Hatred provides additional Cold Damage on Physical Damage, and applies to standard attacks, and spells. Traps and minions are affected only if they are within the range of the aura when they attack/are set off. This is a modifier on damage, so the rules for Damage come in to play. For example, Summon Raging Spirit converts 50% of its Physical Damage to Fire Damage, but because of the rules of Damage Conversion, Hatred will provide its bonus on the pre-converted (full) value. Items that gain damage, such as Obliteration, only has the Hatred effect on the physical damage portion.

Because Hatred gives a percentage bonus, it is generally better than Anger or Wrath of the same level, unless the recipient of the aura deals more raw (unconverted) chaos damage such as Caustic Arrow or elemental damage such as Arc. However, because of the slow increases in the percentage on a per level basis, it is more efficient to slot Anger or Wrath on a +2 to Aura Gems provided by equipment such as Alpha's Howl. For example, at level 20, Hatred provides 36% of damage as cold damage, while at 22, it provides 37%, for a gain of 1%. Anger, at level 20, gives a flat average of 109.5 fire damage, and at level 22, an average of 126.5 damage, for a gain of 17 average damage. So, assuming similar resistances, Hatred would need to be applied on a physical damage of 1700 to beat out Anger. It is better to slot Hatred elsewhere, and save the +2 slots for the more "efficient" Anger and Wrath, if all three auras are being run.