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Werebear Sorceress Guide

Last Updated: March 3rd 2024

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What happens when you cross a Druid Werebear with a Sorceress? You get a Werebear Sorceress! To many new and returning players whom have never encountered this build before, this might sound like a bad joke. However, this build is completely serious. The Bear Sorceress is made possible by Beast, which allows a non-Druid Character to transform into a Werebear. Equipped with a Dream Helmet, Dream Shield, and Infinity, this Sorceress is an unstoppable force of nature. While the Paladin benefits from the double Dream combination due to having the Synergies for Holy Shock, the Sorceress benefits from it due to the incredible Lightning Damage boost provided by Lightning Mastery. The Bear Sorceress boasts one of the highest single target DPS in the game, with up to 100K+ Damage per Attack. With Fire Damage from Enchant on top of the Lightning Damage from Lightning Mastery-empowered Holy Shock, and with a smidgeon of Physical Damage from the weapon itself, monster Immunities are rarely an issue for this Sorceress.

Virtually everything, including Uber Bosses, is absolutely massacred by her huge mangy paws. Also, the Werebear transformation grants bonus Life and Defense, making this Sorceress quite tanky. All of this on top of solid mobility from Teleport make the Bear Sorceress an incredibly powerful, interesting and fun build to play. A major drawback of this Frankenstein-like creation is that it is extremely expensive: multiple aforementioned high-end Runewords are required for this build to work. However, If you can manage to acquire the necessary gear, the game is going to get spanked - literally.

Ideal Standard Setup
Ideal Standard Setup


Werebear


Attack


Holy Shock


Enchant

This build guide assumes you have a Character at Level 75 before transitioning to it. Check out our Sorceress Leveling Guide and our General Leveling Strategies to reach Level 75.

You Are A Bear ✔
Can Farm Everything
2 Primary Damage Types
Crazy Single Target Damage

Dangerous Playstyle
❌ Extremely Expensive
❌ Squishy Out Of Bear Form

❌ Somewhat Clunky Playstyle

Sunder Charm Setup

Patch 2.5 introduced a new way of breaking Immunities: Sunder Charms. Any enemy that would be Immune to your damage type(s) is instead reduced to 95% Resistance, before any other Resistance reductions apply. These Charms also reduce YOUR Resistance against the sundered damage types! Check out our post on Sunder Charms to learn more about these new Charms. The following setup potentially benefits from Crack of the Heavens and Flame Rift, enabling you to deal more damage to many enemies.

Sunder Charm Setup
Sunder Charm Setup

Gear Changes

Use Crack of the Heavens when facing Lightning Immune monsters to increase your damage against them. To optimize this Sunder Charm you need as much -% Enemy Lightning Resistance as possible. Equipping Crescent Moon and Infinity on the Mercenary accomplishes this.

Use Flame Rift when facing Fire Immune monsters to increase your damage against them. To optimize this Sunder Charm you need as much -% Enemy Fire Resistance as possible. Equipping Infinity on the Mercenary accomplishes this.

Overall, Crack of the Heavens is more impactful than Flame Rift on a Bear Sorceress.

Terror Zones

The new Terror Zone mechanic opens up a wide range of farmable areas. The following list highlights the best and worst Terror Zones for this build. Since this build deals both Lightning and Fire Damage simultaneously, it farms most Terror Zones efficiently on the Standard setup. Learn more about Terror Zones here and see how they stack up in our Terror Zone Tier List.

Best

Jail - High Density, Many Elite Groups, Quick Access, Breakable Immunities
Worldstone Keep + Throne of Destruction - High Density, Many Elite Groups, Quick Access, Breakable Immunities
The Tower Cellar - High Density, Many Elite Groups, Breakable Immunities
Kurast Bazaar + Ruined Temple + Disused Fane - Quick Access, Many Elite Groups, No Immunities
Pit - High Density, Easy Mobility, Many Elite Groups, Breakable Immunities

Worst

Burial Grounds + Crypt + Mausoleum - Low Density, Few Elite Groups, Slow Access, Immunities
Spider Forest + Spider Cavern - Low Density, Few Elite Groups, Immunities
Ancients' Way + Icy Cellar - High Elemental Damage, High Physical Damage, Immunities
Rocky Waste + Stony Tomb - Slow Access, High Elemental Damage, Immunities
Travincal - High Elemental Damage, Tanky Enemies, Immunities

Skills

Put 1 Skill Point into each of the following Skills:
1. Static Field
2. Telekinesis (Max Last)
3. Teleport
4. Energy Shield
5. Frozen Armor

Max out the following Skills in this order:
1. Lightning Mastery
2. Enchant
3. Warmth
4. Fire Mastery
5. Telekinesis

Use the Scroll Bar to see Skill Point Progression
Use the Scroll Bar to see Skill Point Progression

Damage

Utility

Attributes

Note: This section provides you with the standard Stat Point allocation. Build Variants may require different allocations!

Strength

Allocate enough Stat Points into Strength to equip all of your gear. Take into account how much Strength your gear provides when equipped.

Dexterity

Allocate enough Stat Points into Dexterity to reach max Chance to Block (75%). More Dexterity is needed at higher Character Levels. In addition to Dexterity and Character Level, Shield Bases also affect Chance to Block.

Vitality

Allocate any remaining Stat Points into Vitality after meeting Strength, Dexterity and Energy requirements.

Energy

Allocate anywhere between 50-100 Stat Points into Energy to improve the effectiveness of Energy Shield.

Essentials

Gear Options

Farming Spots

Mercenary

Playstyle

Breakpoints

Hardcore

Build Variants

Standard
Damage
Ubers
Hardcore

Setup

This is the Standard Best in Slot (BiS) Bear Sorceress featured in the beginning of the guide. It is the balanced "jack-of-all-trades" version, capable of performing the most tasks well. This variant is the point of comparison for all other variants. It carefully balances Damage, Magic Find, Defensive Stats, and Teleport mobility. Crack of the Heavens and Flame Rift increase your damage against their respective Immunities. You can also use Metamorphosis to pre-buff "Mark of the Bear" for extra Attack Speed and Damage Reduction. This setup reaches the 174% Increased Attack Speed Breakpoint with a Phase Blade, and the 63% Faster Cast Rate Breakpoint on Weapon-Swap for casting Teleport

Mercenary

The Standard Bear Sorceress uses an Act 2 Holy Freeze Mercenary for Crowd Control. Equip him with Infinity for -85% to Enemy Lightning Resistance, -85% to Enemy Fire Resistance, and reduced monster Defense from its Conviction Aura. Fortitude and Andariel's Visage socketed with a Ruby Jewel of Fervor maximize this Mercenary's damage and survivability.

Skills

Put 1 Skill Point into each of the following Skills:
1. Static Field
2. Telekinesis (Max Last)
3. Teleport
4. Energy Shield
5. Frozen Armor

Max out the following Skills in this order:
1. Lightning Mastery
2. Enchant
3. Warmth
4. Fire Mastery
5. Telekinesis

Use the Scroll Bar to see Skill Point Progression
Use the Scroll Bar to see Skill Point Progression

Attributes

Allocate 50 Stat Points into Energy to shore up the effectiveness of Energy Shield. Then allocate enough Strength to wear your gear and enough into Dexterity to achieve maximum Chance to Block (75%). Put all remaining Stat Points into Vitality.

Setup

The Damage variant sacrifices Attack Speed and survivability for the -x% to Enemy Lightning Resistance granted by Crescent Moon. It hits slower, but much harder than the Standard Build. This setup one-shots more targets in High Player Count games (/Players7-8 in Single Player), and deals much more damage against Lightning Immune mobs with the help of Crack of the Heavens. Twitchthroe enables this build to hit the 95% Increased Attack Speed (IAS) Breakpoint with a Phase Blade, while also maintaining Chance to Block. You can also use Metamorphosis to pre-buff "Mark of the Bear" for extra Attack Speed, making it possible for you to equip Guardian Angel while still reaching 95% IAS. This setup reaches the 63% Faster Cast Rate Breakpoint on Weapon-Swap for casting Teleport

Mercenary

All of the Bear Sorceress variants use an Act 2 Holy Freeze Mercenary with Infinity, Fortitude, and Andariel's Visage socketed with a Ruby Jewel of Fervor.

Skills

Put 1 Skill Point into each of the following Skills:
1. Static Field
2. Telekinesis (Max Last)
3. Teleport
4. Energy Shield
5. Frozen Armor

Max out the following Skills in this order:
1. Lightning Mastery
2. Enchant
3. Warmth
4. Fire Mastery
5. Telekinesis

Use the Scroll Bar to see Skill Point Progression
Use the Scroll Bar to see Skill Point Progression

Attributes

Allocate 50 Stat Points into Energy to shore up the effectiveness of Energy Shield. Then allocate enough Strength to wear your gear and enough into Dexterity to achieve maximum Chance to Block (75%). Put all remaining Stat Points into Vitality.

Setup

The Ubers variant specializes in defeating the Uber Bosses, including mini-Ubers such as Lilith. -x% to Enemy Lightning Resistance, Crushing Blow, Open Wounds, Damage Reduction, Resistances, and Life are priority stats on this setup. Crescent Moon grants a large amount of -x% to Enemy Lightning Resistance, while Verdungo's Hearty Cord provides % Damage Reduction. Goblin Toe provides additional Crushing Blow, which is especially helpful against Uber Mephisto. Thundergod's Vigor and stacked Lightning Resistance allows this build to tank Uber Mephisto. Pre-buff Fade with Treachery and Battle Command/Battle Orders with Call to Arms for massive boosts to survivability. Pre-buffing Enchant (see "Gear Options" above) makes toppling the Ubers even easier. You can also use Metamorphosis to pre-buff "Mark of the Bear" for extra Attack Speed and Damage Reduction. This setup reaches the 95% Increased Attack Speed Breakpoint with a Phase Blade.

Crack of the Heavens breaks Uber Mephisto's Lightning Immunity, allowing you to deal more damage to him. Flame Rift breaks Uber Baal's and Pandemonium Diablo's Fire Immunity, allowing you to deal more damage to them. Use Resistance Charms to counteract their negative effects. Using a Lower Resist Charge Wand before transforming into a Werebear enables you to maximize your damage output against all of the Uber Bosses, particularly Uber Mephisto. If you can afford it, you can also use a Gemmed Phase Blade with 2x Ber Runes and a Dracul's Grasp for a solid Crushing Blow approach versus Uber Mephisto or Uber Baal.

Mercenary

All of the Bear Sorceress variants use an Act 2 Holy Freeze Mercenary with Infinity, Fortitude, and Andariel's Visage socketed with a Ruby Jewel of Fervor.

Skills

Put 1 Skill Point into each of the following Skills:
1. Static Field
2. Telekinesis (Max Last)
3. Teleport
4. Energy Shield
5. Frozen Armor

Max out the following Skills in this order:
1. Lightning Mastery
2. Enchant
3. Warmth
4. Fire Mastery
5. Telekinesis

Use the Scroll Bar to see Skill Point Progression
Use the Scroll Bar to see Skill Point Progression

Attributes

Allocate enough Stat Points into Strength to wear all of your gear and enough into Dexterity to achieve maximum Chance to Block (75%). Put all remaining Stat Points into Vitality.

Setup

For the Hardcore mode variant, aim for having decent Damage Reduction and maximum Chance to Block (75%) to guard against taking extreme amounts of Physical Damage. Overcap your Resistances beyond the 90% cap provided by Guardian Angel to counteract hostile Conviction or Lower Resist. If using Sunder Charms, prioritize the appropriate defensive stats to counteract their negative effects. Pre-buffing Battle Command and Battle Orders with Call to Arms is highly advised for Hardcore. You can also use Metamorphosis to pre-buff "Mark of the Bear" for extra Attack Speed and Damage Reduction. This setup reaches the 142% Increased Attack Speed (IAS) Breakpoint with a Phase Blade, and the 37% Faster Cast Rate Breakpoint on Weapon-Swap for casting Teleport. Consult the "Hardcore" section for more detailed information.

Mercenary

All of the Bear Sorceress variants use an Act 2 Holy Freeze Mercenary with Infinity, Fortitude, and Andariel's Visage socketed with a Ruby Jewel of Fervor.

Skills

Put 1 Skill Point into each of the following Skills:
1. Static Field
2. Telekinesis (Max Last)
3. Teleport
4. Energy Shield
5. Frozen Armor

Max out the following Skills in this order:
1. Lightning Mastery
2. Enchant
3. Warmth
4. Fire Mastery
5. Telekinesis

Use the Scroll Bar to see Skill Point Progression
Use the Scroll Bar to see Skill Point Progression

Attributes

Allocate enough Stat Points into Strength to wear all of your gear and enough into Dexterity to achieve maximum Chance to Block (75%). Put all remaining Stat Points into Vitality.

Video Guide

Video Guide by DarkHumility

Summary

  • The Bear Sorceress requires a Beast and both a Dream Helmet and Dream Shield at a "Bear" minimum. An Infinity on the Mercenary is needed to give this build its insane power.
  • Achieve maximum Chance to Block (75%) with the help of Guardian Angel to take advantage of the fact that your Attacks cannot be interrupted as a Werebear.
  • Remember to cast Enchant, Frozen Armor, and Energy Shield on your + to Skills-granting Weapon-Swap prior to Teleporting and transforming into a Werebear.
  • Teleport on Weapon-Swap using your Spirit for improved Faster Cast Rate.
  • The Bear Sorceress can farm virtually anything. With both good Magic Find and absurdly high Lightning-Fire hybrid Damage, this build dominates practically every Farming Spot, including Terror Zones. Even farming Uber Bosses for Hellfire Torches is highly effective on this build.

We hope you enjoy this build! Spank the game at lightning speed with this one-shot wonder! Just remember...she isn't a cuddly teddy bear. She's ferocious!

Good luck!

Credits

Written by DarkHumility
Reviewed by MacroBioBoi

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