Soak and resist

[Kell Of Neversummer_ns3]

The old forums had an extensive discussion of how resists and soaks stack for damage reduction.

Anyone know how they stack?


Your servant,

[DrakhanValane_ns3]

Of course.




Oh, you wanted more than just "yes" or "no"? Okay. Here we go:

"Soaks"

Also known as Damage Reduction (DR). It is given in a y/+x format. NWN will list it as "+x Soak y Damage" on armours and the like, but I use PnP conventions since it's less typing. x is the level of magic that bypasses the DR. An example: a weapon with a +3 enhancement bonus will ignore y/+3 DR. A +2 weapon will not. The last time I checked (before the current patch), a bonus to Attack only counts if it is +5 or lower. Above that only counted as a +5 for breaching DR. The y value is simply the amount of damage absorbed. Keep in mind that DR only applies against physical damage types (Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing). Barbarians, Dwarven Defenders, and the epic Damage Reduction feats have y/- DR. This means that it applies regardless of the strength of the magic in the weapon.

In terms of stacking, The highest y value is used if multiple DRs are applicable. If someone attacks you with a +2 sword and you have 40/+1, 10/+3, and 5/+5 DR . . . you'll ignore 10 points of physical damage. I think that all the y/- DRs stack with each other.

"Resists"

Damage Resistance. Much simpler. Presented as "z Resist w/-" in NWN. z being the type of damage (fire, cold, acid, slashing, divine, etc.) and w being the amount of damage ignored. If an attack deals 15 fire damage and you have "Fire Resist 10/-" you'll only take 5 (fire) damage. The same applies to the rest of the types. Fire and Cold resists stack with each other (i.e. you can resist both fire and cold from the same attack with their respective w values applying independently), but two Fire resists don't stack with each other. Only the highest w value applies.

"Imms"

You didn't ask, but it usually comes up in the same discussion. These are Damage Immunities. Presentation: "Damage Immunity: a b% Immunity Bonus". a being the damage type and b being the percentage of damage ignored. You will always cut at least 1 point of damage off even if it's a 5% imm and the attack does 1 point of damage. These stack without exception. A 5% and 10% imm equal a 15% imm. 100% immunity acts just like you'd expect: completely immune to damage of that type. Different damage types being handled independently, of course.



The last thing to cover is, of course, how these three things interact with each other. Order of application: Immunities, then Resists, then Soak. The "exotic" types of soak (Barb, DwD, and Epic DR) are treated independently and after the normal Soak. Soak is last because after the physical resists are handled, the Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing types are merged into the Physical damage type. Immunities are first because BioWare is kind. :)

Does that cover everything?

[TGPO_ns3]

More good info to sticky.

Thanks for the explanation DV.

[Anonymous_ns3]

Exactly what I was looking for. Thanks.

Your servant,

[Kell Of Neversummer_ns3]

Sorry, forgot to log in. That last post was mine.

Your servant,

[Forge_ns3]

One thing to point out concerning immunes... if you get them 'too' high, an immunity can become a vulnerability. I think it has to do with an overflow error in the code...

for instance if I'm wearing a ring of 100% fire immunity I'm immune to all fire damage. However, if I am a shifter and shift into red wyrmling form (a form that grants 100% fire immunity by itself and merges rings) I technically have 200% fire immunity. However, the engine can't handle that and I will suddenly be highly vulnerable to fire. Just something for all you shifters out there to be aware of.

[Acara_ns3]

1.66 fixed that

[duodave_ns3]

I'm not so sure that it got fixed. But you'd think if they fixed that, they'd have fixed the shifter bugs.

[Anonymous_ns3]

Just adding that the epic Energy Resistance feats stack with your item damage resistance. Not sure if the Resistance to Energy feat stacks but I assume it does.

Didn't realise the Barbarian and DD soaks stacked with items... that explains all the DD builds out there. Epic Warding stacks with items if I remember correctly. Note sure if it also stacks with Barbarian / DD soaks, but I can't see why it wouldn't.

[DrakhanValane_ns3]

Epic Warding is 50/+20 DR, is it not? I think you're right about the Energy feats stacking, though. I don't really take them, so I don't really think about them.

[Nifoyg_ns3]

100 Takes 100 fire damage from a spell
(after saves etc)
-40 40% Fire Immunity
60 Remaining

-20 Fire 20/- Resist
40 Remaining

0 Soak +6/30 (don’t think this applies to spells)
40 Remaining

-9 Epic DR 9/-
31 Remaining damage that is taken

How do spells relate to Soak? Do they ever apply to that type of damage or is it from weapon only?

How does physical damage work? Say I had taken 60 Slash and 40 Pierce would each go through the same process and I would get the EPIC DR 9/- from my epic damage reduction on each one?

[DrakhanValane_ns3]

Spells generally don't do physical damage, so Damage Reduction almost never applies. When it does, it acts normally (e.g. ice storm). Damage Reduction ONLY applies to physical damage. Epic Damage Reduction is still Damage Reduction, so it only applies to physical damage.

In PnP Damage Reduction is not supposed to apply against any spell, regardless of the damage type inflicted. In NWN, I'm not entirely sure what plus value spells' physical damage is considered. However, energy damage is never affected by Damage Reduction of any type in NWN and PnP.

After imms and resists are accounted for, the three physical types (Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing) are merged into a single Physical damage type. Damage Reduction is then applied to the total physical damage.

Against 60 Slashing, 40 Piercing from a +5 weapon:

10% immunity to both: -6 Slashing, -4 Piercing
54 Slashing, 36 Piercing remaining.

20/- Slashing Resistance, 10/- Piercing Resistance:
34 Slashing, 26 Piercing remaining.

At this point the damages are merged:
60 Physical remaining.

30/+6 soak:
30 Physical remaining.

9/- Epic Damage Reduction:
21 Physical taken.