How to Complete Tools of the Trade in Diablo 2: Resurrected

Few quests in D2R Items are as memorable for melee-focused characters as Tools of the Trade. Found in Act I, this optional quest sends players deep into the Barracks to retrieve a powerful enchanted hammer for Charsi, the Rogue Encampment blacksmith. While the mission itself is relatively short, the reward can be extremely valuable if used correctly.

Many newer players underestimate the importance of this quest because it does not provide massive experience gains or flashy loot drops. However, the imbue reward from Charsi can create surprisingly strong rare items that may carry a character through large portions of the game.

Understanding how to complete Tools of the Trade efficiently — and more importantly, when to use the reward — can significantly improve your progression in both Normal and higher difficulties.

Starting the Tools of the Trade Quest

Tools of the Trade becomes available during Act I after progressing far enough through the Monastery regions. The quest is given by Charsi in the Rogue Encampment.

After speaking with her, she explains that her enchanted smithing hammer was stolen by a powerful enemy within the monastery. She asks the player to recover it so she can continue her craft.

The objective is straightforward:

Travel to the Barracks

Defeat The Smith

Recover the Horadric Malus

Return the hammer to Charsi

Despite sounding simple, the Barracks can be dangerous for underprepared characters, especially on higher difficulties or Hardcore mode.

Reaching the Barracks

To access the Barracks, players must progress through several connected areas in Act I. The route generally follows this order:

Black Marsh

Tamoe Highland

Monastery Gate

Outer Cloister

Barracks

By the time most players reach the Barracks in Normal difficulty, they are usually around levels 10 to 15 depending on farming and playstyle.

The Monastery zones introduce more dangerous enemy types than earlier wilderness areas. You will encounter:

Rogue archers

Dark rogues

Goatmen

Elite melee enemies

Elemental casters

Champion packs

Ranged enemies become especially threatening in these confined indoor maps. Characters with weak resistances or low mobility can quickly get overwhelmed.

Before entering the Barracks, it is smart to:

Stock up on healing potions

Carry stamina potions if needed

Repair gear

Ensure mercenary equipment is updated

Clear inventory space

Many players also activate the Outer Cloister waypoint before continuing so they can return quickly if they die.

Exploring the Barracks

The Barracks is a relatively compact dungeon area compared to later sections in Diablo II: Resurrected, but its narrow hallways can create dangerous combat situations.

Enemy packs often appear around corners or inside small rooms, making crowd control abilities very useful.

As you explore, keep an eye out for weapon racks, armor stands, and elite enemy groups. These can provide useful upgrades early in the game.

Eventually, you will encounter a large enclosed forge area where The Smith resides.

Who Is The Smith?

The Smith is one of the first truly dangerous melee bosses players encounter in the game.

Unlike earlier enemies, The Smith hits extremely hard and possesses substantial health for this stage of progression. Many underleveled characters are surprised by how quickly he can kill them.

The Smith uses a giant hammer and deals devastating melee damage. His attacks can rapidly destroy low-defense characters, especially Sorceresses, Necromancers, and Amazons with poor positioning.

The encounter becomes even more dangerous because:

The forge room is cramped

Additional enemies may remain nearby

Escape routes are limited

Melee range is highly dangerous

Players should never underestimate this fight on Hardcore mode.

Best Strategies for Defeating The Smith

The safest strategy depends heavily on your class and build.

Melee Characters

Barbarians and Paladins can fight The Smith directly, but preparation matters.

Helpful tips include:

Use defense-boosting skills

Keep healing potions on the belt

Pull nearby enemies first

Fight near doorways for retreat options

Use stun or crowd-control effects if available

Paladins with Holy Fire often dominate this encounter in Normal difficulty because the aura deals constant damage while allowing safer movement.

Barbarians should rely on careful potion management and avoid getting trapped against walls.

Ranged Characters

Ranged classes generally have an easier time.

Amazon players can kite The Smith around obstacles while attacking with bows or javelins. Sorceresses can use Fire Bolt, Charged Bolt, or Frost Nova to maintain distance.

Necromancers often trivialize the fight with summoned skeletons and curses. Clay Golem combined with Amplify Damage or Iron Maiden can make The Smith much safer to handle.

Assassins using traps can also control the room effectively without exposing themselves to melee damage.

Multiplayer Strategy

In multiplayer sessions, The Smith becomes easier because players can divide responsibilities.

Typical group strategy includes:

One tank holding aggro

Ranged DPS attacking safely

Crowd control on surrounding enemies

Constant repositioning

However, remember that monster health scales upward with additional players.

Recovering the Horadric Malus

Once The Smith dies, he drops the Horadric Malus, the enchanted hammer Charsi requested.

The item appears as a quest object and takes up inventory space. Players simply need to pick it up and return to the Rogue Encampment.

If your inventory is full, make room immediately. Accidentally leaving the area without the Malus wastes time and may require backtracking.

After returning to camp, speak with Charsi to complete the quest.

Understanding the Imbue Reward

The true value of Tools of the Trade lies in Charsi’s imbue reward.

Upon quest completion, Charsi offers to imbue one normal item, transforming it into a rare item with randomized magical properties.

This reward sounds simple, but it has important mechanics that experienced players often exploit strategically.

The imbued item:

Becomes rare quality

Gains multiple random affixes

Scales based on character level

Can become extremely powerful

Works only on non-magical normal items

Because the reward scales with level, many veteran players intentionally save their imbues until later difficulties or higher character levels.

When Should You Use the Imbue?

One of the biggest mistakes beginners make is immediately imbuing a random low-level weapon or armor piece during Normal Act I.

While this can occasionally produce useful gear, the long-term value is usually poor.

The quality of affixes available depends heavily on character level. Higher-level characters gain access to stronger modifiers.

Because of this, many experienced players wait until:

Nightmare difficulty

Hell difficulty

Endgame farming levels

Specific crafting goals

Saving the imbue can produce dramatically better items later in progression.

Best Items to Imbue

Not all base items are equally valuable for imbues.

Certain item types have significantly better potential outcomes.

Popular imbue targets include:

Circlets and Diadems

These are among the best imbue choices in the game because they can roll extremely powerful affixes.

Potential bonuses include:

+Skills

Faster Cast Rate

Resistances

Strength or Dexterity

Life or Mana

Faster Run/Walk

High-level circlets can become endgame-worthy gear.

Class-Specific Items

Some players imbue:

Barbarian helms

Druid pelts

Necromancer heads

Paladin shields

These can roll valuable class skill bonuses alongside rare affixes.

Elite Weapons

Physical damage builds sometimes imbue elite weapon bases hoping for high enhanced damage rolls.

This approach is more RNG-dependent but can occasionally create excellent leveling weapons.

Should You Use the Reward Early?

There is no universal answer.

Using the imbue early can absolutely help newer players struggling through Normal difficulty. A strong rare weapon may significantly improve progression speed.

However, from an optimization standpoint, saving the reward is usually better.

Players focused on efficiency often complete all three difficulty versions of Tools of the Trade and save every imbue for endgame crafting opportunities.

Since each difficulty grants another imbue reward, careful planning can provide several high-potential rare items later.

Hardcore Considerations

In Hardcore mode, surviving matters far more than long-term optimization.

Using an early imbue on a defensive item can sometimes be worthwhile if it improves survivability immediately.

Useful Hardcore imbue targets may include:

Defensive helmets

Shields

Boots with movement speed

Weapons with life steal

Resistance-focused armor

A powerful early rare item can prevent fatal mistakes during dangerous progression sections.

Farming Before The Smith

If you struggle with the encounter, spending time farming beforehand helps enormously.

Good early farming areas include:

The Countess tower

Stony Field

Underground Passage

Dark Wood

Black Marsh

Farming provides:

Better gear

Higher levels

Additional gold

More potions

Rune drops

The Countess is especially valuable because she can drop early runes for beginner runewords.

Simple runewords often outperform random loot during early progression.

Mercenary Tips

Your Act I Rogue mercenary can contribute meaningful damage during the Barracks section.

Before fighting The Smith:

Upgrade her bow

Equip armor if available

Give her life-steal gear if possible

Keep her alive with positioning

Mercenaries are fragile early in the game, but even small upgrades improve their effectiveness considerably.

Some classes rely heavily on mercenary support during boss encounters.

Common Mistakes During Tools of the Trade

Several common errors make this quest harder than necessary.

Fighting Underleveled

Players who rush directly to the Barracks at very low levels may struggle heavily against elite enemies.

Ignoring Resistances

Even early-game elemental damage can become dangerous without proper preparation.

Overpulling Enemies

The Barracks contains tight hallways that punish reckless movement.

Wasting the Imbue

Many beginners instantly imbue weak low-level items that are quickly replaced.

Ignoring Mercenary Gear

A properly equipped mercenary adds significant value throughout Act I.

Why Tools of the Trade Remains Memorable

Despite being an early optional quest, Tools of the Trade remains one of the most iconic side quests in Diablo II: Resurrected because it introduces players to several important systems simultaneously.

The imbue reward also creates exciting gambling moments that fit perfectly within the loot-driven identity of the game.

Even decades after the original release of Diablo II: Resurrected, many players still remember their best Charsi imbues to buy D2R Items. Whether it becomes a powerful leveling weapon, a godly circlet, or complete junk, the unpredictability is part of the experience.

Tools of the Trade may not be the largest quest in the game, but it remains one of the most useful and rewarding side objectives for players who understand its true value.