This blog is part of my series about my experience in the Diablo III: Reaper of Souls Beta. It has ended, but I am still interested in sharing my thoughts about it. I was playing a Crusader that I named Joan.
In the previous blog, Joan the Crusader hit Level 16 and was working her way to Level 17. All of the screenshots that you see in this blog were taken on December 23, 2013.
At the start of this blog, Joan the Crusader is working on the Drowned Temple quests. She is accompanied by her new Follower, Lyndon the Scoundrel. Leah (the innocent, yet doomed) decided to join the party. In other words, my melee Crusader had two archers with her.
They started out by retreiving the Beacon of Light from the Crypt of the Ancients. This is where they fought Solazius the Unforgiven.
Next, the little party visited Warrior’s Rest, where they would retrieve the Beacon of Honor. Upon entering Warriors Rest, Joan the Crusader earned the Field Work Achievement.
Field Work: Explore the following areas of the Fields of Misery.
The Weeping Hollow, Cemetery of the Forsaken, Fields of Misery, Sheltered Cottage, The Old Mill, The Festering Woods, Crypt of the Ancients, Warrior’s Rest
They fought Timok the Violent inside Warrior’s Rest. He had the Frozen attribute, which means he was throwing ice balls that fall, then blow up and freeze characters in place. Enemies can still beat you up when you are frozen, and you cannot fight back until the spell dissipates. Ok, I guess that is kind of violent. If you look closely, you can see one of the hammers that Crusaders can throw when you are using the Blessed Hammer skill.
Bring the Beacon of Honor and the Beacon of Light back to the Drowned Temple. Put them on their snazzy pedestals. This, in short, grants you access to the inside of the Drowned Temple. As soon as you enter, you complete a quest that asks you to explore the Drowned Temple. The original Diablo III game has those small windows pop up when you complete a quest. The Reaper of Souls expansion adds something new. Look closely, and you will see that Joan the Crusader has been rewarded with a Crusader shield. It automatically delivers itself to her Inventory.
At the same time that the “Quest Complete” window pops up, Joan the Crusader (and entourage) are busy fighting Ezek the Prophet. Not long after that, Joan the Crusader runs into Magda, once again. This is where to find another example of the snarky wit of the Crusader.
Magda: The noble hero fought her way here just to die.
Joan: I admire your persistence.
This snarky remark from the Crusader is a back-handed compliment. When Magda says that the “noble hero fought her way here just to die”, she implies that the Crusader isn’t so “noble”. She’s also implying that the Crusader isn’t very good at being a hero, considering that she is about to get killed.
The Crusader turns Magda’s insult around on her. She says “I admire your persistence.” In one short sentence, the Crusader acts as though she believes that Magda is talking about herself when she mentions the “noble hero”. So, the “noble hero” is about to die? And she came here anyway? “I admire your persistence.” It’s subtle, and is using the same technique that female high schoolers use to pick on each other.
Skipping ahead just a little bit, Joan the Crusader retrieves the second sword piece from Magda, and brings it back to New Tristram. She hands it over to Deckard Cain. If you have kept up with all of Cain’s conversations this is the point where you earn the Stay Awhile and Listen Achievement.
Next stop Wortham! It seems like the entire town is on fire when you arrive. The “big bad” of this section is Uzral Mordreg, Dark Hierophant. Joan the Crusader is fighting him by throwing a bunch of Blessed Hammers at him. That skill is so much fun!
I just missed capturing the screenshot that says that Joan the Crusader has hit Level 17. The best I can do is a screenshot that shows one of the skills that Crusaders have access to upon reaching Level 17. The next blog will have details about Joan the Crusader’s experience going from Level 17 to Level 18 in the Diablo III: Reaper of Souls beta.