ESO Build Planner

Critical hits and the damage formula

ESO computes expected damage as weapon damage multiplied by a crit multiplier of (1 + critChance × critDamage). The two stats multiply together rather than add, so their value depends on balance: at 30% crit and 50% critical damage your multiplier is 1.15, while 60% crit with the same crit damage pushes it to 1.30 for the same number of stat points. This asymmetry is why many build guides press you to chase whichever multiplier term is currently smaller until the two roughly balance.

Weapon damage is the floor

Crit multipliers compound on top of weapon or spell damage, so a 5% weapon-damage increase is worth more on high-crit builds than the same 5% as slight extra crit chance. Style bonuses like light-attack weaving, stacks and buffs change the floor value before crit ever touches it — the planner shows how much your crit statistics are actually contributing on top so you never confuse the two layers.

Where the points come from

Crit chance in ESO comes from set bonuses, passive skill lines, food and buff plating; crit damage comes from passives, CP and set mechanics like the medium-armor heavy-crit plate. Race and class choice alter both. Use the planner to test the exact numbers you have before committing to a second set that trades 3% crit damage for 1,000 weapon damage — with the tool you can see which way the trade goes.