player's mana, and Rogue's Golem hps are thus horribly low.
- Javelin class weapons may be used soley for the purpose of casting Lightning and Chain Lightning. You may not melee with Javelins and you may not throw them normally. For the most part, non-magical javelin class weapons must be used for this. Magical effects such as Increased Stack Size, Replenishes Quantity, +Attack Speed%, and Lightning Damage are perfectly fine (so long as no other effects are on the item).
- Not all base bow types fire at the same speed, but they did in D1. To make up for the speed differences, Critical Strike is allowed.

Classic Diablo Warrior (Paladin)

Fighting: Shield Bash (Smite), Pseudo-Telekill (Charge), Melee-Range Blood Star (Sacrifice), Melee-Range Bone Spirit (Vengeance), Critical Hit (Might)
Spells: Holy Bolt, Heal/Heal Other (Prayer)
Miscellaneous: Cleansing, Meditation

- Curses and Poison didn't exist in D1, so Cleansing is allowed to be rid of them.
- Adria had an endless mana potion supply, so Meditation is allowed.
- Might is Critical Hit, and is limited to slvl 7 (which doubles your physical damage).

Classic Diablo Warrior (Barbarian)

Fighting: Teleport/Telekill (Leap/Leap Attack), Stunlock (Stun), Knockback (Bash), Critical Strike (Sword/Axe/Mace Mastery)
Spells: Stone Curse (Battle Cry), Mana Shield (Battle Orders), Apocalypse (War Cry)
Miscellaneous: No Stamina in D1 (Increased Stamina), Adria's Endless Potion Supply (Find Potion)

- Apocalypse! 'Tis odd to see a Warrior using it, but why not? Hehe
- Increased Stamina helps make stamina less of an issue, as it didn't even exist in D1.

Classic Diablo Monk (Paladin)

Fighting: Melee-Range Blood Star (Sacrifice), Melee-Range Bone Spirit (Vengeance), Monk's Insane Attack Speed (Zeal & Fanaticism), Monk's Natural AC Bonus (Defiance), Pseudo-Telekill (Charge), Spell Blocking (Resistance Auras)
Spells: Holy Bolt, Healing/Heal Other (Prayer), Reflect (Slvl 1 Thorns), Berserk (Conversion)
Miscellaneous: Cleansing, Meditation

- The Monk had great attack speeds, as represented by Zeal and Fanaticism.
- The Monk had a natural AC bonus, as represented by Defiance.
- In Hellfire, spells are blocked no matter what your resistances are. This is represented by Resist Fire/Lightning/Cold and Salvation auras.
- Hellfire had a Reflect spell (which damaged enemies for hitting you) and a Berserk spell (which caused enemies to attack each other).

Classic Diablo Monk (Barbarian)

Fighting: Teleport/Telekill (Leap/Leap Attack), Monk's Insane Attack Speed (Double Swing, Frenzy, Whirlwind), Monk's Staff Power (Mace Mastery), Stunlock (Stun), Knockback (Bash)
Defensive Abilities: Spell Blocking (Natural Resistance), Monk's Armor Class Bonus (Iron Skin & Shout)
Spells: Stone Curse (Battle Cry), Mana Shield (Battle Orders), Apocalypse (War Cry)
Miscellaneous: No Stamina in D1 (Increased Stamina), Adria's Endless Potion Supply (Find Potion)

- The Monk had great attack speeds, as represented by Double Swing, Frenzy, and Whirlwind.
- The Monk had a natural AC bonus, as represented by Iron Skin and Shout.
- In Hellfire, spells are blocked no matter what your resistances are. This is represented by Natural Resistance.

Classic Diablo Bard (Assassin)

Fighting: Kick (Dragon Talon), Dual Weapon Swing (Dragon Claw), Teleport (Dragon Flight), Sword proficiency (Claw Mastery)
Spells: Inferno/Fireball/Firewall (Fists of Fire), Charged Bolt/Nova (Claws of Thunder), Stone Curse (Blades of Ice), Berzerk (Mind Blast), Reflect (Blade Shield)
Runes: Fire Rune (Fire Blast), Greater Fire Rune (Wake of Fire), Lightning Rune (Shock Web), Greater Lightning Rune (Charged Bolt Sentry)

- The Bard could dual-wield, and when she swung, she swung both at once. This is why she can use Katars (etc.) and use Dragon Claw.
- Bards, which used the Rogue graphic, kicked just like the Rogue, so she should be able to kick if she likes . (Dragon Talon)
- Berzerk and Reflect were explained in the Monk section. Both were Hellfire spells.
- Hellfire also had runes, though they weren't objects you inserted into items. They were traps. A laid rune would sit in wait for an enemy to step on it. While D2X's traps are more active, they still serve the same function.