Resistance reduction on gears

Grim Dawn General Discussion
1

Hello,
I’d like to ask about reduced resistances appearing on gears, for example I have -10% on my weapon and -5% on my hands, so my questions are:

  1. Is a resistance reduction treated differently for a weapon and non-weapon item?

  2. When are these reductions appliead? Are they applied automatically or do I need to hit an enemy to reduce its resistances?

  3. Do these reductions apply to all my attacks, spells, dots?

Thank you very much for clearing this up.

2
  1. If it’s on weapon, it applies only to attacks with THAT weapon (in case if dual-wielding or using a shield). Aside from that, they’re equal.
  2. If it’s on proc, then you may see in proc description, when it triggers. If it’s on item itself, then it triggers on weapon attacks (any skills that use %weapon damage).
  3. Read 2.
3

Thanks a lot for your quick reply. May I have a few additional questions?

  1. Does only the %weapon damage part benefit from reduced resistances or is it the whole skill, in case it’s an attack, for exmaple Fire strike?

  2. What if I have Ring of Steel, which has the weapon damage and piercing damage part?

  3. So the only way how to reduced resistances when using a spell/dot is just another skill such as CoF/Night’s Chill, am I right?

  4. I suppose the same rules apply to constellation, is that correct?

Thank you very much for answering the additional questions.

4
  1. Only “weapon” part (=% weapon damage). Of course, it it’s a stat on item or buff - stats on skill itself benefit WHOLE skill.
  2. Piercing damage will be added as “non-weapon” part (it’s same for any other similar skill, too). Only “weapon” part will benefit from varios weapon-related effects, such as resistance reduction.
  3. If you dont use skills, that deal “% weapon damage”, or they deal not enough of it, then, your bet is various skills (like Curse of Frailty or Thermite Mines), or constellation procs (Manticore, Solael’s Witchblade, etc), or item procs (Exterminus, Warpfire, etc.).
  4. If you mean constellation stats (like resistance reduction from Viper) - then YES. But if you mean constellation procs (like Solael’s Witchfire), then NO. Constellation procs are considered skill’s effects, and will trigger with any related skills, not just weapon-based. Even skill that dont inflict damage at all(CoF) will work.

Do note!
If skill deals less than 100% weapon damage, then all “weapon-related” effects will be penaltized appropriately (so if it’s 50% weapon damage, and you have 20 reduced resistances, you will reduce only 10 resistances with that skill).

5
  1. Only “weapon” part (=% weapon damage). Of course, it it’s a stat on item or buff - stats on skill itself benefit WHOLE skill.

So in case of Fire Strike, reduced resistances on my gear apply to the weapon damege part and even to the fire part of the skill, is that right?

Thank you very much.