I have been doing a number of tests with different classes, including combination of classes to find out exactly what a 'combo' does. A combo adds 1 extra damage roll on the enemy, and that amount of damage is the 'attackers' skill damage modifier. Now to define skill damage modifier (SDM).
All skills get a portion of their damage from the SDM. Previous to 1.6, this was not listed in the skills but it now is. It is a combination of a players base damage (damage without a weapon) plus a scaled portion of the weapon damage. The best way to test your SDM is to attack low level mobs using 'zero damage' skills. Zero damage skills are those that do not list damage, but actually cause damage, which is completely the SDM. For bears, these are beckon and crushing blow. For the bird these are the roots and and shattering scream. Unfortunately for mages there is no Zero damage skill, but you can get an idea of minimum from Ice Storm, as that would be Zero with out it. Note that your SDM is not affected by the level of any of the skills used in a the combo.
Now to clear up some possible questions:
1) When two players are doing a combo, which players SDM will the extra damage come from? A: The player that finishes the combo. So if a Mage freezes and the bear stomps, the bear's SDM will cause the extra damage. Same for the mage's SDM when a mage nature strikes roots.
2) What about for weapon combos? A: Weapon combos work the same way, and add the same SDM.
3) If I am using the Keeper staff, and then use ice to set up a ice blast from my fire storm, will hitting the mob or boss with fire from the keeper staff reduce over all damage? No, the keeper staff hitting the frozen mob will cause ice melt combo, which adds the same SDM as the ice blast from fire storm. Therefore hitting a mob or boss with ice, then keeper staff then firestorm will do the same damage as hitting the boss with ice, firestorm first, then keeper staff.
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