Please help me understand the damage calculation

[Tomice]

Hi! While trying to understand backstab damage with abilities, I analyzed the detailed tooltip. But I fail to understand the calculation - maybe it's even a bug?

 

I'm dual-wielding a saber and a dagger, and I used crippling strike (a "full attack" ability)  from stealth.

How can I only have 13.9 base damage? The saber alone should have 16-23 damage, and my off-hand is nowhere to be seen!

Is it possible that the attack only used the off-hand?

 

Note: Rinco was just the next best target after leveling up 

Edited May 10, 2018 by Tomice

[pstone]

If your weapon has lower penetration than enemy has armor resistance, you get -25% damage per point (up to -75% damage). If your to-hit rate is below the enemy defense, you might get only a graze (or even a miss, so you might graze with the dagger and miss with the sabre).

 

You can hover over "penetration" and "accuracy" on your character screen for the tooltip.

[Tomice]

If your weapon has lower penetration than enemy has armor resistance, you get -25% damage per point (up to -75% damage). If your to-hit rate is below the enemy defense, you might get only a graze (or even a miss, so you might graze with the dagger and miss with the sabre).

 

You can hover over "penetration" and "accuracy" on your character screen for the tooltip.

 

If you look at the screenshot, you'll see that I overpenetrated and scored a normal hit, so that's not the problem.

Edited May 10, 2018 by Tomice

[Tomice]

Hmm... maybe the off-hand hit first, killed the enemy and there was no need to calculate the main hand???

 

EDIT: No, because the 10% saber bonus is in the calculation - must be the main hand!

 

EDIT2: Right, if the main hand attack kills the target, the off hand won't be calculated on full attacks.

            On a side note, the off hand doesn't profit from backstab, even if you use a "full attack" ability. Sneak attack is calculated, however.

 

 

 

I sill don't understand how a saber can "hit" for 13.9 damage?

Edited May 10, 2018 by Tomice

[trashplayer]

That is the roll, your tooltip actually has all bonus added up already. Check the small pop-up shown when hovering over the number for calculations.

[youspoonybard]

That is the roll, your tooltip actually has all bonus added up already. Check the small pop-up shown when hovering over the number for calculations.

 

In PoE1, Might and weapon quality bonuses were bundled into some tooltips which was deceptive on what base damage actually is. Not at home, but according to the Wiki sabre base damage is actually 13-16, so 13.9 is in that range.

 

You strike with one weapon, then the other. It looks like your mainhand killed the target. Your offhand attack would have followed but I don't think it would have had the backstab bonus.

 

The math displayed seems to suggest ADDITIVE might however; I thought it was a multiplier?

 

Make a companion with 10 might and give them a mundane sabre. That is the actual "weapon base damage" used for ALL calculations.

Edited May 10, 2018 by youspoonybard

[Tomice]

The math displayed seems to suggest ADDITIVE might however; I thought it was a multiplier?

 

I think this was a recent balance change (aimed to make might less of a no-brainer).

 

Might is visible in the tooltip, so it doesn't seem to be responsible for the oddity.

______________

 

You could have found the solution - maybe the "details" panel that pops up when you inspect the sabre is "wrong" regarding the base damage - it might contain some other factors that apply to each attack (like might)!

[Tomice]

I found the solution! Thank you  youspoonybard!

 

The inventory tooltip already contains both might and the 10% saber bonus, as these apply to each attack anyway.

The base saber damage is 13-19 on a might 10 char and before the 10% is added.

 

This means that the tooltips in the screenshot above finally make sense!