The Butcher is a quest monster found in every multiplayer game of Diablo and Hellfire. This quest occurs 2/3 of the time in single player games.
The Butcher
- Quest Name: The Butcher
- Triggered By: Starting the game. (Random quest in SP
- Frequency: Every game in MP. It occurs 2/3 of the time in SP.
- Given by: Wounded Townsman
- Location: Dungeon Level 2
- Reward: Random magical item in MP. The Butcher's Cleaver unique axe in SP.
The quest is triggered by clicking on the wounded townsman found lying near the entrance to the cathedral.
- "Please, listen to me. The Archbishop Lazarus, he led us down here to find the lost Prince. The bastard led us into a trap! Now everyone is dead... killed by a demon he called the butcher. Avenge us! Find this butcher and slay him so that our souls may finally rest..."
The quest can be completed without clicking on the townsman. If you return to town before you complete the quest, he will be lying dead, and when clicked on your character says, "You will be avenged." He vanishes once the quest is complete.
The Butcher is found in a small square room somewhere on level 2 of the dungeon. Even before you open his door, a gruesome selection of bloody corpses can be seen hanging within, and most players make a thorough, wincing inspection of his room after the battle.
The Butcher is a terrifying enemy, arguably the most difficult, for the level, in the entire game. He greets you with the now legendary cry of, "Ahhh, fresh meat!" when the door is opened, and comes charging out immediately. The Butcher is the fastest monster in the game, moving at the same speed as your character, and he has relentless pathfinding AI, never hesitating when rounding corners or pausing to get his bearings. He has a very fast attack too, and does not pause between strikes, as almost every other monster in the game does.
 | The Butcher's Cleaver |
His only weaknesses are low armor, relatively low damage, and an inability to open doors. Almost any attack will hit him, and warriors can usually get in several strikes before he moves into melee range, if they keep swinging as he advances. Once he's in close and starts swinging though, he is murder on any low level character. Warriors sometimes find it easier to beat him without a shield, since the constant blocking interrupts their strikes.
The easiest way to defeat The Butcher is with a ranged attack, and that's best accomplished by using his single-minded pursuit AI against him. He can not open a door, so if you get far enough ahead to close one between you, you are safe. Do this next to one of the grated walls that arrows or spells can be fired through, and the battle is yours (eventually). A common way to pull this off is to clear out the area in advance, cast a town portal some distance past a grated wall with an unblocked door, lead the Butcher to the portal, and then walk back down to level 2 from town. (Or to leave a portal on the level and lead the Butcher to your escape up the stairs.) When you come back down you'll have enough of a lead to lure him wherever you want, and shut a door in his face.
The Butcher can also be trapped in any U-shaped area, whether it's formed by barrels or the stairs down to level 3. He'll then stand still while you pelt him with arrows or spells.
On Nightmare or Hell, a quick-fingered mage can open his door, cast a firewall, then close it again once the Butcher is just on the other side. He'll stand motionless, roasting in the flames, until well done.