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==
+[[File:IconPlagueToads.png|left]]
-[[Image:Wd-plague-toads1.jpg|thumb|300px|Plague of Toads. [http://www.diii.net/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=1986 Full shot here].]]
+[[File:Plague-of-toads2.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Toads vs. [[Dune Thresher]].]]
-''Plague of Toads'' is an active attack spell in the [[Witch Doctor]]'s [[Plague Skill Tree]]. This skill works like a short-range, Charged Bolt of amphibians. In the Blizzcon demo 3 toads were tossed out with each casting. They hopped forward, spreading out slightly, but homing in on targets if any were in range. Their homing wasn't very good; they never changed direction or made a sharp turn, but if a target was roughly in front of the Witch Doctor, at least two of the toads were sure to leap into it.
+'''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.
-When the toads found a target or after several hops (covering about half the screen) they exploded in splats of green acid, which dealt poison damage to the enemy. Toads also left behind puddles of acid on the ground, which would damage monsters that stepped on them.
-The information below is based on the playable demo build at [[BlizzCon 2008]].  It is subject to all kinds of reviews, changes, and balancing before release.
+<br><br><br>__TOC__
+==Background==
+The Witch Doctor sends forth toads that hop into enemies, exploding in an acidic blast.
-==Prerequisites==
-There are no prerequisites to this skill.
-==Spell Base Effects/Costs==
+==Skill Rune Effects==
-The costs and effects of this spell are currently unknown
+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 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==
-No skills are known to modify this spell via [[synergies]].
+The following [[Witch Doctor passives]] provide a benefit to Plague of Toads, runed or not:
+{{skill description header}}
+<skill class="WitchDoctor">Bad Medicine</skill>
+<skill class="WitchDoctor">Pierce the Veil</skill>
+<skill class="WitchDoctor">Fetish Sycophants</skill>
+==Development==
+'''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:[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/witch-doctor-gameplay-report/]
+<blockquote>''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.</blockquote>
+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:[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/full-witch-doctor-skills/]
+<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. 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===
+See the [[Witch Doctor skill archive]] for more details on previous versions of Plague of Toads and other Witch Doctor skills.
+<!--
+==Trivia==
+''Hide this section unless there really is some trivia about the skill. Add the skill to the [[:Category:Easter Eggs|Easter Eggs]] category as well if the article contains Easter Egg information.''
+-->
+==Media==
+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]]
-==Skill Rune Effects==
+You can find pictures in the Diablo III screenshot and picture gallery:
-The [[Rune]] effects for this skill are not known at this time.
+* [http://diablo.incgamers.com/gallery/ Diablo III screenshots and pictures]
+* [http://diablo.incgamers.com/gallery/search.php?keywords=Plague+of+Toads&cat=all '''Plague of Toads''' specific gallery contents]
-==Other Notes, and Speculation==
+<gallery>
+Image:Plague-of-toads2.jpg|Toads on a [[Dune Thresher]].
+Image:Wd-plague-toads1.jpg|A [[Beast]] feeling the explosive nature of toads.
+Image:Witch_Doctor_Plague_of_toads_and_Dune_Thresher.jpg|Larger image.
+</gallery>
-Only 11 WD skills were revealed at Blizzcon, (more than 55 each were shown for the Wizard and Barbarian) so our knowledge of this character's abilities is much less extensive. Furthermore, all 11 skills were active skills, so we know nothing of the WD's passives and masteries.
-Like all of the spells in Diablo III, this one has a great sound effect, with the toads making their "ribbit" noises and wet slapping sounds as they hop forward. The animation is excellent as well. The toads really look like they have weight and mass as they gather themselves to leap, and land with a little thud after each spring.
+==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/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
-It's not known what [[skill rune]]s will do to this skill, but a multi-strike rune seems a good bet to increase the number of amphibious attackers.
+{{Skill navbox Diablo III|WD|primary}}
-[[category:Witch Doctor]]
+[[category:Active skills]]
-[[category:skills]]
+[[category:Witch Doctor skills]]
+[[category:Witch Doctor active skills]]

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