Season 3 in Diablo III started on April 10, 2015. This time around, I decided to roll a Crusader (because I didn’t actually have any). The last time I played a Crusader was during the Reaper of Souls beta. I named my Crusader McGlynn, after Mary Elizabeth McGlynn (the woman who did the voice of the female Crusader).
After thinking it over, I decided to go soft core for Season 3. From here on out, I’m just going to alternate between soft core and hard core characters for seasons. It became clear that I made the right choice because there were some issues with lag when Season 3 began.
This blog focuses on the Seasonal Leveling Achievements that my Crusader earned as she went from Level 1 to Level 70. These screenshots were taken on April 11, April 12, April 15, April 16, April 17, April 19, April 21, April 26, April 27, April 28, and April 29, 2015.
It was easy to see when Season 3 had begun. Players couldn’t possibly miss the pop-up that informed them of it. My primary goal for Season 3 was to get my Crusader to Level 70. Doing so would unlock the chest and glove transmogs that are connected to Season 3. If I managed that, it would mean I’d have the whole “set” from Seasons 1, 2, and 3.
There’s McGlynn, my Seasonal character for Season 3. As I mentioned before, she is a soft core character. Based on how I played during Season 1 and Season 2, it is very likely that she will be the only character I play until Season 3 ends.
I wasn’t sure, at first, if I would like the “new start” aspect of Seasonal play. Now that I’ve done Season 1 and Season 2, it turns out that I like it. There is just something fun about leveling up a character and seeing what kind of awesome loot she will happen to find.
One of the first things I noticed about Season 3 was that there weren’t very many Seasonal Achievements to earn. At first, I assumed I was somehow missing them, or just not seeing them for whatever reason. But, it turned out that the reason I wasn’t seeing the Seasonal Monster Slaying Achievements (for example) is because they simply are not there. That was kind of a bummer.
This blog is going to focus on the Leveling Achievements that players could earn in Season 3. They could be found under the “General” category of the Seasonal Achievement Board. At that the time I am writing this blog, I’m not certain if I will be able to earn anything beyond the Leveling Achievements. So, here they are.
McGlynn the Crusader started off at Level 1 (as all new characters do). The banner next to her is still decorated in the stuff that players could earn for their banners in Season 2. I’ll probably change it eventually, but it will do for now. There doesn’t appear to be any banner related things to earn in Season 3.
Before Season 3 began, I decided that I was going to play Adventure Mode and put as much effort as I could into Nephalem Rifts (with the hope of doing Greater Rifts after I hit Level 70). I’d spent very little time on rifts during Season 1 and Season 2, so it seemed like a good idea to focus there for Season 3. I instantly got all three crafters.
The Followers got “announced” the same way as the Crafters did.
I’m not entirely sure if these pop-ups are new for Season 3, or if I would have seen them in previous Seasons if I had selected Adventure Mode first (instead of going into at least a little bit of Story Mode). Either way, these seemed new to me.
My plan for Season 3 was to do just enough Bounties to get a Rift Key Fragment, and then to immediately use them to get into some Nephalem Rifts. I’d never played Diablo III this way before, and I’ve been using the Seasons as a good excuse to try out something new.
Overall, I learned that this system is fun, for a while. When it started getting dull, I pushed the difficulty level up to the next one. The good thing about this way of playing is that I went from Level 1 to Level 70 in the shortest amount of time – ever. It is efficient.
LEVEL! LEVEL! LEVEL!
Rite of Passage: Reach Level 10.
Mighty and Magical: Reach level 20.
This is the gear that McGlynn was using when she was Level 16. She’s using an axe instead of a flail because it was the best available weapon at the time. Earlier in the Season, there was a glitch that was allowing her to equip a flail … but refused to let her actually use it. She’d try to hit a monster but the game wouldn’t let her target it. I can’t recall what the red letters on the screen said, but it was something to the effect of that she couldn’t equip that flail yet.
The problem continued until she got big enough to use the skill that enables Crusaders to use a two-handed weapon and a shield. It disappeared after that.
Demon Slayer: Reach Level 30.
At Level 29, McGlynn was starting to really look like a Crusader.
Fearless Veteran: Reach level 40.
Only slight visual changes between the gear McGlynn was using at Level 29 and at Level 31.
I moved the difficulty level to Hard difficulty at around Level 31.
At Level 39, McGlynn was starting to look more like a demon than a Crusader.
McGlynn looked slightly less demonic at Level 44.
By Level 49, McGlynn was carrying around a fancy sledgehammer and using a church window as a shield.
The “church window shield” is actually called Hallowed Bulwark. The cool thing about this shield is: Iron Skin also increases your Block Amount by 48%. The flavor text says: Forged by one of the first crusaders before he left Travincal, this shield glimmers with the light of enduring dedication. It has been passed on from master apprentice time after time, ever guarding its bearers against the forces of darkness.
The Solanium is a Legendary Mace. The cool thing about this mace is: Critical Hits have a 4% chance to spawn a health globe. The flavor text says: This mace once belonged to a holy man who reluctantly took up arms against a demon invasion. As a worshiper of the sun, Graham called his weapon Solanium, meaning “bearer of the sun’s light”. The longer Graham struggled against the forces of darkness, the more his faith grew infused within the mace, until the mundane object became an item of immense righteous power.
Forged in Fire: Reach level 50.
This is what McGlynn’s gear looked like when she was Level 53. It almost looks coordinated.
And now for something completely different… McGlynn’s gear when she was Level 57.
I included this screenshot just because it was so colorful.
Hero of Sanctuary: Reach Level 60.
At Level 60, I decided to go ahead and craft a shield for McGlynn.
So far, this is the only item I crafted in Season 3. It appears to be part of a set, but I don’t have the plans for the rest of it.
This screenshot is here because it almost looks tie-dyed. Full of colors!
I moved up to Expert Difficulty after McGlynn hit Level 61.
McGlynn the Crusader had a sparkly weapon when she was Level 63!
First death of Season 3 was when McGlynn was Level 64. I was playing soft core this Season, so it’s ok! At the time, though, I was wondering what I would have done if I had been playing hard core and died so close to reaching Level 70.
Check out the fancy blue chest armor that McGlynn is wearing! This randomly dropped when she was Level 66.
Tyrael’s Might is Legendary chest armor. What could be cooler than that? I happen to think that Tyrael is awesome, so this was a very fun find. The item “Ignores Durability Loss”, which is always nice. The flavor text says: “And lo, the Angel of Justice did cast his judgement in favor of the nephalem.” – The Books of Jarl, Volume III.
By Level 68, McGlynn the Crusader had outgrown the awesome Tyrael chest armor. What replaced it was full of color.
Above and Beyond: Reach level 70.
And with that, I’ve officially reached my primary goal for Season 3 – to get a Crusader to Level 70.
The Crusade Marches On: Reach level 70 with a Crusader.
Interestingly, this was not a Seasonal Achievement. It was a Career Achievement. It just so happened that I earned it during Season 3.
Upper Body Work: Reach level 70 in the Season.
This one is a Seasonal Achievement. It officially shows that I now have access to the two transmogs that connected to Season 3. I’ve already earned the ones from Season 1 and Season 2. I’m waiting for McGlynn to get some awesome gear that is effective enough for keep for a while before I do the “transmog set”.
This is the gear and weapons that McGlynn the Crusader was wearing when she hit Level 70. I’m hoping for better gear as she earns Paragon Levels.