5 Diablo III: Reaper of Souls Features You Should Know About

We all know Diablo III has had its ups and downs. Now that the hack and slash is in a valiant upswing, there seemingly could not be a better time to release the highly-anticipated Reaper of Souls expansion. 

The initial trailer for the game, shown at BlizzCon 2013, left drooling Diablo fans on the edge of their seat. Now that the March 25th release date is within reach, Blizzard dropped a launch trailer highlighting all of the speculated features the first trailer skipped out on. 

Here are the 5 most important changes to the game that any dedicated fan should be preparing for.

The Crusader

This new class will have Paladin-enthusiasts jumping for joy. However, Blizzard would like to point out that this class has never "fallen to corruption," as other Paladins have. This defensive-style hybrid class wields a sword and shield alongside his/her mid-range pool of spells. 

Using Wrath as a resource, the Crusader has the power to improve the stats of allies while weakening his/her enemies. Not to be confused with the brawler fighting style of the Barbarian or the invincibility of the Monk, this class allows users options.

Whether you want to be the first line of defense for your allies, or stand back and focus on spells, this class allows more flexibility than the original Paladin. 

A Fifth Act

With the new expansion, a fifth chapter will be added to the Diablo III story line. While Blizzard has only commented that the act will be taking place "mostly in Westmarch," it has also been confirmed that this act will follow the Nephalem's quest through the Pandemonium Fortress as well.

This new adventure will continue to halt Malthael, a dark archangel focused on destroying humanity and his allies. The Angel of Death believes that all life in the Diablo-verse consists of "demonic half-breeds" who could disrupt the forces of heaven. While this demonic creature schemes to destroy all life, it is the player's job to put an end to the never-ending terror. 

A New Artisan: the Mystic

There's a new NPC merchant on the scene, and her name is Myriam Jahzia. This new artisan has the ability to provide "item enchanting." This means the players will have the opportunity to upgrade an item by rerolling one affix.

The items you take to the Mystic will become bound to your account once they are improved, which means they no longer have the ability to be traded. 

World of Warcraft transmogrification fans will also be excited, as the Mystic will also provide the ability to change the appearance of your gear and other physical attributes. 

The Mystic becomes available once you find her hiding under a pile of corpses in the Souls of the Dead quest of Act V.

Nephalem Rifts

Formerly known as Loot Runs, this new dungeon will give hardcore players an agonizing challenge. Modeled after the boss runs many players will recognize from Diablo II, Nephalem Rifts is a thrilling 10-15 minute dungeon crawl featuring fully-randomized enemies upon entering.

This feature is unlike any of the normal game content, with the end bosses as arbitrary as the mobs inside. 

Once players locate a Nephalem Rift Key, they are able return them to an NPC in town. This will enable him/her to access the Nephalem Rift entrance portal. Players can then choose to explore one, or multiple, rifts in the same game. 

New Level Cap, Skills, Runes, and More

Now, this may come as a surprise to you, but the expansion also comes with a small raise to the level cap. Level 60 players will now have to climb 10 more levels to 70 to reach the new cap.

The system also includes unlimited Paragon Levels which will give you the ability to distribute points across your account, not just one specific character. 

The expansion also includes new skills, runes, and passive abilities for the pre-existing classes, Barbarian, Witch Doctor, Wizard, Monk, and Demon Hunter. Once the player reaches level 70, a fourth passive slot will also appear for each character to explore.