Talk:Holy Affinity/@comment-24634511-20150518204752/@comment-23878607-20150519033410

'k, the way enchantments work is that it puts a multiplier on the existing magick stat that, in turn affects the amount of damage the attack does. In the case of an applied buff, the elemental effect gives a bonus multiplier to the magick-stat-generated damage of the buffed character. The base damage is calculated by separately tallying the magick attack, then the elemental numbers are applied, then what's left over is applied to the MDEF of the enemy. If that number barely exceeds the amount of the enemy's MDEF, then very little is taken off the enemy's HP.

When you're using a strength weapon with an applied elemental buff, you have the strength attack the weapon normally does, then there's a small pocket of magick attack created temporarily by the buff based on the character's MATT figure. The str damage may get through the DEF of the enemy, then the MATT/elemental attack is calculated and applied to the MDEF of the enemy. This MATT amount is typically pretty small, but noticeable unless the enemy's MDEF is very high, like some of the enemies deep in BBI. Any amount over either the DEF or MDEF, respectively, affects the enemy's HP pool.

Ergo, if you have a new Arisen, an elemental enchantment is going to be proportionately a very small buff, particularly if your Arisen doesn't have much of a magick stat yet. This buff is additionally variable depending on what level was cast (in order from least to most powerful: base elemental weapon, boon, MK Enchantment, affinity, trance, pact, invocation) PLUS another modifier representing the enemy's weakness or resistance thereto.

For argument's sake, i'm leaving out augments:  Let's say I have my Arisen using Framae Blades. My STR is 374, my MATT is 580. My Sorcerer gives me a Holy Affinity buff. The elemental buff picks up my MATT figure of 580 and gives me a percentage bonus off my magick stat on top of the attack generated by my STR stat and that of the Framae Blades. The STR attack goes up against the enemy's DEF, while the magickal portion hits the enemy's MDEF. This enemy is neither weak to nor resistant to Holy, therefore the percentage bonus does not scale up or down.

Does that make sense? I know I'm being kinda repetitious, but this is totally invisible to the player except at the point of impact. The magick stat in the loadout screens never changes.