Mechanic

Projectile

A Projectile is a moving entity created by an Attack or Spell. Projectile describes delivery, not the source type or damage type, so the Projectile can still be an Attack or Spell and can deal any supported damage type.
0.5.4d
Current data

Catalog version 0.5.4d

No direct 0.5 patch change is linked to this page. The displayed values are current for catalog version 0.5.4d.

What Projectile does

Current rules

Read the Projectile component separately from explosions, ground effects, beams, or triggered effects it creates. Check collision behavior, Projectile count, speed, duration, travel distance, and whether the skill allows several Projectiles from one simultaneous group to hit the same target.

Source remains separate
A Projectile created by an Attack remains an Attack Projectile, while one created by a Spell remains a Spell Projectile. Projectile does not convert one source type into the other.
One hit per simultaneous group
When several Projectiles are fired by the same source at the same time, only one Projectile from that group can hit a given target unless the skill explicitly says otherwise.
Collision and expiry
A Projectile normally ends when it reaches its destination, reaches its flight limit, expires, or collides with an entity or terrain. Skill text can replace the straight trajectory or normal collision behavior.
Collision modifiers
Pierce, Split, Fork, Chain, Return, terrain collision, and similar effects change what happens after contact. Splitting, Piercing, and Forking are resolved before Chaining when their predicates apply.
Projectile Speed
Projectile Speed changes how quickly the Projectile travels. It does not change damage unless the skill or another modifier explicitly scales damage or behavior from Projectile Speed.
Melee separation
Projectiles created by a Melee Attack do not deal Melee damage merely because the originating skill also has the Melee tag.

Projectile behavior to check

5 cases
01
Projectile count

More Projectiles increase coverage, but the same simultaneous group normally cannot shotgun one target without an explicit exception.

02
Pierce, Split, Fork, and Chain

These modify post-collision travel or create new Projectiles. Read the exact priority and target restrictions on the applicable effect.

Related: Pierce, Split, Chain
03
Return

A Returning Projectile changes direction after its outward flight. Whether it can hit the same target again depends on the skill and Return rules.

Related: Returning Projectiles
04
Impact explosion

The moving Projectile and its explosion can be separate components with different AoE, Hit, and damage predicates.

Related: AoE, Hit
05
Distance scaling

Point Blank, Far Shot, and other distance rules use Projectile travel distance according to their own current wording.

Rare monster modifiers

1 linked

Limits and exceptions

5 rules
  • Additional Projectiles normally improve coverage rather than multiplying single-target damage from one simultaneous group.
  • A Projectile skill can contain non-Projectile secondary effects. Apply Projectile modifiers only to components that retain the Projectile predicate.
  • Projectile Speed is not a universal damage multiplier and does not by itself increase duration or maximum travel distance.
  • A Projectile created by a Melee Attack is not Melee damage. The originating Attack and the created Projectile must be evaluated as separate components.
  • Collision behavior can be replaced by explicit skill text, including Projectiles that do not Hit, ignore targets, travel along terrain, or discharge another effect instead.