Catacombs
The Catacombs span four levels beneath the Monastery, culminating in Andariel's chamber on Level 4. Andariel is the Act 1 boss and one of the most farmed bosses in the game thanks to her permanently elevated drop quality and straightforward access.
Andariel benefits from a permanent "quest bug" (now an intended feature in D2R) that gives her the highest Unique quality factor of any monster. Her Rare quality factor of 1024 means she never drops plain white items — every eligible item rolls at Rare quality or better. She also drops the Festering Essence, one of four essences for the Token of Absolution.
Use the Catacombs Level 2 waypoint and navigate down through Levels 3 and 4 to reach Andariel's chamber.
- Andariel is weak to Fire damage. Fire-based builds kill her extremely quickly.
- She poisons heavily — bring antidotes or high Poison Resistance.
- Her limited Treasure Class means she cannot drop the rarest items, but her quality factors make her the best source for mid-tier Uniques and Sets.
- Nightmare Andariel is one of the best early sources for Stone of Jordan and other rings.
Nightmare: Stone of Jordan, Nagelring, unique rings, Skin of the Vipermagi, Magefist.
Hell: Harlequin Crest, Arachnid Mesh, The Oculus, and many mid-tier Uniques and Sets at high frequency due to her elevated quality factors.