Diablo 1 Walkthrough: Part 1, Tristram and the Cathedral (Butcher to Skeleton King)

This is part 1 of our full Diablo (1996) walkthrough. It starts in the town of Tristram with a brand new hero and takes you down through the Cathedral, dungeon levels 1 to 4. You'll pick a class, learn how the random quests work, and handle the Butcher, the Skeleton King and the other early quests if your game has them.

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The whole walkthrough

Read this first: quests are random

Diablo picks a different set of quests every time you start a new single player game. You will never see all of them in one run. That is why every quest in this guide says "if you get it". Here is how the game chooses:

• Always there: The Chamber of Bone, Archbishop Lazarus and Diablo.
• One of two: The Curse of King Leoric (Skeleton King) or Poisoned Water Supply.
• Two of three: The Butcher, Ogden's Sign, Gharbad the Weak.
• Two of three: Halls of the Blind, The Magic Rock, Valor.
• Two of three: Black Mushroom, Zhar the Mad, Anvil of Fury.
• One of two: Lachdanan or Warlord of Blood.

Press Q to open your quest log. A quest only shows up there once someone tells you about it or you find it. In multiplayer the rules are different: only the Butcher, the Skeleton King, Lazarus and Diablo are used.

The only quests you must finish to beat the game are Archbishop Lazarus and Diablo. Everything else is optional, but the rewards and experience make the end much easier.

Picking a class

• Warrior: the easiest start. Strong in melee, lots of life, can wear heavy armor. Good for a first run.
• Rogue: fights with a bow. Kill things before they reach you, and walk backwards a lot. Weaker up close.
• Sorcerer: casts spells from books and staves. Very fragile at first, but very strong later once you have good spells and Mana Shield.

Any class can read spell books and cast spells, as long as it has enough Magic. If you play the Hellfire version, you also get the Monk. This guide covers the base game.

Tristram: who does what

• Griswold (blacksmith): weapons, armor, repairs.
• Pepin (healer): healing potions. Talk to him and he heals you for free.
• Adria (witch, across the river): mana potions, Town Portal scrolls, spell books and staves.
• Deckard Cain (storyteller): identifies unknown items for 100 gold each.
• Ogden (tavern owner): gives a couple of the early quests.
• Wirt (the boy with the peg leg): sells one item at a time, but charges 50 gold just to look.

Hover over the Cathedral entrance in town and it says "Down to dungeon". Before you go in, buy a few healing potions and at least one Town Portal scroll.

Level 1: learning the ropes

Level 1 has weak skeletons, zombies and the small Fallen Ones. Clear the whole level. Pick up everything: you can sell it to Griswold. Click on shrines with care. They are random, and some lower a stat or damage your gear.

After you have been to level 1, talk to Pepin. If your game has Poisoned Water Supply, he gives it to you now.

The Butcher (if you get it)

A Wounded Townsman lies near the Cathedral door. Talk to him and he tells you about the Butcher. If he is not there, this quest is not in your game.

1. Go to level 2 and look for a closed room full of blood and hanging bodies.
2. Opening the door wakes the Butcher. He is fast, hits very hard, and resists fire and lightning.
3. Clear the rest of level 2 first so you have space to run and more levels under your belt.
4. Melee: fight him in a doorway and keep your potion belt full. Rogue or Sorcerer: never let him reach you. Shoot, back off, shoot again.
5. If it goes badly, read a Town Portal and come back stronger. He stays on level 2 and waits for you.

His reward is The Butcher's Cleaver, a big two-handed axe. It's a fine early weapon for a Warrior.

Poisoned Water Supply (if you get it)

1. Pepin says the town water has gone bad.
2. On level 2, find a passage in a wall that leads to a special cave area.
3. Kill every monster in it. When the last one dies, the water turns clean.
4. Go back to Pepin. He gives you the Ring of Truth, with extra life and resistance to all elements.

The Curse of King Leoric (if you get it)

This is the Skeleton King quest. Ogden tells you about it once you have been a level or two down.

1. On level 3, find the entrance to King Leoric's Tomb. It takes you to a special level.
2. The tomb is full of skeletons. Clear them slowly and pull them to you a few at a time.
3. The Skeleton King keeps raising new skeletons while you fight. Kill the small ones quickly or the room fills up.
4. He is undead. Maces and clubs deal extra damage to undead, and swords deal half. The Holy Bolt spell is great against him.

He drops The Undead Crown, a helm that steals life when you hit in melee. Very useful for a Warrior.

Ogden's Sign (if you get it)

1. After you have reached level 3, Ogden says someone stole the sign from his tavern.
2. On level 4 you meet Snotspill, a Fallen One who can talk. He wants the sign, and opens a room so you can get it.
3. Pick up the Tavern Sign, but do not give it to Snotspill. If you do, he and his friends attack, and you lose the reward.
4. Take it back to Ogden. He gives you the Harlequin Crest, a helm with small bonuses to all stats.

Snotspill and his gang turn on you either way, so be ready for a fight.

Gharbad the Weak (if you get it)

On level 4 you may meet Gharbad, a goat-man who begs for his life. Talk to him, walk away a little and come back. He gives you a magic item. Talk to him again later and he finally attacks you. He is weak and dies fast, and he drops another item, often a mace.

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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

• Clear every level fully in the Cathedral. Experience and gold now make the Catacombs much safer.
• Keep your belt (the 8 slots under your health) full of healing potions. Number keys 1-8 drink them.
• Don't pay Cain to identify every item. Identify the ones that look promising, and sell the rest.
• Warriors and Rogues: carry a mace for undead areas, like the Skeleton King's tomb.
• Use doorways. Most monsters can only reach you one or two at a time there.
• From about level 3, watch for zombies called Black Death. Every hit they land lowers your maximum life for good, so kill them from range or very fast.

Diablo is a lot of clicking. A comfortable gaming mouse makes long sessions much easier on your hand.

My take

I still think the first trip into the Cathedral is one of the best openings in any game. "Fresh meat!" made me jump as a kid and it still gets me now. I always start new players on the Warrior, because the Sorcerer's first hours can feel brutal. Which class did you pick for your first run?

FAQ

Why don't I have the Butcher (or Skeleton King) quest?

Quests are random in single player. The Skeleton King and Poisoned Water swap with each other, and the Butcher is one of three quests where only two appear. Start a new game if you really want a certain quest.

What is the easiest class in Diablo 1?

The Warrior is the easiest for beginners. He has the most life and good armor, and melee works well from the first level.

Where is the Skeleton King in Diablo 1?

The entrance to his tomb is on dungeon level 3. Ogden in the tavern tells you about it, and it only appears if the quest is in your game.

Do I need to do every quest to finish Diablo?

No. Only Archbishop Lazarus and Diablo are required. The other quests give items and experience that help a lot, so do the ones you get.

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