Corpse Lance


 * Not to be confused with .

Corpse Lance is a Corpse skill in Diablo III.

In-game
This skill targets an enemy, consuming up to three nearby corpses (within 60 yards, prioritizing the closest ones) to create a stack of several sharp bones from each. These bones will float in the air for about 0.25 seconds, and then fly at high speed at their designated target, dealing a single hit for high Physical damage per corpse.

Corpse Lance cannot be cast without a specific enemy target. Even the Shift-click will not work.

The Lance does not count as a projectile, and will bypass other enemies and most obstacles to hit its intended target.

The skill costs no Essence to cast, and has no cooldown, so with sufficient corpses, it can be used again and again (including consuming the corpses of foes killed by the previous cast).

Runes

 * Shredding Splinters: Damage type changes to Poison, and each Lance slows the target by and reduces its damage done by  for  seconds. Stacks up to  times.
 * Brittle Touch: Damage type changes to Cold, and enemies hit by the Lance become brittle, increasing their chance to be critically hit by for  seconds. This effect stacks from multiple Lances, but the duration of each stack is not renewed.
 * Ricochet: Damage type changes to Poison. Corpse Lance has a chance to ricochet to one additional target with same damage. This effect may chain repeatedly, if chances roll right. Ricochet target must be different from the previous target hit.
 * Visceral Impact: also Stuns the target for seconds.
 * Blood Lance: Each cast of Corpse Lance will also spend of the Necromancer's maximum Life (per Lance, not per cast) to launch an additional Blood Lance from their own body for each Corpse Lance fired. These extra Lances deal  damage as Physical.

Non-rune enhancements

 * The Johnstone (Legendary Amulet): Land of the Dead grants 50 stacks of Macabre Knowledge when it expires. Macabre Knowledge increases the damage of Corpse Lance and by 150-200% while outside Land of the Dead. Can store up to 200 stacks.
 * Corpsewhisper Pauldrons (Legendary Pauldrons): Damage is increased by 25-30% for 3 seconds for each corpse consumed, by any skill, stacking up to 20 times.
 * Trag'Oul's Avatar Set (Set Bonus for 6 items): Blood Lance deals 3800% increased damage. Healing from skills is increased by 100%.
 * Pestilence Master's Shroud Set (Set Bonus for 2 items): Each corpse consumed by any corpse-consuming skill fires a Corpse Lance at a nearby enemy. This Corpse Lance fully benefits from runes and enhancements. Consuming a corpse with Corpse Lance will fire two Corpse Lances.
 * Pestilence Master's Shroud Set (Set Bonus for 4 items): each enemy hit by Corpse Lance reduces the Necromancer's damage taken by 2% for 15 seconds, stacking up to 50%.
 * Pestilence Master's Shroud Set (Set Bonus for 6 items): increases damage by 3300%, and each corpse consumed grants an Empowered Bone Spear charge that increases the damage of the next by 3300%. Can store up to 100 charges, each cast consuming 1 charge.

Passives

 * Fueled by Death: grants 3% increased movement speed for 5 seconds, stacking up to 10 times, for each corpse converted to a Lance.
 * Life from Death: each corpse converted to a Lance has a 20% chance to create a Health Globe.
 * Blood for Blood: removes the Life cost of Blood Lance rune when picking up a Health Globe, storing up to 10 charges.
 * Blood is Power: every 100% of maximum Life drained by the Blood Lance rune will reduce all remaining cooldowns by 20%.
 * Rathma's Shield: for 4 seconds after casting Land of the Dead, Army of the Dead or Simulacrum, Blood Lance rune will drain no Life on cast.

Development
Originally, Blood Lance rune used to launch an extra Lance even when corpses were consumed by other skills. Because of this, in beta it was extremely dangerous to take it in combination with Devouring Aura and Land of the Dead, as it would immediately drain all of the Necromancer's Life, uncontrollably and unstoppably. By the time of live release, this feature was cut, but can be replicated by using Pestilence Master's Shroud set.