Pet Command - Muster

[Ophannus]

I think they nerfed breaths against NMs because they ignore usual defenses. High DEF and VIT give NMs great physical defense and MDB/INT/MND and MDT give NMs great magic defense, but until TOAU, most NMs had 0 defense against breath damage. So in order to keep NM difficulty relatively high, they probably added a breath damage taken-% component to new NMs since no other stat would reduce breath damage(it ignores all defenses). Breath Damage is more effective than magic or physical because 1) breaths don't miss 2) they resist less(i've heard they have fewer resist states than magic, they don't have 1/8 resists only 1/2 and 1/4)). Since breaths do moderate damage but are very accurate and consistent, it would be an easy way to wittle NMs down. This is probably why they nerfed it.

Souleater damage might also be breath damage, I've never tested it but it would be interesting and difficult. Does Souleater add damage even when a mob's Invincible or if you hit for 0?

[SpankWustler]

I think they nerfed breaths against NMs because they ignore usual defenses. High DEF and VIT give NMs great physical defense and MDB/INT/MND and MDT give NMs great magic defense, but until TOAU, most NMs had 0 defense against breath damage. So in order to keep NM difficulty relatively high, they probably added a breath damage taken-% component to new NMs since no other stat would reduce breath damage(it ignores all defenses). Breath Damage is more effective than magic or physical because 1) breaths don't miss 2) they resist less(i've heard they have fewer resist states than magic, they don't have 1/8 resists only 1/2 and 1/4)). Since breaths do moderate damage but are very accurate and consistent, it would be an easy way to wittle NMs down. This is probably why they nerfed it.

Interesting. I had no idea that breath resistance started as early as Treasures of Aht Urhgan. I knew my breath damage on some NM's was worse than numbers on paper indicated, but being Tarutaru, I was using the breath spells on a lark anyway and just assumed I sucked horribly in some intangible way. I also just assumed the changes came later.

Knowing the change was made that early does put the resistance in a much different perspective. That means stuff has resisted breath spells as long as players could really control breath spells. Given the special brand of extra-acidic vitriol that the Development Bros seem to possess for anything that deals static damage or bypasses some kind of defense in any way, I guess I should have expected that.

Of course, the huge amount of breath resistance on newer stuff is still hilarious in any context. I imagine a dejected wyvern looking through a FFXI AH advanced search for something that might benefit him in the face of roundabouts -80% breath damage taken, finding nothing, and weeping.

Weeping through his mouth via a 27 damage Aqua Breath.