Diablo 4 has introduced significant changes to its damage formula, reshaping how critical strikes, vulnerability, and various multipliers impact your overall damage. This guide delves deep into these shifts, highlighting their effects on gameplay, and how they might influence your build decisions.

• Overview of Changes to Damage Formula
• Real-World Impact on Builds
• Damage Formula in Practice
• Additional Formula Changes
• Vampire Powers and New Items

↖ Overview of Changes to Damage Formula

Previously, when players critically struck a vulnerable enemy, factors like base damage, critical strike damage, vulnerability damage, main stat, and additive multipliers were all considered to determine the damage. This formula has been simplified:

• Critical Strike Damage: No matter the amount of crit strike damage, players will receive an additional 50% damage.
• Vulnerability: Players will only gain an additional 20% damage.

These values are then added to the additive multipliers, making it akin to specific damage types like versus Burning.

Implication: Previously, making an enemy vulnerable could lead to substantial damage increases. This new formula reduces the gap, making vulnerability less crucial.

↖ Real-World Impact on Builds

• Barbarian Example: In the past, missing a vulnerable enemy could lead to an 80% damage loss. This gap has been significantly reduced, potentially reshaping the importance of certain skills and stats.
• New Approach: While it's still beneficial to have vulnerable enemies, it's no longer as crucial. Players will need to evaluate new ways to enhance their builds, especially with the seasonal content.

↖ Damage Formula in Practice

The new changes can be practically understood using a damage calculator (link provided in the original source). For instance:

A character from season 2 with 180% vulnerable damage will now only receive a 15% damage boost. Comparatively, this is a significant nerf from previous seasons.

↖ Additional Formula Changes

Different classes now have unique multipliers:

• Hemorrhage: Now includes a damage boost based on your damage to vulnerable targets.
• Blood Rage (Barbarian): Increases damage based on your damage while berserking stats.
• Paragon Earth (Druid): Enhances Earth skills based on a combination of critical strike damage and damage versus crowd-controlled enemies.
• Note: Some of these multipliers have caps, and some don't. It will be essential to consider these in your builds.

↖ Vampire Powers and New Items

New vampire powers have been added, offering unique gameplay mechanics:

• Metamorphosis: Evading turns players into a bat cloud, granting Unstoppability and applying the vampire curse.
• Prey the Weak: Increases damage to vulnerable enemies, making the vampire curse even more crucial.

There are also new unique items, like Tibbils Will, which synergizes well with the new powers, enhancing the unstoppable trait and resource management.

Conclusion:

The new damage formula in Diablo 4 encourages players to rethink their builds, integrating new skills, multipliers, and items. The vampire powers, in particular, add an exciting layer to gameplay. As always, adaptability and experimentation will be key to mastering the game in the wake of these changes.