Lightning Storm Druid Endgame Build Guide for Diablo 4 (Season 5)

Build Introduction

Wielding thunderous power, the Lightning Storm Druid is a force of nature, commanding the elements to rain down a storm of destruction upon the enemies of Sanctuary! Use Lightning Storm and Tempest Roar to become the Lightning Storm Werewolf, and lash out with luminous lightning!

This guide covers everything necessary to get started on your Lightning Storm adventure, including Skill Tree points, Paragon, Gearing, and Seasonal updates. The guide will primarily cover Endgame pushing, but will also give alternative options and in-depth gameplay information.

Season 5: Lightning Storm now responds better to modifiers from attack speed. However, clicking rapidly is still faster rates of attack than holding to channel.

Strengths and Weaknesses

To see how this build compares to the other builds on our site, you can check out our build tier lists.

Build Requirements

The following Unique Items are required for build functionality to get started on the Lightning Storm Druid:

Required Uniques

Tempest Roar

Unsung Ascetic’s Wraps

(Important) This build is presented in its Endgame form, and plays around the new to Season 5 Unique Item Mjölnic Ryng, requiring high uptime on Cataclysm to function. Check the Cataclysm and Spirit Management Section for tips on keeping uptime and managing Spirit.

Skill Tree Points and Skill Bar

Recommended

Skill Bar for Lightning Storm Druid

Cyclone Armor Earthen Bulwark Blood Howl Cataclysm Maul Lightning Storm

Use Key Passive Perfect Storm while leveling and gearing. Replaces Bestial Rampage.

Maul is used as a convenient way to refresh Werebear and Shapeshifting buffs like Quickshift, Heightened Senses, Bestial Rampage or Wildheart Hunger. It does not need to hit a target to change your Form.

Raging Lightning Storm is now more reliably giving the extra lightning strike, and can be taken During farm. During Bossing, Primal Lightning Storm can be taken for bossing, to help Stagger the boss sooner.

Spirit Boons – The Druid Class Specialization

Druids unlock powerful Spirit Boon passives, giving offerings to the animal spirits to receive their Blessing. Once fully unlocked, activate the final Boon by Spirit Bonding with one of the four animal spirits to take two passives from that row.

While leveling and gearing, use the Wolf’s Energize for Spirit management. Replaces Calamity.

Paragon Board

The following are the preferred Glyphs, Boards, and pathing recommended for making the most of the Lightning Storm Druid. All Glyphs are placed as if they are max radius (Level 15+).

Click this link to see the Paragon Board in its entirety! Paragon Board images are courtesy of d4builds.gg.

Starting Board

For the Starting Board path up, placing the Fulminate Glyph into the Glyph Socket.

Thunderstruck

For the second board, choose Thunderstruck, placed from the Starting Board, rotated twice. Take the Legendary Node Thunderstruck and socket the Territorial Glyph.

Inner Beast

For the third board, choose Inner Beast, placed against the Thunderstruck board’s right side, rotated twice. Socket the Spirit Glyph. The Legendary Node is not taken.

Lust for Carnage

For the fourth board, choose Lust for Carnage, placed against the top path of the Thunderstruck board, rotated twice. Socket Earth and Sky Glyph. The Legendary Node is not taken.

Heightened Malice

For the fifth board, choose Heightened Malice, placed against the right side of the Lust for Carnage node and the top side of the Inner Beast. From the Lust for Carnage board, take the Legendary Node Heightened Malice. From the Inner Beast board, socket the Undaunted Glyph.

Ancestral Guidance

For the sixth board, choose Ancestral Guidance, placed against the right side of the Heightened Malice board, rotated twice. Socket the Fang and Claw glyph. The Legendary Node is not taken.

Survival Instincts

For the final board, choose Survival Instincts, placed against the bottom side of the Ancestral Guidance board, rotated once. Take the Bulwark Node and surrounding Damage Reduction to Fortify Magic Nodes.

For further info on Paragon choices, check the Paragon Information in the Additional Information Section.

Gear, Stats, Gems and Elixirs

The following are the recommended Legendary Aspects, Gear Affixes, Gems and Elixirs for the Lightning Storm Druid.

Legendary Aspects

Gear Slots with multiple options are listed in recommended priority. Any slot with an Optional Unique Item will include a valid alternative legendary power.

Slot	Gem	Aspect	Unique/Legendary Aspect Power
1 Handed Dagger	Royal Emerald	Accelerating Aspect OR (Defensive Optional) Doombringer	Critical Strikes with Core Skills increase your Attack Speed by 10.0-25.0% for 5 seconds.
Totem	Royal Emerald	Aspect of the Changeling’s Debt	You deal 25-55% increased damage while hitting a Poisoned enemy as a Werebear or a Crowd Controlled enemy as a Werewolf.
Helm	Royal Ruby	(Required) Tempest Roar	Lucky Hit: Storm Skills have up to a 15-35% chance to grant 4 Spirit. Your base Storm Skills are now also Werewolf Skills
Chest	Royal Ruby	(Recommended) Mad Wolf’s Glee OR Juggernaut’s Aspect	Werewolf form is now your true form, and you gain +2-5 Ranks to all Werewolf Skills.
Gloves	N/A	Unsung Ascetic’s Wraps	Lightning Storm gains 1 additional strike each times it grows. Lightning Storm Critical Strikes cause lightning to strike twice, dealing 10-40% increased damage.
Pants	Royal Ruby	Vigorous Aspect OR Aspect of Might	Gain 10-15% Damage Reduction while Shapeshifted into a Werewolf.
Boots	N/A	(Recommended) Wildheart Hunger ORAspect of Metamorphosis	When you Shapeshift into a Werewolf or a Werebear, you gain Wildheart for 5 seconds. Wildheart grants you 1-3% increased damage every 2 seconds, up to 20-60%
Amulet	Royal Diamond	Aspect of Retaliation	Your Core Skills deal up to 25-40% increased damage based on your amount of Fortify.
Ring 1	Royal Diamond	(recommended) Mjölnic Ryng	While Cataclysm is active, you gain unlimited Spirit and deal 40-100% increased damage.
Ring 2	Royal Diamond	(Recommended) Ring of Starless Skies OR Aspect of the Unsatiated	Spending your Primary Resource reduces the Resource cost of your Skills and increases your damage by 10% for 3 seconds, up to 50%.

Aspect of the Unsatiated damage buff is for any Werewolf Skill, which with Tempest Roar, includes Lightning Storm.

For information on Legendary Aspects and the updated Codex of Power, see here.

Stat Priority and Tempering Affixes

Each line of affixes is listed in order of importance. Tempering Manuals and their recommended affixes are provided in the final column, and the bolded affixes are the most important targets for Masterworking upgrades. To masterwork, you will need rare materials that only drop from The Pit. Be sure to check our Tempering guide, our Masterworking guide, as well as our guide about The Pit for more details about these topics.

Unique Items cannot be Tempered, but can be Mastercrafted. Any slot with an Optional Unique Item will include a valid alternative legendary power setup.

Slot	Gearing Affixes	Tempering Affixes
One-Handed Dagger	Willpower Maximum Life Critical Strike Damage Resource Cost Reduction Spirit on Kill	Elemental Surge – Lucky Hit: Chance to Deal Lightning Damage Storm Finesse – Storm Critical Strike Chance
One Handed Sword- (Defensive Optional) Doombringer	All Stats Maximum Life% Damage Reduction Lucky Hit: Chance to Heal
Totem	Willpower Critical Strike Chance Cooldown Reduction Maximum Life	Elemental Surge – Lucky Hit: Chance to Deal Lightning Damage Storm Finesse – Storm Critical Strike Chance
Helm – Tempest Roar (Required)	Willpower Maximum Resource Lightning Resistance Ranks to Wild Impulses
Chest – Mad Wolf’s Glee (Optional)	Max Life Werewolf Attack Speed Lupine Ferocity’s Damage Bonus Ranks to Digitigrade Gait
Chest – Legendary Aspect	Willpower Max Life Spirit Per Second Armor	Worldly Endurance – Total Armor Worldly Fortune – Lucky Hit: Chance to Immobilize/Stun for 2 Seconds
Gloves – Unsung Ascetic’s Wraps (Required)	Damage to Distant Enemies Ranks to Lightning Storm Critical Strike Chance Ranks to Defiance
Pants	Armor Willpower Max Life Dodge Chance	Worldly Endurance – Total Armor% Worldly Fortune – Lucky Hit: Chance to Immobilize/Stun for 2 Seconds
Boots – Wildheart Hunger(optional)	Movement Speed Shapeshifting Attack Speed Cold Resistance Ranks to Heightened Senses
Boots – Legendary Aspect	Impicit: Attacks Reduce Evade’s Cooldown By 1.5 Seconds Willpower Movement Speed Max Life Spirit Per Second	Druid Motion – Ranks to Digitigrade Gait OR Movement Speed Worldly Fortune – Lucky Hit: Chance to Immobilize/Stun for 2 Seconds
Amulet	Ranks to Envenom Attack Speed Critical Strike Chance Ranks to Quickshift	Druid Motion – Ranks to Digitigrade Gait OR Movement Speed Natural Finesse – Damage to Distant Enemies
Ring – (Recommended) Mjölnic Ryng	Willpower Critical Strike Chance Movement Speed While Cataclysm is Active Ranks to Endless Tempest
Ring – (Recommended) Ring of Starless Skies	Attack Speed Critical Strike Chance Lucky Hit Chance Ranks to Core Skills
Rings – Legendary Aspect	Critical Strike Chance Maximum Life Resource Cost Reduction Critical Strike Damage	Natural Finesse – Damage to Close/Distant Enemies Ultimate Efficiency – Cataclysm Cooldown Reduction

Some Gear Affixes like Cost Reduction, Spirit on Kill or Spirit Per Second can be useful in early gearing or leveling, especially if not using the Mjölnic Ryng with full Cataclysm uptime.

Daggers and Swords are now usable for Druids. Daggers give Damage to Close which is a bonus for Thunderstruck.

Armor cap is 9230 against any enemies level 100 and above, for up to 85% Damage Reduction. This is generally reached at 925 Item Power with either one Armor Gear Affix and one Total Armor% Temper, or with a maxed Juggernaut’s Aspect.

For the dedicated page for Gear Systems and Itemization Overview, check here.

Gems

Weapon Gems	Armor Gems	Jewelry Gems
Royal Emerald for Critical Strike Damage	Royal Ruby For Max Life%	Royal Diamond for Resistance to All Elements

Elixirs, Incense and Health Potions

The Alchemist offers helpful consumables at the cost of foraged materials found throughout Sanctuary.

• Craft the highest available Elixir of Precision for Critical Strike Chance and Critical Strike Damage.
• If mats are available, craft Chorus of War.
• Remember to upgrade your potion as you level, increasing the instant healing of the potion!

Unique Items

The following Unique Items are recommended for the Lightning Storm Druid.

• (Required) Tempest Roar is required for the build to function, making Lightning Storm a Werewolf Skill as well as providing significant Spirit Generation. This also allows Lightning Storm to benefit from Shapeshifting passives such as Quickshift, Toxic Claws, and synergize with other Unique Items Mad Wolf’s Glee.
• (Required) Unsung Ascetic’s Wraps gives extra Lightning Strikes and double-strikes on Critical Strike.
• (Recommended) Mad Wolf’s Glee is an excellent offensive Unique Item, giving movement speed and Skill Ranks to all Werewolf Skills.
• (Recommended) – Wildheart Hunger gives a stacking damage multiplier to Shapeshifting Skills. The 5 second buff will add a stack every two second. This will mean using Maul or other Shapeshifting Skills at least every 5 seconds to maintain the multiplier.
• (Recommended) The Mjölnic Ryng grants a high damage multiplier during Cataclysm and makes Lightning Storm cost zero Spirit. See the Cataclysm and Spirit Management section for more information about Cataclysm uptime.

Tempest Roar can be target-farmed from Duriel. Unsung Ascetic’s Wraps can be target-farmed from The Beast in the Ice.

Mythic Unique Items

The following Mythic Unique Items are situational to the build:

• (Recommended) Ring of Starless Skies is a powerful Resource Cost Reduction tool and damage multiplier with exellent Gear Affixes. Replaces Aspect of the Unsatiated. The damage buff will stack even while using Mjölnic Ryng.
• (Optional Defensive) Doombringer – Doombringer’s Gear Affixes for Large Maximum Life, Damage Reduction, and Lucky Hits to Heal and apply Damage Reduction debuffs from enemies is a great way to clear content safely. Lightning Storm does not have great Weapon Tempers so we are not missing out by using a Unique Weapon.
• (Optional Defensive) Tyrael’s Might – High Defensive capability usable in high push content. Damage loss to Mad Wolf’s Glee.

Rotation and Playstyle

1. Maul in place to activate Werebear Shapeshifting buffs like Bestial Rampage.
2. Cataclysm as you engage enemies.
3. Maintain Preserving Blood Howl for Attack Speed bonuses.
4. Maintain Shapeshifting buffs like Heightened Senses Heightened Senses and Wildheart Hunger by Shifting to Werebear and Werewolf Forms, or out of and then back to those Forms.
5. Cast, Channel and hold your Lightning Storm to slay your foes.

Use Earthen Bulwark for Barrier and Unstoppable, as needed.

Maul does not need to hit a target for Werebear Shapeshifting buffs. Make sure you’re familiar with your Force Hold keybind to easily Maul in place.

Check out the advanced Mechanics and Playstyle section for a more in-depth description on how the build works, what synergies exist and what to look out for.

Cataclysm and Spirit Management

With the new Unique Item Mjölnic Ryng, many Druid builds will play around Cataclysm for the significant Damage Multiplier and full Spirit Cost Reduction while Cataclysm is active. We make several choices on Spirit Generation and Spirit Boons that enable or make this choice shine. This also means Downtime can be punishing, so we want to keep Cataclysm up to avoid Spirit problems.

In order to maintain Cataclysm, we use:

• Calm Before the Storm for Ultimate Cooldown Reduction and Calamity Spirit Boon for Longer Ultimate duration.
• Ranks in Endless Tempest extend the duration of Cataclysm.
• Ultimate Efficiency —  Cataclysm Cooldown Reduction on the 2nd ring slot if using a Legendary Aspect.

If this is not sufficient for uptime, we can optionally use:

• Take the Inner Beast Legendary Node for frequent reduction to Cataclysm. Remove points from the Survival Instincts board.
• Target Cooldown Reductions or Lucky Hit Chance with Greater Affix or Mastercrafting.
• Flickerstep for Ultimate Cooldown Reduction when evading through enemies. This competes with other good options and as such is not a default choice.

In Early Gearing and Leveling, or before using the Mjölnic Ryng, consider doing the following for Spirit Generation and Management:

• Take the Lust for Carnage Paragon Node for Spirit on Werewolf Critical Strike, removing points from the Survival Instincts Board. In general while leveling and gearing, prioritizing the Lust for Carnage board to always be placed is high quality of life.
• Use Key Passive Perfect Storm.
• Take the Wolf’s Energize Spirit Boon, replacing Scythe Talons.
• Use Aspect of the Umbral for Spirit against Crowd Controlled enemies.
• Adjust Gear affixes: Resource Cost Reduction on Weapon, and Resource Generation on Rings. Spirit on Kill on weapon, or Spirit Per Second on Helm, Chest, or Boots can all be useful.
• Worst case, use Maul as an attack to build Spirit.

Season 5: Season of the Infernal Hordes

The following list details the important changes in the Season 5 Patch Updates that are specific to the Lightning Storm Druid. For general Season 5 information, check out our Season 5 Hub.

Itemization:

• Several changes to Unique Item Gear Affixes and Unique Effects, including a range increase for the Damage bonus on Unsung Ascetic’s Wraps
• Druids can now use 1-Handed Swords, Daggers, and Polearms, allowing use of Doombringer
• Shepherd’s Aspect now only boosts Companion Skills, rather than Core and Wrath Skills.
• New Item – Mjölnic Ryng – While Cataclysm is active, you gain unlimited Spirit and deal 40-100% increased damage.
• Aspect of Retaliation – Core Skill bonus damage based on Fortify increased from 15-25% to 25-40%.
• Runeworker’s Conduit Aspect – New Effect – Critical Strikes with Storm skills that you cast charge the air around you for 3 seconds causing a Lightning Bolt to periodically hit an enemy in the area for (250%-350% Weapon Damage) Lightning damage. Your Lightning Bolts deal 20-40%[x] increased damage.
• New Temper – Ultimate Efficiency – for Ultimate Skill cooldown reduction.

Skills and Stats:

• Gain 1% increased Skill Damage for every 8 primary Core Stat, reduced from 10 primary Core Stat.
• Lightning Storm Damage buffed from 40% to 74%. This is largely an offset for the change to Shepherd’s Aspect.
• Cataclysm Lightning Strike rate is doubled. Now more consistently hits enemies with its lightning strikes.
• Blood Howl always has the Shout tag.
• Earthen Bulwark Now grants Barrier based on Max Life, from Base Life.
• Cyclone Armor Non-Physical Damage Reduction increased from 10% to 15%.
• Vigilance Damage Reduction increased for each Skill Rank from 5% to 7%.
• Iron Fur Damage Reduction increased for each Skill Rank from 3% to 4%.
• Heightened Senses Damage Reduction increased for each Skill Rank from 2% to 3%.
• Perfect Storm Damage Reduction increased for each Skill Rank from 2% to 3%.
• Thunderstruck now has a maximum bonus capped at 60%.
• Werewolf Damage Reduction increased from 10% to 15%.

Bug Fixes:

• Fixed an issue where Lightning Storm didn’t scale with Passive and temporary Attack Speed.

Advanced Information

It is time to start on your Lightning Storm journey!

Or see below for further information on how the build works, as well as further explanations for Paragon, Gearing, and Gameplay, and available playstyle options.

Build Mechanics

The Lightning Storm Druid has simple execution as a build, but a lot of mechanics are coming together to make it work.

Lightning Storm is our Core Skill and main ability. It is a Channeled Skill. While channeled:

• The storm grows, covering a larger area as the ability is held. This size is preserved for 6 seconds between channels. As the storm grows, the Lightning Bolts can grow more inaccurate.
• Unsung Ascetic’s Wraps adds strikes and double-strikes on Critical Strike.
• Channeled abilities cannot Overpower.
• Lightning Storm now (mostly) scales with Attack Speed modifiers even while held Channeled. There is a still a slight increase to rate of fire by clicking rapidly over holding to channel.

Maul is Werebear buff maintenance Skill to help maintain Shapeshifting skills like Quickshift, Heightened Senses, Bestial Rampage and Unique Item Wildheart Hunger. This does not need to hit an enemy, it’s just the Form change that matters. Force Hold and swipe at the air before engaging enemies for the Bestial Rampage buff.

Cyclone Armor is largely just used for the passive effect, but the active knockback can be handy.

Earthen Bulwark is used for Unstoppable, and also provides strong Barrier and Damage Reduction from Vigilance.

Blood Howl is maintained for the Attack Speed bonus and Vigilance buff.

Cataclysm casts Lightning Storm and Tornado frequently, and with Mjölnic Ryng can provide a hefty 100% multiplier to all damage and make Lightning Storm cost zero Spirit. Cooldown Reduction Gear Affix, Inner Beast, Endless Tempest ranks and Calm Before the Storm and Calamity Spirit Boons help keep this Skill active. See the Cataclysm and Spirit Management section for more info on maintaining Cataclysm.

Our Key Passive is Bestial Rampage for the high damage and attack speed multipliers. These are maintained easily with Maul for Werebear and Lightning Storm for Werewolf. While leveling and gearing, especially before full Cataclysm uptime or you have gotten your Mjölnic Ryng, use Perfect Storm for better Spirit Generation.

Paragon Information

The Paragon Board is a progression system unlocked at Level 50, giving player power through Common stat Nodes, Magic affix Nodes, Rare leveled Glyphs, and Legendary board-exclusive Nodes. For general paragon board information, check the guide here.

The recommended Paragon boards with images for the Lightning Storm Druid are listed above. The following section goes over some explanations and descriptions for the pathing process for the Lightning Storm Druid.

Broadly speaking, decisions for pathing through the Druid paragon board are divided into three categories:

• Damage – The paragon boards provide a significant amount of Damage Multipliers and Additives. This includes:
  • Socketed Glyphs such asFang and Claw, Earth and Sky, Spirit and Fulminate.
  • Legendary Nodes such as Heightened Malice or Thunderstruck.
  • Magic and Rare nodes such as Harmony for Willpower and Damage to Core Skills or Deluge for Critical Strike Damage and Damage to Crowd Controlled Enemies.
• Defense – The paragon boards help reach goals on Damage Reduction, Armor and Resistances. This includes:
  • Damage Reduction is improved from Werewolf andTerritorial secondary effects, as well as individual nodes providing bonuses like Damage Reduction against Vulnerable enemies.
  • Resistances are improved from Magic and Rare Resistance nodes, with Earth and Sky and Fang and Claw bonuses improving their nearby Resistance nodes.
  • Armor goals are reached with the help of Armor nodes in Inner Beast.
• Build Functionality – The paragon boards improve functionality for the build, including:
  • Inner Beast can be taken for reduction on Cataclysm cooldown.
  • Lust for Carnage could be taken to help with Spirit Generation while leveling and gearing.

Gauntlet Optimization

The Gauntlet is a Trial event dungeon that changes weekly. The format is a point score system over 8 minutes, and players will compete in weekly Leaderboards for fame and prize.

The enemies are level 124, which is the equivalent to Tier 70 nightmare dungeons. Compared to a Tier 100 Nightmare dungeon, the enemies will hurt less, but speed counts even more!

Lightning Storm Druid has the speed, AoE, and Boss damage required to compete well in the Gauntlet.

The Gauntlet playstyle for the Lightning Storm Druid makes a few changes but plays and functions similarly. The build will drop some Damage Reductions and top-end multipliers, and instead tune for speed, damage events, and efficiency. The following recommendations are for generic Gauntlet play, and considerations may change week to week as new maps are shown.

Gearing and Legendary Affixes for Gauntlet

For the Gauntlet setup, we invest in some damage proc Aspects that are lethal against these lower leveled enemies, and go for a 1-Handed and Totem setup. Make the following changes:

• On the totem, get Critical Strike Chance, Cooldown reduction, and Resource Cost Reduction.
• Move Shepherd’s Aspect to Amulet, replacing Aspect of the Changeling’s Debt.
• Use Lightning Dancer’s Aspect and Runeworker’s Conduit Aspect on Dagger and Totem.

Gauntlet Skills

• Remove Skill Points in Vigilance and Nature’s Reach.
• Place Skill Points in Charged Atmosphere rank 1, Electric Shock rank 2, Bad Omen rank 3.

Gauntlet Paragon Board

Replace Territorial with Electrocution. Electrocution’s effects are also triggered from Bad Omen and Lightning Dancer’s Aspect.

Changelog

• 7 August: 2024: Updated for post-launch of season 5. No Changes to Skills, Gearing or Paragon.
• 4 August, 2024: Significant changes to Skills and Paragon to adjust for season 5, the change to Shepherd’s Aspect and the introduction of the Mjölnic Ryng.
• 17 June, 2024: Updated for mid-season patch 1.4.3.
• May 15, 2024: Small changes in gear affixes to adjust for season launch changes from PTR.
• 3 May, 2024: Guide reworked for the significant 1.4.0 changes to gearing and for season 4 speculative changes. Format changed to frontload basic build information and offer extra information and options afterwards.
  14 March, 2024: Guide created, fully replacing previous guide.

• Ownership transferred.
• Adjusted Gear, Skills, and Paragon sections to hit defensive stats targets and improve overall damage output.
• Improved readability, explanations, and options.