Each time you gain a level, you receive 5 attribute points to distribute among your 4 attributes: Strength, which affects damage; Dexterity, which affects the ability to hit and avoid attacks; Vitality, which affects life; and Energy, which affects mana. Click on the “+” button next to an attribute to increase that attribute.
Dexterity increases your Attack Rating, your chance to Block, and your Defense Rating. It is a requirement to equip many weapons, especially Bows and Throwing Weapons.
Dexterity reflects your character’s agility. Your ability to defend against attacks and your success in hitting targets with your melee and ranged attacks are both determined by your dexterity. These attributes are expressed as your Attack Rating and Defense Rating:
Attack Ratings – The first field represents the Attack Rating for the action linked to your Left Action Icon, while the second field represents the action for the Right Action Icon. The higher the value, the more often you will hit in battle. Magical attacks and non-combat skills do not have Attack Ratings, and if these are selected in an Action Icon, that field will be blank.
Melee fighters need at least 50-75% Attack Rating to hit their targets reliably. If you are a melee fighter and your hits are missing too often, add more points to Dexterity or find (or gamble for) a Dexterity-boosting item. Additionally, you will have a better chance of hitting your targets if your character is a higher level than your target. Spend some time leveling up if you’re having trouble hitting even after boosting your Dexterity.
Chance to Hit: 100 * AR / (AR + DR) * 2 * alvl / (alvl + dlvl)
where AR = Attack Rating of Attacker; DR = Defense Rating of Defender; alvl = Level of Attacker; dlvl = Level of Defender.
The Class Bonus to level of attacker is:
20 for Barbarians and Paladins
15 for Assassins
5 for Amazons and Druids
-10 for Necromancers
-15 for Sorceresses
Melee attacks will never have less than 5% or more than 95% chance to hit.
Defense Rating – This reflects your ability to dodge attacks in combat. The higher the value, the less often your character will be hit. Highlight your Defense Rating with your cursor to display the percentage change a creature would need to hit you successfully for the last monster you have fought.
If you remove all equipment that affects your Defense Rating, your Defense Rating = Dex / 4 (round down).
Melee attacks will never have less than 5% or more than 95% chance to hit.
Will a higher Defense Rating reduce the amount of damage I receive when I’m hit?
No, a higher Defense Rating reduces the chance that monster will hit you.
I put on armor that has a Defense Rating of 100, but my character’s overall Defense Rating increases by 200. Why?
Your Dexterity bonus might account for this, as might passive skills (such as Barbarian Iron skin) or any magical bonuses that boost Defense Rating.