Hello and thanks for reading.
Just so it’s clear, I have searched other posts, and read wikis, and sought other sources. So this thread is not the result of pure laziness. That said, if I’ve missed something obvious that will throw open the doors of build knowledge, please feel free to just point me to it and consider the matter resolved.
(EDIT: I actually did find some answers in one obvious resource I, rather embarrassingly, missed, but thankfully just found on my own: http://www.grimdawn.com/guide/gameplay/combat.php)
What I’m looking for here are some basic answers (explain as if to a child) on mechanics and the whys and why nots of character building. I acknowledge that there are many paths to take, and so many exceptions, but it helps to have a Grim Dawn 101 as a foundation.
Also, I know that some of the below seem obvious — and I do feel that I have a pretty good idea of what the answer is for these — but it’d still be nice to confirm it and make sure there isn’t greater complexity than initially meets the eye.
And I’d rather have a primer so I build myself vs. a build guide that just let’s me copy someone else’s character (though I do see the value of these). As the saying goes, “Give a man a fish and he eats for a day, but teach him to fish and he will eat for lifetime.” (Those little chestnuts never get old, do they?)
So, on to the questions…
Weapon and Equipment Damage Bonuses
Q: Do bonuses on weapons and equipment, like “+18% Poison Damage”, apply to all of the character’s weapon, spell/skill, devotion- and component-based attacks? (Not talking about bonuses like (+20-35 Fire Damage) or “+% Weapon Damage”, just non-%-Weapon-Damage percent bonuses, like the poison example above.)
Damage Bonus Stacking
Q: Do all damage bonuses stack or is there a limit or “we just apply the highest one” rule?
Weapon-attack-only Damage vs. All Damage
Q: What about weapon skills applying just to weapon damage vs. all damage? Like Savagery…just weapon or, if I’ve got some stacks going, will its bleed bonus then apply to, say, Devouring Swarm? Is it safe to assume that it applies to other skills/spells when it has a duration, like 5 seconds of + 15% Bleeding Damage?
Physical vs. Magical Damage
Q: Is there any meaningful difference between the Physical Damage (which includes bleed, pierce, etc.) and Magical Damage categories other than that Cunning boosts the former and Spirit the latter?
Duration Damage
Q: Certain damage has related “duration damage” (e.g., Lightning and Electrocute)? Why is this “related” when certain skills/modifiers seem to do just Lightning and others just Electrocute. Should these be treated as individual damage types, the same as Cold and Acid?
“Flat” Damage vs. Modified
Q: Spells/skills that are “+% of weapon damage” seem pretty straightforward. But is this just “flat” damage (an axe that does 16-32 unmodified) or do other bonuses/multipliers, etc. factor in?
Dual Wielding
Q: What about dual wielding - does the bonus on the left-hand weapon apply to the right-hand weapon too?
Dual Wielding vs. Off-hands
Q: Dual wielding has obvious appeal, but, in many cases, is it a mistake to value it over just a 1h weapon w/an offhand item? Many times, those off-hand items provide very significant bonuses. I’m sure it’s build specific, but is it often better to use an off-hand item (especially if your main damage comes from spell skills rather than melee attacks)?
Shields vs. Off-hands
Q: If a shield and an off-hand item offer the same bonuses (e.g., +15% Fire Damage), is there any reason not to go with the shield, which will mitigate some incoming damage as well?
Armor Piercing and Bypass
Q: Is bypassing armor (as, for example, piercing damage does) a very significant factor throughout the game, or is it only of particular value against relatively few enemies and bosses?
Physique vs. Cunning vs. Spirit
Q: Why does it seem like the majority of builds are physique based, even casters? Is it that health and qualifying for certain gear is always the smarter route than obtaining the damage and other bonuses from, say, spirit?
Value of Health Regen
Q: Health regen ("+6 Health Regenerated Per Second") initially appears very attractive, but then seems to have little actual effect. Is this because it only applies outside of combat? Or is it because foes are one-shotting you with 250 damage and your Wolverine-like healing factor is giving you a measly, say, +25 per second. So it will take 10 seconds to heal from that one hit, and by that time the fight is either over or you’ve gotten hit far more times and are at a radical health deficit.
% Regen Boosts vs. [Amount[/Second
Q: When an item says “Increases Energy Regeneration by 50%”, is this simply a matter of taking your innate, spirit- and item-based energy regen (say it’s 30/second) and adding 50% to it (so, now 45/second)?
Armor vs. Resistances vs. Health
Q: Is it generally better to have more armor or resistances? At what point might one elect higher armor vs. a resistance bonus (like you have one item with 25 armor and +15% fire resistance vs. 100 armor w/no resistance bonus)?
What about health? How does getting more of it stack up vs. armor and resistances?
Investing Points - Mastery vs. Skills
Q: Most builds seem to rush mastery, and only then go back and add points to boost specific skills. Is this because the attribute bonuses you get with each mastery level yield superior results to bumping up skills, which tend to offer incremental gains and diminishing returns? Or is it to build you health pool up as high as possible because health/survivability trumps nearly all else?
Component-based Granted Skills
Q: Are skills from components (e.g., Slam or Poison Bomb) treated the same as character skills? Do all modifiers, like +% Physical Damage or +% Poison Damage apply equally to them too?
The Value of Offensive and Defensive Ability
Q: Can you offer a sense of the value of Offensive and Defensive Ability? I get that they affect whether you hit and crit (Offensive) and whether you effectively dodge an attack or prevent a crit (Defensive), but are these things you should generally let your abilities (cunning and physique) take care of, or is it worth equipping items that may, say, boost them by just 5% or 10%?
Constitution
Q: Is Constitution only a factor when it’s entirely depleted?
Weapon and Spell Procs
Q: What are the rules around procs? Can multiple procs trigger at once? Any limitations? If the proc is not “+% Weapon Damage”, then are you always better off using faster weapons and boosting your attack speed?
I think that about does it. And it’s quite enough. But I certainly invite anyone else to add their own likely far more insightful questions to the mix.
And for all you willing to take the time to share your expertise, thank you.
