Resistance

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

Each elemental damage type and chaos have their own resistance value (e.g. "fire resistance") which is viewable in the character sheet by pressing C and clicking on the Defense tab. Physical damage is reduced by damage reduction from armour.

There are various ways your resistances can be increased or decreased:

• The auras Purity of Elements, Purity of Fire, Purity of Ice, and Purity of Lightning
• Certain curses
• Certain unique items
• Equipment modifers
• Passive skills
• Elemental resistance flasks
• Endurance Charges (4% per charge)
• Changing difficulty (-20% in cruel / -60% in merciless)

The "+% to All Resistances" stat grants resistance to the three elemental resistances and excludes Chaos. Chaos resistance is a separate stat, found only on items and the passive skill tree. Complete chaos immunity is granted by the Chaos Inoculation keystone passive skill.

Resistances are initially capped at a maximum of 75%, however there are various ways to change this:

• Certain unique items
• The auras Purity of Fire/Cold/Lightning
• The Elemental Adaptation passive skill located near the Marauder start point
• The "of Exposure" affix on maps
• Elemental resistance flasks

Resistance Penalties

There is a penalty to all resistances (including chaos) 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

All Elemental

Basic Passives for all Elemental Resistance include:

• 6 x Elemental Resistance (6%)
• 2 x Elemental Resistance with Shields (10%)

Notable Passives for all Elemental Resistance include: Template:Passive table

This gives a total of +130% to all Elemental Resistances. Additionally, choosing to help Kraityn during the Act 2 quest Deal with the Bandits in Normal difficulty grants a permanent +8% to all elemental resistances.

Fire, Cold, Lightning

Each of the three elements has the same set of passives:

• 6 x Fire Resistance (15%)
• Fire Resistance (18%)
• 6 x Cold Resistance (15%)
• Cold Resistance (18%)
• 6 x Lightning Resistance (15%)
• Lightning Resistance (18%)

Template:Passive table This gives a total of +123% to each elemental resistance.

Chaos

Template:Passive table This gives a total of +33% to chaos 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 are applied after the resistance of an enemy is capped to 75%. If an enemy starts with 120% resistance, and is attacked using a 40% penetration supported skill, the enemy resistance is first capped at 75%, then the support gems take effect, lowering enemy resistance to 35%. Penetration gems effectively lower enemy resistance caps.

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

Theoretical Maximum

	Fire	Cold	Lightning	Chaos
Default	75%	75%	75%	75%
Fire/Lightning/Cold Resistance	1%	1%	1%
Corrupted Armor	1%	1%	1%
Corrupted Amulet	1%	1%	1%
Purity of Fire	5%
Purity of Ice		5%
Purity of Lightning			5%
Ruby/Topaz/Sapphire Flask1	10%	10%	10%
Rise of the PhoenixRise of the Phoenix Mosaic Kite ShieldChance to Block: 24% Armour: (499-676) Energy Shield: (102-136) Movement Speed: -3%Requires Level 65, 85 Str, 85 Int+8% to all Elemental Resistances(240-300)% increased Armour and Energy Shield Regenerate (100-200) Life per second +5% to maximum Fire Resistance +(20-25)% to Fire Resistance +25% to Fire Resistance while on Low Life 10% increased Movement Speed when on Low Life 100% chance to Avoid being Ignited while on Low LifeMy bearer shall be guarded by flame, for I am the phoenix, forever radiant in glory.2	8%
Aegis AuroraAegis Aurora Champion Kite ShieldChance to Block: 32% Armour: (860-1235) Energy Shield: (176-250) Movement Speed: -3%Requires Level 62, 85 Str, 85 Int(300-400)% increased Armour and Energy Shield +10% to all Elemental Resistances +5% to maximum Cold Resistance +6% Chance to Block Recover Energy Shield equal to 2% of Armour when you Block (10-20)% increased Elemental Damage with Attack SkillsBorn from the marriage of ice and sky, the aurora evokes both awe and power.2		5%
KaltenhaltKaltenhalt Painted BucklerChance to Block: 29% Evasion: (196-308) Movement Speed: -3%Requires Level 16, 44 Dex6% increased Movement Speed(60-100)% increased Evasion Rating +5% to maximum Cold Resistance +50% to Cold Resistance Gain (10-15)% of Physical Damage as Extra Cold Damage Reflects (25-50) Cold Damage to Melee Attackers +5% Chance to BlockCold, miserable and alone... but alive.2		5%
Saffell's FrameSaffell's Frame Branded Kite ShieldChance to Block: 24% Armour: (186-208) Energy Shield: (38-43) Movement Speed: -3%Requires Level 59, 76 Str, 76 Int+4% to all Elemental Resistances(20-30)% Chance to Block Spell Damage (20-30)% increased Spell Damage +(20-30)% to all Elemental Resistances +4% to all maximum Resistances Cannot Block Attack DamageA swift mind solves problems before they occur.2,6	4%	4%	4%	4%
Divination DistillateDivination Distillate Large Hybrid FlaskRecovers 140 Mana over 5.00 Seconds Recovers 510 Life over 5.00 Seconds Consumes 20 of 40 Charges on useRequires Level 30(20-30)% increased Rarity of Items found during Effect (8-12)% increased Quantity of Items found during Effect 25% increased Light Radius during Effect +50% to Elemental Resistances during EffectKnowledge is fermented in pain and loss Distilled with reflection To quench the thirst of those who dream of enlightenmentRight click to drink. Can only hold charges while in belt. Refills as you kill monsters.3	6%	6%	6%
Flask Effect applied to resistance flasks4	+3%	+3%	+3%
Flask Effect applied to Divination Distillate4	+1.8%	+1.8%	+1.8%
Aura Effect applied to aura 5	3.9%	3.9%	3.9%
Buff Effect applied to aura 5	1.2%	1.2%	1.2%
Total	116.9%	113.9%	112.9%	79%

¹ Flasks last between 3.5 and 4.2 seconds.

² Only one shield can be equipped.

³ Lasts 5 seconds.

⁴ Inner Force does not apply to flask effects while Flask Effect does. Inner Force (increased buff effect) and increased Aura Effect stack together additively.

⁵ All passives added up including notables with the same effect.

⁶ Current Drops have +4% to all maximum Resistance. Legacy items have +5% to all maximum Resistance.