Conversion

Converts monsters to fight against other foul demons and beasts.

Conversion is a level 24 Paladin Combat skill that requires Vengeance and opens Fist of the Heavens. It is a single melee attack that, on a hit, has a chance to convert the monster: it fights for you for 16 seconds. One number decides it: the chance to convert, 13% at level 1, 75% at level 20, on a curve that never reaches the table's 90% ceiling.

The numbers

The chance is the table's dm34: a diminishing curve between Param3 0 and Param4 90, so the early levels buy a lot (13% at level 1, 45% at level 5, 61% at level 10) and the late ones little (75% at level 20, 81% at level 30). It reads lvl, so +skills from gear count. The duration is Param1 400 frames with Param2 0 a level: 16 seconds at every level. Mana is 4 at every level. The Basin's page, from the older game, has the curve capped at 50%; the current table's ceiling is 90.

How it works

Conversion is an ordinary melee attack with a hit check (Chance to Hit) that deals the weapon's damage with no bonus (Dealing Physical Damage); the row's damage, attack-speed and elemental calcs are all 0. The convert chance is rolled on the attack, and a converted monster carries the row's conversion state for the auralencalc duration above. The Basin's page sets out what a convert is:

• Only normal and minion monsters convert, with a few exceptions.
• While converted, the monster takes friendly buffs and auras and hostile debuffs and auras. A buff, debuff, poison or Open Wounds that was on it before conversion stays on it: the Basin notes a monster can be cursed with Amplify Damage before conversion to raise what Attacker Takes Damage from Thorns returns through it.
• A convert that could spawn, heal or resurrect other monsters does not. Pain Worms from an infested convert are not converts.
• You gain Experience from monsters killed by your converts, but not from a monster killed while converted.
• Converts do not follow you and are not carried through portals or Teleport. Your auras can linger on one for up to two seconds after it expires.
• While your character level is below the monster's, the convert's defense, attack rating and damage are calculated from your level; its life stays at the monster's level.

When the conversion expires and your level is below the monster's, the Basin's page says its life becomes 1/256: an expired convert is nearly dead, which is how it has been used to deal with physical immunes.

Synergies and +skills

No synergies: Conversion has no dsc3 lines and no …SymPerCalc column, and it feeds no other skill. The chance line reads lvl, so +skills from gear raise it exactly as hard points do; the duration does not change with anything.

Against players

A player's hit on another player is cut to 17% of its value (difficultylevels.txt PlayerDamagePercentVSPlayer) before anything else, see Player versus Player. The conversion applies only to normal and minion monsters, so it does nothing to a player; only the plain attack lands.

Build notes

• The curve front-loads: level 10 is 61% and level 20 is 75%, so the last ten points buy 14%. One hard point with +skills from gear covers most of what the skill does.
• The attack carries no bonus of its own, so the hit check and the weapon are plain; Conversion is a utility hit between real attacks.
• A convert dies at 1/256 life when it expires if the monster outlevels you, and you earn no experience for a kill made while it is converted.