Tag: aspects

Rocky Diablo IV Druid Build

Rocky Druid BUILD for Diablo IV

(Rock their world with giant Boulders while naturally crushing their hopes)

♦ ◊ ♦ ◊ ♦

Diablo IV launches on June 6th, 2023 for PC (Battle.Net), XBOX, & PlayStation with a 4 days Early Access (no wipe) for pre-orders (so kind of really launching June 2nd).

Diablo IV’s Open Beta Tests are almost here and I felt motivated to make some Pre-Launch theorycrafted semi-builds that should be good for ‘fresh-into-endgame’ characters when the game launches. I also plan to evolve them into FULL builds when the game is released & keep them updated when we get rebalance updates. This is one such build for the Druid Class called Rocky.

The Beta tests will only let us reach lvl 25 and only let us play in the first Act/Zone (Fractured Peaks) so those builds will be more useful for the actual game launch and ideally for characters around lvl 50+ or 60+. I’ve used 50+ and 60+ skill points when making the builds instead of the full 100 so that they can be used to jumpstart a player’s post-story endgame grind.

This build will be updated post-launch to a new & expanded version when I have actual in-game information as reference.

Video Version:

Skill Trees

Some of the skill icon images you see could be outdated & different from what is seen in the Full release version. I plan to replace them once the Beta ends or after the full launch

Basic Skill (Resource Generator/Builder) (Required Points: 0 )

(active) Earthspike – Sunder the earth, impaling the first enemy hit for 16.80% (X-?) damage. Each time you hit an enemy with Earthspike, your chance to deal Crushing Blow to that target is increased by 10%. Requires a Bludgeoning weapon. Type: Earth Magic Damage: Physical Generates: 8 Spirit
- (1st upgrade) Enhanced Earthspike – Earthspike has a 10% chance to Stun for 2.5 seconds.
- (2nd upgrade – my pick of the 2) Fierce Earthspike – Fortify for X whenever Earthspike damages enemies who are Stunned, Immobilized, or Knocked Back.

Spirit / Core Skill(s) (Resource Spender) (Required Points: 2 )

(active) Landslide – Crush enemies between 3 pillars of earth, dealing up to 78.75% (X-?) damage. Has an additional 10% chance to deal a Crushing Blow. Talents: Natural Balance, Eye of the Storm, Elemental Exposure, Natural Resonance, Primal Resonance, Earthbind, Fury of Nature, Earthen Might. Type: Earth Magic Damage: Physical Spirit Cost: 29
(1st upgrade) Enhanced Landslide – Enemies hit by all 3 Landslide pillars have a 25% chance to be Immobilized for 3 seconds by the final hit.
(2nd upgrade – my pick of the 2) Primal Landslide – Landslide has a 10% increased Critical Strike Chance and deals 30% (multiplicative) increased Critical Strike Damage against enemies who are Stunned, Immobilized or Knocked Back.
(passive) Heart of the Wild – Maximum Spirit is increased by 3.
- (upgrade did NOT take to save points) Wild Impulses – Your Core Skills cost 5% (multiplicative) more Spirit but deal 10% (multiplicative) increased damage
- (upgrade) Abundance – Basic Skills generate 5% more Spirit.
(passive) did not pick other Spirit/Core passives to save points

Defensive Skills (Required Points: 6 )

(active) Earthen Bulwark – Rocks surround you for 3 seconds, making you Unstoppable and absorbing up to X damage. Type: Earth Magic Damage: Physical Cooldown: 16 seconds
(1st upgrade) Enhanced Earthen Bulwark – Earthen Bulwark makes you Unstoppable while active.
(2nd upgrade – my pick of the 2) Preserving Earthen Bulwark – Casting Earthen Bulwark grants X Fortify.
(passive) Ancestral Fortitude – Increase your non-physical resistances by 5%.
- (upgrade) Vigilance – You Take X% reduced damage for X seconds after using a Defensive Skill.

Companion Skills (Required Points: 11 )

(active) Wolves – Passive: Summon 2 wolf companions that bite enemies for 18.19% (X-?) damage. Active: Direct the wolves to focus an enemy, leaping to them and striking for 36.75% (X-?) damage. Talents: Call of the Wild Type: Companion Damage: Physical Cooldown: 14.0 seconds
(1st upgrade) Enhanced Wolves – Wolves deal 20% (multiplicative) increased damage to Immobilized, Stunned, Slowed, or poisoned enemies.
(2nd upgrade – my pick of the 2) Ferocious Wolves You deal 10% (multiplicative) increased damage to your Wolves’ focus target.
(passive) did not pick any Companion passives to save points

Wrath Skills (Required Points: 16 )

(active) Boulder – Unearth a large rolling boulder that knocks back and crushes enemies, dealing 34.65% (X-?) damage with each hit. Type: Earth Magic Damage: Physical Cooldown: 10 seconds
(1st upgrade) Enhanced Boulder – Enemies are slowed by 30% for 2 seconds after being hit with Boulder.
(2nd upgrade – my pick of the 2) Natural Boulder – Your Basic Skills grant 75% bonus Spirit while damaging enemies who are Knocked Back by Boulder.
(passive) Crushing Earth – Earth Skills deal 5% (multiplicative) increased damage to Slowed, Stunned, Immobilized or Knocked Back enemies.
- (upgrade) Stone Guard – While Fortified over 50% of your maximum Life, your Earth Skills deal 4% (multiplicative) increased damage.
- (upgrade – did NOT pick to save points) Safeguard Critical Strikes with Earth Skills Fortify you for X.

Ultimate Skills (Required Points: 23 )

(active) Petrify – Petrify all nearby enemies, Stunning them for 3 seconds. You deal 25% (multiplicative) increased Critical Strike Damage to Petrified enemies. Damage: Physical Cooldown: 60 seconds
(1st upgrade) Prime Petrify – Petrify’s duration is increased by 1 seconds.
(2nd upgrade) Supreme Petrify – Killing a Petrified enemy grants 25 Spirit.
(passive) Defiance – Nature Magic skills deal 4% (multiplicative) increased damage to Elites.
- (upgrade) did NOT take either of the two upgrades to save points
(passive) Defensive Posture – Increase the Damage Reduction gained while you are Fortified by an additional +3%.
- (upgrade) Thick Hide – Whenever you are Stunned, Immobilized, or Knocked Down, Fortify for X.
- (upgrade – did NOT pick to save points) Nature’s Resolve – 5% chance when struck to Fortify you for X

Specializations (Required Points: 33 )

(passive) Earthen Might – Lucky Hit: Damaging enemies with Earth Skills has up to a 5% chance to grant Earthen Might. This chance is increased by 10% for Critical Strikes, and is further increased by 10% if the target is Stunned, Immobilized, or Knocked Back. Earthen Might restores all of your Spirit & grants you 100% Critical Strike Chance for 5 seconds.

Class Mechanic (Spirit Boons):

I don’t have much info regarding the Spirit Boons but I think you can pick at least 2 from the same category + maybe 1 more from another. I’ll leave this empty for now.

Legendary Aspects / Powers

Helm: Aspect of Shared Misery
Amulet: Ballistic Aspect
Chest: Aspect of Quicksand
Pants: Mending Stone
Gloves: Nighthowler’s Aspect
Boots: Ghostwalker Aspect
Ring 1: Aspect of The Umbral
Ring 2: Aspect of Pummeling
1H Weapon (if possible to even use a Bludgeoning 1H weapon): Crashstone Aspect
Off-hand (if possible to even use a Bludgeoning 1H weapon): Aspect of Retribution
2-H Weapon (must be Bludgeoning): Crashstone Aspect

Useful Links (Spreadsheets & more):

For all of my Diablo IV Pre-Launch Theorycrafts/Builds: This Spreadsheet

For my Diablo IV Pre-Launch Class Skill Trees (can be used as mini-calculator): This Spreadsheet

♦ ◊ ♦ ◊ ♦

This concludes the Rocky Druid Build for Diablo IV. If you’re interested in the game, below are links to the various platforms where one can buy it (you can just click the links to open a new tab):

PC (Battle.Net)

Snowballer Diablo IV Sorcerer Build

Snowballer Sorcerer BUILD for Diablo IV

(Snowballers Chill enemies until Frozen, then exploit their vulnerability by casting Icy Balls & Shards)

♦ ◊ ♦ ◊ ♦

Diablo IV launches on June 6th, 2023 for PC (Battle.Net), XBOX, & PlayStation with a 4 days Early Access (no wipe) for pre-orders (so kind of really launching June 2nd).

The Beta tests will only let us reach lvl 25 and only let us play in the first Act/Zone (Fractured Peaks) so those builds will be more useful for the actual game launch and ideally for characters around lvl 50+ or 60+. I’ve used 50+ and 60+ skill points when making the builds instead of the full 100 so that they can be used to jumpstart a player’s post-story endgame grind.

This build will be updated post-launch to a new & expanded version when I have actual in-game information as reference.

Video Version:

Skill Trees

Below you’ll see ONLY the Active & Passive skills that were selected for this build. For additional skills that can be taken on the way to lvl 100 + alternative skill options, you can check my pre-launch builds spreadsheet on this link. This build (Snowballer) is one of the builds on that spreadsheet.

Some of the skill icon images you see could be outdated & different from what is seen in the Full release version. I plan to replace them once the Beta ends or after the full launch.

Minor Destruction / Basic Skill (Resource Generator/Builder) (Required Points: 0 )

(active) Frost Bolt – Throw a bolt of frost at an enemy, dealing 39.00% (X- ?) damage and Chilling them for 13%. Damage: Cold Tags: Basic, Frost
- (1st upgrade) Enhanced Frost Bolt – Frost Bolt has a 10% chance to explode on Chilled targets, hitting nearby enemies. Chance increased by 100% against Frozen targets.
- (2nd upgrade – my pick of the 2) Glinting Frost Bolt – Frost Bolt generates 4 Mana when hitting Chilled or Frozen.

Major Destruction / Core Skill(s) (Resource Spender) (Required Points: 2 )

(active) Frozen Orb – Unleash an orb that Chills for 34% and expels piercing shards dealing a total of 31.69% (X- ?) damage. Upon expiration, Frozen Orb explodes, dealing 29.25% (X- ?) damage. and Chilling enemies for 9%. Mana Cost: 40 Damage: Cold Tags: Core, Frost
(1st upgrade) Enhanced Frozen Orb – When cast above 50 Mana, Frozen Orb’s explosion damage is increased by 30% (multiplicative).
(2nd upgrade – my pick of the 2) Destructive Frozen Orb – Frozen Orb’s explosion restores 5 Mana when hitting a Frozen enemy.
(passive) Potent Warding – Your non-Physical Damage and Resistances are increased by 2%.
(passive) did not pick other Core passives to save points

Defensive Skills (Required Points: 6 )

(active) Ice Armor – A Barrier of ice forms around you for 6 seconds, absorbing X damage. While Ice Armor is active, 10% of your Cold Damage dealt is added to its Barrier. Barriers absorb damage from all sources up to a specified amount. Cooldown: 19.6 Tags: Defensive, Frost
(1st upgrade) Enhanced Ice Armor – While Ice Armor is active, your Mana Regeneration is increased by 25%.
(2nd upgrade – my pick of the 2) Mystical Ice Armor – While Ice Armor’s Barrier is at or above its original amount, you deal 30% (multiplicative) increased damage.
(passive) did not pick any Defensive passives to save points

Conjuration Skills (Required Points: 11 )

(active) Ice Blades – Conjure ice blades for 6.0 seconds that rapidly slashes enemies for 30.67% (X – ?) damage and has a 20% chance to make them Vulnerable for 2 seconds. Cooldown: 11.8 Damage: Cold Tags: Conjuration, Frost
(1st upgrade) Enhanced Ice Blades – Ice Blades has a 10% increased chance to make enemies Vulnerable.
(2nd upgrade – my pick of the 2) Summoned Ice Blades – Every time Ice Blades hits a Vulnerable enemy, it gains 25% Attack Speed, up to 100%.
(passive) Align the Elements – You gain 5% Damage reduction against Elites for each second you don’t take damage from any of these sources, up to 50%.
- (1st upgrade) Mana Shield – Every time you spend 100 Mana, you gain 5% Damage Reduction for 5 seconds.
- (2nd upgrade) Protection Using a skill with cooldown grants 10% of your maximum Life as a Barrier for 5 seconds.
(passive) did not pick any more Conjuration passives to save points

Mastery Skills (Required Points: 16 )

(active) Blizzard – Summon a frigid blizzard that deals 120.00% (X) damage and continually Chills enemies for 18% over 5 seconds. Mana Cost: 40 Damage: Cold Tags: Mastery, Frost
(1st upgrade) Enhanced Blizzard – Blizzard’s duration is increased by 2 seconds.
(2nd upgrade – my pick of the 2) Mage’s Blizzard – Every second an enemy is in Blizzard, they take 2.5% (multiplicative) increased damage from you, up to 20% (multiplicative).
(passive to consider FOR LATER. DID NOT invest for it yet to save points ) Ice Veil – Your Barriers have a 5% increased duration. Barriers absorb damage from all sourced up to a specified amount.
- (upgrade) Hoarfrost – You deal more damage to enemies the more Chilled they are, up 6% (multiplicative) while they are Frozen.
- (upgrade) Cold Front – While you have a Barrier active, you apply 8% more Chill.

Ultimate Skills (Required Points: 23 )

(active) Deep Freeze – Encase yourself in ice, becoming Immune for 4 seconds, continually Chilling enemies for 20%. When Deep Freeze ends, Frozen enemies shatter for 200.00% (X- ?). Casting Deep Freeze again ends the effect early. Cooldown: 58.8 Damage: Cold Tags: Ultimate, Frost
(1st upgrade) Prime Deep Freeze – Gain 5% of your Life as a Barrier for 6 seconds for each enemy shattered by Deep Freeze.
(2nd upgrade) Supreme Deep Freeze – When Deep Freeze ends, your active cooldowns are reduced by 50%.
(passive) Frostbite – You deal 3% (multiplicative) more damage to Frozen or Vulnerable enemies, and 6% (multiplicative) more damage to enemies who are both Frozen and Vulnerable.
- (upgrade) Icy Touch – You deal 4% (multiplicative) increased damage to Vulnerable enemies.
- (upgrade) Permafrost – Frost Skills deal 5% (multiplicative) increased damage to Elites.
- (upgrade) Snap Freeze – Lucky Hit: Frost Skills have up to a 3% chance to instantly Freeze.

Specializations (Required Points: 33 )

(passive) Icefall – Lucky Hit: Your Frost Skills have up to a 10% chance to make your next Ice Shards, Frozen Orb, or Blizzard consume no Mana and deal 40% (multiplicative) more damage. Chance is doubled against Vulnerable enemies.

Class Mechanic:

I don’t have much info regarding sacrificing skills as “Enchantments” and if it even is still a part of the game so I’ll leave this empty for now.

Legendary Aspects / Powers

I will only list the Legendary Aspects that have been selected for the build and the slots in which I advise putting those. For in-depth information you can check my pre-launch builds spreadsheet on this link. This build (Snowballer) is one of the builds on that spreadsheet.

Helm: Aspect of The Umbral
Amulet: Aspect of Control
Chest: Aspect of Shared Misery
Pants: Snowguard’s Aspect
Gloves: Aspect of Biting Cold
Boots: Ghostwalker Aspect
Ring 1: Aspect of Retribution
Ring 2: Prodigy’s Aspect
1H Weapon: Aspect of Pummeling
Off-hand: Rapid Aspect
2-H Weapon (if you decide to use one): Aspect of Pummeling

Useful Links (Spreadsheets & more):

For all of my Diablo IV Pre-Launch Theorycrafts/Builds: This Spreadsheet

For my Diablo IV Pre-Launch Class Skill Trees (can be used as mini-calculator): This Spreadsheet

♦ ◊ ♦ ◊ ♦

This concludes the Snowballer Sorcerer Build for Diablo IV. If you’re interested in the game below are links to the various platforms where one can buy it (you can just click the links to open a new tab):

PC (Battle.Net)

Dark Lord Diablo IV Necromancer Build

The Dark Lord and his Mages emerge from the shadows to engulf the battlefield in darkness

Dark Lord Necromancer BUILD for Diablo IV

(the Dark Lord and his Mages emerge from the shadows to engulf the battlefield in darkness)

♦ ◊ ♦ ◊ ♦

Diablo IV launches on June 6th, 2023 for PC (Battle.Net), XBOX, & PlayStation with a 4 days Early Access (no wipe) for pre-orders (so kind of really launching June 2nd).

The Beta tests will only let us reach lvl 25 and only let us play in the first Act/Zone (Fractured Peaks) so those builds will be more useful for the actual game launch and ideally for characters around lvl 50+ or 60+. I’ve used 50+ and 60+ skill points when making the builds instead of the full 100 so that they can be used to jumpstart a player’s post-story endgame grind.

This build will be updated post-launch to a new & expanded version when I have actual in-game information as reference.

Video Version:

Skill Trees

Below you’ll see ONLY the Active & Passive skills that were selected for this build. For additional skills that can be taken on the way to lvl 100 + alternative skill options, you can check my pre-launch builds spreadsheet on this link. This build (Reaping Army) is one of the builds on that spreadsheet.

The images you see are PLACEHOLDERS due to lack of any real skill icons leaks for the Necromancer class. I will replace them once the Beta starts and I can screenshot the actual icons.

Basic Skill (Resource Generator/Builder) (Required Points: 0 )

(active) Reap – Sweep an ethereal scythe in front of you, dealing 12.00% (X-?) damage. Hitting an enemy with Reap increases your damage Reduction by 15% for 2 seconds. Generates: 4 Essence per enemy hit Damage: Shadow
- (1st upgrade) Enhanced Reap – If an enemy hit by Reap dies within 2 seconds, you gain 30% attack speed for 3 seconds.
- (2nd upgrade – my pick of the 2) Initiate’s Reap – Reap instantly executes non-Bosses below 5% Life.

Core Skill(s) (Resource Spender) (Required Points: 2 )

(active) Blight – Unleash concentrated blight that deals 30.00% (X-?) damage and leaves behind a defiled area, dealing 80% (X) damage over 6 seconds. Essence Cost: 25 Damage: Shadow
(1st upgrade) Enhanced Blight – Blight Slows enemies by 25%
(2nd upgrade – my pick of the 2) Paranormal Blight – Blight has a 10% (multiplicative) chance to Stun for 2 seconds each time it deals damage.
(passive) Unliving Energy – Your maximum Essence is increased by 3.
- (1st upgrade) did not pick to save points
(passive) Reconstitution – Your damage has up to a 4% chance to create a corpse at the target’s location.

Macabre Skills (Required Points: 6 )

(active) Corpse Explosion – Release a vile miasma from a Corpse, dealing 75.00% (X-?) Shadow Damage over X seconds. Detonate a Corpse, dealing X damage to nearby enemies. Cooldown: ? Seconds.
(1st upgrade) Enhanced Corpse – Explosion Corpse Explosion’s radius is increased by 15%.
(2nd upgrade – my pick of the 2) Horrid Corpse Explosion – Corpse Explosion deals 15% (multiplicative) increased damage to enemies that are Slowed, Stunned or Vulnerable.
(passive) did not invest into the Macabre passives yet to save points

Corruption Skills (Required Points: 11 ) here we’re taking both Curses

(active 1) Iron Maiden – Curse the target area. Enemies afflicted by Iron Maiden take 10.00% (X-XX) damage each time they deal direct damage. Lasts 10 seconds. Essence Cost: 10 Damage: Physical
(1st upgrade) Enhanced Iron Maiden – Iron Maiden no longer costs Essence. Instead, gain 5 Essence for each enemy Cursed. Does not work with enemies already cursed with Iron Maiden.
(2nd upgrade – my pick of the 2) Abhorrent Iron Maiden – Heal for 5% of your maximum Life when an enemy dies while afflicted with Iron Maiden.

(active) Decrepify – Curse the target area. Enemies afflicted by Decrepify are Slowed by 50% and deal 25% less damage for 10 seconds. Essence Cost: 10 Damage: Physical
(1st upgrade) Enhanced Decrepify – Enemies hit while afflicted with Decrepify have up to a 10% chance to be Stunned for 2 seconds.
(2nd upgrade – my pick of the 2) Abhorent Decrepify – Enemies hit while afflicted with Decrepify have up to a 15% chance to reduce your active cooldowns by 1.0 seconds.
(passive) Skeletal Mage Mastery – Increase the damage and Health of your Skeletal Mages by 15%.
(passive) did not invest into other Corruption passives to save points

Summoning Skills (Required Points: 16 )

(active DID NOT TAKE IT BUT YOU CAN REMOVE A CURSE FOR IT) Corpse Tendrils – Veins burst out of a Corpse, pulling in enemies, Stunning them for 3 seconds, and dealing 20.00% (X-?) damage to them. Cooldown: 11.0 Seconds. Damage: Physical
(1st upgrade) Enhanced Corpse – Tendrils Enemies who are in range of Corpse Tendrils are Slowed by 50% before being pulled.
(2nd upgrade – my pick of the 2) Horrid Corpse Tendrils – Enemies Stunned by Corpse Tendrils take 40% (multiplicative) more damage from Corpse Explosion.
(passive) Reaper’s Pursuit – Damaging enemies with Darkness Skills increases your Movement Speed by 5% for 3 seconds.
- (upgrade) Crippling Darkness – DID NOT INVEST in this to save points
- (upgrade) Gloom – When you damage enemies with Darkness Skills, they take 2% (multiplicative) increased Shadow Damage for 2 seconds, stacking up to 3 times.
- (upgrade) Terror – Darkness Skills deal 5% increased damage against Immobilized, Slowed, or Stunned enemies. This also applies to Shadow Damage dealt by your Minions.

Ultimate Skills (Required Points: 23 )

(active) Blood Wave – Conjure a tidal wave of blood that deals 90.00% (X-XX) damage and knocks enemies back. Cooldown: 50.0 Seconds. Damage: Physical
(1st upgrade) Prime Blood Wave – Blood Wave Slows enemies by 50% for 4 seconds.
(2nd upgrade) Supreme Blood Wave – Blood Wave leaves behind 3 Blood Orbs as it travels.
(passive) Hellbent Commander – Your Minions deal 10% (multiplicative) increased damage while you are near them.
- (upgrade) Inspiring Command – DID NOT INVEST in this to save points
(passive) Bonded in Essence – Your Minions gain 15% of your Resistances.
- (upgrade) Death’s Defense – DID NOT INVEST in this to save points

Specializations (Required Points: 33 )

(passive) Shadowblight – Darkness Skills infect enemies with Shadowblight for 2 seconds. Every 10th time an enemy receives Shadow Damage from you or your Minions while they are affected by Shadowblight, they burst for 20.00% (X-XX) Shadow Damage.

Book of the Dead (Class Mechanic):

This build is all about doing as much shadow dmg hits as possible and focuses on ranged DPS. Sacrificing our melee minions might make it hard by not having a “tank” but it also boosts our dps in a lovely way. As for the types I picked, I’d recommend as follows:

Skeletal Reapers + Sacrifice is what we take for the bonus dps
- Description: Your critical strike chance is increased by 5%, but you can no longer raise Skeletal Warriors.
Shadow Mages + Upgrade 2 is a good build synergy
- Description: Shadow Mages fire an additional shadow bolt every 6th attack.
Bone Golem + + Sacrifice is what we take for the bonus dps
- Description: You deal 30% (multiplicative) increased critical strike damage, but you lose the ability to summon a Golem.

Legendary Aspects / Powers

I will only list the Legendary Aspects that have been selected for the build and the slots in which I advise putting those. For in-depth information you can check my pre-launch builds spreadsheet on this link. This build (Dark Lord) is one of the builds on that spreadsheet.

Helm: Aspect of The Umbral
Amulet: Blighted Aspect
Chest: Sacrificial Aspect
Pants: Aspect of Disobedience
Gloves: Aspect of Shared Misery
Boots: Aspect of The Void
Ring 1: Aspect of Pummeling
Ring 2: Aspect of Retribution
1H Weapon: Aspect of The Damned
Off-hand: Aspect of The Expectant
2-H Weapon (if you decide to use one): Aspect of The Damned

Useful Links (Spreadsheets & more):

For all of my Diablo IV Pre-Launch Theorycrafts/Builds: This Spreadsheet

For my Diablo IV Pre-Launch Class Skill Trees (can be used as mini-calculator): This Spreadsheet

♦ ◊ ♦ ◊ ♦

This concludes the Dark Lord Necromancer Build for Diablo IV. If you’re interested in the game below are links to the various platforms where one can buy it (you can just click the links to open a new tab):

PC (Battle.Net)

Angry Berserker Diablo IV Barbarian Build

Angry Berserker Barbarian BUILD for Diablo IV

(be a savage warrior as angry as the HULK – all about the uptime of Berserking)

♦ ◊ ♦ ◊ ♦

Diablo IV launches on June 6th, 2023 for PC (Battle.Net), XBOX, & PlayStation with a 4 days Early Access (no wipe) for pre-orders (so kind of really launching June 2nd).

The Beta tests will only let us reach lvl 25 and only let us play in the first Act/Zone (Fractured Peaks) so those builds will be more useful for the actual game launch and ideally for characters around lvl 50+ or 60+. I’ve used 50+ and 60+ skill points when making the builds instead of the full 100 so that they can be used to jumpstart a player’s post-story endgame grind.

This build will be updated post-launch to a new & expanded version when I have actual in-game information as reference.

Video Version:

Skill Trees

Below you’ll see ONLY the Active & Passive skills that were selected for this build. For additional skills that can be taken on the way to lvl 100 + alternative skill options, you can check my pre-launch builds spreadsheet on this link. This build (Angry Berserker) is one of the builds on that spreadsheet.

Some of the skill icon images you see could be outdated & differ from what is seen in the Full release version. I plan to replace them once the Beta ends or after the full launch

Basic Skill (Resource Generator/Builder) (Required Points: 0 )

(active) Frenzy – Unleash a rapid flurry of blows, dealing 26.83% (X – ?) damage with each pair of hits. Dealing damage with Frenzy increases Frenzy’s Attack Speed by +20% for 3 seconds up to 60% Requires dual-wielding weapons. Damage: Physical Generate Fury: 5 Lucky Hit Chance: 30%
- (1st upgrade) Enhanced Frenzy – While Frenzy is granting +60% bonus Attack Speed, it also generates 1 additional Fury.
- (2nd upgrade – my pick of the 2) Battle Frenzy – Frenzy deals 30% (multiplicative) increased damage while Berserking.

Core Skill(s) (Resource Spender) (Required Points: 2 )

(active) Double Swing – Sweep your weapons from opposite directions, dealing 68.99% (X – ?) damage with each weapon. Enemies caught in the center are hit by both. Requires dual wielded weapons. Damage: Physical Fury Cost: 25 Lucky Hit Chance: 30%
(1st upgrade) Enhanced Double Swing – If Double Swing damages a Stunned or Knocked Down enemy, gain 25 Fury.
(2nd upgrade – my pick of the 2) Furious Double Swing – Casting Double Swing while Berserking grants 2 additional seconds of Berserking.
(passive) Pressure Point – Lucky Hit: Your Core Skills have up to a 10% chance to make enemies Vulnerable for 2 seconds.
(passive) did not pick any other Core Passives to save points

Defensive Skills (Required Points: 6 )

(active) Ground Stomp – Smash the ground, dealing 18.20% (X – ?) damage and stunning enemies for 3 seconds. Damage: Physical Cooldown: 16.0 seconds
(1st upgrade) Enhanced Ground Stomp – Increase Ground Stomp’s duration by 1 second.
(2nd upgrade – my pick of the 2)Strategic Ground Stomp – Reduce the Cooldown of your Ultimate skill by 1 second for each enemy damaged by Ground Stomp.
(passive) Imposing Presence – Gain 15% (multiplicative) additional Maximum Life.
- (upgrade) Martial Vigor – Damage Reduction against Elites, Bosses, and Players is increased by 4% (multiplicative).
(passive) did not pick any other Defensive Passives to save points

Brawling Skills (Required Points: 11 )

(active) War Cry – Bellow a mighty war cry. You and nearby allies deal 15% (multiplicative) increased damage for 10.4 seconds. War Cry grants you Berserking for 3 seconds. War Cry grants X Fortify. Cooldown: 25 seconds
(1st upgrade) Enhanced War Cry – War Cry grants you Berserking for 3 seconds.
(2nd upgrade – my pick of the 2) Power War Cry – If at least 4 enemies are nearby when War Cry is cast, its damage bonus is increased by 15%.
(passive) Booming Voice – Shout skill durations are increased by 30% (multiplicative).
- (upgrade) Raid Leader – did not pick to save points
- (upgrade) Guttural Yell – did not pick to save points
(passive) Aggressive Resistance – Gain 4% Damage Reduction while Berserking.
- (upgrade) Battle Frenzy – did not pick to save points
- (upgrade) Prolific Fury – did not pick to save points
(passive) did not pick any other Brawling Passives to save points

Weapon Mastery Skills (Required Points: 16 )

(active) Steel Grasp – Throw out a trio of chains that deal 24.15% (X – ?) damage and Pull In enemies. Charges: 2 Charge Cooldown: 11.0 seconds Damage: Physical Tags: Weapon Mastery Lucky Hit Chance: 50%
(1st upgrade) Enhanced Steel Grasp – Steel Grasp also makes enemies Vulnerable for 2.5 seconds.
(2nd upgrade – my pick of the 2) Fighter’s Steel Grasp – If Steel Grasp damages an enemy, gain Berserking for 2 seconds.
(passive) Pit Fighter – You deal 3% (multiplicative) increased damage to Close enemies and gain 2% Distant Damage Reduction.
- (upgrade) No Mercy – You deal 5% (multiplicative) increased damage against Immobilized, Stunned, or Slowed enemies.
- (upgrade) Slaying Strike – DID NOT INVEST in this to save points
- (upgrade) Expose Vulnerability – DID NOT INVEST in this to save points
(passive) did not pick any other Weapon Mastery Passives to save points

Ultimate Skills (Required Points: 23 )

(active) Wrath of the Berserker – Gain Berserking and Unstoppable for 5 seconds. For the next 10 seconds, dealing direct damage with Basic skills grants Berserking for 25 seconds Cooldown: 60.0 seconds Tags: Ultimate
(1st upgrade) Supreme Wrath of the Berserker – While Wrath of the Berserker is active, gain +20% increased Movement Speed and increase Fury Generation by 30% (multiplicative)
(2nd upgrade – my pick of the 2) Prime Wrath of the Berserker – While Wrath of the Berserker is active, every 50 Fury spend increases Berserk’s damage bonus by 25% (multiplicative)
(passive) Tempered Fury – Increase your Maximum Fury by 3.
- (upgrade) Furious Impulse – DID NOT INVEST in this to save points
- (upgrade) Invigorating Fury – Heals you for 2% of your Maximum Life for each 100 Fury spent.
(passive) did not pick any other Ultimate Passives to save points

Specializations (Required Points: 33 )

(passive) Unconstrained – Increase Berserk’s maximum duration by 5 seconds and increase its damage bonus by 25% (multiplicative).

Arsenal (Class Mechanic):

The Barbarian class mechanics is called Arsenal and this is how I believe it works:

Dual Wielded 1-Handed Weapons are Slashing and can be Swords, Axes, or Maces (strange why the 1H Maces are clumped together with Swords & Axes under Slashing and not listed as Bludgeoning maybe the information I found is incorrect… hopefully 1h Maces are not Slashing)
The two slots of Two-Handed Weapons can be occupied by Slashing type weps like Swords, Axes, & Polearms and/or by Bludgeoning Maces
Ideally 1x 2h Slashing, 1x 2h Bludgeoning and a Dual Wield 1h combo for the 4 weps if you got for a swap-centric build

Legendary Aspects / Powers

I will only list the Legendary Aspects that have been selected for the build and the slots in which I advise putting those. For in-depth information you can check my pre-launch builds spreadsheet on this link. This build (Angry Berserker) is one of the builds on that spreadsheet.

Helm: Aspect of Shared Misery
Amulet: Aspect of Pummeling
Chest: Aspect of Numbing Wrath
Pants: Aspect of Might
Gloves: Relentless Berserker’s Apect
Boots: Ghostwalker Aspect
Ring 1: Aspect of Echoing Fury
Ring 2: Aspect of The Umbral
1H Weapon: Aspect of The Expectant
Off-hand: Rapid Aspect
2-H Weapon One (see Class Mechanic for info): Aspect of Retribution
2-H Weapon Two (see Class Mechanic for info): Edgemaster’s Aspect

Useful Links (Spreadsheets & more):

For all of my Diablo IV Pre-Launch Theorycrafts/Builds: This Spreadsheet

For my Diablo IV Pre-Launch Class Skill Trees (can be used as mini-calculator): This Spreadsheet

♦ ◊ ♦ ◊ ♦

This concludes the Angry Berserker Barbarian Build for Diablo IV. If you’re interested in the game below are links to the various platforms where one can buy it (you can just click the links to open a new tab):

PC (Battle.Net)

Shadow Trapper Diablo IV Rogue Build

Shadow Trapper Rogue BUILD for Diablo IV

(eliminate your targets by taking advantage of Deadly Traps & a shadowy Flurry of Blades)

♦ ◊ ♦ ◊ ♦

Diablo IV launches on June 6th, 2023 for PC (Battle.Net), XBOX, & PlayStation with a 4 days Early Access (no wipe) for pre-orders (so kind of really launching June 2nd).

The Beta tests will only let us reach lvl 25 and only let us play in the first Act/Zone (Fractured Peaks) so those builds will be more useful for the actual game launch and ideally for characters around lvl 50+ or 60+. I’ve used 50+ and 60+ skill points when making the builds instead of the full 100 so that they can be used to jumpstart a player’s post-story endgame grind.

This build will be updated post-launch to a new & expanded version when I have actual in-game information as reference.

Video Version:

Skill Trees

Below you’ll see ONLY the Active & Passive skills that were selected for this build. For additional skills that can be taken on the way to lvl 100 + alternative skill options, you can check my pre-launch builds spreadsheet on this link. This build (Shadow Trapper) is one of the builds on that spreadsheet.

Some of the skill icon images you see could be outdated & different from what is seen in the Full release version. I plan to replace them once the Beta ends or after the full launch

Basic Skill (Resource Generator/Builder) (Required Points: 0 )

(active) Blade Shift – Stab your victim for 53.69% (X – ?) damage and use their vitality to shift, allowing you to move freely through enemies for 3 seconds. Requires Dual Wielded weapons Damage: Physical Tags: Basic, Melee
- (1st upgrade) Enhanced Blade Shift – Damaging an enemy grants +5% Movement Speed while Blade Shift is active, up to +20%
- (2nd upgrade – my pick of the 2) Primary Blade Shift – While Blade Shift is active you gain 15% to all non-Physical Resistances and reduce the duration of Control Impairing Effects by 20%.

Core Skill(s) (Resource Spender) (Required Points: 2 )

(active) Flurry– Unleash a flurry of stabs and slashes, dealing 200.45% (X – ?) damage to enemies in front of you. Combo Points increase damage and grant a +30% Attack Speed bonus: 1: 95% damage bonus for 1.5 seconds ; 2: 114% damage bonus for 3.0 seconds ; 3: 133% damage bonus for 4.5 seconds Requires Dual Wielded weapons Energy Cost: 17 Damage: Physical Tags: Core, Melee, Imbueable
(1st upgrade) Enhanced Flurry – Increase Flurry’s radius by 15% (multiplicative).
(2nd upgrade – my pick of the 2) Improved Flurry – Each time Flurry damages a Crowd Controlled or Vulnerable enemy, you are Healed for X Life.
(passive) Sturdy – You gain +12% Melee Damage Reduction.
- (upgrade) Siphoning Strikes – did not pick to save points
(passive) did not pick other Core passives to save points

Agility Skills (Required Points: 6 )

(active) Caltrops – Leap backwards and throw caltrops on the ground, dealing 71.59% (X – ?) damage and slowing enemies by 50%. Lasts 6 seconds. Energy Cost: 21 Damage: Physical Tags: Agility, Trap
(1st upgrade) Enhanced Caltrops – Enemies take 3% (multiplicative) increased damage from all sources each second they’re in Caltrops.
(2nd upgrade – my pick of the 2) Disciplined Caltrops – You have 15% Critical Strike Chance against enemies inside your Caltrops. Double this amount against Vulnerable enemies.
(passive) Weapon Mastery – Gain a bonus when attacking based on weapon type: Daggers: 15.0% (multiplicative) increased damage to Healthy enemies. Swords: 9% (multiplicative) increased damage. Bows: Up to 12% (multiplicative) increased damage to Vulnerable enemies. Crossbows: 15% (multiplicative) increased Critical Strike Damage. For all weapons: Vulnerable enemies take 20% (multiplicative) increased damage Healthy characters have more than 80% of their life.
(passive) did not pick other Agility passives to save points

Subterfuge Skills (Required Points: 11 )

(active) Poison Trap – Place a trap that arms after 1.25 seconds. It activates when an enemy moves near, applying 821.25% (X) Poisoning damage over 9 seconds to enemies in the area. Cooldown: 10.0 seconds. Damage: Poison Tags: Subterfuge, Trap
(1st upgrade) Enhanced Poison Trap – Poison Trap immobilizes enemies for 2 seconds when it activates.
(2nd upgrade – my pick of the 2) Countering Poison Trap – Poison Trap has a 20% chance to reset your Imbuement Skill Cooldowns when activated.
(passive) Exploit – You deal 18% (multiplicative) increased damage to Healthy and Injured enemies.
- (upgrade) Malice – You deal 9% (multiplicative) increased damage to Vulnerable enemies.
(passive) did not pick other Subterfuge passives to save points

Imbuements Skills (Required Points: 16 )

(active) Imbue Weapon: Shadow – Imbue your weapons with festering shadows. Enemies struck by your next 2 non- Basic Melee or Ranged Skills deal damage and infect enemies such that they explode for up to 73.83% (X) damage on death. Direct damage to infected enemies deals an additional 4.00% (X) Shadow damage. Cooldown: 9.0 seconds. Damage: Shadow Tags: Imbuements
(1st upgrade) Enhanced Imbue Weapon: Shadow – Lucky Hit: Critically Striking an enemy infected by Shadow Imbue has up to 30% chance to create a mini explosion dealing 26.25% (X- ?) Shadow damage to them and nearby enemies.
(2nd upgrade – my pick of the 2) Blended Imbue Weapon: Shadow – Shadow Imbue’s primary explosion makes enemies Vulnerable for 2 seconds.
(passive) Shadow Crash– Lucky Hit: Shadow damage has up to a 10% chance to Stun for 0.5 seconds.
- (upgrade) Consuming Shadows – Each time you kill an enemy with Shadow Damage, you generate 10 Energy.
(passive) did not pick other Imbuements passives to save points

Ultimate Skills (Required Points: 23 )

(active) Death Trap – Place a trap that arms after 1.25 seconds. It activates when an enemy moves near, dealing 596.56% (X – ?) damage to enemies in the area. Cooldown: 45.0 seconds. Damage: Shadow Tags: Ultimate, Imbueable
(1st upgrade) Prime Death Trap – Enemies are Pulled into Death Trap when it activates.
(2nd upgrade – my pick of the 2) Supreme Death Trap – If Death Trap kills an enemy, its Cooldown is reduced by 10 seconds.
(passive) Innervation – Lucky Hit: Up to a 20% chance to gain 5 Energy.
- (upgrade) Second Wind – DID NOT INVEST in this to save points
- (upgrade) Alchemist’s Fortune – DID NOT INVEST in this to save points
(passive) Trap Mastery – When Poison Trap or Death Trap activates, you gain 4% increased Critical Strike Chance against Vulnerable and Crowd Controlled enemies for 4 seconds.
(passive) Aftermath – After using an Ultimate Skill, restore 25 Energy.
(passive) did not pick other Ultimate passives to save points

Specializations (Required Points: 33 )

(passive) Exposure – Lucky Hit: Dealing direct damage to an enemy affected by a Trap Skill has up to a 75% chance to make them Vulnerable for 4 seconds and reduce the Cooldowns of your Trap Skills by 0.5 seconds.

Class Mechanic:

I don’t have much information about the 3 Specializations of the Rogue which are their Class Mechanics:

Combo Points – Your Basic Skills now generate Combo Points. Certain Skills consume Combo Points for additional effects.
Inner Sight – Attack marked enemies to fill up your Inner Sight gauge. When it’s full, gain unlimited Energy for 4 seconds.
Preparation – This specialization was not available during the closed beta builds of the game.

My guess is that it would be best to switch between specializations depending on the situation/content. For now I won’t go into detail or say use only a certain one of those until the game launches and I try them out.

Legendary Aspects / Powers

I will only list the Legendary Aspects that have been selected for the build and the slots in which I advise putting those. For in-depth information you can check my pre-launch builds spreadsheet on this link. This build (Shadow Trapper) is one of the builds on that spreadsheet.

Helm: Ravenous Aspect
Amulet: Aspect of Shared Misery
Chest: Aspect of Might
Pants: Aspect of Disobedience
Gloves: Aspect of Explosive Verve
Boots: Wind Striker Aspect
Ring 1: Blast-Trapper’s Aspect
Ring 2: Aspect of Corruption
1H Weapon: Trickster’s Aspect
Off-hand: Aspect of Unstable Imbuements
2-H Weapon (if you decide to use one): Trickster’s Aspect

Useful Links (Spreadsheets & more):

For all of my Diablo IV Pre-Launch Theorycrafts/Builds: This Spreadsheet

For my Diablo IV Pre-Launch Class Skill Trees (can be used as mini-calculator): This Spreadsheet

♦ ◊ ♦ ◊ ♦

This concludes the Shadow Trapper Rogue Build for Diablo IV. If you’re interested in the game below are links to the various platforms where one can buy it (you can just click the links to open a new tab):

PC (Battle.Net)

Lycan Lacerator Diablo IV Druid Build

Lycan Lacerator Druid BUILD for Diablo IV

(Shapeshift into a Warewolf to Claw & Shred trough your enemies, tearing them apart)

♦ ◊ ♦ ◊ ♦

Diablo IV launches on June 6th, 2023 for PC (Battle.Net), XBOX, & PlayStation with a 4 days Early Access (no wipe) for pre-orders (so kind of really launching June 2nd).

The Beta tests will only let us reach lvl 25 and only let us play in the first Act/Zone (Fractured Peaks) so those builds will be more useful for the actual game launch and ideally for characters around lvl 50+ or 60+. I’ve used 50+ and 60+ skill points when making the builds instead of the full 100 so that they can be used to jumpstart a player’s post-story endgame grind.

This build will be updated post-launch to a new & expanded version when I have actual in-game information as reference.

Video Version:

Skill Trees

Below you’ll see ONLY the Active & Passive skills that were selected for this build. For additional skills that can be taken on the way to lvl 100 + alternative skill options, you can check my pre-launch builds spreadsheet on this link. This build (Lycan Lacerator) is one of the builds on that spreadsheet.

Some of the skill icon images you see could be outdated & different from what is seen in the Full release version. I plan to replace them once the Beta ends or after the full launch

Basic Skill (Resource Generator/Builder) (Required Points: 0 )

(active) Claw – Shapeshift into a Werewolf and shred an enemy, dealing 21.00% (X-?) damage. Type: Shapeshifting Damage: Physical Generates: 9 Spirit
- (1st upgrade) Enhanced Claw – Claw’s Attack Speed is increased by +10%.
- (2nd upgrade – my pick of the 2) Wild Claw – Claw has an additional +10% Critical Strike Chance and deals +15% increased Critical Strike Damage.

Spirit / Core Skill(s) (Resource Spender) (Required Points: 2 )

(active) Shred – Shapeshift into a Werewolf and leap onto an enemy slashing them 3 times for 42.00% (X-?) damage per slash. Type: Shapeshifting Damage: Physical Spirit Cost: 34
(1st upgrade) Enhanced Shred – Each slash with Shred heals you for 2% of your maximum Life when it deals damage.
(2nd upgrade – my pick of the 2) Raging Shred – Shred has an additional +10% Critical Strike Chance against Poisoned enemies.
(passive) Heart of the Wild – Maximum Spirit is increased by 3.
- (upgrade) Wild Impulses – Your Core Skills cost 5% (multiplicative) more Spirit but deal 10% (multiplicative) increased damage
- (upgrade) Abundance – Basic Skills generate 5% more Spirit.
(passive) Predatory Instinct – Critical Strike Chance against nearby enemies is increased by 3%.
- (upgrade) Iron Fur – did not pick to save points
- (upgrade) Digitigrate Gait / Lycanthropic Speed – did not pick to save points

Defensive Skills (Required Points: 6 )

(active) Blood Howl – Shapeshift into a Werewolf and howl furiously, restoring X% Life. Cooldown: 15 seconds
(1st upgrade) Enhanced Blood Howl – Kills reduce the cooldown of Blood Howl by 1 second.
(2nd upgrade – my pick of the 2) Innate Blood Howl – Blood Howl also generates 20 Spirit.
(passive) Ancestral Fortitude – Increase your non-physical resistances by 5%.
- (upgrade) Vigilance – did not pick to save points

Companion Skills (Required Points: 11 )

(active) Vine Creeper – Passive: A vine creeper periodically emerges from the ground every 7 seconds and poisons a nearby enemy for 37.80% (X) damage over 6 seconds. Active: Vines strangle enemies in a target area, poisoning them for X damage over 6 seconds and stunning them for 2 seconds. Type: Companion Damage: Poison Cooldown: 20 seconds
(1st upgrade) Enhanced Vine Creeper – Vine Creeper’s Immobilize duration is increased by 1 second.
(2nd upgrade – my pick of the 2) Brutal Vine Creeper – Your chance to Critically Strike is increased by 20% against enemies strangled by Vine Creeper.
(passive) did not pick any Companion passives to save points

Wrath Skills (Required Points: 16 )

(active) Rabies – Shapeshift into a Werewolf and perform an infectious bite on the target dealing 24.40% (X-?) damage, and an additional 55.65% (X) damage over 6 seconds. Infected enemies spread Rabies to other nearby targets. Poison Damage Cooldown: 12 seconds
(1st upgrade) Enhanced Rabies – Once Rabies infects 4 targets, it deals 30% (multiplicative) increased Poison damage against all targets.
(2nd upgrade – my pick of the 2) Enhanced Rabies – Once Rabies infects 4 targets, it deals 30% (multiplicative) increased Poison damage against all targets.
(passive) Toxic Claws – Critical Strikes with Werewolf skills deal 8% of their base damage as Poison damage over 4 seconds.
- (upgrade) Neurotoxin – DID NOT INVEST in this to save points

Ultimate Skills (Required Points: 23 )

(active) Lacerate – Shapeshift into a Werewolf, become Immune and quickly dash 10 times between nearby enemies dealing up to 420.20% (X-?) damage. Cooldown: 50 seconds
(1st upgrade) Prime Lacerate – Each time Lacerate deals a Critical Strike, heal for 3% of your maximum Life.
(2nd upgrade – my pick of the 2) Supreme Lacerate – Lacerate’s final strike deals 200% (multiplicative) increased damage.
(passive) Quickshift – After Shapeshifting into a different form, your next skill deals 5% (multiplicative) increased damage. (i only put 1 point into it to unlock the upgrades)
- (upgrade) Heightened Senses – Upon shapeshifting into a Werewolf or Werebear, gain 4% damage reduction against Elites for 3 seconds.
- (upgrade) Natural Fortitude – Shapeshifting Fortifies you for 0.56.

Specializations (Required Points: 33 )

(passive) Lupine Ferocity – Every 6th Werewolf skill hit Critically Strikes and deals 60% (multiplicative) increased damage.

Class Mechanic (Spirit Boons):

I don’t have much info regarding the Spirit Boons but I think you can pick at least 2 from the same category + maybe 1 more from another. I’ll leave this empty for now.

Legendary Aspects / Powers

I will only list the Legendary Aspects that have been selected for the build and the slots in which I advise putting those. For in-depth information you can check my pre-launch builds spreadsheet on this link. This build (Lycan Lacerator) is one of the builds on that spreadsheet.

Helm: Aspect of Disobedience
Amulet: Aspect of Shared Misery
Chest: Stalking Beast Aspect
Pants: Vigorous Aspect
Gloves: Nighthowler’s Aspect
Boots: Wind Striker Aspect
Ring 1: Aspect of The Unsatiated
Ring 2: Aspect of The Umbral
1H Weapon: Edgemaster’s Aspect
Off-hand: Aspect of Retribution
2-H Weapon (if you decide to use one): Edgemaster’s Aspect

Useful Links (Spreadsheets & more):

For all of my Diablo IV Pre-Launch Theorycrafts/Builds: This Spreadsheet

For my Diablo IV Pre-Launch Class Skill Trees (can be used as mini-calculator): This Spreadsheet

♦ ◊ ♦ ◊ ♦

This concludes the Lycan Lacerator Druid Build for Diablo IV. If you’re interested in the game below are links to the various platforms where one can buy it (you can just click the links to open a new tab):

PC (Battle.Net)

Chaining Thunder Diablo IV Sorcerer Build

Chaining Thunder Sorcerer BUILD for Diablo IV

(be the Master of Thunder & Storms that shocks & electrifies enemies while zapping around the map)

♦ ◊ ♦ ◊ ♦

Diablo IV launches on June 6th, 2023 for PC (Battle.Net), XBOX, & PlayStation with a 4 days Early Access (no wipe) for pre-orders (so kind of really launching June 2nd).

The Beta tests will only let us reach lvl 25 and only let us play in the first Act/Zone (Fractured Peaks) so those builds will be more useful for the actual game launch and ideally for characters around lvl 50+ or 60+. I’ve used 50+ and 60+ skill points when making the builds instead of the full 100 so that they can be used to jumpstart a player’s post-story endgame grind.

This build will be updated post-launch to a new & expanded version when I have actual in-game information as reference.

Video Version:

Skill Trees

Below you’ll see ONLY the Active & Passive skills that were selected for this build. For additional skills that can be taken on the way to lvl 100 + alternative skill options, you can check my pre-launch builds spreadsheet on this link. This build (Chaining Thunder) is one of the builds on that spreadsheet.

Some of the skill icon images you see could be outdated & different from what is seen in the Full release version. I plan to replace them once the Beta ends or after the full launch.

Minor Destruction / Basic Skill (Resource Generator/Builder) (Required Points: 0 )

(active) Arc Lash – Unleash arcing lightning that shocks enemies in front of you for 30.00% (X- ?). Every 10 times Arc Lash swipes, it stuns all enemies hit for 2 seconds. Damage: Lightning Tags: Basic, Shock
- (1st upgrade) Enhanced Arc Lash – If Arc Lash’s initial swipe Critically Strikes, it swipes and additional time.
- (2nd upgrade – my pick of the 2) Glinting Arc Lash – Hitting a Stunned enemy with Arc Lash reduces your cooldowns by 0.25 seconds.

Major Destruction / Core Skill(s) (Resource Spender) (Required Points: 2 )

(active) Chain Lightning – Unleash lightning that deals 42.00% (X-?) damage and chains up to 4 times. Mana Cost: 35 Damage: Lightning Tags: Core, Shock
(1st upgrade) Enhanced Chain Lightning – Chain Lightning bounces to 1 additional enemy.
(2nd upgrade – my pick of the 2) Greater Chain Lightning – When Chain Lightning Critically Strikes, it has a 25% chance to spawn a Crackling Energy.
(passive) Potent Warding – Your non-Physical Damage and Resistances are increased by 2%.
(passive) did not pick other Core passives to save points

Defensive Skills (Required Points: 6 )

(active) Teleport – Transform into lightning becoming Unstoppable and surging to the target location dealing 25.00% (X -?) damage around you upon arrival. Cooldown: 10.8 Damage: Lightning Tags: Defensive, Shock
(1st upgrade) Enhanced Teleport – After Teleporting, take 30% less damage for 5 seconds.
(2nd upgrade – my pick of the 2) Mystical Teleport – For 4 seconds after Teleporting, Crackling Energy deals 40% (multiplicative) more damage.
(passive) did not pick any Defensive passives to save points

Conjuration Skills (Required Points: 11 )

(active) Lightning Spear – Conjure a crackling spear of lightning that seeks out enemies for 6.0 seconds, dealing 15.00% (X – ?) damage per hit. Mana Cost: 19.6 Damage: Lightning Tags: Conjuration, Shock
(1st upgrade) Enhanced Lightning Spear – Lightning Spear has a 10% increased chance to critically strike against Stunned enemies.
(2nd upgrade – my pick of the 2) Invoked Lightning Spear – After critically striking, Lightning Spear has a 5% increased stacking critical strike chance for its duration.
(passive) Align the Elements – You gain 5% Damage reduction against Elites for each second you don’t take damage from any of these sources, up to 50%.
- (1st upgrade) Mana Shield – Every time you spend 100 Mana, you gain 5% Damage Reduction for 5 seconds.
- (2nd upgrade) did not pick it to save points
(passive) did not pick any more Conjuration passives to save points

Mastery Skills (Required Points: 16 )

(active – did not invest points into it YET but good to have later) Ball Lightning Conjure a ball of lightning that slowly moves forward, continually zapping enemies for 15.00% (X -?) damage. Mana Cost: 50 Damage: Lightning Tags: Mastery, Shock
(1st upgrade for later) Enhanced Ball Lightning – Ball Lightning deals damage 30% more frequently.
(2nd upgrade for later – my pick of the 2)Wizard’s Ball Lightning – If an enemy is hit at least 4 times by a cast of Ball Lightning, a Crackling Energy is formed.
(passive) Regenerative Conduit – Crackling Energy restores 4 Mana upon pickup.
- (upgrade) Shocking Impact – DID NOT INVEST in this to save points
- (upgrade) Static Discharge – Critical Strikes with Shock Skills have a 5% chance to form a Crackling Energy.

Ultimate Skills (Required Points: 23 )

(active) Unstable Currents – Lightning surges within you for 10 seconds. Whenever you cast a Lightning Skill, another random Lightning Skill is also cast. Cooldown: 68.5 Damage: Lightning Tags: Ultimate, Shock
(1st upgrade) Prime Unstable Currents – Unstable Currents increases Attack Speed by 25% while active.
(2nd upgrade) Supreme Unstable Currents – While Unstable Currents is active, collecting Crackling Energy increases its duration by 0.25 seconds.
(passive) Coursing Currents – Hitting enemies with Shock Skills increases your Critical Strike Chance by 1%. Resets upon getting a Critical Strike.
- (upgrade) Conduction Critical Strikes with Shock Skills increase your Attack Speed by 5% for 2 seconds.
- (upgrade) Electrocution – Enemies deal 5% less damage for 5 seconds after being Critically Struck by your Shock Skills.
- (upgrade) Convulsions – Lucky Hit: Shock Skills have up to a 3% chance to Stun enemies for 3 seconds.–
(passive) Bonded in Essence – Your Minions gain 15% of your Resistances.
- (upgrade) Death’s Defense – DID NOT INVEST in this to save points

Specializations (Required Points: 33 )

(passive) Vyr’s Mastery – Close enemies take 10% (multiplicative) more damage from your Shock skills and deal 20% (multiplicative) less damage to you.

Class Mechanic:

I don’t have much info regarding sacrificing skills as “Enchantments” and if it even is still a part of the game so I’ll leave this empty for now.

Legendary Aspects / Powers

I will only list the Legendary Aspects that have been selected for the build and the slots in which I advise putting those. For in-depth information you can check my pre-launch builds spreadsheet on this link. This build (Chaining Thunder) is one of the builds on that spreadsheet.

Helm: Aspect of The Umbral
Amulet: Aspect of Shared Misery
Chest: Aspect of Might
Pants: Aspect of The Unwavering
Gloves: Edgemaster’s Aspect
Boots: Charged Aspect
Ring 1: Aspect of Splintering Energy
Ring 2: Prodigy’s Aspect
1H Weapon: Elementalist’s Aspect
Off-hand: Aspect of Retribution
2-H Weapon (if you decide to use one): Elementalist’s Aspect

Useful Links (Spreadsheets & more):

For all of my Diablo IV Pre-Launch Theorycrafts/Builds: This Spreadsheet

For my Diablo IV Pre-Launch Class Skill Trees (can be used as mini-calculator): This Spreadsheet

♦ ◊ ♦ ◊ ♦

This concludes the Chaining Thunder Sorcerer Build for Diablo IV. If you’re interested in the game below are links to the various platforms where one can buy it (you can just click the links to open a new tab):

PC (Battle.Net)