Weighting

The official GemStone IV encyclopedia.
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This article is a work in progress!
Weighting
Combat Effectiveness Rating Table
Rating Name
-16+ Substantially diminished
-15 to -11 Noticeably diminished
-10 to -6 Somewhat diminished
-5 to -1 Slightly diminished
No Weighting (baseline)
1 - 2 Lightly
3 - 4 Fairly
5 - 6 Somewhat
7 - 8 Decently
9 - 10 Heavily
11 - 13 Very heavily
14 - 15 Exceptionally
16 - 20 Masterfully
21 - 25 Superbly
26 - 30 Expertly
31 - 35 Phenomenally
36 - 40 Fantastically
41 - 45 Incredibly
46 - 50 Wondrously
This article is about the weapon property that increases damage dealt by attacks. For items' physical weights, see WEIGHT (verb).

Weighting is a rare property on physical weapons that a increases the damage dealt by successful hits. There are two types of weighting: critical weighting increases the potential critical rank of the hit, and damage weighting increases HP damage.

Both types of weighting are measured by Combat Effectiveness Rating, usually from 0 to 50 points.

Warriors can ASSESS weapons to determine their exact number of points of critical and/or damage weighting. ASSESS also provides a verbal description, such as "decently weighted to inflict more critical blows", which can be used as an in-character way to describe the property. The relationship between verbal descriptions and combat effectiveness is shown on the table to the right.

As of the August 2017 update, weighting has been changed to a Category C item property and can coexist with all other properties, including both critical and damage weighting on the same item.

Critical Weighting

Critical weighting increases the critical severity of a successful attack by adding the Combat Effectiveness Rating to the raw HP damage before resolving the critical rank. A weapon with 10 points of critical weighting ("heavily weighted to inflict more critical blows") adds 10 extra phantom damage. The full critical weighting is added to each attack.

Max Critical Rank = (Raw Damage + Crit Weighting - Crit Padding) / Armor Critical Divisor

Notes: Max critical rank is rounded down (truncated) to a whole number. Weighting values are never randomized as part of the max critical rank calculation: the full combat effectiveness value is always added. Padding values are randomized for values greater than 6 padding points of combat effectiveness; see padding for more details.

Natural Crit Weighting

Characters have natural crit weighting derived from DEX bonus. GILCHRISTR's research indicates that 1 potential phantom damage is added for each 4 bonus. There are also some abilities that can temporarily bestow crit weighting, such as Sigil of Major Bane. These effects are applied additively to any weapon weighting and to each other. They apply to ranged and bolt attacks as well (which normally have no weapon-based weighting).

According to Naijin, the stat-based crit weighting for swung weapons is:

Stat-based crit CER bonus = (DEX BONUS - WEAPON SIZE PENALTY) / 4. (It is unclear if this can go negative, or how this is rounded, if at all).

WEAPON SIZE PENALTY = SUMMATION(WEAPON SPEED + 1 - (OPEN OFF HAND?3:0)) * 2 - STRENGTH BONUS, where SUMMATION is a seed 1 summation. This penalty cannot go below 0 (i.e. cannot actually be a bonus). "Open off hand" is considered true for two-handed weapons with an open left hand.

For a lance, the user needs 56 STR bonus to benefit from their full DEX bonus. For a spear, it's 20 STR bonus.

Example

You attack and hit a creature wearing soft leather armor for 15 raw damage. Since the critical divisor of soft leather armor is 6, it would normally have, without any weapon weighting, a max crit rank of trunc(15/6) = 2. An attack with a heavily crit weighted weapon (10 points of combat effectiveness rating) will increase the total damage used to calculate the crit rank. To determine the max crit rank divide the sum of the raw and crit damage by the armor crit divisor and truncate the result. In this example it is trunc[(15 raw + 10 crit) / 6] = 4. Therefore, the actual maximum crit rank possible has increased from 2 with a non-weighted weapon to 4 when weapon crit weighting is added. Bear in mind that this damage is not actually HP damage as yet, it is only used to determine the maximum critical rank. The final critical rank is subject to critical randomization.

Critical weighting cannot increase the rank of a hit that would have been a critical rank 0 otherwise.

Ambush

Ambushing from hiding has additional critical weighting based on training as well as a stance pushdown effect. The exact formula is not known. It has been estimated that a level 100 rogue fully trained in stealth skills receives around 40 to 50 points of weighting when ambushing with a dagger. This bonus only applies when ambushing from hiding, not open ambush/aiming.

Damage Weighting

Damage weighting is a property of a weapon that causes the weapon to inflict additional hitpoint damage on a target. Damage weighting does not apply when calculating the critical outcome of an attack. The additional hitpoints from damage weighting are added at the end of the combat resolution calculations. There is no special messaging to indicate that damage weighting is a factor in the attack resolution. In order to determine the amount of weighting added to a particular attack requires calculating the non-damage weighted outcome and comparing this theoretical value to the actual result.

As with crit weighting, there is both a numerical value and a corresponding descriptive message associated with the level of weighting a weapon possesses. However, unlike critical weighting, which requires that the initial raw damage be sufficient to cause a minimum Rank 1 critical before activating, there is no such requirement for damage weighted weapons. Damage weighting will activate with all successful (endrolls greater than 100) attacks.

The amount of damage weighting added to an attack is either fixed or variable depending upon the level of weighting. Weighting levels from Lightly to Somewhat will always add the weapon's actual weighting. Weighting levels higher than Somewhat will add a variable amount of HP damage but will never be less than Somewhat equivalent weighting.

Adding damage weighting to weapons is NOT available through the premium point system. Damage weighted weapons are often available in player run shops, through special merchants or events, or from private sales by other players. Because of their desirability weighted weapons can be quite expensive. High level weighted weapons can sell for tens of millions of silver or more.

Although not an intrinsic property of a weapon, damage weighting can also be added to melee, ranged and bolt attacks by members of the Guardians of Sunfist society by activating the Sigil of Minor Bane.

Damage Weighting Calculation

In order to determine the amount of weighting added to an attack it is necessary to know the weapon damage factor and the critical damage result. These values can then be used to determine the total theoretical damage (raw damage + critical damage). The amount of damage from the weapon weighting is simply (actual damage - theoretical damage).

Example 1

You swing a vultite longsword at a hill troll!<
  AS: +246 vs DS: +84 with AvD: +42 + d100 roll: +91 = +295
   ... and hit for 128 points of damage!
   Massive blow punches a hole through the hill troll's chest!
   The hill troll is stunned!

In this example, the weapon damage factor is .275 (longsword vs. light leather: Armor Group 2). The raw damage from the attack is (weapon DF * (endroll - 100) which results in (.275 * 195) 56 raw damage. The critical damage can be found by looking up the messaging on the appropriate critical table. In this case, the critical messaging Massive blow punches a hole through the hill troll's chest!, which can be found on the crush critical table, indicates a Rank 8 Chest critical with 65 points of damage. The total theoretical damage is (56 raw + 65 critical) = 119. The actual damage as shown in the combat messaging is 128. Therefore, the amount of damage weighting added to the attack is (128 actual - 119 theoretical) = 9 points of weighting.

Example 2

In this example there is no critical damage. The messaging Light slash to the hill troll's abdomen! Barely nicked., that is found on the slash critical table, corresponds to 0 critical damage. Therefore, the only theoretical damage is the raw damage (weapon DF * (endroll - 100). In this example the raw damage is (.225 * 21) = 5. The difference between the weapon damage factor from examples I and II is due to the different armor worn by the hill trolls, as reflected in the different AvDs. The troll in Example II is wearing a leather breastplate (Armor Group 3). The weapon weighting is (actual damage - theoretical damage) which in this example is (13 - 5) = 8 points of weighting.

You swing a vultite longsword at a hill troll!
  AS: +163 vs DS: +113 with AvD: +43 + d100 roll: +28 = +121
   ... and hit for 13 points of damage!
   Light slash to the hill troll's abdomen!
   Barely nicked.


Merchant Services

Main article: WPS smithy
Weighting/Padding/Sighting (W/P/S) Combat Effectiveness Rating (CER)
vs. Total Services
CER Services
1 10
2 20
3 30
4 40
5 50
6 70
7 90
8 110
9 130
10 150
CER Services
11 180
12 210
13 240
14 270
15 300
16 340
17 380
18 420
19 460
20 500
CER Services
21 600
22 700
23 800
24 900
25 1000
26 1100
27 1200
28 1300
29 1400
30 1500
CER Services
31 1600
32 1700
33 1800
34 1900
35 2000
36 2100
37 2200
38 2300
39 2400
40 2500
CER Services
41 2700
42 2900
43 3100
44 3300
45 3500
46 3800
47 4100
48 4400
49 4700
50 5000

The merchant service to add combat effective points (CEP) will, in most cases, offer to increase the number of services on an item. The relationship between combat effective points and services is shown on the table to the right. Weighting (for melee weapons), padding (armor), and sighting (for ranged weapons) all share this table and are collectively known as W/P/S. The number of CEP on an item is also known as the combat effectiveness rating (CER).

For example, adding 20 services of critical weighting to a non-padded item will give it a 2 CER. Adding 20 services to an item that already has 130 services (9 CER) will take it to a total of 150 services (10 CER).

If the number of services on an item fall within an intermediate CER, the item will provide a % chance equal to the progress towards the next CER to increase the combat effectiveness to the next value: an item with 145 services will have a 75% chance to confer a 10 CER (150 services) in combat instead of 9 (130 services). It is possible for an item to have both critical and damage padding or weighting, as applicable, and they can be added separately with a corresponding price surcharge. The total number of services per item is still capped at 5000.

Service Windows

When a W/P/S merchant service is offered, the price (silvers or event currency) of adding services increases as more services are added within the same Service Window, which is set as six two-month periods (Jan/Feb, Mar/Apr, May/Jun, Jul/Aug, Sep/Oct, Nov/Dec) spanning a calendar year. This Service Window is tracked per item across all merchants and venues. Cost per service only increases with the number of services added within this window, not the total number of existing services on an item.

Every W/P/S service done an item within a two-month service window (as specified above) will increase the Service Count within that window. Items will become more expensive to work on as the Service Count increases. Price increases happen at Service Counts of 5, 10, and 15, with significant price increases starting at 20+. On the first service after a Service Window ends, the Service Count is reset.

Service Pricing

W/P/S service pricing is dependent on the other mechanical attributes of the item other than the one being serviced. Each attribute is assigned a point value that is summed to determine the total gear points for the item.

Weighting/Padding/Sighting (W/P/S) Gear Point Values
Property Point Value
Enchant 1 per AS/DS
TD/Offensive Bonus (armor) 1 per TD/AS
Defender (weapon) .5 per DS
Flares 7 (Includes Grapple/Knockout)
Sanctified 3
Spikes 1
Permabless/Undead Bane 12(weapon), 7(armor)
Resistance 1 per 10% Combined Resistance
Ensorcell 3 * Tier
Enhancive Dependent on value (min 1, max 20)
Script (Combat) (see here for specifics) Dependent script impact (min 0, max 20)

Silvers price is then calculated for each gear point, with higher gear points costing more per point.

Price per Gear Point
Gear Value Price (silvers)
1 - 20 1750
21 - 35 3250
36 - 50 5000
51 - 60 6500
61- 70 8000
71+ 10000

A few item properties are not calculated in the above manner and instead are added on after the value above is determined.

Additional types of W/P/S:
500 silver * Number of Services of types other than the type currently being serviced.
Creature Bane:
Bane Bonus Price (silvers)
Flares 15000
Weighting/Padding 5000 per point
AS/DS 5000 per AS
Evade/Block/Parry 5000 per % increase

Finally, The value is multiplied by the Service Count multiplier and any service type multiplier.

Service Count Multiplier
Service Count Price Multiplier
1-5 none
6-10 125%
11-15 300%
16-20 350%
21+ 500% + (300% for every service over 21)

Service Type Multipliers

  • Critical Weighting/Padding carries a 10% increase on the final price.

Currencies

  • All calculations use a base price of silvers, then are converted to alternate currencies at an exchange rate.

Cost Minimums

  • GM Merchant Offerings - 10,000 silvers for damage/sighting or 11,000 silvers for critical. Requires 6 gear points or higher to go above minimum.
  • WPS Wandering Wagon - 75,000 silvers for damage/sighting or 82,500 silvers for critical. Requires 33 gear points or higher to go above minimum.
  • Please see conversion rates below for other currency offerings when offered.

Conversion Rate
The conversion rate varies from event to event.

  • Bloodscrip - At Duskruin 2018 the conversion rate was 750 silvers per bloodscrip*


Resources