Necromancer, retro 'Diablo' mode, and more announced for Diablo III

To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the historic “Diablo” franchise, Blizzard will be releasing a new class, mode, and more for “Diablo III.” The announcements were made at BlizzCon 2016.

The return of the Necromancer

First introduced in “Diablo II,” the fan-demanded Necromancer class is coming to “Diablo III.”

Blizzard describes the Necromancer as a darkly themed pet and ranged magic class. He is a “master of the dark arts” and a “commander of the dead,” boasting magic that revolves around blood, bone, reanimation of the dead, and curses.

The Necromancer will bear similarities to the Witch Doctor, who also uses pets and ranged magic. Unlike the Witch Doctor, whose whole shtick is concerned with jungle and vodoo magic, however, the Necromancer is “darker” in that he deals directly with death.

His pets also feature an active aspect. For example, the Nercromancer can raise skeletons, which follow him around in the same way the zombie dogs trail after the Witch Doctor. The Necromancer, however, can also command those skeletons to do something more specific, such as attack a selected target. Most of the Nercromancer’s pets can be triggered to perform particular actions.

The Necromancer makes use of two resources. The first, Essence, is basically his version of Mana. He also relies on Corpses, which are left behind by enemies upon death.

Only the Necromancer can see these Corpses, and he can use them to power his skills. For example, Corpse Explosion allows him to detonate up to 10 Corpses simultaneously to deal massive damage to nearby enemies.

“Diablo II” fans should be familiar with Corpse Explosion. Other returning skills include Bone Spear, which is an attack that pierces through enemies, and Decrepify, a powerful curse that slows down and reduces the damage dealt by enemies. As Blizzard develops the class, they will give him even more classic skills, such as Blood Golem.

While the Necromancer is hugely inspired by his “Diablo II” incarnation, he also comes with new skills, such as Siphon Blood, which allows him to steal both health and Essence from enemies; Blood Rush, which is a speedy dash/teleport; and Army of the Dead, which summons hundreds of skeletons to charge at enemies, then explode.

An early build of the Necromancer was available for play at BlizzCon 2016. The final Necromancer build, which will boast both male and female variants, will come with the Rise of the Necromancer character pack, which goes on sale in 2017.

The pack will also add new Set and Legendary items to the game, some of which are Necromancer-centric. Lastly, the pack will include a new pet, two additional character slots, a pair of stash tabs, as well as a portrait frame, banner, sigil, and pennant.

Retro “Diablo” mode

Blizzard plans to recreate the original “Diablo” game in “Diablo III” via a new annual event, which will be introduced via “The Darkening of Tristram” Anniversary patch. Starting this 2017, players will be able to access this free mode every January.

All the monsters, events, and 16 dungeon levels of the 1996 title will be remade in the new mode. Even the four bosses – the Butcher, Skeleton King, Lazarus, and Diablo – will make a comeback, each one redesigned to closely resemble their original incarnations.

In fact, the entire mode will put “Diablo III” under a ‘90s “RetroVision” filter. This means it will have grainy, pixelated graphics, simplified animations, and the classic audio (both music and sound effects).

Additionally, the enemy A.I. will be the same as the old game’s, and character movement will be limited to 8 directions, as opposed to the 360 degrees of movement that “Diablo III” heroes normally enjoy.

The mode will be available to all character classes, and will reward players with exclusive loot, portraits, banners, and sigils. There will be new pets, such as a baby Butcher. One new item is the Soulstone from the original game, which will be the first Legendary gem for helmet slots. New transmogrifications allow players to make their weapons look like the classic Butcher’s Cleaver, and the wooden version of Wirt’s Leg.

The mode will be on the Public Test Realm (PTR) next week, and officially rolled out not long after for the PC, PlayStation 4, and XboxOne.

New zones

Two new Adventure Mode zones are headed to “Diablo III.”

“Shrouded Moors” is a “harsh, inhospitable land” that “has been abandoned for centuries.” Shrouded in perpetual fog, this area has succumbed to a “dark presence.”

Temple of the First Born is “an ancient monument to the earliest nephalem.” It is hidden “beneath the surface of Sanctuary, where it has escaped the notice of most mortals.” It boasts a Lovecraftian vibe.

New monsters include giant crows and centipedes, a tentacle-faced monster, and a floating, skeletal, faceless monstrosity known as the Shepherd.

Both zones are slated for release in 2017.

… and more!

The upcoming patch will introduce the Armory – a new system that allows players to manage and save loadouts. Each character can have as many as 5 loadouts.

Each loadout stores all skills and passives, items, Kanai’s Cube powers, as well as allows you to store your items anywhere. You can switch between loadouts at the press of a button, saving you the time and hassle normally associated with changing a character’s build and equipment set.

Then there’s the Challenge Rift, which is a race for your fastest time in a Greater Rift.

Additionally, “Diablo III” will receive a variety of minor tweaks to menu systems, items, and gameplay.

Lastly, 2017 will see Seasons being brought to console versions of “Diablo III.”

For more information, visit the “Diablo III: Reaper of Souls” website. — TJD, GMA News