6-10% to Fire Damage, etc. VS. 6-10% Increased Spell Damage - Explain the Two

I plan on making a neat Pyromaniac-like Shadow Build, however . . .

I really need this explained. I've read few other Threads on this but they weren't very clear, and the poster of the Threads didn't exactly approach it how I am going to.

Therefore, what I want to know is if 6-10% added damage to Fire Damage is equal to OR greater than 6-10% Increased Spell Damage, or vice versa.

Do they do the same thing and have the same effect?

Is one of these two nodes better than the other? If so, under what circumstances and why?

Does Increased Spell Damage apply to elemental traps and elemental skills in general?

NOTE: I already know Bear Trap does not apply to Increased Spell Damage nodes.

The reason I want to know this is because in some places the Increased Spell Damage nodes offer more sometimes than the Fire Damage nodes, that or they're more convenient to get to.



If anyone could explain this it would be extremely helpful. Thank You!
HeavyMetalGear

I don't have definitive answers but take these examples:

You use Searing Bond. It is neither buffed by Spell Damage OR Fire Damage. It is only buffed by increased Burning damage (see PoE Wiki).

You use Fire Traps. They are buffed by Spell Damage (initial explosion - someone correct me if I'm wrong), Fire Damage (initial explosion) and Burning Damage (damage over time).

Fireball - Fire damage and Spell damage. Burning damage buff would only kick in once targets are ignited.

Long story short = not all fire skills are equal. It would depend on the skill involved.

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systemdown wrote:

I don't have definitive answers but take these examples:

You use Searing Bond. It is neither buffed by Spell Damage OR Fire Damage. It is only buffed by increased Burning damage (see PoE Wiki).

You use Fire Traps. They are buffed by Spell Damage (initial explosion - someone correct me if I'm wrong), Fire Damage (initial explosion) and Burning Damage (damage over time).

Fireball - Fire damage and Spell damage. Burning damage buff would only kick in once targets are ignited.

Long story short = not all fire skills are equal. It would depend on the skill involved.

I'm aware about burning, which is something my build is not entirely focused on as it is the pure Fire Damage.

I know not all Fire Spells are equal, but that does little to answer my questions here.

All I want to know is if a straight-forward Fire Spell is affected by Increased Spell Damage? And are things like Fire Trap affected by Increased Spell Damage too?

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HeavyMetalGear wrote:

All I want to know is if a straight-forward Fire Spell is affected by Increased Spell Damage? And are things like Fire Trap affected by Increased Spell Damage too?

Based on what I've read, yes to standard Fire spell being buffed by increased Spell Damage (and you'd see this reflected on your spell tooltip when you lock in a passive point for this).

Not 100% sure on the Fire Trap being buffed by increased Spell Damage - ZiggyD seemed to think so in his Fire Trap video. Anyway, again, easy to confirm by trying it out and looking at your DPS rating before and after on your Fire Trap. Like I said though, I don't have definitive answers - I thought it better to be on the safe side. If I'm near any of these passive nodes I can actually confirm that for you as it'll only cost me a regret orb and then we'll both know for certain.

EDIT: If anyone knows for certain please add a reply here because I'd like to know as well!

EDIT2: I'm right next to a 6% Spell Damage passive in my tree - I will try it out tonight and report back.

Now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure I'd be wasting one (well, two actually) orbs of regret. AFAIK, Fire Trap is "spell like" in that you cast it, but once the trap is set, the spell is finished and the damage dealt as a result of being activated is a separate mechanic. In this way, it's like Bear Trap which is unaffected by spell damage passives (as you already know).

Still willing to confirm it, if no definitive answer is forthcoming.

EDIT: Apparently Spell Damage DOES increase initial explosion damage of Fire Trap. See thread: http://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/30767

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systemdown wrote:

Now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure I'd be wasting one (well, two actually) orbs of regret. AFAIK, Fire Trap is "spell like" in that you cast it, but once the trap is set, the spell is finished and the damage dealt as a result of being activated is a separate mechanic. In this way, it's like Bear Trap which is unaffected by spell damage passives (as you already know).

Still willing to confirm it, if no definitive answer is forthcoming.

EDIT: Apparently Spell Damage DOES increase initial explosion damage of Fire Trap. See thread: http://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/30767

Thank You for this link! I need this confirmation. Very interesting.