Demon Hunter skills

This page lists all Demon Hunter skills, as of August 2011. Follow the links to the individual skill pages for full discussion of every skill, including first hand reports and screenshots.

Useful skill links:

• Skills - General skill design and mechanics.
  • Active skills - Skills where effects are activated by the player.
  • Passive skills - Skills where effects are activated automatically, by the computer or by special events.
  • Signature skills - Skills that define characters.
• Hatred/Discipline - The Demon Hunter's energy resource.
• Runestones - The way to massive skill customization/modification.
• Demon Hunter skill archive - Demon Hunter skills removed or modified during development.
• Demon Hunter traits - Passive skills in Diablo III were called traits for a while before reverting back.

Active Skills

Click to the individual skill pages for more details about these skills including numbers, screenshots, runestone information, blue quotes, and much more.

Caltrops

Caltrops is available at level 1.
A simple but effective trap that is used to slow down enemies.

• Description: Lay a trap of caltrops on the ground that activates when an enemy approaches. Once sprung, the caltrops slow the movement of enemies within 12 yards by 50%. This trap lasts 12 seconds.
• Cost: 8 Discipline

Hungering Arrow

Hungering Arrow is available at level 1.
An arrow skill that does bonus damage and has a seeking property, much like the Amazon's Guided Arrow from Diablo II, as well as a chance to pierce its target.

• Description: Fire a magically imbued arrow that seeks out targets for 140% weapon damage and has a 50% chance to pierce through targets.
• Cost: 15 Hatred

Entangling Shot

Entangling Shot is available at level 2.
This debuff skill deals solid damage, as well as slowing the target. Nearby enemies may be chained as well, potentially slowing several monsters and blocking the movement of all that are stuck behind them.

• Description: Release a sticky adhesive that deals 130% weapon damage and entangles up to 2 enemies, slowing their movement speed by 50% for 2 seconds.
• Cost: 15 Hatred

Evasive Fire

Evasive Fire is available at level 3.
Used for both attack and defense, it consumes both of the resources for different effects.

• Description: Shoot for 135% of weapon damage. If an enemy is at close range, you will also backflip away 15 yards.
• Cost: 5 Hatred to shoot and an additional 4 Discipline if you backflip.

Fan of Knives

Fan of Knives is available at level 4.
This skill, instantly nicknamed "knife nova," shoots out numerous blades, dealing considerable physical damage to any targets nearby. The range is very short, hardly more than a melee weapon, making this one best used in very close range against multiple targets. Fan of Knives damage seems to not depend on weapon damage.

• Description: Throw knives out in a spiral around you doing X-X damage to all enemies within 10 yards of you. Your knives will also slow the movement of enemies by 35% for 4 seconds.
• Cost: 10 Hatred

Bola Shot

Bola Shot is available at level 5.
The Demon Hunter uses a bow or crossbow to fire a spinning projectile; two bombs on a length of rope. The Bola hits the target and wraps around it, dealing minimal impact damage but considerably more explosive damage after 1 second.

• Description: Shoot out an explosive Bola that wraps itself around its target. After 1 second the Bola explodes, dealing 120% weapon damage as Fire to the target and an additional 90% weapon damage as Fire to all targets within 7 yards.
• Cost: 20 Hatred

Vault

Vault is available at level 6.
A fast movement skill, this allows the Demon Hunter to move a considerable distance at high speed, passing through monsters and other players, though not through solid objects or over open space, as Teleport or Leap Attack does.

• Description: Tumble acrobatically 35 yards.
• Cost: 10 Discipline

Grenades

Grenades is available at level 7.
Grenades are small projectiles thrown by the Demon Hunter. They bounce around, ricocheting off of walls and other obstacles, before exploding a couple of seconds after they are thrown. They deal considerable fire damage, but are hard to aim precisely, and are best used against large mobs, especially to hit targets located in the back row.

• Description: Throw out three grenades that explode for X-X fire damage.

Marked for Death

Marked for Death is available at level 8.
The Demon Hunter marks her target which becomes more vulnerable to attacks.

• Description: Marks an enemy. The marked enemy will take X% additional damage for the next X seconds.

Chakram

Chakram is available at level 9.
It's a skill used for attacking the enemies with a star-like weapon. Can hit more than one enemy.

• Description: Fire a swirling Chakram that does X-X physical damage to enemies along its path.

Impale

Impale is available at level 11.
A single strike that hits the enemy with a percent of a weapon's damage.

• Description: Fire a massive shot to impale a target for X% weapon damage.

Smoke Screen

Smoke Screen is available at level 12.
Can be used to escape enemies by becoming invisible for a period of time.

• Description: Vanish behind a wall of smoke, becoming momentarily invisible for X seconds.

Spike Trap

Spike Trap is available at level 14.
This trap/object is placed and triggers when enemies move into range.

• Description: Lay a trap that arms after X seconds and triggers when an enemy approaches. The explosion does X-X damage per second to all enemies within X feet for X seconds.
• You can have a maximum of X traps active at one time.

Companion

Companion is available at level 16.
A raven companion that helps the Demon Hunter on the battlefield, dealing damage to monsters periodically.

• Description: Summon a raven companion. Your raven companion will periodically peck at enemies for X-X damage.

Elemental Arrow

Elemental Arrow is available at level 18.
Creates a fire arrow that hits all the targets it passed through in the direction it was launched.

• Description: Shoot an elemental charged arrow that deals X% weapon damage as Fire damage to all targets it passes through.

Shadow Power

Shadow Power is available at level 19.
A buff skill that increases attack speed for a limited time.

• Description: Draw in the power of the shadows, increasing attack speed by X%.

Multishot

Multishot is available at level 21.
The Diablo II favorite returns. This skill fires a huge cluster of arrows or bolts, guaranteeing a hit on everything in range. The mana cost is fairly high and the damage is lower than most single arrow attacks, making it best used against huge groups.

• Description: Fire a massive volley of arrows dealing X% weapon damage.

Sentry

Sentry is available at level 22.
Sentry creates a mechanical turret that fires arrows at enemies, working much like the Wizard's Hydra skill.

• Description: The Demon Hunter can have a maximum of X traps active at one time.

Cluster Arrow

Cluster Arrow is available at level 23.
The Demon Hunter fires an arrow that hits the ground, and grenades erupt from the consequent blast, which in turn explode to damage enemies.

• Description: Fire a Cluster grenade that explodes for X% weapon damage into a series of additional miniature bombs that explode for X% weapon damage each.

Rapid Fire

Rapid Fire is available at level 24.
A stream of arrows is launched with increased speed that consumes Hatred.

• Description: Rapidly fire a stream of arrows that deal X% weapon damage each.

Preparation

Preparation is available at level 25.
Used to fully replenish Discipline.

• Description: Instantly restore all Discipline.

Strafe

Strafe is available at level 27.
While moving slower, the Demon Hunter can shoot random targets that are near her.

• Description: Shoot X times per second at random nearby enemies while moving at X% of normal movement speed. Every shot deals X% of weapon damage.

Rain of Vengeance

Rain of Vengeance is available at level 29.
Arrows fall from the sky, dealing damage to enemies in the area that the arrows had been shot.

• Description: Fire a massive volley of arrows around you. Arrows fall from the sky for X seconds dealing an average of X-X weapon damage per second.

Passive Skills

Passive skills replaced Traits during late game development in 2011. Many Traits were simply changed to passive skills, but some are all new. See the Demon Hunter traits page for a full list of those passives.

Brooding is a Demon Hunter passive skill unlocked at Level 25, which grants 2% (increased from 1% in Patch 1.0.8) life regeneration per second. This will give a 40,000 hps Demon Hunter 800 hit points per second, or about 400 per tick. Hardcore Demon Hunters with much higher hit points will enjoy a proportionately greater life regeneration, potentially much more than can be obtained with life regen gear.

The skill's popularity shows the difference in the game modes very clearly.

• As of v1.08:
  • Softcore: 10th most popular passive, with a 3.8% usage rate.[1]
  • Hardcore: 6th most popular passive, with a 38% usage rate.[2]

Brooding was initially a throwback to some of the earlier health systems in Diablo 3, when it and granted healing only if the Demon Hunter had been out of combat for 3 seconds. It was very seldom used in that form, and Patch 1.0.4 removed the "out of combat" time delay aspect and increased its popularity.

Description

Name	Level	Description

<skill class="DemonHunter">Brooding</skill>

Synergies

No specific synergies with any active skills or other Demon Hunter passives are present. Higher hit points yields more life regen per second, thus Perfectionist will increase Brooding's effect, but so will equipment with Vitality and/or +%Life.

Development

Beta

Brooding was not seen until it showed up in the Diablo III beta as a level 10 passive. Later it was moved to level 18 and in Beta Patch 13, Brooding was changed to a level 19 passive. When passives were reorganized for Beta Patch 14, Brooding was moved up to level 25 and nerfed: granting 1% of Life per second instead of 2%.

Post-Release

Patch 1.0.4 improved the skill by making it work all the time, rather than just when the Demon Hunter was out of combat.

No longer requires player to not be damaged for 3 seconds to regenerate 1% of maximum Life per second.

Patch 1.0.7 buffed the skill again by doubling the regen from 1% to 2%.

Now regenerates 2% of maximum life per second (up from 1%).

References

• HardRock's Demon Hunter Passive Skills — IncGamers 6th Sep 2011
• Demon Hunter Passive Skills — Blizzard's Official Diablo III Site

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Thrill of the Hunt is a Demon Hunter passive skill unlocked at Level 10, which helps immobilize monsters.

Description

Name	Level	Description

<skill class="DemonHunter">Thrill of the Hunt</skill>

Synergies

Any attack that requires a Bow, Crossbow or Hand Crossbows will benefit from Thrill of the Hunt.

Development

Passive skills have had a long and storied history. When Diablo III debuted at the WWI 2008, skill trees included passive skills, much like in Diablo II. In 2010, it was announced that passive skills had been renamed traits and separated out from active skills. At the July 2011 Press Event, Blizzard announced that passive skills were once again in the game, replacing the traits system.

Beta

Thrill of the Hunt was not seen until it showed up in the Diablo III beta as a level 10 passive. Passives were reorganized for Beta Patch 14, but Thrill of the Hunt didn't change.

References

• HardRock's Demon Hunter Passive Skills — IncGamers 6th Sep 2011
• Demon Hunter Passive Skills — Blizzard's Official Diablo III Site

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Vengeance is a Demon Hunter passive skill unlocked at Level 13, which increases Demon Hunter's maximum Hatred and adds resource gains to the benefits of health globes.

Description

Name	Level	Description

<skill class="DemonHunter">Vengeance</skill>

Synergies

No synergies with any active skills or other Demon Hunter passives are known.

Development

Passive skills have had a long and storied history. When Diablo III debuted at the WWI 2008, skill trees included passive skills, much like in Diablo II. In 2010, it was announced that passive skills had been renamed traits and separated out from active skills. At the July 2011 Press Event, Blizzard announced that passive skills were once again in the game, replacing the traits system.

Beta

Vengeance was not seen until it showed up in the Diablo III beta as a level 12 passive. When passives were reorganized for Beta Patch 14, Vengeance was moved up to level 13.

References

• HardRock's Demon Hunter Passive Skills — IncGamers 6th Sep 2011
• Demon Hunter Passive Skills — Blizzard's Official Diablo III Site

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Steady Aim is a Demon Hunter passive skill unlocked at Level 16, which increases damage done by the Demon Hunter when there are no enemies in melee range.

Description

Name	Level	Description

<skill class="DemonHunter">Steady Aim</skill>

Synergies

Every Demon Hunter skill that is used to deal damage will benefit from Steady Aim.

Development

Passive skills have had a long and storied history. When Diablo III debuted at the WWI 2008, skill trees included passive skills, much like in Diablo II. In 2010, it was announced that passive skills had been renamed traits and separated out from active skills. At the July 2011 Press Event, Blizzard announced that passive skills were once again in the game, replacing the traits system.

Beta

Steady Aim was not seen until it showed up in the Diablo III beta as a level 13 passive. When passives were reorganized for Beta Patch 14, Steady Aim was moved up to level 16.

References

• HardRock's Demon Hunter Passive Skills — IncGamers 6th Sep 2011
• Demon Hunter Passive Skills — Blizzard's Official Diablo III Site

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Cull the Weak is a Demon Hunter passive skill unlocked at Level 20, which increases damage done to slowed enemies.

Description

Name	Level	Description

<skill class="DemonHunter">Cull the Weak</skill>

Synergies

As long as the enemy is slowed, all Demon Hunter attacks will benefit from Cull the Weak.

Development

Passive skills have had a long and storied history. When Diablo III debuted at the WWI 2008, skill trees included passive skills, much like in Diablo II. In 2010, it was announced that passive skills had been renamed traits and separated out from active skills. At the July 2011 Press Event, Blizzard announced that passive skills were once again in the game, replacing the traits system.

Beta

Cull the Weak was not seen until it showed up in the Diablo III beta as a level 15 passive. When passives were reorganized for Beta Patch 14, Cull the Weak was moved up to level 20.

References

• HardRock's Demon Hunter Passive Skills — IncGamers 6th Sep 2011
• Demon Hunter Passive Skills — Blizzard's Official Diablo III Site

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Hot Pursuit is a Demon Hunter passive skill unlocked at Level 27, which increases run speed when the Demon Hunter is full of hatred.

Description

Name	Level	Description

<skill class="DemonHunter">Hot Pursuit</skill>

Synergies

No synergies with any active skills or other Demon Hunter passives are known.

Development

Passive skills have had a long and storied history. When Diablo III debuted at the WWI 2008, skill trees included passive skills, much like in Diablo II. In 2010, it was announced that passive skills had been renamed traits and separated out from active skills. At the July 2011 Press Event, Blizzard announced that passive skills were once again in the game, replacing the traits system. Hot Pursuit was first revealed in the July 2011 Press Event as a level 24 skill.

Beta

The beta started in September 2011, and Hot Pursuit was moved to level 19. It became a level 20 passive for Beta Patch 13, and when passives were reorganized for Beta Patch 14, Hot Pursuit was moved up to level 27.

References

• Zediono's translation of JudgeHype's pre-beta report — IncGamers 1st Aug 2011
• HardRock's Demon Hunter Passive Skills — IncGamers 6th Sep 2011
• Demon Hunter Passive Skills — Blizzard's Official Diablo III Site

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Archery is a Demon Hunter passive skill unlocked at Level 30, which grants bonuses to attacks made by bows or crossbows (bonuses are based on the weapon type of your main hand).

Description

Name	Level	Description

<skill class="DemonHunter">Archery</skill>

Synergies

Every damage dealing Demon Hunter attack benefits from Archery.

Development

Passive skills have had a long and storied history. When Diablo III debuted at the WWI 2008, skill trees included passive skills, much like in Diablo II. In 2010, it was announced that passive skills had been renamed traits and separated out from active skills. At the July 2011 Press Event, Blizzard announced that passive skills were once again in the game, replacing the traits system. Archery was first revealed in the July 2011 Press Event. It had a listed level of 6, which was clearly temporary since passives aren't available until level 10.

Beta

The beta started in September 2011, and Archery was moved to level 20. It became a level 22 passive for Beta Patch 13, and when passives were reorganized for Beta Patch 14, Archery was moved up to level 30.

References

• Zediono's translation of JudgeHype's pre-beta report — IncGamers 1st Aug 2011
• HardRock's Demon Hunter Passive Skills — IncGamers 6th Sep 2011
• Demon Hunter Passive Skills — Blizzard's Official Diablo III Site

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Perfectionist is a Demon Hunter passive skill unlocked at Level 35, which reduces the Discipline cost of skills.

Description

Name	Level	Description

<skill class="DemonHunter">Perfectionist</skill>

Synergies

No synergies with any active skills or other Demon Hunter passives are known.

Development

Passive skills have had a long and storied history. When Diablo III debuted at the WWI 2008, skill trees included passive skills, much like in Diablo II. In 2010, it was announced that passive skills had been renamed traits and separated out from active skills. At the July 2011 Press Event, Blizzard announced that passive skills were once again in the game, replacing the traits system.

Beta

Perfectionist was not seen until it showed up in the Diablo III beta as a level 22 passive. It was bumped up to level 24 in Beta Patch 13, and when passives were reorganized for Beta Patch 14, Perfectionist was moved up to level 35.

References

• HardRock's Demon Hunter Passive Skills — IncGamers 6th Sep 2011
• Demon Hunter Passive Skills — Blizzard's Official Diablo III Site

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Custom Engineering is a Demon Hunter passive skill unlocked at Level 40, which increases the duration of the Demon Hunter's traps.

Description

Name	Level	Description

<skill class="DemonHunter">Custom Engineering</skill>

Synergies

No synergies with any active skills or other Demon Hunter passives are known.

Development

Passive skills have had a long and storied history. When Diablo III debuted at the WWI 2008, skill trees included passive skills, much like in Diablo II. In 2010, it was announced that passive skills had been renamed traits and separated out from active skills. At the July 2011 Press Event, Blizzard announced that passive skills were once again in the game, replacing the traits system.

Beta

Custom Engineering was not seen until it showed up in the Diablo III beta as a level 24 passive. It was bumped to level 25 in Beta Patch 13, and when passives were reorganized for Beta Patch 14, Custom Engineering was moved up to level 40.

References

• HardRock's Demon Hunter Passive Skills — IncGamers 6th Sep 2011
• Demon Hunter Passive Skills — Blizzard's Official Diablo III Site

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Development

The Demon Hunter was the fifth and final character to be revealed in Diablo III, making her debut at Blizzcon 2010.

Removed Skills

• Molten Arrow
• Shock Spike

References

• Zediono's translation of JudgeHype's pre-beta report -- IncGamers 1st Aug 2011
• HardRock's Demon Hunter Passive Skills -- IncGamers 6th Sep 2011

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