This guide covers all special Skill mechanics in Torchlight: Infinite. Most offensive Skills utilize special mechanics that drastically increase their power and can be enhanced in many different ways. Learning how your favorite Skill's special mechanic works and how to bolster it's power is an essential build-making Skill.
You can see what special mechanics a Skill has by looking at it's Tags, more information on Tags can be found in our Skill System Overview.
Melee Skill Mechanics
Most Melee Skills utilize 1 of 3 special mechanics that drastically increase their power in unique ways, you can tell which mechanic it is by looking at the Skill's tags. Knowing which mechanic you're dealing with makes it easier to improve the power of your Melee Skills.
Slash-Strike
Slash-Strike Skills use two different attacks, a default Sweep Slash and a powerful Steep Strike that requires a Steep Strike Attempt.
Mechanics dealing with Slash-Strikes modify Steep Strike availability.
- Steep Strike Attempts must be gained to use a powerful Steep Strike, which overrides the default Slash Strike on the next Skill use. Slash Strikes have a base chance to grant a Steep Strike Attempt, varying by Skill. Modifiers can provide additional attempt chance or outright grant Steep Strike Attempts.
- Sources of these modifiers include Raging Slash, Varagon Shroud, and Broken Sun Ring.
Shadow Strikes
Shadow Strike Skills can create Shadows of yourself when used. These Shadows use the same attack against nearby enemies, prioritizing enemies you're not attacking.
Mechanics dealing with Shadow Strikes modify how many Shadows are created, and how Shadows target enemies.
- Shadow Quantity determines how many Shadows are created when using a Shadow Strike Skill. Base Shadow Quantity is 0, though Wilt Spike naturally gains +1. Modifiers to Shadow Quantity should be used by Shadow Strike builds.
- Sources of this modifier include Haunt, Frantic Shadow, and Shackled by Light.
- Shadow Tracking Radius is the maximum range where a Shadow can target an enemy you are not targeting. Shadow Strike builds that want faster clear speed should look for this modifier, because Shadows have a damage penalty against targets you are attacking with the Shadow Strike Skill.
- Sources of this modifier include Shackled by Light and Shadow Will.
Demolisher Charges
Demolisher Skills passively gain Demolisher Charges that are consumed when the Skill is used, greatly enhancing the Skill's ability to do damage.
Mechanics dealing with Demolisher Charges modify how frequently they can be acquired.
- Demolisher Charge Speed dictates how fast Demolisher Charges are recovered passively.
- Sources of this modifier include Quick Return, Devastator, Steel Stagnation, and Varagon Shroud.
- Demolisher Charge Generation sources can bypass the need for passive Demolisher Charge generation by granting charges instantly.
- Sources of this modifier include Groundshaker and Fatal Silent.
Projectile Skill Mechanics
Most Projectiles Skills come in 1 of 3 varieties, these dictate how your Skill deals damage and how they are scaled. You can tell which variety it is by looking at the Skill's tags. Knowing which variety you're dealing with makes it easier to improve the power of your Projectile Skills.
Horizontal Projectiles
Horizontal Projectile Skills travel forward and deal damage when impacting an enemy.
Mechanics dealing with Horizontal Projectiles modify how these Skills deal damage.
Carino: Ranger of Glory specializes in Projectiles.
- Projectile Speed dictates how fast horizontal projectiles travel. Horizontal Projectiles have a unmodifiable lifetime, thus increasing projectile speed also increases the effective range of Horizontal Projectiles.
- Sources of this modifier include Wind Projectiles, and Blind Vision.
- Projectile Quantity dictates how many projectiles are fired at once. Additional projectiles are fired in a spread, and each projectile widens that spread. Multiple projectiles from a horizontal projectile Skill cannot hit the same enemy, with some exceptions.
- Sources of this modifier include Greater Multiple Projectiles, and Fallen Pactspirital Short Staff.
- Shotgun Effect grants the ability to have multiple Projectiles from one Skill use damage the same target. Some Skills can innately Shotgun, such as Chromatic Shot and Icebound Beam. Carino: Lethal Flash's Mobile Reload Trait allows all Horizontal Projectile Skills to Shotgun. Shotgun has a penalty, additional projectiles that hit an enemy after the first all deal significantly less damage to that enemy.
- Pierce allows Horizontal Projectiles to go through impacted enemies, letting them hit enemies behind the original target. Some Horizontal Projectile Skills have innate Pierce, such as Electrifying Shot and Focused Shot.
- Sources of this modifier include Projectile Penetration and Blue Sea War Crossbow.
- Jump allows Horizontal Projectiles to ricochet to a nearby enemy after impacting a target. Pierce is prioritized over Jump, so projectiles that Pierce cannot Jump. Some Horizontal Projectile Skills have innate Jump, such as Ice Lances.
- Jump is also used by Active Skills tagged with Chain, such as Chain Lightning and Thundercloud.
- Sources of this modifier include Jump and Marksman Bracers.
Parabolic Projectiles
Parabolic Projectile Skills travel in an arc to impact the ground, dealing damage to enemies in an area.
Mechanics dealing with Parabolic Projectiles modify how these Skills do damage.
- Split causes Parabolic Projectiles to fragment into secondary projectiles upon impact, these secondary projectiles impact a nearby area for additional damage.
- Sources of this modifier include Projectile Split and Meteorite.
- Projectile Speed dictates how fast Parabolic projectiles reach their targeted area. Increases to Projectile Speed lower the projectile's arc and cause Split Projectiles to impact faster.
- Sources of this modifier include Wind Projectiles and Blind Vision.
- Projectile Quantity does NOT dictate how many projectiles are fired. Instead, increasing Projectile Quantity causes most Parabolic Projectiles to gain increased Area of Effect.
- Sources of this modifier include Greater Multiple Projectiles and Thunder Long Bow.
Vertical Projectiles & Barrage Skills
Vertical Projectile Skills pepper a targeted area with randomly positioned and potentially overlapping projectiles from above.
Some Vertical Projectile Skills are also Barrage Skills. Barrage Skills can damage a targeted area multiple times in rapid succession. Barrage Skills that are not Projectile Skills deal equal damage to any enemy in the targeted area.
The following mechanics modify how these Skills do damage.
- Area of Effect modifiers change the size of the targeting circle. Increases to Area of Effect reduce the likelihood of Vertical Projectiles overlapping. This is devastating for Rain of Arrows and Lethal Barrage. Marked Rain of Arrows is unaffected, since it's projectiles create an explosion on impact that scales with Area of Effect.
- Projectile Quantity dictates how many projectiles are fired by Vertical Projectile skills, increasing potential damage.
- All Vertical Projectile Skills have the Shotgun Effect, reducing the damage of overlapping projectiles.
- Sources of this modifier include Greater Multiple Projectiles and Thunder Long Bow.
- Waves dictate how many times Barrage Skills can pepper an area. Wave Interval shortens the delay between Waves.
- Sources of this modifier include Strategic Strike, Carpet Bombardment, Stellar Vestment of Eminence, and Imperial General.
Channeling Skill Mechanics
Channeling Skills deal damage dynamically while being used, and they often deal with other Skill Mechanics in addition to Channeling Mechanics.
While all Channeling Skills share mechanics that modify them, applications of these mechanics can differ between Channeling Skills.
Channeling Skills cannot Multistrike or use Spell Burst.
Channeled Energy
Stacks of Channeled Energy are generated while Channeling. All Channeled Skills gain power from Channeled Energy, but often in differing ways. Here are a few examples before getting into how Channeled Energy and Stacks work:
- Whirlwind automatically consumes all Channeled Energy when reaching maximum Channeled Energy to trigger a powerful Steep Strike.
- Ring of Blades Does not consume Channeled Energy and gains power as energy is gained.
- Savage Charge grants bonuses as energy is gained and consumes all Channeled Energy when you stop using the Skill, increasing it's Demolisher Charge damage per stack.
- Maximum Channeled Energy dictates how much Channeled Energy can be gained before reaching the maximum. This modifier increase the time it takes to reach Maximum Channeled Energy, which is harmful for Skills like Whirlwind, since increasing the time it takes to reach max energy lowers DPS. Maximum Channeled Energy modifiers are beneficial to Skills like Savage Charge and Ring of Blades, since energy increases power.
- Sources of this modifier include Windbreath Convergence and Thunder Conqueror.
- Minimum Channeled Stacks dictates how many Channeled Stacks you start with when you begin Channeling. This reduces the time it takes to reach Maximum Channeled Stacks. This is beneficial for Skills like Whirlwind and Savage Charge, since reducing the time it takes to reach max stacks increases dps.
- Sources of this modifier include Channel Preparation, Windbreath Dispersion, and Supreme Throne.
Some Channeling Skills render you immobile while being used, such as Beam Channeling Skills and Thundercloud. Other Skills enable and encourage movement while Channeling, such as Path of Flames, Savage Charge, and Whirlwind.
Beam Skills
Beam Skills project lasers that rapidly deal damage to enemies on contact. Most Beam Skills are also Channeling Skills. Mechanics dealing with Beams modify how these Skills do damage.
- Additional Beams modifiers cause Beam Skills to project additional lasers in a spread, similar to Horizontal Projectiles. Some Beam Skills recieve different benefits when gaining Additional Beams, while others are unaffected entirely.
- Sources of this modifier include Scattershot Beam and Polygonal Enclosure.
- Refraction allows Beam Skills to automatically target enemies near the one being impacted. Increases or reductions to Area of Effect apply to Refraction's range. Some Beam Skills recieve different benefits from Refraction, while others are unaffected entirely.
- Sources of this modifier include Refracted Prism.
- Beam Length modifies the effective range of Beam Skills. Beam Length has no effect on Ice Bond. Some Beam Skills recieve different benefits from Beam length, while others are unaffected entirely.
- Sources of this modifier include Focused Beam and Polygonal Enclosure.
Multistrike, Spell Burst, and Other Mechanics
Multistrike
Multistrike is a powerful mechanic that can be utilized by many Attack Skills, allowing them to repeat rapidly while standing in place. Attacks made by Multistrike are considered your own, have an additional Attack Speed bonus, and consume Mana.
Erika: Wind Stalker specializes in dealing Multistrikes.
Mechanics dealing with Multistrike modify the power and quantity of repeated Attacks. Multistrike is incompatible with Spells, Triggered Attacks, Channeled Skills, Skills with cooldowns, Mobility Skills, and (most) Sentries.
- Multistrike Chance determines how many times Multistrike can repeat an Attack. Multistrike repeats your Attack 1 additional time for every 100% Multistrike Chance, and remaining values less than 100% grant that percentage chance to repeat your Attack 1 additional time (Having 357% Multistrike Chance assures 3 repetitions, with a 57% chance of a 4th).
- Sources of this modifier include Multistrike, Shadow of Thunderlight's Footsteps, Well Matched and Circular Clearing.
- Increasing Multistrike Damage modifiers bolster damage output by allowing each repeated Attack in a Multistrike sequence to deal more damage than the last by granting an increasing damage multiplier. These modifiers enable potent damage output when paired with very high Multistrike Chance.
- Sources of this modifier include Quick Advancement, Devouring Tide, and Multistrike.
- Initial Multistrike Count compliments Increasing Multistrike Damage modifiers while making initial Attacks count as if they were part of the Multistrike.
For every Initial Multistrike Count, Attacks are calculated as if 1 repeated attack has already occurred. This increases the power of Increasing Multistrike Damage modifiers.- Sources of this modifier include Farewell Desire.
Spell Burst
Spell Burst is a powerful mechanic that can be utilized by many Spell Skills. When fully charged, it causes the next Spell you cast to repeat rapidly, independent of your character's actions. Spells cast with Spell Burst are considered your own and do not consume Mana.
Mechanics dealing with Spell Burst modify its frequency, as well as the power and quantity of repeated Spells. Spell Burst is incompatible with Attacks, Channeled Skills, Skills with cooldowns, Mobility Skills, and Sentries.
- Max Spell Burst dictates how many times Spell Burst repeats your Spell when activated, with a base value of 0. When Max Spell Burst is 0, Spell Burst cannot occur.
- Sources of this modifier include Beacon, Medium Talent, and some Crafted Equipment.
- Spell Burst Charge Speed dictates how long it takes for Spell Burst to fully charge, with a base charge time of 2 seconds. This mechanic is similar to Cooldown Recovery Rate; with 100% increased Spell Burst Charge Speed, the charge time is reduced to 1 second. The charge time of Spell Burst is not affected by Max Spell Burst count.
- Most Spell Burst builds opt to use Play Safe, allowing Cast Speed to also increase Spell Burst Charge Speed. Other sources of this modifier include Shattered Moonlight and Tendency of Stars.
- Additional Damage for Skills Cast by Spell Burst modifiers are a great way to increase damage output for Spell Burst builds.
- Sources of this modifier include Psychic Burst, Shattered Moonlight, and Tendency of Stars.
Sentry Skills
Sentry Skills summon stationary automatons that use their own particular Skill for a duration. Excluding Attack and Cast Speed, Sentries inherit all of your stats, scale alongside your character, and hits made by Sentries are considered your own.
Mechanics dealing with Sentry Skills modify how Sentries are placed and how frequently they can deal damage. With the exception of Ghost Blade Einherjar, these Skills cannot Multistrike or use Spell Burst.
- Max Sentry Quantity dictates how many Sentries a single Skill can have active at a time, with a base value of 1. This modifier is unrelated to the unmodifiable global Sentry limit of 4.
- Sources of this modifier include Multifaceted Guard, Sentry, and Sage's Disciple.
- Sentry Placement Quantity dictates how many Sentries a single Skill can place at a time, with a base value of 1. Warning: this value cannot exceed your Max Sentry Quantity.
- Sources of this modifier include Sentry Modification and This Machinist Medium Talent.
- Sentry Skill Cast Frequency modifies how often a Sentry uses its own Skill. While this is normally separate from Attack and Cast Speed, most Sentry builds opt for Co-resonance which allows those modifiers to also scale Sentry Skill Cast Frequency.
Mobility Skills
Mobility Skills displace you, making good use of them lets you traverse the map quickly. Different Mobility Skills are capable of different types of traversal. Some Mobility Skills are able to bypass map geometry like gaps and walls. These Skills cannot Multistrike or use Spell Burst.
- Blink-Like Mobility Skills include Blink, Frigid Transmission, and Shadow Dash. These Skills have a cooldown and can instantly move you to a desired nearby location. They have more range than other mobility Skills and can bypass some map geometry.
- Jumping Mobility Skills include Leap Attack and Rocket Jump. These Skills have no cooldown and can quickly move you to a desired nearby location, scaling attack speed makes this faster. They can bypass some map geometry.
- Dashing Mobility Skills include Blink Bow, Flurry of Slash, and Spiral Strike. These Skills quickly move you to a desired nearby location, scaling attack speed makes this faster. They are unable to bypass map geometry.
Terra Skills
Terra Skills create a damaging area and passively gain Terra Charges which are consumed when the Skill is used, granting bonus effects.
Terra Skill Mechanics modify how they deal damage and how they gain Terra Charges.
- Maximum Terra Quantity modifies how many of the same Terra Skill can do damage to an enemy at the same time. Additional Maximum Terra Quantity is a massive damage increase for Flame Jet and Frost Terra builds. However, Shadow Swamp and Corrosive Shot are unaffected by this modifier.
- Sources of this modifier include Ground Divide and Corrupted Marrow.
- Maximum Terra Charge modifiers enable more Terra Charges to be stored. Terra Skills consume all available charges on use, with each Skill granting a bonus effect per consumed charge.
- Sources of this modifier include Mother Goddess' Paddock.
- Terra Charge Restoration Speed dictates how fast Terra Charges passively generate. Builds that rely on empowering Terra Skills with many charges find these modifiers useful.
- Sources of this modifier include Speed-up Formation and Kingly Armor.
- Terra Charge Generation sources can bypass the need to passively generate Terra Charges by generating charges instantly. Builds that rely on empowering Terra Skills with many charges find these modifiers useful.
- Sources of this modifier include Dawn Break.
Summary
Here are the most important things you need to know about Skill Mechanics in Torchlight Infinite:
- Slash-Strike Skills alternate between a weak Sweep Slash and a powerful Steep Strike.
- Shadow Strike Skills create Shadow copies of yourself that attack enemies.
- Demolisher Skills use Demolisher Charges to greatly enhance their power.
- Horizontal Projectile Skills travel forward and deal damage on impact.
- Parabolic Projectile Skills travel in an arc to deal damage when impacting the ground.
- Vertical Projectile Skills and Barrage Skills pepper a targeted area with damage from above.
- Channeled Skills deal damage dynamically with Channeled Energy.
- Beam Skills create lasers that rapidly deal damage to enemies on contact.
- Multistrike allows most Attack Skills to rapidly repeat while standing in place.
- Spell Burst allows most Spell Skills to rapidly repeat, this effect has a cooldown.
- Sentry Skills summon a stationary automaton that uses a Skill for a duration.
- Mobility Skills displace you and are useful for quickly getting around.
- Terra Skills create a damaging area and use Terra Charges to enhance their power.
Credits
Written by Xtra37
Reviewed by Facefoot, Tenkiei