Adaptive Spell Dmg

[calcem]

I’ve picked up LE again after about 6-8 months of not playing. The last time I played caster there were no staves and caster 1H had %base spell damage increases instead of flat adaptive base.

Since I changed computers and all my characters wiped, I’ve restarted on the same builds I had before. I’ve noticed now that I do a lot less spell damage than I did before. When wands and such had %base, any flat increases (from mastery and skill nodes) would sky rocket my damage. Now however flat increases are only small increments; and my spell builds deal significantly less damage. My lvl 70 lightning Tornado shaman, with more spellpower + lightning damage now (thanks to tweaks in the shaman tree), only crits 800 whereas with subpar gear I used to crit 2.2k. The difference is crazy, and it’s forced me to use the new avalanche tree.

Was the change only visual and the calculations are the same (which tells me spells were hard nerfed), or was this difference in damage intentional?

[feltesjr]

I think more of the change you’re noticing is that while you were gone, they added significant amounts of armor and protections to enemies (and simultaneously reduced their total health to match). So you should be doing in the same ballpark of enemies’ % health per hit, but the absolute damage numbers are much lower. I.e. enemies with 40% less total health but with increased protections.

It does feel kinda bad if you like looking at big numbers, but the build itself shouldn’t be nerfed too significantly.

[calcem]

Mmmmm your right, enemies didn’t have armor and protections back then… Explains why shock didn’t do anything. That would explain it perfectly, thank you.