Diablo 3 Witch Doctor Pet Stats Scaling Guide

Diablo 3 Witch Doctor Pet Stats Scaling Guide by Peter

Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Pet Defense Test Results
3. Pet Offense Test Results (work in progress)
4. Fierce Loyalty Skill Benefits
5. Summary
6. Testimonials Supporting Viability of Pets in Hell and Inferno
7. Useful Links

1. Introduction
Hey all,

I’ve done some research on which stats scale with pets. Please share your findings as well, to support or contradict my results. Please feel free to critique my testing if you feel it is not accurate enough and I will try to do further testing once I have enough gold to spend.

I am testing my pets against a Walking Corpse (fat zombie) in nightmare mode, Act 1.
I try to use gear that has only one stat, strength/dexterity/vitality/Intelligence. So if I test Strength, it will be the only stat that has a high value, and the rest of the stats will be at base values unless otherwise specified.

Acronyms
DR = The percentage of damage reduction from either armor or physical reduction.

2. Pet Defense Test Results
2.1 No gear

Result: Gargantuan dies in 4 hits.

2.2 Strength Test (Strength increases armor)
Lvl: ~33 | Str: 545 | Dex: base | Int: base | Vit: base | Armor: 1729 (51.17% DR) | Physical Resistance: 11 (6.03% DR)

Result: Gargantuan dies in 10 hits.

2.3 Dexterity Test
Lvl: ~33 | Str: base | Dex: 535 | Int: base | Vit: base | Armor: 1134 (40.75% DR) | Physical Resistance: 11 (6.03% DR)

Result: Gargantuan dies in 8 hits.

2.4.1 Vitality Test
Lvl: ~33 | Str: base | Dex: base | Int: base | Vit: 574 | Armor: ? (39.78% DR) | Physical Resistance: 11 (6.03% DR)

Result: Gargantuan dies in 8 hits.

2.4.2 Vitality Test v2.0
Instead of the gargantuan, my dog is used, now that it has more health at level 48.
Dog was put through 6 deaths.

Lvl: 48 | Str: 55 | Dex: 55 | Int: 151 | Vit: 103 | Armor: 1376 (36.44% DR) | Dodge: 5.5% | Physical Resistance: 15 (5.92%) | No shield

Result: Dog took 15.33~ hits to die.

Lvl: 48 | Str: 55 | Dex: 55 | Int: 151 | Vit: 840 | Armor: 1368 (36.31% DR) | Dodge: 5.5% | Physical Resistance: 15 (5.92%) | No shield

Result: Dog took 14.16~ hits to die.

2.5 Intelligence Test (Intelligence increases Physical Resistance.)
Lvl: ~33 | Str: base | Dex: base | Int: 566 | Vit: base | Armor: 1164 (41.28% DR) | Physical Resistance: 57 (25.60% DR)

Result: Gargantuan dies in 10 hits.

2.6 Physical Resist Test

Lvl: ~33 | Str: base | Dex: base | Int: 173 | Vit: base | Armor: 1105 (40.11% DR) | Physical Resistance: 141 (46.12% DR)

Result: Gargantuan dies in 17 hits.

2.7 Dodge Test (No shield used)Lvl: 48 | Str: 55 | Dex: 55 | Int: 151 | Vit: 103 | Armor: 1376 (36.44% DR) | Dodge: 5.5%

Dog and Gargantuan were put through 105 hits.

Result: Dog dodged 3 times.
Result: Gargantuan dodged 6 times.

Lvl: 48 | Str: 116 | Dex: 962 | Int: 264 | Vit: 152 | Armor: 1325 (35.57% DR) | Dodge: 29.2%

Dog and Gargantuan were put through 105 hits.

Result: Dog dodged 28 times.
Result: Gargantuan dodged 42 times.

2.8 Block Test
Lvl: 48 | Str: 55 | Dex: 55 | Int: 151 | Vit: 103 | Armor: 1376 (36.44% DR) | Dodge: 5.5%
Block Chance: 21% | Block Amount: 544-819

Same armor value as Dodge Test 2.7.
Tested myself getting hit by the zombie with nothing on but my shield (571 Armor). It was already possible for me to fully negate the damage (with one exception where blocking still gave me 77 damage).
So it is safe to assume that with 1376 armor, a block will always negate all damage and the pet will receive no damage if it could block (no white flash indicating damage received).

Dog was put through 104 hits.

Result: Dog “did not receive damage” 3 times.

Comparing it with Dodge Test 2.7 shows that the 3 times where it did not receive damage is most likely from dodge, despite an extra 21% block chance. For the dodge test, no shield was used.

The dog also dies in around 15 hits, similar to the dodge test, showing that there are no partial blocks, or it would survive more hits.

3. Pet Offense Test Results
Coming soon…

4. Fierce Loyalty Skill Benefits
4.1 Pet Healing – Do these things heal pets?
Stats
Life Regeneration: Yes

Currently the stats below may require further testing because people have reported that they feel pets benefit from these stats, but only visible at high amounts. But for the small amounts that I used, pets do not seem to benefit from the stats.

Life Steal
From your damage: No
From dog’s auto attack: Unknown
From dog’s fire aura (Burning Dogs Rune): Unknown

Life On hit (Used 100+ value)
From your damage: No
From pet’s auto attack: No
From pet’s fire aura (Burning Dogs Rune): Unknown

Life Per kill (Used 400+ value)
From your damage: No
From pet’s auto attack: Unknown
From pet’s fire aura (Burning Dogs Rune): Unknown

Spells
Firebats + Vampire Bats Rune (gain 2.5% damage as life): No
Haunt + Consuming Spirit (79 Life per Second): No
Spirit Barrage + Phlebotomize (gain 3% damage as life): No
Spirit Walk + Healing Journey (7% of Max Life every second): Yes (Added as Life Regeneration value)

Passive Skills
Blood Ritual (1% of Max Health as Life Regen) – Yes (Added as a Life Regeneration value)

Literally only the Life Regeneration Stat on your Character Sheet heals pets once you have taken Fierce Loyalty passive skill.

4.2 Thorns Activation: How does it activate?
If you dodge: No
If you block (either partially or full): Yes
If your pet dodges: No

Thorns will only activate if your pet receives damage. That means if your pet dodges, thorns won’t activate.

4.3 Thorns Damage: What increases it?
Strength: No
Dexterity: No
Intelligence: No
Vitality: No
Pierce the Veil Skill: No

Nothing seems to increase Thorns damage. What you see on the Character Sheet is what you get. So far it always deals the full damage to the Zombie.

5. Summary
5.1 Do Stats Benefit Pets?
Defensive Stats to Increase Pet Survivability
Strength: Yes (through increasing armor)
Dexterity: Yes (through increasing dodge)
Intelligence: Yes (through increasing resistances)
Vitality: No

Block: No (but you want to use shield anyway for the extra armor that pets do benefit from)
Dodge: Yes
Armor: Yes
Physical Resistance: Yes
Cold Resistance: Unknown
Fire Resistance: Unknown
Lightning Resistance: Unknown
Poison Resistance: Unknown
Arcane/Holy Resistance: Unknown
Missile Damage Reduction: Unknown
Melee Damage Reduction: Unknown

Healing Stats to Heal Pets (must take Fierce Loyalty Skill)
Life Regeneration: Yes
Life Steal: No (needs more testing)
Life On hit: No (needs more testing)
Life Per kill: No (needs more testing)

Firebats + Vampire Bats Rune (gain 2.5% damage as life): No
Haunt + Consuming Spirit (79 Life per Second): No
Spirit Barrage + Phlebotomize (gain 3% damage as life): No
Spirit Walk + Healing Journey (7% of Max Life every second): Yes (Added as Life Regeneration value)

Blood Ritual Skill (1% of Max Health as Life Regen) – Yes (Added as Life Regeneration value)

Thorns: Yes (Thorns only activate if pet takes damage, won’t activate if it dodges)

6. Testimonials Supporting Viability of Pets in Hell and Inferno
Please share your experiences with pets if they are doing well in Hell and Inferno.

6.1 Pets doing ok in Hell mode.
http://us.battle.net/d3/en/forum/topic/5271500086#2 (MrMuffles)
http://us.battle.net/d3/en/forum/topic/5271500086?page=2#31 (Eggo)
http://us.battle.net/d3/en/forum/topic/5271500086?page=2#33 (Tewky)
http://us.battle.net/d3/en/forum/topic/5271500086?page=4#77 (Y05H1)
http://us.battle.net/d3/en/forum/topic/5271500086?page=4#78 (Legendary)
http://us.battle.net/d3/en/forum/topic/5271500086?page=7#132 (Philosophish)
http://us.battle.net/d3/en/forum/topic/5271500086?page=8#152 (Zagagel)
http://us.battle.net/d3/en/forum/topic/5271500086?page=8#153 (Hezzlin)
http://us.battle.net/d3/en/forum/topic/5271500086?page=10#198 (CECIL)
http://us.battle.net/d3/en/forum/topic/5271500086?page=11#213 (ClockieWorky)
http://us.battle.net/d3/en/forum/topic/5271500086?page=12#230 (Awesome)
http://us.battle.net/d3/en/forum/topic/5271500086?page=13#242 (Achickenbone)
http://us.battle.net/d3/en/forum/topic/5271500086?page=14#273 (Derksmash)
http://us.battle.net/d3/en/forum/topic/5271500086?page=16#302 (Delandw)
http://us.battle.net/d3/en/forum/topic/5271500086?page=18#347 (alTaqiyya)

6.2 Pets doing ok in Inferno mode Act 1.
http://us.battle.net/d3/en/forum/topic/5271500086?page=5#83 (Dozy)
http://us.battle.net/d3/en/forum/topic/5271500086?page=7#123 (Nbi)
http://us.battle.net/d3/en/forum/topic/5271500086?page=9#175 (Budha)
http://us.battle.net/d3/en/forum/topic/5271500086?page=10#188 (Death)
http://us.battle.net/d3/en/forum/topic/5271500086?page=13#243 (RAMPRIRE)
http://us.battle.net/d3/en/forum/topic/5271500086?page=13#244 (jungfreud)
http://us.battle.net/d3/en/forum/topic/5271500086?page=15#283 (Deths)
http://us.battle.net/d3/en/forum/topic/5271500086?page=18#357 (Branar) (Co-op)

6.3 People whose pets are better after changing the stats.
http://us.battle.net/d3/en/forum/topic/5271500086?page=2#33 (Tewky)
http://us.battle.net/d3/en/forum/topic/5271500086?page=5#92 (Pestwulf)
http://us.battle.net/d3/en/forum/topic/5271500086?page=5#93 (Porkman)
http://us.battle.net/d3/en/forum/topic/5271500086?page=5#94 (Pugking)

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