There are multiple ways to play a Druid early on in Diablo 4, and if the idea of smashing monsters into the ground appeals to you, then going down the Werebear build path might just be your thing. Werebear attacks are all about those big damage numbers, and while it's not as fast as some other builds, it's still a fun and viable way to play.

The following is a Werebear Druid leveling build for Diablo 4 that uses the seasonal Horadric Spells mechanic to compensate for some of the build's natural weaknesses. It should be strong enough to take players all the way to the early Paragon levels on Hard or Expert mode, though that will highly depend on whether or not players can get the right gear while leveling up.

Spiritborn using Centipede build in Diablo 4
Diablo 4: Spiritborn Centipede Leveling Build

Contaminate entire hordes of demons with this Poison-focused Centipede leveling build for the Spiritborn classs in Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred.

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Diablo 4: Druid Pulverize Build (Season 9)

D4 Druid Werebear Season 9

This is a Shapeshifting build that uses Pulverize and Trample as its main sources of damage. It won't hit as often as a Werewolf Shred build, but the sheer weight of each bear slam should be enough to take out most enemies within a reasonable amount of time. Much of the playstyle revolves around bowling through enemies with Trample and beefing up Pulverize's damage through Overpower and critical hits.

Active Skills

  • Wild Maul (1/5): Basic Spirit Generator skill that can also knock enemies down, making them vulnerable to bonus damage from Pulverize. Later, respec this to Fierce Claw to better use the Quickshift passive.
  • Raging Pulverize (5/5): Your main damage skill. It deals bonus damage to bosses and Crowd Controlled enemies, and it is guaranteed to Overpower every 10 seconds.
  • Innate Blood Howl (1/5): Simple and effective sustain skill that shifts you to Werewolf form while restoring health and Spirit.
  • Natural Trample (1/5): Good mobility and AoE damage skill that Fortifies your health.
  • Brutal Poison Creeper (1/5): Poisons enemies and makes them more susceptible to critical hits.
  • Supreme Grizzly Rage (1/5): Go full Werebear mode and gain various bonuses.

Passive Skills

These are the core passives for this Werebear Druid leveling build in Diablo 4. To summarize, this setup will increase your damage and survivability while giving you bonuses against Poisoned targets. Provocation also lets you do back-to-back Overpower Pulverize hits, which is great for the early game.

Take these in any order you like, and spend any remaining passive points on your preferred skills. However, only take Defiance and Natural Disaster once you get Aspect Of the Ursine Horror in one of your items.

Horadric Spells

A Completed Seasonal Quest in The Horadric Focus Menu

As you progress through the season, you'll eventually unlock all the Horadric Spells and Arcanas in Diablo 4 Season 9. These can supplement your build by giving you what is essentially an additional skill that's cast alongside your normal skills, and these will give you some useful passive bonuses too. For this Werebear leveling build, consider using the following:

  • Smoldering Ember Infusion
  • Disintegrate Catalyst
  • Arcanas:
    • Reactive Ooze (Resource Generation)
    • Bottled Wind (Barrier)
    • Pressurized Steam (Stun and Stagger)

Bind Disintegrate to Trample, then run around your enemies so they take damage from the beam. It's extremely useful in boss fights since it can deal DPS while also building up their Stagger bar.

Your choice of Catalyst/Infusion early on doesn't matter much. Just bind them to Blood Howl, and you'll be good to go. However, you'll still want to get Arcanas that actually benefit you.

Spirit Boons

a screenshot showing the spirit boon set up for the Lacerate Druid
  • Deer: Gift of the Stag
  • Eagle: Scythe Talons and Avian Wrath
  • Wolf: Energize
  • Snake: Masochistic

Replace Scythe Talons with Swooping Attacks once you get enough Critical Strike Chance from your gear.

Equipment and Legendary Aspects

Since the build will be triggering Overpower a lot, you should prioritize using Maces since they increase Overpower damage. However, at very low levels, you should just use whichever has better base stats. Look for gear with the following stats/affixes whenever possible:

  • Willpower
  • Armor
  • Life
  • Overpower Damage
  • Critical Strike Chance
  • Critical Strike Damage
  • Cooldown Reduction
  • Attack Speed

As for Aspects, try to get the following:

These Aspects will significantly increase the power of Pulverize, and even more so while Grizzly Rage is active. Get Aspect of Retaliation as soon as you can from the Seaside Descent dungeon in the Dry Steppes, then put it on your Amulet. You're free to choose whatever else for the rest of your gear — make sure to get survivability powers like Aspect Of Disobedience.

If you want to continue the Pulverize build, look for the following Uniques:

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Diablo 4
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9 /10
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Released
June 5, 2023
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WHERE TO PLAY

SUBSCRIPTION
DIGITAL
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info

ESRB
Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language, In-Game Purchases, Users Interact
Developer(s)
Blizzard
Publisher(s)
Blizzard
Engine
Proprietary Engine
Multiplayer
Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op, Local Co-Op
Cross-Platform Play
All platforms
Cross Save
All platforms
Franchise
Diablo
Number of Players
1-2 players
Steam Deck Compatibility
Verified
Genre(s)
Action RPG, Hack and Slash
OpenCritic Rating
Mighty
Local Co-Op Support
1-2 players (console only)
How Long To Beat
26 Hours
X|S Optimized
Yes
File Size Xbox Series
158.25 GB
PS Plus Availability
N/A
Diablo 4 Press Image 1
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