Function of Atronach stone

[DdraigGwyn]

I know this was discussed in passing elsewhere, but I am not sure if a general consensus was achieved. Many sites describe the Atronach stone as blocking 50% of all magic attacks, but they interpret this differently. Some describe it such that, in every attack, 50% of the magic attack is neutralized. Others state that the entire attack is neutralized in a random 50% of the attacks. While in the long run both reduce the effect by 50%, clearly these lead to quite different outcomes. The latter is like the statistician who drowns wading across a river that is only 5 feet deep on average.

Obviously I am too lazy to go ahead and run a series of tests so, if you have the definitive answer, I would like to hear from you.

 

[Streets]

Hello good sir. I like to think of myself as an "unofficial expert" in the field. I have tested this, and come to the conclusion that it is an "all or nothing" effect.

The Atronach Stone provides a 50% chance to either completely absorb a magic effect, or do nothing to it. For an easy example, we can consider a magic attack of 100 fire damage. The Atronach Stone has a 50% chance to absorb ALL of the damage, and a 50% chance to do nothing. This means sometimes you take 100 damage, and sometimes you take 0 damage.

The Atronach stone is one of only 3 powers that has the absorb magic effect. The others being the Atronach perk (100 Alteration) and the Breton 60 second daily power. Magic Absorption does not have a cap, so you can take this to 100% by using the Atronach stone and being a Breton and activating your daily power. You can also do it as any race with a Necromage Vampire permanently. At 100%, you will never receive a disease, never take any damage from any form of magic, including poisons, dragon breath, vampire's life drain, spriggan's bug attack, etc.

If you have any questions feel free to ask!

EDIT: Everything on the UESP wiki is right. Skyrim:Spell Absorption - UESPWiki

 

[DdraigGwyn]

Hello good sir. I like to think of myself as an "unofficial expert" in the field. I have tested this, and come to the conclusion that it is an "all or nothing" effect.

The Atronach Stone provides a 50% chance to either completely absorb a magic effect, or do nothing to it. For an easy example, we can consider a magic attack of 100 fire damage. The Atronach Stone has a 50% chance to absorb ALL of the damage, and a 50% chance to do nothing. This means sometimes you take 100 damage, and sometimes you take 0 damage.

The Atronach stone is one of only 3 powers that has the absorb magic effect. The others being the Atronach perk (100 Alteration) and the Breton 60 second daily power. Magic Absorption does not have a cap, so you can take this to 100% by using the Atronach stone and being a Breton and activating your daily power. You can also do it as any race with a Necromage Vampire permanently. At 100%, you will never receive a disease, never take any damage from any form of magic, including poisons, dragon breath, vampire's life drain, spriggan's bug attack, etc.

If you have any questions feel free to ask!

EDIT: Everything on the UESP wiki is right. Skyrim:Spell Absorption - UESPWiki

Thanks, that is clear. Not the answer I had hoped for though: I would rather be sure of 50% than gamble on 100%.

 

[Pete]

One of my favorite stones. Using it now with my vampire.

 

[Dagmar]

EDIT: Everything on the UESP wiki is right. Skyrim:Spell Absorption - UESPWiki

Actually as of the date you posted that link everything in that UESP article was not right.

If you looked in the notes someone changed the note on the effect of the 100% absorb effect to claim that as of update 1.7.7.0.6 there was an 85% cap on the amount of damage that could be absorbed, but that person's testing methodology was flawed and thus so was his or her conclusion. I tested the effect using a more reliable methodology to confirm there's no change to the mechanic as of update 1.7.7.0.6. Spell Absorption continues to work as you described with a 100% value absorbing all damage, and the article's notes have been revised accordingly.

 

[Streets]

Actually as of the date you posted that link everything in that UESP article was not right.

Ah! Thank you Dagmar, the truth shall set us free!!!

 

[Agentoringe]

I'd like to know what methodology you used, please explain in detail, and if it was on pc or console, bc on 3 of my characters, (on Xbox) all of which are vampires w the appropriate perks necromage an atronach, along with the atronach stone, I've went to the alftand ruined tower (not a marked location but northwest of the entrance to alftand glacier) and at the bottom there is a fire trap that stays on until deactivated, well? Assuming it provides 100% absorption I wouldn't take any damage from the trap at all, but this is not what occurred, where as I DID absorb the majority of it, occasionally my health bar would show up and I was taking damage, so I believe the 85% absorption effect is right, also I believe that you misquoted when saying there was "a 85% cap on the amount of damage that could be absorbed" bc spell absorption simply doesn't work that way, it's a 85% cap for a chance to absorb all of the damage, meaning only a 15% chance of failure exists for a full negation...I believe I can post videos from mobile if needed to show evidence of it not working at the 100% it's thought to be...but will have to be later due to the fact that I'm at work lol

 

[Agentoringe]

I do apologize and mean no offense, but I could claim that eating 100 sweet rolls while standing in white run town square naked makes you invincible and unlocks all shouts n spells and gives you all the armor n weapons in game in the chest in breezehome...and say, " I've tested it n it works"

 

[Streets]

Vampires in Skyrim Suck | Page 2 | Skyrim Forums

This is from back in May, so it isn't very current, but it is what I did to test. I believe the problem you are experiencing is coming from you taking the Atronach perk before you became a Vampire and took the Necromage perk? If that's the case, you'd only have 92.5% absorption.

Dagmar and I are both on PC, so we can use the console to our advantage when testing. She has been testing game mechanics and confirming/denying rumors for a long time, I believe she's the most factually accurate person on the forum. It's definitely good to ask for her methodology to be certain and to understand, but I also trust that everything she says is correct.

Perhaps there's also a bug with the fire trap where you absorb all the direct damage and then end up taking some of the damage over time that is a bonus to fire damage. Maybe it's only that particular trap, did you test your 100% absorption on any other methods of damage as well and find similar discrepancies?

 

[Agentoringe]

I've tested dragon breath, fire trap, random mages, etc etc...and on each character I've been a vampire at level 2, since finding out about the exploit itself that's the first thing I do, either to haemars shame, or the camp north west of rorikstead due to the farming on the way there, I personally think that becoming a vampire early game is about the best option you can have, considering you rarely venture outside of "dungeons" for questing the drawbacks are virtually non existent...I don't have the benefit of being able to pull up damage calculations or seeing them in action, I can only do "physical" testing and draw my conclusions there...but trust me, I usually check, double check, and triple check everything prior to decision making...and I'm sure you guys do as well, but yes, vampirism is my first priority and is in place well before I'm able to have those perks, and yes even so much as to have the stone and atronach perk prior to necromage so it improved existing effects, as such it won't effect them if acquired prior to having the stone n perk...

 

[Agentoringe]

...I also know there are certain items in game like the archmage robes that don't get the benefit of necromage regardless of how it's layered it never provides more than a 15% school reduction...

 

[Agentoringe]

Sorry for multi posts, but yes, on console I've tested the matter both before and after and changing up the order of doing so to attempt different results but haven't been able to gain anything more...since I have access to Xbox live right now il delete my game patches and attempt it on vanilla, prior to patching and see if it works...

 

[Agentoringe]

On a side note...



Kimbo Slice, (if you don't know who that is, google it lol) but an Orc, gloves/ring w pugilist enchant w atronach stone n perk, armor capped and can fisticuffs a legendary dragon (although taking about 10 minutes for the fight ~_~) lol

 

[Dagmar]

I'd like to know what methodology you used, please explain in detail, and if it was on pc or console, bc on 3 of my characters, (on Xbox) all of which are vampires w the appropriate perks necromage an atronach, along with the atronach stone..

If you don't take the perks in the right order you won't get 100 percent Spell Absorption using the exploit. You have to become a Vampire and take the Necromage perk prior to taking the Atronach perk

My methodology is posted on the Discussion page to the article on Spell Absorption at the UESP. You can also see one of the ten test runs posted on youtube:

Regardless of whether you believe it's 85% of all spells absorbed or 85% of all spell damage my character took zero damage with hit after hit of fire destruction magic spells from 10 Pyromancers in 600 seconds of test runs without 1 point of damage. Statistically speaking she should have taken at least a little damage during the series of tests if the 85% assertion was correct. She didn't which means that 100% Spell Absorption absorbs spells 100% of the time.

 

[Agentoringe]

well there could be a difference between pc and console, like I said, il double check again tonight, but also, since your proving that spell absorb works 100% of the time, you should go retract your statement about wards being as good as spell absorption lol cause that is obviously false if spell absorb works 100% of the time

 

[Agentoringe]

Also that link you sent me, either your "Cameron j h" or a user named "loftedaphid86" or "amsuko"...which any of is fine, but amsuko asked a question, aphid (which if I had to guess I'd say it was you due to similar word usage) and cameron made a small but decent contribution to the subject but had to do w summon vs reanimate...every other post on that page you linked that ha anything to do with this convo was "unsigned" or "anonymous" which anyone could claim to be thier own posts...lol not saying you didn't post them, but without a definite way to tell its you that posted it it doesn't help your point by linking it under "your" discussion...and to be honest, I have a hard time with pc versions of skyrim "testing" things...simply bc, I myself have never messed with creation kit or skyrim or pc, but I do know the capabilities of the kit and the manipulation of gameplay available through the pc version...and not saying you did, but give me 2 days to get a feel for the kit and I could set up a in game scenario that proves my other statement in a separate post about eating 100 sweet rolls to achieve ultimate power and all items bc of how it effects gameplay...you could easily create 10 npc pyromancers that fire incinerates that only deal 1 pt of fire damage OR that have no base damage at all...and also set up the console commands so when you type to spawn that specific sprite is brought in...therefore the only way to test appropriately would be to get the least tainted scenario available which is the console version of the game bc Bethesda has no direct modding available for it do it would be the truest way to test those theories bc you have to abide by the preset conditions in the game instead of creating your own...your testing in a controlled environment instead of a standard environment meaning your results can be literally anything you want, you could set the damage values so that they one shot you and make the Absorption effect have a 0% effect and still have it display your desired numbers...manipulations of the software is all that's needed...you CAN mod Xbox versions of the game using a save and a USB, but no way to create specific conditions even then bc you cant "spawn" your subjects in the console version...like I said, not saying you went to that trouble to do it, but proving your point with a easily manipulated environment is a flawed situation from the start...

 

[Psiberzerker]

Yeah, the percentage of Spell absorbtion are the odds that the spell, or other effect will be absorbed. You can also stack it with the Atronach Perk (In Alteration) to raise your odds to 80%, or the Breton Dragonskin daily power for a temporary 100%, which can be so abused for powering destruction. (Nothing survives 60 seconds of Lightning Storm, except Storm Atronachs.) Note, this is ANY magic effect that targets the Dovakiin in the code, Fire, Shock, Frost, Poison Disease, the AoE from a Circle of Protection (Which can sustain Lightning Storm indefinitely with the right perks) and unfortunately summons. However, if you happen to find a staff of the Storm Atronach on the shelf in your new apartment, you can even use that as a Magicka source for spells in the other hand, with enough Spell Absorbtion. In short, it's a gamebreaker if you know how to use it, and gets around all that mucking about with Enchantment. This is how I defeated Alduin in under a minute on master wearing nothing but a loincloth.

 

[Dagmar]

well there could be a difference between pc and console, like I said, il double check again tonight, but also, since your proving that spell absorb works 100% of the time, you should go retract your statement about wards being as good as spell absorption lol cause that is obviously false if spell absorb works 100% of the time

Spell absorb only works 100% of the time once a day if you're a Breton. The only way you can get 100% otherwise is by using an exploit and I don't consider that to be any more of a valid build than using the Fortify Restoration Potion exploit to make weapons that do 20,0000 damage or gauntlets that give you 667 armor rating. For any build I consider legitimate, it's a one trick pony locked to a single race.

...every other post on that page you linked that ha anything to do with this convo was "unsigned" or "anonymous" which anyone could claim to be thier own posts...

All my content is signed, DagmarH. Your problems viewing and referencing UESP content properly may have to do with your reliance on a handheld device. Further, the notion that something is less reliable merely because it's "anonymous" isn't logical. Most comments are anonymous regardless of whether they have an account name next to them or not as anyone can get a UESP account. The value and validity of comments stand on their own merits, not on authorship attributed to an equally anonymous account name.

...and to be honest, I have a hard time with pc versions of skyrim "testing" things...simply bc, I myself have never messed with creation kit or skyrim or pc, but I do know the capabilities of the kit and the manipulation of gameplay available through the pc version...

The whole point of using references to the CK and console is that they can be independently verified by anyone else with a PC when the methodology is clear. The console and CK also provides for a level of accuracy about game mechanics that you simply can't get anywhere else in the player community. Independently verifiable information is the primary basis for the overwhelming majority of the content of the UESP (and knowledge in general). This is why the overwhelming majority of content on the UESP regarding game mechanics comes from PC players. If you want to adhere to a bizzare belief that there is some kind of conspiracy run by an Elder Scrolls PC Player Illuminati to deceive game console users that's your prerogative, but most players prefer to take advantage of the independently verifiable knowledge offered by PC players that post here and on resources like UESP.

 

[Psiberzerker]

Ward Absorb is only 20% Spell Absorbtion, and doesn't work on as many effects. It's also high drain, and takes up a hand, so you can't keep it up constatntly. However, this can be the last little bit to make non-Bretons 100% in certain instances, such as Dragon attack (Cue Bassline) Stacked with the Atronach Stone, and Perk. I usually go with Imperial for this build, because Restoration is such a slow leveler, and Spellbreaker is a nice addition. Also, a Ward, or Spellbreaker's effect blocks All directional magic (From the front, and a little to the sides) the Spell Absorbtion just makes it so you get the magicka from it as well. I call this an Absorbtion Mage, (since it's purely defensive for players who don't then use the Magicka to power spells.) and actually prefer it to the usual glitch of 100% Fortify School enchantments.