Diablo 3 adds Paragon system, raises level cap... sort of
Magic Find revamped, too.
Blizzard is adding a new leveling system to Diablo 3 that lets players at the level cap continue to enhance their abilities.
Detailed on the Battle.net Blog, this new Paragon system coming in patch 1.0.4 is an extended progression system that gives level 60 players further experience for slaying foes that goes towards Paragon levels.
There are 100 Paragon levels and each rewards players with a three per cent boost in Magic Find and Gold Find and increases core stats such as strength, dexterity, intelligence and vitality.
Additionally, your Paragon level will be visible to other players where your normal level is shown, and a border will appear over your character portrait in the in-game party frame to display your Paragon progression.
According to game director Jay Wilson, "The first Paragon level should take about as long as it took most players to get from level 59 to 60, and the experience requirement will rise from there. The time to reach the upper Paragon levels approximates the long-term time investment required to get a level 99 character in Diablo 2."
Elsewhere, the impact of Magic Find on items has been revamped. "With the Paragon system in place, we're capping Magic Find and Gold Find to 300 per cent (before Nephalem Valor). This means that without any Magic Find gear at all, you'll hit the cap when you reach Paragon level 100," said Wilson.
"This way, you can continue wearing your current Magic Find gear as you slowly but surely work to gain Paragon levels... The idea is that if you're currently swapping gear in and out for the Magic Find bonuses, you can continue to do so… but gain enough Paragon levels, and you won't need to anymore."