Diablo Secret Levels & Hidden Content

A complete history of easter eggs, secret levels, and hidden quests throughout the Diablo series

Diablo I (Released December 31, 1996)

Secret Cow Level

  • • No cow level.
  • • No mention of herding or whimsical items.
  • • The tone was dark and gothic - very little humor or easter egg content.

Other Hidden Quests and Items

  • The Butcher's Room Key - Accessible by talking to Ogden after the Butcher quest, if not completed too early.
  • Gharbad the Weak - Initially friendly demon that turns hostile; can surprise unaware players.
  • Lachdanan's Quest - Optional quest requiring Golden Elixir; easily missed.
  • The Anvil of Fury - Hidden quest to forge the legendary Griswold's Edge.
  • Wirt the Peg-Leg Boy - A minor NPC with lasting significance; key to future Easter eggs.
  • Skeleton King Leoric - Hidden boss encounter that foreshadowed future lore.

Diablo II (Released June 29, 2000)

Secret Cow Level

  • • The infamous Secret Cow Level was introduced here.
  • • Accessed using Wirt's Leg and a Tome of Town Portal in the Horadric Cube after beating Baal.
  • • No Staff of Herding - just a portal to Moo Moo Farm full of angry, axe-wielding cows.

Other Hidden Quests and Items

Pandemonium Event (Uber Tristram) - Defeat Lilith, Duriel, and Izual using special keys to access Uber bosses for the Hellfire Torch.

Diablo Clone - Triggered by selling enough Stone of Jordan rings; drops the Annihilus charm.

Easter Eggs and Cow Jokes - "There is no Cow Level" continues as an in-game meme.

Hidden Runewords - Several powerful combinations weren't listed in patch notes and were discovered by players through trial and error or datamining. Many of these emerged during patch 1.10 and 1.11. To activate a Runeword, the correct runes must be socketed into a valid base item in the exact order required — any mistake results in a non-functional item. Some Runewords were present in the game files but disabled until later patches or Diablo II: Resurrected.

Examples of Notable Runewords:

  • Spirit (Tal + Thul + Ort + Amn) - +2 to All Skills, 25-35% Faster Cast Rate, and massive mana regeneration. Usable in swords and shields. (Patch 1.11 – August 2005)
  • Insight (Ral + Tir + Tal + Sol) - Level 12-17 Meditation aura, boosts mana regen. Great for merc weapons. (Patch 1.11 – August 2005)
  • Enigma (Jah + Ith + Ber) - +2 to All Skills, +45% Faster Run/Walk, and Teleport ability. (Patch 1.10 – October 2003, not initially documented)
  • Grief (Eth + Tir + Lo + Mal + Ral) - Adds +340-400 flat damage, ignores target defense. (Patch 1.10 – October 2003, not initially documented)
  • Fortitude (El + Sol + Dol + Lo) - Huge defense, life bonus, and +300% Enhanced Damage. (Patch 1.10 – October 2003)
  • Call to Arms (Amn + Ral + Mal + Ist + Ohm) - Grants Barbarian battle skills to any class. (Patch 1.10 – October 2003)
  • Obedience (Hel + Ko + Thul + Eth + Fal) - High damage polearm Runeword, accessible and reliable. (Patch 1.10 – October 2003)
  • Plague (Cham + Shael + Um) - Poison-focused sword Runeword originally hidden and only activated in Diablo II: Resurrected.
  • Pattern (Tal + Ort + Thul) - Early test Runeword added officially in Resurrected. Designed for claws.

Diablo III (Released May 15, 2012)

Secret Cow Level

• This is where the Staff of Herding appears.

• Crafted from rare components to open Whimsyshire, Blizzard's over-the-top parody zone for fans who missed the Cow Level.

Staff of Herding Components and How to Obtain Them

  • Black Mushroom - Found in the Cathedral Level 1 in Act I. Click the mushroom on the ground to pick it up.
  • Leoric's Shinbone - Sometimes spawns in Leoric's Manor fireplace in Act I. May require restarting the game to find.
  • Wirt's Bell - Purchased from Squirt the Peddler in the Act II Hidden Camp for 100,000 gold.
  • Liquid Rainbow - Found in a Mysterious Cave in the Dahlgur Oasis in Act II. Talk to a mysterious traveler near a small pool.
  • Gibbering Gemstone - Rare drop from Chiltara in the Caverns of Frost, Act III. Random dungeon spawn; may take several tries.
  • Plans: Staff of Herding - Drops from Izual in Act IV. Teach it to Haedrig the Blacksmith to unlock crafting.

Once you have all components, craft the staff at the Blacksmith and use it on the Cow King's Ghost in the Old Tristram Ruins to open the portal to Whimsyshire.

Other Hidden Quests and Items

  • Not the Cow Level - Anniversary event zone full of cows and loot, typically available around March 31st during Diablo's anniversary celebration.
  • Greed's Realm (Vault) - Rare goblin portal to treasure boss Greed.
  • Kanai's Cube Recipes - Some powerful recipes not clearly shown in UI.
  • Cosmic Wings - Ultra-rare drop from Princess Lilian in Whimsyshire.
  • Developer Hell - Early hidden area with Blizzard devs as mobs (cut from later builds).
  • Puzzle Ring - When transmuted in Kanai's Cube, opens a portal to The Vault (Greed's Realm). Inside, players find massive gold piles, treasure goblins, and the boss Greed. Ancient Puzzle Rings open an Ancient Vault with even more rewards.