Blizzard Entertainment provided the Diablo III Beta Press Event attendees a B-roll video showing all classes battling through Tristram and the Cathedral dungeon. The monsters targeted are slightly red-highlighted to identify which the player is attacking at a given time. Some of the changes made to certain spells and abilities modified by runes can be seen in this b-roll video.

The Witch Doctor’s Wall of Zombies is modified by a rune displaying instead zombies climbing on top of each other creating a sort of tower then dropping forward over a bunch of monsters to pulverize them. The Witch Doctor has an ability to throw a jar upon the ground to unleash a giant spider minion. There is a weird stone-cloud animation around the giant spider. You can see the Witch Doctor and its three mongrels get a golden glow on their center every few seconds (Aura buff?).

01:31 – Interesting. There are two Fetish Shaman (as seen in Diablo II Act III: Kejinstan Jungle). They seem to be channeling a massive rune spell on the ground with a large area of effect. The Witch Doctor walks back and forth within the rune area, and monsters enter it. This scene suggests the Fetish Shaman are NPCs helping the Witch Doctor or they are summoned. The monsters seem to get damage over time while in the area of effect.

2:05 – The female Wizard casts a blue electric discharge in a frontal cone causing aoe damage to any mobs within 5 yards. Additionally, you can see her casting the firebolt-like ability. Whenever that’s cast, a pool of lava spawns beneath the Wizard. By moving away, you can force monsters to walk through these pool of lava.

3:04 – The Demon Hunter throws a couple of giant ninja hira-shurikens that swirl around.

3:40 – Odd. Monk abilities have golden special effects, but here are a few abilities with a teal special effect. Another resource type?

4:00 – The monk summons one of those giant bells and kicks it to knockback a large group of monsters. The rune effect used by the Wizard at 2:05 is seen again with the Monk. When he casts a specific ability, the ground beneath him becomes a pool of boiling lava.

6:50 – Demon Hunter casts Fan of Knives. A redish rune appears before the fan of knives kicks in, allowing you to preview the circular range to be affected.

7:00 – The male Wizard casts a huge elemental nova. All mobs within the nova get knockback and a slow-movement windy-like aura for a few seconds. Curious thing: The wizard is using a sable sword and shoots some magic spells through the sword.

Check out Blizzplanet’s 2011 Diablo III Press Event Coverage for more.