AfterMath - A LoD Modification for Diablo v1.10 Final

Character Statistics

Each of the four primary statistics directly and indirectly improves your character. Each statistic and how it impacts your character is described below.

There are also three other primary concepts that built upon these 4 statistics. They called 'Aptitude', 'Skill Category Points', and 'Dexterity/Energy Synergy'. All three will be described here as well.


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Strength
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Strength controls the equipable gear that is available to the character. Strength is the only statistic that is tied to improving the character's percentage of damage reduced.

Strength also controls the rate at which the character heals. Every character passively heals their entire life bulb in 24 seconds. Healing potions are insufficent in this game and as such, this passive healing rate is critical. The duration can be improved by increasing strength. The fastest passive duration a character can recover its full life in is 18 seconds.

The rate at which a character heals can be found on the skill named 'Character Build Differentiator'. All characters have this skill and it shows a number of passive attributes that will be addressed as necessary.

Lastly, strength is also a part of the concept 'Aptitude' described below.


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Dexterity
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Dexterity is primarily related to damage. The statistic explicitly improves all melee damage and melee attack rating. All melee weapons have a passive dexterity damage gain related to the weapon's requirements. Dexterity is a significant part of caster damage.

For those familar with the original Lord of Destruction, dexterity no longer improves a character's block rating. Unlike any Diablo II version released by Blizzard, dexterity is no longer required to wear gear. Encumbrance takes it's place rather than dexterity.

Lastly, dexterity is also apart of the concept 'Aptitude' described below.


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Vitality
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Vitality is primarily related to the character's maximum life. However, the link is not obvious, so I will explain. In the original game, investment in vitality treated all builds within a character class equally. This results in a melee character potentially having the same life as a caster hero. Personally, I don't like that and as a result, the concept of 'Skill Category Points' or 'SCP' was born.

A hero's maximum potential life is controlled by the character's number of invested skill points. Every skill awards the character a set number of SCP. Melee skills will earn more and large area of effect skills will earn fewer. The number of SCP limits the character's maximum potential life - not the number of statistical points invested in vitality. For your information, the curent number of SCP can be read from your Character Differentiator Skill description or on the character screen immediately under vitality.

The character's actual maximum life is controlled by a simple relaionship between the number of statistical points invested into vitality and the number of SCP.

Additional Character Life = The Number of SCP * Vitality Proration Factor

Basically each SCP is converted into base HP by multiplying your pool of SCP by your Vitality Proration Factor. The Vitality Proration Factor varies from 1.00 to approximately 6.00 and is solely controlled by the number of statistical points invested into vitality and your character level. A description of your character's current Vitality Proration Factor is displayed on the Character Differentiator Skill.

As a general rule of thumb, for every character level your hero improves, if the number of vitality points is twice that, then the Vitality Proration Factor is 4.00. If you invest into vitality more than 2 points per character level, then your factor will slowly increase toward a cap of 6.00. If you choose to skimp on vitality, then your Vitality Proration Factor will gradually fall towards 1.00. Lastly, if you over-invest in vitality (more than 70 plus twice your character level), then your Vitality Proration Factor will fall. Therefore, increasing vitality without increasing the pool of SCP will not necessarily increase your life. I have included a Vitality Proration Table that can be linked to from the main page.


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Energy
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Energy is primarily related to mana and caster damage. Statistical investment in energy does not improve the character's maximum mana. However, energy does improve the character's mana regeneration. High level casters with a significant investment in energy will be able to refill their mana bulb in a matter of seconds. Characters that do not invest in energy will see their mana replenish rates drop over time. Energy is also the third component of 'Aptitude'.


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Character Aptitude
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While Character Aptitude is not a primary statistic, it is a critical concept directly related to them. In this version of Diablo, no skills have a prerequisite character level. In order to learn a skill, all that is needed is a sufficient Character Aptitude. A Character's Aptitude is defined by the function

Apt = 1.5*Energy + 1.5*Dexterity + 1.0*Strength + 5*clvl + 0.05*clvl2

As a general rule, melee skills require less Aptitude to learn than their caster counter parts. Your current Character Aptitude is stated on the Character Build Differentiator skill description. The required Aptitude needed to learn a specific skill or increase the skill level of a specific skill is stated in the description window for the skill in question.


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Skill Category Points
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SCPs are not a primary statistic; however, like Character Aptitude, they are linked to your primary statistics in that SCPs are earned when you invest a skill point in your character's build. Different amounts of SCPs are awarded depending on the skill you choose to invest in. Specifically,

Melee: One Damage Type Skill: +8 SCPs
Melee: Multi Damage Type Skill: +6 SCPs
Caster: Tiny AOE, One Damage Type Skill: +6 SCPs
Caster: Small AOE, Single or Multi Damage Type Skill: +4s SCP
Caster: Large AOE, Single or Multi Damage Type Skill: +2s SCP
Support: All Aurae, Curses, and Passives: +6 SCPs
Summons: AOE: +4 SCPs
Summons: Single Target: +6 SCPs
Shareables: +4 SCPs


The above list is also provided in the Character Build Differentiator skill description window. Recall that SCPs are converted in base HP by multiplying your number of SCPs by your Vitality Proration Factor.


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Energy/Dexterity Synergy
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The last concept to be explained here that is directly linked to your build and statistical allotment of points is your Dexterity/Energy synergy. All caster damage is enhanced by a synergy that is based upon your distribution of statistical points in both dexterity and energy. Caster damage improves when both dexterity and energy are invested in. The amount of additional damage is displayed on each individual skill description.

Your damage synergy is impacted by a Weapon Efficiency as well. One of the prerequisites of a successful melee character is their gear. Casters are no longer exempt from using any hand-me-down weapon. If a caster equips a weapon with a low weapon efficiency, then their damage will take a significant penalty. Efficiency is a simple ratio out of 100%. I have included a table that will allow you to predict your Energy/Dexterity synergy assuming 100% weapon efficiency that can be linked to from the main page.

Webpage created by T. Nickle - Item Analyzer v2.0 - AM-2.0 - Date: March 2015