Diablo – What does the “Balor” affix mean

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When you get up to level 50+ or Hell mode (or both), you start seeing a lot of gear with the name "Balor" on it (like this).

What in the world does "Balor" mean in this context? (Both lore-wise and gameplay-wise, if there's any gameplay effect).

Best Answer

"Balor" is just the name for a particular class of item, and doesn't provide any special benefits. Each class of gear has its own adjective, and it's just there for flavor.

It's origins are likely from Dungeons and Dragons, where Balor is a type of demon:

In the original Dungeons & Dragons pamphlets, this breed of demon was known as "balrog", but the name was revised in subsequent supplements to simply "type VI demon" so as not to infringe on J. R. R. Tolkien's copyright. In second edition AD&D, the name "type VI demon" was revised to "balor," taking the name of the greatest individual of their rank as the name for the entire breed. Also in second edition, balors now had vorpal swords.

So, you might think of these as "Demonic Gauntlets" or somesuch.

Balor is also a god from Celtic mythology, although the D&D Balor doesn't have much in the way of relation to this.

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