Understanding the intricacies of damage is vital for all players in Diablo 4. However, delving deeper into its mechanics reveals a complexity that cannot be overlooked. Damage in the game encompasses numerous nuances, making it a multifaceted concept. While it can be simplified as the sum of various damage bonuses, the real complexity lies in how these bonuses are acquired and how they interact with each other.
In Diablo 4, obtaining damage bonuses involves a multitude of factors, including equipment, skills, passive abilities, and more. These bonuses can originate from weapon stats, attribute points, item affixes, skill modifiers, and other sources, forming a complex web of interconnected elements that contribute to your overall damage output.
The stacking of these bonuses is where things can become intricate. Different types of bonuses may stack additively or multiplicatively, while certain modifiers may exhibit diminishing returns or unique interactions. Gaining a thorough understanding of how these bonuses interact and stack requires careful consideration and knowledge of the game’s mechanics.
Thus, while damage may initially appear as a simple concept, exploring the intricacies of acquiring and stacking damage bonuses adds depth and complexity to the gameplay experience in Diablo 4.
To provide a more accurate representation of damage in Diablo 4, an approximation formula can be used:
DAMAGE = Base Damage x (1 + Additional Damage Bonus) x (1 + Multiplicative Damage Bonus) x (1.2 + Vulnerability Percentage) x (1 + Critical Chance x Critical Damage) + Overpower Damage
By plugging in the appropriate values for each component, you can estimate your total damage output in Diablo 4 more accurately. It’s important to note that this formula provides a simplified approximation and may not account for every specific modifier or interaction. The game’s mechanics may introduce additional complexities that can influence the final damage calculation.
In this article, we will break down the basic part of your damage that comes from your character statics, skills, and attributes.
Base Damage
Base Damage in Diablo 4 is a fundamental component that determines your overall damage output. It can be calculated by taking your weapon’s Damage value and applying your skill’s damage ratio to it. The formula for base damage would look something like this:
Base Damage = Weapon Damage x (Skill Damage + Skill Bonus)
The Weapon Damage is the numerical value displayed on your Diablo 4 weapons, usually shown as a DPS (Damage per Second) value. The DPS value takes into account the Weapon Damage value and incorporates any Attack Speed modifiers. For simplicity, you can use the DPS value displayed on your weapon as a rough estimate. However, if you require a more precise calculation, you can find the exact Weapon Damage value in the Offensive section of your character’s stat page.
Understanding the Base Damage is crucial as it forms the foundation for calculating your overall damage potential in Diablo 4.
Once we understand the concept of Base Damage, let’s delve into the notion of “Buckets” in Diablo 4.
In the context of damage calculations, “Buckets” refer to different categories or groups into which specific modifiers or bonuses fall. These categories determine how the bonuses are applied to your overall damage output. The two main buckets in Diablo 4 are the Additive Bucket and the Multiplicative Bucket.
- Additive Bucket: Bonuses or modifiers that fall into the Additive Bucket are added together before being applied to the damage calculation. For example, if you have a +10% damage bonus from one source and a +5% damage bonus from another source, they would be added together (10% + 5% = 15%) before being factored into the damage calculation.
- Multiplicative Bucket: On the other hand, bonuses or modifiers in the Multiplicative Bucket are multiplied together. If you have a x1.2 (20%) damage bonus from one source and a x1.1 (10%) damage bonus from another source, they would be multiplied (1.2 x 1.1 = 1.32) before being applied to the damage calculation.
It’s important to note that some Skill Upgrades or bonuses may fall into the Multiplicative Bucket, indicated by being displayed as a percentage value (e.g., xValue%). These bonuses will multiply with other factors rather than being added together.
Additionally, certain effects such as Proc Effects or Thorns are treated separately. Their values are derived solely from the specific triggered effects or the total amount of Thorns damage you have, and they are not influenced by your weapon or skills, except for damage multipliers.
Understanding these Buckets is crucial for optimizing your damage calculations in Diablo 4, as it helps determine how different bonuses interact and impact your overall damage output.
Related Topics
- Diablo 4: How to Level Up Fast
- Diablo 4 – Booms and Sticks, Necromancer Build (Bone Spear + Corpse Explosion)
- Diablo 4 – Earth-focused Tanky Druid Build (Landslide Build)
Attribute Bonus
The Attribute Bonus is a unique bucket in Diablo 4 that provides a standalone, multiplicative bonus to your damage. This bonus is derived from the Skill Damage granted by your character class’s main attribute. Each class in the game has a specific main attribute that contributes to this bonus.
Here’s a breakdown of the main attributes associated with each class:
- Barbarians: Barbarians benefit from stacking Strength to maximize their Attribute Bonus.
- +0.1% Skill Damage per point of Strength
- +0.03% Resource Generation per point of Willpower
- +0.02% Critical Strike Chance per point of Dexterity
- Rogues: Rogues focus on increasing their Dexterity to enhance their Attribute Bonus.
- +0.1% Skill Damage per point of Dexterity
- +0.03% Resource Generation per point of Strength
- +0.02% Critical Strike Chance per point of Intelligence
- Druids: Druids rely on Willpower to amplify their Attribute Bonus.
- +0.1% Skill Damage per point of Willpower
- +0.03% Resource Generation per point of Intelligence
- +0.02% Critical Strike Chance per point of Dexterity
- Necromancers and Sorcerers: For Necromancers and Sorcerers, Intelligence is the key attribute for boosting their Attribute Bonus.
- +0.1% Skill Damage per point of Intelligence
- +0.03% Resource Generation per point of Willpower
- +0.02% Critical Strike Chance per point of Dexterity
It’s worth noting that most classes will generally aim to accumulate a significant amount of their main attribute, as well as other relevant stats, to optimize their damage output. This approach allows them to capitalize not only on the Attribute Bonus but also on other bonuses and effects in the game.
By prioritizing their main attribute and strategic stat allocation, players can harness the power of the Attribute Bonus to enhance their overall damage capabilities in Diablo 4.
Critical Damage
Critical Damage is a significant factor in maximizing your damage output in Diablo 4. It falls into its own bucket and is solely dedicated to increasing the damage dealt on critical strikes.
In the game, any modifiers or bonuses that specifically enhance Critical Strike Damage contribute to this bucket. These can include items, skills, passive abilities, or other effects that explicitly amplify the damage inflicted when landing a critical hit.
It’s important to note that Critical Damage is a conditional bonus, as it relies on having a higher Critical Strike Rate to be fully effective. In other words, to make the most of your Critical Damage bonus, it’s essential to have a respectable Critical Strike Rate, which determines the frequency of landing critical hits.
If you wish to have a more accurate estimation of the impact of Critical Damage on your overall damage, you can multiply your Critical Strike Damage value by your Critical Strike Rate. This calculation provides a rough approximation of the “true” value of this damage bonus when considering its relationship with your Critical Strike Rate.
By understanding and optimizing your Critical Damage, along with managing your Critical Strike Rate, you can effectively boost your damage potential and achieve more significant damage output during critical hits in Diablo 4.
Conclusion
The above is the introduction and calculation method of the basic damage components. Although it is very complicated to put all the formulas together, the core idea is to choose weapons and armor with higher panel damage and higher core attributes. As for crit damage, raising the Critical Strike Rate to a reasonable level is prior to stacking the Critical Damage. For advanced damage components like Vulnerable and Overpower damage please refer to How Damage Works in Diablo 4 (Part 2).
