In Diablo 2 Blizzard implemented a system specifically to meet the needs of the gambler. They put an NPC in each town loaded with several normal quality items and after you purchase them you would be able to find out whether they were rare, unique or elite. After early bugs were taken care of, the chance that you would receive quality gear was rare but was still worth the chance. Many players found high quality gear by gambling and it quickly became a popular past time in Diablo 2.

During our patient wait for a Diablo 3 Release Date, Bashiok, Community Manager at Blizzard, was asked if there would be a similar system implemented in Diablo III. His answer was no, but that’s not the part that surprised me. He went on to say, “Although crafting has enough randomization that it’s pretty close to D2 gambling.” Crafting has that much randomization?

It’s true, rare quality recipes that we can look at on the Diablo III Game Guide at battle.net show 3/4 and even 4/5 random properties. That means for every property you can count on there are 3 or 4 random properties that you won’t see until you craft the item. Does Blizzard really equate this with gambling? If crafting is this unreliable it will create a huge time and material sink for crafters, especially Blacksmiths. Enchanting randomization is much less severe, having a much more narrow range in the upper enhancements. There is no randomization at all in Jewelcrafting.

So will Blacksmithing really equate to gambling in Diablo III? It’s possible, but there are a few aspects that we can try to watch to calculate our success rates and make it a profitable venture. For instance, what is the chance that the 3 properties are worth reselling? How many of our materials will we get back from salvaging duds? Once most players are through leveling their artisans material prices will be set by the demand of crafters and enhancers. Before that, will it be profitable to craft the first legendary equipment?

Important: Many of the strategies and tips I share here were originally inspired by the people at the Diablo 3 Gold Secrets Forum. If you're serious about making the big bucks in Diablo 3, or just being the best players, you need to signup ASAP.