Resistances (Origins)

See also Resistance Checks in Combat Mechanics and Immunities.

Resistance measures a character's ability to withstand or reduce the effects of an opponent's attack. There is one type of resistance for each damage type in the game: Mental, Physical, Spell, and Elemental, which is itself divided into five types (Fire, Cold, Electric, Nature, and Spirit). Each point of resistance generally reduces damage (of that type) by 1%. In some cases, a target is given a chance to offset some of the effects of an attack if they pass an appropriate check for the relevant type. There are also displacement/dodge and missile deflection ratings, signifying a percentile chance to completely ignore any physical attack and a percentile chance to ignore any missile of non-spell origin, respectively.

Some abilities, skills, or items allow combatants to enhance their resistances; they are also enhanced at higher levels and ranks.

Resistance Check Reference
The following table includes a list of Talents and Spells and the relevant resistance check.

Monster Resistances and Immunities Analysis
An obvious conclusion one can draw from this reference sheet and the Immunities list is electricity and spirit are most rarely resisted types of elemental damage, with no enemies immune to them, while nature is (a) most commonly resisted, (b) an unparalleled number of creatures are immune to it, and (c) not a single enemy in the game has a nature damage weakness**. Consider also the stamina draining effect from electrical damage and the fact the most damaging spells and spell combinations in the game are spirit-based (Mana Drain, Entropic Death, Virulent Walking Bomb, Blood Control). Fire damage is quite frequently resisted, but this is offset by the fact both Darkspawn and Undead type enemies have weakness to fire. Cold damage is also commonly resisted, but since cold-based spells also have the ability to Freeze and Slow targets, this is less of a problem (see Cone of Cold for more information). It is also noteworthy spell resistance is extremely rare, and even when present, its value is quite low, so certain spells/spell combinations (Paralysis Explosion, for example) are almost guaranteed to work under any conditions.

Note that on Casual Difficulty, spell resistance is reduced by 10% (to a minimum of 0%) and on Nightmare it is increased by 10%. All resistances to damage schools remain unaffected.


 * Note: The Archdemon at the end of Origins is a notable exception to the general rule. While it does not have a "weakness" to nature damage, as such, its resistances to all other forms of elemental damage are much higher (60 to fire and 75 to the others) than its nature resistance, which is only 25. However this does not in itself justify altering character build strategies, as there are other ways to inflict nature damage that can be used for this one major fight.

NOTE: (1) The information listed in the above tables is unclear in some cases - notably regarding Darkspawn. In the "General Enemy Types" table, Darkspawn are shown to have a 25% resistance to Nature damage, a -15% weakness to Fire damage and base (0%) resistance to Frost and Spirit damage. In contrast, under the "Specific Boss and Subtype" table, Genlocks, Hurlocks and Ogres are stated to have no weakness to Fire, no resistance to Nature damage and some resistance to Frost and Spirit Damage. Whether the "Specific Boss/Subtype" resistances are in addition to the ones listed in the "General Enemy" table or corrections need to be made to one/both of the tables is unclear and needs to be resolved.

(2) The first comment/conclusion is wrong regarding Fire based attacks, and also Spirit damage if the "Specific Boss/Subtype" table listings are correct. In that case, common enemies such as Genlocks and Hurlocks along with Ogres all have some Spirit damage resistance (albeit minor in some cases). Not a single enemy is weak against Spirit attacks. Conversely, while Demons, High Dragons (presumably all Dragons have some Fire resistance), Stone Golems, Abominations and the Archdemon have Fire resistance, except for Demons, the other enemies are uncommon (or singular). Furthermore, Darkspawn have either no resistance or have a -15% penalty against Fire damage (see (1) above) and Undead are quite susceptible to Fire attacks.

As a result, the proper conclusion is that apart from a few specific instances, Fire attacks are quite effective for most enemy encounters and Spirit attacks are not "rarely resisted." Electrical attacks are rarely resisted and Physical attacks are the least commonly resisted of all (only Golems have resistance -> 50%). The rarity of resistance to Physical damage is noteworthy to Mages as a few staves, such as Final Reason or Piece of Wood, deal Physical damage and thus a good situational choice.

(3) IF the resistances listed in the "General Enemy Type" table are global for each creature type, then the Archdemon would have 50% Nature resistance and 45% Fire resistance making Fire attacks your best bet - ironic since the Archdemon is in High Dragon form.

Spell Resistance
Other


 * Greagoir's Shield:
 * Fade Shield:
 * Arcane Shield and Fade Shield:
 * Dwarven Resistance:
 * Spell Shield:
 * Dweomer weapon runes,