AoE
Area of Effect is a general term for effects, skills, spells or abilities that will affect an area, and the inhabitants of that area, rather than a single target. Also known as Splash Damage or Line Damage. Many attacks in Diablo III will have the potential to affect more than one target. Some skills will need to be upgraded with points in a mastery skill (The Wizard's Tornado originally produces one tornado, but adding skill points to Epic Storms increases the amount of tornados allowed at once) or used in conjunction with Skill Runes (The Witch Doctor's Skull of Flame used with a multi-strike rune allows the skull to skip along the ground and explode multiple times) to affect muliple targets.
The area that is affected can vary greatly, from a few monsters up close from a Barbarian attacking with Cleave, or a dozen monsters being crushed under a destructible wall.
The effect of an AoE varies from a damaging attack to a buff/debuff cast on allies/enemies.
Female Barbarian using Cleave.
Male Barbarian using Battle Cry.
Female Witch Doctor using Soul Harvest.
AoE Shapes
The actual area of an AoE skill can be of any shape or size. Some examples are: circular AoE eminating from the player (Wizard's Frost Nova), a specific area the player chooses (Wizard's Meteor Storm), Line Damage (Wizard's Disintegrate), or jumping from one target to another (Wizard's Electrocute).
Female Wizard using Frost Nova.
Female Wizard using Meteor Storm.
Female Wizard using Disintegrate.
Female Wizard using Electrocute.
