Hirelings are Mercenaries that you can hire to fight by your side. Hirelings are very
loyal and fight to the death. Hirelings are very useful. Every player should have one!
The Hireling follows you and automatically attacks any monsters or
hostile players nearby. You can also see them on your Automap as an aqua colored "X". You can only have one Hireling at
a time. Each party member can have their own Hireling however bringing
the total to 8 Mercenaries in a full game or party.
Hirelings will die of Poison if you do not heal them.
Hireling Information
When you hire a Hireling you are charged a one time fee in Gold. The price of each Hireling is listed when you Hire them.
The Hire menu also lists some additional information about the Hireling such as Level, Damage, special attacks,
and Hit Points.
Attributes and Experience
Hirelings in Diablo II: Lord of Destruction come with their own set of attributes: Strength, Dexterity, Health,
Damage, Defense, and Experience. As Hirelings kill monsters, they gain experience points. When they gain enough
experience points to reach a new level, their attributes automatically improve. You can also improve their
attributes by equipping them with better equipment (see below). Keep in mind that Hirelings aren't just paid
mercenaries--they are co-adventurers. They fully share experience for their kills with you,
and they receive a smaller share of experience for monsters that you kill.
Mercenaries do not get experience from party member kills, but they do from your summoned monsters/characters.
Hirelings will not gain experience once they have reached your level. They will begin to gain experience again once you
level up.
Hirelings might not level up very well if they are in areas where monsters are much higher in level. You might have
to try different areas to find good places to level up your Hirelings. Try to keep your Hirelings near your character
level. Always quickly resurrect them so that they don't fall further behind.
Hireling Levels
Hirelings cannot level past your current Character Level. The only way you can get a Hireling that is a higher level
than your character is by buying one at that higher level. Hirelings at a higher level will not level up or
gain experience until you catch up to their level. Often they will not level up until you level up.
Once you have leveled up, they will quickly do the same, often in a few hits.
Hirelings have a maximum level of 98.
Hireling Resistances
Hirelings gain Resistances when they level up. They also are affected by the Nightmare and Hell Difficulty resistance
penalties.
Hireling Damage
hireling min = [(weapon min)*(str+100)/100]+base min
hireling max = [(weapon max)*(str+100)/100]+base max
Bonuses such as Fire or Cold Damage are added to the overall damage after
the formula, bonuses such as increased damage % are factored only on the
weapon itself and not the Hirelings base damage and goes toward the weapon
min and max stat. This won't affect how much the Hireling actually deals
if they never use their weapon. The Rogue from act 1 should also be the
same except substitute Dexterity for Strength in the formulae.
Hireling Continuity
Hirelings are now willing and able to accompany you to any of the various Acts of the game. In fact, you
can actually finish the entire game through all three difficulty settings using only the first Hireling received
in Act I. You may choose to employ a new Hireling at any time, but you may not take more than one Hireling into your
service at a time. If you choose to replace your current Hireling with a fresh one, your old Hireling will retire and
be unavailable for further service. Before you replace a Hireling, open the Hireling Inventory and remove any items
you want to keep. Otherwise, you will lose that equipment.
Hireling Death
When your Hireling dies, you can return to the nearest mercenary captain and either pay to have your late comrade
resurrected, or hire a new one. If you choose to resurrect your Hireling, he or she will return to your employ
with all of the attributes, experience, and equipment he or she had at the time of death. If, however, you decide
to employ a new Hireling, you give up the services of the recently departed and forfeit any equipment he or she
was wearing. Note: if your character dies, your Hireling dies as well.
As the Hireling gets to higher levels it will cost more to revive them. It will never cost more than 50,000 Gold to
revive your Hireling.
In Act IV, Tyrael will resurrect your Hireling but he will charge you. What does he do with that gold? Angels got to
pay the bills too.
How can I keep my Hireling Alive?
Give your Hireling good equipment. Find items that raise their resistances to max. Give them high Defense Armor. Give
them high damage weapons. Heal them during battle. Whenever their health starts to drop, give them a Health Potion. Health
Potions heal over time for them just like they do for you so keep this in mind. Use Rejuvenation Potions in emergency situations
when your Hireling is about to die. Use Full Rejuvenation Potions in extreme emergencies. When your Hireling is
about to die, back away from battle and heal them. You can also use a Town Portal and visit the Town Healer, and quickly return
to battle. Items of Life Regeneration can also help keep Hirelings in full health. Use Wells to heal your Hirelings as well.
The combination of good equipment, careful healing, and backing away so your Hireling doesn't die will help reduce the number
of times your Hireling dies and will save you the resurrection cost.
Hireling Spells
Hirelings can cast player spells. They have a unlimited supply of Mana so you do not have to be concerned about
giving them Mana Potions or about giving Hirelings Items that add to Energy or Mana. You cannot control which spells
Hirelings cast but certain Hirelings will only cast certain spells. Usually you have to buy a Hireling and see what spells
they cast to know which version you have received.
Hirelings can use Healing Potions
You can use a Healing Potion from the Belt (either by hotkey or right-clicking) while holding down the shift key to give the
Healing Potion to the player's Hireling.
You can also heal your Hireling directly, by left-clicking on a healing or
Rejuvenation Potion in your backpack or belt and then dragging it over the Hireling's gold-bordered portrait
located in the upper left of the game screen. When the portrait is highlighted, left-click again to release
the potion onto the portrait. You can also heal your Hireling by visiting a healing Well.
You must keep your mouse cursor over your Hireling for three seconds before the portrait highlights and the text "Drop
potion on hireling portrait, right-click to open inventory" appears.
Hirelings have an unlimited supply of Mana or Energy so they do not need and cannot use Mana Potions.
Hireling Regeneration
Hirelings automatically regenerate Life over time.
Hirelings vs. Bosses
Hireling damage is 50% against Bosses in Normal, 35% in Nightmare, and 25% in Hell difficulties.
Additionally, Hirelings takes 10 times more damage from End Act Bosses.
Player vs Player
The Player vs Player penalty for players or Hirelings attacking other players
is 1/4.
The Player vs Player penalty is 1/2 for Hirelings attacking other Hirelings.
Giving Equipment to Hirelings
You can and should furnish your Hirelings with equipment such as armor, helms, and weapons. Your Hirelings must
meet all Strength, Dexterity, and Level Requirements for the item, and any weapons must be compatible with
the Hirelings' weapon type, as represented by what you see them carrying. (For instance, the Rogue
Hirelings in Act I can be equipped with a War Bow, but not a Short Sword, whereas the Town Guard Hirelings in Act
II can be equipped with a Voulge, but not a Crossbow.) To equip your Hireling, simply left-click
on the appropriate button on your Mini-panel or press the O key to bring up the Hireling Inventory and
Information screen. You must keep your mouse cursor over your hireling for three seconds
before the portrait highlights and the text "Drop potion on hireling portrait, right-click to open inventory" appears.
Then place items in the corresponding slots as you would in your own Inventory screen.
Players can not give or take items from a hireling if they are not within range.
Find better and better equipment for your Hirelings. Find resistance equipment to give to them to keep them alive
longer. Find high Defense Armor to protect them.
Hirelings start with basic equipment that is not
shown on the Hireling Equipment page. You can replace the equipment with new equipment, but if you remove all of
the equipment on the Hireling Equipment page, they will still have their basic equipment. You can't for example
take away the Rogue's Bow. She will always have a basic bow.
You can try different things to discover what kinds of equipment a Hireling will accept. If they can't wear it, they will let you know.
The appearance of a Hireling will remain unchanged when adding new weapons, armor and helms.
Hirelings can use almost all Magical Bonuses including + Skills Items.
Good Items
Replenish Life items can help keep your Hirelings healed.
Hirelings can take advantage of Ethereal Items because their items do not lose Durability. Give your Hirelings
Uniques, Rares or whatever else they can wear. Try to build up their resistances as well if possible.
Bad Items
Hirelings have no need for +Mana/Energy Items or Items that Steal % Mana. +Vitality Items also do not work.
