Diablo III's NPC companion system revealed

Sometimes you just want to play solo, without the added hassle of dealing with the myriad of jerks, loot whores, whiners, and elitists clogging up the online RPG space. But you don't ever have to go it entirely alone in Diablo III: Blizzard' just unveiled the details on the game's Followers system, which lets you bring one of three memorable NPC companions with you when you're off by your lonesome.

Kormac, the spear-wielding warrior will likely be a popular companion, considering his ability to do the thankless-and-slightly-boring job of tanking enemies to buy you time to turn them all into a fiery explosion of blood that rains loot or the even-more-thankless-and-more-boring job of healing you constantly. His only downside is that he's a straight-laced Templar with "a tight and very strict code of ethics" (translation: he will disapprove of everything you do). Lyndon sounds like my type of companion: a carefree attitude laced with a dark humor and plenty of clever quips alongside the arrows in his crossbow quiver. Eirena is a mysterious sorcereress who can mess with people's heads to cause damage or support your character with buffs.

The three characters will be central figures in the main plot, with their own backstories and reasons for wanting to fight evil alongside you, which you'll uncover over time. They will auto-level with your character, and have their own, unique ability trees that you can progress through. You won't control them directly, but their AI will change based on the skills you select for them to help them fill the role you want them to (such as the Templar being a tank for you).

For more info, look at their character pages below, and read the full reveal on Blizzard's official site .