Block Chance

Blocking an attack prevents all damage and other harmful effects from the attack. Usually, only attacks and attack skills can be blocked, but there are some passive skills that allow you to block spells.

When an attack is blocked, the game first calculates if the attack would have caused a Stun were it not blocked. If it would have caused a stun, the blocking animation is played, stunning you briefly. If it would not have caused a stun, then you get a "free" block with no animation. Faster Block and Stun Recovery and Increased Block Recovery modifiers reduce the length of the blocking animation.

Block is capped at 75%. Your chance to block spells, should you have it, is also capped at 75%.

If you cannot be stunned, then the block animation will never play.

Status ailments have no affect on your block chance, but frozen will prevent the block animation from playing if it otherwise would, and chilled will make it take longer to play (since those two work by decreasing the speed at which your character plays animations).

Passives

The following Basic Passives affect Block Chance:

• Block Recovery (50%)
• Dual Wield Block Chance
• Shield-Specific Block (1%,2%,3%)
• Stun and Block Recovery (8%)
• Weapon-Specific Block Chance

Notable Passives affecting Block Chance are:

• Barricade (Shield)
• Battle Stave Training (Staves)
• Dervish (Dual Wielding)
• Shield Mastery (Shield)
• Weapon Artistry (Dual Wielding and Shield)
• Whirling Barrier (Staves)