Diablo 4 Season 8 will let you steal and wield boss powers

The Diablo 4 season 8 PTR is done and we have some hands on experience now for how season 8 will work. Announced in the 2.2.0 PTR campfire chat, season 8 is all about the boss ladder and you, Wanderer, have the chance to take out those bosses (and some new ones) to capture their unique powers for your own use. But how does that even work? Let’s walk through the basics of the Diablo 4 season 8 boss power system underpinning the theme.

Your pool of powers stems from the bosses across Sanctuary, with 24 options pulling from world, event, and lair Bosses (formerly called endgame bosses). These power options have two forms — a main power and a power modifier. In practical, hands-on terms, this means the main power is the one you’re actually wielding, while the modifiers improve, change, and bolster the main power. This means you’ll have a truly mind-numbing 10,626 possible combinations available! Your power screen is an eerie collection of eyes — one big eyeball with three smaller underneath, representing the main boss power and three chosen modifiers.

You acquire boss powers in the most Diablo way possible — by killing the boss. They will drop their unique power on your first kill. When you can acquire them depends on the availability of the boss itself — event and world boss powers can be acquired at any difficulty, while Lair Bosses are restricted to Torment 1 and higher.

The event bosses are new-to-Sanctuary season exclusives and (like the name implies) are found in the new Deadly Apparition events. In theme with the Lord of Lies, these ghostly illusions can still do plenty of damage to you, so its up to you to clear them from reality. Look on your world map for these events’ icon and clear waves of enemies to eventually get the apparition boss to spawn. Kill them and their unique power is available to socket on your power screen.

The list of powers is vast and your possible combinations even more so. Check out the list of boss powers below and begin planning your ideal combinations for the coming season. Happy hunting!

World and Event boss powers (can be earned at any difficulty)

Wandering Death’s Chest Beam (obtained after defeating the World Boss, Wandering Death)

• Main: While Channeling a Skill, spawn a beam that deals 300% Frostbite damage per second. Enemies hit take 50%[x] increased damage from you for 1 second.
• Modifier: Your Main Boss Power instantly Executes Non-Boss enemies hit with less than 15% Life. When you Execute enemies you gain 25 Primary Resource.

Ashava’s Poison Breath (obtained after defeating the World Boss, Ashava)

• Main: Hitting an enemy affected by Damage over Time spawns a wave of acid that deals 400% Poisoning damage over 4 seconds. Applies 10% more Poisoning for each 1% of the target’s current Life affected by Damage over Time.
• Modifier: Once per activation, damaging an enemy with your Main Boss Power also applies 45% Poisoning damage to it over 3 seconds.

Avarice’s Explosive Ore (obtained after defeating the World Boss, Avarice the Gold Cursed)

• Main: When you gain excess Primary Resource, spawn a Piece of Ore. After 2.5 seconds the Piece of Ore explodes dealing 700% Fire damage. You can spawn up to 3 Pieces of Ore at once.
• Modifier: Activating your Main Boss Power spends all your Primary Resource to increase its damage by 1.5%[x] per Resource point spent.

Allek’s Talons (obtained after defeating this Apparition in the Apparition Incursion event)

• Main: Casting a Basic Skill applies 200% Sparking damage over 4 seconds to enemies it hit.
• Modifier: Gain 5% Movement Speed, increased by 0.5% for each 1% Cooldown Reduction you have, up to a maximum of 11%.

Beastmaster’s Training (obtained after defeating this Apparition in the Apparition Incursion event)

• Main: Whenever you cast a Summon Skill or call a Mercenary for Reinforcement, one of your Summons or Mercenaries Taunts enemies and gains 40% Damage Reduction.
• Modifier: Your Summons deal 5%[x] more damage, increased by 0.25%[x] for each 1% Bonus Critical Strike Damage you have from items and Paragon, up to a maximum of 17%[x].

Blackmailer’s Sabotage (obtained after defeating this Apparition in the Apparition Incursion event)

• Main: Casting a Core Skill while you have a Barrier Knocks Down Close enemies for 1.1 seconds. This cannot occur on the same enemy more than once every 5 seconds.
• Modifier: Whenever you gain Fortify, additionally gain 20% of the amount as Barrier.

Flesh Reaper’s Disruption (obtained after defeating this Apparition in the Apparition Incursion event)

• Main: Damaging a Vulnerable enemy removes the Vulnerable and then Stuns them and surrounding enemies for 0.5 seconds. This Stun applies 100% more Stagger to Bosses.
• Modifier: Gain 5%[x] Vulnerable Damage, increased by 0.25%[x] for each 1% of Crowd Control Duration Bonus you have, up to a maximum of 10.5%[x].

Hatred’s Embrace’s Haste (obtained after defeating this Apparition in the Apparition Incursion event)

• Main: Casting a Shadow or Fire Skill grants 1.1% increased Movement Speed for 3 seconds, up to 11%.
• Modifier: Gain 5%[+] Critical Strike Chance, increased by 0.5%[+] for each 1% of Shadow Resistance you have, up to a maximum of 22.5%[+].

Kirma’s Sparks (obtained after defeating this Apparition in the Apparition Incursion event)

• Main: When you Evade, apply 200% Sparking damage over 4 seconds to Close enemies.
• Modifier: Your Evade Cooldown is reduced by 5%, increased by 0.2% for each 1% Lightning Resistance from bonuses you have, up to a maximum of 11%.

Outlaw Sharpshooter’s Eye (obtained after defeating this Apparition in the Apparition Incursion event)

• Main: Dealing Direct Damage to a Distant enemy Slows them and surrounding enemies by 40% for 5 seconds.
• Modifier: You deal increased damage to Enemies the further they are from you, up to 10.5%[x].

Sinerat’s Flames (obtained after defeating this Apparition in the Apparition Incursion event)

• Main: Using a Mobility Skill Burns Close enemies for 200% Burning damage over 4 Seconds.
• Modifier: Gain 5%[x] increased damage to all Elements. For each 1% of an Element’s Resistance from bonuses, gain 0.2%[x] increased damage for that Element, up to a maximum of 15.5%[x].

Skerg’s Toxins (obtained after defeating this Apparition in the Apparition Incursion event)

• Main: When an enemy applies a Damage over Time effect to you, apply 1000% Poisoning damage to them over 4 seconds.
• Modifier: When you take damage from a Damage Over Time effect, you have a 5% chance to be Healed instead, increased by 50% of your Poison Resistance from bonuses, up to a maximum of 12%.

Torusk’s Rage (obtained after defeating this Apparition in the Apparition Incursion event)

• Main: Damaging a Crowd Controlled enemy makes them and surrounding enemies Unstoppable but you gain 10.5%[x] increased Damage, Attack Speed, and Movement Speed for 3 seconds.
• Modifier: Gain 5%[+] Attack Speed, increased by 0.25%[+] for each 1% Damage to Crowd Controlled Enemies you have, up to a maximum of 10.5%[+].

Lair boss powers (available at Torment 1 and higher)

Belial’s Crystal Decoy (obtained after defeating Belial in a Lair Boss ambush)

• Main: When you Cast an Agility, Defensive, or Macabre skill, spawn a crystal that Taunts enemies and explodes after 3 seconds, dealing 600% Shadow damage.
• Modifier: Activating your Main Boss Power Fears Nearby enemies for 0.75 seconds and deals 50% Shadow damage to them.

Lilith’s Wind of Hate (obtained after defeating Lilith)

• Main: When you Cast a skill, attack enemies with a wave of spikes that lasts 2 seconds and deals 250% Physical damage. Enemies take 60%[x] increased damage from Wind of Hate each time it hits them, up to 300%[x].
• Modifier: Hitting an Elite enemy with a Main Boss Power creates an inert Blister Clone with 10% of their Maximum Life for 15 seconds. Killing the Blister removes 5.25% of the Elite’s Life. An Elite can have up to 3 Blisters active at once, except for World Bosses.

Duriel’s Burrow (obtained after defeating the Greater Lair Boss, Duriel)

• Main: When you Evade, you now burrow underground, immobilizing surrounding enemies for 5 seconds and dealing 200% on your entry and exit. You deal 200% damage every 0.25 seconds while burrowed. Evade’s Cooldown is increased by 4 seconds, and Cooldown Reduction on Evade is 50% as effective.
• Modifier: Activating your Main Boss Power grants you 21%[+] increased Dodge chance for 2 seconds. Whenever you Dodge an attack you Immobilize Nearby enemies for 3 seconds.

Belial’s Eye Beams (obtained after defeating the Exalted Lair Boss Belial, Lord of Lies)

• Main: After you drink a healing potion, gain 75% Damage Reduction for 2 seconds and summon eye beams that Corrupt enemies for 1,750% damage over 3.5 seconds. Then, your Healing Potion becomes disabled for 5 seconds. You may drink your Healing Potion at full health.
• Modifier: Activating your Main Boss Power grants unbreakable Stealth for 2 seconds. You deal 11%[x] increased Overpower Damage while Stealthed.

Andariel’s Flaming Skull (obtained after defeating the Greater Lair Boss, Andariel)

• Main: After standing still for 1 second, summon a skull for 4 seconds that rotates around you and breathes fire that Burns enemies for 1200% damage over 3 seconds.
• Modifier: Burning Enemies take 21% more damage from your Damage over Time effects. For 5 seconds after activating your Main Boss Power, all your other attacks Burn enemies for 1,800% damage over 3 seconds.

Beast in the Ice’s Sleet (obtained after defeating the Initiate Lair Boss, Beast in the Ice)

• Main: After casting 3 Skills which apply Crowd Control or Stagger effects, shoot out sleet spikes that deal 800% Cold damage and Freeze enemies for 2 seconds.
• Modifier: Your Main Boss Power now Chills enemies it damages for 2.5%[x].

Grigoire’s Lightning Square (obtained after defeating the Initiate Lair Boss, Grigoire)

• Main: After you cast a Core Skill, lightning tiles outward for 1.2 seconds dealing 300% Lightning damage per strike.
• Modifier: Once per activation, damaging an enemy with your Main Boss Power Stuns enemies it hits for 0.25 seconds.

Lord Zir’s Blood Pool (obtained after defeating the Initiate Lair Boss, Lord Zir)

• Main: After you damage an enemy, spawn a pool of blood that deals 400% Bleeding damage per second over 4 seconds. You can have up to 3 active pools.
• Modifier: Activating your Main Boss Power Heals you for 5.5% of your Maximum Life over 3 seconds.

Varshan’s Life Steal (obtained after defeating the Initiate Lair Boss, Varshan)

• Main: Every time you lose 25% of your Maximum Life, attach a leeching beam to the attacker which restores 10% of your Maximum Life and deals 1200% Corrupting damage over 3 second to them.
• Modifier: Activating your Main Boss Power inflicts Nearby enemies with 200% Corrupting damage over 2 seconds.

Urivar’s Lobbed Bombs (obtained after defeating the Initiate Lair Boss, Urivar. Requires the Vessel of Hatred expansion)

• Main: After you Cast an Ultimate Skill, lob 4 bombs that deal 800% Fire damage and reduce your Ultimate Skill’s Cooldown by 5 seconds.
• Modifier: Killing an enemy with your Main Boss Power reduces your Ultimate Skill’s Cooldown by 0.2 seconds.

Harbinger of Hatred’s Volley (obtained after defeating the Greater Lair Boss, Harbinger of Hatred. Requires the Vessel of Hatred expansion.)

• Main: After damaging a Vulnerable enemy, shoot piercing projectiles that last 1.3 seconds, dealing 400% Fire damage and applying Vulnerable. Deals 40%[x] increased damage to Vulnerable enemies.
• Modifier: Casting a Basic Skill while at Maximum Resource spends it all to make all Nearby enemies Vulnerable. Activating your Main Boss Power grants 11%[x] increased Vulnerable Damage for 5 seconds.