Shield mechanics questions

Grim Dawn Gameplay Discussion
1

Hey Guys,

I’m trying to theorycraft a tank char, but have come to a realization that my knowledge of shield mechanics is very limited. Hope you can shed some light here!

First, in theory, it is possible to build a char with a 100% block chance and 100% recovery time. So, if the block amount is, let’s just assume this random number for simplicity, 10000, does this mean that your char will always block 10k out of every incoming blow regardless of type of damage?
Are DoT and ground effects included?
Also, what happens if two mobs hit you simultaneously? Do their blows count as two separate hits and will get blocks independently?
Also, are there any debuffs that reduce block chance and recovery time? Is it affected by slow and frozen spells?

2

Good questions. I’ll say what I (think I) know:

  • 100% chance and recovery possible? Yes but afaik only with Absolution relic and soldier.
  • Blocking everything with 100% chance and recovery? In theory, yes. Check out Sir Spanksalot’s build YUHU for reference.
  • What exactly is blockable? No idea. I’d like to know myself.
  • Simultaneous hits? I’m no game designer but I’m not sure if this is realistically possible. Anyway, 100% recovery means that there is no recovery so logically even simultaneous hits should be blocked. I’m not sure about that either.
  • Block stats debuffs? Don’t exist afaik.
3

That I know, no they are not.

I vaguely remember a bug where Mad Queen could nuke a character’s shield block chance long ago. Intentional debuffs though? Don’t believe there are any.

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4

Over at this thread there’s a claim that shields do block DoT, which I’m pretty sure I’ve seen elsewhere as well. I haven’t tested it myself though.

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5

Same thing and i am still not absolutely certain about.

I am quite confident atm that shield should be able to block multiple strikes at once. But i cannot prove it.

6

Afaik DoTs are affected when you block the initial hit.
Ground effects are definitely unblockable.
Not sure about damage from debuffs.

It is definitely possible, you can tank MQs or Zantarins shotgun point blank without taking notable damage.

7

DoTs are being blocked.
That can be a pain when not having 100% recovery.
Small chunks of DoT damage take up your shield, right before you take a huge hit while on shield cool down.
So everything gets blocked except for ground pools. Cannot resist to say right after this: Sounds better than it is.

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8

DoTs are blocked.
AoE’s are not (Devastation/meteor are not AoE’s!)
Debuffs are not, nor is their damage blockable.
There are no debuffs that change your block stats.

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9

So basically wild west as everything else in GD. No rules to speak of, everything is case-to-case.

10

I literally just enumerated the rules.

11

By saying AoE is not blocked but this and that and the other and that other and that one over there is not AoE even though they are AoE. So basically it’s case by case.

12

No?

There is a difference between an AoE being unblockable and something with an AoE being blockable. If you don’t understand that, make a new thread.

13

The funny thing here is, I guess, players comprehention of “AoE” (Devastation included) vs. game mechanics “AoE” (source code-wise). If that makes any sense.

14

A guy just made this thread so why should I make a thread about a “difference between AoE and something with AoE”? Anyway, what AoE isn’t a “something with AoE”? Everything is a something, no? :rofl:

15

This topic just keeps getting more confusing by the hour :rofl:

16

What I mean is:

  • I understand dmg auras like Censure or Wendigo Totem are not blockable. What about Box? Is it that no ticking skills are blockable? What about Siphon Souls or Heart of Wrath?

  • I understand ground based AoE skills like Sigil of Consumption or Leviathan proc or Yugol proc are not blockable. Is that right? What about BwC?

  • What about channeling skills like Tether or Kaisan crystals?

17

Box and Siphon are debuffs IIRC.

Heart of Wrath is basically Censure/Night’s Chill, so no.

Debuffs.

Yes.

Not blockable. BWC is an interesting case because it is a projectile that spawns a ground pool, however the projectile itself doesn’t do any damage. I guess you could technically ‘block’ it which might make a <100% Recovery build have their shield go on cooldown for no practical purpose, but the damage pool that BWC creates cannot be blocked.

18

Yes, but dmg from multiple Boxes stack as opposed to other debuffs. So maybe it’s not a debuff? Huh? :thinking:

Heart of Wrath is a ticking skill (deals dmg per second for a duration) that’s initiated by Judgment. Just like Blood Boil and Siphon Souls. Censure and Night’s Chill from Veil of Shadows are togglable dmg auras.not casts. Anyway, so Judgement is blockable but HoW isn’t? Confusing af.

Anyway, I don’t get this debuff no debuff thing. Just about everything got a debuff. Bone Harvest got a debuff. Mortars got a debuff on the Big One. Even Forcewave got a debuff on Internal Trauma.

19

No, Judgment isn’t blockable.

You can block anything that would otherwise be affected by Dodge/Deflect, or Impaired Aim/Fumble. A great many things don’t care about those stats, and they tend to be innately AoE effects or debuffs that directly apply something to a player.

These are not debuffs; but to get even further away from this thread, now you’re treading into the difference between Debuffs and Debuff Effects. I’ve written at length about this subject already on reddit, so just skim through these posts:

20

Oh, so shields are basically a poor-ass version of dodge/deflect with limited dmg mitigation and recovery time in exchange for usually better chance?