6th Perk Causes Affliction Formula & Test Results (v24.00)

In Fortnite STW, Affliction is a conditional effect that applies damage over time to a target. In general gaming terms, a conditional effect is when something causes an effect to a target – ie you use a ray which freezes a critter. Other examples of conditional effects in STW include dancing, slowed, snared, stunned, staggered, frozen, or knocked down targets. While there are different things that can apply Affliction in STW, the focus of this write up will be the Causes Afflction 6th Perk on Weapon schematics.

What does the 6th Perk Causes Afflction do? A husk or animal hit by a weapon with the Causes Afflction perk suffers a calculated amount of damage over a duration of 6 seconds. This is often referred to as damage over time (aka DOT), and the individal increments called "ticks" (also spelled "tics") damage.

How is the amount of Affliction damage per tick calculated? It's a mathematical formula based on a base damage value, Hero Ability Damage, Offense and Tech, Weapon Perks and Hero Perks that buff weapon damage.

Math Formula:

Affliction Damage Per Tick = Base (6 for ranged; 12 for melee) * Hero Ability Damage percentage / 100 * 1 + [(Offense + Tech)/100] + Survivor set bonuses * 1 + (Sum of Weapon and Hero Perk Bonuses)

The affliction damage ticks can crit, the amount of damage is equal to the affliction damage * 1 + the sum of Critical Damage perks displayed as a decimal (so if you have 135% CD perk it is 2.35)

Long mathematical equations can be confusing and intimidating, so let's break this down into a more basic formula with four parts.

Basic Formula:

Base *  HAD stuff * OT Stuff * Weapon and Hero Perks

Components of the Basic Formula

A. Base = 12 (melee) ; 6 (ranged)

B. HAD Stuff = Hero Ability Damage percentage / 100

C. OT Stuff = 1 + [(Offense + Tech)/100] ; add any melee, ranged, or ability survivor set bonuses here expressed as a decimal. So if you have the 4 sets of melee ranged survivor sets that's 4 * .05 = .2

D. Perk Bonuses = 1 + (Sum of Weapon Perks + Hero Perks)

Weapon Perks

These would include the elemental damage perk, damage perk and conditional damage perk expressed as a decimal.

If you have upgraded the elemental damage perk, damage perk and damage to afflicted that would be (.2 + .3 + .45) = .95

Hero Perks

These would include any hero perks that would buff weapon damage, expressed as a decimal.

If you have a loadout with six shooter and quickshot in support then you'd add .20 + .17 = .37

See the hero perks section for additional information.

I'm going to use use a table to show some example calculations

A * B * C * D

Clicking any of the links will take you to video footage

Melee example 1

Ranged example

Melee example (full party)

I reviewed some of the previous affliction posts (see History section) in which the formula was provided, however when the math was not calculating correctly, I decided to do some testing. I followed the same type of testing format as I had previously used in testing other 6th perks. Once I had reviewed test data results, I was able to the calculate base damage. With knowledge of the base damage values, I just had to validate what other factors can contribute to the affliction damage ticks.

Validation Tests (test footage)

Are the Afflction damage ticks the same for melee/ranged ? No

Are the Afflction damage ticks affected by Hero Ability Damage Score? Yes

Are the Afflction damage ticks affected by Offense and Tech scores? Yes

Are the Afflction damage ticks affected by Survivor Squad bonuses? Yes, melee, ranged (untested but logically should be added), and ability.

Are the Afflction damage ticks the same regardless of weapon type? Yes, when perked similarly (same upgrade rarity for elemental perk, damage perk, conditional damage perk)

Are the Afflction damage ticks the same regardless of material (ore or crystal)? Yes, when perked similarly (same upgrade rarity for elemental perk, damage perk, conditional damage perk)

Are the Afflction damage ticks affected by Weapon PL in the same zone? No (tested in Twine)

Are the Afflction damage ticks affected by Element Damage Perk Upgrades? Yes

Are the Afflction damage ticks affected by Weapon Damage Perk Upgrades? Yes

Are the Affliction damage ticks affected by Conditional Damage Perk Upgrades? Yes

If any Critical Damage Perks are applied on the weapon, does that affect the affliction damage tick value? Yes

Are the Afflction damage ticks affected by Hero Perks that buff weapon damage? Yes

Can a player stack Affliction damage ticks stack from different weapons? Yes

Are the Afflction damage ticks affected by the Zone a mission is in? Yes.Twine PL140 O/T 3251, 3251 HAD 2713Twine PL76 O/T 3251, 3251 HAD 2713Canny PL70 O/T 3200, 3200 HAD 1901Canny PL46 O/T 2105, 2105 HAD 1901

Hero Perks (Additional Info)
These should be easy to add into the formula:
Six Shooter (20/60 first six shots)
Quick Scope (17)Assault Damage (17 /50)
Shell Shock (17 / 50)
Faster Explosions (17/50)
Swab The Deck (17/50)
Actuated Attacks (17/50)
Legendary Blade (25/75 in shadow stance)
Hipshot (17/50)

Not Tested:
Buckle, Swash, Blaze of Glory, Locked or Reloaded
From the Depths
Ow my eye
Scythe to Meet you (25/62 vs slowed or snared)
Poking Holes (25/50 vs Afflicted Targets)

Fire of the Dragon (Hybrid) should extend the affliction duration to 10 seconds (when used as Commander) or 8 seconds (when used in support).

Assassination was also tricky to calculate.

Corrosive Strikes also proved tricky to calculate as Fortnite's in game calculator would sometimes display the sum of the affiction damage ticks from the weapon and hero.

Command Presence and War Cry test

Hero Perks that buff a weapon's Critical Damage add their respective perk value to the Affliction's Crit Damage potentialCritical BlastSure ShotAssault Crit DamageMake it Count

Loadouts Used – I wanted to keep the HAD value consistent during testing so a very odd loadout was used.

HAD 1938
Commander: Anatomy Lessons (Whiteout Fiona) HAD 1938

HAD 2713
Test loadout A: Commander: Anatomy Lessons (Whiteout Fiona), Team Perk: Endless Shadow; Fleet, Medicinal Fumes, Sea Fog, Gadgeteer, Survivalist

Test loadout B: Commander: Anatomy Lessons (Whiteout Fiona), Team Perk: Endless Shadow; Fleet, Medicinal Fumes, Swordmaster Ken, Gadgeteer, Survivalist

Test loadout C: Commander: Anatomy Lessons (Whiteout Fiona), Team Perk: Endless Shadow; Fleet, Medicinal Fumes, Sea Fog , Assassination, Survivalist

Test loadout D: Commander: Anatomy Lessons (Whiteout Fiona), Team Perk: Endless Shadow; Fleet, Medicinal Fumes,Corrosive Strikes , Gadgeteer, Survivalist

History
Old formulas published by Whitesushi and Details-Examples
DannySpring's formula found in this post.

Kudos to Aone_getdismoney and NuttsnBolts