Stat Introduction
Last updated
Last updated
This Part focuses on the math behind the stat system. It sheds some light into the stat system, defines metrics for survivability, compares the stats with each other and provides stat targets. If one understands the stat system and knows the possibilities of build choices one can set themselves the way to go!
Before diving into stats comparisons and metrics let’s focus on the questions “What is Item Level?” and “What does ‘Gearing Up’ mean in Neverwinter nowadays?”.
Item Level (IL) is, since the combat rework, the defining stat for scaling and joining of content. Item Level scales linearly with the Hit Points (Base) stat and the Damage stat. Both of them significantly define the potency of tanking, healing and damage dealing. In scaled content Item Level is hard capped to a value defined by ‘Cryptic’ for each piece of content (and thus Hit Points (Base) and Damage).
Next to Item Level, there are 15 more stats with 5 each per category: 'Offensive Stats’ (Power, Accuracy, Combat Advantage, Critical Strike, Critical Severity), ‘Defensive Stats’ (Defense, Awareness, Critical Avoidance, Deflect and Deflect Severity) and ‘Utility Stats’ (Forte, Control Bonus, Control Resist, Incoming Healing, Outgoing Healing). A general introduction into each stat is given under https://www.nw-hub.com/mechanics/stats and assumed to be known here. Each of those cap at 50% when their so called ratings equal the Item Level of the toon. Each exceeding point is wasted and for each 1000 ratings below Item Level, 1% is taken away from the 50%. Next to ratings, another 40% can be gained via other sources, for example from Ability scores, Forte, Racial Bonuses, Companion Powers and Potions. Altogether they cap at 90%.
Each of those 15 stat ratings can be increased by gear stating them or by the stat ‘Combined Rating’. Combined Rating increases all of the 15 stats by the defined amount!
Next to these stats, there are additional stats called ‘Boosts’. Boosts like Stamina Regeneration are special percentage stats that can only be gained via few sources and are in general only received from gear set bonuses, boons and artifacts. There are additionally some hidden Boosts that are not mentioned on the Character Sheet for example the At-Will Damage and the exceptionally great ‘Damage Mitigation’ Boost. A specialty of the Damage Mitigation is its multiplicity with other sources instead of its addition. In general all offensive hidden Boosts are additive and all defensive hidden Boosts are multiplicative (because additive would be better for defensive coefficients when stacked).
The stat formulas are listed and compared later on.
Now that description has probably caused way more questions to the readers who didn't know this before, because this whole system seems overly complicated - the opposite of what was its intended goal. Before going into many facets of the stat, let's focus on the second question: ‘What does ‘Gearing Up’ mean in Neverwinter nowadays?’
‘Gearing up’ simplified means equipping armor and weapons, adding companions and mounts and additionally adding other stuff like companion equipment and mount insignias. Each of those will add in most cases Item Level, Combined Rating, a combination of a few of the 15 stats and in rare cases some boosts or even hidden boosts. Most Items follow a rule that seems quite logical: The combination of Combined Rating x15 and each individual stat equals the Item Level of the Gear. This rule of thumb makes sense, because equipping this item would increase the Hit Points and the Damage stat by the defined amount of Item Level (coefficients are *10 for Hit Points and 0.1 for Damage) and lead to a stat distribution that is slightly different in favor of the individual stats and has in the sum the same amount of stat Percentages via Ratings than without the item (because each 1000 Item Level reduces 1% of the % earned via ratings). This rule creates the conclusion that the more Item Level a toon has the better the toon gets even with sacrificing some defensive stat points. In general this is true. Now the clue: in scaled content, the Item Level is capped (if exceeding the cap before), ignoring the added Hit Points and Damage stat and leading only to the advantage of the changed stat distribution over other people who have not so much Item Level. Thus, having more Item Level than the predefined cap is - without a bad stat distribution and bad / missing choice of boosts - not needed. Because of this behavior, let’s categorize these Items as ‘Stat Distribution Changer’.
Up to now it seems all logical and the rule of thumb makes sense. Well, devs thought that they might just screw this whole rule over with several stuff that ignores it! (Maybe to make the ‘more Item Level the better’ conclusion less obvious …) These items have in general a sum of combined rating and stats less than the given Item Level. These items create a loss of stats on the gain of the increased Item Level (and thus Hit Points and Damage) and in rare cases some boosts. The general rule here is that the more Item Level the better is still correct, because the loss of stats is covered in the gain of either Hit Points or Damage. In scaled content however, they are detrimental (unless the provided boosts outpace the stat loss.) There are two convenient exceptions: The Armor Kits provide a small net positive amount of stats. Similarly, the Companion Powers provide a net positive amount of stats by not only giving their Item Level as Combined Rating but adding on top of that up to 7.5% stats (Thus adding ⅔ of their revenue)! This is the reason why upgrading companions is one of the first things to recommend! Because of this behavior, let’s categorize these Items as ‘Stat Sum and Distribution Changer’.
Lastly there are Item Bonuses that do not provide Item Level but either stat rating, stat percentages or boosts. Thus they increase the stat distribution into a net positive direction! Items that provide good bonuses are thus one of the most important things to get and are a fundamental part of ‘Gearing Up’. Because of this behavior, let’s categorize these Items as ‘Stat Bonuses’.
The Subsection contains a detailed list of Items per category. In short ‘Gearing Up’ means:
Increasing Item Level while maintaining a good stat distribution.
and getting the right Bonuses from Items.
That’s it!
