Updated 2 Oct 2026
Abilities/Returning Wave

Returning Wave fills your Special slot. Projectile special ability of the spirit school. Base damage 161. Cast 8 ticks, cooldown 100 ticks. Fires 1 projectile at speed 12 over 7 units, piercing 20.

You get it by equipping 17 bases across 6 lines: Firstword Tome, Hollowecho Tome, Mirror Tome, Nightglass Tome and Stormrefrain Tome and 1 more.

The draft can bend it 7 ways — Echo, Reach, Multiplicity, Area, Force, Duration and Critical — and cards that ask for projectile, pierce, area, critical and on_hit will find it.

Between rooms it can be offered 142 cards: 33 written for it specifically, plus the 109 that any ability can take. Those cards can put Distortion and Shock on it, and attune it to Void and Storm.

5 Uniques are built on gear that hands it to you: The Mirrored Page, The Cornerless Codex, Rumor of Rain, High Tide and Ebb and Flow.

Gear that hands it to you

6 lines · 17 bases
LineSlotTiers, and the item levels they drop atFound in
Firstword TomeOff Hand
T6 iLvl 80+
MORTAL
Hollowecho TomeOff Hand
T6 iLvl 80+
NIGHTMARE
Mirror TomeOff Hand
T1 iLvl 1–14T2 iLvl 15–29T3 iLvl 30–44T4 iLvl 45–59T5 iLvl 60–79T6 iLvl 80+
DEMON
Nightglass TomeOff Hand
T4 iLvl 45–59T5 iLvl 60–79T6 iLvl 80+
DEMON
Stormrefrain TomeOff Hand
T6 iLvl 80+
NIGHTMARE
Twinbell TomeOff Hand
T2 iLvl 15–29T3 iLvl 30–44T4 iLvl 45–59T5 iLvl 60–79T6 iLvl 80+
DEMON

How the draft bends it

7 ways to change it
ChangeWhat it does to a projectile
Echo
The whole cast plays once more after a short gap, at reduced effect.
+100% Repeats
-20% Damage
Reach
The ability reaches farther.
+15% RangeUnits
Multiplicity
More projectiles, targets or summons at reduced individual effect.
+1 Count
-12% Damage
Area
Wider bursts, arcs and impact zones.
+12% Radius
Force
Harder hits: knockback, shove and stagger pressure.
+0.5 Knockback
Duration
Statuses, buffs, summons and channels last longer.
+20% StatusDuration
Critical
The ability crits more often; heals and wards grow instead.
+4 CritBonus

The fine print

the raw numbers behind it
Damage tagsmagic, projectile, area
Fires onwindup → release → travel → impact
Speed12
RangeUnits7
Radius1.8
Pierce20
Count1
SpreadDegrees0
EndBurstRadius0
EndBurstDamagePercent0
PassHitGapTicks0
PassHitDamagePercent100
Knockback0
SeekDegreesPerTick0

Cards it can be offered

142 cards it can see
Written for this ability (33)
Widened Focus
Minor · common
Farcaster
Minor · rare
Widening Gyre
Minor · rare
Forceful
Minor · rare
Lingering Grasp
Minor · rare
Deadly Focus
Minor · rare
Focused Burst
Minor · common
Quickened Focus
Minor · common
Wave Girth
Minor · common
Special Speed
Minor · common
Wave Reach
Minor · common
Area Weight
Minor · common
Keen Focus
Major · rare
Crushing Blow
Major · rare
Flamebrand Focus
Major · rare
Rimebound Focus
Major · rare
Stormbound Focus
Major · rare
Venombound Focus
Major · rare
Bloodsworn Focus
Major · rare
Stonebound Focus
Major · rare
Lightsworn Focus
Major · rare
Voidtouched Focus
Major · rare
Endless Refrain
Major · legendary
Vast Focus
Major · rare
Longshot Focus
Major · rare
Lingering Focus
Major · rare
Opening Act
Major · rare
Flowing Finisher
Major · rare
War Rhythm
Major · rare
Riptide
Major · rare
Wide Pulse
Major · rare
Quick Tome
Major · rare
Manifold
Major · legendary
Plus the ones any ability can take (109)

Nothing on these cards narrows the draft, so every ability can be offered them — see all 142 together →

What it can end up carrying

if the draft goes your way
StatusesDistortion, Shock
AffinitiesVoidStorm

Uniques

built on gear that grants it
The Mirrored Page
Your Special repeats once more, each strike 15% softer.
The Cornerless Codex
Your Special builds Distortion.
Rumor of Rain
Your Special echoes once more, and every hit Shocks.
High Tide
Returning Wave is 3 waves in a 90° fan, each returning at 200%, but it recharges 30% slower.
Ebb and Flow
Returning Wave rolls 70% farther and 40% slower, and the return pass hits at 250%, but the outward pass is 30% lighter.