Dealing damage in Undertale

[Daimoknight]

When you meet Sans in the final corridor and he explains what LOVE and EXP means in the game. I imagined that Frisk isn’t actually getting stronger in the common way like a regular RPG. They are not getting physically stronger and more durable.

The ATTACK stat is simply Frisk's level of killing intent, while HP and DEF is merely their soul hardening as they detach themselves. The weapons and armor you get merely add modifiers to that.

This explains why “joke” weapons like the stick, torn notebook, and ballerina shoes would hurt monsters. The weapon is simply acting as a conduit for Frisk’s killing intent and hatred. That is what is doing the real damage to the monsters. In the Undertaleverse, physical strength doesn’t mean anything. That would explain why the monsters lost the war so badly. The humans wouldn’t need physically adept soldiers; all they need is people with the will to kill monsters. And considering how barbarous humans can be, that would be very easy.

[CyperAleksi]

Makes sense to me.

[WarMom]

I think it's a pretty fair assumption. Note how your damage levels fluctuate. When you one-shot Toriel and later on Papyrus you're doing absurdly high damage compared to random monsters (and Jerry). Even when you get into the first 'real' fight against Undyne the Undying your damage is in the quad digits.

Now just think how much Chara hates the entire world for them to do 999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999 damage in one hit

[Salora Rainriver]

I read that explanation of LOVE and EXP not as an explanation of the meaning of ATK and DEF in Undertale specifically, but a commentary on RPGs as a whole.

how do you gain levels in every single RPG? killing monsters and bad guys.
who's to say that the level 15 paladin isn't getting stronger primarily because they're learning to detach themselves from the act of killing, and not because they're getting physically stronger?

sure, there's exceptions. Skyrim has a levelling system tied to skills that aren't necessarily violent, but for the vast majority, you kill, you gain EXP, your stats go up.

what really struck me about that explanation was how you could apply what Sans said to any game that uses EXP and LV. How in any of those games, you could replace "experience" with "execution points," and it would still make sense.

thats just me tho.