While playing through Diablo II, we had occasion to see many shrines dotting the wilderness and occupying dungeons and caves. The shrines in the original Diablo weren't the most intuitive structures, and sometimes had misleading names. In Diablo II, they are all labeled for what they are. Most provide you with help and bonuses, but one or two do have baleful effects. A shrine, once visited, goes dark and no longer conveys its benefits. However, we have observed shrines replenishing after a substantial amount of time. Here is a rundown of the shrines we've seen so far.

　　Armor shrine: The armor shrine appears with a shield icon above. When you visit the shrine, it gives you a temporary defense bonus.

　　Health shrine: This shrine looks like a stone well of blood. Drinking it brings your hit points to maximum level.

　　Mana shrine: This shrine looks like the health shrine except it has blue liquid that replenishes your mana fully.

　　Experience shrine: Currently, we think this is the best shrine in the game. When touched, a glowing flag flies over your head. Now, you get an experience bonus with every kill. The effect lasts a short while, but as long as the flag continues to fly over your head, you earn extra experience.

　　Gem shrine: The gem shrine is a rock outcropping that when touched reveals a gem. The gems can be placed in sockets in certain items to convey special benefits.

　　Mana recharge shrine: This shrine is a great boon to all spellcasters. Once touched, it lets you regenerate mana at a rapid pace. The regeneration, which is temporary, is so fast that you can cast spells without worrying about losing mana.

　　Monster shrine: This shrine is currently a mystery. There are no immediate effects upon touching it, but we don't know yet what ultimately results from this shrine. A cryptic message pops up telling you about the arrival of some creature of NPC, however.

　　Portal shrine: Touching this shrine causes a portal to open up to the rogue encampment. It does not disappear after a round trip and remains open for a short duration.

　　Resist fire shrine: This shrine gives you a resistance bonus against fire attacks.

　　Resist cold shrine: This shrine gives you a resistance bonus against cold attacks.

　　Skill shrine: The skill shrine bumps up all your existing skills by one level. It does not give you access to skills you currently do not possess, but all your pre-existing skills gain a boost in power.

　　Stamina shrine: After touching this shrine, your stamina bar changes color and you gain neverending stamina for a short duration.

　　Well: This is a well in the ground that when touched replenishes some of your hit points, mana, and stamina. It refills a few seconds after you drink from it.

　　Poison shrine: The poison shrine is harmful to you, poisoning you and causing damage.

　　Exploding shrine: The exploding shrine, like the poison shrine, harms you. However, after an initial explosion that hurts you and any surrounding monsters, the shrine leaves several exploding vials behind.