Attribute system
The attribute system is a game mechanics in Lineage II which affects both the damage you receive and the damage you do. This system affects players, monsters, NPCs and is affected by multiple things, including but not limited to buffs, items and native resistance.
Existing since the release of the game (even at Prelude you could use Holy Weapon to increase damage against undeads), the attribute system was greatly expanded on the update “The Kamael” by introducing the ability to chose your attribute on your weapon, to add attribute defense on your armor, or to enchant your skills to add an attribute property when the skill didn’t have any.
Since attributes are mostly item related and buff related, this leads to new situations where people are able to adapt their attribute on the fly depending of their opponent … if they managed to farm enough to afford it of course.
Elements
There are six elements in Lineage II : Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, Holy, Dark. Those are organized by opposite pairs :
- Fire vs Water
- Wind vs Earth
- Holy vs Dark
While elements being paired in opposite pairs has some usefulness later on, the system is simple. Fire resistance helps against Fire attack, Water against water, etc …
Damage modification
When attacking a target, or being attacked, the damage received is modified depending of two things :
- the attacker attribute attack value
- the defender corresponding attribute defense value.
By default, your auto attacks take the attribute of your weapon. Skills are either elemented by default (example : Hydro Blast is of water element), or they can be enchanted to take en element (example: Backstab has no attribute by default, but can be enchanted to +1 Fire).
If you attack with a weapon without attribute, or with a skill with no element attached to it, the damage will be nor increased nor decreased, whatever the resists of your target.
When both the skill and the weapon shar the same attribute, the attribute value is summed to get the bonus attack attribute. When elements differ, the element of the skill takes priority.
Here are some examples :
| Attacker Weapon | Skill | Defender resists | Attacker damage modification | Explanation |
| No attribute | Auto attack | No attribute | No change | – |
| No attribute | Auto attack | Defender : 40 resist dark, 20 resist water | Decreased | The highest defense attribute is used (40 Dark) |
| 20 water | Auto Attack | 40 resist dark, 20 resist water | No change | Attack Attribute = Defense Attribute (20 water) |
| No attribute | Hydro Blast (includes 20 water attribute) | No attribute | Increased | 20 Attack attribute > 0 Attribute defense (Water) |
| No attribute | Hydro Blast (includes 20 water attribute) | 40 resist dark, 60 resist water | Decreased | 20 Water Attack < 60 Water Defense |
| 150 Fire Attribute | Hydro Blast (includes 20 water attribute) | 40 resist dark, 60 resist water | Decreased | 20 Water Attack < 60 Water Defense. The water attribute of the skill takes priority over the attribute of the weapon |
| 150 Water Attribute | Hydro Blast (includes 20 water attribute) | 40 resist dark, 60 resist water | Increased | 20 water from skill + 150 water from weapon = 170 > 60 Water Defense |
| 150 Water Attribute | Hydro Blast (includes 20 water attribute) | 40 resist dark, 180 resist water | Decreased | 20 water from skill + 150 water from weapon = 170 < 180 Water Defense |
| 150 Water Attribute | Hydro Blast (includes 20 water attribute) | 40 resist dark, 300 resist water | Decreased | 20 water from skill + 150 water from weapon = 170 < 300 Water Defense. The damage reduction is greater than the previous line |
Attribute are both used offensively, when you attack, and defensively, when you receive an attack. Beside those values, the logic behind the damage change is quite simple :
- the more attack attribute you have, the more damage you will give
- the more resist you have on a given attribute, the less damage you will take
Increasing Attack attribute
Attack attribute can be increased by the following methods :
- By enhancing your weapon with Attribute Stone and Attribute Cystals. Stones and Crystals are destroyed in the process. If the enchancement succeed, the bonus added is permanent.
- Via some specific buffs, such as :
- Holy Weapon (increase Holy attack)
- Dark Weapon (increase Dark attack)
- Infernal Form (increase Fire attack)
- Seed of Fire/Water/Wind (increase Fire/Water/Wind attack, respectively)
By enchanting your skill, to either increase its base attribute value (Hydro Blast at +0 has 20 Water attribute attack) or to bestow one (BackStab +0 has 0 attribute attack, but Backstab +1 Fire has 20 Fire attribute attack).
Increasing Defense attribute
Defense attribute can be increase by the following methods :
- By enhancing your armor piece with Attribute Stone and Attribute. Stones and Crystals are destroyed in the process. If the enchancement succeed, the bonus added is permanent.
- By wearring specific items. For example Frintezza Necklace gives dark attribute defense, Antharas Earring Earth attribute defense, etc
- Via some buffs, such as Resist Fire/Water/Wind/Holy/Unholy, Elemental Protection, Divine Protection, Song of Flameguard / Stormguard, Dance of Aqua / Earth, etc …
- Via some passive skills, such as Arcane Roar, Clan Typhoon / Magma, Necromancy etc …
- Via some potions sold by the Attribute Master NPC present in Aden and Rune.
Bestowing attribute on weapon
To add attribute on a weapon, you double click an Attribute Stone or Attribute Crystal, select your weapon, and click OK. Only one attribute can be bestowed on a weapon. You can remove the existing attribute for a small adena fee at the Attribute Master NPC present in Aden and Rune.
Both Attribute Stones and Attribute Crystals will increase the attribute on your weapon by 5, except when the weapon is clean. Then, you will get 20 attribute directly.
- Attribute Stones will increase your attribute up to 150.
- Attributes Crystals will increase your attribute up to 300.
From The Kamael to Gracia Part 2, the maximum attribute value for a weapon is 150.
From Gracia Final to High Five Part 5, the maximum attribute value for a weapon is 300.
Attribute Crystals are not available before Gracia Final.
Bestowing attribute on armor
To add attribute on a weapon, you double click an Attribute Stone or Attribute Crystal, select your armor piece, and click OK. You can remove the existing attribute for a small adena fee at the Attribute Master NPC present in Aden and Rune.
- Attribute Stones will increase your attribute up to 60.
- Attributes Crystals will increase your attribute up to 120.
In The Kamael and Hellbound, the maximum attribute value for an armor piece is 30.
In Gracia Part 1 and Gracia Part 2, the maximum attribute value for an armor piece is 60
In Gracia Final, Gracia Epilogue, the maximum attribute value for an armor piece is 120
Starting from Freya, it is possible to put 3 different attributes on a single armor piece as long as they are not opposed attributes (you can’t have Fire and Water at the same time, nor Wind and Earth, nor Holy and Dark).
Obtaining Attribute Stones
Attribute Stones are mostly obtained as monster drops.
Fire and Earth Stone can be found on Isle of Prayers
Fire / Earth / Holy / Wind Stone can be found in Hellbound
Starting from Gracia Epilogue, more monsters in different locations are dropping attribute stones.
It’s possible to exchange an attribute stone for a stone of the opposite element for free at the Attribute Master NPC