Stats

When it comes to facing the dangers of the Ring, there are five Primary Stats and four Secondary Stats to keep in mind. These stats can be changed by equipping items, using Stat Boosts or through a number of other methods and will define your strengths and weaknesses throughout your descent into the Ring.

## Primary Stats

Primary Stats are the character stats that play a major part in your build and your success within the Ring.

### Health

As a stat, Health governs your maximum Health. In addition to dying if your Health reaches 0, you will also die if your Max Health is reduced to 0 or lower, usually from equipping items or certain effects.

### Attack

Attack affects your ability to deal damage; higher Attack means higher damage. Your Melee Damage is calculated based on your Attack minus the target's Defense.

* Note that even if your Attack is completely blocked by a creature's Defense, you will **always** deal a minimum of 1 Damage.

### Defense

Defense affects your ability to defend yourself from attacking creatures. The damage taken is calculated just like Attack calculations; the opposing creature's Attack minus your Defense. However, most creatures also feature Piercing Damage which is not reduced by your Defense stat; instead, excess Defense will become Parry Chance, which has a chance to block the Piercing Damage as well.

* Having *negative* Defense will cause you to take *more* damage from attacks.
	+ Note that this also applies to creatures, so items with Defense-reducing effects such as the Weaken scroll can also increase the Damage enemies take.

### Speed

Speed affects the order of who attacks first when attacking a creature; whoever has the higher Speed stat will attack first.

In addition, Speed will affect your Dodge Chance - your chance to completely avoid an attack - and Stealth Chance - your chance to pass by a creature without being attacked; for every 2 Speed, you will gain +1% Dodge and Stealth Chance. Respectively, negative Speed will also reduce your Dodge and Stealth Chance.

* Wearing the Chaotic Underwear will invert the attack order; i.e. whoever has the *lower* Speed stat will attack first.

### Clarity

Clarity is a stat unique to the player that affects a number of mechanics:

* Increasing the amount of Souls gained from slain creatures (+5% for every 1 to 2 Clarity)
* Increasing the amount of Health restored by Potions (+1 Health for every 2 to 3 Clarity)
* Reduces the chance of being damaged by Curse cards (+1% Curse Resistance for every point of Clarity)
* Increasing your Critical Hit Chance (+1% for every 1.5 Clarity)

In addition, a number of items can provide effects based on your Clarity, whether negative or positive.

* Negative Clarity will reduce your Critical Hit Chance and your Curse Resistance. Your Crit Chance can't go below 0%, but will negatively affect any Crit Chance provided from items.
	+ Unlike Crit Chance, negative Clarity will actually *reduce* your Curse Resistance, making you more likely to be damaged by Curse cards.
	+ Negative Clarity will **not** reduce the amount of Souls gained from creatures; nor will it reduce the amount of Health that Potions restore (beneath their default values).

## Secondary Stats

Secondary Stats are character stats that are usually affected by your Primary Stats; however, certain items can boost these stats on their own without affecting your Primary stats.

### Parry Chance

While Defense can block an enemy's Physical Attack, an enemy's Piercing Damage can still hurt you; This is where Parry Chance comes in.

Your excess Defense will be turned into Parry Chance based on your excess Defense over the creature's Physical Attack (the non-Piercing damage).

At a minimum, you will always have a 20% Parry Chance as long as your Defense is equal to the opposing creature's Physical Attack. Additional Defense will increase your Parry Chance based on the difference between your Defense and the opposing creature's Attack:

 2-3
 4-5
 6-7
 8-9
 10-19
 20+

* Parrying will not block Poison stacks that a creature inflicts when attacking, unless the Venom Guard is equipped.
* If a creature does not have any Piercing Damage (or the Piercing is reduced to 0), the Parry Chance becomes 100% as long as any Physical Damage is blocked.

### Critical Hit Chance

Critical Hit Chance affects the chance to land a Critical Hit on an attack, doubling the damage you deal to a creature.

For approx. every 1.5 Clarity, you will gain +1% Crit Chance; respectively, negative Clarity will also reduce your Crit Chance. Your Crit Chance cannot go below 0%, but it will negatively affect any Crit Chance provided by equipped items.

* Critical Hit Chance is capped at 80% Maximum and cannot go higher than this.
	+ However, your Crit Chance will go to 100% if an effect is active that guarantees a Critical Hit, such as the Shadowstrike scroll or the First Strike gloves.
* If your Attack is fully blocked by a creature's Defense (and thus, only deals 1 Damage) and you roll a Crit, the attack will not deal any additional damage from the Crit.

### Dodge Chance

Dodge Chance affects the chance to *completely* avoid taking damage when a creature attacks you. Unlike Parrying, Dodging an attack will avoid everything including Poison or enemies with effects on attack such as the Breathless Snare and its Ensnare.

For every 2 Speed, you gain +1% Dodge Chance; respectively, negative Speed will also reduce your Dodge Chance. Your Dodge Chance cannot go below 0%, but it will negatively affect any Dodge Chance provided by equipped items.

* Dodge is one of the only methods of avoiding damage from ranged creatures such as Bilebags.
	+ Damage from Explosions and other unique sources such as a Hollower's Soul Attack *cannot* be dodged.
* Dodge Chance is capped at 80% Maximum and cannot go higher than this.

### Stealth Chance

Stealth Chance is, quite literally, your chance of being able to sneak by a creature without being attacked. If you fail a Stealth roll, the creature will get a free attack off on you while you pass by.

For every 2 Speed, you gain +1% Stealth Chance; respectively, negative Speed will also reduce your Stealth Chance. Your Stealth Chance cannot go below 0%, but it will negatively affect any Stealth Chance provided by equipped items.

* Stealth Chance is capped at 80% max, unless you have the Misting Vessel equipped which allows you to go up to 100%.
	+ Your Stealth Chance will also go past this threshold when effects that guarantee a successful Stealth Roll are active, such as the Shadowstep scroll or the Sneaky boots.