Ok, I had some time so i recreated whole skill dmg calculation in excel so i can properly understand what blizzard did and i would like to comment that as i am not sure if it was made like that on purpose or it was just oversight.
I have to explain first how skills calculate damage.
Every skill has own specific setting but generaly speaking every level of skill increase dmg by certain amount. This amount is further increased by reaching certain levels. I belive for example ice blast increase this amount by every 5 levels by certain number.
In case of holy Bolt it is every 8 level when additional damage is increased.
Basic damage of holy Bolt is 8-16 and every level up to 8 is min damage increased by 8 points of damage and max by also 8 points of damage. This changes on skill level 8 where min/max is increased to +10/11. On level 16 it should increase to +13/15, on level 24 it should increase to +17/20 and so on every 8 next levels.
NOW WHAT BLIZZARD DID?
They increased damage of holy Bolt by 50%. What does that really mean? Basic skill damage will not be 8-16 but 50% more so 12-24. Thats it, that was the change, nothing else. All additional damage per level was not increased.
Current patch
In current patch is holy Bolt with all synergies maxed at lvl 20 doing 4116-4620 damage. At level 35 damage 9198-10878.
2.4 patch
Holy bolt at level 20 doing 2200-2500 damage. At level 35 damage 4862-5786.
Patch if blizzard increased even additional dmg by 50%
Level 20 holy bolt should be doing ± 3234-3630 damage and at lvl 35 damage 7227-8547.
So yeah, thats that. What is my conclusion? Holy Bolt sucks now. It doesnt matter that it can pierce or dmg demons, damage is too low at low levels without good items. Before i could make holy Bolt +sanctuary build and farm Pindleskin orvmausolum+crypt well with it. Now i dont think so as its too weak for that without good items.
I would like to see switched synergy from blessed hammer to sanctuary, not removal of it.
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it’s a nerf to OP hammedins so they can’t clear Baal’s wave 2 too fast
Ok but i dont care about hammerdins so replace synergy to sanctuary please.
they won’t just because you want it
So am i only person in world who played holy Bolt paladin? I dont think so.
3 Likes
Maybe? 
To my mind, a 20-point investment into Blessed Hammer is pointless as a synergy, since Blessed Hammer is by far the superior skill. Most people who put 20 into Holy Bolt currently are probably doing so for synergy with FoH – this being a two-way synergy.
How does the damage of HB with 20 HB + 20 FoH (i.e., just 1 in Blessed Hammer, required) compare in live versus PTR?
PTR holy Bolt does badicly half of dmg of current holy Bolt. Its pretty weak.
If you need to know numbers tell me on which level fully synergized snd i will check my excel sheet i did it for it if you want direct numbers comparison. I can sheck it when i will be home.
Right, but if I understand correctly, that’s without 20 in Blessed Hammer, since that synergy has been removed in PTR.
I’m suggesting that maybe it is comparable if you don’t invest 20 into Blessed Hammer in live.
Read my previous post please i edited it.
It only damaged undead monsters, in a game where pretty much every area in the game has undead, demons and non-undead non-demon animals.
In Dungeons and Dragons, it makes sense to invest in such a skill, because you can sort of target your missions towards undead.
In Diablo 2…
The game is about 20% the size the skill and general items would suggest, and there simply is no reason to invest into Holy Bolt unless you’re roleplaying a healer in multiplayer, or for wave 2 as a hammerdin.
…
And now the damage got heavily nerfed, it still doesn’t target non-demons non-undead…
Why should I even consider it over hammers that kills animals and deals double damage and hits multiple targets and has an aura that synergizes with one point in zeal or smite?
It should deal normal damage to animals, 1.5x damage to demons, and 2x damage to undead.
…and heal 0.5 to allies.
3 Likes
Holy bolt is weak
if they add a synergy with conviction, it would be perfect
Really? Because I’m leveling a Paladin with Holy Bolt as my primary skill and it’s destroying things. Playing through the game, it’s very effective. Granted, I’m only up to act 2 normal for now, but it’s been quite good with the ability to hit demons. The build struggles vs monsters who are not affected by Holy Bolt, but it’s going well so far.
I also did a test with a level 85 FoH pally and it was clearing Hell Chaos really easily and safely.
Holy Bolt for me feels weak on hell, i played it with sanctuary. I guess dmg from foh is fine but holy Bolt skill is little bit weak now for me.
It was extremely safe build for farming pindle but lowwer dmg now give pindle more time to kill you or his group.
I mean to be fair it’s a level 6 skill. It’s not supposed to carry you all the way to the end of the game. Not every skill needs to be endgame viable. This is how we get Diablo 3.
Well used it in some occasions. You level up your char as hammerdin and then switch to holy Bolt + sanctuary. It is extremely save build for hardcore and you can farm Pindleskin and crypt and mausoleum basicly naked. Lower dmg on holy Bolt made pindle farming more dangerous.
did damage numbers for holy bolts cast by FoH stay the same? Sadly i can’t play, only theorycraft (without d2max update 
)
I never really used Foh outside of pvp so i am not sure, but i have excel sheet with comparison for dmg of holy Bolt 2.4 vs current version up to level 47
I just checked foh holy Bolt dmg, it should be weaker, maybe it will catch up on high level.
dont know if they stayed the same, but at lvl 85, typical caster gear with 10 skillers, no torch/anni, my foh damage is:
lightning dmg: 6071-6210 (+conviction)
holy bolt damage: 5064-5104
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Thanks! D2max gives me Bolt Damage: 5064–5104 for lvl45 LoD aswell.
Thats well geared paladin tho, what does it do when you have like +3 all skills only?
