Pokémon Mystery Dungeon - Damage Calculation (simple)

Tags: pokemon-mystery-dungeon

This page is an easier-to-understand version of the damage calculation procedure shown on this page. It is therefore informative and explanatory rather than normative.

This is the damage calculation procedure, in simpler terms.

Finding Attack and Defense

Before we go to the damage formula, we should explain how the damage formula uses the attacker’s Attack and the target’s Defense.

Since it’s not possible to find the target’s stats or even its level, a list of dungeons and the stats of each Pokémon in those dungeons are available.

In normal cases, the Attack and Defense used in the damage formula is equal to the current Attack and Defense of the attacker and the target. However, other effects can modify these values, the most important of which is called "stat stages".

The stat stages for each Pokémon begin at 10. If a Pokémon’s stat stage for a particular stat is less than 10, then it is weakened in that stat. If it’s greater than 10, then it is strengthened in that stat. Each stat stage is associated with a number that should be multiplied to the Attack or Defense.

Moves that raise or lower a Pokémon’s stat actually modify its stat stages. For example, Growl lowers a Pokémon’s Attack stat stage by 1, and Tail Whip lowers a Pokémon’s Defense stat stage by 1.

Attack or Special Attack Stat Stage Table

As an example, if a Pokémon’s Attack stat stage is 6, the Pokémon’s Attack is multiplied by 102 and divided by 256 (shown as "102/256" in the "Multiplier" column). This table is also used for Special Attack. Note that if the stat stage is 10, the stat is not modified at all because it multiplies by 256 and then divides by 256.

Defense or Special Defense Stat Stage Table

This table is used in a similar way as the Attack or Special Attack Stat Stage table above.

Power

After applying stat stages, the attacker’s Attack or Special Attack rises by the attack’s power. To find an attack’s power, look at the "Power" column in the list of moves. In addition, if the move being used has a number after a "+", for example, Scratch+1, that number is added to the attacker’s Attack or Special Attack.

Damage Formula

We now have all the data needed for the actual calculation of the damage.

The damage formula has two parts: to find the strength of the attack and to find the attack’s actual damage. First, we find the attack’s strength.

Strength = ((A-C)/8)+(B*2/3)

where:

• A = Attacker’s Attack or Special Attack
• B = Attacker’s level
• C = The target’s Defense or Special Defense

Next, we use the attack’s strength to find the attack’s damage.

Damage = (((D*2)-C)+10)+((D*D)/20)

where:

• A = Attacker’s Attack or Special Attack
• B = Attacker’s level
• C = The target’s Defense or Special Defense
• D = Attack’s strength, calculated above

For physical attack types (Normal, Fighting, Flying, Poison, Ground, Rock, Bug, Ghost, Steel, None), use the Attack and Defense values. For special attack types (Fire, Water, Electric, Grass, Ice, Psychic, Dragon, Dark), use the Special Attack and Special Defense values.

Modifying Damage

After finding the damage using the damage formula, the damage is modified, among other things, by checking the types of the two Pokémon:

For each type the defender has:

• If the attack’s type has "little effect" against that type (for example, Normal attacks against Ghost types), the damage is halved.
• If the attack’s type is "not very effective" against that type (for example, Water attacks against Grass types), the damage is multiplied by 9 and divided by 10.
• If the attack’s type is "super effective" against that type (for example, Fire attacks against Grass types), the damage is multiplied by 1.5.

If the attack shares a type with the attacker’s type, the damage is multiplied by 1.5.

If the attack is a critical hit, the damage is multiplied by 1.5.

The damage dealt can range from 7/8 to 9/8 its current value. For example, if the damage at this point equals 48, it has an actual range of 42 (7/8) to 56 (9/8).