| New Rune Word | Rune Order | Allowed Items | Character Level Required | Final Stats |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metamorphosis |
lo + Cham + Fal |
Helm |
67 |
|
Metamorphosis: We moved in the direction of a slight buff to Metamorphosis. We want this Rune Word to really compete for best-in-slot for Shapeshifter Druids.
For the Metamorphosis Rune Word, we wanted to add another viable option for an end-game shapeshifter Druid that could compete with items such as Jalal’s Mane. Metamorphosis grants a bonus for successful attacks in both Werewolf and Werebear forms, with each form providing different stacking bonuses.
Mark of the Wolf:
Werewolf transforms the Druid into a wolf, increasing his battle proficiency.
Werewolf is the first of two shapeshifitng skills the druid possesses (the other being Werebear). It transforms the druid, giving him increased proficiency in melee combat. Melee druids often focus on one of these shapeshifting skills.
Although Werewolf gives an increase to Attack Speed, Werewolves and Werebears swing more slowly than the Druid in his natural form. This gives the impression that the Attack Speed increase is not working, since the player will notice the Werewolf is hitting slower than the Druid at level 1. However as more points are poured into this skill, the attack speed will quickly reach the druid's and pass it.
You can cast Armageddon while in Werewolf form.
Mark of the Bear:
Werebear tranforms the Druid into a bear, increasing his strength and fortitude.
Werebear is the more brute shapeshift of the Druid. While the Werewolf provides speed and attack rating, the Werebear focuses on damage, defense and life.
The two skills forms can use different attacks in the Shapeshifting tree. While the Werewolf focuses more on fast attacks, the Werebear has more poweful blows capable of stunning the opponents. A druid often has to choose one of the forms to specialize in, and as both are viable in throughout the entire game, either is possible.
The Druid can cast Armageddon in Werebear form.
This is perhaps the most astonishing of all the talents granted to the Druid. Shape Shifting allows the Druid to manipulate their own flesh and form, taking on characteristics and capabilities of the beasts they have sworn to protect. Druidic warriors follow two paths: the path of the Bear, and the path of the Wolf. Some Shape Shifting skills are available only to a single animal form, while others are common to both Wolf and Bear forms. Note that while in animal form, Druids lose access to certain skills.
Crushing Blow is a Diablo II combat mechanic that appears as a Chance on Hit mod on several Unique, Set or Rune Word items. The game will roll for the chance for the mechanic to occur on every eligible melee or ranged attack. If it is chosen to happen, the attack's target has its heath reduced by a measured percentage. This health reduction occurs before the damage of the swing is dealt.
Enhanced Defense is an armor attribute that increases the defense value of the armor by a percentage, as opposed to plus defense which adds a strict number to the defense count.
Strength is a Character Attribute. It influences a hero's damaging capabilities in melee combat, and is also a measure of how heavy their equipment can be and still be utilized to its fullest.
While Vitality can be increased through magical items, it is still under the responsibilities of the class to determine Life gains per point.
Resistances are a displayed on the Character Screen. They are numerical values that can resist a percentage of damage from the four elemental attacks: Fire, Cold, Lightning, and Poison.
Cannot be Frozen is an attribute found on some Runewords, Set and Unique items. It is almost an essential attribute to have for melee characters, particularly in Hell difficulty. It prevents the slowing effect of cold attacks from affecting the character, thus allowing that character to continue moving and attacking at their normal speed. This attribute does not, however, affect cold damage, nor does it prevent Holy Freeze or Decrepify from slowing down the character. The latter is because Decrepify is not a cold-based attack and the former is because the designers decided that Holy Freeze would override Cannot be Frozen.
Once affected by chilling, activating the attribute, such as switching to a weapon or shield which possesses it will not override the effect and will have to wait out the chill from that particular attack before the immunity to chilling will work again. So being chilled by a Cold Arrow from a monster, switching to Rhyme and then being hit with a monster level Frost Nova a second later, a character will only have to wait out the Cold Arrow's freeze, not the Frost Nova's duration.