What is Thorns Damage in Diablo 4? A Comprehensive Guide
Thorns damage in Diablo 4 is a form of retaliation damage or damage reflection. In essence, when an enemy directly attacks your character, they take a portion of damage back, based on your Thorns stat. It’s a passive form of offense, relying on enemies striking you to deal damage back to them. This damage is not considered “direct damage” in the traditional sense like the damage from a spell or melee attack. Instead, it functions as a response to incoming hits. The amount of Thorns damage is directly based on your character’s Thorns stat, often found on your gear and skill tree. The damage is also multiplied by all applicable damage modifiers available to your character, making it a potent tool when built around. This system provides a unique playstyle, where your tankiness and willingness to absorb blows translate directly into damage output, turning incoming enemy attacks into a source of your own power.
How Thorns Damage Works
The mechanic of Thorns is straightforward:
- Enemy Attack: An enemy hits your character with a direct attack (melee or ranged).
- Thorns Calculation: The base Thorns damage you have, as displayed in the detailed character info screen, is taken as the starting point.
- Damage Modification: This base damage is then multiplied by all relevant damage modifiers that your character has access to, such as Vulnerable, critical strike damage, and general damage increases.
- Damage Application: The modified Thorns damage is then applied to the attacking enemy.
Importantly, Thorns does not trigger if an enemy dodges an attack, which underscores the importance of positioning and enemy behavior in a Thorns-focused build. It also does not crit, however, the Thorns damage benefits from the Vulnerable status which is important to consider when building around this damage type.
Thorns and Gear
Gear is a primary source of Thorns damage. Certain items come with inherent Thorns affixes, and these can be enhanced through crafting and enchanting systems. The Razorplate, a Unique chest piece, is particularly notable, providing a very high amount of base Thorns damage. Furthermore, legendary aspects can drastically improve the effectiveness of Thorns. The Needleflare aspect, for example, causes 40% of Thorns damage to be dealt as Area of Effect damage, enhancing its clear speed. It is essential to look out for these specific items and aspects if you want to create a strong Thorns build.
Thorns and Skills
Certain skills can also grant or interact with Thorns. For instance, the Necromancer has the Spiked Armor skill, which directly increases Thorns and further builds on its retaliation aspect. Additionally, a passive on the Barbarian‘s Combat Flay adds Thorns, which stacks with each direct hit. The Tough as Nails passive also grants Thorns a 10% chance to cause bleeding which is the only way thorns can apply a bleed effect. These skills turn the Thorns mechanic from a simple retaliation into a core component of builds with active skills that enhance and benefit from Thorns.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Thorns Damage in Diablo 4
Here are some frequently asked questions to provide more clarity about Thorns in Diablo 4:
1. Does Thorns count as direct damage?
No, Thorns does not count as direct damage. It’s a form of retaliation damage, triggered by enemies hitting you, not by your own attacks or skills. It is a unique form of damage that sits outside of the normal direct damage equation and is key to building specific builds in Diablo 4.
2. Does Thorns cause bleeding?
Normally, Thorns damage does not cause bleeding. The only exception is the Necromancer’s “Tough as Nails” passive, which grants a 10% chance to apply bleeding on hit with Thorns. This is a key consideration for building around both bleeding and Thorns.
3. Is Thorns good for Necromancer builds?
Yes, Thorns can be highly effective in Necromancer builds. Skills like Spiked Armor and the ability for minions to benefit from it synergize well with Thorns. The Necromancer also has access to the Iron Maiden curse, which pairs well with a build that relies on enemies attacking you.
4. What does Spiked Armor do?
Spiked Armor is a Necromancer skill that grants the Necromancer additional Thorns damage, strengthening the Necromancer’s reactive damage capabilities. It’s a core ability for builds focusing on this mechanic.
5. Can Thorns damage crit?
No, Thorns damage cannot critically strike. However, it does benefit from increases to vulnerable damage, allowing you to effectively increase the damage you are dealing. This is a key factor to keep in mind when optimizing your build.
6. How does Thorns interact with damage modifiers?
Thorns damage is multiplied by all applicable damage modifiers the character has. This includes increases to damage versus vulnerable targets, increased damage with critical strikes (even though Thorns does not crit), and all general damage increases that apply, making it a potent form of damage when maximized with the right gear.
7. Does Thorns work on ranged attacks?
Yes, Thorns works on both melee and ranged direct attacks. Any direct hit from an enemy triggers the Thorns damage. This is important as it makes Thorns effective in a wide variety of combat scenarios.
8. Is a Thorns build viable in Diablo 4?
Yes, a Thorns build can be viable, especially when using items like Razorplate and the Needleflare aspect to boost the damage. Careful attention to items and skills can make a Thorns build extremely powerful for both solo and group play.
9. Do Thorns stack?
Yes, Thorns from different sources stack. You can accumulate Thorns from various affixes, skills, and passives. This allows for very high Thorns values to be achieved, and is key to optimizing damage.
10. Does Thorns make you take more damage?
No, Thorns does not cause the player to take more damage. It is a purely reactive mechanic that only causes damage to enemies when they hit the player. There are no disadvantages for using Thorns when it comes to receiving incoming damage.
11. Do Thorns affect minions?
Yes, Thorns affects your minions. If a minion is hit, then the damage will be done back to the attacking enemy. Minions that have higher armor or defense are excellent at triggering Thorns damage from many incoming enemies.
12. How does Thorns interact with the Vulnerable status?
Thorns damage benefits from Vulnerable. When an enemy is vulnerable, the Thorns damage they receive will be increased. This can be increased with gear and passive abilities and greatly increases the effectiveness of Thorns.
13. Does Intelligence affect Thorns damage?
Yes, Intelligence is the main stat that scales Thorns damage. Classes that prioritize Intelligence such as Sorcerers and Necromancers benefit the most from this scaling. This stat contributes to overall damage and therefore greatly improves Thorns’ effectiveness.
14. Is Thorns good for solo play?
Yes, Thorns is effective for solo play, especially for classes that can withstand incoming damage. You will want a lot of health to sustain incoming damage, but once you can do that you will deal consistent damage as enemies attack you.
15. What should I avoid when building a Thorns character?
When building a Thorns character, avoid equipping gear with Dodge. As the game states “Make sure to get hit by enemy attacks to proc your Thorns!” Dodge will cause enemies to miss and therefore not proc your Thorns.
Conclusion
Thorns damage is a unique and interesting mechanic in Diablo 4. It is a reactive form of damage that allows your tankiness to translate into damage. When built correctly, it can be a powerful and effective way to clear content. By understanding how Thorns functions, players can create effective builds that make great use of this underutilized damage type. Focusing on stats, items, and skills that synergize well with Thorns can transform incoming attacks into a potent weapon against your enemies.