Weapon and spell damage bonus question

SinisterG · March 2018

I am trying to figure out some things about how bonuses are applied to different skills and weapon types. I get that magicka abilities scale off of max magicka and get buffed by spell damage, and stamina abilities scale off of max stamina and get buffed by weapon damage, but what about light and heavy attacks? Is it true that staff damage is only increased by spell damage buffs? If this is the case, then as a magsorc using a staff, then a +weapon damage buff would be completely useless to me?

Nestor · March 2018

Staves do Weapon Damage, so only buffs to Spell Damage will help them. All other weapons in the game do Physical or Weapon Damage.

Note that there are several items in the game that buff both Spell and Physical Damage, so they are interchangeable.

Nestor · March 2018

Here, this helps with these kinds of questions. Make a log in so you can save the character so trying out new builds is easier

http://en.uesp.net/wiki/Special:EsoBuildEditor

SinisterG · March 2018

Nestor wrote: »

Here, this helps with these kinds of questions. Make a log in so you can save the character so trying out new builds is easier

http://en.uesp.net/wiki/Special:EsoBuildEditor

Thank you sir. What led me down this rabbit whole in the first place was the surge skill buffs. the base skill is +weapon damage. i have the morph that buffs spell damage as well. but do i get any benefit from the base skill buff using a staff?

Nestor · March 2018

Here is the thing about Surge, you want Power Surge on your Sorcerer. It is hallmark spell and key to health sustain, in that if your Power Surge is up, and you do damage, your not going to die (unless you do something stupid)

So, no matter what Surge gives you, it has to be on the bar to level to the Power Surge Morph that you want.

Now, that being said, IIRC, Surge (pre-morph) buffs the Spell Damage, but it has been so long since I have had a leveling sorcerer that I can't recall. Still it does not matter if it does not, slot the skill and get it to Morph stage. Invest the point, look at your character sheet, cast the skill and look at Spell Damage again just to see and report back here to refresh my old calcified memory....

SinisterG · March 2018

well i already have the morph that gives +spell damage (major sorcery) which is great, and the heal on crit is cool as well, however i just can't figure out if the the base skill (pre-morph) buff (major brutality) has any effect on my light/heavy staff attacks.

again, thank you for the help. i'm currently at work so i cannot test this until later

Nestor · March 2018

Just make a mental note the next time you respec your morphs to test it. It will show up in the Character sheet outside of combat.