Noob question: How does S/L defense work?

PVE only question

--

Lets say I have the following typed defense numbers:

Smashing: 45
Lethal: 45
Fire: 38
Cold: 38

--

If an attack against me does part Fire damage and part Smashing damage does it use the Smashing number (highest) for the full attack or does it just use it for the Smashing portion of the attack? Then roll again for the fire portion of the damage?

I think it rolls again but figured I'd ask for confirmation.

Thanks,
Fitz

Uses the highest of the two. No second roll.

PRetty much what Fleeting Whisper said, but I'd like to clarify that in ALMOST ALL cases the attack vectors are what you'd expect. Fireball is one of the few cases I know of that breaks that rule. Rikti blasts doing energy and smashing? Ranged, energy, smashing vectors. Sword doing lethal? Melee, sword. Sword going around in a circle doing lethal? AOE, lethal.

There are few psi attacks that have no "positional" vector- they're not considered ranged, AOE or melee at all. They just show up.

Fire Sword Circle is another example of a power with vectors you wouldn't exactly expect: its type is Fire and its position is Melee, despite being an AoE attack. Also most Mind Control powers (Dominate, Mesmerize, Levitate, Confuse) are typed psionic, but have no positional vector, so positional defense is useless against them.

Thanks guys. Appreciate all the experts weighing in.

however, if the attack hits, isn't any resistance applied separately?

so if a melee attack is a combination of 100 smashing and 100 cold and you have

def
melee 25
s/l 40
ice 10

resist

s/l 40
ice 60

assuming an even level mob attacking, you would have a 90% chance of avoiding all damage but if you were hit, you would take 60 pts of smashing damage and 40 pts of cold damage?

Yes, resistance is only applied to the specific damage type. Defense blocks an entire attack based on your highest applicable percent.

Is there a list anywhere of which attacks have which attack vectors?

I see them for the toons we play here:

http://tomax.cohtitan.com/data/powers/

Click into a power and it'll show Attack types

Here's an example:

http://tomax.cohtitan.com/data/power...t.Shadow_Blast

So not sure if any correlation can be made.

http://tomax.cohtitan.com/data/power...ee.Total_Focus

This one has the following attack types:

Melee_Attack, Smashing_Attack, Energy_Attack