d3 Diablo 3 Patch 2.7.0 Preview: Follower System Revamp

[Staff 1,488]

Patch 2.7.0 will be deployed on the PTR on February 25. Blizzard completely revamped the Follower system. Read on for more information.

Follower Revamp

• Your Follower can now be equipped with a total of 14 different item slots.
• A new mechanic called the "Emanate" has been added, which allows you to gain the intended effect of certain Legendary Powers and Set Bonuses when equipped on a hired Follower.
• Follower skills have been updated (see patch notes for details).
• Multiple Legendary Items have changed.
   

(Source)

Our two-week PTR testing period for the 2.7.0 update begins February 25 and we're asking for your help to quell the tides of surging demons. Take a look at the preliminary patch notes below and start theorycrafting how you'll make the most of the Follower system revamp, leaderboard changes, and Legendary item changes; Patch 2.7.0 will be arriving soon.

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Table of Contents

• PTR Focus Details
  • PTR Tips
• Patch Notes
  • Seasons
  • Items
• Bug Fixes
• How to Participate in PTR
• PTR Character Copy

Please note that this is a preview for PTR content, which is subject to change.

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PTR Focus & Details

We’ll be conducting the Patch 2.7.0 PTR, and phasing in content updates over the course of two weeks, starting Thursday, February 25. During this time there may be periodic maintenances, outages, hotfixes, or minor patches.

• There will be three PTR-unique buffs active to help you on your journey: increased Legendary drop rate, increased experience gains, and double Blood Shard drops. You can also buy new gear for testing from the special PTR vendor, Djank Mi'em, who will exchange Blood Shards for class-specific bags full of Legendary items that we'd love for you to test!
• Class and Balance Changes: To ensure that the most significant class changes receive an ample amount of attention, we'd love for you to focus testing and feedback on the set changes to the Wizard's Firebird’s Finery set, the Necromancer's Bones of Rathma set, and the balance updates to the Demon Hunter’s Gears of Dreadlands set and Witch Doctor’s Gazing Demise.
• New Features Testing: We're looking to gather feedback on the solo player content with the Follower system revamp, and the Greater Rift solo leaderboard updates.

So that we can efficiently review your posts, feedback should be provided in the PTR Feedback forum while bug reports should be provided in the PTR Bug Report forum.

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PTR Testing Tips

As with our previous PTRs, this testing period is short, so it's best to hit the ground running. Whether you’re a PTR veteran or newcomer, we thought we’d pass along a few tips to get you started.

• Because of the limited duration of this PTR, we ask that participants pick a particular portion of this update to focus on testing.
  • For example, if you’re primarily a Wizard player, consider what changes impact the Wizard specifically. What you like best, what you think may still need adjustment, and what you’d want to see in the future (even if that may be beyond the scope of this patch) are all good questions to ask yourself.
• Prior to the start of PTR, consider stocking up on items like Puzzle Rings and Bovine Bardiches. Having these available after you import your character can make any necessary PTR farming much faster!
• Try to break things! Just tell us when you do so we can make sure that the patch launch is as smooth as possible.
• When providing feedback, focus less on a solution and more on your experience. How did the changes make you feel? Was there something “off” that you noticed? Did something seem wrong or insufficient? Suggestions are always welcome but identifying the issues themselves is most important.

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Patch Notes

Below you will find the patch notes for the upcoming update for Diablo III, Patch 2.7.0.

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PATCH 2.7.0

Table of Contents:

• Seasons
• Items
• Bug Fixes

Note: All changes apply to all versions of Diablo III, including PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC unless otherwise indicated.

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Seasons

Follower System Revamp: The Follower system for Diablo III has been revamped and will be made permanently available for Seasonal and Non-Seasonal play! Players can now equip Followers with a total of 14 different item slots which include the Follower Relic Item, Helm, Shoulders, Chest, Gloves, Bracers, Belt, 2 Rings, Neck, Pants, Boots, main-hand weapon, and off-hand. We're introducing a new Follower feature into Diablo III called Emanate, which allows the player to gain the intended effect of certain Legendary Powers and Set Bonuses when equipped on the hired Follower. The current list of items with Emanate capabilities are the following:

• Broken Crown
• Homing Pads
• Spaulders of Zakara
• Goldskin
• Custerian Wristguards
• Nemesis Bracers
• Gladiator Gauntlets
• Gloves of Worship
• Dovu Energy Trap
• Rakoff's Glass of Life
• Avarice Band
• Krede's Flame
• The Flavor of Time
• Sage's Journey (3-piece set bonus)
• Cain's Destiny (3-piece set bonus)

Follower Skills Revamp: Follower skills have been reworked to showcase new and updated skills. Check out the skills change list below:

Scoundrel

• Crippling Shot
  • Ranged attack that deals 140% weapon damage and slows enemies hit by 80% for 3 to 6 seconds based on the Scoundrel's Dexterity.
• Powered Shot
  • Ranged attack that explodes on impact, dealing 120% weapon damage as Arcane to enemies within 10 yards and has a 100% chance to Stun enemies for 3 to 6 seconds based on the Scoundrel's Dexterity.
• Hysteria
  • Whenever you or the Scoundrel land a Critical Hit, you both will go into hysterics, increasing all damage done by 3% for 3 to 6 seconds based on the Scoundrel's Dexterity.
• Anatomy
  • Increases Critical Hit Chance by 1.8% to 4% for you and the Scoundrel based on the Scoundrel's Dexterity.
• Multishot Passive
  • Passive: The Scoundrel's special attacks have a 50% to 70% chance to fire 3 bolts based on the Scoundrel's Dexterity.
• *Skill Rework - Vanish
  • When you take fatal damage, the Scoundrel conceals you from enemies for 3 to 7 seconds based on the Scoundrel's Dexterity and prevents your death.
• *New Skill - Night's Veil
  • The Scoundrel launches a cloud that covers a 20-yard area and lasts 5 to10 seconds based on the Scoundrel’s Dexterity. All attacks against enemies that are inside the cloud will be critical hits.
• *New Skill - Piercing Shot
  • Ranged attack that pierces and increases damage done to enemies by 10% for 3 to 6 seconds based on the Scoundrel's Dexterity.
• *Removed Skills - Dirty Fighting and Poison Bolts

Templar

• Heal and Loyalty
  • These skills now scale based on the Templar’s Strength.
• Intimidate
  • Enemies that hit or are hit by the Templar are slowed by 80% for 3 to 6 seconds based on the Templar's Strength.
• Charge
  • Charges a target, dealing 280% weapon damage and stunning all enemies within 8 yards for 3 to 6 seconds based on the Templar's Strength.
• Intervene
  • Taunt enemies within 10 yards of you for 3 to 6 seconds based on Templar's strength when you are hit.
  *Skill Rework - Onslaught
  • Delivers a massive blow to an enemy for 800% weapon damage and causes the target and nearby enemies to take 10% increased damage for 3 to 6 seconds based on the Templar's Strength.
• *Skill Rework - Guardian
  • When you take fatal damage, the Templar will rush to your aid, knocking back enemies within 15 yards, healing you for 15% to 25% life based on the Templar's Strength, and shielding you from all damage for 5 seconds.

Enchantress

• Erosion
  • Conjures a pool of energy that deals 330% weapon damage as Arcane over 5 to 7 seconds based on the Enchantress's Intelligence. Affected enemies will also take 10% increased damage.
• Focused Mind
  • A 40-yard aura that increases attack speed for you and the Enchantress by 3% to 6% based on the Enchantress's Intelligence.
• *Skill Rework (Renamed from Powered Armor) - Powered Shield
  • Reduces damage by 6% from ranged attacks, increases Armor by 3%, and slows melee attackers by 60% for 3 to 6 seconds for you and the Enchantress based on the Enchantress's Intelligence.
• *New Skill - Temporal Pulse
  • The Enchantress casts a guided orb that deals 150% weapon damage and slows enemies by 80% for 3 to 6 seconds based on the Enchantress's Intelligence.
• *New Skill - Amplification
  • Increases your highest static elemental bonus by 5% to 10% based on the Enchantress's Intelligence.
• *New Skill - Prophetic Harmony
  • Reduce your skills’ Cooldowns by 5% to 10% based on the Enchantress's Intelligence.
• *New Skill - Fate's Lapse
  • When you take fatal damage, the Enchantress empowers you to speed up your movement through time for 3 to 7 seconds to avoid death based on the Enchantress's Intelligence.
• *Removed Skills - Forceful Push, Mass Control, Disorient, and Missile Ward

Developer's Note: By reworking and adding Follower skills, expanding the Follower’s equipment set, and introducing Emanate, we believe Followers will be more meaningful and provide greater utility to the single-player experience.

Solo Leaderboards Update: Greater Rift solo leaderboards now contain additional filters to sort by. This update provides a total of 7 filters available per class.

• Class Sets
• No Class Set
• Overall (default filter)

Developer's Note: In their current form, the Solo Leaderboards are great at showcasing the strongest builds for each class but tend to only highlight a small percentage of the wide variety of builds that players have available to them. We want to empower the community to play their favorite set and be represented on the leaderboard.

Season Rewards: Two unique new rewards, a portrait frame, and a pet will be granted to players who complete the Season 23 Guardian Journey. Please note that the reward content will not be available during PTR 2.7.0.

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Items

Item Changes

• Bones of Rathma 2-Piece Set: Your minions reduce the cooldown of Army of the Dead by 1 second each time they deal damage. Your skeletal warriors spawn faster, and your revived minions no longer expire.
• Bones of Rathma 4-Piece Set: Your minions no longer take damage. You gain 1% damage reduction for 15 seconds each time one of your minions deal damage. Maximum of 75 stacks.
• Bones of Rathma 6-Piece Set: Each active minion increases the damage of Army of the Dead and Bone Spirit by 1000%.
• Defiler Cuisses: Bone Spirit's damage is increased by 400% to 500% for every second it is active and will also freeze enemies on impact.
• New item* Bonds of C'Lena: Army of the Dead and Bone Spirit deal 300% to 400% increased damage. Bone Spirit deals an additional 2% increased damage for 5 seconds each time Army of the Dead hits an enemy.

Developer's Note: We recognize that the Bones of Rathma set plays similarly to other Necromancer builds. Our goal is to preserve the fantasy of the set while maintaining diversity among the Necromancer sets.

• Firebird's Finery 2-Piece Set: When you die, a meteor falls from the sky and revives you. Disintegrate Ignites enemies, causing them to take 3000% weapon damage per second until they die.
• Firebird's Finery 4-Piece Set: You gain 80% damage reduction and 4000% increased damage while Ignite is applied to a target. Casting Disintegrate adds Combustion stacks that reduce the cooldown of Teleport by 2% per stack. Stacks up to 50 times.
• Firebird's Finery 6-Piece Set: Hitting an Ignited enemy with a fire spell other than Disintegrate deals Ignite damage multiplied by Combustion stacks.

Developer's Note: Firebird’s Finery is due for a rebirth. We have overhauled the set to breathe new life into it while still allowing the player to incinerate the forces of Hell.

• Gears of Dreadlands 6-Piece Set: Hungering Arrow pierces a maximum of 2 times while wearing the Gears of Dreadlands

Developer's Note: We toned down the number of pierces Hungering Arrow can perform while Gears of Dreadlands is equipped to address concerns when interacting with Missile Dampening.

• Gazing Demise: The damage of Spirit Barrage is increased by 100% to 150%. Spirit Barrage gains the Phantasm rune that lasts twice as long, and the attack rate from Manitou spectres is increased.

Developer's Note: Mundunugu’s Regalia is overperforming compared to other sets. This change to Gazing Demise should simplify the gameplay mechanic while reducing its damage output.

• Blackthorn's Jousting Mail: Replaced one primary property with a random elemental damage affix.

Class Set Dungeon Update

• To account for the Necromancer redesign of the Bones of Rathma set, we have updated the objective to "Revive 100 Corpses" from the current "Raise 100 Skeletal Mages".

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Bug Fixes

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How to Participate

To participate in the public test, you must have a Diablo III game license attached to a Battle.net account in good standing (i.e. one that hasn't been suspended or banned). In addition, you will also need to download and install the Blizzard Battle.net desktop app if you have not already done so.

Step 1: Restart the Battle.net desktop app.

Step 2: Navigate to the Diablo III tab on the left-hand menu.

Step 3: On the Diablo III screen, there is a drop-down menu right above the "Play" button (note that this may say "Install" if you do not have Diablo III currently installed). Select "PTR: Diablo III" from this drop-down menu before proceeding.

Step 4: Click Install to begin the installation process.

Your PTR account will be created automatically if you do not already have one. The PTR is available in all supported languages, and accounts from all regions are eligible to participate. For additional assistance with installing and launching the PTR, click here.

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PTR Character Copy

The option to copy your existing Diablo III characters from your live account to the PTR will be available and can be done directly through the PTR client. However, only one region per account can be copied at a time. So, if you choose to copy characters from your account in a different region, any previously copied PTR characters will be lost.

Step 1: Log into the live game and then log out.

Step 2: Log into PTR client and create a level 1 character. After you're done, return to the main character screen.

Step 3: Click on the "PTR Copy" button located in the upper right-hand corner. (The PTR Copy button will not appear in-game until you have created a new level 1 character.)

Step 4: Select your region.

Step 5: Click "Copy." This will copy all characters on your account from the selected region.

Step 6: You will be disconnected from the PTR client.

Step 7: Log back in. Your copied characters will be available for play.

Please note that you can only copy characters from one gameplay region at a time. If you choose to copy characters from a different region, any previously copied PTR characters will be lost. In addition, you can only copy characters over to your PTR account once every 24 hours. Attempting to copy characters before this cooldown is up will result in an error.

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As this is a test server, please anticipate uneven game performance, and note that restarts and downtime may occur without warning. Thank you, and we look forward to your feedback!

[Boothyp 48]

This is more than I expected they would develop to be perfectly honest........

Was thinking of maining Wiz for next season, the changes to Firebirds look like confirming this........

Edited February 23, 2021 by Boothyp

[Draketh 86]

New Bones of Rathma set looks like fun, and about time the Followers got some love.

All in all, happy they still care about the game 🙂

[darkgreenwax 412]

woah, what the $&^%?! this was unexpected. wonder how much this will shake any meta up!

[zigrifid 133]

So if i understood this right, i use the new follower and i pop him with 14 legendary items and i gain all 14 powers?

[Draketh 86]

10 minutes ago, zigrifid said:

So if i understood this right, i use the new follower and i pop him with 14 legendary items and i gain all 14 powers?

There's a list there with the items that will work.

The current list of items with Emanate capabilities are the following:

• Broken Crown
• Homing Pads
• Spaulders of Zakara
• Goldskin
• Custerian Wristguards
• Nemesis Bracers
• Gladiator Gauntlets
• Gloves of Worship
• Dovu Energy Trap
• Rakoff's Glass of Life
• Avarice Band
• Krede's Flame
• The Flavor of Time
• Sage's Journey (3-piece set bonus)
• Cain's Destiny (3-piece set bonus)

I realized that your confusion is probably from the summary at the top of the article, which mentions a new Follower. But that's not the case, they're giving the existing ones' skills a revamp and adding Emanate as a system for the items above. 🙂

Edited February 23, 2021 by Draketh

[Arcling 898]

3 hours ago, Staff said:

A new Follower called the "Emanate" has been added, which allows you to gain the intended effect of certain Legendary Powers and Set Bonuses when equipped on the hired Follower.

I think it should be: a new follower feature called the "Emanate". There is no new follower added, just a function to already existing ones. Anyway, what a surprise! Pretty significant update to Diablo 3!

[pmania 0]

Nice, maybe it's time they start making some teasers/trailers for PTR since I can't wait to see it in action!

[KinsonSilverDragon 0]

This will be useless to 90% (wild guess) of the player base if they don't allow followers in a party.

[Shaymon 0]

17 hours ago, KinsonSilverDragon said:

This will be useless to 90% (wild guess) of the player base if they don't allow followers in a party.

It is mainly for single-player purposes.

I only play solo on console so this will be of great benefit for me - farming-wise. I don't care at all about leaderboards 😛

 

[Rae88 0]

Am I the only one that is actually unhappy with this patch notes? :/ Everything they did is actually good but for me that is not enough. Imho the biggest issue with D3 for me is that every class is boring to play since you have one (or 2) far superior builds and there is absolutely no sense to try different build. For instance - my favourite class by far is DH. But GoD DH is far far better that everything else. There is no point in playing pure Natalya/Marauder, N6M4, Shadow Impale and even UE Multishoot in speedfarming is outclassed by GoD (and will be even after the nerf). For WD Mundunugu will still be the best choice and everything else is going to be unplayable in comparison.

I expected Blizzard to balance every set so that we have a greater variety of builds to pick from. Another season of playing GoD as DH? Or whirlrend Barb? Spirit Barrage WD?

[Notoriousthf 19]

So followers still have a crit damage cap of 150%?

Edited February 25, 2021 by Notoriousthf

[Notoriousthf 19]

On 2/24/2021 at 10:43 AM, KinsonSilverDragon said:

This will be useless to 90% (wild guess) of the player base if they don't allow followers in a party.

There's the set that occasionally brings out all 3 followers for 30 seconds.

[Trest 61]

Even for folks who group for almost everything, the follower changes should be a big help in the solo GRift progression needed to unlock things.

I’ve skipped the past couple seasons, but the new follower stuff has me thinking of coming back to the game for the next season.

[Yridaa 490]

14 hours ago, Notoriousthf said:

There's the set that occasionally brings out all 3 followers for 30 seconds.

Well if they'd allow the bonuses to work from eminumy from all the followers...

 

By the way, no season effect for s23? That's a first in a long while!

[Bubble181 14]

On 2/24/2021 at 5:43 PM, KinsonSilverDragon said:

This will be useless to 90% (wild guess) of the player base if they don't allow followers in a party.

I think your vastly miscalculate the amount of solo vs group play. 

I've played 18 seasons so far and I've teamed up... Four times? I think? For the 2 minute rift conquest, back when that was harder. 

So this blog change doesn't impact you or the people you play with, great. 

It'll completely revolutionize the game for some people with other preferences. 

The GoD changes don't impact me at all, as I never play DH - so should I say they aren't interesting or important? No, they're just not relevant to me. 

[Roseysdad 0]

It's been years since I've played D3.  What character should I rock this season?

[Zelendel 9]

The last season took me 16 hours to finish. Now this will help me do it in 8.  This way I only have to waste a single day on it. But as many have said. This will effect maybe 20% of players.  The majority of players all player groups to min/max the experience and items.

Edited March 1, 2021 by Zelendel

[azfatboy 0]

On 2/25/2021 at 9:37 AM, Notoriousthf said:

So followers still have a crit damage cap of 150%?

I have this same question.  Can anyone confirm if the crit damage cap is the same?  I hope they at least increased the cap...

[PantsWithAnts 0]

Will followers benefit from LoD gem Stone or LoN ring set?

[Trest 61]

15 hours ago, PantsWithAnts said:

Will followers benefit from LoD gem Stone or LoN ring set?

I don’t know about the ring set, but Legendary Gems have no effect on followers.