Penetrating Blast => Why Piercing?

[Feralthyrtiaq]

^^^^That^^^^

Ancient Arachnid, Crimson Foot Spider, Wheeps and Rakshasa (Plus Good ofc) all need piercing weapons to break DR but are vulnerable to the the Force component of Eldritch Blast anyway.

Why is Penetrating Blast piercing damage instead of maybe say Shattermantle???

Does the 1d6 extra die only apply when this stance is active?

[Tom116]

^^^^That^^^^

Ancient Arachnid, Crimson Foot Spider, Wheeps and Rakshasa (Plus Good ofc) all need piercing weapons to break DR but are vulnerable to the the Force component of Eldritch Blast anyway.

Why is Penetrating Blast piercing damage instead of maybe say Shattermantle???

Does the 1d6 extra die only apply when this stance is active?

Sev (or another dev, I think it was Sev though) confirmed that the 1d6 only applies with the stance active :/

[fmalfeas]

To allow a damage option that is still kinetic lore for the force immune/force healed mobs, but is not 'untyped' which would blow through every single defense in the game. (This, btw, is why ToEE weapons have Maiming...because it's actually really powerful, as other than 'can take no damage at all' untyped damage can't be stopped or mitigated.)

[HastyPudding]

This allows you to change your damage against force resistant/immune mobs, like iron golems (or bosses like the knight golem at the end of von5). Also, you don't want to use force damage against enemies like helmed horrors.

Personally, I only use penetrating blast against mobs that really require it, otherwise I use utterdark blast because there's very few mobs immune to it and I've not seen anything resistant, either, and also because I have a ton of radiance items as well as the lantern ring and radiance synergy with exalted angel, sun elf, souleater damage abilities, and the entire enlightened spirit tree.

And why not piercing? It's still based on impulse/kinetic lore.

[Red_Knight]

Why is Penetrating Blast piercing damage instead of maybe say Shattermantle???

So you can hurt things immune to force damage?


Does the 1d6 extra die only apply when this stance is active?

Word from on high is "Only applies when actually using the stance".

[Feralthyrtiaq]

I figured it out pretty quickly vs golems in Tempest Spine and Chamber of Rayium.

Had a momentary brainfart considering it like a melee weapon and not like untyped spell damage like Druid's Ice Flowers or Blade barrier.