What exactly does the “Balance” skill do?

[_fully_carroted_]

I see phrases like “reduces the time to get up after tripping” but no details seem to show up.

Is it like “1 second per 10 points in balance” or “use balance skill instead of reflex save if higher” or what?

 

[Onyxia2016]

It also helps with preventing a knockdown effect.
Some ranks are needed to unlock the SWF feat line as well.

I do not know of any chart that list what each point does in terms of getting back up. or how it may contribute to saves.

 

[_fully_carroted_]

“It helps with” is the most information we have, but it’s not exactly useful.

Nor is it even “information”; it’s mostly an assumption.

 

[Misadventure]

I always put points in balance no matter what built I have.

 

[RTN]

There used to be a very real difference in how fast a character would stand back up. I'm not entirely convinced it works well anymore.

 

[Mokune]

Balance doesn't seem to help in any way preventing a trip or knockdown effect (unless you are running Titan Raid where balance can help vs Titans knockdown). Balance absolutely reduces the time to get back up from a trip though.

https://ddowiki.com/page/Trip

Standard trip is 30s with a Balance check every 2s vs the Trips original DC.

With points in Balance every level and a balance item/augment I seem to always recover in 2-3 secs.

 

[_fully_carroted_]

https://ddowiki.com/page/Trip

aha, it’s in the middle of the notes section on trip!

• Prone creatures are given a Balance skill check every 2 seconds to stand up early. The DC on it is the same as the trip DC, but it uses the Balance skill rather then Strength or Dexterity.

Thanks for posting the link! I’ll go add some detail to the balance page now.

 

[Blaster]

The thing that most stood out to me about balance factoring into gameplay was being knocked back as opposed to being knocked down by things like Minotaur charges. With high enough balance you'll be pushed back but remain on your feet and not knocked prone. (While I haven't specifically looked at it, my guess would be this is the same for things like air elemental knockdowns; the higher the balance the less likely you'll end up knocked down as opposed to just being knocked back.)

Having said that, not all knockdowns are the same. The Forgewraith Titan in Too Hot Too Handle does a slam that apparently knocks you down no matter how good your balance skill is. The time it takes to get up from the slam seems to also be the same for everyone hit by it regardless of their balance skill.

Armor Check Penalty is supposed to also factor into your balance skill. The higher your ACP is, the bigger penalty you'll take on your balance. This is more so an issue when wearing heavy armor as opposed to something like cloth or light armor, but the ACP can be reduced by various enhancements and augments.

 

[HoopleHead]

maxing Balance on a ES Lock used to make you 100% immune to ANY kind of trip or knockdown effect not otherwise required for a particular game mechanic or cut-scene... no idea if it still does, but was fun to have things dropping everybody else in the party on their ass and you just stand there and laugh

 

[Br4d]

maxing Balance on a ES Lock used to make you 100% immune to ANY kind of trip or knockdown effect not otherwise required for a particular game mechanic or cut-scene... no idea if it still does, but was fun to have things dropping everybody else in the party on their ass and you just stand there and laugh

This is the Celestial Spirit major form in ES. It makes you immune to most physical knockdown effects. Probably not the scripted ones like the Forgewraith Titan though.

 

[Livmo]

What exactly does the “Balance” skill do?​

It allows you to bard, https://ddowiki.com/page/Starting_a_Bard

 

[Arkat]

“It helps with” is the most information we have, but it’s not exactly useful.

Nor is it even “information”; it’s mostly an assumption.

A 35+ Balance skill prevents you from falling down in the big room while the Warforged Titans are walking around at the end of the Master Artificer raid.

 

[Chacka]

A 35+ Balance skill prevents you from falling down in the big room while the Warforged Titans are walking around at the end of the Master Artificer raid.

As far as I know, you need 40 or more balance to be 100% safe from being knocked down by the titan, and in general, the balance skill simply functions like any other skill—it increases the likelihood of passing a skill check related to balance.

However, the interesting aspect of the balance skill is that you often don't need a very high level of skill to gain maximum benefit from it. It's even possible that you never need more than 40 points in the balance skill to instantly pass the skill check anywhere in DDO. But this is solely based on my experience without checking the combat log every time.

 

[Konsumer]

With a high enough balance skill you will never mistakenly step on a crack and break your mothers back.

 

[PURPLETIMB]

It's already been mentioned, but I'll reiterate for clarity.

Balance does not prevent you from being knocked down. Almost every knockdown check is a Reflex save or a Strength or Dexterity check, with the notable exception of the Titan raid.

As others have already said in great detail, Balance affects your ability to get back up after you've been knocked down.

 

[Ptalon]

It allows you to think of ways to ruin players' fun in future updates.

 

[Yvonne Blacksword]

Jump or step out of the way of the mino-charge?
I like balance. A soloist knocked down is just a really bad day.

 

[Mokune]

Jump or step out of the way of the mino-charge?
I like balance. A soloist knocked down is just a really bad day.

For real tho' lol

 

[Arkat]

As far as I know, you need 40 or more balance to be 100% safe from being knocked down by the titan,...

Nope. It's 35 or better.

 

[Chacka]

Nope. It's 35 or better.

At skill level 39, you can still get knocked down. This doesn't prove that 40 is sufficient, but from what I've experienced, I've never been knocked down with a balance skill of 40 or higher.