Resistance

Resistances reduce the damage you take from their associated element. Enemies can also have resistances, which are indicated beneath their life bar.

Each elemental damage type has it's own resistance value (e.g. "Fire resistance") which is viewable in the character sheet. The maximum value for resistances is 75%, however some Unique items can increase your maximum resistances, as well as the aura Purity, and a passive skill located near the Marauder called Elemental Adaptation. Additionally, resistances can even become negative through the use of curses or by wearing Unique items that lower your resistance. Resistances are available on equipment, through passive skills, as a temporary buff from a flask, and from Endurance Charges (5% per charge). The "+% to All Resistances" stat grants resistance to all elements except Chaos. Chaos resistance is a separate stat, found on items and the passive skill tree. Complete chaos immunity is granted by the Chaos Inoculation keystone passive skill.

Resistance Penalties

There is a penalty to All Resistances (Chaos included) applied to your character in each successive difficulty you reach.

• Normal: No penalty
• Cruel: -20% to All Resistances
• Merciless: -60% to All Resistances

Resistance Passives

• 6x Elemental Resistance: +6% to all Elemental Resistances
• 2x Diamond Skin: +15% to all Elemental Resistances
• 2x Body and Soul: +20% to Armour, maximum Energy Shield; +10% to all Elemental Resistances
• 2x Nullification: +10% to Evasion, maximum Energy Shield, Energy Shield Cooldown Recovery, all Elemental Resistances
• 1x Elemental Adaptation: +5% to maximum Fire, Cold, Lightning Resistance
• 2x Elemental Resistance with Shields: +15% Elemental Resistances when holding a shield
• 6x Fire Resistance: +15% to Fire Resistance
• 1x Fire Resistance: +18% to Fire Resistance
• 1x Fire Walker: +12% increased Fire Damage, +15% to Fire Resistance
• 6x Cold Resistance: +15% to Cold Resistance
• 1x Cold Resistance: +18% to Cold Resistance
• 1x Cold Walker: +12% increased Cold Damage, +15% to Cold Resistance
• 6x Lightning Resistance: +15% to Lightning Resistance
• 1x Lightning Resistance: +18% to Lightning Resistance
• 1x Lightning Walker: +12% increased Lightning Damage, +15% to Lightning Resistance

Resistance Penetration Mechanics

Some curses lower the resistances of their target. These curses are:

• Elemental Weakness: -% to All Resistances
• Conductivity: -% to Lightning Resistance
• Flammability: -% to Fire Resistance
• Frostbite: -% to Cold Resistance

These curses will reduce the target's resistance. If a monster has 75% resistance and is affected by a -40% resistance curse it will have 35% resistance. If a monster has 120% resistance (by way of auras or rare monster affixes), it will be capped at 75%, and upon being hit with a -40% curse, it will be reduced to 80% resistance and still be at the 75% cap.

Some support gems will cause supported skills to ignore a portion of target resistance. These are:

• Lightning Penetration: Ignores % of Lightning Resistance
• Fire Penetration: Ignores % of Fire Resistance
• Cold Penetration: Ignores % of Cold Resistance

These support gems reduced the actual resistance of a monster, or the resistance that a monster has at the point of damage. If a monster has 75% resistance and is affected by a 40% penetration support gem it will have 35% resistance, as with a curse. If a monster has 120% resistance, it will be capped at 75%, and for the purpose of the penetration support gems, its resistance will be 75%, not 120%. So a 40% penetration gem will reduce the resistance to 35% (which differs from the effect of curses). [1]

Both curses and penetration gems can reduce the resistance of a target below 0%.

Theoretical Maximum

Default	75%
Ruby/Topaz/Sapphire Flask*	+10%
Elemental Adaptation	+5%
Saffell's Frame	+5%
Purity (lvl 20)	+4%
Inner Force applied to Purity	+1.2%
Inner Force applied to Flask*	+3%
Total	103.2%

*3.5-4.2 seconds for a specific element.