Unleashing the Fiery Power: Mastery of Thorns Damage in Diablo 4

When it comes to damage mechanics in Diablo 4, there's a lot of information to consider. While it may be tempting to simply use items with green numbers, players should closely examine the affixes on their gear to ensure they align with their desired build.

In Diablo 4, Thorns is an additional way to deal damage that isn't factored into the game's automatic calculations. This stat won't be reflected in item comparison windows or the Attack summary on the character screen. However, Thorns can be a formidable and valuable stat, provided players fully understand its implications.

Diablo 4: What is Thorns Damage?

In Diablo 4, Thorns is commonly referred to as damage reflection or retaliation damage in other RPGs. When a monster attacks the player, they will incur the full amount of Thorns damage that the character has, as indicated in the detailed information screen, multiplied by any applicable damage modifiers available to the player.

For instance, if a character has 100 Thorns and deals 50% extra damage to nearby enemies, any monster that successfully lands a hit will suffer 150 damage according to the community's damage calculation. The advantage of Thorns damage is that it is not affected by random damage variations. Its damage always depends on the player's total Thorns stat, combined with the relevant damage modifier at that moment. This makes it an excellent method for testing the effectiveness of different multipliers.

Thorns is mainly obtained by equipping gear with the right affixes. Chest pieces, amulets, and pants usually have random Thorns rolls. While shields can also drop with Thorns, not all classes can use them in their off-hand slots.

Razorplate, a unique chest armor, solely focuses on providing a significant boost in Thorns. With this item alone, players can have over 11,000 Thorns damage. However, this comes at the expense of reduced survivability since Razorplate lacks damage reduction or bonus Life affixes.

Certain classes possess abilities that grant them additional Thorns damage passively. Barbarians have the option to specialize in a Thorns-focused build by combining Challenging Shout with the Outburst and Tough As Nails passives. Similarly, Necromancers can partially adopt this approach by utilizing the Spiked Armor passive and casting the Iron Maiden curse, alongside equipping specific items that allow their minions to inherit a higher percentage of their Thorns damage.

Diablo 4 can be played on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.