So, I’m working on a Grasping Vines build and fully intend on making it my main source of damage. I know full well I’m not going to be clearing bosses at rocket speed.
That being said, I’m wondering what the best way to scale up the damage would be. Here’s what I have so far:
Cunning (Raises physical damage and bleeding component)
Curse of Frailty (Reduces both physical and bleeding resistances)
Falcon Swoop devotion (Uses the same damage types, procs often with Vines)
Primal Bond (Raises physical and bleeding damage component)
Unfortunately, I don’t see occultist offering me much beyond just the Curse of Frailty. I COULD go Arcanist and attempt to convert the physical to elemental and scale it off of that but I don’t think that would be as effective as just stripping the resistances with Occultist.
As for equipment, I’m not sure. I’d certainly want to get both Grasping Vines and Entangling Vines to ultimate ranks. Two empowered briarthorn bands and Primal Bond push me into having a briarthorn. Wildblood Girdle seems to fit, as well.
Any other skills I’m not thinking of or pieces of equipment?
If you are willing to use Devouring Swarm (fits in with the theme and aesthetics of Grasping Vines pretty well in my opinion) the combination of that and Curse of Frailty can drop bleeding resist over 100% on their own. I also believe that the Blood Pact upgrade for Wendigo Totem increases bleed damage and duration for all of your spells in addition to adding survivability and health regen. Savagry charges boost bleed damage but that might defeat the purpose of trying to make a grasping vines build.
From other classes I’m pretty sure the only other skills that could help boost the damage of Grasping Vines would be the Nightblade skill Anatomy of Murder, (+96% bleed, 30-something percent extra damage to humans, and free cunning points) The Soldier skills Fighting Spirit (+200% all damage conditionally) and Deadly Momentum ( +65% physical and bleed damage for a period after attacking with Cadence) and the Arcanist skill Arcane Will (+140% all damage conditionally)
As far as devotions go there are a bunch of devotion points that increase physical damage and bleed damage. The only other active effect that can proc off of grasping vines is Rend, from the Huntress constellation.
Overall if you are really serious about going whole hog with the Grasping Vines, I think it might make the most sense to go conjurer to pick of Curse of Frailty, Blood of Dreeg (for the health regen) and maybe Bloody Pox since it would add another bleed DoT and doesn’t have much of an animation.
I think there was some discussion on this earlier.
Converting the base damage to Elemental then scaling it that way is fairly effective. You can also sub Arcanist for some single target spells along with all it’s goodies.
Depends if you are going physical or bleeding. You’re going to need some resistance reduction either way. By far the best option is Curse of Frailty (as it reduces both).
For a bleeding focus, attach Rend to your Grasping Vines. Otherwise there are some physical reduction options such as Warcry (w/ transmuter), Assassin’s Mark and the aforementioned COF.