How the game actually works

The game turns a skill level into a number with exactly two formulas, both spelled out in its skillcalc table: ``` linear value = base + (level - 1) x per-level diminishing value = low + (high - low) x 1.1 x level / (level + 6) ``` The linear one is unremarkable. **The second one matters**: it walks from a low bound toward a high bound, and how far it has walked depends only on the level — - level 1: 15.7% - level 2: 27.5% - level 5: 50.0% - level 10: 68.8% - level 20: 84.6% - level 40: 95.7% In other words **the first five points take half the total value**, gains past level 10 are small, and the ceiling is **never reached**. For Dodge, Weapon Block, the resistance auras, Fanaticism, Holy Shield, Find Item and the movement-speed skills, points past the low teens are worth far less than the same points spent elsewhere. Every skill on this curve is flagged individually on the skills page. The game only ever shows the number for your current level; it never tells you the shape of the curve.

The skill table splits the golem's bonuses into two piles that behave differently. **Frozen at cast** (`calc1`, labelled `HP % Modifier` in the file): ``` calc1 = Golem Mastery.ln12 + Blood Golem level × Blood Golem.par8 ``` That is the life percentage, evaluated once and written into that golem. **Spending more points in Golem Mastery or Blood Golem afterwards does not make the standing golem tougher.** **Follows the skill** (`passivestat1`–`passivestat10`): - movement speed ← Golem Mastery - attack rating ← Golem Mastery + Clay Golem synergy - defense ← **Iron Golem's own current level** × 35 - damage bonus ← Fire Golem synergy - six immunity-pierce stats ← copied from your own character These are passives on the skill whose formulas read the current level, so points do carry over. **So the usual question has a split answer**: to get a tougher golem you must recast it; to make it faster, more accurate and better armoured, spending points is enough. It also carries a thorns aura (`aurastate = thorns`, returning `edmn`), and it is built out of an item (`TargetItem`, with `inventory=1` on the monster) — that item's properties ride along with that golem, and are likewise fixed at creation.

Every bindable monster in `MonPet.txt` carries a `BoundStat` — a stat that is set at the moment of binding — and all 171 of them set `maxhp`: ``` maxhp = (target max life > threshold) ? min(target max life, threshold + step × (player count - 1)) : target max life ``` Thresholds come in four tiers, and the step is exactly 5% of the threshold: | Threshold | Per extra player | Monsters | |---|---|---| | 12000 | +600 | 45 | | 13200 | +660 | 72 | | 13600 | +680 | 18 | | 20000 | +1000 | 36 | **That answers all three questions at once:** - **Is one caught in an 8-player game stronger?** Yes, but only for demons already above the threshold. On the 13200 tier the cap in an 8-player game is 13200 + 660×7 = **17820**, about 35% above solo; a demon under 13200 is identical however many players are in. - **Does it keep that when brought back to a solo game?** Yes. It is a `BoundStat` — resolved at bind time and written into that minion; the game it later walks into is irrelevant. - **Does one bound solo grow when taken into an 8-player game?** No, for the same reason: the number is already fixed. **The capture chance is in the same table** (`bindchancecalc`). Three gates must all pass or the chance is zero: 1. the roll only happens every 12 frames 2. **a skill-level gate by monster quality**: none for normal monsters, level 10 for champions, level 15 for uniques and their minions 3. **target life below a threshold**: 85% for most, with 99% / 80% / 75% / 50% variants Past those gates the chance is the skill's own diminishing curve + Death Mark level + **a bonus from missing life** (`(100 - current life%) ÷ quality divisor`, dividing by 5 for normal, 10 for champion, 20 for unique). **The more hurt it is the easier it binds, and higher quality is harder.** **Fixed thresholds from skill level** (`calc2`–`calc5`, judged at bind time against the level you had then): - from level 5: it gains Extra Strong - from level 10: Extra Fast - from level 15: Spectral Hit - at level 20: Aura Enchanted Like life, these are decided when you bind. **Binding first and levelling afterwards does not add them.** **The pile that does follow the skill** has the same shape as Iron Golem's (`passivestat1`–`passivestat9`): speed, attack rating, damage%, defense, physical-immunity pierce, minion resistance (Blood Oath), damage reduction (Blood Oath) and flat damage. Those read the current level, so points carry over. One more: `calc7 = 2`, which the file annotates as "hp regen for all" — bound demons do regenerate (the other two settings are "no hp regen for elites" and "no hp regen").

There are 20 shrines. Two things matter. First, **the resist shrines ignore the resistance cap**. Gear stops helping at 75%, but a resist shrine takes you to 150% — worth grabbing before Chaos Sanctuary or any caster boss. Second, **four of them are traps**: fire, exploding and poison damage you on the spot, and the monster shrine upgrades a nearby monster to unique. The first three can kill a low-level character; the monster shrine is actually good, since the upgraded monster drops better. Every duration, reset time and minimum area level in the table below is the raw value from the game's own table.

A monster does not use the treasure-class row that carries its own name. It uses **the highest row in the same group at or below its own level** — the treasure class is raised along the group. So the higher the area's monster level, the higher it is raised, and the better the tier it can drop. Every equipment rung caps at level 85; there is no rung above it. Which means every area at level 85 or above is **exactly equivalent** for gear. There is no such thing as one of them having a better rate. Elites and champions spawn a little above their area's level, which is how an item slightly above the area level still drops.

The value is weapons.txt's speed column, present on all 306 weapons: 111 negative (fast), 105 zero (normal), 90 positive (slow). **That is as far as the data goes.** Turning it into attacks-per-second needs the character animation frame tables and the IAS breakpoints, and those live in the animation assets, not in any extractable table. So this site publishes the raw number only — no DPS, no breakpoint tables.

The penalty is **added directly** to your resistance, not multiplied. To reach the 75% cap in Hell you need 175% from gear. There is also a floor at -100% — you cannot go lower, but at that point you take double damage from that element. Anya's quest (Act 5) gives +10 all resist per difficulty, +30 total.

Auras and curses are **two separate systems**: - Conviction is `aura = 1` with its own `aurastate` - Lower Resist / Amplify Damage are curses: `aurafilter = 3` plus a duration They occupy different slots, so they stack. All curses share **one curse slot**, so a newer curse replaces the older one. **Note**: the widely repeated "resist reduction is only 1/5 effective against immunes" is engine logic that does not appear in the data tables, so it is not asserted here.

Sunder charms are **grand charms** — they work from your inventory. The cost is real: Hell already applies -100, and a -70 sunder pushes that element to the -100% floor, meaning **double damage taken**. Six charms cover fire, cold, lightning, poison, physical and magic.

The five tiers are levels 1-8 / 9-16 / 17-22 / 23-28 / 29+, each with its own per-level increment (usually rising). So **+skill gear past level 20 is worth a lot**. Synergies multiply: `base x (1 + total synergy%)`. **Calibrated** against an in-game level 83 cold sorceress: all eight min/max numbers across four skills match exactly.

Reduction = `level-1 value + per-level x (level - 1)`. Cold Mastery at 12 = `20 + 5 x 11 = 75%`. Against a 25% cold resist monster that becomes **-50%**, i.e. you deal 50% extra damage. Mastery **cannot break immunity** — only sunder charms can.

Mana steal is the same (1/3 in Hell). Freeze and chill durations are also divided: 1/2 on Nightmare, 1/4 on Hell. Curse durations too (1/4 in Hell).

Per-point life varies a lot by class: Barbarian gets 4 life per vitality, Sorceress and Necromancer only 2. **Quest bonuses are separate**: the Golden Bird (Act 3) gives +20 life per difficulty, +60 total. **Calibrated** against a level 83 sorceress: life 422, mana 509, stamina 276 all match exactly.

The drop table has a `Picks` field: positive means "roll N times from the weighted list" (with a no-drop weight competing); negative means "every entry drops independently". Bosses use the negative form. Equipment groups are generated by the engine at load time, not stored in the tables — which is why Hell monsters still drop low-level whites.

Monster life is `base x level scale / 100`, and the scale table has **two sets** of columns: standard and ladder (`L-` prefix). At Hell level 85 the standard scale is 4637 and ladder is 6182 — **about 33% more life on ladder**. The monster page has a ladder toggle.

This is added **on top of** the monster's own skill level, separate from level and life scaling. Elite damage bonus actually **decreases** (90% / 75% / 66%), but base damage rises far more, so Hell still hits harder.

Normal damage subtracts a flat number; crushing blow subtracts a share of what is left. So it is enormous against high-life targets (bosses, beefy elites) and nearly pointless against trash, which dies in one hit anyway. That is why boss-killing builds stack it.

Two effects: damage over time, and **the target stops regenerating life**. The second one is in the tables, not folklore: the `openwounds` state in `states.txt` carries `life=1`, and only three states in the whole file carry that flag — poison, `preventheal` (the name says it), and open wounds. **When it actually matters.** Of the 720 live monsters, 660 regenerate, usually at rate 2. Trash dies too fast for that to count. The gap opens on things that are both tanky and regenerate hard: **the Uber bosses sit at rate 4 (double a normal monster) and carry the highest life in the game (6600 in Hell)**. Those fights are long, and every pause hands life back — which is exactly why open wounds earns its slot against them. **The five act bosses (Andariel, Duriel, Mephisto, Diablo, Baal) regenerate at rate 0** — against them open wounds is only the damage-over-time half. It is **not melee-only**. The stat is hooked to both `domeleedamage` and `domissiledamage`, so bows, crossbows and thrown weapons trigger it too.

It scales the physical component only; elemental damage is untouched. Pure elemental builds get nothing from it — melee and bow builds do.

Overlaps with the second half of Open Wounds, but this one is not a chance — it always applies. Against a fast-regenerating boss you only need one of the two.

One of the most practical survival modifiers in melee — a slower target is one you can back away from. Bosses resist it, and some monsters ignore it outright.

Big physical damage boost: +150% on the unique itself, +75% on the pack of minions that spawns with it. One of the best to bind — straight melee damage.

Moves and attacks faster; hard to kite. A bound demon that keeps up with you feels much better.

Heavy physical damage reduction — painful for pure physical builds. Binding one gives you a very tanky front line.

Raises all four elemental resistances at once. No offense gain, but survives longer.

Adds fire damage and explodes on death. Unique elemental bonus is +66% min / +100% max — a real chunk.

Adds cold damage and chills you. The chill is useful for control.

Adds lightning damage, releases a nova on death. Area damage — clears trash quickly.

Drains your mana on hit — brutal for casters. Does nothing against monsters — a wasted slot when bound.

Random elemental damage on hit that partly ignores defense.

75% chance to curse you on hit. Bound, it curses your enemies instead — one of the few that flips in your favour. The proc rate drops to 5% on your side, though, so it fires far less often than it did against you.

Carries a random aura that buffs every nearby monster. Top pick to bind — the aura applies to you and your other demons. Fanaticism or Conviction is a free aura.

Fires several projectiles at once.

Blinks straight to you — kiting and running do not work. The one to spot before you engage in Hell — it closes the gap instantly and the pack follows it in.

Translucent champion — faster and harder to hit.

Champion that moves and attacks much faster.

Possessed champion with across-the-board boosts.

Champion that hits hard but is fragile itself.