Legendary Gems
Legendary Gems (or LGems or LeGems) were added to Reaper of Souls in Patch 2.1, after extensive testing on the PTR. There are 14 types of Legendary Gems, all of which add a special bonus when socketed in rings and amulets. The value of the bonus increases with each rank the gem is upgraded, with a special special secondary power unlocked at level 25.
There is no upper limit to the gem's rank, and some gems continue to improve considerably with every point. It's very difficult to raise a LGem's level more than a few levels higher than the maximum Grift a player can clear, so the practical limit a few weeks after Patch 2.1 is around 50, with few players raising a gem higher than the low 40s.
While the developers call these items "legendary gems" these socketables have nothing in common with regular gems in stats or appearance, and are more analogous to the Rainbow Facet unique jewels of Diablo 2. The main difference in Diablo 3 is that these gems can only be socketed in jewelry, and the way the gems can be upgraded to improve their functions over time.
Contents
Rules of Drop and Use
Legendary Gems:
- Are dropped only at rank 0 and only by Greater Rift Guardians, the final boss found in a Greater Rift.
- One exception: Boon of the Hoarder drops only from Greed, the boss in The Vault treasure level.
- Drop quite commonly (100% drop chance), but players will never find two of the same type of legendary gem if they have one already on that character or in their stash.
- To find more than one of the same gem, you need to put the first gem on another character.
- This is actually a benefit to players seeking a specific gem, since holding the other types you won't find any duplicates.
- Can only be socketed into rings and amulets - not any other item types.
- Only work when equipped on players. Do not function when equipped on followers.
- Can only be upgraded with Urshi, the NPC who appears only in Greater Rifts.
- Upgrade odds are entirely based on the level of the Greater Rift and the level of the gem.
- If the level of the Grift is more than 10 higher than the rank of the gem, the odds are 100%. If the Grift is more than 7 levels lower than the gem, the odds are 0%. Full odds listed below.
Upgrade Odds
Upgrade odds are determined entirely by the difference in level between the Greater Rift in which Urshi appears, and the rank of the legendary gem.[1] If the level of the Greater Rift is higher than that of the gem, the odds of the gem gaining a rank are increased. If the level of the Greater Rift is lower than the gem, the odds decrease rapidly.
| GRift level vs. Gem Level | +10 | +9 | +8 | +7 | +6 | +5 | +4 | +3 | +2 | +1 | 0 | -1 | -2 | -3 | -4 | -5 | -6 | -7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LGem Upgrade Chance | 100% | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 60% | 60% | 60% | 60% | 60% | 60% | 30% | 15% | 8% | 4% | 2% | 1% | 0% |
Examples:
- GRift level 17, LGem level 5 = +12 = 100% chance of successful upgrade.
- GRift level 22, LGem level 14 = +8 = 80% chance of successful upgrade.
- Grift level 22, LGem level 24 = -2 = 15% chance of successful upgrade.
After players kill the Greater Rift Guardian they can use Urshi's interface to either upgrade the GRK (which will go up at least 1 level, and possibly more if they had a very fast run), or to upgrade a Legendary Gem. One or the other, but not both, so when players choose to upgrade a LGem, they can not upgrade a GRK and continue escalating that series of Greater Rifts.
Legendary Gems Catalog
These stats changed several times during PTR testing. Here are the Legendary Gem stats as of Patch 2.1, which went live in late August 2014.
- Base effect: Gain 20% increased damage for 25 seconds after killing an elite pack.
- Increase rank grants: +1 second buff duration.
- Rank 25 unlocks: 15% Increased Damage to Elites.
- Base effect: Increase damage against enemies under control-impairing effects by 15%.
- Upgrade rank grants: +0.3% damage.
- Rank 25 unlocks: Gain an aura that reduces the movement speed of enemies within 15 yards by 30%.
- Base Effect: 25% chance to cause an explosion of gold when you kill an enemy.
- Upgrade rank grants: +1.5% chance on kill.
- Rank 25 unlocks: Gain 30% increased movement speed for 2 seconds after picking up gold.
Drops only from Greed, found in The Vault. The only gem that doesn't drop from GRift Guardians.
- Base Effect: Increases the damage of your pets by 15%.
- Upgrade rank grants: 0.3% more pet damage per level.
- Rank 25 unlocks: Your pets take 25% reduced damage.
- Base Effect: Poison all enemies hit for 2000% weapon damage over 10 seconds.
- Upgrade rank grants: +50% weapon damage over 10 seconds.
- Rank 25 unlocks: All enemies you poison take 10% increased damage from all sources.
- Base Effect: 50% chance on hit to gain Swiftness, increasing your Attack Speed 1% for 4 seconds. This effect stacks up to 15 times.
- Upgrade rank grants: +1% chance.
- Rank 25 unlocks: Gain 1% Cooldown Reduction per stack of Swiftness.
- Base Effect: While under any control-impairing effects, reduce all damage taken by 30%.
- Upgrade rank grants: +0.4% damage reduction.
- Rank 25 unlocks: Heal for 20% of maximum life when hit by control-impairing effect.
Mirinae, Teardrop of the Starweaver
- Base Effect: 15% chance on hit to smite a nearby enemy for 2000% weapon damage as Holy.
- Upgrade rank grants: +40% weapon damage.
- Rank 25 unlocks: Smite a nearby enemy every 5 seconds.
- Base Effect: 25% of all damage taken is instead staggered and dealt to you over 3 seconds.
- Upgrade rank grants: +0.1 second to the stagger duration.
- Rank 25 unlocks: 10% chance on kill to clear all staggered damage.
- Base Effect: Critical hits cause the enemy to bleed for 1200% weapon damage as Physical over 3 seconds.
- Upgrade rank grants: +30% weapon damage.
- Rank 25 unlocks: Gain Blood Frenzy, granting you 3% increased Attack Speed for each bleeding enemy within 20 yards.
- Base Effect: Increase the damage of primary skills by 25%.
- Upgrade rank grants: +0.5% damage.
- Rank 25 unlocks: Primary skills heal you for 2% of maximum health on hit.
- Base Effect: Gain 0.5% increased damage for 3 seconds after spending primary resource. This effect stacks up to 20 times.
- Upgrade rank grants: +1 max stack.
- Rank 25 unlocks: Gain 0.5% increased Armor for every stack.
Bliz Note: This buff duration on this gem was chosen so that it’s easier to keep up with cheap spenders and not trivial with expensive spenders.
- Base Effect: 15% chance on hit to gain a Wreath of Lightning, dealing 600% weapon damage as Lightning every second to nearby enemies. Lasts for 3 seconds.
- Upgrade rank grants: +10% weapon damage per second.
- Rank 25 unlocks: While under the effect of the Wreath of Lightning, gain 25% increased movement speed.
- Base Effect: Damage you deal is increased by 4% for every 10 yards between you and the enemy hit. Maximum 20% increase at 50 yards.
- Upgrade rank grants: +0.05% damage +0.25 maximum distance in yards.
- Rank 25 unlocks: 20% chance on hit to Stun the enemy for 1 second.
The stats of Legendary Gems changed constantly while they were undergoing development on the PTR. A major revision was created on July 15, 2014 with new or upgraded stats for almost every gem.[1] More changes came August 5th with a patch that changed the Enforcer gem, and completely reworked the upgrading system, changing legendary gems from 50 to 200 ranks. [2] Another patch later in August reduced the total ranks, removed multi-level upgrades, gave 3 chances to upgrade, and changed the secondary property to unlock at rank 25.
See the individual Legendary Gems pages for details on the evolution of their stats over the PTR testing period.
Gem Upgrade Development
The system was under construction all throughout the PTR and saw major changes during July and August, 2014.
Gems initially had 50 ranks, with the odds to upgrade[2] increasing on higher Greater Rift levels. This was reworked after a few weeks, and a patch on August 5, 2014 changed the maximum level from 50 to 200 and greatly increased the odds for multiple rank boosts per upgrade, as well as granting multiple upgrade opportunities on higher level greater rifts. [3]
- Changes have been made to the frequency at which Legendary gems are upgraded
- Note: Because of this change the power of each upgrade has been reduced, but the overall rate at which gem power is gained through upgrades should remain roughly the same
That system was changed again late in the PTR, with the ranks cut from 200 to 25, and a whole new system of upgrade odds implemented, based on the difference in level between the gem and the Grift. Those odds were the final system which went live a few weeks later.
Legendary Gem Design Theory
Blizzard's John Yang explained the design theory behind Legendary Gems while they were being tested on the PTR, July 15, 2014. [4]
First off, our philosophy on Legendary gems is that, when you pick one up for the first time, you should immediately want to use it, assuming it’s for your build, since some gems don’t apply to all builds/needs. This puts a minimum bar on the starting power level. After that, the power increase per upgrade is directly related to the frequency of upgrading, which is closely tied to the Greater Rift reward scheme and is still being iterated on. In the end, we’d like gems to be infinitely upgradeable when it makes sense, but not be outrageous.
Additionally, all Legendary gems have been disabled for followers. These powers were not designed for followers in mind, and this way we can ensure the gems are of a high power level because you can only have 3 equipped. In the future, if followers need avenues of advancement we would likely make Legendary gems specifically designed for them.
Now for the details. The existing stats you see on Legendary gems on the PTR today are somewhat placeholder. So, to steer further discussion in a direction that’s more in line with the next PTR build, here are the freshly tuned numbers (with some of my notes) for each gem.
Official Reveal
Legendary Gems were first revealed in June 2014 and the first official info came from Blizzard's Patch 2.1 preview blog. [5]
Media
Images of Legendary Gems, from the initial 50 rank system on the PTR.
Early Legendary Gem upgrade interface from the PTR.
Legendary Gem upgrade Interface.
Legendary Gem upgrade Interface.
Bane of the Powerful, rank 1.
Bane of the Trapped, rank 1.
Enforcer, rank 1.
Enforcer, rank 6.
Gem of Efficacious Toxin, rank 1.
Gem of Efficacious Toxin, rank 5.
Gogok of Swiftness, rank 1.
Gogok of Swiftness, rank 4.
Invigorating Gemstone, rank 1.
Mirinae, Teardrop of the Starweaver, rank 1.
Moratorium, rank 1.
Moratorium, rank 3.
Pain Enhancer, rank 1.
Simplicity's Strength, rank 1.
Taeguk, rank 1.
Wreath of Lightning, rank 1.
Wreath of Lightning, rank 2.
Wreath of Lightning, rank 3.
Zei's Stone of Vengeance.
References
- ↑ Legendary Gem Updates - John Yang, 15/07/2014
- ↑ Legendary Gem changes - August 5th PTR Patch 5/08/2014
- ↑ Legendary Gem changes - August 5th PTR Patch 5/08/2014
- ↑ Legendary Gem Updates - John Yang, 15/07/2014
- ↑ Patch 2.1 preview blog - Diablo3.com, 18/06/2014
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