Highest Possible Absorbtion Factor?

I heard that the highest you could get was a max reduced of -8.

-2 for Knights, -3 for Superior Rune, -3 on Hex (which really isn't that good) or more realistically -2 for stance.

Ok I got all those covered.

I have the Knights the Superior, now heres my question, I have a shield with -3 on hex and a -2 for stance.

So is it possible for me to get -10?

This is how absorption works:
1) -2 for knights and -3 for superior absorption stack to give a total of -5.
2) If you have a shield with -3 on hex and -2 on stance, and you are hexed and have stance at the same time, then you will get the higher -x which is -3 on hex. (Similar to the example where you have a hale (+28 life) staff of fortitude (+30 life); you'll only get the +30 life from fortitude here. The hale upgrade is a waste in this case).

Conclusion: You heard it right that the max -x damage reduced is "-8".

Shielding Hands will give you -15 Absorbtion at lvl12 Protection Prayers.

So your saying it can go higher than 8?

Actually, Hale Staff Heads and Staff Wrappings of Fortitude do stack. I tested this just now. See the two attached images for evidence.

Spirit of protection is one of the better damage absorption options, even though it has no real modifier number. Normal absorbtion is better for low end damage, but prot spirit has em beat for anything high end. Protective bond has a better percentage, but is a conditional and maintaned enchantment. It just depends on how you want to classify your damage sink, but then again there is damage deflection as well as damage redirection.

Those images are soooo photoshopped!!! The scaling of the red bar and the white number inside it is way off.

They still stack I have a staff that gives +60 Health.

Umm, ya. The hale staff head and the staff wrap of fortitude DO stack. For those of you who are mathmatically challenged I will do the math for you.

Health with staff that has both upgrades: 230
Original Health: 195
Difference: 35

Staff Wrap of Fortitude: +21
Hale Staff Head: +14
Total: 35

Here's the ss's to prove it.

With Staff

Without Staff

I know the health bar is obnoxiously large but the images aren't photoshopped. I customized my interface to exaggerate the health bar so it'd show up clearly, and the number inside really does scale that way, at least at 1920x1200 resolution. If the picture looks grainy, it's because I used heavy JPEG compression to get the pictures down to a manageable size.

At any rate, here is the movie version for those of you who weren't satisfied with the book. I recorded this between the screenshots I posted earlier.

Well as far as the Prot spells that would just work with the absorbtion I've already got right? So investing in the absorbtion is more than worth it a 15 absorb spell turns into a 25 absorb.

I think you can get up to -16 for 120 second with Call of Protection, and it's not dispellable (a shout).

One good reason to become someone else pet!

Louis,