I have a question regarding to this:
what’s the difference?
What is considered an “attack”? (is using a damage-spell considered as attack in that case?)
“on striking” seems to proc only, if you hit the enemy? but does this also involve ranged weapons? (I assume, you must hit the enemy with a weapon in that case.)
This realy interests me. Because, there are several soruceress stuff with “chance on attack”. So if casting a spell is considered an attack, this could much improve damage…
On striking can be ranged attacks, Using Titans revenge and armor with Peace runeword has the following stat:
2% Chance To Cast level 15 Valkyrie On Striking
It works with the ranged attack Lightning fury. It’s mainly magical but it does have a physical component too with the spear being thrown. That part can leach life and mana. Magic don’t.
I’ve yet to try that armor on my sorceress because pure magic attacks are different then any physical.
For one, they always hit and hit rating has no effect on a sorceress spells. They will never trigger life/mana leech. So may not proc that Valkyrie.
I thought that about striking. I thinkt it must actually hit an enemy to proc. (e. g. you need a melee or ranged physical weapon.) I didn’t test those high-level “on striking” weapons, but I think it will only proc on contact, doesn’t it? (e. g. the lightnings cauces by you mentioned skill don’t proc this ability, but the initial attack. It’s a long time, since I played a javazone, but when I remember correctly, the lightnings apear at the end of the intial attack, or if it hits something, doesn’t it?)
Ok, in detail a fireball, or spell like that, also “hits” but a lightning, for example, doesn’t realy. (it just does damage, piercirng through the enemies.) But it’s non the less pure magic, while all other skill (excpet necromancers and Druid spells) do have a physical component, e. g. need a weapon.
But “on attack” don’t necessarily need a “hit” to my understanding. So DO “on attack”-skills proc by magic spells?
spell never miss, but physical attack, throwing stuff firing an arrow throwing a tantrum requires attack rating
and? this doesn’t answer my question. I asked “does a chance on attack proc via spells?” There is nothing of an attack rating mentioned…
You attack someone, if you intent to wound the target. So if you cast a damaging spell against someone, you’re attacking him/her. You “strike” someone, if you actually hit the target with a physical based weapon. But “attacking” doesn’t mean “hitting”. At least, that is my understanding.
I don’t think on attack skills proc from magic spells, unless it also has a weapon attack as part of it like lightning fury on the Amazon since as I mentioned before, magic and attacks are separate things just some skills use both. Berserk also comes to mind from the Barb.
Now. One might wonder why do some items intended for the Sorceress seem to have powerful effects on attack or vice versa on other items when you can’t use them?
Other classes might benefit from them for example.
Remember this is an old game at heart where a lot of the itemization was made when the game worked differently.
Years ago there was no such thing as synergies between skills for example. You maxed out what you liked and did not have to spend points into skills you wouldn’t use just to optimize your main skill damage. Imo it was more diverse in a sense back then and as such you could have an melee attack sorceress using enchant and with mana shield as a viable build.
Back then I had a melee tank amazon who could also effectively use lightning fury. Now there’s not enough points to go down both roads. I also had a Necro who used a crossbow as main weapon.
Of course back then most played the cookie cutter builds just like today, they just had different items and skill allocation. And you can still create an effective melee sorceress using bear form and self enchant strong enough to kill Ubers provided you can gather all the gear necessary for it.
You’re right. I didn’t realy assume, that the “on attack” skills proc on Sorceress-casts. But I wasn’t sure. I think it’s “on attack” with the physical part of the weapon. You don’t need to hit, though. (But I’m also not sure about that. But if you need to hit, then again, what’s the difference between “on attack” and “on striking”…?)
About the Synergies: I never got so deep into the game. (I reached hell, act 3. back in time. But only in SP via an item-find mod with my assassin. I had full Natalyas Set, then, But I gave up there.) But I think they were intended to get Pre-requeset-skills more used in early levels. At least this is, what I read. Now, Players tend to min-max in such games. So nowadays, you max an endskill, and then try to max the synergies. I don’t like this. And I will try other ways.
I play a Sorceress, for example, at the moment. And I got through the game pretty well, so far. (I’m in Act 2, NM) The skills, I use are chain lightning and Frozen Orb. I skilled Frostbolt in early levels (a synergy to the orb, the only one) But only, becaus I used that skill, and I assume, they’re not realy NECESSARY to get through hell solo. (E. G. a “players 1” game.) I didn’t synergize the chain-lightning, yet. But I think I will only get 20 points split between some of the skills, that synergize chain lightning, so I might also use them, now and then. (Nova comes to mind. Doesn’t have a synergy on its own.) My main attack is the orb. But since it has a casting-delay, chain-lightning is the perfect skill to use until the orb is ready again. I will also skill blizzard a bit, I think. I throw this still in, now and then. I won’t put more than the point I already spent in Thunder storm, for example. Imho, this is a perfect example, for a one-point-wonder, and every sorceres, who intends to use damaging lightning should get it, imho. Also Energy-shield. This can also be a one-point-wonder. Although, you need charged bolt and lightning for this… (and, you still should priorize vitality, non the less, Except you max this skill, including telekinesis. But I think, this is a waste of 40 points better spend in damaging skills… For pvp, this might be considerable, however, in conjunction with thunder storm… But I don’t play pvp, especially not in diablo 2…)
To the crossbow for the necro: I just saw, there is even a unique one for him… (with +skills for the necromancer and several poison procs when struck or striking…) So this might be exotic, but not impossible… ^^
From what I can find, on Attack is when you swing and can proc even if it’s a miss and on Striking is when you hit. However this may have been patched to be basically the same in an old patch but can’t verify that.
Sorceress is a very good character to play first since it’s pretty much all skill dependent thus you are powerful even without good gear and you can use her to find gear for other classes later.
If you have Frozen Orb now then continue to use it and max it out first then worry about synergies later unless you have points to spare, you can always respec around lvl 75 or so.
When you reach hell it becomes more important to max out a skill and synergies and you will have a lot of immune monsters to deal with.
I wend down the Blizzard tree and use Ice blast or Glacial spike between cool down since they are already powerful due to points spent for synergies.
I do have a magic staff with to switch to with +3 to fire mastery, +3 to Meteor +3 to fire skills and +1 to something unimportant. with just a few points spent on fire mastery and meteor i get around 15 to meteor and one point less in mastery to use on immunes. But it feels quite weak in hell with the Merc tanking as skills become quite powerful at 30+
Yes, I will do that, although, I already have 5 points in frostbolt. (skilled on the way to level 30, as it is intended… At least, this is, what Blizzard wrote, when they introduced synergies.)
I consider synergies as a pure bonus. But, as I said, I didn’t reach hell after act 3. And I never reached that act with a sorceress… So you have probaly more experience with hell difficulty.