If you're thinking of physMastery, then it's possible, but awkward. The synergy calculation needs to be adjusted to consider a new stat. This is quite a bit of work since many skills need to be rebalanced and their synergy formulas changed, and items need to be edited to include the new mod.

If the old synergy calculation is 'syns', then the new calculation is:
(100+syns) * (100+mastery)/100 - 100

An example where ShockWave's synergy field was "skill('Maul'.blvl)*par8"
(100+skill('Maul'.blvl)*par8) * (100+stat('physMastery'.accr))/100 - 100

Here's an example with numbers (dmg=1000, 50% synergy, 200% mastery):
I haven't bothered to use this calculation, but I understand that Laz of PhrozenKeep has used it for MagicMastery. I am not aware of a method of introducing physPierce.

I haven't tried it, but this change should be very easy. It's just a case of increasing the 'shockwave' missile's 'Range' or 'Vel' value by 50-65%. Personally I think the skill's fine, but it should be fine with a longer range too.

I've solo'd a few of the LoS bosses with plague jav(on HC if it matters) using the kiting strategy Frank is referring to. I think he mentioned this in his other thread but making plague/poison javelin not reset boss timers would be an easy fix to that. Also I'm not sure but I believe LoS healing timers are funky, or not functional as I can't recall a single instance of them healing.

Ya thats sounds like a good plan there Drrod with the reset timer ... Seems like the only way around this issue...My only other issue with psn zons is when you have more then one in a game it tends to get really laggy do to the cloud... Perhaps keep the cloud but have it not show up kinda like what we did with Seige beasts and catapolts lag issue's .. Just a thought for people with lower end comps..

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P.S. Have I superceeded your infininate need for proper English now or will your mind forever be locked in a perpetual stacis.

can bow zons survival be buffed, they get owned by all aoe bosses hence jav>bow

Bow zons are not really a boss killing build there better suited for trash and trash farmin..If you give them a life buff keep in mind the java zon will exploit this..

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P.S. Have I superceeded your infininate need for proper English now or will your mind forever be locked in a perpetual stacis.

From what I have seen over the last few patches, freezing arrow zons seem decent. Is it reall the fire branch that is still lacking, or do people think that it is all bowzons? Direct life buffs isn't going to happen. Maybe some form of DR from passives that bowzons use more?

As far as making poison jav skills not reset the heal timer...this is a code editing thing isn't it? I have zero knowledge of that part. Would need someone like Steel to do this if he is still lurking around.

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The reader should not be discouraged if...he does not have the prerequisites to read the prerequisites. P. Halmos

This doesn't need code editing. Most skills work by launching a unique missile (the picture used usually isn't unique to that missile). PoisonJav and PlagueJav both have missiles (even the little poison clouds are their own missile), and it's the missile's properties that determine if the heal timer is set. To make a missile not set the heal timer, it's 'GetHit' column should be set to zero (or simply cleared). I have tested and verified this.

I had wondered about that field when I was looking last night, but hadn't tested it. Good to know.

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The reader should not be discouraged if...he does not have the prerequisites to read the prerequisites. P. Halmos

Just saying bowzons need a way to stay alive, especially on the huge AOE bosses such as diablo which you cant dodge.

Your rite they are great fun clearing trash but boss fights in NM onwards you just dont contribute what so ever as your to squishy.

The problem when compared to a javzazon is this:
Jav has a shield
Jav can put all stats in vitality - bow needs to stack dex to be competive
Because jav has a shield the decoy is stronger and tankier aswell.

We need to give bow zons a way to survive more, perhaps from skills that a javazon woudn use EG get a skill to lvl 20 and get the bonus then? damage reduction could also work to i guess

I rolled 2 different immo arrow zons on HC and they friggin raped! I also made a strafer last ladder that soloed normal and did great damage vs nm/hell bosses. The 2fpa strafe change really made the skill shine.

Some zons are squishy because of getting 3 life per vita point, but they also have several survival skills. Decoy/Valk/Dodge. With 1 point in Critical Stike and a few +skills, a zon will do 2x damage 75% of the time....off of ONE skill point!

Most of the bowazons I've seen had all damage/dex gear/stats. Most had no were near max res, much less any absorbs. Same went for the physical side, little to no DR/MDR much less %DR.

If the zon was gonna get some kind of life buff or DR% on a skill, it should be on impale or fend only.

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I was never more at home than I was in battle. - Solomon Kane

I am tending to agree with Fury on this one. From discussions with others, and this, it really seems the lack of bowzons is still mainly due to poisonzons, not that they totally blow ass.

I don't have a lot of experience with them in the late game, but early to mid the seem pretty damn stout if used right. I don't think that there has been enough data to make a change at this time to add survivability to them. The comment about the strafe change made is good to see actually. I have not seen enough people even give some of these things a shot before simply saying but javzon has blah.

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The reader should not be discouraged if...he does not have the prerequisites to read the prerequisites. P. Halmos

Lower res should have mana cost lowered, it shouldn't be so high compared to amp.