Snapshot

Snapshotting is a term that describes creating effects or states with values based on your current stats, that do not update if your stats change later. It is mostly removed in the modern game, outside bugs or debuffs.

Mechanics

When something is snapshotted, it will not change its values based on stat changes that occur later. For example:

1. Cast a temporary MalevolenceMalevolenceAura, Spell, AoE
   Level: (1-20)
   Reservation: 50% Mana
   Cooldown Time: 1.20 sec
   Can Store 1 Use(s)
   Cast Time: InstantRequires Level 24Casts an aura that multiplies damage over time and increases skill effect duration of you and your allies.+(0-1.9) metres to radius
   You and nearby allies deal (14-20)% more Damage over Time
   You and nearby allies have (10-19)% increased Skill Effect Duration
   
   Additional Effects From 1-20% Quality:
   (2-40)% increased Area of EffectPlace into an item socket of the right colour to gain this skill. Right click to remove from a socket. supported by Divine Blessing SupportDivine Blessing SupportSupport, Aura, Duration, Blessing
   Icon: a
   Level: (1-20)Requires Level 31Supports aura skills that create permanent auras around you, changing their reservation to a cost and making them temporary. Cannot support banner or stance skills.Supported Skills have (10-29)% increased Aura effect
   Supported Skills Cost +(90-233) Mana
   Supported Skills also count as Blessing Skills
   You can only have one Aura on you from your Blessing Skills
   Auras from Supported Skills have a base duration of (9.00-10.90) seconds
   
   Additional Effects From 1-20% Quality:
   Supported Skills have (0.25-5)% increased Aura effectThis is a Support Gem. It does not grant a bonus to your character, but to skills in sockets connected to it. Place into an item socket connected to a socket containing the Skill Gem you wish to augment. Right click to remove from a socket.
2. Weapon swap to a 6-link bow, socketed with a fully-supported Caustic ArrowCaustic ArrowAttack, Projectile, AoE, Duration, Chaos, Bow
   Level: (1-20)
   Cost: (6-10) Mana
   Attack Damage: (55-64)% of base
   Effectiveness of Added Damage: (55-64)%
   Projectile Speed: 3260
   AoE Radius: 20Fires an arrow which deals chaos damage in an area on impact, and spreads caustic ground. Enemies standing on the caustic ground take chaos damage over time.Deals (8.8-1927.1) Base Chaos Damage per second
   Base duration is 2.00 seconds
   Modifiers to Projectile Damage apply to this Skill's Damage Over Time effect
   +(0-0.6) metres to radius
   60% of Physical Damage Converted to Chaos Damage
   
   Additional Effects From 1-20% Quality:
   +(0.01-0.2) metres to radiusPlace into an item socket of the right colour to gain this skill. Right click to remove from a socket.
3. Attack an enemy, creating a ground effect with a set base DPS and duration, both multiplied by Malevolence
4. Swap back to your other weapon, losing the Caustic ArrowCaustic ArrowAttack, Projectile, AoE, Duration, Chaos, Bow
   Level: (1-20)
   Cost: (6-10) Mana
   Attack Damage: (55-64)% of base
   Effectiveness of Added Damage: (55-64)%
   Projectile Speed: 3260
   AoE Radius: 20Fires an arrow which deals chaos damage in an area on impact, and spreads caustic ground. Enemies standing on the caustic ground take chaos damage over time.Deals (8.8-1927.1) Base Chaos Damage per second
   Base duration is 2.00 seconds
   Modifiers to Projectile Damage apply to this Skill's Damage Over Time effect
   +(0-0.6) metres to radius
   60% of Physical Damage Converted to Chaos Damage
   
   Additional Effects From 1-20% Quality:
   +(0.01-0.2) metres to radiusPlace into an item socket of the right colour to gain this skill. Right click to remove from a socket. skill
5. The ground effect will continue with unchanged DPS and duration

Mechanics that snapshot

• Damage over time will snapshot base DPS and duration when an effect or debuff is created. Exceptions exist in skills like Righteous FireRighteous FireSpell, AoE, Fire
  Level: (1-20)
  Cooldown Time: 0.30 sec
  Can Store 1 Use(s)
  Cast Time: InstantRequires Level 16Engulfs you in magical fire that rapidly burns you and nearby enemies. Your spell damage is substantially increased while under this effect. The effect ends when you have 1 life remaining.Deals 70% of your Maximum Life as Base Fire Damage per second
  Deals 70% of your Maximum Energy Shield as Base Fire Damage per second
  You Burn for 90% of your Maximum Life per second as Fire Damage
  You Burn for 70% of your Maximum Energy Shield per second as Fire Damage
  Grants (20-39)% more Spell Damage
  Base radius is (1.8-2.3) metres
  
  Additional Effects From 1-20% Quality:
  Base radius is (0.015-0.3) metresPlace into an item socket of the right colour to gain this skill. Right click to remove from a socket. and Death Aura, which update when your stats change.
• Debuffs on enemies, including ailments and non-aura curses, snapshot values from the source when created. This includes modifiers like increased ailment effect or increases to the curse limit. (Modifiers from the target such as #% reduced Effect of Curses on you may modify the effect dynamically.)
• Buffs may also snapshot, though many buffs have dynamic behaviour to avoid undesirable gameplay, such as aura skills and Corrupting FeverCorrupting FeverSpell, Duration, Physical
  Level: (1-20)
  Cost: (78-520) Life
  Cooldown Time: 1.00 sec
  Can Store 1 Use(s)
  Cast Time: InstantRequires Level 16Draws out your own blood to power a buff for a duration, letting this skill inflict the Corrupting Blood debuff on enemies you hit, dealing physical damage over time for a short secondary duration. The buff's duration will be refreshed if you spend enough life before it expires.Deals (7.8-335.4) Base Physical Damage per second
  Base duration is 6.00 seconds
  Base secondary duration is 1.00 seconds
  Buff Duration is refreshed after you spend a total of (26-205) Life
  
  Additional Effects From 1-20% Quality:
  (1-20)% increased Skill Effect DurationPlace into an item socket of the right colour to gain this skill. Right click to remove from a socket..

Some effects apply to entire uses of a skill, such as critical strike rolls, exerting with warcries or AmbushAmbushCritical, Spell, Movement, Duration, Travel
Level: (1-20)
Cost: (8-23) Mana
Cooldown Time: 5.00 sec
Can Store 1 Use(s)
Cast Time: 0.30 secRequires Level 34Teleports you to a nearby enemy, applying a buff to you for a short duration and blinding the enemy for a secondary duration. Performing a melee attack with a One-Handed Weapon removes the buff to exert that attack.Base duration is 1.50 seconds
Base secondary duration is 3.00 seconds
Buff is removed to Exert the next Melee Attack you perform
Attacks Exerted by this Skill cannot be Exerted by other Skills
Exerted Attacks have +25% to Critical Strike Chance
Exerted Attacks have +(100-138)% to Critical Strike Multiplier

Additional Effects From 1-20% Quality:
Exerted Attacks have +(0.5-10)% to Critical Strike ChancePlace into an item socket of the right colour to gain this skill. Right click to remove from a socket., Ruthless Blows from Ruthless SupportRuthless SupportSlam, Support, Melee, Attack, Strike
Icon: u
Level: (1-20)
Cost & Reservation Multiplier: 120%Supports melee strike or slam skills. Every third time you use a supported attack, that use of the skill will be more powerful.Every third Attack with Supported Melee Attacks deals a Ruthless Blow
Ruthless Blows with Supported Skills deal (70-98)% more Melee Damage
Ruthless Blows with Supported Skills deal (70-98)% more Damage with
Ailments caused by Melee Hits
Ruthless Blows with Supported Skills have a base Stun Duration of 0.8 seconds

Additional Effects From 1-20% Quality:
Supported Skills deal (0.5-10)% increased Attack DamageThis is a Support Gem. It does not grant a bonus to your character, but to skills in sockets connected to it. Place into an item socket connected to a socket containing the Skill Gem you wish to augment. Right click to remove from a socket., Intensity stacks, or Master Distiller. These are not related to changing stats, and should not be considered snapshotting.

Mechanics that update dynamically

• Hits are fundamentally dynamic; they always use your current stats. Changes to your stats will immediately affect mid-flight projectiles, ongoing effects that hit, and skills used by existing proxies.
• Minions update when the stats of the skill that summoned them changes, including due to gem levels or support gems.

Snapshotting examples

• ManastormManastorm
  Lacewood Spirit ShieldChance to Block: 24%
  Energy Shield: (47-55)
  Movement Speed: -3%Requires Level 56, 134 Int(5-10)% increased Spell Damage+(1-100) to maximum Mana
  (1-100)% increased Mana Regeneration Rate
  Gain (1-100) Mana per Enemy Killed
  (1-100)% increased Mana Recovery from Flasks
  When you Cast a Spell, Sacrifice all Mana to gain Added Maximum Lightning Damage
  equal to 50% of Sacrificed Mana for 4 secondsFear not the fury of the storm. snapshots extra lightning damage when casting a spell for 4 seconds. The added damage is global.
• The VigilThe Vigil
  Crimson JewelLimited to: 1
  Radius: Medium(10-15)% increased Armour
  With at least 40 Strength in Radius, Hits with Vigilant Strike Fortify you and Nearby Allies for 8 secondsWhen Voll took the throne,
  He swore to care for the empire with eyes open.
  And so he looked to the salvation of his people,
  Blind to the damnation in his hands.Place into an allocated Jewel Socket on the Passive Skill Tree. Right click to remove from the Socket. snapshots fortify on hit for a base duration of 8 seconds.
• Sinvicta's MettleSinvicta's Mettle
  Ezomyte AxeTwo Handed Axe
  Physical Damage: (208.8-219.24) to (314.4-330.12)
  Critical Strike Chance: 5.70%
  Attacks per Second: (1.46-1.51)
  Weapon Range: 1.3 metresRequires Level 62, 140 Str, 86 Dex(140-152)% increased Physical Damage
  (8-12)% increased Attack Speed
  2% increased Area of Effect per 25 Rampage Kills
  Gain a Frenzy Charge on every 50th Rampage Kill
  RampageWar is a thriving infection.
  It numbs the heart and eats away at the soul until only emptiness remains. snapshots Rampage on kill. Rampage remains until you haven't killed an enemy for 5 seconds. All rampage items can be snapshotted, however weapon swapping is often the easiest way.
• WillowgiftWillowgift
  Jade AmuletRequires Level 52+(20-30) to Dexterity10% reduced Strength
  15% increased Dexterity
  -(30-20)% to Fire Resistance
  +(30-40)% to Cold Resistance
  You do not inherently take less Damage for having Fortification
  +4% chance to Suppress Spell Damage per Fortification
  (15-25)% increased Attack and Cast Speed while at maximum FortificationThe storm cannot break that which bends. snapshots the altered function of Fortification buffs.
• The Felbog FangThe Felbog Fang
  Citrine AmuletRequires Level 61+(16-24) to Strength and Dexterity+(30-50) to Intelligence
  (10-15)% increased Cast Speed
  (10-15)% increased Area of Effect
  Enemies Cursed by you are Hindered if 25% of Curse Duration expired
  Your Curses have 25% increased Effect if 50% of Curse Duration expired
  Enemies Cursed by you take 35% increased Damage if 75% of Curse Duration expiredDeath creeps closer; unseen, inexorable, hungry. snapshots the increased curse effect and hindering enemies the moment you cast the curse.