Best Diablo 4 Druid Season 1 Build: Skills, Stats, Items, Legendary Aspects

The Druid class in Diablo 4 is one that many players may choose to take into Season 1 for its unique abilities and layered playstyle, and ability to transform into savage beasts. However, this does mean that the class does take some getting used to, and of course, knowing which build is best suited for the class will be vital to making it a viable pick long term.

Luckily, you won't have to worry about that, as this guide will be providing you with the best build guide for the Druid class in Diablo 4 Season 1. We'll be covering the best skills, stats, items, Spirit Animals, and Legendary Aspects that go best with the druid build, and much more.

Update on 20 June 2023: We've updated this article with the best Druid build for Season 1 featuring skills, gems, Legendary Aspects, and the newly added Malignant Hearts. 

Diablo 4 Druid Overview: Is it a Good Class in Season 1?

The Druid class is perfect for players who are interested in a unique mix of ranged and melee combat (similar to the Rogue build in Diablo 4) in Season 1, thanks to its two main ways of dealing damage to enemies. The first is its close-range melee abilities, either by swinging around a one- or two-handed melee weapon or transforming into one of two forms, a Werewolf or Werebear, and dishing out powerful close-ranged skills (more on those later). 

Then, of course, we have the long-range skills and abilities that the Druid employs. Being at one with nature as the Druid is, the class employs a nature-themed set of range casting in the form of earth and storm magic, making it deadly no matter where you are on the field. Now while the Druid is a class to be reckoned with in Season 1, it does have some weaknesses, the main being its complexity and knowing how to balance the class's abilities and skills; luckily, our build guide can walk you through doing just that. 

Best Diablo 4 Druid Skills Build: Lightning Beast

We've dubbed the build we've chosen for the Druid class in Diablo 4 Season 1 the Lightning Beast Druid, mainly for its use of lightning abilities that stun, damage, and force enemies into vulnerable positions as you cleave through them with powerful beastly attacks and follow-ups. Below are the best skills to use for this build, and you'll notice that similar to the Barbarian building up Fury for its skills, the Druid builds up Spirit and uses it to decimate enemies. 

Please note: The best Druid build for Diablo 4 Season 1 uses all possible Skill Points, including the two per region earned with renown.

If you're not caught up on all of the skill names in Diablo 4, or specifically with the Druid class, then the table above will be easier to grasp after we've elaborated on each of their descriptions below. You can find each of their upgrades listed in full well with the help of the icy-viens.com website. 

• Storm Strike - Electricity gathers around your weapon, dealing 20% damage to your target and chaining to up to 3 surrounding enemies, dealing [0.2 *100|%|] less damage each time it chains. You gain a 25% Damage Reduction for 3 seconds after dealing damage with Storm Strike.
• Predatory Instinct - Critical Strike Chance against Close enemies is increased by 2%[+].
• Digitigrade Gait - You gain 3%[+] Movement Speed while in Werewolf form. This bonus persists for 3 seconds after leaving Werewolf form. 
• Shred - Shapeshift into a Werewolf and perform a trio of combo attacks: 1st Attack: Dash towards the target and deal 25% damage. 2nd Attack: Deal 35% damage. 3rd Attack: Perform a larger finishing move dealing 70% damage. 
• Blood Howl - Shapeshift into a Werewolf and howl furiously, Healing you for 20.0% of your Maximum Life (332). 
• Ancestral Fortitude - Increase your Non-Physical Resistances by 5%. 
• Vigilance - You gain a 5% Damage Reduction for 6 seconds after using a Defensive Skill.
• Hurricane - Form a hurricane around you that deals 134% damage to surrounding enemies over 8.4 seconds. 
• Elemental Exposure - Your Storm Skills have up to a 10% chance to make enemies Vulnerable for 1.0 seconds. 
• Charged Atmosphere - Every 18 seconds, a Lightning Bolt hits a Nearby enemy dealing 45% damage. 
• Endless Tempest - Increase the duration of the Hurricane and Cataclysm by 5%[x]. 
• Electric Shock - Dealing Lightning damage to enemies has up to a 5% chance to Immobilize them for 3 seconds. If the target is already Immobilized, the Lightning damage dealt to them is increased by 6%[x] instead. 
• Bad Omen - Up to a 10% chance when dealing damage to a Vulnerable, Immobilized, or Stunned enemy that a Lightning Bolt also hits dealing 55% damage. 
• Trample - Shapeshift into a Werebear, become Unstoppable, and charge forward, dealing 75% damage and Knocking Back enemies. Enemies who are Knocked Back into the terrain take an additional 45% damage and are Stunned for 3 seconds. 
• Neurotoxin - Poisoned enemies are slowed by 8%. 
• Envenom - You and your Companions gain 10%[+] bonus Critical Strike Damage against Poisoned enemies. 
• Toxic Claws - Critical Strikes with Werewolf Skills deal 7.5% of their Base damage as Poisoning damage over 4 seconds. 
• Defiance - Nature Magic Skills deal 4%[x] increased damage to Elites. 
• Defensive Posture - Increases the amount of Fortify you gain from all sources by 5%[+]. 
• Nature's Resolve - 5% chance when struck to Fortify you for 4.4% Base Life (73). 
• Grizzly Rage - Shapeshift into a Dire Werebear for 12 seconds gaining 20%[x] bonus damage and 20% Damage Reduction. The damage bonus is increased by 3% each second while in this form. Kills extend the duration by 1 second up to 5 additional seconds. 
• Bestial Rampage - After being a Werewolf for 2.5 seconds, gain 25%[+] Attack Speed for 15 seconds. After being a Werebear for 2.5 seconds, deal 30%[x] increased damage for 15 seconds. 

Diablo 4 Druid Spirit Animal System Priority

Each class in Diablo 4 has a special ability that is unique to them specifically and grants them powerful and useful abilities. The Barbarian class has the Arsenal System, while the Rogue has the Specialization System, and finally, the Druid has the powerful Spirit Animal System, which you'll need to take advantage of as we head into Season 1.  

The Spirit Animal System works by allowing players to interact with four spirit animals once they reach level 15. From here, they can find and give boons to the spirit animals, who in return, will unlock player bonuses for your build. The system has a few more details to take note of, so be sure to check out our guide on the Spirit Animal System in Diablo 4.

Now, when looking forward to Season 1,  we've listed the first four Spirit Animal boons and the final bonus one you should go for to make the most out of the Lightning Beast Druid build in Diablo 4:

• Advantageous Beast (Deer) - Reduce the duration of Control Impairing Effects by 15%.
• Avian Wrath (Eagle) - Gain x30% Critical Strike Damage.
• Calamity (Wolf ) -Extend the duration of Ultimate skills by 25% 
• Calm Before the Storm (Snake) - Lucky Hit: Nature Magic Skills have up to a 10% chance to reduce the Cooldown of your Ultimate Skill by 2 seconds. 
• Masochistic (Snake) - Lucky Hit: Critical Strikes with Shapeshifting skills have a 75% chance to heal you for 3% maximum life. 

Stats Priority For Diablo 4 Druids

When it comes to stats for the Lightning Beast Druid build, you'll want to focus on the following stats and improve them in the following order from most vital to least, in descending order:

• Strength - Increases Armor by +X (1 Strength = 1 Armor)
• Intelligence - Increases All Resistances by +X.XX% (1 Intelligence = 0.05% All Resist)
• Willpower - Improves Healing Received by +X.XX% (1 Willpower = 0.1% Healing Received)
• Dexterity - Improves Chance to Dodge attacks by +X.XX% (1 Dexterity = 0.025% Chance to Dodge)

Please note: This priority list assumes your items will have enough resistance for your current difficulty level.

Because the Druid build focuses mainly on dominating your enemies with powerful synergies and overwhelming abilities, your first concern should be to stay alive for as long as possible to build up your Spirit reserves. That means focusing on anything to add +Strength, giving you more damage reduction, and +Intellegence to increase your resistance to physical and non-physical attacks as you progress through World Tiers or the challenges awaiting you in Season 1, and take on tougher enemies. 

Lastly, you'll want to be sure you find all the Altars of Lilith, as they will grant you a permanent stat increase for all your stats. But of course, you can always level up your gear and stats manually with some good old grinding. 

Best Diablo 4 Season 1 Druid Paragon Legendary Nodes & Glyphs

As you make your way through the Paragon Board in Diablo 4 Season 1, you'll have the opportunity to incorporate particular Glyphs and quickly enhance their levels. This will grant you access to unlock some powerful Legendary Nodes as you advance. To create the most optimal Druid build, we recommend prioritizing the following Glyphs in a specific order of importance.

• Exploit
• Fang and Claw
• ‍Fulminate
• Territorial
• ‍Werewolf

Below, you can find a list of the Legendary Nodes and their corresponding boards that you must progress through in order of importance. This information is based on the image provided by Maxroll. gg.

• Thunderstruck (Pick up the Legendary Node on this board) 
• Inner Beast (Go through the board, not Legendary Node) 
• Lust for Carnage (Go through the board, not Legendary Node) 
• Survival Instincts (Go through the board, not Legendary Node) 
• Heightened Malice (Pick up the Legendary Node on this board) 

Always keep in mind the importance of looking ahead and identifying the specific stats needed to obtain additional bonuses. To assist with this, we recommend exploring the finest Paragon Board planner designed for Diablo 4 Season 1. 

Best Gems For Druids in Diablo 4

Gems in Diablo 4 can be worn on different pieces of gear, either embedded on your weapon, your armor, or around your neck as a piece of Jewelry. Depending on where you place the Gem, they will provide you with different effects, so below, we've broken down the best placements for each Gem to give you the most out of the Druid class in Diablo 4 Season 1.

• Royal Topaz Gem on Weapons - +20% Basic Sill damage.
• Royal Ruby Gem on Armor - 4% Maximum Life. 

Typically, our recommendation for your Jewelry would be Royal Skulls. However, due to the introduction of Diablo 4 Season 1, it is now essential to incorporate Malignant Hearts into the Ring and Amulet slots. This leads us to the subsequent part of this guide.

Best Malignant Hearts For Druids in Diablo 4 S1

In Diablo 4 Season 1, a fresh questline is introduced, challenging players to hunt down Malignant Monsters scattered throughout Sanctuary. Upon defeating these creatures, Caged Hearts are dropped, which can be inserted into Jewelry sockets to gain powerful abilities that can alter your character's build (Though Malignant Hearts can also be crafted if you're struggling to farm them).

The following list ranks the Malignant Hearts based on their importance for this build, and the displayed stats represent what a level 20 character would receive as a drop. It's worth noting that this ranking is based on our initial assessments and guidance from IcyVeins, so we will endeavor to update it as needed.

• The Picana (Vicious, Offensive): When landing Critical Strikes, the enemy becomes electrically charged for 0.75-2.50 seconds, causing lightning to arc between them and any other charged enemies, dealing 68-136 Lightning damage.
• The Unconstrained Beast (Wrathful, Super-World Tier IV): When hit with a Stun, Freeze, or Knock Down effect, there's a 40-60% chance to trigger Grizzly Rage automatically for 3 seconds.
• The Malignant Pact (Wrathful, Super): After every 20 kills, cycle through a Malignant bonus: Devious - Core and Basic Skills have a 15% chance to fully restore your Primary Resource.
• Inexorable Force (Devious, Utility): While an Ultimate Skill is active, up to 30-50 Distant enemies are pulled toward you.
• Tempting Fate (Vicious, Offensive-World Tier III): Gain 40-60% Critical Strike Damage, but your Non-Critical Strikes deal 20-15% less damage.
• The Agitated Winds (Brutal, Defensive): Automatically cast Cyclone Armor when faced with 8-13 Close enemies, but this can only happen once every 10-20 seconds.
• The Dark Dance (Vicious, Offensive-World Tier III): Every 5 seconds, while above 60% Life, Core Skills cost 68-51 Life instead of your Primary Resource. Skills that consume Life deal 10-20% increased damage.
• Revenge (Brutal, Defensive-World Tier III): Suppress 10-20% of incoming damage. When using a Defensive, Subterfuge, or a Macabre skill, all suppressed damage is amplified by 250% and explodes, dealing up to 1360-2040 Fire damage to nearby enemies.
• The Barber (Wrathful, Super-World Tier III): Critical Strikes and subsequent damage within 2.0-4.0 seconds are absorbed by your target, then erupt onto surrounding enemies. Stored damage increases by 10% per second.

Top Legendary Aspects/Items For Diablo 4 Druids

In Diablo 4, players can use the Occultist merchant and the Codex of Power to Imprint, Extract, and Store Legendary Aspects and Powers. For our suggested Druid build in Diablo 4 Season 1, we've identified the top Legendary Aspects to look for and use with your gear items, either by gathering item drops or by clearing and farming Dungeons.

As previously stated, all players can extract Legendary Aspects from the Occultist NPC and apply them to their gear, even rare items, so be sure to experiment with them as you see fit during Season 1. There are several aspects to select from, so be sure to review our complete list of Legendary Aspects and Abilities for the Druid build in Diablo 4.

Best Unique Items For Druids in Diablo 4 Season 1

Unique items in Diablo 4 hold immense potential for enhancing your character. These remarkable discoveries can fundamentally alter your playstyle if you decide to equip them. Apart from having powerful attributes similar to other items but with enhanced itemization, they often possess a distinctive effect that cannot be obtained through any other means.

When it comes to Unique Items for your Druid build in Season 1 of Diablo 4, the ones we recommend focus on adding to your overall damage output by adding a debuff when a specific skill is used. Below are the best Unique Items for the Druid build in Season 1:

• Waxing Gibbous
• The Butchers Cleaver
• Insatiable Fury
• Tempest Roar
• The Grandfather (Uber Unique)

Nonetheless, there are also extremely rare and powerful Unique items known as uber/super items that players can acquire if they happen to be incredibly fortunate. So should you be fortunate enough to obtain the one in the list above, make sure to incorporate it into your build right away!

Lastly, Season 1 will also introduce two new Unique items into the game for Druids to employ, the Fleshrender Mace and the Ahavarion, Spear of Lycander Staff. While both of these do have viable uses for our build, we can't say how they function in-game, so we can't recommend them just yet, but be sure once we get our hands on them in Season 1, we'll update this section with our recommendation. 

Lastly, we would like to give huge credit to Youtube Channel Screamheart whose information on the best Stormstrike build helped inform much of the information we compiled in this guide. If you're interested in seeing their build in action, then feel free to check out the video below. 

And there you have it, an entire guide to the Druid class in Diablo 4 for a dominating build, including its ideal gems, stat priority, the Spirit Animal system, and much more. We will make every effort to keep this post up to current so that you always have the most up-to-date information.

For more Diablo 4, be sure to check out our dedicated section or some of our Guides & Tutorials just below:

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