Skill

Diablo II Notation Basic Class Skill Item Ally Quest Area Monster Tale All Skills Fire Skills Skill bonus Oskill Aura Equipped Charges Charged suffix Chance to Cast On Attack On Striking When Struck When You Die Kill an Enemy Level-up All classes begin game with the following common skills, which cost no mana to use: Normal Attack (with any weapon excluding throwing potions) Throw (with throwing weapons and potions) Unsummon (unsummons pets) Scroll of Identify (in inventory, identifies items when used) Scroll of Town Portal (in inventory, casts town portal when used) Assassin and Barbarian alternate between two weapons when using Attack; they both only attack with their right hand when bare-handed and equipping no shield. Barbarian can also use Left Hand Throw when equipping throwing weapons or potions. Necromancer begins game with a Wand supplying a bonus of +1 to Raise Skeleton (Necromancer Only). Sorceress begins game with a Short Staff supplying a bonus of +1 to Fire Bolt (Sorceress Only). Many skills use missiles, the properties of which can have a significant impact on their performance. Many skills, notably curses and auras, apply their effects within a radius. Skill points Each class also has three of their own skill trees, each containing 10 skills: these skills can be learnt and then used by investing skill points. Characters receive one skill point each time they gain a level-up, and skill points can also be awarded once in each difficulty level for completing the following quests: Act Quest Giver Point(s) 1 Den of Evil Akara +1 2 Radament's Lair Book of Skill dropped by Radament +1 4 The Fallen Angel Tyrael +2 A maximum of 20 points can be invested in each skill. Points can only be invested in a skill if points have been invested in its prerequisite skills and if the sum of required skill level and points already invested is less than or equal to character level: while some skills are available at level 1, others only become available at levels 6, 12, 18, 24 and 30. For example, an Amazon cannot invest a point in Freezing Arrow until she is level 30 and she has invested points in its prerequisite skills Cold Arrow and Ice Arrow, and she may not invest another point until she is level 31. Respecialisation Skill (and stat) points can be reset as a reward from Akara for completing the Den of Evil quest in Act 1 once in each difficulty level. Characters who completed this quest in all difficulty levels before 1.13 will only receive this reward in Hell. Skill (and stat) points can also be reset by transmuting all four of the following items in the Horadric Cube to create a Token of Absolution, then using that token: Item Source Twisted Essence of Suffering Andariel Duriel Charged Essence of Hatred Mephisto Burning Essence of Terror Diablo Festering Essence of Destruction Baal Each of the four essences can drop on Hell difficulty only. Buffs and debuffs active at the time of the reset will remain active until they expire. Native Offensive Auras and Defensive Auras active at the time of the reset will no longer be applied but their graphic will still be displayed, as will their former effects in the character screen. However, this display error stops upon exiting the game and everything returns to normal at the start of the next game. Skill bonus Although characters can only invest 20 points in each skill, their level can be increased further by applying various skill bonuses: Individual class skill levels (class-specific) Individual skill trees (class-specific) All Skills Fire Skills Individual skills (class-specific and Oskills, allow skills to be used without investing points if character level >= required level) Type Active skill Active skills require an action to be taken to use them. All active skills require mana to use, with the exception of the common skills mentioned earlier, Sacrifice, level >12 Magic Arrow and level >8 Double Swing. Skill icons are red if they cannot be used, either due to lack of mana or a required item, an active delay or because it cannot be used in town. Buff Buffs are active skills which apply a positive effect to the user or to the user and their allies for a duration after being used. User only Amazon Assassin Barbarian Druid Necromancer Paladin Sorceress Burst of Speed Cloak of Shadows Fade Venom Frenzy Werewolf Werebear Feral Rage Maul Cyclone Armor Bone Armor Holy Shield Frozen Armor Shiver Armor Energy Shield Chilling Armor User and allies Amazon Assassin Barbarian Druid Necromancer Paladin Sorceress Shout Battle Orders Battle Command Enchant Debuff Debuffs are active skills which apply a negative effect to the user's enemies for a duration after being used. Amazon Assassin Barbarian Druid Necromancer Paladin Sorceress Inner Sight Slow Missiles Cloak of Shadows Mind Blast Howl Taunt Stun Battle Cry Grim Ward War Cry Rabies Curses Smite Conversion Berserk is the only skill to apply a debuff to the user. Passive skill Passive skills require no action to apply their bonuses. Passive skills don't require mana to use, and only apply to the user or pet. Passive bonuses are based on both skill points invested and skill bonuses applied. Amazon Assassin Barbarian Druid Necromancer Paladin Sorceress Critical Strike Dodge Avoid Penetrate Evade Pierce Claw Mastery Weapon Block Combat Masteries Lycanthropy Skeleton Mastery Golem Mastery Summon Resist Warmth Fire Mastery Lightning Mastery Cold Mastery Some active skills also apply passive bonuses: Summon Spirit Wolf, Summon Dire Wolf and Summon Grizzly all apply passive bonuses to each other. Synergy skill Synergy skills apply benefits to other skills based on the number of points invested in the synergy skill. Skill bonuses do not increase synergy bonuses. Most synergy bonuses are mentioned in the skill description, but the following skills also apply hidden bonuses based on the number of points invested in them: Resist Fire Resist Cold Blessed Aim Resist Lightning Aura Offensive Auras and Defensive Auras apply positive passive bonuses to the user or to the user and any allies, or negative passive bonuses to any enemies within their radius of effect, as long as the aura is selected on the right mouse button. Auras do not cost mana, with the exception of Prayer. Oak Sage, Heart of Wolverine and Spirit of Barbs supply auras applying positive passive bonuses to the user and any allies within their radius of effect once summoned. Using other class skills Each class can gain access to the skills of another by equipping certain items with the following: Chance to Cast Charges Charged suffix Oskill Aura When Equipped Certain missile weapons with Fires Magic Arrows and Fires Explosive Arrows or Bolts fire those arrows when Normal Attack is used. When a Rogue Scout mercenary uses Fires Explosive Arrows or Bolts missile weapons the explosions may be displayed but they apply no damage. References Basic Skill Information (Arreat Summit) Nefarius, Skills.txt File Guide (Phrozen Keep)