POE 2 0.4.0 update brings a ton of content, including a series of brand new mechanics and a new season. The long-awaited Druid class is finally entering players' view,it would bring unprecedented flexibility to the gameplay! We've compiled all the known update information, so let's take a look!
Druid Key Features
The Druid is the first Strength and Intelligence hybrid class in POE 2. Druids can transform into various creatures, switching between human and beast forms to adapt to different combat scenarios. The combination of melee combat and elemental magic is undoubtedly a major highlight attracting players; After all, fighting by transforming into a werewolf, a bear, or even a flying dragon is pretty cool!
That's right, the Druid has three forms: Bear, Werewolf, and Dragon. By equipping the new Animal Amulet weapon, the Druid can transform between these forms. The Bear specializes in slow but powerful rage-enhanced attacks. The Werewolf specializes in high mobility and frost-based skills, and the Dragon boasts long-range breath attacks and considerable melee capabilities. This means the Druid can adapt to different combat situations by using different forms, suggesting a high level of gameplay complexity, which is undoubtedly a major highlight.
New Ascendancy Classes
The Druid has two Ascendancy classes: the Oracle and the Shaman.
The Oracle focuses on foreseeing potential futures at any given moment. Oracles can foresee various options and translate them into actual in-game actions. Taking corresponding actions based on the foreseen future would significantly increase skill damage. This is the core mechanic of this class, and it's quite innovative. Meanwhile, if you choose the "Hidden Path" passive skill, you can unlock over 100 new skill nodes, so prepare some PoE 2 currency; being ahead of the curve in developing different playstyles for the new class is incredibly rewarding.
The Druid's second Ascendancy class is the Shaman. The class mechanics are relatively simple; the Shaman focuses on using both rage and spells simultaneously. After allocating enough skill points, the more rage you have, the higher the spell damage bonus. Of course, if you choose the "Mage's Wisdom" talent node, runes and idols would gain additional affixes, resulting in even greater damage.
Fate of the Vaal League and Temple Mechanics
POE 2's "Trials of the Ancestors" league introduces entirely new gameplay features, including customizable "Sanctuary" dungeons, as well as new bosses and crafting systems. After discovering scattered Vaal relics, players can activate a portal to the Vaal Temple by sacrificing nearby monsters, enjoying random battles and abundant loot while exploring these procedurally generated rooms.
In temple exploration, the arrangement of rooms and paths affects enemy strength. Different placements result in varying enemy strength and room rewards. For example, placing a commander near a stronghold increases enemy strength but also increases the drop rate of loot from encounters. Rooms such as the blacksmith, artificer, and sacrifice chamber interact with each other, providing bonuses to crafting and corruption. The Tier 3 Corruption Chamber allows players to double-corrupt items, offering powerful rewards at high risk. The Flesh Surgeon adds further experimentation, allowing players to modify their character's limbs for random stat boosts, but death resets these modifications.
In summary, version 0.4.0 would bring many new experiences, and we would report on more related updates in a timely manner, so please stay tuned.