This starter guide for Diablo III provides some tips and suggestions for players who are new to the game, and also answers some of the most common frequently asked questions regarding its basic systems and mechanics. This is not an in-depth guide for advanced players and does not comment on any subjective debates like which class is best. It is intended to be a basic introduction to help players who are just beginning the game and want to know some of the most important information to get started.
The most important suggestion for new players is to turn on Show Advanced Tooltips and Elective Mode in the Game Options. In fact, this should probably be the first thing you do after logging into Diablo III with your Battle.net account. These options can be found here: Game Menu (Esc) > Options > Gameplay > Interface.
Advanced Tooltips and Elective Mode are both practically essential.
Advanced Tooltips shows you more detailed descriptions of skills, as well as the actual numbers and data associated with them. This is obviously useful because it removes some of the guesswork when comparing skills to each other. Elective Mode allows you to map skills from any category to any of your hotkeys, which is useful if you want to equip more than one skill from the same category.
The second-most important suggestion is to bind the Move command to a key (Game Menu > Options > Key Bindings > Gameplay). This command is not bound by default, and it will make your character move to your cursor without attacking. This is especially useful for melee classes, in case you ever need to stop attacking some pesky enemies and run around them to grab some health orbs. Bind it to whatever works best for you. I used the middle mouse button (Mouse3).
With the two big suggestions out of the way, here are the most frequently asked basic questions I could think to answer.
Can I play Diablo III without an internet connection?
No. You need to be logged in to Battle.net to play, even if you're playing by yourself.
Can I give my friend a Guest Pass key and play with him?
No. Starter Edition accounts can only play with other Starter Edition accounts. (Source: Blizzard)
Why did my map progress reset to undiscovered?
The map is randomly generated every time a new game session is started.
What is my damage per second (DPS)?
Open your inventory (default bindings are I and C). The Damage attribute on the left side of the inventory screen is your DPS, calculated based on several statistics.
Damage per second is calculated from several other statistics.
How do I attack without moving?
Use the Force Stand Still command, which is bound to Shift by default. In other words, hold down Shift and click an attack button to perform the attack without moving.
How do I retrain my followers?
First, hire the follower you wish to retrain if you haven't already. Then right-click your follower's portrait (in the top-left of the screen) and select Retrain.
How do I give gold to another player?
You must initiate a trade with the other player. Right-click the player's portrait and select Trade. There is no way to drop gold on the ground.
How do I repair my damaged equipment?
You can repair your items at any of the merchants in town. You can't repair your gear at the Blacksmith artisan.
Should I pick up white and gray items?
Short answer: No. Longer answer: White and gray items have such poor sell values that it does not seem worth the time and effort to even pick them up to sell to the vendors. Plus, they can't be salvaged for crafting materials. Your inventory space would be put to much better use storing magical, rare and (hopefully) legendary finds.
Total selling price for all the whites and grays in this screenshot? 71 gold.
Please note, however, that potions, gems and crafting pages appear as white items. You definitely want to grab the gems and crafting pages.
Is there a faster way to drop items on the ground?
Not that I'm aware of, unfortunately. The only way to drop items is to click the item in the inventory and then click the ground or click and drag the item out of the inventory, both of which are tedious when trying to dump trash.
How do I link items in chat?
Open the inventory screen (default keys I and C). Press Enter to open the chat window. Hold Shift and left-click on an item to add it to your chat line.
When will I start finding gems?
In Act 2.
Can I reclaim gems that have been socketed into armor and weapons?
Once you have the Jeweler artisan, you can remove gems from socketed gear by using the corresponding tab in the artisan's crafting window. The gems will be returned to your inventory.
You can also salvage the socketed items at the Blacksmith artisan if you no longer want the armor or weapon the gem is affixed to. The gems will be returned to your inventory in this case as well. The only way to lose a gem permanently is to sell the socketed item with the gem inside it.
I heard that giving the Templar follower a shield will break my game. Is this true?
This bug has been fixed. You don't need to worry about it anymore.
How do I see my frames per second (FPS)?
The default key binding to show your FPS is Ctrl+R. The FPS counter appears in the top-left corner of your screen. No external program necessary!
Why do I suddenly not hear anything?
You might have accidentally turned music or sounds off. Try the Toggle Music (Ctrl+M) and Toggle Sound (Ctrl+S) commands to turn them back on. Additionally, you can conveniently shift the master volume up and down in increments of 10% with Ctrl+Equals and Ctrl+Minus, respectively.
Can I access the Auction House while in a game?
No. The Auction House can only be accessed from the campaign screen, before entering a game. If you are in a game, you will have to leave it to access the Auction House.
Can I appear offline or invisible on Battle.net while playing?
No. Currently, there does not seem to be a way to do this.
How do I prevent people from joining my game?
Turn off Allow Quick Join in the options (found at Game Menu > Options > Social > Friends and Chat). This will prevent your friends from joining your game without a confirmation.
How do I take a screenshot?
PrintScreen, of course! Also known as the SysReq key. This key binding can be changed in the options.
Where are screenshots saved?
In Diablo III\Screenshots inside My Documents. So, the full directory path for screenshots in Windows 7 would be C:\Users\USERNAME\Documents\Diablo III\Screenshots
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