This is part of a series of blogs that I am putting together about my experience in Season 1 of Diablo III. In this one, I focus on Gurr the Barbarian’s adventure through Act V of Story Mode (Normal difficulty). I will show the Legendaries he found, the monsters he fought, and the Levels he gained.
An upcoming blog will feature the Achievements that he earned during this trip through Act V. My main goals for Season 1 were to complete the content in all five Acts in Story Mode, and to get Gurr to Level 70. Ideally, I wanted both of those two goals to be completed at the same time, but that’s not quite how it worked out. The screenshots you see in this blog were taken on September 6, September 7, September 9, September 11, September 12, and September 13, 2014.
Gurr the Barbarian did not find very many Legendaries in Act V. I figure that the reason might be because the difficulty was set to Normal. (I increased the difficulty after I completed Act V in Normal). The first one dropped in Briarthorn Cemetery. It is called Blackguard. The flavor text says: The power of this sword drove the warrior Rothat to unspeakable acts.
Primary: +129 – 152 Damage, 4% Damage, +352 Strength, +337 Vitality
Secondary: +573 Life after Each Kill
Reduces duration of control impairing effects by 12%
This sword was an upgrade for Gurr, so I equipped it. The thing I like best about Blackguard is that it looks really cool!
The next Legendary dropped somewhere in the Paths of the Drowned… I think. The Ess of Johan is a Legendary amulet. The flavor text says: “A variation on the retreat and ambush stratagem uses the Ess of Johan most effectively. First, send out a small group of soldiers to confront the enemy and create the appearance of being overwhelmed. When they retreat, the enemy will follow to finish them off. Just as the pursuing force realizes its been led into a trap, employ the artifact to deny it’s escape” – Rakkis’s Strategies of War
Primary: +244 Strength, +251 Vitality, +7% Life, Reduces cooldown of all skills by 7.0%
Secondary: Health Globes and Potions Grant +1954 Life. Chance on hit to pull in enemies toward your target and Slow them by 80%
The next Legendary also dropped in Paths of the Drowned. Telranden’s Hand is a Legendary mace. The flavor text says: As the battle between Horazon and the Warlord of Blood raged, and the walls of Viz-jun fell, Telranden led the fight against Barter’s demon hordes and saved many from certain death.
Primary: +106 – 127 Arcane Damage, +264 Strength, +217 Vitality, Increases Attack Speed by 4%
Secondary: +907 Life after Each Kill, 1.8% Chance to Stun on Hit
The Quick Draw Belt Plan dropped in the Passage to Corvus. It teaches the Blacksmith how to forge a Legendary Belt.
A Legendary dropped in Westmarch Heights. Band of Untold Secrets is a Legendary ring. The flavor text says: In certain light the intricate runes of a long forgotten language can be made out upon the surface of this ring.
Primary: +137 Strength, Chance to Deal 13% Area Damage on Hit, Reduces all resource costs by 6%, +11% Movement Speed
Secondary: Ranged and melee attackers take 62 damage per hit
This ring had one empty socket.
The next Legendary dropped in the Unearthed Ruins Level 2. It turned out to be the Monster Hunter sword. It wasn’t an upgrade for Gurr, so I gave it to Kormac the Templar to use. The flavor text says: Be wary when you fight monsters, lest you become one.
Primary: +167 – 205 Fire Damage, +245 Intelligence, Chance to Deal 17% Area Damage on Hit.
Secondary: +6% Damage to Beasts, 1.2% Chance to Slow on Hit
This weapon and one empty socket.
The next Legendary dropped in the Winding Cave. Plan: Umbral Oath teaches the Blacksmith how to forge a Legendary Ceremonial Knife.
Somewhere in the Crag of Eternity, Gurr the Barbarian found Plan: The Magi. It teaches the Blacksmith how to forge a Legendary Staff.
The next Legendary dropped inside the Pandemonium Fortress Level 1. It is a two-handed mace called Crushbane. The Flavor text says: Many are the warriors who have fled in terror from the awesome might that is Crushbane.
Primary: +206 – 251 Cold Damage, +404 Strength, +370 Vitality, +1851 Life per Hit
Secondary: Monster kills grant +91 experience. 1.3% Chance to Stun on Hit.
Malthael was kind enough to drop not one, but two Legendaries for me. The first one was the Obsidian Ring of the Zodiac. The flavor text says: Many an adventurer met his doom searching for this fabled ring in the catacombs beneath the Zakarum cathedral in Tristram.
Primary: Attack Speed Increased by 4.0%, Critical Hit Chance Increased by 4.5%, Reduces cooldown of all skills by 6.0%, Reduces all resource costs by 5%
Secondary: +59 Poison Resistance, +429 Life after Each Kill, Ignores Durability Loss
When I started using this ring, I learned that “Ignores Durability Loss” means that all of your armor becomes immune to taking damage. Wear this ring, and you won’t have any repair bills to worry about.
The second Legendary from Malthael was a belt called Goldwrap. The flavor text says: Crafted in the Amaral Mountains by the Kaniuga artisans, its fibers seem to draw gold from the very air.
Primary: +180 Strength, +179 Vitality, Regenerates 449 Life per Second, Increases Cleave Damage by 15% (Barbarian Only)
Secondary: +25% Extra Gold from Monsters. On gold pickup: Gain armor for 5 seconds equal to the amount picked up.
LEVEL, LEVEL, LEVEL!
As you can see, Gurr the Barbarian only got to Level 52. My hope was that he would hit Level 70 around the same time that he killed Maltheal. Not even close! This wasn’t too disappointing, though. I believed that I had plenty of time to get him the rest of the way to Level 70 before Season 1 ended. There were still plenty of Achievements to earn, and I hadn’t even touched Adventure Mode yet.
Here are the gold monsters that Gurr the Barbarian ran into in Act V (Normal difficulty).
I found not one, but two, Zarhyms in Act V.
I’m putting this screenshot in here just because I think it looks cool.
There were so many monsters with purple names in Act V!
This brings us to the end of Gurr the Barbarian’s adventure through Act V (Normal difficulty) in Season 1. The next blog will focus on the Achievements that were earned as Gurr went through Act V.
