Berserker Skill Tree

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Template:Class navboxThe Barbarian's skills are divided into three skill trees, each of which has about 18 known skills. Most of these were first seen at Blizzcon 2008, and while they are very much subject to change during the game's continued development, viewing them in this state is still informative and interesting.

Most Barbarian skills require Fury to cast. Fury is a mana-like bulb that fills up when the Barbarian hits enemies, then drains quickly away when he stops hitting. This means that a Barbarian is unable to use his more powerful abilities at the start of a fight, and must charge up his Fury before he can begin to unleash his more devastating attacks.


Diablo III Skill Trees

Berserker Skill Tree, Blizzcon, Oct 2008.

Unlike the skill trees in Diablo II, the trees in Diablo III are not focused on just one aspect of a character. All known D3 skill trees have a wide variety of skills, with more passive than active, and all allow for a variety of play styles.

All active skills in the BlizzCon build were capped at 1 skill point (or rank, as skill levels are called in D3), while most passives went up to 15 points. This will not be the case in the final game; active skills will allow more than 1 point, and passives may have different maximum ranks, to allow better game balancing. Know that skills will be modified, that some will be removed, that others will be added, and that the numbers are almost certain to change.

Tier 1 Skills

These skills are available for use as soon as new Barbarian is created.

Frenzy

  • Active Skill
  • Rune Sockets: 1
  • Max Rank: 1
  • Description: When attacking with Frenzy, the Barbarian's weapon damage and attack speed are increased. Frenzy can be used repeatedly, stacking the speed bonus up to three times.
    • Rank 1: Deals 120% weapon damage. In addition, attack speed is increased by 6% for 10 seconds. (Up to 18%, with stacking.)
  • Fury Cost: None

The popular D2 Barbarian skill returns, with much the same function. The particulars are tweaked a bit, in terms of the damage, attack speed bonus, duration, and stacking, but the function is similar. The biggest change is the Clvl: Frenzy was a level 24 skill in D2, and only worked while dual wielding. It's level 1 in D3, and it apparently works with any type of weapon or weapons.

Higher levels in this skill (which were not enabled at BlizzCon 2008) will presumably increase the bonuses to damage and other properties as well.


Bad Temper

  • Passive Skill
  • Rune Sockets: 0
  • Max Rank: 15
  • Description: Reduces Fury degeneration by 3%.
  • Fury Cost: None

This skill causes the Barbarian's built up Fury to reduce less slowly, (theoretically) enabling the character to carry enough over from one fight to be able to use skills immediately at the start of the next battle.


Power of the Berserker

  • Passive Skill
  • Rune Sockets: 0
  • Max Rank: 15
  • Description: Increases damage of all Berserker skills by X%.
    • Rank 2: Increases damage of all Berserker skills by 25%.
    • Rank 3: Increases damage of all Berserker skills by 30%.
  • Fury Cost: None

A nice passive bonus to all skills in this tree. The figures were very hard to read on this one, so take the 25% and 30% with a grain of salt. The damage bonus will definitely increase with each point spent in the skill, though.

Like the other Barbarian passive damage bonuses, this one does nothing for his to/hit. In fact, there aren't any Barbarian skills that boost to/hit, which is one of the mysteries of the game design, at this point.


Heightened Senses

  • Passive Skill
  • Rune Sockets: 0
  • Max Rank: 15
  • Description: Grants the Barbarian an inherent change to dodge attacks.
    • Rank 1: 4% chance to dodge.
    • Rank 2: 8% chance to dodge.
    • Rank 3: 12% chance to dodge.
  • Fury Cost: None

It's unknown if the skill continues to increase by 4% forever, or if diminishing returns set in at some point.


Tier 2 Skills

These skills are available for use once a Barbarian reaches level 5. There is no requirement that he invest 5 skill points in this tree before using them, as some early Blizzcon reports erroneously stated.

Terrifying Shout

  • Active Skill
  • Rune Sockets: 1
  • Max Rank: 1
  • Description: Shout with great intensity, enhancing damage done by something ______ something 30% for 12 seconds.
  • Fury Cost: None

The name and description of this one couldn't be read clearly, but enough could be made out to be sure that it's a war cry that boosts damage for a short duration.

Note: Not too clear if there is the same skill or another. But in the BlizzaCast, a screenshot showed this skill inside the Berserker Skill Tree:

Threatening Shout

  • Active Skill
  • Rune Sockets: 1
  • Max Rank: 5
  • Description:
    • Rank 1: Shout with great ferocity, reducing damage done by enemies within 24 feet by 60% for 15 seconds.
    • Rank 2: Shout with great ferocity, reducing damage done by enemies within 24 feet by 70% for 18 seconds.

Onslaught

  • Active Skill
  • Rune Sockets: 0
  • Max Rank: 1
  • Description: Increases attack speed by X%. Drains Fury while in use. Lasts for X seconds.
  • Fury Cost: None

This was another description that was very hard to read, so no values are available. The skill's function is clear, though. It increases the Barbarian's attack speed for a few seconds, and drains Fury all the while. It runs for the allowed duration (around 10 seconds per use) or until the Fury runs out. (More Fury can be added while this skill is in use, of course. Hitting things with a super speed Barbarian is a great way to add Fury, after all.)


Double Strike

  • Passive Skill
  • Rune Sockets: 1
  • Max Rank: 1
  • Description: Grants a dual wielding Barbarian the chance to strike nearby enemies with both weapons.
    • Rank 1: Gives a 6% chance of striking with both weapons.
    • Rank 2: Gives a 7% chance of striking with both weapons.
  • Fury Cost: None

This one was also hard to read in our notes, so the figures are suspect. They were single numbers though, so the odds are clearly pretty low for this skill to trigger.

The Barbarian uses both weapons to attack when dual wielding; the attack just isn't much faster than it would be while holding a single weapon. This skill gives a % chance to hit an individual enemy twice, very quickly, once with each weapon.


Strong Constitution

  • Passive Skill
  • Rune Sockets: 0
  • Max Rank: 15
  • Description: Enables health regeneration.
    • Rank 1: Regenerates 10 health per second.
  • Fury Cost: None

A skill that sounds like it will be mandatory for most every Barbarian, unless equipment with health regeneration is common. The amount of regeneration was hard to read in our notes, but it is a low double digit number. Something like 10 or 12.


Berserker State

  • Passive Skill
  • Rune Sockets: 0
  • Max Rank: 15
  • Description: Increases the duration of Frenzy and Onslaught by 1 second.
  • Fury Cost: None

A typical D3 passive skill; boosting one aspect of two other skills from the same skill tree.

Tier 3 Skills

These skills are available for use for any Barbarian who is level 10+, and has placed at least 10 points in other skills in the Berserker skill tree.

Leap Attack

Leaping over a chasm.
  • Active Skill
  • Rune Sockets: 1
  • Max Rank: 1
  • Description: The Barbarian makes a mighty leap, causing ? damage to enemies when he lands.
    Damage of Leap Attack increases with strength.
  • Fury Cost: None

Leap Attack is not much changed from D2, and has been demonstrated repeatedly in the gameplay movies. The main difference with the D3 version of this skill is that minor damage is dealt to everything nearby when the Barbarian lands, rather than big damage to one particular monster.

This skill enables the barbarian to leap a considerable distance, and quite quickly too. When landing the barbarian drives her weapons down from overhead, creating a blue shockwave that damages and knocks back any enemies within several yards. It appears to combine the powers of the d2 skills leap and leap attack, and seems to deal quite a bit of damage, as rapidly as it dispatches multiple ghouls with every Leap, in the WWI movie.


Enrage

  • Active Skill
  • Rune Sockets: 1
  • Max Rank: 1
  • Description: Enter a reckless rage, increasing Fury gained but also damage taken.
    • Rank 1: Increases Fury gained by 100% and damage taken by 25%, for 10 seconds.
  • Fury Cost: None

An interesting skill, enabling the the Barbarian to generate Rage more quickly, but taking more damage while doing so. This would be a useful skill to power up just before entering battle; the Barbarian would fill up his Rage bulb very quickly against one or two initial attackers, and by the time the main mob was in range his Fury would be full and the increased damage penalty would have worn off.


Dual Wield Specialization

  • Passive Skill
  • Rune Sockets: 1
  • Max Rank: 15
  • Description: Increases physical damage dealt by weapons while dual wielding
    • Rank 1: Increases damage by 12%.
  • Fury Cost: None

A skill any dual wielding barbarian will want to invest heavily in.


Savage

  • Passive Skill
  • Rune Sockets: 1
  • Max Rank: 1
  • Description: Increase all Fury generation for X seconds after scoring a critical hit.
  • Rank 1: Increase Fury generation 30% for 8 seconds.
  • Fury Cost: None

This tree has a variety of skills to increase fury generation. Something barbs who specialize in the other trees will surely be envious of.


Increase Speed

  • Passive Skill
  • Rune Sockets: 1
  • Max Rank: 1
  • Description: Your Frenzy and Onslaught abilities also increase your movement speed.
    • Rank 1: Movement speed increased 5% while using Frenzy or Onslaught.
  • Fury Cost: None

More improvements to other skills in the same tree. Frenzy and Onslaught do not increase movement speed normally, just when this skill is enabled. This seems like a lovely convenience, but perhaps not worth the points, with fast run boots and other speedier movement options. (PvP players will probably find it more useful than PvM players, as is the case in D2.) The increased moving speed will make it easier though to keep your fury bar up, since you take less time to get from one pack of monsters to the next one.

Tier 4 Skills

These skills are available for use once a Barbarian reaches level 15+, and has spent at least 15 points in the Berserker skill tree.

Whirlwind

Whirling up some goat jerky.
  • Active Skill
  • Rune Sockets: 1
  • Max Rank: 1
  • Description: Become a cyclone, delivering multiple hits to everything in your path.
    • Rank 1: Each hit deals 25% of weapon damage.
    • Rank 2: Each hit deals 30% of weapon damage.
  • Fury Cost: None
Whirlwind
Rank: 1/20

Swirl in a cyclone, delivering attacks to everything in his path.

Current level: 1
Fury: 1
Hits for 25% of weapon damage

Next level: 2
Fury: 1
Hits for 30% of weapon damage.

Everyone's favorite spinning, multi-hitting tornado of a skill returns in D3. As it did in D2, Whirlwind lands multiple hits to anything in the barbarian's path, and it can strike multiple monsters per use. The whirling graphic is much improved in D3, with the weapon visible tracking around in a circle, leaving a glowing light as it spins and pausing an instant when it makes contact with a hapless enemy.

The damage values listed above were seen in the WWI 2008 gameplay movie. Updated values at BlizzCon 2008 in October were not recorded, so regard these numbers with suspicion.


Slashing Strike

  • Passive Skill
  • Rune Sockets: 1
  • Max Rank: 1
  • Description: Your melee attacks have an X% chance to hit all nearby enemies.
    • Rank 1: 12% chance to hit all nearby enemies.
  • Fury Cost: None

Sounds like a very powerful skill, granting a chance to hit all nearby enemies with every attack. This would be hugely valuable when taking on large packs.


Relentless Attacks

  • Passive Skill
  • Rune Sockets: 0
  • Max Rank: 15
  • Description: Increases the damage of Frenzy and Whirlwind by X%.
    • Rank 1: Increases the damage by 5%.
  • Fury Cost: None


Destroy Armor

  • Passive Skill
  • Rune Sockets: 0
  • Max Rank: 15
  • Description: Reduces enemy armor.
  • Fury Cost: None

This skill was marked with the NYI (Not Yet Implemented) tag, and had no values listed for how much it would reduce armor.


Tier 5 Skills

There was a space for these in the Blizzcon build, but no skill icons were found on that line. There will surely be some in the final game, or else existing skills will be redistributed so some occupy higher level tiers on the skill tree.

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