Identify is a mechanic in the Diablo series.
Each item of quality higher than Normal (in Diablo I and Diablo II) or higher than Rare (Diablo III), when dropped, will be Unidentified. This means that the item’s affixes and properties are unknown, and will be hidden and have no effect until the item is Identified.
The item’s properties are determined at the moment it is dropped, not when Identified. They will just be hidden and inactive until unlocked via Identify.
There are multiple means, depending on the game, to Identify an item, but the result is same: the item gains a new name (other than its basic type with appropriate color), can be used, and the affixes are unlocked and disclosed.
The system of unidentified items serves multiple purposes, mostly giving players incentive to pick items up and see their properties, giving excitement of discovering what the real use of an item is.
Any object imbued with magic exhibits an aura that is easily noticed. To determine the exact nature of this enchantment, however, requires intense study and an extensive knowledge of arcane materials and symbols. While none have mastered the ability to memorize a spell of this magnitude, the Vizjerei have developed a means for the untrained to discover the secrets of an ensorcelled object by using a rare crystal that is extremely sensitive to magical auras. This sensitivity makes it very fragile, however and the crystal will shatter if it is brought too close to an enchanted item. The very act of Identifying such an object also destroys the crystal. Scrolls and staves have been crafted that can be used to Identify magical auras. By using special inks and dyes that contain tiny grains of these crystals, the stability of the crystal is maintained until it is used to examine the enchanted object.
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