The upcoming second expansion for Diablo IV, tentatively referred to as Lord of Pat, is shaping up to be one of the most transformative updates the game has seen since launch. While expansions in action RPGs often introduce new content—zones, enemies, and storylines—this one goes much deeper. It fundamentally redefines how power is earned, how items are valued, and how players approach character building.

At the center of these changes lies a bold design decision: the complete removal of passive bonuses from skill trees. That single shift ripples outward, dramatically affecting some of the most dominant gear pieces in the game—most notably the Shroud of False Death and D4 materials. The result is not just a rebalance, but a philosophical pivot away from raw statistical scaling toward more meaningful gameplay choices.

The End of Passive-Dominated Power

In the current version of Diablo IV, passive skills play a massive role in defining a character’s strength. Large portions of skill points are invested not in active abilities, but in passive bonuses—damage multipliers, damage reduction, movement speed, and other stat increases.

These passives are deceptively powerful. Many of them stack multiplicatively, meaning that each additional point doesn’t just add power—it amplifies everything else. The result is exponential scaling, where a well-optimized build can achieve absurd levels of damage or survivability simply by stacking passive effects.

With the Lord of Pat expansion, that system is being removed entirely. No more passive nodes. No more passive capstones. Every point spent will now directly impact gameplay rather than quietly boosting numbers in the background.

This change alone forces a complete rethink of how builds function. But its biggest consequences are felt not in the skill tree—but in gear.

The Fall of the Shroud of False Death

For multiple seasons, the Shroud of False Death has been the uncontested best-in-slot chest armor for a vast majority of builds. Its dominance stems from one deceptively simple stat: +1 to all passives.

That single line is extraordinarily powerful. Because passives scale multiplicatively, gaining an extra rank in all of them can result in hundreds of percent increased damage depending on the build. In some cases, this effect alone outweighed every other stat on the item combined.

Ironically, the rest of the chest piece was often secondary. Its unique effect was rarely the reason players equipped it—aside from some minor utility like out-of-combat movement speed. The true value was always the passive boost.

With passives removed from the game, this item cannot function as it currently exists. A simple stat replacement won’t cut it. If Blizzard were to replace the passive bonus with a generic damage increase, the item would immediately lose relevance.

That means the Shroud of False Death must be completely redesigned.

And that’s a good thing.

A New Era of Chest Piece Diversity

For the first time in multiple seasons, the chest slot is opening up.

Previously, optimizing your build meant one thing: equip the Shroud. There was no real competition. Even powerful defensive or class-specific alternatives couldn’t compete with the sheer scaling provided by passive bonuses.

Now, that monopoly is gone.

Players will have real choices again:

Defensive mythics like Tyrael’s Might could rise in popularity, especially if survivability becomes more valuable in a rebalanced system.

Class-specific unique chest pieces—particularly those with transformative effects—will finally have room to shine.

Legendary chest pieces with strong defensive aspects may become viable, especially in hardcore or high-end content.

This shift is subtle but important. Instead of one mathematically superior option, the chest slot becomes a strategic decision: offense, defense, utility, or synergy.

Necklaces: The True Power Shift

If the Shroud of False Death defined one slot, necklaces defined the entire gearing philosophy of Diablo IV.

For most of the game’s lifespan, the best necklace wasn’t defined by creativity—it was defined by passive stacking. The optimal strategy was simple: roll as many passive bonuses as possible.

A perfect necklace might include:

+3 to a key passive

+2 to another multiplicative passive

Additional passive bonuses stacked on top

The result? A single item capable of delivering massive multiplicative damage increases, often dwarfing the impact of other gear slots.

This created several problems:

Extreme Power Gaps

The difference between a “good” necklace and a “perfect” one was enormous. A player with multiple passive rolls could vastly outperform someone without them.

Frustrating RNG

Rolling multiple desirable passives on a single item was incredibly rare. Chasing these items every season became tedious and repetitive.

Build Homogenization

Regardless of class or playstyle, the best necklace strategy was always the same: stack passives.

With passives removed, this entire system disappears.

Reimagining the Necklace Slot

The expansion presents a rare opportunity: redefine what necklaces are supposed to do.

Instead of being raw power multipliers, necklaces could become gameplay enhancers. Rather than boosting numbers, they could change how abilities behave.

Potential directions include:

Multicasting effects: Abilities have a chance to trigger multiple times

Arcing mechanics: Skills chain between enemies

Splintering projectiles: Attacks break into additional fragments

Recasting effects: Abilities repeat with modified power

These types of affixes don’t just increase damage—they create new playstyles. They encourage experimentation and give players reasons to build around mechanics rather than just scaling numbers.

If implemented correctly, this could make necklaces the most interesting gear slot in the game.

The Rise of Unique and Mythic Amulets

Another major consequence of removing passive rolls is the resurgence of unique and mythic necklaces.

Previously, these items were often ignored unless they were absolutely required for a build to function. A good example is the Dolmen Stone for Boulder Druid builds—an item used out of necessity, not preference.

Why? Because even the best unique necklace couldn’t compete with a legendary amulet stacked with passive bonuses. The raw damage loss was simply too great.

Now, that trade-off disappears.

Items like the Melted Heart of Selig—a mythic amulet that has seen multiple reworks—may finally have a place in endgame builds. Without the overwhelming pressure to maximize passive scaling, players can afford to explore items that offer utility, survivability, or unique effects.

This change alone could dramatically increase build diversity across all classes.

The Horadric Cube and Crafting Implications

Another system influencing these changes is the introduction (or expansion) of the Horadric Cube. With greater control over item crafting—such as adding affixes—the risks associated with passive stacking would have been even worse.

Imagine the old system combined with new crafting tools:

A necklace with four perfect passive rolls

An additional affix added through crafting

Endless reroll attempts to optimize outcomes

This would create an even larger gap between optimized and average gear, making balance nearly impossible.

By removing passive rolls entirely, Blizzard avoids this problem. The result is a cleaner, more controlled itemization system where power is distributed more evenly.

Better Balance Through Simplicity

One of the most underrated benefits of these changes is improved game balance.

When a single item slot can provide hundreds of percent multiplicative damage, balancing becomes a nightmare. Developers must account for both average and extreme cases, often leading to content that feels either too easy or unfairly difficult.

By removing these extreme scaling factors:

Damage curves become more predictable

Builds are easier to balance against each other

Content difficulty can be tuned more precisely

In short, the game becomes more stable without sacrificing depth.

A Shift Toward Gameplay Over Numbers

The broader philosophy behind these changes is clear: Diablo IV is moving away from invisible power and toward visible impact.

Instead of asking:

“How can I increase my damage by 300%?”

Players may start asking:

“How can I make my build more effective, more interactive, or more fun to play?”

That’s a subtle but important shift. It transforms the game from a numbers-driven optimization puzzle into a more dynamic and expressive experience.

What This Means for Players

For veterans, this expansion may feel like a reset. Many long-standing assumptions about gearing will no longer apply.

Best-in-slot lists will change dramatically

Previously ignored items may become top-tier

Build experimentation will be more rewarding

For newer players, the game may actually become more accessible. Without the need to understand complex passive stacking and multiplicative scaling, it becomes easier to build a functional character.

Conclusion: A Risk Worth Taking

The Lord of Pat expansion is not playing it safe. Removing passives from skill trees and gear is a radical move—one that could easily go wrong if not executed carefully.

But it’s also exactly the kind of change Diablo IV needs.

By dismantling systems that prioritized raw numerical scaling over meaningful choices, Blizzard is opening the door to a more balanced, diverse, and engaging game buy Diablo IV Items. Gear will matter not just because of how much power it provides, but because of how it changes the way you play.

If the new affixes, item reworks, and balance adjustments land successfully, this expansion could mark the beginning of a new era for Diablo IV—one where creativity, experimentation, and gameplay depth take center stage over pure mathematical dominance.