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Diablo 2: Lord of Destruction Werebear Guide
By Morrigan (c) 2002 (morrisama@juno.com)
Version 1.0 (last edited 5/15/2001)
Typed in Microsoft Word (Courier New Font Size 10)


Version Updates:

1.0 - FAQ was created.

Whenever I come across a druid I usually see Werewolves and the occasional
Elementalist. But why no werebears? Too slow? Well, they do not get any attack and speed bonuses. No fury attack either. But don't worry - with some help from equipment and skills werebears can more than make up for it. This is not the best guide for werebears, but it's more of a helping hand to anyone who wishes to take the path of the bear. I was compelled to write this when I saw no werebear FAQ on gameFAQs.

Note that this FAQ uses the version 1.09 patch.

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CONTENTS
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-Skills
-Shape Shifting Skills
-Summoning Skills
-Elemental Skills
-Attribute Points
-Items
-Strategies
-How to handle monsters
-Mercenaries
-Special boss battles
-Miscellaneous
-My last character
-Legal Stuff


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SHAPE SHIFTING SKILLS
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Werewolf - Level 1 Skill
Allows you to morph into a werewolf with bonuses to attack rating, speed, stamina, and life.

Advantages:
+Attack speed and AR bonuses are great

Disadvantages:
-No damage or defense bonuses

My suggestion:
This is a guide for bears, not wolves. But you need 1 point in it as a prerequisite for other skills. And from levels 2-6 it's nice to transform into anything.


Lycanthropy - Level 1 Skill
Increases the life and time duration of transformations. Additional levels increases bonuses at a steady pace.

Advantages:
+Who complains about more life?
+Less chance of morphing into a human in the middle of a battle

Disadvantages:
-Nothing else to add

My suggestion:
It varies from player to player, but you should invest at least 5-8 points early on. My bear is HC so I got 12 points in it early.


Werebear - Level 6 Skill
Allows you to morph into a werebear with bonuses to damage, defense and life.

Advantages:
+More bonus life than werewolf
+More yummy damage

Disadvantages:
-No bonuses to speed (in many aspects)

My suggestion:
This is what we're all about. Put 1 point in it to become the bear, and add more points later when you don't know where to put extra skill points.


Maul - Level 12 Skill
An attack that increases AR and damage each time you connect. A green ball will orbit around you showing when the maul bonuses are activated. As the ball grows, the more bonuses you receive. More points make the ball grow larger (although it's limited to around 5-7 sizes). It also has a stunning effect. The ball disappears after 20 seconds and if you have not hit anyone.

Advantages:
+The more you use it, the more damage you inflict
+It stuns - an ailment only champions and uniques are immune to

Disadvantages:
-Sort of like an Assassin's charge skill, you need to hit a few times with maul to gain all of its benefits

My suggestion:
Awesome skill. You can dish out the damage quickly with this skill. Max it to increase the bonuses and stun duration. It can put most enemies in stun lock too! The stun affect also carries over into other attacks, like hunger.


Feral Rage - Level 12 Skill
This is a werewolf-only skill, so it will not be discussed here. But you need one point in it as a prerequisite for other skills.


Fire Claws - Level 18 Skill
Adds AR and fire damage to an attack.

Advantages:
+It's a source of elemental damage, which is useful against Physical Immune
(PI) enemies.
+AR bonuses are very important for a bear

Disadvantages:
-Damage done by fire is a little weak in later stages of the game
-There's quite a few fire immunes in the world of Diablo II Expansion

My suggestion:
I'm not sure yet. I only have 1 point in it right now as a prerequisite. You might want to max this skill if you can't find a fast elemental weapon.


Rabies - Level 18 Skill
Again, this is a werewolf-only skill. No points.


Shockwave - Level 24 Skill
Your bear will lift up both arms as you roar/stomp the ground to cause 5 small shockwaves to damage and stun anything the waves touch. It can be controlled the same way an Amazon uses multishot - aim far for a tight, linear wave, or aim close for a fan. Champions/uniques are immune to the stun, but take the damage.

Advantages:
+At high levels the stun is insane. With mana leech you can just use shockwave, maul a few times, then repeat. Your enemies will just stand around dazed as you pound them into a pulp.
+It is the prime crowd control skill. A properly aimed shockwave will halt anything in its path, allowing you and your party to take them out easily.
+Mana cost is constant at all levels

Disadvantages:
-Damage is no good at later stages
-It is bugged so the duration is actually only around 50% listed even on Normal difficulty.

My suggestion:
I love this skill. A lot. You could replace this skill with an Act 3 Cold merc but then there's the deal with chill times at higher difficulties, cold immunes, how fragile the merc is, etc. This is the skill to use against mobs.
Even those pesky oblivion knights cannot escape the stun. It doesn't have to be maxed either - put enough points in it until you are in a comfortable stun length.


Hunger - Level 24 Skill
By biting your enemies you gain life and mana back. Increasing the skill levels adds to the life/mana stealing, as well as AR.

Advantages:
+At level one it has around 75% dual leech. Wowzers.
+Unless you are taking huge amounts of damage you can just use this skill to be invincible for a while.

-75% damage reduction. DOH! Well, this would be way overpowered without this penalty.

My suggestion:
You can get by with only 1 point in it, and use it if you are in need of some life/mana. Like shockwave it doesn't have to be maxed.


Fury - Level 30 Skill
Werewolf-only skill. Don't bother.


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ELEMENTAL SKILLS
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*I'm only going to mention those I feel should be considered

Arctic Blast - Level 6 Skill
An inferno like attack that does cold damage and chills.

Advantages:
+It's elemental damage that chills. It has uses against PIs.

Disadvantages:
-You have to be in human form to use it

My suggestion:
It isn't worth it, but 1 point should be put in it if you really want cyclone armor. Since you have to be in human form, you'll be quite vulnerable to attacks.


Cyclone Armor - Level 12 Skill
Call forth winds to absorb fire, lightning, and cold damage.

Advantages:
+It's armor that takes elemental damage for you (but not poison/magical)
+You can have it activated as a bear

Disadvantages:
-You need to be a human to cast it

My suggestion:
You could invest in it, but I don't think it's worth it. You'd need to go back to human form, cast, and then switch back. That's too much to ask for if you are in the middle of a battle.


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SUMMONING SKILLS
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Raven - Level 1 Skill
Summon raven(s) to peck away at enemies. More skill points add to damage and number of ravens, with a max of 5 ravens.

Advantages:
+Ravens cannot be targeted
+Free physical damage

Disadvantages:
-Damage output is worthless at later stages

My suggestion:
A summoning werebear should get 1 point in it as a prerequisite. It's fun to watch raven strike down monsters though :)


Poison Creeper - Level 1 Skill
Summons a vine that poisons enemies as it travels under the ground.

Advantages:
+Poisons monsters as you meet up with them

Disadvantages: