Optimize your build with our professional DS3 Damage Calculator. This tool calculates the final damage dealt to enemies or players by factoring in Attack Rating (AR), Target Defense, and Damage Absorption.
DS3 Damage Calculator
DS3 Damage Calculator Formula:
The calculation follows a piecewise function based on the ratio ($x$) of $AR / DEF$:
- If $x \ge 8$: $Dmg = AR \times 0.9$
- If $x > 1$: $Dmg = AR \times [0.9 – 0.4 \times (3 – x)^2 / 49]$
- If $x \le 1$: $Dmg = AR \times [0.1 + 0.1 \times (x)^2 \times 3]$ (Approx)
Final Damage = $Dmg \times (1 – Absorption / 100)$
Formula Source: Fextralife Combat Mechanics | Reddit Mechanics Guide
Variables:
- Attack Rating (AR): The combined physical and elemental power shown in your character sheet.
- Target Defense (DEF): A flat value determined by Soul Level and specific stats (like Vitality).
- Target Absorption: A percentage based on the armor pieces worn and rings like the Steel Protection.
What is DS3 Damage Calculator?
A DS3 Damage Calculator is an essential tool for Dark Souls 3 players looking to maximize their DPS. Unlike many RPGs where defense is a simple subtraction, DS3 uses a complex non-linear scaling system. This ensures that low damage hits are severely punished by flat defense, while massive hits ignore most of it.
Understanding this calculator helps explain why “Split Damage” (weapons with multiple elements) often performs worse than pure physical weapons, even if their total AR is higher. Each damage type must pass through the target’s defense independently.
How to Calculate DS3 Damage (Example):
- Identify your weapon’s AR (e.g., 400 Physical).
- Find the target’s Defense (e.g., 100).
- Calculate the ratio: $400 / 100 = 4$. Since $4 > 1$, we use the mid-tier formula.
- Apply Defense reduction to get base damage.
- Multiply by (1 – Absorption) for the final result.
Related Calculators:
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):
Is split damage always bad? Not always. It is weak if the individual AR components are low compared to the target’s DEF, but can be strong against enemies with specific elemental weaknesses.
Does absorption affect flat defense? No. Flat defense is calculated first, reducing the AR to a “base damage” value. Absorption is then applied as a percentage reduction to that base damage.
How do critical hits work? Critical hits (parries/backstabs) apply a “Motion Value” multiplier to your AR before the defense calculation begins.
What is the cap for defense? There is no hard cap, but it has diminishing returns as your character level increases.