Diablo 2 Speedrun — Map Guide
Original guide written by teo1904 · mirrored on TheGHoppers with the author's permission.
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All text and images on this page are the work of teo1904 and are reproduced here with the author's permission. Source: pf-mail.wixsite.com/d2maps
Welcome to my Diablo Map-Guide
Hello everyone, this is going to be the map-section for my Diablo 2 speedrun guide.
Map knowledge is crucial in the Diablo 2 speedrun since you will lose a lot of time just wandering around if you don't know what to look out for. I hope this Map-Guide will help you out to get an even better speedrunner! I will only focus on Speedrun relevant maps. There are other maps that will be fairly similar though!
Under "Map-Orientation" you will find the general patterns that are mostly known. (Left / Right / Straight) Under "Advanced Map-knowledge" you will find a little more details for other maps that don't have the "Left / Right / Straight rule". Under "Dead end Recognition" you will see which dead ends you can recognize before running too deep into them.
If you have any specific questions / ideas / suggestions you should contact me. Most simple way to do that is joining my stream (twitch.tv/teo1904).
To check out the current world records on every class check out this page: speedrun.com/d2lod.
I am not a webdesigner so please don't expect a masterpiece in that regard. ;)
What is Right / Left / Straight
When Diablo speedrunners say something like this: "This map i have to go left". Sometimes people get confused. In this case left does not mean "to the left of the screen" but a direction that is determined from where they come.
Putting this in words is a little difficult, so this is my try to explain how it works:
Each map can be viewed as a large "puzzle". In this guide we call these "tiles". Each area has an "entrance" and an "exit"-tile. Each area has a limited pool of entrance- and exit-tiles. Each "entrance tile" is linked with a number of "exit tiles" that point in a specific direction relative to the "entrance tile". That relative direction is what we refer to as "left / right / straight".
Most "entrance tiles" have only 1 way to leave them which will always be "straight". Here are pictures how it looks when you enter from different locations: Red marked is the determining tile for the directions and in which direction your exit is from that tile. Green = This is what we call "right". Blue = This is what we call "straight". Yellow = This is what we call "left".
Entrance at the top left:
Entrance at the top right:
Entrance at the bottom right:
Entrance at the bottom left:
To make this more clear here a practical example:
In this I marked the "entrance tile" for you on the top right. Comparing that to the pictures on top that is #3. When we lay over the arrow colours on the map we can conclude: Towards left bottom right -> Left (in this case the goal) Towards the bottom left -> Straight Towards the top left -> Right. This doesn't mean that the goal is always going to be clean around a corner. Sometimes they are in a place that looks weird but still points in the direction that you need. In most cases we refer to "triple right makes a left" or "reverse map".
Here an example of such a map for the forgotten tower:
Again we compare the starting block to the top pictures and see it is the illustration #4. Means that "Left" (our goal direction) points towards the top left corner of the screen. There is no way for us to "directly" go left - we are forced into going "right" instead. That tells us that we will have to take 2 more "rights" to get towards the top left of the screen. (marked red here) At this point we should know in which direction our goal is.
As you can see on the second example the "exit tile" can still be anywhere on the map. It will just tell you in which direction that "exit tile" will point towards.
In the case of the Forgotten Tower we can tell the following things: To the "right" is a "dead end direction" -> This doesn't rule out that at some points you have to go right for a while!! To the "left" is our "exit direction" -> Somewhere in this direction you will find the "exit tile". "Straight" is a "dead end direction" -> In many cases you will have to go into that direction for a while!!
As mentioned before there will be a limited amount of "exit tiles" that are linked to the "entrance tile". In case of the Forgotten Tower there is only one "exit tile" for one of the 4 "entrance tiles".
1 more example because it is special how to determine which direction is "left / right / straight". In act 2 there are 4 maps that use an "entrance tile" that has 3 direction in which we can get out of the tile:
In the case where you have 3 directions you can go towards the following rule applies: Straight -> the middle of the 3 paths. Left -> 90° counterclockwise from the "straight" direction. Right -> 90° clockwise from the "straight" direction. Check out more detailed information in the act 2 orientations!
Which Map goes Right / Left / Straight?
Left
- Forgotten Tower
- Barracks (Special case)
- Jail Level 3
- Halls of the Dead level 1-3
- Claw Viper Temple level 1
- Tal Rasha's Tomb
- Flayer Dungeon level 1+2
- Durance of Hate level 1
- Crystalline Passage
- Glacial Trail
- Ancients Way
Straight
- Underground Passage level 1
- Barracks (Special case)
- Jail Level 1 + 2
- Durance of Hate level 2
Right
- Catacombs level 2 (From WP)
- Maggot Lair 1+2
- World Stone Keep level 2 (From WP)
Check out the map sections in each Act tab above, where you will find the entrance- and exit-tiles of each map in chronological order.
Underground Passage
The direction in the underground passage is "STRAIGHT" leading towards the "Darkwood". To the "left" you will find the underground passage level 2 and to the "right" you will end up at a dead wall / dead end.
In the Underground passage we have 8 entrance tiles (each direction has 2 entrance tiles). Each of the entrance tile is an exit tile for another entrance at the same time. (Two of the exits looks slightly different from their entrance counterpart)
Here you will see all the entrance tiles with the linked exit tiles:
Entrance Tiles (top left):
Straight is here towards the bottom right:
Entrance Tiles (bottom right):
Straight is here towards the top left:
Entrance Tiles (bottom left):
Straight is here towards the top right:
Entrance Tiles (top right):
Straight is here towards the bottom left:
Exit Tiles (bottom right):
Exit Tiles (top left):
Exit Tiles (top right):
Exit Tiles (bottom left):
Tower Cellar
The direction in the Tower Cellar is "LEFT" until you reach Tower Cellar level 5. In the directions "Straight" and "Right" are "dead end directions".
In the Tower Cellar we have 4 entrance- and exit-tiles.
Here you will see all the entrance tiles with the linked exit tiles:
Entrance Tile (bottom right):
LEFT is towards bottom left:
Exit Tile (bottom left):
Entrance Tile (bottom left):
LEFT is towards top left:
Exit Tile (top left):
Entrance Tile (top left):
LEFT is towards top left:
Exit Tile (top right):
Entrance Tile (top right):
LEFT is towards top left:
Exit Tile (bottom right):
Barracks
The barracks are a little bit of an exception. The goal (Jail level 1) can be in two directions. It will either be "LEFT" or "STRAIGHT". It shares the spawning directions with the "Horadrim Malus" which is also "LEFT" or "STRAIGHT".
Here are the entrance- and "objective"-tiles that belong together:
Entrance Tile (bottom right):
Exit Tiles:
Entrance Tile (top right):
Malus Tiles:
Entrance Tile (top left):
Jail level 1 + 2
In the Jail level 1 + 2 the goal (next level of the Jail) will be "STRAIGHT". On level 1 there will be the Waypoint towards the "Left". In Level 2 you will run into "Pitspawn" towards the "Left". "Right" will be a "dead end"-direction.
Here you can see the possible tiles for all possibilities:
Entrance Tile (bottom right): / Exit Tile: / WP:
Pitspawn:
Entrance Tile (bottom left):
Exit Tile:
Entrance Tile (top left): / Exit Tile:
WP:
Pitspawn:
WP:
Pitspawn:
Entrance Tile (bottom left):
Exit Tile:
WP:
Pitspawn:
Jail level 3
In the Jail level 3 the goal (Inner Cloister) is to the "LEFT". Both "Straight" and "Right" will be a "dead end"-directions.
Here are the entrance and exit tiles you need to find:
Entrance Tile (bottom right):
Exit Tile (bottom left):
Entrance Tile (bottom left):
Exit Tile (top left):
Entrance Tile (top right):
Exit Tile (bottom right):
Entrance Tile (top left):
Exit Tile (top right):
Catacombs level 2
The catacombs have no pattern unless you find the Waypoint. From the Waypoint the direction to level 3 is "RIGHT". "Straight" and "Left" are dead end directions from the Waypoint.
Because of the fact that the direction is "RIGHT" from the Waypoint you want to explore catacombs level 2 "clockwise".
Here are the waypoint and exit tiles. (The white marked areas can look slightly different!!)
Waypoint Tile (top right):
Waypoint Tile (bottom right):
Exit Tile:
Exit Tile:
Waypoint Tile (bottom left):
Waypoint Tile (top left):
Exit Tile: / Exit Tile:
Halls of the Dead + Claw Viper Temple + Tal Rasha's Tomb
The Halls of the Dead, Claw Viper Temple and the Tal Rasha's Tomb have the direction "LEFT" to the objective. They are a little bit special in the way that they have 3 directions you can choose from the entrance tile!
"Straight" and "Right" are dead end directions. In case of the Halls of the Dead there is a Waypoint "Straight" in level 2.
This is a little hard to explain, but I don't see any point in putting the entrance tiles in here multiple times. ;)
Here are the entrance and exit tiles:
Entrance Tile (bottom left): · HotD 1+2 | CVT · HotD 3 | Cube · Tal Rasha's Tomb
Entrance Tile (top left): · HotD 1+2 | CVT · HotD 3 | Cube · Tal Rasha's Tomb
Entrance Tile (top right): · HotD 1+2 | CVT · HotD 3 | Cube · Tal Rasha's Tomb
Entrance Tile (bottom right): · HotD 1+2 | CVT · HotD 3 | Cube · Tal Rasha's Tomb
Maggot Lair
In the Maggot Lair level 1 + 2 the goal (next level in the Maggot Lair will be "RIGHT".) In Level 3 you will always find the objective (Kings Staff) towards the top right!
In level 1+2 "Straight" and "Left" will be dead end directions. In level 3 "Left" and "Right" will be dead end directions.
Entrance Tile (bottom left) — Only Entrance for lvl 3:
Entrance Tile (bottom right):
Entrance Tile (top right):
Entrance Tile (top left):
Exit Tile:
Objective Tile:
Exit Tile:
Exit Tile:
Exit Tile:
Flayer Dungeon 1+2
In the Flayer Dungeon 1 + 2 the goal (next level) is to the "LEFT". Both "Straight" and "Right" will be a "dead end"-directions.
The maps here are extremely straightforward. You will never encounter anything like the "triple-right" example.
Here are the entrance and exit tiles you need to find:
Entrance Tiles (top left):
Entrance Tiles (top right):
Entrance Tiles (bottom right):
Entrance Tiles (bottom left):
Exit Tiles (top right):
Exit Tiles (bottom right):
Exit Tiles (bottom left):
Exit Tiles (top left):
Durance of Hate level 1
In the Durance of Hate level 1 the goal (next level) is to the "LEFT". Both "Straight" and "Right" will be a "dead end"-directions.
Here are the entrance and exit tiles you need to find:
Entrance Tile (top right):
Entrance Tile (bottom right):
Entrance Tile (top left):
Entrance Tile (bottom left):
Exit Tile (top left):
Exit Tile (bottom left):
Exit Tile (top right):
Exit Tile (bottom right):
Durance of Hate level 2
In the Durance of Hate level 2 the goal (next level) is to the "STRAIGHT" from the Entrance. To the "Left" you will find the waypoint and to the "Right" will be a "dead end"-direction. This means the Durance of Hate level 3 is to the "Left" of the waypoint.
Here are the entrance and exit tiles you need to find:
Entrance Tile (top right): / Exit Tile (bottom left): / WP Tile (bottom right):
Entrance Tile (bottom right): / Exit Tile (top left): / WP Tile (bottom left):
Entrance Tile (top left): / Exit Tile (bottom right): / WP Tile (top right):
Entrance Tile (bottom left): / Exit Tile (top right): / WP Tile (top left):
Crystalline Passage + Ancients Way + Glacial Trail
The direction in all Ice Caves is "LEFT" to get towards the next area. In the direction "Straight" there will be a cave. In case of the Crystalline Passage you will want to go there for hell speedruns (Quest 4). In the direction "Right" you will find the waypoint. Except on the Glacial Trail, where you will find a golden chest with a boss group. The waypoint of the Glacial Trail is in the same direction as the entrance. It can be between entrance and exit or on the other side of the entrance.
Here you will see all the tiles that are of interest:
Entrance Tile (top right): / Exit Tile (bottom right): / WP Tile (top left): / Cave Tile (bottom left):
Entrance Tile (top left): / Exit Tile (top right): / WP Tile (bottom left): / Cave Tile (bottom right):
Entrance Tile (bottom left):
Exit Tile (top left): / WP Tile (bottom right): / Cave Tile (top right):
Entrance Tile (bottom right):
Exit Tile (bottom left): / WP Tile (top right): / Cave Tile (top left):
As mentioned you will find something else instead of the waypoint towards the "Right" in the Glacial Trail. Here the tiles:
Special Tile (top left):
Special Tile (top right):
Special Tile (bottom right):
Special Tile (bottom left):
Worldstone Keep level 2
The Worldstone Keeps have no patterns unless you find the Waypoint. From the Waypoint the direction to level 3 is "RIGHT". "Straight" and "Left" are dead end directions from the Waypoint.
Because of the fact that the direction is "RIGHT" from the Waypoint you want to explore Worldstone Keep level 2 "clockwise".
Here are the waypoint and exit tiles. (The white marked areas can look slightly different!!)
Waypoint Tile (top right):
Waypoint Tile (bottom right):
Exit Tile (top left):
Exit Tile (top right):
Waypoint Tile (bottom left):
Exit Tile (bottom right):
Waypoint Tile (top left):
Exit Tile (bottom left):
