Diablo 4 Druid Guide

The return of the Druid in Diablo 4 sees the class alternating between being one of the best and one of the worst choices based on the various updates as part of each new season. Still, Druids are much more fluid and versatile in Diablo 4 than their original incarnation in Diablo 2, and playing as one provides players with a wide variety of offensive and defensive options that showcase how much variety the class has in its skill tree and toolset. Depending on the current Season or recent patch, Diablo 4‘s Druid has been known to be capable of dealing damage in the billions, if not trillions thanks to some incredibly effective synergies and Legendary Aspects. Leveling up a Druid can be a slow-going and painful process, but the patience required is rewarded with a hard-hitting class at higher levels.

Druid Class Statistics

The Druid has one of the most unique and varied skill sets in all of Diablo 4. Both a caster and a melee attacker; summoner and shapeshifter; the Druid does a little bit of everything. Utilizing both Wolf and Bear forms (each with their own pros and cons and builds centered around them) offers plenty of variety in how players can go about attacking single elite enemies or mobs. Further, the Druid’s ability to harness the power of the elements for both offensive and defensive measures allows them to tap into the environment and thwart enemies in a way that no other class can.

Class Type

• Caster, Melee, Shapeshifter, Summoner

Resource

• Spirit; generated from attacks and skills, downed enemies leave Spirit Orbs

Class Mechanic

• Spirit Boons; the Druid has 4 different available Spirit Animal companions, each offering various boons that synergize with the best builds.

Druid Skills

Though it can be a bit of a late-bloomer, the Druid class is one of the more versatile and powerful in Diablo 4. Those strengths all come down to the wide variety of offensive and defensive skills that Druids have in their skill tree, which only continue to get better as players level up and progress. In addition to the standard Basic and Core node skills that Druids have, they have entire nodes of their skill tree dedicated to defense and their animal companions. Combined with the ability to shapeshift and control the elements, the Druid offers perhaps the most unique way to play Diablo 4. The Druid’s skill tree is separated into Basic, Core, Defensive, Companion, Wrath, and Ultimate Nodes.

Basic Node Active Skills

• Claw — Basic, Shapeshifting, Werewolf; Generate Spirit: 15. Shapeshift into a Werewolf and swipe at an enemy for 28% damage.
  • Enhanced Claw — Attack Speed increases by 20%.
  • Fierce Claw — Applies 3% Poison damage over 6 seconds.
  • Wild Claw — 15% chance to attack twice.
• Earth Spike — Basic, Nature Magic, Earth; Generate Spirit: 16. Sunder the earth, impaling the first enemy hit for 19% damage.
  • Enhanced Earth Spike — 15% chance to Stun for 2.5 seconds.
  • Fierce Earth Spike — Fortify for 12% of Maximum Life after damaging Stunned, Immobilized, or Knocked Back enemies.
  • Wild Earth Spike — Hitting Immobilized or Stunned enemies summons a second Earth Spike.
• Maul — Basic, Shapeshifting, Werebear; Generate Spirit: 20. Shapeshift into a Werebear and maul enemies in front, dealing 26% damage.
  • Enhanced Maul — Fortify for 8% of Maximum Life if an enemy is hit by Maul.
  • Fierce Maul — Range and radius of Maul increase by 25%.
  • Wild Maul — 20% chance to Knock Down enemies for 2 seconds.
• Storm Strike — Basic, Nature Magic, Storm, Chain; Generate Spirit: 15. Electricity gathers around weapons, dealing 20% damage and chaining to up to 3 surrounding enemies, dealing 20% less damage each time it chains. Gain 15% Damage Reduction for 3 seconds after dealing damage with Storm Strike.
  • Enhanced Storm Strike — 15% chance to Immobilize enemies for 2.5 seconds.
  • Fierce Storm Strike — 50% chance to make enemies Vulnerable for 3 seconds.
  • Wild Storm Strike — Chains to 2 additional targets.
• Wind Shear — Basic, Nature Magic, Storm; Generate Spirit: 16. Conjure a blade of wind that deals 20% damage.
  • Enhanced Wind Shear — 20% chance to make enemies Vulnerable for 4 seconds.
  • Fierce Wind Shear — Each enemy hit increases Movement Speed by 5% for 5 seconds (up to 20%).
  • Wild Wind Shear — Grants 4 additional Spirit for each enemy hit after the first.

Core Node Active Skills

Nature Magic Skills

• Landslide — Core, Nature Magic, Earth; Spirit Cost: 30. Crush enemies between 2 pillars of earth, dealing up to 75% damage.
  • Enhanced Landslide — After Landslide damages enemies 4 times, the next hit Immobilizes enemies for 3 seconds.
  • Primal Landslide — Immobilizing or Stunning enemies grants a Terramote. Each enemy hit by Landslide consumes a Terramote, guaranteeing a Critical Strike with 40% Critical Strike Damage. Bosses have a 10% chance to grant a Terramote when hit.
  • Raging Landslide — Striking Immobilized or Stunned enemies form an additional pillar of earth.
• Lightning Storm — Core, Nature Magic, Storm, Channeling; Spirit Cost: 15 (per strike). Conure a lightning storm dealing 40% damage per strike. The number of strikes increases the longer the storm is active (up to 5 at once).
  • Enhanced Lightning Storm — The size of the Lightning Storm is preserved for 6 seconds after channeling.
  • Primal Lightning Storm — 12% chance to Immobilize enemies hit for 3 seconds.
  • Raging Lightning Storm — Gains 1 additional lightning strike.
• Tornado — Core, Nature Magic, Storm; Spirit Cost: 40. Conjure a tornado dealing 35% damage.
  • Enhanced Tornado — 20% chance to spawn an additional Tornado with each cast.
  • Primal Tornado — Enemies damaged by Tornado are Slowed by 8% for 3 seconds. Stacks up to 40%.
  • Raging Tornado — Enemies hit by Tornado have a 10% chance to become Vulnerable for 3 seconds.

Shapeshifting Skills

• Pulverize — Core, Shapeshifting, Werebear; Spirit Cost: 35. Shapeshift into a Werebear and slam the ground, dealing 88% damage to surrounding enemies.
  • Enhanced Pulverize — The next Pulverize will Overpower every 12 seconds while the Druid is Healthy.
  • Primal Pulverize — Enemies hit by Pulverize deal 20% reduced damage for 4 seconds.
  • Raging Pulverize — Deals 30% increased Overpower Damage. Enemies Overpowered by Pulverize are Stunned for 3 seconds.
• Shred — Core, Shapeshifting, Werewolf, Mobility; Spirit Cost: 35. Shapeshift into a Werewolf and perform a trio of combo attacks. 1st Attack: Dash toward targets and deal 28% damage. 2nd Attack: Deal 39% damage. 3rd Attack: Perform a finishing move dealing 77% damage.
  • Enhanced Shred — Shred gains 30% Attack Speed and Heals for 4% of Maximum Life when enemies are struck.
  • Primal Shred — Shred’s second and third attacks perform a dash. Critical Strike Damage increases by 30%.
  • Raging Shred — Shred’s third combo attack is larger and applies 15% Poison damage over 5 seconds.

Core Node Passive Skills

• Heart of the Wild — Maximum Spirit increases by 3.
• Abundance — Basic Skills generate 6% more Spirit.
• Wild Impulses — Core Skills cost 3% more Spirit but deal 5% increased damage.
• Predatory Instinct — Critical Strike Chance against Close enemies increases by 2%.
• Digitigrade Gait — Gain 4% Movement Speed while in Werewolf form. Lasts for 3 seconds after exiting Werewolf form.
• Iron Fur — 3% Damage Reduction while in Werebear form. Lasts for 3 seconds after exiting Werebear form.

Defensive Node Active Skills

• Blood Howl — Defensive, Shapeshifting, Werewolf; Cooldown: 15 seconds. Shapeshift into a Werewolf and howl, Healing 20% of Maximum Life.
  • Enhanced Blood Howl — Kills reduce Blood Howl’s Cooldown by 1 second.
  • Innate Blood Howl — Generates 20 Spirit.
  • Preserving Blood Howl — Increases Attack Speed by 15% for 4 seconds.
• Cyclone Armor — Defensive, Nature Magic, Storm; Cooldown: 18 seconds. Passive: Powerful winds surround the Druid, granting 10% Non-Physical Damage Reduction. Active: The winds expand, Knocking Back enemies and dealing 30% damage.
  • Enhanced Cyclone Armor — Enemies Knocked Back by Cyclone Armor are Slowed by 70% for 2 seconds.
  • Innate Cyclone Armor — Enemies Knocked Back by Cyclone Armor become Vulnerable for 3 seconds.
  • Preserving Cyclone Armor — Cyclone Armor intensifies every 10 seconds, causing any incoming damage to grant 30% Damage Reduction for 2 seconds.
• Debilitating Roar — Defensive, Shapeshifting, Werebear, Shout; Cooldown: 22 seconds. Shapeshift into a Werebear and let out a mighty roar, reducing Nearby enemies’ damage dealt by 70% for 4 seconds.
  • Enhanced Debilitating Roar — Gain Fortify for 22% of Maximum Life while Debilitating Roar is active.
  • Innate Debilitating Roar — Debilitating Roar Slows enemies by 65% while active.
  • Preserving Debilitating Roar — Debilitating Roar Heals for 4% of Maximum Life each second it’s active.
• Earthen Bulwark — Defensive, Nature Magic, Earth; Cooldown: 16 seconds. Rocks surround the Druid for 3 seconds, granting a Barrier that absorbs 45% of Base Life in damage.
  • Enhanced Earthen Bulwark — Earthen Bulwark makes the Druid Unstoppable when active.
  • Innate Earthen Bulwark — Rock shrapnel flies outward when Earthen Bulwark expires or is destroyed, dealing 30% damage to surrounding enemies. Damage increases with Barrier bonuses.
  • Preserving Earthen Bulwark — Earthen Bulwark grants 18% of Maximum Life as Fortify.

Defensive Node Passive Skills

• Ancestral Fortitude — Increase Non-Physical Resistances by 5%.
• Vigilance — Gain 5% Damage Reduction for 6 seconds after using any Defensive Skill.

Companion Node Active Skills

• Poison Creeper — Companion; Cooldown: 20 seconds. Passive: 1 poison creeper emerges from the ground every 7 seconds, applying 7% Poison damage over 6 seconds to any enemy in the area. Active: Vines strangle all surrounding enemies, Immobilizing them for 2 seconds and Poisoning them for 63% damage over 2 seconds.
  • Enhanced Poison Creeper — Immobilize duration increases by 1 second.
  • Brutal Poison Creeper — Critical Strike Chance increases by 20% against enemies strangled by Poison Creeper.
  • Ferocious Poison Creeper — Active Poison duration increases by 3 seconds.
• Ravens — Companion; Cooldown: 15 seconds. Passive: 1 Raven flies above and periodically attacks enemies for 31% damage every 5 seconds. Active: The target area is swarmed with Ravens, dealing 300% damage over 6 seconds.
  • Enhanced Ravens — 8% increased Critical Strike Chance for 6 seconds against enemies hit by Ravens.
  • Brutal Ravens — 2 additional Ravens attack enemies. Increases the passive damage of Ravens by 40%.
  • Ferocious Ravens — Enemies inside the Raven swarm become Vulnerable for 3 seconds.
• Wolves — Companion; Cooldown: 11 seconds. Passive: Summon 2 wolf companions that bite enemies for 14% damage. Active: Direct Wolves to focus on an enemy, becoming Unstoppable and leaping at them to strike for 200% damage.
  • Enhanced Wolf Pack — Wolves deal 25% increased damage to Immobilized, Stunned, Slowed, or Poisoned enemies.
  • Brutal Wolf Pack — Wolves gain 25% Attack Speed for 3 seconds after each Critical Strike.
  • Ferocious Wolf Pack — Wolves’ attacks have up to a 40% chance to Fortify for 8% of Maximum Life.

Companion Node Passive Skills

• Call of the Wild — Companion; Companion Skills deal 12% bonus damage.
• Clarity — Shapeshifting; After casting any Companion Skill, the next Core or Wrath Skill’s damage and Critical Strike Chance increase by 5% (up to 15%).
• Nature’s Reach — 5% increased damage to Distant enemies. Double if they are also Slowed, Stunned, Immobilized, or Knocked Back.

Wrath Node Active Skills

• Boulder — Wrath, Nature Magic, Earth; Cooldown: 10 seconds. Unearth a large rolling boulder that repeatedly Knocks Back enemies, dealing 46% damage with each hit.
  • Enhanced Boulder — When Boulder reaches the end of its path, enemies hit are Slowed by 30% for 3 seconds. If Boulder is Overpowered, enemies are instead Stunned for 4 seconds.
  • Natural Boulder — With any amount of Fortify active, Boulder has 20% increased Critical Strike Chance.
  • Savage Boulder — Boulder’s Critical Strike Chance increases by 3% each time it deals damage.
• Hurricane — Wrath, Nature Magic, Storm; Cooldown: 20 seconds. Form a hurricane that deals 187% damage to surrounding enemies over 8.4 seconds.
  • Enhanced Hurricane — Enemies damaged by Hurricane are Slowed by 25% for 2 seconds.
  • Natural Hurricane — Hurricane has a 15% chance to make enemies Vulnerable for 3 seconds.
  • Savage Hurricane — Affected enemies deal 10% less damage.
• Rabies — Wrath, Shapeshifting, Werewolf, Chain; Cooldown: 12 seconds. Shapeshift into a Werewolf and bite enemies in front, dealing 28% damage and applying an additional 29% Poison damage over 6 seconds. Infected enemies spread Rabies to surrounding targets.
  • Enhanced Rabies — Rabies’ Poison damage increases over time, dealing 60% bonus damage at max.
  • Natural Rabies — Rabies spreads 50% faster.
  • Savage Rabies — Rabies deals its total Poison damage in 4 seconds instead of 6.
• Trample — Wrath, Shapeshifting, Werebear, Mobility; Cooldown: 14 seconds. Shapeshift into a Werebear, become Unstoppable, and charge forward to deal 75% damage and Knock Back enemies. Enemies Knocked Back into terrain take an additional 45% damage and are Stunned for 3 seconds.
  • Enhanced Trample — Trample deals 150% bonus damage. Bonus reduces by 50% for every enemy hit after the first.
  • Natural Trample — Casting Trample grants 20% of Maximum Life as Fortify.
  • Savage Trample — Casting Trample grants 40 Spirit.

Wrath Node Passive Skills

• Neurotoxin — Poisoned enemies are slowed by 8%.
• Envenom — Companion; The Druid and their Companions gain 10% bonus Critical Strike Damage against Poisoned enemies.
• Toxic Claws — Werewolf, Shapeshifting; Critical Strikes with Werewolf Skills deal 12% of their Base damage as Poison damage over 4 seconds.
• Crushing Earth — Earth, Nature Magic; Earth Skills deal 5% increased damage to Slowed, Stunned, Knocked Back, or Immobilized enemies.
• Safeguard — Earth, Nature Magic; Critical Strikes with Earth Skills Fortify the Druid for 3% of Maximum Life.
• Stone Guard — Earth, Nature Magic; While Fortified for over 50% of Maximum Life, Earth Skills deal 4% increased damage.
• Elemental Exposure — Storm, Nature Magic; Storm Skills have up to a 10% chance to make enemies Vulnerable for 1 second.
• Charged Atmosphere — Storm, Nature Magic; A Lightning Bolt hits Nearby enemies every 14 seconds, dealing 45% damage.
• Endless Tempest — Increases duration of Cataclysm and Hurricane by 5%.
• Electric Shock — Dealing Lightning damage to enemies has up to an 8% chance to Immobilize them for 3 seconds. If targets are already Immobilized, Lightning damage increases by 7% instead.
• Bad Omen — Nature Magic, Storm; 10% chance when dealing damage to Vulnerable, Immobilized or Stunned enemies that a Lightning Bolt hits dealing 55% damage.
• Mending — Shapeshifting, Werebear; While in Werebear form, receive 6% additional Healing from all sources and gain 4% increased Maximum Life.
• Provocation — Shapeshifting, Werebear; When in Werebear form for at least 20 seconds, the next non-Defensive Skill will Overpower.

Ultimate Node Active Skills

• Cataclysm — Ultimate, Nature Magic, Storm; Cooldown: 60 seconds. A massive storm follows the Druid for 10 seconds. Twisters Knock Back enemies, dealing 46% damage. Lightning strikes wildly, dealing 95% damage.
  • Prime Cataclysm — Duration of Cataclysm increases by 4 seconds.
  • Supreme Cataclysm — Lightning strikes make enemies Vulnerable for 6 seconds.
• Grizzly Rage — Ultimate, Shapeshifting, Werebear; Cooldown: 50 seconds. Shapeshift into a Dire Werebear for 12 seconds, gaining 20% bonus damage and 20% Damage Reduction. Bonus increases by 3% each second while in Werebear form. Kills extend the duration by 1 second (up to 5 seconds).
  • Prime Grizzly Rage — Grizzly Rage makes the Druid Unstoppable for 6 seconds.
  • Supreme Grizzly Rage — Gain 8% of Maximum Life as Fortify per second while Grizzly Rage is active.
• Lacerate — Ultimate, Shapeshifting, Werewolf; Cooldown: 35 seconds. Shapeshift into a Werewolf and become Immune, quickly dashing between enemies 12 times and dealing up to 700% damage.
  • Prime Lacerate — Lacerate hits Heal the Druid for 3% Maximum Life, double on Critical Strikes. The first Critical Strike is guaranteed and deals 150% increased damage.
  • Supreme Lacerate — Critical Strikes with Lacerate cause Skills to deal 4% increased damage for 10 seconds (up to 40%).
• Petrify — Ultimate, Nature Magic, Earth; Cooldown: 50 seconds. Encase all Nearby enemies in stone, Stunning them for 3.75 seconds. Deal 30% increased Critical Strike Damage to Petrified enemies. Bonus increases to 50% against Bosses and effect lasts for 7.5 seconds.
  • Prime Petrify — Petrify grants 50 Spirit when cast and its duration increases by 1 second.
  • Supreme Petrify — Killing Petrified enemies reduces Cooldown by 1 second. Hitting a Boss with Petrify reduces Cooldown by 10 seconds.

Ultimate Node Passive Skills

• Quickshift — Shapeshifting; When Shapeshifting into an animal form, deal 1% increased damage for 8 seconds, up to 8%.
• Heightened Senses — Shapeshifting, Werebear, Werewolf; After Shapeshifting into an animal form, Werebear grants 2% Damage Reduction and Werewolf grants 2% Movement Speed, each for 6 seconds. Bonuses double when both are active.
• Natural Fortitude — Shapeshifting; Shapeshifting Fortifies for 2% of Maximum Life.
• Defensive Posture — Increases the amount of Fortify from all sources by 5%. Gain 3% Damage Reduction while Fortified.
• Nature’s Resolve — 5% chance to Fortify for 4.4% of Maximum Life after being hit.
• Thick Hide — After being Stunned, Immobilized, or Knocked Down, Fortify for 10% of Maximum Life.
• Unrestrained — Duration of Control Impairing Effects is reduced by 5%. Effect doubles while Fortified for over 50% of Maximum Life.
• Defiance — Nature Magic; Nature Magic Skills deal 4% increased damage to Elites.
• Circle of Life — Nature Magic; Nature Magic Skills that consume Spirit end up Healing the Druid for 1% of Maximum Life.
• Natural Disaster — Earth, Storm, Nature Magic; Earth Skills deal 4% increased damage to Vulnerable enemies. Storm Skills deal 4% increased damage to Stunned, Immobilized, or Knocked Back enemies.
• Resonance — Nature Magic, Earth, Storm; Nature Magic Skills deal 2% increased damage. Bonus triples if an Earth Skill is cast after a Storm Skill or vice versa.

Key Passive Skills

• Bestial Rampage — Shapeshifting, Werewolf, Werebear; After entering Werewolf form for 2 seconds, gain 30% Attack Speed for 15 seconds. After entering Werebear form for 2 seconds, deal 50% increased damage for 15 seconds.
• Earthen Might — Earth, Nature Magic; Damaging enemies with Earth Skills has a 5% chance to Restore all Spirit or cause attacks to be guaranteed Critical Strikes for 5 seconds. Increases to 10% on Critical Strike or if enemies are Stunned, Immobilized, or Knocked Back.
• Lupine Ferocity — Werewolf, Shapeshifting; Every 6th Werewolf Skill hit Critically Strikes, dealing 70% increased damage and 140% against Injured enemies.
• Nature’s Fury — Earth, Storm, Nature Magic; Earth Skills have a 35% chance to trigger a free Storm Skill of the same category and vice versa. The free skills count as both Earth and Storm Skills.
• Perfect Storm — Storm, Nature Magic; Storm Skills grant 1 Spirit and deal 30% increased damage when hitting Vulnerable, Immobilized, or Slowed enemies.
• Ursine Strength — Shapeshifting, Werebear; Gain 20% additional Maximum Life while in Werebear form and 3 seconds after leaving Werebear form. Deal 30% increased damage and 30% increased Overpower damage while Healthy.

Druid Unique Class Mechanic — Spirit Boons

The Druid is the only class in Diablo 4 that can call upon various Spirit Animals that grant specific boons. After players complete the specific class quest that unlocks Spirit Animals, they will be able to choose which ones they want to bond with, which will in turn grant specific bonuses that can be swapped out at any point. After unlocking all 4 Spirit Animals, players can select a bonus second boon from one, granting a total of 5 Spirit Boon buffs active at any time.

Each of the available Spirit Boons are powerful passive skills that grant incredibly useful buffs. That said, haphazardly selecting them is a surefire way to make them ultimately useless.

The Spirit Animals and their Boons are:

The Deer

• Prickleskin — Gain 1,990 Thorns
• Gift of the Stag — Gain 40 Maximum Spirit
• Wariness — 15% reduced damage from Elites
• Advantageous Beast — Gain 15% Movement Speed and 15% Impairment Reduction

The Eagle

• Scythe Talons — 10% increased Critical Strike Chance
• Iron Feather — Gain 20% Maximum Life
• Swooping Attacks — Gain 15% Attack Speed
• Avian Wrath — Gain 30% Critical Strike Damage

The Wolf

• Pack Leader — Critical Strikes have a 25% chance to reset Cooldowns of Companion Skills
• Energize — Dealing damage has a 30% chance to restore 30 Spirit
• Bolster — Using Defensive Skills Fortifies for 25% of Maximum Life
• Calamity — Extends duration of Ultimate Skills by 25%

The Snake

• Obsidian Slam — Every 10th kill causes the next Earth Skill to Overpower
• Overload — Dealing Lightning damage has up to a 40% chance to cause targets to emit a static discharge dealing 25% Lightning damage to surrounding enemies
• Masochistic — Critical Strikes with Shapeshifting Skills have up to a 75% chance to Heal for 5% of Maximum Life
• Calm Before the Storm — Nature Magic Skills have up to a 10% chance to reduce Cooldowns of Ultimate Skills by 2 seconds

Druid Legendary Aspects

Aspects are one of many new additions that Diablo 4 makes to the series’ formula. Essentially, Aspects can be thought of as enhancements for gear that transform Legendary items into crucial parts of a build, improving the effectiveness of various Skills and abilities. There are General Aspects that work across all classes and then class-specific Aspects intended to be part of an endgame build for each Class. The current best Legendary Aspects for the Druid class (as of Season 4) focus on trying to enhance the effectiveness of some of the class’ better builds while also negating the unpopular nerfs to the Druid class that arrived as part of the 1.4.3 update.

The following are the three Seasonal Aspects for the Druid class introduced as part of Season 4:

• Aspect of Fevered Mauling: Hitting at least 1 enemy with Maul increases its Attack Speed by [1.0-2.5]% and the Druid gains [1.0-4.0]% Damage Reduction for 5 seconds. Stacks up to 5 times.
• Aspect of Concussive Strikes: Damaging enemies has up to a 20% chance to Daze them for 2 seconds. Deal [5-20]% increased damage to Dazed enemies.
• Aspect of Frosty Strides: While below [45-55]% Life, Evade Freezes Close enemies, deals 450 Cold damage, and makes them Vulnerable for 3 seconds.

Best Druid Builds (as of Season 4)

Though the Druid has been subject to some highly unpopular nerfs as of the latest update to Diablo 4 (with some even declaring the class as “dead” for the current season), there are still plenty of fun and engaging builds to use for both leveling and the endgame. It’s nowhere near as powerful a class as the Barbarian (which somehow keeps getting buffs despite already being the most powerful class this Season), but playing as a Druid combines the tankier playstyle with some great casting options.

Leveling Builds

• Pulverize Druid — One of the best builds for leveling, the Pulverize Druid utilizes the Werebear skills to deal plenty of damage and withstand attacks, turning the Druid into a formidable tank with high offensive output thanks to some useful animal companions. Key Skills: Poison Creeper, Blood Howl, Wolves, Ravens, Wind Shear, Pulverize, Ursine Strength
• Wind Shear Druid — Though the Wind Shear Druid build is highly dependent on the Aspect of the Calm breeze for maximum damage potential, that particular Aspect is fairly easy to farm from the Dry Steppes and makes for an excellent leveling build with plenty of powerful defensive skills. Key Skills: Blood Howl, Lacerate, Debilitating Roar, Trample, Wind Shear, Cyclone Armor, Bestial Rampage
• Lightning Storm Druid — While it might not reach the same kind of damage potential as the Pulverize or Wind Shear builds, the Lightning Storm Druid is perhaps one of the most fun leveling builds thanks to its early viability and massive AoE damage. Key Skills: Wolves, Poison Creeper, Ravens, Trample, Wind Shear, Lightning Storm, Ursine Strength

Endgame Builds

• Hurricane Druid — Thanks to the latest nerfs to the Druid class, utilizing a Druid in the endgame and Nightmare-tier activities of Diablo 4 requires a build with high survivability. As such, it’s hard to pinpoint a better endgame build for the class than the Hurricane Druid. In terms of dealing with either single, powerful enemies or swarming mobs, the Hurricane Druid is basically a “set it and forget it” build that allows players to destroy anything in their path using the titular skill. Key Skills: Debilitating Roar, Poison Creeper, Wolves, Ravens, Maul, Hurricane, Ursine Strength

Primary Stats & Effects

Each of Diablo 4‘s classes has different bonuses that apply to the Primary Stats upon level-up. While most of the heavy lifting is done by Skills and gear, the effects granted to Primary Stats with each level gained do accumulate over time (especially at higher levels) to positively impact survivability. The Druid gains the following bonuses to stats with each new level:

Why Play as a Druid in Diablo 4?

Similar to the Rogue, the main reason to play as a Druid in Diablo 4 comes down to the class’ versatility. The Druid is a flexible class that can be utilized in a number of different ways, each of them feeling like a distinct class all unto themselves. Whether focusing on casting and animal companions or devastating nature magic or shapeshifting abilities, the Druid is a class with strong offensive capability and just as many powerful defensive abilities, making it one of the most viable classes for solo play. That said, it does take a while for the class to start feeling like it’s worthwhile, making patience in the early levels a must.

The image featured at the top of this post is ©Diablo 4 gameplay screenshot.