Explosive Bolts
Explosive Bolts is a skillrune effect of the Wizard's Shock Pulse skill.
The basic bolt damage or behavior does not improve with this rune, but with the rune active, monsters killed by the bolts explode in a dome-shaped electrical effect that deals 70% weapon damage to every enemy within 10 yards. (Additional monsters killed by the dome bonus do not also explode into a dome effect.)
While this effect does nothing to boost overall damage against single targets, it greatly improves the effectiveness against large groups, as the domes add considerable AoE damage. This rune is hugely useful when it first becomes available, as low level enemies can be killed by one or two Bolts, and will then explode, causing a chain reaction of death throughout the group. Low hit point monsters that attack in bunches are especially vulnerable to this rune.
The rune becomes useless at higher levels, when enemies have greatly increased hit points, do not die quickly, and hardly flinch at a 70% bonus damage splash.
Skill Rune Effects[edit | edit source]
Refer to the Shock Pulse rune effects article for thorough descriptions of all five rune effects in this skill, including screenshots, videos, strategy tips, and other related information.
| Name | Level | Description |
|---|
<skill subcat="Signature spell" class="Wizard">Shock Pulse</skill> <skill class="Wizard" rune="Explosive Bolts">Shock Pulse</skill>
Media[edit | edit source]
This skill creates impressive domes of lightning when it triggers, blasting enemy corpses high into the air. Watching blackened zombie corpses rain back down several seconds later is one of the overlooked joys of this rune effect.
Development[edit | edit source]
Prior to the skill revision in February 2012, this rune effect was enabled by the Alabaster Rune, granting the following effect with a level 7 runestone:
 |
Explosive Bolts |
[e] Slain enemies have a 100% chance to explode dealing 450% weapon damage as Lightning to every enemy within 10 yards. |
| 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 |
|---|
|
Bash |
Cleave |
Frenzy |
[e] |
|
Hammer of the Ancients |
Rend |
Seismic Slam |
Whirlwind |
[e] |
|
Ground Stomp |
Leap |
Sprint |
Ignore Pain |
[e] |
|
Ancient Spear |
Revenge |
Furious Charge |
Overpower |
[e] |
|
Weapon Throw |
Threatening Shout |
Battle Rage |
War Cry |
[e] |
|
Earthquake |
Call of the Ancients |
Wrath of the Berserker |
[e] |
| Demon Hunter skill categories: Primary Secondary Defensive Hunting Devices Archery |
|---|
|
Hungering Arrow |
Entangling Shot |
Bola Shot |
Grenades |
[e] |
|
Impale |
Rapid Fire |
Chakram |
Elemental Arrow |
[e] |
|
Caltrops |
Smoke Screen |
Shadow Power |
[e] |
|
Vault |
Preparation |
Companion |
Marked for Death |
[e] |
|
Evasive Fire |
Fan of Knives |
Spike Trap |
Sentry |
[e] |
|
Strafe |
Multishot |
Cluster Arrow |
Rain of Vengeance |
[e] |
| Monk skill categories: Primary Secondary Defensive Techniques Focus Mantras |
|---|
|
Fists of Thunder |
Deadly Reach |
Crippling Wave |
Way of the Hundred Fists |
[e] |
|
Lashing Tail Kick |
Tempest Rush |
Wave of Light |
[e] |
|
Blinding Flash |
Breath of Heaven |
Serenity |
Inner Sanctuary |
[e] |
|
Dashing Strike |
Exploding Palm |
Sweeping Wind |
[e] |
|
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 |
|---|
| Witch Doctor skill categories: Primary Secondary Defensive Terror Decay Voodoo |
|---|
|
Poison Dart - Rune effects |
Corpse Spiders |
Plague of Toads |
Firebomb |
[e] |
|
Grasp of the Dead |
Firebats |
Haunt |
Locust Swarm |
[e] |
|
Summon Zombie Dogs |
Horrify |
Spirit Walk |
Hex |
[e] |
|
Soul Harvest |
Sacrifice |
Mass Confusion |
[e] |
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Zombie Charger |
Spirit Barrage |
Acid Cloud |
Wall of Zombies |
[e] |
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Gargantuan |
Big Bad Voodoo |
Fetish Army |
[e] |
| 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] |
|
Frost Nova |
Diamond Skin |
Slow Time |
Teleport |
[e] |
|
Wave of Force |
Energy Twister |
Hydra |
Meteor |
Blizzard |
[e] |
|
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 | |
| | |||||
