Afflatus Solace - New Cureskin Findings

[RyaWHM]

My original testing after 04.09.2009 update:Test#1, Test#2

http://i685.photobucket.com/albums/v...kintest001.gif

SHORT VERSION:
• Curepot/MND/skill do increase Stoneskin amount
• Stoneskin is 25% of cure amount
• Calculated cure amount determines skin amount
• Amount restored to target does not affect skin amount (cure for zero works)
• Divine Seal doubles the resulting skin amount
• Day/Weather also increase the skin amount appropriately
• Maximum skin amount appears to be 300
• Strong indication that this was changed! (ninja fix? grrr )

EDIT: added maximum, and Divine Seal

Recently, I dug up my tests to answer a question, but I realized I never got around to retesting.

I felt compelled to point out a mistake I made in testing -- the idea was to match HP motion, using Sublimation (-2) with Orochi Nodowa (+1) to cancel out Auto-Regen. However, subli chews outta stoneskin regardless of regen (order of operations) ... so really it would have been WAY more accurate to just skip Subli & Nodowa.

But then, I was so bothered by my mistake that I went back and re-tested it:

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Rya's Afflatus Solace
Cureskin Re-Test
09.29.2009

Rules:
•1000hp -250hp (from devo/martyr) = 750 without skin
•watch auto-refresh to time JA mid-tick (ensures auto-regen doesn't skew things)
•test each cure 3 times
•reset JA timers @ Nomad Moogle for rapid testing

Results:

Spoiler: show

0% potency
newHP@cure# = skinHP

758@1 = 8
758@1 = 8
758@1 = 8

773@2 = 23
773@2 = 23
773@2 = 23

798@3 = 48
798@3 = 48
798@3 = 48

847@4 = 97
847@4 = 97
847@4 = 97

911@5 = 161
911@5 = 161
911@5 = 161


12% potency
newHP@cure# = skinHP

759@1 = 9
759@1 = 9
759@1 = 9

776@2 = 26
776@2 = 26
776@2 = 26

804@3 = 54
804@3 = 54
804@3 = 54

859@4 = 109
859@4 = 109
859@4 = 109

930@5 = 180
930@5 = 180
930@5 = 180


27% potency
newHP@cure# = skinHP

760@1 = 10
760@1 = 10
760@1 = 10

779@2 = 29
779@2 = 29
779@2 = 29

811@3 = 61
811@3 = 61
811@3 = 61

874@4 = 124
874@4 = 124
874@4 = 124

957@5 = 207
957@5 = 207
957@5 = 207

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So basically, cure potency does affect skin amount, and I don't just mean "+potency" gear, I mean the actual calculated cure amount!

I made this other distinction by fine-tuning MND a bit while maintaining 27% and 1000hp. I used Furen's calc to find my cure value, then took a measurement of my actual cureskin:

@ 81mnd/0%pot/276skill
Cure V should be 644hp
results: 911hp = 161skin (161/644 = 25.00%)

@ 83mnd/27%pot/276skill
Cure V should be 821hp
results: 955hp = 205skin (205/821 = 24.96%)

@ 106mnd/27%pot/276skill
Cure V should be 866hp
results: 966hp = 216skin (216/866 = 24.94%)

Conclusions:
• the cure amount (even if it lands for zero) does affect cureskin amount
• cureskin appears to be 25% of the cure amount



What's interesting, though, is that in spite of my inferior method of testing when it first came out, I definitely did not see this huge of a fluctuation in skin amount. Yes, they would vary by a few HP depending on how long Subli had to nibble on the skin, but certainly not to the extent that I saw this time (lowest tested 5skin was 161, highest was 216):

Prev test: c5 @ 640 = 156 skin
This test: c5 @ 644 = 161 skin

Prev test: c5 @ 812 = 156 skin
This test: c5 @ 821 = 205 skin

Yeah, I'm 99% confident that they changed this since I tested it last...
In any case, it's good to know~

[RyaWHM]

Update:
Tested Divine Seal and possible cap on skin amount (350?)

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Divine Seal:

Just a quick test. Same idea as the stuff above.

@83mnd/27%pot/276skill
Cure III should be 247hp; DS=494
results: 811hp = 61 skin (61/247 = 24.69%)
withDS: 873hp = 123 skin (123/494 = 24.89%)
(successfully doubled)

@83mnd/27%pot/276skill
Cure IV should be 496hp; DS=992
results: 874hp = 124 skin (124/496 = 25.00%)
withDS: 998hp = 248 skin (248/992 = 25.00%)
(successfully doubled)

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Maximum Stoneskin Amount:

http://i685.photobucket.com/albums/v...kintest002.gif

This test is not as precise as just giving myself 1400hp or something, but I didn't feel like getting all my HP gear out just yet.

Instead, I used my ever-helpful Devotion target (Rane), to split 1000 Needles in half. The thinking is ... my standard Cure V is 942 (without day/weather). So, with DS, that's 1884, for a skin of 471.

Rane had some "DMG-%" on, but I didn't. Here's what I got:

http://i685.photobucket.com/albums/v...kintest003.gif

Took 200 damage, so it seemed to be capped at 300 skin.

This will hafta suffice until I test using Devo/Martyr in a huge HP build.

Note: I did have to try multiple times, resetting my DS timer in Rabao. The stoneskin effect only lasts 30 seconds, and he really liked spamming Photosynthesis during that window.

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Update #2:
• Does not work with Wild Carrot (don't ask, I'm weird)
• DOES work with day/weather

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Update #3:
Confirmed 300hp cap on Cureskin

http://i685.photobucket.com/albums/v...kintest004.gif

This set (78mnd/68vit/276skill/27%pot, and no that's not templar), with Aurorastorm + Lightday, should come out to 979 on a Cure V, so with DS it's 1958, for a skin of 489.

Here's what I got:

http://i685.photobucket.com/albums/v...kintest005.gif

I get 1126 without stoneskin (1501*0.25=375), so that's exactly 300hp in savings.

I don't like that it has this cap, but at least I'm more confident now -- I trust this method more for some reason, it's just simpler and cleaner.

[Kriz]

Not surprised. Good work fleshing it out so thoroughly!

I wonder if Stone Gorget allows to reach 350?

[Norellicus]

Can we get something a little less blue so it's actually readable without copypasting to notepad >_>

[RyaWHM]

Can we get something a little less blue so it's actually readable without copypasting to notepad >_>

Sure! It's nowhere near unreadably bright on my screen ... but maybe I'm the one with the messed up screen.

Either way, took me like 10 seconds to change, so I'm happy to do it.

[Raen Ryong]

I always like your colourful posts.

It's good to see this tested, and interesting... this means that WHMs can "pre-stoneskin" tanks about to eat Citadel Buster and such even though the cure lands for 0 right? Could be helpful, likewise with long -gas, Gates of Hades etc etc...

I'm not a WHM so I could be entirely wrong here, but that is quite interesting potential for a WHM on top of their game I would've thought.

[Nermie]

Any idea if the target is wearing Stone Gorget and/or Stone Mufflers if the cap is raised and/or if the target get the 30hp Stoneskin bonus?

I don't have either item yet otherwise I would help test

[ringthree]

Awesome testing! Thank you for doing it!

I think most WHM had figured out they could pre-cure for stoneskin just from personal experience, but it is nice to know how much.

[Argettio]

You need to cast a cure that would do 1200+ HP in order to to reach the 300 cap. Which means to cap it you will have to use DS + Cure V, which seems like a waste of DS.

But a normal Cure V gives ~200HP stone skin, which could be useful for situation when you know your tank is about to get spanked as Raen said, CB, GoH etc.

N.B. I had no problem with the blue writing, I liked it.

[RyaWHM]

It's good to see this tested, and interesting... this means that WHMs can "pre-stoneskin" tanks about to eat Citadel Buster and such even though the cure lands for 0 right? Could be helpful, likewise with long -gas, Gates of Hades etc etc...

Absolutely! CB is my #1 favorite example actually. I've preskinned tanks, but they're usually ready for CB -- still, it's great when Mr.AnyPLD can walk away from it with half his HP left.

It's when a non-tank takes hate @ CB, that preskin really shines. A RNG with 1100hp now has 1400 and can just stand there and take it! (hopefully)

The difference now is, if I'm low on MP, I can just as easily DSc4 the tank, instead of having to chew up a Penury on c5. Before [pre-July, I assume?], doing DSc4 would only have provided ~100hp of protection.

Any idea if the target is wearing Stone Gorget and/or Stone Mufflers if the cap is raised and/or if the target get the 30hp Stoneskin bonus?

I don't have either item yet otherwise I would help test

I couldn't stop wondering myself, as I was testing it -- I'd love to find out. As soon as I find someone with those (Rane and I don't have either), I'll gladly test!

[Gabai]

Thanks for your tests Rya, as always very informative. Now if I could just remember to put solace up less than 2 hours into an event, or get to play notBRD to an event...

[Argettio]

Absolutely! CB is my #1 favorite example actually. I've preskinned tanks, but they're usually ready for CB -- still, it's great when Mr.AnyPLD can walk away from it with half his HP left.

It's when a non-tank takes hate @ CB, that preskin really shines. A RNG with 1100hp now has 1400 and can just stand there and take it! (hopefully)

The difference now is, if I'm low on MP, I can just as easily DSc4 the tank, instead of having to chew up a Penury on c5. Before [pre-July, I assume?], doing DSc4 would only have provided ~100hp of protection.

Excuse my ignorance of WHM, but does the stoneskin effect work on curaga?

Edit: I need to learn to read before posting... It doesn't work on AOE cures.

[RyaWHM]

Excuse my ignorance of WHM, but does the stoneskin effect work on curaga?

Newp! Sorries.

[EternalSnow]

I've been thinking about lvlin whm to 75 lately. Seems like an awesome job especially with all the new spells/abilities they got :D

[Spekkio]

actually, the first thing i did after i got my stone gorget was test this. whm/sch, afflatus solace up, cast cure and let sublimation eat the stoneskin. equip gorget and repeat. unfortunately, i saw the same behavior both times, so unless i botched something, the gorget does not affect solace stoneskin. my assumption is that mufflers have the same behavior, however i can't say for certain as i do not own a pair. maybe someday.

[Nermie]

Makes sense - seems like those two items only work with Stoneskin spell

[Rentwokay]

Thanks for posting this. I've wondered the specifics for a while.

Just to clarify... The Stoneskin strength is based on the strength of the Cure and not the amount of HP cured, correct? So, casting Cure on somebody with max HP will still produce a Stoneskin effect of equivalent strength?

[RyaWHM]

actually, the first thing i did after i got my stone gorget was test this. whm/sch, afflatus solace up, cast cure and let sublimation eat the stoneskin. equip gorget and repeat. unfortunately, i saw the same behavior both times, so unless i botched something, the gorget does not affect solace stoneskin. my assumption is that mufflers have the same behavior, however i can't say for certain as i do not own a pair. maybe someday.

I was most specifically interested in testing a 300 skin with these, but I guess that doesn't make much sense now. Thanks for testing!

Just to clarify... The Stoneskin strength is based on the strength of the Cure and not the amount of HP cured, correct? So, casting Cure on somebody with max HP will still produce a Stoneskin effect of equivalent strength?

Yep!

[ringthree]

Makes sense - seems like those two items only work with Stoneskin spell

Also, they only work on the recipient if the Stoneskin is cast on them by someone else, which I would assume would be the case with Solace. But that is just speculation.

[Nermie]

Also, they only work on the recipient if the Stoneskin is cast on them by someone else, which I would assume would be the case with Solace. But that is just speculation.

Yeah I was aware of that - but I wanted to see if it worked at all given that it doesn't work with Diamondhide.