As you start to gear up in Diablo 2: Resurrected, you need to think about some specific stats such as "Faster Cast Rate" (FCR), "Faster Hit Recovery" (FHR), or "Faster Block Rate" (FBR). You can check these stats in your advanced stats window.

The reason this is important is that these stats aren’t applied directly. There are breakpoints in which the character gets drastic improvements in its casting/blocking/attack/recovery speed. The reason this happens is that all Diablo 2 mechanics are based on 25 frames per second (FPS), and Resurrected inherited these mechanics from the original games. Although the graphics were improved to 60 frames per second, the animation mechanisms are still the same at 25 FPS.

How do FCR, FHR, and FBR breakpoints work in Diablo 2: Resurrected?

For example, let’s say there’s a character who needs 25 frames (1 cast per second) to cast a spell. If you reduce the casting time by 1%, the character should cast the spell approximately once every 0.983 seconds. However, it doesn’t reach the breakpoint where the spell is divided into 24 frames (approx. 0.96 seconds per cast) and the 1% casting time reduction won’t be applied.

To reach the 24 frame breakpoint, you would need at least a 4% faster cast rate. From 0% through 3% faster cast rate, you will have the same casting speed as when you have none.

If you’ve breached the breakpoint, your cast rate won’t improve until you’ve reached the next breakpoint, so it’s better to invest in other stats. Some skills have a casting delay, so they aren’t affected by the cast rate.

Here’s the difference between a 0% faster cast rate (left) and a 126% faster cast rate for Paladins. You can see the right side is clearly faster.

These two are a 76% faster cast rate (left) and a 116% faster cast rate. As 116% isn’t enough to breach the breakpoint, it is the same as 76%.

The animations that are affected by these breakpoints are faster cast rate, faster block rate, attack speed, and hit recovery. Keep in mind that FBR is different from increased chance of blocking.

All this math talk could be quite difficult to understand, so I’ll try to make your life easier. All you need to do is remember to hit these breakpoints below when you set up your characters.