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Netherworld Rises 0.3.2a
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By
Kevin Veitch, AKA - PureRage
& Lukas Nething, AKA - Relay

Netherworld Rises is a total conversion mod for Diablo 2 Lord of Destruction. The following is included in the current version:

Many of the maps have been changed to fit in to our new world
All 7 Character classes have an array of new skills to use.
Unique items have been disabled for the most part
Many new bosses have been added and almost all areas in act 1, 2, 4 and 5 are completely redone.
A number of quests have been changed and the rewards improved.
rare items have been greatly improved.
Items can be socketed by the player, the more basic the item, the more sockets it can hold. (max sockets on white/magic, half as many on rare for example)
Tons of new monsters have been added,
Potions are removed
A new orb healing system is added
Characters also start with 2 skills that must be cast repeatedly to recover health/mana out of combat
Preview of a locked doors system
Caster damage is based mainly on energy rather than skill synergies allowing for multiple element builds
Enemys now come with counter attacks/skills
a number of new sidequests have been added including a level challenge and a survival challenge
Many new craft recipes added.
many new item properties added
some new music added

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Special Thanks To:
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Blizzard - Diablo 2 and LoD expansion (+ some images used without consent but with the best of intentions)
Seltsamuel - forum hosting and answering numerous questions + providing the fantastic D2SE Mod manager
Phrozen Keep - amazing modding knowledge base and a very nice community to be a part of
Necrolis - answering my questions on code edits and many other things
Dav92 - many great new D2Mod plugins including high resolution and answering my questions
Nefarius - for the many code editing threads that helped me achieve a number of goals
SVR - D2Mod System and a numer of D2Mod plugins
Infinitum - many monster animations
Inventheria - a number of item graphics
Diabolic Cartography - Many maps and DT1's
Volf - Ds1 Editor and multiple map plugins
Soulmancer/AKA Terry McDonald - for the Hell Unleashed mod that got me in to modding
Blue Myriddn - A number of item images
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Healing:

Healing is done in 3 ways. First, all characters start with 2 innate skills. One recovers health, 1 recovers mana. While using this healing skill you are greatly slowed, so you need to move to safety to recover this way.

The second way you can heal is by collecting the orbs monsters sometimes release when they die. Blue orbs recover 10% mana and red orbs recover 10% health, Purple orbs recover health and mana.
Bosses will spawn these occasionaly when they take damage

The Thrid way is through a unique charm you start with. This controls how much life you regain based on your base vitality. Currently, if you die you have to double click the charm afterwards to enable the healing. DONT FORGET!!!
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Bosses:

Bosses have a number of tricks up their sleeve. First, if they dont take damage for 30 seconds, they will recover health extremely fast (almost instant).
Second, every so often they will counter your attacks and go into a rage that increases their damage, speeds and makes them curse immune. This lasts for 5 seconds at a time.
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Crafting:

Crafting info is available in the documentation file
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Runewords:

Runewords are available in the runewords file
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Random Stuff:

Socketing:
sockets are self explanitory, cube an item with a socket to add 1 socket. all 6 space items can have maximum sockets for their size (6 socket armor, 4 socket helm)
Only magic and white items can have up to 6 sockets,
Rares can have a max of half the number a white mag can have
crafts can have a max of half the number of a white/mag -1
uniques and sets can have a maximum of 1

To socket a rare/craft, you need 2 of the same socket.
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Unsocketing:
any socketed item + ID scroll = item unsocketed (destroys socketed gems/runes/jewels)
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Upgrading low quality to normal quality:
cracked/damaged item + 2 jewels = normal quality item
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Upgrading normal quality to high quality:
 normal item + 2 jewels = high quality item
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Locked Doors:

Sometimes, an area may be blocked off by a sealed door. These require a special key to open.
The guardian of the key is usually close to the door but not always. Once you get the key, you must equip it and click on the door.
When near a door, certain skills may become locked. This is to prevent you from teleporting through the wall or skipping the door.
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Skills:

Skills are restricted by character level. You are free to put 1 point into any skill you like at level 1, but after that:

Tier 1 skills (first row) can have another pint added, every 2 character levels
Tier 2 skills (first row) can have another pint added, every 3 character levels
Tier 3 skills (first row) can have another pint added, every 4 character levels
Tier 4 skills (first row) can have another pint added, every 5 character levels
Tier 5 skills (first row) can have another pint added, every 6 character levels
Certain items alow you to add another point to skills.
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Sidequests:

The Shadow Prince
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Location - The Shadow Palace

Kill Bel'Hain in the shadow palace in each difficulty to get his trophy. Cube th trophy with your stone of achievements to gain bonuses.
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Level Challenge - The Summoning Stones of Caska
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Location - The Great Marsh

The City of Caska, once a major stronghold of the New World has fallen. The Prince (Once known as Prince Harold) has forged a deal with the Keeper of the Netherworld after recieving a fatal wound from one of the keepers own demons. In return for earthly body, the prince (Now known as Haria'l) was ordered to guard the secrets of the Ancient Caskan Summoning Stones and send the souls of all would be heroes foolish enough to face him to The Netherworld to strengthen the Keeper's Forces.
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The city is cramped and you can easily be driven into a corner and trapped. There are multiple caster type enemys on the streets followed by fighter mages who will can teleport directly to your location. You will need good resists for this area.

This level challenge has 3 stages.
1: kill trash mobs in the city until you find a Summoning Stone
The stone comes with negative stats and a single socket.

2: You must kill Haria'l at level 40 or lower in normal, 80 or lower in nightmare and 100 or lower in hell.
Once you kill him, cube your Summoning Stone with an Essence Empowerment (sold at akara in act 1) to negate the stat penaltys and add one or 2 extra bonuses

3: After you have done the level challenge part, put your jewel from ormus (normal for normal difficulty etc.) into your Summoning Stone.
This adds the jewels stats to the charm + bonus stats + allows you to summon a new pet.
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Survival Challenge - The Chimes of Death
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Location - Kill nihlathak to access this area

Born of the Netherworld, the 3 chimes of death are Vasi, Reechani, and Sentrosi, representing Wind, Water and Fire respectively.
They were created for 1 purpose... to destroy all magic, and with it, the energy that is in everything living. Many years ago, the Lord Rahl banished the chimes after they were released by Sisters of the Dark. Though they drained much of the magic left in the world, they were stopped in time and the world was able to begin to heal. Now, the tear in the veil between the mortal realm and the Netherworld has been opened, the life sapping force of the chimes has once again, been unleashed.
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The Chimes are imprisoned in 3 orb prisons, when you enter their temple, they will start summoning minions to protect themselves.
Being so ancient and of the Netherworld, they cannot be killed as such, rather weakened and banished again.
The minions they spawn all hold a small part of the chimes physical form. Killing the minions while they are close to the chimes will damage the chimes. The chimes will survive until you have killed 1000 of their minions within range of each of them.
The minions are tough and come with dual immunitys. They also have hellish auras that deal cold, fire and lightning damage when in range. This can stack up very fast if you don't keep killing them to avoid it stacking.
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As a reward for banishing the chimes, each one drops an idol with some nice bonuses.
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Essences:
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It starts very simply:
Instead of 2 ring slots, you now have 1 ring slot and an Essence slot. Essences are unique items that are sometimes dropped by certain bosses. Each comes with a good proc skill, and stats based around the type of Essence it is.

They also come with varying amounts of "Available Upgrades". These are points you can spend on adding new bonuses to the items. Some come with good base stats but low available upgrades, others with basic base stats and a high number of upgrades available.

The upgrades are dropped by regular trash enemys, there will be around 100 different upgrades available.
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Binding Essences:

Now the interesting part of these items:

Essences can be "Bound" to their users spirit to grant greater bonuses. The cube recipe will be moderately expensive. You will have to save up and gather materials for it from various parts of the world.

Once Bound, the essences are tied to your characters well being. Each time you take damage, your "Essence Strength" increases by 1. Starting at 0 and maxing at 100. If you don't take damage at least every 4 seconds, your Essence Strength drops back to 0.
Essence Strength is listed on your character screen so you can keep track of it if you need to.

"What does Essence Strength do???"
Good question!
Essence Strength gives bonuses to the character depending on what type of "Binding" you used.

Each Elemental version gives:
1% mastery per 1% Essence Strength
1% Pierce per 10% Essence Strength
1% Absorb per 10% Essence Strength

There are 6 possible Bindings
"Bound by Flames"
"Bound by Frost"
"Bound by Thunder"
"Bound by Venom"
"Bound by Magic"
"Bound by Steel"

Essence binding recipes
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Bound by Steel (physical binding) = essence + el rune in cube
Bound by Flames = essence + eld rune in cube
Bound by Ice = essence + tir rune in cube
Bound by Lightning = essence + ID Scroll in cube
Bound by Venom = essence + mana potion in cube
Bound by Magic = essence + health potion in the cube