Gem of Efficacious Toxin

Gem of Efficacious Toxin

This legendary gem poisons every enemy you hit and applies its damage as a poison effect over several seconds. Its real value, however, lies less in the raw tick damage than in the fact that it keeps all foes permanently poisoned. That is the entry ticket for any effect granting bonus damage against poisoned or otherwise afflicted targets.

Because the effect is class-independent, the gem fits into virtually any amulet or ring socket and is especially popular through early to mid progression. Practical tip: slot it where your build benefits from a reliable debuff, for instance as a trigger for damage amplifiers, rather than relying on it as a standalone damage source.

What the power actually does

According to the power text, the poison deals 2000% weapon damage spread over 10 seconds. It does not just affect your main target but every enemy you hit, so skills with large areas or many hits spread it especially widely. Because the damage is calculated as weapon damage, it depends directly on your weapon's damage. As long as you keep hitting, the enemies you strike stay poisoned.

Using it in jewelry

The gem goes into an amulet or ring socket. Leoric's Crown does not help here: its amplification only applies to ordinary gems, and legendary ones like this are explicitly excluded. Since the power is not tied to a class, any character can use the gem.

Zhong Yi Rou's threat

The flavor text relates an anecdote from the poison mixers of Xiansai: a sickly gem cutter named Zhong Yi Rou used to come by their vats and shout that she would put them all out of work someday, a wink at the fact that this gem does the poison mixers' job for them.

by eRnstl