Diablo 4's cutest item is teasing a class that cannot wear it
A Witch Doctor relic, a Spiritborn hint, and a class list that fits neither.
More memorable items from older games will make their way into Diablo 4 with Season 15, but Henri's Perquisition is easily the cutest of the new (old) Legacy Uniques. If you have not played Diablo 3, we are talking about a Focus item with a tiny cat attached, and its unusual Dexterity power now has the community wondering if Henri is carrying a clue about a future class.
Before we get too excited, though, this is only a player theory... but it is a very fun one.
Henri Has Been Chasing the Same Mouse Since Diablo 3
Henri’s Perquisition first appeared in Diablo 3 as a Legendary Mojo for the Witch Doctor, a class that used Intelligence rather than Dexterity. Its lore explains that the enchanter Yanashima hired Paul of Westmarch to help create a powerful mojo. During the process, Paul's cat Henri leapt into the mixture while chasing a mouse and became an inseparable part of it.
The mouse was never seen again. Henri, however, is apparently still looking for it.
The original item reduced the first hit taken from an enemy by 60-80% and then charmed that enemy for three seconds. Diablo 4 is changing both its slot and its power, but it has kept the most important part: the cat is still there. Players who saw the item during the 3.2 PTR even noticed that Henri blinks.
Its Dexterity Power Is an Odd Fit
In Diablo 4, Henri's Perquisition returned on the 3.2 PTR as an Offhand Focus for Sorcerers, Necromancers, and Warlocks. These are currently the only three classes able to use a Focus. Its PTR power read:
You gain Primary Stat equal to 85-115% of your Dexterity.
That class list makes the Dexterity conversion quite unusual. Sorcerers and Necromancers use Intelligence as their main stat, and Warlocks use Willpower. None of the three classes normally stack Dexterity through their regular class-specific gear affixes. They can still pick up Dexterity through their Paragon Boards and All Stats bonuses, but doing so means spending resources on a stat their builds would usually ignore.
Season 15 also gives Henri one possible partner. The Unique Splinter of the Black Soulstone granted up to 50 All Stats on the PTR. That includes 50 Dexterity plus 50 Intelligence or Willpower, depending on your class. Even before Henri's percentage Dexterity affix is applied, a perfect 115% roll would turn that extra Dexterity into another 57.5 points of primary stat.
Henri also rolled with a percentage Dexterity affix on the PTR, giving the Focus even more Dexterity to convert. So there is a real build interaction behind the item, even if we do not yet know if it will be strong enough to justify using Henri over another Focus.
So Who or What Is the Dexterity For?
That strange combination of a Focus using Dexterity has led to a fun little theory on the Diablo 4 forums. If Henri's Perquisition scales off Dexterity, maybe it was originally created for a Dexterity-based class that would use a Focus. And since the item was a Witch Doctor Mojo in Diablo 3, the Witch Doctor itself has become the obvious dream pick for a lot of players.
There is a catch, though, and the item's own flavor text reveals it...
Henri's New Lore Points Somewhere Else
The Witch Doctor theory becomes even stranger once you read Henri's new flavor text:
"It's just a cat," said Ankaj. Her uncle leaned in, "You are spiritborn. Look deeper."
Ankaj looks into Henri's eyes, sees the passing of ages, and discovers that the cat remains focused on one thing: "Mouse."
That reference seems pretty deliberate because Spiritborn and Rogue are Diablo 4's Dexterity-based classes. And yet, Henri cannot be equipped by Spiritborn. The Focus is limited to Sorcerers, Necromancers, and Warlocks.
There could be a simple balance explanation. Henri converts 85-115% of your Dexterity into your primary stat. For a Spiritborn, Dexterity is already the primary stat, so the item could almost double it before its percentage Dexterity affix is even considered.
Taken together with the Paragon and Black Soulstone interactions, Henri looks more like an unusual stat-conversion experiment than preparation for a secret class. It is still a Witch Doctor relic with Spiritborn flavor text, Dexterity scaling, and a class list containing neither.
Somehow, the tiny cat has only made this mystery stranger...
