Character Classes & NPCs
Diablo I included just 3 Character Classes: Warrior, Rogue and the Sorcerer.
The expansion pack, Diablo: Hellfire, was released in 1997 and although not created by Blizzard, (by Sierra On-Line and developed by Synergistic Software) – it was the only authorised expansion pack released for Diablo. To this date, Blizzard have never released an expansion pack for Diablo I.
Diablo: Hellfire included a new character: The Monk.
Diablo II was released in 2000 and continued the story where Diablo left off. Many of the original designers from Diablo, such as Eric Sexton, Max Shaefer and David Brevik joined forces again to create an epic sequel. Diablo II differed slightly from Diablo I with the introduction of “Acts” to break up the transition to different areas the hero travels where in Diablo and HellFire you descent to Hell under the cathedral in a linear fashion. Multiplayer was greatly enhanced to support LAN or Battle.net and co-operative platy.
Diablo II also included many more character classes, such as The Amazon, Necromancer, Sorceress and Paladin. With the official expansion pack: Lord of Destruction, released in 2001, two additional characters – the Druid and Assassin where included.
Diablo III offers five character classes. (Descriptions Source: Blizzard) Where the classes differ in Diablo III compared to its predecessors is you can choose the sex for each instead of being locked into the assigned sex class such as sorcerer in Diablo 2 was female. You can even chose a female Barbarian! Death by SNOO-SNOO!
An excellent forum post by Dontiquire explains, indepth, Character Customisations and what it means with comparisons to Diablo II.
Character Customisation on Diablo 3 Forum
Witch Doctor – Witch doctors are spiritual warriors who summon dead souls and crawling creatures to do their bidding. By surrounding themselves with conjured zombies and vermin, witch doctors are free to assault their enemies with exploding skulls, acrid poison clouds, and wasting curses.
Barbarian – Barbarians are savage wanderers who never flinch from close-quarters combat. Mighty ground stomps, leaping attacks and dual-wielded slashes leave a barbarian’s enemies dead in their boots and send any survivors fleeing for cover.
The Demon Hunter – Demon hunters are relentless vigilantes who execute their infernal targets with an arsenal of ranged weapons. They crouch and take aim far from danger, relying on bows, deadly traps, and projectiles to swiftly bring an end to the creatures that haunt their world.
Monk – Monks are sacred warriors who channel divine power through sheer force of will. Healing waves, mantras of protection and attacks empowered with holy might are all within their purview.
Wizard – Wizards are renegade spellcasters who use their bodies as vessels for arcane energy, forsaking the more careful path favored by other magic users. They manipulate all manner of forces to disintegrate, burn, and freeze their foes, and they can control time and light to teleport, create powerful illusions, and deflect oncoming attacks.
NPCs – Followers & Artisans
Progressing through the game, you’ll need some help to buy stuff from, repair gear, Jailbreak your iPad or some hired help to bash up some foes. These guys come in the form of Artisans and Followers.
ARTISANS:
Artisans are NPCs where you can buy stuff. The blacksmith will be “unlocked” during the game and will be available when you complete a quest for each. Artisans produce items from scraps of materials. Recipes can be viewed for each on the D3 website.
Jeweller – The strangely-titled Covetous Shen has gone by many names throughout his history, but none have seemed to fit quite so well as the one he’s using now. Shen originally hails from the diamond isles of Xiansai, but his wanderlust has taken him far from home.
Recipes: Diablo 3 Jeweller Page
Blacksmith – In the harried world of Sanctuary, the job of forging arms and armor is rightly associated with loss. A smith’s handiwork serves many purposes. These tools of the trade are used to kill, to protect, and often wind up interred with the corpses that carried them into battle.
Recipes: Diablo 3 Blacksmith Page
FOLLOWERS:
Followers are companions who can fight along side you. The first follower I encountered was the Templar on the way to killing the Skeleton King.
Enchantress – In battle, Eirena offers ranged support, largely spells channeled through staves and other magic implements to disorient her enemies and protect her allies. Her illusionary magic doesn’t deal a tremendous amount of damage; instead, it focuses on twisting and warping the minds of others. Eirena’s unique equipment – enchantment focuses associated with scrying and hypnotism, like eyes and mirrors – recalls the ancient mysticism of her order, providing her with potent increases to her abilities.
Scroundrel – Lyndon fights with ranged weapons, allowing him to keep his distance from the beasts and cultists that, really, it’s your job to deal with anyway. In battle, he fires quick bolts and arrows at your enemies to cripple them, stun them, or do moderate single-target damage. Lyndon also carries pieces of unique equipment with him, mementos of a life guided by wit and luck, like loaded dice and hidden pouches. These souvenirs improve his ability in combat as much as, if not more than, the jewelry and other trinkets he stockpiles.
Templar – Kormac rushes headfirst into combat, garbed in heavy armor and brandishing his weapon and shield. His imposing figure and righteous battle cries inevitably draw the attention of most servants of the Burning Hells away from you, though he fights with more of a focus on slaying his foes than on self-preservation. Throughout your journey, Kormac collects templar relics – chalices, scriptures and fragments of sacred weapons that lend him purpose and power.
