The reworked Reflect Shield formula makes VIT quadratic, so a tank's returned damage scales far faster than it used to.
damage = ⌊rank × (softDEF ÷ 2 + ⌊VIT ÷ 10⌋²) × (100 + 2 × hardDEF) ÷ 1000⌋
The important change is that VIT is quadratic. Under the old formula VIT contributed linearly through soft DEF; now ⌊VIT/10⌋² means each block of ten VIT is worth more than the last. Hard DEF still multiplies the whole thing, so armour and refine feed it too.
Reflect Shield fires when something hits you, so its throughput depends on the monster's attack speed, not yours. The calculator prices the damage per reflected hit and deliberately does not present a damage-per-second figure, because that number would depend on what is attacking you rather than on your build.
VIT enters the formula as VIT divided by ten, rounded down, then squared. That makes it quadratic, so each additional block of ten VIT returns more damage than the one before.
Because it triggers on incoming hits. Its rate depends on how fast the monster attacks you, not on your own attack speed, so a damage-per-second figure would say more about the monster than about your build.
The calculator prints every step of this with your stats, gear and target, so you can check the numbers rather than take them on trust.
Builds this affects most: Crusader — Grand Cross (GC).
Payon Stories patch notes, 2026-08-09 ↗ · Formulas as implemented in the calculator's engine, which is open about what it cannot yet model.
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