Dungeons & Dragons Meets Diablo (1999-2001)

In 1999, Blizzard Entertainment and Wizards of the Coast embarked on a brief collaboration that would see the Diablo computer game adapted for play in Dungeons & Dragons tabletop roleplaying.

The first release was a standalone RPG – Dungeons & Dragons Adventure Game: Diablo II Edition – which was one of the bonus items in the Big Box Diablo II Collector’s Edition of the computer game.

Later the box set would be followed up by a handful of adventure books not connected with the box, written for WotC’s new 3rd edition D&D. I will list these near the bottom of the post, as well as a set of D&D Diablo Monsters metal miniatures.

These accessories are scarce to rare today.

UNBOXING: Dungeons & Dragons Adventure Game: Diablo II Edition

I haven’t had one of these sets in the shop since 2011. Now here it is… in shrinkwrap!

I don’t have any great pics of the contents. Well, it’ll cost me, but y’all know I have to open it up for a good photoshoot.

**Remember back when you bought software in a box?** The box is old school software style packaging is very evocative. Continuing the theme, all the contents are contained in a cardboard flap tray box. I believe the box is only present with sets that WotC sold themselves, as the Blizzard Diablo II Collector’s Edition (CE) open set photos I’ve seen just have the contents, not this black box.

Dungeons & Dragons Adventure Game: Diablo II Edition

1999 … Jeff Grubb & Bill Slavicsek … Wizards of the Coast / Blizzard Entertainment … TSR11548 … ISBN 078691548X

CONTENTS: * Two Books: Rule book & Quest book * a DM Screen * Twelve Sheets of Dungeon-Buildiing Tiles * Five Hero Folders (right out of the computer game) * Six Dice.

Dungeons & Dragons Diablo items in the shop

Diablo II D&D set at Amazon

Check eBay

Rules Book

Already, we’re seeing the amazing art of rk post. More to follow.

The rules are late-stage AD&D. Except magic uses Mana.

There were characters for the five different original Diablo II characters (Amazon, Barbarian, Necromancer, Paladin and Sorceress). The characters were pre-set – there were no rules for rolling your own stats. You did get to pick from a selection of spells/abilities, getting to pick one each level. So a Necromancer might pick “Summon Skeleton” which let you animate a dead monster. They had advancement rules to get the characters up to level 5. The only real difference between the system and regular D&D was that they had mana, which was used to power the spells and abilities, a slot system for equipment, and the above mentioned ability system.
More at Dave M.’s review on BGG

Quest Book

More rk post illustrations

Character & Monster sheets / DM Screen / Tiles & Tokens

The Character & Monster “book” is a bunch of folded sheets leafed together.

What’s in the Box sheet and the baggie of black dice.

Tiles n’ Tokens (game calls ’em Hero and Monster Disks).

Reverse sides are printed. Heroes and Monsters can be flipped when eliminated.

This concludes our look through the D&D Diablo II box set.

Dungeons & Dragons Diablo items in the shop

The D&D Diablo RPG Books

Diablo II: The Awakening

2000 … Bruce R. Cordell & Mike Selinker … TSR 11612 … ISBN 0786916125

Five new AD&D kits (Amazon, Barbarian, Paladin, Necromancer and Sorcerer)

Check Wayne’s Books Inventory

Check Amazon

Diablo II: Diablerie

2000 … JD Wiker … TSR 11760 … ISBN 0786917601

D&D 3rd Edition. Over a million magic items, five character classes, and more than a hundred spells and skills bring the world of Diablo II to life.

Check Wayne’s Books Inventory

Check Amazon

Diablo II: To Hell & Back

2001 … WTC 11831 … 192 pages … ISBN 0786918314

D&D 3rd Edition. Every level and all 4 acts of the computer game are represented in the tabletop mega-adventure, which includes 64 pages of monsters, information for levels 1-30, and over 60 maps!

Check Wayne’s Books Inventory

Check Amazon