Damage mechanics question

[Quor]

I figured this is the board to ask, being the DPS board and all.

My question is, how do stacking damage boosts work? For example I know that defiance on a WAR reduces base damage down to 75%, so the damage boost from Maim (20%) isn't increasing it to 95% in defiance but is instead increasing it by 20% of 75, which makes it 90% of normal damage.

So how does that work with +dmg buffs? If you stack Raging Strikes on top of B4B is it completely additive? Or does activating one buff increase the base damage such that the second buff boosts the buffed damage instead of by the base damage?

If that's confusing I'll provide an example. Thanks!

[Almalexia]

It's all additive when it comes to % of damage taken/received.

eg. Defiance (-25) PLUS Maim (+20) PLUS Berserk (+50) means 145% damage dealt, except on abilities that ignore Defiance's penalty--in which case, 170%.

[Quor]

Oh that's nice. Thanks Alma.

[Kitru]

It's all additive when it comes to % of damage taken/received.

That's entirely wrong. Any +dam or DR effect is multiplicative, which is why stacking tank CDs is inefficient (and why you still take noticeable damage with Shield Oath, Sacred Soil, Rampart, and Sentinel up; 20% + 10% + 20% + 40% = 90%; 1- .8 * .9 * .8 * .6 = 65.44%) and layering your DPS CDs increases their effectiveness. It's been tested and confirmed. I seriously have to wonder what compelled you to think this.

The only additive effects are those concerning chance based effects, such as block, evasion, and crit. Everything else is multiplicative.

Berserk (+50)

Berserk is an increase to attack power, not damage. The +50% attack power actually translates into closer to 40% +dam.

[Almalexia]

Color me retarded then. Learn by being wrong, I guess.

[Zamii]

Color me retarded then. Learn by being wrong, I guess.

it really just means you should have tested before posting on the thread since you didn't know for sure

[Viridiana]

it really just means you should have tested before posting on the thread since you didn't know for sure

The problem comes when you think you do know for sure.