Unlike Diablo 2, there is no ‘in town’ storage option. Each character begins the game with a very large backpack and throughout the game can gain access to additional bags (up to 3). The total amount of storage available to characters is more than the final amount in Diablo 2, but the fact that characters must always be carrying it with them annoyed some players. Personally, I found it convenient because it never meant that I was without my backup weapon or undead killing special or a ring with added resistance. But the before the first bag upgrade it is definitely cramped. If players insist on picking up everything, you can be returning to town very often every 2-4 fights. However, by about level 10 or so it is really only worth picking up the magical or better items. Ironlore drastically improved upon the town portal spells from Diablo 2 by offering an unlimited usage portal system. As players progress through the game they activate different town portals and can travel at any time to any of the activated ones by opening their own, which requires nothing in your inventory, traveling to sell their loot and then returning to their killing. Players can also use other party member’s portals, just like in Diablo 2, so that everyone can meet up for initial play or to catch up if the party has moved on while a player was drooling over an item in the shopkeeper’s stall.

The large item array was fulfilled as promised. Random magical items litter the landscape, created with a suffix and/or prefix identifying their properties. Unique items are the next rarest, with specific names that sometimes have very little to do with the extra stats and properties. There are also Epic and Legendary items, which include set items, as the difficulty level increases. You can play through the game on Normal, then take that same character through the entire game again but with everything harder on Epic, and finally a third time through on Legendary. Monsters drop relics and charms. These are upgrade items, which stack up to five and three, respectively, and can modify rings, weapons or armor depending on the relic/charm. However, Epic and Legendary items cannot be modified by relics/charms. If the relic/charm is completed a semi-random set bonus is applied to the completed charm. Relics/charms can be applied to equipment and then completed on the equipment or kept in the inventory, completed and then applied. I preferred keeping them separate until completion so I could judge what to apply the completed relic/charm to depending on the set bonus.