- For other uses, see Magic.
Magic is a type of damage in Dark Souls II. It is found either innately enchanted to various weapons, used as an infusion for weapons or used offensively in Sorcery.
Magic offense[]
Magic Attack[]
The Magic Attack (abbreviated as Magic ATK in-game) describes the base level of Magic damage that is inflicted on a target with either a Magic weapon, casting tool or Sorcery.
Magic Attack Bonus[]
The Magic Attack Bonus (abbreviated as Magic BNS in-game) determines the extra damage gained with Magic scaling weapons, casting tools and Sorceries. For weapons, this bonus value is expressed as blue text alongside the base attack value on the Equipment Status screen in-game.
The Magic Attack Bonus value is determined by the Intelligence stat. This value is then multiplied by the Magic scaling weapon or casting tool's Magic scaling stat, then added to the attack rating along with any other scaling. In order to continually increase Magic Attack Bonus, Intelligence needs to be leveled up. Diminishing returns begin at 40 Intelligence, and becomes worse after 50. Magic Attack Bonus caps at 200 points, when Intelligence is at 99.
Magic weapons[]
The following is a list of weapons and shields that bear an innate Magic Damage effect. All staves deal in Magic Damage, thus are not listed below. For information as to how these weapons are effected by Magic infusions, see this section.
Boosting Magic Damage[]
There are two methods to increase Magic Attack.
The bonus granted from the Sorcery Clutch Ring can boost the Magic Attack value for both Sorceries (via the staff) and Magic weapons, but reduced physical defenses. The Magic bonus amount can vary depending on what type of staff or Magic weapon or is equipped, be it innate Magic, infused Magic or both.
Unleash Magic is a unique sorcery that temporarily increases the Magic Attack of all Sorceries and Hexes by 20%, but at a cost of reducing Heath by 30%. Magic Attack on weapons is not affected.
| Ring | Bonus | |
|---|---|---|
|
Sorcery Clutch Ring[]Ring depicting a hand grasping a stone. Increases magic attack, but reduces physical defense. The origin of this ring is unknown, but its design suggests one of the darker deities. Effective use of this ring requires skill on the part of the wearer. |
Variable - see page |
|
Unleash Magic[]Boosts magic within the body beyond even your own limits, but at great cost to HP. The terrible deeds carried out in Aldia led to the unintentional birth of several shadowy things, all of them eerily malformed. |
+20% boost to Sorceries -30% HP |
Magic augmentation and consumables[]
Most weapons can be given the ability to deal Magic Damage temporarily through the use of Sorceries or Aromatic Ooze. The damage of these buffs does not scale with the Magic Attack Bonus, rather applies a flat bonus based on the weapon's original Magic Damage (WoMD), if any. If the weapon bears an innate Magic effect, the Magic damage value is boosted. The duration of Sorcery buffs are however dependent on the Intelligence stat. Applying Magic buffs result in the weapon taking on a blue glow.
Unlike weapon buffs, the damage Witching Urn deal scale based on the Magic Attack Bonus value. They can be purchased from Merchant Hag Melentia for 400 souls each. Arrows and bolts laced with Magic deal a flat Magic Damage value, plus their physical damage. Arrows and bolts can be purchased from Chancellor Wellager.
| Buffs | Damage | |
|---|---|---|
|
Magic Weapon[]Sorcery that imbues weapon in other hand with magic. Adds magic damage to the types of damage the weapon already inflicts. Wielding a sword and casting a sorcery are two different things, and some members the Melfian Magic Academy view these varieties of spells impure. |
[(WoMD + 50) x 1.15] |
|
Great Magic Weapon[]A sorcery superior to Magic Weapon. Reinforces weapon in other hand with intense magic, allowing for infliction of heavy magic damage. The old purists of the Melfian Magic Academy view swordplay as a barbaric form of engagement. |
[(WoMD + 50) x 1.20] |
|
Crystal Magic Weapon[]Imbues weapon in other hand with crystal magic. More powerful than standard magic reinforcement. The utilization of crystals to enhance soul power is an ancient form of magical reinforcement. |
[(WoMD + 50) x 1.25] |
|
Aromatic Ooze[]A mysterious sticky substance that radiates a pale white light. Applies magic to right-hand weapon. The affected weapon inflicts magic damage for a short time. Particularly effective against heavily armored foes or creatures with thick scales. |
[(WoMD + 50) x 1.30] |
| Item | Damage | |
|
Witching Urn[]A small clay urn enwreathed in Magic. Explodes, inflicting Magic damage. Created in Melfia, a land that flourishes with magic and pyromancy. Though the Magic contained in the urn lacks potency, it is a boon to any inexperienced traveler. |
[200 + (1.30 x Magic BNS)] |
| Ammo | Damage | |
|
Magic Bolt[]Bolt imbued with magic. Tipped with Aromatic Ooze. Weapons fortified with magic are particularly effective against heavily armored foes or creatures with thick scales. |
160 |
|
Magic Arrow[]Arrows imbued with magic. Tipped with a Aromatic Ooze. Weapons fortified with magic are particularly effective against heavily armored foes or creatures with thick scales. |
160 |
Magic Defense[]
Magic Defense (abbreviated as Magic DEF in-game) governs how robust the player is against Magic-based attacks.
Innate Defense[]
Innate Magic Defense describes the value of the players Magic Defense when not influenced by any outside factors, such as armor, spells, or consumables. A hidden Magic Defense stat of 100 points is always granted, regardless of character class. Magic Defense can be increased incrementally through leveling Intelligence. For example, if Intelligence is at 50, Magic Defense will be set to 170 points. Innate Magic Defense caps at 200 points, when Intelligence is at 99.
Magic Defense cap[]
Total Magic Defense is capped at 890 points. Combined with the hidden stat of 100 points, Magic Defense can reach a maximum of 990 points. Since 1000 points of any magical or elemental defense equals immunity, Magic Damage cannot be completely nullified, with the exception of blocking with a shield. For information on how to achieve this cap, see this section.
Armor and shields[]
Various armor pieces grant varying levels of Magic Defense. The following armor table shows the armor pieces which grant the highest possible Magic Defense, for each body part. Curiously, Dragon Tooth is unique in that it provides an additional 50 points of resistance to Magic when wielded. One can be wielded in each hand to provided twice the resistance.
Shields will only block Magic attacks if the player is actively blocking. Merely equipping the shield does not count towards defense. The Magic defense value on shields is expressed as a percentage in-game, as opposed to points on armor. Any shield had the ability to block 100% of Magic temporarily via the Strong Magic Shield sorcery.
The following shields table shows all shields that grant at least 75% reduction:
|
|
Items and spells[]
Certain defensive spells can increase Magic Defense, with varying results, but they cannot be stacked with each other. Only one spell can be active at a time. Small Blue Burrs are consumable items that can be purchased from Rosabeth of Melfia for 1200 souls each. Small Blue Burrs cannot be stacked with any of the defensive spells either. Consuming a Small Blue Burr will remove the Magic Defense provided by the spell, and apply the Small Blue Burr defense value.
The Strong Magic Shield sorcery can be cast on any shield to imbue it with Magic, similar to infusions. This grants the shield a 100% defense against all types of attacks (including Magic, physical, and some status effects) when blocking, however the effect is temporarily and the duration of the spell is dependent on the Intelligence stat.
| Spell | Defense | |
|---|---|---|
|
Great Magic Barrier[]Superior miracle to Magic Barrier. Increases resistance to magic, Magic, fire and dark. |
250 |
|
Iron Flesh[]A pyromancy that internalizes the power of flame. Turns the body into iron, increasing defense and resistance. As one might guess, the rock-solid flesh enabled by this spell dramatically slows movement. Guaranteed to cause trouble if used at an inopportune moment. |
200 |
|
Magic Barrier[]A miracle encasing the body in a magic barrier. Increases resistance to magic, Magic, fire and dark. This miracle is said to shield its caster with the Rock's armor, and was common amongst the wizard knights of Mirrah. |
150 |
|
Strong Magic Shield[]Imbues off-hand shield with magic. Reinforce shield to absorb additional damage. Certain members of the Melfian Magic Academy scoff at these types of magic. The purists, in particular, are disdainful of anything vaguely linked to sword fighting. |
1000 |
| Item | Defense | |
|
Small Blue Burr[]A small Blue burr. Temporarily boosts Magic defense. These burrs bloom magnificently on a shrub every few years, their color and effect determined by soil quality and recent weather. Known to have been used in rituals long ago. |
150 |
Rings[]
Only two rings provide Magic Defense. Both can be worn together, granting a maximum of 270 Magic Defense, at the highest item level. Like all other rings, duplicate rings cannot be worn simultaneously.
| Ring | Defense | |
|---|---|---|
|
Spell Quartz Ring[]A ring bestowed upon students of a certain standard at the Melfian Magic Academy. Its Magic quartz increases Magic defense. |
50/75/100/150 |
|
Dispelling Ring[]A protective ring set with gemstones of four different colors. Increases the wearer's resistance to magic, Magic, fire and dark. |
60/120 |
Other[]
Dragon Tooth is unique in that it provides an additional 50 points of resistance to Magic when wielded. One can be wielded in each hand to provided twice the resistance.
| Weapon | Defense | |
|---|---|---|
|
Dragon Tooth[]A giant dragon tooth used as a great hammer. As solid as a boulder, this tooth is said to be taken from a dragon, but the truth of this claim is unclear. What is certain is that it bears some mystical power, and its wielder gains resistance to magic and fire. |
50 |
Lowering Defense[]
An overall Magic Defense penalty can be incurred by equipping certain weapons:
| Weapon | Defense | |
|---|---|---|
|
Blue Dagger[]Dagger used by fume sorcerers when a battle draws too close for comfort. An ordinary-looking dagger laced with a spell-strengthening force. |
-200 |
|
Yorgh's Spear[]Spear wielded by Sir Yorgh during his invasion of the Sanctum City. After his defeat of the Sunken King, Sir Yorgh pierced Sinh, the sleeping dragon, with this spear to claim its blood. |
-70 |
Achieving the cap[]
| Armor | Defense |
|---|---|
| Hidden Magic DEF Stat | 100 |
| Warlock Mask +10 | 72 |
| Black Witch Robe +5 | 135 |
| Black Witch Gloves +5 | 48 |
| Black Boots +5 | 85 |
| Spells | |
| Great Magic Barrier | 250 |
| Equipment | |
| Spell Quartz Ring | 150 |
| Dispelling Ring | 120 |
| Total | 960 (96%) |
In practice, raising Magic Defense to ~990 (or 99%) is achievable by combining several pieces of gear - albeit temporarily as a spell is required. This can be useful in situations when facing enemies who deal very high levels of Magic Damage, such as the Smelter Demon in Iron Passage.
The table below illustrates how the cap can be reached using a combination of gear with high resistance, however other methods using a combination different armor, spells or items is certainly possible. Since the Warlock Mask is a rare drop, it can be substituted with a Throne Watcher Helm or Penal Mask, both of which offer moderate defense.
Note that the table below does not take into account the player's displayed innate Magic DEF, which is a variable (between 0 - 200) based on the Intelligence stat.
Infusion[]
A Faintstone
Steady Hand McDuff can infuse most weapons with Magic through the use of a Faintstone. Once a weapon is infused, the Magic icon (
) will be displayed next to its image in the HUD.
- Uninfused weapons imbued with Magic gain a fixed Magic Damage value (which scales with the Magic Attack Bonus), but the base physical damage is lowered by 30%, as is the base scaling. For example, if a regular weapon that deals 100 physical damage is infused with Magic, its stats switch over to 70 physical damage and 70 Magic Damage.
- Weapons with innate Magic Damage gain an additional Magic scaling and a 44% damage increase to Magic, but the base physical damage is lowered by 5%, as is the current scaling.
- Shields gain additional Magic resistance while lowering other resistances.
Enemies[]
The following is a breakdown of Enemies and Bosses information relating to Magic damage and resistance.
Enemies who deal Magic Damage[]
|
|
| Magical and Elemental Effects |
|---|
| Magic • Dark • Fire • Lightning |
| Auxiliary Effects |
| Bleed • Poison |