Mechanics (2)

Understand Pillars of Eternity mechanics like Move Speed, Attack Speed, Defences (Deflection, Fortitude, Reflex, Will), Damage Reduction, and Engagement.

Move Speed

Move Speed measures a creature's walking speed, with a nominal value of 4 for normal speed. Bonuses and penalties adjust this base value; for example, the Fast Runner talent grants a +25% boost, while being Blinded halves the speed.

Attack Speed

Attack speed depends on the weapon's usage speed and the character's recovery time between attacks. Some ranged weapons also require reloading. Armour penalizes Recovery Speed.

Weapon attack and recovery times:

• Fast: Club, dagger, fist, flail, hatchet, rapier, shield bash, stiletto (0.66s Attack, 1.11s Recovery)
• Average: Battleaxe, mace, sabre, spear, sword, warhammer (1.0s Attack, 1.66s Recovery)
• Average: Estoc, great sword, morning star, pike, pollaxe, quarterstaff (1.0s Attack, 1.66s Recovery)
• Fast: Hunting bow, scepter, wand (1.0s Attack, 1.66s Recovery, - Reload)
• Average: War bow, rod (1.5s Attack, 2.5s Recovery, - Reload)
• Slow: Crossbow (1.5s Attack, 2.5s Recovery, 3.33s Reload)
• Very slow: Blunderbuss, pistol (1.5s Attack, 2.5s Recovery, 5.0s Reload)
• Very slow: Arbalest (1.5s Attack, 2.5s Recovery, 6.0s Reload)
• Slowest: Arquebus (1.5s Attack, 2.5s Recovery, 6.8s Reload)

Casting Speed

Spells have distinct casting and recovery times. An average spell takes just under 3s to cast and just under 2s to recover. Fast spells take around 1s for both, while slow spells take approximately 4s for casting and 4s for recovery. Due to longer casting times, spells can be interrupted in melee, but slow enemy spells offer a window for interruption.

Engagement

Two characters are engaged if they are using melee weapons, not moving, and have not reached their engagement limit (default 1, can be increased by Talents and Abilities). Moving away from an engaged combatant provokes a disengagement attack. Engagement breaks if a combatant is disabled or engages a different enemy.

Disengagement Attacks

These are free actions that grant the attacker bonuses to Accuracy and Damage.

Attack Resolution

Attack rolls use a d100 roll, adding the attacker's Accuracy and subtracting the target's defence. Results are:

• <= 15: miss
• 16-50: graze (-50% damage or duration)
• 51-100: hit (normal damage or duration)
• > 100: critical hit (+50% damage or duration)

Accuracy must exceed defence for a critical hit chance. Penalties and bonuses are additive; for example, a sneak attack (+50% damage) on a graze results in 100% damage, while a sneak critical results in 200% damage. Items or properties can promote grazes to hits (e.g., Reliable property, 20% chance) or hits to criticals (e.g., Potion of Merciless Gaze, 15% chance), but only one promotion can occur.

Full Attack vs. Primary Attack

When dual-wielding, Primary Attack uses the main-hand weapon, while Full Attack uses both weapons, applying effects twice.

Defences

• Deflection (DEF): Mitigates melee and ranged attacks. Base values vary by class (e.g., Fighter 30, Wizard 10), modified by Resolve score and equipped shield.
• Fortitude (FOR): Resists systemic conditions (poison, disease, knockdowns). Determined by Might and Constitution scores.
• Reflex (REF): Evades area-of-effect attacks. Determined by Dexterity and Perception scores.
• Will (WIL): Resists mental attacks. Determined by Intellect and Resolve scores.

Damage Reduction (DR)

DR subtracts from damage. Pale Elves have +10 DR against Freeze and Burn. DR cannot reduce damage below 20% of its unmodified value.

Interrupts

Actions can be interrupted. The attacker compares d100 + Interrupt score against the target's d100 + Concentration score. A graze reduces the attacker's roll by 25, while a critical hit adds 25. If the attacker's roll exceeds the target's, the target's action is interrupted.