Improved ADOM Guidebook

DV versus PV - DV bonuses - PV bonuses - Monsters who bypass PV

Defense

PC's defense is improved by using shields – the larger the better! The shield skill grants extra DV bonus, up to twice the shield's DV. Changing Tactic can dramatically improve (or deteriorate) PC's defense.

0.8.1 DV versus PV

As everyone knows from reading the ADOM Manual, DV is an abbreviation for Defensive Value and PV is an abbreviation for Protection Value. The former determines how hard it is for an opponent to hit the PC; the latter determines how much damage is absorbed by armor if a monster makes a successful hit. All monsters can score critical hits which bypass PV. Some monsters always bypass PV, notably claw bugs, which make them very annoying opponents for low level characters. Note also that non-artifact armor can be damaged by monster attacks, lowering its Protection Value especially and eventually destroying it.

So the question arises, which is better, a high DV or a high PV? As with the question of whether to specialize in one weapon or become proficient with many weapons, it is largely a matter of personal preference and style. There are successful players who use both approaches. In practice, it is possible to raise DV to the point where none other than the very highest level monsters can hit the PC. A DV over 100 means very few monsters will hit the PC successfully. However, a DV this high is not available to any but the very high level characters that specifically pursue it. Likewise, a PV over 100 means few monsters can hurt the PC, since the vast majority do not deal over 100 points of damage in one round. Bear in mind, however: 1) the possibility of critical hits and 2) the possibility of running into something very nasty, such as balors, greater molochs and the Emperor Moloch which certainly do deal over 100 points of damage per round.

A general rule of thumb? Add up the DV and PV bonuses. A [-3, +5] iron chain mail is about as good as a [+0, +2] leather armor (and the latter is lighter and won't rust). Few non-artifact armors can compete with an average eternium plate mail at [-1, +13]. Dragon scale mails averaging [-2, +11] are also extremely desirable armors since they grant immunity to the element corresponding to the dragon the armor is derived from. On the DV side, few non-artifact items can compare to eternium tower shields averaging [+13, +4]. Dragon scale mails and eternium tower shields are so powerful that many players will use a wish on these items.

0.8.2 DV bonuses

DV is base 10, minimum is 1. It is then influenced by the following bonuses or penalties:

weapon skills, full bonus for weapon in right hand, half bonus for weapon in left hand
half DV bonus from Unarmed combat when fighting with Staves
of defense weapon suffix +6
shield skill, up to 2*(highest equipped shield DV)
+(Dexterity-12)/2
Dodge skill, up to +10 (Fighters lvl 12+ up to +15, Assassin lvl 32+ up to +20)
Tactics skill, up to +60%
high Alertness with Alchemy have also positive effect on DV, up to +4 (section 0.4)
Talents: Shield Specialist/Expert/Master +1/+2/+3, Careful/Very Careful/Defensive Fighter/Dodger +1/+3/+2/+2
Satiated/Bloated, -1/-3
Burden levels, -1 per level
Blind/Drunk status, -8/-3
positive corruptions: Thin and nimble, Unholy aura, Maggots, +6/+6/+4
negative corruptions: Bronze Bones, Rage, -2/-9
Beastfighter class ability, +lvl/3 if not using weapons or shields
Duelist lvl 12+, +2*weapon skill
Mindcrafter's Mental Shield +(lvl+Wi)/5
Monk class ability, +lvl*2/3 if not wearing armor except specific
Paladin lvl25+, +1 per two levels against opponents of opposite alignment

0.8.3 PV bonuses

PV is base 0, and there is no minimum – it can go negative. If PV is below 4, the PC will suffer corresponding damage from kicking walls and statues. The followinng bonuses and penalties are applied to PV:

+(Toughness-18)/2, max +20
Talents: Tough skin and successors, +1/+1/+2/+3
Blessed status, +1 (+2 lvl 25+, +3 lvl 50)
positive corruptions: Bronze bones, Stiff muscles, Scales, +3/+4/+8
negative corruptions: Bulging cranium, Stilts, -4/-4
Tree starsign, +1
Chaos Knight lvl 50, up to +24
Fighter lvl 6/18/32, +7%/15%/+25% to armor's PV
Mincrafter's Mental Shield, +(lvl+Wi)/8

0.8.4 Monsters who bypass PV on every hit

Monsters with a penetrating melee attack will bypass armor (PV) on every successful hit. Such monsters present a significant threat to PCs relying on high PV and having low DV. They typically come in two varieties: slow heavy-hitters with one or two very strong attacks per round or fast combatants with multiple light-to-moderate attacks per round. Both types are able to best the PC; a single critical strike from heavy-hitters may deplete all of hit points, while fast penetrating monsters will prevent the PC from escaping. The monster memory will not display any line to signify the ability to penetrate armor.

The full list of monsters with penetrating melee attack: all types of claw bugs, all types of ratlings, all types of quicklings, all types of molochs, chaos spawns, stone oozes, steel zombies, diamond golems, giant rust monsters, corruptors, vapor rats, battle bunnies, green blobs, muscular dwarves, magedoom eyes, royal guardians, ultimate doppelgangers, djinnis. Uniques: Glod, Cat Lord, Eternal Guardian, Assassin Prince, Kherab, Skriek, Hotzenplotz, Yergius, Kranf Niest, Malicious Doctor, Nuurag-Vaarn, Chaos Diplomat, Andor Drakon. Additionally: antediluvian orcs/trolls, dwarven battle spirits, all newest trap&wall constructs, paladins of order, velociraptors, Grizzled Dwarven Veteran, Nak An'Dwar, Truesilver Golem, Rolf.

Updated August 19th, 2021