Poison Trap Endgame Rogue Build Guide for Diablo 4 (Season 1)

Build Introduction

The Poison Trap Rogue build melts foes into a puddle of goo. This is your guide to building a character for endgame activities in Diablo 4, with the optimal setup for Skills, gear and Paragon points.

Poison Trap deals high Damage Over Time (DoT) over a large Area of Effect (AoE), but it has a disadvantage of having a cooldown. Even with heavy investment into Poison Trap, Rapid Fire is needed to supplement more single target damage. Currently, it is better to fully invest into a Core Skill, and use traps as a utility instead of a main source of damage.

If you still want to fulfill a trapper fantasy, then continue with our Poison Trap Rogue! Alternatively, check out our Dual Core Flurry Rapid Fire Rogue for the fastest speed farming build.

The only starting requirement for this endgame build guide is a character around Level 50 in World Tier 3. Check our Rogue Leveling Guide if you need help getting there.

Strengths and Weaknesses

To see how this build compares to the other builds on our site, you can check out our build tier lists.

Season of the Malignant

Season 1 Patch Updates

The following list details the changes in the Season 1 Patch Update that are specific to this build. Check the Changelog for all the other guide updates.

• Siphoning Strikes now also requires a Lucky Hit chance of 75%.
• Preparation’s Ultimate Cooldown reduction increased from 4 to 5 seconds.
• Supreme Death Trap Cooldown reduction increased from 10 to 12 seconds.
• Concealment Stealth duration increased from 4 to 5 seconds.
• Aspect of Retribution bonus damage to Stunned reduced from 20-40% to 10-20%.
• Aspect of Disobedience maximum stacks reduced from 100 to 60, reducing maximum Bonus Armor % from 25%-50% to 15%-30%.

In addition to the build specific changes, multiple sources of Critical Strike Damage and Vulnerable Damage were reduced globally for all classes. Rogues did not receive any major nerfs to damage directly to their class. The biggest direct change to Rogues is the addition of a Lucky Hit Chance requirement for Siphoning Strikes, significantly reducing their survivability. All other classes received much heavier nerfs, making Rogue a top pick for season 1.

Patch 1.1.1

The second major update for Season 1 brings a few buffs to Rogues in Patch 1.1.1, released on August 8th, 2023. Listed below are the changes directly affecting the Poison Trap build.

• Siphoning Strikes
  • Lucky Hit chance increased from 75% to 85%.
• Aspect of Quickening Fog
  • You automatically drop a Smoke Grenade at the end of Dash. Smoke Grenades reduce Dash’s cooldown by .4-.6 seconds per target hit, up to 2-3 seconds.

Best Malignant Hearts Tier List for Poison Trap Rogue

The Season 1 theme introduces Malignant Hearts that provide build-altering bonuses. The hearts are divided into 4 categories, each with a color that needs to be socketed in the corresponding colored Malignant Socket on equipped jewelry. Wrathful Hearts are a special case due to their rarity, and can be placed in any Socket. 

Always socket Malignant Hearts instead of a Skull in Jewelry. Malignant Hearts provide an Armor bonus that scales with its Item Power.

Listed below is the Malignant Hearts Tier List for Poison Trap Rogue, ranked by importance. Stats displayed reflect what a Level 20 character would receive as a drop.

1. Caged Heart of The Barber (Wrathful, Super-World Tier III): Critical Strikes and all subsequent damage within 2.0-4.0 seconds is absorbed by your target. Then, the absorbed damage erupts onto surrounding enemies. Stored damage is increased by 10% per second. – Fixed in Patch 1.1.1 to work with “on hit” effects and Lucky Hit chance.
2. Caged Heart of Revenge (Brutal, Defensive-World Tier III): 10-20% of incoming damage is instead suppressed. When you use a Defensive, Subterfuge or a Macabre skill, all suppressed damage is amplified by 250% and explodes, dealing up to 1360-2040 Fire damage to Nearby enemies.
3. Caged Heart of Tempting Fate (Vicious, Offensive-World Tier III): You gain 40-60% Critical Strike Damage but your Non-Critical Strikes deal 20-15% less damage.
4. Caged Heart of the Dark Dance (Vicious, Offensive-World Tier III): Every 5 seconds while above 60% Life, Core Skills cost 68-51 Life instead of your Primary Resource. Skills that consume Life deal 10-20% increased damage.
5. Caged Heart of the Picana (Vicious, Offensive): Critical Strikes electrically charge the enemy for 0.75-2.50 seconds, causing lightning to arc between them and any other charged enemies dealing 68-136 Lightning damage.
6. Caged Heart of Cluster Munitions (Vicious, Offensive): Lucky Hit: You have up to a 20% chance to launch 3 Stun Grenades that deal 26-32 Physical damage and Stun enemies for 0.50 seconds.
7. Caged Heart of the Clipshot (Devious, Utility): Lucky Hit: Up to a 20-40% chance for your Cutthroat Skills to Slow by 40% for 3 seconds and your Marksman Skills to Knock Back enemies.

Skill Tree Points and Skill Bar

Skill Bar Setup for Trapper Rogue (order does not matter)

Poison Trap Rapid Fire Death Trap Puncture Concealment Dash

The following tables show the full allocation of Skill Points for the Poison Trap Rogue build. The first table has the most important 48 points to start the build. The second table has the remaining 10 points that are allocated once you obtain all Skill Points from Renown.

Priority Skills	Cluster
Puncture Level 1, Enhanced Puncture, Fundamental Puncture	Basic Skill
Rapid Fire Level 5, Enhanced Rapid Fire, Improved Rapid Fire	Core Skill
Dash Level 1, Enhanced Dash, Disciplined Dash	Agility Skill
Poison Trap Level 5, Enhanced Poison Trap, Subverting Poison Trap Concealment Level 1, Enhanced Stealth, Subverting Stealth Exploit Level 3, Malice Level 3 Agile Level 3	Subterfuge Skill
Deadly Venom Level 3	Imbuement Skill
Death Trap, Prime Death Trap, Supreme Death Trap Innervation Level 3, Second Wind Level 3 Trap Mastery Level 3	Ultimate Skill
Exposure	Key Passives

Remaining Renown Points	Cluster
Debilitating Toxins Level 3	Imbuement Skill
Adrenaline Rush Level 1, Haste Level 3	Ultimate Skill
Stutter Step Level 3	Core Skill

Poison Trap Rogue Specialization

Preparation is the preferred Rogue Specialization for this trapper build due to the focus on Poison Trap and Death Trap. Every 100 Energy spent reduces Trap cooldowns by 4 seconds and activating Death Trap resets all cooldowns for another rotation of Poison Traps.

Paragon

The Paragon progression system unlocks at Level 50 and provides a vast amount of character power. On Paragon Boards, bonuses range from minor stats on Magic Nodes to more powerful Rare Glyphs and Legendary Nodes.

As you path towards Glyph Sockets and Legendary Nodes, you should prioritize Damage, Dexterity, Resistance, and Life for Normal and Magic Nodes. Glyph radius increases as you level them up. Therefore, if you cannot fulfill Additional Bonus requirements early on, skip allocating extra nodes for now.

Listed below are the Legendary Nodes and Rare Glyphs to use for the Trapper Rogue build, sorted in the order obtained in Paragon.

Name	Effect
Chip	• For every 5 Dexterity purchased within range, you deal +2% increased Physical damage. • Additional Bonus (requires 40 Dexterity purchased in radius range): Physical damage increases the damage an enemy takes from you by 1%, up to 10%, for 15 seconds.
No Witnesses	Your Ultimate Skills deal 30% increased damage and grant you 10% increased damage for 20 seconds when cast.
Exploit	• For every 5 Strength purchased within range, you deal + [3.85%] increased damage to Vulnerable targets. • Additional Bonus (requires 25 Strength purchased in radius range): When an enemy is damaged by you, they become Vulnerable for 3 seconds. This cannot happen more than once every 20 seconds per enemy.
Exploit Weakness	Whenever you deal damage to a Vulnerable enemy, they take 1% increased damage from you for 6 seconds, up to 15%.
Versatility	• Grants + [144%] bonus to all Magic nodes within range. • Additional Bonus (requires 40 Dexterity purchased in radius range): Non-Basic and Non-Core Skills deal x15% increased damage.
Deadly Ambush	You deal 22.5% increased Critical Strike Damage to enemies affected by your Trap Skills.
Ambush	• For every 5 Strength purchased within range, you deal + [9.6%] increased damage to targets affected by Trap Skills. • Additional Bonus (requires 25 Strength purchased in radius range): Enemies affected by Trap Skills take x10% increased damage from you.

Starting Board

1. Path to the right and up to Prime. Purchase all 4 surrounding Magic Nodes.
2. Continue up to the first Glyph Socket. Insert Chip and purchase all nodes providing Dexterity in radius range for the Additional Bonus.
3. Obtain Lawless nearby. Magic Nodes providing Armor can be obtained for now, but those points are needed elsewhere in the end.
4. Obtain Skillful nearby and purchase 3 Magic Nodes providing Damage.
5. Continue up the left side to your first Board Attachment Gate. Attach No Witnesses after rotating the board clockwise 1 time.

No Witnesses (2nd Board)

1. Path up and right to Fleeting. Purchase all 5 surrounding Magic Nodes.
2. Continue right to Culler and purchase all 5 surrounding Magic Nodes.
3. Continue up and left to No Witnesses.
4. From the starting position at the bottom Board Attachment Gate, path up and left to Training. Purchase 3 Magic Nodes providing Maximum Life.
5. Continue to the Glyph Socket. Insert Exploit and purchase all Strength nodes in radius range.
6. Obtain Knowledge nearby and purchase 3 Magic Nodes providing Damage.
7. Continue up and right to Ruin. Purchase all 5 surrounding Magic Nodes.
8. Take the shortest route to the Board Attachment Gate on the left side. Attach Exploit Weakness without any board rotations.

Exploit Weakness (3rd Board)

1. Path left to Unassailable. Purchase all 5 surrounding Magic Nodes.
2. Continue left to Exploit Weakness.
3. Path back up and right to Cold Resilience.
4. From Unassailable, path down to Exploit. Purchase all 5 surrounding Magic Nodes.
5. Continue down and left to the Glyph Socket. Insert Versatility and purchase 40 Dexterity from nodes in radius range.
6. Obtain Artifice nearby and purchase 3 Magic Nodes providing Vulnerable Damage.
7. Take the shortest route to the Board Attachment Gate at the bottom. Attach Deadly Ambush after rotating the board clockwise 3 times.

Deadly Ambush (4th Board)

1. Path down and then right to Spring-Loaded. Purchase all 5 surrounding Magic Nodes.
2. Continue down to Deadly Ambush.
3. Continue left to the Glyph Socket. Insert Ambush and purchase all Strength nodes in radius range.
4. Obtain Engineering nearby and purchase 3 Magic Nodes providing Damage to Enemies Affected by Trap Skills.
5. Obtain Cunning nearby and purchase 3 Magic Nodes providing Damage Reduction from Enemies Affected by Trap Skills.
6. Path back right and down to Trapper. Purchase all 5 surrounding Magic Nodes.

Click this link and check the Paragon page on the planner for a visual of the entire tree.

Mechanics and Playstyle

The Poison Trap Rogue build requires careful management of cooldowns. Infiltrator’s Aspect allows you to place up to 4 Poison Traps while in Stealth from Concealment. Only the first Poison Trap placed applies Vulnerable from Subverting Stealth. If you try to place more than 4 traps, the first trap disappears and you lose the Vulnerable application.

Afterwards, you can activate Death Trap to reset all cooldowns with Preparation, the Rogue Specialization. Death Trap does not reset Concealment if you are still in Stealth. Exposure is also used to reduce Trap cooldowns. Rinse and repeat for another set of Poison Traps!

Damage is increased further with Exploit Malice, Deadly Venom and Trap Mastery.

Survivability is gained through Agile and Debilitating Toxins.

Finally, Stutter Step, Haste and Dash speed up movement for faster farming.

Lucky Hit

Both Rapid Fire and Fundamental Puncture hit multiple times per cast to increase the amount of Lucky Hit procs, activating Innervation, Exposure and Mangler’s Aspect. Lucky Hit Chance is further increased with Second Wind.

Status Effects

The Poison Trap Rogue utilizes multiple status effects to render enemies helpless.

Fundamental Puncture easily applies Vulnerable to a target with a single Basic attack. In group play, apply this debuff to Elites and Bosses so your teammates deal 20% more damage!

Once an enemy is Vulnerable, Mangler’s Aspect can Daze them. Dash also Dazes enemies by dropping an automatic Smoke Grenade with Aspect of Quickening Fog.

Stack Damage to Poisoned, Vulnerable, Dazed and Controlled Enemies on gear and the Paragon Board to scale your damage further.

Damage Rotation

Use the following rotation to optimize DPS.

1. Activate Concealment and get close to any enemies.
2. Place exactly 4 Poison Traps stacked on top of each other. If you try to place more than 4 traps, the first trap disappears and you lose the Vulnerable application from Subverting Stealth.
3. Cast Puncture to come out of Stealth or wait until it ends.
4. Cast Death Trap to pull enemies together and reset all cooldowns.
5. Spam Rapid Fire on the toughest enemies to finish them off.
6. Move on to the next pack of enemies or repeat the rotation against bosses.

Gear Choice and Stat Priority in the Endgame

Make sure to pick up all Rare Item drops that may be upgrades while you are farming with Poison Trap Rogue. Save Legendary Items with useful aspects in your stash to be used later for extraction and imprinting onto well rolled Rare Items.

When comparing weapons with similar item levels, Crossbows are preferred over Bows for the Vulnerable Damage implicit. The DPS value on Ranged Weapons is used for Rapid Fire. The DPS value on Dual Wielded Weapons is equally as important for Poison Trap and Death Trap damage. Swords are preferred over Daggers for the Critical Strike Damage implicit.

Stat Priority List

Listed below are the affixes to prioritize on gear for Trapper Rogues. Each line of affixes are listed in order of importance. Affixes on the same line are considered to be equally important, since their exact values differ for each character. All stats have an effect that is dependent on how much is already stacked. Bolded stats are the most important and sometimes vital for the build to function properly.

Legendary Aspects and Codex of Power

Listed below are all the best-in-slot Aspects found on Legendary Items that are important for the Poison Trap Rogue build. Aspects from the Codex of Power can be used if you cannot find the proper Legendary drops, but they have weaker effects. Extract Aspects from lower level Legendary Items and imprint them onto better Rare Items with preferred stats.

Resource Aspects, such as Aspect of the Umbral and Ravenous Aspect, help with Energy management early on. Unfortunately, they are limited to Ring slots and replace Offensive Aspects. Resource management is improved elsewhere in this build, so important separate damage multipliers are not lost.

Gear Slot	Aspect Name	Aspect Power
Ranged Weapon (+100% bonus effect)	Aspect of Repeating	Rapid Fire has a [25%] chance to ricochet to another target.
Amulet (+50 bonus effect)	Smiting Aspect	You have [10 – 20%] increased Critical Strike Chance against Injured enemies. While you are Healthy, you gain [20 – 40%] increased Crowd Control Duration.
Dual-Wielded Weapons, Rings or Gloves	Infiltrator’s Aspect	Poison Trap no longer breaks Stealth and triggers no Cooldown or arm time while you are in Stealth. All Poision Traps activate when you exit Stealth and Poison Trap’s Cooldown will be [5 – 8] seconds per trap placed.
Dual-Wielded Weapons, Rings or Gloves	Edgemaster’s Aspect	Skills deal up to [10 – 20%] increased damage based on your available Primary Resource when cast, receiving the maximum benefit while you have full Primary Resource.
Dual-Wielded Weapons, Rings or Gloves	Aspect of the Expectant	Attacking enemies with a Basic Skill increases the damage of your next Core Skill cast by [5 – 10%], up to 30%.
Dual-Wielded Weapons, Rings or Gloves	Rapid Aspect	Basic Skills gain [15 – 30%] Attack Speed.
Dual-Wielded Weapons, Rings or Gloves	Accelerating Aspect	Critical Strikes with Core Skills increase your Attack Speed by [15 – 25%] for 3 seconds.
Helm, Chest or Boots	Exploiter’s Aspect	You have 20% increased Crowd Control Duration. While enemies are Unstoppable, you deal [20 – 50%] increased damage to them.
Helm, Chest or Boots	Aspect of Quickening Fog	You automatically drop a Smoke Grenade at the end of Dash. Dash’s Cooldown is reduced by [0.4 – 0.6] seconds for each enemy Dazed this way, up to [2.0 – 3.0] seconds.
Helm, Chest or Pants	Aspect of Might	Basic Skills grant 20% Damage Reduction for [2 – 6] seconds
Helm, Chest or Pants	Aspect of Disobedience	You gain [0.25 – 0.50%] increased Armor for 4 seconds when you deal any form of damage, stacking up to [15.00 – 30.00%].

Unique Items

Eyes in the Dark

The Unique Pants, Eyes in the Dark, synergizes well with this trapper build. It can potentially add more DPS for clearing packs of enemies, but it is only useful in high difficulty content where enemies do not already die immediately.

Not Recommended Unique items

Listed below are the Unique Items not recommended for this build and the reasons they are not worthwhile.

• Skyhunter – This Unique Bow is a huge DPS loss compared to a Legendary Crossbow with well-rolled affixes, a Vulnerable Damage implicit and an Offensive Aspect with +100% bonus effect on 2-Handed Weapons.
• Asheara’s Khanjar – The Attack Speed bonus on this Unique Dagger is decent, but the rest of its affixes are lacking. A Legendary Sword with well-rolled affixes and an Offensive Aspect is more beneficial.
• Grasp of Shadow – These Unique Gloves provide up to +3 Ranks for all Core Skills, but Legendary Gloves with +4 Ranks of Rapid Fire are better. The summoned Shadow Clone attack does significantly less damage than the original attack being copied.
• Temerity – These Unique Pants provide a consistent Barrier when paired with Siphoning Strikes. Conceited Aspect can also be used with this Barrier generation for increased damage, but this build already has enough Offensive Aspect choices. Using Temerity causes you to miss out on 4 Damage Reduction affixes and an Aspect from Legendary Pants, making them not worthwhile.

Gems

Listed below are the best Gems to socket into gear for each slot type for the Poison Trap Rogue build.

• Weapon: Royal Emerald for Critical Strike Damage to Vulnerable Enemies.
• Armor: Royal Ruby for Maximum Life or Royal Topaz to prevent deaths from chain Crowd Controls.
• Jewelry: Malignant Hearts if playing Season 1. Otherwise, Royal Skull for Armor.

Elixirs and Health Potions

Visit the Alchemist in any main town to craft helpful Elixirs that increase stats and experience gain for 30 minutes. Make sure to forage plants and pick up the necessary crafting materials during your adventures; they randomly spawn around the world. Craft a Precision Elixir or Assault Elixir.

Return to the Alchemist again when you reach Level 20, 30, 45, 60, 70, 80 and 90, to upgrade your potion. The extra healing is essential to survival.

Changelog

• August 30th, 2023: Not Recommended Unique Items section added.
• August 2nd, 2023: Patch 1.1.1 section added with build specific changes.
• July 18th, 2023: Guide updated for Season 1.
• July 14th, 2023: Stat Priority List reevaluated.
• July 12th, 2023: Aspects reevaluated.