New affix information from strategy guide? (NO PLOT SPOILERS)der=0

[z00t]

This one image is from a photo from the strategy guide's affix section. I guarantee no plot spoilers - it's just like looking at the affix section of Diablonut, except maybe more accurate.

http://i.imgur.com/X0EW5.jpg

What intrigues me is that it only lists 'Ceremonial Knife', 'Voodoo Mask', and 'Mojo' for the Mana Regeneration and Maximum Mana affixes.

Does this mean that we won't see things like Shields or Staves with the mana regen affix?

If so, then the maximum MP/S we can get from items is +42.

I'm inclined to believe that the above is true, because this strategy guide seems quite specific on what items affixes can appear on.

http://i.imgur.com/KXsHV.jpg here for example, you can see that some of the skill-boosting affixes like that of +% damage to Haunt can appear on Daggers, Spears, Bows, Crossbows, and Ceremonial Knives. Quite a bizarre array of weapons, considering that +% damage to Poison Dart only appears on Shields, Mojos, Bows, and Crossbows.

Also, typo with their section on Corpse Spiders - it says that it increases the duration of Blizzard. Lawl.

[sacridoc]

Hmm, weird. I thought it had been known for a while that you could only get resources on class specific items. But it's strange that you can get the skill affixes on non-class items. Also, it's weird how weak those affixes seem. Like why does the percentage not increase as you get a higher tier?

[z00t]

Many of the +skill affixes just seem 'meh' to me.

Like why would I take a max-level 'of Phantoms' item (+5% damage to Spirit Barrage), when even a TINY +5 Intelligence bonus does the same thing and to ALL my skills instead of just one?

+5% is the maximum possible damage bonus Spirit Barrage can ever get from items. If I rolled a +Str affix in that slot, surely even something like +80 Strength is more beneficial to a WD than a 5% damage boost to a SINGLE skill, right?

For example, lets say I have a special item that can roll 3 magic properties, and I have the following two:

A)
+100 intelligence
+6 mana regen per second
+5% damage to Spirit Barrage

B)
+100 intelligence
+6 mana regen per second
+80 Strength

Option B looks so much better, even if I *do* plan on using Spirit Barrage liberally, just because +5% damage to a single skill (even if its one I use often) seems less valuable than the defensive bonus of +80 strength...especially when you consider that these items are already granting +100% damage to ALL my skills.

And Option B isn't even using the 'max' values for the +Strength affix, whereas +5% damage is as high as Spirit Barrage can go, even with the best possible roll for that affix.

[sacridoc]

Well, remember there's diminishing returns on stats. So 5 int won't be 5% damage, it'll be a lot less at that point. And since 80 str converts to armor you'd probably have similar diminishing returns with that stat.

Still though, I agree, these affixes are lame to be honest. Why are there separate tiers with the same bonus, I really don't get that. And yeah, the bonuses seem extremely small... something seems off. I guess they want the bonuses to just be like bland, general improvements to your build. Rather than something you can stack. Overall it's pretty boring and not what I had in mind when I thought about them converting the rune bonuses to skill affixes on items.

[Karpalo]

Many of the +skill affixes just seem 'meh' to me.

Like why would I take a max-level 'of Phantoms' item (+5% damage to Spirit Barrage), when even a TINY +5 Intelligence bonus does the same thing and to ALL my skills instead of just one?

I don't think that's correct. Skill multiplier should get accounted after INT. 5% is pretty huge for primary skill. 100 damage weapon 1000 INT = 1100 weapon damage. For example flaming dart 160% weapon damage 1760 damage*1.05=1848. Do the same with 500 damage weapon and 2000 INT and it start to look pretty impressive. With that kind of stats the affix would be worth 168 INT alone.

[sacridoc]

I don't think that's correct. Skill multiplier should get accounted after INT. 5% is pretty huge for primary skill. 100 damage weapon 1000 INT = 1100 weapon damage. For example flaming dart 160% weapon damage 1760 damage*1.05=1848. Do the same with 500 damage weapon and 2000 INT and it start to look pretty impressive. With that kind of stats the affix would be worth 168 INT alone.

There is no before/after int, they're all multiplied at the same time. But yeah, the final damage would be different if that 5% just added to the skill itself and became 195% damage for spirit barrage. But I don't think it works like that.

It should just be another multiplicative damage increase. So if you had 100 intellect, with a 100 damage weapon and +5% spirit barrage damage, it would be 2 x 1.05 x 1.90 x 100 = 399 damage. The other way would be 2 x 1.95 x 100 = 390 damage. Anyways, the first calculation is how it'll probably be.

And remember that the +damage you get from intellect changes as you get more of it (I forget the exact numbers here). But like going from 0-100 int will give you a lot more damage than going from 1500-1600 int.

[z00t]

I'm not very good with math - can someone explain in laymans terms why Intelligence wouldn't work the way I think it does?

Example:

Weapon: 100 dmg
Skill X: Deal 100% weapon damage to a target.

If I have 100 intelligence, I do +100% damage. I should do 200 damage with Skill X.

If I have 1500 intelligence, I should get +1500% damage, which would be 1600 damage with Skill X. @_@

Why doesn't it work out that way?

[Karpalo]

I'm not very good with math - can someone explain in laymans terms why Intelligence wouldn't work the way I think it does?

Example:

Weapon: 100 dmg
Skill X: Deal 100% weapon damage to a target.

If I have 100 intelligence, I do +100% damage. I should do 200 damage with Skill X.

If I have 1500 intelligence, I should get +1500% damage, which would be 1600 damage with Skill X. @_@

Why doesn't it work out that way?

It does work just like that.

The point: 100*15.05*1=1505 VS 100*15*1.05=1575

That's why 5% skill damage is different than 5 INT is.

[WhiteGiant]

It does work just like that.

The point: 100*15.05*1=1505 VS 100*15*1.05=1575

That's why 5% skill damage is different than 5 INT is.

i doubt thats the way it works ; that would put the skill dmg multiplyer in exactly the same place as int which makes its redundant nonsense of a stat.

i'D say it directly multiplys with the weapondmg of the skill itself , eg poison dart deals 160% weapon dmg, with that + 5% from the affix it would be 160 *1,05 = 168%

that would be the only reasonable thing, it would exactly do what it says it does ; it increases your dmg of dart by exactly 5% regardless of what weapon you carry or how much int you have. that is what i expect ; everything else would be irresponsible of blizzard ; if they don't tell us the in and outs of their mechanics I'd atleast expect them not to lie about the information they do provide.

[zUkUu]

now due to the wording of "boosts damage" I'm pretty sure it'll impact the base modifier. so spirit barrage does 195%. makes the most sense as well.

what I'm more surprised of is that under resource on hit there is no mana listed. I hope it's simply left out in the guide, because for me, that's the most important affix of all.