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Diablo 2 Experience FAQ
Version 1.3, 09/14/2000
by Brian Kern
______________________________________________________________________________
This FAQ is copyrighted material.
LIMITED REPRODUCTION LICENSE: This FAQ may be posted, emailed, or saved to a
disk without express permission, provided that the FAQ remains unaltered, and
the full copyright notice is in place. Removing the copyright notice and
rights disclaimer voids any rights assigned.
Exclusions: This FAQ may not be used for promotional purposes, nor may it be
incorporated in guides, magazines, secured websites, or in any state or place
where a fee is charged in order to obtain the information contained within.
All professional use rights are retained by the author.
All copyrights and trademarks are held by their respective owners, when not
specifically mentioned.
Diablo 2 is (c) 2000 Blizzard Entertainment.
______________________________________________________________________________
Table of Contents
1. Revision History
2. Introduction
2.1. Things I still need in here!
3. Monster Chart
4. Experience Calculations
4.1. Solo experience for characters under Level 25
4.2. Solo experience for characters over Level 25
4.3. Experience for characters over Level 75
4.4. Multiplayer experience
4.5. Party experience.
4.6. Full example calculation
5. Leveling Techniques
5.1. Solo Parties
5.2. The 'classic' solo method
5.3. Maximum party experience
5.4. Final example
6. Credits and Contact Info
______________________________________________________________________________
1. Revision History
______________________________________________________________________________
v1.3, 09/14/2000, 2:10pm
Work got a lot more satisifying when I realized I could write FAQs and still
get paid for being here. Changed the format a couple of times, added another
extra subsection, and now we're ready for posting.
v1.2, 09/14/2000, 1:40pm
Getting close to finishing; reformatting text.
v1.1, 09/14/2000, 12:45pm
Redesigned the layout, included more information; so much for it just being
a good chart, eh.
v1.0, 09/14/2000, 11:30am
Finished compiling all the data and porting it to Excel; dumped a text
version sorted by act and then by level. Assembled the FAQ.
______________________________________________________________________________
2. Introduction
______________________________________________________________________________
Welcome to the Diablo 2 Experience FAQ. Here you'll find a nice long list
with all of the monsters on it, listed by act and then by level. This is the
main feature; you can tell what gives the best exp in the area you're fighting
in.
Further down, you'll find the experience mathematics from D2. I highly
recommend becoming at least a little familiar with them, because they control
how much experience you will earn in-game.
And last, but hardly least, I go into my favorite leveling practices,
to help everyone get on the right track.
.----------------------------------------------------------------------------.
| 2.1: Things I still need in here! |
'----------------------------------------------------------------------------'
I haven't yet nailed down a couple of points.
- Is the 10% exp bonus applied when you're partied, but not in the same
area as anyone else?
- Stats on the stained glass windows that sometimes show up in the City
of the Damned in Act IV
- If you're in a big party and all in separate areas, do you work from
the sliding percentage scale, or the solo percentage scale?
- Once you break Level 75, is the exp penalty applied to you while you're
in a party, or only when you're fighting solo? And does -that- occur if
you're partied but in a different area?
If you can help with these questions, please send me an email; check the
Contacts section, or the top of the FAQ, to find the address. :)
______________________________________________________________________________
3. Monster Chart
______________________________________________________________________________
This chart is organized by act, then by level, then by type. It should be
trivial to compare a Nightmare Act 4 Abyss Knight's level and exp against
that for a Vile Lancer in Hell Act 1 - and that's the sort of info that
becomes most important when deciding where you want to level. ;)
- Notice -
The Monster Chart is oversized, and takes up 97 columns. While this should
pose no problem in web browsers, or even for normal viewing in most
resolutions, your text editor of choice may truncate the lines. I recommend
turning word wrap -off- for this FAQ. Need a text editor? Try out UltraEdit,
findable at http://www.ultraedit.com . It's what I use. :)
Name Level Experience
Type Acts
Normal Night Hell Normal Night Hell
Fallen 1 26 51 18 299 1621
Fallen 1
Dark Shaman 1 36 61 104 795 3927 Fallen
Shaman 1
Quill Rat 1 26 51 21 352 1911 Spike
Fiend 1
Zombie 1 26 51 33 547 2969
Zombie 1
Fallen Shaman 2 27 52 32 432 2324 Fallen
Shaman 1
Dark Hunter 2 27 52 31 419 2252
Rogue 1
Dark Spearwoman 2 27 52 36 483 2596 Rogue
Spearwoman 1
Gargantuan Beast 2 27 52 48 646 3473
Wendigo 1
Hungry Dead 2 27 52 44 585 3147
Zombie 1
Foul Crow Nest 3 28 53 88 1017 5416 Hawk
Nest 1
Foul Crow 4 29 54 22 221 1169 Blood
Hawk 1
Moon Clan 4 29 54 54 553 2916
Goatman 1
Dark Ranger 4 29 54 54 557 2937 Rogue
Archer 1
Carver 5 30 55 42 392 2047
Fallen 1
Vile Hunter 5 30 55 54 513 2682
Rogue 1
Vile Archer 5 30 55 63 596 3113 Rogue
Archer 1
Vile Lancer 5 30 55 63 591 3091 Rogue
Spearwoman 1
Skeleton Archer 5 30 55 62 587 3070 Skeletal
Archer 1
Spike Fiend 5 30 55 49 462 2413 Spike
Fiend 1
Misshapen 5 30 55 56 530 2768
Tainted 1
Brute 5 30 55 84 791 4136
Wendigo 1
Blood Hawk 6 31 56 29 254 1313 Blood
Hawk 1
Carver Shaman 6 31 56 64 567 2934 Fallen
Shaman 1
Night Clan 6 31 56 72 633 3277
Goatman 1
Devilkin 7 32 57 53 448 2300
Fallen 1
Blood Clan 7 32 57 81 677 3474
Goatman 1
Dark Archer 7 32 57 81 682 3498 Rogue
Archer 1
Ghost 7 32 57 83 694 3558
Wraith 1
Blood Hawk Nest 8 33 58 177 1426 7248 Hawk
Nest 1
Dark Stalker 8 33 58 78 629 3194
Rogue 1
Dark Lancer 8 33 58 90 724 3682 Rogue
Spearwoman 1
Returned Archer 8 33 58 89 719 3656 Skeletal
Archer 1
Thorn Beast 8 33 58 70 565 2874 Spike
Fiend 1
Devilkin Shaman 9 34 59 88 694 3495 Fallen
Shaman 1
Black Rogue 9 34 59 86 673 3386
Rogue 1
Black Lancer 9 34 59 99 775 3903 Rogue
Spearwoman 1
Razor Spine 9 34 59 77 605 3046 Spike
Fiend 1
Yeti 9 34 59 132 1037 5222
Wendigo 1
Dark One 10 35 60 71 549 2739
Fallen 1
Ratman 10 35 60 91 702 3503
Fetish 1
Death Clan 10 35 60 108 829 4137
Goatman 1
Black Archer 10 35 60 108 835 4166 Rogue
Archer 1
Wraith 10 35 60 110 850 4238
Wraith 1
Arach 11 36 61 147 1116 5516 Giant
Spider 1
Tainted 11 36 61 104 795 3927
Tainted 1
Afflicted 12 37 62 112 850 4162
Tainted 1
Banished 12 37 62 154 1161 5685
Vampire 1
Ghoul 12 37 62 152 1151 5636
Zombie 1
Gargoyle Trap 15 40 65 197 1374 6539
Furniture 1
Bone Warrior Archer 9 34 59 98 770 3876 Skeletal
Archer 1
Skeleton 2 27 52 34 454 2442
Skeleton 1, 2
Returned 6 31 56 68 595 3083
Skeleton 1, 2
Bone Warrior 7 32 57 76 637 3268
Skeleton 1, 2
Flying Scimitar 12 37 62 116 880 4308 Flying
Scimitar 1, 2, 3, 4
Fire Tower 1 26 51 283 4752 25792
Furniture 2
Lightning Spire 1 26 51 283 4752 25792
Furniture 2
Returned Mage 8 33 58 55 442 2245 Skeletal
Mage 2
Disfigured 8 33 58 80 649 3297
Tainted 2
Bone Mage 10 35 60 66 506 2523 Skeletal
Mage 2
Tomb Viper 11 36 61 101 767 3789 Claw
Viper 2
Sand Maggot 11 36 61 173 1317 6509 Sand
Maggot 2
Dried Corpse 13 38 63 132 974 4721
Mummy 2
Sand Raider 13 38 63 179 1314 6369 Sand
Raider 2
Sand Leaper 14 39 64 158 1133 5441
Leaper 2
Huntress 14 39 64 119 849 4076 Sabre
Cat 2
Rock Worm 14 39 64 226 1614 7752 Sand
Maggot 2
Dung Soldier 14 39 64 140 1004 4823 Scarab
Demon 2
Burning Dead Mage 14 39 64 93 663 3185 Skeletal
Mage 2
Slinger 14 39 64 113 807 3876
Slinger 2
Carrion Bird 14 39 64 140 1000 4804 Vulture
Demon 2
Claw Viper 15 40 65 144 1005 4784 Claw
Viper 2
Mummy Sarcophagus 15 40 65 608 4232 20139
Furniture 2
Hollow One 15 40 65 252 1755 8353 Greater
Mummy 2
Black Raptor Nest 15 40 65 329 2290 10899 Hawk
Nest 2
Cave Leaper 15 40 65 174 1212 5768
Leaper 2
Decayed 15 40 65 160 1115 5305
Mummy 2
Sabre Cat 15 40 65 130 908 4321 Sabre
Cat 2
Spear Cat 15 40 65 124 863 4109
Slinger 2
Undead Scavenger 15 40 65 154 1070 5093 Vulture
Demon 2
Black Raptor 16 41 66 74 499 2351 Blood
Hawk 2
Death Beetle 16 41 66 170 1149 5419 Scarab
Demon 2
Itches 16 41 66 124 837 3946
Swarm 2
Tomb Lurker 17 42 67 211 1388 6481
Leaper 2
Night Tiger 17 42 67 158 1040 4855 Sabre
Cat 2
Devourer 17 42 67 300 1977 9233 Sand
Maggot 2
Marauder 17 42 67 261 1722 8041 Sand
Raider 2
Scarab 17 42 67 187 1230 5744 Scarab
Demon 2
Horror Mage 17 42 67 123 812 3793 Skeletal
Mage 2
Night Slinger 17 42 67 150 989 4617
Slinger 2
Black Locusts 17 42 67 136 896 4183
Swarm 2
Plague Bearer 17 42 67 245 1615 7543
Zombie 2
Dune Beast 18 43 68 238 1524 7053 Baboon
Demon 2
Desert Wing 18 43 68 222 1381 6332 Bat
Demon 2
Blunderbore 18 43 68 282 1808 8363
Blunderbore 2
Salamander 18 43 68 192 1231 5698 Claw
Viper 2
Guardian 18 43 68 336 2150 9948 Greater
Mummy 2
Embalmbed 18 43 68 213 1366 6318
Mummy 2
Invader 18 43 68 288 1842 8524 Sand
Raider 2
Horror Archer 18 43 68 221 1415 6548 Skeletal
Archer 2
Hell Clan 19 44 69 245 1525 6989
Goatman 2
Hell Cat 19 44 69 191 1190 5455 Sabre
Cat 2
Steel Scarab 19 44 69 226 1408 6454 Scarab
Demon 2
Hell Slinger 19 44 69 182 1132 5187
Slinger 2
Ghoul Lord 19 44 69 299 1865 8548
Vampire 2
Crusher 19 44 69 327 2040 9352
Wendigo 2
Spector 19 44 69 251 1562 7160
Wraith 2
Gorebelly 20 45 70 341 2069 9396
Blunderbore 2
Unraveler 20 45 70 406 2462 11178 Greater
Mummy 2
Apparition 20 45 70 276 1671 7589
Wraith 2
Plague Bugs 21 46 71 199 1174 5281
Swarm 2
Pit Viper 22 47 72 281 1614 7193 Claw
Viper 2
Bone Scarab 24 49 74 364 1975 8636 Scarab
Demon 2
Mauler 25 50 75 550 2902 12575
Blunderbore 2
Burning Dead Archer 13 38 63 137 1009 4893 Skeletal
Archer 2
Burning Dead 13 38 63 130 956 4635
Skeleton 2, 3
Horror 14 39 64 143 1023 4914
Skeleton 2, 3
Horadrim Ancient 23 48 73 540 3016 13313 Greater
Mummy 2, 3
Preserved Dead 23 48 73 343 1915 8455
Mummy 2, 3
Jungle Urchin 18 43 68 174 1112 5146 Spike
Fiend 3
Water Watcher 18 43 68 263 1683 7788 Tentacle
Beast 3
Fiend 19 44 69 238 1524 7053 Bat
Demon 3
River Stalker 20 45 70 318 1927 8751 Tentacle
Beast 3
Zakarumite 20 45 70 297 1802 8183 Zakarum
Zealot 3
Jungle Hunter 21 46 71 317 1868 8401 Baboon
Demon 3
Gloom Bat 21 46 71 317 1868 8401 Bat
Demon 3
Fetish 21 46 71 214 1259 5664
Fetish 3
Swamp Dweller 21 46 71 360 2123 9550 Frog
Demon 3
Sucker 21 46 71 243 1436 6458 Giant
Mosquito 3
Poison Spinner 21 46 71 372 2196 9878 Giant
Spider 3
Giant Lamprey 21 46 71 439 2591 11657 Sand
Maggot 3
Thorned Hulk 21 46 71 403 2379 10699 Thorned
Hulk 3
Gloam 21 46 71 241 1423 6403
Willowisp 3
Doom Ape 22 47 72 348 1998 8905 Baboon
Demon 3
Blood Diver 22 47 72 348 1998 8905 Bat
Demon 3
Cloud Stalker 22 47 72 130 749 3336 Blood
Hawk 3
Undead Flayer 22 47 72 286 1640 7309 Bone
Fetish 3
Flayer 22 47 72 235 1347 6004
Fetish 3
Fetish Shaman 22 47 72 276 1582 7048 Fetish
Shaman 3
Bog Creature 22 47 72 396 2272 10123 Frog
Demon 3
Flame Spider 22 47 72 410 2350 10471 Giant
Spider 3
Cloud Stalker Nest 22 47 72 641 3678 16388 Hawk
Nest 3
Tree Creeper 22 47 72 339 1946 8673
Leaper 3
Hell Swarm 22 47 72 219 1256 5598
Swarm 3
Stygian Watcher 22 47 72 385 2207 9833 Tentacle
Beast 3
Bramble Hulk 22 47 72 444 2545 11341 Thorned
Hulk 3
Hell Buzzard 22 47 72 300 1718 7657 Vulture
Demon 3
Dark Shape 22 47 72 334 1914 8528
Wraith 3
Sexton 22 47 72 381 2187 9746 Zakarum
Priest 3
Faithful 22 47 72 360 2063 9195 Zakarum
Zealot 3
Drowned Carcass 22 47 72 395 2265 10094
Zombie 3
Undead Soulkiller 23 48 73 315 1755 7748 Bone
Fetish 3
Soul Killer 23 48 73 258 1442 6364
Fetish 3
Flayer Shaman 23 48 73 303 1692 7471 Fetish
Shaman 3
Feeder 23 48 73 295 1644 7256 Giant
Mosquito 3
Spider Magnus 23 48 73 451 2514 11099 Giant
Spider 3
Flesh Hunter 23 48 73 311 1734 7656
Rogue 3
Thrasher 23 48 73 488 2723 12021 Thorned
Hulk 3
Night Lord 23 48 73 438 2445 10792
Vampire 3
Winged Nightmare 23 48 73 330 1839 8117 Vulture
Demon 3
Wailing Beast 23 48 73 479 2674 11806
Wendigo 3
Cantor 23 48 73 419 2340 10330 Zakarum
Priest 3
Temple Guard 24 49 74 422 2288 10005 Baboon
Demon 3
Serpent Magus 24 49 74 341 1848 8082 Claw
Viper 3
Stygian Doll 24 49 74 284 1543 6746
Fetish 3
Soul Killer Shaman 24 49 74 334 1811 7919 Fetish
Shaman 3
Slime Prince 24 49 74 479 2601 11374 Frog
Demon 3
Flesh Archer 24 49 74 397 2154 9419 Rogue
Archer 3
Flesh Lancer 24 49 74 394 2139 9353 Rogue
Spearwoman 3
Infidel 24 49 74 509 2765 12091 Sand
Raider 3
Dark Lord 24 49 74 482 2616 11439
Vampire 3
Heirophant 24 49 74 461 2504 10950 Zakarum
Priest 3
Zealot 24 49 74 435 2362 10331 Zakarum
Zealot 3
Council Member 25 50 75 696 3676 15926 High
Council 3
Cadaver 25 50 75 415 2193 9500
Mummy 3
Blood Lord 25 50 75 530 2799 12126
Vampire 3
Warped One 26 51 76 316 1621 6957
Fallen 3
Assailant 26 51 76 616 3165 13585 Sand
Raider 3
Warped Shaman 27 52 77 470 2346 9976 Fallen
Shaman 3
Undead Stygian Doll 24 49 74 346 1878 8213 Bone
Fetish 3
Dark Familiar 24 49 74 422 2288 10005 Bat
Demon 4
Groper 24 49 74 482 2616 11439 Finger
Mage 4
Balrog 24 49 74 474 2571 11244 Mega
Demon 4
Doom Knight 24 49 74 486 2638 11537 Oblivion
Knight 4
Corpulent 24 49 74 604 3279 14340
Regurgitator 4
Flesh Spawner 24 49 74 622 3376 14763 Vile
Mother 4
Cliff Lurker 26 51 76 497 2551 10949
Leaper 4
Burning Soul 26 51 76 389 1996 8569
Willowisp 4
Strangler 27 52 77 641 3204 13624 Finger
Mage 4
Pit Lord 27 52 77 631 3150 13391 Mega
Demon 4
Abyss Knight 27 52 77 647 3232 13741 Oblivion
Knight 4
Corpse Spitter 27 52 77 804 4017 17079
Regurgitator 4
Damned 27 52 77 470 2346 9976
Tainted 4
Spikefist 27 52 77 715 3570 15177 Thorned
Hulk 4
Stygian Hag 27 52 77 828 4136 17583 Vile
Mother 4
Blood Maggot 29 54 79 942 4453 18579 Sand
Maggot 4
Storm Caster 30 55 80 854 3925 16277 Finger
Mage 4
Venom Lord 30 55 80 839 3858 15949 Mega
Demon 4
Oblivion Knight 30 55 80 861 3959 16365 Oblivion
Knight 4
Maw Fiend 30 55 80 1070 4921 20341
Regurgitator 4
Grotesque 30 55 80 1102 5066 20942 Vile
Mother 4
Urdar 32 57 82 1071 4661 18908
Blunderbore 4
Windows ? ? ? ? ? ?
Furniture 4
______________________________________________________________________________
4. Experience Calculations
______________________________________________________________________________
D2 uses a variety of different experience formulae to determine how many
points you actually get. No matter what formula you're working with, a few
key points of information are necessary:
- Your level
- The monster's level
- The monster's base experience
Two of the three required bits of info are contained on the monster chart,
and your level is easy enough to look up.
.----------------------------------------------------------------------------.
| 4.1: Solo experience for characters under Level 25 |
'----------------------------------------------------------------------------'
Calculate the difference in levels between you and the monster. At this level,
it doesn't matter whether a monster is above or below you.
Difference | % of exp
---------------------------------------
0 to 5 levels - 100%
6 levels - 80%
7 levels - 60%
8 levels - 40%
9 levels - 20%
10 or more levels - 5%
.----------------------------------------------------------------------------.
| 4.2: Solo experience for characters over Level 25 |
'----------------------------------------------------------------------------'
The rules start to change here. Once you break level 25, it isn't a straight
level calculation anymore.
Monster Level | % of exp
---------------------------------------
Higher than yours - Ratio applies
Equal to yours - 100%
5 under or less - 100%
6 under - 80%
7 under - 60%
8 under - 40%
9 under - 20%
10 or more under - 5%
If the monster is higher level than you, a ratio applies. This ratio is ..
Experience * (Player level/Monster level)
The experience you get determines which percentage of the monster's level
you currently are. For example, if you're Level 30 and fighting a Level 40
monster, you will get 75% of the experience that monster is worth.
Exp gained = Base Exp * (30 / 40)
= Base Exp * (.75)
= Base Exp * (75%) [to think of it another way]
.----------------------------------------------------------------------------.
| 4.3: Experience for characters over Level 75 |
'----------------------------------------------------------------------------'
The formula doesn't change again, except that a penalty is now applied.
Penalty Listing
----------------------------------
Level 75 - experience cut by 1/2.
Level 80 - experience cut by 1/3.
Level 85 - experience cut by 1/4.
Level 90 - experience cut by 1/5.
.----------------------------------------------------------------------------.
| 4.4: Multiplayer experience |
'----------------------------------------------------------------------------'
Monster experience and life will increase when more people are in the game.
The Exp and Hp are generated when a monster is activated - when you wander
into it's area and it starts coming after you. If a lot of people are in,
and you activate 20 monsters, and then everyone leaves, the monsters stay
just as strong as they used to be.
Monster Life = HP * (# of players in game)
So, with two people in, the monster has twice as much life; three people,
and it gets three times as much life; etc.
Multiplayer also has fun effects on the experience value of a monster.
Monster exp = Base Exp + (# of players - 1)*((2/3)*Base Exp)
An Example -
With a five man game going, assume a monster has a base exp of 1000.
Monster exp = 1000 + (5 - 1) * ((2/3) * 1000)
= 1000 + (4) * (666.67)
= 1000 + (2666.67)
= 3666.67
= 3667 experience.
.----------------------------------------------------------------------------.
| 4.5: Party experience |
'----------------------------------------------------------------------------'
When you're in a party, and other members of the party are in the same area,
you share experience with them. By 'same area' I mean 'same named area if you
were to hit Tab and check where you're at'.
The amount that you get after sharing is determiend by a party experience
formula.
Exp gained = Monster's Exp * Exp fraction
Exp fraction = Your level / (total of all party member levels)
An Example -
A Level 40 character is playing with a Level 25, Level 35, Level 15, and a
Level 37. All of them are in the same area, so the formula applies.
Exp fraction = 40/(40 + 25 + 35 + 15 + 37)
= 40/(152)
= 26.315% = 26.32% [after rounding up]
Next, Experience is multiplied by another percentage that's on a sliding
scale, which is based on the difference between your levels - like single
player exp.
Difference | % of exp
---------------------------------------
0 to 5 levels - 100%
6 levels - 80%
7 levels - 60%
8 levels - 40%
9 levels - 20%
10 or more levels - 5%
Lastly, when you're in a party, the player who delivers the final blow
receives an experience bonus of 10%.
.----------------------------------------------------------------------------.
| 4.6: Full example calculation |
'----------------------------------------------------------------------------'
Taking our five-man game, let's assume that all members are partied, and
that they are all in the same named area. The party comes across a single
monster with a base exp of 1000, and our Level 40 character gets the
killing blow. This monster will be Level 40 in order to make sure we get
100% of its experience.
First, get your exp fraction.
Exp fraction = 40/(40 + 25 + 35 + 15 + 37)
= 40/(152)
= 26.315% = 26.32%
Next, figure out what the monster's full experience is.
Monster exp = 1000 + (5 - 1) * ((2/3) * 1000)
= 1000 + (4) * (666.67)
= 1000 + (2666.67)
= 3666.67
= 3667 experience.
Calculate how much real experience you get for the kill by applying your
experience fraction to it.
Real exp = 26.32% * 3667 experience
= 965.14
= 965 experience.
Apply the 10% kill bonus.
With bonus = 965 + (10% * 3667)
= 965 + (367)
= 1332 experience.
And keep in mind that being more than five levels out puts you on the
sliding scale. :)
______________________________________________________________________________
5. Leveling Techniques
______________________________________________________________________________
Everyone wants to know what the best way to level is, but there's no
definitive method. The reason for this is because of the variable experience
gain.
If you really want to make your life better, you'll sit down with the chart,
do some of the exp calculations, and figure out what Act (and what area in
that Act) gives you the best return for your time.
Another great way to learn where to level is to compare and contrast. Go to,
say, Act 4 in Nightmare difficulty, hop on down to the River of Flame, and
kill for five minutes. Write down the exp you've gained. Next, go to Act 1
in Hell difficulty, skip over to the Cold Plains or Dark Wood, and go wild
for another five minutes. Write down your exp. See what the results are.
Keep in mind that how often you die in a given Act at a given difficulty is
very important when figuring out where to level; at anything over Normal, it's
better to fight a little bit longer in a lower Act than to risk a 5% or 10%
experience drop due to an untimely death.
That said, here are some leveling techniques that help you make the best use
of your time. :)
.----------------------------------------------------------------------------.
| 5.1: Solo parties |
'----------------------------------------------------------------------------'
Get into a large public game or a large private game, and party up with at
least one person - and then go to different named areas. When you kill
something, you'll get full points, since the rest of your party isn't
around for the calculation to occur. Plus, being in a party lets you see
where everybody's at, so that you don't step on anyone's toes.
I don't think that you get the 10% exp bonus unless the other party members
are in the same named area as you. In addition, this system has a big
downside - you have to watch monster levels more closely due to the sliding
exp scale you're on. If you fight something too far out of compliance, you'll
get pathetic experience as a result.
.----------------------------------------------------------------------------.
| 5.2: The 'classic' solo method |
'----------------------------------------------------------------------------'
To get the max exp per kill, go into a large public multiplayer game. Fight
monsters that are your level or higher. Higher level monsters will subject you
to the experience fraction calculation, but it's better than fighting below
your level, and getting 40% exp or less.
By staying solo, you get all the benefits of multiplayer exp (+ two thirds
experience per player) without having to share any of it. Also, killing high
level monsters isn't as much of an experience drain - the party calculation
always uses a sliding scale for its percentages.
.----------------------------------------------------------------------------.
| 5.3: Maximum party experience |
'----------------------------------------------------------------------------'
While partying is cool, it seems to have major drawbacks - but if it's used
properly, it can give you the fastest leveling route.
Form a big game (lots of people are always a necessity!) and form a party
with several other people. Have everyone go to the same named area, and then
have everybody split up in a different direction.
This works most fairly when everyone's around the same level, since party
exp is distributed according to what percentage of the total levels you
contribute. Regardless, there are several major benefits here.
First, you get the 10% exp bonus. This rocks the house on major monsters,
especially in 8 player games, where the monster's base exp is cranked up.
Second, you get pooled exp from everyone else who's killing in your area.
So, while you may only get a percentage of the exp for what you kill,
everyone else is also giving up that same percentage of their kills to
you.
Third, this is speedy - four people can rock an area much faster than one
can.
While one player in an 8 player game can max his exp by being solo, it takes
a relatively long time to clear, say, all of Lower Kurast on through
Travincal. By comparison, four people sweeping across the city can clear it in
a single pass, pooling exp and sharing it, and netting 10% bonuses on every
kill they make. Party members should only gang up when a monster is too strong
to take solo.
While the total experience gain is lower than that for the classic solo
method, you can clear things three to four times as rapidly. If you run out of
things to kill, start a new game. The net result is that while classic soloing
gets you an extra 10% exp, a distributed in-area party can net you 300% exp in
the same time frame.
I utilized this system to go from Level 45 to Level 48 (9.7mil exp) in five
hours time. That's enough experience to go from Level 1 to 30.
.----------------------------------------------------------------------------.
| 5.4: Final example |
'----------------------------------------------------------------------------'
Assume our five man party runs into a pack of 1000 base exp creatures, all of
which are Level 40 (as above), and everyone engages one seperately for a kill.
All members are partied.
Experience = (Your monster, with bonus xp) + (pooled exp from the others)
= (1332) + (4 * 965)
= 1332 + 3860
= 5192 experience.
______________________________________________________________________________
6. Credits and Contact Info
______________________________________________________________________________
- Credits
Blizzard Entertainment, for some of the finest games around. A part of my
life has been devoted to Warcraft, Starcraft, and Diablo.
GameFAQs.com, for providing the best online gaming resource that I've ever
encountered. Without that site, where would we all be?
- Contact Info
Do you have something to add? A correction that needs to be made? A question
that wasn't answered? Send it over to . I'll try to get an
answer back in short order, and, if appropriate, I'll incorporate the change
into the next version of the FAQ, with full credit to the author.
(c) 2000, by Brian Kern
Limited reproduction rights as assigned.
Version 1.3, 09/14/2000
by Brian Kern
______________________________________________________________________________
This FAQ is copyrighted material.
LIMITED REPRODUCTION LICENSE: This FAQ may be posted, emailed, or saved to a
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All copyrights and trademarks are held by their respective owners, when not
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Diablo 2 is (c) 2000 Blizzard Entertainment.
______________________________________________________________________________
Table of Contents
1. Revision History
2. Introduction
2.1. Things I still need in here!
3. Monster Chart
4. Experience Calculations
4.1. Solo experience for characters under Level 25
4.2. Solo experience for characters over Level 25
4.3. Experience for characters over Level 75
4.4. Multiplayer experience
4.5. Party experience.
4.6. Full example calculation
5. Leveling Techniques
5.1. Solo Parties
5.2. The 'classic' solo method
5.3. Maximum party experience
5.4. Final example
6. Credits and Contact Info
______________________________________________________________________________
1. Revision History
______________________________________________________________________________
v1.3, 09/14/2000, 2:10pm
Work got a lot more satisifying when I realized I could write FAQs and still
get paid for being here. Changed the format a couple of times, added another
extra subsection, and now we're ready for posting.
v1.2, 09/14/2000, 1:40pm
Getting close to finishing; reformatting text.
v1.1, 09/14/2000, 12:45pm
Redesigned the layout, included more information; so much for it just being
a good chart, eh.
v1.0, 09/14/2000, 11:30am
Finished compiling all the data and porting it to Excel; dumped a text
version sorted by act and then by level. Assembled the FAQ.
______________________________________________________________________________
2. Introduction
______________________________________________________________________________
Welcome to the Diablo 2 Experience FAQ. Here you'll find a nice long list
with all of the monsters on it, listed by act and then by level. This is the
main feature; you can tell what gives the best exp in the area you're fighting
in.
Further down, you'll find the experience mathematics from D2. I highly
recommend becoming at least a little familiar with them, because they control
how much experience you will earn in-game.
And last, but hardly least, I go into my favorite leveling practices,
to help everyone get on the right track.
.----------------------------------------------------------------------------.
| 2.1: Things I still need in here! |
'----------------------------------------------------------------------------'
I haven't yet nailed down a couple of points.
- Is the 10% exp bonus applied when you're partied, but not in the same
area as anyone else?
- Stats on the stained glass windows that sometimes show up in the City
of the Damned in Act IV
- If you're in a big party and all in separate areas, do you work from
the sliding percentage scale, or the solo percentage scale?
- Once you break Level 75, is the exp penalty applied to you while you're
in a party, or only when you're fighting solo? And does -that- occur if
you're partied but in a different area?
If you can help with these questions, please send me an email; check the
Contacts section, or the top of the FAQ, to find the address. :)
______________________________________________________________________________
3. Monster Chart
______________________________________________________________________________
This chart is organized by act, then by level, then by type. It should be
trivial to compare a Nightmare Act 4 Abyss Knight's level and exp against
that for a Vile Lancer in Hell Act 1 - and that's the sort of info that
becomes most important when deciding where you want to level. ;)
- Notice -
The Monster Chart is oversized, and takes up 97 columns. While this should
pose no problem in web browsers, or even for normal viewing in most
resolutions, your text editor of choice may truncate the lines. I recommend
turning word wrap -off- for this FAQ. Need a text editor? Try out UltraEdit,
findable at http://www.ultraedit.com . It's what I use. :)
Name Level Experience
Type Acts
Normal Night Hell Normal Night Hell
Fallen 1 26 51 18 299 1621
Fallen 1
Dark Shaman 1 36 61 104 795 3927 Fallen
Shaman 1
Quill Rat 1 26 51 21 352 1911 Spike
Fiend 1
Zombie 1 26 51 33 547 2969
Zombie 1
Fallen Shaman 2 27 52 32 432 2324 Fallen
Shaman 1
Dark Hunter 2 27 52 31 419 2252
Rogue 1
Dark Spearwoman 2 27 52 36 483 2596 Rogue
Spearwoman 1
Gargantuan Beast 2 27 52 48 646 3473
Wendigo 1
Hungry Dead 2 27 52 44 585 3147
Zombie 1
Foul Crow Nest 3 28 53 88 1017 5416 Hawk
Nest 1
Foul Crow 4 29 54 22 221 1169 Blood
Hawk 1
Moon Clan 4 29 54 54 553 2916
Goatman 1
Dark Ranger 4 29 54 54 557 2937 Rogue
Archer 1
Carver 5 30 55 42 392 2047
Fallen 1
Vile Hunter 5 30 55 54 513 2682
Rogue 1
Vile Archer 5 30 55 63 596 3113 Rogue
Archer 1
Vile Lancer 5 30 55 63 591 3091 Rogue
Spearwoman 1
Skeleton Archer 5 30 55 62 587 3070 Skeletal
Archer 1
Spike Fiend 5 30 55 49 462 2413 Spike
Fiend 1
Misshapen 5 30 55 56 530 2768
Tainted 1
Brute 5 30 55 84 791 4136
Wendigo 1
Blood Hawk 6 31 56 29 254 1313 Blood
Hawk 1
Carver Shaman 6 31 56 64 567 2934 Fallen
Shaman 1
Night Clan 6 31 56 72 633 3277
Goatman 1
Devilkin 7 32 57 53 448 2300
Fallen 1
Blood Clan 7 32 57 81 677 3474
Goatman 1
Dark Archer 7 32 57 81 682 3498 Rogue
Archer 1
Ghost 7 32 57 83 694 3558
Wraith 1
Blood Hawk Nest 8 33 58 177 1426 7248 Hawk
Nest 1
Dark Stalker 8 33 58 78 629 3194
Rogue 1
Dark Lancer 8 33 58 90 724 3682 Rogue
Spearwoman 1
Returned Archer 8 33 58 89 719 3656 Skeletal
Archer 1
Thorn Beast 8 33 58 70 565 2874 Spike
Fiend 1
Devilkin Shaman 9 34 59 88 694 3495 Fallen
Shaman 1
Black Rogue 9 34 59 86 673 3386
Rogue 1
Black Lancer 9 34 59 99 775 3903 Rogue
Spearwoman 1
Razor Spine 9 34 59 77 605 3046 Spike
Fiend 1
Yeti 9 34 59 132 1037 5222
Wendigo 1
Dark One 10 35 60 71 549 2739
Fallen 1
Ratman 10 35 60 91 702 3503
Fetish 1
Death Clan 10 35 60 108 829 4137
Goatman 1
Black Archer 10 35 60 108 835 4166 Rogue
Archer 1
Wraith 10 35 60 110 850 4238
Wraith 1
Arach 11 36 61 147 1116 5516 Giant
Spider 1
Tainted 11 36 61 104 795 3927
Tainted 1
Afflicted 12 37 62 112 850 4162
Tainted 1
Banished 12 37 62 154 1161 5685
Vampire 1
Ghoul 12 37 62 152 1151 5636
Zombie 1
Gargoyle Trap 15 40 65 197 1374 6539
Furniture 1
Bone Warrior Archer 9 34 59 98 770 3876 Skeletal
Archer 1
Skeleton 2 27 52 34 454 2442
Skeleton 1, 2
Returned 6 31 56 68 595 3083
Skeleton 1, 2
Bone Warrior 7 32 57 76 637 3268
Skeleton 1, 2
Flying Scimitar 12 37 62 116 880 4308 Flying
Scimitar 1, 2, 3, 4
Fire Tower 1 26 51 283 4752 25792
Furniture 2
Lightning Spire 1 26 51 283 4752 25792
Furniture 2
Returned Mage 8 33 58 55 442 2245 Skeletal
Mage 2
Disfigured 8 33 58 80 649 3297
Tainted 2
Bone Mage 10 35 60 66 506 2523 Skeletal
Mage 2
Tomb Viper 11 36 61 101 767 3789 Claw
Viper 2
Sand Maggot 11 36 61 173 1317 6509 Sand
Maggot 2
Dried Corpse 13 38 63 132 974 4721
Mummy 2
Sand Raider 13 38 63 179 1314 6369 Sand
Raider 2
Sand Leaper 14 39 64 158 1133 5441
Leaper 2
Huntress 14 39 64 119 849 4076 Sabre
Cat 2
Rock Worm 14 39 64 226 1614 7752 Sand
Maggot 2
Dung Soldier 14 39 64 140 1004 4823 Scarab
Demon 2
Burning Dead Mage 14 39 64 93 663 3185 Skeletal
Mage 2
Slinger 14 39 64 113 807 3876
Slinger 2
Carrion Bird 14 39 64 140 1000 4804 Vulture
Demon 2
Claw Viper 15 40 65 144 1005 4784 Claw
Viper 2
Mummy Sarcophagus 15 40 65 608 4232 20139
Furniture 2
Hollow One 15 40 65 252 1755 8353 Greater
Mummy 2
Black Raptor Nest 15 40 65 329 2290 10899 Hawk
Nest 2
Cave Leaper 15 40 65 174 1212 5768
Leaper 2
Decayed 15 40 65 160 1115 5305
Mummy 2
Sabre Cat 15 40 65 130 908 4321 Sabre
Cat 2
Spear Cat 15 40 65 124 863 4109
Slinger 2
Undead Scavenger 15 40 65 154 1070 5093 Vulture
Demon 2
Black Raptor 16 41 66 74 499 2351 Blood
Hawk 2
Death Beetle 16 41 66 170 1149 5419 Scarab
Demon 2
Itches 16 41 66 124 837 3946
Swarm 2
Tomb Lurker 17 42 67 211 1388 6481
Leaper 2
Night Tiger 17 42 67 158 1040 4855 Sabre
Cat 2
Devourer 17 42 67 300 1977 9233 Sand
Maggot 2
Marauder 17 42 67 261 1722 8041 Sand
Raider 2
Scarab 17 42 67 187 1230 5744 Scarab
Demon 2
Horror Mage 17 42 67 123 812 3793 Skeletal
Mage 2
Night Slinger 17 42 67 150 989 4617
Slinger 2
Black Locusts 17 42 67 136 896 4183
Swarm 2
Plague Bearer 17 42 67 245 1615 7543
Zombie 2
Dune Beast 18 43 68 238 1524 7053 Baboon
Demon 2
Desert Wing 18 43 68 222 1381 6332 Bat
Demon 2
Blunderbore 18 43 68 282 1808 8363
Blunderbore 2
Salamander 18 43 68 192 1231 5698 Claw
Viper 2
Guardian 18 43 68 336 2150 9948 Greater
Mummy 2
Embalmbed 18 43 68 213 1366 6318
Mummy 2
Invader 18 43 68 288 1842 8524 Sand
Raider 2
Horror Archer 18 43 68 221 1415 6548 Skeletal
Archer 2
Hell Clan 19 44 69 245 1525 6989
Goatman 2
Hell Cat 19 44 69 191 1190 5455 Sabre
Cat 2
Steel Scarab 19 44 69 226 1408 6454 Scarab
Demon 2
Hell Slinger 19 44 69 182 1132 5187
Slinger 2
Ghoul Lord 19 44 69 299 1865 8548
Vampire 2
Crusher 19 44 69 327 2040 9352
Wendigo 2
Spector 19 44 69 251 1562 7160
Wraith 2
Gorebelly 20 45 70 341 2069 9396
Blunderbore 2
Unraveler 20 45 70 406 2462 11178 Greater
Mummy 2
Apparition 20 45 70 276 1671 7589
Wraith 2
Plague Bugs 21 46 71 199 1174 5281
Swarm 2
Pit Viper 22 47 72 281 1614 7193 Claw
Viper 2
Bone Scarab 24 49 74 364 1975 8636 Scarab
Demon 2
Mauler 25 50 75 550 2902 12575
Blunderbore 2
Burning Dead Archer 13 38 63 137 1009 4893 Skeletal
Archer 2
Burning Dead 13 38 63 130 956 4635
Skeleton 2, 3
Horror 14 39 64 143 1023 4914
Skeleton 2, 3
Horadrim Ancient 23 48 73 540 3016 13313 Greater
Mummy 2, 3
Preserved Dead 23 48 73 343 1915 8455
Mummy 2, 3
Jungle Urchin 18 43 68 174 1112 5146 Spike
Fiend 3
Water Watcher 18 43 68 263 1683 7788 Tentacle
Beast 3
Fiend 19 44 69 238 1524 7053 Bat
Demon 3
River Stalker 20 45 70 318 1927 8751 Tentacle
Beast 3
Zakarumite 20 45 70 297 1802 8183 Zakarum
Zealot 3
Jungle Hunter 21 46 71 317 1868 8401 Baboon
Demon 3
Gloom Bat 21 46 71 317 1868 8401 Bat
Demon 3
Fetish 21 46 71 214 1259 5664
Fetish 3
Swamp Dweller 21 46 71 360 2123 9550 Frog
Demon 3
Sucker 21 46 71 243 1436 6458 Giant
Mosquito 3
Poison Spinner 21 46 71 372 2196 9878 Giant
Spider 3
Giant Lamprey 21 46 71 439 2591 11657 Sand
Maggot 3
Thorned Hulk 21 46 71 403 2379 10699 Thorned
Hulk 3
Gloam 21 46 71 241 1423 6403
Willowisp 3
Doom Ape 22 47 72 348 1998 8905 Baboon
Demon 3
Blood Diver 22 47 72 348 1998 8905 Bat
Demon 3
Cloud Stalker 22 47 72 130 749 3336 Blood
Hawk 3
Undead Flayer 22 47 72 286 1640 7309 Bone
Fetish 3
Flayer 22 47 72 235 1347 6004
Fetish 3
Fetish Shaman 22 47 72 276 1582 7048 Fetish
Shaman 3
Bog Creature 22 47 72 396 2272 10123 Frog
Demon 3
Flame Spider 22 47 72 410 2350 10471 Giant
Spider 3
Cloud Stalker Nest 22 47 72 641 3678 16388 Hawk
Nest 3
Tree Creeper 22 47 72 339 1946 8673
Leaper 3
Hell Swarm 22 47 72 219 1256 5598
Swarm 3
Stygian Watcher 22 47 72 385 2207 9833 Tentacle
Beast 3
Bramble Hulk 22 47 72 444 2545 11341 Thorned
Hulk 3
Hell Buzzard 22 47 72 300 1718 7657 Vulture
Demon 3
Dark Shape 22 47 72 334 1914 8528
Wraith 3
Sexton 22 47 72 381 2187 9746 Zakarum
Priest 3
Faithful 22 47 72 360 2063 9195 Zakarum
Zealot 3
Drowned Carcass 22 47 72 395 2265 10094
Zombie 3
Undead Soulkiller 23 48 73 315 1755 7748 Bone
Fetish 3
Soul Killer 23 48 73 258 1442 6364
Fetish 3
Flayer Shaman 23 48 73 303 1692 7471 Fetish
Shaman 3
Feeder 23 48 73 295 1644 7256 Giant
Mosquito 3
Spider Magnus 23 48 73 451 2514 11099 Giant
Spider 3
Flesh Hunter 23 48 73 311 1734 7656
Rogue 3
Thrasher 23 48 73 488 2723 12021 Thorned
Hulk 3
Night Lord 23 48 73 438 2445 10792
Vampire 3
Winged Nightmare 23 48 73 330 1839 8117 Vulture
Demon 3
Wailing Beast 23 48 73 479 2674 11806
Wendigo 3
Cantor 23 48 73 419 2340 10330 Zakarum
Priest 3
Temple Guard 24 49 74 422 2288 10005 Baboon
Demon 3
Serpent Magus 24 49 74 341 1848 8082 Claw
Viper 3
Stygian Doll 24 49 74 284 1543 6746
Fetish 3
Soul Killer Shaman 24 49 74 334 1811 7919 Fetish
Shaman 3
Slime Prince 24 49 74 479 2601 11374 Frog
Demon 3
Flesh Archer 24 49 74 397 2154 9419 Rogue
Archer 3
Flesh Lancer 24 49 74 394 2139 9353 Rogue
Spearwoman 3
Infidel 24 49 74 509 2765 12091 Sand
Raider 3
Dark Lord 24 49 74 482 2616 11439
Vampire 3
Heirophant 24 49 74 461 2504 10950 Zakarum
Priest 3
Zealot 24 49 74 435 2362 10331 Zakarum
Zealot 3
Council Member 25 50 75 696 3676 15926 High
Council 3
Cadaver 25 50 75 415 2193 9500
Mummy 3
Blood Lord 25 50 75 530 2799 12126
Vampire 3
Warped One 26 51 76 316 1621 6957
Fallen 3
Assailant 26 51 76 616 3165 13585 Sand
Raider 3
Warped Shaman 27 52 77 470 2346 9976 Fallen
Shaman 3
Undead Stygian Doll 24 49 74 346 1878 8213 Bone
Fetish 3
Dark Familiar 24 49 74 422 2288 10005 Bat
Demon 4
Groper 24 49 74 482 2616 11439 Finger
Mage 4
Balrog 24 49 74 474 2571 11244 Mega
Demon 4
Doom Knight 24 49 74 486 2638 11537 Oblivion
Knight 4
Corpulent 24 49 74 604 3279 14340
Regurgitator 4
Flesh Spawner 24 49 74 622 3376 14763 Vile
Mother 4
Cliff Lurker 26 51 76 497 2551 10949
Leaper 4
Burning Soul 26 51 76 389 1996 8569
Willowisp 4
Strangler 27 52 77 641 3204 13624 Finger
Mage 4
Pit Lord 27 52 77 631 3150 13391 Mega
Demon 4
Abyss Knight 27 52 77 647 3232 13741 Oblivion
Knight 4
Corpse Spitter 27 52 77 804 4017 17079
Regurgitator 4
Damned 27 52 77 470 2346 9976
Tainted 4
Spikefist 27 52 77 715 3570 15177 Thorned
Hulk 4
Stygian Hag 27 52 77 828 4136 17583 Vile
Mother 4
Blood Maggot 29 54 79 942 4453 18579 Sand
Maggot 4
Storm Caster 30 55 80 854 3925 16277 Finger
Mage 4
Venom Lord 30 55 80 839 3858 15949 Mega
Demon 4
Oblivion Knight 30 55 80 861 3959 16365 Oblivion
Knight 4
Maw Fiend 30 55 80 1070 4921 20341
Regurgitator 4
Grotesque 30 55 80 1102 5066 20942 Vile
Mother 4
Urdar 32 57 82 1071 4661 18908
Blunderbore 4
Windows ? ? ? ? ? ?
Furniture 4
______________________________________________________________________________
4. Experience Calculations
______________________________________________________________________________
D2 uses a variety of different experience formulae to determine how many
points you actually get. No matter what formula you're working with, a few
key points of information are necessary:
- Your level
- The monster's level
- The monster's base experience
Two of the three required bits of info are contained on the monster chart,
and your level is easy enough to look up.
.----------------------------------------------------------------------------.
| 4.1: Solo experience for characters under Level 25 |
'----------------------------------------------------------------------------'
Calculate the difference in levels between you and the monster. At this level,
it doesn't matter whether a monster is above or below you.
Difference | % of exp
---------------------------------------
0 to 5 levels - 100%
6 levels - 80%
7 levels - 60%
8 levels - 40%
9 levels - 20%
10 or more levels - 5%
.----------------------------------------------------------------------------.
| 4.2: Solo experience for characters over Level 25 |
'----------------------------------------------------------------------------'
The rules start to change here. Once you break level 25, it isn't a straight
level calculation anymore.
Monster Level | % of exp
---------------------------------------
Higher than yours - Ratio applies
Equal to yours - 100%
5 under or less - 100%
6 under - 80%
7 under - 60%
8 under - 40%
9 under - 20%
10 or more under - 5%
If the monster is higher level than you, a ratio applies. This ratio is ..
Experience * (Player level/Monster level)
The experience you get determines which percentage of the monster's level
you currently are. For example, if you're Level 30 and fighting a Level 40
monster, you will get 75% of the experience that monster is worth.
Exp gained = Base Exp * (30 / 40)
= Base Exp * (.75)
= Base Exp * (75%) [to think of it another way]
.----------------------------------------------------------------------------.
| 4.3: Experience for characters over Level 75 |
'----------------------------------------------------------------------------'
The formula doesn't change again, except that a penalty is now applied.
Penalty Listing
----------------------------------
Level 75 - experience cut by 1/2.
Level 80 - experience cut by 1/3.
Level 85 - experience cut by 1/4.
Level 90 - experience cut by 1/5.
.----------------------------------------------------------------------------.
| 4.4: Multiplayer experience |
'----------------------------------------------------------------------------'
Monster experience and life will increase when more people are in the game.
The Exp and Hp are generated when a monster is activated - when you wander
into it's area and it starts coming after you. If a lot of people are in,
and you activate 20 monsters, and then everyone leaves, the monsters stay
just as strong as they used to be.
Monster Life = HP * (# of players in game)
So, with two people in, the monster has twice as much life; three people,
and it gets three times as much life; etc.
Multiplayer also has fun effects on the experience value of a monster.
Monster exp = Base Exp + (# of players - 1)*((2/3)*Base Exp)
An Example -
With a five man game going, assume a monster has a base exp of 1000.
Monster exp = 1000 + (5 - 1) * ((2/3) * 1000)
= 1000 + (4) * (666.67)
= 1000 + (2666.67)
= 3666.67
= 3667 experience.
.----------------------------------------------------------------------------.
| 4.5: Party experience |
'----------------------------------------------------------------------------'
When you're in a party, and other members of the party are in the same area,
you share experience with them. By 'same area' I mean 'same named area if you
were to hit Tab and check where you're at'.
The amount that you get after sharing is determiend by a party experience
formula.
Exp gained = Monster's Exp * Exp fraction
Exp fraction = Your level / (total of all party member levels)
An Example -
A Level 40 character is playing with a Level 25, Level 35, Level 15, and a
Level 37. All of them are in the same area, so the formula applies.
Exp fraction = 40/(40 + 25 + 35 + 15 + 37)
= 40/(152)
= 26.315% = 26.32% [after rounding up]
Next, Experience is multiplied by another percentage that's on a sliding
scale, which is based on the difference between your levels - like single
player exp.
Difference | % of exp
---------------------------------------
0 to 5 levels - 100%
6 levels - 80%
7 levels - 60%
8 levels - 40%
9 levels - 20%
10 or more levels - 5%
Lastly, when you're in a party, the player who delivers the final blow
receives an experience bonus of 10%.
.----------------------------------------------------------------------------.
| 4.6: Full example calculation |
'----------------------------------------------------------------------------'
Taking our five-man game, let's assume that all members are partied, and
that they are all in the same named area. The party comes across a single
monster with a base exp of 1000, and our Level 40 character gets the
killing blow. This monster will be Level 40 in order to make sure we get
100% of its experience.
First, get your exp fraction.
Exp fraction = 40/(40 + 25 + 35 + 15 + 37)
= 40/(152)
= 26.315% = 26.32%
Next, figure out what the monster's full experience is.
Monster exp = 1000 + (5 - 1) * ((2/3) * 1000)
= 1000 + (4) * (666.67)
= 1000 + (2666.67)
= 3666.67
= 3667 experience.
Calculate how much real experience you get for the kill by applying your
experience fraction to it.
Real exp = 26.32% * 3667 experience
= 965.14
= 965 experience.
Apply the 10% kill bonus.
With bonus = 965 + (10% * 3667)
= 965 + (367)
= 1332 experience.
And keep in mind that being more than five levels out puts you on the
sliding scale. :)
______________________________________________________________________________
5. Leveling Techniques
______________________________________________________________________________
Everyone wants to know what the best way to level is, but there's no
definitive method. The reason for this is because of the variable experience
gain.
If you really want to make your life better, you'll sit down with the chart,
do some of the exp calculations, and figure out what Act (and what area in
that Act) gives you the best return for your time.
Another great way to learn where to level is to compare and contrast. Go to,
say, Act 4 in Nightmare difficulty, hop on down to the River of Flame, and
kill for five minutes. Write down the exp you've gained. Next, go to Act 1
in Hell difficulty, skip over to the Cold Plains or Dark Wood, and go wild
for another five minutes. Write down your exp. See what the results are.
Keep in mind that how often you die in a given Act at a given difficulty is
very important when figuring out where to level; at anything over Normal, it's
better to fight a little bit longer in a lower Act than to risk a 5% or 10%
experience drop due to an untimely death.
That said, here are some leveling techniques that help you make the best use
of your time. :)
.----------------------------------------------------------------------------.
| 5.1: Solo parties |
'----------------------------------------------------------------------------'
Get into a large public game or a large private game, and party up with at
least one person - and then go to different named areas. When you kill
something, you'll get full points, since the rest of your party isn't
around for the calculation to occur. Plus, being in a party lets you see
where everybody's at, so that you don't step on anyone's toes.
I don't think that you get the 10% exp bonus unless the other party members
are in the same named area as you. In addition, this system has a big
downside - you have to watch monster levels more closely due to the sliding
exp scale you're on. If you fight something too far out of compliance, you'll
get pathetic experience as a result.
.----------------------------------------------------------------------------.
| 5.2: The 'classic' solo method |
'----------------------------------------------------------------------------'
To get the max exp per kill, go into a large public multiplayer game. Fight
monsters that are your level or higher. Higher level monsters will subject you
to the experience fraction calculation, but it's better than fighting below
your level, and getting 40% exp or less.
By staying solo, you get all the benefits of multiplayer exp (+ two thirds
experience per player) without having to share any of it. Also, killing high
level monsters isn't as much of an experience drain - the party calculation
always uses a sliding scale for its percentages.
.----------------------------------------------------------------------------.
| 5.3: Maximum party experience |
'----------------------------------------------------------------------------'
While partying is cool, it seems to have major drawbacks - but if it's used
properly, it can give you the fastest leveling route.
Form a big game (lots of people are always a necessity!) and form a party
with several other people. Have everyone go to the same named area, and then
have everybody split up in a different direction.
This works most fairly when everyone's around the same level, since party
exp is distributed according to what percentage of the total levels you
contribute. Regardless, there are several major benefits here.
First, you get the 10% exp bonus. This rocks the house on major monsters,
especially in 8 player games, where the monster's base exp is cranked up.
Second, you get pooled exp from everyone else who's killing in your area.
So, while you may only get a percentage of the exp for what you kill,
everyone else is also giving up that same percentage of their kills to
you.
Third, this is speedy - four people can rock an area much faster than one
can.
While one player in an 8 player game can max his exp by being solo, it takes
a relatively long time to clear, say, all of Lower Kurast on through
Travincal. By comparison, four people sweeping across the city can clear it in
a single pass, pooling exp and sharing it, and netting 10% bonuses on every
kill they make. Party members should only gang up when a monster is too strong
to take solo.
While the total experience gain is lower than that for the classic solo
method, you can clear things three to four times as rapidly. If you run out of
things to kill, start a new game. The net result is that while classic soloing
gets you an extra 10% exp, a distributed in-area party can net you 300% exp in
the same time frame.
I utilized this system to go from Level 45 to Level 48 (9.7mil exp) in five
hours time. That's enough experience to go from Level 1 to 30.
.----------------------------------------------------------------------------.
| 5.4: Final example |
'----------------------------------------------------------------------------'
Assume our five man party runs into a pack of 1000 base exp creatures, all of
which are Level 40 (as above), and everyone engages one seperately for a kill.
All members are partied.
Experience = (Your monster, with bonus xp) + (pooled exp from the others)
= (1332) + (4 * 965)
= 1332 + 3860
= 5192 experience.
______________________________________________________________________________
6. Credits and Contact Info
______________________________________________________________________________
- Credits
Blizzard Entertainment, for some of the finest games around. A part of my
life has been devoted to Warcraft, Starcraft, and Diablo.
GameFAQs.com, for providing the best online gaming resource that I've ever
encountered. Without that site, where would we all be?
- Contact Info
Do you have something to add? A correction that needs to be made? A question
that wasn't answered? Send it over to . I'll try to get an
answer back in short order, and, if appropriate, I'll incorporate the change
into the next version of the FAQ, with full credit to the author.
(c) 2000, by Brian Kern
Limited reproduction rights as assigned.