Artisans are special NPCs first introduced during Gamescon 2010 that are unique to Diablo 3 and serve a very special function. There are currently two artisans in the game, the Jeweler and the Blacksmith. A third artisan, the Mystic, is planned to be added in a future expansion to the game. Artisans travel with the player's Caravan and are available in each act. Each artisan has dialog and a storyline, and they provide unique functions as we will see below. All artisans can be upgraded using gold and other special items, and each upgrade provides the artisan with more recipes for the player. Also, recipes will drop around the world allowing you to teach artisans new items. The player can only access his own Caravan, ie. you cannot use an artisan from another player's caravan.
The Jeweler
The Jeweler artisan is named Covetous Shen, a talkative old man that is first encountered during Act 2's Caldeum Sewers, where he is stuck in a barrel by his companion Gavin while they are searching for the Crucible.
The Jeweler has two main functions in the game. To craft Gems and to unsocket items. Unsocketing items costs gold but returns both the gem and the item. He was also planned to be able to craft Rings and Amulets, but this was cut off from the final release. For more information about Gems, check out our Diablo 3 Gem Guide.
In terms of lore, Covetous Shen hails from Xiansai and is on a lifelong search for a dangerous Gem that is said to contain a powerful demon. This Gem is called "Dirgest's jewel" and the story behind it is that a great evil was imprisoned here for crimes committed against his own people, but his prison now grows weak and he is able to suck anyone who holds the jewel into his prison. During the many conversations with Covetous Shen, it is implied indirectly that he is Zei the Trickster, a mischievous god that takes the form of an old traveling merchant. This is never directly confirmed however. Shen was in Tristram when Diablo first corrupted it (in Diablo 1). He also met Zoltun Kulle and has been married more than seven times.
The Blacksmith
The Blacksmith, named Haedrig Eamon, is first encountered in early Act 1 where the player must help him put down his wife who has been turned into a zombie.
The Blacksmith has two functions, to craft items and to salvage them. Crafting items requires materials and gold. Materials in turn are gotten from salvaging items, but some are monster drops such as the Tome of Blacksmithing. Salvaging items also returns any gems socketed in said item, and not destroy them.
Eamon is involved in the storyline where he tells the player where the the crown of King Leoric is buried. He knows the location because it was buried with his grandfather Chancellor Eamon, who served as an advisor to Leoric. He also repairs the crown when you find it. When talking to Eamon, you find out that he met his wife just shortly before she was going to be burned as a witch, at which point he rescued her and ran away. They later found out that his wife was actually a Mystic. You also find out that they where originally a wealthy family, but fell from grace when a rumor spread that it was his grandfather that corrupted King Leoric. This of course is not true, but it even led to madmen killing Eamon's father.
During the beta, the Blacksmith gave the player a cube like item that could be used to salvage items in the field, but this was eventually dumped. He was also planned to be able to repair items and socket them, but this was also dumped. This is pretty stupid and I don't see why they implemented it, but for some reason your talented Blacksmith cannot repair equipment while the shady merchants can.
Edit: As of patch 1.0.4 the Blacksmith can now repair items. Finally!
The Mystic
The Mystic was originally planned to be in the final release, but was removed due to the fact that it is too similar to the Jeweler. According to the following quote, she is to be included in a later expansion:
The design team is currently looking at systems and cleaning them up, removing any superfluous system objectives and those that are beyond fixing. Thus, we're removing the Mystic artisan. As we look at the big picture, the Mystic simply wasn’t adding anything to our customization system. Enhancement was really just the socket and gem system with a different name, and it would prolong the release of the game even further to go back to the drawing board and differentiate it, so we’ll revisit the Mystic and enhancements at a later time. Removing her from the game took some time, but it’s nowhere near the efforts that would be required to flesh out a better customization system. We hope she’ll be able to join your caravan in the future, but for now we’re going to focus on the extensive customization options the game already offers.
No lore has been released on the Mystic but she may be related to the Blacksmith's wife who was also a Mystic.
The Mystic was planned to have a wide function:
- Craft Wands and Staves (Now done by the Blacksmith)
- Craft Potions, Scrolls and Charms. Charms have been removed from the game, and so have Scrolls
- Identify items (now done by the player)
- Possibly alter or combine Runestones
- Enchant items
Some of the item enchantments done by the Mystic included:
Enhance 1H Melee Weapon
- Super Brutality - +95% critical hit Damage
- Super Celerity - Increases attack speed by 8%
- Super Deflection - 6% Chance to Block
- Super Hostility - +1.66 Hatred/Second (Demon Hunter)
- Super Illuminating - Increases Spirit Regeneration by 0.35 per second (Monk)
- Super Infusing - Increases Mana Regeneration by 35 per second (Wizard)
- Super Rejuvenating - Gains 19 Life per Spirit spent (Monk)
- Super Spikes - Attackers take +13 Damage
Enhance 2H Melee Weapon
- Super Barbaric - Gains 12 Life per Fury spent (Barbarian)
- Super Brutality - +95% critical hit Damage
- Super Celerity - Increases attack speed by 8%
- Super Deflection - +6% Chance to Block
- Super Ensorcelled - +9 Arcane Power per critical hit (Wizard)
- Super Illuminating - Increases Spirit Regeneration by 0.35 per second (Monk)
- Super Rejuvenating - Gains 19 Life per Spirit spent (Monk)
- Super Spikes - Attackers take +13 Damage
Enhance Bow Weapon
- Super Brutality - +95% critical hit Damage
- Super Celerity - Increases attack speed by 8%
- Super Cerebral - +14 Maximum Arcane Power (Wizard)
- Super Decimation - +18 Mana per kill (Witch Doctor)
- Super Hostility - +1.66 Hatred/Second (Demon Hunter)
- Super Infusing - Increases Mana Regeneration by 35 per second (Wizard)
- Super Spikes - Attackers take +13 Damage
Enhance Wand
- Super Brutality - 0.95% critical hit Damage
- Super Celerity - Increases attack speed by 8%
- Super Deflection - 6% Chance to Block
- Super Ensorcelled - 9 Arcane Power per critical hit (Wizard)
- Super Gore - +19 Minimum Damage, +19 Maximum Damage
- Super Spikes - Attackers take +13 Damage
Weapons Enhancement (No Known Stats)
- Superior Blight - Teaches the Mystic how to enhance a Wand to deal superior Poison Damage to monsters.
- Superior Cosmos - Teaches the Mystic how to enhance a Wand to deal superior Arcane Damage to monsters.
- Superior Devouring - Teaches a Mystic how to enhance a Wand to drain a superior amount of life with all damage dealt.
- Superior Frost - Teaches the Mystic how to enhance a Wand to deal superior Cold Damage to monsters.
- Superior Gore - Teaches a Mystic how to enhance a Wand with a superior increase to its Minimum and Maximum damage.
- Superior Scorching - Teaches the Mystic how to enhance a Wand to deal superior Fire Damage to monsters.
Enhance Boots
- Super Accuracy - +220 Precision
- Super Assault - +220 Attack
- Super Brawn - +220 Vitality
- Super Evasion - +220 Defense
Enhance Gloves
- Super Accuracy - +220 Precision
- Super Brawn - +220 Vitality
- Super Evasion - +220 Defense
- Super Fortification - +110 Armor
Enhance Leg Armor
- Super Assault - +220 Attack
- Super Brawn - +220 Vitality
- Super Evasion - +220 Defense
- Super Fortification - +110 Armor
Enhance Ring
- Super Accuracy - +220 Precision
- Super Assault - +220 Attack
- Super Brawn - +220 Vitality
- Super Evasion - +220 Defense
Enhance Shoulder Armor
- Super Accuracy - +220 Precision
- Super Assault - +220 Attack
- Super Brawn - +220 Vitality
- Super Fortification - +110 Armor
These names where taken from the beta.