5.2 Calculating Damage

Most damaging abilities tell you how much damage they deal in their description, such as "1d6 damage + half power ". This section explains some common damage calculations.

5.2.1 Strike Damage

When you hit with a strike, you deal damage equal your weapon damage plus half your relevant power. This is called your strike damage.

If a magical ✨ ability causes you to make a strike, you use your magical power. Otherwise, you use your mundane power. If you are using a Heavy or Versatile Grip weapon in two hands, you add your full power instead (see Weapon Tags).

Weapon Damage

Your weapon damage is normally equal to your weapon’s damage die or dice, as defined in the Equipment chapter (see Weapons). Some abilities multiply your weapon damage with a particular strike. That does not multiply other damage dealt by the strike, such as the damage from your power or any extra damage.

5.2.2 Extra Damage

Some abilities add extra damage to your damaging attacks. Extra damage generally works in the same way as damage that is inherently part of the attack. It is doubled on a critical hit, and so on. Attacks that deal double damage also double their extra damage. Some attacks specifically double any extra damage that applies to them.

Extra damage only applies once per attack roll to any individual creature. For example, the caustic grasp spell deals damage immediately, and again at the end of the target’s next turn. Because both of those damage instances are caused by a single attack roll, extra damage only applies to the first damage instance. However, a wall of fire would apply extra damage each time a creature passes through it, since a separate attack is made for each instance of damage.

Extra damage is only applied to damage directly caused by your attacks. It does not apply to damaging conditions you inflict, poisons, or other special effects. For example, an empowered creature that uses an ability which flings a creature does not apply the extra damage to the impact from the fling, if any.

Minimum Damage

A damaging attack always deals at least 1 damage before applying any effects from the defender. This is typically only relevant for extremely weak creatures. For example, a cat has a bite attack that deals 1d8-4 damage. If the cat rolled a 2 for damage, which would be a total of -2, it would still deal 1 damage.