[SPOILER] Staff of Herding FAQ

[Dkitty]

This thread is intended to clear up any and all questions about the staff of herding and its uses. This is based off of my personal experience with the staff in game as well as various bits of knowledge I have gained while researching how to obtain the staff myself.

Q: What is the Staff of Herding?
A: It allows you to access the secret level in Diablo III, by following the road out of Tristram in Act I until you find the ghost cow.

Q: How do I get the Staff of Herding?
A: You need to collect a total of 5 items through various drops, as well as purchase an item costing 100,000g. There is a complete guide to obtain all the items in the following link: http://us.battle.net/d3/en/forum/topic/5151716273

Q: How long does it take to build the staff?
A: Personally, it took me about 45 minutes to completely build the staff, including research time. However, there are many reports of farming for 2-3 hours for a single piece of the staff, so the total time seems to vary greatly with luck.

Q: How much does it cost to build the staff?
A: To obtain the most basic form of the staff (normal version) it costs 150,000g. It then costs an additional 200,000g to build the nightmare version of the staff, 500,000g for the hell version of the staff. Currently the inferno version price is unknown.

Q: How to you obtain the pattern for nightmare/hell/inferno versions?
A: They seem to spawn randomly on the quartermaster in the main town of Act III

Q: Is the staff destroyed on use?
A: No, you can use the staff as many times as you wish.

Q: Does the nightmare/hell/inferno version of the staff work on lesser difficulties?
A: Yes, the staff can be used on any difficulty up to and including the difficulty stated in the prefix of the staff. (Note: normal version of the staff does not have a prefix, it is just the Staff of Herding)

Q: Does the staff gain any stats?
A: No, it is only used to gain access to the secret level.

Q: How difficult is the secret level?
A: The secret level is just as difficult as Act IV of the current difficulty. It scales as more players join just like any other level.

Q: Do I have to refarm the materials to build the nightmare/hell/inferno version of the staff?
A: No, after the first form of the staff is made you need only the previous version of the staff and a sum of gold to upgrade it.

I will try to answer any other questions that may crop up.

[Bitehattori]

What's the difficulty of the Cow Level? Is it easily soloable?

[Dkitty]

What's the difficulty of the Cow Level? Is it easily soloable?

Added to the post, thanks.

[Deviat]

Here's an interesting note, I got the staff myself today and went in with a couple friends on Normal mode and Pages Of Jewelcrafting/Blacksmithing were dropping even though they are a Nightmare mode drop. We tried again on Nightmare hoping to see Tomes drop but it was just pages again.

[Dkitty]

Here's an interesting note, I got the staff myself today and went in with a couple friends on Normal mode and Pages Of Jewelcrafting/Blacksmithing were dropping even though they are a Nightmare mode drop. We tried again on Nightmare hoping to see Tomes drop but it was just pages again.

The artisan crafting materials seem to behave differently than regular loot.

[Samin]

Not sure if it was luck, but the nightmare recipe only appeared on that vendor when I choose the very last quest from Act IV as entrance point.

Here's an interesting note, I got the staff myself today and went in with a couple friends on Normal mode and Pages Of Jewelcrafting/Blacksmithing were dropping even though they are a Nightmare mode drop. We tried again on Nightmare hoping to see Tomes drop but it was just pages again.

Aww, I was hoping for easy tome farming once I get the 200k together

[Deleted]

The pattern also drops from Izual on the corresponding difficulty. Just farm him if you can't find a vendor with it.

Tips for farming the items:

Mushroom: when you start a quest and go to leorics passage, go back to cathedral level 1. If there's a long stairway at the entrance, it's the right dungeon ID for black mushrooms to spawn somewhere. They won't spawn in other maps.

Rainbow from Oasis: use the waypoint to Path to the Oasis and walk from the bottom of the map (for about 10 seconds or so) until you reach a small pocket. Walk down the path and if there's a guy on the left, save him and he will open the cave so you can find a chest with the rainbow.

[Dkitty]

The pattern also drops from Izual on the corresponding difficulty. Just farm him if you can't find a vendor with it.

Tips for farming the items:

Mushroom: when you start a quest and go to leorics passage, go back to cathedral level 1. If there's a long stairway at the entrance, it's the right dungeon ID for black mushrooms to spawn somewhere. They won't spawn in other maps.

Rainbow from Oasis: use the waypoint to Path to the Oasis and walk from the bottom of the map (for about 10 seconds or so) until you reach a small pocket. Walk down the path and if there's a guy on the left, save him and he will open the cave so you can find a chest with the rainbow.

The pattern off of Izual is independent of difficulty and the one that he drops must be found before any other version may be crafted.

[m1ndx]

What is the point of the secret level other than running under rainbows and smashing unicorns? Easy rare drops or?

[Lockndrop]

I got the basic staff today when making the nightmare one will I need to farm all the mats again or just improve the currents staff :O?

[Veroly]

i just made the Nightmare one and am now saving for the hell one, think of it like the BC blacksmithing weapons you craft one with a shit load of mats then its the old staff + gold

Staff + 200k
Staff + 500k
Staff + ????

[Zagnaphein]

I got the basic staff today when making the nightmare one will I need to farm all the mats again or just improve the currents staff :O?

Once u reach ACTIV Before the Final Fight with Diablo the Top Right MErchant int he City sells u the recipe for 1 Gold.. You jus thave to pay 200k gold to upgrade the stuff once u have the recipe ^_^

[Lockndrop]

Once u reach ACTIV Before the Final Fight with Diablo the Top Right MErchant int he City sells u the recipe for 1 Gold.. You jus thave to pay 200k gold to upgrade the stuff once u have the recipe ^_^

Thanks sage naruto guy

[Dkitty]

What is the point of the secret level other than running under rainbows and smashing unicorns? Easy rare drops or?

It is mostly for fun. However, with the valor buff gained at level 60 this place could be a very effective farming spot.

[Hodenkrieg]

This is probably a stupid question that I deserve to get any flames coming, because I didn't really read anything but OP's statement, but does building the staff require Blacksmithing? I felt at the moment blacksmithing was useless due to the saturation of the AH market, and have been investing my time and coin in Jewelcrafting, but if it is required for this, then I am about to go work on it.

[Dkitty]

This is probably a stupid question that I deserve to get any flames coming, because I didn't really read anything but OP's statement, but does building the staff require Blacksmithing? I felt at the moment blacksmithing was useless due to the saturation of the AH market, and have been investing my time and coin in Jewelcrafting, but if it is required for this, then I am about to go work on it.

There is no minimum level blacksmithing required.

[m1ndx]

It is mostly for fun. However, with the valor buff gained at level 60 this place could be a very effective farming spot.

Gotcha, thanks

[Dkitty]

Gotcha, thanks

No problem

[Lightwysh]

is there a trick to the rainbow juice, im about 30 games in and not once has dude spawned.

[lazybum]

took me a couple resets for each item, well i got the coin by accident and then the mushroom on nightmare play thru, rest wasnt too hard. tho it did take me like 15 kills to get the pattern to make the staff.