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Resistance
Resistances affect the amount of damage taken of specific damage types when all avoidance forms have failed. Enemies can also have resistances, which are indicated beneath their life bar.
Each damage type except physical has its own resistance value which is viewable on the Defence tab in the Character panel (default hotkey C). Physical damage is mitigated by armour.
Chaos damage is not elemental, thus "+% to all Elemental Resistances" does not affect chaos, but "+% to all maximum Resistances" does. Chaos resistance can be modified by items and passive skills. The Keystone passive skill Chaos Inoculation grants total immunity to Chaos damage.
Maximum resistances are hard capped at 90%.
Mechanics
Damage mitigation
Resistances mitigates the incoming damage according to
<math display="" style="background-color:transparent; padding:0;"> \color[RGB]{163,141,109} \begin{align}
\text{dmg}_{\text{red} } & = (1 - \text{Resistance}) * \text{dmg}
\end{align}
</math>
where dmgred is the damage after reduction, Res is the character's resistance and dmg is the initial damage.
The damage ratio between a character with -60% resistance and a character with 75% resistance that are hit with same amount of damage is
<math display="" style="background-color:transparent; padding:0;"> \color[RGB]{163,141,109} \begin{align}
{{1 -(-0.6)}\over{1 - 0.75}} & = 6.4
\end{align}
</math>
Resistance penetration
Penetration is applied as damage is dealt, after other resistance calculations. This means that Penetration will affect damage dealt even if the target's raw resistance value is far above its resistance cap.[1]
Both reduction (as from curses), and penetration (as from Penetration gems), can reduce a target's resistance below 0%. There is no minimum resistance floor.
Ignore resistances
Some effects ignore resistances altogether, effectively acting as if the enemy's resistance is at 0%. Consequently, this effect will reduce your damage if the enemy's resistance dips into the negatives without this effect.
Sources of ignore resistance
- Inevitable Judgement
Vaal Impurity of FireVaal Impurity of FireAura, Vaal, Spell, AoE, Duration, Fire
Level: (1-20)
Cooldown Time: 0.50 sec
Can Store 1 Use(s)
Souls Per Use: 50
Can Store 1 Use(s)
Cast Time: InstantRequires Level 24Casts an aura that reduces fire damage taken and provides ignite immunity to you and nearby allies, and makes hits against nearby enemies ignore their fire resistance.Per 1% Quality:1Superior2% increased Area of EffectYou and nearby allies gain 5% additional maximum Fire Resistance
+(14-20) to radius
Base duration is 3 seconds
You and nearby allies are Immune to Ignite
Nearby Enemies' Fire Resistance is Ignored by Hits
Modifiers to Skill Effect Duration also apply to this Skill's Soul Gain Prevention
(0-76)% increased effect of Aura
CorruptedPlace into an item socket of the right colour to gain this skill. Right click to remove from a socket.
Vaal Impurity of IceVaal Impurity of IceAura, Vaal, Spell, AoE, Duration, Cold
Level: (1-20)
Cooldown Time: 0.50 sec
Can Store 1 Use(s)
Souls Per Use: 50
Can Store 1 Use(s)
Soul Gain Prevention: 0 sec
Cast Time: InstantRequires Level 24Casts an aura that reduces cold damage taken and provides freeze and chill immunity to you and nearby allies, and makes hits against nearby enemies ignore their cold resistance.Per 1% Quality:1Superior2% increased Area of EffectYou and nearby allies gain 5% additional maximum Cold Resistance
+(14-20) to radius
Base duration is 3 seconds
You and nearby allies are Immune to Freeze
Nearby Enemies' Cold Resistance is Ignored by Hits
You and nearby allies are Immune to Chill
Modifiers to Skill Effect Duration also apply to this Skill's Soul Gain Prevention
(0-76)% increased effect of Aura
CorruptedPlace into an item socket of the right colour to gain this skill. Right click to remove from a socket.
Vaal Impurity of LightningVaal Impurity of LightningAura, Vaal, Spell, AoE, Duration, Lightning
Level: (1-20)
Cooldown Time: 0.50 sec
Can Store 1 Use(s)
Souls Per Use: 50
Can Store 1 Use(s)
Soul Gain Prevention: 0 sec
Cast Time: InstantRequires Level 24Casts an aura that reduces lightning damage taken and provides shock immunity to you and nearby allies, and makes hits against nearby enemies ignore their lightning resistance.Per 1% Quality:1Superior2% increased Area of EffectYou and nearby allies gain 5% additional maximum Lightning Resistance
+(14-20) to radius
Base duration is 3 seconds
You and nearby allies are Immune to Shock
Nearby Enemies' Lightning Resistance is Ignored by Hits
Modifiers to Skill Effect Duration also apply to this Skill's Soul Gain Prevention
(0-76)% increased effect of Aura
CorruptedPlace into an item socket of the right colour to gain this skill. Right click to remove from a socket.
Resistance penalties
A penalty to all resistances is applied to player characters depending on their progression in the story.
- Completion of Part one: -30% to all resistances
- Completion of Part two: -30% to all resistances (-60% total)
Uncapped resistances
Total resistances a character has are uncapped resistances. This total is affected by the difficulty penalties. Only resistances up to a player's maximum will provide damage mitigation, but a player may have their uncapped resistances lowered by curses, potentially reducing them below their maximum.
Unique items affected by uncapped resistances
| Item |
|---|
Maximum resistances
Each resistance has the following cap: No results
There are various ways to alter the maximum resistances:
- Auras:
Purity of FirePurity of FireAura, Spell, AoE, Fire
Level: (1-20)
Reservation: 35% Mana
Cooldown Time: 1.20 sec
Can Store 1 Use(s)
Cast Time: Instant
Radius: 36Requires Level 24Casts an aura that grants fire resistance to you and your allies.Per 1% Quality:1Superior2Anomalous3Divergent2% increased Area of EffectYou and nearby Allies have 0.25% chance to avoid being IgnitedYour and nearby Allies' Damage Penetrates 0.05% Fire ResistanceYou and nearby allies gain (22-41)% additional Fire Resistance
+(0-19) to radius
You and nearby allies gain (0-4)% additional maximum Fire ResistancePlace into an item socket of the right colour to gain this skill. Right click to remove from a socket.
, 
Purity of IcePurity of IceAura, Spell, AoE, Cold
Level: (1-20)
Reservation: 35% Mana
Cooldown Time: 1.20 sec
Can Store 1 Use(s)
Cast Time: Instant
Radius: 36Requires Level 24Casts an aura that grants cold resistance to you and your allies.Per 1% Quality:1Superior2Anomalous3Divergent2% increased Area of EffectYou and nearby Allies have 0.25% chance to avoid being FrozenYour and nearby Allies' Damage Penetrates 0.05% Cold ResistanceYou and nearby allies gain (22-41)% additional Cold Resistance
+(0-19) to radius
You and nearby allies gain (0-4)% additional maximum Cold ResistancePlace into an item socket of the right colour to gain this skill. Right click to remove from a socket.
, 
Purity of LightningPurity of LightningAura, Spell, AoE, Lightning
Level: (1-20)
Reservation: 35% Mana
Cooldown Time: 1.20 sec
Can Store 1 Use(s)
Cast Time: Instant
Radius: 36Requires Level 24Casts an aura that grants lightning resistance to you and your allies.Per 1% Quality:1Superior2Anomalous3Divergent2% increased Area of EffectYou and nearby Allies have 0.25% chance to avoid being ShockedYour and nearby Allies' Damage Penetrates 0.05% Lightning ResistanceYou and nearby allies gain (22-41)% additional Lightning Resistance
+(0-19) to radius
You and nearby allies gain (0-4)% additional maximum Lightning ResistancePlace into an item socket of the right colour to gain this skill. Right click to remove from a socket.
- Passive skills: Barbarism, Survivalist, Unnatural Calm, Chaos Inoculation, Soul of Steel
- Incursion rooms:
No results
- Maps: Module Error: No results found., Module Error: No results found.
- vaal side areas: Module Error: No results found.
- Item modifiers:
No results found
- Unique items:
| Item | Max Fire | Max Cold | Max Lightning | Max Chaos |
|---|
Active skill gems
Related base stats
There are currently no active skill gems that have stats related to resistance.
Related quality stats
| Skill gem |  |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Elemental WeaknessElemental WeaknessSpell, AoE, Duration, Curse, HexLevel: (1-20) Cost: (16-33) Mana Cast Time: 0.50 sec Radius: 22Requires Level 24Curses all targets in an area, lowering their elemental resistances.Per 1% Quality:1Superior2Anomalous3DivergentCursed enemies have -0.25% to Elemental Resistances0.5% increased Effect of Curse0.5% increased Duration of Elemental Ailments on Cursed enemiesBase duration is (9-10.9) seconds Cursed enemies have -(20-39)% to Elemental Resistances Curse gains 10 Doom per second if you Cast this Spell yourself +(0-10) to radiusPlace into an item socket of the right colour to gain this skill. Right click to remove from a socket.   |  | | | 24 |
Support skill gems
Related base stats
There are currently no support skill gems that have stats related to resistance.
Related quality stats
| Skill gem | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Added Chaos Damage SupportAdded Chaos Damage SupportChaos, SupportIcon: H Level: (1-20) Cost & Reservation Multiplier: 130%Requires Level 31Supports any skill that hits enemies.Per 1% Quality:1Superior2Anomalous3DivergentSupported Skills deal 0.5% increased Chaos DamageSupported Skills Penetrate 0.25% Chaos ResistanceSupported Skills have 1% of Physical Damage Converted to Chaos DamageSupported Skills have (17-170) to (26-255) added Chaos DamageThis is a Support Gem. It does not grant a bonus to your character, but to skills in sockets connected to it. Place into an item socket connected to a socket containing the Active Skill Gem you wish to augment. Right click to remove from a socket.  | | | | 31 |
 Elemental Army SupportElemental Army SupportSupport, MinionIcon: r Level: (1-20) Cost & Reservation Multiplier: 130%Requires Level 31Supports skills which create Minions.Per 1% Quality:1Superior2Anomalous3DivergentMinions from Supported Skills have +0.1% to all maximum Elemental ResistancesMinions have 0.5% increased Area of EffectMinions from Supported Skill Leech 0.02% of Elemental Damage as LifeMinions from Supported Skills have +(19-29)% to all Elemental Resistances Minions from Supported Skills deal (20-29)% more Elemental Damage Minions from Supported Skills inflict Exposure on Hit, applying -10% to the Elemental Resistance matching highest Damage type taken by Enemy Minions from Supported Skills have +(0-2)% to all maximum Elemental ResistancesThis is a Support Gem. It does not grant a bonus to your character, but to skills in sockets connected to it. Place into an item socket connected to a socket containing the Active Skill Gem you wish to augment. Right click to remove from a socket.  | | | | 31 |
List of sources that alter resistances
General
Charges
No results
Maximum resistances
Each resistance has the following cap: No results
Base Items
| Item | | Stats |
|---|
Unique Items
Explicit base resists
| Item | | Lightning | Cold | Fire | Chaos |
|---|
| Item | | Stats |
|---|
Flasks
Modifiers
Passive skills
All elemental resistance
No results found for the given query.
All elemental resistance while holding shield
No results found for the given query.
Lightning resistance
No results found for the given query.
Cold resistance
No results found for the given query.
Fire resistance
No results found for the given query.
Chaos resistance
No results found for the given query.
Maximum resistance
No results found for the given query.
Totem resistance
No results found for the given query.
Minion resistance
No results found for the given query.
Other
No results found for the given query.
Ascendancy passives which increase Resistances
No results found for the given query.
Ascendancy passives which reduce or penetrate Resistances
No results found for the given query.
Keystones
No results found for the given query.
Cluster jewel passives
The following cluster jewel-only passives are related to resistance: No results found for the given query.
Shrines
| Shrine | Description | |
|---|---|---|
 
|
Resistance Shrine Fear not the elements. |
You have additional Resistance to Elemental Damage
|
|
|
Lesser Resistance Shrine Fear not the elements. |
You have additional Resistance to Elemental Damage
|
Achievements
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
Elemental Aegis 
|
Have at least 75% resistances to Fire, Cold and Lightning. |
Raise the Bar 
|
Have at least 90% resistance to any Element. |
Version history
| Version | Changes |
|---|---|
| 3.6.0 |
|
| 3.0.0 |
|
References
- ↑ Mark_GGG (December 11, 2012). "Penetration gems mess up balance between ele/physical". Path of Exile Forum.