Ethereal Knives

Ethereal KnivesSpell, Projectile, Physical, Duration
Cost: (5-20) Mana
Cast Time: 0.60 sec
Critical Strike Chance: 6.00%
Effectiveness of Added Damage: 120%
Projectile Speed: 1300Fires an arc of knives in front of the caster which deals physical damage.Per 1% Quality:1Superior2Anomalous3Divergent1% increased Projectile SpeedFires 0.1 additional Projectiles0.5% chance to Impale on Spell HitBase duration is 6 seconds
Deals (7-633) to (10-949) Physical Damage
Fires 9 additional Projectiles
Maximum 40 Lingering Blades can be left in the ground at a time
Leaves a Lingering Blade in the ground for every 3 Projectiles fired
Leaves 50% fewer Lingering Blades in the ground if you don't Cast this Spell yourself
(0-19)% increased Projectile SpeedPlace into an item socket of the right colour to gain this skill. Right click to remove from a socket.Acquisition
Level: 5Purchase Costs

Normal

1x Scroll of Wisdom

Sell Price
1x Scroll FragmentMiscellaneous
Item class: Active Skill Gems
Metadata ID: Metadata/Items/Gems/SkillGemEtherealKnives

Ethereal Knives (often referred to as EK) is a spell that throws ten knives in front of the caster that deal physical damage. Multiple knives cannot hit the same target. The angle of the spell's arc is fixed and does not depend on where the cursor is, unlike other projectile skills.

Despite the fact that it does physical damage, Ethereal Knives is a spell and not an attack. It does not utilize weapon damage in any way.

Skill functions and interactions

• Lingering Blades: One in three projectiles from Ethereal Knives will leave a Lingering Blade on the ground. These blades can be detonated with Blade BlastBlade BlastSpell, AoE, Physical
  Cost: (6-16) Mana
  Cast Time: 0.50 sec
  Critical Strike Chance: 6.00%
  Effectiveness of Added Damage: 50%Requires Level 16Deals spell damage in a targeted area. When this spell deals damage, if your Lingering Blades or Blade Vortex blades are nearby, it will detonate them, dealing damage again in an area around them. Up to 50 Blades can be detonated this way.Per 1% Quality:1Superior2Anomalous3Divergent4Phantasmal0.5% increased Area of Effect+0.5% to Chaos Damage over Time Multiplier0.5% chance to Impale on Spell Hit0.5% increased Cast SpeedDeals (11-210) to (17-315) Physical Damage
  35% more Area of Effect per Blade Vortex blade detonated
  Unnerve Enemies for 4 seconds on Hit
  +(0-2) to radiusPlace into an item socket of the right colour to gain this skill. Right click to remove from a socket. or animated with Animate WeaponAnimate WeaponDuration, Minion, Spell, Physical
  Cost: (4-12) Mana
  Cast Time: 0.60 secRequires Level 4Animates a Melee Weapon Item or Lingering Blade to fight by your side. You cannot animate unidentified Weapons. Will not animate weapons with 6 sockets unless specifically targeted. Cannot be used by Traps or Mines.Per 1% Quality:1Superior2Anomalous3Divergent4PhantasmalMinions have 1% increased Movement SpeedMinions have 0.5% chance to Intimidate Enemies for 4 seconds on Hit1% chance to create an additional Animate Weapon copyMinions deal 0 to 5 Added Lightning DamageBase duration is 40 seconds
  Can use Items requiring up to Level (9-100)
  Minions deal (10-48)% more Damage
  Minions have (10-48)% more Attack Speed
  Minions' Attacks deal (5-126) to (8-184) additional Physical Damage
  Maximum (5-14) Animated Weapons
  Animated Lingering Blades deal (1-17) to (2-80) Added Attack Physical DamagePlace into an item socket of the right colour to gain this skill. Right click to remove from a socket.. Lingering Blades have a duration of 6 seconds.

• Physical spell damage: Ethereal Knives is affected by modifiers to Spell Damage, Physical Damage, and Projectile Damage. Its damage can also be improved by Added Fire Damage SupportAdded Fire Damage SupportFire, Physical, Support
  Icon: F
  Cost and Reservation Multiplier: 120%Requires Level 8Supports any skill that hits enemies.Per 1% Quality:1Superior2Anomalous3DivergentSupported Skills deal 0.5% increased Fire DamageSupported Skills deal 1% reduced Fire Damage
  Supported Skills have +1% to Fire Damage over Time MultiplierSupported Skills have 1% of Physical Damage Converted to Fire DamageSupported Skills gain (25-44)% of Physical Damage as Extra Fire DamageThis is a Support Gem. It does not grant a bonus to your character, but to skills in sockets connected to it. Place into an item socket connected to a socket containing the Active Skill Gem you wish to augment. Right click to remove from a socket., Brutality SupportBrutality SupportPhysical, Support
  Icon: U
  Cost and Reservation Multiplier: 130%Requires Level 38Supports any skill that hits enemies.Per 1% Quality:1Superior2Anomalous3DivergentSupported Skills deal 0.5% increased Physical DamageSupported Attacks have 0.5% chance to cause BleedingSupported Skills Overwhelm 0.25% Physical Damage ReductionSupported Skills deal (40-59)% more Physical Damage
  Supported Skills deal no Elemental Damage
  Supported Skills deal no Chaos DamageThis is a Support Gem. It does not grant a bonus to your character, but to skills in sockets connected to it. Place into an item socket connected to a socket containing the Active Skill Gem you wish to augment. Right click to remove from a socket., Physical to Lightning SupportPhysical to Lightning SupportLightning, Physical, Support
  Icon: x
  Cost and Reservation Multiplier: 110%Requires Level 18Supports any skill that hits enemies.Per 1% Quality:1Superior2Anomalous3DivergentSupported Skills deal 0.5% increased Physical Damage
  Supported Skills deal 0.5% increased Lightning DamageSupported Skills have 0.5% of Physical Damage Converted to Lightning DamageEnemies Shocked by Supported Skills take 0.5% increased Physical DamageSupported Skills have 50% of Physical Damage Converted to Lightning Damage
  Supported Skills gain (10-29)% of Physical Damage as Extra Lightning DamageThis is a Support Gem. It does not grant a bonus to your character, but to skills in sockets connected to it. Place into an item socket connected to a socket containing the Active Skill Gem you wish to augment. Right click to remove from a socket., HatredHatredAura, Spell, AoE, Cold
  Radius: 36
  Mana Reserved: 50%
  Can Store 1 Use(s)
  Cooldown Time: 1.20 secRequires Level 24Casts an aura that grants extra cold damage based on physical damage to you and your allies.Per 1% Quality:1Superior2Anomalous3Divergent2% increased Area of EffectYou and nearby Allies have 0.5% increased Chill and Freeze DurationYou and nearby Allies have 0.5% increased Movement Speed while on Chilled GroundYou and nearby allies gain (16-25)% of Physical Damage as Extra Cold Damage
  You and nearby allies deal (14-18)% more Cold Damage
  +(0-19) to radiusPlace into an item socket of the right colour to gain this skill. Right click to remove from a socket., and Herald of AshHerald of AshSpell, AoE, Fire, Herald, Duration
  Radius: 10
  Mana Reserved: 25%
  Can Store 1 Use(s)
  Cooldown Time: 1.00 secRequires Level 16Grants a buff providing fire damage based on your physical damage. While you have this buff, if you kill an enemy, other enemies near them will be burned based on the overkill damage. The burn inflicted by this skill can only be affected by modifiers to damage over time (burning damage is damage over time).Per 1% Quality:1Superior2Anomalous3DivergentBuff grants 0.75% increased Fire Damage1% reduced Area of Effect
  3% increased Burning Damage1% increased Area of EffectGain 15% of your Physical Damage as Extra Fire Damage
  Base duration is 4 seconds
  Base Burning Damage is 25% of Overkill Damage
  (9-12)% more Spell Fire Damage
  (0-38)% more Burning DamagePlace into an item socket of the right colour to gain this skill. Right click to remove from a socket..

• Projectile speed: The projectiles move at an average speed of close to 120 units/s for roughly 0.25 seconds, putting their effective range at somewhere around 30ish units. Then inherently have a variation of +/−40% base speed, but the average will be around 30. Modifiers to projectile speed will increase the average distance that Ethereal Knives projectiles travel before they fade, effectively increasing the maximum range of the spell.

• Leech: Since it is a spell, Ethereal Knives is not affected by Physical Attack Damage Leeched as Life or Physical Attack Damage Leeched as Mana. However, unspecified leech such as Life Leech SupportLife Leech SupportSupport
  Icon: l
  Cost and Reservation Multiplier: 130%Requires Level 31Supports any skill that hits enemies, causing those hits to leech life based on damage dealt.Per 1% Quality:1Superior2Anomalous3DivergentSupported Skills deal 0.5% increased Damage while Leeching LifeSupported Skills deal 2% increased Damage when on Full LifeSupported Skills have 5% increased Maximum Recovery per Life LeechSupported Skills have (2-3.9)% of Damage Leeched as LifeThis is a Support Gem. It does not grant a bonus to your character, but to skills in sockets connected to it. Place into an item socket connected to a socket containing the Active Skill Gem you wish to augment. Right click to remove from a socket. will function with Ethereal Knives.

• Can be used in left mouse button slot to cast and move.

Gem level progression

Level				Mana Cost	Physical Damage	increased Projectile Speed	Exp.	Total Exp.
1	1	0	0	5	7 to 10	N/A	0	0
2	2	0	0	5	9 to 12	1%	70	70
3	4	0	0	5	10 to 15	2%	308	378
4	7	14	0	6	13 to 20	3%	1,554	1,932
5	11	19	0	7	19 to 28	4%	6,667	8,599
6	16	26	18	8	28 to 42	5%	26,047	34,646
7	20	31	22	9	38 to 57	6%	49,725	84,371
8	24	37	25	10	49 to 74	7%	95,714	180,085
9	28	42	29	11	64 to 96	8%	169,595	349,680
10	32	47	33	11	82 to 123	9%	283,759	633,439
11	36	52	36	12	104 to 156	10%	453,996	1,087,435
12	40	58	40	13	131 to 197	11%	703,128	1,790,563
13	44	63	44	14	164 to 246	12%	1,061,223	2,851,786
14	48	68	48	15	204 to 307	13%	2,065,870	4,917,656
15	52	74	51	16	253 to 380	14%	2,507,110	7,424,766
16	56	79	55	17	312 to 468	15%	5,798,936	13,223,702
17	60	84	59	18	383 to 575	16%	15,083,919	28,307,621
18	64	90	62	18	470 to 704	17%	27,792,735	56,100,356
19	67	94	65	19	546 to 818	18%	43,869,739	99,970,095
20	70	98	68	20	633 to 949	19%	242,081,556	342,051,651
21	72	100	70	20	698 to 1047	20%	N/A	N/A
22	74	N/A	N/A	21	770 to 1155	21%	N/A	N/A
23	76	N/A	N/A	21	848 to 1272	22%	N/A	N/A
24	78	N/A	N/A	21	934 to 1401	23%	N/A	N/A
25	80	N/A	N/A	22	1028 to 1542	24%	N/A	N/A
26	82	N/A	N/A	22	1131 to 1697	25%	N/A	N/A
27	84	N/A	N/A	23	1244 to 1866	26%	N/A	N/A
28	86	N/A	N/A	23	1367 to 2051	27%	N/A	N/A
29	88	N/A	N/A	24	1502 to 2253	28%	N/A	N/A
30	90	N/A	N/A	24	1650 to 2474	29%	N/A	N/A
31	91	N/A	N/A	24	1728 to 2593	29%	N/A	N/A
32	92	N/A	N/A	25	1811 to 2716	30%	N/A	N/A
33	93	N/A	N/A	25	1897 to 2845	30%	N/A	N/A
34	94	N/A	N/A	25	1987 to 2981	31%	N/A	N/A
35	95	N/A	N/A	25	2081 to 3122	31%	N/A	N/A
36	96	N/A	N/A	25	2180 to 3270	32%	N/A	N/A
37	97	N/A	N/A	26	2283 to 3424	32%	N/A	N/A
38	98	N/A	N/A	26	2390 to 3585	33%	N/A	N/A
39	99	N/A	N/A	26	2503 to 3754	33%	N/A	N/A
40	100	N/A	N/A	26	2620 to 3930	34%	N/A	N/A

Item acquisition

Upgrade paths

This item can be acquired through the following upgrade paths or vendor recipes:

Amount	Ingredient	General Notes	Type
6	The FoxThe Fox6Level 20 Gem"Masters of wit, strength and cunning. To survive the harsh winters, you must be like the fox." - Ezomyte Proverb	random level 20 gem	Automatic
13	The CataclysmThe Cataclysm13Level 21 Spell Gem CorruptedThe mighty warriors traded in blows, the nimble archers in arrows, yet it was the brazen thaumaturgists who would bring catastrophe to all.	random corrupted level 21 Spell gem	Automatic
3	Gemcutter's PromiseGemcutter's Promise3Superior Gem Quality: +20%"I swore to use my position to help the people. What good is power when it just accumulates on the already-powerful?" - Erasmus, Imperial Gemcutter	random superior gem (Q20)	Automatic

Quest reward

This item is given as a quest reward for the following quests:

Class →	Witch	Shadow	Ranger	Duelist	Marauder	Templar	Scion
Quest ↓
Enemy at the Gate Act 1	✗	✓	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗

Vendor reward

This item can be bought at the listed NPC vendors, after completing the following quests:

Class →	Witch	Shadow	Ranger	Duelist	Marauder	Templar	Scion
Quest ↓
Enemy at the Gate Act 1 Nessa	✓	✓	✗	✗	✓	✗	✗
A Fixture of Fate Act 3 Siosa	✓
Fallen from Grace Act 6 Lilly Roth	✓

Threshold jewels

The following threshold jewels augment Ethereal Knives:

Item	Limit	Radius	Stats
Ring of BladesRing of Blades Viridian JewelLimited to: 1 Radius: Medium (1200)(10-15)% increased Global Physical Damage With at least 40 Dexterity in Radius, Ethereal Knives fires Projectiles in a circle With at least 40 Dexterity in Radius, Ethereal Knives fires 5 additional ProjectilesAt night, as a young Daresso shared his bed with a woman whose name he could not recall, his thoughts remained in the one place he called his own: The Grand Arena.Place into an allocated Jewel Socket on the Passive Skill Tree. Right click to remove from the Socket.	1	Medium (1200)	(10-15)% increased Global Physical Damage With at least 40 Dexterity in Radius, Ethereal Knives fires Projectiles in a circle With at least 40 Dexterity in Radius, Ethereal Knives fires 5 additional Projectiles

Related helmet enchantments

The following helmet enchantments affect Ethereal Knives.

Name		Stats	Spawn Weighting
Enchantment Ethereal Knives Damage 1	66	25% increased Ethereal Knives Damage	helmet 100 default 0
Enchantment Ethereal Knives Damage 2	75	40% increased Ethereal Knives Damage	helmet 75 default 0
Enchantment Ethereal Knives Number Of Targets To Pierce 1	75	Ethereal Knives Pierces an additional Target	helmet 75 default 0
Enchantment Ethereal Knives Projectile Speed 1	66	20% increased Ethereal Knives Projectile Speed	helmet 100 default 0
Enchantment Ethereal Knives Projectile Speed 2	75	30% increased Ethereal Knives Projectile Speed	helmet 75 default 0

Alternate skill effects

Ethereal Knives has the following alternate skill effects:

Item	Effect(s)
Ebony Ethereal Knives EffectEbony Ethereal Knives EffectSkill Gem EffectYour Ethereal Knives becomes a volley of ebony knives.	Your Ethereal Knives becomes a volley of ebony knives.
Ethereal Stars EffectEthereal Stars EffectSkill Gem EffectYour Ethereal Knives becomes a volley of spinning throwing stars	Your Ethereal Knives becomes a volley of spinning throwing stars
Illusionist Ethereal Knives EffectIllusionist Ethereal Knives EffectSkill Gem EffectYour Ethereal Knives becomes a volley of Illusionist knives.	Your Ethereal Knives becomes a volley of Illusionist knives.
Sawblade Ethereal Knives EffectSawblade Ethereal Knives EffectSkill Gem EffectYour Ethereal Knives becomes a Sawblade Effect.	Your Ethereal Knives becomes a Sawblade Effect.

Version history

Version	Changes
3.10.0	Can now create Lingering Blades. These can be animated with Animate WeaponAnimate WeaponDuration, Minion, Spell, Physical Cost: (4-12) Mana Cast Time: 0.60 secRequires Level 4Animates a Melee Weapon Item or Lingering Blade to fight by your side. You cannot animate unidentified Weapons. Will not animate weapons with 6 sockets unless specifically targeted. Cannot be used by Traps or Mines.Per 1% Quality:1Superior2Anomalous3Divergent4PhantasmalMinions have 1% increased Movement SpeedMinions have 0.5% chance to Intimidate Enemies for 4 seconds on Hit1% chance to create an additional Animate Weapon copyMinions deal 0 to 5 Added Lightning DamageBase duration is 40 seconds Can use Items requiring up to Level (9-100) Minions deal (10-48)% more Damage Minions have (10-48)% more Attack Speed Minions' Attacks deal (5-126) to (8-184) additional Physical Damage Maximum (5-14) Animated Weapons Animated Lingering Blades deal (1-17) to (2-80) Added Attack Physical DamagePlace into an item socket of the right colour to gain this skill. Right click to remove from a socket. or destroyed with Blade BlastBlade BlastSpell, AoE, Physical Cost: (6-16) Mana Cast Time: 0.50 sec Critical Strike Chance: 6.00% Effectiveness of Added Damage: 50%Requires Level 16Deals spell damage in a targeted area. When this spell deals damage, if your Lingering Blades or Blade Vortex blades are nearby, it will detonate them, dealing damage again in an area around them. Up to 50 Blades can be detonated this way.Per 1% Quality:1Superior2Anomalous3Divergent4Phantasmal0.5% increased Area of Effect+0.5% to Chaos Damage over Time Multiplier0.5% chance to Impale on Spell Hit0.5% increased Cast SpeedDeals (11-210) to (17-315) Physical Damage 35% more Area of Effect per Blade Vortex blade detonated Unnerve Enemies for 4 seconds on Hit +(0-2) to radiusPlace into an item socket of the right colour to gain this skill. Right click to remove from a socket.. These blades have a base duration of 6 seconds at all gem levels.
3.6.0	Mana Cost at gem level 20 is now 20 (was 23). Now deals 7 to 10 Physical damage at gem level 1 (from 6 to 9) and 633 to 949 Physical damage at gem level 20 (from 457 to 685). Now has an added damage effectiveness of 120% (from 100%).
3.3.0	Now deals 6-9 physical damage at gem level 1 (up from 4-6), up to 457-685 physical damage at gem level 20 (down from 459-688).
2.1.0	Damage increased by around 20% higher at level 20. Now gains 1% projectile speed per gem level over 1.
2.0.0	Now grants 1% Increased projectile speed per 1% quality instead of increased projectile damage. Base Cast Speed has been decreased from a cast time of 800ms to 600ms, the mana costs have been reduced to compensate for the increase in cast speed. Critical Strike Chance has been increased from 5% to 6%.
1.1.5	Ethereal Knives casts 25% faster (from 1 to 0.8 seconds), the damage and mana cost have been reduced by 20% to compensate.
1.0.0	Ethereal Knives' mana cost is reduced.
0.11.4	Fixed a bug with Ethereal Knives that would cause you to walk closer than needed if the range was affected by projectile speed.
0.11.0	The damage progression of Ethereal Knives has been reduced.
0.9.12s	Damage increased by 10%.
0.9.12qq	From 1% projectile damage per quality point to 0.5%.
0.9.11i	Fixed the randomness of Ethereal Knives when used with traps.
0.9.9b	Fixed a problem where the character would not run into range of an enemy before using the skill.
0.9.9	Ethereal Knives has been added to the game.