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d2jsp Forums > Diablo II > Diablo 2: Resurrected > D2:R Discussion > Apparently Herald Thorns Can 1 Shot You
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Mar 18 2026 09:30am
According to what we know, the thorns return flat damage to the attacker, so it's not related to how much damage you deal.
The amount returned is supposedly 90 per hit, maybe 180 due to a bug.
It doesn't sound much on the paper, but since all surrounding mobs are affected, hitting all of them at the same time with a fat AOE skill can explain the oneshot easily.
It's unclear how far that returned damage can be increased (other auras, amp dmg, etc.), and how far it can be decreased (dmg% reduction).

I haven't tested it, but as long as you do attack damage (melee or ranged), using a life tap wand is probably the way to go.
That, or use spell damage, or single target attack damage (carefully).
It of course implies that you've learnt to recognise the aura, what's really annoying is that Might looks extremely similar...


Hey bud it's been a while!

I looked into game files and the ATD portion of the Herald thorns has the exact same stats as regular thorns, so I don't see how it could hurt that much unless cursed, or the bonus dmg heralds do apply to thorns somehow?

What is interesting is that the % based dmg stat is a completely different one than normal thorns, but I've no idea how it works internally
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Mar 18 2026 09:43am
Hey bud it's been a while!

I looked into game files and the ATD portion of the Herald thorns has the exact same stats as regular thorns, so I don't see how it could hurt that much unless cursed, or the bonus dmg heralds do apply to thorns somehow?

What is interesting is that the % based dmg stat is a completely different one than normal thorns, but I've no idea how it works internally


Hey :) I thoroughly enjoyed the 13ed eth warpike you sold me for about 20 minutes, :) maybe if you had sold me a weaker one i might have lived :cry:

A quick Google search of the thorns ability shows it absolutely does scale with damage dealt, so if it works the same as regular thorns then it could be a lot.

I think it was just a single target hit (impale) with a ridiculous amount of ed, between maxed dmg items in general, my own conc, my own might. I dont think the enemy mobs had their own auras except foe the thorns. If I remember correctly the tz was extra fast. No idea what stats the Herald itself had, I never got a good look at it, only clicked on andy.
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Mar 18 2026 09:50am
I'm 100% certain it was only 1 mob I was attacking. I also haven't seen any indications that this thorns damage is somehow flat, I've seen other stories of people being 1 shot like this so I dont think it's possible that there's a cap. It 100% does scale with the attacker damage.

Yeah, i'm pretty sure when the "cursed" affix is present, the s**t show becomes real.
The terrorized affix most probably comes into play as well ("extra strong" comes to mind).
Also, heralds can apparently stack up to 2 auras (let's hope Thorns has display priority).
The information i had (flat dmg, etc.) comes from that very detailed Reddit post.
I wish i could link it, but the policy about external linking is most probably still middle age around here, sorry about that.
EDIT: Hello daanno2, been a while =]

This post was edited by xhul on Mar 18 2026 09:52am
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Mar 18 2026 09:52am
Hey :) I thoroughly enjoyed the 13ed eth warpike you sold me for about 20 minutes, :) maybe if you had sold me a weaker one i might have lived :cry:

A quick Google search of the thorns ability shows it absolutely does scale with damage dealt, so if it works the same as regular thorns then it could be a lot.

I think it was just a single target hit (impale) with a ridiculous amount of ed, between maxed dmg items in general, my own conc, my own might. I dont think the enemy mobs had their own auras except foe the thorns. If I remember correctly the tz was extra fast. No idea what stats the Herald itself had, I never got a good look at it, only clicked on andy.


Oh that wp was for a zon? Rip. Fwiw I ripped this season at 98 lmao, to a pack of t1 apparitions in p7 game. Got one shot instantly cuz cursed tz, conc aura and prbly them stacking on top of each other and hitting me all at once.

Re thorns, there's 2 component to it
1) a flat ATD that occurs no matter if you hit or miss. This is something like 60 dmg at lvl 10, and hasn't changed between the normal thorns and herald thorns

2) a % based one. Normal thorns is like 1000%, subject to well-known reductions like 1/8 vs player, pvp penalties etc. The Herald version is something like only 10-20%, but is also a completely new internal stat. No idea what penalties it takes into account.
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Mar 18 2026 09:59am
The Herald version is something like only 10-20%.

Our official data digger, what's up dude =]
If there's indeed a relative part, that could explain the oneshot trouble, especially with glass canons.

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Mar 18 2026 10:10am
Our official data digger, what's up dude =]
If there's indeed a relative part, that could explain the oneshot trouble, especially with glass canons.


Just to clarify this was NOT a glass cannon :)

I was playing a glass cannon for the past month with like 800hp, never died to a thorns herald. Then I respec to a tanky spearzon with more than 4k hp, damage reduction, etc, and i die within 20 minutes lmao
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Mar 18 2026 11:34am
Oh that wp was for a zon? Rip. Fwiw I ripped this season at 98 lmao, to a pack of t1 apparitions in p7 game. Got one shot instantly cuz cursed tz, conc aura and prbly them stacking on top of each other and hitting me all at once.

Re thorns, there's 2 component to it
1) a flat ATD that occurs no matter if you hit or miss. This is something like 60 dmg at lvl 10, and hasn't changed between the normal thorns and herald thorns

2) a % based one. Normal thorns is like 1000%, subject to well-known reductions like 1/8 vs player, pvp penalties etc. The Herald version is something like only 10-20%, but is also a completely new internal stat. No idea what penalties it takes into account.

Hi daanno2, what build were you playing? RIP at 98 hurts :D
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Mar 18 2026 11:39am
Hi daanno2, what build were you playing? RIP at 98 hurts :D


hey!

was playing es lock. felt pretty much invincible until that moment
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