Hunting Banshee needs at least 1 additional projectile without the use of items that grant them. Right now, its 1 until level 78(2) and it stays that way until at least level 125(3, after getting max skill charms). That is a huge jump. Level 78 is still early game and level 125 is late game. By then, more than half of the endgame charms should already be acquired.
While leveling, the skill can feel okay at times but its just as frequently underwhelming. Its pretty bad to have over 20 points invested in a spell that gets beat out by 1 point in Rain of Fire. Honestly, Rain of Fire should be nerfed, because its too good, but its the only way to beat bosses without repeatedly running out of mana from spamming HB. Without RoF, some ubers with lockout timers would be nearly impossible trying to survive while mana recharges. Creature of Flame and Judgement Day come to mind.
Now, playing on realm has the benefit of easier access to the few items that can solve the damage issue but not everyone plays on realm. Some people play single player and lots of people prefer to play ssf(on realm) for various reasons.
Naiad King
Naiad King
Flamen Staff (4)
Two-Hand Damage: 6 to 7
(Druid Only)
Required Level: 4
Required Strength: 18
Item Level: 1
Strength Damage Bonus: (0.06 per Strength)%
+1 to Druid Skill Levels
+6% Bonus Elemental Damage to Mark of the Wild
(21 to 30)% Duration Bonus to Mark of the Wild
+60 Spell Focus
+50% Damage to Undead
-(6 to 8)% to Enemy Fire Resistance
-(6 to 8)% to Enemy Cold Resistance
Fire Resist +(11 to 20)%
Lightning Resist +(11 to 20)%
Poison Resist +(11 to 20)%
Socketed (2)
Two-Hand Damage: 13 to 16
(Druid Only)
Required Level: 25
Required Strength: 32
Item Level: 31
Strength Damage Bonus: (0.06 per Strength)%
+2 to Druid Skill Levels
+9% Bonus Elemental Damage to Mark of the Wild
(41 to 50)% Duration Bonus to Mark of the Wild
+90 Spell Focus
+50% Damage to Undead
-(11 to 13)% to Enemy Fire Resistance
-(11 to 13)% to Enemy Cold Resistance
Fire Resist +(31 to 40)%
Lightning Resist +(31 to 40)%
Poison Resist +(31 to 40)%
Socketed (3)
Two-Hand Damage: 22 to 27
(Druid Only)
Required Level: 46
Required Strength: 69
Item Level: 51
Strength Damage Bonus: (0.06 per Strength)%
+4 to Druid Skill Levels
+12% Bonus Elemental Damage to Mark of the Wild
(61 to 70)% Duration Bonus to Mark of the Wild
+120 Spell Focus
+50% Damage to Undead
-(16 to 18)% to Enemy Fire Resistance
-(16 to 18)% to Enemy Cold Resistance
Fire Resist +(51 to 60)%
Lightning Resist +(51 to 60)%
Poison Resist +(51 to 60)%
Socketed (4)
Two-Hand Damage: 27 to 33
(Druid Only)
Required Level: 55
Required Strength: 138
Item Level: 77
Strength Damage Bonus: (0.06 per Strength)%
+6 to Druid Skill Levels
+15% Bonus Elemental Damage to Mark of the Wild
(71 to 80)% Duration Bonus to Mark of the Wild
+150 Spell Focus
+50% Damage to Undead
-(18 to 20)% to Enemy Fire Resistance
-(18 to 20)% to Enemy Cold Resistance
Fire Resist +(61 to 70)%
Lightning Resist +(61 to 70)%
Poison Resist +(61 to 70)%
Socketed (4)
is obviously the best for early leveling but has no spell damage. By level 100, the ideal upgrade is
Elverfolk
Elverfolk
Staves
'ChamIstVex'
Runeword Level: 83
+(7 to 8) to All Skills
+(60 to 80) Spell Focus
35% Cast Speed
-(27 to 33)% to Enemy Elemental Resistances
+750 Defense vs. Missile
(21 to 30)% to Energy
Maximum Life and Mana +5%
Elemental Resists +(35 to 45)%
(31 to 40)% Bonus to Defense
10% Magic Find
, and again, no spell damage. Beyond this there are sus, which a player can't expect to find playing solo, runewords that use great runes which can't be obtained until at least level 125 (assuming solo gameplay), and crafts. Crafting a decent stave takes a lot of luck. Not only is it important to try for at least as many skills as the currently used stave, but a good amount of spell dmg is important too. Crafting with sacred shrines for cold stats is almost a waste because while they do guarantee the cold stats, they are notoriously bad. I mean it feels like 95% of the time, its the lowest tier spell damage/pierce roll possible. Feels shitty when a high druid skill roll appears with 15% cold spell damage, 8 pierce and then 60% spell damage of a different element. I've always thought that high ilvl items shouldn't have the low(est) tier ed%/spell damage rolls in their spawn pools, because it just makes it that much harder to get something decent, when its already hard to do so.
Farming the right shrines is a pita because k3k is the ideal place to farm them and the build is very slow. The skeletons with the GDR aura are especially annoying.
Mana cost for hunting banshee is a bit higher than it should be. With about 70%+ mana regen, laek from
Earth Song
Earth Song
Hawk Helm (4)
Defense: (54 - 63) to (79 - 92)
(Druid Only)
Required Level: 4
Required Strength: 25
Item Level: 10
5% Cast Speed
+(11 to 15)% to Fire Spell Damage
+(11 to 15)% to Cold Spell Damage
+(11 to 15)% to Poison Spell Damage
+(21 to 40)% Enhanced Defense
Fire Resist +(11 to 15)%
Cold Resist +(11 to 15)%
Poison Resist +(11 to 15)%
+(8 to 13) Mana after each Kill
Socketed (2)
Defense: (211 - 238) to (276 - 311)
(Druid Only)
Required Level: 22
Required Strength: 50
Item Level: 31
10% Cast Speed
+(16 to 20)% to Fire Spell Damage
+(16 to 20)% to Cold Spell Damage
+(16 to 20)% to Poison Spell Damage
+(51 to 70)% Enhanced Defense
Fire Resist +(21 to 25)%
Cold Resist +(21 to 25)%
Poison Resist +(21 to 25)%
+(18 to 23) Mana after each Kill
Socketed (2)
Defense: (513 - 570) to (658 - 731)
(Druid Only)
Required Level: 39
Required Strength: 175
Item Level: 51
15% Cast Speed
+(21 to 25)% to Fire Spell Damage
+(21 to 25)% to Cold Spell Damage
+(21 to 25)% to Poison Spell Damage
+(71 to 90)% Enhanced Defense
Fire Resist +(31 to 35)%
Cold Resist +(31 to 35)%
Poison Resist +(31 to 35)%
+(28 to 33) Mana after each Kill
Socketed (3)
Defense: (788 - 908) to (1004 - 1157)
(Druid Only)
Required Level: 48
Required Strength: 350
Item Level: 77
20% Cast Speed
+(26 to 30)% to Fire Spell Damage
+(26 to 30)% to Cold Spell Damage
+(26 to 30)% to Poison Spell Damage
+(91 to 120)% Enhanced Defense
Fire Resist +(36 to 40)%
Cold Resist +(36 to 40)%
Poison Resist +(36 to 40)%
+(33 to 38) Mana after each Kill
Socketed (4)
&
Pollice Verso
Pollice Verso
Gauntlets (4)
Defense: (48 - 54) to (90 - 102)
Required Level: 10
Required Strength: 28
Item Level: 19
4% Chance to cast level 3 Time Strike when Attacked
+(24 to 40)% Enhanced Defense
+(7 to 10) to Strength
+(6 to 10) Life after each Kill
+(6 to 13) Mana after each Kill
Requirements -8%
Socketed (1)
Defense: (216 - 239) to (333 - 369)
Required Level: 27
Required Strength: 52
Item Level: 36
8% Chance to cast level 5 Time Strike when Attacked
+(58 to 75)% Enhanced Defense
+(12 to 16) to Strength
+(16 to 20) Life after each Kill
+(21 to 28) Mana after each Kill
Requirements -16%
Socketed (2)
Defense: (583 - 635) to (854 - 930)
Required Level: 44
Required Strength: 165
Item Level: 59
12% Chance to cast level 7 Time Strike when Attacked
+(92 to 109)% Enhanced Defense
+(18 to 24) to Strength
+(26 to 30) Life after each Kill
+(36 to 43) Mana after each Kill
Requirements -24%
Socketed (3)
Defense: (875 - 946) to (1274 - 1378)
Required Level: 52
Required Strength: 296
Item Level: 85
14% Chance to cast level 8 Time Strike when Attacked
+(109 to 126)% Enhanced Defense
+(25 to 30) to Strength
+(31 to 35) Life after each Kill
+(43 to 50) Mana after each Kill
Requirements -32%
Socketed (4)
, its tolerable for normal non-boss related stuff. Thats 60 levels of orb space on jewelry and 2 gear slots dedicated to maintaining a mana pool for a build that doesn't shine in the damage department. At least Earth Song is a good helm as-is.
With endgame gear, the build is actually pretty good but getting there is another story because damage is poor.
The Biting Frost
The Biting Frost
Flamen Staff (Sacred)
Two-Hand Damage: 48 to 51
(Druid Only)
Required Level: 100
Required Strength: 240
Item Level: 120
Strength Damage Bonus: (0.06 per Strength)%
Ember Spirit Nullified
+2 Hunting Banshee Projectiles
+(9 to 10) to Druid Skill Levels
+150 Spell Focus
25% Cast Speed
+50% Damage to Undead
+(25 to 40)% to Cold Spell Damage
-(20 to 30)% to Enemy Cold Resistance
15% to Energy
Physical Resist 5%
5% Reanimate as: Random Monster
Socketed (4)
gives two additional projectiles. Maybe instead of +2 it could give +1 and one could be worked into the base levels some way. A lower base level requirement with a cap of 3 would be nice. If it were 10, a player could hit 3 projectiles at base level 20 and then further scale the damage with sus/sha'ad helm and min/maxing spell damage and pierce.
Some decent runeword staves could be helpful. The ones that are actually useful for the build are too similar to one another, like + skills and pierce but 0 spell damage. The only option for a good midgame leveling/charming weapon is a craft and its risky investing time trying to craft something worthy when theres no guarantee of success in a reasonable amount of time, compared to other classes/builds that get by with a craft that just has high ed% and a proc.