Diablo III: Traits and Runes

Blizzcon 2010: There's a whole world of new customisation options coming in Diablo III - discover how you'll be building your next epic hero.

The Diablo buzz at BlizzCon hasn't all been PvP and the Demon Hunter class reveal - the developers also touted the new Trait system they'll be implementing to customise your character. We're still trying to come to grips with the mind-boggling number of customisations this system will offer players.

Traits: making your character more awesome
During the opening Diablo III panel Game Producer Jay Wilson took the time to point out a spear-wielding amazon sitting in the audience. This kind of weapon specialisation is just one aspect of character customisation that Blizzard wants to encourage in the game, not only for playing against the environment but also against other players in arena and other modes. Frenzy Barbarian? You got it! There are literally hundreds of thousands of other options.

Damien Love described the trait system as a way of changing a character's core abilities and modifying them for individual playstyle. There are approximately 30 traits for each core skill and most of them will have the option of spending up to five points into that trait, increasing that trait's effect. We should be seeing defensive traits that increase armour and other traits that increase damage - and everything in between. At this stage of development trait points are available every second level or so - but Wilson points out that this is subject to change and that at the moment the delivery-by-level of points doesn't feel quite right.

Talisman: Simply charming
During the panel developers talked about the use of charms in Diablo II and how players would gather as many charms as possible, keeping them in their inventory with barely room for a wee potion. Freeing up inventory is a goal for Diablo III and in order for that to happen the next installment will include a charm management system called Talisman. This will be a separate inventory just for charms, sounding a little like the keychain implemented in World of Warcraft. The Talisman should grow as  you need access to more space and you level.

Skill Runes: all glory to the giant toad
The runes themselves come in five flavours -  Crimson, Indigo, Obsidian, Golden, Alabaster and should be loosely themed across the skills depending on what colour you choose. At this stage Runes have 7 ranks  which apply more and more effect the more ranks you use. The panel showed us the effect of runes on the Wizard's Missile spell; starting off with only one missile for the Skill, by rank 7 of the Runed skill a veritable barrage of missiles mows down monsters. Very satisfying. But perhaps not as satisfying as seeing the Witch Doctor's toads transformed into flaming toads, acid toads or, the ultimate, Giant Toad, which actually eats mobs. It also... er, processes the remains, leaving loot behind for you.

That's a lot of customisation options for any character - in fact Blizzard described it as an "@$*#load of options" and we tend to agree. Apparently the actual figure for custom build options using these new traits, skills and rune levels is 96,886,969,344. There's more than two commas in that, and it's also per class!

Farewell cookie-cutter builds.