Damage Types

There are many different damage types in the game. The damage type of a weapon or enemy's attack can be seen when looked at in the pipbuck weapons section or enemy bestiary (once enough enemies have been killed).

Many damage types have special effects that allow them to do things other damage types can't.

Most damage types have resistances associated with them. Depending on the enemies you're fighting, certain damage types may be more effective than others.

### Damage calculation

Damage is reduced by enemy resistances, armor or magic protection and their damage threshold. Damage is calculated with the following formula:

# d
t
∗
(
1
−
r

/

100
)
−
(
a
−
p
)

{\displaystyle d=t\*(1-r/100)-(a-p)}

Where:

* d

{\displaystyle ~d}

 is the resulting damage.
* t

{\displaystyle ~t}

 is the total damage of the weapon.
* r

{\displaystyle ~r}

 is the resistance of the enemy.
* a

{\displaystyle ~a}

 is the armor/magic protection + damage threshold of the enemy. Value cannot be reduced below 0. If using a damage type that ignores armor or if the damage is internal (burning, poison, bleeding), it is set to 0.
* p

{\displaystyle ~p}

 is the armor piercing of the weapon.

Example: A weapon does 100 damage and has 10 armor piercing, but the enemy has 50% resistance and 20 armor.

# p
10

100
∗
(
1
−
50

/

100
)
−
(
20
−
10
# )
100
∗
0.5
−
# 10
40

{\displaystyle
\begin{array}{lcr}
t=100\\
r=50\\
a=20\\
p=10\\
100\*(1-50/100)-(20-10) = 100\*0.5-10 = 40
\end{array}
}

If the result is below 0, the result is set to 0. Due to the way that resistances are calculated first and armor second, damage can be easily reduced to 0 with high enough resistances and armor.

## Physical damage types

Physical damage types are reduced by both armor and damage threshold stats. They are more common with less technological enemies such as raiders and most animals, when compared to magical damage types.

### Bullet

Bullet damage can mostly be found in Firearms, but can also be found in Energy weapons and Other weapons. It is a mostly straightforward damage type, offering no special effects aside from being a ranged attack. Any weapon that deals bullet damage receives +20% critical damage, or +40% if upgraded.

Many enemies are resistant to bullets, including all ghouls, bloatsprites and necrosprites, making it a less efficient option against them.

Bullet damage is increased by the Frozen status effect.

### Blade

Blade damage (also known as cuts and stubs) can mostly be found in Melee weapons, with the only other source being the Ghost blades spell. Most sources of blade damage can also inflict the Bleeding status effect, for additional bleeding damage.

### Blunt

Blunt damage, similar to blade damage, is mostly found in Melee weapons. Some spells can also inflict it, as well as damage from the Zero point magical field manipulator perk and impact from falling objects. Direct collision with most enemies will also deal blunt damage to you.

With the Stunning strike perk, blunt melee weapons are capable of briefly stunning enemies, while Kinetic blast and the Zero point magical field manipulator perk can stun enemies regardless.

Blunt damage is increased by the Frozen status effect.

### Explosion

Explosion damage (also known as blast) can mostly be found in Explosives, with the only other source being the Deformation wave spell.

Most explosives also have an area of effect, allowing it to hit multiple enemies nearby. All sources of explosion damage can inflict the Contusion status effect, which slows down enemies.

Many weapons that inflict explosion damage also has high destructive power, which combined with the area of effect lets them cause massive environmental damage if you're not careful.

A lot of enemy traps, such as mines, mined safes and grenade bouquets will deal explosion damage, making resistance against it a high priority if you have trouble detecting them.

Explosion damage is increased by the Frozen status effect.

### Natural weapon

Natural weapon damage (also known as teeth and claws) is a damage type exclusive to enemies, and cannot be used by the player.

Most animal enemies, such as rats, radscorpions, bloodwings, bloatsprites and hellhounds will deal natural weapon damage. Additionally bear traps will also deal natural weapon damage.

## Magical damage types

Magical damage types are reduced by both magic protection and damage threshold stats. Most magical damage types will not work in water, so care must be taken where you fight.

### Laser

Laser damage can mostly be found in Energy weapons, but can also be found in Melee weapons and Spells.

Most weapons that deal laser damage will instantly hit your target, allowing easier attacks against moving or distant enemies, including in S.A.T.S. However some enemies, usually armored ones, are resistant to it.

Most weapons can also inflict the Blind status effect on enemies, reducing the accuracy of their own attacks.

Enemy bodies quickly disintegrate when damaged by laser attacks.

### Plasma

Plasma damage can mostly be found in Energy weapons. All other weapon types except Other weapons also have ways of inflicting it.

Compared to laser damage, plasma usually offers high damage per shot with less enemies resisting it, but is more expensive to keep using it and has lower range. Additionally plasma weapons suffer -20% critical damage, or -40% if upgraded. This includes all weapons and spells that inflict plasma damage, but excludes special ammo types.

Plasma is the most destructive out of all the magical damage types, with most weapons being capable of destroying concrete.

Enemy bodies quickly disintegrate when damaged by plasma attacks.

### Fire

Fire damage can mostly be found in Energy weapons. All other weapon types except Firearms also have ways of inflicting it.

Most fire weapons have an extremely high rate of fire but low damage per shot and range, resulting in very high DPS against unarmored or lightly armored enemies, but almost no damage to heavily armored enemies.

Fire damage is decreased by the Frozen and Soaking wet status effects.

Fire weapons have a very high chance of inflicting the Burning status effect, causing constant fire damage and forcing enemies to run constantly. The constant damage amount depends on the weapon used.

### Freezing

Freezing damage (also known as frost) is a rare damage type that can be found in Energy weapons, Explosives and Spells. Very few enemies inflict it, including the rare cryoslime and Enclave officers with a cryolator.

Freezing weapons can inflict Frozen, which slows down targets and makes them take more bullet, blunt and explosion damage, but less fire damage.

Freezing damage is increased by the Soaking wet status effect.

Despite being a magical damage type, it can work underwater, giving Energy weapons users an option when fighting in said locations, especially since enemies will always have Soaking wet.

Enemy bodies quickly disintegrate when damaged by freezing attacks.

### Lightning

Lightning damage (also known as Electric) can be found in Melee weapons, Energy weapons and Spells. Many robots are capable of using lightning damage. Alicorns use it as their primary attack method.

Most lightning attacks have infinite range, meaning they will never miss a target no matter how far away they are. However lightning attacks also have slow projectile speeds which gives targets a chance to move out of the way. Lightning damage also requires the target to be standing on the ground to deal full damage, otherwise it only does half damage.

Lightning weapons can inflict the Short circuit status effect when used against robots, including the Robo-owl companion.

Lightning damage is increased by the Soaking wet status effect.

Electric fence and electric traps are dangerous hazards that deal high amounts of lightning damage, making resistance against it a high priority.

### Acid

Acid damage is a rare damage type found only in Explosives and Other weapons. Some enemies can inflict it, such as acid bloatsprites, bloatsprite nests, awful slimes and ripper ghouls. All ghouls are highly resistant against it.

Acid damage does much higher damage to armor than most weapons, making it useful when removing an opponent's armor before using low damage, high fire rate weapons. Some sources of acid can inflict the Acid burn status effect, which slowly does damage to both health and armor.

Enemy bodies quickly disintegrate when damaged by acid attacks, however it's use is debatable due to ghouls being the main reason you would want to disintegrate bodies.

### Stellar blaze

Stellar blaze damage is a rare damage type only inflicted by high level Energy weapons and Spells. No enemy inflicts this damage type.

Most enemies however have a secret 30% resistance to stellar blaze damage, on top of magic protection and damage threshold still reducing the damage (instead of being ignored, as hinted by descriptions). This results in the damage type being far weaker then what one would expect of it's rarity.

Enemy bodies quickly disintegrate when damaged by stellar blaze attacks.

## Other damage types

Other damage types completely ignore any armor, magic protection and damage threshold, making them effective against all enemies that do not have any resistances against it.

### EMP

EMP damage is a rare damage type found only in Energy weapons and Explosives. No enemy inflicts this damage type.

EMP damage exclusively does damage to robots and Steel Rangers. All other enemies are completely immune to it, making it useless to attack them with it. It has a high chance to inflict the Short circuit status effect on robots, including the Robo-owl companion, which stuns them briefly.

Most large robots have slightly higher resistances to EMP then displayed, equivalent to taking 20% less damage (50% resistance is actually 60%, for example).

If an EMP explosion hits you, it will inflict the Pipbuck disable status effect, which temporarily disables your hud, all pipbuck functions and S.A.T.S., leaving you extremely vulnerable. Hotkeys will still work however.

### Toxic gas

Toxic gas damage is a damage type exclusive to enemies and hazards, and cannot be used by the player.

Gas clouds within the Sewers, raging ghouls, Ultra-sentinel and Steel Rangers all inflict toxic gas damage. The player's own gaseous grenades however do not.

### Poison

Poison damage is almost exclusively inflicted via the Poison status effect. Players can inflict the status effect using the dart gun and "Viper's bite", or deal direct poison damage with gaseous grenades.

Damage done by the status effect will be increased as the duration goes up, making repeated application more and more deadly. However the DPS is low regardless, requiring large amounts of time to deal any amounts of significant damage.

Robots are completely immune to poison damage, making it useless to attack them with it. Additionally most tougher enemies including bosses are also resistant to it, making it an ineffective damage type in many hard battles.

Antidotes can be used to remove the Poison status effect, as well as grant 50% resistance to poison for a short time.

### Bleeding

Bleeding damage is only inflicted via the Bleeding status effect. Most weapons that inflict blade damage can also inflict Bleeding, including when held by enemies. Bloodwings, bloody radscorpions and Blood Moon will also inflict Bleeding.

Bleeding damage also lowers your blood as well as your health, making prolonged bleeding effects dangerous in 2 different ways.

Damage done by the status effect will be increased as the duration goes up, making repeated application more and more deadly. However the DPS is low regardless, requiring large amounts of time to deal any amounts of significant damage.

Robots are completely immune to bleeding damage, making it useless to attack them with it.

There is almost no resistance to bleeding damage, but charmed bandages can be used to remove large amounts of the status effect.

### Balefire

Balefire damage is a rare damage type exclusive to high level Explosives. No enemy can inflict it, and only 2 enemy balefire mines exist in the whole game.

It deals tremendously high amounts of damage in a massive area around the explosion, destroying almost every wall and door in it's blast zone.

Despite the extreme power of this damage type, most enemies have a secret 30% resistance to balefire damage, making it slightly weaker than expected.

### Death

Death damage (also known as black magic) is a rare damage type only inflicted by high level Melee weapons and Spells. Certain Canterlot enemies can inflict it, including canterlot ghouls, necrosprites and Mchavi. Transmitters will also inflict death damage.

Robots are completely immune to death damage, making it useless to attack them with it. Most enemies have a secret 30% resistance to death damage, making it slightly weaker than expected.

There is almost no resistance to death damage aside from Warlock's amulet and the Black Book, making dealing with it a problem. Thankfully resistances are only necessary when at Canterlot, and can safely be ignored when not there.

### Pink Cloud

Pink Cloud damage is a rare damage type only found in Canterlot. It cannot be inflicted by players, only hazards and enemies such as horrible scorpio, bloated ghoul and pink bloatsprite can inflict it. Additionally horrible scorpio and Mchavi can inflict the Poisoning by the Pink Cloud status effect, which deals damage every second.

There is almost no resistance to Pink Cloud damage aside from the Black Book. Wearing any armor will increase it's damage by 50%, making using armor near sources of Pink Cloud a risk. Thankfully resistances are only necessary when at Canterlot, and can safely be ignored when not there.

### Kindness rays

Kindness rays damage is exclusively used by the Friendship cannon. No other weapon, hazard or enemy can inflict it.

Unlike other rare and powerful damage types such as stellar blaze, balefire and death, kindness rays suffers from no secret resistances and ignores armor, making it extremely powerful against any enemy.

Enemy bodies quickly disintegrate when damaged by kindness rays attacks.