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Channelling is a skill mechanic that effects how certain skills are used to attack or cast.

Mechanics

Using Channelled Skills

Most skills in Path of Exile are considered "Fire and Forget." Meaning that once the player uses a skill, the effect is triggered the specified number of times denoted by said skill, and upon the completion of that action being performed, the skill is finished and ready to be used again. Unlike fire and forget skills, when you use a channelled skill the effect doesn't finish until you release the relevant button/key. Your character will continue performing the same skill repeatedly.

Similar to other skills, when the player initiates a channelled skill, the mana cost is used to start the ability. While the player continues to channell a skill by holding the corresponding trigger key, the mana cost of the skill must be paid relative to the attack/cast speed of the associated skill. Having insufficient resources to continue using a channelled skill will end the channell of the skill and trigger any end of channelling effects, such as the additional hits from Blade Flurry skill iconBlade Flurry.

Example [Expand]

A player casts and unsupported level 1 Incinerate skill iconIncinerate.

At the start of the cast the player must pay the mana cost of 6. If the player continues to hold the key needed to continue channelling, after .2 seconds of casting another 6 mana is spent to sustain the cost of continuing channelling the skill. This cycle of 6 mana every .2 seconds will continue in perpetuum until the key is released and channelling stops or insufficient mana is available to continue casting.

Other than insufficient mana, channelling can be halted by:

  • Being subjected to a Stun
  • Becoming inflicted with a Silence Curse (if the skill used is a spell)
  • Death

Triggered Effects

On Use Triggers

Effects which trigger when you use a skill will only trigger when you initially start channeling, regardless of how long you maintain a channelled skill. As long as a player continues to channell an ability, this counts as the same single use of the skill. This makes effects such as gaining an power charge using Module Error: No skills found with q_where = skill.active_skill_name="Power Charge on Critical Support", Life regeneration for casting a spell with Lifesprig inventory iconLifesprigLifesprig
Driftwood Wand
Wand
Quality: +20%
Physical Damage: 6-10.8
Critical Strike Chance: 7.00%
Attacks per Second: 1.40
Weapon Range: 120
(8-12)% increased Spell Damage+1 to Level of Socketed Spell Gems
(20-28)% increased Spell Damage
(5-8)% increased Cast Speed
+(15-20) to maximum Life
+(15-20) to maximum Mana
Regenerate (6-8) Life over 1 second when you Cast a Spell
From the smallest seeds
To the tallest redwoods,
Life endures in Wraeclast.
Lifesprig inventory icon
equipped, and other on use effects are limited to one charge per channelling regardless of the number of critical hits are scores during the channell.

This mechanic can have limiting effects for certain supports such as Module Error: No skills found with q_where = skill.active_skill_name="Power Charge on Critical Support", but can also be used to great advantage. Critical Strike chance is only rolled once per channelling. This means that if the first hit of a channelled skill scores a critical strike, all other hits while that skill is channelled will be critical strikes as well. The exception to this is when a hit is made a critical due to Module Error: Too many skills found with q_where = skill.active_skill_name="Assassin's Mark". Please choose only one of the following ids:
AssassinsMark - Base duration is (6-9.8) seconds, Hits against Cursed Enemies have +(30-49)% to Critical Strike Multiplier, Hits against Cursed Enemies have +1.5% to Critical Strike Chance, Cursed enemies grant (65-600) Life when Killed, Cursed enemies grant (25-80) Mana when Killed, Cursed enemies have a 100% chance to grant a Power Charge when slain (page)
AssassinsMarkTriggered - Base duration is (7.4-8.2) seconds, Hits have +1.5% additional Critical Strike Chance against you, Trigger this Skill when you Hit a Rare or Unique Enemy (page)
.

On Hit Triggers

Effects which trigger on hit will trigger as with any other skill in the game that produces a hit. Life gain, leech, power charge per enemy hit while wearing Voll's Protector inventory iconVoll's ProtectorVoll's Protector
Holy Chainmail
Quality: +20%
Armour: (426-523)
Energy Shield: (85-105)
Movement Speed: -5%
Requires Level 35, 53 Str, 53 Int(100-150)% increased Armour and Energy Shield
50% reduced maximum Mana
Gain a Power Charge for each Enemy you hit with a Critical Strike
Inner Conviction
Although a great leader during the war,
Voll proved disastrous in times of peace.
Voll's Protector inventory icon
, Module Error: No skills found with q_where = skill.active_skill_name="Curse on Hit", Module Error: No skills found with q_where = skill.active_skill_name="Cast On Critical Strike Support", and other on hit effects will all trigger as normal.

Related skills

  • Blade Flurry skill iconBlade Flurry
  • Blight skill iconBlight
  • Flameblast skill iconFlameblast
  • Incinerate skill iconIncinerate
  • Module Error: Too many skills found with q_where = skill.active_skill_name="Scorching Ray". Please choose only one of the following ids:
    FireBeam - Deals (11.7-439.4) Base Fire Damage per second, Base duration is 1.5 seconds, Additional Debuff stages add 60% of Damage, Burning Debuff can have a maximum of 8 stages, Fire Exposure applies -25% to Fire Resistance, Modifiers to Spell Damage apply to this Skill's Damage Over Time effect (page)
    DivineFireBeamUnique - Deals 738.9 Base Fire Damage per second, Base duration is 1.5 seconds, Additional Debuff stages add 60% of Damage, Burning Debuff can have a maximum of 8 stages, Fire Exposure applies -25% to Fire Resistance, Modifiers to Spell Damage apply to this Skill's Damage Over Time effect (page)
  • Wither skill iconWither
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