Stats and attributes in Elden Ring are explained in this guide below for beginners, so you can understand how Arcane, Faith, Mind and all the other parts of your character function mechanically and what they each have to offer. It's impossible to get the most out of your character build if you don't understand these stats and what they do for you, so I'll take you through them all below, so you know what to level up as you progress through Elden Ring.
What do the stats in Elden Ring mean?
There's eight different stats and attributes in Elden Ring. We'll go into more detail about what they do below, but here's a quick explainer for each one about its most significant effects.
- Vigor: Increases max health and certain status resistances.
- Mind: Increases max FP (force points), which determines how much magic you can use before running out of mana.
- Endurance: Increases max stamina, as well as how much equipment you can carry before being weighed down.
- Strength: Determines damage with certain weapons, especially big, heavy weapons.
- Dexterity: Determines damage with certain weapons, especially quick, light weapons.
- Intelligence: Increases effectiveness of Sorcery spells and similar magics.
- Faith: Increases effectiveness of Incantation spells and similar magics.
- Arcane: Increases likelihood of finding items, certain status resistances, as well as effectiveness and damage of certain strange weapons and spells.
Vigor
Vigor, or VIG, governs your Health Points or HP in Elden Ring. Obviously the higher this is the more damage you can take. So this is the stat you want to really invest in for a tanky build. If you're confident you can dodge most attacks then you can save points here but ideally everyone will invest a few levels in VIG over the course of the game to avoid any one-hit kills.
Mind
The Mind or MND stat governs your Force Points, or FP. This governs magic, whether that's the more offensive Sorcery or more support-based Incantations. Both disciplines draw on this stat in terms of 'power', although they require separate stats for mastery, with Sorcery mainly using Intelligence and Faith required for incantations. Basically, if you're planning on using a magic character you'll have to have a high Mind stat. FP is also used by non-magical classes who have certain items, like Ash summons, or just the special skills on weapons.
Endurance
Endurance, or END, increases the Stamina bar. It mainly governs two things - the amount of Stamina you have for attacks and dodges, and how much you can carry. Specifically the Equip Load stat, which lets you carry more items and wear more armor, while retaining full movement. Only walking, crouching and strafing don't use stamina, while sprinting, rolling, blocking, attacks, boosting your horse's speed and spells all cost some Stamina to perform. So a higher END will let you do more before being exhausted. It's one of those stats that everyone will need to invest in to some degree to keep moving or attacking for longer.
Strength
Strength or STR is both a damage modifier and a stat that decides if you can use certain weapons. Specifically Strength based weapons. These will not only scale up their damage with the STR stat - so the higher it is the more damage you do - but they also might require a minimum STR level to use. This is one of the more important stats for a melee-based build where the amount of damage per whack is the most important thing.
Dexterity
Dexterity, or DEX, functions in an almost similar way to Strength as a modifier and requirement for some weapons, but focuses more on speed. So some faster weapons, or ranged weapons, will do more damage with a higher DEX, or even require a minimum DEX level to use. It also slightly speeds up spell casting. If you want a character focused on melee attacks that's also fast and able to layer on lighter but faster attacks, this is the stat to buff.
Intelligence
Intelligence, or INT, is one of the primary magic stats. It's both a damage modifier for anything with damage that scales with INT, as well as usage requirement for some magic - so you won't be able to use certain spell or items unless you hit the minimum level. Intelligence mainly governs sorcery, which focuses on offensive attacking spells. But it can also be involved in the more support based incantations. So if you want to focus on magic offensively, this is the way to go.
Faith
Faith, or FTH, is mostly used for incantations which usually lean towards defensive or support uses, buffing or aiding your allies, rather than directly attacking enemies, though there are Faith spells that can do damage. Like Intelligence, it's a both a damage modifier for magic and items that use it, and a usage requirement - so some items and incantations require a minimum level to use. Basically, if you want magic to help you or hinder enemies, you gotta have faith.
Arcane
The Arcane, or ARC, stat is another magic stat that can further influence some sorceries, incantations, items and weapons. It also influences item discovery, so has luck like effect as well. More importantly, there's a 'Death' effect in Elden Ring that functions a little like a curse - the effect can build up and kill you at a certain level. Arcane helps resist that, along with some items and equipment you can find. As far as magic goes, while Intelligence or Faith largely govern magics overall, you will find some items and incantations that scale with Arcane as well.
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