What's Next for Archnemesis Modifiers

So far we have numerically reduced their difficulty and have reduced the quantity that spawn on rare monsters. There are two more areas of feedback that we'd like to address.

Specific Mods (and how they affect certain builds)

So there are a few things we're doing here.

Firstly, we have prepared a list of what all the mods actually do. While we usually try to have a sense of exploration with new content, we're seeing a lot of misunderstanding about how certain mods affect specific builds and feedback that players would like more clarity about them. For example, the Mana Siphoner mod doesn't affect melee characters as much as some players think, as it has a donut-shaped area of effect. If you get close enough, it doesn't apply to you. We can understand that this is unclear without an explanation. The full list of mods is at the bottom of this post.

Secondly, we're doing a full pass through all the mods, taking into account feedback we have received since launch. While we do want to make sure that they're still challenging, there are certainly many rough edges that we can sand down, and places where mods are strongly punitive against specific builds that we can address. We expect to get this done early this week and we'll get started on that first thing tomorrow.

Check out the list below. If you have a concern about a mod making an encounter basically impossible for your build, let us know what you're playing and how it feels. We'll make sure to take it into account with our balance pass early this week.

Item Drops

Some players have said that they feel the item drops from rare monsters aren't worth the difficulty of the fight.

Rare monsters are like regular monsters but with massive bonuses to item drops and item rarity. Due to the random nature of drops, it's entirely possible to get almost nothing one time, and a decent pile of rares or a unique item another time. Archnemesis mods are set up to have additional bonuses, and these scale up to be much larger for the really hard mods. The theory is that a hard fight results in more items. And it does, on average. Sometimes you get very little for killing a difficult rare monsters, and sometimes you get that unique item you've been looking for, or a shower of rare items. A fundamental part of Action RPGs is the wide variance of outcomes, rather than having deterministic results.

As we do our balance pass on mods this week, we will check Itheir bonuses to make sure that it is reasonable for the level of difficulty they add.

Our goal is that rare monsters are worth the effort to kill, with appropriate experience gain, item drop quantity and item drop rarity bonuses.l

List of Current Rare Monster Modifiers (before the balance pass being done over the next few days)

Hasted

• 40% increased Movement Speed
• 100% increased Evasion Rating
• Nearby Allies have 30% increased Attack and Cast Speed

Gargantuan

• 20% increased Damage
• 40% increased maximum Life
• 80% increased Area of Effect

Flameweaver

• 25% of Physical Damage Converted to Fire Damage
• 50% of Physical Damage as Extra Fire Damage
• 50% increased Fire Damage
• +50% to Fire Resistance
• +10% to maximum Fire Resistance
• Immune to Scorch
• Inflicts Fire Exposure on Hit

Stormweaver

• 25% of Physical Damage Converted to Lightning Damage
• 50% of Physical Damage as Extra Lightning Damage
• 50% increased Lightning Damage
• +50% to Lightning Resistance
• +10% to maximum Lightning Resistance
• Immune to Lightning Ailments
• Inflicts Lightning Exposure on Hit

Frostweaver

• 25% of Physical Damage Converted to Cold Damage
• 50% of Physical Damage as Extra Cold Damage
• 50% increased Cold Damage
• +50% to Cold Resistance
• +10% to maximum Cold Resistance
• Immune to Cold Ailments
• Inflicts Cold Exposure on Hit

Chaosweaver

• 25% of Physical Damage Converted to Chaos Damage
• 15% of Non-Chaos Damage as extra Chaos Damage
• +50% to Chaos Resistance
• +10% to maximum Chaos Resistance
• Immune to Wither

Steel-infused

• Overwhelm 30% Physical Damage Reduction
• 40% increased Physical Damage
• 50% additional Physical Damage Reduction
• Cannot be Stunned

Incendiary

• Ignites on Hit
• All Damage with Hits can Ignite
• 25% increased Ignite Duration
• 300% increased Ignite Damage
• +75% to Fire Resistance
• 60% less Duration of Ignites on Self

Dynamo

• Shocks on Hit
• All damage with Hits can Shock
• 25% increased Shock Effect
• 50% increased Shock Duration
• Immune to Shock

Permafrost

• 25% chance to Freeze on Hit
• All damage with Hits can Freeze
• 25% increased Freeze Duration
• Immune to Freeze and Chill

Toxic

• Poisons on Hit
• All damage with Hits can Poison
• 30% increased Poison Damage
• 30% increased Poison Duration
• +50% to Chaos Resistance against Damage over Time

Bloodletter

• Bleed on Hit
• 100% increased Damage with Bleeding
• 25% increased Bleeding Duration
• 25% reduced Damage taken from Physical Damage over Time
• Nearby Enemies are Maimed with 30% reduced Movement Speed

Splinterer

• Skills fire 4 additional Projectiles
• 30% increased Projectile Damage
• 50% chance to Avoid Projectiles

Deadeye

• Randomly applies Poacher's Mark, Assassin's Mark or Warlord's Mark
• 20% increased Damage
• 60% less Damage taken if you have not been Hit Recently
• 200% increased Evasion Rating if you have been Hit Recently
• Nearby Allies have 100% increased Accuracy Rating and 100% increased Critical Strike Chance

Arcane Buffer

• 150% faster start of Energy Shield Recharge
• Chaos Damage taken does not bypass Energy Shield
• When Energy Shield is depleted, triggers a weak nova that knocks back and briefly stuns enemies
• Nearby Allies have 40% of Maximum Life as Extra Maximum Energy Shield

Echoist

• Skills Repeat two additional times
• 200% increased Attack and Cast Speed
• Stunned for 1.5 seconds after using a Skill

Bonebreaker

• Always Stuns Enemies on Hit
• 25% chance to Double Stun Duration
• 30% reduced Attack and Cast Speed
• 100% increased Accuracy Rating
• Cannot be Stunned
• Nearby Allies have 40% increased Physical Damage

Sentinel

• 50% chance to Block Attack Damage
• 50% chance to Block Spell Damage
• +10% to maximum Chance to Block Attack Damage
• +10% to maximum Chance to Block Spell Damage
• Triggers a Delayed Reckoning when Hit (1.5 second Cooldown)

Juggernaut

• 20% increased Damage
• +2 to Maximum Endurance Charges
• Gain 2 Endurance Charges every second if you've been Hit Recently
• 30% increased Area of Effect
• Action Speed cannot be modified to below base value
• Movement Speed cannot be modified to below base value
• Cannot be Stunned

Vampiric

• All Damage from Hits is Leeched as Life
• Life Leech effects are not removed on Full Life
• 200% increased total Recovery per second from Life Leech
• 25% increased Damage while Leeching
• Enemies Cannot Leech From You

Overcharged

• +2 to Maximum Frenzy, Power and Endurance Charges
• Every 3 seconds adds 3 Frenzy, Power or Endurance charges for 9 seconds

Consecrator

• Spawns Consecrated Ground for 6 seconds (6 second cooldown, 4 second global cooldown)
• Consecrated Ground grants 2% Life Regenerated Per Second to Allies and 50% reduced Effect of Curses
• Take 30% reduced Elemental Damage while on Consecrated Ground

Frenzied

• Every 9 seconds become Frenzied for 5 seconds
• 50% increased Damage while Frenzied
• 50% increased Action Speed while Frenzied
• 50% reduced Damage Taken while Frenzied

Berserker

• Gains Increased Damage with life lost up to 40% at zero life
• Gains Increased Movement Speed with life lost up to 40% at zero life
• Gains Increased Attack and Cast Speed with life lost up to 75% at zero life
• Gains reduced Damage Taken with life lost up to 30% at zero life
• Immune to Culling Strike

Soul Conduit

• Nearby monsters are raised to fight again on Death

Oppressor

• Nearby Enemies have Oppression, causing them to deal 30% less Damage, take 30% increased Damage and have 20% reduced Movement Speed

Bombardier

• Skills fire 2 additional Projectiles
• Skills Chain 2 additional times
• Projectiles have 20% chance to be able to Chain when colliding with terrain
• Projectiles gain Damage as they travel farther, dealing up to 60% increased Damage with Hits to targets
• Periodically Fires a Nova of Fire Mortars (6 second cooldown)

Heralding Minions

• Rare Minions spawn Invulnerable Totems on death that cast a Lightning Nova Spell
• Totems despawn on death

Empowering Minions

• Rare Minions have 30% increased Damage
• Rare Minions have 100% increased maximum Life
• Gain a random common Archnemesis Mod when a Rare Minion dies (maximum 3)

Necromancer

• Rare Minions have 40% increased Damage
• Rare Minions have 150% increased maximum Life
• 30% increased maximum Life
• 10% of Non-Chaos Damage as extra Chaos Damage
• Summons Skeletons and Zombies.

Assassin

• All hits are Critical Strikes.
• Blind on Hit.
• 100% increased Blind Effect.
• Take no Extra Damage from Critical Strikes.
• Teleports to distant Enemies creating a Smoke Cloud (3 second cooldown).

Rejuvenating

• Regenerate 2% of Life per second.
• 20% increased maximum Life.
• Periodically casts a Healing Nova that causes nearby allies to regenerate 50% of life over 2 seconds as well as preventing players from recovering Life or Energy Shield (8 second cooldown, 5 second global cooldown).
• Healing Nova does not affect itself.

Executioner

• 15% Damage with Hits per 10% missing Enemy Life.
• Immune to Culling Strike.
• Nearby Enemies cannot Recover Life or Energy Shield to above 50%.

Hexer

• Hexproof
• Summons an invulnerable Hexing Effigy that places 3 randomly selected Hex areas, chosen randomly from Temporal Chains, Enfeeble, Elemental Weakness, Punishment and Vulnerability.

Drought Bringer

• Regenerate 1.5% of Life per second.
• Removes a Power, Frenzy or Endurance charges on Hit.
• Nearby Enemies' Flasks lose 15 Charges every 3 seconds.

Entangler

• Poisons on Hit.
• All damage with Hits can Poison.
• +50% to Chaos Resistance.
• Applies Grasping Vines to Enemies, which slows them and causes them to take Chaos Damage over Time (3 second cooldown, 2 second global cooldown).
• Moving will break the Vines over time.
• Travel Skills will break all Vines instantly, but doing so causes players to take 10% of their maximum Life and Energy Shield as Chaos Damage.

Temporal Bubble

• Surrounded with a Temporal Bubble which prevents all damage originating from sources outside its radius.
• Enemies within the Temporal Bubble have 25% reduced Action Speed, 60% reduced Cooldown Recovery Rate and Debuffs on them expire 40% slower.

Treant Horde

• Rare minions are replaced with Powerful Spriggans.
• 50% of Damage from Hits is taken from Rare minions Life before the Rare monster.

Final Gasp

• Summons an immortal ghost of the Rare monster on death that lasts for 5 seconds.

Flame Strider

• 50% of Physical Damage Converted to Fire Damage.
• 25% of Physical Damage as Extra Fire Damage.
• 30% increased Fire Damage.
• +40% to Fire Resistance.
• Cannot be Scorched.
• Ignite on Hit.
• 200% increased Ignite Damage.
• Leaves a Trail of Burning Ground.
• Trigger Inferno Bolt when Hit (0.5s global cooldown).
• Rare Minions create Flame Beacons on Death.

Frost Strider

• 50% of Physical Damage Converted to Cold Damage.
• 25% of Physical Damage as Extra Cold Damage.
• 30% increased Cold Damage.
• +40% to Cold Resistance.
• 200% increased Chill Effect.
• Immune to Cold Ailments.
• Leaves a Trail of Chilling Ground.
• Trigger Snow bolt when Hit (1s cooldown, 0.5s global cooldown).
• Rare Minions create Frost Beacons on Death.

Storm Strider

• 50% of Physical Damage Converted to Lightning Damage.
• 25% of Physical Damage as Extra Lightning Damage.
• 30% increased Lightning Damage.
• +40% to Lightning Resistance.
• Immune to Lightning Ailments.
• Leaves a Trail of Shocked Ground.
• Trigger Lightning Mirage when Hit (0.75s cooldown, 0.5s global cooldown).
• Rare Minions create Lightning Beacons on Death.

Ice Prison

• 50% of Physical Damage Converted to Cold Damage.
• 25% of Physical Damage as Extra Cold Damage.
• 30% increased Cold Damage.
• +40% to Cold Resistance.
• Immune to Cold Ailments.
• 25% additional Physical Damage Reduction.
• Periodically creates a barrier of Ice around the player for 3 seconds (5 second cooldown, 5 second global cooldown).

Magma Barrier

• 50% of Physical Damage Converted to Fire Damage.
• 25% of Physical Damage as Extra Fire Damage.
• 30% increased Fire Damage.
• +40% to Fire Resistance.
• 25% additional Physical Damage Reduction.
• Surrounded by a Magma Barrier that takes 90% of Damage from Hits up to a fixed amount.
• When the Magma Barrier is depleted it explodes for massive Fire Damage.
• Barrier returns 10 seconds after exploding.
• Periodically spawns Fire Volatiles that chase players (9 second cooldown).

Mana Siphoner

• 50% of Physical Damage Converted to Lightning Damage.
• 25% of Physical Damage as Extra Lightning Damage.
• 30% increased Lightning Damage.
• +40% to Lightning Resistance.
• Immune to Lightning Ailments.
• Surrounded by a Mana Siphoning Ring Aura.
• Enemies in the Aura take Lightning Damage Over Time and lose Mana every second.
• Enemies standing inside the Ring are not affected by the Aura.

Storm Herald

• 50% of Physical Damage Converted to Lightning Damage.
• 25% of Physical Damage as Extra Lightning Damage.
• 30% increased Lightning Damage.
• +40% to Lightning Resistance.
• Immune to Lightning Ailments.
• Casts Lightning Storms targeting Enemies.

Soul Eater

• Gains Souls when nearby allies die.
• Each Soul grants 5% increased Damage, Attack Speed and Cast Speed.
• Summons a Phantasm monster every 4 seconds.

Corpse Detonator

• +40% to Fire Resistance.
• Creates Corpses nearby (10 second cooldown).
• Ignites nearby Corpses, detonating them after a short duration.

Evocationist

• Ignites on Hit.
• Shocks on Hit.
• All damage with Hits can Ignite.
• All damage with Hits can Shock.
• All damage with Hits can Chill.
• +50% to all Elemental Resistances.
• 50% of Physical Damage as Extra Damage of a random Element.

Mirror Image

• Periodically creates several clones (8 second cooldown).
• Clones disappear after 5 seconds and do not drop items or grant experience.
• Clones do not inherit mods from the original monster.

Corrupter

• Inflicts Corrupted Blood on Hit.
• Inflicts Corrupted Blood when Hit.

Invulnerable

• Rare Minions cannot be damaged while Rare monster is alive.
• 30% chance to Block Attack Damage.
• 30% chance to Block Spell Damage.
• Every 9 seconds cannot be damaged for 4.5 seconds.

Crystal-skinned

• +40% to all Elemental Resistances
• 40% of Physical Damage as Extra Damage of a random Element.
• Fires crystals under Players when they hit you (0.2 second cooldown).
• Crystals deal no damage and despawn after 12 seconds.
• When the Rare monster dies all crystals charge up and explode, dealing Cold damage.

Empowered Elements

• Every four seconds gain a new affinity cycling between Fire, Cold, Lightning, Physical and Chaos.
• While you have an affinity you have 90% reduced Damage Taken from all other damage types and 50% increased Damage taken of the affinity damage type.
• Fire Affinity grants 100% of Physical Damage as Extra Fire Damage.
• Cold Affinity grants 100% of Physical Damage as Extra Cold Damage.
• Lightning Affinity grants 100% of Physical Damage as Extra Lightning Damage.
• Physical Affinity grants 60% increased Physical Damage.
• Chaos Affinity grants 30% of Physical Damage as Extra Chaos Damage.

Effigy

• Summons an Effigy of a targeted player (10 second cooldown).
• Effigy links to the target player. While linked all damage from Hits taken by the Effigy is also taken by the player as reflected damage.
• Effigy can taunt other Enemies to attack it.
• Running away from the Effigy will sever the link between itself and the player.

Trickster

• Suppress Spell Damage.
• Prevent +10% of Suppressed Spell Damage.
• 50% less Damage Over Time Taken.
• Non-Damaging Ailments Reflection.
• Every 8 seconds Flee for 4 seconds.
• While fleeing avoid 75% of Damage from Hits, gain 200% increased Movement Speed and 1000% increased Evasion Rating.
• While fleeing cast Frost Walls targeting players (1.5 second cooldown, 1.5 second global cooldown).

Opulent

• 5000% increased Quantity of Items Dropped.
• 20000% increased Rarity of Items Dropped.
• Creates Cursed Urns which can contain valuable loot but apply Gambler's Greed for 10 seconds.
• Gambler's Greed increases damage taken by 20% and reduces action speed by 10% per stack (maximum 5 stacks).

Lunaris-touched

• 50% increased Damage.
• +60% to Cold Resistance.
• 10% additional Physical Damage Reduction.
• Spawns apparitions of Lunaris which use their skills.

Solaris-touched

• 50% increased Damage.
• +60% to Fire Resistance.
• 10% additional Physical Damage Reduction.
• Spawns apparitions of Solaris which use their skills.

Arakaali-touched

• 50% increased Damage.
• +60% to Chaos Resistance.
• 10% additional Physical Damage Reduction.
• Spawns apparitions of Arakaali which use their skills.

Brine King-touched

• 50% increased Damage.
• +60% to Cold Resistance.
• 20% additional Physical Damage Reduction.
• Spawns apparitions of the Bring King which use their skills.

Tukohama-touched

• 50% increased Damage.
• +60% to Fire Resistance.
• 20% additional Physical Damage Reduction.
• Spawns apparitions of Tukohama which use their skills.

Abberath-touched

• 50% increased Damage.
• +60% to Fire Resistance.
• 15% additional Physical Damage Reduction.
• Spawns apparitions of Abberath which use their skills.

Shakari-touched

• 50% increased Damage.
• +60% to Chaos Resistance.
• 10% additional Physical Damage Reduction.
• Spawns apparitions of Shakari which use their skills.

Innocence-touched

• 50% increased Damage.
• +40% to all Elemental Resistances.
• 15% additional Physical Damage Reduction.
• Spawns apparitions of Innocence which use their skills.

Kitava-touched

• 50% increased Damage.
• +30% to all Elemental Resistances.
• 25% additional Physical Damage Reduction.
• Spawns apparitions of Kitava which use their skills.

Notes:

• We haven't described where certain effects add bonuses to Rare Minions (the normal monsters that spawn alongside a rare) unless they are important for the functionality of the mod.
• We haven't described where mods differ on magic monsters, but generally things like auras are not present on magic monsters and certain effects occur less frequently on magic monsters. Many of the rare mods do not appear on magic monsters at all as they are too complex. There are also three mods that only appear on magic monsters: Voidspawn of Abaxoth, Spirit Walker and Union of Souls (not described above).
• Rarer modifiers (towards the bottom of the list) also grant additional monster life bonuses and even better drops.

Thanks again for all of your feedback! We will go through it in detail as we do our pass through the mods early this week.