Faster Run Walk

Faster Run/Walk speed, mostly called simply FRW, is a property boosted by equipment (usually boots) and also by charms. Heavier armor and shields lowers walk/run speed, while heavier body armor increases stamina drain.

Faster Run/Walk items will make your character move faster when walking and running. How fast your character actually moves is affected by several factors.

Contents

BackgroundEdit

All characters in Diablo II move at the same speed in basic gear, but they differ as they gain bonuses from equipment and skills. Numerous skills increase walk/run speed.

Walk/run speed is normally boosted by added FRW gear; each increase is discernible, though perhaps not to the naked eye. (See breakpoints for various actions here).

Unlike attack speed or cast rate, the result of the formula is in YARDS, not FRAMES. All of the frame-based formulas have breakpoints because frames has to be a whole number (i.e. an animation can take 2 frames, or 3 frames, but it can't take 2.37 frames). There is no requirement for *YARDS* to be a whole number (i.e. you can run at 2.37 yards per second), so the formula results in no breakpoints. It's sort of like the Magic Find formula- both suffer from diminishing returns, but neither has any breakpoints. Every percentage of FR/W and Magic Find is an improvement over the percentage before. -- Source

Definition of YardsEdit

Movement speed in Diablo II is measured in yards per second (yards/s). A yard is 32 pixels in horizontal direction and 16 pixels in vertical direction.

Visible Screen Size in YardsEdit

The screen size is 640x480 or 800x600 pixels. The lower panel takes 48 pixels, leaving 640x432 pixels in the smaller screen mode and 800x552 pixels in the larger one for the game play area. Thus, the visible screen has the following proportions in yards:

Screen Size	Visible Screen	Width	Height
640 x 480	640 x 432	20 yards	27 yards
800 x 600	800 x 552	25 yards	34.5 yards

Basic Movement SpeedsEdit

The basic walking and running speeds are the same for all characters.

Mode	Basic Speed	Remarks
Walking	6 yards/s	-
Running	9 yards/s	Walking speed +3 yards/s.
Charging	22.5 yards/s	Paladin combat skill. Unaffected by item based Faster Run/Walk.

Monsters' base movement speeds vary.

Minimum Movement SpeedEdit

Minimum walk/run speed is 1.5 yard/s (1/4 walk speed). Regardless of how chilled or slowed you are, you cannot move slower than this. Note that running speed is calculated from an unmodified walking speed and, thus, the running speed may be lower than 3 yards/s but never below 1.5 yard/s.

Charge speed has a floor of 18 yards/s. However, if speed is modified while charging then it's effectively reduced to running speed, with a floor of 1.5 yards/s.

Movement speed is affected by items, skills, armor/shield weight, and slowing effects, such as chill and slow.

Faster Run/Walk: ItemsEdit

Walking and running speed are modified by Faster Run/Walk (FRW) items, but charging speed is unaffected by them. Item based FRW is subject to diminishing returns. The effect of 0 % to 295 % FRW to run/walk speed is listed in the table below.

Effect on Run/Walk Speed in yards/s
FRW	Speed	FRW	Speed	FRW	Speed
0 %	+0.00	100 %	+3.60	200 %	+5.10
5 %	+0.24	105 %	+3.66	205 %	+5.16
10 %	+0.54	110 %	+3.78	210 %	+5.22
15 %	+0.78	115 %	+3.90	215 %	+5.28
20 %	+1.02	120 %	+3.96	220 %	+5.34
25 %	+1.36	125 %	+4.08	225 %	+5.40
30 %	+1.50	130 %	+4.14	230 %	+5.40
35 %	+1.68	135 %	+4.26	235 %	+5.46
40 %	+1.86	140 %	+4.32	240 %	+5.52
45 %	+2.04	145 %	+4.38	245 %	+5.58
50 %	+2.22	150 %	+4.50	250 %	+5.58
55 %	+2.40	155 %	+4.56	255 %	+5.64
60 %	+2.52	160 %	+4.62	260 %	+5.70
65 %	+2.70	165 %	+4.68	265 %	+5.70
70 %	+2.82	170 %	+4.74	270 %	+5.76
75 %	+3.00	175 %	+4.80	275 %	+5.82
80 %	+3.12	180 %	+4.86	280 %	+5.82
85 %	+3.24	185 %	+4.92	285 %	+5.88
90 %	+3.36	190 %	+4.98	290 %	+5.88
95 %	+3.48	195 %	+5.04	295 %	+5.94

FRW Diminshing Returns ChartEdit

Visual representations of this property and its diminishing returns at higher levels. Chart by Virtuous.

Faster Run/Walk diminishing returns.

Faster Run/Walk: SkillsEdit

Skills, such as Vigor, increase movement speed. Their effect is not subject to diminishing returns. FRW from skills increases movement speed as follows:

FRW% (Skills)	Run/Walk Speed	Charge Speed
1 %	+0.06 yards/s	+0.09 yards/s
10 %	+0.60 yards/s	+0.90 yards/s
100 %	+6.00 yards/s	+9.00 yards/s

For example, level 7 Vigor gives 32 % FRW, which translates into +1.92 yards/s with run/walk and +2.88 yards/s with Charge. FRW from different skills stacks.

Speed Reduction from Armors and ShieldsEdit

Heavy and medium armors and shields reduce movement speed as follows:

Armor/Shield	Run/Walk Speed	Charge Speed
Medium armor	-0.30 yards/s	-0.45 yards/s
Medium shield	-0.30 yards/s	-0.45 yards/s
Heavy armor	-0.60 yards/s	-0.90 yards/s
Heavy shield	-0.60 yards/s	-0.90 yards/s

Thus, the maximum run/walk speed reduction from the armor and the shield is 1.20 yards/s (both heavy). The maximum reduction to charging speed is 1.80 yards/s.

Slowing Auras, Items & Chilling AttacksEdit

Anything that slows, such as Slows Target By X% items, Holy Freeze, and chill from cold attacks, are treated as negative skill based FRW.

	FRW	Run/Walk Speed	Charge Speed	Remarks
Chill from a cold attack	-50 %	-3.00 yards/s	-4.50 yards/s	-50% only applies to player, mercenary and pet; monster chill effectiveness varies.
Slows Target By X%	-X%	X% * -0.06 yards/s	X% * -0.09 yards/s	Maximum 90%, or 50% for player, mercenary and boss monsters.
Holy Freeze aura	- X %	X% * -0.06 yards/s	X% * -0.09 yards/s	X is maximum (least negative) of percentage displayed or target chill effectiveness
Decrepify curse	-50 %	-3.00 yards/s	-4.50 yards/s	-

Monster Speed BonusesEdit

Monsters' speed bonuses are treated as skill based FRW (no diminishing returns). Note that monsters' base movement speeds vary, and thus the increase in yards/s is usually not the same as for characters.

Monster	Walk/run speed
Champion and Possessed	+20 %
Fanatic champion	+100 %
Extra Fast Unique and its minions	+100%

Movement Speed FormulasEdit

Walking SpeedEdit

EffectiveWalkSpeed = BaseWalkSpeed * (1 + Skill_FRW / 100 + [Item_FRW * 150 / (Item_FRW + 150)] / 100 + Armor_Speed / 100)

where

• BaseWalkSpeed is 6 yards/s for all characters
• Skill_FRW is skill based FRW minus slow effects
• Item_FRW is item based FRW
• [] indicates rounding down.
• Armor_Speed is the sum of the speed reduction from armor and shield (a negative number). The reduction is -5 for medium armors/shields and -10 for heavy armor/shields.

Additionally, if EffectiveWalkSpeed < BaseWalkSpeed / 4, EffectiveWalkSpeed = BaseWalkSpeed / 4. Thus, there is a minimum cap of 1.5 yard/s for EffectiveWalkSpeed.

Running SpeedEdit

EffectiveRunSpeed = BaseRunSpeed + BaseWalkSpeed * (Skill_FRW / 100 + [Item_FRW * 150 / (Item_FRW + 150)] / 100 + Armor_Speed / 100)

where BaseRunSpeed is 9 yards/s for all characters and other terms as above. Substituting EffectiveWalkSpeed into this formula, we get:

EffectiveRunSpeed = EffectiveWalkSpeed + BaseRunSpeed - BaseWalkSpeed

By entering the values of BaseRunSpeed and BaseWalkSpeed in the formula, we get:

EffectiveRunSpeed = EffectiveWalkSpeed + 3 yards/s (where EffectiveWalkSpeed > 1.5)

Additionally, if EffectiveRunSpeed < BaseWalkSpeed / 4, EffectiveRunSpeed = BaseWalkSpeed / 4. Thus, there is a minimum cap of 1.5 yard/s for EffectiveRunSpeed.

Charging SpeedEdit

ChargeSpeed = BaseRunSpeed * (1 + Skill_FRW / 100 + Armor_Speed / 100) + (BaseRunSpeed * 150%)

where the terms are as above. By substituting BaseRunSpeed, we get:

ChargeSpeed = 13.5 yards/s + 9 * (1 + Skill_FRW / 100 + Armor_Speed / 100)

A floor of -50% applies to the sum of Skill_FRW and Armor_Speed, so minimum Charge speed is 18 (13.5 + 9*0.5) yards/s. However, if speed is modified while charging then the Charge bonus is lost and speed is calculated as follows:

ChargeSpeed = max(9 + 6 * (1 + Skill_FRW / 100 + Armor_Speed / 100) , 1.5)

ReferencesEdit

• faster run walk breakpoint thread, particularly this post.