Grasp of the Dead![]() Class: Witch Doctor Required Level: 2 Skill Category: Secondary Active Cost: 150 Mana Cooldown: 8 seconds Ghoulish hands reach out from the ground, slowing enemy movement by 60% and dealing 760% damage as Physical over 8 seconds. Damage Type: Physical ![]() |
Grasp of the Dead is a Physical spell used by Witch Doctors in Diablo III.
In-game
Creates a 15 yard radius circle of grasping undead arms that slow enemies and deal Physical damage over time as long as foes remain in the area.
Multiple areas can be conjured if the Witch Doctor manages to keep the cooldown below 8 seconds. In that case, damage of intersecting circles does not stack.
Runes:
- Unbreakable Grasp: Damage type changes to Cold, increases the Slow amount to 80% and removes Mana cost.
- Grasping Eels: Increases the damage done to 1360% over 8 seconds.
- Death Is Life: Damage type changes to Poison, and enemies who die while in the area of Grasp of the Dead have a 70% chance to summon a Zombie Dog.
- Desperate Grasp: Damage type changes to Poison, and cooldown is reduced to 4 seconds.
- Rain of Corpses: In addition to usual effect, two corpses also fall from the sky over 3 seconds. Each corpse is dropped at random enemy within 40 yards (not necessarily within the spell's area), dealing 210% damage as Physical to enemies within 5 yards of the impact points. The intersecting corpses, and corpses from different casts, may stack (unlike the spell itself).
Non-rune enhancements:
- Deadly Rebirth (Legendary Ceremonial Knife): adds Rain of Corpses rune to any other, and increases Grasp of the Dead damage by 45-60%.
- Swamp Land Waders (Legendary Pants): Sacrifice deals 300–400% additional damage against enemies affected by Grasp of the Dead.
- Wilken's Reach (Legendary Mojo): removes cooldown and increases damage by 45-60%.
- Helltooth Harness Set (Set Bonus for 2 items): damaging enemies with Grasp of the Dead will apply Necrosis, slowing enemies by 60% and inflicting 3000% damage per tick for 10 seconds. Elemental Damage type is chosen from the highest skill bonus of the character.
- Helltooth Harness Set (Set Bonus for 6 items): after casting Wall of Death, gain +17500% increased damage for 15 seconds for Grasp of the Dead.
- Zunimassa's Haunt Set (Set Bonus for 6 pieces): pets deal 15000% more damage to enemies damaged by Grasp of the Dead for 8 seconds, the effect does not stack.
Primary Skills
Poison Dart • Corpse Spiders • Plague of Toads • Firebomb
Secondary Skills
Grasp of the Dead • Firebats • Haunt • Locust Swarm
Defensive Skills
Summon Zombie Dogs • Horrify • Spirit Walk • Hex
Terror
Soul Harvest • Sacrifice • Mass Confusion
Decay
Zombie Charger • Spirit Barrage • Acid Cloud • Wall of Death • Piranhas
Voodoo
Gargantuan • Big Bad Voodoo • Fetish Army
Passive Skills
Jungle Fortitude • Circle of Life • Spiritual Attunement • Gruesome Feast • Blood Ritual • Bad Medicine
Zombie Handler • Pierce the Veil • Spirit Vessel • Fetish Sycophants • Rush of Essence • Vision Quest
Fierce Loyalty • Grave Injustice • Tribal Rites • Confidence Ritual • Creeping Death • Swampland Attunement • Midnight Feast