Shattering steel less duration

Looking at the way in which shattering steel works, I've been thinking it would be interesting to scale it in a way most projectiles don't.

It gains a 220% damage bonus if you can explode the projectiles as close as possible.
The bonus damage from projectile damage carries over to the aoe (according to path of building) including point blank.
less duration affects how long the projectiles last for.
The aoe can overlap and hit a target multiple times. With GMP I was able to get at least 5 hits based on the call of steel returns I got.
I assume the closer the projectiles explode, the easier it is to overlap.

So with that being the case, I thought it would be interesting if we could make a call of steel build? Every attack you can call the maximum amount of steel.

The issue is that there seems to be no way to actually scale call of steel beyond one cast speed node and one 10% damage node. Everything else would also increase the damage of attacking normally as well as call of steel.

Tossing out the idea for the smarter designers out there to play with. I've made a terrible build that adds a ton of aoe and with 300% the center of the aoe is reaching the edge of the screen.

This video may help you with your theorycrafting:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhUPbUAJXKg

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Issarelias wrote:

less duration affects how long the projectiles last for.

That would be surprising, why do you think so?

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Issarelias wrote:

So with that being the case, I thought it would be interesting if we could make a call of steel build? Every attack you can call the maximum amount of steel.

That was impaler before they gutted it, you can do it to a point now by stacking impale effect vs unimpaled targets and just doing a 1-2 combo system but it only works for trash which is pretty irrelevant anyway.

Also less duration shouldn't do anything for any skill without a duration tag, you can't make fireball only travel 3m then explode for example... though honestly it'd be pretty build enabling if you could.

Also busted

Not sure if busted or not, but would be interesting.
Unfortunately I have fallen prey to the PoB's lying character sheet... It does not in fact support shattering steel like it does in PoB.
Technically speaking it is like freezing pulse and spark, where the projectiles only have a specific duration for their life instead of like arrows which have travel distance. Unfortunately, like said it doesn't have the tag specified.

However the randomized explosion range does make more sense after playing around with the skill in hideout. It feels like most of the time the projectiles do not reach their maximum range. So it was designed with the intent that you would be utilizing the aoe and scaling slower proj. Kinda sad I missed Kalandra.

The only other interesting mechanic is that returning projectiles makes it explode backwards. So you guarantee 100% overlap, at the cost of 40% damage. Which is too much damage reduction to see value.

return proj only lowers the return damage incidentally not the initial hit so if it hits twice its pretty much an auto use

For returning proj
The way it works is that projectile travels. If it hits something before the dissipation timer, it will start traveling backwards. If it hits nothing, it explodes at the end of its travel distance, and the explosion will be done in the opposite direction.

It is possible to stand next to an enemy in melee range, attack, hit with one projectile. This one projectile will travel backwards and explode behind you without touching the enemy. All other projectiles will continue to travel past the enemy and explode with the damage cone facing you and the enemy.

While it won't hit multiple times per projectile, it will improve how many aoe cones overlap when you have an excessive amount of projectiles. Which might be enough for bossing.

Running through Twilight Strand, having projectiles return when fighting the rares and the boss has felt amazing. For clear speed it would be pretty bad.

Another interesting thing happens with sniper's mark. The split projectiles will explode inwards and hit the target. If you hit with the actual projectile. This might actually be useful?

Fork also has a similar effect, but I mean. Why would you lol

As for the impaler.. would be cool if we could do some vaal breach shenanigans.