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Volatile DeadSpell, AoE, Fire
Level: (1-20)
Cost: (9-26) Mana
Cast Time: 0.80 sec
Critical Strike Chance: 5.00%
Effectiveness of Added Damage: 120%
Requires Level 12Corpses near the targeted location explode, dealing damage in a small area and creating an orb which moves towards nearby enemies before dealing spell damage in a larger area. The explosion of the corpse is not affected by modifiers to spell damage, and cannot be reflected.Deals (20-507) to (30-760) Fire Damage
Consumes up to 3 corpses
Explosion deals base Fire Damage equal to 3% of the corpse's Maximum Life
Maximum of 60 Orbs at a time
Place into an item socket of the right colour to gain this skill. Right click to remove from a socket.
Volatile Dead skill iconVolatile Dead inventory icon
Acquisition
Area level: 12
Vendor Prices
Normal1x Orb of Transmutation
Vendor Offer
1x Scroll Fragment
Metadata
Item class: Active Skill Gems
Metadata ID: Metadata/Items/Gems/SkillGemVolatileDead

Volatile Dead skill screenshot

Volatile Dead is a spell that consumes a corpse to summon a volatile orb. The orb homes in on nearby enemies and explodes for fire damage on contact.

Skill functions and interactions

  • Homing: Orbs have the same pathfinding AI as the enemy modifier "Volatile Flameblood", which means they can seek out enemies with no line of sight, and even navigate through short maze layouts and pass through fences and some closed doors to reach an enemy. This can be exploited to damage an enemy without the enemy finding your location to retaliate.
  • Despite their appearance, the orbs created by Volatile Dead are not projectiles. Thus, effects that normally affect projectiles (such as Lesser Multiple Projectiles Support inventory iconLesser Multiple Projectiles SupportLesser Multiple Projectiles SupportSupport, Projectile
    Icon: l
    Level: (1-20)
    Cost & Reservation Multiplier: 130%
    Requires Level 8Supports projectile skills.Per 1% Quality:1Superior2Anomalous3DivergentSupported Skills have 0.5% increased Attack Speed
    Supported Skills have 0.5% increased Cast Speed
    Supported Skills have 1% reduced Mana Cost
    Supported Skills have 0.5% increased Projectile Speed
    Projectiles Fired by Supported Skills have 1% increased Projectile spread
    Supported Skills fire 2 additional Projectiles
    Supported Skills deal (15-6)% less Projectile Damage
    This 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 Active Skill Gem you wish to augment. Right click to remove from a socket.
    Lesser Multiple Projectiles Support inventory icon
    ) do not have an effect on Volatile Dead.
  • Orbs created by Volatile Dead stay alive for up to 4.5 seconds, and their travel speed increases over time.

Gem level progression

LevelRequired LevelRequired DexterityRequired IntelligenceMana
Cost
Fire
Damage
Exp.Total Exp.
1122114920 to 3000
21525171025 to 381524915249
31930211234 to 504151756766
42335241344 to 6581983138749
52741281456 to 84147968286717
63146321571 to 106250557537274
73551361689 to 133405086942360
838553817105 to 1574477181390078
941594118123 to 1846153182005396
1044634419144 to 2168346392840035
1147674720168 to 25215707604410795
1250714920195 to 29316339876044782
1353755221227 to 34021510308195812
1456795522262 to 393281218911008001
1559835823303 to 454509936016107361
1662876024349 to 524940073125508092
1764906225384 to 5761527336640781458
1866926425421 to 6322628658267068040
1968956626462 to 69362890590129958630
2070986826507 to 760212046017342004647
21721007027555 to 832N/AN/A
2274N/AN/A27608 to 911N/AN/A
2376N/AN/A28665 to 997N/AN/A
2478N/AN/A29727 to 1091N/AN/A
2580N/AN/A29795 to 1192N/AN/A
2682N/AN/A30868 to 1303N/AN/A
2784N/AN/A30948 to 1423N/AN/A
2886N/AN/A311035 to 1553N/AN/A
2988N/AN/A321129 to 1694N/AN/A
3090N/AN/A321232 to 1848N/AN/A
3191N/AN/A321286 to 1929N/AN/A
3292N/AN/A331343 to 2014N/AN/A
3393N/AN/A331402 to 2103N/AN/A
3494N/AN/A331463 to 2195N/AN/A
3595N/AN/A341527 to 2291N/AN/A
3696N/AN/A341594 to 2391N/AN/A
3797N/AN/A341664 to 2495N/AN/A
3898N/AN/A341736 to 2604N/AN/A
3999N/AN/A351811 to 2717N/AN/A
40100N/AN/A351890 to 2834N/AN/A

Item acquisition
Questionmark

Upgrade paths

This item can be acquired through the following upgrade paths or vendor recipes:

AmountIngredientGeneral
Notes
Type
8Divination card inventory iconDying AnguishDying Anguish card artDivination card frameDying Anguish8Level 19 Gem
Alternative Quality: +19%
Moribund, he gazed upon the journey taken as blood trickled down his chin. His eye closed on the city ahead that he would never call home.
Divination card inventory icon
random level 19 gem with 19% alternative qualityAutomatic
1Gemcutter's Incubator inventory iconGemcutter's IncubatorGemcutter's IncubatorAdds an incubated Quality Gem item to an equippable item
Item drops after killing # monsters
Quality GemRight click this item then left click an item to apply it. The Incubated item drops after killing a specific number of monsters.
Gemcutter's Incubator inventory icon
random superior gemAutomatic
6Divination card inventory iconThe FoxThe Fox card artDivination card frameThe Fox6Level 20 Gem"Masters of wit, strength and cunning. To survive the harsh winters, you must be like the fox."
- Ezomyte Proverb
Divination card inventory icon
random level 20 gemAutomatic
13Divination card inventory iconThe CataclysmThe Cataclysm card artDivination card frameThe Cataclysm13Level 21 Spell Gem
Corrupted
The mighty warriors traded in blows, the nimble archers in arrows, yet it was the brazen thaumaturgists who would bring catastrophe to all.
Divination card inventory icon
random corrupted level 21 Spell gemAutomatic
3Divination card inventory iconGemcutter's PromiseGemcutter's Promise card artDivination card frameGemcutter's Promise3Superior Gem
Quality: +20%
"I swore to use my position to help the people. What good is power when it just accumulates on the already-powerful?" - Erasmus, Imperial Gemcutter
Divination card inventory icon
random superior gem with 20% qualityAutomatic
1Divination card inventory iconThe VoidThe Void card artDivination card frameThe Void1Reach into the Void and claim your prize.Divination card inventory iconrandom divination card set exchangeAutomatic

Quest reward

This item is given as a quest reward for the following quests:

Class →WitchShadowRangerDuelistMarauderTemplarScion
Quest ↓
The Siren's Cadence
Act 1

Vendor reward

This item can be bought at the listed NPC vendors, after completing the following quests:

Class →WitchShadowRangerDuelistMarauderTemplarScion
Quest ↓
The Siren's Cadence
Act 1
Nessa
A Fixture of Fate
Act 3
Siosa
Fallen from Grace
Act 6
Lilly Roth

Related helmet enchantments

The following helmet enchantments affect Volatile Dead.

NameFor generated item/monster modifiers the minimum item/monster level respectively. Some generation types may not require this condition to be met, however item level restrictions may be raised to 80% of this value.StatsSpawn Weighting
Enchantment Volatile Dead Cast Speed 1668% increased Volatile Dead Cast Speedhelmet 100
default 0
Enchantment Volatile Dead Cast Speed 27512% increased Volatile Dead Cast Speedhelmet 100
default 0
Enchantment Volatile Dead Damage 16625% increased Volatile Dead Damagehelmet 100
default 0
Enchantment Volatile Dead Damage 27540% increased Volatile Dead Damagehelmet 100
default 0
Enchantment Volatile Dead Orbs 375Volatile Dead Consumes up to 1 additional corpsehelmet 100
default 0

Alternate skill effects

Volatile Dead has the following alternate skill effects:

ItemEffect(s)
Stygian Volatile Dead EffectStygian Volatile Dead Effect inventory iconStygian Volatile Dead EffectSkill Gem EffectYour Volatile Dead becomes a Stygian Effect.Stygian Volatile Dead Effect inventory iconYour Volatile Dead becomes a Stygian Effect.
Void Volatile Dead EffectVoid Volatile Dead Effect inventory iconVoid Volatile Dead EffectSkill Gem EffectYour Volatile Dead becomes a Void Effect.Void Volatile Dead Effect inventory iconYour Volatile Dead becomes a Void Effect.

Version history

Version Changes
3.10.0
  • Now displays that you are limited to a maximum of 60 orbs at a time.
3.9.0
  • Now has a limit of 60 Orbs.
3.6.0
  • Mana Cost at gem level 1 is now 9 (was 10).
  • Mana Cost at gem level 20 is now 26 (was 31).
  • Now deals 20 to 30 Fire damage at gem level 1 (unchanged) and 507 to 760 Fire damage at gem level 20 (from 535 to 802).
3.1.0
  • Volatile Dead has been added to the game.

References

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