Combat System
Aetheria uses a Canary-faithful combat system with detailed damage formulas, defense calculations, hit chance tables, and death penalties.
Attack Speed
| Attacker | Base Speed | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Player (all vocations) | 2000ms | Vocation base attack speed |
| Creature | 1500ms default | Each monster has its own attack interval; 1500ms when unspecified |
Damage Formula
Melee
max damage = round(0.085 × stance factor × weapon attack × skill) + level ÷ 5
Distance
max damage = round(0.09 × stance factor × skill × weapon attack) + level ÷ 5
| Stance | Stance Factor |
|---|---|
| Offensive | 1.0 |
| Balanced | 0.75 |
| Defensive | 0.5 |
Final damage: a roll between min damage and max damage × vocation damage multiplier
Min damage: level ÷ 5 (melee and distance; halved against players)
Defense Formula
defense = ((shielding skill ÷ 4 + 2.23) × defense value × stance factor × weapon scaling) × vocation defense multiplier
| Stance | Stance Factor |
|---|---|
| Offensive | 0.5 |
| Balanced | 0.75 |
| Defensive | 1.0 |
| Weapon Type | Scaling |
|---|---|
| Shield | 0.16 |
| Weapon | 0.146 |
| Fist | 0.15 |
Armor Formula
armor = total equipment armor × vocation armor multiplier
No stance modifier — stance only affects defense, not armor.
Block Sequence
When a creature attacks a player, defense is checked in order:
- Defense (shield) check — damage is reduced by a random roll between half and full defense. If it reaches 0, the hit is fully blocked (puff effect) and armor is skipped.
- Armor check — damage is reduced by a random roll between half and full armor (armor above 3), or by 1 (armor 1-3). If it reaches 0, the hit is absorbed (block effect).
- Absorb % — remaining damage is reduced by your equipment's absorb percentage.
- Minimum 1 damage if no block occurred.
Hit Chance
| Weapon Type | Hit Chance | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Melee / Wand | 100% | Always hit |
| Distance | Skill-based | 3 max hit chance tiers (75/90/100) × 7 distance ranges. Item hitchance overrides if non-zero. |
Skill Tries
| Skill | Tries on Hit | Tries on Block | Tries on Immune |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melee | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Distance | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Shielding | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Death Penalty
Level ≥ 24
loss % = ((effective level + 50) × 50 × (effective level² − 5×effective level + 8)) ÷ total experience
Where effective level = level + progress toward next level
Level < 24
Flat 10% XP loss. Blessings cap at 50% reduction.
Blessings
Each blessing reduces loss by 8% (up to 5 blessings = 40% reduction).
Final: XP lost = total experience × loss % × (1 − blessing reduction)
Death Recap
The death window recaps the damage taken before death — every attacker with their dominant element, total damage, and share of the whole — plus the killing blow. Bound items (such as the starter kit) are never dropped on death. See Spectating & Replays for killcam playback.
Combat Stances
| Stance | Attack | Defense | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Offensive | +50% | -50% | Maximizing damage output |
| Balanced | Normal | Normal | General gameplay |
| Defensive | -50% | +100% | Tanking, surviving |
Set with the combat controls next to your inventory. Persists across sessions.
Monster Tiers
Monsters are classified into tiers based on their XP value. Higher tiers are tougher and drop better loot. Tiers T9-T15 are reserved for future endgame content.
| Tier | XP Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| T1 | < 20 XP | Rats, spiders, low-level trash |
| T2 | 20-79 XP | Early-game monsters |
| T3 | 80-299 XP | Low-mid game |
| T4 | 300-999 XP | Mid game |
| T5 | 1,000-4,999 XP | First tier with notable loot |
| T6 | 5,000-19,999 XP | Void Outpost content (Emberwatch) |
| T7 | 20,000-49,999 XP | Void Knight, high-tier undead |
| T8 | 50,000+ XP | Void Outpost content (Vanguard) |
| T9-T15 | future | Reserved for future content |
Tier is calculated from XP at runtime. Higher tiers drop more gold and better loot — the exact scaling is left for players to discover.