Diablo 1 Walkthrough: Part 4, Hell, Lazarus and Diablo (Levels 13-16)

This is the last part of our Diablo (1996) walkthrough. It covers Hell, dungeon levels 13 to 16: the Warlord of Blood or Lachdanan, Archbishop Lazarus and the final fight with Diablo. At the end we look at what to do after the credits, from harder difficulties to the Hellfire expansion.

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The whole walkthrough

Which quests can you get here?

You always get exactly one of Warlord of Blood and Lachdanan. Lazarus and Diablo are in every game, and they are the only two quests you must finish to win.

Level 13: the Hell shortcut

Level 13 has stairs straight up to town, just like levels 5 and 9. Use them once and Tristram gets its own entrance to Hell. Do it right away, because you will make many trips back for potions and repairs.

Hell is much harder than the Caves. Expect big knights in heavy armor, flying succubi that shoot magic, and robed casters that teleport around and throw spells. Good resistances to fire, lightning and magic matter a lot here.

Warlord of Blood (if you get it)

1. On level 13, find and read a book on a stand. It warns you about the Warlord of Blood.
2. Find his room. It's an armory with weapon racks and armor stands, and he waits there with a group of guards.
3. He speaks first, then attacks.

How to beat him: on Normal he is immune to fire, lightning and magic, so most attack spells do nothing. Warriors and Rogues should just fight him with weapons. Kill his guards first, from a doorway if you can. Sorcerers have a harder time: kill the guards with spells, then fall back on a melee weapon or simply skip him. There is no fixed quest reward, but the armory racks hold random magic weapons and armor, which is why most players fight him.

Lachdanan (if you get it)

1. On level 14 you meet Lachdanan, a cursed knight. He does not attack you. Do not attack him.
2. Talk to him. He asks you to find the Golden Elixir to lift his curse.
3. The elixir is on level 15. It is small and easy to miss, so check the floor carefully and use your map (Tab).
4. Bring it back to him on level 14 and give it to him by talking to him.

He leaves you the Veil of Steel, a helm with +15 Strength, +15 Vitality, +50% to all resistances and a big armor bonus. It lowers your mana and light radius a bit. For a Warrior or Rogue it can be the best helm in the game.

Archbishop Lazarus (every game)

1. On level 15, find the Staff of Lazarus. Pick it up.
2. Go back to town and give it to Deckard Cain. He explains who Lazarus is.
3. Go back to level 15. A red portal has opened near the big pentagram on the floor. Step into it.
4. This takes you to Lazarus's lair. Walk to the pentagram in the middle and step onto it. It teleports you to Lazarus.
5. He speaks, then the fight starts. Two named succubi, Black Jade and Red Vex, fight with him, along with other demons.

How to beat him: Lazarus is a caster who teleports and throws spells. He resists fire and lightning and is immune to magic damage, so melee and arrows work best. Black Jade and Red Vex shoot magic blood stars from range, so magic resistance helps. You don't have to kill the two succubi, but they drop items. Kill Lazarus quickly if you can reach him, and use a Town Portal if the room gets out of hand.

When Lazarus dies, a red portal takes you back to level 15. Go to town and talk to Cain again. Then head back to level 15: the way down to level 16 is in the middle of the pentagram.

Level 16 and Diablo (every game)

Level 16 is a set of sealed areas. Each area has skull levers. Pull all the levers in an area and the walls open into the next one. Clear the monsters as you go, because they will follow you into the final fight otherwise.

How Diablo fights:

• He hits very hard in melee and knocks you back.
• His special attack is Apocalypse, a wave of blasts that hits you even from range. Your resistances do not reduce it.
• He resists fire and lightning and is immune to magic damage.
• Stone Curse does not work on him.

How to beat him:

• Get your life and armor as high as you can before you go in. Fill your whole inventory with healing and rejuvenation potions.
• Pull his guards away and kill them before you face Diablo himself.
• Warriors: stand and trade blows with potions ready. Don't let the knockback push you into other monsters.
• Rogues: keep moving and shooting. Never walk in a straight line toward or away from him.
• Sorcerers: keep Mana Shield up. In the original game Holy Bolt hits Diablo at full strength and is a classic way to beat him. In Hellfire he resists it.

When Diablo dies, the ending plays and the game is over. We won't spoil the last scene here.

After the ending

• Play again with the same hero. Your character keeps his level, gear and spells. Start a new game and you get a new dungeon and a new random set of quests.
• Nightmare and Hell difficulty. In the original Diablo these are only offered when you start a multiplayer game, on Battle.net or a local network. Monsters are much stronger there.
• Hellfire. The 1997 expansion, made by Synergistic Software, adds the Monk class and two new areas, the Hive and the Crypt, with their own quests and a new final boss, Na-Krul. GOG gives it to you free with Diablo, and the Game Pass version includes it too.

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Diablo games on PC are all about clicking. A light gaming mouse saves your wrist on long dungeon runs.

Tips for this part

• Unlock the level 13 shortcut on your first visit.
• Check your resistances on the character screen (C). Aim for as high as you can get before level 15.
• Carry several Town Portal scrolls in Lazarus's lair and on level 16.
• Clear level 16 area by area. Don't open new walls with a crowd behind you.
• If a fight goes wrong, leave. Monsters stay where they are, and you can come back with full potions.

My take

Lazarus has always scared me more than Diablo, mostly because that room fills up so fast. Diablo himself is a stand-up fight once you know Apocalypse is coming. The first time I beat him I just sat there and watched the ending in silence. How did your first Diablo kill go?

FAQ

Where is the Staff of Lazarus?

On dungeon level 15. Take it to Deckard Cain in town, and a red portal to Lazarus opens on level 15.

How do I get to level 16 in Diablo 1?

Kill Archbishop Lazarus, talk to Cain, then return to level 15. The stairs to level 16 appear in the center of the pentagram.

What is the best spell against Diablo?

In the original game many Sorcerers use Holy Bolt, because it hits him at full strength. Stone Curse does not work on him, and he resists fire and lightning.

Is there Nightmare difficulty in single player?

Not in the original Diablo. Nightmare and Hell are offered only when you start a multiplayer game.

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