Diamond Skin is a Wizard skill enabled at level 9, protecting the caster from incoming damage.
Contents
Background
| Diablo III Active Skill [e] | |
|---|---|
| |
| Diamond Skin | |
| Used by: | Wizard |
| Enabled at: | Clvl 9 |
| Turns the Wizard's skin to diamond for x seconds absorbing up to y damage from incoming attacks. | |
| Type: | Self Buff |
| Resource Use: | Costs Arcane Power |
| Alabaster rune: | Unknown |
| Crimson rune: | Unknown |
| Golden rune: | Unknown |
| Indigo rune: | Unknown |
| Obsidian rune: | Unknown |
Calling upon Arcane forces, the Wizard can make her skin hard as diamond for short period of time.
Skill Design
Diamond skin absorbs all types incoming damage. The skill expires after the duration runs out, or it absorbs the maximum possible damage. There is a substantial cool down before it can be recast, and the short duration makes it wise to cast just before damage is to be taken.
Skill Rank Table
- Rank 1: Absorbs 20 damage of any type. Lasts for 8 seconds. (A)
- Rank 2: Absorbs 40 damage of any type. Lasts for 8 seconds. (A)
- Rank 3: Absorbs 60 damage of any type. Lasts for 8 seconds. (A)
- Rank 4: Absorbs 80 damage of any type. Lasts for 8 seconds. (A)
- Rank 5: Absorbs 100 damage of any type. Lasts for 8 seconds.
(A) = Assumed
Synergies
- No synergies with any of the passive skills are yet known.
Skill Rune Effects
The following rune effects for Diamond Skin are known:
- Unknown rune: Grants 50% more damage absorption.
Development
Diamond Skin was first shown at BlizzCon 2008 when the Wizard debuted. It was originally named Stone Skin and was at Tier II on the Conjuring Skill Tree. It absorbed 30 damage at rank 1, and appeared as a rough textured sort of graininess.
For BlizzCon 2009, Stone Skin was at Tier III and sported much improved damage reduction, as well as improved visuals. Flux discussed the new look:[1]
[Stone Skin] didn’t show up well on the slender Wizard. The new version is quite different and impossible to miss. The wizard is now sheathed in glowing blue crystals, almost like some superhero made from sapphires. In fact, the skill is so different in look that the team is probably going to rename it, though they’ve not settled on a change from Stone Skin, yet.
Soon afterwords, the development team did indeed change the name to Diamond Skin to better fit the new visuals.
Diamond Skin was one of the Wizard's skills in the BlizzCon 2010 PvP demo, where it was occasionally a life saver, but only if used properly, as Flux explained:[2]
At level 5 with a rune it absorbed 150 damage of any type, but the duration was quite short, so you had to cast it just before you needed it. Also, 150 sounded like a lot, but a Meteor or grinding Barb could do double that in a second, and Wizards with Diamond Skin on tended to feel invulnerable, and stuck around in dangerous, melee situations longer than they should have.
Skill tiers were removed for the July 2011 Press Event, and Diamond Skin became a level 9 skill.
Previous Versions
See the Wizard skill archive for more details on previous versions of Diamond Skin (or Stone Skin) and other Wizard skills.
Or see Stone Skin for the original version of this skill.
Media
Diamond Skin can be seen in action on video here:
- Gameplay: Blizzcon 2008 (original Stone Skin appearance)
- Gameplay: Blizzcon 2010 (in the Arena)
You can find pictures in the Diablo III screenshot and picture gallery:
Diamond skin in use in the Battle Arena.
References
- BlizzCon 2008 Wizard Gameplay Report
- BlizzCon 2009 Character Panel, Skill Improvements
- BlizzCon 2009 Full Wizard Skill Trees
- BlizzCon 2010 PvP Hands-on Report
- Zediono's translation of JudgeHype's pre-beta report -- IncGamers 1st Aug 2011
| Classes of the Diablo games |
Skills - Active skills - Skill runes - Passives - Resource - Movement ability [e] Barbarian Demon Hunter Monk Necromancer Witch Doctor Wizard Followers Other Classes Fan-made |
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| The Barbarian | Fury - Barbarian Active Skills (Archive) | Barbarian Passive Skills (Archive) [e] | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Primary Might |
Secondary Tactics |
Defensive Rage |
Pound of Flesh (10) |
Superstition (30) |
| (X) = the level at which the skill becomes unlocked. | |||||
| Barbarian skill categories: Primary Secondary Defensive Might Tactics Rage |
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Bash |
Cleave |
Frenzy |
[e] |
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Hammer of the Ancients |
Rend |
Seismic Slam |
Whirlwind |
[e] |
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Ground Stomp |
Leap |
Sprint |
Ignore Pain |
[e] |
|
Ancient Spear |
Revenge |
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Overpower |
[e] |
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[e] |
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[e] |
| The Demon Hunter | Hatred/Discipline - Demon Hunter Active Skills (Archive) | Demon Hunter Passive Skills (Archive) [e] | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Primary attribute:
|
Primary Hunting |
Secondary Devices |
Defensive Archery |
Tactical Advantage (10) |
Archery (30) |
| (X) = the level at which the skill becomes unlocked. | |||||
| Demon Hunter skill categories: Primary Secondary Defensive Hunting Devices Archery |
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Hungering Arrow |
Entangling Shot |
Bola Shot |
Grenades |
[e] |
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Impale |
Rapid Fire |
Chakram |
Elemental Arrow |
[e] |
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Caltrops |
Smoke Screen |
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[e] |
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Vault |
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Marked for Death |
[e] |
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Evasive Fire |
Fan of Knives |
Spike Trap |
Sentry |
[e] |
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Strafe |
Multishot |
Cluster Arrow |
Rain of Vengeance |
[e] |
| Monk skill categories: Primary Secondary Defensive Techniques Focus Mantras |
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Fists of Thunder |
Deadly Reach |
Crippling Wave |
Way of the Hundred Fists |
[e] |
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Lashing Tail Kick |
Tempest Rush |
Wave of Light |
[e] |
|
Blinding Flash |
Breath of Heaven |
Serenity |
Inner Sanctuary |
[e] |
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Dashing Strike |
Exploding Palm |
Sweeping Wind |
[e] |
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Cyclone Strike |
Seven-Sided Strike |
Mystic Ally |
[e] |
|
Mantra of Evasion |
Mantra of Retribution |
Mantra of Healing |
Mantra of Conviction |
[e] |
| Necromancer skill categories: Primary Secondary Corpses Blood and Bone Reanimation Curses |
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| Witch Doctor skill categories: Primary Secondary Defensive Terror Decay Voodoo |
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|
Poison Dart - Rune effects |
Corpse Spiders |
Plague of Toads |
Firebomb |
[e] |
|
Grasp of the Dead |
Firebats |
Haunt |
Locust Swarm |
[e] |
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Summon Zombie Dogs |
Horrify |
Spirit Walk |
Hex |
[e] |
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Soul Harvest |
Sacrifice |
Mass Confusion |
[e] |
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Zombie Charger |
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Acid Cloud |
Wall of Zombies |
[e] |
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Gargantuan |
Big Bad Voodoo |
Fetish Army |
[e] |
| The Wizard | Arcane Power - Wizard Active Skills (Archive) | Wizard Passive Skills (Archive) [e] | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Primary attribute:
|
Primary Force |
Secondary Conjuration |
Defensive Mastery |
Blur (10) |
Conflagration (34) |
| (X) = the level at which the skill becomes unlocked. | |||||
| Wizard skill categories: Primary Secondary Defensive Force Conjuration Mastery |
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Magic Missile |
Shock Pulse |
Spectral Blade |
Electrocute |
[e] |
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Ray of Frost |
Arcane Orb |
Arcane Torrent |
Disintegrate |
[e] |
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Frost Nova |
Diamond Skin |
Slow Time |
Teleport |
[e] |
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Wave of Force |
Energy Twister |
Hydra |
Meteor |
Blizzard |
[e] |
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Ice Armor |
Storm Armor |
Magic Weapon |
Familiar |
Energy Armor |
[e] |
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Explosive Blast |
Mirror Image |
Archon |
[e] |
| Followers | Kormac the Templar | Lyndon the Scoundrel | Eirena the Enchantress [e] | |||
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Level 10: |
Level 5: Level 10: |
Level 15: |
Level 15: Level 20: |
Level 25: Level 30: | ||
| Diablo III Other Classes | Diablo II Classes | Diablo I Classes [e] | ||||
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Archetypes: |
Archetype sub-types: |
Other classes: |
Diablo II: |
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| Fan-made Classes | Fan-made Skills [e] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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• Alchemist |
• Flagellant |
• Ranger |
Dragon Warrior Skills |
Aurian Mage Skill | |
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