Black Death

"Black Deaths are bloated, purple things, swollen with disease and pestilence."

- Monster summary

The Black Death is a zombie sub-type in Diablo I.

Diablo I
Black Deaths are more aggressive than the standard zombie. They are the only variation of zombies to be found in the Catacombs ( only).

Be very careful when fighting Black Deaths. Each hit from them will permanently drain the player's maximum life by 1. s and Sorcerers most definitely have an advantage against these beings; the former can effectively fight them with their ranged attacks, while the latter can make great use out of Holy Bolt, and eventually can have access to other magic that will prove too powerful for even resistances to save Black Deaths. On the other hand, it's dangerous for melee classes, most notably the Warrior and the, to fight a Black Death in melee combat because of the -1 max health every time it hits them. To help reduce the threat poised by this, the character should never step next to a Black Death, and instead force them to approach, rendering them vulnerable to attack.

Diablo III
In The Darkening of Tristram in Diablo III, Black Death will instead apply a debuff that nullifies all healing for a short time. Zombies will use the Risen Dead models in the Anniversary Dungeon.

Trivia

 * The Black Death's name may be a reference to the historical Black Death.