For a projectile to pierce a target it needs to successfully roll pierce AND also roll a successful hitcheck, if an attack pierces but fails the hitcheck then it doesn’t pierce.
The issue is when a projectile successfully pierces and fails the hitcheck, the projectile appears to pierce client side but in reality the projectile is destroyed server side and it no longer exists.
This clip is an example of what’s happening. I’ve got a level 30 Amazon with 1911 Attack Rating with Immolation Arrow (39% chance to hit) against a Zombie in Hell (I removed their cold immunity).
I’ve equipped her with a 100% Pierce bow that also has a 100% chance to cast Frost Nova on striking (to make it easy to see a successful hitcheck).
Immolation Arrow will always create an explosion and pyres below a target regardless of the hitcheck.
You can see that the first hitcheck fails because there’s no Frost Nova but pyres are still created under the first Zombie. The same arrow appears to pierce client side but it doesn’t create pyres under the second Zombie because the arrow doesn’t actually exist server side.
Then you see the second hitcheck is successful because a Frost Nova is created and pyres also generate under the second Zombie.
- If a hit check is not successful but piercing is successful, the missile may appear to pierce its target and even display graphical effects, but it doesn’t actually do so: damage and modifiers are not applied to subsequent targets.