Beltzerator wrote:I am trying to figure out how damage and combat is conducted mathematically. I have looked and hopefully not missed a previous post or Wiki entry. Apologies if I have. I assumed that damage with a weapon is modified by strength and offensive bonus/OB (EX. ivory and gold longword, 4d8), but I am not sure if strength modifies damage directly of if strength modifies OB and then OB modifies damage. Also how does OB affect the 4d8 damage?
Same question for defense. I assume 62% abs will absorb 62% damage (i.e. 100 pts damage turns in 38 after abs). Is this true? How do DB and PB work? They don't look like a percentage and can be above 100.
Thanks for answering probably very newbie questions!
Strength adds damage directly and also increases OB, but OB and damage are totally separate. Prac a weapon to 50% and it will do the same damage as with 99%, you will just hit less often because OB is low.
DB helps you dodge bashes primarily and also dodge melee hits. It is harder to get to a high number, but it not split with multiple attackers. Generally a good rule of thumb is 1 db is worth 2 pb.
PB does not help dodge bashes, but it does help parry melee hits. It's easier to get a high PB number, but PB is split among multiple attackers.
For example: 140 DB and 150 PB will be better at preventing you from getting hit against multiple attackers than 120 DB and 180 PB, but 180 PB will prevent a single attacker from hitting you very often. Generally the higher DB is better, but some people like a higher PB for 1v1.
ABS simplified does absorb the advertised percentage. If you have 62% abs you will take 62% less damage, ON AVERAGE. Damage is calculated by body part hit, however, so if you wear a 0% abs item on hands, and your hands get hit, you will take 100% damage. The abs % you see is an average which factors in each piece's abs and the chance of each body part getting hit, which is why chest piece can give you 40% abs but boots max is like 4%. The chance of you being hit on chest is a lot higher than that of feet. 4% abs on feet protects around 80%. 4% on legs is much less, so again the body part matters.
Generally you want the same type of equipment on..heavy armor on every slot to maximize absorption, or light clothing to maximize defense, or varying levels of combo which has some abs and allows you to have some defense. Heavy armor with high absorption will get hit every round because your parry will be 0 and db will be very low, but you will take very little damage. Light clothing will get hit much less frequently, but when you do get hit you will take a lot of damage. Again there are in between type sets.