Difference between revisions of "Plague of Toads"

Latest revision as of 14:54, 15 April 2015

Plague of Toads is a Primary Witch Doctor skill unlocked at level 11, which summons a pack of poisonous toads who hop erratically forward, exploding when they collide with enemies. The toads only travel about 30 yards in total before bursting, so this skill is not viable against enemies at a distance.

Background[edit | edit source]

The Witch Doctor sends forth toads that hop into enemies, exploding in an acidic blast.

Skill Rune Effects[edit | edit source]

See the Plague of Toads rune effects page for a more thorough description of rune effects, or any of the individual rune pages for numbers, screenshots, blue quotes, and much more.

Name	Level	Description

<skill subcat="Physical realm spell" class="WitchDoctor">Plague of Toads</skill> <skill class="WitchDoctor" rune="Explosive Toads">Plague of Toads</skill> <skill class="WitchDoctor" rune="Piercing Toads">Plague of Toads</skill> <skill class="WitchDoctor" rune="Rain of Toads">Plague of Toads</skill> <skill class="WitchDoctor" rune="Addling Toads">Plague of Toads</skill> <skill class="WitchDoctor" rune="Toad Affinity">Plague of Toads</skill>

Skill Design[edit | edit source]

The toads behave much like the Wizard's Shock Pulse bolts, scattering out from the Witch Doctor and spreading out semi-randomly. The accuracy of this skill with just one cast is suspect. It's best spammed, cast six or eight times in rapid succession against a large number of attackers, especially if the enemies are large or are moving around erratically, which makes them more likely to encounter multiple toads from each cast.

Runestones can change this strategy, of course.

Synergies[edit | edit source]

The following Witch Doctor passives provide a benefit to Plague of Toads, runed or not:

Name	Level	Description

<skill class="WitchDoctor">Bad Medicine</skill> <skill class="WitchDoctor">Pierce the Veil</skill> <skill class="WitchDoctor">Fetish Sycophants</skill>

Development[edit | edit source]

Plague of Toads was first seen in the BlizzCon 2008 gameplay demo. The old version was in the Plague Skill Tree (later renamed to Zombie Skill Tree), and the toads were a green/gray-ish color. Flux had the opportunity to try the skill:[1]

Plague of Toads were great fun to use too, though less damaging than Firebats. At level 1 (the only level possible for active spells in the Blizzcon demo) the WD tossed out three toads, which then hopped forward like scaly, slimy, living Charged Bolts. They weren’t entirely mindless—they homed in on enemies, and exploded with a splat of green acid (poison) when they hit a target. If there was no target in range, the toads would hop 3 or 4 times, covering maybe half the visible screen, before bursting in air. They left behind splats of acid on the ground that would damage enemies who stood in it.

For BlizzCon 2009, Plague of Toads was at Tier III in the Voodoo Skill Tree. Their color was enhanced to a sort of yellowish orange, but their intelligence seemed to have downgraded. Flux explained:[2]

While the looks were upgraded, their function had been lessened a bit. The toads are stupider, more like the amphibian Charged Bolts they sort of resemble. They no longer home in on targets, and very seldom do you hit a normal target with more than one toad from the same cast. That might be less true at higher levels (or with the multi-strike rune socketed), as you gain more toads.

Plague of Toads was available in the BlizzCon 2010 gameplay demo as a Tier 1 skill in the new tree-less system, but it wasn't one of the Witch Doctor's starting skills. Skill tiers were removed for the July 2011 Press Event, and Plague of Toads became a level 2 skill.

Beta[edit | edit source]

Skill tiers were removed shortly before the beta started in September 2011, and Plague of Toads became a level 2 skill. Flux tried it out again, and had this to say about it:[3]

This skill might have more utility later in the game than in the beta, since the monsters are so weak early on that one or two toads is usually enough to finish them off. If the enemies took more damage, a Witch Doctor could stand back and cast up 10 or 12 rows of these guys, sending them hopping into the enemies in devastating waves of splattering goo. The biggest drawback to that approach is that the toads advance slowly and don’t go that far before they splat, whether they find a target or not.

The skill system was once again overhauled for the Beta Patch 13 in February 2012, and Plague of Toads was classified as a Secondary skill and moved up to level 5. For Beta Patch 15, it was re-classified as a primary skill, bumped up to level 11, and had its mana cost increased.

Previous Versions[edit | edit source]

See the Witch Doctor skill archive for more details on previous versions of Plague of Toads and other Witch Doctor skills.

Media[edit | edit source]

Plague of Toads can be seen in action on video here:

You can find pictures in the Diablo III screenshot and picture gallery:

Toads on a Dune Thresher.
A Beast feeling the explosive nature of toads.
Larger image.

References[edit | edit source]

BlizzCon 2008 Witch Doctor Gameplay Report
BlizzCon 2009 Full Witch Doctor Skill Trees and Stats
@Diablo on Crafted Sets and Toad Licking — Incgamers 12th Dec 2010
Zediono's translation of JudgeHype's pre-beta report — IncGamers 1st Aug 2011
Witch Doctor Beta Skills Mega-report: Part One — IncGamers 30th Sep 2011
Witch Doctor Active Skills — Blizzard's Official Diablo III Site

Template:Skill navbox Necromancer primary

Template:Skill navbox Necromancer secondary

Template:Skill navbox Necromancer corpses

Template:Skill navbox Necromancer bloodandbone

Template:Skill navbox Necromancer reanimation

Template:Skill navbox Necromancer curses

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-'''Plague of Toads''' is a [[Witch Doctor]] Tier 1 [[Witch Doctor skills|skill]] unlocked at [[clvl|level]] 2, which summons a pack of poisonous toads who hop into enemies and explode, dealing poison damage.
+[[File:IconPlagueToads.png|left]]
+[[File:Plague-of-toads2.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Toads vs. [[Dune Thresher]].]]
+'''Plague of Toads''' is a Primary [[Witch Doctor skill]] unlocked at [[clvl|level]] 11, which summons a pack of poisonous toads who hop erratically forward, exploding when they collide with enemies.  The toads only travel about 30 yards in total before bursting, so this skill is not viable against enemies at a distance.
+<br><br><br>__TOC__
 ==Background==
-{{Skillbox D3
-|game= Diablo III
-|portrait= Plague-of-toads2.jpg
-<!-- |portrait-width= -->
-|name= Plague of Toads
-|user= Witch Doctor
-|tier= 1
-|clvl= 2
-|description= Release a handful of toads that deal [[poison]] damage to anybody who steps on them.
-|type= Damage/[[AoE]]
-|resource= Costs [[Mana]]
-|alabaster= Blinding gas
-|crimson= [[Fire]] damage
-|golden= Reduced cost
-|indigo= Rain of toads
-|obsidian= One giant toad
-}}
 The Witch Doctor sends forth toads that hop into enemies, exploding in an acidic blast.
+==Skill Rune Effects==
+See the [[Plague of Toads rune effects]] page for a more thorough description of rune effects, or any of the individual rune pages for numbers, screenshots, blue quotes, and much more.
+{{skill description header}}
+<skill subcat="Physical realm spell" class="WitchDoctor">Plague of Toads</skill>
+<skill class="WitchDoctor" rune="Explosive Toads">Plague of Toads</skill>
+<skill class="WitchDoctor" rune="Piercing Toads">Plague of Toads</skill>
+<skill class="WitchDoctor" rune="Rain of Toads">Plague of Toads</skill>
+<skill class="WitchDoctor" rune="Addling Toads">Plague of Toads</skill>
+<skill class="WitchDoctor" rune="Toad Affinity">Plague of Toads</skill>
 ==Skill Design==
-The toads behave much like [[Charged Bolt]]s, scattering out from the Witch Doctor and spreading out semi-randomly. The accuracy of this [[skill]] with just one cast is suspect. It's best spammed, cast six or eight times in rapid succession against a large number of attackers, especially if the enemies are moving around erratically and are thus more likely to encounter multiple toads each.
+The toads behave much like the Wizard's [[Shock Pulse]] bolts, scattering out from the Witch Doctor and spreading out semi-randomly. The accuracy of this [[skill]] with just one cast is suspect. It's best spammed, cast six or eight times in rapid succession against a large number of attackers, especially if the enemies are large or are moving around erratically, which makes them more likely to encounter multiple toads from each cast.
 Runestones can change this strategy, of course.
+==Synergies==
-==Skill Rank Table==
+The following [[Witch Doctor passives]] provide a benefit to Plague of Toads, runed or not:
-[[Image:Wd-plague-toads1.jpg|thumb|400px|GO-GO-GADGET TOADS!]]
+{{skill description header}}
-* '''Rank 1:''' Release a handful of toads that deal 6-9 poison damage to anybody who steps on them. Cost: 9 mana.
+<skill class="WitchDoctor">Bad Medicine</skill>
-* '''Rank 2:''' Release a handful of toads that deal 8-11 poison damage to anybody who steps on them. Cost: 9 mana. (A)
+<skill class="WitchDoctor">Pierce the Veil</skill>
-* '''Rank 3:''' Release a handful of toads that deal 10-13 poison damage to anybody who steps on them. Cost: 9 mana. (A)
+<skill class="WitchDoctor">Fetish Sycophants</skill>
-* '''Rank 4:''' Release a handful of toads that deal 12-15 poison damage to anybody who steps on them. Cost: 9 mana. (A)
-* '''Rank 5:''' Release a handful of toads that deal 14-17 poison damage to anybody who steps on them. Cost: 9 mana. (A)
-(A) = Assumed
-==Trait Synergies==
-Several of the known [[Witch Doctor traits]] have bonuses that boost the effectiveness of Plague of Toads.
-* [[Plagued]]: Increases the damage of Animal and Plague skills.
-* [[Quickening]]: Increases the Witch Doctor's spell-casting speed.
-* [[Staff Specialization]]: Increases damage done by skills when the Witch Doctor is wielding a staff.
-* [[Right-Handed]]: Increases damage done by skills when the Witch Doctor is wielding a weapon in his/her right hand.
-* [[Beast Hunter]]: Damage bonus against Beasts.
-* [[Demonsbane]]: Damage bonus against Demons.
-* [[Just... Stay... Dead!]]: Damage bonus against Undead.
-'''Note:''' The current [[trait]] list is very out-of-date and will no doubt be overhauled before game release.
-==Skill Rune Effects==
-The [[rune]] effects for Plague of Toads were revealed at [[BlizzCon 2010]] by [[Wyatt Cheng]] in the gameplay panel<ref>[http://www.diablowiki.net/Gameplay_Panel_Blizzcon_2010#Specific_Skill_Rune_Examples BlizzCon 2010 Gameplay Panel Transcript]</ref>.
-[[File:Runes-plague-of-toads-all.jpg|thumb|400px|Plague of Toads rune options.]]
-* [[Alabaster rune]]: The toads also blind enemies.
-* [[Crimson rune]]: Flaming toads add fire damage to their attack.
-* [[Golden rune]]: Reduced cost per cast. From PCG issue 221-- it adds more toads per cast.
-* [[Indigo rune]]: Changes the skill to a rain of toads, which fall down on the targeted location.
-* [[Obsidian rune]]: One huge frog that uses a sticky tongue to capture and consume monsters in one bite. It spits out the treasure and items. Can eat [[Champions]] (possibly only at higher/highest rune level?), but not [[bosses]] or (presumably) bigger enemies.
-** [[Bashiok]] (jokingly?) said[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/diablo-on-crafted-sets-and-toad-licking/] that the mega-toad would "lick them to death" when faced with monsters it could not eat in one shot.
-**In comments to that same news post, '''Exile''', a fan who tried this skill with the Obsidian rune at Blizzcon 2010, reported that the toad would eat bosses, deal some damage, then spit them back out. This forced the other players in the party to stand and wait while the toad chewed up the boss, before hacking it back out so the battle could go on. This is likely a temporary state of affairs, and the "lick to death" option sounds more viable for a final game solution.
@@ Line 80: / Line 43: @@
 <blockquote>''While the looks were upgraded, their function had been lessened a bit. The toads are stupider, more like the amphibian Charged Bolts they sort of resemble. They no longer home in on targets, and very seldom do you hit a normal target with more than one toad from the same cast. That might be less true at higher levels (or with the multi-strike rune socketed), as you gain more toads.</blockquote>
-Plague of Toads was available in the [[BlizzCon 2010]] gameplay demo as a Tier 1 skill in the new tree-less system, but it wasn't one of the Witch Doctor's starting skills.
+Plague of Toads was available in the [[BlizzCon 2010]] gameplay demo as a Tier 1 skill in the new tree-less system, but it wasn't one of the Witch Doctor's starting skills. Skill tiers were removed for the [[July 2011 Press Event]], and Plague of Toads became a level 2 skill.
+===Beta===
+Skill tiers were removed shortly before the [[beta]] started in September 2011, and Plague of Toads became a level 2 skill. [[Flux]] tried it out again, and had this to say about it:[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/witch-doctor-beta-skills-mega-report]
+<blockquote>''This skill might have more utility later in the game than in the beta, since the monsters are so weak early on that one or two toads is usually enough to finish them off. If the enemies took more damage, a Witch Doctor could stand back and cast up 10 or 12 rows of these guys, sending them hopping into the enemies in devastating waves of splattering goo. The biggest drawback to that approach is that the toads advance slowly and don’t go that far before they splat, whether they find a target or not.</blockquote>
+The skill system was once again overhauled for the [[Beta Patch 13]] in February 2012, and Plague of Toads was classified as a Secondary skill and moved up to level 5. For [[Beta Patch 15]], it was re-classified as a primary skill, bumped up to level 11, and had its mana cost increased.
 ===Previous Versions===
@@ Line 93: / Line 63: @@
 Plague of Toads can be seen in action on video here:
 * [[Video: Blizzcon 2010 Rune Effects]]
+* [[Gameplay: July 2011]]
+* [[Skill Animations Videos#Witch Doctor Video|Video: August 2011 Witch Doctor Skill Animations]]
 You can find pictures in the Diablo III screenshot and picture gallery:
@@ Line 106: / Line 78: @@
-<!--
-==Related Articles==
-''Articles that are related, but not emphasised enough in any other section, or articles that just need further attention.''
--->
 ==References==
 <span style="font-size: 10px;"><references/></span>
 * [http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/witch-doctor-gameplay-report/ BlizzCon 2008 Witch Doctor Gameplay Report]
 * [http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/full-witch-doctor-skills/ BlizzCon 2009 Full Witch Doctor Skill Trees and Stats]
-* [http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/diablo-on-crafted-sets-and-toad-licking/ @Diablo on Crafted Sets and Toad Licking] -- Incgamers 12th Dec 2010
+* [http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/diablo-on-crafted-sets-and-toad-licking/ @Diablo on Crafted Sets and Toad Licking] — Incgamers 12th Dec 2010
+* [http://diablo.incgamers.com/forums/showthread.php?p=7960229#post7960229 Zediono's translation of JudgeHype's pre-beta report] — IncGamers 1st Aug 2011
+* [http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/witch-doctor-beta-skills-mega-report Witch Doctor Beta Skills Mega-report: Part One] — IncGamers 30th Sep 2011
+* [http://us.battle.net/d3/en/class/witch-doctor/active/ Witch Doctor Active Skills] — Blizzard's Official Diablo III Site
+{{Skill navbox Diablo III|WD|primary}}
-{{Slave navbox Diablo III|WD}}
+[[category:Active skills]]
+[[category:Witch Doctor skills]]
+[[category:Witch Doctor active skills]]

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