Combos

Combo skills are a class of Monk skill that are used to build up his Spirit resource in order to use his other powerful attack and defense skills.

Combos are powerful skills in their own right, dealing substantial melee damage plus all sorts of special bonus effects. On top of that, they generate a set amount of Spirit per use, building up a pool that the Monk expends when using his various other offensive and defensive skills.

All combo skills have three stages, with the third one dealing a big hit with the most damage plus a special effect that's much more powerful than the bonuses delivered by the first two stages. There is no UI component to visually signify which level of charge a Monk is using,[1] though the first and second levels have distinct graphics, and the third is always a huge explosion or other visually-distinctive effect.

Combos always count up to three and then reset to one; it's not possible to build up multiple combos to the second or third level at once, as the Assassin could do with her charge up attacks in Diablo II. Monks can mix and match their combos; the three stages can come from two or three different combo skills, but they always proceed in order, with the first, second, and third stages in sequence, regardless of which combo skills are used.

Combo Skills

Exploding Palm's third stage detonation.

Combo skills are Monk skills that have three stages. The second can only be performed immediately after the first, and the third can only be performed immediately after the second. With most combos, the first stage or two provide fairly weak bonuses, with a much more powerful finishing move type of property attached to the third/final stage.

The variety of combos vary widely, with offensive, defensive, and other specialized bonuses from the various stages.

Combine Combos for Multiple Effects

Combos can be mixed and matched, by players with quick fingers. Any first, any second, and any third stage can be used in sequence, allowing players to vary their attack type and effects. For instance, the first two stages of Exploding Palm are fairly slow, low damage hits, while the third stage creates a spectacular explosion.

A skilled Monk player looking to maximize the damage would want to use the first two stages of a combo like Way of the Hundred Fists or Sweeping Wind, then switch to Exploding Palm for the coupe de grace third hit.

This method does not create two or three big hit bonuses; only the combo used for each stage registers, and the count resets to zero after the third hit. It's not possible to get multiple combos to level 2 at the same time, or to trigger multiple third hits in sequence. But skilled players at least have the option of combining different combo effects in sequence.

Combo Visual Indicators

While players have the option to mix up their combos, most players will likely just use the same one for all three hits, then switch to a different combo next time, if they've even put skill points into more than one combo.

Combos go very quickly, with the three hits in very much of a bang-bang-bang sequence, less than a second apart, and a big, very obvious explosion effect on the third hit. Each of the hits is also delivered with a unique animation, as you can see in the sequence of shots showing off Hands of Lightning below. That's a good thing, since the developers have not included any UI mechanism (like the swirls of light the Assassin got with her charge-up skills in D2X) to visually-indicate the combo level.[2]

We don’t want tracking of combo stages to be so important that there needs to be a UI element to keep track. It should be that if you’re up on your game you’re tracking combo stages and it helps you get a slight edge, but if not you’re kicking ass anyway and will probably do fine.

Hands of Lightning combo sequence showing off the three hits and their varying animations.

Combos Simplified

The functions of different moves from the first, second, and third level of a combo skill were simplified during development, as Bashiok explained in an April 2011 forum post:[3]

Will the UI allow for keeping track of which combo you’re on? His combo skills are really exciting but I’m worried it’ll become too much of a chore playing the entire game counting out my attacks in sequences of 3. It would be unfortunate to unleash a 2nd tier hundred hand attack at range expecting to dash forward because you miscounted.

Bashiok: ...we have made changes to skills so they’re consistent; such as making all stages capable of a dash. We don’t want the situation you’ve described to be an issue.

I think what Bashiok means is that if the first part of 100Fists was a dash, then the second and third parts would also include a dash.

Bashiok: Right. The final stage on combo skills is still usually the powerful topper. I was specifically referring to a movement component not being tied to a specific stage of a combo skill (if it exists). There is some spreading out of mechanics to ensure really important pieces like movement and damage mitigation can’t be ‘missed’ because you counted wrong. But doing damage is doing damage, for the most part, so big combo finishers still very much exist on the third stage.

The Monk's Spirit Skills

Spirit, which the game developers often single out[4] as the resource they think is working best, is generated by striking enemies combo skills and expended using other offensive and defensive skills.

The only known Monk Skills with any boosting effect on Spirit are the combos. Each of these adds a set amount of Spirit to the pool.

• Hands of Lightning --Combo that deals 3 punches with substantial bonus lightning damage.
• Long Reach -- Combo that strikes multiple enemies with greater than melee range.
• Crippling Wave -- Combo that slows and dazes enemies.
• Dashing Strike -- Combo that allows the Monk to move very quickly across long distances to the enemy. (Under construction.)
• Way of the Hundred Fists -- Combo that deals many powerful hits to all enemies in the vicinity.
• Exploding Palm -- Combo that time bombs enemies, triggering them to explode and damage all nearby enemies upon their death.
• Sweeping Wind -- Combo that hits all nearby enemies multiple times.

Monk Spirit Traits

Only one of the Monk Traits has a Spirit function at this point. The Monk's Traits were far from finalized as of Blizzcon 2010 though, so changes to this list are to be expected.

• True Spirit -- Increases Spirit regeneration.

Spirit Development

Spirit was revealed in August 2010, by Game Director Jay Wilson in an interview from Gamescom 2010. [5]

Jay Wilson: The Monk has Spirit. That’s the resource we’re happiest with. He came together very quickly. His combo moves generate spirit, and that’s used for signature moves he does. He can’t do them very often. But they’re great attacks, escapes, and some are recovery moves. That one worked out really well.