Anti-magic shield… can someone explain?

[Delmuir]

I don't get it.

It says "can absorb a max of…" but then it says " for every 30 points, there is a check… it will fail"

So which is it? How much damage can it really absorb? Why can't that be presented in a simple format, like regular damage shields?

Is it worth investing points in? Don't say "sure, if you have them…" In order to make that evaluation, I'd like to know how well it scales. What does a late-level anti-magic shield absorb?

[ZyZ]

>> So which is it? How much damage can it really absorb? Why can't that be presented in a simple format, like regular damage shields?

It can not be presented in simple format because it is not a regular shield.

If equilibrium is higher than your willpower there is (sqrt(Equilibrium - Willpower) / 60) chance that antimagic shield will fade (hover over equilibrium bar to see already computed chance of failure) after absorbing 30 points of damage. As long as equilibrium is lower than your willpower you will absorb tooltip damage from every non mind / physical attack

[Mex]

Doesn't scale terribly well in terms of difficulty. A bit like fungus in that it's very strong on NM and below but debatable above that.

Also there's the whole having to take the vow of celibacy.

[Delmuir]

As long as equilibrium is lower than your willpower you will absorb tooltip damage from every non mind / physical attack

What the hell is "tooltip damage?"

My best guess is this: if it says it'll absorb 50 damage and you get hit with 140 damage then the 50 is absorbed and the remaining 90 go to the check against failure. Is that right?

So, if it doesn't fail then what happens to the remaining damage? Is that also absorbed?

Far, far too many skills in this game are far, far too opaque.

[HousePet]

Surround yourself with a shield that will absorb at most %d non-physical, non-mind element damage per attack.
Each time damage is absorbed by the shield, your equilibrium increases by 1 for every 30 points of damage and a check is made. If the check fails, the shield will crumble and Antimagic Shield will go on cooldown.
The damage the shield can absorb will increase with your Mindpower.

Now then, the first line seems quite clear. Subtract X damage from every attack.
The second line is clear about how much your equilibrium rises based on the damage reduced.
It doesn't specify the check done, which it should, which is an equilibrium talent fail roll.

Since it doesn't have a maximum amount or a duration, it seems pretty obvious that it doesn't have a maximum limit. I see no reason to assume it has one and it isn't given.
It can't be present in a format like regular damage shield, because it isn't a regular damage shield.

[Delmuir]

Now then, the first line seems quite clear. Subtract X damage from every attack.
The second line is clear about how much your equilibrium rises based on the damage reduced.
It doesn't specify the check done, which it should, which is an equilibrium talent fail roll.

Since it doesn't have a maximum amount or a duration, it seems pretty obvious that it doesn't have a maximum limit. I see no reason to assume it has one and it isn't given.
It can't be present in a format like regular damage shield, because it isn't a regular damage shield.

I don't mean to be rude but, are you serious?

When it states "at most x-damage" that suggests a cap, i.e. the most damage that it can absorb is "x."

So, let's say that "x" is 25 (as it is with my current Cursed character) and I'm hit with 150 magic damage. What happens? Does it check every 30 and then nullify up to 25 or does it (as you suggested was obvious) immediately and without fail absorb 25 and then perform a check every additional 30 damage after that?

More so, why would I assume no max when it's not clear that 25 isn't the max? As for a limit well, that is obvious to an extent but given the inconsistency of language in this game (understandable as it is), I find it ludicrous to assume that any functionality should be assumed.

If someone could just articulate the function, I would be happy to redo the language such that it is clear.

I'm sorry… I am, but I communicate for a living (both to the public, to engineers, and academics) and in no universe is the description of the anti-magic shield "quite clear."

[HousePet]

-X damage from every attack (of the right damage type).
Gain 1 equilibrium per 30 damage reduced.
Roll equilibrium fail chance, if it fail, disable sustain.
There is nothing else to it.

If you communicate for a living, why are you misquoting me?

[Mex]

"Surround yourself with a shield that will absorb at most 52, 70, 84, 97, 107 non-physical, non-mind element damage per attack."

Fairly self explanatory.

"Each time damage is absorbed by the shield, your equilibrium increases by 1 for every 30 points of damage and a check is made. If the check fails, the shield will crumble and Antimagic Shield will go on cooldown."

I think a comma after crumble would help, otherwise it sounds like a check is made per 30 points of damage, instead of what it actually does which is:
1. Block X damage per non-physical/non-mind element attack.
2. Add 1 equilibrium per 30 damage.
3. Roll an equilibrium check, if it fails disable.

[grayswandir]

Surround yourself with a shield that will absorb at most %d non-physical, non-mind element damage per attack.

This part I think is poorly worded - it seems to suggest that attacks can be of more than one element, when they can't. "at most %d ... per attack" would also be a lot clearer if it was all together in one place, instead of split up by the element. So, I'm suggesting:

Surround yourself with a shield that will absorb at most %d damage from every hit that is not physical or mind type.

Each time damage is absorbed by the shield, your equilibrium increases by 1 for every 30 points of damage and a check is made.

I'd suggest two improvements for this. The first is to change it to read "1/30th of the damage" in order to show that fractional increases can occur - the way it's written now, I'd've thought that getting hit for 29 damage would not raise your equilibrium at all. The second is to reword the "check is made" part to make it clear that it only happens once per strike, and occurs after the equilibrium increase. Right now I could see it (possibly) being interpreted as making one check per 30 points of damage.

Each time damage is absorbed by the shield, your equilibrium will be increased by 1/30th of the damage, and then an equilibrium failure check is made.

If the check fails, the shield will crumble and Antimagic Shield will go on cooldown.
The damage the shield can absorb will increase with your Mindpower.

The rest is pretty clear I think.

[Delmuir]

If you communicate for a living, why are you misquoting me?

How did I misquote you? Now I'm truly baffled.

I literally posted your exact words and then, when I quoted you later, it was only two words and I'm fairly sure they where accurate.

[Delmuir]

Grayswandir,

That DOES help but it is missing a bit of information (thank you by the way)…

What happens if the check doesn't fail? Now I realize that everyone seems to think that's obvious but it isn't. The description tells you that the shield absorbs up to "x" damage and then might fail… so I assume that if it doesn't fail then it absorbs ALL of the damage? But then, it was written that the check happens AFTER the equilibrium increase which is confusing again…

It's a simple question now, if my anti-magic shield is at 25 and I'm hit for 150, what happens? Does it absorb 25 and then check every additional 30 and, if it fails, I take the damage? If it doesn't fail does it block/absorb ALL of the 150? Does it only perform one check to fail or block or does it check multiple times (in increments of 30 such that it can absorb partial damage)?

More so, someone mentioned one damage type? Will it only work on one element? How many times a turn will it work?

The mechanics of this are very unclear. I've even used it and not really noticed how it works… that's how unclear it is.

[grayswandir]

so I assume that if it doesn't fail then it absorbs ALL of the damage?

Why would you assume that? It doesn't make any sense to me. Especially considering that it opens with "absorbs at most ...".

It's a simple question now, if my anti-magic shield is at 25 and I'm hit for 150, what happens?

Your antimagic shield absorbs 25 damage, leaving you hit for 125. Your equilibrium will go up by 5/6 of a point. Then, an equilibrium check is made. If it passes, nothing happens. If it fails, your shield is disabled and goes on cooldown.

More so, someone mentioned one damage type? Will it only work on one element? How many times a turn will it work?

It works for every hit that does not have the damage type physical or mind. Like, if the combat log would otherwise read "50 mind damage, 25 blight damage, 25 fire damage (100 total)", it would trigger twice - once for the blight damage and once for the fire damage. Of course, if it fails the equilibrium check for the blight damage, it'll turn off and won't affect the fire damage at all.

[Delmuir]

Gray,
Thank you. It took more effort than I anticipated but now function of the anti magic shield is clear.

One final question, is that damage calculation before or after resistances and other damage reduction skills? I'm just trying to figure out the utility of said skill as right now, I can't really see the math allowing it have much more than 140 damage (assuming max strength and two prodigies supporting it). For that price, it's pretty underwhelming…

Thanks again.

[Danton]

140 damage shaving off every non-mind/phys hit is enormously powerful, just not against single large hits (which are less common than you might expect).

[Delmuir]

140 damage shaving off every non-mind/phys hit is enormously powerful, just not against single large hits (which are less common than you might expect).

It's an economics problem…

Lose access to arcane items, (and assuming you're using Fungus which is kind of a given) a category point, 7-12 generic talent points, and 2 prodigies in order to get that amount.

Now, is it "enormously powerful" given what you could have had for that? At that point, I think underwhelming is an accurate description.

As for big hits, I've played the game long enough and through Nightmare (never Insane because I don't think it's fun… all it does is limit the number of viable builds and make the game torturously slow), that I'm fairly aware of the number of large hits. That's not what's at issue… it's the opportunity-cost of it.