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Simple Guide to Staying Alive
By traedog93
A simple explanation of Damage Resistance (DR) and percentage based Damage Reduction. Reduce a 1000 damage attack to only 40 damage received. This isn't even an ideal, best-case scenario, this is realistic, long-term and sustainable.
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Created by
traedog93
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Category: Characters, Classes, Crafting, Game Modes, Gameplay Basics, Secrets, Walkthroughs
Languages: English
Posted
22 Mar, 2023 @ 4:32pm
1,252 Unique Visitors
13 Current Favorites
Guide Index
Overview
The Main Point 
An Example 
Sources of Percentage-Based Damage Reduction 
Common Combinations 
Random Thoughts and Observations 
Comments
The Main Point
Percentage-based Damage Reduction effects stack multiplicatively and are applied before Damage Resistance (armor).
An Example
Going back to my example from the intro, let's suppose you have a full set of X-01 Mk. VI power armor, with a total DR of 1880 (including the power armor frame) and Emergency Protocols in its torso, and you also have the Lone Wanderer rank 2, and Pack Alpha perks. Your Damage Reduction effects are:
6 pieces of power armor equipped = 30% Damage Reduction
Lone Wanderer rank 2 = 30% Damage Reduction
Pack Alpha = 25% Damage Reduction
Emergency Protocols = 50% Damage Reduction (when health is below 20%)

Your incoming damage multiplier would be:
.7 x .7 x .75 x .5 = .18375
So a 1000 damage attack would be reduced to 183.75 damage before going into the Damage Resistance formula[fallout.fandom.com]:
183.75(.15x183.75/1880)^.365 = 40 damage received.
Sources of Percentage-Based Damage Reduction
Source
Type
Amount
Conditions
Multiplier
Power Armor (5% each piece)
Innate effect
30%
All 6 pieces.
0.7
Lone Wanderer rank 2
Perk
30%
Alone or with Dogmeat
0.7
Attack Dog rank 4
Perk
10%
Traveling with Dogmeat
0.1
Pack Alpha
DLC Perk
25%
Always active
0.75
Emergency Protocols
PA Torso Mod
50%
Health below 20%
0.5
Explosive Shielding
PA Mod
2%
Against explosives
0.98
Padded
Armor Mod
25%
Against explosives
0.75
Dense
Armor Mod
50%
Against explosives
0.5
Wasteland Survival Guide #2
Magazine
5%
Against insects
0.95
Wasteland Survival Guide #8
Magazine
5%
Against melee attacks
0.95
Islander's Almanac - Pincer Dodge
Magazine
5%
Against mirelurks
0.95
Islander's Almanac - Children of Atom Exposé
Magazine
10%
Against radiation
0.9
Assasin's
Legendary
15%
Against humans
0.85
Cavalier's
Legendary
15%
Blocking or sprinting
0.85
Exterminator's
Legendary
15%
Against mirelurks and bugs
0.85
Ghoul Slayer's
Legendary
15%
Against ghouls
0.85
Hunter's
Legendary
15%
Against animals
0.85
Mutant Slayer's
Legendary
15%
Against super mutants
0.85
Sentinel's
Legendary
15%
Standing still
0.85
Troubleshooter's
Legendary
15%
Against robots
0.85

Let me know if I'm missing any.
Common Combinations
Sources
Multiplier
Reduction
Power Armor, Emergency Protocols
0.350
65.0%
Power Armor, Emergency Protocols, Pack Alpha
0.263
73.8%
Lone Wanderer, Pack Alpha
0.525
47.5%
Lone Wanderer, Attack Dog
0.630
37.0%
Lone Wanderer, Attack Dog, Pack Alpha
0.473
52.8%
Assasin's (or any Legendary) x6
0.377
62.3%
Padded & Dense
0.375
62.5%
Power Armor, Emergency Protocols, Lone Wanderer, Pack Alpha
0.184
81.6%
Lone Wanderer, Pack Alpha, Padded, Dense
0.197
80.3%
Lone Wanderer, Attack Dog, Pack Alpha, Padded, Dense, Legendary x6
0.067
93.3%
Random Thoughts and Observations
Emergency Protocols, combined with the other Damage Reductions perks, combined with the high Damage Resistance of power armor means that a high rads/low health build is very viable. Combined with Nerd Rage, Crusader/Inquisitor of Atom, the various companion perks as well as other chems, etc that increase damage based on low health or high rads, makes for an extremely powerful build. It's probably not quite as powerful as the Masochist, but it has a lot more survivability and doesn't require mind-numbing legendary grinding.

Pack Alpha really is a Damage Reduction perk, not a Damage Resistance increasing perk. I tested it.

As long as you're playing smart, the main things that will kill you in Fallout 4 are explosives and the head-beam from assaultron's. So if you don't want to use power armor, then Lone Wanderer and Pack Alpha, combined with Ballistic Weave, the Padded and Dense armor mods, and a couple pieces of Troubleshooter's legendary armor should be able to keep you from dying to almost anything.

Generally, the Padded and Dense mods can only go in the torso, so you can only have one of them, but you can also put them in the legs of Metal or Robot armor. They don't stack with themselves, so having multiple Dense mods doesn't do anything.
7 Comments
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doomfox47 21 Apr, 2023 @ 8:27pm 
I thought this would be just a short keep your health above zero
The Ocean 10 Apr, 2023 @ 2:01pm 
idk much about damage calculations but i do know that while in power armor what you wear underneath is not considered worn for the calculations
n0t0ryczny 4 Apr, 2023 @ 5:40am 
Now imagine a power armor with Grognak Costume effect on all parts (+2 STR, +25% melee damage) and a Ripper with staggering and wounding effects.

On higher levels this is not enough to fight certain enemies like hermit crabs, not to mention named behemoths.

I'm using old (but still working perfectly) "Legendary Modification" mod with two legendary effects patch and a new DLC patch. Only issue I have is that Tesla Rifle is not scaling properly.
traedog93  [author] 3 Apr, 2023 @ 6:16pm 
Lol sounds like fun.
n0t0ryczny 3 Apr, 2023 @ 4:51pm 
With mod, of course. Craftable legendary addon on most items and double legendary weapons/armor, a bit like two stars 76 items. Plus accessories that could have a legendary addon, like masks, jewelry, wearable holstered guns. There are also some weapon abilities that work exactly like armor legendary abilities, I seem to recall a vault-themed combat rifle that mitigated incoming damage.

Currently I'm having a lot of fun with a laser gatling modded with charging barrels and double rapid legendary.
traedog93  [author] 3 Apr, 2023 @ 9:35am 
Yup, that's correct. I'm curious how you would get 9 though. I think the theoretical max is 7, the 6 armor pieces and the Legend of Vault 88 as underarmor, which provides 15% vs ghouls.
n0t0ryczny 3 Apr, 2023 @ 3:43am 
Thanks for clearing up some misunderstanding with damage res multipliers. Do I understand correctly that legendary 15% reduction on armor is multiplicative, not additive? This means that on wearing 9 of these damage reduction is about 77%.