Fortify is a significant element among the myriad of stats, status effects, buffs, and debuffs found in Diablo 4. This stat directly impacts your character’s ability to withstand Sanctuary’s fearsome and hellish battles. So, if you find yourself struggling to maintain your health bar, learning about the mechanics of Fortify is crucial. In this article, we will delve into the gameplay mechanics of Fortify, how to use it, and the Skills and Aspects that can activate this effect in Diablo 4.
Diablo 4 Fortify Explained
Fortify in Diablo 4 is a crucial mechanic that focuses on reducing the damage taken from enemies, allowing your character to withstand more hits before succumbing to defeat. Here are some key points to better understand this effect:
1. 10% Less Damage
This mechanic functions similarly to the “armor” stat found in many RPGs and FPS games. When Fortify is active, you will experience a 10% reduction in damage from enemy attacks and abilities.
2. Denoted by the Extra Red Layer in the Life Globe
Your current Fortify value is visually represented by an additional red layer above your Life value inside of the Life Globe (aka “Health Globe”). Once your Fortify value becomes equal to or more than your current Life value, you become “Fortified,” and the Life Globe is surrounded by an extra “shield.”
3. Max Life = Max Fortify
Your maximum Fortify value aligns with your maximum Life value. For instance, if you have a maximum Life of 1000, your Fortify value cannot exceed 1000.
4. 10% is Just the Base Value
Fortify initially provides a 10% damage reduction, but you can scale it way higher through various means. Making use of specific Skills, Passives, Paragon Points, Aspects, and socketing Sapphire Gems into your armor are among the methods to enhance and raise your Fortify value.
In the following section, we will explore the class-specific Skills and Aspects that can trigger and enhance the Fortify effect in Diablo 4.
All Fortify Skills in Diablo 4
Below you will find complete lists of every Fortify-related Skill, Passive, Enhancement, and Upgrade in Diablo 4, categorized by Class:
D4 Druid Fortify Skills
| Name | Type | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Safeguard | Passive | Critical Strikes with Earth skills Fortify you for 2% of your Base Life. |
| Stone Guard | Passive | While you have Fortify for over 50% of your Maximum Life, your Earth Skills deal 4% increased damage. |
| Defensive Posture | Passive | Increases the amount of Fortify you gain from all sources by 5%. |
| Thick Hide | Passive | Whenever you are Stunned, Immobilized, or Knocked Down, Fortify for 6% of your Base Life (X). |
| Unrestrained | Passive | Reduce the duration of control impairing effects by 3%. Triple this effect while you are Fortified for over 50% of your Maximum Life. |
| Nature’s Resolve | Passive | 5% chance when struck to Fortify you for 4% of your Base Life (X). |
| Natural Fortitude | Passive | Shapeshifting Fortifies you for 1% of your Base Life (X). |
| Fierce Earth Spike | Upgrade | Fortify for 2% of your Base Life (X) whenever Earth Spike damages enemies who are Stunned, Immobilized, or Knocked Back. |
| Preserving Earthen Bulwark | Upgrade | Casting Earthen Bulwark grants 18% of your Base Life as Fortify. |
| Ferocious Wolves | Upgrade | Lucky Hit: Your Wolves’ attacks have up to a 10% chance to Fortify you for 5% of your Base Life. |
| Natural Boulder | Upgrade | While you have any Fortify, Boulder has 20% increased Critical Strike Chance. |
| Natural Trample | Upgrade | Casting Trample grants 20% of your Base Life (X) as Fortify. |
| Enhanced Maul | Enhancement | If an enemy is hit by Maul, then Fortify for 2% of your Base Life. |
| Enhanced Debilitating Roar | Enhancement | Debilitating Roar also Fortifies you for 22% of your Base Life. |
D4 Barbarian Fortify Skills
| Skill | Type | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Thick Skin | Passive | Each time you take direct damage, gain 0.4% of your Base Life (1) as Fortify. |
| Defensive Stance | Passive | Increase the Damage Reduction gained while you are Fortified by an additional 3%. |
| Counteroffensive | Passive | While you have Fortify for over 50% of your Maximum Life, you deal 5% increased damage. |
| Strategic Iron Skin | Upgrade | Iron Skin also grants 15% of your Base Life as Fortify. Double this amount if cast while below 50% Life. |
| Strategic Rallying Cry | Upgrade | Rallying Cry grants you 10% of your Base Life as Fortify. While Rallying Cry is active, you gain an additional 2% of your Base Life as Fortify each time you take or deal direct damage. |
| Mighty War Cry | Upgrade | War Cry grants you 15% of your Base Life as Fortify. |
| Enhanced Bash | Enhancement | Damaging a Stunned enemy with Bash grants you 10% of your Base Life (X) as Fortify. Double this amount when using a Two-Handed weapon. |
D4 Necromancer Fortify Skills
| Name | Type | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Drain Vitality | Passive | Lucky Hit: Hitting enemies with Blood Skills has up to a 25% chance to Fortify you for 2% of your Base Life. |
| Necrotic Carapace | Passive | When a Corpse is formed from your Skills or your Minions, Fortify for 2% of your Base Life. |
| Initiate’s Hemorrhage | Upgrade | Hemorrhage grants 1.6% of your Base Life as Fortify each time it hits an enemy and has a 1.5% chance per enemy hit to Fortify you for 100% of your Base Life. |
| Supernatural Blood Surge | Upgrade | Each time an enemy is hit by Blood Surge’s nova, you are Fortified for 1% of your Base Life. While you have Fortify for over 50% of your Maximum Life, Blood Surge deals 20% increased damage. |
| Dreadful Blood Mist | Upgrade | Blood Mist Fortifies you for 0.5% of your Base Life each time it hits an enemy. |
| Dreadful Bone Prison | Upgrade | Fortify for 5% of your Base Life for each enemy trapped by Bone Prison. |
Note: The Rogue and Sorcerer classes currently do not have any Fortify-related Skills in Diablo 4.
All Fortify Aspects in Diablo 4
Below is a list of all the available Fortify-related Legendary Aspects in Diablo 4 currently:
| Aspect | Category | Class | Effect | Dungeon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aspect of Numbing Wrath | Defensive | Barbarian | Each point of Fury generated while at Maximum Fury grants [X] Fortify. | Heathen’s Keep, Hawezar |
| Aspect of Tempering Blows | Defensive | Barbarian | After Swapping weapons 6 times, gain [X] Fortify. | Defiled Catacomb, Fractured Peaks |
| Steadfast Berserker’s Aspect | Defensive | Barbarian | Lucky Hit: Up to a 35% chance to gain [X] Fortify whenever you deal direct damage while Berserking. | N/A |
| Aspect of Retaliation | Offensive | Druid | Your Core skills deal up to [20-40]%[x] increased damage based on your amount of Fortify. | Seaside Descent, Dry Steppes |
| Ballistic Aspect | Utility | Druid | When you have Fortify, your Earth Skills gain +2 Ranks. | Whispering Pines, Scosglen |
| Skinwalker’s Aspect | Defensive | Druid | When you use a Shapeshifting Skill that changes your form, gain [X] Life. If you are at full Life, gain the same amount as Fortify. | Fading Echo, Kehjistan |
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That covers everything you need to know about the Fortify stat in Diablo 4.
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