Life Tap is a Necromancer skill in Diablo II. This skill allows the Necromancer to literally suck the life from their victims. The Necromancer is able to reach into the wellspring of mortality and siphon off its essence, consuming it to replace his own.[1] There is a danger, however, in using the spell too often.
Several items grant Life Tap skill:
This ability curses a group of enemies so that when attacked, their attacker gains 50% of the Physical damage dealt as life. It’s essentially like using a 50% Life Leech weapon, but for everybody in the party. The potency of healing does not scale with the skill level.
Life Tap allows players and creatures to be able to leech life from otherwise leech-immune enemies, such as Skeletons. Since Life Tap still requires that physical damage be dealt, however, enemies that are immune to said damage are also effectively immune to the curse, despite the graphic appearing over them.
This ability is very useful in helping to keep summons alive, and it’s a powerful aid to melee allies that lack life leech. While Mercenaries also benefit, they can receive equipment with sufficient life steal that Amplify Damage is better for them. This does diminish Life Tap’s usefulness to a degree, although useful in its own right.
Attacks of minions do not replenish the Necromancer’s own Life. Normal Life Leech stacks with Life Tap.
Mana Cost: 9
Heals for 50% damage dealt
Level | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Radius (yards) | 2.6 | 3.3 | 4 | 4.6 | 5.3 | 6 | 6.6 | 7.3 | 8 | 8.6 | 9.3 |
Duration | 16s | 18.4s | 20.8s | 23.2s | 25.6s | 28s | 30.4s | 32.8s | 35.2s | 37.6s | 40s |
Level | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 25 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Radius (yards) | 10 | 10.6 | 11.3 | 12 | 12.6 | 13.3 | 14 | 14.6 | 15.3 | 19 |
Duration | 42.4s | 44.8s | 47.2s | 49.6s | 52s | 54.4s | 56.8s | 59.2s | 61.6s | 73.6s |