Dark Sun Gwyndolin casting a spell that deals Magic Damage
Magic is a damage type that can be inflicted in Dark Souls.
General Information
Magic Damage is one of three elemental damage types and is typically effective against heavily armored targets, where physical attacks would be rendered ineffective. All offensive sorceries and many offensive miracles deal Magic Damage; the weapon ascension paths, Magic, Enchanted, Divine, and Occult all add Magic Damage to weapons.
Enemies that are resistant to Magic are generally those who deal it themselves.
Defense
To lower Magic Damage received, it is necessary to raise the Magic Defense stat.
Stats
At lower levels, increasing all stats while leveling up will raise Magic Defense to some degree, however, Faith will raise it more than any other. Increasing one's liquid Humanity level will also raise it by a small amount.
Miracles
- Magic Barrier and Great Magic Barrier miracles will significantly raise Magic Defense.
Equipment
Armor
- Of the starting armor sets, the Sorcerer Set offers the highest defense against Magic Damage.
- Light armor sets have the potential to offer the highest Magic Defense. Of these are the Big Hat's Set, especially the headgear, the Painting Guardian Set and Xanthous Set. The fully upgraded Dingy Set has the highest Magic Defense of any armor set.
- Medium armor sets posses very low Magic Defense, on average, but the Channeler's Set and Paladin Set offer some of the highest amongst them.
- Heavy armor sets generally offer the best defense against Magic Damage when comparing base stats. Havel's Set and the Guardian Set are considerable choices and do not need to be upgraded.
- Individual armor pieces that have the highest Magic Defense when fully upgraded are the Big Hat, Dingy Robe, Black Sorcerer Gauntlets, and either the Maiden Skirt or Blood-Stained Skirt, totalling 253 Magic Defense.
Rings
- The Spell Stoneplate Ring, and to a lesser extent the Speckled Stoneplate Ring, offer significant increases in Magic Defense.
Shields
- The Crest Shield offers high Magic Defense, but Havel's Greatshield and the Crystal Ring Shield offer the highest damage reduction to Magic, at 90%.
Weapons
- The Moonlight Greatsword increases Magic Defense by 40 when equipped; the Dragon Greatsword, Dragon King Greataxe and Dragon Tooth by 20; and the Drake Sword and Dragon Bone Fist by 15.
Offense
Certain items can increase the player's magic damage. These include:
Equipment
- Crown of the Dark Sun - 10% boost to the damage of all spells, including miracles (except for weapon augments).
- Crown of Dusk - 20% boost to the damage of most Sorceries, Miracles and Pyromancies, but lowers Magic defense by 30%.
Pyromancies
- Power Within - 40% boost to all types of damage for 100 seconds, at the cost of draining health.
Utilization
Spells
Magic Damage can be dealt directly by casting sorcery and miracle spells
Sorcery
- Crystal Soul Spear
- Great Soul Arrow
- Great Heavy Soul Arrow
- Heavy Soul Arrow
- Homing Crystal Soulmass
- Homing Soulmass
- Soul Arrow
- Soul Spear
- White Dragon Breath
Abyss Sorceries
Weapon Augmentation
Magic Damage can be applied temporarily through weapon augmentation to Standard, Raw and Crystal weapons, in addition to some exceptions, via the following miracles and sorceries.
Miracles
Sorceries
Weapon Ascension
Magic Damage dealing weapons can be obtained through certain paths of weapon ascension at the blacksmiths, Andre of Astora and Rickert of Vinheim, and deal both Magic and physical damage. An already ascended Occult Club and Enchanted Falchion can be found in Anor Londo and The Duke's Archives respectively.
Weapons
Certain unique weapons are innately imbued with Magic Damage. The Moonlight Greatsword, Moonlight Butterfly Horn, Crystal Ring Shield and Moonlight Arrow are the only weapons and ammunition that deal 100% Magic Damage.
- Astora's Straight Sword
- Channeler's Trident
- Crescent Axe
- Crystal Ring Shield
- Darkmoon Bow
- Grant
- Greatsword of Artorias
- Moonlight Arrow
- Moonlight Butterfly Horn
- Moonlight Greatsword
- Stone Greatsword
- Titanite Catch Pole
- Velka's Rapier
Enemies
The following is a list of enemies, characters and bosses that can inflict Magic Damage.
While many enemies that can deal Magic Damage are easily identifiable, certain enemies that inflict Magic will do so deceptively. That is, their names or casting animations will suggest or appear as different elemental damage types, while in reality, they will deal no such type. Examples of these are the Serpent Mage enemy, Black Dragon Kalameet and the Demon Firesage.
Characters |
Enemies |
Bosses |