Energy Absorption

Elemental absorption reduces the amount of damage the wearer takes by the percentage specified after all other protections and resistances have been penetrated.

Energy absorption is not displayed on the character sheet and it is not always clear what stacks. During the early years, the popular belief was that different degrees of elemental absorption stack.

Tests from 2014 by Eth and others seem to indicate that:

• In general, only one item-based source of absorption applies. Not always the highest %.
• This single item stacks with all non-item sources of absorption.
• Heroic green steel elemental absorption weapons might be an exception and they seem to stack with everything.

As for the math, do not simply add the various absorption rates (e.g. 10% + 15% does not equal 25%), you multiply them (0.9 * 0.85 = 0.765; for a 23.5% reduction).

Examples

• A character wearing a pair of Firestorm Greaves * Fire resistance (10 points)
  * Fire Absorption 33% gets hit for 130 fire damage from a trap.

1. The Fire Resistance Fire Resistance: This property absorbs the first 10 points of fire damage per attack that the wearer would normally take. reduces that by 10. This leaves 120 points of fire damage to be dealt with.
2. The Fire Absorption 33%Fire Absorption 33%: Passive: 33% Enhancement Bonus to Fire Absorption. (Absorption reduces damage from an element by a percentage, after resistance have been taken into account.) reduces that by 33% or 120/3=40. That leaves 80 points of fire damage.
3. The character takes 80 points of fire damage.

• A character wearing a pair of Firestorm Greaves * Fire resistance (10 points)
  * Fire Absorption 33% with CL12+ Protection from Energy: Fire gets hit for 130 fire damage from a trap.

1. The CL12+ Protection from Energy: Fire is fully consumed absorbing a full 120 of fire damage. This leaves 10 points of fire damage to be dealt with.
2. The Fire Resistance Fire Resistance: This property absorbs the first 10 points of fire damage per attack that the wearer would normally take. reduces that by 10. This leaves no fire damage to be dealt with.
3. The Fire Absorption 33%Fire Absorption 33%: Passive: 33% Enhancement Bonus to Fire Absorption. (Absorption reduces damage from an element by a percentage, after resistance have been taken into account.) nothing because all damage has been dealt with.
4. The character takes no fire damage.

• A character wearing a pair of Firestorm Greaves * Fire resistance (10 points)
  * Fire Absorption 33% with CL12+ Protection from Energy: Fire gets hit for 136 fire damage from a trap.

1. The CL12+ Protection from Energy: Fire is fully consumed absorbing a full 120 of fire damage. This leaves 16 points of fire damage to be dealt with.
2. The Fire Resistance Fire Resistance: This property absorbs the first 10 points of fire damage per attack that the wearer would normally take. reduces that by 10. This leaves 6 points fire damage to be dealt with.
3. The Fire Absorption 33%Fire Absorption 33%: Passive: 33% Enhancement Bonus to Fire Absorption. (Absorption reduces damage from an element by a percentage, after resistance have been taken into account.) reduces that by 33% or 6/3=2. That leaves 4 points of fire damage.
4. The character takes 4 points of fire damage.