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updated skillbox
==Background==
{{Skillbox|game= Diablo IIID3
|portrait= Wiz-charged-bolt1.jpg
|portrait-width= 200px
|name= Charged Bolt
|user= Wizard
|treetier= Storm1|clvl= 2
|description= Launch a volley of 3 electric bolts that deal X-Y lightning damage each.
|type= Direct Damage|quantity= 1-2 damage|effect= Random bolt|school= [[LightningDamage]]|resource= Costs [[Arcane Power]]|cost= 2|cast-time= Instant|duration= None|cooldownalabaster= 1.5 secUnknown<!-- |synergiescrimson= Link them -->Unknown<!-- |reqgolden= Link it -->Unknown<!-- |prereqindigo= Link it -->Unknown<!-- |catexcludeobsidian= --> <!-- ONLY USE THIS IF THE SKILL IS FAN SKILL OR ARCHIVED -->Unknown
}}
The true essence of Electromagnetism exists on the threshold of the Ethereal and the Physical Realms. While it is very efficient to transform [[Mana]] into electrical energy, it is extremely difficult to control. This [[spell]] calls into being multiple pockets of lightning which seem to have a will of their own.
==Skill Design==
[[Image:Wiz-charged-bolt1.jpg|thumb|left|200px|The Wizard and her carpet.]]The spell familiar from [[Diablo I]] and [[Diablo II]] returns in [[Diablo III]]. As previously, Charged Bolt send out a smattering of randomly-scattering charges, each of which deal minor damage to any enemy that passes over them. The strength of Charged Bolt comes not from the damage of each bolt, but from the carpeting effect of repeated casts, since it's a spell with very low [[mana]] cost. These can turn the floor into a field of death for any enemy without lightning immunity. The spell summons three little crackling bits of lightning that zig and zag a bit, but move in a more or less straight line away from the [[Wizard]]. It seemed that the bolts spread out quite a bit more than they did in D2, and that made it hard to hit anything in front of me with more than one bolt.[http://www.diii.net/blog/comments/wizard-gameplay-report/P2/] That's not how it looks in more recent screenshots though, where the bolts seem to carpet the dungeon floor quite nicely. More testing will be required. At [[BlizzCon 2009]] the damage had been lowered from 1-8 to 1-2, but the mana had also gone down significantly (to 2). Using this spell together with high spell crit would likely [[stun]] enemies a lot, considering lightning [[critical hit|crits]] now stun targets.
==[[Trait Synergies]]==
Charged Bolt benefits directly from the following [[Wizard traits]]:
* [[Glass Cannon]]: Increases damage done by spells and increases armor.
==[[Rune|Skill Rune]] Effects==* None No [[rune]] effects for Charged Bolt are known.
==Development==
'''Charged Bolt''' was first shown at [[BlizzCon 2008]] when the [[Wizard]] debuted, where it was at Tier I on the [[Storm Skill Tree]]. [[Flux]] was able to try it out:[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/wizard-gameplay-report/P2/] <blockquote>''Three little crackling bits of lightning are sent forth along the ground, where they zig and zag a bit, but move in a more or less straight line away from the Sorceress. I didn’t use this spell much, but it seemed to me that the bolts spread out quite a bit more than they did in D2, and that made it hard to hit anything in front of me with more than one bolt. That’s now how it looks in screenshots though, where the bolts seem to carpet the dungeon floor quite nicely. More testing will be required.''</blockquote> It was still in the game at [[BlizzCon 2009]]; there, it had a much lower mana cost, and significantly lower damage than in 2008, indicating the spell was intended to be used more for the "carpet effect" of previous games.
At [[BlizzCon 2010]], it was still in the game but wasn't one of the Wizard's starting skills.
Or see [[Charged Bolt (BlizzCon 2008)]] for the original version of this skill.
===Charged Bolt in In Other Games===
{{iw|D1_Spellbooks#Charged_Bolt Charged Bolt}} was introduced in [[Diablo I]], where it was, as it is now, a very cheap spell to cast multiple times in hopes of killing many enemies with a carpet of lightning. The spell calls in pockets of lightning that just crawls around randomly, in a general direction.