Reference!
If you thought Death Link's Curse "hits harder at low HP," you're only half-true. In reality, it all depends on which formula your server uses—the classic or custom one. We'll break down both formulas step by step, explain all the multipliers, compare actual damage values, and show how just one mathematical coefficient changes the entire gameplay experience.
Curse Death Link (CDL) – skill analysis
We really love digging into the guts of Lineage 2, especially where math actually impacts gameplay. Today is exactly that case, plus there was a request in our telegram channel From users. Let's look at how DEATHLINK's damage is calculated, and why a single line of code can turn a skill into either a bomb or a useless full-HP firework.
We will discuss two variants of the formula:
- Custom (less common, more common on chronicles above Interlude)
if (skill.getSkillType() == SkillType.DEATHLINK){damage = damage * (1.0 - (attacker.getStatus().getCurrentHp() / attacker.getMaxHp())) * 2.0;}
- Classic L2J (original)
if (skill.getSkillType() == SkillType.DEATHLINK){damage *= 1.0 + ((1.0 - attacker.getCurrentHp() / attacker.getMaxHp()) * 2.0);}
Both formulas revolve around the same thing - the percentage of current HP, but they work completely differently.
Legend:
baseDamage– damage that the formula calculated before the DEATHLINK multiplier (skill power, M.Atk, M.Def, etc.).hp%= currentHp / maxHp – the proportion of current HP from the maximum, a number from 0 to 1.
Curse Death Link: Formula #1 (damage is calculated from 0 here)
damage = baseDamage * (1.0 - hp%) * 2.0;
We believe:
- At 100% HP
(1 − 1.0) × 2 = 0
damage = 0 (damage 0)
- At 50% HP
(1 − 0.5) × 2 = 1.0
damage = baseDamage × 1.0 (damage is equal to base)
- At 25% HP
(1 − 0.25) × 2 = 1.5 (+50% of the base)
- At 10% HP
(1 − 0.1) × 2 = 1.8 (+80% of the base)
- At 1% HP
(1 − 0.01) × 2 = 1.98 (damage ≈ 2x base)
Key takeaways from formula #1:
- At 100% HP, Death Link hits zero.
- At 50% HP – hits like a regular nuke (without boost).
- Maximum boost is approximately ×2 to base HP damage 1-5%.
Curse Death Link: Formula #2 (Baseline Damage)
damage *= 1.0 + ((1.0 - hp%) * 2.0);
It's all the same here, but with a critical difference: 1.0 is added to the resulting multiplier.
1. We calculate (1.0 – hp%) * 2.0 – as in the first formula.
2. Add 1.0 → you get a damage bonus on top of the base.
That is:
- 100% HP → x1.0 damage
- 50% HP → x2.0 damage
- 10% HP → x2.8 damage
- 1% HP → x2.98 damage
This is classic Death Link logic.
Key takeaways from formula #2:
- At 100% HP, Death Link hits like a normal nuke - no stronger, no weaker.
- Already at 75% HP it starts to hit noticeably harder than a regular nuke.
- At 50% HP, this is already x2 damage.
- On red HP - almost x3 of the usual magic attack.
Rare mechanics breakdowns, formulas and guides in our blog dedicated to Lineage 2.
