Ruling · 900.29
Tremor against Armor and Insurance
This rule is part of the Comprehensive Rules, where every cross-reference resolves in one page.
- Question
- Why does Tremor underperform into Armor?
- Answer
- Because it is two damage instances, and the flat Armor reduction is applied to each one.
- 900.29aTremor splits its listed damage as evenly as possible into two hits. On an odd total the first hit takes the extra point, so 55 becomes 28 and 27.
- 900.29bBoth halves are real instances. Armor's percentage reduction is proportional and unaffected, but the flat reduction of 1 per 5 Armor is subtracted twice.
- 900.29cAgainst 40 Armor that is 8 flat damage lost instead of 4 — a fixed tax that hurts small Tremors far more than large ones.
- 900.29dThe split also fires damage reactions twice, which is often worth more than the Armor it loses. Against Insurance it now helps rather than hurts: two 20s are each covered by one point, where 40 as a single instance would have spent two.
- 900.29eShield is consumed twice as well, which can break a Shield with the first half and let the second half reach Vitality.
Worked example
- A Tremor listing 55 damage into a target with 40 Armor and no Shield.
- Percentage reduction from 40 Armor is sqrt(40) / (sqrt(40) + 20) = about 24%.
- First hit: 28 becomes 22 after the percentage step, then 14 after the flat 8.
- Second hit: 27 becomes 21, then 13.
- Total 27 Vitality damage. The same 55 as one instance would have dealt 34.
See also Tremor Insurance Shield AoE
Rules 500.2 Armor