Comprehensive Guide to Percentage Damage Reduction in Diablo 4
In Diablo IV, both Armor and Resistances provide damage reduction percentages, with Armor defending against physical damage and Resistances handling elemental damage. Additionally, there's another form of damage reduction that applies to both types of damage – Percentage Damage Reduction.
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Hello, and welcome to the Diablo IV Beginner’s Guide! This time, we’ll dive into the game's damage reduction mechanics to better understand the “% Damage Reduction” effect. In Diablo IV, both Armor and Resistances provide damage reduction percentages, with Armor defending against physical damage and Resistances handling elemental damage. Additionally, there's another form of damage reduction that applies to both types of damage – Percentage Damage Reduction. Currently, only the Barbarian has a base 10% damage reduction, while other classes start at 0%, though this may change with future balance updates.
Sources of Percentage-Based Damage Reduction
The primary sources of percentage-based damage reduction are:
Equipment Affixes: Chest, pants, boots, and amulets can all have damage reduction affixes.
Paragon Board Nodes: Some nodes in the Paragon Board also provide various types of damage reduction.
These effects are stacked using independent calculations rather than simply adding together, which prevents damage reduction from reaching excessively high levels and keeps gameplay balanced.
Resistance provides additional damage reduction for elemental damage types, while physical damage reduction relies solely on Armor. Knowing how to combine different damage reduction types effectively is crucial, depending on the type of damage dealt by enemies.
Conditions for Percentage-Based Damage Reduction Affixes
Percentage-based damage reduction has multiple types, with most affixes requiring specific conditions to activate, except for global damage reduction which is always active. Examples include:
Close-Range Damage Reduction: Activates only when enemies are within close range.
Poisoned Enemy Damage Reduction: Active only when the enemy is poisoned.
When building your character, matching your playstyle with relevant damage reduction conditions can significantly enhance survivability. For instance, close-range classes like Barbarian constantly engage in close-quarters combat, making close-range damage reduction highly effective.
With this guide, you should have a clearer understanding of Diablo IV’s damage reduction mechanics. Many games use similar systems, so mastering these rules will help you optimize your character build. Thanks for reading, and see you next time!
