Cold Mastery in comparison to Fire and Lightning Mastery is rather lack luster. However, Cold Mastery is unique in that it reduces a targets resistance (if it isn’t immune) thereby increasing cold damage, we know this. I did really enjoy when the bug existed, that Cold Mastery was able to break through cold immunities but, I am not here to argue a reversal of that, it was OP, the fix was fair. However, You cannot lower even a non-immune target’s resistance past -100% which is where I feel like the problem lays. The change I propose is minor yet impactful.
Starting at level 18 Cold Mastery you would get +5% increased cold damage.
That would mean at level 20 Cold Mastery you would have
*-115 to enemy cold resistance
*+15% increased cold damage
Then a level 37 Cold Mastery would be…
*-200 to enemy cold resistance
*+100% increased cold damage
Now I know that sounds extreme but, in comparison,
Lightning Mastery increases lightning damage by 12% each level
Fire Mastery increases damage by 7% each level.
This proposed buff to Cold Mastery would make it worth while to max in all cases and bring it up with usefulness in line with Fire and Lightning Mastery.
Now, one last thing, let’s address the elephant in the room, this would of course make Blizzard OP AF. Yes, yes it would especially considering adding Death’s Fathom, Nightwing’s, and Cold Facets. That is a whole other argument whether Blizzard in and of itself is OP. I’m not here to argue the effects regarding Blizzard. I simply suggest we address making Cold Mastery worth while to max but, keeping it’s unique mechanic of piercing cold resistances.
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Any buff to Cold Mastery is going to make Blizzard Sorceresses even stronger. I play a hybrid Lightning/Orb Sorceress, so changes would benefit me, but I honestly think the Cold and Lightning trees are in a good place.
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That’s fair but, I feel like hyrbid builds would still function as normal since, maxing Cold Mastery isn’t part of a hybrid build. The proposes change would only really affect pure cold builds. I agree though Blizzard doesn’t need to be stronger. It just hurts to leave Cold Mastery un-maxed as a pure cold build. Changing the way Cold Mastery affects monster resistance though would be too drastic a change.
The sorc is very strong. CM will not be touched. Works perfectly fine. Bosses like Meph or UberDiablo require a much higher CM level due to their high resistance.
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The Sorceress is very strong, I agree with that. Cold Mastery likely will not be adjusted, you’re probably right. Yes, if your aim for a cold sorc is to take down Uber Diablo then, you need to max cold mastery to achieve -200% so that you can counter the regen of Uber Diablo. That is one case though where you need to max Cold Mastery. My proposal simply suggests that maxing Cold Mastery be worthwhile aside from that one exception.
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So, you want more high cold resistant monsters? All frost bow amazons should suffer, right?
No, of course not. I just would like to see the passive skill of Cold Mastery be more useful, that’s all.
Frost Bow Amazons do have options but, it could use some work and, I would support addressing it. This topic though, is in regards to Cold Mastery on a Sorceress so, that would be another discussion all together.
Then, maybe, you want reduce damage scaling for cold spells that you have to get lvl 20 cold mastery to get the same damage as now? Yes, I like such nerf, cold sorceress should suffer.
I’m not suggesting a cold nerf that’s not what I said at all, please do not twist my words. That is manipulative and wrong.
It sounds like you have something against the sorceress. As I said Blizzard stands out against all other cold skills so, Blizzard is another discussion entirely.
The only thing I am suggesting is that maxing Cold Mastery should be more worthwhile. I said nothing of nerfs and it feels like you just high jacked this conversation to talk about the Amazon while also throwing shade at the sorceress.
If that is your aim, make your own topic. Thanks
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Lightning and fire abilities don’t freeze and slow enemies.
That’s why it does less damage. It’s supposed to do less.
I’m not comparing the damage of Fire and Lighting vs Cold. I’m saying Cold Mastery should be worth more than a synergy in the end. I’m saying that when building a cold sorceress, maxing Cold Mastery should be first priority followed by synergies, because of it’s position on the skill tree. If you want to discuss specifics moving damage away from synergies and into Cold Mastery would be in line with my end point. Basically the overall damage wouldn’t change at all.
Imagine if Fire Mastery was a one point wonder, aside from one or two exceptions, wouldn’t that make it feel like the skill of Fire Mastery was almost pointless?
Cold Mastery is unique but, it’s a level 30 passive skill, and it’s almost never maxed out. Fire and Lightning Mastery on the other hand are always maxed.
I have to ask, did you read through the original post? No where in there did I ever suggest that Cold Damage should do more than Fire or Lightning. I’m fully aware of the advantages of each elemental tree and I do not need to be reminded of it. I’m trying to discuss one skill. That is all.
Hmm, depends on the resistance of the monster and the hight of the mastery, with Mastery 35, 0 res monsters Lightning Mastery is better, 75 res monsters Cold Mastery is better, with fire the flipping point is lower (lightning about 65% and fire about 47% monster res)
Now Infinity messes this up, but there I think the problem is infinity not the masteries.
And since Blizzard is already OP we don’t need Cold Mastery to become even better.
So, if Blizzard is OP, how is it the fault of Cold Mastery? Blizzards power comes from synergies, not Cold Mastery
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True that Blizzard base damage comes from syns, effictive is allot from CM, but since Cold Mastery is not weaker then the others, why would you buff it and make Blizzard even more OP?
I acknowledged in my first post that Blizzard would be made OP AF (more so than it is already)
I also said that Blizzard is another topic all together. If such a change were to be made, it would be obvious that the synergies from Blizzard would have to be adjusted to avoid over powering Blizzard.
Right now, A Blizzard Sorceress’ damage is…
Max Blizzard
Max Ice Blast
Max Glacial Spike
Max Ice Bolt
Enough Points to Cold Mastery to achieve -100
If this change were to occur building a Blizzard Sorc would instead look like this…
Max Blizzard
Max Cold Mastery
Max Ice Blast
Max Glacial Spike
The Blizzard Synergy with Ice Bolt would be completely removed thereby not changing end-game damage of blizzard.
It would only change where the power comes from Instead of the power coming from synergies, I feel like cold spell power should, in bulk, come from the mastery.
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And you would make Cold Mastery stronger than the other masteries, which it arguably already is when its really needed (atleast when no Infinity is present, although often with infinity aswell).
Not counting immunities (which you need outside effect to damage at all…usually Infinity).
Creatures with a high resistance are often those that survive the longest.
If the damage of 2 skills is equal monster with 65% resistance take about equal damage from Cold and Lightning, assuming mastery 36 (where cold would already have overkill here, but set 95% resistance to -100 as well).
So when going above 65% resistance Cold Mastery becomes stronger than Lightning Mastery (and Fire Mastery is weaker then Lightning so it had already surpassed that).
So I don’t think Cold Mastery needs a buff.
You find it lackluster in comparison, I do not.
Hmm fair assessment…
Blizzard Sorc can easily solo Diablo Clone.
Since He has 95% Cold resistance, he isn’t immune to cold (unlike the Uber versions) Maxing cold mastery with +skills will reduce Diablo Clone’s cold resistance to -100%. That is really the only reason to max Cold Mastery at this point.
So, yeah it’s not like Cold Mastery isn’t useful, it IS a fair point.
Although with pure Frozen Orb. Cold Mastery doesn’t feel as impactful as it does with Blizzard.
I suppose we will have to agree to disagree but, thanks for the input.
Of course I have! Cold sorceress is the most overpowered sorceress and it need a nerf.
First, with amazon example I want show that buffing very strong skill is unfair (yes, CM is very strong, because removing all res with no items increases damage much more, than FM or LM does).
Second, with nerf example I want show that if you want improve cold mastery utilization - it is ok, but your suggestion should prevent buffing her.
Thats always an option 
True, but I think Frozen Orb needs a small buff, might actually be comming as well, what the dev’s announced sounded quite allot like Llamasc’s earlier video and I think he asked for a FO buff there as well, might have been insider knowledge as he was doing the official inverview not long after.
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You might want to scroll up a bit and read where I had said, if such a change were to occur one of Blizzard’s synergies would be removed, So it really wouldn’t be a buff.
I get the feeling you’ve never even played a Sorceress because Cold Sorceress is not the most powerful, that honor lays with Lightning (in my opinion) though some might argue that it’s Fire. Chain Lightning, Fire Wall, and Meteor are crazy powerful. The Sorceress herself is very powerful and easy to build that’s why everyone makes them. The drawback is that she is one shot very frequently, she’s squishy and it’s hard to build good defenses on her. Your defense, while playing a sorceress, is very much down to mobility.
Cold Mastery does not remove all resistance. It cannot break an immunity. You cannot lower a monster’s resistance past -100% that means if something has 95% Cold Resistance you need to max Cold Mastery to lower that resistance to it’s cap.
Maxing Cold Mastery to combat a resistance is rare though because, monsters in hell have either low cold resistance or, completely immune. Which is why one normally doesn’t max the skill because the monsters the skill actually impacts, once maxed, are few and far in between.
The base damage of cold spells are visibly lower than Fire and Lightning because the numerical impact of Cold Mastery isn’t shown. The Sorceress has similar power in all three elemental trees in different ways.
Lightning however has insane amounts of damage and with infinity (which will break the lightning immunity of most monsters) she can farm almost any area in hell. The Cold Sorceress however, has MANY limits since she has no way to break an immunity. I personally always max Cold Mastery for Diablo Clone.
So no, you’re wrong here. The Cold Sorceress is not the most powerful she has her weaknesses and you’d understand that if you actually played one.
PS. I cannot figure out why you are crying “unfair” My suggestion will most likely never happen yet, it is confirmed the Amazon is getting a buff so. What’s your actual problem? What are you REALLY angry about?