PvP Mechanics Questions

[Concillian]

As to how does Focused Will and Pain Suppression work, it would only kick in after someone blows through a shield and DR (from talents as well as armor) does not kick in unless it is damage directly to you (so a shield will not get the effects of DR from talents or from armor for absorbtion purposes). All damage reducing talents still calculate to the same if they are taken before or after DR. So if you are hit for 2000 damage, have a PW:S up that absorbs 1500, with a Armor DR of 40%, Pain Suppresion, and Focused Will you would see the following: Absorb 1500, 153 damage taken (500 * 0.6 = 300, 300 * 0.85 = 255, 255 * 0.6 = 153 or 500 * 0.85 = 425, 425 * .6 = 255, 255 * 0.6 = 153 or 500 * 0.6 = 300, 300 * .6 = 180, 180 * 0.85 = 153). So damage reduction from talents doesn't matter which order you put it in, it will still be the same.

I'm pretty sure that shields take into account damage done exactly as if they were damage done without the shield. It's always seemed as if shields last longer against physical damage when inner fire is up, for example. Though I have not done personal testing on this.

There is also 2 bugs that currently have significant effect on a disc priest:
1) pain suppression's 65% dispel resist applies both to negative effects on you and to beneficial effects on you. In other words, if pain suppression is up, you will have as difficult a time dispelling corruption or whatever as they will have trying to dispel shield, etc..

2) crits that happen through a shield do not proc 'on being crit' talents This means a shield can potentially lose you your 3 stack of Focused Will. This can be tested by dueling, sitting and getting crit. Watch all your crit talents proc. Now shield and do it again and none of them proc, but the absorb amount is the size of a crit.