Two Diablo III character classes revealed

The news on Diablo III just keeps on churning.

Two new classes have been introduced. The first is the Barbarian. Thankfully, he is still a huge, armored beast that cuts up monsters at will. The other is the Witch Doctor, which may prove to excite many potential players with his combination of voodoo and necromancy.

Hit the break to check out the two new classes in more detail and to take a gander at the gallery for some accompanying artwork.

The Barbarian in Diablo III is an endangered species, having not being seen for a period of time. The reason why the Barbarian disappeared is, for the most part, unknown, but logic suggests that such a brutish culture that apparently values red meat as much they do would probably suffer from cardiovascular difficulties. According to the lore, Barbarians were once the great protectors of Mount Arreat and the unknown object within it. They eventually subjugated themselves to the mountain for so long that it became a holy place where even the dead were buried.

The Barbarian still looks huge, and dual wielding has been confirmed. The list of special powers available are Cleave, Ground Stomp, Leap, Seismic Slam, and Whirlwind. You can view a brief little video of each of the special powers on Blizzard’s site, here.

The Witch Doctor apparently drew the same societal downfall straw as the Barbarian. The class race, umbaru, lives in tribal units in the jungle regions of Diablo III. They are an aggressive culture, constantly willing to wage war against one another for the precious resources of the region. The deeply religious umbaru use these resources for both magic and sacrifices.

The class also has a special kinship with an alternate plain of existence and can tap into it with the power called “Ghost Trance.” Powers like Firebomb, Horrify, Locust Swarm, Mass Confusion, and Soul Harvest all appear to possess an otherworldly feel. In addition to that, the Witch Doctor can also toss out some voodoo bottles and dabble in a bit of necromancy. You can see all the powers in little videos on Blizzard’s site, here.

Personally, the Witch Doctor really has me excited. Blending together voodoo and necromancy is a brilliant idea. Although, judging by the videos, it appears as if he may just be a spell slinger. I would much rather toss vials of nasty substances at monsters than just the routine fireball. Who knows what Blizzard really has up their sleeve, though? We’ll be sure to keep you in the know as crazy Blizzard day progresses.