Caustic Arrow

This skill embodies so much that is wrong with the clusterfuck of a damage multiplier system in PoE.

Is the DOT applied in an aoe cloud? Yes. Does raised aoe damage raise the DOT damage though? No.
Does concentrated effect lower the aoe? Yes. Does it raise the damage? ...maybe??
Does nonspecific projectile damage raise its damage over time? Yes. Does the raised projectile damage of point blank however raise the dot? No.
What would a newbie intuitovely think raises the damage over time?
Why, increased spell damage of course since it's flat damage, independent from the weapon, right? Just like every single other spell that doesn't work off of your weapons damage in the game, right? Does it do that? No.
Instead, you may only raise its damage with that handful of ultraspecific damage over time and chaos damage nodes peppered all over the giant skilltree, specifically designed to benefit a grand total of 2 skills only and have fun linking support gems to amass that nonspecific "projectile" bonus damage in hilariously inefficient ways like linking faster and slower projectiles at the same time.

What a mess.

@Daniel_GGG

I realize a Chaos Pen support gem would be useless for Poison Arrow such as Fire Pen is for Searing Bonds.

And I also realize that Vulnerability would allow enemies to take more damage from Poison Arrow.

But Searing Bonds is also affected by Elemental Weakness, Flammability, and Vulnerability.

Just a thought.

@Kaysee

I understand your reasoning behind why you wouldn't want Poison Arrow to become a main Damage skill, but why would anyone use it and spec into it when it has no late game viability?

I'm just trying to make a point. I'm not a Poison Arrow user, in fact just the opposite, I am a Searing Bonds main DPS user, but it doesn't change the fact it has no late game viability. Unless you're going to go auras.

Also, Searing Bonds can get around 12k dps now (Without Curses) even though it can't stack like Poison Arrow. And while it is a great leveling gem for soloing until late game it can build into late game viable builds. (Ancestral Bonds, Cursing, Auras, Summons, Traps, Etc.,)

It doesn't seem after a little research I've done into Poison Arrow that there is much going on for it other than it's a fun skill to use, and the fact it used to be the best option for leveling.

Maybe time for a buff or a rework. Just my opinion after what I've read so far.

**EDIT**
On a separate note... Maybe make it work with Ranged Attack Totem. This way it could be used as a support skill since it's not going to be a main DPS skill for the moment.

Still think classic Immolation Arrow is just more fun to use.

No matter how big the number is on this one, something you fire off as a one-use DoT trigger every 5 seconds isn't as much fun as cloudy deathspam. It's a bit of a waste of art assets to design it this way.

"

I understand your reasoning behind why you wouldn't want Poison Arrow to become a main Damage skill, but why would anyone use it and spec into it when it has no late game viability?

For single target, it does bring +50% to your physical damage multiplier, along with a small DoT. I'd still personally prefer Frenzy though.. this is a skill that's trying to do too many things.

"

armyguyclaude wrote:

**EDIT**
On a separate note... Maybe make it work with Ranged Attack Totem. This way it could be used as a support skill since it's not going to be a main DPS skill for the moment.

It has been working with Ranged Attack Totem since a few patches ago.

So, something I just learned the hard way...poison arrow + trap works...but only if you have a bow equipped?? wtf? How does this make any sense at all?

I had a great idea for a poison based trap build...grab all of the DOT and +chaos damage nodes as well as the trap nodes then throw poison arrow and fire traps to stack DOT with viper strike for single target, but I can only throw PA traps with a bow equipped and they disappear immediately if I switch weapon sets. It works ok to use mainly PA traps and just switch to melee for tough single targets like bosses/rares, but I wish I could keep that shield up and it mechanically makes no sense. Couldn't they just drop the projectile/direct damage and only proc the cloud if you use it with the trap gem?

"

Det_Nosnip wrote:

So, something I just learned the hard way...poison arrow + trap works...but only if you have a bow equipped?? wtf? How does this make any sense at all?

I had a great idea for a poison based trap build...grab all of the DOT and +chaos damage nodes as well as the trap nodes then throw poison arrow and fire traps to stack DOT with viper strike for single target, but I can only throw PA traps with a bow equipped and they disappear immediately if I switch weapon sets. It works ok to use mainly PA traps and just switch to melee for tough single targets like bosses/rares, but I wish I could keep that shield up and it mechanically makes no sense. Couldn't they just drop the projectile/direct damage and only proc the cloud if you use it with the trap gem?

You can only 'use' skills that you can 'use' - You can make Power Siphon traps too, but you wouldn't be able to use them with a hammer, for instance. Poison Arrow - Need a bow.

hey guys, help me interpret the skill description..

Gain x% of Physical Damage as Extra Chaos Damage (on hit or including cloud DoT damage?)

Reason why I ask this question is due to recommendation from fellow ranger to NOT take physical damage passive and go for Chaos and Damage over time passive for my poison arrow build.

However my own interpretation of the skill is that the bonus physical damage does include cloud dot damage.

I am currently level 76(Softcore) and using poison arrow as a main skill. I do admit with a full group I do not do nearly as much damage as everyone else but I do good steady DoTs. It is nice to play without worrying about reflection.


With my links with bow below I do 2518.9 chaos dmg per second. That is also not showing the concentrated gem damage.


Also using Carcass jack for the added AoE :


I am looking to max level my desecrate and work on some links with it and swap the fire trap. With no link I am doing 466 chaos per second with desecrate. I run the vulnerability curse for the added AoE damage and things die pretty fast.

Passive below:
http://www.pathofexile.com/passive-skill-tree/AAAAAgMAAuMFLQdjB6UI9A2NGNsZihqPHNwhYCL0I_YkPCSdJpUnqSycLUctgzGIPV9AoEkTSVFJskp9UEJSU1KvUzVVS1WuVi1W-lcrWm1br2BLYlpnoGf8axdsC20ZbWxte3RBdO108XaCeQN67311fdJ_xoIQgh6FMod2ieCMNpMflwaXlZf0m7WeuadcrH-tSrTRtUi7TbvjwFTB88M6xKLIDM0m037bC90N3V_fsOZY5oHsGO4O73rv8Pba-wn8xf66

I wish I had more DoT options for chaos but I like it none the less.