Blocking and Absorbing

[kier]

Hiya,

I am unsure of a few things in diablo2 LOD still, and here are 2 of them that I would really apreciate answers to.

1) The maximum block rate on a shield is 75%, but can other items increase that %? Such as certain crafted amulets adding 10% to block rate, and Swordguard executioner swords adding 20%.

2) Certain items absorb elemental damage, such as Lightsabres, etc. What is the % of elemental absorb to cancel out any damage? Mathmaticaly it should be 50% (you take 1/2 damage and your life increases by 1/2 damage), is this correct? And do you absorb damage after your resistance to that damage, or is it the base damage?

Any answers would be much apreciated,

Kier

[Jedi Knight]

1) The maximum block rate on a shield is 75%, but can other items increase that %? Such as certain crafted amulets adding 10% to block rate, and Swordguard executioner swords adding 20%.

Unless it's a display bug, you can't get higher than 75%, even with Holy Shield.

2) Certain items absorb elemental damage, such as Lightsabres, etc. What is the % of elemental absorb to cancel out any damage? Mathmaticaly it should be 50% (you take 1/2 damage and your life increases by 1/2 damage), is this correct? And do you absorb damage after your resistance to that damage, or is it the base damage?

Resistances are applied first, then absorb.

To absorb damage, you have to take damage first. So, le'ts say you take 100 lit damage, with 0 resistances and 50% lit absorb. The first hit will deal you 100 damage, the next one will STILL deal 100 damage, but will give you 100 life right after that. If your life < 0 before it actually heals you, you're dead. Now, let's say your life total is 600. You will be "immune" if 101 < life < 500. That's why resistances are helpful with this. Suppose you now have 50% lit resist AND 50% lit absorb, "immunity" range would be 151 < life < 550.

As a side note, absorb is really helpful against Cold Mastery, because it will only lower resistances.

[Baajikiil]

Unless it's a display bug, you can't get higher than 75%, even with Holy Shield.

The item description will only display 75% max, I guess a design choice because of the 75% max on blocking. This made more sense when blocking was not a function of dex, as there was no point to display values over 75%. The game will currently allow you to have much higher blocking than 75% on the sheild, and will plug that number into the dex based calculation. Easily verifiable; just have a pally get a sheild with 75% blocking, then cast holy sheild. Assuming his dex was not high enough to already max blocking at 75%, the holy sheild will raise his effective blocking. Put your pointer on your defense rating in the LCS to see your actual blocking.


The final calculated blocking is capped at 75% though.
To get obscene blocking on a sheild, look at Whitstan's guard, put an eld in it, and use holy sheild. The blocking is though the roof. Of course, without enough dex, you still can't block for anything.

[Dagni]

To absorb damage, you have to take damage first. So, le'ts say you take 100 lit damage, with 0 resistances and 50% lit absorb. The first hit will deal you 100 damage, the next one will STILL deal 100 damage, but will give you 100 life right after that. If your life < 0 before it actually heals you, you're dead. Now, let's say your life total is 600. You will be "immune" if&nbsp; 101 < life < 500. That's why resistances are helpful with this. Suppose you now have 50% lit resist AND 50% lit absorb, "immunity" range would be 151 < life < 550.

No, if you take 100 lit damage, with 0 res and 50% lit absorb, the first hit will deal 50 damage. And, assuming full life to start, the reason that you won't be healed after the first hit is because the healing happens BEFORE the damage - but won't take your life above max - NOT after. So the second hit will heal 50, then damage 50. So if your life total's 600, you will be "immune" if 1 < life < 550. Add in the 50% lit resist, and then it's life < 575.

But the more dmg you take, the less "immune" you are. A Holy Shock conv boss can still kill one-hit kill you nearly as easy as ever.

- Dagni

[Jedi Knight]

No, if you take 100 lit damage, with 0 res and 50% lit absorb, the first hit will deal 50 damage. And, assuming full life to start, the reason that you won't be healed after the first hit is because the healing happens BEFORE the damage - but won't take your life above max - NOT after. So the second hit will heal 50, then damage 50. So if your life total's 600, you will be "immune" if 1 < life < 550. Add in the 50% lit resist, and then it's life < 575.

Not sure about healing occuring before damage... I was pretty sure it was the opposite, but it's very possible.

[Tommi]

Healing does indeed occur before damage dealing.

[kier]

Thanks, that's helped alot. So it isn't possible using all absorb kit to make a char who is cold and elec emune? I was going to make a barb sorc killer :) all pvp sorc use nova/ts/orb that I fight.

[Bloodstar6078]

I know this has been touched before but i must have missed it. Im not understanding how the blocking formula on arreat summit works. I tried it with whitsans the 75 block shield and it didnt seem right at all.

The formula they have is:

Total Block= (Blocking *(Dex -15))/Character Level *2)

To test it out i used an example of a easy to reach late game lvl, 80.
I wanted to use doom and lightsabre. Lightsabre is 136 dex. This is with a barb by the way. Anyways i got something like 51 i think. That didnt seem right all that dex and a 75 block shield. anyways i dont have the means to test it so ill let you guys have a look at it and tell me what you get.