Diablo Hellfire Walkthrough: the Monk, the Hive, the Crypt and Na-Krul

This bonus part of our Diablo walkthrough covers the Hellfire expansion from 1997. It starts in Tristram with the new farmer, takes you down through the Hive to the Defiler, and ends deep in the Crypt with Na-Krul. Both new areas are side dungeons you open from town, so you can do them alongside the main game from part 3 onward.

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The whole walkthrough

How to get Hellfire today

Hellfire was made by Synergistic Software, not by Blizzard itself. For years it was hard to find, but now it comes free with the main game:

• GOG: Hellfire is a free add-on with every copy of Diablo. When you start the game, the GOG launcher lets you pick the version you want. Choose Hellfire.
• PC Game Pass and Battle.net: the store listing says the game includes the Hellfire expansion.

Hellfire quests at a glance

The Monk (and the hidden classes)

Hellfire adds the Monk. He is a fighter who works best with a staff or with bare hands.

• Staff: with a staff the Monk can block like he had a shield, and he blocks fast. His damage bonus is also bigger with a staff or bare fists than with other weapons.
• Light armor: the Monk gets a large armor bonus that grows with his level when he wears light armor or none at all. He gets a smaller bonus in medium armor and none in heavy armor. Unique armor counts as one step lighter for this.
• Search: his class skill. It highlights items lying on the ground, which helps in dark, busy levels.

Hellfire also adds new spells, such as Lightning Wall, Immolation, Ring of Fire, Warp, Reflect and Berserk, plus one-use runes and oils that upgrade your gear.

Hidden classes: the game files also hold an unfinished Bard (uses the Rogue's look) and Barbarian (uses the Warrior's look). In the original game you unlock them by making a text file called command.txt in the Hellfire folder with the words bardtest and barbariantest. Players report mixed results with this trick on modern installs, and these classes were never finished, so treat them as a fun extra.

Farmer's Orchard: opening the Hive

1. Find Lester the Farmer. He stands near the cows in Tristram.
2. Talk to him. Early on he only chats. He gives you the quest once you have reached the Caves (level 9) or character level 15.
3. He hands you a Rune Bomb that Adria gave him. Pick it up.
4. Go to the strange swelling growth at the edge of his orchard. It is south of him, near the river on the east side of town.
5. Take the Rune Bomb out of your bag so it sits on your cursor, then click on the growth. It blows open, and the entrance to the Hive appears.
6. Go back to Lester. He gives you the Auric Amulet.

The Auric Amulet has no combat stats. While you wear it, each gold pile in your bag can hold 10,000 gold instead of 5,000. Handy for big shopping trips, but swap it out before a fight.

The Hive (levels 1-4)

The Hive is a slimy, insect-filled area with four levels. It is a tough place, so go in only when you are comfortable in the Caves or Hell. Expect Hork Spawn, Stingers, Arachnons, Torchants and Psychorbs, which shoot magic from range. Magic resistance helps a lot here.

• Hive level 3: look out for the unique Hork Demon. It drops an amulet.
• Hive level 4: home of the Defiler.

The Defiler (Hive level 4)

The Defiler is a giant bug and the boss of the Hive.

How to beat him: he is immune to lightning and resists fire and magic. Sorcerers have a hard time: Lightning and Chain Lightning do nothing, so use your best fire or magic spell, keep Mana Shield up and let a Golem take hits. Warriors and Monks can fight him head on. Clear the bugs around him first, and fight in a doorway or corridor so only a few things can reach you.

When he dies he drops the Cathedral Map. Pick it up, because it starts the next quest.

Grave Matters: opening the Crypt

1. Carry the Cathedral Map back to town. People in town have things to say about it, and Gillian tells a story about the graveyard.
2. Go to the cemetery near the Cathedral.
3. Put the map on your cursor and click on the grave. The stone moves and a stairway down to the Crypt opens.

The Crypt (levels 1-4)

The Crypt is the hardest area in Hellfire. It is full of undead such as Liches and Arch Liches, plus heavy hitters like Crypt Demons. Bring lots of potions and Town Portal scrolls.

On the way down, read the books on lecterns. Their story starts the Na-Krul quest. On Crypt levels 1, 2 and 3 you also find one piece of a torn note on each level. Pick up all three and they join into one Reconstructed Note. It hints at how to weaken Na-Krul, and the steps are below.

Cornerstone of the World (Crypt level 1)

On the first Crypt level there is a special stone that holds one item. Drop an item on it and save. When you start a new single-player game with another hero, the item waits there for them. It is a simple way to pass gear between your single-player heroes. It does not work in multiplayer.

Na-Krul (Crypt level 4)

Na-Krul is sealed behind walls on the last Crypt level. There are two ways in:

• The levers at the entrance open the walls, but Na-Krul is then at full strength and immune to fire, lightning and magic. Don't do this unless you are a strong melee hero.
• The three tomes near his door are the safe way. Read them in this order:
  1. In Spiritu Sanctum
  2. Praedictum Otium
  3. Efficio Obitus Ut Inimicus

The tomes swap places between games, so read each title as you click it. If you read one in the wrong order, start again from the first. With the right order the walls open and Na-Krul is badly weakened: he loses his immunities, half of his life and some armor. Now every class, Sorcerers included, can beat him.

How to beat him: he is a huge melee demon who hits very hard. Stay out of his reach if you use spells or a bow, and keep your life full if you fight him up close. When he dies he drops several magic weapons.

The Hive and Crypt are optional. Killing Diablo on level 16 still ends the game, as in part 4.

Hidden quests: Jersey's Jersey and Little Girl

Two extra quests are turned off by default. In the original game you enable them with cowquest and theoquest in the same command.txt file.

• The Jersey's Jersey: a man in a cow suit called the Complete Nut replaces Lester and gives you the Rune Bomb instead. Bring him the brown suit from Hive level 4 (not the grey one on level 3) and he gives you the unique Bovine Plate.
• Little Girl: Celia appears in town once you have visited the Hive. She lost her teddy bear, Theodore. The Hork Demon on Hive level 3 drops him. Bring Theodore back for an amulet.

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Want the full story behind the game? The Book of Cain collects the lore of Sanctuary in one beautiful volume.

Tips for this part

• Open the Hive as soon as Lester lets you. The loot there is worth it even before you finish the main game.
• Sorcerers: carry a backup way to deal damage. The Defiler ignores lightning, and many Crypt monsters ignore fire and magic.
• Always use the three tomes for Na-Krul. Never touch the levers first.
• Use the Cornerstone to give a new hero a strong start.

My take

I love the Monk. A staff that blocks plus big armor in light gear makes him feel tough in a way the Rogue never did for me. The Hive is gross in the best way, but the Crypt with its Arch Liches is where I died the most. Have you played Hellfire, or do you stick to the original Diablo?

FAQ

How do I open the Hive in Hellfire?

Get the Rune Bomb from Lester the Farmer after you reach the Caves or character level 15. Carry it to the growth at the edge of his orchard on the east side of town and use it there.

How do I get into the Crypt?

Kill the Defiler on Hive level 4. He drops the Cathedral Map. Take it to the town cemetery and use it on the grave to open the stairs.

What order do I read the Na-Krul tomes?

In Spiritu Sanctum, then Praedictum Otium, then Efficio Obitus Ut Inimicus. This opens his room and removes his immunities.

Is Hellfire included with Diablo on GOG?

Yes. GOG gives Hellfire free with Diablo, and you pick it in the game's launcher. The PC Game Pass version also includes it.

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