what is considered a "spell"?

i'm looking at nodes with bonus to spell damage. what exactly is considered a spell? skills that do elemental damage? all skills?

way too much guessing in this game. is there a reference somewhere that breaks down the skill gems in this game with what kind of passives affect them, which support gems are available, etc.

Hover over these gems - at the tops of readout are the words:
"Fire, Projectile, Spell, AOE" for Fireball
"Attack, AOE, Melee" For Cleave

Hence, Fireball is a spell, cleave is an attack.

As far as i know all spells that list "spell" on the skill gems are spells and benefit from spell passives, the only exception i believe is bear trap.

awesome explanation!

if something is "Projectile, Spell"

what all will effect the damage? will weapons make a difference at all, or just passives?

Passives and modifiers on equipment affecting spells and projectiles will have an effect on ethereal knives because it is a spell. passives affecting attacks will do nothing, faster attacks will not work, faster casting will be effective with this skill. I suggest you read the mechanics thread http://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/11707

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twentygold wrote:

awesome explanation!

if something is "Projectile, Spell"

what all will effect the damage? will weapons make a difference at all, or just passives?

Since it is a spell, the damage from weapons makes no difference. Increases to spell damage, projectile speed, projectile damage, crit chance, and crit multiplier will make it more powerful. With EK increases to raw physical damage (not melee physical damage) also make it stronger, whereas with Fireball or something, increases to elemental damage or fire damage will make it stronger (but not weapon elemental damage).

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FriedFrites wrote:

Passives and modifiers on equipment affecting spells and projectiles will have an effect. passives affecting attacks will do nothing

so if im using 1h weapons and pick up passives for +physical damage with 1h weapon, it probably won't help the physical damage of ethereal knives because its not an attack. is this correct?

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twentygold wrote:

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FriedFrites wrote:

Passives and modifiers on equipment affecting spells and projectiles will have an effect. passives affecting attacks will do nothing

so if im using 1h weapons and pick up passives for +physical damage with 1h weapon, it probably won't help the physical damage of ethereal knives because its not an attack. is this correct?

that is correct.

very helpful :) thank you very much!