First off, this isn't a new problem since LU27, it's been around every since DOF. Zanders (the level 35 skill for bards) is a debuff of 490 to all magical mitigations. Now, I go to a group of level 60 mobs, cast banshee which has a set DOT and observe the damage of 248 per tick. Then I apply zanders, and notice the damage to be 248 per tick <- change of 0 dmg. So I do this again, first putting on Verlien's (the dirge disease debuff of 2080). The dot on banshee ticks for 290. But then, after I put zanders on, which would provide an additional 490 debuff makin the net 2570, the damage is 288. That's about the end of this post. But let me say i tested this same thing in a duel where one coudl observe the resists going up and down. And Zanders DOES indeed make the resists of your opponent less, but still makes the damage do less... I'm so confused but this needs to be fixed or something!. -Stilpon
Yep, this has been known for quite a while now since its been tested a couple of times by some people who have posted here in the distant past that gave figures and such. Newer Dirges seem to think Zanders is worth it just because it does infact lower the targets resists, but wont take advise that it doesnt change any damage ratings.
Hey! I stillpost here But, yeah above level 50 Zander's actually increases the percentage of a mob to resist and the higher the level of the mob the more it increases it. You'll see the same effect if you use one of the lower level versions of verlien's. It pretty much has to do with the small amount it debuffs on a mob. As the mobs get higher the point in which it does this flip in function gets higher. The level gap in which this is going to happen for Verlien's is such that you'll neve have to worry about it. It's not like your going to be casting your level 7 or 23 Verlien's on lvl 70 mobs. The issue comes up with Xander's cause debuffing 490 comes under that magic number where the debuffing switches and it never upgrades. My guess is somewhere in the engine where it does the math to calculate the diminishing returns of debuffs that instead of the function getting closer and closer to zero, it actually passes zero and goes to the otherside. Most probably because someone tok a short cut and just aimed it to hit zero at level 50, but not having a clue how to program that or how it even looks in the code I'm jus taking random stabs in the dark here.
Nah... a 500 resist debuff, while not earth-shaking, still represents 10% resistance difference at level 50 and *should* represent a ~7% resistance debuff at level 70... that shouldn't be under any threshhold. Unless the dev team has changed the way resistances work (and usually, they still work right...) It's just bugged... and maybe resistance percentages are bugged too, since there's some WONKY values displayed. Of course they may have changed them to be nonlinear... Message Edited by Godstalk on 09-07-2006 10:18 AM
I havent had a chance to test this since the last update but. Try this. Form a group with a Wizard or a Conjurer or or an Illusionist. Add Zanders and look at thier damage before and after. You should see a slight increase in their damage. Then add trick of the hunter, you should see more damage. Add a chaos doll your gonna see more. Hit the mob with Garasins and your going to see even more damage. The usefullness of Zanders above 50 has always been streaky. I really think they need to fix it. Right now the 500 it gives isnt worth the power to keep it up IMO. If Im with a Necro or a SK or someone else desease or poison based I use Verleens and Garasins. If you dont see extra damage from that combo something is seriously borked.
