Knockdown

Knockdown results in a creature or person being knocked to the ground and temporarily vulnerable. A knocked down person by fall on their back, whilst a knocked down dragon or chimera may end on its side.

It can be caused by physical attacks, spells, or explosions. Once downed a creature cannot attack for a short period, and is more vulnerable to damage from attacks.

Ability and resistance to being knocked down is measured by the stats Knockdown Power and Knockdown Resistance.

Overview
Knockdown Power of a weapon indicates the core amount of knockdown inherent to a primary or secondary weapon. Knockdown is increased by equipping certain armor, jewelry and particular Augments. Moreover each skill and spell and each stage of mutli-strike attacks has a different knockdown - these factors are thought to all contribute to the likelyhood of attacks resulting in eventual knockdown.

A character or creature's Knockdown Resistance can be diminished with continued, cumulative attacks. The more attacks foes suffer in quick succession increase the likelihood of an enemy reaching its individual knockdown threshold. Once an enemy's knockdown threshold is reached, foes will fall down and abort any action they were attempting. When knocked down damage is greatly increased.

Knockdown has different effects on different creatures, but usually results in the target being knocked off their legs. A knocked down human will end prostrate, whilst a knockdowned Chimera rolls on the ground. Knocked down creatures and humans are more vulnerable to attacks, and usually take much more damage once downed. Smaller creatures, once knocked down, can be grappled.

There are different routes to knockdown - some attacks will squash a foe to the ground, others will knock it into the air before they fall helplessly to the ground, and some, mostly bow skills will knock a foe far back horizontally - the outcome in all three is the same prostrate state however.

Knockdown Power


The Knockdown Power of a weapon stat indicates it's inate ability to inflict knockdown damage.

For an Unarmed human the knockdown power is 100 - whilst with a weapon the core knockdown power comes directly from a weapon. The core knockdown power of spells are not shown in menus, but do differ from spell to spell.

The knockdown power of an attack is related to the weapon used, but modified by the skills used - with some skills with much greater knockdown power than others. Some spells also have higher knockdown e.g., High Comestion and Stone Grove/Stone Forest/Stone Jungle have very high knockdown damage outputs.

Knockdown Resistance
The Knockdown Resistance of armor and other equipment indicates its ability to add to the wearer's resistance to knockdown. A naked adventurer has a knockdown resistance of zero. Knockdown resistance is increased by equipping certain armor, jewelry and particular Augments.

Body parts also have different knockdown resistance and vulnerabilities, e.g., a Drake's heart, when compared to other portions of its torso.

Equipment and augments
The majority of a charcter's knockdown power comes from their weapon, and or from the skill or spells used. Weapon knockdown can reach over 500 for the larger heavier weapons such as Warhammers and Shields when Dragonforged. Knockdown power can also be increased by wearing certain armor and rings.

A number of Augments improve knockdown resistance or ability.

The Ogre Bone earring increases knockdown resistance by 16%

Skills
Some specific types of attack, both magic and physical are designed to knockback, or knockdown - because knockdown damage is cumulative it is worth following up blows if the first strike seemed to have no effect.

Dark magic critical attacks also seem to have a high knockdown effect. An object or spell with an Explosives effect will have good knockdown -including such as Blast Arrow, Explosive Barrel, [the impact from Bolide, or the blast from Explosive Rivet.

Jumping heavy attacks oft have good knockdown - be it Sorcerer's Magick Billow or a Melee user's attack. Perfect Blocks (with Reflect or Deflect core skills) also produce a shockwave that in addition to any other effects, has good knockdown.

Defensive
A few skills and spells increase knockdown resistance.


 * Magick Archer's Bracer Arrow and Great Bracer Arrow boost both knockdown and Stagger resistances for the caster and any targeted ally.
 * Mage's Spellscreen and High Spellscreen boost knockdown and other resistances of any ally that enters the spells field of effect.
 * Fighter's Stone Will and Steel Will increases Knockdown and Stagger resistance of the fighter.

Flying Creatures
Flying creatures, large and small, can be knocked down when in flight - in general ranged skills with high knockdown or stagger can be assumed to be effective. Ground based explosions can also knockdown low flyers.