Version 0.9.7

Version History
← 0.9.6h March 7, 2012	0.9.7 March 18, 2012	0.9.7b → March 19, 2012

Patch notes

These are the official patch notes for version 0.9.7 released by Grinding Gear Games.

Notes

• Path of Exile's higher difficulty levels are a lot more difficult than before! It's expected that players will have to pick defensive options in order to be able to survive.
• We've wiped all the passive skills again. Please take care reallocating your passives so that you can use your equipment and gems.

New Content

• Added a new monster type, the Goatman Shaman, which uses Fireball and Molten Shell.
• Added a new skill - PuncturePunctureAttack, Projectile, Duration, Melee, Strike, Physical, Bow
  Level: (1-20)
  Cost: 6 Mana
  Attack Speed: 70% of base
  Attack Damage: (134-164)% of base
  Effectiveness of Added Damage: (135-165)%Requires Level 4Punctures enemies, causing a bleeding debuff, which will be affected by modifiers to skill duration. Puncture works with bows, daggers, claws or swords.Base duration is 8.00 seconds
  (3-75) to (4-113) Added Attack Physical Damage
  (30-49)% more Damage with Bleeding
  Causes Bleeding
  
  Additional Effects From 1-20% Quality:
  +(1-20)% more Damage with BleedingPlace into an item socket of the right colour to gain this skill. Right click to remove from a socket.: Punctures the target, causing them to bleed. While bleeding, they take damage over time based on how much damage was dealt in the initial hit. The bleeding deals more damage while they move. Puncture works with bows, daggers, claws or swords.
• Added a new skill - Lightning ArrowLightning ArrowAttack, AoE, Projectile, Lightning, Bow
  Level: (1-20)
  Cost: (7-11) Mana
  Attack Damage: (130-154)% of base
  Effectiveness of Added Damage: (130-154)%
  Projectile Speed: 3260Requires Level 12Fires a charged arrow which damages enemies by causing them to be struck by a bolt of lightning, which also damages a number of surrounding enemies.50% of Physical Damage Converted to Lightning Damage
  (1-9) to (13-179) Added Lightning Damage
  Hits up to 3 additional enemies near the target
  Shocks Enemies as though dealing (100-290)% more Damage
  
  Additional Effects From 1-20% Quality:
  Hits up to (0.1-2) additional enemies near the targetPlace into an item socket of the right colour to gain this skill. Right click to remove from a socket.: Fires a charged arrow at the target, causing them to be struck by a bolt of lightning which damages nearby enemies.
• Added a new skill - Summon SkeletonsSummon SkeletonsSpell, Minion, Duration
  Level: (1-20)
  Cost: (5-16) Mana
  Cast Time: 0.50 secRequires Level 10Summon Skeleton Warrior minions at the targeted location. They use a melee attack and die after a duration. If made aggressive, Skeleton Warriors will also dash towards nearby enemies.Maximum (5-7) Summoned Skeletons
  Base duration is 20.00 seconds
  Summons (2-3) Skeleton Warriors
  
  Additional Effects From 1-20% Quality:
  +(0.05-1) to Maximum Summoned SkeletonsPlace into an item socket of the right colour to gain this skill. Right click to remove from a socket.: Summons a group of slow moving skeletal minions. They last 20 seconds before expiring and do not require a corpse when casting.
• Added a new skill - Burning ArrowBurning ArrowAttack, Projectile, Fire, Bow
  Level: (1-20)
  Cost: (7-12) Mana
  Attack Speed: 70% of base
  Attack Damage: (200-300)% of base
  Effectiveness of Added Damage: (200-300)%
  Projectile Speed: 3260Fires a burning arrow that deals fire damage and has a chance to ignite.Adds (3-201) to (4-302) Fire Damage to Attacks against Ignited Enemies
  25% chance to Ignite enemies
  100% of Physical Damage Converted to Fire Damage
  
  Additional Effects From 1-20% Quality:
  (1-20)% more Damage with IgnitePlace into an item socket of the right colour to gain this skill. Right click to remove from a socket.: Fires an arrow that deals fire damage to its target and has an increased chance of setting it on fire.
• Added nine player aura skills: AngerAngerAura, Spell, AoE, Fire
  Level: (1-20)
  Reservation: 50% Mana
  Cooldown Time: 1.20 sec
  Can Store 1 Use(s)
  Cast Time: InstantRequires Level 24Casts an aura that adds fire damage to the attacks and spells of you and your allies.+(0-1.9) metres to radius
  You and nearby allies deal (16-109) to (23-155) additional Fire Damage with Attacks
  You and nearby allies deal (16-109) to (23-155) additional Fire Damage with Spells
  
  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. (Fire Damage), HatredHatredAura, Spell, AoE, Cold
  Level: (1-20)
  Reservation: 50% Mana
  Cooldown Time: 1.20 sec
  Can Store 1 Use(s)
  Cast Time: Instant
  AoE Radius: 36Requires Level 24Casts an aura that grants extra cold damage based on physical damage to you and your allies.+(0-1.9) metres to radius
  You and nearby allies gain (16-25)% of Physical Damage as Extra Cold Damage
  You and nearby allies deal (14-18)% more Cold Damage
  
  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. (Cold Damage), WrathWrathAura, Spell, AoE, Lightning
  Level: (1-20)
  Reservation: 50% Mana
  Cooldown Time: 1.20 sec
  Can Store 1 Use(s)
  Cast Time: Instant
  AoE Radius: 36Requires Level 24Casts an aura that adds lightning damage to the attacks of you and your allies, and makes your spells deal more lightning damage.+(0-1.9) metres to radius
  You and nearby allies deal (2-16) to (37-248) additional Lightning Damage with Attacks
  You and nearby allies deal (15-21)% more Spell Lightning Damage
  
  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. (Lightning Damage), DisciplineDisciplineAura, Spell, AoE
  Level: (1-20)
  Reservation: 35% Mana
  Cooldown Time: 1.20 sec
  Can Store 1 Use(s)
  Cast Time: Instant
  AoE Radius: 36Requires Level 24Casts an aura that grants additional energy shield and increased energy shield recharge rate to you and your allies.+(0-1.9) metres to radius
  You and nearby allies gain (60-217) additional Energy Shield
  You and nearby Allies gain 30% increased Energy Shield Recharge Rate
  
  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. (Energy Shield), GraceGraceAura, Spell, AoE
  Level: (1-20)
  Reservation: 50% Mana
  Cooldown Time: 1.20 sec
  Can Store 1 Use(s)
  Cast Time: Instant
  AoE Radius: 36Requires Level 24Casts an aura that grants evasion to you and your allies.+(0-1.9) metres to radius
  You and nearby allies gain (227-2575) additional Evasion Rating
  You and nearby allies gain (20-29)% more Evasion rating
  
  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. (Evasion), DeterminationDeterminationAura, Spell, AoE, Physical
  Level: (1-20)
  Reservation: 50% Mana
  Cooldown Time: 1.20 sec
  Can Store 1 Use(s)
  Cast Time: Instant
  AoE Radius: 36Requires Level 24Casts an aura that grants armour to you and your allies.+(0-1.9) metres to radius
  You and nearby allies gain (179-2051) additional Armour
  You and nearby allies gain (40-49)% more Armour
  
  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. (Armour), PurityPurity of ElementsAura, Spell, AoE
  Level: (1-20)
  Reservation: 50% Mana
  Cooldown Time: 1.20 sec
  Can Store 1 Use(s)
  Cast Time: Instant
  AoE Radius: 36Requires Level 24Casts an aura that grants elemental resistances and elemental ailment immunity to you and your allies.+(0-1.9) metres to radius
  You and nearby allies gain +(20-34)% to all Elemental Resistances
  You and nearby allies are Immune to all Elemental Ailments
  
  Additional Effects From 1-20% Quality:
  You and nearby allies gain +(0.25-5)% to all Elemental ResistancesPlace into an item socket of the right colour to gain this skill. Right click to remove from a socket. (Elemental Resistances), HasteHasteAura, Spell, AoE
  Level: (1-20)
  Reservation: 50% Mana
  Cooldown Time: 1.20 sec
  Can Store 1 Use(s)
  Cast Time: Instant
  AoE Radius: 36Requires Level 24Casts an aura that increases the movement speed, attack speed and cast speed of you and your allies.+(0-1.9) metres to radius
  You and nearby allies gain (10-16)% increased Movement Speed
  You and nearby allies gain (15-24)% increased Attack Speed
  You and nearby allies gain (15-24)% increased Cast Speed
  
  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. (Attack Speed and Cast Speed) and VitalityVitalityAura, Spell, AoE
  Level: (1-20)
  Reservation: (28-233) Mana
  Cooldown Time: 1.20 sec
  Can Store 1 Use(s)
  Cast Time: Instant
  AoE Radius: 36Requires Level 10Casts an aura that grants life regeneration to you and your allies.+(0-1.9) metres to radius
  You and nearby Allies Regenerate (10-193.2) Life per second
  
  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. (Life Regeneration).
• Added a new support gem - Elemental Proliferation SupportElemental Proliferation SupportCold, Fire, Lightning, Support, AoE
  Icon: S
  Level: (1-20)
  Cost & Reservation Multiplier: 110%Supports any skill that hits enemies, or could otherwise apply elemental ailments.(0-19)% increased Duration of Elemental Ailments on Enemies
  Elemental Ailments inflicted by Supported Skills spread to other enemies within (1.2-1.5) metres
  Supported Skills have 20% chance to Freeze, Shock and Ignite
  
  Additional Effects From 1-20% Quality:
  (0.5-10)% increased Duration of Elemental Ailments on EnemiesThis 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.: Elemental status effects (for example, freezing or burning) caused by this skill also affect nearby enemies.
• Added a new support gem - Blood Magic: This skill is cast using life rather than mana.
• Converted the old Multiple Projectiles support gem to Greater Multiple Projectiles SupportGreater Multiple Projectiles SupportSupport, Projectile
  Icon: P
  Level: (1-20)
  Cost & Reservation Multiplier: 150%Requires Level 38Supports projectile skills.Supported Skills deal (35-26)% less Projectile Damage
  Supported Skills fire 4 additional Projectiles
  
  Additional Effects From 1-20% Quality:
  Supported Skills deal (0.5-10)% increased Projectile 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. and added a new Lesser Multiple Projectiles SupportLesser Multiple Projectiles SupportSupport, Projectile
  Icon: l
  Level: (1-20)
  Cost & Reservation Multiplier: 130%Requires Level 8Supports projectile skills.Supported Skills deal (15-6)% less Projectile Damage
  Supported Skills fire 2 additional Projectiles
  
  Additional Effects From 1-20% Quality:
  Supported Skills deal (0.5-10)% increased Projectile 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. support gem. These add four and two projectiles respectively (with different penalties) but can be stacked.
• Added a new keystone passive - Phase Acrobatics: 20% chance to dodge spell damage.
• Added a new keystone passive - Arrow Dodging: Doubles chance to evade projectiles.
• Moved the "Monsters can have one additional curse" ability to a new keystone passive - Whispers of Doom.
• Added 11 new Unique items.

Major Features

• We've updated the party screen, both cosmetically and functionally. It now uses consistent user interface that will also be used elsewhere to represent characters.
• There are now popup notifications that appear at the bottom right of the screen when new party events occur.
• Added support for skills that can be toggled on/off and reserve a portion of your mana while they're on. Examples are Tempest Shield, Righteous Fire and the new player auras. If you have the Blood Magic keystone passive, then life is reserved instead.
• Substantially less data about external entities is sent now. Players will notice less lag when first approaching other characters.
• Added taunt animations to many monsters.
• Added larger custom icons for keystones and notable passives. Improved the visibility of connections between selected passives.
• Improved the website passive skill tree planner functionality to include a search, minimum distance finder and ability to show similar passives.
• Revamped chest spawning to include clusters of barrels and similar chests. Overall, chests are now less common than before but drop more items.
• Experience is now only shared with other players who are near you (roughly two screens). Monsters are still made harder by players elsewhere on the level.

Minor Features

• Many monsters have new skills - Ghost Pirates cast Flicker Strike, Oak casts Immortal Call, Kraityn's Bandits use Explosive Arrow and Water Elementals use Ice Nova.
• Improved forum search functionality.
• Currency items now have blue text that describes what they do in a much clearer way.
• Small chests (that can be opened with damage) no longer show hover text unless you put the mouse cursor over them.
• Chests are no longer spawned very close to entrances/exits of areas.
• The passive tree now starts off slightly zoomed out and its maximum zoom distance is greater.
• Spiders now have a random delay before they crawl out of the pit.
• Gems now display their mana cost, mana multiplier or mana reservation amounts.
• Raised Spectres don't leave corpses any more.
• Reduced the size of skill popups so that the text isn't too large.
• Standardised the font sizes and colours used in the UI.
• Keystone passives now have flavour text.
• Removed the Weaver's Chambers waypoint.
• Most locations on the quest screen map now have new hover art.
• Renamed most placeholder monsters.
• Brutus now explodes shortly after being slain.
• Merveil's Lair now has a new exit.
• Updated several of the audio tracks with extended versions.
• Small spiders now sometimes leap before they attack.
• The rewards for most quests have changed to a different set of gems.
• Improved the effects of many skills including Spark, Shock Nova and Poison Arrow.
• The layout of the Upper Prison has been changed in preparation for upcoming improvements.
• Transitions between various world areas have been improved so that they don't have repeated exits.
• Stash tabs are now loaded when accessed.
• Continued to incrementally improve the art, effects, environments and sound.

Balance

• Made higher difficulties substantially harder so that defensive choices are more necessary.
• You now receive your first support gem once you enter Merveil's caves, rather than in Act Two.
• You can now purchase Jeweler's Orbs and Orbs of Fusing from Act Two vendors.
• Changed the armour and evasion calculations to result in those defensive properties yielding around 25% more mitigation than before.
• Increased the physical damage reduction (armour) cap from 75% to 90%.
• Most skill gems have changed starting levels.
• The mods on rare items are now picked and generated differently.
• Reduced the amount that shields vary between tiers.
• Defensive properties of armour pieces and many defensive mods on items now ramp up more than before after level 30.
• Changed damage reflection and the PvP damage multiplier to both be linear.
• Increased the block values of dexterity shields.
• Improved the progression of flasks so that higher levels are never downgrades.
• Rebalanced critical strike multiplier values across the board.
• Reduced the level that three-socket items start appearing.
• Increased the chances of finding two linked sockets on items (by reducing how often they appear without links).
• The damage of the first Wand has been increased.
• Level 2 gems have become level 1 gems so that they're usable even if you haven't gained a level by the time you arrive at town.
• Base maximum charges for each class are now 3 of each type rather than 2 of each type.
• "Life gain per target" mods have been reduced in size and made available on fewer item slots.
• Made Unique items slightly more common.

Monster Balance

• Increased the damage and reduced the attack speed of monsters that appear in groups.
• Bosses now scale up their life, energy shield and item drop bonuses more with additional players. Higher rarity bosses have more scaling.
• Rebalanced the rate of random boss packs throughout the game.
• Damage reflection auras now only occur on level 40+ monsters and reflect a flat 25% of damage dealt rather than a sliding scale based on level. This is not more reflection than before.
• Reduced the maximum attack distance (and substantially increased the damage) of Skeletal Casters.
• Additionally increased rate of rare bosses in the Maelstrom of Chaos.
• Rhoas now have a much lower aggression-trigger-distance but are more dangerous.
• Reduced the likelihood of Auras spawning on rare monsters.
• Shadow Fragments now deal half physical, half chaos damage with their attacks.
• The Maelstrom Hillocks are now tougher.
• Slightly reduced the deadliness of the "deadly" monster mod.
• Reduced the amount of items dropped by "of Wealth" boss monsters.

Passive Skill Balance

• The passive skill tree now has new and more powerful defensive options.
• Reduced the values of some Life Regeneration per Second nodes on the passive tree.
• The maximum number of additional charges you can get from the passive tree is now +3.
• The two "gain power charge under condition" passive skills were removed. These type of effects will come from active skills (more are coming).
• All passives that gave bonus effects to charges were removed for now. This allows us to balance the charges to be more useful without making them mandatory.

Active Skill Balance

• Power Siphon now acts like Infernal Blow in that it counts kills that occur a short time after the skill is used (so that it's useful in party situations). It also now has the Culling Strike effect (outright killing targets that reduced to less than 10% life).
• Normalised the balance of Cleave and Sweep slightly so that there isn't such a large disparity.
• The multiple projectiles support gems now grant additional projectile damage when they level up, rather than physical damage.
• Rain of Arrows is now affected by the Point Blank Archer keystone passive.
• Sweep now hits in a full circle again (rather than a 300 degree arc).
• Removed Cleave's bonus against the selected target. The damage against non-targeted enemies is now higher.
• The damage of Fireball and Freezing Pulse have been increased.
• Discharge's damage has been nerfed.
• Slightly increased the radius of Detonate Dead's explosion.
• Spark now fires three sparks by default.
• Reduced the number of Raised Zombies available at early levels.

Bug Fixes

• The bug where the top 5% of the screen was blurred under some graphics drivers is now fixed. If you disabled anti-aliasing or post-processing to temporarily fix this issue, we recommend turning at least post-processing back on again. Some old cards will not be able to enable anti-aliasing while post-processing is enabled now.
• Fixed a client crash related to kicking people from a party that they've already left.
• Power Siphon now works correctly with the Multiple Projectiles support gem.
• Fixed a bug where a vendor recipe would allow you to gain information on how many mods an unidentified rare has.
• Fixed a bug where the rare name matching vendor recipe worked with unidentified items.
• Restored the limit of 32 players per town instance after fixing problems with joining a town that had too many players.
• Fixed a bug where decals could cause performance problems.
• You can no longer sell quest items.
• Removed distortion from all auras to prevent the effect of players/monsters being doubled up.
• Monsters now face you when taunting, which fixes the problem where they'd arbitrarily turn away in combat.
• Fixed a bug where auras would rotate with their owners.
• Fixed some of the blue areas that would appear in some levels.