Iron Maiden Class: Necromancer Required Level: 12 Skill Tree: Curses Requires: Amplify Damage Active Cost: 5 Mana Reflects damage back at attackers. Damage Type: Physical Other Stats: Only one Curse may be active on a target at a time |
Iron Maiden is a Necromancer skill in Diablo II.
Synergies
- Gives synergy to: None
- Receives synergy from: None
Lore
This spell curses a creature, condemning them to receive whatever pains they inflict upon others. The greater the skill of the Necromancer, the greater the magnitude of torment the victim receives for his wrongdoings.
Usage
This Curse causes all melee damage done by the target to be reflected towards the attacker. On lower difficulties, the reflected damage can kill monsters who are attacking the caster or his/her allies. The more points invested in Iron Maiden, the more damage is reflected — to the point where attackers take more damage than they inflict. Iron Maiden is similar in function to the Paladin's Thorns aura and the Druid's Spirit of Barbs, though it is weaker than the former and more powerful than the latter.
Iron Maiden has several limitations. It only reflects Physical damage, and resulting damage also counts as Physical. Iron Maiden doesn't reflect ranged attacks, with the sole exception of Flayer Blow Darts. Iron Maiden is useless against physical immunities. On Hell difficulty, where all monsters gain 50% physical resistance and have far more health than damage they are capable of dealing, Iron Maiden is not very powerful.
Before Patch 1.13, Necromancers were not the only ones who could use this dangerous curse. The Oblivion Knights in the Harrowing could also use Iron Maiden on the heroes. This was ultimately removed in Patch 1.13, because if they ever cast Iron Maiden on a melee physical attacker, a quick self-inflicted death could ensue.
A popular Necromancers' PvP tactic against unwary melee fighters is casting Iron Maiden curse coupled with Bone Wall and/or Bone Prison. This is often followed by the trapped player's attempt to destroy the bone barrier with their own melee attacks, typically resulting in instant suicide.
Skill Progression
Mana Cost: 5
Radius: 4.6 yards
Level | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Damage Returned | 200% | 225% | 250% | 275% | 300% | 325% | 350% | 375% | 400% | 425% | 450% |
Duration | 12s | 14.4s | 16.8s | 19.2s | 21.6s | 24s | 26.4s | 28.8s | 31.2s | 33.6s | 36s |
Level | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 25 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Damage Returned | 475% | 500% | 525% | 550% | 575% | 600% | 625% | 650% | 675% | 800% |
Duration | 38.4s | 40.8s | 43.2s | 45.6s | 48s | 50.4s | 52.8s | 55.2s | 57.6s | 69.6s |
Diablo III
This curse is a spiritual predecessor of Reflects Damage affix in D3, which allows monsters briefly duplicate all damage they suffer on the attacker. Some Skill Runes also allow players to discharge damage taken back to the attacker.
Trivia
- In real world history, iron maidens were medieval torture devices designed to non-lethally impale the victim with spikes.
|