In patch 1.1.2 we introduced a fix which corrected an issue where conditional damage bonuses were applying incorrectly. This fix had some unintended consequences, which heavily impacted specific builds in ways players could not have anticipated. To correct this, we’re buffing these skills or effects to restore the power they had before this fix.
Normally we only provide advanced notice for nerfs to overperforming skills, however we understand these nerfs have been a bit of a pain point for many players, and so wanted to let you know - buffs are coming. We are currently planning for these changes to go out in next week’s planned patch (1.1.4), and are including the changes below for early review.
Upcoming Balance Changes
Earthquake
Earthquake now has a damage effectiveness of 700% (from 350%)
Earthquake’s Aftershocks now have a damage effectiveness of 200% (from 100%)
Shatterquake grants 40% more hit damage to chilled or frozen enemies. It was previously described as “30% more damage to chilled or frozen enemies”, and was actually giving two separate multipliers: 30% more hit damage to chilled enemies, and 30% more hit damage to frozen enemies. It was always a bonus exclusive to hits, but it being applied as two separate multipliers was unintended. Aftershocks still benefit from this node and are affected by this change the same as the initial slam.
Rupture grants 15% more initial slam damage (from 12%)
All nodes which referenced the “initial hit” now instead describe it as the “initial slam”. This is still referring to the damaging slam of Earthquake, as opposed to its Aftershocks. This clarification was made so that we could specify whether these effects apply generic more damage or specifically more hit damage. No functionality has changed in this regard, these are only clarifications.
The Harder They Fall’s description has been updated to clarify that it gives more hit damage for the initial slam (previously was ambiguous about whether it’s more damage or more hit damage)
Seismic Smash’s description has been updated to clarify that modifiers to Aftershock damage on this tree apply to the initial slam (previously stated “Increases to Aftershock damage on this tree apply to the initial hit”)
Witchfire
Base damage increased from 300 necrotic and 300 fire to 600 necrotic and 600 fire
Grimhilde’s Domain now grants Witchfire 2% more damage per 1% ignite chance with fire skills (from 1% per 1%), and 4% more damage per 1% damned chance with necrotic skills (from 3% per 1%). It now has alt text clarifying that these damage modifiers are additive with each other, but multiplicative with all other modifiers (this is not a change of functionality).
Damned Overload’s description has been updated to “You deal 2% more Damned damage to enemies per 1% missing health on you and 1% more damned damage per 2% missing health on the target” (previously stated it was giving 1% more Damned damage to enemies per 2% missing health on you). Its functionality has always matched this new description.
Upcoming Skill and Passive fixes
Disintegrate
Fixed a bug where Lucomancer’s stacks could fall off earlier than intended
Ghostflame
Fixed a bug where Ghostflame would display incorrect active and inactive tags on the skill panel
Forge Guard
Fixed a bug where Master of Arms did not grant its +2 strength with a two handed weapon if you were wielding a spear
Fury Leap
Fixed a bug where Fury Leap did not use cold VFX when the skill is converted to cold
Werebear Roar
Now uses the same text about cooldown recovery as Warcry
Swarmblade Form
Locust Master no longer mentions it buffs your Locusts, as that functionality was removed.
Earthquake
Snowcrash now properly mentions it consumes mana rather than adds a mana cost.
Wolf Howl (from Summon Wolf)
Now correctly mentions in the description how much this heals you and allies.
Gathering Storm
Thunderous Strikes typo fix.
Shield Rush
Desynchronous Charge now properly states it removes the Traversal tag.
Dark Regression increased mana cost now properly shows as a downside.
Forge Guard passives
Champion of the Forge threshold bonus now more clearly states that it grants additional critical strike multiplier while wielding a 2 handed weapon.
Fixed missing ´e´ in Master of Arms description
Falconry
Side by Side now correctly says Falcon Strike.
Removed the extra “your” from Rending Talons.
Net
Tinkerer’s Combo now correctly says the effect can trigger once per 2 seconds (from twice per 2 seconds).
Lethal Mirage
Sundering Blows typo fix.
Mage passives
Sun and Storms typo fix.
Sorcerer passives
Clarified that Lost Knowledge triggers on direct casts only.
Fixed Spelling of both versions of the Talons of Grandeur blessing
Summon Wraith
Echoes Inside has had its description updated, as it was contradicting its statline (it summons two additional wraiths, not three)
Glad to see the bug impacting the bug, err Swarmblade form, was also re-evaluated as part of these changes. You selectively choose skills based on some undisclosed combination of variables that likely included community whinging, internal testing, and server-side player data to name a few that might as well be described as witchcraft for the sense they make.
You’ve stepped on Swarmblade multiple times now. First with changes to Lightning scaling in Tornado no longer applying because tada procs are Storm Bolts now. And now ignoring the less vocal minority who cycle started Swarmblade like I did feeling a reason to come back to Primalist again who are sick of playing Werebear. Let’s also not forget the broader changes to dodge stacking and also ward retention+decay also having an impact on the Frostbite bug variant. It feels dirty getting dunked on repeatedly as a Swarmblade while the new shiny things introduced (Runemaster, Warlock, Falconer) have power crept so far ahead you still haven’t fully reigned them in. It’s also disappointing that you’d take this long to figure out/decide the bug fix impacted a specific subset of players too much to introduce some balance changes when they should have been introduced (if at all) when the bug fix was implemented.
I’ve been a supporter and player since 0.7.9 and while admittedly never pushed past 300c even in the beta days you need to seriously consider how poor the balance is with a Greater Lens (sorry, had to) in comparison to what new content is going to do for the health of the game long term. I took a 1 year hiatus after 0.9 and I think that’s the right call here and to come back around the 1.5 or 1.6 time frame to the game when it’s in a healthier, more enjoyable state.
On the topic of healthier state, it’s a coincidence that I quit the cycle yesterday primarily due to Temporal Sanctum crashes, faction favor gains/CoF imbalance, prophecy trigger timing, and corruption grinding as an alt-o-holic. When it ceases to be fun it’s time to move on. Comparatively I have the same $ investment in LE as I do PoE but the client crashes and stability issues for two leagues in a row, Heist and then Ritual, have kept me away from PoE for 3 years (3.13 → present day) with no decision to ever return. I have faith that LE will get there as it took D4 a year to get the base game polished, and it’s only fair in true airport style to say bye for now and see if you manage to get there at the end of the roadmap you have released so far.
Is it possible those crashes are the fault of a 13th or 14th gen Intel Processor? Between both generations, it’s estimated that 50% or more of processors might be affected.
I have noticed that the Monument of Protection added melee damage works for Shield Bash but isn’t working correctly for Shield Rush. Wonder if this can be looked into - was making a build using mainly Shield Rush because of this new weapon but since the added dmg isn’t working correctly I have had to convert over to Shield Bash.
Could the bug for upheaval’s rejuvenating splitters node be fixed? It states the shockwaves from another node on the tree can also shatter totems, but they do not. It’s been like this for a long time. Or perhaps remove that line of text if it isn’t intended to work
Also could falcon fists also give throwing damage to cinder strike so we could do some unarmed dagger throwing build combined with pillagers gold relic?
Would also be great to add a clarification to the conversion nodes (and Bhuldar’s Wrath) to mention that the conversion only applies to the initial slam and not to aftershocks (AFAIK these always stay phys).
@EHG_Kain Please also fix the “Wraith lord DRIFT” it’s driving us crazy we can only fix that with the experimental affix to teleport him next to us its so annoying
I thought I was going crazy with the Lucomancer bug lol I could not understand why it was falling off. good to know it’s getting fixed cause it’s gimping me a bit
