Introduction

Developer: Blizzard
Diablo 2 Expansion page: http://www.blizzard.com/diablo2exp/

The New

You've probably been hearing about D2: LoD for quite a while now. The two brand-new classes, the Assassin and the Druid, have been featured prominently by Blizzard and are allegedly the main draw of the expansion pack, along with a new Act which might just conclude the saga. The scale of the D2 expansion is very impressive; as with Brood War, Blizzard has really put in the time and effort required to make this a most-have for the dedicated Diablo 2 player -- no outsourcing to a 3rd party deleveloper, simple map pack, or paltry selection of unimaginative new weapons here! From the very beginning, LoD has been given Blizzard's trademark blood, sweat, and tears.

Ethereal weapons really, really blow

Kung-fu style

The items

While we haven't quite yet gotten though the expansion pack, we've put considerable time into the Assassin character and witnessed the changes to the regular game that the pack introduces. The best addition to the game, even cooler than the new classes, are the items. Regular magic items now have more abilities, like the power to cast a spell. Some items cast spells but have a limited number of charges, while other items have a percentage chance to cast a spell. You may find a Horned Helm of Frost, with a 10% chance of casting Frost Nova level 3, every time your character is hit in melee. Or you may encounter a set of Claws which have a 5% chance of casting Lightning at level 4, every time you hit something with them.

There are new class-specific items like weapons, helms and shields - similar in effect to bone wands and staves that the necromancer and sorceress enjoyed in the original. They often increase a set of skills for the class they are used by. A Wolf head may increase the power of the Druid's Werewolf ability, while the Barbarian's new helm may increase his skill in his Masteries. Then there are generic items that work for any class - the charms. They come in three sizes, the regular charm (one slot), the large charm (two vertical slots) and the grand charm (three vertical slots.) So far, all three appear to give small bonuses to resistances (up to 10% or so) and/or attacks (like adding 2-5 lightning damage per strike.) However, since they are always in effect while in your inventory, their cumulative effect can be quite great.

Sad collection of loot for all this trouble

Best skill EVER

While on the subject of cumulative effects, we should mention Runes and Jewels. These are new upgrades to the old Gems that you used to stick in socketed items (though you can still find plenty of gems around.) Runes have gem-like effects, but greatly magnified. They don't come in quality levels like chipped, flawed, and perfect, but have a set of abilities for their name. An El rune does a certain thing, a Ral rune does another, and an Ort yet another. You can combine these in a socketed item, and if they spell a "Runeword" then the item created has certain properties that border on the rare/unique power range, perhaps even more. It should be noted that Blizzard has reserved some Runewords for online-play only, ostensibly to keep the sense of discovery alive. Finally, there are Jewels, which have multiple abilities like those you might find on regular magic items, giving your item a variety of power from one socket.