DoT Stacking
Contents |
Definition
Damage Over Time is also known as DoT
As the the term suggests, it is damage applied over successive seconds as opposed to one single burst. Generally used to simulate, burning or poisoning.
For example:
- Rank 15 Ring of Fire-
- "...burns up to 12 enemies by sending out a wave of fire bolts in a 360 degree radius. Each bolt deals between 200 to 1402 Fire Damage and has a chance to inflict between 327 to 1854 Fire Damage over 3 seconds."
- The 200 to 1402 would be instantaneous damage.
- The 327 to 1854 over 3 seconds is Damage Over Time, which works out to 109 to 618 damage every second for 3 seconds.
DoT Stacking
The intention is to give your target multiple things to worry about. First off you hit em with a gas blast. While, they're doing their best to cough up their lung and are retching terribly, you hit 'em with a Ring of Fire. Now they're burning on top of the shot of mustard gas you piled on them in the first place. As if that wasn't enough to REALLY make their day, you call on the almighty gosh and do your best impression of Ghost Rider by tugging on their being with Soul Rend.
So now your target is trying to find a gas mask, while doing the old stop-drop-and-roll and simultaneously conducting an exorcism to try and save their mortal soul. You're just sitting there watching his desperate antics and remember that you're all charged up and can start all over again! Woot!
DoT Stacking is term used to describe when a target is being affected by multiple DoT's skills at any given time.
For example:
- If a player could hit a target with max ranks of Gaseous Blast, Ring of Fire, and Soul Rend.
- The damage would looks something like:
| Time | Gaseous Blast | Ring of Fire | Soul Rend |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 Sec. | Cast | none | none |
| 1 Sec. | DoT | (Cast) + Initial Damage | none |
| 2 Sec. | DoT | DoT | Cast |
| 3 Sec. | DoT | DoT | DoT |
| 4 Sec. | DoT | DoT | DoT |
| 5 Sec. | Cool Down | Cool Down | DoT |
| 6 Sec. | Cool Down | Cool Down | Cool Down |
| 7 Sec. | Cool Down | Cool Down | Cast |
| 8 Sec. | Cool Down | Cool Down | DoT |
| 9 Sec. | Cool Down | (Cast) + Initial Damage | DoT |
| 10 Sec. | Cast | DoT | DoT |
| 11 Sec. | ... | ... | ... |
- So for the 3rd, 4th and 5th seconds of this sequence, the target is suffering damage from all 3 spells.
What Spells Stack?
Different Spells Do
All different spells will stack on each other regardless of which caster casts it.
Example:
- Player 1 casts the above sequence of Gaseous Blast, Ring of Fire and Soul Rend
- Player 2 could be using Noxious Shot and Poison Shot.
Results:
- All of these skills DoT can and will stack on top of each other.
Same Spells Cast by Different Players Do
The cool downs of spells are such that a single player can NOT cast the same offensive DoT spell before the previous one runs out. The only time same DoT spells will stack is when they are cast by different players/group members.
Example:
- Player 1 casts the above sequence of Gaseous Blast, Ring of Fire and Soul Rend
- Player 2 casts Ring of Fire during the 2nd Second
Results:
- Player 2's Ring of Fire would stack on Player 1's and BOTH DoT levels would be applied simultaneously where they overlap.
The Exceptions: Non-DoT and Speed Effects
Some skills have a limit as to how many times the effects (Reduced Attack Speed or Reduced Movement Speed) and/or DoT can be stacked.
For example:
- Dark Conniption speed effects can only be stacked 9 times.
- Shiver Shot speed effects can only be stacked 3 times.
Other effects have limits with in the game that can NOT be passed either in PvE or possibly different limits in PvP.
For example:
- Attack Speed Debuff (Reduction): The minimum attack speed for all players is 75% of normal. Normal attack speed depends on what item(s) you are currently wielding.