Latest Diablo 3 beta patch adds more ways to break things, number tuning, and more

PTR PATCH 2.6.0 – v2.6.0.45897

Below you’ll find the preliminary notes for Patch 2.6.0, including the Necromancer beta. Please note that this isn’t the final version and that some changes may not be documented or described in full detail.

Please note that content availability during the beta will vary depending on testing needs.

GENERAL

• New Feature: Challenge Rifts
  • Explore new builds created by fellow players in a weekly static dungeon. You can access these through the main screen, similar to Adventure Mode and Campaign Mode.
    • Note: New Challenge Rifts may be available more frequently during the beta.

CLASSES

• New Class: Necromancer
  • As a master of the dark arts, you wield the powers of life and death necessary to restore the Balance! Necromancers are powerful spell casters who lay waste to their enemies using curses and reanimation—along with an obedient cadre of pets. This new class employs a controlled gameplay style using the raw materials of life: blood and bone.
• Necromancer Skills
  • Army of the Dead
    • Base Rune
      • Raise a massive skeletal army to pummel the targeted location dealing 3,000% 12,000% weapon damage in a 15 yard radius
    • Frozen Army
      • Weapon damage increased to 3,600% 12,000% and they attack all enemies in a line
    • Dead Storm
      • Raise a storm of the dead that surround you damaging enemies for 2,000% 15,500% weapon damage over 5 seconds
    • Unconventional Warfare
      • Damage increased to 50,000% total weapon damage
    • Catatonic Grasp
      • Has been renamed to Blighted Grasp
      • Has been redesigned
        • Skeletal hands raise from the ground damaging enemies within 15 yards for 14,000% total weapon damage as Poison over 5 seconds
  • Bone Armor
    • Harvest of Anguish
      • Now deals Cold damage instead of Physical
    • Dislocation
      • Now deals Poison damage instead of Physical
    • Limited Immunity
      • Now begins its cooldown once the immunity effect ends
  • Bone Prison
    • Bone Spear, Bone Spikes and Bone Spirit have a 10% 30% chance to trap enemies in a Bone Prison for 3 seconds
  • Bone Spear
    • Base Rune
      • Summon a piercing bone projectile that causes 450% 500% weapon damage to all enemies it passes through
    • Blood Spear
      • Bone Spear turns into Blood Spear. Damage is increased to 518% 650% weapon damage at the cost of 10% health.
    • This skill should now more reliably hit targets, especially moving targets
  • Bone Spirit
    • Possession
      • Bone Spirit will now charm the target for 10 seconds at the cost of 10% 5% health
  • Command Golem
    • Ice Golem
      • Command the Golem to the targeted location where it freezes enemies for 3 seconds and increases their chance to be critically struck by 10% for 10 seconds
      • Command the Golem to launch an icy blast at the target location, freezing enemies for 3 seconds and increasing their chance to be critically struck by 10% for 10 seconds
    • The cooldown has been reduced from 60 to 45 seconds
  • Command Skeletons
    • Kill Command
      • Now commands your skeletons to explode, dealing 80% 215% weapon damage to enemies within 15 yards
    • The active ability for this skill now lasts until the target dies or you change the target of your command
    • Skeletons summoned after issuing the command will also attack the target
  • Corpse Explosion
    • Base Rune
      • Target an area exploding all corpses within 11 yards dealing 150%250% 350% weapon damage to enemies within 20 yards
    • Close Quarters
      • Explodes corpses close to you, dealing 200% 325% weapon damage to enemies within 20 yards
    • Final Embrace
      • Corpses pull themselves towards the nearest enemy before exploding, but Corpse Explosion now costs 3% 2% life per corpse
  • Corpse Lance
    • Base Rune
      • Target an enemy to summon projectiles from nearby corpses that cause 750% 900% 1750% weapon damage to the target
    • Blood Lance
      • Spend 5% 2% of your total health to launch an additional lance from yourself towards the target that deals 250% weapon damage
    • The attack rate for all runes has been increased
  • Decrepify
    • Base Rune
      • A crippling curse that reduces the enemy units’ movement speed by 75% and reduces damage done by 20% 30% for 30 seconds
    • Wither
      • Damage reduction increased to 30% 40%, but no longer reduces movement speed
  • Land of the Dead
    • Base Rune
      • All corpse skills can be used at will for 5 10 seconds
  • Leech
    • Base Rune
      • Curse the target area. Cursed enemies have a chance to heal the attacker when they are struck for 1% 2% of their total health. Lasts 30 seconds.
    • Cursed Ground
      • Now curses the ground, healing you for 0.5% 1% of your maximum life every second for each enemy in the cursed area
  • Simulacrum
    • The health cost per use has been reduced from 50% to 25%
  • Skeletal Mage
    • Contamination
      • Raise a contaminated mage that channels an aura of decay for 175% 100% weapon damage for its duration.
• Necromancer Passives
  • Blood for Blood
    • Picking up a health globe removes the health cost of the next Blood spell. This effect can stack up to 3 10 times.
  • Blood Is Power
    • Has been redesigned
      • After cumulatively losing 100% of your maximum Life, all ability cooldowns are reduced by 20%. This effect cannot reduce an ability’s cooldown more than once for each time that ability is used.
  • Dark Reaping
    • While using a scythe gain 1% 2% Essence and Life per kill
  • Final Service
    • When this passive successfully prevents death, the Necromancer is immune to incoming damage for 4 seconds
      • This passive does not require active pets to prevent death and grant immunity
      • Instead of immediately consuming all pets, this passive will grant 10% health per pet until the Necromancer is at 100% health
  • Rigor Mortis
    • Blight abilities also slow enemies by 30% and reduce their attack speed by 15% 30% for 5 seconds
  • Serration
    • Bone Spikes, Bone Spear and Bone Spirit deal 1% increased damage for every 2 yards between you, up to a maximum of 15% 20%
• Wizard Skills
  • Mirror Image
    • Simulacrum
      • This rune has been renamed to “Hard Light”
• Bug Fixes
  • Decay Golem
    • Fixed an issue where Decay golem was not benefiting from the unlimited corpses granted by Land of the Dead
    • Fixed a bug where the visuals for Army of the Dead: Unconventional Warfare were not being played
    • Fixed an issue where damage bonuses from the player’s attack speed were not being applied to the Skeletal Archer and Contamination runes on Skeletal Mage
    • Fixed an issue that caused Siphon Blood to continue to deal damage to enemies when they were invisible or untargetable
    • Fixed a bug where Devour – Ruthless did not correctly restore 10 Essence per pet consumed
    • Fixed an issue which prevented Bone Spirit from properly detonating when cast directly in melee range of a target enemy

ITEMS

• General
  • Scythes and Phylacteries are now sold by some of the vendors throughout the world
• Legendary Items
  • Funeral Pick
    • Siphon Blood drains blood from 2 additional targets
  • Trag’oul’s Corroded Fang
    • The Cursed Scythe rune for Grim Scythe now has a 100% chance to apply a curse and increases your damage against cursed enemies by 175-200%
  • Scythe of the Cycle
    • Your Secondary skills deal 250-300% additional damage while Bone Armor is active but reduce the remaining duration of Bone Armor by 3 seconds
  • Dreadgolem Spike Maltorius’ Petrified Spike
    • Bone Spear now costs 40 Essence and deals 125-150% 375-450% additional damage
  • Bloodtide Blade
    • Death Nova deals 15-20% 20-30% increased damage for every enemy within 10 15 yards
      • Note: The previous damage range listed (125-150%) was incorrect
  • Reilena’s Shadowhook
    • Bone Spikes generates an additional 2-4 2-5 Essence for each enemy hit and grants 0.5% increased damage for every point of maximum Essence you have
  • Death’s Scythe Nayr’s Black Death
    • Each different Poison skill you use increases the damage of your Poison skills by 75-100% 50-65% for 15 seconds
  • Spear of Jesseth Jairo
    • Your Thorns is increased by 10-15% for every enemy afflicted by one of your curses
  • Lost Time
    • Your Cold skills reduce the movement speed of enemies by 30%. In addition, your movement speed is increased by 4-5% for 5 seconds. Maximum 5 stacks.
  • Bone Ringer
    • The damage bonus of Command Skeletons is increased by 25-30% each second while active
  • Leger’s Disdain
    • Grim Scythe deals an additional 7-10% damage for each point of essence it restores
  • Iron Rose
    • Attacking with Siphon Blood while at full life has a 15-25% 40-50% chance to cast a free Blood Nova
  • The Johnstone
    • Each corpse consumed in Land of the Dead increases your damage by 10% for 8-10 seconds after it ends
    • Each corpse consumed in Land of the Dead grants a stack of Macabre Knowledge. Macabre Knowledge increases the damage of Corpse Lance and Corpse Explosion by 150-200% while outside Land of the Dead.
  • Haunted Visions
    • Simulacrum now drains 10-15% of your maximum life every second and lasts twice as long
  • Wisdom of Kalan
    • Increases the maximum number of Bone Armor stacks by 5
  • Bloodsong Mail
    • While in Land of the Dead, Command Skeletons gains the effect of all runes and deals 100-125% increased damage
  • Requiem Cereplate
    • Devour restores an additional 75-100% Essence and Life. In addition, when Devour restores Essence or Life above your maximum, the excess is granted over 3 seconds
  • Mask of Scarlet Death
    • Revive consumes all corpses to raise a single minion that does an additional 125 – 150% damage per corpse
  • Fate’s Vow
    • After consuming 15-20 corpses you unleash a free Death Nova
    • Army of the Dead gains the effect of the Unconventional Warfare rune
  • Moribund Gauntlets
    • Your Golem has a 10-15% chance to shed a corpse when it is hit by an enemy
    • Your Golem sheds a corpse every second
  • Grasps of Essence
    • When an exploded corpse damages at least one enemy, your Corpse Explosion deals 75-100% increased damage for 6 seconds, stacking up to 5 times
  • Golemskin Breaches
    • Your Golem’s damage is increased by 100-125% and you take 25% 30% less damage while you are within 18 yards of it it is alive
  • Defiler Cuisses
    • Your Bone Spirit’s damage is increased by 75-100% for every second it is active
  • Steuart’s Greaves
    • You gain 40-50% increased movement speed for 2 seconds after using Blood Rush
  • Bryner’s Journey
    • Bone Spikes has a 10-15% 20-30% chance to cast a Bone Nova at the target location
  • Dayntee’s Binding
    • Decrepify gains an additional 20-30% damage reduction for attacks against you
    • You gain an additional 40-50% damage reduction when there is an enemy afflicted by your Decrepify
  • Razeth’s Volition
    • Skeletal Mage gains the effect of the Gift of Death rune
  • Circle of Nailuj’s Evol
    • You now raise an additional Skeletal Mage with each cast and they last an additional 2-4 seconds
  • Prayer of Briggs
    • Uncursed enemies are pulled to the target location when a curse is applied to them
  • Krysbin’s Sentence
    • Bone Spikes, Bone Spear and Bone Spirit deal 125-150% increased damage against enemies that are stunned, frozen, charmed, feared or blinded
    • You deal 75-100% increased damage against slowed enemies or triple this bonus against enemies afflicted by any other type of control-impairing effect
  • Lornelle’s Sunstone
    • Your damage reduction is increased by 0.75-0.95% for every 1% Life you are missing
  • Corpsewhisper Pauldrons
    • Corpse Lance damage is increased by 15-20% 25-30% for 3 seconds each time you consume a corpse. Max 15 80 20 stacks
  • Hellfire Amulet
    • Necromancer passives have been added for this item
  • Halcyon’s Ascent
    • Added skills to this item for the Necromancer

• Class Sets
  • Bones of Rathma
    • (2) Set Bonus
      • Your pets have a chance to reduce the cooldown of Army of the Dead by 1 second each time they deal damage
    • (4) Set Bonus
      • You gain 1% damage reduction for 5 15 seconds each time your pets deal damage. Max 50 stacks.
    • (6) Set Bonus
      • Each active Skeleton Mage increases the damage of your minions and Army of the Dead by 200% 250%
  • Trag’Oul’s Avatar
    • (2) Set Bonus
      • Blood Rush gains the effect of every rune
    • (4) Set Bonus
      • While at full life, your healing from skills is added to your maximum life for 45 seconds. Up to 100% more.
    • (6) Set Bonus
      • Spending 10% life grants you a stack of Blood Cascade up to 50 times. Each stack of Blood Cascade increases the damage of life-spending attacks by 200% and also increases the life you lose by 10%. Using a skill to heal will consume a stack and heal for an additional 300%.
        • Healing from skills consumes one stack regardless of how many targets are hit
        • Command Skeletons: Dark Mending and Land of the Dead: Land of Plenty no longer consume stacks or receive increased healing
      • Your Life-spending attacks deal 3300% increased damage but cost twice as much Life. Your healing from skills is increased by 100%.
  • Grace of Inarius
    • (2) Set Bonus
      • Bone Armor’s damage is increased by 1000%
    • (4) Set Bonus
      • Bone Armor stacks are now refreshed. In addition, Bone Armor grants an additional 2% damage reduction per enemy hit
    • (6) Set Bonus
      • Bone Armor also activates a Bone Tornado damaging nearby enemies by 375% 750% weapon damage per second as Physical. Enemies hit by the tornado take 850% 2750% additional damage from the Necromancer’s abilities and minions
  • Pestilence Master’s Shroud
    • (2) Set Bonus
      • Each corpse you consume fires a Corpse Lance corpse fragment at a nearby enemy, dealing 800% weapon damage
    • (4) Set Bonus
      • Each enemy hit by Bone Spear reduces your damage taken by 2% up to a maximum of 50%. Lasts 15 seconds.
    • (6) Set Bonus
      • Each corpse you consume grants you an Empowered Bone Spear charge that increases the damage of your next Bone Spear by 1000% 3000%
      • This effect stacks up to 30 100 times
  • Jairoan Jesseth Arms
    • (2) Set Bonus
      • Army of the Dead gains the effect of the Unconventional Warfare rune
      • When the target of your Command Skeletons dies, your skeletons are automatically commanded to attack a nearby target
      • While your skeletons are commanded to attack a target, all of your minions deal 400% increased damage
• Legendary Gems
  • Zei’s Stone of Vengeance
    • When a pet deals damage with this gem equipped, bonuses are now always granted from the player to the enemy hit instead of from the pet to the enemy
      • Note: This change went into effect in a previous beta patch
• Bug Fixes
  • Fixed an issue causing phylacteries to roll only the lowest possible damage value
  • Fixed an issue which allowed non-Necromancer characters to equip Necromancer gear
  • Fixed an issue which prevented damage stacks on Bone Ringer from being preserved if Command Skeletons was used again on the same target
  • Fixed an issue preventing Bloodsong Mail from correctly granting the Enforcer rune when Land of the Dead was active
  • Fixed an issue preventing the damage bonus from Krysbin’s Sentence to apply to pets

ADVENTURE MODE

• New Zones: The Moors & The Temple of the Firstborn
  • The fog-enshrouded Moors and the darkened Temple of the Firstborn can be explored in Adventure Mode through a new waypoint on the Act 2 map.
• General
  • (Beta Only) Made changes to reduce the occurrence of dead ends when floors in Rifts and Greater Rifts use the Temple of the Firstborn map.
• Set Dungeons
  • The user interface has been updated to better explain tier completion requirements.
    • With this, the basic completion tier must be finished within the given time limit.
  • The time limit to complete a Set Dungeon has been increased to 5 minutes
  • Necromancer Set Dungeons have been added to Adventure Mode
  • Set dungeon monsters are now tracked on the mini-map when the dungeon begins
  • All Basic Tier monster kill requirements have been lowered
• Bounties
  • Four new Waypoints have appeared in Act IV. Each one has bounties to complete. These Realms of Fate are the unintended consequences of the battle between the nephalem and Diablo in the High Heavens
  • (PTR Only) Several bounties in the Realms of Fate have had changes to their objectives, along with changes to the order of objective completion and bounty text
• Greater Rifts
  • Players who die in solo Greater Rifts can now choose to immediately resurrect. When choosing this option, the time remaining on your death timer will be removed from the remaining Greater Rift time and your cooldowns will be advanced by the same amount.
• Bug Fixes
  • Fixed an issue which sometimes prevented players from completing the “Clear the Forgotten Well” bounty

ACHIEVEMENTS

• Terror In The Blood
  • Now requires the player’s health to be at 10% or below instead of 9% or below
• Bug Fixes
  • Fixed a bug causing the Stay Classy, Upper Class and Classic Collection achievements to not be awarded correctly for the four Necromancer sets
  • Fixed a bug preventing the Terror in the Blood achievement from triggering once the criteria were met and Diablo was defeated
  • Fixed an issue that was preventing the use of Command Skeletons from properly giving credit to the Skeleton Crew achievement when elites and champion packs were killed
  • Fixed an issue that allowed the Curse Your Enthusiasm achievement to be incorrectly awarded to non-Necromancer characters

MONSTERS

• Skeleton Mage
  • Has had its fire damage reduced slightly

QUALITY OF LIFE

• Necromancer Golems and Witch Doctor Gargantuans will now destroy breakables they step on

PTR ONLY

• D’jank Miem
  • Players can exchange Blood Shards with this vendor for bags containing gear
    • The cost per bag has been set to 500 200.
    • Players will now be able to purchase bags containing new Legendary items in addition to the previous bags containing Set items