Hello everyone I want to show my version of Death Knight Vitality blade arc. The build is very survivable tank. Good for crucible and SR. Minimum of control buttons, which makes the build easy to manage. The results are shown in the video below
GT: https://www.grimtools.com/calc/b28oQP7N
150-170 5m 35s baff timer 5m 40s real time
special thanks @Slev1n for running 150-170 5m 28s baff timer 5m 39s real time
90 SR
Ravager
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Lokarr
Mad Queen
I have a Necro levelled up to 70 or so (RE and BH) trying to decide what to do with it and this looks like a pretty lazy but strong build to go with.
If I understand right, it is converting most damage into VIT (does bleeding damage get converted too?). What about Bone Harvest transmuter converting it into cold damage? Noob questions but the conversions are a little confusing to me in what order they occur.
Im guess my plan would be to keep levelling as I am with RE/BH, adding some soldier toggle buffs and filling mastery bar, until I get some gear drops for build… RE/BH is working well right now.
Bleeding damage does not convert to anything in Grim Dawn. Blood is blood.
With perfect rolled items you get 94% conversion phys > vit, you need the Eldritch roll for the double conversion. It would be hard but not impossible to get 80-90% from legitimately farmed items.
I don’t understand using the transmuter on bone harvest either.
Easy, the physical is converted to vit first (by the items) and then there is no physical left to convert to cold. So you get the 30% WD and 20% damage for free.
But doesn’t the conversion of the transmuter have priority?
No, the skill modifier has higher priority. Then since the transmuter has nothing to convert it just grants its benefits without converting anything to cold.
Per the Game Guide, Item Skill Modifiers apply before Transmuters:
I understand now, thanks guys 
Actually it’s not even related to conversion order. There is no physical damage on Bone Harvest to convert, and there is also no physical damage on the weapon itself to convert either, there are other physical damage sources but that is not too important since they are very small and extra weapon damage is far mor important than some physical converted to cold with bone harvest since it’s not even your spam skill.
thanks for clarifying, I was having some 1998 Magic the Gathering deja vu wondering in what order everything resolves, haha.
This is true but mods do not override transmuters. They’re still additive. Tested it on storm totem transmuter + conduit once. Not that it matters in this case cause the weapon doesn’t have any phys.
Edit: I just realized this. The wording on the game guide makes some people think skill mod conversion happens before transmuters. But it literally states conversion on the skill or transmuter, meaning what the game guide actually says is:
Base skill (what’s in the skill itself) > skill modifiers (meaning all the damage and other stuff skill mods and item mods add i.e. crit, cc, everything that isn’t conversion) > conversion on the skill or transmuter (this refers to both item mod and transmuter conversions, meaning mod and transmuter conversions are additive) > Conversion on equipment and buffs (global conversion) > Equipment, Auras and Passives (This is where global bonuses apply)
That statement from the game guide explains conversion mechanics perfectly, including what damage bonuses converted damage gets, but excluding the interaction between single element and tri element conversions.
What did you test with Storm Totem? The transmuter in that case and in the case of the Empyrion Bros summon different monsters that can be changed into different damage with modifiers.
And yes, no Physical Damage on the skill or weapon to convert - coffee hasn’t kicked in when I replied in the thread.
I know. That’s why I tested totem specifically. Had both the transmuter and lightning to aether conduit. It dealt half aether half vit.
Storm totems were changed and shouldn’t function as Guardians. Guardians transmuter actually are treated as separate skill and global conversion works. On totems it doesn’t now.
Ah, makes sense. Thanks Nery, I must have missed that change. My bad!
How much did the build suffer with latest vitality nerfs?
