Diablo 2 - Monastery locations: Where to find the Monastery Barracks and Monastery Catacombs in Act I explained

How to start Tools of the Trade and Sisters to the Slaughter in Diablo 2

In Diablo 2, Act I serves mostly as an introduction to both the story and some of the key characters that you'll meet along the way. While not all of the quests are necessary to progress to Act II, it's likely that you'll be doing all six of them organically. This includes Search for Cain, which tasks you to find the Underground Passage, amidst others.

The fifth and sixth quests, called Tools of the Trade and Sisters to the Slaughter respectively, take place inside the same location. But while it sounds simple enough, getting to the Monastery can be tricky.

Tools of the Trade is granted by the blacksmith Charsi after you've completed The Forgotten Tower quest. Alternatively, you need to be at least level eight, and Deckard Cain should already be back in the camp.

As for Sisters to the Slaughter, Deckard Cain will assign the quest after Tools of the Trade. Make sure to talk to him upon your return to the camp to activate it.

As we mentioned, both of these quests take place in the Monastery. In order to get to them, however, you'll have to go through a series of areas, most of which don't have their own waypoint.

Sadly, map layouts in Diablo 2 are randomly generated, which is why we can't show you the exact location. But don't fret - the following sections will explain the usual paths regardless of the variants in each independent area.

Diablo 2 Monastery Barracks location explained

Let's begin with Tools of the Trade. The Monastery Barracks are easier to find than the Catacombs, but in comparison, the location does not have its own waypoint.

Granted, it won't take you long to find it as you explore Act I. You need to at least get through the Cold Plains, Stony Field and Dark Wood, so don't worry about missing it before then.

Once you stumble upon the Black Marsh, however, look for a road towards The Tamoe Highland.

From here, the thumb rule is to stick to the road. Feel free to take as many detours as you'd like, especially if you'd like to level up (there's a dungeon called The Pit in this area that's perfect for this).

But whenever possible, following the road will take you to the Monastery Gate.

Enemies will be stronger here, so take your time and use potions wisely. At one point you will find an exit towards the exterior and out to an area called The Outer Cloister.

There isn't much happening in this area, but it does have its own waypoint. Make sure to activate it so it's added to the list, and take a break to return to the Rogue Encampment in case you need to resupply so you don't waste a town scroll.

The Monastery Barracks can be found after The Outer Cloister. This is a big area that doesn't have any subsequent levels. It's important to note it since you will find the path to the Jail here.

It's not needed for this quest, so make sure to explore every nook and cranny until you find The Smith in The Barracks instead.

In our experience, the boss was in an unexplored corner of the map, which is why we recommend to explore it at full until you eventually find him.

After the fight, interact with the forge to grab the Horadric Malus. This is the tool that Charsi needed, so bring it back to her at the camp and the quest will be over. She will then give you the chance to imbue a piece of gear.

Looking for more help? We have pages on the best Diablo 2 class, best Diablo 2 builds and runewords, Diablo 2 leveling, how to import saves, how to reset your skills, how to identify items, when and how to imbue items, where to find monastery locations and the underground passage, and finally, how to access the secret cow level.

Diablo 2 Monastery Barracks location explained

Once you're done with Tools of the Trade, we recommend to open a town portal using a scroll to make it easier to come back here. But if anything, you can always use the waypoint to The Outer Cloister and go through The Barracks again.

While you're at the camp, talk to Deckard Cain to kickstart the Sisters to the Slaughter mission. Then, we're heading back to The Barracks and entering the Jail.

The first thing you're going to do in Jail level 1 is find its waypoint, just in case you need to head to the town and don't have a town scroll to use.

From here, all you have to do is fight through the hordes of enemies until you eventually exit to The Inner Cloister.

This is a small area that mostly serves as an in between point. As such, activate the waypoint before leaving just in case you need to make a trip to the camp, as the next waypoint is a bit far away.

Exiting The Inner Cloister will lead you to The Cathedral. Prepare to repel some forces from hell here, and get ready to descend. The Monastery Catacombs can be found after The Cathedral.

This is a large dungeon, so take your time exploring it. The Catacombs has a total of four levels to go through, and luckily, there is a waypoint in the second level.

Make sure to activate the waypoint as the final boss of Act 1 awaits for you in the next level - resupplying and emptying your inventory are a must.

Upon your arrival to Catacombs level 4, the Sisters to the Slaughter quest will update with the objective to kill Andariel - this is it.

It's a tough fight, which is why is crucial to have activated the waypoint on the upper level as a plan B if things go south.

After you achieve victory, make sure to grab all the relevant loot, and return to the Rogue Encampment to either continue exploring or jump to Act 2. Welcome to Diablo!