Lightning Bolt 50% fork?

[Inthuul]

I've seen a number of lower level characters take large amounts of lightning bolt damage recently. I've done some investigation but would like confirmation from another user.

The update 9 description of lightning bolt is as follows;

Lightning Bolt
SP Cost: 12
Effect: A powerful stroke of electrical energy deals 4 to 6 electricity damage per caster level (up to a max of 40 to 60 damage at caster level 10) to targets in its path. A successful Reflex save reduces the damage by half. For each enemy this spell strikes it has a 50% chance to fork, replicating the spell's effect on that target. This can only happen once. This spell is a bolt and has double range. D&D Dice: Deals 1d3+3 electricity damage per caster level (max 10d3+30).

It appears that, in the occasion of a single target at least, that the lightning bolt forks 100% of the time and forces two saves. After more lightning bolts that will fit in my combat log (minus other attacks) I have yet to witness an instance of one save.

Can anyone confirm?
Kobold Assault on Hard will spawn many lightning wielding shamans for you to play with.

[hityawithastick]

On my lowbie air savant I have observed that lightning bolts, from enemies and from me (Inherent elec resist means I can actually watch the damage without dying) fork about half the time. In a quest with lots of kobold shamans, though, it is not uncommon for you to be hit by two bolts from two different casters...they just love to spam that spell. D:

So no, they do not fork 100% of the time on a single target...I've seen mobs evade the bolt entirely, and seen them get hit only once, and I've even seen one save the initial blast and then fail against the fork. And I've been hit singly, and doubly, by lightning bolts.

[TheMidnightMage]

I do not know about the forking effect but i do know that i get hit more often and harder by the darn things after update 9. I figured it was a glitch in the update or just me. However before update 9 I would get hit at lvl 4 for about 1/8th of my bar now I have seen it take half and I am running to heal....

[Inthuul]

I would encourage those of you who are questioning the damage of lighting bolt to check your combat logs. I would be interested in hearing more feedback.

[ProdigalGuru]

It seems to be working as intended to me.

Another benefit to it is that it is like improved precise shot.

It will hit everything in range on it's path.

[Thesoulgazer]

Kobold Shamans seem to have stumbled upon some powerful tome of spell spamming, there was a thread not a week ago that was talking about 10+ magic missle as once from Kobold Shamans.

[Arctigis]

It's a ray - it hits everything in it's path. For each mob hit, there is a 50% chance that it will be hit twice.

Description is pretty clear if you ask me.

[AZgreentea]

The Necromancer in the Kobold Blockade. I hate him.

I seem to always fail my save against him, and get double struck. I can only remember once instance where I was not double struck. Of course, I just got finished running several low save characters through STK, so no surprise on the failed saves.

The trouble is, you tend to remember things that support your argument, and forget the things that dont.