Introduction
In this part of the AQ Game Mechanics series, I’ll be introducing you to the Status System. This is a topic that people ask me about all the time, often because the system really isn’t intuitive. We’ll start by going through save rolls, which determine whether or not a status condition is inflicted. After that, we’ll talk about some of the more common status conditions. This is going to be a long one, so get comfortable!
As in my last post, a big thank you to Jeanne, Queen of Arcs for their calculations on this topic, as well as Dreiko Shadrak, Aerin and Cosine for general support.
Visit the Content Hub for other parts of this series
Save Rolls
The following formula determines whether or not a status condition will be successfully inflicted onto your foe. There are a couple of caveats we need to mention here. Firstly, not all attacks that attempt to inflict a status will have a 100% chance of doing so. If they don’t attempt to inflict the status, they won’t go through this save roll. In addition, some statuses (e.g., Sleep) are automatically inflicted. The monster then makes a save at the start of each turn to see whether the status is cleared. As of last year, this status roll becomes easier over time. The formula for saves is:
Level: (InflictLevelStatistic - ResistLevelStatistic)/2 Major: (MajorInflictStatistic - MajorResistStatistic)/5, minimum -20, maximum +20 Minor: (MinorInflictStatistic - MinorResistStatistic)/10, minimum -10, maximum +10 Additional Modifiers: (NetInflictModifiers - NetResistModifiers) If a monster tries to inflict a status, players and monsters* gain an additional END/50 as a resist modifier.
The status formula can be thought of as a 50/50 coin flip, which is subsequently modified by the formulas above. However, the chance for infliction can vary from as little as 30% to as much as 70% as each item has an inbuilt chance of success (this will be displayed on their encyclopaedia entry). The first of these, Level, refers to the difference in level between what’s trying to inflict the status, and the individual being inflicted. For the player, the InflictLevelStatistic isn’t their level directly, but the Power Level of the item performing the infliction. You can find this on the PLvl value on encyclopedia entries. Assuming the item inflicting the status had a PLvl of 153, and the monster was level 75, this part of the formula would read:
Level: (153 – 75) / 2 = 39
The second and third part of the formula (the Major and Minor) are specific to each save roll. In each roll, certain stats from the inflictor and victim to help successfully apply/resist the status. The Minor statistic in almost every status roll is LUK. However, the Major stat used can vary, and can even be different between the inflictor vs victim (e.g., INT vs END). You’ll also notice that these are ultimately capped at ±20 and ±10 respectively. If we assume we were inflicting a status condition that has a Major formula of DEX vs END, where we have 250 DEX and the monster has 150 END. We’ll also assume that we have 0 LUK, but that the monster has 225:
Major: (250 – 150) / 5 = 20 Minor: (0 – 225) / 10 = -22.5 -> -10
As you can see, in the major roll, we have more DEX than the monster has END, which gives us exactly +20 to the save roll! However, the monster has far more LUK than we do, which counts against us. Luckily, since the Minor save roll can’t go below -10, the Monster doesn’t fully benefit from the difference in stats. The final part of the formula refers to additional modifiers that can affect the roll. For example, the Umazen Aspis that provides a -20 when you try to inflict paralysis onto your foe, making it harder for them to resist. This isn’t capped, so you can stack as many of these modifiers as you like (or can get hold of!) to increase your chances.
Remember here that the player also gets END/50 to resist any incoming status effects too. Currently, the monster also receives this bonus (we're currently unsure whether this is intentional!). Add all these together, and you can calculate the chance of inflicting the status within a particular save roll. If you don’t want to do this yourself, here is a handy calculator to do it for you (you can also use this one if you prefer)!
The potency and duration of each status depends on how much damage is sacrificed in order to power it. Sacrifice more damage (or other resources) on an item, and you should see those values increase. This value varies depending on the status. We’ll go through some of the more common ones below.
Damage over Time (DoT) Statuses
True to their namesake, DoT statuses inflict damage over an extended period of time. This damage is dealt at the end of the opponent's turn. The two most common types of DoT are Burns and Poisons. Both of these statuses deal damage over a fixed period of time (noted as Duration). The Power of each status determines how much damage it deals. A Power: 1 Burn/Poison with a Duration of 1 round is worth 10% Melee. We can calculate the final power of each status via the following formula:
Power: % Melee / save / 10 * ( 85 / [Player Accuracy]) / Turns
The save component of this formula refers to the base chance for a status to successfully inflict (note this applies before the calculation described in the Save Roll section). Please see this part of the Damage for more information on Melee%. For example, assuming a spell with +3 bth sacrifices 100% Melee to inflict a burn with a base 50% chance of being resisted and a duration of 3 turns:
Power: 100 / 0.5 / 10 * ( 85 / 88) / 3 = 6.44
You might notice that a Power: 6.44 Burn for 3 rounds would be worth 192% Melee. The reason for this increase is the save. Half the time, you're expected to get nothing from your significant investment. Accuracy also affects the calculation, because the status won't be attempted if the attack misses. You can find out more about accuracy in my last post.
There are also some rarer forms of DoT statuses. Firstly, Regeneration acts as a DoT that applies healing damage to the player. There are two main differences with this status: 1). Power 1 regeneration is worth 100% Melee instead of 10%, and 2). there is often no save roll as it is applied to the player. The formula to calculate regeneration power is:
% Melee / save * (100 / [Player Accuracy]) / Turns
You may also notice that the accuracy value is (100 / [Player Accuracy]) rather than (85 / [Player Accuracy]). This is because Regeneration has no autohit penalty. Jeanne has, in the past, argued that certain statuses need to take account of autohit penalties for the sake of consistency. Another Important DoT variant is Bleed, which has no fixed duration. This kind of status calculates expected duration using the base save rate:
Power: % Melee / Duration / 100 * ( 85 / [Player Accuracy]) Duration: 1 / Save – 1
For example, assuming a 30% chance to end on a +0bth weapon that invests 50% melee on Bleed:
Duration: 1 / 0.3 – 1 = 2.33 Power: 50 / 2.33 / 100 * ( 85 / 85) = 0.2
We also have prismatic burns. These function like regular burns, but have two important differences. Firstly, they have a (132/109) because they deal damage from all 8 standard elements. Secondly, a /8 penalty applies because, although only one number is displayed, these burns work by dealing one burn hit from each of the 8 standard elements. These are then condensed into a non-elemental (white question mark) hit for the sake of convenience.
Power: % Melee / Save * (132/109) / 8 / 10 * (85 / [Player Accuracy]) / Turns
Finally, we have the most recent DoT mechanic to be released, Spore. This status differentiates itself from Poisons, Burns and Bleeds in two distinct ways: (i) The status is permanent (i.e. it never dispels), and (ii) it increases in power over time. Spore starts at a set power, which is multiplied by 1.15 each turn, up to a set cap. Once it reaches this cap, the spore will then start to heal the player [NB: Currently, spore heals regardless of power, but this should be viewed as a bug until officially confirmed otherwise]. Why 1.15? Because this is sufficient for the spore to deal the equivalent of double the original power of the status over 10 rounds, the assumed duration of a battle. Therefore, when calculating the value of a spore, we account for it both (i) lasting an entire battle and (ii) it dealing the equivalent value of a status worth twice its base power, due to it growing over time:
Power: % Melee / Save / 10 / 2 * (85 / [Player Accuracy]) / 10
Like poisons and burns, a Power 1 Spore is worth 10% melee per turn.
We can calculate the actual damage for Poisons and Burn, but it’s extremely complicated and I really don’t recommend you do it. With that said, the available formulas for both are below. The damage from DoT statuses is typically halved when they also heal resources by the damage dealt e.g., Psionic Link
DoT damage calculation:
Base Damage: [Expected player damage] * 2/3 * [Modifier]
Random Damage: [Expected player damage] * 2/3 * [Modifier]
These attacks receive no stat damage and automatically hit. Calculating expected player damage is too complicated to discuss in detail here, as it takes into account expected player stats (see the calculations here). The important point to remember: Expected player damage is 404 at Level 150.
The Modifier in the above calculations depends upon the status:
- For Bleed and Regen use Status Power
- For Burn, Poison, Prismatic Burn, and Spiritual Seed, use [Status Power / 10]
- For Control, use 0.1
As with other attacks, average status damage is calculated as Base + [Random Damage / 2].
Disease
Disease is a mechanic that prevents healing. It reduces the healing damage dealt to HP/MP/SP (different diseases will target different resources) by the amount stated. The way to calculate the amount of HP/MP/SP disease when applied to a monster is:
Disease Power: % Melee / Save / 1.4
This calculation is based on the HP/MP/SP costs to use skills at any given level. For example, at Level 150, you typically spend 392 SP to use a standard skill (100% Melee comes from your turn damage, meaning that 392 SP is worth 100% Melee. I discuss all of this in greater detail here). As such, if you were to apply an SP disease to the monster with a +0 (50/50) Save Bonus worth 15% Melee, this would be calculated as:
Disease Power: (392 * 0.15) / 0.5 / 1.4 = 84 SP
Disease has no set duration; it can only be cleared by fully regenerating the amount of HP/MP/SP the disease is worth. Your per-turn SP regeneration counts towards this limit. Until you clear it, you won't be able to heal that resource.
Inaction Statuses
Inaction statuses either reduce the power of your foe's attacks, or preventing them from attacking outright, I discuss 5 of these statuses here: Paralysis, Daze, Fear, Choke, and Control.
Daze and Fear both have a chance to prevent your foe from attacking. Choke is more consistent, reducing the damage output of your foe's attacks by a certain percentage. The power of all three can, however, be calculated in exactly the same way:
% Reduction: % Melee / Save / 0.85 / 1.4 * ( 85 / [Player Accuracy ] ) / Turns
A /1.4 modifier is applied because monsters deal 140% melee (see this post!). As in the DoT status section, we also modify the reduction by the accuracy of the attack attempting the status, as well as its duration. For example, assuming we invested 100% Melee into a Daze with a 50% base save rate for 2 turns on a skill with a -3bth lean:
% Reduction/Inaction: 100 / 0.5 / 0.85 / 1.4 * ( 85 / 82 ) / 2 = 87.1%
Paralysis is essentially a Fear/Daze that has a 100% chance of inaction. We can calculate its cost by rearranging the formula:
% Melee Cost: 140 * Save * 0.85 / ( [Player Accuracy] / 85 ) * Turns
Control takes this further by also including a DoT component to the inaction, The damage component is worth 10% melee. Assuming we have a 100% chance of inaction, the cost is:
% Melee Cost: (140 * 0.85 + 10) * Save / ( [Player Accuracy] / 85 ) * Turns
Put simply, the status is worth approximately 129% Melee before before saves and duration are taken into account.
Two variants to point out in this section are Sleep and Panic, which lack a fixed duration. The reduction for Panic follows:
% Reduction: % Melee / Duration / 1.4 / 0.85 * (85 / [Player Accuracy] ) Duration: 1 / save – 1
Sleep is similar, but like paralysis must add to a 100% chance of inaction.
% Melee Cost: 140 * 0.85 * Duration * (85 / [Player Accuracy] ) Duration: 1 / save – 1
You may also notice that there’s a /0.85 (or *0.85) in each of these formulas, which is there due to accuracy assumptions. I personally disagree with its inclusion, as I believe accuracy goes hand in hand with the Player Turn Formula. By removing it, we imply our turns are not worth 140% melee as 15% of that value is always wasted. Although this seems minor given the monster is also subject to this system, it could have important implications for other game mechanics.
Damage Vulnerability Statuses
Elemental Vulnerability (often shortened to Elevun) causes you to deal more damage when you hit with a certain element. You can calculate the power using the following formula:
Power: % Melee / save / 1.4 / 0.85 * 85 / [Player Accuracy] / Turns
The /1.4 penalty exists because it applies to the player's pets and guests as well as the player themselves. It also receives a /0.85 bonus because the player needs to hit with an attack in order to take advantage of the vulnerability. This is further modified by the accuracy of the attack attempting to inflict the vulnerability (hence why accuracy is accounted for twice).
Freeze and Freeze-like effects (Thermal Shock, Petrify, Spirit Rend, HyperSalinated, and WindSwept) are essentially 1 turn paralysis statuses with a 20/13 damage (this assumes you deal damage against 200% resistances rather than 130% base resistances expected for the monster's weakest elemental resistance. You can calculate its value via:
% Melee Cost: (( 140% Melee * 7 / 13 * 0.85 ) + ( 140% Melee * 0.85 )) * [Save] * ([Player Accuracy] / 85) * Turns
The first two bracketed components deal with the cost for Elemental vulnerability and the Paralysis respectively. Both receive *0.85 modifiers for different reasons. As stated above, Elemental vulnerability only matters if you hit your opponent with following attacks. In paralysis, the monster is only assumed to only hit 85% of the time. The cost is also modified by the save rate, player accuracy, and the duration of the status. To simplify, a Freeze with a Duration of 1 turn is worth 183% Melee before the save and player accuracy modifies it.
MRM Statuses
These statuses affect the accuracy of you and your foe's attacks, either by modifying the MRM of the target, or changing the accuracy of the attack itself. The most well-known of these is blindness. You can calculate the bth reduction using the following formula:
Power (bth lost): % Melee / Save / 1.4 [* 0.85] * (85 / [Player Accuracy]) / Turns
Please also note that Defence Loss (a.k.a Defloss) is calculated in exactly the same way and has the same effects. The Cold works as both a Defloss and Blind combined, with its effects split evenly between the two statuses. Officially the bth formula above does not include the *0.85. However, I have added it because it is incorporated in a large number of cases (AQ is nothing but consistently inconsistent!). The duration of the status, like Panic/Sleep/etc. is not fixed. You can calculate the individual reduction via:
Bth/MRM Lost: % Melee / Duration [* 0.85] / 1.4 / 2 * 85 / [Player Accuracy]Duration: 1 / Save - 1
The /2 in the formula accounts for the split between BTH and MRM loss.
You can improve your accuracy via statuses (increase your bth with the bth boost status). The save and accuracy of this status is ommitted because the effect usually has no save and will automatically land.
Power (bth gained): % Melee * 0.85 / Turns
Alternatively, you have the option to deliberately decrease your accuracy via the berserk status effect. Unlike the other statuses above, this effect doesn't cost anything because it essentially acts as a large bth lean (see this post). The damage bonus you receive from the bth reduction can be calculated as:
Damage multiplier: 1 * 85 / (85 - [bth reduction])
For example, a -15 bth berserk would provide a 1 * 85 / (85 - 15) = 1.21 multiplier to your attack damage.
Shield Statuses
There are multiple types of shield `Status` you can apply. Two of these, Chi shield and Mana shield, can almost not be considered statuses at all. These effects essentially store healing damage dealt to the player e.g., through Gandolphin, as well as the total SP/MP cost of casting the skill/spell. An efficiency value is then calculated to as a form of damage absorption. By the time the status runs out, you'll have consumed both the HP healing dealt by the attack, as well as the casting cost. Barriers work in a similar, absorbing an amount relative to the damage of an expected Melee attack. The difference is you pay this cost up-front, so resources aren't consumed as the barrier is used up. It's best to think about these statuses as delayed healing spells.
Elemental shields are slightly different, calculated similarly to Inaction statuses and Choke.
% Reduction: % Melee / 1.4 / Turns
Instant Death
The Skullcrusher Barrage Spell in August 2024 brought with it 'Dying', an indispellable status with the same effect as Power Word Die, activating at the end each turn. With this in mind, I thought it would be worth noting the base value of instant death:
% Melee Cost: 1400% Melee
This is the same as 10 player (+ Pet) turns, the expected number of turns it takes to defeat a normal monster in the Player Turn Formula. Skullcrusher barrage deals 200% Melee in damage and pays the other 1200% by (i) 38% Melee in Spell damage, (ii) 10% Melee in Mastercraft bonus, and (iii) the effect only activating 4% of the time [(38+10)/0.04 = 1200% Melee]
Misc. Status Info
- I've chosen not to discuss status potency because its value and power are extremely inconsistent across the board.
- Status should receive *0.9 and *0.6 penalties we're they're either "always useful" (i.e. apply neutrally e.g., harm) or "omni-elemental" (apply to all the standard elements e.g., if an elemental shield defended against every element, including harm/void). In practice, these penalties are applied extremely inconsistently, as explained by Lvl1Kael in this post
- Hypercritical increases the chance for your attacks to critical hit. Currently, the status is valued at 10% melee per 10% LS chance for 1 round. According to Jeanne however, the ratio should be closer to 15% melee for each 10% increase in critical hit ratio.
- Initiative bonus is worth 5% melee
- The elemental scamble and lean change effects of Prime Chaos Orb don't technically cost anything at all, though in the past a small arbitrary penalty of 2% has been applied to similar scramble effects.
- I've also chosen to ignore Stat reduction statuses like Entangled because the value of these statuses has changed following the stat update. Fragile is particularly special because, unlike just about every other status in the game, you are provided with absolutely no value should you fail to kill the monster before the it ends.
- There are plenty of other statuses I haven't mentioned, including being eaten (yes, that's a real status), earthen fist, and necrotic link. Have an explore to see what other statuses are out there!
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