Followers

For the hirelings from Diablo II, see Hirelings.

The Followers

Followers are the new name of the hirelings that also appear in Diablo III. Unlike their predecessors, they possess customizable skills and new appearances that change by leveling up and being equipped.

No new followers were added in Reaper of Souls. However, the game does grant the existing followers more lore-background, features, and side-quests.

Overview

There are three followers available in the game — the Templar, the Scoundrel, and the Enchantress. Each have their own reasons for fighting and a storyline that will progress in, but not detract from, the main story arc.

If followers' dialogues are enabled, they will periodically have a chat with the player (a follower's text being mostly the same for all classes, but player's replies will vary). They will also warn the player of approaching danger (elite packs and bosses), comment on key plot events and shout out loud when they use their skills. In town, followers can be sometimes overheard having conversations among themselves.

Only one follower can accompany a player at a time, but even while not at the player's side, the other followers will stay with the player's current level so they can join the player at any time without needing to be leveled up first in an easy area.

The followers are customizable enough to suit the player's style, depending on which four of their eight skills one decides to develop. Each follower can be equipped with two weapon slots, two ring slots, an amulet, and also one of their own unique class-specific item.

The player needs to be in town to pick up their followers or switch between them, but one can dismiss them at any time. If another player joins a game, the follower automatically leaves in 20 seconds, returning to town, and a window pops up to ask if you want them back as soon as the group is disbanded.

If a follower's health drops to zero, they do not die and do not need to be resurrected: instead they are knocked unconscious and automatically revive in 30 seconds with full health. While in this state, however, they cannot provide active buffs and aura-like passive buffs. 

Should the player venture too far from a follower (for example, being separated by impassable terrain), the follower will teleport to them in 5 seconds.

Followers may accompany the player at any area, except the campaign-only fight with the Prime Evil (they are trapped immediately after the combat starts, forcing the player to fight alone). In Adventure Mode, the Prime Evil can be battled with the follower as normal.

Gear and stats

• The Templar requires Strength to increase his damage.
• The Scoundrel requires Dexterity to increase his damage.
• The Enchantress requires Intelligence to increase her damage.
• Much like normal classes, Strength increases all Followers' Armor, Dexterity increases their Dodge, Intelligence increases their Physical and Elemental resistance and Vitality increases their Health.
• Followers receive 2.5 times more Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence and Vitality per stat point.
• You can respecialize (Respec) your Followers at any time, for free.
• Followers are able to equip weapons, amulets, 2 rings and a unique item for each of them. The Templar can also equip Shields.
• The Enchantress focuses on two-handed weapons, while the Scoundrel dabbles in ranged weaponry, and the Templar makes use out of one-handed weaponry along with a shield. No follower can dual-wield two one-handed weapons.
• No follower starts their journey with an innate Critical Hit Chance, though the Scoundrel can gain some of that through the Anatomy skill.
• Templar Unique Item: Templar Relics
• Scoundrel Unique Item: Scoundrel Tokens
• Enchantress Unique Item: Enchantress Focuses
• Followers share 20% of their Magic Find, Gold Find, and Experience stats from the items with the player.
• Because followers only have access to the two weapon slots, jewelry slots, and their special item slots, players may find that specializing a follower for critical hit effectiveness will prove harder compared to the Nephalem hero. If it must be done, the Templar is the player's best bet, since he can use all item slots allowed. With all possible item slots prioritized for critical hit chance, he can have around 34% Critical Hit Chance. The Scoundrel can sport up to 23.8% Critical Hit Chance, and the Enchantress can have 22% Critical Hit Chance.
• Followers do not benefit from set bonuses.
• All stats are effective on followers, such as elemental damage bonus, cooldown reduction, Area Damage, bonus vs. elites etc. Exceptions are all resources-related stats (as followers simply do not have resources) and movement speed (as followers always move with the speed of the player). 

Kormac the Templar

Kormac the Templar

Kormac is primarily a melee warrior that can be built into a tank to support weaker classes. However, he can also be turned into a healer if you do not require a tank follower.

The Templar is not a Paladin; he is a new type of righteous warrior in the Diablo universe with differing ethics and ideals.

Background

The templar are holy warriors, fighting for justice and eschewing the dangers that lead to cultism and demonic possession by espousing self-denial. They do not merely pay lip service to protecting the realm - they are battle-trained and experienced to a man, and the brooding, dedicated Kormac is a paragon among them.

Kormac came to the order as a young man, and was quickly molded into the ideal templar, adapting naturally to an ascetic way of life. His devotion is particularly unshakable, even for one of his order, and, despite his respect for battle prowess, his disdain for those who don't share his high moral standards is readily apparent.

Though Kormac's ways will not always be your own, your aims and goals align, and so he will fight alongside you to purge the world of the insidious darkness that would hide from the light of Heaven.

Kormac seems to like Eirena the enchantress and to be in constant conflict with Lyndon the Scoundrel.

Stats

Kormac's main stat is strength, which will award him both armor and increase his damage .

Lyndon the Scoundrel

Lyndon the Scoundrel.

Lyndon is primarily a ranger, comparable to the original Rogue class in Diablo I. He has some other tricks as well, like blinding powder.

The Scoundrel is meant to be a humorous and sarcastic character, as would suit his title.

Background

Where strife festers, opportunists are rarely far behind. A land caught between the High Heavens and the Burning Hells overflows with rogues and rakes, and both of those words certainly describe Lyndon.

The recent years of his whirlwind existence have been spent running from place to place, conning locals, seducing ladies, and relieving the unwitting of their drink and money. The threat of imprisonment or an armed guard has never dissuaded Lyndon from living a life of larceny.

Dedicating himself to a conflict against an endless stream of cruel demons and rampaging beasts seems out of character for a man so outwardly charming and unhesitatingly selfish. There must be more to Lyndon than his lust for wine, women and wealth. Mustn't there?

Eirena the Enchantress

Eirena the Enchantress.

Eirena is primarily a magic caster, but she will also be able to cast spells on the player to enhance them temporarily.

She is neither a Sorceress nor Wizard, but comes from a society called the Hand of the Prophet.

Background

Eirena’s mastery of enchantments and steely bravery in battle belie her youth – but the truth of her origin reconciles these qualities.

Eirena hails from the distant era of the Mage Clan Wars, where she was part of a clandestine sisterhood of magic-users known as the Hand of the Prophet. When the leader of the sisterhood, the eponymous Prophet, foresaw a great disaster that would occur fifteen hundred years in the future, Eirena and her sisters pledged their lives to preventing the tragedy. The sisters’ pledges were far from mere words, and the Prophet placed the entire sisterhood in a magical slumber to preserve them until the appointed time.

Recently, Eirena awoke to find herself in a world of portents and turmoil, a land vastly changed from the one she remembers. Her sisters are dead, and the Prophet is nowhere to be found.

Despite the shock of her situation, Eirena’s purpose is clear: she has given herself over to a new age in the hopes that she will discover its salvation. Could her uncommon magic prove to be the key that will help you expel demonkind from Sanctuary?

Temporary Followers

In-game, a variety of characters join the player as temporary followers at scripted points in the story, in addition to whatever normal follower is assigned. Temporary followers follow the player, attack enemies and can be affected by buffs, but are invulnerable, and will leave and re-enter the party as the story dictates. Haedrig Eamon, Leah, Covetous Shen, Adria and Tyrael serve as temporary followers at various points in the story, as do the three actual followers in the quests immediately preceding their formally joining the party. Zoltun Kulle is an unusual temporary follower who shows up only when he has something to say, and does not attack enemies.

Development

Some warriors accompany the Barbarian.

In an early concept of Diablo III, followers were more akin to hirelings, in that they could be hired, and could be permanently killed.