Games - Damage Over Time

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	Games - Damage Over Time

In computer and video games, Damage Over Time (abbreviated DoT) is a term that refers to an attack or status effect which, rather than inflict damage instantaneously, damages the target at certain intervals for an extended period of time. This is most commonly found in RPGs, but also frequently appears in other video games. By far the most common example of damage over time is the status effect "poison", which appears in every RPG that features status effects; it usually damages a target for every turn the afflicted character takes, and if it remains after battle, for every step taken on the map.

Generally, DoTs deal less overall damage than one hit attacks or spells, but in many games (Especially MMOs) DoTs are known to ignore armor rating on a character, meaning the damage the spell is supposed to inflict is not reduced by a characters defensive attributes.

A common tactic is to have the spellcaster stack several different DoTs on a character causing his or her life to drain rapidly. One such example is the Warlock in Blizzard's MMO World of Warcraft. Using the spell Fear, the Warlock can cause his foe to run around in terror uncontrollably. As the victim is under the effects of Fear, the Warlock can cast several DoT spells to force the player to lose health.

This feature is also used in First Person Shooters also. For example, Perfect Dark had combat knives that, when thrown, delivered a poisonous impact that drained half the enemy's health.

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