In many role-playing games (RPGs), including Elden Ring, understanding Soft and Hard Stat Caps is important for optimized character development. In general, “soft cap” refers to a point beyond which stat investments give diminishing returns, while “hard cap” indicates a point where stat investments give no further benefits. The value of these caps can differ based on the stat, as well as the specific game.
To make the best decisions about leveling and assigning stat points, you’ll want to consider the role and build you’re aiming for. In Elden Ring, for instance, you might want to focus on the Strength stat if you’re planning on wielding heavy weapons, or Dexterity for faster, lighter ones. Magic users might focus on Intelligence or Faith depending on whether they utilize sorceries or incantations.
Additionally, Stamina is crucial as it affects your equip load, the amount of dodges and rolls, you can perform, the amount of hits you can guard against, and your stamina gauge.
For each of these, you’ll want to consider not only the current requirements of your chosen role but also how you envision your character developing. Having a balance between different stats can help ensure you’re prepared for a variety of situations while focusing on one or two key areas can make your character extremely effective in specific scenarios.
Keep in mind that Elden Ring, like other FromSoftware games, has a “respec” system that lets you reassign your stat points in case you make a mistake or want to try a new build.
In Elden Ring, Rennala is the boss that allows you to respec once you have defeated her. Rennala can be found at the boss arena at the end of Raya Lucaria Academy, in Liurnia of the Lakes. The site of grace to travel to in order to respec only appears after you’ve beaten her, and is called Raya Lucaria Grand Library.
So, even if you initially choose a non-optimal stat distribution, you can still adjust later as you gain a better understanding of the game’s mechanics and your personal play style.
Elden Ring Soft Stat Caps
| Attribute | Soft Cap Levels | Changes per Level |
|---|---|---|
| Arcane (Attack Rating) | 20/50/80 | Depends on the weapon |
| Arcane (Incantation Scaling) | 30/45 | Depends on the incantation |
| Dexterity | 18/55/80 | Depends on the weapon |
| Endurance (Equip Load) | 25/60 | Max: +1.6 +1.0 to +1.5 +1.0 to +1.1 |
| Endurance (Stamina) | 15/35/50 | +1 or +2 (Level 12-17) +2 or +1 (Level 18-32) +1 at specific levels after 50 |
| Faith (Attack Rating) | 20/50/80 | Depends on the weapon |
| Faith (Incantation Scaling) | 60/80 | Depends on the incantation |
| Intelligence (Attack Rating) | 20/50/80 | Depends on the weapon |
| Intelligence (Sorcery Scaling) | 60/80 | Depends on the sorcery |
| Mind | 50/60 | Max: +8 or +9 (Level 50-55) +7 to +4 (Level 55-60 +3 to +2 FP (Level 60-99) |
| Strength | 18/55/80 | Depends on the weapon |
| Vigor | 40/60 | Max: +48 (Level 40) +26 to +13 (Level 40-60) +5 or +6 (Level 60-90) +3 to +4 HP (Level 90-99) |
Reddit users u/AshuraRC and u/getcheddarttv put together two comprehensive guides on how soft and hard caps affect your attributes as you level up your character. Let’s see them:
Note: Each stat increase in Elden Ring is considered a level-up for that individual stat. As a result, the word level below can be used interchangeably with the word stat point for that specific stat. The hard cap for all stats is 99. The maximum level in Elden Ring, if you hit 99 stat points in all stats, is 713.
Vigor Soft Caps
| Level 1-40 | HP gain increases from +4 to +48 (Average: +29.5) |
| Level 41-60 | HP gain decreases from +26 to +13 (Average: +22.5) |
| Level 61-99 | HP gain decreases by +6 to +3 (Average: +5.1) |
- At Level 15, Vigor gives your +15 HP.
- From that point on, the added HP keeps increasing by 1-2 points every 2-3 levels.
- At Level 40, you will get the maximum amount of HP from vigor +48 HP.
- First Soft Cap: From level 40 to 60, the added HP keeps decreasing from 26 HP to 13 HP per level.
- Second Soft Cap: From level 60 to 90, you will get 5 or 6 HP per stat point assigned.
- Third Soft Cap: From level 90 to 99, you will only get 3 or 4 HP per stat point assigned.
- Hard Cap: Level 99.
Mind Soft Caps
| Level 1-15 | FP gain alternates between +2 and +3 (Average gain: +2.56) |
| Level 16-35 | FP gain alternates between +5 and +6 (Average: +5.25) |
| Level 36-50 | FP gain alternates between +2 and +3 (Average: +2.56) |
| Level 51-60 | FP gains between +6 and +4 (Average: +5.00) |
| Level 61-99 | FP gain alternates between +2 and +3 (Average: +2.56) |
- Assigning points to your Mind attribute increases your FP by 6 per Mind attribute point until level 20.
- From level 50 to 55, you will get 8 or 9 FP per level.
- First Soft Cap: At level 55, you will hit the first soft cap. From levels 55 to 60, the FP gained keeps dropping from 7 to eventually 4 FP per level.
- Second Soft Cap: From level 60 onward, you will only get 2 or 3 FP per level.
- Hard Cap: Level 99.
Endurance – Stamina Soft Cap
| Level 1-17 | Stamina gain alternates between +1 and +2 (avg: +1.79) |
| Level 18-32 | Stamina gain alternates between +2 and +1 (avg: +1.67) |
| Level 33-50 | Stamina gains alternates between +1 and +2 (avg: +1.25) |
| Level 51-99 | Stamina gains are between +0 and +1 (Average: +0.31) |
- Between levels 12 and 17, you will get 1 or 2 Stamina interchangeably per level.
- Between levels 18 and 32, you will get 2 and 1 Stamina interchangeably per level.
- Soft Cap: Between levels 50 and on, you will receive one Stamina point on specific levels: 54, 57, 60, 64, 67, 90, 73, 77, 80, 83, 86, 90, 93, 96, and 99.
- Hard Cap: Level 99
Endurance – Equip Load Soft Cap
| Level 9-25 | Max Equip Load gains alternate between +1.5 and +1.6 (Average: +1.59) |
| Level 26-60 | Max Equip Load gains are between +1.0 and +1.5 (Average: +1.37) |
| Level 61-99 | Max Equip Load gains are between +1.0 and +1.1 (Average: +1.03) |
- You will get 1.6 EL (Equipped Load) points per level until level 25. The only exceptions are levels 13 and 21, where the gain is 1.5 points.
- At level 26, you will get 1 EL.
- At levels 27 and 28, you will get 1.1 EL.
- At levels 29 and 30, you will get 1.2 EL.
- At levels 31 to 36 and 38, you will get 1.3 EL.
- At level 37 and from 39 to 54, you will get 1.4 EL. There are exceptions here; at levels 46, 49, 50, 52, and 53, you will see increases of 1.5 EL points.
- From level 55 to 60, your EL will increase by 1.5 points per endurance point.
- Soft Cap: At level 61, you will get a 1-point EL increase.
- From 62 to 99, the EL gain maintains the following pattern for every 4 levels: 1.1 EL points, 1 EL point, 1 EL point, and 1 EL point.
- Hard Cap: 99
Strength Soft Caps
As a stat that’s fundamental to those who prefer the heavy melee style of combat, Strength defines the robust and resilient warrior archetype. By focusing on Strength, players enable their characters to utilize robust, slow, yet devastatingly powerful weapons, typically taking advantage of their physical defense. Weapons that see improved performance from a high Strength stat often require two-handed usage due to their bulk. The Strength stat experiences diminishing returns or “soft caps” when it reaches the levels of 18, 55, and 80.
Strength hits three soft caps at levels 22, 55, and 80:
- First Soft Cap: Level 20
- Second Soft Cap: Level 55
- Third Soft Cap: Level 80
- Hard Cap: Level 99
Dexterity Soft Caps
For players who blend melee and magic or focus on rogue-like combat, particularly those wielding twin blades, Dexterity is a key stat, second only to Strength for dealing physical damage. While it doesn’t boost magical power, Dexterity enhances casting speed, mitigates the damage taken from falls, and increases stability when riding horseback. The soft caps for Dexterity in relation to weapon damage are set at 18, 55, and 80.
Dexterity follows the same pattern as Strength. It hits three soft caps at levels 22, 55, and 80:
- First Soft Cap: Level 20
- Second Soft Cap: Level 55
- Third Soft Cap: Level 80
- Hard Cap: Level 99
Intelligence – Attack Rating Soft Caps
Intelligence is pivotal for boosting both spell damage and magic resistance, allowing spells to hit harder while simultaneously providing a protective barrier against enemy magic attacks. Spending points in this stat also amplify Fire Defense. The soft caps for Intelligence regarding weapon damage are 20, 50, and 80. For Sorcery ratings, the soft caps occur at 60 and 80.
Intelligence hits three soft caps at levels 22, 50, and 80 in terms of Attack Rating:
- First Soft Cap: Level 20
- Second Soft Cap: Level 55
- Third Soft Cap: Level 80
- Hard Cap: Level 99
Intelligence – Sorcery Scaling Soft Caps
Intelligence hits two soft caps at levels 60 and 80 in terms of Sorcery Scaling:
- First Soft Cap: Level 60
- Second Soft Cap: Level 80
- Hard Cap: Level 99
Faith – Attack Rating Soft Caps
Faith is a crucial attribute for enhancing incantation damage and unlocking more potent incantations. It serves as a primary stat for weapons and damage buffs. The soft caps for Faith are identical to those for Intelligence.
Faith hits three soft caps at levels 22, 50, and 80 in terms of Attack Rating:
- First Soft Cap: Level 20
- Second Soft Cap: Level 55
- Third Soft Cap: Level 80
- Hard Cap: Level 99
Faith – Incantation Scaling Soft Caps
Faith hits two soft caps at levels 60 and 80 in terms of Incantation Scaling:
- First Soft Cap: Level 60
- Second Soft Cap: Level 80
- Hard Cap: Level 99
Arcane – Attack Rating Soft Caps
Arcane is a distinct stat that increases the chances of item drops and bolsters holy defense. Its soft caps for weapon damage are at 20, 50, and 80, while soft caps for incantation scaling are at 30 and 45.
Arcane hits three soft caps at levels 22, 50, and 80 in terms of Attack Rating:
- First Soft Cap: Level 20
- Second Soft Cap: Level 55
- Third Soft Cap: Level 80
- Hard Cap: Level 99
Arcane – Incantation Scaling Soft Caps
Arcane hits two soft caps at levels 30 and 45 in terms of Incantation Scaling:
- First Soft Cap: Level 30
- Second Soft Cap: Level 45
- Hard Cap: Level 99
I hope this clears out how soft caps affect the gains you receive for each attribute point assigned to each attribute as you level up. For more Elden Ring guides, you can check the Elden Ring section of our website.
- Elden Ring Soft Caps for Each Stat: Updated Patch 1.10 - August 6, 2023