Resistance, hit cap, spell pen - small guide

[Tetarius]

Okay. Because im terribly bored i want to write a small guide. ( copypaste info from few sources, but who cares...)


1. Resistance.
Resistance is a combat statistic that mitigates incoming magic damage and effects. Magic spells from the following five schools can be resisted from magical resistance: Fire, Frost, Arcane, Nature, and Shadow. There is no resistance stat for Holy, and as such no players nor NPCs can resist Holy spells. A character's current resistance score to each school is advertised on the character sheet.

The effective resistance rating of the target is calculated as follows:

effective resistance rating = Rb + max((Lt - Lc) * 5, 0) - min(P, Rb)

Rb - target base resistance (as advertised on the character sheet)
Lt - target level
Lc - caster level
P - caster spell penetration

The percentage of magical damage that is mitigated on average is calculated by the following equation (note that this has changed in Wrath):

Damage reduction percentage = 100% * effective resistance rating / ( K + effective resistance rating )

Effective resistance rating or Resistance constant is a value that depends on only TARGET's level that shows how much resistance do you need to get 50% damage reduction.

Binary Resist and Non-Binary Resist

Spell resistance is the second of two rolls to determine whether or not a spell is resisted. (Spell hit is the first roll.) The spell resistance roll will calculate in one of two different ways: one way for Binary Spells, another way for non-Binary spells. Non-binary spells are spells which only deal damage (like Fireball or Shadow Bolt). Binary spells are spells which deal a debuff (like Frost Nova or Vampiric Embrace) or, for some other reason, must take full effect or no effect at all.

For binary spells

Resistance reduces the chance for the binary spell to land by a certain percentage. Spell hit will not reduce this chance. It is assumed that this percentage is exactly the damage reduction percentage given above.

For non-binary spells

Resistance increases the chance to suffer only a fraction of the spell's normal damage. The possible percentages of damage resisted are weighted in sections of 0%, 10%, 20%, ..., 100% averaging to the same overall damage mitigation. However only the closest three or four sections will ever occur at a given resistance value. This allows a sufficiently high resistance to guarantee a certain resist percentage, even in the worst case. DoT spells are now considered non-binary and the partial resistance calculation is applied on each tick.

The probability of an x% resistance is given by the following formula:

P(x)=0.5-2.5*(x-DR')


The damage absorbed per point of damage/healing/tanking stat lost now decreases as resistance is gained, similar to armor. However guaranteeing a certain resistance percentage can be valuable, especially in fights with a large spike of elemental damage.

DR'=Resist/(Resist+Cr)

Average damage reduction/levels	60	70	80	81	82	83	84	85	86	87	88
5%	7.9	9.2	21.1	22.8	24.7	26.7	28.7	30.9	33.2	35.6	38.1
10%	16.7	19.4	44.4	48.2	52.1	26.3	60.7	65.3	70.1	75.2	80.4
15%	26.5	30.9	70.6	76.5	82.8	89.4	96.4	103.7	111.4	119.4	127.8
20%	37.5	43.8	100.0	108.4	117.3	126.6	136.5	146.9	157.8	169.1	181.0
25%	50.0	58.3	133.3	144.5	156.3	168.8	182.0	195.8	210.3	225.5	241.3
30%	64.3	75.0	171.4	185.8	201.0	217.1	234.0	251.8	270.4	289.9	310.3
35%	80.8	94.2	215.4	233.4	252.5	272.7	294.0	316.3	339.8	364.3	389.8
40%	100.0	116.7	266.7	289.0	312.7	337.7	364.0	391.7	420.7	451.0	482.7
45%	122.7	143.2	327.3	354.7	383.7	414.4	446.7	480.7	516.3	553.5	592.4
50% (Resistance Constant)	150.0	175.0	400.0	433.5	469.0	506.5	546.0	587.5	631.0	676.5	724.0
55%	183.3	213.9	488.9	529.8	573.2	619.1	667.3	718.1	771.2	826.8	884.9
60%	225.0	262.5	600.0	650.3	703.5	759.8	819.0	883.3	946.5	1015	1086
65%	278.6	325.0	742.9	805.1	871.0	940.6	1014	1091	1172	1256	1345
70%	350.0	408.3	933.3	1011	1094	1181	1274	1371	1472	1578	1689
75%	450.0	525.0	1200	1300	1407	1519	1638	1762	1893	2029	2172

Thats the basic info about resistance.


Resistance can be obtained from buffs, potions, certain class talents, and gear. Racial abilities no longer grant magical resistance and instead grant a percentage chance to miss, as indicated by the table to the right. This chance to miss is added to the spell hit roll, and will not contribute to the non-binary damage mitigation.

Stacking

The following list contains sources of resistance and stacking information. Each line will stack with other lines.

Self-only buffs, such as Mage Armor stack freely;
Equipped items and enchants stack freely;
Auras (incl racial resist), Shaman totems, raid buffs (e.g. Gift of the Wild, Prayer of Shadow Protection), and [Magic Resistance Potion] do not stack with themselves - only the highest single effect of these will apply;
Elixirs and Flasks providing resistance do not stack with themselves.

Example: In a group where Mark of the Wild, Aspect of the Wild, and Nature Resistance Totem is active, the group will only receive 130 Nature Resistance (either from the aspect or totem).

Resistance enchants and gear:

Gear

1. Green "of the ... protection" 322 resist + some stamina

cloth http://www.wowhead.com/items=4.1?filter=na=foothold
leather http://www.wowhead.com/items=4.1?filter=na=Wildevar
mail http://www.wowhead.com/items=4.1?filter=na=Nifflevar
plate http://www.wowhead.com/items=4.1?filter=na=Wyrmskull

also a neck http://www.wowhead.com/item=36434 cloak http://www.wowhead.com/item=36406 ring http://www.wowhead.com/item=36420 and shield http://www.wowhead.com/item=36448

2. Flask http://www.wowhead.com/item=44939

3. Sorted by a school:
Arcane

back http://www.wowhead.com/item=30831 item
chest http://www.wowhead.com/item=21868 item
http://www.wowhead.com/item=21865 item
http://www.wowhead.com/item=23509 item
boots http://www.wowhead.com/item=21867 item
http://www.wowhead.com/item=23511 item
http://www.wowhead.com/item=29497 item
http://www.wowhead.com/item=29491 item
ring http://www.wowhead.com/item=30825 item
gloves http://www.wowhead.com/item=21863 item
http://www.wowhead.com/item=29496 item
http://www.wowhead.com/item=29490 item
head http://www.wowhead.com/item=29195 enchant
legs http://www.wowhead.com/item=23512 item
http://www.wowhead.com/item=29495 item
http://www.wowhead.com/item=29489 item
neck http://www.wowhead.com/item=24098 item
shield http://www.wowhead.com/item=27449 item
http://www.wowhead.com/item=22541 enchant
shoulder http://www.wowhead.com/item=21864 item
trinket http://www.wowhead.com/item=31113 item
waist http://www.wowhead.com/item=23510 item
wrist http://www.wowhead.com/item=21866 item
enchant http://www.wowhead.com/spell=57701

Fire
cloak http://www.wowhead.com/item=31341 item
http://www.wowhead.com/spell=44556 enchant
Alot of items sold by Geras http://www.wowhead.com/items=4?filter=na=inferno;cr=129;crs=0;crv=18525;gb=1 - chest legs boots gloves
ring http://www.wowhead.com/item=31746
head http://www.wowhead.com/item=23516 item
http://www.wowhead.com/item=29196 enchant ( and the other, horde one)
neck http://www.wowhead.com/item=24092 item
shield http://www.wowhead.com/item=32082 item
http://www.wowhead.com/spell=27947 enchant
shoulder http://www.wowhead.com/item=16988
http://www.wowhead.com/item=16980
http://www.wowhead.com/item=19139
trinket http://www.wowhead.com/item=18638
waist http://www.wowhead.com/item=29500
http://www.wowhead.com/item=29494
wrist http://www.wowhead.com/item=30837
http://www.wowhead.com/item=23515
http://www.wowhead.com/spell=57692 enchant

Frost

cloak http://www.wowhead.com/item=22658 item. VERY. RARE. CRAFT. And even more rare reagent from old naxx40.
http://www.wowhead.com/item=37332 enchant
chest http://www.wowhead.com/item=31369
http://www.wowhead.com/item=22652 naxx40 craft
http://www.wowhead.com/item=22664 naxx40 craft
http://www.wowhead.com/item=22661 naxx40 craft
ring http://www.wowhead.com/item=31398
gloves. naxx40 craft
http://www.wowhead.com/item=22670
http://www.wowhead.com/item=22654
http://www.wowhead.com/item=22666
http://www.wowhead.com/item=22662
head http://www.wowhead.com/item=31371
+ engi ones http://www.wowhead.com/item=41112
http://www.wowhead.com/item=44740
http://www.wowhead.com/item=44741
http://www.wowhead.com/item=44742
enchant http://www.wowhead.com/item=29198
legs http://www.wowhead.com/item=31370
neck http://www.wowhead.com/item=24093
trinket http://www.wowhead.com/item=18634
shield enchant http://www.wowhead.com/item=11224
wrist enchant http://www.wowhead.com/item=44560


Nature

cloak http://www.wowhead.com/item=22660
enchant http://www.wowhead.com/item=37333
chest http://www.wowhead.com/item=31364
ring http://www.wowhead.com/item=31399
head http://www.wowhead.com/item=31368
http://www.wowhead.com/item=22759
http://www.wowhead.com/item=22757
enchant http://www.wowhead.com/item=29194
legs http://www.wowhead.com/item=31367
neck http://www.wowhead.com/item=24095
wrist enchant http://www.wowhead.com/item=44562

Shadow

cloak http://www.wowhead.com/item=32420
enchant http://www.wowhead.com/item=37334
boots http://www.wowhead.com/item=32398
http://www.wowhead.com/item=32394
http://www.wowhead.com/item=32402
http://www.wowhead.com/item=32391
legs http://www.wowhead.com/item=32400
http://www.wowhead.com/item=32396
http://www.wowhead.com/item=32404
http://www.wowhead.com/item=32389
neck http://www.wowhead.com/item=32757
shield http://www.wowhead.com/item=32082
trinket http://www.wowhead.com/item=18639
waist http://www.wowhead.com/item=32393
http://www.wowhead.com/item=32401
http://www.wowhead.com/item=32390
http://www.wowhead.com/item=32397
wrist http://www.wowhead.com/item=44561 enchant
http://www.wowhead.com/item=32399
http://www.wowhead.com/item=32395
http://www.wowhead.com/item=32403
http://www.wowhead.com/item=32392

Uhh.. thats all about resistance math, gear and enchants.

Hit cap.

Hit refers to physical damage that occurs as a result of an attack made with melee or ranged weapons. Basically it reduces the chance to miss with your attack. Patch 4.0.1 decreased the required rating per 1% slightly. The chance to hit now increases by 1% per 30.7548 hit rating points at level 80, 14.7905 hit rating points at level 70, and 9.3793 hit rating points at level 60. The base chance to miss against an opponent of equal level is 5% for single wield and 24% for dual wield. With Patch 3.0, both hit and spell hit use the same basic hit rating attribute within the combat rating system, although the similarity largely ends there — they are effectively distinct attributes derived from the same rating.

Spell hit is a combat attribute that increases a caster's chance to hit with spells. Spell hit is primarily obtained from talents or gear that has hit rating. The more gear with hit rating a caster has the lower the chance the caster's spells will miss. With patch 3.0.2, spell hit is capped at 100%; with enough spell hit, it is possible to reach a state where it is impossible for your spells to miss. A spell that fails to hit is shown as a miss, while misses caused by a target's resistance are shown as a resist.

Hit cap vs 70 PVP target = 5%*rating= 64 Hit rating . for 74lvl its 73 Hit rating.




Spell penetration.

Spell penetration reduces the target's resistance to your spells; it is a different mechanic from spell hit rating. Spell penetration only works against targets with resistances, and will not reduce resistances below zero.

Spell penetration typically is a PvP stat, intended to help casters against players who wear resistance gear or are buffed with extra resistance, such as Mark of the Wild. In PvE, targets of a higher level than the caster have a base resistance (2% of mitigation per level difference) which cannot be overcome by spell penetration nor by any other stat. Otherwise, very few mobs and raid-level bosses have a substantial amount of resistance to overcome.

The formula for spell penetration is quite simple. Each point of spell penetration negates one point of a target's resistance. Spell penetration cannot reduce a target's resistance below zero. The following equation gives effect of spell penetration on resistance, where P is the caster's spell penetration, and Rb is the target's base resistance. Here, the min() function means the minimum of two values - in this case, it shows that spell penetration greater than a target's base resistance has no effect.

R = Rb - min(P, Rb)

For additional resistance due to level difference, spell penetration has no effect. That additional resistance is calculated by that formula:

R=max((Lt - Lc) * 5, 0)

where Lt is the target's level and Lc is the caster's level.

Example- caster is a level 70 with 30 spell pen, target is level 74 buffed with 35 resistance.
Additional resistance is (74-70)*5=20. Rb (targets resistance) is 35. 30 spell pen reduces that value to 5. Add here 20 additional resist from level value and the result is: 25 resist.


PS: Small addition or how to deal with oneshotting frostmages
Here is the solution.
1- Dwarf racial, +70 resist on lvl70
2- Leatherworking wrist enchant +70 Frost res
3- Head enchant, keepers of time rep, +20
4- Cloak enchant, +20
5- for those who have high spell pen rating- http://www.wowhead.com/item=31370 for plate or VEEEEEERY rare Naxx40 craft (with even more rare frozen rune reagents) for non-plate. Or get the ring http://www.wowhead.com/item=31398
180 frost resist (or 240 with legs) and you can completely ignore any frostmage

Sources: http://elitistjerks.com/f15/t29453-combat_ratings_level_85_cataclysm/ , Wowwiki.com + some search and additions from myself

 

[Seblol]

i want to write a small guide.

 

[iaccidentallytwink]

No way you're gonna find someone that has the Glacial Cloak pattern, much less a single frozen rune.

 

[mrdoobry]

Nice to have the info collated in one place. Although if I were you, I would cite references for where you got the graphs and tables from (i.e. like Combat Ratings at level 85 from Elitistjerks).

Would not want people accusing you of plagiarism.

P.S. Add named links rather than the URL and space it out a bit, with maybe coloured headings, etc.. so it is more readable.

 

[Tetarius]

(2 images)

Thanks. forgot about that, i lold


When its night and im bored like hell im doing some "small" guides like that or the reputation one.

 

[Tetarius]

Nice to have the info collated in one place. Although if I were you, I would cite references for where you got the graphs and tables from (i.e. like Combat Ratings at level 85 from Elitistjerks).

Would not want people accusing you of plagiarism.

P.S. Add named links rather than the URL and space it out a bit, with maybe coloured headings, etc.. so it is more readable.

Added. named links? meh. later -..-

 

[Esotra]

Ahh, Very nicely done, Far too many people out there just bypassing spell penetration.

 

[Intimsone]

Goodie, was actually thinking of getting a few frost res items

 

[Justhealme]

Resistance - Wowpedia - Your wiki guide to the World of Warcraft

Copy paste much?

 

[Tetarius]

Resistance - WoWWiki - Your guide to the World of Warcraft from here and i announced it. yes copypaste, so what if i combined all of this info to the forum?

 

[S pr uo]

lol'd hard

 

[Intimsone]

Could someone sticky this?
Kinda tired of searching for it every time(yeye I can bookmark...)