TheDOMINATOR
01-03-2008, 05:30 AM
The Rabies/Fury Druid
Table of Contents
1) Introduction
2) Skills
3) Stats
4) Gear
5) Mercenary
6) PvM & PvP Strategies
7) The Final Outcome
Section 1: The Introduction
The Rabies/Fury Druid is a sub-class of the Druid who utilizes Rabies and Fury for his skills of attack and Oak Sage and Grizzly to help aid him in combat, focusing on Werewolf as his core skill, because he will remain in Werewolf form at all times outside of town. The Rabies/Fury Druid is a powerful force, attacking multiple enemies at once and inflicting heavy-damage disease to make his opponents fall, whether it be a single opponent or twenty. Offensively, he relies on heavy damage and fast attacks which Fury and Rabies provides, and defensively, Oak Sage is always by his side to provide he, himself, and his gigantic tank – the Grizzly – with a considerable increase in life. All in all, this variant of the Druid is a powerful build, unique to the common Werewolf build and perhaps even more deadly.
It is important to note the unusual nature of the Rabies skill, in that it doesn’t act like regular poison. Instead, once the target has been successfully infected with Rabies, if the target gets too close to another opponent, or another opponent gets too close to the target, the Rabies spreads to that opponent, causing a mass chain-reaction which could, in seconds, infect every enemy on the screen. Because of this awesome (or terrifying) fact, Rabies can both be a crowd-controlling skill and a one-versus-one skill for taking out single, tougher adversaries.
One last thing about Rabies: it cannot be cured by antidotes.
Section 2: The Skills
Like with any build, the skills are very important with the Rabies/Fury Druid and must be utilized and invested in correctly if you wish to achieve maximum performance.
MAX these skills, in this order:
Rabies
Fury
Poison Creeper
Lycanthropy
Other skills of importance to invest in:
Werewolf – This should optimally be brought up to at least Level 5 and up to Level 10 at most, depending on personal preference. However, I would suggest not to MAX this skill, and I’ll tell you why in the “Explanations” section of the guide.
Oak Sage – One of the greatest One Point Wonder skills in the game. Oak Sage works wonders at Level 1 and, as a result, can be left there, but a couple more skill points for a little extra life is suggested.
Grizzly – Like Oak Sage, this can be left at Level 1 or a few more skill points can be invested in it. Note that the Grizzly’s life doesn’t increase with each skill point spent here, only its damage.
Explanations
Rabies: This is an overlooked skill that has mass potential when it and its only synergy, Poison Creeper, is MAXed. Over 14,000 Poison Damage can be some-what easily achieved, and that damage can be spread to other monsters once one is infected without even clicking the mouse. More simply put, the Rabies/Fury Druid wouldn’t be what it is without Rabies, and therefore it must be MAXed.
Rabies will remain set as the right-click mouse button.
Werewolf: this skill is very beneficial to the build, but doesn't necessarily have to be MAXed. After it reaches about Level 10, its bonus to your attacking speed severely decreases per skill level. That's why putting much more than ten points in this skill is not recommended.
Fury: This is the Rabies/Fury Druid’s primary attack, either infecting an enemy with Rabies and then finishing them off with it, or bashing the enemy’s life down to almost none with it and then letting Rabies finish the job. The ability to attack five different enemies almost simultaneously cannot be overlooked, and factoring in the extra damage and attack rating this skill provides, Fury is a must.
Fury will remain set as the left-click mouse button.
Poison Creeper: Rabies’ only synergy in the game. It must be MAXed, period.
Lycanthropy: This passive skill grants the Werewolf Druid extra life and a longer duration to remain in Werewolf form. All of these factors equal out to this skill having to be MAXed.
Grizzly & Oak Sage: These two allies will help the Rabies/Fury Druid in battle, one granting him and his Mercenary extra life and the other serving him as an impenetrable tank to attract attention, and even help weaken opponents in the process. Both Oak Sage and Grizzly must have at least one point each spent in them, and anything over five points is not suggested.
Section 3: Stats
Strength: 75-125--enough to wear the gear that you’re going to need.
Dexterity: Enough to wear gear.
Vitality: The rest.
Energy: Base.
Section 4: The Gear
As for any character class, the gear for the Rabies/Fury Druid is almost as important to him as his skills, and he cannot survive the game’s later stages without most – if not all – of the gear mentioned in this guide.
Weapon
Best Option:
Grief Berserker Axe. The extra poison damage, the reduction of enemy poison resistance, and increased attack speed – among other things – make this the best possible weapon choice.
Other Options:
The Plague Bearer. What this sword lacks in damage it makes up for in its +5 to Rabies, but nevertheless it should be Upped, because its damage is very low.
Aldur’s Jagged Star. This should only be worn if you plan on wearing the full Aldur’s Set, and only if. Socket it with 3 Shaels for lightning-fast attack speed.
Shield
Best Option:
Stormshield. It has nice damage reduction, good resists, and +30 to strength, along with decent defense, probably making it the best option for a shield.
Other Options:
Head Hunter’s Glory. If you find one with three sockets, you’ve got yourself a very good and viable shield here. Socket it with three Poison Facets if you’re rich, or either Perfect Diamonds or 15% IAS jewels if you’re not. Other than that, this shield has decent resists, good defense, and some “plus” to life after each kill. Head Hunter’s Glory is a more than viable option.
Medusa’s Gaze. This is a very overlooked shield, but take a look at some of its mods: Slows Target by 20%, a possible +80% to Cold Resistance and 9% Life Stolen per Hit, and a chance to cast Lower Resist when struck. The last mod mentioned is of particular interest, because it will make Rabies do more damage. Medusa’s Gaze can be just as viable as Head Hunter’s Glory, if not more-so.
Body Armor
Best Option:
Bramble Archon Plate. The +25-50% damage to poison skills alone makes this Rune Word the top option for body armor. Add in the Thorns aura and its other mods, and you’ve got yourself the perfect defense that your chest can have.
Other Options:
Enigma Archon Plate. More-so for PvP reasons this armor would be utilized, but Bramble beats it by a long-shot, although, the +2 to all skills and teleportation is nice.
Aldur’s Deception. Only if you plan to collect the complete Aldur’s Set should you wear this body armor, but alone it is pretty decent.
Gloves
Best Option:
Trang Oul’s Claws. Hands-down the best possible gloves the Rabies/Fury Druid can wear. The +25% damage to poison skills is vital.
Other Options:
Lavagouts. A chance to cast Enchant – adding extra fire damage and attack rating – and 20% increased attack speed make this gloves a viable second option, but Trang Oul’s are almost definitely better for this build.
Boots
Best Option:
Gore Riders. The chance for Open Wounds, Crushing Blow, and Deadly strike are all important mods that the Rabies/Fury Druid should possess in order to achieve maximum performance, therefore making these the best choice for boots.
Other Options:
Aldur’s Advance. Like the body armor, these should be worn only if you plan on collecting and wearing the entire Set, although these boots are viable on their own without Aldur’s other pieces.
Belt
Best Option:
Nosferatu’s Coil. This is disputable, but the 10% increased attack speed and the life stolen per hit, not to mention the slowing down of the target, make this belt the optimum choice for the build.
Other Options:
Verdungo’s Hearty Cord. The damage reduction is vital for PvP and can mean life or death in PvM as well, but this mod is the only real benefit of this belt. In all other aspects, Nosferatu’s Coil is superior.
Crafted Blood Belt. You might be surprised with what turns up here. Open Wounds, life stolen per hit, and +10-20 life are all certain, plus up to four other random mods. If a good one is created, a Crafted Blood Belt could be viable.
Headgear
Best Option:
Jalal’s Maine. There are too many great benefits from this helmet to even mention, but the one that really stands out is +4 to Shape Shifting skills and +2 to everything else. This will greatly increase your Rabies damage and improve your overall performance.
Other Options:
Harlequin Crest Shako. Of course, this helmet is viable for obvious reasons, but Jalal’s is certainly better.
Aldur's Stony Gaze. If you plan on collecting and wearing the Aldur's set, then obviously this is your first and only choice for a helmet. If not, it's still a decent option, but there are much better helmets out there.
Rare, Socketed +1-2 Shape Shifting / All Skills Druid Pelt. Find one with nice mods and put Poison Facets in it if you’re rich or 15% IAS jewels or Perfect Rubies in it if you’re poor, and you have yourself a viable piece of headgear.
Amulet
Highlord’s Wrath. It has increased attack speed and +1 to All Skills. This is the best, and really only option for the Rabies/Fury Druid, besides the obvious Mara’s.
Rings
Ring 1: Ravenfrost
Ring 2: Bul-Kathos or Dwarfstar
Note that, in most cases, the optimal item to socket your gear with is Poison Facets.
Section 5: The Mercenary
The Holy Freeze Aura Mercenary of Nightmare, Act 2 is really the only option here. He can chill nearly every enemy on the screen for you while rushing into melee combat, slowing down all opponents within radius while helping you damage them with his physical melee attacks. This Mercenary’s cold Aura chills even Cold Immune enemies and serves as an excellent tank that rivals the performance of the loyal, ferocious Grizzly.
Section 6: Strategies
The general strategy for the Rabies/Fury Druid in combat is fairly simple. As a mob of monsters approaches, your Grizzly and Mercenary will rush up into battle instantly. Wait until you hireling’s Holy Freeze Aura has activated before you, yourself do the same. Once the mob has been chilled with cold, run up to the group of monsters and infect the first one you get to with Rabies. It will be only a matter of seconds before the entire screen of your adversaries is tainted with the color green, taking mass poison damage over a short period of time. After this has been achieved, let Fury fly, making sure to protect your Oak Sage as best as possible. If either Grizzly or Oak Sage dies, simply recast them. After the Rabies wears off, if there are any survivors – and there will be, most likely, especially if their was a boss monster in the mob – finish them off with another Rabies while your Grizzly and Mercenary deal the final death-blows. When another group of enemies approaches, simply rinse, lather, and repeat.
Section 7: The Final Outcome
In the end, you will have yourself a powerful build which rivals the overall effectiveness of all of Druid builds in the game. The Rabies/Fury Druid is strong and effective right from Level 1, although his Rabies might seem lacking damage-wise through-out some of Nightmare Mode. But once the skill and its synergy, Poison Creeper, is MAXed, the final result will be a Godly Druid build that is unique, and like the Cold Inferno Sorceress, very fun to play.
Table of Contents
1) Introduction
2) Skills
3) Stats
4) Gear
5) Mercenary
6) PvM & PvP Strategies
7) The Final Outcome
Section 1: The Introduction
The Rabies/Fury Druid is a sub-class of the Druid who utilizes Rabies and Fury for his skills of attack and Oak Sage and Grizzly to help aid him in combat, focusing on Werewolf as his core skill, because he will remain in Werewolf form at all times outside of town. The Rabies/Fury Druid is a powerful force, attacking multiple enemies at once and inflicting heavy-damage disease to make his opponents fall, whether it be a single opponent or twenty. Offensively, he relies on heavy damage and fast attacks which Fury and Rabies provides, and defensively, Oak Sage is always by his side to provide he, himself, and his gigantic tank – the Grizzly – with a considerable increase in life. All in all, this variant of the Druid is a powerful build, unique to the common Werewolf build and perhaps even more deadly.
It is important to note the unusual nature of the Rabies skill, in that it doesn’t act like regular poison. Instead, once the target has been successfully infected with Rabies, if the target gets too close to another opponent, or another opponent gets too close to the target, the Rabies spreads to that opponent, causing a mass chain-reaction which could, in seconds, infect every enemy on the screen. Because of this awesome (or terrifying) fact, Rabies can both be a crowd-controlling skill and a one-versus-one skill for taking out single, tougher adversaries.
One last thing about Rabies: it cannot be cured by antidotes.
Section 2: The Skills
Like with any build, the skills are very important with the Rabies/Fury Druid and must be utilized and invested in correctly if you wish to achieve maximum performance.
MAX these skills, in this order:
Rabies
Fury
Poison Creeper
Lycanthropy
Other skills of importance to invest in:
Werewolf – This should optimally be brought up to at least Level 5 and up to Level 10 at most, depending on personal preference. However, I would suggest not to MAX this skill, and I’ll tell you why in the “Explanations” section of the guide.
Oak Sage – One of the greatest One Point Wonder skills in the game. Oak Sage works wonders at Level 1 and, as a result, can be left there, but a couple more skill points for a little extra life is suggested.
Grizzly – Like Oak Sage, this can be left at Level 1 or a few more skill points can be invested in it. Note that the Grizzly’s life doesn’t increase with each skill point spent here, only its damage.
Explanations
Rabies: This is an overlooked skill that has mass potential when it and its only synergy, Poison Creeper, is MAXed. Over 14,000 Poison Damage can be some-what easily achieved, and that damage can be spread to other monsters once one is infected without even clicking the mouse. More simply put, the Rabies/Fury Druid wouldn’t be what it is without Rabies, and therefore it must be MAXed.
Rabies will remain set as the right-click mouse button.
Werewolf: this skill is very beneficial to the build, but doesn't necessarily have to be MAXed. After it reaches about Level 10, its bonus to your attacking speed severely decreases per skill level. That's why putting much more than ten points in this skill is not recommended.
Fury: This is the Rabies/Fury Druid’s primary attack, either infecting an enemy with Rabies and then finishing them off with it, or bashing the enemy’s life down to almost none with it and then letting Rabies finish the job. The ability to attack five different enemies almost simultaneously cannot be overlooked, and factoring in the extra damage and attack rating this skill provides, Fury is a must.
Fury will remain set as the left-click mouse button.
Poison Creeper: Rabies’ only synergy in the game. It must be MAXed, period.
Lycanthropy: This passive skill grants the Werewolf Druid extra life and a longer duration to remain in Werewolf form. All of these factors equal out to this skill having to be MAXed.
Grizzly & Oak Sage: These two allies will help the Rabies/Fury Druid in battle, one granting him and his Mercenary extra life and the other serving him as an impenetrable tank to attract attention, and even help weaken opponents in the process. Both Oak Sage and Grizzly must have at least one point each spent in them, and anything over five points is not suggested.
Section 3: Stats
Strength: 75-125--enough to wear the gear that you’re going to need.
Dexterity: Enough to wear gear.
Vitality: The rest.
Energy: Base.
Section 4: The Gear
As for any character class, the gear for the Rabies/Fury Druid is almost as important to him as his skills, and he cannot survive the game’s later stages without most – if not all – of the gear mentioned in this guide.
Weapon
Best Option:
Grief Berserker Axe. The extra poison damage, the reduction of enemy poison resistance, and increased attack speed – among other things – make this the best possible weapon choice.
Other Options:
The Plague Bearer. What this sword lacks in damage it makes up for in its +5 to Rabies, but nevertheless it should be Upped, because its damage is very low.
Aldur’s Jagged Star. This should only be worn if you plan on wearing the full Aldur’s Set, and only if. Socket it with 3 Shaels for lightning-fast attack speed.
Shield
Best Option:
Stormshield. It has nice damage reduction, good resists, and +30 to strength, along with decent defense, probably making it the best option for a shield.
Other Options:
Head Hunter’s Glory. If you find one with three sockets, you’ve got yourself a very good and viable shield here. Socket it with three Poison Facets if you’re rich, or either Perfect Diamonds or 15% IAS jewels if you’re not. Other than that, this shield has decent resists, good defense, and some “plus” to life after each kill. Head Hunter’s Glory is a more than viable option.
Medusa’s Gaze. This is a very overlooked shield, but take a look at some of its mods: Slows Target by 20%, a possible +80% to Cold Resistance and 9% Life Stolen per Hit, and a chance to cast Lower Resist when struck. The last mod mentioned is of particular interest, because it will make Rabies do more damage. Medusa’s Gaze can be just as viable as Head Hunter’s Glory, if not more-so.
Body Armor
Best Option:
Bramble Archon Plate. The +25-50% damage to poison skills alone makes this Rune Word the top option for body armor. Add in the Thorns aura and its other mods, and you’ve got yourself the perfect defense that your chest can have.
Other Options:
Enigma Archon Plate. More-so for PvP reasons this armor would be utilized, but Bramble beats it by a long-shot, although, the +2 to all skills and teleportation is nice.
Aldur’s Deception. Only if you plan to collect the complete Aldur’s Set should you wear this body armor, but alone it is pretty decent.
Gloves
Best Option:
Trang Oul’s Claws. Hands-down the best possible gloves the Rabies/Fury Druid can wear. The +25% damage to poison skills is vital.
Other Options:
Lavagouts. A chance to cast Enchant – adding extra fire damage and attack rating – and 20% increased attack speed make this gloves a viable second option, but Trang Oul’s are almost definitely better for this build.
Boots
Best Option:
Gore Riders. The chance for Open Wounds, Crushing Blow, and Deadly strike are all important mods that the Rabies/Fury Druid should possess in order to achieve maximum performance, therefore making these the best choice for boots.
Other Options:
Aldur’s Advance. Like the body armor, these should be worn only if you plan on collecting and wearing the entire Set, although these boots are viable on their own without Aldur’s other pieces.
Belt
Best Option:
Nosferatu’s Coil. This is disputable, but the 10% increased attack speed and the life stolen per hit, not to mention the slowing down of the target, make this belt the optimum choice for the build.
Other Options:
Verdungo’s Hearty Cord. The damage reduction is vital for PvP and can mean life or death in PvM as well, but this mod is the only real benefit of this belt. In all other aspects, Nosferatu’s Coil is superior.
Crafted Blood Belt. You might be surprised with what turns up here. Open Wounds, life stolen per hit, and +10-20 life are all certain, plus up to four other random mods. If a good one is created, a Crafted Blood Belt could be viable.
Headgear
Best Option:
Jalal’s Maine. There are too many great benefits from this helmet to even mention, but the one that really stands out is +4 to Shape Shifting skills and +2 to everything else. This will greatly increase your Rabies damage and improve your overall performance.
Other Options:
Harlequin Crest Shako. Of course, this helmet is viable for obvious reasons, but Jalal’s is certainly better.
Aldur's Stony Gaze. If you plan on collecting and wearing the Aldur's set, then obviously this is your first and only choice for a helmet. If not, it's still a decent option, but there are much better helmets out there.
Rare, Socketed +1-2 Shape Shifting / All Skills Druid Pelt. Find one with nice mods and put Poison Facets in it if you’re rich or 15% IAS jewels or Perfect Rubies in it if you’re poor, and you have yourself a viable piece of headgear.
Amulet
Highlord’s Wrath. It has increased attack speed and +1 to All Skills. This is the best, and really only option for the Rabies/Fury Druid, besides the obvious Mara’s.
Rings
Ring 1: Ravenfrost
Ring 2: Bul-Kathos or Dwarfstar
Note that, in most cases, the optimal item to socket your gear with is Poison Facets.
Section 5: The Mercenary
The Holy Freeze Aura Mercenary of Nightmare, Act 2 is really the only option here. He can chill nearly every enemy on the screen for you while rushing into melee combat, slowing down all opponents within radius while helping you damage them with his physical melee attacks. This Mercenary’s cold Aura chills even Cold Immune enemies and serves as an excellent tank that rivals the performance of the loyal, ferocious Grizzly.
Section 6: Strategies
The general strategy for the Rabies/Fury Druid in combat is fairly simple. As a mob of monsters approaches, your Grizzly and Mercenary will rush up into battle instantly. Wait until you hireling’s Holy Freeze Aura has activated before you, yourself do the same. Once the mob has been chilled with cold, run up to the group of monsters and infect the first one you get to with Rabies. It will be only a matter of seconds before the entire screen of your adversaries is tainted with the color green, taking mass poison damage over a short period of time. After this has been achieved, let Fury fly, making sure to protect your Oak Sage as best as possible. If either Grizzly or Oak Sage dies, simply recast them. After the Rabies wears off, if there are any survivors – and there will be, most likely, especially if their was a boss monster in the mob – finish them off with another Rabies while your Grizzly and Mercenary deal the final death-blows. When another group of enemies approaches, simply rinse, lather, and repeat.
Section 7: The Final Outcome
In the end, you will have yourself a powerful build which rivals the overall effectiveness of all of Druid builds in the game. The Rabies/Fury Druid is strong and effective right from Level 1, although his Rabies might seem lacking damage-wise through-out some of Nightmare Mode. But once the skill and its synergy, Poison Creeper, is MAXed, the final result will be a Godly Druid build that is unique, and like the Cold Inferno Sorceress, very fun to play.