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Sympathy for the Devil

Minions & Pets

You may read the term 'Minion' in a variety of contexts describing some hierarchy of units. To avoid, or at least show the possibilities of, confusion, here are some more detailled descriptions.

Monster

All monster classes are listed in Atair's german d2wissen.
Browse to Monster section there. Note that the 1.10 section is restricted in browser compability.

Bosspacks

Minions of a Boss are the only units in the game which are described as 'Minion' in their life bar (well, and the monster class 'Minion' is just named so to annoy me). Those will gain +2 to the monster level their normal counterparts in a given map have assigned. AI is somewhat bound to the Boss, they'll follow Boss' targetting even while affected by AI bending curses and suchlike. To some extend they also inherit boss modifications like extra fast or freeze damage.
Their class is either similar to the Boss or an inferior class, if such is assigned to the Boss' class in MonStat.txt.
A superunique boss will get minions of a class defined in SuperUniques.txt.

1.09 Marke In 1.09 and before boss' Minions always were the same class like the Boss itself, again with exception of Superuniques.

groupings

You may encounter some monster packs without an apparent boss, but with a 'higher' class' monster controlling some 'lower' class' monsters. This applies to Fallen Shamans with Fallens, Flayer Shamans with Flayers, Greater Mummies with Skeletons, Cantors with Zakarumites, Oblivion Knights with Dark Knights or Overseers with Minions (hmph, complain to Blizzard North about this one). First you meet the lower class alone, but in further maps they have a higher class assigned, which grants some tactical depth, since higher class monsters will stay in the background and heal, revive or incite their lower brethren.

Those packs don't stay tightly together, and the chief doesn't concentrate his activities to his own pack at all. Any lower class monster in range will profit by the chief.

Monster classes designed as 'chiefs' are never found without assigned minions, except of being generated as Champions.

A special case: a Fallen Shaman Boss may also revive nearby common Fallen Shamans, not just Fallens.

undead

Greater Mummies are classified as 'high undead' and able to revive any 'low undead' corpse in range, not just Skeletons. 'low undead' are almost every other undead's classes except Greater Mummies and Vampires. Yep, Oblivion Knights also are 'low undead'! Refer to MonStats.txt extraction for details.

spawner

Some monsters may hatch or spawn others. There is no further connection between spawnlings and monstermomma. This applies to Sand Maggots and Vile Mothers, and further to Putrid Defilers.
Blood Raven, Coldworm the Burrower and Nihlatak may also spawn other monsters.

cry help

Quite unnoticed by most players a bunch of monster classes has AI parameters assigned which allow them to call others in vicinity for help. Your common Fallen has this ability. The Overseers in Act5 may curse their enemies (=you) with 'Cry Help', which looks and works pretty much similar to Necromancer's Attract, if not with such strong effect.


players

Some people call every unit subject to a player character his 'minion'. Since there's a variety of rules to different subordinated units this is bad language.
To call other players minions is bad manners.
To treat other players as minions is antisocial behaviour.
Subordinated units are technically not allowed to summon subordinated units of their own, neither activly nor passively via trigger events.

hirelings

Hirelings will be affected by various potions you feed them. They also share, or may be target to, healing effects. Since I've wrote a primer dedicated to them I won't elaborate further on this subtopic. English readers may as well refer to ThePlatypus' Mercenary Resource.

Pets

Player characters may summon a variety of creatures, further referred to as 'Pets'. They stay with the character and may be healed via healing spells, town healers or Wells in the wilderness.
As a rule of thumb Pets will grant full experience to the summoning character if they kill anything, and character's Magic Find as well as Gold Find properties will count here. Other item properties of character's equipment won't affect Pets. Assassin's stationary Traps also count as 'Pets' in this case.
Sorceress' Hydra spell is a kind of its own, it counts as Pet, but unlike to other pets Fire Mastery (skill and item property) as well as '-enemy fire resistance' granted by equipment will also affect Hydra. Due to sodding crossclass Charges and trigger events this applies to any other class able to summon Hydra as well.

converted monsters

Paladin and Assassin are able to convert monsters so those will fight at character's side for some time. A Necromancer may curse monsters so they fight each other. Monsters under those effects can't be healed and won't follow the player character.
Very similar behaviour show reanimate as: Returned skeletons.
Some glitch allows monsters to change side permanently. They stay where they are, though.

pet survey
ClassPetalignedthreatmobilitygives expinherits
activelyvia thorns 1MF/GF 2MaeK
LaeK 2
+x elemental skill damage 3-x enemy elemental resistance 3
1 Thorns aura, Iron Maiden, Iron Golem, Spirit of Barbs
2 omit thorn effects
3 elemental mastery and Facet stuff
4 doesn't share Thorns aura
follows player in map: only reluctantly, lure them
AmazonDecoyyes14stationarynoyesnononono
Valkyrie11folllows player anywhereyesyes
AssassinShadow Warrioryes11follows player anywhereyesyesyesnonono
Shadow Master11
Mind Blastedyesmonster dependentfollows player in mapyesyesyesnonono
Blade Sentinelyesnonestationaryyesnoyesnonono
Charged Bolt Sentry
Wake of Fire
Lightning Sentry
Wake of Inferno
Death Sentry
DruidRavenyesnonefollows player anywhereyesnoyesnonono
Spirit Wolf10yes
Dire Wolf10
Grizzly11
Oak Sageyes8follows player anywherenoyesnononono
Heart of Wolverine8
Spirit of Barbs8
Poison Creeperyesnonefollows player anywhereyesyesyesnonono
Carrion Vinenoneno
Solar Creepernoneno
NecromancerSkeleton Warrioryes10follows player anywhereyesyesyesnonono
Skeleton Mage10
Revivemonster dependentfollows player anywhere,
tends to hang around
a lot
Clay Golemyes11follows player anywhereyesyesyesnonono
Blood Golem11
Iron Golem11follows player anywhere,
tends to go poof
a lot
yes 4
Fire Golem11follows player anywhereyes
Bone Wallyes1stationarynononononono
Bone Prisonyes1
Confusednomonster dependentstays at enemyyesyesnononono
Attracted
PaladinConversionedyesmonster dependentfollows player in mapyesyesyesnonono
SorceressHydrayesnonestationaryyesnoyesnoyesyes
 
- Rogueyes10follows player anywhereyesyesyes, additively to ownnonono
Town Guard11
Iron Wolf11
Act5 Barbarian11
 
- reanimated as: Returnedyes10follows player in mapyesyesyesnonono

TitanSeal created new skill desriptions with great detail, though they're available in german only. Differences to my elderly findings may be judged in TitanSeal's favor.

see also:

Amazon

The Amazon is able to call two aligned units to her side.
Decoy is stationary, Valkyrie is mobile.

Skill-Icon Decoy Decoy

Othin once did a very detailled Basin posting called
Mirror, Mirror ....


Skill-Icon Valkyrie Valkyrie

* Valkyrie's equipment
sLvl* itemquality
mag: magical
rare: rare quality
1Full Plate Mailmag
1Spearmag
2Gauntletsmag
4Greavesmag
5Plated Beltmag
7Chaos Armorrar
8Lancerar
10War Gauntletsmag
11War Bootsmag
12War Beltmag
13Amuletmag
14Circletmag
16Sacred Armorrar
17Warpikerar
19Crusader Gauntletsrar
21Myrmidon Bootsrar
23Colossus Girdlerar
25Amuletrar
27Tiararar

Her equipment is defined in MonEquip.txt.
Better stuff will replace equipment depending on sLvl.

To compare IAS with effective IAS (EIAS) refer to table in Appendix.
IAS from equipment will affect EIAS here:

IASEIAS
109
2017
3024
4030
attack speed
EIASfpa
022
321
620
1119
1518
2017
2716
3315
4114
4913
5912
7011
8410

Skill-Icon Strafe Strafe

Since 1.10 Pets don't increase maximum arrows shot in one salve. This is caused by a MonStats.txt entry and itherefore includes other, even hostile, player's Pets.

1.09 Marke In 1.09 any unit in range granted a bonus arrow. The mechanism was buggy, it seemed that damage of all arrows summed up to just a single arrow's damage.


Assassin

An Assassin may summon two different helpers. Shadow Warrior will only use skills of character's hotbuttons, Shadow Master will use skills independently from Assassin herself. Both Shadows exclude each other.
Calculation of Shadow's used skill's level includes Assassin's skill level of that skill (while Shadow uses this skill) and sLvl of Shadow herself (while summoned).

Both Shadows get some equipment, which is controlled in MonEquip.txt. Armor and headdress are dummies, which will be replaced with similar base items the Assassin wears. Shadow Warrior only gets Magicals, Master may get Rares, too. Both Shadows get two claw weapons. Better stuff will replace equipment depending on sLvl.

Skill-Icon Shadow Warrior Shadow Warrior - SW

* Shadow Warrior's equipment
sLvl* itemquality
# same like Assassin
mag: magical
1Armor #mag
1Helm #mag
1Cestusmag
1Blade Talonmag

Only the skills assigned to left and right mouse button may be used by the Shadow Warrior. She can't summon another Shadow by herself, though.

attack speed:
CoT, BoI, FoF, DC
EIASframes
016
815
1514
2413
3412
4611
6110

Two hit checks are done.

attack speed
Standard Attack
EIASframes
014
613
1412
2411
3510
499
658

To compare IAS with effective IAS (EIAS) refer to table in Appendix.

throwing speed:
Blade Fury
eFCRframes
017
Dragon Flight
 frames
023

Skill-Icon Shadow Master Shadow Master

** Shadow Master's equipment
sLvl** itemquality
# same like Assassin
sup: superior
mag: magical
rar: rare
1Armor #sup
1Helm #sup
1Suwayyah,
War Fist or
Scissors Suwayyah
sup
1Hand Scythe,
Greater Talons or
Scissors Suwayyah
sup
5Bramble Mitts,
Vambraces or
Ogre Gauntlets
sup
6Armor #mag
6Helm #mag
6Suwayyah,
War Fist or
Scissors Suwayyah
mag
6Hand Scythe,
Greater Talons or
Scissors Suwayyah
mag
6Bramble Mitts,
Vambraces or
Ogre Gauntlets
mag
9Ring (right)mag
11Armor #rar
11Helm #rar
11Ring (right)rar
11Bramble Mitts,
Vambraces or
Ogre Gauntlets
rar
11Suwayyah,
War Fist or
Scissors Suwayyah
rar
11Hand Scythe,
Greater Talons or
Scissors Suwayyah
rar
13Ring (left)rar
17Amuletrar

The Shadow Master may usealmost all Assassin skills, omitting summoning other Shadows. The probability of skill usage considers Assassin's native investment in skills and skill groups. Further individual situation and global parameters are involved. This was new to 1.10 to prevent repeated casting of Cloak of Sahdows by the Shadow Master. Refer also this topic in Lurker Lounge.

attack speed:
CoT, BoI, FoF, DC
EIASframes
017
616
1415
2214
3113
4212
5511

Two hit checks are done. The Master gets a bonus of -10 to WSM.

attack speed:
Standard Attack
EIASframes
014
613
1412
2411
3510
499
658

To compare IAS with effective IAS (EIAS) refer to table in Appendix.

throwing speed:
Blade Fury
eFCRframes
016
Dragon Flight
 frames
023

Skill-Icon Mind Blast Mind Blast

Usage of this skill will damage enemies, knock them back, and change their mind to fight on Sin's side instead of Evil's.
The Assassin gets experience, if a Mind Blasted kills an enemy.


Traps

Stationary Assassin traps count technically as minions. This applies especially to the sentry-class traps. So item properties Mana after each Kill and Life after each Kill won't work for the Trapsin. Also -x enemy elemental resistance and +x elemental skill damage are of no use to her.
Speed of Laying Traps is attack speed, not casting speed.


Barbarian

Barbarians are not able to summon Pets natively.
Move on, nothing to see here.


Druid

Attack speed tables will only be of use in conjunction with a friendly Fanaticism aura.
In unmodified games there's no other way to enhance it.
Recent findings indicate another approach and other values regarding Wolves' and Grizzly's Defense and Attack Ratings, according to onderduiker's testings at the Basin.
A Druid is only allowed to summon one kind of animal, vine and spirit each. Ravens are the exception, they can be summoned additively.

Skill-Icon Raven Raven

attack speed
EIASframes
028

Druid's Ravens are able to hack enemy's eyes, vulgo blind an enemy. The applied formula to calculate the chance is similar to item property Hit Blinds Target, but with modified atLvl.

CtB = 30 + ((Bonus * 4) + atLvl - dfLvl) * 5 % sLvlDV = [(CtB - Roll) / 5] + 1, maximum 20 with atLvl = cLvlDruid + sLvlRaven - 2

CtB: Chance to Blind Bonus: blinding bonus, here 1 atLvl: Attacker Level dfLvl: Defender Level sLvlDV: Dim Vision Level (to define effect's duration) Roll: random figure from {0, ..., 99} [ ]: Floor Function

Ravens' Chance to Hit is also determined with the above atLvl. Similar to almost any creature a Raven has a chance of 5% to do a critical hit.
Ravens can't be damaged, but a Raven will disappear after some attacks. Attack count is dependent on skill level.


Skill-Icon Spirit Wolf Spirit Wolf

During attacks wolves' Chance to Hit/getHit is determined by cLvl as atLvl and dfLvl. Similar to almost any creature a Wolf has a chance of 5% to do a critical hit.
There's no individual leech penalty in any difficulty (the global penalty is in effect, though).
The extra assigned Teleport skill will port the wolves to their master; nevertheless this is behaviour of most Minions.
Base damage is read entirely from Skills.txt, this is modified by Grizzly's synergy and the usual aura stuff. Dire Wolves will give a synergy to life. The native defense increase and the synergy increase are additive.


Skill-Icon Dire Wolf Dire Wolf (Fenris)

During attacks wolves' Chance to Hit/getHit is determined by cLvl as atLvl and dfLvl. Similar to almost any creature a Wolf has a chance of 5% to do a critical hit.
There's no individual leech penalty in any difficulty (the global penalty is in effect, though).
The extra assigned Teleport skill will port the wolves to their master, too; nevertheless this is behaviour of most Minions.
Base damage is read entirely from Skills.txt, this is modified by Grizzly's synergy and the usual aura stuff. Spirit Wolves will give a synergy to attack rating and defense, the latter will be additive with their native enhancement.

Hit Recovery duration
of all Wolves
eFHRframes
013
Cast Speed
Teleport
eFCRframes
049
attack speed
of all Wolves
EIASframes
018
617
1216
1915
2714
3613

To compare IAS with effective IAS (EIAS) refer to table in Appendix.


Skill-Icon Grizzly Grizzly

During attacks Grizzly's Chance to Hit/getHit is determined by cLvl as atLvl and dfLvl. Similar to almost any creature the bear has a chance of 5% to do a critical hit.
There's no individual leech penalty in any difficulty (the global penalty is in effect, though).
Base damage is read entirely from Skills.txt, this is modified by his synergy and the usual aura stuff. Spirit Wolves will give a synergy to defense and attack rating; Dire Wolves will give a synergy to life.

attack speed
BearSmite
EIASframes
017
416
1015
1814
2613
3612
attack speed
Standard Attack
EIASframes
012
911
1910
319
Hit Recovery duration
eFHRframes
010

Skill-Icon Oak Sage Oak Sage

During foeish attacks cLvl will count as dfLvl of the Totem.
Totems are non-leechable in all difficulties.


Skill-Icon Heart of Wolverine Heart of Wolverine - HoW

During foeish attacks cLvl will count as dfLvl of the Totem.
Totems are non-leechable in all difficulties.


Skill-Icon Spirit of Barbs Spirit of Barbs - SoB

As always, thorns damage will only work if SoB is bullied in melee with physical damage.
During foeish attacks cLvl will count as dfLvl of the Totem.
Totems are non-leechable in all difficulties.


Skill-Icon Poison Creeper Poison Creeper

During attacks calculation of vine level is cLvl * 3/4 + sLvl.
Vines are non-leechable in all difficulties. They aren't resistant to any kind of damage.

Poison Creeper, also often called by its technical name Plague Poppy, will attack enemies directly and poison the ground. The latter works technically quite similar to Assassin's Shock Web.
The toxic ground will poison any enemy moving over it. Those who stay at one place won't suffer further damage, moving will switch of collision checking routine and thus lead to further poisoning. Even when the vine itself dies the ground stays toxic, duration and area diameter grow with sLvl.
One vine may poison a spot multiple times. This even works on water (Act3 Bayous) or on air (Act2 Arcane Sanctuary), but the plaiting doesn't last there and does almost no damage.
If the Creeper has done a direct attack it will move sideways, thus causing the attacked enemy to follow it over toxic ground. Collision detection check prevents an enemy from being damaged by one mat multiple times, but this check is switched of if multiple enemies move on the same mat. Then all enemies will be repeatedly damaged by one mat as long as it lasts or they move over it, whichever occurs first.

see also:

Skill-Icon Carrion Vine Carrion Vine

During attacks calculation of vine level is cLvl * 3/4 + sLvl.
Vines are non-leechable in all difficulties. They aren't resistant to any kind of damage.


Skill-Icon Solar Creeper Solar Creeper

During attacks calculation of vine level is cLvl * 3/4 + sLvl.
Vines are non-leechable in all difficulties. They aren't resistant to any kind of damage.


Necromancer

Only one Golem can be summoned at a time, regardless of summon meanings. So it doesn't matter if the ability to summon a Golem is native or granted via Charges. Golem Mastery will enhance life, Attack Rating and velocity of all Golems. They lack GetHit mode, so they aren't subject to Hit Recovery or Knockback.
Omit Revives all Necromancer's summoned Pets benefit from Summon Resist. This doesn't apply to Attracted or Confused enemies.

Skill-Icon Clay Golem Clay Golem - CG

Gumby will slow down enemies on contact. It is the only Golem which doesn't just get more life from Golem Mastery but also from his own sLvl.

attack speed
EIASframes
017
416
1115
1914
2713
3712

Skill-Icon Blood Golem Blood Golem - BG

attack speed
EIASframes
015
814
1513
2412
3411

The Blood Golem doesn't leech life, it steals it from the enemy. His punching damage is irrelevant, it just has to hit an enemy. But the stealing ability doesn't reduce enemy's life. 70% of stolen life flow to the Golem, 30% to the character. A surplus flows to the one in need. If the Blood Golem suffers damage the summoner will suffer 10% of that, but can't die by this means. With 1.13 the Necromancer doesn't share damage with his Blood Golem anymore.
25% of a consumed healing potion's effect will flow to the Blood Golem.
It dosn't profit from thorny effects anymore since 1.10.


Skill-Icon Iron Golem Iron Golem - IG

item-transferred
properties

An Iron Golem may only be summoned from an identified, metallic item on the ground. Item's ability of being metallic is controlled in bitfield columns of Weapons.txt and Armor.txt.
It has an inherent thorny effect which won't stack with a friendly Thorn aura.
If it is summoned from an one-handed weapon, damage from weapon will be added to native punching damage. If it's summoned from a two-handed weapon, native punching damage is negated.
The Iron Golem may become immune to one or more elements, but it is not shown on its life bar, if immunity is caused by different meanings (like the item it is made from and an additional aura).
An native Iron Golem will be resummoned in a new game, if it survived the last one. Necromancer's equipment while joining the new game will affect Iron Golem's profit from Mastery and Summon Resist as well as from own sLvl, keep that one in mind if you want to summon IG with specialized gear.
An Iron Golem summoned via sodding Metal Grid Charges won't be resummoned in a new game, it is lost!

attack speed
EIASframes
-2020
-1919
-1518
-1017
-516
015
814
1513
2412
3411
4610
619

Skill-Icon Fire Golem Fire Golem - FG

attack speed
EIASframes
016
715
1414
2213
3112

When a Fire Golem dies it does a little explosion with half fire damage and half physical damage.
The small damage dealt depends on Fire Golem's base life, thus varies in difficulties respectively. It is approximately 100 fire plus 100 physical in Normal.


Skill-Icon Raise Skeleton Raise Skeleton - RS

attack speed
EIASframes
018
217
816
1515
2314
3113
Hit Recovery
eFHRframes
07
Block (Kite Shield only)
eFBRframes
09

There's a chance of 5% to summon a Skeleton equipped with a Kite Shield. There's rumour this ones can block with that one, other than those Skeletons spawning with a Buckler type of shield.


Skill-Icon Raise Skeleton Mage Raise Skeletal Mage - RSM

attack speed
EIASframes
018
217
816
1515
2314
3113
Hit Recovery
eFHRframes
07

Which kind of elemental damage an individual Skeleton Mage will deliver is random, but it will only deliver one kind of it, Poison, Cold, Fire or Lightning.
In technical terms the Mages throw their missiles, thus will benefit from a friendly Fanaticism aura, which increases throwing frequency.

Skeletal Mages' missile damage
missile levelPoisonColdFireLightning
cold duration is x seconds
poison duration is 10+10x seconds
To calculate poison damage per second multiplicate given value with 25/256 (extra precision).
Missiles fly for 30 frames duration (1.2s) with 9.3 yards per second velocity, thus range is 11.2 yards.
161 to 42 to 61 to 7
1 < x ≤ 86 + x(1 to 4) + x(2 to 6) + 2*x(1 to 7) + (1 to 3)*x
8 < x ≤ 1613 + 2*(x-8)(8 to 11) + 2*(x-8)(16 to 20) + 3*(x-8)(8 to 28) + (1 to 5)*(x-8)
16 < x ≤ 2229 + 4*(x-16)(24 to 27) + 3*(x-16)(40 to 44) + 5*(x-16)(16 to 68) + (1 to 8)*(x-16)
22 < x ≤ 2853 + 6*(x-22)(42 to 45) + 4*(x-22)(70 to 74) + 7*(x-22)(22 to 116) + (1 to 11)*(x-22)
28 < x 89 + 8*(x-28)(66 to 69) + 5*(x-28)(112 to 116) + 9*(x-28)(28 to 182) + (1 to 14)*(x-28)

Skill-Icon Revive Revive

From a monster's corpse the same monster is revived to fight on Necromancer's side. Some special abilities get lost, especially healing and reviving spells.
Some corpses can't be revived, this applies to Leapers, Flayer Shamans, Oblivion Knights, Tentacles and Minions of Destruction, further all stationary objects, and of course all those which doesn't leave a corpse. And you can't revive Champions, Bosses and suchlike.
Base abilities of Revived stay the same, this includes some boss minion modifications.
Summon Resist doesn't work for Revives.


Necromancer's Boney Walls are stationary, passive allies. Both skills use the same unit from MonStats.txt, several of which build either a row or a circle. The Prison needs an enemy target to be cast upon.

Skill-Icon Bone Wall Bone Wall - BW

bones' resistances
  NormalNightmareHell
physical0%0%50%
Cold70%90%0%
Poison70%200%0%
Fire0%0%0%
Lightning0%0%0%

Skill-Icon Bone Prison Bone Prison - BP


Curses which bend enemy's Artifical Intelligence cannot be applied to all monsters, and they don't work on hostile players. Refer also to german general and AI-bending curse descriptions.

Skill-Icon Confuse Confuse


Skill-Icon Attract Attract


Paladin

Skill-Icon Conversion Conversion

Using his ability to convert enemies a Paladin may sometimes see as last resort to fight evil successfully. If those Converted kill their former friends the Paladin will gain experience.
When Conversion has faded the ex-Converted will be easily defeated as long as character's level is below monster level.
Refer also to converted monsters above.


Sorceress

This class can summon a special kind of minion.
It is a special case's special case, actually.

Skill-Icon Hydra Hydra

attack speed
EIASframes
012

Though Hydra counts as a Pet in many aspects it will profit from Fire Mastery and, respectively, '+x fire skill damage' plus '-x enemy fire resistance' item properties worn by the Sorceress.
But, like with other Pets, MaeK and LaeK properties are of no use here.
Similar to Necromancer's Skeleton Mages Hydra's attacks are technically thrown, but it won't benefit from a friendly Fanaticism aura to enhance shooting frequency, because Hydra can't be affected by aurae.


Credits


Appendix

eIAS und ItemIAS compared
EIASIASEIASIASEIASIASEIASIASEIASIAS
12212641636112581250
23222742656212982259
34232943686313383270
45243044706413884280
56253245726514285292
67263446756614786304
78273547786715287317
89283748806815788330
910293949836916389345
1011304050867016890360
1113314251897117491377
1214324452927218092395
1315334653957318793414
1416344854997419494434
15183550551027520095456
16193652561057620896480
17203754571097721597507
18223856581137822398535
19233958591177923299566
202440606012080240100600

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