Hello all,

I've decided that I don't understand what I really need to know about the usefullness of spells and enchanted items because I don't know the max on points and percentages.

For example, if a sword or spell has 10 points fire damage on touch for X number of seconds, is it 10 points damage out of 100 possible points? Or 500 possible points? And if an enchanted item allows you 25% protection, how unprotected are you? Is it 75% or 275% out of X number? And what IS that topper number? It doesn't seem that 100% is the maximum across the board.

Did I leave my brain at the bus station?

Thanks much!

Lummina

Neither. It would be ten points out of the total health of the target. If the target had 30 points of health, fire damage 10 points for one second would eliminate ten of those points while fire damage 10 points for 3 seconds would eliminate all of them over a 3 second period. Drain Health is different. If the target has 30 points of health and you hit it with Drain Health 10 points for 3 seconds, the target will have 20 points of health for the next 3 seconds, after which it will have 30 again.
If you hit that same target with Drain Health 30 (or more) points for 1 second, it will die since its health would drop to (or below) 0 for that second.


Again, neither. A 25% shield enchantment/spell will add an additional 25 points to your armor rating, up to the maximum armor rating of 85. A 25% resist fire effect means that you will resist 1/4 of the damage from an incoming fire-based attack (i.e. a 20 point fire damage spell/enchantment will only cause you 15 points of fire damage). A 25% fire shield enchantment/spell will do both.

Thanks Vyper. The way you put it the numbers make sense (though I wouldn't have figured that system on my own, this I know for sure). And that info brings up a couple more questions, if you'd be so kind:

When you're facing an enemy, how do you even begin to determine their health points or their various ratings in weapons and skills in a way that helps you decide the best (or most effective at least) manner to take them out? I know the playable races all have inherent strengths and weaknesses--like Nords with anti-freeze in the blood and High Elves being spleeny to magicka, but how do you judge their--level??--of competition? And the same with the undead, freaky creatures, and animals. Again, I know that some are spelled out for you as you learn and go along--like the difference between your basic bag of bones and a skeleton hero--but what about say, mudcrabs. All created equal all of the time? I really just don't know.


And shield enchantments. Now I'm unsure. A ring of shield 25% only ups your armor rating? It doesn't actually shield you from physical damage? I mean, does a non-armor wearing character gain nothing? (Or worse--panic--does the game think by equiping a shield-enchanted item that you're actually wearing armor?)

I know there are no stupid questions...only ones you've answered a thousand times before...but thanks helping #1,001.

Lummina

Enemies level with you, so they will generally be always close to your level. A 25% shield spell will up your armor rating, which takes a percentage out of all damage you take, so, that is why mage characters love shield spells. and no, hte game does not think your wearing armor, so you lose no spell effectiveness