- [Caster] [1.2.1.6] Thunderborne (Ralfhskz)
- Damage: Lightning, electrocute
- Active Skills: Panetti’s replicating missile, storm totem, chain lightning, nullification, mirror of ereoctes
Greetings!
Want a full caster gameplay that don’t use too much buttons and can deal with ALL CONTENT? Well, this build’s for you!
Gonna share with you my latest leveling experience.
Despite there being nothing new on this char, it’s a very smooth and flashy gameplay!
Skill rotation is very simple: Use panetti’s to debuff your enemies (aether corruption later on), deploy your storm totems and watch they destroying your enemies along with your wind devils! Remember to use mirror of ereoctes on dangerous situations and nullification to nullify hero enemies!
This build is very safe (you can facetank some stuff, but remember we are a off-hand caster here, so kiting is needed), has high health regen and can be considered controller-friendly.
Build uses mostly MI’s (monster infrequent) gear and faction shop gear.
I didn’t used merits, mandates, warrants, potions and any other leveling boosters.
Char stats
The leveling guide:
Lvl 1-10 Shaman, Level 10 (GD 1.2.1.6) - Grim Dawn Build Calculator
I started as shaman. The first thing i did was getting an 2H weapon (if you didn’t dropped any ranged 2H weapon, you can use the Hevill’s Greatsword froma corpse on a house in lower crossing. Spend your skill points on the mastery bar until you reach primal strike, then spend one point in PS and 2 on the mastery bar, spend 1 point in thunderous strike, one point in wind devil and start spending points on torrent too)
Lvl 10-20 Druid, Level 20 (GD 1.2.1.6) - Grim Dawn Build Calculator
When you get to burrwitch outskirts, your’re gonna look for Narbalgal, the Stormseeker, just near the place you talk to ulgrim for the first time. He has a chance to drop one of our main items, the Groble Sky Effigy.
When you reach the raging tempest node on the wind devil’s skill line, start maxing it. Spend two points on it and one on the mastery bar.
After obtaining the groble sky effigy, respec all your skill points from the PS skill line and spend them in storm totem (max it ASAP).
After getting your first 6 devotion points, complete the tsunami and bind them to wind devil.
When you reach maelstrom on the wind devil’s skill line, max it ASAP too, start spending points on the arcanist mastery bar.
Lvl 20-30 Druid, Level 30 (GD 1.2.1.6) - Grim Dawn Build Calculator
After defeating warden krieg i headed straight to forgotten gods DLC, and the reason is that we’re gonna farm an useful leveling item there, the Segarius’ Sacred Blade , you can find it with Brother Segarius, Vengeance of Kymon, on the Tomb of the Eldritch Sun.
If you’re asking wich cult you must choose first, the answer is cult of bysmiel.
On devotions, complete the raven and widow (bind it’s proc to Panetti’s and remember changing to aether corruption when you get the seal of corruption. Another good proccing skill is the haunt skill from Haunt relic)
Lvl 30-40 Druid, Level 40 (GD 1.2.1.6) - Grim Dawn Build Calculator
After finishing the DLC, go back to the vanilla campaign and when you reach homestead, you gotta side with kymon’s chosen .
I’ve taken a little detour to Port Valbury and the reason is that was a nice chance of testing the build’s performance even in the early game, and getting another mandatory item, the Ascended Diadem, the easiest way you can find it on the early game is buying from the vendor in valbury’s skeleton key dungeon.
Since you’re already there, don’t forget farming our belt main item, the Chains of Brandis from Watcher Brandis.
Ps: A quick heads up - Be careful with Loxmere Nightmage, he can spawn in the skeleton key dungeon now and can be somewhat dangerous, specially if you’re playing HC.
I recorded this run for this journal
On devotions, spend one point in chaos (crossroads), complete the jackal, complete behemoth, complete scholar’s light, remove raven, spend a point in order (crossroads), complete lotus, remove the point from order, start spending points on panther.
Lvl 40-50 Druid, Level 50 (GD 1.2.1.6) - Grim Dawn Build Calculator
On your way to get rid of the dermapteran queen, pay a visit to Gollus, the Deepdweller in the Den of the Lost, farm two Gollus’ Ring from him for now.
After getting respected with Kymon’s chosen, buy their Chosen Mantle shoulderguard.
On the entrance of Darkvale Gate you will find a hero chtonic mob. Kill Zaria, the Carver to get her amulet, the Zaria’s Pendant.
After defeating the loghorrean, rush to ugdenbog to farm our main weapon, the Ugdenbog Stormstrife. You can farm it from Janaxia, the Betrayer in Janaxia’s Den and from Larria, the Hexxer in Larria’s Den
On devotions, complete panther, remove tsunami, complete tortoise, complete eel, spend 5 points on ultos, shepherd of storms (bind the proc to storm totem), start spending points on sailor’s guide.
When you get into malmouth, farm your chest armor, the Valaxteria’s Skytorn Robes from Valaxteria in crown hill.
Lvl 50-60 Druid, Level 60 (GD 1.2.1.6) - Grim Dawn Build Calculator
Started elite at lvl 54.
Check your resistances, upgrade your gear when you can.
At this lvl you should be getting honored with some factions. Be sure to buy their writs to boost up your reputation gain.
On devotions, complete the sailor guide, spend a point on chaos, primordial and order (on crossroads), spend 4 points on tree of life and 5 points on korvaak, the eldritch sun (bind the proc to wind devil).
Remember activating monster totems!! You can sell your loot and get lots of useful blueprints!
Ps: If you have this relic blueprint already and don’t have all the goddamn manticore eyes, the best spot to farm them is the jagged waste. (i had to do 13-15 runs to get all 9 manticore eyes 
)
Lvl 60-70 Druid, Level 70 (GD 1.2.1.6) - Grim Dawn Build Calculator
Not much to be said, just keep your way trough vanilla campaign and DLC’s.
After getting honored with kymon’s chosen you can buy their Chosen Star of Thunder, it’s a decent choice until the endgame.
I got revered with malmouth’s faction at the end of elite difficulty, so i could buy their potions of clarity to speed things up on ultimate (just do all their quests and then do some dreven cole and council runs and you should become revered fast)
Lvl 70-80 Druid, Level 83 (GD 1.2.1.6) - Grim Dawn Build Calculator
Started Ultimate on lvl 81.
Same thing as on elite, check resistances, activate monster totems and upgrade your gear. At this point you should be getting revered with most factions!
Lvl 80-90 Druid, Level 90 (GD 1.2.1.6) - Grim Dawn Build Calculator
At this point i was ending all the vanilla and dlc’s content.
Don’t forget upgrading your gear, look for lightning dmg affixes.
It’s time to begin the endgame gear farming!
Return to ugdenbog to farm your main weapon.
Narbalgal is waiting to hand you a nice endgame version of the groble sky effigy
Remember paying sméago… i mean, our hideous pal, gollus some visits
Speaking of gollus’, i dropped our hands armor blueprint from him, but since it’s a random drop, it’s more likely you’re gonna get it from monster totems or dungeons
If you activated lots of monster totems and sold all the unwanted loot, it’s time to get poor again
go craft a decent Emberguard Gauntlets (i crafted mine on Angrim’s)
I planned on using the ever popular Dreeg-Sect Legguards until i got a better gear, and even dropped a decent one
But turned out i got lucky while farming totems and dropped BiS pants for this build
I planned using Elite Legion Greaves until i drop the Intrepid Warboots blueprint, but i managed to drop the Mythical Boots of Primordial Rage on the first stages of the ultimate difficulty (The warboots are a very decent option too… maybe even better with the right affixes, if you didn’t dropped the legendary boots)
Return to the darkvale entrance to kill more zarias and get a nice pendant
Don’t forget zapping aetherials asses on port valbury dungeons to get our endgame version of the head armor and belt.
Buy the Elite Chosen Mantle from kymon’s chosen shop. It will helpful for now.
Remember paying some visits to valaxteria to farm a endgame version of the chest armor.
Remember i told you to ally with cult of bysmiel earlier?
You can buy the Bysmiel Mark of Storms for your medal for now from their shop.
Char lvl 100 first spec Druid, Level 100 (GD 1.2.1.6) - Grim Dawn Build Calculator
With this budget setup you can farm all monster totems and skeleton key dungeons and vanilla+DLC’s bosses are very easy for this char too.
This budget setup can also deal with lokarr and bourbon clones.
Some video proof:
Theodin Marcell
Korvaak
Rashalga (mad queen)
Kra’vall
Lokarr
Bourbon clones
Steps of torment
Tomb of the heretic
Ancient grove
Bastion of chaos
Port Valbury
Update 1 Druid, Level 100 (GD 1.2.1.6) - Grim Dawn Build Calculator
Crafted gloves, changed the pants armor.
Update 2 Druid, Level 100 (GD 1.2.1.6) - Grim Dawn Build Calculator
Finally got nemesis with the chtonians, managed to farm the Benn’Jahr’s Shoulderguards, try getting nice affixes if you can.
Update 3 Druid, Level 100 (GD 1.2.1.6) - Grim Dawn Build Calculator
Dropped a nice version of Kaisan’s Eldritch Eye while farming tomb of the heretic. (Easy fight, take a look on the Tomb of the heretic video) and changed the amulet.
After this update, i began the Shattered realm grinding:
SR5
SR9
SR17
All right, i finished all those bosses and dungeons, what’s next?? 
You can farm totems, dungeons and SR for the celestial killer spec, the Ludrigan’s Pride.
The definitive endgame amulet is the Mythical Celestial Stone of Halakor
After some days of farming you should be ready to transition to the ludrigan spec.
My endgame build: Druid, Level 100 (GD 1.2.1.6) - Grim Dawn Build Calculator
This spec can deal with all celestials in the game:
Mogdrogen
Callagadra
Ravager of flesh
Crate of entertainment
Hope you enjoy this build guide!!
Thank you all for reading!
