Acts

What you can expect from Act 1-5 and what’s your Quest reward

In Diablo 2 Resurrected you will work through a total of 5 acts – which serve as chapters in the game. On your way there will be many Quests to be completed and dungeons to clean. Each act ends after your successful encounter with the act’s main boss which you can read about below:

Diablo 2 Acts
Art by Deadlyninja

Act 1: The Sightless eye

The first Diablo 2 quest takes place in eastern Khanduras where the player helps the rogues to get back the Rogue Monastery from the evil Andariel, the Maiden of Anguish. This act begins from the Rogue Encampment and initiates the hunt for Diablo.

The Rogue Encampment is the starting point of Diablo 2. It is a shelter set up by the survivors of the Rogue Monastery. Diablo and the forces of Hell attacked the Monastery in an attempt to create a stronghold on Sanctuary against the forces of heaven and destroy opposing mortals. As a result, many Rogues died or were possessed by evil and started wandering around the countryside. Eventually, Andariel consumed the body of a Rogue and transformed. She has been occupying the monastery ever since.

Gameplay

The Rogue Encampment is the only safe place in the region and consists of mostly rogues that have fled from the occupied monastery. These survivors were driven out from their own monastery by Andariel.

The Maiden of Anguish is now protecting the east waypoint, the only way that goes through the Monastery, preventing anyone from going after the Dark Wanderer (Diablo). The player’s character is not accepted by the sisterhood at first, but he gains their trust after defeating the Den of Evil (1st Quest) at the command of Akara – the high priestess of the order.

After gaining the trust of the sisters, the character is sent to rescue Deckard Cain from the demons that destroyed Tristram. After saving him, he follows and assists the player throughout the entire game, by identifying items and explaining the lore of the game.

During the journey, the player finds a Forgotten Tower where he defeats the Countess and retrieves the Horadric Malus of Charsi that she forgets to take upon leaving the Rogue Monastery.

The first act ends after the character defeats Andariel in the 4th level of the Catacombs. Then, you can travel to the desert of Lut Gholein with Warriv’s caravan.

Quests and Rewards

Although the first five quests are optional, we recommend that you complete all of them as they provide useful rewards.

  • The Den of Evil Quest awards you 1 skill point and 1 free skills/stat points reset, so you should definitely complete it at some point of the game.
  • Completing the Sister’s Burial Grounds Quest lets you hire a free Rogue mercenary.
  • The Search for Cain rewards the player a ring from Akara. Also, Deckard Cain will be able to identify your items.
  • Defeating the Countess in the The Forgotten Tower quest rewards you with a lot of treasure from her chest.
  • Completing the Tools of the Trade allows you to imbue an item of your choice.
  • The Sisters to the Slaughter quest allows you to move to Act 2 after killing Andariel

NPCs

Though many of the Sisterhood inhabitants were slain in the battle at the monastery, some members of the sisterhood survived:

  • Charsi – Blacksmith of the Order who offers repair and trade services
  • Akara – Priestess of the Sisterhood who offers trading and healing services to spellcasters
  • Flavie – An elite scout
  • Kashya – Commander of the Rogue Archers
  • Gheed – Merchant who offers gambling and trading services
  • Warriv – Caravan Agent
  • Deckard Cain –Horadrim Sage who identifies items

Locations & Waypoints

Waypoints

  • Rogue Encampment
  • Dark Wood
  • Stony Field
  • Cold Plains
  • Outer Cloister
  • Black Marsh
  • Jail in level 2
  • Inner Cloister
  • Catacombs in level 2

Locations without a waypoint

  • Blood Moor
  • Burial Grounds
  • Tristram
  • Underground Passage
  • Cathedral
  • Monastery Gate
  • Barracks
  • Tamoe Highland

Important Areas

Burial Grounds: Here you can find the Blood Raven Boss, the Crypt, and the Mausoleum Dungeons. The last one is a good 85 level spot for Magic Finding (Hell difficulty).

Tamoe Highlands: This is the last countryside (open) area before the Rogue Monastery. Here you can find the Pit, another great 85 level area for Magic Finding.

Tristram: You can access this zone by entering the red portal at Carin Stones in the Stony Field (the portal that you enter in order to save Deckard Cain). It’s the best area for getting experience until you reach level 15.

The Forgotten Tower: It’s located in the Black Marsh, beyond the Dark Wood. Here you can find the Countess Boss that drops precious Runes.

Catacombs: At the 4th level of this dungeon you face Andariel so you continue to the next Act of the game.

Act 2: The Secret of Vizjerei

In this act, the character travels to Lut Gholein in order to stop the Dark Wanderer from releasing Baal. Act II is more difficult than Act I and is harder to navigate due to the lack of paths. Unlike other acts of the game, Act II requires completing additional challenges before you can continue to the next Act.

The character visits the town of Lut Gholein in Act 2.  The evil powers of Radament have affected the city. He is a mummified, Horadric Mage, now possessed by a demon who is hiding in the city’s underground sewers.

Gameplay

The player reaches Lut Gholein located in the distant desert of Aranoch with the help of Warriv’s Caravan. The evil has spread already to the east by the Dark Wanderer.

Currently, an undead monster wondering in the sewers is attacking the city. As soon as night falls, the monster attacks the townsfolks of Lut Gholein. Thus, the player searches for the monster in the Sewers to save the city and helps Atma avenge her husband and son.

Further, your character discusses this problem with Jerhyn, the Lord of Lut Gholein, who with the collaboration of Drognan, concluded that the Dark Wanderer that had just visited the town was Diablo himself. It looks like Diablo is in search of the Tomb of Tal Rasha’s Chamber, where Baal, his brother, is caged. After this, the player has to gather the Horadric Staff’s parts that are the key to Tal Rasha’s Chamber.

After completing the Horadric Staff, the player then needs to find the true Tomb of Tal Rasha. The clues for finding it are in the Arcane Sanctuary. There, you have to deal with the maddened sorcerer known as the Summoner.

The player finally reaches the Tomb of Tal Rasha after finding the Canyon of the Magi, but all in vain. The Dark Wanderer has already freed Baal and then runs into Duriel, who is guarding the tomb and stopping anyone from following his masters.

After defeating Duriel, the character discovers the Archangel Tyrael imprisoned in the tomb’s inner chamber. He instructs you to travel east once again as the two Evil brothers (Baal and Diablo) will reunite with Mephisto, their elder brother, in Kurast. The player then sets sail towards the east with Meshif’s help.

NPCs

Characters and their services in Lut Gholein are as follows:

  • Deckard Chain – Horadrim Sage
  • Fara – Blacksmith, and Paladin of Zakarum (Healing and Repairing, Trade)
  • Drognan – Vizjerei Mage
  • Geglash – Drunkard
  • Atma – Tavern Warden
  • Lysander – Deaf Alchemist
  • Elzix – Provides trading of gambling services
  • Greiz – Mercenary Captain
  • Warriv – Caravan Trader
  • Meshif – Trade Captain who provides waypoint to Kurast Docks in Act 3
  • Jerhyn – Lord and Sultan of Lut Gholein
  • Kaelan – Guard at the Palace

Quests and Rewards

You have to complete all the quests to be able to move to the next chapter, except for Arcane Sanctuary and Radament’s Lair. Completing Radament’s Lair awards you with a 10% discount on vendors’ prices and 1 free skill point.

There are total six quests included in Lut Gholein:

  • The Horadric Staff
  • Radament’s Lair
  • Tainted Sun
  • The Summoner
  • The Seven Tombs
  • Arcane Sanctuary

Locations & Waypoints

Waypoints

  • Lut Gholein
  • Dry Hills
  • Sewers (level 2)
  • Lost City
  • Arcane Sanctuary
  • Halls of the Dead (level 2)
  • Far Oasis
  • Canyon of the Magi
  • The Palace Cellar (level 1)

Locations without a waypoint

  • Rocky Waste
  • Tal Rasha’s Chamber
  • Valley of Snakes
  • Harem
  • Tal Rasha’s Tomb
  • Maggot Lair

Important Areas

Canyon of the MagiTal Rasha’s Tomb: It’s the best place to gain experience from levels 15 to 24.

Ancient Tunnels: This dungeon lies beneath the Lost City and it is one of the best areas in Diablo 2 for Magic Finding at Hell difficulty.

Act 3: The Infernal Gate

In this chapter, the character goes to the Kurast Docks following Baal and Diablo. The Infernal Gate is the biggest chapter of Diablo 2 and it provides multiple challenging tasks.

Kurast docks is a jungle themed area whose landscape is dominated by marshy lands and crumbling stone ziggurats surrounded by rotting docks. Considered a divine place, the player visits Kurast in search of Diablo and Baal who has just been freed from the tomb of Tal Rasha. The whole city of Kurast has been corrupted by Mephisto, which has forced its remaining residents to flee to the docks. The magic of Ormus and Hratli is protecting them but it won’t last for long.

Gameplay

When the player reaches Kurast Docks, he meets Hratli. He informs him that Mephisto’s evil has completely taken over the countryside. The corrupt Children of Zakarum, the priest caste, and local religious institutes, have taken complete control of the Capital of Kurast. Kurast Docks is the last remaining peaceful land where survivors from the attack fled to, but jungle’s evil monsters are already invading the docks.

During this journey, the player finds a rare Jade Figurine, and then later trades it for a charm called Elixir. It provides mythical and life-extending properties. However, the magic spells that were protecting the dock begin to weaken. Thus, you have to collect a sacred Skatsimi Blade – known as the Gidbinn. After that, the mage Ormus utilizes this blade to cast a spell and the town is safe once again.

In addition, the Lord of Hatred has imprisoned himself in the temple city of Travincal. To enter the lair of Mephisto, the player must destroy the vile object known as the Compelling Orb. However, you can only destroy the Compelling Orb if you collect the remains and assemble Khalim’s Will.

Meanwhile, the alchemist Alkor is looking for the writings of a sage who studied the Prime Evils and its diverse effects on the mortal kind. That black book was lost during the fight of Zakarum and the player helps to restore the book from an ancient temple in Kurast.

Ormus commands the player to free the corrupt land of Zakarum by destroying their priesthood, the high council of Zakarum. It is located within the boundaries of the temple city of Travincal. The character destroys the Compelling Orb using Khalim’s Will and discloses Mephisto’s Secret Lair.

The player has to defeat Mephisto in the 3rd level of the “Durance of Hate” in order to move into the next Act.

NPCs

The children of Zakarum have killed many of the inhabitants, and Mephisto’s corruption has claimed many people. Despite this, survivors include many skilled and important characters:

  • Alkor – The Alchemist
  • Aheara – Leads the Iron Wolves
  • Hratli – Sorcerer and Blacksmith with amazing skills
  • Ormus – Formermage of the Taan Clan who provides trading and healing services for spellcasters
  • Meshif – Merchant Captain
  • Deckard Cain – Horadrim Sage
  • Natalya – Agent

Quest And Rewards

To pass The Infernal Gate and get access to Act 4, you have to complete the Blackened City, Khalim’s Will and the Guardian Quests.

  • Completing the Jade Figurine (Golden Bird Quest) will reward +20 points to your character’s life.
  • Finishing the Gidbinn quest (Blade of the Old Religion) awards you with a free Iron Wolf mercenary from Aheara and a Rare Ring from Ormus.
  • Completing the Lam Esen’s Tome quest provides you with +5 Stat points.
  • The Blackened Temple
  • Khalim’s Will
  • The Guardian

Locations & Waypoints

Waypoints

  • Kurast Bazaar
  • Great Marsh
  • Lower Kurast
  • Travincal
  • Kurast Docks
  • Flayer Jungle
  • Durance of Hale (in Level 2)
  • Spider Forest

Locations without a waypoint

  • Kurast Causeway
  • Flayer Dungeon
  • Sewers
  • Spider Cavern

Important Areas

Travincal: Here you can farm many valuable items such as Grand Charms (including +skills Charms), flawless Gems, Runes and a lot of gold.

Durance of Hate Level 3: Mephisto is waiting to face you there. Note that he is probably the best Act Boss for Magic Finding that drops many powerful items.

Act 4: The Harrowing

This is the final act of the classic (non-expansion) version of Diablo 2. In this chapter, the player reaches the Pandemonium Fortress in order to destroy Diablo and stop his evil plans. This act is shorter than the other acts and includes only 3 quests.

Pandemonium Fortress is an ancient town situated in the Heart of Pandemonium and it is the last outpost of heaven at the gates of hell. Pandemonium Fortress acts as a support for Angels and their allies in their battle against dark forces of hell. It is still unclear if Pandemonium Fortress is a unique base or there are others like it in other places, however, it has an entrance to the Outer Steppes that takes the player to the remaining parts of Act IV.

Gameplay

The player travels to the Pandemonium Fortress, known as the Last Bastion of Light located in the Burning Hills. There the character collaborates with the Archangel Tyrael and Deckard Cain. Here the Archangel thanks the player for saving him from Tal Rasha’s Chamber and asks for a favor. Once, his lieutenant, Izual, was imprisoned and twisted by the power of Lords of Hell. Now he is a fallen angel and strays the Plains of Despair imprisoned within a diabolical vessel. Thus, you need to free the spirit of Izual by defeating the demon.

The character accepts to accomplish the wish of the Archangel by destroying the demonic host and freeing the Angel. However, Izual told the Prime Evils about the power of Soulstones and how to corrupt them. Tyrael realizes this mistake as he knows that with the inclusion of Soulstones at the command of the forces of Hell, they will become unstoppable and immortal.

Considering the problem, Deckard Cain commands you to destroy Mephisto’s Soulstone at the Hellforge to prevent the evil spirit from manifesting itself in the mortal living again.

Tyrael prepares the hero for his last battle with the Lord of Terror. After battling numerous demons, the character manages to destroy the Lord of Terror in a challenging battle. The player returns to the Pandemonium after the victory and he is hailed as a champion. However, there is still one last brother remaining to defeat.

NPCs

  • Deckard Cain
  • Tyrael – Archangel of Justice; brings hirelings back to life
  • Jamella – Champion of the Light; provides Healing, Trading, and Gambling services
  • Halbu – Champion of the Light; provides repair and trade services

Quests And Rewards

To continue to Act 5, you have to complete Terror’s End Quest. If you play the Classic version, this will unlock Nightmare difficulty.

  • Defeating Izual and completing the Fallen Angel Quest provides +2 skill points.
  • Completing the Hellforge Quests rewards you with some top-quality gems, and in case of expansion, a Rune.
  • Mephisto’s Soulstone
  • Terror’s End

Locations & Waypoints

Waypoints

  • Pandemonium Fortress
  • City of the Damned
  • River of Flame

Locations without a waypoint

  • Outer Steppes
  • Plains of Despair
  • Chaos Sanctuary

Important Areas

Hellforge: It is located in the River of Flame. Here you can complete the Hell’s forge Quest and receive many Runes or Gems as a reward.

Chaos Sanctuary: There you will give the final battle with Diablo, after you have opened all the shields. Further, it’s one great area that you can gain a lot of experience and find Magic Items.

Act 5: Lord of destruction

This act is named after the Lord of Destruction himself, the Prime Evil Baal. The player tracks down Baal to the Barbarian lands of the Northern Steppes.

The Siege of Harrogath – In 1265, Baal led an army of Barbarians to possess mount Arreat for corrupting the Worldstone. The Barbarians fought greatly, but they had to retreat and eventually moved back to their sacred peak. There was no contact with the Barbarian capital of Sescheron, and Harrogath was the only bastion between Baal and his evil aims. Qual-Kehk assembled his warriors for an attack, but Elder Aust proposed a special plan – to cast a druidic spell of warding. It was definitely risky, but if performed successfully as it could prevent any monster from the Forces of Hell to get inside of Harrogath; including Baal himself. All members of the council paid the price for the casting of the spell with their life, except for Nihlathak.

Gameplay

The character travels through the portal that Tyrael opened after the fight with Diablo in the Chaos Sanctuary and reaches Harrogath.

The hero defeats one of Baal’s strongest generals, Shank the Overseer, and finishes the quest of the Siege on Harrogath. The Blacksmith, Larzuk, offers the player to socket one of his items as a gift.

Qual-Kehk sends the player to test his abilities out in the Frigid Highlands to save some of the barbarians that the forces of Baal have imprisoned. The player gains the trust of Qual-Kehk, after successfully rescuing the barbarians. As a result, Qual-Kehk allows some of the barbarians to help the player in his quest.

News of the player’s success spreads and Malah decided to ask for help to find Anya, the daughter of the Head of the Council of Elders, who has recently disappeared. Malah blames Nihlatak for her disappearance. The character follows Malah’s clues which lead to the Crystalline Passage. Here you can find Anya trapped in a prison of ice. After the successful recovery of Anya, Nihlatak disappears.

Anya realizes that the real plan of Nihlathak is to spare Harrogath by giving Baal the Relic of the Ancients. Unfortunately, this has allowed Baal to pass the Worldstone Keep effortlessly. Baal intends to doom the whole Sanctuary by corrupting the divine Worldstone. Thus, he intends to meet Nihlatak at his temple. As a result, the hero follows the traitor hoping to stop him before the whole world is doomed. The player successfully locates Nihlatak and defeats him. However, Baal already has the relic.

In pursuit of Baal, the player encounters the Ancients, spirits of the Nephalem. A fight ensues and the player emerges victorious, which allows him to continue to the Worldstone Chamber. Baal is already waiting for the player to come to the chamber and he gathers his best warriors from Hell to fight against the hero. The clash inside Worldstone results in Baal escaping to the core of Arreat. Here the hero battles and successfully defeats Baal, ending the rule of the Prime Evils over Worldstone.

Unfortunately, Tyrael then appears to inform you that although Baal has fallen, he successfully managed to corrupt Worldstone. This has weakened the boundaries between the Sanctuary and Burning Hell, allowing swarms of hellish souls to enter the mortal world.

As a result, Tyrael destroys Worldstone, after allowing the hero to seek safety. This causes Mount Arreat to explode, destroying the homeland of the Barbarians.

NPCs

  • Malah: Healer; offers Healing and Trading services for spellcasters
  • Qual-Kehk: In charge of Harrogath’s defenses and arms
  • Larzuk: Blacksmith
  • Anya: Daughter of the Elder Aust; offers Gambling and Trading services
  • Nihlathak: The last surviving Elder of Harrogath following the casting of the druidic spell; offers gambling services
  • Deckard Cain: Horadrim Sage; identifies items

Quests And Rewards

For unlocking the next difficulty of Diablo 2, you have to complete the Eve of Destruction and Arreat Summit Quests.

  • Finishing the Siege on Harrogath Quest lets you socket an item from the blacksmith Lazruk.
  • Completing the Rescue on Mount Arreat Quest allows you to hire Barbarians mercenaries.
  • Finishing the Betrayal of Harrogath Quest lets you customize an item of your choice from Anya’s
  • Completing the Prison of Ice Quest awards you a scroll that adds the +10 to your Resistances
  • Eve of Destruction
  • Rite of Passage

Locations & Waypoints

Waypoints

  • Harrogath
  • Arreat Plateau
  • Frigid Highlands
  • Crystalline Passage
  • Halls of Pain
  • Glacial Trail
  • Frozen Tundra
  • Worldstone Keep
  • The Ancient’s way

Locations without a waypoint

  • Bloody Foothills
  • Nihlathak’s Temple
  • Halls of Anguish
  • Halls of Vaught
  • Arreat Summit
  • Throne of Destruction
  • The Worldstone Chamber

 

Important Areas

  • Throne of Destruction: It’s the best area for leveling up, especially in Hell difficulty as you can gain a lot of experience points from the minions that Baal summons.
  • The Worldstone Chamber: It’s the area where you fight versus the final Act Boss (Baal).
  • Nihlahtak’s Temple: You can access this spot by entering the red portal beside Anya in the city of Harrograth. Here you can find the Pindleskin Boss, who is famous for his valuable drops.