Primer on Attack Speed

New Player Help
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This was going to be a response to a certain player that, despite having over 3k paragon, doesn’t understand how attack speed is calculated. But I figured it might help other players understand.

All weapon classes have a baseline attack speed, or attacks per second. Daggers have an attack speed of 1.6 attacks per second (APS), bows and swords are 1.4 APS, etc.
https://i.imgur.com/yrzTuNX.jpg

Increasing attack speed can come from 3 sources: increased attack speed on the weapon itself, from paragon, and from non-weapon items. (There are temporary ways to increase attack speed like shrines and pylons, but I’m going to ignore them.)

Increased attack speed on the weapon is different from the other two sources in that it only affects that weapon, while the other two sources of attack speed increase is a general character change that will affect any and all weapons equipped. While this doesn’t really matter for the classes that can only equip a single weapon, it does matter for those classes (DH, monk, barb) that can dual-wield.

Here is that same weapon that was enchanted with increased attacks speed:
https://i.imgur.com/IHedtgJ.jpg

Note that the attack speed went from 1.4 to 1.47, representing a 5% increase (1.4*1.05). That changes the Damage per second rating of the weapon, but not the actual damage rating

For those who wonder how DPS of a weapon is calculated, it is simply average damage * attack speed. In this case, it is (1118+1574)/2 * 1.40=1884 for the baseline and (1118+1574)/2 * 1.47=1978 for the increased attack speed.

Because the increased attack speed is factored into the weapon already, and that it doesnt affect any other weapon, it will not show up in the character sheet:
https://i.imgur.com/7zmHyVR.jpg

Here, I’ve removed the attack speed increase from paragon points and items. As you can see, the attack speed increase in the character details section shows 0%, but the attack speed is already increased due to the attack speed increase on the weapon itself. Now see what happens when I dual-wield:
https://i.imgur.com/oTNmh4K.jpg

Note that dual-wielding gives you an automatic 15% attack speed increase. You can see that the 5% increase on one weapon is not included in the character sheet because it is already factored in the weapon AND it does not affect the other weapon. Also note that, because it is already factored into the weapon, it becomes a separate multiplier and you get a bit more of an increased attack speed because of it.

In other words, if the weapon attack speed increase was simply added to the overall attack speed increase, you would get 1.4 * 1.2=1.68. Instead, we get 1.4 * 1.05 * 1.15=1.69.

The affect still remains the same when you start adding attack speed from paragon and other items, in this case 10% from paragon and 7% from the ring, for a total of 32%.
https://i.imgur.com/JA6AGPV.jpg

Again, note that, because that 5% attack speed on the weapon is a separate multiplier,it gains more attack speed than if it was simply added to the pool of general attack speed.

So to summarize: increased attack speed on a weapon affects that weapon only and is already calculated by the increased attacks per second of the weapon. It is not shown on the character sheet because it is weapon-specific (it will not affect another equipped weapon).

Increased attack speed by paragon or non-weapon items will affect all weapons equally and will show up on the character sheet. The attack speed increases from the paragon and items are additive among themselves, and the final sum is multiplicative on the weapon attack speed.

Increased attack speed on the weapon is its own separate multiplier.

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2

3? may want to include skills, set bonuses and passives.

It DOES show/modify the attacks per second in the character sheet. It does not show in the total percentage of attack speed by items.

The one assumption you seem to make is that when you attack a mob, the game’s code is directed to look at your character sheet to begin the calculations. Not likely. Some Attack speed from other items are not the same as the additive attack speed from gloves, rings, amulets, bracers and belts and some hats. Some attack speed from skills and when legendary gems proc are multiplicative. Also, set bonuses are different. Skills, Passives, legendary gems and sets, none of which are reflected in the character sheet, which means, it is unlikely that the character sheet is a source of information to make in-combat calculations. The character sheet is just a general summary of information to give a player some idea of where they are, stat wise, but clearly it is not complete enough to calculate damage. I would assume there are mathematical formulas that are accessed on every attack. When a player accesses their profile the number they see as their damage, for example is not what another player sees when they look at that same players profile. The armory, as well reflects a different number. Even when a player looks at their profile number it will likely not be the same damage number as when you just open your character inventory sheet and look at your damage number there. Given the variances in how this information is summarized in the profiles, character sheet(s), and armory and the extent of missing information like skills, sets and legendary gems, etc, it is unlikely that actual combat calculations are done from these sources. I think they are there to simply give players a general sense of how they are progressing. Still there are issues for players to understand how resource cost reduction or cool down reduction may increase their damage more than some obvious item that, on the surface, increases your sheet damage. Attack speed, with all it’s complexities, is just one factor in calculating damage.

Over the decades I’ve played games, I have found that Diablo 3 has the most complicated damage system I’ve seen in a game. For a new player, it is a daunting task to understand it all. There are inexperienced players that do some reading here and there and present themselves as “experts”. Be cautious, get information from multiple sources. Know that this game has changed often and what someone knew a year ago or 3 years ago may no longer be accurate.

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I just want to thank you both for taking the time to write these things out! I enjoy reading it and find it helpful and fascinating.

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