Stats in Elden Ring decide how much punishment you can take, which weapons you can wield and how strong your spells are. This guide explains how levelling works, what Vigor, Mind, Endurance, Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, Faith and Arcane do, what soft caps are, why you need a catalyst and how to respec if you change your mind about your character. It isn’t a best-builds ranking but a look at the mechanics, which hold regardless of the patch. Controls are written as PlayStation / Xbox, and everything is current as of 20 October 2026.
How levelling works
You can start levelling once you accept Melina’s offer, which she makes when you rest at a Site of Grace. From then on, you spend runes on levels at any Site of Grace. Each level gives you one point to put into a stat of your choice. Bandai Namco sums it up simply: build your character however you like.
Your class sets your starting stat spread, but it doesn’t lock you in. You can level anything, and the class is just a starting point. Starting values for every class are in our guide to Elden Ring classes.
What each stat does
| Stat | What it affects |
|---|---|
| Vigor | maximum HP |
| Mind | FP, which pays for spells and weapon skills |
| Endurance | stamina and equipment load |
| Strength | requirements and damage scaling of physical weapons, melee attack |
| Dexterity | requirements and damage scaling of physical weapons |
| Intelligence | requirements and power of sorceries |
| Faith | requirements and power of incantations |
| Arcane | requirements and scaling of certain spells |
According to IGN, Vigor also raises fire and poison resistance, Dexterity shortens casting time and lowers the chance of being knocked off your horse, and Arcane boosts item discovery. Only IGN lists these extras, so take them with a pinch of salt.
Weapons and spells come with stat requirements. Strength unlocks heavier weapons and Intelligence unlocks stronger sorceries. If you don’t meet a requirement, you can’t use the weapon or spell to its full potential.
Soft caps: why not to dump everything into one stat
Every stat only adds efficiency up to a certain point. Bandai Namco’s official tips call these soft caps and point out that the maximum is on the conservative side. Past that threshold, extra points in the same stat give you less than before. The official guide doesn’t give exact numbers, so neither do we.
When levels stop moving the needle, the official tips suggest looking for power elsewhere: upgrade your weapon with Smithing Stones, try a new spell, spirit or Ash of War, use crafted buffs and upgrade your flasks. A common early tip (GamesRadar+ gives it, for example) is to invest in Vigor and Endurance first, because more health and stamina help any character, and to raise damage stats once you know which weapon you want. More advice for the opening hours is in our beginner’s guide.
Spells and catalysts
To cast spells you need a catalyst and FP. Sorceries are cast with a staff, incantations with a seal. You memorise spells at a Site of Grace via Memorize Spell, and how many you can carry at once depends on your character’s stats.
That makes Mind important for casters, otherwise you run out of FP mid-fight. At a Site of Grace you can also split your flasks between healing and FP depending on what you need more.
Ashes of War and two-handing
Ashes of War are weapon skills, and you can swap them. Which kind of skill a weapon accepts depends on the weapon type. You trigger the skill with L2 / LT when you are two-handing, holding a shield with a skill or have nothing in your left hand. Each use costs FP.
To two-hand a weapon, hold Triangle / Y and press R1 / RB. Your attacks hit harder and break enemy guards more easily, but you can’t use anything in your off hand.
Respec: how to reallocate your stats
Elden Ring does have a respec, just not from the start. First you need to defeat Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon at the Academy of Raya Lucaria in Liurnia. Then you talk to her in the Grand Library, and the Rebirth option reallocates your stats.
Each respec costs one Larval Tear, and Larval Tears are rare, so plan how often you want to rebuild. Rennala also offers to change your character’s appearance in the same conversation.
Getting stronger in Shadow of the Erdtree
In Shadow of the Erdtree two blessings work on top of your levels. Scadutree Blessing raises your attack and reduces damage taken, and you build it up with Scadutree Fragments. Revered Spirit Ash Blessing strengthens your summoned spirits and Torrent, powered by Revered Spirit Ash. You activate both at a Site of Grace, and they only work in the Realm of Shadow. How to get into the DLC is covered in our DLC guide for Shadow of the Erdtree.
Join our Discord to talk through where your next points should go: GamersTogether Discord.
FAQ
Vigor raises your maximum HP, meaning how many hits you can take. That’s why it’s often recommended to put early points into Vigor and Endurance.
Endurance raises your stamina and equipment load. A higher equipment load lets you carry heavier gear.
Defeat Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon at the Academy of Raya Lucaria and talk to her in the Grand Library. The Rebirth option reallocates your stats and costs one Larval Tear.
A soft cap is the point beyond which extra points in a stat add less. Bandai Namco doesn’t publish exact numbers, only that soft caps exist.
A catalyst (a staff for sorceries, a seal for incantations), enough FP and the required Intelligence or Faith. You memorise spells at a Site of Grace.
Information verified on 20 October 2026. More guides are in our Elden Ring guides.