Damage Reduction is an affix that lowers the amount of damage your character takes from incoming hits. It only applies when its specific condition is met (for example: from Close Enemies, while Fortified, while Healthy, or against Elites).
Damage Reduction is a valuable defensive stat because it multiplies with all other mitigation layers such as Armor, Resistances, Barrier, Fortify, and Block allowing even moderate amounts to noticeably smooth incoming damage.
What Damage Reduction Does
When its condition is active, this affix reduces incoming damage by the listed percentage. For example:
- 10% Damage Reduction from Close Enemies
- 8% Damage Reduction while Healthy
- 12% Damage Reduction vs Elites
Each of these works only when its stated requirement is fulfilled.
If multiple Damage Reduction sources are active at the same time, they apply one after another (multiplicatively), not as a single combined number.
How Damage Reduction Works
Multiplicative Stacking
Each separate source of Damage Reduction multiplies whatever damage remains after the previous layer has been applied. This prevents total immunity and makes mixing different types of DR more effective than stacking only one.
Conditional Application
Most Damage Reduction affixes only function when the game detects their trigger. Examples include:
- Close / Distant Enemies
- Healthy / Injured
- While Fortified
- While a Barrier is active
- Against Elites
- Against Damage-Over-Time
If the condition is no longer true, the Damage Reduction from that affix stops applying.
Works With All Other Mitigation Layers
Damage Reduction is one part of a wider defensive system. Each incoming hit passes through several layers of mitigation, and Damage Reduction affects whatever remains after earlier layers have been processed. It does not replace Armor or Resistances; it works alongside them.
Key defensive layers that interact with Damage Reduction include:
- Armor: Reduces all incoming damage, not just Physical. Always active.
- Resistances: Reduce elemental damage (Fire, Cold, Lightning, Poison, Shadow, and Physical) along with their Damage over Time variants.
- Barrier: A temporary shield. Damage Reduction applies to the damage being dealt to the Barrier.
- Fortify: Provides an additional Life buffer. Damage Reduction slows how quickly that Fortified Life is depleted.
- Block Damage Reduction: Applies only if you successfully Block a hit; Damage Reduction then works on whatever remains.
- Dodge / Immune: Dodge can cause a full miss, while Immune ignores all damage for a short duration. When a hit does land, your Damage Reduction still applies.
Strong survivability typically comes from combining several layers: stable Armor and Resistances for baseline protection, plus well-chosen Damage Reduction affixes that stay active during the moments where most deaths occur (Close enemies, Elite pressure, Fortify uptime, and so on).
Examples of Damage Reduction Setups
Damage Reduction from Close Enemies
A Close enemy hits you for 1,000 damage. You have 12% Damage Reduction from Close Enemies.
: 1,000 × (1 − 0.12) = 880 damage taken
Step-by-step
- Start with the incoming damage: 1,000.
- The affix provides 12% less damage taken.
- That reduces 1,000 damage down to 880.
- You take 880 damage from this stage.
Final damage taken: 880.
Two Damage Reduction Sources Together
You have:
- 12% Damage Reduction from Close Enemies
- 20% Damage Reduction while Fortified
: 1,000 × 0.88 × 0.80 = 704 damage taken
Step-by-step
- Start with 1,000 damage.
- First layer: 12% less damage from Close Enemies. That reduces 1,000 damage down to 880.
- Second layer: 20% less damage while Fortified. That reduces 880 damage down to 704.
Final damage taken: 704.
Which Items Can Carry the Damage Reduction Affix?
Damage Reduction affixes can only roll on:
- Chest
- Pants
- Amulet
- Sometimes Helm
Damage Reduction affixes cannot roll on:
- Weapons
- Gloves
- Boots
- Rings
- Offhands
- Shields
Can Damage Reduction Come From Aspects?
Yes, but only from Defensive Aspects, and only on the item slots that accept Defensive Aspects.
Damage Reduction granted by Aspects can appear on:
- Helm
- Chest
- Pants
- Amulet
- Shield
These are the only slots that support Defensive Aspects.
Weapons, Gloves, Boots, Rings and Off-hands cannot receive any Defensive Aspect, and therefore cannot gain Damage Reduction from Aspects.
How Can I Add Damage Reduction?
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
|---|---|
| * Very fast and nimble combat | * Can be vulnerable with fewer defensive capabilities. |
| * Deals high damage | * Requires quick reactions to move away from attacks. |
| * Ability to switch between ranged and melee combat. | * If working with combo points is not your thing then the Rogue might not be for you. |
| * Ability to imbue weapons with Frost, Poison, or Shadow. | * Awareness of positioning. |
| * Traps |