All New Class Changes Coming to Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred

Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred doesn’t just offer new content in the form of an expansion but also new class skills and passives. Every class gets a new ability, a Key Passive, a new Legendary Paragon Node, and three to four passives. Along with the new items and Aspects of Power, we’re going to definitely see more unique builds. I’m personally interested in leading a pack of seven werewolves as a Druid in Diablo 4.

Rogue

Rogue’s are more or less getting their own version of the Barbarian’s Whirlwind skill with Dance of Knives. It’s a breath of fresh air to see a Rogue skill that leans into knives. Twisting Blades was as close as we got to that class fantasy.

• Dance of Knives (Agility Skill): Channel to launch knives. Once charge is consumed per second. You also gain 20% movement speed and 10% dodge chance while channeling the skill.
• Alchemical Admixture (Key Passive): Dealing 3 different types of non-physical damage increases the potency of Imbuement skills by 40% for 5 seconds. The total amount of your bonus damage to poison, shadow, and cold are added, too.

• Danse Macabre (Paragon Node): Casting a Mobility or Subterfuge Skill grants 50% increased damage to your next skill.
• Target Practice (Passive): +3% critical strike chance with Marksman and Cutthroat skills.
• Balestra (Passive): Gain 4% increased damage for 4 seconds after evading.
• Evasive (Passive): After dodging an attack, gain damage reduction for 4 seconds.
• Unto Dawn (Passive): Your Ultimate skills deal 15% increased damage.

All things considered, the new passives and abilities are going to add something to just about every Rogue build. Danse Macabre is particularly nice considering every Rogue build either runs Dash or Shadow Step.

Druid

Druids are getting a nice assortment of abilities and passives that’ll benefit every build, from Companion to elemental builds. No matter what build you run, you’re gaining power somewhere. The new Stone Burst skill only further reinforces the idea that Druids are basically the Avatar.

• Stone Burst (Core Skill): Gather stones beneath your enemies, then detonate them dealing damage. Channeling deals more damage and increases the size, too.
• One With Nature (Key Passive): Your Companion skills deal more damage and each gain 1 additional companion. Gain the passive effect of Raves, Wolves, and Poison Creeper.
• Untamed (Paragon Node): Casting a Companion Skill grants +4 ranks to your Companion skills for 5 seconds.

• Feral Aptitude (Passive): Deal increased damage while Healthy and another increase when you’re above 100% movement speed. These bonuses stack.
• Catastrophe (Passive): You deal 5% increased damage for 8 seconds after casting an Ultimate Skill.
• Humanity (Passive): Deal 5% increased damage while in Human form.
• Backlash (Passive): Deal 4% increased damage for 5 seconds after casting a Defensive Skill.

Although we have plenty of elemental Druid builds, the extra attention towards Companion builds is a welcomed addition. With the right gear, you could be running a pack of seven werewolves, not including yourself.

Barbarian

Once Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred arrives, Barbarian’s will get the awesome Mighty Throw. It’s like a mini AOE nuke and actually quite similar to the Barbarian’s Weapon Throw in Diablo 3. It’s good to see the skill has been repurposed into something better.

• Mighty Throw (Weapon Mastery Skill): Hurl your weapon, dealing damage upon impact and sticking in the ground. While in the ground, your weapon pulses and deals damage every second.
• Barbed Carapace (Key Passive): Every 25 Fury spent will grant you 10% more Thorns for 8 seconds, up to 120%. You also gain the Unhindered effect for 5 seconds. You deal 100% of your Thorns as Physical damage to close enemies every second.
• Force of Nature (Paragon Node): Your Earthquakes have a 75% chance to spawn a Dust Devil every second. Earthquake damage is increased by a portion of your Damage vs Close bonus, up to 150%.

• Heavy Hitter (Passive): Your Ultimate skills deal 15% more damage.
• Irrepressible (Passive): Casting a Weapon Mastery Skill grants Fortify equal to 10% of your Maximum Life.
• Belligerence (Passive): Damaging an enemy with a Basic Skill increases your damage by 3% for 4 seconds.

Force of Nature sounds like a ton of fun. I’m a big fan of filling the screen with Dust Devils, so I’m hoping Force of Nature will offer an alternative to Whirlwind. Right now it’s just used as a vehicle for summoning Dust Devils.

Necromancer

Necromancers are seeing an uptick in their survivability come Vessel of Hatred. Most of the new passives revolve around juicing up your curses in an offensive manner, which is actually a nice change of pace.

• Soulrift (Ultimate Skill): For 8 seconds, corrupt surrounding enemies, dealing damage per second. For the duration, you absorb the souls of up to 3 enemies, gaining Essence and a barrier.
• Affliction (Key Passive): Enemies affected by Vulnerable, crowd control, or shadow damage over time, are infected with Affliction, Enemies take 15% more damage from you and your Minions.
• Frailty (Paragon Node): Cursed enemies 10% increased damage from you and Minions.This bonus is increased by 10% for every second they’re cursed, up to 40%.

• Finality (Passive): You deal more damage for 8 seconds after casting an Ultimate Skill.
• Necrotic Fortitude (Passive): Lucky Hit: Your damage has a 5% chance to grant a barrier.
• Titan’s Fall (Passive): Deal more damage against Elites while you’re Fortified.
• Precision Decay (Passive): Your Lucky hit Chance is increased by 5%.

Soulrift is shaping up to be a killer Ultimate Skill, especially when you throw in the new Unique helm coming to Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred called The Unmaker. It’ll increase the duration of Soulrift at the cost of Essence, but also deal more damage the more Essence you gain.

Sorcerer

Like the Barbarians, Sorcerers are also getting their own spin on an old spell with the Familiar skill. Although unlike the Wizard’s little companion from Diablo 3, this one is more active, nor does it stick around for long.

• Familiar (Conjuration Skill): Summon a Familiar, taking on the element of the last skill you casted in the last 8 seconds. The Familiar will chase enemies and periodically explode, dealing AOE damage. You can have 6 Familiars out at once!
• Enlightenment (Key Passive): Casting any skill grants 1 stack of Enlightenment, or grants 3 if your previous cast skill was a different element. After 100 stacks, you become Enlightened and lose 5 stacks per second. You gain 25% increased damage, 45% mana regeneration, and 20% attack speed.

• Fundamental Release (Paragon Node): Each fire, lightning, and cold attack you cast against an enemy increases the damage it takes from your attacks.
• Energy Focus (Passive): You generate a 6-second barrier for 0.5% of your maximum life every second up to 30%. This effect is lost for 5 seconds after losing health.
• Dampen Layer (Passive): +2% damage reduction while you have an active barrier.
• Elemental Synergies (Passive): Your frost, shock, and pyromancy damage is increased by 1% for each skill you have equipped of that type.
• Evocation (Passive): +4% cooldown reduction.

I’m sensing a theme here, of a Sorcerer constantly swapping skills to stack as much damage as possible, with the Enlightenment Key Passive at the center. It’s not too dissimilar to the Wizard’s Archon ability in D3, a state of increased damage but lacking the defense.