Almost all classes in D3 have several Passive Skills that are similar to each other in regards to mechanics and/or purpose (e.g. two different passives for healing), but that are useless. One possible solution to improve them is to merge the ones that thematically and/or mechanically fit together into a single Passive Skill.
Below is a list of useless Passive Skills, which can get merged together some suggestions for passives that can replace the skill slots that have been opened up by merging passive skills together.
Some Passive Skills also need to get a simple buff instad of a rework, which are also mentioned int he list below.
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Barbarian
Passive Skill Changes
Weapons Master
Turn the increased damage to Swords and Daggers from an additive multiplier into a multiplicative multiplier.
Sword and Broad
Is very underused because there are no viable shields for the Barbarian, however, if you could get it earlier, it might see some use during the leveling process. It can be swapped with Berserker Rage, so that you can already get it at Level 20 and Berserker Rage at Level 66.
Adding 10% increased damage when wearing a shield would also not hurt the passive.
Juggernaut
This passive is not used at all. Juggernaut could get redesigned to make you immune against any Control Impairing Effects
Relentless
Can activte its effects when below 50% Life to be remotely useful.
Passive Skill Merges
Pound of Flesh + Blood Thirst
- When you are healed by a health globe, gain 2% Life regeneration per second and 4% increased movement speed for 15 seconds. This bonus stacks up to 5 times.
- Each point of Fury spent heals you for 966 Life. Heal amount is increased by 1% of your Health Globe Healing Bonus.
No one is using Pound of Flesh and Blood Thirst also gets only used rarely. Merging them together might make them more appealing.
Animosity + Unforgiving
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Increase all Fury generation by 10%. Increase maximum Fury by 20.
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You no longer degenerate Fury. Instead, you generate 2 Fury every 1 second.
Also two rarely used passives with a similar theme.
Ideas for new Barbarain Passives
Enrage
When you get hit, there is a 15% chance to deal 15% increased damage for 4 seconds and generate x Fury
Vindictiveness
Deal 15% more damage per point if you have been hit recently
Massive Blows
Your attacks have a 15% chacne to stun enemies for 1.5 seconds and you deal 15% increased damage against enemies that are stunned or frozen
Strong Constitution
For all x Vitality you have, gain +1 Physical Resistance
Overkill
Enemies have a 10% chance to detonate in an explosion of blood and bones when you kill them, causing xxx% damage to nearby enemies
Blood Frenzy
When you fall to low health, you gain
° xx% critical hit damage
° x% increased attack speed
° deal x% increased damage
° +x life per attack
…for 4 seconds
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Crusader
Passive Skill Merges
Vigilant + Wrathful
- Increase Life regeneration by 2682… Reduce all non-Physical damage taken by 20%
- Each point of Wrath spent heals you for 1341 Life… Heal amount is increased by 1% of your Health Globe Healing Bonus
Combines two underused healing passives into a single one. Numbers might need some readjustment.
Insurmountable + Renewal
- Blocking an attack generates 6 Wrath.
- Whenever you successfully block, you gain 16,093 Life.
This will turn the Passive Skill into one that completely revolves around benefiting from blocking by giving you Health and Life on block.
Alternatively: Insurmountable + Righteousness
- Blocking an attack generates 6 Wrath.
- Your primary skills generate an additional 3 Wrath… Increase maximum Wrath by 30.
This Passive will improve the ability to generate/regenerate resource, both from using Passive Skills and blocking attacks.
Ideas for new Crusader Passives
Counter Attack
If you have blocked an attack, deal 15% increased damage for 4 seconds
Bullwark
° Take xx% less damage
° You no longer benefit from increased movement speed OR reduce your movement speed by x%
Valor
° Increases your damage by x%
° Increases damage against elites by x% per point
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Demon Hunter
Passive Skill Changes
Hot Pursuit
This one can simply increase Movement Speed by 15% or more, without any condition to trigger the movement speed bonus.
Archery
The increased damage to Bows needs to be turned from an additive multiplier into a multiplicative multiplier, because otherwise it is useless.
Passive Skill Merges
Blood Vengeance + Night Stalker
- Your maximum Hatred is increased by 25. In addition, gain 30 Hatred and 3 Discipline when you are healed by a health globe.
- Your primary skills generate an additional 4 Hatred.
Having a single Passive that revolves around resource is better than to have two mediocre ones.
Brooding + Leech
- Gain 3.0% Life regeneration per second for every second you remain stationary, stacking up to 3 times. This bonus is reset 5 seconds after you move.
- Gain 18,507 Life per Hit… Heal amount is increased by 75% of your Life per Kill
A single Passive that revolves around life regeneration is better than having two mediocre ones.
Grenadier + Ballistics (rename to Explosives Expert)
- Increase the damage of grenades by 10%… Increase the explosion size of grenades by 20%… Upon death, you drop a giant grenade that explodes for 1000% weapon damage as Fire
- Increase damage of rockets by 100%. In addition, you have a 20% chance to fire a homing rocket for 150% weapon damage when you attac
Not totally necessary, but but would make sense and free up a slot for another Passive Skill, if needed.
Sharpshooter + Single Out
- Gain 4% Critical Hit Chance every second. This bonus is reset 1 second after you successfully critically hit.
- Gain 25% Critical Hit Chance against enemies who are more than 20 yards away from any other enemies .
Two underused Passives. This way they may become more useful and thematically it also would make sense.
Ideas for new Demon Hunter Passives
Acrobatics
° 10% increased dodge chance
° 15% increased movement speed
° reduces armor by 20%
° sets Block Chance to 0%
Marksman
Increases your damage against enemies the further away they are from you.
° 10 yards: 3% increased damage
° 20 yards: 6% increased damage
° 30 yards: 9% increased damage
° 40 yards: 12% increased damage
° 50 yards: 15% increased damage
Survival of the Fittest
Increase maximum life by 10% and regenerate 2% maximum life per second
Predator
° Increases your damage by 7%
° Gives you x life per kill
° Gain x% of your life per kill as additional life per attack per point
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Monk
Passive Skill Changes
Fleet Footed
Fleet Footed can have its movement speed increased to 15%, or maybe even more
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Necromancer
Passive Skill Merges
Bone Prison + Serration
- Bone Spear, Bone Spikes, and Bone Spirit have a 30% chance to trap enemies in a Bone Prison for 3 seconds.
- Bone Spikes, Bone Spear, and Bone Spirit deal 1% increased damage for every 1.5 yards from you, up to a maximum of 20%
This just makes sense. Having two different Passive Skills that are buffing the same skills is unnecessary and Bone Prison rarely gets used, so why not combine them together?
Spreading Malediction + Eternal Torment
- Receive a 1% damage bonus for each enemy afflicted by one of your curses
- Your curses cost 50% less Essence and last forever
Eternal Torment by itself is kinda useless compared to some of the Necro’s other Passive Skills, so why not combine it with Spreading Malediction, something that also would thematically sense?!
Commander of the Risen Dead + Extended Servitude
- The Essence cost of Command Skeletons and the cooldown of Command Golem are reduced by 30%
- Increase the duration of your Skeletal Mage and Revive minions by 25%.
A single Passive for buffing the Necromancers Minions will do.
Swift Harvesting + Overwhelming Essence
- Increase the attack speed of Bone Spikes, Siphon Blood, and Grim Scythe by 15%.
- Increase your maximum Essence by 40
I don’t see downsides in combining these two Passives, although Overwhelming Essence is already very useful for builds that use Reilena’s Shadowhook, but it still might be worth to consider it.
(Not a thematically fitting merge) Dark Reaping, Grizzly Tribute and Draw Life
all revolve around healing, but I honestly don’t feel that they thematically fit together. Not sure what to do about these 3 passives. Maybe the community has some ideas what can be done with them.
- While using a scythe, gain 2% Essence and Life per kil
- You are healed for 10% of your Life on Hit when one of your minions hits an enemy
- Increases your Life regeneration by 10% for each enemy within 20 yards
Ideas for new Necromancer Passive Skills
Blood Magic
While below 70% health, you take 10% less damage and deal 8% increased damage
Sacrifice of Blood
While you are above 30% health, your resource spending skills deal 15% increased damage and cost 20% less Essence, but also cost 10% of your current maximum life when you cast them
Overlord
Every minion that is active increases your damage by 1%
Power from Death
° When you cast a resource spending skill, it automatically consumes up to x nearby corpses.
° For each corpse consumed the damage of this skill is increased by xx%.
Brittle Touch
Enemies that have been hit by your attacks get chilled and deal 15% less damage while chilled
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Witch Doctor
Passive Skill Changes
Blood Ritual
Mechanically is a nice Passive, but practically useless. It could increase you damage as well, maybe by 5%, 8% or 10%.
Maybe it could get changed to work like this:
° While above 30% maximum life:
° your resource costs are reduced by 20%
° your damage is increased by 10%
° but you loose 3% of your maximum life for every cast of a Mana-spending skill
° In addition to that, you also regenerate 2% maximum life every second
Bad Medicine
Make this one work with all elements, not just poison.
Then it also could be renamed to Bad Mojo to fit better thematically.
Passive Skill Merges
Spiritual Atonement + Vision Quest
- Maximum Mana is increased by 10%. Regenerate 2% of your maximum Mana per second… Mana fuels your offensive and defensive skill
- When you deal damage with Corpse Spiders, Firebomb, Plague of Toads, or Poison Dart, your Mana regeneration is increased by 40% for 5 seconds.
Combining these two makes sense. Also Vision Quest rarely gets used. Maybe the numbers need a bit of an adjustment after these two got merged.
Grave Injustice + Swampland Attunement (and maybe even Circle of Life, but that probably would be overkill)
- Gain 1% of your maximum Life and Mana and reduce the cooldown of all of your skills by 1 second when an enemy dies within 20 yards. The range is extended by items that increase your gold pickup radiu
- You and your pets gain 120 Physical, Poison, Fire, and Cold Resistance for every enemy within 20 yards. The range of this effect is increased by your gold pickup radius
Merging these two makes sense since they work very similar. They could also get merged with Circle of Life, but that would be overkill.
Ideas for new Witch Doctor Passive Skills
Mind Tricks
° Your attacks have an x% chance to charm/confuse the target for x seconds
° Enemies that hit you have an x% chance to get charmed/comfused for x seconds
Body and Soul
Increase your maximum Life and Mana by 10%
Medicine Man
Increases all sources of healing by x%
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Wizard
Passive Skill Changes
Galvanizing Ward
Currently, Galvanizing Ward immediately gives you an energy shield that absorbs damage based on 60% of your max life, but first after you have not taken damage for 5 seconds.
But instead of that, would it possibe that the Energy Shield from Galvanizing Ward starts to steadily regenerate its shield over 3 seconds, starting after 2 seconds of not having taken damage?
E.g. You have not taken damage in 2 seconds, and so the shield starts to regenerate at a rate of 20% maximum health as Energy Shield per second. Max still with be 60% like now. It would just regenerate sooner, but over time, instead of immediately.
Dominance
Can this get changed from “2% Life as Energy Shield for 3 seconds after kill + increasing the maximum duration of this energy Shield on kill”, to 2% Life as Energy Shield for 3 seconds after hitting an enemy OR spending xx Arcane Power?
That would make the passive feel better and more impactful and reliable to use.
Illusionist
This one is also not a mandatory change, but something that I personally would like to see, but maybe Illusionist can spawn 2 Mirror Images when you loose more than 15% health in 1 second, instead of resetting the cooldown of Slow Time, Mirror Image and Teleport.
Passive Skill Merges
Prodigy + Aracane Dynamo
- When you cast a Signature spell, you gain 5 Arcane Power. The following skills are Signature spells: Magic Missile, Shock Pulse, Spectral Blade, Electrocute
- When you cast a Signature spell, you gain a Flash of Insight. After 5 Flashes of Insight, your next non-Signature spell deals 60% additional damage. The following skills are Signature spells: Magic Missile, Shock Pulse, Spectral Blade, Electrocute
Neither Prodigy, nor Arcane Dynamo get used. Combining them could make them much more interesting to use and of course, their mechanics are already very similar. Maybe the numbers can get increased a bit as well.
Cold Blooded + Conflagration + Paralysis + Temporal Flux (rename to something like "Elemental Mastery)
- Enemies chilled or frozen by you take 10% more damage from all sources for the duration of the chill or Freeze
- Fire damage dealt to enemies applies a burning effect, increasing their chance to be critically hit by 6% for 3 second
- Lightning spells have a 15% chance to Stun all targets hit for 1.5 seconds
- Enemies that take Arcane damage are slowed by 80% for 2 second have a 15% chance to Stun all targets hit for 1.5 second
Paralysis and Temporal Flux are usless on their own, and for Frost and Fire there are better passive skills to use. It would buff Tal Rasha builds a bit, but that would not be the worst thing ever. I also have an alternative suggestion that I personally find even more interesting. See below
Ideas for new Wizard Passive Skills
Elemental Specialist
If you have at least 4 skills of the same element on your hotbar, gain 10% increased damage to that element, plus an additional effect based on that element:
° Fire: Fire damage dealt to enemies applies a burning effect, increasing your damage against them by 5% for 3 second
° Cold: Gain 50% Critical Hit Damage against Frozen enemies.
° Lightning: Lightning Damage have a 5% increased critical hit chance against stunned enemies. Lightning spells now also have a 15% chance to Stun all targets hit for 1.5 seconds
° Arcane: Your Arcane Spells costs 10% less resource. Enemies that take Arcane damage are slowed by 80% for 2 seconds
Train of Though
If you have not taken damage in the last 4 seconds, deal 15% increased damage
Clear Casting
Your secondary skills have a 15% chance to not cost any resource and to deal 50% increased damage.
Warmth
Regenerate 3% life per second
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Tthis list can be useful if Passive Skills are being re-balanced and/or redesigned.
I encourage the rest of the community to add additional suggestions for re-balancing passives in this thread as well.
Please forward this list to the devs and if possible the thread I made about Active Skills as well, which can be found here:
Thank you!
