So how does +spell damage work?

WoW Classic WoW Classic General Discussion
1

I’m wondering if someone can explain this to me. I have various gear that gives + shadow damage, and my wand deals shadow damage. My character panel reflects my ranged wands attacks doing base damage + extra from gear, but tests in game reveal that my wands does only damage listed on the item regardless of how much +damage i have equipped or what is reflected in the character tab.

So the gravestone scepter does 30-57 damage. My character panel says 70-97 damage when gear is equipped, but no matter what, i always do 30-57

Is this a bug? Or am i missing something?

Many thanks!!

4 Likes
2

The character panel shows wand damage? Also, spell power doesnt translate 100% to damage, there are various coefficients and whatnot that come into play.

3

Yes, character panel shows wand damage just like any bow or melee weapon.

And yes i’m aware of the fact that only a percentage of +damage is actually in play depending on the spell used. But what i’m clearly saying is that the character panel clearly reflects the exact amount of +damage i have on my wands hits, when in game reflects on the amount of damage actually written on the wand tooltip.

4

wands do not count as spells as far as im aware which is why your regen works while using them, dont think anything other than priest and mage talents affect a wands damage.

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5

so in your guys’s opinion, as a warlock casting dots and then wanding 90% of the time (almost never hardcasting shadowbolt or searing pain, etc) going for +damage on gear is useless until high level content in which hardcasting shadowbolt will be bread and butter?

because right now, if it doesn’t effect wand damage, i don’t see any point in have +damage gear

6

You want + shadow DMG for shadow spells period.

4 Likes
7

It still helps your dots. Also, shadowbolt is worth casting at higher levels.

8

I just think you don’t understand the stats in the WoW Classic.

Wands can do the following damage.
Shadow Damage
Fire Damage
Frost Damage
Arcane Damage
Nature Damage

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a wand with nature damage. I’m just throwing it out there just in case.

My mage only does fire, frost, and arcane damage. But my wand does shadow damage.

Are you starting to understand yet?

There are also resistances in the game.
Fire Resistance
Frost Resistance
Arcane Resistance
Shadow Resistance
Nature Resistance

When you have resistance gear, you take less damage from that school of magic.

So, if my mage has on all shadow resistance gear and you shoot your shadow damage wand at me, I will not take 100% damage. Lets say the wand does 10 shadow damage max. I won’t take 10 shadow damage because of my shadow resistance.

In games like Final Fantasy 7, 8, and 10 (I’m listing all 3 because I can’t remember which game this applies too), if I stack enough resistances than that spell heals me.

I think it is FF8 were each of my party members has enough spells drawn (100 spells junctioned to a stat) that a fire, blizzard, and thunder spell against them from an enemy will heal them (3 in a party and they can only be immune to one school of magic).

And in FF10, if I choose the wrong school of magic for Lulu to cast on a monster, than it heals them too because they are resistant to that school of magic.

9

IMO +dmg gear is pointless for all casters for leveling. Int/Stam (and possibly Spirit for Priests) are better choices because they extend how long you can go without drinking and improve survivability. Your spells have enough base damage for leveling.

Endgame though +dmg is quite useful. Wowhead has BiS lists, so look at them to be aware of what pieces you will want to save/farm for endgame.

3 Likes
10

+shadow damage is absolutely essential for warlocks and the shadoweave set is a very strong set near level 40, 100% of the damage will translate into increasing corruption, curse of agony, and life tap. Your drain life/shadowbolt spells increase by 70-80% of your spell power.

There is a VW sacrifice/drain tank build that heals you based on your max hp so with that build you will be prioritizing stamina, but otherwise sp > stam

11

You shouldn’t be hard casting shadowbolt. Go down affliction to siphon life and grab instacast corruption and nightfall on the way. You can drain life or wand to finish off mobs it’s situational. Spell damage or shadow damage gear helps.

12

I just don’t think you read the post

My wand, which is a shadow damage wand, does 30-57 damage. I tested this on grey mobs with and without all +damage gear, and my wand always does 30-57 damage.

My character panel reflects that my wand should do all additional +damage wen though this is not true in testing it. This was my question.

2 Likes
13

So you think that 90% of your damage is wand damage? Your dots do a large chunk of that damage - so the +sp is actually very useful.

Source - Im a 42 lock with 121 bonus shadow spell dmg and i melt things way faster with it on over my “stat” gear.

14

At your level, you should be drain tanking. Use a succubus, dark pact, and drain life for the quickest grinding possible.

15

The answer you actually want is: +spell damage does not affect wand damage.

23 Likes
16

I read your entire post. I think you still don’t understand so I’ll quote others who already explained to you how your wand works.

OK, so this quote is actually after your reply to me. But Elvanora & Iqgap both said the same thing.

1 Like
17

Maybe this has been answered but il answer it anyway.

Your wand is not a spell. +spell damage will not effect your wand damage.

Yes, it is still worth picking up +shadow damage early on for priests and warlocks.

2 Likes
18

Wands aren’t spells.

19

The wand might remain weak, but going for +spell or +shadow damage as a warlock while leveling is a smart idea IMO.

I’ve been testing it myself with just a +21 (or something like that) shadow damage hood. All of my dots tick for so much more, I was doing 10 dps more than a higher level lock despite the same exact dots/wand. The wand remains nice and weak though…maybe a good thing or I’d pull aggro.

20

Spell damage increasing wand damage in the character pane is just a bug. Wands are still extremely useful to save mana (and allow you to spirit regen, since wanding doesn’t count as casting) while leveling priest and warlock, especially at low levels.

(Shadow) spell damage is still extremely good for leveling lock, since it not only makes you kill things faster and with less mana, it increases the efficiency of life tap/dark pact/siphon life/drain life. Basically the more spell power you have, the more health/mana you will be getting back, allowing you to eventually fight multiple mobs indefinitely, never needing to stop to eat/drink.

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