ESO FAQ >> What Are Types Of Damage
What Are Types Of Damage
In ESO there are a number of different damage types with associated effects, strengths and weaknesses. You will often see these referenced in the tooltips of abilities. You will see references to Magic Damage, Physical Damage and more. This tells you which type of damage is being applied to the target. The type of damage is important to note, because it determines what stats mitigate its damage and which buffs will increase its damage.
All types of damage are mitigated by either Spell Resistance OR Armor (Physical Resistance).
The different damage types are also effected by various buffs and passives, not to mention Champion Points.
Quick Reference
| Type | Effects Damage | Mitigated By |
| Magic Damage | Spell Damage Max Magicka Spell Crit |
Spell Resistance |
| Flame Damage | Spell Damage Max Magicka Spell Crit |
Spell Resistance |
| Frost Damage | Spell Damage Max Magicka Spell Crit |
Spell Resistance |
| Shock Damage | Spell Damage Max Magicka Spell Crit |
Spell Resistance |
| Physical Damage | Weapon Damage Max Stamina Weapon Crit |
Armor (Physical Resistance) |
| Bleed Damage | Weapon Damage Max Stamina Weapon Crit |
Armor (Physical Resistance) |
| Poison Damage | Weapon Damage Max Stamina Weapon Crit |
Armor (Physical Resistance) |
| Disease Damage | Weapon Damage Max Stamina Weapon Crit |
Armor (Physical Resistance) |
Magic Damage
Magic Damage comes from spells, most commonly Class Skills and Staff Skills. Magic Damage is mitigated with Spell Resistance.
If a Skill uses Magicka it will deal Magic Damage unless the tooltip specifically states otherwise.
Physical Damage
Physical Damage is mostly from Weapon Skills (except Staffs) and Stamina morphs of Class Skills. Physical Damage is mitigated by Armor (also called Physical Resistance).
If a Skill uses Stamina it will deal Physical Damage unless the tooltip specifically states otherwise.
The damage received from falling is also classified as Physical Damage.
Flame, Frost, Shock Damage
These damage effects are like Magic Damage but they also have slightly different additional effects. Flame, Frost and Shock Damage are still mitigated with Spell Resistance but they also have their own additional mitigation – Flame Resistance, Frost Resistance and Shock Resistance. These secondary mitigation apply on top of Spell Resistance. So for example Flame Damage will first be mitigated with Spell Resistance and then Flame Resistance before applying damage.
Flame Damage
Flame Damage has the chance to apply the Burning Status Effect which applies Flame Damage over time to the target. This effect deals moderate damage over 3 seconds.
Flame Damage will also have the chance to cause the Explosion Effect on NPC targets which are particularly susceptible to fire – such as zombies, troll and stranglers. The Explosion Effect deals a burst of Flame Damage but can only effect NPCs and not enemy players.
Vampires take 25% increased Flame Damage.
Frost Damage
Frost Damage has the chance to apply the Chilled Status Effect which reduces the target movement speed by 40% for 4 seconds.
Shock Damage
Shock Damage has the chance to apply the Concussion Status Effect which reduces the damage of the target by 15% for 4 seconds.
Bleed, Poison, Disease Damage
There is also Bleed Effects, Poison Effects and Disease Damage in ESO which can come from various Skills like Poison Arrow and also Weapon Enchants.
Bleed Damage
The Bleed Effect can be triggered from a number of Weapon Skills like Blood Craze (Dual Wield) and Cleave (2H) and applies a damage over time to the target. Bleed Damage is mitigated with Armor (Physical Resistance).
Poison Damage
Poison Damage can come from a variety of sources but most commonly from Poison Arrow (Bow) and Lethal Arrow (Bow). A number of Dragonknight ability morphs deal Poison Damage. Poison Damage has the chance to proc the Poison Status Effect which deals Poison Damage over 12 seconds. Poison Damage is mitigated by Armor (Physical Resistance).
Werewolves take 25% increased Poison Damage while in Werewolf form.
Disease Damage
Disease Damage comes from Weapon Enchants and and also from a number of Nightblade ability morphs. Disease Damage has the chance to proc the Diseased Status Effect which reduces the healing received by the target by 15% for 10 seconds. Disease Damage is mitigated with Armor (Physical Resistance).
Great Info! Was already searching for a while to find a list of the enchantment effects.
Thanks!
Good job!
Just a question, are you sure Poison Damage is mitigated by Armour/Physical Resistance?
I have read different on an other site, where it says it is a form of magic damage.
http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Online:Poison_Damage
Dont know if that source is trustworthy though.
Thanks. Yeah Poison Damage was scaling with Spell Damage and Max Magicka and was mitigated by Spell Resistance however I think that this was changed. I can’t seem to find the patch notes mentioning this change though, so I’ll do some testing to find out…
So it does seem that Spell Resistance does mitigate Poison Damage or at least the Poison Status Effect. I tested on some spiders and when I increased only my Spell Damage through the Breton Racial Passives I saw a decrease in the damage of the Poison ticks… This was only the Status Effect though and I have yet to test something like Poison Arrow which says that the target takes X Poison Damage over time which may be different to the Status Effect from, say, a Poison Enchant…
What about Weapon Damages? Do weapons like axes, swords.. deal Physical Dmg while the staffs deal Magic Dmg?
Yes, the weapons that use Stamina deal Physical Damage and the weapons that use Magicka deal Magic Damage.
I’m a Dragonknight. Most of my abilities say this does X amount of Flame Damage. Now should I put my Champion Points into Thaumaturge or Elemental Expert?
Elemental Expert would increase the damage of your abilities that use Flame Damage, so probably that one.
Poison Dmg is included in Hardy when Theives Guild DLC come out. Is it still mitigated with Spell Dmg? Just wonder it was changed.
Ok I know this is a stupid question, but just to get a clear answer, does ‘magic damage’ only effect the magika bar and not the health bar? for example, the daedric mines, which do 1284 magic damage. They would have no effect on your health, and only on your magic amount, correct?
Magic damage does damage to your health, magic drain would drain your magicka bar
Is this still accurate?
Yes it is
What about Dad rich damage?
Meant Daedric. Autocorrect fails again
Nvm, just found out it was the renamed Unresistable
I’m fairly new to eso and trying to get my head around the different damage types. In one of the release notes (V2.6.4 PC/MAC):
“Thunderous Plate Mail:
…
This item set now procs when you take Physical Damage instead of melee damage.
…”
What is Physical Damage vs. melee damage? Are they additional damage “types”?
Maybe you can add “Melee Damage”, “DoT damage”, “Burst Damage”, “Range Damage”, and the most fucking confusion: “DIRECT DAMAGE”.
Would it be possible to clarify what is classified as direct damage?
What is direct damage?
So if I have a charged weapon enchantment like frost damage on my weapon I assume i hit with frost damage while striking with that weapon. Does it effect frost spells? I’m assuming if it does increase frost spell damage it wont increase spell damage that isn’t frost. I just don’t have anyway of knowing for sure as it won’t show any increase to anything on my character sheet….
Does diseased status effect stack with minor defile from fasallas guile set?
What about Oblivion damage? I’ve recently nirnhoned and improved my lightening staff of Vicious Death to legendary level. I hoped it would be a bit more potent. Perhaps I should cast weakness to elements first? This part of damage confuses me…I thought Oblivion damage ignored all resistances.
Bleed can also be triggered by axes with the passive from dual wield. :]
Why can’t a spell deal physical damage?
And an attack deal magical damage?